Organiser was Sanmira who also sang a couple of good songs- Hari Om Hari by Usha Uthup was one. But the pick of the singers were Atul Pathak, Uday Bakshi, Malavika and Pallavi. Pallavi also had a surname- Harapanapalli-that reminded me of Harpanahalli, a town near Harihar where we lived for many years. Pallavi sang Boom Boom by Nazia Hasan very well. Best of the day, according to me.
Anything Mickey or Donald can do, I can do better. Just superior IQ.
The benefits are immense, as long as I am not fighting personally.
Publicity- the media is dying for a war to start, so their dull lives interviewing local politicians can brighten up.
The ammunitions producers are happy that their Christmas Sale has started.
The army, navy and air force guys are happy they have something to do.
The public instantly forgets all the economic and social problems.
Epstein Files, anyone?
Why would I want to do that?
Firstly, I can fly First class/Business Class whenever I want to.
I can hire the crew.. if Mallya could, so can I.
I can increase the space between rows of seats by 2 inches, for competitive advantage.
I can serve Irani chai, onion samosas and biryani- I would decide the menu. And Haleem in season.
I can give some free tickets to my friends, and we can all go to Goa.
Problem is, I may have to rob a bank first. Can I use AI to do it? No idea.
Could be inching towards the 30th in the last few weeks. But they are addictive. This one- on 29th July 2026- was dedicated to Mohammad Rafi, one of the great singers to have given us some immortal melodies. I liked his upbeat numbers with Shammi Kapoor the best. They had a rumbunctious quality unlike his other songs, which were good too.
Prasad Kulkarni, Monali Dubey, Sagar Atre and Mamata Borgaonkar did a good job. Others were Ok.
Ek pardesi mera dil le gaya by Prasad Kulkarni and Mamata.
I am getting tired of seeing words like grateful, honoured and a few more (Humbled?) used anywhere and everywhere.
Honoured to present a paper? Honoured to be invited as a speaker? Why, were you unqualified?
Was it not a professional decision to invite you because you have something to contribute?
Being grateful generally is a good thing. But irritating when it is not a fit. You don't have to be grateful to everyone for everything.
Grateful to be promoted? Why, you didn't deserve it? You don't have to be grateful, just be happy you got what you deserved and worked for.
A fawning mentality does not help the cause of Meritocracy. Watch what you are saying. And what it implies.
Watch it if you are an adult. The movie is A rated. It's a funny take on marriages, and relationships.
Two couples are all that the star cast has- kind of like Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? That one I saw a few years ago, and was good too.
This one is more light-hearted, and pokes fun at how marriages get into the Fight Mode, with each blaming the other, while refusing to change for the better.
The younger couple is more Woke, and liberal, and give the older one a lesson or two, through clever dialogue and situations. Penelope Cruz is a bonus.
Watch it if you like the subject.. I liked it.
I had floated the idea of rating cities by a few things that matter to a common citizen. Here is my first attempt, at rating Pune, where I live.
Commuting. Buses.. reasonable, but not as well-maintained as Bangalore. Some areas over-served, some under. 6 on 10
Metro- inadequate network. Last mile connectivity not well thought out. Cost is reasonable though. 6 on 10.
Cleanliness- roads are not cleaned adequately, particularly garbage clearance is sloppy.. 5 on 10..
Autorickshaws- very good, both metered and Uber are available at most places. 8 on 10.
Weather- better than most places, except Bangalore- 8 on 10.
Food/drink options- plenty, and growing. Seafood, North/South Indian joints are plenty, so are pizza places. Craft beer is homegrown too, like Effingut, Pune-based. We also have TOIT, and Doolally's at Corinthian Club.
Internet- good speed, options. Or else my blog and fb participation would go for a toss.
Overall, quality of life is decent. Pollution is a problem, with too much construction.. road quality needs to improve.
Organiser was Sanmira who also sang a couple of good songs- Hari Om Hari by Usha Uthup was one. But the pick of the singers were Atul Patha...
