Category: Random Draws

Although it is true that I went to Addis Ababa to attend the World Information Technology Forum 2007 as a speaker, it is a hollow claim to say that I visited Ethiopia, or even Addis Ababa. I did land at the Bole International Airport early morning on 21st Aug and departed late night on 24th, but for all practical purposes, I might as well have been elsewhere. The airport terminal was the generic glass and steel tubing terminals you see around the world. The Addis Hilton was just another Hilton. And the UN Conference Center where the conference was held was, well, just a UN conference center which could just as well have been in NYC. The only thing that I was surprised by was the weather. I had expected Addis to be hot; it wasn’t. Temperatures were around 20 degrees Celsius and even though it rained frequently, it was not humid.
Continue reading “World IT Forum 2007 — Part 2”

If you were wondering what happened, wonder no more. I am in Africa. To be more specific, I am in Addis Ababa attending a conference called World IT Forum 2007. Yesterday I made a presentation on “Information Technology and Economic Opportunities.” Went off OK.

Lots of interesting things going on. Will get in touch later. Bye for now.

Ever wonder why we call 15th August “independence” day? My interpretation when I first heard this English term was, “on 15th August 1947 the British became independent from India”, because before that day, they depended on India for cotton, silk, indigo, metalware, jewelry, perfume, paper, grains, spices, labor, and many other commodities and services. I was soon “corrected” and it was explained to me that before 15th August 1947, WE were dependent on the British. I could never figure this out. Clearly “independence” and “swadhinta” are two different words? Shouldn’t we call it “liberty day” or “freedom day”? How did “independence” work in its way into the jargon? Or was that the parting shot of imperialism?

That is from an email from a friend. Hmm.

I suppose in the end, babies are babies and mothers are mothers.

http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/722010/believe_it_or_not___pig_feeding_tiger_cubs_and_vice_versa.swf

While the video is loading, take a look at a few pictures of the piglets and a tiger.

Believe It Or Not !!! Pig Feeding Tiger Cubs And Vice Versa – video powered by Metacafe

The co-author of Freakonomics, the celebrated economist Steve Levitt, who recently moved his blog to NY Times asks in his Aug 8th post “If You Were a Terrorist, How Would You Attack?” He states that his general view of the world is that simpler is better (and I agree with him on that) and goes on to wonder about simpler, more efficient ways of creating terror. He asks his readers to think creatively about how they would go about the business of terrorism.

I would love to hear them. Consider that posting them could be a form of public service: I presume that a lot more folks who oppose and fight terror read this blog than actual terrorists. So by getting these ideas out in the open, it gives terror fighters a chance to consider and plan for these scenarios before they occur.

As can be expected given the lethal combination of a widely-read newspaper of record, a highly visible best-selling author, an extremely important topic, and a very controversial stance, nearly 600 comments poured in (further comments are disallowed now.)
Continue reading “When Smart People Have Stupid Ideas”

So the story goes that there was an amateur photographer who would every year bring his crop of new pictures to an old man who was a master. Every year the master would go through the pictures and sort them out into “good” and “not good” piles. Funnily, the amateur would keep bringing back an old picture which invariably ended up in the “not good” pile.

Finally exasperated, he challenged the master, “Every year I bring this picture to you. Why do you keep putting it in the not-good pile?”

The master said, “Because the picture is no good.”

The amateur replies, “But it has to be good. I had to climb a very high mountain and endure bitter cold for five days to take that picture!”

Thanks to all who wrote in with the suggestion that it should be “just desserts” and not “just deserts” as I had written in “Just Deserts for Mr Dutt.” Actually, it is “just deserts” and “just desserts” is an eggcorn.

The vilest deeds like poison weeds
Bloom well in prison-air:
It is only what is good in Man
That wastes and withers there:
Pale Anguish keeps the heavy gate,
And the warder is Despair.
Continue reading “Just Deserts for Mr Dutt”