2008 comes to a close today. I spent the 1 st day of the year gone with my brother and his family and our parents in Detroit. We went around the table and did our usual "so whats the resolution for the year". And the usual answers around losing weight, eating more healthy, no resolutions, etc emanated from everyone. Now as I look back, I wish I had made one resolution and implemented it: To save more cash and put it inside a pillow for investing after Black September.
Let's see the downs of last year:
a) The global consumer whose income got eroded due to various factors
b) The global economy save China and India to some extent (not the Indian stock market)
c) Small investors who got hurt - I dont care for the large fund managers and investors- they missed out on one year's multi-million dollar bonus
d) The financial community who literally blew away a trillion dollars due to excessive risk taking and GREEEEEEED.
e) The incredible rise of oil price driven by speculators and not by China
f) CEOs of the auto companies flying in private jets to ask for a bailout
g) The blow to the unbridled capitalist form of economic systems
h) The Bombay attacks
Let's see the ups now:
a) The election of a pragmatic and thoughtful leader for the US and the "free world" - Is he the "chosen one"? - let's see if he can deliver
b) The decline of oil prices in the last two months
c) The shattering of the ways of the greed driven financial community
d) The increasing focus on saving the planet and on renewables
e) Krugman winning the Nobel prize for economics
f) The Beijing olympics and Phelps
g) Abhinav Bhindra for winning India's first solo gold
h) The signing of the US-Indian nuclear deal
What I will never forget - Watching Obama standing in Chicago on the evening of Nov 5, the bombs in Bombay, Li Ning running around the stadium in Beijing hoisted up by a crane over 100 ft from the ground, The Indian national anthem being played at the Olympics for the first time in over 28 years
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Bombay Attacks
Its been a while since the last posting. I have been busy with personal stuff, shopping, family etc. But I cant help thinking constantly about the attacks in Bombay. I did not want to post anything about it earlier. It was shocking. I am glad that the attacks got publicity. Maybe somebody will wake up and start asking some serious questions about the evil nexus of the militants and terrorists in the tribal areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan. By why only the attacks at the Taj and the Oberoi? only because foreigners were staying at the hotel. Nobody would have cared about it if it had been Maharashtra Athithi Sevak" hotel or some such thing! The entire episode raises a zillion questions:
a) What were our intelligence agencies doing? - Whatever criticisms we may have against the current US president, we have to admit that under his watch there have not been any attacks in the US since 9/11. He has protected the United States admirably. And he has done this with a zeal that has been supported by effective and if sometimes boorish, intel. But who cares about boorish behaviour - if security is good. The attacks on the Indian parliament in the 2002 should have galvanized our security systems and intelligence. If funds are a question- the Government should stop funding wasteful missions to the moon. Sure GOI can strut around with a puffed up chest - but how does that help in the safety of people?
b) What was the media doing telecasting everything from such close quarters? - it was a tamasha going on! Why were they allowed so close to the site? They were often getting in the way of the security forces. I have to admit - one of the interviews with the Black cat leader was a very sorry one - he said that thye were at a disadvantage because they did not know the layout of the Taj while the terrorists knew it well. Sure in the beginning - but why for over 8 hrs? couldnt they get the maps and the layouts from hotel staff? All in all the media coverage was not helpful or insightful.
c) It was embarassing to watch Ratan Tata say nothing could have prevented the attacks on the hotel. particularly aftre thye had been warned! This is not expected of a chairman - Yes they could have taken faster action - why was security so lax at the hotels?
d) What was the state government doing? - less than two years after the Bombay train blasts - terrorists are attacking the railway station! It was an embarrassing sight to watch the police running around later on with WW2 SMLE rifles!
There a number of other questions that need to answered - why dont the Police get better training and better equipment? spend money on the police and on upgrading defence and on intel. What was our coast guard doing? Why have no heads rolled so far? What can other cities do to learn and be prepared?
a) What were our intelligence agencies doing? - Whatever criticisms we may have against the current US president, we have to admit that under his watch there have not been any attacks in the US since 9/11. He has protected the United States admirably. And he has done this with a zeal that has been supported by effective and if sometimes boorish, intel. But who cares about boorish behaviour - if security is good. The attacks on the Indian parliament in the 2002 should have galvanized our security systems and intelligence. If funds are a question- the Government should stop funding wasteful missions to the moon. Sure GOI can strut around with a puffed up chest - but how does that help in the safety of people?
b) What was the media doing telecasting everything from such close quarters? - it was a tamasha going on! Why were they allowed so close to the site? They were often getting in the way of the security forces. I have to admit - one of the interviews with the Black cat leader was a very sorry one - he said that thye were at a disadvantage because they did not know the layout of the Taj while the terrorists knew it well. Sure in the beginning - but why for over 8 hrs? couldnt they get the maps and the layouts from hotel staff? All in all the media coverage was not helpful or insightful.
c) It was embarassing to watch Ratan Tata say nothing could have prevented the attacks on the hotel. particularly aftre thye had been warned! This is not expected of a chairman - Yes they could have taken faster action - why was security so lax at the hotels?
d) What was the state government doing? - less than two years after the Bombay train blasts - terrorists are attacking the railway station! It was an embarrassing sight to watch the police running around later on with WW2 SMLE rifles!
There a number of other questions that need to answered - why dont the Police get better training and better equipment? spend money on the police and on upgrading defence and on intel. What was our coast guard doing? Why have no heads rolled so far? What can other cities do to learn and be prepared?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
End of an era
Yesterday JVC shipped out its last VHS player. What service the VCR/ VCP has provided to homes. I still remember when we would assemble in the community club in Calcutta to have a "video movie showing". The crowds would be thick enough to make you cramp for space, but the events were always fund. The movie prints were always scratchy, and we had to watch on a 29 inch TV from a distance of atleast 20 feet. and of course, they were always Rajnikanth, Kamalahasan or a new Bollywood film.
Then when we bought the first VCR, was I overjoyed! I think I recorded every movie that came on TV, every show I liked and taped over them sometime. We had to handle the tapes carefully - sometimes they got stuck inside. Then we figured how to clean the VCR head.
Then when we bought the first VCR, was I overjoyed! I think I recorded every movie that came on TV, every show I liked and taped over them sometime. We had to handle the tapes carefully - sometimes they got stuck inside. Then we figured how to clean the VCR head.
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