Off the Target

Here is one blooper from Hindustan Times online. This is about the anti-ship version of the Brahmos cruise missile. Most probably, the poor Sub, who was not conversant with defence or missiles understood it as an anti-aircraft 'carrier' missile as against 'anti-'aircraft carrier.

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For the uninitiated, an anti-aircraft missile is fired at an aircraft (also known as surface-to-air missile or air-defence missile), while an aircraft carrier is a ship and hence an anti-aircraft carrier missile is essentially an anti-ship missile (AShM), fired at ships. Published on 31 March, 2012.

Need a Sub Editor?

Another news story that appeared in Times of India online edition. See the markings.

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This is about a mishap that occurred in Bangalore. Published on 30th March, 2012.

Laziness at its Best

Times of India online has done it again. This story is about Pakistan Prime Mister Yusuf Raza Gilani's statement. It is evident that the reporter or the one who posted this report online took an earlier template and modified it instead of creating a new post. It is like finding a piece of meat in the vegetarian meal you ordered.

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Please see the red rectangle. Wondering how Jindal appeared suddenly between Gilani and Obama. Published on 26th March, 2012.

Beware: Trainee at the Desk

So here goes the first blooper from Mumbai Mirror. The story was about the US President's 'Doomsday Plane'. Though the story was taken from the agencies, I believe Mumbai Mirror has a sub editor at the desk.

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Washington: It costs an astronomical $200 million, can stay in the air for days without refuelling, and is build to protect the US President, his Secretary of Defence (have you heard of a President's Secretary of Defence? Well, I haven't), Joint Chiefs of Staff and other key personnel.


Able to launch within minutes, the ‘doomsday plane’ offers protection from the ultimate worst-case scenarios (it is like saying 'the worstest'), including nuclear attacks and meteor strikes from outer space (wow...I am yet to hear of a meteor strike from the stratosphere).

People travelling on board can communicate with anyone on the ground and even submarines can be reached underwater when a five-mile long cable is extended from the back of the plane (funny isn't it? A submarine being towed by an aircraft. And why do you need a cable to communicate with a submarine?).

Mobilised hours after the 9/11 terror strikes, the world’s most impressive plane runs on 1,65,000 pounds of state of the art electronics (I thought planes run on Aviation Turbine Fuel) and is protected by an electromagnetic pulse shield.

Onboard equipment is so powerful a specially upgraded air conditioning system (upgraded from what to what?) is needed to keep it cool (otherwise it will lose its cool) - and a specially trained team of tech-whizzes stay on board to man the devices.