Tuesday, August 21, 2012

What arrogance!

I was thumbing through an old issue (December 29, 2008-January 5, 2009) of the Time news magazine today and came across something unusual in the 'Inbox'(letters to the editor.................................... Let me reproduce it verbatim: "SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: In The World, a map that accompanied an item about outsourced farming in Asia misidentified Indonesia as Philippines and vice versa (December 8.).".............................................................. One may laugh over the mistake- (though I am not sure that many Americans would laugh if, say the USA was identified in a map as Venzuela and vice versa!) but what really shocked me was the utter casualness in dealing with the mistake. No expression of apology or regret- not even saying a simple sorry. What arrogance!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

No, I am not a Tendulkar fan...

One of the nasty controversies against the cricket player Sachin Tendulkar is that he sold away the ‘gift’ of a Ferrari car which had been given to him by Michael Schumacher. The truth was the "Fiat" company had gifted the car- Schumacher had only handed over the keys to Tendulkar. Tendulkar reported got tax exmption on this gift and later on sold the car to a Surat builder. "Tendulkar remained tight-lipped when questioned on this...Great-great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi went on to tweet "When Sachin got his Ferrari as a 'gift', he wanted duty & excise exemption; now that he has sold it, will he ask for capital gains exemption?”(Source: http://www.yourmoneysite.com/news/2012/apr/sachin-tendulkar-not-everything-is-good-about-this-god.html) ................................................................ Now a fresh news item says that Tendulkar is to gift a BMW car to Saina Nehwal. The fact is that the Andhra Badminton Assn is gifting the car and Tendulkar is only going to do- what Schumacher did to him earlier - simply hand over the keys of the car! Should one find fault with the media for such reporting or with the VIPs for getting their names used like this. Dont ask me!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

"We're NASA and We Know It (Mars Curiosity)"

"We're NASA and We Know It (Mars Curiosity)" ....You may dismiss me as lacking in humour/being too cynical, but frankly I found it to be quite boring.

Mirchi lagee kya?

"India's Mars mission triggers aid row in UK"- News......................Mirchi lagee kya?

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Aur bhi gum hain zamanay mein

Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev, Arvind Kejrival, Kiran Bedi, etc....... Come on let us not talk about these failed messiahs..... Aur bhi gum hain zamanay mein....

The Empire strikes back...

British PM Mr. Cameron has ticked off the Brit school students for learning Indian (read Bollywood) dancing during the classes meant for sports....

Thursday, August 9, 2012

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Have you read Richard Dawkins-“The God Delusion” yet? (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 18-Oct-2006 - 416 pages) Dawkins is a "preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11...With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms..."..... After reading it you will no longer believe in god or religion. You have no excuse not to read it as it is available free online as a google book http://books.google.co.in/books?id=yq1xDpicghkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Liquor langar to appease rain god...(news)

MUKTSAR: After the villagers of Sangrur and Patiala, a village in Muktsar district on Sunday held a "liquor langar" to appease the rain God. Hoping their drinking binge will make it rain in Punjab, the villagers of Koni village organized a liquor langar ... ...The villagers boozed in the fields the entire day and also offered pegs to the commuters too... ...http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-06/india/33064230_1_langar-rain-god-villagers................................................................. Is this aastha.com or superstition.com?..........Dont ask me!

Now, divine intervention sought to save Sukhna...(news)

Sukhna is an artificial lake in Chandigarh conceived of by the late architect Le Corbusier, perhaps without doing enough of home work. It is now drying up. "Chandigarh, August 4: After all departments of the UT administration failed to revive the dying Sukhna, the Administration is now relying on the rain god. A special “path” was organised by the Administration at the Sukhna Lake today... ...After the special path, the “parsad” was also distributed among the boating staff, shopkeepers and the tourists... ..." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120805/cth1.htm A matter of deep faith which the 'rationalists' are incapable of understanding or just plain superstition?... .... .... ....Dont ask me!

HUDA authorities turn to astrologers for auction...(news)

HUDA (Haryana Urban Development Authority) authorities turn to astrologers for auction...(news) http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120809/cth1.htm............ Ancient science or plain superstition?.....................Dont ask me!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Ma Tujhay Salaam!

Boxer Jai Bhagwan's mother blamed herself for his defeat in the second round bout at the Olympics. His mother Birmati said,"His opponent's mother must have fed him better than I did. Next time, I am going to feed him so much of churma (chappatis mashed in desi ghee and powdered sugar) that Jai Bhagwan will surely win". Ma Tujhay Salaam! ............................................................................................................(Source: The Tribune Chandigarh, August 7, 2012)

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Beach Volleyball as an Olympic sport

What do you think of beach volleyball as an Olympic sport? Personally I find the game, the dress for the female players and its inclusion as an Olympic sport -all totally bizzare!

SC lets BMW convict walk free

http://in.news.yahoo.com/sc-lets-bmw-convict-walk-free-220540990.html Hon'ble Supreme Court's decision in Nanda-BMW-hit and run case has left me very, very sad.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Misleader ?


(8.7.2012) We will start a fight to finish. This time around we are not going to give up our fast just on assurances. We will continue our fight until our demands are met," Kejriwal said.(http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/367847/20120728/anna-hazare-lokpal-bill-protest-fast-unto.htm) 3.8.2012: Kya huaaa tera vaada, Woh kasammmm, woh irada ????????

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Govt. officials hold prayers for rains

"Govt. officials hold prayers for rains: Sangrur District administration,led by Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul (emphasis supplied), on Thursday held prayers at Gurudwara Nankiana Sahib for good rains..." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-officials-hold-prayers-for-rains/articleshow/15332651.cms Now shouldnt the learned Deputy Commissioner also hold prayers in a temple, a mosque and a church? Dont ask me!