Last weekend, I went to see this Ramlila being enacted by the local group. They are all busy professionals in their daily lives and had – with love and sincerity – given so much of their lives in the last 10 months or so to stage the show. It was beautiful although there were some hiccups and directorial inefficiencies. But what they were attempting, given what they had with them in terms of time and resources – their effort was... Read more
President Barack Obama has won the US Presidency for the second time. While some would argue about the campaigns and the “Ground games” and the ads brought out etc, my focus is on how the basic constituencies have changed for the country. This election was won by Obama because of two factors: Hispanics and Blacks. These two demographics voted overwhelmingly for him. In some cases, more than in 2008. And this is DESPITE the zoning and re-districting work that Republicans... Read more
We all look at our past experiences and try to plan and predict the future. A lot of people act very smart and think they can control the future and what happens in it. But is that true? Just look at the following facts that were so true just over a decade ago: Greece was strong. Russia was bankrupt. Oil cost $13 a barrel. AOL dominated the Internet. Smart economists thought the US government would pay off the national debt by 2009. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL ) was... Read more
Margaret Dunning drives 1930 Packard 740 Roadster. Yet she is more of a relic than her classic old car. Why? Because Margaret is 20 years older than her 82 year old car. She is 102. And she still drives her car. Until a few years she could even go under the car and change the oil as well. She owns a number of classic and old cars – ’66 Cadillac DeVille, a ’75 Cadillac Eldorado convertible and a 1931 Model A. So, what’s her... Read more
India is the worst country when it comes to Air Pollution as seen per the Environmental Performance Index, which is conducted and written by the environmental research centers at Yale and Columbia universities. As you can see below, the Asian countries are the last five. But the score that India receives is extremely low – far far lower than the preceding countries. What are the biggest culprits when it comes to Air pollution in India? Two primarily: Carbon monoxide... Read more
Maruti has a big market in used car sales. But I am not sure if there is any big company which has taken the “seconds” car market seriously. Here is one – Volkswagen. Its used car business is called – Das WeltAuto. The company has commenced operations with 15 dealerships across the country and plans to end the year with a total of 21 dealerships. The dealerships will trade in cars from all manufacturers and won’t be restricted to just... Read more
Japan is a remarkably homogenous country and people have to invent differences for prejudice to find a play. For, differences bring distinctions for some and inferiority for others. So they have come up with Blood Type defining the character, temperament and personality of people. In fact people ask Blood type during match-making and even in Job Applications. The popular belief links the blood types to the following personality characteristics: Blood type A: are sensitive perfectionists and good team players, but... Read more
Saskdocs (Physician Recruitment Agency of Saskatchewan) and the local physician and health region representatives are planning a trip to India to recruit and invite Family Doctors to set up practice in Canada’s Saskatchewan province. The Canadian province is facing a lot of shortage and it hopes to bring back the Indian doctors. “We encourage internationally-trained doctors to consider setting up practice in our province, with its booming economy and vibrant opportunities,” Health Minister Dustin Duncan said. “While we have increased... Read more
A new kind of portable toilet has been created by Eram Scientific Solutions Ltd based in Thiruvananthapuram. It is already in use in Kerala, and could serve as a model for such toilets all over the country. What are its features? Built with stainless steel/fibre to withstand corrosion, it can be programmed to accept either Re 1, Rs 2 or Rs 5 denominations. After payment, the door of the unit unlocks and the light and exhaust fan are switched on... Read more
It is obvious that the plunderers doubling in as rulers of the land, have complete disconnect with the people of the land. In a massive rally, with hundreds of farmers in it, the Congress Government was trying to market the Foreign DIrect Investments to, of all people, the FARMERS. In a moment reminding one of “Emperor has no clothes”, a farmer put it the way it should have been done. “I have no idea whether the government policy will really... Read more
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