Ding Ding..

Dudes,

Am planning to spend a little while back at LJ, as have some revamping plans in mind. For now visit me there.

~ Ankur.

PS1: Anshuk, got SV from the US of A [via Sis]
PS2: Anshuk, as am anyway away for a while, will change colour once am back :D

Book update (long due)..

Books I read in recent past:

1. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
2. A Tale of the Unexpected (and other stories) – Roald Dahl
3. Reverse Sweep (Confessions of a Cricket Junkie) – Gautam Bhimani
4. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman – Richard P. Feynman
5. Love Story – Erich Segal
6. Chariots of the Gods: Was God an Astronaut? – Erich Von Daniken
7. Phatik Chand – Satyajit Ray

Ones I gave up mid-way:

1. Who says Elephants Can’t Dance
2. Freakonomics
3. Tipping Point
4. India after Independence: 1947-2003

So I've realized that I can read only fiction (almost). Rest, I take up with a lot of enthu, but give up half way. Not good, not good. Also I am learning to read multiple books at a time. So, the ones I am reading now include: The Amul India Story and Satanic Vxxxxs. I do not name the book as I am told it is illegal to even own a copy bought from another country in India. Really? I am surprised that such a thing would happen in India. It is ok to ban from publication and distribution, but banning reading? Daya. I don't think the information is true. However, I am a law-abiding soul, so shall not name what is not to be named :D

~ Ankur.

Since last..

Quite a few things have happened since I last wrote:

A certain Mr. India decided to tie the knot. Contrary to all expectations he is happily married already, despite claims from some circles about him being a polygamist. And just as the whole world conspires for something great, it did so again, and one of the few great men is all set to conquer the world of sport (rather, the law, humanities and management of sport) and I eagerly await my first set of tickets to Olympics, World Cups, and the rest.

A few months back, the musician inside me got a big kick, when I got a full-blown seven piece drum kit as a birthday gift. I have managed to tame only one beat in all these months, but then I am sure slow and steady win most of the races. And yes, one of the best things to happen were that a streetcar named Swift entered life, and made me feel richer. No more raindrops falling on my head. It’s great, and that’s all I have to say about that. What more – I switched jobs. As in, I switched my own job. Whatmore kept his (or so I believe). I think it was a good decision after these couple of months, lest all this traveling bit. But I ain’t complaining yet.

~ Ankur.

Project Managers..

About ten months back, I had described project managers as this -

I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.

And today, when I am a project manager myself, I accidentally found that my Orkut profile reads the same :D

Life is just a great leveller!

~ Ankur

Old pals..

Life just sucks, dude!

Yeah dude, life just sucks.

Right.

Great.

Patriotism Vs Humanity..

So what is patriotism? Why be patriotic? Is it necessary? Is it good? Does patriotism stand against humanity?

If there were 100 people from your nation dying, and 101 from another, and suppose you had the option to save only one bunch, whom would you save? The 100 from your country, or the 101 from some other? What does patriotism say? What does humanity say? If you chose to save the 101, are you not patriotic? If you chose the 100, is that an act of humanity?

For that matter, had it even been 100 and 100, what would you have done?

~ Ankur.

Discussion on life, future, and career

So dude, why do you wanna do what you wanna do?

Coz dude, I just wanna do it.

End of discussion.

And in the end, it just turned out to be a bad day. Just a bad day.

Things come and go, ideas come and go - as grown ups say.

~ Ankur.

Better..

It's been a long long time.

And finally I feel better. Much much better.

~ Ankur.

Random..

News and Analysis..

The Other Side..

Yes, please?

Golden..

Hide and Seek..

Insignificant me (or Technorati sucks?)..

Now when I usually start with a new project, I invariably search on Technorati before Google, to check if some bloggie dude has written some wise words on my subject. I have found success very rarely though, and have always wondered why.

So when I was spending some time on Technorati today, I tried to test how extensive its search is. So I took a few strings from the posts I have made in the past few days and searched on it. And well, it seems Technorati doesn't know me at all. I do not figure anywhere with them. And I went till the last page every time. And mind you, I am a registered user with them, all with my blog claimed and all. And still, still my friends, it does not recognize me at all.

Why, Technorati? Why why? Am I utterly insignificant to you? Or is it that you suck big time? I tried searching strings from some good (I mean well read) blogs, and again it turned blank results.

And I used to be so sure that it covered a whole lot of blogosphere. So, is it that blogosphere still remains largely unexplored? Reasons, anybody?

~ Ankur.

I need more important things in life..

I have started to blog more these days. And I read more of others' blogs too. So is it because I have more time now in life to do that? Do I have a relatively relaxed time these days? No, not at all. It's very contrary to that. I am very cruched these days at work, from where I normally blog. In fact, I am staying here at work, so late at night, because I have to finish off a very important assignment by tomorrow.

So why am I sitting here and blogging? It is because my project is the most important thing right now on my mind. And hence, I am not doing it. I need something more important to be able to finish this off in time.

Don't understand all of this? Then you should read this thing on Structured Procrastination.

~ Ankur.

Achievement for the day..

I clocked under 5 minutes on today's Sudoku - my best timing yet :D

I admit, this one is really simple. But, whatever.

Yo!

~ Ankur.

Harold and Becky..

So I am doing some research on the US landline telephone industry, and I come across this. All my research summarized in this one hilarious blog entry.

To provide some background -

ILECS are the few large dominant telecom companies in the US with established networks. They rule. CLECs are small low-priced regional players with spots of network here and there, which even they have trouble to find. The Wannabes. Now, the '96 Telecom Act in the US asks ILECs to provide long-distance fiber to CLECs at slashed rates to bring competition in the market, and end the monopoly of these giants. Everyone hates each other - CLECs say ILECs do not cooperate, charge more, and blah. ILECs say it is forced competition, against free market, and other blah. And in this scenario, here goes - Harold and Becky's Excellent Telephone Adventure. An excerpt -

Over time, I speak to two Verizon vice presidents and get a phone call from the President of Verizon Maryland. They assure me that the fault lies with the evil CLEC, which misfiled the order, gave them the wrong address, wrong time zone, and possibly, used magic to shift their tech to another dimension. However, they promise that, assuming Cavalier does not join forces with Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden (which, Verizon tells me, CLECs have been known to do), they will have a tech out on April 7.

A long, but equally rewarding read. If patience really pays, it's here.

And on a slightly different and thoughtful note, I think one can relate Project Managers to this -

I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.

Yeah, Bruce.

~ Ankur.

Afterlife Telegrams..

So a certain Mr. Paul Kinsella has this great idea - a sure winner for creativity, if not for VCs. And it goes by the name Afterlife Telegrams.

So what does he do? Quite obvious - he sends telegrams for you to the dead people. How? Well, he gets hold of a messenger - actually a terminally ill person (basically, a person who you're sure will die) - and the messenger memorizes your message, dies, goes to heaven, finds your guy, and delivers the message. Neat.

And Washington Post already has him interviewed, and provides a great introduction it too -

Every so often someone gets an idea so brilliant and original that it becomes an instant phenomenon, guaranteeing its creator immeasurable wealth and a place in the pantheon of entrepreneurial geniuses. And then there are ideas like Paul Kinsella's.

Well, people do have their reservations about the success of the idea, and Paul is yet to find his first client - he already has a messenger ready, though! Excerpts from the interview [via Washington Post]:

Q: There are about 18 times as many dead people from all of time as there are people living on Earth today, not counting dead Neanderthals and Australopithecans, who might well have souls, albeit really scruffy ones. So the population of the afterlife would be at least 18 times larger than that of Earth. What makes you think that your messenger could even find the right person?

Paul: That's a good point. If it's all random and chaotic, that's gonna stop him. But we would hope that they have worked out some sort of registry.

Q: What if the Hindus are right and we are reincarnated as cows? And you'd have all these cows with elaborate AfterlifeTelegrams.com messages they are contractually obligated to deliver to other cows, but they have no way to do it. Imagine the frustration. Isn't that cruel?

Paul: I admit reincarnation might screw things up.

Q: What guarantee can you give that the terminally ill person won't be a prankster and deliver a subversive message, causing great consternation among the dead? For example, let's say the paid-for message is, "Mom, I love you." But the delivered message is, "Dad says he slept with your sister."

Paul: We will seek messengers of high moral character.

Absolutely! This guy rocks.

~ Ankur.