I'm now in Big Apple.
The move from Houston, TX to NY happened very fast over the last few weeks. Obviously the reasons of the move can be summed up in one single quintessential word: professional-->I joined a new company hence a new assignment and hence a new location (the fact of the matter is presently I have 2 offices, the office of my employer and the office of my client)----the true portrait of a H1b holding consultant.
Life here at NY/NJ is much more hectic, chaotic, demanding than what I have experienced in my last few years in USA; the initial weeks went by just to absorb the turnaround and fit into the mould of this randomness.
Hope I will be able to keep this blog more updated now that I'm a bit more settled.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Group 'Smart'
Groupsmart--I believe sooner or later this new phrase is going to be included in the dictionaries available. And believe me its way different from being streetsmart or booksmart. As per research, the average IQ of any professional group doesnt matter much as long there is a smart person in the group with a high IQ. The effectiveness of a group can be foretold if you know the IQ of the smartest person in the room.
Wow. Thats mind boggling. Does that mean having a smart kid amongst a bunch of not-so-smarts will make the entire group perform well??? May be Yes. Apparently, the answer depends on the difference in the degree of 'sharpness' between the smart one and the 'others' in a group or team. Too much of difference in smartness between the team members may actually result in ruining of the team spirit and hence the expected results due to internal rivalries, lack of appreciation and motivation (e.g. smartness not getting recognized).
So smartness in a group is antithesis to social skills in a group. As per the research again, it helps if every one in a group has some degree of social skills rather than one person being the eager-beaver as he/she might not be the smartest person in the group to take over the activities of the team. Makes sense!
Then why do we need a group?? Why cannot a genuis get it done all?? Well because the nature and volume of the work involved to complete any decent project (creating a picket fence or making a military anti-missile system) requires a variety of skillsets and not just a smart brain. However those teams will definitely have more chances to success that has atleast one very smart person. It is the person with the highest IQ who helps the group succeed.
Can we safely conclude thus that though individual brilliance (the substance of writers like Ayn Rand) is not dead, yet it pays to blend in smartness with social skills so that balanced teams can complete projects in less time with less defects??!!
Wow. Thats mind boggling. Does that mean having a smart kid amongst a bunch of not-so-smarts will make the entire group perform well??? May be Yes. Apparently, the answer depends on the difference in the degree of 'sharpness' between the smart one and the 'others' in a group or team. Too much of difference in smartness between the team members may actually result in ruining of the team spirit and hence the expected results due to internal rivalries, lack of appreciation and motivation (e.g. smartness not getting recognized).
So smartness in a group is antithesis to social skills in a group. As per the research again, it helps if every one in a group has some degree of social skills rather than one person being the eager-beaver as he/she might not be the smartest person in the group to take over the activities of the team. Makes sense!
Then why do we need a group?? Why cannot a genuis get it done all?? Well because the nature and volume of the work involved to complete any decent project (creating a picket fence or making a military anti-missile system) requires a variety of skillsets and not just a smart brain. However those teams will definitely have more chances to success that has atleast one very smart person. It is the person with the highest IQ who helps the group succeed.
Can we safely conclude thus that though individual brilliance (the substance of writers like Ayn Rand) is not dead, yet it pays to blend in smartness with social skills so that balanced teams can complete projects in less time with less defects??!!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Questions To Ask Before You Decide
Ask yourself all these before you are ready to pack up and go....
- Are you unhappy with your current job, or are you seriously concerned for your (company's) future?? This is keeping in mind that you have successfully aligned your future with that of the present company.
- Have you hit the 'plateau' in the company and the next 'hill' is faraway? (You have evolved so fast that you need new gene pool for getting mutated or you will be a fossil gene soon)
- Are you looking forward to Monday? Or it makes you sick to be underutilized or go un-noticed??
- Is your current resume attracting more attention from recruiters for more meaningful role and position? ?
- Is the work culture at your company making you feel 'happy' or 'crappy'? ?
- Are you getting what you deserve or you are overpaid?? (In either case, change may be necessary for justifying your poor soul)
- Are you ready to give the old job a chance ? (Give 1 more try)
inspired by an email from my friend Kripal
Monday, September 11, 2006
AMEX sucks
AMEX SUCKS big time.
After 3 years of continuous use of AMEX, I was really amazed at the way they handled a 'change of address and phonenumber' issue; by putting all my credit cards to hold on financial review. Apparently they got ticked of as I was purchasing too many airline tickets including one to go to India....I didn't understand the issue as all the cards was paid up-to-date and the travel was mainly professional.I did what I could do. I paid off the debts and cancelled both the cards....thats my way of saying NO to the nuisance that's AMEX.
After 3 years of continuous use of AMEX, I was really amazed at the way they handled a 'change of address and phonenumber' issue; by putting all my credit cards to hold on financial review. Apparently they got ticked of as I was purchasing too many airline tickets including one to go to India....I didn't understand the issue as all the cards was paid up-to-date and the travel was mainly professional.I did what I could do. I paid off the debts and cancelled both the cards....thats my way of saying NO to the nuisance that's AMEX.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Lets Vote!!
What's better or What's bitter??
Working in a good company under a bad boss or Working in a bad company with a good boss.
This has been a question which I think have plagued all professionals at one point or the other during their tenure at any particular gig.
GE's Jack Welch think its always prudent to work for a good company with a bad boss as the company by virtue of being good will weed out the bad boss....well is it always true in the corporate world??
Waiting for the replies.....
Working in a good company under a bad boss or Working in a bad company with a good boss.
This has been a question which I think have plagued all professionals at one point or the other during their tenure at any particular gig.
GE's Jack Welch think its always prudent to work for a good company with a bad boss as the company by virtue of being good will weed out the bad boss....well is it always true in the corporate world??
Waiting for the replies.....
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The Ethanol Myth
Ethanol is a clean-burning (reduces CO2 emissions), renewable, fuel mix made from fermented agricultural products such as corn.It does not even require alteration of your car engine. And since it is not derived from fossil fuel it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eventually reduce America's dependence on Middle Eastern gas reserves (hence no warfares) . So ethanol is the choice for tomorrow. However it seems that few important facts are being purposefully missed here in the craze for eaze fuel.
Fact #1 It takes fuel to convert corn to ethanol. An acre of U.S. corn can be processed into about 328 gallons of ethanol. However planting, growing and harvesting so much of corn requires about 140 gallons of fossil fuels and costs $347 per acre (as per Stanford University research) and then there is the energy expense for distallation cycles to make it ready to be mixed with fossil fuel (http://pangea.stanford.edu/ESYS/Energy%20seminars/patzek_ethanol.pdf#search=%22corn%20and%20ethanol%22).
Fact#2 The drive to produce food-based biofuels is anachronistic; even if all US corn and soybeans were used, it would meet only 11 percent of gasoline demand and about 9 percent of diesel demand. So in order to satisfy few million motorists, the grocery bill will go up for all of America. .
Fact#3 Believing that corn is the answer to the great American craving for food and speedier cars and bikes unsurprisingly can spell economic disaster when the food export volumes would go down too. And more and more land would be devoted to corn rather than other crops which eventually might need to be imported resulting in a agricultural trade deficit.
Hope the scientists/industrialists will soon find something so that the choice never boils down to food vs fuel.
Fact #1 It takes fuel to convert corn to ethanol. An acre of U.S. corn can be processed into about 328 gallons of ethanol. However planting, growing and harvesting so much of corn requires about 140 gallons of fossil fuels and costs $347 per acre (as per Stanford University research) and then there is the energy expense for distallation cycles to make it ready to be mixed with fossil fuel (http://pangea.stanford.edu/ESYS/Energy%20seminars/patzek_ethanol.pdf#search=%22corn%20and%20ethanol%22).
Fact#2 The drive to produce food-based biofuels is anachronistic; even if all US corn and soybeans were used, it would meet only 11 percent of gasoline demand and about 9 percent of diesel demand. So in order to satisfy few million motorists, the grocery bill will go up for all of America. .
Fact#3 Believing that corn is the answer to the great American craving for food and speedier cars and bikes unsurprisingly can spell economic disaster when the food export volumes would go down too. And more and more land would be devoted to corn rather than other crops which eventually might need to be imported resulting in a agricultural trade deficit.
Hope the scientists/industrialists will soon find something so that the choice never boils down to food vs fuel.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
New planets beyond the horizon
Q: How many planets are there in our solar system?
Ans: 9
Q: Which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Ans: Pluto
Both the above answers can get you negative marking in your IQ tests soon; 2500 active member of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) from 75 different countries are meeting at Prague to plausibly update both these time tested answers. They are also supposed to redefine the word 'Planet'.
According to most members, cold ice wrapped Pluto is not a planet because of it miniscule size. However they want Pluto to be a planet just because its known as a planet for so long. And they want to increase the number of planets in the solar system to 12 (including an asteroid called 'Ceres', pluto's moon called 'Charon' and a newly discovered object 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena). As soon as these amedments will be voted by IAU members, textbooks and charts in thousands of classrooms will go out of date.
Beside this 12, there are at least 12 more solar system objects waiting in the wings to be invited in the planethood; according to new definition a planet is that an object massive enough to create gravity which has transformed it into a sphere and that it circles a star and not some other planet.
The new order listed in order of their proximity to the sun would be Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon and the provisionally named 2003 UB313.
Ans: 9
Q: Which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Ans: Pluto
Both the above answers can get you negative marking in your IQ tests soon; 2500 active member of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) from 75 different countries are meeting at Prague to plausibly update both these time tested answers. They are also supposed to redefine the word 'Planet'.
According to most members, cold ice wrapped Pluto is not a planet because of it miniscule size. However they want Pluto to be a planet just because its known as a planet for so long. And they want to increase the number of planets in the solar system to 12 (including an asteroid called 'Ceres', pluto's moon called 'Charon' and a newly discovered object 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena). As soon as these amedments will be voted by IAU members, textbooks and charts in thousands of classrooms will go out of date.
Beside this 12, there are at least 12 more solar system objects waiting in the wings to be invited in the planethood; according to new definition a planet is that an object massive enough to create gravity which has transformed it into a sphere and that it circles a star and not some other planet.
The new order listed in order of their proximity to the sun would be Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon and the provisionally named 2003 UB313.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Fair or Tanned??
Indian womens' obsession with fair and lovely still continues and so does the attachment of Western (white) women to tanning beds and lotions.
Increasing public criticism over years has definitely fostered change in cultural attitudes towards whitening of skin in India, a country where the fairness industry accounts for 60% of skincare sales, about $140 million a year (2003 estimates). However the Indian matrimonial ads still reflect the 'inner desire' ; the "grooms" and "brides wanted" sections for arranged marriages highlight the country's obsession with appropriate religion, caste, professional qualifications, and more frequently, skin color.On the contrary, if you ask the Indian urban men, more often than all they would still like to go for a Kajol or Halle Berry who definitely are not fair.
This obsession of the Indian women tribe can be very well compared with the desire of the Western women to get tanned. Their quest for the golden brown hue has given rise to uncountable number of indoor tanning solutions. Check out what these tanning beds can do to your skin.
Weather and climate conditions the skin color than anything else but it seems no one is satisified with what has been provided by nature.The attempt to use fairness lotion or a tanning bed, both of which can be harmful to the skin in the long term continues unabated.
Increasing public criticism over years has definitely fostered change in cultural attitudes towards whitening of skin in India, a country where the fairness industry accounts for 60% of skincare sales, about $140 million a year (2003 estimates). However the Indian matrimonial ads still reflect the 'inner desire' ; the "grooms" and "brides wanted" sections for arranged marriages highlight the country's obsession with appropriate religion, caste, professional qualifications, and more frequently, skin color.On the contrary, if you ask the Indian urban men, more often than all they would still like to go for a Kajol or Halle Berry who definitely are not fair.
This obsession of the Indian women tribe can be very well compared with the desire of the Western women to get tanned. Their quest for the golden brown hue has given rise to uncountable number of indoor tanning solutions. Check out what these tanning beds can do to your skin.
Weather and climate conditions the skin color than anything else but it seems no one is satisified with what has been provided by nature.The attempt to use fairness lotion or a tanning bed, both of which can be harmful to the skin in the long term continues unabated.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
ATM,SIM and TV
Its been more than a month now...hence there is a lot to catch up.....office work sucked most of the usable time during this interval with UAT being underway. Also proposals are being worked around new prospective clients in the pipeline (spending toomuch time with sales guys??) and I am actively working on them too.
Other glaring news were the disappearance of my ATM card in to the hungry belly of the Teller machine located in-situ at the office; sudden blanking out of the Cingular SIM card in my cell phone leaving me in utter desperation as I could not make or receive any calls; and watching the World Cup Soccer on my new Toshiba 34" LCD flat screen, wall hanging Television receiver.
The ATM card just disappeared into the teller machines card slot without any warning messages and First National Bank of Fort Smith returned it over normal USPS mail (boos to the security) only after 4 days without any explanation and 2 follow up calls from me. I am seriously considering terminating the account there asap.
The Cingular SIM card suddenly ran out of juice on a Sunday evening. And I had to get the card replaced from the dealer next day early morning (free of cost, thats good service though the blanking out was unexplained)
And the TV just takes up so much of my time now in the evening, that I am planning to put it off hook so that I can concentrate on reading/writing more. Back to basics.
Other glaring news were the disappearance of my ATM card in to the hungry belly of the Teller machine located in-situ at the office; sudden blanking out of the Cingular SIM card in my cell phone leaving me in utter desperation as I could not make or receive any calls; and watching the World Cup Soccer on my new Toshiba 34" LCD flat screen, wall hanging Television receiver.
The ATM card just disappeared into the teller machines card slot without any warning messages and First National Bank of Fort Smith returned it over normal USPS mail (boos to the security) only after 4 days without any explanation and 2 follow up calls from me. I am seriously considering terminating the account there asap.
The Cingular SIM card suddenly ran out of juice on a Sunday evening. And I had to get the card replaced from the dealer next day early morning (free of cost, thats good service though the blanking out was unexplained)
And the TV just takes up so much of my time now in the evening, that I am planning to put it off hook so that I can concentrate on reading/writing more. Back to basics.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Prius and iPod
Prius and iPod--the two latest technology icons thats reshaping our daily life; and believe it or not I have both. However the problem started when I thought of hooking them together in an unceremonial knot. They just don't believe in peaceful coexistence.
The AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD-changer (with nine speakers in seven locations) in Prius 2005 doesn't come with an auxiliary audio jack or MP3/WMA playback capability and that triggers the exploration to find tools/devices that can hook up the ubiquitous iPod to this hybrid car. The options are more than one (check them out) however as per the pundits the best is yet to come. So I believe the options now are to either a. wait and watch for the best or b. spend some good dough to keep these two in the same place.
The AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD-changer (with nine speakers in seven locations) in Prius 2005 doesn't come with an auxiliary audio jack or MP3/WMA playback capability and that triggers the exploration to find tools/devices that can hook up the ubiquitous iPod to this hybrid car. The options are more than one (check them out) however as per the pundits the best is yet to come. So I believe the options now are to either a. wait and watch for the best or b. spend some good dough to keep these two in the same place.
Eazee Indian Cooking in USA: Chapter 3
Based on requests, we are going to cook some Daal. Before we embark on this great journey, let us understand what is daal. Daal is a kind of lentil and the soup made of this lentils/spilt pulsesis also called Daal in India. There are numerous types of Daals, you can find their variety at here. However, if you want to buy it, get it from an Indian grocery like this.
Chapter 3: Masoor Daal
Ingredients:
2 tea cup full of yellow Masoor Daal
1 Red Onion - finely chopped
2 spoons salt.
1 spoon turmeric, ground cumin
1 spoon of finely chopped garlic and green chilli
2 spoons garam masala
2 spoons ground coriander
2 spoons of tomato puree
1 big spoon of butter
2 large spoon fulls of any cooking oil (my preference Olive oil)
6 cups of water (approximate)
Process:
Wash the lentil seed (from now on daal) in fresh water and slow boil them in a deep pot (wok)
Add enough water to cover the daal. Boil the stuff till its mushy.
Fry all the spices with onions in olive oil in a deep skillet.
Add the fried and spiced onions and chillies to the mushy daal
Add some more water and slow boil the stuff with intermittent stirring.
Boil it till you a get a medium thick consistency ( lentils are soft and tender). Add the butter and boil it some more.
How to Serve and Eat:
Eat this daal with basmati rice.
Ahh!
Chapter 3: Masoor Daal
Ingredients:
2 tea cup full of yellow Masoor Daal
1 Red Onion - finely chopped
2 spoons salt.
1 spoon turmeric, ground cumin
1 spoon of finely chopped garlic and green chilli
2 spoons garam masala
2 spoons ground coriander
2 spoons of tomato puree
1 big spoon of butter
2 large spoon fulls of any cooking oil (my preference Olive oil)
6 cups of water (approximate)
Process:
Wash the lentil seed (from now on daal) in fresh water and slow boil them in a deep pot (wok)
Add enough water to cover the daal. Boil the stuff till its mushy.
Fry all the spices with onions in olive oil in a deep skillet.
Add the fried and spiced onions and chillies to the mushy daal
Add some more water and slow boil the stuff with intermittent stirring.
Boil it till you a get a medium thick consistency ( lentils are soft and tender). Add the butter and boil it some more.
How to Serve and Eat:
Eat this daal with basmati rice.
Ahh!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Eazee Indian Cooking in USA: Chapter 2
Since the last one was Non-veg I thought of making this chapter vegetarian; I am just being lazee so the recipe stays the same as Chapter 1, where you replace the chicken with corn (frozen corn is available at Walmart) to make Alu-Chana Corn Mix.
The rest remains the same as Chapter 1.
Sorry if I disappointed you; I would make it up soon with chapter 3.
Happy cooking.
The rest remains the same as Chapter 1.
Sorry if I disappointed you; I would make it up soon with chapter 3.
Happy cooking.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Eazee Indian Cooking in USA: Chapter 1
Indian cooking can be so easy if you know what to use and how to use; so I have taken upon myself the responsbility of satiating the appetite of young, single Indians (H1b holders or otherwise). The first item in our mission is Non Vegetarian (approx cooking time 25 minutes); however you can always avoide using the Chicken (that will save your cooking time too :)). And all the stuff is available at Walmart or at your big local grocery store.
Chapter 1: Alu-Chana Chicken Mix
Ingredients:
1 can of Diced Potato (Alu)
1 packet of fully cooked frozen Diced Chicken (you can use fresh chicken if you have time)
1 can of Chick Peas (Chana)
1 large Red onion (No white onions: they are not for Desis)
1 Green chilli
4 large spoon fulls of any cooking oil (my preference Olive oil)
2 large slices of tomato, 2 spoons of tomato puree, 1 spoon of minced garlic, 1 and half spoons of ginger paste.
Plus 1 spoon each of red chilli powder, garam/curry masala, turmeric powder,cumin seeds;
salt to taste.
Coriander leaves (for garnishing)
Process:
Cut the onions fine.Cut the green chilli into small pieces.
Fry the onions over red heat in a medium deep non stick skillet with olive oil (3 mins)
Add the cumin seeds and fry some more (2 mins)
Add the garlic, ginger and tomato puree.(1 min)
Add the diced potato. Add green chillies.(1 min)
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pinch of salt (1 min)
Add tomato slices (1 min)
Fry on low heat with the chicken pieces (5 mins)
Add all the Chick peas with the juice in the can slowly (2 mins)
Add a small cup of water if you need gravy (optional)
Add Garam Masala/ Curry Masala and cook thoroughly (6 mins)
How to Serve and Eat:
Serve medium hot in a elongated bowl with some coriander leaves for garnish.
Eat with Tortillas or Pita bread.
Let me know your feedback. Bon Appetit
Chapter 1: Alu-Chana Chicken Mix
Ingredients:
1 can of Diced Potato (Alu)
1 packet of fully cooked frozen Diced Chicken (you can use fresh chicken if you have time)
1 can of Chick Peas (Chana)
1 large Red onion (No white onions: they are not for Desis)
1 Green chilli
4 large spoon fulls of any cooking oil (my preference Olive oil)
2 large slices of tomato, 2 spoons of tomato puree, 1 spoon of minced garlic, 1 and half spoons of ginger paste.
Plus 1 spoon each of red chilli powder, garam/curry masala, turmeric powder,cumin seeds;
salt to taste.
Coriander leaves (for garnishing)
Process:
Cut the onions fine.Cut the green chilli into small pieces.
Fry the onions over red heat in a medium deep non stick skillet with olive oil (3 mins)
Add the cumin seeds and fry some more (2 mins)
Add the garlic, ginger and tomato puree.(1 min)
Add the diced potato. Add green chillies.(1 min)
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pinch of salt (1 min)
Add tomato slices (1 min)
Fry on low heat with the chicken pieces (5 mins)
Add all the Chick peas with the juice in the can slowly (2 mins)
Add a small cup of water if you need gravy (optional)
Add Garam Masala/ Curry Masala and cook thoroughly (6 mins)
How to Serve and Eat:
Serve medium hot in a elongated bowl with some coriander leaves for garnish.
Eat with Tortillas or Pita bread.
Let me know your feedback. Bon Appetit
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Being 'Cool'
If being cool means having innovative desktops, then I am quite good at that. Below are few samples on my Windows XP desktop. So is this cool??
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Technically E-Motional
This is the problem with my technical blog articles. No review comments on my last article. However if I write something about life, love, hate, women and other catchy topics the comments flow like confettis in parade. Are all my friends and foes technically challenged? Or may be they don't think me to be worth of writing any technical piece?! :(......anyways I think I am little bit okay with technology or atleast that whats my linkedin profile says. So guys before I write some more about rock climbing trips, or drink parties or office culture, please take time to write comments on my technical articles (technology pays for my bills.... )
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Microsoft Motion Framework
Microsoft Motion Modeling Methodology (M*4) or Microsoft Motion Framework is a newest, coolest but patented knowledge released by Microsoft for its hi-value consulting arm (MCS). Check out this awesome 30 minutes presentation with the director of this program, Ric Merrifield. It is still in the incubation phase, but once you preview it you will know why Iam bullish about its popularity. Supply Chain Management. Customer Relationship Management. Financial Management all rolled into this one, a stunning methodology for building business solutions that can be more easily described, takes better advantage of existing investments in infrastructure, and use service-orientation. Way to Go.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Life and YOU
I took this great online quiz.....after a detailed questionnaire it spits out a more or less detail analysis of the salient points of your life....i scored average of 6.8 with very high percentage in body and finances, but unsurprisingly low on friends/family. H1B holders like me, who are away from their immediate family and have only colleagues to be called as friends, this is inevitable.
They also have statistical data break up of your score. This data enables one to infer some interesting conclusions on our modern consumerist society. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and build on the strengths while trying to improve on the weak spots.
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  6.8 |
| Mind: |  6.3 |
| Body: | 7.3 |
| Spirit: | 5.8 |
| Friends/Family: |  2.6 |
| Love: | 6.9 |
| Finance: |  7.7 |
| Take the Rate My Life Quiz | |
They also have statistical data break up of your score. This data enables one to infer some interesting conclusions on our modern consumerist society. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and build on the strengths while trying to improve on the weak spots.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
'Going' Wireless
Wireless is a method of communication that uses low-powered radio waves to transmit data between devices. The term refers to communication without cables or cords, chiefly using radio frequency and infrared waves. Present buzz in the media is about the future of wireless communication when anyone can communicate with anyone across the globe seamlessly without worrying about wires and connectivities. Nowadays there are softwares that let you access the Internet and send e-mail and instant messages with the omnipresent cell phones (or any device that supports wireless protocols). Jagadish C Bose and Marconi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless), the first successful scientists who transmitted radio waves wirelessly never would have dreamt of such an upsurge. However we are in for more wireless surprizes.
Surprize #1 MIT Media Lab students Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung have designed wireless-enabled wine glasses (actually, big tumblers) so couples can imbibe "together," even when they're geographically apart. When either person picks up a glass, red LEDs on their partner's glass glow gently. And when either puts the glass to their lips, sensors make white LEDs on the rim of the other glass glow brightly, so you can tell when your other half takes a sip (Read the details).
Surprize #2 The government of the world's most 'internet connected' country (if you dont know it, South Korea) is setting its goal to do the same with WiBro--wireless broadband--what it did with wired broadband in just 2 years. They are going the commercial high-speed wireless route in 2006 and hopefully it will fuel the fire in the belly for the most connected nation.
Surprize #3 And then there are companies who give the word wireless a literal perspective .....and force us to change the way we think about 'going' wireless...
Surprize #1 MIT Media Lab students Jackie Lee and Hyemin Chung have designed wireless-enabled wine glasses (actually, big tumblers) so couples can imbibe "together," even when they're geographically apart. When either person picks up a glass, red LEDs on their partner's glass glow gently. And when either puts the glass to their lips, sensors make white LEDs on the rim of the other glass glow brightly, so you can tell when your other half takes a sip (Read the details).
Surprize #2 The government of the world's most 'internet connected' country (if you dont know it, South Korea) is setting its goal to do the same with WiBro--wireless broadband--what it did with wired broadband in just 2 years. They are going the commercial high-speed wireless route in 2006 and hopefully it will fuel the fire in the belly for the most connected nation.
Surprize #3 And then there are companies who give the word wireless a literal perspective .....and force us to change the way we think about 'going' wireless...
Monday, February 27, 2006
India Vs Bharat
The Asian Tiger, India awakening...are few of the phrases I have read so many times in national and international business magazines and heard on prominent news channels . How many times I have listened to discussions on India's strengths of high-quality, low-cost human capital and her greatest constraints — a serious infrastructure deficiency and lagging foreign direct investment. Since the reforms of the early 1990s, India has progessed like anything on the macro-economic front and while India still suffers by comparison with China, it is in better shape with respect to its banking system, active capital markets, and a new generation of indigenous world-class companies and english speaking entrepreneurs and employees.
However what puzzles me is our complete ignorance of the concept of greater Bharat where everything is still the way it was. Illiteracy, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, lack of edible water are some of the lows that still persists amongst the highs of being a nuclear power nation with vast reserves of foreign currency. Dowry system, wife beating, killing of female foetus are signs of the fact that economic development and progress have failed to tame the feudal mentality of a greater chunk of the population; that IT and IT enabled services, that biogenetics and hi end research, that nukes and stealth submarines have not yet produced the dream country. We are 60 years into our independence, and theres definitely a long way to go to make Bharat happening.
However what puzzles me is our complete ignorance of the concept of greater Bharat where everything is still the way it was. Illiteracy, poverty, starvation, malnutrition, lack of edible water are some of the lows that still persists amongst the highs of being a nuclear power nation with vast reserves of foreign currency. Dowry system, wife beating, killing of female foetus are signs of the fact that economic development and progress have failed to tame the feudal mentality of a greater chunk of the population; that IT and IT enabled services, that biogenetics and hi end research, that nukes and stealth submarines have not yet produced the dream country. We are 60 years into our independence, and theres definitely a long way to go to make Bharat happening.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Life @ Fort Smith Ver 2.0
Yesterday I completed one year of my job assignment at this god-forsaken place called Fort Smith; survived successfully the 'real' american apprehensiveness for brown skin and outsourcing which are characteristic features of most 'red' states of southern USA. However all is not bad; learned a lot on the job about handling people and processes, met a few people over the year who are actually progessive thinkers inspite of owning gass guzzling trucks, swearing by Walmart and their love for country music and boots, came in touch with women from different strata of the society (read very poor to aristrocratic) working at casinoes, malls, offices, insurance agencies, hospitals, car dealerships, bars and no-where (many of them share the same bliss of being 'single' for similar reasons: lack of exposure to outside world or overdose of exposure leading to adultery or the inherent southern spirit of not being able to reason to simple compromises in life). All these people, experiences made me more attuned to the truth behind the veil of so called american way of life (in small cities) and appreciate more the values that matter.
The lives of people here at Fort Smith or for that matter any small city in mid south west is so different from the lives of people at NYC, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Sanfransisco, Dallas, Seattle. Lack of economic opportunities, absence of quality education, delayed exposure to world economy, excessive adherence to easy life.....all slow down the growth of such cities where most young kids look up only to the US army or the Walmart for the next job. Its a pity that corporate America is not coming up with new ventures to get this young, bright minds into action. This reminds me that we Indians, inspite of being from a third world country with very limited resources have actually come a long way within 60 years of our independence, taking advantage of the globalization of the economy. I think the middle class value-based bringing up, the hunger for doing something more than just surviving the daily rigmarole, and openmindedness enabled us where we are today. And I believe that only a few young educated people from these small US cities, who have the guts to be different and ability to adapt to changing demands of the economy can brighten the name of their hometowns sometime in the future.
The lives of people here at Fort Smith or for that matter any small city in mid south west is so different from the lives of people at NYC, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Sanfransisco, Dallas, Seattle. Lack of economic opportunities, absence of quality education, delayed exposure to world economy, excessive adherence to easy life.....all slow down the growth of such cities where most young kids look up only to the US army or the Walmart for the next job. Its a pity that corporate America is not coming up with new ventures to get this young, bright minds into action. This reminds me that we Indians, inspite of being from a third world country with very limited resources have actually come a long way within 60 years of our independence, taking advantage of the globalization of the economy. I think the middle class value-based bringing up, the hunger for doing something more than just surviving the daily rigmarole, and openmindedness enabled us where we are today. And I believe that only a few young educated people from these small US cities, who have the guts to be different and ability to adapt to changing demands of the economy can brighten the name of their hometowns sometime in the future.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
'Desi' Home Run; lingo explained
Here is a collection of cool 'desi' definitions for the uninitiated American, who have not yet been 'blessed' with the Indian philosophy :-). Let me know if this helps.
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Desi:A colloquial name for South Asians, people who trace their ancestry to South Asia, especially India, Bangaldesh, Pakistan. Pronounced "THEY-see," it is the Hindi word for "from my country" (from the word 'desh' or country). In an article about the South Asian party scene in the Big Apple, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta described the word as a "Hindi version of homeboy or homegirl" (NYT, 6/30/96: "To Be Young, Indian and Hip"). That's a pretty good definition.
ABCD "American Born Confused Desi" : A slightly derogatory name used to describe desi children who were born and brought up in America and are "confused" about their South Asian background. Read Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri for insights.
Non-resident Indian or NRI: A term coined by bureaucrats in New Delhi to define Indians who live outside India. Indian tax law includes three categories: resident and ordinarily resident; resident and not-ordinarily resident, and non-resident. The first is one who lives in India all the time; the second, one who lives at least 180 days in India, and the third, who lives less than 180 days in India. Also stands for Not-required Indians or Non-reliable Indians.
Asian, Asian American: Be careful of this usage when talking about those of Asian origin (like me). The key is to know is your reference really about all Asians or only about East Asians and/or Southeast Asians!! For example, an American reporter might write about the 'Chinese New Year being important to Asians in the U.S.' South Asians are a part of the Asian American community, and they don't care about Chinese New Year.
Diaspora:The British colonial legacy and large-scale immigration resulted in large number of pockets of people of South Asian origin scattered around the world (besides South Asia, of course). The government of India puts the size of the diaspora at more than 20 million. There are more than 2 million South Asians in the United States, a lot of them married to americans.Is there any statistics of the successes of these marriages?
Bengal, Bengali, Bangali, Bangla: During partition of India, the Indian state of Bengal was divided into two: the mostly hindu state of West Bengal, which went to India, and the mostly muslim country of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. However, political borders are not necessarily cultural borders. Both Bangladeshis and West Bengalis speak the same language of Bengali, though with slightly different accents, and call themselves "Bengalis" or "Bangalis" (never Bangalees.) I am a Bengali Hindu from West Bengal in India: ooh what a legacy.
Hindu, Hinduism: One of the oldest (older than Christianity and Islam) religion practiced by about 80 percent of the population of India. The values and beliefs of Hinduism are not derived from a single text, institution or pontiff but have evolved over several thousand years in the subcontinent into a set of theological and social values embedded in a range of ritual observances, mystical contemplation and ascetic practices by its followers. Although Hinduism is often portrayed to be polytheistic, many scholars consider Hinduism to be henotheistic or monotheistic, the gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus representing manifestations of One Supreme Being. Among the many sacred scriptures and texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (a segment of the epic Mahabharata). Do not confuse Hindu (the religion) with Hindi (a language).
Hindi: The primary language of about 30% of India's people, and one of almost two dozen major languages spoken around the country. It is derived primarily from Sanskrit, using the Devanagari script
Urdu: One of the official languages of Pakistan; also spoken in many parts of India, especially in the North. Also the language used in ballads known as ghazals. Urdu romantic shairis are the life blood of any good desi crowd.
Sanskrit: Indo-Aryan language in which many ancient Indian texts are written (Vedas); also used by Hindu clergy for recitation of most prayers.
qawaali or qawwali: (not capitalized) Devotional songs of the Sufi tradition of Islam. In the style popularized by the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this old tradition has been sped up and blended with Western instruments.
Bhangra: Dance and music style originating in the Indian state of Punjab. Now often refers to a blend of western pop and traditional Punjabi music when performed in the West.Check out LA for regular Bhangra sessions.balle balle.
Mehndi: The traditional Indian and diaspora art of intricate hand and body decoration using dyes from the henna plant. Used mainly by brides during marriage ceremonies, it is now becoming popular as an exotic decoration and a non-permanent "tattoo." In recent years, mehndi has gained attention in the West as a result of its use by Madonna and Gwen Stefani. They have also popularized the 'Bindi', a hindi name for the decoration worn on the forehead by many women of South Asian origin.Contrary to popular perception, the bindi does not necessarily indicate the marital status of a woman. It can be applied as a turmeric-based powder or a quick-drying liquid, but many contemporary women prefer to use "stick-on" bindis that have a weak adhesive on the back.
Chai: Hot/Iced/Frozen tea served with milk, spices and sweeteners. Most of coffee shops in USA think that the trendiest beverage is neither espresso nor cappuccino, but chai. Rooted in the tea-drinking traditions of India, chai is suddenly the hottest sip in America.Note: The "ch" is pronounced as in "check." The vowel rhymes with "eye."
Cashmere: Fine wool from the undercoat of the Kashmir/cashmere goat. While mistakenly applied to all kinds of soft wool, only the wool from this goat is true cashmere. The wool, known as pashmina, is popular for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in the Indian state of Kashmir (now China does too).
Diwali, Deepavali: One of the most festive holidays observed by Hindus, its overall theme is celebration of the triumph of good and truth over evil, symbolized by the lighting of fireworks and clay lamps at night. Diwali occurs during late autumn (late October/early November) and is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India to signify different local customs and religious traditions. Although it is celebrated among many north Indians and the diaspora as the start of the new year, Diwali should not be referred to as the 'South Asian new year', 'Indian new year', or the 'Hindu new year'. No such event exists.
____________________________________________________________
Desi:A colloquial name for South Asians, people who trace their ancestry to South Asia, especially India, Bangaldesh, Pakistan. Pronounced "THEY-see," it is the Hindi word for "from my country" (from the word 'desh' or country). In an article about the South Asian party scene in the Big Apple, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta described the word as a "Hindi version of homeboy or homegirl" (NYT, 6/30/96: "To Be Young, Indian and Hip"). That's a pretty good definition.
ABCD "American Born Confused Desi" : A slightly derogatory name used to describe desi children who were born and brought up in America and are "confused" about their South Asian background. Read Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri for insights.
Non-resident Indian or NRI: A term coined by bureaucrats in New Delhi to define Indians who live outside India. Indian tax law includes three categories: resident and ordinarily resident; resident and not-ordinarily resident, and non-resident. The first is one who lives in India all the time; the second, one who lives at least 180 days in India, and the third, who lives less than 180 days in India. Also stands for Not-required Indians or Non-reliable Indians.
Asian, Asian American: Be careful of this usage when talking about those of Asian origin (like me). The key is to know is your reference really about all Asians or only about East Asians and/or Southeast Asians!! For example, an American reporter might write about the 'Chinese New Year being important to Asians in the U.S.' South Asians are a part of the Asian American community, and they don't care about Chinese New Year.
Diaspora:The British colonial legacy and large-scale immigration resulted in large number of pockets of people of South Asian origin scattered around the world (besides South Asia, of course). The government of India puts the size of the diaspora at more than 20 million. There are more than 2 million South Asians in the United States, a lot of them married to americans.Is there any statistics of the successes of these marriages?
Bengal, Bengali, Bangali, Bangla: During partition of India, the Indian state of Bengal was divided into two: the mostly hindu state of West Bengal, which went to India, and the mostly muslim country of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. However, political borders are not necessarily cultural borders. Both Bangladeshis and West Bengalis speak the same language of Bengali, though with slightly different accents, and call themselves "Bengalis" or "Bangalis" (never Bangalees.) I am a Bengali Hindu from West Bengal in India: ooh what a legacy.
Hindu, Hinduism: One of the oldest (older than Christianity and Islam) religion practiced by about 80 percent of the population of India. The values and beliefs of Hinduism are not derived from a single text, institution or pontiff but have evolved over several thousand years in the subcontinent into a set of theological and social values embedded in a range of ritual observances, mystical contemplation and ascetic practices by its followers. Although Hinduism is often portrayed to be polytheistic, many scholars consider Hinduism to be henotheistic or monotheistic, the gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus representing manifestations of One Supreme Being. Among the many sacred scriptures and texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (a segment of the epic Mahabharata). Do not confuse Hindu (the religion) with Hindi (a language).
Hindi: The primary language of about 30% of India's people, and one of almost two dozen major languages spoken around the country. It is derived primarily from Sanskrit, using the Devanagari script
Urdu: One of the official languages of Pakistan; also spoken in many parts of India, especially in the North. Also the language used in ballads known as ghazals. Urdu romantic shairis are the life blood of any good desi crowd.
Sanskrit: Indo-Aryan language in which many ancient Indian texts are written (Vedas); also used by Hindu clergy for recitation of most prayers.
qawaali or qawwali: (not capitalized) Devotional songs of the Sufi tradition of Islam. In the style popularized by the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this old tradition has been sped up and blended with Western instruments.
Bhangra: Dance and music style originating in the Indian state of Punjab. Now often refers to a blend of western pop and traditional Punjabi music when performed in the West.Check out LA for regular Bhangra sessions.balle balle.
Mehndi: The traditional Indian and diaspora art of intricate hand and body decoration using dyes from the henna plant. Used mainly by brides during marriage ceremonies, it is now becoming popular as an exotic decoration and a non-permanent "tattoo." In recent years, mehndi has gained attention in the West as a result of its use by Madonna and Gwen Stefani. They have also popularized the 'Bindi', a hindi name for the decoration worn on the forehead by many women of South Asian origin.Contrary to popular perception, the bindi does not necessarily indicate the marital status of a woman. It can be applied as a turmeric-based powder or a quick-drying liquid, but many contemporary women prefer to use "stick-on" bindis that have a weak adhesive on the back.
Chai: Hot/Iced/Frozen tea served with milk, spices and sweeteners. Most of coffee shops in USA think that the trendiest beverage is neither espresso nor cappuccino, but chai. Rooted in the tea-drinking traditions of India, chai is suddenly the hottest sip in America.Note: The "ch" is pronounced as in "check." The vowel rhymes with "eye."
Cashmere: Fine wool from the undercoat of the Kashmir/cashmere goat. While mistakenly applied to all kinds of soft wool, only the wool from this goat is true cashmere. The wool, known as pashmina, is popular for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in the Indian state of Kashmir (now China does too).
Diwali, Deepavali: One of the most festive holidays observed by Hindus, its overall theme is celebration of the triumph of good and truth over evil, symbolized by the lighting of fireworks and clay lamps at night. Diwali occurs during late autumn (late October/early November) and is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India to signify different local customs and religious traditions. Although it is celebrated among many north Indians and the diaspora as the start of the new year, Diwali should not be referred to as the 'South Asian new year', 'Indian new year', or the 'Hindu new year'. No such event exists.
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