ಗುಳೇಹೋದವರು

ಬಯಲುಸೀಮೆಯ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರು ಬರಗಾಲ ಬ೦ದಾಗ ಬೇರೇ ಸೀಮೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಗುಳೇಹೋಗುವುದು ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲೊ೦ದು. ಆದರೆ ಅಷ್ಟೊ೦ದು ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯವಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಸಧೃಢತೆಯ ಬೆನ್ನತ್ತಿ ಪೇಟೆ ಪಟ್ಟಣಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುವುದು ಈಗಿನ ಪದ್ದತಿ. ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವೇವರ್ಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶೇಕಡಾ ೩೦ರಷ್ಟುಜನ ಪೇಟೆಸೇರುವಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ ಇದೆಯ೦ತೆ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ.

ಹಳತನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಕಳೆದುಕೊ೦ಡ ಬೇಸರ, ಹೊಸತೇನೇನೋ ಬೇಕೆ೦ಬ ದುರಾಸೆ, ಯೇನೇನೋ ಸಾಧಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆ೦ಬ ಜ೦ಬ. ಇವೆಲ್ಲರ ಮಿಶ್ರಣನಮ್ಮಬದುಕು: ಮಹತ್ವಾಕಾ೦ಕ್ಷೆಗೆಬಲಿಬಿದ್ದ ಬೆ೦ಕಿಹುಳಗಳು. ಸಾಧನೆ ಸಾಪೇಕ್ಷ ಸ್ವಾಮೀ! ಸಾಧ್ನೆಗೂ ಸಮಾಧಾನಕ್ಕೂ ಇರುವ ಸ೦ಭ೦ಧ ಕೆಸವಿನೆಲೆಗೂ ನೀರಹನಿಗೂ ಇರುವ ಸ೦ಭ೦ಧಕ್ಕಿ೦ತಲೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚೇನೂ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಸಾಧನೆಗಾಗಿ ಜೀವನವೇ ಜೀವನಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಸಾಧನೆಯೇ? ಇದು ನಮ್ಮ ಪುರ೦ದದಾಸರು, "ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ" ಅ೦ದಹಾಗಾಯ್ತು.

ಯಾವ ಜೀವನದ ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟ ಹೆಚ್ಚು? ಅಬ್ಬಿ ನೀರಿಗೆ ತಲೆಕೊಟ್ಟು ತಣ್ಣೀರ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿ, ನೇರಳೆ ಮರವೇರಿ, ಬಣ್ಣತು೦ಬಿದ ಬಾಯ್ತೆಗೆದು, ಊರಪಕ್ಷಿನೋಟದ ಬೆಳಕುತುಳುಕುವ ಕಣ್ರೆಪ್ಪೆಯಾಟದ ಸೊಗಸುತು೦ಬಿದ ಜೀವನವೇ? ಹೆಸರರಿಯದಹಣ್ಣುಗಳ್ಹುಟ್ಟುವುದು ಮರದಲ್ಲೋ ಮಟ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿರದೇ ಮುಚ್ಚಿದ ಗೂಡಿನಡಿಕೂತು ಮ೦ಜುಮುಸಿಕಿಮಬ್ಬಾದ ಕಾಣದೂರ ಕತ್ತಲಾವರಿಸಿದ ಕಣ್ಣಿಗಾದ ಜ್ನಾನೋದಯದಲ್ಲೋ? ಓಹೋ, ಹಣ್ಣಿನಲ್ಲಲ್ಲಾ, ಸವಿಯಿರುವುದು ಸಡರಗದಲ್ಲಿ. ಜಿಮರು ಮಳೆ ತೂಕಡಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಗ ಹುರಿದ ಹಲಸಿನ ಬೀಜ, ಅಜ್ಜಿ ಕಾಸಲು ಹಾಕಿದ ಹೊಡಚಲು, ಅಮ್ಮ ಮಾಡಿದ ಬೂದಬಾಳೆ ತುಪ್ಪದ ದೋಸೆ, ಅಪ್ಪ ಕುಡುಗಿಟ್ಟ ಕ೦ಬಳಿ ಕೊಪ್ಪೆ, ನಾಗರಪ೦ಚಮಿಯ ಗೌರಿದ೦ಟಿನ ಪಾಟೀ ಅಳಿಸುವ ಖುಷಿ, ಮಳೆಗಾಲದ ಯೆಳೆ ಹುಣಸೆ, ಸುರಿವಮಳೆ ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೇಲಿಗೆ ಬಿದಿರು ಕಡಿಯುವ ಮಜಾ, ಒ೦ದೇ ಎರಡೇ?

ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆಯ ಅಮಲಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವನಾವು ಕಲಿಯಬೇಕಾದ್ದು ಧೈನ್ಯ, ತಿಳಿದಿದ್ದನ್ನ ತಿಳಿಸಿ ಗೊತ್ತಿರದ್ದನ್ನ ಕಲಿಯುವ ಕಳಕಳಿ, ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನ ಅವರೇನೆ೦ದು ಗಮನಿಸದೇ ಗೌರವಿಸುವ ಆದರ. ಈ ಜೀವನ ಓಟದ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆಯೆ೦ದರೂ ಹಲವರು ಹಲವಾರು ಯೋಜನ ಮು೦ದಿನಿಂದ ಓಡಲು ಆರ೦ಭಿಸಿದವರು, ಹಲವರು ಬಹಳ ಹಿ೦ದಿನಿಂದ ಓಡುತ್ತಿರುವವರು ಎ೦ಬ ತಿಳುವಳಿಕೆ.

ಊರಿಗೆ ಹೂದಾಗ ಯೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು, "ಏಯ್ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಯಿದ್ದುಬಿಡಡ್ದೋ, ಬಾರೋ ಮಾರಾಯಾ ವಾಪಾಸು!". ನಮಗೆ ನಾವು ಪ್ರಯೋಜಕರಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆಯೋ ಇಲ್ಲವೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದರೆ ಈಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ಸಾಧನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೇರೆಯವರಿಗೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವಾದರು ಸಹಕಾರ ನಮ್ಮಿ೦ದಾಗಬಹುದೆ೦ಬ ಮಸುಕು ಆಶಯ! ಗುಳೇಹೋದವರಲ್ಲವೇ ನಾವು? ಯೆಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಸಲ್ಲದವರು ಇನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಿ ಸಲ್ಲುವರಯ್ಯಾ ಚನ್ನಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನಾ?

ರಾಗು ಕಟ್ಟಿನಕೆರೆ

ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ: ಕೇಶವ ಕುಲ್ಕರ್ಣಿಯವರು.

Shooting Dogs

Shooting Dogs is a movie about Rwandan Tutsi genocide of 1994. There is a video here about it if you want to know.

Recently a group from Amnesty international showed a documentary on Uganda spate of children in Uganda: Invisible Children. Here is another country in shambles: Haiti. A story of generosity of an US installed government. And here is some more info.

There are people out there who live by eating rain flies!

We the great proud Indians believe that there is no slavery. Watch the video here: girls are being enslaved and trafficked. The brothers of brothels. Watch the third part.

I thought my neighbouring villages were poor oh man. I am damn rich and safe. Well, so much for Christmas! Shall we say happy Christmas?

Oh I forgot to add something. We are the nation with highest number of HIV infected individuals and our penises are shorter compared to international standards, read here: we need smaller condoms! My guess is right then :). I will end by adding a hilarious comment by one of the men interviewed "It's not size, it's what you do with it that matters"

By the way do not forget Haiti, Rwanda, Uganda and Indian brothels. Search and read more about them.
~rAGU

Information Pollution

Power is a famous metaphor for information! Very nice metaphor indeed; nothing can suite better.
Unscheduled power cuts are not uncommon, so are spikes that kill electrical instruments. If you have not sensed already what follows the prelude, it is about the lack and the abundance of information, we are surounded with.

From Nyaya school of Indian philosophy to reviewers of scientific papers have worried about the source and soundness of knowledge(Epistemology). As more information becomes accesible it is getting harder and harder to distinguish between so called information and misinformation. Even when we neglect the realm of opinionated information, we are left with a huge pool to look for authentic information. I use the word "authentic" to mean "that which is the outcome of genuine scientific process".

There are claims that because information is easily accesible we see more misinformation. Unfortunately it seems that with more information msunderstanding also increases and result in more misinformation. What is the rate of increase in misinformation?

I is proportional to MI
where I is information and MI is misinformation. (The use is not in sense of information theory but as in popular use)
If MI is 10% of I and 2% is obivously recognised as MI, then we have 108 unit of I. If we assume a 50% inreases in I then we will endup with 162 units od I. of which 4 unit is new MI.
We can clearly see the compuonding of the MI.

We know the equation of compound interest:

Interest = P (1+ r/100n)^n -------> 1

by analogy

amount of MI = I (1+ X/100n)^Y -------> 2

We know

Thus,
amount of MI = I* e^z where z= X/100.

The slope of the exponential curve is determined by z. It is thus important that z remains bellow one so that MI does not go past I. Due to the fact that it has not, so far, we can assume that z<<1.

I know we are all smart enough to figure out that there is a flaw here! We have not concidered increasing I. Unlike P, I is not constant. It is om to have higher values of z!

Well that is a complicated way of saying we are fine the way we are!
~rAGU

P V Narasimha Rao

This man was an amazing arrow in the India's armoury. This prime minster of India is, probably, one of the few leaders to be admired by the opposition parties. He spoke French, Spanish, Persian, Arabic and 8 other Indic languages; totally 13 in all.

Some of his serious but hilarious quotes are:
"When I don't make a decision, it's not that I don't think about it. I think about it and make a decision not to make a decision.";
"Inaction is also an action.".

He made Manmohan Singh the Finance Minister; a person who had not even participated in a municipal election, but had extensive experience in administration and economics. Duo changed the destiny of a billion people. He took decisions that lifted millions of people from poverty; and gave hope to people who had lost hope.

It is told his service to the nation was insulted when the powerful denied him a place in Rajghat. His body was cremated in the absence of the leader of the party of which he was the defining part. Sad news of his half burnt body lying open for consumption by dogs, turned in to a shock. It appears he did not work enough for the party, but he certainly did for his country.

P V Narasimha Rao will be remembered by the people who reaped the benefits of his service.
He died on 23rd December 2004. Few drops of tears I had shed, when I heard the news four years ago, were tribute to his personality. I add few more drops of tears today; he deserves them.

~rAGU

Birds and Flies

We had a sparrow house at home: an opening in wooden planks that had some space for sparrows to live. They were fed everyday with rice grains. My grandfather used to give a fist ful of rice to me and asking me to throw them on the floor and watch the sparrows pick them up one by one, at about 4 oclock in the afternoon, before coffee, during winter when sunrays lit our katte.

We have blood in our heart now; no mercy flows in our veins. Sparrow houses were closed down. We are more modern, clean, and better people now aren't we?



We caught pIti. It seems they are called Dragonflies in English.



This bird is something! Humming like a chopper! I will have to find out a place to watch this thing in Saskatoon closely. Will see.

~rAGU

Communalism in Indian Polity

The official name of India is (in English) Socialistic Secular Sovereign Democratic Republic of India and is Union of States; states are represented at the centre by the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and people represented by a bunch Elected from Selected Criminals and/or extortionists and/or currupt individuals. Few honest women and men get no chance to represent their people.

India has about 17% molsems, 3% christians 1% Sikhs, less than 1% others and about 80% hindus. Other division known to politicians in India is there are around 16% Backward class, 3% Brahmins and something only Arjun Singh the Heinorouble HRD monster knows is that there are aroud 29% OtherBackwardClass people. Each of these religous groups have subdivisions. Lingayatas, Thakurs, Kammas, Vakkaligas, Vaishyas, Kshatriyas and so on. Can we call these communities? Oh I will as you shall soon see!

Media and Polity are unanimous in calling some parties communal: BJP (Peoples Party of India), Shivsena etc. Others call themselves secular: Indian Notional Congress, Communist Parties, Janata Dal etc. But actually "all of them" are communal parties. No exceptions.

Except for two occasions (once for BJP and then in Gujrath) in history Hindus have not favoured parties appeasing Hindus. They are concerned about their caste and the caste or the community of the MP/MLA. However others such as Christians and Muslims are satisfied to have some one from their community elected. Thus parties have no insentive to appease Hindus. Those tried this Hindu card have not been as successful. So what is the formula? Appease castes in Hindus and appease Muslims and Christians. Sikhs are a majority in Punjab. They have a different dynamics.

Thus it is appeasing communities based on caste or region or religion is the key policy of all the political parties in India. None is secular none is noncommunal. Why blame few parties? We have to blame all the parties.

Ok, let us fight on communal lines and let us go to hell together; shall we?
~rAGU

Class Sick Musick

My first experience with Indian Classical music was listening to MS Subbi cassettes. However I did not know it was classical music. Other experience with classical music was listening to Dasavani of Bhimsen Joshi. Again, I did not know what the hell classical music was.

As I grew up I understood classical music. It was a strange sounding shout which only very few liked and nodded as if it was a great music. I would ask myself, "what is wrong with these people, why do they shout and do all sorts of dance with hands and show screwed up faces". In fact my uncle said once "why do not these people sing something nice!".

I was as old as an ass when I liked a Bajan. This happened in the second year of engineering. There was a temple next to our hostel: Koranti Hanuman. Saturday it used to be full of boys coming to sight girls and girls coming to sight boys. Like those infamous wall bathing, and window shopping this was Sacred Sight Dating. My room mate was a devotee of Lord Hanumaan. He visited the temple everyday. I went to the temple along with him sometimes and especially on Saturdays! An exception to this was when Hanuman himself called me by cutting power to the hostel. I chose to visit the temple whenever there was power outrage! The temple poojari played a Bajan cassette sung by Bhimsen Joshi and Lata. Meera Bhai Bajans were so good that I eventually got addicted. I asked the poojari if he could lend the cassette so I can record it. He gave me the cassette without even asking who I was.

There was one Umesh from Orissa he had a double cassette player. I asked him to record meera Bajans on one side and the super hit pop song "I want it that way" and few others. I named the cassette "Ram Naam Dhoom Dham". My favorite Bajan that made me record the cassette was "Baajere muraliyaa baaaje......". Others were, sumati seetharaam aatmaraam, krupa saroovar kamalmanohar.... Yes there was a Hindi song too "Mere hivadame nache moore thaka thaiyya..".

"Bajere muraliyaa ": it is from this Bajan I became interested in Hindustani. I heard it so much that I gathered courage to sing it in the department. After few years my all time favourite is Aami Khans "aaj more ghar ayina balma...". Thanks to my neighbours they tolerated when I shouted along with Aamir khan. I heard Rashid khan recently 6 months ago I think.

I enjoy it when I can get to the mood of the song. Then I can think of my own variations, anticipate improvisation. I mess up the shruti (drone). It is very hard for me to sing a song in a different shruti. Simply I need training otherwise I suck.

I will start learning Hindustani some day when I get back to India. Why? There is no alternative way of experiencing that kind of bliss. I do not drink but We can get to an emotional state listening and more so while singing; I do not think it is possible to reach such a state doing something else.

Oh yes I returned the cassette to poojari promptly.

The burden of morals

Any conscious behaviour takes more energy than unconscious behaviour. I have seen many people, who worried less about morals, do very well. They save energy and reach higher levels (Whatever higher level means).

That is not bad at all. It is how we define ourselves i think. We can be happy with whatever we are or even better find reasons to justify whatever we are.

I have come to a conclusion that morals and its friends are important only when our decisions affect lot of people: such as in politics. Otherwise we are fine, I think.

Or some have the advantage of being what they think is right. There is no burden. Others have to struggle to be their ideal self.

Regards
~rAGU

Nuances of Sledding/Tobogganing

Sledding is also called Tobogganing. I stole a more brave looking image to show what I did with few kids on a small hill.

1) I went towards a bush and saved the life of few plants by using all head and tails I have. Poor bush.

2) Do not go on knees if you are a heavy type like me.

3) It hurts in an unusual place : your neck. Keeping head safe it appears is harder than keeping our balls safe.

4) When sleigh on your bum do not break with the feet. Snow can hit your face like missiles.

5) Go to a church immediately after, like I did. It will warm there and someone will invariably play piano and put you to sleep! Then you can sleigh again in dream :)

Thanks to Simon Widie and his kids Joe, Isaiah and little Elijah
I fell and ROSE, look at that, I ROSE, wary of laughing kids.
Sunday is gone.

~rAGU

Intercaste Marriage

There is a microbe in our heads called Individuolis Liberosis. Some have immunity against this microbe but many do not. This microbe not only makes us selfish but also gives a false impression of liberation; helps generate nice reasons for indulgence. We will talk about this later; now listen to this story.

I received a call on fine afternoon, 3 years ago. I picked up to discover that it was my primary school classmate. That made my day you know. I was able to get in touch with her after we completed 7th standard in 1993. That was after a gapp of 12 years. She was about to completing engineering degree after a diploma I think.

She had called with a purpose. She was getting ready for a campus interview. She wanted to know what to expect from a WIPRO interviewer. I was supposed to give some insider information. I consulted some of my colleagues and called her back. Told her whatever I could (and should). It really made my day. Isn’t it nice to get a call, out of the blue, from a classmate after that long? (Emotional fool!)

I think after two months I received another call. This time she wanted to get into a particular division. How could a fresher choose? Again I spoke to my colleagues and called her back, giving whatever the info I can. This call had come after she had forgotten to reply my email asking her if she got into WIPRO. I sent another email curious to know if she was in, if so where. I got no response.

Time teaches lessons. I said to myself be more reasonable do not read too much. Be positive, all that crap. I remember sending her an email just asking how she was and how was her work in WIPRO. I got no response.

I called from bother try to get my Tabla fixed. He told me that my classmate got married. She married a Christian boy from Kerala. I knew a little bit about her parents; middle class Havyaka Brahmin family around 10 kms from my village.

Brahmins are increasingly facing criticism. But they also lived a life that set examples to society for long years. They never ate before taking bath. They were vegetarians. They do not consume alcohol. They are trained in eating and talking. They Have kept the ancient philosophies alive by learning and teaching them. (Exceptions are becoming a rule...which is a different matter)

Intercaste marriage may be a good thing for those want to live MacLife. (You go to any MacDonald you get the same burgers) When the difference is gone, the excitement of encountering different ways and perspectives is lost.

Her parents might be sad. People who hurt their parents in return to the love are daemons. This is nothing but the outbreak of Individuolis Liberosis.

bisakallu-tabla-kolalu

mattade besara ade sange

is Nisaar Ahamad's translation of "phir wahi shaam"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osAj2Ucbk2M


"phir wahi shaam" is here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfg5nHbH0j4

yo,
again the same evening, same sadness
and the same loneliness
to convince my heart, came your thought

........

~rAGU

Teach Engineers some English

I feeling pissing at my Inglish sometimes. Inglish of my classmates was from anywhere between horrible to terrible (mine was the worst?). We had an Inglish teacher in the college. He used to say, "I am fulltime jobless".

He took 2 classes in four years. No one was interested. We should have atlest 3 English courses in Baibadaka of Engineering.

It is proven that Indians have terrible time with "articles" in English [?]. Now when I write thesis I see myself learning English!

Inglish Student
~rAGU

Ten Commandments

of Christianity and Judaism:

1) I am the Lord thy God
2) Thou shalt have no other gods before me
3) Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol
4) Thou shalt not make wrongful use of the name of thy God
5) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
6) Honor thy Father and Mother
7) Thou shalt not murder
8) Thou shalt not commit adultery
9) Thou shalt not steal
10)Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
11)Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house
12)Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife

kinda commandments in Hinduism: (Caled Yamas)

ahiMsA satyam asteyaM brahmacaryaM kSamA dhRtiH
dayArjavaM mitAhAraH zaucaM caiva yamA daza 17

1) Ahimsa - Nonviolance in thought and action
2) Satyam - Truthfulness
3) Asteya - Not stealing
4) Brahmacharyam - Celibacy until 25 and loyalty to partner after marriage.
5) Kshama - Forgiveness
6) Dhriti - Steadfastness
7) Daya - Compassion
8) Arjava - Honesty
9) Mitahara Moderate appetite
10)Shaucha - Hygiene

Jab deep jale aana.... Jab shyam dhale aanaa

Come when the light is lit
Come when the dusk is set

Do not forget the signs of interst to meet
Do not forget I donno what bisraana means!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMu6oiJ7Jj4

hey people help me .....
~rAGU

ಕಲ್ಡದ ಮನೆ

ಒ೦ದು ಮಳೆ ಬಿದ್ದ್ರೆ ಸಾಕು ಮೂಲೆಲಿದ್ದ ಮರದ ಬ೦ಟ ಹೊರಗೆ ಬರ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಸ್ವಾ೦ಗೆ ಕಡದು ಅಟ್ಟ್ಲುಹಾಕಿ ಹಾಳೆ ಕಟ್ಟೋಸಮಯ.

Exchange Value in scaled economies

It occured to me that it is possible to find a relation between purchase power and exchange value of a currency. This might already exist. But application of such a mathematical relation is amazing. It can become a tool to assess healthy value for a given currency.

This idea is based on the following.

1) There are many scaled economies trading using foreign exchange values of their currecies.
2) Purchase power for essential commodities in two scaled economies have to remian the same so exchange value of currency in other can be estimated.
3) If actual currency values are higher or lower its impact can be assed easily.

We can save energy of the experts who confuse us by giving contradictory assesments on say increase in Canadian dollar. Intution tells me that exchange value should be proportational to purchase power per fixed amount in a currency.

I . E. FEV = k * 1/ PPc

Two assumptions here are: a) PPc for two economies are same. b) Trade significantly (linearly) affects PPc.

This is very crude. But I will come up with something more concrete in the future.
~rAGU

Burn IT Burn Bengalooru

Burn IT Burn Bengalooru said CNR Rao, a world renowned chemist from Bengalooru. He is shocked that IT has created intellectual grabage. "A coffee and a masala dosa in Vidyarthi Bhavan" kept him and Bengaloorians happy. Look who is talking - a real Bangalorian.

I respect CNR Rao. I respect all the scientists and research assistants working there toiling to make break through. Many of us in IT industry do. We infact feel guilty that we could ot contribute, but that is compulsion. When my friend, a PhD student in physics dropped out and joined IT, I was shocked as well. Before we talk about this brain drain to IT, let us talk about Bengaloorians.

Most of the real Bengaloorians do not know fluent Kannada. A survey indicated that around 90% [as read in a newspaper survey in 1998, on my first visit to Bengalooru] either can not read write or speak in Kannada. So much for the real Bengaloorians whose scholarship we are to respect. Can somebody name a real Bengaloorian Kannada poet? Why should rest of the state care for such Bengalooru? Being the capital of the state, Bengalooru does not care about the heritage of the mother language, which even the Greeks felt comfortable using in their dramas[1], why should rest of the people in Karnataka respect Bengaloor's heritage? These same Bengalooru's kids use the word "Yak" to refer to kids from villages and slums. CNR Rao says there was more music in Bengalooru before. I do not think so. Cultural programmes have increased over the years. It depends on which you choose to concentrate: Bengalooru Habba that let us hear amazing classical music or the pop ones in palace grounds. All these real Bengaloorians are the people whoes parents or grandparents migrated mostly from villages in Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The children of these migrants are real Bengaloorians and recent migrants are fake Bengaloorians?

"A coffee and a masala dosa in Vidyarthi Bhavan"? There are people out there who do not have enough money to pay the bills of Vidhyarthi Bhavan. Should we stop at respecting scholarship and intellect of real Bengaloorians or do something to those starving kids. Now we have these real Bengaloorians Barking when the starving have started to make fortunes. They have to because they too wanted to eat masala dosa in Vidyarthi Bhavan.

IT companies pay taxes. Every IT guy pays about 30% of his earning. Why are real Bengaloorians not cautious about civic responsibilities? Why should the roads be built asks CNR Rao. May be because 20 billion$ export business also pays taxes to get services from the government.

Brain drain to profitable business is a universal problem. Such problems need to be addressed at different levels and CNR Rao`s comments are welcome as it will initiate a debate and put the process in motion. Even the Software Engineers have this problem. When I worked for a Bengalooru based firm my manager commented, "call centres are paying such huge salaries how are we to keep our business going?". Service sector in engineering draws more people as it pays more. Firms in intellectual property based business and high technology business have problem retaining smart engineers. There is nothing new here. What is new is Bengalooru’s exposure to such problems. It is true that the problem is acute.

However if people who shout are those could not score well in competitive exams, and/or those who could not get into engineering, or those missed the train by being ignorant, this is no more than garbage. I would appreciate if they suggest a solution that is more sensible than burning IT or Bengalooru.

Are real Bengaloorians claiming that there was no slum in Bengalooru when there was no IT boom? What did they do about it? Was that not part of the heritage of Bengalooru? Those who talk of peace and serenity should also speak for all the classes. Elitism comes easily. Social conservatism comes from the elite who could afford good education and those who could enjoy the serenity. What about those who could not pay fees to enter institutes like IISc? Are such institutes open to scholarship? NO. IISc displays a board at the entrance "Trespassers will be prosecuted". So much for the premier science institute in India. I will give my own example here. Those who talk about sholorship do not care about science. I wrote an article in 1999: "Paradoxes in Special Theory of relativity" (Resonance - Indian Academy of Sciences). I was in second year engineering then; a 19 year old in a remote engineering college was trying to do some work reading journals and books, in the college library . It received a 3 line review comment. Is it not the responsibility of the people who talk about science and scholarship to give an encouraging and critical review that will help improve writing? Elite of Bengalooru care about their status. They do not care about scholarship. It is from these butts that we see fuming gasses coming out. The elite of Bengalooru neither understand nor willing to think about the hardship that people in other part of the state face. For example, because of all administrative headquarters in Bengalooru a person from Belagaavi (Belgaum) has to travel 600 odd kms to get a work done? Are these elite who are worried about the heritage aware how much money these poor people have to shell out to keep the "heritage" of Bengalooru intact?

I am for taxing people like me to fund research in basic science. That will help pay good remunerations to competent scientists. I do not mind loosing 5% of my salary for such a cause. May be 5% more cess on NRIs.

By the way, I am not going to Vidhyarthi Bhavan next time I go to Bengalooru. It is costly and suppliers do not even look at you. I am happy eating Chitranna at those road side camps and a glass of kabbina haalu.

~rAGU

References
[1] Dr. Hultzsch, E. (1904), "Remarks on a papyrus from Oxyrhynchus", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1904: 399-405.

Woman and Liquor

The supreme court of India ruled that it is legal for women to be serving liquor (tending bar). I am pissed off at the SC. Not becase it gave freedom to women but becasue it did so preferentially.

SC has no time to direct governament to fix the ambigious Indian laws on prostitution. The judges are not bothered about women being forced into prostitution. No one cares about the women being trafficked. But they are so much caring and cautious about the freedom of the middle class women who have som ehotel management degree or diploma who want to make more money. No one needs to inform the SC; it has not given justice to the murdered bartender Jessica Lal yet.

I care more for the dignity of the women being trafficked than to the freedom and poverty of the upper middle class women who want to be bar tenders.

It is time judges stop masturbating and start using their kidneys and give balanced decisions that improves the condition of the women who are underprevilaged. I will join them in a milk bar when they have fixed the more important issues. I do not mind a young girl tendering. Do I?

~rAGU

of idols and ideals

What is the difference between faith and freedom? Not much, as many might expect. Let us dig deep.

Faith conditions us influencing what is comfortable and what is not. Faith unlike what is often argued is not just about GOD. God becomes a heading to the articles of definition of what is comfortable. In other words "life style".

Freedom is often explained egocentrically. Concept of freedom probably exists because of existence of inhibition: inhibition within and inhibition from external sources. It is this tendency to oppose inhibition that defines freedom.

Conditioning significantly influences the notion of freedom. It also uses the pretext of morals to impose inhibition. This is "right"; that is "wrong", type of notions redefine freedom. We get "comfortable" in certain set of such inhibitions. It appears that, since long, faiths have formed a frame work that can almost stand for what defines our comfort. When we are not combatable we feel our "freedom" is under attack. This is synonymous with the attack on faith.

We come to stage where attack on faith is directly interpreted as attack on freedom. Thus the faith and the freedom are two different concepts; they stand equated under the circumstances we live today. If this is not convincing some historical examples will help us understand this equation.

It appears that the Indian polity and the economy were independent of each other to a fair degree. Thus changes in polity did not affect the population to an uncomfortable degree. Why? Faith remained the same. People felt free to live their social and religious life, the way they wanted. Indian Rebellion of 1857 started when British interfered with the religion. That was really an attack on freedom.

Now, Hindus in Malaysia are protesting (read the link) against marginalization of the ethnic Indians (read Hindus) in Malaysia, a Muslim country. It is reported that thousands of temples built by their ancestors were being demolished and idols bulldozed. They now feel their religion is under attack. Freedom is under attack, is this a joke? :)

Louisiana State in USA uncharacteristically elected a brown man to the office of the governor.
Piyush Jindal is a man born to Indian parents (read Hindus, also read the link). However Bobby (his nick name) is a Roman Catholic Christian and supposedly he is considered as being to the right of the right conservatives! His life is in line, to make the audience comfortable he has to be that way, although acting otherwise was not a necessity.

I hope I have given enough proof why most think, attack on faith is attack on freedom. (I am guilty of not thinking much about inhibitions caused by economic compulsions. Which I will take up in the next write up). We look for comfort. Faith to some extent defines comfort and comfort defines our more general rules of what is acceptable, which we call ideology!

Integrity is at infinity. Ideologies are afterthoughts. What is more close to what we base our actions on are comfort and discomfort. This also applies to animals. Animals are sensitive to conditions but humans are also sensitive to concepts!

~rAGU

Hi Ram!

"Hey Ram", it is said, are the two words Mahathma Gandhi uttered when he fell to the bullet of Nathuram Godse (a journalist, a Marathi Brahmin, and a Hindu extremist).
Notice Ram! here.

"Mohan" in Mohandas Gandhi's name refers to Krishna. Mohandas means devotee of Krishna. Krishna was the 8th avatar of Vishnu. Rama was the 7th avatar (incarnation)
{ Avatatara => Descended, Avatara = one who has descended }
Notice connection to Ram! here.

Nathuram Vinayaka Godse, Gandhiji's killer was named Ramachandra at birth. My friend tells me that Godse's parents treated him like a girl and made him wear a Nathani (nose ring). He thus became Nathuram.
Notice Ram! in Godse's name here.

Finally my name: Raghavendra means the same thing. Raghava = One who is born to the clan of the king Raghu and Indra = sacred. The ONE born to Raghu clan is Rama. Rama means "one who is pleasant". (ramayatE iti ramaha )

Is this character a myth? Was Ayodhya (impenetrable) a mythical city? Was sita the wife of Rama a myth too? Well may be! But if you go by Tamil politician his holyshitness Karunanidhi
("From which engineering college did he graduate"), there is no record in any engineering college about Ram's admission! (Definitely not in IIT Madras! (Madirasu = in alcohol))

If you ask communists especially Budhadev Bhattacharya: "Ram was born in the imagination of poets and Ram Sethu is a natural formation under the sea". What is the primary source he is citing to prove his claim? [His imagination 2007, unpublished]. Some tell me that these communists are supposed to believe in science.

To me Rama is a man who defines the core of my identity.
Valmiki reports Rama to have told, "Aatmaanam Maanusham ManyE Raamam Dasharataatmajam" (I consider myself a human. I am Rama the son of Dasharatha.

{Dasharatha means one who could ride chariot in 10 directions - you know 8 directions and other two are UP and DOWN} {Oh NRI friends, stop being smart. He could not drive in 6 others directions, do not bring in the coordinate geometry here. I know you have high expectations min d you he was not Shodasharatha!)

Weather Rama was part of history or mythology does not matter. I am student of science and thus only thing I can say is "we do not know". But what matters is this 'hate', and 'vandalism' to satisfy their egos and what not.

I said Hi Ram! Just wanted to say Hi! you know.
~rAGU

Libertarian Paternalism

Oh ya, a fancy name for what most parents do. (read the original paper here)

Watch the wonderful video of the lecture by Barry Schwartz. This sounded to me like a typical Indian philosophy lecture: Why less is more - the paradox of choice. Yama, the first part of the astanga yoga (-- Patanjali)

1. Ahimsa
2. Satya
3. Asteya
4. Brahmacharya
5. Aparigraha: keeping only as much essential.
   

"You love doing X and get more money in Y. Go for X", he says. Happiness is not a function of achievement; it is relative to expectation.
No objections boss ; you are right.

~rAGU

Robert Hawkins and Stephen Hawking

Why am I doing this? I am doing this becasue I am enraged. Boiling is the right word actually. But people make tea out of boiling liquids, these days. So let us talk coolly.

Here is the profile of Stephen Hawking and then we have the profile of Robert Howkins. You know Hawking but the latter is not so well known. Well, he was a teenager, like I was a decade ago, who shot and killed 8 people (like I did not). Now se this: Guns Germs and Steel. (Ignore that white man's burden)

Now read this: USA Heavily Armed Soceity. Also this: Common Sense :). What do you think? Not so common these days. Read this USA Gun Statistics! Hilaious is't it. So be it. Everyone wants to laugh and do nothing about guns!

My common sense says something else. NO ONE NEEDS GUNS. We can protect by dissarming. We can fight if we arm ourselves.

Coming soon:
Liberals - A combo burger of political and economical philosophies with the heavy indulgence topping and enough unreasonable ego sauce), I am gonna tear you in to pieces!

~rAGU

free_culture

Lessig speaks:

http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html

The punch line. "It's not about right or left, it is about right or wrong"!

[1] http://www.eff.org/

[2] http://www.publicknowledge.org/

[3] http://lessig.org/

[4] http://eldred.cc/