Swinging Bachelor – Word Play
Bachelorhood is given a bad rap by society and I wonder why when the benefits to the individual and society far outweigh the costs. If this were a debate, first argument is more bachelors means there will be no progeny and less population and by association, less pollution considering that the carbon footprint of humans is huge. A second argument is that research shows that bachelors on average live about 5 years lesser than married guys thereby clearing the stage for more jobs for younger people and less burden on society. Am sure there are other well made arguments made by people who gave far more thought to the matter than myself. So, jumping the gun, rather than being spoken with relief and respect, why then is the term ‘swinging bachelor’ always used condescendingly and with contempt? What does it even mean and what is the origin of the term? Has it come into being to depict how bachelors swing from one woman to another? While am a staunch celibate[1], just could not cease and desist on not doing the following…
I for one think there are conspiracies galore afoot. It could be a feminist conspiracy to condition men into settling down and make women the bosses of every happy-go-lucky sod. It could be a capitalist conspiracy for bachelordom is like socialism because wealth is distributed rather than hoarded. I wish I could expand but some humanities graduate must be doing a thesis on this very topic and it is best we go in search of it rather than go hyperbole and make anecdotal stand-up statements.
I for one think there are conspiracies galore afoot. It could be a feminist conspiracy to condition men into settling down and make women the bosses of every happy-go-lucky sod. It could be a capitalist conspiracy for bachelordom is like socialism because wealth is distributed rather than hoarded. I wish I could expand but some humanities graduate must be doing a thesis on this very topic and it is best we go in search of it rather than go hyperbole and make anecdotal stand-up statements.
[1] Married types ask, ‘How SJ can you make do without sex’? Answer: The same as you! Only difference is I cope better knowing that it is purely my choice
India is Anna Hazare is India
Wow, what a catchy populist statement! No self-respecting cartoon-artist, nay no doodler can let it pass and so, just quickly simply some complicated elaboration…
To be liberal and critical if only for the sake of it, I think Kiran Bedi has got it right because with old ignorant millions starving for days altogether in this sad poverty stricken uber-corrupt country, India is indeed an ugly representative of Anna Hazare.
To be liberal and critical if only for the sake of it, I think Kiran Bedi has got it right because with old ignorant millions starving for days altogether in this sad poverty stricken uber-corrupt country, India is indeed an ugly representative of Anna Hazare.
Discovering Ideal Job – Formula, Process, Steps
There are two kinds of happy people. One kind love what they do. Other kind do what they love. Then there are the lucky buggers we all envy. We all know atleast one of their kind for they always have a smile on their lips, a sparkle in their eyes and a spring in their step. They are the ones who do what they love AND love what they do. In other words, they have drunk from the holy grail of “ideal job”. Yep! It very much exists and better believe for this formula/process/steps by none other than Vishwanath Poosala is what I was pointed by the powers that be when I sought an answer by penance for this ultimate key to the pursuit of happiness…
When the head of Bell Labs (India speaks), better listen. Am on it and good luck.
When the head of Bell Labs (India speaks), better listen. Am on it and good luck.
Google+ Going Circles
My personal take on Google+ is that it is a rehash, if not stolen entirely from my “Personal Webs” idea which I foolishly shared with them in 2006 but enough silly conspiracies. Just could not resist not doing this…
Some earthlings too have pondered about the future of Google+ here and here.
Some earthlings too have pondered about the future of Google+ here and here.
India Independence Day 2011 – Cuffed and Shackled
It is and probably always has been very fashionable to say, nay quip that India is a land of contradictions. For once, I tend to agree with this today of all days because it is so-called “Independence Day” of the nation. I know very well that ‘independence’ does not mean nor ‘imply’ freedom by no sense nor definition of the words but for all the patriotism and jingoism to mark 64 years of independence from a cruel, racist, iron-fisted rule of the British, it seems to me that the common man of this country is still in bondage – clutches, suffering, cuffs, shackles and the works…
Ah yes, the contradictions. The police who are supposed to protect, torture. The politicians who are supposed to serve, rule. The doctors who are supposed to treat, harm. The corporations who are supposed to utilize, exploit. Finally, the people who are supposed to live, merely exist to drag yet another day without any hope towards a bleak future that is losing purpose with a unstable economy et al. I digress.
Ah yes, the contradictions. The police who are supposed to protect, torture. The politicians who are supposed to serve, rule. The doctors who are supposed to treat, harm. The corporations who are supposed to utilize, exploit. Finally, the people who are supposed to live, merely exist to drag yet another day without any hope towards a bleak future that is losing purpose with a unstable economy et al. I digress.
Drop a Line – Word Play
Can anyone tell me how the particular phrase ‘drop a line’ came about? My guess is it could have to do with people in older simpler days writing notes, putting them in envelopes and dropping them in those brass openings in doors for something urgent. But then it should be ‘drop a note’ or something. Oh well, while I befuddle over it and wonder how the world is still full of such little mysteries, here is a moment of inspiration with all the cricket and baseball madness about…
Killer Idea – Word Play
Much has been said by people more influential than your humble servant here about the power of ideas and I quote from a post by my good friend Atanu Dey -
“… ideas matter. Ideas are primary. Ideas are the ultimate public good in that they are totally non-rival: my use of an idea does not diminish your capacity to use it as well. Ideas can pass from one mind to another and set up a chain reaction that has the power to transform the world. Everything that you see around you – the good, the bad, the ugly – everything was just an idea …”
But be careful folks for there are ideas and then there are dangerous killer ideas -
Deadline Whooshing Past – Redux – Word Play
Some wise fellow once said that a world without deadlines is chaos. Yet, there is not one person I know who likes and appreciates the value of deadlines. Maybe it has got to do with the word itself because it has starts with ‘dead’ which everyone dreads and putting it in the beginning when death has an aura of finality makes it twisty. I wonder what the guys who made up this word were thinking when they thought about it. Morons. Etymology apart, what makes people dislike deadlines at their core is that they sneak up on ya. One moment one is happy minding their own sweet stuff even if the deadline looms and overbears and the very next moment, they swoosh past sweeping everything in their wake. You get the drift…
NDM Superbug Vindicates India Superpower Status
This might be old news but still it is news that WHO endorsed Lancet report on India giving rise to NDM superbug that can potentially threaten the whole world but hey, why see this as such a bad thing? Why should 3rd world douchedirt scumbags, read, Indians be scared of germs, take it as a national insult, see it as a Western political conspiracy to undermine medical tourism, feel that it will affect development growth and try to fight and refute it? Just pay heed to the politician…
Any person who has been taught history knows that any country holding a world-threatening thingy – be it a weapon or disease – is a bonafide superpower. In fact, America was won by fleeing Europeans because of germs mostly. Maybe, it is indeed India’s decade as some magazine put it naively and jingoistically.
Any person who has been taught history knows that any country holding a world-threatening thingy – be it a weapon or disease – is a bonafide superpower. In fact, America was won by fleeing Europeans because of germs mostly. Maybe, it is indeed India’s decade as some magazine put it naively and jingoistically.
Launching Debate – Aim for Moon – Word Play
Debates are tricky things and as tricky things go, are wonderful and open up the mind to different points of view. Some wise person said that there are 3 sides to any debate – theirs, yours, right one. Here’s to launching fireworks, err, debates…
Killing Time – Word Play – Transition Wait Bore
Many a poet and writer (mostly, failed lovers) have written about the joys of waiting to which I subscribe because there is some weird joy that the anticipation and suspense bring but me thinks there is a threshold of sorts when it transitions to boredom. If I were a mathematician of the schizophrenic kind, maybe, I could derive a formula but since am not, one has to find other ways to kill time and thought process resulted in…
80:20 Communications Golden Ratio – EMail Proof
In the 2-weeks since I have been back from my 2-year exile and got into corporate work mode, I have attended 2 seminars/conferences which irrespective of the context and intent, eventually become back-scratching sales expos of one kind or another. I digress but if it is all about fresh change and change is constant then by association, everything is constant, no? What will be has always been and such quacks with some weird Murphy law pertaining to conservation of change or constancy or something. Don’t believe it? Let us put it to the test shall we? An example is needed and email is as good an example as any given that it is still the primary means of corporate communication. I said it and meet me offline to debate.
Hypothesis:
Now it may be the case that I have been away from email research for a while with my finger-in-pie projects of Soylent, MIT Media Labs’ Social Network Fragments and IBM Remail gotten archived serving as footnotes in information sciences research but we made a starkling discovery half a decade back that email is the most sticky social network of all and 80:20 (or Pareto Law or Rich-get-Richer or Power Log or Long Tail Graph etc.) is the golden ratio for communication patterns in any circumstance. Ergo, as a quick thought experiment, if you take all your contacts and conversations in your inbox and chart them by age and activity, it will be a classic long tail. Not only do you communicate with 20% people for 80% of the time but the 80% of the activity will happen in the first 20% timeline of the relationship. A corollary was that if you broadcast something, 80% of it gets lost in the ether and this is what I will put to the test today for your greymatter exercise pleasure.
Experiment:
I am not a people person but having missed the chance to experiment in Amazon Web Services Cloud Computing Event in Bangalore, I thought I’d gather data in the NASSCOM Product Conclave and Expo 2010. Oh, the things I do in the name of research. I managed to gather 31 visiting cards (this has to be outmoded BTW for green and convenience reasons – where are vCards, BlueTooth, semacodes, Bump, digital IDs, card scanners in smartphones et al.) and the next day while memory is still fresh, broadcasted an LoL-inducing cute long mail saying hello and spouting philosophy. Note that the sample was quite diverse with some whom I interacted with deeply to some whom I had lunch/coffee and some from whom I got a visiting card without making any verbal contact whatsoever. All bases covered.
Results and Conclusion:
Enough talk. Let us look at a snapshot of a spreadsheet with a pie-chart -
I guess the data speaks for itself. (Silence + Bounce = 25) is 80% and any scientist would be happy to be proven right and plug ‘I told you so’ but am not really religious err… I mean as a real scientist (who is often seen as a heretic in the circles), I take great thrill in being proven wrong in the best interests of progress. Alas, life has been dull! I salute thee who replied back, pursued the line of inquiry, called up, glued on LinkedIn etc. who make up the 20% because without them, there would be no 80% split now, would it? Yin and Yang. As a parting trivia, funny/serious thing is that those who responded did it 80% by email as mode of communication. No wonder Facebook seems to be getting into email as per chirps on the interwebs.
Le Why?
The quick answer to this, I don’t know nor do I have the skills/education to pursue this other than half-baked observational theories which are dime a dozen. Maybe, someone will pick this up and explore but for that to happen, more data is needed and more people should report back broadcast/response ratios in their email.
Hypothesis:
Now it may be the case that I have been away from email research for a while with my finger-in-pie projects of Soylent, MIT Media Labs’ Social Network Fragments and IBM Remail gotten archived serving as footnotes in information sciences research but we made a starkling discovery half a decade back that email is the most sticky social network of all and 80:20 (or Pareto Law or Rich-get-Richer or Power Log or Long Tail Graph etc.) is the golden ratio for communication patterns in any circumstance. Ergo, as a quick thought experiment, if you take all your contacts and conversations in your inbox and chart them by age and activity, it will be a classic long tail. Not only do you communicate with 20% people for 80% of the time but the 80% of the activity will happen in the first 20% timeline of the relationship. A corollary was that if you broadcast something, 80% of it gets lost in the ether and this is what I will put to the test today for your greymatter exercise pleasure.
Experiment:
I am not a people person but having missed the chance to experiment in Amazon Web Services Cloud Computing Event in Bangalore, I thought I’d gather data in the NASSCOM Product Conclave and Expo 2010. Oh, the things I do in the name of research. I managed to gather 31 visiting cards (this has to be outmoded BTW for green and convenience reasons – where are vCards, BlueTooth, semacodes, Bump, digital IDs, card scanners in smartphones et al.) and the next day while memory is still fresh, broadcasted an LoL-inducing cute long mail saying hello and spouting philosophy. Note that the sample was quite diverse with some whom I interacted with deeply to some whom I had lunch/coffee and some from whom I got a visiting card without making any verbal contact whatsoever. All bases covered.
Results and Conclusion:
Enough talk. Let us look at a snapshot of a spreadsheet with a pie-chart -
I guess the data speaks for itself. (Silence + Bounce = 25) is 80% and any scientist would be happy to be proven right and plug ‘I told you so’ but am not really religious err… I mean as a real scientist (who is often seen as a heretic in the circles), I take great thrill in being proven wrong in the best interests of progress. Alas, life has been dull! I salute thee who replied back, pursued the line of inquiry, called up, glued on LinkedIn etc. who make up the 20% because without them, there would be no 80% split now, would it? Yin and Yang. As a parting trivia, funny/serious thing is that those who responded did it 80% by email as mode of communication. No wonder Facebook seems to be getting into email as per chirps on the interwebs.
Le Why?
The quick answer to this, I don’t know nor do I have the skills/education to pursue this other than half-baked observational theories which are dime a dozen. Maybe, someone will pick this up and explore but for that to happen, more data is needed and more people should report back broadcast/response ratios in their email.
UnPluggd – India Copy Startups – Coaching Rush
Heard on the Trak grapevine that UnPluggd Startup Oktoberfest is going to be held in Bengaluru, well duh, in October. Here’s my quick take on what is going to happen in this so-called “school for startups” and what I think has been happening per my naive observations/experiences, in so-called India startup ecosystem scene -
You know in the movie “Adaptation”, Charlie vents anger and loathes at his twin brother Donald for going to a writing workshop? I kinda feel that way about these schooling sessions for entrepreneurs. If folks have to go to seminars – not that I see UnPluggd as one but there will be such sessions am sure – and read books and such on how to innovate, they are not true entrepreneurs now, are they? You know, streaking their own paths and all that. Come to think of it, UnPluggd itself is not original as a concept. Heck, the tagline has ‘Oktoberfest’ for crying out loud with scant regard as to the origins of the word and careless disregard on how Germany would see the misuse. Am sorry, am not impressed with such harakiri. Ditto with startup ecosystem in India. Am just not a big fan of mediocre unoriginal startups just copying and getting by with desi versions of ideas from other places. Peace.
You know in the movie “Adaptation”, Charlie vents anger and loathes at his twin brother Donald for going to a writing workshop? I kinda feel that way about these schooling sessions for entrepreneurs. If folks have to go to seminars – not that I see UnPluggd as one but there will be such sessions am sure – and read books and such on how to innovate, they are not true entrepreneurs now, are they? You know, streaking their own paths and all that. Come to think of it, UnPluggd itself is not original as a concept. Heck, the tagline has ‘Oktoberfest’ for crying out loud with scant regard as to the origins of the word and careless disregard on how Germany would see the misuse. Am sorry, am not impressed with such harakiri. Ditto with startup ecosystem in India. Am just not a big fan of mediocre unoriginal startups just copying and getting by with desi versions of ideas from other places. Peace.
Mozilla joins IBM, Red Hat in OIN – Protect Linux
Shabbir Akhtar of EFYTimes reports that Mozilla joins IBM and Red Hat in Open Invention Network. OIN aims to protect the Linux environment by acquiring licenses to stop offenders from asserting their own patents against Linux. Good times for open source, yay! Quick take in colour using simple logos and symbolisms…
Yahoo Re-Strategizing Search – Google Knockout
Heard on the grapevine that Yahoo is re-strategizing its search. Enough said…
India Immune to Inflation, Corruption, Exploitation
A Trak colleague/fan Viral Dholakia asked me to do something on the topic of inflation, particularly based on his, “Have Indians Become Immune to Inflation?” post to which my simple answer is a resounding YES. I however majorly disagree with the reasons cited in the article like supply-demand, economic growth, jobs and spending ability etc. because I think major reason is that of sheer helplessness. Munch on it or apply Occams Razor or whatever. You go to the market to buy some stuff and see some random price for it. What can you do other than curse for a little bit and buy it anyway? What other option is there? Ditto with other ills of corruption, brutality, exploitation et al. You are a psycho if you like them. So, we put up with it because there is absolutely nothing you can do. But we sure can enjoy the pain…
This is inspired from many a movie where the hero can endure any punishment meted out by villains while pouting testesterone charged dialogues for the masses and particularly, a skit/scene in the ‘Monty Python Flying Circus’ film, “Life of Brian” where Brian gets arrested and is put in a dark battered cell with a pain immunized hedonistic-for-torture prisoner singing praises of the Romans. Here is a transcript of the dialogue converted into a monologue for your reading pleasure -
This is inspired from many a movie where the hero can endure any punishment meted out by villains while pouting testesterone charged dialogues for the masses and particularly, a skit/scene in the ‘Monty Python Flying Circus’ film, “Life of Brian” where Brian gets arrested and is put in a dark battered cell with a pain immunized hedonistic-for-torture prisoner singing praises of the Romans. Here is a transcript of the dialogue converted into a monologue for your reading pleasure -
You lucky, lucky bastard! Probably the little jailies’ pet, aren’t we? You must have slipt him a few shekels, eh? Oh, ohoh, what wouldn’t I give to be spat at in the face? I sometimes hang awake at night, dreaming of being spat at in the face. Manacles! Ohuuhoh… what idea of reaving; is to be allowed to put in manacles, just for a few hours. They must think a sun shines out your arse, sonny! You’ve had a hard time!? I’ve been here five years, they only hung me the right way up yesterday! So don’t you come ’round… They must think you’re lord God Almighty. Oh, you’ll probably get away with crucifixion. Yeah. First offense. Best thing the Romans ever did for us. Oh, yeah. If we didn’t have crucifixion, this country’d be in a right bloody mess. Nail ‘em up I say! Nail some sense into ‘em! Hah! Ptui! [Spit] Oh! Look at that! Bloody favouritism! Now take my case. They hang me up here five years ago. Every night they take me down for twenty minutes, then they hang me up again. Which I guard as very fair, in view of what I’ve done. And if nothing else, it has taught me to respect the Romans, and it has taught me that you’ll never get anywhere in this life, unless you are prepared to do a fair day’s work for a fair day’s… Oh haha! Nice one, centurion! Like it. Terrific race, Romans! Terrific.
Yep! Terrific politicans, businessmen and police we have too. Truly blessed.
Student Satellite Madness – VSSC ISRO India Trend
A Jew comedian goes to meet a priest in a Church expressing concern over an acquantice of his converting from Christianity to Judaism purely for the jokes. When the priest asks, “And this offends you as a Yidd?” he says, “No, it offends me as a comedian”. This skit from Seinfeld TV sitcom is what flashed in my mind when I read, ‘Students Building their Own Satellites – Fantastic Emerging Trend in India’ as it offended me as a summer intern at VSSC, ISRO in 1999 because from what I know and saw, building a satellite is trivial if one has all the fabricated materials and instructions – much like assembling a PC which a 10 year old can do these days. In fact, ISRO gets shipments of DIY boxes from various countries and I saw first-hand what “building a satellite by students” involves for most part – tightening screws and running diagnostics. Heck, I did it myself. Inspite of my cynicism, am glad that a relatively better fad has caught on amongst the student population other than movies and cricket which might give those slugging it out a fighting opportunity to escape this 3rd world garbage dump to USA or UK or Australia and just about any country stupid enough to have them inspite of all the immigration hoops…
The most difficult and expensive phase is sending the satellite into the ether and even more important is what you do with it after because otherwise, it is just space junk. I rest my case. Let me be and ponder why that chicken is crossing the road.
The most difficult and expensive phase is sending the satellite into the ether and even more important is what you do with it after because otherwise, it is just space junk. I rest my case. Let me be and ponder why that chicken is crossing the road.
Company Blog Policies – Be Afraid, Very Afraid
It has recently come to my stray attention through this that Wipro has released a blog policy for its employees. True to their catching-up and copy-cat credentials, they did it after Infosys did it. I am no lawyer nor have the patience and spare time to read drivel. Nor should you (oops). So, here is a quick summary of what it means…
I wonder how digital coolies at these chop-shop sweatshops are taking the atrocity. Hold on a minute. Just as expected, there is no commentary on the interwebs at all. Nor any protests nor marches nor candle-light vigils. Clearly, controls are already working. Mark it for in the words that will be immortalized, oppression and bondage is a choice as much as freedom and liberty. If a large group of educated people (granted it is quasi, fake, airy and rote but still) give up freedom of expression in probably the most open medium there is because they are not allowed to or not supposed to or shackled by random rules, there is little hope for a society that is burdened to bear them. Yet, thousands of employees will go about their trivial mundane lives without a care of what it all means. Ah ingorance! thy name is bliss. Those that do are more than happy to lose their voice and just got a happy excuse. The real funny thing is the justifications of “safeguarding reputation of the brand and company” and “protecting intellectual property” and “confidentility of clients” behind these stifling guidelines. By releasing a blog policy and stating an intent to play big brother, Infosys and Wipro have damaged their pinhead reputations which makes me wonder if the powers that be followed the motto and ‘applied thought’? And by complying to this asphyxiation, our coolies have not earned any brownie points either. Cautionary tale on dangers of conformity. It makes droids out of individuals.
I wonder how digital coolies at these chop-shop sweatshops are taking the atrocity. Hold on a minute. Just as expected, there is no commentary on the interwebs at all. Nor any protests nor marches nor candle-light vigils. Clearly, controls are already working. Mark it for in the words that will be immortalized, oppression and bondage is a choice as much as freedom and liberty. If a large group of educated people (granted it is quasi, fake, airy and rote but still) give up freedom of expression in probably the most open medium there is because they are not allowed to or not supposed to or shackled by random rules, there is little hope for a society that is burdened to bear them. Yet, thousands of employees will go about their trivial mundane lives without a care of what it all means. Ah ingorance! thy name is bliss. Those that do are more than happy to lose their voice and just got a happy excuse. The real funny thing is the justifications of “safeguarding reputation of the brand and company” and “protecting intellectual property” and “confidentility of clients” behind these stifling guidelines. By releasing a blog policy and stating an intent to play big brother, Infosys and Wipro have damaged their pinhead reputations which makes me wonder if the powers that be followed the motto and ‘applied thought’? And by complying to this asphyxiation, our coolies have not earned any brownie points either. Cautionary tale on dangers of conformity. It makes droids out of individuals.
Rain and Umbrella – Vaana Vallappa, Law Challappa
It’s been raining and keeping up with monsoons, here is a nice one by Anwar with some ‘Murphy Law’ about showers and umbrellas embedded somewhere…
Summer for Climate Change Scientists vs. Deniers
Am not out of topics to be talking about the weather but just that it has been a good summer for climate scientists who seem to have got the spring in their footstep and an unwipeable smirk on their faces rubbing it in to all the global warming deniers given the spike in scorching temperatures, forest fires, water droughts, heat waves, dehydration deaths et al. all over the world, and particularly across the USA where the Republicans are being dragged closer to the altar higher the mercury rising…
I for one do not care much about the weather having been exposed to temperatures from 50-degree to -23-degree centigrade with nothing more than a VIP banian and sandals across the spectrum. I enjoy outdoors as long as am properly insulated.
I for one do not care much about the weather having been exposed to temperatures from 50-degree to -23-degree centigrade with nothing more than a VIP banian and sandals across the spectrum. I enjoy outdoors as long as am properly insulated.
India Map WRT Kashmir on Google – Humbug
According to this source, there has been wide coverage to the fact that Google is showing the India map wrongly with respect to Kashmir. Previously, there was some dispute over the demarcation of Arunachal Pradesh which was shown as part of China or so. Wonder what happened to that? I did not follow that up because honestly my dear readers, I don’t give a damn. Who cares about this junk anyway? This reminds me of the ye olde adage ‘penny wise pound foolish’ because the bickering is about some rocky useless piece(s) of land when 99% of the “correctly” depicted land is going to the dogs. Seriously. We are talking about cartography and accuracy now? If you roam about at your own risk and find yourself in some region surrounded by neighbourhood enemy armies of Pakistan, China, Burma, Nepal etc. you are pretty much screwed and no amount of arguing that it is the fault of Google is going to help your situation. On the ground, reality is pretty much what the barbed wires and keep-out signs state what soil belongs to which country. My advise to all of you silly jingoists out there – get a life. But of course, politicians will get some mileage with some elections or the other around the corner all the time -
Disclaimer first. The above cartoon is a mesh of 2 cartoons by Laxman. I could have drawn it myself but as a blue-blood software engineer by training, re-use is the mantra here. Hope ToI does not mind and am sure Sir Laxman himself supports a liberal CC license. With that out of the way, everything that has India in the headline and a foriegn agent sullying the name or borders of this great country is what feeds our fat netas. I will be surprised if such a speech as depicted is not being made in some panchayat elections as we speak to ignorant babus and clueless villagers.
Disclaimer first. The above cartoon is a mesh of 2 cartoons by Laxman. I could have drawn it myself but as a blue-blood software engineer by training, re-use is the mantra here. Hope ToI does not mind and am sure Sir Laxman himself supports a liberal CC license. With that out of the way, everything that has India in the headline and a foriegn agent sullying the name or borders of this great country is what feeds our fat netas. I will be surprised if such a speech as depicted is not being made in some panchayat elections as we speak to ignorant babus and clueless villagers.
Beauty Paegant Slavery Proof of Women Stupidity
I will not apologize to the fairer sex in the readership for what I am about to say. I personally do not want to believe it but all of my observations and studies point to the inevitability that women are stupid. Some say it is just a matter of cubic capacity because women have smaller brains on average. Some point to the fact that the percentage of Nobel prize winners and CEOs even if we count the gender ratio after “liberation” is skewed unfavourably towards women. Some go as far as generalizing that it is intellectual inferiority that women are underpaid in just about any profession for the same job and exploited by men over millenia left, right, top, down and center with a parallel being how we are masters of cattle. I can neither confirm nor deny these claims but I have my own theory of why I think women are stupid. Case in point, the hundreds of thousands of beauty paegants and fashion shows happening all around the world as we speak: Ages, 1 and up. Horror! there are even beauty paegants for babies too? If a large group of people of a particular gender subject themselves to objectification and humiliation repeatedly and knowingly, I am sorry to say that particular gender is stupid. To be safe and to be clear, I am a honest misanthrope, not misogynist. I respect women as much as the other Barney.Many people may point out that there are beauty paegants for men too but atleast they have done something like train and exercise to build muscle. What do these beauty queens do other than starve themselves and take courses to parrot the same old answers to same old questions year in and year out almost inevitably leading to the most moronic phrases ever, ‘make my country proud’ and ‘world peace’. The women who participate in these silly paegants are no morons and illiterates either like those women in 3rd world countries who are slaves to patriarchial families and religious thugs. Apparently, these ladies have degrees and hold jobs too when people who are far more smarter and prettier than them are unemployed and scratch a living toiling in burning sun and picking garbage. I fail to comprehend what is being evaluated anyway? All I see is judgments based on how these lasses look in bikinis and weird costumes and how to behave gracefully with etiquette and show spunk and personality. If so, how are these so-called liberated women any different from repressed women when they are told what to wear and how to behave? Is this not just slavery and conformance to dominating male standards by another name? I certainly think so and therein lies the proof that women are stupid so much so that they do not even know they are being stupefied and oppressed. Enough said but there we are not out of arguments and pointers. The one that takes the cake is how these women live with the titles all through their life which are absolutely stupid like Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth etc. In all probability aliens in other parts of the universe will see us with the very eyes we see spiders and cockroaches and label us ugly and disgusting. Heck, the standards of beauty as defined by these beauty paegants viz. tall, fair, thin, cheeky etc. are considered outright ugly in many cultures on this very planet. How vain are the organizers to award the participants as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth etc. when if they are paraded over a good enough diverse sample, the consensus will be split and hardly unanimous. And what the heck is the difference between ‘world’ and ‘earth’ damn it? Just to be clear, I am no big fan of men either. We are stupid too for we consider it psychedelic to watch scantily dressed anorexic sick heavily made-up women walking on the ramp with empty looks on their faces. But relatively speaking, women are more stupid and participate in this male fantasy for a fistful of money, life of drugs eventually ending up as arm candy and trophy wives. I suppose that is the goal for many of these women which just gives more wood to the fire. There is a pattern here. First thing that empowered women do when they have been liberated in any society and country – Bhutan is a good example – is to objectify themselves by participating in beauty paegants and having sex with as many other people as they want playing straight into the hands of men who released the shackles for precisely this very reason. By doing this they create an elite structure alienating their sisters by sending them into a depression spiral when they cannot meet the difficult specifications of attractiveness. There is indeed truth to the adage that women are the enemies of women. Summae, gender war has truly been lost.
Pakistan Mulls over $5M Flood Relief Aid from India
I have commented elsewhere that India giving aid to other countries is like a leper giving his alms to a beggar who is down on her luck. It is funny and sad at the same time. However, given that the floods in Pakistan is a bonafide natural disaster (from web of course), the $5M relief package that India wants to give to Pakistan is applaudable. This is a tiny pittance compared to the money spent on newspaper ads on the eve of loser dead prime-minister Rajiv Gandhi birthday (or some other major event as per Congress diktat) and generous compared to the package being given to Leh but it is applaudable nonetheless. Now a country that is battered down and a wretched beggar should not be a chooser but that is exactly what Pakistan is doing by declining the aid package on grounds of vanity without consideration that it can be of some small help (negligible really after due corruption and bureaucracy) in saving human lives. Just goes to show how invaluable and insignificant life is in 3rd world countries. Wait, is it the other way around? You are a 3rd world country if you do not diplomatically accept money from another poverty infested country for the sake of some idiotic stupid nationalistic jingoist hate-mongering pride at the cost of lives of your own citizens. That sounds about right and a cartoon is in order -
Yep! India which is itself on a sinking ship is trying to save an adamant Pakistan which is not budging even when its master, the USA has spoken and Obama is urging. Funny thing here is that the really sad thing about all this is inspite of all the silliness, Pakistan as a failed country still performs better than India and others in many UN human development metrics. Here is evidence. Twisted and scary, innit?
Yep! India which is itself on a sinking ship is trying to save an adamant Pakistan which is not budging even when its master, the USA has spoken and Obama is urging. Funny thing here is that the really sad thing about all this is inspite of all the silliness, Pakistan as a failed country still performs better than India and others in many UN human development metrics. Here is evidence. Twisted and scary, innit?
Social Media in Kashmir – Parroting ye Olde Yaps
In general, I think social media is a hype and a fad. Just because new services keep coming up all the time like WordPress or YouTube or Facebook or Twitter or whatever and people with internet connections on PC and increasingly mobile, can register and dump their neurosis and details of their breakfast or weekend plans on it does not make it a media in the true sense of the proverbial fourth estate. Let alone their purpose of creation, but these services serve a secondary function of channels for communication, information and broadcasting. If one studies history, there were innumerable channels and every one of them has been exploited by groups to tell the truth and lies. It is just human nature to spread propaganda and protect their own vested interests. What I guess am saying is that just because people in Kashmir have started using so-called social media, it does not mean that they have started to speak out or have found a new voice or something profound like ‘power to the masses’ junk. They just discovered and have the means of a new medium to tell the world what they have been telling for the past many years – India sucks (we all know that). What is sad though is that most of the ramblings of the misquided youth seem to be about hardships of the people (but not themselves) and atrocities of the state (they are unaffected from). So, when I saw this story, “Social Media in Kashmir is Happening”, I could not resist a quick doodle -
Now I have a theory of why that is. Simple one really. The really oppressed people never have the resources to tell their story. It is the vultures and crackheads – read, big media or citizen media – who tell the story that others want to hear. No one wants to hear the story of a shopkeeper who is bankrupt because some paid rogues pelt stones in gay abandon causing curfews. No one want to hear the story of the girl who has had a free ride to education just because she was born in Kashmir while several others born in other states and far more deserving do not get even basic schooling. No one wants to hear the story of how many innocent people get killed everyday and the staggering underperformance of Jammu and Kashmir as an economy because of silly avoidable conflicts day in and day out. There is frustration and anger. Well, boo-hoo, every citizen of every country feels that way at some point or the other. Everyone in India hates the country at a gut level for its gawaar netas and rowdy police as much as the other guy but not everybody resorts to throwing stones nor using social media to tell the world – which hardly gives a damn BTW – the oppression, corruption and violence. Keep saying it like a parrot only makes it diluted, boring and depressing. In other words, share stories and stop cribbing. Importantly, don’t yap and please use more than 140 characters.
Now I have a theory of why that is. Simple one really. The really oppressed people never have the resources to tell their story. It is the vultures and crackheads – read, big media or citizen media – who tell the story that others want to hear. No one wants to hear the story of a shopkeeper who is bankrupt because some paid rogues pelt stones in gay abandon causing curfews. No one want to hear the story of the girl who has had a free ride to education just because she was born in Kashmir while several others born in other states and far more deserving do not get even basic schooling. No one wants to hear the story of how many innocent people get killed everyday and the staggering underperformance of Jammu and Kashmir as an economy because of silly avoidable conflicts day in and day out. There is frustration and anger. Well, boo-hoo, every citizen of every country feels that way at some point or the other. Everyone in India hates the country at a gut level for its gawaar netas and rowdy police as much as the other guy but not everybody resorts to throwing stones nor using social media to tell the world – which hardly gives a damn BTW – the oppression, corruption and violence. Keep saying it like a parrot only makes it diluted, boring and depressing. In other words, share stories and stop cribbing. Importantly, don’t yap and please use more than 140 characters.
India to Move WTO Over USA H1B Visa Hike Bill
I love reading silly headlines in the morning. It feels like stupidity is alive and kicking which is always good for social commentators like yours truly. So, when I took the paper to the bathroom and saw “India to Move WTO Over USA H1B Visa Hike Bill” staring right at me, I laughed so hard that I took a big dump – literally. The sheer audacity of the optimism amused me. Drum-roll people for a quick doodle -
I think it is a fairly accurate depiction of the situation here even if I have to say so to myself. WTO is really the pet dog of the USA and is a fat lazy canine to even budge.
I think it is a fairly accurate depiction of the situation here even if I have to say so to myself. WTO is really the pet dog of the USA and is a fat lazy canine to even budge.
India Rupee Symbol Everywhere – Sky Constellation
An advertisement in the paper today caught my attention for a strange silly symbol accompanied the price. It is the new symbol for the Indian rupee. Digging deeper I could find thousands of articles about it on the web. With a new keyboard by TVS, special key on a mobile phone and all, it seems to be cropping up everywhere -
For social commentators, wannabe writers and amateur cartoonists, a new symbol and rather interesting story preceding it is beautiful material. Stay tuned for more.
For social commentators, wannabe writers and amateur cartoonists, a new symbol and rather interesting story preceding it is beautiful material. Stay tuned for more.
India Retaliates for IT Chop-Shop Comment by USA
Imagine this scenario. You are going somewhere by train and carrying a lot of luggage. You arrive at the station and start haggling with a coolie. No one really knows the true effort estimate of a coolie but yet we negotiate. Eventually we arrive at some price and at the time of dispensing money, we almost always curse the coolie saying that we have been taken for a ride and such. We take pot-shots by using atrocious phrases to describe the gawaar coolie and his kind. If the coolie happens to hear our comments, he might mumble something but that is the extent of his reaction most of the time. It is just human nature and part of any monetary transaction for services. So, when I saw this “US Senator takes pot-shots by using Atrocious phrases like ‘Chop Shops’ for Infosys: Shouldn’t India Retaliate?” article over at Trak.in, I could not help myself but smile at ridiculousness of the question. I will leave it to readers to ponder about it themselves but here is what I think will happen at IT chop-shops in question that I can vouch for as a digital coolie myself -
The USA might think it is being smart by offloading the burden of building a cross-border Mexico wall to control the illegal immigration troves to India IT outsourcing industry via visa fee hike but little do they realize that ultimately the cost will be borne by the many America based clients that hire Indian IT workers directly or indirectly under goobledygook contracts. It will never come to cost competitiveness because $2000 hike will be absorbed easily for chop-shops work on high margins. As for the remark by some senator, as long as it is profitable, no one really cares what money making enterprises are called. Besides, as thick-skinned suckers, bring it all on.
The USA might think it is being smart by offloading the burden of building a cross-border Mexico wall to control the illegal immigration troves to India IT outsourcing industry via visa fee hike but little do they realize that ultimately the cost will be borne by the many America based clients that hire Indian IT workers directly or indirectly under goobledygook contracts. It will never come to cost competitiveness because $2000 hike will be absorbed easily for chop-shops work on high margins. As for the remark by some senator, as long as it is profitable, no one really cares what money making enterprises are called. Besides, as thick-skinned suckers, bring it all on.
Taj Mahal, Pyramids are Empire Sponsored Tombs
Anyone who is brave enough to venture into old markets of any town and cities in India, or for that matter any other poor country, will notice hoardings, billboards and make-shift advertising plates scrambling for attention at eyeline and on the skyline. They dangle on poles and roofs by the last thread of some broken screw almost defying gravity and laws of physics and ethics. If the growth in such cacophony of business nature is extrapolated, it will not be far off/fetched before tombstones in graveyards will be seen as prime space for scribbles peddling wares promising happiness and joy for the whole family. If I were a promoter, I would be inclined to say that cemetries have great qualities and opportunites for advertisements. They capture the attention of people because of the peace and quiet etc. So, when I saw an illustration by Vasu in Sakshi Sunday Magazine some time ago, it reflected my thoughts and made me chuckle. I scanned it and here it is in all its glory -
Looking deeper, I questioned why would the guy in the picture be sick and pale and green? Could it be that idiot sod thinks this was not an advertisement but death caused/sponsored by some cola company? I could not put a finger on it but it made me wonder about tombs and sponsorship. This is hardly a futuristic phenomenon for there are instances all around us if we really looked. What is the Taj Mahal really but a tomb sponsored by erstwhile Mughal empire as a proxy display of power and wealth? It is high time before people saw it for what it is than some crazy idea of eternal love. Even so, there is documented evidence of slave labour, severed hands and whip deaths. Ditto with pyramids of Egypt which have traditionally been an icon of engineering prowess and cultural superiority but they are nothing but tombs of power-mad god-complex kings who even in death wanted to cross the river Styx first-class and craved for a premium deluxe specical place in heaven. No sirree, heaven was not enough to these buggers. They wanted box seats to watch the play as it unfolds down below. It makes me look at all these so-called wonders of the world with new eyes unveiling the monstrosity behind the farce and the ignoble intentions/cruelty behind these structures. To jest, all this started with a ponderance with why a cartoon character was puzzled in some random image of some booklet.
Looking deeper, I questioned why would the guy in the picture be sick and pale and green? Could it be that idiot sod thinks this was not an advertisement but death caused/sponsored by some cola company? I could not put a finger on it but it made me wonder about tombs and sponsorship. This is hardly a futuristic phenomenon for there are instances all around us if we really looked. What is the Taj Mahal really but a tomb sponsored by erstwhile Mughal empire as a proxy display of power and wealth? It is high time before people saw it for what it is than some crazy idea of eternal love. Even so, there is documented evidence of slave labour, severed hands and whip deaths. Ditto with pyramids of Egypt which have traditionally been an icon of engineering prowess and cultural superiority but they are nothing but tombs of power-mad god-complex kings who even in death wanted to cross the river Styx first-class and craved for a premium deluxe specical place in heaven. No sirree, heaven was not enough to these buggers. They wanted box seats to watch the play as it unfolds down below. It makes me look at all these so-called wonders of the world with new eyes unveiling the monstrosity behind the farce and the ignoble intentions/cruelty behind these structures. To jest, all this started with a ponderance with why a cartoon character was puzzled in some random image of some booklet.
State of Social Networking in India – ADD Version
It might have been a tad late but Aseem Rastogi, a colleague at Trak has a nice analytical post on the state of social networking ranks in India circa July 2010 using ComScore Media Metrix. Here is an ADD version for all you lazy Dicks and Ginas -
Facebook is #1 by a thin margin over Orkut which while at #2 is said to be slowly dying. I second (pun intended and proud of wordplay) the conclusion because web services are like sharks: if they are stagnant, they drown. Another key observation is Twitter on steroids jetpack growing by leaps and bounds.
PS: Rankings based on July YoY growth and unique visitors of ages 15 and up.
Facebook is #1 by a thin margin over Orkut which while at #2 is said to be slowly dying. I second (pun intended and proud of wordplay) the conclusion because web services are like sharks: if they are stagnant, they drown. Another key observation is Twitter on steroids jetpack growing by leaps and bounds.
PS: Rankings based on July YoY growth and unique visitors of ages 15 and up.
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