News Channels

I have grown really tired of the 24 hour news channels. It is no longer about news, it has become about filling time. They have also done away with reporters. They just have a person browsing through twitter and various blogs and present that.

They take a small story and present it using multi touch screens and colored graphs. A 2 minute piece just became a 30 minute program. Or they assemble a "panel of experts" and discuss it for hours together.

The local news on broadcast networks are better but only because they are on for a short time. Their news content is insubstantial.i say give me a 30 minute news program, with major stories from all around the world without any discussions.

HIV or Diarrhoea?

The number of deaths caused worldwide by HIV/AIDS is estimated to be 2.8 million per annum. Infectious diseases, cause almost 5 million deaths out of which diarrhoeal diseases alone account for 2 million. It is therfore surprising that while almost $7-8 billion are spent in stoppping the epidemic of AIDS, diarrhoea hardly even gets a mention. The global investment on HIV related vaccine research alone was close to $1 billion in 2006. Improving sanitation levels in the developing countries and educating people about hygiene can prevent most mortality caused by diarrhoea. The UN recognised this last year and decided to call 2008 'The international year of sanitation'. It is imperative that this initiative be treated seriously and spending increased to allow effective implementation. Wouldn't it be better to spend funds to setup toilets and provide clean water and save lives now than investigating a cure that could save lives some years later. Providing improved sanitation is not just about saving lives, it improves standard of living. More importantly, it reduces child and infant mortality and allows the community to prosper. AIDS mortality is on the rise and efforts must be definitely taken to stop its progress. But at the same time we should not neglect the other major diseases worldwide, especially those that can be countered with simple solutions.

Acquainted With the Night - a poem by Robert Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain - and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

Age of Impatience

With the herald of the new century and millenium, has come the complete loss of patience in people. We not only want our food cooked in 2 minutes, watch PIP television, but also watch news, check email and attend to phone calls at the same time, while driving of course. No one wants to wait. Whatever happened to sitting back in a comfortable chair and reading a book for the full day. what happened to 2 hour, seven course lunches. what happened to the five day test matches with a rest day? people travel via air to a different continent and back on the same day. what happened to taking long train journeys just to enjoy the countryside?

This has permeated in our lifelong aims and pursuits and our social behaviour too, leading to more anger and frustration. Everyone wants to be a millionaire when they turn 25. No one wants to wait for a fat paycheck and status at the end of their life. People choose careers not on what interests them, but what will make them rich tomorrow. Look at how society is changing, with higher divorce rates, broken families, higher crime rates, increased intolerance towards other people. People are not patient with their kids, parents or their spouses. people don't patiently teach their kids to play ball even if it takes weeks.

Do we need to curse at the driver in the car up front if it is being driven slower? why can't we wait for the old lady to get up on the bus rather than pushing her aside. can we not be patient and not keep hopping jobs?can we write a letter to our parents instead of the two line IM? can we allow our kids to misspell their names and learn at their own pace? can we be more patient in our lives and as people?

Planet Earth

The new miniseries from Discovery channel about Planet Earth is just awesome. It is a 11 part series with each part focusing on wildlife in similar regions (like deserts, mountains, grasslands etc) around the world. Do see it if you can.

life comes at you fast

It has been almost a year since I wrote a blog last. Almost a year since the Steelers won the superbowl and now its the Colts. phew. it seems like its still 2006, no 2005. the last 2 years have been a complete blur. i can still remember college days as if it was yesterday. ah! just getting older and fast.

Failure of Engineers...

What is it that makes the 'Northern' nations rich and powerful, at this moment in time? Is it music and dance? Is it language and literature? Can it be medicine or perhaps better architecture? What is it that first comes to mind when one thinks of the western world? Better, faster cars and airplanes, faster computers, big buildings, immaculate network of roads and highways, space shuttles, large numbers of missiles, ships and submarines. What's common to all these? They all are related to engineering.

It is true that the western world had a headstart in the fields of applied sciences. But the time it has taken for the rest to play catch up is not enviable. Some countries like Japan have fared better (actually Japan is positioned better than most european nations and the US). India and China are now becoming formidable, but only in certain sectors. We have zillions of engineers in India (even the nation's cricket captain is one), and almost one engineering college on every street in the southern states. Believe me, the number of students in the engineering discipline in US universities is quite small (I was there in the third largest univ). So why is it that it took us fifty years after independence to build the Konkan rail and some of the finest rail routes were constructed in the British times. Why is it that our trains run slower than the european and japanese cars (average speed on highways is 115 kmph in the western world)? Why do we still import motherboards from Taiwan? where are the atomic energy plants, reflecting telescopes and GPS satellites?

We tend to blame it on the following: Politicians, population, illiteracy, lack of resources and last but not least, the British. Accepted that these are affecting factors, but what about us Engineers? Are we so lazy and unmotivated or are we just incapable? Indian music, dance and art is one of the best in the world. We make the best carpets, gems, pottery. We grow and export large amounts of tea, sugar and rice. We make some of the finest movies (and also the largest number), our doctors are world renowned and are trained to handle hundreds of patients a day. It is time the Engineers stepped up. It is time Indians got their share of wireless broadband internet, speedy cars and high rise buildings.