Tina Basu's Blog, page 6

Why media always sides with a Celebrity?

www.youthkiawaaz.comIf you have been living in India, the current state of apathy of politicians, social big-wigs and media will drive you crazy. I sometimes wonder which age are we living in? Is money name and fame everything? Isn’t there anything called humanity left in anyone? If you think I’m going melodramatic then wait till you have read the entire post.
The entire judiciary system looks like is in the pockets of the wealthy. If you are a top politician with good amount of followers you can just about escape anything – read corruption, money laundering or even murders. And if you are a Bollywood actor then no one can touch you – even if you have killed several people while driving in an inebriated state! In fact you will have several media houses running the entire day to show these people in good lights – how much philanthropic work they have done, why people like them so much etc etc.
This brings me to a recent incident that took place in Rajasthan when a celebrity (who is also a member of the parliament) was involved in an accident. The celebrity in question here is former actress and now politician Hema Malini. Her Mercedes collided with a small Alto hatchback car on a highway in Rajasthan late at night. She was injured in the accident and the media went berserk with her photo with a bloody face aired across every news channel and printed in every damn news paper. They made sure reporters were posted at the hospital, where she was taken, and updates were aired every few minutes of her well being. We understand she is a celebrity after all, a beautiful actress of Bollywood.
What they failed to highlight was a little girl died in that accident. She was all of four or two (yes I am not very sure because very few dailies reported this and all gave different details). There has been a loss of life in the bloody accident but everyone seems to be interested in covering how many stitches this actress has got, who is looking after her, how she is feeling now!
It is not only the media. What we got to know (again from few channels) the police at the site didn’t waste any time to rush the actress to a private hospital in Jaipur but they sent the injured family, travelling in the other car to a non descriptive government hospital, where this little kid died. Can you even imagine the gravity of loss faced by the family? And the humiliation they are facing currently.
The common visual across all channels and newspapers of the actress now. Look at the condition of the Alto car after the accident.
Source

I ask, why such apathy towards common man and such sympathy towards an actress? Because she is a pretty face? Because she has fame? Because one bloody photo of her will give you more TRP or readership? What have we become? Is there no humanity left in us at all? 
The actress in question also showed such shallowness that she didn’t even bother to ask the victims about anything – she was more interested in getting herself to the hospital! From a normal POV can you guess the power and safety features of a Mercedes – supposedly superior than any other car. When it is colliding with a small Alto how on earth are they going to survive? But you can guess the intensity of the collision – even with such superior safety features the person traveling in the Mercedes got hit on her face.  I can’t even think in what condition that little kid would have been! All the police did was arrest the driver! The car was zooming past at 140 km/ph on a highway where the speed limits are at 80 km/ph!!
It is such a shame that we call our media – the fourth pillar of the society! This set of people are only businessmen – mean businessmen. What they want is TRP, viewership, money. They are not bothered about loss of human life. And no pity for a four year old child who lost her life!
But that is not all, now when people have been flooding the social media about this apathy the media houses have sat up and found a new story. They are now interviewing the father of the deceased asking how are you feeling? Did Hema Malini call you? And such other absurd questions – to gain more TRP. They are even out with news about how upset Dharmender (her husband who is also an icon of Bollywood) is about the accident!! 
I want to pray for the little child – it’s not just the car or the driver that failed you – we all failed, as a society to protect you, or respect you even when you have left us. May be the other side won’t be as cruel as this one. Rest in Peace.
Let us all pray for the innocent soul, whom people are not even respecting after death
SourceRead the complete news about the accident here .
P.S. It seems two hours back Malini has given a statement that she will provide financial aid to the family. Can you buy back her life madam??



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  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Linking this post to  Ultimate Blog Challenge July ,  NabLoPoMo July , and  Ultra Blog Challenge July .-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                   

Five Sentence Fiction - Teddy

Howdy people. Writing my 340th post today. Are you liking the recent series of fictions and musings that I am writing. Hope you are. 

So this month I'm going all out and have joined Ultimate Blog Challenge, Ultra Blog Challenge and NabLoPoMo apart from the other challenges that I keep doing time to time. Hope I can survive till I take a break in Aug maybe! 
Anyways today I thought of mixing several prompts for a little Five Sentence Fiction. First let's get into the story and then will tell you about the prompts. 
Teddy
Teddy was obedient, not a day went when he threw tantrums.
Today, he was all alone, like any other day, but today it was somber outside, Teddy was waiting, waiting for them to come back.
He was sleepy when he heard Blenda’s raspy voice from outside screaming for him… what was wrong?
Standing over the fallen leaves in the lawn Blenda kept calling for teddy, the house was up in flames and no way could she go inside… but tears of joy kept crawling down when she saw her little pup leaping out through the kitchen window.
Her Teddy was safe in her arms now.



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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Post written for 1. Five Sentence Fiction for the prompt - Flames.2. Three Words Wednesday for the prompts - Obedient, Raspy and Sombre3. A Prompt Each Day for the word prompt - Leaf---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Linking this post to  Ultimate Blog Challenge July ,  NabLoPoMo July , and  Ultra Blog Challenge July .  

                              

Snooze Trouble - #MondayMusings

Do you fall asleep easily every time you go to bed at night? If you do I must say you are damn lucky. Isn’t it nice that you lay down with your current read and then fall asleep and have a nice dream may be?
I have seen people falling into deep sleep the moment they hit the bed, like you are just supposed to get into sleep land as soon as you are in your bed tucked under your comforter! And mostly they are men! I at least know two of them my dad and my better half – they hardly waste any time and don’t like compromising on their snooze time.
There is nothing in this world that I like more than a good night’s sleep - peaceful sleep to recharge myself. And neither do I like to compromise on my sleep, but for last few months it seems to play hide and seek with me and I have no idea why! When I am unable to sleep and stay awake like an owl I think how is it that men find it so easy to sleep?
There are internal debates in my mind – they are tired because of all days work maybe! But if I think that way I should be even more tired. I am working full day, and I have household chores too that I need to do in the evening after work, so am I not dog tired and falling asleep as easily as others can?
I think my mind becomes more active when I lay down and everything is quiet. I have all sorts of thoughts crowding my mind. Weird thoughts, unrelated thoughts and the most random thoughts you can get. Does that happen with you guys too?
Looks Like Aunty Acid understands me completely

Even after I have read a nice chunk of a book I’m finding it difficult to fall asleep. I bloody get thoughts about the characters! Why are the characters like this, what if this was the situation how would they react? It’s like there is an alternative storyline cooking up in my head!
I don’t find any reason for this growing insomnia and it’s so irritating. I am off coffee for more than a year, I don’t do tea or anything that is a stimulant. Even if I am lucky to fall asleep invariably I’ll wake up at about 3AM and then continue to stay awake!


I have tried all the methods counting till like few thousands (rather repeating 1-100 few times), trying not to think about anything and keeping a blank mind. But my mind has developed its own mind, and also its tantrums! The only remedy I have found is to surf through Twitter or read an e-book on my phone or iPad. At least that kills time without disturbing my hubby who is peacefully sleeping.
I am seriously thinking of taking a sleeping pill once in a while to get some sleep. Do you guys have random thoughts while you are waiting to fall asleep or do you have trouble sleeping sometimes? I hope you don’t. I wish no one has trouble sleeping.        
Or is this the reason ;)



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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Linking this post to Write Tribe #MondayMusings , Ultimate Blog Challenge July , NabLoPoMo July , and Ultra Blog Challenge July . --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Quote Challenge - Day 3 - The Person in You

Hello beautiful people. It's Day 3 of The Quote Challenge. I'm back with yet another inspiring quote from yet another inspiring author and achiever - Maya Angelou. Her life and her life's struggle itself is so inspiring, no wonder every word she has written is beautiful.


Here you go.
Source
I have always believed in this - no matter who you are, no matter how many degrees you have, no matter how much money you earn, if you cannot make yourself a good human being then your wealth is hollow! I have myself tried to learn the good and bad from life's situations - and it's not that hard after all. 




The rules for the 3 Day Quote Challenge are simple.
1. Post a favorite quote of yours for 3 consecutive days, obviously  a different quote each day from any book, any author of your choice. It could also be your own quote.
2. Nominate 3 bloggers with each post to challenge them.
3. Thank the person who nominated you.


And I am nominating
Sacha Blessed

Debbie D

Ashwini Gopalkrishnan




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Short Fiction - The Interview

I was planning to catch up with some sleep, I am feeling dog tired somehow. And it's about to be 12 in the night here in India. But I went through my email and saw the Three Word Wednesday word prompts waiting in my inbox. I just couldn't resist writing down something. Yes sometimes i get into this zone of 'love for words' yet sometimes I sit with a blank face and think what am I going to write? Ironies of life!
Anyways today I am going to mix two prompts together – 
Three Words Wednesday and A prompt each Day. But first 
let’s go ahead with the story.
Here are the words from TWW 
Lump, noun: a compact mass of a substance, especially one without a definite or regular shape; a swelling under the skin, especially one caused by injury or disease; a small cube of sugar; a heavy, ungainly, or slow-witted person; verb: put in an indiscriminate mass or group; treat as alike without regard for particulars.
Nervous, adjective: easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious; highly strung; anxious or apprehensive; (of a feeling or reaction) resulting from anxiety or anticipation.
Puzzled, adjective: unable to understand; perplexed. 
And the word prompts from APED (any three)


The Interview
Romi felt uneasy. What sort of an interview is this going to be? She thought. She was puzzled why her future employer wanted to meet at the hotel and not the office for the interview.
She was reluctant at first, but finally agreed for the interview. She needed the job badly. She had bills to pay. The sudden recession across the country was not helping anyone.
Romi, however, made it very clear to the consultant that she was willing to meet Mr. Zimmer over tea at the coffee shop and not in his suite.
She waited at the delicately decorated café at the Hilton. He was already late by 20 minutes. What sort of a boss is he? She thought while sipping her English Black tea.
The waitress left a note at her table this time.
‘1709, A. Zimmer’ it read.
Romi wanted to ask the waitress but couldn’t find her anywhere nearby. Do I meet him? Do I just leave? Her mind was in a constant debate for the next five minutes.
Her heart was pounding fast as she entered the lift. While walking towards his suite she ran through the little self defense stunts, she knew, in her mind. But this is one job I can’t afford to lose!
A nervous Romi tidied her hair before ringing the bell gingerly.
“Come in” was all she heard. The voice sounded composed.
The living room was dimly lit. She could only see the shadow of a man on the plush couch. She felt uneasy, she could barely speak, and with a lump in her throat she could manage a feeble good evening.

The shadow rose, leaving the magazine aside and started walking towards her.
‘Andrew Zimmer, and you would be Miss Regan?’ he asked in his calm voice.
For a moment Romi couldn’t respond. She kept staring at his pale blue eyes. In a wobbly voice she replied ‘Romi Regan’ after few moments.
While he talked through her scope of work, only thing that Romi could concentrate was Andrew. He was young, brawny and looked devilishly handsome!
‘Congratulations Miss Regan!’ The words kept reverberating in her ears as she walked out with her appointment letter in her hand.
He wasn’t lecherous as I had assumed.
But will I remain his personal assistant? Can it be something more? 
She left the Hilton with questions crowding her mind.


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The Quote Challenge - Day 2 - Do you value time?

So it's Day 2 of The Quote Challenge and today I'm going to share a quote by my favorite author Mr. Dan Brown. I almost worship him and have read all his works. 
So today's quote is from the book Inferno. And I feel it's quite an apt quote which is pretty true for life. 
Here's the quote - and it's so true. Enjoy. 
I thought making a picture for the quote would be apt. So here it is

The rules for the 3 Day Quote Challenge are simple.

1. Post a favorite quote of yours for 3 consecutive days, obviously  a different quote each day from any book, any author of your choice. It could also be your own quote.
2. Nominate 3 bloggers with each post to challenge them.
3. Thank the person who nominated you.


And I am nominating
Francene Stanley 
Laurel Regan 
Stephen AK

Hope you guys have fun with the challenge!

The Quote Challenge - Day 1 - All about books

Lata from Lata Wonders has been very generous and tagged me in the 3 Day Quote Challenge.
As a part of the challenge one is required to post a quote each day from your favorite books for three consecutive days and tag a fellow blogger.
I think it’s a very nice challenge. It’s another way to revisit your favorite quotes and gain some more wisdom from them if already not gained!
So here is my quote for Day 1.
J K Rowling is an inspiring author for me. When everyone was going berserk with The Harry Potter series I kept it at bay thinking those were books for kids. I was in college and was more engrossed with the murder mysteries. But when I did start reading I read five books at a stretch!
So here is an equally inspiring quote from the inspiring lady
I thought making a picture for the quote would be apt. So here it is

The rules for the 3 Day Quote Challenge are simple.1. Post a favorite quote of yours for 3 consecutive days, obviously  a different quote each day from any book, any author of your choice. It could also be your own quote.
2. Nominate 3 bloggers with each post to challenge them.
3. Thank the person who nominated you.


And I am nominating
Preethi Venugopala
Anmol Rawat 
Vinay Leo Ravindranath


Thanks Lata for this nice challenge. Time for some wisdom!

#MondayMusing - Ain't birds thirsty??

SourceWe were going through a bad heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees. It was being quite difficult for us in spite of having loads of water, being under the air conditioning, ice creams and others. I was wondering what the little birds and animals are going through in this heat?
I noticed crows sitting under sheds to avoid the harsh rays of sun. Little sparrows and pigeons trying to get some space in the window sills making me feel bad for them. So I decided to do something for them. Least I could do was provide water and some food for the little fellows.
So I went ahead and made a water bed for them -turned an old wide container into a water pot and placed it on the window sill – we have pretty wide window sills. It gave me relief that birds around my house will get fresh water to quench their thirst. Both me and my mom kept a vigil on the water level and if any bird was visiting.
But to our dismay – not a single visitor on Day1! Normally I see loads of pigeons and sparrows sitting on the window grill. But hardly anyone on the day I kept water for them. So next day I decided to keep some rice grains along with the water – much against the wishes of my mom! I thought maybe they’ll come to eat the grains and end up having water along with it. It’s almost like I’m inviting them for a high tea!
I also went ahead and changed the water so that they can sip some fresh filtered water! Yeah I was being too good to them. But what was the result – no visitor? The wind took away the rice grains but again no visitor at the window – not even a crow! Crows over here are very smart – they know where the kitchen window is and they mostly flock around that.
Two more days passed, yet no visitor and Mr. Sun was kind enough to sip up till the last drop – water evaporated leaving the container dry but no bird! I spotted a pigeon sitting on the grill once but it didn’t bother to look at the water.
Few days back I got a small fruit of some tree around our house and thought may be the birds would like that instead of the grains or tiny bread pieces. So I placed that fruit alongside the water container.
It’s five days since that fruit is lying at the same spot, the water has turned green – yet no visitor.
And check what has happened to the fruit. It has started ripening. It’s turning red from green yet no one wants it.


May the little fellows are not thirsty!

And my water bed experiment for the birds in summer – A BIG FAIL!!        

Where did you think I went wrong?

1. Don't birds get thirsty in immense heat?
2. Don't they like plastic containers?
3. Don't they like fresh filtered water?
I get to see a lot of birds around my house and it gives me immense joy to spot an uncommon bird once in a while. The Golden Oriole however, has become a regular visitor. 
Have you ever tried such experiments? Did you succeed? Let me know. 

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Post written for #MondayMusings at Write Tribe
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Poem - Snow White

Here’s a new site I came across today. It will help all those bloggers like me who look for prompts to write. So go check out A Prompt Each Day . They give out daily prompts and you can link up with your post for the prompt of the day.
So here is my maiden post for A Prompt Each Day and it’s a photo prompt today - Fotowrite #2. 
And from my side it's a poem for a change.

SNOW WHITE
The day was perfect.
The sea was calm.
Ferries and yachts scattered across the waters.
Wind was just right when the captain ordered to set her free.
For it was her maiden voyage.
Her snow white sails brought out her true majestic beauty.   
Ship Mary L. Cushing by William G. Yorke (via Wikimedia Commons)


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Flash Fiction Day - Take Me Along

I was thinking of writing this piece last night but then you never know what is going to happen next. It was one of those days when you literally fight with your mom to rustle up something in the kitchen. [My mom doesn't even allow me to enter her kitchen when I am visiting her.]
Anyways, I happened to spill half a pot of boiling soup on myself, and god only knows how and why that happened. It left me all red - first from the heat (thank God I didn't burn or something) and second from the scolding. I was almost grounded (and yes at this age!). 
That's why the delay in the post. Anyways here is a little Flash Fiction for Three Words Wednesday. 
The three words are.
Dead, adjective: no longer alive; (of a part of the body) having lost sensation; numb; having or displaying no emotion, sympathy, or sensitivity; no longer current, relevant, or important; devoid of living things; resembling death; (of a place or time) characterized by a lack of activity or excitement; ((of a piece of equipment) no longer functioning, especially because of a fault.
Hungry, adjective; feeling or displaying the need for food; having a strong desire or craving.
Threaten, verb: state one's intention to take hostile action against someone in retribution for something done or not done; express one's intention to harm or kill (someone); cause (someone or something) to be vulnerable or at risk; endanger; (of a situation or weather conditions) seem likely to produce an unpleasant or unwelcome result; (of something undesirable) seem likely to occur.
There you go,

TAKE ME ALONG
There were only two sensations left in his body – pain and hunger!
All of twelve and all by himself, Mahaz was now hungry for three days at a stretch.
When he gained his consciousness he had found himself buried under the thatched roof of their little shanty. Everything was floating in water.
He looked around and all that he could see was rotting dead bodies. He couldn’t remember anything. 
Why not a single living soul around?
He looked up, maybe to ask the Almighty where his family was.
The sky was still dark and threatening to open up.
He remembered the huge waves that had hit the area, engulfing everything that came on its way.
“Why did you keep me alive? You have killed my family, you have killed everyone, ohh tsunami, I’m not scared of death, take me with you.”
For Representation Purpose Only -
Source




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------------------------------------------------------------------------------Post written for Three Words Wednesday & UBC Day 18  
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