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Interesting New Words

Oxymoron…Combining Contradictory Words in a Phrase…so is ‘Happily Married’ an Oxymoron!?

An Oxymoron is usually defined as “A phrase in which two words with contradictory meaning are brought together”

For Example

  • Clearly misunderstood 
  • Exact Estimate 
  • Small Crowd 
  • Act Naturally 
  • Found Missing 
  • Fully Empty 
  •  Pretty ugly
  • Seriously funny
  • Only choice 
  • Original copies
  • Bittersweet
  • And .. how about this .. ‘Happily Married!’

Demagogue…..Secular and Democratic India is plagued with many such Political Leaders

A Demagogue is a Political Leader who appeals to people’s desires and prejudices rather than using reasoned arguments

Our Secular and Democratic country is plagued with many of them….. They forget that with Freedom comes Responsibility… their Cause and their Vested Interests guide their Thought, Speech, Deed and Actions… many warm the Centre and State Legislature Bodies merely to serve these Interests

Sadly, it is we who are responsible for voting them in !… Many even have Criminal Records… flaunt them like some Status Symbol !

A sad reflection of the state of affairs in our great country as we celebrate our 62nd Year of Independence on Saturday

Ernest Hemingway was a ‘Dilettante’ KGB Spy !…I could have gone down that route too !

‘Dilettante’…an Interesting NounOxford Dictionary meaning is ‘ a person who dabbles in a subject for enjoyment’ and is pronounced ‘di-li-tan-tay’

A New Book,‘Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America’  by John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr reveals that famous author,Ernest Hemingway was a ‘dilettante spy’ for awhile.This revelation is based on the notes of Alexander Vassiliev,a former KGB Officer

Hemingway was recruited in 1941 by the KGB and even went on the sly to China under the name ‘Argo’

However,Hemingway’s Information was pretty ordinary and KGB stopped contacting him by 1951

Whether Hemingway was genuinely keen on becoming a Spy or whether he was just collecting data for a Book is left to conjecture

Reminds me of the 1990s…A close friend and also client at the time had referred me to a very Senior Russian Diplomat in Mumbai as the latter was keen to meet me…I had wondered why then !…he preferred to meet outside the Office and he chose  the restaurant ‘Caravan’ for lunch.It was housed in the Sterling Cinema Complex in the Business District of Fort in South Mumbai…It no longer exists now…another famous restaurant,Royal China ,is now housed there….I remember that the Russian Diplomat had paid for the Lunch ! After all he had Invited ! That was the only time I have met him…Cannot even remember his name or how he looked !..was nearly 20 years ago !….Well what did he want ! ?….Information on People in High Places in Business and Government….what were they talking about on business,projects etc…was he trying to recruit me !? I don’t know…suppose he really was testing me out whether my network did include People in High Places  !…I remember how I had fenced him off,by commenting how lovely the Lunch was ! and that the client had exaggerated !…It was an amusing incident though ! will remember it always !

Love James Bond and Love Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible Series…so it was an intriguing thought when I read about Ernest Hemingway being a ‘dilettante spy’ ! ,that I too had a chance to go this route !…It would not have been worth it though ! and thank God the Russian Diplomat too must have thought I was not worth pursuing !…he would have saved himself Lunch Money if he had visited my office instead…he would not have missed the deep sense and signs of Patriotism….with the Indian Flag proudly displayed in more than one place and Indian Gods all around keeping a protective eye and showering their Blessings read more

‘Boodling’…What a Word for Counterfeiting !…and yes it’s an American Term !

Came across an American Term called ‘Boodling’ this morning while scanning one of the Investment newsletters that flood my email daily

‘BOODLING’ was a term used for ‘counterfeiting’ the Dollar

In 1865,there were thousands of Banks in USA…all went bust…. 1600 of them actually printed their own Dollar Currency,which in theory was backed by Gold Reserves…so with this variety of Dollars, the ‘Boodlers’ had a field day as detection was very difficult

Even when the universal currency ‘Greenback’ Dollar Notes were issued,Boodlers found it easy to counterfeit the currency…Interestingly the Dollar was called a ‘Greenback’ because only one side,it’s back, was printed in green ink 

Amusingly,’Boodlers’ were held in awe and regarded as Ingenious Masters of Complicated Technology available near 150 years ago…just like so many view ‘Hackers’ in our contemporary world today !

So can we say that the Birth,Origin and Source  of all woes and troubles associated with Capitalism and Democracy is the USA ! ?

Just to remind you that ‘Counterfeiting’ will debase your country’s currency and gives a friendly ,but evil,impetus to Inflationary pressures in the Economy

Just to remind you that India continues to be the victim of Rupee Counterfeiting with strong evidence of the source being at the highest levels across our borders

Jai Ho ! Tata….Rs One Lakh People’s Car…. NANO Car Booking Announced

Jai Ho ! Tatas !

The eagerly awaited booking for the Tata NANO Car…the Rs One Lakh Car…The People’s car…has just been announced this late afternoon…..Booking opens on April 9,2009 and will close on April 25,2009

You can access their website for more details

Ratan Tata appeared greatly relieved at the Press Conference….gave several light hearted comments…on answering how soon can an applicant/allottee expect the car delivery,Tata commented that it was like a Pretty Girl…the quicker you get her the better,otherwise she will age and get fat and lose her prettiness !…he will try to meet the demand fast…..

Ratan Tata used the words ‘Facetious’ and ‘Serendipitous’

“Facetious” means treating serious issues with inappropriate humour and Tata stated he was not sounding “facetious” when he made a ligh hearted comment

When a Foreign Correspondent asked how he could explain to those overseas this fantastic Interest that has been generated for NANO,Tata spoke humbly stating that the NANO Project actually began with the aim to transport Indian Families safely at an affordable cost and in a robust Car….Everything else,the Engineering etc…..was “Serendipitous”……..it  means the fortunate occurrence of events by chance 

Ratan Tata said the NANO will be a profitable Venture without revealing margins. 

Some Interesting NANO facts

  • Three Variants to be launched
  • 23.6 Km/Litre Fuel Efficiency
  • Rear Engine 624 cc
  • Wide Colour Range
  • Initial Annual Production 50000 from Pantnagar Plant
  • Real Scale when Sanand Plant in Gujarat rolls out Production end 2009/early 2010….Annual Capacity is 250000 that can be ramped up to 500000
  • Tatas moved out the NANO Project from Singur in West Bengal due to the violence and hostilities unleashed by one political party with Ratan Tata in a TV Interview,bluntly accusing and blaming a business rival without naming them
  • Emission Norms ahead of Euro Legislations
  • Top Speed 105 kms/hour
  • Delivery Begins in July 2009
  • Fuel Tank is 15 Litres
  • Luggage Capacity ranging from 135 litres to 500 litres
  • Project Cost is Rs 2000 crs so far
  • Acceleration 0-60 kmph in 8.6 seconds
  • Warranty 18 Months/24000 km
  • read more

    CDOs are Banks ‘Egregious Concoctions’

    Bill Gross,the legendary Bond Investor labelled Collaterised Debt Obligations or CDOs as Bank’s ‘Egregious Concoctions’

    ‘Egregious’ is an adjective that means ‘Outstandingly Bad’

    The CDOs and the Credit Default Swaps or CDSs are the Devils that are will devastatingly demonize the Financial World in 2009…Outstandings at over US $ 650 Trillion….yes Trillion !….are over Ten Times the World’s aggregate GDP….Hundreds of Banks,with huge exposures, are going Belly Up fairly soon!….as a result of this Super Leverage ! 

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