Showing posts with label Readings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Readings. Show all posts

07 August 2016

Vertical Ambition, GST & China



  • What is 'vertical ambition'? (BBC) 
  • Kevin Roberts, chairman of the global advertising giant Saatchi and Saatchi, resigned after saying women lacked "vertical ambition" and that is why so few made it to the top. Financial analyst Louise Cooper has her thoughts.
  • Interactive feature on GST (Hindu)
  • Can China save the Olympics? (Bloomberg)

31 July 2016

Sunday Reads



  • The West's decline would hurt China. (Project Syndicate)
  • Why you can't switch off at the weekend. (BBC Capital)
  • India lifts veil on Army as Narendra Modi prepares to spend U.S.$150 billion (Bloomberg)

24 July 2016

Sunday Reads


"It is good sense to appoint individual people to jobs on their merit. It is the opposite when those who are judged to have merit of a particular kind harden into a new social class without room in it for others." Read Justin Fox's brilliant piece on how "meritocracy is just another way of bringing you down" (Bloomberg). 

  • The Feds brought down the world's biggest file-sharing website. (Foreign Policy)
  • Educated terrorists and victimhood. (New IE)

And in the end...
Before bowling to (the visibly healthy) Mike Gatting in a test match, Aussie fast bowler Dennis Lille said, ”Hell Gatt, move out of the way... I can’t see the stumps”.

17 July 2016

Sunday Reads


  • Why Turkey's stability matters (BBC) 
  • China's South China Sea arguments only prove its own perverse logic of history (FirstPost)
  • Why you need to read and how to do it efficiently (Medium)
Also read: Man in New Zealand quits his job to play Pokemon Go full-time (BBC)



03 July 2016

Sunday Reads



  • Newslaundry, your fact-check on the PM's interview has been fact-checked. (OPIndia)
  • The political resonance of the 'Game of Thrones'. (New Yorker)
  • Bangladesh at crossroads. (BBC)
  • Indian Muslim women fight to overturn Triple Talaq. (AlJazeera)

Check out this infographic on Job Interview Cautions here.

26 June 2016

Sunday Reads: All about Brexit


Check out this Brexit omnibus edition.

  • Brinsanity (FP)
  • A Brexit Post-Mortem (FA)
  • Why Brexit made sense to voters (CNN)
  • 'I hope I don't live to regret this.' (Guardian)
  • A British Tragedy in One Act. (PS)

BBC
has an explanatory infographic on steps to UK leaving the EU.

19 June 2016

Sunday Reads


General Reads
  • India's ISRO challenge Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos with record launch (Bloomberg)
  • Why not Trexit? Texas Nationalists look to the Brexit vote for inspiration. (Guardian)

Tech Read
  • What is banned on Facebook (CNN)

Funny Read
  • Suddenly holy - A Pakistani celebrity's spiritual awakening (Dawn) 

12 June 2016

Sunday Reads


General Reads
  • How British let One Million Indians die in Famine (BBC)
  • India's Central Bank Chief is an Economic Asset (Bloomberg) Hat tip: Mohan Ramiah

Controversial Read

Video
  • Inside the world of China's Super Rich (AlJazeera) 

05 June 2016

Sunday Reads


General Reads
  • What happens in a university run by IS? (BBC)
  • India cannot afford to lose the Chahabar test (New IE)

Controversial Read
  • Like Ali, how many of our icons will take a punch for what they believe in? (Telegraph India)

et cetera
  • Ramadan for non-Muslims: A etiquette guide (CNN)

29 May 2016

Sunday Reads


General Reads
  • The real reason why American controls its nukes with ancient floppy disks (WaPo)
  • The man who revived Renault and Nissan wants to save Mitsubishi (Bloomberg)

Controversial Read
  • Gujarat Lies: A collection of personal vendetta (Nirwa Mehta)

Fun Read
  • Can you identify these cars from film and TV? (BBC Auto)

22 May 2016

Sunday Reads


General Reads
  • Mamata keeps word: cops jolted out of 'golden crown dream' (Telegraph India)
  • Ideas-mukt Congress scripts its own electoral eclipse (New IE)

Controversial Read
  • The importance of being Subramanian Swamy (Swarajya)

Anecdote

It was a county match in England between Somerset and Glamorgan. An unknown batsman with unknown talent, named Vivian Richards was at the crease. Greg Thomas, the Glamorgan fast bowler thundered in and beat the great man's bat.
'It's red and it's round. Can't you see it?', the bowler taunted Richards.
The next ball was an action replay. The ball pitched three quarters of length on middle and off, seamed away, and once again Richards was all at sea and comprehensively beaten.
'It's red and it's round and it weighs four-and-a-half ounces. Can't you see it?', Greg Thomas quipped.
Richards took a stroll, summoned his powers of concentration, swung his arms around, took a fresh guard and got ready for the next ball.
Greg Thomas came running in. The delivery was right in the slot, and Viv launched into one of his trademark shots and smashed the ball out of the ground and straight into the river that flowed around it.
The maestro told the hapless bowler who almost died watching the ball go, 'You know what it looks like... now go and get it!'

16 May 2016

Indiana Joneses & Other Reads


General Reads

  • Calling all Indiana Joneses: Clue to Undiscovered Asokan Inscriptions (Telegraph India)
  • What you need to know about India's missile defence shield. Read the comments also. (Dawn - yes, its a Pakistani newspaper)
  • China's Cultural Revolution: No desire to dwell on the past (BBC)

Photo Gallery

Controversial Read
  • Reconciling three narratives about global growth (Bloomberg)

Anecdote

In a test match between Australia and West Indies, Ramnaresh Sarwan scored a superb century. In that innings, Glenn McGrath bowled an unplayable bouncer that zoomed past Sarwan’s face. McGrath went up to Sarwan and said, "How does Lara’s d%ck taste, mate?”. Sharp came the reply from Sarwan: ”Go and ask your wife.” 

14 May 2016

Fifth Anniversary of BJ's nocabbages


Today is the fifth birthday of this blog.

Its been great fun to share my not-so-simple perspective on a variety of things with you. I used to write a lot on politics, economics and social aspects in this space. However, in the last fifteen months, not much has come from me.

I have promised myself that I will go to my old ways: write and share more.

A lot in the political, economic and social fields has changed in the last one year. The economy, though not strong, is limping back to a higher growth trajectory; a good monsoon and some sensible economic management from the government, like creating a conducive environment for large-scale manufacturing, will go a long way in boosting growth, providing employment to the unemployed millions, and contribute to better electoral prospects for the central government in the state elections.

Politicians of various hues are trying to outdo each other in raking up nonsensical issues, like freedom of speech and educational qualifications.

Arvind Kejriwal, the original poster boy of the anti-corruption movement, has become the original drama-dharna leader. His politics is plumbing new depths. He is being increasingly seen as playing to the tune of the Indian National Congress - for example, he raised the so-called fake degree issue soon after the Agusta Westland scam broke out. Kejriwal is fast losing credibility, a quality more important than charisma in winning the hearts and minds of the electors.

On the blog's birthday, let me share a few good reads.

Jack Picone shares his most disturbing and poignant memories of war as a photo journalist. (AlJazeera)

Is technology becoming less disruptive? (BBC)

A short piece titled, 'Call it India'. (NYT) Sagarika Ghose and her ilk must be squirming.

By the way, check out the first post on this blog: Start with Farewell.

Thank you for visiting this blog. More to come!

01 May 2016

Sunday Reads


General Reads

  • AAPocracy and the cult of K (Open)
  • Barbie challenges the 'White Saviour Complex' (BBC)
  • What is 'May Day'? (CNN)
Photo Gallery
  • Celebrity transformations (CNN)
Controversial Read


Anecdote

Those were the days in the beginning of the eighties when the world Cricket was dominated by the power packed West Indies Cricket Team and the subtlety packed England Cricket Team. Pakistan also played a major part in the domination but not with their skills in the game but with their poor standards in umpiring.

During one of those days, Imran Khan, the captain of the Pakistan Cricket team met Australian captain Allan Border in an informal meeting in Sydney. During a chat, Imran told Allan Border: “AB, give me Sunil Gavaskar and B. S. Chandrashekhar from India,we will beat Australia.”

In a shocking reply, Allan Border said: “Imran, just give me two umpires from Pakistan and we will beat the whole world.” Imran Khan was left speechless. Later, a furious Imran Khan complained to the Australian board. Under pressure from his board, Allan Border tendered apologies to Imran Khan and Pakistan Cricket Board.


24 April 2016

Sunday Reads


This post comes after more than two months since the last post. 

General Reads
  • Inside the Bubble: Aboard the Air Force One. (BBC)
  • China's Mediterranean Odyssey (Diplomat)
  • Increase your return on failure (Harvard BR)

Photo Gallery 

Controversial Read

  • All the People God Kills in the Bible (Vocativ)

Anecdote

"How's your wife and my kids?" asked Rod Marsh (Australia) from behind the stumps.

"The wife's fine," replied the England batsman, Ian Botham, "but the kids are retarded."


24 January 2016

Sunday Reads + Anecdote



  • The power of Wet Waste (NIE)
  • The Tennis Files: Have top players been paid to lose? (BBC Magazine)
  • How close are we to creating Artificial Intelligence? (Aeon)

Sunday Bonus: What really happens at a Jallikattu - in pictures. (Swarajya)

Sunday Anecdote: 

In a county match in England, Greg Thomas was bowling to Viv Richards and getting a few to whizz past the bat. After Richards played and missed another one, Thomas said: "It's red, it's round. Now fucken hit it!". This obviously angered Richards who proceeded to hit the next ball out of the ground. Richards: "You know what it looks like now go and get it."

03 January 2016

Sunday Reads


Last year, I blogged just 77 times, which is pretty low compared to 140 times in 2013. I wrote less and blogged even less. I hope to change it this year, by being consistent and prolific. 

For this Sunday, let me share some of the interesting stuff that I read in the last three days.
  • Free Basics is a Walled Garden. (TOI Blog)
  • Evolution of BCCI into a Ultra-Rich Club. (Hindu)
  • Apple's year in Beta - Everything needs more focus and more time. (Verge)
  • The man who tried to Redeem the World with Logic. (Nautilus)




13 December 2015

Sunday Reads



  • The Unbearable Lightness of America's War against the Islamic State. (Foreign Policy)
  • Five Key Decisions Made at Paris. (Bloomberg) Also read Has History been made at COP21 (Paris Talks)?
  • What proportion of a CEO's Success is down to luck? (Pieria)

Oscar Wilde claimed he could discuss any subject at any time prepared or not. A companion once took him up on this claim, asking that he discourse on the subject of “The Queen”. 

Responded Wilde: “The queen is not a subject.”

06 December 2015

Sunday Reads

Sunday Anecdote: In 1898, young Albert Einstein applied for admission to the Munich Technical Institute and was turned down. The young man, the Institute declared, "showed no promise" as a student. By 1905, he had formulated his special theory of relativity.

  • Is China really scared of horror films? (BBC)
  • How Islamic State takes its terror to the Web. (Der Spiegel)
  • AAP denying Delhi the Janlokpal bill they deserve. (ET)

29 November 2015

Sunday Reads




  • Tipu Sultan: Noble or Savage? (Open Magazine) Hat tip: Mohan Ramiah.
  • Return of a topless model. (BBC)