Artist: Tom Cheney, The New Yorker, September 15 2008
cartoon caption contest 160
My caption:
"We will soon know if the god indeed manifests in the form of Higgs boson but here we already have the devil in flesh and blood."
Friday, September 12, 2008
God in the form of Higgs boson; Devil in Flesh and Blood.
Artist: Tom Cheney, The New Yorker, September 15 2008
cartoon caption contest 160
My caption:
"We will soon know if the god indeed manifests in the form of Higgs boson but here we already have the devil in flesh and blood."
Friday, September 05, 2008
Cultures Committed to Unifying Greeds
Susan Sontag:
“We live in a culture committed to unifying greeds…..everyone on the planet feeding at the same trough of standardized entertainment and fantasies of eros and violence…"
Artist: Drew Dernavich The New Yorker September 8, 2008 Cartoon Caption Contest 159
Proposed Caption:
“Like Graham Greene’s ‘Dr Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party’, I now invite you to get inside the cup and drink the beverage to get to the grand prize at the bottom. Remember, one of them is perhaps laced with cyanide.
Go. Prove to the world limitless greed of the rich.”
“We live in a culture committed to unifying greeds…..everyone on the planet feeding at the same trough of standardized entertainment and fantasies of eros and violence…"
Artist: Drew Dernavich The New Yorker September 8, 2008 Cartoon Caption Contest 159
Proposed Caption:
“Like Graham Greene’s ‘Dr Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party’, I now invite you to get inside the cup and drink the beverage to get to the grand prize at the bottom. Remember, one of them is perhaps laced with cyanide.
Go. Prove to the world limitless greed of the rich.”
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Leaping the Other way to the planet Saturn and Return
Artist: Mick Stevens The New Yorker August 25 2008 cartoon caption contest 157
Proposed Caption: "Some 380 million years ago, a few pioneering vertebrates first made the leap from water to land. And today, tens of millions of their human descendants seek summer amusement by leaping the other way. According to the travel industry, close to 90 percent of vacationers choose as their holiday destination an ocean, lake or other scenic body of water. So said Natalie Angier in 21st century.
Today I would like to append to her list a new destination- the planet Saturn.
But I am confident this will have no impact on the booming business dedicated astrology channels, run by our sister companies, do in India."
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Running Rent-a-Billion-SMSes Bureau in Mumbai
Artist: Leo Cullum The New Yorker August 4, 2008 cartoon caption contest 156
Proposed Caption: "...Because I run rent-a-billion-SMSes bureau in Mumbai that is dedicated to Indian reality TV shows, I could get into your bed easier than into your shoes."
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
New Yorker at India's Cabinet Meeting
Because of their own huge Obama/Osama cartoon controversy, New Yorker couldn't attend Indian parliament's recent session for trust vote.
To catch up...
Artist: Lee Lorenz The New Yorker August 4, 2008 cartoon caption contest 155
My proposed caption:
“We indeed are privileged members of the world press. We are about to witness the federal cabinet of world’s largest democracy selecting one of these five as their Prime Minister.”
To catch up...
Artist: Lee Lorenz The New Yorker August 4, 2008 cartoon caption contest 155
My proposed caption:
“We indeed are privileged members of the world press. We are about to witness the federal cabinet of world’s largest democracy selecting one of these five as their Prime Minister.”
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Are Table and Chair of Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the India's 14th Lok Sabha, Fireproof?
Artist: Drew Dernavich The New Yorker July 28th, 2008 Cartoon Caption Contest 154
Proposed Caption:
"For us Indian communists nothing is unfair against anyone who goes against our groupthink. Remember Trotsky?
Here we are about to burn down the table and chair of comrade Chatterjee on the night of July 21, 2008. Now we”ll see how he chairs the session and tries to save the government."
Sunday, July 20, 2008
I like my Vertigo. More so after reading Francois Truffaut.
Times of India, July 11 2008:
“Incidence of vertigo highest in 36-60 age group…sedentary urban lifestyle, stress and lack of exercise are factors contributing to the growing trend of vertigo in the youth…”
Although “sedentary urban lifestyle, stress and lack of exercise” don’t strictly apply to me, I suffer from mild vertigo/ acrophobia.
In fact, I think I tend to enjoy it.
I wonder if this “perverse” enjoyment has anything to do with my favourite movie Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”. First time I saw it was in early 1980’s in Mumbai (at Sterling cinema?). I enjoyed every minute of it.
Later I read and keep reading masterly “Hitchcock (revised edition” by Francois Truffaut with the collaboration of Helen G. Scott (first published in 1967).
Books says:
“…To put it plainly, the man (Scottie Ferguson played by James Stewart) wants to go to bed with a woman who’s dead; he is indulging in a form of necrophilia…
When you see Judy (played by Kim Novak) walking on the street, the tawny hair and make-up convey an animal like sensuality. That quality is accentuated, I suppose, by the fact that she wears no brassiere…That’s right, she doesn’t waer a brassiere. As a matter of fact, she’s particularly proud of that!”
I knew part of the reason why I liked the movie so much!
Artist: Sam Gross The New Yorker 11 February 2002
“Incidence of vertigo highest in 36-60 age group…sedentary urban lifestyle, stress and lack of exercise are factors contributing to the growing trend of vertigo in the youth…”
Although “sedentary urban lifestyle, stress and lack of exercise” don’t strictly apply to me, I suffer from mild vertigo/ acrophobia.
In fact, I think I tend to enjoy it.
I wonder if this “perverse” enjoyment has anything to do with my favourite movie Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”. First time I saw it was in early 1980’s in Mumbai (at Sterling cinema?). I enjoyed every minute of it.
Later I read and keep reading masterly “Hitchcock (revised edition” by Francois Truffaut with the collaboration of Helen G. Scott (first published in 1967).
Books says:
“…To put it plainly, the man (Scottie Ferguson played by James Stewart) wants to go to bed with a woman who’s dead; he is indulging in a form of necrophilia…
When you see Judy (played by Kim Novak) walking on the street, the tawny hair and make-up convey an animal like sensuality. That quality is accentuated, I suppose, by the fact that she wears no brassiere…That’s right, she doesn’t waer a brassiere. As a matter of fact, she’s particularly proud of that!”
I knew part of the reason why I liked the movie so much!
Artist: Sam Gross The New Yorker 11 February 2002
Friday, July 18, 2008
All I want is a Stock that will go up a Little Bit…Else I will Smash the Stock Exchange
This is bubbles and bunges season.
Bloomberg reports on July 17, 2008:
"Pakistan investors stormed out of the Karachi Stock Exchange, smashed windows and cursed regulators after the benchmark index fell for a 15th day, the worst losing streak in at least 18 years...
...Police surrounded the exchange after hundreds of investors stoned the building and shouted anti-government slogans. They directed their ire at the government and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, which this week removed a 1 percent daily limit on price declines. The measure was aimed at halting a slide that wiped out $30 billion of Pakistan's market value in three months, threatening to undo a 14-fold rally since 2001...
... Investors were also protesting outside the Lahore and Islamabad stock exchanges, Geo Television reported.
``We demand that all stock prices be frozen at current levels,'' said Kauser Javed, who heads the Small Investors Association. ``People have sold their assets in the last 15 days to meet payments and if things continue this way, you will start hearing of suicides. The regulators always favor big brokers and investors.''
"
I think India is prone to bubbles of all kinds. Fixed deposit schemes of many NBFC's, stock markets from time to time, real estate, plantation companies, pyramid/ ponzi schemes, certain medical treatments, godmen, astrologers, coaching classes, film-stars, ideologies…
However currently for Indian stock markets it’s like February 1637 in Holland . In that one month prices of tulips fell by approximately 90 per cent, bursting tulipmania.
Likes of Daniel Gross have argued that bubbles are good for us.
“The bigger the bubble, the more useful soapsuds it leaves behind when it bursts.”
“Gross believes that America is prone to investment bubbles partly because its government tends to have a laisser faire attitude to innovation, preferring to let private investors fund new technologies, rather than the state. “
I am not sure about the reasons in case of India and Pakistan.
Possibly here is one…
Artist: Helen E. Hokinson The New Yorker 7 August 1948
Angry Pakistani stock brokers demonstrate at the Stock Exchange to protest the decline of stock market in Karachi Photographer: Fareed Khan/AP Photo via Bloomberg News Thursday, July 17, 2008.
p.s. “The final myth is that the crash put the Dutch off tulips. In fact, a form of tulipmania never died…Today the Netherlands has 90 per cent of the international flower trade. Fortunes really are made in tulips.”
Bloomberg reports on July 17, 2008:
"Pakistan investors stormed out of the Karachi Stock Exchange, smashed windows and cursed regulators after the benchmark index fell for a 15th day, the worst losing streak in at least 18 years...
...Police surrounded the exchange after hundreds of investors stoned the building and shouted anti-government slogans. They directed their ire at the government and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, which this week removed a 1 percent daily limit on price declines. The measure was aimed at halting a slide that wiped out $30 billion of Pakistan's market value in three months, threatening to undo a 14-fold rally since 2001...
... Investors were also protesting outside the Lahore and Islamabad stock exchanges, Geo Television reported.
``We demand that all stock prices be frozen at current levels,'' said Kauser Javed, who heads the Small Investors Association. ``People have sold their assets in the last 15 days to meet payments and if things continue this way, you will start hearing of suicides. The regulators always favor big brokers and investors.''
"
I think India is prone to bubbles of all kinds. Fixed deposit schemes of many NBFC's, stock markets from time to time, real estate, plantation companies, pyramid/ ponzi schemes, certain medical treatments, godmen, astrologers, coaching classes, film-stars, ideologies…
However currently for Indian stock markets it’s like February 1637 in Holland . In that one month prices of tulips fell by approximately 90 per cent, bursting tulipmania.
Likes of Daniel Gross have argued that bubbles are good for us.
“The bigger the bubble, the more useful soapsuds it leaves behind when it bursts.”
“Gross believes that America is prone to investment bubbles partly because its government tends to have a laisser faire attitude to innovation, preferring to let private investors fund new technologies, rather than the state. “
I am not sure about the reasons in case of India and Pakistan.
Possibly here is one…
Artist: Helen E. Hokinson The New Yorker 7 August 1948
Angry Pakistani stock brokers demonstrate at the Stock Exchange to protest the decline of stock market in Karachi Photographer: Fareed Khan/AP Photo via Bloomberg News Thursday, July 17, 2008.
p.s. “The final myth is that the crash put the Dutch off tulips. In fact, a form of tulipmania never died…Today the Netherlands has 90 per cent of the international flower trade. Fortunes really are made in tulips.”
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
India, field this Team in Synchronised Swimming at Beijing 2008
(p.s. Mistakenly, I took it as an auction centre instead of a court room! Sorry, LC)
Artist: Leo Cullum The New Yorker 14 July 2008 Caption Contest #153
My proposed caption:
'Why no bidders, even from India? With Olympics so close and almost no prospect of any medal, they could have considered fielding this team in Synchronised Swimming.'
or
'Shouldn't we be including a clause "buyer bears tit tax and other anatomical levies, if any applicable" ?'
(Times of India reported on July 14, 2007 with a suitable picture: "Now, 'tit tax' on plus-size bras"
"Being busty sure comes with a heavy price, and it's not just restricted to ogling eyes, for even bras' prices increase with the growing size, that's what international clothing line 'Marks & Spencer' has to say in defense of its 2 pounds surcharge on women's innerwear.
The chain has slapped 2 pounds as surcharge on bra sizes from 30DD to 42G, saying they needed "more engineering and construction work"." )
Artist: Leo Cullum The New Yorker 14 July 2008 Caption Contest #153
My proposed caption:
'Why no bidders, even from India? With Olympics so close and almost no prospect of any medal, they could have considered fielding this team in Synchronised Swimming.'
or
'Shouldn't we be including a clause "buyer bears tit tax and other anatomical levies, if any applicable" ?'
(Times of India reported on July 14, 2007 with a suitable picture: "Now, 'tit tax' on plus-size bras"
"Being busty sure comes with a heavy price, and it's not just restricted to ogling eyes, for even bras' prices increase with the growing size, that's what international clothing line 'Marks & Spencer' has to say in defense of its 2 pounds surcharge on women's innerwear.
The chain has slapped 2 pounds as surcharge on bra sizes from 30DD to 42G, saying they needed "more engineering and construction work"." )
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sure We Live Longer but in the same Pile of Dirt?
“…evolution and progress are synonymous, whereas it may well be that evolution will give to insects and bacteria the final victory in their relentless war with man. It is not quite evident that the industrial state is either more pacific or more moral than the “militant” feudalism that preceded it. Athens’ most destructive wars came long after her feudal lords had yielded power to a commercial bourgeoisie…”
( “The Story of Philosophy” Will Durant first published in 1926)
No wonder I often think present day Maharashtra, in many ways, resembles the one ruled by Bajirao II in early 19th century or the one that existed just before Shahaji- Shivaji’s father- came on the scene.
Artist: Johnny Hart “B.C.” (Asian Age July 9, 2008)
( “The Story of Philosophy” Will Durant first published in 1926)
No wonder I often think present day Maharashtra, in many ways, resembles the one ruled by Bajirao II in early 19th century or the one that existed just before Shahaji- Shivaji’s father- came on the scene.
Artist: Johnny Hart “B.C.” (Asian Age July 9, 2008)
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