I am sure that one day in the future I will view these past few months and it will be only regret that I shall feel about them. Little progress has been achieved, a little overdue knowledge has been gained but then nothing that is particularly noteworthy. Perhaps this will go down as the most unproductive six months of my life. Well they say everythins is part of the learning curve and I sincerely hope this is part of it otherwise the God of time (if he exists) owes me these six months as a refund.
I am fast joining the rather vocal group who want test cricket to be stopped at least being played in India. I believe they should play all the tests in Australia where the grounds are big, lovely and green, the pitches favour some outcome and not five days of montony. I think the only thing more boring than a slow test match is golf but then thats an unfair comparison. Golf is by far the most boring viewing sport. Even watching the spelling bees held on ESPN are more lively and entertaining. The contestant who looks like he/she doesnt see the sun much is given a huge word by a guy who sounds like he were delivering a death sentence (though I cant think of any entertaining way to say such huge and twisted words maybe I would prefer death rather than trying to spell them) and then repeats it, asks for the meaning, repeats it some more times and then has a sporting go at trying to spell it. Even worse there are actually commentators who try and give commentary during this event. Most of their sentences are'

"do you think he's gonna get it?"

" I think so. Look at the concentraion on his face"

After numerous such banal comments they then sit and analyze every thing about the event though I havent watched it long enough to hear what the actually talk about but I am guessing its along the lines of "Do you think...." I am sure the contestants are very smart and I am sure we are all very proud of the fact that they can use large words in case of a national emergency or in case they need a human dictionary to solve a crossword to save the earth but the least that can be done for ignorant, and boorish viewers like me is that they put cheerleaders or something to make it more exciting. Though I wonder then whether any of the judges or the contestants would get any of the words right.

Just another day

Bad day it turned out to be. Sort of like hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival singing "Bad moon rising'. Sort of like seeing trouble on the way bracing to bear it but then its too much to endure and you are flattened by it. Felt lower than i have in quite some time and resorted to a walk by the sea face to clear up the cowebs of despair clinging to the mind. I sometimes feel if I wasnt fortnate enough to be living so near the sea I might have gone insane by now. Sometimes my good fortune seems too good to be true and I at times am befuddled by it. Its like living in a perfect bubble which I know is bound to burst (or maybe it has and I just havent noticed it) and that is a very scary prospect. Hope that such days dont come by too often.
The Ambani battle rages on in newsprint with emails and any sentence they say finding its way to newsprint. The Ambani's are among the richest industrialist families in India and currently the two brothers to whom their father left the company are battling for control over the company. I wonder why it matters what their family problems are. As far as i am concerned all I want to know is if the company is to be split and if so then how does it affect the thousands of shareholders in the company. I really dont give a damn about the rest of the stuff and I know that if, god forbid, there are similar problems in my family I wouldnt want it on the front page of every newpaper and media. Let the family settle their battles and let us concern ourselves more with relevant issues rather than trivialities.

It aint easy being the listening post for all things and all worries but then I try to give some level of satisfaction. 

Nothing much done today. The usual lasitude of Saturday was upon me and it was too much of an effort to shake it off so didnt bother trying.Read about the Ambani scandal and about automobiles and other columns that are always read. I guess I am a combination of Lord Nelson and Don Quixote. Lord Nelson was playing a game when he was informed of the impending arrival of the Spanish Armada when he said that there was enough time to finish the game and then finish the spaniards. I am a bit like him in that respect only I am as prepared as Don Quixote to face my problems which are more self created then those created by circumstance. Overconfidence and laziness seem to be a way of life. Off now back to work to try and make up some lost ground. 

Yet another day drifts by in a haze of laziness and nothingness.Its almost frightening and if I were to actually sit and analyze how I use my time I am very likely to be shocked so badly that it might just be the end of me. But then hope keeps me going and I go on aimlessly and carelessly boldly into the future for truly ignorance is bliss. Ignorance about being ignorant is even greater bliss but then I have been denied that luxury.
Read in the newspapers that female infanticide continues in Gujarat and many other states despite all attempts to curb it. What is more shocking is that there are educated people who resort to such inhumanities and that there are doctors who try and make a quick buck out of despicable social norms. We Indians constantly rant about out culture and how it makes us so much more superior to other races. Its almost like the only comfort blanket we have other than the economic progress of the middle class. Its our trump card against advanced nations and any thing else where we are found wanting. If you were to point out any drawbacks to the average, pompous, middle class or upper middle class person he will tell you of this great culture of ours that has existed for over millenia. The rich dont give too much of a damn about culture and the poor, well they are too busy surviving to really care. What good is a culture I ask you if such despicable things as female infanticide still exists and it is still considered a curse to havea girl? Throw it away I say this culture if it makes you lose your humanity. Culture is for humans and not for those that lack the humanity to be considered human.
What is to be done as a remedy? Ban dowry outright in marriages. Tax any individual stringently if there is found to be any accrued wealth or money post marriage.Punish both the giver and the taker of dowry.Let it be made socially known that any form of dowry whether payement in entirety for marriage ceremonies, cash payments or any form of asked dowry is not given or taken. Religious leaders should take a stand on this and make the followers well aware of the flaws in the reigious system. Utopian concepts I admit but then there has to be a start made. Dowry is apparently banned in India but if so then why is it still considered such a tragedy to give birth to a girl? Doctors taking part in such a despicable activity and their degrees should be cancelled. Its only tough measures and active enforcements that can even begin to stifle the continuation of female infanticide. Let's hope they are taken soon.

Back at last to update the blog. Computer crashed and remained that way for quite some time thereby rendering me out in the cold.Had enough to keep me busy but then when you dont have something you miss it the most and it was no different in my case.
The Best Bakery case seems to drag on the it seems rather ominous that there will be no dispensing of justice at least not to those who truly deserve it but only the scrapegoats will pay the price for it. Thats the beauty of politics. Get all your dirty work done by someone else and stay clean for your lifetime. I hope those things they say about justice given after death is true or maybe its just something we commoners hope for in the hope that some day they (the wrong doers) get their comeuppance. 

Waheeda Rehman. One of the most beautiful women to ever appear on a movie screen. Had I been of the past generation I would be one of those of who stood outside her house just to catch a glimpse of her. Poetry in motion on screen she carries the same grace off the screen. Has aged a bit since this photo was taken but then will never age in the movies and continues to mesmerise. 

Zinedine Zidane aka 'Zizou' aka The God of the football field. The man must have magnets attached to his feet because the ball once at his feet seems to stick there until he usually dispatches it with the grace of a dancer and the precision of a surgeon to its destination. Currently in Real Madrid and unfortunately retired from international football. The man has given a new meaning to the word 'playmaker' and has changed football. At least for the present day. Watch out for a young guy named Ronaldinho for the future.

My favourite band. If you have nothing good to say about them then its best you say nothing about them (at least not to me) 

My favourite guys. The rest of the family doesnt really like me and hence refused to pose for the snap 

Diwali is here

And diwali is here again bringing with it joy, colour, light (perhaps a bit more than necessary) and sound (which is definitely unnecessary). I always say that Mumbai sounds like a war zone when its Diwali with the distant booms (thankfully though not that of artillery but the local firework 'bomb') and if you are the kind who likes peace and quiet then this isnt the place to be this time of the year. They say the amount of fireworks in Mumbai during diwali is directly proportional to the prosperity and the economic well-being of the people. This year it sounds like people are doing pretty well for themselves and are able to burn money on a blaze of technicolour fireworks. It pains my heart to see so much money quite literally go up in smoke but then people have different ideas about celebrating festivals though I wish it didnt involve so much noise and smoke.
I had an offer to witness the actual Lakshmi (goddess of wealth ) puja at a friends place but couldnt go finally since I wanted to study. Its another matter that there wasnt much studying done but then atleast the thought was there. Perhaps the greatest problem is following thought with action and thats my greatest fault but then I think I am not the only one with that problem. Diwali also ushers in a whole lot of sweets and if you like to eat sweets this is like being in heaven. This is also a time of regret since most of the time I overeat sweets and then feel sick and sugary up to my brain. It is also a time for promises because I always promise myself never to eat so many sweets again but then the next year am on my back again after overeating sweets. This year has been no different and I am tired of eating sweets and crave anything that has anything besides sweet in it. But I promise that I will not over indulge again, at least not until next year.

Yasser Arafat is no more

Today Yasser Arafat died. While the world bemoans his loss I am suddenly filled with doubt about his greatness. I am no Israel supporter nor am I a supporter of Palestine though at times my symapthy lies with Palestine for the needless oppression they have to endure. Ariel Sharon is perhaps the worst thing to happen to Israel but then I am no expert on world politics.
Yasser Arafat was a soldier and though he died a diplomat I am sure he would rather be known as a soldier even in his death rather than a politician or a diplomat. According to me there are two types of soldiers: the ones who use violence and others who don't. Gandhi belonged to the latter. He fought the British with nothing in his hand and used caste and religion in a polarized nation to his advantage to motivate people to fight for freedom. Critics will argue that if it hadnt been for the 2nd world war India would never have got her freedom but then the fact remains that the major freedom struggle was led by Gandhi and it was that very freedom struggle that delivered independence.
Arafat beleived in the gun from the very beginning, he never apologized for it; in fact he glorified it and was a romantic hero with a gun in his belt and head cover with a benign smile firmly placed on his face. He never shied away from violence and endorsed it and beleived it to be right. I am not one for violence and fact remains Arafat has been behind some of the worst attacks ever. The end has been achieved, there is a Palestine state permanently under seige, however it can be seen that this was achieved after he shed the weapons and clad the garb of a diplomat. The means used to achieve an end are equally imporatnt and cannot be ignored. Arafat has died with a lot of blood on his hands and I wonder whether such a person should be glorified as a hero. According to me a violent hero while romantic and easily visible is an oppressor to another. Arafat may have obtained the land he desired but the price he has made innocent people pay can never be forgiven. I shall repeat again at this point that I am not an Israel supporter but then I feel the attention accorded to such a man should not make him out to be greater than he actually was. He was a terrorist and then a diplomat, let us remember Arafat as that and nothing else.

Where I live 

Exchanging a vest and other matters

Went to exchange a vest that my mom had bought but turned out to be shorter than what it was supposed to be. Its damn unusual, if you go to an underwear store irrespective of whether it is for men or women you will find only women there. Its almost embarassing to be standing next to a woman asking for the same thing that she is. You suddenly have a doubt whether you are in the right store since even ladies seem to be buying the same underwear. God forbid you have to buy ladies underwear then it would be even worse. At least the clerks at the male underwear store have no doubt as to who will be wearing the purchases but go to a womens store and ask for underwear and you will most probably elicit the raised eyebrow and sly smiles. I am joined in the small store by a middle aged gentleman and his wife. He asks for a pair of shorts, and is shown a variety and finally picks one. He seems a bit out of sorts though and finally his wife voices the complaint ,"Don't you have anything shorter?" That arouses my interest in him and I take a look at the shorts. They are already rather short and seem rather wide as well and if the guy were to raise his legs while walking I am sure his fellow walkers would be treated to sights they would do well without. The nether regions of the man seem to be barely too far up the length of fabric. I then take a look at his wife to see if she's the kinky kind (not that I would know what the kinky kind is merely by looking at someone) but all I can judge is that she is middle aged and can glare as though she would like you to self combust in a trice. This brings me back to a topic I am continually fascinated by, the amount of skin visible in society these days. This gentleman is part of the club that wears short shorts (and when I say short i mean short) and do tasks that continually expose regions that would rather not be seen. I mean I am all for freedom of expression and all that but then at times freedom I guess comes at a price.
Incidentally just heard that Bush has won his second term in office thereby affirming my belief that Americans are the weridest people on earth. They have proof of his incompetence, they know he is smarter than the average amoeba but not by much, they know he is corrupt, they know he wages wars purely for the sake of waging war and yet they have the incompetence to elect him back to power. If they were in the same position as some voters in India where they are coerced to vote for someone or they have to choose between the ballot and life then I could understand such a choice. But living in 'a land of the free' and claiming to be the brains of the world and then voting an idiot back to power only indicates the stupidity of the average American. Fear with reason and cause is understandable and forgivable but paranoia is not. Paranoia about fears that arent there and fear for the sake of fearing is sad and indicative of a society that is not as brave as it beleives itself to be. A tragedy to be re-enacted America seems to love its tragedies in multiples. Good luck to you America and God save the world.

Why I want condom ads to undergo a makeover

There’s a lot of sex on TV these days that’s something that no one who watches TV can disagree with. It is discussed, debated about, and analyzed in a million ways and in some cases even performed on TV. If you thought pornography well then that’s one part of it where there is an actual graphic display of copulation however Indian television (thankfully) hasn’t jumped on that bandwagon yet. Imagine getting caught watching some movie in which the characters start having sex on screen while you live in India, it would be an absolute disgrace. In fact over here getting caught watching our equivalent of sex is bad enough (which basically involves orgasmic faces and simulated sex) so you can imagine the implications of going one level higher. But nonetheless there have been numerous instances when the bar has been moved a bit upwards ever so often by condom ads. They usually either involve the government approved image of a couple holding hands with coy smiles on their faces or consist of really bold images that would cause your parents to change the channel promptly. Kamasutra was a trailblazer in this form of advertising and we had a model cavorting more than semi-naked under waterfalls while a male model aggressively kissed her neck. They were provocative, sexy and definitely didn’t confuse you with regards to what they were selling and what the product was meant for. Okay they didn’t say how to use it but then it was an advertisement and not a how-to-use manual.
I liked those ads. For five minutes that were usually filled with inane advertisements of aged stars selling hair oils and other nonsense; you suddenly had 30 seconds of pure titillation. For any adolescent guy these were a welcome break from the drab ads and often provided the most risqué visuals since most of the other programs either faded out or showed the pleasured face of a woman to denote sex. Here suddenly was this ad that showed us the birds and bees rather explicitly and without any regrets. Sure the channel got changed if your parents were there but then when they weren’t that’s when the ads earned their worth.
However now there has been a drastic change in the advertising of condoms. The new focus is on associating the product with the pleasure and intimacy of the act. Now while this campaign may provide new ads that are far less steamier than the original set it causes great confusion in the minds of viewers like me. Now even an average commercial that looks fairly innocuous and plain could turn out to be for condoms. Now this isn’t so much of a problem when there are only adults watching however this is a problem if kids under 9 are watching. (Above that age believe me most of them know all about it) I mean no one wants to watch the ad where the guy is shown evidently being so happy buying a condom or after the act and then be asked by the kid who was watching,” What is a condom?” You really can’t blame the child after all what is seen is a guy or a couple evidently very happy because they have used this product and suddenly the child is curious as to what it is. And if you are the kind that doesn’t mind facing questions from a young, innocent, bambi-eyed child about matters of birds and bees then you have my salutations. As a result of this change in strategy in advertisement I have missed a chewing gum commercial quite a number of times (the ad starts with this couple holding hands walking in park really happy. what was I supposed to think given the current trend?) thinking it was a commercial for you know what while every time the actual commercial comes I always end up not changing the channel simply because I don’t realize what it is for until its too late.(A voice in my head invariably goes, “NOOOOOOOOO!”) If you are reading this and have anything to do with the advertising of condoms then please, I beg of you, do something and take it back to the original style. It provided both the titillation as well as you knew what ad it was the moment the first frame appeared on screen

Walking on Carter road

Took a walk along the sea face today in the evening. Perhaps my only break in the entire day spent outside the house and by god i utilized it to the fullest. Walked till I was out of breath and then sat on the promenade watching people walk by. Carter Road is in Bandra and is a long promenade that stretches for about a kilometer and a half by a rocky sea side. Since this road is near the posh Pali Hill area it attracts a lot of people from there who come there for a walk or a jog depending on how inclined they are towards fitness and speed. I prefer jogging though I dont do that all the time but it is a lovely feeling to run by the sea side as fast as i can go with the wind whistling by my short (almost clean shaven) head and reaching the end of the promenade out of breath but totally alive. I sat there and watched people,children, the aged, the cripple, the rich and the poor all walk by the same sea unmindful of each other and yet horribly aware of where they were. The rich and well to do walk faster for they have an exercise regimen to stick to, the poor amble by staring enviously at the rich and enjoying those few moments of freedom from their daily burdens, the children trot alongside their maids or their parents depending on the wealth of their parents, the aged sit and watch the others rush by and wonder about how at one time they too were consumed by the same sense of urgency and smile occasionally at anyone who looks at them perhaps seeing a bit of themselves in that person for a fleeting instant. Its sad to see some of the kids of today with jaded looks in their eyes even before they have truly experienced childhood. I firmly beleive that to know the fate of the world look into the eyes of a child. If there is no innocence, if the smile is fake and the child talks like an adult then you know that the future of the world is doomed. The children of today grow up too fast and we expect them to join the rat race, we run in daily, too soon. Its sad but perhaps one of the prices we will pay for a fast and hectic lifestyle that we have created for ourselves. Another fantastic feature of the present day is the amount of skin suddenly displayed by people. At one time if you wore shorts and walked about you were a maverick of some sort and if you wore revealing clothes then well the less said the better. But suddenly skin is on display everywhere. Guys, girls and evreyone else seem to have realized that the time is ripe to show off the skin no matter what lies beneath those clothes. So suddenly arms are being bared, stomachs tucked in and prominently displayed, underpants making more than the normal peek-a-boo appearance, as my friend Kaustubh would say its the awakening of the Indian middle class. He may be right but at times the sights are a plain assault on your senses. At times of course its not so bad (as long as the skin visible is feminine) but then at times the amount of skin shown would take away your attention from anything. They say there are more accidents occuring daily on Carter Road, walk down the road and if you are the average red-blooded guy dont be surprised to find yourself walking into a lamp post.

Meeting with Teacher

First of the exams is over and with it comes a wave of relief and trepidation. The beginning of the end or the dawn of a new beginning which one it is to be no one knows. I hope to tilt it in favour of the latter though only time will tell how successful I will be. The day was an average day with its share of interesting moments and its share of the usual mundane moments. Met a teacher who taught me in school. Its so weird. At one time I had to look from below to see her and now suddenly I am taller and suddenly the same person who was tall and intimidating because of her height is now an average lady. She surprisingly recognized me though she didnt remeber my name (but then that would be asking for too much expecting her to remember a mouse/bookworm like me) Teacher Alice Carvalho was one of those people who teach you maybe a subject or two but it is the weird things they do that stay in your memory forever and with time you realise how much she actually taught you maybe not with reagrds to the subject but just about how to be a better person. She is an extremely mother-like lady. She would chide us for any small mistake but there would be no malicious criticism it would almost be like getting a earful from your mother. She would insist on you dotting the i's and crossing the t's and many other minor things that you really wouldnt pay too much attention to. An extremely nice lady she is one of those teachers I never thanked much and now wish I had. An excellent teacher and an even better person Mrs. Alice Carvalho is among the best people I have had the good fortune of knowing.

Famous human body parts

I am tired of constantly reading about the anatomy of celebrities so often. Why the big deal if some celebrity actor breaks his hand or foot while doing his stunts? The actor is spoken of as being someone valorous as though if he had pulled off the stunt our world would have been saved from certain doom. Politicians injure themselves and suddenly the media goes into a tizzy about it. Here is my list of the most famous pieces of anatomy that have had more than their deserved share of coverage by the media.

1> Atal Bihari Vajpayee's knee: A 78 year old man has a bad knee and has to have surgery. Mundane right? Wrong. When you are the prime minister of the worlds biggest democracy every problem you have is the problem faced by 1 billion people. At least thats what the Indian media thinks. So for about a month prior to the surgery we were suddenly innundated with information regrading the surgery. The doctor (dr. Ranawat i beleive) became a public figure and something on the lines of the man who would deliver us all from our misery.(actually he would by finishin the surgery and ending all the media madness) The surgery was performed, Vajpayee walked and all of us heaved a collective sigh of relief. I am sure the media had conpired to break the other knee so that they would have a whole lot more to fill up paper with but unfortunately the BJP went and lost the next election thereby putting Vajpayee's knee out of the equation.

2>Sachin Tendulkar's elbow, knee, back etc,etc: The master blaster in the course of a hard and long career has found himself at times nursing injuries that have kept hin out of the Indian cricket team for prolonged periods. When he injured his back the nation sat and analyzed it and every fool in this country who has ever held a bat or even seen Tendulkar carrying his had an opinion to give on how to cure it. More recently the poor chap had tennis elbow and again the same madness where a million opinions were there on how to cure it. He should be playing soon, though how well he can play with an elbow that hurts and with a billion expectations resting on a formerly injured back remains to be seen.

3>Pamela Andersons breasts: What (heterosexual) guy or thirsty baby hasnt looked at that chest and wondered what it would take for the to have their head in between those two huge breasts. Giving a new meaning to 'silicone' valley Pamela redefined sexuality or at least breasts for a long time. Where ever you looked they were there enticing, inviting and intimidating. Every guy's fantasy, every girls reason for frustration (with the males obsession with mammary glands) and every thirsty baby's desire.She did reduce them in size but with the silicone went the fame and she is reduced to writing pornography to try and reclaim the lost fame since the breasts are gone for good.

4>Jennifer Lopez's butt: Big, firm and rounded better than basketballs they came to signify something I am sure, though I am still trying to figure out what. The media went into a spin about her backside and she flashed it every chance she got. In her case it was like being paid to expose your butt to society and moon us all. I was always willing to do the same for free though no offers yet. She still flashes the famous derriere at the cameras and now even has a singing (whining )career. Her singing hasnt eclipsed her butt yet butt it is expected that with time someone else will be the butt of all our fantasies.

5>Beckhams metasarasal(?) bone: Apparently its a bone in your foot that you can fracture. This is what I learnt after the single legged footballer (you mean he can use his left foot??) with a right foot that delivers magical goals fractured it during a league match. Kieron Dyer, the perpetrator of the crime, was villified while Beckham forgave him and rested in a variety of chambers to heal in time for the World Cup. Though the bone supposedly wasnt so bad by the time the world cup started the focus shifted to his hairstyle and soon the tiny bone that gave him an excuse for his failure in the world cup was forgotten.

6> George Bush's Brain (rather the lack of it): The man has been on a roll and has gone on to prove that you dont need a brain to be the most powerful man in the world as long as you have money, money and more money. Wars, feet in mouth and nonsense apart he continues to run the American government and is still "hunting down the axis of terror" a war that seems almost like shadow boxing in a china shop. The only thing in his defence is that the American people voted him to power so all the blame cant exactly be put on him because there is a nation of people that support him no matter what he does.

Why I didnt vote during the state elections

The recent elections that were held in my home state were an absolute pain. More so for me because I have lost my faith in the institution of elections in this country and am irritated with the psuedo-activism thats doing the rounds. I hate people coming to tell me to vote, telling me of responsibilities I am aware of and trying to make me feel guilty about the plight of the nation and even worse creating the illusion that I can actually absolve myself of my duties merely by voting. Poverty is rampant, social divides grow and regionalism seems to be the order of the day for modern Indian politics. The Great Indian Middle Class is now in its activist mode.It has decided that it has been ignored by politicians and has been ignorant of politics for too long. The power is gradually shifting to the poor who vote on the basis of money and empty promises that they hope will be fulfilled. As per some reports more than 51%of India's population languishes in poverty which is something politicians love. A poor man is an optimal vote bank. If lucre and promises fail to attract, force is always an alternative. The middle class has witnessed a great change in its fortunes and as a result its value in the political arena has reduced. In the early 90's the middle class was above the poor but by not too much. The middle class and the poor often received raw deals from the policy makers and fought their battles together.The middle class identified somewhat with the poor and often they had the same issues to fight for. The middle class provided the vocal protest for itself as well as for the poor. After the increase in the prosperity of the middle class things have changed. The middle class no longer considers itself too far below the rich and is now trying to achieve the very status it at one time considered the root of evil in society. The middle class grew richer and richer and gradually forgot entirely about its protests. Water and food which was an issue wasnt one any more for the middle class while it is still one for the poor.Gradually the middle class moved on to other issues while the numbers of the poor continued to grow. It still grows at an alarming rate and is extremely threatening.
Politicians have realized that this is where their real vote bank lies. Think about it. If an MP gets 1 crore as his fund he may have to spend less to keep a thousand poor people happy while he might have to spend three times as much to keep 100 middle class people somewhat satisfied. As a result it is seen that there are more gains that arise from spending less for the poor than spending more on the middle class and still not being sure of their votes. The poor are easier to satisfy. Its sort of like giving a small kid a small sweet and he will be happy for a long time and remember you for it while buy a teenager a truck of chocolates and he will continue to gripe. Give a poor man basic shelter, or maybe a small job and he will treat you as God while give all possible things to the middle class and they still demand. So a politician saves a lions share of his fund and also keeps a significant portion of his vote bank. The middle class now realises that it is being ignored and doesnt like it.So suddenly we are in activist mode. We now want to prove to the political fraternity that we still weild the power we think we do. So we suddenly go into overdrive about our voting responsibilities and other nonsense. The middle class just wants its old say in the state of affairs again and is trying hard to get to where it was while holding on to the new lifestyle it has adapted to. I believe I will vote when the next election comes if I feel any of the candidates deserve my support. If not I wont bother, anyway my vote is pretty much of academic significance.