Go read this post and also the comments.

I am quoting extracts to create a gist of what she is saying. I agree with her. But because diamonds bore me to death, I will go for gold (market value) and a pledge to underwrite my theatre productions.

Traditional marriages were predicated on men being the breadwinner and women being everything else, that ‘everything else’ never quantified or expressed in financial terms, even though it was huge. Because they were never paid for their work, women were always financially vulnerable and socially vulnerable, treated like secondhand class citizens. Many women today find they are unwilling to play this unpaid role of provider of ‘everything else’. Thus, we either go out to work or if we stay at home, and have any sense, we make sure we are compensated financially with assets to our names and the work is acknowledged as work.

…

The one thing that does not and cannot even out is pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Many commenters on IHM’s post mentioned that a husband should be supportive and helpful during this time. Hell yes, they should be. That is the bare minimum. But even the greatest support from a husband is only a drop in the ocean of what a woman goes through and what only she can go through.

…

Many people are comfortable and advocate this idea that the work of homemakers be acknowledged and moreover quantified and compensated for. Heartfelt appreciation, gratitude for sacrifices made, comments on how only women can, etc. are well and good but financial security is also important. But somehow childbirth, which ironically is called the most honest name of “labour”, and entails such a huge physical, emotional and financial cost that biology deems only women can bear, still seems to fall into the heartfelt-thanks-and-support-should-be-enough category. Because I suppose the idea of a baby is too romantic for money to come into the picture. And we are supposed to be so happy that we have a baby that we forget the price we paid – traditionally this was the answer women were supposed to give when they were asked how painful their labour was. Besides, you have a baby at the end of it, so you got your reward right? Um, yes, and so does the woman who keeps a lovely home but she would still like something more than “such a lovely home dear” at the end of it. And so does my husband, who didn’t pay half this price.

I am desperately looking for this edition by Pantheon (1988). I have scoured second hand bookshops in Bangalore; mailed friends; trawled the net to find an ebook or pdf of it - I am breaking my head. This book (and this edition) is very important for the play I am working on - DOG WOMEN. Can somebody be kind enough and point me to some place, some bookshop or someone who might have this copy? I am not asking for charity. I will pay - for book, for shipping, whatever it takes.

1. I am hugely critical of the precious ‘graffiti painting in public space’ baby bred by the  Urban Avantgarde project. The cosy institutionalisation of an insurgent animal like graffiti is revolting. 

Resistance is at the heart of graffiti. What is the resistance of the artists involved in a well-funded, authorised and regulated chore that co-opts graffiti to produce sterilised kitsch.

I see more resistance in the names and initials of lovers scratched on the walls of temples and monuments, and trees.

What is the history of graffiti in India?

2. A photographer decided to make real-life recreations of Banksy’s graffiti. Is Banksy prescient now? Is this a bad clone of Mr. Brainwash from Exit Through The Gift Shop venturing into ‘performance art’? He really sounds like Guetta too:

The photographer says of his series: “It was a lot of work as I wanted to make sure every photo was an accurate representation, but the final results were worth it. For weeks leading up to each of the shoots I scoured Ebay to find props such as Jesus’s ring of thorns and the police helmets and even made some of them, like the RPG, myself. I just hope Banksy likes what I have done.”

You can see the full scream here. But I really have to put up Mr. Nick Stern’s gloomy ‘performance art’ recreation of Banksy’s Mona Lisa. Maybe we can all become conspiracy theorists and call this yet another Banksy hoax - it will ease the pain.

Read the full explosion here.

I ordered a 2g kajal - which can be called a good pinch of kohl, right? 

It came delivered in a 20x13x8 (cm) cardboard box, bubble-wrapped and sandwiched between three layers of thermocol.

I don’t get it. Did I order some glassware? What’s with this new-age obsessive product parenting? Yes, I don’t want my kajal to be delivered broken or smashed. A bubble wrap and a thick envelope should do, no? For a 2g kajal that the manufacturer has already packaged in some plastic tube and stiff paper.

BUT it is a different scene altogether when my books come tightly wrapped in cardboard sheets and bubble wrap and high quality plastic cover. I feel like a star.

Maybe I should make more emotional and intellectual investments in kajals. It is not improbable, since my eye allergy is almost cured and I do like a good kajal. 

Never ending construction sites on Sarjapur Road now have their own (paid?) regular one hour radio gigs where they talk about trees, gardens and fresh air that never ending constructions finally aim for. Let me give you the insider’s perspective: what Sarjapur Road really specialises in can be summed up in four words: hardware stores and babies.

With such a misanthropic mindset in place, what do you do when you get a facebook event invite to a gig by Sarjapur Blues Band? Answer: You go to Indiranagar to listen to the Sarjapur Blues Band. It is as simple as that.

Below is Shekhar Seshadri: Professor of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro-Sciences (Nimhans), Bangalore. Vocals, Acoustic Steel-string Guitar

Then there is Saumitra Mukherjee: Head - Dept. of Bangalore School of Music. Guitar, Vocals, Classical Nylon string Guitar

And the last musketeer is Vinoo Matthew: Research Consultant. Electric Guitar

(All photos by AB. I doctored the face of Vinoo Mathew to get the motion blur the other two photos have.)

They were hosted by Yours Truly Theatre at their ALMA. 

I am going to copy-paste dope on Sarjapur Blues Band from the facebook event page.

The Sarjapur Blues Band (SBB) is an underground, eclectic, workingman’s, original, rhythm & blues band.

Underground: The SBB exists as a creative space for its members, and for friends who share the same view; and does not pursue money, fame or acclaim. Public performances are rare -about 1 or 2 a year. Most ‘performances’ are in private venues; and invitation is by word of mouth. The preference is for small audiences, warm ambiences, and indoor venues where musicians and audience can interact.

Eclectic: SBB is not a ‘Band’ in the strict sense of the word, but a concept: of a creative space within which its members perform. In effect, this has two aspects: Although each song is created with an overall structure, it has enough creative space for the musicians - both individually and collectively - to interpret the structure as the situation moves them Musically, too, the SBB has an eclectic character. Its influences range from Blues, R&B, 60s and 70s Rock, Country, Western Classical, Reggae, to Light and Classical Indian music. The influences are apparent in its music.

Workingman’s Band: Members of the band all pursue other professions, interests, and other musical careers as well - all of which form the basis for their musical expression. The band is nearly three decades old.

Original: The SBB only plays original m

Yeah. The band’s description on FB ends with the cryptic ‘m’. I would love to attribute this to eccentricity here but instinct tells me I have to go with a more clinical logic: Whoever copy-pasted the band’s dope from a word doc kinda did a shoddy job. They also messed up the line formatting on the musicians’ bios.The copy-paste job on FB went like this:

Shekhar Seshadri: Professor of Psychiatry, Vocals, Acoustic
National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro- Steel-string Guitar
Sciences (Nimhans), Bangalore.

Saumitra Mukherjee: Head - Dept. of Guitar, Vocals, Classical NylonBangalore School of Music string Guitar

Vinoo Matthew: Research Consultant Electric Guitar

Ok. I am going to stop here. I am getting way too anal.

I really enjoyed the gig. ALMA was warmly lit and had a dungeonish atmosphere that evening. Ranji and Nandini are very gracious hosts. It was my first time at their space.

I don’t know music. I can safely say I am tone deaf. I tried liking different music but I got bored at various stages. For some inexplicable reason, I worship Andrew Bird, and have kinda started listening to George Benjamin seriously. Mohit Chauhan’s voice irritates the hell out of me. That voice goes nowhere. It starts with him and remains with him. Is there a thing called a selfish voice in music? His is that kind of voice, and this is quite a rant from somebody who doesn’t know music.

Sarjapur Blues Band - I don’t feel like using its acronym because SBB sounds like a mediocre apparel brand name or some random bank name - played what sounded good but indistinct. The lyrics were a little cheesy and slightly dated. It was the ambience the three musicians created that pulled me in - they had a charming ease and possessed the appropriate amount of shyness that did not degenerate into a brittle or angsty performance language.

Aside: Is the Indian indie music scene (western genre) suffering from the same kind of malaise that afflicts the Indian Writing in English (fiction) scene? Moderately good, trying out new stuff, dizzily articulate about their influences and field but the work itself falls really short, an inchoate mass of under-realised ambitions. But we all feel the need to support them because we are hopeful of an intense future?

As usual somebody shared something on facebook and through this article - which reads like a highly derivative paper (I spotted paradigm and hegemony. hic) written by a college student who’s read way too many textbooks on New Media and Digital Culture - I got to know of June Neelu, a Manipuri youtube phenomenon. She mainly does covers of various western pop songs and kinda has a chameleon voice, not unlike many other youtube phenomenons. But there is one original music video she’s created with B Maisnam titled Nangdi Laklaroi (You won’t return). It is quite a messy narrative and except for June, no one in the video knows how to work the camera. B Maisnam is performing in his head and has the shifty body language that does no good to any performer. Plus, notice the way the girl peeks from behind the tree at 3:38; she’s watched way too many cheesy Manipuri films where the female actors reveal their faces with the standard (and highly annoying) tilt of the head. From 4:00 the vid goes downhill. It is masochistic M&B stuff that many Manipuri songs haven’t grown out of. But I am quite interested in what June Neelu does in front of the camera. She has a natural chutzpah that young Manipuri female performers do not usually bring to the camera due to conditioning or the industry requirement for coy mannerisms. If her original songs have some real meat and intelligence, it would be fun to watch her on screen or off as a performer.

After years of planning and postponing, I finally visited the Bull Temple.

As soon as I entered the temple courtyard, I saw lines of clothes hanging in the sun, and a car parked along with some bikes. I felt as if I had entered somebody else’s courtyard by mistake. The temple itself looked more like a cage where this gigantic animal’s been locked inside. It is a pity we will never get to see the Nandi sitting atop a hill on its own in full glory; it will always be caged by pillars, walls and tube lights.

kafila has the full list 434. My page is acting weird and I am unable to put the 434 site names up.

1. http://imagessearchyahoo.com
2. http://imamali8.com
3. http://rahulyadav.com
4. http://hinduhumanrights.org
5. http://nndh.com
6. http://bloodrovaltriped.com
7. http://merrimusings.typepad.com
8. http://thepiratescove.us
9. http://smeisp.cn
10. http://mobango.com
11. http://clickatell.com
12. http://commnicator.clickatell.com
13. http://dalitstan.org
14. http://mackers-world.com
15. http://hinduunity.org
16. http://mypetjawa.mu.nu
17. http://jonnyasp.com
18. http://google0.ingo
19. http://www.box.in
20. http://www.geocities.com/cpmimlpwg
21. http://www.geocities.com/cpmimlpwg/home.html
22. http://in.mobango.com
23. http://www.hinduunity.org
24. http://www.hinduunity.com
25. http://www.hinduunity.net
26. http://carc.org.in
27. http://www.yourfilehost.com
28. http://www.tv.tamilwire.com
29. http://www.savithabhabi.com
30. http://www.zone-h.org
31. http://zone-h.org
32. http://bloggernews.net/124029/
33. http://www.bloggernews.net/124029
34. http://www.bloggernews.net/124029/
35. http://www.google.co.in/#h1=en&source=hp&biw=1276&bih=843&q=dr+babasaheb+ambedkar+wallpaper&aq+4&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=dr+babas&gs_rfai=&fp=e791fe993fa412ba
36. http://www.submitlink.khatana.net/2010/09/jennifer-stano-is-engaged-to.html
37. http://www.cinemahd.net/desktop-enhancements/wallpaper/23945-wallpapers-beautiful-girl-wallpaper.html
38. http://www.chakpak.com/find/images/kamasutra-hindi-movie
39. http://www.result.khatana.net/2010/11/im-no-panty-girl-yana-gupta-wardrobe.html
40. http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Hate-Ambedkar/172025102828076
41. http://www.arizona.indymedia.org/
42. http://www.indybay.org
43. http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/narang-access-pvt-ltd-c426988.html?sort=ratea.
44. http://dl.btjunkie.org/torrent/Bodyguard-2011-Hindi-Movie-SCR-1CD-CAM-RIP-DAY/3381072ca0b09a7e175bc5cc10fbcc660645
45. http://satishsethadag.blogspot.com/
46. http://satishseth.blogspot.com/
47. http://in.linkedin.com/in/satishseth
48. https://profiles.google.com/103976341793285625231/about
49. http://satishsethswan.blogspot.com/
50. http://in.linkedin.com/in/satishsethadag
51. http://digg.com/satishsethadag
52. http://digg.com/satishsethswan/submissions
53. http://in.linkedin.com/pub/satish-seth-investment/3a/144/931
54. http://www.blogger.com/profile/03550922789477190410
55. http://www.blogger-index.com/693616-satish-seth-adag
56. http://satishsethreliance.tumblr.com/
57. http://twitter.com/satishsethswan
58. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/7230576/joining_a_dancing_class_benefits/
59. http://www.myspace.com/video/satishsethswan/why-our-alsatian-dog-felt-restless-describes-satish-seth-swan/108188726
60. http://www.moneycontrol.com/stocks/cptmarket/searchpage/search.php?hl=3&companyname=Satish%20Seth&start=24
61. http://www.youtube.com/user/satishsatishseth?feature=mhee
62. http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/satish+seth
63. http://www.squidoo.com/satish-seth-at-his-adag-village
64. http://sites.google.com/site/satishsethreliance/journal-blog/satishsethrelianceonthisnicelittlerestaurantonhighway
65. http://www.blogger-index.com/search.php?s=satish+seth
66. http://satishsethadag.livejournal.com/
67. http://satishsethreliance.tumblr.com/tagged/Satish_Seth
68. http://satishsethreliance.blog.com/
69. http://parenting.feedables.com/story/8652112/Satish-Seth-Reliance-on-His-Dogs-for-Fun-and-Wisdom
70. http://sethadag.typepad.com/blog/
71. http://www.myspace.com/satishsethreliance
72. http://in.linkedin.com/in/satishsethswan
73. http://in.linkedin.com/pub/dir/?first=Satish&last=Seth
74. http://satishsethreliance.blogspot.com
75. http://sites.google.com/site/satishsethreliance/journal-blog/
76. http://digg.com/satishsethreliance
77. http://in.linkedin.com/in/satishsethreliance
78. http://satishsethadag.tumblr.com/
79. http://www.facebook.com/public/Satish-Seth-Adag
80. http://www.metacafe.com/channels/satishsethswan/
81. http://satishseth2gscamadagofficial.blogspot.com/
82. http://satishsethadag.blogspot.com/2011/08/satish-seth-worships-adag-friends-with.html
83. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/7210362/satish_seth_at_his_adag_amma_daddy_as_gods_home_with_pets/
84. http://www.metacafe.com/channels/Satish+Seth+Adag/
85. http://satishsethreliance.blogspot.com/2011/09/satish-seth-reliance-on-his-adag-amma.html
86. http://satishsethadag.blogspot.com/2011/09/sa-seth-wants-to-know-algorithm-of.html
87. http://satishsethadag.blogspot.com/2011/09/adagmant-tommy-not-listening-to-satish.html
88. http://in.linkedin.com/in/satishseth2gscamadagofficial
89. http://www.metacafe.com/channels/Satish+Seth/
90. http://www.bhandafodu.blogspot.com
91. http://www.bhandafodu.blogspot.com/
92. http://bhandafodu.blogspot.com/
93. http://drashukumar.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/who_got_shivani_killed.doc
94. http://drashukumar.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/ashokarorashivaniarticle.doc
95. http://www.unipay2u.com
96. http://www.unipay2u-international.com
97. http://www.unipay2u-trading.com
98. http://www.unipaygateway2u.com
99. http://www.unigold2u.com
100. http://www.unicreation2u.com
101. http://www.uniexchange2u.com
102. http://www.visarev.com
103. http://www.unipay2u-marketing-private-limited.com
104. http://www.vergingoldint.com
105. http://www.ad2earn.com
106. http://www.barandbench.com/brief//1804/delhi-hc-seeks-response-from-supreme-court-lawyer-for-criticizing-judge-
107. http://www.silobreaker.com/delhi-hc-seeks-response-from-supreme-court-lawyer-for-criticizing-judge-5 2264948356772003931
108. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/this-dog-will-get-more-fans-than-syad-ali-shah-geelani/219014304783271
109. http://songs.pk
110. http://shariah4hind.com
111. http://hinduexistence.wordpress.comhttp://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:AN