Nightmare at day break

According to an Economic Times article it takes anywhere between 21 lakhs to 98 lakhs to educate one's child (at today's rate that too)

I am so aghast at this number! V&I did some quick calculations and found that it didn't cost 21 lakhs to get us both educated despite the fact that both of us did PG from reputed institutions and even if we include the cost of our apartment (the current and not at what we bought) it doesn't come to 98 lakhs. What kind of education are we talking about here?

If this is true then my child (when it happens) will have to start earning from the age 16 to ensure so that she can put in at least a coupla lakhs from her side and oh yeah I am gonna have to start praying for a genius who can get scholarships!

This is why one should not read newspapers first thing in the morning!!!!

Breaking news!

Indian Hockey team members to go on hunger strike

And why not they won the Asia cup thulping South Korea 7-2 and all they got is a few interviews on various channels and hit the headlines for a day. While blue eyed boys are still counting their money with state governments and central government falling over each other to see who gives out the most. I am reminded of the Kannada saying "Yaarappan duddu Yellamana jaathre" (which roughly means Yellamma's festival is conducted with someone else's father's money...please don't ask to elaborate) The ministers are paying nothing from their own pockets but from the state coffers. Why aren't they this spontaneous and generous when it comes to flood relief or rehabilitation?

And then of course there is this news

Time for some education?

Today's The Hindu reports about the arrest of a 24-year-old, non-violent and suave burglar. The report is absolutely hilarious. It says he read up about Charles Sobhraj and decided to burgle people in a suave way. He did own a gun but never fired at anyone. Education is reaching far I tell you. There are more non-violent robbers these days I suppose; yesterday's The Hindu reported about another bunch of fellows who used a spoon wrapped in a kerchief to rob people! The headline read "Gang of 'gentle robbers' land in police net." Unfortunately there is no link to the report on the net edition.

Gentle robbers??? Suave burglars???

If a bunch of robbers can read up and be more suave in their profession. Shouldn't we the citizens do the same and equip ourselves to be smarter with these burgalrs?

A word of caution: If by any chance you are faced with a pistol don't act smart and say I know you won't fire at me. Not everyone is a fan of Charles Sobhraj!

Not just in India eh?

There's a report written by Associated Press writer that says how FEMA (Fedral Emergency Management Agency) of the Big Brother aka USA has managed to use the Hurricane Katrina & Rita funds for everything but relief.

"The government doled out as much as $1.4 billion in bogus assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, getting hoodwinked to pay for season football tickets, a tropical vacation and even a divorce lawyer, congressional investigators have found."

Next time one of us looks longingly into the map of USA or a hollywood film and say "you know only India is soooo corrupt, in America and all its all very good" should think about this story.

And any of the Phirang junta who walks into India (or sits in his own country) and say how our illiterate junta is being looted by sometimes equally illiterate and very literate politicians, should look at the things happening in their own country.

There's a saying in Kannada that goes "ellara mane dosenU toote!" which means it doesn't matter who makes the dosa there will be holes in it.

Moral of the story: Developed or Developing every country has its share of corruption. It is after all matter of kurchi and kaasu!