The Maanga

A correct and funny statement on India,

But India also benefits from what financial types might call the “democracy put”: its politics forestall the worst outcomes, even if they squander the best. India’s policymakers only seem able to reform under duress. They accomplish little during good times but have plenty of rabbits left in the hat when darker times loom. For example, India is still a lightly taxed country, and the proposed introduction of a nationwide tax on goods and services could add three percentage points to the taxman’s share of GDP. Likewise, the government still owns hundreds of enterprises. It may not have time to flog much of this patrimony before it goes to the polls. But it could prepare the ground for a sale soon after.

In the past few years, foreigners have enjoyed reciting the “India story”, the epic tale of a youthful nation throwing off its shackles to fulfil its destiny as an economic superpower. Indians enjoyed telling the story back to them, with justifiable pride and perhaps a little masala (ie, embellishment). That story is not all myth: in the past few years, India’s sustainable rate of growth has increased from less than 6% to somewhere close to 8%. But as recent events show, the India story often resembles a comedy as much as an epic. Its policymakers run around in circles, swapping partners and scandalising onlookers, but with luck pull it together at the end.

However, the comments are funnier, if not correct-er.

like this.

Each sentence in that write-up is made redundant by the previous sentence. Strangely, this problem with a finite starting point seems to behave perfectly even at its boundary.

Question for editor type: assume you got this. Now what? And, does this still hold?

What a wonderful life it must be to be an Indian Mujahideen. You can live in a free, expanding society, wear nice clothes, eat at fine restaurants, and ogle Hindu girls.

And, if one of those girls turns you down, you can just blow them all up.

Sounds most correct.

The price of a matchbox has gone up from 50 paise to 100 paise. Previously, each box contained 60 sticks and, later, 50. Now it has only 40 sticks. So the price of each stick is 2.5 paise. Invariably a box contains 2 to 3 sticks less than the stipulated number or some of them are broken and unusable. On an average, the manufacturer makes about 5 paise extra for every matchbox. This is unfair. If 50,000 boxes are made per day, he gets an additional profit of Rs. 2,500. It is illegal. Will the authorities look into this matter?

Ippo pesu.

Sunday Television is probably the encapsulation of TV in India for the rest of the week: two main talk shows happen to be ‘We the People‘ and ‘Devil’s Advocate‘ on the two major channels. While loonies tend to believe the shows themselves happen to be political conspiracies, regular people merely think: Indian Television hasn’t matured enough to understand that there is a space for serious conversation on TV. That Barkha Dutt is ugly and idiotic is hardly her fault — that she is on TV at 8 PM is Pranoy Roy’s. One could argue the same with respect to Karan Thapar who, interestingly, is only half as annoying on CNBC; the aggressive edge to stupidity must be a function of the channels’ understanding of least common denominator.

Shekhar Gupta, who was probably hired to fill that void has failed. Given avataram’s proclamation that the Radhika who went to Welham did marry a capitalist after all, NDTV’s 9.30PM slot on Sunday evening has now been yielded to Rohini Nilekani for a new show ‘Uncommon Ground‘. The first show had a couple of very impressive guests: Mukesh Ambani and Rajendra K Pachauri.

If one were to compare Rohini’s show with existing shows, one has to rate it high. However, when the man India is so intrigued by, Mukesh Ambani, offers to discuss things, one expects the anchor person to have done her research. Reducing issues to simplistic 30s sound bite has a place — and Sardesai occupies that. Trying to usurp the man who can pose the most complicated question grappling our times and then say “10s” with an absolute straight face isn’t a winning proposition. There is also a guest list that compliments that end of the space: Rajeev Pratap Rudy, Jayanthi Natrajan and dial-the-same-quote D Raja.

Rohini Nilekani’s single biggest differentiator should have been her ability to hold an engaging conversation with two interesting and willing guests. The simplistic role of an interviewer does not need a big name like her’s whereas holding fort demands an equal. Being one and behaving like the other is inexcusable and makes the investment decision look silly. Maybe, Rohini will find her comfort zone soon and we will have a good show. Maybe all she needs is her own research team — one that does not work for Barkha Dutt.

Claim: It’s impossible to write satire with better balance.

That healthcare in America has become prohibitively expensive was neither avoidable nor is it reversible in the long term. It is a result of the modern human being’s progress that will prove to be eventually self-defeating. Simply because, the modern man’s lifestyle is an evolutionary dead end — much like the peacock’s feathers.

Example: The average use of a CT Scan quadruples when the Medicare program pays for ‘procedures’ and not patients. The physician who uses conventional diagnostic techniques is simply called a bad doctor because he isn’t “thorough”.

Yes, Heath Ledger was a fine actor. Yes, The Dark Knight is rather well made. My question is, how can anyone like Batman? He isn’t Superman. He needs a Batmobile and other silly gizmos.

There is  only one true superhero. Shut up and stop gushing about a mere man. Who is probably gay.

From this man [via]

Does touching ascertain the certainty of touching?

If not, where is the certainty of touching
that is not ascertained by touch?

As soon as I learned to touch
I knew I was aware of life.
As soon as I knew this awareness was natural
it was no longer natural,
I’d ‘fallen’.