Hilarious Reporting on Google Earth

Today the country or more accurately ‘The Times of India’ woke up to the phenomena called Google Earth.

They have printed a front page article detailing the various places you can see in high Resolution. The whole of Indian Media was caught dozing. If you remember, after the July Rains, Times had published an article about how AAI have flouted norms while building a runway over the Mithi River. The Picture accompanying it was taken from Google Earth (Without acknowledgment of course). Then they published another article with the Help of Rishi’s Paper on the Mithi River. After that they forgot about that little wonderful software till sometime yesterday.

Star News has now picked up the story, and is rerunning the pictures with hilarious commentary. You can see them claiming that these are exclusive videos downloaded of the Net. lol! They are of course focussing on New Delhi and the pictures of Rashtrapati Bhavan and Mainly Lyten’s Delhi, which to set the record straight, were initially the only High Resolution Areas in India when Google Earth 1.00 was released on 28 June 05. (Ya I have been using this software since then) BTW, if you look at the Star News report, they do not show any Military areas. Do you know why? Because if they do, they are guilty according to the Official Secrets Act, of exposing sensitive information.
The areas under discussion were updated to High resolution on the 17th of Sep 2005. By a happy co-incidence, I went to visit the Naval Dockyard on the 18th and on coming home I was surprised to find these areas in such good resolution.
I instantly made a few placemarks and put them on my blog. Now that I am thinking, even I may could be hauled off as a traitor to the country. Lol!

What do I think about showing these satellite pictures? I am very happy. This is what the internet should be all about. This is the information age, where nothing is hidden, everyone who wants to know something is able to find it out.
The Military people may lead you to believe that this information was not earlier available to ‘The enemies’ of the country, before the advent of Google earth.
They are plain wrong. Countries like US and China have 35 and 4 military grade spy satellites respectively. (These are only the ones we know. There will be many more unacknowledged ones.) As for anyone else, these images, shot by the Ikons satellite are available in the commercial market for a price.

The Indian government mentality is all for secrecy, and they believe that if they do not let common people see what is happening, there would be no problem. That is why they have archaic rules like no photography at the most scenic places. Did you know that you cannot shoot photographs of any Bridge, Dam, Canal, Radio Tower or even the railway station?
I hope that The Indian Government wakes up form its peaceful sleep, can get rid of its denial mode and truly secure the country instead of believing it is safe with some archaic laws in force.

P.s. The commentry on Star news is truly rib tickling! see it to believe it.
BTW they have a show at 2130 hrs today, I am going to watch that to see really how internet challenged these people are!

Never Judge a Book by its...Movie!

I watch a lot of Star Movies, and this weekend was no exception. The Movie being shown was 'The Runaway Jury' loosely based on the book of the same name by John Grisham. After watching some excellent movies based on Books like LOTR as well as Harry Potter, and the Oscar winner, 'A Beautiful Mind', I was expecting something great, because I am a great Grisham fan.

Many would not believe that I could be a law fan. So let me explain: I see litigation as verbal chess. Each new case is like a new game. There are several ways of fighting it. You need foresight to be able to see beforehand what your opponent is going to do, and have a strategy ready for him. One wrong move and all will be over. Lawyer dramas are hence very intellectually stimulating, nothing to say of the fact that they are thrilling. Some of the best Movies like 'A few Good Men', 'Philadelphia' as well as 'Mr Darcy' are law based. Some of the best dramas on T.V. like J.A.G. and 'The Practice' are excellent pieces of work. It’s no wonder then that People adore Perry Mason Novels and John Grisham is one of the most popular writers today.


Going back to the topic, this book was my first Grisham [The first one is always special isn't it? ;-)]. It deals with how a jury decides whether a tobacco company is responsible for the death of smoker. The case has obvious far reaching consequences, and so each side is hell bent on getting a favourable verdict. Two people, with the power to influence the outcome, extort money from both the sides. Just when the reader believes that everything has become predictable, Grisham in his trademark style throws a twist or two in the end. It is an excellent read, quite thrilling from the first page to the last, and a good book to spend some time with.

Compared to this, the movie was quite tame and boring.
Firstly they have changed the theme from Cigarettes to guns, thus alienating non American Viewers.
Secondly, there is a lot of action in the book which can’t be shown in the space of two hours. This leaves the defendants, who looked like the mafia in the book, end up as petty thieves in the movie. The hero ends up looking like an extortionist, instead of the cold, calculating and intelligent man that he is in the book.
Thirdly there is an excellent sub plot in the end, which shows how the girl actually ends up using the money, and then giving it back, which is entirely missing from the Movie.

I am truly sad at the way they have manhandled the book and ended up with a story that in not one hundredth as interesting and riveting as the Book. I truly feel sorry for Dustin Hoffman, who could not salvage the Movie. We can only hope that the Future ‘Da Vince Code’ Movie does not suffer the same fate.

Mumbai On Google Earth

Today I went to the Naval Dockyard as a part of the Heritage Course I am Doing.
I come back home & open up Google Earth, just to recheck. Imagin my surprise , when I see That Google has now made Mumbai a High resolution Area.
So I have wasted some more time and made a sightseeing tour of Both The Nval Dockyard as well as Mumbai In General.

Here are the Links For the kmz files. Download them and open them using Google Earth

1 Points of Intrest in Mumbai

2] The Navl Dockyard

3] St Xaviers College

4] A Plane Near South Mumbai

Do Comment, as to How You Like it.

[Update: I have updated the links to these Points. It just happens that All of them are not from me.]

A Reason to Live !

I saw an add today for Seinfeld on Star world.
The show about nothing will start running from 19th of Suptember onwards. At least now there is something good to watch on tv.

P.s. I have added a subscription service on my blog. ( Its on the right side, just below my profile) If You subscribe, You will be intimated when my creative work comes online, which is a rarity nowadays.