Monday, 30 July 2007

Speaker Sir, your `kashti’ is showing

We expected and hoped that Honourable Speaker, Mr Pratapsing Rane would prove all the scribes (bias and otherwise), politicians, pundits, and soothsayers wrong and act as a thorough Statesman.
But no. The honourable Speaker belied all our hopes and did just as any petty and unscrupulous politician would do. Bailed out Digu’s government, in a fraudulent and treacherous act against the constitution.
The number game in the House of 40 was as clear as Robin’s fondness for plagiarizing edits, stories,...(he he he … excuse us for that). Digu bai’s government was in minority. (Sad that in spite of invoking the blessings of all the gods and goddesses, Digu had to face rebellion so early. Remember Penpricks’ story on Digu’s visit to temples and churches, after being crowned as the CM?).
Mr Rane in a malafide and illegal operation restrained three members of the opposite camp from casting their votes, and gallantly cast his vote in favour of the government. (Oh yeah, his brave act will not go unnoticed. Probably Congress will offer him a gubernatorial post sometime, somewhere).
He, he … But wasn’t that expected of Mr Rane, one may say. (Hasn’t BJP’s Vishwas Satardekar done that earlier?).
But as we said in the beginning, we expected Rane to be different. A senior, experienced and most decorated politician that he is.
Remember, Rane was elected chief minister of the State for maximum number of terms and was frontrunner for the post this time too.
He may have missed the CM’s chair but was compensated with the Speaker’s. (Some guys are just lucky, uh?) One senior politician once jocularly observed on Rane’s penchant for chairs: “Some people are born with a silver spoon in the mouth and some with a chair stuck up their arse.”
And then we have the leader of the opposition, honourable, Manohar Parrikar hollering, “Murder of Democracy”.
We would like to remind Mr Parrikar on his reign of terror, when he and his merry men physically abused the honourable member, Filipe Neri out of the House. As now, his government too then was on brink of collapse. Wasn’t it a “murder” then?
Perhaps today, he has got a taste of his own medicine.
Mr Parrikar and his partners have cobbled up a wafer-thin majority and have perhaps committed a horrible crime on the Goan electorate.
Ideologically they are poles apart. Their manifestos (promises to the electorate) are in complete variance. Can an alliance of such contradiction work in tandem?
Your guess is as good as ours. It’s not about `Save Goa’, its about `Save mia’.
Watch out! Goa needs to be alert.

Sunday, 29 July 2007

WITTY FEEDBACK

Hi guys... another great feedback from one of our readers... Neat wit... Hey be great if you chaps could file some entries too... if you wish to that is... All we'd do is run it through the verification mill a bit, if required....
Coming to the entry here... Sure enough if Robin starts a university for plagiarism, wonder who the dean's foing to be... Sure Penpricks could go in there as visiting faculty off and on...

Anonymous said...


We expect Robin Abreu to soon establish a Institute on plagiarism in Goa. He can easily avail the services of the likes of Shyam Zambaulikar.
He can also avail the services of ex-TOI Staffer Vidyut Kumar Ta, as a visiting faculty of the proposed high profile Institute. To the those who are not in the know V K Ta was forced to quit TOI (Goa) on similar grounds (Plagiarism).
The perks will include a bald massage besides cane furniture from the Philipines and the local CCOC.

SH(y)AM ZAMBAULIKAR -- II

Here's another Shyam Zambaulikar gem.... Shyam first punches in some cop press note and then intersperses it with stuff plagiarised from twin sources, which we have reproduced below.
Read on...



http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=07256
S Goa records 63 fatal accidents in 6 months

By Shyam Zambauliker
Margao, July 24 A road accident analysis by the South Goa police has revealed that most fatal accidents occurred due to overtaking on sharp bends, or when vehicles were driven in a rash and negligent manner. According to police sources, during the last six months, 63 fatal accidents were reported in South Goa, with Verna topping the list with 14 fatal accidents. Next came Margao with 12 fatal accidents, then Maina Curtorim and Cuncolim with nine each and Vasco, Canacona and Curchorem with five each. In Colva two people were killed and one fatal accident was reported at Quepem.
Studies conducted have indicated that negligent road-user behavior is the main factor in 65 per cent of the accidents and a contributing factor in about 90 per cent of cases. One RTO officer, posted in Margao said that the numbers of vehicles on the road is increasing at an exponential rate because of social and business activities, an increase in purchasing power since loans are freely available. (A very informed RTO officer one must say. hehe) He was of opinion that premium vehicles have become a status symbol and also that members of the same family do not share a single vehicle. He also felt that the unreliability and the ill maintained public transports has resulted in the increase of private vehicles. Traffic police sources said that it is important that users follow the law and road discipline for safe driving.
The sources maintained that the police strongly feel that there is a need to change the out dated traffic laws otherwise these laws meant to regulate the traffic, would hinder smooth flow of traffic.
According to the police, vehicles on the road must meet a certain standard of roadworthiness, according to the Road Vehicles Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989. The regulations cover brakes, tyres, lights, steering, mirrors and even windscreen washer bottles which are ignored many-a-times and this also contributes to accidents.



ORIGINAL
http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/comcom/feature65.htm
I DRIVE SAFELY - Let Peace Prevail on our Roads
By V.Krishna Moorthy & Bhaskar Karnick
STOLEN QUOTE 1
that negligent road-user behavior is the main factor in 65 per cent of the accidents and a contributing factor in about 90 per cent of the cases.

STOLEN QUOTE II
The numbers of vehicles on the road is increasing at an exponential rate because of social and business activities

STOLEN QUOTE III
purchasing power along with the need to travel. As loans are made available for vehicle purchase the number of vehicles have increased phenomenally. (re-jigged)

STOLEN QUOTE IV
Big sized vehicles have become status symbol. For different reasons even members of the same family do not share a single vehicle. (re-jigged)

STOLEN QUOTE V
Unreliability and discomfort in using public transports has resulted in the increase of private vehicles

STOLEN QUOTE VI
-- need a mechanism to change the traffic law with changing time and requirement other wise the very law meant to regulate the traffic, would hinder smooth flow of traffic.-- (re-jigged a bit)

THE LAST QUOTE IS STOLEN FROM THIS SITE
http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/law/yourrights/roadsense
Every vehicle on the road, must meet a certain standard of roadworthiness, as set out by The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 . These regulations cover brakes, tyres, lights, steering, mirrors and even windscreen washer bottles.

Friday, 27 July 2007

SH(y)AM ZAMBAULIKAR

Guys... bird flu is a thing of the past.
The malady that journalists should take precaution against right now, is the flu of the 'Abreu' strain.
Samples of this 'Abreu flu' have been traced by
Penpricks even in Margao. Our analysis tells us that it affects those who are lazy, journalistically suspect and have an internet connected terminal close at hand. The symptoms are 1) tired fingers from constant copying and pasting text from the internet on to Microsoft Word files. 2) Discolouration and slight depression can be spotted on the computer keyboard keys 'ctrl', 'c' and 'v', once again due to repeated use. 3) Prolonged spells of shamelessness.
Jokes aside fellas... but the plagiarism fever seems to be spreading across Goa. The Navhind Times (TNT) Margao correspondent Shyam Zambaulikar appears to be the latest 'victim' hehe... Certainly not a victim here.
But this is worth a thought... If the media and Herald's bosses had reprimanded their Editor Robin Abreu for scandalously plagiarising more than 50 editorials, would guys like Shyam have the nerve to follow suit?
Penpricks has caught Shyam lifting chunks of texts from a paper presented by Dr T S Gangte, published in the Imphal Free Press on December 18 and passing it off as his own in a story published in The Navhind Times issue dated July 22. The paper was presented at a seminar organised by the Manipur police.

What's most fascinating about this Shyam's plagiarism, is that he has actually picked up chunks from the original text and accommodated them as quotes attributing them to an unnamed Superintendent of Police and to two other unnamed lawyers from Margao. Shyam's does have this habit of manufacturing quotes while sitting on his work desk, but this is taking things too far.
Shyam as we know him, has been the correspondent for
TNT for times immemorial now. In fact he is much more than that. He is the TNT do-this-do-that man out there. Arguably the epitome of the status, mofussil correspondents in Margao and areas around it boast of... What status? Didn't you guys know? These guys are called 'CCOC' by cops, politicians and people who make news there. 'CC' for Chilly chicken and 'OC' for 'Officers Choice'... (the latter's a whisky) that's expected by the journos on the menu following press conferences or 'informal press meets'.

While we say with this every bit of conviction, there are rare exceptions... Gary Azavedo and Rupesh Samant to name some. Gary is more the like a 'chirpy dolphin in the shark infested seas there', while Rupesh who used to represent TNT in Margao (hey hey hey he was Shyam's colleague) is now with the Press Trust of India.
Hey guys just because he is a mofussil correspondent, don't you guys be dismissive about him... If you want something to be done in Margao, Shyam is the man. He has some of the most amazing connections a journo can ever dream of.

He has 'it' to walk into Churchill Alemao's house anytime of the day or night. Churchill dare not ignore him. He has incidentally taught Velim MLA Filipe Neri Roderigues and the latter even addresses him as 'Professor'. (No surprises actually... both of them write similarly hehe)
Shyam's clout with the politicos is such that he was nominate as a Director on the Goa Tourism and Development Corporation Board of Directors and was also on the Telecom Advisory committee. He is the man, the cops in Margao run to if they want to seek a transfer or want their suspension revoked.
It's just so sad, that the utility of these contacts are hardly directed towards journalism... Rather, are far removed from it.

THE PLAGIARISED COPY

http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=07235

Police-public relationship needs improvement
NT News Service

Margao, July 22: While the South Goa district police administration has directed the police to be more courteous and sympathetic to the public who approach them to redress their complaints, legal luminaries emphasized that a good police-public relationship is imperative which has to be strengthened in order to bring about public involvement and cooperation in the continuing day-to-day functioning of policemen to make it more effective and meaningful, and to create a wholesome situation for participation of the public as are acceptable to society which will foster the cause of law enforcement. (Now which legal luminary would not like himself to be associated with such a thorough and professional quote like this? Aren't these lawyer sorts crazy for publicity... But Shyam seems to have really worked hard to find the rare shy one's who slink away from publicity... You know guys I have a dream... I have a dream... that one day... Shyam sits down right before me and writes this sentence on his computer screen without making one spelling mistake!!! That'd be the day.)
It is alleged that even as the policemen is taught to cultivate and cherish the ideal of efficiency and obedience to the law thereby developing upright personality (now this is what we want you guys to look out for. Check out the first part of the sentence. See the way the word 'policemen' is incorrectly used... The mistake is repeated often in this article. This is Shyam... These mistakes are so typical of him. Compare it with the stuff that has been plagiarised... The language is flawless. Strange, that sub editors who check these copies miss out on these things. The text in the article is a virtual Jekyll and Hyde patchwork. Correct and proper language in one patch and crude, incorrect usage in another) It is learnt that few cases of rude behavior by policemen with the public have been reported in South Goa district administration.
According to one city advocate policemen is perhaps the most misunderstood and they are the commonest targets of criticism (Here is another city advocate tracked by Shyam who prefers not to name himself, but furnishes him with beautiful non-controversial quotes). He said that policemen have direct opportunity to help and do good to the people in distress, and to the weaker and oppressed sections of society, by apprehending criminals and anti-social characters or by acting as a check to the unlawful and oppressive activities of unscrupulous influential men who would otherwise hold the society to ransom. (Hey Shyam at least pause somewhere man... Allow the reader to breathe in between these monster sentences... We are sure, the not-too-lean Roger Figueiredo -- the guy who edits the local pages in The Navhind Times runs out of breath merely reading these marathon lines)
He opined that efforts has to be made by citizens to point out that police service is not only meant to prevent crime and emphasize that a good police-public relationship is imperative which has to be strengthened in order to bring about public involvement and cooperation in the continuing day-to-day functioning of policemen to make it more effective and meaningful, and to create a wholesome situation for participation of the public as are acceptable to society which will foster the cause of law enforcement. (Once again... mark the Jekyll and Hyde contrast. While the plagiarised part in bold is flawless, see how Shyam starts his sentence... 'efforts has to be made'... 'Efforts HAVE to be made', is it not? Then again the poor masterji even fails to bridge the plagiarised part and his own hotch-potch together... In lifting a sequence from the original text, Shyam forgets to add 'd' to the word 'emphasize' that's required to fit it right.) In order to achieve this objective policemen have to be to -- come on Roger, or whoever subbed this copy... 'have to be to'... what the hell does this mean?) play role in social service. He said that basic duties of police are like crime prevention and detection, law and order, traffic and VIP security and categorically stated that one more duty has been added and that is community policing so as to maintain police-public relation by means of interaction.
With the spread of education the people are becoming more and more conscious of their rights and duties while the police are becoming the touchstone for testing the spirit and quality of the civil administration and to change this concept social workers has to come forward and play a role of bringing public and police more close to each other. (Imagine this... someone who is capable of wording a eloquent phrase like 'the touchstone for testing the spirit and quality of civil administration' also make a crass errors like this 'social workers has to come forward'? Hows that possible? and 'Social workers HAS to come forward'? Shyam... either pull the plagiarised text down to your comfort level or you rise to those heights, or risk getting caught man)
Much of the unhappy image of the police could be done away with, if the government agencies and the police departments themselves make an effort to put the facts of the splendid public service rendered and the personal sacrifices made by policemen before the public. One former SP who had worked in Margao said that police has to update their working knowledge. Effective law enforcement is the foundation of all good public relations, but it is not enough. The best work undertaken has to be e made known. (Now after 'legal luminaries' Shyam even ropes in a former Superintendent of Police who also lends him quotes from the same plagiarised text... How cool na... But it's Jekyll and Hyde again. 'police HAVE to update their working knowledge' Shyam... and not 'police has to...' How do you teach your students man?)
He suggested that get rid of difference existing in police-people relations which is to be abridged in order to achieve desired results there has to be attitudinal changes, youth counselling, winning public co-operation and new climate in police organisation has to be given priority. (haw... hum... Jekyll Hyde... yawn... 'suggested that get rid of difference'... Zzzz... compare this with the rest of the flawless plagiarised text in bold)... Snore... Snore... :)

ORIGINAL TEXT
http://www.manipuronline.com/Features/Dec2001/radicalchange27.htm
Radical Change Required
(December 27)
By Dr T S Gangte
"Cop, flatfoot, Flatfoot, Fuzz- even pigs, inelegant names for the police force. Given by a society that treats the upholders of the law with derision, fear, downright hatred, seldom respect or admiration. Does our policemen deserve such arbitrary maligning? Is he a corrupt, incompetent, unjust bully, exploiting the poor and toadying to the rich? Perhaps.
But, today, let's take it from the policeman's point of view, and put the ball deep into society's court", said Deshmukh, Rajguru v: February 18, 1979: Sunday magazine: Cop hating: a public sport.
Police-public relations: It needs hardly be emphasized that a good police-public relationship is imperative which must at all cost be strengthened in order to bring about public involvement and cooperation in the continuing day-to-day functioning of policeman to make it more effective and meaningful, and to create a wholesome situation for participation of the public as are acceptable to society which will foster the cause of law enforcement. For this, it is prudent that the subject matter is dealt with from two-pronged angles.
i) How do public look upon police? The police service in India is perhaps the most misunderstood and, therefore, the most maligned. The police are the commonest targets of criticism. The public consider it their bounden duty to cast aspersions on the police department at the slightest provocation. An angry motorist forced to halt because of traffic-jam curses the traffic constable on duty. The accused standing in the witness box pleads that he was subjected to third-degree methods by the police. Industrial workers or employees of various establishments including employees of the government who were checked from running amuck during violent demonstrations accuse the police of brutality and torture. Whatever is the grievance, responsibility is fixed on the police. These complaints may be totally unfounded. But condemnation against the police is total and too mitigating arguments in favor of the public are advanced. Slightest derelictions of duty on the part of policeman are highlighted out of proportion incommensurately by the media and the local politicians. And some officer is made the scapegoat in the bargain.
Hundreds of policemen have gallantly laid down their lives in the service of the nation, but many in the public and the press continue to look upon the police only as an over-bearing and corrupt instrument of oppression, harassment and persecution.
Much of this ill will is no doubt a hangover from the past. The police was seen by many as a minion of the colonial power during the British rule. That was, however, a lopsided appraisal of the role of police. The good work done by the police, such as, protection of life and property, had been conveniently sidelined. But this mistrust could be condoned, for India was in the thick of struggle for national freedom and the police were used to suppress the nationalists.
Protagonists of police say that every police force (men and force) is rightly taught to cultivate and cherish the ideal of efficiency and unquestioning obedience to the law thereby developing upright personality. Had the police then been allowed to pursue any other course, free India would not have inherited a well-organized and disciplined police force today. Therefore, there cannot be any reason for treating the police with outright suspicion and hostility.
The job of the police in India today is second to none in its importance and the police, too, are keen to contribute its best to the progress and prosperity of the nation, by diligently fulfilling the duties as the guardian and servant of society, said Pawar, AR (Nov., 1974, vol. XXIV, p122: National Police Academy magazine). Thus, every policeman is the living embodiment of the law. He is, literally, law-in-action.
Despite this, the impression goes around that police is a job for hard, suspicious cynics and pompous, overbearing bullies, though this view is totally unjustified. Policemen, and the work they do, are looked upon with distaste and distrust because they have to deal with that section of the society which is a visible reminder of the dark and seamy side of human nature. To this view, cinemas, newspapers and fictions contribute abundantly, depicting the police as nothing better than the unsavory characters they have to deal with.
Another factor, which contribute to the unpopularity of the police, is that more than any other agency the police is criticized when it does the right thing as well as the wrong thing. They are accused of inefficiency if they deal with a situation leniently and of brutality if they adopt stringent measures, though lawful. They are criticized and condemned no matter how they act.
ii) How do police see themselves? Much of the unhappy image of the police could be done away with, if the government and the police departments themselves make an effort to put the facts of the splendid public service rendered and the personal sacrifices made by policemen before the public. Effective law enforcement is the foundation of all good public relations, but is not enough. The good work done must be made known. This is a story that does not tell itself. Along with the inherent nobility of the police profession, the policemen's job adds much meaning, richness and satisfaction to his day-to-day life.
The legislators may make the laws but it is the policemen who ultimately put them into effect. The policeman has the most direct opportunity to help and do good to the people in distress, and to the weaker and oppressed sections of society, by apprehending criminals and anti-social characters or by acting as a check to the unlawful and oppressive activities of unscrupulous influential men who would otherwise hold the society to ransom.
The police service is not only meant to prevent crime. It also takes major role in social service. In its efforts to become a welfare state, the country is to dispense with social inequality and economic disparity. As a public servant policeman has the means to mobilize assistance from others for those who need succor. If there is a sick man needing medical assistance the policeman can arrange to send him to the hospital, if a child has gone astray, the policeman can show him the way back to good behavior. In matter of public health, the policeman can keep strict watch on sources of water supply to prevent pollution. In epidemics, he can assist in vaccination campaign and observance of necessary sanitary requirements. In fires, he has a crucial role to play. In floods or earthquakes, policeman should be the first to rush to the rescue.
Equally important is the policeman's duty in dealing with the virus of communalism that has eaten its way into the body politic of the country. It is of the highest importance that this unhappy legacy of the past should be ruthlessly dealt with wherever its ugly head is raised. No other agency is in a better position than the police not only to dispense with communal strife but also to uproot it. The police have many powers at its disposal for this noble task.
The most important role, which the police play, is that of safeguarding and maintaining confidence in the democratic process. By their effective and impartial role, the police protect the climate of political and community security within which man can be free to differ among themselves. With the spread of education the people are becoming more and more conscious of their rights and duties. For this, the police have become the touchstone for testing the spirit and quality of the civil administration of the country. The working of a police system provides a good measuring rod of the extent to which the government is democratic or authoritarian.
Another important role of the police is that is serves as a binding force for our emotionally loosely knit country on which Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once observed, "The police force, although organized separately in each state, may be looked upon as a common police force for the country and I hope that through its work the force promotes this idea of integrity", and so was Frank Anthony found speaking in the Constituent Assembly on November 5, 1948, as,
"Whatever integrity and cohesion we may secure for having a single judiciary and a central administrative service, the integrity and cohesion will be largely stultified if the police administration is left at the mercy of local politicians".
It takes a rare quality of courage and guts to be a policeman. He has constantly to deal with treacherous and ruthless characters. The criminal plays a game in which no rules are laid down for him and no holds are barred. A soldier may find the going risky only during wartime but for a policeman risk is a part of life. Whether it is confronting goondas in the streets of chasing dacoits in the ravines of the Chambal or fighting the Naxalites in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, his life is full of risk and adventure.
The uniform adds to the charm of the service. It sets its wearer apart and makes him conspicuous. Thus, the wearer has at all times to uphold the honor and dignity of the uniform and this he can do in no other way than by making his conduct and character exemplary.
Approaches and strategies suggested: In view of the gulf of difference that exists on the police-public relations which must at all cost be abridged in order to achieve desired results, the following suggestions might be examined:
i. Attitudinal changes: One cannot teach people to be polite through court orders and threats of disciplinary action. The existing attitudes are results of a complex of factors, which include, other factors apart actual behavior of policemen on the one hand and conduct of public men in power on the other. Those people in the elite circles of society whose behavior and attitude are averse to the taste of general public of middle and lower classes of society need to go through a sea change identifying themselves with the masses, in the first place.
ii) Youth counseling: The police must concentrate on the young, and youth counseling conducted on a regular feature. Establishment of a positive relationship with this section of society could prove an effective preventive service. Already there are traditions of boys clubs, traffic controls through boy scouts, hiking and mountain climbing organizations, police-sponsored games and competitions, etc. etc.
iii) Winning public co-operation: Policemen have been working mostly depending on law, but legal provisions cannot elicit public co-operation. In our democratic polity, the police must win public co-operation. It is no doubt an uphill task to secure such willing co-operation of the public. Yet, police must work hard for a breakthrough. iv) New climate in police organization: Without pretending to speak with authority, remedies for the organizational constraints on police performance lie in proper living and working conditions of policemen. In general, police station buildings have a forbidding aspect and the condition of lock-ups dreadful. Further, hardly any police station has a visitor's room. So, even if a well-meaning policeman was to try to be polite and courteous he has hardly anything to be courteous with. As the objective is to create a new climate in the police organization and thereby change the style of police work police station buildings should be properly furnished, well lit and should have a separate reception room for visitors. Large police stations should have facilities for drinking water, tea, coffee, etc. etc.
v) Attention to traffic and patrol duties: In view of the very high visibility profile of policemen on traffic and patrolling duties, the West Bengal Police Commissioner observed, "The sight of patrolling policemen is welcome to all and is regarded as a visible sign that the police are at work preventing crime and keeping a watch over their localities. Patrols are in our opinion, one of the best means of establishing good relations with the public".
vi) Communication hotline with press media: News of crime and disorder is of considerable interest to the people and therefore the press is interested in it. The police should establish a system of communication through which the authentic facts relating to crime and disorder can quickly be given to the press. If the police will not do it, then the journalists will tend to depend on whatever they can gather. In several states the superintendent of police cannot hold a press conference and the sub-divisional head office is not permitted to provide any information to the press. It has been observed that failure of police to be close towards press has been due to denial of prompt factual information to it either on the pretext of secrecy or because no regular facility exists for it. In case the state has not so far established such a close liaison with the press, it is expedient that it is done now. Every district SP should be permitted to deal with the press, and the police stations be allowed to give statistical details of number of crimes registered, under investigation, arrests made, cases convicted, etc. When important or sensational cases occur, brief details can be given by the police stations, subject to the four considerations for secrecy pointed out hereinabove.
(Paper presented at a seminar organized by the state police on community policing on Dec 18.)(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)

IMAGINE GOA WEARING A SKIRT... THESE ARE THE GUYS WHO LIFT IT UP -- II

It's really feels great when a reader actually spends time and effort to articulate his/her comments in a manner such as the one you will read below, while articulating a point. Penpricks would really appreciate if readers use the comments below, as a model for articulation and getting a point across. This comment has substance here, style and is interestingly written. It's come in from an anonymous source, but that has never really mattered with us... As long as the point a reader wishes to make is valid.

The anonymous comment
Six Months back STAR News too had a weird story called "Kala Dhanda Gore Log" starts with why does a foreigner come to India because he is a paedophile who needs a house to enjoy his lust so he looks for a house that can be bought only if Babush & Vishwajeet allow them via RP 2011 to actually build a den of vices. Now you know the connection between Peadophile and Land Conversion in Goa!!! TV News Channels have this perennial obsession and a catchphrase "Zaraa Goa Dikhao" (read: bikini clad or even skin bare beauties to establish Goa). So much so that Parrikar had once screamed at news channels for misinterpreting Goa. 100% true. Even the so called "Correspondents" based locally play poodle.

COMING UP... WHERE THE BUMBLING SCHOOL MASTER LEARNT HIS ENGLISH

Coming up next, an entry on The Navhind Times Margao correspondent Shyam Zambaulikar as promised.
What we shall do is explain how good ol Shyam perfected his language skills over the years... Soon...

Thursday, 26 July 2007

NDTV GOING THE SHYAM ZAMBAULIKAR WAY

Is NDTV really going the Shyam Zambaulikar way? oh oh oh... we've never had a post on Shyam Zambaulikar have we? The Navhind Times' Margao correspondent... Trust us we will soon.
In a few of sentences let's sum him up... Shyam is The Navhind Times fix-it-man in Margao... No no no not the journalist bit... he does everything the NT bosses want him to... And when he wishes to, he writes as the NT Margao correspondent too. The copies that Shyam sends across, is stuff legends are made of.
The gentleman works as a teacher in a school in or around Margao, but when he comes to writing stories for the newspaper, he appears to leave his primer behind... His copies make hilarious reading.
One of Shyam's traits which finds an echo in this NDTV story is the way he inserts quotes at will in his story. Even the simplest of Shyam's stories will have an unattributed quote or two. Another legend has it that Shyam has invented a "quote generation" machine and has installed it on his work desk. All you need to do is punch in a button and type in the issue and a quote hollers out from it... Neat isn't it. Wonder if he has sold it to T S Sudhir of NDTV.
The funny quotes are the ones in bold.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070019960
YSR-Naidu face-off in AP Assembly
TS Sudhir
Monday, July 23, 2007 (Hyderabad)
TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu's outburst in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly over his legislators' arrest in Anantapur on Saturday got a bit too much for Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy to take.
''Chandrababu, you will regret having come out of your mother's womb into this world after I complete my speech. At the end of the day, you will be a washout,'' said Reddy.
The angry outburst triggered more protests which was followed by a not-too-apologetic apology.
''If you think, I have said anything unparliamentary today, then you may please verify,'' the CM said.
The public display of not-so-courteous behaviour by elected representatives on live television drew cynical responses from people.
Particularly since last week, TDP and Congress MLAs had come to blows at a meeting in Srikakulam.
''I hardly watch news or politics. But whenever I put on the TV they are either abusing or beating each other which is such a put off,'' said a man on the street.
''We are going the Bihar way. Soon Andhra Pradesh will even beat Bihar. It's becoming a national phenomenon now,'' added another man
.
Even as rival political parties compete to score brownie points, they could perhaps do well to take note of what falling standards of public behaviour is doing to politicians' image in public perception.

PLUGGING FALEIRO'S FART

Rauf Abdul Beig is one of the finest salesmen in the Goan media today. Penpricks believes that his exceptional sales talent far surpasses his journalistic skills. We have arrived at this conclusion looking at the amount of plugs he has managed to sell in The Navhind Times.
A former Congressman at the Valpoi block, the Congress rise to power has proved to be a bounty time for him.
The story we reproduce is a sample from the Beig plug platter. One of the biggest clues which helps us arrive at the conclusion is the obvious amplification of Luizinho’s greatness, a hallmark from the House of Beigs. This story is so typical of the partnership between the two.
Take for example, this paragraph…

Speaking further, Mr Faleiro said that the Congress high command had expressed concern about the possible cross voting taking place in Andhra Pradesh, but his report dated July 9 and addressed to the AICC president, Ms Sonia Gandhi had come out with the observation that Ms Patil would get all the votes from the UPA supporting MPs and MLAs, in Andhra Pradesh.

And then this one right at the end...

Mr Faleiro informed that he has congratulated Ms Gandhi on the victory of the UPA candidate for the presidential election.

Doesn’t this reek of infatuation? Or maybe its just more than infatuation? Maybe its just a way to tackle inflation. Luizinho tells this guy on July 22, that a report he had sent to Sonia Gandhi on July 9 had predicted the outcome of the votes for the presidential poll in Andhra Pradesh. Isn’t that so cozy? Could we get a copy of that report please? And check out the last line informing us that Mr Faleiro congratulated Ms Gandhi on the victory... What what what... Did he... did he... Thanks for telling us mate... Hey you didn't mention if she thanked Luizinho Faleiro for congratulating her... Come on Mr Sinha... when you guys do decide to strip... shed that thong too... do the full Monty...


http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=07234
Shekhawat could garner only 2 votes from Andhra Pradesh MLAs: Luizinho
NT Staff Reporter
Panaji, July 22 The chief observer of the All India Congress Committee for the recent presidential poll, for Andhra Pradesh, Mr Luizinho Faleiro said that Andhra Pradesh had a near clean sweep as far as support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate, Ms Pratibha Patil was concerned.
Mr Faleiro said that the state of Andhra Pradesh had all its 40 MPs and 186 MLAs belonging to the Congress party voting for Ms Patil. “If we take into account the total votes, including those of the Congress supporters, as received by Patil, then she received 44 votes from the Andhra Pradesh MPs and 227 votes from the Andhra Pradesh MLAs,” Mr Faleiro said, adding that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat could garner only 2 votes from the MLAs and no votes from MPs, in Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking further, Mr Faleiro said that the Congress high command had expressed concern about the possible cross voting taking place in Andhra Pradesh, but his report dated July 9 and addressed to the AICC president, Ms Sonia Gandhi had come out with the observation that Ms Patil would get all the votes from the UPA supporting MPs and MLAs, in Andhra Pradesh.
In fact, 10 rebel MLAs from the total 26 MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti also voted in favour of Ms Patil, he added.
Mr Faleiro informed that he has congratulated Ms Gandhi on the victory of the UPA candidate for the presidential election.

Wednesday, 25 July 2007

MERA WAMAN MAHAN!!!

Hi, we have to inform you guys, that one of us pricks is laid up.
He's to visit an ophthalmologist tomorrow. All thanks to this Goajourno mailing list. They keep sending 'eye-popping' stuff sometimes. Now, let the other unharmed prick tell you what exactly happened.
Thing is, we subscribed to the new avatar of goajourno sometime back, to learn about what's happening on the journo circuit in Goa. Today my prick-in-arms got this mail from the list titled "morality in journalism". All he did was open it. And within a few seconds, his right eye just popped out. Just like that. And it got stuck onto the computer screen. Not to worry, we've wrapped it in ice and it's to be hammered into the socket tomorrow. The doc's assured us that some of the snapped nerves would also be welded in place and things would be just fine.
Now we've really picked up this habit of beating around the bush of late. :)
Here's the bit posted by Frederick Noronha on Goajourno...

Institute Menezes Braganza Panaji Goa cordially invites you for a programme: Panel discussion no Morality in Journalism? organised to mark the death anniversary of the great national leader Lokmanya Tilak, on Wednesday, the 1st August 2007 at 4 pm at the art gallery hall of the institute.
Participants Sanjay Dhavlikar, Sagar Javdekar, Paresh Prabhu, Prakash Dhumal, Pamela D'Mello.
Waman Prabhu, editor, Goa Newsline has consented to be the moderator of this panel discussion. All are cordially invited.

Penpricks is appalled... Waman Prabhu to moderate a panel discussion on morality on Tilak Jayanti? How serious are the folks who are organising this mock show? What's wrong with these guys? Calling Waman Prabhu to moderate a seminar on 'morality in journalism' is equivalent of calling Robin Abreu to moderate a discussion on ethics in journalism. Or for that matter calling Arun Sinha to chair a discussion on child abuse. (If one wishes to consider an illustration removed from journalism, imagine Praveen Togadia and Pat Robertson moderating a discussion on religious tolerance).
Could anyone tell, who's organising this piece of scam?
If one checks up with the Panaji police station and digs up records of 1999, you'd find a cheating complaint which is still waiting to be registered. A lady had complained against Waman, accusing him of cheating her to the tune of 12 odd lakh. Waman was then the bureau chief of the Pudhari newspaper in Goa. A lot of pleading and obeisance paid to all media organisations and especially to The Navhind Times publisher Vilas Sardessai had ensured that his name stayed out of print.
Waman then drank a potion that rendered him invisible for a while, only to resurface as a correspondent for Aaj Tak, Zee news, Star news and ANI. Yes, a gentleman was actually sent over to Goa by ANI to fetch the equipment back and had a tough time doing it.
Using the equipment provided by these mainstream news outfits, Waman started his own Goa Newsline, a news programme which was and continues to be telecast illegally with a host of other news bulletins on cable television.
What did Goa Newsline carry... Pure unadulterated bullshit in form of government propaganda during Parrikar's regime, for which Waman was officially paid by the Goa Department of Information.
Some days back we published an entry on the blog on how journos are abusing the government quarters which have been allotted to them for residential purposes. Guess, who's one of the torchbearers in this trend... Waman-in-the-box.
It's literally a slap in the face of the few journo's with integrity (albeit soft-spoken) to go out there and hear Waman deliver nuggets on morality in the media. But we are all used to reporting shams... So it won't be all that tough... Would it?

P.S. Please do go to the Central library and check how often Sagar Javdekar has had his picture published in the Tarun Bharat... Being chief reporter and chief trouble shooter for Kiran Thakur sure has it's advantages.

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

ON A SERIOUS NOTE...

This bit of information has disgusted us no end.
Believe us if you wish to guys, but we received this input from one of our readers about a fortnight ago. The last two weeks all of us pricks spent corroborating this disturbing input from various sources, checking and cross-checking details each time.
We thank the reader who tipped us off about this…
A top functionary of a supposed-to-have-been-launched news channel has been sexually harassing women staffers. This news channel -- which is a sister concern of an English newspaper which penpricks really has a fondness for – which we are talking about has seen the unfortunate departure of the girl in question after consistent harassment from the middle-aged bachelor boss.
It goes this way.
The young girl – who was a part of a talent pool of fresh, inexperienced news-readers -- was being harassed by this top executive, who keeps asking her out to dinner or late evening walks with irritating regularity, despite her consistent refusal to play along.
Things came to such a pass that he would call her up on pretext of work and start flirting with her. The victim then complained to the concerned authorities, which the channel and the newspaper both share. The editor was also informed by the girl about the harassment at work.
Nothing much happened.
The girl finally quit the organisation in disgust about 20 odd days ago.
But her departure hasn’t altered things much at her workplace.
Another woman reporter has now become the target for our balding boss. The last we heard of, was when this girl -- who incidentally seems to have more spunk than the one who quit – put her foot down when the boss asked her wear revealing clothes while doing a PTC for a beach related story.
This is a serious guys.
We are very sorry for the fact, that we avoided using names here. There has been no written complaint from both the newsreader who quit and the reporter who is now in the top executive’s crosshair. In the first case, both the concerned departments and the Editor were informed by the victim orally.
It would be asking a lot, of you guys to simply believe what we’re saying here. We implore you to check things up using your own resources. Readers who have so diligently followed this blog would surely know by now, which organisation we are talking about.
We know what we have written is true and was something which had to be spoken. Hence we have.

Sunday, 22 July 2007

THE SORTER SORT

That politicians, ministers and the so called policy makers, have no love for Goa but only lust for money is no earth shaking news. But in spite of knowing this, our society (which includes intellectuals) seems to care to hoots and won't mind to pander and bootlick these politicos at the nearest opportunity.
During the ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly, our hallowed (and also most controversial) Minister of Finance, His Excellency, Dayanand Narvekar put a spirited "talk show" on the importance and the need of setting up of SEZs and IT Parks in Goa to curb the rising unemployment graph, in the august House. (During the agitation against the Cricket stadium in Tivim, this same Narvekar had said, albeit off the record, that Goans were fit to get jobs as sweepers and caretakers at the stadium!!!).
Sorter D'Souza in his write up in Herald of July 20 (edit page!) has rightly and literally screwed the lopsided government's policies and nailed the Finance Minister's constant lies and half-truths in his inimitable style.
If we rightly recall, Narvekar, as all pompous politicos do, last year, came out with a full-page advert on his birthday in all the local newspapers. He had at least two to three prominent persons singing hosannas for him on the special supplement.
One of them was the eminent principal of St Xavier's College, Professor Newman Fernandes. Why is this college notorious for slimy profs. Remember this guy called Satish Bhute, the guy who heads the Konkani department, who is also prone to writing laudatory advertorials for equally slimy politicos and Narvekar is his particular favorite.
We are aware of the credentials of Prof Newman as an educationist, but we are completely in the dark over his compulsions in publicly sucking up to a politician whose credentials have been publicly dented time and again. This should make a fine example for his students. Prof Neuman... have a care... have you washed your hands since you've written that article committing obeisance to the overwhelmingly tainted minister?
As we've said, Penpricks would try to bring the rare honest and sincere rib amongst the Goan media (its been a long time coming) and therefore Soter's article finds place in this blog.
To those who dunno Sorter, he's one of the guys who's neck deep into the ground-roots governance movement. He's also a journalist who has a fetish for letters. Letters to the editor i.e.
His is often the STAR letter (the best letter of the day) published on the Herald's Edit Page. Don't know how he does this with Robin dear around...
Hey and you often see him at the unofficial press-room at CP (Café Prakash), Panjim, where he whiles his time other bearded folks like Doctor Sushrut Martins and Frederic Noronha... Let the Star shine, buddy.



Mental bankruptcy of government
Sorter D'Souza
The arguments put forward by Goa's Finance Minister in defence of SEZs and IT Parks in the State only manifests the mental bankruptcy of our policy makers. The accusation that NGOs have not come forward with alternative economic development models is not factual in the first place. Several initiatives have been taken to highlight alternative economic development policies for Goa. The editorial pages of local newspapers constantly present views by thinkers and experts, besides the innumerable workshops and seminars organized by NGOs over the years and even perhaps innumerable files forwarded by well-meaning government officers only collecting dust at the government secretariat, about the path that development policies in Goa
should follow to ensure self-reliance and sustainable development. The question is whether Goa's Finance Minister is willing to look at these options considering that the alternate models leave less scope for politicians and real estate promoters to make quick and big money.
When NGOs highlight disastrous consequences of economic policies they are brushed off as being anti-national and anti-development. The Finance Minister should know that Goans are intelligent and competent enough to generate alternate development models rather then be copycats of models successful in other States and countries. But the politicians who have
their eyes on raping Goa's natural resources for their self-profits do not want well-meaning Goans to contribute their mite which explains why Goan experts are forced to migrate and have prospered outside their own home-land. They are comfortable in hiring outside experts and entrepreneurs for developing economic policies for the obvious reason that it leaves ample scope for commissions and omissions which the public may never get to know about. They keep feeding the public with false illusions about future job prospects in order to generate public sympathy and support for their lucrative land deals and projects.
The Finance Minister will be on a more solid ground to market his SEZ and IT theories provided he has the courage to first undertake an evaluatory study on how Goans stand to benefit form the economic and industrial policies implemented since liberation. What the conclusion of this study will be may be well known to the minister himself even before it is conducted.
The disturbing outcome of the disastrous development policies of our corrupt policy makers is visible even with the naked eyes for all Goans who care to see.
When a government that calls the present 16.6 % agriculture activity in Goa -- which stood at over 60 % at the time of liberation of Goa – as progressive development and a major economic activity, one can only imagine the blatant lies Goans are being fed with day in and day out.
The government is only busy cultivating non-Goan industrialists to grab the land under the guise of generating job opportunities (of course with miserable salaries and sexual exploitation) rather then empowering Goans to become entrepreneurs themselves. The government's economic policy till date has only managed to encourage Goan youth to being gadekars (kiosk owners), real-estate brokers, matka agents, drug peddlers, goons, sex workers, bar girls, waiters, cooks, butlers, drivers and pimps. The government is only busy in systematically corrupting Goan society and destroying its rich moral and cultural fabric. That is why so-called learned and respected resident and ron-resident Goans label these miserable politicians in spite of their rampant corruption and disastrous policies as `capable legislator' and `Mr Clean'.
One should not expect much form petty-minded policy makers who advocate construction of six-lane roads based on the increase in population of vehicles and as a means to avoid accidents. This is just the opposite of what sustainable development requires. As long as Goans remain gullible and naïve, Goa's Finance Minister can be content with dishing out such non-substantive arguments, resort to deceit and boastful claims. After all that is what the present Goan society seems to appreciate and enjoy most, or else they would have sent these miserable policy makers home.

Saturday, 21 July 2007

THE PRINCE AND HIS TOILET PAPER

Goan journalism was struck down by a bout of coma on July 17.
How else can you explain this?
A story is dished out in a press conference, completely nailing a sitting minister. More, the bugger is the son of former Goa chief minister and present Speaker of the Goa legislative assembly. More, a set of documents are provided nailing Prince Vishwajeet Rane fair and square for abuse of power.
And what does the media do?
Barring the Herald, not a single English newspaper carries the report. We were not very thorough checking the vernaculars editions, forgive us for that. But looks like they ignored it…
What’s the justification the media at large could conjure here? What went wrong? Was it the person who addressed the press conference? Advocate Ranjit Satardekar? Sure the guy’s black coat masks a lot of his talents, but the guy had documents, which nailed Vishwajeet’s abuse of power fair and square.
The story which Herald published proves that the documents were thorough… And yet no other newspaper even bothers to mention this…
These recurring bouts of coma aren't helping... Someone pull the plug off her life-support… Switch off the ventilator… Let her die… She’s rotting anyway…



Govt bends road rules for Vishwajeet’s wife
Width of road reduced to make space for compound wall
BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JULY 17 – With ever growing vehicular population it has become imperative for Goa to widen the roads and highways. But here’s a case where the government attempts to reduce the width of Dona Paula-Bambolim road by 5 meters to make space for a compound wall of a bungalow.
M/s Meridian Estates Pvt Ltd, a company wherein Divya Rane, wife of Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane is a director, is alleged to have built an illegal compound wall on the space reserved for road widening. This space forms part of the property 249/1-A.
Adv Ranjit Satardekar, who is a co-owner of this property (249/1-A) situated at Dona Paula, told a press conference on Tuesday here that on September 3, 1990, NGDPA approved the development plan of property 249/1-A, in which 30 meters wide stretch of land was reserved for the Dona Paula-Bambolim public Road. Even the revised plan of 2006 shows no change in the width of the road.
However, Adv Satardekar alleged that a new survey no 249/1-B is now created for fixing the width of Dona Paula-Bambolim road at 25 meters to accommodate the “illegal” compound wall of the bungalow owned by M/s Meridian Estates Pvt Ltd.
The Directorate of Settlement and Land Records in its public notice issued on July 10, 2007 has made its intensions clear to restricting the width of the road to 25 meters, Adv Satardekar said.
A legal notice served by Adv Satardekar says that some locals had filed a complaint against the illegal construction when Pratapsing Rane, who is the father-in-law of Divya Rane, was chief minister.
He further alleged, in the notice, that a builder who has no title to the subject property (249/1-A) transferred a portion of the property in favour of M/s Meridian Estates Pvt Ltd.
Adv Satardekar who also holds share in the property bearing survey no 249/1-A has issued legal notices to the chief secretary, director of settlement and land records, deputy collector and the executive magistrate demanding recall of public notice issued for re-fixing the width of the Dona Paula-Bambolim road.

Thursday, 19 July 2007

NDTV, CNN-IBN ON A FIB TR'i'P: BOTH CHANNELS LITERALLY 'STEAL' AWARDS

The art economising truth is best learnt from newsmen...
Check the NDTV and CNN-IBN websites today to see how. Both the news channels have tried to steal the thunder from each other over the Indian News Television Awards hosted by Indiantelevision.com.
In doing so, the writers of these plugs have tried to browbeat the reader into believing how their channel emerged virginally supreme in sullied waters of television news.
Check out the header of the CNN-IBN story
'CNN-IBN stole the show at the Indian News Television Awards Wednesday night at Delhi’s Hotel Ashoka where it won 9 awards including the Best English News Channel Award.'
And this is the NDTV header
'NT awards: NDTV India steals the show' (the story claims they've won 14 awards)

CNN-IBN, if you include the mother-ship i.e. the TV-18 group has also won 14 awards, matching up to NDTV babalog bandwagon that includes NDTV profit, NDTV INDIA and NDTV 24x7.
Would you guys call this a sweep? Aren't honours shared here? Tell us.


http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070019457&ch
NDTV Correspondent
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 (New Delhi): It was a night of nights for the one man who has written television history in India on his own terms.
Not only did he get the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the medium, the channels that Dr Prannoy Roy heads - NDTV India, NDTV 24x7, and NDTV Profit - received 14 prizes at the first Indian News Television Awards hosted by Indiantelevision.com. The Best Hindi channel award went to NDTV India while its star anchor Vinod Dua was adjudged the Best Hindi anchor for the year.
Humlog bagged the Best Hindi Talk show award and Raat Baaki was chosen as the Best Lifestyle Show in Hindi. Jai Jawan won the Best Entertainment show award and Khabron Ki Khabar walked away with the Best Investigative Show award in the Hindi category. Special Report was adjudged the Best News Documentary, while Jeeto India Jeeto bagged the Best Sports News show.
NDTV 24x7's popular program We The People was adjudged the Best English Talk show and its host Barkha Dutt won the Best English Anchor award. India Questions Amitabh Bachchan bagged the Best Entertainment News show while Nandigram: Land Bleeds won the Best Current Affairs show in English. NDTV Profit's Shaili Chopra was adjudged the Best News Reporter for English.
-----------------------------------------------
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/cnnibn-sweeps-indian-telly-awards/45219-8.html
CNN-IBN sweeps Indian Telly awards
New Delhi: And we have done it again.
CNN-IBN stole the show at the Indian News Television Awards Wednesday night at Delhi’s Hotel Ashoka where it won 9 awards including the Best English News Channel Award. Editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai was adjudged the Newsmaker of the Year.
The channel’s news website IBNlive.com won the best news website award—the only non-television award announced at the ceremony. For the young team of CNN-IBN, it was a perfect moment of glory.
“We have always maintained that all this is because of the great team that we have. I think we have a dream team,” Global Broadcast News CEO Sameer Manchanda said.
It’s a befitting recognition for a channel that over the last 18 months, has raised the bar for English news journalism. In the last four days, it first dominated the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Awards for excellence in journalism and now made a clean sweep at the NT awards.
The channel brought home the best daily newscast for India at 9, Best Investigative reporting award for I am Subba, and best news documentary for Missing in Action. The best sports reporting by an English channel went to Rudraniel Sengupta, best sports anchoring to Meha Bahardawaj, and the best business news show award for the citizen journalist show, Axe the Tax . “I think they have set standards. Not my show but other than that they have really set standards,” said Cyrus Broacha. “The channel has substance, quality news value. Whenever you want to watch news, you know this is where to tune in to,” said Congress Leader Rajeev
Shukla.CNBC Awaaz, won the award for the Best News Channel Promo, and CNBC's Hum Honge Kamyab won the Best Business Talk Show. Udyan Mukherjee won the trophy for the best business news anchor. For the TV 18 Network and CNN-IBN, it was a winning spree and celebrations all the way.
All the Awards For The TV18 Group:-
Best News Channel: CNN-IBN
Best News Website: IBNLive.com
Newsmaker of the Year: Rajdeep Sardesai
Best Business News Anchor: Udayan Mukherjee (CNBC TV18)
Best Daily Newscast (English): 'India at 9' (CNN-IBN)
Best News Channel Promo: CNBC-AWAAZ
Best Sports Reporting: Rudraneil Sengupta (CNN-IBN)
Best Business Talk Show: Hum Honge Kamyab (CNBC-TV18)
Best Business News Programme: Axe the Tax (CNN-IBN)
Best News Documentary (English): 'Missing in Action' (CNN-IBN)
Best Sports News Presenter (Hindi): Darain Shahidi
Best Investigative Reporting (English): CNN-IBN ('I am MK Subba')
Best Crime Show: CNBC-Awaaz
Best Auto Show: Auto Show (CNBC-TV18)

DIG UJJWAL, CHANCAL, HULCHUL

The biggest terror in Goa is Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ujjwal Mishra’s tongue.
Each statement stemming from this guy is like a fidayeen running berserk… With so much talking, one wonders whether the guy has anytime left for policing.

Over the last few years, DIG Mishra has been the official mascot of every journo covering crime in Goa. At hand and forever ready for a glib statement on just about anything… His controversial statements when an alleged Kashmiri militant was arrested in Goa was legendary. He is more often than not, the rubber stamp that endorses rumour, gossip or terror alerts, whichever a journo is in a mood to publish. ‘Terror alert’, ‘red alert’ is like cream on his coffee…
But he seems to have sobered down a bit of late… Reacting to a story published in the Mid-Day by J Dey on a possible terror threat in Goa, DIG Ujjwal Mishra stemmed his customary verbal ‘sewage’ and strangely resorted to ‘assuaging’ fears that there was no intelligence input indicating a terror threat in Goa.
So what’s happened… Has the Election Commissions chiding of Mr Mishra for ‘ineffective handling of poll duties’ been working him up a bit?


Wednesday, 18 July 2007

THE DUTT STRUT

Dutt power
If you had any doubts about Barkha Dutt’s clout in the media world consider this: she wrote a column for the Hindustan Times which the current editor in chief thought was a plug for the TV channel she works for. He wrote her to that effect whereupon she retaliated by stopping her column. Proprietor Shobhana Bhartia then stepped in. She got the editor to write and placate the queen of TV news, who then resumed her column.
(courtesy: the hoot)

AND I CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH... AGONDA

And we thought Agonda only had a beautiful beach that visitors yearned for.
Read the
Herald and you’d get the impression that the newspaper simply clings on to it's Agonda correspondent. Seems like they are in love with this guy.
It whips up this weird imagery in our warped minds.
Imagine Robin (the editor), Joel (the man who wants to be editor), Sergio (the man who never should become editor, but possibly will, because of his infinite pliability potential) and Melvyn (the man who oils his hair well, hehe) lazing out in the sun at the Agonda beach…
We can even picture how exactly these guys are lolling about.
See Robin and Joel wearing similar coloured sarongs. Ohhh. You know why… you see… Robin is not original even when it comes to colours. He’s probably seen Joel wearing a bright coloured sarong and he plagiarised this too hehehe…

Melvyn is just about handing over a pint of chilled beer to Robin… And he’s just been caught in the act…
Sergio… the poor chap is standing exactly three and a half feet from this group… probably thinking what the f… is he doing here… 'I should have stayed back in office and a little bit of time to play cards'...
Oh where were we… this was supposed to be a build up to something… Aah the Agonda correspondent… Ahh… so what is the top cream of the Herald hierarchy doing here at the Agonda beach… Oh what are they waiting for…
Suddenly they foursome see a head bobbing in the sea… And a bare torso walks from the sea towards them, seawater dripping from his flanks.

Then suddenly the foursome rise as one and rush towards him shouting with glee…And you know who this Goan version of Bo Derek is? Mallika Sherawat... no... that'd the Agonda correspondent... And suddenly Melvyn's (who'd the correspondent-in-charge at the Herald) produced another can of beer which he places against the corespondent's lips. Sergio is standing a step back holding a towel... Joel's at his shoulders, his finger soothing the correspondent's tired arms... and Robin... hmmm he's just found a crumpled scrap of newspaper (which a tourist had strewn about after chomping on the peanuts, the handmade newspaper bag held). Its the edit pade... and guess what... he's just found his edit for day after tomorrow. hehehe

Ha... we went a bit overboard didn’t we. Hey don’t blame us… Follow the Herald and you’ll see how biased these guys in favor of the Agonda correspondent. We would have had no argument had stories from this correspondent been up to the mark. But several gossip or PR pieces filed from the Agonda dateline are often allotted huge column spreads.
If we recall right, we Pricks had pointed out that one of the PR stories filed by this correspondent was published on Page 4 and then repeated on Page 1 as a lead story.

Can’t figure what’s wrong here.
Readers, you guys read and take a call whether such a story deserves a six column spread… Its just a rumour for god sake. There are no quotes to substantiate it. ‘Every story must have at least quotes from three people,’ as Arun Sinha, the Editor of The Navhind Times would say. (Of course, when Arun Sinha carries out those one sided ‘series’ against guys like M K Jos, he needs no quotes at all. All he needs is a steak knife)

Is this the kind of shit, that the "oldest" newspaper in Goa feeds its readers? Hey, Melvyn come on… it's only a rumour man. The newspaper is only adding gist to the rumours and lending it authority. No wonder folks (now… do exclude Joseph Zuzarte and the good doctor Joe Dsouza from the folks bracket, they’ve long ceased to be folk) label Herald as a gossip rag.
Can you imagine, this report got a six column display with a coloured screen to boot!! A more newsy report may have been held back in favour of this shit.


http://oheraldo.in/node/26526
Red Alert' SMS puts mobile users in a fix
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
AGONDA, JULY 16 - Attending mobile calls may not be that safe in future, if one pays any serious attention to the rumor mongers who have lately divulged to spread fear in people's psyche to be careful while attending mobile calls.
It is learnt that some elements have reportedly in-scripted fear psychosis in people's mind that attending mobile calls received from a number displayed in colour 'Red' on your mobile can create a 'blast' sorts causing instant death. The rumormongers even spread the news about number of deaths occurred by such process to be specifically put at '27'.
Even some vernacular newspapers have reportedly published the reports warning mobile users.
People wonder whether this a crank, and if one goes as per differences in un-verified versions of rumor mongers, it seems the story is odd enough.
People talk about deaths occurring at some unspecified locations without specific references. One source who doesn't want to be identified in the entire episode told this correspondent that his
friend's friend had to throw out the mobile hand-set when it started to give him shocks after it started ringing. The person has reportedly seen one of the cited mobile number appearing in Red color.
Every-thing has reportedly normalised once the ringing stopped. None seems to have seen or verified the happening let alone noticing a missed call from the particular number.
Still there are rumors that some relatives neighbours or friend's friend dying instantly when calls were attended from one of the cited mobile numbers.
What made the youth to believe is that a killer virus is transmitted from mobile to your ears, which in turn effects your brain and causes you instant death. Another version comes more specific that once you attend the particular call, a 'blast' occurs either near your chest/face or near ear causing damage to your head/brain facilitating death.
As per the sources, it all started since last week with rumors picking up at colleges and offices, with a few concerned inquisitive youth reaching for enquiries at some BSNL counters. The concerned persons have also reportedly cited some of fearful mobile numbers that are feared to be causing brain hemorrhage and instant death. There are loose talks of even appearance of the word 'Red' if one's handset happens to of non-colored screen.
Even this correspondent is in receipt of such SMS from a very concerned friend which goes on like "Do not pick calls from given numbers 9888308001, 9316048121, 9876266211, 9888854137, 9876715587, these nos. come in RED color, causes brain hemorrhage due to very high frequency. 27 ppl died just on receiving calls from these nos. Pass tis msg to friends and relatives."
When this correspondent tried to make calls on these numbers, it was found that numbers are locally not accessible, and dialing process gets cut-off once first 4-5 numbers are dialed.
Contrary to above, specific technical enquiries revealed that sending high frequency from individual mobile indicators through a mobile is an impossible task as the same amount of frequency is released
simultaneously to too many other numbers also. Changing the frequency originating from a Network provider is also the least possibility, which is technically bound by the rules and regulations of TRAI.
Sources further pointed out that a mere change in frequency at some point of time that too at working stations can also altogether drown the network of that company.
It is gathered that GSM technology networks are normally working either on 900 MHz frequency or 1800 MHz frequency, as an universal standard/ norm. Through out India, even though all GSM network providers (including BSNL) uses the 900 MHz frequency, it is learnt through non-reliable sources that at-least one private company in India have lately switched-on to operate its network on 1800 MHz frequency which is considered to be equally harmless as 900 MHz.
It is also learnt that individuals can't temper with the frequency bust-line released by a company, since frequency of many other users also remains bonded together at any given time. In such circumstances, people in the know feels that sending high frequency through mobile calls by some in-undated hackers may not be an not be an that easy task. However, there are known reports of a mobile battery causing mini-blasts of mobile handset sometimes hurting one's ear.
Even though it has no base, it is still suspected that the SMS have originated from some part of the country as a code language amongst some anti-social elements to hoodwink the law enforcing authorities, until it gained importance from fellow mobile users who out of concern to others have gained the present proportion.

Tuesday, 17 July 2007

POLL WITH A HOLE

This a weird poll which appeared in the Herald on July 15. It's quite strange, cause there's no mention of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Ramesh Tawadkar in the poll...

Who should be the Deputy Seapker of the Goa Legislative Assembly:
Reginald Lourenco
Mauvin Godinho
Neither of them
Can't Say


Sunday, 15 July 2007

IMAGINE GOA WEARING A SKIRT... THESE ARE THE GUYS WHO LIFT IT UP

So what do most television correspondents based in Goa, prefer doing on dry news days? Answers?
Sex… They conjure sex and peddle it to their cow-belt bosses.
Much of Goa’s sex-pot image is a result of these weird sex stories some of these correspondents tend to file. Last week -- which was rather dull in terms of news -- Aaj Tak and Sahara correspondents in Goa decided to spice it up by filed such despicable stories on their respective channels, its not funny.
Take for example Sahara’s story filed by their Goa correspondent duo of Sanjay Sinha and Namita Saran. Their story talks of sex life in Goa with shots of folk dancing in a disc. Such a farce. The footage used was surely some old file stock, cause where would you get packed discos in this season.
The print story that shows on their sister-web edition
www.saharasamay.com slots the story under the header ‘Goa turning into sex tourist destination’.
This is a very cosy situation most TV journos in Goa work themselves into. Goa generally doesn’t account for much, in the Delhi and Mumbai newsrooms dominated mostly by stereotypical North Indians. Goa’s portrayal as a sex and fun place is thanks to a two-way relationship shared by newsroom and its Goa correspondents/stringers.
Goa is politically insignificant, linguistically unsuitable, minuscule and TRP-wise one tracked. Only sex and freak shows in Goa sell.
Therefore all the cow-belt buffoons manning these newsrooms expect only two things from their correspondents based in Goa. One make sure their representatives file one sex laced story every one or two months or a freak show of some sort like the Carnival… oh and of course that vulgar December 31-January 1 media-circus where a ‘full fledged’ reporter drops in from Mumbai or Delhi looking for New year revelry and of course to film foreigners sunbathing on the beaches.

For Aaj Tak their story was probably put together by this guy called Anil Lad.
And the other thing expected of Goa correspondents/stringers is to arrange for accommodation when their bosses (a whole chain gang of em) drive/fly to Goa with their wive’s and girlfriends. And guess what… our guys are fast learners.

Saturday, 14 July 2007

THE PHILIPPINOS ARE COMING!!!

First they junked the worn out locally made furniture from of the Herald and replaced it with stuff from Philippines. Guess that was fine enough. There were more scars on that old furniture than original draft of Mayuresh Pawar’s news report. Some of those tables even had stains of chai spilled by the one and only Tolotinho (Tolotinho now long dead, was a peon in the Herald, notorious for swearing while at work. And humming loudly in the most unlikely moments, especially if he happened to step in next to you, in the loo to do his thing).
But the Herald seems to have taken the Philippine fervour a bit too far. Hot on the heels of the furniture, the Philipinos have moved in now.
This obsession with Philippines started when Raul landed in the Philippines with a friend of his some years ago. And now he is simply in love with her. (Please note the use of the word HER. We have left that feminine factor vague. Hey for all you know, it could even mean the country… you know how we speak about India in a feminine sense)
Now since he is the owner and also the editor-in-chief of the Herald, most of Raul’s obsessions often find vent in the newspaper. Like say for example his wife Deirdre… Raul made the lady the virtual boss in the Herald, when she had absolutely no credentials as a journo. Hey he’s not the only one prone to that… Remember when Ashok, one of the Jain brothers was arrested for FERA violations, the newspaper started a front-page slot called ‘HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH’ which carried stories on abuse of power and harassment by chappies from the Enforcement Directorate.
Ok where were we… well this Philippine interlude had produced this gem of an announcement in the Herald almost a year ago.

HERALD IS EXPANDING
Panjim, July 29 — Over the past few months, readers may have noticed many changes in the Herald Publications. And this is because our readers and consumers have demanded the best and it is our endeavour to provide the best. Now, Herald Publications is pleased to announce that it is expanding overseas, under the stewardship of the Managing Director Mr Raul Fernandes, to the Philippines.
According to Mr Raul Fernandes, “We have opened a plant, in the Philippines, for the manufacture of wooden furniture, coir products, fiberglass and steel products in order to provide Indian consumers with the same high-end international quality products”.
Elaborating further, Mr Fernandes stated that “We will be opening a similar state of the art, high tech plant in India with the latest equipment, technology and with foreign know how, to supply the Indian market with the same.”
For Goan, and Indian consumers, the world’s best will be available at a store near you. With Herald it is always the best.

Can you beat this guys… you call this expansion? I have been trying to figure out who wrote this press note since the time it was published... I just can't seem to get it... Joel... hmmm no he's smart enough not to get caught while doing something silly. Sergio... He lacks the flourish... Raul... Could be, if someone gives him a thesaurus, but its not him... Robin... could be... with years of rehashing PR copies, he has the necessary expertise... but no I still can't pick out the one who drafted it...
Anyway, a newspaper owner starts a furniture outfit in Philippines and these guys have the gall to call it an expansion? The report even has Raul uttering two sentences without his signature stutter (ok that’s a mean one).

Ok where were we again? Ya… Herald has brought in a platoon of Philippinos to enhance the newspaper’s marketing capabilities (as of now its limited to marketing… Maybe tomorrow we could even see editorial control being taken over. It has happened before). These are a bunch of 15 (give or take some) guys who have been doing the rounds of the office and sizing things up. Will this dose of fresh blood make a difference.
Well, this fresh blood make another kind of blood curl for sure. Cause the present marketing in the Herald, Savio is a close relative of Raul, and these guys who do seem like professionals, will definitely step on this relative’s toes… Will blood prove to be thicker than love… Love for the Philippines i.e. hehe. Lets wait and watch.