See, proof that I still get some sleep at nights…
But I’m still a gadget guy… and here is a picture of my latest gizmo that I may play around with once I get a few minutes.
WowWee Rovio.
Dhruv Mohan!
This past week has been an amazing journey into fatherhood. Here’s a picture of the little guy.
Baby Mohan is here. Roshni is doing well & recovering!
My son has too many clothes already. This is a picture if his closet, and he’s not even born yet!!
Moving
I can’t believe were all moved in and getting ready for the baby already. It’s as amazing as having two parking spots in Brookline!
If I never have to unbox another cardboard box and then crush it, I’d be thrilled. Today is a beautiful day in Boston. I’m exhausted from being at the hospital until almost 3:00am this morning, but happy that we have an active baby that’s making the doctors not stress out. Somehow I still don’t feel ready for the delivery but I guess you never really do. Next task on my list is to get the carseat installed.
At the dr’s office now listening to the heartbeat of a very active little boy. It is amazing!!
Should I add this to my Scotch Collection? I’ve never had this Scotch before so I need to find a local place where I can try this variety first..
I’m getting an iBaby instead (for anyone asking if i’m getting an iPad)
ABC’s of Religion
I got this from The Lost Symbol.. Religions A, assure salvation, B - believe in a precise theology, and C, converts non-believers.
Hinduism is not a religion. It doesn’t fit the bill!
Creative
The Wikipedia definition of creative is:
Creativity is a mental and social process involving the discovery of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts. Creativity is fueled by the process of either conscious or unconsciousinsight. An alternative conception of creativeness (based on its etymology) is that it is simply the act of making something new.
My definition is simply - “someone who creates something new” is creative.
I had a long drawn out debate about a comment I made that “People in India are not Creative”. What that means to me, and hopefully to the readers, is that “Generally, people in India are not driven to Create something new”. It is not a knock on my people. It is just a reality that I have observed. A simple way to look at it is the following. We have a solid foundation for Math and Science in our educational system (or so it is believed) and a large number of young students get into Software Development or the IT field. How many Indian Software companies can you name? I’m talking true Software companies that sell a branded software product like a Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, or a smaller outfit like Norton or McAfee. Resist the temptation to throw our names like Wipro or InfoSys as most would regard these as services companies. Wipro used to stand for Western Indian Products - for inquiring minds.
Anyway, the point is not simply that a large number of software developers should have lead to at least a reasonable number of Software companies. The point is that the trend is quite widespread across other industries. The creation of new products and companies in the US is to some degree driven by the desire to create the next big thing. It is not simply a matter of “not working for the Man”. Creativity is an integral part of a civilizations realization or desire to build on what has been done already. We refer to India as part of the Developing world - not by co-incidence, but by lack of definition. I remember hearing once that “India is not a developing country, but rather a highly developed country in an extended state of decay”. I found that to be a very profound statement. How can we refer to the US as a developed country in it’s very short history, and refer to India as a Developing country in it’s rather extensive history? The problem is that we tend to think of things as very black & white - and that’s where we mis-step. Being creative is either a luxury or a necessity, depending on your perspective. On the ‘Global Creative Index’, India is listed as 41 out of 45 countries that made that list. The question I ask is, why would someone be creative if their lifestyle doesn’t support it. I think in the US, creativity is driven by the fact that we have the luxury to experiment and have the tools to build on top of what’s been done before, and we have the luxury of being able to survive. The education system here, flawed as it may be, provides the necessary tools to influence ones future direction. The educational system in India, from what I read, lends itself well to educating yourself, but not truly learning. It encourages people to memorize and copy without critical thinking. At the same time, it does a very good job of “training” people on very fundamental skills of math and science. It doesn’t however encourage the culture of critical thinking, questioning, imagining, innovating, and creating. When people make statements like “The Milk man in India is creative because he adds water to it”, it fails the basic definition of Creativity, and falls below the threshold of an intelligent statement.
Creativity is a process - we build on top of what has been done before. I sometimes am amazed by the stuff that is sold on the “As seen on TV” ad’s where the fundamental idea is ingenious and solves a real problem that can be demonstrated to a side audience. Now granted, the Flow-bee vacuum attachment to cut once’s hair may have been excessive, but it isn’t without it’s failures that we find some products that truly work. The chances of success are probably slim, but not everyone is driven by financial success. Sometimes, people just have that idea that clicks. Whether it’s software, hardware, or an invisible Dog Fence, the fact that it creates something new is what changes the game a bit. It can be an idea, a piece of Art, or music that fires up a passionate reaction - it’s all creative. Some may credit Bollywood as being very creative, and that is certainly an argument worth considering. However, a lot of Bollywood movies are predictable because they are copied from western films. Indian music is amazing and certainly creative in many aspects, but it’s a limited industry that can really qualify as representative of a massive population.
Is it a problem of over-population? Perhaps it is. China in my view is even more un-original in idea and execution. Maybe when you get to be such a populous society, the focus shifts from creating to consuming. India is certainly a consumer society. But whet do we in India consume?
An article I read made the case that the Tata Nano was one of India’s proudest creations. O.K. - how so? What is so unique about the small car that isn’t available in any other car? Or is it just the natural progression of any product where the price can be reduced drastically because of advancements in technology, availability of affordable labor, and marketing? I beg to argue that it’s the latter in the case of the Nano. It’s the equivalent of a Netbook that has so quickly entered the traditional Laptop space and eroded it.
So when we argue about Creativity, we should be honest and open-minded, and not take things too personally. If we as a people are not creative, then let’s look at the environment that discourages creativity. Whether it’s the educational system, the political system, the family structure - or any other external factors. Let’s talk about those things that drive people towards being generic and un-creative. If we can’t accept the problem, we can’t fix it.
Jai Hind!
