It is a mistakes!

This guy Jay Leno pokes fun at news headlines most of which include bloopers and bad English. Now, he claims to hold up that newspaper because there is mistakes in it.

There is mistakes? Jay, it would be "There are mistakes". Don't make one while pointing out another.

Maybe the soil is wet

Google 'Loosing' Ground in China, blares this headline. Maybe it is the wet soil that makes the ground loose.

How could the idiots not know the difference between lose and loose? OK, ABC News guys, if you are reading this and still don't know what is amiss, please go here for an explanation.

31-Aug:
Shas boss forwarded the above part to ABC and they actually reacted. Now, we realise that Google is Losing Ground in China.

Fishing in the skies

The word 'Kingfisher' has ceased to remind one of a particular bird. Beer is what comes to the mind on hearing 'Kingfisher'. Now, Kingfisher has taken to the skies. Yes, Kingfisher Airlines is jet-setting.

At the airport last Saturday (20 August), Arvind wondered if they serve their beer in-flight. A good idea, if one were to follow the message on a particular T-shirt: Save water, drink beer. What a noble thought!

Alternatively, he pondered if the aeroplane runs on beer as its fuel. Another good idea. Better patent it before someone else.

Personally, I prefer the first idea of serving beer instead of water.

Welcome on board Kingfisher Airlines. We ensure that when you fly high, you stay 'high'.
The delay in take-off is due to a technical snag and Kingfisher Airlines request you to beer with the delay.

'Air Deccan' Chronicle

Air Deccan started trivialising air travel. Unfortunately, the trivialising continued to the flight attendants' uniforms as well. A non-descript free-flowing skirt is topped by a tight bright-yellow three-quarter sleeve shirt that, well, doesn't seem long enough.

To illustrate the fact that the attendants aren't quite comfortable in their outfits, here is what happened when they showed where the emegency exits are:
(voice over) "there are two exits at the back..." (attendants with their arms forward)
(voice over) ".. and two on the sides" (arms stretched sideways to the shoulder-level). The shirt lifts up a bit due to the upward movement of the arms.

The shirt being a bit tight, it stays as it is when the attendants drop their hands to the normal position. They hurriedly adjust the shirts with a pull downwards.

So much for cutting the edges to make travel cheaper.

How does Star Wars relate to software?

Fluke Jaywalker

Six episodes, six lessons. Though George Lucas might not admit it, the "Star Wars" saga is all about the software industry. The parallels are as amazing as the movies themselves.

The story of Anakin Skywalker (later Darth Vader) is not just about good becoming evil, but is about the young rebel who challenges the policies of the management. However, as he keeps moving towards meddle management, he is assimilated and forces the same policies on the young ones.

Han Solo is the classic software dude - a mercenary. Will do anything for a flying mission. All the things he would hate to do at off-shore, he would not mind doing on an on-site assignment. Just as merceneries do what you want for money, the software professionals will be whatever you want them to be - mainframe guy or Java girl - as long as you are willing to pay and send them on-site.

Jabba, the Hutt, is the corporate that holds employees (like Han Solo) by means of a bond. Han Solo's side-kick Chewbacca is the excess baggage that comes with the top recruits. You recruit a senior guy and he brings along one of his cronies. You can't stand the crony, but you can't do anything about it. The only difference:

Chewbacca is competent.

Most software guys (despite their attitudinal similarity to mercenaries) are like the Jedi knights. In fact, the Jedi mind trick of making the other person listen to them is based on the software guys' assertive:

"It is not a bug, it is a feature".

Episode 4 (A New Hope) was inspired by the open source movement. George Lukas would hate to admit this, but it is obvious where he picked up his by-line from:

"May the source be with you".

I encourage you to think deeply (if it wouldn't hurt your brains) and ponder if "Star Wars" was about galaxy far, far away or if it represents something closer home.