tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63009512012-01-30T04:46:56.832-08:00Welcome to Jayprakash's blogsiteJayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.comBlogger3791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-68396580234133731982011-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:002011-12-25T09:30:04.643-08:00

I get mail emails from many newsletters that have a link that says "Click here to unsubscribe". That's a good way to let people opt out out mailers that they no longer wish to read. However, what irritates me is that I get these emails from mailing lists that I have never subscribed to, or I don't remember subscribing to. When I get such an email I am in two minds whether I should unsubscribe or

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-49578824619040843852011-08-03T22:47:00.000-07:002011-08-03T23:31:45.687-07:00

Sometimes when you hope that your battles would end, you realize that it is just a beginning. When you think that you are too tired to fight anymore, you realize that there is still a long struggle ahead of you. You wonder how you are going to face the future. "How am to face tomorrow? Whence will get the strength to fight"? And yet you go through it all the same, without resigning, without

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-69264235786968159852011-06-01T21:48:00.000-07:002011-06-01T22:03:21.513-07:00

In October last year, Google News introduced an option to show more or less news from particular news sources. It didn't take me long to make good use of it, and I wrote about it here - Less News from Times of India. Despite that I still came across some links from ToI on my Google News page. Today, I found that Google has introduced an improved feature, which I hope eliminates news sources from

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-14728115808946536922011-04-06T19:44:00.000-07:002011-04-06T20:38:34.739-07:00

I can't say this was my best game on Chess.com. However it was definitely one of the most pleasing wins I have had since I started playing on Chess.com three months ago. It was Sicilian Najdorf (which reminds me of Pradeep Paranjape), and I was playing white against C Arindam from India. Here's how it went:1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Be2 Be7 8. Qd2 O-O 9. O-O

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-51735453706276229102011-03-21T22:52:00.001-07:002011-03-21T23:15:52.089-07:00

It just amazes me how low Manmohan Singh can stoop to stay in power. No other Indian politician could have the audacity to be such a shameless liar! How many more do we have to hear from this crook before the people of our nation kick him out of his chair?When the whole world knows that he won 2008 No Confidence motion by bribing MPs, our disrespected Prime Minister continues to lie brazenly! And

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-10439225332060585872011-03-11T22:47:00.000-08:002011-03-11T23:03:23.133-08:00

I finally figured out the link between my Nexus S mobile phone contacts and my gmail contacts. Ever since I synced my cell phone and my gmail contacts, I had been bewildered by disappearing contacts! I would create and save a contact on my cell phone, and it would just disappear. I wouldn't show up on my contacts after I saved it. I was miffed at the way Contacts app on my cell phone was behaving

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-18406617007596261542011-02-26T14:02:00.001-08:002011-02-26T14:09:18.131-08:00

A cold wave has swept Seattle last few days. This is what I woke up to on Thursday.So it was work from home on Thu. On Friday the temperature was sub-zero throughout the day. Cleaning the ice off the car was grueling, because the snow from previous day had turned into hard ice! I saw some interesting icicles hanging from cars. By evening this is how the surroundings looked like:

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-70508593590589342392011-02-21T00:31:00.001-08:002011-02-21T00:31:15.312-08:00

Here I am blogging from my new Android phone, Nexus S ... when I ought to be sleeping! It's 12:30 a.m. and I an alarm set for 5 a.m. But this new phone is so addictive, I just can't keep it down!

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-87917817044090935942011-02-12T16:48:00.001-08:002011-02-12T16:54:28.992-08:00

I spent a few hours in the library this afternoon. I really enjoyed it. Just being among all the books makes one feel elated! It was not easy for me, even in the quiet ambiance of the library, to focus fully on my study. The habit of studying is kind of broken. Yet, between the distractions that I indulged into, I was able to spend some time reading what I wanted to. I want to make it a habit to

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-39146575029758384102011-01-05T01:03:00.000-08:002011-01-05T01:06:37.183-08:00

And one of the first things I did on the laptop was to download and install Google Chrome. I browsed the Net for sometime on IE, but couldn't live with it for long. So, I quickly downloaded Chrome. I am writing this blog on Chrome. The previous one was written on IE.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-83403349380196403582011-01-05T00:25:00.000-08:002011-01-05T01:00:46.068-08:00

Yesterday we purchased our first laptop - HP G62-372US. It has an i3-370M processor, 4GB memory, 320GB hard disk, 15.5 inch screen and a built-in webcam. I think this has become a standard configuration at present. This is our first personal laptop. Hence it was very exciting to unpack it today and to use it.This is also my first brush with Windows 7 operating system. It seems more jazzy that

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-17539164520905718912010-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:002010-11-28T15:58:04.457-08:00

Here's a good article on ExpressIndia website about 2G scam: PM’s ultimate humiliation

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-28711376949667212812010-11-21T23:08:00.000-08:002010-11-21T23:16:12.370-08:00

There were several important tasks to be done this weekend, and I didn't do any of those. I was so bored that I just whiled away the weekend doing nothing. By Sunday evening I was bored to death. Finally, in the evening Poornima and I went out to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part I. That proved to be a silver lining to the otherwise dark weekend.Deathly Hallows - Part I was a very

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-22657454279542518062010-11-20T12:29:00.000-08:002010-11-20T13:00:58.377-08:00

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-42401335219323746752010-11-07T00:51:00.000-07:002010-11-12T16:30:33.673-08:00

I am quite sensitive to user-friendliness (or unfriendliness) of software, and of web pages in particular. I am really annoyed, when I come across poorly designed web pages. I find it very surprising that even popular websites that receive crores of hits everyday make some poor design decisions. For instance, let's look at the Amazon home page. It looks clean and convenient. However there are

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-49986598771143946122010-11-06T00:04:00.000-07:002010-11-06T00:24:30.578-07:00

If you have traveled in private buses in India you might have noticed this - the driver switches off music or video several minutes before reaching the destination. With entertainment switched off, those last few minutes of a tiring journey become even more restless. I had always wondered why they switch off the music too soon. Recently I have observed that the car radio becomes extremely

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-71748665865216300872010-11-03T19:39:00.001-07:002010-11-12T16:31:21.481-08:00

I had a wonderful evening yesterday. I came home after a long day at work, so hectic that I had to skip lunch. After I had my dinner, when I learnt that Vedika had been unusually peevish that day, I thought it was time for us to have some well-deserved fun.I switched off the lights in the room and switched on the new lamp we have bought that projected stars and moon on the ceiling and walls of

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-82441232146069361152010-10-18T22:44:00.000-07:002010-10-20T22:04:21.641-07:00

About 8 months ago, I had written about not being to customize Google News to exclude news from bogus news sources. I had done some workarounds to achieve that. But I wished there were some easy way to do it.Today, when I clicked on News Settings, I was delighted to see options to personalize Google to have more or less news from certain sources. It did not take me long to update and save my

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-73288490977136981162010-10-16T12:55:00.000-07:002010-10-16T13:04:55.601-07:00

Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-62217956061644147492010-10-02T18:38:00.000-07:002010-10-02T19:23:02.650-07:00

Swapan Dasgupta is one of few sensible intellectuals in our country. His articles are balanced, and well thought of, unlike those of the "secular" (read anti-Hindu) intellectuals of the country. It is on such sensible thinkers like Swapan that our hopes of Indian intelligentsia guiding the country on the right path of justice, peace, progress and self-respect rest. The Sunday Pioneer published a

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-15021116680852927732010-10-01T03:01:00.000-07:002010-10-10T12:02:32.904-07:00

Yesterday's historic verdict by Allahabad High Court on the Ramjanmabhoomi case should pave way for a process of reconciliation and construction of a temple on the birthplace of Lord Ram. Some Hindus might be disappointed by the decree to give away a third of the Ramjanmabhoomi land to Muslims. However, it would suit Hindus to be magnanimous at this point, and accept the verdict with an intent at

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-57989247768703315882010-09-13T20:00:00.000-07:002010-09-13T21:01:47.796-07:00

It was the happiest day of my life. Our cute little angel - Vedika - arrived, bringing with her indescribable joy to our lives! I had never imagined what an amazing feeling it would be to hold my little baby in my hands. I can look at her and talk to her for hours. And when I see her smile, it is a moment of ecstasy!

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-79818678454528866272010-09-06T14:58:00.000-07:002010-09-15T03:16:15.569-07:00

While browsing the internet, I came across an article that said that Akbar had about 5,000 wives! After my initial surprise, I did some research on internet, which led to the conclusion that this was probably true. The wikipedia article on Akbar (with a disclaimer stating "the neutrality of this article is disputed") mentions that Akbar had a harem, but does not mention its size. Most other

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-8916636733755530192010-09-06T14:02:00.000-07:002010-09-06T21:43:29.450-07:00

I came across this interesting website: Hindupedia.com. It's an attempt at creating an encyclopedia on Hinduism.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-15882406833336569632010-09-04T01:24:00.000-07:002010-09-04T01:30:45.069-07:00

Last weekend we went Alki Beach. It was very sunny, with temperature of around 25 degrees centigrade - beautiful weather to be on a beach. I shot some cool pictures of Seattle skyline. Here are a couple of them.Seattle Downtown Skyline (click to enlarge)Seattle Space Needle (click to enlarge)

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-43414070979086560092010-09-01T00:55:00.000-07:002010-09-01T01:07:28.653-07:00

Did you know that India's economy is larger than that of Russia? I was surprised to know that. India's economy (measured in terms of nominal GDP) is larger than that of Russia, but smaller than Spain, Brazil and Canada. Check out the list of top economies of the world in 2009. US GDP is bigger than the GDPs of next three nations put together! Japan was number 2 until last month. In August China

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-48216836430312682892010-09-01T00:37:00.000-07:002010-09-01T00:41:19.688-07:00

Here's a good collection of clips of extraordinary football goals. And the HD effect is really amazing! Jump ahead and ignore the first 50-odd seconds of the clip.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-91655286908504452382010-08-27T23:52:00.000-07:002010-08-28T00:44:29.597-07:00

After writing post titled Nothing to write about, I thought for sometime, and remembered something to write about. Something that I wanted to write about for a long time, but kept forgetting to write. I wanted to write about the best movies I saw in last one year. And here it goes.I saw quite a few movies in last one year. Let me recollect the names - The Last Emperor, Driving Miss Daisy, The

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-60308897066119845602010-08-27T22:26:00.001-07:002010-08-28T00:36:39.459-07:00

Not sure what to write about.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-45541782797873148622010-08-15T22:47:00.000-07:002010-08-15T23:35:14.593-07:00

What's in it to write about, you might ask. We all watch TV, everyday, don't we? Yes and no. Most people watch TV, everyday. Most, but not all. There are few like me, who have given it up almost altogether. In last 7 years, I have spent more time brushing my teeth, or tying my shoelaces, than watching TV. I get my news on the Net. There is little else of value on TV. Yes, I know, there is that

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-76134723318860150082010-08-06T00:39:00.000-07:002010-08-06T01:08:53.901-07:00

Even as the clueless Manmohan Singh government refuses to concede that it has failed in its primary duty to maintain law and order in the country, the only sensible reaction to the relentless violence in Kashmir has come from Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF), and former chief of the Youth Congress.In his statement Bitta has:opposed a special

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-6361661411810407122010-07-18T12:04:00.000-07:002010-07-18T13:01:05.737-07:00

We decided to buy a new camera last November. After our initial research, we shortlisted two cameras - Canon Powershot SX 20 IS and Panasonic Lumix FZ-35/38. The two models are top-selling non-SLR digital megazoom cameras of the day. As we soon learnt, the choice between the two is a difficult one. There are many forums on internet where people have vented their frustration at not being able to

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-19536987449819945142010-07-08T02:03:00.000-07:002010-07-09T08:12:58.226-07:00

I was never a big fan of hi-tech shaving razors. Until I finished my B-school, I generally used double-sided razor blades (remember Supermax?!) and a basic plastic case to hold the blade. I had tried Gillette Presto a few times in my college days (do you recall the famous "saTaa-saT vaah!" ad showing a young boy and his dad trying out the newly introduced twin-blade shaving razor). When I started

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-76039233677073163162010-07-03T18:52:00.000-07:002010-07-03T19:21:47.682-07:00

No matter how far we are from our country, we are never far away from the memories of our great nation. No matter how long we stay away from our motherland, the memories of those great men, who have inspired generations, are always with us. The songs that narrate the heroic feats of our fathers, visit our hearts ever so frequently, and remind us that we are inheritors of a great courageous legacy

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-14954344395009296972010-06-27T18:52:00.000-07:002010-06-27T20:38:17.795-07:00

To be displayed among top three links on a Google search - isn't that something! If you search "Chicago snaps" on Google images, the top three images displayed are from my blogsite!A few days back I noticed that my blog is getting increasing number of hits from Chicago. That piqued me. I wondered whether it was due to new friends I made on my visit to Chicago in April. But I wasn't convinced.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-60210091392700171652010-06-27T17:09:00.000-07:002010-06-27T17:10:54.858-07:00

Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.- Muhammad Ali

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-1707210054246550572010-06-20T20:56:00.000-07:002010-06-27T21:13:32.245-07:00

Today, I landed on Spring road in Ipswich, UK, and walked up and down the street until I reached the front of the house we stayed in 2006-07. Hey, no! I am not on a tour of England. I am sitting at my house in Seattle! I am just looking at Google maps. Google maps is getting better every day. Sitting at home, I could virtually walk on a road in UK. I could zoom in on the house, and see the the "

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-39571902750711349372010-06-20T20:42:00.000-07:002010-06-20T20:47:04.889-07:00

Read this one: It's nobody's fault. Too good!!

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-45235671092076430582010-06-20T20:15:00.000-07:002010-06-20T20:26:35.514-07:00

An excellent article on how the evil nexus between politicians, bureaucracy and judiciary to protect the interests of the rich and the powerful has weakened Indian democracy.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-42332001125080078382010-06-19T00:30:00.000-07:002010-06-19T01:03:45.968-07:00

"Hi there! Pleased to meet you. I am यमराज. And I will take care of you." Not the kind of words, one would be "dying" to hear! When I was ill last week, these were the words said to me, almost. Here's how it happened.I had slight cough, cold and fever last Thursday. So I took a day off from work and rested. I felt much better on Friday, and I went to office. In the evening I had dinner at a

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-12868807260442965832010-06-14T22:15:00.000-07:002010-06-19T00:39:01.053-07:00

I made a serendipitous discovery of 39 episodes of Malgudi Days on www.malgudidays.net. I watched the first episode in which Swami becomes the hero of the town.Malgudi Days was unarguably one of the best TV serials in India. When I think about programs like Malgudi Days, I miss the good old days of Doordarshan. We did not have 24-hr TV back then. But boy, did we have quality! And to contrast it

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-13566281187185558262010-06-12T19:55:00.000-07:002010-09-06T15:43:12.231-07:00

How would you like it if you were able to tell the exact distance between any two places in your city without referring to any map? Won't that be very convenient? I have discovered a way to do just that. It works most of the time, and it is very easy. Here's how it goes.Most of the roads in Bellevue are either North-South or East-West. North-South roads are called Avenues and East-West roads are

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-58156163513651266472010-06-12T03:21:00.000-07:002010-06-19T01:05:38.595-07:00

Dec 3, 1984: Over 10,000 people die of methyl isocyanate leaked from Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. Over 5 lakh people affected.Dec 7, 1984: Union Carbide CEO, Warren Anderson charged with manslaughter, arrested and released on bail.Warren Anderson flies from Bhopal to Delhi on Congress I Chief Minister Arjun Singh's aircraft and flees India at Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's connivance.Shame on

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-542106842442368852010-05-27T01:14:00.001-07:002010-06-27T20:10:00.793-07:00

It's late and I am tired. Tomorrow's productivity at work might be affected due to lack of sleep tonight. Nothing new, of course. How long can we IT professionals go on this way? What should we do to overcome this sick work culture? I hope and try, but rarely succeed. And I have no hope of achieving that in near future. :-(

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-82643937443248815362010-05-24T22:14:00.000-07:002010-05-24T22:21:37.435-07:00

Here is another good editorial from The Hindu. A few days back The Hindu had analyzed the arithmetic of Lok Sabha and the behaviour of Central Government inside the Parliament. Today's editorial analyzes the Government's actions and policies outside the House, as the government completes one vain year in office.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-51717450969558884102010-05-23T00:18:00.000-07:002010-05-24T22:14:42.457-07:00

Today I was contemplating about the necessity of having more steadiness of mind, and what I should do to develop greater equanimity. Then I opened my diary to pen down my thoughts. As I turned the pages and opened today's page, it had this verse from Hinduism's greatest gift to mankind - the Bhavadgita:बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः|अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ||

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-63443008506045817522010-05-21T00:46:00.000-07:002010-05-23T01:03:52.939-07:00

This news from The Wall Street Journal just left me dumbstruck!Scientists Create Synthetic Organism!! The news is so overwhelming, I am almost numb! It is difficult to say what should be the right reaction to this event.The debate about cloning and genetic research has been raging along for quite some time now. With new developments taking place in genetic research, this news was bound to come.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-90374276784122746072010-05-15T08:23:00.000-07:002010-05-23T01:06:29.895-07:00

Here is a very good analysis of the numbers position in the Lok Sabha, and the condition of present government at the Centre . As usual, The Hindu's slight leftward tilt is perceptible in the article. Yet, on the whole, it is a very fair analysis.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-91902364733755385092010-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:002010-05-15T08:40:47.661-07:00

Close to 2 lakh farmers have committed suicide in India in last 12 years. Maharashtra topped the chart for highest number of farmers committing suicide. It is deplorable that the Congress governments, both at center and state, remain apathetic to such a grievous situation in which the poor peasants in our country live.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-85578108848921452702010-05-12T23:04:00.000-07:002010-05-12T23:20:50.163-07:00

A good article on how Right to Information Act is helping citizens keep a tab on the government.Here's a related article on how the government is trying to blunt it.It is important that RTI isn't weakened. Especially the current UPA government, which has put India among the top nations requesting google to censor internet data.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-12928774844710364582010-05-09T02:42:00.000-07:002010-05-09T02:54:29.224-07:00

Most blogs on Blogspot display a "Next Blog" link on the top of the page. I have often browsed blogs using the "Next Blog" link. Successive clicks on Next Blog would throw up random blogs from across the world. It seems that blogspot has modified this feature and put some intelligence behind which blog to show next. Today, every click on "Next Blog" brought up another blog from India. And most of

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-49722487604253855742010-05-09T02:11:00.000-07:002010-05-09T02:56:14.523-07:00

Shot at Kekaha beach, Kauai, from my new Panasonic Lumix FZ-35/38.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-36151622649828494122010-05-06T18:44:00.000-07:002010-05-06T18:45:23.793-07:00

Nothing is worth doing wrong for ... because nothing is ever so good as it seems.- Nancy Lammeter in George Eliot's Silas Marner

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-25359295212633478032010-04-21T23:30:00.001-07:002010-06-27T20:10:19.694-07:00

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-74469100257811922922010-04-17T12:24:00.000-07:002010-04-17T12:28:08.977-07:00

I have started writing a new blog on Supply Chain Management and Project Management to share my knowledge of the two subjects.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-87954482073488864072010-04-12T00:57:00.000-07:002010-06-27T18:49:56.171-07:00

Here are some snaps of Chicago. The first one is view of Lake Shore Dr taken from Hancock Tower. The second snap is also taken from Hancock Tower. The third photo is of Cloud Gate in Millenium Park.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-50821224422123671342010-04-09T22:46:00.000-07:002010-04-09T22:51:08.098-07:00

We reached Chicago this evening. In the evening we visited John Hancock Observatory. It's a 94th floor observatory with an amazing view of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan! I will post some photos I took with our new Panasonic FZ-35.Chicago seems to be an amazing place! So lively! So full of energy! In contrast to sleepy (not sleepless) Seattle! I just love these big and fast cities. After all

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-18185074340135315252010-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:002010-04-04T21:49:33.726-07:00

All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established. - Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-30913250189365230342010-04-04T01:09:00.000-07:002010-04-24T22:57:13.251-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we saw a beautiful rainbow from our bedroom window. I quickly grabbed the camera and took a few shots. Here's one of them:

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-18205917809578383822010-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:002010-05-23T01:08:23.787-07:00

Watch this most amazing acrobatics performance!It's difficult to say which feat is the best. I liked the stunt at 3:56, when the topmost boy on the right of the screen jumps up in air and another takes his place, just before the boy in the air falls down and stands on the shoulder of the newcomer.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-38319774067011740212010-03-20T22:37:00.000-07:002010-04-04T21:40:58.902-07:00

It's a long time since a great movie like Gladiator has been released. I love to watch the battle of Germania scene from Gladiator. It watched it a few times today. Then I watched this interesting re-creation of the battle of Stirling Bridge. The battle of Stirling Bridge is one of the most memorable battles in first war of Scottish independence. On September 11, 1297, Scottish forces led by

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-27605354673581549362010-03-15T20:17:00.000-07:002010-03-15T20:20:12.914-07:00

Here's a good article on China in Supply Chain Digest.Read it and let me know your views.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-16802072153761475822010-03-15T20:01:00.000-07:002010-04-04T21:55:00.810-07:00

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-67004176871902213932010-03-04T23:06:00.000-08:002010-04-04T21:55:34.379-07:00

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-43863274793541021102010-03-03T21:38:00.000-08:002010-03-03T21:53:04.745-08:00

I went swimming after a long time. I couldn't do sauna as I had to return back home quickly for my daily call with my team member working in India. Daily official calls are getting longer these days. Work is getting more hectic.By the way, wet sauna is my latest discovery. It's a new addition to things I enjoy. 24-Hour Fitness Center, where I go swimming, has sauna rooms and jacuzzi, besides the

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-48540457277891951502010-03-02T23:34:00.000-08:002010-03-02T23:48:13.420-08:00

Three large dinosaur eggs besides a river. One hatches and an infant dinosaur pops out. A snake, three and a half meeters long, encircles the hatched egg to make a meal out of the new born dinosaur. A storm blows and drowns the the snake and the dinosaur in debris of mud, causing instant death for both. There their bodies remain for next 6 crore 70 lakh years. Then one fine day someone discovers

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-88749159505329985782010-02-17T23:11:00.000-08:002010-10-18T22:44:14.097-07:00

I am a great fan of Google. Google comes up with great products. However, in some instances they seem to be refusing adding simple features that people really need. I use Google News to read news from different sources. Google news is a decent news aggregator. However there is one feature that readers across the world are craving for. The feature is to exclude news from a specific news sources in

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-77053913391982478862010-02-15T22:44:00.000-08:002010-02-15T22:50:38.219-08:00

I have installed Google Chrome on my laptop. After getting used to Chrome, I find IE extremely awkward to work with.Google, however, seem to have made a faux pas, the way they rolled out Buzz. There are several privacy issues that gmail users are facing due to not knowing enough about the features of Buzz and default settings decided by Google for Buzz. Some years back Google had launched Google

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-57133203967285059082010-02-14T13:54:00.000-08:002010-02-14T14:30:56.839-08:00

Yesterday we attended Asia Pacific Cultural Center's new year celebration. There were going to a music and dance show. In the morning I said to Poornima, "I won't enjoy it. But I will come with you since you'll like it. You can also meet all your friends". Poornima was supposed to participating in a couple of dance sequences, but had to opt out. After extracting a promise from Poornima not to

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-57309657017234501642010-02-13T20:36:00.000-08:002010-02-13T21:06:57.238-08:00

The most ridiculous reaction to (probably the first) bomb blast in Pune was from Pune's Congress MP Suresh Kalamadi, who "appealed to the people of Pune to be calm". India's problem is not that people become agitated by terrorism. Our problem is that ordinary citizens care less about terrorism. "It is neighbour's daughter, who died in the terrorist attack, not mine. Thank God! Now, let me get

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-76411744669533590852010-02-08T22:38:00.000-08:002010-02-08T23:00:28.487-08:00

Interesting Google SuperBowl ad.And here's one from Coca Cola

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-41630743384716307752010-01-31T11:26:00.000-08:002010-01-31T11:44:58.133-08:00

Last week I listened to book on CD Silas Marnar while driving to office. It was a good adaptation of George Elliot's literary masterpiece. I had read the book just after I had quit my first job and before my B-school started. It's a very poignant tale of an old blind weaver who is transformed by his love for an orphaned child, whom he takes in his care and brings her up. Good old Sesha had given

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-48918405620941088042010-01-30T23:49:00.000-08:002010-06-27T20:56:39.934-07:00

While browsing LinkedIn, I came across this extra-ordinary gentleman with about 14 years of work experience. Here's summary of his stints on different jobs!Job 1: May 1996 – February 1998 (1 year 10 months)Job 2: March 1998 – June 1998 ( 4 months)Job 3: August 1998 – July 1999 (1 year)Job 4: August 1999 – April 2000 ( 9 months)Job 5: May 2000 – October 2000 ( 6 months)Job 6: November 2000 –

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-66026843946044533072010-01-30T23:32:00.000-08:002010-01-30T23:38:03.430-08:00

It was interesting for me to note my blogging statistics. 299 blog entries in 6 years. Close to 50 entries every year or 1 entry per week. I was very active in the first two years; then there was a lull for three years; finally, last year was an average year when it came to how frequently I blogged.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-85769185285067775992010-01-28T23:06:00.000-08:002010-01-28T23:20:45.974-08:00

The deal that fell through last year was finally closed this time. According to industry experts JDA's acquisition of i2 would create a tremendous positive synergies for the two companies - i2 being strong in hi-tech and discrete manufacturing, and JDA in retail. It would create exciting opportunities for both the companies, with a combined customer base of over 6,000! It would be really good if

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-75492789663331979482010-01-01T02:19:00.001-08:002010-06-27T20:57:14.405-07:00

I don't party too much on new year's eve. After several years, it was a very enjoyable new year's eve this time. We saw Avatar in 3D IMAX at Pacific Science Center. The IMAX theater at Pacific Science Center is the largest IMAX in the world, with the screen as tall as a six storey building! It has 12,000 W of digital surround stereo. Although we were not the first to enter the auditorium, we were

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-87299427719897329072010-01-01T02:17:00.000-08:002010-01-01T02:18:58.049-08:00

Wish you a very happy, prosperous and successful new year 2010!!

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-39360039677062464592009-12-29T23:20:00.000-08:002010-07-08T03:13:39.741-07:00

The Congress I government in Centre is solely responsible for the mess it has created in Telangana/AP. Telangana issue is the latest addition in the list of historic blunders committed by successive Congress governments that have caused our nation dearly.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-49025774789748573262009-12-24T18:34:00.000-08:002009-12-24T19:47:18.729-08:00

Here's an interesting incident that occurred a couple of weeks back. One Thursday over coffee, I showed my friends my gold wedding ring and told them how careless I am about it, and how I misplace it at home all the time. I narrated a couple incidents about it, and we had some good laugh. The next day in office, I noticed that I wasn't wearing my ring. "I have forgotten my ring at home as usual."

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-35781726459848667862009-12-20T17:12:00.000-08:002009-12-20T17:39:01.772-08:00

Today I completed the Art of Living course that Poornima and I were attending. It was a "really nice" course (as Abhishekh Shah, who was our instructor/teacher might say it). This is the second time I have attended the course. For some reason (not fully clear to me), I think this one had more impact on me. Probably because I was more in need of it this time than earlier. I think I have drifted

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-41626195253489094402009-12-20T17:09:00.000-08:002009-12-20T17:10:07.243-08:00

Where will I be one year from now?

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-2961481995873379982009-12-19T23:59:00.000-08:002009-12-20T00:08:11.290-08:00

This week, Poornima & I have been attending The Art of Living basic course. This is the second time both of us are doing it. I have attended it in 2005 and Poornima had attended it 2006. I think somehow I am gaing more from it this time. I feel my mind is calmer since last two days and my concentration has improved. I feel better. Let me see if I continue to practise the kriya regularly after the

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-37923588884534606412009-12-13T21:41:00.000-08:002010-06-27T20:57:59.754-07:00

Indian Express writes on corruption in media

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-611613690615335272009-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:002010-06-27T20:58:38.260-07:00

Ravi, Amit and I went skiing at Snoqualmie. It was the first of this season. It was the most amazing skiing experience ever. Ravi and I were skiing down the slope effortlessly and with very few incidents of slipping. We started skiing at 11 am. and skied till the skiing range closed at 4 pm. It was snowing throughout that time, and sometimes heavily. Although the snow affected visibility and

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-37528664395852732322009-12-09T21:02:00.000-08:002009-12-09T21:39:08.411-08:00

For the past two days, we have been having sub-zero temperatures 24 hours. Yesterday night mercury dipped to -8 degrees centigrade! Temperature is expected to remain below zero for a couple of days more. Later in the week, it is expected to rise above the freezing point. The consequence of this has been that any water fallen on road has turned into ice. This has made roads slippery. Today, I

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-85324761865698763532009-12-09T21:00:00.000-08:002009-12-09T21:01:37.071-08:00

For many of us, the greatest battles of life are those we have with ourselves.- H. Wallace Goddard, Ph.D.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-3585712772600432442009-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:002009-12-06T22:04:50.967-08:00

My company has a policy of issuing Moto Razor to its employees. Many people consider Moto Razor as a good sleek phone. If you have ever used it, you'll know that its the worst phone ever designed by any cell phone company. The user interface is especially pathetic. Here are some of the irritating features that the phone has.Moto Razor Crib#1-----------------If you remove the SIM card, you do

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-23594927075101812632009-11-30T06:33:00.000-08:002009-11-30T06:36:30.562-08:00

Find out who is paying for the junk that you are reading or viewing in the name of news. Read this and ponder.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-16337532919306291232009-11-29T01:28:00.000-08:002009-11-29T01:47:21.962-08:00

Found this interesting map on wikipedia -Here is a link to interesting set of maps, to which this one belongs.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-26262418002799098902009-11-29T01:00:00.001-08:002009-11-29T01:03:29.605-08:00

On Black Friday there were many people in downtown Seattle standing with placards saying "BUY MORE STUFF!!" Shot a picture of that in my cell phone.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-14187666047376698562009-11-26T10:58:00.000-08:002009-11-26T11:35:44.424-08:00

I am reading C Rajagopalachari's translation of Ramayana. I admire C Rajaogopalachari not only as a freedom fighter, a scholar, a liberalist, an extraordinary intellectual, and one of the foremost politicians of independent India, but also as a one of the prominent statesmen who opposed personal hegemony perpetuated by Nehru after independence.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-12059509631321664162009-11-21T15:18:00.000-08:002009-11-21T15:59:53.162-08:00

I have never known any job easier than being the weatherman of Seattle. From October to June, the forecast for Seattle is one of the two possibilities - overcast or rain. And more often than not, it's the latter. For instance, here's the forecast for the next ten days. This is a bit better than the forecast we had ten days ago - this time there is one day when it's not going to rain!

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-29712885449686438252009-11-15T22:39:00.000-08:002009-11-15T23:07:10.047-08:00

Yesterday I saw The Last Emperor. It is no wonder that the movie won 9 Oscars, including the Best Picture Award. It's an amazing movie. It's a long movie (more than three hours long) on a serious topic, and yet it keeps you glued to your seat. The way Bernardo Bertolucci has recreated early twentieth century China is definitely admirable. It is very interesting narration of the life of the last

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-68572591613383301682009-11-14T10:02:00.000-08:002009-11-14T10:11:27.873-08:00

Yesterday I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It's a movie I always wanted to see. When the movie won the Oscar for best foreign language film, it evoked mixed response from people. Many people told me that it is an excellent movie, whie others condemned it for being nonsensical. My reaction after seing the movie was that it's a good movie. The cinematography is great. The plot is interesting.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-1062244662382992842009-11-08T23:59:00.000-08:002009-11-09T00:35:27.654-08:00

Here are links to some interesting news articles I came across in last few weeks:First one is about the extent of corruption in Indian media. Almost all the news printed before elections are published by bribing journalists. As yet, only The Hindu has written about rampant corruption that exists in Indian media. Hindu followed it up with an editorial titled Journalism for sale. Of the political

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-70659902783034614912009-11-01T23:37:00.000-08:002009-11-02T00:00:47.012-08:00

As promised, some pictures of fall colours in Bellevue. This year, Seattle area is witnessing extraordinary display of fall colours.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-76014615085373794932009-11-01T23:27:00.000-08:002009-11-01T23:37:38.621-08:00

Bellevue Maharashtra Mandal's Diwali celebration took place this weekend with a big bang! Two extraordinary plays - ab teraa kyaa hogaa k k k, written and directed by Subhag Oak, and (pu la deshpande's) mahees, directed by Jayant Bhopatkar - were performed in Portland (yesterday) and Bellevue (today). Poornima played the role of te ra koTee's sister in ab teraa kyaa hogaa k k k. The play was a

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-52900537215503914822009-10-29T23:15:00.000-07:002009-11-01T23:14:55.700-08:00

During the darkest days of my life, it was Swami Vivekanand's writings that inspired me, gave me hope, and that propelled me to where I am today. Last few years I had been lamenting that I am missing inspiration in my life. I was living but like dead wood. No words were able to move me. But it seems that situation is likely to change. Last four months I have been striving to better myself. I have

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-27585638471901234462009-10-25T20:50:00.000-07:002009-10-25T20:55:27.847-07:00

On my first job, I had posted a couple of lines on a poem that would remind me to do my work diligently, and not skirt or procrastinate my duties: It isn't the thing you do; Its the thing you leave undone; That gives you a bit of a heartache; At setting of the sun. Much later in life, I found the entire poem to which those lines belonged. Here it is for you.The Sin of Omission by: Margaret E.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6300951.post-57908589947240444092009-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:002009-10-25T19:54:25.810-07:00

I spent this weekend taking pictures of fall colours. I shot close to two hundred pictures. Fall is past its peak in Bellevue, but it is still very beautiful. I will post some of the pics over here soon.

Jayprakash Acharyanoreply@blogger.com0