tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-114309582012-02-01T09:21:19.436-07:00Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.comBlogger1501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-34223058033576883222012-02-01T05:37:00.000-07:002012-02-01T05:41:31.556-07:00

The Secret of the Nagas is the second book of the Shiva Trilogy planned by Amish. The first one is the Immortals of Meluha. A brief review of the plot. Shiva is a tribal residing in the Mansarovar area. He and his tribe have been brought to the ancient land of Meluha as a part of Meluha's quest to find the Mahadev, about whom prophecies said that he will come from outside the SaptaSindhu. The

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-31411888154642404212011-12-14T22:15:00.001-07:002011-12-21T16:27:08.276-07:00

For now, the debate on foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail has been put on the back-burner. But, there is a raging debate on whether to allow FDI in the airline industry. As of now, foreign institutional investment (FII) in airlines is allowed. So, what is the difference between FDI and FII? And which is more beneficial? In FII, there are investment banks or financial institutions

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-68947379403308849872011-11-30T18:47:00.001-07:002011-12-01T22:45:14.641-07:00

With its decision on allowing 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, the cabinet has set loose the cat amongst the pigeons. Everyone, from those for it and those against it have been running helter-skelter to justify their stand. Now, I do not know if FDI in retail is a good option or not, because opinions of both sides have left me confused. But here are a few things that I would like to throw open to

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-13651687514315558242011-11-24T22:42:00.000-07:002011-11-24T22:42:12.869-07:00

No, I do not intend to make a socialist case here, which is best left to political parties and activists. Here, I intend to spell the disadvantages that big brand retail shops have for me as a consumer. This is in the back-drop of the Indian government approving 51% foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail or hypermarts, as they are known in the west. This will bring in the big guys like

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-13589776868191562272011-11-11T23:02:00.001-07:002011-11-11T23:48:56.149-07:00

After having spent a wonderful holiday, I was browsing through rediff and came across this news article titled, "Why IAF does NOT need either Eurofighter or Rafale?", written by Ajai Shukla. Apparently, he hasn't listed his credentials while writing this article. Here is what he says and also why that is wrong to a great extent. He says, Eurofighter and Rafale are in trouble, because they

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-65357696512275276492011-11-02T21:50:00.000-06:002011-11-02T21:50:47.867-06:00

 That the government would strike back at Team Anna members was a forgone conclusion when the anti-corruption movement gathered steam. And especially after Anna Hazare's super successful fast in Delhi. The government, and especially the Congress, feels embarrassed and lame as a perception was built that Team Anna brought the government to its knees and that without them, the government would

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-86648948403625184842011-10-16T08:13:00.000-06:002011-10-16T08:13:07.009-06:00

Strawberry-lettuce salad Okay, at the outset, I am not going to be posting any recipes regularly. I'm not a very enthusiastic cook, but kya karein, paapi pet ka sawal hai! So, I had this strong urge of eating a salad, but didn't know how to prepare one with lettuce. And then, I decided to improvise. Now, since I wanted it to be a healthy salad, this meant no dressings, no oil and sugar. And

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-80850049564394798622011-10-08T22:30:00.000-06:002011-10-08T22:30:52.592-06:00

In a country where something or the other is constantly happening to keep the breaking news ticker of the news channels running, there is a new storm in the tea cup. The co-founder of Infosys, Narayana Murthy, made a statement that the quality of students entering the IITs has deteriorated over the years, courtesy coaching classes. And then, some how channels caught hold of Chetan Bhagat, the '

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-18646384012717298922011-09-14T22:11:00.002-06:002011-09-14T22:11:54.689-06:00

For almost twenty four years (discount the first five years) of my life, I have been used to conducting transactions with only the Rupee as a currency. And over these years, I have seen how things have become expensive (or the value of the Rupee has diminished). Moreover, I have been able to develop benchmarks for how much to spend on what item. And also rough benchmarks for monthly expenses

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0Edmonton, AB, Canada53.543564 -113.49045253.392602000000004 -113.806309 53.694526 -113.17459500000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-5117707729933454422011-09-08T12:35:00.000-06:002011-09-08T12:36:46.957-06:00

Whenever I travelled Air India on international flights, I thought that they were doing a good job with the facilities provided on board. When compared with other airlines, they didn't seem too extravagant. Of course, they did offer a wider choice of meals, except that the special requests had to be informed earlier. And the portions served too are comparable to what is served on other airlines

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-88562610237334864892011-08-24T19:04:00.000-06:002011-08-24T19:04:22.222-06:00

Don't worry, I'm not typing a post in Hindi. But, Romanised Hindi is something that I hate, and hence have put the title in Hindi. It's been almost seven years, since I entered the lush green campus of IIT Bombay. Coming from a college(?) where no one cared about its teachers and lectures and were only governed by University regulations, I was in for a cultural shock. Suddenly, professors were

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-26307834522484047262011-08-13T23:34:00.000-06:002011-08-13T23:34:54.428-06:00

Almost everybody who has travelled across the Atlantic or the Pacific have a jetlag story of their own. Some brag about how they didn't feel the jetlag at all, while some sheepishly admit that they suffered for days together before they overcame their jetlag. Why does someone have to feel sorry of suffering from jetlag? It is a natural phenomenon and can affect someone more than the other. Just

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-31825418526495594622011-06-29T06:48:00.000-06:002011-06-29T06:48:24.047-06:00

Just have a look at these two videos. 1. Bjorne Borg vs. John McEnroe, 1980 Wimbledon final 2. Federer vs. Nadal, 2008 Wimbledon Final See the difference? Forget the big fibre-based racquets of Nadal and Federer, forget their improved athletics. Notice the grass on the Centre Court in both the videos. In the first video, you will see that the grass is considerably worn out even near the net,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-86718660955902586652011-06-06T22:19:00.001-06:002011-06-06T22:43:11.555-06:00

Photograph ©: Vinay Bavdekar It was conference time, and since I was being funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, it was compulsory for me to travel Air India, at least till its hub in a foreign country. Beyond the hub, I was free to travel any airline, preferably a code-sharing partner of the Maharaja.  I was flying international with the Maharaja for

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-3155702299109350432011-05-31T01:33:00.000-06:002011-05-31T01:33:01.157-06:00

That is how Cathay Pacific calls the Hong Kong state. And indeed, it is a world city. Hong Kong's development and current state traces its roots in the deep water harbour. Hong Kong's location was unique, as it allowed smaller ships and barges from the Pearl river to ferry raw material upto the deep water harbour, from where it would be loaded onto the large ships for further transportation. Thus

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-14469867065419980802011-05-15T01:02:00.000-06:002011-05-15T01:02:46.234-06:00

The mafia dons of the Mumbai underworld are quite well known and perhaps even romanticised. The careers of Haji Mastan, Karim Lala, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Ashwin Naik, Bada Rajan, Chota Rajan and of course, Dawood Ibrahim are colourfully, yet well documented. But, behind the curtains, in the backdrop, were quite a few women, who were so resourceful and determined to stand on their own, that some

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-11373039975428155012011-05-10T05:12:00.000-06:002011-05-10T05:12:29.162-06:00

The first thing you need, if you have to travel abroad, is a visa to the countries you have to visit. And so, begins the hunt for what is the type of visa you need, the checklist of documents, photographs, etc. In India, most of the embassies, those who witness a large amount of visa applications for their countries, have now begun outsourcing part of their work to VFS.The VFS centres of the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-34876186976073528032011-05-06T07:11:00.002-06:002011-05-06T09:07:22.011-06:00

The US state department spokesperson, Mark Toner almost went to say that the terror acts of 9th September 2001 and 26 November 2008 are not comparable. How did he justify Operation Geronimo? He says "What we've said all along is that this was an individual where, when we had actionable intelligence against him, we acted upon that because we believed he was a direct and imminent threat to the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-12481239619855184632011-04-27T12:15:00.000-06:002011-04-28T01:01:33.240-06:00

Cold Stone Ice cream It was a one-day trip to Mahabaleshwar. Now, if you are not too interested in shopping around, there are very few things that you can do in Mahabaleshwar. There are various points in and around the city, which offer a glimpse of the Sahaydri valley from various angles. Then there is the Venna Lake, in which you can go boating, or ride horses on its bank or just idle around

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-9332146367193276112011-04-12T02:23:00.000-06:002011-04-12T02:23:32.933-06:00

Do you think that the New Telecom Policy being formulated by the Ministry of Telecommunications and IT help in fighting corruption? Do you feel that the Women's Reservation Bill, if passed by the Parliament and enacted by the President of India, will help you lodge an FIR in the police station without any of the current hassles? Also, do you think that, if passed, the Government Services (

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-7749348816687983222011-04-03T00:46:00.000-06:002011-04-03T00:46:31.146-06:00

Yes, Team India has done it for us. 28 years in the waiting. That is twice the time Lord Ram or the Pandav spent in the woods, banished from their kingdoms. And captain M.S. Dhoni, fittingly, lead from the front in the finals and finished off the game with style!! It isn't more hurting for the opposition than scoring the winning runs by hitting a seam bowler for maximum. If you do not believe it,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-9979114398020470332011-03-28T04:32:00.000-06:002011-03-28T04:32:29.326-06:00

The tragedy of the unprecedented earthquake and tsunami in Japan has given all the so-called experts and environmentalists to pressurise governments around the world to give up power generation using nuclear energy. And they have forced many editorials, which are virtually writing obituaries for nuclear energy. Thanks to the 24 hour breaking and sensationalising news channels, those opposing the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-8274805126811073372011-02-25T23:21:00.002-07:002011-04-18T08:23:17.225-06:00

The year 2012 will see the Golden Jubilee of the James Bond series. Out of my interest in James Bond, and a habbit of analysing, I have tried to compare the actors who played James Bond over the past fifty years. This is the link for the first part. The James Bond series was produced by EON productions. This then further passed on to MGM studios, who retained Albert Broccoli as the producer.

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-31503183287888475112011-02-09T06:40:00.000-07:002011-02-09T06:40:05.939-07:00

The year 2012 will mark 50 years since the first James Bond movie appeared in theatres. The series was a run-away super-hit and Bond spawned a series of  secret agent movies. From Dr. No onwards to Casino Royale, Bond hasn't failed to charm us. The gadgets provided to him by Q were simply marvellous, for the lack of better words in my vocabulary. They bordered on the thin line between reality and

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-73231874203775341852011-01-22T20:35:00.000-07:002011-01-22T20:35:05.024-07:00

In a recent news by rediff.com, there is a story that IITs have proposed to increase the fees for the UG degree course by five times. The proposal says that this will allow IITs to become independent of government funding and hence more autonomous. The committee headed by Dr. Kakodkar made this proposal to the government. The committee based its recommendations on the way IIMs charge fees in

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-1138657791605549052011-01-08T10:43:00.001-07:002011-01-08T10:44:03.463-07:00

IPL-4 is back with a bang. With the new rounds of "auctions" over, there is a need to ponder over the terms used to describe the transactions between the franchisees and players. In a previous post too, I have expressed concern over wrong or harsh terms being used to describe such transactions. In today's politically correct world, if I were to call an African-American a Negro I am bound to face

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-69191614817158175122010-12-25T22:57:00.000-07:002010-12-25T22:57:21.789-07:00

With the Master Blaster having completed a half century of test centuries, the media has predictably begun doling opinions (less of experts, more of amateurs) comparing Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar. Let us try and see how both of them compare:Pitch Conditions: Bradman: During Bradman's times, playing pitches used to be left open overnight and were hence prone to be affected by the overnight

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-37494461040275620042010-12-18T04:43:00.000-07:002010-12-18T04:43:04.496-07:00

When Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook, or when Twitter was launched, the founders were sure that they are launching a revolution in the way people connect to each other and dispense information. But, what they did not know, is that they this would also lead to opening of new entrepreneurial and employment avenues for those who could cash on this innovation. And it is surprising for us too, to

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-87634685838284557472010-12-05T08:46:00.000-07:002010-12-05T08:46:52.737-07:00

Those who value their money, eat at Cafe Koolar and Company. This is the tag line of the Irani restaurant situated on the busy King's Circle (now Maheshwari Udyan) on the busy Dr. Ambedkar road. A look on the board outside, says it was established in 1932. But, there is a sharp difference between the pace of life inside and outside the restaurant. From the fast-paced life of Mumbai on the streets

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-79919620989096556912010-11-27T04:10:00.000-07:002010-11-27T04:10:51.318-07:00

 What has happened to A. R. Rahman?His 2010 CWG theme song was trashed by everyone, right from officials to the general public. Even in Robot, they say Rahman was not at his best. And now, it is this Airtel tune. The company earns most of its revenue from India. And yet, it is hard to find anything Indian in this tune!! The lyrics appear from a foreign language.  Now, it is not clear to me,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-16459781381295603972010-11-09T06:42:00.001-07:002010-11-09T06:52:36.054-07:00

The President was here. He came, he spoke and he went. The media frenzy was there to see. It appeared as if God was descending on earth to guide his followers. To shower his blessings and generosities (read: the $10  billion plus business deals) for the progress of the Indian nation. The Lord was followed obediently and care was taken to see that he wasn't offended due to any incident. So much,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-91077815423826147142010-11-02T07:30:00.000-06:002010-11-02T07:30:19.719-06:00

For the past few weeks, there has been a lot of news being made about Mukesh Ambani's new abode, Antilia. And as are many things associated with the Reliance Group, Antilia too has been amongst controversies, right from the beginning. First, was the controversy about the land itself. Accusations flew past the entire city, about how it was illegally transferred to Mukesh Ambani by the Waqf board.

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-36730394542128963192010-10-15T20:21:00.000-06:002010-10-15T20:21:35.090-06:00

Yesterday, we were at Mad Over Donuts, a doughnuts parlour, that has opened at Hiranandani in Powai. They serve lots of varieties of doughnuts, including ones which are almost unheard of!! You can say, what Cafe Coffee Day is for coffee, Mad Over Donuts is for doughnuts. I had never been there, and had previously eaten only what can be termed as an apology of doughnuts. Hence, I agreed to go

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-18757390282172715712010-10-09T21:28:00.000-06:002010-10-09T21:28:00.919-06:00

Picture this scenario: You walk into a McDonald's outlet, and you are hungry. You see the menu which reads, Rs. 30 for a regular burger, Rs. 45. for a medium sized burger and Rs. 52. for a large size one. What would you order? Now, obviously, you cannot gauge the extent of your hunger. And hence, you would buy the large burger, because it is highly likely that you have made the calculation that

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-77498939611496792252010-10-01T08:35:00.000-06:002010-10-01T08:35:31.384-06:00

The Ayodhya verdict, for once, showed that we are a mature democracy. The promise given by leaders that no party would celebrate or indulge in riots irrespective of the nature of the decision was kept by the leaders. Many may claim that they said this because the option of going to the Supreme Court was available to both sides. And because there could be political implications of wild

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-12924355065737653022010-09-27T07:46:00.000-06:002010-09-27T07:46:35.960-06:00

What happened to you? How could you change so much? I always believed that I could blindly trust you, because you were the most pure in the entire world. If anything went wrong with you, it could be easily detected. We would take corrective steps, so that you maintain that pure and pious nature of yours. So pure, I thought, you were that man's best friend stayed away from you and did not dare to

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-26301880824382792952010-09-19T00:09:00.001-06:002010-11-25T21:29:22.903-07:00

What happens when the rakshaks (protectors) become bhakshaks (tormentors)? We have to either bear it silently, because no one would believe us, or rebel against the system. Sr. Jesme's book, is the story of her rebellion against, what she terms as atrocities of the Church against the nuns of the congregation. In her book, she talks about the unexpected activities that go behind the closed walls

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-50357619090540148032010-09-14T07:57:00.002-06:002010-09-15T07:06:15.199-06:00

The year 1996, saw the internet coming to India. In the initial stages, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) was the only entity allowed to function as an ISP. And like all those things that came from the west, the accessibility of the internet was restricted to a privileged few, as the cost were tremendously high. Then, came competition. With private sector ISPs roped in to provide services, the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-64841443818140408682010-08-29T06:12:00.001-06:002010-08-29T06:12:19.883-06:00

So, it was time for another eating excursion in the city. And after a long long time. And it was again, in Matunga. Idli House is a sister concern of A. Ramanayak, which, as the name suggests, serves only idlis of various kind. It is a fairly recent outlet (though must be more than 10 years old) and serves more than ten types of idlis.It is located in King's Circle (now known Maheshwari Garden)

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-32006921207619442372010-08-27T21:34:00.000-06:002010-08-27T21:34:35.415-06:00

It was probably spoken in hushing undertones, but everybody was quite sure that there is something fishy about the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM). Otherwise, why would any B-school come out with full page advertisements almost every month bragging about their so called "achievements", grand course work and daring innocent students to think beyond the IIMs. Throw in a few

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-70615364628503883262010-08-21T11:47:00.001-06:002010-08-21T11:47:52.232-06:00

Today, I was going through Aivjit Ghosh's blog post on the recent news in the world of cricket. Amongst all news, he talks on Sehwag in high esteem. Not that I do not hold Sehwag in high esteem. Infact, someone who has consistently appeared and performed well at international level, deserves an applause. But then, is it really the right time to start calling him the Indian best bastman of all

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-32781241342775169462010-08-16T11:18:00.001-06:002010-08-16T11:18:18.985-06:00

The wheel of time has turned around and the East India Company (EIC), which was dissolved in 1874, is back in business, this time with an Indian owner. The company was a legend in its time. It was once said that the sun never set over the British Empire. The seeds of having such a vast territory were largely laid by the EIC.In its time, the company was involved in trading all kinds of goods. From

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-32986036512328323752010-08-05T10:23:00.002-06:002010-08-05T10:23:07.055-06:00

By now, most of the net-savvy people must be aware of the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka, related to the district of Belgaum. And every nationalist has something to say against "regionalism" and every regionalist has something to say about the importance of local language and the injustice meted out to the disputed areas in Karnataka. In all this, rediff.com took efforts to

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-60756286304898536362010-07-28T10:21:00.003-06:002010-07-28T10:25:18.210-06:00

"All the first year students should report in the seminar hall for a medical check-up." The notice-board on the college walls made this announcement. It is compulsory to record the medical history of every student in the college, so that it is easy to administer medical care in case of an emergency."So, what all will they record?" This was Leena's first question. Height, okay, blood-pressure,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-52594066885407181582010-07-19T00:03:00.003-06:002010-07-19T12:03:43.281-06:00

Now that I have written a few good and humourous things about Europe, let me also talk about the "bad" things in Europe. Here, in India, we keep on commenting how clean the western countries are, how they follow rules and regulations, etc., etc. Well, mainland Europe is clean, its streets are bereft of any dirt or garbage. People carry leftovers in their bags and drop them off only in bins kept

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-84489077212071643172010-07-13T11:26:00.002-06:002010-07-13T11:37:07.312-06:00

In my previous post, I had written about how the politeness of Belgians and, in general, most of Western Europeans left me baffled. There are a lot more things in Europe that can confuse you, especially if you are coming from tropical South Asia.Since the young age of seven or eight, we are taught about how to safely cross the road. The teacher used to instruct- look to right, see if there is no

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-13759363180292337042010-07-05T23:06:00.001-06:002010-07-05T23:12:17.393-06:00

In Belgium, every one is too polite. It freaks me out, when the person at the ticket counter says "Bon jour". Not only in the morning, but any time of the day. Especially, when you are used to the thumping, that indicates "next please". For the first two days, I wasn't able to return the greeting. I could only smile in surprise. But, somehow, I managed to say "Thank you" at the end of the ticket

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-48180184541274932082010-06-28T08:41:00.000-06:002010-06-28T08:41:51.852-06:00

The 2010 FIFA World Cup finals have brought out a lot of comparisons and analogies. The most famous one is the comparison with World War II. I would like to jump this bandwagon of comparisons and analyse the game between Germany and England in the knock-out stages of the 2010 FIFA World Cup played on 27th June. Just trying to judge the similarities and differences between the game and

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-8875601871885197532010-06-25T09:20:00.004-06:002010-06-25T09:22:54.829-06:00

Ever since the trial court in Bhopal has delivered its judgement on the gas-leak case, everybody has begun writing his or her own opinions about it. And the million dollar question is, "Who was responsible to let Warren Anderson go scot free?" For twenty four odd years, nobody has bothered to ask this question. But now, suddenly, everyone seems to have woken up to the fact that Andersen was

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-19229287816624875002010-06-22T05:36:00.000-06:002010-06-22T05:36:00.884-06:00

Alright, my blog is 101 posts old. I completed a century with my last post on the Bombay blood group. What began impulsively in 2005, has now become some sort of a passion. My blog allows me to thrash, trash, praise and do all sorts of things without caring too much about the results. That's probably because my blog isn't influential enough to stir some heads.So, I thought, I should dedicate this

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-78341315154553818492010-06-09T11:25:00.002-06:002010-06-09T19:53:14.037-06:00

Trust me, when I say that tabloid newspapers can throw up interesting pieces of news. Today, I came across this interesting piece of information in Mumbai Mirror.The Bombay Blood Group is a rare blood group, called so because it was first discovered in Mumbai (then Bombay), by Dr. Y. M. Bhende and his co-workers around the year 1952. This study of theirs has been published in the medical journal

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-12303937917201474462010-05-26T07:18:00.001-06:002010-05-26T07:19:51.363-06:00

While the debate and outrage about the Khap panchayats in Haryana banning same-gotra marriage continues, many of the so-called neo-, liberal-Hindus have jumped on to the Hindu tradition bashing wagon. What the Khaps do, or prescribe is not appreciable at all, but why start bashing Hindu traditions on a whole, even without trying to understand it?I came across this article by "youth icon" Chetan

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-33535797204066385182010-05-15T11:40:00.000-06:002010-05-15T11:40:51.332-06:00

Realms of paper, hours, days and years of policy making (or changing), scores of protests have been spent analysing, dissecting and brooding over the Mumbai mills and its workers. Most of these point at the great textile strike of 1982 as the reason for decline of the mills. What has been made popular is that the workers were responsible for the decline, as they struck work in difficult

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-23739880065370013632010-05-05T20:55:00.001-06:002010-05-05T20:56:18.243-06:00

In our institute, there is a Humanities student who is doing research on how behavioral traits affect the retention and reproduction capabilities of memory. For this, she had to conduct a survey of more than 200 people to gather enough data.The best way to gather people in IIT is to send out earnest e-mails to seemingly interested parties. With the existence of mailing lists, it is even more

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-16039664219996256042010-05-02T12:25:00.001-06:002010-05-02T12:26:14.900-06:00

The inspiration for this article lies in Gul Panag's tweet. We have all been paying that 2% extra when we make payments by credit card at some retail outlets. The IRCTC also charges between Rs. 10-40 as internet booking charges. And multiplexes too having been charging anywhere from Rs.40 onwards as "convenience charges" for internet booking.Everybody asks the same question- "Why should we pay

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-67300535094246960382010-04-28T11:02:00.002-06:002010-04-28T11:03:00.902-06:00

Before writing this post, I was just checking the definition of a journalist. Wikipedia saysA journalist collects and disseminates information about current events, people, trends, and issues.This means that a journalist should convey the train of events in a manner that they have occurred. A journalist should not be colouring the report with his or her own opinions or political leanings. That, I

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-3502728972801264062010-04-18T12:01:00.000-06:002010-04-18T12:01:10.060-06:00

Matheran, the small hill station nestled in the Sahyadris, is famous for its "wala". The builder of the Matheran Hill Railway, Abdul Husein Adamjee Perbhoy, was famous as the Matheran Railwaywala. The Adamjees shifted to Pakistan with Jinnah, but left behind the famous Matheran Railway.This weekend, I and my parents went to Matheran over the weekend. While we wee walking back from Sunset Point,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-25386381137567703652010-04-08T08:19:00.003-06:002010-11-25T21:35:10.081-07:00

What happens, if fate decides that you be born into a family of stalwarts? And again, if fate or you decide that what your parents, ancestors did is not what you want to do? And what, if a lifestyle or a way of life is forced upon you, just because your father follows it and thousands others too follow it out of respect for your father? Mahatma vs. Gandhi is the tussle between Mahatma Gandhi and

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-25128296341701380702010-03-28T11:55:00.004-06:002010-03-28T20:05:58.624-06:00

Just watch this interview of Gayatri, the co-owner of the Deccan Chargers. If you cannot watch it here, watch it on YouTube. It was conducted by a pea-headed IPL anchor, who didn't know her questions and was probably targeting the socialite crowd and those more interested in the Page-3 aspect of the game, rather than serious sports viewers and analysts.Watch and hear carefully the question asked

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-23140989999214337442010-03-27T01:10:00.001-06:002010-03-27T07:57:09.919-06:00

Earth Hour is back!! Today, on March 27th, we would be switching off almost all of our connections with the electricity for one hour between 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. How many in India would participate is a question. With IPL on in full swing, there would be a very few people who would want to contribute their bit towards this cause.But, in my opinion, India is already contributing its bit towards

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-79919151756421611652010-03-09T02:53:00.008-07:002010-03-10T07:43:02.173-07:00

On very rare occasions, tabloids print useful news in their papers. And their reputation is what makes sure that such items are read by few amongst the serious newspaper readers. E.g., today's Mumbai Mirror carried a piece of news that should rattle every patriotic Indian and ask the government some serious questions. But, I'm doubtful about how many would ever read that.Hurriyat chairman wants

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-50004005349772480782010-03-05T06:07:00.002-07:002010-11-25T21:34:11.461-07:00

Though I wanted to read Mulk Raj Anand since a long time, it was Susan's suggestion that made me pick Untouchable as my introduction to the great writer's works. The story describes a single day in the life of Bakha, the untouchable belonging to the scavenger caste, commonly known as bhangi in many Indian languages. The work of this caste was to clean toilets and streets and keep them clean for

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-90571326433943141312010-02-20T22:56:00.002-07:002010-02-20T22:59:01.756-07:00

Like most of the researchers around the world, I prefer to typeset all my work in LaTeX (pronounced as ˈleɪtɛx). It is a boon for all those who keep on transferring their work from one PC to another fro documentation, review, publishing, etc. And helps a lot when you are asked to re-arrange equations, figures, tables and much more.While Donald Knuth intended TeX to be used for typesetting and

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-1915600017751067592010-02-15T05:46:00.003-07:002010-02-15T07:26:27.048-07:00

The capital city has the quality of bringing out people's desire to exhibit "I am the master" phenomenon. I was in Delhi over the weekend and was staying with Nilesh, one of my best friends during our undergraduate days. With his home as a base, I also met my school-day friends who were in Delhi. Now, Nilesh stays in Vasundhara Enclave, while my school friends are based in Gurgaon. So, I decided

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-86769962900489073732009-12-28T05:48:00.007-07:002010-06-06T07:36:04.203-06:00

Circa 1915. These are turbulent times. With the movement for self-rule gathering pace, Lokmanya Tilak had become the uncrowned leader. Tilak professed social as well as political revolution. Many amongst the orthodox upper-caste people in Pune are dead opposed to the newly emerging social structure. In the midst of all this, live the Sarafs, a Chitpavan Brahmin family, in a typical joint family

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-35914445332119532592009-12-16T05:56:00.000-07:002009-12-16T05:56:41.388-07:00

In his world famous and super successful documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore utilises a lot of research and some sensational material that highlights the harm that the present lifestyle of humans can cause to mother Nature. He uses this to encourage and promote lifestyle changes that can atleast slow down, if not prevent, global warming. But, he faces a very steep uphill, because of the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-74339610153669993622009-12-04T10:57:00.000-07:002010-08-25T22:55:06.012-06:00

The arrival of Arun, Dwaipayan and Hari in our lab has brought in some fresh air and enthusiasm to enjoy life outside the lab. They share my desire to go around the city into its streets and enjoy its flavour. After a long time, I got to go out and enjoy with them. With Hari and Arun being new to the city, explaining some of the nuances of the city's ways is interesting. It has also helped me a

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-36199590630388223302009-11-15T00:06:00.001-07:002009-11-15T00:07:59.260-07:00

In October 2009, what caught my eye was the news of Google Maps showing Arunachal Pradesh as a part of China. This 'anomaly' appears if you access Google's localised version for China. Of course, news says that Beijing considers various swathes of Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, etc. to be its own (as a part of Greater Tibet). But then, so does India claim those very parts and the entire Jammu and

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-41156262460037789242009-11-01T09:35:00.003-07:002009-11-01T19:49:31.543-07:00

While Khadi existed even before Mahatma Gandhi made it the symbol of India's freedom struggle, Gandhiji brought it to the masses. It was viewed as a tool that would empower rural India by creating jobs in villages and towns and thus lead to the economic improvement of the hinterlands. But with Khadi being associated with politicians and being a hand-made fabric, it didn't catch my attention for

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-78753526766338354832009-10-15T11:41:00.002-06:002009-10-15T11:42:26.903-06:00

"Yes sir, your documentation is now complete. Here is your SIM card. The connection will be activated within 48 hours." The sales person across the counter assures the customer. "Why 48 hours? Why not in the next few hours?" Asks the customer. "Sir, your documents will be handed over to the company, only then can the connection be activated. Government rule, sir," comes the reply. Since the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-70763411119882135852009-10-10T20:52:00.002-06:002010-08-25T22:55:06.015-06:00

Yes, it is the same Cafe that was attacked by terrorists on 26th November 2008. I'd gone to this cafe along with Sushant, just because, long time back I had promised him , that I would accompany him to the place. Accordingly, we managed to achieve that last week. It is a famous landmark in Mumbai and has been in existence since 1871. Cafe Leopold is located on Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, the road

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-7810201905855610022009-10-08T02:53:00.000-06:002009-10-08T02:53:00.123-06:00

Nostalgia: An activity that allows us to recollect the events of the past and extract all that was good, enjoyable or peculiar about them. It takes me away from the realities of the present into a world that was simple and enjoyable. Where pressures didn't seem to matter and failure was just another part of life. Where facilities were premium and the efforts taken to access those form part of

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-91624197916813978072009-09-28T12:14:00.001-06:002009-09-28T12:14:04.258-06:00

Dear Shri Kapil Sibal Sahab,Namaskar! From a student who is studying in an IIT. It does not matter which IIT I am in, but it is a matter of concern to see my institute in the news for some very saddening reasons. That the professors are feeling short-changed due to the pay structure announced by the sixth-pay commission and the huge controversy it is snow-balling into, is not good for the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-24033063164442729622009-09-21T03:41:00.000-06:002010-08-25T22:55:06.019-06:00

Matunga station on the Central Railway line, has a number of restaurants serving various types of South Indian cuisines. Infact, in Matunga, you should eat only in restaurants that serve South Indian cuisines. They are the ones that have been running ever since Matunga came into existence. And till date, they've been running it in a very nice manner.A. Ramanayak Udipi restaurant is one such

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-50648221622207826912009-09-05T09:15:00.002-06:002009-09-05T09:15:04.204-06:00

The last few weeks had a sad series of events, which went unnoticed in the mayhem of the swine flu scare, the euphoria of the Ganesh Utsav. Faculty from all the IITs resorted to an unprecedented action which, till now, has been attributed only to unionised employees and many government employees only. In order to get a fair deal in terms of pay and career benefits from the Sixth Pay Commission,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-78171650216548899642009-08-19T20:39:00.003-06:002009-08-20T00:00:47.542-06:00

People fond of the limelight can never stay away from it. Anil Ambani was always Reliance's media man. He is very comfortable with the media and for very long, people didn't know how Mukesh looks like. All the while, Mukesh stayed back in the field quietly building the Reliance businesses. Of course, Anil too contributed, otherwise Dhirubhai would have booted him out. But Anil was very

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-21361616332322054442009-08-10T09:31:00.002-06:002009-08-24T10:28:56.823-06:00

The Indian Constitution and legal administration is one of the most comprehensive collections in the world. Legislative acts and the IPC cover almost every aspect of life in India. And they are planning to cover more. But, apart from the seriousness of these acts, and penal codes they have a funny side too. Their names sound funny, the aspect they cover sometimes sounds funny and sometimes, their

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-27623721035792331692009-07-16T03:30:00.002-06:002009-07-16T03:31:26.684-06:00

I often wonder, when membership to an organisation is voluntary and there are apparently no tangible benefits at the end of the volunteering period, what do most people think about the organisation and volunteering for it? My answer is that people are apathetic or indifferent. But, they still expect the organisation to keep working for their benefit. On top of that, their expectations from that

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-7500643443094332752009-07-09T01:18:00.004-06:002009-07-11T12:26:53.584-06:00

Radhika, writer of the Rads Blog-a-Zine has awarded me the International Bloggers' Community Award. I don't know why, but I have received it. Thanks, Radhika for considering me for that award. What I have to do now, is award this to atleast seven (7) people on my blogroll. Seven people? It is difficult, don't know if I can ever find those many. Let me try. But before that, those who get the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-57449909732721013682009-07-06T00:04:00.001-06:002009-07-06T00:06:11.108-06:00

Vijay Amritraj and Arun Lal have two things in common. Both are commentators, and both decide the person/team they are going to support during the course of the match. Why does Star Sports have Amritraj as a commentator? He isn't as famous as John McEnroe. He hasn't won a Grand Slam at any level. Ramesh Krishnan is better than him. He atleast has won the French and Wimbledon juniors' titles. In

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-53426902553073776122009-07-01T04:07:00.002-06:002009-07-01T04:16:15.761-06:00

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link has been thrown open to use for the general public. On 30th June 2009, Sonia Gandhi found time to do the honours. A good question to be asked is, what post does Sonia Gandhi hold? She is free of all constitutional responsibilities (except those that are thrust upon her while she is an M.P.) and hence not liable to any actions in case of government failure. But, the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-70288383065103531102009-06-21T09:02:00.000-06:002009-06-21T09:06:56.354-06:00

This debate seems to be happening everywhere. Newspapers, websites, cricket forums, columns, news channels, debating shows, on the tea-stalls near offices, canteens, messes, buses, trains, airplanes, and even on the cricket field. The latest format of cricket seems to have taken the world by storm. Reducing the five-day game to mere 3 hours of action packed hitting around the park. Of course,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-63729390125310250752009-06-10T06:15:00.001-06:002010-08-25T22:55:06.022-06:00

Warning: If you detest non-vegetarian food, or its sight, do not read this post.Tucked in the business district of South Mumbai, is this very old and famous restaurant called Cafe Britannia & Co. As is the case with the early restaurants of the city, this too is owned by a Parsi family. Established in 1923, Cafe Britannia is located at Ballard Pier, a walking distance from Chatrapati Shivaji

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-5446139961828829922009-06-04T21:20:00.002-06:002009-06-04T22:38:53.266-06:00

It is the first week of June and the weather, warm and humid. The temperature is not much of a problem, but the humidity is. Add to that, the winds have almost come to a standstill. And as the days progress, the humidity makes conditions even more worse. But, there is a silver lining to all this. The increase in humidity, winds not blowing anymore, and a steady temperature are an indication of an

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-40143144891849880572009-06-02T10:55:00.001-06:002009-06-02T10:55:00.918-06:00

The ongoing strike by Bollywood producers against multiplex owners has definitely affected everybody. For those unaware, the producers decided to go on strike because the multiplex owners refused to agree to the producers' demands for greater share in profits from ticket sales at multiplexes. From movie watchers, to the producers, to the parking lot contractors, beverage stall owners in the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-50278909511931547572009-05-21T11:08:00.010-06:002009-07-16T03:28:15.461-06:00

All through our life, we have to make choices. We make these choices based on certain needs and desires that we have. From small things like buying a toothpaste to larger things like picking up a job or buying a house for ourselves. But everytime we set out to exercise our choice, we have a backup plan, an alternative. With the toothpaste, it can be choice of brand or size of the tube, etc. With

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-60606225813729527522009-05-18T05:09:00.005-06:002009-07-16T03:28:15.462-06:00

The Great Indian Political League 2009 threw a lot of surprises. These surprises surprised even those who caused the surprises. Before and during the elections every analyst was describing the kind of surprise that will be witnessed in these elections. After the results, they are now trying to explain why those surprises didn't occur. In this era of "breaking news" syndrome, the media tries to

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-61810075999272647122009-05-16T11:55:00.001-06:002009-05-16T11:55:01.119-06:00

Sometimes, we hear statements that get etched on our mind for a very long time. We may forget the context in which that statement was made, who made it, etc. but the statement can be clearly recalled any time of the day. I do not know why have these statements been there in my mind for me to recall them. I have actually forgotten the context of many of those. In a few cases, I've even forgotten

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-26632933144103136952009-05-11T11:25:00.000-06:002009-05-11T12:09:21.888-06:00

He opened his eyes slowly and uncomfortably. Slowly, because he had slept after 12:30 AM in the night and it was just 5:50 AM in his watch. Barely, a five hour sleep. Uncomfortably, because when he came to senses, he realised the moistness around his neck and chest caused by the sweating through the night. Damn the hot, humid summer and the stuffy room, he said. Since he had slept late last night

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-8276517605538184512009-05-04T10:32:00.002-06:002009-07-16T03:28:15.462-06:00

I subscribe to Google Analytics to get a few details of my blog. Who visited, when, from where, how did they arrive, all sort of such stuff. Most of the time, I am interested in looking at the range of cities from where people visit my blog.Recently, I realised about the search engine feature in Analytics. The feature allows you to see what search terms were used to arrive at your blog. Many

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-41939654892377260302009-05-01T11:16:00.001-06:002009-06-09T23:54:35.701-06:00

How crazy could someone be about pav-bhaji? And that too about the pav-bhaji served in a particular restaurant? That's Sardar's pav-bhaji for you. This outlet serves of pav-bhaji (and varieties of it) and nothing else apart from juices and milk-shakes. Located in Tardeo, in front of Tardeo bus depot, this is the place for pav-bhaji fans. To get there, you need to get to Mumbai Central (if coming

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-59030246695966472312009-04-27T10:53:00.000-06:002009-05-02T06:33:04.263-06:00

Everytime the media reports about Raj Thackeray's speeches, it doesn't forget to highlight his "tirade" against the UPites and Biharis. Everybody, whether they are print, news, or other electronic ones. The other parties, like the Congress, RJD, SP, BSP, etc. too point out at the "danger" Raj Thackeray poses and asks the UPites and Biharis to unite against him. Congress goes a step ahead and asks

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-12670921008831873732009-04-25T06:40:00.002-06:002009-04-25T06:40:53.520-06:00

Everyone of us (in India, especially those in Maharashtra) have heard about Tanaji Malusare. Tanaji was in the midst of his son's wedding Raiba, when Shivaji Maharaj called him to lead the forces to capture the fort Kondana. While his guests and family members persuaded him from not going and enjoy the festivities, Tanaji decided against it and said the now famous dialogue- "आधी लगीन कोंडाण्याचे,

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-17711682542552531722009-04-13T01:02:00.001-06:002009-05-02T06:33:04.264-06:00

I haven't been able to read the Samajwadi Party's manifesto. Whatever I could gather is from reading about it on various news websites. What I gather from there, is that they are against use of English language, machines and computers. With an after thought, Mulayam Singh added that the party will push for use of regional language in education, administration and judiciary.It is nice to know if

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-22973953940067080812009-04-01T11:55:00.003-06:002009-04-08T22:19:13.700-06:00

Today, I felt like having Bourbon biscuits along with tea in the afternoon. Four of us, Arun, Abhijit, Jalesh and myself bought tea and a pack of Britannia Bourbon. Britannia have come up with a new mini-pack of Bourbon biscuits, which is priced at Rs.5 and contains 4 biscuits. This pack wasn't available with the canteen vendor, so we had to buy the bigger pack that is priced at Rs. 10. I

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-85133235784077184702009-03-06T07:52:00.001-07:002009-03-06T07:52:00.494-07:00

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of UK, while addressing the US Congress said: "America and a few countries cannot be expected to bear the burden of the fiscal and interest rate stimulus alone. We must share it globally."The open question is- should we? The current fiscal mess is a creation of American investment banks. They extended credit recklessly, by throwing all caution into the wind. Even the

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-57864862005868602962009-02-24T07:48:00.001-07:002009-02-24T07:48:00.285-07:00

In my previous post, I had talked about laptop manufacturers not offering a choice between Windows and Linux operating systems, atleast in India. It turns out that I am somewhat wrong. Asus and HCL offer a choice between Windows and Linux OS on their "ultraportable" series of laptops. These are also termed as "Netbooks" aimed at people who want to use the laptop for surfing the internet, light

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-29700552249428516182009-02-19T22:21:00.000-07:002009-02-19T22:17:26.957-07:00

Over the years that I spent at IIT, I have begun to like Linux a lot. Although I am not particular about a distro, I prefer having Fedora or Ubuntu loaded on my PC. And over time, my liking towards Linux has grown along with the fact that I began disliking Windows. There were several reasons for me to starting liking Linux. One of them is that it was free and the freedom to use Linux the way I

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-90264153606174495062009-02-02T01:49:00.004-07:002009-02-05T03:21:59.254-07:00

The mobile phone rings. It displays a number that is not familiar to me. I am riding my bicycle to the department. I am on the upclimb near the convocation hall. A little irritated, I pick up the phone. I do that always, as I feel that it could be an important or emergency call.Caller: "Hello sir, I am Priya* calling from XYZ bank."This is my credit card company. I get a bit more irritated. Some

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11430958.post-40149295506132244172009-01-02T00:39:00.003-07:002009-06-10T00:02:30.633-06:00

Finally, my stint at Honeywell is over. It came to an end a bit earlier than I had expected, nonetheless, it has ended. And ended successfully. In the two-and-half months that I worked with Honeywell, I managed to file one patent. So, I will have a patent in my name in the next one or two years. Enough for a work that officially lasted for just over two months.Apart from work my stay in Bengaluru

Vinayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00001179092240729416noreply@blogger.com3