Big 10 of Food Industry

(Source: http://www.convergencealimentaire.info/?attachment_id=175)

Inflation and exchange rate of US and India - Recent and Archive data

लुप्तप्राय शब्दावली

Many of the Hindi dialects would die eventually. Some of the words from my hometown that fail to gain widespread acceptance are:


सुतरी - thin रस्सी, rope
डाँर - Waist

डरकडोर - Thread around waist (like जनेऊ), to avoid wicked नज़र

बद्धी - Blessed thread around neck (like necklace) 

तस्कर - Smuggle 

ताखा - a place to keep दिया/ चिराग in houses, typically 3-5' high from the floor
अन्हर - Hurricane / Storm
पालथी

Solar water pasteurization

Today, I was reminded of this simple method of pasteurization. Water can be pasteurized by covering it by a plastic layer. This uses theory of green house effect and is almost zero-cost technology.

It seems a company has also started making plastic bags that can heat water to 65-70 Celsius and reduce microbes by up to 5D (10^5). Follow this link to learn more about solar water pasteurization.

Failures of democracy

Candidates with 80% unpopular view can still get elected if the the other 20% is "the main issue" at the "election time".

This "main issue" can be very unpredictable e.g. gaffes from staff, change in geopolitics, new social media disruption, oil prices etc., which may overcast all other issues.

Is there a solution (except direct democracy)?

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Summary: It is an interesting book describing role of Opportunity and Legacy in one's success. Author cites successes of Gates, Oppenheimer, Beatles and others to illustrate the key external factors that favored these people in life.

Key concepts: born at right time/place/family; 10000 hour rule; rice and maths.
ON Wikipedia

Comments: Book (~300 pages) could have been made concise. This is my frustration of such books, in general.

Census Results

Welcome back!

I have posted my old blog posts after a brief intermission :) For some reason, dates have got mixed up a bit.

Missionary Boy

He would be in early 20s. After finishing the high school, he left for Myanmar - to improve education among children there. I met his mother at Davis Farmers Market during her fundraising campaign. I was attracted to the issue because of the Myanmar. It is a country where even western aid agencies were not permitted during Cyclone Nargis. Contrary to other oppresive regimes, it  draw very little attention of journalists. 

As I was returning back from the market on the foggy morning, some ideas kept me warm.

 - Why Myanmar ?

 - While encouraging me to start a Indian help group, she told that it is all about consciousness and Davis community is very generous.

- How a high school graduate can have such motivation and 'consciousness'? Or is it that only a young person can engage in such activity. With age, the spirit decays? 

Myanmar Children Foundation

KGPians

Source: IIT Foundation (These numbers are less than actual numbers as many alumni are still unregistered or have not updated their information.)

Worry

You worry because you care. You worry because you contemplate.

Words with no actual difference in meaning:

• Worrying, Contemplating
• Don't worry about Mr. X ; Don't care about Mr. X

Satyagrah Code

1. No blocking the roads (Make a single file).

2. No stoppage of business

3. Essential services maintained

In light of Kashmiris Protest / Army immunity by laws to hurt even civlians

Inflation

In inflation, if you want to repay a bank-loan,  it would be paying lower rates than you agreed upon. It is because money has lost value. But I am happy for one another reason. When I arrived US with a Indian bank loan, the exchange rate was 44. When I repaid after few years it was 48 (which further rose to 50). Here also value of money lowered, only in relative sense.

But there are some losers in the inflation too. People who put money in banks, especially the fixed depositors, who can watch their wealth evaporating but do nothing. 

We must not forget what a money, say $1 note is: a legal tender for exchange of goods and services NOT a unit of WEALTH. This is a mistake I (and many likewise) make quite often.

Memories of Mumbai

We, the Davis community, observed a memorial function today to share the Mumbai tragedy. Religious leaders from different faiths communicated their condolences and preyed for peace and harmony in the world. The function was organized by Indian Association of Davis with support from some other cultural organizations. 

We lighted candles and observed the Jewish tradition of tearing a ribbon. Despite the 6 degree temperature, about 100 people gathered in the Central park below the moon-light. 

Arjun or Krishna

Who won the argument in Mahabharat: Arjun or Krishna?

If we see as a person, Arjun accepted Krishna's belief and Krishna may be the winner.

If we see from the idea standpoints, the verdict is not clear. Krishna wanted a war because it was a warrior's duty in the current situation. Arjun didn't want the war, as in the end, regardless of victory, it would be great loss to all parties concerned. If we see the end of Mahabharat - millions dead from both sides both in the royalty and the soldiers. Some scholars may like to see the victory of 'the right' over 'the evil'. But was the cost of war justified?

Here there is an important debate - Should Arjun decide his actions (to fight or not) based upon

1) just the 'duty' and 'the right' must be followed  regardless of outcome

2) or also consider 'the possible outcomes' at the end of such action

or Should 'our action' depend on nature of the expected outcome?

Amartya Sen considers this as a Niti Vs Nyaya debate (must see video at PanIIT conference).

More Sen

Dumbing down

Are people becoming dumb-er with time? Has the TV, computer games and other sources of entertainment replaced the tradition of thinking, debates and arguments - so critical to the development of a human existence ?

Merry Christmas

This year, 2008, has been great for me. As per the tradition, I would like to share this joy with you:

1. I spend a month at home in Jan.
2. I remain healthy for all the year 366/366.
3. I got unique privilege of hosting A. Agrawal at Davis.
4. I sold my white elephant- the car.
5. I completed a week-long certificate course in Entrepreneurship, organized by UC Davis, School of Management.
6. I had the opportunity to read these books - World is flat, A farewell to alms, How breakthrough happen.
7. I was audience to US political process and followed the presidential campaign very closely.
8. I watched more than 100 movies, from 1930s to the current ones. Though this has been sometimes unpleasant as I worried - what I would do after, I have watched all the good ones?
9. I got addicted to the Times - New York Times.
10. And, I remained in touch with an untraceable friend for most of the year.

I thank all of you for your friendship and companionship. It has been truly a treasure.
Happy Christmas and New Year 2009.

yours truly,

Column

Chinese govt. is the biggest enemy of Chinese people. They even banned Wikipedia. Without free expression, public discussion, people are living slave-ish life, intellectually. They may have money but money can not compensate the vacuum created in the minds. China (along with India) are the only civilizations that have continuous cultural heritage - accumulated knowledge of thousands of years embedded in the lifestyle.

Who gives power to these self-appointed governments? The taxes paid by Apple, Wal-marts and millions of other businesses that do all the manufacturing in China. The responsible countries such as US and European countries can put a tax on everything made in China, unless China gives some basic rights to her people. Don't ask too much at a time. For start, ask free access to all online American/European newspapers/press or internet. 

Free trade should be reciprocated by both parties. If China wants to continue the trade without any barriers, it has to stop censoring american media businesses. If Chinese govt. considers western media as threat to itself, so is a closed powerful nation is, for the rest of world. 

Ideologically freedom tax makes perfect sense. In fact, US bans imports from countries where labor laws are not respected adequately. But this is not going to happen. Here is why? Behind the rhetoric of a democracy and freedom, US politics is governed by the big businesses all of whom are enjoying the benefit of Chinese trade. Businesses by structure, are not well suited to foresee long-term gains for the whole world; they are best trained to maximize their immediate profits. People are equally selfish. They want to buy cheap products, even if it is made by people working in sub-human conditions. 

There is a fundamental myth among people about free markets. It is believed that free markets would take care of the world by itself. What is ignored is - market, by itself has no notions of fairness and can not differentiate between products made under human, sub-human or inhumane conditions. It will always reward businesses with the least cost of production, which of course, would be of the most unjust ones. 

All of this doesn't mean situation can not change. It is improving. For example, in my city of Davis, many people prefer to buy groceries at Co-op which takes care of "fairness" also in their business, rather than Wal-mart. This is despite the high prices that comes with the "fairness". Poor people at the edge of society may not afford fairness but the better offs should pay attention to the fairness aspect of business too.

Five