Scraps Stuffs - Random musings from apun ka desh

Cox & Kings had this new ad out which a very peachy looking Mandira Bedi inviting you to come and play in South Africa. If she will play then I'm game :-)

And I suspect a lot of other people would be too!

I happened to read this fine article in rediff today - Apartheid in India

That is why I hate the so-called secular press, secular do-gooders like Teesta Seetalvad, Praful Bidwai, secular politicians and secular political parties. But my utter contempt is reserved for the Indian communists. They are purely resident non-Indians.

A massive win for India in the last test match - an innings and 131 runs victory. With this we win the test series 2-1 and match the one-day series victory 3-2. A comprehensive demolition indeed :-)

waqt se pehle aur bhagya se zyada nahi milta

Can't wait for Lakshya to be released. I like watching Preity Zinta, she's my favourite actresses. I loved Dil Chahta Hai - one of the very, very few movies I have seen twice at a cinema hall.

My favourite actresses are:
1. Preity Zinta - the cutest and bubbliest actress ever to grace the Indian screen
2. Kajol - awesome talent
3. Juhi Chawla - very pretty
4. Pooja Bhatt - a lovely face, liked her in Everybody Says I'm Fine
5. Tabu - such talent, such beauty plus there's character in her face
6. Rani Mukherjee - earthy good looks, down to earth nature, girl next door demeanour
7. Sushmita Sen - very, very sensual, liked her in Samay

Was having dinner at Samarkand last Friday. There was a big, raucous set of people at one big table. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, her hubby and what appeared to be friends. They were totally oblivious of people around and were having what appeared to be a really nice time. At everyone else's expense. It was peaceful until they came. While I understand their need to celebrate, why do the ultra-rich want to do this at others expense. To her credit, Ms. Shaw appeared quiet. Its a pity that the rest of her entourage didn't see it fit to emulate her!

India capitulated without putting up a fight. That's what pissed me off more than the defeat. Dravid's inability to stand up and deliver when it mattered the most was disappointing. He's supposed to be the captain and lead from the front. The wall sure crumbled big time!

The Congress election manifesto is pro-reservations in the private sector too. That does it! If I ever thought of voting for the Congress (on a really bad day in a really, really bad year), I'll never think of it now. Reservations in the public sector are bad enough, but it should never be implemented in the private sector.

Even after more than 50 years of independence if the need for reservations is felt, then this concept never worked and should be abandoned. Merit should be the only criterion for getting jobs.

If the Congress wants to implement reservations in the private sector (where the action is), then they are just going to kill the dynamism in the sector keeping the Indian economy going. Proves to me that they are finally running out of ideas and should just lay down and die (as a party of course).

So we need to axe Akash Chopra to make way for Saurav Ganguly. Axe Parthiv Patel if he doesn't contribute and punish Dravid by making him keep instead of Parthiv Patel. If Patel contributes, then axe Dravid! Dravid has made a cardinal error in judgement by opting to bat first after winning the toss.

Akash Chopra needs to be axed pronto! The guy hasn't made any significant contribution ever since he's been included in the team. We can have other guys who contribute, like Kaif, in the team instead.

A certain "John Laxmi teaches a course on bond markets at New York University. He is also a board member of the South Asian Journalists Association. The views presented in this article are his own and do not represent those of NYU or SAJA." has written an article on Rediff. He has raised five points which he demands India compy with if the US is to outsource work here. Here are my answers to his five (just for the heck of it)

JL: First, we should demand that India must send a meaningful contingent of troops to help the coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, meaningful in size and commensurate with the global power Indians think India is becoming.

Answer: Balls to you demand. Its not in our national interest to send troops to Iraq. We could consider sending troops to Afghanistan on our terms, but the US pet poodle Pakistan objects to this, therefore the US objects to it as well.

JL: Second, the US government should demand that the Indian government must source preferentially from American contractors and manufacturers for the ambitious infrastructure building effort under way in India. India's roads, ports, power and water facilities are woefully underdeveloped. American technology and know-how can help speed India's development process while strengthening the commercial ties between the two countries.

Answer: If the US technology and know-how makes good business sense to use, then we will use it. Else we won't even consider it.

JL: Third, the US must demand that the Indian government level the playing field between American and Indian technology firms. This means India must phase out its tax subsidies to the IT industry and agree to subjecting Indian firms to the same consumer protection laws and other legal liabilities governing American firms in like businesses.

Answer: While I agree to revising our consumer protection laws and legal liabilities for companies, the answer to phasing out tax subsidies is this: Take a hike.

JL: Finally, the US must demand that the Indian government will sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty if Pakistan agrees to sign the treaty, paving the way for a more peaceful subcontinent

Answer: First of all, you are an idiot. The US definitely doesn't want a peaceful subcontinent. They like troubled water, easier fishing there. There isn't even a snowball's chance in hell that India will ever sign the NPT, unless it is amended to recognize India as a nuclear have. And even then not without all sorts of kickbacks, special deals, secret clauses, etc. etc.

The days of the US demanding and India doing are long gone, if they ever were there in the first place. When India didn't buckle under US pressure when Tricky Dick was at the helm and the Enterprise was sent in 1971, there's little hope it will succumb now. This guy is living in total cuckoo land!