Bob’s Banter

  • There’s a Story in Everyone..!
    Every now and then, I meet someone who tells me, Bob, I wish I could write too. I look at them and smile, because what I really want to say is, You can.You see, theres a story in everyone. In the vegetable vend
  • Iran, India and Hypocrisy..!
    I read today that Iran, the same country where women are beaten, jailed and even killed for not wearing the hijab, witnessed quite a spectacle. The daughter of one of its senior defence and national security of
  • Breaking Rules in Religion’s Name..!
    A friend from Chennai told me that on Diwali night, the fireworks stopped at exactly ten oclock. People here actually obey the law, he said proudly, even when its a festival. I sighed in disbelief, thinking of
  • I Am Worthy..!
    A few years ago, a close friend of mine fell deep into alcoholism. It was heartbreaking to watch a bright, capable young man crumble into dependence on drink. One night he took his car and, completely drunk, dr
  • Facing Digital Arrest..!
    Just read the news that a businessman lost fifty-eight crores through a clever digital arrest. Fifty-eight crores!But before we rush to blame the scamsters, maybe we should look at the man in the mirror, becaus
  • Facing Your Little Goliaths..!
    In Chicago last month, I spent a lot of time with little Emory, my granddaughter. Every morning, before breakfast, she would climb onto my lap, point to my iPad, and insist, Goliath! That was her favourite vide
  • Trump, Peace and Us..!
    There are many who have misgivings about Donald Trump, but today, as we watch emotional reunions of hostages returning home, and nations embracing after decades of distrust, one cant help but feel admiration fo
  • Clean Up! Clean Up!
    Every evening, as the sun used to dip and the day sighed its last breath, I used to hear little voices singing in chorus at my daughters homes: Clean up! Clean up! Everybody, everywhere!Its a charming scene —
  • Now we have a new friend
    The Taliban!Yes, the same Taliban once described in international forums as terrorists, medieval-minded extremists, and enemies of womens rights. Suddenly, theyre on our guest list, sipping tea, holding press c
  • Death in the Skies..!
    It was with deep sadness I read of the death of an aged Indian cardiologist while flying on Qatar Airways. A man who had spent his life saving hearts, lost his own somewhere in the sky. The reason? A meal mix-u
  • Balance Your Work and Fun..!
    What I love seeing in the U.S. is the Friday afternoon traffic. No, not the angry honking, or the rush-hour jams we see here—but a parade of joy! Cars streaming out of town with bicycles hanging on their back
  • I Take the Blame..!
    Today, the Prime Minister lands in Navi Mumbai to inaugurate a gleaming new international airport. Cameras click, drones hum, and television anchors shout themselves hoarse describing how under his leadership a
  • Finding ‘Landing Ground’..!
    It was a quote that made me smile this morning. We have to find 'landing ground' for our trade discussions, said our External Affairs Minister, reported The Times of India.Now, in my vivid imagination—one tha
  • Our No Touch Cricket Policy..!
    Its not the United Nations or NATO thats in panic this week—its the worlds cricket boards! All over the globe, from Melbourne to Manchester, from Kingston to Karachi, political leaders have been receiving the
  • Trapeze Artist Dies, Psychologists Called..!
    It was a tragic evening in Bautzen, Germany. A twenty-seven-year-old trapeze artist, flying through the air, missed her hold and fell to her death in front of horrified children and their parents. The big top w
  • Eight Minutes Late..!
    The bus was supposed to arrive at 6:15. It turned up at 6:23. Eight minutes late. Eight minutes in which I transformed from a calm citizen to a pacing tiger outside a zoo cage. I looked at my watch, scowled at
  • Behave Like Winners..!
    Its been a strange spectacle, isnt it?Eleven men in blue who carry the hopes of a billion people on their shoulders, but when they walk the field in the Asian Cup, their behaviour reeks not of victors, but sulk
  • Three Young Men..!
    This morning, as I sipped my coffee and scanned the news, I nearly spilled my hot brew. There on the world stage, strutting about and shaping the destiny of millions, are three young men: Donald Trump at sevent
  • Don’t Want to be a Doctor..!
    The newspaper headline stared at me like an unblinking eye: Boy with 99.99% ends life on day of departure to medical college. A teenager from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, bright as a shooting star, ended his own st
  • Very Positive Talks..!
    Today nothing serious okay, just a fictitious tale!Ruby and Jai met in New York.Rubys country couldnt care less what he said; Jais country counted each minute he spent with the other man. Finally, Jai returned
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