Here we go...part one of maybe a multiple part series...or maybe I will lose interest after this one...lets see...
I took a book on Democracy by Bernard Crick and it was an amazing journey on the development of the concept and its implementation as it stands today. I want to write this so that I can look back at it if/when I start forgetting what I read and what I felt while reading it.
Democracy as some philosophers feel is an "essentially contested concept", something that can never be defined universally but still is considered as the definition of a good government...or a pre-requisite at the very least. It is a term often (mis)used by the political class when trying to suggest superiority of one government over the other - "we are the largest democracy! We are more democratic then them" - and so on.
To understand it better one needs to be aware of the manner in which it evolved over time...That's what this note is going to be about.
The word first emerged around 4th century BC in Athens, Demokratia - the rule (kratos) of the people (demos). The earliest usage can be found in Plato's writings where he attacks it by calling it a rule of poor and ignorant over the educated and the knowledgeable. His fundamental opposition was between knowledge and opinion. (I for one find this distinction extremely interesting) To him democracy was the rule or rather the anarchy of mere opinion.
His pupil, Aristotle, modified the strong views - it was ok for some to rule with the consent of many...the "some" needed to have excellence (aristocrats in other words) while "many" didn't mean the entire population (most certainly not women and slaves). To be able to choose one needed to have some education and some property. But the requirement of knowledge remained at the forefront of things - "just because men are equal in somethings, they can not be considered equal in all."
With time the concept/doctrine of democracy took root and it was realized that involving its citizens made the state more stable. This idea was further developed by Machiavelli in his book Discourses, around the 17th century. Developing Aristotle's theory further he said that good laws to protect all are not good enough unless subjects become active citizens. They should try and seek responsibility. He understood that the state is a lot safer in the hands of people fighting for a cause(the state) rather than in the hands of armed militia...
And then with the French revolution the idea of democracy also got revolutionized....with aristocracy toppled over by common people...the rules of engagement changed. Suddenly everyone regardless of education and property had a right to make his contribution into the decision making process for it was felt that the greater common good is understood better by the common citizen than the aristocrats living in an artificial make believe world. This threw up a new issue...division between individual liberties and the rights of the state.
The fourth usage comes from the American constitution and most of the constitutions ever since (even though it was formed before America really became a democracy) - All can participate (and they should), all must mutually respect the equal rights of fellow citizens within a regulated legal order that defines, protects and limits those rights. A fusion of rights of the people and the idea of legally guaranteed individual rights. The two are distinct ideas and often contradictory (that’s what happens when you get lawyers involved...)
Of course in today's world, with all the information overload and media hype its difficult to combine freedom and popular power. Neither there is one right and valid method (cant think of any other word) to it. There remain a number of factors that shape its form and implementation - factors like religion, culture, etc. So one form of democracy is not automatically better than the other…it can only be the best that can be implemented under the given circumstances…and that's the key question…is it able to serve its purpose in its current form in a given region at a given period of time?
In the next part (if it comes), I ll write about what essentially makes a democracy tick..:)
Anyways, a round of applause to anyone who actually read all of that…haha…but the evolution of this doctrine is something I find fascinating. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested and a lot of what I wrote actually comes from its pages...
Friday, May 12, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
PrattleCast
Caught a bit of Titanic last night, around the time when Jack(Leonardo diCaprio) wins the tickets to America in a game of poker with Sven.
As I was watching it a thought came into my head - what did Sven feel/think when he heard that Titanic had gone down? Was he glad that he didn't board the ship? That he lost that poker game? Did he feel sorry for Jack? And what would Jack do if he could turn back time? Would he change anything? (I think he says near the end that winning the ticket was the best thing that happened to him). What is the point you say?
Isn't it amazing how two people can see the same event in such different light? Isn't it amazing that sometimes a few special moments is all it takes to make it all seem worth it while sometimes an entire lifetime is not good enough?
Hmm, I am just out of touch with reality I guess...I should write something on Democracy instead...:)
As I was watching it a thought came into my head - what did Sven feel/think when he heard that Titanic had gone down? Was he glad that he didn't board the ship? That he lost that poker game? Did he feel sorry for Jack? And what would Jack do if he could turn back time? Would he change anything? (I think he says near the end that winning the ticket was the best thing that happened to him). What is the point you say?
Isn't it amazing how two people can see the same event in such different light? Isn't it amazing that sometimes a few special moments is all it takes to make it all seem worth it while sometimes an entire lifetime is not good enough?
Hmm, I am just out of touch with reality I guess...I should write something on Democracy instead...:)
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Long Weekend
Well it was a long weekend...even though Saturday was spent in the office. As is usually the case, on Sunday I landed up at the British Library.
I had decided that if I didn't find any of the books I had been looking for in the Fiction section, I would move on to the Social Sciences and the General Sciences sections. As it so happened all the books on my wish list were out, so as planned I moved to the next few shelves. Within minutes I had a pile of 10 books from which I eventually had to put 7 back into their respective places... (Sigh!)
But seriously, there is so much to read!! There is a deep sea of information and knowledge and all I was doing was to move along the shores...Duh! So I have decided to read from these streams instead of fiction and I am afraid some of my future posts might be written under the influence of all the information going to my head....
Who wants fiction when facts can be so engaging!!
On Monday I planned to laze around in the house - if that was possible in the sweltering heat that has taken over Hyderabad off late...I want some rain. Are the rain gods listening???
Saw School of Rock in the evening. That cheered me up coz I really enjoyed it even though I was watching it for the third time...Jack Black is really cool in the movie...and so is the rest of the super talented cast of 10 yr olds, who played the instruments themselves...I too want to learn to play an instrument....some day!
I had decided that if I didn't find any of the books I had been looking for in the Fiction section, I would move on to the Social Sciences and the General Sciences sections. As it so happened all the books on my wish list were out, so as planned I moved to the next few shelves. Within minutes I had a pile of 10 books from which I eventually had to put 7 back into their respective places... (Sigh!)
But seriously, there is so much to read!! There is a deep sea of information and knowledge and all I was doing was to move along the shores...Duh! So I have decided to read from these streams instead of fiction and I am afraid some of my future posts might be written under the influence of all the information going to my head....
Who wants fiction when facts can be so engaging!!
On Monday I planned to laze around in the house - if that was possible in the sweltering heat that has taken over Hyderabad off late...I want some rain. Are the rain gods listening???
Saw School of Rock in the evening. That cheered me up coz I really enjoyed it even though I was watching it for the third time...Jack Black is really cool in the movie...and so is the rest of the super talented cast of 10 yr olds, who played the instruments themselves...I too want to learn to play an instrument....some day!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Rant
A hot Friday afternoon (at least outside the office) and a routine meeting between onsite leads and the offshore leads is on.
The Senior Project Manager (henceforth SPM and who is based at the client location, of course) is seeking update from the offshore team.
SPM: "So where have we reached?"
S: "We are currently at 463, hopeful of reaching 470 by EOD today."
EOD for people who struggle with acronyms like me means End Of Day.
SPM: 470 is all well and good but we were supposed to be on 480 by the 21st.
S (thinking): yeah the hell we were...
(missed a bit of the conversation here)....I don’t care, I want 480 by 9 AM client time on Monday.
S (the hell you do): "We will try but it is going to be difficult!"
SPM (annoyed): "What S that was our target."
Meeting is over and S gets back to his team and informs them about the ultimatum.
X: "How can we achieve the target today?"
S: "What is basically implied is that we have to work this weekend as well!"
Grumpily everyone agrees....
Saturday is through and we are still 8 short of the target...and going back home S decides to chuck work and sit back and relax on Sunday. Ferrari is even ready to resume battle at Imola he thinks. To hell with work and targets...they make him feel sick anyways...
Yeah that’s the way it will be...
…
…
…
Sunday 2 PM: S is in office, trying to find euphemisms to describe his annoyance with himself (through this post, perhaps) and wondering why the hell his code never works the first time...grrrrrrrrr...
The Senior Project Manager (henceforth SPM and who is based at the client location, of course) is seeking update from the offshore team.
SPM: "So where have we reached?"
S: "We are currently at 463, hopeful of reaching 470 by EOD today."
EOD for people who struggle with acronyms like me means End Of Day.
SPM: 470 is all well and good but we were supposed to be on 480 by the 21st.
S (thinking): yeah the hell we were...
(missed a bit of the conversation here)....I don’t care, I want 480 by 9 AM client time on Monday.
S (the hell you do): "We will try but it is going to be difficult!"
SPM (annoyed): "What S that was our target."
Meeting is over and S gets back to his team and informs them about the ultimatum.
X: "How can we achieve the target today?"
S: "What is basically implied is that we have to work this weekend as well!"
Grumpily everyone agrees....
Saturday is through and we are still 8 short of the target...and going back home S decides to chuck work and sit back and relax on Sunday. Ferrari is even ready to resume battle at Imola he thinks. To hell with work and targets...they make him feel sick anyways...
Yeah that’s the way it will be...
…
…
…
Sunday 2 PM: S is in office, trying to find euphemisms to describe his annoyance with himself (through this post, perhaps) and wondering why the hell his code never works the first time...grrrrrrrrr...
Thursday, April 13, 2006
It can happen only in India
One person dies - at a fairly ripe age of 77, of natural causes - another 5 end up dead for no reason...
I am sure RajKumar is not feeling too good about it...after all who wants to be the cause of death (directly/indirectly) of other people...
So he was a regional actor, of some acclaim I presume considering his mind boggling popularity, and his demise was bound to leave his fans distressed but why all the vandalism? Thetech BPO capital was held hostage for 2 days...Has burning buses and public property become the new way of showing grief?
Reminds me of the stories I read around the time RajKumar was kidnapped by Veerappan (I was in Delhi then) - stories of non-kannadigas being attacked especially Tamils...
What would have happened if he had died then...natural causes or otherwise?...No I wont even contemplate that...
I am sure RajKumar is not feeling too good about it...after all who wants to be the cause of death (directly/indirectly) of other people...
So he was a regional actor, of some acclaim I presume considering his mind boggling popularity, and his demise was bound to leave his fans distressed but why all the vandalism? The
Reminds me of the stories I read around the time RajKumar was kidnapped by Veerappan (I was in Delhi then) - stories of non-kannadigas being attacked especially Tamils...
What would have happened if he had died then...natural causes or otherwise?...No I wont even contemplate that...
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Times gone by...
For the past few days memories from childhood have been playing in my head - all the mischief and crazy things I used to do...thought of writing about it here but guess that would be too boring...
Instead a dialog, a parting shot, from one of my favourite television sitcoms (from that time) will suffice -
"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of other houses, a yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back, with wonder."
- Kevin Arnold in The Wonder Years
update : 8 APRIL,2006
Continuing with the theme of nostalgia - came across a few lines by TS Elliot in "The Rotters' Club" which made me scramble to the junkyard that is my bag in search of a print out taken some time back - Four Quartets.
The lines were from the first of the four Quartets, Burnt Norton -
Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future
And time future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable
....
....
Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.
I don't like poems, they seem so feeble, so delicate...but now that the book is over, I have decided to go back to that print out and try and understand it a bit better.
Instead a dialog, a parting shot, from one of my favourite television sitcoms (from that time) will suffice -
"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of other houses, a yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back, with wonder."
- Kevin Arnold in The Wonder Years
update : 8 APRIL,2006
Continuing with the theme of nostalgia - came across a few lines by TS Elliot in "The Rotters' Club" which made me scramble to the junkyard that is my bag in search of a print out taken some time back - Four Quartets.
The lines were from the first of the four Quartets, Burnt Norton -
Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future
And time future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable
....
....
Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.
I don't like poems, they seem so feeble, so delicate...but now that the book is over, I have decided to go back to that print out and try and understand it a bit better.
Monday, March 27, 2006
On This Day in 1977...
...happened the world's worst aviation disaster all because of a 4 second hiss in communication.
583 people lost their lives when two Boeing 747s collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Spain.
Both, PanAm 747 and KLM 747, were headed for the bigger Las Palmas airport but a terrorist threat had forced it to be closed and instead they had to land at Los Rodeos.
At 2:30 PM GMT, the aircrafts are informed that the Las Palmas airport has re-opened. To make up for lost time (and reduce traffic at the airport) the control tower suggests the PanAm captain to taxi just behind the KLM 747. The PanAm captain accepts.
Two hours later, both are backtracking the 3400 meters runway at low speed. The KLM will move towards the end of the runway from where it will report for take off. The PanAm one shall exit the runway at the third taxiway in order to let the KLM aircraft take-off. In the meantime the weather has worsened and the visibility is down to a few hundred metres.
At 4:55 PM KLM reaches the end of the runway. The PanAm 747 crew has just passed the third taxiway without seeing it. They saw the first one, they missed the second one, and they are now passing the third one thinking it is the second one. They are going to the fourth one.
The visibility improves momentarily and the KLM Captain doesn't want to miss this opportunity, he is already in stress as the Dutch regulations don't permit the pilots to fly beyond their hours quotas; if he doesn't take off soon both he and KLM will be in trouble. The KLM gets the clearance, but is not allowed to take off yet. However, the captain, in his hurry starts increasing the throttle. He seems to have forgotten that another aircraft is still taxiing on the runway. The stressful situation is probably the cause of this mistake.
5 :06 :13 (Captain) : We gaan. (We're going)
5 :06 :19 (Ténérife control tower) : OK
At the same time, the Panam first officer is talking :
5 :06 :19 (PanAm first officer) : No .. eh...
The controller now is in doubt. He reminds the KLM captain that he is not allowed to take-off.
5 :06 :20 (Ténérife control tower) : Stand by for take-off, I will call you.
5 :06 :20 (PanAm first officer) : And we're still taxiing down the runway...
The last two messages have been said at the same time. Consequently, they just became a long 4 seconds shrill in the KLM cockpit. The KLM increases its speed. 1500 meters further, the PanAm is still taxiing on the runway.
The PanAm captain sees landing lights of KLM Boeing at approximately 700m in the fog.
5 :06 :41 (PanAm captain) - (screaming) : He's coming...look...this son of bitch is coming!
5 :06 :41 (PanAm first officer) - (screaming)
The PanAm crew set full throttle to leave the runway ASAP to its left. But it is too late. The KLM captain sees the PanAm jumbo on the runway.
5 :06 :47 (KLM captain) : Oh shit!
The KLM is moving at about 270 km/h. The captain tries to take off and pass over the other aircraft. The nose climbs, the tail strikes the runway making sparks. The aircraft climbs from 1 meter, but it is not enough.
Both aircrafts collide. The forward landing gear wheels strike the right side of the PanAm 747, tearing the fuselage. The left wing cut the vertical stabilizer at the rudder level. Right wing fuel tanks are torn and the fuel catches fire.
The KLM 747 climbs slightly but it is completely dislocated and it crashes. There is no survivor.
In the PanAm 747, a few people escape from the burning plane. 64 people (including the captain all the people in flight deck) survived. All 251 passengers on the KLM and 332 on PanAm lost their lives.
Saw a documentary on this accident on National Geographic a few weeks ago - just left me stunned.
Here is a link on Wikipedia detailing the chain of events and the aftermath of the accident.
Also a graphical representation of what happened, also from Wikipedia
583 people lost their lives when two Boeing 747s collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Spain.
Both, PanAm 747 and KLM 747, were headed for the bigger Las Palmas airport but a terrorist threat had forced it to be closed and instead they had to land at Los Rodeos.
At 2:30 PM GMT, the aircrafts are informed that the Las Palmas airport has re-opened. To make up for lost time (and reduce traffic at the airport) the control tower suggests the PanAm captain to taxi just behind the KLM 747. The PanAm captain accepts.
Two hours later, both are backtracking the 3400 meters runway at low speed. The KLM will move towards the end of the runway from where it will report for take off. The PanAm one shall exit the runway at the third taxiway in order to let the KLM aircraft take-off. In the meantime the weather has worsened and the visibility is down to a few hundred metres.
At 4:55 PM KLM reaches the end of the runway. The PanAm 747 crew has just passed the third taxiway without seeing it. They saw the first one, they missed the second one, and they are now passing the third one thinking it is the second one. They are going to the fourth one.
The visibility improves momentarily and the KLM Captain doesn't want to miss this opportunity, he is already in stress as the Dutch regulations don't permit the pilots to fly beyond their hours quotas; if he doesn't take off soon both he and KLM will be in trouble. The KLM gets the clearance, but is not allowed to take off yet. However, the captain, in his hurry starts increasing the throttle. He seems to have forgotten that another aircraft is still taxiing on the runway. The stressful situation is probably the cause of this mistake.
5 :06 :13 (Captain) : We gaan. (We're going)
5 :06 :19 (Ténérife control tower) : OK
At the same time, the Panam first officer is talking :
5 :06 :19 (PanAm first officer) : No .. eh...
The controller now is in doubt. He reminds the KLM captain that he is not allowed to take-off.
5 :06 :20 (Ténérife control tower) : Stand by for take-off, I will call you.
5 :06 :20 (PanAm first officer) : And we're still taxiing down the runway...
The last two messages have been said at the same time. Consequently, they just became a long 4 seconds shrill in the KLM cockpit. The KLM increases its speed. 1500 meters further, the PanAm is still taxiing on the runway.
The PanAm captain sees landing lights of KLM Boeing at approximately 700m in the fog.
5 :06 :41 (PanAm captain) - (screaming) : He's coming...look...this son of bitch is coming!
5 :06 :41 (PanAm first officer) - (screaming)
The PanAm crew set full throttle to leave the runway ASAP to its left. But it is too late. The KLM captain sees the PanAm jumbo on the runway.
5 :06 :47 (KLM captain) : Oh shit!
The KLM is moving at about 270 km/h. The captain tries to take off and pass over the other aircraft. The nose climbs, the tail strikes the runway making sparks. The aircraft climbs from 1 meter, but it is not enough.
Both aircrafts collide. The forward landing gear wheels strike the right side of the PanAm 747, tearing the fuselage. The left wing cut the vertical stabilizer at the rudder level. Right wing fuel tanks are torn and the fuel catches fire.
The KLM 747 climbs slightly but it is completely dislocated and it crashes. There is no survivor.
In the PanAm 747, a few people escape from the burning plane. 64 people (including the captain all the people in flight deck) survived. All 251 passengers on the KLM and 332 on PanAm lost their lives.
Saw a documentary on this accident on National Geographic a few weeks ago - just left me stunned.
Here is a link on Wikipedia detailing the chain of events and the aftermath of the accident.
Also a graphical representation of what happened, also from Wikipedia
Friday, March 24, 2006
Sixth Annual Weblog Awards
Apparently there is something like weblog awards and its already in its sixth year. Some very interesting winners. I had been to a few of these, but not to the winner of "The Blog of the Year" - PostSecret (it also won the Best American Blog, Best Topical Blog, Best Community Blog, Best New Blog). The concept is very nice and the messages posted are well....strange!
The whole list is available at Sixth Annual Weblog Awards
The whole list is available at Sixth Annual Weblog Awards
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Omnipotence Paradox
The previous post reminds me of a paradox associated with God's omnipotence.
It goes like this: "Can God create a stone so heavy that he cannot lift it?"
Ofcourse if he can bend logic.....:)
UPDATE FRIDAY, March 24, 2006
An interesting article on the same subject on Wikipedia can be read here
It goes like this: "Can God create a stone so heavy that he cannot lift it?"
Ofcourse if he can bend logic.....:)
UPDATE FRIDAY, March 24, 2006
An interesting article on the same subject on Wikipedia can be read here
God and his Temples
So friends and friends' friends and I will be going to Tirupathi this weekend...well having lived in southern India for almost 2 years(gosh), I guess it is about time I gave one of the most visited places a visit.
Tirupathi, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, is located in the extreme south of Andhra Pradesh in Chitoor district, 750 odd km from here (Hyderabad).
So much for Geography…
This will be my first visit to a temple in about 2 yrs, probably the tenth or so in the past decade. I don’t visit temples, when I do it’s to see the “place” and the people and never to worship. Temples once meant to create the right environment for the devotees have become jostling grounds. I have never quite understood why worshipping in a particular temple is likely to increase your chances of success at petitioning God. Surely God is not listening to one’s prayers based on his location.
If God is omnipresent and omnipotent then why do I need to go to a particular temple?
And then you reach there, wearing a bandana of your religion on your head, but so have another billion people. All fighting to get ahead in the line, to get into a strategic location – little compassion is shown to fellow humans – cursing, pushing, pulling, etc is common…as if God will not note this…and just your effort to get there…
I remember once when I went to the Vaishno Devi shrine, a guy walking a few steps ahead of me got a nice little rap on his backside coz he decided to wait a few seconds too long before the holy pindis…or take the case of stampedes that happen every year during Haj. So you went to pay homage to the lord and ended up dead in the process.
How uncool is that???
Tirupathi, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, is located in the extreme south of Andhra Pradesh in Chitoor district, 750 odd km from here (Hyderabad).
So much for Geography…
This will be my first visit to a temple in about 2 yrs, probably the tenth or so in the past decade. I don’t visit temples, when I do it’s to see the “place” and the people and never to worship. Temples once meant to create the right environment for the devotees have become jostling grounds. I have never quite understood why worshipping in a particular temple is likely to increase your chances of success at petitioning God. Surely God is not listening to one’s prayers based on his location.
If God is omnipresent and omnipotent then why do I need to go to a particular temple?
And then you reach there, wearing a bandana of your religion on your head, but so have another billion people. All fighting to get ahead in the line, to get into a strategic location – little compassion is shown to fellow humans – cursing, pushing, pulling, etc is common…as if God will not note this…and just your effort to get there…
I remember once when I went to the Vaishno Devi shrine, a guy walking a few steps ahead of me got a nice little rap on his backside coz he decided to wait a few seconds too long before the holy pindis…or take the case of stampedes that happen every year during Haj. So you went to pay homage to the lord and ended up dead in the process.
How uncool is that???
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Holi Hai!
Sid : "Its been 2 yrs since I last celebrated Holi!"
Friend A : "So?"
Sid : "Do you know how long it has been? 730 days!!"
Friend B(suffering from an acute bout of exactitude) : "Not possible! Holi doesn't fall on the same day every year!"
Duh!!!
But we did celebrate Holi yesterday, even though for a short period only...the most fun part being the look on the face of my friend from B'lore. Not accustomed to playing Holi, his reluctance to getting dirty meant that he ended up looking the dirtiest. :))
And continuing my loyalty to Rang de Basanti, I was found singing the title track (no point telling how good a singer I am) ....and as the joke goes - unfortunately no Basanti came to colour me, neither was I coloured Basanti in the end...(sigh)
Friend A : "So?"
Sid : "Do you know how long it has been? 730 days!!"
Friend B(suffering from an acute bout of exactitude) : "Not possible! Holi doesn't fall on the same day every year!"
Duh!!!
But we did celebrate Holi yesterday, even though for a short period only...the most fun part being the look on the face of my friend from B'lore. Not accustomed to playing Holi, his reluctance to getting dirty meant that he ended up looking the dirtiest. :))
And continuing my loyalty to Rang de Basanti, I was found singing the title track (no point telling how good a singer I am) ....and as the joke goes - unfortunately no Basanti came to colour me, neither was I coloured Basanti in the end...(sigh)
Monday, March 13, 2006
Quiescence
What a Sunday!!
The only major sporting action I was missing was some Champions League (but they never happen on weekends anyway)matches!!
A fantastic opening to the new F1 season...glad to see Ferrari back...looking like a 4 (and a bit, if Toyota improves) way battle between Ferrari, Renault, Honda and McLaren....delicious!!
A good performance by India at Mohali! And what a crazy game at Johannesburg!! How in the world did a team fail to defend 434???
A sad performance by the Australian bowlers had my room mates jumping with joy! It seems a universal thing - this dislike for the Australian side!
"They play rough!!"
"They sledge!!"
....
....
"They win all the time!!" (That's what they are supposed to do, isn't it?!!!)
Well anyways they remain my favourite team after India of course...
Moving on to the blog title...probably the longest break between posts...wrote a few but never posted...a lot has happened...some really good moments, some ordinary moments...a bit of deja-vu actually...Some emotional upheaval as well...but all that is in the past now...I am settled again!
Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear
And I can't help but ask myself how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer.
It's driven me before, and it seems to have a vague, haunting mass appeal.
But lately I'm beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel
[Incubus - "Drive"]
The only major sporting action I was missing was some Champions League (but they never happen on weekends anyway)matches!!
A fantastic opening to the new F1 season...glad to see Ferrari back...looking like a 4 (and a bit, if Toyota improves) way battle between Ferrari, Renault, Honda and McLaren....delicious!!
A good performance by India at Mohali! And what a crazy game at Johannesburg!! How in the world did a team fail to defend 434???
A sad performance by the Australian bowlers had my room mates jumping with joy! It seems a universal thing - this dislike for the Australian side!
"They play rough!!"
"They sledge!!"
....
....
"They win all the time!!" (That's what they are supposed to do, isn't it?!!!)
Well anyways they remain my favourite team after India of course...
Moving on to the blog title...probably the longest break between posts...wrote a few but never posted...a lot has happened...some really good moments, some ordinary moments...a bit of deja-vu actually...Some emotional upheaval as well...but all that is in the past now...I am settled again!
Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear
And I can't help but ask myself how much I'll let the fear take the wheel and steer.
It's driven me before, and it seems to have a vague, haunting mass appeal.
But lately I'm beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel
[Incubus - "Drive"]
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Tagged I was
Tag, the blog equivalent of a forward mail :))
Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.
Radmila
Riri
SEV
Anita
Siddharth
Next select five people to tag
I don't have that many people in the list, besides most have either done it or don't want to do it!
What were you doing 10 years ago?
Playing cricket under the sun, or maybe playing Table tennis, or maybe playing Soccer, or maybe...well playing!
What were you doing 1 year ago?
Working :(
Five snacks you enjoy
Dry Fruits
Chocolates/Ice-creams
Aloo Tikki/ Bhel Puri, etc
French Fries
Basically I like all the junk food...
Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
I remember them for a while then I forget them, but can always sing along...
Time - Pink Floyd
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Take It Easy - Eagles
Fade to Black - Metallica
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Summer of 69 :)) (just had to write this...)
Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Travel to the moon (assuming I have 999 Million Dollars)
Travel to Antarctica (assuming I have a lot less)
Buy a Ferrari 355 and a Koenigsegg CCR :)
Buy lots of Gadgets
Build lots of schools and hospitals...
Five bad habits:
5? I would have to think and think and think.... :)
Procrastination
Not backing myself enough
Sending cold vibes when I don't really intend to
Short attention span
Finicky abt the food
Five things you like doing:
Music
Sports (more watching than playing these days)
Reading
Meeting friends
Sleeping...since I am doing very little of this these days...
Five things you would never wear again:
Clothes that don't fit
Five favorite toys:
Had lots of cars
Lego Bricks
Train with all the frills of stations, linemen,etc
Plot 4 / Connect 4
Chess
There done with it! Was nice remembering my childhood toys...Lego - unfortunately the company is not doing too well in this age of Xboxes and Play stations...but nothing beats the satisfaction of building that "ultimate" car or that "beautiful" house...
Some one once told me that their technic series has now got parts with chips...man I want to buy it again!!!
Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.
Radmila
Riri
SEV
Anita
Siddharth
Next select five people to tag
I don't have that many people in the list, besides most have either done it or don't want to do it!
What were you doing 10 years ago?
Playing cricket under the sun, or maybe playing Table tennis, or maybe playing Soccer, or maybe...well playing!
What were you doing 1 year ago?
Working :(
Five snacks you enjoy
Dry Fruits
Chocolates/Ice-creams
Aloo Tikki/ Bhel Puri, etc
French Fries
Basically I like all the junk food...
Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
I remember them for a while then I forget them, but can always sing along...
Time - Pink Floyd
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Take It Easy - Eagles
Fade to Black - Metallica
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Summer of 69 :)) (just had to write this...)
Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Travel to the moon (assuming I have 999 Million Dollars)
Travel to Antarctica (assuming I have a lot less)
Buy a Ferrari 355 and a Koenigsegg CCR :)
Buy lots of Gadgets
Build lots of schools and hospitals...
Five bad habits:
5? I would have to think and think and think.... :)
Procrastination
Not backing myself enough
Sending cold vibes when I don't really intend to
Short attention span
Finicky abt the food
Five things you like doing:
Music
Sports (more watching than playing these days)
Reading
Meeting friends
Sleeping...since I am doing very little of this these days...
Five things you would never wear again:
Clothes that don't fit
Five favorite toys:
Had lots of cars
Lego Bricks
Train with all the frills of stations, linemen,etc
Plot 4 / Connect 4
Chess
There done with it! Was nice remembering my childhood toys...Lego - unfortunately the company is not doing too well in this age of Xboxes and Play stations...but nothing beats the satisfaction of building that "ultimate" car or that "beautiful" house...
Some one once told me that their technic series has now got parts with chips...man I want to buy it again!!!
Saturday, February 18, 2006
World Public Opinion
Stumbled upon this site: World Public Opinion . Its a webzine of sorts started by Program on International Policy Attitudes to provide (in their own words) - a source of in-depth information and analysis on public opinion from around the world on international issues.
Its an interesting concept...as long as the methodology of the surveys are proper...another way of seeing whether the government of the countries are really representing the people...
The site has plenty of simple surveys and their analysis...there were a few that caught my eye...
The first one was the analysis of a BBC World poll on the way people saw the influence of various countries across the globe...
This is what PIPA has to say abt the survey :-
"The poll of 39,435 people was conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. The 33-nation fieldwork was coordinated by GlobeScan and completed between October 2005 and January 2006. "
Reading the opinion on India was interesting...the traditionally friendly countries were all positive (the former Soviet Bloc and the African countries). Among the most influential countries of today...the verdict was almost balance, except for France...hardly surprising since they dont seem to like anyone except maybe the UK...:)
Needless to say that Iran and the US found themselves at the bottom of the pile. The analysis can be found here
The other interesting opinion poll was on what the citizens of the western countries thought of the cartoon controversy...and the results were very balanced...just as I thought...the cartoons were provocative and needless, but ultimately the press has the right to publish relevant content...even if controversial...
It can be read here
In related news a small situation developed in Hyderabad yesterday...the recipe for a perfect communal riot...
Muslim youths coming out of Makkah Masjid(near Charminar) took out a rally without police permission. Holding green flags and shouting slogans hundreds of youth marched towards the Charminar.Policemen deployed at the Charminar allowed agitators to continue their protest.When they reached Gulzar Houz, a busy commercial area, some protesters allegedly threw stones and attacked shops belonging to the Hindus. One car was damaged and a two-wheeler was set ablaze. BJP seized the opportunity and decided to take out a rally of their own seeking against the culprits...how could they let go of such a golden opportunity??
Incidents of violence were then reported from various parts of the city, including a place not very far from where we live...
Thankfully nothing happened, except us getting a mail from the HR to leave earlier than usual...5 PM for some 10 PM for others...(sigh)
Its an interesting concept...as long as the methodology of the surveys are proper...another way of seeing whether the government of the countries are really representing the people...
The site has plenty of simple surveys and their analysis...there were a few that caught my eye...
The first one was the analysis of a BBC World poll on the way people saw the influence of various countries across the globe...
This is what PIPA has to say abt the survey :-
"The poll of 39,435 people was conducted for the BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. The 33-nation fieldwork was coordinated by GlobeScan and completed between October 2005 and January 2006. "
Reading the opinion on India was interesting...the traditionally friendly countries were all positive (the former Soviet Bloc and the African countries). Among the most influential countries of today...the verdict was almost balance, except for France...hardly surprising since they dont seem to like anyone except maybe the UK...:)Needless to say that Iran and the US found themselves at the bottom of the pile. The analysis can be found here
The other interesting opinion poll was on what the citizens of the western countries thought of the cartoon controversy...and the results were very balanced...just as I thought...the cartoons were provocative and needless, but ultimately the press has the right to publish relevant content...even if controversial...
It can be read here
In related news a small situation developed in Hyderabad yesterday...the recipe for a perfect communal riot...
Muslim youths coming out of Makkah Masjid(near Charminar) took out a rally without police permission. Holding green flags and shouting slogans hundreds of youth marched towards the Charminar.Policemen deployed at the Charminar allowed agitators to continue their protest.When they reached Gulzar Houz, a busy commercial area, some protesters allegedly threw stones and attacked shops belonging to the Hindus. One car was damaged and a two-wheeler was set ablaze. BJP seized the opportunity and decided to take out a rally of their own seeking against the culprits...how could they let go of such a golden opportunity??
Incidents of violence were then reported from various parts of the city, including a place not very far from where we live...
Thankfully nothing happened, except us getting a mail from the HR to leave earlier than usual...5 PM for some 10 PM for others...(sigh)
Monday, February 13, 2006
Crossroads
Opportunity has been kind to me and has come knocking on my door a second time...a couple of years back when I was in a similar position I think in my over enthusiasm I scared it away...
Would this time be any different? Would it let itself in? Would I be able to break this monotonous grind? Would life take a happy twist?
Dekhte hain Hum Log!!
I don't know how it got into my head, but the tune of Ironic has been playing over and over in my head since morning...and its beginning to annoy me now...
"Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out
When you think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up in your face..."
[Ironic by Alanis Morissette]
Nope doesn't help!!!
Would this time be any different? Would it let itself in? Would I be able to break this monotonous grind? Would life take a happy twist?
Dekhte hain Hum Log!!
I don't know how it got into my head, but the tune of Ironic has been playing over and over in my head since morning...and its beginning to annoy me now...
"Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out
When you think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up in your face..."
[Ironic by Alanis Morissette]
Nope doesn't help!!!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Freedom...
The battle between Freedom of Expression and Religious Sensitivities has spilled onto the streets...it was only a matter of time really. Even though I have been following this news for a while(thanx to my over dependence on Google News)I am unable to decide where my loyalties should lie...I am referring to the publication of caricatures of the Prophet in a Danish newspaper in Sept 2005. The motives behind the original publication are definitely questionable, but was republication of the caricatures by the media across the world wrong?
A bit of History first...The Danish daily 'Jyllands-Posten' on 30 September last year printed twelve cartoons of the Prophet. The editor of the "conservative" daily had asked Danish cartoonist to draw Mohammed with the intention of "testing" what kind of reactions this would provoke. He wanted to find out whether the rather large number of Muslim immigrants to Denmark were influencing the limits of freedom of expression in the Nordic kingdom...and for them the reaction proves their case...but the test case itself is flawed...to me it seems as sheer provocation...secularism(an argument often cited in favour of the publication) means detachment of the state with religions, not picking on religions...
On the other hand the threat of violence against the nationals of Denmark(burning of the Danish Embassy has since taken place in Syria) is even more silly...its like hitting the axe on your feet...it just make the community seem more violent and less tolerant...I think it all stems from the lack of effective leadership - Leadership that is more busy in building wealth for itself rather than addressing the issues of the people...this has allowed right wing groups to get support as they promise to be the voice of the people...and have themselves emerged from ordinary families...Arab governments seem to have taken the cartoons so seriously because they were afraid of being outflanked by such groups.
A number of Arab countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Denmark and Norway, which was the first European country to reprint the cartoons, also the goods from these countries are being boycotted...I wonder how long it will last...oil will not remain at $60 forever...
This is unlikely to be the last issue between the West and the Middle East or even more broadly between West and the followers of Islam...that this incident has widened the divisions is hardly under doubt.
So coming back to where my loyalties should lie...as with any freedom, the freedom of expression carries responsibilities with it. It should not seek to create conflict. It is important that we respect other persons' beliefs. But ultimately the threat of violence is no way to carry a debate...
Read an article in a Norwegian daily that ended with raising a few questions...Are some of us abusing the freedom of expression to publish statements that are meant to provoke conflicts? Are some of us abusing this freedom to get cheap publicity? Is a relatively new religious minority in its right when demanding limits to freedom in its new host country? Can Muslims dictate others on their religious taboos? Can non-Muslims dictate Muslims on religious taboos? Do we want to let religious fundamentalists dictate our political agenda?
The article can be read at the Afrol's website
But let me warn you abt the blind me yellow background that they have used...who chooses these color schemes anyways...:)
7th Feb Update : The GoI meddling with the issue and asking the Danish government to seek an apology from the newspaper has helped me make up my mind ;)
10th Feb Update : An Egyptian Newspaper('Al Fagr') apparently published the caricatures in Oct itself...to show its displeasure...they didn't evoke any trouble then...now why doesn't that surprise me...
A bit of History first...The Danish daily 'Jyllands-Posten' on 30 September last year printed twelve cartoons of the Prophet. The editor of the "conservative" daily had asked Danish cartoonist to draw Mohammed with the intention of "testing" what kind of reactions this would provoke. He wanted to find out whether the rather large number of Muslim immigrants to Denmark were influencing the limits of freedom of expression in the Nordic kingdom...and for them the reaction proves their case...but the test case itself is flawed...to me it seems as sheer provocation...secularism(an argument often cited in favour of the publication) means detachment of the state with religions, not picking on religions...
On the other hand the threat of violence against the nationals of Denmark(burning of the Danish Embassy has since taken place in Syria) is even more silly...its like hitting the axe on your feet...it just make the community seem more violent and less tolerant...I think it all stems from the lack of effective leadership - Leadership that is more busy in building wealth for itself rather than addressing the issues of the people...this has allowed right wing groups to get support as they promise to be the voice of the people...and have themselves emerged from ordinary families...Arab governments seem to have taken the cartoons so seriously because they were afraid of being outflanked by such groups.
A number of Arab countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Denmark and Norway, which was the first European country to reprint the cartoons, also the goods from these countries are being boycotted...I wonder how long it will last...oil will not remain at $60 forever...
This is unlikely to be the last issue between the West and the Middle East or even more broadly between West and the followers of Islam...that this incident has widened the divisions is hardly under doubt.
So coming back to where my loyalties should lie...as with any freedom, the freedom of expression carries responsibilities with it. It should not seek to create conflict. It is important that we respect other persons' beliefs. But ultimately the threat of violence is no way to carry a debate...
Read an article in a Norwegian daily that ended with raising a few questions...Are some of us abusing the freedom of expression to publish statements that are meant to provoke conflicts? Are some of us abusing this freedom to get cheap publicity? Is a relatively new religious minority in its right when demanding limits to freedom in its new host country? Can Muslims dictate others on their religious taboos? Can non-Muslims dictate Muslims on religious taboos? Do we want to let religious fundamentalists dictate our political agenda?
The article can be read at the Afrol's website
But let me warn you abt the blind me yellow background that they have used...who chooses these color schemes anyways...:)
7th Feb Update : The GoI meddling with the issue and asking the Danish government to seek an apology from the newspaper has helped me make up my mind ;)
10th Feb Update : An Egyptian Newspaper('Al Fagr') apparently published the caricatures in Oct itself...to show its displeasure...they didn't evoke any trouble then...now why doesn't that surprise me...
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
IE7 and Google
Internet Explorer 7 Beta Preview is here...I wish I could install it on my system here and play around with it :)...but its not stable and I will have to do a lot of explaining if it crashes the system...:(
So MS is playing catch up and copy up(as they always do). It seems that MS has basically added features that the people cited as reasons for shifting away from IE in the first place...so we have tabbed browsing, rss reader, better search facility and a zoom option...a couple of add ons include the new printing capability and of course better security(add on?).
The logic is simple...people are unlikely to shift to another browser if their standard(read inbuilt) browser keeps them reasonably satisfied...so IE is unlikely to lose its market share any further once IE7 comes up...it might infact regain a few lost users...which means that Firefox and Opera have to work even more on innovation(which will be swiftly copied of course)
The preview version is aimed at developers and tech enthusiasts; a more stable version for the general public is likely to follow soon...the preview version can be downloaded from the official IE Site . The sad part is that it is not available for all platforms...
Google has been caught up in yet another controversy...just days after resisting U.S. Department of Justice's request for examining millions of online search records (for which it has been taken to court), it is under fire again for its agreement to launch a Chinese version of its search engine censoring some of its services in keeping with Beijing's restrictions on free speech. Ironic I think...
So MS is playing catch up and copy up(as they always do). It seems that MS has basically added features that the people cited as reasons for shifting away from IE in the first place...so we have tabbed browsing, rss reader, better search facility and a zoom option...a couple of add ons include the new printing capability and of course better security(add on?).
The logic is simple...people are unlikely to shift to another browser if their standard(read inbuilt) browser keeps them reasonably satisfied...so IE is unlikely to lose its market share any further once IE7 comes up...it might infact regain a few lost users...which means that Firefox and Opera have to work even more on innovation(which will be swiftly copied of course)
The preview version is aimed at developers and tech enthusiasts; a more stable version for the general public is likely to follow soon...the preview version can be downloaded from the official IE Site . The sad part is that it is not available for all platforms...
Google has been caught up in yet another controversy...just days after resisting U.S. Department of Justice's request for examining millions of online search records (for which it has been taken to court), it is under fire again for its agreement to launch a Chinese version of its search engine censoring some of its services in keeping with Beijing's restrictions on free speech. Ironic I think...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
"Some say it has come a bit late, but I have never worked for awards"
Makes me wanna say "Humbug!!!"
Such statements can be heard every time the nation goes about recognizing the efforts of its citizens...some bluntly say that the recognition is late, some are more tacky and say that while my family/friends/neighbours/chowkidar/paan waala think that its late, I think its an honour...then there are those who say I refuse to take the award as the government has failed to provide me tickets at concession to travel abroad or on account of some more serious principle.
Just accept the award with humility as some of the others do even if you don't value it...or if you genuinely don't want to be associated with the government then do so quietly...just stop blowing your own trumpet for once...
Such statements can be heard every time the nation goes about recognizing the efforts of its citizens...some bluntly say that the recognition is late, some are more tacky and say that while my family/friends/neighbours/chowkidar/paan waala think that its late, I think its an honour...then there are those who say I refuse to take the award as the government has failed to provide me tickets at concession to travel abroad or on account of some more serious principle.
Just accept the award with humility as some of the others do even if you don't value it...or if you genuinely don't want to be associated with the government then do so quietly...just stop blowing your own trumpet for once...
Thursday, January 26, 2006
RDB - II
First Day, First Show...tickets bought at three times the price...but it was well worth it...awesome experience!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Symbolism
"It is with in my rights to sit while the national anthem is playing...what's the big deal anyways!!"
"But it's your duty to stand in respect!"
Reminds me of the many discussions I had on similar lines in DSchool(where else) while in college - what is the point of having a parade that costs millions and means nothing...should one be allowed to wear a dress designed to look like the national flag but actually doesn't measure up(dimensions for example, or swim suits?). Should one be allowed to burn the national flag in protest?
I think it's all symbolic. The flag, the anthem, the constitution are symbols; symbols of our national spirit; something that the citizens can associate with; another way of defining nationality.
Do we really need to bother about them? It's just like asking a devout Hindu the point of worshipping an idol when god is free of form...and he will tell you that the idol is just a representation meant to - help him grasp the enormity of the idea, to help him channelize his thoughts...
Coming back to college discussions, the most interesting was about the burning of the flag...freedom of expression or vandalism? We never reached any consensus...as was generally the case with all our discussions...:) A more funny discussion was about clothes designed as flags...a female friend was very strongly in favor of it being allowed...when my friend Shehzaad quietly asked if she was comfortable with the idea of a Pakistani wearing swimming trunks with the tricolor...it was nice to see her switch to our side...:))
Man, do I miss those heated discussions or what...good old college days...(sigh!)
"Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times..."
[High Hopes by Pink Floyd]
"But it's your duty to stand in respect!"
Reminds me of the many discussions I had on similar lines in DSchool(where else) while in college - what is the point of having a parade that costs millions and means nothing...should one be allowed to wear a dress designed to look like the national flag but actually doesn't measure up(dimensions for example, or swim suits?). Should one be allowed to burn the national flag in protest?
I think it's all symbolic. The flag, the anthem, the constitution are symbols; symbols of our national spirit; something that the citizens can associate with; another way of defining nationality.
Do we really need to bother about them? It's just like asking a devout Hindu the point of worshipping an idol when god is free of form...and he will tell you that the idol is just a representation meant to - help him grasp the enormity of the idea, to help him channelize his thoughts...
Coming back to college discussions, the most interesting was about the burning of the flag...freedom of expression or vandalism? We never reached any consensus...as was generally the case with all our discussions...:) A more funny discussion was about clothes designed as flags...a female friend was very strongly in favor of it being allowed...when my friend Shehzaad quietly asked if she was comfortable with the idea of a Pakistani wearing swimming trunks with the tricolor...it was nice to see her switch to our side...:))
Man, do I miss those heated discussions or what...good old college days...(sigh!)
"Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times..."
[High Hopes by Pink Floyd]
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