It’s Raksha Bandhan today! I came across this site http://www.rakhis4jawanas.com/ in a newspaper yesterday but when I visited it, I was a bit put off by the way the messages posted by people for the soldiers were put up at the site. :-(

So this is my Rakhi - not only for all those who are keeping a vigil at the borders but also for all the members of the Indian Armed Forces. I owe my sound sleep at night only to you! May this Rakhi protect you always!

I have decided to do this every Raksha Bandhan – of course, I am assuming here that I will continue to keep this blog! But I have also promised myself that one Raksha Bandhan I will go to the border to personally tie the Rakhi to the wrists of those brave ones who stand guard at the gates to make sure that the enemies stay out!

The ad is a collage of events – which don’t have much to do with the product being sold.

- A group is sitting for indefinite hunger strike when a political leader offers a bottle of water to a frail old lady sitting in the front.

- A newcomer is sitting alone to eat in one corner of the office canteen when he is joined by a group of colleagues who make him feel at home within minutes.

- A soldier standing guard near a house is startled when the window bursts open – only to find that someone is offering him water.

- A woman looks suspiciously at a young girl who is hugging her husband till he introduces the girl as his friend who smilingly hugs the wife too.

- And old man who finishes the marathon is cheered on by a crowd waiting at the finish line who hand him a water bottle.

The ad is for Kinley. As I said, these images don’t have much to do with the product being sold. But they reminded me of something that I came across while reading Paulo Coelho’s “The Devil and Miss Prym”:

A German philosopher once said “Even God has a hell; his love of mankind.”

And we aren’t making it any easier for Him – because the mankind is always at war with each other and with the very planet that it walks.

But it’s the little things like these that bring a piece of heaven – however tiny – in His hell. Let’s promise ourselves that we will do all that we can to give Him that. :-)

I like both the Airtel ads with the little girl – the one in the classroom and the one with the paper boat. It drives home the message beautifully!

But what in the name of God is that Vaseline ad about? Anyone living in a tropical country knows that the face – that’s exposed - cannot be fairer than the rest of the body – which is mostly covered! And what has playing Tennis got to do with fair skin anyways?

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I read that about 15 million people tuned in to whatever channel was airing the so-called Swayamwar of Rakhi Sawant. I could have understood if this had happened in good old one TV channel days of DD. But now when there are so many other channels showing so many sensible shows, what is the need to tune in to this Tamasha?

She is carrying home loads of money guys - why are we wasting our precious time that’s never going to come back to us? :-(