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Monday, October 13, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Opinions
Opinions
- Sometimes it can be a curse to be ‘too’ opinionated. However, I feel it is absolutely very difficult to _not_ form an opinion about many things in life. Maybe that’s just me, in which case it still is OK since this is my blog and all of these are my opinions. :D But, anyways, here is my rationale for my line of thought. Suppose we consider _any_ juncture of your life, when you are seeing new things and/or meeting new people, it is but natural to think and mull over about one’s experience with the place/person/whatever. In general, it is a natural human tendency to place one’s experience in wide ‘buckets’ of goodness/badness etc. As time passes, one’s bucket of categorization becomes narrower and narrower, in other words, it becomes more specific, which again is natural. Here I would like to note, that opinions are based on one’s experiences and/or observations. Observations can be extremely subjective and can depend on too many variables to even comment about. Some parameters can be, what was your ‘mood’ at the time of observation, how was ‘your’ reaction to the person / place in the first place, did you interact with the person with a bias, was the person biased when he/she was talking to you which ended up affecting their reaction to you and thus inturn your ‘experience’ ? Thus, we can see that there can be many parameters which can end up affecting our observations and make them less subjective / more objective. Observations lay the foundations for our opinions, thus a subjective observation will lead to a biased opinion. Hence, for one to have an unbiased (relatively speaking ofcourse since one man’s bias is another man’s neutrality) it is important to be as objective as possible during the process of observation. In other words, one must be able to stop oneself from jumping to conclusions without proper observations….
Questions...
Questions
- Asking questions, lots of them with genuine interest is one of the best ways of learning. Before a questions is asked however, it is very important to realize however that one must try to accumulate all the possible resources and tools one has to possibly answer the question. Let me try to answer what I sat. Questions are usually asked in response to ‘problems’. Now, it is possible that at any given point of time you might have the necessary knowledge base to attack a question, but you might not have the correct direction / approach to attack the problem. Anyways, my point is that the process of self-introspection / investigation into one’s existing knowledge base is very important _before_ one asks the question because once that is done, and your question gets answered, you know _exactly_ what you were missing in your thought process and/or knowledge base and you are much better able to integrate the knowledge acquired to attack future problems. Furthermore, such knowledge is more likely to stick with you for a longer period of time.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Completely Random - but interesting websites
Compact Travel guides detailing fun things to do for certain tourist destinations
PITA principle - about PITA co-workers !
Real life and Innovative ways of proposing !
Entry level Career Examiner
Monday, June 30, 2008
Joy
Joy == Knowing what you want, next, getting what you want because you know you want it, and finally the realization that you got what you wanted because you knew what you wanted. :)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Google Streetview comes to Atlanta
Google streetview comes to Atlanta, well now the house where I lived during my last semester at Tech is featured on Google earth, it seems like that the Google streetview car went infront of our houses at some point of time !!
The link below shows the house which I talked about earlier in this post, on Google earth.
http://tinyurl.com/63tqhr
The link below shows the house which I talked about earlier in this post, on Google earth.
http://tinyurl.com/63tqhr
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Consulting
I am not the best consultants out there but I am learning since I have been one for just the past few months, and this post is to merely draw attention to some of the things which I have learnt as with my job till now,
Some observations.
1. There will always a gap between what the client wants and between what the developer thinks he has to deliver. Here is where the PM - Project Manager comes in. A PM's job is to be a bit of the client and a bit of the developer and a bit of ... well ... duuh a PM ! :-)) He has to be the one who realizes if a client's demands are ridiculous, and suggests the same to the client, in a much more polite manner ofcourse. In a similar manner, it is a PMs responsibility to convey to the developer that client's expectations are realistic. There can be many factors which can lead to a developer being non co-operative. Sometimes, a developer may realize that what the client wants is realistic and well within his reach, but, he may think that there is no real reason for the client to demand that feature / functionality. Therefore, it is the PMs duty to not just convey what a client wants, but more importantly, if the need maybe, *why* a client desires a particular functionality.
2. Sometimes a developer can have a really big ego and same goes for a client, and it is the PM's job to make sure that the job gets done, irrespective of the sizes of the egos of the people involved !
3. A consultant has to be a good listener. One important aspect of consulting is that pretty much every client is unique. Here uniqueness is defined in terms of: type of desired deliverables, cultural difference, organizational difference, legacy, type of business, type of technology preferred, nature of people involded, and last but not the least, the additional complications which are almost always there. More often than not, consultants are called in to take care of the uniquely special doo doo that a client is in. In such cases, previously existing solutions to problems do not exist by definition, and neither do industry wide best practices to solve such problems. Therefore, a consultant has to be willing enough to get close to the problem and realize it's unique nature.
More stuff will follow ! :-)
Some observations.
1. There will always a gap between what the client wants and between what the developer thinks he has to deliver. Here is where the PM - Project Manager comes in. A PM's job is to be a bit of the client and a bit of the developer and a bit of ... well ... duuh a PM ! :-)) He has to be the one who realizes if a client's demands are ridiculous, and suggests the same to the client, in a much more polite manner ofcourse. In a similar manner, it is a PMs responsibility to convey to the developer that client's expectations are realistic. There can be many factors which can lead to a developer being non co-operative. Sometimes, a developer may realize that what the client wants is realistic and well within his reach, but, he may think that there is no real reason for the client to demand that feature / functionality. Therefore, it is the PMs duty to not just convey what a client wants, but more importantly, if the need maybe, *why* a client desires a particular functionality.
2. Sometimes a developer can have a really big ego and same goes for a client, and it is the PM's job to make sure that the job gets done, irrespective of the sizes of the egos of the people involved !
3. A consultant has to be a good listener. One important aspect of consulting is that pretty much every client is unique. Here uniqueness is defined in terms of: type of desired deliverables, cultural difference, organizational difference, legacy, type of business, type of technology preferred, nature of people involded, and last but not the least, the additional complications which are almost always there. More often than not, consultants are called in to take care of the uniquely special doo doo that a client is in. In such cases, previously existing solutions to problems do not exist by definition, and neither do industry wide best practices to solve such problems. Therefore, a consultant has to be willing enough to get close to the problem and realize it's unique nature.
More stuff will follow ! :-)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Learning
What always fascinates me is the fact that no matter what happens, you can always get to learn more about things, articles and people, whom you think you know so well. A couple of examples, from different times.
I have owned a digital camera for nearly 3 years now, and I had read through the manual for it as soon as I can. Before coming to the US, I thought I was so content with my supposed knowledge of my camera, that I thought that it is too old and too familiar, and I shouldn't keep it with me. In hindsight, it was a good decision to get it. Anyways, nearly an year after I had bought the camera, I went to a place called Brasstown Bald, supposed to be the highest point in Georgia. Afternoon changed to evening pretty fast, and before we knew it was night already. Before that day I had tried to take many pictures in night, but somehow they never came out right. Then I saw Lakshmi Anna take a picture of all of us in night mode. I saw how he switched to a different mode, and made sure that the camera had a solid base so that it could remain stabilized. I checked out the night mode icon on his camera and found exactly the same icon on my camera. Then and there I took my first night mode picture, and it was beyond my expectations ! It was such a beautiful discovery ....
Another event happened today. In the past I have often been frustrated when I have had to press a separate button after I have taken a picture, rather than the auto review mode being on by default. Well, guess what, today after 3 years of me having this camera, I randomly bumped into a deep hidden setting which can switch the default auto review mode on ....
As they say, " When the student is ready, the teacher shall come " !
I have owned a digital camera for nearly 3 years now, and I had read through the manual for it as soon as I can. Before coming to the US, I thought I was so content with my supposed knowledge of my camera, that I thought that it is too old and too familiar, and I shouldn't keep it with me. In hindsight, it was a good decision to get it. Anyways, nearly an year after I had bought the camera, I went to a place called Brasstown Bald, supposed to be the highest point in Georgia. Afternoon changed to evening pretty fast, and before we knew it was night already. Before that day I had tried to take many pictures in night, but somehow they never came out right. Then I saw Lakshmi Anna take a picture of all of us in night mode. I saw how he switched to a different mode, and made sure that the camera had a solid base so that it could remain stabilized. I checked out the night mode icon on his camera and found exactly the same icon on my camera. Then and there I took my first night mode picture, and it was beyond my expectations ! It was such a beautiful discovery ....
Another event happened today. In the past I have often been frustrated when I have had to press a separate button after I have taken a picture, rather than the auto review mode being on by default. Well, guess what, today after 3 years of me having this camera, I randomly bumped into a deep hidden setting which can switch the default auto review mode on ....
As they say, " When the student is ready, the teacher shall come " !
Friday, May 9, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
OPT Update from OIE - Application process and FAQ
04/28 webmail
On April 8th, 2008, USCIS published a new rule regarding a 17 monthextension of Optional Practical Training for F-1 students. Certain studentswho are currently participating in their 12 months of post-completion OPTwill be allowed to file for an additional 17 months of OPT, taking their total allocation to 29 months.
To request an I-20 recommending the 17-Monthextension click here
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/optextension/
17 month OPT extension application instructions
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/Instructions%20for%2017%20month%20STEM%20extension.pdf
You can also check the 17 month OPT extension Frequently Asked Questionsthat includes information on application eligibility. 17-Month Extension FAQs.
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/OPT_17_month_extension%20FAQs.pdf
On April 8th, 2008, USCIS published a new rule regarding a 17 monthextension of Optional Practical Training for F-1 students. Certain studentswho are currently participating in their 12 months of post-completion OPTwill be allowed to file for an additional 17 months of OPT, taking their total allocation to 29 months.
To request an I-20 recommending the 17-Monthextension click here
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/optextension/
17 month OPT extension application instructions
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/Instructions%20for%2017%20month%20STEM%20extension.pdf
You can also check the 17 month OPT extension Frequently Asked Questionsthat includes information on application eligibility. 17-Month Extension FAQs.
http://www.oie.gatech.edu/OPT_17_month_extension%20FAQs.pdf
Friday, April 18, 2008
H-1B, H1, OPT, extension and other such ...
InTECHnational News ********************Vol. 7, No. 28April 18, 2008********************
OIE Updates and Reminders:17 Month Extension of
17 month Extension of Optional Practical Training On April 8th, 2008, USCIS published a new rule regarding a 17 monthextension of Optional Practical Training for F-1 students.
Q: What is the new rule?A: Certain students who are currently participating in their 12 months ofpost-completion OPT will be allowed to file for an additional 17 months ofOPT.
Q: Who is eligible for this extension?A: To qualify you must: . Be approved for your initial period of 12 months of post-completionOPT. . Have a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree in a STEM field (Science,Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) . Be currently working in a position directly related to the degreeobtained and for an employer who participates in the USCIS E-Verify system.E-Verify information can be found in the FAQs at <http://www.uscis.gov/>www.uscis.gov . Not have previously obtained the 17 month extension based on a priordegree.
Q: What STEM fields qualify?A: Actuarial Science, Computer Science Application, (except DataEntry/Microcomputer Applications) Engineering and Engineering Technologies,Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, MilitaryTechnologies, Physical Sciences, Science Technologies and Medical Scientist(MS, PhD level only). OIE will post the specific Georgia Tech programs that qualify as STEMprograms shortly.
Q: When should I apply?A: You must apply before your current EAD expires. As long as yourapplication is received by USCIS before this date, you will be allowed toremain in the US and continue employment for 180 days or until a decision ismade on your application. OIE is currently developing a process to allow students to request the newI-20. Information about this process will be released shortly.
Q: How can I apply?A: OIE still has not received specific instructions on issuing these I-20s.As soon as it is available, OIE will update the website with theinstructions for applying for the extended I-20.After requesting the OPT extension from OIE, you will receive a new I-20reflecting this.
You will then file an I-765 application with the $340filing fee to USCIS. USCIS has not released full instructions on how theapplication to extend OPT should be filed. { Aur loooto saaalo !!!!}
Q: What must the student do after being granted the 17 month extension?A: The student must report to the DSO within 10 days any change in:Legal name;Residential or mailing address; Email address; Employer name; Employer address.The student must also report to the DSO the information above every sixmonths even if there have been no changes.OIE is currently developing a way for F-1 students to report thisinformation. Information on how to satisfy these reporting requirements willbe posted on the OIE website.
Q: My employer does not know what E-Verify is, what should I do? A: Information about E-Verify can be found at:http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm ---Requirement to Report OPT Employer Information
This notice is to inform F-1 students of an upcoming reporting requirement.Please read carefully. The Department of Homeland Security has recently mandated that students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) must inform their schools of the name oftheir employer and their employer's address so that the schools can report this information through SEVIS by June 15, 2008. OIE is developing a way for students to report this information electronically. Further details, including what to report if you are still looking for an employer, will be released shortly. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUREMPLOYER'S NAME AND ADDRESS TO ADVISORS DIRECTLY. Students who have applied for OPT or are working on OPT should look for further information in future editions of InTECHnational News, on the OIEwebsite and through their official Georgia Tech e-mail account.---
OIE Updates and Reminders:17 Month Extension of
17 month Extension of Optional Practical Training On April 8th, 2008, USCIS published a new rule regarding a 17 monthextension of Optional Practical Training for F-1 students.
Q: What is the new rule?A: Certain students who are currently participating in their 12 months ofpost-completion OPT will be allowed to file for an additional 17 months ofOPT.
Q: Who is eligible for this extension?A: To qualify you must: . Be approved for your initial period of 12 months of post-completionOPT. . Have a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree in a STEM field (Science,Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) . Be currently working in a position directly related to the degreeobtained and for an employer who participates in the USCIS E-Verify system.E-Verify information can be found in the FAQs at <http://www.uscis.gov/>www.uscis.gov . Not have previously obtained the 17 month extension based on a priordegree.
Q: What STEM fields qualify?A: Actuarial Science, Computer Science Application, (except DataEntry/Microcomputer Applications) Engineering and Engineering Technologies,Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, MilitaryTechnologies, Physical Sciences, Science Technologies and Medical Scientist(MS, PhD level only). OIE will post the specific Georgia Tech programs that qualify as STEMprograms shortly.
Q: When should I apply?A: You must apply before your current EAD expires. As long as yourapplication is received by USCIS before this date, you will be allowed toremain in the US and continue employment for 180 days or until a decision ismade on your application. OIE is currently developing a process to allow students to request the newI-20. Information about this process will be released shortly.
Q: How can I apply?A: OIE still has not received specific instructions on issuing these I-20s.As soon as it is available, OIE will update the website with theinstructions for applying for the extended I-20.After requesting the OPT extension from OIE, you will receive a new I-20reflecting this.
You will then file an I-765 application with the $340filing fee to USCIS. USCIS has not released full instructions on how theapplication to extend OPT should be filed. { Aur loooto saaalo !!!!}
Q: What must the student do after being granted the 17 month extension?A: The student must report to the DSO within 10 days any change in:Legal name;Residential or mailing address; Email address; Employer name; Employer address.The student must also report to the DSO the information above every sixmonths even if there have been no changes.OIE is currently developing a way for F-1 students to report thisinformation. Information on how to satisfy these reporting requirements willbe posted on the OIE website.
Q: My employer does not know what E-Verify is, what should I do? A: Information about E-Verify can be found at:http://www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm ---Requirement to Report OPT Employer Information
This notice is to inform F-1 students of an upcoming reporting requirement.Please read carefully. The Department of Homeland Security has recently mandated that students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) must inform their schools of the name oftheir employer and their employer's address so that the schools can report this information through SEVIS by June 15, 2008. OIE is developing a way for students to report this information electronically. Further details, including what to report if you are still looking for an employer, will be released shortly. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUREMPLOYER'S NAME AND ADDRESS TO ADVISORS DIRECTLY. Students who have applied for OPT or are working on OPT should look for further information in future editions of InTECHnational News, on the OIEwebsite and through their official Georgia Tech e-mail account.---
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Random Musings + KBB
- Over a period of time, I have realized that the things which are _truly_ valuable in life are those which you cannot measure in terms of money. Things like love, friendship, dedication, commitment, good intentions etc etc.. There are many more, and in my humble opinion, it is these "things" which truly define a person.
- Sometimes ( or I should rather say that in my case most of the time) you realize the true value of something, when you do not have it. Value is inversely proportional to the object's distance from you.
-" For when the student is ready, the teacher shall appear..."
- " Usually there is an algorithm to solve any problem on the earth, it is a simple 10 step algorithm, the first step is always - recognize that there is a problem. "
- "Be careful in wishing for something, you might actually end up getting it!"
- Discovered the power of KBB value. It is definitely a resource which you want to consult if you want to buy a new car ..
- Sometimes ( or I should rather say that in my case most of the time) you realize the true value of something, when you do not have it. Value is inversely proportional to the object's distance from you.
-" For when the student is ready, the teacher shall appear..."
- " Usually there is an algorithm to solve any problem on the earth, it is a simple 10 step algorithm, the first step is always - recognize that there is a problem. "
- "Be careful in wishing for something, you might actually end up getting it!"
- Discovered the power of KBB value. It is definitely a resource which you want to consult if you want to buy a new car ..
Monday, April 7, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Keepin it short before the flight back home
Blasted the Cert exam and heading back to Atlanta ! Will miss Vegas for sure, but in terminator's words, "I will be back".... :D
Plus, great to hear that the OPT period for new-hires has been increased to 29 months ! ( Thanks Rishi for this! ) Hopefully it will apply to me and others in the same boat as I am. :)
For more official information, read below
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1207334008610.shtm
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Las Vegas
Getting a chance to goto this city, on the second day of my first job ( getting which was a dream in itself after 8 rejects !) was like a dream come true. This city grows on you and with time you may either get bored of it or may start liking it. In my case, the latter has happened, and I am loving this place. I guess one of the reasons for this is the bright and sunny weather, which sort of comes as natural to me, coming from India... This weather is most definitely waaay better than the hyper erratic Atlanta weather !
I am a bit bored now though, not because of the place, but by the people here. Everything seems very artificial to me, I guess the beauty of this place also has similar foundations and like a double edged sword, this factor sometimes tends to make Vegas a less alluring place. The smiles on the people's faces seem planted, they seem artificial, they seem temporary and about to vanish as soon as you lose their sight...
- My Kadi bhau instincts have helped me from going Bankrupt till now [:D] ... Casino score till now is .. $ 40 lost ... and today I won .. 74 cents [:D]
- It's like being in the middle of nowhere.
- the roads are narrow, and the speed limits are as less as 25 at many places.
- is totally unlike Atlanta
- becomes like a totally different city from evening through to morning .... it's beautiful..
I am a bit bored now though, not because of the place, but by the people here. Everything seems very artificial to me, I guess the beauty of this place also has similar foundations and like a double edged sword, this factor sometimes tends to make Vegas a less alluring place. The smiles on the people's faces seem planted, they seem artificial, they seem temporary and about to vanish as soon as you lose their sight...
- My Kadi bhau instincts have helped me from going Bankrupt till now [:D] ... Casino score till now is .. $ 40 lost ... and today I won .. 74 cents [:D]
- It's like being in the middle of nowhere.
- the roads are narrow, and the speed limits are as less as 25 at many places.
- is totally unlike Atlanta
- becomes like a totally different city from evening through to morning .... it's beautiful..
India Trip 2008 !
----------------------------------------
Visa power :
- Weekday Buffet at Cafe Bombay : $ 11.5
- Lunch at Tin Drum : $ 6.5
- Taking a pleasure ride on a Cessna at the PDK airport : $ 100.
- Surprising your parents by unexpectedly appearing infront of them after 2 years, by arriving from the US infront of the doorsteps completely unannounced, seeing their facial expressions at such a moment : Priceless !
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Pune
- Koregao Park is heaven, or so I have heard.
- It was interesting to see the following written in Hindi :
"Vhej Peeejha"
"Cheej Peeejha"
"Phyvyoor Vhej" { Pure Veg }
- Apache is nice ..
- No matter which Chicken dish you order they will always put "Kadi Patta" in it.
Indore :
- Food still rocks.
- Roads still bad.
- Bhaijaan still going strong
- St. Paul's is still the best.
- Saraswati sir is as sharp as ever.
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