Do it yourself

First random thought this morning Various TV channels and newspapers carried elaborate debates and presentations on the performance of the incumbent government in past 2years. I found nothing convincing. The people arguing for the government sounded like class 2 students who has just learnt the table of 2. The people against mostly rhetorical and blabbered non-sense. None offered any solution or constructive suggestion.   Thought for the day "In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so." —Immanuel Kant (German, 1724-1804) Word for the day Fard (v) To apply cosmetics to (the face) Malice towards none Why the second term for governor Rajan is a matter of debate? To be fair, the government has not only let him complete his term but also extended full support by allowing him to pursue his agenda and design for the Indian financial system. The government, which is ultimately ac...

Thought for the day "The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away." —Wilson Mizner (American, 1876-1933) Word for the day Embonpoint (n) Excessive plumpness; stoutness. Malice towards none Priyanka Chopra could possibly be the first truly global star from Bollywood. Raj Kapoor, Big B, Rajanikanth, and Khan trio, etc. have been hugely popular, but entirely on the basis of their work in India. Three cheers for PC!!! First random thought this morning In past one year, gold has been one of the best performing asset class. Recently, many experts and analysts have opined that gold might rise 40-50% from the current levels in next 2-3years. Accordingly they have advised higher allocation to this asset class. I have not understood their rationale completely, but I am inclined to strongly disagree with them on this. I feel gold is a secular sell for next few decades. Still trying to ma...

Thought for the day "There is something about a closet that makes a skeleton terribly restless." —Wilson Mizner (American, 1876-1933) Word for the day Trophic (adj) Of or relating to nutrition; concerned in nutritive processes. Malice towards none Is there any study to assess the impact of CSE & Baba Ramdev's persistent and virulent attacks on growth of aerated drinks' consumption in India? First random thought this morning Despite disconcerting headlines about IS, Taliban, North Korea, Syria & China sea, the world today is definitely more peaceful than at least ever in past 2000years. This peace might be one of the reasons for the economic growth challenges the world is facing these days. Poor demography, innovation mostly focused on consumption (applied sciences) rather than development (pure sciences), little motivation to save for difficult times and monetary policies favoring leveraged co...

Thought for the day "Don't talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave." —Wilson Mizner (American, 1876-1933) Word for the day Gaucherie (n) Lack of social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkwardness; crudeness; tactlessness. Malice towards none Could Iran emerge as new favorite destination of Indian tourists who have made enough rounds of Dubai and Phuket? First random thought this morning Digvijay Singh is a master strategist. He has always been successful in deflecting the attacks on the Congress leadership by trivializing the debate. For instance, in the current episode, people are discussing nuances of cardiac surgery vs. cosmetic surgery rather than seeking accountability of the Congress leadership towards millions of voters who have traditionally voted for them. No one is even asking the Congress Party to make the reports of various committees on previous election debacles public along with the act...

Thought for the day "A fellow who is always declaring he's no fool usually has his suspicions." —Wilson Mizner (American, 1876-1933) Word for the day Panjandrum (n) A self-important or pretentious official. Malice towards none These days in media promotion, the slimming products and services are sharing equal space with weight gaining and body shaping products and services. Perhaps Size Zero fad is dissipating. What else will change with this? First random thought this morning With successful test launch of RLV-TD India moved an inch further in establishing itself as a lowest cost space service provider. In 10-15 years ISRO could be the real money spinner for the government. Deal with Iran on Chabahar port may open many Central Asian doors for India. US Congress has blocked US$450mn aide to Pakistan over non-compliance on anti-terrorism pledge. US forces also violated Pak's sovereignty by launchin...

Thought for the day "I've spent several years in Hollywood, and I still think the movie heroes are in the audience." —Wilson Mizner (American, 1876-1933) Word for the day Furphy (n) A false report; rumor. (Source: Dictionary.com) Malice towards none As it turns out, Rahul Gandhi, like her Aunt Meneka, is an intense animal lover. He refuses to chain his dog, even if it means losing 2-3 state elections!   First random thought this morning In past few years I have noticed that the foreign media is doing mostly Google/telephonic journalism in India, so trusting them is not prudent. The Indian media is so selective, prejudiced and partisan in their reporting that one has to be a really cruel editor to make any sense of their reporting. Social media is over-enthusiastic and often manipulative. So how do we know what's happening around! I suggest carry your backpacks and travel for three days...

Thought for the day "Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry." — Richard P. Feynman (American, 1918-1988) Word for the day Jeremiad A prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint. Malice towards none The ignominious decline of communist parties in India, at a time when income inequalities are rising at the fastest pace since independence, and a right wing party is dominating is quite intriguing. First random thought this morning Five key takeaways from the recently concluded assembly elections: (1)    Time is running out faster for Congress than most anticipated. The Congress stands almost no chance in UP, PK or no PK. (2)    BJP would need to galvanize the UP people on some issue if it wants to unseat SP. Otherwise, Akhilesh is set to come back by default. (3)    Nitish neede...