This Place is Taken

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Fedal Throwback

 

How fast time flies. Today I was watching the Federer-Nadal final match at the Australian open, and I got instantly transported a decade back, when these two grand masters were at the top of their game.  I am not a sport fan, and definitely do not follow tennis, but the Fedal rivalry was legendary. Nadal came to crash the party when everyone was convinced that Federer cannot be beaten, and that he is not from this planet. Other players have come since then, but their friendly rivalry was special. It was a throwback to better , simpler times.

Today our world is much more divided, much more apart. For one thing, the global financial crisis peaked, forcing people out of jobs and homes. And yet, recent political events around the world that have created divisions between groups of people, fanning fear and hostility, have made nostalgia for the past perhaps inevitable. Federer and Nadal’s rivalry harkens back to a time when we were all younger and the mood around the world was less sombre.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Its the end of Yahoo, as we know it

Yahoo will be renamed Altaba, after merger with Verizon. Ouch !

 

 

 

Its the end of Yahoo, as we know it

 

Hindsight on the Demonetisation

There are some interesting reads in the papers from the start of this year. Nearly all of them against last year’s demonetization.

 

How the RBI’s frequent changes to the cash withdrawal rules fuelled uncertainty and how an intrusive policy had led to the authorities tying themselves up in knot.

 

A look at the RBI’s gloomy comments after one month of demonetisation.

 

The Indian Express,  on how demonetisation disrupted the economy without really curbing black money.

 

 The Hindu has a gloomy forecast for 2017.

 

 

 

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Good Riddance, 2016

 

And so it comes to an end. Probably the worst year of our times. Or worst year so far. Although it started off well, this year was marked with long standing political turmoil. There were those terrorist attacks, shootings,and natural calamities. And a higher number of celebrity deaths. But what really marked the year was Brexit,and the unpredicted Trump victory in the USA. Sign of things to come. Back home, the central government attacked the common man by issuing a cruel note demonitization.

Its good to see this year finally end. Good riddance. Lets not talk about 2016 ever again.

Heres hoping for a better one. Got big hopes pinned on 2017.

Happy New Year !