Category: Random Draws

Lee Iacocca asks that question in his book.

His concern — correctly, in my opinion — is with the lack of leadership in the US. But with some substitutions in the names and a few other changes, he could as well been talking about India. At least, the US is fortunate enough that it has an 82-year old ex-CEO to tell it like it is. Where are they in India?
Continue reading “Where have all the leaders gone?”

To get back to Pune from Mumbai on Saturday, since I had some luggage, I took a cab instead taking a bus or a train as I usually do. Later, on the expressway, I regretted not taking the bus as I feel safer in a bus on Indian roads. As the car entered the highway, I reached for the seatbelt. Yes, the seatbelt was there but the end into which to plug it in was nowhere to be found. It was trade-off time: should I continue to sit the backseat without wearing a seatbelt or move up to the front seat and be belted in. I continued to sit in the back and hoped for the best. The driver, however, promptly took off his seatbelt. I asked him why. He said that they ticket people only in Mumbai for not wearing seatbelts, not on the expressway.
Continue reading “Rambling on about Seatbelts”

Shubho Nobo Borsho

Senseless Beauty

If a great musician plays great music but no one hears it . . .

Go read the wonderful essay titled Pearls Before Breakfast in the Washington Post. It will make you wonder.

Every now and then, suddenly things make a lot of sense when one gets to know the background story. Keith Hudson’s latest dispatch on the Iran situation is one such succinctly described brief. Here it is for the record.
Continue reading “Background Brief: Iran”

Keith Hudson’s Sapientia Daily quote yesterday was: “Tony Blair has agreed to resurrect his interest in acting when he leaves Number 10 after he was approached about a major stage role by his close friend, the artistic director of the Old Vic, Kevin Spacey, The Observer can reveal.” The date line was April 1st.

Keith, of course, was pointing out that the article was just a hoax in the finest tradition of an April Fools’ joke. But I was sure that he must have missed the amusing name of the “reporter” for the story–Pahli Tarikh. Heh heh. Keith followed up with this:
Continue reading “April Fools’ Observer”

Whatever are they going to think of next? Three years ago on April 1st, they announced 2 GB of free mail. Now this. Free paper mail. They will mail you a copy of any number of emails that you wish to save on hardcopy. Google is going to take over the earth 🙂

PS: It’s an April Fools’ joke.

PPS: Praveen C informs us that Google is also offering free broadband service called TiSP.

Happy April Fools’ Day!

For a fascinating account of April Fools’ day, see the Wikipedia article.

There are smart people with a sense of humor and as their targets there are billions of gullible people. The existence of organized religion is proof that there are billions of gullible people. But organized religion is not funny. It becomes funny though when ridiculed. Rowan Atkinson is the master of ridicule and humor. If you have not seen him as Bean, you have a treat waiting. (Don’t bother with the stupid Hollywood “Mr Bean” movie. It’s a pale imitation of the real Bean.) Even better, check out the Blackadder series. Wickedly funny.

Here’s a short clip of Rowan Atkinson on the Amazing Jesus of Nazareth.

Thank god that some humans have a sense of humor. The Anglosphere particularly appreciates a good joke. One cannot imagine anything comparable in the Islamosphere. If someone in some remote corner of the world were to poke a bit of fun at their idols, the Islamosphere would go an a worldwide rampage and before you know it a few dozen people would be dead. They do need to lighten up a bit.

Have fun!

Julius Caesar was warned by a soothsayer to “beware the ides of March.” The ides of March is today, the 15th of March. Good ol’ Julius disregarded the warning and on this fateful day in 44 BCE he fell dead, assassinated by his friend Marcus Brutus. As Shakespeare wrote, it was the most unkindest cut of all. (“most unkindest”? Bill, Bill, when will you learn how to write English!)
Continue reading “Beware the Ides of March”