Smart TV

By smart TV I meant interesting content and not the latest tech in TV that's frankly making us more numb. Though I stopped watch national TV many years ago, there is a certain kind of content I am attracted to that just got me all hooked up. Here's a list of some shows I watched in the last 4 years-

Curb your Enthusiasm - Brilliant piece of work here. Though its been 14 years since it aired, Larry David is still funny; born for improvisational comedy. He also co-created Seinfeld.

Breaking Bad - Best thing that ever happened to TV. Followed it till the end- talk about addiction (unintended).

Big Bang Theory - All 7 seasons were consumed in a span of two months. Give me a Sheldon any time.

Hung- Now don't raise your eyebrows without fully understanding the context. It is what it sounds like, but has a few interesting dimensions to it.

Californication - Same genre as 'Hung'; and I haven't laughed so much watching anything ever. Watched all 6 seasons.

Lie to me- Started out well in the first two seasons, when all facial twitches were explained. Then it got boring.

Mad Men- Though the art direction is well done, it didn't have the stickiness the other shows had. Couldn't get past the second season.

Community- Just started watching this. May not watch it for long.

Smart TV

By smart TV I meant interesting content and not the latest tech in TV that's frankly making us more numb. Though I stopped watch national TV many years ago, there is a certain kind of content I am attracted to that just got me all hooked up. Here's a list of some shows I watched in the last 4 years-

Curb your Enthusiasm - Brilliant piece of work here. Though its been 14 years since it aired, Larry David is still funny; born for improvisational comedy. He also co-created Seinfeld.

Breaking Bad - Best thing that ever happened to TV. Followed it till the end- talk about addiction (unintended).

Big Bang Theory - All 7 seasons were consumed in a span of two months. Give me a Sheldon any time.

Hung- Now don't raise your eyebrows without fully understanding the context. It is what it sounds like, but has a few interesting dimensions to it.

Californication - Same genre as 'Hung'; and I haven't laughed so much watching anything ever. Watched all 6 seasons.

Lie to me- Started out well in the first two seasons, when all facial twitches were explained. Then it got boring.

Mad Men- Though the art direction is well done, it didn't have the stickiness the other shows had. Couldn't get past the second season.

Community- Just started watching this. May not watch it for long.

Destined to do, and eat.

One thing I aspired to do in my free time was to read the auto-biographies of both Adolf Hitler and Mahatma Gandhi. Both men stand on either ends of the spectrum when it comes to their contribution to humanity; and I was curious about how both functioned as leaders in their time.

When looking up the introductions, there’s a startling find- both came into this world in unusual circumstances. Adolf Hitler was the fourth of six babies born to his parents. All older siblings died as toddlers, succumbing to measles or diphtheria. The one that survived becomes the Hitler we know. In Gandhi’s case, his father married 4 times, and Gandhi was the youngest of four children from the fourth wife. Despite the challenges, they both went ahead to do what both had to do.

So here’s the point- if you have a reasonably good life and upbringing, notwithstanding challenges, you should be able to do whatever you aspire to do- but be nice. We know the legacy both have left behind.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------

For the weekend eat-out my wife and I decided to try out something new. We were at the Select City Walk mall in Saket and happened to walk past a place called Mamagoto. This place is positioned as 'fun Asian eating'. The restaurant is colorful and the food looked good on the menu. The attendants outside tried explain to us what we found interesting on the menu. Since we understood very little, I turned to my wife and said, ‘Whatever, let's try it out.'

Certificates from various eat-out guides decorating their entrance. Inside, the decor is set with Japanese Manga-style graphics. Attendants here wore headgear to prevent hair falling into the food. Now this is something we have been noticing in most restaurants these days. If it’s a new thing on the checklist from various health inspectors, it’s a good one. The attendants were patient with us despite the place being full up. We browsed through their colorful menu which looked like a scrapbook and photo album put together. After much deliberation, we decided to try out two things- first up was Hunan grilled fish which came with sticky rice. This I thoroughly relished and could have easily ploughed through another serving. Next came the Soggy Thai basil fried rice. Since it came in a large bowl, I had to help my wife finish it.

This place is totally recommended on various counts - great food, well-mannered staff and friendly décor; more so if you happened to be non-vegetarian, particularly fish-loving, maybe Manga-comics-adoring graphic designer. Ok, just kidding go on and try it!

Destined to do, and eat.

One thing I aspired to do in my free time was to read the auto-biographies of both Adolf Hitler and Mahatma Gandhi. Both men stand on either ends of the spectrum when it comes to their contribution to humanity; and I was curious about how both functioned as leaders in their time.

When looking up the introductions, there’s a startling find- both came into this world in unusual circumstances. Adolf Hitler was the fourth of six babies born to his parents. All older siblings died as toddlers, succumbing to measles or diphtheria. The one that survived becomes the Hitler we know. In Gandhi’s case, his father married 4 times, and Gandhi was the youngest of four children from the fourth wife. Despite the challenges, they both went ahead to do what both had to do.

So here’s the point- if you have a reasonably good life and upbringing, notwithstanding challenges, you should be able to do whatever you aspire to do- but be nice. We know the legacy both have left behind.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------

For the weekend eat-out my wife and I decided to try out something new. We were at the Select City Walk mall in Saket and happened to walk past a place called Mamagoto. This place is positioned as 'fun Asian eating'. The restaurant is colorful and the food looked good on the menu. The attendants outside tried explain to us what we found interesting on the menu. Since we understood very little, I turned to my wife and said, ‘Whatever, let's try it out.'

Certificates from various eat-out guides decorating their entrance. Inside, the decor is set with Japanese Manga-style graphics. Attendants here wore headgear to prevent hair falling into the food. Now this is something we have been noticing in most restaurants these days. If it’s a new thing on the checklist from various health inspectors, it’s a good one. The attendants were patient with us despite the place being full up. We browsed through their colorful menu which looked like a scrapbook and photo album put together. After much deliberation, we decided to try out two things- first up was Hunan grilled fish which came with sticky rice. This I thoroughly relished and could have easily ploughed through another serving. Next came the Soggy Thai basil fried rice. Since it came in a large bowl, I had to help my wife finish it.

This place is totally recommended on various counts - great food, well-mannered staff and friendly décor; more so if you happened to be non-vegetarian, particularly fish-loving, maybe Manga-comics-adoring graphic designer. Ok, just kidding go on and try it!

The treasure a good book is.

If there is any one habit I am proud of ditching, its watching TV. On adding up the hours spent in front of the tube in a period of one year, I figured that was a lot of precious time spent doing nothing. Whatever was retained from watching shows or news was just not substantial enough to justify spending any more time watching fictional people's lives.
Since 2006, I spent a small fortune on books- enough to fill up a decent sized bookshelf with unread masterpieces. There were bestsellers devoured over the weekend like Freakonomics and Da Vinci code. Visibly, these books made much noise on their launch and were written like movie scripts. What I always stayed away from were the slow, silent kinds.
So after much deliberation I started reading 'Nine Lives'. This one is a keeper and here's why-
If anyone can claim to understand India, it is William Dalrymple. In case you think staying at exotic places during your vacations made up for 'knowing' India, that would be a tiny fraction of what this travel writer has discovered- by living and speaking with simple people. He brings immersive insight to traditional Indian practices despite modern times, weaving ancient history and personal narratives so detailed you can almost see the narrators. Totally recommended.
Separately, I do wonder though how an ebook reader replaces the pleasure of flipping pages, adding pencil notes in the last pages, bookmarking with the book jacket and of course, turning the book towards the light so the sun fills the white of the paper and the letters stand out like little exuberant people with their own messages held up like placards over their heads. What if these books could talk, discuss and analyse their own content with you?
This book also inspires a bit of photography and copywriting. I hope I can sustain this habit.

The treasure a good book is.

If there is any one habit I am proud of ditching, its watching TV. On adding up the hours spent in front of the tube in a period of one year, I figured that was a lot of precious time spent doing nothing. Whatever was retained from watching shows or news was just not substantial enough to justify spending any more time watching fictional people's lives.
Since 2006, I spent a small fortune on books- enough to fill up a decent sized bookshelf with unread masterpieces. There were bestsellers devoured over the weekend like Freakonomics and Da Vinci code. Visibly, these books made much noise on their launch and were written like movie scripts. What I always stayed away from were the slow, silent kinds.
So after much deliberation I started reading 'Nine Lives'. This one is a keeper and here's why-
If anyone can claim to understand India, it is William Dalrymple. In case you think staying at exotic places during your vacations made up for 'knowing' India, that would be a tiny fraction of what this travel writer has discovered- by living and speaking with simple people. He brings immersive insight to traditional Indian practices despite modern times, weaving ancient history and personal narratives so detailed you can almost see the narrators. Totally recommended.
Separately, I do wonder though how an ebook reader replaces the pleasure of flipping pages, adding pencil notes in the last pages, bookmarking with the book jacket and of course, turning the book towards the light so the sun fills the white of the paper and the letters stand out like little exuberant people with their own messages held up like placards over their heads. What if these books could talk, discuss and analyse their own content with you?
This book also inspires a bit of photography and copywriting. I hope I can sustain this habit.

Time-lapsing for Vine

Very excited about my first 'Vine' video. Was going to finally paint this piece after much procrastinating, so figured lets pack in another something on the way.

Could not upload to Vine since that works entirely via the phone app. Anyways had to try 'weaving' a narrative in 6 seconds  - anything.

Time-lapsing for Vine

Very excited about my first 'Vine' video. Was going to finally paint this piece after much procrastinating, so figured lets pack in another something on the way.

Could not upload to Vine since that works entirely via the phone app. Anyways had to try 'weaving' a narrative in 6 seconds  - anything.

Passion and HTML5

After 14 years of learning and working with Macromedia Shockwave, which later became Adobe Flash, we are today unlearning it all. HTML5 has been around for a while now - the spine that runs web 2.0. As designers we can run as much from the inevitable code work required, but it is not as daunting as it looks. This 'new normal' for devices does not require high-end hardware for multimedia, and Flash Player is a resource hog.

So I have this lovely Parallax scrolling demo to try out with my macrophotography and sketches. I just replaced the images for now, which is hardly any work-

http://arjunkariyal.com/html5/macro/

http://arjunkariyal.com/html5/sketches/

A big thanks to inspiretrends.com for the tutorials.

Passion and HTML5

After 14 years of learning and working with Macromedia Shockwave, which later became Adobe Flash, we are today unlearning it all. HTML5 has been around for a while now - the spine that runs web 2.0. As designers we can run as much from the inevitable code work required, but it is not as daunting as it looks. This 'new normal' for devices does not require high-end hardware for multimedia, and Flash Player is a resource hog.

So I have this lovely Parallax scrolling demo to try out with my macrophotography and sketches. I just replaced the images for now, which is hardly any work-

http://arjunkariyal.com/html5/macro/

http://arjunkariyal.com/html5/sketches/

A big thanks to inspiretrends.com for the tutorials.

10 tips on client meeting and events

Sharing tips which could be useful for client meetings or events -

1. A day or two in advance, imagine a client meeting as much as you can (with a colleague if possible), including details. It will help put together things you need the next day. 'Victory loves preparation.' - from the movie 'The Mechanic'.

2. Rehearse a presentation on a projector before the actual client meeting. Your 'final' version may need changes when projected. Order or quantum of content, font size and colors that looked fine while preparing may need work when projected.

3. Clients love a thinking consultant – the reason they come to us in the first place. Think a bit before agreeing to what the client says. Offer other options. If you don’t agree, add to his thoughts instead of going against the grain (depending on your relationship). Example- ‘That is one way to go, or how about…’

4. Sit with an ideating group and sort out exactly why you need marketing materiallike banners, brochures or videos. What works for others may not work for you.

5. Videos needs much planning for the image they project later. Social media the world over can see what you create or upload; so prepare your material likewise.

6. Pick up the phone or walk across and speak with people. Direct communication still works better than email.

7. Don’t be afraid of appearing funny or awkward when addressing your team directly. It is better than not showing up at all. Appreciating someone for a job well done needs direct addressing.

8. ‘Tentative cost’ is dear for all. Share cost or quote from vendors with stakeholders before it is incurred even if the client or colleague has factored it in.

9. After the event or meeting, asking for feedback shows you care. Get feedback from chatting, emails or web tools.

10. Once in a while, take initiatives that do not add up to annual performance goals. Not everything needs to add up, tally or reach somewhere. You are human and that means quite a bit.

Hope these make sense!

Regards

10 tips on client meeting and events

Sharing tips which could be useful for client meetings or events -

1. A day or two in advance, imagine a client meeting as much as you can (with a colleague if possible), including details. It will help put together things you need the next day. 'Victory loves preparation.' - from the movie 'The Mechanic'.

2. Rehearse a presentation on a projector before the actual client meeting. Your 'final' version may need changes when projected. Order or quantum of content, font size and colors that looked fine while preparing may need work when projected.

3. Clients love a thinking consultant – the reason they come to us in the first place. Think a bit before agreeing to what the client says. Offer other options. If you don’t agree, add to his thoughts instead of going against the grain (depending on your relationship). Example- ‘That is one way to go, or how about…’

4. Sit with an ideating group and sort out exactly why you need marketing material like banners, brochures or videos. What works for others may not work for you.

5. Videos needs much planning for the image they project later. Social media the world over can see what you create or upload; so prepare your material likewise.

6. Pick up the phone or walk across and speak with people. Direct communication still works better than email.

7. Don’t be afraid of appearing funny or awkward when addressing your team directly. It is better than not showing up at all. Appreciating someone for a job well done needs direct addressing.

8. ‘Tentative cost’ is dear for all. Share cost or quote from vendors with stakeholders before it is incurred even if the client or colleague has factored it in.

9. After the event or meeting, asking for feedback shows you care. Get feedback from chatting, emails or web tools.

10. Once in a while, take initiatives that do not add up to annual performance goals. Not everything needs to add up, tally or reach somewhere. You are human and that means quite a bit.

Hope these make sense!

Regards

Independence ahoy!

Our Independence day was 'celebrated' on 15 August with a splatter of the national flag colours in newspaper ads. Local malls had the tricolour criss-crossing overhead, justifying the need to swipe your cards so they could clear off their stock. In Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, one of the biggest malls in the country, almost all shops sell imported material and international brands. In fact, the only thing that remains ‘Indian’ in the entire mall is Haldiram, an Indian fast food chain and ofcourse, Hindi movies that play in PVR cinemas. So it looks like when it comes to food and movies, we are Indian all the way, but when it comes to stuff and products, we fancy western material. Manufacturing is down, foreign brand invasion is up, and no thanks to our short-term, low-cost attitude to products, everything is made in China.

So what leaves us with any feeling of being independent? How free are we really? A volatile currency shakes the stock market; and the one thing that comes to our minds is to shop more before things go out of reach. At get-togethers and parties we lament on rock star politicians to save the nation. But no politician can change anything, unless people revolt. That is what is wrong with us. We take everything lying down. Other signs are more alarming - a sincere government servant is openly reprimanded for doing her job that hurts vested interests, price hike for a basic vegetable, violation of human rights, total disregard for women in all sections of society, public money for welfare is either squandered or unused, these are enough signs that we are not headed in the right direction.

People of France come out on the streets on the most basic things, and that keep their government on their toes. For the ‘great’ nation that we are, with rebels that India has produced, this is the time to stand up for stuff we believe in. We have to go beyond the discount offers in rotated star burst ads. Are we prepared to stand in queues and get our official paper work done, and not pay a tout? These changes will have to come in our own behaviour before we demand a change. Here are a few things I do from the core, hoping it would snowball with the efforts of others to make a larger change.

1.       Keep and repair old stuff. Don’t fall for the need to buy things you don’t need. If you feel like buying stuff, postpone the purchase by a week. If you still need it, you will know.

2.       Give back to society. In any that you feel fit- donate blood, spend time in a NGO school for a few hours on weekends, donate to organizations that work for the welfare of the girl child, old people, your choice. That time should be given away, and not go in owning, buying things or in any other personal benefit other that the satisfaction of benefiting someone underprivileged.

3.       Discuss atrocities that you notice. Share with neighbours and friends stuff that disturbs you. If you let it go, others will.

4.       Stop watching TV, read a book or paint. TV is made to sell you things you do not need, make you feel like a lesser mortal unless you buy. Everything is ad driven today to satiate a vague need. When you do other stuff, you start thinking. That is what a fascist hates.

5.       Eat less. The more you devour, the lesser you think. The less you eat, the lighter you stay, makes you want to get off your seat and walk the street. That changes things.

6.       Do not compare your lives and possessions with others. If you have reached this far on your own, it is because you defined what is important.

7.       Go to a place of worship other than that of your own religion. Understand other people just for the sake of it. Observe and respect what they do.

8.       Talk to people outside your trade. Know more about the world.

9.       Avoid discussing gadgets. Talk about relationships.

10.   Keep a pet. Being in touch with an animal is a grounding experience at many levels.

Surely there are other ways to ‘keep it real’. The whole point is to get back to being more human. Technology has not improved our social life. We interact much less than we ever did. We also have lesser friends than our parents have. That says quite a lot about the loneliness our lives are made of. All this can be fixed in a short time, but the effort has to come from all of us, at an individual level.

Independence ahoy!

Our Independence day was 'celebrated' on 15 August with a splatter of the national flag colours in newspaper ads. Local malls had the tricolour criss-crossing overhead, justifying the need to swipe your cards so they could clear off their stock. In Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, one of the biggest malls in the country, almost all shops sell imported material and international brands. In fact, the only thing that remains ‘Indian’ in the entire mall is Haldiram, an Indian fast food chain and ofcourse, Hindi movies that play in PVR cinemas. So it looks like when it comes to food and movies, we are Indian all the way, but when it comes to stuff and products, we fancy western material. Manufacturing is down, foreign brand invasion is up, and no thanks to our short-term, low-cost attitude to products, everything is made in China.

So what leaves us with any feeling of being independent? How free are we really? A volatile currency shakes the stock market; and the one thing that comes to our minds is to shop more before things go out of reach. At get-togethers and parties we lament on rock star politicians to save the nation. But no politician can change anything, unless people revolt. That is what is wrong with us. We take everything lying down. Other signs are more alarming - a sincere government servant is openly reprimanded for doing her job that hurts vested interests, price hike for a basic vegetable, violation of human rights, total disregard for women in all sections of society, public money for welfare is either squandered or unused, these are enough signs that we are not headed in the right direction.

People of France come out on the streets on the most basic things, and that keep their government on their toes. For the ‘great’ nation that we are, with rebels that India has produced, this is the time to stand up for stuff we believe in. We have to go beyond the discount offers in rotated star burst ads. Are we prepared to stand in queues and get our official paper work done, and not pay a tout? These changes will have to come in our own behaviour before we demand a change. Here are a few things I do from the core, hoping it would snowball with the efforts of others to make a larger change.

1.       Keep and repair old stuff. Don’t fall for the need to buy things you don’t need. If you feel like buying stuff, postpone the purchase by a week. If you still need it, you will know.

2.       Give back to society. In any that you feel fit- donate blood, spend time in a NGO school for a few hours on weekends, donate to organizations that work for the welfare of the girl child, old people, your choice. That time should be given away, and not go in owning, buying things or in any other personal benefit other that the satisfaction of benefiting someone underprivileged.

3.       Discuss atrocities that you notice. Share with neighbours and friends stuff that disturbs you. If you let it go, others will.

4.       Stop watching TV, read a book or paint. TV is made to sell you things you do not need, make you feel like a lesser mortal unless you buy. Everything is ad driven today to satiate a vague need. When you do other stuff, you start thinking. That is what a fascist hates.

5.       Eat less. The more you devour, the lesser you think. The less you eat, the lighter you stay, makes you want to get off your seat and walk the street. That changes things.

6.       Do not compare your lives and possessions with others. If you have reached this far on your own, it is because you defined what is important.

7.       Go to a place of worship other than that of your own religion. Understand other people just for the sake of it. Observe and respect what they do.

8.       Talk to people outside your trade. Know more about the world.

9.       Avoid discussing gadgets. Talk about relationships.

10.   Keep a pet. Being in touch with an animal is a grounding experience at many levels.

Surely there are other ways to ‘keep it real’. The whole point is to get back to being more human. Technology has not improved our social life. We interact much less than we ever did. We also have lesser friends than our parents have. That says quite a lot about the loneliness our lives are made of. All this can be fixed in a short time, but the effort has to come from all of us, at an individual level.

addlepated katzenjammer

Heed the words of a benedict-  Infantalize each other with syllogism and irrelevant, effusive banter, for this chicanery will hold not a candle to the éminence grise - your future wife.

------------
addlepated - being mixed up : confused
katzenjammer - hangover
benedict - a newly married man who has long been a bachelor
infantalize - to treat like an infant or young child
syllogism - deductive reasoning
chicanery - deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery
éminence grise - one exercising unsuspected or unofficial power

addlepated katzenjammer

Heed the words of a benedict-  Infantalize each other with syllogism and irrelevant, effusive banter, for this chicanery will hold not a candle to the éminence grise - your future wife.

------------
addlepated - being mixed up : confused
katzenjammer - hangover
benedict - a newly married man who has long been a bachelor
infantalize - to treat like an infant or young child
syllogism - deductive reasoning
chicanery - deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery
éminence grise - one exercising unsuspected or unofficial power

Knowing history helps

For all those moments when you wondered why it helps to go into the history of things, there are ample reasons how one benefits from studying the past.
Of the 4 years I spent in art school,  my batch studied art history for an unusual 3 years. Art history was supposed to last no more than a year but due to some alteration in our course design, we ended up watching slides of paintings of a bygone era for 3 exasperating years. Though it was an ordeal back then, in hindsight it was a blessing to have studied the works of the great masters. The basics got drilled, nailed and cemented in our fuzzed-out juvenile minds.
How does that help?
Last weekend I was in a discussion with a friend and potential client who may in time comission me as a consultant for a product targeted at European buyers. We started talking about certain types and styles of graphics. As we spoke more I was able to better articulate and classify the styles as Renaissance,  Baroque,art Nouveaux, art Deco and Bauhaus. This led to a detailed understanding of tastes, preferences and a way ahead for the project.

When you know the history well, you are able to process the current information in context of time. There you go- I couldn't have articulated it better than that. When you are aware of where the material originated from, you are a few steps ahead of others because you would or could be the only person to take forward the matter or project from there on. 'To see the future, we must look into our past', goes the adage.

So dwell into the past once in a while, purely from a futuristic point of view. The neighborly historian or librarian could well be the next soothsayers if they apply resources to study trends over time.

Knowing history helps

For all those moments when you wondered why it helps to go into the history of things, there are ample reasons how one benefits from studying the past.
Of the 4 years I spent in art school,  my batch studied art history for an unusual 3 years. Art history was supposed to last no more than a year but due to some alteration in our course design, we ended up watching slides of paintings of a bygone era for 3 exasperating years. Though it was an ordeal back then, in hindsight it was a blessing to have studied the works of the great masters. The basics got drilled, nailed and cemented in our fuzzed-out juvenile minds.
How does that help?
Last weekend I was in a discussion with a friend and potential client who may in time comission me as a consultant for a product targeted at European buyers. We started talking about certain types and styles of graphics. As we spoke more I was able to better articulate and classify the styles as Renaissance,  Baroque,art Nouveaux, art Deco and Bauhaus. This led to a detailed understanding of tastes, preferences and a way ahead for the project.

When you know the history well, you are able to process the current information in context of time. There you go- I couldn't have articulated it better than that. When you are aware of where the material originated from, you are a few steps ahead of others because you would or could be the only person to take forward the matter or project from there on. 'To see the future, we must look into our past', goes the adage.

So dwell into the past once in a while, purely from a futuristic point of view. The neighborly historian or librarian could well be the next soothsayers if they apply resources to study trends over time.

Looking ahead

We like to think we know where life is headed. I hear that the state your mind is in today is the way it will be all your life. One way to 'see' a progression in life is to look back at life and see how far you have come. Keep the money aspect out for a moment. How far have I come as a person?
If the progression is positive then thats good news. If money is the only positive measure then we need to look at other dimensions.

So how does this work? Here are a few questions to ask oneself-
Have people grown under my guidance?  Am I collaborating with other talents? Have my students become better teachers or mentors than me? Are they actually doing much better work than I would in the same conditions?  Are they preferred people to work with? Do they feel inspired when speaking with me (I would lool for the 'aha' moment here)? And the biggest question that would need a certain level of self-actualization- if I am removed from this system, would they carry things on successfully?
If the majority of the answers are yes, then we are getting somewhere. Then you are the Buddha!

The way to have sustainable growth is to give the way to others to lead, happily!

Looking ahead

We like to think we know where life is headed. I hear that the state your mind is in today is the way it will be all your life. One way to 'see' a progression in life is to look back at life and see how far you have come. Keep the money aspect out for a moment. How far have I come as a person?
If the progression is positive then thats good news. If money is the only positive measure then we need to look at other dimensions.

So how does this work? Here are a few questions to ask oneself-
Have people grown under my guidance?  Am I collaborating with other talents? Have my students become better teachers or mentors than me? Are they actually doing much better work than I would in the same conditions?  Are they preferred people to work with? Do they feel inspired when speaking with me (I would lool for the 'aha' moment here)? And the biggest question that would need a certain level of self-actualization- if I am removed from this system, would they carry things on successfully?
If the majority of the answers are yes, then we are getting somewhere. Then you are the Buddha!

The way to have sustainable growth is to give the way to others to lead, happily!

Muggles, stopping writing badly!

Debut novelist Robert Galbraith turns out to be JK Rowling as Glee! star Cory Montieth is found dead, 163 year old telegram service ends in India and a pen senses spelling mistakes.

Muggles, stopping writing badly!

Debut novelist Robert Galbraith turns out to be JK Rowling as Glee! star Cory Montieth is found dead, 163 year old telegram service ends in India and a pen senses spelling mistakes.

Fashionable Scooterun!

Something that started with random doodling with a Lamy pen ended up as a thought for the future at many levels.
Our ongoing energy crisis and excessive dependence on fuel control the cost and the very supply of everything required on a day- to-day basis. A hike in fuel prices alters all aspects of our lives and makes us red-think our priorities.
There are other stress-related problems that come with rising expenses. We socialize and meet less because that incurs an expense, making us opt for interacting via social media. This leads to stronger attachment to devices and a sedentary lifestyle, an incubator of health problems.

What if we attempt to encourage ideas that reduce, if not totally dissect ourselves from clinging onto fossil-fuel tech; in turn makes us healthy in the process and looks good?

Here's an idea - a scooter that runs on a chargeable battery, which gets powered by an exercise machine that 'winds' up and charges the battery. The more you work out, the longer the distance the scooter can go on a single charge. This kind of a system would surely affect the day's routine. We look healthier, travel more using clean technology. If we look good doing this, we spread the idea of alternative and sustainable technology.

So the 'Scooterun' could be made of fibre-plastic, making it light. Solar cells on the front and side panels could power up the electricals. If functionality and creativity allow, the panels could be fashionable. Even if power runs out while you are on the move, a pedal system at the heels drives a set of cogs, much like a pedalling in a 2-seater boat, or a 10-speed bicycle. A pillion rider could also add to the rotary engine.
Making this work will need more than traditional marketing and selling methods. For this to stick, the idea would have to be ingrained into the socio-cultural need, spread virally and championed by youth- students in the local university, which becomes a need very soon for the masses.

A lot of audacious ideas that appear impossible, improbable or rediculuous today will see the light of day in the nearer future. This will happen because we will not have the luxury of choice. From our childhood days, watching Captain Kirk with a beamer phone, we never could imagine a handheld device that could do so much, more so in the hands of 'poor' people; whatever the definition of poor is anymore. So these things can be done. An incentive to stay healthy to keep our expenses down, could be the de-facto tomorrow.

Fashionable Scooterun!

Something that started with random doodling with a Lamy pen ended up as a thought for the future at many levels.
Our ongoing energy crisis and excessive dependence on fuel control the cost and the very supply of everything required on a day- to-day basis. A hike in fuel prices alters all aspects of our lives and makes us red-think our priorities.
There are other stress-related problems that come with rising expenses. We socialize and meet less because that incurs an expense, making us opt for interacting via social media. This leads to stronger attachment to devices and a sedentary lifestyle, an incubator of health problems.

What if we attempt to encourage ideas that reduce, if not totally dissect ourselves from clinging onto fossil-fuel tech; in turn makes us healthy in the process and looks good?

Here's an idea - a scooter that runs on a chargeable battery, which gets powered by an exercise machine that 'winds' up and charges the battery. The more you work out, the longer the distance the scooter can go on a single charge. This kind of a system would surely affect the day's routine. We look healthier, travel more using clean technology. If we look good doing this, we spread the idea of alternative and sustainable technology.

So the 'Scooterun' could be made of fibre-plastic, making it light. Solar cells on the front and side panels could power up the electricals. If functionality and creativity allow, the panels could be fashionable. Even if power runs out while you are on the move, a pedal system at the heels drives a set of cogs, much like a pedalling in a 2-seater boat, or a 10-speed bicycle. A pillion rider could also add to the rotary engine.
Making this work will need more than traditional marketing and selling methods. For this to stick, the idea would have to be ingrained into the socio-cultural need, spread virally and championed by youth- students in the local university, which becomes a need very soon for the masses.

A lot of audacious ideas that appear impossible, improbable or rediculuous today will see the light of day in the nearer future. This will happen because we will not have the luxury of choice. From our childhood days, watching Captain Kirk with a beamer phone, we never could imagine a handheld device that could do so much, more so in the hands of 'poor' people; whatever the definition of poor is anymore. So these things can be done. An incentive to stay healthy to keep our expenses down, could be the de-facto tomorrow.

Technology - glue that bonds

Just in case you think that technology isolates us from family and friends, and that we are getting lonelier and less communicative, think about where you get your tech tips from these days. Its not other tech sources. The most useful information on apps and websites, truly useful ones, comes from chatting with family and friends.
Technology creates conversations today. When thinking about some of the recent apps on my phone or useful websites I look up daily, I realize that these tips came from face-to-face conversations with family and friends. Rarely do we take tips from assumed sources like websites or magazines or their Twitter accounts. Here's a list-

1. Sound hound - music identifier app- shared by friend during dinner
2. Visual.ly - infographic website- through family get-together
3. Rome Subway Surfer - loaded on phones of family members
4. Whatsapp privacy settings - woke up to this while chatting with family
5. Tango - video chat app over data service
6. True caller - app that identifies callers, tip came from family
7. http://500px.com - Photography website - suggested by a colleague
8. QR code maker - http://qrcode.littleidiot.be/ - discovered with colleagues
9. How to activate check boxes in Adobe Flash - found with colleagues -
http://www.webdesign.org/flash-swish/flash-tutorials/how-to-use-checkboxes-and-radio-buttons-in-flash.21240.html
10. Camera RAW editing - Photoshop plugin for better controls on a photo - tipped by colleague
11. Minimize all apps on iPad by drawing inward all fingertips- chatting with family, and watching nieces play with iPad

So share with others what you use, and you get back much more. Karma is the social app!

Technology - glue that bonds

Just in case you think that technology isolates us from family and friends, and that we are getting lonelier and less communicative, think about where you get your tech tips from these days. Its not other tech sources. The most useful information on apps and websites, truly useful ones, comes from chatting with family and friends.
Technology creates conversations today. When thinking about some of the recent apps on my phone or useful websites I look up daily, I realize that these tips came from face-to-face conversations with family and friends. Rarely do we take tips from assumed sources like websites or magazines or their Twitter accounts. Here's a list-

1. Sound hound - music identifier app- shared by friend during dinner
2. Visual.ly - infographic website- through family get-together
3. Rome Subway Surfer - loaded on phones of family members
4. Whatsapp privacy settings - woke up to this while chatting with family
5. Tango - video chat app over data service
6. True caller - app that identifies callers, tip came from family
7. http://500px.com - Photography website - suggested by a colleague
8. QR code maker - http://qrcode.littleidiot.be/ - discovered with colleagues
9. How to activate check boxes in Adobe Flash - found with colleagues -
http://www.webdesign.org/flash-swish/flash-tutorials/how-to-use-checkboxes-and-radio-buttons-in-flash.21240.html
10. Camera RAW editing - Photoshop plugin for better controls on a photo - tipped by colleague
11. Minimize all apps on iPad by drawing inward all fingertips- chatting with family, and watching nieces play with iPad

So share with others what you use, and you get back much more. Karma is the social app!

Macro photography

Finally bit the bullet and picked up the Canon 100mm Macro f/2.8 IS USM L. The damage comes to Rs.64,000. Got the local retailer to throw in a min tripod with the deal. I had to get cracking on it... you know the excitement that comes with a new lens! Took photos in the local residential park. The evening sun was right in the faces of the sunflowers and some bees went to work on them.

Macro photography is hard work. Despite sufficient light, I could not get a good shot very easily. Insects are tough subjects, but the most intriguing. Though I struggled in hand-held mode, it is best to carry a tripod for insect photography. Here goes-

Extreme closeup of a Lamy pen-

Close-up of a ten-Rupee coin- 

Buffalo's nose-

Felt pen

Portrait of a bird- Gennie

5mm long insect on roadside weed-

Tree bark

Fork meets watermelon-