News Wrap

The wrong message:-

“Police identified the arrested as Venkatesa Prasad (25), a native of Perambalur, who is pursuing a master's course in business administration.”

”Prasad was nabbed after the police spotted a media advertisement placed by Amir and Prasad to get clients when they shifted base from Mannady to Triplicane recently. They had released an advertisement that they are offering massage to customers, especially women.” Read full report.

So often you find the media going gaga about the smart MBA types coming up with innovative business ideas. Can one get any more innovative than this?

The young Venkatesa Prasad, bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, hit upon this brilliant idea. He decides to get paid for stuff that most of his fellow male students would be ready to pay for…massaging women.

If you read the full report (no pictures alas), you’ll find that they actually started small and became popular by work of mouth sorry, make that word of mouth.

As with any start-up they started small providing on-site services (as in customer’s premises) and then having built a brand value, tried to bring in efficiencies and increase productivity by providing own campus (offsite) services.

Did not Confucius say that if you love what you do, you do not have to work for another day?

These guys certainly had it right. A pity they are not from IIM, then the world would have recognised their genius and not unfairly categorised the venture as sleaze.

Which MBA college was it anyway?

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Another Strip Show - Spare me please.

I heard somewhere that those who strip in public are essentially the ones you would rather see with clothes on. Well, the oldies in Melbourne certainly vindicate the idea.

“Angry pensioners stripped off in the heart of the Melbourne CBD today to protest against their treatment in the Federal Budget” Read full report.

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PE... - the code is cracked!

“Dr Sharlip told TOI, "The definition of lifelong PE is now a form of sexual dysfunction in which ejaculation occurs within a minute of vaginal penetration, almost every time during intercourse.” Read full report.

Heh heh heh…..do I need comment? No, but I nevertheless will!

“Get a stopwatch free with a pack of condoms”.
“Khandani Vaid Sri Balwan cann now actually prove that he has cured you”
“Are you ashamed of yourself, buy our special stopwatch which runs only for 60 seconds.
It can be a life changing experience. It can be a wife changing experience. It can change your experience for the rest of your life…..”

How many more tag lines can you think of?

Not the real McCoy - Encounters with a "Traffic Cop"

The car I drive is registerd in Jamshedpur (JH registration for the uninitiated). Needless to say in Bangalore I am a little wary of the traffic police and have been mostly lucky in escaping scrutiny.

However, in the last 6 months I have been stopped thrice on the roads and asked to show registration certificate and road tax receipt.

Now here’s the interesting part, on all three occasions I have been stopped by the same cop.

This guy is in his early fifties, grey-walrus moustache, salt and pepper hair part hidden by a helmet, wears the Khaki uniform and rides a Hero Honda CD 100.

His modus operandi:-

Picking out a non-KA registration vehicle, he asks it to stop. "Show road tax receipt… come with me to Police Station, ….RTO’s car is coming just behind me… you have to pay Road Tax of INR 30,000/-" is his opening pitch in staccato English.

He closes with "Ok. This is last time. Give something quickly"…palm outstretched.

First time he made me stop at Inner-ring Road and I paid him 200/- bucks. Second time he stopped me at Madivala market in the evening. I did not immediately recognise it was the same guy. This time I gave him 100/- and as he rode away I realised this is the same guy.

I got my lucky break last Monday when he stopped me again in the morning on Banerghatta Road. Needless to say this time I was prepared.

As he hailed me to the side, I lowered the window and signalled him to come to the driver’s side of the window. I was trying to play the cool dude.

He came and started his opening pitch….“Show road tax receipt, RTO is coming, you have to pay fine…..”

I took out a pen and paper and told him with full confidence “Give me your name and Badge number. Follow my car, I’ll take you to the Police Station. This is the third time you are asking me for money”.

Now guys I am not exaggerating here. He mumbled a name Ramamurthy, and quickly turned his bike around and sped away. He was bluffing and this time I called.

Seeing how quickly he turned tail, it is possible that the guy is either not a cop or an ex or suspended cop who is just trying to make a fast buck.

Should he stop you, say hello from me and try to take down his service details. It will save your day.

Live and let cook

I was in Melbourne the past couple of weeks. The highlight of the trip was not the work I did there (well…..it never is honestly). It was more like the people I met, the things I did and offcourse the food I ate.

Sample this:-

Everything has a beginning, middle (a big one if it’s me) and an end. It was no different for Mr Lobster.

It began with being pulled away from a siesta with its friends in the aquarium…(see picture) finding its way into my hand and surprise, surprise….in less than 15 minutes it comes before me in peices....looking very different but in a somewhat similar hue.
In one of my rare moments of decency I decided against photographing my plate after I had the lobster. You can well imagine it was not a pretty sight.

Incidentally I could only have half of it and dutifully asked the rest to be packed for take-away. After a couple of days, as dutifully I took the packet out of the fridge and threw it into the dustbin.

What is interesting is the photograph of the tools with which I was supposed to have the lobster. I have no idea what they are called. The photograph is interesting as it was taken after I had the food. Why use tools when we are so good with our fingers.

For those who really want to know…yes, the lobster tasted really good.

BTW....what is a Cray fish? Are they the same as what I am calling a lobster...because I think the waiters called it a crayfish while the bill called it a Lobster. Was I conned?