Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Book Review (3 mistakes of my life)
I have just finished reading the book 3 mistakes of my life written by Chetan Bhagat. This is probably one of the first book i have read written by a recent indian author. Ofcourse people like Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie are famous. But somehow i didn't get chance to read about them.
Well coming back to book. This book has a very interesting story which encompasses real events happened in recent india. The story never loses momentum. I am not a big fan of cricket. But in this book it has been described in such an engrossing way that i cannot help appreciate the passion for cricket lovers. The book is not very thick (only 144 pages). I finished it in couple of days. I was so engrossed in reading this that i had to ignore my newborn son too.
I thank my dear brother Anand for sending the book.
Well coming back to book. This book has a very interesting story which encompasses real events happened in recent india. The story never loses momentum. I am not a big fan of cricket. But in this book it has been described in such an engrossing way that i cannot help appreciate the passion for cricket lovers. The book is not very thick (only 144 pages). I finished it in couple of days. I was so engrossed in reading this that i had to ignore my newborn son too.
I thank my dear brother Anand for sending the book.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Latest Reading (Biography of Mandela)
Who doesn't know about Nelson Mandela. As far my knowledge about him is concerned i only knew that he has been the president of South Africa and has been jail for a very long time. Recently in a Times article i got to know more about him. I learnt about his political acumen from that article. This prompted me to find out more about him. In Fremont library i was looking for his autobiography "A long walk to freedom". I couldn't find it. But instead i found another biography. The book looks thick (577 pages). And after a very long time i have read such thick book which is not a fiction book.
My journey with that book started about 7 weeks ago. Yes it took me that long to finish it!! It has been an amazing experience for me. It is very interesting to see how a boy from rural area transforms himself into the political arena. How great man adapt themself for the betterment of everyone. I learnt about the Apartheid system, and the sanctions imposed by world. Now this explains why South African cricket team has started playing at international level suddenly (this happened when i was in class 8, about 16 years ago). I didn't know the real reasons at time except that there was a ban on them.
Further it was good to find that there were many persons of Indian origin who struggled with Mandela.
Now i have read a serious book. I am looking forward to reading some easy going fun book.
My journey with that book started about 7 weeks ago. Yes it took me that long to finish it!! It has been an amazing experience for me. It is very interesting to see how a boy from rural area transforms himself into the political arena. How great man adapt themself for the betterment of everyone. I learnt about the Apartheid system, and the sanctions imposed by world. Now this explains why South African cricket team has started playing at international level suddenly (this happened when i was in class 8, about 16 years ago). I didn't know the real reasons at time except that there was a ban on them.
Further it was good to find that there were many persons of Indian origin who struggled with Mandela.
Now i have read a serious book. I am looking forward to reading some easy going fun book.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
3 Cheers for Abhinav Bindra
Extremely proud moment for India. Abhinav Bindra has won gold in 10m air rifle gold.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Cricket swallowed all other games in India
While i was casually skimming some of the magazines at the local Border's store, i saw a very interesting cover story "Wall street has swallowed economy". Unrelated to this story, however when i was going through this weeks "Time" magazine, i saw a list of potential candidates for Olympic medal. And here i started looking for a person from india. There were names from every country. Ofcourse there were more people from China, USA and Russia. There was a name from Iraq too. This is simply amazing giving the life threatening situation in Iraq. I would have been completely sad if i were unable to find what i was looking for. To my rescue there was one name. Rajyawardhan Rathode. I took a sigh of relief. But then i started wondering. Why is it that there is only one name. In other field, i can easily find the name of one indian in a group of ten (a bit modest estimate). The only answer came to my mind is the indian obsessiveness with Cricket. Cricket players at national level are like icons in the country. They are worshipped like Gods. It is not that they should not be treated good. But that doesn't mean this is the only game. Hockey is our national game. Once champions, today we are nowhere in the world arena. In events like swimming, boxing, gymnastics etc it is hard to find any name. Why is that. Indian government has to provide proper facilities, encouragement to other sports too. And we the common man should also start developing taste for other games. We shouldn't be sweating and cursing if India is loosing to Pakistan in a cricket match. After all it is just a game. For me i will try to keep a track record of other successful sportsperson .
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
ABRAHAM LINCOLN's LETTER TO HEADMASTER
A WORD TO TEACHERS
"He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just and are not true. But teach him if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.
In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fall than to cheat.....
Teach to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him he is wrong.
Teach him to be gentle with gentlepeople and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone getting on the bandwagon...
Teach him to listen to all men; but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears.
Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be beware of too much sweetness.. Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to highest bidders, but never to put a price on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob.. and stand and fight if thinks he is right.
Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient.. Let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have faith in humankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do. . He is such a fine little fellow my son!
- Abraham Lincoln"
"He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just and are not true. But teach him if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.
In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fall than to cheat.....
Teach to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him he is wrong.
Teach him to be gentle with gentlepeople and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone getting on the bandwagon...
Teach him to listen to all men; but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears.
Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be beware of too much sweetness.. Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to highest bidders, but never to put a price on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob.. and stand and fight if thinks he is right.
Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient.. Let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have faith in humankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do. . He is such a fine little fellow my son!
- Abraham Lincoln"
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Chess Boxing
I am not a big fan of boxing game. So not a fan of Rocky series movies. In fact i don't like to watch games (except for gymnastics, swimming etc in olympics). Even in my undergrad days when most of the students will be in hostel common room watching cricket, i will be sitting lazily in my room reading some novel.
So in the last issue of Time when i saw an article on Chess Boxing, i was amazed. This was the first time i heard/ read about such a game. In this game oponents will first throw boxing punches at each other for 4-5 minutes and then will immediately start playing chess game. Winner is decided by knockout, checkmate and by refree. This is really interesting. And there are tournaments organized for this game.
This prompts me to think, can i mix some other games and start a new game. What about mixing swimming with tic tac toe. First swim one lap and then draw a circle. :-)
So in the last issue of Time when i saw an article on Chess Boxing, i was amazed. This was the first time i heard/ read about such a game. In this game oponents will first throw boxing punches at each other for 4-5 minutes and then will immediately start playing chess game. Winner is decided by knockout, checkmate and by refree. This is really interesting. And there are tournaments organized for this game.
This prompts me to think, can i mix some other games and start a new game. What about mixing swimming with tic tac toe. First swim one lap and then draw a circle. :-)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
My Village on wikimapia
Technology surely has advanced. I haven't been able to go to my ancestral village for past 4 years. And now using wikimapia i can see the village. Its so cool use of technology.
Our House in village
Our House in village
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
A Child's Guide To United States Foreign Policy
Notice:
This piece is shamelessly copied from one of the email chains i recieve. Posting in my blog is just for humor only and contains no politic or social message. Veracity of this information is not confirmed by me.
Now enjoy
==========
Though this policy is OLD, it is revised...!
++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++
Q: Daddy, why did we have to attack Iraq?
A: Because they had weapons of mass destruction honey.
Q: But the inspectors didn't find any weapons of mass destruction.
A: That's because the Iraqis were hiding them.
Q: And that's why we invaded Iraq?
A: Yep. Invasions always work better than inspections.
Q: But after we invaded them, we STILL didn't find any weapons of mass destruction, did we?
A: That's because the weapons are so well hidden. Don't worry, we'll find something, probably right before the 2008 election.
Q: Why did Iraq want all those weapons of mass destruction?
A: To use them in a war, silly.
Q: I'm confused. If they had all those weapons that they planned to use in a war, then why didn't they use any of those weapons when we went to war with them?
A: Well, obviously they didn't want anyone to know they had those weapons, so they chose to die by the thousands rather than defend themselves.
Q: That doesn't make sense Daddy. Why would they choose to die if they had all those big weapons to fight us back with?
A: It's a different culture. It's not supposed to make sense.
Q: I don't know about you, but I don't think they had any of those weapons our government said they did.
A: Well, you know, it doesn't matter whether or not they had those weapons. We had another good reason to invade them anyway.
Q: And what was that?
A: Even if Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator, which is another good reason to invade another country.
Q: Why? What does a cruel dictator do that makes it OK to invade his country?
A: Well, for one thing, he tortured his own people.
Q: Kind of like what they do in China?
A: Don't go comparing China to Iraq. China is a good economic competitor, where millions of people work for slave wages in sweatshops to make U.S. corporations richer.
Q: So if a country lets its people be exploited for American corporate gain, it's a good country, even if that country tortures people?
A: Right.
Q: Why were people in Iraq being tortured?
A: For political crimes, mostly, like criticizing the government. People who criticized the government in Iraq were sent to prison and tortured.
Q: Isn't that exactly what happens in China?
A: I told you, China is different.
Q: What's the difference between China and Iraq?
A: Well, for one thing, Iraq was ruled by the Ba'ath party, while China is Communist.
Q: Didn't you once tell me Communists were bad?
A: No, just Cuban Communists are bad.
Q: How are the Cuban Communists bad?
A: Well, for one thing, people who criticize the government in Cuba are sent to prison and tortured.
Q: Like in Iraq?
A: Exactly.
Q: And like in China, too?
A: I told you, China's a good economic competitor. Cuba, on the other hand, is not.
Q: How come Cuba isn't a good economic competitor?
A: Well, you see, back in the early 1960s, our government passed some laws that made it illegal for Americans to trade or do any business with Cuba until they stopped being communists and started being capitalists like us.
Q: But if we got rid of those laws, opened up trade with Cuba, and started doing business with them, wouldn't that help the Cubans become capitalists?
A: Don't be a smart-ass.
Q: I didn't think I was being one.
A: Well, anyway, they also don't have freedom of religion in Cuba.
Q: Kind of like China and the Falun Gong movement?
A: I told you, stop saying bad things about China. Anyway, Saddam Hussein came to power through a military coup, so he's not really a legitimate leader anyway.
Q: What's a military coup?
A: That's when a military general takes over the government of a country by force, instead of holding free elections like we do in the United States.
Q: Didn't the ruler of Pakistan come to power by a military coup?
A: You mean General Pervez Musharraf? Uh, yeah, he did, but Pakistan is our friend.
Q: Why is Pakistan our friend if their leader is illegitimate?
A: I never said Pervez Musharraf was illegitimate.
Q: Didn't you just say a military general who comes to power by forcibly overthrowing the legitimate government of a nation is an illegitimate leader?
A: Only Saddam Hussein. Pervez Musharraf is our friend, because he helped us invade Afghanistan.
Q: Why did we invade Afghanistan?
A: Because of what they did to us on September 11th.
Q: What did Afghanistan do to us on September 11th?
A: Well, on September 11th, nineteen men, fifteen of them Saudi Arabians, hijacked four airplanes and flew three of them into buildings, killing over 3,000 Americans.
Q: So how did Afghanistan figure into all that?
A: Afghanistan was where those bad men trained, under the oppressive rule of the Taliban.
Q: Aren't the Taliban those bad radical Islamics who chopped off people's heads and hands?
A: Yes, that's exactly who they were. Not only did they chop off people's heads and hands, but they oppressed women, too.
Q: Didn't the Bush administration give the Taliban 43 million dollars back in May of 2001?
A: Yes, but that money was a reward because they did such a good job fighting drugs.
Q: Fighting drugs?
A: Yes, the Taliban were very helpful in stopping people from growing opium poppies.
Q: How did they do such a good job?
A: Simple. If people were caught growing opium poppies, the Taliban would have their hands and heads cut off.
Q: So, when the Taliban cut off people's heads and hands for growing flowers, that was OK, but not if they cut people's heads and hands off for other reasons?
A: Yes. It's OK with us if radical Islamic fundamentalists cut off people's hands for growing flowers, but it's cruel if they cut off people's hands for stealing bread.
Q: Don't they also cut off people's hands and heads in Saudi Arabia?
A: That's different. Afghanistan was ruled by a tyrannical patriarchy that oppressed women and forced them to wear burqas whenever they were in public, with death by stoning as the penalty for women who did not comply.
Q: Don't Saudi women have to wear burqas in public, too?
A: No, Saudi women merely wear a traditional Islamic body covering.
Q: What's the difference?
A: The traditional Islamic covering worn by Saudi women is a modest yet fashionable garment that covers all of a woman's body except for her eyes and fingers. The burqa, on the other hand, is an evil tool of patriarchal oppression that covers all of a woman's body except for her eyes and fingers.
Q: It sounds like the same thing with a different name.
A: Now, don't go comparing Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are our friends.
Q: But I thought you said 15 of the 19 hijackers on September 11th were from Saudi Arabia.
A: Yes, but they trained in Afghanistan.
Q: Who trained them?
A: A very bad man named Osama bin Laden.
Q: Was he from Afghanistan?
A: Uh, no, he was from Saudi Arabia too. But he was a bad man, a very bad man.
Q: I seem to recall he was our friend once.
A: Only when we helped him and the mujahadeen repel the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan back in the 1980s.
Q: Who are the Soviets? Was that the Evil Communist Empire Ronald Reagan talked about?
A: There are no more Soviets. The Soviet Union broke up in 1990 or thereabouts, and now they have elections and capitalism like us. We call them Russians now.
Q: So the Soviets ? I mean, the Russians ? are now our friends?
A: Well, not really. You see, they were our friends for many years after they stopped being Soviets, but then they decided not to support our invasion of Iraq, so we're mad at them now. We're also mad at the French and the Germans because they didn't help us invade Iraq either.
Q: So the French and Germans are evil, too?
A: Not exactly evil, but just bad enough that we had to rename French fries and French toast to Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast.
Q: Do we always rename foods whenever another country doesn't do what we want them to do?
A: No, we just do that to our friends. Our enemies, we invade.
Q: But wasn't Iraq one of our friends back in the 1980s?
A: Well, yeah. For a while.
Q: Was Saddam Hussein ruler of Iraq back then?
A: Yes, but at the time he was fighting against Iran, which made him our friend, temporarily.
Q: Why did that make him our friend?
A: Because at that time, Iran was our enemy.
Q: Isn't that when he gassed the Kurds?
A: Yeah, but since he was fighting against Iran at the time, we looked the other way, to show him we were his friend.
Q: So anyone who fights against one of our enemies automatically becomes our friend?
A: Most of the time, yes.
Q: And anyone who fights against one of our friends is automatically an enemy?
A: Sometimes that's true, too. However, if American corporations can profit by selling weapons to both sides at the same time, all the better.
Q: Why?
A: Because war is good for the economy, which means war is good for America Also, since God is on America's side, anyone who opposes war is a godless un-American Communist. Do you understand now why we attacked Iraq?
Q: I think so. We attacked them because God wanted us to, right?
A: Yes.
Q: But how did we know God wanted us to attack Iraq?
A: Well, you see, God personally speaks to George W. Bush and tells him what to do.
Q: So basically, what you're saying is that we attacked Iraq because George W. Bush hears voices in his head?
A: Yes! You finally understand how the world works. Now close your eyes, make yourself comfortable, and go to sleep. Good night.
This piece is shamelessly copied from one of the email chains i recieve. Posting in my blog is just for humor only and contains no politic or social message. Veracity of this information is not confirmed by me.
Now enjoy
==========
Though this policy is OLD, it is revised...!
++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++
Q: Daddy, why did we have to attack Iraq?
A: Because they had weapons of mass destruction honey.
Q: But the inspectors didn't find any weapons of mass destruction.
A: That's because the Iraqis were hiding them.
Q: And that's why we invaded Iraq?
A: Yep. Invasions always work better than inspections.
Q: But after we invaded them, we STILL didn't find any weapons of mass destruction, did we?
A: That's because the weapons are so well hidden. Don't worry, we'll find something, probably right before the 2008 election.
Q: Why did Iraq want all those weapons of mass destruction?
A: To use them in a war, silly.
Q: I'm confused. If they had all those weapons that they planned to use in a war, then why didn't they use any of those weapons when we went to war with them?
A: Well, obviously they didn't want anyone to know they had those weapons, so they chose to die by the thousands rather than defend themselves.
Q: That doesn't make sense Daddy. Why would they choose to die if they had all those big weapons to fight us back with?
A: It's a different culture. It's not supposed to make sense.
Q: I don't know about you, but I don't think they had any of those weapons our government said they did.
A: Well, you know, it doesn't matter whether or not they had those weapons. We had another good reason to invade them anyway.
Q: And what was that?
A: Even if Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator, which is another good reason to invade another country.
Q: Why? What does a cruel dictator do that makes it OK to invade his country?
A: Well, for one thing, he tortured his own people.
Q: Kind of like what they do in China?
A: Don't go comparing China to Iraq. China is a good economic competitor, where millions of people work for slave wages in sweatshops to make U.S. corporations richer.
Q: So if a country lets its people be exploited for American corporate gain, it's a good country, even if that country tortures people?
A: Right.
Q: Why were people in Iraq being tortured?
A: For political crimes, mostly, like criticizing the government. People who criticized the government in Iraq were sent to prison and tortured.
Q: Isn't that exactly what happens in China?
A: I told you, China is different.
Q: What's the difference between China and Iraq?
A: Well, for one thing, Iraq was ruled by the Ba'ath party, while China is Communist.
Q: Didn't you once tell me Communists were bad?
A: No, just Cuban Communists are bad.
Q: How are the Cuban Communists bad?
A: Well, for one thing, people who criticize the government in Cuba are sent to prison and tortured.
Q: Like in Iraq?
A: Exactly.
Q: And like in China, too?
A: I told you, China's a good economic competitor. Cuba, on the other hand, is not.
Q: How come Cuba isn't a good economic competitor?
A: Well, you see, back in the early 1960s, our government passed some laws that made it illegal for Americans to trade or do any business with Cuba until they stopped being communists and started being capitalists like us.
Q: But if we got rid of those laws, opened up trade with Cuba, and started doing business with them, wouldn't that help the Cubans become capitalists?
A: Don't be a smart-ass.
Q: I didn't think I was being one.
A: Well, anyway, they also don't have freedom of religion in Cuba.
Q: Kind of like China and the Falun Gong movement?
A: I told you, stop saying bad things about China. Anyway, Saddam Hussein came to power through a military coup, so he's not really a legitimate leader anyway.
Q: What's a military coup?
A: That's when a military general takes over the government of a country by force, instead of holding free elections like we do in the United States.
Q: Didn't the ruler of Pakistan come to power by a military coup?
A: You mean General Pervez Musharraf? Uh, yeah, he did, but Pakistan is our friend.
Q: Why is Pakistan our friend if their leader is illegitimate?
A: I never said Pervez Musharraf was illegitimate.
Q: Didn't you just say a military general who comes to power by forcibly overthrowing the legitimate government of a nation is an illegitimate leader?
A: Only Saddam Hussein. Pervez Musharraf is our friend, because he helped us invade Afghanistan.
Q: Why did we invade Afghanistan?
A: Because of what they did to us on September 11th.
Q: What did Afghanistan do to us on September 11th?
A: Well, on September 11th, nineteen men, fifteen of them Saudi Arabians, hijacked four airplanes and flew three of them into buildings, killing over 3,000 Americans.
Q: So how did Afghanistan figure into all that?
A: Afghanistan was where those bad men trained, under the oppressive rule of the Taliban.
Q: Aren't the Taliban those bad radical Islamics who chopped off people's heads and hands?
A: Yes, that's exactly who they were. Not only did they chop off people's heads and hands, but they oppressed women, too.
Q: Didn't the Bush administration give the Taliban 43 million dollars back in May of 2001?
A: Yes, but that money was a reward because they did such a good job fighting drugs.
Q: Fighting drugs?
A: Yes, the Taliban were very helpful in stopping people from growing opium poppies.
Q: How did they do such a good job?
A: Simple. If people were caught growing opium poppies, the Taliban would have their hands and heads cut off.
Q: So, when the Taliban cut off people's heads and hands for growing flowers, that was OK, but not if they cut people's heads and hands off for other reasons?
A: Yes. It's OK with us if radical Islamic fundamentalists cut off people's hands for growing flowers, but it's cruel if they cut off people's hands for stealing bread.
Q: Don't they also cut off people's hands and heads in Saudi Arabia?
A: That's different. Afghanistan was ruled by a tyrannical patriarchy that oppressed women and forced them to wear burqas whenever they were in public, with death by stoning as the penalty for women who did not comply.
Q: Don't Saudi women have to wear burqas in public, too?
A: No, Saudi women merely wear a traditional Islamic body covering.
Q: What's the difference?
A: The traditional Islamic covering worn by Saudi women is a modest yet fashionable garment that covers all of a woman's body except for her eyes and fingers. The burqa, on the other hand, is an evil tool of patriarchal oppression that covers all of a woman's body except for her eyes and fingers.
Q: It sounds like the same thing with a different name.
A: Now, don't go comparing Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are our friends.
Q: But I thought you said 15 of the 19 hijackers on September 11th were from Saudi Arabia.
A: Yes, but they trained in Afghanistan.
Q: Who trained them?
A: A very bad man named Osama bin Laden.
Q: Was he from Afghanistan?
A: Uh, no, he was from Saudi Arabia too. But he was a bad man, a very bad man.
Q: I seem to recall he was our friend once.
A: Only when we helped him and the mujahadeen repel the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan back in the 1980s.
Q: Who are the Soviets? Was that the Evil Communist Empire Ronald Reagan talked about?
A: There are no more Soviets. The Soviet Union broke up in 1990 or thereabouts, and now they have elections and capitalism like us. We call them Russians now.
Q: So the Soviets ? I mean, the Russians ? are now our friends?
A: Well, not really. You see, they were our friends for many years after they stopped being Soviets, but then they decided not to support our invasion of Iraq, so we're mad at them now. We're also mad at the French and the Germans because they didn't help us invade Iraq either.
Q: So the French and Germans are evil, too?
A: Not exactly evil, but just bad enough that we had to rename French fries and French toast to Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast.
Q: Do we always rename foods whenever another country doesn't do what we want them to do?
A: No, we just do that to our friends. Our enemies, we invade.
Q: But wasn't Iraq one of our friends back in the 1980s?
A: Well, yeah. For a while.
Q: Was Saddam Hussein ruler of Iraq back then?
A: Yes, but at the time he was fighting against Iran, which made him our friend, temporarily.
Q: Why did that make him our friend?
A: Because at that time, Iran was our enemy.
Q: Isn't that when he gassed the Kurds?
A: Yeah, but since he was fighting against Iran at the time, we looked the other way, to show him we were his friend.
Q: So anyone who fights against one of our enemies automatically becomes our friend?
A: Most of the time, yes.
Q: And anyone who fights against one of our friends is automatically an enemy?
A: Sometimes that's true, too. However, if American corporations can profit by selling weapons to both sides at the same time, all the better.
Q: Why?
A: Because war is good for the economy, which means war is good for America Also, since God is on America's side, anyone who opposes war is a godless un-American Communist. Do you understand now why we attacked Iraq?
Q: I think so. We attacked them because God wanted us to, right?
A: Yes.
Q: But how did we know God wanted us to attack Iraq?
A: Well, you see, God personally speaks to George W. Bush and tells him what to do.
Q: So basically, what you're saying is that we attacked Iraq because George W. Bush hears voices in his head?
A: Yes! You finally understand how the world works. Now close your eyes, make yourself comfortable, and go to sleep. Good night.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Movie Review (Sicko)
Well i have always enjoyed all previous movies by Michael Moore. But earlier ones (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 911) although they were very fantastic and raise burning questions, were not directly related to me. Yes it is bit selfish of me. Anyhow this movie is about medical system in US, and this one shows how insurance companies are doing evil and crooked things, along with the cooperation of doctors and goverment in general.
I have always heard that falling sick in America is a sin. It can drain your hard earned savings very quickly. In the documentary they show that how price of some medicine in US is around 200 dollars whereas for the similar medicine it is around 5 cents in Cuba. I recently had a personal experience that on recommendation of doctor i bought one relieving medicine for my wife. I have insurance from aetna. At the time of buying i didn't pay anything as it is billed to my insurance company. Later on when i recieved the bill from insurance company, i was horrored to find that the cost of those 60 small pills were more than $2000. Which the insurance has negotiated price of $96. So i was responsible for $96. I never expected the cost of those medicine to be more than $20 or so. Then the first thought that came to my mind is that if i didn't had insurance i would have to pay that astronomical sum of $2000. God save people with no insurance. I hope soon there is soon some reformation in this whole process.
Now returning back to movie, it is a must watch movie for all of us.
I have always heard that falling sick in America is a sin. It can drain your hard earned savings very quickly. In the documentary they show that how price of some medicine in US is around 200 dollars whereas for the similar medicine it is around 5 cents in Cuba. I recently had a personal experience that on recommendation of doctor i bought one relieving medicine for my wife. I have insurance from aetna. At the time of buying i didn't pay anything as it is billed to my insurance company. Later on when i recieved the bill from insurance company, i was horrored to find that the cost of those 60 small pills were more than $2000. Which the insurance has negotiated price of $96. So i was responsible for $96. I never expected the cost of those medicine to be more than $20 or so. Then the first thought that came to my mind is that if i didn't had insurance i would have to pay that astronomical sum of $2000. God save people with no insurance. I hope soon there is soon some reformation in this whole process.
Now returning back to movie, it is a must watch movie for all of us.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Reflection
In Java programming language there is an API called Reflection which allows an object to look at its property and methods. In simple terms someone can decide what are the qualities in him/her and what are the possible things he/she can do. I wish i too have such API. Wouldn't it be fantastic that before you try to target something scarry or big, you can reflect on yourself and then decide. And now news from India. Everyday i hear this is great about our country and that is great. Sure our country is growing. Sure people are getting better living standards. But still we are very very far away and should reflect to see what we have still to accomplish. Forbes (February edition) had an article on child labor. It is painful to see that still in India 6% of the total labor is done by children (aged 7-14). This cannot be an indicative of success. Those children should be going to school and playing, not working 12 hours a day for a meager sum of 20-30 rupees.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Netflix is not evil
Couple of days ago, i had accidentally returned a DVD from library in Netflix dvd sleeve. Later when i knew about it, i got little upset thinking about the fine which i have to pay at library. But to my surprise, i got an email back from them. They were returning my DVD. I never expected this kind of service from them. This act has already increased my customer loyalty. Today i recieved it just in time to avoid any late penalty. Kudos to Netflix. Keep up the good work.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Book Review (Winning - Jack Welch)
Recently i have read "Winning" by Jack Welch. It has been one good reading in one year. The last good book i read was "Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown, which i had borrowed from Matt. Anyways i heard about "Winning" from Sumanji. So out of curiosity i looked for this book in sunnyvale library and got it from there. This book contains so much information. Portions which i liked most were on acquisitions and mergers, career enhancement. As still not too much experienced with industry it gave me a good to do's and don'ts in job. Overall a good book and i will suggest every about to graduate students to read it before they start their job.
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