Apple products are built around the notion of picking up ideas that are already common, reducing them to brightly-coloured, child-like simplicity, imposing conformity, and then suggesting that buying into that conformity means you're a seriously cool adult, says Mihir S Sharma.
'Bollywood's 'no prisoners taken' honesty comes as a big surprise.' 'I cannot think of a single judge, politician, sportsperson or bureaucrat being so forthright in their opinion of their contemporaries,' says T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan.
'In the lingo of Star Trek, how willing are we to keep all hailing frequencies open in order to listen more closely and with empathy to whoever we consider the 'other'?'
'The armies that are lined up and firing at each other without ceasing, without much change on the ground and without much benefit, are replaced by civilians (also in uniforms, of team colours) screaming abuse,' says Aakar Patel.
'Here was a man who played a major part in helping the Bengalis of East Pakistan create a new nation, secured the merger of Sikkim into the Indian dominion and built R&AW into a formidable outfit, comparable to the best in the world.' Rameshwar Nath Kao shunned the limelight, hated to be photographed and preferred to work behind the scenes. A revealing excerpt from Nitin A Gokhale's much awaited book, R N Kao: Gentleman Spymaster.
How will the Modi Sarkar's likely return affect other nations?
Juan Martin del Potro said on Monday he will not play in Argentina's Davis Cup playoff tie in September due to his differences with the Argentine Tennis Association (AAT).
Irrfan Khan's fascinating interview with Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com.
After condemning Steve Smith's conduct during the Cape Town Test on Sunday, Shane Warne struck a more supportive tone on Wednesday.
'I noticed the audience warming up to The Blueberry Hunt at different points. The surprise was the reaction from the aam aadmi, the common man. They loved the film!' Director Anup Kurian discusses his film.
'There is going to be sledging, there is going to be banter' 'We'll do whatever we have to do to play our best cricket' 'Banter is part of the game'
'The three tycoons I deal with in the first chapter -- Ambani, Mallya and Adani -- in their own way represent the change that has come over India.' 'Of the three of them, Mallya is the most fun. He was terrific.' 'And I don't say that because I tell the story in the book of his golden toilet.'
'If India does venture across the LoC, it will evoke a strong response.'
Almost everyone in Gorakhpur has a story about an Adityanath intervention that helped push through a piece of work that would've been otherwise impossible.
'Errant bikers wearing branded t-shirts sponsored by local political parties raced through traffic, almost taking our breath away. Young kids stood at the edge of the roads, clicking selfies amid playing 'catch up' with their buddies, least bothered about the festival or its relevance.'
With the tide of public disillusionment rising against his government, Arvind Kejriwal is trying at least publicly to extend the olive branch to both Narendra Modi and Najeeb Jung. Privately, he has confided to his confidantes that much as he dislikes it, he must do his best to soften these two reigning deities.
Author Shireen Stephen helps you out.
Former AIIMS director Dr S K Kacker discusses the doctors' agitation in Maharashtra and West Bengal's crackdown on private hospitals with Veenu Sandhu.
'Biplab Deb said it was unfortunate.' 'If he continues to respond this way, then further damage will not happen.' 'But if under pressure from his party members he does not take action, then the future is dangerous.'
A scarcity of gold medals in the first few days of the Olympics is leading China to reflect on its past obsession with finishing first, amid agreement that being champion is no longer everything.
Microsoft Corp announced its 'Windows 10' operating system on Tuesday to replace the largely unpopular Windows 8, skipping a number to mark a leap toward unifying the way people work on tablets, phones and traditional computers.
No conversation about Indian art is complete without mention of Madhvi Parekh
Gauri Shinde's film moves at its own pace, but will stun you with its life lessons, says Divya Nair.
'How do you expect me to tone down my anger when the most prominent culture in India today is the culture of corruption, in every sphere of life?'
'I have never seen anybody disliked more as prime minister than Modi.' 'What is interesting is in his prime ministership, no matter whatever happens in any corner of India, Modi is blamed for it.' 'Modi has not suspended any Constitutional liberties. No Opposition leader has been put in jail... Modi is not Hitler.'
'I had expected them to fight this election on the issue of development, but they are not doing that.' 'Now they have decided to belittle Gujarat's development.'
'I don't understand people who say, "Time is the best healer".' 'I would like to tell them, "Screw you".'
Parallels between the two worlds are mind boggling!
'I was playing a rockstar.' 'After three days, I get a script that my character will turn into a lion.' 'I felt I hadn't signed up for this, so I told Ekta about it.' 'Ekta told me, "Beta, na tu important hai na main important hoon. Woh spot wala hai na, usko ghar pe khana khilana hai".' 'She said if she didn't change the content, she would not get TRPs and eventually, her show would shut down.' 'If the show stops, she asked me if I would take these workers home.' 'I said "Let's become the lion".'
Nitish Kumar's decision to resign as the state chief minister was as dramatic as the time he decided to tie up with old foe Lalu in 2015.
1929-2018: The life and legacy of Ursula K Le Guin in her own words.
Raghuram Rajan's exit reminds Syed Firdaus Ashraf of Kafka's The Trial.
In several areas, the Indian government has put out a model law.
'As some of the marchers shouted, "Hum apna adhikar mangte, nahin kisi se bheekh mangte, (we are fighting for our rights; we are not beggars)," the message of the parade was clear.'
'Nehru's hegemonic politics has been responsible for many ills, which undoubtedly includes Kashmir'
Kickstarting the National Democratic Alliance's poll campaign in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday focussed his attack on former Bharatiya Janata Party ally and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of "back-stabbing" the people of the state and alleging that there is some problem with his "DNA".
'She really doesn't care if she is called heartless.' 'For her, the job needs to be done. That's all that matters.'
A degree may help you start your career, but it is only skills that will build your career.
'If one is looking for evidence of his talents as a mass leader, it has been on display since he announced demonetisation on November 8.' 'Let us look at it and appreciate it, because we are in the presence of a true master,' says Aakar Patel.
'We are making a transition from governance to campaign mode.' 'The speed of execution is picking up,' says Union Minister Jayant Sinha.
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