January 30, 2011
by Atanu Dey
12 Comments
If you have not seen the movie “The Gods Must be Crazy”, you have a treat waiting for you. And if you have never heard of the “natural resource curse”, you are sure to be intrigued. They both point to … Continue reading
January 28, 2011
by Atanu Dey
16 Comments
This is a travel alert. I am going to be in Bangalore 29th Jan through 31 Jan. On 29th Saturday, I am speaking on “Why is India poor?” between 4 and 6 PM. Venue: To be announced. After Bangalore, it … Continue reading
January 25, 2011
by Atanu Dey
18 Comments
“Netaji could have taken us past China” — the TOI quotes Infosys chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy. Here’s a bit.
January 25, 2011
by Atanu Dey
4 Comments
The English word “mealy-mouthed” comes from the German Mehl im Maule behalten, “to carry meal in the mouth, that is, not to be direct in speech,” the dictionary says. Its opposite is “plain-spoken,” as in “Mr Lee Kuan Yew is … Continue reading
January 25, 2011
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the illustrious exponent of Hindustani classical music of the Kirana gharana, passed away in Pune yesterday. The one and only time I had met Pt Bhimsen was in 1991 in Pune during the Sawai Gandharva music festival. … Continue reading
January 22, 2011
by Atanu Dey
58 Comments
People don’t need a 1/4″ drill bit; they need a 1/4″ hole. That observation made by a business school professor (I forget who) is a perpetual favorite of mine. It cautions us against confusing means and ends. I believe that … Continue reading
January 16, 2011
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
I’m leaving on a jet plane. For friends and family who want to check where my flights are, go to Track Flights, and enter EK as the airline code (Emirates) and flight number 226 to Dubai. This will work only … Continue reading
January 16, 2011
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Did you know that you can subscribe to this blog on Kindle? End of commercial break
January 13, 2011
by Atanu Dey
26 Comments
I am torn between contempt and pity for the small man that Dr Manmohan Singh is. Does the man have no shame? Do guts? No spine? Apparently there’s nothing in him that is of any value. He traded in his … Continue reading
January 13, 2011
by Atanu Dey
12 Comments
The NREGA, as feared, has caused tremendous harm and will continue to play havoc on the Indian economy. The Right to Education (RTE) is another act that will surely help destroy whatever little there is left of the Indian education … Continue reading
January 12, 2011
by Atanu Dey
18 Comments
I believe that corruption is as significant an indicator of a diseased economy as cancer is of a diseased body. If unchecked, it will eventually kill. Corruption is organized violence against the people of a poor country which kills them … Continue reading
January 12, 2011
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
Swami Vivekananda was born on this day, January 12th, in 1863 in Kolkata. Here is a quote from the wiki entry on him.
January 11, 2011
by Atanu Dey
27 Comments
Reading Aroon Purie’s India Today (Jan 10th issue) editorial reminded me of what you need to have to live a fulfilling life and happy life: only three simple things — robust health, killer looks, and a humongous bank balance. Here’s … Continue reading
January 10, 2011
by Atanu Dey
6 Comments
CORRUPTION TABLE 1 Lac = 1 Peti 1 Crore = 1 Khoka 500 Crore = 1 Koda 1,000 Crore = 1 Radia 10,000 Crore = 1 Kalmadi 100,000 Crore = 1 Raja 10 KALMADI + 1 RAJA = 1 SHARAD … Continue reading
January 10, 2011
by Atanu Dey
16 Comments
Item: Captain John Wright, 58, is retiring as a senior pilot. He has had a distinguished flying career with 35 years of sitting in the left hand seat in the cockpit, much of it of heavies like the Boeing 747s … Continue reading
January 8, 2011
by Atanu Dey
13 Comments
“The reason why China will never win hands-down in its current economic war with America is the same as why Japan didn’t succeed in the 1980s when all (Americans included) were expecting that its corporations and banks would eat America … Continue reading