Re: [silk] Starting a second career

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sun, Jul 25, 2021 at 1:48 AM Alok Prasanna Kumar
 wrote:

> Read this fascinating piece on the Guardian
> https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jul/14/leaving-burnout-behind-the-pain-and-pleasure-of-starting-a-new-career-in-my-50s

I came across this piece [1] that seems relevant.

The notion of 'habit discontinuity' in the linked article agrees with
my experience. In 2004, I quit smoking. I had quit multiple times
before, but it didn't stick. I am convinced that the key reason this
time around was the fact that I had just changed jobs and so was in
the process of figuring out (inter alia) a new workday routine - and
could therefore incorporate changes such as NOT stepping out for a
cigarette at 11am and 2pm. I've been smoke-free since then.

Udhay

[1] https://hbr.org/2021/08/the-3-phases-of-making-a-major-life-change
-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Digitization of The Illustrated Weekly of India?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Jul 31, 2021 at 9:03 PM Thaths  wrote:

> I asked, and the universe, after several years, has provided
> <https://drive.google.com/file/d/14hVpyppZkOUJ3zVfha2HgHKJp7IB9AZd/view>.

One of my most treasured childhood memories is the Illustrated Weekly
Of India's "World Cup Special" issue in 1979. Primarily due to Patrick
Eagar's photographs. Anyone know if that is digitized?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Grief during a pandemic

[Udhay Shankar N]

I don't have an unusual story to tell, just a parade of illness and
deaths similar to what many others have experienced. There was one 10
day period last October when I lost 3 close people. The loss that hurt
the most wasn't even someone related to me (by blood, at least) and
has already been discussed on this list [1].

Most of them made me more angry than sad. OK, first angry, then sad -
because I thought many of them were preventable. Maybe a dollop of
survivor's guilt as well.

Some groups of friends with whom I made regular plans to hang out with
over video calls played their part in maintaining sanity, as was the
extremely welcome discovery that the 3 of us appear to like being
cooped up together in the house. :)

[1] https://www.mail-archive.com/silklist@lists.hserus.net/msg30166.html

Re: [silk] Grief during a pandemic

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Fri, Jul 23, 2021 at 7:37 AM Deepa Mohan  wrote:

We all need the human touch, both figurative and physically. The lack of
> Vitamin T is a serious lack.
>

As I have said elsewhere, when straight Indian men start saying (I have
multiple data points over the last year) that they miss hugging people, you
know something serious is going on.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Grief during a pandemic

[Udhay Shankar N]

So.

Given the events of the past year and a half, many people are dealing with
loss and grief. Coupled with the fact that people have been stuck in one
place for most of this time, they are turning to social media for help in
dealing with it - either seeking emotional support, or just catharsis.
Given my filter bubble, I have mostly seen this on Facebook.

Have you folks also seen this? What are your thoughts?

Some of the people who have done this are on this list. If you want to
speak up, great. If not, that's perfectly fine too. You could mute this
thread if it is painful for you - but if you want to use this space to seek
support, I'd be honoured.

Udhay

--
((Udhay Shankar N))  ((via phone))

Re: [silk] Food and interesting new things about feeding the planet?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Jul 8, 2021 at 5:40 PM Peter Griffin 
wrote:


> Would you know people doing innovative work on food and feeding the planet?
> Preferably with some kind of India connection, and people who wouldn't mind
> chatting with me on camera.
>

One person who immediately comes to mind is Zeenath Hassan, who is on this
list, and is a former Bangalore native.

One example of the stuff she does:
https://www.fastcompany.com/3044852/eat-from-this-catering-service-that-a-dumpster-diver-would-love

Udhay

[silk] The Race to Put Silk in Nearly Everything

[Udhay Shankar N]

I think putting silk in everything is a great goal to have. :;)


https://www.wired.com/story/the-race-to-put-silk-in-nearly-everything/

Re: [silk] Silkmeet on Friday? (21st May, Zoom)

[Udhay Shankar N]

So we have so far

Vinit
Surabhi
Udhay
Peter

who else?

Re: [silk] Hello

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 7:27 PM Jaideep Vivekanand 
wrote:

This is Jaideep Vivekanand from Chennai. Thanks to Udhay for adding me to
> this group.
> I run an architecture firm in Chennai called Green Evolution (
> http://www.greenevolution.in/) with my better half, Anupama Mohanram. We
> specialize in environmentally sustainable design and construction. Anu and
> I have two daughters and cat that make up our home.
> I am also a part-time musician - specifically a guitar player - and am
> part of a couple of bands in Chennai. Other interests include running and
> cooking.
>

Trivia: Jaideep used to play in a band called "Shakuni and the birds of
prey" along with Prasanna, whom some of you know, a few decades ago.

And, for his sins, is a cousin of mine.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Stephen King

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 12:41 AM Thejaswi Udupa 
wrote:

Also, you may want to read books by his son Joe Hill--he's just as good a
> storyteller.
>

On that note, I enjoyed the one book by Tabitha King (to whom Stephen King
is married) that I read [1]. About a high school basketball team - which
has a winning boys' team and the journey to getting a winning girls' team.

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/490136.One_on_One

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 10:13 AM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

Like it says. I know there are similar threads out there on reddit etc -
> this question is for silklisters. :)
>

This article, while not hugely revelatory, is still a good overview, and
appropriate in this context:

https://www.popsci.com/story/science/how-to-spend-money-happiness/

Udhay
-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Dream concerts

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Dec 21, 2020 at 11:42 PM Dave Long  wrote:

> The Finnish band Nightwish with their original singer Tarja Turunnen [4]
>
> On the question of "best Nightwish singer?", I see Marko is definitely in
> the running...


I agree, although my personal opinion is that "best" is, at best, a
contextual term.

Udhay
-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Dream concerts

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Dec 22, 2020 at 9:02 AM Venkat Mangudi - Silk <
s...@venkatmangudi.com> wrote:

1. Live Aid with Queen.


Yes! I can't believe I missed this one.

[silk] Fwd: An anniversary

[Udhay Shankar N]

Forwarding Martin's message which came directly to me by mistake.

-- Forwarded message -
From: Martin Senftleben 
Date: Mon, Dec 21, 2020 at 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: [silk] An anniversary
To: Udhay Shankar N 


Hi Udhay and all others,

Am 20.12.20 um 02:35 schrieb Udhay Shankar N:
> The first message on silklist went out 23 years ago.
>
> There are some members who have been around since then, and many others
who
> hopped on at a later time.

I am one of those who met you founding guys on a BBS a few years earlyer
(before silklist was founded), and later I guess you invited me to join
Silk. I was active for a while, but then became so overwhelmed with my
work that I hardly could read all the posts, let aside write anything.
Now I'm retired and try to read here and there from what fills my
mailbox, but I'm not yet into reactivating myself in this list. Some
health issues prevent me from sitting too long at the PC, and for the
period I'm on I have other priorities. Nonetheless I am grateful for
being part of this list and hope I am allowed to stay on - maybe it's
not so long that I get active again. The list reminds me of our years in
India, and those times when BBS was the choice of communication... :-)

Kind regards

Martin Senftleben

Re: [silk] Dream concerts

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sun, Dec 20, 2020 at 9:29 PM Peter Griffin 
wrote:

Taking off from the memorable concerts thread, and assuming you have a time
> machine at hand with enough juice to take you to, let's say, five
> performances, which musicians would you go listen to?
>

Since we have a time machine...

At the ripe age of 2, I apparently disrupted a concert of the violinist
L.Shankar [1]. This was organised by my parents, who used to run a 'sabha'
(a body that organises cultural events). It would be interesting to see how
this maestro sounded in his prime, just before the first Shakti album [2].

Iron Maiden live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1982 [3]

The Finnish band Nightwish with their original singer Tarja Turunnen [4]

L. Subramaniam (brother of the aforementioned Shankar) in concert with
Stephane Grappelli around the time of the album Conversations [5]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Shankar
[2] https://www.allmusic.com/album/shakti-with-john-mclaughlin-mw311587
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr2N6SluA64
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5odBK6ebOf8
[5] https://www.allmusic.com/album/conversations-mw652198

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] An anniversary

[Udhay Shankar N]

The first message on silklist went out 23 years ago.

There are some members who have been around since then, and many others who
hopped on at a later time.

How did you find out about silklist? Share your stories.

Udhay

--
((Udhay Shankar N))  ((via phone))

Re: [silk] Your most memorable concerts?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Dec 12, 2020 at 7:14 AM Thaths  wrote:

> Amphitheatre venue and the lovely, friendly crowd of mostly metal thathas
> > made for a lovely experience.
> >
>
> It was not I, I swear.
>

You're not metal, are you, Thaths? :)

(Also, I am loving how various people in this thread are posting about the
same events but only those in the know would know that.)

Udhay
-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 10:21 AM Kiran K Karthikeyan <
kiran.karthike...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes. I love the original as well (which they have started marketing to
> men), which is the only reason this caught my attention and I ended up
> trying it.
>

Light Blue pour homme [1] which is marketed to men, is a different
formulation than the original Light Blue [2], which is marketed to women.

Udhay

[1] https://www.basenotes.net/ID26126902.html
[2] https://www.basenotes.net/ID10211214.html

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 11:06 PM Thaths  wrote:


> What are some of your favorites?
>

I have far too many, but some that have stayed at the top of my list for
decades are:
Dunhill Edition
Habit Rouge by Guerlain
Vetiver by Guerlain
Boss No 1

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 3:48 AM Thaths  wrote:

My go-to source for researching colognes and finding other perfumes that
> smell similar is Basenotes. In the case of D I would start here:
> https://www.basenotes.net/brand/dolce-and-gabbana
>

+1 to basenotes, especially (if you have the patience) the discussion
forums.

I would also recommend the book "Perfumes: The Guide" by Tania Sanchez and
Luca Turin [1] which is a compilation of several thousand perfume reviews,
written in amusing and incisive prose.

While I am at it, I recommend a book about Luca Turin [2] who is quite an
iconoclast and the originator of a somewhat controversial theory about how
the sense of smell works. As a bonus, the book features appearances by a
couple of silklisters.

Udhay

[1] https://www.perfumestheguide.com/
[2] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14546.The_Emperor_of_Scent

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 2:35 AM Kiran K Karthikeyan <
kiran.karthike...@gmail.com> wrote:

My experiments in this area have usually led to bitter disappointment.
> However, I have over time bought most of what D make and have loved all
> of them. I particularly liked the Light Blue Sun that I bought on a whim at
> a duty free for a great price.
>
> If that is a sufficient indication of what I like - would be interested
> in recommendations.
>

I assume you mean the version marketed for men. I recommend the original
Light Blue, marketed at women, but which I use often. Wonderful
apple/citrus fragrance.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 11:32 AM Radhika, Y.  wrote:

One nice place amongst a bunch of modest accomodations when traveling


This is interesting. How do you choose which one gets to be the nice place?

Udhay

[silk] What are the things you splurge on that are worth the money?

[Udhay Shankar N]

Like it says. I know there are similar threads out there on reddit etc -
this question is for silklisters. :)

My list:
- Computers. Every 5 years or so I replace my computer with the best specs
I can afford.
- Fragrance. I look at these as art and collect them for regular use.
- Good gin/vodka. Nuff said.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Recommended Reading for 2020

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Wed, Nov 25, 2020 at 3:45 PM Venkatesh H R  wrote:

- Re-read Frank Herbert's Dune. First read it as a 16-year-old and was
> apprehensive about the second read. So many of our heroes turn out to have
> written sexist, racist stuff or were otherwise total ass* in their real
> lives. But Dune continued to amaze with its vision, its mixing of various
> cultures in the world, the strong secondary and tertiary characters and
> pro-environmental message. Now wondering if I should run through the entire
> series ahead of the movie.
>

Speaking for myself, I loved Dune (although I last read it at least 2
decades ago) but found the other books in the series underwhelming.



>  That's about it. Reading A Dominant Character by Samanth Subramanian


Samanth is on silk, so I will take this opportunity to congratulate him for
making it to the NYT notable books of 2020 list [1].

Udhay

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/books/notable-books.html

Re: [silk] Recommended Reading for 2020

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Nov 23, 2020 at 9:00 PM Thaths  wrote:

Apart from caste being an interesting lens to bring to US (and Nazi
> Germany) society, does the book offer insights about caste in India?
>

This book (incidentally, by a cousin of mine) is about caste in modern
India: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987883

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Anil Kumar

[Udhay Shankar N]

For those of you who knew him, I have sad news. Silklister Anil Kumar
passed away of a cardiac arrest a few days ago.

We were friends for ~30 years. That involved many many shared experiences,
including youthful indiscretions, late night conversations, and using each
others' residences as crash pads with zero notice.

I used to like introducing him as "possibly the only normal person I know"
- but he was so much more than that.

He was a warm, thoughtful and unfailingly helpful person. He enriched my
life greatly, and I'll miss him terribly.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Spammer attack

[Udhay Shankar N]

Some spammer seems to have discovered the mailman instance that runs
silklist. I am getting ~50 new member requests per day which I am manually
deleting. FML.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] One unusual take on UBI etc

[Udhay Shankar N]

, and if that minimum were a true living wage, private enterprise
would have to match it to attract workers. And then, suddenly, everyone
would be both employed and making a decent living. Private enterprises
would therefore have more prosperous customers, and all would then rise in
a virtuous cycle. Given the immense stresses that climate change is sure to
bring, finding useful work for people would not be a problem. There will be
a lot to do. Recall that 5% unemployment is often said to be the “natural”
level, such that markets get nervous when the jobless rate goes lower than
that. Unemployment at 5% is said to create “wage pressure,” which it
definitely does, because millions of people are thereby living in fear and
will take any job they can get, even ones that don’t pay enough for a
secure life. The phrase “wage pressure” is yet another indication of how
markets exert power to keep power. In this context, a Job Guarantee would
erase wage pressure (meaning fear and misery), and the less fearful and
more productive populace that resulted might thrive in a feeling of
security.

But is there enough work for everybody? Yes, there is. Automation is a
false problem here. Most jobs require a flexibility and creativity that
only humans can bring to the task. And even if some of the jobs offered by
government were make-work, such as the Works Progress Administration when
it was building hiking trails and post offices in the 1930s, so what? Those
trails and post offices are still useful and beautiful, and people got paid
for doing good things when they otherwise would have been destitute.
Arguments in favor of the unguaranteed labor market of today sometimes
revolves around the word “efficiency.” But efficiency isn’t a physical
constant; it’s a rubric for measuring how well a desired goal is getting
done. Never make the mistake of thinking “efficient” is synonymous with
“good.” All kinds of bad things can be achieved efficiently. Efficiency
just means the most results with the least waste, so whether it’s good or
not depends entirely on the desired goal. If the goal is prosperous people
living in balance with a healthy biosphere, then a Job Guarantee, targeted
at rapid decarbonization, habitat restoration, regenerative agriculture,
and similarly necessary work, might be the most efficient course. If anyone
doubts this, one has to ask first, are they doubting the method’s
efficiency or the primacy of the goal itself? And if they think the goal is
other than prosperous people living in balance with a healthy biosphere,
they need to make that case—or think again. If they think there are better
methods to reach that goal, more efficient methods, then they need to
propose them. At least MMT is trying.

Kim Stanley Robinson writes science fiction in Davis, Calif. His next
novel, The Ministry for the Future, will be published in October.



-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Empathy

[Udhay Shankar N]

I was listening to a podcast with Penn Jillette and one of the things he
said stuck in my head.

As background, he said, notwithstanding Godwin's Law [1] I would say that
the line about 'the worst thing about Hitler is that he turned his enemies
into him ' definitely applies to Trump.

As an experiment, he decided to stop using the term 'them'. Specifically,
instead of using the term 'Trump voters', he replaced it with the term
'those of us who voted for Trump'. What struck me the most about this story
was his recollection of just how hard this was to do. Empathy isn't easy.
[2]

Udhay

[1] As an aside, perhaps one of his various friends here could invite Mike
to silk?

[2] One reason why "assume goodwill" needs to be an explicit rule.

--
((Udhay Shankar N))  ((via phone))

Re: [silk] silklist archives

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Wed, Apr 22, 2020 at 8:58 PM Dave Long  wrote:

(sorry if I'm behind; I'm on digest. do we have archives anywhere now?)
>

Try https://www.mail-archive.com/silklist@lists.hserus.net/ (appears to
have an expired certificate, hope they fix it soon)

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

[Udhay Shankar N]

An interesting aspect of this topic. The data is from the US but this will
probably apply in differing ways elsewhere too.

Speaking for myself, I will probably buy more t-shirts once this eases
(that is, more home wear). I haven't worn a shirt in over a month.

Udhay

https://www.fastcompany.com/90492468/spending-on-clothes-plummets-50-heres-what-it-means-for-fashions-future

Spending on clothes plummets 50%. Here’s what it means for fashion’s future

By Elizabeth Segran4 minute Read

This week, the Census Bureau released consumer spending data for the month
of March. Anyone could have guessed that lockdown orders around the country
would lead to a drop in retail sales, but the extent of the decline was
staggering. Sales plummeted by 8.7%, the largest-ever decrease on record,
nearly triple the previous worst month on record in 2008. And clothing and
accessory brands took the biggest hit, dropping by an astronomical 50.5%.

This raises big questions about the future of fashion. As brands scramble
to reorganize their businesses to respond to the crisis, some are not
likely to make it, which could completely transform the landscape of the
industry in the next few months and years.

Why is this happening?

Consumers are actually spending more on essential goods: Grocery stores saw
a 26.9% increase in spending and health stores saw a 4.3% increase. This is
partly because these are the only brick-and-mortar stores that are allowed
to remain open right now, but it is also because consumers are worried
about spending money unnecessarily with a significant recession looming on
the horizon. Across the board, sectors that rely on discretionary spending
have seen declines. “There is a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about the
future,” says Andrew Lipsman, principal analyst at the research firm
eMarketer. “People are shifting their spending to focus on the things they
really need and cutting their budgets on less essential goods.”

But the coronavirus lockdown has changed our lifestyles in ways that make
buying new clothes particularly irrelevant. Since people are finding ways
to fill their time at home, hobby shops and bookstores have not been as
badly hit, with a 23.3% decline, and home furnishings and furniture stores
have seen only a 26.8% decline, perhaps because some people are spending
money on making their homes more livable.

Lipsman says that categories of apparel that are designed to be worn in
public settings, like workwear or formal wear, have been hit harder than
brands that focus on clothes we wear at home, like loungewear. And
accessories brands that focus on travel have also seen revenues tank. Away,
for instance, reported sales declines of 90%. “That’s just a really
unfortunate consequence of the travel restrictions we’re facing,” he says.

Also suffering are brands that have large fleets of brick-and-mortar
stores, according to Jordan Elkind, VP of product marketing at Amperity, a
firm that analyzes brands’ consumer data. “Digitally native brands, which
have always relied on the internet to engage customers, are weathering the
storm better than brands that still relied heavily on customers coming into
stores,” he says, based on the recent data his company has collected about
a wide range of brands. More than 250,000 stores have temporarily shuttered
since March.

Many apparel brands are currently offering big promotions and discounts to
generate revenue and clear their inventory. Elkind assumed that the people
most likely to buy clothes during these sales would be millennial
professionals, but his data tells another story. He’s found that it’s
customers over 60 that have been most likely to spend on fashion items.
“One hypothesis brands have is that these young professionals also have
young children, so they don’t have a lot of time to spend online shopping
right now,” he says. “But this is also revealing that older consumers are
more comfortable shopping online than previously thought.”

The future of fashion

So what can we expect going forward? In the short term, analysts believe
that consumer spending on fashion is going to decline even further, if
lockdown orders continue into May (or longer) and unemployment figures keep
rising. Brands that are able to sell online will lose less revenue than
their counterparts that operate largely in brick-and-mortar stores, but the
bleeding is not likely to stop in the next few months. And even being
digitally native is no guarantee of survival. Many direct-to-consumer
brands are suffering too. “I can tell you for sure that the numbers for
April are likely to be even worse,” says Lipsman. “People are going to put
their stimulus checks toward essential goods, like groceries and credit
card payments.” They won’t be buying new clothes.

In the longer term, this extended period of disruption could completely
change the fashion landscape. Coresight Research, which collects data about
the retail sector, expects 15,000 stores to close permanently as a result
of this 

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

[Udhay Shankar N]

One change I am already seeing is an increase in single use plastics, for
health reasons. I suspect this will accelerate, reversing years of
attempted policy change.

[silk] test

[Udhay Shankar N]

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

[Udhay Shankar N]

On this topic, the below article is thought provoking. Excessively
US-centric, but still thought provoking.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579

Udhay

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

[Udhay Shankar N]

One more: greeting people. I've had versions of this discussion with a few
members of this list over the years, but it was (then) an issue of
etiquette, rather than epidemiology. The world is different now.

To hug or not to hug?  In this context, I interact with three kinds of
friends, First, where hugging is just a polite hello. Second, where it is
reserved for close friends. Third, where it is mildly or not-so-mildly
discouraged.

That was then. Now, even before the lockdown, my last F2F meeting was a
couple of weeks ago - and we gave each other knowing grins and waved.

Udhay

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

[Udhay Shankar N]

Another change I noticed - broadband usage over the past couple of weeks. I
am currently at ~10 GB/day where it used to be ~7 GB/day for the household.

What has changed: multiple videoconference calls/day, as well as an
increase in the amount of streamed entertainment consumed.

Udhay

Re: [silk] How China is making sure universities are prepared for the worst

[Udhay Shankar N]

Great overview (and pretty incredible measures in this time of no common
sense!). Thanks Harnidh.

Do you have any clarity on when (or if) travel to China is feasible?

Udhay

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sun, Mar 8, 2020 at 6:01 PM Peter Griffin 
wrote:

 What behaviours (if any) have you changed because you're worried about the
> coronavirus?
>

I've started washing hands more, and trying to institute a protocol where
anyone who enters my home has to wash hands first. I now have an awareness
(which I never thought about before) just how many of my
unthinking/involuntary mannerisms involve touching my nose or chin.

My use of e-commerce is like a game for me, trying to see what is the
lowest price I can get for something (tip: you can ALWAYS get it cheaper if
you just put it on a watchlist for a month and have price data). To this
end, I've been observing hand sanitizer get sold out or unavailable at all
outlets. This made me a little more enthusiastic than I otherwise would
have been and I have now ordered more of this product than I can feasibly
use.

Also: I think the virus situation, combined with the pressure of school
boards, is going to nix any travel this summer.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Questions, or answers?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Feb 20, 2020, 08:24 Venkatesh H R  wrote:

> A recent learning of mine is to keep asking questions until I get the right
> question through which to frame the problem at hand. So questions.
>

As a parent of a former 2 year old, I can confirm that it only takes 5-7
iterations of "why?" (starting from ANYWHERE) to get to "how did the
universe begin?"

Udhay

>

[silk] Questions, or answers?

[Udhay Shankar N]

Via a friend on another invite-only list, this lovely, though-provoking
cartoon:

http://kiriakakis.net/comics/mused/a-day-at-the-park (I won't spoil it, go
read through the whole thing)

So: what do YOU collect: questions, or answers? And why?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] The Internet of Beefs

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 12:23 AM Heather Madrone 
wrote:

> https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2020/01/16/the-internet-of-beefs/
>
> I can't take this article seriously.
>
> It starts out (at numerous points) sensibly enough, then it plunges so
> deeply into the territory of its own metaphor that it's no longer
> talking about anything that exists outside of it.
>

What Heather said. vgr usually has something insightful and/or interesting
as his starting point, but he buries it is SO MANY WORDS that I give up
before reaching the end of most of his pieces. So much so that I now read
his stuff only when pointed there by something else, such as this
discussion.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Bruce Sterling's State of the World chat

[Udhay Shankar N]

This year's version:

https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/507/State-of-the-World-2020-Bruce-St-page01.html

It's grim.

Udhay

Re: [silk] When life gives you lemons....

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 4:12 AM Thaths  wrote:

I got a paper copy of the book last week. It is.. definitely a
> home-made product made driven by someone's obsession (in a good way). It
> has the feel of samizdat literature to it. :-)


I have a soft corner for family recipe books (which are, in a sense, one
point of origin for Usha's book). A particular favourite in my home is a
home-produced book which an aunt of my wife's wrote out by hand for her
nieces - which then got scanned and distributed further in the family.
Coimbatore Tamil family recipes. Very useful, especially for festive
occasions.

Udhay

Re: [silk] When life gives you lemons....

[Udhay Shankar N]

You can borrow mine if you want.

--
((Udhay Shankar N))  ((via phone))

On Tue, Jan 14, 2020, 09:40 Biju Chacko  wrote:

> On Thu, 9 Jan 2020 at 20:57, Thaths  wrote:
> >
> > It was 1998 and Ms. Prabakaran, a former lawyer living in Chennai, a
> major
> > city on India’s southeastern coast, had just slogged through a decade of
> > research and recipe testing for her comprehensive, single-subject
> cookbook,
> > “Usha’s Pickle Digest.” A party was scheduled for the following week.
>
> Amazon.in seems to have only an ebook. Any clue where I could get a hard
> copy?
>
> -- b
>
> > --
> > Homer: Hey, what does this job pay?
> > Carl:  Nuthin'.
> > Homer: D'oh!
> > Carl:  Unless you're crooked.
> > Homer: Woo-hoo!
>
>

Re: [silk] When life gives you lemons....

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Jan 9, 2020 at 8:57 PM Thaths  wrote:

I read about this book a couple of days ago and ordered it from Amazon as
> soon I finished reading the article. I plan to up my game with pickling
> more fruits and veggies this coming summer. I can picture peach chutneys
> and jalapeno pickles in my future.
>
> Thaths
>
>
> https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/dining/indian-pickle-queen-usha-prabakaran.html


I ran into Usha Prabakaran several years ago when I was visiting my parents
in Madras. She's the interesting sort of obsessive. After the pickle book,
she was working on one about 1000 rasam recipes. I believe that is still
work in progress.

Udhay

[silk] What did you change your mind about in 2019?

[Udhay Shankar N]

Like it says. What have you started or stopped believing in in 2019, and
why?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Suleimani

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 2:31 PM Peter Griffin 
wrote:

What do you folks think will result from the Qassem Suleimani assassination?
> How will this play out for the rest of the world, in terms of not just
> stability, but also wars, economies and so on?
>

War has always been a reliable distraction. From impeachable offenses by
the bushel (or rather, barrel)

That said, follow the money.

- Iran has announced a major new untapped oil reserve [1]
- This particular conflict comes at a time when US oil businesses are
hurting, and the current spoke in prices helps them. [2]
- It will also (quelle surprise) help Russia, and also the Saudis - who
have their own strategic issues with a world where reserves are depleting
and prices are, funnily enough, going down [3]


[1]
https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/iran-crude-oil-discovery-namavaran/
[2]
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/irandriven_oil_rally_boon_to_struggling_us_producers-03-jan-2020-160714-article?rss=true=yahoo
[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X19300677

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] The anti-bucket list

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Jan 2, 2020 at 11:17 PM Charles Haynes 
wrote:

The idea of an “anti-bucket list” is antithetical to my approach to life. I
> can easily understand why someone would have a list of things they want to
> do, but what’s the point of having a list of things you absolutely refuse
> to consider ever doing?


Speaking for myself, I started the thread as I wanted to put down a list of
things that people seem to want to do (or at least say that they want to
do) that I would not consider doing. Or so 2019/20 Udhay thinks.

Udhay

Re: [silk] Recommended Reading from 2015

[Udhay Shankar N]

This looks like it belongs in this thread:

https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/rooms-of-their-own-11577444090874.html

Udhay

Re: [silk] The anti-bucket list

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Wed, Dec 25, 2019 at 10:50 PM Peter Griffin 
wrote:

> - Starting another company from scratch. Been there, done that, had fun,
> > not doing it again.
> >
>
> You were not paid enough to try?
>

These days, I get paid for helping others navigate the path of
entrepreneurship.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] The anti-bucket list

[Udhay Shankar N]

Inspired by something I saw on reddit, what are the things you "can't be
paid enough to try", and why not?

For me, an incomplete list:

- Summiting any meaningful peak. Frostbite and oxygen deprivation? No
thanks.
- Starting another company from scratch. Been there, done that, had fun,
not doing it again.
- Casu Marzu. No. Just no.

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Silklist Anniversary Meetup

[Udhay Shankar N]

The meetup was fun, but I thought I'd point out that silklist's 22nd
birthday was yesterday.

Udhay

[silk] Randy Suess, inventor of first online bulletin board, dies

[Udhay Shankar N]

Given that the genesis of this list was in the Bangalore BBS scene, I
thought this item might be of interest.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/randy-suess-inventor-of-first-online-bulletin-board-dies/ar-BBYebhh

Randy Suess, a computer hobbyist who helped build the first online bulletin
board, anticipating the rise of the internet, messaging apps and social
media, died on Dec. 10 at a hospital in Chicago. He was 74. His death was
confirmed by his daughter Karrie. In late January 1978, Mr. Suess (rhymes
with “loose”) was part of an early home computer club called the Chicago
Area Computer Hobbyists’ Exchange, or CACHE. He and another club member, an
IBM...

Re: [silk] Silklist Anniversary Meetup

[Udhay Shankar N]

Current headcount:

Kiran Karthikeyan
Anil Kumar
Priyanka Pulla
Huda Masood
Anirudh Sharma
Udhay Shankar
Naresh Narasimhan (?)
Jayadevan PK (?)


On Fri, Dec 13, 2019 at 8:36 AM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

> On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 5:38 PM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:
>
> How about lunch at Communiti on Residency road, around 12 noon on Saturday?
>>
>
> Who's in?
>
> --
>
> ((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
>
>

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Silklist Anniversary Meetup

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Dec 12, 2019 at 5:38 PM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

How about lunch at Communiti on Residency road, around 12 noon on Saturday?
>

Who's in?

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Silklist Anniversary Meetup

[Udhay Shankar N]

How about lunch at Communiti on Residency road, around 12 noon on Saturday?

Re: [silk] Silklist Anniversary Meetup

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Dec 10, 2019 at 5:16 PM Kiran K Karthikeyan <
kiran.karthike...@gmail.com> wrote:

12th is my birthday and 13th is the winter party at work, but I'm game 14th
> or 15th. What say Bangalore folks?
>

14th/15th work, although I would prefer 14th. Show of hands?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Fwd: A book launch in Bangalore

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Dec 2, 2019 at 2:22 PM Suresh Ramasubramanian 
wrote:


> Can we please combine the two?


Isn't that exactly what is being proposed?

[silk] Fwd: A book launch in Bangalore

[Udhay Shankar N]

Bangalore folks, one of our own is launching a book on 12th. An impromptu
meetup at the venue, perhaps?

Also, Silklist's 22nd birthday is coming up. Ideas?

Udhay

-- Forwarded message -
From: Samanth Subramanian 
Date: Mon, Dec 2, 2019 at 1:05 PM
Subject: A book launch in Bangalore
To: samanth 


Dearly beloved,

As some of you may already know from my whinges, I've been working on
a book for the last four years: a biography of the scientist,
Communist and all-round rabble-rouser JBS Haldane, who died in
Bhubhaneswar in 1964. The book, "A Dominant Character," is now
available for pre-order, and will be shipped come Dec. 10. And to be
totally brazen about it, here's a link:
https://www.amazon.in/Dominant-Character-Radical-Restless-Politics/dp/9386797526
.

Champaca, the excellent bookstore in the heart of town, has been kind
enough to offer its space for a launch event. So I'll be in
conversation with the poet and novelist Jeet Thayil on Thursday, Dec.
12, at 630 pm. Everyone's welcome! No invite is necessary, although
one is attached. Please feel absolutely free to send this on to your
friends as well, and to invite anyone else who might be interested --
in Haldane, or in Jeet's work, or just in boosting the popularity of a
fine bookstore.

I hope to see you there!

Best,
Samanth


--
http://www.samanth.in


-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Yahoo Groups shutting down, and Silklist archives

[Udhay Shankar N]

Also, just to be clear, there does exist another archive that dates from
October 2005:

https://www.mail-archive.com/silklist@lists.hserus.net/

So we need to rescue the first 8 years of traffic (from December 1997). I
do have this as Eudora mailboxes if someone wants to volunteer to parse and
host this.

Udhay

Re: [silk] Yahoo Groups shutting down, and Silklist archives

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 9:59 PM Thaths  wrote:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8xwe9p/yahoo-groups-is-winding-down-and-all-content-will-be-permanently-removed


And, from the "unforeseen consequences" dept:
https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/17/20919630/yahoo-groups-uk-ofcom-simwood-numbers

Re: [silk] Yahoo Groups shutting down, and Silklist archives

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Oct 17, 2019 at 10:33 PM Thaths  wrote:

I would assume that list admins would have the ability to download the
> archive of their entire list (hopefully in mbox or some other standard
> format instead of some weird shit like HTML or XML).


A little history.

Silklist is archived on yahoogroups, but was never hosted on yahoogroups.
How? Like this: There was a site called mailvault which I was a beta tester
of, that archived mailing lists. I did this by simply adding a scraperbot
address to the subscriber list of silk. Mailvault eventually became
something called egroups.com, which was a (mostly successful) attempt to
rebrand mailing lists for the dot.com era. egroups.com eventually got
acquired by yahoo and became yahoogroups. The silklist archive continued to
exist as a historical curiosity within this. (As an aside, I worked with
the yahoogroups team, which was run as a separate engineering entity, on
one of my projects while I was at yahoo. It was bloody difficult to get
them to do anything, even from the inside.)

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that
1) I am not the admin of the yahoogroups silklist archive
2) I (and probably anyone else who does not have direct access to the back
end database) has no way of downloading the message in bulk
3) The only way for a non-yahoo employee to do this at this point is to
scrape it I guess.

Udhay

Re: [silk] How to smell

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 7:43 AM Shoba Narayan 
wrote:

But my favourite paragraph on smells comes from Mahmoud Darwish on "What is
> Lost."   Is Cairo really
> the
> smell of mango and ginger though?


Perhaps part of Cairo is. Just like the smell of part of Bangalore is
filter coffee with the acrid overtone of chicory at 6am. And other parts
might be grilling kebabs. Or the stink of the tannery.

Udhay

[silk] How to smell

[Udhay Shankar N]

(It’s the last part of 2019, and I am sending what I think is my first HTML
mail to silk. Will wonders never cease?)


I saw this very interesting article on “How to smell
”, which I
append below. The parts that rang most true to me are:



   1.

   You’re actually smelling something all the time, you just need to remind
   your nose about it.
   2.

   Smell professionals don’t necessarily have a better sense of smell than
   you (although some most certainly do) – they just have a vocabulary to talk
   about it.

I also recommend the blog  of Avery Gilbert
, along with his book What The Nose Knows
.


Thoughts, especially from the various fragrance aficionados here?


Udhay


https://agentyduck.blogspot.com/2018/08/how-to-smell.html


How To Smell

*Most of the ideas in this post come from the book* Being A Dog: Following
the Dog Into a World of Smell *by Alexandra Horowitz, which is my favorite
nonfiction book I’ve read in a long time. She, in turn, took much of what I
discuss from Kate McClean, an artist who makes sensory maps of urban
environments. But this is certainly my own take, and the instructions as I
present them are at times in conflict with what I think each of those
people would suggest.*
--

Smelling is a skill. Unless you make perfume for a living, you probably
don’t know how to smell. Here are what I consider to be the basics of good
olfactory practice.

   1.

   Assume that everything has an odor. Assume that every single physical
   object around you emits volatile compounds that you, personally, can
   detect. This may not be true, but that doesn’t matter. Pretend, for now,
   that it is. You’ll learn faster this way.
   2.

   Practice good sniffing. First and foremost, good sniffing means putting
   your nose right up against the object you want to sniff. Maybe you’re more
   comfortable picking things up with your hands and holding them a few inches
   from your face — most of us are — but that’s poor form. Most odorous
   compounds are heavier than air, and your nose needs to be where the
   molecules are to ingest them. Plus, when you pick something up, especially
   a small bit of something, you’re going to be smelling your hand. So pretend
   you’re a dog. Get down on your hands and knees, if you have to, and bring
   your muzzle right to the object, until you can feel its surface with the
   tip of your nose. Then close your eyes, and sniff.
   3.

   To dislodge more of the smelly snuff, try a sharp exhalation through
   your nostrils right before you sniff. If you watch dogs sniffing, you’ll
   see that they do this all the time. It makes a surprisingly large
   difference.
   4.

   You’ll also find more smells by scratching things first, rubbing them,
   or otherwise disturbing their surfaces.
   5.

   Associate with what you smell. I recommend narrating your thoughts,
   either by speaking or by writing them down. Let your mind wander, and don’t
   worry about making any sense. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all fair
   game. So are images, sounds, and dance moves. Treat the smell like an
   inkblot test. Take a sniff, and say whatever comes to mind. Give it at
   least ten seconds, but thirty is better. If you haven’t named five things
   the smell reminds you of, you’re not done smelling it yet.
   6.

   Maybe it’s not clear to you that you’re smelling anything at all.
   Doesn’t matter. *Everything* has an odor, remember? You’re having an
   olfactory experience of some kind, even if you haven’t recognized it yet,
   so just start associating. You’ll learn about what you smell as you go.
   7.

   “Good” and “bad” are not smells. They’re mostly predictions about
   whether something is safe to eat. When you judge that something smells
   “good”, just pass right by that thought, and keep on associating. Same for
   anything that smells “bad”. If you get stuck at this step, reach for the
   specific (un)pleasant associations that come to mind while you’re smelling
   the object.
   8.

   Don’t worry so much about which things smell like which other things.
   For example, maybe you’ve just sniffed unwashed socks, and thereby invited
   a familiar compound into your olfactory system. During its stay, you
   happened upon an association with parmesan cheese. There really is a
   chemical similarity between your socks and parmesan cheese — namely butyric
   acid — but what matters is not that the two items smell similar. What
   matters is that the experience *reminds you* of parmesan cheese. If
   you’re always searching for the known relative of a smell, you’ll miss all
   the scents you’ve never named before. Recognize that “parmesan cheese” has
   come to mind while smelling, and leave it at that.

[silk] projects in Art And Science

[Udhay Shankar N]

I sometimes get interesting mail like this out of the blue. Anyone feels up
to suggesting something to this person?

Udhay

-- Forwarded message -
From: Tam Treanor 
Date: Thu, Sep 19, 2019 at 6:47 PM
Subject: Art And Science
To: 


Hello I am a sound designer and musician based in Scotland with an interest
in cross disciplinary projects. I shall be visiting India in October and
November 2019. I looking to get involved in interesting projects,
festivals, events, teaching, learning, performing etc.

Skills Overview
MSc in Sound Design
Studio Production Experience
Spatial Audio expertise (3D Audio)
Composition
Teaching
Interactive software coding.

I generally like to be involved in projects rather than simply being a
tourist so I am reaching out to see what opportunities there might be while
i am in India.

Best wishes

Tam




-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Bangalore and Chennai food/restaurant recommendations

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Wed, Sep 18, 2019 at 9:49 AM Pooja Sastry  wrote:

Try Oota Bangalore in Whitefield? A wide range of things to try + local-ish
> (from across Karnataka). Pricey, so west-friendly hygiene standards.
>

This is Manjit's restaurant, right? Above Windmills?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Bangalore and Chennai food/restaurant recommendations

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Wed, Sep 18, 2019 at 5:42 AM Thaths  wrote:

I want to remind people that OP's question was about recommended places for
> visiting European tourists who have had little exposure to Indian cuisine
> to go to. The question was not what is the best place for some dish.
> Implied in the OP's question was, IMO, a requirement that the place be
> easily accessible to foreign tourists without freaking them out with
> language barrier or perceived hygiene issues.
>

On that note, a silklister runs this, which might be fun for non-Indians:

https://www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/26436

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] A considered opinion

[Udhay Shankar N]

I saw this line from silklister Heather Madrone on another list, and it got
me thinking (shared with Heather's permission):

> I have no opinion on Ito and MIT and the Media Lab. I'm not
> interested in doing the work to develop a considered view of that
situation.

Setting aside the specifics of the Media Lab clusterfuck, this is a
remarkably concise way of conveying that

1) It takes *work* to build enough perspective to have an informed opinion
about something;
2) Having an informed opinion is a good thing; and
3) Not having an opinion is OK if one can't have an informed opinion.

Thoughts?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Wildlife filmmaking, the Emmys,

[Udhay Shankar N]

PSA: Longtime list.lurker Kalyan Varma [1] has been nominated for an Emmy
award [2] for his work on the "Super Cats" documentary [3]. Congrats,
Kalyan, and let me take the opportunity to also plug the documentary "Wild
Karnataka" [4] which Kalyan and fellow silklister Amoghavarsha [5] have
made.

I recommend trawling through both of their personal sites for some stunning
examples of their work.

Udhay

[1] http://kalyanvarma.net/
[2] https://emmyonline.tv/news-and-documentary-40th-nominees/
[3] https://vimeo.com/264734971
[4] http://www.wildkarnataka.com/
[5] http://amoghavarsha.com/

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Water storage question

[Udhay Shankar N]

Are there any health concerns I should be aware of if I drink water that
has been sitting in my car for a few weeks? This is RO filtered water that
has been in a glass bottle (not a disposable plastic one) and not in direct
sunlight.

--
((Udhay Shankar N))  ((via phone))

Re: [silk] In Bangalore June 20/21/22

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Thu, Jun 13, 2019 at 12:17 PM Sumanth Cidambi  wrote:

Udhay. What venue decided please?  Thanks.


Biergarten in Koramangala, 6pm onwards.

Udhay

Re: [silk] In Bangalore June 20/21/22

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 10:17 AM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:


> I am visiting Bangalore to attend and present at Rootconf.in. Thursday
>> promises to be kinda crazy but would love to meet the good folks of Silk
>> on
>> Friday (June 21) or Saturday (June 22) evening.
>>
>
> Friday June 21 works better for me, but can do Saturday June 22 if that's
> what the majority wants.
>

The collective hath spoken. Saturday June 22 it is. Anyone else wants to
come, please respond in this thread.

Udhay
-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] In Bangalore June 20/21/22

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 10:09 AM Jitendra Vaidya 
wrote:

I am visiting Bangalore to attend and present at Rootconf.in. Thursday
> promises to be kinda crazy but would love to meet the good folks of Silk on
> Friday (June 21) or Saturday (June 22) evening.
>

Friday June 21 works better for me, but can do Saturday June 22 if that's
what the majority wants.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Random thought of the day

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Jun 8, 2019 at 4:44 AM Tomasz Rola  wrote:


> > Measured purely on clock speed and RAM, my current cellphone (2017 model)
> > has better specs than my last laptop (2012 model).
>
> On a paper, sure.
>
> I am not going to quarrel about personal preferences, but for any non
> trivial use, I am afraid the differences start to manifest.
>

Not arguing with this, which is why I phrased my comment the way I did.

OTOH, even for "serious" work, an example: the first member of this list
has been using a smartphone to telnet/ssh into servers to do various things
since at least the dot.com boom era of 1999.

Udhay

[silk] Yahoo email issue

[Udhay Shankar N]

Most of the yahoo email IDs on silklist have been auto-unsubscribed due to
excessive bounces. What's going on?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] The Demise Of The Dollar

[Udhay Shankar N]

A follow up to the follow up (message left unedited below for context)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-dollar-powers-american-dominance-rivals-are-building-workarounds-11559155440


On Wed, Jan 13, 2016 at 11:22 AM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

> Interesting follow up on this old thread:
>
>
> http://indianexpress.com/article/business/business-others/iran-india-to-settle-outstanding-crude-oil-dues-in-rupees/
>
> Udhay
>
> On 06-11-2009 07:50, Udhay Shankar N wrote:
> > http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0eaa4a80-c856-11de-a69e-00144feabdc0.html
> >
> > Gold extends record high on India purchase
> >
> > By Javier Blas in London and James Lamont in New Delhi
> >
> > Published: November 3 2009 09:08 | Last updated: November 4 2009 09:51
> >
> > Gold prices continued to rise on Wednesday extending the all-time highs
> > which followed India’s central bank bought 200 tonnes of the precious
> > metal, swapping dollars for bullion as the country’s finance minister
> > warned the economies of the US and Europe had “collapsed”.
> >
> > India’s decision to exchange $6.7bn for gold equivalent to 8 per cent of
> > world annual mine production sent the strongest signal yet that Asian
> > countries were moving away from the US currency.
>
>
>

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Random thought of the day

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, May 27, 2019 at 7:54 AM Heather Madrone  wrote:

Early computing geniuses would grind their teeth in frustration to see
> all the ways we waste the computing power we carry around with us.
>

Yeah. Isn't it awesome? :)

Measured purely on clock speed and RAM, my current cellphone (2017 model)
has better specs than my last laptop (2012 model).

My own solution is to use my 27" iMac or at least an iPad to send and
> receive messages whenever practicable.


Me too, including things that were originally intended for the phone, like
Whatsapp/SMS.


> I still need to be mindful of the
> fact that the people on the other side are probably just using their
> phones.
>

Good point. As a former boss put it, "You are not your user. Put yourself
in their shoes."

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

[silk] Random thought of the day

[Udhay Shankar N]

Inspired by one of the random discussions in the F2F meet yesterday.

Silklist is a great place to ponder Warnock's Dilemma [1].

Discuss.

Udhay

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warnock%27s_dilemma

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Bangalore Visit

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Fri, May 24, 2019 at 2:59 PM Biju Chacko  wrote:

An address might be handy. Suggested parking location would also be helpful.
>

apt #703/704, Garden Apartments, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore

Paid parking is available at UB City opposite.

Re: [silk] Bangalore Visit

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Fri, May 17, 2019 at 12:06 PM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

> Show of hands so far:
>
> Jim Grisanzio
> Udhay Shankar
> Kavita Chaudhury
> Biju Chacko
> Huda Masood
> Jessica Prabhakar
> Naresh Narasimhan
> Jahnavi Phalkey
> Vinit Bhansali
> Surabhi Tomar
>
Adding to this list:
Venkat Mangudi
Alok Prasanna Kumar
Jayadevan PK
Vinay Rao
Kiran Karthikeyan

See you all tomorrow!
Udhay

Re: [silk] Bangalore Visit

[Udhay Shankar N]

Show of hands so far:

Jim Grisanzio
Udhay Shankar
Kavita Chaudhury
Biju Chacko
Huda Masood
Jessica Prabhakar
Naresh Narasimhan
Jahnavi Phalkey
Vinit Bhansali
Surabhi Tomar

Vinit and Surabhi have graciously agreed to host at their place (the
standard silkmeet venue) opposite UB City. 7 PM on 24th May. As usual,
please bring whatever you're drinking and some to share, plus anything else
you think is needed.

Ping me if any of you need directions. :)

Udhay

Re: [silk] Bangalore Visit

[Udhay Shankar N]

Silkmeet on Fri May 24 then? Show of hands?

--
((Udhay Shankar N))  ((via phone))

[silk] Flamebait of the week

[Udhay Shankar N]

I used to do this semi regular series of posts back in the BBS era, called
"flamebait of the week", consisting of mildly (or not) controversial topics.

In the ideal case, one of two results would ensue:

1. People were so busy showing that they weren't offended by my purported
flamebait that a good discussion would happen; or
2. People would play along and some light comic relief would be had.

So. What are you suggestions for potential "flamebait of the week" topics?

Random example (be kind, I'm out of practise): What's a "GoT"?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What do you do when you get to know that you have been pwned?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sun, Feb 24, 2019 at 1:16 PM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

> such as a yubikey.
>> >
>> >
>> Are these available for purchase in India?
>>
>
> e.g
> https://www.amazon.in/Yubico-Authentication-USB-Security-Key/dp/B018Y1Q71M
>

Somewhat related, and good news on the being-pwned front:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/25/more-passwordless-logins-are-coming-to-android/

The FIDO Alliance and Google today announced that Android (from version 7.0
up) with the latest version of the Google Play Services is now FIDO2
certified. At first glance, that sounds rather boring, but it will enable
developers to write apps that use a phone’s fingerprint scanner or a FIDO
security key to authenticate users without making them type in a password.
As I’m not aware of too many people who like to type in complicated
passwords that their IT department makes them change every few months,
that’s a big deal.

Developers will be able to enable password-less logins in their web and
native apps. Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox already fully support this
feature, as does Apple’s Safari (but only in preview). In addition to the
convenience, FIDO2 also promises to offer phishing-resistant security,
given that this technology won’t let you authenticate on a malicious site.




-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What do you do when you get to know that you have been pwned?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sun, Feb 24, 2019 at 1:11 PM Aadisht Khanna  wrote:

> >
> > such as a yubikey.
> >
> >
> Are these available for purchase in India?
>

e.g
https://www.amazon.in/Yubico-Authentication-USB-Security-Key/dp/B018Y1Q71M

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What do you do when you get to know that you have been pwned?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Fri, Feb 22, 2019 at 2:04 PM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:


> 1. Log out all gmail/facebook/other social sessions (Most providers give
> you the option to "log out all current sessions")
> 2. Change all the passwords of pwned email addresses
> 3. Enable 2FA EVERYWHERE that supports it. Ideally, with a hardware token
> such as a yubikey.
>

Additionally, I'd also suggest you log in to your various (potentially)
compromised accounts, check under security setting to see if the backup
email address (where password reset notifications are sent) and backup
phone number have been tampered with.

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] What do you do when you get to know that you have been pwned?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Fri, Feb 22, 2019 at 1:39 PM Ra Jesh  wrote:

Compromised data included email addresses, IP Addresses, passwords, and
> usernames.
>

1. Log out all gmail/facebook/other social sessions (Most providers give
you the option to "log out all current sessions")
2. Change all the passwords of pwned email addresses
3. Enable 2FA EVERYWHERE that supports it. Ideally, with a hardware token
such as a yubikey.

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] Silkmeet in Bangalore 18 Feb 2019

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 8:28 PM Alok Singh  wrote:

Hey folks, how much longer will you be around? I just got off work and
> would be happy to join a dinner plan, if any.
>

It was a great meetup, but I just saw this.

For future reference: it is unlikely that people already at the meetup will
be checking email. :)

Udhay

Re: [silk] Silkmeet in Bangalore 18 Feb 2019

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Feb 18, 2019 at 11:01 AM Biju Chacko  wrote:

> > OK, let's go ahead and lock this for Naresh's place.
>
> What's the parking situation in this area?
>

Post 6pm (after the office crowd starts going home) it eases up a bit, but
it's all street parking.

Udhay

Re: [silk] Silkmeet in Bangalore 18 Feb 2019

[Udhay Shankar N]

OK, let's go ahead and lock this for Naresh's place.

Time:
7PM onwards, 18 Feb 2019

Location:
Third floor terrace of

Venkataramanan Associates
10/2, O'Shaughnessy Road
Langford Gardens
Bengaluru 560 025
Tel :+91 80 4030 3050

https://maps.google.com/?q=12.962910,77.599792

off Richmond road, Diagonally Opp. Divyashree and Chambers and near Mud
Tank/Hockey Stadium, next to Sita Batheja hospital , and next  to the back
gate of Baldwin Girls School and above Canara Bank Langford Town.
More details: https://www.facebook.com/events/619417691844058/

Other stuff:
Naresh has offered to order some food and beer (which we will pool in to
reimburse him for)

Anything else anyone wants to eat or drink, please bring it along with you.

Udhay

Re: [silk] Silkmeet in Bangalore 18 Feb 2019

[Udhay Shankar N]

OK, the show of hands looks like this now:

Udhay Shankar
Danese Cooper
Alok Prasanna Kumar
Venkat Mangudi
Deepa Agashe
Zaheda Bhorat
Biju Chacko
Thejaswi Udupa
Jessica Prabhakar

Maybe:
Gaurav Vaz
Deepak Misra
Alolita Sharma
Shrabonti Bagchi
Sruthi Krishnan

Anyone I missed?

Udhay

Re: [silk] Silkmeet in Bangalore 18 Feb 2019

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Mon, Feb 11, 2019 at 8:06 PM Gaurav Vaz  wrote:

At some place that serves Geistt?! For sure.
>
> Commander General Udhay will make the wise choice :)
>

Well, we have the option of either going to a bar/restaurant or to Naresh's
place (which has been the venue of a couple of silkmeets in the past).

Let's see what the numbers are like in a day or two and decide.

Udhay

[silk] Silkmeet in Bangalore 18 Feb 2019

[Udhay Shankar N]

Silklister Danese Cooper will be in town, possibly with Zaheda Bhorat and
Alolita Sharma. Let's use this as an opportunity to meet up.

Show of hands?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] War on Science?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Feb 2, 2019 at 10:36 PM Srini RamaKrishnan  wrote:

Similarly there are kids who get polio solely because of the vaccine,
> Vaccine-derived
> polioviruses (VDPVs). No one disputes this, but now it becomes a
> philosophical question whether even one victim is one too many. Guess which
> side the drug companies are on?
>

Any risk analysis needs to start with the question "what is the threat
model?". Similarly, any solution design needs to start with "Don't make
things worse" (the Hippocratic principle can be viewed as a special case of
this).

In the above context, the threat model is not "one victim", but "potential
pandemic".

Without going into attenuated vs. killed vaccines, I agree that kids
getting polio from vaccines is a bad thing. It is a special case of "kids
getting polio" which the vaccine is an attempt to fight against. Can that
be improved? Sure. I believe you are sincere in dismissing it. I just don't
happen to agree.

Udhay

Re: [silk] it may not be well-done; is it becoming rare?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Jan 5, 2019 at 4:52 PM Peter Griffin 
wrote:

Anecdotal, but I'm also hearing about these young ones, and many older ones
> too, getting their learning-new-things stuff off podcasts (played speeded
> up, something I think I first heard of from Krish Ashok).
>

I do this, but if I am trying to learn something new via this method, it
works only if I write it down immediately. Make of that what you will.

Udhay
-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))

Re: [silk] it may not be well-done; is it becoming rare?

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sat, Jan 5, 2019 at 1:45 AM Heather Madrone  wrote:

This is the Internet generation, though, and the Internet does a
> wonderful job of transmitting ideas.


Aren't these ideas typically transmitted via relatively longform text, at
least until now? What will replace relatively longform text as a means of,
say explaining an idea from scratch? (I realise that Khan Academy etc is
one way, but any others?)

Udhay

Re: [silk] Legal adulthood

[Udhay Shankar N]

Quick reminder, for those planning to bring edibles: Vinit/Surabhi run a
vegetarian household.

See you folks tomorrow evening!

Udhay

Re: [silk] Legal adulthood

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Sun, Dec 16, 2018 at 9:11 PM Deepa Mohan  wrote:

Hmm. Wonder why my name doesn't figure after I'd said I was on?


I added all the folks who had confirmed on facebook. Add your name to the
list below.

Udhay

Re: [silk] Legal adulthood

[Udhay Shankar N]

On Fri, Dec 14, 2018 at 10:13 AM Udhay Shankar N  wrote:

Next week, silklist will be 21 years old. Whee!
>
> Folks in Bangalore, meetup? Thursday 20 Dec seems most workable at this
> point (I am traveling starting Friday 21 Dec). Vinit and Surabhi have
> kindly offered to host at their place, which has seen many memorable
> silkmeets in the past, including the first silklist baby. :)
>
> Show of hands for Thursday 20 Dec meetup?
>

Here is the current show of hands. Others?

Yes:

Surabhi Tomar
Vinit Bhansali
Udhay Shankar
Suresh Ramasubramanian
Naresh Narasimhan
Jayadevan PK
Julian Philips
Zeenath Hassan
Bharat Shetty
Lahar Appaiah
Shrabonti Bagchi
Rashmi Vallabhajosyula
Sharat Satyanarayana
Jessica Prabhakar

Maybe:

Ashwin Kumar
Anjana Mohan
Kavita Choudary
Madhu Menon
Amitha Singh

[silk] Legal adulthood

[Udhay Shankar N]

Next week, silklist will be 21 years old. Whee!

Folks in Bangalore, meetup? Thursday 20 Dec seems most workable at this
point (I am traveling starting Friday 21 Dec). Vinit and Surabhi have
kindly offered to host at their place, which has seen many memorable
silkmeets in the past, including the first silklist baby. :)

Show of hands for Thursday 20 Dec meetup?

Udhay

-- 

((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))