As much as I am impressed by the infrastructure of Japan, I will be lying if I say I am not the least bothered by the extreme fashion consciousness. It no exaggeration, but the Japanese eat, drink and live fashion. There seems to be nothing else about a majority of them.

Please do not accuse this article of generalising; but every morning when I take train to get to work, there would be umpteen number of women adding more mascara, or glitter or blush-on………the list is endless. In fact, many times watching them at this little escapade is more consuming than the book in my hand. I seriously wonder, and so does the previous generation of Japan, what does the youth really want? Changing haircolour, using dark and heavy make-up that makes you hardly recognizable and even lost in the sea of foundation and rouge, leads to what?

And now, they have come up with cosmetic belts that can shrink heads. Believe it or not, but this five-pound Small Face Make Belt is supposed to be worn when sleeping and it will make your head smaller. Plus there is the mouth shrinking machine popular with men.

I dunno, the craze for whacky gizmos is one thing and going berserk for the RIGHT look is another. I hope the sociologists are taking record. This madeness for makeup fad may have drastic results for this young community.
Via ibnlive

To the laughter of many, Tokyo Mango reports that new train stations in Japan have suicide prevention platforms. Yep, 5-foot walls barricade the entire platform with doors that only open when the train has safely stopped.

Well for that uninformed amusement let me tell you that jumping in front of a moving train is a common suicide method in Japan. The commuters in this Asian country are never too surprised when a fast train stops suddenly throwing everyone off balance only to save the old woman (there are many young ones too) lying on the tracks to die.
I’m sure many of you feel that how can this 5-foot wall structure be preventive to suicide. You will be surprised to know that no Japanese will ever hop over one. Simply because they are very ‘propah’ (ya ya, it’s not just the British alone). It will be below their dignity to make a public spectacle of themselves (at least, till they are alive).

Reports say that Japan has the highest suicide rate in the world. In 2005, 32550 people killed themselves. There is no single factor held responsible. Many say it is the dwindling economy, some religious belief while a few even say that Japanese are egoists, they can’t tolerate even the tiniest of stain on their personal honour.
Via boingboing

‘Muslims are turning away from terrorism and the world is turning against them’. This line caught my attention in a very interesting blog I read today. It was heart warming to finally have a non-Muslim discuss the plight of an ordinary God-fearing Muslim who just wants to lead a peaceful life like the rest of us. The blog discussed the Pew Global reports that have found anti-Muslim feelings increasing significantly between 2006 and 2008 the world over. And perhaps this was exactly the time when the rigid domination of fundamentalists was being taken over by modernisers within the Islamic community across the globe.
Then again we must remember Muslims do not support the terrorist attacks but the irony is that these very attacks that they condemn further increase the hostility that non-Muslims already feel towards them.
My question is will Muslims be the next Jews? An act that the generations to come will repent all their lives!
Please read
http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/muslims-turning-away-from-terrorism-but-the-world-is-against-them/

As far as Barack Obama is concerned, I feel history is being made. The dance of unity on the beats of the ‘Love Train’ by the Democrats when they nominated Obama as their presidential candidate yesterday will be remembered for generations to come. I can tell you the reasons why:
1. Obama is the first black American to achieve an honour of this stature. And one cannot ignore his middle name ‘Hussein’ which has not pulled him back from his moments of glory despite ruthless attacks by opposition. Does that mean the ‘infamous’ American attitude is calling out for a positive change? Well, it seems to be so.
2. One-time opponent, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was the one to announce his name as the Democrat Presidential Candidate. We are aware of the mudslinging indulged in by the supporters of Clinton who did not spare any block of mud to mar Obama’s name. I somehow felt that Clinton herself shared the prejudices but maybe I was wrong.
3. There is hope that Obama will bring about a new world order. The energy crisis is a huge issue and Obama’s stance is believed to have gathered a tremendous support. But could the popularity also be due to his take on peace efforts, particularly with regard to Iraq.
4. He is a man of a colourful (Kenyan-American genes with a Muslim middle name) cultural background with a will to re-build the future.
I would like to conclude with what Former U.S. presidential candidate Gary Hart said after reading Obama’s book ‘The Audacity Of Hope’, “I see a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance…”
Via reuters

Once again, we are forced to ask if the real life shows are actually real? A few days ago, we reported Shilpa Shetty being asked to play host to the Indian version of Big Brother called Bigg Boss. Well, there is more to that. Now the infamous Jade Goody, who was pummelled by the world for bad-mouthing Shetty on Big Brother a year and a half ago, too will be on board at Bigg Boss. Apparently, she “wants to clear her name”. There is more to the drama. A source close to Goody has quoted, “Jade was a bit anxious about how the Indian public would react but she finally gave in, as a chance to clear her name.”
So, does the buck really stop there? News is that the British celebrity is being paid £ 100,000 for taking part in the show that will run for three months. It’s a lot of money but perhaps, the unavoidable confrontation between Shetty and Goody will prove to be even more valuable for the makers of the show. Let’s wait and watch.
Via ibnlive

China sure will be the talk of the global town all this year. First, it was the anti-protestors stance then the earthquake and now the Olympics. Seems like they are trying a little too hard with the historical sporting event, maybe with the intention to make the world forget the demerits that the country has been laced with over time.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the absurd steps that China has taken to make the 2009 Olympics a ‘grand memory’.
1.    The fireworks ceremony held at a jam-packed National Stadium on August 8 was not all that it really looked like. The much touted incredible event was a mere illusion. After a controversy broke out over the issue, the game organisers admitted having used a series of illusions that even included a pre-taped footprint shaped fireworks segment.
2.    The venue managers were given instructions to use volunteer cheerleaders to fill empty seats in the stadium. A consequence of which was that the athletes’ families were unable to obtain the tickets for some events.
3.    But the most insensitive one of them all was when a seven-year-old girl was replaced because officials felt that her face was not suitable for the opening ceremony. An older girl was asked to lip-synch the Ode to the Motherland instead, which was recorded in the voice of the youngster.
4.     And didn’t we hear a few days ago that the Chinese authorities have asked girls with plump legs to wear black stocking.
What do I say about the facade that is being presented to the world? I wonder what exactly China is trying to prove here.
via ibnlive

Blake Aldridge gave the recipe for disaster when he clearly showed to the world what a bad team mate he was at the Beijing Olympics. The incident triggered off when Aldridge made a call to his mother from the stands while competing along with partner Tom Daley in the men’s synchronized 10 m platform competition. But that much publicity didn’t seem enough for the 26-year-old who took on Daley in front of the media. First, he accused his teammate of not being able to handle pressure and then went on and on about his age, which apparently is 14 years and 82 days. Oh man, it was such a poor and tasteless performance given by Aldridge. Every word and action of his was reeking of contempt which really didn’t put him in a favorable spot in the eyes of the world.
In fact, many even noticed how Aldridge gave a cold shoulder to his mate without exchanging even a glance at the pre-event ceremony. Later, after the last dive, he didn’t even shake hands with him. Now, is that the kind of friendship and support Olympics symbolize? Definitely not. I guess this incident should be lesson enough for the other sportsperson to leave their ego behind and display some sporting spirit.
Via timesonline

The news arena is abuzz with Shilpa Shetty playing the host in the Indian version of Big Brother called Big Boss. Don’t worry, I won’t go at length to talk about how the almost forgotten actress got international recognition once the Jade Goody controversy (a lot of newsprint has already gone into that). Well as a part of the perks that came with her ordeal at the show, Shilpa even got invited to one of the royal events in the UK and met the queen herself. Not just that, an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom for Dr Shilpa Shetty was followed by the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award. Well. that is not really my point here though. Many believe that the Big Brother stage is a ‘planned’ drama. In fact, even when Shilpa was just being invited to Big Brother as a participant, people had already predicted who the winner would be. And I must tell you, they weren’t wrong.
This was followed by Shilpa’s kissing incident with Richard Gere which caused a furore against both the actors in India, as the gesture was a li’l too loud for the Indian sensibility. The effect was simple. An almost obscure Shilpa who used to do one non-descript film every two years got roped into a lot of film projects. She suddenly became very popular. I am not here to pin the poor girl down who made viewers across the world sympathise with her as she shared her woes with tears on an international channel almost a year and a half ago. Nor am I saying she is a terrible actress. All I want to imply is that Shilpa did a tremendous job in ‘Phir Milenge’ but only ‘Life in a Metro’ caught attention. Any guess why?
Via rediffmovies

Democratic White House contender Barack Obama has given a chance to his critics to bad mouth him as he decides to take a week-long vacation in his place of birth Hawaii. Apparently, the Obama family is going on a holiday to recharge before the November’s election. “I am going to see my Grandma after so long,” the Illinois senator exclaimed.
The Beijing Olympics start today and Obama has the support of polls that suggest Americans are thirsting for a break from a year and a half of non-stop politicking on the White House trail. But even then John McCain’s spokesman Tucker Bounds didn’t leave an opportunity to accuse Obama of sunning himself while his voters suffer from an economic squeeze. Obama, in his defence, said, “According to a poll by the Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press released Wednesday, 48 percent of voters feel they have been overexposed to news about the Democrat. We are going to correct that this week.” Obama quipped. A smart choice indeed.
Via afp

Seeing Monika Devi, the Indian Weightlifter crying at a press conference in a helpless, or should I say infantile effort to emphasize her innocence in the latest doping controversy made me wonder how we comprehend the act.  I feel that she is innocent, not because of the tears she shed but because of the fact that Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) is backing her claims of innocence plus the shoddy way in which dope testing is done in India is not news anymore. In addition to that, the politics and regionalism involved in Indian sports is no secret. But does crying in front of the nation help? I seriously don’t think so, and neither do statements like ‘shoot me if I am found guilty’. You internationally acclaimed sports people are our national heroes and  represent our country to the world outside. You are an inspiration to thousands of aspiring sportsmen. You carry hopes of a nation whenever and wherever you perform. Can’t you remain composed for a press conference? I am sorry but you don’t have my sympathy. Rather, what you did is lamentable. And the feeling was ‘pity’ in case of the infamous Kapil Dev episode. As the scenes of the conference are shown again and again on all news channels, the only two words I would utter, if at all, would be ‘poor girl’. 
The fact is, many believe that she should not have been part of the squad going to Beijing, because Shailaja Pujari was a better performer as per the trials. Monika had found the berth because of the politics involved. I guess now its déjà vu for her!

Via cnnibn