I was at the Sahara Star hotel in Mumbai a couple of weeks ago for a meeting. After the meeting, I visited the men's room before my drive back to Pune. As I stood there getting my work done, I noticed there was a TV screen before me with the channel set to one of the equity / stock market shows. As I watched the Sensex, and the Nifty and the FTSE and the HangSeng and the Nikkei scroll across the bottom of the screen, I wondered if I should wait for it to get to the US $ rates since I was expecting an incoming remittance the next day. I decided against it, for the rate would change by then anyway. I looked to the left and noticed that the next stand had another TV, set to the sports channel, and the one over was set to some travel show. I guess I should choose my destination carefully in this restroom the next time I am here. No point wasting a great opportunity to catch my favourite TV show. And what happens when you find yourself watching the last over in a T20 match? Do you just stay there? Does a line form behind you, all craning to see?
You know a business group is going downhill when they start running out of ideas on how to invest their money.
If you catch yourself thinking that you need to install a TV in your toilet, you might want to revisit how you got that far.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
On being clever
During the years I grew up in Mumbai, at the school I studied at, being called a 'clever' kid was usually a compliment, a synonym for brightness or intelligence. And while this might be true, a quick check of the thesaurus reveals a more nuanced set of meanings. If you type out the word 'clever' in Microsoft Word (TM) and check for synonyms, here is the list it throws up; adroit, astute, crafty, cunning, ingenious, knowing, shrewd and wily. At best, two of these can be considered a compliment, the rest have a somewhat negative flavour. The first time I chanced upon this anomaly, it caused me to think, "Hmm, interesting," and then I parked it away somewhere in my mind.
A few days ago, I learned first-hand how ingenious, crafty, wily and shrewd can be apt descriptions for someone being clever. I was at a car dealership with a friend who was shopping for a new car. The salesman was enumerating the features of the car for my friend and got to how the steering wheel could be adjusted for rake, or angle. At this point, my friend asked if it also adjusts for reach, i.e. can it be extended towards the driver's chest or pushed away from it. A simple 'no' would have sufficed, but the salesman thought he would be clever and went on to explain that if it extended close to the driver's chest, it could hurt the driver in an accident, ergo; it should not be designed for reach.
The next time you feel you have been clever then, you know what others perceived.
A few days ago, I learned first-hand how ingenious, crafty, wily and shrewd can be apt descriptions for someone being clever. I was at a car dealership with a friend who was shopping for a new car. The salesman was enumerating the features of the car for my friend and got to how the steering wheel could be adjusted for rake, or angle. At this point, my friend asked if it also adjusts for reach, i.e. can it be extended towards the driver's chest or pushed away from it. A simple 'no' would have sufficed, but the salesman thought he would be clever and went on to explain that if it extended close to the driver's chest, it could hurt the driver in an accident, ergo; it should not be designed for reach.
The next time you feel you have been clever then, you know what others perceived.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Three factor authentication for secure access
Some years ago, we did work for an airline and they wanted us to build a web portal that their crew could access. The client had this IT manager who kept insisting on 3 factor authentication for the login. Our team tried to suggest to him that 3 factor authentication was usually military grade security and the cost burden might not be justified. However, this person had recently returned from the middle-east and said that the login system had to incorporate a securID fob that would issue moving token numbers.
I had read up on the internet about 3 factor authentication security at the time and it appears that this IT manager's notion of 3 factor authentication was a little off-the-mark. Just adding one more number to the login process does not quite make it 3 factor.
In theory, the three factors of authentication are
1. Something you (and only you) know - like a password or PIN
2. Something you (and only you) have - like an ATM card or that securID fob
3. Something you do - like say a phrase in your own voice. Ostensibly, only you can do it just right - others doing it could be discernibly different.
Adding the securID fob was just a more secure version of 2 Factor authentication.
A number of high value credit card transactions conducted over the internet in India fall into this category. You not only need to have the credit card with its expiry date and CVV number, but also a mobile phone to which the bank will text a One-Time-Password (OTP)
A thumb-print scan or a retina scan or iris scan on a biometric reader is still 2 factor authentication. For the thumb or your eye is something you have. And in extreme circumstances, it can be taken away from you; a la Minority Report.
What then is a fair example of true 3 factor authentication? Imagine an access system where you have to provide a thumb-print and a password and say a keyword in your own voice. Scenes in a couple of movies come to mind. If you have watched the Vin Diesel starrer Pacifier, and stuck it out till the very end, you will remember the vault that refuses to open until Vin Diesel does a nonsensical dance set to a nursery rhyme. Start at the beginning of this youtube clip and then skip to 4:15
Another example is the scene in Richie Rich, where to open the family vault inside Mt. Richmore, Richard and Regina Rich have to sing a song.
These days, there is talk of 4 factor authentication, with the 4th factor being somewhere you are. I presume this would be akin to a situation where a weapon cannot fire while on friendly soil.
Incidentally, the airline eventually canned his plan for cost and also for practicality reasons - does a crew member not login if they left their security fob at home? Last I heard, they had canned him too.
I had read up on the internet about 3 factor authentication security at the time and it appears that this IT manager's notion of 3 factor authentication was a little off-the-mark. Just adding one more number to the login process does not quite make it 3 factor.
In theory, the three factors of authentication are
1. Something you (and only you) know - like a password or PIN
2. Something you (and only you) have - like an ATM card or that securID fob
3. Something you do - like say a phrase in your own voice. Ostensibly, only you can do it just right - others doing it could be discernibly different.
Adding the securID fob was just a more secure version of 2 Factor authentication.
A number of high value credit card transactions conducted over the internet in India fall into this category. You not only need to have the credit card with its expiry date and CVV number, but also a mobile phone to which the bank will text a One-Time-Password (OTP)
A thumb-print scan or a retina scan or iris scan on a biometric reader is still 2 factor authentication. For the thumb or your eye is something you have. And in extreme circumstances, it can be taken away from you; a la Minority Report.
What then is a fair example of true 3 factor authentication? Imagine an access system where you have to provide a thumb-print and a password and say a keyword in your own voice. Scenes in a couple of movies come to mind. If you have watched the Vin Diesel starrer Pacifier, and stuck it out till the very end, you will remember the vault that refuses to open until Vin Diesel does a nonsensical dance set to a nursery rhyme. Start at the beginning of this youtube clip and then skip to 4:15
Another example is the scene in Richie Rich, where to open the family vault inside Mt. Richmore, Richard and Regina Rich have to sing a song.
These days, there is talk of 4 factor authentication, with the 4th factor being somewhere you are. I presume this would be akin to a situation where a weapon cannot fire while on friendly soil.
Incidentally, the airline eventually canned his plan for cost and also for practicality reasons - does a crew member not login if they left their security fob at home? Last I heard, they had canned him too.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Entrepreneurship without Capital
A possible index of the evolution of any society can be the freedom that an individual has to do what he pleases without affecting the right of others to a peaceful existence.
India has some way to go; at least while we have khap panchayats who deign to decide whether your thoughts or actions are deemed fit and other organizations decide to ransack your office because of something you published.
The argument can be extended to how free one is to decide on his or her own source of livelihood. At one end, we had bonded labourers who had no right to choose to do anything but till the land of the zamindar because their parents were indebted to them. To give credit where it is due, the government has instituted laws to make bondage illegal. Add this to the power of literacy amongst the poorest classes, and bondage is on its way out except in the most lawless districts in the country. The situation has not been very different in the United Kingdom of the 20th century. The laws were of the aristocracy, by the aristocracy for the aristocracy and designed to keep the serfs bonded.
While England has taken perhaps centuries to overcome the old order, the Republic of India has a chance of getting there within a century of independence.
The IT boom has been a boon for India. The first reason, and I have discussed this in a previous post, is that IT has made work truly portable. A person in Gurgaon now does work that is used in Houston and the free hand of the market moves the work to the place that can do it at the lowest price.
The other thing about IT is that it enables entrepreneurship without capital. To start a textile mill, one needs most of all, the capital to invest in land, building, machinery and working capital. To start an IT based business, one could start with an idea and a laptop. The nature of the work allows the entrepreneur to work from home or from a loft in a low rent suburb. The idea of stock options allows the entrepreneur to hire the best talent with a bare survival package today backed by the allure of future riches. All other costs, server space, bandwidth, hosting, advertising can be had completely on variable terms. Take out the need for large capital from the equation and you have an entrepreneurial pool that is multiple orders of magnitude bigger.
This is the opportunity we sit on. Now all the government has to do is get out of the way. For as Gurucharan Das once said, India grows at night; when the government sleeps.
India has some way to go; at least while we have khap panchayats who deign to decide whether your thoughts or actions are deemed fit and other organizations decide to ransack your office because of something you published.
The argument can be extended to how free one is to decide on his or her own source of livelihood. At one end, we had bonded labourers who had no right to choose to do anything but till the land of the zamindar because their parents were indebted to them. To give credit where it is due, the government has instituted laws to make bondage illegal. Add this to the power of literacy amongst the poorest classes, and bondage is on its way out except in the most lawless districts in the country. The situation has not been very different in the United Kingdom of the 20th century. The laws were of the aristocracy, by the aristocracy for the aristocracy and designed to keep the serfs bonded.
While England has taken perhaps centuries to overcome the old order, the Republic of India has a chance of getting there within a century of independence.
The IT boom has been a boon for India. The first reason, and I have discussed this in a previous post, is that IT has made work truly portable. A person in Gurgaon now does work that is used in Houston and the free hand of the market moves the work to the place that can do it at the lowest price.
The other thing about IT is that it enables entrepreneurship without capital. To start a textile mill, one needs most of all, the capital to invest in land, building, machinery and working capital. To start an IT based business, one could start with an idea and a laptop. The nature of the work allows the entrepreneur to work from home or from a loft in a low rent suburb. The idea of stock options allows the entrepreneur to hire the best talent with a bare survival package today backed by the allure of future riches. All other costs, server space, bandwidth, hosting, advertising can be had completely on variable terms. Take out the need for large capital from the equation and you have an entrepreneurial pool that is multiple orders of magnitude bigger.
This is the opportunity we sit on. Now all the government has to do is get out of the way. For as Gurucharan Das once said, India grows at night; when the government sleeps.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
The need for a large middle class
Nehruvian policies often come under fire from those with laissez faire leanings and observing the state of the country today it is easy to find fault with Jawaharlal Nehru's socialist leanings.
Reading about Uzbekistan or Tajikistan or Belarus on one hand and Haiti or Nigeria on the other, one cannot but admire the wisdom displayed by the leaders of our country in 1947.
We should count our blessings that we did not end up a communist nation with all power devolved into the hands of a few. This was not an impossibility at the time. No nation has successfully made the move from Communism, with complete state ownership of all means of production to any society that provides a freedom of will to its people.
At the other end of the spectrum complete capitalism, with an illiterate population and a few Oxford educated capitalists might have seen this country end up an oligarchy.
Capitalism polarizes wealth and unbridled capitalism does so with a degree of unfairness that is deplorable.
Admittedly, India's slow progress from a planned economy to a free-er market has been plagued by inefficiencies and corruption. But so has it been the case in most of today's developed economies. England wasn't exactly a fair society especially for the landless serfs. And it has them perhaps three centuries to move from an aristocracy to a meritocracy.
Today, India's middle class, by some reckoning, numbers almost 300 million and is slated to grow to 600 million by 2020. That is almost half the population. More importantly, this middle class is all literate and unwilling to be exploited. This strong middle class is likely to be the bane of the oligarchs and the corrupt. Indians tend to be a tolerant lot, too tolerant for our own good, but once a tipping point is reached, our people are willing to face up to the powers that be and topple them.
Another generation. Another 30 years. That should be when India will take its place of pride in the world.
Reading about Uzbekistan or Tajikistan or Belarus on one hand and Haiti or Nigeria on the other, one cannot but admire the wisdom displayed by the leaders of our country in 1947.
We should count our blessings that we did not end up a communist nation with all power devolved into the hands of a few. This was not an impossibility at the time. No nation has successfully made the move from Communism, with complete state ownership of all means of production to any society that provides a freedom of will to its people.
At the other end of the spectrum complete capitalism, with an illiterate population and a few Oxford educated capitalists might have seen this country end up an oligarchy.
Capitalism polarizes wealth and unbridled capitalism does so with a degree of unfairness that is deplorable.
Admittedly, India's slow progress from a planned economy to a free-er market has been plagued by inefficiencies and corruption. But so has it been the case in most of today's developed economies. England wasn't exactly a fair society especially for the landless serfs. And it has them perhaps three centuries to move from an aristocracy to a meritocracy.
Today, India's middle class, by some reckoning, numbers almost 300 million and is slated to grow to 600 million by 2020. That is almost half the population. More importantly, this middle class is all literate and unwilling to be exploited. This strong middle class is likely to be the bane of the oligarchs and the corrupt. Indians tend to be a tolerant lot, too tolerant for our own good, but once a tipping point is reached, our people are willing to face up to the powers that be and topple them.
Another generation. Another 30 years. That should be when India will take its place of pride in the world.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
India works
I have been thinking about the issues that NRIs have about India and I am beginning to wonder if most of them are even real. Real in the sense that they affect our daily lives.
India today works. Our parents had to stand in line for everything - milk, rations, telephone connection, and even for the privilege of paying your utility bills.
We have far more straight forward life here today. You can register a business in 2 days, get a phone and internet connection in 3-4 days, and you can pay your bills on-line. We buy our air tickets and train tickets and bus tickets on-line. We can book our movie shows on-line and buy our stuff on flipkart and amazon to have it delivered. There is a recent proliferation of localbaniya.coms that will deliver your groceries too.
We crib about corruption; but when was the last time you were personally affected by corruption or have seen it first hand? I haven't experienced it in years. When the traffic cop stops me for a violation, I ask him to make a challan and give me receipt for the fine and he does so readily and more important, politely.
Some years ago, the water supply into our home was disrupted and I visited the local municipal ward office. They visited our home the same morning and replaced the corroded pipe that connected the water main with our house. I gave them a tip but there was no demand for a bribe whatsoever.
One place where corruption is perhaps affecting us first hand is the unreal cost of real estate in this country. Real estate is where the corrupt park their ill-gotten booty, but the current government, specifically Mr. Jaitley seems acutely aware of this fact and I am hopeful that this will be fixed too.
Two complaints about India are valid. One, pollution is getting out of hand; and two, all systems are overloaded. Good schooling in indeed a problem and once again, this is likely to change, for education is one of the couple of industries still in the grip of licence raj in India.
The next time someone tries to crib about India when they visit here for 2 weeks, I am going to try and muster the courage to tell them politely but firmly, that if they don't like it here, they are welcome to leave. The days of old fashioned khatirdari are long gone. No longer is it acceptable to visit your in-laws place to make uncharitable comments about their home or family and expect to be treated with respect and deference.
India today works. Our parents had to stand in line for everything - milk, rations, telephone connection, and even for the privilege of paying your utility bills.
We have far more straight forward life here today. You can register a business in 2 days, get a phone and internet connection in 3-4 days, and you can pay your bills on-line. We buy our air tickets and train tickets and bus tickets on-line. We can book our movie shows on-line and buy our stuff on flipkart and amazon to have it delivered. There is a recent proliferation of localbaniya.coms that will deliver your groceries too.
We crib about corruption; but when was the last time you were personally affected by corruption or have seen it first hand? I haven't experienced it in years. When the traffic cop stops me for a violation, I ask him to make a challan and give me receipt for the fine and he does so readily and more important, politely.
Some years ago, the water supply into our home was disrupted and I visited the local municipal ward office. They visited our home the same morning and replaced the corroded pipe that connected the water main with our house. I gave them a tip but there was no demand for a bribe whatsoever.
One place where corruption is perhaps affecting us first hand is the unreal cost of real estate in this country. Real estate is where the corrupt park their ill-gotten booty, but the current government, specifically Mr. Jaitley seems acutely aware of this fact and I am hopeful that this will be fixed too.
Two complaints about India are valid. One, pollution is getting out of hand; and two, all systems are overloaded. Good schooling in indeed a problem and once again, this is likely to change, for education is one of the couple of industries still in the grip of licence raj in India.
The next time someone tries to crib about India when they visit here for 2 weeks, I am going to try and muster the courage to tell them politely but firmly, that if they don't like it here, they are welcome to leave. The days of old fashioned khatirdari are long gone. No longer is it acceptable to visit your in-laws place to make uncharitable comments about their home or family and expect to be treated with respect and deference.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Cribbing about India
I bumped into a coconut the other day. This person had moved to the US some years ago and was visiting home. After some small talk about what we do and who have been in touch with, she launched into the mandatory diatribe about how expensive India has become and how nothing works as it should.
Those of us who have chosen to live in India get hot under the collar when we are subjected to these rants. Interestingly, these complaints about India bother us more when the complainer is an NRI. If we are amongst resident Indians, say watching a news item on the TV in the office cafeteria, we cluck our tongues as we sympathize with each other's point of view.
I find I also listen with thoughtful attention when a foreigner narrates an incident about India. A client visitor was telling me about his experience with Indian Customs officers at Mumbai airport because he was carrying a few gifts for our office staff. Others have narrated stories about their attempt to travel by train. These are not exactly in the tone we use when we speak about the Swiss Bahn.
Why is it then, that I find myself unable to tolerate barbs about India from visiting NRIs? The reason, I think, is multi-faceted. The first facet is a function of locus-standi of the complainant. When resident Indians complain about India, we share camaraderie, we are in effect commiserating with each other for we are in it together. When foreigners narrate incidents, often their tone is just that - narrative, not judgemental. They are presenting a point of view on a situation that is very different from our own. I find that I am interested, curious even, to see an Indian situation from a foreign point of view. Often, these visitors point something out that we haven't even noticed; for us, things have always been that way.
When visiting NRIs complain about India, it feels like a complaint. Worse, it takes on a holier-than-thou stance that is sufficient to bother most self-respecting people. I have been asking myself why this should bother me so much. The reason is that these people who have moved to other, admittedly, more developed places, have had no hand in making those places the paradise that they make them out to be. As humans, most of us have a built-in willingness to learn from those who we deem worthy of learning from. If Lee Kuan Yew were to visit India and point out issues, he would perhaps have some degree of moral right to do so, for he has had a hand at fixing similar problems in a nation that started out from a starting point worse than India's.
Conversely, us humans, with our strong egos, we have a very low tolerance for people giving advice or voicing their opinions, when in our mind they have no moral authority to give that gyan.
Those of us who have chosen to live in India get hot under the collar when we are subjected to these rants. Interestingly, these complaints about India bother us more when the complainer is an NRI. If we are amongst resident Indians, say watching a news item on the TV in the office cafeteria, we cluck our tongues as we sympathize with each other's point of view.
I find I also listen with thoughtful attention when a foreigner narrates an incident about India. A client visitor was telling me about his experience with Indian Customs officers at Mumbai airport because he was carrying a few gifts for our office staff. Others have narrated stories about their attempt to travel by train. These are not exactly in the tone we use when we speak about the Swiss Bahn.
Why is it then, that I find myself unable to tolerate barbs about India from visiting NRIs? The reason, I think, is multi-faceted. The first facet is a function of locus-standi of the complainant. When resident Indians complain about India, we share camaraderie, we are in effect commiserating with each other for we are in it together. When foreigners narrate incidents, often their tone is just that - narrative, not judgemental. They are presenting a point of view on a situation that is very different from our own. I find that I am interested, curious even, to see an Indian situation from a foreign point of view. Often, these visitors point something out that we haven't even noticed; for us, things have always been that way.
When visiting NRIs complain about India, it feels like a complaint. Worse, it takes on a holier-than-thou stance that is sufficient to bother most self-respecting people. I have been asking myself why this should bother me so much. The reason is that these people who have moved to other, admittedly, more developed places, have had no hand in making those places the paradise that they make them out to be. As humans, most of us have a built-in willingness to learn from those who we deem worthy of learning from. If Lee Kuan Yew were to visit India and point out issues, he would perhaps have some degree of moral right to do so, for he has had a hand at fixing similar problems in a nation that started out from a starting point worse than India's.
Conversely, us humans, with our strong egos, we have a very low tolerance for people giving advice or voicing their opinions, when in our mind they have no moral authority to give that gyan.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Treating the symptom not the cause
In B School, one of our professors advocated always identifying and addressing the root cause of a problem and not the symptom. This made a lot of sense at the time.
The real world teaches you however, that not all business situations are neatly academic. Very often, there are current fires to fight. and where there is a fire, one would be wise to get hold of a fire extinguisher now and point the nozzle at the flames where you see them; not go into a meeting to decide if the root cause of the fire was an electrical short-circuit or an open flame in the pantry or a careless smoker discarding a matchstick.
After a few years of treating symptoms and causes, hopefully judiciously, I have come to realize that sometimes putting in a process to treat the symptom also treats the cause. Process discipline usually works this way. If you find yourself always behind schedule and therefore getting into trouble at home for missing social commitments, then you might want to set a rule that treats the symptom; in this case - reaching home late. Having been there, done that, and gotten into trouble for it, I started out by setting an alarm on my phone for 6 pm at which time I had to call home to tell them what time I would leave the office and when I could be expected to reach home. This little change yielded miraculous results. First, I was seen as more predictable and trustworthy. At least I could be counted on to call at 6 pm to advise if I would be late. Second, if I was forgetting a social commitment for that evening, I would get a not-so-gentle reminder at 6 and I could re-prioritize my work at the office. Third, I found that started to remember social commitments better after being chewed out at 6 pm on previous occasions. I learned to set social commitments on my phone calendar too, along with my business commitments.
All in all, I started to manage my time better. Root cause addressed. So the next time someone starts to pontificate about treating the cause and not the symptom, you might want to take that with a pinch of salt. Either approach might yield results.
The real world teaches you however, that not all business situations are neatly academic. Very often, there are current fires to fight. and where there is a fire, one would be wise to get hold of a fire extinguisher now and point the nozzle at the flames where you see them; not go into a meeting to decide if the root cause of the fire was an electrical short-circuit or an open flame in the pantry or a careless smoker discarding a matchstick.
After a few years of treating symptoms and causes, hopefully judiciously, I have come to realize that sometimes putting in a process to treat the symptom also treats the cause. Process discipline usually works this way. If you find yourself always behind schedule and therefore getting into trouble at home for missing social commitments, then you might want to set a rule that treats the symptom; in this case - reaching home late. Having been there, done that, and gotten into trouble for it, I started out by setting an alarm on my phone for 6 pm at which time I had to call home to tell them what time I would leave the office and when I could be expected to reach home. This little change yielded miraculous results. First, I was seen as more predictable and trustworthy. At least I could be counted on to call at 6 pm to advise if I would be late. Second, if I was forgetting a social commitment for that evening, I would get a not-so-gentle reminder at 6 and I could re-prioritize my work at the office. Third, I found that started to remember social commitments better after being chewed out at 6 pm on previous occasions. I learned to set social commitments on my phone calendar too, along with my business commitments.
All in all, I started to manage my time better. Root cause addressed. So the next time someone starts to pontificate about treating the cause and not the symptom, you might want to take that with a pinch of salt. Either approach might yield results.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Developing a thick skin
There is a lot to be said for developing a thick skin to survive out there in the real world. I am beginning to believe that between keeping needs small and learning to not care about what other people say, one will have traversed most of the way to Nirvana.
For learning to keep needs small, I recommend these posts on mrmoneymustache's blog.
For developing a thick skin, I recommend going to B-School.
You see, almost everyone who gets into a good B-School goes in there with a swollen head. They were all the best in their school and college. There were chosen from a very large number of aspirants. They made it through a grueling interview process. And they are taught to voice their opinion in class with a substantial quantum of CP. They become opinionated even. The great equalizer comes when the results of the first exam are posted on the public notice board. There is nowhere to hide. If you have got a C-, it is there for everyone to see and everyone does; and they size you up as the competition or not worth tracking. It is a real ego sandpaper. Well the first time anyway. Then as you avoid people and cower in your room or look busy in the computer center, you notice, that nobody really cares. The world goes on. All that 'studliness' was in your own head. Then the metamorphosis happens. Pretty soon, not only do you figure out that nobody cares about your standing or your sense of self-worth, you also stop caring about what other people think and say.
Then you are ready to face the big bad world.
For learning to keep needs small, I recommend these posts on mrmoneymustache's blog.
For developing a thick skin, I recommend going to B-School.
You see, almost everyone who gets into a good B-School goes in there with a swollen head. They were all the best in their school and college. There were chosen from a very large number of aspirants. They made it through a grueling interview process. And they are taught to voice their opinion in class with a substantial quantum of CP. They become opinionated even. The great equalizer comes when the results of the first exam are posted on the public notice board. There is nowhere to hide. If you have got a C-, it is there for everyone to see and everyone does; and they size you up as the competition or not worth tracking. It is a real ego sandpaper. Well the first time anyway. Then as you avoid people and cower in your room or look busy in the computer center, you notice, that nobody really cares. The world goes on. All that 'studliness' was in your own head. Then the metamorphosis happens. Pretty soon, not only do you figure out that nobody cares about your standing or your sense of self-worth, you also stop caring about what other people think and say.
Then you are ready to face the big bad world.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Irrational arguments
I love to hear a good argument and even more to participate in one.
Once in a while however, you hear an argument that just leaves you exasperated or amused if you are only an observer.
This happened a couple of days ago when a family member was travelling from Dadar Mumbai to Swargate by bus. Swargate and Pune Railway Station are the two bus stands for MSRTCs Shivneri Volvo buses to Mumbai. Travel time from Dadar to Swargate is nearly the same as travel time to Pune Station. The traveller had booked a ticket for the 7 pm departure from Dadar but the bus arrived at 7:30 pm and after a reasonably quick turnaround, departed at 7:45 pm. Traffic was bad that evening and it took them an hour to exit Mumbai city.
At this point, one of the women on the bus started to get upset and proceeded to berate the driver about the delay. She was upset about the bus arriving late and the cascading delay on departure time. The driver tried to explain that traffic coming into Mumbai was particularly bad that day; worse than what they were experiencing on the way out. She would have none of it, however, and her next comment was, "The bus from Pune station takes only 3 hours."
Damned Swargate buses, and double-damned Swargate drivers.
Once in a while however, you hear an argument that just leaves you exasperated or amused if you are only an observer.
This happened a couple of days ago when a family member was travelling from Dadar Mumbai to Swargate by bus. Swargate and Pune Railway Station are the two bus stands for MSRTCs Shivneri Volvo buses to Mumbai. Travel time from Dadar to Swargate is nearly the same as travel time to Pune Station. The traveller had booked a ticket for the 7 pm departure from Dadar but the bus arrived at 7:30 pm and after a reasonably quick turnaround, departed at 7:45 pm. Traffic was bad that evening and it took them an hour to exit Mumbai city.
At this point, one of the women on the bus started to get upset and proceeded to berate the driver about the delay. She was upset about the bus arriving late and the cascading delay on departure time. The driver tried to explain that traffic coming into Mumbai was particularly bad that day; worse than what they were experiencing on the way out. She would have none of it, however, and her next comment was, "The bus from Pune station takes only 3 hours."
Damned Swargate buses, and double-damned Swargate drivers.
Monday, April 20, 2015
The joy of solving a problem
Some days ago, I noticed a new humming noise from my wheels as I drove to work. It wasn't a loud noise, just a small murmur in the background if you listened carefully. I decided to look into it on the weekend but by the next day, all I could hear was this faint nuisance that I could not put out of my mind. I had to solve this before it drove me mad.
The first problem was to figure out the source of the noise. Was it tyres, wheel bearings, gearbox or transfer case? Hopefully, it was not the gearbox or transfer case - that would be expensive. But it was also easy to check. If it was the gearbox or drive-train, then the noise should go away when the gearbox was not engaged, i.e. when car was rolling in neutral. I slotted the car into neutral and listened. The noise was still there. That narrowed it down to wheel bearings or tyres. I was wondering how to figure this one out when the road surface changed from concrete to asphalt and the noise changed too. That narrowed it down to the tyres. Had it been wheel bearing noise, it would have remained the same regardless of the surface the tyres came into contact with. This was a relief, for wheel bearings can be expensive.
The easiest solution now was to change all four tyres. But why spend Rs 40000 if I could narrow it down to one or even two tyres. On my drive to work the next day, I listened to the noise carefully trying to gauge which corner it emanated from. I couldn't pin it down with the AC on, but then I tried something else. I rolled down the windows on one side of the car and then the other. The noise was louder when the windows were open on the left. Down to two tyres. Then I tried it with the left front window and the left rear window. No difference. The oncoming wind made it difficult to notice any change in amplitude.
I looked at the odometer. I was due for wheel balancing anyway, so the next stop was the tyre dealer.
I watched as they took each wheel off the car and mounted it on the wheel balancing machine. Got the wheels done on the right side of the car first and then paid close attention as they worked on the wheels on the left. There was no visible damage on the tyres themselves, but the attendant noticed that the valve on one of the tyres was different. I had had it changed a few months ago when getting a puncture fixed. Got the valve replaced and on the drive home the noise was gone. Net spend was Rs 800 for the wheel balancing and alignment and another 120 for the valve.
Now if you will excuse me, I need to go plan how I am going to spend the 11000 rupees I have just saved.
The first problem was to figure out the source of the noise. Was it tyres, wheel bearings, gearbox or transfer case? Hopefully, it was not the gearbox or transfer case - that would be expensive. But it was also easy to check. If it was the gearbox or drive-train, then the noise should go away when the gearbox was not engaged, i.e. when car was rolling in neutral. I slotted the car into neutral and listened. The noise was still there. That narrowed it down to wheel bearings or tyres. I was wondering how to figure this one out when the road surface changed from concrete to asphalt and the noise changed too. That narrowed it down to the tyres. Had it been wheel bearing noise, it would have remained the same regardless of the surface the tyres came into contact with. This was a relief, for wheel bearings can be expensive.
The easiest solution now was to change all four tyres. But why spend Rs 40000 if I could narrow it down to one or even two tyres. On my drive to work the next day, I listened to the noise carefully trying to gauge which corner it emanated from. I couldn't pin it down with the AC on, but then I tried something else. I rolled down the windows on one side of the car and then the other. The noise was louder when the windows were open on the left. Down to two tyres. Then I tried it with the left front window and the left rear window. No difference. The oncoming wind made it difficult to notice any change in amplitude.
I looked at the odometer. I was due for wheel balancing anyway, so the next stop was the tyre dealer.
I watched as they took each wheel off the car and mounted it on the wheel balancing machine. Got the wheels done on the right side of the car first and then paid close attention as they worked on the wheels on the left. There was no visible damage on the tyres themselves, but the attendant noticed that the valve on one of the tyres was different. I had had it changed a few months ago when getting a puncture fixed. Got the valve replaced and on the drive home the noise was gone. Net spend was Rs 800 for the wheel balancing and alignment and another 120 for the valve.
Now if you will excuse me, I need to go plan how I am going to spend the 11000 rupees I have just saved.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Trying to wring out the last mile from your tyres? Think Again
In the previous post, I wrote about people trying to run their tyres bare. Here is why this is a bad idea.
We tend to use our cars at higher speeds today than our parents did back in the day. To make matters worse, traffic congestion is on the up and we probably brake harder than our parents did more often than they did. Clearly you need tyres that can stop quickly under hard braking, and a bald or nearly bald tyre is going to slide smoothly over smooth tarmac rather than stop.
So what is a good indicator of when to change you tyres? Before most tyre manufacturers built a Tread Wear Indicator or TWI into the tyre tread pattern, the standard test to use was the penny test or Lincoln Head test for tread wear. The TWI enables you to check remaining tread depth visually, because, let's face it, most of us don't carry a penny around with us - let alone, one with a Lincoln Head.
The Tread Wear Indicator is essentially a bump in the rubber at the bottom of each groove in the tread pattern. Click here for image. This bump is between 1/16th of an inch and 1/8th of an inch. When your tread wears down to the point that the TWI bumps are flush with your tread tops, it is time to change the tyres. Most tyres will also mark along the wall of the tyres to tell you where the TWI bumps are located.
Here are some pictures of TWI on new tyres and on worn tyres.
We tend to use our cars at higher speeds today than our parents did back in the day. To make matters worse, traffic congestion is on the up and we probably brake harder than our parents did more often than they did. Clearly you need tyres that can stop quickly under hard braking, and a bald or nearly bald tyre is going to slide smoothly over smooth tarmac rather than stop.
So what is a good indicator of when to change you tyres? Before most tyre manufacturers built a Tread Wear Indicator or TWI into the tyre tread pattern, the standard test to use was the penny test or Lincoln Head test for tread wear. The TWI enables you to check remaining tread depth visually, because, let's face it, most of us don't carry a penny around with us - let alone, one with a Lincoln Head.
The Tread Wear Indicator is essentially a bump in the rubber at the bottom of each groove in the tread pattern. Click here for image. This bump is between 1/16th of an inch and 1/8th of an inch. When your tread wears down to the point that the TWI bumps are flush with your tread tops, it is time to change the tyres. Most tyres will also mark along the wall of the tyres to tell you where the TWI bumps are located.
Here are some pictures of TWI on new tyres and on worn tyres.
Side effects of a middle-class upbringing 2
One of the traits that a middle class upbringing sows in us is the need to utilize everything we have to the fullest.
Interestingly, even as our incomes have grown, the manifestation of this trait has in some cases become more acute.
I remember when I was a school kid in Mumbai, my father used to change the tyres on his Premier President (Fiat 1100D) before they ran truly bald. You see, back then, there was a market for partially used tyres. If I remember correctly, Taxi drivers used second hand or re-treaded tyres and the tyre dealer would buy back our old tyres if there was some tread left in them.
These days, we get no resale value for used tyres and as a result, it makes us want to use our tyres till they are truly bald.
This makes for an interesting situation. I have a friend in Pune who is rather well off and does not really have to worry about expenses.
Yet, I noticed when we met for coffee the other day that his tyres were seriously worn out. You could barely see the grooves in the tread pattern. I joked that it might be time to change his tyres and he said, "Oh there's probably another 5000 km left in them."
Clearly, he had never heard of the Tread Wear Indicator or TWI on his tyres, and that is the topic for the next post.
Interestingly, even as our incomes have grown, the manifestation of this trait has in some cases become more acute.
I remember when I was a school kid in Mumbai, my father used to change the tyres on his Premier President (Fiat 1100D) before they ran truly bald. You see, back then, there was a market for partially used tyres. If I remember correctly, Taxi drivers used second hand or re-treaded tyres and the tyre dealer would buy back our old tyres if there was some tread left in them.
These days, we get no resale value for used tyres and as a result, it makes us want to use our tyres till they are truly bald.
This makes for an interesting situation. I have a friend in Pune who is rather well off and does not really have to worry about expenses.
Yet, I noticed when we met for coffee the other day that his tyres were seriously worn out. You could barely see the grooves in the tread pattern. I joked that it might be time to change his tyres and he said, "Oh there's probably another 5000 km left in them."
Clearly, he had never heard of the Tread Wear Indicator or TWI on his tyres, and that is the topic for the next post.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Watching TV
I watched TV today after a long time; a few months actually. I seem to remember that the last time I used to look forward to watching a TV show was back in the good old days when the Discovery Turbo channel was actually about cars. Now they have shows about skiing and snowboarding and trekking and eating maggots to survive in the wilderness. And cooking. Where is the turbo in that?
I also ran afoul of the anti-channel-surfing rule I had set for my kids; they were allowed to watch 1 hour of TV per day, and they had to plan and declare ahead of time, what they wished to watch.
Got me wondering if we would be better off with TVs without remote control units. If I had to get up from the couch and walk to the TV to change the channel every time I got bored with what I was watching, I am quite certain that sooner rather than later, I would switch it off and go do something real with my time.
I also ran afoul of the anti-channel-surfing rule I had set for my kids; they were allowed to watch 1 hour of TV per day, and they had to plan and declare ahead of time, what they wished to watch.
Got me wondering if we would be better off with TVs without remote control units. If I had to get up from the couch and walk to the TV to change the channel every time I got bored with what I was watching, I am quite certain that sooner rather than later, I would switch it off and go do something real with my time.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Indignation
I was waiting at a traffic light on my way to work this morning when the guy behind me started honking. He wanted me to drive through the red light. I held fast. After all, it was going to be just 30 seconds. Then a motorcycle came in from behind, passed me on my left and went straight through the red light. At that very moment, a car was going across the intersection with complete right of way. He almost hit the motorcycle and the rest of us were treated to the usual street play drama. Since they were both blocking the intersection, we had to wait through another cycling of the traffic lights before they moved on, shaking their fists at each other.
I learned something from watching the car driver rant. He was in the right and the motorcycle guy was clearly in the wrong; I suspect that if the motorcycle fella had apologized or even just held up his palms in a gesture of Mea culpa there would have been no further ado. The car driver, I think, was more upset at the fact that someone so clearly wrong had the gumption to stand there and argue with him.
We have all been through this at some time and felt like this car driver. It lasts a long time and causes us to look for someone to yell at. We take this feeling with us to work, or worse, bring it back home with us. It makes us belligerent; we are waiting for someone to pick a fight with us. We want to let fly. And all this while, our blood pressure is playing havoc with our heart.
There is no better indicator of stress than indignation. And indignation is nothing but our ego's way of feeling superior.
Here is what I learnt this morning. I would rather have a healthy heart then feel superior.
I learned something from watching the car driver rant. He was in the right and the motorcycle guy was clearly in the wrong; I suspect that if the motorcycle fella had apologized or even just held up his palms in a gesture of Mea culpa there would have been no further ado. The car driver, I think, was more upset at the fact that someone so clearly wrong had the gumption to stand there and argue with him.
We have all been through this at some time and felt like this car driver. It lasts a long time and causes us to look for someone to yell at. We take this feeling with us to work, or worse, bring it back home with us. It makes us belligerent; we are waiting for someone to pick a fight with us. We want to let fly. And all this while, our blood pressure is playing havoc with our heart.
There is no better indicator of stress than indignation. And indignation is nothing but our ego's way of feeling superior.
Here is what I learnt this morning. I would rather have a healthy heart then feel superior.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Science Fiction and Fantasy
I have always enjoyed reading science fiction. Isaac Asimov, Heinlein and Orson Scott Card are among my favourite authors. I just finished re-reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and happened to find an interview with the author at the end of the book.
He had a very interesting take on the difference between Sci-fi and fantasy. He said the stories themselves are not very different; both genres require an active imagination; but the setting defines the genre. If you find yourself imagining smooth surfaces and plastics and metals, you are looking at sci-fi. If your imagination takes you to forests and elven settings, then you are reading fantasy.
I have never been a big fan of the fantasy genre, but if the difference from sci-fi is this thin, I am going to go out and try some. I hear Piers Anthony is a master.
Will keep you posted.
He had a very interesting take on the difference between Sci-fi and fantasy. He said the stories themselves are not very different; both genres require an active imagination; but the setting defines the genre. If you find yourself imagining smooth surfaces and plastics and metals, you are looking at sci-fi. If your imagination takes you to forests and elven settings, then you are reading fantasy.
I have never been a big fan of the fantasy genre, but if the difference from sci-fi is this thin, I am going to go out and try some. I hear Piers Anthony is a master.
Will keep you posted.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Isaac Asimov
It has been 23 years now since Isaac Asimov passed and he is perhaps the only person outside of direct family and friends whose passing I truly mourned.
I distinctly remember poring over the newspaper on 07 April 1992 reading about the fact that Isaac Asimov had passed away the day before, in New York city. The cause of his death was first a mystery and then revealed to be a quirk of chance. He died of HIV contracted from a blood transfusion of infected blood that he obtained after his heart bypass surgery in 1983.
I had then recently chanced upon the Foundation Trilogy by the great master and then started to read everything he had written that I could get my hands on. His science fiction and his non-fiction science books are equally enthralling.
I thought I had read a lot of Asimov, until I found out I was not even close. He is the only author to have published in all 10 sections of the Dewey system. He has written or edited more than 500 books and 9000 articles on subjects and topics as diverse as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Shakespeare, the Bible in non fiction and a number of genres in fiction including fantasy, mysteries, psychology and of course science-fiction.
The next time you are yearning for a good book, pick up an Asimov. If you are a science fiction fan, I strongly recommend 'Foundation'. If mysteries are your thing, pick up Isaac Asimov's Mysteries or the Black Widower Mystery Stories collection. Or, if you are not sure what you are in the mood for, you could choose any number in the Dewey Decimal System below and then look up Asimov.
I distinctly remember poring over the newspaper on 07 April 1992 reading about the fact that Isaac Asimov had passed away the day before, in New York city. The cause of his death was first a mystery and then revealed to be a quirk of chance. He died of HIV contracted from a blood transfusion of infected blood that he obtained after his heart bypass surgery in 1983.
I had then recently chanced upon the Foundation Trilogy by the great master and then started to read everything he had written that I could get my hands on. His science fiction and his non-fiction science books are equally enthralling.
I thought I had read a lot of Asimov, until I found out I was not even close. He is the only author to have published in all 10 sections of the Dewey system. He has written or edited more than 500 books and 9000 articles on subjects and topics as diverse as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Shakespeare, the Bible in non fiction and a number of genres in fiction including fantasy, mysteries, psychology and of course science-fiction.
The next time you are yearning for a good book, pick up an Asimov. If you are a science fiction fan, I strongly recommend 'Foundation'. If mysteries are your thing, pick up Isaac Asimov's Mysteries or the Black Widower Mystery Stories collection. Or, if you are not sure what you are in the mood for, you could choose any number in the Dewey Decimal System below and then look up Asimov.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill
I have read two books in the last year that contrasted the leadership styles of two of Britain's most famous Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill. Admittedly, one of them, 'The Downing Street Years', is an autobiography; and the other, 'Churchill's Secret War' is a rather critical account of Winston Churchill's view of India and its resources during World War II.
I have always been flummoxed by the stark contrast between the reverence that our parents' generation seems to accord Churchill and the disdain with which they tend to regard the Iron Lady.
Churchill is remembered for his oratory; who can forget his speech; 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.' and 'I have never promised anything but blood, tears, toil and sweat...' in 1942. He is also remembered for holding up his fingers in a V for Victory.
He was however a minister of imperial times. The source of Britain's glory back then, was the empire and Churchill once said, "I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire. For that task, if ever it were prescribed, someone else would have to be found, and under a democracy I suppose the nation would have to be consulted."
Margaret Thatcher on the other hand came to power in the post-empire years, in fact during times when unionism in Britain was crippling public and private life.
Perhaps, it is a sign of the times that a generation brought up within socialist climes does not respect the will required to break the unions and set a country on the path to glory again. Margaret Thatcher was clearly the Prime Minister who managed to shake Britain out of its socialist inclinations and set it on the path of glory again.
I have always been flummoxed by the stark contrast between the reverence that our parents' generation seems to accord Churchill and the disdain with which they tend to regard the Iron Lady.
Churchill is remembered for his oratory; who can forget his speech; 'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.' and 'I have never promised anything but blood, tears, toil and sweat...' in 1942. He is also remembered for holding up his fingers in a V for Victory.
He was however a minister of imperial times. The source of Britain's glory back then, was the empire and Churchill once said, "I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire. For that task, if ever it were prescribed, someone else would have to be found, and under a democracy I suppose the nation would have to be consulted."
Margaret Thatcher on the other hand came to power in the post-empire years, in fact during times when unionism in Britain was crippling public and private life.
Perhaps, it is a sign of the times that a generation brought up within socialist climes does not respect the will required to break the unions and set a country on the path to glory again. Margaret Thatcher was clearly the Prime Minister who managed to shake Britain out of its socialist inclinations and set it on the path of glory again.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
For better or convenient
A quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw states, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
Ever since the industrial revolution, cheap, abundant fossil fuels, first coal and then oil, have fuelled humanity's need for bigger, faster and shinier. We have read enough articles about how Americans, with just 5% of the world population consume 25% of the world's energy. Now however, China and India are on track to becoming the largest consumers of energy in the next few decades.
Indians and Chinese who have lived in the United States and brought back new habits with them when they returned home have ignited and fuelled at least part of this new desire for more power in these nations. For those who have not sampled the US lifestyle first hand, western entertainment media and the rapid proliferation of the internet have showed them what they have been missing.
Our parents' generation used to walk to the grocery store, but we take the car or motorcycle. They managed to go through life without an air-conditioner; we have one in every room. They did not expect 24 hour power supply; we do, and we will install lead acid batteries where they made do with candles.
I have always wondered if there is a mechanism to dispose of the batteries after their service life or do they go to the landfill where they pour their chemicals into the earth. As Indians we have admirable levels of reduce, reuse, recycle in our genes. Though the 'reduce' is fast becoming suspect, we still use the PET bottles our soft drinks come in, to carry our water. We recycle all our newspapers and will probably continue to do so as long as there is a market for yesterday's newspaper. I know of families that also save their milk pouches and sell them to a recycler.
The direction we are moving in though is still of concern and here is the primary issue. As we start to do well economically and start to live better, 'better' usually implies more convenience or more status in our personal lives.
For society and the environment, on the other hand, 'more convenient' or 'high status' is usually at loggerheads with 'better'.
Ever since the industrial revolution, cheap, abundant fossil fuels, first coal and then oil, have fuelled humanity's need for bigger, faster and shinier. We have read enough articles about how Americans, with just 5% of the world population consume 25% of the world's energy. Now however, China and India are on track to becoming the largest consumers of energy in the next few decades.
Indians and Chinese who have lived in the United States and brought back new habits with them when they returned home have ignited and fuelled at least part of this new desire for more power in these nations. For those who have not sampled the US lifestyle first hand, western entertainment media and the rapid proliferation of the internet have showed them what they have been missing.
Our parents' generation used to walk to the grocery store, but we take the car or motorcycle. They managed to go through life without an air-conditioner; we have one in every room. They did not expect 24 hour power supply; we do, and we will install lead acid batteries where they made do with candles.
I have always wondered if there is a mechanism to dispose of the batteries after their service life or do they go to the landfill where they pour their chemicals into the earth. As Indians we have admirable levels of reduce, reuse, recycle in our genes. Though the 'reduce' is fast becoming suspect, we still use the PET bottles our soft drinks come in, to carry our water. We recycle all our newspapers and will probably continue to do so as long as there is a market for yesterday's newspaper. I know of families that also save their milk pouches and sell them to a recycler.
The direction we are moving in though is still of concern and here is the primary issue. As we start to do well economically and start to live better, 'better' usually implies more convenience or more status in our personal lives.
For society and the environment, on the other hand, 'more convenient' or 'high status' is usually at loggerheads with 'better'.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Happily ever after
A number of fairy tales end with, "and they lived happily ever after."
It seemed like an apt close to a fancy story with a happy ending. But here is the thing, you see. 'Ever after' is a long time, even within the comparatively short life span of a human being.
When I look back at the events in my life where I had claimed victory over some challenge, I remember thinking at the time that the glory will last forever. It is rarely ever so, for the next challenge is just around the corner.
In any case, wouldn't life be boring without new challenges?
I have a friend who seems to think that being born rich would be a blessing. I am not so sure. Being able to buy that yacht at any time does not sound as much fun as having to work for it and then living the glory of having achieved the goal.
It seemed like an apt close to a fancy story with a happy ending. But here is the thing, you see. 'Ever after' is a long time, even within the comparatively short life span of a human being.
When I look back at the events in my life where I had claimed victory over some challenge, I remember thinking at the time that the glory will last forever. It is rarely ever so, for the next challenge is just around the corner.
In any case, wouldn't life be boring without new challenges?
I have a friend who seems to think that being born rich would be a blessing. I am not so sure. Being able to buy that yacht at any time does not sound as much fun as having to work for it and then living the glory of having achieved the goal.
Friday, April 10, 2015
My favourite bumper sticker
Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
On democracy
The latest issue of The Economist hails the arrival of democracy in Nigeria with the election of opposition candidate, Mohammadu Buhari at the ballot boxes and the fact that the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, graciously conceded defeat.
I find myself wondering if The Economist has been a little hasty in its announcement. Mohammadu Buhari, you see, is an ex-general of the Nigerian army, and the man who was head of the state of Nigeria after seizing power in a military coup-de-etat in 1983.
The true test of democracy is peaceful transition of power in two directions. This test has yet to run its course.
I find myself wondering if The Economist has been a little hasty in its announcement. Mohammadu Buhari, you see, is an ex-general of the Nigerian army, and the man who was head of the state of Nigeria after seizing power in a military coup-de-etat in 1983.
The true test of democracy is peaceful transition of power in two directions. This test has yet to run its course.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Premium Fuel
Every time I go to the petrol pump (that's gas station for you Neeraj), the attendant asks me if I wish to buy POWER, and never tires of reminding me that the difference is now less than Rs 2.5. When I asked him why I should pay a few bucks more, his answer was typical of everyone on the sell side of commodity products in India. "Quality achcha hain." When I asked how, he stared at me and said, "It is better."
Right. Better for who? I am sure it is better for him; clearly there is some sort of incentive structure in place for him to take the trouble of trying to sell me every single time. But is it really better for me? A couple of times, I succumbed to the sales pitch and chose the premium fuel, and tracked my fuel economy under similar driving conditions. The difference in fuel economy, I will have you know, is zilch. Nada. Zero. I have tried this on my city commute and on my expressway runs to Mumbai. Have tried it under controlled speeds i.e. 100 kmph on the expressway and at my regular speeds - which I shall not mention here for fear of losing my driving licence.
So is the premium fuel really any better? For the buyer that is? As it turns out, after a little it of research on the internet, not only is it not-better, but it might even be adversely affecting your engine. The number on the fuel, 87 or 91 is an index of the compression the air fuel mixture can withstand before it ignites. Car manufacturers design engines with a certain compression ratio and they recommend a fuel for their engines. If you buy premium fuel, rated say 91 for your car for which the recommended fuel is regular, say 87, then not all of the the air fuel mixture is going to ignite when the engine expects it to, and you are likely to be getting lower efficiency and fuel economy. Conversely, if you have a high performance car with a high compression ratio engine that is designed for use with a higher rated fuel and you use the regular stuff, then some of the fuel is getting ignited too early and you might need to adjust the timing on your engine. The only cars that could possibly benefit from either fuel are the ones that are designed to detect the quality of the fuel and change the ECU remap accordingly to make best use of the available fuel.
So the next time, the petrol pump attendant tries to sell you the premium stuff, you can tell him exactly where to put that nozzle. Back in its receptacle of course.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/31p35y/eli5_other_than_efficiency_what_does_pumping/
Right. Better for who? I am sure it is better for him; clearly there is some sort of incentive structure in place for him to take the trouble of trying to sell me every single time. But is it really better for me? A couple of times, I succumbed to the sales pitch and chose the premium fuel, and tracked my fuel economy under similar driving conditions. The difference in fuel economy, I will have you know, is zilch. Nada. Zero. I have tried this on my city commute and on my expressway runs to Mumbai. Have tried it under controlled speeds i.e. 100 kmph on the expressway and at my regular speeds - which I shall not mention here for fear of losing my driving licence.
So is the premium fuel really any better? For the buyer that is? As it turns out, after a little it of research on the internet, not only is it not-better, but it might even be adversely affecting your engine. The number on the fuel, 87 or 91 is an index of the compression the air fuel mixture can withstand before it ignites. Car manufacturers design engines with a certain compression ratio and they recommend a fuel for their engines. If you buy premium fuel, rated say 91 for your car for which the recommended fuel is regular, say 87, then not all of the the air fuel mixture is going to ignite when the engine expects it to, and you are likely to be getting lower efficiency and fuel economy. Conversely, if you have a high performance car with a high compression ratio engine that is designed for use with a higher rated fuel and you use the regular stuff, then some of the fuel is getting ignited too early and you might need to adjust the timing on your engine. The only cars that could possibly benefit from either fuel are the ones that are designed to detect the quality of the fuel and change the ECU remap accordingly to make best use of the available fuel.
So the next time, the petrol pump attendant tries to sell you the premium stuff, you can tell him exactly where to put that nozzle. Back in its receptacle of course.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/31p35y/eli5_other_than_efficiency_what_does_pumping/
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
High beam
While driving home late last night, I was bothered by a number of vehicles were driving with their high-beams on. After flashing my own high beam at them, some of them would switch to a lower beam, but others seemed oblivious. As I cursed them, I started to notice their vehicle registration plates. Interestingly, most of the errant drivers were driving cars with yellow registration plates, i.e. these were the 'For hire' vehicles.
Got me wondering if they have a different driving school that teaches them to indulge in this misdemeanour. I guess the simpler answer is that the drivers of these vehicles are not as educated and not as concerned about displaying civilized behaviour towards other users of the road.
Leads to strengthening my belief that the penalty for any misdemeanour needs to be large enough to be a deterrent.
Got me wondering if they have a different driving school that teaches them to indulge in this misdemeanour. I guess the simpler answer is that the drivers of these vehicles are not as educated and not as concerned about displaying civilized behaviour towards other users of the road.
Leads to strengthening my belief that the penalty for any misdemeanour needs to be large enough to be a deterrent.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Generators in Lebanon
During the civil war in Lebanon, power supply to homes was disrupted often and then stayed put that way for days. Some enterprising folks then bought some generators and started selling electric power to their neighbourhoods.
Now that the civil war is behind them; actually it has moved on to Syria - whose army entered Lebanon in 1975 and refused to leave; the government is able to put in new transformers and distribution points to supply power to the citizens again.
Unfortunately, the generator mafia has grown so rich and strong over the years that they blow up the new government transformers so that they will remain in business.
I was going to write this post under the heading Hope for India Part 3 - for some suburbs of Pune, Viman Nagar in Pune, do have piped water being supplied reliably. The reason? The elected municipal representatives from that area ran a water tanker business. Fortunately, with the new government in Maharashtra, things are changing. Piped water is finally reaching Viman Nagar. This country is finally on the move.
Our task now is to keep the corrupt out of power for ten or fifteen years and watch this country soar.
Now that the civil war is behind them; actually it has moved on to Syria - whose army entered Lebanon in 1975 and refused to leave; the government is able to put in new transformers and distribution points to supply power to the citizens again.
Unfortunately, the generator mafia has grown so rich and strong over the years that they blow up the new government transformers so that they will remain in business.
I was going to write this post under the heading Hope for India Part 3 - for some suburbs of Pune, Viman Nagar in Pune, do have piped water being supplied reliably. The reason? The elected municipal representatives from that area ran a water tanker business. Fortunately, with the new government in Maharashtra, things are changing. Piped water is finally reaching Viman Nagar. This country is finally on the move.
Our task now is to keep the corrupt out of power for ten or fifteen years and watch this country soar.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Of laundries and dabbawallas
I drove my wife to the dry cleaners early this morning trying to get there before traffic became an issue. While I waited in the car for her to finish her transaction, I was watching the proceedings on the pavement outside. Two employees of the laundry were placing a large number of clothes on three white sheets while the dhobis, presumably sub-contractors, counted the items and a third employee of the laundry made notes in his diary. A few minutes later, they had folded the sheets, tied the corners in a knot, loaded them onto their motorcycle and were off.
This laundry is one of the best run in Pune and people swear by the quality of their job and more importantly about their commitment to delivering on time. Which brings me to my question for the day.
How do they manage to run this process seemingly without error day in day out, without a computerized system and RFIDs to track the movement and progress of their clothes to the outsourced dhobis and back? I am sure the dhobis do similar work for many laundries.
Ditto with the dabbawallahs. We have all heard stories of their 6 sigma process and how they deliver on time without error. But I am yet to read about the actual process they follow. We know there are markings on the aluminium containers that tell even an illiterate person where the container gets consolidated, de-consolidated, and the building where it to be delivered at both ends. We do not get to read on how they manage the system without letting errors creep in.
Time to do some research.
This laundry is one of the best run in Pune and people swear by the quality of their job and more importantly about their commitment to delivering on time. Which brings me to my question for the day.
How do they manage to run this process seemingly without error day in day out, without a computerized system and RFIDs to track the movement and progress of their clothes to the outsourced dhobis and back? I am sure the dhobis do similar work for many laundries.
Ditto with the dabbawallahs. We have all heard stories of their 6 sigma process and how they deliver on time without error. But I am yet to read about the actual process they follow. We know there are markings on the aluminium containers that tell even an illiterate person where the container gets consolidated, de-consolidated, and the building where it to be delivered at both ends. We do not get to read on how they manage the system without letting errors creep in.
Time to do some research.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Senior citizens who complain about the youth
I was driving home this morning on a divided road and traffic in the other direction was backed up a little bit for a traffic light. As often happens in India, a motorcycle cut across at the next break in the road divider and started driving straight at me on the wrong side of the road. I was expecting this to be a college kid, but it happened to be an older person - probably in his late 50s or early 60s. He was hoping I would swerve to my left and let him pass on my right. I stopped my car right in front of his motorcycle, rolled down my window and with extreme politeness, suggested that he turn around. (Sumeet, I learned this from your posts on Abhi Safai - thanks). Perhaps taken aback by my politeness, he started to give me gyan about how I could just let him pass. Traffic built up behind me and they were all asking him to not make a scene. Traffic on the other side of the divider also started to tell him he was in the wrong. It probably became a prestige issue for him; for he shut his engine and said he could wait all day. At this point a couple of people started to drag his motorbike to the side of the road with him on it.
I couldn't resist a parting shot. "Grandpa," I said, "the next time you complain about the ineptitude and insolence of today's youth, I hope you will remember this event."
I couldn't resist a parting shot. "Grandpa," I said, "the next time you complain about the ineptitude and insolence of today's youth, I hope you will remember this event."
Friday, April 3, 2015
Standing in line
The next generation is growing up in a different India. They have not had to stand in line for railway tickets or for milk or for rations. The upside is that they tend to be a lot more civilized in their behaviour. This fact hit me hard when I was travelling with my son and we were in line to check-in for our flight. As we stood in one line, the other line moved faster. I suggested to my son that one of stand in each line. The look he gave me was not pleasant.
Time to revisit how I have been behaving for decades.
Time to revisit how I have been behaving for decades.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Honking again
We have a few squeaky chairs in our office. It is interesting to note how different people react when they find themselves in one of these. Some will quickly move to another chair. Others, more disciplined, will roll the chair over to our housekeeping department with a sticky note on it requesting that it be oiled and greased. Some others do not even notice the squeak. A couple however notice the squeak only subconsciously. They use the squeak to help themselves think; like some people drum their fingers on the desk. This makes for an interesting problem to solve. I don't want to tell them to stop because they often come up with the best solutions during these reveries. On the other hand, all I can hear is the squeak, getting louder and louder until I can't stand it anymore.
I realized that this same dynamic might be at play out on the roads. Isn't it just possible that people doing the honking might not quite be aware that they are honking. They are probably lost in thought and their finger is doing all the work while also providing a metronome for their thoughts.
It is going to be a long uphill battle to rid this country of the incessant honking.
I realized that this same dynamic might be at play out on the roads. Isn't it just possible that people doing the honking might not quite be aware that they are honking. They are probably lost in thought and their finger is doing all the work while also providing a metronome for their thoughts.
It is going to be a long uphill battle to rid this country of the incessant honking.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
April Short
A lead indicator of your ageing process is the number of times your friends have to visit the hospital.
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