Predictions, predilections

After tsunami, whenever the weather report appears on the screen with the map of South or South East Asia and those graphic ocean or wind mo...

After tsunami, whenever the weather report appears on the screen with the map of South or South East Asia and those graphic ocean or wind movements swirl about, it sends a shiver down the spine: what lies beneath? Post-tsunami, the cheery women or men who announce the next day’s weather with such fluent conviction seem rather naive — it’s not their fault — because, suddenly, we have become tragically aware that it is vanity to suppose we can predict the ways of nature.

Naivety is not the weather woman’s preserve. On Secrets of the Psyche Revealed (Star World), the entire audience ‘‘oohed’’ over the magical powers of the ‘‘psychic’’. In a series of fascinating exposes, the show reveals the fraudulence of the psychic and the gullibility of human beings. For instance, the ‘‘psychic’’, in a piece of atrocious acting, correctly imagines a woman’s house merely by holding her hand: ‘‘There’s a long porch… hedges… a blue car… a symbol about you on the front door? A bell! A bell!’’ And something with JB on her kitchen counter — yes, she nods happily, a James Bond mug! As the lady goes into shock and awe, we’re shown the accomplice of the ‘‘psychic’’ visiting the woman’s home earlier under guise. Learn of similar duplicitous dealings which fool most of us most of the time.

Nobody was fooled by the intentions of those who released select portions of the Kanchi Shankaracharya’s police interrogation video to the news channels. The attempt to further discredit the seer was so palpable you felt like the psychic holding that lady’s hand. Sun TV and Aaj Tak replayed the excerpts furiously on Wednesday but that did not make it any less a ‘‘plant’’. Star News had a video that may have been ‘‘exclusive’’ (here we go again) as the anchor unfailingly reminded us after every two minutes, showing scenes at the Mutt before the Junior Acharya’s arrest, ‘‘he is praying… he is praying’’ — just as well since his arrest was imminent. People hung about, the police arrived and the Junior left. Hum-ho.

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Indian Idol (Sony) could do with better public judgement. Unfailingly, the SMS wizards vote out the better singers. Is this out of pure devilry? Last week, listening to Rahul, Mukesh, Harish and Ravinder, you couldn’t believe they are the best India can sing. The democratic selection raises questions about the premise of the show: is this about quality or quantity if some of the best performers have been voted out despite the judges’ vote of approval? Also, how do we know that Rahul’s, Mukesh’s, Abhijeet’s or Aditi’s entire village, city, state is not voting en masse for him/ her? Or that the SMS lines are overloaded, leaving out voters? Silly, but possible. Oh yes, Juhi Chawla graced last week’s show, sweet-looking as she was kind but what other purpose do celebrity judges serve?

Hoorah for Star Sports’ telecast of the PHL. The hockey may not be heady but at least it’s an attempt to be easier on the eye. And we’re not referring just to the cheerleaders. The players look dashing in their new clothes, the 17-minute quarters are more viewer-friendly and the interviews by the invisible Priyanka adds a dimension to the commentary.

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Hard Talk (BBC World) was just that for India’s High Commissioner to Britain, Kamalesh Sharma, as the lady interviewer pinned him down and hammered away: wasn’t India arrogant and churlish not to accept foreign aid, why was it offering aid to neighbours when it could not sufficiently assist its own tsunami victims, wasn’t it using the catastrophe to be a regional superpower, to garner support for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council? Sharma, manfully, repeated one mantra: India possessed the capability to look after its own and offer assistance to others. He would have been well served by providing facts and figures of our ‘‘capabiliity’’. Oddly, he didn’t know Kofi Annan had been refused a visit to tsunami areas. Still, the lady was unnecessarily harsh on him — he’s a bureaucrat not Osama bin Laden.

PM Modi addresses the nation ahead of the rollout of new GST rates.

PM Modi says ‘GST savings festival’ begins soon: how household budgets are set for boost

Explained4 min ago

Ahead of the rollout of GST 2.0 effective from September 22, companies have announced lower prices for over 375 common-use goods. The government has urged corporates to pass on the benefits to consumers, resulting in cheaper prices for FMCG products, milk, butter, cheese, pickles, jams, and ice creams. Other items like shampoo, soap, cement, durable goods, and cars may also see a reduction.

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