unemployment - sweeping across and changing the face of America

This is unbelievable. Click the play button and see the rising unemployment rate that is sweeping the nation. It is really scary. I mean really really scary. Hold on to your jobs those who have one and those who do not, brace yourself and pray that the country recovers and recovers fast.

http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

You can check the link after few month to see updated information as new data comes in.

Good Luck and God Bless.

a technical writer’s retelling of little red riding hood

Little Red Riding Hood (please do not use this as an example of useable technical writing!)
At a previous but undetermined timeframe, a single-family domestic domicile was inhabited by a young girl, known as Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH), and her Maternal Parent (MP). The Maternal Parent (MP) had once provided for the fabrication of an article of clothing, a cloak in nature (including a "hood" or protective covering for the head of the wearer), that was RGB code [255,0,0] in hue (aka, "red"). As a result of this action, and the resultant repeated usage of the "hood", the young girl was always known as LRRH in substitution for the name identified on her birth certificate and other identifying documentation. During one 24-hour interval, a request was issued by the MP for LRRH to deliver a package to the MP's Maternal Parent (MPMP) (genealogically identified as the Grandmaternal Unit (GU) with respects to LRRH). This package was to include:
- cheesecakes
- fresh butter
- one dozen (12) strawberries

Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) optioned to accept the Task Order (TO). LRRH further sourced a package delivery vehicle with the proper functionality for the Task Order, selecting a wicker basket. After a thorough and complete market survey, leveraging LRRH's experience with similar Task Orders in the past, cheesecake and fresh butter were acquired from the kitchen, whereas strawberries were acquired from the garden. While the latter item was not, strictly speaking, within the bounds of the Task Order, the marginal cost savings as compared to waiting for strawberries to grow in the kitchen appeared to be of great benefit to the MP in the completion of the Task.

With initial outsourcing complete, the journey was commenced by LRRH (see Appendix A: Proposed Map of Route Between the Domiciles of MP and GU). During a brief eleventh-hour meeting, MP issued a contract rider requiring the complete confidentiality of all personnel working the Task Order. LRRH assured MP that there would be no violation of this rider.

In the course of executing the Task Order, LRRH was approached by market competitor Old Grey Wolf (OGW). There were inquiries from OGW to LRRH regarding the nature of the Task Order, and in violation of the contract rider, LRRH disclosed sensitive and mission-critical data relating to the Task. Table 1-1 illustrates the nature of the information believed to have been compromised: Table 1-1: Information Compromised by LRRH During Interactions With GW

Nature of Data Disclosed To Severity of Disclosure

Contents of Basket Old Grey Wolf Medium

Nature of Task Old Grey Wolf High

Destination of Journey Old Grey Wolf High

The identity of LRRH had been predetermined by OGW using standard practices of observation; therefore, that information was not compromised by the actions of LRRH.
It was the intent of OGW to compromise the functionality of LRRH, but the potential negative impact on its operations by the nearby presence of an organized unit of fully-functional Wood Cutters (WC) provided for the redirection of its action item to the domicile of GU.

Though LRRH had blatantly violated the terms of the contract rider, this violation went unreported to supervisory entities (i.e., MP) by the violator. LRRH continued to action the Task Order despite clear and compelling evidence that the integrity of the process had been disenfranchised by the OGW.

While LRRH continued to analyze its processes through the implementation of the Task Order, OGW leveraged its greater cumulative experience and used Best Practices to arrive at the GU client site in a more efficient and expedient manner than LRRH. Therein, the functionality of GU was impacted by the biorhythmic needs of OGW in a negative manner.

Upon the dissemination of information related to the pending closure of the Task Order assigned to LRRH, OGW engaged in an enterprise-wide analysis of situational readiness. Determining that there were vulnerabilities in OGW's methodology, OGW elected to redesign the external identifiers of OGW to better emulate those of GU, by means of garbing the nightgown generally associated with GU and altering the vocal patterns of OGW to align with precedents set by GU.

After completing the Task Order by delivering the deliverables:
- cheesecakes;
- fresh butter; and
- one dozen (12) strawberries
LRRH recorded observations of the host system. These observations included, but were not limited to:
- My what big ears you have!
- My what big eyes you have!
- My what a big nose you have!
- My what big teeth you have!

Upon receipt of the host system status analysis, OGW prepared and delivered a response regarding the functionality of the concerned functionalities, to include:
- This functionality leverages the soundwaves generated from other sources, such as LRRH, to
amplify the positive audio signal from such sources for the end user.
- This functionality absorbs underutilized light emissions and their reflection from objects
thereon, such as LRRH, to better provide for the identification of nearby entities by the end
user.
- This functionality analyzes the available transient atmospheric particles against a matrix of
known particle cultures, such as LRRH, to provide near-instantaneous and transparent
supplemental feedback to the end user.
- This functionality greatly impacts the capacity of the OGW to reprocess physical assets related
to LRRH in such a manner as to benefit the continued functional life-cycle of the OGW
operations!!
Immediately thereafter, Old Grey Wolf (OGW) executed its asset plan action item and severely compromised the functionality of Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH).

why China's bullying will lead to it's downfall

In high school there always use to be bullys. These bullys always use to pick on kids that would mind their own business or sometimes tried to pick on kids that were a threat to them. Such is the story of China and India. Realize that the bully here is China. China has a mighty army and in the recent years it has spent almost three times as much as India on developing and advancing their defense systems.

The northern border tensions between the two county had recently raised eyebrows of leaders all over the world. Time magazine reports that "Tensions along the Himalayan frontier with China have spiked noticeably since a round of Sino-Indian talks over long-standing territorial disputes this summer ended in failure. In their wake, the frenetic Indian press have chronicled reports of nighttime boundary incursions and troop buildups, even while officials in both governments have downplayed such confrontations. Elements in the Indian media point almost daily to various signs of a Beijing plot to contain its neighbor's rise, a conviction aided by recent hawkish editorials from China's state-run outlets. This week, leading Indian news networks loudly cataloged Chinese transgressions under headlines like "Red Peril" and "Enter the Dragon.""

The history between China and India is not that rosy and there have been rifts in this relationship as well. The two countries fought a war in 1962 where the well-trained and well-armed troops of the Chinese People's Liberation Army overpowered the ill-equipped Indian troops, who had not been properly acclimatized to fighting at high altitudes. Since then the two countries have overcome their tensions a little bit to become major trading partners. China is India's biggest trading partner.

But it looks like the Chinese still live in the colonial world, where they refuse to acknowledge geographical boundaries and think that everything that is worth having can be taken by force. Starting with the north Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh (which China claims is in their territory), China has increased their takeovers in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the thoroughfare for nearly half of all global seaborne trade, and the coastal states are home to over 60% of the world's oil and a third of its gas reserves.

As per Time magazine - "To safeguard its vast appetite for oil and other natural resources, particularly those drawn from Africa, China has embarked upon a "string of pearls" strategy, building ports and listening posts around the Indian Ocean rim. Beijing's projects span from the Malacca Straits to the Cape of Good Hope and many places in between, including countries that were once in India's sphere of influence. A massive deep-sea port being built by Chinese funds and labor at Hambantota, at the southern tip of Sri Lanka, has in particular riled Indian analysts. With a $1 billion facility also under construction in Gwadar, in Pakistan, China will eventually possess key naval choke points around the subcontinent that could disrupt Indian lines of communication and shipping. Reports of a tense standoff earlier this year between Indian and Chinese warships on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden — though dismissed by both governments — did little to subdue the sense of distrust brewing between policymakers on both sides."

Much of the dispute comes from the fact that China has a difference in perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas. Both sides carry out patrolling activity in the India-China border areas. Transgressions of the LAC are taken up through diplomatic channels and at Border Personnel Meetings/Flag Meetings. India and China seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question through peaceful consultations. But lately China is following it's own agenda and feels it is the lone king in the Asian subcontinental jungle. It has been trespassing Indian territory on land and in the sea. It is also fueling India's nemesis Pakistan with advanced weapons. It would not be fair to even classify the actions of China as a guessable scenario. China can not see how India is progressing and wants to leave no room for another superpower (other than itself) emerging over the next 5-10 years.

Such hostile nature will only lead to China's downfall. China is loosing the war within its own boundaries and with increasing opposition to the way the country is run, it is advisable that the Chinese heed attention to conflicts within their own walls. Like any other colonial era countries/powers, China will face serious economic consequences if it continues it's aggression.

house of cards.. how the greed on wall street bankrupted america

In this spine chilling documentary by CNBC you can see how those greedy bankers on Wall Street put the their greed ahead of the anything else, let alone the very country which gave them the opportunity to be where they were.

"Let's hope we are all wealthy and retired by the time this house of cards falters." - Internal Email, Wall Street, 12/15/06

You do not want to miss this -

well said mr. steele! now what?

Seems like everyone who is anyone wants to be the new face of the beaten and battered Republican Party. But who better than chairman Michael Steele himself? In fact, who better than an African American to take shots at the first African American president? The Republican party is leaving no stone unturned to try and rebuild their image and take shots at the ruling party and its leaders.

But there was a difference in how Louisiana Governer. Bobby Jindal followed up after Presidents State of the Union speech and how chairman Michael Steele addressed the 'Republican National Committee State Chairmen'. Mr. Steele's speech was to the point and did hold your attention span for longer than you blink your eye (which was the case in Gov. Jindal's speech). From invoking Ronald Regan to "trying" (emphasis on the air quotes) to energize the republican base, Steele talked about it all. What now? Isn't it too soon? Elections are in 2012 not 2010 Mr. Steele.

Regardless of how this turns out for the republican party I do agree with the following comments made by Mr. Steele to President Obama (as I too am not in favor of the socialist agenda) -

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift."

"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong."

"You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer."

"You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred."

"You cannot establish security by borrowing money."

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich."

"You cannot build character and courage by taking away one's initiative and incentive."

"You cannot help individuals permanently by doing for them what they should do for themselves."

(Read the full text of his speech at - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/19/michael-steele-delivers-s_n_205268.html )

It seems that the 'NO-BAMA' bandwagon is going to be set on rewind for the next 4-8 years. Till then, lets hope for "change" soon or China will be all over USofA.

who is the fake IPL player?

As the current edition of IPL moves into its second half, there is unimaginable excitement on the ground in every match and off the ground after every match. As soon as a match is over (especially if Kolkata Knight Riders were playing) millions of cricket fans log onto fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com to see if their inside reporter has posted something new. Yes, it is none other than the blog of the so called ‘Fake IPL Player’. The second edition of IPL has given cricket lovers a new source for information on what happens in the dressing room during the match and in the nigh clubs after the match.

So before we try to get the juices of our brain flowing and guess who this Fake IPL player is, we first need to validate if he/she is actually who he/she claims to be? The Fake IPL Player claims to belong to the Kolkata Knight Riders squad/team and promises to reveal himself/herself on the day of the team’s last match. From seeing the way KKR has played so far and seeing them continue the trend in their own style by loosing to Delhi today, the day of revelation doesn’t seem too far. I can’t believe I am going to say this but I am waiting for that day as eagerly as I am waiting for the Transformers sequel (of course not for the machines and Michael Bay’s repetitive direction – you all know for whom, do I hear a Fox in there?). The posts on the blog are too detailed for any outsider to know. The level of detail provided on the activities that go on in the team room, after the matches, before the matches, the tensed situations and conversations after the losses don’t easily register in our minds as fiction or some ardent fans imagination.

But, if it indeed is someone’s imagination what a crafty imagination it is. The writer is definitely a big fan of cricket (if not from within the team) as even in his/her imagination he/she stays true to the characters he/she is talking about. For example, making sure that whenever he/she writes about the famous blonde Australian cricketer, he/she always mentions a pretty lady or two in the story, which is synonymous with what we have seen and known about the legendary spinner over the years. The fake names used by the writer to represent the cricketers on the blog are also inline with the cricketer’s career, playing style, etc. For example referring to Ajit Agarkar as the ‘Former Indian Cricket who will always be the Former Indian Cricketer’ (taking a shot at Ajit’s not so successful cricket career) and referring to Sachin Tendulkar as the ‘Little Monster’ (I assume for his playing style).

If it is someone from within the team (as the writer claims to be), it is definitely from a handful of names. My guess is definitely a player from the sub-continent, has given up on all future hopes of playing any form of cricket and believes he can play the sport as well as anyone else on the team. My brain registers the following names and chances of the name being the Fake IPL Player when I think of the points mentioned above –

1. Sourav Ganguly (20% - Based on the fact that he is going to retire from all forms of cricket any time now)
2. Ajit Agarkar (20% - Based on the fact that he is tired of trying to prove himself every time and still the selecters ignore him)
3. Akash Chopra and Sanjay Bangar (6% and 5% - Based on the fact that they were the original suspects but the blogging continues even after their departure)
4. Not a member of Kolkata Knight Rider (51% - Based on the fact that the blog itself belongs to the ‘Fake IPL Player’ and it might as well be the perfect end to a terrific piece of fiction)

Whoever it is, he/she has entertained fans with his/her informative and detailed posts. Even though I do not fully agree with the method used (if it is a member of KKR squad) to express his frustration with the BCCI and Indian selectors, I do read and check his blog daily. This is definitely a new dimension to the blogging world. Is this what one would call ‘Reality Blogging’ at its best?

Your guesses about the Fake IPL Player and/or comments are always welcome !!

implementing security and identity and access management (IAM) for EHRs

In order to successfully implement EHRs across all entities (such as hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, health insurance companies, and so on) need to coordinate efforts with all the parties involved. The current credit history reporting model can serve as a starting point for implementing security and IAM for EHRs. In the current credit history model, independent companies collect data from various sources such as credit card companies, loan agencies, banks, etc. to maintain the credit history of an individual. An individual is identified by his/her social security number and date of birth and can request a credit history report online or via mail or email. Whenever the individual tries to purchase something on credit (such as car, house), he/she grants access to the lending company to request a credit history report from the independent company that maintains it in their database.

For EHRs a similar shift will have to happen for EHRs. The EHRs will have to be maintained online by independent companies and these EHRs should be considered as the source of truth with the latest and most recent information. All the local hospital and clinics should send updates to the EHRs at the independent companies to keep the records updated. This would require the right access privileges for the hospitals, etc. to be able to update the records. An individual will have to select one company with which they want to keep their EHR.

The following is a process flow for EHR information and access –

The patient will have access to EHRs and will be able to view and modify his/her own health record. The patients can update the EHR after visiting the pharmacy to add any over the counter medication purchased or can also add any other hospital visits, lab results, etc. The patient’s identity profile should have all access to EHRs including the ability to overwrite information entered by any other source. The patient should also have the access to add, enable and disable other users to view and/or modify his/her health record.

The other users can be granted privileges as determined by the patient. The assumption is that only those physicians, hospitals and individuals can update/modify the patients EHR who are granted access by the patient. If a hospital wants to view or enter information into a patient’s EHR, the patient will have to add the hospital as a user in the profile so that the hospital has access to the patients EHR. Similarly other users whom the patient grants access to can also be added to view and/or modify the EHR. But, to view patient information, a clinic or hospital will only need to implement and EHR system certified by Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT). Products receive their CCHIT certification after demonstrating 100 percent compliance with hundreds of criteria in the areas of functionality, interoperability and security.

The criteria are developed by Work Groups representing volunteers from all segments of the healthcare industry, including physicians, payers, vendors, healthcare consumers, public health agencies, quality improvement organizations, clinical researchers, standards development and informatics experts and government agencies; they are approved by CCHIT’s Commissioners. Thus, providers with a CCHIT certification will not need pre-approval from patients to view their EHR in case of an emergency.

In order to achieve the model detailed above, the first step is to outline a security policy for EHRs across interoperable systems that define permitted actions (actions that users can perform based on their roles), event-triggered actions (actions different users of the system can perform when an emergency occurs), refrain actions (actions the users should refrain from) and delegation actions (actions that can be delegated to different users in the system). A combined control method which uses the principles Role Based Access (RAC) and Discretionary Access Control (DAC) will have to be implemented. Based on RAC principles, the users of EHRs will have defined roles and each of the entities in the EHR model will define the user roles within their system. Users will also have attributes assigned to them which will restrict their actions and access to systems and applications within the systems. Based on DAC principles, patients will also need to self-register themselves and need rights to grant access to other individuals (such as physicians, family members and so on). Thus, a comprehensive access control method can be applied to EHRs as detailed above.

electronic health Records, HIPAA and the coming paradigm shift for identity and access management (IAM)

There is a lot of buzz these days in the health industry and related entities. This buzz marks the beginning of a new age in health industry technology. It comprises of easy and quick online access to an individual’s personal health records from anywhere around the globe. This also includes granting access to the health record for anyone (provider, pharmacy, other family members, etc.) that the individual selects. The buzz is so loud that even technology giants like Microsoft and Google could not refrain from it. Both these companies mostly involved with technology have allocated significant resources (budget, manpower, etc) to coming up with the right approach for implementing online Electronic Health Records (EHR).

As the health industry braces for the technological challenges that come with providing health records electronically online, so does the area of Identity and Access Management (IAM). Providing EHRs online in a secure manner asks for a paradigm shift in the field of security and IAM. For starters in today’s world organizations struggle with implementing the right identity and access privileges to its customers for online applications that require information access across third parties. EHRs will require access to a health record online for any entity or object or user across the country and also will require different privileges for different entities or objects or users. This requires a completely new approach to IAM and when you mix these challenges with the HIPAA and other federal regulations, a fundamental shift in IAM approach is inevitable.

In the posts to follow, I will discuss how the IAM can be implemented for EHRs.

one of the proudest moments of my life

Lara Dutta and Shatrunjay Gaekwad as guest judges on Knights and Angels!! Hopefully it is just the beginning :)

the credit crisis and how we got there

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

the case for 'curious case'

Type the key words 'Oscars 2009' or academy awards 2009' and your typical search engine will return links with Slumdog Millionaire in in the brief description. If it were up to the typical movie buff in America (many of which represent the typical movie critique at E! News, Boston Globe, etc.), the Oscar for Best Motion Picture would have been given to Slumdog Millionaire months ago. The reason being as simple as the movie offers the story of hope and courage.

Or, if you talk to someone who has watched the film and does not know much about India, you would learn the real reason why Slumdong is such a success in the US. Majority audience in the US has hardly seen the level of poverty captured by Danny Boyle's team. They might have heard of it, but were never able to put the information to imagination. With Slumdog, audience is able to visualize how bad it can be in third world countries. They are shocked by the fact that there are people in the world who would cut limb's of kids and make them beg for money and thrive on it. Where is the greatness of the film in all this?

Some might argue that Slumdog was liked by the US audience for it's story. Believing this statement is catering negligence. How many films can you name that were nominated for best film at the academy awards and were hated in some part of the world and loved in other. Take great films like Titanic or Rocky or Gladiator or The Godfather, all were loved in every part of the world. Slumdog Millionaire bombed at the Indian box-office. Why? Because what is shown in the film is not new for the the audience. It is a way of life. Again, where is the greatness of the film or the story in all this?

The curious case of Benjamin Button is not your typical Oscar film, but a class above it. There has hardly ever been a collage of acting, screenplay, editing and direction so beautifully presented on celluloid. The story goes in intimate details without slowing the pace of the screenplay. It is David Fincher's greatest work yet and a deviation from his normal genre.

After winning the Screen Actors Guild Award and Directors Guild Award for best film, Slumdog Millionaire has the momentum and the buzz it needs to bag the Academy Award as well. But, the academy might do the right thing by honoring the deserving film with the honor, which clearly is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

If this is not a case enough, try comparing 'Slumdog Millionaire' to other movies that have won the Oscar for best film in the past 10 years and you will see what I mean by 'greatness of the film'. Then see 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' and see how it fares with other 'great films'.