Truth is stranger than fiction

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=b8507415-9602-487a-ab57-bdcef0fd71f6 "I will huff and puff till I blow your house down”. These lines of a popular fable: ‘Three little pigs” that was narrated to us during our childhood are still embedded in our minds. Going back to the narrative, it was the weak foundation of the stack of hay and the sticks that led to the entry of the wolf into the lives of the first two pigs. Unlike its former counterparts, the third managed to pose a tough exterior of a bundle of bricks that marred the entry and instead its strong will power and shrewdness ultimately lead to the destruction of the vily villain. What seems like a mere fairy tale surprisingly draws parallels to the lives of millions and a monster that people are battling against. Unable to weather storms and pose a strong exterior like those of the bricks, many have succumbed to certain vices and weaknesses. This has unfortunately led to the seepage of a mo...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=9627eccf-ff32-496c-93a1-cc2d620d2109 Time has metamorphised itself into a progressive stage in comparison to several years ago. However, it is sad to realize that this advancement has not yet progressed in certain sections of the society. Dowry is one such issue that prevailed as a social evil and unfortunately continues to do so in several parts of the country even today. Despite the ‘Development’ that has supposedly taken place, it certainly has not extended into the narrow minds of people. The recent incident of Pooja Chauhan in the conservative state of Gujarat has stirred a lot of commotion. Taking a bold stance, she just walked in her bare minimum on the streets protesting against the injustice towards her. It must have been a horrifying sight for the onlookers to watch an unusually semi clad woman. Apparently her in laws have been harassing her for dowry on a continuous basis. Many may dispute this atrocity...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=8b3d84a1-57d7-4dfb-bf04-1c5be3f607d0 The shootout at Virginia has caused a commotion in the minds of millions. Many are perplexed and baffled at the acts of terror occurring in a supposedly secure educational setting. Students especially are shaken by this entire episode. Colleges/schools which are considered as a ‘safe’ zone are now viewed as a threatening belt. The grave act of the 23 year old South Korean campus resident has caused several to tremble with fear. The merciless firing of bullets has resulted in many casualties and injuries to innocent individuals. One of the deceased victims was Professor Loganathan of Indian origin, who was a campus resident. His unexpected death has left behind a helpless family, mourning over the loss of their pillar of support. His aged mother is unable to gain clarity in understanding as to why her son was a target of such terror. The culprit was reported to have apparently b...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=8d15a629-f48b-4925-a201-6d359fdd693e Anil (name changed) and his wife were a typical urban couple, with two children. Their nuclear family lifestyle depicted the long working hours, with occasional socializing on weekends. All was well until that one afternoon phone call. Anil received devastating news of his ailing mother having breathed her last. Naturally struck with a shocking blow, he performed his due rights of being the only son. However what lingered in his mind was what was to become of his lonely father. Consulting his wife was met with a vehement opposition of accommodating him at their residence, for fear of being a nuisance. Unable to find an alternate option propelled Anil to drop his father ruthlessly in an old age home. This shocking act is found to be an increasing trend in India, at present. A further insight will help gaining clarity about the parentage phenomenon especially during their old age...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=72e932d3-8058-48f3-8c83-952232a34b10 Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS is the most DEADLY dreaded word which is tagged with a social stigma. People want to run a mile away from such infected patients who are not only shunned but also looked down upon. It is estimated that there will be about 9-10 million individuals afflicted with this condition. It is true that some people contract it because of multiple partners and many others are innocent victims due to ignorance. Women and children fall under this category. It is disheartening to see them being treated as outcasts; they suffer from ignominy and shame for no fault on their part. A clinical definition is that its collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immune deficiency virus (HIV).This transmission can come in the form of anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion,...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=541d61d8-1ca1-48cd-ab1f-05685e1fa23f Can we imagine a day without those mouthwatering cereals, aaloo parathas or a buttered toast? Can we visualize the absence of dal-roti, sabzi-chawal, samosas, piping hot jalebis and the gallons of milk? Can we foresee a life without these delicacies that cater to our taste buds, for even a single moment? Skipping one meal a day leaves us feeling irritable and cranky. Complaints about headaches and low energy levels are often voiced out by us. The human body nudges us for its regular supply of vitamins and minerals to regulate its daily functioning. Not a single day can go by without such nutrients, can it? Enhancement of a healthy living has emphasized the concept of eating the right food from our birth. Importance of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner has been recognized, in order to stay healthy. This knowledge has precipitated the duo- parental roles of being bread winners i...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=083dd52f-703a-4b4e-aeb0-5cb8f9db69ed Alcohol, a simple yet a dangerous word. What starts of as a coax for a small sip or a peg as a social obligation ends up as a regular and addictive group activity at parties and get-togethers.The current economic incentives has made these hard drinks more affordable. The gradual change from the traditional to a more cosmopolitan culture across several metros and small towns has made social drinking the “in thing”. This intoxicating drink has gained its popularity over giggly wild teenagers and has retained its brand equity among the adult segment as well. It is a shocking plight to see the ill effects of the so called liberalization among the school and college crowd that attracts these youngsters to alcohol like bees swarming towards honey. Seeing their parents and other elders consuming beer or wine socially, precipitates these young minds to see such drinks as a harmless sub...

-By Swetha Amit http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Others/UCStory145.htm There are people in this world, who can sing, dance, do a little jig, speak, hear, touch, feel and smell good objects. Such lucky individuals indeed are given the luxury of normal functioning of our human body. Can we imagine a plight or a day when even one of these little activities are not being accomplished by us? It could be due to reasons like a small twist in the ankle disrupting our regular exercise routine, or a fracture in our arm which is put to rest for a couple of weeks. Such minor accidents cause us to depend on others for even the most trivial things that we are used to doing by ourselves. Can we imagine a stage where the pleasure or independence of doing such trivial tasks is taken away on a permanent basis? It would result in feelings of frustration, anger, diminishing self esteem, depression, helplessness, and not to mention the fear of being ridiculed or not accepted by others. There are such...

Received this via email. Got me thinking about those sad, ignorant people who are under the false impression of housewife or a mom being jobless. The irony here is that no job can be that of a busier one esp. when one is blessed being a mom of one or many. Next time we are asked to fill up such an occupational column, we should probably think of defining the word “mom” or homemaker in an appropriate manner. The write-up below, gives an excellent example of such an instance. A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a......?" "Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mom." "We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically. I forgot all about her s...