Jan 24, 2007

Strange

I keep coming across policies, schemes, decisions of the powers-that-be that boggle my mind.

Small cars, which include the Santro, Maruti Alto and Wagon R, attract an excise duty of 16 per cent, against 24 per cent for large cars. Why the difference? A small car is apparently defined as being under 3m in length. Huh.

Some ministers somewhere have changed a policy to now provide for some money to be given to families whenever a child is born. Mind you, this is from public funds i.e. taxes. I may find some rationalization for giving of money when someone does something extraordinary or is reduced to poverty due to natural disasters, but giving of money for bringing forth a child? That too when there is no dearth of people in the country at this point in time.

Then there is talk of increasing the education cess levied on direct taxes. I find that ridiculous. Just increase the tax percentage if you simply cannot get enough blood to suck from me, why the cess and the surcharge?

Politicians and ministers worried about Big Brother? Gimme a break!

Telecast of cricket matches considered what amounts to an "essential service" and getting the courts involved in what should be a purely commercial matter? If a company has bid for the rights of the telecast where does the question of "sharing the feed" come into the picture?

Another identification number required for investing in mutual funds. As if the PAN wasn't enough. In fact, I was all along under the impression that the PAN was the final word as far as my identity is concerned.

Sigh.

Jan 20, 2007

Man on the edge

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge
Each step get closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven? Are they looking down?
Cause nothing is fair, just you look around

Jan 12, 2007

LCD anyone?

"Today's LCD flat panels are already obsolete" it seems. I was thinking of perhaps shelling out some dough for a widescreen LCD monitor for my Xbox, but it looks like I'll be waiting for some time after all.

Jan 10, 2007

Finally!

NASA goes metric... certainly took them a long time.

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)

"The telescope will generate 30 TB of data a night, for 10 years, from a 3-gigapixel CCD array."

PSLV-C7 launched!

The PSLV-C7 is carrying the 680 kg Indian remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT-2, the 550 kg Space Capsule Recovery Equipment, Indonesia's LAPAN-TUBSAT and Argentina's 6 kg nanosatellite PEHUENSAT-1.

Jan 8, 2007

And another earworm...

Ozzy's "Perry Mason" ... pffft.

Earworm...

Breaking the habit, anyone?


Clutching my cure
I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I had no options left again


I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused


I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So, I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit
Tonight


I'll paint it on the walls
'Cause I'm the one at fault
I'll never fight again
And this is how it ends