Let us assume a hypothetical scenario: Let’s say you really really don’t like AutoRickshaws and the Auto drivers in particular. If you were in a position of power, what could you do to make them as miserable as you can, without getting yourself into trouble.

I had this discussion with a friend. His ideas ranged from “Increase fuel prices” to “Ban Auto Rickshaws”. But any direct manipulation like that will make you a bad guy, and the target of an auto-driver strike. But I think I have a better solution.

Increase the number of Autos on the roads by 3 times! Without any corresponding increase in passenger traffic, the money each AutoRickshaw will make, on an average, will fall by three times. But all the while, you’ll be the good guy who’s supporting the Auto drivers by offering cheap loans to buy Auto Rickshaws and things like that, when, in fact, you’re just helping them screw themselves.

(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

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I don’t understand what is happening in Mumbai with this whole ‘anti-north indians’ movement. Raj Thackrey is making a claim that ‘North Indians’ are coming to Mumbai and taking over the jobs that would otherwise go to Maharashtrians. This argument is silly at several levels, but that’s not what I’m worried about.

What worries me is how his party-men are buying the argument! Why Maharashtrians vs North Indians? Why not Mumbaikars vs Non-Mumbai folk? Why not people from the Dadar area vs. people from South Mumbai? And, by reductio-ad-absurdum, why not people in my household vs other people.

It’s scary when ‘party followers’ take things at face value without even sparing a thought to what it all means. What makes these people feel some pride in an arbitrary political line dividing states I don’t understand.

(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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I don’t really buy the theory that all those Tata Nanos that come onto India’s already chocked streets are going to make the problem worse. I actually think that the Nano will solve the problem in the long run, instead of worsen it.

If you listen to politician’s rhetoric (you know, the kind that they talk at rallies and the things they print in the ‘manifesto’), there is never a mention of Traffic problems. The reason is that the vast majority of the electorate doesn’t care about the traffic problem. Most people that own cars today are well-to-do middle class people, the kind of folks that rarely vote. No votes means the politicians don’t care about you.

But once you start getting cars to the vast majority of current 2-wheeler owners, and these proud new owners of these new small cars find that they have nowhere to drive them, it then becomes a problem of the “voting public”.

I predict that in 5 years, we’ll have a very good solution to the traffic problem - In large cities like Bangalore, you’ll see a sudden spurt of flyover constructions (because the public seems to think it solves the traffic problem - Whether it really does is irrelevant, cause the politicians only give the people what they want - not what they need).

(No Ratings Yet)

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Exxon Mobil, one of the world’s largest oil companies, today posted a PROFIT, not revenue, of $40.61 Billion. That’s $1,300 every second of the whole year - during day and night!

How can this be possible? Oil companies, that are increasing prices saying that “Global Oil Prices are increasing” are also increasing their own margins, and just passing on the doubly-increased prices to the consumers, who have no option but to pay up whatever the price is. And these companies are profiting ridiculously! What are they going to do with so much money!?!? Why can’t they reduce the price of petrol for us consumers instead of making all that money in profits?

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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And here’s the news all of us have been waiting for!

Yahoo yesterday announced that they’re going to lay off 1,000 of their 14,000 employees. This is all spookily similar to the situation after the 2001 “bubble-burst”. The fun begins now to see where all this ends up

(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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Have you heard the story of this 16-year old Australian kid, Corey Delaney? So, his parents went out on a weekend, and told him not to make any mess at home. And what does he decide to do? He decides to throw a party instead! He’s also thinking big! He puts an open invite on MySpace. 500 people show up at his party!

Things get out of hand, and the police come with a helicopter and a dog squad to break up the party which has turned into a mini-riot by now. The whole exercise cost the Australian government A$20,000!

So you’d think that this kid learnt his lesson, right? Of course he did. And so, he’s going to turn into a professional party thrower! He’s got an Australian tour coming up where he’s hired a manager and  is going to throw parties all over Australia. He could make upto $100,000 doing this!

Talk about dumb luck! Check out this interview of him just after the party-that-went-wrong.This kid is going to become big. I just know it!

(No Ratings Yet)

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Airbus’s brand new A380 is the largest flying aircraft. It’s a double decker capable of carrying 800 passengers at once! Not only that, but it also has some of the most advanced avionics in the world. Check out this 3-D view of the cockpit. You can look around and even zoom in. Quite cool. Click below for a screenshot.

(No Ratings Yet)

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It seems an island in Northwestern Australia has been invaded by 150 million crabs! They are everywhere, on the streets, in the houses and on the golf courses. But that’s not all. It is mating season, so there are soon going to be millions and millions of baby crabs too! Check out this video. It’s quite freaky!

(No Ratings Yet)

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I’m really starting to like all the cool stuff BCCI is doing with the IPL. As you probably already know, the IPL has contracted the world’s top 80 players to play in the IPL. Now, they have to decide which team gets which players. To do this, they’re going to hold a LIVE auction on Set Max on Feb 8th where all the team owners, i.e., SRK, Vijay Mallya etc. all will be bidding for all the internetational players. Sounds like enormous fun!

This IPL has been a mega success for the BCCI. The first game has yet to be played, and the BCCI has already made close to $1 Billion! Mega bucks! If the BCCI was a private company, it’d be in the top-10 companies by revenue!

(2 votes, average: 3 out of 5)

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Well, they’ve not really found superman’s cave, but I’m starting to like sensationalist headlines.

A couple of amature geologists have found a massive crystal cave in Mexico, just like the one shown in Superman! It’s super cool, check out the pics. (Clock for larger images)

(No Ratings Yet)

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