Date: 2006-12-06 01:36 Subject: A different kind of infringement. Security: Public Location: Home Mood: contemplative Tags: calvin klein, ck, deodorant, infringe, sasa

As I open a deodorant that I had picked up from Sasa (the one at Hong-kong central), I happen to read the "fine-print" on it.

At an outset, the logo, to me, struck as that of CK and hence some kinda association with CK (Thought they were the makers!). Apparently, what was supposed to be CK, isn't in-fact CK. Two things stand out.
1. They use the name and logo of CK and have nothing to do with it.
2. They acknowledge the fact that CK is a registered trademark of Calvin Klein and that they have 'nothing' to do with CK!

The product is manufactured by "Jean Philippe Fragrances" which is yet another registered company, based in NewYork, and have their production plant in Canada. As it turns out, they use names of other brands 'liberally' on their products, which are listed on yahoo and ebay.

Date: 2006-12-02 14:11 Subject: The bus stop 'Pati' Security: Public Location: Home Tags: busstop, pati, poverty, self-respect

From when I can remember, there has been this lady living in the JB Nagar bus stop, who dwells in the shelters of the bus station. I call her 'lady' for a reason. During my younger years, my friends n myself would stay as far away from her as possible, cause we had convinced ourselves that she is evil and dangerous. Not until a few years back, did we actually get to know her.

For a living, she picks up fresh leaves and vegetables from the HAL market, brings them down to the JB nagar market and sells them with a marginal profit. She makes just enough money to fulfill her needs (food and liquor). She lives alone, talks to anybody and everybody (usually a drunken monologue with very little sense), is religiously high on liquor every night, and has gotten to convince everybody that she's lost it.



The bus stop, being our point of rendezvous has witnessed memorable events in the past. We witnessed one such event last week. The time was about 10 in the night and we friends were involved in some general gossip as we heard pati shouting at one of our acquaintances. We, sensing trouble from her volume, intervened to offer services to resolve the problem. Drunk that she was, she seemed pretty emotional and offended about the gentleman's attempt to give her some money to feed herself.
Evidently, the gentleman had inquired pati if she had dinner, and when she said no, had offered some money. Pati had retaliated with pride filled emotions. "Don't take me for a beggar.", she had shouted in tamil. This attitude of hers renewed our impressions about her.

When I carried my cam, a couple of days later to picture her, she first refused. "Vanda padichavan..." (Don't. learned one), she'd said. On persuasion, allowed me to take one shot. After the shot, I could see tears down her cheek as she said, "E vela thaan en payya panneva..." (this is the work my son does). She was drunk, yes, but I could bet it wasn't the liquor speaking.

If only her kids cared for her, she wouldn't have to survive on the dirty corridors of the JB nagar bus stop. Sometimes makes me wonder if there is anything at all that can be done. Can there be a law which would prevent the kids from deserting their parents? Or is it already there, which like most other laws, is poorly enforced?

Date: 2006-11-09 00:48 Subject: Impact of internet on personal health care Security: Public Tags: doctor, internet, medicine

I read an article in the times, a few days ago which said that the government is planning on hiking the salaries of the docs to make them give more time to lecturing! It is the governments contention that, if the salaries of the docs be hiked to make up for what they make out of private practice, they can use that time for lecturing. Correct move. It would also hold back few of the docs who would leave the country to make big bucks.
It has been over an year that I actually visited a doc. Internet came to my rescue the last two times I fell ill and negligence got the better of me, a few times before that. As I now figure, the internet factor seems to be catching up with a lot of friends of mine in the software industry. Whenever somebody falls ill, with stuff like fever, cold, back pain, eye problems, etc, the trend is to look up the symptoms online and resort to self medication. This saves on time, money and effort. Builds the know how as well. Moreover, its me who knows myself best. The loss of information during communication with a doc, during an examination, is avoided. Of-course, the credibility of information in the website will be of paramount importance. I visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Symptoms regularly. I am yet to find a govt sponsored site for the same.