Today while going through the daily News I came across this headline -
"Global warming? Avg temp rose just 0.01 Degree F since ’99"
I was shocked to see it, to say the least! The article mentioned that the skeptics are pointing out that since in the last decade the global temperature has increased by just 0.01 Degree F all the doomsday prophecies and the concerns regarding climate change are not really relevant. We as a human race have a control over this problem.
What would convince everyone that we have a problem at hand which could reach catastrophic proportions? Usually one would say a "disaster" would set people thinking but in this case we tend to be so blind to the issues at hand that irregular weather patterns, increased instances of atmospheric turbulence, disappearing ice masses, disappearance of complete species etc. does not register. We still would like to debate and argue about whether "global warming is serious or not".
The other day I was thinking that carbon management is becoming big business and then it stuck me that maybe carbon management was getting more impetus and focus BECAUSE it is becoming big business. I am no leftist and don't claim to be non-materialistic but I found it strange that we as a race need materialistic aspects to attract our attention to something which is intrinsic to our existence.
Our world leaders have convened to discuss the climate problem at the behest of the UN but I was so disappointed to still see the same old rhetoric being repeated and the same games being played - yes the developed world has contributed to the present situation but in the future the developing world is going to make the situation worse as they progress. The solution does not lie in trying to find out who should do/scarifice more or should do/sacrifice less but in working together as ONE to address this beast of a problem. Progress has to be sustainable and the developed world could help the developing world by partnering in this endeavor.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Please define the Aam Aadmi or Aurat
The Congress government returned to power with a clear mandate in the last general elections on the Aam Aadmi plank with a promise to work for the greater good of the common Indian and the country as a whole.
Since then all the ministers have been raising the right noises about working for the people or worried about the problems faced by the man on the street etc. but somehow the ground realities are not reflecting the intention ...
1. Fuel prices have increased after the elections.
2. Food prices are at a record high with Tur/Arhar daal being sold for Rs.90 / kgs
3. Interest rates are feared to spike too.
This when most of the rest of the world is facing deflation. The idea everywhere is to stimulate demand but if prices of essential commodities rise to such levels how will people save money to invest on other commodities?
Which Aam Aadmi is this government working for? The budget laid focus on this persona increasing social outlays ( which I don't dispute ) but where is the money coming from? All the plans for economic reforms are still on the back burner though the "Left has been left behind". With rising fiscal deficit we would soon be in the mix of inflation and then how does the government plan to help the common man - by giving out more doles?
Since then all the ministers have been raising the right noises about working for the people or worried about the problems faced by the man on the street etc. but somehow the ground realities are not reflecting the intention ...
1. Fuel prices have increased after the elections.
2. Food prices are at a record high with Tur/Arhar daal being sold for Rs.90 / kgs
3. Interest rates are feared to spike too.
This when most of the rest of the world is facing deflation. The idea everywhere is to stimulate demand but if prices of essential commodities rise to such levels how will people save money to invest on other commodities?
Which Aam Aadmi is this government working for? The budget laid focus on this persona increasing social outlays ( which I don't dispute ) but where is the money coming from? All the plans for economic reforms are still on the back burner though the "Left has been left behind". With rising fiscal deficit we would soon be in the mix of inflation and then how does the government plan to help the common man - by giving out more doles?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Economic Belligerence
Over the past few days if you have been following news coming out of China sample this -
1. 4 Rio Tinto employees arrested on charges of spying in China.
2. China has closed down all mosques in the disturbed areas.
3. China suspended the words democracy, freedom etc. from the TV feeds during the Tiananmen Square anniversary
4. China being asked to support the sanctions against North Korea
and so on...
Reading the above snippets don't you get the impression that China basically does what it decides to do with nobody questioning it. My analysis - this is just because of the economic might of the country.
G8 countries made a statement yesterday that they will push for renewed call for CTBT and ensure that NPT becomes prominent again. I believe it was not so subtle a hint to India the only non NPT nation present at the meeting to get its act together and join the NPT. Without debating whether India should do so or not ( thats for another blog )I can bet that if in place of India it was China which was a non signatory to NPT the world could do nothing about it.
North Korea has been threatening the world with its missile tests, nuclear tests and aggressive posturing towards its neighbors namely Japan and South Korea. Sure it has been slapped with even tougher sanctions but its not widely known that inspite of these sanctions the North Korean economy is still growing - some estimates say by 4%. Ever wondered how is this possible? Ever wondered who is the biggest trade partner of this rogue nation?....China and it is this tacit support which is allowing North Korea to cock a thumb at all. Now the question is why is China able to get away with this? again because of the economic power it has.
In order to fund the 1 Trillion Dollars stimulus package which US has introduced the Treasury has been forced to issue more of the Treasury Bonds. These Bonds have been bought in large numbers by China. Hence if tomorrow China decides to offload these bonds in the world market, US economy could be crippled. In addition, over the years China has emerged as the factory of the world. In such kind of a situation is it a big surprise that everybody looks the other way irrespective of whatever this big nation does?
1. 4 Rio Tinto employees arrested on charges of spying in China.
2. China has closed down all mosques in the disturbed areas.
3. China suspended the words democracy, freedom etc. from the TV feeds during the Tiananmen Square anniversary
4. China being asked to support the sanctions against North Korea
and so on...
Reading the above snippets don't you get the impression that China basically does what it decides to do with nobody questioning it. My analysis - this is just because of the economic might of the country.
G8 countries made a statement yesterday that they will push for renewed call for CTBT and ensure that NPT becomes prominent again. I believe it was not so subtle a hint to India the only non NPT nation present at the meeting to get its act together and join the NPT. Without debating whether India should do so or not ( thats for another blog )I can bet that if in place of India it was China which was a non signatory to NPT the world could do nothing about it.
North Korea has been threatening the world with its missile tests, nuclear tests and aggressive posturing towards its neighbors namely Japan and South Korea. Sure it has been slapped with even tougher sanctions but its not widely known that inspite of these sanctions the North Korean economy is still growing - some estimates say by 4%. Ever wondered how is this possible? Ever wondered who is the biggest trade partner of this rogue nation?....China and it is this tacit support which is allowing North Korea to cock a thumb at all. Now the question is why is China able to get away with this? again because of the economic power it has.
In order to fund the 1 Trillion Dollars stimulus package which US has introduced the Treasury has been forced to issue more of the Treasury Bonds. These Bonds have been bought in large numbers by China. Hence if tomorrow China decides to offload these bonds in the world market, US economy could be crippled. In addition, over the years China has emerged as the factory of the world. In such kind of a situation is it a big surprise that everybody looks the other way irrespective of whatever this big nation does?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Back to Black
I have an imaginary list of music acts I would give anything to watch. The list looks something like this - Led Zepplin, The Doors, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Queen, Metallica, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Dire Straits, Robbie Williams, Uriah Heep, Rolling Stones, The Beatles and I am trying to get as many ticks on it as possible.
On May 22nd I was able to tick off AC/DC. The legends played the Hockenheimring and believe me they literally played the ring. I dont know how many people were there in actual numbers - the next few days I got to hear figures between 70,000 to 90,000 but one needed to be there to appreciate the scale. For better measure, S and I actually went the previous day to check how the arrangements were proceeding and to our surprise actually saw that outside the Ring people were camping and partying while inside the Ring people were busy as a bee working the long hours to get the show ready. Going the two days helped in getting the right perspective in terms of what goes into preparing a show outdoor specially by a mega band.
AC/DC was supported by The Answer ( a band which impressed ) and Claudia Cane Band ( a band which didn't impress ). We waited for hours for the band to rock but when they did all the wait was worth it. The kind of energy Angus Young brings onto the stage is euphoric. One needs to see it to believe it. The concert began with a whole frigging steam engine coming onto the stage and ended with a 30 minutes guitar solo by Angus half of which he played on top of an elevated platform, erected on a projection ramp which brought him so close to where I was standing that I could almost touch him with fireworks going all around.
Following is the setlist -
1. Rock N' Roll Train
2. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
3. Back in Black
4. Big Jack
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
6. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. T.N.T.
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let There Be Rock
19. Encore:
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
It was one of those concerts where I knew each and every song. Guess so did lots of others and its one hell of an experience where thousands and thousands of people shout, sing or dance together. The show went straight to being one of the top 3 shows I have ever seen. It has such a profound effect that when I went to see The Eagles a few weeks later I had trouble enjoying the performance as AC/DC had just raised the bar way too high.
On May 22nd I was able to tick off AC/DC. The legends played the Hockenheimring and believe me they literally played the ring. I dont know how many people were there in actual numbers - the next few days I got to hear figures between 70,000 to 90,000 but one needed to be there to appreciate the scale. For better measure, S and I actually went the previous day to check how the arrangements were proceeding and to our surprise actually saw that outside the Ring people were camping and partying while inside the Ring people were busy as a bee working the long hours to get the show ready. Going the two days helped in getting the right perspective in terms of what goes into preparing a show outdoor specially by a mega band.
AC/DC was supported by The Answer ( a band which impressed ) and Claudia Cane Band ( a band which didn't impress ). We waited for hours for the band to rock but when they did all the wait was worth it. The kind of energy Angus Young brings onto the stage is euphoric. One needs to see it to believe it. The concert began with a whole frigging steam engine coming onto the stage and ended with a 30 minutes guitar solo by Angus half of which he played on top of an elevated platform, erected on a projection ramp which brought him so close to where I was standing that I could almost touch him with fireworks going all around.
Following is the setlist -
1. Rock N' Roll Train
2. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
3. Back in Black
4. Big Jack
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
6. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. T.N.T.
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let There Be Rock
19. Encore:
19. Highway to Hell
20. For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
It was one of those concerts where I knew each and every song. Guess so did lots of others and its one hell of an experience where thousands and thousands of people shout, sing or dance together. The show went straight to being one of the top 3 shows I have ever seen. It has such a profound effect that when I went to see The Eagles a few weeks later I had trouble enjoying the performance as AC/DC had just raised the bar way too high.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Ulta Pulta
The other day my tenant told me that he is planning to look out for another apartment as he finds the present rent too high.
That triggered a thought in my head - though I own an apartment I have always stayed in a rented one ( don't ask me why - long story ) and I always used to worry that the landlord will ask me to vacate. Now when I am the landlord I am worried that the tenant would leave.
Ulta..pulta
That triggered a thought in my head - though I own an apartment I have always stayed in a rented one ( don't ask me why - long story ) and I always used to worry that the landlord will ask me to vacate. Now when I am the landlord I am worried that the tenant would leave.
Ulta..pulta
Are we maturing?
This Indian election has been as fascinating as all the others with its usual non-surprises :-
1. Overall the voting percentage was 60% which is good but I am sure majority out of that is from rural areas. So the apathy of the urban voter towards this exercise continues.
2. A horde of parties contesting, celebrating the concept of the largest democracy
3. A large number of independents trying their luck
4. Casts still playing a dominant role etc.
However, one thing which came as a pleasant surprise to me is the projected results in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Now before you jump to conclusions that I am happy because I am a supporter of a specific group let me clarify my point. It is projected that in AP, Congress and its allies would do well while in Bihar it is BJP+JD(U) combination which is supposed to do well. Further in TN it is expected that DMK led alliance would not do so badly as initially thought. Why was it a surprise? it is so because all these results show that the electorate are recognizing the good work which is being done by the local governments and they are reaffirming their faith in the present ruling setups. This is a welcome change from the tendency of voting for candidates based on caste or regional lines. In AP for example the incumbent CM comes from a caste which is not a majority but still he is doing well. I am not saying that this concept has disappeared from the Indian elections but I am just hoping that these elections show a small light of hope that we are moving towards issue based politics where the actual credentials of the candidate and the past record counts. Its a long journey though.
1. Overall the voting percentage was 60% which is good but I am sure majority out of that is from rural areas. So the apathy of the urban voter towards this exercise continues.
2. A horde of parties contesting, celebrating the concept of the largest democracy
3. A large number of independents trying their luck
4. Casts still playing a dominant role etc.
However, one thing which came as a pleasant surprise to me is the projected results in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Now before you jump to conclusions that I am happy because I am a supporter of a specific group let me clarify my point. It is projected that in AP, Congress and its allies would do well while in Bihar it is BJP+JD(U) combination which is supposed to do well. Further in TN it is expected that DMK led alliance would not do so badly as initially thought. Why was it a surprise? it is so because all these results show that the electorate are recognizing the good work which is being done by the local governments and they are reaffirming their faith in the present ruling setups. This is a welcome change from the tendency of voting for candidates based on caste or regional lines. In AP for example the incumbent CM comes from a caste which is not a majority but still he is doing well. I am not saying that this concept has disappeared from the Indian elections but I am just hoping that these elections show a small light of hope that we are moving towards issue based politics where the actual credentials of the candidate and the past record counts. Its a long journey though.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Have you ever seen this before?
Has anyone seen this thing before? I even loathe to call it an automobile or vehicle. This travesty of something with wheels and engine is known as the Actyon and the contraption is hammered together by a company named as Ssangyong.
I initially thought I had finally seen a Chinese automobile but later figured out that it is a Korean brand. The company was founded in 1954 ( can you believe it?? )
This is what the official company website says -
In 1986, when the SsangYong Group acquisitioned Keohwa Motors specialized in manufacturing jeeps with the brand of Korando, and launched a full-scaled investment in automobile manufacturing. In 1988, it developed a compact 4WD SUV, Korando Family, which was the first SUV manufactured in Korea, opening the era of SUV. Since then it has established its reputation for innovation, leadership, and quality in the SUV field in Korea.
WOW! Are not Hyundai and Kia the other Korean brands which we know of? I mean they are much better known and are really making a concentrated effort to improve their image in the world market with good products, decent quality and after sales service initiatives. Still they are not looked at in the same league as the other manufacturers from Europe or US.
And to top it all up Mercedes Benz has done a strategic investment in Ssongyang. Now coincidentally I saw a SLK and a Actyon standing next to each other. I only have one question to ask - what the hell was Mercedes thinking?
Beauty and the best???
Yeah I know you all would say that I am biased because of the looks of the vehicle but heck I am talking about viewing this thing in the land which makes the "best automobiles" in the world so who can blame me for loathing something which is so ugly to look at.
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