Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Global Warming

Interesting reads.

- Science Mag
- NASA

- Real Climate - (more)

- (even more)

Am not sure what to make of the noise in Washington, dismissing the existence of global warming, but it sure smells more like rotten eggs, much like the rotten eggs that are stinking up Kansas with its intelligent-design as Science crap. Thank God I am not a teacher.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Coming soon to a house near you...

Kids gone wild.

Unruly. Out-of-control. Loud.

Parents wringing hands.

Doomsday for families.

Really? Maybe. Read more.

Paging Mrs and Mr Cosby! You are wanted in Help-me-my-kid-is-wild aisle for clean-up.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Tourists' harming India's health

'Tourists' harming India's health

Again, the question is...is anybody listening?

"It is time for the government to pay more attention to improving the health of Indians rather than to enticing foreigners from affluent countries with offers of low cost operations and convalescent visits to the Taj Mahal"

Ouch.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Irreverence

indiacorporatewatch

India's answer to Jon Stewart and The Daily Show? Blah...couldn't care less or more. But for sure, it is cut of the same irreverent cloth as Jon Stewart. Maybe both were knit and yarned at Tiruppur or Surat!

As a middle-of-the-roader, I can see how some of the imagery and portrayals may be hideously offensive or insensitive to people. But, hey, if people are going to listen only when they see over-the-top portrayals, then, so-be-it.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Whaaa....?

A six-week old news item on the Beeb (BBC). Here.

Sounds like reforms in the Indian prison system. Progress, right? But then, it does sound like a self-defeatist concept. Not sure if I want my tax monies being spent this way.
Oh wait. I dont yet pay taxes in India! Oh well, I still am not sure I like the idea, as progressive as it may sound or really be.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Spanish, Press # to repeat the options again.

Its here. Finally.

Elaborately listed workarounds for the Integrated Voice Response systems that always seem to wall us out of speaking to a customer service rep.

Based on the list..hooray to Amazon.com and Southwest.
You can be forgiven if you dial their numbers directly, and get to speak to a live person, and scream "Its Alive!"

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Can you trust Wikipedia?

From the recent pages of Guardian Unlimited.

Judge for yourself. Here.

To be fair though, the "test" isn't entirely balanced, nor is it a really objective test (i.e., no reference is made of whether the Wiki content was referenced against an actual published encyclopedic note). But the overall tenor of the news item just points out to the obvious.

Wiki is WIP. Work In Progress.

Friday, November 04, 2005

"World Champs" no more.

Apparently, the San Antonio Spurs have decided that their winning the NBA title makes them just that - NBA Champions, not World Champions. And who could argue with their case? Not when they employ two players from Argentina, that are the legitimate claimants to the title of World Champs. Atleast the Olympic World Champ.

Maybe, its high time that the champions of the NFL and MLB also gave up on the pretension of World Champion, and called it for what it really is - League Champion. Especially with MLB working toward the concept of a Baseball World Cup. But till that time, I will definitely take the direction that my Spurs are going in. Now, if only someone could drill this sense into the talking heads over at ESPN.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Straight from Cheapshots-ville.

/. had a link to the Singularity project of Microsoft. Clicking it brought this dreaded "nice" error trap page. And that is our image, from Cheapshots-ville.


Yes, a cheap-shot. An ungrateful cheap-shot. Especially when I love everything they are doing with Visual Studio.NET. And yet, what is life if you dont debase yourself, and join the chorus in taking potshots at Microsoft, the behemoth? This is an image capture of an attempt to view the page of the Singularity project of Microsoft, touted as an attempt at dependability over performance. And this error is proof why the concept is more relevant than ever. Posted by Picasa

(Same-day editor note: As of 2 pm MST, the link is working. Must be one of those curious "not-even-a-day-long" viruses that web-servers can contract on a daily basis.)