Category: general

Somnathda and Dr. K Haminahamina

Amazing. Awesome. Too good. I’m referring to this piece by Gene Weingarten, who some of you might know as the journalist responsible for the experiment with violinist Joshua Bell performing at the new york Grand Central L’Enfant Plaza Station in Washington DC.

I don’t care about outsourced news, or the parody. I just love the way he has covered Somnathda’s speech in the TN Assembly. Dr. Haminahamina…. Somnath surrounded by attendants in white hospital garb… comic elopement! Wish our journalists would get ideas from this. Unfortunately, making fun of someone is a crime in india 🙁

\bows

The Gujar protests

Last year when people here rioted following Rajkumar’s death, the HTs* and the TDCs** cribbed about how Kannadigas are a violent and senseless community and all such. Look what’s happening now in Rajasthan and Delhi!

Anyways I was wondering what could? be the rationale behind such violent protests. i can think of only one reason. by protesting the way they are, the gujjars are trying to show themselves as being uncouth and uncivilized, and hence qualify them to be tribal! Nice funda, right?

* HT = Hindi Types
** TDC = Typical Delhi Chutiya

Saving the old “hotels”

Recently, an article on the CNN-IBN site about old eateries in Bangalore shutting shop made its way into my inbox a number of times. Read it the first time, and put a “well left” on all subsequent occasions. And recently, in response to some other totally unrelated post, someone wanted me to comment on it.

initially i thought it’s some arbit stupid reform-bashing left-wing article, so replying to it won’t make much sense. However, fact is that a few of these golden oldies are closing down, so I thought it does make sense to put in my two naya paise.

Continue reading “Saving the old “hotels””

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Starting this monday, the History channel has been airing a series of supposedly old rock concerts under the banner of “History Rocks” at 10 pm. This series will be there next week also I think.

Two of these concerts have been a let-down for me, and for contrasting reasons. On Tuesday, the program featured The Who, with their 1970 concert at the Isle of Wight. Was a good concert, but the thing is a large number of their songs that I like were made after this. Stuff like Behind Blue Eyes, or Baba O’Riley and rather the whole of their Face Dances album – all came after this concert. And they didnt’ even play a few of my early favorites such as A Quick One…

Yesterday was a bigger disappointment. Deep Purple at Montreux during their world tour last year (which also featured a concert in Bangalore, which I had attended). For a start, it was the Mark 7 line up. Then, they played more or less the same songs they had played in Bangalore when they came here last december. Another major issue, however, was the choice of songs.

Deep Purple is one band that has gone through various avatars, which are numbered from “Mark 1” to “Mark 7”. During the course of these several avatars, they have had five vocalists – Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Tommy Bolin, Joe Lynn Turner and David Coverdale. Now, Gillan (the current vocalist) has this policy that he won’t sing others’? songs. This means that a lot of the really good songs get left out. And for someone whose favorite Purple albums are the early ones (Book of Taliesyn etc.) with Evans as singer, and whose favorite Purple song (Soldier of Fortune) has been sung by Coverdale, it is a major let-down.

I used to keep a winamp playlist of 30 or so songs of Deep Purple. When i matched that with the songs they played at Bangalore, there were THREE in common – and all of them from Machinehead. The situation at the televised concert yesterday was no different. Also, old age means Gillan can’t sing Child in Time anymore.

Anyways, given these “conditions” and given that most of the popular Deep Purple songs are from their earlier years,? History Channel would have done well to present one of the earlier albums.

Next week should be better. Three of the four bands being featured next week – The Doors, The Beatles and Led Zep – have at least one member who died long ago, so hopefully it will be some nice decent old concert recorded when teh guys were still young.

The JEE Topper’s ambitions

Mint has done a feature on this year’s JEE topper (free registration required). Some guy from some small town in Punjab, who went to the Bansal Factory in Kota during vacations for his JEE coaching.

Two things stand out from the article. The way some people mug for the JEE is nicely described

A number of young aspirants, age 15 and above, leave home to live in boot camp-like atmospheres in places such as Kota in Rajasthan, where coaching institutes help them prepare for the exam.
The more interesting thing, however, is the topper guy’s stated next goal

His next challenge: he wants a girlfriend.

I mean it’s interesting if you are an outsider-types. Hardly if you’ve almost been there done that. You’ve just cracked the JEE. The next thing you expect is a number of girls to lineup in front of you with their CVs right? Unfortunately a large number of us think so every year. And a large number of us remain single even say seven years later!?

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What’s with Portsmouth and blacks?

I don’t know why but I’ve always thought of Portsmouth as a black team. I once happened to mention that to Baada, and he pointed out that it maybe because all of the defence and attack is black.

For example, in the recently concluded season, their first choice defence was Glen Johnson – Sol Campbell – Linvoy Primus – Djimi Traore – all black. And the first-choice attack was Kanu and Benjani (whose last name suggests he migrated from Eastern Rajasthan to Zimbabwe), with Lua Lua as cover. Again all black. It doesn’t help matters that the keeper David James doesn’t look 100% white!

Now, Harry Redknapp’s recent signings have given further credence ot Portsmouth as a black club. His most high-profile signings so far (Bramble, Distin and now Muntari) are all black.

I’m wondering what it is with Portsmouth and blacks. Why is it that they have a significantly higher number of blacks than most Premiership teams? Is it because Portsmouth is a black area (i don’t know this) and hence the club has a significant black fan following? Rather, does it have a large African immigrant population, and hence people like Kanu will be a big draw?

On a larger scale, what is it that causes us to associate teams with races? For example, about half the Liverpool team speaks spanish, but that’s understandable since Rafa is spanish (I tried to construct an all-spanish speaking liverpool squad, and got in 9 players – all except the forwards and one central defender. Reina; Arbeloa, Pelletta,_____, Insua; Luis Garcia, Mascherano, Alonso, Gonzales; ____? , ____ ) . The same can be used to explain the number of Portuguese in the Chelsea squad, or the number of French guys who used to play for Arsenal.

But Redknapp is a WASP, so that doesn’t solve matters regarding Portsmouth. Anyone has any explanation?

Protect The Chain, But At What Cost?

Recently the West? Bengal State Marketing Board chairman Naren Chatterjee had to say this about Metro?s entry into the state, ?have heard that they will sell directly to the trade then what will happen to the people in the chain, they will become jobless. We will not allow any one who disturbs the chain.? Similar protests have been on against organized retail, and competition in the agricultural supply chain in various parts of the country.

Continue reading “Protect The Chain, But At What Cost?”

New Blog

I have started a photoblog. Will mostly contain pics from my Nokia 6670.

You can check it out here.

Main reason for putting that on blogger is that it allows me to upload photos directly, unlike LJ where I have to upload photos elsewhere and then link to them.

Also, having two accounts on? the same server means logging in and out repeatedly, something I’m too lazy to do. ??