We the people have at last risen against corruption. People are fasting, marching, and at the very least blogging and tweeting about the whole stuff.
So let me do my part, I read a very very interesting article about how Slovenia is tackling it. They have created a website Supervizer, where the expenditure of the govt. to contractors can be seen by anyone with Internet access.
So why can't we do the same? The govt should just keep track of all expenditures online and making it search-able should not be a big deal at all. If they can create the UID, to keep track of us - the people, why shouldn't they take a far smaller effort to make ALL expenditures and incomes available online.
We should be able to know to which private contractors/companies the central and state govs. are giving projects, etc. even to whom the govt is donating money, or land, or housing.
By the way all political parties must be thoroughly audited and make it online too. Where do they get the funds for all these newspaper ads, tv ads? How are they able to spend so much and organise rallies? Make it available online, We should be able to see it.
If small Slovenia can, India with Infosys, TCS etc. should definitely be able to do it. The question can we make them do it?
Friends forward this, I sincerely hope this reaches Team Anna!!!
PS: For more details about Slovenia - http://www.funkykaraoke.com/2011/08/transparency.html
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Django in the appengine
I am planning to blog a walk-through in creating and hosting a django based app in the google appengine.
Before I start rambling on my own, let me give you a couple of links which got me going.
If you are unable to make much sense of the third and fourth links, come back here! I'm going to keep this damn simple.
Lets do the doing!!!
Before I start rambling on my own, let me give you a couple of links which got me going.
- http://www.djangobook.com/ - if you are new to django start here. It is *the* place to start.
- http://diveintopython.org/ - wait a second, do you know python? if not start here ;)
- http://www.allbuttonspressed.com/projects/djangoappengine - if you know python and django, this is the place to go
- http://code.google.com/appengine/articles/django-nonrel.html - the official article
If you are unable to make much sense of the third and fourth links, come back here! I'm going to keep this damn simple.
Lets do the doing!!!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Doing vs learning and reading
Do.
Stop reading, learning and planning.
Its not that those steps are entirely useless. They have *some* value. But, they all exist only to enable one to *do*, to *execute*.
I had been planning to do something for some time - I read, learned, and what not. But, nothing really helped when i actually did. I found out that I learned whatever i needed as I did the doing. And as the old saying goes, planning is essential, but, plans are useless.
So stop reading this - go and do!
Stop reading, learning and planning.
Its not that those steps are entirely useless. They have *some* value. But, they all exist only to enable one to *do*, to *execute*.
I had been planning to do something for some time - I read, learned, and what not. But, nothing really helped when i actually did. I found out that I learned whatever i needed as I did the doing. And as the old saying goes, planning is essential, but, plans are useless.
So stop reading this - go and do!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Blog Revived
I am going to start blogging actively again, expect a bit of Django, firefox, linux, psychology (that i noticed in the past year while working)...
Friday, April 8, 2011
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Lies about Christian Conversion in India
There are many lies about Christians' converting others, but, nothing is as famous or widely believed than this lie - "Christians convert poor people people by giving them freebies". This argument was used widely during the Orissa and Karnataka riots.
People conveniently ignore the fact, that when people of SC, ST ie people who have special benefits of reservation in jobs/education, food subsidies, free education lose all these when they become Christians. THEY LOSE when they become Christians. So, how can a Christian missionary convert them giving temporary freebies.
Many people deny this. So I am giving the link to an interesting argument (but quite unrelated, anyway they bring this up) I found in wikipedia here.
I am reproducing a few excerpts from that exchange for people who are lazy to read the whole stuff,
* "As to your question about John Mulagadda, he is an Indian Christian with Dalit heritage but he himself is no longer Dalit or SC as per the constitution of India."
* "As a standard in history, crypto believers of any faith were never counted as members of that particular faith. They always had to choose or pay a price for openly professing their faith. In olden days it was martyrdom, in the current scenario it is relinquishing reservation benefits. To be called a Christian in India, one has to relinquish his Dalit or SC status. There are umpteen numbers of Christians with Dalit Heritage who have done that (like Bishop John Mulagadda) and they are numbered amongst the 24 million Indian Christians. The issue of Dalit Christianity affects Christianity in India but it is not an integral part of Christianity in India as of yet.
- BunyanTree (some wikipedia contributor)
If you don't agree clearly explain in your comments.
People conveniently ignore the fact, that when people of SC, ST ie people who have special benefits of reservation in jobs/education, food subsidies, free education lose all these when they become Christians. THEY LOSE when they become Christians. So, how can a Christian missionary convert them giving temporary freebies.
Many people deny this. So I am giving the link to an interesting argument (but quite unrelated, anyway they bring this up) I found in wikipedia here.
I am reproducing a few excerpts from that exchange for people who are lazy to read the whole stuff,
* "As to your question about John Mulagadda, he is an Indian Christian with Dalit heritage but he himself is no longer Dalit or SC as per the constitution of India."
* "As a standard in history, crypto believers of any faith were never counted as members of that particular faith. They always had to choose or pay a price for openly professing their faith. In olden days it was martyrdom, in the current scenario it is relinquishing reservation benefits. To be called a Christian in India, one has to relinquish his Dalit or SC status. There are umpteen numbers of Christians with Dalit Heritage who have done that (like Bishop John Mulagadda) and they are numbered amongst the 24 million Indian Christians. The issue of Dalit Christianity affects Christianity in India but it is not an integral part of Christianity in India as of yet.
- BunyanTree (some wikipedia contributor)
If you don't agree clearly explain in your comments.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Superb comment
I found a wonderful comment by blogger Anette Acker
here
"I came across the following quote by John Wesley over the weekend. It's about disagreements between Christians, but it can equally apply to disagreements between Christians and atheists (or anyone for that matter):
Are you persuaded that you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point out to me a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. May I not request of you, further, not to give me hard names in order to bring me into the right way. Suppose I were ever so much in the wrong, I doubt this would not set me right. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way
Nay, perhaps, if you are angry, so shall I be too; and then there will be small hopes of finding the truth. If once anger arises . . . this smoke will so dim the eyes of my soul, that I shall be able to see nothing clearly. For God’s sake, if it be possible to avoid it, let us not provoke one another to wrath. Let us not kindle in each other this fire of hell; much less blow it up into a flame. If we could discern truth by that dreadful light, would it not be a loss rather than gain? For, how far is love, even with many wrong opinions, to be preferred before truth itself without love! We may die without the knowledge of many truths, and yet be carried into Abraham’s bosom. But if we die without love, what will knowledge avail? Just as much as it avails the devil and his angels!"
here
"I came across the following quote by John Wesley over the weekend. It's about disagreements between Christians, but it can equally apply to disagreements between Christians and atheists (or anyone for that matter):
Are you persuaded that you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point out to me a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. May I not request of you, further, not to give me hard names in order to bring me into the right way. Suppose I were ever so much in the wrong, I doubt this would not set me right. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way
Nay, perhaps, if you are angry, so shall I be too; and then there will be small hopes of finding the truth. If once anger arises . . . this smoke will so dim the eyes of my soul, that I shall be able to see nothing clearly. For God’s sake, if it be possible to avoid it, let us not provoke one another to wrath. Let us not kindle in each other this fire of hell; much less blow it up into a flame. If we could discern truth by that dreadful light, would it not be a loss rather than gain? For, how far is love, even with many wrong opinions, to be preferred before truth itself without love! We may die without the knowledge of many truths, and yet be carried into Abraham’s bosom. But if we die without love, what will knowledge avail? Just as much as it avails the devil and his angels!"
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