04.02.2009

Politics & the Nation

• Mumbai carnage investigation and Pakistani claims
• Now Pakistan puts out the theory that the attacks were the handiwork of an international network of terrorists; most probably led by HUJI, a Bangladesh based organization.
• The tamasha from Pakistan will go on.  We can only watch helplessly; even while staying as prepared as possible to face such terrorist attacks in future.
• This is surely not the last that we heard about the EC removal issue; more is bound to follow
• Today's debate in ET is interesting.  It is well worth a read.  I find Subash Kashyap very convincing.  Take a look.

Finance & Economics

• Sweet nothings are okay in love affairs
• But are they good enough for tackling global problems?  More so in the current situation when a crisis of gargantuan proportion is staring in its face?
• Take a look at this ET editorial which sums up the sweet nothings uttered in the just concluded World Economic Forum at Davos.
• Debt waiver for weavers on the anvil
• Reportedly there are about 35 lakh handloom  weavers in the country.  
• The government is considering a debt relief package for them costing about Rs. 2,200 crores.  Interest subvention also is reportedly on the cards.
• Zari industry woes
  
• Rising input costs and the economic downturn seem to be taking a toll in this traditional industry
  
• The traditional manufacturing centres for zari are in Surat in Gujarat, Varanasi, Bareilly and Agra in Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur and Barmer in Rajasthan. The major trading centres are Kolkata, Delhi, Varanasi and Mumbai. 
  
• India's silver consumption
• We have noted time and again that India consumes about 800 tonnes of gold per annum.  But this year, reports say, that this figure would come down to about 402 tonnes.
• But how much silver does India consume every year?  Reportedly 3000 tonnes.

Personality

• Groucho Marx
  
• Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx, was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers and also had a successful solo career, most notably as the host of the radio and television game shows 'You Bet Your Life' and 'Tell it to Groucho.'  His distinctive appearance, carried over from his days in vaudeville, included quirks such as glasses, cigars, and a thick greasepaint mustache and eyebrows.
  
• I was tempted to note this because I came across this: "The question for air-travellers, sadly, is just how does one figure out when, using Groucho Marx, the schizo can go phrenic."  What a colourful way of saying schizophrenic!  
• Thus far, most of us knew only about Karl Marx.  Good to know about this less serious Marx.  You can know more about him here.

Sport

• Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.
• Remember this saying?
• It was a day worth remembering.  India beating Sri Lanka successively for the third time .  Superb batting and superb fielding on display.  Let's give toast to that.
• What's the quote got to do with this success?  It was because of my following the match that India won. So, I am the father of this success.  I never watched all those mathches when India lost.