Sa(i)fe place

Ask "Why"

2006-08-29T21:44:00.000-04:00

(This is speech number two I gave at the Toronto Debate Toastmasters meeting on August 28th. It is supposed to be a 5--7 minute speech focussing on content organisation. It is a packaged version of my post on Aug 13th.)

I will tell you a story—not of warring kingdoms, or of wise sages, and not about a long, long time ago. The story is of my “why” score]—more specifically, about its anomalous behavior in the last two weeks.

Mysterious as it may sound, a “why” score is a simple concept. The more questions you ask that start with “why”, and the more significant these questions are, the higher is your why score. For example, if you wonder, “Why should we not pass a vehicle when approaching a curve?” that’s a why question; and this question (unless you have taken in all the star trek series ever created) has a higher why score than say, “Why can’t I do the Vulcan death grip, like Spock?”.

My own personal “why” score was hopping along at a happy-go-lucky steady pace, when two weeks back, things changed. Investigations into the reasons for departure from blissful consistency, point to three culprits: a novel, a friend, and a documentary.

Those days I was reading Michael Crichton’s State of Fear. Most readers, me included, would identify themselves with Peter Evans—a regular, level-headed person who, apart from other seemingly obvious “facts”, also believes in the theory of global warming. A sinuous plot brings him to Dr. Kenner—an MIT professor—who remorselessly, and rather persuasively, pokes holes in Peter’s cozy ideas on global-warming. He does so not with feathery rhetoric, but with precise citations from journal papers.

The novel, expectedly so, stands criticized by environmentalists and praised by those against over-environmentalization (if you believe there is such a thing!). Kenner succeeds in making Peter question his beliefs and pre-conceived notions, and that’s where, I think, the book succeeds—it is hard for the reader to come away without asking why he/she believes in the existence of global warming (or its lack there of).

That same week, I was pleasantly surprised to meet an old friend. She is wrapping up her masters thesis in Montreal and was in town to visit her parents. I asked what her plans were—is there a Ph.D. on the horizons, or has the dark side proven to be too tempting (as in, “Are you planning to work in the industry?”). She responded that many in the academic community seem to be here because there are puzzles to solve. However, what we work on takes tens of year to reach the lay person. At least in the industry, what we work on might reach people in a mere year or two. “But even then”, she exclaimed, “are we really tackling the burning issues? Is what we plan to work on, really something that the world needs more of? I enjoyed my masters”, she said, “but I want to be sure why I am doing something before I get into it.”

By this time my why score was already spiking to dangerous levels, but there was more to come. Looking at the list of movies on cable, I stumbled on one called Enron. Thanks to my recently hyper-active why score, I wondered, “Why did Enron go bust?”, and before I knew it, I was watching the documentary. The makers did a nice job of telling what happened. Essentially, the company reported (imaginary) profits based on extrapolations for the future, to keep stock prices soaring. While top executives liquidated their assets just in time, when the company went under most others were left with little more than scraps of paper.

In its better days, the company prided itself on being creative and fresh-thinking. They had the motto “Ask Why”. Ironic, considering that so many people (both inside and outside) failed to do just that regarding its posted profits.

So thanks to the novel, my friend, and this documentary, my why score has not been the same. Every now and then, we are in danger of going with the flow; for no good reason but for itself. My friend may not have all the answers, but at least she is asking the right questions, and that was refreshing; and yes, a little contagious too.

Ask Why

2006-08-13T03:10:00.000-04:00

In Michael Crichton’s State of Fear, we identify ourselves with Peter Evans—a regular, level-headed person who, apart from other seemingly obvious “facts”, believes in global warming. A sinuous plot brings him to Dr. Kenner who remorselessly, and rather persuasively, pokes holes in his cozy global-warming balloon. He does so not with feathery rhetoric, but with precise citations from journal papers. The novel stands criticized by environmentalists and praised by those against over-environmentalization. Kenner succeeds in making Peter question his belief, and that’s where, I think, the book succeeds—it is hard for the reader to come away without asking why he/she believes in the existence of global warming (or its lack there of).

Earlier in the week, I asked O.F. what her plans were, now that she is wrapping up her masters. She said that many in the academic community seem to be here because there are puzzles to solve. At least in the industry, what we work on might reach people in a mere year or two. “But even then”, she said, “are we really tackling the burning issues?”

I saw Enron, the documentary, today. The makers did a nice job of telling the story. Essentially, the company reported (imaginary) profits based on extrapolations for the future, to keep stock prices soaring. While top executives liquidated their assets just in time, others were left with little more than scraps of paper when the company went under. The company had the motto “Ask Why”. Ironic, considering that so many people (both inside and outside) failed to ask just that regarding its posted profits.

Every now and then, we are in danger of going with the flow for no good reason but for itself. O.F. may not have all the answers, but at least she is asking the right questions, and that was refreshing. And yes, a little contagious too.

Easily inspired, forever impressionable

2006-05-23T22:21:00.000-04:00

(This is the ice-breaker speech I gave at the Toronto Debate Toastmasters meeting on May 23rd. It is supposed to be a 4--6 minute speech about oneself.)

Did you ever have your cheeks pulled when you were a kid? People would do that all the time to me, back home in India. And they would ask what I wanted to do once I grew up. I remember that, without batting an eyelid, I would say, “I’d like to be a scientist.” I had not the foggiest clue as to what I wanted to research, but “I’d like to be scientist”. Some how, the idea of discovering a phenomenon or creating something new, something that never existed before, fascinated me.

I always liked to travel, too. You know the line: “The world is like a book, those who do not travel, read only a page”. Well, home, University and job had taken me to different parts of India, but I had never traveled beyond. So I applied for a master’s at the University of Minnesota, not just for higher studies, but also to “read another page”. I must say, that Minnesotans are amazingly nice and warm people—very much like Canadians. The 9/11 attacks happened shortly after my arrival there, and I was witness to a lot of compassion and understanding, when it was easy to turn to hatred and intolerance.

Time passed and before I knew it, summer of 2003 came knocking by. “Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban” just broke all records for book sales. I was never much of a reader, so I decided now would be a good time to make amends. If a million people want to read the book, I think at the very least, it deserves a 50 page read to see if it hooks you in. And hooked I was. J.K. Rowling seemed to have boundless imagination, and she spun a plot that enticingly hued out the characters. It had a gripping pace, generous doses of humor, and people who fly around on broom sticks. On a more serious note, this book made me fall in love with the art of story-telling and writing in general.

This was also the time when that familiar and troubling question surfaced again. I was to be done with my masters soon, but “What next? What do I want to do?” Only, this time I knew the answer. Two years of masters gave me a taste of what research is like, and I wanted more. I decided to pursue a Ph.D. which, happily so, involves not just research, but also story telling and travel. Every six months or so, when the research yields good results, we write a paper; a paper that tells the story of that work. Then if the paper is accepted in a conference, we travel to the venue, and present our work. I have been quite fortunate that as part of my research at UoT, I got to go to Spain, Italy, and in July to Australia.

“But wait!” I am getting ahead of myself. Of course, before visiting all these wonderful places, pursuing the Ph.D. brought me to Toronto. And as any Ph.D. candidate, I would be remiss if I did not talk about my advisor; someone with whom I have worked closely for many years now.

Early on in my Ph.D., in one of the weekly meetings, I was telling him that I have an idea, but then I don’t know how good it is. “May be it will not lead up to anything.” He stopped me right there. “Wait!”, he said, “When you have an idea, you must first take a moment to think why it is a *good* idea. Step back and be excited about it. Then later worry about why it may not work out.” I thought that was such a cool thing to say, and this applies to all ideas (not just research ideas). For example, let’s say there is this person you fancy very much. But may be she is to be the next queen of Denmark, while you study penguins in Antarctica. Before you give the idea of “you two” a hypothermia with cold reason, may be you should first take a moment to be excited about it. Think about how wonderful it will be to be with her. And if you are excited enough about the idea, then surely you can find a way. What I am trying to get at is that it would be a shame to give up on a good idea, without giving it a decent shot.

And my advisor is just one of the many in Toronto who inspire me. From learning to play a musical instrument to learning a new language, from ice skating to improving public speaking skills, there are various experiences to partake and skills to improve on. We have people that inspire us, and opportunities to make good on the inspirations. All we need is to be a little impressionable.

Now, if only I could find a girl who is excited about the idea of “us”.

“Don’t you bully me with your politeness”

2006-03-13T02:31:00.000-05:00

Pi Patel does not let Mr. Okamoto get the upper hand in Yann Martel’s Life of PiEvery now and then we come across a line that leaves an impression—a line with character, a line that inspires, or simply, a line that gloves seemingly inarticulable emotions and gives them shape for all to see. While such lines alone do not make a great novel, they add greatly to the experience of reading. In fact, I like them so much that I decided to keep a list. However, what one finds appealing is clearly subjective. Our discourse history, our experiences, and our imagination all have a role to play. They all add to our perception of the line and so every person is uniquely affected by it. Whats more, a person will perceive a line differently at different times. The same is true when we see people. In If on a winter’s night a traveler Italo Calvino puts it beautifully:

“If I imagine looking at her with the eyes of [those who have known her] , there is a veil of other images that settles on her image and blurs it, a weight of memories that keep me from seeing her as a person seen for the first time, other people’s memories suspended like the smoke under the lamps.”

So I might jot down these lines-that-leave-an-impression, but cannot save the state of my mind. Such impressions will always be fleeting and (thus, all the more) precious.

History, Mystery, Symbology, and a Genius

2005-11-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

stories of the inanimate

Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code has them all, and some would argue an (over) active imagination. This is the first of Brown’s novels that I have read, and it scores on many fronts. While the book plays on the mystery shrouding Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene’s not-just-lord-and-disciple relationship (and the ensuing alleged cover up), the "holy-grail" for me was the symbology.

Robert Langdon, a college professor and renowned symbologist, unwittingly finds himself the prime suspect in a murder investigation. His unique background comes in handy to save the day, and while this happens all the time in fiction, Brown shines in seamlessly blending it with stories of the inanimate—some real, some theory (some would use far fetched and imaginary here). Every piece of art whether it is a painting (say, the last supper) or a monument (say, Solomon’s temple) has a story to tell. Sometimes even the every-day and seemingly-mundane, such as the upward-facing arrow on military uniforms, have fascinating tales.

Why should one care you ask; they are only stories after all—ghosts of the past. Look at it this way. The next time you find yourself at the Louvre staring at a certain Ms. Lisa, you are likely to have a more engaged meeting if you know her secret. You could attempt to unravel the clues left behind by Da Vinci—his hidden tributes to the sacred feminine. At the very least, you can amuse yourself noticing that the Mona Lisa looks more formidable when viewed from the left side, and wonder if the master painter was level-horizon-lines challenged.

Brown gives voice to the inanimate—a chance to tell their story to the masses.

PS: The illustrated version of the book, with pictures of all the art work and symbols relevant to the plot, is a treat.

Axiom

2005-09-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

The government of India is walking a fine line between a trusted old friend and an exciting new ally. It is in the uncomfortable position of being forced to choose one over the other. The United States wants India to pull out of the oil-pipeline project with Iran, to discourage the latter’s nuclear ambitions.

I am taking a logic course this semester, and as anybody who is smitten by the logic-bug will attest, there is a certain Vulcan-charm in making decisions based on deduction. This is not to say that logic must be devoid of feeling or compassion—that can be factored in.

Deductions are made from axioms and rules. The interesting part about axioms is that they need not be absolute truths. For example, René Descartes’s popular axiom cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am) cannot really be proven. However, if one assumes it to be true, she can do a good job of convincing herself that she really exists (a slightly harder task in the post-matrix world).

While this curious behavior of axioms might seem unnatural (or even unprincipled) at first glance, it reflects the world as is with much fidelity. Even in the realm of free press, there seem to be few real truths—there are versions of truth. Economic benefit is often at odds with time honored values. What this means is that one can pick and choose the axioms which result in desired outcome. While it is not clear which axioms are the “absolute truths”, there is fairly good consensus that choosing mutually opposing axioms at different times to engineer appropriate outcomes, amounts to hypocrisy.

No matter what axiom India falls back on, I hope it does not compromise its integrity.

Humor me

2005-07-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the half-blood Prince hit stores midnight July 16^th. Even though many have said that the book is intended for teens, that JKR uses trite phrases, and that the books are a satanic seduction of the soul (believe me they have), I had my copy a few minutes after.

I do not think that the books are literary genius, yet the world of young wizards and witches is enticingly hued out. For me the books stand out in two ways. First, is the no-nonsense narration. The plot moves swiftly and most everything that happens takes the story forward and/or develops the characters (or at least has entertainment value). The visuals are portrayed so as to breathe life into the magical world without attempting to capture every pixel (forgive the computer science). Due respect to Mr. Tolkien, but describing every meal—there are six of them a day—of the hobbit is not my cup of coffee. Second, and this is where the magic is cast, the books are teeming with humor. Just because the target demographic is 14--16 year olds does not mean that it is any easier to make them laugh. If the books tickle their funny bone then they most definitely will conquer us all—and so they have.

Since we are on the funny subject, I must confess that I just this afternoon got myself the Remington Steele DVD. This masterful eighties detective serial took humor-with-words in television to the next level. However, my young and wiser-than-his-years friend was quick to retort that the series, with its female protagonist and a much younger Pierce Brosnan, is for the fairer sex.

It seems that at times people (me included) are a little too eager to place tags on things and put them in bins. But does’nt class—be it in humor or something else—etch all in a positive way? And surely it is not so common that we see a lot of it in designed-just-for-us bins.

One Dimensional God

2005-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

What’s common to Hermione Granger (Harry Potter), Han Solo (Star Wars), and Stanley Ipkiss (The Mask)?

All three are (arguably) some of the most fascinating characters of all time—not because Hermionee knows all the answers, not because Han always saves the day, and not because Stanley turns into the prince of mischief as the sun goes down. Hermione feels the venom in being called a mud-blood. As much as he would like to hide it, Han is terrified of loosing Leah. And Stanley makes the painful (read comic) transitions from denial, anger, and helplessness, finally to reconciliation with his alter ego—the Mask. They may each have special traits, but they have their fallacies too. They mostly have a good time, but pain is not unknown to them. They are complex and powerful characters.

Now consider Ms. God.

Easily the oldest, most famous, and much loved heroine of all time, Her character has developed across the ages in an almost open-source fashion. There were important releases around 3000BC (the Vedas), early first century (the Bible), and the eighth century (the Quran), but philosophers to saints, kings to peasants, one and all have claimed to know her in varying degrees. Yet, God cannot feel pain, nor could she ever be afraid. She is not capable of doing wrong and expects us to do good. With all due respect (and apologies in advance for the blasphemy), Her character is not exactly the highpoint of human creativity.

God pales in comparison to Hermione.

Republic of Earth

2005-04-13T22:28:00.000-04:00

As an impressionable pre-teen, with the notions of government and country just sinking in, a seemingly naïve question came forth in my mind -- why is there no “World Government”? There exists a system to govern the city, the province (state), and the country. Extending the idea to all nations of Earth seemed only natural. I have often come back to the question without a very satisfactory answer. The closest we have to such a world body is the United Nations (U.N.). However, considering even the most basic functions of such an institution – protecting human life, the U.N. is a far cry from the ideal “Republic of Earth”.

Hutu vs Tutsi

In 1994, in the central African nation of Rwanda, hate and mistrust between the minority Tutsis and majority Hutus was exploited in an attempt to kill all Tutsis. The U.N. which was well aware of the situation already had its forces in Kigali (the capital), but decided to pull its troops just when the genocide began! The U.S. government was making extra efforts (see Apr. 28th and Jun. 10th) not to call the mass murders a “genocide”, wary that they would be obliged to send troops. 800,000 people were killed in a span of 100 days and the world watched it on television.

Madeline Albright (see May 17th), U.S. representative to the U.N., expressed the quandary of the U.S. and the U.N. Security Council by stating that they can act only in accordance with their resources and capabilities. The issue was reduced to who would pay the bills for the peace keeping and since no one raised their proverbial hands, Rwanda was abandoned.

Some things do not change

The genocide was followed by questions, investigations, reports, and apologies. The fact that the world may yet again be a hapless witness to such an event was not lost. Ten years later close to 330,000 people find themselves on the wrong side of "ethnic cleansing", in Darfur, Sudan.

To be fair to the U.N., many of their organizations such as the U.N.I.C.E.F. and W.H.O., do a tremendous job. But the Security Council leaves much to be desired of. What we have in many ways is a police department and a fire station that protects the interests of the rich and turns a blind eye to the rest. This is not acceptable.

Some things can

But wait! Before we go ahead and disband it let us first consider if we can create a viable world body better than present day U.N.? In many ways the point of this article is quite simply to raise that question. The U.N. is stymied by economic and military inequality of its member nations. A reality which makes the notion of a democratic U.N. impractical and which is embodied in the (undemocratic) veto power of the Security Council. Consider the European Union (E.U.) -- a conglomerate of neighboring countries standing under a common banner. Albeit conceived primarily for economic reasons, the E.U. has already extended its dominion far beyond commerce. They even have a common constitution. Imagine similarly, the Asia Pacific Alliance, the South Asian Association of Nations, the African Nations Union, and so on.

These unions can stand as equals in a democratic Republic of Earth.

Note
The author acknowledges that there are enormous challenges in the creation of an improved world body as suggested above, if at all it is a reasonable endeavor to pursue. The article simply hopes to question if 5,000 years of civilization have resulted in a world body worthy of the wisdom we have acquired in as many years.

Mission Statement

2005-03-13T14:50:00.000-05:00

Why write a blog? A blog, or web log to be precise, is a personal diary published on the web. While people write a personal diary for a number of reasons, writing on the web has almost as many motivations as there are bloggers (people who write blogs). Read this for an interesting compilation of some of the more prominent driving forces.

I write this blog as an experiment in writing. Most of my writing thus far has been technical and I have received little formal instruction for it -- technical or otherwise. But I have always enjoyed putting words to my thoughts and sa(i)fe place is a vent for my cravings. An interesting spin-off is that I get to organize my thoughts on specific issues, which at this point I believe will mostly be current affairs, India (past, present, and future), and everyday observations. That said, there is no telling where this blog will be meandering through.

What’s in it for you? No sensational revelations, no life altering philosophy, and not even great writing! What I promise is a unique perspective. I am an Indian and a graduate student of computer science in Toronto. I spent much of my life in various parts of India, did my masters in Minnesota, and now pursue a PhD at the University of Toronto. I have met some fascinating people along the way and a fare share of not-so-fun people. Sa(i)fe place is a window to the world through my eyes (or should I say, my words).

Test Run

2005-02-26T11:03:00.000-05:00

This is a test run. Meaningful (or less!) content to follow soon.