Quote Unquote

This gem is from Jim Hacker, the Right Honorable MP, from the laugh-a-thon "Yes Minister".

You know what the average Common Market official is like ? They've got the flexibility of the Germans, the organising ability of the Italians and the modesty of the French. And that's topped up by the humour of the Belgians, the generosity of the Dutch and the intelligence of the Irish.

Humorous, scathing, and skilfully enough, makes it seem like a compliment!

Would someone tell the Democrats to hire the script writers of this fantabulous BBC politi-comedy? The Republicans are catching them with pants-down at every opportunity with their brilliant fluency in obfuscating facts and concepts in terrifying cavalcade of words, morality and self-righteous out-rage. So fluent in fact that its not even funny any more.

Maybe its time for the donkeys to man-up, and atleast pretend to show that they've got a spine.

LiveScience.com - Nature's Wrath: The Most Dangerous U.S. Cities

LiveScience.com - Nature's Wrath: The Most Dangerous U.S. Cities

"Sir, would you please say something"

I've heard it said in the US that focus on careers for kids about to head to college are driven by the prevailing theme of the prime-time dramas on TV - how the current slew of crime-dramas are driving people to consider careers as detectives, crime sleuths, and all such related careers that are the part of programs like NUMB3RS, Law & Order, Miami Vice, CSI and its spinoffs.

Apparently, in just fourteen years since the cable revolution in India, the country's thriving and not-so-thriving networks and their inane focus on "news" has spawned such a mini revolution in career focus for the country's young'uns. From traditional careers like doctors and engineers to the not-so-occasional lawyers, to the omni-present "software developers", the focus has now shifted to "TV News". Or atleast, wannabe TV journalists.

The BBC's South Asia bureau chief Paul Danahar writes an interesting critique of the new phenomenon, that threatens to over-run the TV news sector with substandard and often pathetic reporters who often show up because these are jobs with "No Experience Required". No wonder there are journalistic pieces like "Sir, would you please say something?", and "Who are you?" get thrown at no-less than a person like the Home Minister of India. Paul notes the interesting phenomenon of dumbing down of TV news, that is directly, and indirectly a result of the strangling bureaucratic mess thrown up the Indian government, under the pretext of security requirements. While Paul does suck up to NDTV, calling them thoughtful and serious journalists (apparently he didn't note/care for their coverage of the Vadodara incidents earlier this summer), one cannot fault with any other segment of his thoughtful piece, including his indulgent dig at the "old or ugly" journalists that the BBC hires :)

Now what can we learn from animals?

Two specimen examples of things that we can indeed learn from animals... Frog giving a rat a piggy-back ride to help survive the monsoons in Lucknow, India. And a dog helping feed tiger cubs in Hefei, China.

If its a spade...call it a spade

http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/jun/15franc.htm

Someone with guts to say what the mainstream hype-driven media refuses to report.

An Inconvenient Truth

Here we go again...another attempt at trying to educate the masses on the effects of climate change, and how we are bringing purported disaster on ourselves.

You want to have an opinion of this movie? Watch it yourself, and THEN evaluate the FACTS for what they are, PRIOR to jumping to a conclusion on whether or not this is a propaganda movie, irrespective of your political dispensation.

Are You Being Served?

Ground floor: perfumery,

stationery and leather goods,

wigs and haberdashery

kitchenware and food. Going up!

First floor: telephones,

gents ready-made suits,

shirts, socks, ties, hats,

underwear and shoes. Going up!

Second floor: carpets,

travel goods and bedding,

material, soft furnishings,

restaurant and teas. Going down!

"Are You Free?"
"I am free"

Are You Being Served? (or AYBS? for short) runs on weekday afternoons on BBC America, but for those of us at work, public libraries should have the entire DVD set available for loan. Crass and cheap at times, with plenty of double-entendres to go around, and totally politically incorrect at all times, yet this show manages to pull the laughter hidden deep inside our bowels.

How does it manage to do that? With plenty of good acting, fantastic dialogue, and excellent comic timing with superb facial expressions to go-along as displayed by the actors involved. The actors share a chemistry that shines through. Mostly though, despite its reliance on cheaper tactics to elicit laughter, the basic script is outstanding in its comedy potential.

Recommended comedy watch, considering that despite its sometimes crude portrayals, its got my parents laughing their tummies out...

Sweating It Out!!!

Old Spice tells us in a breathless press-release this past week that Phoenix has held on to its title of the sweatiest city in America. Surprise, surprise...considering that Phoenix IS the hottest city in the nation...Surprise, surprise #2...Phoenix was named the sweatiest city only three times in the five years that this survey has run...

But having visited my native Chennai this past May, and being faced with gallons of sweat running right down my face and down my shirts, I CAN attest to Phoenix atleast being a lot more comfortable because of the drier conditions. Dangerous yes...but nothing that lugging a gallon of water with you can't fix.

Boy, can't wait for sizzling July...especially with parents in town :) Its going to be fun for them.

Found in Translation

If you are like me, and can never remember the multi-lingual names of your favorite Indian food stuffs in your favorite and mother-tongues...

You need this resource.

Bon Apetite

Economic Spiral

Interesting perspective on the flattened globalized world. Are we headed...
Toward perpetual prosperity or totally out of control?