Give me Bombay every time
They say the Bombay is like the Big Apple, only that New York is far better. I have not been to NYC so I can't vouch to that. I have been to Bombay, spent some time there. And, I will take Boambay any day, even over my dear Madras (a bit grudgingly).
BBC NEWS | Technology | 'Free' Danish beer makes a splash
I am not sure about the rest of the software stuff.
Yahoo!, here we come!
Bet folks at Apple are grimacing at this. Now, the "great" dashboard feature that is avialable on Tiger is available for free on good old Windows. The guys at konfabulator used to make this for Apple and charge a nominal fee. Then, Apple in good Redmond tradition decided to copy the feature and give the guys who came up with it no credit. So, when Apple announced the Tiger and put up posters proclaiming "Redmond, start your copying engines" the guys at konfabulator came up with their own - "Cupertino, start your copying engines".
But, here is the sweet revenge - Yahoo buys them and makes konfabulator free. Now, that is fabulous especially for the guys at Redmond.
Speaking of Apple, first the "knowledgable" analysts were proclaiming that Mac Mini will Mac an household name. Now, that does not seem to be happening. So, they have started saying that MacTel (Mac on Intel) will do the trick. Doubt it. In the Mac / Intel relationship I bet that it is Intel that is holding all the cards. And, as long as the ego maniac is around as the CEO Apple is doomed to be niche player.
BBC NEWS | Business | Indian strikes turn violent again
The striking workers are welcome to find a job that pays them more elsewhere. Who the f*@! do they think they are?
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Inmate's 50 years without trial
Now, this is a bad state to be in. Hopefully, the new information super power can make sure that such things do not happen again.
Windows Vista draws, jokes, scorn, approval | CNET News.com
The other day we were discussing the merits and demerits of the new name for Longhorn. All of us agreed that Microsoft has always done a lousy job of naming its products. Then, it occured to us that may be it runs in the family. I mean, what is BillG's name - William H Gates III. So, two generations of Gates weren't creative to come up with a different name for their child.
Police: Orkut used as Brazilian drug network | CNET News.com
Of course, I am sure there arre people who believe this is not evil. If guys at google are so smart, I bet they should be able to come up with software that would monitor such stuff and report to the friendly neighbourhood law enforcement folks. Then again, some folks will think that is evil.
Anthrax scare: Kerala lifts ban on milk from TN
This one is funny. Funny, because I know what is behind the anthrax scare. My folks live in Kerala, just across the border from Tamilnadu. They get milk manufactured in Tamilnadu, packed in sachets with Malayalam labeling at very competitive price. The folks in Kerala have been doing their best to try ban food, vegetable and diary items from Tamilnadu. You see the folks in Kerala have this sense of enntitlement - they expect to be paid more, work less.
On any given day you will find labourers from other states as far as Rajasthan and W. Bengal working in Kerala - work Keralities refuse to do (certianly not at the price offered). Some of the contractors have different pay scales for local and out-of-state workers. Local folks get a flat rate with the usual lunch and tea breaks. The out of state folks are paid for performance at a lower rate.
I have never come across a land so beautiful as Kerala. Sometimes, I feel this is because of its people - who hate progress as that would mean they will have to get off their butts.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Blitz on Indian noise pollution
How I wish they will also rule against the speakers from temples, mosques and churches calling the faithful to prayer. Now, before you start calling me names stop and think what the faithful did before loudspeakers and electricity were around.
BBC NEWS | UK | UK multi-culturalism under spotlight
A friend of mine sent me this link with comment that next on line is Canada. He feels that multiculturalism embraced by UK and Canada is not working while the US "melting pot" is better. Now, of course, the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote (with Nathan Glazer) in "Beyond the Melting Pot", that there is no real melting pot and the way to a richer and more harmonious America is not through the destruction of communal pasts and identities but rather through the transformation of them to help create a better America (or, what I call as multiculturalism).
Embedded in my friend's argument is that culture is linked only to religion and intolerability is the monopoly of militant islam. I think culture is related to religion, ethinicity and the environment. And, as for intolerability just look around - you have examples of islamic, jewish, christian and hindu intolerability. The moment you think my religion/way of life is better than yours the seeds of conflict are sown.
The Hindu : National : IMDT Act is the biggest barrier to deportation, says Supreme Court
Finally, someone has the sense and courage to deal with the truth. Most of the "secular" parties claiming that there is no illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Now, what are we going to do about it? Deport them? Looks like the war of 1972 was a pyrrhic victory - yet another Islamic nation with the same problem as others.
Lost in translation
Ok, looks like I was wrong with my earlier post titled "Hypocrisy...". I just followed the press reports without reading the text of the speech.
Dell without a 'Care' in the world | CNET News.com
So, Dell (which rhymes with Hell) has found a swell way to make more money from support. Remove the support forums, eliminate peer support and force people to call Dell support. Nice idea...
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Muslim charity claims Taj Mahal
No kidding! You must be joking - the ASI is forced to give up control to Waqf board because it houses muslim graves. How about this logic - Given that it houses the graves of ruler of a dynasty that raided india, the land was forcefully taken by them and it rightfully belongs to the original people - the Hindus.
BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | London bombs: The Iraq question
The post war intelligence is as good as the post war intelligence. And, it would be stupid to say that the Iraq war was not a factor. That said what happened was horrible.
Both sides should remember the old saying - "soldiers fight and the kings are the heroes".
PM should apologise : BJP
So, first they call Jinnah a great man and of course, expect that it does not insult the millions of Indians. And, now when the PM calls the British rule beneficial they cause a rukcus. While both are right, neither of them should have been expressed in so many words in public by an Indian politician.
I think Jinnah was a great man but to foist himself to eternal greatness he had to seek the partition of a nation. Of course, as the other side of the same coin is that Nehru diid not want to give up his chance at eternal greatness. His family would treat the Prime Ministership of India as a family affair for the next forty years.
As for the Brits, they gave us the railways, the judicial system, the bureaucracy and most importantly the language which I am using to communicate (and, we are using to grow as an economic superpower). I only wish we could have improved upon on what they left behind - a train service that keeps to the timetable, a judiciary that works faster, a bureaucracy that is less corrupt.
Yesterday, I went to a desi wedding (Actually, an ABCD) here in US of A. It was the first desi wedding I have been to. It certainly was an interesting experience and provided great insights into the desi community.
The bride and the groom were of south indian origin - same caste, creed, color and religion. Their fathers had doctorates and were by all means educated and successful. But, the image that got etched in my mind was that of the groom's parents having food while the guests were lining up by the buffet counter. Yes, I do understand that "custom" demands that the bride's family bear the costs and efforts related to the wedding. But, the guests were invitees of both sides. I have never come across a wedding or event where the hosts have food before serving the guests. Then, there were the usual stories of how the groom's parents were giving the bride's folks a hard time about pretty much everything. These well educated men have carried their baggage of prejudicies with them all the way from India and kept them alive and well for over 25 years.
Of course, there were the usual desi stuff - nothing running on time, people RSVP that they are coming and then don't turn up, when they turn up they are late by over an hour. The MC was of North indian origin and did a great job of butchering the tamil names of people and ceremonies. I am sure if it had been an American MC'ing the event they would have made an effort to learn the right pronunciation.
I realized that it is not just the Manglorean Chrisitians in the US who are stuck in a time warp when it comes to music (playing and signing songs from the 70s), it is true for these Tamilians, too. And, I have a feeling it is true for every other desi community in US. The ABCD kids and their parents probably keep listening to the songs the parents grew up with.
There were a few things that struck odd - like clapping at the end of each ceremony. Hey, it is a wedding not a superbowl game. Then, the dancing at the end of the day. Never been to a south indian wedding in Chennai with dancing. Of course, the music was Bhangra pop with Daler Mehndi having a field day (wonder what happened to the charges of human traficking against him).
At the end of the day, I was asking myself what baggage am I carrying? I am sure I have. I wish it is just a hand luggage not something big enough for me to have checked in. And, I wish someone would confront me regarding it - sooner, the better.
Leaving a Vacuum at Wipro
A lot has been said about Vivek Paul's departure from Wipro and how it "clouds" the future of Wipro. So, I decided to see if Paul has been really good for Wipro. I did a 5yr Investment Growth graph on MSN Money for WIT and compared it with INFY. Guess what, they are pretty much identical. So, what Paul was able to do for Wipro, folks at Infosys were able to do for themselves (keep in mind it was during this time Infosys US head quit on sexual harrassment charges).
So, where does that leave us? Vivek Paul certainly did not screw things up at Wipro and certainly increased its international profile. His personality and ability to quote Jack W of GE helped him become a darling of the western press who suddenly had to cover stuff about offshoring. Wipro has had somexstrong leadership before Vivek Paul (remember Ashok Soota) and will probably continue to have good leadership. And, as for the vacuum, I think it is in the heads of these reporters.
Go files antitrust suit against Microsoft | CNET News.com
I am going to file an antitrust suit against Microsoft. I am not sure what I will claim - maybe, the 900 pound gorilla out of Redmond killed my business dreams because they were so big. Anyway, the chances of a payout seems to be reasonably good.
A friend of mine warned me that MBA is a "commonsense" degree and there are hardly any "aha moments" in it like in engineering where you get to learn those cool stuff.
Here is my favortie "aha moment" - Comparative advantage. Never have I come across something so simple yet in a sense counter intuitive.
There was a time when the only Ajax I knew or cared about was a soccer club in Europe with its wonderful stadium in Amsterdam
Now, a new Ajax (short name for Async. Javascript and XML. Read about it here) is making its presence felt on the web. I think we are going to see more of this. Microsoft is making it move with Atlas.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Mexico stands firm in stamp row
Yes, who are these cartoon characters who make a big deal about memin pinguin? Last time I checked the mexicans did not import labor from africa, force them to work in the fields, treat them like third class citizens till recent times and did not do any lyching (leave alone take time over offering an apology).
Sometimes I think we make mountains of mole hills and fail to tackle the real mountains.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Protest against India rape fatwa
Why can't we have a uniform civil code, a judiciary that acts fast and more stringent laws against rape and sexual harrassment? Funny thing is we have no issues "electing" a foreign woman to the highest office.
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