Desicritics Author: Pingu

Rocket Science, Parenting and Beyond

Pingu — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:02:04 EDT

Every now and then one hears the catchphrases “It doesn’t require a degree in rocket science to figure out that….” Or “I may not be a rocket scientist but I know that…”

Rocket Science on Wikipedia leads us to a tiny article, 80% of which is:

Due to the complexity and depth of this area of engineering (requiring mastery in subjects including mechanics (fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, orbital mechanics, flight dynamics), mathematics, control engineering, materials science, aeroelasticity, avionics, reliability engineering, noise control and flight test), it is also informally used as a term to describe an endeavor requiring great intelligence or technical ability. More often, the term is used to describe an endeavor that is simple and straightforward by stating that the aforementioned endeavor "is not rocket science".

This is amusing.

I think that as such the courses one does in aerospace engineering (aka Rocket Science for the layman) do require a high amount of intellect, but then so does training at Langley or John Hopkins. I think it’s the whole feel of having thousands of buttons around you and being responsible for manning something which is so colossal and worth so many billions of dollars (with minimum scope for error) that enables Rocket Science to be revered as the final frontier in terms of intellect. As specialization increases, we perceive the task to become monumental because we start to dissociate from the field . It just happens that compared to other engineering branches, probably aerospace has a very high percentage of people going into specialization (for I don't think NASA really wants a jack o all trades).

Speaking of specialization, medicine also requires it, but then I guess, there are just too many doctors around.

I remember asking my mother, one of the best retina consultants in India today, about what she thought was the toughest job on the planet. True, I did expect a standardized answer. I placed my money on Rocket Science. I will never forget what happened next. She looked at me, and gently whispered

"Parenting"

On Mercy Killings and Euthanasia

Pingu — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:45:09 EDT

A teenage girl in Siliguri has been demanding mercy killing. The issue of mercy killing has been discussed several times and yet there is no provision in the constitution about it. The legal hassles involved are just too much.

In the case of the girl, Ms Fulbari Das, she is requesting mercy killing because she has been suffering from tremendous abdominal pain. After her surgery (to remove the kidney stones), her condition only worsened and for the past year, she has been living under a lot of pain.

I have lost all faith in doctors as I don’t know if my disease or wrong treatment is responsible for my condition

-Ms Fulbari Das

She is currently admitted in the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital.

Now there are a lot of factors that one needs to take into consideration. Now this is a rather complicated case (as most euthanasia cases are). The first and foremost is regarding terminal illness.

Based on the information in the newspaper, she is suffering from tremendous pain. I am assuming that’s the only reason why she wants to end her life.

What I mean to say is that I don’t think Fulbari’s case can be proved as terminal illness merely because the cause of her condition isn’t fully known. Another issue which might stop the doctors from taking this extreme step (apart from their inhibitions that they’re breaking the law) might be her young age. It’s quite convenient to think that a young girl like Fulbari might be making a hasty decision and this might just be a solution to end the short term discomfort. One way of looking at it is that it’s her life and now that she is legally an adult she should be responsible for it. Another way at looking at it might be that she is still quite young and has her whole life ahead of her and what if there’s a slightest chance of the pain going away. The question here is, as long as the doctors take their time to find a solution, this woman is experiencing pain beyond everything. Should that or shouldn’t that entitle her to end her life.

The Indian constitution hasn’t really helped matters either. Verdicts in the past have shifted either ways, merely because of the complexity of the circumstances. The Indian Constitution says that the ''Right to Die'' is not a fundamental right under Article 21. However for the first time in 1987, during the The State of Maharashtra v. Maruti Shripathi Dubal case the judges at the Bombay High Court felt that the desire to die is merely abnormal/uncommon but not unnatural. They listed several circumstances in which people may wish to end their lives, including disease, cruel or unbearable condition of life, and a sense of shame or disenchantment with life. And finally held that everyone should have the freedom to dispose of his life as and when he desires. That being said there have been many more instances where panels of judges have simply overruled the plea.

I think the authorities should really work on the finer aspects and various circumstances. The reason I say this is because we’re really progressing as far as science is concerned. In the future years the technology might achieve so much progress so much so that we might have support systems which can keep a person alive, just saving him from claws of death but not really giving him a life. What if the person doesn’t want treatment? I think along side the research that’s going on in medicine (or any other branch), we must also keep updating our constitution regarding matters which might be affected due to this advancement in technology.

Restaurant Review: Nanking, Hyderabad - Pioneering Indian Chinese Cuisine

Pingu — Tue, 3 Jun 2008 12:55:03 EDT

Nanking has been getting it right for a really really long time. By far the most successful and popular Chinese restaurant in Hyderabad, eating at Nanking is like attending a conclave. You might have the money to afford a Mainland China or Waterside four course meal but it just doesn’t match up to the Nanking experience. Nanking is a conquest. And when you are at Nanking you feel that. You aren’t here to laugh and joke and crib. No sir. You are here to do exactly what you came for. Eat. It’s all around you.

Everyone is just so busy ordering and eating. It’s not like there’s a shortage of waiters, but they always seem to be running round simply because people just don’t stop ordering for they do not know when they visit next. You can feel it that the people who are eating here are all achievers who have made it on their own, who have turned gold from dust. For whom eating here at Nanking is an expression of their maverick status in whatever they do in life. The place is always jam-packed, no matter at what time you visit it. Earlier, when eating out in Hyderabad wasn’t a hassle as you could walk into any place and be assured of a table, Nanking had families sitting on the two wheelers in the parking space, sitting on the stoop of the restaurant, standing on the stoop of the restaurant, standing next to the entrance. The scene was that of a night club. And not much has changed today.

So what exactly are the reasons behind Nanking’s success?

Could it be that the owner looks Chinese (instead of outright North-East Indian)? Quit joking, you might say and come up with a more reasonable explanation such as, it is the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city (circa 1954) and obviously this has helped them emerge as the leaders. Especially with restaurants, word of mouth advertising works best. True, that is surely one of the reasons, but then haven’t we seen so many eateries shut down as a city urbanizes and make way for bigger players who have all the money to spend on their ambience and advertising? What has Nanking been getting right all these years?

I’ll tell you. It’s because Nanking has no serious competition in Hyderabad. Nanking mainly serves Indian Chinese cuisine and not the exotic gourmet food which other posh restaurants like Mainland China might serve. They don’t quite spend too much on their interiors. Also, to some the pricing may seem pretty high, but there’s a catch to that. Nanking serves a lot of quantity, so if a family goes out, they find the whole meal quite affordable. They aren’t competing with Mainland China where you get Duck Soup. Neither are they competing with the roadside hawkers, which are for the working class. They cater to the needs of anyone looking to have good Indian Chinese food that tastes great with no strings attached. It’s more of the no- nonsense experience.

Its quite similar to why in the age of glam and shock rock, Metallica became instantly famous. For they weren’t there to put make up, they were just going out there to play some no nonsense kick ass heavy metal.

Why the Western Invasion?

Pingu — Mon, 2 Jun 2008 07:56:19 EDT

I was going through Indianroomates.in, a website quite similar to its American counterpart Roomates.com which aims to help and connect (mostly) the youth seeking accommodation. One thing that really caught my attention was the picture of Indian youth on the homepage. As bizarre as it may sound, when was the last time you saw a non-NGO Indian website which had Indian faces? At the most it might have the token Indian or Black person to show diversity, but I think it’s quite rare to find only Indian people. In the beginning I felt maybe such a strategy is employed to show that that company is global (or at least aspiring to be global) but now it just seems like everyone is following the crowd. But then what about those companies which are purely based in India and don’t seem to be expanding outside India in the likely future. I say this because couple of the web based start ups that launched from my college and had noting to do with foreign clients had picture of Caucasian women playing with their Caucasian kids. It just doesn’t make sense. Why should a premier IIT-JEE (Not too tough to guess which one now) coaching institute which receives over a crore hits every year need to put a header picture of some American university students on its website? I don’t know where the problem lies. Is it that the companies ask the web designing team to put in those pictures (in case the work is being outsourced) or the company itself feels its needs such a picture. The whole point being that if your pictures don’t gel with your venture, you end up looking really stupid.

By the way it was really disappointing to see that the moment I clicked on a page at Indianroomates, it took me to another page. And this one had phirangs on it, smiling.

Here’s one solution. The issue of portraying yourself as something doesn’t need faces. It can be done through symbols as well. If you’re ashamed of putting in Indian people shaking hands (though I don’t know why that would be the case), then might as well show only the shaking of hands on your webpage rather than show a Chinese and a Kenyan doing so, especially if you’re a start up based in a small town whose main market is the nearby city.

Jeffrey Archer's Blogging Mistake

Pingu — Sun, 1 Jun 2008 01:08:27 EDT

I guess not much needs to be said about celebrity blogging. Everyday as I read my feeds, I find another name from popular culture entering the blogosphere. Recently I had heard somewhere that Jeffrey Archer had his own simple blog which he was updating quite regularly. It was quite well maintained. With running commentary about his recent visit to India and tryst with Indian cricketers amongst others, the blog got me pretty hooked. And this was only the beginning. It was really this post that got me sitting up straight.

"971 emails were awaiting me when I arrived back in the UK- the vast majority of them from India, and I must say that having been teased about calling Mumbai, Bombay, could someone please explain to me why they've changed the name of that city? And indeed Madras to Chennai? But it seems that Calcutta is still to be Calcutta - which I am much looking forward to visiting next year when I shall be opening Landmark's new bookstore."

Clearly not many people seem to be reading his blog for only four kind souls decided to retort saying that Mumbai and Chennai were the original names. It was only once HRM invaded our land that the names were changed. I will not even come to the Calcutta bit, but then this is where I start thinking. Is it Mr Archer’s lack of awareness of global changes showcased here or the global trend? As in, does the world really care whether Bombay became Mumbai again? Besides that, I’m pretty sure a lot of Indians still consider the IT hub of India to be called Bangalore.

Jeffrey, always a gentleman, readily accepted his blunder and apologised in the comments section.

Observations on the IPL - The Non-playing Area

Pingu — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:09:52 EDT

Having attended the last 2 matches, I can say without a doubt that Hyderabad has been the unluckiest team in the tournament. Neither do they have the excuse of Bangalore, who can say that they have a test team. The only excuse they have perhaps is the lack of quality bowlers. Bu hey, this post isn’t about their “vurssht” performance as a team or succumbing in the final overs EVERY single time. It’s about what goes on outside the playing area.

Needless to say, there’s total chaos. As I make my way to the stadium from the main road, I observe 2 complementary trends. One is the price of the cold drinks and water. Albeit marginally, but still rising. Other is the temperature of the bottle, which drops as we get nearer to the stadium entrance. So when the guy says “Thanda matlab Coca Cola” you can’t sue him.

Inside the stadium, I can safely say that unless you’re in the balcony you’re missing the action because in the lower pavilions (the 500 and 250 rupees ones), cricket crazy fanatics can’t sit on their seats and have to stand up revealing their tush to us higher beings.

The cheerleaders need to be applauded for only in Hyderabad would they have had to hear stuff like, “Arrey dhang se hilao ji, kya pukkat mein aye kya”. If that doesn’t send any Hyderabadi into rivets of laughter, I don’t know what will. Apart from this, because Hyderabad is still not as big as many would want it to be, you will still run into a lot of familiar faces (something you would not always desire). A strange observation that I made was that, water was sold at rupees 5 a glass in the 2500 Rs pavilion where as was distributed free of cost in the 500 rupees/250 rupees arena. Care to explain the funda?

Last but not the least, the IPL has made recreation possible. Well what do you think all those Mexican waves are for. 50000 Hyderabadis, standing up and waving their hands aimlessly just because it makes for a nice spectacle. Hmm. Took some time to perfect but after some time, it was quite a moment to cherish, a Mexican wave in Hyderabad, done the right way.

Cricket - The Gentleman's Game?

Pingu — Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:23:12 EDT

Lagaan, though fictitious, with all its espionage fused magically with the British pulverizing the villagers off-field gave a very wrong impression of cricket in the nineteenth century.

In the early years it was truly a gentleman’s game. The game was an embodiment of class and dignity coupled with sophistication and elegance. The phrase It’s not cricket was in use as much off the field as on it, and was used for events not necessarily related to the game of bat and ball.

The ideal cricketer would adhere to the spirit of the game which was sportsmanship. He would call the batsman back if a false verdict was given in his favour, he would walk off the field if he knew he was out though the rival team didn’t appeal for it and would surely beg for forgiveness for excessive appealing.

Ah, those were the days, with Victor Trumper and W.G. Grace with their technically sound drives dominating with the bat and legendary greats such as Spofforth (nicknamed the Demon, and single-handedly responsible for the Ashes as we know them today) scalping wickets.

The great Don himself, who was known for putting most bowlers to shame, respected the spirit of the game and himself would sacrifice his wicket if he noticed that a bowler was trying too hard and wasn’t meeting success (by a whisker) for a long time.

People say that the game has changed, with the spirit no longer prevailing amongst the players. It’s easy to support the argument with the numerous instances of players having rows with umpires, mutiny by team members against the captain, swearing (remember the Sarwan/Mcgrath tamasha), excessive appealing (spearheaded by Souravda).

But what were the players playing for back in the old days? Honor and Pride. Add millions of dollars, contracts, deals and all the other complexities that govern the game today. Would the scenario still have been the same? Players back then didn’t depend on the game for their bread and champagne, nor did they see the need to get their body insured. Man of the Match winners back then didn’t receive Audi's and Land Rovers.

Each appeal that’s not given the finger costs the team thousands of dollars. Everything is digitized, even the slightest of remarks gets blown out of proportion (and almost immediately the Chappell Finger fiasco comes to mind).

Now with a Texan who is a sort of a neo-Packer coming forward to sponsor 20-20 Cricket and offer large sums of money, financial gains will only increase.

There comes the occasional incident that brings back memories of the olden days, but for the greater part, the gentleman’s game has a huge cover of bureaucracy and hundred dollar bills resting over it.

Advertisement: When it Becomes Irrelevant

Pingu — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:08:56 EDT

Every advertisement today focuses on one thing and one thing alone. Men all over the world cannot stop the blood from flowing into their penis when they see even the tiniest hint of skin. So why not capitalize on it?

Almost every commercial (especially advertising products used by men) has to feature women. And as a rule of thumb these women have to strut in skimpily clad outfits. I don't understand who are being shown in a derogatory manner here, the men or the women? Or both?

Is it really that easy to lure a man into the chasms of lust where he will serve the rest of his life with an everlasting erection? Or has the media realized that Indian men aren't getting any and the only way to quench their insatiable thirst of the flesh is by showing a cleavage protruding to promote a toothpaste?

Sometimes the advertisements aren't only vile but also ridiculous.

This one for example

Notice how in the entire ad, not a single man is being shown, whereas the product that that's being endorsed are men's underwear. What's the relevance?

It's spreading like a disease. It's gone to the extent that I've seen a babe in a bikini on the box of firecrackers. What exactly are they doing there? (Please don't tell me it's a pun intended for bomb.) Why would a Russian female be on a box of sparkles or zameen chakkars?

It's now that you realize that nothing has been spared. Every product essentially is sending out the same vibe. Use us and get laid. Agreed that sex is of considerable importance in our life but is it the only thing? While marketing your product is that the only thing you have to keep in mind?

I guess very soon the education industry will be roaming behind the leggy models. The toppers of various competitive exams (who generally turn out to be boys) would be shown hugging and caressing these blushing beauties.

Being Brothers - Enter the Battle Ring!

Pingu — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:07:06 EDT

When I was nearly ten years old and was on a vacation to Tirupati much against my wishes, I persuaded the deity there to give me a baby brother. My parents decided it was finally time for me to have a sibling and immediately got on the job. Finally after six and a half months a new life came out of my mother.

Having a premature brother, initially I was terribly worried about his condition. What if he couldn’t speak (which he didn’t till the age of three)? But not for a second was I ashamed of him, I almost felt like a father courtesy the huge age difference.
I’d be the best elder brother there is

Little did I know that my brother whom I had symbolically named Lucky had made a vow too.

I’m going to be the naughtiest rascal there is.

And hence began the war that has lasted for almost as long as the Gulf War. With battles comprising it, the battle of the remote, the mutiny at the dinner table amongst others.

My relationship with my brother is a very dynamic one, much like the Hwang Ho; it changes course and temp quite frequently.

People say that children are a form of god and they never lie and so on. I say this:

Children have a gift which they ether realize or not, before it’s too late. They have the gift of getting away with things.

If a kid accidentally drops a bowl of soup on someone, it’s pardonable right? What if he does it intentionally but makes it look as though it was an accident? He can throw tantrums. Those are natural right? Almost cute? What if he realizes it’s the gateway to anything he wants? Because he knows that his happiness supercedes that of his brother who has already had his share of fun for the last ten years. Oh it can be perilous.

It’s almost like, if a ferocious lion could package himself as a cute little puppy, you’d go and pat the little mongrel right? And that’d probably be the end of you.
Oh to add to that he’s a genius. The prematurity seemed to have messed up some wiring internally and now suddenly he is the smartest thing around. He is our personal address book and to this day I have to bite my tongue when I say this: He knows the entire time table of the Indian railways. He has read that book (Indian railways time table) cover to cover more times than Elizabeth Taylor got married. His academic success (which he doesn’t fail to brag about) makes me darn proud of him; it’s the devil inside him that makes my blood boil.

We play cricket inside our home and the little nuisance gets to bat every single time and my mother long ago removed all the glass panes from the living room. It’s only now when I’ve moved out of the house that the panes are slowly making a comeback.

Somewhere in between pulling his hair while snatching the remote from him and while breaking our fourth glass pane I realized that my wish had been granted and I wouldn’t want it any other way. My brother has given me much more than he has taken from me (which includes almost all materialistic objects including my flesh). And I think that we've really grown closer than what we were perhaps couple of years ago. There seems to have been built some sort of trust which didn't exist before. It’s now when I’m 2000 kilometres away from him that I miss him tearing my shirt and cursing me in his cute voice. Because this is the special relation that I share with him.