Is Photography Dead?

Is photography now threatened by "Pixelization" of Media and use of Animation in movies?

Read it all in Newsweek, where Peter Plagens, says:

The last art form to be tethered to realism, its factual validity has lately been manipulated and pixelated to the point of extinction.

Photography is the easiest art, which perhaps makes it the hardest.~Lisette Model

Drop The Mask

Unless you drop your personality you will not be able to find your individuality.

Individuality is given by existence; personality is imposed by the society.

Personality is social convenience. Society cannot tolerate individuality, because individuality will not follow like a sheep.

Individuality has the quality of the lion; the lion moves alone. The sheep are always in the crowd, hoping that being in the crowd will feel cozy.

Being in the crowd one feels more protected, secure. If somebody attacks, there is every possibility in a crowd to save yourself. But alone? - only the lions move alone.

And every one of you is born a lion, but the society goes on conditioning you, programming your mind as a sheep.

It gives you a personality, a cozy personality, nice, very convenient, very obedient.

Society wants slaves, not people who are absolutely dedicated to freedom. Society wants slaves because all the vested interests want obedience.

~Osho

Sources of Inspiration for Photography

Checkout 60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography !

Sample:

6. Shop at a Farmer’s Market
You never know what you might find at a flea market. At a farmer’s market, you know you can find colors, spheres, people and displays. And dinner too.

8. Hit the Water
You don’t have to be a scuba diver to shoot underwater images. You just need waterproof housing and access to the sea, a swimming pool or even a pond. And once you’re wet, don’t forget to look up as well as down. Some of the most inspiring images can be taken at the point where the light hits the surface of the water.

10. Join a Demonstration
Demonstrations are full of flags, banners, placards and crowds. You can lose people in the mass or pick out expressions in the crowd. The only cause you have to support is photography.

Let me add mine!

#61: Hit the the Nature - The leaves, the butterflies, the insects!
#62: Spend time with children - The jumping, the laughter, the mud!

What are yours?

Effective way to copy past (some random thoughts)

How can we copy an idea effectively? Hold on! What is an idea? Is it the flow of thoughts or is it a meaningful thought?

Since I am associated with IT, let me take an example of a software project. What is a project?

Can there exist two similar projects? Technically NOT.

Can there exist two similar ideas? I believe the answer is still NO.

(Assuming you are in mid 75 percentile of professionals)Your boss has given you a new task and the next thing you notice is that your mind started looking for ideas, may be a at google.

What is an idea? Is it an inspirational thought or a catalyst? If yes, what is inspiring me to write this blog? At least I am investing my time here if not money.

Copying an idea seems easy however the difficult part is to identify what you want to copy. For example, msn.com is a good concept which can be copied has a good visual design which can be copied, uses good technology which can be copied, has great data that can be copied etc. etc.

It is not important to identify the source. It is important to understand the destination

cheers
-MV

Intel trying to DE-RAIL the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative?

Lora Bentley reports:

Nicholas Negroponte is accusing Intel of trying to drive the One Laptop Per Child initiative out of business. The OLPC founder says the only reason the chipmaker is selling its Classmate laptop is because the OLPC machine uses AMD processors. And “Intel and AMD fight viciously,” Negropronte said.

This really heats-up the discussion with socialists and free-market proponents not knowing whom to support and whom to criticize!

Have fun with the discussion:
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/bpi/?p=487
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=28722

But, will the child win?

The 10$ Laptop!

Prof. Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of MIT's Media Lab, had announced the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2005.

In 2006, the project spun out of MIT into a nonprofit called One Laptop Per Child. That June, the team demonstrated a working prototype.

The $100 machine is labelled "XO-1" and Quanta Computer, the project's contract manufacturer, plans to ship 5 million to 10 million units this year because seven nations have committed to buy the XO-1 for their schoolchildren, including Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Thailand and Uruguay.

Sometime next year, economies of scale are supposed to bring the manufacturing cost of an individual laptop down to $100. It's now somewhere around $150.

But, the India's HRD has rejected Prof. Nicholas Negroponte offer of $100 laptops.

They want to make $10 laptops for schoolchildren.

As per Indian team's current calculation, the cost is coming out to be $47.

The two designs with the ministry are from a final year student of Vellore Institute of Technology and a reseacher from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Six anchor groups set up by the ministry have been meeting regularly and IITs and IISc have been entrusted with the task of research and development of cheap laptops.

The estimated time for it to become reality is 2 years.

So, what happens to such low-cost mass technology initiatives?

For example, the Simputer was conceptualized as a machine costing around US $200 was desgined for the rural India. Ethan Zuckerman reports that by 2005, two manufacturers, PicoPeta and Encore Technologies, sold a total of only 4000 Simputers.

Today, the Amida Simputer costs $130 to $260, depending on screen size.

The Simputer fell far short of its rural target and became just another option for mobile, urban professionals.

So, would rural India get the $10 Laptop?

What say?

References:
1. Tekla S. Perry, http://spectrum.ieee.org/print/4985
2. Ethan Zuckerman, http://spectrum.ieee.org/apr07/4986/2
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/$100_laptop.
4. Akshaya Mukul, akshaya.mukul@timesgroup.com

वक़्त नहीं

हर ख़ुशी है लोगों के दामन में,
पर एक हंसी के लिए वक़्त नही।
दिन रात दौड़ती दुनिया में,
ज़िन्दगी के लिए ही वक़्त नही।

माँ की लोरी का एहसास तो है,
पर माँ को माँ कहने का वक़्त नही.
सारे रिश्तों को तो हम मार चुके,
अब उन्हें दफनाने का भी वक़्त नही.

सारे नाम मोबाइल में हैं,
पर दोस्ती के लिये वक़्त नही.
गैरों की क्या बात करें,
जब अपनों के लिए ही वक़्त नही.

आंखों मे है नींद बड़ी,
पर सोने का वक़्त नही.
दिल है गमों से भरा हुआ,
पर रोने का भी वक़्त नही.

पैसों कि दौड़ मे ऐसे दौडे,
की थकने का भी वक़्त नही.
पराये एहसासों कि क्या कद्र करें,
जब अपने सपनो के लिए ही वक़्त नही.

तू ही बता ए जिन्दगी,
इस जिन्दगी का क्या होगा,
की हर पल मारने वालों को,
जीने के लिए भी वक़्त नही.......

The Ice-Cream Vendor

I had reached half-an-hour early. At a deserted place in the outskirts of Dwarka (Delhi) waiting to pick-up the special one in my life and there was nothing for me to do, except WAIT....

Then I saw an ice cream vendor.

Thought, lets eat an ice cream. I yelled, “arrey bhaiyya” and called him towards myself and he rattled off the menu. I chose Pista Kulfi.

As I was paying him I noticed he was also free with no customers around.

बन्दे को क्या चाहिए! एक मुर्गा !!

So, I leggo!

Here are excerpts translated from Hindi:

Me: What is your name?
Vendor: Vijay
Me: How old are you?
Vijay: Sixteen
Me: How long have you been selling ice-cream?
Vijay: 1 1/2 years

Me: Who else is there in you family?
Vijay: Parents and younger brother.
Me: How much do you earn?
Vijay: Rs. 100 plus a day
Me: How much have you studied?
Vijay: Fifth standard
Me: Do you know English?
Vijay: No

Me: Why did you leave school?
Vijay: In the village, I had a fight with my cousins, so left village and came here.
Me: Want to study again?
Vijay: Perhaps
Me: See, if you study, you can earn much more. Maybe not immediately, but after sometime. So, get enrolled in a school.
Vijay: OK

Me: So, you want to study?
Vijay: Yes
Me: Which school will you take admission?
Vijay: Mount Carmel School, where I sell ice cream.
Me: Hmmm. OK, try more schools also.
Vijay: Can you help?
Me: Uh..Uh…OK let me check. Give me your telephone number.
Vijay: Here it is. Can I have yours?
Me: Sure. When will you take admission?
Vijay: After summer vacations.
Me: No, you have to talk to schools now. Not later.
Vijay: OK
Me: When will you go?
Vijay: Day-after-tomorrow
Me: OK, I will come back and ask you.

So, what I do with a 16 year old, who wants to start studying again almost from scratch.

He wants to work and study.

Any suggestions?

My visit to Ranipur Village

Two days ago, from Babatpur Airport, Varanasi, I took a waiting car (generously sent by my Brother-in-law, Mr. Anand Prakash) towards Ranipur Village near Jaunpur, UP.

Somehow, at the back of my mind, I thought this would be a "small town" type of place with the hustle-bustle of rickshaws, tempos, tractors, etc.

But, just before our destination, when I saw a series of mud-houses and crops, I realized that I was about a visit a "true-blue" village with mud-houses and no public (and very few private toilets).

Now, a confession...I never been to such kind of village... Considering that there are 6,38,365 villages in India (including the uninhabited villages, as per the Census of India 2001, www.censusindia.net/results/eci6.html), that is an unbelievable depravity in my part. But, more on that part later.

I always wanted to visit such a village. So, it was turning out to be a “dream” visit. At that moment, it was exhilarating to pass through those mud-houses and crops across barely two-meter wide roads with friendly villagers guiding us to our destination.

Although, comparing that with the explosion of flyovers, malls and cineplexes in Delhi and rest of urban India, I didn’t know which emotion to choose.

Should I celebrate truly being in natural surroundings OR do something about the wealth and infrastructural gap? I certainly didn’t miss the first part…

But, what about the second option?

What do you say guys?

Let us brainstorm…I know we may be doing our bit by paying taxes and lot of people and institutions (incl. govt and NGOs) seem to be doing something at least…..But, let us see WHAT IS MISSING…Are there any GAPS, not being plugged….Are we doomed or are we progressing?

ये अंग्रेजी में अपुन को बात करना नहीं आता

क्या यार आदमी आराम भी करे तो वो भी फोरेन भाषा में?

मुझे तो बचपन कि वो कविता याद आ गयी
--------------------

एक मित्र मिले, बोले, "लाला, तुम किस चक्की का खाते हो?
इस डेढ़ छँटाक के राशन में भी तोंद बढ़ाए जाते हो।
क्या रक्खा है माँस बढ़ाने में, मनहूस, अक्ल से काम करो।
संक्रान्ति-काल की बेला है, मर मिटो, जगत में नाम करो।"
हम बोले, "रहने दो लेक्चर, पुरुषों को मत बदनाम करो।
इस दौड़-धूप में क्या रक्खा, आराम करो, आराम करो।

आराम ज़िन्दगी की कुंजी, इससे न तपेदिक होती है।
आराम सुधा की एक बूंद, तन का दुबलापन खोती है।
आराम शब्द में 'राम' छिपा जो भव-बंधन को खोता है।
आराम शब्द का ज्ञाता तो विरला ही योगी होता है।
इसलिए तुम्हें समझाता हूँ, मेरे अनुभव से काम करो।
ये जीवन, यौवन क्षणभंगुर, आराम करो, आराम करो।

यदि करना ही कुछ पड़ जाए तो अधिक न तुम उत्पात करो।
अपने घर में बैठे-बैठे बस लंबी-लंबी बात करो।
करने-धरने में क्या रक्खा जो रक्खा बात बनाने में।
जो ओठ हिलाने में रस है, वह कभी न हाथ हिलाने में।
तुम मुझसे पूछो बतलाऊँ -- है मज़ा मूर्ख कहलाने में।
जीवन-जागृति में क्या रक्खा जो रक्खा है सो जाने में।

मैं यही सोचकर पास अक्ल के, कम ही जाया करता हूँ।
जो बुद्धिमान जन होते हैं, उनसे कतराया करता हूँ।
दीए जलने के पहले ही घर में आ जाया करता हूँ।
जो मिलता है, खा लेता हूँ, चुपके सो जाया करता हूँ।
मेरी गीता में लिखा हुआ -- सच्चे योगी जो होते हैं,
वे कम-से-कम बारह घंटे तो बेफ़िक्री से सोते हैं।

अदवायन खिंची खाट में जो पड़ते ही आनंद आता है।
वह सात स्वर्ग, अपवर्ग, मोक्ष से भी ऊँचा उठ जाता है।
जब 'सुख की नींद' कढ़ा तकिया, इस सर के नीचे आता है,
तो सच कहता हूँ इस सर में, इंजन जैसा लग जाता है।
मैं मेल ट्रेन हो जाता हूँ, बुद्धि भी फक-फक करती है।
भावों का रश हो जाता है, कविता सब उमड़ी पड़ती है।

मैं औरों की तो नहीं, बात पहले अपनी ही लेता हूँ।
मैं पड़ा खाट पर बूटों को ऊँटों की उपमा देता हूँ।
मैं खटरागी हूँ मुझको तो खटिया में गीत फूटते हैं।
छत की कड़ियाँ गिनते-गिनते छंदों के बंध टूटते हैं।
मैं इसीलिए तो कहता हूँ मेरे अनुभव से काम करो।
यह खाट बिछा लो आँगन में, लेटो, बैठो, आराम करो।

- गोपालप्रसाद व्यास

Take the Chill Pill!

I was thinking, "Why are people running around?"

In fact, Why DO ANYTHING at all?

Then I realized, Leisure is my favorite occupation!

Let us see what people have said about this...

Agnes Repplier supports me:
It is in his pleasure that a man really lives;
it is from his leisure that he constructs the true fabric of self

Laurence J. Peter go ahead and motivates the lazy bum inside me:
The best intelligence test is what we do with our LEISURE

However, Gene Perret tries to warn!
Leisure: A fancy word for people who don't want to admit they're bored.

Let me choose Thomas Hobbes

Leisure is the mother of Philosophy.

AAAHHH....Philosophy, the ULTIMATE LUXURY!

What say?