Spleen

When you lose your spleen, I think it further reiterates my view that NFL football has become a violent sport and needs some major changes. There is an obsession with size (he is a 6' 10'' 275 pound linebacker) that I think is unhealthy.

Bill Clinton on Fox News

I really don't know why the question set him off on a tirade during his interview with Chris Wallace from Fox News on Sunday. I thought the question was a legitimate one from Wallace. Even if you think it is a setup, just answer the question on the merits and move on. As usual, the left is going ga-ga over the interview and Clinton's passionate response, while the right is spewing vitriol.

And while we are on Fox News, I really don't understand why people question the news worthiness of the network. I believe that mainstream media is dominated by liberals and progressives. So I think there is a void in the political and intellectual discourse in this country that Fox identified and has exploited expertly. There is no question that Fox leans right, but I'd argue that the rest of the mainstream media leans left. Fox is an effective counterbalance and indeed one that was long overdue. We shouldn't be afraid of diverse opinion that covers the entire political spectrum. My point is that there is room for everybody. Once we realize that, we'd stop taking potshots at Fox.

Familiar Story

The Indian cricketers failed once again to measure up to a hostile Australian pace attack in the one-dayer in Malaysia. On pitches that have some juice in them, the Indians have repeatedly shown that they lack the technique to bat well. Next years World Cup in the Carribean will be played on slow pitches which in theory should suit the Indians. The troubling thing is that on this years tour to the West Indies, they faltered badly in the one-dayers and it appeared that the slowness of the pitches was a factor in their losses.

India next play in the Champions Trophy to be held in India. Playing on placid pitches in India, I expect them to hit some form and win some games. That will at least put the smile back on Indian fans, but it should fool no one. We have yet to prove that we can be a formidable team on foreign soil and on bouncy pitches.

Internet ad revenues

When I was interviewing at Google, I did some research on what the size of the internet ad space was. This article sums it up. The figures quoted there are just for the first half of the year. The local yellow pages industry is a 14 billion dollar industry. It's no wonder that the big search giants want to get into that space as well.

Astonishing

A batsman in a local league hit 353 in a 45-over match. Unbelievable!

Katie Couric

Why did they spend so much time and space writing about her debut as the CBS anchor? Isn't she just reading text off a teleprompter and getting paid a lot to do it? Reminds me of a cartoon I saw back in school. It had a drawing of Diane Sawyer on one side and a police officer on the other. The box with Diane said: "Hi, I am Diane Sawyer and I get paid $2 mil to read text from a teleprompter." The one with the officer said: "Hi, I keep criminals off the street and I get paid $40k." Misplaced priorities?

Nancy Grace

I just can't stand Nancy Grace. Every time, I see her on T.V., I have to quickly banish her from the screen. Don't you think she has an unfortunate wicked look on her face? It sure turns me off.

Robert Byrd

Spotted this in Robert Novak's newsletter assessing various Senate and House re-election races this November:

As long as he lives through November, he will win re-election, and win big

It's either batting or bowling

The Indian cricketers can do only one thing right: they can either bowl well or bat good, but not both in the same game. Unfortunately, it takes some good bowling, backed up by good batting to win matches.

They bowled well against the Aussies the other night, but faltered in reply. Fortunately the rain gods intervened and saved India from certain defeat. Last night, the Indian batsmen were pathetic and folded meekly for a paltry 162 against the West Indies. In reply, the West Indians after a bright start, collapsed, apparently eager to show that nobody can compete with them in the department of wretched batting.

Reprieved by the West Indians, the Indians still harbor hopes of making the final. But if they display the same inconsistent form against the Aussies, who they face next, they might as well pack up and leave for home right now.

Chavez and Noam Chomsky

That's hilarious - Chavez holding up Noam Chomsky's book as required reading during his speech to the U.N.

Should we modify the Geneva Convention?

When two former Secretarys of State publicly oppose the Bush plan of "clarifying" the Geneva Convention, then its time to re-evaluate the plan. Colin Powell and George Shultz were quoted in the WashingtonPost yesterday explaining their opposition.

I think the concern is that other nations might take the U.S. lead and "clarify" parts of the Geneva Convention that may among other things allow them to torture and mistreat POWs in future wars. This I think is a valid concern. If this was a U.S. law that needed modification, I don't think you'd have seen nearly the opposition that we have seen regarding this. The Geneva Conventions on the other hand are a set of rules that the entire comity of nations abide by in times of war, and if one nation were to modify them, then every other nation can be expected to follow suit.

I think the prudent approach is to leave the Geneva Conventions alone, and find an alternative method to ferret out the information from these terrorists, legally. I am sure there are many brilliant lawyers in Washington D.C., who are quite capable of making this possible.

Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup begins this Friday at the K Club in Ireland, pitting an inexperienced American team against a strong European contingent. The Americans have been tagged as the underdogs, and they hope that it'll take some of the pressure off them. Team chemistry is a big part of who wins the Ryder Cup, and in the recent past the Europeans have gelled as a team when it matters the most, unlike the Americans. Here's hoping that the Americans can fire on all cylinders and win back the Cup this year.

Space tourist

This Iranian woman has coughed up $20 mil - no kiddn' - for a 10-day trip to space. The Russians seem to be big into space tourism, and a large part of it I guess is that the Russians space program is hard up for cash and they'll gladly take whatever money they can get.

What'd I do if I have $20 mil of spare change lying around the house? I'd spend it on some program that provides healthcare for the poor and the un-insured. No one should suffer because they can't afford to pay for a doctors visit; certainly no one in a nation as rich and prosperous as the United States . That's where I'd invest the money.

Finding an activity outside of work

I have been thinking lately that it is extremely important for everybody to find an activity outside of work that can be enriching, rewarding and pleasureable.

Right out of college, I was energetic and exuberant about going to work. I had a point to prove, both to myself and my employers and therefore I invested considerable time and energy and immersed myself at work. But after you have been through the grind for a decade or so, the enthusiasm starts to wane and wither; there are periods of time when work is interesting and other periods when you struggle to leave home for work or just can't wait for the day to end.

I think in those rough time, a hobby can ease things, because it is something to fall back on. On a personal level, I am actively trying to get involved with several NGOs whose mission appeals to me. This gives me a chance to do something that I believe is important, while also giving me great satisfaction. It is also a chance to meet a diverse set of people from all walks of life, making it an enriching experience.

This morning, I read the Sept. 19th entry in the Daily Drucker. And in a startling coincidence, Peter Drucker - the great management guru - makes the very same point, of course with more eloquence than I can.

Setting a low bar

I was surfing channels a couple of nights ago, and I saw a story on Nicole Ritchie; apparently she has written a book. They showed her at a book store signing books for fans. Standing giddily in front of her were a couple of kids - no more than eight years old - and I actually heard them say: "We love you, we want to be like you!"

And I thought: "What a low bar to set for oneself in life?"

College Football

My Florida Gators just about managed to sneak past the Tennessee Volunteers: 21-20. It was a thrilling game to watch. Actually there were a bunch of good games on Saturday and lots of upsets too.

Great

"Great" is the most over-used adjective in sport. This weekend, I counted umpteen times when commentators used "great" to describe an athlete. They are not "great"; they are "good". The great ones earn that sobriquet over a lifetime of achievement; not with one play in a young, still fledgling career. These athletes are good; greatness awaits them, at the end of a long journey.

Control Room

This is a documentary on the Arab news channel, Al-Jazeera. It covers the time between the buildup to the war in Iraq and ends on the day when pictures of folks toppling Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad were splashed across TV screens.

It is clear from the documentary that the journalists working for Al-Jazeera betray a heavy bias in favour of their fellow Arabs; they are all opposed to the war; they are distrustful of the information that the U.S. Army dispenses in press conferences; they all desperately want Saddam to stand up to the America and fight and win; when Baghdad falls, they are amazed when not a single Iraqi army officer is visible. I am not sure if that is the ideal environment under which one can operate a truly fair journalistic enterprise.

But it is also clear that in covering the story, they raise some troubling questions that more often than not irk and incense their American interlocutors, who are used to spinning their story in the American media, relatively unquestioned. One such instance is when their correspondent in Baghdad is killed by a U.S. military strike. It is clearly seen as a sign by the U.S. to intimidate the news channel and another instance of American double-standards, where its practise is far different from what it preaches.

There is also a dichotomy that is best explained when one of the Al-Jazeera producers says that if he were to be offered a job by Fox News, he would take it. He explains that he has dreams and aspirations for his kids and once they grow up, he will send them to America for further study and adds: "Then they will stay there!" In his mind, the American bully epitomized by its foreign policy is now transformed into the American Dream, where an Arab can flourish and live in peace. I found that a startling contradiction on so many levels.

This documentary, regardless of your views of the war, is a good watch.

A Judge says Saddam is not a dictator

What do you make of this? Isn't that similar to saying to a thief, No! you are not a thief!

A Painful conversation

I got suckered into talking to a HR person from a startup that I had no interest in. Of course, I have to take the blame for not standing my ground and refusing to do it. The recruiter on top of it failed to fill me in on the company and didn't know what positions they were hiring for. That didn't sit too well with the HR person when I talked to her this morning. I am guessing that the recruiter will get an earful from her.

The company has a niche search engine that is targeted to developers and lets them search and browse for code. I didn't get the rationale for such a specialized search engine. Won't somebody get the same results by googling or yahooing? The HR person said that their search is better. Well, I didn't think that was a strong argument.

I was asked to name what was the latest technical book I had read. I replied that it was Java Puzzlers. I flipped through it on a recent visit to Borders; that counts right? Reminds me: I got to buy an XQuery book. I heard that this one is pretty good; it seems to be a bit dated though. Well, maybe that doesn't matter. The XQuery 1.0 spec has been in floating since 2003 and it is still not a standard; and I don't think it has changed much over the years.

I was also asked what my strengths were. That one always gets me. I need to practise and memorize a good answer

Air conditioners

Why do people run their ACs when all they have to do is open the door and window and let some cool breeze in? I'll concede that today was hot, with the temperature hitting 99 in the afternoon, but if you open some doors and windows, you'll be surprised by how nice it is outside tonight. It doesn't seem to matter to my neighbors though, who seem to be intent on running their ACs all night. I guess they are just not fazed by huge utility bills.

iPod Nano

I am excited about the new iPod nanos announced today by Apple. I would like to get me the 2GB nano which is priced to sell for $149. I think I'll require one of those armbands so that I can wear it to the gym. And maybe one of those FM tuners, which allows you to listen to FM radio on the iPod.

But the practical person I am :-), I think I'll wait until these appear on Amazon, which usually prices them lower. It's still a toss-up between the Creative Zen V Plus (which still hasn't appeared in US Stores) and the iPod nano. The Creative Zen has the FM recording feature that allows you to record radio shows, which I think is a very useful feature. The downside is their poor support for podcasts; in comparison iTunes makes subscribing and syncing to podcasts a breeze.

I think I'll wait another month before deciding what to buy.

The Sentinel review

This movie rehashes a familiar plot: the life of an American President is in peril and this time the danger lies in his own backyard. With a plot like this, you know how the movie will end, thereby shortcircuiting the suspense.

This is a movie I'd recommend, only, if you have exhausted all other options at your local video store; otherwise, I'd pass.

Don't make it personal

Sean Penn and the Dixie Chicks are reported in the media, to be calling President Bush names.
One can disagree with policy, but I fail to understand the urge to make it personal. In a nation as diverse as ours, we are bound to disagree, but can we do it in a civilized way please?

The Raiders

Both the Bay Area teams lost this weekend suggesting that this could be a long year for their fans. The 9'ers at least gutted it out and lost by a touchdown to the Arizona Cardinals. No such fight from the Raiders, who were blanked 27-0 by a very good Chargers team.

The weak link in the Raiders offense appears to be their new quaterback, Aaron Brooks, who they signed in the off-season. In the few minutes I watched the game last night, he was sacked at least three times and couldn't connect with a receiver on each of his throws. Peter King of CNNSI in a column, predicted Brooks would be a disappointment; Brooks, last night, seemed to be on a mission to prove him right. In the end, he was yanked and replaced by his backup, but by then the game had gone away from the Raiders.

Here's to a long season for Bay Area football fans.

9/11

Five years ago, I was in bed, when my wife (then fiance) called me from Chicago around six in the morning. She was driving to work and had switched on her car radio. "Turn on the TV, quick!", she said. I did and watched in horrified agony as I saw the towers crumble. It took a while for me to grasp what had happened, but one thing was apparent: the world had change irrevocably in that instant.

At work that day, we gathered together on hallways and talked about what had unfolded, with disbelief. What I had considered to be firmly in the realm of fiction, had instead been turned into an act of obscene violence by a group of madmen. Not only had they created mindless mayhem, they had changed the status quo and ensured that the way of life we took for granted would wear wrinkles, the kind we had not known.

My admiration to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and my sympathies to the men and women who lost their loved ones on that hateful day.

Tiger Woods at the Open

Was that Tiger Woods in Swede Roger Federer's corner at the US Open tennis tournament? Shouldn't he be rooting for fellow American Andy Roddick instead?

NFL season

The NFL season begins today much to the delight of rabid NFL fans. Lately I have been turned off by the game of pro-football. The game according to me, celebrates selfishness and showmanship more than skill and talent. If you watch a telecast, you'll find the commentators devoting lots of time and raving about a defensive player levelling a member of the offense with a vicious hit. They'll repeat the play over and over again and then use the most overused adjective in sports - "great" - in hailing the guy who made the hit. It just drives me nuts and I make my madness known the only way I know - by turning off the TV. I'll follow the scores, and catch the highlights on T.V., but won't waste my time watching a full game.

Btw, I noticed that James Brown is on CBS. He was the host of the football show on Fox, but I guess moved over to CBS. I still find the Fox show the funniest and the most entertaining of the lot - isn't Terry Bradshaw hilarious? Joe Buck is the new host. I hope that doesn't mean he won't be doing baseball telecasts anymore. Joe Buck is my favorite baseball commentator; he has a great voice and presence and makes a superb team with Tim McCarver. We'll know in a few weeks.

I heard Phil Simms on the Don Imus show and he said he had a rough off-season. Don Imus asked him what happened and he replied that he had put on 20 pounds in the off-season. I wonder what he looks like now.

Update: What was that on NBC on Sunday night? I didn't know that they were telecasting Sunday night games. And did you watch their pre-game and halftime show? It certainly looked to me like Costas, Collinsworth, Sharpe and Bettis were sitting a mile apart from each other. Get together guys and have some fun. After watching today's show, I still think the Fox's is the show to watch.

Google

I interviewed at Google earlier this year and after a two month interview process was turned down. On Thursday, I met a friend who I have a lot of respect for both as a person and an engineer. He told me that he went through a similar grind last year and met the same fate. I hate to admit it, but I took some solace from the fact that a friend who was clearly a better candidate than me met the same fate as I did.

How to make an American Quilt

I didn't know Maya Angelou acted in a film; she does in this film. I have seen her on TV, and everytime I see her, I am struck by the pained look on her face and expect her to break out crying, which she never does.

This is a chick flick, but nevertheless a chick flick with a story to tell. All too often, most of us end up wondering what's on the other side of the pasture. We have all been guilty of this trip, at sometime in our lives; not unhappy with the present, but yet curious about what may lie ahead. Wynona Ryder's character is one such woman caught in a world of ideas that reach for the forbidden fruit, when there is plenty to savor at home. Her support group - a bunch of elderly women who have trodden down the same path and have tales to share - help her sift the wheat from the chaff.

All in all, a good watch.

Born into Brothels review

This film won an Academy Award for the best documentary in 2004 and it is definitely worth watching. In this compelling documentary, Zana Briski, a photojournalist, trains her camera on the children of the red light district in Calcutta. I was mostly struck by the uncommon wisdom of kids who are as young as ten. They possessed such a calm, philosophical view of their plight, that it left me speechless. Zana's mission is to give these children hope, and she does it by teaching them photography. Given a chance to unleash their creative spirit, the children produce some amazing photographs.

If you watch a documentary this year, make sure it is this one.