Update: This is Maths Ninja!!!!!

Hey Eshwar, this is so totally hilarious…

”This is a difference in opinion”. ROFL(via)

This is so totally like a Bollywood movie except..err…for the clothes.

(NSFW)

But this is so totally awesome!!!

See, I am not the only pseudo-intellectual!

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” Ring any bells? How about: “The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.” Many will not have read the novel from which these are among the opening lines – but nearly half of us are happy to lie and say we have, a survey reveals today.

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four comes top in a poll of the UK’s guilty reading secrets. Asked if they had ever claimed to read a book when they had not, 65% of respondents said yes and 42% said they had falsely claimed to have read Orwell’s classic in order to impress. This is followed by Tolstoy’s War and Peace (31%), James Joyce’s Ulysses (25%) and the Bible (24%).[link]

Our guest post on The Overlord’s blog,

The purpose of the attack is perhaps also not a mystery. The same as before. Terror. Provoking reactions. Mocking a fatally weak establishment and its empty promises. Making it clear that the writ of the Pakistani government does not run in Pakistan. In other words, telling everyone who the bosses are. As a bonus, they get to send a warning to foreigners – stay out, stay safe. Lets not forget that terrorists are generally not very good at having a coherent message in the first place and are better at tactics than at strategy.

The bit about mocking a weak establishment is not to be taken lightly though. Many commentators have expressed doubts about the proclaimed helplessness of the Pakistani government in combating terror on Pakistani soil. In my opinion, it is quite clear now – even if it wasn’t before – that the governance structure in Pakistan is hopelessly compromised. The bus route was different from the ones taken before. Yet, a group of as many as 12 terrorists were able to carry out a spectacular assault with impudence. Draw your own conclusions.[link]

Yes, in our Lordship we claim all posts we like. Serve us!

First register to vote. Then make sure you vote

General elections have been announced. If you are not on the voters list, or are not sure that you are, just go over to Jaago Re and register online as soon as possible. Spread the word. Bug your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours. Nag them until they sign up.

And on polling day, make sure you vote.

(Post borrowed from The Acorn)

This(via)

Writes George Will,

Obama’s preternatural confidence is intended to be infectious. His presidency begins as an exercise in psychotherapy for a nation suffering a crisis of confidence. But neither the nation nor the government that accurately represents it is constructed for consensus. And he will be unable to fault his office for his frustrations because, more than any predecessor except the first, the 44th president enters office with the scope of its powers barely circumscribed by law, and even less by public opinion.

Obama’s unprecedented power derives from the astonishing events of the past four months that have made indistinct the line between public and private sectors. Neither the public as currently alarmed, nor Congress as currently constituted, nor the Constitution as currently construed is an impediment to hitherto unimagined executive discretion in allocating vast portions of the nation’s wealth

On second thoughts, more than power it is unfair. Democratic societies can not be and should not be reordered by a single man. The expectations are just insane. And sometimes extremely sad. What will this folks feel when they discover that their life is exactly the same? Will the realization that it is not Obama’s responsibility to fix their lives even dawn?

p.s I think we had too much of American politics here. I was looking at my archives and I hardly ever commented on American politics. I need to go back to watching India TV.

nikalna khuld se aadam ka soonte aaye hain lekin
bahot be-aabru hokar tere kooche se hum nikle

1 2

It is hard–impossible–to feel any sympathy for these men. But retributive justice cannot be the way of civilized nations.

The first case is of course worse because it appears that police decided to play the prosecutor as well as the judge. Even if the young men were involved in the crime–and they seem to have confessed before the media–the police had no business deciding their punishment.

The second case at least is legal in some way. Though again, it is barbaric. But it is easy enough to understand the desire for revenge in someone who has suffered so griveously for no fault of her. And because her trauma would be lifelong.

This is where we are. Imagine! Don’t celebrate. Fear!

What the cops did was absolutely amazing but no country has the right to demand that its forces fight terror with lathis.

On the other blog.

I actually like the post. I think it makes sense–I am not even drunk–how is that possible?

Perhaps, tonight I will get drunk and write on Obama and the question of race. Ab padhai.

Sigh. What will we do now?

Now, after close to 20 years, my generation needs to brace itself for this exodus. Some of my friends, crazy as this sounds, have been talking of needing to revaluate their own careers. Others are realising they need to recalibrate their childhood definitions of cricket. “Part of me just died,” said a college friend who was the kind of extreme cricket buff who memorised scorecards. “No Dada, no Jumbo. I’m positive I’ll stop watching after Sachin and Rahul retire.”

These players were not only outstanding cricketers but also great statesmen. However hard they competed, they were always exceptional role models. Now we dread the next wave of brashness and impetuosity. Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth are talented cricketers, but there’s no way anyone would want a young kid to emulate either. The younger crop seems worse – a visit to some of their Orkut and Facebook pages tells you enough – and things may only get cruder in a cricket world when you can make a million dollars in a little over three hours.

“Our childhood is ending,” said a friend from school, and in some way he was probably spot on. Tendulkar’s retirement may mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for a generation of 25- to 30-year-olds it will mark the end of the first part of their lives. Switching on the television the day after will be a serious challenge.[link]

One of the few Americans I truly admire reacts to Obama’s victory.Touching.

How dumb can Indian media get?

Here is a classic example: CNN-IBN declares Barak Obama has opened his account by winning New Hampshire. As the story tells us, he has won a village with a total of 21 votes!

The funniest thing is that this story has been taken from CNN which of course has the correct headline. But trust the Indian media to sensationalize..