Solar power is a wonderful thing. It costs next to nothing to produce, requires little maintenance and its raw material is never-ending. Apart from the big oil mafia, the only thing that could hinder the generation of solar power at massive scales is the unavailability of large parcels of flat land to install solar panels,…
“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” are immortal words spoken by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler to Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind (1939), to tell her that he cares nothing about what would happen to her or what she should do. By saying this, Rhett has made peace with himself forever. I…
“Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young” This is the title of an original essay written by Mary Schmich which appeared in a Chicago Tribune column in June 1997. The contents of that column later contributed and became famous as lyrics to Baz Luhrmann’s cult music video: Everyone is Free (To Wear Sunscreen) and…
So the other day someone said: “The timeline of the history of Indian Fiction can be divided into two: Before Chetan Bhagat and After Chetan Bhagat”. Quite a statement to make, considering the fact that the only other major figure in history who had enough clout to split the timeline of anything was Jesus Christ. But…
For many, especially the neo-liberated Indian in small town India, buying a car is a dream come true, the process of acquiring it is a dream process come true and car salesmen are dream merchants. Whatever people might say, I believe that globalization and capitalism have liberated us. It it were not for it, you…
Bangalore or Bengaluru was once known for many things, be its idyllic pace of life as a pensioners’ paradise, leafy avenues, rock music, informal culture, the “AC City” weather, and more recently for finding its place on the World map in the past decade as “India’s IT Capital”. But today, the city is mainly known…
People are dumbfounded at Kerala appointing retired tennis legend Steffi Graf as the state’s brand ambassador for Ayurveda. Aren’t there enough eligible Mallus in Malluland to promote Ayurveda? Why Graf when we have Sreesanth? (OK bad joke). The reason is simple. She is selected to promote Ayurveda (and Kerala) outside India and not within the…
Bangalore is well known for its WTF traffic and crumbling infrastructure, and everyone in the city with a vehicle will have their share of stories of woe to tell. The other day it was my turn, an incident which would ruin my entire weekend and the next Monday, set me back by around Rs.10000, cause…
Either there is no one above 40 left in the country anymore, or they are all actively conspiring to avoid each other at any cost. The latter seems to be more plausible because the more you meet people of your age at this stage of life, the more are you made painfully aware of how…
How the subscription model pioneered by electric vehicle manufacturers will transform the concept of ownership.
At a bus stop in Bangalore. Among the waiting commuters are a young guy and girl sitting and chatting on the bench. A BMTC Volvo bus arrives and wheezes to a stop. Guy: “Let us go in this bus.” Girl: “But the fare is too high. It will come up to 80 rupees. I usually…
By the time Std.9 was over, all energies of the Universe was directed at making us cram our everlasting lives out preparing for those final two “boards” weeks. The tension and stress was unbearable. Forget sports and so-called extra-curricular activities, even sleep had to be put aside in preparation for the coming war. All imaginable arrangements…