Random thoughts

Random 2

2012-02-13T19:37:00.000+05:30

Random

2012-02-13T19:32:00.000+05:30

Ramones 2

2012-02-13T18:56:00.000+05:30

Ramones 1

2012-02-13T18:30:00.001+05:30

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/8310/br01classiclogoly9.jpg

Rory Gallagher

2012-02-13T18:17:00.000+05:30

Corruption Table

2011-02-24T15:32:00.001+05:30

1 Lac = 1 Peti
1 Crore = 1 Khoka
500 Crore = 1 Koda
1,000 Crore = 1 Radia
10,000 Crore = 1 Kalmadi
100,000 Crore = 1 Raja
10 KALMADI + 1 RAJA = 1 SHARAD PAWAR
10 SHARAD PAWAR = 1 Madam

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

2011-02-24T15:29:00.004+05:30

Q. What do you call an Australian with 100 runs against his name?
A. A bowler.

Q. Why are Australian cricketers cleverer than Houdini?
A. Because they can get out without even trying.

They have stopped drinking wine down under, because..............they haven't got any openers left!

"The final two days at Adelaide, we were assured, was when we would find out what this Australian team was made of. The results are not yet back from the lab, but it seems to be some sort of gooey, soft-centred material that melts rapidly when heat is applied, is easily removed from flat surfaces, does not bounce or spin and which stinks to high heaven." (source: Sydney Morning Herald)

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

2011-02-24T15:29:00.001+05:30

A bloke walks into a house of ill fame and says: "I'm a bit kinky, how much for total humiliation?"

The madam replies $60.

"Wow, what do I get for that," he says.

She says: "A baggy green cap and an Australian Cricket shirt."

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

2011-02-24T15:28:00.001+05:30

The Judge asks the little girl, “Now that your parents are getting divorced do you want to live with your mummy?”
Little Girl: “No, my mummy beats me.”
Judge: “Well then, I guess you want to live with your daddy.”
Little Girl: “No, my daddy beats me too.”
Judge: “Well then, who do you want to live with?”
Little Girl: “I want to live with Aussie Cricket team for they don’t beat anybody!!!”

The S & M Couple (Sonia & Manmohan)

2011-02-24T15:27:00.000+05:30

Manmohan Singh: "i know nothing of the 2G scam. the only 2G i know of are Sonia G and Rahul G".

Andy Murray

2011-02-24T15:26:00.000+05:30

Andy Murray has apparently landed a job at coca cola. i don't know the details but basically he's in charge of bottling it...

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

2011-02-24T15:25:00.000+05:30

What is the difference between Cinderella and the Aussies?
Cinderella knew when to leave the ball.

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

2011-02-24T15:24:00.000+05:30

Interviewer: So, Ricky Ponting, if you were stuck in a mine just like Kiwi miners were recently, what would you thoughts be like?
Ponting: Er, that's easy. I'll think of Harbhajan?
Interviewer: Harbhajan?!
Ponting: Sure. He can always get me out

Think Again: American Decline - By Gideon Rachman | Foreign Policy

2011-01-18T22:26:00.000+05:30

Think Again: American Decline - By Gideon Rachman | Foreign Policy

Interesting article.

Golden Oldies

2010-08-01T13:14:00.056+05:30

Doli Mein Bithaike Kahar

Wahan Kaun Hai Tera

Jane Kya Dhoondti Rehti Hain Ye Aankhen

Kabhi Khud Pe Kabhi Halaat Pe Rona Aaya

Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh

Ye Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka

Baahon Mein Chale Aao

Jaanejan Dhoondta Phir Raha

Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein

Chandan Sa Badan

Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki

Abhi Na jao Chhod-Kar

Din Dhal Jaye

Main Zindagi Ka Saath

Aasoon Bhari Hain

In Ankhon Ki Masti

Mujhe Dard-e-Dil Ka Pata Na Tha

Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas

Shaam-e-Gham Ki Kasam

The Best I've Heard

2010-05-08T15:41:00.322+05:30

A list of the best non-Indian music I've heard, along with links to some version of the music (not necessarily the best version) where I could find it. In no particular order.

....about 90% done, I reckon ... more to come soon...

How much does your smartphone really cost?

2010-01-25T12:31:00.005+05:30

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15330744

"...the first iPhone model cost $218 to build and the latest only $170, despite its superior performance. Assembly costs are minimal—just $6.50 for the current iPhone. Even though the parts in high-end smart-phones differ widely, their total construction cost often falls in a narrow range of $170-180 (see chart). Makers apparently set a budget and see what they can fit in..."

"Most smart-phones’ retail prices (before operator subsidies) are around $500-$600. Not all of the difference is profit. ... What this gap demonstrates is that for smart-phones, like most other electronic devices, most of the value lies not in manufacturing but in all the services and intellectual property it takes to create and market such products. That is something for politicians to ponder: instead of making empty promises about saving ailing manufacturers they might instead consider how best to promote the growth of high-value service industries."

That last paragraph is something for the Indian 'hi-tech' industry to seriously think about.

iSlate

2010-01-25T12:27:00.000+05:30

Coming soon : the Apple tablet 'notebook'.

http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/01/22/apple-tablet-rumor-round-up/

2010-01-25T10:56:00.004+05:30

Very informative article in Foreign Affairs about the likely impact of demographic trends on world politics and economy.

Requires free registration.

One of the many interesting insights:

"One somewhat daring approach to immigration would be to encourage a reverse flow of older immigrants from developed to developing countries. If older residents of developed countries took their retirements along the southern coast of the Mediterranean or in Latin America or Africa, it would greatly reduce the strain on their home countries' public entitlement systems. The developing countries involved, meanwhile, would benefit because caring for the elderly and providing retirement and leisure services is highly labor intensive. Relocating a portion of these activities to developing countries would provide employment and valuable training to the young, growing populations of the Second and Third Worlds."

Retirement tourism anyone?

Funny Ad: Pepsi

2010-01-25T10:51:00.003+05:30

Ten lessons for 3 idiots

2010-01-25T10:47:00.005+05:30

http://amreekandesi.com/2009/12/30/10-lessons-from-3-idiots/
Humour quotient : somewhat above mildly amusing.

And here's someone who took the film way too seriously. Tsk.

http://www.slideshare.net/vinodrathica/lessons-from-3-idiot-movie-2900642

On government waste

2010-01-24T22:38:00.005+05:30

Great article in today's TOI about opportunity lost due to misdirected policy.

On the other hand, Milton Friedman has a completely different take on government waste.

"Well, I say thank God for government waste. If government is doing bad things, it's only the waste that prevents the harm from being greater."

Hard to disagree with that either. The truth lies somewhere in between, I reckon.

My Favourite Books: Mystery/Detective/Noir Novels

2009-06-04T19:04:00.014+05:30

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Maltese Falcon
Most of Lawrence Block such as Burglar Can't Be Choosers (great short story writer)
Most of Raymond Chandler esp. The Big Sleep, Farewell, My Lovely, The Long Goodbye, The Lady In The Lake, The Little Sister, The High Window (Chandler is by far the best of his kind)
Double Indemnity
Most of Sue Grafton's X is for Y collection
Some of Agatha Christie such as Murder on The Orient Express, Death On The Nile, And Then There Were None (only too well known)

Will add more as they come to mind. I'm sure there's quite a few more.

My Favourite Books : Humour

2009-06-04T14:53:00.023+05:30

The Yes Minister Series
The Adrian Mole Diaries by Sue Townsend
The Dilbert Future (the guy predicted the coming of Viagra in this book iirc) & The Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams
Side Effects, Getting Even, and Without Feathers by Woody Allen
The Groucho Letters
The Wit Series by Des MacHale
The Graffiti Series by Nigel Rees (out of print)
English, August by Upamanyu Chatterjee
Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe
The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor
Most of Oscar Wilde
Quite a few plays by G B Shaw
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
Catch 22 and God Knows by Joseph Heller
Most of Spike Milligan
Most of PG Wodehouse (hard to choose as the last one I read was ages ago)
The Complete Calvin & Hobbes

My Favourite Books On : Popular Science

2009-06-04T13:19:00.008+05:30

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
River Out Of Eden - Richard Dawkins
The Red Queen - Matt Ridley
Promiscuity - Tim Birkhead
The Third Chimpanzee - Jared Diamond
A Fish Caught In Time - Samantha Weinberg
The Case of the Missing Neutrinos - John Gribbin
In Search Of Schrodinger's Cat - John Gribbin
Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hofstadter (A very heavy read - I've yet to proceed beyond the first 30%. Very rewarding, though).
The Elegant Universe - Brian Greene
The Book of Nothing - John Barrow
Genes, People, Languages - Luigi Cavalli Sforza
A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking
Just Six Numbers - Martin Rees
Our Cosmic Habitat - Martin Rees
The Fifth Miracle - Paul Davies
The Nothing That Is - Robert Kaplan
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
The First Three Minutes by Steven Weinberg
Big Bang by Simon Singh
Why Elephants Have Big Ears by Chris Lavers
The Skeptical Environmentalist - Bjorn Lomborg (A very controversial book)

A few more can be found here.

Random thoughts

Random 2

Random

Ramones 2

Ramones 1

Rory Gallagher

Corruption Table

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

The S & M Couple (Sonia & Manmohan)

Andy Murray

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

Inglourious Basterds: The Aussie Cricket Team

Think Again: American Decline - By Gideon Rachman | Foreign Policy

Golden Oldies

The Best I've Heard

How much does your smartphone really cost?

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15330744

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15330744

iSlate

Funny Ad: Pepsi

Ten lessons for 3 idiots

http://amreekandesi.com/2009/12/30/10-lessons-from-3-idiots/Humour quotient : somewhat above mildly amusing.And here's someone who took the film way too seriously. Tsk.http://www.slideshare.net/vinodrathica/lessons-from-3-idiot-movie-2900642

On government waste

My Favourite Books: Mystery/Detective/Noir Novels

My Favourite Books : Humour

My Favourite Books On : Popular Science

http://amreekandesi.com/2009/12/30/10-lessons-from-3-idiots/
Humour quotient : somewhat above mildly amusing.

And here's someone who took the film way too seriously. Tsk.

http://www.slideshare.net/vinodrathica/lessons-from-3-idiot-movie-2900642