A couple of dodgy topics

In the past three days, a couple of grey areas have surfaced around me.

First, there was an unethical wildlife tourism practice that was debated on a conservation mailing list. The page has since been pulled down by Mahindra, but here's a cached copy as it appeared 3 days ago.

Some might feel that this is a grey area, but I feel that baiting/feeding wildlife for tourism purposes sets a dangerous precedent and should hence be nipped in the bud.

While this debate was playing out, I started noticing a particular ad very often on facebook. Here's a screenshot



When I just heard from a couple of others that they've been seeing the same ad recently, it seemed like too much of a coincidence.

But then, if you look at this and put it in perspective, it is scary. This is eerily accurate ad-targetting online.

George Orwell was right. He just got the year wrong !

insomnia

Recovering from a viral fever and cold. Slept through all of yesterday and most of today. And now wide awake with a sore throat and being hassled by koels and barn owls.

Living amidst birds & vegetation is not so good when you are trying to catch some shuteye.

Thank you Mr Kalmadi

Once upon a time in Bangalore, there was this vast stretch of marshy land dotted with lakes. It was a haven for all manner of aquatic life. Now there was one particular piece of marsh right in the middle of this place. A vast stretch of soggy, marshy land that was a lair for many aquatic birds. It even hosted migrants such as the endangered Siberian crane. Residents of the area recognized the privilege and kept their peace. Until one fine day in 1997, something terrible happened - Mr Suresh Kalmadi.

Unfortunately, Bangalore was chosen to host the National Games. And this entire ecosystem was to be wiped out to build accommodation for the athletes. The usual cycle of civil protest happened - walks, petitions, letters to editors - to no avail. The marsh was summarily land-filled and a hideous monstrosity of an apartment complex was quickly put up.

A decade hence. There are fewer lakes and more malls in the area. The athletes came and went. The birds went and never came. The hideous monstrosity remains hideous. Its called the National Games Village and the area is Koramangala.

PS: Thank you Mr Kalmadi for inflicting the same vandalism on other cities. Those of us who have a long memory expected nothing better from you.

The Commonwealth games

Ah, the Commonwealth Games!

Oh the excitement! The anticipation!

The greatest show on earth ( after the Olympics, Asiad, Winter Olympics, FIFA WC, IPL, EPL, UEFA Champions League, Malleshwaram-Chamrajpet tennis ball tournament and the Undertaker-Rock Steel Cage Match ) is coming to India.

The greatest sporting nations in the world ( except the US, China, Russia, France, Germany, most of South America and... well, most of the world ) will send their most celebrated athletes ( except Jamaica whose sprinters have pedicure appointments... and Britain who value their athletes' lives and digestive systems... and Pakistan who are "our valued tourist visa applicants, kindly hold the line"... and Spain who arent good at much else besides football and weren't invited anyway... and... ) to parade their stuff in packed stadia and on millions of televisions. Its a minor detail that the stadia will be packed with empty seats and construction material and that the televisions will mostly be tuned to Rakhi Sawant's karwa-chauth.

Come on, you people, stop kidding yourselves. There are so many reasons why the Commonwealth Games are a bad idea.

To begin with, India does not have a culture of sports. There's a reason why we only excel at a game where you can legally appoint someone else to run for you.( See, thats where this outsourcing thing started ) Ergo, we don't have too many champions (yet) in most of the events. So, there won't be enough spectator interest for most of the events. This will also dampen the grandeur of the television show and harm the commercial viability of the exercise.

Secondly, New Delhi? Of all places? The clowns there haven't gotten a good patch of grass going in the cricket stadium for decades now. Without delving into reasons, suffice it to say that problems cannot be solved by the same people who created them in the first place.

Thirdly, India? You ask why not? Terrorism. Most of the big names are giving it a miss as they value their left eye more than their bronze medals. Of course its preposterous to suggest that there will be security lapses, with all those committees thinking otherwise. But do you blame the athletes for choosing to play safe rather than play a harp wearing all-white and a halo ?

Fourthly, there's this little matter of an India-Australia Test series at the same time. Need I say more?

This ego trip for some bureaucrats is going to hurt us in many ways. Tax payers will end up footing the bill for a badly organized jamboree. The organization will be sub-standard and will hurt the nation's image and jeopardize our bids to host big-ticket events like the Asiad in future. With due respect to the super-patriots, the few billion dollars that will be burned, could've been put to better use. In fact, we could've bought a couple of the Commonwealth nations with that kind of money.

Birds from the balcony

Watched a strikingly beautiful shikra in action yesterday from the terrace.

Just spotted two owls hovering around my place tonight. Judging by the calls and the size, they seemed to be barn owls.

Maybe its time to get our locality notified as a biodiversity hotspot!

Sachin Tendulkar

It really doesn't matter what me (or a billion other individuals) think about him, but we cannot but rise and applaud a piece of fine craftsmanship when we witness it. Bravo Sachin!

Have to confess though that I backed Sehwag to get a double hundred more than Sachin. Sehwag's no-holds-barred game seems more suited for such a megalithic knock than Sachin's controlled-aggression approach. But the manner in which Sachin went about constructing his inning yday, a surgeon's scalpel or a sculptor's mallet seemed a more appropriate metaphor than a battle-axe. Achieving such heights of athletic excellence with intelligence rather than instinct, is something new and difficult to comprehend.

Like they say, "Genius does what it must; and then the critics come and analyze"

Now, lets anticipate the chase-down from Sehwag, Dilshan and AB !

private note

Met three interesting people over the last one week. An entrepreneur, an intrapreneur and a patent attorney. Meetings reaffirmed how perspectives are tinted by one's personal biases.

The intrapreneur raised several if's about the biz plan, and in general sounded risk-averse. He emphasized the strategy part several times.

The entrepreneur was gung-ho about the long-term prospects, and tended to downplay specific aspects of the roadmap. Emphasized the tactics more than the strategy.

The patent attorney was all in favor of protecting core parts of the concept with IP. A defensive approach, intended to raise money "atleast" by selling IP, if the business doesnt work.

Wonder how tough it is to evaluate advice objectively... Hmm...

blast from the past

When Chappell-gate happened, I had commented that Indian Cricket is in safe hands because nobody wants to kill the goose that lays golden eggs. What I didnt anticipate was that people would conduct genetic experiments on the poor goose, and force it to lay more eggs more frequently until it became a mess.

The ODI & T20 overdose in the BCCI itinerary is raking in the monies, but it is alienating the true cricket lovers. And no, Test series against Bangladesh dont count. Watching the highlights of today's play wouldnt've pleased a cricket lover. All the Indian batsmen struggled against the short ball. Sehwag & Gambhir perished to it, and Dravid fractured his jaw. I dont expect Yuvraj to do any better tomorrow.

Why is all this relevant? Because the greatest sporting moments transpire when two champions compete. And that is what an enthusiast wants to watch, whether its on television or in the stadium. At the moment, Test cricket is the truest test of a batsman's abilities, and blooding our players in this format is currently the best way to distinguish the champions from the journeymen. Which will ensure that the other "masala" formats too preserve their entertainment quotient.

By not playing enough Test Cricket ( or playing against the minnows ), the administration might end up diluting the quality of the other formats too, eventually losing viewership and hence revenue. BCCI has clout due to the revenues it generates. The time is right to convert some of that financial clout to true leadership. For long-term greed, if not out of a genuine concern for the game.

private note

Finally got the numbers sorted out. Feel that the hard part is taken care of.
Implementation is going to be complex, but looking forward to it.
Anyway, we think today that it is doable, so making a note to be revisited later.

Dear Diary ##1

Trying to be my own boss has been surreal so far. Unless you are a particular kind of individual, the minuses far outweigh the plusses.

1. The buck stops with you. There is no scope for "covering your a$$" and shifting blame. Actions have consequences and they are direct.

2. Time is always shorter than the outstanding work.

3. Being organized and meticulous seems to be paramount.

4. The opportunity seems unbounded one moment and non-existent the next.

5. Originality/Creativity is slightly overrated. Execution is more important.

6. Competition is a moving target.


The positives I've seen so far -

1. Starting at ground zero is liberating. Having no safety-net works wonders on your focus.

2. When you start getting answers in dreams, you are officially obsessed with a problem. Feels kinda good.

3. "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do" - Cap'n Jack Sparrow. Reinforced on a daily basis.