Electronic Musings

Back of the Napkin

2010-04-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

When I was browsing for something, I saw an entry for the best presentation for a year in slideshare. Just out of curiosity, I followed it. I was lucky to land on one of the most entertaining presentations I'd ever seen.

The author was Dan Roam and the presentation was about US health care scene.

I had never seen such a lucid presentation before on that subject. It was refreshing and very amusing to see so many simple pictures. This led to more research on the author. It's exhilerating stuff. I would urge everyone to go through his website www.thebackofthenapkin.com.

His contention is that we can solve any problem by using simple pictures. His talk at google is mesmerising. You tend to believe that you can also do it. I think that's his point.

Everything he says is based on visual thinking. We've heard the cliche many times over: "a picture is worth 1000 words". It's true to a large extent. The bosses want to see charts and diagrams rather than a densely populated excel sheet. Comics rule the roost; it captures the imagination of young and old alike.

By the way, have you seen the comic Google created when they were planning their Chrome browser? It's available in the net and it's nice stuff.

Try Dan's method for yourself when you face a problem next time. I'm sure to do it.

IPL Chennai match

2010-04-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

I saw yesterdy's match where Murli Vijay scored a hurricane century. Such massacre!

I remebered days when Vijay Manjrekar used to bat days together to craft a century. Geoff Boycott wasn't far behind. Matches used to end in draw evern after five days of play.

What a transformation now! Hitting a century within the allotted overs is no mean task. I don't remeber to have seen even a single 'agricultural' shot throughout his innings. Perhaps the pitches are prepared for this style of cricket.

There were days when the piches were to be prepared to suit our famous spin quartet where they can weave their magic, mesmerising the batsmen. Who can forget 'Bapu' Nadkarni's series of maiden overs!

Who will win this edition of IPL? My bet is on Mumbai Indians.

I'm back - for the umpteenth time!

2010-03-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

Blogging is dying? I don't know.
There seems to be hundreds of blogs written and published every day. But there are other attractive media available now. Everybody seems to be in Facebook. If you haven't heard about it, you are a strange specimen. Orkut seemed the 'in' thing sometime back. But LinkedIn seemed to have taken over all the professionals whou would like to get and stay connected. Twitter is another raging phenomenon.
Personally, I haven't touched either of them. At least, till now.
Blogging is an expanded version of twitter? I don't think so. Twitter is what SMS had done to fully formed sentences written in blog posts. You are compelled to shorten everything to fit into limited number of words. Words are irrecognizable. I cringe every time I see a mangled word in SMS and twitter feeds. I still remember my stern English teacher who will rap in the knuckles if I drag the centre line in small letter 'f'' while writing in handwriting script.
Of course, we've moved far ahead from that time. I've learnt to write using contractions which was again frowned upon in formal writing. 'Plain English' or 'plain language' is my current manthra. I am amused at some of the writings in website. Perhaps, I'll write about it in another blog post.

The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

2008-05-24T02:22:00.000-07:00

Today I learnt (is it old-school word?) a new word. It's called 'head fake'. It means simply this: you make somebody learn something by tricking them to do something else. For example, kids learn Java programming by doing screen play etc. Looks incongruous, isn't it?

I happened to come across a title of a best-seller called "The last Lecture" by one Randy Pausch. He is teaching computer science at Carnegie-Mellon. He has life-threatening disease and expect to die soon. So, he gave one last lecture which was widely web-cast.

It wasn't on any topic in computer science. It's about realizing one's childhood dreams. It's also about enabling others to realize their childhood dreams. I read the transcript of the lecture from the Net. That's where I learnt about head fake.

I am trying to recollect what were my childhood dreams. I hardly remember any except after reading Kaliki's "Ponniyin Selvan", I wanted to write like him. Aeroplanes are something that was flying so high that we hardly got to see their sizes. Hence no dream of becoming a pilot. But the coal-engine powered trains were omnipresent. The black swirling smoke and a shrill whistle frieghtened me away. Hence no fascination to become an engine driver.

How many of you out there realized your childhood dreams? It will be interesting to know.

அடடா அருமையான Blog

2008-04-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

நான் எழுதி ஒரு வருஷத்துக்கு மேலாகி விட்டது. இன்று எழுதுவதுக்குக் காரணம் நேற்று எதேச்சையாகப் படித்த இந்த Blog entry.

மிகவும் இயல்பாக எழுதப் பட்ட blog. தெளிந்த நீரோடை போல நடை.

ஆனால் அசல் தமிழ் பெண் ஏன் தமிழில் எழுதுவதில்லை?

Disgusting!

2007-03-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

I was firm not to write about cricket despite severe provocation. So, this post is not about cricket. But one important observation on the aftermath of India's disastrous performance.

Why Indian fans react in this extreme fashion? Why they should take out morchas and burn effigies? In which era are we living? Other sport stars win or lose in peace. Their effigies are not burnt; their houses are not vandalized or attacked. Their family members walk about without fear. Why, in God's name, should cricketers be different? It is after all a sport. Winning and losing are part of the game. If we cannot digest it, we shouldn't be playing any games at all.

I'm back!

2007-03-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

It is many months since I posted. Last September I switched jobs and work became hectic immediately. I need to impress the new bosses, you see!

I think I may be able to post regularly now. World cup cricket is round the corner. But I won't write about it. Enough bytes are devoted to it. It's becoming saturated.

I won't write about political upheavals here. Again, many top class journalists spend their time doing it.

Let me keep it simple and hopefully interesting.

Who am I?

2006-08-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

I attended a leadership session some time ago organized by my company. As part of the session, we were asked to write on the above topic in just 5 minutes. This is what I wrote:
===========================================
Who am I?

If I know this, I wouldn't be here.

I would like to be a human being, fun-loving, respecting elders, correct as much as possible in whatever I am thinking and doing. But am I all these?

I don't know.

I thought I was a kind person. But some people whom I have to discipline think that I am unkind.

I thought I was fun-loving. Many of my friends thought that I am a spoilsport when I didn't join them in their 'kind' of fun.

I thought I was respecting elders but there were occasions when I had to speak against their wishes.

I thought I was very good in my profession but there are people who think I am not good enough.

I thought I found what I wanted but I soon find it quite boring.

I thought I was very good at some sports but I did not count on aging and becoming slower.

I thought I was a good family man but then, why the hell there are differences within the family?

I know I cannot be everything to everybody but at least I would like to be what I want to be.
===========================================

What do you think?

I'm a blogaddict!

2006-08-18T02:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have become a blogaddict!

I discovered blogs recently. In a very short time I have become so addicted. Most of my time is spent on reading desi blogs, commenting on them and writing my own blogs.

I have blogs in blogger, wordpress, blogtext, Sulekha and MSN. It's like writing syndicated columns to a variety of newspapers! I'm a modern-day Art Buchwald!

I'm constantly trying to find topics to write. I'm also careful not to repeat the stuff between the blogs. I face writer's block quite often! I read my newspapers more closely now than ever. I'm under the impression that the whole blogosphere is waiting for my comments on all and sundry topics.

At least my writing style is improving!

Inimitable PGW

2006-08-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading PG Wodehouse's Jeeves Omnibus Vol1 that contains 3 Jeeves novels.

I have been a die-hard fan of PGW ever since I laid my eyes on one of his novels. In the early 70s, when I was in college, there was no exam in the first year of the degree course. I spent the entire holidays to read about 70 PGW books! I ran through the stack in the library as quickly as I could.

Considering the books were written in 1920s and 30s, the language was remarkably simple and quite hilarious. I never read one of his books in public places, lest I would be considered a crackpot by others who see me laughing loudly at a book.

Since then I have read the books many times. I have avidly collected the ebooks from Gutenberg and other sources for my reading pleasure.

The prose reminds me of Kalki's writing. I'm sure that Kalki would have read him and appreciated him. I must check Kalki's biography by Sunda.

Desi Blogs!

2006-08-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Recnetly I have been going through some of the popular blogs by desis. I just wanted to find out how our desis have been using this new medium that gives them a platform to write and publish.

There are different types of bloggers, I found. One type just writes about what they feel, what they read and what they think about the happenings in the world.

Another type devotes their blog in vilifying other bloggers! They pass outrageous and irreverent comments and the comments were really in bad taste. It was shocking to find that there are camps supporting the warring factions. They constantly instigate their principal bloggers to write badly about their rivals(!?). Is this the desi mentality of not allowing anybody to rest in peace? What right do they have to take potshots personally on another person? You have every right to comment on their writings. This is what healthy criticism is all about. But calling another fellow-blogger an idiot! That's the limit! Idiot is a mild term compared to the filth these bloggers write about each other. They have a free and powerful medium. They should write responsibly and try to improve their styles and contents.

There are very serious bloggers who religiously write regularly on technology, literature etc. Their contents were very good and highly stimulating intellectually. It's a pleasure reading them and would love to comments on those blogs.

I also found a growing number of women on the blogosphere! Quite a few of them literally inclined. Pavithra is translating Kalki's novels. Quite a few write poetry. Many write nostalgically about their 'maruthani' days. Some live in the US.

Blogs are everywhere. Many are available free. Let's use the medium responsibly. If you want to use this forum to vilify others, go take a break!

தமிழில் மேலும் செய்தி

2006-07-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

இன்று தமிழில் எழுதப்பட்ட பல உள்ளீடல்கள்('ப்லாக்') படித்தேன். மிக மகிழ்சியாக இருந்தது. ஆங்கிலத்துக்கு அடுத்த படியாக தமிழில்தான் உள்ளீடல்கள் அதிகம் இருக்கும் என்று நினைக்கிறேன்.

எத்தனை நகைச்சுவையான எழுத்துக்கள்! நகைச்சுவை இன்னும் செத்து விடவில்லை என்று நன்றாகத் தெரிகிறது.

தேவனைப் பற்றிப் பலர் எழுதி இருந்தார்கள். உண்மையான வார்தைகள். கல்கியும் சற்றும் சளைத்தவர் இல்லைதான். நாடொடியின் கட்டுரைகளும் அப்படித்தான். சாவியின் 'வாஷிங்டனில் திருமணம்' நகைச்சுவை எழுத்தின் உச்ச கட்டம்! பாக்கியம் ராமசாமியின் சீதாப் பாட்டி, அப்புசாமி தாத்தாவை மறக்க முடியுமா?

என் ஒரே வேண்டுகோள்: நிறைய எழுதுங்கள். எளிமையாக எழுதுங்கள்.

Another gem of a book

2006-07-14T03:52:00.001-07:00

Recently I came across a book called "McKinsey Way" and read it quickly. What a book!

I am always an admirer of Mckinsey as I had a chance some years ago to work with them for a couple of months on a project for my company. I was quite impressed with what I saw. I had spent as a senior level executive in a Govt. owned company for over 21 years before I moved on to my present position. Management was nothing new to me. Working on projects also was nothing new, having worked on many important projects.

But what I saw at McKinsey blew my mind away.

When I read the book, I recalled those days vividly. I could immediately see why McKinsey is so successful. I had visited their NY and London offices and learnt a lot from them.

Go ahead and read it. It will tell you what consulting is all about.

If you can't buy the book, try in esnips. There is a copy as an ebook.

Holiday Musings!

2006-06-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

I had been on a family vacation for the past 10 days. Been to Tirupati, Kancheepuram and Then-Nangur and Uthiramerur.

You can call it a temple trip. We saw nothing but Perumal temples, but no one Perumal looked like another.

They have fancy names and are located in lovely surroundings.

Perhaps I will post some photographs soon.

Kalki's ebooks

2006-06-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

I found my favourite author Kalki's ebooks in the net.

http://www.chennainetwork.com/kalki/kalki.html

All you need is a unicode font in your machine and you can enjoy the novels and many short-stories of the great Kalki.

Earlier, I had already downloaded novels like Ponniyin Selvan, Sivakamiyin Sabatham, Parthiban Kanvu and Solaimalai Ilavarasi. Now an additional bonanza.

Many other rare literary works from Kambar, Avvayar and others are also available.

Enjoy.

தமிழில் ஒரு செய்தி

2006-06-09T02:48:00.000-07:00

நேற்று நான் தமிழில் எழுதப்பட்ட செய்திகள் படித்தேன். மிகவும் கடினமான நடையில் எழுதப்பட்டிருந்தது. சாதாரணமாகப் படிப்பவர்களால் எளிதாகப் புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியாது போல் தொன்றியது.

இப்படி எழுதுபவர்கள் அவசியம் தேவன், கல்கி, சாவி ஆகியோர் எழுத்துக்களைப் படிக்க வேண்டும். மிக எளிமையான நடை. எழுதுவது எல்லொருக்கும் புரிய வேண்டும். இல்லையென்றால் எழுதுவதை விட வேண்டும்.

நான் படிக்கும் காலத்தில் ஜயகாந்தன் முதலியோர் மிகவும் புரியாத நடையில் எழுதினர். அவற்றைப் படிக்க ஒரு கூட்டம் காத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கும். வாய் வலிக்க அலசும்.எளிமையான எழுத்துக்களை அலட்சியமாகப் பார்க்கும்.

தயவு செய்து எளிமையாக எழுதப் பழகுங்கள். அதுதான் தமிழை வளர்க்கும்.

Semler, the Maverick!

2006-06-08T01:33:00.000-07:00

Another author whom I admire is Ricardo Semler. He owns Semco, a company in his native Brazil. His management style is hitherto unheard of. He has already written two books, describing his management philosophy.

One is "Maverick" and the other is "The Seven-Day Weekend". They have sold millions of copies the world over.

I personally think that the outlandish ideas work only in Brazil and not anywhere else. Many others think so too. But it didn't stop them from visiting Semco and interact with its people to understand things better and see with their own eyes.

Where else the workers set their own hours and salary , evaluate bosses and generally take far-reaching decisions? Sounds crazy.

Read it!

Kalki

2006-06-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

Kalki is and will remain for ever my favourite author. Ever since I learnt reading, I read Kalki with avid interest.

I must have read Ponniyin Selvan at least 100 times! No joke! I love the book. I love the way in which Kalki weaves the story.

Even now, every 'Pathinettam Perukku' I remember the start of the novel where Vanthiya Thevan enters into the story.

No movie can ever capture the picture as painted by the one and only Kalki. I wish the movie announcements stop with announcements only.

I am very happy to note many others have the same book as one of their favourites.

2006-06-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

I think it is a wonderful idea to publish an electronic diary to general public: to read, to comment and even slam!

I am an aspiring writer who has sheltered a dream to write for many years. I hope this attempt will help me to realize the dream.

I will try to post as much as possible and will give interesting links.

Happy reading!