Category Archives: Feedback on News

July with 5 weekends once in 823yrs – Know the truth

For last few days, I have been getting spam about the awesomeness and rarity of July with 5 weekends… something that is being claimed to happen once in 823 yrs. It’s all bullshit. Search on Google for “823 years July five weekends” something around it, and you’ll see great results. Once such URL is http://www.google.com/search?q=823+years+july+five+weekends. Even Times of India (the ad and sex newspaper of India) write this in their article here.

I happen to be a mathematician at heart. Reading these news, I got reminded of a calendar that I given to my father by an MR when I was in VIIth standard – that’s about 18-19yrs ago. The calendar was of some 150+ years. I was excited to get such a calendar. And then observing it closely and using some maths – though very trivial now – I realized the Gregorian Calendar repeats itself every 28yrs.

This is how… if there were no leap years, each year would have been for 365 days, that means, the calendar will advance by 1 day a week every year (365 mod 7 = 1), and hence will repeat every 7 yrs. Because every 4th year is a leap year, the reptition happens every LCM(4, 7) = 28yrs.

And in may be around 15-20minutes, I created a infinitely-usable calendar.

Ok. I admit, I have not taken into account 100yr factor… but it can be taken up.

Coming back to this 823yrs crap, and to verify my stats, I just went to TimeAndDate.com and this is what I got: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1983 as the calendar of 1983!(2011 – 28 = 1983).

Check it out closely… the month of July. What does it read — 5 weekends.

And so goes the calendars of 2011 +/- 28*n where n can be any number. Let’s just checkout the calendar of 2011 – 28 * 10 = 1973. Visit this: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1731 and you’ll know the truth.

Thanks for being enlightened! Yet another reason why I hate media… these uneducated people write news that impacts the masses. IMHO, these newspapers and media houses should be banned… donno about any criminal cases of misinformation or anything can be put against them!

Nuclear Supplier Group – NSG Waiver, China, India and the World

On Saturday night, I watched the interview with Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and if he feels happy about the deal, I know we have really made a breakthrough.

I would have never believed any politician about the goodness or the adversity of the NSG waiver – be it from Congress, BJP or any other party.

But when the Nuclear-Man of India feels satisfied, it definitely would have made sense.

In the interview, I noted something intersting – the Thorium reserves that we have at the southern-tip of the nation; and also the Uranium reserves that a few of the states have. And I think the only thing that we really need is technology. And of course if we can get high-quality Uranium supply from other countries, we can keep our reseves and use them only in emergency – something what USA has kind-of done with their petroleum reserves.

China, undoubtedly tried to play spoil sport. And I am – probably for the first time – proud of India’s External Affairs Minister – Pranab Mukherjee by sending strong words to China. However, as I see the his interview at CNN-IBN with Rajdeep Sardesai, I feel a little sorry. Anyway, at the highest levels, diplomats need to be diplomatic. “Whatever has to be told, has been told”, says Pranab. :)

And I am really amused – though not surprised – when China demands NSG waiver for Pakistan for “geopolicital balance”. Ha ha ha ha! What a joke! I really pity such remarks… it’s like reading Dilbert or R K Laxman’s “Common Man”. God Bless!

19 year-old gamer becomes mayor of Oklahoma town

This is a good news, so it seems. Young blood looking to take control and put things straight. I wish it happens in my country as well. Note that the position is an unpaid post… so, no monetary incentives for Tyler Hammons.

Associated Press reports, “Muskogee, Okla., teen ready for mayoral challenge”. It reads:

The University of Oklahoma freshman is moving out of a dorm and back in with his parents as he gets ready to be sworn in next week as mayor of this 38,000-person city made famous by the Merle Haggard song “Okie From Muskogee.”

However, my favourite is:

As mayor, his first priorities are the creation of an independent ethics commission to monitor elected and appointed city officials. He also wants to establish campaign finance reporting requirements for those running for office.

Media does it yet again

I really don’t know when will the Indian Media become socially responsible.

I cite media as one of the biggest reasons for continuation of Casteism and call for Reservations in the country. I think India is the only country in the world that takes pride in being called backward and people agitating to include themselves in the backward class. What a Shame!

Take the latest incident here, e-Paper from Times of India, May 29th, 2008, Bangalore Edition or directly this item.

I don’t really understand what is the need of the media to dig into such issues. If the categorization is done on the basis of region, gender, age, educational qualification, economic background etc demographics, probably it makes sense. And they are measurable. What’s cast, btw?
Caste! What a ridicule. And unless media gets responsible, I think we will continue to lose lives and property. What do we gain – I am yet to take a note. Some recent incidents:

Hope there’s some saviour who takes off Caste from the political agenda and from the front page in newspaper, and more importantly, does not call for unnecessary articles like the one I mentioned earlier.

Let’s aim towards making an equal India. Classify, but not divide. Segregate but not exclude.

Is anybody listening out there?

“Ban on food exports from India fueled world prices”, says Aiyar

Swaminathan S A Aiyar, in Times of India, writes that the ban on food exports form countries like India is one of the main reasons for the fueling of the prices across the world.

IMHO, every country will first protect its own interest than that of the world. That’s what the “Western World” has been doing for ages.

During the British Territory days, East India Company / British Government always wanted the “Lagaan” irrespective of what was the state of the crops. They cared a damn about the weather. They cared a damn about whether crop was good or something wrong happened.

Now if the countries protect their own interests, what is the harm?

I object to Aiyar’s article making this item as an agenda… an item to even think about.

Beggars and Beggary in India

Being a weekend, I had to complete several pending work items, for which I had to travel several parts of the city (Bangalore / Bengalooru, of course) today.

I was shocked and surprised to see the number of beggars “deployed” at the junctions / signals. The kids seem to have done well off – at least few things could not be made hidden – but are into beggary.

Looking at one of girls – somewhere in the age of 14-16yrs – my wife’s remark was astonishing, “See, her face looks so fresh. Why can’t she join a retail showroom”. Though it may have been a bit exaggeration because at showrooms / malls, looks is not the only thing. “English” is also the other important thing, at least in Hindustan (Oh yes, it’s better known as India).

Now, is the government and police doing to stop this “child labour”? Well, I read in some magazine / newspaper some time back that few “influential” and “connected” people are involved in the “business of beggary”.

And if that is true, again, God save the Country!