Voyageristic Stuff

Initial Impressions of the MacBook Pro

2011-07-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Being a PC wanderer, I have jumped the fence to the other side, where everything white is cool, premium and the "in thing".

I'm personally not a fan of the features to cost ratio of Apple products but somewhere down the line, Windows based products were really letting me down in terms of features and execution. Windows Vista was nearly a killer but it was killing the systems it was running on and not the competition. Windows 7 and Windows Mobile have come and saved the MS world for now.

To mention that I own a product from every major platform including RIM (yes, I still love my Blackberrys) is a feeling where I get to evaluate each of the platforms' strengths and weaknesses.

Since this post is about the MBP (MacBook Pro) I will concentrate on it for now. The version of MBP I have is from the refresh cycle of Spring 2011 where they came out with Core iX series of processors from Intel and featured the new Thunderbolt technology. Honeslty, I do not care much for it for now unless it matures and you start seeing a plethora of devices which use this technology.

Build :
The build of the unibody aluminium is impeccable. I have not seen HP Envy but would assume it to be of similar quality if not better. Dell Adamo was another one, but it never caught my attention. Plus, the aesthetic value of an Apple product cannot be underestimated.

The otherwise minimalist appearance is something worth showing off. The build is definitely a 4 out 5 rating.

Hardware :

Intel inside with the GMA video option is something which will be bypassed in today's Windows 7 world with sigh. 1 GB and 2 GB dedicated video cards are the norm.

But the Apple world places a premium on everything. The Core i5 build in the 13.3 inch MBP does not allow any video card customization and still costs equivalent to a Wintel laptop which would include 8 GB of RAM, Core i7 and any of the above mentioned video graphics with a Bluray burner.

But as they, fastest is always not the best. The utilization of the resources in a optimum manner is what is desired today.

I would from a Hardware perspective, give a 2 out of 5 to Apple even though considering they are among the premium laptops irrespective of the OS world.

OS X Lion :
Coming to the OS, I have upgraded to the recently released OS X codenamed "Lion" which has brought in excellent features of the iOS platform and combined some neat multitouch features which nearly eliminate any kind of lengthy scrolling or navigation key strokes.

A swipe to the right with 2 fingers takes you forward in a browser, 2 finger swipe to the left takes you back. Changing screens between Dashboard and active window is a matter of 3 finger swipe to the left or right.

The scrolling is something you have to get used to. There are no scrollbars and flicking to scroll is the opposite to what you do in iPhone or iPad.

The OS is a major change with introduction of built in App store and also introduction of iOS like architecture where now applications can be full screen without need of a menu bar or status bar.

It is a very promising move and Apple leads the way here, I would assume some novely from Windows 8 when it is released.

Software :

This has been my biggest disappointment. I also assume this would be resolved to a great extent since now the App store is integrated. I hope there are many developers attracted to make good and cheaper Apps for the Mac store so that more tools and utilities can be created for people to use.

A good example is blogging software. On a Windows, I would use Wordpad or Windows Live Writer to get some blogging done, however on the Mac, unless you use iWeb which comes installed with the OS. All other options run from $20 to $50 for a decent blogging utility. In today's world when every mobile platform has blogging tools available for free, it is really appalling looking at the Apple repository for such costly alternatives.

Software has been always premium on Apple platform due to small market share and targeted audience. I guess it will improve with the App Store arrival.

For a long time Wintel loyalist, I take comfort in the fact that whenever I would need to go to Windows 7. It would be a bootcamp click away on the MBP. This is one of the strong reasons for me to combine the hardware superiority of a Mac with software usablity of OSX and Windows on the same machine.

It would be really incredible, if Apple would release its OS like Windows to be installed on any machine without providing support for the hardware issues. That would help people like me to build and enjoy low cost Hackintosh and Win7 platforms on awesome hardware specs.

The Software unless bought and used for which Apple is famous for, gets a 3 out 5 rating in terms of cost and variety of choices.

I will possibly post an update to the software later this week.

What if today, you have to leave the IT field and earn your bread ?

2011-05-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is something I would wish to ask everyone in the IT field. What if, today, you have to leave the IT field and earn your bread ?

It is something very relevant to the current economic situation, and also an eye opener to the labourers who toil away with their eyes, hands and brains sitting in a vegetative state for hours together, working for their IT overlords, who now have have been busy sorting them out for keeping their profit margins intact.

2001 was a preview of just how vulnerable IT was. 2008-09 has showed how resilient it has become. No more there are IT bubble bursts, even though the current situation has sent a electric jolt to those who had come into this line just for the greenbacks and a great lifetime opportunity to people who could really do something great apart from their IT skills.

Seeing the way people have come together in Bay Area after being laid off, to collaborate, to identify new ventures, new ideas and press on to initiatives which were on back burner due to various reasons. It reminds me that all we need sometimes is a gentle nudge to remind of what we are capable of.

Coming back to the title of the post. Well, my honest answer to this would be, anything to start off with to keep my home running, and then I would gradually draw up a plan to utilize my knowledge and channelize it to do something which would help to utilize IT to enable the common masses.

It could be anything from, teaching in a primary school to going back to school to empower you with the skills to really push for that goal, which you dreamt of, but never dared make an attempt at, for the fear of upsetting your routine 9 to 5 office life.

I come from a home of goldsmiths, a profession which was last practiced by my grandfather. The generation after that moved to businesses in metals, and I have a medico father. Although, it's a art which is being overwhelmed by precision machines, gold jewellery making is something, which is seeing tough times due to high prices and lack of expendable money.

Since, even I am not clear, what I would like to do apart from IT, I think it is imperative, that I give a deep thought on this and also continue to focus on my career. I hope, the reader of this post is also in the same mind frame and has a plan 'B' ready for the worst of times.

Tere bin ‘Bin Laden’ – A match fixed in Pakistan ??

2011-05-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Like an unexpected fall of a wicket in a boring test match, the news of assassination of the world’s most sought after men was quick to arrive amidst the end of the weekend primetime.

The elusive one had been found and put down, and not only put down, but drowned to abyss rather quickly and much to everyone’s surprise. The entire episode’s proceedings is nothing short of a script for a chain of sequels due to the number of open questions it brings into people’s mind all across the world.

For Pakistan, the feeling must be like a stumped batsmen, who did not know when the killer team came from, landed on its arguably safest zone of military academy and took out the stumps as quick as a flash and vanished. I probably would have cried “Match Fixing” on this one for sure, since I for one, cannot conceive that a nation’s defense would have been so bad that they could not detect, react, or chase the US package which came in, did its business and left, no questions asked, no rounds fired.

Further to this, whether they were secretly involved but non-committal in the open to avoid any backlash will weigh upon every citizen and lead to question their true intentions. Do they still continue to want play safe with US and the hostile elements within their country. It’s a fine line of walk keeping both sides in dark, eventually the consequences would have to borne by Pakistan only.

For the world on other hand, the post-operation activities around the quick sea burial, DNA tests being completed in matter of hours begs some serious introspection. Why is that, all the other assassinations resulted in showcasing the trophy bounty, whereas in this case, without even sharing with the allies, the physical evidence was quickly confined to the abyss of the Arabian Sea citing religious obligations. Since when have warring factions been so cognizant of the other’s religious rituals ? Did they fear retaliation from the allies, or it was a way to hush down any contradictions arising which would have questioned the legitimacy of the operation and its result ?

I hope Donald Trump definitely demands the “long form death certificate” on this from the coroner’s office, it might become his ticket to Oval office, who knows.

Conspiracy theories are like like sugar crystals, one piece of loose information or unanswered question draws a whole herd of them.

In the midst of all these events, reaction from India was pretty lame and old rhetoric. The “I told you so” line is making us look like whiners, who take every opportunity to walk up to US and whine and take no action. Would India have any guts to do such a covert operation and never ever bring it in the open ? They might, if our ministers take their hands and minds of the money they seem to be passing among themselves before their tenure runs out.

Overall, it is a symbolic ending of one of the most troubled searches in recent human history, a search which has spanned a decade, with the highest casualties for US, and dented their reputation unlike anything. Still, this can be equated to killing one snake off Medusa’s head where new ones have spawned quickly and widely.

With the US economy in doldrums due to the wild runs of unregulated markets and banks and blind eye by the Feds, a victory as this would be at the very best “Oonth ke munh mein jeera”, a fennel seed in camel’s mouth for the general American masses.

At Odds with the U.S., Pakistan Deepens Ties with China - Search for a symbiotic partner

2011-04-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

While the relationship itself is not new, but with the toughening up of the requirements and complaints from its oldest ally, the country finds itself in search of a new godfather, or largesse supplier.

Religious manipulations in modern times

2011-04-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Tough times ahead with religious authorities now joining the bashing of other religions to sound "patriotic".

Locking your Wireless router – Bad Manners ?

2011-04-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of talk around the need to protect your wireless network with mushrooming of wireless equipment in every household. There is a legal angle, where it says – you can be “prosecuted” if an incident involving your wireless network happens resulting in criminal / civilian liabilities. Then there is a cost angle, the consequence of going over your allocated bandwidth comes to the mind of of budget consumers, who somehow manage to have a connection for their use.
But, the question here is something to do with your community and your humanitarian approach. Would you be willing to help out someone in dire need of accessing information over the internet without knocking on your door ? Will this help seem trivial to the bad consequences of someone deliberately using your open networks for nefarious activities which could possibly lead to visit from the local law enforcement agencies ?
There are some of the questions which seem to understand what extent you are willing to help your fellow beings while still maintaining sure that you do not end up being indicted for crimes which you were not part of but happened over your internet highway. Also, it throws light on which one is more dangerous :

Running an open access network and claiming to be non-party to activities occurring over it.
Running a closed network which if hacked and results in unlawful activities, leaving no ground to come clean out of it.

For some, though, leaving their wireless router open to outside use is a philosophical decision, a way of returning the favor for the times they've hopped onto someone else's network to check email or download directions while away from home .

So the next time you setup a wireless router or hop on an open one. Be cognizant of the moral behavior and respect the generosity of the person offering the free internet. Ultimately in this world, what you give eventually comes back to you. Even if it is in "bytes".

Your route to the wireless world - Wireless Routers

2011-02-28T07:38:00.001-08:00

As Internet transcends to our everyday activities, the desire to access the information and store data without being constrained to connected cables is more pronounced than ever. Although, city wide WANs are still in the nascent stages of implementation, the mushrooming of small wireless networks in the homes and in enclosed public areas such as malls and restaurants/stores has been anything but slow. You can find Wifi probably more easily than public telephones nowadays in the cities of US.

This post addresses picking up the better equipment for making your life wire-less inside your home. I shall address the nuances of public place Wifi hotspots in a later post.

I have been battling a war against the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz in my home. The reason, is the "mushroom" of Wifi equipment in residential apartments as everyone goes Wireless in their homes and couple it with the multitude of gadgets which use the same 2.4 Ghz as do the wireless routers. This congestion of the frequency spectrum causes couple of issues which are highlighted below :

1. Interference due to concurrent use of devices such as cordless telephones or Microwave equipment.
2. Interference due to large number of wireless equipment in a given area.
3. Cross-Interference between equipment when the frequency are right next to each other.

The above issues coupled with other technical difficulties led to induction of the 5Ghz frequency in wireless equipment. This not only ensured that the wireless equipment operated in a range where none of the household equipment currently operate, but also to give a steady signal strength as well.

This introduction of a separate frequency led to design of new wireless equipment which utilize either 2.4 or 5 Ghz transmissions, or come with dual band frequency transmitters to support legacy equipments. Now, you might be thinking, what does all the above mean to an average consumer who just wants to buy a wireless router. Here's why.

If you know your equipment which utilize Wi-Fi functionality such as phones, laptops, tablets, PMPs. You can zero-in on the frequency you would require while also taking into consideration how much congested your wireless space is.

Wifi-n is the current standard which supports both 2.4 and 5Ghz bands depending on the manufacturer of the equipment. Older equipment running on Wifi-g / b operates mostly on 2.4Ghz while Wifi-a operates at 900 Mhz.

2.4 GHz is probably the most congested of all. Anything which emits radio signal probably uses it. So, if you are looking at getting a new telephone or router, here is what you can do to save yourself interference headaches and performance issues :

Computing / Networking Equipment	Wireless Router	Telephone
Older Computing Equipment with Wi-fi G capability	Wireless - G	DECT 6.0
New computing Equipment with Wi-fi N capability	Wireless – N	DECT 6.0
Mix of the above	Dual & Simultaneous band Wireless – G/N	DECT 6.0

Most of the home networking setup would land in the last category where you would encounter mix of old and new equipment. The best way to address this go for the dual band and importantly “simultaneous” transmitting wireless router. Here is the marketing gimmick you need to be aware of :

a. Almost all of today’s Wireless routers come with flexibility to allow Wi-Fi N access over 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, but within the configuration, only one can be active at a given time.

b. The ones which come with capabilities to operate on both the bands are not very clearly identified unless you can find the word “simultaneous”.

The latter is always on a higher range price , but it will serve you well in many ways. First, the older equipment can keep chugging at the 2.4 spectrum, whereas all the new equipment supporting Wi-Fi N would benefit from accessing the 5GHz spectrum. It will allow the newer equipment to work at its best setting thus provide your with a faster bandwidth experience in operation. The networking mantra is always “the least speed of a connected device will determine the overall speed for the network”, this is also true for wired and wireless connections.

If you go with the last category in the table, your network should be operating in the following way :

Wi-Fi N clients >>> 5 GHz >>>65 – 300 Mbps connectivity
Wi-Fi G clients >>> 2.4Ghz >>>36-54 Mbps connectivity.

Couple of noteworthy Wireless routers are shown below, which I have tried out :

Wireless G/N Device ( Operates on one band at a time).

Wireless G/N Device (Operates simultaneous bands)

I hope the above points help you in deciding the right equipment and provide the value of investment with peace of mind. Happy Networking.

Technorati Tags: Wireless,Network,Networking,Router,Home,Apple,Netgear,Dlink,2011,Home Networking,DECT,Wi-fi

Now : Price for your honour

2011-02-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

The rich have often put price for things which normally are not considered up for sale. Lives for example, Take any tragedy and depending on the severity or the scale of it, the government somehow manages to find a price tag for each of the life lost and announces to hand it over to the bereaved family. While this might help them to cope temporarily for the loss they have incurred, it is by no means an approximation of the gap it leaves in their family, physically and monetarily.

The recent spate of crimes committed usually return in landmark judgements passed to ensure that such crimes are not repeated or the potential offenders are deterred by the scope of punishment for those crimes. But the link above is a landmark in itself, and surprisingly it comes from the highest office of justice in the Indian Judiciary - Supereme court.

The details are sort of summarized in the headlines itself, and if you find it impossible to believe. I believe it is extremely abhorrent to even conjure such statements, leave alone imagine a possiblity of making them public. Money is such a powerful tool which for ages has silenced rebellions, enemies, dissolved differences between powers, people and sometimes substituting for a life lost without a reason.

For a dead person who cannot argue his life's worth, paying money to their family does not have any trauma for the person itself. But justifying payment to a rape victim by the offender is something which the victim will have to endure for the rest of the life !!

How can you justify receiving money from a offender who has violated your honour and manage to live with it. Will the panel who makes such public statements accept such reimbursements for their family and kin. I would find it grossly against human dignity whether you are educated or not.

I hope sanity prevails and the Supreme court stays away from making such incompetent statements which will only allow the money laden criminals to happily commit crimes knowing that they can pay for it and get away from their deeds.

Shameful indeed.

The Ultimate waste of time !! Asteriod shooting scriptlet.

2010-09-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Amazing way to kill time and let out your frustration. Just remember ! Do not make this a habit.

Have fun !!

Jeans care - Uber style. Read on

2010-09-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Interesting article about caring for your favorite pair/pairs of denim.

After reading the article, I would admit it is a very novel way of caring for your denim from the director of brand concepts and special projects at Levis Strauss co., the founder of the denim culture.

Here is a small extract from the article :

"

After six months of wearing a pair of jeans, Mr. Chiara does a comprehensive cleaning; his method could also be used by those who like to wash their jeans more often. Usually, he fills a bathtub to about six inches with room-temperature water and adds two tablespoons of Dr. Bronner's Magic Liquid Soap, which he likes because it is mild. Then, he immerses the jeans in the tub, laying them flat.

Sometimes, with dark jeans, he'll add 1/8 cup of white vinegar to the water. "The vinegar sets the indigo and keeps it from fading," he says.

CWG 2010 - India amazingly shameless

2010-09-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

In the never ending stream of woeful spats and infrastructure issues, this piece of news is just sh*t hitting the fan. Literally, the phrase fits what is going on with the CWG 2010 which commences in Delhi in another week.

Any major sports meet in India should be taken with a grain of salt ( for the participants ) and quick trip to the bank ( for the contractors and the ministry / local government ) involved. “India Incredible” is a phrase which is sometimes better suited to be limited to the hoardings in foreign airports and websites and mostly in the hearts of ever forgiving Indians, who tend to forget every wrong within few moments, even if they are repeatedly subject to it.

With the inauguration of one of the most awaited events in India coming close, all sorts of creatures came out of the closet of the organizers and the government. While the key government officials, including the venerable minister who handles the sports guarantee a world class experience to the participants, the situation on the ground is far from it, so far that we have a great chance that this meet might not happen at all. so much for planning which started 7 years ago and looks like they just woke up to realize the deadline is right over their head.

First there was bickering over quality of construction and passing off the buck for the delays which have already been doing rounds in national and international press. Then came the blasts, which have become a precursor to any big event in Indian cities.

The collapse of the walkway near the main stadium was just the kind of boost the reluctant participants and commonwealth members needed to strengthen their case for opting out of these games with proof of unlivable conditions.

The government and the organizers seem to have the least regard for the visiting sportspersons by the way the complaints and news have been propagating around the event’s athlete village. Otherwise, why should a minister issue denial statements contrary to the proof and experience being reported from the site. It would be wise of them to speed up the finishing of the works which are lagging behind to ensure a proper inauguration and conduct of the game.

Mudslinging and endless inquiries can be initiated once your prime objective of conducting the games in a secure and health environment is achieved, which currently looks rather depressing. What should have been a showcase of organization from “rising power” instead has become another feather in the distinguished and miserable screw-up cap which the officials of Indian ruling party and other accomplices are happy to wear in lieu of loads of money being passed around for their personal gains.

Coming to the link to the title of the post, it is simply unbelievable, but YES, it can happen in India. When the home ministry can taxi a CEO of a company to safe havens, even if it killed thousands of its citizen with deadly gas leak, what wrong a stray animal “accommodating” itself in the athlete’s bed in Delhi’s monsoon time has done, hey at least it did not kill any human in the process.

But as they say, “The show must go on”, and all I pray is “Let the games begin”.

Technorati Tags: India,Incredible,2010,Sports,CWG,Delhi,Bhopal,gas tragedy,corruption

Capitalism meets Socialism - Here in US

2010-09-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Desperate times need desperate measures. Guess, the Feds and Congress started to realize that and have scurried over the past couple of years to bring Mahatma Gandhi's idea back to help their swindling economy and unemployment under control.

Once a free market, US now has started resembling a state which seems to recognize its irreversible dependency on its trading nations for everything from a needle to planes being imported. So in name of job creation, the free market advocate is trying to bring a new wave of protectionist measure which it so vehemently opposed and opposes in other global markets such as China.

The “Buy America” or the “Made in America” resembles the result of the Satyagraha which Mahatma Gandhi undertook reduce Indian dependence on cloth and other commodities imported from overseas, this not only led to business in Britain taking a hit, but also bolstered the local industry in India empowering them to be more assertive and strengthen the growing need to be independent from British in rule and economy.

Now, how does it help US is something which has been debated on both sides. The current generation of americans never had the dire need to fight for a job until recently, with close to 6 million jobs that have vanished, the government seems searching for answer. The cause, somebody in the well running private economy machinery fooled the system so bad, that the spokes of the economic wheel nearly collapsed.

Take an example of how well the money flows in a daily situation :

Healthcare for example : You sign up for insurance and pay X dollars for premium. When you visit a medical provider, the insurance pays part of your high bill to the hospital, the insurance also pays for your costly medicines to the pharmaceutical companies, the pharmaceutical companies use part of this money to lobby at the Capitol Hill for research subsidies and keep the market in flow by pushing for higher insurance costs, which being mandatory doesn’t leave much choice for the common man. Get the drift ??

With the money rotation gone, the grim reality that dawned was that most of the money which was being rotated now either had ended in bad investment or gone overseas. Apart from printing more money, which obviously has not done any good, the government now wants to do the thing which they should have done a long long time back, maintain basic economic independence.

The new acts represent a step in that direction, but what they also are doing is, going against the principles of free trade by disallowing certain segments of the markets to be closed to outsiders, which cannot be justified in terms of quality or cost issues. After all, outsourcing and local manufacturing strategies were meant to enhance quality and reduce cost.

Rather than going globally competitive, which is what had been their advantage during after WWII, the administration was doing “if it aint broke, don't fix it” approach. Now when it really broke, the fix attempts are nowhere a quick fix affair due to various situations like, long wars being fought at an exorbitant cost which never actually helped the US economy, poor education levels in the populations, rise of high skilled resources and and shipping out of low cost jobs to other developing countries.

Indulging in a bit of Socialism seems to be their bandage solution, until couple of the above issues are addressed, which will take years of planning and commitment from the businesses and the government.

Technorati Tags: capitalism,socialism,economy,outsourcing,manufacturing,skill,education,resources

The best business ever - Arms forever

2010-09-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Whoever says violence and economy growth do not go hand in hand would be either completely naive or brought up in a jungle.

Here’s an excellent article which not only tell us how the US has been paying nations to buy weapons from them, but also gives you an idea of how well oiled the whole “supply arms which can be used later to justify use of more arms against them” framework is. Check out the familiar story below :

Enter into a zone where 2 neighbours are fighting, supply one with arms and financial aid ( which is used by the receiver to buy more arms to continue the struggle in hope of winning ).
If the receiver is well oiled (yes “oiled”) then you grow your contracting business to keep the money spinning, else you now have a say in their foreign strategy by way of bullying and arm twisting.
If your ally does win, then you crown yourself as the conflict solver. Else, you supply even more arms to covertly continue to stoke the tinder till they result in another theatre of conflict.
If the ally goes rogue, even more reason to come on your own to clean the mess with an aim of “stabilizing” the peace equilibrium in the region.

We have seen repeat of this in various parts of world with unfailing accuracy which has become now a “Bhasmasura’s hand” for the world’s largest weapons industry. As they say in India, no effort of yours goes unrewarded; depending on the intention. All the years of ensuring that every nation stays at the shooting edge of weapon technologies, US has armed pretty much the world and accumulated $$$ which every weapon maker will be proud of. But the tide seems to be turning.

How else do you understand, escalation and threats of action against the state of IRAN which was couple of decades ago the friendly nation to which fighter jets and other armaments were provided readily. The same story has been played for a long time now in Af-Pak region.

Now how does it work in growing your economy is pretty interesting. For the unwashed masses, more sales and big contract means, more manufacturing jobs and more employment, which can never be wrong for any economy. More money inbound definitely would mean more buying power. But, is the money really helping their economy or being channeled by the corporations to keep their business running through various means, whether ethical or not.

Not many people are aware of the way the generous aid which the US offers to strife-ridden countries like Pakistan is used. A little search of the official documents reveals the discomforting truth of the money being supplied for humanitarian use being used to secure more ammunition and defense systems which are top priority for a nation struggling to keep its old enemies at bay and new ones from threatening it. This means that US basically has its aid money being returned to itself for its arms sale, so much for the aid. This tactic has assured the continuous flow of arms for a long time. This also means that the taxpayers dollars are used to keep other nations armed, in the end, the Lockheeds and the Boeings are the ones laughing away to the bank at the taxpayer’s expense.

US had the money and power to buy allies with its weapons and/or financial aid due to its technological advantage and rising manufacturing efficiency which was incomparable anywhere in the world except the Russians who axed their own future with the dissolution of the USSR.

With the emergence of locale specific militant activities which sometimes have been targeted US itself has forced them to promote peace and vindicate their stand by slowing down the arms export which till the Cold war era was a justification for its own protection.

However, with the recent economic crisis, measures are being taken at various fronts to identify how to increase jobs, and the recent news of selling $60 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia could not have come at a better time. Its time to start doing the same thing which was being done till recently at a higher pace, but does it truly help the economy if the money that comes in through these sale goes out as aid which usually is never paid back and finally ends up in the corporate coffers.

After all being the “Lord of the War” does come with its own benefits, even if you sometimes are shot at with your own ammunition.

Technorati Tags: 2010,economy,US,war,weapon,Boeing,Lockheed,militancy,stability,peace.

TV Journalism - from news reporting to news creation

2010-09-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Technorati Tags: news,India,US,Media,Rann,newsmaker,TRP,story

I happened to read a pretty *interesting* article by a news blogger on the recent Peepli Live movie which lampooned media journalism and the current way news is dished out on television. As the author mentions, gone are the days when news was reported with programs like "The World this week" of which I was an religious follower and credit my simple understanding of global events to it.

Current News channels are more like reality shows. You can choose from watching the crappiest of news when a celebrity joins twitter to the biggest environmental accident unfolding on the other side of the world.

I did consider news channels in India worthy of news till 2006, after which I came face to face with the more sophisticated and organized media houses of the US. Here is what I have understood and learnt so far.

US news channels have known alignments - whether left or right and the rest sway depending on the story or the issue. There are also identified channels for the individuals who prefer about celebrities, shopping and so forth.

Rising above them are channels like Fox News and others, the experience of watching couple of shows on them would lead you to question yourself about your entire education and what you have learnt in school or college. They also tend to offer a deep insight into what media feeds the "mass population" of the US to keep their opinions aligned to their own "opinions".
America is surely the leader in "news creation" and nowadays I fear even "History" being re-defined by the syndicated shows on these news channels. Take a quick look at Glenn Beck and likes and you would understand what I mean.

Compared to these, the Indian news business ( I really mean the "business" word ) is still in its growing stage, but it would not be long before we see near absolute erosion of the "Journalism ethics" of reporting news vs. creating the news. Where we are not on the similar stage with the US news industry is that our news channels seem to try to become “All in one” where you will find the regular news slots preceded or followed by sensationalist news bytes, which sometimes border on yellow journalism to say the least.

Media was once known as the weapon which could expose wrongdoings in the society, but now has been used to just "poke" and have fun without any serious follow ups except couple of reporters who still carry the real journalism on their sleeves every day. Just think of the numerous sting operations and fact finding missions carried out and plastered all across the channels. What happens after the channels rake in the TRP ratings ? Well, they move on to another “developing” story. Its a rarity to see true issues being raised and the people responsible being questioned to its resolution or a conclusive end.

The movie "Rann" showcased what media coupled with businesses can do with their power to gain popularity and TRP ratings and meet selfish needs of the ones who wield the power. Of course, the corrupt politician has his hands in here as well, they have their hands everywhere where there is money, isn't it.

Its a disappointing scenario where the channels have communication have multiplied and become easier to access, the quality of information also tends to vary. Sometimes, it is for one’s good, as now you have multiple sources to verify information being consumed by you. On the other hand, if you do not exercise good judgment, you can end up making opinions and influencing decisions which sometimes are not you would like to think upon in the future.

I have really liked the idea of mainstream news reporting coupled with blogs from the same guys. This not only gives you an idea of what the person thinks like, but gives a chance to read through their previous news reporting to get an idea of how fair or biased a reporter really is. I have found couple of worthless pieces which have driven away from certain websites for ever.

In the end, I would like to say is : Whether it is good or bad, take every news with a “grain of salt” and some fact finding effort by yourself. Now time to go and track the newsmakers, the real ones. . .

How do you like your personal data ?

2010-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

With millions of people boarding the Internet bandwagon for their daily communication needs, the exponential growth of data has been anything but expected.

Smart phones are becoming a way of life and so are mandatory "data plans" from the wireless providers. No longer you can have the luxury of buying a Blackberry or iPhone and use it to just make calls, send a few SMSes and listen to some music. Agreed, In India and other countries you still have this luxury, if you pay for the phone in full and then use prepaid.

The recent "leaks" of data and the request for "backdoors" to secure data centres from the government have been instances where the government with all its infrastructure seems to be lagging behind in coming up with measures to monitor this ever exploding traffic of data and sniff out bits which might be of national security interest ( that's what they say ).

With global corporations and trans continental business and communication transaction, the limits to which a country can exercise its powers of restraint and investigation are blurred. The recent example of Blackberry maker RIM coming under the radar of the Indian government and now the UAE, Saudi and Indonesian government is such an example.

Security over internet is as important having a lock over your the main door of your home. The government is allowed to open it when it thinks there is a case, but how protective would you feel if the government declares that it can barge into your house at any time for any reason without requiring a warrant and a tangible doubt over your activities.

I love Blackberry for one major reason "Security", which means, if I ever forget my phone or it is lost, I am sure that no one can access anything on my phone and will end up getting either a brick or a firmware formatted phone if possible.

With the current state security measures which feel like the government is looking for "keywords" to search out susceptible information or flow of communication, chances of a normal citizen coming under the scanner without doing anything dangerous is quite possible. This coupled with knowledge of that government is capable of reading your most personal communications would drive any person to try to cover even more of their tracks if their intentions are really destructive.

I always feel it is fair for the government to clandestinely access data about its citizens and about other people when it feels there could be a threat due to their activities. Declaring these kind of activities in open might deter some weak heart folks to drop their negative intentions, but what about people who are brainwashed and readied for martyrdom. Are they going to care whether the government will find out their activities before they accomplish their mission, I think not.

The attacks on Mumbai on the 26/11 had something very specific to "Blackberry" being used for communication. I guess that is what has led to Indian government to target that company so that future use of smart phones like Blackberry can be tapped into. I have no clue as to what other countries found so limiting in RIM's security protocols which couldn't live up to their local guidelines leading to the ban.

I think the takeaway from the "Wikileaks" and "RIM" issues for the common man are :

1. Be cognizant of what you share and what you write on anything which connects to the Internet.
2. Not everything is lost in the World wide web, the bits do keep travelling, and now the government wants to read them.
3. Segregate what portions of life are "tagged" online and what remain strictly offline.
4. Expand the cerebral storage God has given, no government can steal it from there unless the movie "Inception" becomes a reality in near future.

Happy surfing.

Optimum configuration for your next desktop/laptop

2009-06-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

With the current plethora of Dual core and Triple and quad core processors in the market. Typical system builders always query on what is really enough? I myself have been confronted with this question, since I have been trying to assemble a blazing desktop myself.

With money being premium in today’s world with economy in doldrums, spending wisely on your computing investment can not only free up crucial money for some extras which you could gain productive advantage with. It also gives you a uncommon satisfaction of deriving the “maximum bang” for your buck and going “green” with lesser power consumption, all in one go.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how much would be sufficient for your next desktop / laptop :

Video Encoders with hardcore gaming : Quad Core CPU with single/dual GPUs, 4 GB RAM and 7200 rpm HDDs. Go 64-bit for future proof, else 32 bit is the best bet with the 3.5GB accessible memory constraint for Vista 32 bit.
Audio enthusiasts with gaming – Dual Core CPU with single/dual GPUs, 4 GB RAM and high-end soundcard ( for desktop ). Today’s laptops with the HD Audio provide decent enough power for decent audio listening experience.
Average movie watching and gaming – Dual core CPU, Integrated / single GPU preferably with hybrid switching, 2-4 GB RAM with decent set of 5.1 Channel surround speakers.

The current disadvantage of memory access as noted for Vista 32 bit is still a high enough threshold for programs to use. There aren’t many programs which do multi threading, apart from some Video encoding and CAD packages which truly take advantage of the multi core processor scenario.

Unless software arrives in the market to truly take advantage of the multi core processors and the increased RAM bandwidth, which is starting to build up momentum, you are rest assured of breaking even on your investment by the time multi threading applications are a norm.

Even the OSes of today don't seem to take much advantage of a Quad core with 12 GB RAM vs. Dual Core with 3 GB RAM difference.

Facts about “size does matter”.

Increase in RAM modules increase idle power consumption by at least 10 W.
Performance difference between single core and dual core is the maximum in today’s world. above that, it is a marginal difference which doesn't bring the bang for the extra buck.
There is very negligible difference in performance between 3 GB to 12 GB RAM usage for any kind of applications.
Less energy = Longer battery life in laptops & lower power consumption in desktops.

For more helpful tidbits and interesting tech knowledge on anything related to technology, Tom’s Hardware forums are one of the most exhaustive and informative resources.

Is China really a friend for India??

2009-06-02T07:03:00.001-07:00

A classic case of unending desire to the biggest power in the ASEAN region has brought China into spotlight every now and then. Surprisingly, India chooses to ignore the growing development and stealth advances of China since 1950 on its territories.

Indian culture has the motto of "Athiti Devo Bhava" (A Guest is equivalent of God). History has on records the innumerable times, our hospitality has been abused and we have exercised restraint and more restraint.

The birth of a new nation from Independence brought in fresh border disputes. Not only it was Pakistan trying to establish its ownership over Kashmir, but China joined the party too and coerced with Pakistan to take a bite out of Kashmir now infamously known as Aksai Chin.

China has continued to work on its territory expansion plans through hook or crook. It pushed into Tibet using Muscle, politics and money. There have been growing insecurities in the Chinese camp seeing India develop as an alternate power in the Asia region which could undermine Chinese supreme leadership !!

Bush & Dick - Desperados in White house

2008-09-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Note : *Written on the 7th anniversary of 9/11. Publishing delay*

Sometimes greed drives men to their own destruction, but when power is involved, they sometimes drive a whole country / region to destruction. I guess this is what is happening with two of the topmost white collar crimes being committed with the government machinery working full time for them to spread false information and implanting propaganda into minds of American public.

Today being the 7th Anniversary of 9/11 incident, an incident which not only jolted US and world alike but also brought US in reality with Terrorism as it exists and has been painfully experienced by India for so many decades.

Perhaps, it is due to its commercial and self-interest that US chose to go after the place where the terrorism emerges from; but along the way, some personal ambitions of the people at helm of things were also included, which unfortunately have been causing untold grief to nations and people across the world.

I felt as if US citizens / soldiers were blindfolded with misleading information and then sent out to the theatre of war to satisfy somebody's personal agenda. All the world knew of the WMDs and Iraq bluff, but I found it very strange that incident such as 9/11 was used as a bait to lure the innocent public away from the truth. In the midst of Presidential campaigns, prospective candidates have again tried to use this to their advantage and get mileage out of it.

It remains to be seen how the new President would evolve his strategy or would continue to toe line the path taken by his predecessors.

Primeira semana no Brasil - First Week in Brazil

2008-09-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Another Continent under the belt; and what a country to start it off with - Brasil/Brazil. This has been one of the countries I have dreamt of visiting and this week finally it did come true. My flight from Atlanta to Sao Paulo was good. In flight services on Delta do not compare to Singapore Airlines, and I am not complaining either, just that I got spoilt by Singapore.

Entering into Brazil I noticed the strong national feeling about the way immigration was handled. Different lines for nationals and foreign nationals !! Never seen that in any country I have been so far. Then as it has happened to many of my friends and Brazilians - I missed the connection. This not only turned out a good experience of Brazilian hospitality but also made me very comfortable about the situation of conversing with them through English words and sign language.

The TAM staff were very helpful and rebooked me on a later flight and also wait listed me on the next flight which was full. Getting food was also a breeze, "No Meat" seems to be a global phrase, it was well understood by the lady on counter at "Pizza Hut" at Sao Paulo Airport.

The flight was completely full and gave a taste of what travelling domestic was like. Flight attendants were very helpful and realizing that we did not understand Portuguese, helped us to the seats and were very courteous.

We landed in Porto Alegre and came to know that our cabin baggage which was taken as check-in due to lack of space was missing. This caused some jittery moments because of the value of goods inside it, but were assured that it would be with me by nightfall.

Stepping out of the airport made me feel like I was in India - Similar kind of buildings, some dirt, not so perfect road and yes the look and feel of the landscape. The trip to Santa cruz do Sul was scenic. Lush green fields interrupted by homes with livestock abundant everywhere. We were excited to see horse driven carts, which have now become a rarity even in India itself.

The city of Santa cruz do Sul is situated on a slope of a hill and the city doesn't show up till you are very near to the entrance. We checked into the hotel where one of my colleague was living along with this family. The tiredness from the journey clearly spoke through our bodies. The moment we were inside our apartment, we just crashed !!

The work week has been very hectic and have found the colleagues very understanding and helpful. I hope the aim of my coming here is realized before I go back. . . .

Tchao for now.

Blackberry - The tale continues....

2008-08-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

The word brings into mind two things. The fruit which for some reasons maybe less well known than its namesake smart phone from Ontraio.

I remember reading about Blackberry being a craze among business execs for its ability to exchange messages with each other. Gosh !! I don't even recall when it was, maybe 2002 or something. When I came to US and needed to get a mobile, Blackberry was on my mind, but the sheer size of the 7 series was a big deterrent and then I chanced to see the BB 7105t which was way better in terms of width and design than the rest of its clan.

I signed up for it with T-Mobile and used it happily without its main feature of email which was not a great requirement to me. No other major apps were available at that time which would have prompted me to get the BIS service for the same.

It was not until I got a BB Pearl 8100 in 2007 and Google talk came out with a BB version. Combine this with the excellent email facilities, it became my main communication device on the go. Not only the form factor was excellent, but the enhancements to the screen and ease of use with the Pearl navigation made me a fan of it. Then came along the killer !! BB Curve 8320. How I lusted for it for another 7 months before I could get a chance to own it and realize the use of its wide screen estate and full QWERTY layout. Now I had Wi-Fi coupled with the Instant Messaging solution as well as the not-so great but functional Opera Mini browser.

The iPhone has brought some thought to the RIM designers and they seem to be answering it with the BB Bold due anytime now coupled with the BB 8820 (Kickstart) and BB Javelin (younger sibling of Bold sans 3G) and the BB Thunder showing up later down the road.

With my current contract expired, I was pretty much tempted to try out the iPhone and move into the Apple world. 2 days of use and I made a turnabout. Not only did I return the iPhone, but came back to the curve and would hold on to it, till T-Mobile introduces the other BBs for its loyalist.

Interested !! Hit on the the link below to introduce yourself to the world of Blackberries.

RIM - Official Website

Apple - Always flattering to deceive . . .

2008-08-19T11:50:00.001-07:00

A long break from blogging and so much has happened since the last post was done. The last week was a pretty exciting one and has brought me to capture my thoughts and put it here.

I gave in to the temptation to the Apple as Eve had done and didn't completely bite it as she did, so the world around me still looks good. Apple as company has always fascinated me, but the way they intentionally limit features in their products to create variants is something which I fail to understand. Why on earth would they want to leave out some obvious features and leave prospective buyers on the edge.

Take for E.g : FM Radio. God knows since how long mobile phones and PMPs have carried this feature ever since FM radio became independent of a radio box. A quick look at the Apple species and you would wonder whether Apple ever knew FM radio could be put into iPod and iPhone without major design change. From a business point, putting in a feature which might kill their iTunes store really doesn't make sense. Which goes to emphasise that Apple will always have its mouth where the money is. I guess that is the same reason behind Apple products not having other things such as : User replaceable battery, Medium for transfer of media to the player.

Adding to it is the insane cost of a protection plan which is like rubbing salt into the wound of victims with faulty products in their hand, sometimes with no responsibility of theirs.

I guess this premium attitude of Apple held well with their fan boy following and till the point they were not directly in a quick changing environment like the mobile market.

iPhone has not only exposed the cracks (physically as well) but also made Apple realize that premium prices sometimes need to be justified with proper products which work as intended out of the box. If you see the sheer number of updates released by Apple in last 12 months, Microsoft should be feeling the competition heating up.

Bugs, which are part of every Software / Hardware life cycle was something Apple had made parodies targeting Microsoft. Now I guess their creative ad people wouldn't want to attempt that thing again.

I might end up sounding like a Apple hater, which I am not, because not only Apple has wonderfully designed products, they have been the indirect reason for Windows 3.x and GUIs for Linux flavours and development of multifunction smartphones which before iPhone were limited to set of integrated email and mediocre entertainment.

I will still wait for Apple to come up with decently priced products OR products with a good feature list. Till that time, I will step aside and say "Too Good to be useful for me".

My travel log. Ahoy !! Welcome Aboard

2008-06-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, CA, USA

New York City, NY, USA

Hollywood, FL, USA

Create your own travel map or travel blog

Visit TripAdvisor.com

Ultimate in Music for the ones with an ear(or two) for music and details.

2007-12-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hot on the heels of the PMP post, I thought what better than writing about the headphones to go with such good devices.

My search for the best headphones has perhaps ended, and with an happy ending. After growing up with the tinny sounding Sony headphones bundled together with cassette walkman and chatting headsets, I finally noticed what I needed to hear the music, one which I have so carefully collected and cherish. Yep, a better set of headphones !!

Since I am on the move often now, having a portable audio device was half the answer of spending your time waiting for that flight, or once inside, waiting for the flight to land. With the noise in the plane, especially when you get the seats next to the roaring jet engines, none of your normal earphones can overpower that noise. This resulted in maxing out the volume on the player and trying hard to listen to your music amidst the roar. This is when I found about noise cancelling headphones.

Noise cancelling headphones are use technology to solve the noise problem. They cancel the noise by generating opposing spectrum, which for me, didn't sound so nice. Even though I haven't had a chance to try any noise cancelling headphones, I am pretty sure they wouldn't come close to the real champs - Noise Isolating earphones.

Noise Isolation works without any technological/electronic way of suppressing noise. All they do is create a fit like an ear plug (in ear canal type) or a snug fit over the ears (in studio style), which blocks out the external noise thereby providing you with a silent listening environment. At first, I was apprehensive about the ability of the headphones to really isolate the noise as they mention. So I thought, why not give a try . . .

After researching for over 7 months, I finally narrowed down my choice of IEC type earphones to two brands : Shure & Ultimate Ears. I had heard a lot about shure and its audio equipment is top notch. Ultimate Ears was a new term to me, however after diving deep into the web with google, I found it to be comparable and in some cases better than Shure.

The prices of these brands itself is a big deterrent, more so in the case when you don't want to buy the lowest class of their range and feel left out from the top offerings. Amazon is a heaven for electronics and I chanced upon a lovely sale of the Shure E2c IEC earphones for $49.99 (reg. price $99 and above). I was quick to order one and in the meanwhile Radioshack came up with Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 3 Studio IEC earphones for $49.99 (reg. price $80-129). Also, I got the UE Super.Fi 5 Pro series which retail for $249 for $169 from Amazon to see what difference do the higher version makes.

UE Super.Fi 3 Studio was outstanding in build and immediately showed me what I was missing all these years. Sound never was so clear, at such low volumes, and best of all, I could be in any noisy surrounding and still the volume level need not be pushed up !! I heard instruments in the soundtracks and albums which I couldn't have thought existed.

When the UE Super.Fi 5 pros arrived, I didn't wait for the Shures to come in and opened them and got going. There was a slight disappointment at first, since I didn't find a huge difference in the sound, but then after hearing for a considerable time, the UE Super.fi 5 pros made their impact with rich bass and nice acoustic feel. Now only the Shures remained and I tried them on. To my surprise, I couldn't manage to get them to fit in my ears and gave up on it and returned them. So, I was left in dilemma about these two from UE. Both were excellent headphones, with UE Super.Fi 3 providing excellent sounds for vocal based audio and UE Super.fi 5 for instrumental and jazz based. I decided to keep them both. A whopping investment of $200. But what the hell, I got something for which I am never going to go back into the market.

Sounds music to your ears, well go out and try it for yourself. The UE Super.fi 3 Studio is still around in Radioshack stores if you can find one.

In search of the ultimate PMP (Personal Media Player)

2007-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

From the comfort of the sofa at home, with sleet (snow mixed with rain) falling outside, I dream of a device which would bring the ultimate audio-visual experience to me. Just for the information, I have been in the hunt of the perfect PMP. This is my current set of devices I have :

5 GB Creative Zen Micro mp3 player
1 GB Creative Zen Nano plus mp3 player
8 GB Creative Zen V plus mp3 player
30 GB Microsoft Zune (1st Gen with 2nd Gen firmware)

To state that, I should have found what I was looking for after owning these devices is really a optimistic statement. See, as time progresses, your music collection increases (I won't get into how would you procure it); and ur players falls short to hold it at one go.

I started off with the need to listen to mp3 alone with some use of the USB storage space resulting in the 5GB Zen micro. After 1 year to be exact, I found that I had run out of space for my collection,. US being such an electronics haven and that too when you get brilliant deals, causes an unending desire to own the latest and greatest and sometimes the slimmest !!

I settled for the 1 gb nano which I picked up for around $29 AR to use it occasionally. All was running fine till I got a $75 dollar coupon for Dell to spend with certain time; now this causes temptation and usually additional money too. So I picked up the 8gb Zen V plus with its photo/video and music playing capabilities. The size of this device is just fantastic, sometimes you forget that you are carrying it.

And finally what happens when you visit sites such as Woot. You end up spending more money and thats where I fell prey to the craze of $99 deal for the 30 GB Microsoft Zune. I ended up buying 5 of them for F & F.

Now isn't 30 GB enough !! Well, not exactly. My current collection of Music and Videos (mostly DivX and Xvid ) runs into 90 GB+ !! and Zune doesn't play Xvid out of the box. So my search continues and I run into something which has been making waves recently . . . . The Cowon Q5.

This PMP (Personal Media player) has specs which are out of the world, it plays most of the audio formats you can possibly have in your collection, it plays DivX and Xvid and currently the capacity tops out at 60 GB. Right now, I believe its a wait n watch time for me. Once it hits 160 GB or more, which I think would be by Apr-Jun 2k8. I should be checking out deals for it, or possibly befriend some in Korea to send me over and English version of this beauty.

This player comes with my favourite audio application - Jet Audio VX. I have used it since version 4.0 and to people who are used to it, wouldn't like to use any other app for their amateurish music needs. It has everything, ripping CDs, converting DVDs, cropping music, mixing, converting audio formats and streaming music over the net (I used to use it to broadcast music over my LAN).

So if you are in market for something of this calibre, I would suggest Zune for your normal music needs of more than ~30 GB or more. Its better than locking up your music inside the stupid iPod and iTunes.

or if you are stuck with ~100 gigs of stuff and don't like Archos / iPod Classic 160 GB, then wait till those 160GB HDDs from Toshiba start floating in other PMPs. Till then, do your homework, zero in product of your choice and click the mouse when you find the deal you can afford for.

If you need some advice, click the title link and land on the most possible review collections for DAP/PMP.

Adieu my lovely aunt !! I will miss you.

2007-07-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Risks and causes of oesophageal cancer

Today is a very sad day in my life, having lost my aunt Sajani ( Sajju - her pet name ( father's sister )) to oesophageal cancer. The word "Cancer" sends shivers down my spine, Its the word I dislike the most and feel this is something which no one should get, in any form, at any time of life.

Having seen a budding professional and one of my aunts succumb to lymphoma in front of my eyes a couple of years ago was more heart breaking than anything else. What pains more is the agony which the person has to go through when he/she knows well of what is going on within their body, a slow and painful destruction.

I pray for my aunt for her soul rest in peace, and her family to have courage to go through this tragedy, something which has changed their lives and a gap which nobody will be able to fill. Sitting this far from them, unable to do anything, I pray for them with my whole heart.

She was diagnosed with cancer in its very advanced and possibly last stage around February this year. The place of tumour which was blocking her food pipe worsened it as she couldn't consume food and whatever she consumed couldn't reach her stomach in good quantity. I guess it just worsened from there on and she was fighting a losing battle.

She was a very caring person, and my very infrequent interactions with her were splendid. Since she lived in Rajasthan, meetings were limited to family functions or summer vacations. The best times I had was in 1998 when I went to attend a marriage in their family and stayed with them for 15 days or so. My liking for Rajasthan caught on from then, and I really cherish that stay there. So much fun. I got pampered like anything.

She was the best daughter-in-law for her family and one of the best persons I ever encountered.

Some memories of her will never go away, like her wedding gifts - glasses and plates etched with her name and year of marriage, her truly "Beaweri" accent of Rajasthani and hindi, her jovial nature.

God, rest her soul in peace and harmony and give strength to their family in this crisis. Amen !!

I will miss you Sajju Bhua . . . :( :(

Watch those H1-B hires, FBI tells American firms-The United States-World-The Times of India

2007-07-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

Watch those H1-B hires, FBI tells American firms-The United States-World-The Times of India

Good one to start off the day with coffee on your side. I guess I was pretty curious as to what context of checks or watch FBI was advising american companies to keep on H1B, well after reading the article it turned out pretty dumb.

When you don't allow a propective employee to stay for long and seek citizenship in US how do you expect him to not to go back to his/her country and utilize the knowledge gained for his and nation's development. Typical FBI attitude, doing what they know is stupid, but still going ahead with it.

I guess they are more worried about bits and pieces of a mammoth project being taken away and re-engineered which I along with many people would find really absurd considering that there has to be a specific motive and a whole set of logistics if something of this kind has to be initiated, doesn't look like for competition purposes, I would go ahead and pull out an entire set of R & D folks from Intel and start off my own Chip Fab facility in india !! Come on, is it so easy for you to get venture funded by your country for something like this ?

FBI, you think you are more dumb than anybody else ?? Wrong !! Your dumbness has been long time surpassed by Indian government where even public welfare schemes dont get funded due to lack of targeted benefits, leave apart funding something for which American Co.s themselves have R & D facilities here, so moving data from offshore to use is much more easier than bringing it over from US. I guess the Boeing issue clearly highlights the global connectivity works much easier than an employee coming over to his native country.

God bless the FBI.

Slickdeals.net - A World of Slickest deals on planet earth !!

2007-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Slickdeals.net

This website is something I have been more regular to than my office cubicle I believe ;). Why ? you will ask. The simple answer is the name of the website itself. It gives you killer deals on stuff ranging from a sock to 60" mammoth sized LCD/Plasmas at rates that even grey markets can not afford.

Although there are couple of other sites which are similar like deals2buy, Fat Wallet, Techbargains, but the simplicity and simply the volume of deals posted here drag me here day after day. It's now a phenomenon where people have reported to go bankrupt in the craze to buy something cheap which they don't need rightaway to people who have simply save hundred's of dollars by watching the website at the right time for the right product they wish to buy.

Personally, my bank account would like to thank Slickdeals for all the money it has saved, although sometimes addiction has a fee associated with it.

So next time you are in US and are looking to buy stuff online / B & M, don't forget to browse through these website's forums !! You never know what you can land !! Some examples of what I have landed ..

Woot : Fantastic site which regularly has great stuff for throwaway prices.
Steep and Cheap : Another site which doles out wonderful stuff.

Bluetooth Headsets - 2 FAR ( Free after rebate worth $ 120)
McAfee products - 8 FAR ( worth $ 500 )
Canon SD 700 IS - $ 270
6 sheet paper Shredder - FAR ( $40 value )
Canon ZR500 Camcorder - $ 175 ( $ 250 value )
Sprint SERO plan - $30 p.m ( saves me at least $ 70 every month on a similar service )
Collection of Creative's MP3 line - $20 - $ 30 AR ( Zen Nano Plus ), $120 ( Zen V Plus 8 GB ).
Loads of SD Cards, microSD, miniSD, USB flash drives (512 MB - 2 GB) - $0 - $20 range.
Targus Groove backpack - $10 ( $30 value)
Loads of cash in GCs valuing upto $ 100.

All said n done, if you want to have the maximum bang of your buck !! Get SDing baby !!

IBNLive : Anuradha SenGupta's Blog

2007-07-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

IBNLive : Anuradha SenGupta's Blog

People wouldn't have read much about this particular blogger being featured on IBN's blog page. I didn't either till I landed a blog by her which described her experience of watching Rajinikanth's latest blockbuster down south and all across the world "Sivaji".

I haven't seen the movie yet, which I definitely want to watch, but reading of the blog has kicked off a wave of brickbats, insults, accusations and regional accusations which weren't called for in such a magnitude to a poorly written piece of text. Not only the article shows the author as a poor candidate for writing even a personal review, which I believe IBN is not a medium for, unless that is what the author assumed when she sat down to write that piece of text. The only other reason I could see that prompted her to write this would have been a quickie to some sort of internet celebrity, although in a not so good way.

Anyways, people are people and when it comes to something about a superstar who is worshipped no less than god in and around tamilnadu, strong emotions being vented out on the comments section was rather obvious. What stumps me further is the attitude of the blogger to vindicate her stand and schoolmaster her thoughts to the audience which I think she is poor at communicating by using such a demeaning class of language where she compared herself to a pig, I guess PETA will definitely note that ;).

Media has been evolving to generate mileage and TRPs via such sensationalist comments and articles that "Yellow" journalism looks like being accepted as a quick fix to gain attention and then go to length discussing about it. I hope sense does dawn upon Anupama and she deters from giving her personal opinion on things which she doesn't have knowledge of.

From East to West - Almost

2007-07-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

The above sentence captures my journey in the last 19 months or so. Yes !! From the shores of Marina in Chennai to deccaan plateau to the current Santacruz beach in California, for me the world around has come from East to West.

None of the past 19 months have been less exciting than its previous ones, every month promised something new, something dramatic or something topsy turvy. Right from the haphazard transition from India to US to snail pace movement from East Coast ( US ) to West Coast. In between were some really wonderful moments, unforgettable journeys to Canada and Florida and in and around the Upstate of NY.

Rochester probably was the best place I could land into when coming to US. Not so small, the imaging capital of the world, home to the famous lake effect snow points along with Syracuse and Buffalo, courteous people and a really wonderful place to live in. That's Rochester in nutshell. Some wonderful things about Rochester which I miss in the sunny silicon valley of California are :

1. SNOW - I know I can get it if I hit Sierra, but the luxury of snow at your feet and playing around with it is something incredible.
2. Finger lakes - Have visited some of them and needless to say they are the best places to relax.
3. Working @ Kodak - the pioneers of Imaging, great team to work with.
4. Cricket @ Rustic - As wonderful are the apartments, so is the pleasure of playing and meeting people there.
5. Community of Wipro - Probably the best off-work interaction with colleagues in my career, if this community wasn't there, life would have been surely as white and bland as a snow packed lake.

As it was destined to happen, events lead to yet another change, this one not happening in January for a change but yes, it happened in June. Moved over from an Indian MNC to a French MNC. Hopefully the changes stop for good now.

Back into the land of the Silicon Valley, the Indian occupation seems more powerful than US one on Iraq and for good too. Though technically we never invaded, but now we own this as a Indo-Sino territory. Plenty to be happy about here, including the most pleasant weather, nearby San Francisco, Sierra Nevada, long beaches and yes the world famous Sequoias. Hoping to discover more of California than did the gold diggers of the past.

Nouveau Experience - Le Windows Vista RCx

2006-09-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Whoooo . .

Its been a terribly long pause for me to come back to blog once again. Well, something got excited me so much, that I couldn't stop myself putting it down on the web.
After coming over to the home of the "Internet", I have been happy to utilise the unlimited acess and decent speeded "broadband" connections to cater to my unsatiable desire of HUGE software downloads and evaluate them for my curiosity and knowledge. Being a long time member of "Hotmail" has done good things to me, I got to be on most of the Beta programs of Microsoft and got to evaluate anything from Windows Live mail to the Windows Vista RC program.

To sum it up, it is always exciting to be testing and using the "gen-next" technology when others are still coming to terms with the current market techs in offer. Here are some insights into what some of the new gen-next tech offers from Microsoft family.

Windows Live mail - Absolutely perked up from the native "Hotmail" interface, works slightly slow,, but the user efficiency is hugely increased, the spam filter works good and the GUI is exciting than ever.
Windows Live Messenger : This one looks more of a cosmetic upgrade with Yahoo! inter-connectivity to bridge the gap between the world's 2 heavily used IM apps. Nothing more to write about, except complain for the bloated size and large memory foot print.
Windows Live Desktop Mail Beta : This is a new incarnation of "Outlook Express" which I was sure was going to go away after being abused by spam generating Trojans and other windows vulnerabilities. Surprise, Windows brings it up to speed to look and feel like Windows Live mail and adds RSS option to it to make it worth the attempt even though there is not much exclusive to write about this app, but till it is free, why grudge.
Windows Vista RCx ( Build 5xxx) : The upcoming OS has been a platform of discussions, abuses, puns and internet gossip for over 2 years now. Getting to test it was an absolute experience. It all started with downloading Beta and then running into problems with upgrading the current home system with this version. Along came RC1 version and that opened the real possibility of testing out the new features and noticeable "drops" from XP. I wouldn't want to go all way to say what is good and bad, coz you can google and read site loads of info on that. All I would want to say is :

If you liked XP / MCE, you would love Vista for candy floss.
If you hate bloated OS, you would damn Vista
If you loved security of Windows NT, welcome to the new "Avatar" which grabs your attention a little too much than required.
If you love fast running OS on high-end systems, definitely check out Windows Vista

Something which really raked up the storm was the "Licensing" terms of Windows Vista referring to limited migration of the copy of the OS to systems. Never was such a strong outcry seen on something which has been the pinching factor for Microsoft. Maybe, they tried to be smart for one more time and had to be "shown" their place again by the people who have made it, what it is now.

I would wait and see how the pricing rates go with the customers. I would definitely watch for some "slick deal" on getting the Ultimate version of the OS, possibly FREE !!

Decision on quota is final: Arjun

2006-05-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

IBNLive : Decision on quota is final: Arjun

I happened to read this article, and couldnt wait myself expressing on this, with all the events surrounding this going on across India. Here's what I think. . .

"Reservations" from the times when India got liberated, the cause and basis of implementing them has undergone a sea change.

Mandal Commission was a glaring example that indeed "India" has come of age and now needs talented people to grow and not some 2nd grade stuff which has come in due to "quota" based on which caste he/she belongs to.

I guess Arjun Singh has some personal ambition to shine in "limelight", before he goes into dark, even if it means that he does the most stupid thing he could possibly imagine to do. Frankly, why dont they reward the meritorious students with "scholarships" which for any reason should not scan for a SC / ST / or any caste for that matter to show up for eligiblity.

If the Govt is so concerned about giving opportunities, then they should make sure that all people who come through quota even if they dont qualify properly, should work solely and directly for the government minisiters. They should see what quality of resources are being produced as a result of Quotas and Reservations. Would they mind if some semi-qualified pilot would take them for a trip around India.

They wouldnt dare to want that !!

Then why should they get into the system at all. It is as good as eating semi-cooked food, just for the sake of eating it and then having pains at wrong places afterwards. I guess either the Minister doesnt have anything susbstantial to do after reversing what MM Joshi did to NCERT syllabus, he is creating work for the next Minister whoever comes in next election. I guess it is like " I shit, you clean . . you shit, I clean" policy.

I feel for the students who are demonstrating and feel for their time, which should be spent in the classes gaining knowledge and experience, is being utilised sitting in the fiery summer sun of India, and nobody to even acknowledge their feelings and sympathise with them.

I was stunned to read the replies of Arjun Singh in this interview. What pained me most is that, he is trying to show as if he cannot control anything in this regard, whatever is being done, " The Govt / Parliament " is the final authority. But he is smart enough as a "experienced political jackal" to dodge the question of whether he is in tune with the facts and what does he have to justify this "decision" of the government which is still "under process".

I wanted to stress on the reaction of Arjun Singh on "Modern Society". He says India is still in progress and not completely a "Modern Society". May I ask him, on what counts he evaluates as "In progress" and what kind of metrics is it ?? I would never say India hasn't been modern. Aping to West culture and doing things the West does could be modern for him, imbibing the good aspects of West and keeping our own at the same time is Modern for me.

In the end, I feel pity for Arjun Singh, who after all these years of being loyal to the "dynastic" Congress clan, didnt get to the PM post, but now has made sure that the country pays for his "miss" at the seat and adds 10 years of sub-standard talent into the Indian education society by his "Don quixotic" attempt.

Shame to the Politicians and Long live India, we have seen many like this and would still continue to grow. . . .

A New Year and another new place to live !!

2006-02-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

2006 comes in and brings in the same "changes" which have been happening ever since 2004. Well the change of the year is obvious, but what makes the changes a "recurrence" is the unfailing regularity with which they have been happening.

Jan 2001 - Change of residence due to change of
Jan 2004 - 1st Job change.
Jan 2005 - 3rd Job change and change of residence as well.
Jan 2006 - Change in role and change of country !!
Jan 2007 - . . . . . . ? Well your guess is as good as mine.

Some Thoughts

2005-11-21T04:44:00.000-08:00

Well, today, I dont have a topic which I want to talk about. Rather, it is the small infrequent bout of thoughts which I have been having since the last 1 or 2 months. It is do with the way how you are using the time of your day. .

Sounds too boring to start off . . well, even I thought so. But when you see the time that has gone and there were somethings which could have fit into it, this makes you think. and when such kind of thoughts come back to you again and again, I guess it's time to really check out what you upto ? your schedule and the things that you promise to yourself to start off with.

I have been kind of lazy all this long, slowly this reminder sort of thought, of better utilising of my time has started to tick in. What has happened after that is either I am doing what I set out to in a span of time, or, I get a list of things, which I did not do. Sort of self criticism, I would say. Nonetheless, it has made me realise that there is so much of time available which could be used to enhance one's life. Hopefully, I stand to sort of use this as to cultivate a more decent time management habit, which I guess is a important thing, when you are working and especially in an IT industry, Time is really @ Premium here. I dont think there would be many persons who would disagree on this.

Signing off at this note, I head back to what I was doing before I entered to key in these words. . .

A Bientot.

hi5 - Vijay Verma

2005-10-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

hi5 - Vijay Verma?

Well, it's been really long time since I visited this website, possibly 11 months. Then I thought it would be a better idea to see who else I can find here. To my surprise, 80 % of my list of Yahoo is there, and then I guessed, it would be more approrpriate to stretch out the hand and get to know some more unknown people. Internet is a place of some sort. If you can think , then you can just do it !! No Holds barred !!

This site hasn't given me any great friends yet, but I guess it's only time that I start to get accquainted with new faces.

Back from Hibernation

2005-09-29T03:03:00.000-07:00

Well . .

I am back and I am loving it to be writing back on this personal wall of mine.

It was way back on the last day of my previous employment that I had bid adieu to Bangalore and headed "back" to Hyderabad. Yes ! Headed back after a brief 6 months @ Bangalore. It was a exciting return for me, a "coming back to your fav place" kind of feeling. I came back, visited the favourite places of mine and then was gradually but forcefully sucked into the rigours of early stage project life. Believe me, a lot of water has flown down the river and there has been spate of events that happened when I didnt come back to put them up here.

There are certain things which I have lost and somethings which I have seemed to gain, I guess it is the ongoing learning process of the life which never fails to surprise you.

A short stop list of what I have significantly gained apart from knowledge and weight ( not neccesarily in the same order ).

a ) Je sais le langue Française !! Hoorah . . I cleared the Level II from "Alliance Françcaise".
b ) Paid a lot of tax !! ( it nearly caused a heartburn as the hole in the pocket became a deep impact !! ).
c ) Once more, I am going for H1B stamping, ( I never got a chance to use the existing one !! ).
d ) Some of my long time lusts are going to come true. ( Well if you are imagining physical, you are heading nowhere, along with me :P ).
e ) I got my sexy "Zen Micro" MP3 player finally !! and yes, it is a LOT better than iPOD in various arenas.

I hope to now continue in the same way I had done during the starting of the year, that is to, share my thoughts and views whenever I feeling like "Keying". I guess " penning down" would not stage a comeback unless tablet notebooks start coming out with handwriting recognition.

Until then, A Bientot, as they would say in "Française"

A Month old in Hyderabad

2005-02-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

This has been a relatively quiet month in terms of not able to write a blog, but I guess I am picking up from where I have left, the last day of the month, and starting of the week, quite a mix of things to start off with . . ain't it.
Well lot of things have happened, apart from being back to the favourite place, Incidents like getting a Tax refund, discovering new places to eat out, re-discovering old hang outs, and of course, not the least, starting off the new work with new vigour and enthusiasm. Till now all has been good.

Adieu Bangalore . . .

2005-01-31T06:53:00.000-08:00

As the night draws close and the new month approaches . . so does a begining of a new part in my career and life.
It has been a nice 6 months where I have experienced most of Bangalore for all it is famous and infamous for ! The unexpected rains, the instant climate switch and the unique weather. . . Yes, how do I forget the life-saving " Radio City" FM Station . . .

Along with it came, the deteriorating roads, never ending traffic on weekdays, fungus on food items, round the clock ailments like cold and laziness ( the last one I can allege to have got to me due to the mild weather ).

Overall experience on the work front level has been an amazing experience, a role which I would have given an arm for to get into. Sadly though, I couldnt resist a change after coming here, attribute it to my non-ending quest for a peculiar challenge which I have envisioned for me or the not so-satisfying results on my personal evaluation of the work I was doing. I am leaving with a larger circle of friends, better level of understanding and career experience and with loads of learning on the personal as well as professional front.

Bangalore . . you charmed like a beautiful lady, but your care takers are eroding your beautifulness, please take care or you could end up as being the "Silicon Valley" with the overload of hardware and deteriorating of "natural fauna" and beautiful tree lined pollution free and traffic free roads, which gave you the title "The Garden City" . . .

I hope I get to see a Bangalore more clean and organised than what the present Bangalore is . . in future . .

Call me back . . for this city is too good to lose to the pollution and the roads and badly managed and ignoring administration !!

German engeneers help the USA - what your government is not telling you

2005-01-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

German engeneers help the USA - what your government is not telling you

Something worth reading after the Massive 9/11. Some architectural arguments with some real explosive stuff discussed, how genuine, ratify yourself and read through . . . Pretty Smashing I believe. . .

Adiose for the day !!

Matter & Set !! Nothing more matters, really ( or sathiyamaa in Tamil )

2005-01-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks,

I was just wondering on some of the english words which have a wide range of meanings when used by other languages. In the same language with many meanings, you could refer to as a synonym, across the languages with various meanings of the same word, I am still trying to find a term to it, if you can suggest, please lead me to the way . .
Since my most of the childhood and growing up has been in Chennai, I will take the city's langua prima as the test language to beging with.

"Matter"

Perhaps, no other word has or would be used apart from this and "SET" in the day to day conversations of an average chennaite . . Dont believe me, dont !! Better ask your cousin / relative / friend in chennai, possibly put this question to him/her . .

" Hey pal, whats the matter ? "

I can guarantee, you would get an answer anything ranging from his well being to the thing he is thinking of currently or is disturbed with or occupied with . . . anything and everything. To proceed further, let me present you some examples :

1. " Yenna ma, yenna matter "
Possible meanings ( not limited to these but more as wide as the situations permit ).
a: Hey, what's up ?
b: Hey, what's wrong with you ?
c: Hey, what happened ?
d: Hey, what's going on ?
. . . .

2. " Boss, Matter aayacha "

a: Boss, thing is done.
b: Boss, what we feared has happened.
c: Boss,thing is through ?

Well, some more are which can refer to anything relating to a subject like exams ( exam matter overa ? ) to a reference to CD of adult movie ( matter padaum kadikkuma ? ) ( can I get a porno film CD !! ).

Possibly Einstien didnt have much idea of the matter except for the fact that E=mc squared. Well, guess we Chennaities had other ideas other than coming up with equations to the " Matter Theory".

So, The next time you refer to some "matter", watchout how your neighbourhood friendly "Chennaite" would interpret it as . .

"Seriyaannu Matter, idhu . . " ( Now if you expect me to give the multiple endless synonyms for this sentence . . watch out for the space when we discuss "SET" !! ).

Until then . . Keep "Mattering" . . . oops !! what did I say, sorry folks . . "idhu oru chinna matter thaan . . "

Buying a home? Don't get cheated

2005-01-21T00:21:00.000-08:00

Folks, this one is a real neat piece of information for who are and would be looking to buy up flats and properties. . . Gives a decent idea of what to talk and what to be careful of with the builders. .
Buying a home? Don't get cheated

This link takes you through the details. That's as of now . .

Don't sleep at work. You may get sacked

2005-01-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

Don't sleep at work. You may get sacked

Sounds like a 100 alarm bells ringing for who really do so . . Well read on for more details. It's got what it takes to be a real twister of a seemingly plain case of "found guilty and fired", Labour has its fruits, this one certainly got close to getting its revenge on the employer, I guess common sense prevailed in the last and justice was done.

Hail the power of Labour class some of whom dont want to labour that much (or) labour et all . . .

A bientot.

Welcome to the World of "????Namis" . .

2005-01-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the World of "??Namis"

I couldnt help but, let loose these, relatives of "Tsunami" in our daily lives, some of them are a common place with not so much reality damage as the now famous "Tsunami" . . read on for a light hearted moment with a civic message in it.

Below is the extract :
--------------------

The Geographical Meteorological and Metaphysical Association has released a compendium of disaster definitions. If you study them with a keen eye you may find that some disasters happen with sudden and devastating impact while others are happening and we don’t even realise it. Now, which of these applies to Delhi...

Tsunami: This disaster is caused by an earthquake in the ocean. This results in the shifting of tectonic plates and displaces a large amount of water. Travelling at great speed towards the shore, as it passes the speed decreases but the size of the wave increases. Finally when it hits shore it can be a wave 50 foot in height causing havoc.

Manmani: This refers to the condition where everyone does exactly what they please with complete disregard to how it may affect another person. It begins with small acts like going the wrong way on the road, triple parking, illegally building and eating up the pavement but the ultimate result is large scale havoc as the fabric or urban order begins to break down.

Badnami: Can be broken down into two words Bad and Nami (names). Caused by the condition where upon the slightest provocation a mouth begins running in free flow with a string of abuses. B$&*—%, can’t you see you’ve grazed my car by 1mm, you P*—#@! The way you drive I can make out your father is a G—#@+, and your family is S*—%$#. Pretty soon this whole thing is flowing through the city making it seem like a verbal gutter.

Susupani: A geographical disaster where every available stretch of wall is converted into a urinal. Very good for any plants that are growing there but very bad for the nose. Benami: Refers to the presence of black money in huge waves. Very dangerous for any city state as people use a city without paying their dues.

Salaami: Indicates the presence of too much fawning and yes sir attitude. Salaami or repeated Salaaming is typical in any city where all that is worshiped is power.

Anjaani: The situation where even people who live in close proximity insist on behaving like total strangers. Yes sir, these tectonic plates never shift.

Notfani: Once again can be broken into two words Not (not ) and Fani (funny). Sums up a city where there is a great lack of humour and joviality, and harsh words as well as blows are used too readily.

Monday Freebie for those who want more on their Desktop - Desktop Sidebar

2005-01-17T02:36:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, I guess, I had too . . So to start off the day, What better thing to think of, than think of something which is useful, informative and the best and last of all . . F.R.E.E. Yes your eyes are reading correctly.

Click on the below link to find out more how you can have fun ( Users of Windows XP would be able to relish it much more than other OS versions of Windows, please check the requirements before installation ).

Desktop Sidebar Home Page

I have tried, and this thing works as a breeze, 1 % of your systems resources shouldnt be much of a weight for your 2+ GHz CPU loaded with RAMs which accompany them in today's business systems, and yes, did I forget to mention the Internet Connectivity !! oh, it's a must for those to want to fully enjoy the features of this freebie !! Absolute MUST !!
Read your mails, see who's online, jot down notes, play music, view photos, stock watch and much much more . . Dont believe it, better dont, download and see it for yourself, I bet you wont regret this download for a long long time. .

That's it for now, Watch out for more. . .

Tsunami - Before and After Images !!

2005-01-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Tsunami - Before and After Images !!

Before I wind up for the long weekend, I encountered something pretty special, the receding waters images in Srilanka and the now-most-circulated photos of Banda Aceh Flooding, Indonesia.

Just go through the snaps and see the impact and the nature's will working on its own !! Hail Mother Earth . . . and long live the human race !!

Adiose et Au revoir

The Courier-Mail: Beggars 'pour into aid-rich coasts'

2005-01-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

The Courier-Mail: Beggars 'pour into aid-rich coasts' [12jan05]

This link should sound funny for the moment, but an enriching opportunity of a mega quick income for those in transit from Bangalore to the affected areas . . Just a wandering thought came to my mind, when beggars can travel overnight distances by whatever means, which could cost them from anywhere Rs. 270+ ( 5-6 US $ ), what would be the return of investement they would have in mind !! Just an analytical question . .

With the reputation of them having the potential of a global marketing professional or a lawyer on par with the international ones, the only difference being, the lack of will coupled with lack of any sort of education ( I havent seen a graduated 'beggar', though there is a different tribe which resembles that !! ). I wonder, whether they could be utilised on the proper channels, some channels are utilised, for example by police and investigating authorites, for whom they act as "A spy under cover - Your neighbourhood beggar ".

I hope, I have had a fullfilling day, as you had, and yes by the way, my dinner was today laced with mosquito !! eeks . . I guess there's a new recipie by the canteen chef, or he had inadvertently sprinkled to enhance the liveliness of the meal !! God saved me from consuming those longest living friends of ours ( Please ask the cockroach regime, they know them longer than we do ).

That's for the day, Hoping for a fullfilling weekend to start quick and last long as an eternity . .

Adiose . .

Cyber porn case surfaces in Pune-Times of India - Indiatimes

2005-01-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Cyber porn case surfaces in Pune-Times of India

Something to kickstart the new year for the perverts, eh !! As I had mentioned in one of the previous blogs of the rampant advancement in technologies, Some people have a rather disgustingly amusing way of putting them to use. This one will come as an outright rude shock for the tenants and the PG Accomodation seeking people. People who travel all the way in search of their daily bread and take up shelter with so much effort and imagine, how you feel, when you are being watched, watched by a seriously insane person, unknown to anyone and to you !!
There were people who would whistle and pass comments at the passing womenfolk, that was early 19th century, then came the henchmen of landlords for picking up whomever they fancied, that was mid 19th century, and as the civilisation progresses further, so does the freedom of people. But where does the eternally animal behaviour in the human progress all along this, it grows smarter, adapting to new ways and possibly evade all eyes. Shocked !! Well, I am not, coz, if the human evolution progresses, new things for good and bad do happen simultaneously.

How do you deal with it ? is the primary concern !! I would suggest some possible precautions. Watch out for those glassy partitions in shops, malls, changing rooms, homes and office cabins, do a simple to ascertain that the surface in which you see your reflection is a mirror and not a peeping tom's galleria . .

Place your fingertip touching the surface of the surface, if you happen to see the reflection of the tip not meeting exactly your real finger tip, be sure, it's a mirror, and if it does !! Watch out, you have a good chance of being viewed behind those sunscreen shaded glassy mirrors (are they mirrors anyway !! )

Second thing, when you venture into any hotel and resort for a comfortable stay, watch out for those empty bulb holders and the dressing table shades, it's a good precautionary measure to have a good look at the room's curves and fixtures, coz smart gadgets are also small gadgets, and nothing more precious than your privacy to be stolen by them.

If I have sounded, pessimistic, ask those who have been embarrased when they have seen themselves in a recording ? or see themselves being branded " The sexiest and sultriest of the human race " on the pages of the Net's innumerable pages. . . They will tell you what they lost !!

Adiose . .

Amrish Puri is dead

2005-01-12T01:56:00.000-08:00

Amrish Puri is dead

One of the most identified on screen villian of the Indian cinema and definetly one of the most identifiable voice in the film industry passed away today. What will still remain is the "Mogambo Khush hua" dialogue and the deep bass of the his voice which rattled every hero and heroine in a movie signalling an impending danger.
I have seen his movies a lot, and the strength of his acting was his going under the skin of the character I believe, coz I have seen so many actors doing the villian roles, but none with so much of perfection that it left imprints on the mind of the cine-goers .. be it Mogambo, be it the so-called king in "Chahat", I have personally found his roles being lent an extra punch with the voice, which sounds so authrotative, that it was meant to rule . .

Hats off to the great man, May God bless him and rest his soul in peace . . .

Mogambo, " Aapne ne humien waaqai mein bahut khush kiyaa . . Alvida Dost !! "

Caught On Tape: Goose Wins Fight With Bobcat and other Weird Stuff

2005-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

local6.com - News - Caught On Tape: Goose Wins Fight With Bobcat

Time for the things which you could never imagined would happen or existed. The world is a learning place, for good and bad things, what part you take is at your sole discretion. Continuing on this, The above link is a curious enough one . . . to find more of these kind, I will suggest the ODD NEWS section in REUTERS, again the ODD news section in REDIFF.COM News . . and for those who can handle extremes of weirdness with some EXPLICIT content, welcome to DAILY ROTTEN.

Be warned though, the last site mentioned is for the extreme weird stuff, lots of adult related material, so dont blame me when you click on that out of curiosity and see something which you wouldnt wanted to have. .

Anyways, you can either subscribe to a site called : LINKY DINKY which gives a variety in weirdness, purely text based and with no flashy mails which should sooth your eyes and satisfy your weekly twice hunger of interesting links and news from different part of world.

I will update on more weird things as and when I encounter them, till then keep looking over your shoulder and surroundings, they exist everywhere, perhaps even in your house !!

Adiose . . .

Savour the images of those itchy,biting,teasing micro living organisms giving a mega pain to you -MicroAngela's Electron Microscope Image Gallery

2005-01-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

MicroAngela's Electron Microscope Image Gallery

Pretty wonderful site giving you microscopic images of the life that lives literally on our skin and makes us jump out of it upon reading. "Size does Matter" doesnt hold to them. Some are 0.05 cm and send a 6 foot organism writhing in pain and agony defies the statement as easy as that.

Motto of the day : " I understand you love zoology, but please dont make your house and body a sanctuary for that, possibly take bath on the 8th day when the seven day itching doesnt get cured !! "

P.S : Am I on some kind of cleanliness drive today ?? let me know !!

Power and dynamics of the Religious top guns !!

2005-01-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Read this link for a better understanding . .

Mata gives Rs 100 crore to tsunami victims

The tone is primarily a very humanitarian approach. In fact, for the present time, the biggest donation promised by an individual for the relief work in India. Now if you are wondering on the aim of the institution and the money associated with it, then

Welcome to the land of money loaded religious institutions . . where god and money play into the hands of the feeble looking saints and astrologers, who according to the Hindu tradition have left the materialistic world and live for people !! So much for spirituality.

I guess I am not here trying to show them in a bad way or anything like that. But this is to just to point out the places of one of the power centres through which you can get done majority of things which otherwise would require connections at the high places at the correct time, with a lot of monetary aspects.
I dont contradict the fact that this route is free of any financial implications. But the donation and offerings here serve two purpose - firstly yours for which you paid for, and another is you can disguise as a Sec 80 something which saves you tax and enhances your spiritual image and social image as well. so infact 3 birds with a single stone. This is not a new trend by any means, India in fact has been famous with the invaders and the historians for having unimaginably rich temples which was savoured by the likes of Mohammed Ghazni and other warriors from the North-West regions of Asia. Travellers from China and Europe came all the way to see the glory. Our Mythological serials show the splendour of kings offering large pearl necklaces, gold coins and other jewelled treasures to god. Faith you call it, I would agree. Tradition has been of offering money and other stuff , since the temples used to serve as mass kitchens for the needy and poor, we have many temples still doing that. The maintainence of the temple was taken care by this funding.
I believe, ever since the caste system arrived from the Vedic Age and with one specific caste taking control of the temple activities, it started serving as a connection to the royalty and high authorities by virtue of the donations and other visits by the elite class. Favourism with something in return in a disguised form was even a better option, and slowly you had rich people who actually had left the materiailistic world, with power which they would have found hard to achieve by being in the normal "karmic world".
Some of you would dismiss me as a pessimistic, but I would say, what is with the commercialisation of the temples and religious institutions, probably a 100 % Tax FREE income !! I am not aware of Taxes on Temples as of now.
Coming to the political powers they have access to and control, many examples of the sort of "Chandraswami","Sai Baba - Puttaparthy" come to mind, what else can you visualise when the so called democratic head and rulers of the nation bow to your feet with devotion. What I can see is, copious money flow from the unaccounted business of all well-to-do and other nefarious elements. Quick jack to promotions, transfers, firing, safety from the law enforcement agencies, possibly making you virtually "UNTOUCHABLE" i.e. by law and common people I mean. You wish it , they will do it.
There are many positive aspects to it without doubt. More blessed are those who are in vicinity of these institutions and temples. Business flourish near these places, selling at exhobirant prices suggests these are non-questionable, whether it's over MRP or double the price. Coz they have the "hand of the god" above them, so who dare question their business process ??

More on this later . . . .

MSN Dating & Personals - Five things about your place that drive her nuts

2005-01-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

MSN Dating & Personals - Five things about your place that drive her nuts

A brief yet concise insight into what generally constitutes a bachelor's apartments. Guess there should have been some suggestion as to how-to-clean up quick and fast in case of a case, where you take your date back to the apartment !! How often does that happen anyway ?? Let me know guys . .

Panic in TN town after tsunami alert

2004-12-30T04:31:00.000-08:00

Panic in TN town after tsunami alert

This is still continuing to come into our lands once again. On 29th's late evening a quake was again reported in Indonesia. Click on http://tsunami.geo.ed.ac.uk/local-bin/quakes/mapscript/demo_run.pl for more details.

This has triggered panic in the areas already reeling under the impact of Sunday's Wave attack. Precaution is the key word now, after a lakh of people dead, every small movement will now be under the lenses. None of the affected countries can afford a second wave now.

The tsumani curse- The Times of India

2004-12-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

The tsumani curse- The Times of India

A Sample Slide Show of the devastation . . .

Tsunami toll mounts to 44,000; hungry islanders loot in Indonesia

2004-12-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

Tsunami toll mounts to 44,000; hungry islanders loot in Indonesia

This is the latest update and as the figures rise and the relief operations continue, what we could be seeing would be the costliest natural calamity which took toll on the lavishest beaches and poorest people, both of which depended on sea for their living.

A curious look on the dates on which some major earthquakes have occured over the years. . .

Year Month and Date Place of Earthquake

2001 January 26 Gujarat

2001 September 26 Chennai

2002 December 26 China

2003 January 26 Newzealand

2003 May 26 Japan / Taiwan

2003 September 26 Japan(Hokaido)

2003 October 26 China (Sunsu)

2003 December 26 Iran

2004 December 26 South east Asia

Year Month and Date Place of Earthquake

2002 December 26 China

2003 December 26 Iran

2004 December 26 South east Asia

I dont believe in numerology too far and deep. But the Date of December 26 seems to be a favourite for sesimic activity. Atleast the start of the 21st century has had all Dec 26th dates in action. I have got some images of the destruction from Sri Lanka, Malysia, Chennai, Phuket. I will be putting them up for your viewing.

The Quake's Aftermath and other Issues !!

2004-12-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

Another day begins and as the human spirit is, life is coming back to normal in Chennai atleast, normal with the feeling of uneasiness of Sunday's catastrophe still fresh in the minds of those affected and those shaken by it. I have seen lots of talk about these natural calamities affecting the population and also some places acting as population control measures. But I think, it should refer to the vulnerable people, living in vulnerable houses and at vulnerable places, for whom these natural calamites act as decision makers in their lives.
I have been going through the news sites and the other print media, the public reaction in wake of the disaster, and the fund and cloth collection drive is a positive approach. I would still see giving food and clothes to the needy as priority no.1 with the government organising the rehabilitation and sheltering of those left homeless. Tall promises of financial donations from politicians invariably dry up before they reach the needy. The places affected, where there are hardly any proper infrastructure and other facilities available, what fun does handing over them money give anyway ?? Probably space in the news articles and footage on the news channels, who try to enlarge each and every sundry thing which now contains the word "Tsunami".

Video Of Waves Hitting Hotel

2004-12-27T13:26:00.000-08:00

Latest Business News and Financial Information | Reuters.com

Watch out the link of video on www.reuters.com which says : Video Of Waves Hitting Hotel. This will give you an example of what would have been the real waves, if this was a small example.

CNN.com - Asia quake death toll tops 23,000 - Dec 27, 2004

2004-12-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

CNN.com - Asia quake death toll tops 23,000 - Dec 27, 2004

I dont have words to describe the tragedy. It is way too huge to be described. Imagine standing on a beach, watch the water retreat some 150 yards, as you wonder what is happening, and then you sight, boats riding atop waves and rushing towards you. What do you do ? Stand mesmerised ?? Run towards land ?? How far ??
I have heard Nature has its ways of hitting back, but this was one of the worst ways and time it would have wanted to do it. Sunday morning, Christmas season, tourists spilled all across the beach heavens of Thailand, Fishermen folk and their families, readying the net for a day's catch.
Half an hour later, everybody is in sea or thrown along with other debris onto ground and then pullled back into the sea . . Too fast to even imagine a 40 foot wave after you and then next 5 seconds, it takes hold of you, sending you on a bone rattling journey without any control or direction. Lucky you if you survive, many werent and the toll of 23000 speaks the impact it had.
I have lived in Chennai ( formerly Madras ) during the last 15 years, I had seen "Day After Tommorow" and "Independence Day", but never in my life imagined, I could have a situation in real life this soon, this fast that too in Chennai. I think the beach will be a scary place for the people of chennai and other coastal cities to go out and have fun for some while. Enormous water ahead, and when it rises towards you in such a fury, no one can escape it. Sends shivers sitting down 700 km from the sea shore. My own house which lies 150 mts from the jagged sea shore in Northern part of Chennai was saved by the container yard which sits in the middle of my house and the beachside road on the edge of the seashore. I pray for the souls of all those who perished and pray that the dear ones left behind, get enough hope and power to overcome the moment of utter grief and loss of lives.

I am confident that we will come through this hard time and help out those affected.

Hail the human survival against odds, we may lose, but never quit !!

Vijay

It's Friday !!

2004-12-17T04:10:00.000-08:00

I managed to join Google's Adsense, just checkiing out the program . . hopefully I do manage to understand something.

World around me is moving crazy . .

2004-12-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

The week has been behaving weirdly. First I pickup weird messages, then I have tough time dealing with it, add the chaos in office and being alone at home with laziness all over me. God, needs to do something with me drastically, or else I am destined to become a rotten veg living without any aim. Living alone is so . . so . . painful. Let me go back and do some work for a couple of hours, will update before I leave.
Was shocked to see the IIT guy's news of photo peddling and MMS clip from DPS !! I guess, the media is involuntarily bringing out the perverts located around us in surprising ways . . or is this the other inside side of each and every human which accidentally oversteps and gets known in public eye . . Ouch !!

I have been tempted like anything to get hold of a SONY digital camera by this year end, tech gizmos always seduce me, I guess the monetary part of it wakes my reality up and then sobers me down to where and what I am. Wonder , if I had sacks of money, I would be sitting surrounded by gadgets from around the world.

Cheers :)

Wizbang: The Video of beheading of Nick Berg

2004-05-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

Wizbang: The Video

Havent seen such a dastardly and idiotic thing to show-off cannibalistic behaviour to the world, Abu Mus'ad Al Zarqawi's boast shows how less evolved is his brain compared to the other humans on this planet. Guess they need education more rather than knives and Mullahs who brain storm them as soon as they are out of their mother's womb. I will never feel from now that the world has any scarcity of a degenerated brains in this new age.

Kill 'em all.