The Abyss

This is how close we came to the end of our economic system last September. A sobering reminder that we must act now, triaging to keep the patient alive even in the face of uncertainty. I've heard Michael Steele and the other Republicans sing the tune of fiscal responsibility and lowered taxes - and stonewalling against Barack to score political points. That's all the ideas they have - regurgitating Ronald Reagan. Intellectually bankrupt. And on the wrong side of history.

First Photographer

Does this guy have the best job in the world or what? Pardon the obligatory pre-roll ad...

Street Cred

Street Art finally gets the legitimate respect it deserves. I love the fact that street artists thumb their nose at the arts establishment/snobs and create timeless art in the process - I've always been turned off by things that divide the world into the 'in crowd' and everyone else - the culture equivalent of "Whites-Only" country clubs that still dot the South. Money quote from Shepard Fairey, "I'm trying to reach as many people as possible."

The Commute Never Looked So Good

This rocks...

Pu'Er Tea Mania

In the long, illustrious (not) line of bubbles stretching from Tulip-Mania, Dot-Bombs, here's some nice soothing tea.

Life on Mars Countdown

I'm really hoping that microbes are responsible for the Methane detected in the Martian Atmosphere. I am certain that in my lifetime life on other systems will not only be found but will have been found to be commonplace. Bugs everywhere!

Israel and India Together

I think the unspeakable horrors that transpired in Mumbai my hometown, will bring the great nations of Israel and India even closer together - with the blessings of the US. I admire the determination of the Israeli government to go after terrorists - and I suspect we've not heard the last of their involvement in bringing the LeT and their backers to justice.

My City Burns

Mumbai is caught unawares in perhaps the deadliest terrorist strike in a long time. I think it way past time before the Islamic Fundamentalists likely behind this latest outrage be brought to rough justice. And their silent backers be wiped from the face of this Earth.

For now our prayers are with those that lost their loved ones - and we give thanks for the fact that our families are out of harm's way.

Elephants for God!

The battle for the 'hem soul of the G.O.P has been joined. If that party has to have a smidgen of a chance of staying relevant to the lives of Americans, they must jettison the religious crazies from their midst. So says Kathleen Parker, now persona-non-grata with the Religious Wrong.

How bad does it get?

This bad. Michael Lewis reprises his take on Wall Street in "Liar's Poker," this time turning his eye to the great crash of 2008.

Will.We.Can

That new song sure is catchy...

Down 640K Lane

Wired waxes nostalgic about Windows - right from the Windows 1.0 days. I came of age as a DOS and Windows hacker - which is how I landed my first job at IBM, writing Device Drivers and OS Extensions. Those were the fun days. Nothing compares to writing (yes, it's an art) code.

GPS

Fareed Zakaria opines on the Obama victory. I think he may be right about the parallels between the circumstances that FDR and Barack find themselves in. The lazy, conventional wisdom of the post-Reagan era may not suffice if we are to pull back from the brink of economic calamity.

Jennifer's Story

My classmate at Cal Jennifer Donnelly writes a moving essay on the fight for equality in California. The day is not far when we'll look back at those that stood in the way of progress the same way we now look at segregationists and racists.

That said there is a solid cadre of people who could be swayed either way. This time they voted against marriage equality. I strongly believe that they can be persuaded - and will be persuaded - one person at a time. The battle for their hearts and minds will be won - but it will take time, moral suasion and passion. Fight the good fight.

Behind the Curtain

The first exposé of the campaign for the White House. It's a fascinating read...

Dubai, UAE

I return from a week long trip to the Persian Gulf. Dubai has perhaps more construction cranes per square mile than any place I've seen. Buildings are coming up like rabbits in a multiplication frenzy. That said, every place feels like I took the wrong exit and landed up in Disneyland.

My friends weren't kidding that all one can do there is shop and eat. And so it is. I'm not much for shopping - except the obligatory trek to the Mall of Emirates - home to the world's most ersatz ski-run - yes: it's indoors. The slog there is made worthwhile only because I pick up some kick-ass Arabic pop including the smash hit Tootya. And the food, while great, is marred by some extremely surly management on at least one occasion. Service with a snarl it would appear.

It's not all bad. I hire a car to take me around 'old' Dubai - defined as any place older than 5 years. Anwar my chauffeur, is from Kerala in India. He regales me with stories about boozy old men trolling the fleshpots which startles me a bit because I would imagine here-parts to be far more conservative. It turns out Dubai is where the entire Middle East comes to 'unwind.' Everything apparently is fair game - as long as you don't make a big show of it.

The Gold and Spice souks are interesting - and remind me of my hometown of Mumbai. The air's infused with cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Gujaratis seem to own many of the jewelry stores - straight out of Zaveri Bazaar.

He drives me around the old dockyards and I'm fairly amazed by what I see - decrepit dhows and steamers loaded to the hilt with all manners of dry goods including flat panel TVs, airconditioners, mountains of rice and spice stuffed into jute and polythelene bags. This is the way Dubai has flourished for centuries - as a trading outpost for countries rimming the Gulf. I ask a weather-beaten shiphand where his ship's heading to - "Bushehr, Iran," comes the answer.

I request Anwar to take me to the dives to eat some authentic biryani and he comes through. We share rice, lamb, spice and grease - the total tab? 25 Dirhams (approx: 7 USD). And no bottled water for me - the glass of tap water is sufficiently dirty, just the way I like it. In the immortal words of our soon-to-be-superannuated village idiot - "Bring it on!"

One of my colleagues is really hot for Burj Al Arab - and so we make the obligatory trek to its bar only to gag on $10 bottles of wine marked up twenty times. Yikes! Talk about an arbitrage opportunity. We settle for el-cheapo martinis - loading up on the as yet free olives. Phew!

I espy very few natives - Dubai appears to be run by a vast army of South Asian immigrant labor toiling away for not a whole lot. In fact, the entire staff of my very comfortable hotel is either from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or the Philippines. I feel strongly that there is very little separating these folks from the life and opportunities that I've been given - I feel a wave of humility and gratitude wash over me. I try to tip (out-of-pocket needless to say) whenever I can. I feel remiss with the overt gestures of hospitality and respect - too many years in America, I suppose.

On my last morning in Dubai I decide to catch up on my reading by the very nice beach attached to a sister hotel. The waters of the Arabian Sea are warm and two shades of blue. I feel suddenly homesick for Mumbai, a mere 600 miles to the west. I wade in trying to look nonchalant about the Jellyfish warnings. Needless to say, I'm scared witless but take some confidence from the hordes of people in the water.

On way out of the hotel I see some American dude yelling at the waitstaff and it makes my blood boil. It's clear there is a strong socioeconomic caste system at play in this country - with the Emirati Arabs enjoying the benefits of a cradle-to-grave welfare state, followed by white expats managing most businesses - and down the ladder.

I ask Charles my Filipino cab-driver how long he's been here and how long he intends to stay here. "14 years - and I get to see my kids maybe once a year back in Manila." He continues, "No one wants to stay in Dubai - it's just the economic conditions back home are worse. And I've a family to feed." He laments that Dubai has become ruinously expensive in the last few years, so much so that many people commute in to work from the neighboring Emirates like Sharjah, where things are a fair bit less dear.

At the airport, I make the acquaintance of a kind gentleman - a fellow traveller from the Bay Area it turns out - who gets me past the long lines and into the frequent flyer queue by claiming I'm with him. Turns out he's here in Dubai to drum up business for his Marin County startup.

I sink into my cramped seat - and hope that I can stay asleep the entire duration of the 15 hour flight to Washington D.C.

Focus Groups

Watching a focus group for web-collaboration unfold. The attendees are mostly a middle-aged bunch - "My kid is on that Facebook thing." Yikes! But then again we do create products for everyone.

A Beautiful Day

We awake to a gloriously sunny and crisp morning in San Francisco to head out for coffee, breakfast, the Times and the Chronicle. It's one of those mornings where one literally bounds out of bed full of hope and promise.

We won! America won! The world heaves a sigh of relief. Now on to the hard task of rebuilding this nation - and the world.

At the same time, we feel pained for LGBT brothers and sisters. We drove past the Castro last night and the signs for "No on 8" were everywhere. Drivers honked their support at volunteers holding up placards in the face of a chilly evening.

I know we will live to fight the good fight again and that our own children will come of age in a time when these old divisions will matter no more.

Mahatma Gandhi said it correctly: "We must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."

Yes We Can!

The results are in - Barack Hussein Obama will be the 44th President of this great nation - from many, one. XuanThu and I will tell our children that we saw history being made, when this uniquely American son of a Kansan and a Kenyan gave lie to that old chestnut - that America was not "ready" for a Black President. Leave aside America, the world rejoices. Let us reclaim our shining city upon the hill from the forces of darkness and evil now resident in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I tear up - not when I see hear his acceptance speech live on TV, but when I replay that same speech in the quiet of our home. He looks somber, presidential. The road ahead is difficult and the sacrifices we will have to endure many, but, "Yes, we can."

Eric Schmidt for America's CTO!

Google releases a pretty cool Live Results Widget. My inner nerd rejoices...