Showing posts with label Current Affairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Current Affairs. Show all posts
2010-02-02
2009-12-22
Anatomical Correctness
DNA realises, 32 minutes later that 'boobs' is rather inappropriate for a National Newspaper.
But anyway ... a rose by any another name ...
But anyway ... a rose by any another name ...
2009-11-26
Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Dear La Presidenta,
Congratulations on the Sukhoi Flight. It seems you pulled 2G. Well done indeed.
But I see this photo of yours on the front page, and immediately notice only one thing.
I mean, I know we are all going through this hypocritical austerity phase. But then, you are the holiest of the holy cows. Surely, you could have dipped into the exchequer for a pair of new, clean gloves. Perhaps in your size too.
Just Saying.
[Image: ToI]
Congratulations on the Sukhoi Flight. It seems you pulled 2G. Well done indeed.
But I see this photo of yours on the front page, and immediately notice only one thing.
I mean, I know we are all going through this hypocritical austerity phase. But then, you are the holiest of the holy cows. Surely, you could have dipped into the exchequer for a pair of new, clean gloves. Perhaps in your size too.
Just Saying.
[Image: ToI]
2009-09-15
F1 these days ...
The line it is drawn
The KERS it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
~ Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-changin'
Uncanny!
2009-09-02
un:News
While generally flipping through the channels, I came across Star News' coverage of YSR Reddy's helicopter going missing. Typically, since they had nothing to fill the space with, they did what any non self respecting 24x7 Indian News Channel would do: pile on the bullshit.
So I got to hear how the Bell-430 is an inherently dangerous machine, with videos of random helicopters crashing (a few looked like tests to me), how hydraulic systems are a death trap and should be abolished and the like. But most glaring of all, to me, was the enlightened soul informing viewers that the Bell-430 has Rolls-Royce engines which are made by 'car nirmata' Rolls Royce.
About 30 seconds on Wikipedia would have informed them that Rolls Royce was split in 1973 and both pieces have since changed hands several times to get where they are now.
12 Hours after the thing went missing, some bad photoshops and wrong info - thats all they had.
Oh yes, and underwear ads, the bedrock of 24 hours news coverage.
So I got to hear how the Bell-430 is an inherently dangerous machine, with videos of random helicopters crashing (a few looked like tests to me), how hydraulic systems are a death trap and should be abolished and the like. But most glaring of all, to me, was the enlightened soul informing viewers that the Bell-430 has Rolls-Royce engines which are made by 'car nirmata' Rolls Royce.
About 30 seconds on Wikipedia would have informed them that Rolls Royce was split in 1973 and both pieces have since changed hands several times to get where they are now.
12 Hours after the thing went missing, some bad photoshops and wrong info - thats all they had.
Oh yes, and underwear ads, the bedrock of 24 hours news coverage.
2009-08-29
Full Circle
So, Giancarlo Fisichella takes pole for Force India and Luca Badoer sits last. In a Ferrari.
We have come full circle.
Maybe its because Badoer has been driving in the protected environs of the test track and suddenly being thrown into the big bad world must be traumatic. But when you have been depositing a Scuderia Ferrari paycheck at the end of the month for 9 years, you don't come in last.
This is how it should be:
Luca di Montezemolo summons Badoer to the conference room. He takes a seat. Montezemolo reaches into a drawer and pulls out a .38. He places it on the table and looks at Badoer. There is sadness in those intense eyes. Imperceptible at first, but its there. With a slight shake of the head, he leaves the room.
As he nears the end of the corridor, a gunshot echoes down the silent space. He pauses, lost in thought, shakes his head and keeps walking.
We have come full circle.
Maybe its because Badoer has been driving in the protected environs of the test track and suddenly being thrown into the big bad world must be traumatic. But when you have been depositing a Scuderia Ferrari paycheck at the end of the month for 9 years, you don't come in last.
This is how it should be:
Luca di Montezemolo summons Badoer to the conference room. He takes a seat. Montezemolo reaches into a drawer and pulls out a .38. He places it on the table and looks at Badoer. There is sadness in those intense eyes. Imperceptible at first, but its there. With a slight shake of the head, he leaves the room.
As he nears the end of the corridor, a gunshot echoes down the silent space. He pauses, lost in thought, shakes his head and keeps walking.
2009-07-14
ahh ToI .. what would we do without you?
I don't think proof reading is a dying art.
It is dead.
R.I.P.
2009-06-04
2009-05-18
Meet the Neighbours
Dear ToI,
Prabhakaran is the head of the LTTE.
Prachanda is the former Prime Minister of Nepal. And he is very much alive.
Regards,
Prabhakaran is the head of the LTTE.
Prachanda is the former Prime Minister of Nepal. And he is very much alive.
Regards,
2008-12-18
Pineapple Express
Change is not coming so fast either ..
http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/open_for_questions_response/
Too bad.
http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/open_for_questions_response/
Q: "Will you consider legalizing marijuana so that the government can regulate it, tax it, put age limits on it, and create millions of new jobs and create a billion dollar industry right here in the U.S.?" S. Man, Denton
A: President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana.
Too bad.
2008-12-13
Largely lunar..
Today, the moon is closest to earth this year. Which means that tides will be higher, and werewolves will be fiercer. Hence a time lapse video of the moon, shot from the safe confines of my balcony.
2008-12-05
When the shit hits the fan; even the shitters go blue
One of the recommended feeds that google reader came with had this as the top post.
I tried to come up with something funny to go with it but I can't ... I just can't.
See for yourself
I have to wonder... The 'journalist' doing the piece - just how much must he hate his job? Does he go home and sit with a bottle of Old Monk cursing his fate? Perhaps he flings the bottle at the TV with a cry of agony when his piece comes up and watches as third rate rum drips off third grade reporting.
Or maybe just maybe he has deluded himself into thinking that it is meaningful, what he does. In which case he returns home to wife and kids with a smile on the face, glad to see them after a hard day's work. And proudly tells the kids about his day at the office while helping them with Civics homework.
We'll never know.
PS: No doubt people at PETA, etc must be taking this kind of thing seriously, but we will be two generations beyond Utopia before we care about depressed pigeons.
PPS: I have immense respect for pigeons. I have spent countless hours trying to oust a family of rent free encroachers from behind our water geyser and they know what 'I will never give up' means.
I tried to come up with something funny to go with it but I can't ... I just can't.
See for yourself
I have to wonder... The 'journalist' doing the piece - just how much must he hate his job? Does he go home and sit with a bottle of Old Monk cursing his fate? Perhaps he flings the bottle at the TV with a cry of agony when his piece comes up and watches as third rate rum drips off third grade reporting.
Or maybe just maybe he has deluded himself into thinking that it is meaningful, what he does. In which case he returns home to wife and kids with a smile on the face, glad to see them after a hard day's work. And proudly tells the kids about his day at the office while helping them with Civics homework.
We'll never know.
PS: No doubt people at PETA, etc must be taking this kind of thing seriously, but we will be two generations beyond Utopia before we care about depressed pigeons.
PPS: I have immense respect for pigeons. I have spent countless hours trying to oust a family of rent free encroachers from behind our water geyser and they know what 'I will never give up' means.
State of Fear
First it was Jon Stewart and now Colbert joins in. Turning serious stuff into comedy is a thin line which must be navigated carefully.
On the negative side, the Prabhudeva video has no subtitles. I have reason to believe that someone has already done the hard part.
On the negative side, the Prabhudeva video has no subtitles. I have reason to believe that someone has already done the hard part.
2008-12-03
2008-12-02
Headline error
What about spelling 'errorists'? Should they be writing headlines for the Indian Express?
2008-11-27
Condemn the word...
From the ToI:
President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have strongly condemned the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai and asked people to maintain calm.
"Such acts are highly condemnable," the President, who is on a four-day visit to Vietnam, said in a statement from Hanoi today.
...
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while condemning the terror attacks last night, assured all help to Maharashtra in meeting the situation.
Well, nice to see they have done what we elected them to do. Oh, wait. We didn't. Sorry.
2008-11-25
12x04
An episode of surprises.
Captain Slow loses his track test virginity on a Zonda-F Roadster!
The Veyron shows once again what is speed and what is speed... but only in a straight line.
A race with a difference and yet again the Jag Diesel (yay India!) shines. Why does one need a Prius with an EPA est. 48mpg when there is a twin turbo V6 giving 44(53UK) mpg or a Bluemotion with 66(80UK) mpg.
But there was something that showed me the hosts of a show with an estimated 385 million viewers have their feet firmly on the ground. James May with the same shirt he wore on the convertible people carrier episode, two and half years ago. (I only noticed it because it was pink and purple!)
Captain Slow loses his track test virginity on a Zonda-F Roadster!
The Veyron shows once again what is speed and what is speed... but only in a straight line.
A race with a difference and yet again the Jag Diesel (yay India!) shines. Why does one need a Prius with an EPA est. 48mpg when there is a twin turbo V6 giving 44(53UK) mpg or a Bluemotion with 66(80UK) mpg.
But there was something that showed me the hosts of a show with an estimated 385 million viewers have their feet firmly on the ground. James May with the same shirt he wore on the convertible people carrier episode, two and half years ago. (I only noticed it because it was pink and purple!)
2008-11-24
2008-11-22
Dude, Where's my Car Industry?
Trouble in Detroit.
Over the past few weeks, I have become a fan of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Though sometimes OTT, the humor is clever and the sarcasm biting. That's the best kind.
2008-11-10
Paradigm Shift
Top Gear Season 12 episode 2 has Jeremy Clarkson saying this:
But more importantly, Top Gear liking not one but three American cars! At the same time! Change has truly come to America.
"We came wondering if America had finally made a car that might actually work in the civilized world. The answer is no, they haven't. As you can see from our smiles, they've made three."The civilized world can now get ready to welcome the '09 Corvette ZR1, '08 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and the '09 Cadillac CTS-V into its midst. Provided of course that their parent companies manage to make it to the middle of next year.
But more importantly, Top Gear liking not one but three American cars! At the same time! Change has truly come to America.
