Please see that i have replaced the word "pedestal" with "pedestrian". English is quite a funny language. The word sounds almost same then in the end takes a absolutely, entirely new turn and meaning!!. In this case opposite. Off course I do have serious reservation on using pedestrian as something “insignificant”. This is elitist. Why a pedestrian is insignificant and some moron in excellent car is significant is beyond me. (Off course now it is established that it takes more than 50 years to create a perfect moron we have a live example). Incidentally most cities are not pedestrian (nor cycle) friendly but yes there are pockets that are so beautiful that walking becomes a pleasant experience. My intention was not to pedestalise Mr. N.Ram (of all the people in the world!!). I have better options he (and his cronies) are nowhere in the list, this is an humble submission!!. I would also like to hilariously submit with all humility: primum vivere, deinde philosophari, to all the "intellectuals" squatting the columns and space in media (for the reason of tradition and right contacts) at the expense of genuine talents. In this context I am reminded of an incident regarding Schopenhauer, one of the greatest philosophers (The World as Will and Idea, 1844). Schopenhauer ate his dinner at a particular restaurant everyday (for nearly 30 years!!). He always had his pet dog to accompany him whom he named Atma(????!!!!). At the beginning of each meal he would place a gold coin upon the table before him and at the end of the meal he would put the coin back into his pocket. Since Schopenhauer had a terrible temper no one dared to ask him the reason for this ceremony. Finally an indignant waiter couldn’t take it no more, so one day had the courage to ask him. Schopenhauer answered that he had vowed to drop the coin into the poor box on the first day that the English officers dining there should talk of anything else than horses, women or dogs!!!!. In the contemporary world too it is remarkably true if these were replaced with: if ever the mainstream media speaks anything other than glamour (cricket can now be counted in this), sensationalized crimes (sleaze) and politicians- strictly in this order. So Schopenhauer can keep his gold coin. This is not to demean some incredible people, but the reality is the world hasn’t changed much; elites discuss and spend their time on same frivolities, as was the case 150 years back. It is therefore elite culture to revel in insignificance, something that has nothing to do even remotely with majority of people.
PS (personal trivia): Referring to pets, I guess dogs are incredible animals. My first encounter with dogs as pets was quite early, in my grandmother’s place they had an excellent dog, they named him Kaiser. Later I came to know Kaiser was nick name of Hitler!!(more precisely title for emperors). So much so for most dangerous man in the world!!!. In animals I guess Elephants are magnificent creatures. Animal Planet and National Geography are excellent channels. On the edge (crocodile Steve and mad mike are amazing) or the guy who chases snakes in different parts of the world. The one on King Cobra (in western ghats) was particularly amazing wherein he touches the hood, once he even got bitten by spitting cobra in Africa. The episodes related to Serringhetti grassland has always been brilliant, recently i saw The Crossing, it was spectacular.
