Pakistan says no tourists on Siachen

Pakistan it seems is very pissed with India for allowing tourists on Siachen Glacier. Sending tourists into a battlefield is a bad move (with “severe consequences”) according to them. I guess, converting a tourist spot into a battlefield is OK by them!

Mr Kalam Leaves New Delhi

Dr. APJ Kalam’s exit seems to be a bigger disappointment than the (s)election of India’s new President. Such is the standard set by the departing President, that there are more printed words eulogizing Mr Kalam, than those that welcome Mrs Prathibha. Of the one’s I’ve read, there’s one that stood out.

…another revelation — so far kept under wraps at Rashtrapati Bhavan (under presidential orders): In May 2006, President Kalam’s relatives from the south decided to descend on him (as relatives tend to often do). On instructions of the president they were welcomed by his staff at the railway station, and were looked after right up to the time they departed. But the Controller of Household was under strict instructions to keep a meticulous account of all the expenses incurred on behalf of the relatives — all 53 of them. Not once was an office vehicle used for any of them.

It was made clear by the president that he would pay — not only for the transport of all his relatives to and from Delhi, and also within Delhi, he would also pay for the various rooms occupied by them at Rashtrapati Bhavan and the food that was consumed by them — the rooms at the prescribed rate, the food on the basis of expenses actually incurred.

When his relatives left after a week’s stay, the president was of course sad to see them all go, but he was also lighter in his pocket: the total expenses debited to his personal account was Rs 3,54,924!

Any polititian who stood in the way of Kalam’s second term is a traitor.

Lamest Tech Mascots and the endangered Maharaja

Wired magazine comes up 15 of the Lamest technology mascots, ever!

Technology has always had trouble appealing to the part of our hard-wiring that expects advanced machines to behave like sentient beings. It’s this problem that makes software product managers run screaming to careers in TV marketing, pet supply sales and toy manufacturing. In the meantime, they come up with blatant attempts to personalize tech products through animal and humanoid mascots.

Ramesh Narayan reminisces about mascots that have gone missing in India, save the Maharaja. Wait a minute – even he’s facing the axe.

Joel on India jobs

Joel Spolsky made waves a few years ago, by publishing his popular blog in many Indian languages. Now, he throws an open challenge to Indian Jobs listing websites, with his Indian job board – nice.