Stop Selling MS Word in U.S.

This is what US District Judge Leonard Davis told Microsoft on 11th August 2008. In his two page judgment the judge says “Defendant Microsoft Corporation (“Microsoft”) is found to have unlawfully infringed U.S. Patent No. 5,787,449 (the “‘449 patent”). Defendant Microsoft is found to haveinfringed the ‘449 patent willfully.Damages, post verdict damages, enhanced damages is worth $277,241,092 and $21,102 per day thereafter until the date of this Final Judgment”. iei, the owner of U.S. Patent No. 5,787,449 is very happy about the out come.

This is a significant judgment having in mind the millions of users all over the world. This could affect Microsoft’s applications like word, excel and powerpoint. The fight is not over as there is another 60 days for Microsoft to appeal the judgment.

Microsoft is obviously unhappy about the judgment and wants to fight the case.
Microsoft spokesperson Kevin Kutz says that “the evidence clearly demonstrated that we do not infringe and that the i4i patent is invalid. We will appeal the verdict."XML is part of the open consortium. i4i in its patent petition says, “The invention does not use embedded metacoding to differentiate the content of the document but rather, the metacodes of the document are separated from the content and held in distinct storage in a structure called a metacode map,
whereas document content is held in a mapped content area”

If this order should be applied to other applications and parties who are using it, for sure this will have a wider range of application. So what about ODF? Though the open document format (ODF) and custom approach yield the same result, ODF method is different hence it is not affected by this judgment. The XML form came into existence primarily because of the monopoly the software companies had over the older binary file formats. They were their proprietary.

Amgen, Merck and Bayer use XML to drug label data. Interestingly US patent office also uses iei’s XML. Ironically microsoft got a patent through Patent # 7,571,169 for word processors who use XML format. The judgment affects
this patent.

Let us wait and watch the appeal for the final outcome. Industry players
feel that Microsoft may win the legal battle but time will answer for sure.

சுடலை மாடன்

The lone deity Sudalai Maadan standing tall beneath a Palm tree is a
common scene in and around the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
He is the guardian and protector for the farmers and peasants
cutting across caste, creed and status. Every village has a
Sudalai Madan temple and sometimes more than one, though without any building around him.

Sudalai Maadan hates a building around him. He stands with his
younger brother all alone in the woods. He is offered Kodai(Festival)
every year during the month of Aadi (July-August).
Depending on the popularity of the Sudalai, the number of animal offering can
vary. Near Vijayanarayanam, as a boy I have seen hundreds of Goats, pigs
chicken, cocks etc., slaughtered to appease the Sudalai. The Chaamiyaadi soaks the banana in the bubbling blood and eats it just like that. One should have guts to watch that! Watching this as a small boy I did not get sleep for several days along with the fever. Thanks to my elder brother who took me with him. Too much of violence seems to be occupying these festivals but that was how the life was in those days. Little primitive though!

Sudalai Maadan enjoys a two days festival with grand Kaniyaan Koothu. Men draped in saris dance to the drum beat in a very unique style. Drums are accompanied with age old Kombu, Parai, Melam etc., My mom says that the Kaniyaan is not an Eunuch but a perfect male who works in the farms during the monsoon and does these stuff during the festival alone. He has a tough task as well. He has to observe some rituals for months and prepare for the festival. His blood is dropped in 21 banana leaves for the Chaamiyaadi to lick them before his dance.

The best part is his journey to the Graveyard where he has to pick up some bones and display it to the crowd on his return. I have heard among the crowd a disbelief on the credibility of the Chaamiyaadi if he fails to bring some buried remnants from the graveyard. He also offers solution to the mass’s
problems and give them hope. He acts as an astrologer. His attire is the best. A
black shorts kind of waist cloth rolls till the knees and has several bells hung around the waist and legs. With a torch in the hand his looks invite fear and reverence. Chinnathaayi movie in Tamil language has done a decent job in portraying Sudalai character.

Post the graveyard visit starts entertainment for the young men and elderly by the Karakaattakari and Kattiyakaaran. Karakaattakaari is a woman who balances a decorated pot on the head and dances for the fast beat. Kattiyakaaran is the modern day compere. With a sexy make-up and sexually
inviting gestures the Karakaattakaari receives rupee notes pinned on her jacket by even the old and young alike. The Kattiyakaaran, delivers double meaning
dialogues to kick-up the men's mind.

Due to the conversion of Dravidians to Brahminical Hinduism and Christianity, Sudalaimadan is not attractive to many southern Tamils as he used to be. Moreover Sudalai madan in most places was a family diety rather than a village one. Along with the families Sudalai's fortune also comes down in many cases. Above all the Real Estate hype has forced the locals to desecrate the Sudalai, Ooiykaatu Sami, Isaki etc., Still I could see some temples conducting the festival on an yearly basis with some foreign aid or those migrated to cities coming back to cherish their nostalgia on their birth places.

Software Engineer

I always end up with an argument with Cab Drivers, Canteen folks and other support functions which cater to the needs of the IT and BPO personnel whenever I have an encounter with them, it always starts like this. " These IT & BPO guys increased the home rent, land price, food cost etc.," This is the standard complain most people make.
How far this is true? A brief introspection will help us . 10 years back, government jobs were the only option and there was unemployment everywhere. (Now its doubled!!)Today due to the reach of education even to the remote villages and the dilution of the caste system, more Indians are educated and available in the job market. Coupled with the advancement in Information Technology, more Indians were able to work across geographies without much difficulty. If not IT,most of these Indians would have landed up in the Arabian desert.
Again, the benefit of IT was reaped by the middle class and above and not those who were poor and cannot afford the costly fees of an Engineering degree. Also, actual money thrown to get an engineering degree might not always get an IT job. One must also understand that there is a huge number of under-employed people in the IT field. In this field you will find a mechanical engineer, civil engineer, Chemical engineer writing codes for a supermarkek, bank, cosmetic products etc., May look funny!!
Well coming to the earlier point, who actually got the benefit of IT revolution in India, it is everyone. More than the IT & ITES folks it is the support functions which benefited the most. With a minimum education; Brokers, Realtors, Cab owners, Caterers, Gardeners, House keepers,Hoteliers got a very good business opportunity and today it is a multi million dollar industry. Thats what NASSCOM says.
For the Software folks its a raw deal. Living away from home, having little money to lead the life of the developed world, uncertain future and job insecurity threatens the very existence of the IT world. Mostly Indians living through an "on-site opportunity" live the life of a pauper not because they are paid low but they want to save more to buy a house in India and end up paying lesser home loan.
Amidst all the struggle, why is that Indians did not rally behind the IT professionals during the recession? Pretty simple, IT world did not care for the society. Plugging the ipod and traveling in a cab or a bus and ending up in an air conditioned office and return home to discuss the share market and real estate the IT folks lost touch with the society around. Though there is some improvement pertaining to their participation in social matters, it is still not a significant one.

It was heartening to see the IT world rallying for the Eelam Tamil cause in Chennai. There are also some groups within their organizations supporting social activities.

Indian IT community does not have an union. It is a great factor for the corporates but having in mind that there are no stringent labour laws around rights of the software community. They are vulnareable for exploitation which is already underway.

Bio-medical Waste Management

The recent hand book from "Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project" has come up with a guideline for disposing medical waste in line with some of the best practices around the world. As usual its implementation and government monitoring is not in line with international expectations. Most health care organizations do not have any of these procedures implemented in their premises. Thats what India is! Lets us see what the “Hand Book” says. As per Bio-Medical Waste(Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, “ It shall be the duty of every occupier of an institution generating bio-medical waste to take all steps to ensure that such waste is handled without any adverse effect to human health and the environment.
While a quick survey around the hospitals in our cities will tell us where we stand with respect
to the compliance of Hospital-waste management.
Even those hospitals where the rich throng with their money, a proper disposal management is not evidenced. This is my inference after visiting four hospitals in Chennai city. Blood loathed cotton, needles, broken bottles were lying in the open area very adjacent to these hospitals.
Our hospitals more than curing are creating more menace to the public health. Who will bell the cat??

National Health Bill 2009

Hailing from a hamlet which neither had a proper road nor any hospital, I was a witness of several deaths due to lack of infrastructure and medical facilities. The worst is the refusal by the hospitals to attend any emergency patient due to lack of money, police issues etc., . The medical fraternity was happy to see a fellow human being die rather than not using their costly gadgets. After all human life is the cheapest commodity in India. I only wish this kind of arrongance from the so-called learned doctors will come to an end with the proposed bill to boost patients' rights.

If only this piece of legistation gets approved, every patient has the right to question "over billing", denying medical records or referring the patient else where without any reasons. Thanks to "Jan Swasthya Abhiyan" (People Health Movement)for the long standing war for patient rights.
This piece of legislation will regulate the Public and private healthcare systems.

Till now the term "Patient's Right" was interpreted through other case laws and court judgements. After the "National Health Bill 2009" Patient Rights including emergency care could be very well understood. The bill will also make it madatory for the hospitals to have grievance mechanism to address patient complaints.
As the Indian Healthcare system is near the crisis point, its imperative that the law makers pass the bill as early as possible.

The proposed bill has some vital rights spelled out for the patients.
1. No one shall be denied emergency treatment due to inability to pay fees or need for police clearance.
2. Patient have the right to know name of doctor and nurse treating them.
3. Patient have the right to get a summary of their condition or to seek a second opinion.

Hope this bill brings cheers to the millions of patients across India and the law is follow in letter and spirit.

Poem by Niem”ller

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Terrorists and the world

Whenever there is a terrorist strike, the whole world wakes up and calls to banish the terrorists using all the available means. Some even goes to the extent of creating imaginary actions against the terrorists. Also wherever there is a terrorist attack either Saudi Arabian Citizens or Pakistani citizens are named without any hesitation. Statistics also proves that these two countries are exporting terrorists across the globe. More than 75% of the terrorists operating in Iraq and Afghanistan are from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The ordinary citizens are not to be blamed as these terrorists were created and funded by the state machinery simply to stick on to power infinitely. Religious zealots also play a key role. Quoting religious texts and history, many young folks are indoctrinated into violence. Most of these terrorist infested nations are still harboring dictatorship. Bad governance added with poor economic situation forces many towards a lucrative terrorist role. It’s a quick way of making money in the name of a “Cause.” Burning problems like Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan help the terrorists groups to indoctrinate and recruit more and more. The young and educated mobs are lured for ideology using these failed states.

The western world has utilized the terrorists and Muslim dictators at its convenience. The English and Americans in particular have never ceased an opportunity to hold hands with the terrorists if it benefited them. Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Afghanistan and Pakistan were continuously misused by the western powers for their self interest in the region. These Asian countries never wanted to give better governance and civil rights for its people but were busy working out the order from US and EU.

The recent Mumbai attack has thrown light on the new face of terrorism in India. There may be several reasons and outside influence on this attack but what is important for India is to assess the internal issues burning in the main land.

State sponsored genocide in Gujarat and Orissa has created mistrust among Indians. The media gave more coverage to the Mumbai terrorist attack than the state sponsored mass killings in the Right wing ruled Gujarat and Orissa. The media is biased and a profit making organization. It only bothers those who can afford to buy its advertisement products, which are middle class Indians. Non residing Indian organizations in the US & UK have been found to be sponsoring Hindu terrorism & human rights violation in India. U S & UK must take morale responsibility in banning such Hindu organizations in its soil by showing the world that it is not biased towards Muslims. This form of terrorism is extremely dangerous for India as a country to stay united. Unless and until the Indian leadership guarantees equality, safety and security for its citizens, such terrorist activities will go unabated. India has to do more on the home front rather than only taking action across the border. The solution equally lies within its own borders.