Month: January 2009

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Austerity At The Inauguration


Obama’s rise to power is a a fairy tale attrition. he  was a promising politician  time ago,  one of the democrat candidate sometime ago, overtook the much adored Hillary Clinton  as his party,s candidature  little time ago,  and won the poll a while ago.

His deliverance and eloquence navigated through the nuances of the depressed economy, thrashed the floundering and flaws of Bush’s administration,pointed towards lavish spending by the Republican government, echoed the digressions of the defunct state of affairs, parodied the fickle sensitivities of Bush policies ,directly targeted the  displacement of jobs as a failure of the government’s perception.

The price tag of Obama’s inauguration gala is estimated to be $150 million.An explosive estimate exploding all normal expeditions.

In 1945, President Roosevelt,at his inaugural made a short speech and served cold chicken salad and a plain pound cake.In 1917 President Wilson did not have any party at his inaugural, saying such parties would be undignified.

Now the inaugural committee spokeswoman Linda Douglas ,says that “It is not a celebration of election, but celebration of our common values.

Security and transportation cost are being paid by the tax payers.The inaugural committee is holding a national day service,followed by three bipartisan dinners.A concert will be held at the Verizon centre The Disney channel will broadcast the event.The committee is paying for 10 stadium to broadcast the event.It is also hiring garbage and recycling services and renting thousands of portable toilets . One supplier remarked that” it is the largest restroom event in the history of the United States.”

This is austerity in the negative sense. Unemployment is staring hard, economy is mostly dead, but the party goes on.

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Parties, Weddings,Functions


Parties feign ostentation. Money flows like wate. But nowadays  water resource is also limited. Unmindful spending , on the place, on the menu, on the gifts, on the decoration, on the reception , make one sad.We should deliver that Conservation is the theme of all practical endowments.

Most of our bretheren , live a very below the  line life,with minimum food and maximum trouble.We need not take such presumes, but can we not give a thought to their existence , while celebrating in a grandiose affluence?

Weddings should be performed in style, as the unification of two individuals, from entirely different background, from absolute differed path, cohere  into a single unit. The ceremony should not be a mere exhibition of wealth and splendour, but should propel a sobriety and  stage a solemn entreaty,

Functions ,in general ,work with great gusto, either it be a social, political or a corporate. The pompous display hides the purpose.  Most concerned preferences are shadowed by the extravaganza.The realistic approach is not to be tracked in  the so called conferences, conventions , confluences.All these hyper activities dissolve the essence of the events. In the end we walk away with practically no knowledge of the call, no experience of  participation. The vagueness is predominant,apart from the sumptuous food and socialising with the elite.

The extra energy, money, time and skill ,could be utilised for productive, progressive. and promotional fare. Let us give a thought to it.

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Bush Loves What He Does.


The grand finale of Bush’s presidency is about to be enacted.. An eight  year tenure filled with foibles and flaws, mistakes and mismanagement, aberrations and alterations, and squirms and squabbles.

He politicised everything,  prompted military advances by waging war on nations,and provoked greed ,hate and fear.

Bush had  the most likely qualities of his predecessors,but made no use of them. Yet he was re elected.

The funniest part of his Presidency is his policy of Divide and Rule.. Unity which was well in  his grasp after 9/11, was floundered by Him.The  asset  that  of unity,which was unperceived ,and unexpected was squandered by Bush .

Bush was a determined  destroyer, he poured into his assumptions with mighty fervour and practical deliberations. He succeeded in conspiring against the sincere takers, conniving with  scandalous personalities, committing with the impractical genre and flourishing with the newly discovered rich.

Bush’s immorality has given a wide scope to Osama Bin Laden. He cancelled the right to Habeus Corpus and the right  to be free from unnecessary government spying. The governance was highly politicised. The departments ,which were hitherto untouched by politics fell into the hands of  greedy ,corrupt politicians, who shattered ethical decorum of the machinery.His financial heading was a disaster. The enormous tax cuts ,he presented left a big hole in the  budget.He favoured the rich , thus nourishing a Ponzi economy based on quick rich schemes.He failed in hiring competent persons for top jobs.His thirst for war ,has put the nation is a tight spot. He deceived the country by posting a fairy attire over a devilish physic.

The eight long years is a synonym of deceit, is a parody of transparency, is an exhibit of disaster, is a reflection of greed ,is a subtle variation  of  autocracy.

The years can be afforded the best titular heroic worship  in a dissimilar definition.

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Frenzied Activity With Immense Happiness.


Unusually , today , I was in midst of bustling programmes. Mostly , my life style  is most simple, hardly any outdoor chores, no domestic duties , just reading, writing  with music on the background.

My domestic staff, who are with me for nearly a decade, took a holiday, to celebrate Pongal. The kitchen ,which was for some time away from my control ,had to be attended to, as I had to prepare breakfast, and the Pongal, with all the alibis relating to it.

I woke up early in he morning. Skipping my appointment with the newspapers, I dashed into the  kitchen. I had to make a thorough study of everything there, as I had neglected it for long. Surveying the area , I was into the job. Cutting vegetables, preparing chutney and the soft idlis for breakfast, putting kolam in the Pooja , and in the courtyard, to keep Pongal. I was three in one. I was in the kitchen , in the court yard and attending the regular phone calls. Within two hours , everything was done. I arranged for the Pooja. My husband reminded me of the visit to the temple. I  hopped into the car, and had a darshan of Goddess Meenakshi.

The pooja at home was over with much modesty. We had a sumptuous feast.  It has come to a gala finish , I thought, but no the most hard pressed job was  still awaiting , that of cleaning the vessels and  clearing the mess.My heart sank, my knees gave a shooting pain, my body was too much exhausted.But still, I had to accomplish the chore. So did  I.

I moved back to my reclining chair . I was about to doze off, when I got a message that two of my projects have been approved and I am into certain prospective clientele.

The reward  was extremely satisfying and the physical exertion though lurking,had subsided  to a tolerable level.

It was a beautiful day.

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Slumdog Millionaire- fine shoot.


Danny Boyle’s  price shoot is  a cute combination of myth and reality, of transcendental and ordinary. It is an unconventional film , funny ,sad , exhilarating .

The slum kids  act with great ease , almost depicting the slum life in seventies and eighties.Their acting is so intense  that tears gush up and there is enormous perfection.Boyle’s direction keeps the audience in gripping hooks. Boyle is extremely dynamic  and enrapturing.

Jamal Malik , is a street urchin , who is one question away from  quizzing which has a price tag of 20 million rupees. The quizzer, the police and the onlookers are puzzled ,as how this slum dweller is able to come out with exact answers.Jamal comes out with his life ,  delivers the poignant  loss of his love Latika , and  the sordid tale of his growing up with his brother  Salim in Mumbai.

How can an eighteen year old boy , brought up in the streets answer such difficult quizzing?. This is the main plot of the film. The boy ,with no formal education ,without proper brought up ,acquires wisdom through experience ,and deftly answers the questions with guesses and lifelines.The film is an aesthetic triumph. It may sound unbelievable apparently, but virtually most plausible.

It is realistic outlook, the presentation is almost exact spot on and a melodrama. It is a seamless narration. The grim mumbai slums get an uplift by deploying humour.

The music is brilliant. A.R.Rehman excels in setting up the musical cliche.The music complements the narrative.The resonant sounds accents  the jarring noise and discordant aerial shots .Rehman has won satellite award.He has done India proud.

Slumdog Millionaire will receive many more honours including the Oscar.

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Satyam Hang Out.


The Satyam board has been disbanded, A new 3 member  directors have been appointed . The fresh team has met with an agenda to track down the misappropriatio. If the receivables ,as stated  by the fraud management is true, then there is adequate liquidity, according to Mr. Deepak Parekh.

Yes, one man will gulp all the available food, with the help of his confident coteries. He  gets choked and spits out the unneeded. He falls sick, is hospitalised ,is given proper medication and walks out  with stately poise. This is what I perceive as the aftermath of the Satyam eruption.

Ramaling Raju has devoured 7000 crores , has disclosed the fudging ,has surrenderd to judicial custody , and has gone behind the bars. A beautiful myth and a strange reality get mixed up.

The Government has released the step up process and as the rescue is definite, the shares are moving up fast. Why  do we act like  in such a quixotic manner?

Protecting the shareholders ,  caring the employees, and  holding the image up is thoughtful and  appreciable.  But how is the government going to do?

Setting right the financial, is an onerous job. The government appointed Board will get the least cooperation from the finance department of Satyam. Will stern orders bear fruit?

Restoring the good will , is still more a grave task. The credentials  pose a big question. The World bank has cancelled its contracts. The faith in the company is lost. No one will dare revert to Satyam to process their business.

Making it move in the right track is the most terrible  detonation . How well  can they do?Mobilising liquidity, putting  the bank balance straight,protecting the staff , prolonging the terms of result tabulation , will take its toll . Deepak Parekh, in the helm of affairs, has to spend many a sleepless night and many a nerve breaking hour to tally the workings.

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Pongal


South India is humming with activities, as Pongal ,the harvesting festival is fast approaching.

Pongal falls on the first day of Thai or more so on January 14th.

The festival is a thanks giving to Nature, for her bounty.

It  marks the beginning of Uttrayana, the sun’s movement northwards for a six month period.Makar Sankaranthi refers to the entry of Sun  into Makara (Capricorn).

The  Tamil word Pongal  means boiling over, which signifies prosperity.In Andhra and Karnataka it is called as Makara Sankranthi.

Many legends  relate to Pongal. The first day of Pongal is reminiscent of Lord Krishna  lifting the Govardhana mountain on his little finger to save the people from being washed away.The third day is celebrated, as Lord Shiva asked Nandi ito deliver the message to have oil bathevery day, and food once a month. Nandi mixed up , the whole issue,and said that take food daily, and have oil bath once a month.Shiva was displeased , and asked Nandi to stay back on earth,and help the people to grow more grains.

Alanganallur Jallikattu is associated with Pongal.It is  a bull taming sport. An agiated bull is made to run in the open arena. Youngsters , to display their valour, chase it ,and control it by knocking it down  with the aid of its horns.Betting, is also common during the game.It is a dangerous play and results in deaths and injuries.

Pongal is a combination of rituals, thanksgiving and sport. This festival denotes prosperity, brings cheer and spreads gratitude.


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Chinese Toys


Toys are generally for amusement.They have a history  as old as human civilisation.Toy promote cognitive behaviour and  induce creativity.The young use toys for play and help their bodies grow strong. The adults use  toys for development of mind and body and decorate their habitat.

Toys were originally made of wood sticks , rocks and clay.Modern toys were made of plastic, synthetic materials, and cloth.The wooden blocks are the best of all toys.They promote coordination of eye and hand , develop maths and science skills and make children creative.

Chinese toys are cheap and propose lot of variety. They are produced in large  scale. They are extremely attractive and the kids are enamoured by its sheen and shine.

Thomas and Friend wood train set has been recalled by the U.S. This set has been painted with poisonous  lead paint.The Floating eyeball was set to be filled with kerosene.The Chinese brands are hazardous to health, as children have  the tendency to put the toys into their mouth. The poison in the lead paint , which cause serious health problem.

Children , under the age of six, are prone to dangerous affliction , as their growing bodie assimilate  more lead. This affects the brain and the nervous system, behaviour and learning problems,retarded growth , head ache and  hearing  problems.

Manifestation of  lead poison in cheap Chinese toys  , have forced  the authorities to reinforce the recall rule. nearly 24 items of Chinese toys have been banned to enter U.s.

Traditional base for toys is  most welcome , less risky , and most environmental friendly.

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A Homecoming.


Home is a place ,which  extends warmth and comfort.To me my home is my first love. I love my lovely home more than my  biological mother.Every nook and corner, every space in it understands me, consoles me , appreciates me ,celebrates joy with me and mourns grief with me.

A few days away from my home, makes me yearn, drives me mad, and the feeling of   get away persists me to return as quick as possible.

My living room is my reading place, where  I curl in my sofa,and spend time devouring books and magazines, with soft music in the background.

My dining place . is my special spot where I revel in delicacies and hot tea.

My kitchen , the cute little thing, is a platform  to experiment my culinary skills. I enjoy doing simple cooking for a few hours.

My office , is where my computer is. It iis more of a friend to me, and through it I contact the outside world, I write articles. I read the daily stock market , and it is also my investing technician.

The veranda , a long one , is my gazing area. Hours are spent with simple empty watching. The traffic outside my house, keeps me engaged for some time. The cars, autos, and buses, are a distraction to me and I unnecessarily worry about the people plying up and down.

My bed room is the most beautiful place on earth. Once I enter , I lose myself. I  just fall on my cosy bed, and soon slumber embraces me. My tired body and exhausted mind .find a healer in it, a refresher in its shores.

The bath makes me most eloquent. I sing out my soul, I talk aloud as if I am an orator. My latent  talent gets a vent in this arena.

The garden is the best outlet  for my feelings, The dangling flowers, the well mowed lawn, the huge trees, and the twittering of birds, lull me to great sublimity.

My return, to my abode,  nourishes me back to welfare,and nurtures my house back to grace.

Home , My sweet home. .

Mother to me.
 

 

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India An Outperformer.


The Satyam episode has created dent in the corporate world.But ,still there is hope as the overall growth is worth monitoring, and the Reserve bank Of India has slashed lending rates, there is a stimulus package in the anvil,and the earning expectation has fallen. This is an opportunity to buy and the overseas investors , would be appalled for the time being , but will resume their investment portfolio , once this phobia of recluse management and fraudelent activities get checked out.

Regulators are probing through the Satyam misappropriation and anomalies ,and will  quickly resolve the issues.Long term investors  would prefer companies with good managemnt records.There are still a handful of them.,like Tatas, Bharati Airtel, Infosys.

Confidence will soon return and the Satyam saga will be passed over as a bad dream. Mistakes ,though gross at this stage , have taught us to be  careful, have made us prudent , have turned us to be defensive and alert.

Catch the corporates , once they go wrong , once they defer from apparent  code of conduct.Soon the share holders can envisage a definite participation in mangement.If things are set right,  if things are put in place, investors can make money.