I remember the day as if it were yesterday , when i completed my engineering in Computer Science, amnd joined into Patni Computer Systems as a software engineer.At Patni , I was working for a U.S clent company , General Electric, for its credit cards and consumer finance business , and I had developed a GUI based application for its customer care application of credit card customers. Success on this project gave me the confodence to work on real life problems. although I liked the job , software development at PCS Ltd , was more of a suppport function. I therefore switched to IBM Global Services (I) Pvt Ltd , a multinational company providing software solutions in wide ranging fields , telecommunications being its forte . At IBM , I have ben involved in Project Vodafone , an australian , an australian telecomm's new front end system providing intelligent billing serveices to its customer service system. Working on this project has helped me to hone my programming skills on real life applications. During my tenure in the software industry I have discovered leadership skills in myself , and frequently assisted colleagues . I posses industry -hardened skillsin software management and processes management , but I must build on these to achieve my goals of ubdertaking cutting - edge knowledge in software enterprise managemant . I therefore believe that i must enter into the academic world alongwith my job for further growth .
The movement towards a global economy and unprecented explosion of software trade and outsourcing worldwide has brought about immense oppurtunities to develop newer techlnologies , tools and methodologies in the field of Software enterprise Management .It is this challenging enviornment to which I intend to contribute by evolving meaningful and optimal solutions to various problems of software enterprises and trades . Thus , my goal is a career in management in software enterprises and / or information systems . wherein I could advance the analytical approaches I posses to information systes or software enterprise management . To achieve my career goals , I need to learn much more about current developments and techniques in softwares, softwares markets and software applications and also acquire a hands on experience of software enterprise analysis . A managament degree from a b - school will rpovide me with theoretical understanding , an in depth idea of practical approaches in aiding managerial decision-making and skills to enable me to develop an expertise in the core areas of software enterprisestrategies and global corporate software business operations.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
some more kudos to my home town...: ) Badohi carpet industry gears up to face global competition
Well , its regarding a place called badohi, a small hamlet in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, where my dad was born, the art of carpet weaving is going their for ages and has made its mark in the global market giving really very hard competetion to the world .
With Indian carpets facing tough competition from global players, the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT) in Badohi is imparting training on better designing techniques. Carpet weaving in the country is largely influenced by the Persian style. The Institute has taken up the initiative to design better carpets to face the competition. K.K. Goswami, Director of the Institute, said that Indian carpets need a better marketing strategy. "Carpet designing began in Persia and so it has a Persian stamp till now. Though we have created a niche of our own, yet it is sold carrying a tag of being Indo-Persian. They have such a strong image. Though we are good, we do not have the same kind of identity and publicity," Goswami said. The Institute aims at promoting Indian designs and traditional patterns so that they can create an identity of their own in the international market. "We basically try to focus on Indian themes for our design. Indian designs like Harappa, Ajanta, Mughal paintings, we try to take from them and teach the same to our students. We pay heed to colours too, based on market interest," said Kailashish Karamakar, a lecturer in the Institute. UP is the country's largest exporter of designer carpets and rugs. There are about 300 well-established carpet exporters in Mirzapur, Bhadohi areas in the state alone. Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana are the other states where carpet industry has high concentration. The origin of the industry can be traced back to 16th century to the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar who is said to have brought some Persian carpet weavers for production of Persian carpets in his own palace at northern Agra. Some of the most exclusive carpets were created during the Mughal era, each carpet was different from the other, but infused with a common magic of colour and designs.
Well if my readers are swiss , then please click on the following link to get the most of this post (http://www.letemps.ch/tour/reportages/etape4/jour75.html ).
With Indian carpets facing tough competition from global players, the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT) in Badohi is imparting training on better designing techniques. Carpet weaving in the country is largely influenced by the Persian style. The Institute has taken up the initiative to design better carpets to face the competition. K.K. Goswami, Director of the Institute, said that Indian carpets need a better marketing strategy. "Carpet designing began in Persia and so it has a Persian stamp till now. Though we have created a niche of our own, yet it is sold carrying a tag of being Indo-Persian. They have such a strong image. Though we are good, we do not have the same kind of identity and publicity," Goswami said. The Institute aims at promoting Indian designs and traditional patterns so that they can create an identity of their own in the international market. "We basically try to focus on Indian themes for our design. Indian designs like Harappa, Ajanta, Mughal paintings, we try to take from them and teach the same to our students. We pay heed to colours too, based on market interest," said Kailashish Karamakar, a lecturer in the Institute. UP is the country's largest exporter of designer carpets and rugs. There are about 300 well-established carpet exporters in Mirzapur, Bhadohi areas in the state alone. Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana are the other states where carpet industry has high concentration. The origin of the industry can be traced back to 16th century to the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar who is said to have brought some Persian carpet weavers for production of Persian carpets in his own palace at northern Agra. Some of the most exclusive carpets were created during the Mughal era, each carpet was different from the other, but infused with a common magic of colour and designs.
Well if my readers are swiss , then please click on the following link to get the most of this post (http://www.letemps.ch/tour/reportages/etape4/jour75.html ).
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Telugu Desam party minister got murdered...........
Police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy, for the murder of TDP MLA Paritala Ravi.
The FIR was filed against six persons even as the day-long statewide bandh called by TDP to protest Paritala's killing took violent turn in some districts of Andhra Pradesh with party activists torching a Mandal Revenue Office, besides blocking road and rail traffic at several places. The activists set afire Kambaduru Mandal Revenue Office (MRO) in Prakasam district in the early hours of Tuesday as protestors were seen moving on the roads shouting anti-government slogans, police said. A report from Ongole said TDP activists manhandled an MRO official when he was sitting in his office. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) administration as a precautionary measure withdrew its bus services which were the main targets of protestors' fury in many parts of the state, official sources said. The protestors blocked rail traffic at Machlipatnam railway station and detained Vijayawada Passenger Train for about an hour, while Vijayawada Satavahana Express was blocked by the agitators for about 20 minutes. In the state capital, shops and business establishments remained close while banks and other government offices were functioning with skeleton staff. As a precautionary measure the state government had imposed 24 hours curfew in Anantapur town and district headquarters. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu alongwith his party leaders left by road to Anantpur to participate in the funeral of Ravi at his native place Venkatapuram.
The FIR was filed against six persons even as the day-long statewide bandh called by TDP to protest Paritala's killing took violent turn in some districts of Andhra Pradesh with party activists torching a Mandal Revenue Office, besides blocking road and rail traffic at several places. The activists set afire Kambaduru Mandal Revenue Office (MRO) in Prakasam district in the early hours of Tuesday as protestors were seen moving on the roads shouting anti-government slogans, police said. A report from Ongole said TDP activists manhandled an MRO official when he was sitting in his office. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) administration as a precautionary measure withdrew its bus services which were the main targets of protestors' fury in many parts of the state, official sources said. The protestors blocked rail traffic at Machlipatnam railway station and detained Vijayawada Passenger Train for about an hour, while Vijayawada Satavahana Express was blocked by the agitators for about 20 minutes. In the state capital, shops and business establishments remained close while banks and other government offices were functioning with skeleton staff. As a precautionary measure the state government had imposed 24 hours curfew in Anantapur town and district headquarters. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu alongwith his party leaders left by road to Anantpur to participate in the funeral of Ravi at his native place Venkatapuram.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Two and a half years ago, my employer required me to take an oath of loyalty while raising my right hand. May I never have a job that asks me for any less. There is something utterly satisfying in relinquishing oneself that way. Knowing that you are part of something greater than yourself whose traditions will echo through time long after you have passed. Someone asked me the other day what it is that makes me happy. Days later I have come to realize that what makes me happiest, is returning to the cause implanted inside the nether regions of my soul. Something I believe in so strongly that I would swear an oath of loyalty...and much more, to it. Without my cause I am ill-defined at best and superfluous at worst. Last month I was in danger of losing my job. Losing my job would have been a temporary set-back but not the end of my plans. When you stalk a prize for close to three decades, you become suspicious when things remain at a status quo for too long. This morning I was told that for now my job is safe, but an explanation of what I am currently doing and what my future intentions are is needed. What the hell am I doing?? Fatigue had set in. Decades of pursuit without guaranteed prey can dull one's senses. Oaths get drowned by instant gratification and material pursuits. And so I sat down an composed a letter. I wrote to my new boss, whom I have never met, and explained to him what my intentions are and what I am doing. He of all people can surely understand? I needed this kick in the pants. I needed to be reminded of my oath to my employer and of my higher oath. Focus. Eyes on the prize.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Review of Chetan bhagat's 5 point some1...
Umm...well i cant really figure out what audience chetan had in mind when inking this book. The book has little to do with iit or to put in a better way, it has very little of what iit is all about. He could have as well used any other college as setup just ensuring that this college had relative grading sytem, was tough and had discipline. And well that is indeed a very narrow perspective of what iit is. It doesent talk about interhostel rivalry, extra- curricular activities, politics, socials, massive rendezvous, final year turmoils, and the now present internet connection in every hostel room (that had transformed student life at iit like anything)...nothing that would actually differentiate iit from other colleges. So be assured for once that this book is not about iit. So is it about underperformers? To some extent but it doesnt seem to give any cogent arguments for their underperformance, infact it doesnt infact care to dwell into it at all.
So if you are an alumni and intend to read this book to recall your iitd days or an aspirant who is curious to know about life at iit then in either cases, you'll be terribly dissapointed. the book is maybe a little more about friendship and romance then anything else. Chetan has really done a wonderful job in capturing this part. Many of my fellow colleagues who are iitians
( i still regret that i was'nt one of em....) and who have read the book are head over heals in love with the fictious neha cherian. So much so that they were uncomfortable why hari had to end up having sex with her.
The characters precisely map to the characters of dil chahta hai. Aamir-Ryan, Akshay-Alok, Saif-Hari and Preity-Neha. The differnce being that unlike in dil chata hai, here characters differ in their approach on academics instead of love.
At book launch, Chetan claimed that he is the hari in book. He has tried to use self-humility throughout the book to establish a connect. You know, self humilty charms like anything...TRP raitings of jassi jaisee koi nahi should be evidence enough.
The first 14 chapters of book are really cute. There is this very interesting concept in the book. Each of the three out of the four central characters in the book have a chapter devoted to themseves where they put their perspective on the way things are or why things are the way they are. The fourth character is the author for the rest of book. These chapters are particularly very sweet and cute. Each of the characters cribbing about how hari had been biased in the rest of the book, giving their own justifications. Infact one of the cahracteras said he cant take too much liberty even in his chapter cos hari might edit it. But despite that the book lacks perspective. Its as other charactes in book insist Hari's (chetan's) very narrow perspective on iit and life. I really doubt if majority of iit males would romance with a girl just for geting physical. Chetan has potrayed all 9 pointers as nerds. While that may be true for some but i think that some of the coolest guys around are 8 pointers. Its again hard to believe that someone studying regularly for 3hours a day is 5 pointer if he is really studying...... You study 3 hours a day and you need to be really dumb to get anything less than 7.5 particularly if you are in mechanical.
Actually half way thru book, thats chapter 14, i was disapointed why only just 130 more pages are left, there should have been more. But well 15-20 pages more and i was cursing the enormous number of pages still left. While the first half went into defining characters, their aspirations and problems and maintanied a slow and steady pace, the latter part was just pure fiction too diffciult to digest particularly given the iit setup. Imagine a iit student making out with a prof's daughter in prof's house!! Imagine a student falling from 9th floor of MS building and still surviving. Was Chetan trying to crack a joke when he justified saying the guy survived th fall bcos of his fat fleshy butt and 6 inches of water on floor!!!
At many places, there are sudden transition in the attitude of characters for for no apparent reason. Some incoherency too like ryan getting a scooter in middle of first sem at christmas! At iit, first sem is over much before christmas. Again ryan gets a scotter after they already went to see terminator on his scooter. Hari finding cooler at dhaba comfortable in midst of winters. But i guess all this can be pardoned.
So what i am trying to say is that though this book (atleast the first 15 chpas) are real cute and might give you a faint flavor of the hardships at iit BUT it is a very narrow, incomplete perspective of a very small aspect of iit. So read it as pure fiction and do not, i request DO NOT conclude or infer anything about iitians or 5-6-7-8-9 pointers from this book.
I felt so wasted at the end of the book, i mean what was the book trying to tell? Damn it, why did you associate name of iit with it. I mean there are atleast 5000 mis-informed people around if it has actually sold 5000 copies that is.
ABOUT CHETAN (what he actually did at IIT):
He made and still holds these two records at IIT:
Sent a stainless steel glass flying high in air for 7 seconds using a diwali cracker.
Blew four bubbles simultaneously while chewing buble gum, each 3 inches in diameter.
Source: BSP (board for students publication, iit delhi) book of records 1995)
So if you are an alumni and intend to read this book to recall your iitd days or an aspirant who is curious to know about life at iit then in either cases, you'll be terribly dissapointed. the book is maybe a little more about friendship and romance then anything else. Chetan has really done a wonderful job in capturing this part. Many of my fellow colleagues who are iitians
( i still regret that i was'nt one of em....) and who have read the book are head over heals in love with the fictious neha cherian. So much so that they were uncomfortable why hari had to end up having sex with her.
The characters precisely map to the characters of dil chahta hai. Aamir-Ryan, Akshay-Alok, Saif-Hari and Preity-Neha. The differnce being that unlike in dil chata hai, here characters differ in their approach on academics instead of love.
At book launch, Chetan claimed that he is the hari in book. He has tried to use self-humility throughout the book to establish a connect. You know, self humilty charms like anything...TRP raitings of jassi jaisee koi nahi should be evidence enough.
The first 14 chapters of book are really cute. There is this very interesting concept in the book. Each of the three out of the four central characters in the book have a chapter devoted to themseves where they put their perspective on the way things are or why things are the way they are. The fourth character is the author for the rest of book. These chapters are particularly very sweet and cute. Each of the characters cribbing about how hari had been biased in the rest of the book, giving their own justifications. Infact one of the cahracteras said he cant take too much liberty even in his chapter cos hari might edit it. But despite that the book lacks perspective. Its as other charactes in book insist Hari's (chetan's) very narrow perspective on iit and life. I really doubt if majority of iit males would romance with a girl just for geting physical. Chetan has potrayed all 9 pointers as nerds. While that may be true for some but i think that some of the coolest guys around are 8 pointers. Its again hard to believe that someone studying regularly for 3hours a day is 5 pointer if he is really studying...... You study 3 hours a day and you need to be really dumb to get anything less than 7.5 particularly if you are in mechanical.
Actually half way thru book, thats chapter 14, i was disapointed why only just 130 more pages are left, there should have been more. But well 15-20 pages more and i was cursing the enormous number of pages still left. While the first half went into defining characters, their aspirations and problems and maintanied a slow and steady pace, the latter part was just pure fiction too diffciult to digest particularly given the iit setup. Imagine a iit student making out with a prof's daughter in prof's house!! Imagine a student falling from 9th floor of MS building and still surviving. Was Chetan trying to crack a joke when he justified saying the guy survived th fall bcos of his fat fleshy butt and 6 inches of water on floor!!!
At many places, there are sudden transition in the attitude of characters for for no apparent reason. Some incoherency too like ryan getting a scooter in middle of first sem at christmas! At iit, first sem is over much before christmas. Again ryan gets a scotter after they already went to see terminator on his scooter. Hari finding cooler at dhaba comfortable in midst of winters. But i guess all this can be pardoned.
So what i am trying to say is that though this book (atleast the first 15 chpas) are real cute and might give you a faint flavor of the hardships at iit BUT it is a very narrow, incomplete perspective of a very small aspect of iit. So read it as pure fiction and do not, i request DO NOT conclude or infer anything about iitians or 5-6-7-8-9 pointers from this book.
I felt so wasted at the end of the book, i mean what was the book trying to tell? Damn it, why did you associate name of iit with it. I mean there are atleast 5000 mis-informed people around if it has actually sold 5000 copies that is.
ABOUT CHETAN (what he actually did at IIT):
He made and still holds these two records at IIT:
Sent a stainless steel glass flying high in air for 7 seconds using a diwali cracker.
Blew four bubbles simultaneously while chewing buble gum, each 3 inches in diameter.
Source: BSP (board for students publication, iit delhi) book of records 1995)
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Sometimes people need more than monetary helps..
I fashioned what I thought to be a great business idea a few days ago. It came to me in a flash of pain after I slipped on my bathroom floor and hit my head against the toilet. However, after days of smug bliss I came to realize that the business model behind my brilliant idea...sucked, AND I had no implementation strategy. I never went to business school and I failed to grasp the importance of learning those basic skills that every corporate suit possesses ( Well i hope some day my dream to get into a B school gets fulfilled ... ). My idea was to create a "Sorrow Bank." It was to be modeled after the tried-and-true Blood Bank. The way I look at it, every time a tragedy hits the world everyone is looking to donate food, medicine, and money, but no one has come up with a way to relieve the internal suffering of each of those souls. Take this tsunami for instance. I watch the television and listen to the news channels and I keep hearing these stories where someone’s whole family has been wiped out. When a person is in a car accident you can always hook them up to a volunteer who wants to donate blood. My idea was to work in reverse of this. A bunch of happy-go-lucky volunteers would line up around the block waiting to have sorrow pumped INTO them via a machine that would be powered by something like...a flux capacitor. True, the happy people would walk away feelin' miserable, but at least the tormented people would feel better. I think that I could handle a much greater share of misery if it would help balance things out. Eventually, it was the fact that my idea has no scientific foundation and zero profit margin potential that did me in.
Monday, January 10, 2005
The weekend ends :(
The weather out here is foul, but not as foul as my mood. Banglore has really got very cold nights , my plans to work out in the mornings are failing as it is chilling cold here . Bad news is coming my way. I can feel it gathering with malice. Monday is going to be a really bad day. Which is worse: being surprised with bad news or knowing that it is hunting you like a hungry wolf hunts a sheep in an open field?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Some hidden facts about Madhubani
Hindu women who live in villages near the market town of Madhubani in northern India maintain old traditions and teach them to their daughters. Painting is one of the traditional skills that is passed down from generation to generation in the families of some of the women. They paint figures from nature and myth on household and village walls to mark the seasonal festivals of the religious year, for special events of the life-cycle, and when marriages are being arranged they prepare intricately designed wedding proposals.
But even though women in the villages around Madhubani have been practicing their folk art for centuries, the world at large has come to know about these women and to consider them to be "artists" only in the last thirty years. Even now, most of their work remains anonymous. The women, some of them illiterate, are in any case reluctant to consider themselves individual producers of "works of art" and only a few of them mark the paintings with their own name.
Among the first modern outsiders to document the tradition of Madhubani painting were William and Mildred Archer. He was a British civil servant assigned to the district during the colonial era. The Archers obtained some drawings on paper that the women painters were using as aids to memory. Works that the Archers collected went to the India Records Office in London (now part of the British Library) where a small number of specialists could study them as creative instances of India's folk art.
What led the women painters to share their work with the larger world was a major ecological and economic crisis that resulted from a prolonged drought in 1966-68 that struck Madhubani and the surrounding region of Mithila. In order to create a new source of non-agricultural income, the All-India Handicrafts Board encouraged the women artists to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale.
Since then, painting has become a primary source of income for scores of families. Production and initial marketing have been regulated by regional craft guilds, the state government of Bihar, and the Government of India. But the continuing market in this art throughout the world is a tribute to the resourcefulness of the women of Mithila who have successfully transferred their techniques of bhitti chitra or wall-painting to the medium of paper, and have resisted the temptation to adapt their traditional designs too freely in pursuit of unpredictable public tastes.
As the map indicates, the Mithila region and the villages around Madhubani are situated near the northern edge of the state of Bihar as it approaches the India-Nepal border. People of Mithila have their own language and a sense of regional identity that goes back more than 2500 years. Among the most celebrated figures believed to have been born in the region are Mahavira (a great spiritual hero of the Jain religion), Siddhartha Gautama (better known to the world as the Buddha), and Sita (the legendary wife of Prince Rama and herself a central figure in what may be the world's most popular epic, the Ramayana).
Commercialization of the folk art has been a mixed blessing. It has been regulated by governmental bureaucracies, has generated a multi-levelled distribution system, and has put a premium on productivity per se -- independent of any meaningful connection to the traditional cycles of village life and the rhythms of the religious year. But it also has allowed people around the world to discover a style of art with a long heritage linked to the lives of women, and that retains evident signs of its rootedness in a vital folk tradition. And, more to the point, it has created a new source of gainful employment in rural India for women and their families.
The exhibited paintings include examples of several themes in the representational but stylized and symbolic Madhubani tradition -- the great life-cycle rite of marriage; some of the major goddesses and gods of the Hindu pantheon; domesticated and wild animals. The earliest of the paintings (the Goddess Durga, matted in blue) dates from 1969, when only a few women artists had demonstrated their willingness and ability to work extensively with the medium of paper, and the most recent from 1993.
The paintings are from a small teaching-collection assembled by Gene R. Thursby who first went to India in 1968 as a Fulbright Fellow and returned to the United States in 1970 to join the faculty of the Department of Religion at the University of Florida. Over the years since then, he has gone back to India for shorter stays in order to continue his research on modern religious movements. The exhibit offers an occasion to teach simply by sharing the opportunity to experience the delight that any of these paintings can awaken. "One might at first believe that a knowledge of India's complex history and religions would be a prerequisite for an appreciation of the creations of Indian culture, " R. C. Craven conceded toward the end of his Concise History of Indian Art, but then he confirmed that his own view of the matter was "that the vitality and directness of Indian art make it accessible to all and no knowledge other than that basic to all humanity is needed."
Why give special encouragment to people to consider -- even to contemplate -- forms of art that stay close to folk tradition? Roy Craven (in agreement with the earlier art historian and curator of the Boston Museum collection of Indian art, Ananda Coomarasamy) gave the best answer: "Throughout Indian history the great masses who lived in the villages have (in the words of Coomaraswamy) 'worshipped, not the abstract deities of priestly theology, but local genii (Yaksas and Nagas), and the feminine divinities of increase, and mother goddesses'. Down through time the forces of the soil have robustly spawned and fertilized the arts. In fact, the sophisticated and complex icons of Hinduism could never have been conceived and brought to fruition without the support of this rich and vital substructure."
This exhibit was organized for two main purposes. First, to honor the memory of Roy C. Craven who died in 1996. He was an art historian whose great enthusiasm for the artistic traditions of India continues to enrich the lives of his colleagues, his former students, and his many friends around the world. Second, to allow a wonderful tradition of women's painting to become better known to people around the world
But even though women in the villages around Madhubani have been practicing their folk art for centuries, the world at large has come to know about these women and to consider them to be "artists" only in the last thirty years. Even now, most of their work remains anonymous. The women, some of them illiterate, are in any case reluctant to consider themselves individual producers of "works of art" and only a few of them mark the paintings with their own name.
Among the first modern outsiders to document the tradition of Madhubani painting were William and Mildred Archer. He was a British civil servant assigned to the district during the colonial era. The Archers obtained some drawings on paper that the women painters were using as aids to memory. Works that the Archers collected went to the India Records Office in London (now part of the British Library) where a small number of specialists could study them as creative instances of India's folk art.
What led the women painters to share their work with the larger world was a major ecological and economic crisis that resulted from a prolonged drought in 1966-68 that struck Madhubani and the surrounding region of Mithila. In order to create a new source of non-agricultural income, the All-India Handicrafts Board encouraged the women artists to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale.
Since then, painting has become a primary source of income for scores of families. Production and initial marketing have been regulated by regional craft guilds, the state government of Bihar, and the Government of India. But the continuing market in this art throughout the world is a tribute to the resourcefulness of the women of Mithila who have successfully transferred their techniques of bhitti chitra or wall-painting to the medium of paper, and have resisted the temptation to adapt their traditional designs too freely in pursuit of unpredictable public tastes.
As the map indicates, the Mithila region and the villages around Madhubani are situated near the northern edge of the state of Bihar as it approaches the India-Nepal border. People of Mithila have their own language and a sense of regional identity that goes back more than 2500 years. Among the most celebrated figures believed to have been born in the region are Mahavira (a great spiritual hero of the Jain religion), Siddhartha Gautama (better known to the world as the Buddha), and Sita (the legendary wife of Prince Rama and herself a central figure in what may be the world's most popular epic, the Ramayana).
Commercialization of the folk art has been a mixed blessing. It has been regulated by governmental bureaucracies, has generated a multi-levelled distribution system, and has put a premium on productivity per se -- independent of any meaningful connection to the traditional cycles of village life and the rhythms of the religious year. But it also has allowed people around the world to discover a style of art with a long heritage linked to the lives of women, and that retains evident signs of its rootedness in a vital folk tradition. And, more to the point, it has created a new source of gainful employment in rural India for women and their families.
The exhibited paintings include examples of several themes in the representational but stylized and symbolic Madhubani tradition -- the great life-cycle rite of marriage; some of the major goddesses and gods of the Hindu pantheon; domesticated and wild animals. The earliest of the paintings (the Goddess Durga, matted in blue) dates from 1969, when only a few women artists had demonstrated their willingness and ability to work extensively with the medium of paper, and the most recent from 1993.
The paintings are from a small teaching-collection assembled by Gene R. Thursby who first went to India in 1968 as a Fulbright Fellow and returned to the United States in 1970 to join the faculty of the Department of Religion at the University of Florida. Over the years since then, he has gone back to India for shorter stays in order to continue his research on modern religious movements. The exhibit offers an occasion to teach simply by sharing the opportunity to experience the delight that any of these paintings can awaken. "One might at first believe that a knowledge of India's complex history and religions would be a prerequisite for an appreciation of the creations of Indian culture, " R. C. Craven conceded toward the end of his Concise History of Indian Art, but then he confirmed that his own view of the matter was "that the vitality and directness of Indian art make it accessible to all and no knowledge other than that basic to all humanity is needed."
Why give special encouragment to people to consider -- even to contemplate -- forms of art that stay close to folk tradition? Roy Craven (in agreement with the earlier art historian and curator of the Boston Museum collection of Indian art, Ananda Coomarasamy) gave the best answer: "Throughout Indian history the great masses who lived in the villages have (in the words of Coomaraswamy) 'worshipped, not the abstract deities of priestly theology, but local genii (Yaksas and Nagas), and the feminine divinities of increase, and mother goddesses'. Down through time the forces of the soil have robustly spawned and fertilized the arts. In fact, the sophisticated and complex icons of Hinduism could never have been conceived and brought to fruition without the support of this rich and vital substructure."
This exhibit was organized for two main purposes. First, to honor the memory of Roy C. Craven who died in 1996. He was an art historian whose great enthusiasm for the artistic traditions of India continues to enrich the lives of his colleagues, his former students, and his many friends around the world. Second, to allow a wonderful tradition of women's painting to become better known to people around the world
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
my new year resolutions
The trick to creating a good list of resolutions is to have an eclectic mix of tasks that are within easy reach, hopes that are just at the edge of your reach, and a few dreams that are well beyond your reach. Discipline is required to attack all three groups with equal vigor. Here is what I will accomplish this year.1) Take a week-long roadtrip with my brother in a part of the country I have never seen. Our last and only trip together five years ago through the badlands of some forest areas of Dangs in Gujarat is the stuff of legends.2) I will keep my apartment orderly and clean (I didn't inherit the freakishly clean genes from my parents).3) Two epic adventures: (1) Hike down to Ghats at the western edge of the Khandala and sleep next to them, (2) Hike the length of the mountains in Alibaug near Navi Mumbai.4) Get back into body building or some form of martial arts.5) Re-read The Da Vinci Code.6) Stop repeating my mistakes (this is harder than it seems).7) Meet at least two new fellow bloggers.8) Achieve a respectable 70 kgs bench press, 50 pull ups and leg press 750lbs.9) Make significant progress on my thesis to where I can actually see to the end of my time in Banglore .10) Make a visit to my hometown ) Put myself into at least three situations with the potential to be devastatingly embarrassing.12)Number 12 eludes me still. I have stalked it over many continents, across the pages of many books, and through the haze of many intoxicants. I grow closer to it though. Closer is all that I can ask for.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Some philosophies !!!!
There is friend of mine, whom i had met first during my college years at Vallabh vidyanagar. This guy was really different from the rest and with a great sense of humour . Just a couple of days back , i was searching for his name on a search engine and found some interesting stuff on his homepage .
These are some of the things that I found there! :
"The past will not forget and the future will not remember." - lyrics to some song , don't remember the singer.
"Life" - self explanatory!
"Still waters run deep" - a friend told me that this applies to me.. maybe it does..
"Life is like that" - a article in Reader's digest.
"Shit happens" - Forrest Gump. Nothing to add to that one.
"I am who I am" - God to Moses. True enough
"Absolute honesty is over-rated. The best you can do is be honest to yourself" - me! I try to follow this one.. most of the time.
"When in Rome.. do like the Romans do" - Rules of adaptation. "Whatever.. This had been my response to anything ever asked probably at some point. To quote myself on why i say this.. "profound yet ambiguous". In retrospect, perhaps not the best response but life is too complicated to figure it all out, so whatever ... :-D .
"No!" - very important. Especially for the nicer people to learn. We would like to believe that we can help everyone and do everything but in reality, there is always a point at which the only answer is "No!" ..
"No one ever survived life" - alternative form of " The grim reaper cometh!" :-)) "You couldn't buy me for all the money in the world.. and you could own me for a friendship" - hmm.. doesn't sound too poetic but thats life..
"There are 10 men out there who can beat me coz' they are more talented than I am. But I will win because I can endure the most pain." - Steve "Pre" Prefontaine , distance runner sometime in the 70's.
"Money is a worthless use of paper.. when you have it" - hmm.. i guess that's an original by me too !
"Nothing in this world.. ( or any other world !) is worth crying for. Absolutely nothing!"-- There isn't anything that I can think of worth crying for... not even true love! ( actually I would be the happiest person on the planet if found my true love at all , even if i lost her forever later... ) "Everything ends".. good times, bad times, time! & even Eternity!. Alternative way of expressing that .. "Every night has a dawn & every day has a dusk".
"It will happen...someday" This is one of the "still alive" thoughts that I have.
"My world is a scary, confused exciting weird ,animated etc... in other words just mine ;-)".
"The approval I most crave for is my own"... living life by my rules. "I don't believe I need to justify anything that I do, to anyone on this planet as long as I can justify it to myself".
"Talent is over-rated too.. To win you just need to have enough will to get to the finish line". "Life, Money & Ideas" - I came up with this in one of my classes. Those are just words... and a whole lot of thought. "........."
Silence.. :-)) Hope you survived that.... If you feel faint or dizzy.. take a deep breath, close your eyes and close the window!
These are some of the things that I found there! :
"The past will not forget and the future will not remember." - lyrics to some song , don't remember the singer.
"Life" - self explanatory!
"Still waters run deep" - a friend told me that this applies to me.. maybe it does..
"Life is like that" - a article in Reader's digest.
"Shit happens" - Forrest Gump. Nothing to add to that one.
"I am who I am" - God to Moses. True enough
"Absolute honesty is over-rated. The best you can do is be honest to yourself" - me! I try to follow this one.. most of the time.
"When in Rome.. do like the Romans do" - Rules of adaptation. "Whatever.. This had been my response to anything ever asked probably at some point. To quote myself on why i say this.. "profound yet ambiguous". In retrospect, perhaps not the best response but life is too complicated to figure it all out, so whatever ... :-D .
"No!" - very important. Especially for the nicer people to learn. We would like to believe that we can help everyone and do everything but in reality, there is always a point at which the only answer is "No!" ..
"No one ever survived life" - alternative form of " The grim reaper cometh!" :-)) "You couldn't buy me for all the money in the world.. and you could own me for a friendship" - hmm.. doesn't sound too poetic but thats life..
"There are 10 men out there who can beat me coz' they are more talented than I am. But I will win because I can endure the most pain." - Steve "Pre" Prefontaine , distance runner sometime in the 70's.
"Money is a worthless use of paper.. when you have it" - hmm.. i guess that's an original by me too !
"Nothing in this world.. ( or any other world !) is worth crying for. Absolutely nothing!"-- There isn't anything that I can think of worth crying for... not even true love! ( actually I would be the happiest person on the planet if found my true love at all , even if i lost her forever later... ) "Everything ends".. good times, bad times, time! & even Eternity!. Alternative way of expressing that .. "Every night has a dawn & every day has a dusk".
"It will happen...someday" This is one of the "still alive" thoughts that I have.
"My world is a scary, confused exciting weird ,animated etc... in other words just mine ;-)".
"The approval I most crave for is my own"... living life by my rules. "I don't believe I need to justify anything that I do, to anyone on this planet as long as I can justify it to myself".
"Talent is over-rated too.. To win you just need to have enough will to get to the finish line". "Life, Money & Ideas" - I came up with this in one of my classes. Those are just words... and a whole lot of thought. "........."
Silence.. :-)) Hope you survived that.... If you feel faint or dizzy.. take a deep breath, close your eyes and close the window!
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Tsunami tidal waves causes havoc
As you are aware, the deadly Tsunami waves triggered by a huge under-the-sea quake has resulted in a great loss of lives on the south-eastern coast of India. In this hour of need, we must leverage our resources to help our community in every way we can.
Many indian relief organisations are organizing immediate relief measures to those affected by this catastrophe.The organization where i am currently employed IBM , India is proactively working on this . As the first phase of relief measures we are organizing, IBM Club drop boxes will be mobilized at key IBM locations for its employees to donate clothes, blankets, utensils and medicines. A detailed note on this will follow.
In the past, during the Gujarat Earthquake, IBM has leveraged its technology expertise to help in disaster of such magnitude.Its already in talks with the Government to determine the support required. It is also in the process of identifying the appropriate relief agency for the financial contribution.
I urge each of you to support this initiative. This reiterates our commitment to our community and is a way of living our values.
Many indian relief organisations are organizing immediate relief measures to those affected by this catastrophe.The organization where i am currently employed IBM , India is proactively working on this . As the first phase of relief measures we are organizing, IBM Club drop boxes will be mobilized at key IBM locations for its employees to donate clothes, blankets, utensils and medicines. A detailed note on this will follow.
In the past, during the Gujarat Earthquake, IBM has leveraged its technology expertise to help in disaster of such magnitude.Its already in talks with the Government to determine the support required. It is also in the process of identifying the appropriate relief agency for the financial contribution.
I urge each of you to support this initiative. This reiterates our commitment to our community and is a way of living our values.
Tsunami tidal waves causes havoc
As you are aware, the deadly Tsunami waves triggered by a huge under-the-sea quake has resulted in a great loss of lives on the south-eastern coast of India. In this hour of need, we must leverage our resources to help our community in every way we can.
Many indian relief organisations are organizing immediate relief measures to those affected by this catastrophe.The organization where i am currently employed IBM , India is proactively working on this . As the first phase of relief measures we are organizing, IBM Club drop boxes will be mobilized at key IBM locations for its employees to donate clothes, blankets, utensils and medicines. A detailed note on this will follow.
In the past, during the Gujarat Earthquake, IBM has leveraged its technology expertise to help in disaster of such magnitude.Its already in talks with the Government to determine the support required. It is also in the process of identifying the appropriate relief agency for the financial contribution.
I urge each of you to support this initiative. This reiterates our commitment to our community and is a way of living our values.
Many indian relief organisations are organizing immediate relief measures to those affected by this catastrophe.The organization where i am currently employed IBM , India is proactively working on this . As the first phase of relief measures we are organizing, IBM Club drop boxes will be mobilized at key IBM locations for its employees to donate clothes, blankets, utensils and medicines. A detailed note on this will follow.
In the past, during the Gujarat Earthquake, IBM has leveraged its technology expertise to help in disaster of such magnitude.Its already in talks with the Government to determine the support required. It is also in the process of identifying the appropriate relief agency for the financial contribution.
I urge each of you to support this initiative. This reiterates our commitment to our community and is a way of living our values.
28th december 2004
When I was in second grade, one day I was daydreaming in class, thinking about Superman and how powerful he was. Even then I wanted to fly, or at least meditate upon the glory of those who could. My beautiful dream was interrupted by a sudden, powerful shaking and rumble. The rumble sounded very much like the cranky dissonance that came from the garbage truck that toured our neighborhood each week and compacted everyone's throw-away things. My mind dealt with the anarchy of my oscillating surroundings by combining the two thoughts that had most recently resided in its nether regions. The only reasonable explanation was that Superman had driven a garbage truck directly into the wall of our school, and thus caused the horrible shaking. Seconds later I rolled into a fetal position on my knees with my fingers interlocked on the back of my head. I observed at close range the carpet underneath my desk. I have always been well trained and cool under the pressure (or so I believe). Why could he fly like a bird and yet not know how to drive a garbage truck properly? It took me then, as it still takes me now, a few moments to separate reality from fiction. The reality was that this was the first Earthquake that I "participated" in. The damage had been done. My adrenal glands had released their cargo and my pupils dilated. My still forming brain, which knew nothing of death and suffering, enjoyed the sensation. That would be the first of many earthquakes that I would "ride" with excitement.
28th december
When I was in second grade, one day I was daydreaming in class, thinking about Superman and how powerful he was. Even then I wanted to fly, or at least meditate upon the glory of those who could. My beautiful dream was interrupted by a sudden, powerful shaking and rumble. The rumble sounded very much like the cranky dissonance that came from the garbage truck that toured our neighborhood each week and compacted everyone's throw-away things. My mind dealt with the anarchy of my oscillating surroundings by combining the two thoughts that had most recently resided in its nether regions. The only reasonable explanation was that Superman had driven a garbage truck directly into the wall of our school, and thus caused the horrible shaking. Seconds later I rolled into a fetal position on my knees with my fingers interlocked on the back of my head. I observed at close range the carpet underneath my desk. I have always been well trained and cool under the pressure (or so I believe). Why could he fly like a bird and yet not know how to drive a garbage truck properly? It took me then, as it still takes me now, a few moments to separate reality from fiction. The reality was that this was the first Earthquake that I "participated" in. The damage had been done. My adrenal glands had released their cargo and my pupils dilated. My still forming brain, which knew nothing of death and suffering, enjoyed the sensation. That would be the first of many earthquakes that I would "ride" with excitement.
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
A Game of poker
The table was a perfect square. My fingers kept brushing over the unblemished green felt of its surface in the same manner that one brushes their toes lightly across a thick shag carpet after a whole day spent on one’s feet. Sometimes simple things feel so good, especially when they are tactile. That would be the last simple moment in that whole crazy night. The three other men that were now approaching the table had never been even remotely associated with the word "simple." All three were conundrums wrapped within enigmas and thrust squarely upon me in the form of a riddle that evening. The room was dark. I should correct myself however. I just assumed it was a room, but really I could see nothing beyond a distance one foot from the table. It’s as if reality just faded away on all sides of that table with its four chairs. Maybe it wasn’t really a room but just some place that exists beyond a poor writer’s ability to describe. As the three men sat down, I nodded to each of them. They had come to play some no-limit poker. They had somehow heard that I was a decent player. If they had bothered to look under the table they would have seen my knees quivering.
To my left sat Jack. He was dressed in the finest Italian suit that a tailor ever sewed for a man. Had I all the money in the world I could not be made to look that good in a suit. His appearance was flawless. I silently guessed that he had gone for a haircut immediately before arriving at our table. Jack however had not a hint of arrogance to him. He was confident without thrusting that confidence upon others. He took care of business. In real life (away from our table that is), Jack was a genius. He retired as a five time Jeopardy Champion back during the days when contestants were limited to a mere five appearances. He also had a Nobel Prize in Economics, and rumors on the internet said his IQ was hovering just above 250. I researched all this before playing these three gentlemen. I always study a situation before I enter it. I decided it was time to break the ice and make casual conversation.
“Jack, what role do you think Nitrogen played in the biogeochemical cycle just prior to the rise of Oxygen on the Archaen Earth?”
Jack looked directly at me and paused for a moment, as if he suddenly remembered that he had left his oven on at home. Then he answered.
“I think it depends on the availability of fixed Nitrogen in a presumably methane atmosphere. If there were a lot of chemoautolithotrophic bacteria around, then the products they excrete would hamper the production of fixed Nitrogen for use by the Earth’s biota. Hey, do you have any pretzels around?”
I reached under the table for the pretzels and additionally the wasabi covered soybeans that I like so much. They are good for you but still carry a flavor of danger. I am not really smart enough to know if his answer made any sense. It sounded reasonable though. Usually I find if a person’s answer seems reasonable it is best to move on rather than make a fuss just to sound equally smart. I continued casually conversing with him first about the Tokogawa Shogunate of feudal Japan, and then about the politics of Lesotho in post-apartheid South Africa. I was not neglecting the other two men. They were both on their cell phones. The game wasn’t scheduled to start for another fifteen minutes.
I decided then that everyone should want a friend like Jack. There aren’t enough intelligent conversations in the world anymore. Without enough people around to open your mind, what’s the point of it all anyways? This guy knew his stuff, and talking to him I could feel myself becoming smarter, even if only while at that table, and only for this one night. Jack’s phone rang and he excused himself from the table for a moment and disappeared into the darkness to take the call. I hope it wasn’t the fire department. It would be a shame if his oven really was left on.
I turned my attention to Johnny who sat directly across from me. Johnny was one of those cool guys that the chicks just dig. Coolness emanated from him like heat off asphalt in the middle of a Houston summer. Johnny’s name was always in the tabloids and he was rumored to be linked to several gorgeous models. Women just seemed to hang off his every word. When he got off the phone I had to ask him about his love life so that I could live vicariously for just a few moments.
“So how is it dating [insert hot model or actresses’ name her]?”
“Its not really true you know,” he replied. “Women just enjoy my company. It doesn’t mean I reciprocate with anything physical.”
“BS,” I replied with incredulous eyes. You expect me to believe that if [insert hot model or actresses’ name her] asked you to [insert unmentionable thing here], you’d turn her down?”
“You can believe what you choose my friend, but I actually just turned down her offer to [insert unmentionable thing here] five minutes before arriving here. It is important to prioritize.”
“But why?!? I know you aren’t gay (I researched this on the internet as well). Why do you turn them down?”
“Let me explicate and you try to cogitate [note to self: why can’t I say cool stuff like that?]. I don’t deny those girls who look forward, only those who look to the past. When it comes to love most people are walking backward through life. They look only at where they have been and then whine whenever the back of their heads hits a wall. All those girls that the press links me with are walking backward with a Samsonite in each hand. Don’t worry though. I got a little honey tucked away whose eyes are facin’ the right way.”
That was all pretty deep. Was this guy for real or was he just trying to get me to “cogitate” on his words in the middle of an upcoming poker hand, thereby distracting me? Clearly this game was going to be difficult. Just then his phone rang. Probably another girl, I thought. Johnny excused himself from the table momentarily as he too disappeared into the darkness surrounding our table.
The third man, Jim, was sitting quietly to my right. He must have been off his phone for a few minutes but I hadn’t even noticed. He had his eyes closed and was swaying back and forth so imperceptibly slowly that I had to really focus upon him before I could see the swaying. Jim was either bald or had shaved his head. I couldn’t be sure and I guess it didn’t really matter unless I could see the cards reflect off his forehead. His clothes were very plain, especially when compared with the other two men. They looked almost “bath- robish.”
“Jim, what are you doing?” I asked
“I was just meditating before our poker game,” said Jim with complete equanimity. “I find that I have fewer tells when I play with a clear mind.”
That would make sense, I thought. Jim was the most enigmatic of the three players at our table because his style was the most erratic. At times it seemed that he was actually trying to lose. Through some obscene luck however, he would end up winning. The formidability of Jim stemmed from the fact that his poker heart wasn’t shaped like a normal man’s. He dealt the cards as a meditation. Those he plays never suspect. He doesn't play for the money he wins, he don't play for respect. He deals the cards to find his answers and is fascinated by the sacred geometry of chance and the hidden law of a probable outcome. To him it’s all a dance. I had studied Jim the most and understood him the least.
“Maybe after the game you can teach me some of your techniques,” I asked politely.
“No,” replied Jim. “What I know can’t be taught, son. Just keep your eyes open and follow the game and when you are my age perhaps you will ‘get it’ too.”
Bald man, that advice will do me no good tonight, I thought bitterly.
Just then, Jack and Johnny walked back to the table. It seemed like these guys were always on their friggin’ cell phones. It would drive me nuts to have that many people seeking my counsel.
It was now time to play some poker. As I dealt the first hand to Mr. Daniels, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Beam, I wondered just what I had gotten myself into. Was it wise to put my money on a table with three wise men? More importantly, would I even remember this in the morning as anything other than a burning esophagus and a headache?
"I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
But I'm not gonna quit and I'm not gonna stop
Don't give a shit cause I got the drop
Johnny just got two eyes just like mine
And I'm feeling kinda funky, kinda fine" -O.A.R.
To my left sat Jack. He was dressed in the finest Italian suit that a tailor ever sewed for a man. Had I all the money in the world I could not be made to look that good in a suit. His appearance was flawless. I silently guessed that he had gone for a haircut immediately before arriving at our table. Jack however had not a hint of arrogance to him. He was confident without thrusting that confidence upon others. He took care of business. In real life (away from our table that is), Jack was a genius. He retired as a five time Jeopardy Champion back during the days when contestants were limited to a mere five appearances. He also had a Nobel Prize in Economics, and rumors on the internet said his IQ was hovering just above 250. I researched all this before playing these three gentlemen. I always study a situation before I enter it. I decided it was time to break the ice and make casual conversation.
“Jack, what role do you think Nitrogen played in the biogeochemical cycle just prior to the rise of Oxygen on the Archaen Earth?”
Jack looked directly at me and paused for a moment, as if he suddenly remembered that he had left his oven on at home. Then he answered.
“I think it depends on the availability of fixed Nitrogen in a presumably methane atmosphere. If there were a lot of chemoautolithotrophic bacteria around, then the products they excrete would hamper the production of fixed Nitrogen for use by the Earth’s biota. Hey, do you have any pretzels around?”
I reached under the table for the pretzels and additionally the wasabi covered soybeans that I like so much. They are good for you but still carry a flavor of danger. I am not really smart enough to know if his answer made any sense. It sounded reasonable though. Usually I find if a person’s answer seems reasonable it is best to move on rather than make a fuss just to sound equally smart. I continued casually conversing with him first about the Tokogawa Shogunate of feudal Japan, and then about the politics of Lesotho in post-apartheid South Africa. I was not neglecting the other two men. They were both on their cell phones. The game wasn’t scheduled to start for another fifteen minutes.
I decided then that everyone should want a friend like Jack. There aren’t enough intelligent conversations in the world anymore. Without enough people around to open your mind, what’s the point of it all anyways? This guy knew his stuff, and talking to him I could feel myself becoming smarter, even if only while at that table, and only for this one night. Jack’s phone rang and he excused himself from the table for a moment and disappeared into the darkness to take the call. I hope it wasn’t the fire department. It would be a shame if his oven really was left on.
I turned my attention to Johnny who sat directly across from me. Johnny was one of those cool guys that the chicks just dig. Coolness emanated from him like heat off asphalt in the middle of a Houston summer. Johnny’s name was always in the tabloids and he was rumored to be linked to several gorgeous models. Women just seemed to hang off his every word. When he got off the phone I had to ask him about his love life so that I could live vicariously for just a few moments.
“So how is it dating [insert hot model or actresses’ name her]?”
“Its not really true you know,” he replied. “Women just enjoy my company. It doesn’t mean I reciprocate with anything physical.”
“BS,” I replied with incredulous eyes. You expect me to believe that if [insert hot model or actresses’ name her] asked you to [insert unmentionable thing here], you’d turn her down?”
“You can believe what you choose my friend, but I actually just turned down her offer to [insert unmentionable thing here] five minutes before arriving here. It is important to prioritize.”
“But why?!? I know you aren’t gay (I researched this on the internet as well). Why do you turn them down?”
“Let me explicate and you try to cogitate [note to self: why can’t I say cool stuff like that?]. I don’t deny those girls who look forward, only those who look to the past. When it comes to love most people are walking backward through life. They look only at where they have been and then whine whenever the back of their heads hits a wall. All those girls that the press links me with are walking backward with a Samsonite in each hand. Don’t worry though. I got a little honey tucked away whose eyes are facin’ the right way.”
That was all pretty deep. Was this guy for real or was he just trying to get me to “cogitate” on his words in the middle of an upcoming poker hand, thereby distracting me? Clearly this game was going to be difficult. Just then his phone rang. Probably another girl, I thought. Johnny excused himself from the table momentarily as he too disappeared into the darkness surrounding our table.
The third man, Jim, was sitting quietly to my right. He must have been off his phone for a few minutes but I hadn’t even noticed. He had his eyes closed and was swaying back and forth so imperceptibly slowly that I had to really focus upon him before I could see the swaying. Jim was either bald or had shaved his head. I couldn’t be sure and I guess it didn’t really matter unless I could see the cards reflect off his forehead. His clothes were very plain, especially when compared with the other two men. They looked almost “bath- robish.”
“Jim, what are you doing?” I asked
“I was just meditating before our poker game,” said Jim with complete equanimity. “I find that I have fewer tells when I play with a clear mind.”
That would make sense, I thought. Jim was the most enigmatic of the three players at our table because his style was the most erratic. At times it seemed that he was actually trying to lose. Through some obscene luck however, he would end up winning. The formidability of Jim stemmed from the fact that his poker heart wasn’t shaped like a normal man’s. He dealt the cards as a meditation. Those he plays never suspect. He doesn't play for the money he wins, he don't play for respect. He deals the cards to find his answers and is fascinated by the sacred geometry of chance and the hidden law of a probable outcome. To him it’s all a dance. I had studied Jim the most and understood him the least.
“Maybe after the game you can teach me some of your techniques,” I asked politely.
“No,” replied Jim. “What I know can’t be taught, son. Just keep your eyes open and follow the game and when you are my age perhaps you will ‘get it’ too.”
Bald man, that advice will do me no good tonight, I thought bitterly.
Just then, Jack and Johnny walked back to the table. It seemed like these guys were always on their friggin’ cell phones. It would drive me nuts to have that many people seeking my counsel.
It was now time to play some poker. As I dealt the first hand to Mr. Daniels, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Beam, I wondered just what I had gotten myself into. Was it wise to put my money on a table with three wise men? More importantly, would I even remember this in the morning as anything other than a burning esophagus and a headache?
"I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
But I'm not gonna quit and I'm not gonna stop
Don't give a shit cause I got the drop
Johnny just got two eyes just like mine
And I'm feeling kinda funky, kinda fine" -O.A.R.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
The forest brigand Verrapan fianlly killed
Madras, India — India's most wanted bandit, accused of murdering police officers, slaughtering elephants and kidnapping a movie star, was killed Monday in a jungle shootout with police after more than three decades on the run, authorities said.
Koose Veerappan, 60, was shot to death in a gunbattle with a special police paramilitary task force just before midnight, said K. Senthamaraikannan, police superintendent for the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
“Veerappan and three other associates were killed,” he said. “We have recovered the bodies.”
He said police had received a tip that Veerappan, who had a $515,000 Cdn bounty on his head, was hiding near the village of Paparapatti, 320 kilometres southwest of Madras, the state capital.
A police intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that an associate of Veerappan had surrendered about three hours before the gunbattle and led the police team to the hideout.
With his trademark handlebar mustache, lanky frame and camouflage clothes, the flamboyant outlaw had enjoyed a level of celebrity comparable to the idols of India's movie industry.
Veerappan had escaped brief capture twice. Poor peasants, in awe of his daring and dependent on his handouts, had helped him cover his tracks.
Some politicians also were alleged to be in his pay, and police said Veerappan used terror tactics to stay on the run — allegedly stringing up the bodies of suspected police informants from trees.
Veerappan — whose assumed name translates as “brave” — had been on the run since the late 1960s, when he fell in with ivory smugglers. His turf was dense jungle terrain straddling more than 10,000 square kilometres in the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He was accused of smuggling ivory from 2,000 slaughtered elephants.
Vijay Kumar, a superintendent of the Special Task Force, said the team twice offered Veerappan and his handful of comrades a chance to surrender. “The response was not appropriate,” Kumar told NDTV television news. “We threw stun grenades and opened fire.” He said one of the four men with Veerappan escaped.
Efforts to capture Veerappan were stepped up after his gang in August 2000 swooped into the country home of one of southern India's most popular actors, known as Rajkumar, seizing the then-71-year-old matinee idol and holding him captive in the jungle. Fans rioted at the news of the kidnapping and Rajkumar was set free after three months under circumstances that were not fully explained. The government denied paying a ransom but officials said money had been paid to Veerappan to secure Rajkumar's release.
The gang also later kidnapped a politician, who was killed.
Since 1990, state governments had spent nearly $38-million hunting for Veerappan. Armed with assault rifles and machine-guns, police had used night-vision goggles, a global positioning system and helicopters to scour the jungle region.
A lesson for Mr George Bush ofthe USA
" To kill Saddam Hussain or Osama Bin Laden , the whole nation of IRAQ anfd Afghansitan should not have been sluaghtered . Learn from our state governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu who finaly got rid of Verrrapan in such a peaceful way. Kudos tothe hero who shot him ."
Koose Veerappan, 60, was shot to death in a gunbattle with a special police paramilitary task force just before midnight, said K. Senthamaraikannan, police superintendent for the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
“Veerappan and three other associates were killed,” he said. “We have recovered the bodies.”
He said police had received a tip that Veerappan, who had a $515,000 Cdn bounty on his head, was hiding near the village of Paparapatti, 320 kilometres southwest of Madras, the state capital.
A police intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that an associate of Veerappan had surrendered about three hours before the gunbattle and led the police team to the hideout.
With his trademark handlebar mustache, lanky frame and camouflage clothes, the flamboyant outlaw had enjoyed a level of celebrity comparable to the idols of India's movie industry.
Veerappan had escaped brief capture twice. Poor peasants, in awe of his daring and dependent on his handouts, had helped him cover his tracks.
Some politicians also were alleged to be in his pay, and police said Veerappan used terror tactics to stay on the run — allegedly stringing up the bodies of suspected police informants from trees.
Veerappan — whose assumed name translates as “brave” — had been on the run since the late 1960s, when he fell in with ivory smugglers. His turf was dense jungle terrain straddling more than 10,000 square kilometres in the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He was accused of smuggling ivory from 2,000 slaughtered elephants.
Vijay Kumar, a superintendent of the Special Task Force, said the team twice offered Veerappan and his handful of comrades a chance to surrender. “The response was not appropriate,” Kumar told NDTV television news. “We threw stun grenades and opened fire.” He said one of the four men with Veerappan escaped.
Efforts to capture Veerappan were stepped up after his gang in August 2000 swooped into the country home of one of southern India's most popular actors, known as Rajkumar, seizing the then-71-year-old matinee idol and holding him captive in the jungle. Fans rioted at the news of the kidnapping and Rajkumar was set free after three months under circumstances that were not fully explained. The government denied paying a ransom but officials said money had been paid to Veerappan to secure Rajkumar's release.
The gang also later kidnapped a politician, who was killed.
Since 1990, state governments had spent nearly $38-million hunting for Veerappan. Armed with assault rifles and machine-guns, police had used night-vision goggles, a global positioning system and helicopters to scour the jungle region.
A lesson for Mr George Bush ofthe USA
" To kill Saddam Hussain or Osama Bin Laden , the whole nation of IRAQ anfd Afghansitan should not have been sluaghtered . Learn from our state governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu who finaly got rid of Verrrapan in such a peaceful way. Kudos tothe hero who shot him ."
Sunday, October 17, 2004
The voters in dilemma for vidhan sabha elections of maharashtra
I am so tired of news reporters interviewing "undecided voters." If you are undecided by now then you must be suffering from brain injuries of some sort and I don't want you voting in our election anyways. While we are on the subject, how is it possible that a scientific poll can drift back and forth the way that it does every day? Are there actually people out there that change their minds daily? To explain such illogical results reporters always announce a "margin of error." That means from now on I can tell people anything I want and just say there is a 5% margin of error in what I am saying. I change my mind daily about an odd assortment of things. Sometimes I wear dress socks and then switch to white just as I leave my apartment. I am always embarrassed if I forget and wear dress socks to the gym. Some days I think I like Pepsi better than Coke, but other days I change my mind again. To overcome these time wasting deficiencies in my character I am now creating a poll that I will carry with me daily. On this tracking poll I will ask myself where I stand on a variety of personal issues each day. At the end of a month I will put all the data into MS Excel and see where I truly stand on each issue. I trust the poll results will help me decide.
In the news today:
Poll results of maharashtra:
State Polls 2004
PARTY POSITION - UPDATED AT 2 : 25 PM
<< Back to Maharashtra Polls Home
Maharashtra
Total No. of Seats : 288 Results Declared : 288 / 288
Party Seats Contested Won
Congress 157 67
NCP 124 71
BJP 111 56
Shiv Sena 163 62
IND 1083 18
Others 475 11
Second test match results Aus Vs india
Australia vs India
Australia 150/4 (50 ov)
Martyn * 19 (36)
Gillespie 0 (9)
Bowling
Kumble * 15 - 1 - 53 - 3
Harbhajan Singh 18 - 3 - 46 - 0
Current Run Rate : 3.00
Match Break : Stumps - Day 3
Australia 235 150/4
India 376
Australia lead by 9 runs with 6 wickets remaining
In the news today:
Poll results of maharashtra:
State Polls 2004
PARTY POSITION - UPDATED AT 2 : 25 PM
<< Back to Maharashtra Polls Home
Maharashtra
Total No. of Seats : 288 Results Declared : 288 / 288
Party Seats Contested Won
Congress 157 67
NCP 124 71
BJP 111 56
Shiv Sena 163 62
IND 1083 18
Others 475 11
Second test match results Aus Vs india
Australia vs India
Australia 150/4 (50 ov)
Martyn * 19 (36)
Gillespie 0 (9)
Bowling
Kumble * 15 - 1 - 53 - 3
Harbhajan Singh 18 - 3 - 46 - 0
Current Run Rate : 3.00
Match Break : Stumps - Day 3
Australia 235 150/4
India 376
Australia lead by 9 runs with 6 wickets remaining
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