Facebook Timeline

The cute guy at Facebook headquarters has rolled out developer’s edition of Timeline in the website’s stream already. Some geeky freaky minds are up with testing it.

Call it an attempt to sideline Google+ if at all it needs to be sidelined! or simply an upgrade to the next level of social networking phenomenon, Facebook Timeline has got everything to be the glitzy favorite of netizens in the coming days.

Here is a preview of my profile page:

Before you start searching for my profile, let me tell you, you won’t be able to see this Timeline until you have it activated on your profile. You can activate Timeline on your profile by following few simple steps here.

Timeline changes your profile page while your homepage remains the same. As the name suggests, you can browse till the ends of time by clicking on the year or month provided at the right corner of your profile page. It is almost like a virtual scrapbook of your life which you accidentally made! Try fiddling with the first post you made or the first post that your first girlfriend made or your first break up, everything is available on your mouse scroll. Now there's a new class of social apps that let you express who you are through all the things you do. Facebook has added a feature that lets you see where you have visited powered by Facebook Places. To flaunt photos, you have a huge horizontal cover instead of an age old bio-data style profile picture. Also, in the activity area, the small thumbnail preview have been replaced by big square sleek photo boxes. We have the same square boxes to show activities too. The most interesting upgrade is the status box. They will give a dropdown menu to select the nature of your story. Even “I broke my bone” and “I had a surgery”” is on the list!

 

At the end of every month, they give you a summery of activities in the Timeline. Like this:

 

Timeline offers high customizability. You can customize visibility settings even for past posts.  Though cover photos are public by default. They have provided endless customization for tagging. New lists are already on your profiles if you noticed. The ‘Restricted’ list has proved itself incredibly useful for ignoring stalkers. And, we have the famous cliché with Timeline too: Facebook Chat still lags!

So, when is it coming out? Facebook unveiled Timeline at its developers conference, F8, on Sept. 22. At the time, it promised that the feature would be live in “the next several weeks.” But, it never came out. Reason? Chicago based digital scrapbook,Timelines.com. There is an increasing court conflict between the social networking giant and this company. Facebook Timeline will be out only after the fiasco gets over. Till then, we can enjoy developer’s version.

In the meantime, Google has decided to disable Buzz while Google+ continues to irritate with its open end option to add anybody on earth. Too bad, I had started liking Buzz. Duh! Who cares!

Happy Diwali Folks!

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…to the eternal travels of life.

I stumbled upon this audio song of Lucky Ali today afternoon. He uploads all his new albums over internet to be downloaded for free.

This song is one gem of a nomad’s thoughts. I searched for the video. Couldn’t find one.

So, I gathered some of the photographs of my travels till now, and joined them in high definition for a photomontage. I hope the result of the experiment does justice to the lyrics.

If you have a reasonably fast internet, watch it in HD (720p or 1080p). The pics come out better.

 

The audio credit belongs to Lucky Ali. No one can sing it like him anyways. Here’s the link to his website for the other songs of the album. http://www.raastaman.com/playlist.html

Do mind the lyrics. They are eternal.

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The return of the white elephant.

I googled “700 crore”. That’s it. Just to get an estimate of the true value and what positive can be done about it.

Here are some search results:

· Assets worth 700 crore found in Kerala temple

· 700 crore HUDCO loan assistance to Bangalore Metro

· DLF to raise 700 crore via 400 plots sale in Gurgaon.

I don’t know if I’m the only one who thinks it is – in plain and simple words- really stupid to spend such an amount of money on a park. Now whoever has any counter argument against me has only 3 things to say atmost ( in my perception. if you have more to say- comments are welcome)

1. It is supposed to honor Dalit icons.

2. Mayawati’s logic- So many memorials have been made in memory of the Nehru Gandhi Family.

3. Just because I like Mayawati with all my heart and will support anything she does till the last breath of my life.

http://knullen.com/gallery3/index.php/Chief-Minister-Of-All-States-Of-India/C-M-Of-Uttar-Pradesh---Mayawati

 

My point- Honoring just for the sake of it is really bad. Honor killing would be the right term for it. You see, if at all you had to honor the Dalit icons-

• Why did you not start a chain of high standard schools in Uttar Pradesh after the name of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar?
• If so much money was put in making a few world class hospitals in population inflated Uttar Pradesh- with the name ‘Kanshi Ram Medical Centres’ perhaps- the non Dalits too would have preferred Behenji over any other political leader.

Japanese encephalitis claimed 400 lives, mainly children, in Uttar Pradesh. Only 18 crore spent.

http://www.medindia.net/news/Encephalitis-Outbreak-Have-Claimed-More-Than-400-Lives-in-India-92011-1.htm

 

For all those who haven’t read or heard the news recently, and can only get a vague clue of why these letters are blatantly erupting contempt for some political leader- Mayawati just inaugurated a 34- acre park in Noida commemorating Dalit leaders. Spent on it were Rs. 684 crore to be precise ( my bad, that I rounded off the figure).

The word figure reminds me of another one- that ‘6241 trees have been cut down’ for the ‘dream’ project. Dreams like these are exactly what India needs. Mayawati supporters- Those words reflected sarcasm.The environmental impact assessment for the project was not done at all. Or maybe it was done, and eaten up by some ‘elephant’.

 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/05/15/GA2009051501712.html

 

Several trees which were more than 20 years old are gone and that had an adverse impact on the bird life ( just adjacent to the park is the Okhla bird sanctuary).

The supreme court did not interfere because the State Cabinet had passed the project. So the project received a green signal from the SC (keeping in mind the judgement happened when construction had already started and taken place to an extent). Although, SC restricted the built area, and instructed that more area be left for dense tree and grass cover.

 

Another Googled Fact: Below Poverty Line Population in Uttar Pradesh- 5.9 crore.

Money used (LOL) in the park- 685 crore.

Basic mathematics leads to the conclusion that each BPL person could have got Rs.116. Might seem less to you, but for them, it is more than you could ever imagine.

More than ever she could imagine.

Why did I italicize she? Oh I don’t know. Maybe because of the huge house she’s making with a helipad and park? Or maybe because she made her private jet fly all the way down to Mumbai just to get her required pair of sandals? No no, because she receives garlands of money worth Rs. 5 crore on her birthdays?

http://www.fastheadlines.com/red-signal-for-mayawatis-noida-park/

http://clearway.blogspot.com/2010/03/mayawati-interview-see-it-first-on.html

 

I’m not against Mayawati. I say it again. She has done good things for the state too.

It’s just that being egoistic I’m against of.

You might say that the money being spent on the park has come from donations. No government spending is being done. So my question is- why on the cost of the environment? Why not use the same ‘garlanded’ money in some more useful productive work other than making your helipad? Why not rise above a pair of sandals?

I know that many politicians are just like Mayawati in their nature. They’re perhaps a bit more mature in not showing off their monetary assets to the public.

But sight creates a better and clearer perception in our brain. Not seeing any other politician’s money makes me indifferent. But seeing so much money being used in stupid things ( for me) brings out the proactive citizen in me. And I do assume that the same thing happens with most of you out there.

 

So after calming down, now- I should try and see the positivity in the happened rather than wishing it had never happened.

Now why not make it more happening?

• Why only a park? How about a small museum? With time lines of all these great leaders and their history?
• Make an entry fee for the museum. Utilize the money obtained from it rather than spending the tax payer’s money for the entire maintenance of the park.
• Advertise. Make it a popular tourist spot. Tourists coming to NCR would love to go to some recreational and seemingly traditional Indian place. This may serve the purpose.

http://www.attachowk.com/dr-ambedkar-memorial-park-noida.aspx

 

I hope to see a new light of positivity in the future, instead of searching for a ray of it in a dark cave.

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Kolkata–Kalikkhetro

The beauty of eastern India – its metropolitan hub. And vibrant hues of reds, yellows, blues and greens. Yes, it’s time for Durga Puja in Kolkata. The time when the fairy tales you read from gold embossed books in childhood seem to come alive.
               
                                 http://durgawalls.com/2009/09/24/durga-puja-2009-jodhpur-park/

     
                http://cshyamal.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/10/a-photo-feature-on-durgapuja-in-calcutta-2008-part.htm;                     http://www.4to40.com/photo_gallery/Worship_and_Festivals.asp?counter=10&album=Durga_Puja

It is said that the name comes from Kalikata – meaning Kalikshettro , the abode of Goddess Kali - one of the 3 villages that was present in the area before the arrival of the British. Take a walk here and you are transported back in time. With a history of inhabitation for over two millennia, once the capital of the British Raj and presently the 8th largest urban conglomeration in the world, this city has more layers than meets the eye. One second, the Victoria Memorial catches your breath and the next, before you realise, an antique tram has subtly gone past you!

      
                         http://traveltoindias.blogspot.com/2010/06/victoria-memorial-kolkatta.html

As a newcomer to Bengal, if you do not know the sweet tongue of Rabindranath Tagore, fear not, my friends! For the people are so warm and friendly. They will even invite you home to try out some of the famous delicacies. And talking about food, who can not mention Rasogullas – ah, the heavenly taste of sugar syrup and homemade cottage cheese! Note: There are several of Haldiram’s outlets around the city. If you wish for a more authentic flavour, you can try out the local sweet joints snugly squeezed into the corners at crossroads.
    
                            http://funnfud.blogspot.com/2008/04/rasgulla-traditional-bengali-sweet.html
                                   http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/bengali-sweet-sandesh-fid-645145
                        
The transport modes are a highlight to any tourist – such a wide variety is not present in any other city in India. Comfortably seated in the trademark good-old yellow Ambassador taxis, which are the lifeline of Kolkata, you can spot horse-carriages along Maidan Road, trams  playing hide-and-seek every once in a while, buses – news ones as well as the older generation with wooden window shutters, cycle rickshaws and hand rickshaws, autos and yes, cars – from BMW models to the cosy Nano.

                        
                   http://www.free-photos.biz/photographs/consumer_products/clothes/305696_calcutta_rickshaw.php
                   
                      
                                            http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/81955897

                     
                  http://www.rakhdu.com/destinations/asia/india-asia-destinations/west-bengal/kolkata/yellow-taxi-kolkata/

                     
                                                http://www.filmapia.com/published/places/trams

Places to see here? If you are an ardent cricket fan, you will look no farther than Eden Stadium and Sourav Ganguly’s residence.
       
                 
     http://kolkataguide.starjili.com/?four=21 ; http://crazyharsha.blogspot.com/2009/01/saurav-ganguly-living-legend-of-indian.html

For those of you who admire engineering marvels, Howrah Bridge is the place to be. It is a cantilever truss bridge that was constructed without using any nuts and bolts way back in 1874. Amazing, isn’t it?
                 
http://vashiculturalassociation.com/template1/places-in-calcutta.asp; http://vashiculturalassociation.com/template1/places-in-calcutta.asp
Looking for family entertainment with kids? Relax your worries, Kolkata offers that too – with its beautiful Nicco Park and the Science Centre!
                   
                    http://calcuttanow.blogspot.com; http://www.flickr.com/photos/avramitra/3393793679/
For a walk through history, there is the privately owned Marble Palace with its artistic sculptures and masterpieces, the Indian Museum, the Town Hall and Writer’s Building for a glimpse of British Administrative buildings and the Shaheed Minar to name a few.
                       
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avramitra/3393793679/ ; http://kulxp.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-kolkata-2-shaheed-minar-others.html
Finally, at the end of the day, wish to sweep your special one off her feet? Take her shopping – to the gigantic malls in Salt Lake City  and elsewhere or if she loves bargaining and the excitement of roadside shopping, New Market, Esplanade, Gariahat, Chowringhee Road with its terracotta wares [a Kolkata speciality] and Vardaan Market. However, you are sure to discover lots more markets in your travels.

The cultural capital of India, this city welcomes you with an open heart and casts a spell on you with its depth. How many ever times you come here, its never enough. There is always more to be seen, known, observed, experienced.
Keep visiting it. Again and again. Its worth every bit of it.

P.S: Traffic congestion and pollution are one of the major drawbacks of this metropolitan hub. Make sure you go at a favourable time of the year, unless you wish to be drenched in sweat and scorched by the sharp sun. Lastly, beware of taxi drivers who might take you for more of a ride than you’ve bargained for.

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India. Needs Change.

I don’t know if I should let my heart free and lash out in a sentimental diatribe against those responsible for the state of affairs in our country, or if I should urge you soberly with figures. They say statistics have a way of making a calamity into just another piece of data. How about some data then?

There are an estimated 800 million people in our country living in poverty, struggling to see another sunrise. More than five out of every hundred babies born don’t make it past childbirth; they are victims of our floundering healthcare system. Illiteracy, disease and monetary damages are commonplace in our rustic brethren. As for our losses in corruption, I won’t even quote any figure here, for the very real fear of understating the numbers involved. But then, complaining won’t magically change anything, will it?

                    
                http://www.sumit4all.com/life/why-india%E2%80%99s-rural-development-is-important-for-the-nation
                 http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/india--rural-regions-get-solar-boost_100001673/

 

What we need is action, and we need it fast. Aam admi’s needs are simple - Healthcare& Sanitation, Housing, Education, Drinking Water and Electricity. India has no dearth of meticulously laid out policies in each of these sectors. Then what prevents us from emerging out of this pathetic state? Focus on - Implementation. The biggest loophole in the whole system.

The dynamism of youth, who constitute a majority of India, tapped in monitoring implementation of schemes and collecting field data might take us a long way. Such crowd sourcing also addresses the unemployment problem partially. Make the future generation an active part of today’s India.

India has about 600 odd million cell-phone users. All we need are applications for passing on education snippets, disease informatics and the like to make use of this huge tool based on latest ICT. Professionals from various fields who possess expertise in specific target points of developmental projects can aid in governance.

                                          
                            http://www.indiadailyphoto.com/2008/06/24/mobile-penetration-in-rural-india/

Affordable medical facilities are synonymous to a birth right for every citizen. High-end science can assist us in realising it; take the case of recent nano-particle based vaccines that are applied as a simple patch on the skin. Any hassles of sterilized syringes or refrigerated dosages? Not anymore.

                                     
                                http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entries/partnerships_progress/

Nations don’t witness overnight miracles. India needs a mass movement, a revolution. Our relatively young country needs a spirit to unify it. No matter how culturally different you are from another Indian, and how varied your little, materialistic and individualistic ambitions are, your larger dreams must be common, and of the common good of the country. We need to conjure up some achievement on a national scale to capture the public imagination. Could we take it up as a challenge to implement policies for a better life (health & sanitation, clean water, housing, electricity and education) on a model village in every district during the next five years? With this victory in hand, let us march ahead to change India.

                                       
                 http://sonukherwar.blogspot.com/2010/11/young-turks-of-indian-politics.html?zx=3ceb4025b658dffd

Robert G. Ingersoll, an American Civil War veteran once said, “Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity”.

I have a hope deep down in my heart. And I have the optimistic faith that we, as a people, won’t let it remain a universal lie.

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When I woke up in God’s own country: Kerala #3

Day 3: The Green Falls and the Greener Wildlife Sanctuary 


Today was going to be the last day in Munnar. And in Kerala. We had plans ready, and a jeep too. Rest what happened, the pics below would say for themselves…
The day started with a bit of shopping. We reached the local markets. Friends bought miniature boats for themselves. I had already got a gift for her the day before, so I continued clicking images around.
 




After a few transactions and a lot of window shopping later, we reached the Eravikulam National Park. The board below was promising!

But when we saw the queue, we decided otherwise. National parks were for amateurs! I for one had been already sucked by a live leech in a protected tea plantation. We decided that instead of moving in queues, we would explore things ourselves. :)


And we were right! Nature doesn’t need boards declaring its beauty.

We reached a waterfall. The LAKKOM Waterfall.

Amazing place. Wet, and Romantic. I kept on clicking…

and clicking…
and clicking…

and clicking…
 
and then threw off the camera to one of my friends and jumped into the water!!! :) The Karnataka falls were great. Now was the time to enjoy the Kerala ones!!!






After having a hell of a time in the falls, we got back to our Jeep. Now was the time to pass through the forests of Sandalwood. It was  a protected area. All the trees on the roadside were of expensive Sandalwood. We could touch them, but we could not take them. Watchmen were all around us, sitting above the tree tops. With Guns.

Next on itinerary was the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. We paid our way into a trekking program through the Sanctuary. The sky was clear, the winds, dry. Perfect day for a trekking into the wild.



We had been provided with a guide, who incidentally spoke very less. Not typical of guides. :)
 
We came across a rock painting. Not sure how many years old it was. And not sure what the images of deer were doing in it. Anyways, we moved on!
 
 






With this, we ended the trekking. The plan ahead was straightforward. Had lunch in a local restaurant and boarded a bus back to Bangalore. Back to our busy lives of the IIMs and the management degrees. Back to the fierce competitions and late night studies. Back to the land of summer placement interviews, quizzes, exams, lectures, professors, credits, notes, tutorials.
Back to the lives of a thousand running DK Boses.

Anyways, the following photograph is one of my favorites. Sums up our amazing Kerala trip.


Do visit Kerala.
They call it “God’s own Country” for a reason.

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