recent publications (elsewhere)
Iraqi pawn to check Chinese King? published at ZeroHedge
Investigates whether Iraq was invaded to install a puppet government that would funnel petro-dollars into US Treasuries with the aim of ending China’s hegemony in the US bond market.
What do you do? published at ZeroHedge
An attempt to harness a brain-trust of sorts in order to identify the options available to the Chinese government for safely extracting maximum value from its soon to be worthless holdings of US bonds.
Far-fetched scenario – a stronger post-apocalypse Russia? published at ZeroHedge
Discusses a long-term scenario where the US defaults on its obligations and attacks China, with a resulting boost to Russian power.
High Frequency Trading and systemic instability published at ZeroHedge
An analysis of the systemic instability wrought by the practice of High Frequency Trading.
the vagabond joke
Q. What do you sing to a joke that roams around all day long without doing any work, and that doesn’t have a fixed address?
A. “AwaraPUN, banjaraPUN, ek khalaa hai seene mein …” 
photoshop liposuction
Girish let me in on a top secret side-job he has been doing these days – photoshop liposuction – where friends send their photographs to him and he gives them “better” features by reducing the rotundity of their faces and giving them a chiselled chin. The usual effects of “making fair” and “giving lighter eyes” are also applied.
The photographs are used in matrimonial adverts and proposals. When asked if he feels bad about the disappointment his products create in prospective brides who feel cheated when they see that the square jawed hunk is infact cherubic, obese and, well, a sack of lard, he says, “A resume doesn’t promise you a job, merely a foot in the door.” 
There you have it – the originator of the term photoshop liposuction!
we are a banana republic
Or maybe we’re Absurdistan.
Despite Mr Chidambaram’s smooth claims to the contrary, a state that is unable to conduct free and fair elections and a sporting event (IPL) raises questions about competence.
It is a crying shame that the Indian state cannot conduct elections and do anything else simultaneously. And it’s surprising to note that only states ruled by the Congress (Mr Chidambaram’s party) feel themselves unequal to the task of ensuring the elections and the IPL happen at the same time.
The Congress’ attempts at using the IPL as a tool for furthering its political agenda (at Mr Sharad Pawar’s cost) will, over time, bit it in the ass. I for one will be very amused.
Until then I will sulk at the prospect of the Indian Premier League being held in South Africa!
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