Do it yourself

Thought for the day "As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God." —Swami Vivekanand (Indian, 1863-1902)) Word for the day Moira (n) A person's fate or destiny. The personification of fate. Malice towards none What about decentralizing film certification! Let each state issue a separate certificate to all movies. So that a producer can boycott one or more states if it wishes to. First random thought this morning Media reports suggest that the finance ministry may be mulling 100% FDI in private banks and 49% FDI in PSBs. If implemented, this could result in complete undoing of Bank Nationalization. Large, private banks like HDFC Bank (34%), ICICI (35%), IndusInd (58%), Axis (49%), Yes (46%), Kotak (41%) etc. already have substantial foreign holding. These bank can easily see the...

Thought for the day "The will is not free - it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect - but there is something behind the will which is free." —Swami Vivekanand (Indian, 1863-1902)) Word for the day Decathect (v) To withdraw one's feelings of attachment from (a person, idea, or object), as in anticipation of a future loss, e.g., He decathected from her in order to cope with her impending death. Malice towards none Surprisingly, people are expecting so much from union budget!! First random thought this morning The latest trend in the country seems to be alleging threat to life from BJP and RSS. If one were to take statements of Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani, Praveen Togadia, et. al. at face value, the prime minister and the BJP president may come out to be the most notorious mafia dons who are committed to eliminate all voices of opposition. The worst part is that media is leaving no stone unturned in...

Thought for the day "The whole secret of existence is to have no fear." —Swami Vivekanand (Indian, 1863-1902)) Word for the day Nonviolence (n) The policy, practice, or technique of refraining from the use of violence, especially when reacting to or protesting against oppression, injustice, discrimination, or the like. Malice towards none Sophistry is a form of violence, perhaps the worst kind. All those who avow by Gandhi, must avoid sophistry and chicanery of all sorts. First random thought this morning "A democracy can neither forbid propaganda nor allow it. It cannot forbid propaganda without undermining freedom of speech and expression. But it cannot allow propaganda without destroying any hope of cultivating an enlightened citizenry whose political and economic decisions are based on evidence rather than misinformation, on facts rather than partisan descriptions, on reasoned analysis rather than emoti...

Thought for the day "Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached." —Swami Vivekanand (Indian, 1863-1902)) Word for the day Vatic (adj) Of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet Malice towards none What did change post Nirbhaya? First random thought this morning Some "sensational" media research suggested that in past two decades, some very "sensitive" cases have been assigned to "Junior" judges in the Supreme Court. The report was trying to highlight that something is amiss at the apex judicial forum in the country. The report implies that someone who has experience of 25-30yrs of judicial experience before being appointed a judge of SC, will still be junior judge, if he is 5yr younger to the Chief Justice. A judge who has served as Chief Justice of a High Court, and delivered judgments of far reaching consequences, will still be junior and incompetent to hear appea...

Thought for the day "You cannot be a hero without being a coward." —George Bernard Shaw (Irish, 1856-1950) Word for the day Denouement (n) The outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences. The final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel. Malice towards none In the spirit of pluralism, the administration shall tell schools to hold a 10minute meditation session every day, in which all students should be encouraged to silently pray the way they like it, instead of current practice of chanting specific prayers. First random thought this morning The outrage of the Congress leaders over cabinet decision to allow 100% FDI in single brand retail is inexplicable. If Congress Party truly believes that this decision is in the interest of the Nation, they should rather welcome it. The fact that BJP, which opposed the move in 2012, has finally chosen to follow the path taken by Co...

Thought for the day "Science never solves a problem without creating ten more." —George Bernard Shaw (Irish, 1856-1950) Word for the day Suspiration (n) A long, deep sigh Malice towards none If Lalu Yadav, who needs people to serve him in jail, is socialist, who is feudal in India? First random thought this morning “The world’s largest taxi firm, Uber, owns no cars. The world’s most popular media company, Facebook, creates no content. The world’s most valuable retailer, Alibaba, carries no stock. And the world’s largest accommodation provider, Airbnb, owns no property.” ( Tom Goodwin ) The world is changing like never before, and some of us are busy debating who first discovered the Law of Gravity and banning movies. Someone needs to rise and tell the Rajasthan government "Ok, Brahamgupta-II, discovered the Law of Gravity some 500yrs before the apple fell on Isaac Newton's head. Get the history books and...

Thought for the day "Beware of the man who does not return your blow: he neither forgives you nor allows you to forgive yourself." —George Bernard Shaw (Irish, 1856-1950) Word for the day Stardust (n) A naively romantic quality, e.g., There was stardust in her eyes. Malice towards none The order of nature is that nights are for resting and days are for working. Should government consider criminalizing all night shift work and order shutting down 24x7 call centers? First random thought this morning As per media reports, a Kolkata based steel company facing bankruptcy proceedings has received huge interest from potential suitors. The best bet received so far reportedly implies a 55% haircut for the lenders. The stock price of the company has gained 67% since September 2017. The primary principle of limited liability company form of business is that in case of insolvency the equity shareholders get paid in th...

Thought for the day "I am a Christian. That obliges me to be a Communist." —George Bernard Shaw (Irish, 1856-1950) Word for the day Horsefeathers (n) Something not worth considering or bothering Malice towards none As Buddhist people say "Right now, it's like this!"   First random thought this morning I travelled to Uttrakhand hills through Western UP plains for 10days. Talking to people on the way, I noticed three things: 1.     It's just 14months, and the pain of demonetization has mostly faded from people's memory, regardless of how hard opposition parties and a section of media is trying to keep the issue alive till next election. 2.     There no palpable rise in strife between Hindu and Muslim communities. Their relation is as tense, or as easy if you like, as they were prior to BJP forming governments in both the states. 3.     The standing Rabi crop...