A Very Important Question

As usual, Calvin asks the important question. But there is always the possibility of a change of mind and/or heart. Take, for example, a cricket match in Nottingham yesterday. An England batsman was given out just before tea, but after a discussion in the pavilion, the Indian captain decided to reinstate him. He did not have to.

Today's Guardian asks: "Is upholding the spirit of cricket more important than getting rid of an in-form opposition batsman?" Votes are currently running at over 70% for Yes. While I am glad to see such a percentage, it is also sad that such a decision has been a cause for praise and rejoicing, rather than accepted as standard practice.

some notes on indian english

the telegraph had a lovely piece today about how standard english is finally being replaced by indian english these days in india. read the analysis here. on this page, i present you with some of the examples for your edification and delight:

A glossary of the latest lingo as spoken on the streets of India

A driver, when asked what he does, may refer to his occupation as "drivery". He keeps his "stepney" (spare tyre) in the "dicky" (boot).

Teachress - a female teacher.

Timepass - a trivial activity that passes the time.

She freaked out last night - she had a good time.

Your lyrical missive has enveloped me in the sweet fragrance of our love - from a book advising lovers on how to write to girlfriends.

Pritam Singh has left for his heavenly above - a death notice.

Hue and Cry notice - title of police missing person newspaper advertisement.

Don't do nuisance in public - government admonition against urinating in public

In railway offices, a standard opening line in correspondence is: "Dear Sir, with reference to your above see my below."

A government official urged farmers in Rajasthan to grow "herbs in their backsides" (backyards).

condoms 'too big' for indian men

i wonder how many hits this title will get just for the word 'condom'? this story is currently one of the top 5 e-mailed on the bbc website, along with the death of general pinochet and kate winslet speaking out against zero-size women.

here are some snips from the article:

"A survey of more than 1,000 men in India has concluded that condoms made according to international sizes are too large for a majority of Indian men. The study found that more than half of the men measured had penises that were shorter than international standards for condoms. It has led to a call for condoms of mixed sizes to be made more widely available in India. The two-year study was carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Over 1,200 volunteers from the length and breadth of the country had their penises measured precisely, down to the last millimetre. The scientists even checked their sample was representative of India as a whole in terms of class, religion and urban and rural dwellers."

interesting to consider the priorities for allocation of research funds, eh? but let's not be too judgemental, ok, for buried somewhere in the middle of the article is this:

"And the country already has the highest number of HIV infections of any nation."

nevertheless, it is clear what the point of it all is:

"Indian men need not be concerned about measuring up internationally according to Sunil Mehra, the former editor of the Indian version of the men's magazine Maxim. "It's not size, it's what you do with it that matters," he said. "From our population, the evidence is Indians are doing pretty well."

where is sarah silverman when you need her?