Rekindling an old dream...

[ Mood : Contemplative ]
[ Song : Roadhouse Blues ]

I know the song doesn't match the mood but thats what I am listening to right now.
Well I have taken the plunge, atleast for now...I am preparing again...for CAT. Even as i wrote that I could sense all the hesitation that has taken me over recently. I have found it difficult to commit myself to the effort and time needed...but commit I must!!
It will be difficult ofcourse...knowing that I may not have anything to show for it in the end. But there is no way out, afterall this is what I want and I wont get there unless I go for it, Right?
It is almost sounding like an incoherent drivel...:))

The future’s uncertain, And the end is always near.

Windows Vista

Microsoft on Friday finally brought an end to the 'Longhorn' and a new title is on the horizon...literally...Windows Vista.
Thats the title of the next version of the long overdue OS from the Microsoft stable. Its been 5 years since their last release, Windows XP (personally I am happy with my Win2K Pro).
The company stopped short of providing a launch date for the new version, though it won't reach us before next year.
The new software is going to sport a new graphical interface, giving it a new look and feel, and enhanced security and communications features.
Lets wait and see...

Communalism in the 40s

Have been reading "The Dicovery of India" and its been a great read so far. Especially thinking about the times it was written in...seems India was so much more dyamic then...in the sense that so many people were working together for a common cause...

I came across a passage where Jawaharlal Nehru discusses the communal issues...his understanding of the communal problem is so much superior to the leaders of today...or maybe the leaders of today just shut their eyes and make plans to exploit it (Mulayam Singh Yadav is a prime example). His writing brings out his love for the nation so clearly that I feel a bit sorry that I had reservations about his being the first PM....more on that some other time..

This is what he had to say :
"The Communal problem, as it was called, was one of adjusting the claims of the minorities and giving them sufficient protection from majority action. Minorities in India, it must be remembered, are not racial or national minorities as in Europe; they are religious minorities
... There is no dispute about the usual provision for minority protection, such as the League of Nations used to lay down. All those were agreed to and much more. Religion, culture, language, the fundamental rights of the individual and the group, were all to be protected and assured by basic constitutional provisions in a democratic constitution applying equally to all.
... What remained? Fear that bigger numbers might politically overwhelm a minority.
... Having assured the protection of religion and culture,etc., the major problems that were bound to come up were economic ones which had nothing to do with a person's religion.
... It was not clear how even a majority could injure the interests of a huge minority like the Moslems, concentrated mostly in certain parts of the country, which would be autonomous. But fear is not reasonable."

Planet with three suns!!!

How would it feel if we had 3 suns?? Sounds wierd but I guess that would have seemed normal then!!
Well apparently a planet, slightly larger than Jupiter, has been discovered that has a 3 - Star System! It orbits the main star of a system known as HD 188753 in the constellation Cygnus ("The Swan"). It is about 149 light years away... hmm thats close!!!...sometimes the sheer size of the universe overwhelms me, I mean what are we but a mere speck of dust in the scheme of things....
The picture is an artists' rendition of the planet and three stars, as seen from a hypothetical moon, courtesy ( http://pr.caltech.edu/media/trinary_sunset_small-1.jpg )

The Signs

Somehow the book 'The Alchemist' has been drifting in and out of my thoughts since yesterday...not that I am a huge fan of the book or anything...it just has been there somehow!!

Especially the part where the Alchemist tells the boy to follow the signs all around him, signs that will ultimately guide him to his destiny.......and I have been trying to understand the signs around me.
It seems to me that they are pointing to a direction which I once desperately wanted to take but now am hesitant to pursue. The hesitation is not so much in the choice as it is in the effort that will be required...which i once had put in with zero returns.
I have come to a stage where I can't postpone it any further...and need to make a decision one way or the other...
Which direction will I take??

To the Moon & Back

I am back from Delhi, back to this mundane lifestyle, back to this insipid existence.
It was good while it lasted, nine days of mega - fun with family and friends.

Now the clock is reset to zero and I start counting the days before I will get a chance to be back home...

Religion and State

Now this is a touchy topic, most people dont feel comfortable when discussing it.

Well educated and rational people often start defending the indefensible if it happens to be related to their religion.

These thoughts swirl in my mind as I think of Imrana bibi; raped by her father- in-law, the interpretors of Islam and Sharia suggest that she can no longer live with her husband or children as she has come in sexual contact with a blood relative of the husband. Hello? I thought she was the victim here...

Infact this is what the head of the local masjid of the village where Imrana belongs to has to say on the issue:

"After sex with her father-in-law, the girl has become haram for her husband. According to me she should accept her father-in-law as her new husband and her old husband as her new son."

Wasnt the torture and humiliation of the rape enough?

There is a debate raging through the country and different versions/interpretations of the Sharia are coming out almost daily. But my point is do we even need to have a debate on it? Shouldn't it be an open and shut case of rape with 7 yrs for the father-in-law as the law of the land perscribes? How can religious law take precedence over secular state law. Are we going to treat victims differently based on the religion they belong to? Isnt this the most blatant form of communalism?

Its nauseating to see a country with ambitions to participate in world matters and social justice across the globe not even able to handle such a basic requirement for her own internal well being.

As for Imrana, I can't even remotely imagine her plight. I wonder if she curses herself for even raising the issue in the first place...

Homeward bound

Homeward bound
I wish I was...AM
Homeward bound
Home, where my thought’s escaping
Home, where my music’s playing
Home, where my love lies waiting (Actually I will be waiting for her...:) )
Silently for me

Ok the song doesn't quite fit, but still this is the song thats playing in my head as i prepare to get going. A lot has happened since I last met my family and friends. My di is engaged, my dad is better, some friends have moved out of Delhi, etc etc...plenty to catch up on. Am feeling really upbeat about this visit probably because I am going back after 4 and a half months!!

Yay!!! Mamma I am coming home :))

Live 8

the long walk to justice
Every so often a movement starts which tries to set right the wrongs of the past. Sometimes you get a chance to be part of that movement.
Live 8 is one such movement. What is it about?
Its an attempt to bring together in one voice an appeal (or maybe demand is a better word) not from politicians or celebrities but from ordinary citizens across the globe. An appeal to improve the lives of the world's poorest people by bringing about a change in the way we think and deal with our fellow earthlings.

LIVE 8 is part of a day of action across the world which kick-starts The Long Walk to Justice that calls on the leaders of the world’s richest countries to act when they meet in Gleneagles on 6th-9th July. On July 2nd in London, Edinburgh, Washington, Berlin, Paris and Rome millions will be coming together to call for complete debt cancellation, more and better aid and trade justice for the world’s poorest people.

I wish I could have been a part of it in a more real sense but I am glad that millions others will be part of it!!

A new perspective!

Now isnt this amazing...technology never seems to stop amazing me. The picture is of India Gate, a war memorial built in Delhi for the soldiers who died in World War I.

With satellites in public domain having sensor system that can provide 1 m to 2.5 m resolution, one can see this planet of ours with a completely new perspective.

The picture has been taken using Google Earth (Keyhole 2 Pro once upon a time) . Currently in Beta stage, it uses a multi-terabyte database of mapping information and images collected from satellites and airplanes. The app demands a really smooth internet connection and a good 3 - D Card, so I can say goodbye to using it from home :( ...might load a few more pics, especially since blogspot has started providing space for pictures (and I dont need to hotlink pics like the one in a previous post).

Smoke and Music

Ever since I came back from Pune, I have been to a pub atleast once a week. Now thats pretty frequent considering I don't drink or smoke. Its just the music that draws me to them. Minus my PC, I have very little of it to survive on...
As the music blares, I can actually feel it moving through me...I just love that feeling and then slowly I transcend the noise around me...eyes close and I just try to absorb it all up...for a few moments its pure bliss...

The only complaint is the cigarette smoke...I always get a headache until I finally adjust to it. Not to mention the awful odour that my clothes pick up.
Wouldn't it be nice if we had coffee joints that played good rock(since its pointless to expect a pub to have a non-smoking area)?

Until that happens, pubs will remain a lifeline for people like me who just can't get enough of those guitar riffs and drums!!

Why do I love F1?

A lot of friends ask me that. In words of one, "whats so great about watching cars run around the same track 70 times wasting precious fuel"
Now how do i explain to her, that a modern Formula One car is a technical masterpiece and has almost as much in common with a jet fighter as it does with an ordinary road car....that what we see on the track is the latest in automotive technology...most of which will soon find its way into ordinary road cars.

Every year FIA modifies rules to try and cut down speed, and every year the cars keep getting faster (this year has been an exception because of the single tyre regulation). Its like a challenge between the engineers of various teams on who can come up with a more ingenious idea to get that few km/hr extra. I can only imagine the thrill these lucky few people get.

Imagine aerodynamics capable of developing 3.5 g lateral cornering force (three and a half times its own weight) . That means that, theoretically, at high speeds they could drive upside down!!(Race car wings operate on exactly the same principle as aircraft wings, only in reverse.)
Imagine brakes that can bring you to a halt from 200 km/hr within 55 metres, all within 1.9 seconds.
Tyres (cause of all the trouble in the US grand prix) with an underlying nylon and polyester structure in a complicated weave pattern are designed to withstand far larger forces than road car tyres - typically with a lifespan of about 200 kms. All racing tyres work best at relatively high temperatures, Formula One dry 'grooved' tyres are typically designed to function at between 90 degrees Celsius and 110 degrees Celsius. To ensure that the tyre pressure stays as constant as possible during these changes in temperature a special mixture of low density gases is used to inflate them rather than air.

The engine, at the heart of the formula 1 car is a marvel in itself. A 3000 cc engine that produces over 800 Bhp, most road cars prduce about 100 Bhp using a 2000 cc engine. Revving to over 18,000 RPM a modern Formula One engine will consume a phenomenal 650 litres of air every second (causes the slipstream effect) and go from a standing start to 200km/hr in about 5 seconds. 5 seconds!! There in lies the answer to the question...its the science behind the formula 1 race car that I enjoy so much and this is why I have been a fan for about 12 years now:) .

Thumbs Down @ FIA...

Fans await with bated breath as the cars line up at the starting grid. A promising race is ahead of them. The cars slowly gather pace as they do a warmup lap around the circuit cheered on by a crowd of 130,000.
As the parade lap is coming to a close, most of the cars start moving towards the pits. Only six of the twenty cars line up for the start of the race.

This is what happened in the ridiculous US grand prix last night. A farcical event in which 70% of the cars didn't even bother to compete.
The cause of all the drama was the tyre supplied by Michelin which was unable to take the stress of the banked curve (turn 13) and was the cause of a major accident during Friday's free practice.
Their statement acknowledged the flaw:
Given the combination of oval exit speed of the F1 cars and the subsequent down forces experienced by the tyres, Michelin is not able to guarantee that such incidents would not reoccur during race conditions, and therefore Michelin is not able to guarantee the total safety of the drivers.


The problems were not insurmountable and a little compromise and understanding would have saved the day for the race fans of America and fans like me around the world. But the arrogant governing body showed utter disregard for the spectators and ruined the weekend for 130,000 fans all of whom had payed atleast US$100 to come to the event.
All sport governing bodies are so preoccupied with their own selfish concerns that interest of the spectator and the sport itself is lost on them. What is a sport without the adoring fans? I wonder why the officials forget this? Is it because they themseleves are no longer fans of the sports but mere officials?

Whatever be the case, yesterday's race marked a new low in the history of Formula 1 and raises new questions w.r.t the level of commitment of the officials running different sports.

Time

[ Mood : Philosophical ]
[ Song : Time ]

Time plays tricks on me...

The future - full of hope and vitality awaits me. The present - has a dream like unreality, slippin away before I can feel it. The past - tempts me with a world that is simple and peaceful.
Isn't it funny how memories shift meaning with time? What were difficult times don't seem that difficult now...what were bright moments seem even more radiant...the past seems so secure, so immaculate. What am I without it? But still I don't want to become its prisoner, I want to hold on to it even as I try to reach out to the future. Does that make any sense??Hmm...

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time

Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on in quiet desperation is the english way

The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say

Microsoft coming up with its own Graphic Editor

Microsoft Corp. has started public testing of a new graphics program designed to compete with Adobe Systems Inc.'s Photoshop and Illustrator products.
The Microsoft program, code-named Acrylic, can be used for digital painting, illustration and graphic design, the company said on its Web site yesterday. It's based on technology that Microsoft acquired in 2003 when it bought Creature House Ltd., a Hong Kong-based maker of graphic-design software.

So soon they'll be having an Anti-virus product, a pseudo-pdf format of their own, and a graphic program.As usual, Microsoft doesn't bother developing a unique product of their own, they simply buy an upcoming company and take their product forward.

Communal one day; secular the next!

What I wrote earlier were the questions that came to my head while reading about the furore surrounding L.K. Advani’s statement regarding the secular credentials of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The statement itself can be seen as an attempt at an image makeover, an attempt to move away from the right wing hardliner to an all encompasing moderate.
To me it represents the typical nature of the politics of the sub-continent: lack of any core beliefs and simply following the prejudices of the day. Looking back at Jinnah's history - "Messiah of Hindu-Muslim Unity" (1916), "Champion of the Two Nation Theory" (1940), dubbing Pakistan as a "laboratory of Islam" and following it up with a call to rise above religion and being citizens first (speech of August 11 1947 which Advani cited), one can easily see a politician at work. A similar pattern can be cited for Advani and perhaps for most politicians - ruthlessly using religion to forward their own cause and then trying to distance themselves from it once the purpose has been served.

What is saddening and at times annoying is the fact that people are unable to see past the rhetoric, the media meant to keep people informed is busy milking the story, I wonder how many people even know what Advani said and in what context; other politicians are either mocking Advani or trying to join the "me too" wagon and hailing the change in attitude; all blind to their own past aberrations.

Pulp Politicians!

When will the politicians of this country rise above the petty self promotion and vote bank politics?? When will they learn not shoot off their big mouths and learn the meaning of the word - consistency?? When will they learn that they are in power to serve the people and not to get back at the opponents who have just fallen out of favour?? And when will the people learn to read between the lines and differentiate between the truths and the lies??

The fading superstar.....

"I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel!"
- Don Bradman

My earliest memory of my favourite sportsperson is watching him hit the great Abdul Qadir for four sixers in an over....I was seven at the time and was hooked, it was rare enough to see an Indian smash a Pakistani bowler like that; it was something else altogether to see a sixteen year old do it. Slowly over time I became the fanatic follower that I am today. I can't even begin to count all the times when I sat with my fingers crossed(not literally ofcourse) while he was batting or just quietly switched off the television when he got out cheaply.
With time, his cricketing genius became just one of the traits I admire!

There are hardly any public figures worthy of being called a role model, Sachin for me has been one both on and off the field. His desire to continuously improve, even as everyone around proclaims him to be the best, is quite astounding. Add to that his discipline, commitment and humility and you have someone worth emulating.

He has been consistently the best in the class and for a while it seemed thats how it will remain, but things have changed over the past year or so...the signs were visible in Australia (2003) and he hasn't looked his old self ever since...and then came the spate of injuries...the ankle, the hand and finally the elbow...and I was disappointed to see how quickly these injuries were followed by comments like "...he is over the hill.." or "...he is only continuing for records..." This after the guy has spent 16 yrs playing for the country and entertaining millions around the world with his craft.
And then I heard he is going for surgery on his elbow and I can't help but feel if its the end of the road...I have to grudgingly accept that Dravid is the new pivot of the team, that Sehwag is the new destroyer of bowling...that the career is coming to a close...
He will be back ofcourse but I think a stage has come in his career when almost any performance will seem like a failure. After all, the fickle minded fans tend to praise those performers who are currently at the top of the game.
But that doesnt bother me! He will remain forever the best sportsperson in my eyes...an icon and a role model!

Our Software Industry

I am a software engineer, working in one of the leading tech companies of India, with a turnover of over a billion dollars annually........

With these facts stated, let me quickly mention the incident that made me wanna pen a.k.a type this down; a conversation with a friend's father, an engineer himself, now enjoying his retirement days...He said, " Son, our software industry is one of the great success stories today, just like Amul was in my days!"

I nodded my head in agreement at the time; US$ 15 Billion exports, among the largest employers, who wouldn't agree? But later I couldn't help but think if it wasn't just another case of falling short of potential, something that is so routine in this country.

Lets go back to the figures, TCS the largest Indian software company was founded in 1968, today its a US$ 2 Billion+ company with a total head count of about 40,000. Microsoft was founded in 1975, today its a US$ 36 Billion+ company with a total head count of about 57,000.

Why such unbalanced growth? Here in lies the truth: our companies suffer from myopic vision, no desire to innovate or invest in R & D, all factors that make a company a world beater. There is nothing revolutionary in what we have achieved. From plain and simple body shopping in the 80s we have used the improved technology (internet and bigger bandwidth for example) to move work back to India (further reducing costs), a methodology known as the Global Delivery Model.

Amazing feats can be accomplished by a motivated work force of forty thousand. Instead most of us end up performing quotidian activities of the most mundane kind, soon to be left with little creative urge or a desire to innovate.

Yes indeed our software industry has come a long way; but if these issues are not addressed, if innovation doesn't become a buzzword, if creativity and imagination are not encouraged, we will soon reach a stage where growth will stagnate and there will be little left to cheer about.

Kabooommm....

A new blog added to the endless list....