Do it yourself

Thought for the day " There is only one difference between a long life and a good dinner: that, in the dinner, the sweets come last." —Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish, 1850-1894) Word for the day Anathema (n) A person or thing detested or loathed. A person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction. Malice towards none Pak army claiming causalities and transgression on their sides and India rubbishing the claims with contempt.   The life comes full circle. First random thought this morning It is unfortunate that the government has to restore to "Marking" the people who have availed the one time facility of currency exchange. This highlights the existence of wide trust deficit and continuing game of cat & mice between the establishment and the public. The worst part - it is again the poor who is being used to further the interest of the non-compliant, to the detri...

Thought for the day "Do the best you can, and don't take life too serious." — Will Rogers (American, 1879-1935) Word for the day Syncretism (n) The attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion. Malice towards none People who found 45% tax under IDS prohibitive, are now pleading with government to take 50% and let them account for their hitherto unaccounted cash! First random thought this morning The opposition parties, especially Congress and CPI-M are making the most puerile comments on the step to demonetize high denomination notes (HDNs). The argument of inconvenience to daily wage earners coming from Rahul Gandhi & Prakash Karat's mouth is most preposterous. They are the people who organized maximum bandhs in the country. It is only in the past one decade that people have understood their game and stopped responding to...

Thought for the day "Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like." — Will Rogers (American, 1879-1935) Word for the day Circumspect (adj) Watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent, e.g., circumspect behavior . Malice towards none Mahatma Gandhi shows his power to the ungrateful nation. He takes a break of three days o change his attire and all the detractors are on their knees. First random thought this morning In his victory speech, Donald Trump looked nothing like the Trump who was engaged in a long bitter, filthy presidential campaign. He struck all the reconciliatory notes to sooth the nerves of dissenting republicans and opposing democrats. The economic, financial and market commentators should soon come around and dilute their prophecies of an impending disaster. Cashless in Great Mall of India Past two ...

Thought for the day "I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." — Will Rogers (American, 1879-1935) Word for the day Bathos (n) insincere pathos; sentimentality; mawkishness Malice towards none Ain't "Rath Yatra" a communal phrase? Why a political campaign on a motorized vehicle not be termed a "Bus Yatra" or simply a "Motor Yatra"? First random thought this morning Why Indian middle class and media is taking unprecedented interest in US presidential elections? (a)    India's interests are now aligned more than ever with the US interests. (b)    More Indians now live an American dream than ever. (c)     We see reflection of our politicians in the two principal candidates. (d)    The entertainment quotient of present elections is highest ever. (e)     All of the above. (f)     None of the...

  Thought for the day "I love you the more in that I believe you had liked me for my own sake and for nothing else." —John Keats (English, 1795-1821) Word for the day Hagiography (n) The writing and critical study of the lives of the saints; hagiology. Malice towards none History is always written by the victorious. First random thought this morning I do not know why - but everyone I talk to these days is talking about war. Some fear an Indo-Pak war; whereas some other go much further and want to talk about the possibilities of a full-fledged World War III. On a deeper inquiry I find that no one is prepared for a war. It is just fashionable. Surprisingly, the people of age 80 and above who do remember the destruction of WWII do not even want to think about a war. It is the people in 50s and 60s who are most interested in this talk. Perhaps, these are the people who want the script to be re-written. First they cou...

Thought for the day Land and sea, weakness and decline are great separators, but death is the great divorcer forever. —John Keats (English, 1795-1821) Word for the day Apparition (n) Anything that appears, especially something remarkable or startling, e.g., the surprising apparition of cowboys in New York City . Malice towards none The current inflation adjusted price of beer in US is down by 33% since 1952. During the same period, the inflation adjusted prices of cigarettes are higher by 350%. Replicate that trend in India during 1990-2050 and you get a great investment theme.   First random thought this morning Those who are worried about Trump winning the US presidential election are presuming: ·          US president is omnipotent and he could drive the economic, foreign and defence policies of the country as per his whims and fancies; ·   ...

Thought for the day My imagination is a monastery and I am its monk. —John Keats (English, 1795-1821) Word for the day Logophobia (n) An obsessive fear of words. Malice towards none Has anybody learned anything from the infamous Ishrat Jahan encounter episode?   First random thought this morning Since 1947, our politicians have used (and sometimes created) the tension at borders to invoke the feelings of nationalism and patriotism amongst citizens. In past few years social media has more than adequately supplemented the efforts of the politicians in igniting and fueling these feelings. The point worth pondering is, why do we need war & death to feel nationalist and patriot! Can't we be patriot in peace and prosperity? Seeking divine guidance After a refreshing Diwali break, I am back to my daily routine. During the break I resumed my research on the great epic Ramayana, after a break of 18year...