Probably the most awesome thing, I've seen a home computer do. An absolute must watch. It also confirms my belief that awe inspiring photography is becoming increasingly common. And photoshop is to be thanked for much of that.
Showing posts with label Miscellany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellany. Show all posts
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Priceless anecdote from Edward Luce's Inspite Of The Gods: The Strange Rise Of Modern India:
(Via Retributions)
[Arun] Shourie also provided an example of the farce that sometimes results from efforts to reform a system that will go to great lengths to thwart even the smallest of changes. In April 1999, India’s ministry for steel submitted a formal query to Shourie’s ministry for administrative reforms. The grave matter, which would take almost a year to resolve and would consume the valuable time of some India’s most senior officials, was about whether civil servants should be allowed to use green or red ink , as opposed to the blue or black normally used to annotate documents. After several weeks of meetings, consultations, and memoranda, the IAS officers in Shourie’s department concluded that the matter could be resolved only by officials at the bureau of printing. Another three weeks of learned deliberation ensued before the bureau of printing returned the file to the department of administrative reform, but with the recommendation that the ministry of training and personnel be consulted. It took another three weeks for the file to reach the ministry of training, since the diligent mandarins at administrative reform needed time to consider the expertly phrased deliberations of the bureau of printing. .
And so this question of state meandered for weeks and months, in meeting after meeting through ministry, before the following Solomonic compromise was struck: ‘’Initial drafting will be done in black or blue ink. Modifications in the draft at the subsequent levels may be made in green or red ink by the offices so as to distinguish the corrections made.” said the new order. Hierarchy also has to be specified: ‘’only an officer of the level of joint secretary and above may use green or red ink in rare cases [duly set out, with appropriate caveats].” As Shourie noted: ‘’A good bureaucratic solution: discretion allowed by circumscribed!” If Franz Kafka had inserted such a story into one of his novels, critics would have accused him of going too far.
(Via Retributions)
In-Your-Face-Hypocrisy story of the day:
Cambodia's prime Minister said Tuesday that his adopted daughter is a lesbian and he was severing ties with her, but he urged the country not to discriminate against gays. "My adopted daughter now has a wife. I'm quite disappointed," Hun Sen said. He made the rare revelation about his closely guarded family life during a speech at a university graduation ceremony.
[Via IE. I couldn't find a link to this story.]
Cambodia's prime Minister said Tuesday that his adopted daughter is a lesbian and he was severing ties with her, but he urged the country not to discriminate against gays. "My adopted daughter now has a wife. I'm quite disappointed," Hun Sen said. He made the rare revelation about his closely guarded family life during a speech at a university graduation ceremony.
[Via IE. I couldn't find a link to this story.]
Zappos: Be Human
A woman has a heartwarming experience with an online shoe retailer and writes about it. Seth Godin picks up the story and so do hundreds of other people. This is what they did:
My point is this: Did they do anything that one friend wouldn't do for another? No. And that is where the uniqueness of their act lies. They didn't treat their customer as yet another number in their registry who is to be exploited for all she is worth. They treated her as a friend, and got a customer for life. The amount of PR that they generated from this exercise is another story whole together.
Radiohead: Respect Your Customers
When customers are satisfied by your product, they will pay you gladly. You do not need to rip them off. This is the lesson that Radiohead has drilled into every bodies head. Their basic strategy was to ask the customer what their album was worth. You think its absolutely great and wanna pay 15 dollars? Sure, do it. Think its pure crap and doesn't deserve a penny? You can do that too.
If you thought that Radiohead's experiment was a colossal blunder, if you felt that people would never pay for something they could get for free then here are the figures: 1 Week, 1.2 Million Albums Sold, at $8 per album. No middlemen. Enough said.
Tata Indicom: Stupidity Has No Limits
Seriously Tata, can't you even do some damage control when you know that you are going to be featured in a T.V documentary exposing your abysmally shoddy service? But no. Never. Stupidity is what sets us apart you see:
The only lesson from Tata is to avoid being a dumbass, stories like these make or break a company's credibility. Millions spent on advertising are useless if you have jelly in your cranial cavity.
A woman has a heartwarming experience with an online shoe retailer and writes about it. Seth Godin picks up the story and so do hundreds of other people. This is what they did:
When I came home this last time, I had an email from Zappos asking about the shoes, since they hadn’t received them. I was just back and not ready to deal with that, so I replied that my mom had died but that I’d send the shoes as soon as I could. They emailed back that they had arranged with UPS to pick up the shoes, so I wouldn't have to take the time to do it myself. I was so touched. That’s going against corporate policy.
Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos. I burst into tears. I’m a sucker for kindness, and if that isn’t one of the nicest things I’ve ever had happen to me, I don’t know what is.
My point is this: Did they do anything that one friend wouldn't do for another? No. And that is where the uniqueness of their act lies. They didn't treat their customer as yet another number in their registry who is to be exploited for all she is worth. They treated her as a friend, and got a customer for life. The amount of PR that they generated from this exercise is another story whole together.
Radiohead: Respect Your Customers
When customers are satisfied by your product, they will pay you gladly. You do not need to rip them off. This is the lesson that Radiohead has drilled into every bodies head. Their basic strategy was to ask the customer what their album was worth. You think its absolutely great and wanna pay 15 dollars? Sure, do it. Think its pure crap and doesn't deserve a penny? You can do that too.
If you thought that Radiohead's experiment was a colossal blunder, if you felt that people would never pay for something they could get for free then here are the figures: 1 Week, 1.2 Million Albums Sold, at $8 per album. No middlemen. Enough said.
Tata Indicom: Stupidity Has No Limits
Seriously Tata, can't you even do some damage control when you know that you are going to be featured in a T.V documentary exposing your abysmally shoddy service? But no. Never. Stupidity is what sets us apart you see:
The only lesson from Tata is to avoid being a dumbass, stories like these make or break a company's credibility. Millions spent on advertising are useless if you have jelly in your cranial cavity.
You and your buddies reach the highest mountain in the Alps after a treacherous, cold and exhausting climb to the top. What now? Open up your portable Jacuzzi and have a bath, silly.
For more, head over to jacuzzi.ch
(Via Kottke)
For more, head over to jacuzzi.ch
(Via Kottke)
The Scientific American blog reports that a Dallas based company - Kannuu - has devised a technique that allows you to type with your thumb. They claim that typing speeds will be similar to those reached using standard keyboards.
Another one of those innumerable built for mobile devices innovations that show up every day, but I for one am looking for a PC version of this thing. Why? Because I am a two finger typist. Although I am good at it now, and am as fast as those 'proper' typists, I can't avoid looking like an idiot in the company of such masters.
Using my thumb to type is a different ball game altogether. Hours spent smsing my girl friend does have its advantages. :)
Another one of those innumerable built for mobile devices innovations that show up every day, but I for one am looking for a PC version of this thing. Why? Because I am a two finger typist. Although I am good at it now, and am as fast as those 'proper' typists, I can't avoid looking like an idiot in the company of such masters.
Using my thumb to type is a different ball game altogether. Hours spent smsing my girl friend does have its advantages. :)
Quote of the day:
All stories of countries and people attaining freedom, are stories of a select few individuals fighting the apathy of the masses with the sheer force of their character. The majority is an indifferent bunch, they couldn't care less about issues that don't affect their daily lives. Even genocides are dismissed until it's your home that seems empty.
(Via)
Humanity does not care for freedom. The mass of the people realize they are not up to it: what they want is being fed, led, amused, and above everything, drilled. But they do care for the phrase.
All stories of countries and people attaining freedom, are stories of a select few individuals fighting the apathy of the masses with the sheer force of their character. The majority is an indifferent bunch, they couldn't care less about issues that don't affect their daily lives. Even genocides are dismissed until it's your home that seems empty.
(Via)
Alex, avian legend and the world's best known parrot died last month at the young age of 31. Demonstrating an astounding ability to understand and speak the human language, he was the subject of study for Harvard scientists who wanted to understand his decidedly non bird-brainesque mental capabilities. He knew how to count, identify shapes, differentiate between colours and curse researchers about their repetitive experiments. His last words:
You be good. I love you.Miss you.
The one advice every single self help book in the world seems to have is this: Imagine you are at your funeral. All the people who were important in your life have gathered together. One by one each of them gets up to speak a few lines about you. Now what would you like to hear them say? Now consider your actions. Are they good enough to elicit paeans of praise from everybody? And then we are advised to plan our life so that people will say what we would like them to say.
But if newspaper obituaries are anything to go by, then this is one thing that people shouldn’t worry about. Nobody seems to see anything negative in anybody once they die. All their sins seem to be washed off or are just hinted at. Qualities which they never possessed are bestowed on them.
The Indian express published an obituary of Namdeo Salubai Dhasal today. It ends with these lines: To this day the imagery he introduced into Marathi poetry remains path-breaking. How about an example of his imagery? Here you go:
Darkness under their arses. Heh. Such imagery.
But if newspaper obituaries are anything to go by, then this is one thing that people shouldn’t worry about. Nobody seems to see anything negative in anybody once they die. All their sins seem to be washed off or are just hinted at. Qualities which they never possessed are bestowed on them.
The Indian express published an obituary of Namdeo Salubai Dhasal today. It ends with these lines: To this day the imagery he introduced into Marathi poetry remains path-breaking. How about an example of his imagery? Here you go:
These great intellectuals are roaming with blazing torches in their hands/ through lanes and bylanes, chawls and chawls/ claiming that they understand the darkness in our huts, where even rats die of hunger/ they are great like horny whores/ those who don’t know that there is darkness under their arses/ can exhibit coquettish excellence with ease.
Darkness under their arses. Heh. Such imagery.
Proof that we learn nothing from history. Heh:
Indiaholic will be going through a few design changes. Posting will be on a hold for a while.
I doubt if better passwords would have helped stopp the hacker who published a list of 100 email accounts - along with the passwords - of government establishments. But the situation does seem appalling when the usernames are much more difficult to guess than the passwords. No? A few samples:
Unbelievably the Indian embassies in China and the US use the same password: 1234. Sad.
(Original story via The Indian Express.)
Username: commercial@indembassy.be
Password: india01
Username: mis
Password: misadmin
Username: amb@indianembassy.org.cn
Password: 1234
Username: rb1002p1
Password: consind1
Username: amb@indianembassy.org
Password: 1234
Username: jpsingh@drdo.com
Password: password+1
Unbelievably the Indian embassies in China and the US use the same password: 1234. Sad.
(Original story via The Indian Express.)
Awesome and disturbing. Created by Charlie White, it is the best ad in the adicolor series. Once you are done with this one, do check out the other colors in the series here. Guaranteed to elicit at least a Wow.
The Economic Naturalist Robert Frank at Google:
Interesting questions that were analyzed:
Robert proposes a method of teaching economics using narratives and repetition. Sounds intuitive and fun. I for one am not gonna forget any of the principles that i learned, any time soon.
Interesting questions that were analyzed:
- If seat belts are provided for kids in cars, why not in airplanes? In-flight turbulence is at least equivalent to that experienced by people driving on a highway. Then why this apparent lack of concern for infants in flights?
- Why does a flight from Hawaii to the mainland cost more than one from the mainland to Hawaii? The distances are the same, the route is the same. The fares should be the same. No?
- Is depending only on people's self interest a good strategy to ensure a better allocation of economic resources?
Robert proposes a method of teaching economics using narratives and repetition. Sounds intuitive and fun. I for one am not gonna forget any of the principles that i learned, any time soon.
Camlin permanent markers are the secret to a long life. Applicable only if you are the husband. Brilliant.
As far as I am concerned, children hanging by penises is child pornography. What is the moral police doing in the face of such blatant pederasty? Oh the horror!
11 year old Bianca Ryan performing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" by Jennifer Holliday in the debut season of America's Got Talent. Absolutely magnificient voice. A Prodigy. Unbelievable stuff. I am running short of adjectives. WOW.
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