A Balanced Score Card

It's one year and more since I relocated from Singapore, resigning from a job with GE APAC and taking up a part time assignment with GE again in Bengaluru, so I can be with my folks. I also have some other interesting assignments.

So thought I will publish a balanced score card. here goes:




(total out of a possible maximum of 1750)

Why astrology is a joke.

I can prove to you mathematically that astrology is a joke.


There are 12 houses, and let us assume your astrologer predicts an outcome with only 1 in 12 error margin (NO ASTROLOGER STICKS HIS NECK OUT 100%). So let us say this is 85%. The rest of 15% is understandable as things beyond man's understanding.

That means he is predicting an outcome based on your chart with 85% probability of accuracy. that looks pretty good, right?

Sadly, NO. Because:

You surely have heard of 7 degrees of connection...that means EVERYONE who influences your life is only 1, 2, or at most 7 layers of contact away.

That means your life outcome depends not just on you, but on the actions of SEVEN levels.

Even assuming at each level the astrologer predicts with the same confidence of 85%, that means, my friend, that actually the outcome is equal to only (0.85)^7.

Now assume there are at least three people in your immediate circle who can influence an event. Hence the probability further reduces to 1/3 x (0.85)^7.

You know how much that is? 11%.

Hence your astrologer's being able to predict an outcome is only as good as what he does not know, or factors beyond man's understanding.

Hence astrology is BUNKUM!


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Multitasking info graphic

Please Include Attribution to OnlineCollege.org With This Graphic




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Multi-taskers or scatter-brains

Detailed Infographic

High-Res Image

Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita: those who meditate on me with undivided mind will always be taken care of by me. In other words he says 'don't multitask'.

The story goes that Ramakrishna chided Rani Rasmani when she was once sitting in prayer in the temple. He slapped her and said she should not be thinking of her business affairs when sitting in prayer.

Alas, we are today in the fragmented world of multitasking. The chart today in Economic Times lists the perils of Multitasking.

There is another article on iOS vs. Android, and how Android scores in multitasking!

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How I switched to an Android Phone

I have been using an iPhone since 2007, when I gifted myself on Diwali day a jail-broken one in Sydney Australia, inspired by its being written up as the gadget of the year in Time magazine.

I have used smart phones since 2002. P800 then P910 from Sony Ericsson. I am a bit crazy to spend so much on a phone, but actually it has become a bit of a companion as I google, listen to music and write blogs and snap and edit and upload photos/videos, on the move.

I have lost one P910 and two iPhones in public places to theft. My dear GE colleagues pooled up money to gift me a replacement last year as they knew how dejected I was after losing one in a taxi.

Having paid up tons of money to buy these phones and run up huge 2G/3G/Roaming bills with Airtel, I decided last week to deconstruct my life and switch to a non-3G phone, since I already have a 64 GB 3G iPad 3. So which phone should replace my iPhone 4?

1. It should be a much easier-to-use phone than iPhone.
2. It must be slimmer and longer to hold in the hand during calls.
3. It should have a large, nice display of text and pics and menus.
4. It should have a great camera.
5. It should have some music storage.
6. It should have a good battery charge for a full day's calls.
7. It WILL not have 320 apps like my iPhone had.

I settled for the HTC One V Android 4.0 after some hectic shopping around in Phoenix Mall, Reliance Digital, Sahara Mall Gurgaon and a small specialist phone shop run by Mr Syal. I bought one including a 8 GB SD card and hard back cover for Rs 17,900 paid (by Visa), from Mr Syal.

Here is a photo I just took of an old Krishna picturework hanging on the wall (of my mother's needlework):

Just to let you know how crazy I am, don't ask me what I will do with my iPhone 4. Something good I am sure.