For different folks. America, more specifically the State of California spent Millions on painting their Golden Gate Bridge it's signature international red. It looks stunning in its 75th anniversary coat.
On the other side of the planet in Kolkatta, India people are trying to save another ancient architecture turning 70 next year. It's their equivalent of the Golden Gate.. Except this is of an indeterminate color made to look orange by the daily paint job it gets from the Gutkha spitting public. Gutkha is an amazing chemical concoction that contains variety of carcinogens and acids that is chewed as a cheap high and spit when done. These spit gobs are corroding this superstructure used by 90,000 vehicles daily.
Someone said the world is an oyster but perhaps an apt title could be - the world is a spittoon so use it with gay abandon?
Oh well..it's an agenda item for the Indian government to make it illegal in all states to sell and consume the dreaded substance. This to me now reeks of what is happening with the war on drugs being fought state side. Millions spent to avoid people from exercising their right to self destruct at my expense.
You know if you let nature take its course she will auto correct - did anyone think about that?
On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...
If I were finance minister, I would tax the spitter (or the chewer, or the spitter and chewer). Shortest path to a surplus budget, I would think.
ReplyDeleteIt would turn into a 'Thu Thu' Mein Mein and cause another avenue for corruption (along side corrosion) to spread even more rampant
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