Mumbai Dairy I: Live Dosa, Taxi Ride, Dog Bark

After I got into the cab, the driver suggested I pay the money and that he would give me a receipt. I was surprised why he wanted the money before he had taken me to the destination. He parked the taxi by the roadside, wrote out the receipt and gave me, implying I must hand him the money...More

Shift to Bangalore or loose your job, Frech workers told

For some reason, it’s felt that Democrats are against outsourcing. John Kerry during his presidential run in 2004 made a few remarks to give such an impression. More recently, on May 4, President Obama said he would end tax concessions for companies that create jobs in Bangalore than in Buffalo...More

Law Against Internet Piracy

Downloading movies and music from the Internet is so rampant that no one really thinks it is an offence. Mainly teenagers and youth are so adept at these things.Not many of them care to ponder over the impact such piracy has on the very industry that gives them so much contentment and happiness...More

Journalist's Shoe Mightier than Pen?

Journalists report news. Today, a journalist became the news. The Dainik Jagran reporter, Jarnail Singh’s, act of lobbing his shoe at home minister P Chidambaram at a media conference, brought the profession and journalists to shame. I, as a journalist, felt bad...More

Barack Obama's Prague Speech

This looked like one rock concert! A huge flag-waving cheering crowd, some 25,000 or so, of Czech nationals in Prague yesterday. It hardly seemed the President of the United States was speaking, and that too on a grave threat facing the world...More

Shopping: a stress buster for women?

One of the popular stereotyped – and possibly sexist — characterisation is that a number of women use shopping as a stress buster. In fact, a survey in Malaysia did indicate that “nearly 75 percent of women in Malaysia believe in retail therapy...More

Newspapers in the US are closing down

Recession has hit everyone: individuals and industries. The media which has been tracking the slowdown; reporting and analysing the havoc that has befallen the social and economic landscape, itself has become a victim...More

Plight of women — cities as bad as villages

On women’s day, like every such day, we have celebrations of achievements as well as laments of subjugation. Success stories are more in cities. But strikingly, even in cities, even amongst the educated and the cultured, many women are feeling insecure...More

Whither Pakistan?

The one big myth that was shattered by the gun shots at Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore yesterday was that terrorists will never attack a game that is a passion in the subcontinent; that doing it will only harm their cause...More

Slumdog Millionaire: Let’s celebrate success

Even though I reached home from work at 3 after night, I had made up my mind to get up at least at 7 the next day to catch the Oscar award presentation. It went on till around 10.45. And it was worth it. After that, with such a good feeling at heart went back to bed to catch a bit of sleep...More

The Pink Chaddi Campaign - a tech-powered protest

The Pink Chaddi Campaign is not a mere protest movement. The seeming frailty of the colour or the squeamish privacy of the garment are nothing but a facade that hides the potency of the cyber-powered Gandhigiri movement stirring the imagination of the nation’s youth...More

UFO at Obama inauguration - hoax or real?

Then the clip cuts to a shot of the skyline behind Washington Monument. Then you see an object moving from the right to left, at a good speed...More

Men, women and personal taboos

This is a clear indication of the breakdown of traditional barriers and taboos at least among the city folk. I am sure these must be rare couples who are in near-perfect harmony. The average guy, I guess, is still shy when it comes to condoms.

Hamas has key to peace

West Asia (Middle East) has never seen peace. As things stand today there is little hope. Unless, there is a huge change in the mindset of both Israel and Hamas, blood will continue to be spilt...

Wish you a Happy 2009

On this first day of 2009, I wish you, and all near and dear to you, lots of happiness and prosperity in the new year. May you be successful in all your endeavours.

Bangalore motorcyclist shot dead: the lessons to be learnt

A B Com student, who was involved in drag racing, fell to bullets fired by sentries guarding an army compound into which he entered while trying to flee the cops who had flagged him down.

Unusual events of 2008

Forget Obama. Forget terrorism. Forget layoffs. The world in 2008 had lots of off-beat events which showed humour isn’t dead even in the worst of times.Reuters has put together them...

Merry Christmas with Jingle Bells

Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

Rabri Devi, Golma Devi; who next?

One may wonder if there is anything unique about it in a country that has a good majority of people who are uneducated? Nothing unique. We have a role model in Rabri Devi, who was the chief minister of Bihar....

Australia to regulate website access

Australian government plans to test a web filter that will require service providers to block thousands of websites that are listed as illegal in Australia. The list maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority is not available to the public....