tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89596701214799682242024-03-07T01:31:17.614+05:30NOTHING MUCH BUT ALL OKAYNihilism at its best. A blog with no specific topics and in defense of anonymity. Blogging areas cover just about everything, yet nothing on the internet.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-41263492892153779082015-11-29T23:41:00.000+05:302015-11-29T23:41:02.027+05:30 Easy To Understand Nihilistic Quotes II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Most people may not understand this. Pardon me for saying this, but most of us eat whatever is dropped on our plate. At least you should know better !! <br />
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-11797428611153000082015-11-29T23:34:00.001+05:302015-11-29T23:43:26.396+05:30Easy To Understand Nihilistic Quotes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you get and understand this NIHILISTIC QUOTE, you are an intelligent young man, and that you are AWAKE.
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-65712627785610770082015-02-21T12:38:00.000+05:302015-02-21T12:38:06.697+05:30Nothing Much But All Okay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Victoria Azarenka (Belarusian: Вікторыя Фёдараўна Азаранка (Viktoriya Fyodorovna Azarenka), (Russian: Викто́рия Фёдоровна Аза́ренко), born 31 July 1989 is a Belarusian professional tennis player. She is a former world No. 1 and is currently world No. 49 as of 2 February 2015.<br />
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She has won two Australian Open singles titles (2012 and 2013), becoming the first Belarusian player to win a Grand Slam singles title. Her other achievements include winning the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles—the 2007 US Open with Max Mirnyi, the 2008 French Open with Bob Bryan—and the gold medal in the mixed doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics with Max Mirnyi.
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In August 2013, Azarenka was named the fourth highest paid female athlete in the world by Forbes Magazine, with total earnings of $15.7 million between 2012–2013. Her prize money constituted $6.7 million while her growing endorsements equaled $9 million. Azarenka's $7.9 million prize money haul in 2012 was a single year record for a female athlete in any sport.
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Ooh la......<br />
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-31098249979653979142015-02-19T17:30:00.001+05:302015-02-19T17:30:53.612+05:30What Is Nihilism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A common, but misleading, description of nihilism is the 'belief in
nothing'., ie., to say a "firm belief in something for which there is no
proof"<br />
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In other words, a nihilist is a "person who does not bow
down to any authority, who does not accept any principle, however much
that principle may be revered."<br />
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The human mind creates ethics,
moral codes, rules, excuses and justifications for the deepest epiphany
and the most trivial event alike.<br />
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Some even go so far as to
hijack random events and misinterpret them as self-created, the
psychological principle known as 'illusion of control'. Unfortunately
the complexities of the human mind merely make it easier to believe in
fantasy and entertain delusion.<br />
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Such an effort to find greater
significance where there really is none and this only leads to wayward
guidance and specious justifications. Those concocted reasons are then
used to justify what need not be justified like our continued existence
except based upon lies, setting up everyone for the fall when the myth
erodes.<br />
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Everything would move onward quite smoothly without any
human minds around to believe in good, bad and/ or any other fictions,
which it did before us and it would do so after as well. Instead the
Nihilist is concerned with the things that matter whether anyone
believes in them or not; all those forces and factors that influence
even the things that don't think.<br />
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Self-delusion may well be the defining quality of human nature. Lies maintain our
flimsy order, we find consolation in myths like 'what we do has
significance' and 'the bad gets punished'.<br />
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The constant avalanche
of empirical evidence to the contrary simply gets relegated to the
third class bureau of irrational philosophers.<br />
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In short, hypocrisy can only flourish when goodness is defined not only as kind and altruistic behavior, but as sticking to the rules as well.</div>
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Clearly we have a dilemma on our hands...<br />
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That
is to say a real, mature nihilist is a very serious person with a sharp
and cogent mind, but who also is dealing with a double edged sword that
can just as easily lead to damage, as to enlightenment.<br />
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As humbling as it is, the scale and perhaps significance of humanity shrinks in accordance with the magnitude of our knowledge.<br />
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A basic understanding of cosmology leads to the ultimate nihilism.<br />
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Springing from a cosmic accident, we have apparently no purpose, objectives or value.<br />
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As a "practiising nihilist" [ and I hate myself for that ], I say it's <i>our</i>
domain and we can make it a hell or a heaven. But as long as we
prejudge the decision absolving ourselves of responsibility then it
probably <i>will</i> be a realm of "mr. hot stuff".<br />
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If that's what everyone expects, then that's all it will ever be.<br />
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-75484759678886348582015-02-19T16:56:00.000+05:302015-02-19T16:56:24.430+05:30Celebrities Don't Care<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gee... what a bunch of tight wads.... just kidding... </div>
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Photoshop is King !</div>
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-78791532108314311892015-02-17T23:16:00.001+05:302015-02-19T13:20:56.761+05:30The Tracker - Stillwell shoots Noble Adams <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"The Tracker" is just an old TV-movie from the 1980's you might think, but thanks to Kevin Jarre's well-written story the film works very well, better than most modern action-oriented Westerns. But the film has also Kris Kristofferson in the main role, and he is suitable as Noble Adams.
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I think Kristofferson clearly shows that he handles his role very well, and one of the main reasons why the film works the way it does. Scott Wilson as the protagonist is excellent as usual, with strong contributions by all cast involved. I urge any true Western fan to obtain and watch THE TRACKER; it is an experience to be enjoyed and appreciated.
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Any fan of the western genre should collect it.
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-72613118631086171772015-02-16T23:58:00.000+05:302015-02-16T23:58:28.504+05:30Pranchiyettan And The Saint - Malayalam Movie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hilarious - Must Watch - Highlights so many aspects of Trichur !
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-50651469872438426052015-02-13T14:18:00.000+05:302015-02-13T14:18:25.649+05:30Indian Politicians Replacing A Light Bulb..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong>Dr. Kiran Bedi</strong><br />
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<a href="http://www.theunrealtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/kiranbedibulb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-36926" height="256" src="http://www.theunrealtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/kiranbedibulb-300x192.jpg" title="kiranbedibulb" width="400" /></a></div>
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(Image via indiatoday.com)</div>
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Onlookers
gathered at the house with the dead bulb scatter as a huge crane
approaches with a loud honk. Dr. Kiran Bedi waves from the driver’s
seat, cuing cheers from the crowd. Buoyed by the crowd’s response, she
starts blowing flying kisses to the crowd.<br />
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With great dexterity
and focus, Dr. Bedi moves a lever and navigates the crane’s hook through
the door of the house. Dr. Bedi then presses a button that makes the
hook clamp on the dead bulb. Dr. Bedi pulls the lever back, and the hook
pulls the bulb out of its socket, and holds it high for gathered
onlookers to see. A roar spreads through the crowd.<br />
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However,
instead of putting in the new bulb, Dr. Bedi begins to click a few
photos of the crowd, then grabs a microphone and starts giving a speech.
“<em>Kaisi lagi yeh? Aap dekhte rahiye, main is bulb ki sach much watt laga doongi</em>
[How did you like it? Keep watching, I'll take this bulb's case],” Dr.
Bedi chirps with child-like excitement. The crowd looks a bit
bewildered.<br />
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Undeterred, she continues, “I have been an
administrator for 40 years! I have been a political scientist and I have
also been an electrician. <em>Yeh dekhiye!</em> [Look at this!]” and
opens a blue file, with the word “bulbs” on its cover. As Dr. Bedi wades
through the file, each page containing images of different bulbs, the
crowd starts murmuring, clearly distracted.<br />
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Dr. Bedi continues anyway, “<em>Mitron</em>,
I have just 1 formula for light bulbs – 3F: Fuse, Filament,
Fluorescence. Repeat after me!” The crowd, however, is clearly not
paying attention. Dr. Bedi says, “You people are not listening to me!
Listen and repeat after me.”<br />
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By this time, the crowd decides it
has had enough and starts screaming out Modi’s name. Dr. Bedi covers her
face, wipes a few tears and, “I can’t continue like this.” Seeing no
signs of sympathy from the crowd, Dr. Bedi says, “I’m sorry, <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-great-indian-tamasha/kiran-bedi-runs-away-from-her-interviews/354737" target="_blank">I’ve to go</a> tow something else. There are 3 other objects waiting to be towed by me. See you some other time,” and leaves the venue.<br />
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Later,
Dr. Bedi reasons, “I have not escaped from fixing the light bulb. I
have evolved into a different reasoning. My party has escaped and it <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bedi-apologises-for-not-living-up-to-partys-expectations/" target="_blank">has to introspect</a>. I will say I’ve escaped only when I’ve not tried my best to fix it.”<br />
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<strong>Smriti Irani</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<br />
The nation’s favorite bahu, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani arrives
at the venue at 6 am, looks at the dead bulb and bursts into tears. The
bulb is taken to a nearby lake, burned and then immersed. While
residents of the house wait for a replacement, Smriti tells them that
she will be a little late. The HRD minister then makes a quick dash to
her <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/You-will-become-countrys-President-one-day-predicts-Smriti-Iranis-astrologer/articleshow/45261419.cms" target="_blank">astrologer</a>, who looks at the new bulb, chants some mantras and says that there’s a <em>Rahu Kaal</em> for the next 2 hours and 11.30 am is good <em>muhurat</em> to install the new bulb.<br />
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Complying with his recommendation, Smriti leaves at 11 am, immediately after the <em>Rahu Kaal</em>
lapses and heads to the venue with the bulb. As residents wait eagerly,
Smriti pauses and observes the clock, until it turns 11.30. She then
quickly fits in the new bulb and switches it on. Grateful residents of
the house thank her profusely.<br />
<br />
Smriti, however, says that it’s not enough. An official hands over a certificate, which the residents are asked to sign. The <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/have-a-degree-from-yale-university-education-minister-smriti-irani-647495" target="_blank">certificate</a>
reads: “This is to certify that Mr/Ms. Smriti Irani has successfully
completed a crash course in fixing a light bulb at our residence.
Signed/- ”<br />
<br />
By this time, Prof. Madhu Kishwar has already written a
stinging blog post, detailing why the new bulb is not likely to last
more than a month.<br />
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<strong>Arun Jaitley</strong><br />
<br />
Cool as
ever, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley arrives at the venue, turns the
switch on and verifies that the bulb is indeed dead. As the residents of
the house watch, Jaitley makes a couple of quick phone calls. In 10
minutes, the gate opens and an NDTV OB van comes in. Shekhar Gupta walks
to the location, greets Jaitley and once the camera rolls, the Finance
Minister pulls the dead bulb out and the duo walk around the house in
the garden, filming another episode of NDTV’s “Walk The Talk” until they
reach the dustbin, where Jaitley throws the dead bulb away.<br />
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While
he walks back to the wall to install the new one, NDTV’s Barkha Dutt
waits, overseeing the positioning of 2 chairs adjacent to the wall. As
the camera rolls, Jaitley installs the new bulb, switches it on and
under the bright light, the two of them take their seats. Barkha begins
an hour-long interview about with bulb with Jaitley, where he says that
he plans to allot Rupees 100 Crore in the upcoming budget to replace
dead light bulbs.<br />
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<strong>Akhilesh Yadav</strong><br />
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The UP CM
arrives in his convoy at the residence where the bulb has gone dead. As
his car door opens, Akhilesh emerges in a white skull cap, followed by
his father. Mulayam asks him, “Beta, have you done this before?” to
which the CM replies, “No dad, but fear not. I’ve <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pk-download-puts-akhilesh-in-trouble/article6752235.ece" target="_blank">downloaded</a> videos of how to replace light bulbs. I’ll just watch this now and do it.”<br />
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Opening
his laptop, Akhilesh plays a downloaded documentary on fixing a light
bulb, watches it for 2 minutes and then proceeds to remove the dead
bulb. Upon realizing that the residents in the house are Muslims,
Akhilesh announces a complete waiver on the new bulb’s electricity
charges. He then installs a brand new bulb in its place and turns the
switch on. The bulb doesn’t glow and they all realize that there is a
day-long power cut in the area.<br />
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<strong>Azam Khan</strong><br />
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The
senior Samajwadi Party leader arrives at the house where the bulb has
gone dead, discovers that the residents are Muslims, and announces that
this happened because they are Muslims. Azam pulls the dead bulb out and
promises to be back with a new bulb soon. The next day, Azam undertakes
a 2-week long massive <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/azam-khan-defends-foreign-study-tour-says-media-harassing-sp-mlas/445704-3-242.html" target="_blank">study tour</a>,
across Europe, North America, South America, Antractica and Australia,
to learn how light bulbs are replaced in those continents.<br />
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Once
he’s back, Azam returns to the house and fixes a new bulb in the
residence. He tells the residents that the old bulb will be handed over
to the <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/azam-khan-eyes-taj-mahal-control/1/402751.html" target="_blank">Waqf board</a>.<br />
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<u>Post Courtesy</u><br />
<a href="http://www.theunrealtimes.com/2015/02/13/exclusive-part-2-indian-politicians-replace-a-light-bulb/">http://www.theunrealtimes.com/2015/02/13/exclusive-part-2-indian-politicians-replace-a-light-bulb/</a><br />
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-87106945134689656842015-02-10T18:15:00.000+05:302015-02-10T18:15:32.214+05:30Farida Jalal converts to Christianity in the hope of an apology from AIB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Actress Farida Jalal converted to Christianity on Monday evening at St Michael’s Church in Mumbai in the presence of a priest. According to sources close to the veteran actress, she took this drastic decision in the hope of an apology from comedy collective AIB for what some think is a crass dig at her.<br />
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(Image via IndiaToday.com)<br />
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Speaking to The UnReal Times, the actress who now goes by the name Farida Josephine Jalal, said, “Obviously I was deeply offended by the joke. How can they say something like that after all the countless maa roles that I have done? Of course I was hoping that they’d apologize to me!”<br />
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“But several days after the show went viral, forget an apology, not even an explanation came my way,” she added. “Then I read their post on Facebook where they offered an unconditional apology to the archdiocese and the Christian community, and figured out how these things work. I pondered over the matter for a while, then made my way to the church.”<br />
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Minutes after news about Farida’s conversion to Christianity hit social media, an AIB member began composing a fresh post on their Facebook page.<br />
<br />
Amidst the din over the AIB knockout, we’ve had the opportunity to reach out to some groups who have had questions about the jokes and the taste they were made in. For example, we had extensive discussions with the kind Farida Josephine Jalal. We explained to her that we didn’t set out to hurt her or the Christian community when we wrote the jokes, and offered an unconditional apology to her and the entire Christian community for any offense caused. We’d like to thank the kind Farida Josephine Jalal for sitting down with us, hearing us out and giving us a chance to apologize. AIB believes…<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, a fringe Hindu group based in Mumbai has already approached Farida Jalal to enlist her in their next ghar wapsi session.<br />
<br />
Article Courtesy:<br />
<a href="http://www.theunrealtimes.com/2015/02/10/farida-jalal-converts-to-christianity-in-the-hope-of-an-apology-from-aib/">http://www.theunrealtimes.com/2015/02/10/farida-jalal-converts-to-christianity-in-the-hope-of-an-apology-from-aib/</a><br />
<br /></div>
Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-53691005112488258952015-02-09T23:54:00.002+05:302015-02-09T23:54:16.626+05:30How Much Do You Know About Australia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With all due respects, this was sent to me by an American friend based in the KangarooKingdom., a few years back... now with the World Cup round the corner, thought of updating myself...<br />
<br />
How much do you really know about Ozzies and Australia<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbBA-fcGPX6yGXvIFZKvpahzWayTNKcWdHiPZObh8dBMLz9L7n3kMWNo2343DiVLuWcjTSMtU0Uad8t9LKJlUHXM-Y3SymB2ATQdlZ5hEEBby_LcHfG3qpQrNfiSxqQznsR3pEiVWsyP-/s1600/aussie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbBA-fcGPX6yGXvIFZKvpahzWayTNKcWdHiPZObh8dBMLz9L7n3kMWNo2343DiVLuWcjTSMtU0Uad8t9LKJlUHXM-Y3SymB2ATQdlZ5hEEBby_LcHfG3qpQrNfiSxqQznsR3pEiVWsyP-/s1600/aussie.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
In
many respects, the conventions of Australians and Americans, both in
behavior (behaviour) and speech, align with similarities. This is even
more clear, for instance, when an Australian newspaper made reference to
the Mile High Club. And here I was all this time calling it the 1.6
Kilometer Club. No wonder I've struggled with membership.<br />
<br />
Anyway,
on the subject of cultural comparison, I've long noticed a Facebook
group called "You know you're an Australian when . . ." -- which I've of
course not yet joined, because it lists 50 measurements for membership,
and you need to be painfully bored to read 50-item account of insanity.<br />
<br />
Today,
though, I was bored. So I took the test, pasted below (with my answers
following). I decided to join the group only if I scored 25/50 or
better.<br />
<br />
1. You're familiar with Neighbours, Home and
Away, Playschool, A Country Practice, Norman Gunston, Barry Humphries,
Blue Heelers, Ray Martin, Bert Newton, Lisa McCune, Jon Burgess, Number
96, Molly Meldrum, Kerry O'Brien, and of course, Kerry Packer and Rupert
Murdoch.<br />
<br />
• Only three of these proper nouns ring a
bell, perhaps the first handicap of life without television. Granted,
one of these three is my boss's boss's boss's boss. But until I meet
him, or ride on his private Gulfstream, there's no partial credit. (0/1)<br />
<br />
2. You know that Burger King doesn't exist. It's Hungry Jacks.<br />
<br />
•
Bingo. For proof, see 13-Oct blog reference.
(http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07286/825285-402.stm) Never eaten there,
though. (1/2)<br />
<br />
3. You know that snow is a memorable and freakish occurrence. Sometimes it's even fake.<br />
<br />
• Easy. And what is this, Dubai? Most Sydneysiders don't own jackets. (2/3)<br />
<br />
4. You know the difference between thongs and a G-banger<br />
<br />
• Note to self: find out what a G-banger is. (2/4)<br />
<br />
5.
You know that "stubbies" are either short shorts or small beer bottles,
a "gimp", "bogan" or "geezer" is a random idiot, someone in trouble is
in "strife" and you're liable to burst out laughing whenever you hear of
Americans "rooting" for something.<br />
<br />
• Only the bogan
reference eluded me, so I'm counting this. Rooting is the key. Say
you're "rooting" here, and people will get the mental picture of nudity
and orifices. I was warned about this long before departing for
Australian soil. Thank you, Reg (3/5)<br />
<br />
6. You know that some people pronounce "Australia" like "Strayla" and that's OK.<br />
<br />
• Sure. You hear this especially out in the bush. Or on domestic-made country albums. (4/6)<br />
<br />
7.
You know that while we call our friends 'mates, we don't use terms like
"shiela" and "shrimp on the barbie", contrary to popular belief.<br />
<br />
•
I've learned this, too. In fact, the whole notion that Australians know
barbecue is a dangerous lie. Anybody who's dined here would agree.
(5/7)<br />
<br />
8. You know that none of us actually drink
Fosters beer because it tastes like s--t. But we let the world think we
do. Because we can.<br />
<br />
• I agree with the smack-talk on Fosters. Problem is, other Aussie lagers taste quite the same. (6/8)<br />
<br />
9.
You know how to abbreviate every word, all of which usually end in -o:
arvo, combo, garbo, kero, lezzo, metho, milko, muso, rego, servo, smoko,
righto etc.<br />
<br />
• I know the language, but don't speak it. Hey, the Multisyllabics gotta have some groupies, too. (6/9)<br />
<br />
10.
You resent people who succeed over others. Everyone should do the same
thing, so we all get a "fair go"; a kind of 'American-dream' in reverse.
This is why we actively like not liking Americans.<br />
<br />
•
Woah -- where did this hostility come from? Australians have this saying
that parallels the sentiments above: something about cutting down the
tallest trees among us. This culture abhors pretension, which is good.
But it leads to a strange shame regarding great achievement, and you get
this population overload around the median. I don't understand. (6/10)<br />
<br />
11.
You've seen Gallipoli, Crocodile Dundee, Young Einstein, Muriel's
Wedding, The Castle, Beneath Clouds, Strictly Ballroom, 40,000 Horsemen,
and maybe even Wolf Creek.<br />
<br />
• No. No. And more no. No regrets losing this point, either. (6/11)<br />
<br />
12.
It makes you happy when someone in Hollywood is actually Australian. . .
Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrman, Elle
MacPherson, Olivia Newton-John, Midnight Oil, ACDC, INXS, Greg Norman,
Cathy Freeman, Dawn Fraser, Pat Rafter, Ian Thorpe. . .<br />
<br />
• Heart just isn't in it. (6/12)<br />
<br />
13. One word: Skippy.<br />
<br />
• Not peanut butter, evidently. (6/13)<br />
<br />
14. You know that Sydney 2000 was one of our proudest moments in history. We just rock.<br />
<br />
•
No mention here, though, that tens of thousands of prescient
Sydneysiders took three-week vacations during the Olympics to escape the
mayhem. (7/14)<br />
<br />
15. You know that you are not
going to die of cholera or other Third World diseases (remote Aboriginal
communities are a different matter).<br />
<br />
• Been sick twice
here, or more than I'd been in the last three years combined. The ol'
immune system has been thrown by the antipodal bacteria. (7/15)<br />
<br />
16. You know our country has never been conquered by a foreign nation (you don't count 1788).<br />
<br />
• Clearly. Only conqueror here is named Rupert. (8/16)<br />
<br />
17. We know that the Metric system will always be better than anything inches, feet, pounds and farenheit will ever offer.<br />
<br />
•
Disagree, and I will note the linguistic dexterity of "mile" as
evidence. There is no metric equivalent, for instance, to gas mileage.
No equivalent to the high-flyin' club, either. (8/17)<br />
<br />
18. You drive on the left-hand side of the road.<br />
<br />
• While feeling simultaneously at ease and bad a--. (9/18)<br />
<br />
19. If you're a pedestrian and cars are stopped at a red light, you will fearlessly cross the street in front of them.<br />
<br />
• Took awhile, but I'm comfortable now. (10/19)<br />
<br />
20.
You think of Australia as being somewhat out of place within the
Asia-Pacific region; surrounded by unstable ex-colonial nations who
regard you as racist, imperialist, and unfairly wealthy.<br />
<br />
• True, but at least we've stolen their food. (11/20)<br />
<br />
21.
You know that New Zealanders are basically our naive country cousins,
who have a weird fush-and-chups accent, and for some bizarre reason,
think that they invented pavlova. Bastards. They are to be pitied and
laughed at. They have no hope of gaining the upper hand in the endless
sporting rivalry between our two nations.<br />
<br />
• Australia : New Zealand :: US : Canada. (12/21)<br />
<br />
22.
You know that you can't eat Fantales alone. . . Otherwise who will you
play the "Who am I..." game with when you're reading the wrapper?<br />
<br />
• Huh? (12/22)<br />
<br />
23. You know that Sydney should be the capital because Canberra is a hole.<br />
<br />
• Canberra is like Harrisburg, but worse, because it doesn't have this guy. (13/23)<br />
<br />
24. You know that Americans think we're all Steve Irwin clones. And crickey, they couldn't be more wrong.<br />
<br />
• Confirmed. Australians don't wear those outdoorsy beige vests. (14/24)<br />
<br />
25. You know that Lawyers wear wigs and gowns. And we make it look good.<br />
<br />
• Documented by G'DFT, 1-Nov. (15/25)<br />
<br />
26. You have some time in your life slept with Aeroguard on in the summer. Maybe even as perfume.<br />
<br />
• Never. Not on the Bucket List, either. (15/26)<br />
<br />
27.
You feel obliged to spread salty black stuff that looks like congealed
motor oil on bread. . . and actually grow to like it. You've also
squeeze Vegemite through Vita Wheats to make little Vegemite worms.<br />
<br />
• Vile quasi-food yeast residue should never be an obligation. (15/27)<br />
<br />
28. You believe that democracy means the freedom to draw caricatures of good ol' Johnny Howard<br />
<br />
•
Funny thing about John Howard. He was Australia's PM for 12 years -- or
slightly longer, if you believe everything to read here. But in my
months living here, I've come to identify a curious quality that I feel
certain contributed to Howard's appeal. A shocking portion of
Australians between ages 50-65 look almost identical to Howard.
Especially when jogging in the morning. They look healthy but well-fed.
Generally of pleasant disposition. They are bald and round-faced. They
are probably wearing New Balance shoes, with socks pulled up midway to
the knees. My theory, basically, is that John Howard got a lot of votes
because a lot of voters looked like John Howard. (16/28)<br />
<br />
29. You think footballers dressing up in drag on TV is funny (but your son being gay isn't).<br />
<br />
• Dear reference, meet the air above my head. (16/29)<br />
<br />
30. You have the ability to compress several words into one -- ie g'day' and d'reckn?. This allows more space for profanities.<br />
<br />
• Yeah, I've picked up on this. (17/30)<br />
<br />
31.
You've ever used the words - tops, ripper, sick, mad, rad, sweet - to
mean good. And then you place "bloody" in front of it when you REALLY
mean it.<br />
<br />
• I say reckon, but not bloody. (17/31)<br />
<br />
32.
You know that the barbeque is a political arena; the person holding the
tongs is always the boss and usually a man. And the women make the
salad.<br />
<br />
• Before we can start with all this Ralph-conch talk, first I gotta meet a man who knows his barbecue. Still waiting. (17/32)<br />
<br />
33. The private lives of footy and cricket players become more important than local and national news stories.<br />
<br />
• Sometimes, I even write these stories. (18/33)<br />
<br />
34. You say "no worries" quite often, whether you realise it or not.<br />
<br />
• If it sounds repetitive to others, I can't say I'm worried. (19/34)<br />
<br />
35. You know what fairy bread tastes like, and you can't imagine your childhood without it.<br />
<br />
•
Back in the day, my parents enacted strict regulations on Nintendo and
television viewing and sugary cereal, and I'm sure if our grocery store
carried anything called fairy bread, it would have faced similar
tariffs. (19/35)<br />
<br />
36. You know the first verse to the national anthem, but still don't know what "girt" means. And you're OK with that.<br />
<br />
• Couldn't recite it verbatim. Even when spotted the mystery word. (19/36)<br />
<br />
37. You've drank your tea/coffee/milo through a tim tam.<br />
<br />
• Never. But I'm picky about coffee. (19/37)<br />
<br />
38.
You know that backyard cricket is a nice way to bond with family and
the rubbish bin. And the 'one bounce, one hand' rule always applies.<br />
<br />
• I've covered cricket, but never played. (19/38)<br />
<br />
39.
You know that we are home to the just about all of the world's
deadliest of animals. That's why if anybody messes with us we'll get
some funnel webs on their a--es.<br />
<br />
• It's amazing I've survived long enough to answer this question. (20/39)<br />
<br />
40. You see people walking bare-foot on the sidewalk and don't scorn... because you're doing it too.<br />
<br />
• Frankly, I never see bare feet. I do notice about 90-percent of the population wearing these. (20/40)<br />
<br />
41. You know what trop-fest is and it makes you happy.<br />
<br />
•
Ignorance. (20/41). Please note, by the way, that I picked the 25/50
target without pre-reading these items, and by pure happenstance, I've
been dancing just above and just below the 50 percent line.
Serendipitous drama, I know.<br />
<br />
42. Sausage rolls and meat pies. End of story.<br />
<br />
•
I've gorged on meat pies this year. Had one yesterday afternoon, for
that matter, and the guy who served it to me even mentioned, "I don't
know how these haven't caught on in America." Amen. (21/42)<br />
<br />
43.
You firmly believe that in the end, everything will be ok and have
offered advice that included the words, "she'll be right, mate."<br />
<br />
• I'd say, "She'll be alright, mate." Technicality costs a point. (21/43)<br />
<br />
44. You have a story that somehow involves an excessive consumption of goon. . . but you can't remember.<br />
<br />
• If only. Blog would be richer for it. (21/44)<br />
<br />
45. You own a Bond's chesty. In several different colours.<br />
<br />
•
This is a chesty, which I do not own, if only because of residual
stigmatisms formed from watching reruns of "Cops." I do, however, own
some Bonds boxer briefs. (21/45)<br />
<br />
46. You've ordered a steak the size as your head and only paid $5 at your local RSL<br />
<br />
• I see signs advertising as much every day. And I keep walking. (21/46)<br />
<br />
47. You know that Italy should never have been granted that fateful kick in the 2006 Soccer World Cup.<br />
<br />
• Soccer? World Cup details? I'm feeling Pickler-clueless here. (21/47)<br />
<br />
<br />
48. You know how to slip, slop, slap like it's nobody's business.<br />
<br />
• "Budapest? I never even heard of that." (21/48)<br />
<br />
49.
You've heard the Prime Minister dismiss anyone who disagrees with him
simply as "un-Australian," and that's enough to make us sit down and
shut up.<br />
<br />
• Un-Australian is the Aussie ace card, able
to rationalize any behavior. I've seen it first hand. Many nights, it's
been the reason to stay at the pub for one more. (22/49)<br />
<br />
50. You know that the value of a public holiday is measured in terms of alcohol. God bless the queen and her 4-day birthday.<br />
<br />
•
Tomorrow is a public holiday, but for once, the pubs are closed. Good
Friday ain't good for the Aussies. (23/50) Oh, and 46 percent won't make
me an Aussie. Which is fine, frankly. There's no point in declaring
full allegiance to a country that hasn't yet released the new DBT album.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-2134592006180755352009-09-14T11:16:00.000+05:302015-02-10T09:41:45.774+05:30ParetoLogic Privacy Controls - A Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.paretologic.com/products/paretologicpc/index.aspx">ParetoLogic Privacy Controls</a> is a great software from ParetoLogic that has most of the essential features to keep your privacy features under check and to help keep your computer, protected. It is powerful and provides complete shredding and elimination of confidential information.<br />
<br />
In other words, it doesn’t allow your business to become public.<br />
<br />
Most of us are aware that any person who has access to our computer can view our Internet activities and any of our files, including pictures, music, and video entries, both permanent and temporary.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
The entire installation process of the ParetoLogic Privacy Controls application, takes about less than 4 minutes and there are no hiccups – it is smooth with very few keystrokes. The un-installation time is even less, it takes less than 3 minutes. Upon successful installation, the application creates two scheduled tasks – one of which is for a periodic check of updates, while the other is for regular unattended scanning.<br />
<br />
It also has a built in safeguard, because erasure and permanent shredding of files requires caution. In other words, ParetoLogic Privacy Controls uses safeguards to assist you in verifying the items you select are in fact, unwanted. It classifies the unnecessary data files under various sections unlike its competitor, which just display the files that are to be deleted.<br />
<br />
Its file shredder is another cool feature - it is a powerful tool that helps to completely shred and eliminate confidential information. This product will scan your computer for all of the files that are hiding deep in places that you would not think of, and it lets you decide if you want to get rid of them or not.<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls – system requirements<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic recommends Pentium III or above processor with a minimum of 216 MB RAM, 20 MB HDD space, and an internet connection on Windows 2000 or later. The speed of the connection is not mentioned on the Product webpage but it can also be downloaded using a Dial-Up connection. The file size or the download is about 5.4 MB, and if you are using a broadband net connection, you should be able to download it within 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls - what it erases<br />
<br />
It helps to thoroughly support and clean all files pertaining to Internet Explorer, VLC, Skype, DivX, Bit Torrent and it also erases all traces of browser activity generated by Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, AOL, and Opera. As a matter of fact, it permanently erases all data pertaining to Instant Messaging and Voice Over Internet Protocol such as: AOL, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Instant Messenger, Trillian, Google Talk, Skype, Windows Live Messenger, and GAIM. It also cleans files generated by popular P2P applications such as LimeWire, Azureus, Bit Torrent Client, uTorrent, Kazaa, and Morpheus. In addition, it deletes all traces of the computers desktop search applications that include Google Desktop Search, Windows Desktop Search, Yahoo Desktop Search, and AOL Desktop Search.<br />
<br />
With regard to cleaning history items, it stands apart from the others and is a brilliant tool. It completely deletes the history of recently opened items generated in Microsoft Office applications and any unwanted items or customized settings pertaining to email applications such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Thunderbird, and PocoMail. It not only searches and finds any unwanted history items (even from third-party applications like Adobe Acrobat and Macromedia Flash Player), but also deletes them.<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls - what it works best for<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls permanently erases all data related to your internet activity that includes history of websites visited, tracking cookies, credit card details, software passwords, banking ID's and other confidential information.<br />
<br />
To go a step further I also found that this product uses the same technology that the Department of Defense uses to get rid of its files. Infact, their secure deletion meets and exceeds the standards specified by the U S Government Military. The Safe level makes use of the overwrite technology that advocates DoD 5220-22M specifications (the standard for permanent erasure of digital information as set by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls - benefits<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is consistent and unlike similar products, one of the best factors that stand out is it when it prompts accidental deletion of useful data. I was initially taken aback at the number of files that this application detected, and which I didn’t even know existed.<br />
<br />
People are purchasing ParetoLogic Privacy Controls because it has the ability to erase items that are created automatically and are temporarily cached on your system freeing up hard drive space and improving computer performance.<br />
<br />
Apart from having a wide range of coverage, it performs a scan and erase process for an extensive list of system and application categories and ensures that the computer’s privacy and confidential information is secure.<br />
<br />
It also has an easy selection and erasure. That is to say, you can easily customize the scanning process, thereby getting a preview of items to be erased. In short, you can select an item and get a preview of what you are about to erase for verification purposes<br />
<br />
The Co founder of ParetoLogic, Don Wharter, says in a press release that it is necessary to use the Privacy Cleaner even if you are intending to sell off your computer because there are ways by which the person who buys your computer can recover the leftover data to misuse it.<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls – cost factor<br />
<br />
It is about 30 dollars, which is much lower than the other leading privacy protection software product - Evidence Eliminator. If you are going to spend your hard-earned bucks, you would want the best privacy cleaner. I personally feel that the Privacy Controls does a good a job, for a much lower cost. While ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is definitely well designed with a great interface and going for such a low price of $29.95, there are new similar products (not as good) being unleashed in the market and which are going for free. This would hurt the sales a bit, unless the company gives a free one month demo period, with 75% facilities.<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls – client / user comments<br />
<br />
Some user comments are given below…<br />
<br />
"The great thing about this software is that it deletes files from all sorts of third party applications that store your private information all over your computer for anyone else to find. It is a product that helps you get rid of all of the files and information that is on your computer that you would not want other people to see"<br />
<br />
"After I ran it and rechecked my computer with my anti-spy / adware software, it found nothing"<br />
<br />
"It is an excellent product. If you combine the Privacy Control Software with Pareto Logic's Reg cure, your computer would run lightning fast - try it out for yourself"<br />
<br />
"This type of product is necessary because files never completely get off of your computer when you send them to the recycle bin, uninstall them, or clear out your internet history on your browser. Someone could use a data recovery program to easily find these files, where they could use the information against you, or worse, steal your identity".<br />
<br />
"Simple and easy to use but at times a bit too simple".<br />
<br />
"The only time when you have to be a bit careful is with while deleting. In other words, you just have to view the results of each scan before you delete".<br />
<br />
"This utility is perfect for those who want to keep their privacy more private".<br />
<br />
ParetoLogic Privacy Controls – why it is a great product<br />
<br />
To begin, the interface for ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is professional, simple and straightforward, and it does a good job cleaning your traces. It also supports and scans quite a number of areas. The program is far from cluttered, and has a variety of tools and features at-hand.<br />
<br />
It supports Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista users and it ensures discreet use of application. Furthermore, it has got an advanced shredding option, a feature which makes the application more appropriate for all those looking for a complete privacy tool.<br />
<br />
The product is regularly updated and the Privacy Controls software utilizes the most advanced functionality and captures data from newly released applications thereby always keeping you up to date. Another great factor is the technical support that you get – ParetoLogic is always there with should you have any questions or queries. The response time is 24, if not 48 hours.<br />
<br />
If you want the best option - why don’t you try a free scan of your PC and discover where your private information is hiding<br />
<br />
In short, users searching for a professional privacy trace eliminator would find <a href="http://www.paretologic.com/products/paretologicpc/index.aspx">ParetoLogic Privacy Controls </a>very good.<br />
<br />
This is a sponsored post.</div>
Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-81774719247453350092009-07-21T15:50:00.000+05:302015-02-10T09:39:12.960+05:30Searching to buy a van rack ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What can one say about a van rack that hasn’t already been expressed...?<br />
<br />
The van rack technology is so advanced now and if you are in the market to buy a van rack, there are certain things to check out.<br />
<br />
Obviously, you are searching for a good price and there are prices ranging anywhere from $30 to $700. Besides, you would also want to do your homework on the different materials that they are made from...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
They are now available in steel and aluminum. However, steel is stronger but heavier, and the aluminum is lighter but not as strong. Back in the old days, a van rack was good for just pretty much one thing – carrying items on a van. But with new advancements over the past decade, the van rack can be used for a wide variety of purposes.<br />
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Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-64811104017329097992009-04-08T09:25:00.000+05:302009-10-04T11:07:56.167+05:30Avoiding Impulse SpendingAnswer these questions truthfully:<br /><br />1.) Does your spouse or partner complain that you spend too much money?<br /><br />2.) Are you surprised each month when your credit card bill arrives at how much more you charged than you thought you had?<br /><br />3.) Do you have more shoes and clothes in your closet than you could ever possibly wear?<br /><br />4.) Do you own every new gadget before it has time to collect dust on a retailer’s shelf?<br /><br />5.) Do you buy things you didn’t know you wanted until you saw them on display in a store?<br /><br />If you answered “yes” to any two of the above questions, you are an impulse spender and indulge yourself in retail therapy.<br /><br />This is not a good thing. It will prevent you from saving for the important things like a house, a new car, a vacation or retirement. You must set some financial goals and resist spending money on items that really don’t matter in the long run.<br /><br />Impulse spending will not only put a strain on your finances but your relationships, as well. To overcome the problem, the first thing to do is learn to separate your needs from your wants.<br /><br />Advertisers blitz us hawking their products at us 24/7. The trick is to give yourself a cooling-off period before you buy anything that you have not planned for.<br /><br />When you go shopping, make a list and take only enough cash to pay for what you have planned to buy. Leave your credit cards at home.<br /><br />If you see something you think you really need, give yourself two weeks to decide if it is really something you need or something you can easily do without. By following this simple solution, you will mend your financial fences and your relationships.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-54032432710847259612009-04-02T18:08:00.000+05:302009-10-04T11:09:31.195+05:30You know you're an Australian when...In many respects, the conventions of Australians and Americans, both in behavior (behaviour) and speech, align with similarities. This is even more clear, for instance, when an Australian newspaper made reference to the Mile High Club. And here I was all this time calling it the 1.6 Kilometer Club. No wonder I've struggled with membership.<br /><br />Anyway, on the subject of cultural comparison, I've long noticed a Facebook group called "You know you're an Australian when . . ." -- which I've of course not yet joined, because it lists 50 measurements for membership, and you need to be painfully bored to read 50-item account of insanity.<br /><br />Today, though, I was bored. So I took the test, pasted below (with my answers following). I decided to join the group only if I scored 25/50 or better.<br /><br />1. You're familiar with Neighbours, Home and Away, Playschool, A Country Practice, Norman Gunston, Barry Humphries, Blue Heelers, Ray Martin, Bert Newton, Lisa McCune, Jon Burgess, Number 96, Molly Meldrum, Kerry O'Brien, and of course, Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch.<br /><br />• Only three of these proper nouns ring a bell, perhaps the first handicap of life without television. Granted, one of these three is my boss's boss's boss's boss. But until I meet him, or ride on his private Gulfstream, there's no partial credit. (0/1)<br /><br /><br />2. You know that Burger King doesn't exist. It's Hungry Jacks.<br /><br />• Bingo. For proof, see 13-Oct blog reference. (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07286/825285-402.stm) Never eaten there, though. (1/2)<br /><br /><br />3. You know that snow is a memorable and freakish occurrence. Sometimes it's even fake.<br /><br />• Easy. And what is this, Dubai? Most Sydneysiders don't own jackets. (2/3)<br /><br /><br />4. You know the difference between thongs and a G-banger<br /><br />• Note to self: find out what a G-banger is. (2/4)<br /><br /><br />5. You know that "stubbies" are either short shorts or small beer bottles, a "gimp", "bogan" or "geezer" is a random idiot, someone in trouble is in "strife" and you're liable to burst out laughing whenever you hear of Americans "rooting" for something.<br /><br />• Only the bogan reference eluded me, so I'm counting this. Rooting is the key. Say you're "rooting" here, and people will get the mental picture of nudity and orifices. I was warned about this long before departing for Australian soil. Thank you, Reg (3/5)<br /><br /><br />6. You know that some people pronounce "Australia" like "Strayla" and that's OK.<br /><br />• Sure. You hear this especially out in the bush. Or on domestic-made country albums. (4/6)<br /><br /><br />7. You know that while we call our friends 'mates, we don't use terms like "shiela" and "shrimp on the barbie", contrary to popular belief.<br /><br />• I've learned this, too. In fact, the whole notion that Australians know barbecue is a dangerous lie. Anybody who's dined here would agree. (5/7)<br /><br /><br />8. You know that none of us actually drink Fosters beer because it tastes like s--t. But we let the world think we do. Because we can.<br /><br />• I agree with the smack-talk on Fosters. Problem is, other Aussie lagers taste quite the same. (6/8)<br /><br /><br />9. You know how to abbreviate every word, all of which usually end in -o: arvo, combo, garbo, kero, lezzo, metho, milko, muso, rego, servo, smoko, righto etc.<br /><br />• I know the language, but don't speak it. Hey, the Multisyllabics gotta have some groupies, too. (6/9)<br /><br /><br />10. You resent people who succeed over others. Everyone should do the same thing, so we all get a "fair go"; a kind of 'American-dream' in reverse. This is why we actively like not liking Americans.<br /><br />• Woah -- where did this hostility come from? Australians have this saying that parallels the sentiments above: something about cutting down the tallest trees among us. This culture abhors pretension, which is good. But it leads to a strange shame regarding great achievement, and you get this population overload around the median. I don't understand. (6/10)<br /><br /><br />11. You've seen Gallipoli, Crocodile Dundee, Young Einstein, Muriel's Wedding, The Castle, Beneath Clouds, Strictly Ballroom, 40,000 Horsemen, and maybe even Wolf Creek.<br /><br />• No. No. And more no. No regrets losing this point, either. (6/11)<br /><br /><br />12. It makes you happy when someone in Hollywood is actually Australian. . . Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Russle Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrman, Elle MacPherson, Olivia Newton-John, Midnight Oil, ACDC, INXS, Greg Norman, Cathy Freeman, Dawn Fraser, Pat Rafter, Ian Thorpe. . .<br /><br />• Heart just isn't in it. (6/12)<br /><br /><br />13. One word: Skippy.<br /><br />• Not peanut butter, evidently. (6/13)<br /><br /><br />14. You know that Sydney 2000 was one of our proudest moments in history. We just rock.<br /><br />• No mention here, though, that tens of thousands of prescient Sydneysiders took three-week vacations during the Olympics to escape the mayhem. (7/14)<br /><br /><br />15. You know that you are not going to die of cholera or other Third World diseases (remote Aboriginal communities are a different matter).<br /><br />• Been sick twice here, or more than I'd been in the last three years combined. The ol' immune system has been thrown by the antipodal bacteria. (7/15)<br /><br /><br />16. You know our country has never been conquered by a foreign nation (you don't count 1788).<br /><br />• Clearly. Only conqueror here is named Rupert. (8/16)<br /><br /><br />17. We know that the Metric system will always be better than anything inches, feet, pounds and farenheit will ever offer.<br /><br />• Disagree, and I will note the linguistic dexterity of "mile" as evidence. There is no metric equivalent, for instance, to gas mileage. No equivalent to the high-flyin' club, either. (8/17)<br /><br /><br />18. You drive on the left-hand side of the road.<br /><br />• While feeling simultaneously at ease and bad a--. (9/18)<br /><br /><br />19. If you're a pedestrian and cars are stopped at a red light, you will fearlessly cross the street in front of them.<br /><br />• Took awhile, but I'm comfortable now. (10/19)<br /><br /><br />20. You think of Australia as being somewhat out of place within the Asia-Pacific region; surrounded by unstable ex-colonial nations who regard you as racist, imperialist, and unfairly wealthy.<br /><br />• True, but at least we've stolen their food. (11/20)<br /><br /><br />21. You know that New Zealanders are basically our naive country cousins, who have a weird fush-and-chups accent, and for some bizarre reason, think that they invented pavlova. Bastards. They are to be pitied and laughed at. They have no hope of gaining the upper hand in the endless sporting rivalry between our two nations.<br /><br />• Australia : New Zealand :: US : Canada. (12/21)<br /><br /><br />22. You know that you can't eat Fantales alone. . . Otherwise who will you play the "Who am I..." game with when you're reading the wrapper?<br /><br />• Huh? (12/22)<br /><br /><br />23. You know that Sydney should be the capital because Canberra is a hole.<br /><br />• Canberra is like Harrisburg, but worse, because it doesn't have this guy. (13/23)<br /><br /><br />24. You know that Americans think we're all Steve Irwin clones. And crickey, they couldn't be more wrong.<br /><br />• Confirmed. Australians don't wear those outdoorsy beige vests. (14/24)<br /><br /><br />25. You know that Lawyers wear wigs and gowns. And we make it look good.<br /><br />• Documented by G'DFT, 1-Nov. (15/25)<br /><br /><br />26. You have some time in your life slept with Aeroguard on in the summer. Maybe even as perfume.<br /><br />• Never. Not on the Bucket List, either. (15/26)<br /><br /><br />27. You feel obliged to spread salty black stuff that looks like congealed motor oil on bread. . . and actually grow to like it. You've also squeeze Vegemite through Vita Wheats to make little Vegemite worms.<br /><br />• Vile quasi-food yeast residue should never be an obligation. (15/27)<br /><br /><br />28. You believe that democracy means the freedom to draw caricatures of good ol' Johnny Howard<br /><br />• Funny thing about John Howard. He was Australia's PM for 12 years -- or slightly longer, if you believe everything to read here. But in my months living here, I've come to identify a curious quality that I feel certain contributed to Howard's appeal. A shocking portion of Australians between ages 50-65 look almost identical to Howard. Especially when jogging in the morning. They look healthy but well-fed. Generally of pleasant disposition. They are bald and round-faced. They are probably wearing New Balance shoes, with socks pulled up midway to the knees. My theory, basically, is that John Howard got a lot of votes because a lot of voters looked like John Howard. (16/28)<br /><br /><br />29. You think footballers dressing up in drag on TV is funny (but your son being gay isn't).<br /><br />• Dear reference, meet the air above my head. (16/29)<br /><br /><br />30. You have the ability to compress several words into one -- ie g'day' and d'reckn?. This allows more space for profanities.<br /><br />• Yeah, I've picked up on this. (17/30)<br /><br /><br />31. You've ever used the words - tops, ripper, sick, mad, rad, sweet - to mean good. And then you place "bloody" in front of it when you REALLY mean it.<br /><br />• I say reckon, but not bloody. (17/31)<br /><br /><br />32. You know that the barbeque is a political arena; the person holding the tongs is always the boss and usually a man. And the women make the salad.<br /><br />• Before we can start with all this Ralph-conch talk, first I gotta meet a man who knows his barbecue. Still waiting. (17/32)<br /><br /><br />33. The private lives of footy and cricket players become more important than local and national news stories.<br /><br />• Sometimes, I even write these stories. (18/33)<br /><br /><br />34. You say "no worries" quite often, whether you realise it or not.<br /><br />• If it sounds repetitive to others, I can't say I'm worried. (19/34)<br /><br /><br />35. You know what fairy bread tastes like, and you can't imagine your childhood without it.<br /><br />• Back in the day, my parents enacted strict regulations on Nintendo and television viewing and sugary cereal, and I'm sure if our grocery store carried anything called fairy bread, it would have faced similar tariffs. (19/35)<br /><br /><br />36. You know the first verse to the national anthem, but still don't know what "girt" means. And you're OK with that.<br /><br />• Couldn't recite it verbatim. Even when spotted the mystery word. (19/36)<br /><br /><br />37. You've drank your tea/coffee/milo through a tim tam.<br /><br />• Never. But I'm picky about coffee. (19/37)<br /><br /><br />38. You know that backyard cricket is a nice way to bond with family and the rubbish bin. And the 'one bounce, one hand' rule always applies.<br /><br />• I've covered cricket, but never played. (19/38)<br /><br /><br />39. You know that we are home to the just about all of the world's deadliest of animals. That's why if anybody messes with us we'll get some funnel webs on their a--es.<br /><br />• It's amazing I've survived long enough to answer this question. (20/39)<br /><br /><br />40. You see people walking bare-foot on the sidewalk and don't scorn... because you're doing it too.<br /><br />• Frankly, I never see bare feet. I do notice about 90-percent of the population wearing these. (20/40)<br /><br /><br />41. You know what trop-fest is and it makes you happy.<br /><br />• Ignorance. (20/41). Please note, by the way, that I picked the 25/50 target without pre-reading these items, and by pure happenstance, I've been dancing just above and just below the 50 percent line. Serendipitous drama, I know.<br /><br /><br />42. Sausage rolls and meat pies. End of story.<br /><br />• I've gorged on meat pies this year. Had one yesterday afternoon, for that matter, and the guy who served it to me even mentioned, "I don't know how these haven't caught on in America." Amen. (21/42)<br /><br /><br />43. You firmly believe that in the end, everything will be ok and have offered advice that included the words, "she'll be right, mate."<br /><br />• I'd say, "She'll be alright, mate." Technicality costs a point. (21/43)<br /><br /><br />44. You have a story that somehow involves an excessive consumption of goon. . . but you can't remember.<br /><br />• If only. Blog would be richer for it. (21/44)<br /><br /><br />45. You own a Bond's chesty. In several different colours.<br /><br />• This is a chesty, which I do not own, if only because of residual stigmatisms formed from watching reruns of "Cops." I do, however, own some Bonds boxer briefs. (21/45)<br /><br /><br />46. You've ordered a steak the size as your head and only paid $5 at your local RSL<br /><br />• I see signs advertising as much every day. And I keep walking. (21/46)<br /><br /><br />47. You know that Italy should never have been granted that fateful kick in the 2006 Soccer World Cup.<br /><br />• Soccer? World Cup details? I'm feeling Pickler-clueless here. (21/47)<br /><br /><br />48. You know how to slip, slop, slap like it's nobody's business.<br /><br />• "Budapest? I never even heard of that." (21/48)<br /><br />49. You've heard the Prime Minister dismiss anyone who disagrees with him simply as "un-Australian," and that's enough to make us sit down and shut up.<br /><br />• Un-Australian is the Aussie ace card, able to rationalize any behavior. I've seen it first hand. Many nights, it's been the reason to stay at the pub for one more. (22/49)<br /><br /><br />50. You know that the value of a public holiday is measured in terms of alcohol. God bless the queen and her 4-day birthday.<br /><br />• Tomorrow is a public holiday, but for once, the pubs are closed. Good Friday ain't good for the Aussies. (23/50) Oh, and 46 percent won't make me an Aussie. Which is fine, frankly. There's no point in declaring full allegiance to a country that hasn't yet released the new DBT album.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-55759985737992573652009-03-08T14:32:00.000+05:302009-10-04T11:02:33.824+05:30Keno And Keno RulesKeno is a game that is similar to Lotto.<br /><br />Although the word "keno" has French or Latin roots [Fr. quine five winning numbers],<br />it was first introduced in China many years ago. It is said that the game originated in ancient China in the Han Dynasty between 205 and 187 B.C. It is even believed that its widespread popularity helped raise funds to build the Great Wall. Finally, it was the Chinese immigrants who came to work in the mines and on the railroad that brought the game to America in the 19th century.<br /><br />It is a very popular game and is in fact, very easy to play. The fun part is that it is an exciting pastime and most importantly, it offers the possibility of winning large payouts on relatively small wagers.<br /><br />Now what exactly is this modern version of Keno?<br /><br />The modern game of keno uses 80 numbered ping-pong balls and every game, the house draws 20 balls at random and displays their numbers on these screens [ called keno boards or Keno monitors ] located throughout the casino.<br /><br />As Keno is generally played in casinos and there are many television screens placed all around the casino halls to keep players informed.<br /><br />The object of the game is for the player to guess some of the numbers that the house will draw. The player makes his/ her guesses by marking a Keno ticket, a piece of paper with the numbers 1 through to 80 printed on it. Keno tickets are located at tables throughout the casino but are most readily found in the casino's Keno lounge. The Keno lounge is a room or area with chairs to sit and write with crayons provided for marking the ticket.<br /><br />You can mark a ticket, anywhere from 1 to 15 (more in some places) numbers. The more numbers you mark the more you have to “catch” to win. In dollar terms, the payoffs for the house percentage is pretty much the same regardless of how many numbers you mark.<br /><br />But, one of the important factors is that before you go marking a ticket, you must need to decide how much money you intend to gamble on the ticket.<br /><br />Normally, you are likely to find several copies of the house's Keno brochure, which tells you what the standard bets and payouts. Generally, at any point in time, all casinos tend to have similar betting / payoff scales, but there are times, when there are various "house specials" available.<br /><br />Now, simply mark a blank Keno ticket with the numbers that you want and present it to the Keno desk with your wager and the clerk will give you a duplicate ticket.<br /><br />Within minutes, 20 numbered Keno balls will be drawn at random from a barrel containing 80 numbered balls, and if enough of your selected numbers are drawn and the results would be displayed on the screens.<br /><br />While in some casinos, the minimum bets can be 5 cents, some of them only accept bets of $1 or more. The house's Keno brochures give you information about payoffs and various tickets you can play.<br /><br />The money you win is dependent upon the type of ticket you play with and the number of 'spots' you catch. There are instances where you could win as much as $50,000 on a $1 wager in some casinos.<br /><br />There is also the video version of Keno, where there are slots, with coin operated machines and it plays using the same principle with similar rules of the regular Keno, but you get the results much faster. Although, video keno offers the same odds as regular keno, the payoff scale may vary from the casino norm.<br /><br /><strong>A sample game</strong><br /><br />For example, let's say you decide to play a $1 6-spot. Now what would be the basic rules for it?<br /><br />You would first find or pick a blank keno ticket, get yourself a crayon and cross out your 6 choices, using a plain X. On the right side of the ticket write "$1" and you would write 6 beneath the “$1” so as to indicate that you are playing a 6-spot. Although this may be not necessary, it is used for cross-checking by the dealer, as well as being important when playing combination tickets.<br /><br />After having marked your ticket, you then bring it to a dealer [who incidentally is also called a “writer’)] and who is generally situated at the front of the keno lounge. It would look more like a bank with teller windows and a stand in line<br /><br />Now hand over your ticket and the money to the dealer. The “writer” would make a computer copy of your ticket, and after retaining the original, would return the copy. It is your duty to verify the copy with the original, prior to leaving the dealer window. This is because, just in case of a huge win, the house would have to verify that you did mark those numbers on the original ticket that you had given the “writer”. This also saves as an anti counterfeiting measure as they index and save the original tickets and would search through them if you made a big win.<br /><br />Once you obtain your tickets, you would have to wait for the rest of the players to buy theirs, until the house declares the game as “closed”. After which, all the original tickets are collected and located in front of a video camera as a security measure. Then, the balls are mixed in the hopper and one of the dealers opens the portals chose the balls. One after another, the dealer calls out the numbers and flicks the switch that makes the number to flash on the keno board.<br /><br />After the last, i.e., the 20th number is chosen, the dealers return to their stations and the few winners rush in to cash in, while the rest of the pack plan their strategy for the next game.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-33521356771929062522009-02-13T11:28:00.002+05:302009-02-13T11:34:15.515+05:30The Proxy FatherThe Smiths had no children and decided to use a proxy father to start their family. <br /><br />On the day the proxy father was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife and said, 'I'm off. The man should be here soon.'<br /><br />Half an hour later, just by chance, a door-to-door baby photographer rang the doorbell, hoping to make a sale. 'Good morning, madam. You don't know me but I've come to....' <br /><br />'Oh, no need to explain. I've been expecting you,' Mrs. Smith cut in. <br /><br />'Really ?' the photographer asked. 'Well, good! I've made a specialty of babies.' <br /><br />'That's what my husband and I had hoped. Please come in and have a seat. Just where do we start?' asked Mrs. Smith, blushing. <br /><br />'Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch and perhaps a couple on the bed. Sometimes the living room floor is fun too; you can really spread out.'<br /><br />'Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn't work for Harry and me.' <br /><br />'Well, madam, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven angles, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.' <br /><br />'I hope we can get this over with quickly,' gasped Mrs. Smith. <br /><br />'Madam, in my line of work, a man must take his time. I'd love to be in and out in five minutes, but you'd be disappointed with that, I'm sure.' <br /><br />'Don't I know!' Mrs. Smith exclaimed. The photographer opened his briefcase and pulled out a portfolio of his baby pictures. 'This was done on the top of a bus in downtown London.' <br /><br />'Oh my god!!', Mrs. Smith exclaimed, tugging at her handkerchief. <br /><br />'And these twins turned out exceptionally well when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with.' The photographer handed Mrs. Smith the picture. <br /><br />'She was difficult ?' asked Mrs. Smith. <br /><br />'Yes, I'm afraid so. I finally had to take her to Hyde Park to get the job done right. People were crowding around four and five deep, pushing to get a good look.' <br /><br />'Four and five deep?' asked Mrs. Smith, eyes widened in amazement. <br /><br />'Yes,' the photographer said. <br /><br />'And for more than three hours too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling. I could hardly concentrate. Then darkness approached and I began to rush my shots.' <br /><br />Finally, when the squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, 'I just packed it all in.' Mrs. Smith leaned forward. <br /><br />'You mean they actually chewed on your, eh......equipment ?' <br /><br />'That's right. Well madam, if you're ready, I'll set up my tripod so that we can get to work.' <br /><br />'Tripod??', Mrs. Smith looked extremely worried now. <br /><br />'Oh yes, I have to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It's much too big for me to hold while I'm getting ready for action. <br /><br />Madam ? Madam?..... Good Lord, she's fainted!'Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-84531031958496419502008-12-19T21:30:00.000+05:302009-10-04T11:02:05.637+05:30More regulation will create more panicThe capitalist fat cat has long held a treasured place in popular demonology. Russians used to deride casino capitalism before showing us how to do it really well - by playing with the house's money. British trade union leaders castigated the City of London even as it created jobs at many times the pace at which their own mulish Luddism destroyed them.<br /><br />Even for Americans - perhaps especially for Americans - Wall Street has been the target of popular revulsion and caricature almost since the first banks opened in Lower Manhattan. From William Jennings Bryan's philippics against the “idle holders of idle capital” in 1896 to Michael Douglas' portrayal of Gordon “Greed is Good” Gekko almost a century later, the susceptibility of the American public consciousness to the perceived cupidity and selfishness of Wall Street is every bit as acute as that of any European.<br /><br />When crises unfold and the idlers and greed merchants get their comeuppance, the instant reaction is a mix of anger and Schadenfreude. The public experiences a sort of Kübler-Ross style progression through the various stages of socialist grievance.<br /><br />The inner Marxist rather enjoys the spectacle of rich bankers becoming victims of their own unsustainable excess, proof of the inevitable internal contradictions of the market process. Picture editors never tire of those photographs of some trader holding his head in his hands as the numbers on the screen behind him bleed red.<br /><br />Then the inner Stalinist takes over and rages at the injustice of it all. How dare these Masters of the Universe with their Porsches and their incomprehensible gobbledygook bring us to our knees? Annihilate the options traders!<br /><br />Finally, we get to the inner Leninist, surveying the economic wreckage and calmly insisting that Something Must be Done.<br /><br />That is roughly where we are now in the Great Panic of 2008.<br /><br />There is a compelling narrative that spans the transatlantic political space - all the way from Barack Obama through John McCain to the Labour Left and, for all I know, the British Conservatives too.<br /><br />We got into this mess, it says, because we unleashed the forces of free-market capitalism. This is what you get when you let the animal spirits loose. We bought too willingly into all that 1980s ideology of deregulation and the primacy of markets. Government bowed out of the business of supervising and constraining the financial system. We need to realise the destructive folly of free markets and put the Government back in control. It's a convenient and compelling narrative but is deeply flawed both in its historical account and its prescription.<br /><br />First, the mess we're in cannot simply be ascribed to an insufficiency of government intervention. It's true that some better regulation would have helped but in important respects there has been way too much government intervention.<br /><br />Take the US mortgage market at the heart of the present crisis. One of the largest sources of the problem is the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant US mortgage companies, government-sponsored enterprises that hold or guarantee almost half of America's $11 trillion mortgage market. They facilitated much of the explosion of the mortgage-backed securities market in the US and they did so because investors always believed that these oddly public-private hybrids carried an implicit government guarantee. (They were right.)<br /><br />Critics gave warning repeatedly that if they were not scaled back they would threaten the stability of the whole financial system. (They were right again.)<br /><br />The idea that these two collapsing behemoths somehow represent a failure of the market is about as plausible as saying that the collapsing boxer falling to his knees somehow represents a failure of the canvas.<br /><br />Nor is it the case, as capitalism's critics maintain, that the regulatory structure has been dismantled. On the contrary, the US system of financial regulation has been built up over the years into a staggering skyscraper of rules and institutions that induce a sort of governing paralysis.<br /><br />The regulatory framework is not too small. It is a mess, multiplicated in many areas among different state and federal agencies, and completely lacking in others. It is developed on a base that was created in the 1930s to deal with a wholly different financial environment. Most of those still extant rules that deal, for example with commercial banks, are redundant, while others that should be in place to deal, for example, with investment banks, are not there.<br /><br />Or take the UK model - please, take the UK model. Tripartite regulation between the Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority was a work of genius - until someone rediscovered the old truth that when you have three people in charge of something no one is really in charge. Again this is not lack of regulation. It is the wrong sort of regulation, misdirected, incoherent and in some respects, excessive.<br /><br />Or consider another example in which tight regulation is actually hampering economic recovery. Under international financial rules, banks are required to maintain a core capital base as a proportion of their total balance sheet. But in a financial catastrophe, as capital dwindles and assets become riskier, those rules require banks to cut their lending and investments, driving deeper into the vicious circle<br /><br />The need is not for more regulation but for more relevant regulation, a more intelligent and targeted role for government that acknowledges the essential wisdom of markets but acts to protect the weakest from their excesses.<br /><br />That might certainly mean a more active role for supervisors in examining bank balance sheets. But it is more likely to require not aggressive government intervention, but simply the insistence on better provision of information to avoid the chaos created in the past year because investors didn't have a clue about the quality of many of the assets that they held. And in some respects it might even require less public involvement in, or restraint of, the economy: for example, the dismantling of the US mortgage giants and perhaps less onerous restrictions on bank lending when the economy is contracting.<br /><br />We certainly don't need a system based on the wholly implausible proposition that, in the end, government knows better than people. We should resist at all costs the historically challenged claim that politicians, or the officials they appoint, can possibly know better than free, liquid, well-informed markets in which, every day, hundreds of millions of people put their own money on the line to choose their own future.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-47828359422928963032008-10-23T00:20:00.000+05:302008-10-23T00:21:37.903+05:30Does London Have the Best Indian Food ?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bZeb7fh4ER8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bZeb7fh4ER8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Better quality meat, fish and vegetables could very well put London ahead of any Indian city when it comes to high end Indian food. World renowned London-based Michelin star Indian chef, Atul Kochhar and the owner of the Benares Restaurant, a high-end Indian restaurant in the exclusive Mayfair area of central London said India needed to reform and reorganise its farming industry, so consumers and caterers had reliable access to fresh produce.<br /><br />Watch out - be warned! Chefs in India could lose their cutting edge in preparing top quality Indian food to chefs in London.<br /><br />Atul Kochhar is one of the few Michelin star Indian chefs. He warns that if India's farming industry is not reorganised - London will become the center of Indian cuisine in terms of quality.<br /><br />It's not because of lack of good skill, or lack of good spices. It's purely because of lack of excellent ingredients. India doesn't have excellent ingredients in terms of fish, meat or vegetables, he says. Back in 2001 Kochhar became the first Indian chef to be awarded the highly coveted Michelin star. Kochhar is looking to return to India and open up restaurants. His biggest worry however is getting a regular supply fresh food.<br /><br />The lamb farming has to be niche. The vegetable farming has to be amazingly good. All those things are there, but there is no organized effort in India he says<br /><br />It wont be surprising that more Indian chefs will be awarded Michelin stars in the near future as the reputation of the Indian chefs in the city are growing.<br /><br />There are more people conducting business with Indians. They are trying to understand the culture and cuisine better now and hence the recognition.<br /><br />Kochhar says the corner curry house which churns unique English scorchers such as 'chicken tikka masala', or 'balti chicken' - are on the decline. It in fact, was never an authentic cuisine. I call that British Indian food - because that's how brutish people liked it. That's why they were cooking it and thats why it went on for so long. The curry house will always be part of the British landscape<br /><br />Incredibly there are 1000 plus new restaurants that open every year in Britain, more than any other kind of business, unfortunately around 850 to 900 close within a year. It’s a dream that every couple has entertained. Why? Because secretly they all think that it’s so simple and that they could do it.<br /><br />They think that as they know the mindset and what people like to eat, what they only wanted is the money and the opportunity.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-22791151808826493472008-10-03T09:44:00.002+05:302009-10-04T11:00:20.352+05:30'Shank town' brings in the cleaners to drive crime off the streetsA neighbourhood nicknamed "shank town" after a spate of stabbings is to adopt New York's approach to fighting crime.<br /><br />Enfield council is using the "broken windows" theory in Edmonton in the hope it will halt killings, robberies and anti-social behaviour.<br /><br />Scores of street cleaners, jet washers and environmental crime officers are carrying out a deep clean and fining litterers this week as part of the drive to make the area safer.<br /><br />The thinking behind their strategy is that a problem ignored, even one as apparently minor as a broken window, sends out a signal that disorder is tolerated - encouraging more serious crime and vandalism.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-87800234584644068912008-09-20T08:07:00.000+05:302009-10-04T11:01:13.495+05:30And they say the US Exported More !WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit rose to the highest level in three months, with record oil prices and a flood of toys and other imports from China swamping a solid gain in American exports. <br /><br />The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that the deficit for October increased to $57.8 billion, the highest level since July and 1.2 percent above the September imbalance. <br /><br />The widening deficit was slightly worse than expected and occurred even though U.S. exports of goods and services rose for an eighth consecutive month, climbing 0.9 percent to an all-time high of $141.7 billion. This gain was offset by a 1 percent rise in imports to $199.5 billion, also a record, as a surge in global oil prices sent America’s oil bill soaring. <br /><br />The deficit with China jumped 9.1 percent to $25.9 billion, a record for a single month. <br /><br />The rise reflected record imports from China, led by large gains in shipments of toys and games and televisions as retailers stocked their shelves for Christmas. The demand for Chinese imports is still surging despite a string of high-profile recalls of Chinese products from toys with lead paint to defective tires and tainted toothpaste. <br /><br />So far this year, the trade imbalance with China is running at an annual rate of $256 billion, putting it on track to surpass last year’s $233 billion deficit, which had been the highest deficit ever recorded with a single country. <br /><br />Those record deficits have triggered a backlash in Congress, with dozens of bills introduced seeking to penalize China for what critics see as unfair trade practices contributing to the loss of 3 million U.S. manufacturing jobs since 2000. <br /><br />Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other members of President Bush’s Cabinet were meeting with their counterparts in China this week for the third round of talks aimed at defusing trade tensions. While minor agreements were expected, there was likely to be no breakthrough on the biggest point of contention, China’s undervalued currency. The currency disparity makes Chinese products cheaper in America and U.S. goods more expensive in China. <br /><br />Some of the legislation in Congress seeks to impose penalty tariffs on Chinese products unless China allows its currency to rise in value against the dollar at a faster rate. But Vice Premier Wu Yi, the leader of the Chinese delegation, delivered a blunt threat of Chinese retaliation should the United States impose economic penalties on China. <br /><br />“I need to be quite candid about this: If these bills are adopted, they will severely undermine U.S. business ties with China,” Wu said at the opening of the talks with Paulson on Wednesday. <br /><br />The gain in exports was led by increased shipments of civilian aircraft, industrial equipment and telecommunications products. U.S. manufacturers have been benefiting from a fall in the value of the dollar against many other currencies including the European euro. The weaker dollar makes U.S. goods cheaper on overseas markets while making foreign products more expensive for U.S. consumers. <br /><br />So far this year, the U.S. trade deficit is running at an annual rate of $704 billion, down by 7.1 percent from last year’s $758.5 billion, putting the country on track to see the first narrowing of the deficit after five consecutive years of record imbalances. <br /><br />The import gain was led by an 8.3 percent jump in the foreign oil bill with petroleum imports setting an all-time high of $29.6 billion in October. The average price of a barrel of imported crude also set a record at $72.49 per barrel. The oil bill is expected to rise even more in coming months, reflecting the fact that prices jumped to near $100 per barrel at their peak this fall.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-61826015613135509322008-08-07T11:21:00.002+05:302008-10-01T12:14:27.142+05:30The Rise Of The Indian Thought LeadersThe late Sumantra Ghoshal had observed sometime back that a very different management philosophy is arising and will become dominant – the purpose, process, people philosophy.<br /><br />We are moving beyond strategy to purpose; beyond structure to process; and beyond systems to people.<br /><br />This will shift the basic doctrine of shareholder capitalism, and moderate it so that if people are adding the most value then people will increasingly have to be seen as investors not as employees. Shareholders invest money and expect a return on their money and expect capital growth. People will be seen in the same way. So they will invest their human capital in the company, will expect a return on it, and expect growth of that capital.<br /><br />Ghoshals’ legacy lives on.<br /><br />He mentored and then extensively co-authored with Harvard’s Nitin Nohria, and inspired his students toward a more holistic view of management and leadership and how it is linked to broader society.<br /><br />Nitin and I have been co-authoring papers and cases on management as a profession, says Rakesh Khurana, an Associate Professor of Management Harvard Business School<br /><br />A profession, not simply in a technical sense, but in a normative sense which considers thinks like responsibility, mutual respect for the various constituents in a business enterprise, such as employees and customers, and accountability.<br /><br />Ideas which were catalyzed through discussions with Sumantra. Indeed, my current research and forthcoming book project is on management as a profession as developed through a sociological analysis of elite, U.S. business schools.<br /><br />In the increasingly global world of business thinking, an American Spring could be followed by an Indian Summer. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A passage to India </span><br /><br />Some US companies appear to have recognized the shifting intellectual tide. A number now regularly second people to India, reversing the traditional flow of corporate knowledge. Infosys, for example, runs an intern program in which Americans go to work in India. U.S. companies are also becoming more attuned to Indian culture. <br /><br />Intel is not alone. Other high-tech firms including Adaptec, AMD, Intuit, and Rockwell Automation also offer Indian cultural lessons to their employees. Unlike some diversity training, which is aimed at avoiding law suits, Indian cultural programs are specifically aimed at boosting performance. Some companies, like chipmaker AMD, have gone further. For its Indian Global Immersion Program, the firm flew teams of Indian workers – at $17,000 per person – to Sunnyvale, California, and Austin, Texas, for a month of cultural training with US managers.<br /><br />Some US companies appear to have recognized the shifting intellectual tide. A number now regularly second people to India, reversing the traditional flow of corporate knowledge. Infosys, for example, runs an intern program in which Americans go to work in India. U.S. companies are also becoming more attuned to Indian culture.<br /><br />Courtesy : The book by Stuart Crainer And Des Dearlove<br /><br />Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove are the founders of Suntop Media. Their " <a href="http://www.thinkers50.com/">Thinkers 50</a> " list of most influential global business thought-leaders is a definitive bi-annual guide with endorsement from European Foundation of Management Development (EFMD).Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-59517278703072590522008-06-17T11:30:00.000+05:302008-08-07T11:31:11.084+05:30Corporate LessonA pastor, while driving home happened to pass a nun, to whom he offered a lift. The nun got in and sat down and crossed her legs to expose a pretty leg. <br /><br />The priest having lost his concentration couldn’t take it no more and placed his hand on the leg. The holy woman didn’t say a word but asked the pastor to remember psalm 129.<br /><br />Embarassed, the pastor apologized and dropped the nun at her convent and went inside the church to look up psalm 129, which indicated "Go forth and seek; further up, you will find glory"<br /><br />The moral :<br /><br />Always be well informed in your job; or, you might miss great opportunities!Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8959670121479968224.post-4172911832901173282008-05-23T11:54:00.001+05:302008-05-23T11:55:00.116+05:30Corporate CommunicationA little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. <br /><br />While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. <br /><br />The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. <br /><br />A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him!<br /><br />Q: What can we learn from this?<br /><br />A1: Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.<br />A2: Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.<br />A3: Most importantly: when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut.Shankar Pandiathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06426444026438245279noreply@blogger.com0