No smoking ? !

So since Oct 2nd , smoking has been officially banned at well defined public places , and that includes the reserved for smoking spaces in our campus also. This place is now well guarded , not just by a security guard but a sign board bearing the amount one can be fined for smoking there. So that helps ? Am not really sure . The EGL campus , has a lovely golf course and the walk along it is just an awesome feeling , I guess it is not going to be so anymore. For a stretch of about 50 mts along it , all that one can see now is plastic cups , chloromint wrappers , and cig stubs. Yes ,that is the new habitat of all the smokers in the campus. And despite a huge bin sitting there (it was installed after observing all this litter there ) , I doubt anyone uses it since it is actually open space and unlike the closed smoking area within the office premises that we earlier had.
I have no idea if the new rule helps/does not help , active/passive smoking , but if this is what is going to be the consequence , definitely not anticipated for. Makes sense to revert back then , atleast public places would be a lot more cleaner !
On a completely different note , most of my friends have left for their diwali vacation , me is the last to go , missing the gang already :) Suddenly had a feel of how days would be without these folks around !!

The new face of terror , operation BAD , more bombs diffused ... and on and on , we have seen all of it grabbing most newspaper front pages and TV channels breaking news off late. I must admit it hit really close in the last few months. Whether it was the Bangalore serial blasts or the ones in Delhi market or just watching how security has been tightened all around .. at times brings a feeling of helplessness. Especially the thought of so many people losing lives or possibly handicapped for the rest of their lives , just coz a bunch of inhuman people wanted to prove a point , a point that no one really understands . Panic , fear , distrust.. is wide spread. Suddenly one is safe nowhere. This definitely is not the even remotely ideal world we want out future generations to be a part of. I can see the change right now , we think a lot more before visiting any mall in the weekend , weekdays is less crowded , so lesser chance of someone blowing it up.
The victims of 9/11 or the London/Mumbai/Delhi bombings bear physical and mental scars that might never fade. Wonder how many more people are going to bear them.Wonder if there is a solution at all. I am reminded of an MTV mock interview of a Mr. Terrorist , who when asked on why they revert to bombings had absoultely no answer . All that he stammered was we will keep doing it , but we dont know why. If thats in reality , it certainly leaves us with a sad and scary picture of how things are going to be...

Ps: I wrote this post after having read what Anu and Rahul had to share on similar topics..

This one is funny!

Someone forwarded this to me , hmmm.....