Reflection- the laser n mirror game

Reflection- a very interesting laser and mirror game. Thought I'll post it for the 'records' :)

G

"Sarkar maine aapka namak khaya hai"

"Sarkar maine aapka namak khaya hai" - Kiran Bedi, July 2007.
"Toh ab humiliation kha" - Indian Govt., Always; not just in July 2007.

As Hindustan Times put it, and I quote-

"On a day India’s first woman President took charge, the first woman to enter the Indian Police Service over three decades ago lost in the race for the post of Delhi Police Commissioner."

Kiran Bedi has lashed out at the Home Ministry's decision to appoint Y S Dadwal and not her as the police commissioner. Kiran Bedi -- the Director General of Bureau of Police Research and Development feels that the appointment of Dadwal, who is junior to her, sends out the wrong message.

Of course it does. It always has. She has given all her life towards betterment of this nation, of this society and if this is what she gets at the end of the day, then of course she has all the right to complain. I hope Ms.Kiran Bedi, who has always stood against injustice for others, stands against this injustice against her and I hope the media supports her.

Let's see...

G

We'll miss you Mr. Prez

Mr. Prez is back to where he says he belongs to... teaching. He has done what no Prez in this country has ever done- made the country stand up and notice him. And all for good causes.

It was an honor for us to have you as our President, Sir.

Some links...

His final speech
full text of his final speech
Left the Rashtrapati Bhavan with just two suitcases
Bidding farewell to ‘an embodiment of compassion’

G

The great Indian Presidential tamasha

[def] President: /ˈprɛzɪdənt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[prez-i-duh nt], the highest executive officer of a modern republic.
[def] Politics: /ˈprɛzɪdənt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[poli-tics], poli means many and tics means blood sucking insects. Politics is a term used for a group of people better know for their misdeeds and selfish activities.

As it is clear from the definition, I'm talking about President of a country or a republic and not about a President of an organization. President is often regarded as the first citizen of the country. And is rightly considered the most prestigious rank in any country. But India has a very different story to tell... a story which raises eyebrows and provide no answers to bring those eyebrows back to rest.

Indian Presidents have a history of about 57 years, with the first President selected in 1950. Let's walk through the list of the Prez we've had so far-

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad [term from 1950]-
2. Dr. Rajendra Prasad [2nd term till 1962]-
   Rajendra Prasad was an independence activist and, as a leader of the Congress Party, played a prominent role in the Indian Independence Movement. He served as President of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the constitution of the Republic from 1948 to 1950. He had also served as a Cabinet Minister briefly in the first Government of Independent India.
   
3. Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan [term 1962-1967]-
   One of the foremost scholars of comparative religion and philosophy in his day, he built a bridge between Eastern and Western thought showing each to be comprehensible within the terms of the other. He introduced Western idealism into Indian philosophy and was the first scholar of importance to provide a comprehensive exegesis of India's religious and philosophical literature to English speaking peoples. His academic appointments included the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921-?) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University (1936-1939). He was also the first Vice-President of India.
   
4. Dr. Zakir Husain [term 1967-1969]
   Dr. Zakir Husain was an outstanding scholar who had contributed much to the popularization of the Gandhian scheme of the basic national education. The scheme was launched in 1938 and Dr. Husain was the President of the Hindustani Talimi Sangh, Sevagram (1938- 1948).He was first awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1954 and the Bharat Ratna in 1963. He had been the recipient of academic honors from various Indian Universities.
   
5. Shri V V Giri [term 1969-1974]
   He earned a law degree in Ireland, where he practiced law. After participating in the Easter Rebellion (1916), he was deported to India, where he became active in the nationalist movement. After independence he served as high commissioner in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka; 1947–51) and as governor successively of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Mysore until 1967, when he was elected vice president. In 1969 he became acting president and later in the year, as a supporter of Indira Gandhi, was elected to a five-year term. He was succeeded by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
   
6. Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed [term 1974-1977]
   Fakhruddin matriculated from Delhi Government High School and proceeded to England for higher education in 1913 where he joined Cambridge University and was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple of London. On his return to India in 1928, he started legal practice in the Lahore High Court.
   
7. Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy [term 1977-1982]
   He came from a respectable and well-to-do family. He had his early education at Adyar, Madras and then at the Arts College at Anantapur. While still in college he gave up his studies to participate in the freedom struggle launched by Mahatma Gandhi. He first took part in the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931. Within a few years he came into prominence as an influential peasant leader. He participated in various struggles against the British and was imprisoned several times. Sanjeeva Reddy took an active part in the Quit India Movement. In 1946 Sanjeeva Reddy was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly and later on he became the Secretary of the Congress Legislature Party in Madras. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly in India.
   
8. Giani Zail Singh [term 1982-1987]
   Sardar Zail Singh Ramgarhia was given the title of Giani, as he was educated and learned about Guru Granth Sahib. He had a humble start in life and his father was a carpenter. He was killed in an automobile accident. Zail Singh's public life was long and varied - freedom fighter, state Congress leader, Chief Minister and Union Home Minister. A fighter against princedom, feudalism and foreign domination in the pre-independence days, he is also remembered for his crusade against communalism, economic disparities and social injustice in the republic. He also served as Chief Minister of Punjab.
   
9. Shri R Venkataraman [term 1987-1992]
   Educated locally and in the city of Madras, Shri Venkataraman obtained his Master Degree in Economics from Madras University. He later qualified in Law from the Law College, Madras. Shri Venkataraman was enrolled in the High Court, Madras in 1935 and in the Supreme Court in 1951. While practicing Law, Shri Venkataraman was drawn into the movement for India's freedom from Britain's colonial subjugation. His active participation in the Indian National Congress's celebrated resistance to the British Government, the 'Quit India Movement of 1942', resulted in his detention for two years under the British Government's Defence of India Rules.
   
10. Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma [term 1992-1997]
    Dr. Sharma received his education at St. John's College, Agra, Allahabad University, Lucknow University, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, Lincoln's Inn and Harvard Law School. He took his M.A. Degrees in English Literature, Hindi and Sanskrit standing first in the University. He obtained his LL.M. from Lucknow University once again standing first in the University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Law at Cambridge. Dr. Sharma was awarded the Chakravarti Gold Medal for Social Service by Lucknow University.
    
11. Shri K. R Narayanan [term 1997-2002]-
    He is the only Dalit and the only Malayali to have held the Presidency. Shri Narayanan received his education from the University of Travancore where he obtained an M.A. degree in English Literature standing first in the University. Later, he obtained B.Sc (Econ.) degree from the London School of Economics with First Class Honours specialising in Political Science.
    
12. Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam [term 2002- 2007]-
    A notable scientist and engineer, he is often referred to as the Missile Man of India for his work and is considered a leading progressive, mentor, innovator and visionary in India. His term as president ends on July 25, 2007 as he did not seek re-election. Kalam has received honorary doctorates from thirty universities[2], as well as recipient of India's three highest civilian honours in order: the Padma Bhushan in 1981; the Padma Vibhushan in 1990; and the Bharat Ratna in 1997. Kalam is the first President of India to have been honoured with a Bharat Ratna before being elected to the highest office. He is also the first scientist and first bachelor to occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan. He also has the distinction of being the third apolitical figure in the republic's history, to become President of India. Kalam was picked for the King Charles II Medal for his extraordinary contributions to the promotion of science and science in society in India.
13. Pratibha Devisingh Patil[term 2007 - ?]-
    the first female President-elect of India. She is a member of the Indian National Congress and was the nominee of the ruling United Progressive Alliance and Indian Left. She won the last presidential election, held on July 19, 2007 defeating her nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 300,000 (value) votes. She will take office as India's first female president on July 25. A lawyer by training, Pratibha Patil was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, representing Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District from 1962 to 1985. From 1986 to 1988, she held the post of deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. As a member of parliament, she represented Amravati in the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. She later became the 24th Governor of Rajasthan and, notably, was also the first female governor of this state.
    

So we have our 13th President today. Not exactly 13th, as Dr. Rajendra Prasad served for two terms in a row, so Ms. Pratibha is the 12th President serving the 13th term. But who is she?! Have you ever heard about her? Was there no one else suitable enough for the post? Was she the best choice and did she deserve it? All these questions and more have been haunting this nation for the past one month or so.

Last one month has seen events which were never seen and heard in the Indian history of Presidential elections. Never has India seen a President so few people know about... Never has India seen a President who has been involved in numerous accounts of controversies.

Who ever said Presidential elections were independent of dirty Indian politics? Congress [read Sonia Gandhi] has supported Pratibha for reasons so obvious... and has left no stone unturned to make sure that the two most powerful positions of the country- the PM and the President- are the two puppets of the blockbuster tamasha (play) called the Indian Politics.

In a recent poll by Indian Express, 95% of people had never heard about Pratibha Patil. Of course this percentage would have been less if the sample people were from Maharashtra [birth place] or Rajasthan [Governor]. But it's a shame that we keep quiet. It's a shame on the Indian media that they don't raise their voice when required. It's a shame on Sonia Gandhi that she didn't push Hon. Kalam sahab for a second term. It's a shame on Indian leaders that they couldn't find a better suitable, clean and people's President for this country.

I feel saddened and deeply concerned with the way things are shaping up in this country. Politics is living up to it's name- poli (many) + tics (blood sucking insects). It's all about power, it's all about money, it's all about the position and it's all about the right moves.

Here's a good write up by Shekhar Gupta.

Other links about the controversies-
The Pratibha Patil controversy: Digging up dirt
purdah system controversy
Pratibha Patil un'veil's a controversy
Pratibha Patil lands in another controversy
Pratibha's sugar mill a loan defaulter?

okay I think that's enough. I think out of the 11 Presidents we've had so far, we've been proud of all expect probably Giani Zail Singh. Add another to the unpopular list- Madame President.

Is Pratibha going to be a remote control in the hands of the Congress? Other than controversies, what's going to be her 5-year plan? I hope she does something worthwhile to get a space in my blog in the coming years :)

God bless,
G

Learn how to manipulate the world n earn billions in 2months

It's the biggest hoax ever. And everybody is excited, thrilled and concerned- unaware that their excitement is a part of one of the biggest money making media stunt ever in the history of mankind.

Everyone is voting for the new 7 wonders of the world, not knowing that their vote isn't helping any cause, only increasing Bernard Weber's, the Swiss Businessman's wealth. Of course it's also helping the govt., telephone companies, tourism industry...

Here are some links
7 wonders of the world campaign a media hoax
Hoax forum
Marketing Taj, a wonder-ful money spinner

A user posted an interesting comment-

I think George W. Bush should be one of the 7 wonders of the world. After all, it's a wonder how we've managed to last this long with him as President of the United States! Also, isn't it a wonder how anyone can be as stupid as he is?

haha. That sums it up.

G

Wimbledon: flex it a bit

Wimbledon- undoubtedly the dream championship of every tennis player. And for that matter, dream championship of non-tennis players[read: tennis enthusiasts] too! And is also known as the Mecca of Lawn tennis.

The white dresses, the green grass, the colorful hats, the designer goggles, the Rolex scoreboard, the rain disrupted matches, the rain hit covered courts, the sprinting ball girls and boys, the closing ceremony by your highness Queen and Prince of Wales- pick any of the above separately and it'll remind you only of Wimbledon.

Personally, I remember watching Wimbledon all evening and slightly late nightish ever since I can remember. Agassi and Steffi inspired me to take up tennis and the day I won the district championship, I realized what 'being inspired' really meant.

But Wimbledon 2007, at least for me, has raised two serious concerns. Let's talk about them one-by-one.

2007 has been one of the most rain-hit year for the Wimbledon. That brings me to my first concern. The rains this year forced some matches to be stretched over two days! That reminds me- Andre Sa and Marcelo Melo of Brazil set a record for the most games played in a men's doubles match at Wimbledon when they beat Kevin Ullyett and Paul Hanley, the sixth seeds, 5-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 28-26. This second-round match, played over two days, lasted five hours and 58 minutes, the second longest in Wimbledon history, 11 minutes shorter than the longest.

Coming back to the concern, the rainy blues not only left the players and the spectators frustrated, it also left the rest of the schedule in a state of chaos. Last night I witnessed a truly professional, a match with pure class written all over it- Andy Roddick VS Gasquet. After about 3hrs and 34mins, Gasquet rocked on 4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 8-6. Roddick's and Gasquet's tie was a quarter final's match. After playing an epic match, in less than 16 hours, Gasquet was asked to face the master Roger Federer in the semis. While Roger got two days of rest, his opponent barely recovered from the marathon quarters.

So is this fair? Talk about equal opportunity! If rain plays havoc, why do players pay for that? Why can't Wimbledon be a little more flexible? Take for instance- the last sunday of the championship is always, as a part of the tradition, kept a reserved day. Knowing that the schedule was running late, why couldn't the organizers think of a way out? Gasquet lost to Federer in straight sets, and it showed why. I wouldn't blame Gasquet for the poor defeat; the organizers are at fault.

Moving on to my second concern- flexibility. Not lack of it, but plenty of it. Yes, the first concern was about the lack of flexibility, but the second one is just the reverse. It's about the flexibility Wimbledon has shown in recent times to the Dress Code the players follow. There was a time when Andre Agassi refused to play at Wimbledon not only because the grass surface did not suit his baseline tennis but because he did not approve of the all-white dress code! :)

By far Wimbledon is one of the few championships left that actually make the players follow a dress code, but it has definitely eased over the years. And my particular concern comes over what Venus Williams wore this season. I saw her late in the tournament, and thought she had actually forgotten to wear something on the top of the shot pants. I was actually right! On the right is what she wore in the first round, a skirt on top of the shots. On the left side of the photograph is what I saw, late in the tournament. Horrendous.

Another instance this season at Wimbledon was some-what reddish in nature. Read about it here. An interesting read by BBC about what to wear at Wimbledon can be read here.

I hope as the time progresses, Wimbledon becomes flexible for the right kind of issues.

God bless,
G

The hired you

Well, an interesting piece of news by BBC News- Are my online friends for real?

"I met somebody the other day who told me that online networking was so important, and he didn't have the time, he was paying somebody to be him online. To blog, network, post etc . £1,000 a month too."

'Friend' has a very different meaning in today's world. Online networking, no doubt has given people an easier way to stay in touch, but it's crazy to see how people are addicted to it! The addiction I believe is physiological, all in the mind. People are afraid to be alone, afraid to be all by themselves. And I remember a quote, which I feel is quite apt- "If you can't enjoy your own company, why inflict it on others".

Well, what the article talks about is the other aspect of Online networking- the commercial aspect. It's important to grow the network, to have a big circle of 'friends', well wishers- and online networking seems to be just the right tool for that, doesn't really matter if it's the real you or the hired you :)

...
G

iPhone day & the iDay

So I start this journey of blogs at a time when Apple has yet again come out with a product that dreams to change how people think about Mobile phones- with the launch of the iPhone, day before on 29th June'07.

In October 2001, Apple introduced a path breaking gadget called the iPod which revolutionized the way people heard, carried and enjoyed music. It wasn't as if there weren't gadgets in the market which weren't doing that, there were, but Apple saw an opportunity and man, didn't they grab it with both the hands! And that's what they believe they'll do now, with the iPhone.

The scene in mobile industry is quite similar to what it was in music industry in 2001. There are hundreds of operators, manufacturers, companies claiming to be the leader in mobile industry and claiming that they know, they understand the 'pulse' of people's need. But I beg to differ. And here's why-

• Firstly, there's no clear winner sitting on the top of the industry, enjoying the kind of lead which tends to push the self confidence towards 'over-self-confidence'. Nokia, Motorola- the world players; TCL and other domestic Chinese companies- none of them can take their place for granted. So one can clearly see a sea of scope here!
  
  
• Secondly, and most importantly, the kind of convergence people have been talking about for last few years in mobile industry, hasn't matured enough. PDAs, mobile phones with capabilities like camera, mp3 player, organizer, browser and so on and so forth- haven't really reached a level where you can pick one set from a manufacturer and say 'Yes, this is it, the best of all worlds!'. No, no set according to me has reached that level yet.

And this is reason why Apple has a chance. This is reason why Apple had a chance in 2001, and they pounded at it. And I see no reason why they can't do it this time around as well. But then of course, there are people who would like to believe that iPhone is a disaster in the making. With the price tag showing $499 (4 GB) and $599 (8 GB), it does dent the buyer's pocket, but people are willing to pay for something they've prayed for all their lives.

My bet is that the iPhone is going to cause a paradigm shift in the direction where the mobile industry was heading towards. The industry would now have an icon to match up to.

Funny enough, the iPhone day has come just days before the iDay, the independence day on 4th of July. Let's wait & watch :)

G

Journery of a thousand blogs starts with the first one

Perhaps it's always easy to begin a journey, full of enthusiasm and determination and ideas to implement. But to sustain and continue the journey in the right direction is what makes it difficult.

So here I am, starting my own little space, not to talk about my life or anything too personal, but to put my thoughts and concerns to paper, uuhh, e-paper I mean. Anything that excites me, bores me :), irritates me, interests me, puzzles me... well about anything that I would like to talk/write about would be seen here.

I hope I can continue this journey that I've started, and not fall to temptations of giving it up mid-way.

God bless,
G