Subscribe to Desicritics
« February, 2007 || April, 2007 »
- Archives: March 2007
- Harping On Budget Blues
He will continue making his budgetary adjustments to survive.
- Fuel Efficient Cars: How Far Are We From 100 Miles Per Gallon?
While we dream of a what a futuristic world would be like, in today's world it is within our grasp to reach 100 mpg with
- Interview: Protesting Against Coca-Cola
The protest against Coca-Cola is part of a fight against Globalization, American products, War, and the sufferings of local people.
- Koffee with Karan Presents Bitchy Bollywood
So despite the let-down, why the heck do I still continue to spend my Sunday evening sipping Koffee with Karan?
- BUG - The Brotherhood of Unwelcome Guests
We have had people coming in groups, including unmanageable children, without as much as a phone call
- Revisiting An Inconvenient Truth
Five simple things that made this recent Oscar-winning documentary a pleasure to watch
- The Budget and Other Snacks
Appetizing topics to go with your evening drink.
- Book Review: Miyelo by Viggo Mortensen
Miyelo is the truth of the history of North America,
- Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: Bangladesh and Kenya
Bangladesh and Kenya are the minnows of world cricket who have pulled off some stunning upsets in the past.
- Desi Get-togethers: Why They Get My Goat
The hosts generally join the party at least an hour after the time specified in the invite, dressed up to the nines.
- Murder of Frenchmen in Holy City: Continued Legacy of 14 Centuries of Holy Terror
The death of four French nationals in the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia is the continuation of the Islamic holy terror started 14
- Strengthen Primary Education to Arrest Dropout Rates
My detractors would again ask me to stop harping and find solutions.
- Cricket Is More Than A Game
I think cricket, I drink cricket, I breathe cricket.
- Technology: The World is Your Market (Part 1 of 2)
Technology can bridge the gap between the real world and the digital world
- Meeting Meena Kandasamy
By 23, Meena has written a large number of poems, been published in journals, obtained Kamala Das's blessings and published her own collection of poems!
- Shoaib-Asif Doping Scandal: Episode No. 420
The fallout from the doping scandal of Pakistan's two premier fast bowlers keeps getting uglier and uglier.
- Will India Follow Peruvian Punctuality?
Recognizing punctuality as a civic virtue that represents respect for other person’s time
- Book Review: The Song Of Kahunsha Anosh Irani
The Song Of Kahunsha is a harsh, unforgiving, horrifying, and beautiful book all at once.
- The Bofors Case: Raising Its Head Again
When will we ever get to the bottom of the Bofors case ?
- Technology: The World is Your Market (Part 2 of 2)
How technology is falling in place to bridge the gap between the real world and the digital world
- The Great Indian Tipping Challenge - Part 1
Drivers, porters, doormen, car attendants, tour guides and waiters at restaurants, they're all part of The Great Indian Tipping Challenge.
- Water and the Indian Woman
Water is a rather poor representation of the Indian reality
- My Big, Fat Indian Fiasco
An Indian wedding disaster.
- Mobile at Matunga
I am constantly amazed at how urban India is adapting to technology and change.
- Book Review: Linger Viggo Mortensen
In the hands of Viggo Mortensen words are not a dangerous tool, unless you have objections to lingering over truths.
- Travel Episodes: Revisiting Chennai
Only two days ago, I was wrapping myself in multiple layers of woollen clothing. Here I was, wearing the thinnest possible t-shirt.
- Can India Clone Al-Jazeera?
We could make a go of an India promoted global media brand
- Bollywood Around The World
Working as a foreign actor in Bollywood, I discover that my job provides the ideal opportunity for travel
- Movie Review: Nishabd
RGV tackles an unconventional theme with remarkable ease.
- Banks as Loan Sharks: Random Thoughts
This isn't the first case where private banks and credit card companies have sent thugs to recover dues.
- Cleaning Up Our Attitudes and Our Environment
One can imagine the wisecracks awaiting a "toilet engineer" in India, or the hilarity caused by the desire to take up "toilet management" as a
- Music Review: Intelligence Failure Buckethead & Viggo Mortensen
This is not going to find favour among those who think that voicing an opinion contrary to the White House is unpatriotic.
- Music Review: One From The Heart Soundtrack Album Tom Waits
"I gotta a bottle full of trumpet, a hatbox full of drum..."
- Holi And A Tale Of Two Indias
Salim keeps his shop open so that everyone can have a feast on this occasion.
- Movie Review: The Departed - Oscar's Best and Scorsese's Weakest
In his speech at the Oscars, Scorsese said this was the first movie he made with a plot and that might be true.
- Reliance: Stuck In A Downward Spiral
It is squandering and frittering away its home grown advantage by doing basically nothing.
- India and the West - A Clash of Family Laws
These countries, unlike India, give their people the choice to live their lives the way they wish.
- The Brits Are Not Racist or Discriminatory!
To everyone thinking of the Brits as racist or discriminatory, I say this: they are not racist.
- India's Flirtation With Social Security
This was a golden chance for the government to step up to prove that India has changed
- Music Review: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
A rising talent serves notice with a memorable sophomore collection
- Inflation, SEZs and the Current Fiscal Fiasco in India
A non-economist way of looking at Inflation and the current fiscal fiasco in India.
- The U.S. Comes Up Lacking In Cross-Atlantic Trade Wars
The European Union is going after some of the biggest players in the tech industry and the U.S. government doesn't seem to be doing much
- Abdel Karim - How Extremism Silences Moderate Voices
Censoring books is a first step in silencing moderate voices!
- The Great Indian Engagement Story
Like everything in India the present is constantly layered over the past
- IT MATters
Guess where the buck will stop!
- Britney's Judy Garland Moment or Cheap Publicity Stunt?
Is it a mental breakdown or has she plain gone loco?
- Satire: Art For Sale
Instead of finding them a whore to flatter their egos, I find them paintings that do the equivalent.
- The Brighter Side Of Breaking A Leg
Turning a mishap into an advantage
- Bangladesh - Democracy Through Emergency?
Is the country going to be in the grips of the new Army-led bureaucracy or on the path to Democracy?
- Despicable Dowry
And many men happily sell themselves for a few lakhs of cash, jewels, vehicles and even property.
- Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: The Minnows
What can Scotland, Netherlands, Bermuda, Canada and Ireland achieve against the big boys?
- Pakistan Functions In The Lost Realm
The India-Pakistan equation reviewed again. Only this time both have failed their citizens. Also what cross-border terrorism actually means.
- Interview With Dr. Victor Stenger, Author of God: The Failed Hypothesis
Noted physicist, Dr. Victor Stenger, answers some questions in this wide ranging interview.
- Google University on YouTube at Starbucks in Barnes and Noble
Google could provide college education better, cheaper and caffeinated
- Cricket: Chairman of Selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar, Comments on Team Selection
Vengsarkar's comments on Sehwag's selection aren't as inflammatory as the media projects.
- Myths About Female Infanticide in India
Female infanticide is truly brutal and should stop immediately. But that won't happen by (falsely) blaming Hindu scriptures.Sandeep
OPINION | Culture: Desi | Culture: Education | Culture: Essay | Culture: Family | Culture: History | Culture: Religion | Culture: Rituals | Culture: Rural | Culture: Social Issues | Culture: Society | Media: Blogs | Media: Journalism | Media: News | Media: Newspapers | Politics: Freedom | Politics: India | Politics: Laws | Politics: Religion | Politics: South Asia | Politics: World - Canadian Politics: Nine Year Old Canadian Detained In Texas
"I'm only sticking to the rules" is not that far from "I was only following orders"
- Crazy Book Pricing
Cost of a book is in no way related to the quality of its content.
- A Hymn to Aging
We have not yet found engaging roles for the wealth of life skills that senior citizens carry
- Canada: The Most Popular Country in the World!
The "soft power" phenomena
- Laying the Groundwork - Iran Attack Imminent?
Can anything stop the Neocon roadmap to war?
- A Closer Look at Britney’s Shears
Why the shearing of Britney is significant and not in line with her other antics
- Indian Languages And Caste Prejudice
A Dalit activist and Ex-Naxalite member claims that Indian languages are the vehicles of caste based prejudice.
- Death of the Chowkidar
The chowkidar is dead but may his memory endure forever
- Food Suplements: What Are They Good For?
Supplements can be avoided through the simple expedient of eating a properly balanced diet
- India And Canada: Polling Well
India is that brilliant underachieving student who has just been gliding by without much effort
- On Tax Holidays and Growth Holidays
What do our IT 'leaders' have to say on the negative social impacts of technology?
- Pieces of State - Part II
Palestinian exports are a small market. If it grows it could help ease Palestinian poverty.
- Poetry: Sleepy
Nothing compares to a good night's sleep at the end of a long hard day.
- Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: Pakistan
Predictions are difficult. Especially when they are about the future. And about Pakistan.
- Cartoon: And The Oscar Goes To...
Dick Cheney warns Musharraf to act on terror! Again!!
- Indonesia - Why Is It Unsafe To Fly There?
Are the Indonesians caught between the devil and the deep blue sea?
- How Krishna Vattam Took To Blogging
Senior citizens in my city see a computer mainly as an in-house post office, where they could check/send mail.
- Amitabh Sells Uttar Pradesh Short
Celebrities often have a lot of integrity they have amassed. But they also need to work to preserve it.
- The Big Old Reservation Debate
The reservation policy was supposed to bring down the number of people requiring help. It's time to take another look
- The Air Kiss
The official killjoy's guide to entertainment.
- Satire: New Attempt At Peace: United Nations Resolution 929
Some men were too attached to the notion that the ability to breed affected their leadership abilities.
- Women's Day 2007: The Changing Role of Women in Society
More than a century after Women's Day was first observed, how much has a woman's role in society changed?
- Cartoon: Hide and Seek
Quattrocchi out on bail: SC fumes over being kept in dark.
- Unified Theory in Education Policy for India
If not for the compulsory study of a regional language, the experience of the immediate environment would have been nullified
- Reservation: Our Downfall
The case for voluntary reservation
- Interview: Bill Thompson - Part I
Premier technology commentator Bill Thompson of the BBC shares his thoughts
- Bollywood in the Skies
It is interesting, the kind of reaction a male movie star generates among Indian women
- Interview: Sanjana Kapoor - Carrying On With Family Tradition
From the hour that I spent with Sanjana, her most striking feature is her simplicity.
- I Was A Twenty-Something Security Risk
Confessions of a twenty-something security threat.
- Billionaire India: Worse Off Than Sub-Saharan Africa?
Incredible India already presents Manhattan to Somalia in its commercial capital, Mumbai, alone
- End the Textbook Circus - II
Do you want the right to decide where your education tax goes?
- India's World Cup 2007 Campaign Begins
In other words, I will try to be the average fan, with a little bit of bias for India.
- World Cup 2007: India vs. West Indies Warm Up
An impressive performance from India's young guns bodes well for their chances.
- Original Fiction: The Burden
He was breathing hard – like a beast that has just made a kill
- Children: Ethiopia Better than Asia?
The crisis of malnutrition and child health
- Alternate Schooling in India
An alternate school is possible when we move away from the concept of emphasizing only literacy and transition into education.
- Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: India
This version of Team India has a lot of talent, spirit and fight. However...
- Social Responsibility or Socialist Mafia?
Look at the economy now - the middle class is back to getting screwedSandeep
OPINION | BizTech: Companies | BizTech: Economics | BizTech: Entrepreneurship | BizTech: Globalization | Culture: Essay | Culture: Rural | Culture: Social Issues | Culture: Society | Culture: Urban | Media: Blogs | Politics: Corruption | Politics: Elections | Politics: Freedom | Politics: Governance | Politics: India | Politics: Laws | Politics: South Asia - Plagiarism: Desi Food Bloggers Take On Yahoo! India And Win
How are we bloggers to protect our content? Can anyone tell?
- Movie Review : 300 Is a Visual Treat.
I forsee myself watching it multiple times on the big screen
- European Union: New Treaty Reduces Greenhouse Gases by 20 Per-Cent
Over the next 13 years, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU would be cut by 20%
- "Expressionless" John Abraham
With twisted nose and a yucky facial expression - she stamped him as "expressionless". That's it!
- Cricket World Cup 2007: India Beats The West Indies in the Warm Up Match
India beats the West Indies, but there was no warm up as such.
- Driving in Noida's Incredible Traffic
Driving in Noida: How do we get people to follow traffic laws?
- ACC Basketball: NC State Blazes in the Year of Underdogs
North Carolina State beats Duke and Virginia on their way to the quarter finals in the ACC basketball tournament.
- Poetry: Two Friends and a Bear
A limerick on the birth of competitive strategy.
- DVD Review: Pray For Me Brother
Given the non-commercial nature of the album and the cause behind it, it is a must-have for anyone who appreciates good music.
- Of Monkeys and Modernization
What is Santa doing with a sackful of dynamite?
- Happy Women's Day, Sir!
Progress is certainly being made on women's issues though activists feel that the pace is still too slow
- Ayn Rand in Wonderland
Ayn Rand understood neither man nor the society. Yet she set off to paint a grandiose philosophy which was neither rational nor sustainable.
- Media Coverage of the Arun Nayar and Liz Hurley Marriage
The marriage - did it really deserve the kind of media publicity that it got?
- DVD Review: Favela Rising
if they ever want to ever show a movie that deserves to be described inspiring, Favela Rising is one such film.
- Basketball: Heartbreak For NC State In The ACC Tournament
NC State's dream run in the ACC comes to a close with their loss against UNC in the final.
- Long Live Sanjaya Malakar, The American Idol Underdog
Hey, I don't mind admitting it, I watch American Idol.
- Theater Review: Anil Abraham's Gentleman - The Male 'Vagina Monologues'
Broadly, it depicts men as hairy, smelly creatures who revel in their own sweat and farts and are predictably obsessed with their penises.
- Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: Australia
The winners of the last two World Cups need to prove themselves again in this edition of the World Cup.
- President Musharraf's Brutal Assault on the Pakistani Judiciary
Who is going to liberate us?
- TV Review: Zee TV’s Ravan
The issues at Ravan’s core resonate globally; it’s the execution of the production that lets the show down
- Mumbai Footpaths
The issue of habitat for the poor is a bomb waiting to explode
- With A Grain of Salt: Pakistan - Trapped, Surrounded, Quarantined?
One could argue that Pakistan is slowly getting trapped, surrounded, quarantined or perhaps the noose is drawing tighter.
- Reality Check
If a tiny organization like ours could disturb existing patterns then it meant that we were on the right track.
- How Nice to be a Dictator
Democracy slows things down considerably and puts brakes on the speed at which reforms could be made and justice delivered
- Ricky Ponting's Chip
God have mercy on the legacy of Bradman, Border, Taylor and Waugh.
- Canadian Politics: Torture In Afghanistan
If our government, or our soldiers are taking part in torture, then none of our hands are clean.
- I'm An Alien...
For the next few weeks there were two Indias: the one that loved the game and the few like me who did not.
- Crime, Sociopaths and Revenge: Asian Film At Its Finest
Highlights from the upcoming Asian Film Festival in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- The Need For Having A Government
Better to raise even a false alarm when indicators lead to grave situations, than basking in the glory of certainty.
- Book Review: Death Comes For The Fat Man By Reginald Hill
Reginald Hill has succeeded in bringing one of the most human faces to policing
- Bollywood Industry - The Desi Big Brother House
Terms like talent, creativity, meaningful cinema and originality can all go for a toss - it's fame and money which rules the roost.
- Investment Options In India: Grow your Money
Stocks, Real Estate, Mutual Funds, ULIPs and ETFs – What's the best for you.
- E-commerce and Payment Gateways in India
Just how expensive is it in India to set up a payment gateway for your website? Read on to find out.
- How Much Money Do We Need To Live On?
How much money does one really need to live in today’s age?
- Cricket World Cup 2007 Preview: West Indies v/s Pakistan, Jamaica
An interesting match between two unpredictable teams awaits us as the 2007 Cricket World Cup gets underway.
- The Future of Om Stores
If it is okay for Indian companies to go overseas, why create a fuss about foreign companies coming here?
- Sleuth of India: Byomkesh Bakshi, Truth Seeker
A review of Indian detectives in TV and books.
- Why Bollywood And Karan Johar Hate Marriage
Everything is based on the Romeo and Juliet theory – young love is the only love.
- Movie Review: The Namesake (2007)
It's mediocre, at best.
- Cricket World Cup 2007: The Hosts Begin the Carnival
The West Indies open the tournament with a disciplined and spirited performance.
- Twice-Weekly TV
Sometimes I do long for the Wednesdays and Sundays of days bygone!
- Watch Out! A Chain Mail Is Coming Your Way!
Is a chain mail set into motion by a sadist? Or by a childish prankster? Or is it God, trying to communicate his love for
- Why Pakistan Can Still Win The World Cup
Pakistan lost the tournament opener to West Indies yesterday, but all is still not lost.
- Movie Review: Eklavya - Craft Kills a Story
In Eklavya, Vidhu Vinod Chopra makes the mistake so many directors (especially the good ones) do.
- Twelve Killed In Nandigram Police Firing - the Fate of Nandigram
What happened in Nandigram is a shameful day in the history of West Bengal and for Budhadheb Bhattacharjee.
- West Indies Opens With a Win - Aussies Ready to Steamroll
Can Gavaskar rattle the Aussies like the Aussie press rattles the Indian teams?
- Cementing India with Cement Prices - The Cement Cartel At Work
There's more to recent cement price controversy and government interventions. than what the mainstream media would have you believe.
- Green Blues
Last week I drove out of Delhi into tiny villages and was appalled to see the mound of plastic
- Indian and U.S. Visa Procedures - Not Much To Choose From
Contrary to many warnings I received, I wasn't asked to participate in (and didn't witness) any sort of corrupt or bribe-related activities.
- "Ethnic" Media: Do I Want to Live in This Ghetto?
Does ethnicization of the media sit well with global cosmopolitanism?
- Book Review: Hitchhiker Vinod George Joseph
The economic miracle of India...is hiding some of the old unpleasant truths.
- Anand Jon Alexander, A Designer Rapist
If convicted and handed the maximum sentence, Anand Jon can design overpriced jeans from prison… for the rest of his life.
- Kalyani Singh from Udaan - A Perfect Role Model
I was totally influenced by Kalyani Singh with her “never say die” attitude in the tele-series Udaan.
- Avoiding Another Nandigram in the Push for Industrialization
How to prevent incidents such as the Nandigram violence while moving towards industrialization
- Movie Review: The Perfect Man - An Elektra Complex Gone Oedipal
The author chances on an unintentionally amusing flick that gives off a funny and creepy vibe.
- Another Bengali Crimefighter: Feluda
The second post in my "Desi Detectives" series...
- My Maid And Work Ethics
Maids and governments are a necessary evil.
- Formula 1 2007 Preview: The Australian Grand Prix
After five months of anxious anticipation, the day has come for the start of 2007 Formula 1 season.
- Google News Goes Desi - Launches Hindi News Service
The internationalization trend is not a new one for Google or the other Internet giants.
- The Chhattisgarh War in India
Do we hold life so cheap in this country that we cannot even find the time to question why 55 policemen had to die?
- Happy Mother's Day!
On this Mother's Day, let us stop for a minute to pat ourselves on our backs for what we do all day, every day
- V.K Krishna Menon: True To Himself
Menon may have only been guilty of being hard to understand and fiercely independent
- Congress Courts Muslim Vote
How to take effective measures to improve the condition of the Muslim community
- Kevin Pietersen: Batsman & Entertainer
Why England’s hustler is the entertainment in cricket today
- Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Qualification Results
The qualification was as exciting as one thought it would be with some of the "back-markers" showing it to the front runners.
- Do Youngsters Need Sex Education? Ask the MP Government
Do we want the changes that flow from a true sexual revolution?
- Cricket World Cup 2007: Thoughts on The Upcoming India-Bangladesh Match
Bangladesh pose a left handed threat to Indians in today's World Cup encounter
- Comic Relief: A Touch of Reality
This year Comic Relief has affected me in a big way.
- Pharmaceutical Companies: Killing us Slowly
Major multi national drug companies are killing us softly even as debates about intellectual property rights swirl about us.
- The Implications Of China's Burgeoning Military Spending
The continually rising Chinese Military Spending is not just an Area of Concern for the West but for India too.
- Perception of 'Police' in India
Brand perception of Police in India.
- Movie Review: Honeymoon Travels - Six Degrees of Togetherness
Reema Kagti's first film is a one-of-a-kind hilarious and paisaa-wasool human comedy
- BSNL Broadband - IPTV and Beyond
While BSNL may have the theoretical first mover advantage, Airtel and Reliance have the potential to upset it's apple cart.
- Book Review: Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning by George Monbiot
Rich nations need to start acting for poorer nations to start too.
- Finding Collective Solutions - Sarasvati on Her Hamsa
When are we going to reach a level of silence to look at things objectively?
- ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 - Bangladesh’s Man of Destiny
A young gun delivers a memorable World Cup win for his country.
- Formula 1 Update: Australian Grand Prix 2007
Kimi Raikkonen continued his excellent form onto the race day.
- The Human Paradox
Life and relationships in cryptic prose
- The Saga of Neutron Jack - Profit At Any Cost
The phenomenon of Neutron Jack is as inexplicable as the bull market of the nineties, which defied both logic and imagination.
- Cricket World Cup 2007: Two Surprises, That 'Upset' Two Teams
The Bangladeshi and Irish wins were surprises, but they were not upsets in the true sense of the word.
- Despicable 'Sowry'
Since ages women have been selling their bodies. Today, many people are using their daughters and sisters to earn money.
- Cricket World Cup 2007: South Africa Runs Amok and New Zealand Squeezes A Win Out of England
South Africa makes a point that they are ready for winning this year and New Zealand win against a pathetic England team.
- Cricket World Cup 2007: India Derailed by Bangladesh
It's is an uphill climb for India to get in to the next stage.
- In Memoriam: Robert Andrew Woolmer
Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, has died after being found unconscious in his Jamaica hotel room.
- Shallow Friendships and Missing Friends
True friendships take a life time to cultivate and nurture and cannot be created through instant messaging.
- The Bangladesh Win - India's 'Contribution'
The Bangladeshi newspaper, Prothom Alo, said this win is a reply to the Indians' disrespect vis-a-vis Bangladesh
- Marilyn Monroe, Guru Dutt, Meena Kumari: Victims of Lethal Love
Love can kill.
- Harping On Budget Blues