Bleak House

Does anybody feel that we're passing through a pretty bad phase in India roundabout now (circa November 2007)? Let me depress you:

-- the shameful events in Nandigram
-- the revelations on Tehelka re. Modi and the possibility that Modi will be re-elected yet again (some analyst said that if this happens Modi will be in a position to come on the national scale -- like BJP's PM candidate. Joy.
-- the complete breakdown of electoral politics in Karnataka
-- our monthly or bi-monthly terrorist attack
-- The joys of Taslima-hounding
-- little-little killings every other day in the Northeast

A design classic -- lotto flip-flops

Last year I went flip-flop shopping after my Teva and Columbia flop-flops from the US weathered out. I looked at a bunch of stuff with really bad designs costing quite a lot 1000/- upto 4 or 5000. None of it looked really appealing. And then I stumbled across Lotto flip flops. They're cheap as hell around 250/- or something. They have excellent minimalist design: the simple narrow straps which is what I was looking for and which no one else seemed to have -- everybody else seems to widen the staraps and do all kinds of stupid design things with it. And they say "Lotto" very clearly which is excellent advertising for the company, and which I wouldn't care for much except in this case the logo is stylish so I don't mind. This pair has served me really well for the past year or so, but looking a little shabby at the moment.

So lets hear it for Lotto flip-flops : a design classic.

Oxymoronic English

In my recruiting efforts (not very successful so far) at Arghyam, I often come across resumes where the claim of good English ability is belied very clearly in the language of the resume. Less usual is where the person manages to shoot themselves in the foot in just a single sentence. Like this one:

"A command on English language worth the reckoning"

Perhaps I'll have more such gems to add as I continue to screen resumes