Padmini Mangunta: November 2009 Archives

I've been following CNN.com's "Killings At The Canal: The Army Tapes," an investigation into the circumstances leading up to, and following, the premeditated murder of four Iraqis in 2007. I suppose I've been waiting for my lightbulb moment when I would understand how so many people believe these soldier's actions were defensible -- I have yet to have it.

Let me preface by saying that I do sympathize with the idea that our soldiers in combat are subject to the type of on-going trauma that I can't even begin to understand, all in the name of duty, and in the name of protecting our country. However, I just can't bring myself to agree with those that consider these men heroes, or believe that they should be excused from their part in this incident. To do so, in my opinion, is akin to saying anyone who witnessed a murder (or some other severe trauma) should receive a get-out-of-jail card if they too commit murder.

But this is a special case, you may say. These are the men and women fighting to protect our country. Yes, they are. But what exactly are they fighting to protect?
 

Goshdarnnit, Hillary...your oblications and holiday survival tips post puts me in the position of bad angel. Nonetheless, I gladly pick up the horns and pitchfork to make my personal pitch for skipping oblications for...self-gratification vacations? 

A few years ago I had the questionable pleasure of having some very distant relatives visit for Thanksgiving. At first I looked forward to it; I've always liked the idea of having family around for the holidays, especially since most of our immediate family lives in India. But the reality of it? Well, it was a stressful mix of polite conversation and pandering, at least until one relative got a little too comfortable and started sharing his racist views on the world. At that point it just became a ticking time bomb before I simply lost it.

NBC is starting its 3rd annual Green Week this Sunday to promote, you guessed it, greener lifestyles via green-themed content throughout their programming. Kudos to NBC for its efforts, but I tend to agree with this blogger on Chicago Now -- Green Week seems a bit half-hearted when you consider how relatively simple it would be to write in a consistently greener lifestyle for the many characters on their many shows.

But still, its always great to see the effort to promote a healthier lifestyle for this planet of ours. The idea of making the effort -- or not making the effort as the case may be -- reminded me of these two past roommates of mine. I met them both through Craigslist when I needed a new apartment in New York; at the time they seemed to be pretty nice, normal girls. To be fair they weren't mean, or abnormal...they just had a different mindset.

One night they accidentally ordered "An Inconvenient Truth" on demand (yes, accidentally; they had no idea what the movie was about and were vocal in their disappointment). They were also vocal in their opinion that global warming, as well as all these efforts to "green" the world, were a full-scale liberal conspiracy. Y'know, I'd heard there were people who believed that, I just never expected to live with them.

Well, such thinking was of course their right, and I left them to it. But I just can't fathom that type of attitude. Don't we have an obligation to take care of what we use? 

My mom certainly pounded into me the idea that we have a responsibility to our belongings, whether a car, furniture, or a home. For her, this lesson came from the idea of respect; have respect for that which you use, and it will reward you by lasting forever. And while I personally don't believe the earth to be "ours" (it came before us and will hopefully be here after us), surely no one can deny that it's something we use to exist. 

So why are there still those who believe recycling is for hippies? And that global warming is a conspiracy? At a very base level, isn't it just about respect?

By now there is nothing shocking about the fact that some shows' sole purpose seem to be pushing the envelope. I'm not a Gossip Girl follower, but the few times I've caught an episode, I found myself spouting off like an old fuddy-duddy.

"How old is that girl?" "When I was her age, I didn't even know what that was!" etc etc.

For instance, a threesome. Ok, I'm sure at 16, I could have put two and two together (or, I suppose, two and one together) but I sure wouldn't have thought of it on my own. And I most definitely wouldn't have been taking part in one.

Apparently, 3 of our favorite GG characters both know exactly what a threesome is and will be taking part in one on this Monday's episode. Time for sweeps week, people, and making money the old-fashioned way -- the promotion of promiscuous teens!

Now, I'm a strong advocate of freedom of expression and speech, so I'm not sure where I fall on this debate. Personally, I'd love to see some sort of responsibility on the part of the network and the show's writers and producers. Again, not to sound like a fuddy-duddy, but a threesome? Come on!

What do you think? Is this crossing the line? Should we look for a stronger sense of social responsibility from those that are entertaining us?

I'm some type of strange masochist who absolutely loves reading the comments section of every news story, blog post, and youtube video I read or watch. It's one of the reasons I love digital media -- the immediate forum to hear the voices of my fellow man. And sometimes, my fellow man makes me want to take a fork and stab myself in the eye.

Case in point, Rihanna's interview with Diane Sawyer, which airs tomorrow on 20/20. I was one of probably millions who Googled the five-minute Good Morning America clip from this morning. Personally, I am happy that she is taking her experience and letting something positive come out of it--whether or not you or I value her role in society, she does play an important role to young women everywhere. And if Rihanna speaking about her involvement in this sad situation helps one girl get out of a similar situation, amen to that.

However, from what I can glean from the peanut gallery, people are more upset that she timed this interview to coincide with the release of her new album. Also, they're upset that she lacks humility and presumes to speak up for young girls and women everywhere. Many (too many) maintain that Rihanna hit Chris Brown and was possessive, and therefore was not a victim. Some claim that because of her fame and forture, she is less of a victim -- she didn't have to escape to a shelter, therefore her situation doesn't count as abuse.

Wal-Mart seems to be playing a much larger part in our blog than usual lately, but apparently that's where all the news happens. Actually, the incident I'm referring to in this case actually occurred three years ago, but the trial is...