Friday, August 05, 2011
Thursday, August 04, 2011
World War III Time: Let's Go To War
Google has openly declared war on Microsoft and Apple, with the internet giant claiming that a "hostile, organized campaign against Android" is being waged through "bogus patents"....... the first shots of a war between the highest profile technology companies on the globe. ...... Whether that's with the purchase of patents, huge investment in products (ie Microsoft's Windows Phone 7) or by marketing – it is clear that nobody can pretend that it is good-natured rivalry that is spurring on a now vicious battle.Eric Schmidt On The Case
Android Has To Be Kept Free
Microsoft And Oracle Misbehaving On Android
The short term victory would be to see that Android stays free, that manufacturers are not having to pay Microsoft - Darth Vader - a dime. The long term victory would be to see the ridiculousness of software patents in general go away.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Nerd Movie Night: Fight Night
Update: This event is now on August 11.
Nerd Movie Night - Fight Night
Thursday, August 4, 2011, 8:00 PM
New Work City
412 Broadway
I missed out on a cool event at the same venue recently.
Nerd Movie Night - Fight Night
Thursday, August 4, 2011, 8:00 PM
New Work City
412 Broadway
I missed out on a cool event at the same venue recently.
BMW Guggenheim Lab: Movies
BMW Guggenheim Lab
August 3, Wednesday, 6 PM: Blank City
August 7, Sunday, 6 PM: Last Address and Wild Combination
August 10, Wednesday, 6 PM: Chain
August 13, Saturday, 12 PM: The NY Leftover Bailout: My Brooklyn
August 24, Wednesday, 6 PM: Garbage Dreams
August 27, Saturday, 7 PM: A Conversation and Screening with Clayton Patterson
August 28, Sunday, 6 PM: Flow
September 7, Wednesday, 6 PM: The Garden
September 11, Sunday, 6 PM: NY Export: Opus Jazz
September 14, Wednesday, 6pm: The Price of Sugar, 6 PM: Charlie Ahearn Hip-Hop Short Films
September 17, Saturday, 6 PM: The City Dark
September 18, Sunday, 6 PM: Zero Percent
September 21, Wednesday, 1 PM: Short Takes on the Solidarity Economy, 6 PM: The Take
September 28, Wednesday, 6 PM: The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
October 5, Wednesday, 6 PM: End of Suburbia
October 9, Sunday, 6 PM: Streetfilms at the Lab
October 12, Wednesday, 6 PM: Bogotá Change
August 3, Wednesday, 6 PM: Blank City
August 7, Sunday, 6 PM: Last Address and Wild Combination
August 10, Wednesday, 6 PM: Chain
August 13, Saturday, 12 PM: The NY Leftover Bailout: My Brooklyn
August 24, Wednesday, 6 PM: Garbage Dreams
August 27, Saturday, 7 PM: A Conversation and Screening with Clayton Patterson
August 28, Sunday, 6 PM: Flow
September 7, Wednesday, 6 PM: The Garden
September 11, Sunday, 6 PM: NY Export: Opus Jazz
September 14, Wednesday, 6pm: The Price of Sugar, 6 PM: Charlie Ahearn Hip-Hop Short Films
September 17, Saturday, 6 PM: The City Dark
September 18, Sunday, 6 PM: Zero Percent
September 21, Wednesday, 1 PM: Short Takes on the Solidarity Economy, 6 PM: The Take
September 28, Wednesday, 6 PM: The Pruitt-Igoe Myth
October 5, Wednesday, 6 PM: End of Suburbia
October 9, Sunday, 6 PM: Streetfilms at the Lab
October 12, Wednesday, 6 PM: Bogotá Change
BMW Guggenheim Lab
And it is a topic of great interest to me, the idea of reimagining this amazing city.
Wait, it's not six weeks, more like 10 weeks. This goes on and on and on.
New York City
I think visually. At high school this dude who was one year senior to me said he remembered names but forgot faces. I thought that was the weirdest thing to say. At college my first good friend Beth asked me, "But if you know so many languages, what is the language you think in?" I was confused. But I don't think in languages, I thought. Movies speak to me at that level. Movies are great mind food for minds that think primarily visually.
Thelma & Louise
One badass movie. A lot of action. Walked over to Little India afterwards.
Thelma Louise panel @ 92Y Tribeca. Movie was sheer fun. 2nd time seeing.less than a minute ago via txt Favorite
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paramendra
In Little India. Lex + 28th.less than a minute ago via txt Favorite
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paramendra
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Monday, August 01, 2011
Adobe Was Always Going To Do HTML5
Verdict: The iPhone Is Not Open, Flash Is Not Cutting Edge
HTML 5 And Online Video
Also Mark Zuckerberg's response to Google Plus can not be Facebook News, it has to be HTML5. HTML5 is what will finally eat the iPhone's lunch.
Apple Going After Google's Cloud? Facebook Going After Apple With HTML5
Fred Wilson On Android And HTML5
HTML 5 And The Small Screen
Facebook's Next Major Breakthrough
The idea that you have to create one app for the iPhone and another for Android and a third one for Blackberry, and another for a Windows phone, not to say for the iPad, that is just weird.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
One House Got Trashed
USA Today: Plot thickens in Airbnb vacation rental horror story: a San Francisco blogger named "EJ" wrote a riveting account of how she returned from a week-long business trip last month to find that her home had been ransacked and trashed by a paying guest she'd connected with through the online rental agency Airbnb
Related articles
- SFPD Arrests Suspect In Airbnb Rental Trashing (tech.slashdot.org)
- Plot thickens in Airbnb vacation rental horror story (travel.usatoday.com)
- Viral Video: Airbnb's Apartment Trashing Gets Taiwanesed (Of Course!) (allthingsd.com)
- Airbnb Rental Mess: Why It's Not About The "Stuff" (centernetworks.com)
- Airbnb: Is it a fad, or will it revolutionize how you travel? (slate.com)
- The Moment Of Truth For Airbnb As User's Home Is Utterly Trashed (huffingtonpost.com)
- The Airbnb horror story continues (digitaltrends.com)
- Airbnb horror story goes from bad to worse (news.cnet.com)
- Airbnb horror story goes from bad to worse (news.cnet.com)
- Airbnb users home trashed, company sorry though (gadling.com)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
The Early Stage Idea
Sean Parker talks in this video of a time when "four people" believed in Facebook. That was early, but that was not so long ago. The guy spotted Facebook early, and became a billionaire in the process.
I guess you have to be in the right place at the right time and in the right mindset. To be able to grab the opportunity.
A Facebook size opportunity does not show up every month. But plenty of mid level opportunities do. Maybe not every month. But often enough.
Sean Parker, Billionaire, Was Really Poor Once
I guess you have to be in the right place at the right time and in the right mindset. To be able to grab the opportunity.
A Facebook size opportunity does not show up every month. But plenty of mid level opportunities do. Maybe not every month. But often enough.
Sean Parker, Billionaire, Was Really Poor Once
Friday, July 29, 2011
A Google Lunch, A Google Tour
All I asked for was a tour, but looks like I am also being given a Google lunch. Should happen the second half of August. I am so looking forward to it.
Android Has To Be Kept Free
Am I allowed to take pictures? My style would be to take many, many pictures.
Thanks to a Senior Software Engineer..
Google Bought The Building
Android Has To Be Kept Free
Am I allowed to take pictures? My style would be to take many, many pictures.
Thanks to a Senior Software Engineer..
Google Bought The Building
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Race, Gender, Tech (2)
So I Did It
Little Flickers Of Racism
Race, Gender, Tech
Race is like health care policy, it is like foreign policy. It is primarily for the politicians to work on. Gender is the same way. And so in tech I try to talk about the two topics as little as possible. It is not the best arena.
My Web Diagram
On the other hand group dynamics is the number one thing I bring to the table for work. And there gender is just this outstanding, outstanding topic. And I don't even mean that in a political way. I most certainly don't mean that in a "women and children" way. If I were an astrophysicist, the stars might similarly fascinate me. But I am not one. Gender holds that kind of fascination to me. Race and culture are also grand topics, but gender is out there. Staying fascinated with gender keeps me sharp.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
NYC Tech Talks MeetUp: Google 20% Projects
I don't mean to be bragging about it, but I walked two hours to the venue. And I walked back.
This was at Google. The Google building is the Empire State Building lying on its side. It is big. I think the last time I was at this particular venue was the second day of Social Media Week back in February. It is a nice venue. And they had food. I really like that part. Especially when it is healthy, as it was today.
Three Google engineers talked about their 20% projects. They were prominent examples. One guy had turned Google Spreadsheets upside down. Another had got Google to get into doing the Google Street View thing inside museums and art galleries.
1400 situps Friday, 1500 tummy muscle bicycles Saturday, 1500 pushups Sunday, 2000 situps Monday. #hellomichelleobama http://t.co/yGWK5ugless than a minute ago via web Favorite
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Tuesday. Walk from Union Square to Woodside to Sunnyside to Jackson Heights to Forest Hills to Sunnyside #hellomichelleobamaless than a minute ago via web Favorite
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This was at Google. The Google building is the Empire State Building lying on its side. It is big. I think the last time I was at this particular venue was the second day of Social Media Week back in February. It is a nice venue. And they had food. I really like that part. Especially when it is healthy, as it was today.
Three Google engineers talked about their 20% projects. They were prominent examples. One guy had turned Google Spreadsheets upside down. Another had got Google to get into doing the Google Street View thing inside museums and art galleries.
Bhagat Singh Likes Paramendra Bhagat
Bhagat Singh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Subhash Chandra Bose
At The Buspark (2)
Parmendar is a Punjabi name as is Parmindar.
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- What led Great Britain to finally grant India self-rule (wiki.answers.com)
- How did Mohandas Gandhi lead India's struggle for Independence over Geat Britain (wiki.answers.com)
- In defence of Chetan Bhagat (ramblingperfectionist.wordpress.com)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Hello There Fred
Disappearing Into The Fire - The Berlin Edition
Financings Options: Venture Debt
Voice Texting
On Negotiations And "Middle Men"
Forced Email Bankruptcy
Transitions (continued)
The State Of Twitter
Syncing Up Your Credit Cards
Financing Options: Preferred Stock
Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist
Explicit Groups vs Implicit Groups
BillGuard
Bored Of Directors (continued)
The "Fred Wilson School Of Blogging"
Financing Options: Convertible Debt
Friday, July 22, 2011
So I Did It
I wrote the two blog posts that were so heavy on my chest for almost two weeks now. I feel relief now.
The posts don't read as angry as I thought they might read, and that's okay.
At The Buspark (2)
Kentucky Blues
Now my three blogs are all exhibiting the same piss on racism graphic. I think it is important. I think it is important to say fuck you to racism.
At The Buspark (2), Kentucky Blues
"Can You Understand This?"
"Bring Home An African Next Time"
Padgurum
Hawai Chappal
Deaths In The Family
Gonu Jha
Hum Jayega Burnt His Ears
"Thanks For Asking"
Prax
"It Was A Nigger!"
Little Flickers Of Racism
Australian Woes
Kathmandu Woes
"Do You Have An Email Address?"
Race, Gender, Tech
Doubling Down On Tech Consulting
Paradigm Shifts And Challenged Assumptions
Think Different
Alabama
At The Buspark (2), Kentucky Blues
I have been struggling to work on a few autobiographical blog posts. I have wondered if I should publish them at this blog, my most active blog, or maybe they belong at my other blogs. The buspark post belongs at my Nepal blog, and the Kentucky post belongs at my Barackface blog.
They are going to be angry posts. I don't intend to mince words.
I have put out some posts at my blogs that people have described as "hilarious" and "hysterical." Well, these posts will not fall into those categories. They will fall into the angry category. They will fall in the nonviolent militancy category. I have been toying with the idea for about two weeks now. Longer perhaps. But for about two weeks in a more concrete way. It has been hard to get down to it.
If it is hard to talk about now, how much harder must have it been to go through them when they happened? Long time. Long time coming.
At The Buspark
Southern Hospitality
Third World Guy
Deaths In The Family
Enemy Of The State
Thursday, July 21, 2011
"Can You Understand This?"
Of course no one in my village listened to the news in English. The smart ones listened to the BBC Hindi service.
But then there was always some smart alec who would turn the radio on for the eight o'clock news in English.
"Can you understand this?"
"Yes."
"Bring Home An African Next Time"
So going to Kathmandu, the capital city, is less big of a deal these days. But back when I was attending school in Kathmandu, it was a big deal. It was an even bigger deal when my father was doing high school in Kathmandu. At least I got to take the overnight bus, he had to fly. There was no other way to get there.
And so it was all known that I was attending school with the crown prince of the country, the future king, the same guy who in 2001 mowed down his family in a palace massacre, but then back then you could not have seen that coming, not by the furthest stretch of the imagination.
When I was home for one of my vacations a neighbor approached. He knew I had just come home from Kathmandu. Kathmandu was this mythical place far, far away.
"Next time you come home will you please bring an African?" he delivered. "I hear they are really black, I would really like to see one."
Padgurum
Hawai Chappal
Padgurum was the term in my homevillage for pants, you know, the kind you and I wear. People natively wore lungi or dhoti. When I was old enough and got out of my half pants, I was allowed to wear the lungi for casual outfit. I loved it. Basically you wrapped a piece of clothing around your waist. It was great for summers.
But padgurum was the local term for pants. What the term meant was that when you fart, the air never gets to escape. The people in the village supremely looked down upon pants that way. Pants made absolutely no sense to them.
Padgurum was the term in my homevillage for pants, you know, the kind you and I wear. People natively wore lungi or dhoti. When I was old enough and got out of my half pants, I was allowed to wear the lungi for casual outfit. I loved it. Basically you wrapped a piece of clothing around your waist. It was great for summers.
But padgurum was the local term for pants. What the term meant was that when you fart, the air never gets to escape. The people in the village supremely looked down upon pants that way. Pants made absolutely no sense to them.
Hawai Chappal
The term was Hawai Chappal. Hawai loosely translates to air, as in Air Jordan. Meaning, when you wore these, it felt like you were floating in the air. Hardly anyone in the village wore them. People walked barefoot. Chappal is the term for sandal. But sandals were leather. So there is no exact translation. You had to be well off to be able to wear these. Just like you had to be well off to be able to eat vegetables every day.
How My Grandfather Became Mayor The First Time
Digital Efforts Have To Be About Transforming NYC Into A Small Town
But people still bought them. For when you had to go visit a relative. Or when there was a fair in a nearby village. When there was a fair people would carry the chappals in their hands and walk barefoot for those 40 minutes, and then when they neared the village where the fair was at they would find a nearby pond where to go wash their feet and put the chappals on. I mean, if you wore them all the time they might wear away, and then where were you?
Deaths In The Family
Amitabh Bachchan: 5th Decade In Bollywood
Gonu Jha
Hum Jayega Burnt His Ears
Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap
"Thanks For Asking"
Prax
"Do You Have An Email Address?"
Deaths In The Family
The Mourning Period
My greatgrandfather had been the Founding Father of the family. His had been a rags to riches story. He was not born a landlord. But he worked hard and, ably helped by my greatgrandmother, saved well to end up with more land than anyone else in the village.
I was a few years from finishing high school far away - overnight bus ride - in the capital city when the deaths happened. They each happened when I was home for vacation. I would be home three times a year.
I did not realize at the time but over the years I realized as I do today that those deaths were like there was an umbrella over the family's head, and suddenly that umbrella vanished. My father acutely felt their absences for long years. He likely still does.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Gonu Jha
Gonu Jha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gonu jha's stories | Facebook
As Birbal was the most intelligent minister of Akbar's court,same way,Gonu Jha was the most intelligent minister of the king from Bihar.Many times he proved his intelligence.
A pahalwan went to a sahukar to ask some money.He was having a big golden "gada" with him,he said"This is my grand father's gada, It is of pure gold,I want to mortgage it and you give me eight thousand rupees,I will pay the interest regularly till the repay.The sahukar believed him and gave him money,but the pahalwan did not give him any interest for six months,the sahukar went to him and asked the interest amount,The Pahalwan said"I don't have money,you can sell the gada and get back your money.The sahukar showed the gada to the goldsmith he said"It is not golden gada,but it is of iron and only covered by thin layer of gold.The sahukar shocked he immediately ran to Gonu Jha,and asked him what should he do now.Gonu Jha said"Go and invite whole village for good lunch."Sahukar surprised"What are you saying?""yes!I am serious,I mean it"Sahukar agreed and went away.Next morning the whole village was running for lunch to Sahukar's House.The Pahalwan saw this and asked one of them"Hey!what is going on,why everybody is running to sahukar's house""I think he has got a Treasure"The Pahalwan thought"It is definitely my Gada,I must get it back"He went to another village,mortgaged his akhada,got the money,went to the Sahukar and said"I have arranged money,Please take it and give my Gada back"The sahukar immediately took the money and gave him back his Gada.The Pahlwan reached to the only goldsmith.He said"Why have you brought it here,it is not gold"The Pahlwan came to know that it is only because of Gonu Jha.He decided to sell the Gada to Gonu Jha.He went to him and said"This is my Grand father's golden Gada,Please buy it,I need money"Gonu Jha took the Gada in his hand and started swinging it,It fell down and a small part broke,Gonu Jha said"Yes Yes!I am going to buy it but we must get it repaired first"Both of them went to the Gold smith"Why have you come again with this Iron Gada,I have already told you that it is not gold.The Pahalwan was speechless now,and Gonu Jha was smiling.
Source
Gonu jha's stories | Facebook
As Birbal was the most intelligent minister of Akbar's court,same way,Gonu Jha was the most intelligent minister of the king from Bihar.Many times he proved his intelligence.
A pahalwan went to a sahukar to ask some money.He was having a big golden "gada" with him,he said"This is my grand father's gada, It is of pure gold,I want to mortgage it and you give me eight thousand rupees,I will pay the interest regularly till the repay.The sahukar believed him and gave him money,but the pahalwan did not give him any interest for six months,the sahukar went to him and asked the interest amount,The Pahalwan said"I don't have money,you can sell the gada and get back your money.The sahukar showed the gada to the goldsmith he said"It is not golden gada,but it is of iron and only covered by thin layer of gold.The sahukar shocked he immediately ran to Gonu Jha,and asked him what should he do now.Gonu Jha said"Go and invite whole village for good lunch."Sahukar surprised"What are you saying?""yes!I am serious,I mean it"Sahukar agreed and went away.Next morning the whole village was running for lunch to Sahukar's House.The Pahalwan saw this and asked one of them"Hey!what is going on,why everybody is running to sahukar's house""I think he has got a Treasure"The Pahalwan thought"It is definitely my Gada,I must get it back"He went to another village,mortgaged his akhada,got the money,went to the Sahukar and said"I have arranged money,Please take it and give my Gada back"The sahukar immediately took the money and gave him back his Gada.The Pahlwan reached to the only goldsmith.He said"Why have you brought it here,it is not gold"The Pahlwan came to know that it is only because of Gonu Jha.He decided to sell the Gada to Gonu Jha.He went to him and said"This is my Grand father's golden Gada,Please buy it,I need money"Gonu Jha took the Gada in his hand and started swinging it,It fell down and a small part broke,Gonu Jha said"Yes Yes!I am going to buy it but we must get it repaired first"Both of them went to the Gold smith"Why have you come again with this Iron Gada,I have already told you that it is not gold.The Pahalwan was speechless now,and Gonu Jha was smiling.
Source
Hum Jayega Burnt His Ears
One day Hum Jayega went to the doctor with both of his ears burnt.
Doctor: So tell me how u burnt your both ears?'
Hum Jayega: I was ironing when the phone rang and I answered the iron by mistake
Doctor: But how did you burn both of them?
Hum Jayega: Well, as soon as I put the iron down, the phone rang again.
Source
Doctor: So tell me how u burnt your both ears?'
Hum Jayega: I was ironing when the phone rang and I answered the iron by mistake
Doctor: But how did you burn both of them?
Hum Jayega: Well, as soon as I put the iron down, the phone rang again.
Source
"Thanks For Asking"
This was between high school and college. I was in Kathmandu living on my own. My friends and I would drop by the British Council Library once in a while. On one of those trips a British tourist approached my friend.
"Excuse me, would you have change for 1,000 rupees?" the tourist asked and briskly pulled a thousand rupee note. That was a lot of money.
"Sorry, no, but thanks for asking," my friend promptly replied, feeling flattered.
"Do You Have An Email Address?"
Related articles
- Letters: British Council: Our climate change work will continue (guardian.co.uk)
- Go to Kathmandu and Enjoy Adventure Activities in The Cold Himalayas (socyberty.com)
- Artists condemn British Council's decision to axe climate programme (guardian.co.uk)
- Letters: The British Council must reconsider the axing of its climate projects (guardian.co.uk)
- Nepal Wrap-up (thethompsonstravels.wordpress.com)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Eric Schmidt On The Case
Microsoft And Oracle Misbehaving On Android
Perth Now: Google's Eric Schmidt Slams Apple iPhone Lawsuits: 'They're suing instead of innovating' ..... GOOGLE has launched a stinging attack on major mobile phone rival Apple, saying its smartphone lawsuits are inspired by jealousy and a lack of innovation in its own iPhone. ..... If upheld, the decision could see Apple force other Android phone makers to pay significant royalties to their main competitor. ...... Apple's case was inspired by jealousy and designed to shut down its fastest-growing rival. ......... Schmidt said Google would support HTC's fight against Apple and was confident of a win ....... More than 135 million Google phones have been activated since Android's launch in 2008, with 410 models available from makers including HTC, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson...... Apple could fire another blow to Android with a new iPhone later this year as well. ..... The company is strongly rumoured to be launching the iPhone 5 worldwide in September. It is expected to come with a dual core processor, 8-megapixel camera, new iOS 5 software and iCloud services.Good to see Eric Schmidt on the case.
Padmasree Warrior: Top Of The List
This Huffington Post article has been making the rounds today.
Readers Pick: 27 Women In Tech You Need To Follow On Twitter
It is no surprise Padmasree Warrior - what a last name - tops the list. I have an Indian friend whose last name is Engineer.
We Indians are the most successful ethnic group in America. No, it's not white people. An average Indian American family makes twice as much as your average white family. And no, it's not the Jewish people. It's not the Chinese, so no, it's not an Asian thing. It's us. It's Indians.
I once got a tweet from Padmasree.
Readers Pick: 27 Women In Tech You Need To Follow On Twitter
It is no surprise Padmasree Warrior - what a last name - tops the list. I have an Indian friend whose last name is Engineer.
We Indians are the most successful ethnic group in America. No, it's not white people. An average Indian American family makes twice as much as your average white family. And no, it's not the Jewish people. It's not the Chinese, so no, it's not an Asian thing. It's us. It's Indians.
I once got a tweet from Padmasree.
Plotting To Go To Many Events
I might be waking a little late to summer, but I think now I am getting in a mood to go to many, many events in the city. The primary focus is going to be on free music events. And I think I intend to go also to as many tech events as possible. If I can grab some consulting gigs at some of those events I might say, like James Bond said when asked, business or pleasure.
"Hopefully both."
What is the best way to locate the music events in town?
A trip or two to Coney Island is also due. I am city.
"Hopefully both."
What is the best way to locate the music events in town?
A trip or two to Coney Island is also due. I am city.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Prax
Prakash and I went to the same high school in Kathmandu, and later the same college in America. He hails from the mythical Dolpo region of Nepal: much of it is behind the Himalayas. Here he is seen with his wife Chas. They have a house in St. Louis, I've been.
Australian Woes
Kathmandu Woes
Australian Woes
Kathmandu Woes
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