This is Straight Talk.

Look around you. The world is a large, complicated place.

You ask for the time. It's available in Zulu, EST, IST and Rocky Mountain.

You want a cuppo. There's latte, mocha, espresso and plain Joe Black.

So where is "life near the bone, where it's sweetest?"

Look at the following picture.

Most people may tell you there are four squares.

In this column, I will try and show you the fifth.

Biographical Sketch: I was born in Madras, went to high school in Bombay and college and grad school in New York. By day, I'm an engineer at a large multinational firm; I write a little bit from time to time.