Snorben, a good sister

Wonder what the heading means!

In the western part of India, especially in Gujarat, the word ‘ben’ stands for sister. And though ‘snore’ is more a vice than being a likeable virtue, Snorben promises to bring relief to the snorers, rather to those who sleep with snorers.

Snorben is basically a nasal device that sticks to the nose while letting 2 silicone tubes deep inside the 2 nostrils. At Rs.300, and lasting for 6 months before being replaced, Snorben will be like god-sent for many.

Snorben is invented by Richard Benson – a ben first, then a son – who is an Aussie aeronautical engineer – no wonder! It will sell in India, being the first offshore destination for it.

I’ve loaned the picture of Snorben in action from the item’s website, www.snoralone.com. Looks like Richard must have felt the warmth of money; else maybe he won’t have had the copyright extending till 2025.

Snorben costs a cent shy off AUD 40, and comes with 30 days no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. As handling and shipping are free, Indian snorers willing to get rid of the vice can make a beeline to buy it from the website.

Since USD and AUD trade at almost the same rate with INR, the price of Snorben is expected to be around 1640 in Indian currency.

Wish you all a good sleep ever.

[Collated from HT, Kolkata, May 18, 2008]

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Back from hibernation

I’ve always wondered if others feel any different from what I do waking up every morning. Though I’m usually late going to bed – 12 if not later – I leave the bed relatively early, before 6 on most days.

A brisk walk in the morning is good for health, so I’m told, and so I do. But left to my own will, I’d much rather spend an hour more in the bed as if to compensate for less sleeping hours.

More often no serious work holds me from going early to bed, but I’ve a strange habit of letting minutes gather into hours sitting in a dark corner and silently going through issues, past and present.

To be honest, a strange lack of will is one reason that prevented me from writing this blog for awhile. Yes there are other works in hand, for example the proposed launching of my web video site soon, and a host of others.

But a post or 2 everyday or every alternate day must not be a big deal...especially when I’ve fairly large number of subscribers who I believe like to read this blog.

Let me pledge I’ll strive hard to write posts ever so often, if not daily. If you, dear reader, like Kolkata Musing, I imagine you’ll not let a lapse or 2 stand in the way of your continued patronage.

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Airport to be jumbo-ready by next year

It’s good that A380 has happened long before the closing of bid documents for the modernization of Kolkata airport. The time was sufficient for the mandarins to accordingly redo the plan. [Image courtesy TT]

As things now stand, the airport is likely to see noticeable uplift in facilities, much of which has got to do with the jumbo jet from the Airbus Industrie.

The secondary runway that will just stop short of the controversial mosque to the south will now be 3.24 km. The main concourse is of the course the old one at 3.627 km. See TT report.

Surprisingly, the TT report mentions the Singapore Airlines’ Kolkata official as saying that Calcutta was a “very important market” and that an A380 could fly out of the city sooner than most expected.

Perhaps that’s a bit optimistic. Maybe not. The airlines people know certainly better.

Anyway, now that the space for the jumbo is being created, we the Kolkattans can at least say that the city airport is equipped to receive the giant guest whenever that happens.

More reading:

1. Life in flying palace
2. The giant flies commercially
3. The fight of 2012
4. The flying palace

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Money rules, as always

The flamboyant boss [Image courtesy]

Sometimes you need to pinch yourself to understand and realize what is otherwise plainly obvious. A few days back (May 3 issue), the ABP informs that while the Rahul Dravid led IPL cricket team has cost Vijaya Mallya a princely Rs.400 crore, the Kingfisher East Bengal team costs him just Rs.4 crore a year.

That is alright. We know how and where cricket stands vis-a-vis other sports in India. Let me not shed copious tears for undernourished Indian sports except cricket, a 22-yards game of 13 players with abundant recess in between overs bowled.

Instead let me mourn the fact that the red-and-yellow brigade of my favorite club East Bengal has been asked by their master – Vijaya Mallya in this case – to cheer up the master’s side when they battle with Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens 2 days from today.

The East Bengal players are not happy because they feel it is quite humiliating to work as cheerleaders for a sport that has already earned the dubious distinction of being stinking rich at the cost of other games.

The other concern is of course that while their heart lies with the Knight Riders, they will have to support the visiting team. Pray why?

Th reason is East Bengal players are fed with salaries from Mallya’s company sporting the Kingfisher brand. How then the EB players dare defy Mallya’s directives!

Meanwhile life moves on as though nothing is of much concern. And so it will wonder little that Alvitos’ and Rahim Nabi’s not feeling the urge to obey the boss will be forgotten in a hurry.

After all isn’t the figure 400 hundred times that of 4..?

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