Omnium Gatherum

Yet another piece on Schoenberg

2008-07-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

Music Lesson

A Guardian piece sent in by YS reminded me of someone on the opposite end of the spectrum -- someone who finds listening to Mozart absolute torture and reaches out to Boulez and Birtwistle for relief. Norman Lebrecht has been described as a "sloppy but entertaining British muckraker" and his musical chops are quite questionable at least judging by his columns, but the article is "spot on" in its description of listening to Schoenberg closely for the first time.

I like the way he moves

2008-05-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Opinion might be divided regarding the dancing skills of certain intrepid men but let us leave all that rancor aside and direct our gaze, for once, at a different kind of dance floor:

Wild Animals and Nymphs

I can't speak for you highbrow folks but the clip above was my first exposure to a complete classical dance performance. It features Nijinsky's original choreography and of course Debussy's Faun, a sublime piece of music that shines through despite the poor audio quality of the clip.

I was surprised to learn that ballet is not all tutus and pirouettes and what's more, there are some moves in there that should be in the repertoire of anyone planning to visit the Funky Buddha*. Just my opinion.

*and a registered chiropractor soon afterwards

It's not lo. It's l'eau.

2008-04-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

L'ea Du Robinet

The appreciation of finer things in life is a tricky business and yes, a serious business too! And I'm not talking about people who have finally figured out a way to be moved by Rauschenberg's masterpieces, but you who buy bottled water.

And honey, do the other one. Yeah, I'll gladly do the other one. Swirl, sniff, sip. It has a strong after-taste. It's definitely not fruity. It has a feathery texture. And it has an uncompromising attitude, like something that might wake you up right in the morning. And wait, I even sense just a hint of le roasted-bird du some-kind.

American Talk Show Eccentricities

2008-04-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Beckettian Depiction

I always thought that American Talk show hosts are an eccentric lot. It is very hard to appreciate Letterman, O'Brien or Rose on a first viewing. Leno, being less eccentric, is more watchable in the short-term but more boring in the long-term.

First-time viewers of Charlie Rose are often unnerved by his affected and ponderous pauses, ill-timed interruptions and abrupt change of topics. Whenever he pauses himself deliberately, it is never clear if he is struggling to articulate a nuanced insight or if he simply has nothing to say. And often, these pauses are broken not by a better articulation of his thoughts but simply by an inscrutable stare solely meant to indicate that he's finished. And when he has to switch topics, he has the habit of loudly and abruptly saying out a single keyword from the next topic followed by well, a pause and a stare.

But, over the years, I've learnt to overlook and even enjoy these eccentricities in what is a very fine talk show. The link points to a hillarious Beckettian depiction of Charlie Rose pausing, interrupting and deliberating with well, himself. As unfinished and awkward the conversation seems, I bet you'll actually agree that they seem to have had a complete and a meaningful chat!

Baby's first experience with chinese propaganda

2008-04-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

The Olympic flame was to pass through San Francisco today and watching that undying flame of world peace have to hide out in warehouses, take alleys, and flee to the airport, couldn't be a better metaphor for where that flame is finally going! Even in protests, does that flame serve as a fine symbol!
But, having seen protesters do everything in their might to stop the flame right outside my own office, I was faced with these two news reports
The Telegraph covers it or check any other major newspaper
Xinhua covers it with 20 freakin' pages of photos with smiling people waving flames and chinese flags

The contrasts were shocking!

Not Yet Another Politician's Speech

2008-03-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Advani on India's political leadership

You tell me that you are tired of politicians' speeches. You say that you can't take in another Obama speech that will make you cry. You say that you can't take in another Hillary speech that will make her cry. You say that you can't take in another McCain speech that will make no one cry.

I say, you are a dimwit. I say, you need some Advani-speak.

Advani in this brilliant speech reminds us who India's true leaders are. If you can tolerate Prabhu Chawla's embarassing introduction, you will witness one of the most fascinating expositions on the past and present Indian political leadership. Do watch this one in its entirety.

An idea worth spreading

2008-03-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

The right way of thinking

Fantastic presentation by a neuro-anatomist on the left and right parts of the brain. The presentation is part of the TED Talks series which is a great collection of ideas.

comedy gold

2008-03-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

My mission: To proactively defend this blog against getting too high-brow

mr chhedu

Whenever there is a joke that isn't good enough, they sound the gong! Just hotness, all around.

First there's examination and then there's...

2008-02-27T20:27:00.000-08:00

... Crass-Examination

The whole thing has more rhymes than our man Busta could've whipped up. Now, if only the judge had a ready pair of turn-tables ('dem ones and twos) under his desk and had given them a B'...

How does newness come into the world?

2008-02-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

Bishi Belle Bad

Of what fusions, translations, conjoinings is it made? How does it survive, extreme and dangerous as it is?

Anand Jon

2007-06-16T23:23:00.001-07:00

Person to watch in 2007
The paid groupies idea

Living and toiling away in our little cubbyholes we tend to lose touch with what is truly important in this world -- fashion design. That in any case is my excuse for not having heard of Anand Jon till last week when I came across a news report of rape charges against this Indian born designer, involving at last count, 18 women.

Also, I am pretty sure all you confirmed geeks haven't been watching this man at all in 2007 despite Newsweek's fiat. Shame on you.

So it turns out his NYC studio was a creative hotbed in more ways than one, complete with casting couch, teenage models and sleazy artist. But one excellent idea he had, and one I am going to incorporate into my lifestyle soon, is to pay groupies to generally hang around him all the time and create a kind of... buzz, I think is the right showbiz term. Buzz is the thing. Buzz can take you places.

And the man has indeed come far. His only mistake was that he never delivered on the solemn promises he made on the casting couch. But then, could you expect anything better from a man named Anand Jon ?

The creation of words

2007-06-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

Word Spy

Came across a book called Wanted Words, that collated reader responses to create (if that is the word I want...) words for very common situations that do not have a word or term associated with them. Along these lines is Word Spy. From its description of itself: This Web site is devoted to lexpionage, the sleuthing of new words and phrases. These aren't "stunt words" or "sniglets," but new terms that have appeared multiple times in newspapers, magazines, books, Web sites, and other recorded sources.

Creepers Jeepers

2007-04-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

For them monday afternoons

Never been a big fan of the console games. But the web is abuzz about the addictiveness of this game. So, I hooked up my laptop to a projector while waiting in a conference room and tried the level one and mercilessly fragged all the creepers. Just when I was about to dismiss the game, a fellow lagger at work showed me this video. Fraggin' all the creepers at the toughest level, now this is just beautiful. Do give the game a try before checking out the link.

Atlas Drugged

2007-04-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

This is just a plug for a great new entrant to the blogosphere. Asok is old hat and not half as funny as the real life saaftware/bpo baayz from the subcontinent.

Hipster Doofus Part II

2007-04-14T00:25:00.000-07:00

Allaboutjazz review

Kurt Elling's latest album came out last week -- it's his first in four years. After a quick glance at the track list the snob in me wanted to put this down as yet another of his misguided attempts at jazz balladry. That he had enlisted the services of a string quartet on a couple of tracks only furthered my anticipation of cheese.

But, as with the majority of his recordings, when I got around to listening to the whole album on a lazy Saturday afternoon, I couldn't bring myself to bash it. Elling plays his part with such sincerity and lack of pretense, laughing at his frequent pratfalls or pointing out his (many) technical shortcomings just doesn't feel right. Overall I think it is a fun album and worth a listen.

"Neither concisely nor in French"

2007-03-15T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Kafka Project

I found this site a few weeks back while searching for Nabokov's famous essay on The Metamorphosis. One virtue (among many others) of Nabokov's analysis is the use of the word "vulgarians", the humourous possibilities of which were recently brought to my attention by the Yangry Star.

One thing I like about sites like these is the sheer volume of material available -- this one has complete texts, critical writing, bibliography... even movie trailers. Unfortunately the English translations are not available for the longer stories but what the heck, you can't have everything. Those snickering at my insatiable appetite for an already overanalyzed writer I'll merely direct to the Hegel quote that headlines this entry.

Macchu Picchu !!!

2007-02-17T04:38:00.000-08:00

Andes Photoblog

As in Holy Cow !!!

This link has been doing the rounds for a while... some great pics from the El Loco continent. I wonder how, and more importantly why, they built roads up there.

You gotta watch these

2007-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Errand Boy
A Jazz Dispute

We've watched pop princesses lip-sync their own songs but here are two guys with real talent, for a change, pantomiming some real music, for a change. I think Donald Trump should watch the first video and pick up pointers on how to really fire a guy on his show.

wildlife

2007-01-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

Exploring the Indian Wild

Gorgeous shots of wildlife and nature in India and some interesting first-hand narratives. Just good trip ideas all round.

A Holiday Tradition

2006-12-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

Festivus for the Rest of Us

That's right, us, the marginalized ones, for whom Christmas and Hannukah are nothing more than meaningless rituals. A festival whose patron saint is Thomas Bernhard, whose sacred metal is aluminium... Can't imagine why it's not more popular.

Shoutout to a couple of bruthas

2006-12-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

RamP and KS at Tachyon Technologies

Great job dudes. I guess these guys can strike off "To be quoted on Rediff" from their to-do list.

For those of you wondering who these guys are, they are a bunch fellow IITM folks, one of whom was responsible for a few of us in this group spending most of time in IIT playing Quake and not doing much else.

VCAT

2006-12-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

For them VKittens

It's official. When we have a VCAT, we know we are in a bubble.

Zeitgeist

2006-12-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

Forget Google Zeitgeist. To know what time it was in, say,
Jan 1998, when you were over that girl from MCC playing basketball, see this.

Top Stuff

The Real Kramer

2006-11-24T10:14:00.001-08:00

Old Larry David Interview

Surfing the internet on the Michael Richards affair (which seems to be getting more sordid by the day) I came across the the above interview on the website of the "real" Kramer. Pretty funny.

One a related note, I've been re-listening to some Richard Pryor CDs of late (That N****r's Crazy is an old favourite) and I'm struck by the enormous gulf between between his stuff and the faux comedy peddled by the insult comics. Pryor's one of the few guys I've heard with a real talent for the edgy stuff. I haven't found a lot of it on youtube but there's a clip on pets that had me in splits.

Hipster Doofus Strikes Back

2006-11-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

Standup Comedy

Good to see ya again. Where you been, buddy?

Rite of... passage

2006-11-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

There are a few common bonds that the group on the right column of this page have shared and cherished. One of them is that look that we gave Crp, when first exposed to the explosion of modern music in his darbar. I'll never know, but the look was halfway between shock that Parisians felt when they first heard this stuff and amusement that masked concern for the impresario's hitherto shiny musical marbles. While Parisians could safely break into a riot when they heard Stravinsky, what could the poor student do. Trash the room like a rock star?

But, unbeknownst to me, the discord occupied a small place in my mind, clearly. When, this fall, I listened to the 'Rite of Spring', it was a moment whose time had come. I could think of it as nothing but the most interesting thing I had heard in years. Was it the years of apprentice-ship with jazz records? Or, have I just seen enough discord in life to simply get it now? I know its a combination of both these factors. And for a practising Hindu, the inherent Paganism in the 'Rite of Spring' makes it so much more attractive and juicy (that's the best adjective I can come up with).

Just like growing up, appreciating it made me feel different, mostly better but somewhat concerned.

Two BBC pieces that made me enjoy the 'Rite of Spring' tremendously:
BBC discovering music, Rite of Spring -- part 1
BBC discovering music, Rite of Spring -- part 2

Also worth checking out the other pieces in the BBC discovering music archive

PS - To those of who think I'm over-compensating for linking to Hemachandra's videos on youtube... you just get me!

Weekend Dos

2006-11-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

Flavorpill

Here's a pill for those who are spending weekends on their couches for the lack of anything better to do. It's a weekly email magazine "covering a handpicked selection of cultural events" in select US cities. A few friends swear by the quality of these "weekly cultural stimuli".

Personally, I'm more intrigued by the concept than the content. It is clear to many that websites like citysearch and fullhyderabad, which often trade quality for coverage, are no longer relevant. These days, it is exclusivity of intent and selectivity of content that creates small yet faithful readership. This explains the growth of tech news sites like GigaOm and TechCrunch (as opposed to say, CNET).

For those who haven't figured it out yet, OG was created with a similar purpose - not so exclusive but selective definitely. Moving onto round two, given the lack of any good event calendars in most Indian cities, why not create an OG (bi-)weekly email/website that would discriminatingly pick and recommend a few weekend events from Indian cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi etc? If it succeeds in getting a sizable readership, this kind of exclusivity can potentially score us some worthy perks and invites. Or, at the least, some community service related resume points. What say?

Money money...it's always funny

2006-11-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

Mind the gap

Living in India opens one up to a few dilemmas, one of which is the following. Is it fair that I should be making as much money as I am when other people out here are suffering for their daily meals.

Bridging the income divide seems to be the favourite topic for many people here in India and there are several ways of doing it. Here's an interesting take on this subject.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form

2006-11-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Malamaal Weekly

Could somebody please stop the Bollywood auteurs from sinking into artistic irrelevance by being so apologetic about copying the West? After you add the jhankar beats, after you hand over a Fender Strat to Sush (Zindaggi Rocks) and a 1719 Strad to bikini clad Chinto Jaitley, you're operating on a whole new level sonny boy!

A particularly egregious case came to my knowledge a couple of days back when, on a road trip, I managed to catch a not unenjoyable flick by director Priyadarshan. In true Bollywood fashion, he claimed that the story was brand new, and also announced a cash prize for anyone who proved that it wasn't. Well, further research reveals that the story is indeed stolen from an Irish movie but the director isn't paying up...

Photo Psychology

2006-10-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Like Better

There's something delightfully charming about this idea. Maybe it's because I'm been reading about the Kolbe indices, Myers Briggs Types and the like lately. Since their company boasts of exactly two employees, both programmers, I wouldn't bet on their analysis being anywhere near cutting edge scientific. But remarkably enough, the "brain" predicted that I had a graduate degree. Not a PhD, not a high school diploma, but a graduate degree. I'm waiting to see how the rest of you fare on it.

If done right, I can see it evolving into the solitaire of this generation. I like the prediction idea, however, there isn't much repeat value in its current state. And scaling the database is going to be fairly time intensive. The better idea might be to open it up to the community and see where they take it.

Smart, petulant, knowledgeable, flirtatious, funny, resourceful...

2006-10-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Talented Ms Dewey

"People have been brainwashed into believing that web search cannot be better than that provided by Google", bemoaned the CEO of Ask.com in a recent Time interview. This belief, in part, explains Ask.com's (WAKA Ask Jeeves.com) diversionary marketing emphasis on better user interfaces and search tools as opposed to the basic search results themselves.

Though their instincts were right, Ask.commies would still be surprised to realise that the alternate search interface was not to be anchored by a staid, attentive butler named Jeeves but by a feisty, petulant beauty named Dewey.

All over the wide world of web, the wannabe startup founders (the me-too you-tubers) and the horny, eligible bachelors are in agreement: Gentlemen, the search stops here.

Vikram Sathaye

2006-10-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

Vikram Sathaye

Went to an event recently where this guy gave a stand up show. Quite funny.

Joke, with Solution

2006-10-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

Spot the Error

Now tell me, can you blame the world if they think programmers are weird ? Just picture this: you see two guys rolling on the floor in the server room, ask them what's so funny and they show you this piece of code. They'll also provide you with the solution manual in case you didn't get the joke (all CS joke anthologies come with solution manuals).

Don't take this personally folks. Just making an anthropological observation.

Sing along everyone

2006-10-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Vocal Stylings of Hemachandra

A throwback to (my) trusty old music tastes where voice texture really counted. This Hyd lad's really got great vocal versatility. Was runner-up or so at the TV contest, 'sa re ga ma pa'.

Pop Warning: Heavily laden with pop content. Sustained exposure can be injurious to you-know-what...

Soccer and Shish Kabobs

2006-09-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

From Wikiquote

I first heard of Mitch Hedberg from the glowing obits that appeared all over the web in 2005. Since then I have seen and/or heard about 5 hours of his stuff and I must say he's the funniest stand-up I've come across. I might regret admitting this in cold print but right now, after listening to his CD Strategic Grill Locations, I have about the same reverence for him as I do for Coltrane and Rollins.

Wikiquote has a huge collection of one liners by him(check it out soon because the page will probably not remain up for long). They're great but they really don't do him justice -- they work best with that junkie voice floating on top of a walking bass. Here are some of my favourite lines:

I think Pringles' initial intention was to make tennis balls. But on the day that the rubber was supposed to show up, a big truckload of potatoes arrived. But Pringles is a laid-back company. They said, "F*** it. Cut 'em up!"

I get the Reese's candy bar. If you read that name "Reese's", that's an apostrophe S. Reese's apostrophe S at the end of that name. That means the candy bar is his. I didn't know that. Next time you're eating a Reese's candy bar and a guy name Reese comes by and says, "Let me have that," you better hand it over. "I'm sorry, Reese. I didn't think I'd ever run into you. You're a f***ing bully, man. Let me at least have a Piece."

Mylapore MLA on the net

2006-09-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

Mylapore MLA in Blogspot

A nice initiative by Mylapore Times to work with the local MLA and put up relevant content on the net. Hope many more local newspaper joints work with the local government administration to communicate with the public.

Say no to bad formatting and punctuation

2006-08-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Stephen Colbert helps me put YS on notice

'La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind,' by Beppe Severgnini - The New York Times - Book Review - New York Times

2006-08-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Italiano, is quote Indiano

About the Italian frame of mind. Sounds familiar? Of course Italians are allowed to romanticise it just like we did with Bharat Dabholkar's then-brilliant-now-overused tag line "we are like this wonly"

Aryan Invasion Theory

2006-08-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

Mayiladuthurai Stone Axe Discovery

I'm real excited that they're finding new evidence to the contrary. Sure, the theory may still stand once all the excavations are complete but where's the fun if it turns out that Vedic culture was indeed imported?

Meanwhile, I've signed up for National Geographic's Genographic Project. For 100 bucks, they'll apparently trace the journey of my ancestors from Africa to AP. Hope they made some interesting pit stops. Watch this space for the results.

Airport Entertainment

2006-08-18T02:41:00.000-07:00

A preview

I try to stay out of politics and I am not sure how relevant/accurate the analysis is wrt the recent terror incidents in the UK... but the article is funny. It will be great if someone can write a sequel to Arthur Hailey's "Airport" fully exploiting the comedic potential of the current situation. Man, Cat are you both listening ?

Quiz Mugging

2006-08-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Trivia

Another tiresome rant about the "dumbing down" of culture. First it was hip-hop, reality tv, and George W Bush. Now it's trivia. Some people just don't get it, I tell you.

The article also reminded me of a hilarious story (supposedly true...) spread by the Yangry Star years ago. It had the punchline "Quiz mugging da."

The Malgudi Mage

2006-08-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Jhumpa Lahiri on R.K.Narayan

A master, a Tolstoy of the Indians or a Balzac. His concerns were universal, he was that noblest of creatures - a humanist

But also awkward, uncanny; a miniaturist as were Bruno Schulz and Muriel Spark, he wrote in holy fidelity to his world and his philosophy.

naD yleetS

2006-07-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Luke Wilson

Read the above first and then read on below:

Background: "you, me, and dupree" is a new (potentially lame) Owen
Wilson flick.
The beauty is that stupid, irony-free, mainstream news media is
reporting it as if its a serious lawsuit/accusation from Steely Dan.
Next thing you know, Mr Owen C is issuing denials about having heard
the song!! Man, Becker and Fagen are pure hilarious.

A Great Pagoda of Funn

2006-07-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Morph the Cat

At a recent power dinner with DrJ (aka The Original Dan Fan), I gingerly mentioned this album fully expecting an hour long analysis of the music, details of the latest Steely Dan tour, plans of a US trip to relive his days as roadie for his musical Messiah and possibly a couple of bad dildo jokes. Imagine my shock when he replied with a look that said "Donald Fag-who ?"

So for those of you who are too unjobless (read too married) to stay up-to-date here's the latest (... released about 5 months back) album from a guy who is almost incapable of writing a bad song. Mary shut the garden door is the first A-list song I've heard from the man since Almost Gothic -- IMO of course.

What day is today ?

2006-07-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

Old site
New site

If ever in doubt consult the links above. I had first come across these on the webpage of a Berkeley theorist. Now you see what we do in our spare time.

Earning vs Giving

2006-07-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Is one easier than the other?

Warren Buffett recently gave away most of his life-earnings to Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. And the man from Omaha has an interesting justificaton in this Charlie Rose video.

When it comes to earning money, he says, most people trust him with their money because they think that he can 'earn better' (than them). When it came to giving money, he says, he simply trusts Bill and Melinda with his money because he thinks that they can 'give better' (than him).

A sobering thought, no doubt, for the burgeoning nouveau-riche who are increasingly becoming charity chic.

Word on the street

2006-07-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

(Over) heard, written and now mapped!

With an intent to revive this blOG, this post has been carefully selected to cater to the varied interests of our erstwhile target audience. It has the right mix and mash of gossip, javascript, humour, HTML, hobos, homos, geocoding, underdealing, overlaying, breakups, pop-ups, polylines, quotes, codes, cells, clusters, hipsters, AJAX, artists, class, trash and gigabytes of other ungatherable omnium. Enjoy!

BMW and The Hire: online till October 21

2005-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

BMWFilms.com presents The Hire

A series of short films, starring Clive Owen and a BMW, is now coming to an end, but you still have a chance to see all of the films. The series, made with directors such as John Woo, Ang Lee, Kar Wai Wong and Guy Ritchie, has some excellent visuals and is loaded with pop culture references.

A canon of science fiction motion pictures

2005-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies

A list of some of the most influential and important science fiction films made to date. Lists are always subjective and debatable, nevertheless this list has an interesting mix of new and old sci-fi ventures.

The entire list is online here. My list would have included Dark City and Gattaca [and some others if I spent some time thinking about such a list]. Anyone care to suggest some of their favourites?

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta

2005-07-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

When the geek inherit the (gangsta) world.

There's a scene in the movie 'Office Space' where three geeks celebrate their mutinous insubordinaton against geekdom (corporate culture, coding, debugging, cubicles, bosses, printers etc) with reckless boogying to some gansta rap ("Damn it feels good to be a gangsta"). This powerful juxtaposition of geeks and gangsta rap convinced me that the music charts would soon be ruled by geeksta rap.

While many have tried (LudaKrishna et al.) to capitalize on the growing demand for geeksta rap, it was left to Monzy to use his wicked marketing genius and actually create a head-line grabbing east-west geeksta rivalry. The link points to Monzy's dis track of Purdue based geeksta MC Plus+ who has assured the geeks that "dire retribution is forthcoming".

Is this the most spineless thing...

2005-07-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

our Dr.PM has done yet on this tour?

This whole foreign jaunt of Dr.PM has been a big let down. Right from thanking Britain for the "beneficial aspects" of their colonial rule to his address to the U.S Congress, our PM has shown that when it comes to foreign policy, he lacks vision and even the courage to envision India's deserved future.

The current geo-politico-economic strategy of all countries revolves around oil and natural gas. Read that line a hundred times until you see its implications in almost every article that you read. Given its importance, the proposed gas pipeline from Iran across Pakistan to India has immense consequences for the future. It is imperative that India get over Pakistan and give this pipeline the importance it demands. India and China, in a matter of a decade, have the momentum to cripple the US economy purely by dint of their surging oil needs. Unfortunately, our PM doesn't seem to have the spine for the task ahead.

Judicious

2005-07-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Theory of Cryptography as Applied to Politics

A man's gotta do what he's gotta do...

2005-07-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

The return of herbal fuel

2005-07-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Thankfully it isn't Ramar Pillai...

Every problem and every solution, it is often reported, can be found in India. But there are also a subset of problems that, to my great pride, are being addressed only in India.

For instance, I remember a computer science professor in my undergraduate school emphasising the need for making telecom exchanges (PBX) cheaper through technology. The affluent west, he said, could afford to achieve desirable telecom penetration at the current prices but the same level of reach can be achieved in India only through greater innovation. This is the kind of innovation that will sell only in Asian and African countries so the west isn't (wasn't) much interested.

Among the Asian and African countries, clearly only India and China are in a position to lead and deliver this kind of solutions. Let me actually gather all my biases and claim that it is India which is doing pioneering work in this realm. For example, though the auto and telecom industries in China are quite advanced, most of the models sold are exact replicas of the western ones sold by local subsidiaries. In India, on the other hand, considerable innovation in both telecom systems and auto parts has played a major role in maturing these markets. These solutions, hence are more suitable for use in say, African countries.

This bio-diesel (check the IISc profs report at the end of the article) and the group SUTRA are just another example of the many such projects in progress in India. The interesting diferentiator in these projects is that they are not intended to scale on capitalistic levels but are meant to be sustainable in smaller rural settings.

Musical Hallucinations

2005-07-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

From the NYT

"Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy"
-T.E.Hulme, "The Embankment".

Pretty scary article for those of us who have had the misfortune of having a tune stuck in our head for days ... The article seems to suggest that insanity is just a step removed from ecstasy - maybe we'll end up like Schumann. Hey, I won't mind that as long as the tune I'm stuck with isn't some crappy advertisement jingle.

A DVD recommendation...

2005-07-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Curb your enthusiasm

All seinfeld fankind, the saying goes, can be divided into two - those who have watched Larry David's new show 'Curb your enthusiasm' and those who do not have HBO. Though I don't have HBO, I did manage to watch the shows (and in the process create a third category) by renting out a DVD.

The man behind the scenes is more than all the four Seinfeld characters put together. For those not in the know, 'Curb your enthusiasm' is a quasi-reality show where the actors improvise on-the-spot in each scene though the plot itself has already been meticulously worked out. The plot-lines are very Seinfeldian or, should I say, Davidian. I particularly enjoyed The Doll and The Group.

What is the truth?

2005-06-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

The truth about Sancho Panza

Talk about reading between (just two) lines! No other parable has been so over-analyzed as Kafka's little take on Don Quixote's loyal sidekick. The lure of the parable is its apparent completeness though I haven't read or listened to a single satisfactory interpretation (except mine of course). So, what is the truth?

Desi FOBia

2005-06-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Now at your local store...

What I can't seem to figure is the (sales) pitch of this merchandise. Not the least of the reasons being that there is a bib, a thong and an apron (for the whole family!) for sale out there.

Many a time, a seemingly derogatory term (like the word 'blacks') is itself turned on its head and defiantly displayed to reflect a new found confidence and indifferent comfort with the epithet. Like most labels that have outlived their age, the merchandise seems to proclaim that 'FOBs' is no longer a stereotypecast.

A Case for Lt. Bookman (Library Cop)

2005-06-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Kim : a travelogue

Continuing with the Seinfeld motif, here's the true story of a library book that journeyed 78 years through space and time - seduced multiple generations of (book) lovers, imparted wisdom and excitement to needy souls, and adorned bookshelves and attics in several adjacent cities.

We've all seen such specimens - our hostel libraries, our Dad's book clubs, the librarian at my high school etc have been looking for them for years and have all but given up ... But really, we shouldn't be joking about these things. Lt. Bookman said it best :

"Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before: Flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. What's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Well, let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me. Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world, but what about that kid, sitting down, opening a book, right now, in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on the Cat in the Hat and the Five Chinese Brothers? Doesn't HE deserve better? Look. If you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped! Or: maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld; maybe that's how y'get your kicks. You and your good-time buddies. Well I got a flash for ya, joy-boy: Party time is over."

Okay good-time buddies. Go and return those books. Party time is over.

A great idea for cologne...

2005-06-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

The Vegetarian

To paraphrase Kramer from Seinfeld, "You spray it on and you smell just like a vegetarian".

According to the report, vegetarians not only smell better but also "taste better"! Too bad, we can't double-check with Hannibal. But, this is true, Hannibal is indeed reputed to have a very refined and discriminating collection of colognes. Convenient coincidence? Maybe so, maybe no. Also, the footnote in the report adds, "vegetarians have more stamina and energy in the sack".

Hmmm... most Indians being vegetarian, it is only now that I realise what Naipaul truly meant when he wrote, "India(ns) is an assault on the senses".

The Red Carpet

2005-06-15T03:15:00.000-07:00

by Lavanya Sankaran

Went into a bookstore, saw this book, Red Carpet by Lavanya Sankaran. Something sexy about the name and an instant chemistry made me pick this one up (realised later that it's not just the name that is sexy). There are times when you want to pick the book that everybody recommends and you know that it is most likely going to be good. Though not unlike arranged marriage, there is a chance it might not work out for you. But the thrill of venturing into unknown spaces, that is certainly special. This one was certainly good while it lasted.

So hot right now...

2005-06-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

Will Ferrell Harvard Class Day 2003 video

Chestnut. This is Will Ferrell speaking to the Harvard class of 2003 on class day. Push pointer to 1hr:30min for the speech. Like the chick who follows him says, "so hot right now"

It is time to meet...

2005-06-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Continental (1)

One of The Classic Continental quotes, "Please, forgive me if my hungry eyes feast on the banquet of your sumptuous decolletage", renewed my interest in this Christopher Walken series on SNL. I couldn't find the videos but these transcripts (2, 3, 4) are a good read. Besides his incorrigibly sleazy and lecherous ways, an obsession with Champagna and dubious allusions to random skills that he acquired in Universities of Beijing and Budapest, occur in all segments.

On Yogis and Yoginis

2005-05-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

The art of giving up stuff

Nice to see that the spirit of Hiranyakashyap (except for the world domination part) lives on.

On a side note, it always pains me to see the yogic lifestyle equated with a retreat to the Himalayas in nothing but loin cloth. Self abnegation is only half the story (the glamorous half). As a famous modern day yogi said - "Live like a hermit, work like a horse".

Music and Technology

2005-05-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

... and Psychological Warfare (gimme a break, fool)

Here's an article I found on a music board. Funny stories, arcane facts and quotable quotes strung together with non sequiturs - pretty much sums up opinion pieces nowadays, I think. One more ingredient that makes this my favorite type of article - wild theories (his views on Schoenberg and ethnic music are rib-tickling among other things). But men, I've discovered what I really want to be in life, men - a social engineer.

Mother of God !

2005-05-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Pics

The Story

Here's a funny story. Up in the north side of Chicago, on a Kennedy Expressway underpass, there happens to be a water stain that's supposed to look like Virgin Mary (see the pics). This has become a major place of pilgrimage for the local faithful (I think there even was a news story on this on national TV). Of course, it was only a matter of time before this became a prime target for graffiteers ("Satan Loves") - one of them defaced the water stain. I am glad he's been arrested and recommend immediate execution without trial.

Quantity Over Quality

2005-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Dosa Plaza

One way to get your point across in this post-modern world is to go for quantity over quality. Raymond Queneau brilliantly showcased the predominance of style over content by repeating the same banal story in 99 different styles in Exercises in Style.

Now, this Dosa-Palooza has launched a similar assault to bring the dosa back onto every desi's breakfast table. Apart from the usual plain dosa, masala dosa, onion dosa and rava dosa, this plaza offers 100 other varieties of dosas (a total of 104!). However, unlike other post-modern movements, the difference, as one might surely hope, is that the variety is in the content and not the style.

Down with Vernacular Chauvinism

2005-05-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Inglish As She's Spoke

I tend to agree with most of what Gurcharan Das says. He is someone who fulfils an important role: keen critic of a society in transition, neither sanguine nor overly anxious about progress, never carried away by his own rhetoric. To think that to the West, it is the abominable Arundhati Roy who represents "Indian Intellectual"...

School Snobbery

2005-04-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

A Flood of Crimson Ink

The Cheshire Cat and I were talking last night about our undergraduate institution (an elite college, at least by reputation) -- whether we had made the right choice at the time, and whether, with the benefit of hindsight, we would do things differently.

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't change a thing. I mean, did we ever really have a choice ? Were there any alternatives for a middle-class Indian high-schooler ? Also, everybody knows that snob value is THE most important criterion when making a crucial life/career decision.

What I find amusing is that the same kind of snobbery exists in the US - one school hogs the limelight in spite of a plethora of superb universities.

Hackers (hardware engineers) and painters - II

2005-04-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Paul Graham might have a point after all...

"Debugging", Paul Graham said, "is as relaxing as painting a wall". This guy literally spent his time painting a wall when he was supposed to have been debugging!

I like the mural but think that the artist provided too much interpretation of his own work. Not only does it make the inspiration and the process seem a little ordinary but also stifles the viewer's response. If I hadn't read what he wrote, I would have probably made some connection to the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie trailers.

Copyright and IP

2005-04-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Deconstructing Stupidity

A controversial topic. I am sure there are about 6 billion distinct opinions on this issue but I think the article raises some valid questions about the abuse of IP laws and the claim that stronger IP laws always promote innovation.

I was reminded of an example in my last post : Bill Gates taking material that was formerly in the public domain - paintings from 15+ public galleries - and acquiring copyrights for their digital reproduction. What a great incentive for future Monets, Manets and Tippy-Tippy-Day-Days -- one day you're gonna be pimped out by Bill Gates and the money goes to Corbis.

I also think the author's solution is quite interesting - do an approximate cost/benefit analysis on a case by case basis to determine how much protection is necessary/useful.

How to make fire...

2005-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

.. from a can of Coke and a chocolate bar

For those of you aspiring to be on Survivor (or whose apartments, thanks to years of careful carelessness, have become Survivor-like-habitats) this is a must read. Now, where will you get a chocolate bar when you are stranded on an island? Apparently, the same can be done with toothpaste too. So, the next time you are given a choice to bring one item with you to the Survivor island - that's two reasons to carry a toothpaste.

Personal news/blog/g-mail reader

2005-04-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

RSSOwl

Here's a wish. There are some blogs that I read ocassionally. Some of these are personal blogs/team blogs. And some of them are news blogs. Then there are the news websites that I visit. And of course I check my gmail too. What if all the updates to these webpages of interest are collated and brought to me dynamically at a single e-mail client kinda app. Even better, what if I wanted a pdf of these updates, so I could print a copy and read it on the flight? The wish has come true - use RSSOwl.

Read through the pages describing this client. The RSS feed for this site is http://ogsandends.blogspot.com/atom.xml and you can check your g-mail box for the corresponding URL. And many news sites also offer RSS feeds. And yes, you can print a pdf copy of all the updates.

When all Gaul was occupied by Romans

2005-04-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Asterix Annotations
Goscinny and Uderzo's Universe

Goscinny and Uderzo created a wonderful universe that has enthralled me over the years. They spared no effort in filling everyone with details of the Roman empire and presenting a social commentary of our times as well. It's doubtless that I owe a lot to Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge for the wonderful translations - Robert Steven Caron comes nowhere near their subliminality. And then, for some years now, The Asterix Annotations has gone further and has thrown more light on the creations of Goscinny and Uderzo.

The Infinite Library

2005-04-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

From the MIT tech review

"When it was announced that the Library contained all books, the first reaction was unbounded joy" - JLB, "The library of Babel"

Borges must be turning in his grave. The good man, when he came up with the idea of an infinite library, imagined it to be a sort of labyrinth. Look what it's turned out to be !

So here's an inside look at the google project that's been getting a lot of attention lately. There's lot of stuff in there I didn't know - e.g. did you know that google started life as a citation-analysis type project ? So the chakra's come full circle.

But the most interesting factoids for me were about the Bodleian library at Oxford which apparently lives in the 18th century - many of its old volumes are still chained to the shelves.

World's No.1 Film Director

2005-04-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Landscapes of the mind

Abbas Kiarostami - he be world's no.1 film director. Makes nice, relaxing movies about landscapes and children and innocence. Western critics, and other greats, Godard, Herzog, Scorsese, Kaige, have nice word or two to say about our gentleman. Self-reflexivity, irony, the comedy of silence, there's life in a nutshell, a very small nut shell, buried deep underground.

Besides stellar employees like me...

2005-04-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

What makes Cisco run?

It is true that Cisco's stock is seriously undervalued. The company does have record earnings quarter after quarter and the stock market is yet to respond accordingly to this performance. Call it irrational indifference. One of these days, there's going to be a random stimulus to the market and Cisco's stock will be the first to go through the roof. And rightly so.

One comment in the interview particularly stood out. Besides its core business, Cisco is the market leader in a number of emerging and advanced technologies. Most of these capabilities were acquired through start-ups. If theses business units were still start-ups, each of their stock independently would have been very highly valued. Cisco is one of those rare big firms that is really well managed technology/strategy wise and consistently beats even startups at their own game however specialised and small the market is. Go buy that stock - that's easily my best advice to date on this blog.

Serenity Now!

2005-04-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

John Bolton on edge

My main source of entertainment over the past few days has been the John Bolton affair. Seems the Republicans aren't so united after all. But that's what happens when you have an overwhelming mandate, the moderate wing starts to assert itself. And the opposition is leaner and meaner. Doesn't help that Bush's ratings are so low, either...

Don't miss out on the backstory - all those anecdotes about Bolton. Chasing a woman down the corridors of a Russian hotel, the North Koren denunciation etc. Bolton seems a thoroughly unpleasant guy, but it's funny how they're getting to him on character issues rather than policy issues. I would have loved to see his reaction when the Senate Committee deferred the vote. That's the problem with having a temper - people complain about it, which makes you even angrier...

Hackers and Painters

2005-04-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

Paul Graham

This bloke is a hacker, a painter and a writer. There isn't much about his painting in there but his hacking and writing look impressive. Specifically, Artix is a must read for IMan and might ring pink bells for some of you.

The Fate of French Cinema

2005-04-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

The French New Vague

Coming off of a recent viewing of Olivier Assayas' Irma Vep, I have been thinking about the relation between cinema and nation as well as the relationship between cinema and thought. Has the average cinéaste become less demanding? How far does the cinema of a country go in shaping a national identity? The article by Jon Frosch looks at the state of French cinema and the shape that the New Wave - popular with more than just theoreticians - seems to have taken.

Similarly much could be said about the state of Indian cinema but without much elaboration I will simply say that I long for films like those by Guru Dutt. Recall the final scene of Pyaasa with Vijay and Gulabo walking away into the mist: a journey that might have led them to the silent character in the movie, a new India. Where has that aspiration gone?

Naach Naach!

2005-04-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

A dance dance revolution (4.6MB WMV)

It is most unlike me to make a post about dancing but this is a video of kid juggling three pins while amazing us with Dance Dance Revolution at a rather fast setting. Very impressive.

How do you pick a job?

2005-04-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

ISB Graduation Day Speech by Rajat Gupta

Before I got into the corporate world, I had two simple criteria of appoximately the same importance. First (courtesy, my advisor) - imagine the best possible outcome of the pursuit; if it compels you to spend the rest of your life trying to make it happen, you've found a pursue-worthy project. Second - your colleagues have to be smarter, more hard-working and more ambitious than you. 'You are the company you keep' kinda thing.

Having worked for a few months, I am increasingly realizing that the single most important criterion has to be the learning/growth opportunites a job presents to you. You can work on a fine project and accomplish a lot; but if you aren't 'learning' enough, you might want to reconsider your pursuits.

So, imagine my surprise when I found this speech. Curiously, these criteria are not specific to just professional (yes, our other favorite pastime) pursuits.

Slavoj Zizek

2005-04-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Fascism vs Communism

Slavoj Zizek, psychoanalyst and dialectical materialist philosopher extraordinaire, "senior researcher" at the University of Ljubljana, plays the intellectual's favorite parlor game: which was the more malign force in the last century, fascism or communism? After about half a second's thought, I'd go with communism (which, as it turns out, is the wrong answer), but that's neither here nor there. The aphorist Lec: "In a war of ideas, it is people who get killed".

I watched Zizek speak once at the U of C. You heard right, watched, not heard, for a Theorist is first and foremost a spectacle. The hall was packed with people in strange and somber raiment, for each of whom there was only one other person in the world, the master Zizek, who shuffled around the podium, beetle-browed and bushy-bearded, secure in the knowledge that he could say nothing wrong. Sadly he had a head cold, and drew a colorful handkerchief from his coat at well-chosen intervals, and picked his nose flamboyantly. I learned something that day, the answer to a question I had long pondered: what is a Theorist?

Someone who picks his nose flamboyantly.

Anyone else get mails from Nagib Callaos?

2005-04-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

MIT students pull prank on conference

This is pretty funny. I've been getting conference and program committee invites from Nagib Callaos for years. It looks like he has some sort of money-making business through conferences going. Check out the random paper generator and the links on the page, inlcuding the response to the request for reviews.

An article on Woody Allen ...

2005-04-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Castration Sonata

... his "polymorphously perverse" fantasies, his castration obsession etc.

TAAQ show

2005-04-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

NPR : Indian Rock from Thermal and a Quarter

Very interesting feature on TAAQ on NPR. Couple of things stood out. The "leather bar" in Chennai. The five and seven beat songs (hey, even I could figure out that there was something "odd" about the beat in their song 'Steal'). And also, the band's confession that their greatest achievement so far has been to move beyond cover-bands. I actually want to experience this "TAAQ live @ leather bar" thing, the next time I'm in Chennai.

What's in your water?

2005-04-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

The fuss about bottled H2O

After years of resisting the pressure, I finally switched to bottled water after watching a local news flash that our municipal tap water might have unsafe levels of chlorine. There was some speculation of Al Qaeda's involvement. Even if he were targeting the water supplies, I think Bin Laden would go for something slightly bigger than the village of Oak Park, don't you?. So when I finally visited Aisle 6 in my grocery store this week, I was dizzy with the array of choices - spring, purified, mineral, fitness, sports, sparkling, artesian, fortified, flavored, distilled, seltzer, tonic ad infinitum. Apparently, I'm not the only one.

There's an certain notion of invincibility I used to harbor earlier about being immune to this sort of health paranoia. It's the kind one develops from eating roadside chaat, pani-puri, ice-cream and all that good stuff for the better part of one's life. So when my cousins used to visit home and insist on bottled water everywhere, it was a source of jokes only second to the accents. However, after falling violently ill on my recent trip from drinking what seemed to be benign sugarcane juice, the joke was on me. Must've been those darned ice cubes. In my defense, I still refused bottled water, just drank coke everywhere.

Twenties are the new Teens ...

2005-04-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

...Grey is the new Black...

... and other examples of a phrase much favored by advice columnists (question: why are they always female ?) and fashion writers (question : ditto).

Thanks for the Mammaries

2005-04-09T01:44:00.000-07:00

A Rupert Murdoch Retrospective

Interesting article on Dr. Evil - especially because we're all in the same business as he is. I was recently wondering why our blog-readership is so limited. I mean why aren't we all millionaires yet ? I think the title of this entry is a step in the right direction.

This is why I like the NY Times

2005-04-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

"The Price of Infallibility"
and
"The Pope and Hypocrisy"

I'm sure most of you have read these two editorials already - standard NY Times fodder. I liked them because the first editorial gave a slightly negative review of the papacy (something that is in stark contrast to the overflowing sycophancy you see everywhere else) and the second bashes Bush (which is my favorite past time after watching Family Guy). This leads me to a larger point - the decline in objectivity of the media. You know where this is going, so I won' t bother. Some bullet points:

Left wing - right wing
Religious right
Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch
ad nauseam ...

Penn Masala

2005-04-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

The brown album

This is easily the most popular all-desi acapella group out there. They supposedly put up quite a show, though I've never seen them live.

WUSTL had an acapella group too. It was led by a guy who simply insisted on playing a single note on his harmonica before every song. It was particularly comical when the guy used to struggle locating the pockets of his long kurta (Diwali ethnic wear), find the harmonica, play a short note and again locate the pocket, put back the harmonica and lift his hands like a conductor and get the group to dish out a number. Being tone-deaf I still do not understand what the significance of this routine is.

Also, after or maybe even before, chutney and samosa, masala seems to be the most misused word by pravasi desis.

Don Quixote was a Frenchman

2005-04-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

French = Comedy

I used to think that the stories about the French and their obsession with language were just a joke. Then I visited Montreal. The lady at a subway ticket booth held up rush hour traffic for 5 minutes to teach me how to pronounce "Cotes Des Nieges".

This latest Quixotic enterprise has me convinced that France is the Don's true home.

The latest from Wall Street

2005-04-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

Desis at Morgan Stanley

After the Great Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, here's the Great Indian Mutiny at Morgan Stanley... Mera Bharat Mahaan!

Sound Familiar ?

2005-03-31T00:11:00.000-08:00

Seeking matches for Anita Jain

It's that stage of life, fellas. I know that the majority of this blog's members are sick-and-tired of this stuff. So I thought to myself, "why not give them some more ?"

I initially braced myself for the typical ABCD rant against fobs and des but by the end I was feeling sorry for her. Those of you who have just opened a new browser window and are typing her an email proposing marriage, don't bother. Yours truly already on the case.

Scientific American can't stand Bush

2005-03-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, We Give Up

Check out this link - it's an editorial from Scientific American in their April issue (the only place I could find the entire editorial was in a blog).

Hopefully it's a sign that the scientific community will be even more vocal about the knowledge regression that's taking place because of this administration.

Space and I were talking yesterday about how the religious right is messing up this country. At some level, I can understand the right's views on moral issues about something like abortion (though I don't agree with them), but it pisses me off when they get involved in basic science - in particular, evolution versus creationism. The right is hurting the scientific future of this country - it's almost like Copernicus having to hide his heliocentric theory.

The Mooring of Starting Out

2005-03-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

John Ashbery

Should explain my presence first. CJ was bemoaning the lack of light-hearted vituperation on this blog, and suggested I do something about it. Most of my hatchet-work will be done in the Comments section, the posts will be just vanilla...

What a journey it has been for John Ashbery: from not existing at all to becoming the eminence grise of American poetry! "Flow Chart" is required reading for the computer scientists among us: nowhere else have I seen such a brilliant and exhaustive exposition of the idea. A certain astronaut and his buddy may be interested to know that Ashbery was once a quiz kid of national renown. The arcane facts and references strewn about his poems are but fragments of this previous life.

Modern Music

2005-03-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

Levine, Harbison and Wuorinen

Here are excerpts from a three way discussion that appeared in yesterdays NYT. Even though most of you may have already read it, I had to post it just in case -- it is one of those "must read" articles. I was expecting more fireworks though -- all three have their own distinctive musical philosophies are are quite outspoken.

Here is the complete transcript.

Backyard Cricket

2005-03-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

Rules

Okay, I know every self respecting cricket fan would have seen this eons ago. Still, I think there's a chance this might be new to at least one of you.

Some Open Problems

2005-03-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

From The New Scientist

Most of the problems described are from that messiest of all empirical sciences - cosmology. But there are some that might be new to most of you ...

Red Earth and Pouring Rain

2005-03-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

Reviews

I had read this book sometime back and re-read a random passage today morning while having breakfast and re-realised what an absolutely fantastic book this is. The book deserves all and more of the praise in the reviews.

Most books have a narrow scope. They lack ambition to begin with. The narrative of this book has a very Indian, expansive and all inclusive structure. I say Indian because this kind of "complexity" is commonplace in our folklore. Contrast this with the comments in the Guardian review for example.

On some level, one can say that Salman Rushdie and Vikram Chandra have a lot in common - scope, narrative, improvisation etc. - but I'm surprised that Chandra's book isn't as popular as some (or even the best) of Rushdie's tomes.