MOTD: message of the day

Letting the Sun Set on this one!

2011-06-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since this blog has seen any posts! I have let it become moribund.
I've decided to finally let the sun set on this one, and start afresh. Look for a post, next week about a new blog.

I will leave you with a spectacular summer sunset, I think it will be a fitting way to let this be the last post on this blog.

Happy Diwali

2010-11-05T15:01:00.000-04:00

Exposure:1/30|Aperture:f/5.6|Focal Length:50 mm|ISO Speed: 800

This year I decided to spend Diwali with my parents in India. We decided to head into the mountains and spend a quiet diwali away from the madness brought on by loud firecrackers.
It's a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. There are many stories that explain Diwali depending on where in India you hail from but the premise of good over evil still reigns.

What I love about the festivals is how we light up our world with diyas (small oil based lamps) or lanterns. We also get to gorge on a lot of sweets and savoury snacks. All in all a great time to bond with family and spend some quality time.

I leave you with these row of lanterns, which I found to be apt for this occasion.

It's Fall in Boston!

2010-09-23T11:24:00.001-04:00

It's Fall (Autumn) again in Boston. It is my favorite season, even though it means Winter is not too far away. The air is crisper, a little chilly and then Nature presents you with a canvas like above! This shot was taken in Fall '08 within Boston, right by a subway stop! I intend to capture more of the colors this year. Watch this space for more gorgeous nature shots! Inspired by fellow photog Jeff Tamagini's phrase "From the Vault", where one posts a shot from the past!

Sunrises: Coast to Coast

2010-09-05T22:26:00.000-04:00

Shooting sunrises are a challenge to me, primarily because it involves waking up very early. Once you surmount that first one, we have other challenges to worry about.
These can be categorized as:

Photographical Challenges
Logistical Challenges

Before delving into these, Here's a sunrise shot on the East Coast (the one I live on) of the United States.

East Coast

Sunrise at Plum Island, MA near Newburyport about an hour north of Boston.
Exposure:0.125 sec (1/8)|Aperture:f/16.0|Focal Length:210 mm|ISO Speed:100

For a successful shoot, you need to plan and have the right equipment, The right equipment will go a long way in overcoming the photographical challenge, coupled with the logistical planning will ensure a successful shooting experience.

The Photo Equipment List

Camera (preferably SLR, to give you finer control)
A Wide to medium Tele lens 17-50 or 24-70 (you're not goin to have too much time to change lenses)
Tripod and head
Cable Release
Charged batteries (I have missed out on many shots, just by forgetting the battery or worse forgetting to charge it)
Memory Cards

The Other Stuff to make your life easier

Flashlight or headlamp
Spirit Level, if your tripod/camera doesn't have one
Sunglasses
Fleece Jacket or gloves ( It was a 52F by the Golden Gate Bridge in Sept)
Coffee
Relax, it's a sunrise, which happens everyday and you can go back and try

The Logistical Challenges:
Most likely you will need some form of private transportation to get to the spot. To find a spot, do a flickr search and look for geo-tagged photos. You might be able to do a recon beforehand, to find the ideal spot to stand in. Get there early, at least 15-30 Mins before the sunrise or by first light to setup. Sometimes you might face hurdles like closed off gates, no roads leading to the spot, so getting there early will help.

A few tips to get good shots:
A wide angle lens will help you capture more dramatic sky as the colors change, though the sun will look small. You will need to shoot at f/8 thru f/11. Keep the ISO at 100. The White Balance at Auto.
Shoot in RAW, so you can post-process on the computer. Also, play around with bracketing, to get a variety of shots.

You can use filters, like a polarizer ( I used this on the shot below) or ND filters that I am going to try when I get them.

West Coast

Sunrise at Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA. Shot from the Marin Headlands, north of SF.
Exposure:1/50|Aperture:f/8.0|Focal Length:29 mm|ISO Speed:100

4th of July

2010-07-05T15:54:00.001-04:00

Another 4th of July has passed us. This is the first time I decided to stay put and not travel during this holiday, it was also the first time I decided to partake in the great show put up by Boston. The July 4th festivities of Boston are renowned for their mix of tradition, culture, pop-culture and spectacular fireworks. Even given the current economic climate, the show was awesome and it was a perfect way to spend a Sunday on the banks of Charles.

I joined Jeff and Jack, two photographer friends of mine and we camped out in our "perfect" spot for over 10 hours. Earlier in the week we had scoped out locations that would be just right for getting great shots of the fireworks and we settled for a spot across from the barges and near the MIT boathouse.

The day was supposed to be a scorcher at 90F (32 C), it wasn't that bad, with a cool breeze that made it comfortable to camp out there in the high temps. As the evening approached, folks from the MIT boathouse decided it would be perfect to moor their boats directly in front of about more than a dozen photographers and and add another challenge to our task. We must have recomposed and adjusted umpteen times.

In the end though, it worked out okay. I had a great time and it was a rather good way to spend the holiday. I think we came back with some good shots and unscathed from the crowds.
The night did end with a bang..literally, while driving back home, I was stuck in a jam. Police cars trying to get through made the driver ahead of me panic and he decided to back right into my car!
At least the air bags didn't deploy!

Do check out Jeff's photos at his blog
and John's should be up on his flickr soon too!

Speeding towards stillness!

2010-06-22T02:17:00.000-04:00

Exposure: 30|Aperture: f/22.0|Focal Length: 11 mm|ISO Speed: 100

I spent a late Monday evening taking some long exposure shots.
This was taken at almost the end of Memorial Drive, near where the Longfellow Bridge crosses over. There's a beautiful curve there, along with a turn-off (as seen on the right) that cars can use to reverse direction. I remembered this spot while riding the T this past weekend. Today was a good day to spend quite some time making this photo. Yes, you make photographs, when you plan it, think about it, and then take a few (more than 10) and feel great about one. On the longest day of the year (today was the Summer Solstice), it was a good way to wind down after a not so successful day of hacking around in the lab.

Feast Your Eyes!

2010-06-11T10:19:00.001-04:00

Exposure: 1/1250|Aperture: f/4.5|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 800

A delicious crepe, that I had a this past weekend after taking in the sights of the Cambridge River Fest. There are few places in the Boston area where you can get good crepes. This one at Arrow Street Crepes in Harvard Square was magnificent. Filled with berries, Nutella and Belgian Chocolate! Have one for breakfast! Your day can't be too bad after that.

Trip to Moab, Utah

2010-06-07T10:38:00.000-04:00

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I visited Moab, Utah at the tail end of a trip that had taken to me D.C and Salt Lake City. I went without bothering to read about it, or plan my days there, except for securing a car and accommodations! I came back knowing I will be back. The landscape, scenery (stark at times) are mesmerizing. You can't be prepared for your eyes are going to see. My only recommendation would be when you visit, plan on spending more than 3 days. I spent over 5 days and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I also got to drive the the Prius extensively, almost 750 miles spending $42 on gas! That's another blog post.

I leave you with some pictures, they are divided into 3 days, with my favourite picture from each day followed by a slideshow of all the pictures

Day 1: Arches National Park

From Arches National Park, Moab, UT

Slideshow of more pictures:

Day 2: Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky Entrance

From Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah

Slideshow of more pictures:

Day 3: Canyonlands National Park, Needles Entrance

From Canyonlands National Park -Part 2

Slideshow of more pictures:

Rock Climbing!

2010-05-16T23:06:00.003-04:00

I went outdoor rock climbing this past weekend. It's quite a different experience from climbing indoors on a wall. I learned a lot what of my body is capable of and how I need to trust my own feet. The simple act of transferring weight and directing it down helps you get a better hold with just your toes. At first it seemed absolutely daunting with a 50 feet high cliff face staring me in the face. By the end of the day and of course many tries and pointers later, I came away feeling accomplished at climbing at least 3 different routes.

Twisted and Tangled!

2010-05-04T23:57:00.000-04:00

Exposure: 1/500|Aperture: f/2.0|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 400

This work by nature best explains the state of my mind right now. I took a decision recently, a rather tough one that has left my mind all tangled up and feeling twisted out of shape! I don't know if it is right or wrong or even if it is the best. I guess I will find out in due course of time. Until then, I am going to work at getting straightened out.

The Boston Marathon

2010-04-19T17:30:00.002-04:00

I managed to step away from my desk for about an hour to take some pictures of the Elite Runners.
I missed the leading Women by a few minutes. I did manage to get some of the Men's Elite runners. The rest are some of my favourites, I think I managed to capture the various emotions: Pain, passion, excitement and happiness. I hope you enjoy them.

Photo Essay: Making a Pizza

2010-03-30T23:23:00.001-04:00

Pizza, it is one of my favourite foods! A fresh slice of a simple cheese pizza is fabulous and very satisfying. One of the best places to get a pizza is at Dimaio's Cucina in Berkeley Heights, NJ. I was over there this past weekend helping my brother with some errands. He used to live there, and we got pizza from Dimaio's on many occasions. If you ever find yourself in Union County, New Jersey (about a 35 minute drive from New York), do stop in and have a slice. I am sure you will come away happy and wanting more! I leave you with a photo essay on how to make awesome pizza.

High Line Park

2010-03-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

Exposure: 1/640|Aperture: f/11.0|Focal Length: 17 mm|ISO Speed: 200

I was in New York last weekend and went to the High Line Park. It was beautiful sunny day, almost spring like. I spent quite a while here taking pictures. This is the Standard Hotel, that spans the High Line Park.

Below, is a slideshow of all the pictures I took at the High Line Park.

Whirlwind New York!

2010-03-08T22:58:00.000-05:00

Exposure: 1/25|Aperture: f/2.8|Focal Length: 25 mm|ISO Speed: 800

I went on a quick weekend trip to New York. I don't think anything epitomizes the pace of New York City like these ubiquitous yellow taxis! I believe this shot captures some of that spirit. This trip was spent hanging out with old friends, and making some new ones. I had a great time as usual! I explored the High Line Park and also went to Williamsburg to explore a different slice of New York! I will be posting some of those pictures within the next few days!

Waiting Patiently!

2010-03-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

Exposure: 1/25|Aperture: f/2.8|Focal Length: 17 mm|ISO Speed: 400

Waiting...We all have these moments in life spent waiting. It could be for your loved ones, for things to happen, questions to be answered, decisions to be made and wondering what if? Damn it if only the train would get here sooner, I wouldn't have all these thoughts to grapple with!

Shops!

2010-03-03T23:56:00.003-05:00

Exposure: 5|Aperture: f/11.0|Focal Length: 17 mm|ISO Speed: 100

More shots from around the neighborhood, as mentioned in yesterday's post. This photo shows one of the many furniture shops on Concord Ave in the Neighborhood Nine Area. Also pictured is a convenience store AIMS Food Mart, where one can also get Indian Spices and snacks.

End of the day!

2010-03-02T23:45:00.000-05:00

Exposure: 1.6|Aperture: f/11.0|Focal Length: 17 mm|ISO Speed: 100

Another day comes to an end! The machines are idle, the bread is left to rise and the bakers have gone home. They will be here early to get ready for the customers wanting their cranberry scones with a coffee and a loaf of bread for the day! This photo is continuation of shops in Neighborhood Nine, I hope to post a series of these photographs over the remainder of this week.

Take a seat!

2010-03-01T23:55:00.017-05:00

Exposure: 1/80|Aperture: f/4.0|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 800

There are quite a few antique and furniture stores in the "Neighborhood Nine" area of Cambridge, MA. Each of them have beautifully arranged window displays, which I have been meaning to photograph. I finally took some pictures today during a post-dinner walk.

Dark, Cherry or Mint?

2010-02-28T22:11:00.004-05:00

Exposure: 1/30|Aperture: f/3.2|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 800

I am partial to dark chocolate. I find the taste richer, and it is not as sweet as regular chocolate. The Green and Black's are pretty awesome! I recommend the mint if you're looking for "flavours" in your dark chocolate, not that you really need a flavour!
This picture was taken at Darwin's Ltd, a great cafe with two locations near Harvard Sq! They have excellent sandwiches, great coffee and free wi-fi to get your internet fix!

Not Dew Drops!

2010-02-27T18:59:00.001-05:00

Exposure: 1/40|Aperture: f/5.6|Focal Length: 210 mm|ISO Speed: 800

It continued to rain this weekend, giving me an excuse to be lazy around the house. I read, watched some episodes of Mad Men (finally!). I did decide to take this shot when I gazed out of the window and spotted these rain drops hanging gently from the barren branches! Manual focusing with the Canon EF 70-210 MM was challenging enough to warrant the use of a tripod.

Wet!

2010-02-25T11:26:00.001-05:00

Exposure: 1/60|Aperture: f/2.2|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 800

Waiting in the rain is irritating! The combination of the rain and the wind created a splatter of water drops on the glass walls of the bus shelter! Headlights from a few passing cars helped me capture this shot. I had fun while making this shot!

Science is better with coffee

2010-02-24T01:55:00.000-05:00

Exposure: 1/400|Aperture: f/1.8|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 400

I highly recommend trying coffee from a french press. Start with freshly ground coffee beans, this is important as the ground coffee loses flavour quickly. Pour boiling hot water over the grounds. Let it brew (steep) for no longer than 3 minutes. Push the plunger down and pour yourself a cup!

Photographing Longwood

2010-02-23T01:22:00.004-05:00

Exposure: 1/1250|Aperture: f/9.0|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 1600

It was a very busy day at work today, managed to get this while getting a quick lunch. This is the old building of the Children's Hospital in Boston. This is more majestic and beautiful then the newer buildings in Longwood. I will be posting more from this area of Boston in the coming weeks.

Mending Fences

2010-02-21T22:05:00.006-05:00

Exposure: 1/40|Aperture: f/1.8|Focal Length: 50 mm|ISO Speed: 200

It's important to mend fences from time to time. There may be something larger at stake then you can imagine or even realize now. It's easy to get carried away in a blame game and you will end up arguing till the cows come home. At the end of which you will feel none the better. Better to take a step back and resolve it in a manner that is constructive. I believe this applies to most things in life, you can achieve more satisfaction by breaking down barriers and building bridges!

Yes, this thought sprouts from something I have been experiencing lately and I shall leave it at that.

Side Note: I will from time to time mention related articles, photographs that I find interesting.

Here's how I found an item related to today's post.

I decided to search for the phrase "mend faces' and I came across this interesting
blog post on the NY Times related to the Winter Olympics and the U.S olympic team.

Another Day comes to an end!

2010-02-20T19:20:00.001-05:00

Exposure: 1/400|Aperture: f/8.0|Focal Length:50 mm|ISO Speed: 200

At Fresh Pond, Cambridge, Ma. It's public water supply reservoir hence the fence. I tried to overcome the fence and shoot the reflection of the sunset on the icy pond. I wasn't too satisfied with the results, so decided to incorporate it in the picture.

Looking through a new lens.

2010-02-19T09:42:00.004-05:00

After a long hiatus, I am resurrecting this blog. It's going to be primarily a Photo Blog. I rather show you the photos I make than bore you with my drivel. Here's to seeing how this pans out. So, I welcome you to join me in what I see through the viewfinder.

Boston from above!

2009-05-11T21:58:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday (9 May 2009), I went up in a helicopter with a bunch of photographers from the Boston Photo Mob. The trip was organized by Derek. Our Pilot was Stuart Matsumoto. We had an awesome ride, and did I mention, there were no doors! By the end of the flight we were leaning out getting some spectacular shots. Hit the play button below to see Boston from the about 500ft above sea level.
For more shots from other photographers check out this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/bpm050909/

Bombay.. changed for ever!

2008-11-28T17:51:00.004-05:00

I am a native of Bombay. Lest you point out it's called Mumbai, let me state that it will always be Bombay to me. The reasons for being so are for another post that I may put up later.
You may be aware of the recent attacks that have taken place and as of Friday 10.54 PM GMT, they are not yet completely over. This attack has changed the Bombay I have know beyond anything I can comprehend. I can sense this change, even when sitting relatively far away in Boston. You can hear the change in voices of friends and family, who I have spoken to. You can hear it in the voices of Indian reporters covering the story. You can also see it in the pictures. We have had riots, bomb blasts in trains, all over the city and the outskirts. Each time, Bombay has bounced back. But not this time, from what I have heard and seen, parts of Bombay were a ghost town on Thursday and Friday. Let me remind you this is Bombay, popularly referred to as the city that never sleeps, where the trains stop running only for a few hours between 2am and 5am. I guess what brought this about was sheer ruthlessness and macabre manner of this attack. 26 people with sub machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades wrecking havoc on the popular places where the affluent eat, drink and stay. Yes there were attacks on the main railway station, a hospital and a targeted attack at a Jewish center. But the main focus was to attack the places where power and money hang out. As a bonus, these were also places frequented by foreigners, people coming to do business and enjoy the pleasures of Bombay.
The international angle of this attack is going to both help us and harm us for years to come. It's going to help us by garnering support from the international community against the terrorists of whichever nation. It's going to harm us, by making people think twice over of carrying out business in Bombay and in effect India. Bombay after all remains the financial capital of India. You know a change has come, when Indians themselves re-consider visiting Bombay. This is common across people who live within and outside of India. This is evident when airlines cancel flights to Bombay, yes Bombay! Not because of weather, or a war! But because of a terrorist attack.
I try to visit Bombay at least once a year, and it never fails to surprise me with changes. Newer hotels, new infrastructure, new malls and restaurants. It was always fascinating to see it change so quickly. But this time around it is going to be a different kind of change. A change that is not welcome. I travel to Bombay in 6 days, filled with sadness and frustration to a city, my city ravaged by terrorists who have succeeded in instilling grave fear that a Bombayite never knew! I leave you with some pictures [some are rather graphic] that can be seen here

Boston in the Night!

2008-10-22T12:21:00.003-04:00

I went out with a few flickr photographers to shoot Illuminale Boston. It's an event where they light up certain buildings and landmarks in downtown Boston. Some buildings were better lit than the others, I hope they expand it in the future and include more sights. Hit play below to enjoy the slideshow of a few photographs from 3 October 2008.

Into the Light!

2008-10-14T23:19:00.003-04:00

Aravind Adiga wins Booker prize with The White Tiger | Books | The Guardian
This is the first time that I have actually read the book before it won the Booker prize. I happened to be visiting my Brother a few weekends ago and I saw this lying on his table.
What intrigued me was the the title: The White Tiger. The white tiger, also known as Bengal Tiger in India. I recall seeing one years ago in captivity in the Bhopal Zoo. Needless to say they are striking animals to look at!

The book is highly recommended to get a glimpse of the other side of India, the more prevalent if not dominant one! It's written in a conversational style between the protagonist Balram Halwai and the Chinese premier. You are forewarned that this is not what most Indians would talk to you about or something you will read about on the tourism board website.
The White Tiger: Arvind Adiga

Boston Photo Mob@ the Hudson Street Gallery

2008-08-28T16:14:00.003-04:00

Boston Photo Mob at the Hudson Street Gallery » Opening Show. Four Photographers, who are members of the Boston Photo Mob (of which I am part of) will be showcasing some of their work at recently re-opened Hudson Street Gallery. The gallery is located in the heart of Chinatown. So if you are in Boston and nothing to do on a Saturday, do drop by and take a look at some amazing photographs.

Click here to see some of the photographs that will be displayed.
The Hudson Street Gallery is located at 18 Hudson St, Boston, MA. The showing runs from 6 Sep thru 14 Oct 2008.
There will be reception beginning at 12 noon on Sep 6.

View Larger Map

A taste of the Caribbean..

2008-08-25T00:38:00.004-04:00

On this last weekend of August, I got the chance to experience some fun Caribbean style. It was the annual Caribbean Carnival with parades held in both Boston and Cambridge. I made it to the one in Cambridge on Sunday with the intention of spending just an hour. I ended up spending close to 5 hours. The parade was raucous, though very colo(u)rful. There was some great music ranging from samba, reggae and rap. I have to say this is easily one of the best festivals in Boston! I will leave you with a slideshow of some pictures I took. Enjoy!

Toast Anyone?

2008-08-15T07:02:00.009-04:00

Toast Anyone?, originally uploaded by InfoMiner.

Ever since I visited Paris in December 2007 and baked baguettes. I have been meaning to bake bread myself. I finally got around to it, and let me say I am no baking expert, but it came out pretty good for the first attempt.

The recipe is quite simple.
Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk

5 teaspoons sugar ( I used a little less, don't like too much sugar)

1 teaspoons salt

5 teaspoons butter

1 package active dry yeast (available at your local grocery)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups flour (I used regular bleached flour)

Corn starch or nonstick cooking spray (To prevent the bread from sticking to the pan)

Method: Mix the yeast according to the directions on packet, don't worry about the extra water that will be added to the recipe( you can always compensate with flour, if dough is not the right consistency) Melt the butter, add it and everything except the flour and mix well. Now add the flour, about a 1/4 cup at a time and stir well, eventually you will need to use your hand to mix it thoroughly.

After mixing it the dough, form a nice ball and lay it flat on the counter to knead. Kneading is a lot of fun, all you need to do is stretch ,fold, punch. Do this for about 10 minutes. Now you need to let it rest and let it rise for an hour, put it in bowl and cover with a cloth. After an hour, take it out of the bowl, punch it down a few times and shape it. You can now either put it on a sheet to bake or just put it in a bread pan. Let it rise for another hour.
After the second rise, pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 400F. And voila, you have your bread. Do pull it out of the oven and pan immediately and allow to cool before slicing.

Recipe from: The Simple Dollar Blog
Another great resource with a lot of explanation of the process and the ingredients used: The Fresh Loaf

Facebook: Scrabulous is not fabulous!

2008-07-29T09:18:00.000-04:00

When I clicked on the Scrabulous link this is the message I get:

"Scrabulous is disabled for US and Canadian users until further notice. If you would like to stay informed about developments in this matter, please click here."

So there you have it, Hasbro Inc has won the first round, Now why wouldn't a company realize how popular this game is and decide to take advantage of it? I find it hard to believe they didn't see the online version of the game coming. People spend more time in front of screens (be it phones, PDAs, laptops), obviously they want their entertainment on them. When was the last time you actually played scrabble with the tiles? Oh well! Now I guess we can be more productive! BTW, the scrabulous site is still up, so get your game while you can.

Beaches and Lifeguards

2008-07-27T15:04:00.003-04:00

I finally made it to the beach this Summer. It's kind of sad that I have to make plans to visit the beach given that at one time in my life I used to live a 25 minute walk from the beach. Given that, I had a great time, it was wonderful and refreshing to experience the waves of the Atlantic. It was also very humbling or rather overwhelming, to know that I couldn't really do a swimming stroke across the waves. After which I just lied on the sand and snoozed while the sun dried me off. The beach we went to was Sachuest Beach in Newport, Rhode Island, about an hour and half drive from where I live.

I went with some other scientists, an unusually international crowd, with number of nationalities totaling to 5! It made for some interesting conversations and sometimes inappropriate commentary about their impressions of America. Nevertheless, in the end we had a great time and it was a well spent Saturday. I plan to do it more often and maybe next time visit the "city beaches" of Boston.

We reached the beach quite late in the afternoon, and only found an empty spot by the lifeguard tower. This made for overhearing interesting exchanges between the lifeguards themselves and visitors to the beach. Of course the moment you say lifeguard, the T.V show Baywatch and all it's connotations enter my head. I found I wasn't alone as we discussed the life of a lifeguard, and wondered whether it was boring. I would say it's far from boring, when a lifeguard is in-charge of watching over hundreds of people and making sure they are safe. Also, I think they were pro-active yesterday by stopping people from being overly stupid and thus preventing accidents. For instance, there was a incident where this trio had gone out too far in the water and were messing around, he called them in before they drowned themselves. I think their job is rather challenging, as is any job where the responsibility is keeping human lives safe. I will leave you with this article I read today in the New York Times: Called to Help: 28 Years as a Lifeguard.

Randy Pausch : An Enduring Legacy - Carnegie Mellon University

2008-07-25T17:42:00.004-04:00

I don't usually blog about other people, but I am going to make an exception. The name Randy Pausch might not mean a whole lot to you. He is the professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University who gave the famous "last lecture". He passed away earlier today after battling pancreatic cancer for about a year.

If you haven't watched his lecture, I urge you to watch it. It might not affect you in the way it affected me, but I am sure it will make you approach life with renewed perspective. His obituary and other links to the lecture may be found at the link below.

An Enduring Legacy - Carnegie Mellon University

Antibiotics or Not?

2008-03-27T17:41:00.006-04:00

(An old draft resurrected, written way back on 27 Mar 2008)

I had this thought while running today, or rather when I was recovering from the run by lying on the floor of my apt! I was in pain, the almost reflexive thought was to consume an Advil rather than suck it up. This led me to think how we have almost become programmed to suppress pain with a quick fix. But the effort required in getting up to get the Advil led me to ponder more about the other times I had experienced pain and what I had learned.

There was one time, early in the Summer of 2007, I woke up with an excruciating earache, the kind that I had not experienced in a very long time. A visit to the doctor confirmed my suspicion of an infection. I had got it because my allergies (to pollen and other related stuff) had caused my sinuses to clog and give me an infection. I was put on antibiotics and painkillers. Not a great combination, on the one hand the pain disappears, but leaves you feeling like crap. There is endless debate about whether one should use antibiotics or not to treat ear infections. I think the jury is still out on that one, at least when it comes to treating children who experience ear infections. The reason is because it's been proven not to be completely effective. Also, it leads to the bacteria adapting and not reacting (dying) to the antibiotic, which leads to the whole treatment being ineffective. At this point I didn't care for the expert opinion, I needed something to relieve me of the pain and I took both. I am thankful they worked.

I am still on the fence about taking painkillers, on the one hand I feel I don't want to become dependent on them. But then I do have a threshold and it seems to falling as I get used to the idea that taking painkillers is okay (Or maybe I am just getting old).

Addendum: 25 July 2007 I am back on the combination of antibiotics and painkillers, this time thanks to a root canal. The antibiotics are prescribed after a root canal to prevent a possible infection. And I didn't think twice before taking the painkillers, the pain was bad enough to keep me up at night. I still meet people in this day and age who don't think medication is a good idea. They feel it's unnecessary, and they hold this for infection too. they believe there is a "natural" cure for everything. I shall leave you with that to mull on!

Meanwhile Back in Boston...Snow!

2007-12-19T17:11:00.000-05:00

While I was away in France, Boston and the the NE of the US got hit with back to back snowstorms in the week of Dec 9-Dec 16! The picture above is of my car, can you spot it? Yup that's how much snow we got. And it's been cold and below freezing since then, so most of the snow or crud as I like to call it is still around. You will call it crud too, after it's been around for a few days, mixed with salt and sand they use in Boston to get rid of it. This December we have got about 19.7" inches of snow, this is more than the total past season (17.6"). I got some friends visiting from Atlanta, where it rarely snows. I sent them this pic to help them mentally prepare themselves....muhahahaha! At this rate I might have to put on skis to get to work!

Paris

2007-12-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

Eiffel up close!, originally uploaded by InfoMiner.

I was recently in Paris by way of conference I had to attend in the South of France. This was my first ever foray into the city, I have transited via a Charles de Gaulle Airport a few times, but never ventured out. I am already making plans to return to this city. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive before my visit, what with my french restricted to Bonjour! Merci and S'il vous plait and smattering of other phrases. I had a great time despite the damp and often cold weather. There are more pictures to be found in my Flickr Photostream (click on the picture above to get to Flickr). Will be updating with further trip reports, including my firsthand experience at a boulangerie (Bakery) baking baguettes. Au Revoir!

What should I call this guy?

2007-08-23T19:17:00.001-04:00

What should I call this guy?, originally uploaded by InfoMiner.

Yes Boston has a lot of unusual signs, roads and people.
Especially this guy, He can be usually spotted in the Copley Square Area. I saw him when I was doing a photo-walk on Newbury St on one weekend. He has a pendant, Sponge-Bob Square Pants and the American flag on what looks like a motorized skateboard.
Each one to his own..

Diversions, Detours..Breakdown and more detours

2007-08-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

I went to New York this past weekend. I met up with some real old friends, have known them since '97..yup 10 years. Some of them live in the city and one of them had come up from Atlanta for work and decided to stay back for the weekend.

I volunteered to drive down -it's a 4 hour, 250 Mile trip- not bad with some caffeine and good music. The weekend was good, it was fun catching up and getting some great pizza and dessert in the village. The irony was I had to give directions to the new yorkers on how to get to the village- they are from midtown you see! Oh! our neighbourhood is what we usually hang around in..rite it's a 20 min train side to the village for god's sake!

Sunday was spent in Jersey, just chilling and an attempt was made by us (Friend from Atlanta and me) at getting dosais. As I was nearing Edison, NJ, I remembered that it was the weekend when the expats from India have the India Day Parade to celebrate Independence Day. To avoid the ensuing mayhem and traffic, we decided to head back ...but alas too late, they had already started blocking off roads and putting up diversions. A simple 20 minute trip ended up being a hour long detour. Finally we got some Mexican food and I dropped him off at the airport on my way back to Boston.

My car decides it's not enough fun driving around in circles in Jersey and decides to break down in Connecticut. I had just pulled off the Merritt Parkway to get some coffee, I get back in my car to find that it wouldn't start. I have had my car for about two years and not once has it given me an issue, not even on the coldest days of winter. Some poking around led to the realization I have a dead battery. Some foresight on my part had made me sign up for AAA and they rescued me.

But that wasn't the end of it, either had more detours to contend with on my way back to my home.

The 4 hour drive turned into an 6 hour expedition! Oh yeah no music or A/C on the way back either!

नमस्कार | Hello

2007-04-15T20:17:00.000-04:00

यह मेरे पहला संदेश हिंदी मे!
ज़ाहिर है मेरी हिंदी उतनी खास नही है।
मगर अब मे इस नही सुविधा के साथ मेरे विचारों को अब आपको हिंदी मे पेश कर सकता हूँ।
To the English readers: This is my first message in Hindi (One of the national languages of India).
It's true that my Hindi isn't spectacular.
But now I can post my thoughts in Hindi to you.

Winter still not over!

2007-02-26T23:56:00.000-05:00

That was the view out of my window on Oscar night 2007. A very white carpet. It was beautiful though, unlike the earlier storm on V-Day when it turned real icy and very cold. But I am ready for some warmer weather, this February has been rather brutal. The weekend was rather good, saw Ghost Rider with an old friend from school. and saw bits of the Oscar show Ellen was actually funny and the jokes were better this year. Do watch The Queen and Last Kind of Scotland if you haven't already. Both performances were stellar and it was validated by them getting the Oscars.

I move in two weeks to Beantown (Boston,MA). So yes I am looking for boxes--let the adventures in moving begin. More updates on that later. Now it's off to bed after a rather long day of research!

Swaranjali -Indian Classical Music in Bombay

2007-01-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

Last evening I took my parents to an excellent concert at the Nehru Centre in Bombay. Shubha Mudgal and Hariprasad Chaurasia were the performers of the evening. They are both trained under the North Indian style of music. Shubha Mudgal is an excellent vocalist, this is the first time I have gone for her live performance and her range and control of her voice blew me away. I don't really understand or know the intricate details of what she was trying to convey. Nonetheless one can just enjoy sweet melody produced by her voice alone. She was followed by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, who is an excellent flutist, I have been to his performances before and he didn't disappoint this time either. He is one of the few who engages the audience and makes the exchange humourous. He was accompanied by two other flutists and when they played you couldn't tell them apart. Only seeing them there made one believe that there are three flutes being played.
All in all it was enjoyable evening and I was glad I could take my parents out to the show. For I know on their own they never would go.

A great way to start the new year...

2007-01-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

I am now in Bombay taking a short vacation and visiting my parents. I timed my arrival on the 31st Morning so that I might bring in New Year's in Bombay..but alas after my trip...there wasn't much I wanted to do except crawl into bed and get some rest. The excitement began after landing at Bombay Airport, my flight began in EWR (Newark,NJ) and I changed planes at LHR (London Heathrow) and then finally landed at Bombay. I flew British Airways, the flight was fine and uneventful (just the way I like it), Immigration was a breeze, 3 minutes to be precise, and the bags were on the belt even before I made it to baggage claim. And I waited for my bags to show up...and waited and waited and waited... after about 45 mins, one of the baggage handlers mutters in Marathi "sagda bags ala.." What? that can't be, I don't have my bags yet. He again reiterated that's it! No more bags. Then it dawned me, I had on my hands the first personal experience of missing bags. I felt that sinking feeling of trying to imagine the horror ahead. I was then directed to the British Airways Personnel, There four of them behind a desk and about 45 passengers demanding answers. It was a perfect recreation of a pack of hyenas closing in on their prey. It took me the better part of the next two hours to file a claim and get a customs duty exemption and trying to get reassurances from the staff on when I will get my bags. There were a couple of foreign passengers among us who had also lost bags, who were also filling up the claims and giving in the paperwork. Which is when an incredulous transaction occurred, the agents behind the counter were handing them blue envelopes with explanations on how they can draw money out of any ATM in India. Yes, they were being cash to cover immediate expenses to purchase essentials with no questions asked. When my turn came up to hand in my paperwork, I naturally was expecting the same, but no I was politely declined since I am INDIAN passport holder. Let me say that there is no worse feeling then being told by a person (an Indian himself) that sorry I can't help you since you're an Indian passport holder. Wait, don't I need the same essentials, don't I deserve the same treatment. It's assumed that since you're an Indian passport holder you are a resident of India and hence will have access to said essentials at home. This explanation is pure hogwash, there will be expense incurred by a passenger irrespective of his residence on purchasing essentials and hence they are entitled to compensation. I had to explain how I don't live here anymore and hence had to purchase items. I had to show him pages with immigration stamps, which proved that I was not a resident of India. The mere fact that I had to haggle for this basic courtesy extended by the airline to other passengers cheesed me off. It would be another matter if the airline declined this immediate compensation to all passengers. My Bags went missing on 31st Dec 2006. Today is 3rd Jan 2007, and I have not had a single straight answer from British Airways staff in India. Firstly, it is difficult to get in touch with them, Secondly when one does get across, one is given no confirmation on when the bags will be available. Most not all of the agents are downright sarcastic and uncooperative. It is almost like they are doing me a favour by answering my call. British Airways has one office in the city, which is basically a glorified ticket agency and offers no help. Only on insisting that I be helped and whether they could put me in touch with staff at the airport, I was offered some information. No one at British Airways India wants to discuss baggage claims and compensation. Even though they are bound by the Montreal Convention. British Airways' US site has an advisory on delayed baggage for customers in North America

Delayed Baggage North America Question Delayed Baggage - North America arriving passenger Answer If you have arrived into the United States or Canada and your checked baggage is delayed, you can simply check the status of your delayed bag online with your baggage claim number and last name by using the following link: baggage tracer. If you have questions regarding the new hand baggage policy please click here. If you need to update the telephone number where you can be reached or delivery address where the delayed bag is to be sent, then please contact British Airways to update your information. Baggage contact telephone numbers

The only information one gets from British Airways India is there is a belt problem and they are working on the problem. Earlier today the phone lines went dead and there was recorded announcement informing they can't take calls for official reasons,and all passengers with mishandled baggage will be contacted!

The image on the left is snapshot of unclaimed baggage at Heathrow. BBC News reports that more than 10,000 bags are missing. Let's hope my bags show up before I leave back for the US. In the meanwhile I am going to go shop for clothes, shoes, essentials with the 35 pounds I was given so grudgingly by BA! Oh yeah Happy New Year...

UPDATE (5 Jan 2007): One bag delivered after 4 days. The other bag is still chilling in London.This bag has stuff for others and not much of my stuff, so the agony continues!

Winter!

2006-12-09T13:27:00.000-05:00

It finally felt like winter yesterday with a high of 27F/-2.8C. I am not even factoring windchill or the temperatures in the evening. As is part of my usual routine on early Friday evenings, I went to the gym. When I stepped out and took a breath, it felt like my lungs were gonna explode! Yes, it's December and I should expect nothing else. To put it in perspective I am used to tropical climate with high humidity and heat and temps of 75F/24C even in winter. To add to the misery we have been having a rather warm spell and it's supposed to get warmer again in the next week. Talk about the weather gods having a finical mind. Give me a constant temperature -Cold, Hot, subfreezing, Temperate - Please let my body get used to it. And with this cold weather comes dry air, real dry air. I am talking the kind where If I comb my hair, I can build up enough static (electrostatic) to discharge electricity. Sparks fly take a new meaning. If there is anybody out there who suffers from the same affliction, I suggest trying this, hold a key between your fingers and touch that to a metal object, it hurts less that way. I could go into the physics to explain why..maybe some other time. Till then I am heading out with 3 layers to enjoy this glorious season of holidays!

12 Days in September

2006-10-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

From Vacation, Sep...

I finally took a vacation in Sept. 2006. The picture above is of the waters around San Juan Islands, WA. (More pictures are at the link below the picture) Thr trip was to the Pacific North West (North America). I went with a friend from grad school. We flew into Seattle, WA, our starting point. I am going to list the places we visited in this post, and go into details in subsequent posts. Our Next stop was the San Juan Islands, WA, after camping here for two nights we went North to Vancouver, BC in Canada. We stayed there for 3 nights and headed back south to Mt. Rainier and then to Mt. St. Helens. After camping in the mountains for 3, 2 nights, we headed to Portland, OR. Portland was out last stop, we headed back to Seattle after two weeks for our flights back. More posts about the places will follow or alternatively I will put up trip reports on my homepage. Till then I hope you enjoy the photographs.

rediff.com: The 5:54 death train, a day later

2006-07-12T20:42:00.000-04:00

More on the day after the blasts. This is recount on rediff.com of the 5.54pm Borivali Fast. Read it and you will see the pragmatism of the people of Bombay. Now over to the government, can you really forget about yourselves and protect ordinary citizens of Bombay? A city with 16 million people, which contributes 13% of India's GDP. rediff.com: The 5:54 death train, a day later

Mumbai Blasts 11 Jul 2006: The day after

2006-07-12T12:27:00.000-04:00

The day started as usual for me, was working away, till I decided to check the news. I usually check the consolidated listings from Google and Yahoo! 7 blasts hit Mumbai Trains! Wait, am I reading this right?, yes yet another series of blasts aimed at innocents getting back home after a long days work. Death toll reported at 7.00pm IST/9.30am EST 134 dead, over 400 injured. I knew that number is going go up. I have travelled on those trains before and the phrase packed like a can of sardines begins to sound like a cliche.

Being here in the New York region, the only thing I could do was call old friends and cousins to find if they are ok. Easier said than done, when the phone networks were jammed. Luckily SMSes were getting thru, It was heartening to know that all the people I knew were accounted for.

Having been in Bombay in the past and living through two bomb blasts and riots, I can relate to how it feels. The complete feeling of helplessness, traffic snarls that prevent you from getting home, phones not working. Trying to find a policeman is easier said than done. That's when the kindness of an absolute stranger goes a long way in comforting, it could be as simple as giving you water to drink and giving you a ride home or the nearest hospital.

I have a list of links below-mainly blogs which can be of immense help
Mumbai Help
A summary of Rediff.com blogs
List of Dead on Mumbai Police Website List compiled by the MumbaiHelp Bloggers One of the most shocking personal recounts: Mumbai Help: The Morning After - updates Some sensible comments, I came across in the media. Vikram Sood, former chief of RAW:"Please don't show dead bodies on television," said Vikram Sood, former chief of Research and Analysis Wing while talking to rediff.com. "TV channels should stop showing dead bodies because it generates fear.
VIPs should avoid visiting Mumbai: Pawar
A policy by the Times of India website: As news of one of the worst terror attacks ever started to come in, photographs too poured in. Many of which explicitly showed the carnage and human loss caused by the seven blasts. Unlike television channels beaming images of blood and gore, we at www.timesofindia.com took a call not to display such pictures on the website. We felt it would only add to the deep despair of the moment. We showed instead the damage caused and, more importantly, the resilience and humanity of Mumbaikars. Do you think we have done the right thing? Or would you rather have us put up all photographs from the site of tragedy without filter? http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1740306.cms
I believe these comments are the most sensible, at a time like, resources are needed to care for the injured. And to respect the dead and their families. More later...when I am not feeling angry and helpless!

World Cup '06

2006-06-09T12:35:00.000-04:00

Need I say more? well the a game with more than a billion fans is having its world cup. It's football time! And what a game to begin with, three goals in the first 17 minutes of the game. At 17 mins into the game the score was 2-1 Germany. They are playing the opening match of the world cup against Costa Rica. Hard to believe that Germany actually scored goals, they usually play defense. Even Harder to believe, I am watching this on ESPN's american network. Got a complete schedule below, all 64 matches are going to be shown live on American Networks ABC and ESPN. Also they got this new ball they are playing with. read about it here Complete football World Cup schedule for US networks soccerTV.com

Funny Video: BBC in a muddle over the wrong Guy | Reuters.com

2006-06-04T20:42:00.000-04:00

Watch this funny video, courtesy the Beeb (BBC). A case of mistaken identity, Guy Goma who came for a job interview was mistaken for Guy Kewney. Guy Kewney, an edior for tech. website was supposed to be interviewed about the Apple v/s Apple trademark. You can read about that here The video can be found at the link below. BBC in a muddle over the wrong Guy | Reuters.com

Google Trends: proteomics,metabolomics,bioinformatics

2006-05-19T19:20:00.000-04:00

I have ben playing around with Google Trends, since its launch last week.

And one of the areas I research in is Metabolomics.

I got into this after doing a graduate degree in Bioinformatics. Now, when I began bionformatics was a buzz word back in 2003. So i decided to use this new offering from Google to check what's more popular. I plugged in proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics.From the looks of it, bioinformatics is still leading.Metabolomics is a mere blimp, which can be attributed to the nascency of the field. (Though some might argue that its been around for ages, but I guess the name has not gathered enough momemtum yet)Also note the cities/regions where the searches are coming from. There are 5 cities from Asia, with 3 from India.A sign of things to come?

Happy Fool's Day

2006-04-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

So, by the year 2006, you should know Google loves releasing new products (oops sorry pranks) on Apr 1st. This year they come up with Google Romance! hahaha Nice one Google. For more hilarious comments head over to the slashdot post Motorola has one too, the "proximity sensor" for all cell phones. Apparrently they found an increase in incidents of people walking into things while SMS-ing (Texting for people in the US). An ad invites you to download the sensor for free..check out the ad at the singapore site of Motorola. Have a good fool;s day. That's all folks

Dorian at the Bitter End

2006-03-18T10:42:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, 16 Mar 2006, I went to the city to see Dorian give a live perfomance at the Bitter End. You can listen to dorian at his site. More pics may be found on my Flickr PhotoStream. Search for tag "Dorian". He was excellent, it was nice to grab a beer and listen to some good music. You can see he puts his all in the songs he sings. Listen To New York Winter, all his songs are available for streaming on his site.

Want a Free Ipod?

2006-03-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

I received an email earlier today from a certain person. It was about getting a free Ipod. (the message and my response are posted below this rant) Ordinarily, I would ignore and hit delete. But, this was the third instance. When will people stop being so stupid.

Would you for instance jump through loops and wear a crazy outfit to get a free dinner? I reckon not, but you would do the equivalent to get an Ipod.

Some people might disagree and contend that it's an Ipod. Yes it's a swanky MP3 player and has been marketed very well. But that doesn't give you any reason to bomb my email box with crap. I get enough spam about crap like this anyway.

What pissed me off even more was the fact, that these are people who have dropped out of touch. But in the need to fulfill the requirement of sending the message to 5 other people, they pull my email-id out of their address books.

This is worse than getting FWDs (forwards), atleast some of those make me laugh. Who doesn't like a good Calvin or Garfield forward. So get it people..there is no FREE IPOD you're getting by sending me crap! Work for it, save for it and trust me it will be more satisfying. If you can't do that, too bad, suck it up and listen to the radio! You might even do your ears a favor.

From: _@hotmail.com>
To: _@yahoo.com
Subject: From your friend
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:03:50 +0530
Jane Doe <_@hotmail.com> wrote: Hello!
I don't usually send these on but you're going to want to see this. We can get an ipod nano free.
http://www.yourgift321.com/?r=MSF0QnQCVREwA2IHBiAC&i=hm&z=1&tc=2
Sign up and check it out.
Are you game?
My Response:

I am deeply touched everytime you remember me, when you see a new exciting offer in your inbox. It's good to know that you still value my acquaintance. I will make sure to do the same when I am absolutely bored and have nothing to do. I also thank you for using my email-id and can attribute that to the increasing spam I get with subject lines like: Get An IPOD or other such misleading crap. Yes, do feel free to exercise your birth given right to spread spam and bomb other's email boxes with unwanted messages. Seriously, "Jane Doe" I appreciate the effort you have put in just to keep in touch. But a simple hello would do!

Crossroads

2006-03-05T23:59:00.000-05:00

Crossroads,
originally uploaded by info-miner.

I went on a photostroll with the NYC Social Flickr Group.
We were on an Industrial East River Photostroll .
It was a great experience, met some interesting people and I went to parts of New York, I would've never visited on my own. It sure beat doing the usual touristy haunts.

I do plan to visit the Rockfeller Center Lookout, since it was recently opened and get some panorama shots from there.

Yes, I have been on a hiatus from posting on my blog, I hope to make this a more regular feature beginning this Month. Till later.

Things that make me go hmmm.

2006-01-30T18:13:00.000-05:00

Selling India Inc. at Davos

A quiet Sunday

2006-01-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

This was snapped by Sriram aka Rama at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck, NY, which is a few miles SW of White Plains. He was visiting me over the weekend. I had always wanted to go here, today being Sunday and with nothing much else to do, we decided to check it out. It's got a small harbor and a park for kids to play around in. It was calm and sunny, though cold, a perfect day to snap a few pictures. Got more on Flickr.
I have been exploring more of White Plains lately. It's a nice clean city, and what adds to its charm are the family run shops that line Mamaroneck Ave. and some on Main St. Main St. has undergone a radical transformation over the past few years, (As I have learnt reading older news articles) with big name stores setting up shop. But what sets any place apart are it's family run stores, because that's more local. Let's hope they continue to remain open, because it's not going to be easy. And if you are looking for a diner style experience, check out City Restaurant (open 24 hours) on Mamaroneck Ave (at the junction with S. Broadway) and Corner Book Cafe on Main St (located right after the city center).

Twitch!

2006-01-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

My left eye has been twitching since last evening. It's been doing that and hasn't stopped. Sleep for 6 hours hasn't helped either. Skipped my morning jolt of caffeine too, no go! The National Libraries of Medicine has this to say on eyelid twitch: the most common things that make the muscle in your eyelid twitch are fatigue, stress, and caffeine. I was working on writing some thoughts related to text mining around 11:45 PM, when I decided to take a break, have something sweet and watch TV for a bit. Albert Brooks-now starring in a movie "Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World"- was on Jay Leno. He was on the show, as the movie releases today (20 Jan 2006). He talked about his experiences of shooting movies in India and Pakistan and the mannerisms of people. He seemed especially appreciative of the Indian style of greeting one another with namaste-You put your palms together and greet the person-because, there is no shaking of hands. This appealed to him as one doesn't have to touch and risk getting germs from other people! I might check the movie out. So after about 20 minutes of gorging on ice cream, I get back to writing and finding recent literature on text mining. That's when my ISP decided to pull the plug, there was an outage. On calling them, I was informed it would last till 6 AM. It was sign, that I should rest my eyes and get some sleep. So I have slept (maybe not enough), not had my coffee and the eye is still twitching. Hasn't become irritable yet, maybe I should just write with a pen and paper and print the papers out to read them. Now I know what makes our eyelids twitch, I wonder what makes us laugh, definitely not this from Albert Brooks:
Q. Why is there no Halloween in India?
A. They took away the Gandhi. (that is, if you pronounce Gandhi like candy)
Of course Indians pronounce it the right way, which does not sound like candy!

Happy Friday the 13th

2006-01-13T23:38:00.000-05:00

Well, it's the first Friday the 13th of 2006.

Not having good day, you may blame it on Paraskavedekatriaphobia . It's a specialised form of Triskaidekaphobia .

And if that's not enough, it's also a full moon night.

I never got the fact that people actually have this phobia. Nor have I met anybody. But I would say I have met people who don't like the number 13 or been in buildings without floor 13. Try and notice that next time you're in a high-rise building in the U.S, see if there is floor 13.

We all know there is floor 13, just not naming it 13 makes it better?

that's my thought for the day! good night!

Google Pack- Making life simpler

2006-01-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Google Pack
Why do I admire Google? Have they made my life simpler- Yes. More productive- Yes. Now Google has released the Google Pack to make the life of MS Windows user simpler. The Pack includes free software that I feel is essential to have a rich multimedia experience. What could be better than have one tool update all this software, and make sure you have a safe internet experience. All I can say is Thank You Google. Use the link above to get your own Google Pack.
Read about what they have to say at the Google Blog

$175 for a pound of coffee beans!

2005-12-30T13:21:00.000-05:00

Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com
At that price, I wouldn't blame you for thinking whether these coffee beans laced with gold! I love coffee, would drink it on any given day. But I wouldn't fork out $175 for something that came out of a palm civet's backside! Read the story at the link above!

Still Using IE to browse the web?

2005-12-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

IE flaw lets intruders into Google Desktop | Tech News on ZDNet Need more reasons to change to a safer and better browser? Visit Mozilla Corporation. Imagine a browser that not only protects you, but also lets you customize it completely. This post is a plug! My two cents worth to spread the word.. Aren't you just tired of hearing about the flaws in IE. I see it as a blessing, that we have alternatives-It's your choice, Take back the web. (Also, there is Opera, a browser that was recently made free)

The Bicycle Diaries - Is it possible to live in America without a car? Uh, sort of. By Bill Gifford

2005-11-30T20:31:00.000-05:00

Article in Slate
I miss my bike, on some of the warmer days of this season, I rather ride to work. I used to own a Schwinn Cross (Hybrid) Bike, back in Milwaukee, WI. I am not into extreme biking, else I would consider picking one up now. Hmm..time to start saving for spring.

Proper English ain't nowhere to be found

2005-11-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Ain't that beautiful. I ain't done nothing. He ain't done nothing! Ain't is incorrect english. Does it even matter to any of us anymore? I used the first example as a caption to one of my pictures, just to have someone comment on its incorrectness! I was glad someone did. It's almost everyday one hears incorrect english, but do we anything about it? Maybe at the risk of sounding pedantic and cranky we desist. Well, think of this next time you hear a kid speaking like that. Do him/her a favor (favour) and gently correct them. Thankfully I am not alone in this quest --> An Article in AZ Central

Fall Colors 05

2005-11-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

Fall Colors 03,
originally uploaded by Vasant.

This fall, I finally went on a drive to see the Fall colors.
The trip started in White Plains, I headed to S. Glastonbury, CT (nr Hartford) for a Diwali dinner. On the way back took a detour and went North to Kent, CT. The drive was beautiful to say the least.
We drove back via Ridgefield, a picturesque town near the border of Connecticut and New York State.
If you have flickr, punch in "newyorkwhiteplainsctoctfall2005" as a tag.

A search for "Box Plots" led me to this!

2005-10-18T16:27:00.000-04:00

I was searching for interpretations of box plots with regards to genetic data. Found a very interesting paper on the phenomenon of blogging. The researchers are at Univ. of California, Irvine and have tried to answer the question "Are Bloggers a Global Community?" Read on to get some very interesting insights on the content of blogs from around the world and the associated personalities. Also, the paper has a very nice application of some standard statistical tests, explained lucidly.
A paper that won't put you to sleep!
The paper may be found here
Filename:Su-Bosom-CT05.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader Required.

As Polar Ice Turns to Water, Dreams of Treasure Abound - New York Times

2005-10-12T14:10:00.000-04:00

As Polar Ice Turns to Water, Dreams of Treasure Abound - New York Times
Can we stop ourselves from plundering Mother Nature? For want of a little gain, we are going to risk losing one of the last vestiges of untouched territories. Yes developing a port and getting new shipping routes(yes, they are much shorter) will be nice. But at what cost? Will the migratory routes of the humpback whales be respected? Also one Canadian official calls this the "positive side of global warming, if there is a postive one". Positive side? As if the recent disasters are not enough to point out that we have blinders on and are totally ignoring what nature is telling us. We have been reckless in the past and from the signs of it, we will continue to be so , to benefit from monetary gain! Perma Link to article Perma Link Courtesy Aaron Swartz, Content: the New York Times

Grown-up Soda

2005-10-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

Now I am not a regular drinker of soda. I veer away from it. Give me a Snapple any day. Recently though I have been introduced to a variety of offbeat sodas -courtesy my nephew and brother. The first one of these was the classic orangeade (reminds me of Britain and the Famous Five), then came lemonade, the best though was French Berry Lemonade. All these sodas are available at Trader Joe's- a not so regular grocery store. I currently stay in White Plains, NY, where sadly there is no TJ's,but we have a Whole Foods. On my walk back from downtown to home, I decided to venture in and check out their offerings. I liked the store, big and a good variety of stuff. And there I see gingerale, in a nicely shaped bottle bearing the brandname GuS (I am thinking ...hop on the bus, gus-Simon and Garfunkel's song-Fifty Ways to leave your lover). Gus- Grown-Up Soda. I decide to sample it, to continue my trend of trying out new foodstuffs. They also have some very good dark chocolates. If you like your drinks, not too sweet and syrupy, then this is for you. Best part is that they don't use that ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup. Try a GuS next time...its okay you can have soda, even though you're an adult!

Yahoo! News Photo

2005-09-16T12:44:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050914/ids_photos_ts/r2587077477.jpg A photo of a note! not gonna say anymore. The pic and the caption are rather self-explanatory

Old Posts upto Aug 2005.

2005-08-23T23:39:00.000-04:00

The content below is from the old blog on my personal website.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

SAVE FLAMINGOS - Mumbai (Bombay) India

SAVE FLAMINGOS 12-15% of the entire South Asian population of flamingos, which is 20,000 spend about eight months in the Sewri Bay, in the heart of Bombay. The Govt. of Maharashtra (the state in which Bombay is located and is the capital of) is considering building a trans-harbour link between Nhava and Sewree. The bridge will be a boon to the island city and ease traffic congestion, but at the cost of completely annhilating the wintering habit of the migratory flamingos. Bombay has very little green space compared to most cities in the world. Precious little has been done to protect its environment riches. This is yet another example of a government jumping to a hasty decision to serve a few citizens who would benefit from such a trans-harbor link. The bridge can be re-aligned and still serve the purpose and we can also save natural heritage. visit Mumbai Flamingos for more information. Care to sign a petition ? Click here

Monday, July 11, 2005

Reuters AlertNet - Curry ingredient fights skin cancer - U.S. study

Reuters AlertNet - Curry ingredient fights skin cancer - U.S. study Curry is good for you! What is curry? It's a generic name to given to dishes from the Indian cuisine, courtesy the British. So do give a try to some Indian Cuisine, I am sure there are few restaurants in your vicinity that serve up curry. This article talks about "curcumin", a constituent of turmeric powder. Turmeric is used as a colorant in Indian cooking, it imparts an orange color. Curcumin has according to research anti-oxidant properties and a suppresor of cell from the melanona lines[Aggarwal et al,Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1030:434-41.]. Turmeric also has other healing properties, for instance with hot milk it's a perfect cure for sore throats. As an aside it is used in cosmetics for skin care. Please be cautious when buying turmeric powder sold loosely (mostly in Indian groceries and shops in India), in which traces of other carcinogenic impurities have been found. These have been linked to causes of cancer.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

Entrez PubMed :The role of logistic constraints in termite construction of chambers and tunnels.

Entrez PubMed Yes! This paper is availabe via PubMed. I am building a tool that classifies papers automatically. I was checking to see its perfomance. So I logged on to the website and I see the title "The role of logistic constraints in termite construction of chambers and tunnels." Alarmed at first on whether my tool is performing incorrectly.. I thought whether a paper with a title such as this would appear on PubMed! This paper talks about the how the constructional efficiency of termites is affected by logical constraints. Got to say we have a thing or to learn from those creatures. As, always Mother Nature shows us Who is Da Man! I read the abstract

Monday, April 25, 2005

Structure of DNA published on 25th April 1953

In the year 1953 on * April 25 - Francis Crick and James D. Watson publish their description of the double helix structure of DNA. Watson, J. D. and Crick, F. H. C. (1953). Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid (http://www.nature.com/genomics/human/watson-crick/index.html). Nature 171, 737-738.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Was the Human Genome Project Worth the Effort?

It is a valid question to ask, after millions of dollars, not to mention the effort that went into mapping the Human Genome.
I sure hope so, for the good of mankind.
And for me, else I have to find a new profession.
Read the summary at the link below
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5720/362

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;        5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,    10

.......
One more of those sleepless nights,
it started with me feeling tired and ready to crash.
I shut my blinds,set the alarm for 07.35 am, put on some  classical music by Yo-Yo-Ma.
15 minutes of tossing and turning, incessant sneezing and 30 minutes later, I still have no sleep.
I hate lying in bed awake!
I boot up my computer, log into my lab and start coding and reading about support vector machines.
It is just 1.30 am. It's finally quiet on W.Wisconsin Ave. given that it is one of the main throughfares to downtown Milwaukee, it remains quite busy and with the weather warming up. A couple of Harley's can be heard roaring into the night, perhaps on the way back to the suburbs they came from.

I can't seem to sleep at regular hours anymore, I don't need to wake up in the morning and be at a particular place 9 in the morning.
Most of the time is spent the way I want to.
I find I am still, more productive late at nights, something that reminds me of the past days in college.
When one could study peacefully in Bombay only in the nights.
it is 6.15 am as I type this. I am typing as I have finished what I wanted to achieve in these few hours.
My code is chugging away, going out to databases and downloading articles. By morning it should have got down upto 10,000 articles, which I can process to further fine tune my tool.
What is this tool? Its what I am developing as part of my research. No it doesn't make coffee, or fights for world peace. And no it wont do your homeword for you either!
its aimed at researchers to classify text automatically -- What the???
if you really care ..go ahead and read about it http://www.mscs.mu.edu/~vmarur/files/abstract.pdf

So why I am rambling about what I am doing or been upto?
I called an old friend (Joy, Of phillipines fame) just to chat him up!
He asked me why I don't write what I have been upto on my Blog instead of my opinions.
I found myself answering I am not comfortable talking about myself...
why I began to wonder. I am a private person, not the one to be all gregarious despite being Indian by birth.
But I am comfortable with what I am and also what I do.
which is why the title of this post....The Road Not Taken!
one of my favorite poems from High School.
At times I wonder where I would be today, if I stuck with the usual Engg./Doctor/ professions that every "south-indian boy" pursues.
I find myself at an entirely different place today, due to choices I made..and no I wouldn't go back and change any of my choices, atleast not my academic choices!

So ,what I have been upto...researching and researching and oh did I say this already? ...researching

I did take time off last weekend to go see a brilliant concert by the Ghazal Ensemble
A eclectic mix of North Indian Classical and Persian Music.
The trio that made up the ensemble with instruments like the sitar, tabla and the kamancheh (Persian stringed instrument played with a bow or plucked)
http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=1593

Maybe I will go get some breakfast Now..

..........

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.        15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.        20

Friday, April 08, 2005

High Fructose Corn Syrup!

There is corn in that? I was making Chole -an Indian dish with chick peas in spicy tomato based gravy. Being in America, and succumbing to the convenience of canned produce,I purchased a can of stewed tomatoes. I like my food to be a bit spicy,considering my Indian palate! So after preparing it and simmering it with all the spices,I couldn't for the life of me figure out why it was tasting sweet. Had I added sugar instead of salt? I traced my steps back to the ingredients added and confirmed that I hadn't messed up. then why pray was it still slightly sweet? could it be that ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup rearing its ugly head again! But in a can of stewed tomatoes with celery,onion and green peppers? Yes! I read the ingredients and there it was in the fine print. Its everywhere....Sodas, juices,prepared meat,flavoured milk. This country's second most used commodity after gasoline must be corn! And what with all the subsidies helping it! Next time I shall stick to fresh produce! An article on CS Monitor ---> When corn is king | csmonitor.com

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Piled Higher and Deeper

image © jorge cham

Larger Image
Well, at times I feel like that. But it can be also very rewarding, and thats for the academic types out there. The others can still keep wondering what the heck it is that I do. All I will say is I like what I do, I enjoy it and No I don't spend saturday nights in the Lab! till later..back to munging

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

This Call may me monitored for quality assurances..

Ya rite! How many times have you heard that when you call customer service. Its almost to the point where one safely ignores that message. Consider that you have been warned when you hear the message. I always used to wonder (call me paranoid) whether when they put you on hold, is there someone listening in? Is call monitoring only meant to oversee the agent's perfomance..naaa As this article confirmed my fears. So next time you are put on hold, hold that thought or better still if you have a phone with a mute button please use it.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

A Day in Bombay

kababs and beer for lunch, stroll through Colaba Causway, visit a couple of fancy boutiques! a Bookstore where you have to wait for a table to get some coffee, A Piano Recital by Peter Frankl, followed by a few drinks with live music by a filipinos! all this in Bombay, India? yes,Read on to find out more I currently live in Milwaukee, Wis,USA where I am pursuing a Masters in Bioinformatics. I went home for the winter break. Bombay (I refuse to call it Mumbai) is home, its where I was born- in the last year of the '70s. I stayed there for 23 Years, relocating every few years, thereby traversing the length and breadth of it. I visited home this time after a whole year. Now most cities don't undergo too much change in a year. But then this is Bombay we are talking about,originally a mass of 7 islands clumped together by reclamation to form an island located on the west coast of India. We have about 15 million people now (conservative estimates). A lot of people, lot of cars travelling to close for comfort. and lots of new buildings being built, taller than ever, trying to provide an escape to the residents from the chaos below. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I will ever learn to hate this city. Its responsible for a huge part of me. When I visited it this time, I tried to look at it from an outsider's viewpoint and finally understood why most visitors find it daunting, scary even. It takes a whole lot to get used to. On one of the days I went to south Bombay, to visit an old friend and hang out. We decided to get lunch at Leopold's Cafe, its become a must stop for every foreigner visiting Bombay, as I noticed that we were the few Indians there. Its a great cafe to get some good, cheap food and of course Indian Beer. Located in the very active area of south Bombay known as Colaba Causeway -where one can dine, shop along the street for everything from Indian handicrafts,clothes to cheap "knock offs" of French Perfumes. We had our fill of Kababs, and tandoori Fish. Then decided to hit the shops to see what bargains we could get as he wanted to pick up "ethnic" stuff for his girlfriend back in Manila. After all this we are exhausted and tired as it is about 90F/32 C in December. We decide to walk into some fancy boutiques that are "air-conditioned" on the pretext of buying something for his girlfriend. Its a nice way to cool off and beat the heat, just be nice to the shop owners and engage them in conversation and ask for something you are sure they won't have. We then decide to head to one of the great bookstores -Crossword -now in a new location, at Kemps Corner.But I miss the old location near Mahalaxmi, where it seemed quieter and more personal. Where I knew the cashier and the person at the counter knew about the book you were asking about with just a few words ..maybe I am just being sentimental, 'cos I spent many afternoons there reading Novels, short stories, Calvin and Hobbes, of course the tech magazines and when I could afford it as a young undergraduate buy coffee. This time around we had to wait for a table to get cold coffee on hot afternoon, where it seemed noiser than usual with people being there just to be seen and not for the what the store sells. Its evening, I was invited to join my friend's family to go a a piano recital at the NCPA-National Center for Performing Arts. It was by Peter Frankl, one of the greats of our time. I had never been to one before, always having listened to classical music within the confines of my room. After the first two pieces I really started enjoying the recital, it seemed to take away the stress and tiredness of the day. We then decided to get a bite to eat and refreshments at a bar nearby, and we have live music. Now you got to understand most bars and pubs in Bombay don't have live music,so it was a pleasant surprise to me, more surprising was that the singers were asian. turns out she was from the Phillipines, decided to work in Bombay as it was easier and the money was good. Phillipines being too competetive, So there we are in Bombay, an Indian city listening to her renditon of Santana's Smooth...talk about globalisation. I decide to ride the train back home, about an hour away, its late -about 11.30 in the night. But there is standing space only for about half of the journey..Yes that is Bombay-A City that never sleeps. An Indian City that embraces the west more than it does India itself, A city that is always changing, 4 weeks or more and you wont be able to recognize the pavement outside your house. I wonder what my next visit to the city will be like? yes it is known as Mumbai now.but for me it will remain Bombay. that's what it was called when I was born ..and that's where I grew up.

The Worst Day of the Year!

Brace Yourself! Today -24 Jan 2005- is going to be the worst day of the year. Click On Link Below for more! Top News Article | Reuters.co.uk

Friday, December 24, 2004

weather today morning!

weather.com - Local Lawn & Garden Page
A Winter morning indeed!, I would prefer snow to this craziness! it is -29 Celcius outside!
Soon I will be in back to +30 Celcius weather...time to bring out the shorts,flip-flops ... back to work.till later

Thursday, December 02, 2004

TEST POST via Email

This is a Test Post Via Email

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Love is Blind

A hint ...they are french Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com

Kashmir :Peace by Piece

Yes, 7 pieces to be precise. The New Formula put forward by President Musharraf, 57 years since Independance and we still have to find a solution. A Place described as "Paradise on Earth" is to put it mildly "beyond despair". Read on this fine article by Vinod Mehta, Editor of Outlook : An Indian Weekly News Magazine. BBC NEWS | South Asia | Letter: Prospects for peace Oh yes and lets not forget India always has the problems of population,literacy and infrastructure to worry about.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Thanksgiving in Queens

East River:View from Queens,New York City,NY. Had a very good Thanksgiving Break. What is Thanksgiving? In 1621,a few hundred Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down to celebrate a bountiful harvest.The feast lasted three days,and included fowl,venision,fish,berries,watercress,lobster,dried fruit,clams,and plums.There was no pumpkin pie,however.(text courtesy the gmail team) This tradition is now known as Thanksgiving - a time to gather with family and friends and to thank for all that we have.I had thanksgiving dinner in queens and had more than my share of wonderful food. What Do I have to thank for-Many things among which an opportunity to study in America,support from my Parents and My Brother and his family. An ofcourse I had a good time over the break visiting my brother,Bhabi and my nephew Anant and a cousin in Virginia.

Friday, September 17, 2004

Google Search: edward munch scream

Google Search: edward munch scream been one more long week! ANd I feel like the character in the images you will see. At times you feel lost, anger, bitter.... I know I will bounce back soon though. And why I am so angry ....it takes a System Admin to know that.... Going to try and enjoy this friday night though....till later

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Second Post

9.13 am csT. It feels strange not to be at work at 8 in the morning. All of summer I used to wake up bright and early at 6.30. Go biking or workout depending on the weather in Milwaukee. Now that school has started, I have a rather different schedule. I got a new job "officially" as a System Admin for the Bistro Lab.I quit the 3 on campus jobs I was doing over summer. I worked at the >Law Library- did mundane work of updating Law Journals with the latest releases >Raynor Library-The Main library here at Marquette,where I was a "NAVIGATOR", involves helping patrons with all tech related questions.Great place to work, primarily because of the people who staff it. >Student Loans- Did Processing of documents related to student loans, a bit mundane, but again a great place to work because of cool people who manage it. You will be surprised at the amount of work, that can get done with just 3 permanent workers and couple of student workers. technology..need I say more Now I work at the Bistro Lab- A lab that supports students pursuing Bioinofmatics,Biomathematics,Biostatistics. I am also fully involved in my research.Now that I have all the time for that. ..more later.better get to work on a nice rainy day with the temperature at 18C/65F! whatever happened to summer! Oh I had oatmeal and waffles for breakfast

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

First Post

The "hello world" Post. I find it increasingly difficult to keep in touch with my friends. I don't know what most of them are upto these days. I also find most of them asking me, have you read my blog? To know more about them, I have to visit their blogs. So here goes my attempt to let people know what I have been upto. And I would appreciate feedback and comments.