Una verdad simulada

In discussing about my post on boilerplate arguments by role models, someone mentioned to me that he agreed with me when I said Mr. Narayanamurthy was just there at the right time to take advantage of the overall IT boom.

There is no question that Narayanmurthy was there at the right time; if not, he would not have co-founded one of the most successful Indian IT companies, Infosys. That part is clear. But I have serious reservations with the word (and emphasis) on “just”. Yes, Narayanmurthy was there at the right time; so were half a million others. He was the one who founded Infy, not the 499,999 others. At no point does my previous post state or imply that Narayanamurthy’s accomplishment were any lesser than they are. (If my post reads so, it is a problem with my writing.)

Who knows if Mr. Murthy was born a decade earlier or later, where would he be. You cannot just take a person out of the context in which he/she is/was successful and predict how he/she would have done. For all you know, he would have been even more successful.

He is a great role model and there are a lot of traits that need to be emulated. If even a fraction of a percent of India’s population could learn and inculcate some of his qualities, we will be a better place. I do not look up to him as my role model for various reasons stated on this blog earlier. That does not make either him or me lesser of a person. Nor does it mean I don’t respect him or that there aren’t things that I can learn from him. But given a choice, I would not want to be in his shoes. But given a choice to be in his shoes, I would not take it.

[Perhaps I am using a stronger definition of a role model: someone whom you aspire to be like, not just emulate some of his/her qualities.]

Tags: General by Niket
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Sakshi asks: “So do you know a recipe that fits in that criteria - 5 spices (6 at the most)?”

An year back, P and I visited a restaurant called Basil Ikon on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar. They claimed to serve simple dishes with fresh ingredients, which embody the concept of “Nouvelle cuisine“. In context of Indian food, this idea means a few things to me:

• No more onion-tomato gravies. My pet peeve during graduate school years was that no matter what the dish is, it would taste exactly the same: generic onion-tomato stuff with liberal use of garam masala and overcooked until all vitamins are killed.
• Blanching of veggies to reduce cooking time
• “Hot pan cold oil” idea that I got from Yan Can Cook. This reduces cooking time; although cooking temperatures are high, the oil does not smoke, nor does the food burn
• Use of good quality stainless steel or anodized pots/pans. Though, I must admit that we got both these items as gifts. I feel that sometimes nonstick spoils cooking. With steel, you need to be careful that the food does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Use a few spices that form the core of a dish. May still use spice mix, such as garam masala or Maharashtrian Goda masala. But masala should not overwhelm the dish.

So, a quick recipe: Roasted Veggies. Any hardy veggie will do: potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, asparagus. You choose. You cannot go wrong with most of the choices.

Italian seasoning: garlic, oregano, basil, red chilly flakes, red wine vinegar (optional); olive oil
Indian seasoning: garlic, cumin, sesame, coriander seeds; sunflower or olive oil
Chinese seasoning: ginger, light soy sauce, chilly vinegar; sesame oil

First step: blanch all veggies individually in salt water. To blanch, bring water to a boil, add veggies; stir for 45 seconds; remove veggies and dunk them in cold water.

Second step: If using garlic, fry in 1 tbsp oil until crisp. Remove and keep aside.

Third step: Crush any seeds with flat end of the knife. Bruise herbs. Slice ginger.

Fourth step: Heat the pan on a very high heat. Add 1-2 tsp oil. Immediately add veggies. Stir them around till they brown a little. Usually, potatoes take 2-3 minutes. Rest take about 60-90 seconds. Take the veggies out.

Fifth step: Add some more oil. Add the seasoning (results of third step). Add a little garlic. Optionally, add sliced onions and cook for 30 seconds. Add the veggies and salt. Stir till seasoning coats the veggies. Add soy/vinegar.

To serve: Dish out the veggies. Garnish with garlic from step 2.

Tags: General by Niket
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Twenty one years ago, when I watched QSQT, Aamir became an instant favorite. Jo Jeeta still remains one of my favorite movies. When he refused to accept the Filmfare award for Raja Hindustani, I “cheered” his decision. Then came Lagaan and “perfectionism” (I didn’t see it) and RDB and his blog… all of these convinced me that he is just as much flesh-and-blood, but with a holier-than-thou attitude that fooled me for almost eight years (Raja Hindustani to Lagaan).

Six months back, I considered Chetan Bhagat to be an idiot. I had read half his book. What I read did not impress me. Then I read some of his columns, and read a reply to his critics that he isn’t targeting the literary class, but folks who perhaps have read few English books. I read FPS and Two States. He had a story to tell and he told it in a fairly straightforward manner. And his prose was better than the drivel I manage to write. [A friend rightly commented that she disagreed with this stand for I am not the one writing novels]. I was hooked and bought rest of his novels. And then I read some more of his editorials. Well, suffice to say, I can’t remain a fan of a messiah for too long.

Two days back, I watched 3I. If one uses strict definitions of “adaptation” and “inspiration”, three idiots lies somewhere between the two. While FPS ends shortly after the three main characters graduate from IIT-D, 3I ends ten film-years and 45 minutes (approximate screen-time) later.

I think Chetan Bhagat made a big boo-boo when he signed-off all his rights for paltry eleven lakhs. Amit Varma is right on dot when he says that “It was silly on [film-maker’s] part not to [credit Bhagat at the start]—though the resultant publicity has done everyone involved a world of good.”

So, there was nothing legally wrong with what the film-maker’s did. Chetan Bhagat is also right in feeling let down. And I think the contrast that Vir Sanghvi draws between Slumdog and 3I is revealing:

It is no secret that Beaufoy’s script differed significantly from the book by Vikas Swarup on which Slumdog was based. But Beaufoy made it a point to thank Swarup on stage and to say that without his book there would be no screenplay, no movie, and no Oscars.

Later that same night Slumdog director Danny Boyle while accepting his own Oscar apologised to the choreographer Longinus, whose name had been left out of the end credits of Slumdog.

And here is a second image. [..]. When journos keep asking about the lack of recognition accorded to author Chetan Bhagat, on whose book the film is based, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra stands up, points a finger at an inquisitive journalist and shouts ‘Shut up’.

[…]What is the difference between the two images?
I think one word sums it up: grace.

Question: What lessons are we teaching our youth through all this? Right-on Mr. Sanghvi, we definitely lack grace.

Tags: General by Niket
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A colleague and a close friend of mine from our department, Prof. Tanmay Basak, has won the NASI-SCOPUS Young Scientist award.

Tanmay works in the areas of microwave processing, heat transfer and fluid dynamics. He is considered foremost authority on microwave driven flows and visualization of heat transfer through Bejan’s heat lines concept.

This is a great personal achievement for Tanmay and a proud moment for our institute. Also important is the context. Our department “loses out” to ICT-Mumbai, IIT-Kanpur, IISc and IIT-Bombay, in terms of faculty recruitment as well as graduate student hiring. In this respect, Tanmay’s achievement is especially commendable. Awards like this help both the recipient as well as the department.

Tags: General by Niket
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Via Pharyngula, a perfect punchline delivered at the last second:

Tags: General by Niket
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Barack Obama essentially smacked down the White-House Press Corps, much like Jon Stewart did in his Crossfire interview five years back:

Not one of them asked me about Asia. Not one of them asked me about the economy. I was asked several times about had I read Sarah Palin’s book. (Laughter.) True. But it’s an indication of how our political debate doesn’t match up with what we need to do and where we need to go.

Whether he was factually correct or not (he mostly was right), the incessant tabloid-like reporting in the media makes this comment resonate with people. This comment didn’t get as much press as the Crossfire smackdown by Stewart, but it sounds as true.

Of course, between American press and the Indian counterparts, I don’t know who is worse. No wonder my TV watching is limited to Pogo (and occasionally HBO).

Tags: General by Niket
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… so asks Rahul S.

My reply: Everything.

This is what you get when you let ideology get better of your judgments, rather than facts.

Tags: General by Niket
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