It's been a few days since I wrote anything meaningful.

I've completed my run now. Thanks to all my sponsors! I'm happy for the kids. I'm happy good friends of mine supported me through everything. Thanks guys!

Sam!

Bottleneck (Training Day - 1 Feb, 2009)

http://theeconomicsofeverydaythings.blogspot.com/2009/02/bottleneck-training-day-1-feb-2009.html

Ten Thousand Meters

This is the altitude at which modern Jet airplanes fly.

This is also the distance I will be running on March 29, at the Statesman Capitol 10K.

Surprised?

If you know me well, you will be.

I am a theoretician. I can't play. I don't like to. I like books. But, I think rearranging my bookshelf is a chore. Physical exertion is quite alien to me.

In many ways, I'm just your guy next door. Someone quite typically in his late twenties. Still fresh from those dreamy years spent in college. Just waking up to the reality of adulthood. And Life.

I'm sometimes impatient with where I am, career wise. I look at Obama, and wonder why I am not where he is today. I conclude that it is because he is twenty years older. "All in good time...," I tell myself.

I like nice things. I want an iPhone. And a Porsche Boxter. My loyal steed, a Toyota Corolla, sometimes goes under appreciated.

And so on and on and on. I am like most people you meet. The similarities are so many...

And yet, there is one small difference.

I still dream. And believe, quite strongly, in the power of those dreams... That the world will be a better place. And that we can take it there. Together.

Which brings me to why I've started running... I'm running because I want to spread a message.

All of us know that education is important. We are where we are today, because of the good foundation that we got. We sometimes take that for granted.

There are many children out there who don't have access to this basic right. For some, its because of circumstance. For some, its because they don't have enough money. They have the same dreams that we do. And yet, they don't have the foundation to make it happen.

I believe I can make a difference in their lives. I believe you can too.

And so, I run.

I'm raising money to help the children at Gnanodaya. This is a school in Chennai, for healthy children of leprosy affected patients. The school provides food, shelter, and education to these children, free of cost to their parents, most of whom are below the poverty line.

Run with me. Support me. And consider donating to our cause.

There is one other thing... You have a good life. Celebrate that! Smile :)

Thank You!

Better World Books, Carbon Credits, Literacy efforts, A book sends me email, C++, Just plain funny

So I just bought a book from Better World Books, and paid $0.05 for Carbon Neutral Shipping. They said they were going to buy Carbon Credits to offset the carbon cost of shipping. So far, so good, right?

But these guys had some sense of humor. And some ambition. I quote...

Until Willie Nelson's Biodiesel bus does deliveries, we've got no choice but to send your book on normal planes, trains and automobiles. They all deliver your book considerably faster than we could on our bikes, but they belch carbon dioxide into the air the whole time. In case Al Gore hasn't stopped by your house, sat you down, and given you his slideshow yet, we've got some news for you. These carbon dioxide emissions are overheating our planet, causing a "climate crisis". Carbon Offsets are a way that we can "offset" these emissions through the purchase of clean energy credits and reversing deforestation. It is only a few pennies per book, but when thousands of people do it every day it adds up.

We looked at our shipments and used Carbonfund.org’s Carbonfree™ Shipping application to estimate the average offset needed for our packages and we always round up. 100% of the funds charged as Carbon Offsets WILL be used to purchase carbon offsets. Once Better World Books is 100% carbon neutral, we'll start to offset the carbon emissions of our non-profit partners. After that, we'll offset Exxon's emissions. They'll never know what hit 'em.

We work with Carbonfund.org to make this possible. If you like it, demand Carbonfree™ Shipping wherever you shop online.

Offsetting Exxon's emissions indeed... :)

And here's more... the book that I bought sent me an email just before being shipped:

Hello Karthik,

(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note - it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)

Holy canasta! It's me... it's me! I can't believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I've got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can't believe I'm leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already - the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge - so many memories. I don't have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it's time to see the world!

I can't wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Hamlet (bipolar) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Hamlet was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol' brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?

I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I've had, I'm ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn't take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I've found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.

But hey, enough about me, I've been asked to brief you on a few things:
You chose Standard shipping.
You can expect your order to arrive in 4-14 business days.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email my friend Jesse and his team at help@betterworld.com. If you could please include your order number (#######) that would be very helpful.

Eagerly awaiting our meeting,

Effective C++: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Design (2nd Edition)



Sometimes, humor crops up in the most unexpected of places. This was refreshing.

And these guys do seem serious about their mission. They donate to Literacy causes around the world. They ship Carbon Neutral. And their prices are quite reasonable too.

So there... check out BetterWorld.com the next time you're about to buy books.

The Exodus

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan echoes my sentiment in this article. Will miss you guys. And along with it, a part of my life :) Three cheers to Dada, and Jumbo.

Losing my religion, on Cricinfo

Anil Kumble is one of a kind. When asked why he doesn't spin the ball over by more than an inch, when people like Shane Warne turned a yard away, his reply was short: "The distance between the middle of the bat and the edge is one inch."

Dada was a great batsmen, especially against the spinners. But I will always remember Dada as the guy who gave Indian cricket its spine.

Do you run?

This seems to be the first question folks from Austin ask.

And they are not necessarily talking about reasonable distances like 200 m. They start from half-marathons (13 miles and change), and go on to full marathons (26.2 miles) and ultra marathons (a hundred miles through hilly terrain?). I'm impressed. But I have to think for a while. I like my knees. :)

Most Austin folks run as if their life depended on it. I've been spending a lot of time with the folks who volunteer for AID and ASHA. I have to say that they are a very very cool bunch of folks. And I've gotten introduced to some very very nice efforts that are underway in India both in the infrastructure development and the educational outreach areas. Last Friday for example, there was this lady from India, Kanchi Kohli who works with this NGO in Delhi called Kalp Vriksh. She gave a talk on how major initiatives in India go through without a good idea of the impact they would have on the environment. And the impact they end up having is usually quite disastrous. Google her up. I'm sure the Google God will bring up more on her than I can hope to express in this column.