Stating the Obvious

..and getting away with it, is the full title of this post. You see it happening all around you. Corporate honchos, economists, teachers, and many celebrities, commentators (yes, cricket commentators) keep giving us their wisdom by stating something that is obvious. And make the headlines.

India will keep growing..now, any dumb idiot can see that. At least in population, if nothing else.

The party with the largest number of seats will form the government.

If we have headwinds from US policy, blah, blah, blah,...growth will slow.

If you study regularly, you will score well..that's a big IF, isn't it?

That ball was hit for a six by XYZ..really? Are TV viewers generally blind?

That new Bollywood film is short on Story..Tell me something new.

The TV serial actors can't act (and directors can't direct. Only producers continue producing).

Interest rates should go down/go up. There are only two ways it can go. I can toss a coin.

Innovations To Kill Boredom

Here are some neat ideas (95 on a 100 point neatness index) for innovations that can kill boredom in common situations we face.

1. A nodding puppet which nods metronomically, to sit in front of an old relative repeating his/her tales of the past for the nth time, so you can slink away, do your own thing and come back in a while.

2. A smoke-generating toy which can be used to scare people and make a long line disappear in a crowded place - can be used in a bank, amusement park, or in a booking counter for IPL. Just for long enough to give you enough time to get to the front of the line.

3. A joke-telling device- the J-app, which you switch on in the most morose situations- like an airline journey, the most humourless of all. Will tell a joke at the click of a button, but only when electronic devices are allowed to be switched on, by the morose air host. Will make passengers jealous if you laugh too much, though. Use carefully.

4. An animated dancer that performs a dance of your choice on screen while you wait for your page to load on the computer on a slow day in cyberspace. This can also be adapted for your mobile if you have a bad connection.

5. A dialogue programmer where you can program the dialogue you want to hear and play it along with the TV, automatically muting the IPL commentators, or the talkative Arnab Goswami, or the garishly made-up ma-in-laws/daughter-in-laws of the various serials, or the tiresome judges of reality shows on TV. This gives you immense scope to test your creativity, and you may end up writing some masterpieces like 'Kitney Aadmi They'  or ' Phir Bhi Waapas Aaye? Khaali Haath?' from Sholay, one day.