Sunday, September 30, 2001
I am confused.
Should the US bomb Kabul or will that only add to the miseries of a ravaged people?
Does Jihad mean visiting savage violence on innocent people or does it involve fighting the demons of the mind?
Did Iraq have a hand in the US attacks or is it just a well-concocted conspiracy theory?
Is collateral damage an acceptable consequence of war or just a euphemism for mass murder?
Is Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan or has he already fled to safer pastures?
Has a team of US Special forces been captured by the Taleban or not?
Was it a helicopter, a spy plane or a bird?
Is Carnivore a good thing or bad?
Should a memorial be built in place of the Twin Towers or should they be reconstructed?
Will Pakistan’s support to the US adversely impact India’s interests in Kashmir or will it become a millstone around Musharraf’s neck?
Is this the beginning of a clash of civilisations or the first war of the 21st century?
Is ethnic profiling another name for racism or a xenophobic fallout of the terror attacks?
Do the bad guys have chemical weapons or is the world, at least for now, safe from an anthrax epidemic?
Is there any truth in the welter of information or are they all merely versions?
Will any opinion of mine be my own?
Will a few billion people ever think alike?
Will there ever be an end to war?
I am confused.
Should the US bomb Kabul or will that only add to the miseries of a ravaged people?
Does Jihad mean visiting savage violence on innocent people or does it involve fighting the demons of the mind?
Did Iraq have a hand in the US attacks or is it just a well-concocted conspiracy theory?
Is collateral damage an acceptable consequence of war or just a euphemism for mass murder?
Is Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan or has he already fled to safer pastures?
Has a team of US Special forces been captured by the Taleban or not?
Was it a helicopter, a spy plane or a bird?
Is Carnivore a good thing or bad?
Should a memorial be built in place of the Twin Towers or should they be reconstructed?
Will Pakistan’s support to the US adversely impact India’s interests in Kashmir or will it become a millstone around Musharraf’s neck?
Is this the beginning of a clash of civilisations or the first war of the 21st century?
Is ethnic profiling another name for racism or a xenophobic fallout of the terror attacks?
Do the bad guys have chemical weapons or is the world, at least for now, safe from an anthrax epidemic?
Is there any truth in the welter of information or are they all merely versions?
Will any opinion of mine be my own?
Will a few billion people ever think alike?
Will there ever be an end to war?
I am confused.
"I crucified people,", says a former Taliban bodygaurd and torturer.
Saturday, September 29, 2001
What is the average size of an Indian's penis?
The Indian Health Ministry has ordered a study to find out!
The Indian Health Ministry has ordered a study to find out!
Great piece on Afghanistan and the Taliban from The New Yorker magazine archives.
Friday, September 28, 2001
Cow dung and urine a cure for kidney ailments, indigestion and skin cancer.
An amazing collection of cartoons on Osama, US Attacks; Dubyaman and many other topics from Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index!
Odigo employes received .instant messages warning of attack on WTC two hours before the planes crashed into the Twin Towers.
Thursday, September 27, 2001
Graphology is suddenly all the rage, after a British expert analysed Osama Bin Laden’s scrawl, and concluded that the terrorist is egoistic, has a lust for violence and a huge libido. We asked a team to analyse scribbles of some of our personalities. Here are the results.
Atal Behari Vajpayee: The team of graphologists deduced, by studying the impressions on the reverse of the paper, that an old hand was at play, since there was a distinctive lack of pressure in the formation of letters. They also noticed an absence of continuity and fluency in the writing. The experts attributed it to either of two things: an arthritic wrist or long thoughtful pauses. After much deliberation, they ruled out the second option because nothing thoughtful came after the pauses. The writing also revealed the sensitivity of a poet (after all, the man had written an urdu couplet). However, the graphologists weren’t willing to hazard a guess about the quality of poetry the hand could produce.
Laloo Prasad Yadav: The team of graphologists were stumped by this one, since all they had was a thumb impression instead of a writing sample. An expert on thumb prints was flown in from the CID branch, Delhi. He concluded five things after a close study. 1) The owner of the hand was a Bihari (“No one in this day and age except a Bihari would use thumb impressions”) 2) Owned a Tabela (“The sample reeks of fodder”) 3) Was a TV addict (“Thumb impression had dents, possibly made by overuse of a remote control”) 4) Was a jailbird (“Thumb has calusses”) 5) Has an unsatiable libido (“By the time, I had reached my fourth conclusion, I knew the hand belonged to Laloo”).
Sonia Gandhi: The first thing the experts noticed was the foreign hand. They also concluded that it belonged to an Italian since the sample contained only two words: “Mamma mia.”
Arundathi Roy: The experts were of the opinion that the writing was the work of a Greek. The arrived at the conclusion by a process of elimination. The panel has a representative from every country except, unfortunately, Greece. And none of them could understand what was written.
Amitabh Bachchan: The panel found it extremely difficult to get a writing sample. They finally found a signature on a discarded, bounced cheque worth Rs 1 crore. They concluded, by the false flourish, that this was not the man’s actual signature. Interestingly, they pointed out that it was not signed by a Parker Vector pen.
Atal Behari Vajpayee: The team of graphologists deduced, by studying the impressions on the reverse of the paper, that an old hand was at play, since there was a distinctive lack of pressure in the formation of letters. They also noticed an absence of continuity and fluency in the writing. The experts attributed it to either of two things: an arthritic wrist or long thoughtful pauses. After much deliberation, they ruled out the second option because nothing thoughtful came after the pauses. The writing also revealed the sensitivity of a poet (after all, the man had written an urdu couplet). However, the graphologists weren’t willing to hazard a guess about the quality of poetry the hand could produce.
Laloo Prasad Yadav: The team of graphologists were stumped by this one, since all they had was a thumb impression instead of a writing sample. An expert on thumb prints was flown in from the CID branch, Delhi. He concluded five things after a close study. 1) The owner of the hand was a Bihari (“No one in this day and age except a Bihari would use thumb impressions”) 2) Owned a Tabela (“The sample reeks of fodder”) 3) Was a TV addict (“Thumb impression had dents, possibly made by overuse of a remote control”) 4) Was a jailbird (“Thumb has calusses”) 5) Has an unsatiable libido (“By the time, I had reached my fourth conclusion, I knew the hand belonged to Laloo”).
Sonia Gandhi: The first thing the experts noticed was the foreign hand. They also concluded that it belonged to an Italian since the sample contained only two words: “Mamma mia.”
Arundathi Roy: The experts were of the opinion that the writing was the work of a Greek. The arrived at the conclusion by a process of elimination. The panel has a representative from every country except, unfortunately, Greece. And none of them could understand what was written.
Amitabh Bachchan: The panel found it extremely difficult to get a writing sample. They finally found a signature on a discarded, bounced cheque worth Rs 1 crore. They concluded, by the false flourish, that this was not the man’s actual signature. Interestingly, they pointed out that it was not signed by a Parker Vector pen.
The Power of Good
"The patterns of human history mix decency and depravity in equal measure. We often assume, therefore, that such a fine balance of results must emerge from societies made of decent and depraved people in equal numbers. But we need to expose and celebrate the fallacy of this conclusion so that, in this moment of crisis, we may reaffirm an essential truth too easily forgotten, and regain some crucial comfort too readily forgone. Good and kind people outnumber all others by thousands to one. The tragedy of human history lies in the enormous potential for destruction in rare acts of evil, not in the high frequency of evil people. "
A great read from New York Times. Requires Free Registration.
"The patterns of human history mix decency and depravity in equal measure. We often assume, therefore, that such a fine balance of results must emerge from societies made of decent and depraved people in equal numbers. But we need to expose and celebrate the fallacy of this conclusion so that, in this moment of crisis, we may reaffirm an essential truth too easily forgotten, and regain some crucial comfort too readily forgone. Good and kind people outnumber all others by thousands to one. The tragedy of human history lies in the enormous potential for destruction in rare acts of evil, not in the high frequency of evil people. "
A great read from New York Times. Requires Free Registration.
Cardiac patients, take heart.
Pull up this pair of Magic trousers, which will route blood from the legs to congested chest veins.
Pull up this pair of Magic trousers, which will route blood from the legs to congested chest veins.
There's no centre court. No racquets. And no balls.
Graphics designers are serving and volleying enthusiastically in a new game called Photoshop Tennis
Graphics designers are serving and volleying enthusiastically in a new game called Photoshop Tennis
Osama bin Laden has been living in Aurangabad for the last 50 years.
According to a certificate issued by an Aurangabad magistrate.
According to a certificate issued by an Aurangabad magistrate.
Was watching a BBC broadcast on what the news channel called a historic handshake between Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat.
The way the leaders shook hands -- both of them stiff and consciously avoiding eye-contact -- reminded me of two petulant kids being asked to kiss and make up after a fight, by their teacher.
The way the leaders shook hands -- both of them stiff and consciously avoiding eye-contact -- reminded me of two petulant kids being asked to kiss and make up after a fight, by their teacher.
Wednesday, September 26, 2001
Onion, the creators of some excellent satire have their heart in the right place in this article.
But they could have done without the maudlin touch.
But they could have done without the maudlin touch.
Osama has a giant ego, a large libido and an unsatiable thirst for violence. Or that's what his handwriting reveals.
But didn't we know all that anyway.
But didn't we know all that anyway.
Islamic separatists in China faced the execution squad on September 25, after being forced to eat a final meal, laced with alcohol.
Tuesday, September 25, 2001
One in two emails will have a virus by 2013. And if nothing's done about it soon, the Net could well be rendered useless.
What does teen sex have to do with religion? Everything, according to a new survey.
If your partner smokes, you would be well-advised to stay away from him/her.
Studies reveal that passive smoking causes asthma
Studies reveal that passive smoking causes asthma
As its leaders fight its biggest donors, the economic toll of war could be devastating for Afghanistan
Hyderabad youths in the Gulf to seek employment are being made to serve terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya and Bosnia
If your pager suddenly stops working. The TV goes on the blink. And your ATM machine refuses to accept your card. Chances are, World War III has begun.
Get ready for the coming technology war.
Get ready for the coming technology war.
Fourteen Indian airports are sitting ducks for terrorist attacks, according to a survey.
I am not going to be flying any time soon.
I am not going to be flying any time soon.
Play Bush or Powell, and shoot down heads of Osama Bin Laden. But 'ware the falling bombs.
Here's your chance to join the Hunt-Laden campaign from your desktop.
Here's your chance to join the Hunt-Laden campaign from your desktop.
Swig a pint of beer, guzzle a can of Coke... and do it when you are weightless
Now, a caring, sensitive computer
Under development in the US, is a computer that will "know" when users are frustrated and respond with soothing words.
Under development in the US, is a computer that will "know" when users are frustrated and respond with soothing words.
A shocking attack, an elusive fugitive, an angry nation, a President under pressure, an unforgiving battlefield...
The World Could Soon Be At War!
The World Could Soon Be At War!
Monday, September 24, 2001
What kind of a dubious game is Pakistan up to?
According to a senior Indian defence official, Pakistan has asked J&K terrorists to go to Afghanistan and help the Taleban in its war against America.
According to a senior Indian defence official, Pakistan has asked J&K terrorists to go to Afghanistan and help the Taleban in its war against America.
He might not be the most eligible.
But he certainly is the most important bachelor in India today.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is all set to join Mukta Bihanga, India's only bachelor club.
But he certainly is the most important bachelor in India today.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is all set to join Mukta Bihanga, India's only bachelor club.
Saturday, September 22, 2001
Students in a Romanian school are using their former principal's skeleton to study biology.
Friday, September 21, 2001
Taleban claims first blood. Says it has shot down a US spy plane.
The prescience of the poet W H Auden, who foresaw September 11, 2001.
I'm not gonna fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the ass."
George Bush
Remember Clinton, who did something like that and got some goats.
George Bush
Remember Clinton, who did something like that and got some goats.
Clear Channel has not sent out a list of songs requesting its radio stations not to play them as reported by New York Times.
Thursday, September 20, 2001
The Iraqis may have been behind the US Attacks
A Jane's special report points to two dangerous masterminds: the Lebanese Imad Mughniyeh, head of the special overseas operations for Hizbullah, and the Egyptian Dr Ayman Al Zawahiri, senior member of Al-Qaeda and possible successor of the ailing Osama Bin Laden.
A Jane's special report points to two dangerous masterminds: the Lebanese Imad Mughniyeh, head of the special overseas operations for Hizbullah, and the Egyptian Dr Ayman Al Zawahiri, senior member of Al-Qaeda and possible successor of the ailing Osama Bin Laden.
Wednesday, September 19, 2001
A collection of infographics, images and visual insights into the US attacks and the retaliation.
Ostrich raising in Kenya. Forestry interests in Turkey. Diamond trading in Africa.
Bridge construction in Sudan. Agricultural holdings in Tajikistan.
That's just the tip of Bin Laden's financial network.
Bridge construction in Sudan. Agricultural holdings in Tajikistan.
That's just the tip of Bin Laden's financial network.
At the Manhattan Military Recruiting Center, they are queueing up to go to war.
Elsewhere, young men want no part of the war.
Elsewhere, young men want no part of the war.
What the US troops are up against.
A warning from Soviet war vets that America will do well to heed.
A warning from Soviet war vets that America will do well to heed.
Sunday, September 16, 2001
Saturday, September 15, 2001
If you ask for something forcefully enough, you are likely to get it.
Posted on September 4, this article seeks an enemy to justify the $344 billion war budget.
The justification came on September 11,
Posted on September 4, this article seeks an enemy to justify the $344 billion war budget.
The justification came on September 11,
What would Osama bin Laden look like if he wore a disguise. Some options
Friday, September 14, 2001
Where the US went wrong... And what it can expect in the future.
A good piece of analysis from Stratfor
A good piece of analysis from Stratfor
Why are the Americans so hell-bent on calling the attack the start of World War III. This time it's a New York Times columnist.
It's is not.
The Americans could turn it into one, though.
It's is not.
The Americans could turn it into one, though.
Let's Kill Them
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war."
A columnist in National Review magazine
This is the kind of rhetoric and bravado that has characterised much of the American response. From Bush to Powell, all declaring, in as many words, that they are at war. But as this article in Salon points out, they might just be playing into Osama Bin Laden's hands.
"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war."
A columnist in National Review magazine
This is the kind of rhetoric and bravado that has characterised much of the American response. From Bush to Powell, all declaring, in as many words, that they are at war. But as this article in Salon points out, they might just be playing into Osama Bin Laden's hands.
Learn about stuff like How black boxes work, How Air Traffic Control Works, How Fire Engines Work, How Nato Works and more.
Nothing, I thought, could be quite as rivetting as CNN's coverage of those heart-wrenching moments. But I was wrong. Take a look at these pictures from Time Magazine
Thursday, September 13, 2001
A former CIA operative explains why the Osama bin Laden has little to fear from American intelligence
How to cope with the emotional and physical aspects of a disaster.
Got an email claiming to be a prophecy from Nostradamus. It went:
"In the City of God there will be a great thunder,
Two brothers torn apart by Chaos,
while the fortress endures,
the great leader will succumb,
The third big war will begin when the big city is burning"
Nostradamus 1654
The reference obviously to the terror strikes on the US.
It's a hoax
"In the City of God there will be a great thunder,
Two brothers torn apart by Chaos,
while the fortress endures,
the great leader will succumb,
The third big war will begin when the big city is burning"
Nostradamus 1654
The reference obviously to the terror strikes on the US.
It's a hoax
Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Iced drinks served in many European resorts are contaminated and pose a serious health hazard.
Extinguished from the face of Germany by Hitler's hordes, the Jews are witnessing a rebirth in the country.
As a forensic scientist on the Mexico border, death has been a constant companion for Rodriguez Galarza.
But nothing in her long hard life had quite prepared her for the brutal and senseless killing of her own family.
An amazing story!
But nothing in her long hard life had quite prepared her for the brutal and senseless killing of her own family.
An amazing story!
Monday, September 10, 2001
Udderly amazing
American farmers can now sleep late. Thanks to some assistance from robots, their cows can milk themselves.
American farmers can now sleep late. Thanks to some assistance from robots, their cows can milk themselves.
A dyslexic car. Or, simply, a paucity of ideas.
A campaign for Mitsubishi Motors' new entry-level sedan, the Lancer, features a picture of the car, which is priced at $14,000 along with the slogan: "It must be dyslexic. It thinks it's a $41,000 car."
It's not only in bad taste. It's also a bad advertisement.
A campaign for Mitsubishi Motors' new entry-level sedan, the Lancer, features a picture of the car, which is priced at $14,000 along with the slogan: "It must be dyslexic. It thinks it's a $41,000 car."
It's not only in bad taste. It's also a bad advertisement.
The Valley will be swathed in black, as the Lashkar-e-jabbar veil falls.
Ghulam Qadir lost his sheep.
While searching for it, the shepherd stumbled on a temple.
And the Jammu and Kashmir government discovered a money-spinner.
For his efforts, Qadir will be rewarded with 10 per cent of the collections at the temple for five years, after which he will be given a one-time settlement.
That's what I call manna from heaven.
While searching for it, the shepherd stumbled on a temple.
And the Jammu and Kashmir government discovered a money-spinner.
For his efforts, Qadir will be rewarded with 10 per cent of the collections at the temple for five years, after which he will be given a one-time settlement.
That's what I call manna from heaven.
Pascal Triomphe is piecing together his memory -- and his life -- byte by byte, thanks to the Internet.
Your online resume may expose you to identity theft.
And, considering, the slowdown, not get you a job either.
And, considering, the slowdown, not get you a job either.
A web site which understands your body language
MIT scientists claim to have developed a method to record mouse movements on a web page.
MIT scientists claim to have developed a method to record mouse movements on a web page.
If you thought the ban on Napster would stem the growing tide of music downloads, think again.
A new study suggests exactly the contrary.
A whopping three billion files were swapped using Audiogalaxy, iMesh, and Gnutella file-sharing software.
A new study suggests exactly the contrary.
A whopping three billion files were swapped using Audiogalaxy, iMesh, and Gnutella file-sharing software.
Adoption parties or meat markets?
Adoptions agencies are throwing parties to recruit families for disabled, abused and older kids. But critics allege that children are not merchandise.
Adoptions agencies are throwing parties to recruit families for disabled, abused and older kids. But critics allege that children are not merchandise.
A death row inmate prefers the electric chair to lethal injection...
And a US state grapples with the question: how do you dole out the ultimate punishment without being cruel?
And a US state grapples with the question: how do you dole out the ultimate punishment without being cruel?
His name is Salamat Ansari.
He is eight years old.
He is always kept under lock and key, or chained.
And he feasts on scorpions lizards and toads, when he is not munching on polythene waste.
He is eight years old.
He is always kept under lock and key, or chained.
And he feasts on scorpions lizards and toads, when he is not munching on polythene waste.
If the hordes of people travelling WT (without ticket) on Mumbai's locals wasn't bad enough, the Central Bureau of Investigation caught 67 passengers, including government of India officials and journalists travelling ticketless on the super-luxury Palace on Wheels.
Each ticket, incidentally, costs close to Rs 1 lakh.
So, next time you want to travel WT, do it in style, not strap-hanging in an over-crowded suburban train.
Each ticket, incidentally, costs close to Rs 1 lakh.
So, next time you want to travel WT, do it in style, not strap-hanging in an over-crowded suburban train.
The UP government introduces a new course on national pride in state colleges.
It is not something that makes me proud...
It is not something that makes me proud...
Not pills, but prostitutes and porn is what keeps the doctor away for old people, says a Danish home for pensioners.
Sunday, September 09, 2001
My uncle used to smoke beedis in the loo.
We were six of us – all students, all precocious – living together in his house.
Every morning, there would be a scramble among us to beat the other five to the loo immediately after our uncle had used it.
We didn’t have synchronised bowels. It was just that the loo was the safest sanctuary for all of us to catch a few puffs on the Putthuseth beedis we had pilfered from uncle’s packets.
The telltale reek of beedi, we knew, would be blamed on uncle, in case an elder had to use it after we had.
Once in, we were faced with the second problem. How do you light a match without the entire house hearing it? Simple, empty the bucket and run water at full throttle into it and strike the match at the same time.
We were all inventive, without an exception; our inventiveness born out of a necessity to do the forbidden.
I was the youngest of the lot. So I had to be extra discreet. For, I had to hide my peccadilloes even from the other five, two of who were my elder brothers.
I would cycle miles; walk the loneliest roads back from school; suffer frowns and, often, a chiding from avuncular shopkeepers just to get my fix.
When I had no other option, I would pull out my ace: threaten to rat on my brothers if I wasn’t allowed a drag. They would grudgingly oblige, with a warning that it was the last time. It never was.
Outside the gate of our house, was Gopanna’s shop. He was our friend, philosopher, guide, and co-conspirator, plying us with beedis, Mintis and unsolicited advice. A shelf divided his shop front with a storeroom at the back. It was in that dank, dark corner in the back of his shop that our smoking really flourished.
In college, where smoking was prohibited, our problems were of a different kind. We didn’t carry match boxes on us. Unlike, cigarettes and beedis, they were too conspicuous, noisy, and were likely to be forgotten in shirt or trouser pockets. Initially, we solved the problem by leaving a match box on the window sill of the college WC. Till, one day, they mysteriously started disappearing.
To solve that problem, we hit upon an ingenious idea. Instead of leaving them on the sill, we would toss the contents of the match box upwards to the ceiling. And there, the sticks would hang, tenuously, from the uncleared cobwebs. Now all we had to do was master the art of lighting match sticks without a box, using just the floor for friction.
Needless to say, we were in business within three days.
We were six of us – all students, all precocious – living together in his house.
Every morning, there would be a scramble among us to beat the other five to the loo immediately after our uncle had used it.
We didn’t have synchronised bowels. It was just that the loo was the safest sanctuary for all of us to catch a few puffs on the Putthuseth beedis we had pilfered from uncle’s packets.
The telltale reek of beedi, we knew, would be blamed on uncle, in case an elder had to use it after we had.
Once in, we were faced with the second problem. How do you light a match without the entire house hearing it? Simple, empty the bucket and run water at full throttle into it and strike the match at the same time.
We were all inventive, without an exception; our inventiveness born out of a necessity to do the forbidden.
I was the youngest of the lot. So I had to be extra discreet. For, I had to hide my peccadilloes even from the other five, two of who were my elder brothers.
I would cycle miles; walk the loneliest roads back from school; suffer frowns and, often, a chiding from avuncular shopkeepers just to get my fix.
When I had no other option, I would pull out my ace: threaten to rat on my brothers if I wasn’t allowed a drag. They would grudgingly oblige, with a warning that it was the last time. It never was.
Outside the gate of our house, was Gopanna’s shop. He was our friend, philosopher, guide, and co-conspirator, plying us with beedis, Mintis and unsolicited advice. A shelf divided his shop front with a storeroom at the back. It was in that dank, dark corner in the back of his shop that our smoking really flourished.
In college, where smoking was prohibited, our problems were of a different kind. We didn’t carry match boxes on us. Unlike, cigarettes and beedis, they were too conspicuous, noisy, and were likely to be forgotten in shirt or trouser pockets. Initially, we solved the problem by leaving a match box on the window sill of the college WC. Till, one day, they mysteriously started disappearing.
To solve that problem, we hit upon an ingenious idea. Instead of leaving them on the sill, we would toss the contents of the match box upwards to the ceiling. And there, the sticks would hang, tenuously, from the uncleared cobwebs. Now all we had to do was master the art of lighting match sticks without a box, using just the floor for friction.
Needless to say, we were in business within three days.
Saturday, September 08, 2001
On the rarefied heights of the Himalayas, many US women are finding love and marriage with Sherpas.
But, often, only to suffer broken hearts.
But, often, only to suffer broken hearts.
Have you committed a crime?, a routine question in a police application form asked.
Edwyn Gaynor, honest to the core, answered in the affirmative.
He didn't get the job on the force. He ended up in a cell, on counts of robbery and carjacking.
Edwyn Gaynor, honest to the core, answered in the affirmative.
He didn't get the job on the force. He ended up in a cell, on counts of robbery and carjacking.
Smack, LSD for Rs 20 a shot
Delhi's street business moves up the value chain... from hooch to drugs.
Delhi's street business moves up the value chain... from hooch to drugs.
Twenty-two groups in seven countries –- representing privacy advocates, anarchists and performance artists -- participated in a protest against the global proliferation of video cameras and webcams in public places, on September 7, the world anti-surveillance day. And strategically placed web cams transmitted it live to millions.
Friday, September 07, 2001
Calcutta subway station will reverberate with strains of classical music... Why?
to prevent suicides
to prevent suicides
She was on her way to pawn her television to pay her electric bill. When, she found a plastic sack with $ 120,000 in cash. After wrestling with her conscience for a day, Wanda Johnson, a mother of five, called the police and returned the booty.
Smacking of toddlers to be a crime
The Scotland government announced plans to outlaw all forms of physical punishment of children under three. It also plans to make it illegal to hit anyone under 16 on the head, shake them or strike them with an implement.
Smacking of toddlers to be a crime
The Scotland government announced plans to outlaw all forms of physical punishment of children under three. It also plans to make it illegal to hit anyone under 16 on the head, shake them or strike them with an implement.
Nana Frimpong is the official stool-carver of the Ghanaian royal family...
He has now taken his craft to the Internet, tripled his income, and beaten the famine.
He has now taken his craft to the Internet, tripled his income, and beaten the famine.
Thursday, September 06, 2001
A New Zealand radio show drew lots to nominate 10 men for free vasectomies
Man undergoing a sex change has sued United Airlines for allegedly being marched off a flight and forced to change from a dress to men's clothes.
Soccer hooligans will soon get a chance to wreak havoc without fear....
A new computer game gives players the chance to become the most notorious hooligan in Europe.
A new computer game gives players the chance to become the most notorious hooligan in Europe.
News discussed threadbare
Naked News, which pioneered the newsy strip-tease act on the web, will now have its presenters strip and read news on prime time.
Naked News, which pioneered the newsy strip-tease act on the web, will now have its presenters strip and read news on prime time.
Yesterday, I received a postcard. From, of all the people, my insurance agent. Not a noteworthy occurrence in itself. But the way he began the letter… “Dear Ashok, Hope this letter finds you in the best of health…” triggered a bout of nostalgia.
When was the last time I heard the phrase? It seems like eons ago. I was a student back then, and the phrase was part of a mental template, used while writing – in blue inland letters -- to mom and dad.
The letters, invariably, sought more pocket money -- usually to settle the paanwalla’s rising debt. There was little else to write, because what we did wasn’t what mom and dad exactly expected us to do.
The reply – on what else, but a blue inland letter -- would arrive promptly. In about 15 days. Usually from mom. Framed, again, within a template.
How are you? Hope you are eating well? Why don’t you visit your relatives? Take care of your health. Study hard…
None of which, I did.
Somewhere between motherly anxiety and unheeded advice, would be the much-awaited piece of news: the money order has been dispatched.
The next week would pass in binge of profligate living.
I clearly remember More cigarettes, those long brown ones with two golden rings just above the filter. I didn’t care about brands, it was the sheer novelty of its colour and shape – not to mention its cost and foreign pedigree – that mattered.
For about three days, these cigarettes would be on the house for friends. Then I would switch my loyalties to Berkeley, an unfiltered but cheap brand. And, finally, if I had been particularly generous with my monthly booty, to beedis…
Suddenly, I graduated. I got a job. The letters stopped.
There was nothing to say. They had become a chore; an old habit that, unfortunately, didn’t die hard.
It’s over 10 years since I set my eyes on an inland letter. And, as long, since I wrote anything of a personal nature.
I do correspond a lot these days. But none of it is to my mother. I don’t use pen or paper, I don’t ‘dear’ anyone, I don’t try to ‘find anyone in good health’, I am not ‘sincerely anybody’s’, and, yes, much of it is written in lower case…
I do call my mother sometimes, though.
When was the last time I heard the phrase? It seems like eons ago. I was a student back then, and the phrase was part of a mental template, used while writing – in blue inland letters -- to mom and dad.
The letters, invariably, sought more pocket money -- usually to settle the paanwalla’s rising debt. There was little else to write, because what we did wasn’t what mom and dad exactly expected us to do.
The reply – on what else, but a blue inland letter -- would arrive promptly. In about 15 days. Usually from mom. Framed, again, within a template.
How are you? Hope you are eating well? Why don’t you visit your relatives? Take care of your health. Study hard…
None of which, I did.
Somewhere between motherly anxiety and unheeded advice, would be the much-awaited piece of news: the money order has been dispatched.
The next week would pass in binge of profligate living.
I clearly remember More cigarettes, those long brown ones with two golden rings just above the filter. I didn’t care about brands, it was the sheer novelty of its colour and shape – not to mention its cost and foreign pedigree – that mattered.
For about three days, these cigarettes would be on the house for friends. Then I would switch my loyalties to Berkeley, an unfiltered but cheap brand. And, finally, if I had been particularly generous with my monthly booty, to beedis…
Suddenly, I graduated. I got a job. The letters stopped.
There was nothing to say. They had become a chore; an old habit that, unfortunately, didn’t die hard.
It’s over 10 years since I set my eyes on an inland letter. And, as long, since I wrote anything of a personal nature.
I do correspond a lot these days. But none of it is to my mother. I don’t use pen or paper, I don’t ‘dear’ anyone, I don’t try to ‘find anyone in good health’, I am not ‘sincerely anybody’s’, and, yes, much of it is written in lower case…
I do call my mother sometimes, though.
Where's "the page not found" on Internet Explorer...?
Microsoft gives new twist to the error message ... and critics allege monopolistic trade practices again...
Microsoft gives new twist to the error message ... and critics allege monopolistic trade practices again...
Did Mother Theresa need an exorcist?
CNN reported Wednesday that she did, quoting the Archbishop of Calcutta. Time Magazine gets an expert to analyse the claim.
CNN reported Wednesday that she did, quoting the Archbishop of Calcutta. Time Magazine gets an expert to analyse the claim.
The are little children, barely 10.
They are also soldiers of a cruel war.
Now, thanks to the UN, they are returning home.
And these Sudanese will be children again.
They are also soldiers of a cruel war.
Now, thanks to the UN, they are returning home.
And these Sudanese will be children again.
Judge rules: Male prisoners can procreate by artificial insemination.
William Reno Gerber, serving a 111-year sentence, sued the department of corrections for not allowing him to send a semen sample to a Chicago medical centre for use in impregnating his wife.
The US court ruled in Gerber's favour.
William Reno Gerber, serving a 111-year sentence, sued the department of corrections for not allowing him to send a semen sample to a Chicago medical centre for use in impregnating his wife.
The US court ruled in Gerber's favour.
James Wannerton has synaesthesia, a rare disease which makes him taste the words he speaks and hears.
Trespass, according to him, tastes like bacon.
Trespass, according to him, tastes like bacon.
Wednesday, September 05, 2001
A revolution is brewing behind the Great Wall
It's not happening on the streets... and it's not about politics...
It's happening on desktops... and has sexual overtones...
The internet generation in China is beginning to discover the wonders of instant messaging.
It's not happening on the streets... and it's not about politics...
It's happening on desktops... and has sexual overtones...
The internet generation in China is beginning to discover the wonders of instant messaging.
Giving mosquitos a red eye...
After ten years of painstaking research, they have succeeded in giving the insects a red eye... engineering the world's first "good" mosquito...
and this promises an end to malaria, dengue... and other mosquito-transmitted diseases...
After ten years of painstaking research, they have succeeded in giving the insects a red eye... engineering the world's first "good" mosquito...
and this promises an end to malaria, dengue... and other mosquito-transmitted diseases...
11,000 people will watch his hair being cut
He is Sumo's first foreign-born grand champion... and he is ready to bid adieu to what he calls a "lifestyle"...
but not before he gets his topknot, a wrestler's trademark hair lock, cut in front of a horde of fans...
He is Sumo's first foreign-born grand champion... and he is ready to bid adieu to what he calls a "lifestyle"...
but not before he gets his topknot, a wrestler's trademark hair lock, cut in front of a horde of fans...
He had lost $ 1.2 million in securities trading...
He had bought a $ 600,000 life insurance policy...
And he took 104 passengers with him, at the speed of sound, crashing into a muddy river...
Did Capt. Tsu Way Ming, a SilkAir pilot, commit suicide? Four years on, families of the victims are alleging a cover-up...
He had bought a $ 600,000 life insurance policy...
And he took 104 passengers with him, at the speed of sound, crashing into a muddy river...
Did Capt. Tsu Way Ming, a SilkAir pilot, commit suicide? Four years on, families of the victims are alleging a cover-up...
Four months bed rest could take you to the moon
Fourteen wannabe astronauts will not leave their beds for the next four months... by that time, researchers hope, they would be feeling sufficiently weightless...
Fourteen wannabe astronauts will not leave their beds for the next four months... by that time, researchers hope, they would be feeling sufficiently weightless...
Remember my earlier posts about severed human limbs being found in parcels in Prague.
Police have now nabbed the a man suspected of murdering his lover and posting her limbs to fictitious addresses...
Police have now nabbed the a man suspected of murdering his lover and posting her limbs to fictitious addresses...
When it comes to spitting, the Chinese are way, way ahead of our paan-spewing brethren...
But that may be changing...having successfully bid for the 2008 olympics, the China government has told its people: “Smile, don’t spit”.
Maybe, what India needs is an Olympics...
But that may be changing...having successfully bid for the 2008 olympics, the China government has told its people: “Smile, don’t spit”.
Maybe, what India needs is an Olympics...
Army nurses keep their shirts on
The Indian Army claimed that the new dress code, which would have seen nurses don coats directly over their lingerie, was aimed at preventing them from having to wear two lots of bulky military badges -- on their shirts as well as on their medical coat.
Obviously no one bothered to ask the nurses what they thought.
The Indian Army claimed that the new dress code, which would have seen nurses don coats directly over their lingerie, was aimed at preventing them from having to wear two lots of bulky military badges -- on their shirts as well as on their medical coat.
Obviously no one bothered to ask the nurses what they thought.
Tuesday, September 04, 2001
How the cookies crumble...
A small piece of text gives the Web memory... and becomes a tool for the invasion of privacy...
A small piece of text gives the Web memory... and becomes a tool for the invasion of privacy...
Aap qatar mein hain... you are in queue please wait... aap qatar mein hain...
This wonderful piece of writing in Salon, about the customer service of a US-based ISP, reminds me of our very own PSUs...
Makes me rethink my position on privatisation
This wonderful piece of writing in Salon, about the customer service of a US-based ISP, reminds me of our very own PSUs...
Makes me rethink my position on privatisation
Why mobile phone companies are control freaks
A good article on how higher data handling capacity on mobile networks could mean bad business for cellular companies...
A good article on how higher data handling capacity on mobile networks could mean bad business for cellular companies...
Chimp provides missing link in search for the origin of AIDS.
This link -- not the missing one, but the hyperlink -- requires free registration.
This link -- not the missing one, but the hyperlink -- requires free registration.
Your school starts at an unearthly hour... and you hate to leave bed before noon...
Norway now has late starts in some schools to accommodate lazy pupils
Norway now has late starts in some schools to accommodate lazy pupils
Monday, September 03, 2001
Who killed the webmaster?
Who torched the site's office?
Who is killing the designers?
What's real and what isn't?
A new site Majestic gives you a taste of immersive gaming at its best.
Who torched the site's office?
Who is killing the designers?
What's real and what isn't?
A new site Majestic gives you a taste of immersive gaming at its best.
Mcafee gets patent to update your virus software, in one of the most questionable rulings...
Whatever next? As Register reports perhaps a "patent for a Method and System for Transport Using a Circular Device on a Load Bearing Rod (aka The Wheel)."
Whatever next? As Register reports perhaps a "patent for a Method and System for Transport Using a Circular Device on a Load Bearing Rod (aka The Wheel)."
Drug-free urine at $69 a pee
A former pipe-fitter now outfits his customers with packs of pee to beat company-mandated drug tests....
Actually, what he does is, sell his own urine, guaranteed to be free of drugs, over the internet.
Pissing has never been more lucrative...
A former pipe-fitter now outfits his customers with packs of pee to beat company-mandated drug tests....
Actually, what he does is, sell his own urine, guaranteed to be free of drugs, over the internet.
Pissing has never been more lucrative...
Brazilian artist uses smelly shoes to highlight digital divide...
Soundbite: "I wanted to bring all the people I interviewed. They all had to be here with me. They were not, so I brought the shoes instead."
Soundbite: "I wanted to bring all the people I interviewed. They all had to be here with me. They were not, so I brought the shoes instead."
Old jungle saying: Never tamper with nature
Now, a BBC investigation reveals that the devastating floods which killed 35 people in Lynmouth, in 1952, was caused by rain-making experiments.
Now, a BBC investigation reveals that the devastating floods which killed 35 people in Lynmouth, in 1952, was caused by rain-making experiments.
Saturday, September 01, 2001
200 cell phones ringing together make a symphony...
the harmonic progression of an American composer...
the harmonic progression of an American composer...
G-spot a gynaecological UFO... so, next time, don't go searching for it...
Stupid is not something Kofi Anan, the UN secretary general, gets called everyday...
but then he hasn't tasted Indian parliamentary language yet... which is exactly what Dalit Ezhilmalai, an honourable Indian MP, gave him the other day, when he yelled: "You must answer, you stupid".
but then he hasn't tasted Indian parliamentary language yet... which is exactly what Dalit Ezhilmalai, an honourable Indian MP, gave him the other day, when he yelled: "You must answer, you stupid".
I don't know whether this is good news of bad...
Indian team too divided to fix matches, says Justice Y V Chandrachud, who probed the allegations of cricket betting.
Indian team too divided to fix matches, says Justice Y V Chandrachud, who probed the allegations of cricket betting.
