A Merry Song December 1, 2009





I was going  with a mind today to congratulate everyone on this wonderful Q2 7.9% growth in India which we have achieved, beyond all odds, breaking the shackles of the strongest of chains and running free into the green meadows, with yellow daisies all around and blue butterflies flying everywhere with chirping sparrows. It is almost Spring again in this beckoning Winter. Even though you may find prices of your daily breakfast doubling by 3 folds, who cares? It is the economy, silly! And we are all part of it!

But somehow in my mundane life of particularly no significant events that might change the course of the Mayan Calendar, and those grey skies and soundproof rooms with venetian blinds that comes between me and the full bloom of nature and and my constant deliberations with myself to find reasons for my miserable existence, I forgot to celebrate this joyous occasion. Join me, my loyal readers to sing this merry song.

Hey hey ho ho. We finally made it through

Take a look at the growth rate we got,

Which we shall share with you not.

But lets dance and sing and do a wonderful thing

To rejoice at the blings which the FIIs bring

Hey hey ho ho. We finally made it through

Everyone is happy and everyone is smiling,

When we  can see the Sensex is climbing,

The Finance Minister can’t hide smiles,

Coz the growth in Q2 has increased by miles.

Hey hey ho ho. We finally made it through

Dark days of sub-prime has told us buh-byes

We shall now go and reach some new highs

Christmas has come early And we have extended our Diwali

Lets hope this year shall end up perfectly!

Hey hey ho ho We finally made it through

If you are China, let me say, we are right behind you.

If you are America, let me say, debt doesn’t suit you.

We went ahead and put our head

And we just got the 7.9% growth rate.

Hey hey ho ho we finally made it through!

Hey hey ho ho ho ho ho

na na na na na na na

Dum di dum dum dum da.

(Okay thats enough, I shall stop now. )

And it begins May 17, 2009

At first, it had started as normally as always. The arrogant interviews on local television news channels, the smug speeches, the distasteful comments on opposition leaders. But the signs were always there. I suppose we all missed the desperate attempts by the CPI(M) when they tried their hands at caricatures and unhealthy banners around the city on the opposition leaders and the party.

But there was no reason to be hopeful. Every election, hope is what gets denounced. It starts out promising, with the anger towards the governing party as never before, only to Not get translated into votes. As always, the anger, the rejection was there to be seen. From bus stops to shops, from workplaces to restaurants, overhearing such conversations would not have taken you much of an effort.  But the question in my mind was, would the anger be represented in the mandate?

The writing is there on the wall, now. It is unthinkable and unimaginable to some of the opposition leaders who quite unabashedly say that they never believed this could happen! Not the most politically correct statement to make, but that is a ground reality. If you take the case of the city, not one seat has gone to the CPI(M), throwing the whole industrialization factor out of the window. This picture bears no resemblance to the one painted in the 2004 elections when the opposition just got one seat out of the entire 42 seats in West Bengal.

How did this happen? For once, it is heartening to know that people with the cosmopolitan people included, agree that development cannot happen excluding the people. That industrialization at the cost of people is not acceptable. That leaders who are smug and take the people for granted can no longer remain their chosen leaders. Secondly, I am amazed at the will and determination of the people to go to vote and stand for hours when the forces of the Government did anything and everything to discourage them. Violence, insult, jamming of poll booths and all the other regular activities were not enough to stop a more than 60% voting at various places. The resentment was so strong that it has remained, rather increased from the Panchayat polls. And for once, hope is what has returned to Bengal after 25 years.

It is now for us to look beyond. This is the people’s mandate and Mamata Banerjee has to carry this to the Centre, where she is the single largest ally. West Bengal is a very badly run state and we would need concerted efforts for the rebuilding of it. I would say, I am not very satisfied at the mandate at the Centre because the Government had failed on many fronts in the last 5 years and it is only the incapability of the opposition at the Centre which has been unable to focus on issues which matter the most and has brought about the irrelevant ones. But it has turned to be the best I could have hoped for, with the Left front turning irrelevant  as to who forms a Government at the Centre.

Agreed that one thinks that Mamata Banerjee is a bit mad and hysterical, but it took a mad and hysterical woman to bring down a Left inclination in Bengal, so much so that they have now become a minority. For once, I can only hope that the CPI(M) will now start treating the opposition with a bit of respect as a formidable force and not go on about their smug speeches against her. It is too much to ask for anyway.

It is a long way to go now. But the hard thing is over. For once the people are on other side. And the fight has just begun.

2 years..down the line August 7, 2008

This is a bit of an overenthusiastic post on my part. But two years have passed since I first blogged. Precisely it was August 23 2006 when I started and look how it has grown! I mean, yeah it hasn’t grown that big like Google, but yes, it has been a handsome growth. To all those people who have liked my style of writing, thank you! And to all those people who have not, no thank you. I hope I will continue writing in such busy times, and you will continue reading my rubbish, illogical and rhetorical rants which have no meaning in real life, whatsoever.

Heres to more such wasteful times! Cheers!

My Evil Plans of World Domination. May 12, 2007

Since it has been a long time I haven’t posted anything and maybe in the coming few months I would be even more busy; desperately trying to submerge myself in the deep oceans of knowledge and endeavoring to uncover some of the mysteries posed by the subject of Economics and similar other big shot subjects, I have decided to spew some rubbish here for the benefit of the readers. 

 I don’t know how many of you have found the Evil Villain in books or movies making basic mistakes in their plans. In fact, now I can say that the efficiency level of evil villain might follow the Law of Variable Proportions. First it increases, then reaches constancy and then finally decreases to inevitable death.

 As unfortunate this may seem, the logical reason would be that in relation to time, Our Villain’s complacency increases, and degree of complacency is directly proportional to more chances of reaching an untimely death in hands of the so-called hero, who devoid of the talent and skill is still a hit amongst the ladies. 

Okay, so enough talk. What is necessary for any prospective Evil Villain is to devise an Evil plan which should be rock solid so that there are no loopholes. But as Murphy’s Law suggests, if anything can go wrong it will, care should be taken. So, it becomes necessary to create a back up plan, which can be used in emergency circumstances. This could be very useful in case of the idiotic, untalented, unskilled, underdog who in strange circumstances may be discovered as the son of the Evil Villain himself. That is also something, which needs to be looked into. Err, I mean no girlfriends for our Villain. That would sort of diminish the extreme evilness which is needed to be established thoroughly.

The Evil Villain has reasons for being an Evil Villain. He has solid reason for being Evil, and reasons are quite complex. In this sample of mine, the Evil Villain is just evil. His nature is necessarily evil and he likes to be evil. This is a complex psychological state of mind, which a layman would find difficult to understand.  

Anyway, to begin our plan, first we need to traumatize the people of the world. This is essentially important; because only through trauma will they sit up and take notice. The arrival of the Evil Villain has to be dramatic, extraordinary and terrible. With titles like “The terrible one”, “Demon straight out of the hell” this should be easy. The public should be stunned by the “Sadistic fiend” whose “Intelligence has been harnessed to create what we know today as the Computer”

Next up, is the employment of some mad scientists who are unemployed. Together, they will devise what is called Death Ray. Death Ray is something very complex. Through extensive stealing of plutonium and other radioactive elements, the creation of Death Ray is possible. Whoever is exposed to this terrible ray will die instantaneous death, yes, something which you could never have imagined.

  Needless to say, that such devastation from White House to World Trade Center would make all people to flock to the Evil Villain, begging to do his every bidding. His name would become synonymous with the Backstreet Boys. But, personally, the devastation unleashed by the Backstreet Boys was nothing compared to this small time Evil Villain of ours.  Finally the Opening of the Seven Seas of the Armageddon Clock, would spell doom. And if by that time the underdog hero vows to save the world before bedtime, our Evil Villain would have to fight with him.  Before that, it has to be made sure that the hero’s pet dog, monkey, lizard, elephant, hippopotamus, gorgonzola or whatever other cute animal that is capable of untying ropes, bringing keys is captured and killed. Then the Villain will throw a bottle of hazardous bottle of chemicals on the hero and he will be dead. So simple, why didn’t anyone else think about that before? 

And once his power is secure, he will destroy any pesky time machines that might be at hand. And so the end is upon us. 

If this entire plan is too complex for you there is another very simple one. Just enter a closet in your house and lock yourself in. And say “I have dominated the world and brought darkness”. Works all the time.  

Bidding Adieu September 12, 2006

 

The day finally arrived. The celebrations of victory in Monza mixed with the elation of seeing Fernando Alonso crash out, did not last that long. There was a sting in the end. In the Sunday post-race press conference, Michael Schumacher finally announced his retirement. 

I was amazed when I found A, one person who laughs away at all the cruel things life hurls at him, become a little bit dejected. And somehow, I felt quite sad as well, seeing the inevitable unfold in front of you. Imagine, no Michael Schumacher on the grid next season! The commentator not showering heaps of praises about how perfectly he is driving, and no silly jumps on the podium! 

 I had always thought that it would one of those great, happy days when Michael Schumacher finally ends his career. But it turns out otherwise. I have been never been a fan and Schumacher has never inspired me. I would normally scorn at people who consider Schumacher as God or better still, that the universe revolves around Michael Schumacher etc. But now that he has finally decided to call it a day, his illustrious career will always marvel people, whether or not they have been his admirers. Sure, his attitude of “winning at all costs” and his complete disregard for other drivers has brought about a lot of resentment. But then, F1 is a different sport altogether. It is extremely hard to break into the circle, and to be Number 1 and to continue for such a long time, takes some character. Michael knew how to win. And there is fine line between having the capacity to win and knowing how to win. To win in F1, you have to stop caring about a flawless image, because as someone told me, “winning is not everything, it is the only thing”. 

Schumacher looked overwhelmed with emotions in the press conference. The jubilations just before that were a sign of what was coming. The FIAT president was being rather stupid, and Michael was avoiding him – I noticed that. Probably the relationship has turned sour, when Luca wasn’t present in the Monaco Grand Prix this year.  

 I heard the words in press conference and felt sad. To see the ambassador retire from the sport, to see one of the greatest sporting icon in this world announce his retirement, always makes you a bit downhearted  Michael probably revolutionized the art of winning. Whether or not his actions were justified, how does he himself perceive his actions etc are matters of debate and they will continue. But to think that this man has been in Formula 1 for so long, and even though he is 37 years old and still is the protagonist of the title chase is some thing of a phenomenon. No matter how much people debate his actions on the track, the realization strikes me that we should be grateful that we belong to the Michael Schumacher era. He has set the standards regarding racing. Even those, who do not watch the sport, have heard his name and know how big he is. So does this thought now come to my mind “Well we saw Michael drive on a race track”? Yes it does.  

  I would find it extremely romantic to see Michael win his eighth title. Never thought, I would say this. But certainly, it would be a fitting end, the perfect goodbye present. Michael was 25 points adrift of Alonso at one point of time, and everyone reported that barring Alonso suffering any accident, Michael would never win this year’s title. Well, things quickly change and now he finds himself 2 points less than the leader. Of course, it is easier for me to say, that I would want him to win, since I am a neutral and do not support Alonso. But I think every sports enthusiast wants Michael to win this one. The contribution of Michael Schumacher to the sport is too big to be narrated in words. I think he was just “special”. Hope A, you cheer up a bit!

It works! Finally! August 23, 2006

As days pass by I find myself more and more isolated from the world outside. I have managed to recoil myself from eating, I don’t feel hungry anymore – may be because I have to wake up at 4 am in the morning everyday and that has simply decimated my eating habits. Over the past few days, I have done everything I can to take my mind off some studying. Fighting on the internet , spending hour after hours playing games on the computer and also yesterday I managed to do that one good thing I was proud of. There is a big “music system” which is now an urn of the past in my house. Its state is dilapidated; the electric plugs do not seem to work and provides a heavy bit of confusion as to which knobs to turn and which to unturn. Remember those 50’s and 60’s music records, which have been lost in the crowd of CD’s and IPODS? I have tried over the years to get music out of that whole set of amplifier, two gigantic speakers, and that record player and always failed miserably. But yesterday it worked! To a certain, extent so to speak. I finally found that the reason why it never worked was because that the speakers were not connected to the amplifier, and I never turned that last knob in that amplifier (I forgot its name). Yesterday, it was nice, going down the memory lane, listening to those songs which I was familiar with when I was a kid. Although, the sound does not seem to come on the left speaker, but the volume is pretty good and the Teesri Manzil record sounds heavenly. Most of the records are in good condition, the Mohd Rafi and the Guru Dutt Classic, Lata Mangeshkar in Albert Hall. The ones badly hit is Hemant Kumar’s classic hits. It seems that the pieces of record cover have been stuck onto the record itself. Obviously, if I try to get it off, the record will get destroyed. May be a bit of oil might do the trick. We also have the The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack, some records of The Venturers, music from the Arabian Nights and there are a lot more instrumental music records as well, which I don’t have any knowledge about. The Kishore Kumar’s greatest hits, NavKetan’s greatest hits are also working fine. I just have to find out why the left speaker is not working.