Maps have fascinated me all my life. As a child, I pored over the family atlas all the time. But what fascinated me even more were the few pages of historical maps - appended almost as an afterthought to the atlas. They primarily showed Europe at various points in history and how United States grew through purchase, conquests and claims. I think there was even a map outlining major battles during the Civil War. It was a window into history that beguiled me.
2009-04-11
The ultimate map room
Scribbled by Heretic at 08:00 0 comments
Labels: History, Maps, Software Idea
2009-04-04
Postcard from Europe #3: The Clinton Dividend
Well, I ended up going there, a tiny, tiny place that was filled with regulars. The only one who knew English was the waitress, Marie, whose entire length and breadth of High School English was tested when I asked her to explain what was on the fixed-price menu. She ended up dragging me into the kitchen and showing me the actual vegetables and meats and furiously scribbling down the words as I told her the names in English. Throughout a delectable 6 course meal, the regulars and I had an odd conversation - single words traded back and forth to appreciate and enjoy the food and the wine we were served.
Scribbled by Heretic at 08:00 0 comments
2009-03-28
Open Letter to California Supreme Court
Well, the citizens of California passed Proposition 8 last year with 52% of the votes. Many felt heartbroken while others, including me, vented that the conservatives were up to their old dirty tricks again. Anyways, the issue is now in the hands of the California Supreme Court, which just last year had ruled that the constitution of the state precluded barring same-sex couples from getting married.
First of all, let us look at Proposition 8 itself. It essentially says that only marriages between one man and one woman would be recognized by the state of California. There is a problem right there. Imagine if we had a similar law on the books saying that only people of the same race could marry each other. (Hint: We used to have that). Or that only US citizens could marry each other (no non-citizens thank you). Or that only coreligionists could marry each other. What happens when fundamentalist Hindus get involved and they want to ban inter-caste marriages? Does it not sound absurd that the state of California is inserting itself in the matters of the heart?
Scribbled by Heretic at 08:00 1 comments
Labels: California, Gay Marriage, Politics
2009-03-10
Flip-flop of time
Last Sunday morning I adjusted many clocks - in the stove, in the microwave oven, on the kitchen wall, on the bedroom dresser, in the programmable thermostat and in the car. No, there was no power failure which threw all the clocks off. No, there was no mysterious magnetic storm. No aliens landed in my backyard. The reason was that earlier that day, at 2am precisely, we switched to Daylight Savings Time. So, the twice-yearly ritual of fixing all the clocks took place. There is even a mnemonic to make sure people get it right "Spring forward, Fall back".
On Monday, I drove to work and after parking my car, I had a strong urge to take a nap before going into the office. Every day this week I have had trouble waking up with the alarm clock even though I have been getting enough sleep. What gives?
Scribbled by Heretic at 20:00 0 comments
Labels: Better Living, Daylight Savings Time
2009-02-27
End of the one-child policy
In late 1970s, China embarked on the one-child policy - forcibly limiting couples to one child - in a desperate effort to curb population growth. China's booming population was a runaway train and the government could foresee the upcoming misery and chaos if something wasn't done. That something was the new policy. Of course, there were exceptions to the rule - for rural farmers, ethnic minorities, parents of disabled children and, in some cases, where the first child was a girl (after all, it is the sons that carry on the family name everywhere).
Thus I believe that the Chinese government would end the one-child policy to defuse a potentially difficult situation down the road when another tragedy exposes the limits of the government's powers. The question now is - are the Chinese, burnt by the global turmoil, willing to risk having another child?
Scribbled by Heretic at 08:00 0 comments
2009-02-13
1984 - A bad memory
I saw a movie last night - Amu. The movie starts off light-heartedly before delving into the social unrest and murder (some would say massacre) that took place in wake of Indira Gandhi's assasination. Now, most movies on social unrest, while interesting and impactful and engaging, do not suck me in as much as this movie because the events happened a long time back.
Scribbled by Heretic at 20:00 0 comments
Labels: 1984 Riots, Politics
2009-01-31
The scar near my shoulder
The other day I watched a talk given by Larry Brilliant at TED. The talk is from back in 2006 in which he talks about preventing future epidemics and then also talks about smallpox and how he helped rid India of smallpox, working there in the early 70s. When he showed pictures of people with the smallpox blisters, it triggered a memory...
Scribbled by Heretic at 08:00 0 comments
Labels: Health