The Unfathomable

It’s been a while since I wrote on this blog. Been a while since I wrote anything at all, which is strange since I haven’t exactly been short of time. I put some thought into what I wanted to write about, from exchange stories to poker to the just finished MBA experience. Couldn’t really zero in on anything particular, so this will probably be a ramble on what I feel strongly about these days.

I just finished the watching The Social Network for the second time, and I simply cant’t believe that the world is so obsessed about a tool that basically allows you to encroach on other people’s social life. Not that it is wrong or anything, people essentially sign up for exactly the same thing when they post updates or photos about themselves. Frankly, there is no problem with the idea at all. What is mind-boggling is the kind of traction, the kind of coverage Facebook gets. The world as a whole is probably spending close to 15% of its ‘awake time’ at Facebook peeking into others’ lives, and that’s hugely disappointing, innit? A quick disclaimer here: I am on Facebook, and I do occasionally use the service. As I said, the product should be there, it’s just that it shouldn’t be so used. Anyway, maybe the world will become sensible in five years and realize there are more important things (like what Elon Musk is doing, maybe? )

The second thing which is very difficult to understand is such ostentatious display of self-obsession. I mean, everywhere you, all people want to do is take a photograph and share it with the entire humanity. ‘Selfies’ of-course are the new tools, and I first encountered their wrath while on exchange last year in Europe. Ellen Degeneres made them popular, but perhaps even she is horrified by its misuse/overuse across the entire planet. The last straw came when Ma asked to click a selfie after a family dinner a few weeks back, after which I decided on a no-photography policy. The downside is being perceived as a snob, but it’s a fair risk considering the immense payoff of not having to smile like a dick every fifth minute of my life.

Next in the list is everyone’s objection to weed and the relative acceptance of cigarette smoking. Everyone knows cigarettes are harmful. What most non-smokers don’t realize about cigarettes is that they are shit expensive, and they don’t work. Weed, on the other hand, is far cheaper, way more effective, and doesn’t do nearly as much harm. I don’t consume either, or maybe I do both, but that’s not the point. Th idiocy of governments being okay with the worse option is simply baffling. And this isn’t a call to ban cigarettes as much it is to legalize weed. Maybe at the end of the day it comes down to a strong lobby. Someone please form a strong weed lobby.

Anyway, one more thing I feel strongly about is getting off my butt and doing something meaningful these days. Like changing the way airports work. There, that’s the first hint I have dropped on what I would like to work on. But don’t you think the way airports work sucks? The fact that I have to spend nearly 2 hours in an airport for a 1.5 hour flight is just plain stupid. A traveler has to wait for nearly 20 minutes in a queue for check-in, followed by 15 minutes in the security check-up and a further 45 minutes waiting to board the flight, before waiting another 15 at the arrival airport waiting for his luggage to arrive. And if it’s Air India, God help you.

Something should be done about it, no?