Saturday, May 30, 2009

Some things only accountants can do!


Like how to insult Shahjahan, like even Aurangzeb himself couldn't!

Check this out

While the sheer eccentricity of it is obvious, I'm just curious about the reason for such a valuation. Is it depreciation? So it takes about 350 yrs for probably what is the world's most expensive tomb to depreciate to Re.1/- .. Damn depreciation doesn't spare anyone does it? Its like a debilitating virus.

And since I'm not an accounting expert [actually I would peg myself lower than an accounting novice], I do have other queries as well. I have done my fair share of travel across India, and have always seen that the Govt of India, through its various branches, owns the bulk of the high value real estate across all of India's cities. Does it mean that we value all of these at Re.1/- In that case, is the Govt of India undervaluing its own assets?

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Elections Are Done

The people of India have spoken and they have shown the world, Democracy Rocks. High Five to all those with the indelible ink on your middle/index fingers!

But some people you can't keep out. They may be out of touch with reality, but with their excellent flair for words, fancy degrees and penchant for covering their asses, they still ply their trade as though nothing happened. No I'm not talking about the MBA's responsible for the recession...I'm talking about the GREAT INDIAN MEDIA

Not one, repeat not one, of this elite, shameless tribe got their prediction right on who would garner how many seats. Thank God the Election Commission cut down those opinion/exit polls. Imagine, the waste of investor money in the hands of these imbeciles in recessionary times. I'm not going to single out any single media person/outlet, as they have all proven to be equally incompetent. Now that we are done with the pre-election incompetency, let's get to the post election, "covering their ass" bit.

Today you have them propounding numerous theories as to why the Congress did so well - Rahul Gandhi, Dr. Manmohan Singh, NREGA etc etc

a] Rahul Gandhi - Ain't these the same tribe who were panning his naivete in trying to send out feelers to Nitish Kumar, Jayalalithaa and the Left. Goes to show, Rahul himself wasn't sure they wud do well but atleast he was game enough to try.

b] Dr. Manmohan Singh - Apparently the press believes that the people of India have learnt to respect his honesty and sincerity and have re-elected him. Errr, it thats so why didn't they know of it before the elections. If somone is so wildly popular amongst the masses, the press should know, right?

c] NREGA - National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Its the pro-poor scheme that has set the Indian countryside on fire, or so it would seem if u read the papers today. Interestingly the Congress party itself didn't think it was any great shakes. They mentioned it only 3 times in their manifesto on the 8th page. If hindsight is 20:20, for our media, it is laser vision!

The Indian General Elections have not only given the Congress a mandate, apparently it was a mandate beyond our shores as well. The Sri Lankan Army took it as a mandate to go ahead and shoot Prabhakaran. Yep..we care more for our free color TV's and one rupee rice, Eelam can go to hell. More on this later..

One of the biggest losers of these elections are the terrorists. Terrorism, by its very concept, is the art of influencing governments with high profile attacks that strike fear into the hearts of the people. When the people, themselves, don't care then of what use is terrorism? People of India, it seems, care for the Govt doing an earnest job or appear to do an earnest job of it. [Congress shud thank Chidambaram for this, flying shoe notwithstanding]. People care more for what the Government does that affects their daily lives. If terror were, to shake this country, it has to be much more widespread. In a country of India's size, that means all out war.

The elections also saw the Left lose a substantial part of their clout. They got whacked by Didi in Bengal and were united in commiting political suicide in Kerala. Post the elections, the Left politburo had a meeting and discovered there is still a place where they have 100% acceptability and had swept the elections. They decided to emigrate en masse to this promised land and applied to the Soviet Union for travel facilitation. The Russian embassy sent a "Sorry we do not exist anymore note" along with a Judo video of Vladimir Putin. Then they applied to the Chinese, who don't respond to losers. Then they tried their luck with Comrade Castro, who sent them a book from Hugo Chavez. By then, the kebabwala at Gol Market informed them that their promised land is in Indian territory and does not require a Visa. So off they went, led by Mr and Mrs Karat, who rival the Obamas as the most handsome first couple, to their promised land where they won 2 out of 2 LS seats - Tripura.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

The Glass is Always Full



Is this glass half full or half empty?

Its the favourite cliche amongst Management Practitioners, who are imaginative enough to earn a living out of describing half a glass of water! I've never been convinced by their optimism or pessimism theories and division of people's personalities on the basis of that. But what did I think? Is it half full or half empty.

The answer dawned on me yesterday. The glass is ALWAYS FULL. Half of it is water and the other half is opportunity. Its my choice what i fill it with, more water, vodka, rum, poison, just fruit punch or just plain emptiness.

Life might be a crowded playground, but just go play.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

The Argumentative Indian Siblings

The One : Miss India

The Precious One : And then she wud get into bollywood and become another face in the crowd. If only for once these ppl wud do actual social service/ public service

The One : ur such a pessimist...

The Precious One : Am just goin by what s been happening all these yrs!

The One : beautiful women are not meant for real social work. Its against nature. Name one example to the contrary..

The Precious One : What shit! Chauvinist!!

The One :
Dont curse, if u dont have an answer to my point. ur admitting ur own defeat

The Precious One : What kind of a ridiculous notion is that beautiful women are not meant for social work.

The One : darling. counter the point. else zip it. I'm only going by emperical evidence, for generations

The Precious One : What nonsense. Arundhati Roy is socially active. She is pretty. And seriously ur just a chauvinist. Nothing can mask that!

The One : Ahem...go through the mail trail..
u say, "Am just goin by what s been happening all these yrs!"
And i responded
"im only going by emperical evidence, for generations"
pretty much the same response, but i am the chauvinist? look in the mirror...

Arundhati Roy is socially active to sell her books. I dont see her doing any active social/political service


The Precious One : can c ur very jobless

The One : u are speechless so dont make me jobless

The Precious One : Ya right! Ur highly jobless. Ur argument is pointless

The One : ur hopeless...just admit u loss the argument

The Precious One : hopes