A tale of a toenail ... and other related items

I have had a ingrown toe-nail removed. The growth in itself was not all that painful, though it hurt once in a while. But now that it is out, the bandage and related aftercare has resulted in a blister that hurts. While wondering about what ointment to put to relieve the blister, I thought of what I would have used, had I been in India right now - Burnol, of course. So, I googled it to see what it's active ingredient is, so I could get a similar local balm - it appears that <a href="http://marketingpractice.blogspot.com/2006/11/burnol-burn-specialist.html">Burnol</a> does not carry the influence in India that it once did. What had been brilliantly marketed as a burn salve was re-marketed as a general antiseptic, and that strategy failed to take-off.

While checking out other posts in the blog referred to above, my attention was drawn to a link about Gold Spot. I am (was?) a Fanta kid. When it suddenly out of the market along with the rest of the Coca Cola products, thanks to the Janata Party, I wondered where it went. <a href="http://marketingpractice.blogspot.com/2007/04/gold-spot-zing-thing-rip-1977-1993.html">Gold Spot</a> took some getting used to, but get used to it I did after a while. Now, sadly, it has gone out of the market also and Fanta is back. But, Fanta is nothing like what it was before, at least in the Indian marketplace. What is ironic is that by kicking Coca Cola out of India back in the 1970s, Janata Party seems to have ensured that at least some of the Coca Cola products won't carry the same reach they carried before (or maybe I am wrong, and I was part of the 49% - as opposed to the 51% - back then). But either way, it is sad that Gold Spot is gone for good. Hopefully, some entrepreneur can buy the franchise/brand back from Coca Cola and get it re-started.

The Rotting iPhone - Tales of Katya (series resumes!)

Mrs. and Mr. Porcupyn are sick and tired of Katya and Bob playing on the electronic gadgets. Having had enough, Mrs. Porcupyn got on her soapbox.

Mom (Mrs. Porcupyn): Can't you kids leave these gadgets alone? They do not help develop your brain. You know what happens when you leave something in a place and don't do anything with it? Like if you leave a leaf in the same place for a long time? It will rot.

Katya: So, the iPhone will rot?!!

My Commentary - on pronunciations in the commentary box!

It is funny listening to the commentary team for the second ODI - one Englishman (Collingwood, I presume) and one Indian (Gavaskar). First Collingwood complains that names in the subcontinent are difficult to pronounce and gives Jayasuriya as an example (pronounces it जेसूरिया or something, and then complains how easily the subcontinenters roll it off their tongues).

Then, Collingwood asks Gavaskar teach him to pronounce his own name, and the latter obliges with "सुनील गावस्कर"; fifteen minutes after the lesson, Collingwood is back to his true form, pronouncing the first syllable in Gavaskar's first name as "Sun" and the latter syllable as "Nill", ends up with सन्निल गवस्खार. Kind of makes sense, when you realize how folks in India spell the words (as they are pronounced) - for example, "lekar" is pronounced by Indians just like a Westerner would pronounce "Laker" (which is what I was wondering driving to work this morning, and listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1rAsrjAeU0" title="lekar ham divana dil ...">this song</a>).

And though Gavaskar, for his part, tries hard (example ठेन for "ten"), he cannot maintain it through thick (थिक्ख) and thin (थिन)!