If we ever need proof that the digital medium is meant for a highly personalized audience and experience, we now have it in streaming of media and entertainment. The likes of Netflix, Amazon and Spotify have changed the entertainment landscape forever with on-demand video and music tailored to our specific tastes wherever we might be.… Continue reading Now Streaming to a Screen Near You
It is said that Indian elections are the greatest experiment in democracy. In a nation of 1.3 billion people and over 900 million eligible voters, that does mean a grand pageant. Some observers, talking to Matthew Amroliwala on BBC World News, even called it a great “festival of democracy”. If you watch the news and… Continue reading Indian Elections 2019: Theatre of the Absurd
I finished reading the complete Faust by Goethe just a few days ago. However, this post is not about what I thought of the book, but about the train of thoughts it set off inside my head. About Faustian bargains and how we are surrounded by them in our lives. I then discovered that all… Continue reading Of Faustian Bargains in Our Times
At the moment, India is in the grip of election fever and it is not surprising that each political party is promising sops to the farmers and the poor. Well, the ruling party started doling out a farmer income support programme called PM KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) from December last year which promises… Continue reading Universal Basic Income: A Gift for All?
From medieval times, when Africa was known as the “Dark Continent” to now, it is ignorance about this vast land that rules popular perception. Then, little by little - although it has taken a very long time - explorers and writers began to shed some light on the continent. Or at least on small pockets… Continue reading Africa, The Continent of Hope at Last
March-April usually means the start of a new financial year and new opportunities at work in India. Appraisals, new assignments, new responsibilities. My mind turned to the rather high rate of joblessness in India (a subject of much debate) and whether it will be an important issue in the elections that are just a few… Continue reading Jobs Going This Time Aren’t Coming Back
Millennials will go on to become the largest population cohort in the US this year. They’ve been bringing marketers and advertisers waves of excitement and anticipation, as the largest consumer group. They’ve also been bringing them nightmares. Everyone is busy studying this group of youngsters aged anywhere from 16 to 34 who comprise such a… Continue reading Making Sense of the Millennial Myth
Trade wars, cold wars, real wars, culture wars... these are nothing but questions being asked of our humanity, our capacity to think, reason, share, cooperate, love, endure and grow. As a writer, I thought I'd share an idea that provides a fresh twist, and an emphatic nod of agreement, to an old and famous adage… Continue reading An Owl Wisdom Piece on War
Recent events in Venezuela have put the spotlight once again on a part of the world that is hardly ever given any attention, save when it is about commodity exports to the rest of the world, most importantly, to China. Then again, hasn’t it been this way since the 15th century, when King Ferdinand and… Continue reading Still Searching for El Dorado in Venezuela
Against the backdrop of recent tensions between India and Pakistan, forthcoming elections in India and all the warmongering that is going on, including by our leaders, I thought I would share this for today. Hope cool heads and better sense will prevail.
Peripatetic Perch 