$4 per gallon gasoline this summer

Californians better plan for $4-5 per gallon gasoline this summer- it's alreay touched $4 in LA area and it's not even May yet.

A tribute to test pilot Scott Crossfield

Scott Crossfield, the hotshot test pilot and aircraft designer who in 1953 became the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound, was killed in the crash of his small plane, authorities said Thursday. He was 84.

During the 1950s, Crossfield embodied what came to be called "the right stuff," dueling the better-known Chuck Yeager for supremacy among America's Cold War test pilots. Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947; only weeks after Crossfield reached Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound, Yeager outdid him.

Some interesting links
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/147296main_crossfield.pdf
http://www.edwards.af.mil/history/docs_html/people/pilot_crossfield.html

The picture says it all - airline unstable

2005's most appalling corporate tax giveaway. By Michelle Leder

2005's most appalling corporate tax giveaway. By Michelle Leder

Can you believe this - this just blows my mind! And to think that this only happened in the developing countries!

Will you pay $150 for this McDonald Sandwich?

London Chef Creates $148 Sandwich on Yahoo! News Photos


He could have done better than naming it "McDonald Sandwich" - after all who in his/her right mind would pay that much for a McDonald's sandwich. It sure looks delicious - based on the ingredients list here but I wouldn't pay $150 for it.

IMT Alumni

IMT Alumni Blog

A young IMT alumnus - Swaroop George has started putting together profiles of IMT alumni on his blog - seems like a very interesting idea. I am looking forward to seeing more profiles there and connecting with some of these people. All the best to you Swaroop!

technorati tags: IMT, Ghaziabad, MBA, Technology, Alumni

Quote Details: Pierre Beaumarchais: It is not necessary... - The Quotations Page

"It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them."
- Pierre Beaumarchais, French businessman & comic dramatist (1732 - 1799)

I guess this must be most bloggers' swan song - that includes me by the way, so please no angry comments. Just kidding - taking a break from serious blogging.

technorati tags: blob, blogger, blogging, quotation, cynical

The Dilbert Blog: Wedding Costs

A good way of looking at all things monetary - from Scott Adams of Dilbert fame:

Fiancee: “Do you think we should have a big cake or a little one?”

Scott: “Well, the difference in price seems to be…about twelve Rwandans. It’s up to you, honey.”

The Dilbert Blog: Wedding Costs

TANSTAAFL - Word of the day

TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the adage "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch,"

In India's Silicon Valley, Partying Like It's 1999

Olive Beach, a glittery new restaurant in a compound ringed with imported sand, has brought a bit of South Beach to Bangalore, India's high-tech capital.

Well, what can I say - wish I were there :-)

Technorati: Favorite Buttons

Technorati has introduced a new Favorites feature - you can add upto 50 blogs to your favorites - and you can share your favorites with the world. Try this feature by clicking on the button below - if you want to add my blog to your favorites.

technorati tags: technorati, favorites, blogging,

Get $5 for signing up for this free service

This is a great new service for sending and receiving cash through your cell phone - almost like a Paypal for cell phones :-) And the great news is, they are paying you $5 to sign up for this service. The service itself is absolutely free and there is no contract. This is sure to be a huge thing. It should be great for paying your half of the lunch you had with a friend, or the movie tickets that your friend bought for you or for making and receiving payment on craigslist etc.

If you want to make $5 for reading this blog, just sign up by clicking on the TextPayMe banner below.

technorati tags: text, message, sms, pay, free, $5

Get $5 for signing up for this free service

This is a great new service for sending and receiving cash through your cell phone - almost like a Paypal for cell phones :-) And the great news is, they are paying you $5 to sign up for this service. The service itself is absolutely free and there is no contract. This is sure to be a huge thing. It should be great for paying your half of the lunch you had with a friend, or the movie tickets that your friend bought for you or for making and receiving payment on craigslist etc.

If you want to make $5 for reading this blog, just sign up by clicking on the link below.

Wired News:

Wired News:

Have you ever heard Coast to Coast AM - it sure is a strange radio station. The only times I have listened is when I am traveling and trying to find some late night talk show on the AM dial in a different city - this program is always there. They talk mostly about paranormal - Area 51, UFO's, out of body experiences, etc. but it has great entertainment value. On the other hand, it's kind of representative of the superstitions and illiteracy of the middle-America - the continuing debate over evolution vs. intelligent design, etc.

The Dilbert Blog: Wisdom for Grads

The Dilbert Blog: Wisdom for Grads

Wisdom for Grads - Scott Adams

I’ve been asked to compile some Dilbert advice for new graduates who have no idea what’s awaiting them in the business world. I’m talking about practical advice. Here are some of the ones that come to mind.

The person who sits nearest the boss’s office gets the most assignments.

Your potential for senior management will be determined by the three H’s: Hair, Height, and Harvard degree. You need at least two out of three. (Non-Harvard schools will be acceptable if it’s clear that you “could have gone” to Harvard.)

Your hard work will be rewarded. Specifically, your boss’s boss will reward your boss for making you work so hard.

There’s no such thing as good ideas and bad ideas. There are only your own ideas and other people’s. If you want someone to like your idea, tell him he said it last week and you just remembered.

Teamwork is what you call it when you trick other people into ignoring their priorities in favor of yours.

Leadership is a form of evil. No one needs to lead you to do something that is obviously good for you.

You can estimate the time for any project by multiplying the number of idiots involved by one week and adding the number of capable co-workers times four weeks. (The competent ones are busier.)

In any group of three coworkers, at least one of them will be a sadistic loser intent on grabbing your ankle as he circles the drain.

Non-monetary incentives are every bit as valuable as they sound.

Business success is mostly about waiting for something lucky to happen and then taking credit.

Preparing a Powerpoint presentation will give you the sweet, sweet illusion of productivity.

It is better to be an “expert” than it is to do actual work.

The first month on any new job should be spent talking smack about the “idiot who had the job before you.”

Dick Cheney Shooting Jokes - Cheney Late-Night Jokes

Here's a great collection of Cheney shooting jokes - I think this issue has bi-partisan support - whether you are a republican or a democrat, you can't deny the incredible comic value of this incident. One feels sorry for the guy who got shot though - I hear that now he's had a heart attack as a result of the injuries sustained in the shooting incident. Hope he comes out OK.

Dick Cheney Shooting Jokes - Cheney Late-Night Jokes

Monterey Bay Web Cam

Here's an excellent live video camera looking out towards Monterey Bay from the Aquarium. Even at night when you can't see anything, the audio of waves crashing and the sea birds is fabulous.

Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay Web Cam

How Products Are Made

A good primer to quench your thirst for useless knowledge.

Like Pascal said "Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything."

How Products Are Made

Gender equality - the flip side

A teenager boy wears skirts to school to challenge a winter ban on shorts for boys while girls are allowed to wear skirts. I think the point made is very interesting - I have always wondered as to why girls are expected to wear skirts to school even in winter cold while boys' uniform changes from shorts to pants during winters. This is specially true for most schools in New Delhi, India although lately a lot more girls are taking to wearing pants too.
Yahoo! Player

Hindsights by Guy Kawasaki: Hindsights

Let the Good Times Roll by Guy Kawasaki: Hindsights: "#10: Live off your parents as long as possible.
#9: Pursue joy, not happiness.
#8: Challenge the known and embrace the unknown.
#7: Learn to speak a foreign language, play a musical instrument, and play non-contact sports.
#6: Continue to learn.
#5: Learn to like yourself or change yourself until you can like yourself. #4: Don't get married too soon.
#3: Play to win and win to play.
#2: Obey the absolutes.
#1: Enjoy your family and friends before they are gone."