intermittent chatter

It is Diwali time, the festival season. The season of celebration, firecrackers (and noise + pollution) and sweets. I wish a happy diwali and a wonderful new year to all those who read this and also to all those who do not read this.

Some basic information for those who do not know the significance of Diwali. It is the day when Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after killing Ravana on Dussera day.

Well, I have nothing more to say now. Some sweets are lying in front of me and I just can’t keep myself away from it any longer! So I shall “chatter” some other time, intermittently of course.

Once there was a time when I didn’t have a single credit card. I never felt the need for any card. My dad still doesn’t have a single one. Everytime someone offers him a card, he says “I don’t want any credit!!”

I applied for my first HSBC credit card 4 years back and paid 2K as annual fees!! Times have changed and now I have 6 credit cards and all are free. The first HSBC card has also become free now, I have 1 more HSBC card, 1 SBI and 3 ICICI cards.

I had applied for ICICI card almost 6 months back and when nothing came, I thought my application is lost somewhere. But I was surprised to receive, not 1 but 3 cards after such a long time. First week of September was pretty hectic! Everyday there was some mailer from the ICICI - 3 cards, 3 pins, site password and some other miscellaneous mailers! They kept coming in from ICICI.

Some days back I received yet another marketing call, this time from Citi Bank, offerring me a lifetime free credit card. I asked whether its VISA or MASTER? Caller said its MASTER. Out of the 6 cards that I have 4 are VISA, 2 are AmEx. So I agreed for 1 more card. I was told that they only need a copy of my PAN card, LIC premium receipt and my autograph on their form.

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I have two doctors in my family, my sister Dr. Tejal Mehta (a homoeopath) and my brother-in-law, Dr. Ashish Mehta (yes, even he is Ashish Mehta :)). He is a neurosurgeon, practising at Mumbai. They both have been toppers who got their admissions on merits and has deservedly become doctors. Now they are taking proper care of their patients. Patients are happy because they know that their doctors are capable of doing what they are doing.

I once asked my brother-in-law about his views on Quota System & SC/ST/OBC Reservations in education. He said most of those who get admitted without merit can’t cope up with the demands of courses and drop out within some time. Thus they don’t benefit by this and they also spoil the chances of someone who deserves to be there. Then he told me about one of his friends who lost admission to MBBS course by a single mark and lost his mental balance. That fellow is still not got back to normalcy and is the only son of a widow mother! All those people must be cursing V.P.Singh and now Arjun Singh from the fathom of their hearts!

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A picture is worth a thousand words. But here’s a picture that can replace more than that. In my opinion, this picture perfectly summarises the budget! No point in saying more about it, have a look.

Mumbai for the first time is on the brink of a power drought and will face power cuts! MSEB, BEST, MERC all are telling us to cut down actual, genuine use or face penalties and/or powercuts. They are giving all stupid solutions to the problem as pointed out by Deep. But what about the criminal waste by government departments?

Here’s an example. I yesterday (8th March 2006) visited a government department. The department is a hugh hall (at least 5000 sq ft.), fully airconditioned! 80% of the cubicles were empty! Still all the lights were on!! In one cubicle one gentelman was playing solitaire on his PC

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