Deepanjan Nag's Magnum Opus

Blogger really gave me a scare some months ago (is it more than a year now?) when all the comments previous to a date simply disappeared. Since then, I’ve used Amazon’s web services and Wordpress to backup my posts, just in case. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to rediscover the lost comments. I especially loved reading these (ported to Wordpress). It’s been 5 years since we were so electrified on blogosphere. Time flies like crazy!

This is an important audio tutorial from the BBC. I’m sure it’ll be useful for the many folks who’ve forgotten or never learnt basic English grammar. If the audio is confusing, commit the post heading to memory!

I made a rare early exit from office today. The only penalty for  such an ‘escape’ lies in the walk back home from the shuttle stop being a rather long one. A colleague accompanied for some distance before we parted ways…she was headed home while I had to visit a shopping mall en route . On exiting from the mall, I discovered an usually pleasant and inviting surrounding. I was suspicious of a minor storm, maybe even a rainfall. However, the ambient splendor coaxed me not to seek refuge. I braved the wild winds. I knew I was cunningly tricked when it eventually began to drizzle. I new I was duped big time when the rainfall unleashed its full fury without any warning. Already considerably drenched, seeking shelter would be a waste. People had already scuttled for cover, a few cars hurriedly honked, my shirt and trousers had hugged me in a cold embrace and a young rickshaw driver passing by asked if I would like to hop inside. I disappointed him. I looked up at the sky, it was a...

This is how an article begins in today’s edition of The Economic Times . Egregious mistakes are by no means confined to Indian publications alone. I find them often in American publications of repute as well.

Pakistan is a colossal mockery of democracy...and a shameless one at that. A despot is concocting his own brand of democracy and expecting people to fall for it. He is systematically purging the vestigial government and judiciary of his critics and replacing them with loyalists. He will allow people to vote...as long as they vote for him! He has the cheek to immediately send a former prime minister into exile as soon as he set foot on his country after ending a voluntary expatriation. Yet another former prime minister has been rendered completely powerless and alienated from her people. Her freedom has been heavily curtailed and none of her movements escape scrutiny and suspicion.   I reckon all the endless internal strife (that is Pakistan today) will tear the fragile foundation that feebly holds the country together. Pakistan is a ticking time-bomb ready to implode. But I guess all Islamic states are intrinsically on self-obliteration mode. Some are just closer than others. ...