Recent news shows a deadly looking Hurricane 'Sandy' lashing out across the Atlantic coast of the U.S and the Caribbean. Mr Obama and Mr Romney have temporarily stalled their presidential campaigns. Must be quite a breather for them, I think. And it is probably because I am not exactly caught in the eye of the storm, enjoying the comfort of being nestled somewhere in India, thousands of miles away, that the first thing that strikes me is the name. 'Sandy'. I wonder who it is who chooses names for storms, like it is a naming ceremony for a new born child. And why does this particular person (Read the Met Department) choose female names for most, if not all of them? It confounds me. Does the analogy imply that women are destructive with a vengeful spirit? Or, taking on a slightly positive note, powerful? In India, if i remember right, we have at at least one 'Aila', her sister 'Laila', a 'Nisha' and even a 'Nargis' wrecking their feminine havoc across the land and skies of the country. 'Thundering typhoons!' (Forgive me Captain Haddock for borrowing your irresistible imprecation), that's what I feel like saying to them, the evil, gender biased name-givers. It comforts me to think that maybe the reason for the bias is that nature with its beauty and fury has always been associated with feminist attributes. We never really had a 'Father Nature' did we? It was always about 'Mother Nature'. Currently she stands infuriated. And no amount of Obama and Romney will be able to assuage her ire, till she calms herself down. I hope all will be fine soon, those who most unfortunately have come under the stride of the vengeance seeking Miss 'Sandy'. Oh, and just got the news of a fresh alert of a Cyclone 'Neelam' in Tamil Nadu, Mind you, it's a girl this time too!
Images from the Internet
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