My Opera
'Unread' finally arrives on Gmail!
Saturday, September 4, 2010 5:34:12 AM
One of the most essential features that was missing from GMail has finally arrived. It may have arrived as an after-thought or a by-product, but it doesnt matter.
Sticky post
Larvalage Explained
Friday, July 23, 2010 7:07:04 PM
Before I put up some of the more serious and perhaps hard-line articles, I thought I should explain myself.
You might notice the few articles that are already up are an eclectic set. Case in point: 3 consecutive articles constitute one about a Russian investigative journalist , then one about a pioneering tablet PC and a post about ancient Hindu philosophy. Yes, these certainly don't belong on the same portal. More over, the articles that will follow will only perpetuate this varied mixture. The upcoming articles will perhaps be even more diverse and attract even diverse crowds(on all grounds). But as of now, I really don't have any other option, so please bear with me. That is why I dont even advertise a feed or elicit followers (though you can if you want to, look at the bottom of the page). That said, these articles do have things in common. They focus on the future of things and of course, they all are uniquely opinionated. All that i hope to achieve here is that, if a reader comes looking for something he is interested in, he has his appetite satiated.
Happy Reading!
You might notice the few articles that are already up are an eclectic set. Case in point: 3 consecutive articles constitute one about a Russian investigative journalist , then one about a pioneering tablet PC and a post about ancient Hindu philosophy. Yes, these certainly don't belong on the same portal. More over, the articles that will follow will only perpetuate this varied mixture. The upcoming articles will perhaps be even more diverse and attract even diverse crowds(on all grounds). But as of now, I really don't have any other option, so please bear with me. That is why I dont even advertise a feed or elicit followers (though you can if you want to, look at the bottom of the page). That said, these articles do have things in common. They focus on the future of things and of course, they all are uniquely opinionated. All that i hope to achieve here is that, if a reader comes looking for something he is interested in, he has his appetite satiated.
Happy Reading!
Compulsory Economics Education in All Democratic Countries (?)
Sunday, July 31, 2011 1:05:47 AM
Research Level: 0/5 | Interest Level: 4/5
Research Inquiries:
•Survey general public to gauge understanding of basic economics
•Survey general public to gauge their opinion on need for more economics education in schools/colleges
•Survey academics, politicians and economists to gauge their opinion on the state of economics education
I am/was one of those kids who constantly questioned things: Why were we studying this? What is the purpose of learning this material? How does it relate to reality and where would I use this knowledge? and the like. I think a lot about education. I think this is quite simply because I am in the educational system right now. One of things I have been thinking about over the past few years is what is the core of education? As in, What are those things that every human has to be educated about? These questions are very tough to answer and I don’t think there is a clear consensus on an answer to this question. Moreover, this borders on the Philosophy of Education and it’s tough to stay clear of the philosophical aspects of it. But one of things I have come to believe is that economics education must be made compulsory in all democratic countries. (As far as I know, it isn’t a compulsory subject either at the high school level or at the college level in most major democracies, ours included.)
Historically, education was restricted to the elite sections of society worldwide. Like the High-caste societies in South Asia, the bourgeois in France and the noble classes in England. Then came democracy and education was made a fundamental right in most of the newly formed nations. It was an egalitarian idea and finally we had recognized that knowledge was not for just a few. But more interesting is the importance of education to be a good, contributing member of society. In essence, to be a good citizen. It can be said that the success or efficiency of democracy is dependent on the competence of the average citizen seeing that democracy is an institution for the people, by the people and of the people. So this would mean that creating good citizens must be one of the main goals of education, if not the goal.
It’s in this context that I believe basic economics must be a compulsory subject in high schools. Economics is a central phenomenon of modern societies. Economics is ubiquitous and underlies nearly every aspect of human society. From whether it is making a choice to watch TV or international war, economics is there controlling the outcome. It’s imperative that all citizens understand the basic macroeconomic concepts like: Schools of economics, Capitalism, socialism, Communism, GDP, Free Markets, Supply and Demand, Division of Labor, International trade, Inflation, Budget, Fiscal Policy etc. These are things that every citizen is affected by and this should be reason enough to understand these systems, concepts and mechanisms. Some may say that most citizens do understand these concepts at a level that they should. Based on my personal observation, I don’t think this is true. I am reminded of a particular incident in my last year of school. We were at a seminar being conducted by the founder of a management education training institute a.k.a standardized test prep center. He asked us what the GDP per Capita was and I was one of the few who put their hands up to answer. The first person he picked gave an incorrect answer and he picked me next. I gave him the answer I remembered from reading WikiPedia. He smiled and said that half of the commerce degree students he had spoken to weren’t able to give him that answer. I think this is an axiomatic truth. Most people don’t know the general knowledge that they should. This of course, can’t be remedied by classes alone, but formal education is a necessary step in the right direction. Of course, it is equally important we make sure that the education is of the dynamic kind and economics is not taught in the same dull, theoretical, divorced fashion that most subjects are taught in classes.
Understanding the aforementioned concepts at a non-trivial level is extremely important to being a citizen in my opinion. I have benefited a great deal from both, learning these concepts through the internet and taking an economics class. In fact, I would love to study economics more as it is perhaps the central controlling phenomenon in modern society. I feel it’s your personal duty to understand these things as the power to affect the same rests in your vote. It doesn’t matter whether you are by profession a painter, a businessman, an engineer because you are first a citizen in a democracy.
Research Inquiries:
•Survey general public to gauge understanding of basic economics
•Survey general public to gauge their opinion on need for more economics education in schools/colleges
•Survey academics, politicians and economists to gauge their opinion on the state of economics education
I am/was one of those kids who constantly questioned things: Why were we studying this? What is the purpose of learning this material? How does it relate to reality and where would I use this knowledge? and the like. I think a lot about education. I think this is quite simply because I am in the educational system right now. One of things I have been thinking about over the past few years is what is the core of education? As in, What are those things that every human has to be educated about? These questions are very tough to answer and I don’t think there is a clear consensus on an answer to this question. Moreover, this borders on the Philosophy of Education and it’s tough to stay clear of the philosophical aspects of it. But one of things I have come to believe is that economics education must be made compulsory in all democratic countries. (As far as I know, it isn’t a compulsory subject either at the high school level or at the college level in most major democracies, ours included.)
Historically, education was restricted to the elite sections of society worldwide. Like the High-caste societies in South Asia, the bourgeois in France and the noble classes in England. Then came democracy and education was made a fundamental right in most of the newly formed nations. It was an egalitarian idea and finally we had recognized that knowledge was not for just a few. But more interesting is the importance of education to be a good, contributing member of society. In essence, to be a good citizen. It can be said that the success or efficiency of democracy is dependent on the competence of the average citizen seeing that democracy is an institution for the people, by the people and of the people. So this would mean that creating good citizens must be one of the main goals of education, if not the goal.
It’s in this context that I believe basic economics must be a compulsory subject in high schools. Economics is a central phenomenon of modern societies. Economics is ubiquitous and underlies nearly every aspect of human society. From whether it is making a choice to watch TV or international war, economics is there controlling the outcome. It’s imperative that all citizens understand the basic macroeconomic concepts like: Schools of economics, Capitalism, socialism, Communism, GDP, Free Markets, Supply and Demand, Division of Labor, International trade, Inflation, Budget, Fiscal Policy etc. These are things that every citizen is affected by and this should be reason enough to understand these systems, concepts and mechanisms. Some may say that most citizens do understand these concepts at a level that they should. Based on my personal observation, I don’t think this is true. I am reminded of a particular incident in my last year of school. We were at a seminar being conducted by the founder of a management education training institute a.k.a standardized test prep center. He asked us what the GDP per Capita was and I was one of the few who put their hands up to answer. The first person he picked gave an incorrect answer and he picked me next. I gave him the answer I remembered from reading WikiPedia. He smiled and said that half of the commerce degree students he had spoken to weren’t able to give him that answer. I think this is an axiomatic truth. Most people don’t know the general knowledge that they should. This of course, can’t be remedied by classes alone, but formal education is a necessary step in the right direction. Of course, it is equally important we make sure that the education is of the dynamic kind and economics is not taught in the same dull, theoretical, divorced fashion that most subjects are taught in classes.
Understanding the aforementioned concepts at a non-trivial level is extremely important to being a citizen in my opinion. I have benefited a great deal from both, learning these concepts through the internet and taking an economics class. In fact, I would love to study economics more as it is perhaps the central controlling phenomenon in modern society. I feel it’s your personal duty to understand these things as the power to affect the same rests in your vote. It doesn’t matter whether you are by profession a painter, a businessman, an engineer because you are first a citizen in a democracy.
One of the most essential features that was missing from GMail has finally arrived. It may have arrived as an after-thought or a by-product, but it doesnt matter.
The Universal Concepts of 'Runa' and 'Yajna'
Monday, July 19, 2010 5:58:03 PM
Now I can safely bet that a lot of you will not have a clue about 'Runa' and 'Yajna'. Even if you are an Indian you might not. I didn't, and I am Indian born and raised. The saving grace is that I at least practice these, some actively and some passively. But comprehensive knowledge of these concepts is key to fully realizing them.
The following is taken from Youth For Seva's Annual Report and is the tenets on which the organization and its activities stand. The author expounds these universal concepts well. It is a must read for any Indian youth.
The following is taken from Youth For Seva's Annual Report and is the tenets on which the organization and its activities stand. The author expounds these universal concepts well. It is a must read for any Indian youth.
Everything you need to know about the Notion Ink Adam
Friday, July 16, 2010 6:14:37 PM
First off, this article is long overdue. But as they say, better late than never (whoever said that is a genius by the way).
Unfortunately, as of today, tablets have become synonymous with the iPad. Though tablets have been in existence for a long time, they have only gained popularity now (for numerous reasons not within the scope of this post). One of the major reasons for this has been the release of the iPad. Apple wielded its hideous market clout once more when it kick started commercial interest and growth in this segment of the market. Yet again flattering themselves ingloriously and pompously calling their product "magical and revolutionary" (Source).
But i'm not here to bitch about Apple. This is about Notion Ink's Adam whose claim to fame is going to be only through the dint of its own merit. And boy does it have merit. (btw I lied earlier, there is still a lot of Apple bashing to follow)
Unfortunately, as of today, tablets have become synonymous with the iPad. Though tablets have been in existence for a long time, they have only gained popularity now (for numerous reasons not within the scope of this post). One of the major reasons for this has been the release of the iPad. Apple wielded its hideous market clout once more when it kick started commercial interest and growth in this segment of the market. Yet again flattering themselves ingloriously and pompously calling their product "magical and revolutionary" (Source).
But i'm not here to bitch about Apple. This is about Notion Ink's Adam whose claim to fame is going to be only through the dint of its own merit. And boy does it have merit. (btw I lied earlier, there is still a lot of Apple bashing to follow)
God Bless Mikhail Beketov
Thursday, July 15, 2010 6:58:51 PM
Mikhail Beketov was the founder and editor of Khimkinskaya Pravda (Khimki Truth), a local newspaper in Khimki. But he didn't run just a conventional local newspaper. His paper's raison d'etre was to expose corruption in Khimki. Corruption is rampant and pervasive in this little town north of Moscow. There are "dubious land deals. Crooked loans. Under-the-table hush money" in Khimki. Mikhail Beketov took it upon himself to expose these transgressions. Obviously, the people he was exposing didnt like this one bit. They started off by blowing up his car as a warning. But brave Beketov was unfazed. He continued his writing. What followed is stomach churning.
HTC 1: The Realistic Concept Phone
Monday, July 12, 2010 8:25:01 PM
What? 'Realistic' and 'Concept Phone' in the same sentence? This is madness!
That is perhaps whats is going through your head right now, but i'm not trying to beguile you. Andrew Kim of Design Fabulous has arguably done just that.
Most concept phones are usually products of violent nerdgasms; as improbable as they are dreamy. But not the HTC 1. It finds its roots in utilitarianism. And that coupled with quintessential concept phone killer looks, results in a very compelling design! Stating that HTC's Android offerings, especially the high end ones, are quiet woefully designed, he has come up with a high-end, classy, suave and thoughtful design. From choosing solver coated machined brass for the frame to cleaning and beautifying the Sense UI, his concept phone oozes quality from the ground up. The hidden speaker, streamlined buttons (of which there are very few)(Pre Plus influence anybody?) and integrated kickstand maintain and uphold the minimalistic exterior.
This design aesthetic extends to the redone Sense UI he calls 'Sense Mono'. The Sense Mono has a very clean feel to it. The screen tones and shades are subtle. Screen elements are as uncluttered and unobtrusive as possible. In fact you could almost say that they sit on the screen peacefully without hankering for your eyes constant attention. The Sense Mono also draws on Palm's Synergy and Motorola's Motoblur philosophy. It combines all social networks into a single feed and all Chat/Messaging conversations into a single stream. All in all, a really wholesome approach to the "Less is More" idea. The best part is that this isn't all that '1' entails. His design is pretty darn thorough and his presentation is excellent. Follow the link to view the concept phone in all its glory.
HTC 1 Full Detail
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