Anita, piscean, Indian, woman, writing, dewdrops, gizmos, cars, cricket, football, cats, water, hills, movies, books, quilts, potted plants, leaves, art
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July 29, 2002
Coming UpHopefully sooner than later, a searchable directory of Indian bloggers. Mahesh is busy these days working late into the night, developing the back-end for the list, just to make sure I don't have to manually update the list anymore. Stay tuned! Will let you know of the developments as they happen :) Two more Indian bloggers added to the list: Nilesh Chaudhari and Amrita (our youngest blogger?). Drop in and say hello. posted by Anita at 8:56 AM | My Picks of the DayI caught up on some web log surfing today. Last weekend was a frustrating one, with Blogger giving all sorts of problems. Seriously unflattering words came to mind, but then I read about Ev working really hard -- "I'm at my wits end trying to keep my life and business and web sites minimally functioning and anything that asks for an additional time investment makes me run hard the other way" -- and I think of all the good things he's done :) Serious Stuff: The authors of 'We Blog: Publishing Online with Weblogs' have posted the contents of the chapter, "Using Blogs in Business" online. Chanced Upon: These beautiful Indian paintings. [Via randomwalks.com] Have You Read?: Halley's post on 'Don't do This': "And is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all? Depends on the day, depends on the day." Catching Up: On Dervala as she lands in South East Asia on her year-long sojourn. Her first impressions: "Bangkok smells of diesel fuel, lemongrass, grilling meats, kerosene stoves, dirty canals, ripe fruit, and, occasionally, of unmistakeably stinky durian." Really Cool: Have you got Next Blog yet? It's cool. Try it out. And Cooler: Mahesh writes on how you can blog in your mother tongue. Overheard: "In life, if you don't get what you want, you'll end up forced to like what you get." Sigh. posted by Anita at 8:34 AM | Ineptitude of the English maleEnglish men are widely reputed to be the worst lovers on the planet. I didn't say that. Leah McLaren in this interesting narrative talks about the English man's curious lack of libido. Quoting from the article: "After going out with roughly a dozen single men in London, I have come to the conclusion that the modern English male knows little to nothing about courtship, and what he does know frightens him." If you're reading this Jason, I hope you've got something to say in your defence ;) [Link via Mamatha] posted by Anita at 6:51 AM | July 27, 2002 My father and his FiatMy mother used to say there were two things as old as me in the house, the refrigerator (which I still have!) and my father's car. It was a Fiat he bought in the late sixties that my father loved with a passion bordering on a kind of religious fervour. On Sundays, he would rise up early in the morning to tinker with the car. At times he would attempt to explain to me how parts of the engine worked. He would spend hours with the car. He would open something and fix it again. Clean something else. Pour water somewhere. Polish the exteriors. Just watching the whole exercise would fill me with a sense of wonderment. He must have really loved that piece of metal to spend so many hours on a holiday, labouring over it. Until my mom would finally ask one of us (me or my sister) to yell out from the balcony to tell him that it was time to have a bath in time for lunch. And he was overshooting his car time - yet again! He finally sold the car in 1995, the year I got married. I was riddled with guilt that he did it to raise money for the wedding but he never said anything about it. My wish since then has always been to get the same car back for him, since he sold it to a friend. Or maybe buy him another Fiat of his choice. I would do anything to see the expression on his face. posted by Anita at 2:06 AM | July 25, 2002 For my guruGuru: The Sanskrit root Gu means darkness or ignorance. Ru denotes the remover of that darkness. Guru Purnima is traditionally celebrated in remembrance and veneration to Ved Vyas, the Adi (original) Guru of the Hindu dharma, who classified the Vedas. On this day, the Guru is offered Pujan (worship) by the disciples. It does not fall on a specific day but is celebrated during a particular moon cycle. Guru Purnima is the day for everyone who has sought for knowledge to pay respect to their teacher. It is said that "Guru is a gate through whom you must pass to begin your journey in pursuit of any kind of knowledge". I didn't know much about this myself until yesterday when I attended a small event that was organised by my guru, CS Pant. In case you haven't been following my blog, I finally decided to take up one of my childhood pursuits again - art. Our guru, who trains about 80 adults spread across several batches is an incredibly talented painter. His portraits, some of which grace his studio walls - of Amitabh Bachchan, Zakir Hussain, Kumar Gandharva, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma are especially lifelike and accurate. His passion now is to spread what he has learnt to others. We had a lovely evening where people shared their talents. Their passion. Their art. Just an evening with eclectic group of people who had something else in common besides work made me realise how one track minded we usually become in pursuit of work and deadlines. Here, people were relaxed, enjoying themselves and sharing something they all had in common - a passion for art. One of the students said Guru Purnima is celebrated on a full moon day, because just like the full moon shines bright and unfettered, giving light to everyone, so does the Guru in any field. It is a day when you bow down and pay your respects to someone who has achieved what you aim to one day. It is not about hero worship, but more about laying down your ego, and recognising that there will always be a greater height to aim for. And that one has to continually strive to achieve it. I often hear people saying, I learnt this and learnt that, but have no time for it now. Or I used to sing and dance but no longer do it after marriage. Or played a sport but I don't anymore. This is for you. It doesn't matter what you love - music, art, craft, sport - pursue it, cultivate it, nurture it - it can be more rewarding and fruitful than you can ever imagine. posted by Anita at 5:21 AM | July 24, 2002 Down, but not out...Just when I thought things possibly cannot get worse, I get news to prove that everything that CAN go wrong - WILL! Yet, I feel it's all about being on top. I remember the words of a particular song as I grapple with yet another problem that I did forsee, but was not prepared for. I have no idea how I am going to get out of it either. All I know, is that I have to. And I will. The Eye of the Tiger Risin' up, back on the street Did my time, took my chances Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet Just a man and his will to survive So many times, it happens too fast You change your passion for glory Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past You must fight just to keep them alive It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight Risin' up to the challenge of our rival And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger Face to face, out in the heat Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry They stack the odds 'til we take to the street For we kill with the skill to survive It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight Risin' up to the challenge of our rival And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger Risin' up, straight to the top Have the guts, got the glory Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop Just a man and his will to survive It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight Risin' up to the challenge of our rival And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger The eye of the tiger (repeats out)... It's all about getting up - stronger and more determined, one more time, one more time... posted by Anita at 3:36 AM | July 23, 2002 Today, I'd like to be in your shoes, RioRead this today: "Manchester United completed the record 30 million pounds ($47.27 million) signing of England defender Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United on Monday." That is about 70,000 pounds per week, according to the media. Which is according to this currency converter at today's exchange rate of 76.99, a sum of 30 lakhs and 80,000 rupees per week. He might be good. Hell, he might even be a genius. But don't you think its an extremely obscene amount of money to give anybody? posted by Anita at 4:14 AM | StuffHeard on Radio: "You might be on the RIGHT track, but if you're just sitting there, you'll only get RUN over!" Updated: Indian Bloggers List with Rushi Desai (Mumbai), Swami (Chennai) and Vishal (New York). Note to Mahesh: Still waiting... posted by Anita at 2:34 AM | Your take...Two questions for you to answer: Would you rather... a) ...have loved and lost or never loved at all? b) ...be rich and unhappy or poor and unhappy? posted by Anita at 2:27 AM | July 22, 2002 Where are they now?I always feel that we share and form the strongest bonds in school during our younger years, and those relationships are really special. I am quite sure, that if I meet some of the school friends I have lost in touch with, we would forge even stronger bonds. I had four friends who I was close to during my growing up years in Shillong. Sadly, I have lost contact with all of them today. But this is how I still remember my closest friends from Loreto Convent, the school I attended. Arpita, a Bengali. I remember her being hard-working, sincere and determined. She was a cricket enthusiast and usually came to school with a small transistor during a cricket match to catch up on the score. She also loved Richard Clayderman and introduced me to his music. The last time I met her was in 1994 in Pune just before I left for Australia. She was working in TELCO at that time as an engineer. I knew she was preparing for her GRE to study in the United States. We kept in touch, exchanging letters and cards. By the time I got back to India, she had left for the US. A neighbour told me she had gotten admission into MIT. I wonder where she is now... Rhea, another Bengali, an incredibly talented and good-looking girl. She had a beautiful voice and we all thought she would become a famous singer some day! Somewhere along the way, she got into bad company (or so we heard in school) and we never saw here in school again (that was around '83-'84). We heard all sorts of things. She ran away to Calcutta. Had an affair. Got married. I never knew for sure. I wish I could hear her voice once again... Neelam, a Marwari. Unlike cloistered women in her community she was quite different in her thoughts and attitudes. She was a dreamer, and being a Piscean we related very well. I last saw her when we were out of school in 1987. Last year on a trip to Shillong, I talked to her brother who told me she was now married, living in Calcutta with three kids. I wonder if I'll meet her someday... Preeti, a South Indian. I still remember her sweet and always smiling face. Her mother (who was also a teacher at our school) was a really good cook and we loved going over to her place because of the delicious food she served. Her mother was transferred to Calcutta when we still in the 7th standard or so and though we promised to keep in touch, a few letters later, we never heard from her again. I wonder where she is now... Today, the only classmates I am in contact with are the ones who I didn't talk to much during the days we were together. And I actually established contact with most of them online. Leena in Dubai, Prarthana in Ahmedabad, Pragya in Shillong and Lisa in Guwahati. I'm still looking for more of the batch of 1986 (Loreto Convent, Shillong) so if you know anyone, you know what to do :) Do you keep in touch with your school friends? ADDED: Shailesh Kuber left this interesting bit in the comments:
Seven months back (in Dec 22, 2001), I had organised a Reunion of my Class of 86 mates in Hyderabad and 30 of them turned up. Most of us were meeting each other after nearly 10-15 years and the evening was magical... and emotional. As each person came to the venue, it was as if people were stepping in from the past via a time machine. It was awesome. Since the last 3 years I have also been editing a quarterly e-newsletter which I used to circulate to my old classmates. This kept our friendship going... even after so many years and having settled in various locations. It may interest you to know that last week I was in Hyderabad and I met up around 14 old classmates over dinner. I did a quick check of my address book. As on date, I am in touch with 45 of my old classmates :) (thru emails/IMs/direct contact/phones et al)." posted by Anita at 8:14 AM | July 20, 2002 Lord, why do people get bored?(That's meant to rhyme) Bored - One that is wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious. Boredom - The state of being bored, or pestered; a state of ennui. - Courtesy, Dictonary.com I have on more than one occasion wondered why people get bored. It baffles my mind. Especially when there is so much to do. From the moment we wake up in the morning, to the time we lay our weary heads on the pillow, there's stuff to finish. And I mean - heaps of stuff! Bills to be paid, food to be prepared, deadlines to be met, friends to talk to, blog entries to be made, calls to be made, lists to be updated, cleaning, dusting, cat to be fed, books to read, spouses to love, shopping to be done - so many things and so little time! Why then, have I heard this statement, "I'm really bored" once too often. I'm not talking about a specific person. But I've heard this short phrase come out of nearly everybody's mouth and I wonder now and then why it is used so generously. Or do we say it because it's just a 'cool thing' to say? I have always tried to be very very frugal with these words. When I think about it, I actually hardly ever get 'bored'. Even at home, without a television, a computer and a music system, it would be hard to find me utter those words. But when I hear it used to generously by people around me (and I don't mean sitting next to me) I begin to wonder what really sparks of this omni-present feeling of boredom in our 21t century 'oh-so-much-is-happening' lives? What else do we need to wipe out that statement from our vocabulary? Unless, it's just healthy to get bored once in a while! - Post sparked off by this entry in Mamatha's journal posted by Anita at 6:41 AM | Men, please take note!I don't mean to antagonise all my male readers, but I keep stumbling upon this interesting stuff (actually it was sent to me ;) According to this very interesting report, while women are beginning to outnumber men on college campuses, some demographers say that "American men are becoming less literate, less ambitious, less responsible, and less employable than women". Quoting from the article: -- "Men are less mature today than they were 20 years ago." [Is this really true? On what basis is this maturity or immaturity measured and what is the evidence that the article talks about but does not explain] -- "Traditionally, men have been more likely to marry women with less earning potential and professional stature, although that trend is shifting." [Is it really shifting? I suspect, most men still feel the same!] -- "It is predicted that finding a successful husband (read, someone who earns more) will become increasingly difficult. This also means that the choice for younger women will be more constrained than it was 20 years ago. It's an American study, but it does throw forward some interesting statements. Except, I'm sure how factual or correct they really are. I doubt one study is enough to reveal the true statistics and give us a more correct picture about this one. posted by Anita at 5:39 AM | Using weblogs as a tool in journalismOf all the discussions going on about weblogging vs journalism, this take makes more sense to me than some of the previous ones. Steve Outing, who is a senior editor at Poynter talks about the different kind of weblogs - single person, group, collaborative, community and k-logs and how they can be used as potentially profitable tools for a journalist. He also studies each category and provides implications, suggestions for the new media alongwith examples. (Btw, Blogsisters has been quoted as an example of the group weblog category. Jeneane, please note :) Definitely a more constructive approach than the other debates that have been raging about blogland. posted by Anita at 5:21 AM | July 17, 2002 Still on Top (heh!)Anita Rowland’s gripe about being displaced from the number 2 spot on Google finds its way to David Weinberger’s blog. We’re having this ‘healthy’ competition, she and me. Any ideas as to how I can displace santaanita.com from the first spot now? Contributors will be sufficiently rewarded ;) posted by Anita at 6:20 AM | Turner's TimeHe’s been invited to be a guest speaker at the Minerals Expo 2002 (and you can’t imagine what an honour that is) for the groundbreaking work he’s done on Chalkchalking (don’t ask me, I haven’t a clue). He’s the man behind the outrageously successful Blogstickers, one of the first ‘phenomenons’ I stumbled onto in the early reckless blog jumping days. And of course, the unstoppable force behind the Drop Down USA campaign. And the genius behind the Blogtank revolution which is currently parked in the driveway of his house in Northhampton, in neutral gear, being refuelled. My favourite Englishman, Mr Turner, (or should that be Scotsman? Not that it makes much of a difference to me looking from here) after JRM (Jonathan, for the uninformed; who's actually Irish, so maybe he doesn’t really count), is getting paynted on the Sandhill blog. Catch the skeletons tumbling out of the MLOD closet. Note to Gary: I should definitely get an award for this promotion :) posted by Anita at 4:50 AM | July 16, 2002 Problems, problems...Publishing to blogger keeps giving me the following message: " Error 503:Unable to load template file: /home/Templates2/3193264_a.html". I tried saving my template and archive page and republishing, as suggested by Monica and Deepak Sharma on Kiruba's blog, but that hasn't solved my problems. Any more bright ideas? After saving and publishing about five times yesterday, you can finally see the updated Indian Bloggers List. Here are the additions to the list: Satyen, Prashant, Aishwarya, Aditi, Chinmayi, Srinivas, Sachin Nair, Rajagopal, Nikki, Sangeeta, Krishna. A handful of the Hyderabad bloggers in this batch were sent in by Balaji. Anyway, tired of Blogger problems (much as I admire this guy) and on Mahesh's insistence, I decided to open a Live Journal account. To tide over the bad days! So here I am - a proud owner of a Live Journal account too. My experience has been quite pleasant so far. The comments feature on LJ is really great and I'm just beginning to find my way around the place. But I won't go into comparisons of the two because of my loyalty towards you-know-who ;) Mahesh being a passionate LJ supporter and user promises to write a whole post dedicated to why Live Journal is a better software to use than Blogger. Me, I just enjoy blogging and wish I had a more error free experience! At least till I can get my own domain, design my own site and say at the bottom: 'Powered by Movable Type'! posted by Anita at 12:21 AM | July 15, 2002 I need help tooKaryn has a problem. Actually, she's got a BIG problem. In her own words: "I'm an girl in my upper twenties who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Over the last few years I've run up quite a credit card bill... let me tell YOU! $20,221.40 to be exact." And she isn't asking for much. Just a dollar here and there. "All I need is $1 from 20,000 people, or $2 from 10,000 people, or $5 from 4,000 people - you get the picture. So if you have an extra buck or two, please send it my way! Together, we can banish credit card debt from my life!" Now, if Karyn's plea for help does get her enough charity to get her out of trouble, you can be assured that I will soon follow suit with www.saveanita.com. All I need is a hundred rupee (about $2) donation from a thousand people to help me out of my debt ridden situation. Why didn't I think of it before? I'm counting on you to donate a hundred bucks. That's not too much to ask, is it? [Now, I need someone to come up with a killer campaign, site design, and someone who will host it for free, of course... I can already think of some nice people who will help me ;) ] posted by Anita at 6:27 AM | July 13, 2002 Relax and rejuvenateI remember coming across this yoga centre about 4 years ago. They conduct residential yoga vacations in their different ashrams all over the world, including one in Kerela. Another friend of mine recommended this Iyenger Center in the Himachal Pradesh. Combined with some sightseeing of that part of the country, it sounds like a nice idea. Maybe in a month or two… Sounds like a welcome change from the fast pace of daily life. Bond with nature and give the body and mind some much needed rest. Something I could definitely do with. So glad it’s the weekend, aren't you?! :-) posted by Anita at 4:43 AM | It's a G-O-A-L!!Watched Bend it Like Beckham on Wednesday. Here's the movie In a nutshell:
My recommendation if it's coming to a theatre close to you: Fun and entertaining as long as you don't expect deep philosophical insights. Definitely worth a watch. posted by Anita at 3:36 AM | July 10, 2002 Addicted gamers, take note...I have watched some people play video games with a passion that seems maniacal at times. They go on and on and on. Unless you stop them, they could go without food or sleep, conversation, human interaction... I've had quite a few arguments with the husband about video games. I think played without restraint, they can prove to be dangerous. And addictive too. So much so that you can totally lose track of time, place or anything important. It's one thing to play games as a form of entertainment once in a while, and quite another when you get hooked by it. Hubby's argument on the other hand is that increases concentration, teaches you skill and tactic and sharpens your instincts. Bollocks, I say! Read this: "In a survey conducted by Akio Mori, a professor in Nihon University's College of Humanities and Sciences, it was found that the longer people spent playing video games, the less activity they showed in the prefrontal region of their brains, which governs emotion and creativity." "Many of the people in this group told researchers that they got angry easily, couldn't concentrate, and had trouble associating with friends." I have actually seen this happen and tend to think there is an element of truth in the statement. "During childhood, playing outside with friends, not videogames, is the best option."That probably holds true for adults also. posted by Anita at 2:32 AM | July 09, 2002 The Baby CounterIf you haven't heard enough already in earlier posts, here it is again. The whole story about how I wanted five kids (and I'm not kidding) and had this romantic notion of bringing them all up in a farmhouse with a posse of assorted animals. By the time I reached 30 that number reached a dismal zero. And now I'm working hard again to get back to a position where I can start counting upwards again. It's going to take me longer than I thought! posted by Anita at 8:56 AM | Chalk TalkI must be frank. I didn?t quite understand Gary?s deal on ChalkChalking, but I did understand BlogChalking a little better. It seems like a pretty interesting concept too. [Link via Mahesh] posted by Anita at 8:40 AM | Are you lookin' for me?The other Anita also posts that I now appear above her on a Google search for our very popular (I didn't use the word 'common') name. I had nothing to do with it. I swear :-) posted by Anita at 8:22 AM | Nowhere to go...These two guys, Scotty Weeks and Derrick Clark are taking to the streets from July 7-14. They will have no money on them, no food. Only the clothes they have on them. They will also try and update this site with their experiences as and when they get the time. And if you're wondering why, this is what they say: "Homeless Week is a time for two people from a lower-to-middle-class upbringing to learn what its like on the worst side of the tracks." [Link via the other Anita] posted by Anita at 8:16 AM | Blogging Tips
CONTRIBUTIONS 6. "Don't give blogging tips on your blog." - Says Atul. Oops! Point taken! posted by Anita at 6:35 AM | Ten more things I absolutely love (contd...)-- Coffee -- Movies -- Ferris Wheels - Airplanes - Paint (especially the smell of fresh paint) - Crystal - Diamonds (my only expensive love!) - Strawberries - Flower petals - Words posted by Anita at 3:43 AM | July 08, 2002 Excuse me, but your slip is showingI was having a conversations with one of my online friends and I happened to let it slip by that I am not at the top of things and am generally feeling a little... bored. I hate that word, but there, I said it. My friend mentioned to me that lately the writing on my blog has been reflecting that fact. That I am a little lacklustre. That something's amiss. I couldn't believe it! I don't want to be so transparent. I mean, I would hate that you know what's going on in my mind and deduce the state the level of my disenchantment by reading what I write. This means that either I'm not writing well enough, or you're just reading too much into this. Go figure! posted by Anita at 7:06 AM | Ten Things I Absolutely Love(in no particular order) 1. Corn - in all forms, including popcorn 2. Shoes - platforms, heels, flats, school girl shoes 3. Raindrops 4. Mountains 5. Fresh Air 6. Chicken - tikka, chilli, lollipops, masala 7. Fountain Pens (Note: Gift Idea if you want to buy me something) 8. Postcards 9. Cats 10. Water posted by Anita at 6:49 AM | July 05, 2002 Welcome on boardRadhika has moved to a spanking new place which is looking really fresh and neat, so don't forget to drop in and also leave a housewarming note for her :) A new entrant to the blogging community - Vidya - who also happens to be the 'down-to-earth' side of the Shantaram equation. And I'm not only the one saying that. Vidya admits it herself! [Yeterday's post which didn't make it online because of Blogger problems. Again :(] posted by Anita at 6:46 AM | Conversations with an 'Indophile'I have been exchanging emails with a gentleman who runs a weblog called Asia First. Robert Nagle who is a Technical Writer, Trainer & Linux Afficionado is based in Austin, Texas. Robert has quite a fascinating story to tell and I thought I would share it with you folks, because it's not everyday that one comes across an American with so much interest about India. As Robert himself admits, the reference to Indian culture in American classrooms is next to non-existent. Whereas, an Indian is much more familiar with Western culture, geography, politics, trends etc. Being an Irish American by origin, I ask Robert how first he became interested in India. RN replies: I concluded that Americans/ Europeans were ignorant about Indian and Chinese culture. One of the problems is that the Indian media sites are fairly unknown outside India (look for example at this site). And the major portal Indian sites were filled with annoying banner pop ups. People use weblogs for personal expression and for technology, but I've seen very few that try to index cultural topics. (The best that I've seen is this one). Since that time, I've concluded that India media (of course I'm talking only about English) is very accessible to Westerners in terms of content. There's just no place for a western audience to go to find accessible and interesting Indian content without having to go through an Indian newspaper home page. Newspaper home pages are usually very unpleasant. A site like Metafilter or Slashdot is much nicer to read, I think. A site produced from my home city in Austin, Sulekha contains the best mix of culture/commentary/news (and without popups). Actually, after I discovered Sulekha for the first time, I had half an inclination just to close down Asiafirst. Culturally speaking, people ignore Asia culture for economic reasons. American pop culture is so -- well, popular -- because we have a powerful and rich marketing machinery behind it. When Asia's standard of living rises, it will be able to export its cultural products more effectively. As an American, it is really strange to see songs, TV shows and articles in developing countries, usually through satellite TV or pirated CD's. Once, while giving a lecture about American rock and roll music in Ukraine, I told my students. "All of you know about American bands. For that you should be proud. But Americans don't know a single singer/rock band from Russian-speaking countries." The students didn't believe me at all, but it was true. Almost the same is true for India. I asked Robert if he would like to visit India and what he would like to see in the country. RN replies: Travelling to India would be my dream. I announced 2 years ago that I would like to teach in India by the time I am 40. (I am 36 now). So what would I like to do in India if I were to visit? I would like to visit an IIT and see the Indian style of higher education. I'd like to travel to the warm regions, maybe Bangalore. I'd like to walk down the streets and to meet people on the train. To tell the truth, I haven't given any thought to where I would visit. Suggestions? I suggested to Robert that a good way to discover India would be to visit bloggers based in different cities and we would all take turns to show him around. Besides me, there's Sathish in Bangalore, Kiruba in Chennai, Amit in Delhi and I am sure we can find some more bloggers in different parts of the country to make his dream come true. We have four years to get a plan together. :) Robert maintains two web logs, Asia First and Idiot Programmer. How does he get time to do it all? RN replies: Keeping two weblogs is a real bitch. I've recently written a piece about the 'Death of Weblogs' (June 13 entry -- sorry my permalinks are not working) because they really are not good for storing content. The problem with weblogs is that to be read regularly you need to update it at least twice a week. But if you're writing that frequently you can't be writing polished or substantial stuff. I initially hoped I could find two or three people to participate in Asiafirst as a group weblog. That would reduce the burden considerably on one person. I've seen several sites that do that very well (such as Elearningpost.com) and it can be done using Blogger. That proposal didn't generate any takers from my (non-Indian) friends. Robert also shares that he is currently unemployed and in financially dire circumstances. "Austin, Texas, which used to be a wonderful land of opportunity, now has little. Even in my unemployment, I've been busy with lots of things, but it made the need to have my content out there as soon as possible. At some point I will try doing freelance work, but I'm not ready for that yet. Writing weblogs has been a distraction from my personal problems." posted by Anita at 2:41 AM | July 03, 2002 UpdateI've updated the Indian Bloggers List. Another 7 blogs have been added, thanks to everyone sending in more blogs. If I've missed you, please let me know. posted by Anita at 6:04 AM | Wild pizza!Guardian's list of web logs. Sathish finds a place and is obviously thrilled. This is one fun link that has been around for a while, but if you haven't discovered it yet, then I'd suggest a dekko. I am thinking about introducing a regular link of the day, (courtesy Ashok since he keeps forwarding anything he finds to me) but till then here is something interesting. I'm not crazy about pizza, but this is fascinating: "Though most people today have sampled pizza of one kind or another, there is a surprisingly large number of people who have no experience with what I consider the finest form of pizza: the one made at home, completely from scratch; the 'wild pizza'. Let me introduce you to the simple yet sublime art of pizza-making." Anyone game to try it? I'm thinking Madhu... An online sperm donor service for lesbian couples in the UK is going to be fully operational on July 8th. We carried the story yesterday so you can check it out here. The site is appropriately called mannotincluded.com. posted by Anita at 4:33 AM | Wanna Write?Mamatha had asked me to mention her online writing group and since I know a lot of you are potential/ wannabe/ budding writers, I'm sure you'll want to participate. Drop in by her place and share your ideas with her, she'll be delighted. posted by Anita at 4:15 AM | They're doing it down South!The Chennai bloggers meet went off quite well from the reports on individual blogs. Except for the milkshake that everyone complained about. Read about it here, here, and here. Some lessons we can learn from their experiences: 1) Don't organise a meet at a coffee place (too many teenagers, too much noise) - not conducive to intelligent conversation J That rules out Barista! 2) Try and keep the numbers to 7-8. So, its cosy enough and prevents too much confusion. 3) Avoid milkshake Any ideas for a bloggers meet in Mumbai? posted by Anita at 4:12 AM | June 30, 2002 Brazil!At half-time, I was beginning to wonder if it the match would get into extra-time. And then, two goals by Ronaldo in the second half, and the Germans knew they were beaten by the best team of the 2002 Soccer World Cup. It was an exciting final, I hope all you folks caught a piece of the action and drama. There was overwhelming support for Brazil in the office where some of us gathered to watch the final on a big screen. There was one German supporter, but he didn't get much scope to cheer today. A great day for Ronaldo whose last World Cup final encounter ended in disaster when they were beaten by France. So it was surely a sweet feeling for him when he became the tournament's highest scorer with 8 goals from 7 matches. Deservedly so. He apparently thanked God and his physio responsible for helping him recover from his leg injuries. The look on Ballack's face was rather heart-breaking when the final whistle sounded. Especially since it was his contribution which helped Germany beat Korea to enter the finals. After 30 days of maintaining the soccer weblog page (with active help of the other sports enthusiast, Ashok Hedge) which we updated everyday, it was difficult not to get infected by soccer fever. I became a true soccer fan for a month, dedicatedly following teams winning and losing, watching some of my favourites falling to the wayside, making predictions, and of course, rooting for Brazil, everybody's favourite team! Bookmakers have already installed Brazil as the favourites to retain their crown, at the 2006 World Cup to be hosted by the losers, Germany. Sporting enthusiasts can now shift to cricketing action happening at the NatWest triangular series hosted by England. posted by Anita at 7:23 AM | |
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