Parth Awasthi

"They started the progressive artists group back in 1948 when chai at one of Bombay's many Irani cafes came for 2 paisa. "The problem was, we couldn't afford even that, so we would initially ask for two cups, then one of us would say he wasn't really in the mood for tea and we'd cancel one order," says MF Husain, over the phone from London. The 'we' he's referring to is Tyeb Mehta and himself, India's one crore artists." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

His voice choked with emotion, Husain heaps praise on Tyeb calling him the greatest of the greats. "Tyeb portrayed the intensity of pain on his canvas with such authenticity, it made one wince. Like the rest of us, he couldn't sell a single work but he went on painting." The artist recalls how he last met Tyeb in 2007 at a show at the Victoria Albert Museum. "It was my show and Tyeb was... more... - Parth Awasthi

From his home in Paris, another master mourns the loss of, "a brother and a dear friend." Tyeb and SH Raza were both products of Mumbai's JJ School of Art. "We didn't have a penny in our pockets but we had fire in our belly. We wanted to take Indian art across the globe," says 87-year-old Raza. "While Husain and Padamsee were dynamic and outspoken, Tyeb and I were shy and reticent. I'd say Tyeb's silence was his greatest strength. He put all his emotions into his works. And they shone." - Parth Awasthi

Wait...isn't it like super late there? Are you still at work? - Anika Malone

LOL - Parth Awasthi

"Tyeb Mehta, who died last night, was obsessive. Even though he’d been steadily losing his eyesight to a point of near-blindness over the last decade, even though his hearing had become impaired, and even though he was in and out of hospital the last few years, he did — as near as possible — his riyaaz: painting, if not on canvas, then in his mind. Spartan and austere, they were two sides of a coin for him, and as in his life, so in his art, he had pared everything down to a stark minimalism." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

:) <HUGS> - Parth Awasthi

"Painting a picture of a resilient economy, the pre-Budget Economic Survey 2008-09, tabled in Parliament today by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said India could grow up to 7.75 per cent in 2009-10, up from 6.7 per cent in 2008-09, provided the global economy, particularly the United States, bottomed out by September and the government was able to push the button on significant economic policy reforms. The World Bank had recently said India would grow 8.1 per cent in 2010, ahead of China (7.5 per cent). The numbers in the survey also suggest India is finally ready to rub shoulders with its northern neighbour." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

For business * Raise FDI limit in insurance, defence, allow it n multi-format retailing * Allow private entry into the provision of passenger train/railway services * Remove need for prior government permission to retrench workers but raise compensation requirements * Ease contract labour laws Amend Factories Act to increase workweek to 60 hours from 48 hours - Parth Awasthi

This is one hawt song. - Parth Awasthi

i like the idea of the video. never heard the song before. i <3 gwen, though. :) - Trish Haley

You hadn't??? I heard it for the first time in Friends S8, TOW The Stripper. Monica does a striptease to this towards the end of the episode for Chandler. Couldn't rest till I had dug this song up. :) I like Gwen too. - Parth Awasthi

"A Bill seeking to make free and compulsory education to children in the 6-14 age group a fundamental right will be placed before current session of Parliament. The Right to Education Bill was cleared on Friday by the Union Cabinet after incorporating certain changes in the original draft as suggested by the Standing Committee, sources said. Once the Bill becomes a law, it will make free and compulsory education a fundamental right." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

Thanks for the explanation you guys. I guess this akin to our school vouchers that politicians talk about. The school vouchers are for poorer students to go to private schools. - Anika Malone

"Boisterous gay activists hugged one another and burst into noisy celebrations, which were later extended to the Jantar Mantar observatory complex in the heart of the national capital. Some hand-written placards held by them read: "Loving is not a crime." Another read: "377, Quit India". Gay activists in Nepal echoed the sentiments of their counterparts in India. Anjali Gopalan of Naz Foundation said: "It is celebration time for us. We have waited for years for this day." The reaction from Hindu, Muslim and Christian leaders was swift and bordered on anger and disbelief, with some threatening mass protests if parliament legalised gay sex. Gay activists, however, voiced confidence that the government would do that in the wake of the court edict." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

Baba Ramdev has perhaps never read Vatsayan's works. People who say it is against the Indian Culture or Vedic Culture or any xyz culture: Read your cultural textbooks correctly! BJP: Two thumbs down. You can stick your '-ism's up your ass. - Parth Awasthi

"Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has rejected demands that judges reveal details about their wealth and fears they will face “frivolous complaints” if they are made to do so. Balakrishnan told CNN-IBN’s Bhupendra Chaubey that judges of the higher judiciary already give details of their assets to court registrars. “We are disclosing assets--all the judges of the Supreme Court have done that. But we are not giving (the details) to the public. All official acts are with the registrar,” he said. Balakrishnan was asked to comment on the Union Government’s proposal to introduce a law that will make judges accountable and ensure they make their assets public. His answer was: “let judges be protected from frivolous complaints and litigation.”" - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

I'm skeptical too Michael, but I have faith in the Judiciary of this country, especially in the higher echelons. I'd leave them alone. - Parth Awasthi

"In a historic judgement, the Delhi High Court on Thursday legalised consensual sex among gays. The court struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S Muralidhar said that if not amended, Section 377 of the IPC would violate Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which states that every citizen has equal opportunity of life and is equal before law. "We declare Section 377 of IPC in so far as it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private is violative of Articles 14, 21 and 15 of the Constitution," the Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Murlidhar said." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

about time. - alphaxion

Section 377 is very generic and in dire need of elaboration in the modern context. It simply calls unnatural sex as illegal. This definition is so wide that all forms of sex except for vaginal are illegal. Of course by no standard is this in tune with the times and the society. This revision is only a beginning in a fairly long list of amendments that need to be done to the section in... more... - Parth Awasthi via iPod

Is that song out yet? A friend sent me a link a couple of days ago, but I can't find the whole song anywhere. - Anika Malone

Good Night, FabooMama :) - Abhishek Das

have a great day, Parth - सत्याग्रह {Bren}

Thanks Bren! You too. - Parth Awasthi

Good night or afternoon. - Anika Malone

Sometimes I can't understand how far people will go to defend a myopic argument. This one person (who has now reached the end of the line and is just about to be unfollowed) is talking about a comparison of two Indian coffee chains and her line of argument is this article: http://campusjunkie.com/storyde... The article has about a million flaws. And then this person defends that one doesn't go to the coffee shop for coffee, but for ambience. Are you serious? Makes me wonder if I am a strange person in this world or if people are crazy and times are strange. - Parth Awasthi

Abhid; I knew you would. :) - Parth Awasthi

Also, this lady prefers cafes with low fat milk option as opposed to ones with free WiFi. I'm sorry I can't agree with that at all. One, creamier milk makes better coffee. Two, RESPECT free WiFi! - Parth Awasthi

If she can be called a lady with those preferences. - Parth Awasthi

"Seeking to take forward reforms in education, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday asked the IITs to expand into new areas like medicine and law and evolve a framework in this regard. Interacting with the IIT directors in the Capital, Sibal said the institutes need to explore the possibility of having multiple campuses, good connectivity and courses with multi-disciplinary approach. "You need to prepare a framework on how to achieve expansion, inclusiveness and excellence. IITs are good because you get the best students, not necessarily you give them the best. What you need is to give them the best," Sibal said." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

He also said the IITs should go beyond the fixed boundaries. "There should be multifarious disciplines in IITs – school of medicine, law, social science and even literature. What I want is innovation. Why cannot the 14 IITs become 14 universities with innovation," he said.Nearly 52 per cent of the GDP in the country is generated from service sector while 30 per cent comes from... more... - Parth Awasthi

I've always been very critical of Mr. Sibal and his ideas. But in the last couple of weeks in the new government, he's been proposing some serious reforms. Ideas like changing the 10th grade Board exams to being grade based instead of marking is something I like, at least in essence. (Though we'll all have to wait for much greater details before I can say if it's for the better or worse) Now with this suggestion, his ranking in my mind is improving. But I'm curious how dedicated the PM is to such reforms. - Parth Awasthi

Oh and I must add Heather Graham is one cruel heart breaker. <Drool> - Parth Awasthi

i enjoyed the film very much! - (jeff)isageek

How was the movie? Everyone seems to like it. I'll have to wait until it's available on DVD. - Anika Malone

=) Yes, Parth. Just one *more* reason. I'm making a list. - Anika Malone

So far this year has been mostly bad interspersed with a little good. I hope the second part of this year is much better. And Happy Mid New Year to you too. =) As one who celebrates half-birthdays, this makes me smile. - Anika Malone

Happy half-Christmas! - DGentry

"Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will have to do a tough balancing act while presenting the Budget on July 6 in view of an unprecedented global meltdown, a slowing economy and ballooning fiscal deficit. Expectations are high that a decisive electoral victory for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will mean a reformist agenda. The Budget will carry forward UPA's flagship programmes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) along with some changes in duties. But precarious fiscal deficit will force the Government to focus on revenue neutral changes." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

"Reforms will be the first thing on our mind when we listen to the Budget speech. We would like reforms in pension, FDI and disinvestment because reforms have been almost stalled for the last five years," Srinivasan said. Sunil Kant Munjal echoed Srinivasan saying the Government must put reforms on top of the Budget agenda. "I think the intent will be announced but how much I am not... more... - Parth Awasthi

boo. I hope you didn't catch it from me! Get better soon. <3 - pea ♥ fierce as a woozle

Oh No! You are sick with stomach issues too? :( Feel better soon FabooMama. Thanks Bren. - Parth Awasthi

"One of the largest mass layoffs in recent Russian history is to occur on Wednesday, and the Kremlin itself is decreeing it, economic crisis or not. The government is shutting down every last legal casino and slot-machine parlor across the land, under an antivice plan promoted by Vladimir V. Putin that just a few months ago was widely perceived as far-fetched. But the result will be hundreds of thousands of people thrown out of work. And in a move that at times seems to have taken on almost farcical overtones, the Kremlin has offered the gambling industry only one option for survival: relocate to four regions in remote areas of Russia, as many as 4,000 miles from the capital. The potential marketing slogans — Come to the Las Vegas of Siberia! Have a Ball near the North Korean Border! — may not sound inviting, but that is in part what the government envisions." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

The gambling industry says the ban will leave more than 400,000 people without work in Russia, at a time when it has been hard hit by the economic downturn: the World Bank predicts the economy will contract by 7.9 percent this year. The government has put the figure at 60,000 people, though industry analysts say that is absurdly low. - Parth Awasthi

"The Rs 1,600 crore (Rs 16 billion), 5.6-km Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), India's first open eight-lane, cable-supported sea bridge that will reduce traffic congestion in this metro, will be inaugurated by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, an official said. The BWSL inauguration will be held at the northern end of the sea bridge which joins Worli in south Mumbai with Bandra in north Mumbai, the official told IANS. In construction for over 10 years, the new link between the southern island city and the northwest suburbs will be an alternative to the existing Mahim Causeway." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

"The irrigation department has announced a 30 per cent water cut for Pune, beginning Wednesday. A 20 per cent cut has already been in force in the city since June 21, which will be increased by 10 per cent. Avinash Surve, superintending engineer of the Pune irrigation division, municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade and other officials held a joint meeting on Monday to discuss the water crisis following a delay in the monsoon rain. “The existing levels in dams would be able to meet the city’s water requirement for the next fortnight only. In view of the scanty rainfall in catchment areas, we are taking precautionary measures by increasing the water cut to 30 per cent,” he said." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

Oh the entire country needs it. Very Badly. <Shout> INDRA! MAKE IT RAIN! NOW!!! </Shout> - Parth Awasthi

May your work day fly by. - Anika Malone

Thanks :) - Parth Awasthi

"An indefinite curfew was imposed in Baramulla town of north Kashmir on Monday following violent protests over alleged police misbehaviour. A woman was killed and several others were injured in the protest. The curfew was imposed in the town, 55 kms from Srinagar, after security personnel opened fire to quell a mob protesting against local policemen who allegedly misbehaved with a woman in a police station on Sunday evening, official sources said. According to the sources, police opened fire after teargas shelling and baton charge failed to disperse hundreds of violent protestors." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

The trouble erupted in the town on Sunday when angry groups of youth indulged in stone pelting after a woman came out of the local police station and alleged that the cops misbehaved with her. However, police denied the woman's charge and said her husband Mohammad Yousuf Bhat was picked up for questioning in connection with the abduction of a teenaged girl by the woman's brother. “The... more... - Parth Awasthi

"The Supreme Court issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh government for using public money for installing statues of Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday. A vacation bench of the Supreme Court took up a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Mayawati for allegedly misusing public money for installing statues of prominent Dalit leaders like Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram besides party symbols. The PIL seeks a stay on the inauguration of these statues on July 3. The petitioner has alleged that the multi-crore projects of installing statues are being carried out as a state policy, which is arbitrary and violates Article 14 of the Constitution." - Parth Awasthi via Bookmarklet

Sixty statues of the elephant, the party symbol of the BSP, have been installed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. The PIL also seeks the removal of Mayawati statues and all party symbols from public places. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, too, described Mayawati’s alleged spending as “shameful.” “She is spending Rs 1,000 crore on establishing statues of elephants and herself. Can there be something more shameful than this in Indian politics?” he asked. - Parth Awasthi

An attempt to start a meme to see the handwritings of people around me (who like writing). Write a small piece of poetry and share it. - Parth Awasthi

Thanks Trish. You still can :) Yeah, Vimoh has been away a long time FabooMama. - Parth Awasthi