Browster is cool, sometimes

Check out this plug that saves you more than a few clicks. I find this most helpful when I search. You get a bunch of results on the search page and you can just point to each of the search results and a window pops up automatically when you just point to any of the links. The window goes away when you move the cursor away from the link. Its kind of a virtual window but you can still click for links inside this window to see other pages.

It is a nice feature, but can be annoying at times when it opens when you don’t actually want it to. (This works for any links on any page and not only for search results pages). Once you get used to it, its hard to live without it.

Viru missing Dada makes no sense

I don’t see how the team could be missing Ganguly. The team has been winning like never before. Dravid has done a terrific job as captain (even standing up for Viru!). So much new talent has come to. In fact, Viru’s place in the team has been questioned! I don’t see how he could have said that the team missed Ganguly. Certainly, the couldn’t have missed him on the field!

Viru was unnecessarily re-starting the Ganguly controversy. The BCCI was right to warn Viru.
I wish someone had asked him how and why the team missed Ganguly! Perhaps just at an emotional level? If so, just too bad. Dada just didn’t have the personal form to justify his continued presence in the team.

Pramod Mahajan

Pramod Mahajan had a bright future in Indian politics ahead of him. He was articulate and a great communicator. Given that he was one of the younger (relatively) leaders in the BJP, India’s leading opposition party, he had a great opportunity ahead of him in the years ahead. In fact, it was rumored that he was next in line to take over the party Presidency and that the current President was only a stop-gap arrangement.

Wonder what will happen to his brother, Pravin Mahajan now. Life imprisonment perhaps? You never know, chances are we won’t hear about it in the press!

Immigrant Workers Stay off Work

Immigrant workers staying away from work on Mon had one positive effect yesterday in the bay area — less traffic on the freeway! In any case, the “strike” has given the much needed immigration reform greater visbility. However, given that it is an election year, its unlikely that it will turn into any concrete legislation.

Book Review: One Night in a Call Center

Title: One Night in A Call Center
Author: Chetan Bhagat

I enjoyed reading “Five Point Someone” written by the same author. I thought that was a good debut novel. Most importantly it appeared genuine and had a very personal feel to it. When I heard about the author’ second book I was naturally inclined to read it. Unfortunately, this effort is a dismal attempt to re-create the success of his first book.

Once again, the author chooses a story revolving around friends. Except, this time its friends at the work place, a call center. While the book does a good job of portraying the lives of India’s “flush-with-cash-20-something” call center employees and their relationships, the rest of the book is a desperate attempt by the author to weave a story around it. The supposed turning point of the story is when the group of friends who work at the call center suddenly get a call from God. This happens when the group drives away for a long break in the midst of their workday/night. To put it very bluntly, the story makes no sense whatsoever.

It appears as though the book was written with “Bollywood” in mind. “Pick up today’s hot topic (fast growing call centers, cash rich fresh out of college kids) add some “masala” and anything will sell” seems to be the thinking that went behind the book.

Thankfully, the price of the book is a modest Rs. 95 (like the author’s first book) unlike books by other Indian authors that are usually over Rs. 250.

Movie Review: Lion

Movie: Lion
Language: Malayalam
Starring: Dileep, Kavya Madhavan

Given the election season in Kerala, this movie’s timing could not have been better. The movie is a “take -off” on former Kerala State Minister Balakrishna Pillai and his son actor turned politician, Ganeshan. In this movie, the Dad is portrayed as a crook, while the son is an up and coming conscientious politician with great commitment to serve the masses. The movie is all about the rise of the son and fall of the Dad. The hero’s brother-in-laws are thrown into the mix as corrupt accomplices to the Dad. As expected the hero rises from the grassroots, contests against Dad, exposes corruption and does a clean up job. In between he finds time to dance to a couple of numbers set in New Zealand with a desperately over-weight heroine, Kavya Madhavan. One of the songs sun by Hindi singer Udit Narayan is terrible to say the least. His Malayalam is horrible (not surprisingly) and the song just exposes him even more!

The movie in general is fast paced and an enjoyable watch. It has some typical underdog “pay-back” moments from the hero which are customary in most masala films. Dileep does a seasoned job for what is typically a Mohanlal role. The film is huge hit apparently. This is a good product for a re-make in one of the other languages. 🙂

Yahoo Mail (beta) is Really Cool!

The Yahoo Mail (beta) is huge improvement over the current Yahoo mail. The design is pleasing. Its easy to use. Has some cool features like drop and drag, tabbed email view etc. If you are a user of Outlook Express the transition will be completely painless.

Interestingly enough it didn’t work in the new IE 7.0 beta 🙂

Btw, you have to request access for Yahoo Mail beta and wait for a few months before you get access to it (at least that was my experience).

Fighting the Press with The Press

President Bush picked conservative commentator Tony Snow as his White House press secretary. Given his sinking approval ratings this seems like a desperate attempt to win over the press and thereby beef up his ratings. Despite being hailed as a sounded strategy by many, I suspect this is going to backfire. While Tony Snow knows what the press wants, I am not sure he will be able to deliver it once his constraints of operating within the White House become apparent. As a commentator he probably had a lot of freedom to speak his mind. Unfortunately, as Press Secretary his opportunity to do so is going to be limited and might frustrate him and fail to meet the President’s goals. This transition might not be easy. Besides given his background he has expressed views on so many issues that he might have a hard time dissociating himself from them while striving to do justice in his new role. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.