My D80 is finally here!

My D80 is finally here and here are some snaps clicked from my balcony.

April 2009

Let me know your comments.

Bhadrachalam - Sri Rama Temple

We've been planning to visit Bhadrachalam for some time now but haven't been able to execute it. This Rebublic day weekend we finally made the trip. The plan was as follows -

1. Friday - Start from Pune in the evening.

2. Saturday - Reach Hyderabad in the morning. Spend time with Baba in Hyderabad and then travel together to Bhadraclam.

3. Sunday - Visit temple and the ITC Bhadraclam factory. Start back for Hyderabad in the evening.

4. Monday (Republic day) - Reach Hyderabad in the morning and start for Pune in the evening.

5. Tuesday - Reach Pune in the morning and return to the grind!

The temple is amazing and considered one of the holiest shrines in South India. We performed the "Golden Flowers" pooja at the temple after visiting Parnashala in the morning. It is customary to visit Parnashala first and then the temple. You can find all the details about this sacred pilgrimage site and temple at http://www.bhadrachalarama.org/

We also visited the ITC Bhadrachalam paper boards and speciality paper factory. http://www.itcportal.com/paperboards_specialtypapers/paperboards.html

Corporate awards – a big farce?

Corporate awards have lost their credibility in my eyes after the Satyam fiasco. For instance, just before Mr. Raju from Satyam brought to light the fraud that he along with the company promoters were perpetrating for years, they were awarded the Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance for 2008! I wonder what scrutiny the jury on this panel indulged in, if at all, to arrive at the winners from the list of nominees. I am sure same is the case with the other such awards. Enron and the other corporate giants that were hit with similar scandals would probably have received plenty such awards before they were exposed.

In my opinion, we should award companies like Satyam with a "Make" award. They successfully made fools of investors, customers and employees for several years. They were able to construct, formulate, manufacture, cook and put together a false enterprise in the public domain, in spite of all the checks and balances put in to stop just this kind of fraud. How many more years could they have carried on had they not confessed to it? Who knows?! They definitely deserve an award for keeping the fraud going year on year. The "Make" award would recognize an organization which successfully makes (a fool of) the system and its stakeholders. Successive awards would carry more weightage because that would mean the organization is really maturing at "making" their stakeholders and the world at large!

Alas, someone has beaten me to it. The "Make" award already exists for the corporate world! The meaning of the award and the reason it is awarded though is different. Search for it on the web! Now I'll have to hunt for another name for my award! J

Nikon D80 Digital SLR camera

After a lot of analysis and deliberation, I finally made up my mind to invest on a digital SLR camera. I currently own a film SLR camera, the Nikon N65 which I have found to be great and on which I have learnt a lot. However, the instant feedback provided by digital cameras is proving to be too much of a convenience to keep ignoring. Add to that the costs of developing and printing film versus the freedom to click as many as you want on digital. No wonder the world is switching over to digital. I have used a few digital point and shoot cameras and for the most part they provide all that you might need for day to day photography at home but a SLR is a SLR. The photography options available on a SLR and that on most point and shoot cameras can't even be compared. Plus you get to learn how to click great shots on SLR, which we can't really appreciate on a point and shoot. I own the following equipment already and so was on the lookout for a digital SLR that I could use with all of this.

1. Nikon 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens
   
2. Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Nikkor SLR Camera Lens
   
3. Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash
   

When I bought the Nikon N65 film SLR camera, I had done a lot of research on whether to buy a Nikon or a Cannon. My analysis said Nikon and since then I have been a loyal Nikon consumer and it has never disappointed me.

So, when I decided to buy a digital SLR, it obviously had to be a Nikon but I also wanted to ensure that I can use (or reuse) the equipment that I have already invested in. After the customary due diligence I settled on the Nikon D80. The most critical reason behind settling for this camera is the ability to use all the features of my existing equipment with this camera. The D80 has the built-in focus drive motor which will auto focus with my lenses. With cameras like the D40 or D60 that don't have an built-in focus drive motor, it would mean that you can auto focus only with lenses which have their own drive motor (AF-S and AF-I lenses). I also like the impressive 2.5" 230,000 pixel LCD display on the camera and the 11-area AF system.

You can check all the features and analysis of this camera here. I think this site, www.dpreview.com, is one of the best sites dedicated to digital photography. There are lots of details available on all digital cameras and their analysis is amazing. I also referred to www.kenrockwell.com, which I think is also a good site that provides a wealth of information on photography.

I got a pretty good deal on Abe's of Maine, www.abesofmaine.com, and now await the camera to reach me. I am sure there will a lot more on photography on my blog once my D80 comes home!

1st Anniversary

It's been a year now since I started my blog. This was the first paragraph I wrote on January 1, 2008.

I have been thinking about maintaining a blog and thought to use the New year day as an opportunity to start it. I hope I will be able to "maintain" it and it wont end up being a one time thing. There really are a lot of topics to write about, from work related topics to writing about parenting (since I am a brand new father), to writing about my interests and other thoughts. The challenge I think is to keep it going since the interest and energy levels probably wane off once the initial excitement dies down.

Honestly, I think I have only been partially successful at keeping the blog going. What has been a challenge is blogging regularly. There were a total of 40 posts in the year. 31 of these came in the first half of the year! That may also have been due to the fact that I moved to a new location and unit in June last year and the work has been really hectic as one would expect in a new unit with really aggressive targets to achieve.

Anyway, enough excuses and let me get back to regular blogging this year.

Ahan's new blog

I've started a new photo and video blog to track Ahan growing up. Visit Ahan's blog here.

Cash for Votes - UPA Exposed

I am watching this live program on CNN IBN channel about the Cash for Votes issue and it is amazing how Amar Singh is still in office and the UPA government in power after such an expose! It is quite evident from the video footage that the three BJP MPs were offered money by Sanjeev Saxena on behalf of Amar Singh of SP.

More on Tapes of Cash for Votes here.