Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Somebody's idea of a Joke.
It's really ironic that at the same time that Mumbai is beset with the worst ever rainfall recorded in India (and perhaps the world), there is a major fire off the shore of Mumbai that detroys an Oil rig.
India changing...and how !
Read this article on changing attitudes towards dating in India...
Of course, what with TOI's known methods of spicing things up, one can never guess about the truth behind the opinions and ideas expressed in the article. Or even the "so-called" facts...
But the interesting thing is...someone actually noticed a change in the so-called "dating scene" and decided to follow up and write the article. So, there must be something behind it all...
Of course, what with TOI's known methods of spicing things up, one can never guess about the truth behind the opinions and ideas expressed in the article. Or even the "so-called" facts...
But the interesting thing is...someone actually noticed a change in the so-called "dating scene" and decided to follow up and write the article. So, there must be something behind it all...
Google Moon !
Well, if you thought that Google Earth was amazing, then check out Google Moon !
Also, see what happens when you zoom in completely ! Amazing to say the least !
Also, see what happens when you zoom in completely ! Amazing to say the least !
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Quote !
Here is an interesting quote...
"...if anyone slew a person - unless be it for murder or for spreading mischief (fasad) in the land, it would be as if he slew humanity, and if he saved a life, it would be as if he saved humanity..."
[ Qur'an, 5/al-Maidah/35]
I found it to be extremely ironic considering the current state of world affairs !
More puzzling, of course, was the "unless be it..." clause in there...
"...if anyone slew a person - unless be it for murder or for spreading mischief (fasad) in the land, it would be as if he slew humanity, and if he saved a life, it would be as if he saved humanity..."
[ Qur'an, 5/al-Maidah/35]
I found it to be extremely ironic considering the current state of world affairs !
More puzzling, of course, was the "unless be it..." clause in there...
Taking Sides.
Why does the media have to take sides so as to make an issue sensationalist ? One one hand, we have some bare facts which are boring and (yawn) uninteresting...on the other hand, if one uses a lens and looks at it from another angle, then voila! its news ! More copies of the newspapers sell and the journalists get more recognition...doesn't matter if this entirely lopsides view of the issue hurts a cause, some individuals, or humanity as a whole !
Take the report on the recent incident in Kashmir - the shooting of teenage boys, mistaken for "terrorists" ! Agreed that this is a tragedy and nothing that the army or the security forces can say will allay the grief of the relatives and friends. But the aforementioned article, in one of the most respected news agencies in the world, Reuters, just shows how biased reporting can hide true facts, just to be more sensationalistic. The report talks about a genocide of "innocent Kashmiris"...hmmm...but what about the silent genocide that has been going on in Kashmir for the last few decades ? Watch this video for more details on that...the news media for some reason, seems to ignore these facts !
Are there no ethics, no morals, no honour left among the mass media ? Is the hunger for recognition and baseline economics of number of copies sold or viewers attracted more inportant than the truth or the bare facts ? Is plain, old-fashioned vanilla flavoured jounralism at an end ? In the interest of the future of the world and society as a whole, let us hope not !
Take the report on the recent incident in Kashmir - the shooting of teenage boys, mistaken for "terrorists" ! Agreed that this is a tragedy and nothing that the army or the security forces can say will allay the grief of the relatives and friends. But the aforementioned article, in one of the most respected news agencies in the world, Reuters, just shows how biased reporting can hide true facts, just to be more sensationalistic. The report talks about a genocide of "innocent Kashmiris"...hmmm...but what about the silent genocide that has been going on in Kashmir for the last few decades ? Watch this video for more details on that...the news media for some reason, seems to ignore these facts !
Are there no ethics, no morals, no honour left among the mass media ? Is the hunger for recognition and baseline economics of number of copies sold or viewers attracted more inportant than the truth or the bare facts ? Is plain, old-fashioned vanilla flavoured jounralism at an end ? In the interest of the future of the world and society as a whole, let us hope not !
Flux !
Somehow, us Indians are immune to the violence, atrocities and bombings that seem to be on the rise all over the world. Is it apathy ? I mean, I have grown up reading news articles about bombs going off in Kashmir, or people dying in Assam, or horrific train/bus accidents in various parts of the country...such news would filter through (be it the newspapers, television, magazines) almost everyday, and I got used to reading the headlines and skipping over the particulars...hey, how much different can it be, eh ? I see similar attitudes among not just my friends and peers, but also among the previous generation...the only people who used to really notice and "feel" sorrow for the victims, etc, were the elderly...but was it more because they felt the world changing so rapidly that they couldn't recognise any of the their familiar culture/surroundings/safety, etc. ? But that's another topic entirely.
When 9/11 happened...we were all horrified at the monumental waste - especially of human life...similarly when we hear of the Madrid Bombings or the subway blasts in London, we are shocked to hear of the audacity of the terrorists; again, human lives lost and the personal courage of the survivors...ok, we read the stories and slowly shake our heads...but then again, we're inured against such acts and then move on...perhaps it may come up as a hot topic of discussion in a group and then we all feel happy that we've expressed our anger and disgust at the acts...also we're so well-informed that we know subtle nuances of each tragedy, which we use in a game of one-upmanship within a group of people...
What about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in one of the London subways ? The London police have provided an explanation and perhaps even a terse apology...but have not declined from accepting that such incidents won't happen again. I agree that the security forces of any country would be on tenterhooks when having to face large-scale trauma...there's a local parallel to it as well. Are these actions justified ? I mean, is this the state of affairs that will prevail ? In the excuse of tracking down "terrorists", have security forces been pushed over the edge and been made trigger-happy ? And are we supposed to "understand" it that it was a necessary "show of force" ?
What I fail to understand, is of course the fact that why did FIVE bullets have to emptied into the fallen Menezes ? Since the London cops had caught up with him already, why not just restrain him ? Look at the Israeli forces - they have had to live with suicide bombers and terrorists for a long time now - yet they don't just shoot the first "suspicious" person that happens by ! And what is worse, is that security forces are using fear as an excuse for heinous acts ! I do believe that these security forces should be given any and all powers necessary to tackle insurgents/terrorists, etc. But there must be certain lines that are drawn - killing children and taking pot-shots are innocent civilians is going too far !
Are we willing to let the governments and the police take these "extra steps" and then be at risk from the very people who are supposed to be protecting us ? So, I am safe from terrorists blowing me up in the city, but not safe from the police in the transportation network I take for granted and depend on for my livelihood ? Or the kids in my community cannot venture out of their house for some unadulterated fun without being gunned down by the military ? And the excuse proferred is that these are "necessary measures" or "collateral damage" in the war against extremists ! Maybe we need to reconsider the "war" that is waging and the costs that are being inflicted on us as a result !
When 9/11 happened...we were all horrified at the monumental waste - especially of human life...similarly when we hear of the Madrid Bombings or the subway blasts in London, we are shocked to hear of the audacity of the terrorists; again, human lives lost and the personal courage of the survivors...ok, we read the stories and slowly shake our heads...but then again, we're inured against such acts and then move on...perhaps it may come up as a hot topic of discussion in a group and then we all feel happy that we've expressed our anger and disgust at the acts...also we're so well-informed that we know subtle nuances of each tragedy, which we use in a game of one-upmanship within a group of people...
What about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in one of the London subways ? The London police have provided an explanation and perhaps even a terse apology...but have not declined from accepting that such incidents won't happen again. I agree that the security forces of any country would be on tenterhooks when having to face large-scale trauma...there's a local parallel to it as well. Are these actions justified ? I mean, is this the state of affairs that will prevail ? In the excuse of tracking down "terrorists", have security forces been pushed over the edge and been made trigger-happy ? And are we supposed to "understand" it that it was a necessary "show of force" ?
What I fail to understand, is of course the fact that why did FIVE bullets have to emptied into the fallen Menezes ? Since the London cops had caught up with him already, why not just restrain him ? Look at the Israeli forces - they have had to live with suicide bombers and terrorists for a long time now - yet they don't just shoot the first "suspicious" person that happens by ! And what is worse, is that security forces are using fear as an excuse for heinous acts ! I do believe that these security forces should be given any and all powers necessary to tackle insurgents/terrorists, etc. But there must be certain lines that are drawn - killing children and taking pot-shots are innocent civilians is going too far !
Are we willing to let the governments and the police take these "extra steps" and then be at risk from the very people who are supposed to be protecting us ? So, I am safe from terrorists blowing me up in the city, but not safe from the police in the transportation network I take for granted and depend on for my livelihood ? Or the kids in my community cannot venture out of their house for some unadulterated fun without being gunned down by the military ? And the excuse proferred is that these are "necessary measures" or "collateral damage" in the war against extremists ! Maybe we need to reconsider the "war" that is waging and the costs that are being inflicted on us as a result !
Friday, July 08, 2005
Science Fiction.
What determines "science fiction" ? In the last couple of blog entries that I have created, I have used that phrase within quotes...now, it's time to remove those confines...
In my opinion, science fiction, in it's intended uses of that phrase does gross injustice to the entire genre that it is supposed to encompass...when mindless nonsense (read Independance Day or Armageddon) is filed within this genre, then it not only does injustice, but also drags the entire genre, it's great practitioners and ardent fans, through the mud.
As I happened to read in the preface for a great book, science fiction has been used to include everything from "futuristic novels", to fantasy, to alternate realities and many more different sub-genres...so what qualifies as true science fiction ? Is it just all of the above ? Is it narrower that what I have mentioned ? Is it a ll about a geeky adolescent's fantasies about space operas and light sabres ? The answer, of course, is yes and no...
Again, to take inspiration from that preface...suppose I write about a story in which a character needs to whip up some eggs and I describe a device which does that...then it is not science fiction...doesn't matter if the story is set into the infinite future, or in an alternate dimension...I am still describing an egg-beater, which has existed for decades now...but suppose, the story had been written by some person, 300 years ago, then that would be science fiction in its purest sense...he sees a need to perform a task, but there exists nothing in the practical world which would help him achieve the task of whipping the eggs...so he "invents" and describes a wonderful device which allows him to do just that.
So, to generalise, science fiction, is all about diving the future...the economy, the political and social setups, of course the popular technological advances, and even the religious fall-outs of such advances...maybe it could be that the religious advancements of humanity were what drove the other fields to catch up....but still, the science fiction writer is not just writing about the cool gadgets...his responsibility goes far beyond that...he must forsee the conditions of humanity (albeit through certain characters), and comment, or invoke commentary on that. So, more often than not alien lands and cultures, the moral and technological advances, the socio-economic and political rights and wrongdoings are just metaphors...about the current state of human affairs and how they would, at times in the extreme, lead humanity as a whole towards the unforseen future.
So, from the simplistic/idealistic writings of Asimov to the paranoid delusions of Philip K Dick, or even the subtle handle on reality of James Blish, we see the above characteristics come through.
This is where science fiction can deviate from fantasy...the latter is all about imaginary lands and worlds and more for the cause of entertainment...they do not invent, or divine...sometimes they do, to prove a point about how humanity exists in it's current situation, but never really do they take the bold step of looking into the future...
p.s. : here is an article about science fiction.
In my opinion, science fiction, in it's intended uses of that phrase does gross injustice to the entire genre that it is supposed to encompass...when mindless nonsense (read Independance Day or Armageddon) is filed within this genre, then it not only does injustice, but also drags the entire genre, it's great practitioners and ardent fans, through the mud.
As I happened to read in the preface for a great book, science fiction has been used to include everything from "futuristic novels", to fantasy, to alternate realities and many more different sub-genres...so what qualifies as true science fiction ? Is it just all of the above ? Is it narrower that what I have mentioned ? Is it a ll about a geeky adolescent's fantasies about space operas and light sabres ? The answer, of course, is yes and no...
Again, to take inspiration from that preface...suppose I write about a story in which a character needs to whip up some eggs and I describe a device which does that...then it is not science fiction...doesn't matter if the story is set into the infinite future, or in an alternate dimension...I am still describing an egg-beater, which has existed for decades now...but suppose, the story had been written by some person, 300 years ago, then that would be science fiction in its purest sense...he sees a need to perform a task, but there exists nothing in the practical world which would help him achieve the task of whipping the eggs...so he "invents" and describes a wonderful device which allows him to do just that.
So, to generalise, science fiction, is all about diving the future...the economy, the political and social setups, of course the popular technological advances, and even the religious fall-outs of such advances...maybe it could be that the religious advancements of humanity were what drove the other fields to catch up....but still, the science fiction writer is not just writing about the cool gadgets...his responsibility goes far beyond that...he must forsee the conditions of humanity (albeit through certain characters), and comment, or invoke commentary on that. So, more often than not alien lands and cultures, the moral and technological advances, the socio-economic and political rights and wrongdoings are just metaphors...about the current state of human affairs and how they would, at times in the extreme, lead humanity as a whole towards the unforseen future.
So, from the simplistic/idealistic writings of Asimov to the paranoid delusions of Philip K Dick, or even the subtle handle on reality of James Blish, we see the above characteristics come through.
This is where science fiction can deviate from fantasy...the latter is all about imaginary lands and worlds and more for the cause of entertainment...they do not invent, or divine...sometimes they do, to prove a point about how humanity exists in it's current situation, but never really do they take the bold step of looking into the future...
p.s. : here is an article about science fiction.
A Case of Conscience.
Recently, I had the opportunity to read A Case of Conscience by James Blish...hmmm...what can I say ? Anything that I say would seem too less...but here goes...
This Hugo-award winning "Science fiction" book is a great read, and is one of the first, and I must say very successful attempts at considering science within religious confines.
What I like about this book, is his viewpoint (subtly but yet very clearly demonstrated) that although religion and science are meant to exist for the betterment of humanity( one supports the mind while the other pampers the physical, the body ), at times, they are so lost in their eternal conflict with each other, that they neglect their true purpose, and at times crush humanity !
Through the eyes of a Jesuit preist, he unravels an interesting plot...can there exist a real, physical eden ? Can Satan, "the second-best authority in the universe" (as described in the book) create physical worlds and universes and not just metaphysical and psychological ones ? Can the convinctions of religion prove that what the eyes see as a cornucopia of ideals, is not just that ?
The beauty of this book, of course, is that you are welcome to believe that the priest, and his ideas, are entire fantasy and there exists no such thing as a God. You also welcome to believe that the actions of the characters and what subsequently follows is a result of the socio-political setup of the times, and the upbringing of each character...also, the end, can also be viewed as an after-effect of religious contrivance or maybe scientific tampering. He does not take a side...in stepping back and forth between the ideologies, we see why James Blish was such a fantastic practitioner of "science fiction".
This Hugo-award winning "Science fiction" book is a great read, and is one of the first, and I must say very successful attempts at considering science within religious confines.
What I like about this book, is his viewpoint (subtly but yet very clearly demonstrated) that although religion and science are meant to exist for the betterment of humanity( one supports the mind while the other pampers the physical, the body ), at times, they are so lost in their eternal conflict with each other, that they neglect their true purpose, and at times crush humanity !
Through the eyes of a Jesuit preist, he unravels an interesting plot...can there exist a real, physical eden ? Can Satan, "the second-best authority in the universe" (as described in the book) create physical worlds and universes and not just metaphysical and psychological ones ? Can the convinctions of religion prove that what the eyes see as a cornucopia of ideals, is not just that ?
The beauty of this book, of course, is that you are welcome to believe that the priest, and his ideas, are entire fantasy and there exists no such thing as a God. You also welcome to believe that the actions of the characters and what subsequently follows is a result of the socio-political setup of the times, and the upbringing of each character...also, the end, can also be viewed as an after-effect of religious contrivance or maybe scientific tampering. He does not take a side...in stepping back and forth between the ideologies, we see why James Blish was such a fantastic practitioner of "science fiction".
Another Movie Review : War of the Worlds
Now this is true science fiction...adapted from one of the best known science fictions works of all time, War of the Worlds is a well-made movie that diverts away from the "yee-haw", cowboy attitude that has been prevalent towards "alien-attack" movies in american cinema...where the heroes come in to save the world and then ride into the proverbial sunset with the girls ! Yes, I am talking about that travesty on rational thought - Independance Day ! ( Aliens mastered space travel, but then couldn't set up a secure wireless network ? Also, how about the fact that their OS's are prone to "alien" viruses !!! But all of than ranting for another day )
This movie shows the attitudes and fears and apprehensions of real people( yes...they exist...even in America...look around you ! )...their shortcomings, their single-mindedness...and Tom Cruise puts in a credible performance...without his usual cocky attitude, as a real, flawed human being, a failed father and someone who is just scared the hell out of his wits.
As countless movie reviews have already written, the performance to watch out for is Tim Robbins ! He can scare you witless...he's on screen for just a short time...maybe 20 mins, but that's the most haunting sequence of all !
Of course Steven Spielberg mut put out some kind of "social message" in his movies...this time it's his suBtle take on post-911...when the aliens start attacking, the kids ask..."daddy...is it the terrorists?"...hmmm...no commments on that one.
What I liked best about the movie, was the ending...no, I won't give it away here...just was impressed with the way Speilberg didn't mess around much and decided to give "science fiction" a chance...( why the quotes around "science fiction" ? Well...watch out for another post ! ;) )
This movie shows the attitudes and fears and apprehensions of real people( yes...they exist...even in America...look around you ! )...their shortcomings, their single-mindedness...and Tom Cruise puts in a credible performance...without his usual cocky attitude, as a real, flawed human being, a failed father and someone who is just scared the hell out of his wits.
As countless movie reviews have already written, the performance to watch out for is Tim Robbins ! He can scare you witless...he's on screen for just a short time...maybe 20 mins, but that's the most haunting sequence of all !
Of course Steven Spielberg mut put out some kind of "social message" in his movies...this time it's his suBtle take on post-911...when the aliens start attacking, the kids ask..."daddy...is it the terrorists?"...hmmm...no commments on that one.
What I liked best about the movie, was the ending...no, I won't give it away here...just was impressed with the way Speilberg didn't mess around much and decided to give "science fiction" a chance...( why the quotes around "science fiction" ? Well...watch out for another post ! ;) )
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Movie Review : Batman Begins.
I am a great admirer of Christopher Nolan's movies...Memento, The Following, etc...So, when he decided to take the reigns of the next Batman Movie, I felt a sigh of relief. After the original classics by Tim Burton had almost been butchered by Joel Schumaker...any self-respecting Batman fan would agree as to what an outrage those two movies were to the image of Batman...while Tim Burton had cast the Dark Knight in his typical, dark, brooding atmosphere, Joel Schumlaker made a travesty of the entire situation, what with his ridiculous neons and post-apocalyptic visions ! .
Finally it seemed like Hollywood was getting its senses back to order...in the hands of Christopher Nolan, one can expect that Batman would regain his true self on the celluloid, as comics fans for decades have known. To say the least, the movie doesn't disappoint...in fact, in my humble opinion, this is the BEST Batman movie to date....why ? Simple...although Tim Burton's movies did a good job of capturing the darkness that lay beneath the cape and mask, as well as the criminal, desperate feel of Gotham City, they did not venture forth into the psyche of Bruce Wayne...except for the obligatory parents getting killed, mightmares. etc. In Batman Begins, Mr. Nolan seems to realize that Bruce Wayne is the character that must be really explored...Batman is nothing if not a product of Bruce Wayne's tortuous past and his darkness which flooded over onto the mask and cape...his addiction with finding out about the criminal psyche at all costs and his meeting of Ras Al Ghul( that criminal mastermind with the twisted morality and ideas of good and evil ), etc. have been captured extremely well...
The only "flaw" that I can see in this movie that didn't exist in the comics, is the excessive violence and pyrotechnics...yes, Batman is a violent vigilante, but NEVER in the comics does he resort to tearing down Gotham City in high speed chases and having total disregard for police officers and civilians...but then one must, begrudgingly, allow for aritistic liberties taken for making the cinematic version !
Of course, Christian Bale seems like the perfect foil for Mr. Nolan's direction...one must watch The Machinist" to see the amount of dedication and intensity that an actor can put into a role...the same intensity and dedication is visible throughout "Batman Begins"...
Finally it seemed like Hollywood was getting its senses back to order...in the hands of Christopher Nolan, one can expect that Batman would regain his true self on the celluloid, as comics fans for decades have known. To say the least, the movie doesn't disappoint...in fact, in my humble opinion, this is the BEST Batman movie to date....why ? Simple...although Tim Burton's movies did a good job of capturing the darkness that lay beneath the cape and mask, as well as the criminal, desperate feel of Gotham City, they did not venture forth into the psyche of Bruce Wayne...except for the obligatory parents getting killed, mightmares. etc. In Batman Begins, Mr. Nolan seems to realize that Bruce Wayne is the character that must be really explored...Batman is nothing if not a product of Bruce Wayne's tortuous past and his darkness which flooded over onto the mask and cape...his addiction with finding out about the criminal psyche at all costs and his meeting of Ras Al Ghul( that criminal mastermind with the twisted morality and ideas of good and evil ), etc. have been captured extremely well...
The only "flaw" that I can see in this movie that didn't exist in the comics, is the excessive violence and pyrotechnics...yes, Batman is a violent vigilante, but NEVER in the comics does he resort to tearing down Gotham City in high speed chases and having total disregard for police officers and civilians...but then one must, begrudgingly, allow for aritistic liberties taken for making the cinematic version !
Of course, Christian Bale seems like the perfect foil for Mr. Nolan's direction...one must watch The Machinist" to see the amount of dedication and intensity that an actor can put into a role...the same intensity and dedication is visible throughout "Batman Begins"...
Movie Review : The Interpreter
Just saw the movie The Interpreter...must say I had high hopes for it considering that it had Sean Penn actng and Syndey Pollack directing...an utter disappointment to say the least ! I can't imagine that this is the same Sydney Pollack, who made such good movies like Presumed Innocent, The Firm, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and so on...
What should have been a 90 minute movie, at most, was stretched to over 2 hours !!! It had an interesting plot...but still very cliched...a lead character who has a "past" and is revealed one step at a time...sigh ! How many times has such a concept been ignored in multiple languages around the world ? Sometimes a movie can be a great thriller, even though it has a slow pace...a la Silence of the Lambs...but in this case, the movie seems to have be DELIBERATELY slowed down...so much so, that it seems to flow backwards ! ( and no, not intentionally like that classic Christopher Nolan movie mind you ! ). One gets the feeling of watching honey trickle downwards in the absence of gravity !
No wonder then that this went from production to DVD in a flash...let's hope Mr. Pollack can revitalize himself and get back to good movie making !
What should have been a 90 minute movie, at most, was stretched to over 2 hours !!! It had an interesting plot...but still very cliched...a lead character who has a "past" and is revealed one step at a time...sigh ! How many times has such a concept been ignored in multiple languages around the world ? Sometimes a movie can be a great thriller, even though it has a slow pace...a la Silence of the Lambs...but in this case, the movie seems to have be DELIBERATELY slowed down...so much so, that it seems to flow backwards ! ( and no, not intentionally like that classic Christopher Nolan movie mind you ! ). One gets the feeling of watching honey trickle downwards in the absence of gravity !
No wonder then that this went from production to DVD in a flash...let's hope Mr. Pollack can revitalize himself and get back to good movie making !
Monday, June 27, 2005
Ineptitudes of Life
Where does one person or a group of people suddenly become special ? It might be someone that you met today, or even someone you have known for years...but somewhere along the way, you feel a new connection....what is the line that is crossed ? It might even be a person that you have never met face to face...new phases is life get people to change in ways that are not always comprehensible !
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Greek God !
I was taking this test to see which one the Greek Gods I'm closest to .... Here's the result :
Athena
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
heh ! heh ! sophisticated, smart, down-to-earth, great prospects....hmmm...even though I didn't believe in such stuff, this one seems to have gotten it head on ! :-)
Athena
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
heh ! heh ! sophisticated, smart, down-to-earth, great prospects....hmmm...even though I didn't believe in such stuff, this one seems to have gotten it head on ! :-)
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Music
Although no one is really safe from a well thought out or well planned prank, the prankster must be smart enough to know how far to carry the prank. For a couple of reasons...
* The person at the receiving end might be offended, if carried on for too long...some matters do become personal.
* Unless, EVERY aspect of the plan has been thought of carefully and accounted for ( which is rarely the case in pranks ), it becomes difficult to carry on lying...especially when one slips up and provides incorrect factual information - information which can be verified without too much effort, or worse, on google !
To avoid such pitfalls, here're the choices :
* Plan/think through every possible detail
* Discuss with someone else - you can wrinkle out many problematic areas, and catch some flaws which would not have been obvious otherwise.
* If you're creating a character, then research the specilisations and backgrounds of the character well enough...and pick a background similar to yours, so that you can adequately answer questions, especially probing questions.
* Provide ONLY factually accurate information, or information that cannot be verified.
* NEVER hesitate/smile/etc...do not give away clues...even dumb people can pick up that some things are not correct.
For eg., a recent attempt at a prank on me seems doomed for failure., for the following reasons:
* Too much hesitation for questions regarding technical aspects of what the person claims to be the background ( in fact the very love of their life !!! ).
* Avoiding probing and technical questions at times.
* Too much enthusiasm shown for certain aspects - for eg. : claiming that they will provide support to my nomination for posts ( having chatted with me just once before ) !
* Unecessary praise based on not completely accurate facts : I'm dynamic, 'cos I am the most active member on a mailing list...problem : I am not the most active member on the mailing list!
* The person, or rather the email id in question, is not a part of the mailing list !
* The mail id has "2004" in it...it was created this year...yet, the person claims that being invisible on ymsn, is 'cos of the LONG list of people to be avoided...improbable !
* oh yeah...the most important factual error of all : There is NO graduate program in Music at NC State !!!
Well I have a short list of possibilities for people who can try such methods...let's see if they contact me again, so that I can get some more info to nail it down !
* The person at the receiving end might be offended, if carried on for too long...some matters do become personal.
* Unless, EVERY aspect of the plan has been thought of carefully and accounted for ( which is rarely the case in pranks ), it becomes difficult to carry on lying...especially when one slips up and provides incorrect factual information - information which can be verified without too much effort, or worse, on google !
To avoid such pitfalls, here're the choices :
* Plan/think through every possible detail
* Discuss with someone else - you can wrinkle out many problematic areas, and catch some flaws which would not have been obvious otherwise.
* If you're creating a character, then research the specilisations and backgrounds of the character well enough...and pick a background similar to yours, so that you can adequately answer questions, especially probing questions.
* Provide ONLY factually accurate information, or information that cannot be verified.
* NEVER hesitate/smile/etc...do not give away clues...even dumb people can pick up that some things are not correct.
For eg., a recent attempt at a prank on me seems doomed for failure., for the following reasons:
* Too much hesitation for questions regarding technical aspects of what the person claims to be the background ( in fact the very love of their life !!! ).
* Avoiding probing and technical questions at times.
* Too much enthusiasm shown for certain aspects - for eg. : claiming that they will provide support to my nomination for posts ( having chatted with me just once before ) !
* Unecessary praise based on not completely accurate facts : I'm dynamic, 'cos I am the most active member on a mailing list...problem : I am not the most active member on the mailing list!
* The person, or rather the email id in question, is not a part of the mailing list !
* The mail id has "2004" in it...it was created this year...yet, the person claims that being invisible on ymsn, is 'cos of the LONG list of people to be avoided...improbable !
* oh yeah...the most important factual error of all : There is NO graduate program in Music at NC State !!!
Well I have a short list of possibilities for people who can try such methods...let's see if they contact me again, so that I can get some more info to nail it down !
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Quality !
What's the big deal made out of Quality and Process Managements anyway ? My mind wandered back to the days when I was working for a large software firm, which shall remain un-named ( for the simple reason that I don't wanna get my a$$ sued ! ). When we fresh, eager students joined the firm, straight out of college, we were told that we would have to attend a series of *important* training sessions. As it happens, the first and the longest one, turned out to that of Quality and tools used to "measure quality and improve the process" in the coporate environment !!!
Well, this long, winding, boring sessions later ( which lasted a whole day, and after which being in a train-wreck seemed like a sweet option ), we were informed by the lady who was the Quality Manager for our department ( she looked vaguely familiar...was she the one who was talking and interrupting my attempts at sleep during the whole session ? ) informed us that we had to send in any feedback or improvements to her, so that future generations of recuitees can benefit ( Could have said "scrap it entirely"...yeah right, like we were gonna let them get away that easily ! ) from such sessions.
Anyways...a month or so later, she comes by my neighbouring cubicle and chats with the gentleman who resides there. I happen to overhear a most interesting snippet : "Thanks K____n, you were the only one who sent me feedback. I have now changed the color of the button from blue to pink. I hope that this satisfies you" !!! Aaargh ! this was the "feedback"...and it "helped" him and future generations ??? And it took her and her "team" a MONTH to get down to doing it ? Well, judging by all the stress on "quality" and process management, maybe what would happened was:
* She assigned the task of investigating the feasibility of doing a background study on changing the color to a team-member.
* He took 2 days to figure out if documents existed that explain the concepts of "color" and "button" and the procedure to change the color of the button.
* The manager then assigned him and another team member the task of reading all the relevant documents and understanding what "color" and "button" really mean, and how such tasks were under-taken before and what are the possibilities for undertaking such a venture.
* They take a week to do all the "studies" and then hold a presentation for the entire team, as part of a "knowledge-building" exercise. Here, they explain what "button" and "color" really mean, and also provide insights into how "blue" is different from "pink" and how a "blue button" can also be a "pink button".
* The entire team has a brainstorming session on the various possible methods to perform the transformation.
* The original two members are entrusted the task of coming up with a design and possible alternatives.
* A week later, a high-level design is ready, which undergoes peer review which lasts 2 days, and the design is finalised.
* Appropriate versions of the web-page and interface are checked out of the CVS repository for use by the team-members, and the actual transformation work starts.
* Meanwhile, The manager creates an excel graph and a powerpoint on the "Action Item" being undertaken by the team, to present to upper management.
* After much effort, between period of checking mail and chatting on y*hoo messenger, the work gets done in a week.
* Regression testing is done, test cases are written and evaluated and executed. Latent Bugs are fixed.
* The code is checked into the repository at the distant office location on the other side of the world.
* The next "release" of the tool will have the fix incorporated into it.
* A week or so later, the Manager walks up to the guy who gave the feedback, and tells him "Thanks K____n, you were the only one who sent me feedback. I have now changed the color of the button from blue to pink. I hope that this satisfies you".
* The "action item" is closed and the work goes on the team's list of accomplishments.
* Another team-member is chosen to document the whole process, to make future situations easier to deal with....
Well, this long, winding, boring sessions later ( which lasted a whole day, and after which being in a train-wreck seemed like a sweet option ), we were informed by the lady who was the Quality Manager for our department ( she looked vaguely familiar...was she the one who was talking and interrupting my attempts at sleep during the whole session ? ) informed us that we had to send in any feedback or improvements to her, so that future generations of recuitees can benefit ( Could have said "scrap it entirely"...yeah right, like we were gonna let them get away that easily ! ) from such sessions.
Anyways...a month or so later, she comes by my neighbouring cubicle and chats with the gentleman who resides there. I happen to overhear a most interesting snippet : "Thanks K____n, you were the only one who sent me feedback. I have now changed the color of the button from blue to pink. I hope that this satisfies you" !!! Aaargh ! this was the "feedback"...and it "helped" him and future generations ??? And it took her and her "team" a MONTH to get down to doing it ? Well, judging by all the stress on "quality" and process management, maybe what would happened was:
* She assigned the task of investigating the feasibility of doing a background study on changing the color to a team-member.
* He took 2 days to figure out if documents existed that explain the concepts of "color" and "button" and the procedure to change the color of the button.
* The manager then assigned him and another team member the task of reading all the relevant documents and understanding what "color" and "button" really mean, and how such tasks were under-taken before and what are the possibilities for undertaking such a venture.
* They take a week to do all the "studies" and then hold a presentation for the entire team, as part of a "knowledge-building" exercise. Here, they explain what "button" and "color" really mean, and also provide insights into how "blue" is different from "pink" and how a "blue button" can also be a "pink button".
* The entire team has a brainstorming session on the various possible methods to perform the transformation.
* The original two members are entrusted the task of coming up with a design and possible alternatives.
* A week later, a high-level design is ready, which undergoes peer review which lasts 2 days, and the design is finalised.
* Appropriate versions of the web-page and interface are checked out of the CVS repository for use by the team-members, and the actual transformation work starts.
* Meanwhile, The manager creates an excel graph and a powerpoint on the "Action Item" being undertaken by the team, to present to upper management.
* After much effort, between period of checking mail and chatting on y*hoo messenger, the work gets done in a week.
* Regression testing is done, test cases are written and evaluated and executed. Latent Bugs are fixed.
* The code is checked into the repository at the distant office location on the other side of the world.
* The next "release" of the tool will have the fix incorporated into it.
* A week or so later, the Manager walks up to the guy who gave the feedback, and tells him "Thanks K____n, you were the only one who sent me feedback. I have now changed the color of the button from blue to pink. I hope that this satisfies you".
* The "action item" is closed and the work goes on the team's list of accomplishments.
* Another team-member is chosen to document the whole process, to make future situations easier to deal with....
Naming Conventions.
What does "Sibin" mean ? Good Question...somewhere along the line, if you do get to know the meaning, then please let me know. Send me a message and I will gratefully try hard not to forget your name. The number of times that I have been asked that, am being asked everyday, and will probably continue to be plagued by the very same question ! sigh ! If I only had a dollar for each time...I don't think the world economy can take that big a hit ! Even people who know me well enough, seem to get back to this very conversation topic..."tax-free" entertainment for them you see !
As one fellow malayalee put it : "Most mallu names are made of two syllables and they don't mean a damn thing !" Cheers ! Applause ! Sniff ! Revelation ! some people are masters at restating the obvious...the very fact has been painfully obvious to me throughout my entire existence ! ;-)
Ah ! why the smiley at the end of the last sentence ? Well, a true friend of mine was very disparaged at my frequent refusals to answer her questions on the origins of my name( how could I answer ? I didn't know ! But then again, one cannot admit that about one's own name, can one ? So, I used to try the enigmatic smile that Gautam Buddha had perfected...he in his nirvana, me in my stupor. The only problem was, any time I really tried that smile, I would creep out half the female population for entire city blocks... ). Anyways, getting back to the topic at hand...she took it upon herself to find a meaning for my name. After tedious searches on Google, which took all of 10 minutes, I should say ( phew ! that's more effort that I have ever put in to find a meaning to my name ), she came back with a revelation ! My name actually means something !
It means "EXISTENCE" in an archaic academic, planned language called Volapuk ! Don't believe me, here take a look at volapuk and the vocabulary where sibin means "existence" !
This opens new doors and greener pastures...my name means something ! Now, when people ask me: "what the @#$% does Sibin mean ?", I take a laid-back approach, like I'm talking to someone who's from another planet and hasn't even heard of Volapuk, and say..." it means....existence....!"
Then comes the sniggering and the backslapping and all the crude jokes and how I made it up...now, If I only had a dollar for every time I said " don't believe me ? Go look it up in Google"...
As one fellow malayalee put it : "Most mallu names are made of two syllables and they don't mean a damn thing !" Cheers ! Applause ! Sniff ! Revelation ! some people are masters at restating the obvious...the very fact has been painfully obvious to me throughout my entire existence ! ;-)
Ah ! why the smiley at the end of the last sentence ? Well, a true friend of mine was very disparaged at my frequent refusals to answer her questions on the origins of my name( how could I answer ? I didn't know ! But then again, one cannot admit that about one's own name, can one ? So, I used to try the enigmatic smile that Gautam Buddha had perfected...he in his nirvana, me in my stupor. The only problem was, any time I really tried that smile, I would creep out half the female population for entire city blocks... ). Anyways, getting back to the topic at hand...she took it upon herself to find a meaning for my name. After tedious searches on Google, which took all of 10 minutes, I should say ( phew ! that's more effort that I have ever put in to find a meaning to my name ), she came back with a revelation ! My name actually means something !
It means "EXISTENCE" in an archaic academic, planned language called Volapuk ! Don't believe me, here take a look at volapuk and the vocabulary where sibin means "existence" !
This opens new doors and greener pastures...my name means something ! Now, when people ask me: "what the @#$% does Sibin mean ?", I take a laid-back approach, like I'm talking to someone who's from another planet and hasn't even heard of Volapuk, and say..." it means....existence....!"
Then comes the sniggering and the backslapping and all the crude jokes and how I made it up...now, If I only had a dollar for every time I said " don't believe me ? Go look it up in Google"...
Practical Joke ?
Of late, I've been receiving these forwarded messages by email, from various people...with cryptic messages like "Hey, you thought you had a funny name..check this out", and the like ! Well, we mallus are the curious variety, if nothing else...( there's always a malayalee out there who wants to poke his nose into something that ain't his business...well, that's a long story for some other time ). "I've gotta get to the bottom of this, I said"..."what's this funny business with names", I said...went to the blogspot of this guy named sidin ! Whaddaya know ! I thought it must be a practical joke ! Someone ripping me off ! Change one alphabet in my name, and there you have it ! And his posts are popular as well ! Anyways, figured I might as well start a blogspot of my own...see where it leads me ! My talents must not be wasted you see ! :-) I mean, why not use a god-given talent of sarcasm ( dished out in liberal proportions to all malayalees ), and entertain the masses ?
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