Wi-Fi at 35000 feet

Wi-Fi at 35000 feet
Originally uploaded by sanjoyg.

My question is "what took them so long?"

But it's here. Wifi from Gogo Inflight Internet for $7.95 for the
entire flight. Definitely worth it if your flying a few hours.

Interesting to read that they ask passengers to "stick to emails and
respectful Internet browsing".

So some sites like aa.com and WSJ headlines is free.

India vs the US: A Visual Comparison

India vs the US: A Visual Comparison

Posted using ShareThis

Using a Mobile Boarding Pass

Tried out the "mobile boarding pass" this past week and I love it!!

I skeptically opted for the mobile option when checking in online. The airlines sent a link to a webpage that had my flight information and a special square barcode. At the security checkpoint I confidently enlarged the webpage and placed the barcode against the reader and voilà! There was my flight information. Off I was on my maiden flight with a truly electronic boarding pass.

No more printing or queuing up at airline kiosks. Just flashing my iPhone and jetting away. One more way to help the environment - especially if it catches on with all smartphone users.

 

Dog of the Day

Kaloo got the distinct recognition of being the "Dog of the Day" at his training/day-care facility yesterday.

The writeup reads...
"This handsome Border Collie mix recently started the Train-and-Play program at Taurus Lamar, and we’re all so happy to meet him. He was a little unsure on his first day but, as you can see from his picture, he loosened up quickly and has become quite the jokester in the play yards. Whether soaking up all the new knowledge like a sponge, goofing around with his buddies, or getting some TLC from our techs, you can bet he’s having fun. We’re looking forward to watching this guy learn and grow even more over the next several weeks!"

We were proud parents "awwwing" at the post. He looks so goofy and cute. Looks like the little guy is having a whole lot of fun in school (and learning a few good things).

He's been to 2 training sessions and we already see a big improvement in his behavior and focus. We just started using the Pinch collar (also known as the German collar) for training him to heel and not chase after cats, birds and squirrels during walks. At first we were a bit apprehensive at the metal chain but he definitely responded well and didn't show any discomfort. In fact now he is ever more excited when the collar comes out for he knows it's time for a walk. Hopefully in another month or two he won't need the collar at all.

He is always so eager to learn and please that it's hard to see him not evolving into an excellent canine citizen.

Why Dunkin' is hanging in there

Why Dunkin' is hanging in there
Originally uploaded by sanjoyg.

6am at Newark airport this Dunkin' Donuts is bustling with business.
They can hardly keep up with the constant slew of people looking for
their morning fix. What is surprising is that the original donut store
has a more diversified menu that includes egg croissants, bagels and
flatbread sandwiches. In fact I noticed bigger lines at Dunkin' then
McDs next door. This one chain is changing with time. And they have
better cheaper coffee then that Seattle brand.

Java's world record in eating

Java's world record in eating
Originally uploaded by sanjoyg

And I missed the initial 10 secs where Java spills the food around to
give herself some room to move around. She is inhaling the kibbles.
It's hillarious.

Toys or more toys

Toys or more toys
Originally uploaded by sanjoyg.

The life of a growing dog is summed up in "which toy do I play with
now?". It's either playtime or sleepytime for them. There is no
inbetween. Life is a constant rollercoaster ride of chasing, chewing
and crashing.

My Loopt Journal

Sign up for Loopt at www.loopt.com

Grocery Shopping

Picking mangos at the Whole Foods HQ in Austin. I'm always so impressed by there presentation. Ma and Baba seem to be enjoying this place. We'll definitely miss them once they are gone.

Movie Review: The Happening

Ever since M. Knight's first movie I have eagerly gone for the first day's showing of his movies and have been disappointed each and ever time. You would think I would have learned by now. But no - I went into the show a bit skeptical but hopeful.

After an hour and half came out thinking "What just happened?" There was nothing happening in this movie. And whatever did happen made very little sense. The only creative part of the movie were some of the death scenes. A bit gruesome for some people. But apart from that the movie had no real story. It began on an arbitrary timeline and ended just as arbitrarily leaving me wanting my hour and half back.

I'm not sure what the writer/director was thinking when making this movie. Did he ever wonder whether this story made any sense or not. I appreciate the paranormal but I expect the story to be intelligent and raise my curiosity. Not to come out dumbfounded at the wasted time and money.

Please don't go see this movie. Instead go watch "Kung Fu Panda". It's awesome.

Back in Vegas

After a long hiatus I'm back in Vegas and this time for business. As
expected the skyline has changed (yet again). Newer chique looking
hotels and condos are up. I notice billboards for newer shows. From
Elton John to Cher everyone seems to be performing here. But mixed
among the "classy" elements is the sleaze.

Vegas is the epitomy of human opulence intertwined with creativity.
Where single hotels mimic large cities (to the exact ratios). Where
humanity has created a make belief world that for a brief moment might
take away people's mind from the daily grind. Its surreal and at times
intoxicating. I can only take Vegas in small doses.

My sentiments on the new Indiana Jones movie

So this is taken from one user critic on Yahoo....
"The Indy movies have always been about adventure, mystery and history; this film loosely bases it's plot on the Roswell, NM crash of 1947, so you have some history. From there it becomes a jumbled mess and doesn't recapture any of the magic that makes Indy great. Gone is the research, creativity, problem solving, and pieces of the puzzle to assemble. In it's place is the rambling of a crazy man whom only Indy seems to understand, supposedly because of his interaction with the skull.

Indy's fear of snakes is revisited, but just doesn't seem as fun as in previous films... maybe he's just getting used to seeing snakes in stressful situations? Instead of bugs or rats, we have ants gone wild. However, all we know is that they're big and that there's lots of them - we don't get an eerie or gory story about what kind of killer or poisonous ants they might be. It's almost thrown in as an afterthought - it's benchmark status compromised."

I unfortunately fall into this camp. I was expecting an archaeological adventure, where ancient myths discovered, clues to a puzzle and then obviously a lot of chases between the good and bad guys. I didn't mind that at the end there was sci-fi twist to the movie but just wanted something where he was more engaged in solving. And then I think the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Shia could have been better. I actually enjoyed the interactions between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford more then this latest chapter.

Anyways, not to be overly critical. It was entertaining and well worth the midnight showing.

Reuters.com - Obamas earned $4.2 mln in 2007: tax return

Can the millionaire's club really find the solution to improving the lives of those who are working at minimum wage? It's not like these people are super successful CEOs or Economists. They are successful politicians. Successful rich politicians. So can we trust them?

I loved this from another story on Reuters... "Obama and his rival for the Democratic nomination, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, have accused McCain of being economically illiterate and out of touch with ordinary Americans' pocketbook concerns." And how can I be sure Obama who's earned more in one year then most will earn in their life understands the need of the "common American".

Also what this article has enlightened me on - writing books (irrespective of the quality of writing) is a good way to earn a lot of money.

MSF Treats Kala Azar in Bihar, India

"In Bihar, India, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treats people living amid the world's highest concentration of visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala azar."

As much as I am proud and grateful for MSF to be working towards saving lives in neglected areas of India, I feel like this epitomizes what India has achieved in this new millennium. While the country boasts four billionaires in the top ten list of the richest in the world (according to a recent list published by Forbes), we require international relief agencies to provide basic health care to those in need. Unfortunately I don't see prosperity in my country. I see the ever increasing dichotomy between the rich and poor where those who have made it big spend their money on billion dollar homes, and those who haven't been as fortunate await their plight and hope that maybe an organization like MSF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or perhaps a NRI foundation will come to their rescue.

I know there are quite a few generous Indians living in India. However, in a country with a thriving middle and upper middle-class (that numbers almost close to the population of the US) what are we doing wrong if we cannot provide basic health care to the population? And what teachings do our business leaders provide to the next generation by demonstrating such opulence and extravagance. So much for their Harvard degrees. Wish they would take a course from the Buffett's and Gate's of the world. Where has our humanity and humility gone?

Movie Review: The Forbidden Kingdom

A couple of us were lucky enough to catch a sneak peek of this much awaited movie last night. This is the first time (and maybe the last time) we see two of the most famous martial arts actors - Jet Li and Jackie Chan together in a movie.

Before the show began one of the martial arts school in Austin provided a demonstration in the front of the theater. Given the space they had to work with it was real impressive to see some of their moves.

The movie begins. We are on the second row with the big screen towering over us like a skyscraper. I found it odd that the screen was not curved. Naren brought us a big tub of popcorn. Yum. As with most epic Chinese Kung Fu movie, the story starts with more a mythological character. And there is Jet Li (in some hairy makeup) fighting some bad guys while flying through the sky. I'm already digging this. There's nothing like watching a martial arts movie and being fed popcorn by my wife. There's a daughter of a friend of friend sitting a couple of seats down. She is probably 2-3 years old. She eyes the popcorn and starts inviting herself to some from John's hands. She wants more. John builds her a personal paper bag for her own popcorn. He can hardly keep up filling the bag as she enjoys the crunchy buttery goodness. Alright we were a bit distracted watching this cute little kid munch on popcorn. Back to the movie.

I won't bore you with what the story is about. I'll tell you what I thought of the movie.

I thought the movie had all the classical martial arts details with a modernized plot line that involved western characters. Moreover the story kept me engrossed with it's light humor (thanks mainly to Jackie Chan) and cool stunts. The closeup fight sequence was as expected very well done - but then again we can expect nothing less from these two masters. I can't say that there was any new stylization in the movie. It's all been done before. Just that this time you saw Jet Li and Jackie Chan together kicking some bad guys butts. So as long as you like Hong Kong martial arts movie, you will most likely enjoy this one. Oh, the kid actually has a bigger role then I had imagined. In fact he is the main character! That added a bit of a nostalgic touch to it. Reminded me of Karate Kid.

मेरा पहेला हिन्दी पोस्ट

यह सिर्फ़ एक टेस्ट है। देखने चाहता हूँ गूगल के "transliteration software" कैसे काम करते है। मई तो ताजूब हो गिया के कितने अच्छे काम करते है। अभी सिर्फ़ बंगाली में चाहिए।

Homemade Pizza

I have to say making pizza at home is so much more fun then picking up the phone and ordering. And the toppings can be anything you want them to be! For this week's pizza night we made two "gourmet" pizza. Both had a base of tomato and Alfredo sauce. Then Aruna had just cooked up some paneer (cottage cheese) with onions and leftover salsa that had corn and beans. Just that by itself was delicious. Top that with mushrooms, green peppers, sun-dried tomatos and mozzarella and you got yourself the ultimate vegetarian pizza. On the other we changed it a bit by putting some shredded chicken (from a can) cooked with some onions and ketchup (yes ketchup) and then added pineapples and jalapeno as additional toppings. Baked at 475 for about 15 mins and we had ourselves the most delicious pizza I have ever had. And I'm sure it cost us a lot less then what any pizza joint would cost. I really can't take any credit for this as it was all my wife's doing. I just recommended some of the toppings.

How to achieve your childhood dreams

I do sometimes wonder why such good people who have so much to offer to the world are taken away from us so quickly. It seems unfair to those who are left behind.

Professor Pausch's lecture at CMU for me was about getting grounded on what is core to us. It's life. It's how we live life, what we do with our life and with whom we spend it. Everything else that we sometimes get so caught up on is meaningless. All the negative emotions that we feel for ourselves and others is simply a waste of time. And time we don't have a lot of. It's about living in the present and living well where if we had to part with this world today, we would not have any regrets of how we led our life.

So live for now. Be good to others. Take stride on the road to achieving your dreams now. Don't wait for tomorrow to show your affection to those you love and care.

I firmly believe in getting a refresher course like this in grounding myself on my principles of life and refocus on what is "truly important".

I do wish that he is able to continue the battle and live a bit longer.

Movie Reviews: "No Country for Old Men" & "I am Legend"

I finally started to get caught up with movies. The past two weekends we saw "I am Legend" starring Will Smith and "No Country for Old Men", the movie that won a gazillion oscars this year. 

Drastically different movies but both were thoroughly enjoyable. I thought Will Smith did an excellent job in "I am Legend". In my opinion, it's extremely difficult to keep an audience captivated when the story is primarily centered around one individual character's story. In this movie the actor and director were able to keep engrossed throughout the 2 hours. It was suspenseful, intriguing and highly entertaining. I thought that they could have spent a few more minutes towards building up the character of Will Smith's but all in all I thought it was good movie. I'm sure if I were to do some deep analysis I'd find holes in the plot but what's the point. All in all a good 2 hours spent. 

"No Country for Old Men" was disturbing at first and then confusing. Javier Bardem did an excellent job of being the cold blooded psycho killer. The suspense of the chase was gripping. But then there were these dialogues (mostly with Tommy Lee Jones) where there was all this questioning about life, age, and who knows what else. I liked the movie as a whole, but I can't say I was as interested about the philosophical aspect. It's definitely worth a watch. You just need a stomach for graphic killings. 

Homeowners now!

Entering our new home!
Originally uploaded by sanjoyg.

Wow! We own a house. It's still hard to believe that we started the year by just looking for another place to rent, preferably cheaper. After many unsuccessful attempts at finding a rental property that's actually reasonably priced and well maintained we decided to see what the condo market in Austin had to offer. After all, we were in a national housing slump.

Although the Austin market has cooled down quite a bit, it's not exactly in a slump. If you don't know the condo market in Austin has been crazy over the past few years with high-rise residential buildings coming up almost everyday along the shores of Lake Austin. The downtown landscape has changed dramatically in the last few years. And most of this is supposedly caused by empty nesters wanting to move back to central Austin, investors and young professionals who want to live the downtown life. After looking at a couple of condos we realized that even condos have their drawbacks. First off, the prices have not cooled off, at-least not for Austin standards, and those that we could "afford" did not necessarily have that "wow" factor. And then you have astronomical HOA fees and sometimes even parking issues. After a weekend or two of looking at condos we quickly shifted our search to houses in central Austin.

Working with Lisa (who is an expert for central Austin) we started searching for a place we can call home. It was an exciting yet exhaustive process. For us novices in the art of house hunting, we had a roller coaster ride of emotions. Staying up late night, excitedly viewing the virtual galleries of houses on the Internet. Driving by properties dreaming of what might be our house. Disappointed to see that the pictures were better then the real thing. Sometimes disappointed to realize that what we liked, where we liked was not affordable by our standards. It was one such late afternoon after viewing a few houses that we were just driving by a neighborhood when we came across this quaint little cottage. My wife immediately loved it. She excitedly called up Lisa. I think we were sold by the back porch of the house. We saw ourselves spending many an afternoon reading under the trees. Viewing the inside we realized that there was definitely some drawbacks to the place. The kitchen was a "bit" outdated and small. The bathroom was dark and dingy. On the bright side the house had lots of windows and natural light.

Although we did not immediately jump to write up an offer we always had this house in mind and over the next few weeks we would always return back to this house to see what we needed or wanted to do to make it our home. Within a few weeks with no other homes coming into the market we started working the numbers to see if this with some work could be our home. We loved the location. Blocks from parks, grocery stores, restaurants and shops it is central living just in the outskirts of downtown.

So here we are, 3 months after starting to look for a place to live, owning our first home. She will need a bit of loving and care but we have rolled up our sleeves and ready to make the plunge into renovating a 1947 cottage. We don't want her to lose her charm so we are carefully considering any renovation and extension we do. Now the fun begins!

Homes of the world’s billionaires

Homes of the world’s billionaires - Today Technology & Money - TODAYshow.com

You just have to love Warren Buffett for his simplicity in life. The man has all this money yet chooses to live in Omaha, Nebraska in a house that he's owned for 50 years! Interesting to see how the richest people splurge on their homes.

Also check out the youngest billionaires. It's impressive to see the handful of self-made billionaires.

Kashmir - A Troubled Paradise

Pictures taken by Ami Vitale while she spent 5 years in Kashmir, photographing the lives of people living in the valley. A moving kaleidoscope of all emotions of life in a war-torn troubled region. From time to time I have to ask the question whether 80,000 lives have been worth the land we hold on to. I try to convince myself that for the greater security of India, this region is a necessity. Sometimes I do feel like we should do whatever it takes to end this war. It's a waste of money and if Kashmir's so-called 'freedom' will earn us peace in the region then let's do it. But then again who can guarantee peace. Unfortunately the intentions of all have to be the same and that is yet to proven.

Reuters photojournalists bear witness to five years in Iraq

The pictures are moving, unnerving, gruesome and at times unbelievable. Our race’s thirst for violence is so pronounced when you see these images. Have we really not learned anything from history? This is a great capture by the Reuters team on a war that has no end in sight.

Weekend in Houston

Hanging out with the Mathias's. BBQ by the pool.

Time to open up an electronics store in Cuba

Cuba lifts ban on computer and DVD player sales | Technology | Reuters

I had no idea there was such a strict ban. I mean no electronics. Can't imagine such laws in place in a country. Imagine reading about new innovations (such as a toaster!), having the financial capability to invest in such and yet not being able to due to government bans. Just cannot imagine living in a country like that.

It's interesting to see how the government is phasing the introduction of electronics so that the demands can be met by their energy supplies. Imagine if that wasn't the case. Next day headline reads "Toasting bread toasts Cuba's power grid".

Researchers Develop Self-Cleaning Clothes

Slashdot | Researchers Develop Self-Cleaning Clothes

So I'm envisioning in the future water-less washers that provide a burst of UV light onto our clothes to clean them. That would definitely be environmentally friendly.

Southern Methodist University to House Bush Presidential Library - washingtonpost.com

Southern Methodist University to House Bush Presidential Library - washingtonpost.com

I can't help but chuckle at first. I am picturing papers where the writing is in big flowing letters, reminding me of my 6 year old nephew. And then drawings of funny pictures that he may have sketched during meetings with world leaders.

Just had to comment since this has been an entertaining presidency, although it has cost me as an individual tens of thousands of dollars as the economy is in the dumpster.

Some of the discussion papers around going into the Iraq war should be an interesting read.

Gore, U.N. climate panel win Nobel Peace Prize

Woke up to a surprising news - Albert Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize. I am happy for the fact that he has raised awareness through a very effective medium - film and speeches. But was the effort so outstanding that it deserved a Nobel Peace Prize or is there just nobody there who's worked harder over the years in developing peace and stability in our world?

I was looking for a definition for the Peace Prize but could not find one. Here's what the Nobel Prize web site has to say -
"Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, shared the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 with Frédéric Passy, a leading international pacifist of the time. In addition to humanitarian efforts and peace movements, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded for work in a wide range of fields including advocacy of human rights, mediation of international conflicts, and arms control."

Advocacy of human rights, peace movements, humanitarian efforst - none of which are applicable to Mr. Gore and his group. Moreover he has made quite a bit of money via speeches, movie ticket sales etc. in this awareness campaign. Has part of the world become a better, peaceful place because of his work? I don't think so. I do think he has brought a very important and sensitive issue into the global limelight and for that he should applauded. But don't think this was the right honor.

When looking for other less heard of people who have had more of an impact on the needy I came across this recent article in the Newsweek, entitled "Giving Globally: How to heal the world". I learned about the clinical trials that's being conducted in Ghana. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the involvement of the big pharmaceuticals in finding vaccines for diseases that don't affect the western world, such as Malaria. These folks at the grass roots level are the people who I believe need to be acknowledged.

Then there's Bill and Melinda Gates who have shown how we have a moral responsibility in helping those who are less fortunate. There generosity in supporting programs like the research for a malaria vaccine, or education in rural areas of the 3rd world or campaigns to get governments involved has had an unprecedented impact on the lives of millions in the 3rd world. I would applaud them for their work over the years and their continuing efforts. It was heart-warming to read about the hope and passion that Bill Gates exudes.

Lastly, organizations mentioned in the Newsweek special should not go unnoticed. I was very pleased to see Doctors Without Borders mentioned. Having worked for them and being an association member, I am passionate for the work that the organization does and applaud the people who have made such work their life's mission.

At the end I think environmental issues are something that we need to look at seriously. But flying around the world, giving nice fancy presentations in air conditioned auditoriums does not solve global warming nor does it bring peace or uplift the human spirit. In my mind, giving this award was premature.

So here's someone who possibly should have won the peace prize at some point in his life - Mohandas Gandhi. He got nominated 5 times yet never won the committees vote. Why? Read more about it on the NobelPrize.org website.

Extreme dining in Los Angeles

Extreme dining: Four edgy alternatives to burger and fries.

Just happened to come by this article (thanks to Boing Boing) and couldn't help but blog it. After living in the LA area for 5-6 years I couldn't help but be proud of all the weirdness that's put into culinary experiences in that city. I unfortunately missed my chance to experience any of the places listed here but will surely keep them in mind the next time I'm in souther California.

Trek to Everest - livemint

Trek to Everest - livemint

Reading the article I couldn't help but think how close technology has brought this world together. Ten years ago I wouldn't have thought that a fellow Bangali from Kolkata would be ordering camping gear from REI.com. And it's not just technology, it's also the mindset has changed. Open economies definitely breeds opportunities and progress.

China Regulates Buddhist Reincarnation

China Regulates Buddhist Reincarnation - Newsweek Beliefs - MSNBC.com

Wow! Just when you thought China could not do anything further to further place chains around freedom of expression in the Tibetan region, they find something to amaze the world. And why again is the world going to Beijing for the Olympics next year?

The absurdity of the law, the implications from a political standpoint is outstanding. Hopefully someday Beijing will learn the benefits of following the philosophies of Buddhism. Till then my heart and soul go out to those suffering this oppression in Tibet.

Careers: Airport Survival Tips

Careers: Airport Survival Tips

Love this article, because it's all true. For those of us who have traveled our fair share for work this hits home. Luckily for me I have yet to experience an "all-nighter" at an airport due to delay of flights. I almost feel like I have not graduated until I go through one of these memorable nights.

I'd add to this by saying...
1. Always carry a good book. Just in case there aren't any power outlets at the airport you get stuck. Many international airports still don't have power outlets set up.

2. The iPhone has been my best companion for long layovers. I can surf the web over Edge and there's the ever entertaining YouTube. I do have to agree with the author. I have taken a new appreciation for YouTube. And the iPhone has been a great icebreaker in my recent travels. Never has a phone gotten so many looks before.

3. If you can avoid it, don't check-in. If you must check-in, always keep a change of clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste for emergency.

4. Always be nice to the agents. They can do the impossible (apart from actually flying the plane). Anger and frustration will only make matters worse. Enjoy the little adventure.

Maps of War

If only History was taught in such interactive fashion while I was still in school, I probably would've become a History major. Love the use of maps to illustrate historical events. I couldn't help but start looking at all their maps. This particular one regarding the Imperial control of the Middle East over the years is most fascinating.

Celebrating 60 years of Independence

Happy Independence Day!

We should celebrate our freedom and what makes India such an unique country. However we should also concern ourselves over what we can do to improve the current state of India. Thought this BBC article on India's model democracy was an interesting read.

Independent yet intolerant?

As the 60th anniversary of my country's independence fast approaches I can't help but look for stories that provides a better insight into her past and where we are headed for.

Probably the most tormenting moment was how we achieved independence. The political turmoil leading into it, the physical break-up and failed segregation by religion. The fighting thereafter which engulfed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives. Independence came at a huge price. The British had managed to do it once again - pave the way for territorial unrest for futures to come. In my mind our leaders of that time became selfish and lost sight of what they had originally started.

This particular story of three generations of a Muslim family is symbolic of what probably happened to all those caught in the religious aftermath of our independence.

I was quite intrigued by the map towards the end of the article. Over 25% of Muslims in India live in the state I grew up in (that of West Bengal). My closest friend growing up is a Muslim Bengali. But I just thought of him as a Bengali. Religion never played a role in my selectivity of friends - in fact most of my friends were Christians as I went to a Catholic Boarding school. Never did I realize how religion can bring division amongst a group of people, until 1984. It was November 1st and riots had broken off in the streets of Kolkata. The nation was at war with itself. This time it wasn't the Muslims that were being attacked. Sikhs who were neighbors, once good friends were indiscriminately being murdered just because they were Sikhs. Official figures state that a 1000 people died in those 4 days. But multiples more were affected for the rest of their lives.

As India has shown from time to time, our intolerance over our own neighbors is our greatest enemy towards peace and prosperity. That is why we have been conquered and plundered for a thousand years. Our lack of unity for the land we so much cherish is our Achilles heel.

But after sixty years have we gotten any closer towards that unity I ask myself. How is the new generation building the new India? What is our dream for the 21st century India?

The Muddy Buddy Experience

It truly is a muddy & buddy experience. Going into it I thought there's the infamous mud-pit at the end and hence the name, but oh no, it's muddy throughout the course. And this time mother nature was intentionally more generous by giving us a downpour that lasted through the night and right up to the race start time. Driving at 5am in the morning in this I'd say Aman and I both had our moments of doubt.

But doubt aside, once the race got underway it was an incredible experience. The trail was just mud which made any sort of movement tricky. Those who started with biking I think had a worse time or best, depending on your definition. They had the more challenging terrain to bike through. Sometimes you essentially walked up a steep 20 feet hill that wouldn't allow any grip. The obstacles in the middle were fun. A good breather. Not having done this before I think our strategy of turning the bike upside down in the transition area worked. Next time we'll definitely provide more color for recognition. Talking about bikes, I'm just amazed at how our bike (go Columbia!) withstood all that dark mud. Towards the end the bike would stall because there was just too much mud on the wheels and brakes. I even saw a few carrying their bikes to the finish line.

Overall it's an excellent race to get (re)acquainted with adventure sports. It's fun, definitely not monotonous and who doesn't like a mud bath at the end?! The event was coordinated very well given that there were 1200 teams. They even managed to have Paul Mitchell set up a booth to give hair cuts for charity donation. Have to start planning our strategy for next year's - how do we overcome the mud.

I do love my iPhone

Picture copyright of Apple, Inc. 2007

If I had to sum it up I’d say it’s “an eloquent piece of gadgetry that fuses artistic brilliance with technological marvel to bring enjoyment and simplicity in performing some of today’s basic daily chores”.

The device does not bring anything new to the world of applications. However it revolutionizes the way we interact with applications. It almost feels like something from a science fiction movie. Using of fingers to expand on a web page or zoom in on a picture. Flip through albums like you would do on your CD rack. Look up a map, find your favorite restaurant, get step-by-step directions and then if needed call the restaurant to make a reservation, all within 3 clicks. You are one click away from getting updates on weather, stocks and world time – all personalized by you. And when bored there is YouTube and Movies that you can play.

Functionally it works well as a phone, calendar (via iCal) and email (through IMAP). If you use Outlook and Exchange exclusively you might have to rethink your strategy. Again, the seemless integration with iTunes, iCal and Apple Addressbook is such a treat. You plug it in and everything just gets synced up. It just works. No driver download, no additional clicks. If you are a SMS buff then you might have mixed feelings. On one side I’m sure you’ll enjoy the interface where all SMS messages are stored as conversations – similar to chat. But on the other hand you cannot send bulk SMS (like sending dinner update to all friends), and there is no MMS support. I think the latter is what I’ve missed the most as many don’t have email access on their phone but pretty much majority of the world can receive MMS messages. Typing had been a concern initially but you know what – it’s not a big deal at all. You get used to it and as the predictability software’s repository increases, it gets easier. One thing though – you can’t type blindly so typing while driving is a risky proposition. For me the biggest functional value has been email and web access. Previous phones had it but you had to strain your eyes to read and the interface to type or browse was simply clunky. Now I can spend hours surfing the net via my iPhone or respond to emails while waiting for flights. It feels less of a phone and more like a computer. Oh wait – it is one given that it’s running OS X, or as I like to think UNIX J.

But even after all this I still have my wishlist for the next version. Some are software updates so I’m hoping I won’t have fish out another $600. Here’s a list –

• Ability to highlight and then cut/copy/paste text
• Calendar integration with other desktop programs
• MMS support and ability to send a SMS to multiple recipients
• Improve flow between applications such as Contacts, Photos and SMS. Further reduce clicks between applications, especially when you want to edit some information.
• GPS add on to actually provide real-time directions
• Video recorder and video conferencing – just have the camera in front like in the laptops

I’ve been blown away by the stability of the product. Having personally released quite a few initial versions of software products I know the complexity associated with delivering a stable v1.0.0. The quality of the software on the iPhone is outstanding. However be forewarned – it’s not without bugs. I have had the system hang in some cases (such as receiving calls while associating a picture with a contact). But each time the system gracefully recovered and brought back to a stable state. Never have I had to reboot.

All in all – I have never been happier with an investment in a gadget (well since I bought my iPod). My kudos goes to Apple for delivering a fantastic device yet again. Don’t buy the iPhone simply for functionality – buy it for its aesthetics and innovation.

Captain's Log: Stardate -315404.15357052255

It’s been 3 months since I got back from Uganda

Just like that we’re fast approaching autumn. I know officially it’s still a few months away, but for all practical reasoning, summer is over in the US once we celebrate Labor Day weekend. And that is just 4 weeks away. Thereafter children are in school, dazed and confused freshman students walk the college campuses and for many of us the beginning of another promising year in College football. Last year I was preoccupied with the many changes that I was taking on. This year I intend to focus on the game. Let’s just hope the Longhorns show more skill and dominance then from a year back.

It has been over a month since I have returned to the corporate world. At times it’s hard to believe that I had left it at all. Almost feels like everything was in a standstill while I was away. I feel like I’m continuously drawing comparisons to how life and business was in northern Uganda. The premise of all that people strived for remained the same – wealth and happiness. Yes, just happiness alone is never sufficient. In fact most will argue that wealth can or maybe even will provide certain level of happiness. We do live in a world where without money you really can’t find the basic needs of life to even feel content (or survive).

In the last four weeks I have already traveled to Los Angeles/Santa Monica, Reston, Boston, Seattle and Vancouver on business and pleasure. Landing at LAX, the sunny southern Californian weather embracing me like a mother does, seeing people striding around in ridiculous outfits all engrossed in their little worlds all brought back a sense of familiarity. Brought back many fond memories. Even though the trip was short I was fortunate enough to catch up with a few friends at one of the café’s on Abbot Kinney (in Venice) and then pay the Quik-E-Mart a visit. Yes, a 7-11 had been turned into the Quik-E-Mart, selling Crusty-O’s and Buzz Cola. You should have seen the line (and this is at midnight) to get one the sprinkled donuts, made so famous by the one and only Homer. Even the checkout clerk said in the Appu accent – “Thank you, please come again”. Oh wait, that they do in any convenience store . I do have to say I was a bit sad getting on the flight back to Austin. Had to wonder (and still do) whether it was worth moving back to Austin. The weather, the beach, the mountains, the showbiz glitz - makes me question my decision.

Back in Austin I’m still looking for a place to buy. It’s mesmerizing to see the prices of condominiums in downtown Austin. Housing in general is still very much affordable compared to California. However I’m still trying to get used to seeing prices of $300+ per sq foot close to downtown. Granted these are new condominiums smack in the middle of downtown Austin, I still think it’s ridiculous for a town that’s been known as the laid-back hippy college town to have such prices. Who’s buying up these properties? Are they really Austinites or some yuppie West Coaster who’s looking for an investment opportunity? But even in all of this yuppie-ness, I still sense the same weird, unique Austin that was there 14 years ago when I first landed in this city. There are still some of us who still consider shorts, a t-shirt and sandals a formal dress code. Let’s hope due to financial reasons I’m not forced to the fringes of the city. It’ll be a shame to live far from the Barton creek greenbelt and Town Lake hike & bike trail.

America has an obesity problem?