Do it yourself

Thought for the day "Truth is so generic." —Iris Murdoch (Irish, 1919-1999) Word for the day Nixie (n) A letter or parcel that is undeliverable by the post office because of a faulty or illegible address. Malice towards none Historically, many bull markets in India have ended with a hugely successful mega IPO. Do ICICI Pru life or Vodafone qualify to be the killjoy? First random thought this morning The recently released manifesto of the Republican Party of USA, may sound music to many Indian ears. The 58 page documents clearly acknowledges India as geopolitical ally and strategic trading partner, while expressing concern over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. The moot point is "are we ready to be the strategic ally of the USA for few more dollars?" Especially if it involves providing a base to US forces for launching attacks in South Asia and pacific; supporting US stance on contentious glo...

Thought for the day "Falling out of love is very enlightening. For a short while you see the world with new eyes." —Iris Murdoch (Irish, 1919-1999) Word for the day Vox Populi (n) The voice of the people; popular opinion. Malice towards none Someone who defied the Party leadership blatantly and enjoyed the hospitability of the principal opposition party is now CM of Arunachal Pradesh. Indubitably, BJP did lose the plot in Arunachal Pradesh but how is it a victory for the Congress Party? First random thought this morning Pokemon craze is spreading like an epidemic. I avoided at least five near collisions while walking in the famous corridors of the Connaught Place in New Delhi. It is common to hear parents complaining about rise in their telephone bills as the data usage has jumped manifold. On the positive side, parents are relieved that at least their children want to go out of home to 'p...

Thought for the day " Anything that consoles is fake." —Iris Murdoch (Irish, 1919-1999) Word for the day Puissant (adj) P owerful; mighty; potent. Malice towards none A spate of mindless terrorist attacks on civilian around the world implies that the war on terrorism is near completion. With their back to the wall, these extremists are indulging in the desperate acts of violence. The key now is now to lose the focus and not open any window for them to escape. First random thought this morning Last week the former RBI governor D. Subbarao made some revelations about the RBi- Government relationship. Apparently, the revelations did not startled anyone. Perhaps everyone knows by experience or instinctively, what the former governor is trying to reveal So not much ruckus from any quarter. I guess the incumbent governor's memoire would also be treated with similar disdain whenever he decides ...

Thought for the day "I've not seen in my lifetime any politician who is a heroic figure. The manipulation that all politicians use on one level or another is so transparent." —Dean Koontz (American, 1945—) Word for the day Skerrick (n) A small piece or quantity; a bit, e.g., Not even a skerrick of cake was left . Malice towards none Yesterday I Saw a socialist MP from Uttar Pradesh, who apparently comes from a extremely poor socio-economic background. He needed one person to hold his mobile phone and another one to carry his briefcase. I hope someday SC will intervene to end these feudal luxuries of our elected politicians and public servants. First random thought this morning In past couple of decades, I have heard umpteen number of people clamoring for conferring of Bharat Ratna and other honors to the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. Unfortunately, I have not seen the legend playing on th...

Thought for the day "I don't write a quick draft and then revise; instead, I work slowly page by page, revising and polishing." —Dean Koontz (American, 1945—) Word for the day Tourbillion (n) A whirlwind or something resembling a whirlwind. Malice towards none After BJP made a Punjabi CM of Haryana, the Congress Party appoints a Punjabi as UP PCC President. Will this become a trend, ending the caste based politics, or these two just isolated instances? First random thought this morning After Uttrakhand now comes Arunachal Pradesh! Nabam Tuki might not enjoy majority in the house and the State may head for fresh elections soon. To that extent SC verdict may not change much in the State. However, in terms of enunciating principles for (mis) use of Article 356, powers of the governor, and constitutional validity of the legislative work done by a duly elected assembly, under the leadership of a CM (or P...

Thought for the day "Nothing gives us courage more readily than the desire to avoid looking like a damn fool." —Dean Koontz (American, 1945—) Word for the day Churrasco (n) Meat cooked over an open fire. Malice towards none Is it time to appoint a Rural Economist as RBI governor? Since, we have already tried market economists, development economists, career bureaucrats and bankers. First random thought this morning Close to full marks in quantitative subjects like Mathematics and Physics is fine. But in humanities? This is absurd! This suggests that we still living under the Macaulay's spell. We are not allowing our children to think freely and express their thoughts in their language. We want them to be conformist in the colonial sense. FA-u-Q With so many emotions running concurrently, the present atmosphere in the Indian equity market distinctly resembles a traditional Ind...

Thought for the day "Human beings can always be relied upon to exert, with vigor, their God-given right to be stupid." —Dean Koontz (American, 1945—) Word for the day Egalitarian (adj) Asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life. Malice towards none The cabinet reshuffle has at least settled that Ms. Irani and Ms. Bharti are not the BJP's chief ministerial candidate in UP. First random thought this morning The media is trying to project the transfer of Ms. Irani from HRD ministry to Textile ministry as 'demotion' reflecting on her poor performance as HRD minister. I do not understand the logic. Textile ministry has been the mainstay of employment generation in the country since independence. It still continues to be a sector where the central policies are a key determinant of growth. Whereas education primaril...