Dasara festivities.... No spunk...

Dasara festivities in our home is turning more mechanical with every passing year.

1) Keep books, pens for pooje.
2) prepare huggi
3) these days, no new clothes for dasara, only for deepavali.

With the arrival of Daughter in law, who doesn't respect or follow customs, it becomes a pain to continue the rituals that we've been running for decades now.

No point blaming, as clashes between thoughts & generations are common.
Any debates turns clumsy, uglier... Worse leads to tears on festival-day.

This turns up to be a common complaint of my generation.
These youngsters, who claim to"change the world, won't even clean up their beds"..

So, it is time thrift, pluck, honesty is imbibed in then, but how?

Happy dasara...

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism (Politically Incorrect Guides) - my review to Amazon India

Absolutely kickass book.
Kevin Williamson must be honoured for writing this book, which tears into the socialist thinking, ingrained into most of Indian Subcontinent.
His lucid explanations on why Socialism & Communism are essentially scams that hinder upliftment of masses.

Chapter 4 on India is like a scalpel that cuts thru sensible Indian heart. It broke my heart, my hero first premier Nehru left us this Socialist Setup - a cancerous mechanism, which have cursed us into poverty, low-productivity and low self-esteem.

Reading this book & Sanjeev Sablok's Breaking Free of Nehru are like a rude wakeup call to give up whatever I held sacred all my life.

Heck, this book is never a minute too late to finish up.

Now, I'm committed to read Bastiat, Mises, Friedman (bought Free to Choose), Hazlit & Hayek.

Well, this book has kindled interest in economics for me at this old-age.

response to Ajit Dayal's honest truth 22-11-2016.

https://www.equitymaster.com/ht/detail.asp?date=11/22/2016&story=2&title=Tata-troubles-Corporate-Philosophy-Corporate-Governance&utm_source=HT&utm_medium=mail&utm_campaign=e-letter&utm_content=HT&pst=y#acmt

Ajit Dayal runs Quantum Mutual fund & holds high values.
He's ardent proponent of Biz-ethics & states outright, HDFC, Tatas & Infosys are on par with gold to trust with.


First time, I dared to write to him. Indeed, a moment to cherish for me.
Dear Ajit,

my son used to insist I read your letters. I've started reading off late & this one,  I had to reply today.

You missed the most touching humane aspect of Tata Group. 26/11/2008.
Inspite of heavy loss incurred,( just for having built an iconic hotel & a proud symbol of India), Tata group paid for all the folks, who were dependent on that Tata property. Hand cart pullers, people on roads too were given the largesse, to rebuild their lives. This was the true Jamshedji spirit. That act would make any die-hard capitalist get a lump in his throat.

2 objections.

"In my view, the Independent members of the Board should remember who appointed them."
In 1 sentence, you whitewashed the role of Satyam Board & all such scams. If board members must toe the line of CMD/MD/Chairman, what's independence about? Seat on board becomes a means to earn sitting fees. Sorry, this is utterly un-acceptable. See the role Jagdish Sheth played for Wipro or Omkar Goswami & Rama Bijapurkar played for Infosys. Truly independence exhibited, more like conscience-keeper (borrowing ex-CAG's words).

Ratan Tata effectively mortgaged TCS to bankroll Tata group's global foray.  How different is it from UPA misusing dividend policy to milk the PSU Cash cows to finance money-guzzling welfare schemes?

Cleanup act was being performed by Cyrus & was halted mid-way. Just like how poor the Tata-Docomo signal is compared to Airtel, the transactions of TTSL, Dishnet DSL acquisition, sale to Docomo (time when Radia Tapes got leaked), ... all these lessened the halo around "Apro Chairman" (Gujarati for our chairman). Cyrus Mistry was throwing the law book on Docomo & partners.

No one grudges that Tata group is different,very ethics-based & has philanthropy as it's mantra. Indeed, every second company emulates Tata Spirit, when doing CSR. (Ajim Premji university, Infosys Foundataion, BV Jagadish Foundation.....) Values stay values when applied to all, irrespective of last name. They become words, when they aren't applied equally to all.

How prudent is it for India to incur loss of 10 lakh pounds each day? (You get it, Isn't it)
-Thanks for the wisdom you willingly share,
 Siddappa Jalageri.'

Watching p*rn

Primary Education minister of Karnataka was watching some hot photos on his WhatsApp. Like it happens, speeches in govt functions aren't very interesting.. Mr Tanveer Seth, felt the same & there is this innate urge to check WhatsApp... That is an itch everyone has.

He didn't trouble any body else. Why this ruckus of Moral outrage?

Yes, he has set a bad precedent doing it in public. No problem is he did it in privacy.

But then, the moral of the story is"some camera will be chasing you, wherever you go".

Thoughts on Jio Sim

Jio offer is very tempting.

1. Unlimited free calls (Landline, Mobile, STD....don't know about ISD...)
2. Internet free till 2016 year end
3. ~ 150 for 1 GB & lesser as we pay more.

I've been trying to get that SIM.

have been trying to install Jio App on my micromax phone, but keep getting install errors, so getting the intro-code is not happening.

setting my petty complaints aside. 

Mukesh Ambani  (very much in line with his father) has few admirable qualities.

1. emphasizing offers for masses, precisely outlining benefits
2. humongous scale of ambition, execution & patience (Jio has been 4 years in the making)
3. taking on any number of competitors
4. above all, eye-catchy advertisements

So far so good.

Recent works by Mukesh Ambani haven't met the expectations (Were they heavy due to dazzling marketing, newspaper hype or.... )

Antilla house, which is such a huge one isn't being used.

Reliance Fresh stores are now Heritage Stores (So, I assume sold to Heritage company).... Reliance Fresh has been running for now nearly 10 years...

Reliance Gas - which we read would reduce India's petrol imports, but looks is going to take more time.

Reliance Shares have not turned multibagger, though it is still a reliable stock.

When Reliance started mobile operations with LG CDMA Handsets in 2001-2, incoming becmae free.

Now, Voice Calls seems to be turning free. BSNL has followed Jio. Surely, action will follow.

My big grouse, 1 Re for 1 SMS...too might come down.

1 SMS is 160 bytes.

160 bytes = maximum of 1 SMS = 1 Re

1024 bytes = maximums of 7 SMS = 1 MB = 7 Rs.

growing this stupid argument....

10 MB = 70 Rs

100 MB = 700 Rs

~ 1 GB = 7000 Rs.

any wonder, WhatsApp is now the default way to communicate.

Kaveri issue..... Starter..

Fast,
How much water is 1 TMC?
How many cusec's make 1 TMC?
How many feet in KRS dam, equals to 1 the TMC?

I doubt, if the protestors do know any of this.. Or even care to know.

There's not one estimate, how much water is needed for irrigation in Mandya district, how much for drinking, house much for industries...
We are not even talking about needs of Mysore, Ramanagar, Bangalore...

Ravi belagere had warned in an article on that's Kannada has warned like Karnataka & Tamil nadu are fighting in 2005, Mandya & Mysore might end up fighting for water....
Those days seems are here..
Just days before Kaveri tribunal award came, Karnataka government has decided water from Dams would be reserved for drinking only, none will be used for irrigation....

I expect the first hit would show up from nascent it companies in Mysore, GRS fantasy park, .....

Local Search Service .....pathetic

http://bagalkot.click.in/old-age-homes-h165

I needed to search old age homes in Bagalkot district.
I opened each of the first 10 results on Google.

All the usual suspects, asklaila.com, click.in, .....do turn up.
Results are pathetic.

Other than Bangalore, there is just no internet..
Hope Jio works something, where Rajesh Jain's click.in doesn't help much.

Local Search Service .....pathetic

http://bagalkot.click.in/old-age-homes-h165

I needed to search old age homes in Bagalkot district.
I opened each of thet first 10 results on Google.

All the usual suspectes, asklaila.com, click.in, .....do turm up.
Results are pathetic.

Other than Bangalore, there is just no internet..
Hope Jio works something, where Rajesh Jain's click.in doesn't help much.

Metro passes selling like benne dose...

Metro passes selling like benne dose... it is big news for Bangalore dailies..

I sense a deja vu... In 2003, outer ring road was a rage. One could leave halasuru & reach banashankari bus stand in less than 1.5 hours... It was a boon, add to it, RV devaraj's bmtc introduced slew of buses
Banashankari to Banashankari, Banashankari tovsilk board,   Banashankari to kottigepalya, goraguntepalya... pretty soon, fast movers moved on this route..
IT service companies, hotels, malls, colleges,.... You name them, all were there.
Civic experts(notably Ashwin Mahesh & prof bk Chandrasekhar), were lamenting entry& exit at ring road might choke in due time.

Tin factory, nagavara, marathalli all are acute strains of traffic.

Do I sense a similar thing happening again with cubbon park to Mysore rise metro?

Aap

Check out @ARangarajan1972's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ARangarajan1972/status/732450316331843585?s=09

posted from Bloggeroid

Checking bloggeroid..

Tried bloggeroid app to write
## blogger was painful to login & logout between accounts
## no option to write bullets or lists
##tad slower

Let me see, if the wiki syntax works......

Google fit

Google fit is good to track steps, km tread on a day, calories burnt & time spent in work outs.

Few issues I found with fit.

7 min exercise by abhiking... Sync won't happen unless I open the workout calendar, while internet connection is up.

I can't export/share tabata timer Log to fit. I wish count down timers would come with share to fit option...

Run keeper to fit export just works, but runkeeper always calculate more distance, more calories for the same workout.

Step counting too, is not perfect in fit.
Unless you walk 20 steps at a stretch, such walks won't get recognized in step counter. There's a lag of nearly 100 odd steps.
Then too, you might take 200 steps but fit will log as 50-75 steps only.

Removing runkeeper from micromax A110.

Sheshmahal restaurant Nov 2,2015

It is next to kc das & opposite of empire hotel.

They had lunch only till 3:30 PM, but I went at 4 PM.

Masala dose & set dose were there & I took set dose. 30 Rs. Server was not happy to bring extra cup of chutney/saagu ... Disappointed.... He eventually bought chutney..
Learnt plate meals is 60 Rs.
Well, one option near cubbon park.

70 lakh watch...observations

HD Kumaraswamy, when he raises issues, he makes sure, he pitches them in high decibel.

Some observations on the 70 lakh watch issue.

1) Kumaraswamy (or his team) has sharp eyes. They look out for watches, goggles,.... Brand of those watches too.... Media missed this. Once Kumaraswamy raised it, newspapers & TV channels left no effort in turning it into similar to Modi's Louis Vuitton shawl moment & Modi's gold striped coat moment.

2) CM's office does not track gifts offered to CM. They do not know, who, when, why & how presented the gift to CM. Makes me recall the battery operated sandalwood garland making inside banquet hall of Vidhaana Soudha..

3) CM siddaramayya doesn't mind selling presents given to him.... 70 lakh worth watch for 5 lakh. Any wonder, he started selling 40 rupees per kg rice for 1 kg..

4) CM Siddaramayya doesn't remember who gave him what gift. So, hopefully, he can't be influenced by the gifts.

5) CM Siddaramayya recalls Kumaraswamy has crores of rupees to launch his son into Kannada films. Similar thing is happening with hm revanna & LR shivarame Gowda (who openly acknowledged he would win mlc elections by distributing money in gubby bags). Hopefully, Dinesh amin mattu, Press secretary to CM will fill in some details...

6) Siddaramayya likes good things in life & likes leading a good-life. .. There was news about some expense on toilets, gym equipments..... So, we can safely assume, Siddaramayya is now firmly in Congress culture, with no more hangovers of his former socialist thinking.