When the media delivers opinions, not news.

When MK mentioned that Raja was targeted because he was a Dalit, many found it a point to nitpick him for bringing in caste. For one it is comical to assume that caste does not play any part, in media of all places. I had already posted about the spectral comedy. It now looks like the media is insistent on running this comedy show. DMK is the basic target and its minister Raja being made the scapegoat. Now they have to keep targetting Raja and declare It’s official: Raja pressured judge and to quote

Chandramohan, appearing for a father-son duo, Dr Krishna Moorthi and S K Sridhar — who were facing CBI inquiry in an MBBS marksheet forgery scam — had met Regupathy at his chambers and handed over his mobile phone saying Raja was on the line and wanted to speak to him regarding the case.

I am reminded of the joke

If I say 'Chandrika Kumaratunga who studied in the same school as my mother, is on the line, talk to her on my mobile and Eelam will born the next moment', should people suspect my mother or Chandrika or the school where they studied? What sort of a comedy is this? Though the case is not related to spectrum, the ex-minister is and media cannot stop dancing midway. They have to continue that act.

I was relieved to see some good articles on spectrum in the media, at last. Express Computer was the first and to quote,

It's a case of better late than never. Half a decade after 3G made its mark in developed countries (a decade in some), India has finally decided to embrace this technology. Considering that the pay off in 3G's case can take anywhere from six to ten years, have Indian telcos bitten off more than they can chew?

A lot of the delay in 3G roll outs is attributed to the government shuffling its feet over granting 3G licenses. The auctions raked in spectrum worth Rs. 67,710 crore, a figure that was almost a hundred percent more than the government's expectations. Also, when licenses were given out, only three of the nine telecom operators (excluding the state-run BSNL and MTNL), namely Reliance Communications, Vodafone and Bharti, won the Mumbai and Delhi circles, which are the most expensive. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Reliance Communications agreed to pay Rs. 3,317 crore ($737 million) and Rs. 3,247 crore ($722 million) each for the most sought after Delhi and Mumbai markets.

Amidst the euphoria, industry observers are worried about the 'curse' of successful bidders paying through their nose for the licenses in addition to capital and operational expenses, which could eat into the operators’ profit margins. This, in turn, could dampen future investments. As it is, intense price competition is steadily eating into mobile operators' earnings and ARPUs have dropped below Rs. 200 per month per customer.

The implementation of 3G services would require significant investments (firstly on spectrum), in establishing and then maintaining network infrastructure.

According to research firm ICRA, this is expected to lead to greater reliance on debt and pressure on return indicators in the short term. The numbers are staggering. Telcos paid $1.6 to 2.6 billion for their 3G licenses and, in each case, they will be looking at infrastructure costs of $500 to 700 million, according to analysts. “These are huge outlays; equivalent to 40% to 50% of a year’s revenues,” averred Windsor Holden, Principal Analyst, Juniper Research. It’s not dissimilar to the Western European experience where operators paid exorbitant sums for 3G licenses in 2000. “Those operators are still trying to recoup the costs of their investments, ten years on,” he added.

If that is about the basic aspects of 2G/3G, the editorial in Economic Times nailed it.

Let us look at a similar situation in Britain. When Britain allotted 2G licences, they went through a bureaucrat’s version of an auction — prequalifying bidders through criteria like knowing business plans, their capital base — that Prof Paul Klemperer of Oxford derisively calls ‘beauty contests’ . They could raise only 44,000 pound through this route. Subsequently, Klemperer conducted the 3G auctions, where he raised a whopping 2.2 billion pound for the government and the consequent near-bankruptcy for the bidding firms. But no one in UK used this benefit in hindsight and criticised the 2G auctions.

மீனுக்கும் ஜாமீனுக்கும் வித்தியாசமே தெரியாதது போல, 2Gக்கும் 3Gக்கும் வித்தியாசமே தெரியாத கககபோ !@#$% இந்தியாவிலும் தமிழகத்திலும் இருப்பது விந்தையல்ல :x

If Karunanidhi is 'criticized' by media for taking up the Dalit card, the behavior of the media does not seem to indicate otherwise. If the media can be that clueless, rather cast(e) to call Jayalalithaa as one of all the PMs in waiting where her occupation is given as 'Agriculturist', nothing more needs to be said. There is an orchestrated move in the media to help ADMK or prevent DMK 'somehow' in the elections due 2011. If DMK could lose in 2001 for no reason, it could repeat in 2011. I for one do not see why DMK should lose, rather more importantly why ADMK should win! None of the candidates that I voted till date has won and so I dont matter, rather, I cant help ;)

Ashes 2010

It was always called the ultimate contest in cricket that has lot of ‘history’, ‘tradition’, ‘legends’ and maybe even myths surrounding it. England is a country that also talks too much on technique, spirit, class etc which is just peripheral to the actual game. At least I have no doubt that they look down upon Australia and I remember Ian Botham’s quote during 1992 World Cup in Australia – something on the lines of

It would be lovely to beat the 11 member Australian team in front of 11000 convicts.

Though English media may criticize Jardine for the ‘Bodyline’ series, I always thought there was nothing wrong about it and was glad but not surprised that Ian Chappell echoed my view. After Shane Warne and McGrath retired after winning yet another Ashes, this is probably a good chance for England to win it especially in Australian soil.

Though Ian seems to think that Australia may eventually still win.

This time a pundit will have to earn his money, and even McGrath could be made to look human. I've finally settled on Australia as slight favorites, purely because they are playing at home and because of the likelihood of at least one Ponting batting masterpiece. However, I'm posting that prediction with fear and trepidation, just like Nathan Hauritz waiting for the phone to ring.

I don’t think so and posted my comments as well.

I see Strauss being a more of a serene and calm captain which will put the dice in favor of England. In fact, Petersen may be a 'threat/danger' according to Australia but Strauss, Collingwood, Anderson and Swann are going to be the Ashes-winners for England in 2010. The last thing England wants to do is to talk a lot. It would be good if Strauss advises some of his mercurial players to be quiet. Yes, Petersen is surely one of those!

Strauss may play the way I think he will play. Let’s see who wins the Ashes 2010 – Ian or me? :D

Spectral Comedy!

Right from day one, when Cho Ramaswamy mentioned in Thuglak’s annual function about the ‘spectrum scam’, I found it ridiculous that there has been a scam of the order of lakhs of crore rupees! Even more comical is that the minister in question A Raja was in the centre of the scam which apparently happened in 2007 and for two years the opposition did nothing. UPA came back to power in 2009 with even better majority! Now I don’t know what was the stupid provocation for an ‘audit’ and stupid CAG has ruled that there has been a loss of 176,000 crore rupees. I simply couldn’t believe this comedy. If I expected some ‘sanity’ in Hindu, I did get some glimmer when it voiced the need to heed the call.

While denying any wrongdoing, he has insisted that he was persisting with a well-established policy in handing out 2G spectrum on a first-come first-served basis, instead of taking the auction route. This is no doubt true but serious questions relating to procedural irregularities and revenue losses remain.

There definitely would have been administrative corruption but not to the extent that Cho or opposition, forget CAG claimed or to say that it has a 'scam written all over it'. The cat was out of the bag, when report did not single out Raja. So what the heck is really happening? Hindu a few days later ‘concluded’ that flawed process, failed outcome is the moral of the whole ‘story’.

It is now a common conclusion that the procedure for the allocation of spectrum in 2007-08 for the second generation (2G) telecom services was flawed, and grossly so. When there were many more aspirants for the licences than there was frequency spectrum, and an auction should have been the obvious method to decide on the winners, the licences were handed out instead in a non-transparent, first-come-first-served basis and at a low price set seven years earlier. These are the charges that the former Union Minister for Telecommunications, A. Raja, faces, and the ones that forced his resignation.

I ‘intuitively’ felt that something was wrong but did not know to spell out what. Only for a short time. I re-read the news and it was very clear.

Ms. Gupta said the figure of Rs.1.76 lakh crore was reached on the basis of the 3G auction held earlier this year, in which the government mopped up over Rs.67,000 crore. “The quantum of loss is presumptive, we have only tried to quantify the loss,” she added.

The controversy is regarding 2G spectrum and how can they evaluate it based on 3G spectrum? Devil is always in the detail and I am not sure if even the ministers don’t know how to quash this spectral comedy. 2G spectrum is a primitive telephone network with no great ‘applications’ to run on the same. 3G spectrum on the other hand can allow mobile TV, video conferencing etc. Most mobile phone users are unaware, rather don’t care, about the phone network but the operators are not going to give them the option of going for 2G service. So by default it has to be 3G service for ALL USERS.

Without knowing anything, it has been labeled a scam and the minister has resigned as well. To 'quote' the climax of the Vadivelu comedy,

மீனுக்கும் ஜாமீனுக்கும் வித்தியாசமே தெரியாதது போல, 2Gக்கும் 3Gக்கும் வித்தியாசமே தெரியாத கககபோ !@#$% இந்தியாவிலும் தமிழகத்திலும் இருப்பது விந்தையல்ல :D

Update: 23 Nov 2010, 9:00 a.m. IST

I dont know if the minister did not know or was not able to explain, but news on mobile number portability, yesterday 'exposed' the business (d)evils.

The department of telecommunications (DoT) has finally announced the roll-out of mobile number portability (MNP) facility in the country, beginning with its launch in Rohtak district of Haryana on Thursday.

Mobile number portability was initially proposed to be implemented across all metros and in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu by 31 December 2009. The DoT later changed the deadline to 31 March 2010, and subsequently to 30 June 2010.

Mobile phone operators want to keep using the 'existing' backbone, ie BSNL, for years and decades to come, but as mobile subscribers would know it is simply 'not reachable'. No wonder, 3G was indeed rightly auctioned.

Blog is not autobiography!

'What is your career goal?' is a question that many like me would have faced. I never ever had a specific career, forget company, in my mind but always thought that I should spend some part of life writing a book. A book to un-complicate some domain that I worked in, especially semiconductor industry. To adopt Krugman's words, I am a ruthless simplifier. I do not think that there is anything that I cannot come to grips with, especially in the mental domain (of course not necessarily in the physical domain!). Fiction writing or 'synthesizing a new story/plot with message, humor etc' is not my cuppa. Writing an autobiography is naive according to me, not because 'normal, boring life is so boring to write' but ideally there should be no audience for an autobiography, no matter whose it might be. I never liked all these 'make-believe' or 'personal development' books either, for one it is for the mentally deficient and more importantly it is of no use for people who can think. Maybe the 'theism' which is so rampant in India has made people to seek more and even more Gods and God men/God women whom they can just follow for anything and everything.

Indians are so used to 'following' some one that they never seem to have the ability to think ON THEIR OWN. Ideas are borrowed, teaching is borrowed, IOU list is never ending. It is not surprising that the corporate world is filled with so many stinkers, whose thinking or the lack of it assumes colossal proportions. Almost all my managers in all the companies till now have come and said in a meeting 'This is a book that I have read recently and got some ideas FOR US to be more productive'. If a person has to be told or read some book to know the priorities or how to be productive, then the person should have never made it to the 'top' in the first place. This is another axe that I have to grind with reg MBA. If MBA means 'master of business administration', then for one they should NOT work UNDER someone, taking orders. MBA should chart the course for his/her company or organization; that is why (s)he is MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.

Management is all about DECISION MAKING and this cannot be taught in any school or college. Decision making has to done with reference to the context that one is in. What Lee Iacocca decided may have suited Chrysler at that time. It may not be applicable to Hyundai in Chennai! In fact if things are managed in Chennai, the way it was done in Detroit or Seoul, it may backfire royally! If people are in a cocoon, they can never make good decisions especially in a position like a manager. Current generation is filled with people in such a small cocoon and clueless outside. Not surprising, we are clueless - where have all the leaders gone?

For starters, I think good managers should be very good in general knowledge and not horse with blinkers. I think captaincy in cricket is same as management in any domain. Harsha Bhogle in his interview with Ian Chappell wants to know

When is your book on captaincy coming out?

Obviously Ian Chappell will not write a book 'Learn captaincy in 30 days'! Captaincy or LEADERSHIP CANNOT BE TAUGHT. Going further down, we should first MANAGE ourselves to put us in the best position to succeed and more importantly covering up (AFTER KNOWING) our limitations, weaknesses and inabilities. The same has to be extended first to a small group, say team in an organization in a company, then grow towards to put the organization in the best position within the company, finally growing to the put the company in the best position in the industry and so on.

What about our 'history' or 'autobiography'? Autobiography always sounded like narcissism where TRUTH is never out. It will end up as a 'manual' which lesser or most mortals will follow word-to-word and miss the trees for the wood. I puked the first time I heard 'this is what Stephen Covey said', 'this is what Sri Sri Ravishankar said' etc. I don't have a problem with the authors but the problem is that most readers try to COPY the author and not the substance. That is why we have 'classical' types in everything - 'classical' music, 'classical' batting technique, 'classical' leadership (basically monarchy) etc. Reg blog, Krugman has a blog but that is not an autobiography! It is just his observations mostly on his professional domain, rather the domain that he is very much interested. Sure, the blog is mixed with comments which can be 'deemed political' but that is his way of looking at things. All of us are humans and bound to have different choices and likes. One more reason for my blog is that for those who have been 'in contact' with me, living far away may understand the blog better and can 'update' themselves on how I have (not) changed.

Final Diagnosis!

If I had 'boasted' of my health, then I also missed out mentioning my father's probably better immunity! In his family, he was probably the 'giant' in terms of height and weight, at least during olden days. Even now, he is the tallest and biggest in my family. So we were quite worried when he felt very weak, especially in the last few months, which probably reinforced my plan to return to Chennai. We took him quite a few times to different doctors when he had these recent spurts of fever, which did not even last one FULL day! We were just told that it is விஷக்காய்ச்சல் and the blood tests revealed nothing. My brother-in-law who is a doctor explained that blood tests reveal bacterial infection and not viral infection directly. When we admitted him to SRMC at the stroke of midnight with the point of at least observing him for a couple of days, the young doctors advised us not to admit him and by stealth gave a discharge summary that the 'patient has been discharged as per OUR request'. Obviously at 3:00 am, I was more worried about finding a cab to go back home rather than seeing the faded carbon paper to read what was written. It also seemed to indicate that they did not feel that it was serious enough to admit my father.

After the discharge which was nearly 2 weeks ago, I suddenly noticed my father shivering again. I was surprised because just minutes back, he had wanted to change TV channels to see Obama speak in India. My bil had indeed suspected Malaria when he first saw the medical reports given by the first doctor but it was news to me that there were different kinds of Malaria. There are no ‘golden’ malaria symptoms, applicable to all patients. In Arthur Hailey's books, 'Strong Medicine' or 'Final Medicine', I remember that it is mentioned that there are cures for surprisingly very few diseases. My bil had also mentioned that for some cases, blood testing should be tested when the patient is having fever. That was one difference between the previous times when we had admitted him in hospital/clinics and now. Now he was shivering and he was unable to move.

We admitted him in Vijaya Health Center. The confirmation of 'Malaria' was comforting because instead of the 'mysterious fever', it has at least become a known one. Also since the health center is walk able from my current residence, it will give us many more advantages like coming home to pick up some relevant documents/reports, in case it was missed out. The financial part is always tricky because Vijaya group was always known (at least to me) as a high cost medical care centre. SRMC had mentioned about Rs.4000-5000/- per day and I thought it was high, though not prohibitive. My sister who had worked with quite a few reputed Chennai doctors in her course of employment in India had advised me to check Vijaya because she said that going far to SRMC may not be worth it and Vijaya will also try to be competitive with other hospitals in Chennai. So I was better prepared now regarding the cost, though there was a minor surprise/shock here as well.

I had forgotten that in India hospitals too had become corporate. In my professional experience, I had realized that companies tend to sugar coat their job offers by having a high gross salary many of which are not received in any tangible form. The 'profit sharing' quote that was given in my first company was never seen on hand because the company did not make my profits during my stay but that bloated up the gross salary by at least Rs.32000/- ESOPs is another way of increasing the gross salary. In Govt jobs, the basic will be directly proportionate to the gross salary. In my last two jobs as an employee, viz NXP and AMD, my gross increased but my basic actually decreased! In case of hospitals, they quote low rates but I realized that there are many other components. Bed cost is kept low and is the one, that is 'quoted/advertised'. Nursing cost is the one that shoots up the expenses, irrespective of the fact whether there is good nursing or not.

Money is not something that you should look too much when it comes to medical treatment of your family. Still a costly lesson about how business is managed in hospital industry, not hospitality industry :))

Investing in India

During an inter-corporate competition in 2003 at Bengaluru, one of my responses seemed to have worked in my favor to be selected as a finalist in ‘Mr. Silicon Valley’ (I was part of the winning team in ‘Dumb charades’). It was similar to these ‘public contests’ where we had to complete the slogan and I had to complete ‘Money is …’. I wrote ‘Money is something but not everything.’ On stage, the judges apparently impressed on my response, asked me to further elaborate on my ‘point’. That was the point. I was not making a point! I just wrote what I felt.

It is no trick to make a lot of money, if all you want is to make a lot of money

Indeed I have felt this to be a truism, because the key is ‘all you want’. It is one thing to simply talk and another to walk the talk. With two of my classmates – Raghu Ganesh and MV Varadarajan, we initially did dabble with a measly amount of Rs.3000/- each. Apart from the fact that I contributed in the form of donation rather than real investment, I also did not like ‘trigger happy’ investment, buying and selling based on mood or paranoia. I did not want to invest as a ‘non-serious’ person. I wanted to start my serious investment at the time of resigning from my first job at Texas Instruments which coincided with the IPO announcement of TCS. All my sisters were married then and now I could afford to ‘risk’. In fact that was another reason why I resigned. I always liked tall people in corporate world, who don’t come in TVs and never give ‘media bytes’. TCS and CTS fell in that category.

Also given my visit abroad and the phase that India was in, at that time, I was more convinced that Indian business will show rapid progress. Apart from the fact that I had minimal expenses and that I had entered in to a home loan for purchasing a flat in Bangalore, I really went full length into IPOs and chose LKP for my demat account because they were the only ones who were willing to do it real quick. Other traders/investment companies asked me to come after a week, submit documents which I felt were irrelevant. Anything other than my PAN card is irrelevant for investment. I never wanted to dabble in the secondary market, despite so much of ‘prompting’ from LKP. For one, I did not intend to monitor the stock markets 365/24/7 and I did not want to get distracted from my job, which I was convinced, was my bread winner.

I don’t have any great philosophy behind carrying minimal cash. In fact when a thief broke into our house and stole the purses of my friend, my sister and mine, he would have gone Rs.4000/- or more from my friend’s purse, but would not have got more than Rs.15/- from mine ;) I thought that money in the form of money, i.e. currency is just garbage. That was another reason why I went into purchase of flat. It should be in different ‘forms’, which have differing levels of liquidity. Currency is ‘instant’, shares takes a bit of time, gold even more and fixed assets would take the maximum time. I believed that bulk of the finances should be in this ‘intermediary’ form, i.e. shares/mutual funds/gold.

I followed my ‘internal voice’ in choosing the IPOs and am not flippant. Given the political climate and trend, I was convinced that I can readily invest in ‘disinvestment’ IPOs. Though I sensed Depression which had effect on my ‘career’, I knew that my portfolio can only get a boost. Thus some of my stocks which were performing below par till say 2007 or 2008, have performed exceeding well in the last one year and my whole portfolio has shown 80% growth as on date. With an investment of more than Rs.1.2 million, that is a reasonable ‘success’ according to me. Indeed my recent investment in Coal India has met with an allotment of 199 shares. Hindu’s editorial just reaffirmed my opinion as far as Coal India is concerned that there is indeed a digging for value.

Coal India's initial public offer (IPO), which opened for public subscription on October 18, is expected to fetch over Rs.15,000 crore, making it by far the largest public offer ever made in India. Coal India is the only Navratna that has remained unlisted, and its entry into the capital market has been welcomed with a rare degree of unanimity by a wide range of analysts and investment bankers. Three of India's credit rating agencies have accorded the highest rating to the offer.

I am not sure of how this ‘IPO honeymoon’ is working in India. Especially when there is so much talk of recession, it really looks like the gap between haves and have-nots is increasing. I don’t see the reason why they increased retail investment cap in IPOs.

(Sebi) today raised the investment limit for retail investors in an initial public offering (IPO) to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1 lakh earlier even as it tightened norms governing the preferential issue of equity shares.

Already there is this comedy called HUF (Hindu Undivided family) and people are misusing this to the core. The increase of ‘retail investment cap’ is only playing to this gallery. I don’t know when or how soon will see the 'militant' reaction of the haves vs have-nots in India.

Islamic banking!

Early this year, my Wharton newsletter subscription enabled me to read an article about growing interest: Islamic banking expands from the Gulf to India. Now I read that PM asks RBI to look into Malaysian Islamic banking model. I had pointed this quite some time back in one Orkut community as well.

As a kid or a school boy, I had never thought much about other religions/castes, though I was brought up amidst really diverse people. Coming to think of it, I don’t think I can hope to even (seek to) meet such diverse people NOW. I was probably brought up secular unknowingly! It was in fact great that I never knew the 'second names' of anyone at school. It was always AR Suresh or KP Manikandan or R Gayathri, with most of us not knowing/caring what the initials stood for. We were 'natural' Periyarists, I guess ;) Similarly when I went to temples, usually accompanied by my mother, I hardly remember any 'human' form. Mostly it was the Pillaiyar, basically in the form of elephant, or Siva, aniconic representation for God in Shaiva philosophy. Since my sisters studied in a Christian convent, I came to know of Jesus as well. Islam was in some sense a pleasant surprise, though mostly our insight into Islam was burqa that only very few wore or the cap that some guys wore at their homes especially during some festivals. When I was doing graduation and my Tamil professor inadvertently sowed the seeds of non-existence of God, Islam acquired even more sense. I thought Islam is in fact atheism in the pure sense.

There can be only two beliefs. Either one believes that something beyond the power/will of humans, (is it 'unnatural' or is it supernatural? ;)), is dictating our course of life or one believes that there is a 'cause' for every event in life and nothing is unexplainable. I don’t believe in the former, so I don’t count :)) In the case of former, if we believe that 'supernatural' is indeed responsible, why should we give some sort of form to the same? Once we give form, why human form? Once we give human form, why male? All such inherent contradictions and loopholes led to the pantheon of zillion Gods in Hinduism, making it ridiculous. Even Christianity stumbled a bit, because the 'prophet' Jesus was taken as God by some people. On the other hand, Islam has remained strikingly simple, pure and powerful. To the point that they even resisted from creating a 'form', for the prophet Muhammad cartoon met with severe backlash.

I have come to believe that Islam is so profound that it is not at all surprising that people in the current environment of lower IQs and given 'posts' like mullah, ulema etc give their own version of Sharia. Though many idiots in India talk about Hinduism being a way of life, I think Islam should have made the first real effort towards religion as a way of life. While Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two epics of Hinduism, promote inequality 'religiously' to the point of perpetuating it in Indian society, I don’t think Hinduism has any 'code' for ethics or living which is FAIR. If 'formless' (rather Godless?) Islam surprised me, then Islamic banking was really an eye-opener.

Maybe courtesy my experiences till date have taught me that people are interested in us only if they get 'interest'. Of course, I do understand that a bank which does not know me, can lend me money only at an interest. Islamic banking which charges NO INTEREST is actually counter intuitive! The obvious ones or even the exceptional ones are not interesting. Ian Chappell talking about some of the good captains, listed out some non-so-obvious one like Mike Gatting and it does make it an interesting perspective. I did wonder how the hell can Islamic banking work. How can a Muslim lender, forget a bank, TRUST an unknown person lending money WITHOUT interest? Courtesy Depression, they are now trying to increase spending and one of the ways to increase spending is to cut down the interest rates. They have apparently brought it down to nearly 0% which is nothing but Islamic banking :)) Now they are wondering how Islamic banking has been functioning, as going by above link

Currently, close to USD 1 trillion is being managed by about 400-500 Islamic banks worldwide and by 2020, the figure is expected to touch USD 4 trillion.

I think the key here is it is not just the lending rate that is 0% but also the fact that savings interest rate is 0%. So no matter how much ever money that you dump into the bank and for however long, it is not going to increase a bit, forget multiplying! It is better to spend it than to just lock it idle in some bank for months/years. If Islamic banks have trillions of US $s, then it means that they can spend that money, rather lend it in countries which pay interest and thus the money multiplies even further. Islamic banking promotes spending, obviously in a non-obvious way. Islam goes up further in my ratings :)

Chennai attacked?

I am not sure if I should take pride in my 'immunity' mechanism, but I have been able to stave off rampant illnesses many a time. When chikungunya made a massive strike in Chennai, I was fortunately 'missed' while some of my friends spent weeks in bed to recuperate. Even if it is not fatal, it basically puts the brakes and it is very difficult on companies or people who depend on those affected. Couple of weeks ago, I heard of my chithi's daughter being hit by a mysterious illness and the body temperature apparently rose alarmingly. My Chithi reasoned that it was because of her visit to Bengaluru. Closer home, my father was attacked by some mysterious illness as well (doctor call it 'விஷக்காய்ச்சல்') and even after 3/4 visits to the doctor, we still are seeing temporary surges. Of course, given the age factor, low body immunity is also something that we have to take care of.

Unlike in case of chikungunya attacks, the current trend is spurious because the source remains unknown! In case of chikungunya, water and mosquito joined to create the problem and so some level of disinfectant spraying mitigated the problem. Now, the healthcare dept may have no clue. There is quite a bit of talk and discussion in different fora/media on neglected tropical diseases “killing India”. At the risk of sounding xenophobic, I remember the Thackerays raising an alarm connecting migrants to the raise in Malaria cases in Mumbai. The problem with the personalities involved probably resulted in denying any serious look on the allegation.

Chennai has been mentioned in the list of fastest growing cities by Forbes, especially about an addition of 100,000 jobs this year. Even the new secretariat in Chennai could only be built by thousands of workers from North. Of course, I do personally see lots of non-Tamils in the buses and even in my office. I have to say that I am scared of the prospect of changing demography in Chennai, if not entire TN. Atleast many of my thoughts are put into words by my fellow passengers in buses or trains, who too probably feel the same. Rather than the 'invasion' of people, I am worried about the 'invasion' of diseases. My guesstimate is that old-aged people are forming the bulk of population in Tamil Nadu, if not India. With their immunity being low - my father known for his robust health/body being kept low is a good indicator, influx is not about/just people but also of diseases. It is imposible to control contagion through air, after all of us need to breathe! All have the right to live.

Update 1 (17 Oct 2010): It looks like xenophobia (or is it?) has caught on in Germany as well. Merkel has said that 'multicultural' society has failed - 'integrate or emigrate' policy is finding another voice.

Update 1 (18 Oct 2010): It was indeed shocking for me to wake up in train before it reached Perambur to find 20 odd people sleeping in the floor! As usual, I wanted to get down in Perambur to go to the first compartment after engine. At the other end of the compartment, one lady was shouting at these guys, who dont know Tamil, for entering into 'reserved' compartments. I asked three guys who were sleeping in front of the door to get up so that I can get down in Perambur. They had the audacity to ask me to go to next compartment and get down from there! I guess the pent-up frustration is so much in people that to my surprise (infact delight) 10 other passengers came to my 'rescue' automatically, shouted the hell at these non-Tamils and drove them out even before the train halted at Perambur! What is happening to Chennai? :o

Applying Thought!

I am not sure if it is the case of after-thoughts, that I did think of working in a company in Bengaluru, after coming to Chennai. Though I didn't have big reasons to complain here (infact more reasons to be content/happy), I don’t know if being in a 'permanent' job will be helpful in my matrimonial search and so I did seek for a role in permanent position in one of a 'services' company back in Bengaluru. Even though pay maybe only 'slightly higher', I thought a permanent position will be a 'promotion'. After initial discussions (technical and HR) in Chennai, which were very encouraging, I even planned to live in Hosur to reach Electronic City in Bengaluru. Going from my flat (near HAL) to electronic city will be simply energy sapping. Also I had seen in websites of some builders that there are company buses for employees in electronic city from Hosur. I can still live in Tamil Nadu after all! As always, there is this proverbial 'many a slip between the cup and the lip'.

In my experience, there are not many people working in my domain of work, i.e. DFT. It was thus intriguing all the more that DFT was slotted with back-end in the current company. Though it was mentioned for 'administrative purposes', hopefully the 'customers' don’t ever get to know that DFT is sitting under the 'Physical Design' umbrella! Even if we don’t know DFT personnel in other companies by face, through conferences and other forums, we can get to know the names (especially of experienced/'higher ups') and the bottomline is that there are only few. Though the pay was lower than the last company, where I was an employee as well (i.e. AMD), I still didn’t realize that I am dealing with an Indian company after all. Even in my current company, I got two 'offer letter's with differing pay.

HRs are probably the most hated personnel in the IT world. I haven’t seen till date any HR of the company that I worked in being 'praised'. It is also fairly obvious. The company is basically made of people who 'work'. Once a person enrolls into a company, he may not even look at the face of the HR ever. Maybe because of this, HR personnel want to exercise their power as much as possible before or till the person joins the company. The ten minutes of glory is important after all! Nobel Prize for Economics in 2010 has been awarded to people who have done great work about 'search costs' and its 'application' especially in job markets. In particular I was attracted by the following mention

Why are so many people unemployed at the same time that there are a large number of job openings?
How can economic policy affect unemployment?

If someone who is unemployed increases his, or her, search activity, it will become more difficult for other job seekers to find employment.

I am not sure of the 'appraisal' process for an HR - is (s)he rewarded if candidates are recruited at lower pay and lower job grade? - but the guys in this Bengaluru company were simply out of sync with what transpired in Chennai. The 'negotiation' started with a job grade and pay, both being lower than what was discussed in Chennai! I don’t know if going by the latest Nobel Prize on Economics, search costs are low in India and these people can afford to start their negotiations thus. Apart from this, their 'process' apparently demands copies of all certificates to be submitted BEFORE the offer is given. For one this is ridiculous. Especially for me! My first company, Texas Instruments, enrolled me as an EMPLOYEE before I even finished my MCA degree and here is this company asking for my Xth marksheet! Sure, I have given the copies of similar documents in the Chennai company but that is at the time of joining the company, not even before getting the offer. This company wants copies of all pages of my passport (both old and new), all offer letters, all exit letters, all F-16s for the 10 years! All this BEFORE EVEN GIVING ME AN OFFER LETTER!

Secondly, when I asked how to send all that, the HR says 'matter-of-fact'ly, 'Just scan it and send it', as if it is so obvious. Scanning minimum of 30 pages for all these documents will cost. WILL THE COMPANY BEAR THE COST? When I said that the certificates and passport are in my flat at Bengaluru, he asks when am I coming to Bengaluru or if my friends have the keys to my flat. What NONSENSE? If you want to recruit, you have to bear this incidental expense, atleast after I join the company. I told them over mail and phone the same - I WILL GIVE all this but after the offer is given, not before. Still I made two visits to Bengaluru and informed them. They neither showed initiative nor cooperation. They took refuge under 'process' of that company and the fact that I have to be 'understand'.

The best part was saved for the last. I am not sure of the provocation but the HR mailed responses ccing his 'higher up'. For a change, it was good that they made a direct contact (over phone) with me. I had apparently sent 'nasty' emails and that they are 'closing' my application. That was infact fine! What followed was - if you send any more mails, then I will take it up with your higher-ups and other forums! Maybe he thought that I am a 'spammer' or jumped the gun of taking to forums (what forums? sounds so ridiculous!) to prevent me from 'spreading the news'. He sounded like one who had worked in a Govt company, giving such 'veiled threats'. Maybe in times of 'recession' or 'depression' companies think that they can dictate the terms. Maybe they can, but NOT TO ME. Period.

Hey Ram!

Finally, Allahabad High Court has pronounced the verdict! There are atleast three good things about it. First, it has indeed pronounced the verdict. No nuisance of any further stays! Secondly, Enthiran will have a trouble-free opening (well, almost). Thirdly, the stock market SHOULD open with a big bang and hopefully my stocks will go up atleast for a few days :))

Almost entire nation was led to believe that the verdict will be in favour of Wakf board. Centre had cautioned states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka etc. Demolition of Babri Masjid cannot be given 'legal sanction', directly or indirectly. Just like the 'Ball tampering' issue, Allahabad High Court seems to have gone for a political decision, instead of a judicial decision.

Quite a few lawyers came on TV (I was seeing NDTV) and all of them were 'partially' right. The problem was that they were wearing other hats! Rajeev Dhavan did talk of panchayati justice and PP Rao echoed my question/thought as well -

When no one asked for division of land, how can the court divide it into three portions?

Of course pacifists from the Muslim side like Javed Akhtar wanted Muslims to give up the rights and 'accept' the verdict. There are those like Mahavishnu of Mount Road who believe that the intriguing compromise could work.

The best indicator could be seen very soon, especially in North India where Bihar elections is due very soon. Just when people were thinking why the BJP cannot go back to its ‘ mandir wahin banayenge' stance, this judgement might have come as a shot in the arm, if not a surprising shock for the party. The elections or the results for BJP could fairly indicate how communal people still are. I hope TN with its influx of north indian immigrants does not veer towards 'militant Hinduism' of especially these herbivorous ladylike men :(

Hey Ram!

I bet, we heard the last!

Now, Pak opener Hameed claims colleagues fix ‘almost every match’!

Pakistan opener Yasir Hameed has reportedly claimed that his teammates were allegedly involved in fixing “almost every match”, even before the dust is yet to settle over the allegations of spot-fixing against three fellow players during the team’s tour in England.

I do not expect that cricket can be devoid of such allegations or such scams. Infact, a few days when Ian Chappell spoke on Does ODI cricket have a future?

I think the part of the problem with 50-over cricket is that it is becoming very formulaic

And I think most people accept the fact that the problems with match-fixing in the late 90s and early 2000, a lot of it came from the fact that the players felt that they were playing in a lot of games that did not have meaning. Therefore, it was felt that it was easier to fiddle around with those games. So I have been a believer for a long time that the way to look at the cricket programme is to go for more quality and cut back on the quantity.

Actually when they were debating whether ODI cricket has a future, some of the Pakistan players and the betting syndicate seemed to indicate that it is test cricket where it is easier to involve in betting scandals. There are 5 days, 15 sessions and who is ever going to note that something strange is happening in one session! Test cricket is infact a recipe for all sorts of betting! It is also difficult to say what is result of betting. I saw certain no-balls in TV which cannot be 'planned' - foot was just over the crease!

When Manoj Prabhakar alleged that Kapil was part of the saga, many may have indeed said No Not you Kapil

Prabhakar smiles the smile of a man who knows it's a question that's always coming. "It's not the player everyone thinks it is. He's a bigger name ..." And then his smile fades, his mouth hinges shut.

"Oh, you mean it isn't Mohammed Azharuddin?" the reporter asks.

Many people were actually expecting Azharuddin indeed and infact, everybody would have accepted that he indeed was part of the betting 'brigade' WITHOUT BATTING AN EYELID. He was a Muslim, he chatted and laughed with Pakistanis etc!

I think the professional era has to do everything with this betting menace! In Pakistan, they dont know how long they are going to play and given the unpredictability of their career, they may think as well of making a quick buck, when sun is shining. Not long back, Australians were part of 'disclosures' what some would say as 'innocuous' information like weather or even team composition. In professional era, it basically boils down to earning in whatever possible way. If some can model, dance down the ramp and earn, why cant some others say team composition, bowl a few no-balls and earn? After all, they can argue it will not alter the result of the match!

Madras Nalla Madras!

How did my 'first 10 days' in Chennai go? I guess that the first thing is on the health front. Having lived a decade in Bengaluru where I contracted 'sinus', the 'pollen-free' monsoon weather gave me a cold and almost a headache, which is one of my bigger problems. My mother is usually home-medicine savvy and 3-4 day of 'medicated' cooking fixed it, well almost!

On the travel front, traveling to the office which is far (compared to Bengaluru) is easily accessible despite change of buses. Also I start early in the mornings, so like in Bengaluru, I am in my seat easily before 8:30 am. I always knew and say that a Bangalorean does not know what a crowd in a bus is. I also say that any engineer should start with at least a '2-month orientation' in Chennai, experiencing the heat, crowd and knowing what it is to sweat out. It will really be a joke to compare the bus ticket charges in Chennai to say Bengaluru. I pay Rs.7.50/- to Rs.8.50/- to reach my office from home and even if I take 'Deluxe' buses, I may not pay more than Rs.14/- to reach my office.

Now, coming to the most difficult part. Working in an Indian company. For starters, the offer given to me over mail was higher than 'on print'. The Chennai HR washed their hands off saying that they printed what the Bengaluru HR mailed them. After some mails, it was finally agreed to hand me my 'new offer letter' soon! The Chennai HR could have chosen better words in her communication to the Bengaluru HR. Ccing 'others' (like me, my manager, three managers in Bengaluru), she need not point out the mistake of the Bengaluru HR! Man, it was one whiplash of a mail, that made EVEN ME embarrassed! I am not surprised if Chennai folks really have a 'nice image' in others.

I am neither surprised nor angry that 'services based' company is clueless, but it is when the people who are put 'in charge', showcase their ignorance as truth and expect it to be followed, that you really get pi$$ed off! I don't know who has given them the idea that physical design folks can do DFT! I was confused when the guy said that DFT is 'back-end'. DFT can NEVER be back-end and I wonder how the company is planning to get projects by saying DFT is 'back-end'! Even if it is said that DFT is kept with physical design for 'administrative purposes', it is comical. There is absolutely nothing that DFT shares with physical design and in fact, in all the companies that I have worked before, I neither know nor care who the folks in physical design are. We give them a netlist and they have to take care of the physical design of 'WHAT WE GIVE'. If we receive/expect any deliverable from them, we are probably in the wrong company.

I hope some sense prevails in the company, sooner or later!

The return of the native?

If you act like a dog, you have to bark. If you are a DFT mercenary, you have to keep doing something to earn your bread and butter. Since April 2009, I am amused how I have to managed to remain afloat, financially and otherwise. Even now, if there is no job, if I sell all my shares, I can stay afloat for 4-5 years, including paying my home loan, easily (of course, assuming there are no big expenses like medical emergencies). I remember telling my classmate at REC/NIT, Trichy in 1999 a week before I started for Bangalore - I will be out of that place in 2010. She chuckled 'probably with family'. I didn't have any special reason to say so, but maybe it was just intuition. I told the same to my colleagues when I was working in Texas Instruments (2000-2004) and even in Advanced Micro Devices (2007-2009). Seeing the kind of people who are coming into Bengaluru, I am fully convinced that I will run out of patience very soon in any company and especially with the sorta people out there. Settling abroad was also not in radar; definitely NOT US. I was impressed with European way of life, especially British.

Going back to Chennai was probably not in the radar as there were very few companies in semiconductor domain. Noida, Pune or Hyderabad sounded more likely. In Chennai, I got an offer in Nulife semiconductor in 2003-2004 but the pay was too low. Later TI bought Nulife semiconductor and had a bit of analog designing going on in Chennai. Next was Atheros in 2007. They didn't discuss pay but I felt that the managing director was keen to have me on board. I don't know the reasons why they didn't update later. I had heard of GDA Technologies probably in early 2000s but since it was working in analog domain, I thought I will be unsuitable and did not even apply. Last year I wanted to go to the office and talk if I can be of any use in that company. I was told that company no longer exists, but as I was walking further to meet Xerox Innovation Labs, I saw a company SMSC. I just wanted to check out and could meet the head very easily. She was also keen and said that I may fit into their scheme of things. Though even that too fizzled out for reasons unknown, she informed that GDA Technologies has been bought by L&T Infotech. Recently courtesy LinkedIn and other job portals, (my resume is floating in monster, naukri etc) L&T Infotech did indeed contact me and after some discussion, I am asked to join on 25 August 2010. The pay is low and I am on contract, but I get the feeling that it may be the desired change of scene that I need. Reg money, my home loan installment is the key. Selling the flat in Bengaluru or renting it out is a bit dicey as Chennai sojourn is only on contract and hence temporary. I am not yet finished with semiconductor industry; not yet. There are still three semiconductor companies which I have to 'check out' - two Is and one F (big eyes, some may say ;)). If it is written in my forehead, I will. Also, maybe I will be second-time lucky with Ph.D at CMI.

Update: 25 Aug 2010

Normal return is boring and hence I decide to start on my return to Chennai in my sister's scooty today morning at 6:00 a.m. with a rough plan courtesy google maps.

Post-P, it could be 'risky' but as it goes

Risk எடுக்கறது எல்லாம் எனக்கு rusk சாப்பிடறாமாதிரி ;) Hope to continue in better health.

P vs NP : can creativity be automated?

It looks like that I have a tendency to be reading/thinking of what could become news later. I have been blogging enough about P, Post-p etc and it is not ironical that P vs NP problem is in the news. Not only had I posted on my hit at NP-completeness, but I followed it up with my observations on Cook-Levin.

It is no wonder that the million dollar maths puzzle sparks row

Vinay Deolalikar, a mathematician based at Hewlett-Packard laboratories in California, US, claims to have solved the problem of P vs NP.

The skepticism has already started with

Dr Aaronson says the new proof may fail a "very simple sanity check"

It is not really surprising because the consequences of this is also philosophical. In other words

"P vs NP is asking - can creativity be automated?"
Dr Deolalikar claims that his proof shows that it cannot.

Though it may sound 'natural' to many that P is different from NP, it is like this Sudoku analogy. What is a 'hard Sudoku'? For a greenhorn, even medium Sudoku can be 'hard'. I remember doing the last two 'hard' Sudokus in Hindu successfully. It is not necessarily because I am intelligent but I think it is more because I am used to it and my 'Sudoku thinking' skills are reasonably honed by now. As a DFT mercenary, I did mention

there is nothing new or great that is going to shake my domain.

Switching to other domains, Ian Chappell said similarly about the problems with ODI cricket

part of the problem with 50-over cricket is that it is becoming very formulaic

I am sure the other art forms started on similar trend long back. Hollywood was ridiculously formulaic, Bollywood or Hindi Cinema followed suit to its nadir and there were/are some directors in Tamil who involve in such exercise, indulging in a harakiri. I remember one director saying that there is no 'new story' as there are only 5 stories. The director has to just change the rendition. In music, Ilayaraja demonstrated the farce of 'creation' or rather 'making' mode of music at a 'music factory' - he has said many times that music is nothing but a deception that a new thing has been created ;)


I do tend to think that in line with other domains, P may end up getting equalized with NP and proven so. It is poetic, rather mathematical justice ;) Creativity can indeed be automated.

Post-p

During my college days, one of the interesting problems in data structures was to draw the binary tree given its pre-order, in-order, post-order traversal. Some notes used to refer it as pre-p and post-p. For me, given what p means, pre-p and post-p refers to the obvious ;)

Depending on their age, sex, language, profession etc, people are expected to behave in a certain way. Tamils apparently love to talk, doctors have the worst handwriting etc. I have heard that doctors have to be loquacious, if not garrulous because only then patients are apparently comfortable. One of the reasons why I didn't apply for MBA when I was finishing my graduation is the need for 'talk' or 'group discussion' (GD as they used to call it). Talking in front of strangers? I cant think of such things even now. The doctor who did my operation was probably the first doctor, that I saw of, who spoke shockingly very little and he was competing with my mother in the number of words that come out of the mouth. So with little or no post-operative prescription/recommendation from him (he said that I can start working from the next week onwards!), I was on my way to Bengaluru.

There used to be 'family doctor's in olden days, who apart from knowing about the family (and their finances) and their habits, can probably suggest the right dos and importantly donts for the patient. There was a recent programme in Vijay TV (நீயா-நானா?) about the 'commercialization' of doctors. Not that this is new(s), but I feel that this is part of the trend that is sweeping entire economy. Doctors too have become 'factory'ized. Every patient is made to go through the motions of all the 'basic' tests and given the same prescription or remedy and 'case history' is just a farce, if not non-existent. Indeed, homogenizing the heterogeneous world has completed the full circle. All patients are same and this is the fundamental antithesis of Hippocratic oath itself, I guess. It reminds me of 'hypocritical' ;)

As in 'economics' or 'industry', if all are same, why cant we cut down the headcount by half? Fire half, increase the 'dues' of the other half and let the workhorses burn their midnight oil! Euthanasia did not have a more compelling case.

வாழக்கூடாதவங்களுக்கு நான் கொடுக்கிற தண்டனை சாவு, வாழவே முடியாதவங்களுக்கு நான் கொடுக்கற சாவு வரம்! For those who shouldn't live, death is the punishment; for those who cant live, death is a boon. I am him!

With no 'post-p' prescription, I was trying to collate the words spoken by nurses and doctors and read betwixt the lines. I remember that one nurse told me - you should not eat non-vegetarian, of course you are a brahmin, so that should not be a problem - well, if at all, I had plans to eat non-vegetarian in the future, those plans are still-born. The doctor said - don't sit in a place, walk a lot and exercise your abdominal muscles. This was not an issue for me - I have been walking to Krishnarajapuram station for years whenever I go to Chennai and though this 4-5 km walk is occasional, I think compared to many others who walk in 'sterilized' atmosphere in gym or around flat or even within their house - I walk quite a bit on roads on normal days. Even when I reach Chennai, I catch train to Kodambakkam and then walk to my residence, nearly 2 kms from there. I walk to Ranganathan street or T Nagar most of the time and on 'festival season', I think I reach my destination faster by walk than by bus or other means. I in fact made a note that I took 15-20 minutes to reach Ranganathan street by walk. I am sure I would have taken at least 30-45 minutes if I used bus. Anyway, the point is that I have to decide what is best for my body and I never trusted anyone, leave alone these doctors.

Murali goes up further, calls it a day

When Muralitharan announced his retirement before the match, there was anticipation whether he would get 8 wickets to get to 800 - as Murali himself said that it was just a number, though it would indeed be nice if he could reach it. Scaling Mount Improbable may not be easy, I thought because Indians usually play spin very well and had in fact played the other great spinner Shane Warne with tremendous, if not dismissive, ease. It is no wonder that

Before his debut, Sri Lanka managed two wins in 38 Tests. Muralitharan has since orchestrated 54 wins, claiming more than 40 per cent of his team's wickets in victories.

and hence not much of a surprise that he indeed reached 800 wickets with his last ever ball in Test cricket.

I think quite a big part of the credit of this achievement should go to Arjuna Ranatunga, under whose captaincy Murali played most of his matches. Arjuna deflected most of the criticism directed at his team and more importantly, kept Murali and his team insulated from the heat of at least the press. I still agree with Michael Holding during his talk on the great Aussie swansong that Warne was a better bowler in comparison. I never understood the chucking part right from the start as I didn't find his action 'strange' and Ian Chappell too seemed to have felt that such hair-splitting is crazy (I too thought that chucker is one who bends the elbow).


Indians, as always, show that they are more prudish than the British. It was disgusting to hear Bedi's comments. Great bowler, he may be, but Bedi's remark that Murali should play cricket for the handicapped was nothing but பேடித்தனம் :( No wonder, Ranatunga compared Bedi to a dog :) I also felt that pace bowlers like Shoaib Akthar will get more benefit out of chucking and was confused how a spin bowler can gain unfair advantage. At best, I can call Murali as 'unorthodox'. It was some sort of a comeback (at least in my eyes) that Bedi calls Murali a good human.

To the dead, the roses; to the living, the thorns.

Jobs today...

Where do you want to go today? I am not sure if slide #20 in Krugman's Nobel lecture was intended for current economic situation, but it refers to

Decline of "good jobs"

Whether today we are in Depression or not, the fact is there are no 'good jobs'. Am I talking of 'high class' or 'low class' in jobs? All jobs are equal but some are more equal than others :P At least in India, there is abundance of jobs for people with less than 5 years of experience. Rest have to sit on the bench AT home or some park. Yes, people with more than 5 years of experience are 'safe' if they had already become 'leader's or if they are 'yes men'! If people like me are more intent on self-esteem and pride, then 'Pulp Fiction' said it

Fuck pride! Pride only hurts, it never helps.

There is, at least was, some talk of 'moving up the value chain' in Indian software industry. It is an easy proof that Indians are/were only 'servicing' what the white man wanted. Desis probably think that they have become 'white' themselves and try to exercise their 'authority' over the 'lesser brown' mortals in India. So they act as if they do 'higher level' jobs and grant 'lower level' jobs to their comrades in India (pun intended of course). The comedy is that even in the 'headquarters', desis seem to play the sycophant. It is no surprise that very few, if not none, desis have really made it 'big'. Desis seem to be content in being in payrolls of someone. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride!

I think the problem is that people are not calling spade the spade. I mean, even in college days, some of my classmates used to look down on 'testing' jobs. There is some truth in this because in some sense, it is like HOTS and MOTS. This is like petty-bourgeoisie - where India itself is thrown some crumbs from abroad and dogs here fighting on who has the sweetest crumb of those. As I always say - நாம புடுங்கறது பூராவுமே தேவையில்லாதது தான்! I don't see any reason why people should do PhD or M.Tech for such low-level job. I came to the conclusion that MBA is the biggest rip-off in entire world, not just India, quite sometime back. This reasoning is what I explained in my 'The limits of schooling' article that was accepted by IEEE Potentials (when will it get printed? :o). Jobs that demand HOTS were done in a 'foreign' country and 'MOTS' was relegated to countries like India (only India?). If it is MOTS, then why pay more to higher experienced people, when 'junior' people can do the same and also 'juniors' will do more to IMPRESS the seniors. If you dont have pride, then even better! I have told atleast two of my managers in different companies

We are working overtime to make ourselves redundant.

The job calls/mails that at least I get, demand 'tool expertise', 'international footprint' etc. 'Tool expertise' indicates that no firm wants to spend on 'training' the employee - rather they expect the employee to know that we are in deep if not edge of the abyss.

One thing’s for sure: The next administration’s economic team had better be ready to hit the ground running, because from day one it will find itself dealing with the worst financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Before 'recession' set in, tool expertise was unnecessary and in fact, looked down upon, because it was considered that the person is sound on medium rather than the message. Now companies want only medium experts, pun intended. 'International footprint' is mostly valid only for those who studied abroad or who were 'Jakkuboys'. Despite 10 years of experience that too in semiconductor industry, that too in top global companies, it may be surprising that I didn't stay abroad for more than 6 months TOTALLY! In fact, I wouldn't have resigned from my first company, Texas Instruments, if I had gone to US (for just few days) to present MY paper (it had no coauthors!) but my manager said that the company had no money and to rub salt into injury, few 'yes men' were sent to US for 3 months!

Technically, I didn't learn anything new since 2004. The companies use only improved version of tools, which probably gives the illusion to some that we are working on 'cutting-edge'. I had attended a lecture at ICAI (I usually look up 'Engagements' section in The Hindu when I am in Chennai and go for 'free talks' when I am free) - where an ex-bureaucrat was talking on Budget presented a day before. His basic point was - India's administrative machinery has matured reasonably. We don't need brahmas, we need only Vishnus. In other words, we don't need to (cant afford to?) create new things; rather we have to focus on executing the existing machinery. In semiconductor industry, I heard of 'layout factory' in 2003. Basically all 'design' centres are being converted into factories where ANYONE can be replaced. Companies can survive only by making the workers sweat their blood out and more importanly, dispensable. Long hours are now mandatory for everyone, at least in India. Globally, of course companies can only close down as they are Running Out of Planet to Exploit. There is no room/time/money to question anything - we simply have to follow the 'apes in the cage' paradigm. Don't question, JUST DO IT!

Include me out?

Inclusive growth is the only way the society can go on. If 'elitists' propose euthanasia for the rest, then the population of the world will be cut by a good 90% in a day! We have accepted mediocrity as a part of life, though more often mediocrity is celebrated and thinks that it is 'superior' than the rest. Who has to decide who is mediocre and how? All such ridiculous questions can be answered in only one way - RIGHT TO LIVE. I remember Manmohan Singh talking early in his first tenure as PM about 'inclusive growth'. He is just a prime minister and he cant do much other than speaking such anodynes. It has to percolate even deeper and maybe Chief Minister can do something.

Courtesy this Depression, Krugman made a case for 'Fannie, Freddie and You'.

The most important of these privileges is implicit: it’s the belief of investors that if Fannie and Freddie are threatened with failure, the federal government will come to their rescue.

This implicit guarantee means that profits are privatized but losses are socialized. If Fannie and Freddie do well, their stockholders reap the benefits, but if things go badly, Washington picks up the tab. Heads they win, tails we lose.

It may sound cynical but it is the truth. In India, consumers (rather voters) always are gullible but state Government can hardly go to level of monitoring and protecting every family or individual. I feel that Tamil Nadu is probably the most 'socialist' of all Governments in India - centre and state - though we do have stupid communist Governments ruling in West Bengal and Kerala.

A state Government should try to protect consumers against say inflation. Obviously something has to increase revenue somewhere to offset the increase in expenditure. Ideally it should take the route of 'tax the rich and minimize the effect on poor'. It is no wonder that price rise in diesel is more important than price rise in petrol. Though some of my 'pseudo Communist' friends claim that (D)MK is a buffoon who doesnt increase bus ticket prices for 15 years just because of votes! I think in Tamil Nadu, any sensible politician - MGR, MK etc wont mind increasing, say the registration prices for purchase of land or building but (SHOULD) think thousand times before increasing the prices of bus tickets and milk because the effect is wide and immediate. In Chennnai, the point is rise in prices of bus tickets have been the most minimal, if not absent, in ENTIRE INDIA but 'special buses' have been employed with higher ticket prices. State Govt has to earn somewhere. For the under-privileged, they have buses where they can get tickets at the same price. For the rich or wanna-be-rich, they have 'deluxe/AC' buses with higher ticket prices.

In stark contrast is Karnataka (rather Bengaluru), where I have been living for a decade now. I never thought Kannadigas have some grey matter but now have come to the conclusion that they are the most gullible people that I have seen. In democracy, it is the case of Yatha Praja, Thathaa Raja (like subjects, like government). From the design of their buses and the way it operated, I knew that Karnataka has lot of idiotic bureaucrats, who have no clue about its own subjects. Any increase in petrol prices will reflect on prices of bus-tickets and milk IMMEDIATELY. The bus ticket prices have gone up in the route of Rs.8/- in 2006 to Rs.9/- to Rs.10/- to Rs.12/- now. In Chennai, the ticket from Central to Vadapalani is still Rs.5/- :o The Karnataka Govt made a great decision of fixing the property tax at the same price for 3 years! I dont know what sort of governance does the state and more importantly its people want :(

Bail-outs have to be done to

protect the underprivileged, the underpaid and the underfed

and only that can ensure that Government is indeed for the people, of the people and by the people and the 'inclusive growth' is not left to the winds.

The truth is...

I had mentioned about the quest for truth in the P-problem. Some friends of mine have asked me if I am related to 'Film News' Anandan because I often intersperse my normal conversation with references from films. I always say that there is nothing new to be said, nothing new to be done etc. To put in the famous comedy scene (2:57) புடுங்கறது பூராவுமே தேவையில்லாத ஆணி தான்! Whatever needs to be said has already been said. I am not sure of this 'fancy' for 'remix'es of late because people have always been copying old stories. Romeo + Juliet was an example in Hollywood - Shakespeare could still be used, as is, in 'modern and contemporary' context.

Post-p-problem, when some ask 'how do I feel?' - I dont think they are going to visit me, because they cant bear to see 'others suffer' - that was one refrain that was given in 2004! I can say again that books/films have already talked about my current 'situation'. For me the classic scene is always the one from Pulp Fiction and 'moment of clarity' is very apt as well



And without a job, residence, or legal tender, that's what you're gonna be-- a fuckin' bum!

I was just sitting here drinking my coffee, eating my muffin, playin' the incident in my head, when I had what alcoholics refer to as a "moment of clarity."

What's goin' on?
Looks like we got a vigilante in our midst.
Shoot 'em in the face!

Sounds like a shit job.
Funny, I've been thinkin' the same thing.

Now this is the situation. Normally both of your asses would be dead as fuckin' fried chicken. But you happened to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period. I don't wanna kill ya, I want to help ya.

There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

I been sayin' that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, it meant your ass. I never really questioned what it meant. I thought it was just a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker 'fore you popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this mornin' made me think twice. Now I'm thinkin', it could mean you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. .45 here, he's the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or is could by you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. I'd like that.

But that shit ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd.

'P' for ...

I dont recollect (I also dont think I would have) learning a word for every alphabet (in English of course) in the lines of - 'A' for apple, 'B' for bat, 'C' for cat etc. Every letter stood for many words - for instance, 'A' for both 'Amma' and 'Appa'. Maybe this 'knowledge' at the age of 4 prompted the school to 'double promote' me from LKG to 1st std :P Anyway, my usual weekend visit to Chennai extended to more than two weeks because I almost learnt 'P' for pain, piles, pills etc.

I sort of take pride in an 'inbuilt' warning system on my health. I often say that I never suffer for one day or two. If I am sick, I am really sick. My biggest health fears are not about typhoid or jaundice or fever or cough, but headache and weariness! I dont remember great pains, when I had fracture on my right arm during my childhood (period when I wrote in left hand and still scored 100% in Maths!) or when I had my first stitches due to an injury while playing cricket or even the recent accident in 2004, when I was hospitalized for nearly a month. Well, during 2004, I dont remember the august presence of anything!

Anyway, the weariness coupled with diarrhea in early July indicated that I cant return to Bengaluru so soon and I cancelled my ticket. I didnt expect to be diagnosed with piles but once diagnosed, I didnt want to waste a single moment in agreeing for an operation immediately. Such things should be nipped in the bud, so I thought. Courtesy my brother-in-law, who is a dermatologist, I got the reference of a good doctor who agreed to admit me for a piles operation after a day of observation. It was a strange operation because I didnt feel anything below my waist. I was later told that this is the same injection that is given in spinal cord for caesarian delivery in pregnancies. The pain during pre and post operation would easily qualify as the biggest pain that I had ever faced till now.

I didnt understand what was meant by 'inima' and thought it was probably a tablet that will induce diarrohea to clean the intestines before operation can start. I didnt expect such a pain (part I). Maybe it was more painful since I had piles. This was 'short' and I expected hollowness in my entire body (I lost atleast 2.5 kgs in that!). I was in a stretcher since then till atleast 6 hours, after the operation! I dont know, definitely didnt see, what they did during the operation though I was fully awake, seeing the ceiling and listening to the minimal talk between nurses but after the operation, nurse showed me what they had cut and it was a bloody mess. Not that I am likely to faint at such things, I was curious if they 'sewed' up anything because I didnt hear any related conversation during the operation, forget such sensation.

The doctor who gave the injection in spinal cord said that the numbness below the waist would go in 6 hours but it didnt go for 11 hrs! I wondered if that young guy screwed up by giving an 'overdose'! After 11 hrs, I realized that it was fully intentional for the pain that had no parallels before in my 'history' (part II). In official circles, we often joke about PITA (Pain In The A$$) though I used to wonder why 'itching' should be referred as 'pain'). Now I really knew what is PITA, though I still suspect if non-Indians would ever suffer from piles since they dont eat anything that is 10% hot as what we eat. I was also sore that Telugus who easily eat 10 times 'hotter' things dont seem to get piles. I am hardly known for my infatuation towards 'chillies'. Infact, in my childhood days, I had a problems of (tape)worms in my intestines, which was attributed to my love for 'sugar'.

As always, my body regroups very fast and I was walking within hours of operation, which probably convinced the doctor to discharge me the very next day morning. I did face 'peak' 1-3 second pains four/five times every hour or so (this is REAL pain), but by the end of day, frequency reduced and fully disappeared at the time of discharge. The doctor was confused about one thing. Have I lost my 'pain' sensation? He believed that I should have faced excruciating pain in the anus for atleast a week before operation. The problem as always is in adjectives. What is 'excruciating' for one may be 'unbearable' for some and 'manageable' for some like me. As it goes in 'Apocalpyse Now'-

Pain is easy to handle -- but nobility.. the nobility of a man is judged by how much truth he can handle.

Now, I came alone to Bangalore to see if I can manage alone. The 'western commode/toilet' in my Bangalore flat could also be helpful. Let me see how much truth I can handle!

Update: 18 July 2010

Ok Ok I know that chillies may have nothing to do with piles! I referred to the usual refrain, atleast in India, that eating 'hot' food is the reason for piles and also the doctor advised me to be cautious (atleast for some time), especially those with 'hot' ingredients.

No, it is not 2.0, it is 3.0!

It looks like Krugman and 'ace' economists have finally come round to accept that we are facing or we are in Depression 3.0! I had mentioned about Depression 2.0. I am not an economics student and obviously didnt know about the 'Panic of 1873' that Krugman mentions in his column of 'The Third Depression'.

What is the way out? Well, according to me, cut salaries everywhere and anywhere, worldwide. People have to stop feeling that they are more equal than others and hence have to be paid more. This is not going to happen and so we are going to enjoy Depression 3.0 for a long long time or to quote Krugman

And who will pay the price for this triumph of orthodoxy? The answer is, tens of millions of unemployed workers, many of whom will go jobless for years, and some of whom will never work again.

To quote a line earlier

It is, instead, the victory of an orthodoxy that has little to do with rational analysis, whose main tenet is that imposing suffering on other people is how you show leadership in tough times.

Well that looks like a line taken out of Communist Manifesto ;) The fact is that it is indeed the truth and it does have some parallels in India with the caste system or even the $crewism theory - there are two kinds of people - those whose $crew others and those who get $crewed :(

Classical Tamil!

“As long as we have the language, we have the culture. As long as we have the culture, we can hold on to the land.”

Quite a few have said that I have good 'intuitive' skills but I think I have a good 'inbuilt warning' system. I think I am able to sense the looming or going-to-loom dangers much earlier. Sometimes it could lead to 'over thinking' or 'over presuming' things, but till date my skepticism has been good, though my sisters think that I am 'too -ve' :( I remember the test series in Australia when the controversy was raised, courtesy Harsha Bhogle, Sunil Gavaskar and co over Ganguly dismissal
I was watching it live and even though I may 'support' Ganguly many times, in that case, I knew that something was wrong, though it was Ganguly who was dismissed. The issue was later revealed that Kumble and Ponting had an agreement that fielder's word will be taken and so all this 'furore' was nothing but non-sensical.

When World Classical Tamil Conference was announced, I was neither surprised at the need to praise the 'classical Tamil' nor irritated as some of these 'pro-Tamil/LTTE' idiots were. I was definitely surprised at why Coimbatore was chosen as the venue. I asked a relative from Coimbatore and he said that only Coimbatore has the infrastructure for holding such a conference. Like many other people from Coimbatore, he probably has an axe to grind against Chennai, but my point was why not Trichy or even better, Madurai. After all, Madurai is the 'seat' of Tamil. I was later told or even recently by my chithi's son from Coimbatore - DMK is basically very weak in Coimbatore region and that is why MK announced it here. Development works are going on in war footing - so he said. That settled it for me. No surprises, Coimbatore all decked up for grand Tamil meet. Sure, MK is easily the most educated Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and has special affection for Tamil but he is not the most successful politician in India (atleast in elections) for nothing. He has brilliantly mixed his love for the language along with a political motive. I really cant blame him at all.

Though Tamil is my second language (I dont think I would have even thought of choosing Hindi or Sanskrit as second language just because it enables me to get higher marks), the fact is that atleast during my school days, English was the medium of instruction and with my father having his own small library of ONLY English books, I was more conversant with 'English' world. I read so much about Perry Mason, Hardy Boys, Three Investigators, Alistair Maclean etc and dont even remember reading one single Tamil non-text book. Infact, I didnt even read Tamil papers unless I went to a barber shop! I did not think what others thought about Tamil, maybe they think English is better than Tamil (going by films and 'experts'). Some of my relatives were living outside TN and surely their children didnt know to read/write Tamil. Like any other brahmin kid, I too 'learnt' Hindi but this concept of 'classroom teaching' didnt suit me and I passed 'Rashtrabasha' in first class on my own and STOPPED going further. At the same time, I dont see 'learning in mother tongue' as a great thing at all.

I have been seeing recently that students from rural Tamil Nadu are doing much better in all exams and to quote from the link above,

Tamil Nadu accounted for 16.2% of successful candidates in recently concluded civil service examinations.

Tamils have made themselves amenable to most changes and Tamil itself is one of the earliest languages to be made computer ready. For a language which is so old, I felt that it is incredibly simple and easy to learn for anyone, because probably it is highly intuitive and common-sensical. Just when I get irritated with languages like French or Hindi which are NOT gender neutral, Tamil has so many easy-to-use, SIMPLE and intuitively great features. I have to say that at the same time, I am ashamed that my skills in Tamil are not higher, atleast on par with English.

Coming to the conference, the theme song penned by MK himself got a shot in the arm with music from AR Rahman and a picturization by Gautham Menon. I think MK must have chosen them on his own and it also suits the mood for the conference because it enables to highlight that Tamil has indeed kept up with time. More often, language 'guardians' are often branded as 'conservatives', 'old-timers' and 'traditionalists' etc. So a mix of genres in the music and the picturization for the theme song was nothing but APT.

Yet another marriage attendance...

Yet another marriage was over, but now for a change, I as an 'adopted brother' had practically nothing to do but to be physically present, do some 'rituals' as a brother of the bride. The rituals in Hindu marriage are really tiresome and I dont know who is going to bell this boring cat :( The two principal characters of a marriage are so occupied in the mundane activities in those two days that it is not at all a surprise that I have not heard of any married person who has watched the video of their own marriage. Going through it itself is such a big pain and having to go through it once more can be near death :)) Yes, one added benefit is that I was gifted a gold ring.

Of course, I had mentioned that world is indeed a small place and it is not by design that people whom we had met in another proposition before come in close encounter. My sister probably want to 'pep' me up by concocting some imaginary conversation that my mother had with her. For one, I dont need to be 'pep'ped up and my mother is not the kind to indulge in the 'imaginary' conversation as told by my sister. She is just replaying the plot in movies. If the lead pair in the movie 'breaks' up for some reason, I dont see any reason why they inevitably have to marry someone who is not 'as good as, if not better than, the might-have-been'. I think this has got to do with religion and the ideas that there is always a pay-back for our deeds. If I betray someone, I will pay for it 'sooner or later'.

Well, almost the same thing here as well. They seem to make a pretty happy and good couple and most importantly, I did not ever miss the 'lost opportunity'. My sister probably thought that I was finding it hard to get over that not-more-than-20-minute-encounter years back. Infact, another girl came and told me 'Hi'. I could only ask 'who are you?' and she said that she too was present in that meeting :)) Well, I have a good memory for sure, but I always call it RAM and only few bytes get stored in hard disk for later retrieval. Rest of them are in cache and gets swiped immediately :))

Economics - gulf between theory and practice

Great Depression 2.0? Yes or no, but the inflation is well and truly set in India, if not the rest of the world. There are some reasons offered for inflation in India, for instance, Pulses, fruits and milk push food inflation to 16.74 p.c. I think the total issue is being viewed upside down. It is the government imposed taxes and prices (petrol/diesel for instance) which is leading to the escalation of prices of pulses, fruits and milk.

I seem to be of the view that government is the necessary evil in this case. There has to be a central government to promote 'equal opportunities' in everything for everybody. On the other hand, the government has to be even more federal. VAT in India was imposed because most shops and vendors evaded sales tax by showing lesser sales. Sales tax directly gave state governments easier and better access to financial resources. With VAT coming in, central Govt was supposed to 'compensate' state governments. In theory, VAT is good for having a better control of taxes in 'structured' markets, but in practice India thrives ONLY in 'informal markets' and not really by a well-oiled regulatory mechanism. To quote from the article on experience of VAT in India,

on one hand economic reforms have led to decentralization of expenditure responsibilities, which in turn demands more decentralization of revenue raising power if fiscal accountability is to be maintained. On the other hand, implementing VAT (to make India a single integrated market) would lead to revenue losses for the States and reduce their autonomy indicating greater centralization.

The only way vendors could lower the sale prices of items was to evade taxes. With tax evasion (NOT avoidance) no longer in the picture, because of VAT, the only way consumer can hope of lower prices is to expect 'shop keepers and vendors' to be socialistic. Well, business is all about making money and who will speak socialism, forget communism, in a capitalist scenario? Who is going to say that gain of Rs.5/- is enough than to make a kill with a profit of Rs.50/-?

Krugman, Stiglitz and co are talking of deflation and other threats which is making this 'recession' messier. I find it funny that they are still calling it a 'recession'. Europe is apparently becoming messier because of Euro and austerity measures. US is already messy with seat belt tightening not working out as it was expected to. In India, no one knows how this is going to peter out, rather how and when this is going to explode.