Consumerism vs 'The Story of Stuff'

I always wondered how a consumerism economy such as in America, was sustaining for such a long time. How can a society as a whole have this kind of a culture!

Why do Americans love shopping (more than people in many other countries)?
Why is it so easy to throw away stuff and buy new stuff in this country?
Why is it cool to have the latest electronic gadgets?
Why isn't it frowned upon when someone buys a new car every 6 months?
Why is it that people(especially the youth in cities) in countries like India are falling for this kind of culture and habits?

I got answers and better insight into the aftereffects of this from 'The Story of Stuff'. A must see for everyone who thinks that I've gone nuts by asking such questions. For others...hmm... you will anyway watch this.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Taslima Nasrin

Taslima Nasrin - when I was in school, she was all in the newspapers. Her book Lajja(Shame) was released and the government of Bangladesh had banned it. The feminist in me got attracted and influenced by her. Reading Lajja was the next best thing I did. The book touched me deeply. I couldn't accept the atrocities people could do to each other in the name of religion. Anyway, my respect and adulation for Taslima grew and I watched her struggle over the years. When she came to India, I was amazed at how our country supported and stood by her. Little did I know that people had motives behind supporting her. The same vote-bank politics that supported her, has now thrown her out of India to win the fundamentalist's votes. Politics and the vote bank have become so important in our country, that you never know when someone is doing a deed just out of sheer humanity. 'Secular' India took a stand to support fundamentalists instead of Taslima.

It's heartbreaking to see such a great courageous mind being suppressed. It hurts to see death threats being issued by Indians and it hurts more to know that the Indian government wants her to leave India, because Muslim organizations do not like her in our country. The government cannot listen to such organizations that use violence to meet their requirements. Where will our country go if people start using this method to get everything that they want?

July 29, 1994, it is said that 200,000 people demonstrated in Dhaka demanding that Taslima Nasrin should be hanged. That's a lot of people. Just to see one person die(which is what will happen to all of us) why are we spending so much energy? If a small percentage of these people could really open their eyes and see what she's talking about and either prove or disprove it, that would make sense.

I read Lajja again when I was in college and then shared my book with friends and cousins. I haven't read any of her other books. In all these years, when Taslima called Kolkata her home, she would appear in the newspapers once in a while. I was not madly following her life or books, but everytime I see her in the news(even today), I'd cherish my childhood feeling of idolizing her. It is a must read book.

Some of her books can be read online at
http://taslimanasrin.com/

Letter from Salman Rushdie to Taslima when she first received the 'fatwa' in 1994
http://humanists.net/nasrin/rushdie.htm

Let Humanism be the other name for Religion - Taslima Nasrin

Eyes

A friend mentioned how he was attracted by Sadhguru's eyes - very powerful. True, his eyes are really magnetic. More than the normal times, when I saw him at Sathsangs or during BSP, it was FIRE. There was so much love, affection, care and something very intense about it.
Well, the reason I'm blogging this is not to write about Sadhguru - for many know it. If you have not seen him, then these last few lines would mean nothing. The reason I'm writing is because this friend mentioned that he finds my eyes also very powerful. Oh yeah, I thought to myself, he should have seen me when I am confused or upset. No one would even want to look at my eyes - they would be so dull.
I then told him that everybody's eyes have that charm and power, just that they cloud their eyes with their own thoughts. If we can go beyond those thoughts, we can see the true being. If only we can see it, there will be no fights or destruction in this world.

Fun stuff

What Your Flip Flop Says About You

You are an outdoorsy person. You feel most comfortable in nature. Beautiful scenery and good weather always brighten up your day. Being outside allows you to feel calm and connected to the world. Problems don't seem so big when you realize how small you are in the scheme of things. Your ideal warm weather place: Costa Rica

The Flip Flop Test

Your Personality Profile

You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are a warm hearted and open minded person. It's easy for you to forgive and forget. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you. Your near future is calm, relaxing, and pretty much what you want. And it's something you've been anticipating for a while now. For you, falling in love has never been easy. You can only fall for someone who is very patient and persistent.

Inside the Room of Your Soul