Friday, December 31, 2021

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

the west gloated when this happened to india

but we will sympathize with them.

don't know what that is: a character flaw? or the asymmetry of information flow and narrative marketing? like those cricketer idiots doing a knee for black lives matter but not for hindu lives in bangladesh.


Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Quick notes: Stirling engine | Chinese GPU...

  • France should pay us: France is seeing a spike in Rafale fighter jet orders after India acquired them.


  • China's New Mortars: Designed for war with India? The PLA is now announcing the deployment of new self-propelled rapid-fire mortars to conduct “mobile, hit-and-run firing positions”.


  • Stirling engine: China claims it developed the world's most powerful heat engine. “The prototype ran at a rated power of 320 kilowatts with a power conversion efficiency of 40%”. In comparison, the Stirling engine used on the Swedish Navy's Gotland submarines is rated at 75KW.. China eyeing deadlier submarines, safer nuclear reactors with new Stirling engine?


  • Unstoppable: China's Fenghua-1 GPU aims for GeForce RTX 3060 compute performance. Based on Imagination Technologies' PowerVR architecture.


  • Gouging small businesses: For every $100 sellers earn in sales, Amazon is keeping $30 — up from 19% just 5 years ago. . . . . . Internal Amazon documents show Alexa owners aren’t using devices


  • Madhav Gadgil: "Most ‘development’ activities now are aimed at benefiting only the rich. The relaxations in ESA will benefit the quarries that make huge, illegal profits. Some mine-owners in Goa had told me about the huge rates they pay to the politicians, right from the bottom to the top. Before the 2014 elections, the BJP strongly supported our report, but the moment they came to power, they took a 180-degree turn".


  • Uddiyana Bandha and Nauli Kriya:



  • Crafting sustainable homes: Interlocking blocks — an alternative to burnt bricks and concrete blocks


  • India's Population Growth: Urban India now has a fertility rate of 1.6, comparable to the European Union. In the relative weight of its states, India’s Parliament has remained frozen since the 1971 census. The average parliamentarian from Uttar Pradesh represents three million people, while a counterpart from Tamil Nadu represents 1.8 million.

    If Parliament were reapportioned according to the likely population in 2026, the five southern states would send 26 fewer representatives to the 545-seat Parliament. The four most populous Hindi heartland states would add 31 seats.


Sunday, December 26, 2021

my geostrategic and business perspective on the semiconductor policy

My recent conversation with Sree Iyer of pgurus on what the business models and entrepreneurial opportunities are in terms of a massive electronics thrust: this is one of the most important and seminal technologies in the world now and for the foreseeable future. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11oBe-20ma8&t=427s


Wednesday, December 22, 2021

the HOD chemistry harvard was doing virus work in wuhan on the side

the infiltration is deep and broad. 

HOD chemistry at, where else, harvard.

i remember this fellow's specialty is some viral chemistry.

there is a virtual constellation of big american names doing china's bidding in wuhan: fauci, daszak, this lieber. it is hard to believe it's not a conspiracy.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Quick notes: 1971 war | Chip ecosystem...

  • US wanted China to intervene against India in 1971 War: After Indira Gandhi's visit to Washington; Kissinger said the 'Indians are bastards anyway. They are starting a war there [in Bangladesh] ... While [Indira Gandhi] was a bitch, ... she will not be able to go home and say that the United States didn't give her a warm reception.'

    The duo (Nixon, Kissinger) wanted China to put more pressure on India: 'I think we've got to tell [the Chinese] that some movement on their part ... toward the Indian border could be very significant.'


  • Develop ecosystem for chip production: The US, South Korea and China have incentives totaling about $50 billion, $100 billion and $450 billion respectively, far higher than India's. So future chip production, if we are to have it, shouldn’t be a one-trick pony and must develop an ecosystem from design to fabrication, to packaging and testing.

    Given the long gestation periods and rapid technology changes, India must out-strategise on design and functionality as the end product will be out only three-four years from the moment work begins, by which point the prevailing chip shortage would have been resolved, while technology would have advanced further.

    Designing is India’s advantage and while we leverage people skills, we must improvise research and development—an area that we are lacking in currently. Importantly, WTO-consistent tariff and non-tariff barriers should be resolved to ensure flow of goods, besides ensuring policy stability, without which our chip production prospects will remain empty.

    + Semiconductor capex to hit $152 Billion in 2021 as market on track for $2 Trillion by 2035


  • India's Atlantis: Searching for the sunken kingdom of Dwarka



  • Narinder Singh Kapany: The relentless innovator behind the science of fibre optics


  • New Pfizer drug and ivermectin: Uncomfortable facts for Pfizer, Big pharma and Woke media


  • Cryptocurrencies a challenge for emerging markets: "Because a lot of these crypto exchanges are offshore, they are not subject to regulation of a particular country... So, there is a need for a global policy on that front urgently".


  • Why Pakistan may want the J-10: While a layperson may think the J-10 appears similar in layout to the F-16, the Chinese aircraft has a delta wing design with 'canards' forward of the fuselage. There is suspicion Israel transferred technology for the Lavi fighter to China.

    + Israeli companies exported cruise missiles to China without permit


  • Boeing and Airbus warn of 5G safety concerns: "5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate".


  • Chart buster: Bird songs bump stars off Australian music chart


Monday, December 20, 2021

pure propaganda from the NYT for mRNA

see the weasel words "preliminary"

in other words there is no solid evidence. i bet nobody has even submitted any research on the efficacy of covaxin, but Deepstate has decreed that only pfizer and moderna work. 


Saturday, December 18, 2021

exponential

an arresting graph showing the rocket-like growth in internet usage in india. THAT is an opportunity for you folks to think of. and i think blockchains and maybe crypto will be key, too.





Thursday, December 16, 2021

US Obsession with Russia Only Helps China

obama and dist attorney bharara: protect the guilty, persecute the peripheral

interesting thread based on raj rajaratnam's book. i can well believe this is the truth. screw some uppity browns/indians along the way (raj is sri lankan). 

Quick notes: Expired vaccines | Sigiriya...

  • White man's generosity: Europe sent Nigeria up to 1 million near-expired doses of covid-19 vaccine


  • Covaxin: Caught in the west's dirty tricks.
  • Third-party study shows Covaxin produced robust immune response against variants of concern for up to six months.


  • Harvard report: “In speech technology, Chinese firms are beating American firms in every language, including English. The world’s top voice recognition startup, China’s iFlytek, has 700 million users, almost twice the number of people who speak to Apple’s Siri.”


  • Jugaad ain't no innovation, stop romanticising it: India cannot become a world-beating economic force by under-investing in fundamental scientific research and celebrating stop-gap survival mechanisms (jugaad) as path-breaking innovation. Such celebration and characterisation should be left to advertising agencies and other creative types looking for a story to tell.

    The state should commit itself to turning India into a magnet for top scientific talent from around the world, increasing investment in fundamental science and engineering and creating infrastructure which will give Indian scientists the choice of working in their home country instead of moving to more hospitable climes abroad.


  • Ancient Engineering Marvel: Sri Lanka's ancient water gardens of Sigiriya are a complex masterpiece of irrigation engineering design. During excavation, water conduits were found at different depths, likely to achieve varying water levels; something that required a masterful knowledge of physics and engineering.



  • Socialization of losses: PSBs lost Rs 2.85 lakh cr due to loan default of 13 firms. "Time and again public sector banks have been used to bail out ailing private sector banks such as Yes Bank, Global Trust Bank, United Western Bank, Bank of Karad, etc. Private sector's largest NBFC, IL&FS, was bailed out again by public sector SBI and LIC".


  • Semiconductor push: Govt's Rs 76,000-cr plan to woo chip makers, create semiconductor ecosystem. Support to universities to train 85,000 engineers under the “chips to start-ups” programme.


  • StarFive: Chinese company delivers the world’s highest performance RISC-V CPU Core IP, codenamed “Dubhe
    - 2GHz @ TSMC 12nm
    - SPECint2006: 8.9/GHz
    - Dhrystone: 6.6 DMIPS/MHz
    - CoreMark: 7.6/MHz.


  • Semiconductor subsidies: "How do you compete with a 30 to 40% subsidy? Because that means we are not competing with TSMC or Samsung, we are competing with Taiwan and Korea. The subsidies in China are even more significant."


  • Ban glyphosate: Glyphosate is "reportedly" being used both for weed control and to desiccate crops prior to harvesting. The weedicide and its adjuvants are absorbed by the plant and consumed by humans.


  • Market Dominance: Italy fines Amazon $1.3 Billion for abuse of dominant market position.

    FTC complaint: Amazon misleading consumers with 'deceptive' ads in search results.


Wednesday, December 15, 2021

gulf arab countries giving a very few rich, smart expats citizenship

according to an economist podcast, gulf arabs now offering citizenship to select expats: rich people, inventors, scientists, doctors. UAE expects to do this for 1000 people a year.

this probably will work better than britain's offer: got 0 takers.

sorry, #keralano1 guys.

so, what about CAA?

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

U.S. Censors Taiwan at Summit for Democracies

America's Democracy-Hypocrisy Tightrope walk leaves its policy dangling from a thread.


Pakistan's Imran Khan avoided attending America's "Summit of Democracies" because China was upset over Taiwan being invited. Biden's officials have again likewise made a mockery of the summit by censoring Taiwan because of China's feelings.

Friday, December 10, 2021

the mindless loot of hindu murtis

and finally, the india pride project is recovering at least some of them. 

but white people's attitude that they can loot with impunity remains, only in a different form. it's called 'woke', or 'climate change' or 'democracy' these days. sometimes it's also called a virus.

the mind-blowing banality of the indian twittersphere


some white cricketer's tweet was number 1. some woke indian cricketer's tweet was the most liked. i hope eventually indians will grow up.

Thursday, December 09, 2021

oh, that'll teach them!

i am reminded of the CPI(M) renaming the street in front of the US consulate in calcutta as 'ho chi minh sarani'. entertaining, but really, cheap thrills


US-Russia Showdown: 1962 Redux?

Washington and Moscow are on a collision course over Ukraine. This may be the most serious confrontation since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis - which as we know gave China the opportunity to attack India. It would be prudent for India to stay vigilant in these times.





Chief of Defence Staff Rawat Killed in Helicopter Crash




Wednesday, December 08, 2021

cognitive dissonance: the 'Holy Land' (sic} is getting to be christian-free


sounds like kashmir choices: raaliv, gaaliv, something. convert, flee or die.

article against booster shots quotes ramanan "300 million indians will die" lakshminarayanan

this guy is a total fraud and so his quote must be considered proof that the article is dicey. https://www.livemint.com/science/health/clamour-for-booster-shots-grows-but-experts-say-it-s-too-early-for-india-11638900366275.html 



the article also quotes extensively one 'epidemiologist'. thankfully that 'epidemiologist' isn't gagandeep kaur. 

i'm surprised the article didn't call for importing pfizer mRNA shots. it does, however, take a backhanded swipe at covaxin:

run for the hills, people. this mRNA fad is really scary.

CRISPR first and now this. we should all be worried as people are messing with biology.

and as for unintended consequences, see 1. global warming, 2. thalidomide. 


tokyo and science fiction

two of the three greatest science fiction films ever had a link to tokyo: blade runner was set in a future LA, which was basically a version of tokyo. solaris had this long five minute sequence set in the expressways of tokyo. the original article is at https://www.ft.com/content/1a0a2877-90cc-45ea-8e01-37d5c22bd217 probably firewalled

oh, the third is 2001 a space odyssey.


Quick notes: Make-in-India | Israel's ally...

  • Make-In-India? Yes, No, Maybe: India won’t go ahead with building Russian helicopters locally, opting instead for off-the-shelf purchases. IAF needs to make immediate replacements to its fleet of over 320 aging helicopters.


  • Has Israel become a top Chinese ally? Not surprisingly, China appears to have a vested interest in the Israeli tech sector, especially its advances in quantum technology. Chinese investment in Israeli technology “could lead to leaks of sensitive technology and cyber-espionage.”


  • Ascendant China: Toyota turns to Chinese tech to reach its electric holy grail

    Chinese stranglehold: Tesla has concluded that no company in the United States is currently capable of producing artificial graphite to the required specifications and capacity needed for Tesla’s production. It said only mainland China could provide the quantity of graphite it needs to manufacture its batteries.


  • IIT Madras faculty founded 94 startups: A startup is aiming to make a new breed of aircraft called hybrid aerial vehicles for vertical takeoff and landing as well as long-distance flight to carry goods and passengers, ultimately leading to air taxi operations. Another working on mini launch vehicles to launch micro- and nano-satellites into space orbits.

    A startup aiming to produce micro gas turbines for decentralized power generation and another aiming to convert any kind of waste -- from municipal solid waste to agri waste -- into crude oil are among the notable ones. Another enterprise aims to make earth observation satellites with multi-sensor fusion and edge-computing in space.


  • Remittance seeking mindset: Retaining - and attracting - talent is critical for India's future.
  • The Thousand Talents Plan is part of China’s long quest to become the global scientific leader


  • New game in town: Ola's electric scooter


  • 5G wireless use could prompt flight diversions: The aviation industry and the FAA have raised concerns about potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters.


  • Vaccine durability: Antibody levels fall quickly in the months after people get their Pfizer and Moderna shots. The RNA in these vaccines does not last very long in the body. DNA is more stable than RNA, and might allow for a more prolonged, low-level activation of our immune system that provides longer-lasting protection.


  • NOT White Man's Burden: UK 'nowhere near' meeting targets agreed at Glasgow climate summit


  • The return of ‘naati’ ragi: Karnataka farmers revive forgotten ragi varieties. Hundreds of local ragi varieties disappeared with the arrival of the high-yielding indaf variety of ragi.


  • Why soil is one of the most amazing things on Earth: Due to intensive farming, we are losing soil 50 to 100 times faster than it is able to rebuild.



  • Global Gateway: BRI rival from EU. Can Europe compete with China?

    Why US, EU are pitching an alternative to Chinese ‘hidden debts’

    Contaminated fertilizer: Sri Lanka bows to Chinese pressure again


Friday, December 03, 2021

bhopal gas tragedy

Bhopal gas tragedy 1984: Looking back at one of India's worst industrial disasters | The Indian Express
https://indianexpress.com/photos/india-news/bhopal-gas-tragedy-37-years-later-victims-continue-to-suffer-injustice-warren-anderson-7653783/

real GDP



from shamika ravi.

i had no idea sri lanka was ahead of indonesia. presumably india's growth spurt is coming, which deepstate and china will do anything to prevent. pathetic that after 38 years of nehruvian stalinist rule, india was worse off than all these countries in 1975. it's the nehruvian penalty.

at least jawhalal knew how to wear a dhoti

did you see raoul struggling with his?

ok, jawhalal stabbed subhash in the back, metaphorically speaking.

would raoul have the wits to even do that?


Thursday, December 02, 2021

what happened to my credit rating when i paid off a loan

amusing, but makes a certain twisted sense

how kerala's economy is collapsing

end of the money order economy. 1 million+ returnees who will have no jobs. https://twitter.com/HKupdate/status/1466170672133120000?s=20


the photo is not representative. the majority of migrants have always been muslim, and their womenfolk are in full black abaya.