Monday’s are a great day to go to a police station to retrieve your driving license. After a start to the week like that the rest of the week can only get better. Even more mortifying – is traveling with one’s father (70+) to a RTO chowkie to pay a fine and get back a license that was confiscated for breaking a signal.

My father was a doll on this. after the fine had been paid and the license got back – he said that the next time I would know not to break the signal. I felt like a 5 year old …

The guys at the Traffic Police were helpful. organised and I spent all of 5 minutes paying my fine and getting my license back. It wasn’t my license there – there were others who had turned up to collect theirs. Obviously not all cops take bribes, nor all motorists (and taxi drivers) give it. so phrases like ‘the entire police department is corrupt’ will get corrected if I chance upon others saying it.

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Yesterday’s wtf moment was Suresh Kalmadi claiming dementia. This is while he has been approving projects from jail. Had this vision of Mr.Kalmadi telling the judge “mein kaun hoon, kahan hoon, mujhe kuch yaad nahin aa raha …judge sahab yeh mere saath kya ho raha hai.”

I wonder if one can lose the key to his cell, and claim dementia ?

Also, do people who forget to return phonecalls or e-mails also suffer from Dementia ?

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Continued reading “Poor Economics” – and the fascinating chapter on Hunger. little nuggets of information. Did you know that potatoes may have been responsible for 12% of the increase in global population between 1700 and 1900. I hope and pray that no Indian politician or TV journalist ends up reading the book. The next thing you know there will be a call to ban potatoes as a way of combating the population problem.

There are also other interesting facets of social behavior that get linked to hunger. For example, the burning of ‘witches’ – usually single women during periods of food scarcity . One less mouth to feed. Or the correlation between failed rains and female infanticide. or the linkages between nutrition, height and success at the Olympic games (for India). The also look at the impact of under nourishment on general performance in life. It is a no brainer to say that well nourished children grow up to be smart and healthy and successful (relatively). where as under nourished children, if they grow up, remain stunted in all aspects of life.

Do read the book – it is an easy read and triggers thought.

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Was in Matunga this morning, picking up lunch for the family (after getting back the license)

The seller of pots – I have seen this shop forever in Matunga. The only time I see customers is during Diwali – I like water stored in a pot – especially when you put elaichi to flavour the water. But, cleaning a pot is a pain. Sheer pain. And they break fast.

The seller of pooja saman – threads, chandan, haldi, kum kum, fire sticks for yagnas, incense sticks – the works. almost like a supermarket for prayer items.