Daredevil from old era !

Daredevil from old era !

Imagine this, you are walking by a busy street and spot few robbers trying to break open a jewelery store's glass door. What would you do, if they are at six in numbers ? will you run away ? will you take a video to showcase it to your gal and display your heroism that you shot a live robbery video ?

You saw 'Dare-devil' other day. And you always wanted to wear a black mask and fight crime, the moment you saw 'Dark-knight'. Now you have the chance, to prove your worth and your gym training.

Your heart says ; 'go do something, fight the crime'. Naa, you don't want even to remove iPhone mp3 ear buds. As usual, modern-societies ignorance, selfish living, self-centered ego, an urgent-work reason comes to help you escape from the scene. You weigh options, as you weigh on salary negotiation table.

I don't know for sure, what I would have done in that scene but I may not be different than you since I am a passive receiver of your thoughts !

I got to watch this amazing video, an Old granny fends Off Jewelery Robbers with amazing grit. It could have endangered her life. She is safe and secure now. Police have confirmed that one man was arrested at the scene and three more were arrested later. I whole heatedly admire her gut !

This might be just another robbery video in modern society which paves way for disproportional assets amassing and raising societal divide.

This has tickled somewhat strange thoughts inside my mind; when she knew that she is too old to handle came to fight young evils of society ? was her behavior in teen days, ever thought of making quick bucks ? was she idealistic all through ? if yes, how in such a modern 'got-to-go' society she has maintained moral all through ? have values changed ?

>> Watch this amazing video from Northampton, England.

Creativity in everyday India

Creativity in everyday India

Creativity in everyday India is humble. It has a purpose, and remains invisible.

When a multinational bank decided to give Bombay Dyeing bedsheets to the homeless families that I volunteered with one Christmas, I was curious to see how people who slept in bus stops would use it. A few days later, I saw a toddler run around in a dress made out of a pillow cover.

In 2004 in Varanasi, an estimated 600,000 condoms were being utilized daily, the majority of which were distributed free of cost by the government. Family planning departments were busy congratulating themselves over the growing demand for condoms till it was discovered that Banarasi weavers were using it to lubricate the loom’s shuttle. The condom’s lubricant didn’t stain the silk threads yet increased the pace of production.

Recycling is a typically Indian tradition. Not every innovation bears the nobility of recycling, though.

>> Read more on Indian Freakonomics

Is Agile UX is meaningless without an Agile attitude ?

Is Agile UX is meaningless without an Agile attitude ?

Whether you want it or not, it's inevitable to avoid UX and Agile in today's Software development arena. In changing scenarios company's do adopt various software development methods and fashions.

Here's an interesting article about Agile mindset in UX :

The true power of Agile is in understanding the underlying thinking, the attitude toward software that fueled their creation. Agile is no more than an attitude, a mindset. In fact, one likely to find greater success when starting out with Agile by ignoring the well-known Agile activities and principles and to continue working the way one currently work, and focusing instead on only one change: attitude. That shift, in turn, will drive change from within current practice, rather than attempt to impose it from the outside.

>> Why Agile UX is meaningless without an Agile attitude
and,
>> 12 Best Practices for UX in an Agile Environment

A quote about Sachin

A quote about Sachin

"When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam. When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy. It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will."

If you are in an accident, who will support us?“

If you are in an accident, who will support us?“

One fine day Peldi decided to work for himself and created Balsamiq -a mockup tool. He has taken collaborative work to fullest advantage and integrated with Confluence and XWiki quite cleverly,

I've used Balsamiq Mockups for Confluence, also used that as an independent tool. Now using Balsamiq Mockups for XWiki. With the kind of word-of-mouth the tool has, I assumed there might be a big company behind Balsamiq. But it all started as a one man start-up by Peldi. The cleverness of the team shows in their relocation of office itself !

I found this interesting read of Peldi; His words are truly inspiring, and made me think again 'do you have to work to make some one rich ?' . But could not stop laughing reading these words:

- “We’d like to buy a big license. I was wondering how long you plan to stay a one-man company for. If you are in an accident, who will support us?“

- And my world came crushing down.

To get the context of what I'm talking you should read this blog post by Peldi

Sausage: How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell at The Oatmeal

John Freeman is lensed to thrill !

John Freeman is lensed to thrill !

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This is Askja, the volcano situated in a remote part of the central highlands of Iceland. And in the center is a large lake that fills much of the smaller caldera resulting from the 1875 eruption. That's the sky blue reflection over the water filled inside volcano crater.

It might be little bit deceiving to watch such a beautiful picture in smaller canvas. It's a wonderful wide-angle photo shot via Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 15 mm fisheye lens fired at iso100.

Time to checkout these amazing and spell-binding photos shot by John Freeman. Every photo has a magic to whisper, a story to weave, an awe to caress.

My personal favorite shot is a very thought provoking photo with the perfect backdrop. Glance carefully to know what it is to feel it ! More I look at his photos, more admiration I feel for his fantastic work. Don't forget to navigate around the gallery. It's pure bliss to explore his album.

>> Check out John Freeman's shoot-out

Time to guess What it is?

Time to guess What it is?

Can you tell us what this strange contraption is for?

Rob has been collecting unusual tools and other objects for quite a while, and several years ago he started this project of posting them on the web as puzzles for visitors to figure out what they are. And he doesn't say till some one recognizes what it is.

Users can place guess in the comment section. To make it more interesting you got to think and write your guess. Time to give some time for your drop-dead brain some thinking & take it away from automatic living.

Time to guess What is it?

Chess with death in 'The Hurt Locker'

Chess with death in 'The Hurt Locker'

It's a different kind of war movie, for a change are defusing bombs. I liked the sense of movie making and brilliant camera work. It has some real punching lines to remember. You got to watch this movie for very tense moments of bomb defusing, if not for good story or plot.

When it won so many Oscar awards, people wondered is it that good to qualify for an Oscar? Whatever the debate, it's got some real tense and edgy bomb explosion scenes.

All sums upto this dialogue which appears at the end of the movie. An innocent man is tied-up with powerful time bomb. Our hero, a bomb defusing expert try to help but has got only few seconds to unlock time bomb vested with so many locks . He is able to unlock one but not others. Hero runs for life uttering these words :

I can't. There's too many locks. There's too many, I can't do it,
I can't get it off. I'm sorry, Okay!
You understand? I'm sorry,
I'm sorry. You hear me? I'm sorry...

That's the damn painful scene. It's also the reality of war torn lands of terrorism; locked up and entangled with foolish ideologies. They are burning their own future, eradicating their own kids life. West might unlock easy knots in the short run, but not in the long. Their help is undermined with land mines !