Forwarded शेर:

रगोंमे दौड़ने-फिरनेके हम नहीं कायल
जब आँखहीसे ना टपका तो फिर लहू क्या है?

Mad Politicians Disease

India seems to be suffering from an epidemic of "mad politicians". (I know it is rather an oxymoron). First, it was the Karnataka mining minister declaring pompously that he is ready for a probe not only from our own desi CBI but even from FBI. A little homework would have let the minister know that the FBI caters only to crimes perpetrated on the US soil. But our ministers are allergic to doing homework of any kind and so end up making a laughing stock of themselves.

The second case was not amusing. The sight of a female (I think the word 'Lady' would shudder if applied to her!) MLA from Bihar (where else?) going on a rampage and throwing flowerpots at the Marshals was something that I could have done without. And if that was not enough, we had also to witness the spectacle of her being dragged through the streets - on prime-time news. I could have died choking on my dinner.

Of course, the fault like equally with the Press with their ever-present cameras. Anyone with an ounce of gray matter would realize that all these theatrics were solely for the benefit of the presswallahs. I think the sensible thing for the Press would have been to shut off their cameras the moment the woman touched the first flowerpot. I bet you everything under the sun that it would have stopped her right in her tracks.

How do such people end up being MLAs for God's sake? :-(

Is anyone at DD listening?

The news that DD is planning to bring out the sequel to its '80s popular saga "Ham Log" is music to the ears of those who grew up watching the serials aired on the government channel. Check out this article - TV Serials we want to see again. And then check out the comments at the end.

If authorities at DD are listening, they should realize that they have a serious chance of outshining the new TV channels if they can bring back those '80s serials and supplement them with newer meaningful content. After all, there are still some of us left who don't want to watch endless saas-bahu sagas.

So, bring back "Yeh jo hai Jindagi", "Nukkad", "Mungerilaal ke hasin sapane" and "Dekh Bhai Dekh". We will be ready with bags of chips and popcorn and we promise we will not change the channel ever again :-)

A Forwarded शेर:

संभलके हात बढाओ जरा गुलोंकी तरफ
के इनके सायेमे काटोंको नीन्द आती है

Have a great day ahead, folks!

Talking of Customer Service (yes, it is important enough to be spelt with a first capital letter ), do read Richard Branson's column, dated 19 July - Teamwork is key to good service.

I recently watched Ranbeer Kapoor's "Rocket Singh". The movie was recommended by a friend and I am glad she did. It felt good to see customers being put first - even if it was on celluloid. Can the companies in India please ask their Customer Service people to watch this one - at least 5 times? :-)

I recently read about a limited edition (10 only) of Sachin Tendulkar's biography that is going to be published in near future. It's cost? $75000. It's USP? The page which is made out of paper pulp containing his blood! My reaction? "eew, eew, eew"!

पुंडलिक वरदा हरी विठ्ठल!

सकाळी सकाळी विठूनामाचा गजर केल्यावर कसं बरं वाटलं. आज आषाढी एकादशी आहे ह्याची आठवण करून द्यायला पाऊस सकाळपासून येऊन बसलाय. ऑफिसला निघायच्या आधी टीव्ही लावला तर सगळ्या मराठी चॅनेल्सवर वारकरी, भगवे झेंडे आणि कटेवरी हात घेऊन विटेवरी उभी असलेली विठोबाची मूर्ती. बाजूला रखुमाई. बघूनच जीव एव्हढा एव्हढा झाला. "काळा" म्हणून तुकोबांच्या आवडीने हिणवलं असलं तरी त्याच सावळ्या रूपाने अवघ्या महाराष्ट्राला शतकानुशतकं वेडं केलंय आणि वेडं करत रहाणार आहे.

आमच्या नशिबी देवाचे पाय कधी दिसणं लिहिलंय माहित नाही. अगदी पंढरपूर नाही तरी देहू आणि आळंदी ह्यावर्षी त्याने घडवून आणावी एव्हढीच प्रार्थना आहे.

बोला "पुंडलिक वरदा हरी विठ्ठल! श्री ज्ञानदेव तुकाराम"!

A forwarded शेर:

ऐसाभी नहीं के मुझे उससे मिला दे कोई
कैसी है वो बस इतना बता दे कोई
सुखी है बड़ी देरसे पलकोंकी जुबा
बस आज तो जीभरके रुला दे कोई

I have been trying to finish off Robert Ludlum's "The Sigma Protocol" since past month now, but without much success. As I was reading it over the weekend, I came across a word "dot-head". From the context, I could understand that it was a racial slur because the character in question is not happy about the increasing population of the dot-heads in his country. Then came the reference to Chicken Vindaloo. With a jolt, I realized that "dot-head" is a reference to Hindu women who apply a Bindi on their foreheads.

I must confess that the slur stung but I was also amused to have been so slow on the uptake.

In any case, it should have been "Chicken Tikka" and not "Chicken Vindaloo" ;-)

Sometimes you regret reading news early in the morning. The recent rail accident in West Bengal is a case in point. The death of so many people is tragic indeed, but what rattled me the most when I read about it in the morning is that, at one point, the rescuers could hear a baby cry from the wreckage and tried their best to reach it. But soon the crying stopped. :-(

Try as I might, I have not been able to get this out of my mind. I might forget it later as I go about my routine work but during moments of respite it is gonna come back to haunt me. It is one of those times when you wonder if there is God in heaven afterall :-(

Another forwarded शेर:

गुलशन परस्त हू मुझे गुलही नहीं अझीझ
काटोसेभी निबाह किये जा रहा हू

I have 2 new destinations on my "Places to Visit" list - Salzburg(Austria) and Spain. You are right! I watched "Knight and Day" over the weekend. :-) I am no fan of Tom Cruise but just loved him as special agent Roy Miller. I also liked girl-next-door June Havens played by Cameron Diaz. The action sequences were, of course, mind-boggling. The plot was good and the locations were fantastic.

But what I will always remember from this movie is what Miller says in one of the scenes:

Someday. That's a dangerous word. It's really just a code for 'never'. :-)

A forwarded शेर:

लगाए फिरते है सीनेसे इस लिए गमको
चमनके साथ, जरुरी है, बागबा रहे

I am not sure I understand why everyone is making such a big deal out of Pakistan's yet another round of monkey tricks. What were they expecting from a country of which sole claim to fame is their anti-India stance? They cannot score a win over us in any other area and so they are resorting to such foolish tactics in a desperate attempt to show off.

If we want to continue talking to them we should learn not to make a big deal out of these acts which give them free publicity. But we if cannot do that, then we should stop talking to them. In either case, our neighbor will end up being the laughing stock of the world - a position they are increasingly getting used to. :-)

As to why they keep wanting Kashmir when they have made a royal mess of the country that they already have, I am sure even God would not know!

3 tips to play a safe life game:

Don't make promises when you are happy.
Don't take a decision when you are sad.
Don't reply when you are angry.

Think twice, Act wise!