Outlook and Mr CNR Rao - blame IT.

A recent issue of Outlook magazine carried a story - 'cunningly' titled: Why Bangalore Hates IT Culture. The title seems to suggest that Outlook has done a survey and that 100% (why use the word 'Bangalore') of the people hate the IT culture. This simply shows what a 'silly' magazine outlook has become. Broadly, the story in parts and Mr CNR Rao on the whole, blames IT industry for Bangalore woes!

As for Mr CNR Rao - the less said the better. When people in responsible positions talk this kind of stuff: "They say they want better roads, but why should we create them?" It makes one wonder - if common sense is really not so common after all.

Wonderful and what a shame Mr Rao. Talk about revealing your ignorance to the world. Lack of infrastructure is lamentable (the reasons for it are discussed much better elsewhere.. so will leave that out) - but a clear lack of comprehension of the issues involved by 'renowned' people like yourself is funny to say the least.

More nuggets from Mr Rao:

"There was more poetry and music here before the IT boom"
Yeah sure... IT industry is preventing people from writing poems or singing? On the contrary, just to give a random example - Bangalore Habba has gone from strength to strength every year. In any case when did poetry and music become the responsibility of IT industry?


"They employ our graduates with high intellectual capabilities in jobs that are beneath them. They prevent our graduates from becoming good poets, good economists, fine historians, quality scientists and top-class engineers by luring them into jobs with fat salaries".
More fun. Governments Rozgar Yojana's are dens of corruption and waste of public funds, yielding nothing, and providing jobs to no-one but themselves. Without the private sector to take in lakhs of graduates coming out of colleges every year, we would have a large unemployed pool of youngsters. And by the way - would you employ them in your research labs?

And the outlook reminds us that you are a: "A world-renowned solid state and materials chemist, chairman, Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister." Hmmmm....really.

Taare Zameen Par

This is a movie with its heart in the right place. Made in a simple easy to follow format. Watch it for its simplicity as well. Like Chak De India - its a entertaining movie with a message.

And a slap on the face of third-grade over-rated movie directors like Karan Johar(cannot think beyond silly stories set in foreign lands with fixed set of actors), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (the magnum opus king...can't think of normal stories - they always have to be extra-ordinary .. huh), Ram Gopal Varma(mindless blood and gore is not creativity Mr), and many more....such directors.

Think of it. Movie is such a powerful medium - what a waste of movies we get throughout the year. Occasionally we have gems like Taare Zameen Par (TZP) come our way.

Aamir (producer/director), Amol Gupte(script writer) - and the whole TZP team - you rock. Thankyou.

Another Person of Indian Origin Makes it...

So what.. is what comes to my mind when we hear that..

The way we start celebrating every success of a person of Indian Origin, is quite funny. Bobby Jindal would be amused too. I don't think he would like it either. Indira Noyee will have little to say, its embarassing at best to hear your name always in terms of - She is a 'Indian Woman' Leading a Top MNC. She is really there because of her talent - NOT because she is a 'indian' or because she is a 'woman'. And now Citibank will be headed by Vikram Pandit. Cheers Cheers Cheers - watch the desi media go beserk. And when Sunita Williams was in space, we were told to celebrate, given glimpses of the a some place in Gujarat her family originally comes from - which i doubt she herself will find difficult to recall, and lets not forget the frenzy in some schools across India. I was aghast to see a news channel beam images of a school taking out its students in a rally across a city to celebrate Sunita Didi's success. Please - don't do this to our students. Taking out a rally is no good - please let our students study and understand what makes such a mission possible!

Well to me the time to celebrate would be when ISRO is able to send a manned craft to the moon, when Tata has a brand recall value like the Toyota's around the world, when the erstwhile Thumbs Up would have been able to truly compete with Pepsi around the world :). For that matter even when - we can claim 100% literacy (what has happened to our priorities and common sense?).

Its all very nice at one level, but quite funny as well.

Men Women and Seating @ Movie Theatres

Have you observed how people make sure that women never sits next to a unknown man (You!) in a movie theatre. So if you are already seated, and a couple walks in, they will invariably make sure (whenever possible) that the lady is distanced from you (the guy).

Talk about trusting your women with strangers in the darkness of the theatre! Well - perhaps a good thing to do - why trust a stranger (or even your own girl) after all. In any case seats are crammed in most theatres. Certainly happens in theatres across India - yes all the upmarket ones too. Does it happen abroad (can't really recall)?

Bangalore - Roads are a Nightmare

Bangalore roads are a nightmare.

• Almost no footpath. Where are pedestrians supposed to walk?
• Crossing roads is dangerous. There are hardly any underground or overhead walkways. Lets not talk of zebra crossings - nobody cares about them. And at many many traffic signals not enough or no time is given for people to cross roads.
• Too many cars on the roads.
• Buses stop right on the road to pick up passengers - yes the bus stops are indeed right on the road in most places. So when a bus stops, all traffic tailing it comes to a halt.
• And to top it all - Hardly any public transport. The few buses that ply - are overflowing with people. And bus numbers and their destinations being marked only in local language further deter people not knowledgeable about the local language from boarding them.
• If a traffic cop is not standing at the Traffic Signal - expect the drivers (usually the ones who have a yellow colored number plate) to disregard traffic signals - especially when it turns Green to Red. Checkout the Diary Circle Traffic Signal.

Well, yes, roads and traffic conditions are bad across cities and towns in India. But Bangalore takes the crown.