dhoond de…..

• Surfing at Ramchandi, Puri Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:50:29
  Surfing at Ramchandi, Puri:
  

  Surfing took a baby step or the first dip at the first India Surf Festival in Puri this month. Indian surfers, from states along India’s long coastline, came together for the first time, in one place. From fishermen’s sons to professional surfing instructors, they do not fit the classic, global image of surfers we have. They are uniquely Indian. Meet the first generation of Indian Surfers. Some day, if the sport takes off India, these guys will be the one’s responsible for making it happen, sprinkled as they are along our coastline.

  I wish there were more surfing picture but excellent portraits. 

  

• (via Mother India Father Surf) Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:56:35
  
  
  

  (via Mother India Father Surf)

  

• 21 Tips On Surviving Life in Modern India Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:48:23
  21 Tips On Surviving Life in Modern India:
  

  1. Be rich. Very rich. Money may not buy happiness, but a Crore or two lying around doesn’t hurt.

  2. Don’t buy anything without bargaining. Nothing. It is just against the Indian spirit. If your kid asks for a school trip to Egypt, propose Jaipur. If he turns out to be a bargainer, raise the offer to Aurangabad.

  3. Have lots of kids. You must have a doctor, a lawyer, an police officer, and a magistrate in the family. Cant rely on outsiders anymore.

  

• Step by Step to Assembling Indian Fast Food Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:43:21
  Step by Step to Assembling Indian Fast Food:
  

  Tucked between a strip mall Starbucks and a Jamba Juice, at the back door of a Chipotle Grill, Bombay Bowl is one of a number of Indian restaurants whose owners are thinking big no matter how small they are. Borrowing the assembly-line format, customized service and chipper style of national chains like Subway, they plan to make dals, curries, chutneys and flatbreads into fast-food choices from coast to coast.

  

• “This is an intriguing little video summarizing the… Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:17:04
  
  
  

  “This is an intriguing little video summarizing the hypothesis of a new study by Vamsi Vakulabharanam. It looks at the puzzle of why China and India are exceptions to the Kuznets curve, that economic development at first increases income inequality but then starts to produce less disparity. But that did not occur in India and China. Vakulabharanam argues that the difference lies in changes in institutional arrangements, and the inflection point was roughly 1980.” (by INETeconomics)

  

• Legless B-Boy Dancer (by diagonaluk) Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:41:55
  
  
  

  Legless B-Boy Dancer (by diagonaluk)

  

• Story of Parliamentary Reporting Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:23:03
  Story of Parliamentary Reporting:
  

  A familiar scene in the two Houses of Parliament is that of quietly dressed persons heading for the central table at a brisk pace—but with a careful and correct bearing—taking their seats, scribbling in their note-books for a while and then making an exit as quick and unobtrusive as their entry. But not many people know who are these men and women apparently always in a hurry and what is the purpose of these frequent short trips. They are the Parliamentary Reporters engaged in the momentous task of preparing a complete and authoritative record of what transpires in the highest deliberative and legislative body of the country.

  A fascinating look into managing the various languages the MPs use.

  

• And the Award For The Most Surreal Experience Goes To… Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:31:02
  And the Award For The Most Surreal Experience Goes To… :
  

  The past few weeks have been pretty ordinary for me. You know how it is. Sometimes you hit that humdrum phase in life, when all you do is wake up, go to work and hang out with Shah Rukh Khan at Mannat.

  Alright, I’m kidding. I meant Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.

  This happened because I was part of the writing team that scripted a recent Bollywood award function, hosted by the two stars. I must refer to these as the Slimfare Awards, because we in the media hate to acknowledge the existence of rival companies, unless we beat them in sales.

  

• Why Aren’t More Indians Using Twitter? Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:22:33
  Why Aren’t More Indians Using Twitter?:
  

  The reality is just very different on the ground. People will get their nationalistic backs up about this post, but the stats don’t lie. It’s not a matter of national pride, it’s a matter of business reality right now. Pretending a country is something it isn’t yet, doesn’t help any entrepreneurs trying to build companies there. In fact, it’s hurt India in the past because investors and Web companies have come in enthusiastically and then pulled out once the promises of the billion person economy didn’t translate.

  

• Stay ahead with The Hindu (by The1878Hindu)
  BURN! Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:20:24
  
  
  

  Stay ahead with The Hindu (by The1878Hindu)

  BURN!

  

• Rushdie Non Grata Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:11:04
  Rushdie Non Grata:
  

  Rushdie’s video image was not allowed at the Festival, but he was on television tonight in India, being interviewed on NDTV, and he spoke out angrily about the “unscrupulous” Muslim groups that threatened him, and an Indian government that failed to act. Speaking from London, Rushdie called the whole affair “fantastically fishy” and blamed the ruling Congress Party and other officials for bowing to electoral priorities and ignoring the priorities of freedom of expression.

  Sigh!

  

• Conversations in the Nude Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:11:31
  Conversations in the Nude:
  

  Open’s staff writer Mihir Srivastava likes to sketch nude portraits of regular people—men and women, strangers and friends, thin and fat. Some are disgusted when he asks them if they would pose for him. But, surprisingly, many agree. Why?

  Would you?

  

• India’s first female photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla… Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:39:19
  
  
  

  India’s first female photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla (center), seen with other press photographers at a photo session with Indira Gandhi in Delhi. (via India’s First Female Photojournalist Captured A Nation In Transition : The Picture Show : NPR)

  

• “just rename it to Islamic republic of India already” Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:19:43
  “just rename it to Islamic republic of India already”
  
  – Twitter / @cgawker

• Big courage on little shoulders Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:02:00
  Big courage on little shoulders:
  

  The boy, a Class VII student and the son of a Uttar Pradesh farmer, pulled out several of his friends alive out of a burning van, caring little about his own safety. On September 4, 2010, Om Prakash was going to school along with other students in a Maruti van. But all of a sudden, the van caught fire because of a short circuit in the gas kit. The driver immediately opened his door and fled. But not Om Prakash. He broke open the van door and pulled out the others, caring little about the flames that had spread to his face, back and arms. He saved eight children. For his bravery, he has won the Sanjay Chopra Award.

  One of the best parts about India’s Republic Day Parade. Wish the media talked about their stories more.

  

• What have clothes got to do with sexual attacks? Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:00:41
  What have clothes got to do with sexual attacks?:
  

  My colony has a fancy western-sounding name and, while constructing the illusion that we were buying into something exotic, the builder has installed statues vaguely modeled on Venus de Milo — nearly nude white female forms, arms missing. Then one day, our statue was found dressed in a nightgown. But perhaps some poor person needed that nightgown, so the statue was bare again. Soon enough, somebody had dressed it up again, in a man’s shirt. I often wonder at the people who did that. I doubt they were worried about the dignity of our fake plaster-of-paris Venus. It hasn’t been molested (as far as I know).

  I’m sure some plaster-of-paris statues have been molested but then if that prevents from actual humans from being molested, we ought to install more nude statutes.

  

• An excuse called Rushdie Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:32:43
  An excuse called Rushdie:
  

  Politicians and clerics offer illusory benefits to Muslims, who want education and jobs. Instead they get quotas, and not skills.

  More often than not, we’re focused on the temporary issues affecting minorities instead of focusing on empowering them to succeed. 

  

• Indian Copyright: A Brief Compilation of Indian Content Law Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:11:38
  Indian Copyright: A Brief Compilation of Indian Content Law:
  

  Content law is a field of law unto itself, and the Indian corpus juris contains over twenty statutes governing content. In addition to statutory law, case law and tort law also govern content – for example, the right to privacy (and the corresponding prohibition on the publication of content invasive of privacy) finds its roots not only in constitutional law but also in tort law.

  Most Indian content laws are not directed specifically at online content. However, they are, for the most part, applicable to online content (even though recent debates may lead one to believe that the legal regulation of content in India is non-existent). These laws, however, do not focus on ‘pre-screening’; as with most laws, they prescribe sanctions upon the publication etc. of illegal content.

  Dating back to 1860. Who says we don’t protect our history? [via @gkjohn]

  

• India’s first Ironman is a woman Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:31:04
  India’s first Ironman is a woman:
  

  Anuradha Vaidyanathan is India first Ironman athlete. The multi-tasking 30-year-old PhD holder and entrepreneur tells us about the challenges she’s had to face and how she made it.

  Very few of us may have even heard of the sporting event she represents. Fewer are probably aware of the extreme physical endurance it demands. Ironman one-day triathlon that involves a 3.8km swim, 180km bicycle ride and a 42.2km run. The relatively ‘easier’ triathlon event is the Ultraman — a three-day stage race that involves a 10km swim, 420km bicycle ride and an 84.4km run.

  Anuradha Vaidyanathan is India’s first Ironman athlete and one of the only 450 people in the world to have finished an Ultraman.

  

• Leading by example Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:40:58
  Leading by example:
  

  The study focuses on West Bengal, a state in eastern India, where one-third of the pradhan positions have been randomly reserved for women since 1998. This policy is part of a larger effort in India to put women in local government: In 1993, the country widely adopted gender quotas for village councils. As a result, India’s proportion of local elected leaders who were female rose from less than 5 percent in 1992 to more than 40 percent in 2000.

  It’s all about role models. However, I bet it would help more if familial ties did not always play a role in advancement of women in Indian politics.

  

• Win or Lose: Play Poker for Sheer Joy and a Delightful Time Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:26:38
  If you can make quick money without sweating for it you would naturally go for it, provided there is nothing illegal. You may swear that you do not believe in gambling to make money by indulging in it. But, deep … Continue reading →

• 6 Most popular sports in India Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:25:51
  Apart from the rich culture and diverse arts presence, India has tremendous experience and has thrived in different sporting activities. Such activities include athletics, cricket, shooting, hockey, chess and many more. Besides, the country has respectable traditional sports such as … Continue reading →

• Online Poker Can Be Played On Various Internet Poker Websites Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:24:28
  There are dozens of websites that host the poker game and you can select any of the sites for playing online poker. Many poker websites offer various attractive services to the poker players for the purpose of enticing them. Some … Continue reading →

• Top 5 reasons why you should visit India Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:24:02
  India is an amazingly huge country with a variety of climatic conditions combined with diverse flora and fauna. Otherwise known as the cradle of the Indus civilization, India is known for its cultural wealth and heritage running back into the … Continue reading →

• What you need to know when doing business in India Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:20:45
  Trade between India and other counties has increased a great deal in the last few years. This is emerging economy with a huge population of over 1 billion people. India presents a big opportunity for anyone interested in investing there. … Continue reading →

• Bombs away, please Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:10:30
  Four locations in Queens rang in the first night of the new year with firebombs. An Islamic center, a bodega, a home used for Hindu worship, and the home of an African-American Christian family had firebombs thrown at them. A … Continue reading →

• A Name to Remember Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:56
  The New York Times reports that the placement of Mohammad Salman Hamdani’s name on the National September 11 Memorial obscures his bravery that day. Lauded by the mayor, police commissioner and other government officials, including Rep. Keith Ellison, as a hero … Continue reading →

• US Hopes Desis in India Make Chai Not War in 2012 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:22:47
  The U.S. is sending comedy showcase “Make Chai Not War” with performers Rajiv Satyal, Azhar Usman and Hari Kondabolu to India for a seven-city tour starting this week. Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the tour is part of the State Department’s regular global exchange … Continue reading →

• The (r)Evolving Kominas Tue, 27 Dec 2011 03:58:23
  A belated Christmas present for all y’all for this #MusicMonday – our oft written about friends The Kominas have released an (almost) self-titled album called “Kominas.” If you thought the previous albums were too punk/too political/too “taqwacore” for you – … Continue reading →

• The Donkeys Rock Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:52:20
  It always surprises me when I find a band that is really good that should have been on my radar a long time ago. The Donkeys are on their third album release, Born with Stripes. The song below, Don’t Know … Continue reading →

• Scared for Her Life and Other Stories of Hate [UPDATED] Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:45:43
  UPDATED Dec 21, 2011: Looks like Aisha Khan was found and that some of you skeptical commentators were right all along. We will keep you posted as the story develops. According to Overland Park police, officers made contact with her … Continue reading →

• ‘Skewed Demographic’ Highlights Bone Marrow Disparity Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:37:34
  The online art exhibit Skewed Demographic brings together artists to address the racial disparity in the bone marrow registry. Each piece in the online gallery is being auctioned off with proceeds going towards processing bone marrow testing kits. Photographers Shirin … Continue reading →

• The One Stop Jihadi Superstore Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:32:23
  With all this controversy around the One Stop Jihadi Superstore aka Lowes, (as Aasif Mandvi oh so eloquently put it in this Daily Show bit) and their caving to a Christian fringe extremist organization (as Phillygrrl blogged about here), it … Continue reading →

• Why This? Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:28:08
  I’m not one to follow pop hit music trends in India – but this one is getting a little bit too big to avoid. I briefly peeped the song a few weeks ago, didn’t think much of it. But people … Continue reading →

• Lowes Protects All Americans from Dumb Reality Shows Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:37:06
  Dear Lowes, I am writing to thank you for pulling advertising from TLC’s All-American Muslim. On behalf of myself and all other dumb-reality-television-hating folks, I want to express my gratitude for your efforts to make American reality television as transparent … Continue reading →

@Nowfal