- Salman Khan
Khan Academy
http://goo.gl/7xrSO

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Hugh MacLeod
Cartoonist
http://goo.gl/RdtvL

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

- Penelope Trun
http://goo.gl/sXC11

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

-Ben Okri
To an English Friend in Africa

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Steve Jobs
Apple WWDC 1997
http://goo.gl/VtR7C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LEXae1j6EY (26:45)

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

- Wally Herbert, 1968
First man to walk undisputed to the North Pole
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Herbert

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

- Peter's Grandpa in
Eight Days a Week (1997)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119054/

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Last week both priced the Defy at 17k. Now 16K(Flipkart), 15.5K(Letsbuy). Also both reduced the Nexus S price to 19,999 from 25K :)

But I am on the verge of calling the latter Lets not Buy because they are yet to deliver my Defy bought on June 8! I went with Lets Buy because I got 1000 bucks discount coupon from @Chhanga. Yes thats the only reason. You may remember how highly I spoke of Flipkart when I bought C5. I felt I should have spent extra 1000 bucks for a better and reliable service with Flipkart.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

One of them even sleeps with the HR head!

The Company Men (2010)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172991/

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

See the full gallery on Posterous

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

In my 12 years in South India, often I am asked "What's special in
Mizoram?" I never have a proper answer. But now I do.

It's cake. Be it plain, plum, fruit. The cakes from Zote Bakery and
Confectionery are the best I have tasted. That is not to say I have
tried all cakes in the world.I don't even know who is the best baker
in India :( May not be the best to you, but try it. Trust me, you will
like it.

Some told me Hmingliani Bakery makes better cakes these days. Pi
Hmingliani is a relative from my Grandma's side by the way. As for
Zote Bakery, it is a pitty the service isn't great and the keepers
aren't sweet like their cakes. At least for the Dawrpui branch.

My post in 2007, haven't been there again

Sweet Cake Bitter Service
http://www.misual.com/2007/01/12/sweet-cake-bitter-service/

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Having heavily used both Google Maps for mobile and Ovi maps during
my 10 days South India Trip, I guess I have the right to compare
and talk about them. Here it goes.

Even without turn by turn navigation I found Google Maps far
more useful and more accurate than Ovi Maps. Ovi Maps missed out a lot
including big road like ECR. The turn by turn navigation in Google Maps is available
only for Android.

I found Ovi Maps outdated in many locations. Google Maps too sometimes
does not show small roads in the map view but the satellite view won't
miss it. I don't know why Ovi Maps have a mode called "Satellite"
which is hardly different from the normal view.

The generally perception is that Ovi Maps is pre-installed but not Google
Maps which need to download very bit and hence huge data usage. Not so, in
my experience. With heavy GPRS usage in 10 days (maps, buzz, email,
browsing), my phone bill went up just 500 INR more in December. I did
about 100MB downstream data. For the accurate map, every penny is
worth it. Ovi Maps didn't work that well without Internet.

Besides routes, we searched hotels, resorts, temples etc. with Google Maps. We checked the distance between two places, with the option of transport mode: car, public transport or walk. How useful!.

Google Latitude records our location every hour which you can playback
from the website, view in Google Earth for a closer view. I also
really love the buzz layer as that is the only social medium I use
these days. The ability to buzz with photos and location is very fun.

Before the trip, I marked important junctions, places to vist and other
locations in Google Maps, opened in Google Earth and exported the data
in kml format. I converted the kml files to Ovi maps compatible format
lmx (Nokia landmark exchange) using http://www.poieditor.com/. I
copied both the lmx and kml files to my phone. In the phone, I open
the lmx in Ovi Maps, the kml in Google Maps.

Both the maps were very useful to get us out and around the towns and
cities. I am very fond of GPS, maps , locations and so it was a really
great time for me.

From my 10 days experience, I give a very high thumbs up to Google
Maps for mobile but don't dump your Ovi Maps yet. Before the trip, we
met at Cafe Terra in Koramangala. Someone marked the wrong location
in Google Maps which sent KD and Nanditha to the wrong place :( Me
got suspicious as the location didn't match the address. I cross
checked with Ovi and Burrp and found the right location but I had to
spend half an hour alone waiting :(

According to Google latitude, I traveled 2240 kms. That is 110 lesser as against the Odometer reading in Poonam's car - 2350 km. There's a possibility I turned off the Latitude layer between Nagapattinam and Thanjavur. The farthest point from home was Beach Rd, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, 329 miles (529.474176 kilometers).  I thought Kanyakumari would be the farthest.

Google Latitude locations playback

Google Maps 5.0 for Android will download even lesser data
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/under-hood-of-google-maps-50-for.html

I use Nokia C5
http://short.posterous.com/c5-shes-the-one

Update:Don't twist my words that 100 MB costs 500 INR. I use the pay per use plan from Airtel. Even after looking at the breakup of  voice and data charges on the bill, it was going to take some effort to calculate the data charges during the trip. All I care is that I had to pay a little more for the extremely extremely useful navigation and connectivity I got during the trip.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

One night in 1994, I spend the night alone the first time. I was in
6th standard. Due to her work, my aunt couldn't come home. Not only
was I alone at home, I was all alone in the entire floor of our rented
flat at Exodus Press building, Tuikhuahtlang in Aizawl. I closed all
doors and windows ( Windows 1994 hehe ) by 6 PM. I slept with the
LIGHTS ON of course. There were many sounds but nothing that scared me
to death. After this, I spent some few more nights alone in that
house. One night, I had fever. I puked on the way to the medicine
cabinet. Another night, I was awaken by the banging sound of my aunt's
room door. I had not locked it. Damn Scary!!

In Trichy during my higher secondary school days, I slept a few nights
alone in the dorm at Youth Hostel. No major incident. I also slept
alone in St John's Vestry School hostel in Trichy. Just the two of us
were there in the hostel on the 31st December of 2000.Though several
rooms apart, knowing someone else was there comforted me. At the
stroke of midnight, both were awaken by the sound of you know what. We
came out to balcony. I don't remember talking to each other.

This was my loneliest and scariest night till date. In college, 1st
semester (freshman year). It was some holiday - Diwali or semester
holiday. I was the sole living soul in the 1st floor of the gigantic
hostel building. From one end of the corridor, the other end looks
damn far. That big it was. There was the caretaker on the ground
floor. But so far away and hence hardly a comfort. Also just outside
the hostel building is a massive empty land where several kinds of
domestic (and maybe wild) animals come at night.

So that night I wasn't a sleep. It was 3 AM listening to the Spanish
version of Hotel California in my Aiwa Walkman,not iPod. (where is
Aiwa these days?) At that exact moment, someone having told me the
song is satanic popped up in my mind. Probably my imagination but
trust me I saw it. I saw it. A shadow of a giant hand in the ceiling.
Out there to grab me :( At once I hid under the blanket. I prayed and
prayed. When i come out of the hiding, so glad I was it wasn't there.
I some how fell asleep later. Woke up at 10. Oh boy! how glad I was
morning has broken.

I left hostel the next semester.

Next, during my 2nd year of college (Sophomore in America) I spent
some nights alone in our rented house which was by the way hidden in a
secluded place. All my buddies (Srinath, Girish, Sujeev, Kumaran) left
me for the weekend. I didn't sleep till morning. Simply couldn't.

Next I stayed alone in the dormitory of Mizoram House, Salt Lake,
Kolkata in 2005(?). After a long train journey from Chennai, I reach
the house at 4 AM. No one was in the dorm. No one else was on the
floor as well as above that floor. No curtains and broken window
glasses. Even some birds came to the dorm :) Not very bad but I
enjoyed none of it. Having just finished The Da Vinci Code during the
journey contributed to my imagination. Another sleepless night. I went
out around 5 in the morning for a walk. Probably one of the few
mornings I am up that early and for a walk.

Before coming to Bangalore, I lived alone for a year in Chennai. Alone
in a three room house - oddly two halls and one bedroom. I hardly had
any guest and I was alone always, almost.

I am alone again since the past few days. My brother who lives with
me, friends in the neighborhood had all gone home Christmas. I have
always fallen asleep in less than one song so far. How nice!! Having
never been alone for almost 4 years, it felt hard at first. But
knowing I did it many times in the past helped. I have realized you
realize the true value of music when you are alone. Music seems to
have been created for those alone.The same goes to instant noodles and
eggs.

Though I don't find the term in the English Dictionary defined this
way, being alone to me is a Bitter-Sweet affair. Something I would
describe in my native tongue as "Na nuam" which may translate to
joyful pain. When alone, you get to think a lot, which is really nice
for me. You get a lot of quality quite time. I am one of those who
does a lot of talking to oneself. In fact I have often been found to
move my lips. Every rose has its thorn but I think the reverse is also
true. I quite enjoy the rose of the being alone thorn.

Challenge: Do a solo trek. Spend the a night alone in the wilderness.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Small and Cute.

Fast and Smart.

Light and Bright.

Soft and Waft.

That's her. The Nokia C5. My Phone, My Friend and My Love. A pretty sweet candy bar smart phone. She's not the greatest and latest. Not hot and cool like them iPhone and Android chicks. But she's all I need whose got all I need.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Letters to Juliet (2010)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892318/

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

I just found out I cannot login to my Gmail account and of course all other Google products. I filed the recovery form and hopefully Google will reply in 24 hours :-(

In the meantime, I will occasionally check benjaminrtz@yahoo.co.uk (UK, how awkward!! )

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Whisky made in Scotland. Unless specified, Scotch means whisky in Britian.
In other English-speaking countries, it is often referred to as "Scotch"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_whisky

Single malt whisky

Single malt whisky is a whisky made from only one type of malted grain
and distilled at one particular distillery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_malt

Blended whiskey

A blended whisky (or whiskey) is the product of blending different
types of whiskies. It is generally the product of mixing one or more
single malt whiskies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blended_whiskey

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

LISP/Scheme
http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book-Z-H-10.html#%_sec_1.1.4

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

On Monday Sep 20, I went to brigade road to check out how much the
retailer (a few buildings after St Joseph College of Commerce) prices
the Canon S90. The MRP is INR 26,995.00
http://www.canon.co.in/p/EN/112-Digital-Cameras/190-PowerShot/1207-PowerShot-....
They offered me 3% discount - 26185.15.

I said NO, Infibeam offers it at 24K including shipping.
http://www.infibeam.com/Cameras/i-Canon-PowerShot-S90-Camera/P-E-C-Canon-S90....

The keeper said "That is different, ,that different. You can't
compare". I said "OK" and left.
Oh Yes, obviously there is a difference between 26K and 24K. As a
consumer I have CHOICE!!
So I ordered it from Infibeam the next day - Sep 21.

Before I searched who offered the lowest price using Google India Shopping
http://bit.ly/agE560

There some like gadgetsguru.in offering lower than Infibeam but it
turned out tax was not included in the price labelled and turned to be
much higher than that of Infibeam.

I was asked to provide an ID proof on Sep 22 which I promptly provided.
I got a mail like...
"Since this is the first time you are placing a high value order with
us we need to verify certain information with that of your bank."

The shipment arrived yesterday evening, much before I expected it. The
packaging was good but not as neat as flipkart's.
Also I was surprise the sender was not Infibeam but JJ Mehta
http://www.jjmehta.com/

An online retailer from Mumbai I have known for some time but never
used. The price quoted on JJ Mehta website is also much higher -
25,995.00. Strange, funny,!!
http://www.jjmehta.com/webshop/en-us/dept_9.html#item_643

So I think I got a good deal. This is my first purchase from Infibeam.
I have nothing to complain.
Of course the retailer can improve packaging.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »