Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 24, 2011, 1:42 am
This is a photograph that appeared in an otherwise well written article in The Economist. Question: Is this how they play cricket in US? All the slip players are on the other side!!!! Unless the batsman is gifted and is a switch hitter.
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 6, 2011, 11:35 pm
Indians just don’t like to wait patiently in a queue. Why? It took me years to figure out why, but now I am convinced that the reason has nothing to do with mutated genes or skewed education or indiscipline or lack of consideration for others. It is a cultural thing. Cultural??? &#...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 10, 2011, 1:02 am
People die. The man with silk smooth voice, Jagjit Singh, is no more. All we can do is listen to his gazals over and over again. There will be no new ones any more. Sad. I wonder how Chitra Singh will take this. First son. Then daughter. Now husband. ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 10, 2011, 12:54 am
A very effective way of committing oneself to a project is to open up. This works in a very paradoxical way. On one hand you would like to keep things to yourself, especially if you are a private person. And therefore, opening up to public scrutiny makes you feel vulnerable. On the other hand, howev...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Sep 9, 2011, 8:42 am
It did not strike me till the guide at Hampi told me so. Karnataka has three types of rocks: a) Soap Stone, b) Granite, and c) Sand Stone. Hampi (a UNESCO World Heritage) ruins are made of Granite. The temples of Pattadakal (a UNESCO World Heritage) and the Badami Cave temples a...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Sep 5, 2011, 3:50 am
I have just about started reading this book and I already have three of the most common emotions sweep already over me: 1) Envy: When I read this: "Sheena Iyengar is a professor at the Columbia Business School, with a joint appointment in the Department of Psychology". A women writing a ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Apr 25, 2011, 7:01 am
The year is 2002. This is my first trip to a non-English speaking country. I am going to France. I land at the Toulouse airport via Milan. Upon landing I search for immigration. To my surprise, I cannot find it. Funny! How do I enter the country? I approach a person who seemed to be weari...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Apr 22, 2011, 9:46 pm
Have you seen a Rudra Veena before? Did you know that Shiva created the instrument inspired by Parvati's shapely figure? No? Then head straight to Instruments in Hindustani Classical Music This page shows how the instruments that are used in Hindustani Classical Music looks like, how it sounds ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Apr 4, 2011, 11:58 pm
My musical reminiscences couldn't have possibly completed with out paying by obeisance to Rafi and Kishore. So here it is: Rafi: The Voice that Launched 1000 Romances Kishore Kumar: The Man with the Golden Voice Did you know that in the earlier days of Kishore Kumar...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 31, 2011, 10:33 pm
Quick! Name 5 lyricist from Bollywood. Go on ... I can hear you ... Gulzar, one. Javed Akhtar, two. Very good. Go on ... Hmmm. I see you are struggling. Oh ... oh ... Anand Bakshi, ..., yes ... this is so difficult. And yet the songs that you have appreciated over the years are so much about lyrics....
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 29, 2011, 11:55 pm
Remember the glorious songs of yester-years: 'yeh hai reshmi zulphon ka andhera', 'zindagi ittafq hai', 'Allah yeh adaa kaisi'? Remember the actress who made these songs memorable on screen? Oh yeah! I am talking of Mumtaz. Did you know that of the 17 odd years of her career, she spent only 7-8 year...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 28, 2011, 1:40 am
Recently, the movie Hum Dono was re-released in colour. The movie was a rage when it was first released. The songs were very much appreciated. During its re-release in colour, Hum Dono trended to the top 5 spot on Twitter, the present generation social barometer. On the eve of the re-rele...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 28, 2011, 12:49 am
It is commonly assumed that rise of Amitabh Bachchan as the Angry Young Man in Hindi Movies is responsible for the death of melody in Hindi film songs. With a complete entertainment package like Amitabh in a movie, perhaps the emphasis on good music decreased. But is this impression really correct? ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 25, 2011, 2:00 am
I must say, I have never enjoyed myself more. Making web pages dedicated to the golden era of Bollywood music was the best decision I have ever taken. I bet I would have visited these webpages more than anyone else. Whenever I get a chance, I pop in and do a quick listen to one of my favourite songs...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 22, 2011, 10:39 pm
People of my generation and above will remember the Wednesday evening 8 p.m. This was the Binaca Geetmala and the golden voice of Amin Sayani time. Binaca Geetmala was the most definitive music countdown show for India. Times have changed. With a surfeit of TV channels, each having its own 'top...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 20, 2011, 10:27 pm
The last week and the weekend were spent in absolute ecstasy: listening and choosing music of the golden era of Hindi playback singing. There is magic in these songs and now that I have created webpages that is a mini-collection of sorts, I now have two wishes: a) that more people li...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 13, 2011, 11:51 pm
Everyone who has once held a bat in hand seems to have an opinion on the Indian cricket team. So here's my two bit: The reason why Indian batting order collapse after a great start involving Tendulkar is because Tendulkar is so good. This may seem to be a cock-eyed logic but hear me out ....
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 11, 2011, 10:43 pm
Finally! This is one milestone that I was aiming for, for quite some time. With the lens on the book review of the book Mother Pious Lady I managed to hit the 50 Squidoo page mark. And did one better: the lens on the Assyrian Lion Hunt in the British Museum makes it the 51st. Please visit these page...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 9, 2011, 10:50 pm
Sad, but true. Not many Indians like visiting Museums. Though every largish city in India has one. The Science Museums are usually visited by children as part of their trips organised by school, but that's about it. The museums that are related history and culture are given a pass. Now you may ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 9, 2011, 8:29 pm
Sometimes knowledge is packaged in a certain way that you would not grasp its utility unless you actually encounter it. So it is with this gem of a book: Mother Pious Lady by Santosh Desai. Packaged as a current affairs book, it is actually a gold mine for advertisers and marketers. I can see it as ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Mar 8, 2011, 9:27 pm
A few of you may have noticed that the list of World Heritage Sites visited has an additional entry - The Mahabodhi Temple. Yeah, I finally visted Bodh Gaya. You can find lots of pictures and some details in my 'photo-lens on Bodh Gaya: Land of Enlightenment. Let me know what you think of...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Feb 18, 2011, 11:55 am
That Indian characters are increasingly finding a central place in Business Novels is a sure sign of Indians having arrived. At least in Harvard Business Review Press books. However, if the author is not very conversant with the culture, it could lead to some awkward situation. Especially, when the ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Feb 16, 2011, 10:38 pm
The best way to interpret paragraph 6.4.4.2.b of the DO-178B is by using an "AND" logic. Just to be clear what I am talking about, I quote the document: "The structural coverage analysis may be performed on the Source Code,...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Jan 21, 2011, 7:28 am
There are times when growth and progress needs to be seen from the perspective of human development; and not just in terms of % GDP growth or industrial output. The UN Millenium Development Goals (MDG) provides an alternative reference point. The UN published a report on where the world s...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Jan 11, 2011, 10:22 pm
Once in a while you stumble upon information that forces you to think. It might also push you beyond your comfort envelope. The information can come to you from any domain, even mathematics. Especially when it comes in the form of an article titled 'If mathematics is a language, how do you swea...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Jan 10, 2011, 1:23 am
I have always held the view that in order to achieve high quality software development and verification should be done by two independent companies. This belief is from experience. In the very early years of our existence we became the...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Jan 10, 2011, 12:50 am
In order to meet independence objectives A6-3 (Level A and B), A6-4 (Level A), and A7-1 (Level A), CAST-26 takes the following position: "Test Execution: The person responsible for executing the tests should not be the same person who developed...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Dec 12, 2010, 10:22 pm
This is for information only. Since I do not personally know these people I cannot vouch for the quality of the webinar. But I have interacted (fruitfully, I must add) with High Rely in the past and the Rational Software...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Dec 9, 2010, 11:03 pm
The heading says it all and I cannot stop smiling. Yeah! I know, I should be modest and all, but I just feel so happy about it. This blog is reaching out to many and that makes me real happy....
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Dec 7, 2010, 2:43 am
Confused about the leaked US Embassy Cables and wikileaks? Irritated that newspapers are reporting only a few of the cables and you would like to have your hands on the original cables and come to your own conclusions? Help is here ... The best source for accessing the cables - ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Dec 2, 2010, 7:30 am
Almost everyone on the bus is in his/her own world. You do not hear incessant chatting - ok! sometimes you do, but most of them have those ubquitious earphones plugged in, listening to music or - like me - learning a new language (perhaps!) Some college students are reading their notes. Perhaps...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 30, 2010, 2:45 pm
Having taken a public bus to office for the last couple of weeks, I am happy I made that decision. It was sort of forced on me - doctor said I cannot drive - but now that I am enjoying my daily bus trip to and from the office, I can say that this is perhaps the best thing that happened to me. I...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 27, 2010, 12:15 pm
I am not sure if the Taliban leaders have watched the over-the-top, hilarious movie "Tere Bin Laden". But I am very sure that the MI6 and the NATO commanders should have. In the movie, a young TV reporter from Pakistan who desparately wishes to go to US and is in need to money, plants a s...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 26, 2010, 7:07 am
When my younger son, Abhinav, requested me for a blog of his own as a present for his 9th birthday last December, I was quite sure it was a passing phase. But even after 6 months when he wouldn't give up, I created one for him. Looks like he loves blogging. What does he blog on? Mathemati...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Nov 24, 2010, 12:16 am
One may claim a decade (or more) of DO-178B experience, but try speaking about aircraft and you might as well be talking to a wall. At least that has been my experience. Because getting that piece of code out of...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Nov 20, 2010, 9:07 am
The most confusing aspect of DO-178B the verification of Data Coupling and Control Coupling. In fact, a study of the clarification in DO248B and CAST Paper 19 leaves you even more confused. Is it a feature of good design or...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 15, 2010, 9:16 pm
This appears in today's The Times of India. The news item is titled CAG REPORT COMES DOWN HARD ON CORPORATES. I have extracted the following which doesn't convey any information whatsoever - despite appearing on the front page ... Since a telecom company controlled by the industrialst - w...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 8, 2010, 10:06 pm
Continuing on the subject of punctuation, I do not think there is a better book than Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. The blurb on the book says it all: "The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation!". Unlike other books on Grammar, this one is wickedly humourous. It has been on vari...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 7, 2010, 8:57 pm
I read ... "But Bachelier also ventured into new mathematical territory. Nearly a century before the great French mathematician Jean Baptiste Fourier had devised equations to describe the way heat speads, Bachelier knew the formulae well from his physics lectures." This cannot be rig...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Nov 5, 2010, 7:31 am
Communication is as much about conveying information as it is about making an impact. Sometimes it is possible to do so by just placing words at a correct place. Here's an example I picked up from the Incredible India's West Bengal page ... The Heritage Trail travels across 350...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Nov 3, 2010, 11:54 pm
Tell your quality team that checklists are not required for reviews and you are likely to get beaten up. Severely. Most people cannot look beyond checklists when it comes to review and review evidence. Checklists are no doubt the most...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 27, 2010, 10:23 pm
In my last post I talked about my struggle to refrain from use of 'would' and 'could' in my spoken English in an attempt to form simple sentences that is easy on the ear. But don't get me wrong. These words should be used as and when necessary. 'Would' and 'Could' are thought to be more ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 27, 2010, 12:45 pm
Very early in my career I was fortunate to have friends who spoke their mind. They were open with their views without being offensive. They still are. ... That Sunday as my friend, Ashish Balaya, and I walked together I said something that was long winded and an extremely complex sentence....
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Oct 27, 2010, 3:21 am
I have been travelling. My return flight from London Heathrow to Dubai will remain with me for life. I flew back on an A380!!! My first major project as a Project Manager was a Level A Software Development for the...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 24, 2010, 9:14 am
Have you noticed, how easy it is to be rude when you are talking to a person on phone? The next time you get one of those annoying cold calls check out your own reaction, and you will know. This heppens because you can get away with rudeness. You don't get to see the other person's reaction and...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 4, 2010, 12:39 am
Communication is all about acknowledgement. Acknowledgement that the other person is worthy of your attention. This goes not only when communicating face-to-face, but also for written communication. Let me prove it to you. What is your first reaction when you see an email w...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Oct 2, 2010, 12:08 am
A non-DO-178B post after a long time. Among the winners of Ignobel prize this time are three Italians who have "demonstrated mathematically that organizations would become more efficient if they promoted people at random." Yeah you go that right -...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Oct 1, 2010, 5:12 am
With Emails and messages making for bulk of business communication, ‘Context’ has become more important of the two components of communication. You see, context for any communication is set up not only by a preface but also by body language: the tone and volume of the voice, pursed or...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on News, Views & Serendipity - Sep 30, 2010, 10:12 am
Communication has two and only two components: Context and Content. Improving your communication skills require paying attention to both. In the next few pages you will be introduced to skills that should improve your communication skills with immediate effect. “I need ...
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Amitabh M. posted an article on Aerospace (DO-178B) Software - Sep 27, 2010, 8:47 am
As per DO-178B para 11.3.h (Reverification Guidelines): "The reverification should ensure that previously reported errors or classes of errors have been eliminated." It is the use of "classes of errors" that I am interested in. A regression analysis / testing...
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