Dixie Chicks - Not Ready to Make Nice

Probably everyone of you know that Dixie Chicks won 5 Grammy Awards this year including the Song and Album of the Year. But I'll still mention about it, because I have been listening and viewing their song video over and over. Sometimes simple things like watching a song or movie gives you lot of happiness, I want to register in blog the joy this song and video has given me for the moment. 'Not Ready to make Nice' is one of the nicest songs I have heard lately. If you haven't heard the song, listen to it right now, it's not worth missing.

See the original video below (they even performed at Grammy's)

In March 2003 just before the US invasion of Iraq, Natalie Maines (lead singer) provoked a controversy by stating publicly in a concert "and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas". Read the whole Political controversy on wikipedia.

This song is their response to the 12 words that erupted the controversy, anger, boycott, criticism and the death threats the band received and their nonacceptance of the war and their stand on Peace.

What I liked?
I like the passion and power with which they sing.
What I loved?
I love the statement, the courage, the music they play. Go Girls!

India - Growth and Unemployment

On one hand the world is going ga-ga over India, we read about India's sudden growth in the last 4 years and the India rising story in the media. The outsourcing boom, Software industry and the BPO sector has increased the Purchasing Parity and changed the lifestyle and attitude of the urban population. But on the other hand the rising economy has also increased the inflation and the rising costs of daily domestic goods. This has made the life very expensive for people who live on fixed budgets and whose lives have not been touched by this rising Indian economy (this is a huge percentage of the population).

The situation in rural areas is even worse, high unemployment is not helping either. I think all this will change as the literacy level will increase and the BPO sector and Software industry will open offices and start to operate in these smaller Indian towns and cities. It'll take 2-5 years for this to happen, but more than time it will need commitment and dedication from people living in these towns to prepare and better educate themselves for this new opportunities ahead. This will solve at least couple of other issues:
- Will reduce the migration of rural population to Class I cities like Bombay, Delhi, Chennai, etc in search of work.
- Once people in Class III towns will see their peers prosper because of good education, the next generation in these towns will leverage on the previous generation's success and improve it further.

Another article I came across last week was the article in CNN on India not becoming a superpower till it reduces its poverty. Very nice article, I agree with the contents and the reasons given in the article, BUT I don't think agree with the TITLE of the article. Average Indians have no aims or ambitions of becoming a SUPERPOWER per se, thats the last thing on their mind. What they want and what they are struggling for are meeting their basic daily necessities like food, shelter, clothes, education for their kids. India is a young democratic country and what it has achieved in 60 years is commendable, we still have a long way to go and we will.

Nevertheless, nice article and nice read. Educate yourself.

Best Photos from the World Press

We all take lots of pictures of ourselves, when we travel, when there's an occasion, party, marriage, birthday and with the world going digital it's been very easy to store and share these memories. Sometimes the best pictures are taken by random amateur photographers and whenever I see these random pics on Flickr or Photobucket I get encouraged to learn and better understand the art of photography rather than just clicking them from a distance without any understanding of the camera, lens or the light.

I came across the website for the World Press Photo organization (non-profit) which organizes the worlds largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest. World Press Photo of the Year 2006 goes to a picture by a US photographer of some young Lebanese driving through a South Beirut neighborhood devastated by war. Also while you're there don't forget to check out the Prizewinners Galley 2007 There are some mind-blowing pictures especially of the US marine returning back to marry (Portraits), Darfur Refugees (General News), Settler woman struggles with Israeli security officer (People in the News).
Go help yourself and see something nice! (Winners of the contest from 1955-2006)

While on the topic of pictures/photos, Techcrunch gives a nice overview of the Online Photo editing websites. This is a very hot space and there are lots of Web 2.0 companies in this area.

Anyone wants to share any of their random work ?

Quote of the day

First of all, I'm back after my 2 month long hiatus. I'm all fine, nothing happened to me, BUT But but I did get into trouble. The trouble that I've got myself into is to be HAPPY, CONTENT and SPARKLING henceforth with this nice and beautiful person. Most of my friends know but for all that who don't I did meet this amazing girl who I've decided to spend my life with. And I'm all happy, excited, ecstatic, cheerful for this new life ahead. I hope to continue with my regular blogging going forward.

So the random saying that I remembered when I overheard something was

"It's not what you don't know, it's what you know that generally lands you in trouble"
- Some random website which I don't remember now.

There are so many occasions in life where you're like..... 'GOSH, It would have been so much better had I not known about this thing'. Well, personally I feel that so many times; at work, with friends and family. Its just so much better if you don't all the complex details and politics of human relationships with each other. I hate times when I've to behave as if I don't know about some news, issues when I actually know them. I would rather like to be surprised by not knowing them than to put up a false face. Anyways, that's me.

What are your thoughts ?