The Non-news of the year!!
India's union budget
The entire electronic and print media has been going to town, at least, for over a month about the country's impending budget with 'experts' and 'analysts' speculating what to expect and what the government must do to stimulate the sluggish economy or ameliorate the conditions of the poor and downtrodden. And today's TOI, the highest priest of journalism in the country, has devoted 13 of its 28 pages, analyzing – mind you only analyzing – the highlights of budget that was presented yesterday in Parliament.
After all these sound and fury for over a month, the paper has the cheeks to pop up a poser, "Where's the message?", Budget 2013-14 plays safe when it should have lifted the national mood".
(Me: The budget is actually nothing but a rigmarole annual ritual to be got through quickly. The month-long unending debate about it in the media is much ado about nothing…)
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Thought for the day…
"The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all" – Jawaharlal Nehru
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Quote, unquote…
"There is a little bit of the spirit of Mr. Azim Premji in every affluent taxpayer"
(Me: Actually there should be, but there is very little to be seen among the Richie Rich in India..)
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A monkey on a tree is smoking a joint when a lizard asks, "Hey! What are you doing?"
"Smoking a joint, come and have some" says the monkey. They smoke together. After a while, the lizard goes for a drink from the river. The lizard is so stoned he leans over and falls into the river.
A crocodile helps the lizard to the side: "What's the matter with you?" The lizard explains he was smoking a joint and fell into the river.
The crocodile finds the monkey finishing a joint and calls out, "He you!"
The monkey says, "Dude, how much water did you drink?!"
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I was very scared about going to an ear specialist to get a certain procedure done in my ears to relieve some of my ear pain. The doctor tried to put me at east but to no avail. It was after he finished with my first ear that I nearly jumped out of the chair. "There there", he said "only one ear left!"
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Hypocrisy rules…
A Mumbai Mirror prominent news item today…
Police bust socialite's party twice..
The party at the Walksehwar was to celebrate the socialite Numero Uno's nephew's marriage.
A family get-together hosted by a big fish industrialist and his socialite wife on Wednesday night was busted twice by cops following complaints be neighbours about loud music. The family had permission to set up a stage on the bungalow's sea-facing lawns and play music from 8 pm to 10 pm. However, when the party went on well beyond the deadline, irritated neighbours began flooding the police station and the control room with angry calls. The cops first came knocking at around 12.30 a.m. The team just informed the family about the complaints and asked them to wrap up the party. However, as soon as the cops left, the music began playing again. As complaints began pouring again, another patrol team was dispatched to the bungalow. They seized the speakers, the amplifiers and other equipment and slapped a fine.
(Me: The socialites are all hypocrites of the first order: they would espouse all anti-public causes and shed crocodile tears for slum dwellers living far, far away, but wouldn't care for their own neighbours when it affects their personal lifestyle.. Hypocrisy, thy name is socialites and celebrities of our metro cities)
Line Maro
Can I buy a drink, or do you just want the money?
(Me: The money is good enough….)
Weird world…
Notorious Holland prison turns posh hotel…
People are paying good money to stay in one of Holland's most feared prisons – after it was transformed into a luxury hotel. The 105 cells at Het Arresthuis have been converted into 40 spacious rooms, featuring modern furnishings and chic interior design, air conditioning, a flat screen TV, free WiFi and a personal coffee and tea machine. The "hotel" also features a sauna, fitness centre, central patio with olive trees, and an organic herb garden.
(Me: In our part too, many hardened, but well-healed/VIP prisoners enjoy many such facilities for a price…)
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Tongue very much in cheek…
"A budget tells us what we can't afford, but it doesn't keep us from buying it anyway!" – William Feather
