Desi Funda
"The shimmering flicker of a flame poised like a coy woman wrapped with her hands raised touching each other and gently dancing to the tunes of the wind like the waves on the ocean front".
Somehow any mention of diwali and lights takes me back to my 10th grade where we had a teacher by the name of Mrs.Ketki who used to teach use English at a tuition class. She had taken this article by Tom Alter from the Times of India and read it out to us as the perfect way to turn a mundane essay into an eye-catcher. Well I dont think I did a good job then but you can tell me whether the first line here was an eye-catcher or not.
Well anyways its Diwali time of the year. The office is all empty and what on earth am I doing out here in nimma Bangalore? Well letargic me didn't get the tix for Mumbai on time so am stuck here eating soggy dosas and idlis and bearing the brunt of the rickshaw brigade. But well wishing all of you a very happy deepavali. Wonder why people have stopped using that term in favor of diwali, the former sounds so much traditional.
Have fun, God bless and make sure you get some sweets.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Awaken yourself!
Desi Fun(da)
Mumbaikars! Demand, don't beg - Pritish Nandy
Well with all the sleaze that I associate with Times of India and its editing staff, incapable of correcting even the basic grammatical and spell errors, that even Microsoft Office can do for them there is this rare article from its unworthy stable of scribes that rouses the inner fire of any decent Mumbaikar. Definitely a must read for any Indian it is high time we start moving towards our goals of a system that is supposedly meant for the people, its high time we had a democracy that means more than just the right to vote, an environment where the masses are not just statistics and numbers, a society where every life is just as valuable as another, a country where we shall be proud to live and proud to die for. Enough of the rhetorics, enough of crappy analysis of politicos and shoddy economic analysts telling me something that I just cant see around me. Telling me that India is doing great whereas the kids of my vendors still can be sent to school, where I still cant afford a decent place to stay and even if I do I can't be sure of the quality of the same. I still cant go into a mall or a restaurant and be treated with civility and decency because the manager/owner there knows that if I don't like it there is another person who wouldn't mind being treated like a dog and he will spend just as much. Is this what we are working so hard for. There has to be some civic reward for living in a democracy, dont you agree?
Just Think!! We can make the difference and now is a time as good as any other that will come across in our life...!
Mumbaikars! Demand, don't beg - Pritish Nandy
Well with all the sleaze that I associate with Times of India and its editing staff, incapable of correcting even the basic grammatical and spell errors, that even Microsoft Office can do for them there is this rare article from its unworthy stable of scribes that rouses the inner fire of any decent Mumbaikar. Definitely a must read for any Indian it is high time we start moving towards our goals of a system that is supposedly meant for the people, its high time we had a democracy that means more than just the right to vote, an environment where the masses are not just statistics and numbers, a society where every life is just as valuable as another, a country where we shall be proud to live and proud to die for. Enough of the rhetorics, enough of crappy analysis of politicos and shoddy economic analysts telling me something that I just cant see around me. Telling me that India is doing great whereas the kids of my vendors still can be sent to school, where I still cant afford a decent place to stay and even if I do I can't be sure of the quality of the same. I still cant go into a mall or a restaurant and be treated with civility and decency because the manager/owner there knows that if I don't like it there is another person who wouldn't mind being treated like a dog and he will spend just as much. Is this what we are working so hard for. There has to be some civic reward for living in a democracy, dont you agree?
Just Think!! We can make the difference and now is a time as good as any other that will come across in our life...!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Mumbai Downpour
Desi Fun(da)
It has been raining cats and dogs in Mumbai over the past couple of weeks. From a statistical standpoint take this, "the rainfall recorded in mumbai on 26th july 2005 was more than twice the highest rainfall ever recorded in India". The total rainfall was nearly 950 odd mm and it beat Cherrapunji which as we all know has the highest rainfall in the world. But statistics apart the downpour is still on and Mumbaikars are in a tizzy. The whole infrastructure is bogged down and is not getting the required breather to recover from the 26th. The airport is still not completely functional. The trains are having a tough time staying open and the drainage system has never seen so much water ever.
With the loss of life and damage done not only to the financial capital of India, we have seen the repurcussions all over the country. It is high time our corrupt politicians take note that people are soon going to come down their necks if they don't start serving the very establishments that they were elected for.
A minute for the people who lost their near and dear ones.
It has been raining cats and dogs in Mumbai over the past couple of weeks. From a statistical standpoint take this, "the rainfall recorded in mumbai on 26th july 2005 was more than twice the highest rainfall ever recorded in India". The total rainfall was nearly 950 odd mm and it beat Cherrapunji which as we all know has the highest rainfall in the world. But statistics apart the downpour is still on and Mumbaikars are in a tizzy. The whole infrastructure is bogged down and is not getting the required breather to recover from the 26th. The airport is still not completely functional. The trains are having a tough time staying open and the drainage system has never seen so much water ever.
With the loss of life and damage done not only to the financial capital of India, we have seen the repurcussions all over the country. It is high time our corrupt politicians take note that people are soon going to come down their necks if they don't start serving the very establishments that they were elected for.
A minute for the people who lost their near and dear ones.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Holy "Lance Armstrong"!
Desi Fun(da)
Well its Lance Armstrong time of the year again. This guy is simply awesome. A true sportsman who is just the perfect role model for us youngsters. If you dont know about him already I would like to notify you that it is the year 2005 A.D. and you have been comatose atleast since 1998. So just to update you the Tour de France is still the world's most gruelling sports event not just in cycling but in any sport, in my opinion. And after Miguel Indurien who I used to adore Lance Armstrong has gone over and succeeded him ably having won the title 7 times in a row. A guy who was diagnosed with testicular cancer a long while ago has fought against the odds and gone ahead and shown the world what a sportsman is supposed to be like. I dont wanna say too much just what he said after winning the race.
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."
Again this is the first time that the winner was allowed to speak after winning the Tour de France. A deserving honor for the retiring champion. Kudos, Thanks and God Speed Lance Armstrong!
Well its Lance Armstrong time of the year again. This guy is simply awesome. A true sportsman who is just the perfect role model for us youngsters. If you dont know about him already I would like to notify you that it is the year 2005 A.D. and you have been comatose atleast since 1998. So just to update you the Tour de France is still the world's most gruelling sports event not just in cycling but in any sport, in my opinion. And after Miguel Indurien who I used to adore Lance Armstrong has gone over and succeeded him ably having won the title 7 times in a row. A guy who was diagnosed with testicular cancer a long while ago has fought against the odds and gone ahead and shown the world what a sportsman is supposed to be like. I dont wanna say too much just what he said after winning the race.
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."
Again this is the first time that the winner was allowed to speak after winning the Tour de France. A deserving honor for the retiring champion. Kudos, Thanks and God Speed Lance Armstrong!
Monday, July 11, 2005
7/7/05 vs. Kashmir's 25 years
Desi Fun(da)
These last few days have seen a lot of terrosit activities with horrifying repurcussions, both here at home and around the world. There have been the hostile attack at Ahodya by some militants and ofcourse the 7/7 attack within London surrounding the G8 summit. As far as I am concerned the attacks in London are a direct result of George Bush's oil claim game in Iraq. People around the world have suffered because the dumbest guy in the world is the president of (currently) the most powerful country in the world. I just dont understand how any sensible American who doesnt have his/her mind up their ass could vote for such a person. It going to be tough work for Hillary when she takes over.
All that said and done there was a huge outcry over the human and so called moral loss when 9/11 occurred and now when 7/7 occurred. What about the loss of life that we Indians have been facing over the years in Kashmir? Arent our brothers and sisters out there not to be counted as casualties of an unjust proxy war funded and aided by Pakistan? There are around 3000 people killed on 9/11 and now around 400 reported dead on 7/7. Kashmir has a toll of between 15000-30000 civilians who have lost their lives during the past 25 years of (I hate to use this word but unfortunately it is related to religion) Islamic terror in the valley. Add to that the agony of Kashmiri pundits having to fled their ancestral homes due to this menace. Add to that the loss of property. Add to that the loss of a unique culture and a place that inspired Mark Twain to say "Nothing has been left undone, either by man or by nature, to make India the most extraordinary country the sun vists on its rounds.". Why aren't these so called world leaders taken aback by the suffering of Kashmiris? Why can't the oh so great USofA decry Pakistan as a terrorist state? Why can't we have the valley that once was the talk of the world back?
We need to learn a lesson from history here. Even when the muslim-majority region of Kashmir was ruled by a hindu Maharaja Hari Singh until 1947 there were no brutal killings or relgious mongering amongst the communities. For the sake of his consitituents he acceded Kashmir to India. Why can't that happen now?
When anyone talks to me about forgiving the happenings of the past and starting afresh in Kashmir I get hot. How can we just forget the lives of 10s of 1000s of our brothers and sisters. I am all for peace but asking me to be forgiving is a bit too much. Maybe if westerners didnt put different tags on the lives of an American, a Londoner, an Iraqi, an Indian and a SriLankan we would all be living in a more peaceful world.
These last few days have seen a lot of terrosit activities with horrifying repurcussions, both here at home and around the world. There have been the hostile attack at Ahodya by some militants and ofcourse the 7/7 attack within London surrounding the G8 summit. As far as I am concerned the attacks in London are a direct result of George Bush's oil claim game in Iraq. People around the world have suffered because the dumbest guy in the world is the president of (currently) the most powerful country in the world. I just dont understand how any sensible American who doesnt have his/her mind up their ass could vote for such a person. It going to be tough work for Hillary when she takes over.
All that said and done there was a huge outcry over the human and so called moral loss when 9/11 occurred and now when 7/7 occurred. What about the loss of life that we Indians have been facing over the years in Kashmir? Arent our brothers and sisters out there not to be counted as casualties of an unjust proxy war funded and aided by Pakistan? There are around 3000 people killed on 9/11 and now around 400 reported dead on 7/7. Kashmir has a toll of between 15000-30000 civilians who have lost their lives during the past 25 years of (I hate to use this word but unfortunately it is related to religion) Islamic terror in the valley. Add to that the agony of Kashmiri pundits having to fled their ancestral homes due to this menace. Add to that the loss of property. Add to that the loss of a unique culture and a place that inspired Mark Twain to say "Nothing has been left undone, either by man or by nature, to make India the most extraordinary country the sun vists on its rounds.". Why aren't these so called world leaders taken aback by the suffering of Kashmiris? Why can't the oh so great USofA decry Pakistan as a terrorist state? Why can't we have the valley that once was the talk of the world back?
We need to learn a lesson from history here. Even when the muslim-majority region of Kashmir was ruled by a hindu Maharaja Hari Singh until 1947 there were no brutal killings or relgious mongering amongst the communities. For the sake of his consitituents he acceded Kashmir to India. Why can't that happen now?
When anyone talks to me about forgiving the happenings of the past and starting afresh in Kashmir I get hot. How can we just forget the lives of 10s of 1000s of our brothers and sisters. I am all for peace but asking me to be forgiving is a bit too much. Maybe if westerners didnt put different tags on the lives of an American, a Londoner, an Iraqi, an Indian and a SriLankan we would all be living in a more peaceful world.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Good Times - Kingfisher Experience
Desi Fun(da)
I have been thinking about flying by one of the new airlines for some time now. Recently I got the chance to fly from Bangalore to Mumbai on Kingfisher Airlines part of the UB group owned by Dr. Vijay Mallya. It was a good experience and here are some titbits.
- The crew is really helpful. Right from the checkin to the boarding everyone seemed to have a smile on and that was very nice.
- Everything went on smoothly
- The new A320s were awesome and loved the brand new look. I've travelled on a lot of airlines but I think this was the first time I ever was on a brand new plane. yipeee!!
- The on board crew was coordial and good.
- Meals served were probably the best I've had on an aircraft. Genuinely Indian food meant for the Indian palette ie well cooked with decent amount of spices.
- On board entertainment was good with the tv and radio thing going on
- Small goodie bag given to each passenger was a nice touch
- On flight magazine "Hi" is cool as well with tons of pretty damsels posted all over it. Dude you forgot to type in their tel.nos. though :) Amisha Patel you around?
- With 90% occupancy on my to and fro trip I think it is doing well.
Some points for Dr. Mallya
- Get "Good Times" registered as a trademark slogan. It just sounds awesome
- I aint a fool Dr. Mallya. Kingfisher Radio is just 10 cd's rolling continuously and the TV channels are the same. If you decide to slim down on the channels keep the cds for audio channels 1-4 throw the rest.
- Too many people around your planes. Maybe you are overstaffed?
- Your service will definitely want you to hike up rates otherwise you wont last long.
- Your choice of airhostesses is not on par with what I expected it to be. Or maybe I mistook you for having good taste in the fairer sex.
All in all I loved the experience of the "Good Times". Its all fine right now but I will bet Dr. Mallya will have to cut costs down to keep it competitive. Right now it will give Air India and Jet Airways a run for their money but if it wants to be a leader cheaper or cheapest is always the mantra in India. Now its upto you whether you want sonny boy to inherit a fleet of aircraft or an airlines.
Till then my cheers to the good times.
I have been thinking about flying by one of the new airlines for some time now. Recently I got the chance to fly from Bangalore to Mumbai on Kingfisher Airlines part of the UB group owned by Dr. Vijay Mallya. It was a good experience and here are some titbits.
- The crew is really helpful. Right from the checkin to the boarding everyone seemed to have a smile on and that was very nice.
- Everything went on smoothly
- The new A320s were awesome and loved the brand new look. I've travelled on a lot of airlines but I think this was the first time I ever was on a brand new plane. yipeee!!
- The on board crew was coordial and good.
- Meals served were probably the best I've had on an aircraft. Genuinely Indian food meant for the Indian palette ie well cooked with decent amount of spices.
- On board entertainment was good with the tv and radio thing going on
- Small goodie bag given to each passenger was a nice touch
- On flight magazine "Hi" is cool as well with tons of pretty damsels posted all over it. Dude you forgot to type in their tel.nos. though :) Amisha Patel you around?
- With 90% occupancy on my to and fro trip I think it is doing well.
Some points for Dr. Mallya
- Get "Good Times" registered as a trademark slogan. It just sounds awesome
- I aint a fool Dr. Mallya. Kingfisher Radio is just 10 cd's rolling continuously and the TV channels are the same. If you decide to slim down on the channels keep the cds for audio channels 1-4 throw the rest.
- Too many people around your planes. Maybe you are overstaffed?
- Your service will definitely want you to hike up rates otherwise you wont last long.
- Your choice of airhostesses is not on par with what I expected it to be. Or maybe I mistook you for having good taste in the fairer sex.
All in all I loved the experience of the "Good Times". Its all fine right now but I will bet Dr. Mallya will have to cut costs down to keep it competitive. Right now it will give Air India and Jet Airways a run for their money but if it wants to be a leader cheaper or cheapest is always the mantra in India. Now its upto you whether you want sonny boy to inherit a fleet of aircraft or an airlines.
Till then my cheers to the good times.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
one for the memories
"she just walked in the elevator and it as asif the place suddenly lit up. a girl wearing a light green salwar stood a few meters besides me with her eyes fixed on the door. i bet she wanted to run away from there:) but if there is any truth left in me i can say that i saw the eyes of an angel today. one of the rare occasions in life when my eyes didnt move beyond the eyes of a girl:) i tried to muster up a hello but couldn't and hey this is one time when i shouldnt be blamed for being wuss, if you see her you would understand. she got off on the second floor and my knees nearly lost it. oh god am sure i mustve said a thousand prayers to bump into her again, between the second and the seventh floor. but well girls so perfect never seem to be single anyways. but hell a moment to be remembered nonetheless."
-allen
ps. was lying in my drafts forever. thought it deservers some posterity :)
-allen
ps. was lying in my drafts forever. thought it deservers some posterity :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Oil and Telephani - Dirubhai Ambhani
Desi Fun(da)
This Reliance battle of the Brothers went on for quite a bit. It turns out that turnoil was in the family even when the legendary Ambhani was around. But well all said and done the BSE took a beating when it began and then went on a roller coaster ride when Mrs K.D. Ambhani declared it all over.
My 2anna/2cents:
Guys anything over a crore is equal. Whether you are sitting on 250 crore or 2500 crore you just arent going to be around to spend it all. You had a wonderful opportunity to lead one of the biggest industrial houses in the nation towards becoming a powerhouse in the world but well you guys messed it all up. Now with the money making businesses with Mukesh and the semi-startups with Anil there is no scope of investing in the latter from the former. What does that mean? Well the semi-startups are definitely the future (energy, communication and finance) and they need a huge influx of capital to make them really competitive. It is going to be tough to do that now and when achieved it may be a tizzy bit too late. That said I feel Anil has the better deal but with recent slurry of announcements I am bit sceptical about his possibilities of success. Go a bit slow buddy unless elder bro has pumped in heavy doses of the green in your Swiss account now.
All that said and done considering that both brothers have two sons are we about to see dramas unfold in the future generations as well? Well as they say you reap what you sow. "Jaisi Karni Waisi Bhari". Not a good lesson for your kids dudes.
PS. I know Chidambaram says that puns are the lowest form of humor. ( He said it when he was made ET editor for a day). I am trying to get off the tarmac Mr PC please oblige till then.
This Reliance battle of the Brothers went on for quite a bit. It turns out that turnoil was in the family even when the legendary Ambhani was around. But well all said and done the BSE took a beating when it began and then went on a roller coaster ride when Mrs K.D. Ambhani declared it all over.
My 2anna/2cents:
Guys anything over a crore is equal. Whether you are sitting on 250 crore or 2500 crore you just arent going to be around to spend it all. You had a wonderful opportunity to lead one of the biggest industrial houses in the nation towards becoming a powerhouse in the world but well you guys messed it all up. Now with the money making businesses with Mukesh and the semi-startups with Anil there is no scope of investing in the latter from the former. What does that mean? Well the semi-startups are definitely the future (energy, communication and finance) and they need a huge influx of capital to make them really competitive. It is going to be tough to do that now and when achieved it may be a tizzy bit too late. That said I feel Anil has the better deal but with recent slurry of announcements I am bit sceptical about his possibilities of success. Go a bit slow buddy unless elder bro has pumped in heavy doses of the green in your Swiss account now.
All that said and done considering that both brothers have two sons are we about to see dramas unfold in the future generations as well? Well as they say you reap what you sow. "Jaisi Karni Waisi Bhari". Not a good lesson for your kids dudes.
PS. I know Chidambaram says that puns are the lowest form of humor. ( He said it when he was made ET editor for a day). I am trying to get off the tarmac Mr PC please oblige till then.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Raining Airplanes
Desi Fun(da)
I've been fascinated with airplanes ever since I was a kid. My first calling was to be an IAF pilot but well as they say "shit happens" and as I add "only to me". We travelled a lot by Indian Airlines from Bombay to Mangalore and enjoyed it. Now it looks like the situation faced by the TATA's in the early 70's has reincarnated itself in 2005. With the liberalization of the skies we are seeing a ton of new entrants each with the tag of 'low-cost carrier' on them. Recently at the widely popular Paris Air Show 50% of orders received in the civil aviation segment were from Indian companies. Nearly 250 planes, now aint that dandy.
But just some food for thought for these airlines:
1. Each airplane needs 5 pilots to stay functional
2. Airplanes need handling facilities and hangars, both of which are a bit scarce in homeland
3. Aviation fuel prices have recently been northbound
4. Average price of a A320 is a cool $50million
5. Kingfisher airlines has orderes 3 A380s. No airport in India can handle this aircraft yet (or in the forseeable future)
Now some food for thought for probable investors:
1. Air travel in India is about 2-5 million passengers/year
2. Train travel in India is about 15 million passengers/day (not a typo)
3. If the airlines can get prices to the levels of 2nd and 1st AC train travel there is no reason why air travel cant pick up.
Hey I am all for the aviation sector and having planes flying the Indian skies like bees if need be. But is the CAG and AAI and other bodies doing their bit to bring in this revolution or are a bunch of folks who are already rich going to get richer and me stuck paying more taxes ... again ? Is this going to be the second coming or second crumbling for civil aviation in India, only time will tell. Till then I am spending my weekends out of this crammed Bangaluru
Btw who the hell are these dudes investing these truckloads of money on buying airplanes asif they are buying some toys for their 2 year olds ? I've never heard most of these multimillionnaires before. Are Chidambaram and his IT department boys doing their job on these people. Because I just keep paying my taxes every month without any relief in sight Mr. PC.
I've been fascinated with airplanes ever since I was a kid. My first calling was to be an IAF pilot but well as they say "shit happens" and as I add "only to me". We travelled a lot by Indian Airlines from Bombay to Mangalore and enjoyed it. Now it looks like the situation faced by the TATA's in the early 70's has reincarnated itself in 2005. With the liberalization of the skies we are seeing a ton of new entrants each with the tag of 'low-cost carrier' on them. Recently at the widely popular Paris Air Show 50% of orders received in the civil aviation segment were from Indian companies. Nearly 250 planes, now aint that dandy.
But just some food for thought for these airlines:
1. Each airplane needs 5 pilots to stay functional
2. Airplanes need handling facilities and hangars, both of which are a bit scarce in homeland
3. Aviation fuel prices have recently been northbound
4. Average price of a A320 is a cool $50million
5. Kingfisher airlines has orderes 3 A380s. No airport in India can handle this aircraft yet (or in the forseeable future)
Now some food for thought for probable investors:
1. Air travel in India is about 2-5 million passengers/year
2. Train travel in India is about 15 million passengers/day (not a typo)
3. If the airlines can get prices to the levels of 2nd and 1st AC train travel there is no reason why air travel cant pick up.
Hey I am all for the aviation sector and having planes flying the Indian skies like bees if need be. But is the CAG and AAI and other bodies doing their bit to bring in this revolution or are a bunch of folks who are already rich going to get richer and me stuck paying more taxes ... again ? Is this going to be the second coming or second crumbling for civil aviation in India, only time will tell. Till then I am spending my weekends out of this crammed Bangaluru
Btw who the hell are these dudes investing these truckloads of money on buying airplanes asif they are buying some toys for their 2 year olds ? I've never heard most of these multimillionnaires before. Are Chidambaram and his IT department boys doing their job on these people. Because I just keep paying my taxes every month without any relief in sight Mr. PC.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Rapes in India
These past few months have seen an awful streak of rapes within our country. First the rape of married woman by city taxi drivers in Bangalore. Right in front of her two young kids of 6 and 10. Next a college girl in Delhi who gets out after midnight cramming to get some snacks is picked up and raped all through the night and then thrown out on the streets the next morning. Next a college girl in Mumbai by a police constable during the day. To recollect that the location of this incident was one of the most visited areas by us during college. Next a german tourist visiting Rajasthan. Next the rape of a tribal minor, not even a teen, and then killed.
This string of incident just makes me feel so angry and ashamed. Why? Because it just showed what big hypocrits we Indians truely are. We claim to be a country with culture and tradition and when incidents such as these occur there is not even a single protest of public outcry from any part. No political parties taking up this issue, no corporates talking about increasing the safety their woman employees working into the late hours of the night. Not even the womens organizations coming out to the streets. Is this what our culture and tradition means. The woman in the Indian household and society is placed on a pedestal of respect and honor and when such disgraceful acts are committed our society should rise up and act out the severest possible punishment on the culprits.
Of all the case mentioned only the courts in Rajasthan have acted and met out a sentence of life improsnment to the culprits and their accomplices. And how did that happen you ask? because the nearby villagers came out to the rescue of that woman and handed those henous devils to the police. Guess some of us so called educated folk need to take a lesson or two in morality from those villagers.
Just take a moment to think what the lives of those two young kids is going to be like after they saw their mother being raped in front of them. If that doesn't make your blood boil then may god have mercy on you.
This string of incident just makes me feel so angry and ashamed. Why? Because it just showed what big hypocrits we Indians truely are. We claim to be a country with culture and tradition and when incidents such as these occur there is not even a single protest of public outcry from any part. No political parties taking up this issue, no corporates talking about increasing the safety their woman employees working into the late hours of the night. Not even the womens organizations coming out to the streets. Is this what our culture and tradition means. The woman in the Indian household and society is placed on a pedestal of respect and honor and when such disgraceful acts are committed our society should rise up and act out the severest possible punishment on the culprits.
Of all the case mentioned only the courts in Rajasthan have acted and met out a sentence of life improsnment to the culprits and their accomplices. And how did that happen you ask? because the nearby villagers came out to the rescue of that woman and handed those henous devils to the police. Guess some of us so called educated folk need to take a lesson or two in morality from those villagers.
Just take a moment to think what the lives of those two young kids is going to be like after they saw their mother being raped in front of them. If that doesn't make your blood boil then may god have mercy on you.
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Pope John Paul II
It has been 4 days since the passing away of Pope John Paul. During the past few years we have come to see the slow, if i may use the word, disintegration of his bad health. Things just weren't getting any better and I guess the world noticed Parkinson's is not just any other ailment but its a slow killer. A man who has been a pillar for the church his entire lifetime was reduced to being taken around in his wheelchair and helped by his aides for everything that he needed to do. Things just could not get any worse. And come Saturday the 2nd we all heard about the passing of the Holy Father who uttered the words "amen" (so may it be done) as he breathed his last. What a perfect word for one of the most admired and respected international figures in the world. As the church gets into the rituals of finding his successor and getting the wheels in motion for all that follows we should really pray for the soul of our Holy Father who has guided the church through probably one of the most turbulent patches in history, that of societal change. Though the church had kept the prediction, of our Virgin Mother that the church would get into turmoil during the last past of the century, it actually did happen with the fiasco of paedophilic American priests.
Though his passing away has left many a tear in our eyes we should be happy that he had a peaceful death though with much hardships before. And for such a holy person what better than to have been given the strength to reconcile with God for whatever he may have in his heart during the season of Lent and celebrate the coming of our Lord at Easter right before his last days. This truely shows the hand of God on one of his best representatives in modern times.
May his sould rest in peace. Amen.
Though his passing away has left many a tear in our eyes we should be happy that he had a peaceful death though with much hardships before. And for such a holy person what better than to have been given the strength to reconcile with God for whatever he may have in his heart during the season of Lent and celebrate the coming of our Lord at Easter right before his last days. This truely shows the hand of God on one of his best representatives in modern times.
May his sould rest in peace. Amen.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Recent Books
Well Ive been trying to catch up on my reading during the weekends and so have had read a couple of books during the past two days as well. The first beign the "Da Vinci Code" which I have to say was probably the most overhyped book of all times. I found the codes to be a little childish. Of course I couldnt crack all of the them but I did manage to get a few and found that a turnoff while reading the book. And the overuse of anagrams was a wee bit irritating as well maybe that stemmed from the fact that I could never solve that section in the Times of India. Anyways the other one that is on course to be finished soon is "Beyond the last blue Mountain" an biography of JRD Tata. Probably the most influential, prosperous, unselfish, successful and nationalist businessman that India has had the honor of having. A wonderful book written by his associate Lalla. It is written in a form and style that I like and puts things into context. My salute to another great Indian hero. We need to have such books for compulsory reading during our school days. Our generation needs to realise that we can be world class in India. JRD Tata lived by that belief. And well todays TOI read that Craig Barrett the current and retiring head of Intel is afraid for his grandchildren because of the high number and quality of engineers and talent available in India and China and "eating America's lunch". Cheers to that.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
DRDO - An indian way of thinking
A series of 3 articles on DRDO at rediff.com
The other day I read this wonderful article that gave a non biased view about the work done over the years by India's premier research organization DRDO. It was especially great to note that the author was a US based defence analyst, since most of the scathing comments come in from our own national writers. DRDO has performed well over the many years and the many testaments to its successes are strategic incorporations in the armed forces. Just to highlight some of the points in this series of articles.
1. DRDO operates on a budget of $800 million while China's research wing has a budget of $10 billion.
2. It helped develop the Brahmos missile.
3. Helped develop the LCA and indgenize many components after the 1998 US led sanctions after Pokran.
4. Developed the Arjun Tank which has been in the eye of the storm for most analysts as a failure but its development has lead to many successful spin offs.
5. Development of many indegenous radars, missile launch technology (esp. solid propellant systems), standard arms used within the forces, agni, prithvi and much more.
These are just some of the points. I have always admired DRDO as an organization but have always held my suspicions probably due to the biased reporting making the rounds in Indian newspapers. Looks like we need foreigners to see how great India truely is, in this case our research organizations.
The other day I read this wonderful article that gave a non biased view about the work done over the years by India's premier research organization DRDO. It was especially great to note that the author was a US based defence analyst, since most of the scathing comments come in from our own national writers. DRDO has performed well over the many years and the many testaments to its successes are strategic incorporations in the armed forces. Just to highlight some of the points in this series of articles.
1. DRDO operates on a budget of $800 million while China's research wing has a budget of $10 billion.
2. It helped develop the Brahmos missile.
3. Helped develop the LCA and indgenize many components after the 1998 US led sanctions after Pokran.
4. Developed the Arjun Tank which has been in the eye of the storm for most analysts as a failure but its development has lead to many successful spin offs.
5. Development of many indegenous radars, missile launch technology (esp. solid propellant systems), standard arms used within the forces, agni, prithvi and much more.
These are just some of the points. I have always admired DRDO as an organization but have always held my suspicions probably due to the biased reporting making the rounds in Indian newspapers. Looks like we need foreigners to see how great India truely is, in this case our research organizations.
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