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Computing, Libraries, Tennis, India & other interests of Vikas Kamat

Eat Masala Dosa With the Kamats

During the week of Nov 16th, 2009 I invite our readers from Bengaluru to eat one of them famous Masala Dosas of Malleswaram with us. You can meet Amma and Kimbo as well. Please let me know via email at . I will let you know the place and time, and if there is interest, I will give a walking tour of the Malleswaram market. Comments (0) First Written: Thursday, November 05, 2009 Last Modified: 11/5/2009 9:54:01 PM

Vista, Hasta La Vista Baby!

Without much fanfare Windows Vista breathed its last this week. It's funny, on Dell.com you can order a computer with XP, but not with Vista. Where are all those Mojave Experiment Models? I expected at least a couple of voices saying "Keep Vista Alive", like we keep hearing like "keep XP alive", or "keep VB alive". I have used Windows Vista Business since it came out and have hated Vista every single day that I have used it. The strange part for me is -- I wonder why everyone is raving about Windows 7, when it feels and behaves just like Vista. Why will it be better? I don't think Microsoft has addressed any of my concerns. I still think Windows stores temporary files in four different locations. The UAC is still there. The 32 bit-64bit dilemma is still there. We still need an anti-virus.... Comments (0) First Written: Thursday, October 29, 2009 Last Modified: 10/29/2009 4:19:21 PM

Difference between Bob Riley and Larry Langford

Governor Bob Riley lost a lot of respect today when he said he'd sign an IT contract worth millions of dollars to a company without getting a second quote. Newt Gingrich used to say that the Government is inherently expensive because of the inherent scrutiny that is involved. That is absolutely right, but no official can find a workaround in the name of "cost saving". That's bullshit. What Larry Langford (who by the way is being tried on bribery charges) and Bob Riley don't realize is Governing is NOT same as running a business. In a business you can hire a buddy or a relative or someone you trust. But we can't do that in Government. You have to obtain a second or third opinion, you have to have peer review and peer scrutiny. And the Governor's justification? He says he has not received any political contributions from Paragon Source, as if that pardons his lack of fairness. Links: • No Phone, No Website, No Bid • Gadsden Times: No Bid, No Way! • Legal Schnauzer Blog: Who Will Benefit from the No Bid Contract? My point is that there is no difference between Republican Riley and Democrat Langford; they both think that running public office is like running a household. Update: Larry is found Guilty. Bob is now reconsidering. It is good that public outcry does mean something in America. Comments (0) First Written: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Last Modified: 10/29/2009 1:01:52 PM

Celebrating Two Nobel Laureates

I celebrate each and every Nobel Laureate. Even Anwar Sadat and Al Gore. But some more than others. This year I am delighted that an Indian American, Venky Ramakrishnan has been awarded. I liked the part where he was having a bad day because his bicycle had a flat tire, and then he was told the news, and yet he had to go to work to finish up a grant proposal. He's my kind of scientist. I 'm also happy about this morning's news that President Obama was awarded the prize. "The Nobel Committee is in the tank" -- that's what my Republican friends will say. I don't know what it means, but every time Obama is complimented, it has become their habit to say that.   I am my own man, but... Al Gore once famously said that he is his own man. I'm too, but I must reflect what my dad would have said on this occasion of Nobel Prizes. Of course, there is his famous quote on Why Gandhi Didn't Get a Nobel. But every time an Indian American received the prize, and the Indians celebrated, Bappa would cringe. He felt that it was a sad day because those accomplishments could not have been achieved in India. He had felt ashamed of even Mother Teresa's Nobel. Bappa did have an important perspective. After all he was one of the pioneering scientists, who went back to India after a PhD in the USA, only to be frustrated and humiliated in India. Comments (0) First Written: Friday, October 09, 2009 Last Modified: 10/18/2009 12:23:57 PM

Celebrating Kamat's Life

I invite readers of this website to attend a small function in the town of Sirsi marking what would have been Kamat's 75th Birthday. Date: October 6, 2009 Location: Auditorium of M.M. College, Sirsi Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Come meet the Kamats, V.S. Sonde, Chakravarti Sulibele, Shailaja Mangalurkar, Hariprakash Konemane, Sripad Hegde, Shivanand Kalave, T.S. Halemane, G.S. Bhat, Nagaraj Hegde and other Friends of Kamats. An exhibition of Kamat's books will be held -- some out-of-print copies will be available. A photographic exhibit and a discussion of Kamat's literary works will follow. Comments (0) First Written: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Last Modified: 10/1/2009 10:28:58 AM

Kamat's 75th Birthday

Had my father been alive, he would have turned 75 this month. In his fond memory, some admirers are observing his birthday in the town of Sirsi, on October 5th. Please attend if you can. To mark the occasion, I am re-reading the Kammatiga volume and I am very much enjoying learning about my father. I want to translate some of the articles to English, and am starting with "Vee.See. As a Source of Inspiration". My father was such a original man -- in style, in substance, and in attitude -- that people wonder who inspired him. I am trying to research that in this new microsite on the occasion of his 75th birthday. I do know for example that my dad's dad L.V. Kamat as well as my dad's great uncle (Hodbappa) R.V.Kamat were big influences. Both were very thrifty and extraordinarily mature in their thought process. These and other rare pictures are now online in Kamat's 75th Birthday section. Tejaswi and Kamat I see so many similarities between the philosophy and writinggs of Poornachandra Tejaswi and my father -- although they took completely different paths and never met. The low-tech and scientific approach to life, love of nature, and rejection of consumerism are areas where I find most similarities. I am very happy note that some admirers of Tejaswi have setup a foundation (Kannada Launguage Website) and are continuing his life's work. Comments (0) First Written: Sunday, September 20, 2009 Last Modified: 9/20/2009 10:35:02 AM

Tweleve Years Without a Delete

It is rather unbelievable, but in the twelve years that I have been editing Kamat's Potpourri, we never had to delete a file from the server! I think this because the use of our home-made CMS allowed for flexible, and easy updates and my strong belief to keep our published contents durable, book-markable, and available all the time. The other day a researcher pointed out that had mis-classified a mural from Sri Lanka as belonging to Ajanta. So I had to delete it from the Ajanta folder. That's when I realized I had no delete on my CMS! Of course, being a programmer, I quickly wrote it, but I thought that it is rather remarkable that I had not even required the delete functionality till now. I was also pleasantly surprised how easily my my old VB6 compiled on Vista Business machine. It just worked. See Also: • Vikas's Goof Log Comments (0) First Written: Sunday, September 13, 2009 Last Modified: 9/13/2009 5:42:07 PM

Republican Nut Jobs

I can argue that I am a republican -- simply because I favor a smaller government. Unfortunately, the Republicans have increasingly become anti-immigrant, anti-women, anti-poor, anti-black and anti-gay party. They are losing objectivity and sense of reasoning. Most of my Republican friends are often quoting a false and forwarded email. I am starting a list of the Intolerant Republican Nut Jobs • Joe Wilson -- A shame on the people of South Carolina (not that their Govenor hasn't caused enough damage to the state already) • Roy Moore -- He's the former judge who uses the name of the Lord to impose his own views. Very anti-Catholic. He wants to run for Governor of Alabama and has an endorsement Comments (0) First Written: Thursday, September 10, 2009 Last Modified: 9/10/2009 10:21:45 PM

Rating Service is Not Freedom of Speech
Law.com: Credit Rating Services Plead Freedom of Speech but it fails to hold water. I am glad to see this happen. Otherwise, people will offer arbitrary life-altering (like teachers grading examinations or Google publishing PageRank) ratings without being held responsible for it. Comments (0) First Written: Saturday, September 05, 2009 Last Modified: 9/5/2009 4:21:34 PM

I am not Vick
Puppies, I am just Vik. Not Michael Vick PS: For those friends from India who do not know who Michael Vick is -- he is a superstar athlete who tortured dogs. Comments (0) First Written: Sunday, August 30, 2009 Last Modified: 9/3/2009 9:14:04 PM

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