A strange commonality between the beauties and the geeks

Strange but true….I know of a friend (classical opera singer) stuck in NYC without work since she is unable to get the required visa. (Source: The Economist)

Beauty and the Geek

A new bill proposes more visas be allocated to fashion models

IT’S not often that fashion models are paired with IT workers, except in the lurid fantasies of computer geeks. But because of a decision made back in 1990 they must compete for the same over-subscribed H-1B, a temporary work visa for specialised occupations. Until 2004, when the government lowered the cap on the number of H-1Bs it issued, it didn’t matter so much. But now demand has far outstripped the limited number of visas available, and many foreign models are being denied the chance to sashay down America’s catwalks.

Anthony Weiner, a New York congressman, wants to fix this tragic glitch. He has proposed a bill amending the rules so that the models will be reclassified into their own special immigration category. This would free up more visas for the nerds; and it would allow 1,000 models to strut their stuff in America each year, compared with just 349 in 2007, half the annual number admitted between 2000 and 2005.

New England Clean Energy Council to ‘train’ and teach former IT/life sciences entrepreneurs

The New England Clean Energy Council is working hard to both create a cluster of energy and cleantech executives/entrepreneurs/enthusiasts in the New England region, and to increase the profile of the nascent energy industry in the region so dominated by IT/life sciences companies.

Among other things, they have done an excellent job in starting to gain visibility into the Massachusetts legislature and to push for an agenda to promote and support the clean energy entrepreneurs and their startups. Energy industry is unlike other industries - it is even slower moving than the automotive industry - and there is a lack of experienced/repeat entrepreneurs who can bring their knowledge of old war stories to bear down in tough times.

Hence, the initiative recently announced by the NECEC to create fellowships for training and transitioning of former IT/life sciences executives into the energy industry so they can become better acquainted with and knowledgeable in the management of cleantech industry. It is an excellent proposal, though not surprising given that a large number of NECEC members and even leaders fit the profile of those who can use this training themselves (notice the NECEC logo - looks familar?)….but more importantly, while I do think you cannot train an entrepreneur in a short crash program, such as the 3-month program NECEC proposes, it will go a long way in making enthusiastic entrepreneurs looking to enter the cleantech industry feel less intimidated, better networked, more familiar with the background info on the incumbent energy industry, and clustered together for support from each other.

Kudos to NECEC for organizing this!

Masdar City: Not a showcase, but an ‘Entrepreneurial Eco-system’

Here is an article I wrote for Dinar Standard. Check out this new publication that aims to discuss business issues in the Muslim world.

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Masdar City: Not a showcase, but an ‘Entrepreneurial Eco-system’

By Bilal Zuberi, Ph.D. , Guest Contributor Co-founder, GEO2 Technologies, Inc. Posted Apr 8, 2008

The world today runs on fossil fuel. Our food, water, transportation, and quality of life are all dependent on fuel that is primarily concentrated in a few geographic regions. Middle East has been endowed with vast reserves of oil and gas which have been the primary source of the economy of the region for the past few decades. It is estimated that in 2007 the world consumed greater than 446 quadrillion BTUs of energy (EIA estimates), more than 85% of which came from fossil fuels. This natural resource has brought a boom to Middle East economies. With oil prices above $100 per barrel, Abu Dhabi for example collects oil revenue greater than $200 million a day, giving it the 2nd highest GDP in the region (after Qatar).

Image source: www.masdaruae.com

But here’s a problem that all smart policy-makers in the oil producing countries are faced with: not only are their oil reserves expected to eventually run out (EIA estimates peak oil to be reached in year 2037), but they face also a mounting awareness around the world of the negative impact of continued dependence on fossil fuel. The 446 quadrillion BTUs of energy used to fuel the global economy also generated approximately 26,000 million metric tons of CO2, a greenhouse gas that is considered to be the primary culprit of global climate change. (Abu Dhabi is estimated to have a CO2 emissions intensity of 34 metric tons per capita, compared to a global average of 4.3 metric tons per capita. Source: EIA).

Global warming would bring a disruption of geological, climate and natural cycles that would put the lives of billions of people at risk due to changes in land temperatures, sea-water levels, rainfall patterns, biodiversity erosion, agricultural decline, spread of infectious diseases, and increased intensity of extreme weather events. It has become obvious that our fragile earth cannot continue to depend on fossil fuels and sooner or later, a sustainable energy source must be found.

“Abu Dhabi is estimated to have a CO2 emissions intensity of 34 metric tons per capita, compared to a global average of 4.3 metric tons per capita. Source: EIA” Image: www.abudhabi.ms

So what is a country that is dependant on extracting value from oil and gas to do? Abu Dhabi, it seems, has found a path towards a sustainable and profitable future. The Masdar Initiative is Abu Dhabi’s way of investing in their future, experimenting with technology and business innovations that can lend to a sustainable way of living for its residents, and for the rest of the world.

Client 9 and how to spend our tax-cut dollars in the US?

The business circles have been buzzing with jokes about (former) NY state governor Eliot Spitzer, who is now better known as Client 9, and his scandal involving a prostitute called Kristin (real name: Ashley Duprey). Hardly a day has gone by since the scandal broke out on news that I have not heard a joke related to it. I even joined a business conference call last week where one party dialed in and instead of using their real name, announced themselves as Client 9. There was a deadening silence… until we realized the joke and broke out into laughter.

All realities around Client 9, his beloved Kristin (who has a My Space website and yes, I did check it out), and his poor wife aside, I am amused by the whole issue. Why do we care so much about other peoples’ sex lives? Why are the holier-than-thou usually found with their pants down by their feet? and why are the democrats paying $5000+ for a sexual rendezvous while republicans are looking for it for free in public restrooms? (this is a Jay Leno joke!)

Anyways…I am outside the country right now and even here, the Client 9 story is following me. Or at least I can’t seem to get over it. Allow me my fun, please.

Here is a short letter to the editor I read today in the International Herald Tribune:

George W. Bush said each American would get a $600 check as a part of a stimulus package. If we spend the money at Wal-Mart, it will all go to China. If we spend it on computers, it will go mostly to Korea or India. If we spend it on gasoline, it will go to the Arab countries. None of these scenarios will help the US economy.

We need to keep the money in America. Currently, it seems that the only way to do that is to drink beer, gamble, or spend it on prostitution, the only businesses still left in the United States.

- Ted Rudow Menlo Park, California

Obama: Yes we can!

Two very interesting music videos supporting Obama. I so like his speech delivery! Uplifting.

Toscanini’s: In trouble for tax non-payment….help ‘em out

Toscanini’s is a landmark at Cambridge, and while the current generation of MIT students will not remember, they had a branch smack in the center of campus, in the student center, while I was a student there. So Toscanini’s ice-cream and coffee practically runs in my blood. I have met there, dated there, discussed problem sets, cursed professors, discussed politics, planned campus activities, and bitched about the tough life a Ph.D. student. Remember “IHTFP”?

But anyways…Given that I have still not moved from Boston/Cambridge, I visit Tosci’s often enough and continue to love its ice-cream. But today I heard on TV that Tosci’s was shut down just a few days ago and may have disappeared forever for non-payment of taxes exceeding $167,000…. if not for its faithful fans who created a Save Tosci’s website and donated over $31,000 to bring Tosci’s back online, and for bailing Gus, its owner, out. Tosci’s is open again, they are still accepting donations, and they want us to go back and buy lots more ice-cream. Lets go!

Here’s some more info on it. (Source)

Cambridge - One of the most popular ice cream haunts in Cambridge is now the property of the state.Toscanini’s Ice Cream, a mainstay for cool treats in Central Square since 1981, may not ever open again, and its owner, Gus Rancatore, owes the state’s Department of Revenue more than $167,000 in back taxes.

Happy holidays…and a Happy 2008!

(click on image to enlarge)

A case for ‘clean diesel’: It deserves a chance in the USA.

(Click on images to expand them for better readability)

Although I respect the position that diesel engines have yet to enter the US market in a big way, and whether this technology will triumph with the American consumer is still to be seen, all major car companies have shown signs of promoting “clean diesel” in the US. This phenomenon may in fact be fueled by the slowing growth of gasoline-hybrid technologies nationally and diesel’s success in Europe. Consider this: while US CAFÉ calls for 27mpg at present, Europe stands at 43mpg and Japan at 50mpg. To some extent, meeting the 35mpg standard proposed in the new energy legislation currently before Congress will mean converting many high torque vehicles to diesel - this would include pickup trucks, SUVs, large minivans and some larger family sedans.

Over the years, we’ve seen all kinds of “Year of…” come and go. But I think most will agree that if anything, 2007 has been the “Year of Energy and Environment” globally - and particularly in the US. While public and private initiatives, like the Google.org’s RE<C, have focused on electricity production for stationary applications, there is a need for a long-term sustainable development plan regarding energy for mobile applications, i.e. transportation. To this point, the question is not so much “what technologies will eventually win,” but more “how must they be staggered to be acceptable socially and developed sustainably in the long run.” At the same time, we have to consider how to ensure that the industries engaged in the sector continue to push the envelope in their technical and business processes to accomplish better, faster and cheaper vehicles sooner.

As innovators (not to be confused with inventors) discuss mobility solutions, the careful among them are paying a lot of attention to making sure we don’t find ourselves in the kind of pipe-dreams that were envisaged when nuclear power was first harnessed several decades ago. Yes, there was the promise of so much electricity that one would not even need to monitor how much we consumed, but we forgot to account properly for the cost of infrastructure, build-out and maintenance. What was missing in that “revolution” was a careful pathway that guided breakthrough innovations into familiar terrains where ideas could be tested and configured for mass adoption.

Emergency in Pakistan: A Political Meltdown

As a Pakistani, whose nation exists today in a state of emergency (and the constitution stands suspended), I am indeed upset, worried, and afraid of what is next. General Musharraf is, as a friend puts it, in a kar lo jo kar na hai (do what ever you want but I am here to stay) mode where he seems to be going about the country’s business like a mad bull in a china shop. As an outsider it appears that he and the government under him are breaking all rules, thinking that once all bones of this democratic society are broken they will somehow miraculously heal themselves right.

Is that true? I cannot tell, but it is a pity that while one can say good or bad things about General Musharraf’s control of the government, we still do not seem to have any clear alternatives that can warrant support. The official reason for the imposition of the emergency rule (i.e. mini martial law) is the increase in terrorist activity within Pakistan and the political pandemonium, but I doubt even he believes he can sell this to the nation. The real reason, I think, is that General Musharraf feels nobody else can fix this country - certainly not the corrupt, mostly illiterate and opportunist, politicians. So he feels he has to take control in one form or another if there is any hope to set the country on the right path. I question though if this high handed approach is a big part of the problem, and not the solution.

I strong resent the imposition of the emergency in Pakistan - whether one likes Musharraf’s policies or not. Panic has set in and it will take a long time for the nation to recover from this. For now, it is not more than just another tactic to stay in power, oppress the freedom of speech, and to heavy handedly silence the opposing voices in the society. Musharraf has laid out a good set of arguments for doing so - but it is not resonating with the times and the society he lives in.

But as I oppose the emergency rule now, I also openly admit that when Musharraf took control in Oct 1999 I did support him and wrote in his favor. At that time I was the President of the MIT’s Pakistani Students Society and wrote the following in the university newspaper The Tech. I am amazed how familiar the charges back then against Nawaz Sharif (then prime-minister) now sound similar to what is being practiced by General Musharraf himself.

The Pakistan Coup’s Other Side
Guest Column
Bilal Zuberi

Recently, a lot has been published in the Western press about the military coup in Pakistan. Most of the press coverage tends to give the impression that the country has been taken over by a ruthless band of military commanders, and the lives and liberties of ordinary civilians are threatened. On the contrary, it seems that a large majority of Pakistanis, in Pakistan and abroad, have welcomed the coup. There have been no large public protests or demonstrations in support of the ousted government.

Pakistani intellectuals and journalists belonging to many disparate camps are writing in favor of the military coup. The people of Pakistan are viewing the new leadership as a refreshing alternative to the elected but inept and corrupt governments of the recent past. The new military government has provided a beacon of hope to the people.

The Western media, in its sensational stereotyping of the coup, has largely ignored what the Pakistani people feel about the military takeover. Nawaz Sharif, the ousted prime minister, was elected in 1996. His party enjoyed an overall majority in the parliament. He had the golden opportunity to bring prosperity to the nation. Instead, Nawaz Sharif used the parliamentary majority to increase his power and his wealth, and in the process destroyed all institutions of checks and balances that are indispensible to any democracy. He introduced amendments in the constitution which made it illegal for any party member to express an opinion different from his or her party’s official policy.

Another MIT Hack … and Harvard again on the receiving end!

MIT does it again to Harvard.
Rob and I (R&B as one just called us) often jest with each other about the MIT Harvard rivalry, esp who adds more value. I tell him about the entrepreneurship spirit among MIT grads, and how we have contributed hundreds of billions of dollars to the economy, and then he tells me how Harvard grads make great bosses of MIT alums. Damn it! We clearly make an interesting team at the same time

In recognition of the release of Halo 3, a highly anticipated video game by Microsoft and Bungie, MIT hackers adorned the John P. Harvard statue, in Harvard Yard, with a Spartan helmet. The back of the helmet, which is worn by the protagonist of the game, Master Chief, was labeled with “Master Chief in Training.” The statue was decorated with an assault rifle (bullet count of 2E), as well as a Beaver emblem on the right shoulder.

Source: The Tech