February 9, 2008
This has all the makings of another headless-chicken-gate:
Without naming Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Shiv Sena on Friday made a scathing attack, calling them “bird flu affected poultry, that has no market value”.
Referring to the recent trouble in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra by MNS, the editorial in ‘Samana’, the Sena mouthpiece said, “in an attempt to project as crusaders of Mumbai, these boys behaved in a manner that is nothing but a desperate attempt to get free publicity”.
(link)
Also, the Shiv Sena as the voice of (relative) reason? Who would have thought the day would come?
Leave a Comment » | 
Links, MSM | Tagged: bird flu, h5n1, headless chicken, hindustan times, maharashtra, maharashtra navnirman sena, poultry, pti, raj thackeray, ronen sen, saamna, shiv sena, xenophobia | 
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Posted by Aadisht
February 8, 2008
Nobody has noticed the most sinister aspect of the whole Harbhajan-Symonds-Monkey-Maa Ki controversy.
Why would Harbhajan say ‘तेरी मां की’ (terii maa kii) at all? As a true son of Punjab, manly and virile, he should have said ‘ਤੇਰੀ ਮਾਂ ਦੀ!’ (terii maa dii).
I can only conclude that in the Indian cricket team too, the jackboot of Hindi imperialism has come crushing down on regional languages, so that now poor Bhajji is no longer allowed to even swear in his mother tongue.
Punjab, my Punjab! How long will we endure the oppression of the Allahbadis? The time has come to throw off their yoke.
3 Comments | Punjabi Victimhood | Tagged: allahbadi empire, andrew symonds, greater pubjabi empire, greater punjab, harbhajan singh, indhi imperialism, monkey, mother tongue, punjab, punjabi, Racism, regional language, saivite neo-edwardianism, swear word, teri maa di, teri maa ki, terrymakky, तेरी मां की, ਤੇਰੀ ਮਾਂ ਦੀ | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
February 8, 2008
Who is more deserving of scorn, opprobrium, and calls for jihad? Daughtry, for using the word ‘closure1‘ in a rock song; or the All American Rejects, for using OKCupid dating test results as song titles?
Discuss in comments.
1: Closure is not only psychobabble but financial jargon also. Daughtry has polluted rock with a word used by two despicable groups of people: whiny characters from American sitcoms, and investment bankers.
Leave a Comment » | Arbit Fundaes, Charlatans, Radio Indigo | Tagged: all american rejects, chris daughtry, closure, daughtry, dirty little secret, finbabble, okcupid, over you, psychobabble, Radio Indigo, rock and roll, the big breakfast | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
February 6, 2008
IIMB lingo evolves rapidly and continuously, throwing up new words and phrases with every batch of MBAs. Skimpy has already written about how ‘are’ burst on to the scene and gained currency. Slightly after that, another important meme evolved in IIMB: K.
Just as ‘are’ was originally supposed to mean ‘exists’ and later came to mean ‘is good’, ‘K’ too mutated. It was originally shorthand for ‘okay’, but then came to be used only in situations where the okay was accompanied with vast wodges of contempt.
So K now means ‘Your argument is so bereft of logic that I will not waste time responding to it. I refuse to acknowledge your terms of debate. Instead, I quit the discussion, or I will do my own thing.’ Which, honestly, is an amazing amount of information to communicate with a single character.
The verb form of K is ‘say K to’, i.e. to refuse to defend yourself in the face of nonsense. Whether you say K by walking away, or by attacking is up to you. The important point is not to acknowledge the other party’s demands.
The act of saying K existed long before the phrase did. There are hajaar precedents and all. For example, when Hitler wished him Happy Birthday, King Christian X sent back a terse, three word reply. That Snopes page also debunks the urban legend about all Danes wearing a yellow Star of David, which would be a fabulous example of saying K if it was true. And when Mahatma Gandhi went on the Dandi March, he was basically saying K to the British Empire.
The most prominent literary example of saying K is in Atlas Shrugged, where the inhabitants of Galt’s Gulch say K to the world at large.
And now, Sania Mirza has said K to one and all by refusing to play in India:
“Everytime I have played in India, there has been some kind of problem. So we just thought it was better not to play this time,” she said.
Full respect are there.
Leave a Comment » | Arbit Fundaes, Language | Tagged: are, are there, atlas shrugged, ayn rand, british empire, dagny taggart, dandi salt march, galt's gulch, hank rearden, iimb lingo, jew, john galt, K, K to one and all, K2U, king christian x, mahatma gandhi, midas mulligan, muscular gult girl, nazi occupation, sania mirza, say K to, star of david, strong, tennis, yellow star | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
February 5, 2008
(Cannot… resist… virgin… joke)
Mint comes up with a perplexing paragraph:
While this will be the first time Tata Teleservices will be partnering with a brand such as Virgin, Branson has already formed two similar alliances globally.
(emphasis mine)
So, it’s not Virgin’s first time, but it is Tata Teleservices’? I’m confused.
Leave a Comment » | Links, PJs, Telecom | Tagged: first time, mint, richard branson, tata teleservices, ttsl, virgin, virgin mobile, virginity | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
February 5, 2008
Barun Mitra has a Mint oped today on why not allowing the free sale of agricultural land is a bad idea. Excerpts:
Which leads us to the question: Why is it legitimate to acquire land for industrial use, but prohibit farmers from consolidating and expanding their landholding to improve agriculture? Why shouldn’t a farmer be able to legitimately acquire a thousand acres?
Indian industry can raise capital from the global market on the basis of a prospectus, which promises performance in the future. But Indian farmers can’t raise adequate capital on the basis of the land asset which they already possess.
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However, it is critical that the value of the land of farmers, often their only asset, is maximized, and it is made simple to capitalize. The problem facing the poor is not their poverty, but inability to capitalize their assets. Typically, agricultural land hardly fetches Rs2-3 lakh per acre. Agriculture income, even if the land is cropped twice a year, can hardly be more than Rs30,000 per acre, at current productivity levels.
…
The industry could also offer shares or bonds in lieu of land. Or even provide alternative land if the farmer decides to continue with his vocation. In an open land market, with protected property rights and security of contract, there would be a wide range of choices to meet almost every requirement.
Very much worth reading. So do read.
Leave a Comment » | Infrastructure, Links, Public Policy and Politics | Tagged: agricultural land, assured return, barun mitra, collateral, land reform, land sale, land transfer, lease, liberty institute, mint, mortgage, property, real estate, rent, securitisation, singur, tata nano | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
February 4, 2008
Although my quest for superhero underpants remains unsuccessful, I have discovered the next best thing: Homer Simpson underpants.
They’re electric blue boxer shorts with ‘Doh!’ and ‘Donuts’ speech bubbles. Sadly, they’re also 300 rupees a pair. Sadness comes.
Leave a Comment » | Consumerism | Tagged: boxer shorts, boxers, doh, donut, homer simpson, superhero underpants, the simpsons, underpants, underwear, yuppie | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
February 4, 2008
Four months ago, I wrote a post on how allowing the free sale of agricultural land for any use was the best possible move against agricultural distress. My logic in that post was:
- Allowing the free and easy conversion of agricultural land for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes creates a liquid market for agricultural land.
- The liquid market for agricultural land makes it more acceptable as collateral for lending.
- The existence of the liquid market also makes agricultural land more valuable.
- Point 2 and Point 3 combine to drive down interest rates and increase the loan amount a farmer can get against his land.
- This means that being indebted is not such a problem for farmers.
I now worry that I gave the impression back in October that allowing the sale and conversion of agricultural land was a magic bullet, and that once this happened we would enter a happy agricultural paradise. It isn’t. It’s necessary, but not sufficient. You need other things too. The three most important ones I can think of are:
- Farmers actually knowing that they can sell and mortgage their property legally, and knowing what the market rate is. Currently, anybody who wants to buy agricultural land to put up flats or a factory bribes the collector to change the land usage, buys it at a bargain basement rate from the farmer, and then goes ahead and develops it. If land sale is legalised, but the farmer doesn’t know about how much more valuable this makes the land, all that changes is that the developer no longer has to pay a bribe (or as much of one). As I mentioned in the October post, auction sales are a good mechanism to prevent this happening.
- Competition in the market for lending. Which means multiple banks lending to rural areas. As things currently stand, I think each Regional Rural Bank has a geographical monopoly on rural banking in its particular region. Discussing how to create viable and competitive rural banking is a blogpost in itself – many blogposts axshully. Maybe later.
- The agricultural land needs to be well-connected enough to urban centres that there’s demand for it. Which in turn means rural roads. Rural roads also have the advantage that they make it easier for banks to reach farmers (fulfilling Point 2), and make it easier for multiple land developers to court farmers for their land (fulfilling Point 1).
Happily, this week’s Swaminomics (h/t: Ravikiran) is all about rural roads. Key excerpts:
For every million rupees spent, roads raised 335 people above the poverty line, and R&D 323. Every million rupees spent on education reduced poverty by 109 people, and on irrigation by 67 people. The lowest returns came from subsidies that are the most popular with politicians – subsidies on credit (42 people), power (27 people) and fertilisers (24 people).
…
For decades, rural roads in India were neglected by most states. Besides, rural employment schemes, starting with Maharashtra’s Employment Guarantee Scheme in the 1970s, created the illusion that durable rural roads could be built with labour-intensive techniques. In practice labour-intensive roads proved not durable at all, and those built in the dry season vanished in the monsoons.
The posts on rural banking and agricultural finance will happen sometime in the future. Work is horrible this month.
Leave a Comment » | Finance, Infrastructure, Links, Public Policy and Politics | Tagged: agricultural distress, agricultural finance, auction, capital intensive, collateral, competition, debt service, deregulation, employment guarantee, farmland, gearing, indebtedness, labour intensive, land, land use, leverage, mortgage, poverty, real estate, rural banking, rural road, swami aiyer, swaminomics | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
January 25, 2008
In his continuing efforts to solve the problems of His devotees, the Jagadguru presents the second instalment of his irregularly published column – Dear Jagadguru: Krish on Love, Sex, and Home Appliances. We would like to remind all His devoted readers that they can gain His darshan by emailing their problems to dearjagadguru AT aadisht DOT net.
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Respectful Jagadguru,
Forgive me for my gall in asking this question. Your wisdom is boundless but I see you have restricted your advice to only Love, Sex, and Home Appliances. I understand Love and to an extent, home appliances. But why Sex, it arises out of carnal impulses and is sinful. Or is it part of your deeper Maya that ordinary mortals like me cannot fathom? Please enlighten your devotee.
At your Holy Feet
MMM
Dear MMM,
If you cannot understand this it is because you have been fooled by the crap of free-market fundamentalists. These right-wing fools can only see things in black and white and can’t understand that Love and Sex are the same thing. As for carnal impulses well I have already explained it clearly that this is all part of human biology. As I have said an ideal society is one which will be based on biology-driven humanism. Writing about sex is only helping the biology-driven humans.
Good night and good luck!
Jagadguru
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Dear Jagadguru,
Why have you adopted the title given to you by those lousy right-wing fundamental capitalists? Why have you changed your website from http://krishonpolitics.in/ to http://jagadguru.in/? Isn’t buying lot of domain name falling for corporate conspiracy to make money off people?
Your chela,
Arthur Dent
Dear Arthur Dent,
how do you bullshit with a straight face?
Goodnight and good luck!!!!
Jagadguru
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Dear Jagadguru,
You give advice on so many things. Like love, home appliances, sex etc. you have impacted me Very Much. I want ur advice that is why. I have problem relating to all these fields you are expert of.
Some years I have been happily married. I have very loving relationship with my caring godfearing husband. But only in one aspect he is lacking. He is not being able to satisfy fully my sexual hunger.
I cannot tell anyone this because in Indian culture manhood is very important, and I do not want our friends to think that my husband is eunuch.
This is giving rise to very uncommon situation. I am working everyday in the house (I am not maidservant, I am only taking care of our family house). One day, after my husband went to work in the morning, I was feeling very tired, and resting my backside on the washing machine. Then I felt the vibration from the machine giving pleasurable sensation to my buttocks like how the sensation feels when my husband is thrusting and planting his seed in me. Only, my husband finishes all this very quickly, and washing machine being on for 15-20 minutes, it is very exciting. Nowadays, I am feeling very attracted. I am sitting on it as soon as my husband is leaving for work and getting lot of satisfaction.
But this guilty pleasure is making me feel very sinful. It will be very hurtful for my husband if he is coming to know that washing machine is causing more satisfaction. Please help, Jagadguru.
Thanking you
SDG
Dear SDG,
In my perfect society people will use reason over emotions in solving their problems. So there is no need to get guilty about your washing machine. It only shows that women should be the most against religious crap. In fact it is the religious fundamentalism which has led to you feeling guilty.
If your husband cannot give you pleasure, it is because he has a biological defect. Huh well this is not unlike the biological defect which most right wingers have. But at the same time you should use dryers rather than washing machine. This is because of the inherent dumbness of the trickle down theory.
Good night and good luck!!!!!
Jagadguru
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Dear Jagadguru,
My girlfriend and me like to bite each others’ necks when we are together. Although it is very pleasurable it eventually leads to bruises developing and this is very embarrassing when my family members notice. What is the way out?
Your devoted worshiper,
MMA
Dear MMA,
Shameful. This kind of violent acts has no place in a civilised society. I don’t understand how you call yourself educated if you like biting. This kinda atrocity of biting and eating each other will lead to a cannibal society. I don’t see this is any different from you and Modi and bin Laden. Here is an offer. You can send your degree to me and I will burn it for free.
Good night and good luck!!!!!!!!!!
Jagadguru
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Once again, we would like to remind our readers that they can send their problems in to dearjagadguru AT aadisht DOT net.
Leave a Comment » | Dear Jagadguru | Tagged: biological defect, biology-driven human, biology-driven humanism, bullshit with a straight face, burn degree, cannibal society, carnal impulse, corporate conspiracy, Dear Jagadguru, free market fundamentalism, good night and good luck, hickey, hikipedia, home appliances, inherent dumbness, jagadguru, krish, love, maya, reason over emotion, religious crap, right wing fool, sex, trickle down theory, washing machine | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht
January 23, 2008
Google Reader recommends that I subscribe to the following blogs:
Okay, what’s the connection here? That they all rant? I think the Peking Duck doesn’t. I think this along the lines that Amazon.com screenshot which Masabi sent me: if you liked Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, you may also want to buy Iron Maiden: Rock in Rio.
Serious note: Google Reader looks at the blogs you read, sees what other people reading those blogs also read that you don’t and recommends those. This just goes to prove that I am very catholic in my reading tastes.
Leave a Comment » | Blogs and Blogging | Tagged: associative recommendation, atanu dey, c-gawd, data mining, deeshaa, google, google reader, masabi, peking duck, tamil punkster | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht