Brown Motion

I got thinking about this whole seemingly new epidemic of allergies in kids of Indian origin that grow up in the vast praries to mile high cities to frigid latitudes of the North American continent. Could it be that after millenia of having biological hierarchies spending time in tropical climates the genetic adaptation of the next generation is tuned or aligned with the world they would be expected to wander in? There are not enough data points for example of Norwegians settling en masse in Chennai for years and then finding what symptomatic behavior their children exhibit. It has not yet happened - the flat world could change that. My kid has nut allergies - he is lactose intolerant - he breaks into hives in the presence of cooked meat are chemistry and biology's newest finds. As the medics on this continent try to figure out the antidote I believe they are again only scratching the skin (figuratively of course). On the same thought vein - I also got to thinking of all the grea...

I am going to pontificate on the messaging mania that has enveloped the present day people. Specifically devices and channels designed to communicate with other fellow humans. At least, that is the purported theory. These communique take variety of forms and are differentiated by the sender and their overt or covert intent to establish the same. I will cite a few parties that attempt to promote the use of these channels and devices - 1. Manufacturers or their Marketing Partners of the said device or service - their objective is very simple - you 'need' to buy their product. Note that they 'NEED' you to - never mind what you think about the utility. Profits and happy shareholders is their primary objective. Making life simpler, better etc. for the users is a secondary consequence after the profitability portion of the equation has been addressed. This would apply from anything that ranges from peanuts to automobiles to digital cameras to music and video sharing de...

No it is not a title of an epic journey in far away land but rather the story of my taste buds. Literally or 'tangy'bly in a manner of speaking. Hailing from the Indian subcontinent and exposed in later life to culinary creations of other cultures in metros around North America I have truly found myself lucky to have the experience. I believe in the maxim - one must live to eat and not the other way around. If not for good food and equal measure of good laughter life as I know it is not worth its weight in salt (while we are on the prandial vein). My memories of good food in India range from the Taco Bell of yester year - the famous and timeless 'Vada Pav/w'; a mashed, curried and fried potato immersed in gram flour batter inserted in a lusciously warm pillow that is the bread accompanied by a dazzling red garlique concoction called chutney - to the exquisitely crafted 'Quail Curry' with butter naan (leavened bread prepared in a earth kiln) at an upscale food ...

It fascinates me that our world today is filled with an ever changing cast of 'Buzz Words or Events' that the lawmakers and media (sometimes create and then) tend to groom to create varying levels of panic (to those who are bought into believing what the media says) or excitement depending on the nature of the 'Buzz'. The latest is 'EURO CRISIS'. As far as my memory serves (and that is questionable) ever since the events of the first gulf war courtesy former Prez Bush; to 9/11 to the continuation of the now newly defined 'War on Terror' to the golfing scandal to a serious oil spill to a potential '2012 Mayan Apocalypse' we have witnessed what could be described as a systematic degradation of the 'Human Possibilty'. The Apple and Google inventions (for which I have tremendous respect) not withstanding our society has got adept at finger pointing (perhaps we as a species always did it but somehow have developed extra digits or more acuity ...

This weekend after many years was remarkable for me. I got a chance to go out and volunteer. The work was to help host a gathering of eminent and successful Asian Americans or folks living in the US of A who have an Asian heritage that came to talk about (in my case - listen to) 'Reinventing for the Times'. As our world shifts gears literally and figuratively, evident in the flattening of work environments and cultural mish mash aided by tools and technology (with a volcano and couple of quakes thrown in for good measure - remember all medication comes with STIR WELL instructions?) this event was an opportunity to mingle and absorb the fabulous things that people from seemingly modest to down right adverse backgrounds have achieved on sheer WILL. My role was to assist with setting up for the 2 day gala and largely provide the registration and welcome to attendees and guests and speakers. Many moons ago I had a chance to give back in a different format and those times reminded...