Author: charukesi

From Mumbai Dope on Mid Day – Mumbai’s literacy rate is 85.6% (female: 82.7%, male: 90%) compared with India’s overall literacy of 65.4%. – I wonder how many of these men (and women too) in Mumbai learnt to read and write on the job and not formally… practical literacy…?

New Words to Know for 2005 – link through wordlab – about “new words added to the English language in or before 2005, and reflect evolving workplace vocabulary” I tried to pick out a few favourites from this list but that just didn’t work – so do read the entire list… ———————————— BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around… Continue reading Are you a mouse potato?

This report from The Week says Xenitis Computers’ PC (AAmar PC in the east, AApna PC in the north, AAmchi PC in the west and NaMMa PC in the south) sells for Rs.10,000 – while the high end model is priced at Rs.25,000. Apart from the current pricing, two more things are striking : the… Continue reading More for less from Xenitis?

I had blogged about my dropped jaw last week on seeing a full page ad for HT in the ToI. And Suhail wrote in pointing to this link from exchange4media – Warring rivals join hands. HT, TOI agree to co-operate. And today, Rediff reports Times, HT join hands in Mumbai Cross ownership of media vehicles… Continue reading yes, HT-ToI bhai-bhai, DNA bye-bye?

What after tobacco, Dr Ramadoss, gutka, junk food, chocolates? Shailaja Bajpai in the Indian Express If cigarettes are harmful, what about all those other equally harmful ‘substances’ that regularly get promoted in the movies and on television – gutka, junk food, cola and chocolates… (Incidentally, if gutka advertising is banned, a majority of the television… Continue reading Ba(nne)d substances…

In the last few days, I have come across so many chilling stories about what is happening to children across the world… I can only write about them here – and I hate myself for not being able to do more…. I am going to be on the look-out for stories concerning children – stories… Continue reading Child watch

Three people have been convicted in the UK over the torture of an eight-year-old girl who was alleged to be a witch. And this was not an isolated case that can be written off… Read this shocking report from the BBC – Hundreds of central African children living in the UK may have suffered abuse… Continue reading Child or witch?

Imagine seeing your favourite serial even as you drive home from office – now not only can you be involved in accidents talking on your mobile as you drive, you can actually plead guilty of being distracted by the sound of slap number two. How would you like to get your favourite TV channels streaming… Continue reading Mobile saas-bahus

If you have had your fill of the latest mela hosted by Saket, then get ready for the next one here… In keeping with the mela tradition, here is the mela banner duly copied and pasted (always blame it on tradition, no one can point a finger at you) And if you are not aware… Continue reading Bharateeya Blog Mela

The tag has caught up with me – thanks to Sunil Total number of books I own – never counted but my guess is close to 600 – most of them scattered across book shelves – the more loved and often read ones in a pseudo-antique shelf I picked off the Oshiwara old furniture market… Continue reading One more book tag