ExpertDabbler

This movie is a must watch. I laughed like never before

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NUDGE:
Nudge is essentially ideas about influencing people’s thinking for the better and make choices accordingly without forcing them to do so. It is co-written by a behavioral economist Richard Thaler. He calls it libertarian paternalism. One idea which comes close to what thaler proposes is the piano stairs in sweden.

For a lay reader who does not care about choice architecture, Nudge is quite interesting yet requires deliberate reading/analysis and study. However, for professionals like information designers, I think NUDGE is required reading.

THE BLACK SWAN:
Black Swan is a metaphor for seemingly unpredictable events. How accurately can anyone predict events like Haiti earthquake, 11/26 etc? These cannot be predicted. Unpredictable events happen in all phases of our lives, including economic: For ex. predicting an unusual movie’s success is hard. The Black Swan deals with big, random, unpredictable events and its effects.

I made quite a bit of underscores in the book. I have to revisit those again. I can’t say I understood everything or almost everything. One needs to study this book. Certainly not time pass reading.

BUFFETT: The Making Of An American Capitalist - book review:
Though I read non-fiction, I am not a big fan of biographies. But this one was an exception. I absolutely devoured this five days which is a first for me. Irresistible for obvious reasons. I fully endorse the review above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfb9M3DnyWA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7bvHWTAUoY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_29VA-SwPtQ

just listen to the lyrics..awesome is the word

This is the only forthcoming film which has generated genuine ‘talk’ and positive expectation among tamil koorum nallulagam

This is supposed to be a six-lane road, three on each side. This is the breakup on either side:

Left lane – For trucks/buses/manal lorry, Tata Ace, etc coming in the wrong side (of course with lights on); For IT companies to park their buses; Yes, we park for kilometers at a stretch eating 33% of the road; For the people to deposit mud, boulders.

Middle lane – For MTC to pick and drop passengers. If you thought 0 to 60km in 5 seconds is cool, you should watch MTC going from 60 to 0km in few seconds right in the middle of the road. All the evangelists should come to OMR and show that miracles happen here all the time.

Right Lane – For all miscellaneous activities including the movement of cars, and bikes at 80 kmph; for cows to sit and introspect(about relativity theory?Perhaps).

Once in a while, just so that driving here should not be construed as too easy, we have people jumping the median and crossing the roads (Yes all the six lanes with no zebra crossing anywhere!).

Idhukku toll vera!! Car drivers pay as much as Rs.17 for one way ticket. Besides, OMR charges a fixed toll of a few lives a week ever since this was thrown open to traffic.

PS:
I do not remember if I posted this one earlier, but what the heck, I do not mind posting it again nor do I mind spitting on those who manage OMR.

First link to Dagalti:
So much for literary tastes. Photo NSFW aam

Velukudi Krishnan Swamy:
Couple of days back, I had some work in Nanganallur, and I also wanted to use the opportunity to test Nanganallur Anjaneyars prasadam. Ponavan super pongal sapta mattoda vandha thevalai. I also entered the Giri trading stall nearby. And I saw Velukuddi’s ‘Kambaramayanam’ upanyasams CDs. I might read Nassim Nicholas Taleb, but realistically, reading Kambaramayanam is a stretch. So if there’s one way I can digest such stuff, I figured it can only be via Audio CDs. But I was a bit scared that this person after all is liked by writer Charu. If you wonder why should one be scared of someone liked by Charu, then perhaps you do not know Charu. Lets just say Charu ‘andha madhiri’. Blame it on post-modernism. But when I listened to Velukuddi, I was truly mesmerised. Charu does like normal, sane, brilliant people with brilliant skills every now and then after all.

I felt like Velukudi will not stop until he recites all the 24000 slokas of Ramayana in one go. What memory! What fluency! What analogies and examples! Amazing! I listened for 90 minutes non-stop which is incredible. Listening to anything heavier than film songs puts me to sleep within 30 minutes unfailingly, but not Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy.

The strike of 1997
The talk about piracy and the question about giving royalty to technicians made me reminiscent of the infamous 1997 tamil cine industry strike. I initially wanted to recount that in my own words but I found a better resource. Check out the coverage by Sandhya Krishna. The title was hilarious. As if it was the twentieth century version of The revolt of 1857. Whatever. These poor, hard working folks are as likely to get IP royalty shares as Namitha is to get decent family woman roles in tamil films.

I find it amusing whenever I read statements like ‘Thiruttu VCD yai ozhippom’ in Tamil Newspapers. The recent instance is with regard to the jaggu bhai ‘Edit pannina varaikum VCD’ controversy.

One fundamental truth which no VIP or media person likes to talk about is that, for all our talk about wiping out piracy, there is tremendous public support for it. Indian public is about as accommodative about piracy as it is about corruption in government offices. It is almost like exercising one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution.

When was ‘Vinnai thandi varuvaya’ audio launched?
It was first launched in UK if I remember right. And it was launched in India much later, maybe as late as last week. It was launched the day this post was first published. And I have already received three mails with URLs to download the songs. There are lots of passionate volunteers for these activities. Neraya per idhai oru dhavama, sevayya nenachu seyyaranga….They do it expecting nothing in return. They just want the ‘Tamil koorum nallulagam’ to listen to the latest ARR songs for free.

I am no supporter, all i am saying is that wiping out piracy with strong policing is as likely to work as wiping out prostitution with policing. It’s just not enough to go after the service providers so long as there is a supportive, loyal customer base. Someone has to think really out of the box and come up with a solution.

And I have no solution. But I would start by looking at the existing distribution mechanism which is totally out of synch with present day realities. Some pertinent questions: How many theatres were there twenty years back? How many had CD players then? What was the population then? The population now? How many households have CD players now? And how about the internet factor? How about the ease of making multiple instances with a single original? If someone can receive all the latest mp3 songs for free right in his mailbox, and can watch all movies in his streaming broadband connection, why would he go to the nearest shop, pay several hundred rupees to get a CD? What’s the incentive? Just to prove he is a conscientious citizen who cares about intellectual property? Unlikely. Neither the cine folks, nor our lofty politicians have set such examples of good behavior.

And what has changed in the film industry all these years? They still harp about NSC, overseas rights etc. And all these pathetic attempts like ‘gundar sattam’ so far has proliferated an entire ‘piracy’ industry. I discuss about these things with some of our younger team members at work during lunch/tea breaks. And I can never forget one exchange:

M~: “Sonna namba maatenga prabu, oru naal CD vanga bazaar pakkam poren, naan regulara vangara kadai pooti irukku… pakkathu kadai la visaricha, andha vaaram ‘Thiruttu VCD virpanai’ case la police kitte matradhu andha kadaikarar turn aam!! Ippadi vaaram oruthar turn pottu poranga prabu. Andha alavukku police kooda understanding … “

I would not be very surprised if some Burma Bazaar folks go on a hunger strike in protest against all this anti-piracy talks. It’s their livelihood after all. Namma oorla dhaan any group can go on a hunger strike for anything. The public does not give two hoots about morality, ethics etc. They do not care less about the film makers problems just like the way the film industry do not really care about the common man’s problems. If the cine folks think Sri Thenandal films fame Rama Narayanan and his DMK worship will solve their problems, then god alone can help them.

Again, this is not to say piracy is justified. But empty sloganeering will not solve problems. And lets face it. The common man, if conditions help, if economics help, and if consequences are trivial, will invariably cheat / consume pirated products. And none of these conditions can be changed by organizing ‘paaraatu vizha’ to the Chief Minister, and by giving out stunt statements to the press.

I do not know whether God exists, but I know that I have nothing to gain from being an atheist if he does not exist, whereas I have plenty to lose if he does. Hence, this justifies my belief in God.

I opened the coach door, looked outside to get the fresh morning air and checked my watch. It was 5.45 AM. Cheran Express was nearing Pattabiram station. Maybe half an hour to go?

For a typical long distance traveler who is close to his destination, what is the typical thought that strikes?

‘How quickly can I reach my place from the station?’ and ‘How economical would it be?’

People in general have a habit and stick to it. Some take an auto, some prefer the mass public transport options: Bus, sub-urban trains. And if there are multiple stations in a city, there is an additional dilemma on which station to get down.

When coming from Coimbatore or Bangalore, I have two choices to alight, either I can get down at Perambur, or Central.

I tried one method today morning, and this is how it worked:

a) Got down at Perambur (save minimum 20 minutes over the Central option), took 29C (always more than a handful of buses) and bought a 30Rs. ticket. Got down at KMC;
b) Took one of the umpteen buses from KMC to CMBT
c) Took one of the many D70 or M70 from CMBT to Velachery.

My thinking is that the time and cost performance is more reliable in this method.
There are N number of buses in all the switchover points. Employing this method today morning, I managed the distance within an hour. No room for volatility. This does not depend on a single bus route. On the other hand, I can take 29N from Perambur to Velachery but there are constraints:
- Less frequency, one would have to be really lucky..
- The bus takes you through that godforsaken Pondi Bazaar which, unless one is on a city tour, is not a sensible idea.

I also think buying 30Rs. ticket gives one a lot of options. Having purchased early in the day, it might also help in any of my subsequent travel later in the day too.

Where this method won’t work:
- If there are elderly people traveling along
- Luggage. Carrying a container lorry full of stuff will not help.
- Kids.

Other competing ideas would be
- Getting down at Central,
- Take MRTS from Park Station to Velachery.

But there are drawbacks:

- One never knows how long will it take from Perambur to Central. On several occasions I’ve waited for more than thirty minutes near that Loco shed between Basinbridge and Central.
- One has to walk the entire stretch of the train, helpful for walkers though.
- Central is always crowded
- More auto drivers to say NO to.
- There is a sizeable crowd in Park Station MRTS station for getting the MRTS ticket. Another time guzzler.
- Waiting for that ‘once every 20 minutes’ MRTS train.

Maybe there is a better alternative. My point is not about being right/finding out the best. Some experimentation might be required. But thinking along these lines helps you spend time in a useful way and helps new ideas when time is at a premium. It pays to think about such seemingly ‘trivial’ things when one is bored/jobless. These ideas come in handy in a city like Chennai. Some Andhra(Should I say Telangana?) friends of mine had started from Chromepet towards Central in an MTC bus, to catch the evening train to Hyderabad, had repeatedly missed the train in spite of starting 90 minutes in advance. The reason: Taking MTC bus during peak evening hour because they are ‘used’ to, is not a smart idea. They learned this after missing the train repeatedly.

Some other problems to think through:

- Shozhinganallur to Airport (public transport)
- Tidel to Egmore

Today’s Businessline editorial sent me a prompt reminder to write about Harish Damodaran. His India’s new capitalists was one of the most impressive books I came across in the happening 33rd Chennai book fair. I have this nasty habit of reading entire sections of the book while standing. And this made for an engrossing read. I came out wanting to buy but wanted to check online if i can get it cheaper via infibeam and flipkart.

Other books which which caught my attention and respect include ‘Izhakaadhey’ from Kizhakku/NHM stable. As a beginner level investor myself, i found it very useful. This includes the all too important Mr. Market analogy(Ben Graham), The Ted Williams analogy(Buffett) was brilliantly adapted around Rahul Dravid. If at all I want my mom to read a no-nonsense investing book in Tamil, this would be it.

Overall, I find the value of book fair being on descent the last few years.
The stalls who get the maximum attention are the usual suscpects : Kizhakku, Uyirmmai, Kalachuvadu, Cambridge university press (i like it there, especially the Cambridge Advanced learner’s dictionary), There was also a stall which was selling Harvard Business press books for Rs. 195. I wanted to check how ancient those books are.

Most of the other stalls are a bore to me. How long are they going to present the same set of samayal kalai, jodhidam, aanmeegam, Ahmedia muslim, Ramakrishna mission, Vikatan, Kumudam book stalls, year after year?

If someone had come across anything interesting in the book fair, please let me know.