Mind Check

Why?

2009-05-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Why is Cheney all over the news defending the Bush Administration policies? Aren't his days in the sun over?

Just what I wanted to hear

2009-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Contrary to the notion that daydreaming is a sign of laziness, letting the mind wander can actually let the parts of the brain associated with problem-solving become active, a new study finds.

Bumper sticker for the day

2009-05-04T22:24:00.001-07:00

Be Veg, Go Green, Save the Planet.

Infosys

2009-05-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Some stats based on a talk that Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani gave in Chicago that I thought would be interesting to share.

Infosys was formed in 1981. From 1981 to 1992, their revenue grew from 0 to 4 million dollars. In 1991, India liberalized the economy and instituted several reforms that opened the Indian market. From 1992 to 1999, Infosys revenue's grew from 4 million to 120 million dollars. 1999 was when things really took off. From 1999 to 2004, their revenues grew to 1 billion and that doubled by the end of 2006. 2009 marks their twenty fifth year of doing business and they are set to reach 4 to 5 billion in revenues.

It is never as good...

2009-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

...as it seems or never as bad as it seems. That was what Obama said in his press conference on the 100 day mark of his administration, revealing his even-keeled, cool and calm approach to the issues facing this country. That to me was the standout line of the presser.

BTW, why all the hullabaloo about 100 days? Judge him a year or two from now. That will be a more realistic measure.

Milk

2009-05-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Finally got to watch Milk. Another great performance by Sean Penn. He never disappoints. As I saw the movie depict the tension surrounding the fight against Prop 6, I couldn't help draw parallels with the fight against Prop 8 waged in the recent election. What struck me was that thirty years later, the same divisions that existed in 1978 continue to prevail today and drive the debate on both sides of the issue.

Social Networking

2009-05-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

What's the deal with Twitter? Why is anybody interested in what I had for lunch today? The whole idea just doesn't make sense to me. As a close friend opined, Twitter just happens to be the flavor of the day. It is a passing fad. Will it still be fashionable to tweet next year this time?

10 years ago

2009-05-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

....we were in the midst of an Internet boom. Anybody with a computer and a business plan had a dot com that had either gone public or was about to go public. There were paper millionaires galore. The stock market was booming. I had friends who punched in the wrong stock symbols, bought the stock of a company that they had never heard of and still made money. Life was good!

Then the boom turned into a bust. What was unsustainable had to come crashing. Sanity prevailed or so we thought. But we hadn't accounted for how versatile greed can be.

The Internet boom was replaced by the housing boom. And ten years later, we find ourselves in a deeper pit.

Have we learnt a lesson? Perhaps this generation has, but history suggests we never will. So ten years from now, how many more boom and bust cycles will we have cycled through?

My guess is as good as yours

Itching for a fight already

2009-05-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

David Souter's resignation is not two days old, but the various protagonists on Capitol Hill are already suiting up for a battle. Add to that, Obama hasn't even made his pick and won't for another month at least. Gives you an idea of how polarized politics has become in this country.

Actually, I follow Indian politics having grown up there and if you want to talk polarized politics, then Indian politics takes the cake.

Forever

2009-05-03T15:01:00.001-07:00

The 2009 edition of the IPL tournament over is being held in South Africa. Is it me or the tournament just keeps going on and on. I think they need to cut the matches by half and get it done in fifteen days or risk over-exposure and lose cricket fans.

Picking up the thread.....

2009-05-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit has transpired since my last post. In a historic election, America elected its first black President. The economy has been wrecked by an earthquake of volcanic propotions. And in his first few months of office, the new President has had to make many momentous decisions that will decide not only the fate of his Presidency, but also that of the economy. In short, much water has flown under the bridge.

There is not much consensus among economists as to the right course of action. You have economists on the right calling for tax cuts as opposed to government spending to boost the economy. And you have an equal number on the left calling for government action to avert a full blown depression. When economists can't agree on the right solution, then it is fair to say no one really knows how this is all going to turn out in the end.

It is not uncommon these days to begin and end every conversation discussing the state of the economy and the adverse impact it has had on jobs and even the technology sector that I am a part of. This is a bad time to be out of a job and everybody is trying to cling on to the ones they have. BusinessWeek has an article of how slackers everywhere are suddenly working harder than never before.

One thing for sure is that this is going to get worse before it gets better.

McCain's coconut

2008-10-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

This election season, it has been disappointing to see McCain lurch from one extreme to the other as he desperately figures out a way to win on Nov. 4th. I have always had a high regard for him, in no small part because of his ability to speak his mind and buck his party. I thought highly of him, when he was unafraid to question the soundness of the Bush administration policy to win the war in Iraq on the cheap with limited troops. He was scathing in his questioning of Rumsfeld at a senate hearing on the issue.

But this election season, he seems to have taken leave of his senses and his approach has been temperamental and unbalanced. Perhaps the fact that he is being challenged by a Democrat whom he regards as ill-prepared and ill-suited for the White House, but who has been able to generate a lot of excitement with the masses has left him unhinged.

This election is still going to be close, but you can't help but feel that McCain with his constant lurches is losing it.

Buying TV channels

2007-10-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

I don't like being forced to subscribe to the Top 100 or Top 200 channels by my satellite provider. I can count the channels I watch on my fingertips and the vast majority I flip through. I'd like to see a model where I can pick and choose channels and build my own subscription. If I pick more, I should pay more, If I pick less, I should pay less. It should be akin to shopping at the grocery store. Sooner or later, somebody is going to offer this and if the current players don't adapt, they'll be toast.

Non-HD

2007-10-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started watching TV in HD, I just don't have the time for non-HD channels. Two TV stations broadcast news in HD and the other two don't. Guess what? I don't watch the two that are broadcast in non-HD. I don't know when was the last time I watched CNN or Fox News. It's time they started broadcasting in HD.

Is the surge working?

2007-10-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

This article in the WaPo doesn't make me more supportive of the war in Iraq, but it is the first good news in a long time. I hope that this is a sign that things are beginning to turn around.

Bush and GDP

2007-10-11T20:10:00.001-07:00

On the radio, I heard Bush talk about the federal deficit and say: "the deficit is now 1.2% of GDP". And the manner in which he said it gave me the impression that it was the first time he had ever heard of the term GDP!

Hillary

2007-10-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Given the marvelous job that the current administration is doing, I think the next election is for the Democrats to lose, and clearly Hillary has the best chance of securing the Democratic nomination. I am worried though about her polarizing effect. While she has been clearly the front runner in terms of raising campaign funds, she also has the dubious distinction of helping the opposition raise funds. I fear come October of next year, the Republicans will try to take advantage of her high negatives by blasting the airwaves with negative ads. That may essentially force people to make a choice based on fear and that can often turn out to be a recipe for disaster.

Why is this news?

2007-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

I don't quite fathom why this news item is "news"? Hasn't she been around the block more than once? I know the likes of Matt Lauer of NBC get paid millions to anchor news programs, but I'd hate to be in their shoes and have to deal with these kinds of stories first thing in the morning. I'd feel cheap and disgusted. But I guess I am not being paid millions and who knows how I'll feel if I am paid that kind of money to read from a teleprompter.

Florida vs LSU

2007-10-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

That was a good game, though it hurts to know that the Gators lost. The last turnover with twelve minutes to go was crucial. Had Florida not turned it over, they might have wrapped up the game. I kept thinking that the LSU coach had pulled the trigger once too often, but his maverick decision making payed off in the end.

Go Gators!

2007-10-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Florida seems to be struggling against a tough LSU defense. But the LSU offense are making mistakes as well and turning the ball over. I get nervous watching such games. I hope the Gators win!

Back....

2007-10-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

.....in circulation. I hope to post more regularly in the future

Jaded

2007-04-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

...by the long schedule of the Cricket World Cup that concluded yesterday with yet another Australian triumph. I was hoping that Sri Lanka would turn the tables, but the Australians proved yet again that they really are the best team in the World today.

Lame

2007-04-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

...is what George Tenet's book is. If he was really appalled by how the Bushies misused information to make the case for the War, then he should have resigned right then and there. Instead he kept silent and provided his stamp of approval. As late as Dec. 2004, he unashamedly accepted the highest civilian award that a President can bestow: the Medal of Freedom. Now he sings a different tune. Mr Tenet: it is a little too late for you to wash your hands off this. You will go down in history as another feckless individual, who failed to stand up when it counted!

Enough

2007-04-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

Back in 2002 and 2003, I bought the view of this administration, that Iraq posed an imminent threat. I supported the war and the overthrow of Saddam. I still think the world is better off without him in power. But I think we have overstayed our welcome in Iraq. We are in the midst of a civil war and our continued presence will only be detrimental to the long term prospects of peace in that part of the world. We ought to get out and let the Sunnis and Shia's settle this amongst themselves. If dividing Iraq is the answer to longterm peace between the two communities, so be it. Let's get out of there and cut our losses. I don't buy the argument that Iraq will go to pieces if we leave. We have been there 5 years and even our presence doesn't stop the daily occurrence of violence. It's time to leave!

Bill O'Reilly vain defense

2007-04-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Papa Bear tries to defend himself against accusations that he "threatened dissenters" in the leadup to the Iraq War. These accusations were part of Bill Moyer's program on PBS that you can watch online. O'Reilly clarifies the context in which he made his remarks. But to me they sound to me like verbal threats against anyone who didn't agree with his view, don't they?

Virginia Tech

2007-04-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tragic! My heart goes out to the families of those who died and were hurt in this senseless violence. I doubt if something like this could have been avoided. This was the act of a troubled boy who was bedeviled by demons.

My thoughts

2007-02-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

I am excited about the prospect of Barack Obama running for President. I am afraid though that he may have peaked too early. It'll be hard to keep this image right through '07 and '08
I don't know what to make of Hillary's candidacy. Her hectoring style may prove to be a major disadvantage
I liked John McCain once, but his stance on the war makes me reluctant to support him at the moment. But '08 is still a long way away.
I think we should give Mitt Romney a chance to make his case - not dismiss him because he is a Mormon. I am wary though of his shifting stance on gay rights and abortion - he supported it in '94 and 12 years later is singing a different tune. People can change, but can he explain this evolution in his thinking convincingly?
John Edwards I think is still fighting a losing battle.

Anna Nicole Smith

2007-02-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Do we really have to endure wall to wall coverage of her death? As far as I can tell, her only claim to fame was marrying a 90 year old guy who was clearly out of his wits. Why do we have to spend so much time on something so inconsequential and inane?

Superbowl

2007-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Watched it on HDTV at a friends place. Another disappointment. The last game that came close to being a contest was the one between the Rams and the Titans. I am glad though that Peyton and Tony Dungy got to win a ring. No one deserves it more than Tony Dungy and when nice things happen to good people, it is always a happy event.

Colts vs Patriots

2007-01-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

Great game! I wanted Peyton Manning to win, but was afraid Tom Brady would mount one of those last minute drives that stole victory from defeat. Fortunately, it wasn't to be and hopefully Peyton will get to win a Superbowl ring

The Day After

2006-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

Last night's results are testimony to the vibrancy of the democratic spirit. For me, the main issue was the war in Iraq and I think it was the same for many folks across the country. The current crowd was just not getting it done and had proved incapable of adjusting to the new reality of a failed mission. For that they needed to be punished and last night the American electorate handed them a resounding kick in the butt.

Today's announcement of Rumsfeld's resignation is a step in the right direction.

Do you want America to win?

2006-10-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

If you listen to talk radio, you'll find this adminstrations sympathizers repeatedly invoke the "do you want America to win?" line to put of their inquisitors. What kind of a loony question is that?

Of course we want America to win. But tell me exactly how this adminstration is going about ensuring that America wins this war. Is it by never planning carefully to win the peace in Iraq once Baghdad fell back in '03? Is it by using fewer troops than necessary when it was clear to all and sundry that we were shorthanded in Iraq? Is it by having an incompetent Defense Secretary who is arrogant and so sure of himself that his various mistakes go unpunished? Tell me exactly, how you are going about winning this war.

The question itself is misleading. It is an attempt to divert attention from their own ineptness and instead turn the light on inconsequential verbal jousts.

Election '06

2006-10-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Election day is not far off with the mainstream media (MSM) claiming that polls show it will be a bad day for the Republicans. I am not so sure. I get the feeling that people have enough doubt in their minds to not trust the Democrats on national security issues. In my mind, its time for a change. I thing the central issue on the table is Iraq. We went in there with good intentions; this was a winnable war, but was screwed up by an inept administration that failed to plan ahead and executed poorly. For that they must pay the price of defeat at the hustings. I still cannot believe that Rumself heads the DOD. He should have gone long ago. Give up that "I serve at the request of the President.." drill is what I'd say to him. His arrogance and refusal to own up to mistakes is unbelievable.

I believe in small government, low taxes and freedom of the market. Those traditionally have been values that conservatives and Republicans have stood by. But the crowd in Washington swears by a more extreme ideology that makes me uneasy. Should they win this election season, I am afraid that the same guys who are the architects of the prevailing mess in Iraq will preside over our policy toward Iran. They have done such a great job with Iraq; imagine what they'll do with Iran.

It's time to send these folks a message: we have had enough of this nonsense; we need a fresh start, even if it means two years of gridlock between a Democratic legislature and a Republican executive.

Detroit Tigers

2006-10-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

The A's flattered to deceive yet again. They were swept by a very good Detroit Tigers team that nobody expected to reach the World Series after years of inept performances. Hats off to them and best wishesS

State of Denial

2006-10-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

If you have been paying any attention to the news, then you know that the latest work of Bob Woodward titled "State of Denial" has touched off a furor in Washington. This is Woodward's third book on the Bush Administration; his two previous books were well received by the White House and cast a favorable light on the Bush Adminstration. When the second book came out, the White House actively suggested that people should pick up a copy and read it.

This third book is critical of the Bush Adminstration and the President himself and has the White House on the defensive. From the little that I have read in excerpts, it portrays the President and his war council as out of touch with reality.

Woodward has a reputation for doing endless hours of research and interviewing his sources extensively. His sources tend to be the main players at a given moment in time, who surprisingly provide him access to documents and notes that otherwise would never see the day of light. His latest book has forced some of his sources to go on TV and deny some of the statements and actions attributed to them in the book.

Which brings me to this question that puzzles me. How come these sources agree to speak to Woodward in depth in the first place? Don't they know that anything and everything they say can be published? Why do something voluntarily and then deny it later? Won't it be better not to provide access at all? How does Woodward manage to persuade these folks to talk in the first place?

The baseball playoffs

2006-10-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

My Oakland A's will battle the Minnesota Twins starting tomorrow in the AL playoffs. Minnesota is a tough place to play, and the A's will have to fire on all cylinders to advance to the next round. It should make for a very interesting series. The Twins are favored to win, but you never know when it comes to the playoffs. Here's hoping the A's make a run to the World Series.

Spleen

2006-09-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

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

Katie Couric

2006-09-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

"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

2006-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

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

A Painful conversation

2006-09-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

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.

MP3 player

2006-08-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for an MP3 player ever since my iPod shuffle died. The shuffle was a gift I received at work and I used it while working out at the gym. I listen to podcasts mainly and the shuffle was ideal for that kind of use. A month ago, it just died on me while I was working out. Researching on the web, I found out numerous folks have had a similar experience; Apple replaces shuffles within the warranty period, no questions asked; if you are outside your warranty period, then repairs cost as much as a brand new shuffle; mine was beyond the warranty period and repairing it just didn't make sense.

So I began by looking for a new MP3 player by checking the reviews on CNET. My requirements were pretty simple; I wanted something that had a display, which would make it easier to skip to a particular podcast; doing this on a shuffle - which lacked a display - had been a frustrating experience. I wanted something that was as easy to use as an iPod, especially when it came to syncing podcasts; iTunes does a fabulous job of subscribing and syncing to podcasts and I wanted the same ease of use. I also thought that the FM radio and recording capabilities were handy features and would allow me to listen to my favorite radio shows or even record them for later listening.

I narrowed down my search to the MP3 players by Creative and Sandisk and I was very close to buying a Creative Zen Micro Photo. Fortunately a friend bought a Creative Zen Nano recently and I asked him how he liked it. My friend, like me, uses his MP3 player to listen to podcasts and his shuffle like mine had died while working out at the gym.

I sat with him recently to find out what the user experience was with his Creative Zen Nano. Just listening to him explain the whole process of syncing podcasts was confusing. There were so many steps involved that he found it exasperating. Both of us had been spoiled by the ease with which iTunes synced podcasts, that we found Creative's cumbersome process frustrating. I came away thinking that the Creative MP3 player was not for me.

Later on the web, I read many folks say that iTunes is the best out there when it comes to subscribing and syncing. Though I like the FM radio and recording feature of the non-iPod MP3 players, given my usage pattern, I think an iPod is still the best MP3 player for me.

I think I'll end up buying the iPod nano. If you believe rumors, then Apple will update the nano either in Sept. or Nov. and I am going to hold off buying until then. Hopefully they will drop the price as well.

Brainwashed? Part two

2006-08-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

Now to the situation in Israel.

My first reaction is that Israel has every right to defend itself against acts of unprovoked aggression. Hezbollah entered Northern Israel unprovoked; they killed eight soldier and captured two; if that is not an act of aggression, I don't know what is.

Part of Hezbollahs strategy - spurred obviously by Iran and Syria, its main underwriters - was to test the relatively new Prime Minister of Israel. Olmert ran, after his mentor Ariel Sharon was incapacitated by a stroke, and was elected four months ago. Unlike previous Prime Ministers, Olmert, lacks the military credentials of his predecessors, and it is my view that Hezbollah wanted to test his resolve by launching the attack.

I therefore cannot understand how people can be critical of a nation that elects to defend itself. What would France do if they were attacked with no provocation? Would they sit by quietly and believe they were deserving of it?

I can understand, however, criticism about the severity and the extent to which Israel has retaliated. The images from Qana, where a building housing children was bombed, resulting in deaths hurts Israel.

It is clear today, that Israel miscalculated the severity with which they chose to respond. The scary thing is that after almost three weeks, Hezbollah looks far from defeated. Israel has repeatedly blasted their communication infrastructure - or so they think - but Hezbollah TV is still up and running. If Israel calls a ceasefire, Hezbollah will be seen as the clear victor throughout the Middle East.

But I wish people critical of Israel, look at who started this war and apportion blame appropriately.

I really believe that radical Islam is a grave threat to world peace. I am not advocating war as an antidote; instead, it has to be a war of ideas and values. Tony Blair made a far more convincing and eloquent appeal than I can ever hope to make on this subject recently.

I am often told, that when I mention radical Islam, I am clubbing all Muslims together and that is wrong, because the majority are law-abiding, peace-loving citizens. I have Muslim friends too, but that is besides the point. I think the problem throughout the Muslim world is that there isn't a core group of vocal activists who actively oppose the thoughts and ideas unfurled by their radical Muslim counterparts. If there is one, it is muted. Religious leaders on the other hand have unfettered freedom to disperse their ideas without challenge or debate. And the ideas they espouse are in direct opposition with much of what we in the West consider civilized. I think that is the central problem; the challenge that will confront us in the future.

Brainwashed?

2006-08-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

We met a friend who has a French girlfriend at a party last week. Soon, the conversation turned to the situation in Lebanon and Israel, and this girl had pretty strong opinions.

"I watch CNN and I think all of you are brain washed", she said gathering steam. "Your government doesn't tell you the truth and neither does your media", she added.

I consider myself an independent, and when someone makes such extreme statements, I tend to reflexively balk.

Here are my thoughts on the war.

First off, I have real problems with the way this adminstration has conducted itself recently. Bush lacks the skill to make a coherent argument and it is often irritating listening to him struggle to put a sentence together. The obdurate Cheney continues to insist we are winning in Iraq, even though the situation on the ground in Iraq belies it. Tell the truth, buddy! In my eyes, he has no credibility. Donald Rumsfeld issues statements that are an embarrasment and a joke; there are times when someone has outlived his or her usefulness and I think that is the case with him. I shudder to think that a nations future rests in the hands of a bunch of jokers.

That said, I must admit, that when the Bush adminstration made the case for the war in 2003, I hemmed and hawed, before I eventually ended up supporting it. Colin Powell's presentation to the United Nations clinched it for me. I didn't believe their spin that it would be a quick war - wars are never quick, and it would have been foolish to believe a war in that complex region of the world would be quick; i believed instead that it would take at least 10 years or more for us to see the results. I believed, however, their intelligence vis-a-vis the WMD's. I believed that Saddam was a bad guy, who had every intention of hurting the U.S. and it allies, sooner or later, and that it was better to get rid of him and give the Iraqi people the chance to start afresh. I also believed that the Iraqi people would be grateful, and once the dictator had fallen, would embrace democracy.

I hadn't bargained for the embarrasing intelligence collapse that failed to turn up WMD's. I think, had the intelligence proven right, the American people and indeed the rest of the world would have come to accept this war, for what it was first advertised to be. The Shia-Sunni split and the danger that democracy posed in weakening one sect or the other and the fierce battles this would engender was something I had not anticipated. One of democracy's virtues is equal representation, and the resentment this would cause in a society where one sect has historically dominated the other is something I had not anticipated either.

In hindsight, this was an ill-advised adventure. The WMD fiasco bummed me out; moreover the frequent mis-steps (by their own admission) of a bungling adminstration over the course of three years has left me with little hope that things will improve. The same players continue to be influential today, and without drastic change, I see no reason for hope.

On a gloomy afternoon, in a reflective mood, I am sure that Bush himself has his doubts; but admitting as much would be admitting defeat. Moreover, it would be an admission that the brave U.S. soldiers - all 3000 and counting - who have perished in this war, died for nothing. I don't expect this adminstration to ever admit that this war is a failure, today, tomorrow or ever.

Brainwashed? I don't think so.

Zidane head butt

2006-07-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

I had a great deal of respect for Zidane;I loved his calm demeanour and selfless spirit and of course his artistry with the ball. On Sunday night, I lost some of that after he lost his cool and head-butted the Italian player.

The media seems to be finding excuses for Zidane's behavior. I feel personally that no insult, however grievious and obnoxious it was, justifies the sort of behavior or reaction, that Zidane exhibited. He was wrong, regardless of the taunts hurled at him, and he needs to apologize.

Final impressions

2006-07-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

I wish we had an extra day in Rome and Florence. I would have loved to visit the National Museum in Rome. The extra day in Florence would have let us visit the leaning tower of Pisa. I'd recommend four nights in Rome and Florence. That is plenty of time to see all the major sights.

Venice, to me, was a dissappointment. The only thing novel about the city is that it is built on water, but apart from that there is nothing to it. It is a shoppers paradise and people who love shopping will have a field day there. It is still a must-see and a must-visit, but I thought the day and a half we spent there was more than enough.

Italy, I found was an easy place to get around. Most people can converse in English and that makes it easy to travel. I wonder how it is in once you get into the hinterland, but I imagine it shouldn't be all that tough.

It makes sense to book ahead to the museums and galleries, so you don't have to stand in long lines and waste time. Most museums allow for reservations on the web and once there, you can collect the tickets at the will-call window. This really makes sense for the Accademia and Uffizi galleries in Florence; otherwise you will be forced to wait upwards of three hours for a ticket.

I had heard a lot about tourist scams in Italy, but I personally didn't have a bad experience. Still, I wore a money belt as precaution and I'd recommend that. I could never, however, figure out the bills at restaurants. They seemed to tack on taxes and service charges that inflated the bill. I still haven't figured out what "copperta" on the bill meant. I am used to equating service charges with tips, but I was told that is not the case in Italy, by a waiter at a restaurant. I however didn't buy that.

ATM's are the way to go in Italy. It is important to use one in a well lighted area, so that you don't fall prey to some of the scams that have been reported on the web. We used cash mostly and rarely used credit cards. Call ahead to your ATM and credit card company and inform them of your travel plans. Most banks and credit cards cancel international transactions unless you inform them of your travel plans in advance.

We booked through Costco travel, and I'd go with them again in a hearbeat. There were no glitches; I was worried about our rides, but they showed up on time at all three cities. All the hotels they booked us into were smack in the center of town and minutes from major attractions, which was extremely helpful time-wise. They are of course pricey (I think I would have saved 500-600 dollars had I booked on my own) but the trouble it saved us was well worth it.

Europe has such great culture and this trip has definitely left us intrigued and longing for more.

Flight home

2006-07-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Our flight is at 6:15 a in the morning. Our travel agent has arranged for a water taxi to pick us up at 4:15a. Right around 4a, we get a call from the front desk informing us that our taxi is waiting. We go down and are met by the attendant. He leads us to a passageway that leads directly from the hotel to the canal, where the taxi is waiting.

It is a 30 minute ride to the airport and affords us a view of the Venice skyline while she sleeps. This experience of getting to an airport by water taxi is exhilirating, and I tell wife how lucky we are to have savored it. As the cabbie drops us off, I tip him and give him a thumbs up "Go Italy!" sign. Italy are to play France later on that night in the World Cup football final.

At the airport, there is a long line that moves slowly. Finally we are checked in and a little after 6:30a on our way out of Italy.

At Amsterdam, we head to our connection. Everyone at the gate seems to be going through a special screening. I hand the agent our boarding passes; he types something into his laptop and then waves us over to another agent.

This agent is a Pakistani and he assumes we are coming from New Delhi, India. When I correct him, he seems to be astonished that we visited Italy. More mundane questions are hurled at us and dutifully answered. He then walks over to his supervisor and returns to tell us all is fine and that we can go ahead and board.

It is a long journey home and by 5:30p we are back home in San Jose, California.

Doge's palace

2006-07-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

It is the last day of our vacation. This vacation has passed by extremely quickly.

Our guide: Raphael is a walking tome of knowledge. Moreover he makes things extremely interesting and without doubt is the best guide we have had on this trip. He walks us through the Renaissance and the Baroque periods of art and using examples and paintings on the wall clearly distinguishes the two.

After our tour of the palace, we are offered an optional tour of a factory where artists create glass sculptures. It is a 20 minute boat ride to the factory; inside an artist vows us by making a vase and a standing horse in minutes.

Next up, we are taken to a room full of beautiful finished pieces. We sit through a sales pitch and then are left to wander around the rooms. Wife is interested in a vase, but it is prohibitively costly. We admire a plate which is again atrociously expensive. A couple of folks fork out a bunch of money and buy some stuff. Even if only two or three people end up buying, given the prices, getting us to the factory is a great investment and a smart business move on the owner's part. Somehow, I think that the things on sale are vastly overpriced.

Back on the island, we have the tastiest pasta that I have had for lunch in a restaurant that is next to a canal. After lunch, we take a longer route back to the hotel. It is easy to get lost in Venice, as you snake your way through different narrow streets, and before long I find out that I am headed in the wrong direction. We retrace our steps back to St. Mark's Square. Wife is tired and is longing for a siesta.

I drop wife at the hotel and then head out to explore more of Venice. I wander off to the Accademia (another museum in Venice), but I am in no mood to see more museums or fork out more money to enter them. So I sit outside and watch the traffic on the canal. After a while, I head into the island and turn into random alleys on a whim. Midway through, I reach the other side of the island and watch the most gigantic cruise ship that I have ever seen make its way into the port of Venice. MSC Musica is emblazoned across its hull.

Moving on, I walk into a chocolate shop that has the daintiest chocolates that I have ever seen. I am tempted to buy some, but I fear that they'll melt in the heat before I get to the hotel.
In front of a church, I find a girl screaming into her cell phone. She is terribly mad at someone on the other end of the line, and after she hangs up, gives vent to her frustration with a violent scream.

I am now lost, but with the help of a map manage to get back on course. I meet others who seem to be in a similar predicament with maps in hand. After a good two and a half hours of walking, I reach the hotel. My feet are tired and I could use some rest.

In the evening, wife does more shopping, before we head to dinner. I order pizza, while she orders pasta. The service so far in previous restaurants has been ordinary, but the waiters here are extraordinarily good and entertaining.

We have an early morning flight to catch, so we get back to the hotel at 10 and pack up for the journey back home

St Mark's Square

2006-07-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

It is raining outside, but the hotel has an umbrella that we can borrow. Venice is full of shops and tourists. The small alleys can leave someone with a predilection for claustrophobia dizzy. Well built hunks offer to take us on a gondola ride, but it isn't a pleasing prospect in the rain. Moreover, the prices they quote are steep. Our travel book suggests that we take a ride on the waterbus instead, which will provide the same experience.

Wife disappears into shops every now and then, while I engage in people watching. Towards the evening the rain subsides and I can finally put away the umbrella.

St Mark's Square has a church on one end, whose shape reminds me of the structures in Kremlin that I have seen in pictures. I find out the next day, that indeed the building has a lot of Russian influence.

The square has scores of people. In the center, a flock of pigeons are being fed by tourists. Every now and then, the pigeons flutter into the sky in a graceful arc and everyone (including me) reach for their cameras to get a picture. There are so many pigeons that the local government injects pigeon feed with birth control.

Venetia

2006-07-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Our train to Venice is at 10:40 a. We leave the hotel around 9:30a and take the short cab ride to the train station.

Our experience at Rome Termini station has schooled us in the etiquette of train travel. We search for the board and locate our train on the electronic information boards. We find a bench to sit on while we wait for the platform information to be updated. There is some confusion as to whether we need to validate our tickets. To be on the safe side, I head to one of the yellow validating machines next to the platform and stick our ticket in.

Our train arrives on platform 11. We climb in and stow our bags. This is going to be a three hour journey through Bologna and several other stations. Midway through our journey, the train comes to a halt and doesn't move for over half an hour. An announcement in Italian suggests that there are some technical problems. There is no announcement in English.

Finally, we are on our way again. Outside, it is raining heavily and as we near Venice, the rain intensifies.

Our hotel website suggests that water buses are the easiest way to get to the hotel. Once we are out of the train station, I head to the water bus ticket counter and buy a ticket on the 82 to St. Mark's Square. The buses are called vaporettos and this is a unique experience. When the bus arrives, it is crowded, but we still manage to pile on with our luggage. When we reach Rialto station, the bus empties and we find seats to sit.

From our stop, our hotel is a short walk and by 3p we are checked into our room.

Our first sit-down dinner

2006-07-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight we ventured out to our first sit-down dinner. It's in a square, a block away from our hotel. I opt to order spaghetti with tomato sauce (you cannot go wrong with it, can you?), while wife opts for some salad. We order a glass of wine each.

There is a band playing in the middle of the square and the music makes for good company during dinner. On another side of the square, a girl is singing and she has managed to attract a large audience.

The pasta is good, while wife says her salad is ordinary. With appetizer and no dessert, the bill comes to fifty euros, which wife thinks is a little steep.

Afterwards, wife wants to listen to the girl sing and so we wander over there. She is very good and we listen for a half hour. When we leave, we offer her some change.

Tonight is our last night in Florence.

Accademia and Uffizi

2006-07-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

We have a meeting time of 11:15 for our guided tour of the Accademia. We get there well in advance and wait for our guide to show up.

Inside, the museum houses the original piece of Michaelangelo's David. He is a handsome man indeed, stark naked, poised with a sling over his shoulder. His cool eyes suggest that he is sizing up an adversary in the most phlegmatic manner possible, ready to uncoil a torpedo at an instants notice. At least that is my interpretation.

Our guide is a wealth of knowledge and she douses us with a surfeit of facts. For instance, we are told that Michaelangelo scraped the marble used to create his sculptures, unlike other artists who used chisels. His creations took years to complete and many of his sculptures remain unfinished. We spend a couple of hours wandering through the museum, but the main attraction is really David.

Afterwards, we get lunch and walk through the flea market again. Wife wants to do more shopping and I indulge in more people watching.

Our tour of the Uffizi is at 4:15 in the afternoon, so we head back to the hotel to rest. The same folks who joined the tour at the Accademia show up at the Uffizi. Our guide is Monica and she has a rather funny way of saying "Mother Mary" as she explains various paintings. I am tired and all the information that our guide throws at us ends up clogging my brain and I eventually tune out; wife seems to be very interested though, and I think I can always ask her if I am intrigued about something.

Both the Accademia and the Uffizi prohibit pictures, so I have to rein in the photographer in me.

A game of cat and mouse

2006-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Florence seems to be teeming with counterfeiters. When the shops close around 7p in the evening, they come out in droves and set shop on either side of streets. They bring their fake purses and wallets in gunny bags, slung over their shoulders. Most of them are dark skinned, tall and lanky and I wonder what their ethnicity is.

An interesting thing happens when the local police arrives. As soon as they spy a policeman, the counterfeiters pick up their goods, wrap it up in their gunny bags and slink away. Once the policeman go away, they are back setting up shop. This game of cat and mouse continues through the evening. As far as I can tell, no arrests are made.

Further north from our hotel is a thriving flea market, with shops on either side, full of fake ties, scarves and leather jackets. Ironically, the street is next to an ancient church. Piety and crass materialism co-exist in an tight embrace within the space of a few feet.

Tuscany

2006-07-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Our guide shows up at 9a. Today we will drive through the Tuscan countryside to Siena and San Gimignano.

Siena is a hour and a half ride. The two lane highway is narrow, with barely enough room for the big trucks. Our guide is Massimo, and he points out various historical sites on the way to Siena.

Siena is full of narrow alleys, which reminds me of villages in India. Some tourists forego Florence and instead spend time in Siena, preferring to take day trips to Florence and Rome. Now that I am in Siena, I think I know why. It has a nice small town atmosphere that is extremely attractive.

We buy wine and pasta at a local store. Wife picks up more hand sketches elsewhere. We wander down to the Piazza Il' Campo. It is a huge square with City Hall on one side; on other sides are shops and restaurants. It is 12 in the afternoon, with the sun beating down on us. The guide book says that the square in the evening is teeming with people and takes on an entirely different character.

This has been a short visit to Siena. We have barely an hour or two to spend. It is on to San Gimignano..

The ride to SG is beautiful and takes us through rolling hillsides and vineyards. The Tuscan countryside reminds me of the ride on Highway one through Paso Rables in California. SG is a village inside a fort that sits right on top of a hill. There are shops galore, and plenty of wine shops. The local grape is called Vernaccia and we buy some more wine.

After lunch, I sense that I am catching a cold. My throat's begun to scratch. Around 2, we head back to Firenze.

Italy beats Germany

2006-07-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

The game suddenly came alive in the last few minutes of the second overtime. Wife supports Italy, but I think that is because we are in Italy.

Outside, we can hear the hooting and hollering from our hotel room; wife wants to see it with her own eyes. We step outside and the streets are full of people waving the Italian flag. Some are screaming, some are crying tears of joy. There are cries of "Italia! Italia!" everywhere. Waiters outside restaurants are hugging each other; some are talking excitedly into their cellphones. A few boys are banging on drums. The streets of Florence are alive and happy and tonight everybody is celebrating Italy's victory over Germany in the World Cup semi-final.

Firenze

2006-07-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Right around 2p.m. we arrive in Firenze, the local name for Florence. Our hotel is a short five minute cab ride.

Florence has two must-see galleries: the Accademia and the Uffizi. Unfortunately, tickets are scarce and involve waiting in long lines. The smart folks reserve in advance via the web, but we haven't done that. The hotel offers an alternative, albeit a costly alternative. For double the price of a normal ticket, we can get into a guided tour. We opt for that.

We decide to head to Palazzo Pitti, which is a 10 minute walk. On the way, we walk over Ponte Vecchio, which is a famous bridge on the Arno river, with shops on either side built on the bridge. The Arno river cuts through the south side of Florence.

The tickets at Pitti Palace have a maze of options, and we spend some time debating what ticket we should buy. There are exhibits and galleries inside, but unfortunately most exhibits have descriptions in Italian only. The Pitti Palace forbids photographs and we find out later that most galleries in Florence forbid photography.

We head to the Baboli gardens that are behind the palace and it is a steep climb up to the top. The hot steamy weather has followed us from Rome, and there is no cool breeze to be had. We walk in the shade as much as possible. From atop the hill, I get a great view of the city of Florence, which is down in a valley surrounded by hills on either side.

There is an International Chorus competition going on in the main square of the palace and we spend some time listening to the young boys and girls sing.

On the way back, wife picks up a painting or two. The owner cannot speak English, but she shows us a book, with photographs, that has pictures of the artist creating the painting.

Dinner will be sandwiches tonight. Tomorrow we will drive through the Tuscan countryside.

Train journey

2006-07-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

It is Independence Day back in the U.S. We'll take the train to Florence today.

There are early morning flutters - we are not quite sure if the ride our travel agent has arranged from the hotel to the train station, will show up. There's been no contact nor a confirmation; efforts to reach the contact number listed on our travel brochure turn out to be futile. To add to it, cabbies are on strike in Rome, which the guy at the front desk informs me is a regular occurrence. The only way to get to the train station is to walk it.

Right at the stroke of 10:30, our ride arrives and drops us off at the train station.

It's our first time traveling by train, and we don't know where to look. Rome Termini train station looks exactly like one of the many train stations in India. The problem is that the signs are in Italian and making sense of it ain't easy. Wife spots a line where all the tourists seem to be lining up. It is the information desk, so I get in line. The attendant tells me that our train will arrive on platform number four. Wife doesn't believe him. Another attendant tells us to watch the electronic boards in front of us. When our train arrives, the correct platform number will be posted, she says. Who do we believe?

Finally, we decide to watch the boards. As we wait, wife and I keep a watchful eye on our bags. Rome Termini, we have read, is notorious for pickpockets. There is even a vantage point from atop the bus station, where you can watch the pros steal wallets.

After what seems an eternity, our train is updated with the platform number and it is not four. We are glad we didn't listen to the guy at the information desk.

We locate our coach and wife clambers in. There seems to be some commotion, with a couple of girls rubbing up against one of the passengers climbing down. Later on, wife tells me that the two girls picked the wallet of the woman disembarking. But the woman found out, and yelled after them, and the girls quickly returned the wallet before fleeing. Great escape!

I stow away our bags and settle into one of the plush seats. This is going to be a short hour long train journey to Florence. Pretty soon, we are on our way.

Last night in Rome

2006-07-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight is our last night in Rome. Tomorrow we head to Florence.

I want to see the Pantheon floodlit - so we walk there in the evening. The days are long in July and as the clock turns 9 in the evening, the last streaks of daylight filter through the evening sky.

We sit on the fountain in front of the Pantheon and wait for the floodlights to come on, which is an awfully slow process. Around 9:30p, we are hungry. Bang opposite the Pantheon is a McDonald's and we elect to eat there. This is definitely the McDonald's with the most breathtaking view that we have eaten at yet.

Around 10, we return back to the hotel and turn in for the night.

Spanish steps

2006-07-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

The cabbie on the way back is a woman. She drops us off close to the Spanish Steps. The road leading up to the Spanish steps is lined with upscale shops. There is a Prada here and a Gucci there. I roll my eyes when I see a purse with a price tag of 8500 euros.

Wife is interested in a few cloth stores and steps in, while I stand on the sidewalk and engage in some people watching.

Spanish Steps was where foreigners gathered. Close to the steps is a house where John Keats died in. There is a fountain on one side of the sqaure and an obelisk on the other. Several folks are seated on the steps. It is strictly forbidden to eat on the steps, and nearby Italian policeman keep a watchful eye for transgressors. I hear that they hand out a stiff fine to violators.

It is another hot and steamy day. Around 3p, we head back to the hotel and like most Italians elect to take an afternoon nap.

Vatican Museum

2006-07-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today, we plan to visit the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel that is inside it. We have read that there always long lines to get in during the tourist season, but we try to head out early and beat the rush. We are up early and out of the hotel by 8a.

For the first time, we ride in a taxi. When we reach the Museum, I can't figure out what the actual fare is, but hand the cabbie ten euros, which he gladly accepts. It is 8:45 a and the line is already huge, snaking around the edge of the Museum. We join the end of the line and wait patiently; our plans of beating the rush have taken a backseat. In front of us, a gaggle of Japanese tourists provide constant entertainment; wife is amused by their tour guide who has the funkiest set of shades she has seen and a shirt that defies description. After an hour and a half of waiting, we get into the museum at 10:30a.

As we ride up the escalator, wife points to an entourage that has gotten on behind us. I recognize a familiar face; it is India's railway minister: Laloo Prasad Yadav. What's he doing at the Vatican museum, we wonder.

Inside, we spy the Vatican Post Office. Locals tell us that the Vatican Post is more reliable than Italian Post and the stamps are a collectors item. On a whim, we post ourselves a card.

The signs inside the Museum are confusing and that makes navigating difficult. But we follow Rick Steve's advice and soldier on.

There are a bunch of exhibits that one has to pass through, before getting to the Sistine Chapel. On the way, we see some amazing paintings, wall carvings and frescoes. Finally after a romp through the Modern Art gallery - that is very ordinary - we reach the Sistine Chapel.

On one side of the room is a raised platform; a Museum guard stands on it and walks back and forth urging people to move on. On the other three sides of the room are benches - all occupied by tourists. We crane our heads upwards; the paintings on the wall are extraordinary. It took Michaelangelo four years to complete the paintings and each one tells a story. This is the room that the Cardinals are locked in when they gather to elect a Pope.

There are many visitors like us and faint whispers can be heard. The Museum guard shouts for silence every few seconds and quite ironically he seems to be the only one creating a racket with his constant admonitions.

There are two exits out of the Sistine Chapel and we take the one that leads directly to St. Peter's Basilica. We liked the Church so much, that we decided to visit it again today.

On the way out, we locate another branch of the Vatican Post office and mail our parents a card.

Yesterday, we saw the Pope and today we got to view the Sistine Chapel. This trip has been well worth it.

Colloseum and the Forum

2006-07-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Our guide drops us off close to the Colloseum. On the way, we pick up lunch and water. Water is pricey in Rome; a small bottle costs us 2 euro. Later, we learn that we can buy the same thing in a supermarket for 30 cents.

The Colloseum is crowded and there is long line for tickets. Rick Steve's travel book, which I have with me, suggests that the ticket office down the road has shorter lines. So we head there and indeed I am second in line.

The ticket is valid for Palatine Hill and the Colloseum. From atop Palatine Hill, I get great shots of the Forum and the Rome skyline. Right behind us is Circo Massimo, where the World Cup Football matches are being shown on large screen TV.

It is sticky and hot and so we take a break under a tree, before heading to the Colloseum. At the Colloseum, the stairs to the top level are steep and we grunt our way up to the top. Looking at the ruins, I am reminded of the film Gladiators, that Russel Crowe starred in.

We head back to the hotel around 6p. We are completely exhausted and after a quick meal, sound asleep by 8p.

St Peter's Square

2006-07-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Our agent has arranged for an early morning tour of Rome. Our first stop is the Trevi Fountain; wife chucks another coin. Later on we head to the Pantheon. It is an impressive structure and awe inspiring. Our guide tells us that the front doors are 6 tonnes each, and the 16 columns in front, bear the entire weight of the church. Inside, a service is going on, and a priest is in the middle of his sermon. The architecture leaves us amazed.

Our next stop is St. Peter's Basilica inside Vatican City. It is an imposing structure, one that I have seen often on the telly. To actually see it in person is a totally different experience. There is a long line of people waiting to get in. At the front entrance, we pass through metal detectors, a reminder of the dangers our world poses.

Inside, the church is beautiful. We peer up at the dome that Michaelangelo designed and watch as folks kiss the feet of St. Peter. The place is teeming with people. On Sundays, the Pope appears at his apartment window and offers his blessings, and that explains the crowd.

Close to noon, we head to the Square and find scores of people gathered there already. At the stroke of noon, the Pontiff appears and gives his blessings. Folks wave back; some break down in tears. It is a moment that will remain with us for a long time.

Our guide has told us to return by 12:20 and so halfway through his sermon, we head back to our meeting point.

We can't believe that we actually got to see the Pope.

Rome: At the airport

2006-07-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

We booked our tickets late, and so we had to take a long haul flight with two stops to Rome. At the airport, we wonder if the ride our travel agent had arranged is there to pick us up. Indeed, he is, holding up a sign with our names on it.

On the way out of baggage claim, we wonder if we have to go through passport control. We ask an officer, and in his broken English, he explains that we already did that at our first port of entry, which was Amsterdam.

Outside, it is hot and Wife quickly sheds her jacket. On the two lane highway, our driver drives like a maniac, shoving any traffic in front of him to the side. He seems to be in a hurry to get elsewhere; wife and I think it must be the World Cup football game that is starting in 30 minutes. 25 minutes later, he drops us next to the hotel and whizzes off.

I knock on the side door, but nobody responds. I peer in and can see an abandoned front desk with furniture strewn around and building material on the floor. What? Did our agent book us a hotel that has been abandoned? I press a bell that is next to the door and still nobody responds. Wife asks me to check the side of the building and I do. Nothing there. It is 4:30 in the afternoon, and I have heard that Italians often take the afternoon off for a long siesta. Is that the case here?

Fortunately a bell-boy sees us and comes to fetch us. We were at the wrong door. The main entrance is further ahead.

We are checked in and showered. At the front desk, I am handed a map of the city. Peering at it, I find that our hotel is walking distance from all the main attractions.

Right next to our hotel is Trevi Fountain or Fontana di Trevi as the locals call it. It is alive, with hordes of people chucking coins into the fountain, with their backs to it, and over their left shoulder. That action according to legend guarantees a return trip to Rome. Wife does it and so do I.

We decide against a sit-down dinner and instead grab some pizza for dinner. On the way, we find a crowd watching the England-Portugal World Cup match on a large screen TV. The game has gone to a penalty shootout and we watch as England falter. The crowd groans everytime Portugal misses and cheers when England scores. But that seems strange to me for quite a few in the crowd are dressed in Portugal colors. I wonder if the Italians are cheering on the English, so that they can avoid playing Portugal in the semis.

We wander around some more. France plays Brazil later in the night and wife wants to watch that on the telly. So we head to the hotel. Tonight will be our first night in the Eternal City of Rome.

Italy beckons

2006-06-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Italy this weekend. Rome, Florence and Venice are on the agenda. It is going to be a quick trip and I am looking forward to it.

Italy, here we come!!

Another interview

2006-06-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Attended another interview at a startup this morning. I was offered the job more or less, but I think I'll pass. I wasn't too impressed with the market that they are targeting, though they claim that it is the best thing since swiss cheese. Neither was their product awe inspiring.

For the moment, I am going to stick around here.

Spago's

2006-06-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Monday night was Wife's birthday and to celebrate I took her to dinner to Spago's in Palo Alto. What a letdown? I was looking forward to a romantic evening in a quiet setting and the place was literally humming like a beehive. The suit types were everywhere and it was loud inside.

Sitting at my table, I looked up and found I was in direct sight of a bunch of people from work. Baw! Work was the last thing I wanted to be reminded of.

The food was passe. Wife loved her chicken dish, but the pasta dish I ordered, had caramelized onions that had been burnt too much and left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The redeeming grace was our waiter, who was a kind old gentleman who asked us if we were there celebrating a birthday or anniversary. I told him it was Wife's birthday and he brought us a cake and sang the most lovely rendition of Happy Birthday that we had heard. He deserved his tip.

I don't think I will be going back there anytime soon.

US Open collapse

2006-06-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

I watched, riveted to the TV, as Phil Mickelson walked to the 18th tee on the 72nd hole of the US Open Golf tournament with a one shot lead. Will he do the sane thing and hit the safe shot on the fairway from where he could make par or better or at worse bogey to tie the lead, or will he try to dazzle and bang the driver to god knows where? He chose the driver and the rest is history.

It was a collapse that ranks among the most famous collapses. The day after is usually the day it hurts the most and today must be the darkest day in his career.

Actually, I was rooting for Monty to win the championship and when he made harakiri and bogeyed the last hole to drop out of the lead, I felt really bad for him. I thought his generosity had benefitted Mickelson who was the sole leader at that point and had the championship in his grasp.

In the end, a relatively unknown and unheralded Aussie won. But you couldn't help feel, that he had won, not by his own right - though of course he played well - but by the foolishness and charity of others. It's a victory that at least in the present has a bunch of footnotes attached to it. But with the passage of time, those footnotes will fade and a quarter century from now, all we will remember is that an Aussie won the 2006 U.S. Open.

Sports extragavanza

2006-06-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

There was so much sport on T.V. last week and there is so much on it this week, that it is a sports fans dream. There was soccer from the World Cup and tennis from Roland Garros last week. This week the U.S. Open Golf opens on Thursday and the soccer continues. If only I didn't have to work every day...sigh!

Da Vinci Code

2006-06-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Slept right through it. D~ kept poking me in the ribs saying that I was kicking up a racket with my snoring. Now, that was bad taste on my part. But I innocently replied, that I wasn't snoring. Haven't met anyone who admits to snoring. Why is that?

Anyways, there were only a handful of us in an otherwise empty theatre. Seems like quite a few got the message that this movie was way too long and boring.

Reading the book beforehand didn't help either. If you were to ask me, I'd just say: read the book!

World Cup surprise

2006-06-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

D~ isn't much of a sports fan. She has a passing interest in tennis and cricket, but absolutely abhors golf, which I love. But every four years, for the one month that is the spectacle called the Soccer World Cup, she is every bit a die-hard sports fan. It is a transformation that is remarkable, if you know her. She usually sleeps in on weekends, while I am up and about early on my way to the golf course for a round with my friends. But this weekend, she was wide awake at 6:30 in the morning, ready to watch the football matches on T.V., with a cup of tea in hand. And this morning, she chose to work from home, just to catch the U.S. play the Czech Republic. Remarkable!!

Reflections on the day after

2006-06-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to get over the disappointment of being turned down by G. Yesterday was exactly the two month anniversary when I was first contacted.

Looking back, the whole process took much longer than expected and left me more than a little dissappointed. I had two phone interviews, followed by two rounds of on-campus interviews. The second on-campus interview took the longest time to be scheduled. After the initial contact, it took the recruiter two weeks to schedule it. I didn't hear back from them for a further two weeks until last Thursday evening, when they asked me to come back for another round of interviews the next day. Looking back, I guess they were undecided about me, and the two folks I met probably cast the deciding vote.

But I feel like they set me up for failure, especially with that hastily arranged third round of interviews. I wish I had stood my ground and asked them to schedule them this week.

This is all water under the bridge. It's time to concentrate my energies on new opportunities.

Red ears

2006-06-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

At the Italian consulate yesterday, as we waited to collect our receipts, we watched others apply for their visas. One girl was looking forward to go to Italy for research. She was asked whether she was an intern or a research assistant. She dithered and then answered that it was a bit of both. Ah! Wrong answer! Her visa was rejected. Had she just said that she was going there for research, I am sure she would have been approved. As she left, her fair complexion had turned beet red. Something I noticed was that everyone turned hot and red beneath their collars as they were subjected to a myriad questions at the counter.

Each case was different and made captivating listening. It occurred to me that a day at the consulate would be a great plot for a TV serial.

A visit to the Italian Embassy

2006-06-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Wife and I had to go to the Italian Consulate in SF today to apply for a tourist visa for an upcoming trip.

I thought the Indian Consulate was the poster child for slow, rude and unprofessional service, but today I was proved wrong. The Italians definitely set a higher (or is it lower?) bar.

Set in a house in what looked like the middle of a residential area, the Italian Consulate receives tourist visa applicants on Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. only. Why they chose to restrict hours to such a small window in the height of the tourist season, is a question that puzzled me and others who stood in a long line that took more than two hours to move. As we waited patiently on the sidewalk leading upto a side entrance, the only gratifying aspect of our vigil was a sunny day with a pleasant breeze. That combined with a great view of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, made standing outside a less onerous task.

Around 3 p.m. we reached the door that lead to two counters where two middle aged Italian consul officers accepted applications. Outside we had heard the two ladies shout and holler, and folks around us exchanged tales of previous rude encounters. From the door at close quarters, wife and I saw the two ladies quiz harassed applicants with a bevy of questions. Standing there, I learnt that the only acceptable form of payment of the visa fees was by money order. This nugget of information is expertly hidden in a document deep in the bowels of the Italian consulate website, that is poorly designed and even more difficult to navigate. I work on software for a living, and it took me seven tries to unearth the information that had three levels of indirection. The person who designed the site would have done "Da Vinci Code" proud.

I decided to leave wife standing in the line and drove in search of a bank. At the bank I was directed to a nearby postal office by a helpful officer. I returned with the money order just as D~ was called to the head of the line.

After her papers were accepted, we waited a full hour for a receipt. We'll have to return to collect the passport with the stamped visa at a later date.

I had planned to step out of the office for 3 hours. In stead, this turned out to be an enterprise that took the entire day. Government bureaucracies resemble an 18th century train that yawns and trudges forward at a snails pace. The Italians did nothing to dispel that image.

The final answer is no

2006-06-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I received an urgent email asking me to call the recruiter at the big online company - well it is one of the big search companies and it also owns this service. I duly called the recruiter who then proceeded to ask me to come in the next day for another round of interviews.

This was the last thing I expected and I simply wasn't prepared mentally for another round of interviews. I resisted and suggested that I could come in the next week, but the recruiter insisted that I come in the next day. I relented, and I was told that another recruiter would confirm the time later. Later that day, I received an email and learnt that I had been scheduled for two interviews - one at 8:30 a.m. in the morning and the other at 11 a.m. The recruiter helpfully added that I should feel free to leave after the first interview and come back later for the second. The blatant disregard for my own time was shocking. I told the recruiter that I could only attend the 11 a.m. interview and the 8:30 a.m. interview had to be rescheduled for a later date.

I went to bed - Thursday - agitated and irritated and that is not the best frame of mind to prepare for an interview the next day. When you are in such a mood, bad things happen.

My first interview was with a Pre-sales manager on Friday morning. He fired questions at me in rapid succession and took copious notes while I answered. I wonder if he even listened to what I was saying. I just could not connect with him and 10 minutes into it, I knew that I was screwing up badly. The nail in the coffin was my answer to the question - what makes you unique? I should have said that the diversity of my experience through a 10 year career makes me stand out from the crowd. But at that moment, I mumbed some inanity which left the interviewer distinctly unimpressed. Looking back, I think that was the tipping point.

Before the interview, I had agreed to come back at 5:30 p.m. for the second interview. I summoned the recruiter back after the first interview and told her that I had done badly and if she didn't want me to waste her time, I would not come back for the second interview later that day. I don't know if I did the right thing by doing this. Wife things that this was a stupid move on my part. Anyway the recruiter told me that they wanted me to come back at 5:30 p.m.

The second interview was much smoother. Unlike the rest of the folks, the second interviewer didn't keep to script, but instead picked up on some of my answers and asked followups making it more of a conversation than an answer and question session.

I left thinking that my chances hung in the balance. Deep down, I was confident that it would come through.

At 10:36 a.m. this morning, I received a call. It lasted all of 55 seconds. The voice at the other end was subdued. Listening to the tone, I knew that it was nothing but the harbinger of bad news. I was told that "the committee" had decided not to go forward. I asked if there was a particular reason. I was told that I lacked a skill that I had never advertised in my resume and that I had candidly admitted in earlier interviews wasn't a strength.

Why it had taken "the committee" to arrive at this decision after four rounds of interviews spread over two months intrigues me. Surely after the first round, it was apparent what my strenghts and weaknesses were. Why string me out for another three round of interviews?

I feel like I was pushed to the edge of the precipice and this morning, they just kicked me over the edge.

Wife says that there is always a silver lining in these things. I'll look for it in the days and weeks ahead.