The last two weeks I have been laid low by a persistent pain in the back. No, no, I am not talking about quality processes at work. It was really a physical back pain which kind of sneaked up on me.
I think it was a muscle pull or a really bad sprain that decided to hang around for a couple of weeks. Infact, on a few days it was so bad that I could not get out of bed. And, take it from me, it is just not pleasant lying on the bed the whole day not being able to move. The only position that one can be in is a straight line sleeping like Tutankhamen in his sarcophagus. It was like I had swallowed a lamp post.
I was on pain killers and gels that helped a bit but by far the best remedy for back related ailments, as I discovered, is to sleep on the floor. No mattress, no bedding, just plain old floor. A week of sleeping on the floor and looks like my back is almost as good as new and I hope it stays that way.
Anyway, the best part about the whole incident is that it gives me something to blog about this month which otherwise has turned out to be a pretty bland month so far.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Counting Bucks
So how many black bucks are there in Jayamangali nature reserve ?.
Ok, the question is not as profound as “Are we alone in the Universe” but it still is a pretty important question considering that black bucks are an endangered species. Once found abundantly all across India, now they are limited to only some parts, thanks to habitat destruction (and trigger-happy movie stars). The Wildlife Aware Nature Club (WANC), whose members call themselves WANCers, decided to find this out in concert with the forest department and had called for volunteers for a black buck census.
On reading about this, the first thought that crossed my mind was “Whoa !!, they should have chosen a better acronym”. I guess it is still better than other names they could have ended up with like, I don’t know, say “Fauna Upkeep and Conservation Club” and then the members would be called…never mind.
But puns aside, these folks are a really dedicated bunch of wildlife enthusiasts. They have worked for many years and it is due to their persistence and perseverance that this particular area has been designated as a conservation reserve by the government. Since I have always wanted take part in a wildlife census, I volunteered and the good people said yes.
There were quite a few volunteers from Bangalore and I hooked up with a couple of participants who had a SUV. It was just as well, since there was no way my small car could have even survived some of the road stretches. We reached there on Saturday evening. There were around eighty volunteers in all. The evening was spent learning the ropes of how a census was to be conducted.
Here is how I thought it would be, first you spot the black bucks, then you run to the deer, chase it if necessary and finally mark it with a number: one, two and so on. You remember the largest number you marked and then add it up with the rest of the group’s at the end of the day. I had been working on the running part of it in the gym anyway.
Thankfully, I was wrong. Here is how a wildlife census is done (there are other ways as well, this is the one we followed). The reserve is divided up along lines, not necessarily straight but in such a way that these lines are far from each other and cover as much area as possible. Each line is called a ‘transect’. The volunteers are then put into groups. In this case, the groups consisted of four volunteers with a forest guard. Each group begins walking from the start of the transect looking for black bucks on either side.
We were given a data sheet given having a bunch of columns which we had to fill up when bucks were sighted. The details include the time of spotting, number of bucks, how many males, females and fawns and whether they are moving to the left or the right of the transect and the approximate distance from you. The time and the movement info are used to identify possible double counting by adjacent transects thereby reducing error.
Our transect began at a village outside the conserve and ended at the base camp. Since our track consisted walking through shrubs and grasslands, we did not have a guard with us as it is pretty hard to get lost there. It was a small trek of about 4 kms. We started at around 7.30am and we were done by 9.30am. We spotted around 17 black bucks which included a herd of 8. The best part was we also spotted two Indian foxes. These are very shy creatures and pretty hard to find. Infact of the 21 groups that were in the census, we were the only ones to spot foxes.
During the census, you have to stay put to your transect so that you get as accurate a data as possible. So once we had finished the count and submitted our results, it was easier to explore since you don’t have to stick to the path. I and few others went around and spotting even more black bucks and a whole bunch of birds. This place has plenty of raptors (eagles, harriers, kestrels and so on), it is a treat to birdwatchers. After having walked around for a few more hours, we returned to the base at noon.
It was time for lunch and some customary thanksgiving speeches. We all got certificates to acknowledge our participation. It was 7 in the evening when I finally returned back to Bangalore. It would take a few days for the final results to come in before we know what the estimated number of black bucks is. When they do, I shall update this post with the result.
It was a great experience, I loved it and I plan to go back there again one of these weekends, just to get a better look at the bucks.
Because, you see, when it comes to black bucks, it is just too hard to pass the buck…
[Update: I just received the results of the census. Here are the numbers
Black Male 73
Brown Male 56
Adult Female 280
Fawn 45
Unidentified 4
Total 454
There has been a decline in numbers since the last census in 2002]
Ok, the question is not as profound as “Are we alone in the Universe” but it still is a pretty important question considering that black bucks are an endangered species. Once found abundantly all across India, now they are limited to only some parts, thanks to habitat destruction (and trigger-happy movie stars). The Wildlife Aware Nature Club (WANC), whose members call themselves WANCers, decided to find this out in concert with the forest department and had called for volunteers for a black buck census.
On reading about this, the first thought that crossed my mind was “Whoa !!, they should have chosen a better acronym”. I guess it is still better than other names they could have ended up with like, I don’t know, say “Fauna Upkeep and Conservation Club” and then the members would be called…never mind.
But puns aside, these folks are a really dedicated bunch of wildlife enthusiasts. They have worked for many years and it is due to their persistence and perseverance that this particular area has been designated as a conservation reserve by the government. Since I have always wanted take part in a wildlife census, I volunteered and the good people said yes.
There were quite a few volunteers from Bangalore and I hooked up with a couple of participants who had a SUV. It was just as well, since there was no way my small car could have even survived some of the road stretches. We reached there on Saturday evening. There were around eighty volunteers in all. The evening was spent learning the ropes of how a census was to be conducted.
Here is how I thought it would be, first you spot the black bucks, then you run to the deer, chase it if necessary and finally mark it with a number: one, two and so on. You remember the largest number you marked and then add it up with the rest of the group’s at the end of the day. I had been working on the running part of it in the gym anyway.
Thankfully, I was wrong. Here is how a wildlife census is done (there are other ways as well, this is the one we followed). The reserve is divided up along lines, not necessarily straight but in such a way that these lines are far from each other and cover as much area as possible. Each line is called a ‘transect’. The volunteers are then put into groups. In this case, the groups consisted of four volunteers with a forest guard. Each group begins walking from the start of the transect looking for black bucks on either side.
We were given a data sheet given having a bunch of columns which we had to fill up when bucks were sighted. The details include the time of spotting, number of bucks, how many males, females and fawns and whether they are moving to the left or the right of the transect and the approximate distance from you. The time and the movement info are used to identify possible double counting by adjacent transects thereby reducing error.
Our transect began at a village outside the conserve and ended at the base camp. Since our track consisted walking through shrubs and grasslands, we did not have a guard with us as it is pretty hard to get lost there. It was a small trek of about 4 kms. We started at around 7.30am and we were done by 9.30am. We spotted around 17 black bucks which included a herd of 8. The best part was we also spotted two Indian foxes. These are very shy creatures and pretty hard to find. Infact of the 21 groups that were in the census, we were the only ones to spot foxes.
During the census, you have to stay put to your transect so that you get as accurate a data as possible. So once we had finished the count and submitted our results, it was easier to explore since you don’t have to stick to the path. I and few others went around and spotting even more black bucks and a whole bunch of birds. This place has plenty of raptors (eagles, harriers, kestrels and so on), it is a treat to birdwatchers. After having walked around for a few more hours, we returned to the base at noon.
It was time for lunch and some customary thanksgiving speeches. We all got certificates to acknowledge our participation. It was 7 in the evening when I finally returned back to Bangalore. It would take a few days for the final results to come in before we know what the estimated number of black bucks is. When they do, I shall update this post with the result.
It was a great experience, I loved it and I plan to go back there again one of these weekends, just to get a better look at the bucks.
Because, you see, when it comes to black bucks, it is just too hard to pass the buck…
[Update: I just received the results of the census. Here are the numbers
Black Male 73
Brown Male 56
Adult Female 280
Fawn 45
Unidentified 4
Total 454
There has been a decline in numbers since the last census in 2002]
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A 'lovely' weekend ahead
So it is that time of the year where love is in the air because VD is just around the corner. Just to be clear, I am not referring to venereal disease but to Valentine’s Day, a day where couples reaffirm their love for each other by buying tacky gifts while others sulk, the others include the singles and the married.
But this year, we have a self styled moral police group called ‘The Army of Lord Rama’ (By the way, the legendary army of Rama actually comprised of monkeys. Apparently, the irony is lost on these douchebags) which is threatening to disrupt all celebrations. I think it is important to note that all such protests come from groups comprising only men. And more importantly, most of these men are too ugly to even have girlfriends. I think that’s the root of their frustrations.
Be that as it may, my pet theory is that Valentine’s Day is a creation of the card companies and gift shops. They have the biggest stake in the whole thing. Have you noticed how they keep telling you to gift the same bunch of presents for pretty much every occasion ?.
It’s Valentine’s ?.... Buy soft toys, chocolates and cards.
Colleague had a baby ?.... Buy soft toys, chocolates and cards.
Friend had a piles operation ?....Buy soft toys...well, I guess that should do.
I don’t mind the commerce driven celebration hype but my grouse is that it is always men who are urged to buy presents and it is never the other way around. How about having commercials which say something like this for a change...
“Women, make your man feel special this Valentine’s, gift him an Xbox 360 or the Swim Suit Edition of Sports Illustrated”
But nooo !! you never see ads like that. I agree that I am stereotyping men as Xbox freaks thinking about bikini clad women all the time. For the record, let me clarify that not all men are like that...some prefer Sony PlayStation.
Anyway, the important thing is to forget about who is going to buy what for whom but instead enjoy the spirit of the occasion.
And for all the singles out there, we can enjoy the spirit as well especially the ones that come in a six pack
But this year, we have a self styled moral police group called ‘The Army of Lord Rama’ (By the way, the legendary army of Rama actually comprised of monkeys. Apparently, the irony is lost on these douchebags) which is threatening to disrupt all celebrations. I think it is important to note that all such protests come from groups comprising only men. And more importantly, most of these men are too ugly to even have girlfriends. I think that’s the root of their frustrations.
Be that as it may, my pet theory is that Valentine’s Day is a creation of the card companies and gift shops. They have the biggest stake in the whole thing. Have you noticed how they keep telling you to gift the same bunch of presents for pretty much every occasion ?.
It’s Valentine’s ?.... Buy soft toys, chocolates and cards.
Colleague had a baby ?.... Buy soft toys, chocolates and cards.
Friend had a piles operation ?....Buy soft toys...well, I guess that should do.
I don’t mind the commerce driven celebration hype but my grouse is that it is always men who are urged to buy presents and it is never the other way around. How about having commercials which say something like this for a change...
“Women, make your man feel special this Valentine’s, gift him an Xbox 360 or the Swim Suit Edition of Sports Illustrated”
But nooo !! you never see ads like that. I agree that I am stereotyping men as Xbox freaks thinking about bikini clad women all the time. For the record, let me clarify that not all men are like that...some prefer Sony PlayStation.
Anyway, the important thing is to forget about who is going to buy what for whom but instead enjoy the spirit of the occasion.
And for all the singles out there, we can enjoy the spirit as well especially the ones that come in a six pack
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hello !!
The past few weeks, the coffee table discussions have been hijacked by a couple of my gadget freak colleagues who have discovered newer ways of using their mobile phones. So now they can do pretty much everything they could on their laptops...compiling code, surfing the web, checking mail, in general wasting company time !!. And they have been trying to convince me into buying one of those cool phones that costs a fortune. I have been holding out for now.
It is easy for me to hold out. I am not exactly a gadget freak. Especially since these new phones really are monstrosities. I keep telling my friend that it’s a good thing that he is married because with a phone that looks like a walkie talkie from the sixties, it is hard to impress the ladies. I call these new age, high tech phones as the ‘chick repellents’ (pardon the sexist undertone, but you get the picture right ?). I am not really into any gadget where I would need to explain why in spite of its ugliness, it is still cool (As it is, I have hard job explaining that about myself).
And while we are on subject of cell phones, I might as well add that I am tired of these warnings about the health risks posed by these phones. “Cell phone radiation is bad for your health”, “Oh, don’t keep the phone in your shirt pocket, it will affect the heart”. Gee, really, is that even an advice you can give to a guy ?. What are men supposed to do, keep the phones in their trouser pockets instead ?. Well, let me tell you people, men would any day take chances with their heart, all right. So go easy on the health advisory.
Infact, even as I type this post, Steven Spielberg is busy making a movie on this very topic. That's right, the movie is called “Saving Ryan’s Privates” starring Tom Hanks as Ryan and Charlie Sheen as...well. And Bollywood is already making the Indian version of it in which Govinda will be seen playing both Ryan and...as himself. The climax is supposed to be thrilling with the hero being strapped around the waist with a belt of mobile phones and the bad guy threatening to call all the numbers at once. For a country of more than a billion people, that’s not a bad idea. This country needs more such belts.
Anyway, the point is I am satisfied with my 2500 rupee cell phone. I admit it does not have a fancy GPS receiver or VPN connectivity or the super cool 3D surround sound. But it does let me get even with people who have pissed me off especially those who keep their phones in their trouser pockets.
Hey, is that your phone ringing ?
It is easy for me to hold out. I am not exactly a gadget freak. Especially since these new phones really are monstrosities. I keep telling my friend that it’s a good thing that he is married because with a phone that looks like a walkie talkie from the sixties, it is hard to impress the ladies. I call these new age, high tech phones as the ‘chick repellents’ (pardon the sexist undertone, but you get the picture right ?). I am not really into any gadget where I would need to explain why in spite of its ugliness, it is still cool (As it is, I have hard job explaining that about myself).
And while we are on subject of cell phones, I might as well add that I am tired of these warnings about the health risks posed by these phones. “Cell phone radiation is bad for your health”, “Oh, don’t keep the phone in your shirt pocket, it will affect the heart”. Gee, really, is that even an advice you can give to a guy ?. What are men supposed to do, keep the phones in their trouser pockets instead ?. Well, let me tell you people, men would any day take chances with their heart, all right. So go easy on the health advisory.
Infact, even as I type this post, Steven Spielberg is busy making a movie on this very topic. That's right, the movie is called “Saving Ryan’s Privates” starring Tom Hanks as Ryan and Charlie Sheen as...well. And Bollywood is already making the Indian version of it in which Govinda will be seen playing both Ryan and...as himself. The climax is supposed to be thrilling with the hero being strapped around the waist with a belt of mobile phones and the bad guy threatening to call all the numbers at once. For a country of more than a billion people, that’s not a bad idea. This country needs more such belts.
Anyway, the point is I am satisfied with my 2500 rupee cell phone. I admit it does not have a fancy GPS receiver or VPN connectivity or the super cool 3D surround sound. But it does let me get even with people who have pissed me off especially those who keep their phones in their trouser pockets.
Hey, is that your phone ringing ?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Relatives for Rent
The Japanese are freaking goofy. They made robot dogs and cats and even robot humans. But this is just crazy
Rent a pet or...a relative
So now they have started renting out relatives !!.
How much dysfunctional does a society have to get before the people decide it is easier to rent friends and relatives than to actually make one. They already have an aging population, lonely young people and now this. I am betting the Japanese are going to un-breed themselves out of the human gene pool in a pretty short time. And my biggest concern is what would be the fate of Nikon, once they are all gone. Maybe the Chinese will take over but I don’t trust anything the Chinese make (they use too much vinegar). Ok, stop complaining about me being insensitive, my camera cost me a fortune, alright !!. And at least for my sake, the Japanese better get busy fixing their social life and start making more of themselves instead of indulging in this renting nonsense.
But I hate to admit, it does have its benefits. For example, this allows women a lot more choice.
“Hi, I need a partner, what do you have ?”
“All the boyfriends are taken, I have a couple of husbands, if you are interested”
“Hmm...how much for a cat ?”
Coming to think of it, I should try and use this business model on myself. I already am a friend to a bunch of thankless nerds. I might as well start charging them for it.
But in the meantime, can I have a sister-in-law to go. Preferably someone who can fix a Nikon...
Rent a pet or...a relative
So now they have started renting out relatives !!.
How much dysfunctional does a society have to get before the people decide it is easier to rent friends and relatives than to actually make one. They already have an aging population, lonely young people and now this. I am betting the Japanese are going to un-breed themselves out of the human gene pool in a pretty short time. And my biggest concern is what would be the fate of Nikon, once they are all gone. Maybe the Chinese will take over but I don’t trust anything the Chinese make (they use too much vinegar). Ok, stop complaining about me being insensitive, my camera cost me a fortune, alright !!. And at least for my sake, the Japanese better get busy fixing their social life and start making more of themselves instead of indulging in this renting nonsense.
But I hate to admit, it does have its benefits. For example, this allows women a lot more choice.
“Hi, I need a partner, what do you have ?”
“All the boyfriends are taken, I have a couple of husbands, if you are interested”
“Hmm...how much for a cat ?”
Coming to think of it, I should try and use this business model on myself. I already am a friend to a bunch of thankless nerds. I might as well start charging them for it.
But in the meantime, can I have a sister-in-law to go. Preferably someone who can fix a Nikon...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Year 2009
The year 2009 has set in. And I have decided to look into the future and predict the events that shall unfold in the year ahead. Here are my predictions.
Prediction 1:
India ups the ante against Pakistan, the official stand being raised from “Grrr” to “Bow wow”. Pakistan continues to deny any involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks even as the Indian government provides the family tree chart, DNA swabs and urine samples of the captured terrorist, as proof. Zardari says “Proof will not hold in Pakistan’s court of law”. Pakistan’s ISI demands a joint investigation team to probe the attack so that “we can learn about the loop holes and fix them to ensure no evidences are left behind the next time” says an anonymous ISI source.
In the meantime, Arundhati Roy accuses the Indian government of masterminding the whole attack. She refuses to elaborate saying “I need to skip a couple more doses of my medication before I can come up with a theory”
Prediction 2:
The stock market may go down further or if macro economic conditions change, it may go up from here. Impressed with the depth of analysis, CNBC signs me up for their expert panel. However, the economy continues to flounder in spite of repeated reassurances by the finance minister. People rush to withdraw money from their bank accounts while many others rush to the dictionary to find out what ‘flounder’ means.
Prediction 3:
Obama finishes his first year as President. He easily surpasses the standards set by his predecessor. All he had to do was not fall off bicycles and pronounce ‘nuclear’ correctly. And of course, not bomb random countries.
In other world events, inflation in Zimbabwe reaches numbers that haven’t even been invented. Robert Mugabe scraps the currency concept and orders that all trade be conducted through barter system. A goat will cost four chickens, a bag of rice will cost a pound of ham while any opposition to the moron running the country will cost your life.
After years of hostility and intense hatred for each other, Israel and Palestine decide to make peace and finally bury the hatchet. Unfortunately it is soon discovered that they buried the hatchet into each other’s backs.
The fruitcake president of Iran again goes into his denial mode and denies the existence of homosexuals in Iran, denies the occurrence of holocaust and going further, he denies all words beginning with ‘H’.
And finally, as a precaution, the French surrender. “Surrendering during war is reactive, surrendering during peace requires great foresight” claims the French president.
Ok, so that is my list of predictions for 2009. Do you have any ?
Prediction 1:
India ups the ante against Pakistan, the official stand being raised from “Grrr” to “Bow wow”. Pakistan continues to deny any involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks even as the Indian government provides the family tree chart, DNA swabs and urine samples of the captured terrorist, as proof. Zardari says “Proof will not hold in Pakistan’s court of law”. Pakistan’s ISI demands a joint investigation team to probe the attack so that “we can learn about the loop holes and fix them to ensure no evidences are left behind the next time” says an anonymous ISI source.
In the meantime, Arundhati Roy accuses the Indian government of masterminding the whole attack. She refuses to elaborate saying “I need to skip a couple more doses of my medication before I can come up with a theory”
Prediction 2:
The stock market may go down further or if macro economic conditions change, it may go up from here. Impressed with the depth of analysis, CNBC signs me up for their expert panel. However, the economy continues to flounder in spite of repeated reassurances by the finance minister. People rush to withdraw money from their bank accounts while many others rush to the dictionary to find out what ‘flounder’ means.
Prediction 3:
Obama finishes his first year as President. He easily surpasses the standards set by his predecessor. All he had to do was not fall off bicycles and pronounce ‘nuclear’ correctly. And of course, not bomb random countries.
In other world events, inflation in Zimbabwe reaches numbers that haven’t even been invented. Robert Mugabe scraps the currency concept and orders that all trade be conducted through barter system. A goat will cost four chickens, a bag of rice will cost a pound of ham while any opposition to the moron running the country will cost your life.
After years of hostility and intense hatred for each other, Israel and Palestine decide to make peace and finally bury the hatchet. Unfortunately it is soon discovered that they buried the hatchet into each other’s backs.
The fruitcake president of Iran again goes into his denial mode and denies the existence of homosexuals in Iran, denies the occurrence of holocaust and going further, he denies all words beginning with ‘H’.
And finally, as a precaution, the French surrender. “Surrendering during war is reactive, surrendering during peace requires great foresight” claims the French president.
Ok, so that is my list of predictions for 2009. Do you have any ?
Monday, December 15, 2008
War of words
Sometimes, we friends get into a highly informative mail exchange that will leave us all a lot more knowledgeable than before. Here is one such exchange that took place a few days ago. I am posting it here for lack of anything better.
=======================================================================
From: G, D [mailto:*]
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 5:35 PM
To: S, V; A G A; slv@; P A
Subject: jumping gene
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer_in_plants
Ive seen this happen in my garden, a green leaf plant was planted
close to brown leaf plant. after a few days the color of all leaves
was brown!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: A G A [mailto:*]
That could be because you forgot to water ur plants(rather all ur
plants) :) ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: G, D [mailto:*]
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/transpos.htm
Nimmaji :D
[Poster’s Note: FYI, this is a very mild kannada cuss word]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: S, V [mailto:*]
This is very interesting. This explains why all you guys have become
much better looking over time since having been with me for so many
years now.
-V
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: G, D [mailto:*]
No, that is because uve slowly been going blind vijji :P
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: A G A [mailto:*]
and stupid :)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: S, V [mailto:*]
That's obvious, when I am surrounded by so many of them it is natural that I passed on my looks and you guys have passed on your stupidity.
And Deeps, if I am indeed turning blind that can only mean that you guys are still as ugly as hell then...
There really is no comeback line for my statement, so guys just give up alright, you are making it worse for yourself every time you try....
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: G, D [mailto:*]
Ill loose one eye , if u will loose 2 eyes :P
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: A G A [mailto:*]
Oh yah ... viji .... as you know not all genes jump, stupidity was inherent in you...
=======================================================================
From: G, D [mailto:*]
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 5:35 PM
To: S, V; A G A; slv@; P A
Subject: jumping gene
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer_in_plants
Ive seen this happen in my garden, a green leaf plant was planted
close to brown leaf plant. after a few days the color of all leaves
was brown!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: A G A [mailto:*]
That could be because you forgot to water ur plants(rather all ur
plants) :) ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: G, D [mailto:*]
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/transpos.htm
Nimmaji :D
[Poster’s Note: FYI, this is a very mild kannada cuss word]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: S, V [mailto:*]
This is very interesting. This explains why all you guys have become
much better looking over time since having been with me for so many
years now.
-V
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: G, D [mailto:*]
No, that is because uve slowly been going blind vijji :P
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: A G A [mailto:*]
and stupid :)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: S, V [mailto:*]
That's obvious, when I am surrounded by so many of them it is natural that I passed on my looks and you guys have passed on your stupidity.
And Deeps, if I am indeed turning blind that can only mean that you guys are still as ugly as hell then...
There really is no comeback line for my statement, so guys just give up alright, you are making it worse for yourself every time you try....
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: G, D [mailto:*]
Ill loose one eye , if u will loose 2 eyes :P
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: A G A [mailto:*]
Oh yah ... viji .... as you know not all genes jump, stupidity was inherent in you...
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The price of patriotism
Why should anyone bother to be patriotic ?. If the word even means anything these days. I rarely write on a whim but this news item really got to me
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7771243.stm
We have our very own Valarie Plame episode here. Only this time, it is the brazen stupidity of the Calcutta police that was responsible.
A friend of mine who was scathingly critical of the intelligence failure that led to the Mumbai carnage seems almost justified in his cynical view of the intelligence capabilities of the Indian establishment. On my part, I continue to believe that there are dedicated and brave individuals working in the intelligence network which allows our agencies to keep a tab on activities against the state. The person whose identity has now been compromised is a good example of the actors in the intricate mesh that has been built by the agencies.
However, the Calcutta police (there is no reason to believe that such callousness is endemic to Calcutta police alone) for whatever reasons best known to them, my guess is, for a few seconds of cheap publicity, chose to blow apart the secret identity of an undercover operator.
Knowing the workings of the law enforcement of this country which does not have a witness or any other protection programs, there is little chance that this man can even hope to be protected by the establishment that he chose to serve. The terror groups have demonstrated how easy it is to get the better of our intelligence agencies. The poor man will probably be left to fend for himself and his family.
Not to mention the security personal who died in spite of having bullet-proof jackets on. Obviously, as it goes in India, somebody got richer by approving the purchase of sub standard gear since they would not be the ones to wear them. These low lives are as guilty of terrorism as the perpetrators. Such acts should be treated as treason and dealt with accordingly.
So why would anyone want to risk their lives in the name of the country when idiots abound waiting to sacrifice the last ounce of their integrity at the altar of ego, money, fame and one-upmanship.
Why would anyone not be satisfied with lighting candles, writing blogs or holding placards instead of actually putting their lives and the lives of their family members on the line for the notion of love for country and countrymen when the establishment could not care less about them.
Patriotism is turning out to be an act of sacrifice where the dedicated ones suffer in order to protect the scum of the society who do not give a hoot.
Is there an alternative or does it even matter…..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7771243.stm
We have our very own Valarie Plame episode here. Only this time, it is the brazen stupidity of the Calcutta police that was responsible.
A friend of mine who was scathingly critical of the intelligence failure that led to the Mumbai carnage seems almost justified in his cynical view of the intelligence capabilities of the Indian establishment. On my part, I continue to believe that there are dedicated and brave individuals working in the intelligence network which allows our agencies to keep a tab on activities against the state. The person whose identity has now been compromised is a good example of the actors in the intricate mesh that has been built by the agencies.
However, the Calcutta police (there is no reason to believe that such callousness is endemic to Calcutta police alone) for whatever reasons best known to them, my guess is, for a few seconds of cheap publicity, chose to blow apart the secret identity of an undercover operator.
Knowing the workings of the law enforcement of this country which does not have a witness or any other protection programs, there is little chance that this man can even hope to be protected by the establishment that he chose to serve. The terror groups have demonstrated how easy it is to get the better of our intelligence agencies. The poor man will probably be left to fend for himself and his family.
Not to mention the security personal who died in spite of having bullet-proof jackets on. Obviously, as it goes in India, somebody got richer by approving the purchase of sub standard gear since they would not be the ones to wear them. These low lives are as guilty of terrorism as the perpetrators. Such acts should be treated as treason and dealt with accordingly.
So why would anyone want to risk their lives in the name of the country when idiots abound waiting to sacrifice the last ounce of their integrity at the altar of ego, money, fame and one-upmanship.
Why would anyone not be satisfied with lighting candles, writing blogs or holding placards instead of actually putting their lives and the lives of their family members on the line for the notion of love for country and countrymen when the establishment could not care less about them.
Patriotism is turning out to be an act of sacrifice where the dedicated ones suffer in order to protect the scum of the society who do not give a hoot.
Is there an alternative or does it even matter…..
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A post on blogging (aka this title sucks)
Ok, since I could not think of anything else, I might as well blog about..well..what I blog about. I see that my posts overwhelmingly lean towards humor. It's not that I don't attempt other areas but I prefer humor for a few reasons.
Firstly, a blog should and will invariably capture the personality of the blogger. Blogs reveal the domain of comfort of the author and for me that domain is humor. All of us have an opinion on everything and blogs are a way to express them but does the reader really care about what you feel about rising interest rates (unless you are the RBI governor blogging) or how you analyze core dumps on BSD unix ?. So I might as well keep it light and fun. If someone tells me that they blog only for themselves and don’t care if people read it or not, then I think they are just full of it. Those guys are better off writing a dairy. The very fact that someone chose to put something out on the internet shows an interest in having it read by somebody else. I only want to make sure that in case that somebody else bumps into this blog, they will stay here for a second longer before bouncing off. That’s not to say that I will not write about serious stuff. I have and will blog on other issues if I feel strongly about them. But more often than not I just let them be, which leads me to the second reason.
A blog post is typically under 600 words, any longer and it will be difficult to sustain the interest of the reader. I need to think of something that is interesting enough and short enough. Humor is one way to do it. And in the 'short stories' stuff, I usually go for something that has a shock value or fun value. One can achieve that in a short post. A serious story, on the hand, requires considerable situational setting and mood build up which would be difficult to fit into a blog post.
And lastly, blogging is therapeutic for me. Some people smoke, some drink, I blog. I know it’s probably a poor choice over the other two but hey, no fines on blogging in public and you can drive after you blog.
So there, I have managed to get one post in, this month. So long folk(s), I will be back when the next idea strikes me or when it’s time for therapy (that should be soon).
Firstly, a blog should and will invariably capture the personality of the blogger. Blogs reveal the domain of comfort of the author and for me that domain is humor. All of us have an opinion on everything and blogs are a way to express them but does the reader really care about what you feel about rising interest rates (unless you are the RBI governor blogging) or how you analyze core dumps on BSD unix ?. So I might as well keep it light and fun. If someone tells me that they blog only for themselves and don’t care if people read it or not, then I think they are just full of it. Those guys are better off writing a dairy. The very fact that someone chose to put something out on the internet shows an interest in having it read by somebody else. I only want to make sure that in case that somebody else bumps into this blog, they will stay here for a second longer before bouncing off. That’s not to say that I will not write about serious stuff. I have and will blog on other issues if I feel strongly about them. But more often than not I just let them be, which leads me to the second reason.
A blog post is typically under 600 words, any longer and it will be difficult to sustain the interest of the reader. I need to think of something that is interesting enough and short enough. Humor is one way to do it. And in the 'short stories' stuff, I usually go for something that has a shock value or fun value. One can achieve that in a short post. A serious story, on the hand, requires considerable situational setting and mood build up which would be difficult to fit into a blog post.
And lastly, blogging is therapeutic for me. Some people smoke, some drink, I blog. I know it’s probably a poor choice over the other two but hey, no fines on blogging in public and you can drive after you blog.
So there, I have managed to get one post in, this month. So long folk(s), I will be back when the next idea strikes me or when it’s time for therapy (that should be soon).
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Till death do us part
“Ouch, there are the cramps again” Anju moaned as she sat down on the chair clutching her stomach.
Jai looked at her with a scowl on his face “Well, I have been telling you to go see our doctor but you never listen to me”
“It’s not a big deal really, must be acidity or something. You better finish shaving and get ready quickly. You are already running late for work”
“You have been having these cramps pretty frequently these days. Let me take an appointment with Dr.Vasudha for this evening” said Jai as he dabbed some cologne on his face.
He stepped out of the bathroom and stood still for a moment holding on to the wall for support.
“What is it, Jai ?”
“I don’t know but my head spins sometimes and I feel like I am about to throw up. It must be an attack of Vertigo”
“You have complained about this the past few days. You need to see a doctor as well” Anju said.
“I guess it is due to all the stress at work. It’s been hectic lately as I need to close this tender I am working on as quickly as possible. Hopefully, it should be over by this week” he answered as he picked up his laptop to leave for work.
“Alright, you take care ok ?. And try and come home soon” said Anju as she saw him to the door.
Jai got into his car and started for work. After a few minutes of driving, he stopped in front of a clinic. After having parked the car, he entered the clinic and walked into the doctor’s cabin.
“Hi Vasudha”
“Jai, what took you so long, I have been waiting for you !!” the lady in white, replied.
“Looks like it is working” said Jai “she has been having them more frequently over the last few days. How much longer will it take ?”
“Another couple more times and it should be done” said Vasudha
“I am bringing her to you this evening. Give her the same stuff you gave her last time. I just want to put an end to this as quickly as possible. I can’t stand being away from you for long.” Jai said.
“Don’t worry darling, we will have to wait for another week or so. After that, it’s just you and me” said Vasudha.
“By the way, what is the stuff that you have been giving her ?” enquired Jai
“Thallium” replied Vasudha
Back home, Anju put on a pair of gloves, went into the bathroom and came out with the bottle of after-shave lotion.
“Eight years in this hell hole being married to a control freak…” cursed Anju under her breath as she unscrewed the cap of the bottle.
“At least the bastard has insurance worth 50 lakhs” she continued cursing as she carefully poured some white powder into the cologne.
“A few weeks of this stuff should take care of him and it’s already been a week. A couple more and I shall be single, free and rich” Anju screwed the cap back on and replaced the bottle back on the shelf.
“Thanks to whoever discovered potassium cyanide” she told herself as she walked back to the living room.
[Epilogue: Well, what started out as an attempt to write a tale of romance ended up being a dark and slightly creepy story. See, I just can’t write romance. But then, this isn’t so bad either]
Jai looked at her with a scowl on his face “Well, I have been telling you to go see our doctor but you never listen to me”
“It’s not a big deal really, must be acidity or something. You better finish shaving and get ready quickly. You are already running late for work”
“You have been having these cramps pretty frequently these days. Let me take an appointment with Dr.Vasudha for this evening” said Jai as he dabbed some cologne on his face.
He stepped out of the bathroom and stood still for a moment holding on to the wall for support.
“What is it, Jai ?”
“I don’t know but my head spins sometimes and I feel like I am about to throw up. It must be an attack of Vertigo”
“You have complained about this the past few days. You need to see a doctor as well” Anju said.
“I guess it is due to all the stress at work. It’s been hectic lately as I need to close this tender I am working on as quickly as possible. Hopefully, it should be over by this week” he answered as he picked up his laptop to leave for work.
“Alright, you take care ok ?. And try and come home soon” said Anju as she saw him to the door.
Jai got into his car and started for work. After a few minutes of driving, he stopped in front of a clinic. After having parked the car, he entered the clinic and walked into the doctor’s cabin.
“Hi Vasudha”
“Jai, what took you so long, I have been waiting for you !!” the lady in white, replied.
“Looks like it is working” said Jai “she has been having them more frequently over the last few days. How much longer will it take ?”
“Another couple more times and it should be done” said Vasudha
“I am bringing her to you this evening. Give her the same stuff you gave her last time. I just want to put an end to this as quickly as possible. I can’t stand being away from you for long.” Jai said.
“Don’t worry darling, we will have to wait for another week or so. After that, it’s just you and me” said Vasudha.
“By the way, what is the stuff that you have been giving her ?” enquired Jai
“Thallium” replied Vasudha
Back home, Anju put on a pair of gloves, went into the bathroom and came out with the bottle of after-shave lotion.
“Eight years in this hell hole being married to a control freak…” cursed Anju under her breath as she unscrewed the cap of the bottle.
“At least the bastard has insurance worth 50 lakhs” she continued cursing as she carefully poured some white powder into the cologne.
“A few weeks of this stuff should take care of him and it’s already been a week. A couple more and I shall be single, free and rich” Anju screwed the cap back on and replaced the bottle back on the shelf.
“Thanks to whoever discovered potassium cyanide” she told herself as she walked back to the living room.
[Epilogue: Well, what started out as an attempt to write a tale of romance ended up being a dark and slightly creepy story. See, I just can’t write romance. But then, this isn’t so bad either]
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