Will stimulus package help US

I read the stimulus package announced by Obama few days back , it was an irony for a country which boasted itself about free economy,liberalisation,customer the king attitude resort back to protectionism. In website I read I came across a clause in the package

USE OF AMERICAN IRON, STEEL, AND MANUFACTURED GOODS
(a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case or category of cases in which the head of the Federal department or agency involved finds that—(1) applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the public interest;(2) iron, steel, and the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality; or(3) inclusion of iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent.
(c) If the head of a Federal department or agency determines that it is necessary to waive the application of subsection (a) based on a finding under subsection (b), the head of the department or agency shall publish in the Federal Register a detailed written justification as to why the provision is being waived.
(d) This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with United States obligations under international agreements.

This is more like saying to the companies we will give you car loan and we will choose you the car. Now if the quality of the product is not worth price the customer wont buy them. So naturally corporations will think twice before using the money for building infrastructure.They have limited options to spend this amount.

Job creation is possible when one makes a product has reach throughout the world not only in America,that's why corporations like Microsoft,coco cola were minting money.Now when US brings protectionist policies barring imports(products like iron and steel) across the world,this will have a counter reaction where its products wont be sold in other countries esp India and China which forms 1/3rd of the population.

When we look back during the great depression of 1929,the then president introduced some protectionist reforms where by increasing the import taxes,this resulted in chain reaction where all countries increased taxes of US import products.Thereby the depression lasted for more than 10 years.These so called reforms resulted in more job loses than creation.

Lets see whether this package actually helps America

Inspiring lecture ,good watch!

Today I had a chance to listen to Randy Pausch last lecture held on Sep 18 2007 ,it was the one of the best I have heard. Most inspiring with lots of good examples, make us think what we have acheived in life.

How long you live is not important how you live matters the most.

Oscar finally puts Indian in world map

Monday morning I was in office refreshing websites to get updates about the oscar news,then came the inevitable news Oscar goes to AR Rahman. One of the proud moments for every Indian.I almost read all the news from the websites which kept on pouring news about the acheivements of Rahman. Kudos to his humble and modest speech after getting the award.Hope he acheives more laurels in future!!!

My Oscar 2008 predictions

Actor in a Leading Role :Brad Pitt(THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)
Actor in a Supporting Role :Heath Ledger(THE DARK KNIGHT)
Actress in a Leading Role :Kate Winslet(THE READER)
Actress in a Supporting Role :Amy Adams (Doubt)
Animated Feature Film :Wall E
Art Direction :THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Cinematography :THE READER
Costume Design :THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Directing :SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
Documentary Feature :MAN ON WIRE
Documentary Short :SMILE PINKI
Film Editing :SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
Foreign Language Film :THE CLASS
Makeup :THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Music (Score) :SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
Music (Song) :SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
Best Picture :THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Short Film (Animated) :OKTAPODI
Short Film (Live Action) :ON THE LINE
Sound Editing :WALL-E
Sound Mixing :SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
Visual Effects :THE DARK KNIGHT
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) :FROST/NIXON
Writing (Original Screenplay) :FROZEN RIVER

War- we got used to it ?

When one person dies its tragedy but when 1000 people die its just for statistic.
The above quote was said by Russian dictator Stalin is what happening in our neighbouring country. Now days we got used to hear some 50 people got killed everyday.We have become a mute spectator or rather heartless souls.

When ever there is a war in a country for one year,the country goes backward by 5 years. Imagine the condition of the people in the countries which are in war throughout the century.Even getting proper food and water will be a herculean task for these people.So what a country achieves by winning a war means nothing to these people.

One of the main reason behind war is the money involved in purchasing weapons.All big nations in the world earn sufficient money by selling sophisticated weapons.
So war is needed somewhere at some part of the world for these countries to survive.
I read an article recently if the defence budget of all the countries of the world for a single year we can eradicate poverty from the world the same year!!!
Will it happen ;not even in dreams!

We are in a helpless situation ,we can only hope without hope that peace may return to our neighbouring country!

Back to Chennai

Last week I came back to Chennai,the place where I first experienced the life of a software engineer way back in 2004.From here life has taken me to many places Trivandrum(8months),Cochin(6months),Bangalore,(6months) and finally again in cochin for an year and quater.

But the start to Chennai life was little unexpected as the climate,location changes didnt suit me and I was down with viral fever for 3 days.Reason I told my friend was in cochin I breathed oxygen and here my poor lungs has to cope up with smoke and dust :)

The first place I visited in Chennai was 35th Chennai book fair,went there on maatu pongal day,good to see a huge crowd but my lungs cried again due to suffocation andI had to abandon the visit in an hour and quickly turn back home.I would have hardly visited ten to twent stalls out of the six hundred.

Hope I would soon get used to this crowd and traffic jam!!!

three years in Cochin

Its been more than three years in Cochin,its been a wonderful experience indeed.Lots of new friends made,many trips(in fact I had more trips in the last few years than in the childhood).
Things I liked here
1)Greenery everywhere
2)monsoon rain
3)banana chips
4)choclate cake @ tea pot
5)drive to fort kochi via kundanur bridge
6)Cheap movie tickets
7)palada pradhamam
8)Availability of train tickets even a day before the journey
9)my easy chair which I got here(I couldnt find a replica anywhere)
10)boat ride in the back waters.

Yea there are lots more to add up,but apart from all these its people with whom you are with makes your day happy or otherwise! I feel lucky to get lots of friends here!!