It has been in the pipeline for a long time now ... Last December, I mentioned having decided against buying the thing ... but then, decided to yield to temptation this time around.

Yup ... my latest possession ... Fresh from the shelves today ..



The Apple IPod Photo 60 GB ....

But it was a purchase that almost wasnt. For a moment I succumbed to the sleeker, slimmer, cooler IPod Nano ... But then, the fear made me go back to my original choice.

And I do really need all the space of the IPod 60 GB. Or atleast, I would like to believe I would need all the space.

People died.

Millions rendered homeless.

Life comes to a standstill.

Billions of dollars of damage.

And all that people can think of, is to forward emails saying how Mumbai is better than New Orleans. Or, how India is better than the US. Or, how Mumbaikars are resilient. I always wondered about "the resilience of Mumbaikars" bit. Having been in Mumbai, and having spent a night outside home during those intense rains, and having walked substantial distances in the rain, I always found the "resilience" bit quite ironic. "Resilience" from whatever I saw then, was a sad state of helplessness. But well, may be I wasnt just appreciative enough.

That apart, I quite often end up blaming myself for not being "patriotic", like some of these unabashedly patriotic and proud Indians who originate mails of this sort. Mails that compare a "a hurricane blowing at 100 kmph" with "intense heavy rains that lasted a day". Mails that ask you to use Nirma over Ariel. Mails that urge you to be Indian and buy Indian. Mails that claim in all Capital letters that the problem with the Indian Trade balance is due to my buying a P&G shampoo over a Chik shampoo.

Goddammit. Iam tired. If this is what being "patriotic" is all about, then I dont give a damn.

And for God's sake please dont send me these forwards.

Watch the movie Crash.

Its brilliant, amazing, awesome, complex, intense, etc etc. A great movie... And its been so long since I got to watch a movie of this calibre.

No more comments on the movie. Find out for yourself.

Get a CD, download it, or buy the DVD. Its worth it.