Amit Varma points to a great article by Shekhar Gupta

In the article his guide and driver in Prague tells him “You Indians are very fortunate you always had democracy, even when you had socialism.”
Continue reading →

Sandy wants me to blog about the Ambani settlement. Actually, I found their fight more interesting than their settlement. Apparently, in his lifetime père Ambani had set up things his estate in such a way that Mukesh had controlling stake in all companies. So legally speaking, he could have chucked out Anil from all boards of all companies and Anil couldn’t have done jack about it. (i.e. he would still be a shareholder and get dividends, but he wouldn’t get any say in running the companies.) If my understanding is correct (I am not sure) then Anil’s behaviour makes a lot of sense. In fact it reminds me of this puzzle I had posted sometime back – the one about pirates. I find it interesting that most people understand Anil Ambani’s actions pretty well, but couldn’t really appreciate the problem of the pirates.
Continue reading →

… and it reminds me that the toughest thing about learning English to me wasn’t understanding the grammar. It was figuring out that words like “sunny” and “warm” are supposed to have good connotations and that “rainy” and “cold” are supposed to be bad. We Mumbaikars like it when it rains. I understand Britons hating rains. But for us, it gives respite from the summer and leaves just as we start getting bored of it. Plus, we get a holiday from school.

While I was away, I missed commenting on the Advani-Jinnah secularism kerfuffle. If you are like me and you enjoy seeing others in pain, you should try to talk to a BJP supporter about the whole thing.
Continue reading →

Yes I know that it’s been some while. I won’t bore you with explanations. I’ll just continue as if nothing happened.

He isn’t talking of blogs

In Indian movies, when they need to need to imply that sex has taken place, they use some rather interesting techniques, such as showing the sun rising the morning after, showing fire burning brightly, showing leaves and other objects shaking, showing clothes strewn about…

Now that people can’t be shown lighting up, what techniques will they use? I don’t have the vivid imagination required, so I must ask my readers to help me with this. Inputs from Gults will be most appreciated, as their movies seem to show the most imagination, especially where creative use of a heroine’s belly button is concerned.

I don’t know the answer and you don’t, either. I just want to point out that there are many wrong ways of looking at it. Two wrong reasons to oppose the British Rule are:
Continue reading →

On 15th May 2005

Since we have been talking of gender differences, here is some more. Every year we see headlines like “Girls outshine boys” in CBSE/ICSE/State board results. The basis for the headline is that the pass percentage is better among girls than among boys. Can you tell me the real reason for the gap?

Hint: It involves discrimination against girls. Also, ignore the gap mentioned for CBSE results in the linked article. That is most probably not statistically significant. Usually the gap in state board exams is much higher – and that is another hint.

(See update below)
Prof Abi, over at Nanopolitan, has been tirelessly campaigning for politeness in debate. Dilip D’Souza in the comments section makes a perceptive observation. (See comment #17)

Abi, I notice you’re running up against the old motto: if I broadly agree with you, you’re arguing reasonably (even if I sometimes have my disagreements with you); if I don’t agree with you, you’re spewing vitriol.

Now let me change the subject completely.
Continue reading →