Do it yourself

Thought for the day " The time will come when it will disgust you to look in the mirror. " —Rose Kennedy (American, 1890-1995) Word for the day Zoosemiotics (n) The study of the sounds and signals used in animal communication, as song in birds or tail-wagging in dogs. Malice towards none PM Modi once said on floor of the Lok Sabha, that his political acumen should not be doubted. AK obviously did not buy his claim. It would be interesting to watch who returns triumphant at the end of the day! First random thought this morning US$265bn stimulus by Japanese government and yet "no hike" by US Fed, hardly moved the global markets. Is it simply the law of diminishing marginal returns working or the markets are losing faith in governments and central bankers? "EASE" vs. "ease" of doing business - 2 I have been saying this rather persistently and repeatedly. I d...

Thought for the day " Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?. " —Rose Kennedy (American, 1890-1995) Word for the day Arrears (Plural noun) The state of being behind or late, especially in the fulfillment of a duty, promise, obligation, or the like, e.g., Many homeowners have fallen into arrears. Malice towards none 16years and two bypass surgeries later Bill Clinton may again get a chance to enter the White House. But this time nothing else to do! First random thought this morning Yesterday evening got an opportunity to attend a meeting of traders' body as special invitee. The topic of discussion was the evolving policy framework under the incumbent government. Everyone appeared perturbed. Everyone appeared antagonized. No one is liking the change. The participants wondered why the government is prejudicial to the interests of   - Bu...

Thought for the day " My father was a great innovator in public life, but when it came to raising his daughters, no one could have been more conservative. " —Rose Kennedy (American, 1890-1995) Word for the day Doctrinaire (adj) Merely theoretical; impractical, Rigid Malice towards none ISRO loses the arbitration case relating to the cancellation of Antrix - Devas deal. The government might have to shell out $672mn as compensation to Devas Multimedia. List key learning from the fiasco. First random thought this morning GST will happen, monsoon session or the winter session or next year. The cobbler sitting at the corner of my street knows it. So what's the deal. Do you seriously believe that market is still so inefficient that it has still not factored the cost and benefit of this tax regime change? May I dare ask a question? Last Friday 2,00,134 shares of Force Motors Limited were...

Thought for the day "Make sure you never, never argue at night. You just lose a good night's sleep, and you can't settle anything until morning anyway." —Rose Kennedy (American, 1890-1995) Word for the day Ambrosial (adj) Exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant. Worthy of Gods. Malice towards none The paranoid media is quick to brand all acts of individual violence as "terrorist attack". Politicians are in a hurry to respond to "breaking news". First random thought this morning Many of my friends live in Mumbai. They all are good, except that they all suffer from a strong notion that unlike Mumbaikars, North Indians are gaudy, clumsy, and lack in commitment. Regardless that most of these friends actually have their roots in North India. I watched two of my favorite 1970s Hindi movies (Chhoti Si Baat and Rajnigandha) this weekend. Both movies ...

Thought for the day " I've had an exciting time; I married for love and got a little money along with it." —Rose Kennedy (American, 1890-1995) Word for the day Megillah (n) A lengthy and tediously complicated situation or matter. or A lengthy, detailed explanation or account:, e.g., Just give me the facts, not the whole megillah. Malice towards none NGT has banned vehicles older than 15yr from plying in Delhi with immediate effect. Congress has moved Ms. Dixit, who was CM of Delhi for 15yrs, to UP. First random thought this morning No urgency is visible amongst the government quarters to handle the situation in the Kota (Rajasthan ) factories, where a number of young students committed suicide in recent months. Neither anyone is explaining how this is different from farmers' suicide? The 3 idiots (Amir Khan, Chetan Bhagat and Raju Hirani) are also not owning any responsibility for this. Nifty...

Thought for the day "I think being a woman is like being Irish. Everyone says you're important and nice, but you take second place all the same." —Iris Murdoch (Irish, 1919-1999) Word for the day Campestral (adj) Of or relating to fields or open country. Malice towards none Why should anybody be afraid of Donald Trump as US president? or Hillary Clinton for that matter! First random thought this morning 25years of economic reforms have certainly done a lot of good to the country. It is therefore an occasion worth celebrating. The moot point is how do we celebrate. One thought could be to stop for a while, look back, feel proud, gather more pace and begin journey on the same path with even more vigor. The other thought might be to conclude this chapter as a happy ending; and begin a new chapter with a different plot. What's driving markets The Indian benchmark equity indic...

Thought for the day "There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken-for-granted relationship." —Iris Murdoch (Irish, 1919-1999) Word for the day Tweedle (v) To lure by music, e.g., The Pied Piper tweedled the children into following him. Malice towards none Mohd. Shahid was truly a magician with the stick. I am fortunate that he guided me once when I was in junior camp. The stick gifted by him, after I played with him for 45minutes, is still my most precious possession. First random thought this morning Sachin Tendulkar's act of seeking favor from a minister for his friend raises three pertinent questions: (a)    Does the process for selecting Bharat Ratna awardees need to be overhauled. May the highest honor be conferred only posthumously? (b)    Should the elected representatives who do not conduct themselves in accordance with the constitutional oath of office to ac...