Outsourced - the movie

Outsourced

While browsing netflix for instant watching movies, I was surprised to see the #1 was a title I hadn't heard about- called 'outsourced'.

The topic of outsourcing has been one close to my heart- & I have always tried to view it from new perspectives- simply because of the ironies in it. An economy driven by competitive prices, seemingly killing itself by sending jobs overseas.

'outsourced' is a light-hearted look at this taboo topic.
The movie talks about this american call centre manager sent to india to train his replacement.
What ensues is a delightful comedy- with the underpinnings of job loss & the irony of the situation showing through.
The movie takes a look at indian culture and contrasts it with the western. Also, the sights and sounds of small town india are shown as is. No glossing over- though a little overdone in some parts for the drama.

The movie ends with an interesting twist, & is definitely an educational & entertaining watch.
A must see.

On Marriage

World - I cracked it. It just hit me.

Marriage is the leading cause for both - Death and Divorce!

When it rains... it pours

Today started of like just another day.
I had come into nyc to meet my doctor. And everything seemed to be going as per plan.
I had parted my car this morning at the shopping complex. Gone into town met my doctor l got to work on time & had an otherwise fruitful day
I wrapped up work and left for home & wrote a B log about my uneventful day.
But when I went to pickup my car I realised the day had just started!
My car, You see, Was not there.I then learnt that parking in the shopping complex was not permitted for outsiders and that I will have to cough up a hefty $180 for towing! Ouch!

Anyway, after fretting about it long enough, I slept- I had my toefl exam the next day.
Sure enough I missed the toefl the next day cos I couldn't locate the centre (gps dependency?)
So that was an award winning $350 loss in 12 hrs! Wow.

the day after the bad hair day

So yesterday went off in sulking!!
My roommates wondered ( as did I) why I was making such a big deal of such minor errors.
Well that's just me I guess. And I don't believe in suppressing my feelings - so be it an overreaction- its ok.
Today I walked into office with a bit of a sulk still on- but determined to do a good job.
My managers found another couple of issues! But I was quick to find out what was there was as per spec.
So while I didn't point it out- I did keep my head up high.
By the end of the day, I had solved several key issues & brought 2 projects to completion.
"thanks a lot" said two managers - "your'e most welcome" said I - with a smile.
There's another chance, I suppose, that comes along, to help you get out of a ditch you put yourself into.

But here's a thought- if happiness relies on outside successes, there's no guarantee how much one's going to get!

the techy's bad hair day

ouch.

a bug found in my code.
actually it was a change done long back, & there's no way to prove it really is my doing (& i'm ofcourse pretty sure it isn't!!)

well & so I graciously apologize for the minor bug. my fault or not.

but inside my stomach knots up. oh I hate a bug - & so starts a bad hair day.

next another manager asks me to re validate a task. oh gee- I find a difference between my previous validation.

sigh- a techies worst nightmare.
we live in a world of absolutes. either its a bug - or its not. either you goofed up, or not.

so I head home nœw. shamefaced. sitting in the bus & blogging my misery away.

oh well.
here comes my stop.

Providence Water Fire

Having lived in Providence for a couple of months now, I had my first bunch of friends from the Big Apple drop in.
They had heard of the Providence Water Fire, and came down to check it out. The water fire is a festival where they light fires on the Moshassuck river flowing through Providence, and downtown Providence suddenly springs to life - with aromatic food stalls, throngs of tourists and locals, artist performances and a gala time for all.

We first did some salsa dancing under the Turk's Head Building (Yes, there's a Turk who's looking at all from atop this structure). It was nice to see about a hundred people surround a single salsa instructor, everyone full of enthusiasm and practicing the basic steps away.

After some salsa practice, we went on to see the water fire being lit.
Boats with the Water Fire crew lit the fires one after another, and artists performed with fire, musical instruments and in fancy costumes.
We walked by the river and paused every now and then for a photo, some food or to see an artist perform.
If you're looking for the right time to come down to Providence, the Water Fire is the right time to do that. There's one more water fire festival that will take place this year, before winter sets in.
You may like to check this festival out -

Exim Screen Protection - 2 Thumbs up

Okay - so my blog is not about technical reviews.
Lets get that straight.

But there is a geek and a gadget freak hidden in me somewhere, and, I have read, it is not good to suppress your emotions (and so, alternate personalities too, I suppose).

To give you a background - I have been a handheld computer fan ever since I first saw a Palm III. I have owned, and extensively used Ipaqs and Palms ever since. I have found them to be great entertainment and utility value. I've used them for finances, time management, project management, communication and fun!

Now - the one thing that would hurt any lover of gadgets - is if it starts to show its age. Given that PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) use a touchscreen - they are quick to show scratches.
I've used several 'Screen Protectors' (transparent stickers that go on the screen), and they would get scratched really quick too. In fact, I sometimes wondered if better than putting protectors that scratch easier than the screen - would it just make sense to leave the screen to itself?

Enter Exim Screen Protectors.
I found these on ebay - and they cost a whole lot more than regular screen protectors.
On reading a positive review about their longevity, I decided to go ahead and order.

Yes - this is a great buy - worth the $10-$15 they would cost you (mind you - you only get 1 protector where others would sell you a pack of 10 or more).

I just replaced my old screen protector with the exim, and it looks beautiful. The feel is decent to the stylus, when it comes to writing; but my pda looks smart and beautiful once again. Applying this protector is a breeze, and it fits perfectly.
Though I can't yet vouch for its longevity - it certainly looks robust and has excellent clarity.

Oh - Happiness!