I've written about the Nigerian 419 scam before, but few know that India is now one of the largest exporters of counterfeit medicines to West Africa. As India becomes an economic superpower, there will invariably be a number of unscrupulous individuals who attempt to get rich quick by fraudulent means. Some of our con artists … Continue reading A scam targeting job-seekers in India
Month: October 2010
A bargain
On my way back from work, I grabbed the pile of uncollected envelopes and catalogs from the mailbox and headed inside. I quickly sorted through the mail, but one particular package buried inside the others stuck out. It was a small package approximately six inches by four inches with a colorful wrapper. I looked for … Continue reading A bargain
Wrathroom: the perils of the modern bathroom
A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine who had arrived in the American Midwest for the first time decided to freshen up by taking a shower in my bathroom. Minutes later, after he came out, I noticed that he was shivering like a skinny, wet cat. Puzzled, I asked him what was wrong. He … Continue reading Wrathroom: the perils of the modern bathroom
The psychology and the physics of stampedes
Why bother to think about stampedes? As we know, even poorly-organized humans in groups have tremendous capacity for destruction of property and life. The raw power of collectivism has the innate potential to take a chaotic turn in the fury of the mob and the panic of the stampede. And by appreciating the fact that … Continue reading The psychology and the physics of stampedes
Psyclone
After spending close to a week on St Thomas in the Caribbean, I came very close to the possibility of being stranded there for an indefinite period. At the small airport in Charlotte Amalie, a few hours before scheduled takeoff, tourists were camping out for the long-haul as airline staff announced over the public address … Continue reading Psyclone
Walking for a thousand years…
I hopped out of the E Line train I had boarded in midtown Manhattan. Stepping out of the Jackson Heights Subway Station in Queens I was transfixed. It was as if I made the trip across thousands to miles to Sealdah Station in Kolkata. I was in the community of Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis in … Continue reading Walking for a thousand years…
A non-review of NBC’s new sitcom “Outsourced”
The American television network channel NBC just started airing a television sitcom called Outsourced about a couple of Americans who move to India to run a call-center full of Indians selling novelty items to clients back home in America. I’ve watched the pilot episode and a few others since then. As you know, I'm a desi. … Continue reading A non-review of NBC’s new sitcom “Outsourced”
The economics of murder: how much does it cost?
In the US, a murder costs a little over 17 million dollars. A group of researchers crunched data for over 650 murders in eight states and used a formula with parameters for lost murderer productivity costs, judicial expenses, and victim losses to come up with that number as an “average per murder”. And because each … Continue reading The economics of murder: how much does it cost?
A desi rasta tour
Dronningens Gade, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Leisurely stroll through Dronningens Gade, or Main Street in Charlotte Amalie on a day when there are no Caribbean cruise ships docked in the harbor. You’ll see a lot of shuttered shops. You might think you’re in a quaint town in the quiet Virgin Islands... … Continue reading A desi rasta tour
Paper still beats the Kindle in my book.
I stopped when I saw the title of the book – Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles. On the cover was the picture of a cow with long eyelashes and silver udders. But what finally sold me on it was the turban the cow was wearing. I quickly paid the two dollars penciled on the first page … Continue reading Paper still beats the Kindle in my book.
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