Just for Fun

[jayakris]

Well, everybody knew that US was ahead, but I don't think anybody knew how far behind Russia had fallen by the mid-to late 70s because we kept talking about two super-powers and all that, and how Russia was helping us against the evil imperialists, USA ... At least that is what I heard while in school.

I can categorically say that India would have been much better off, had we aligned with the USA.  But then again, who knows where the world would have been, had countries like India not legitimized the so-called "Soviet bloc" - perhaps USA would have turned more imperalistic without that? ..  Anyway, at least by about 1970, had India aligned with the US, we would definitely be better off.  We would not have a nuclear weapon (unless USA felt that China had to be stopped and made us a nuke state - and I am talking before Nixon went to China) but I do know that we would have been better off in so many other ways ..

Jay

[prasen9]

I grew up in the 70s and I recall we used to get this Soviet Magazine "Mir".  That was very well made (or I thought as a child) with very nice pictures of Russia.  There was certainly more alignment with Russia at that time.  Although we were reasonably non-aligned - as part of the non-aligned movement (NAM), we were certainly somewhat pro-Russia.  We got airplanes from them, etc.  Russia was a super-power in India's eyes and big brother who would be willing to help us.

[arjun2761]

And they did help India militarily and in industry.  However, on hindsight, we gave them back stuff  (foodgrains etc.) on artificial exchange rates (both theirs and ours) and theirs may have been even more inflated than ours  (so they may have gotten a pretty good deal from us).

[puneets]

We used to have "Russian book festival" pretty regularly in our school. I remember buying a lot of short stories and other such books.

[jayakris]

I too remember the magazine, Mir.  In fact the nice pictures (which now seems like they were carefully selected to highlight only the good things) left some impression on me too.

Prasen - I am not sure if we were really non-aligned.  We said that frequently, but the whole world considered us to be only on the soviet side.   Everybody was rather confident that we wouldn't actively work with Russia on any of their territorial and other questionable plans, nor did the western block feel we would actively work against the western block, but the western block never said we were with them on anything (we rarely were!) and the Soviet block generally claimed we were with them (we often were!) whenever convenient.  Only we Indians thought we were non-aligned, either way!

As a sports fan, the worst part of being non-aligned is that we took part in the Moscow and LA Olympics.  Had we not gone to Moscow, we would not have a whole bunch more of "Olympians" claiming they accomplished something (against nobodies, of course!) and being leaches on Indian hockey even now.  At least it feels so, to me.

Jay

[prasen9]

Agreed on your assessment of non-alignment.

We seem like the guy who does not learn the good things from the next guy but picks up the bad habits rather fast.  At least we should have learnt to introduce sports from the Russians early in our schools and have some organized sports activities.

[BSharma]

I grew up in the 70s and I recall we used to get this Soviet Magazine "Mir".  That was very well made (or I thought as a child) with very nice pictures of Russia. 

I grew up a decade or more earlier and I remember receiving at my house a very nice magazine published by the American Embassy in Delhi. 

In the late 1950s, there were several "comics-type" books (illustrated books) printed in English by the Chinese government and sold in big cities in India.  I remember buying them in Mumbai and reading them.  They highlighted the poor and peaceful Chinese people and showed their struggle against the tyrant Japanese. 

I believe that these books have a big impression on the minds of the readers, especially the youngsters.  The Indian Embassy in Washington DC publishes a monthly magazine that highlights the achievements of Indians and one can get it for free by writing to the embassy.

[gbelday]

Spotted: M S Gill while returning from China
http://ia.rediff.com/sports/2008/aug/14star.htm

'It was great that I got a chance to share my happiness of India winning a gold medal after so many years with a supreme personality related to sports. I treat this as an Independence day surprise for myself.'

Why is this dude so excited? supreme personality?    Oh well, I shouldn't make fun of anyone but I couldn't resist with this one!

[jayakris]

Well, technically MS Gill is the supreme personality in Indian sports.  On paper, the national sports minister is! .. I don't understand why the dude is so thrilled about meting this "spreme personality" who hasn't yet done much for Indian sports.

Having said that, MS Gill seems to be enjoying his time as the sports minister and at least shows some excitement about it all.

I was surprised to read today that he said about Indian football that "we have reached Olympics semifinal in 1956, and I want Indian football to return to Olympics" .. That he even knew that relatively-little known factoid, was surprising.

.. but he has not shown any real vision or anything yet.

Jay

[Atithee]

Re: Gill photo -- Does that look like coach or an upper class seating?

[puneets]

It's first class ...definitely not coach.

[x_y_Z_a]

What a Man  Means ...


"I'M GOING FISHING" Means: "I'm going to drink myself dangerously stupid, and stand by a stream with a stick in my hand, while the fish swim by in complete safety."

"IT IS A GUY THING" Means: "There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical."

"CAN I HELP WITH DINNER?" Means: "Why isn't dinner already on the table?"

"UH HUH," "SURE, HONEY," OR "YES, DEAR..." Means: Absolutely nothing. It is a conditioned response.

"IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN" Means: "I have no idea how it works."

"TAKE A BREAK HONEY, YOU ARE WORKING TOO HARD." Means: "I can't hear the music over the vacuum cleaner."

"THAT'S INTERESTING, DEAR." Means: "Are you still talking?"

"YOU KNOW HOW BAD MY MEMORY IS." Means: "I remember the theme song to 'F Troop', the address of the first girl I ever kissed, and the vehicle identification numbers of every car I've ever owned, but I forgot your birthday."

"I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU, AND GOT YOU THESE ROSES." Means: "The girl selling them on the corner was a real babe."

"OH, DON'T FUSS, I JUST CUT MYSELF, IT IS NO BIG DEAL." Means: "I have actually severed a limb, but will bleed to death before I admit that I am hurt."

"HEY, I'VE GOT MY REASONS FOR WHAT I'M DOING." Means: "And I sure hope I think of some pretty good reasons soon."

"I CAN'T FIND IT." Means: "It didn't fall into my outstretched hands, so I'm completely clueless."

"WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?" Means: "What did you catch me at?"

"I HEARD YOU." Means: "I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said, and am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you don't spend the next 3 days yelling at me."

"YOU KNOW I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE ELSE" Means: "I am used to the way you yell at me, and realize it could be worse."

"YOU LOOK TERRIFIC." Means: ""Please don't try on one more outfit, I'm starving."

"I'M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE." Means: "No one will ever see us alive again."
= ==============================

[Sandeep]

See this hilarious imitation of Djokovic by Roddick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYCOGP67094

[Sandeep]

Funny runout

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUiJTBDJ ... re=related

and a super horrible ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYs0Mxom ... re=related

[gbelday]

A joke!
A lady goes to her priest one day and tells him,
"Father, I have a problem. I have two female parrots,
but they only know how to say one thing."

"What do they say?" the priest inquired.

They say, "Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?"

"That's obscene!" the priest exclaimed, then he
thought for a moment. "You know," he said,
"I may have a solution to your problem. I have
two male talking parrots, which I have taught to
pray and read the Bible. Bring your parrots over to
my house and we'll put them in the cage with them.
My parrots can teach your parrots to pray and
worship and your parrots are sure to stop
saying that phrase in no time."


"Thank you," the woman responded,
"this may very well be the solution."

The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest's house.
As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside
their cage, holding rosary beads and praying. Impressed, she walked
over and placed her parrots in with them. After a few minutes,
the female parrots cried out in unison:

"Hi, we're hookers! D o you want to have some fun?"

There was stunned silence.

Shocked, one male parrot looked over at
the other male parrot and exclaimed,
"Put the beads away, Frank. Our prayers have been answered!"