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Straight Angle™: July 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007

iPhone! 

After a month's wait, after numerous debates, I finally bought THE phone- iPhone today. I had had this feel that iPhone might not be all that useful to me. I already have an official phone and that was more than enough for me for the purpose of staying in touch.

But, When I saw the iPhone released, I know my reason, logic and sense wouldn't be all that strong and it wasn't all that strong, the other day when I had been to Apple store and was carrying some hard cash ;). I had pull myself out of the temptation to buy it. I was saved that day- but as time would testify now, not for long- just for a couple of weeks.

Today morning, woke up pretty early and with all the devotion of a pilgrimage, started to Apple Store. It is pretty irresistible once you see the beauty. I was just not able to contain myself when I saw it and asked the guy to immediately pack me one. It was as if some take away packing that I had ordered. A card, swipe and a signature later, my darling was in my hands.

Leaving you with the album, while I debate whether to take a new connection or transfer my official number to the new instrument- if that is the case, I am sure, there is going to be a lot of waxing and coaxing around for sure!


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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Rafting and Fun! 

Had been to white water rafting near here- in the Lehigh River. It was a Class III rafting- enjoyed every bit of it. While I am waiting for the film rolls to be developed [Yeah- its better to use a water proof cheap film camera than the digital ones ;)], I can't but wonder at the complete corporatization of everything that I can see here. While I was surfing through some information about the White Water Rafting, I came upon this blog. I am linking to the page that I found most interesting...The Water Level Control- In India, I have come across controlling water level only for purposes like Irrigation and Flood Control- there are no apparent industries that use the water flow in the rivers to make money and create employment. There might be reasons to it- there might be no great demand for a service- but as such, the demand in many cases is to be created, rather than expected to develop.

The rafting industry seems to be huge and very well organized here in US. The near consistent water levels in the rivers, as opposed to mostly seasonal flow in Indian rivers might be a reason. Last heard there was a rafting service available near Mangalore- Hadn't been there though. There is one Class IV rafting course near NY in Hudson- thinking of planning for it sometime.

One more interesting thing that struck me was, the style of managing the raft through the obstacles and the team spirit. When we boarded the raft, we were told that we are to arrange ourselves in such a way, that the heavier people of the group are to be at the back- since it is easier to maneuver from the back and that there is a leader for the raft. The underlying assumption being that the leader would be in a better position to instruct the team and thus stay clear of the obstacles. This also would mean that the team should trust the Leader and follow his words. What emerged out of the rafting exercise is something more interesting. We were able to find, that the less control is with the leader, the easier it was to maneuver the raft, than when it was just the leader who was taking the decision. The more individuals took decision based on the information they had, the lesser rocks we had to face.

Thinking about it, this is more like the Self Organization- where the decisions are localized, whereas the purpose is a global one. The individuals take decisions based on the information that they have and they are the best decision makers with that information. Most of the management principles that we use today, have been assembled from the WW-II. I just wonder, if it is time to change all those principles on their head and think about something more reflective of the times we live in. May be the "General-Soldier", "Leader-Follower" model had seen its day.

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

Message in a Bottle! 

The recent article that I read in Fast Company had outlined the quest and thirst we seem to have with bottled water- While in India, I think it can atleast by justifiable with a notion that not all tap water is safe to drink [provided there is water available in the tap in the first place], I find it really surprising when people gobble up bottles of packaged water when they do get safe drinking water in tap.

It is indeed surprising why people wouldn't trust their tap water- is it some sort of a psychological barrier, that the tap water brings in? Is it some collective intelligence that runs against the tap water? I don't know for sure, but this mentality seem to exist everywhere. May be it is because, we tend to value anything that is free (not to mean that the tap water is free- I assume it is being taxed- not sure about how it works in US, but for sure it is taxed in India) or atleast cheap, lesser than we value that is costly? Is the mere monetary value the end of all value?

With that in the backdrop, just check out what the New York State had been up with. They are trying to promote tap water- bottled water's cost is much more than the price that you pay at the store to get it. There are other environmental costs- not to mention the plastic waste that it generates after use.

Seems like atlast we are waking up to the reality of environmental screwup that is being termed as Life Style and Development!

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Sunday, July 08, 2007

Patti! 

இன்றோடு 80 ஆண்டுகள். 81 என்று எண்ண நீ இல்லை.

இனி
யார் முகச்சுருக்கங்கலை நான் நையாண்டி செய்வது?
யார் மடியில் தலை சாய்த்து தலை கோதும் விரலை தள்ளுவது?
யாரின் "சாப்டியாடா கண்ணா?" என்ற கேள்விக்கு பதில் சொல்வது?
யாருடன் இனி நான் "இவள் தான் எனது கேர்ள் ஃப்ரண்டு" என வம்புரைப்பது?
யாரை காலை "மடி" கலைப்பேன் என்று அழ விடுவது?
யாரிடம் பவிழமல்லி மலரை பறிக்க போட்டியிடுவது?
யாரிடம் நிலாச்சோறு ஊட்டச் சொல்லி மல்லுக்கு நிற்பது?

அன்று நீ சொன்னாய்- "சீக்கரம் நா போறதுக்குல்ல கல்யாணம் பண்ணிக்கோடா"
நான் சொன்னேன் -"எதற்கு அவசரம் உனக்கு? "அவன்" என்ன ஓட்டப் பந்தயமா வெச்சுருக்கான் - முதல் பரிசு பெற?"

இன்று- முதல் பரிசு உனக்கு- சிரிக்க முடிய வில்லை என்னால்!!

You will be sorely missed- Patti!! I love you.

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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Decision at last 

After much waggling around and much more confusion on the lens that I am to buy, I have decided on the Canon 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM lens. No doubt its a bulky one- the other day as I had been to get my camera back after a sensor cleaning exercise, I noticed the Sigma 70-200mm there at the store, and out of curiosity asked for a test use. Boy, did I say I was thoroughly impressed? The image quality, the auto focus and the near silence (well, I was on Broadway and so the lens might not have been all that silent) while the lens zeroed in on the focus was pretty impressive. The lens did was hunting for focus at far ends of the zoom- at 200mm that is. But it was also possible that there wasn't much to focus in a bland background.

I am already not satisfied with the hunt that my 18-55mm "with kit" canon lens offers- but I can live with it. Hopefully, the 70-200 would let me do some serious and good shooting. But, I would have to space my purchase for sometime. I can't buy the lens right away. Need to plan- may be in another couple of months I will be a proud owner of a canon 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM lens.

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Sunday, July 01, 2007

A Lovely Song! 

என்னுடைய "மிகவும் விருப்பமான" சில பல பாடல்களில் இதுவும் ஒன்று. விரசமற்ற சிற்றின்ப பாடல்.... [உன்னால் முடியும் தம்பி- SPB, ஜானகி)

இழதில் கதை எழுதும் நேரம் இது! இன்பங்கள் அழைக்குது ஆஆஆ!

மனதில் சுகம் மலரும் மாலை இது! மான் விழி மயங்குது ஆஆஆ!

இளமை அழகை அள்ளி அணைப்பதற்கே இளமை அழகை அள்ளி அணைப்பதற்கே
இரு கரம் துடிக்குது...தனிமையில் நெருங்கிட இனிமையும் பிறக்குது!
இழதில் கதை எழுதும் நேரம் இது!

காதல் கிளிகள் ரெண்டு ஜாடை பேசக் கண்டு, ஏதோதோ எண்ணம் என் நெஞ்சில் உதிக்கும்.

நானும் நீயும் சேர்ந்து ராகம் பாடும் போது, நீரோடை போல என் நெஞ்சம் இனிக்கும்.

இனிய பருவம் உள்ள இளங்குயிலே! இனிய பருவம் உள்ள இளங்குயிலே!
ஏனினும் தாமதம் மன்மத காவியம் என்னுடன் எழுத,

நானும் எழுதிட இளமையும் துடிக்குது நாணம் அதை வந்து இடையினில் தடுக்குது!

ஏங்கி தவிக்கையில் நாணம் எதற்கடி, ஏக்கம் தணிந்திட ஒரு முறை தழுவடி,

காலம் வரும் வரை பொறுத்திருந்தால், கன்னி இவள் மலர் கரம் தழுவிடுமே

காலம் என்றைக்கு கனிந்திடுமோ, காளை மனம் அது வரை பொறுத்திடுமோ?

மாலை மணமாலை இடும் வேளை தனில் தேகம் இது விருந்துகள் படைத்திடும்.

இழதில் கதை எழுதும் நேரமிது!

மனதில் சுகம் மலரும் மாலையிது!

தோகை போலே மின்னும் பூவை உந்தன் கூந்தல் கார்மேகம் என்றே நான் சொல்வேன் கண்ணே!

பாவை எந்தன் கூந்தல் வாசம் யாவும் அந்த மேகம் தனில் ஏது நீ சொல்வாய் கண்ணா!

அழகை சுமந்து வரும் அழகரசி!, அழகை சுமந்து வரும் அழகரசி!
ஆனந்த பூமுகம் அந்தியில் வந்திடும் சுந்தர நிலவோ?

நாளும் நிலவது தேயுது மறையுது நங்கை முகமென யாரைதை சொன்னது?

மங்கை உன் பதில் மனதினை கவருது, மாறன் கணை வந்து மார்பினில் பாயுது!

காமன் கணைகளை தடுத்திடவே, காதல் மயில் துணையென வருகிறது!

மையல் தந்திடும் வார்த்தைகளே மோகம் எனும் நெருப்பினை பொழிகிறது!

மோகம் நெருப்பானால் அதை தீர்க்கும் ஒரு ஜீவ நதி அருகினில் இருக்குது!
மனதில் சுகம் மலரும் மாலை இது! மான் விழி மயங்குது ஆஆஆ!

இழதில் கதை எழுதும் நேரம் இது! இன்பங்கள் அழைக்குது ஆஆஆ!
இழதில் கதை எழுதும் நேரம் இது!

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What, Which?? 

Offlate, especially after I had bought the SLR, most of my spare time is spent on reading about lens, checking for deals on lens, lens accessories, camera accessories, tripods, monopods etc., It is indeed an exciting experience to get to know the basics- but as always, my "hands-on" brain is not very comfortable in understanding the apertures and focal length lessons, unless I am able to shoot some snaps in the conditions mentioned and see the difference for myself.

Having given my camera for some sensor cleaning, I am without the luxury of trying hands on and have to be satisfied with some theoretical understanding. The camera wouldn't be back for another 4 weeks at the least and I want to buy a lens in the July 4th sales. I am not sure if there would be any discounts available for lens and accessories during the sale- but then no harm in trying your luck. If there are any, I can very well afford to buy a better lens. That leads me to the most important of all questions- what and which lens to buy?

I am torn between a Macro lens and a telephoto lens. I want the best of both worlds, and then there is this budget constraint. This is a perfect trade off world, how much ever I think I am unable to decide on the trade off component. I am actually looking at under 400$ lens. That set, the things that I need to decide are- the nature of the lens- macro or telephoto and the make. There are Tamron, Canon and Sigma. There are pros and cons of all these lenses and that is precisely what makes my decision making even more tougher. I am sort of positively disposed towards Sigma. The range is good, the reviews are better and the price is excellent[;)]. But not yet decided on the lens.

Let me wait for the July 4th.


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Swarnasrikrishnan/Male/28. Lives in India/Tamilnadu/Chennai, speaks Tamil, English, 

Malayalam, German, Hindi(??). Eye color is black. I am a god. I am also optimistic.
It's me machan:

Swarnasrikrishnan, Male, 28, India, Tamilnadu, Chennai, Tamil, English, Malayalam, German, Hindi(??)


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