Of Ballots, Bullets and Blue Buttons

----------------------------------------------------------
Quote of the day

"Those who can't do anything else, join politics"
- a lady in the train this morning, lamenting the choice of candidates in yesterday's elections.

Apparently, politics is the one of the very few career choices that do not require any sort of qualifications or competence. One can be illiterate, a criminal, a wife-beater, a ganglord or a smuggler. Doesn't matter. Politics is a democratic profession which doesn't discriminate between applicants. Murderers, Rapists, Serial killers can rub shoulders comfortably in Parliament with the professors, actors, royalty and the Harvard educated. A true democracy indeed. You don't need any qualifications except to be able to bear the cost of being a candidate, financially. Elections cost money, you know. Voters need to be paid to vote for you - what else do candidates have in their favor except money power? It's not like that they have any hard work or accomplishments to their credit (most of them, atleast).

Anyway, for those of you who are wondering about finding a profession where you can be rich, famous and feared without much effort, this one is for you. And as an added incentive, once you're in, it paves the way for your kids, their kids and all your relatives. What more can one ask for?
----------------------------------------------------------

For the first time in how-many-elections, I didn't vote Congress. And surprisingly, neither did my mother. Funnily enough, both of us voted for the same person (not knowing that the other did too!), determined to give someone else a chance to make a mess or clear the existing one. Times are a'changing. You can tell people are fed-up of bringing the same faces back into power. If my mother can put an anti-Congress vote, times are indeed a'changing.

----------------------------------------------------------
For Baby Bro, this was his first experience with the ballot. Electronic voting machines with their blue buttons made things easier for him - no more folding paper, putting a stamp, worrying about ink spreading to the row with someone else's name on the ballot paper. He's thrilled with being able to vote. Let's hope that this enthusiasm lasts till the next election.