Welcome to my la-la land!

Copa India!

2007-03-24T02:42:00.000+05:30

Robin Uthappa
Sourav Ganguly
Virender Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar
Rahul Dravid
Yuvraj Singh
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Ajit Agarkar
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
Munaf Patel

Amazing performance. I enjoyed the World Cup Final today. We almost won the cup. Just heard this from one of the commentator on the show.

"There has never been a team which promises so much on paper but delivers so little" Perhaps that's exactly how we could characterize our country. We are such pushovers.

So who are we killing today?

GM Diet Results!

2007-02-07T12:00:00.000+05:30

Since there are several curious souls who want to know about the effectiveness of GM Diet, I hereby declare the results of GM Diet.

I enjoyed the GM Diet program and maintained a journal of all my experiences on a daily basis. Here is how the journal reads from the section where I recorded my weight differences.

Day 0: x kgs
Day 1: less by 1.2 kgs
Day 2: less by 0.8 kgs
Day 3: less by 0.9 kgs
Day 4: less by 1.1 kgs
Day 5: less by 0.7 kgs
Day 6: less by 0.4 kgs
Day 7: less by 0.5 kgs

There you go. So I lost 5.6 kgs by the end of 7 days of rigorous diet routine. Do note that I measured weight every day around the same time.

On Day 7, my legs felt good. On Day 8, eating a full meal was a different experience. Just out of curiousity, I measured my weight on Day 8 after resuming my usual eating habits. Guess what? I made good progress. I gained as much as 5.1 kgs of the 5.6 kgs I had lost by the previous day.

I'm so happy about the results. Shows what I'm truly capable of.

Newsworthy!

2007-01-30T21:08:00.000+05:30

I have the nasty habit of arranging all news channels in a sequence, by language. Quite often, the same story plays on all news channels. Same face, same interviews ... what are the odds? You flip the channels and you catch the same story in every news channel. Like they are pre-programmed and synced. Worst part is I don't even consider these stories worthy of a 8 PM or 9 PM time slot.

Sample this .. Prime time news informs you that Ash and Abhishek are engaged. You are shown a repeating clip of Amitabhji trying to drive a car with the newly engaged couple seated in the back. Next story informs you that Abhishek popped the question when in Canada after Guru's premiere. Now its time for the visual to show you Guru's hoarding. Next story informs me that Amitabhji and Amar Singhji are very happy with the couple's decision. Time for these two accomplished individuals to show off their sherwanis. Next story informs me that there is celebration in a street in Allahabad. A bunch of eager-to-please street faces appear on the visuals now. Then comes the last story on the headlines where I'm informed that Ash's parents are tight-lipped about the developments.

Question: Why is the whole nation hijacked by these news channels to show us only one story? Did the whole nation come to a standstill? How come there are no other stories?

And then there is always a "breaking news". Breaking News used to be an alert! Something significant. But for our desi news channels, breaking news can be an entire cricket match covered through that narrow strip of screen space. Or it could be that some Singh kissed a Rakhi Something on the lips. Or it could be that Jade Goody has been issued a Indian VISA to travel to this country. There are more, but I'm sure you get the idea. Breaking news segment will actually flash for an hour even after moved to the headlines. So what the heck is the meaning of breaking news? There is always some news that breaks out every second, every minute, every hour. I have huge respect for CNN. Our desi news channels must learn from CNN how to be selective about announcing breaking news on their channels.

Every day, many junkies sell & buy illegal drugs. But when a Rahul Mahajan or Fardeen Khan buys stuff, its national news. Then the country wakes up to the ill-effects of drug usage and abuse. On a daily basis, asians are subjected to racial abuse in countries like UK. But when a Shilpa Shetty is hurled racial slurs on a highly paid up TV appearance, the whole nation is served the breaking news. And now even the ministry wakes up and decides to do something about it. Are we enlightened of these sorry state affairs only when led by a celebrity? Narmada Bachao Andolan needs an Aamir Khan. Sudan needs George Clooney. Afghanistan needs Angelina Jolie. Malawi needs Madonna. AIDS awareness initiative needs Richard Gere. Is activism the birth right of celebrities? Hey, is anyone aware of the work done by NGOs in this country. Some of them are working to find solutions in this country right from the grassroots level. How many NGOs have success stories that are shared in the glare of media? You still need a celebrity to draw the cameras to where the issues are. No wonder, this nation is ruled by bunch of film stars. Call it retirement planning. After a successful or unsuccessful stint at the movies, every rahul, raj and roshni choose politics. And I thought fame lasts only 15 seconds.

And then there is the middle class uprising. Now suddenly any voice raised against the atrocities is traced back to the middle class. Quota issues. RTI act. Protests on the road? Must be the middle class. Who is dissatisfied in the country? Middle class, of course. So do we have a lower class in this country? Not at all. Zilch. We only have middle class and celebrity class. India Shining you see. India Is Poised!

Anyway, I'm not able to tolerate what the news channels bring into my living room these days. Media loves the celebrities. All the national news channels must rename themselves to celebrity news channels. Every hour, the headlines will definitely contain a segment on Ash-Abhishek union. Then there is chicken curry specialist Shilpa Shake-Hips Shetty.

May be I don't need the active medium. I don't want anyone pushing insignificant news into my living room. My appetite for news is solved by passive sources on the web. Yes, I'm a RSS junkie (RSS - the web lingo and definitely not the saffron brigade). I get my daily dose of news from various trust worthy source on the web and I can choose to ignore every celebrity something.

Wonder when my television set will learn to cater content that I like; content that I truly want. Until then I have no other option but to watch Amitji telling me that he is very proud of his son for choosing Aishwarya Rai. May be I should wait for another six months to hear about domestic violence between the newly-weds.

Oh boy! India is Poised alright.

Another Blog!

2007-01-27T00:02:00.000+05:30

I have always wondered what kind of topics I would like to post in this blog! No conflicts within me as far it was about blogging my life, about my friends, any issues with a social relevance ... politics, leaders, regional, national, international issues ... anything goes. But on several occasions, I have stopped myself from blogging on business related topics, my beliefs on how a business must be run and any neutral comment on the state of affairs. Perhaps, I didn't want my comments to reflect on my professional association. But now that I have NO professional association, I decided to record my observations, comments on this subject. Of course, not in this blog for I don't want to suddenly change the spirit of this blogspace. This is the la-la land remember?

Introducing my latest blog titled Of Davids and Goliaths which is available at the web address http://ofdavidsandgoliaths.blogspot.com. Do expect this blog to deal with business affairs without favoring any individual or an organization. Would be great to see you all follow this new blog too, if it suits your interests. And of course, spread the word around.

GM Diet

2007-01-26T19:33:00.000+05:30

Ok so have been planning to take support of one of the so-called fad diets. After looking around for a while, decided to get serious about GM Diet. GM diet plan involves a total cut on carbs and has specific diet plan to be followed for 7 days involving fruits, vegetables and high protein diet. No alcohol during these 7 days too. An advertised end result of following this diet plan is the ability to lose up to 3 kgs at the end of the plan.

Weight loss or otherwise, I wanted to regulate my carb intake. Moreover wanted to do a favor to my knees and make them feel better with little less weight to carry, but that is it. Of course, after these 7 days, I will be continuing an exercise routine. Who said there was a short-cut to these things?

Today is the first day of of my GM Diet routine. Eating just fruits and vegetables isn’t so bad. It gave me a chance to buy all the fruits and veggies that I love eating. Then spent the whole day eating just fruits and water was the drinking companion. Of course, when attending a meet this afternoon in a restaurant, someone was eating a big sandwich. I wanted to snatch it from his hand and eat that yummy bread. That was the only time I felt bad about being on this diet. And its only the first day!

At home, we ate lots of melons, cantaloupes, pomegranate, grapes, apples, sweet lime & oranges. Missed out on pears, plums, strawberries ... some of the other fruits I love eating. It was quite enjoyable. Let's see how the remaining days unfold. Oh yeah, noted down my weight at the start of the diet so I can at least see if there has been any change in my body weight at the end of this diet :-)

The day before ...

2007-01-25T23:50:00.000+05:30

~ 1 plate pani puri
~ 1 plate sev puri
~ 40 mins break
~ 1 dirty martini, bitter; top it with honey
~ 2 plates of onion rings
~ some rice, some side dish

The day before. Tomorrow, it's a different story!

Holding myself accountable!

2007-01-24T09:08:00.000+05:30

Ok so the new year is already here and knowing that I must make some major changes in my life, I hereby publish the very first official list of resolutions to my blog:

I will work out at least once in 2 days and watch that weight
I will start those french lessons
I will work less than 50 hours per week and spend less than 15 hours on the internet everyday
I will start saving money again
I will eat better - no more untimely meals + cut back on the carb intake
I will get some health checkups and take better care of myself
I will drive slowly and take care of eleanor (at least one service in this year)
I will graduate to wine and leave the rest behind
I will chase that dream of my ultimate profession (still keeping the kerala business model under wraps)
I will post to my blog at least once per day

Okay…it’s out there…now I have to do it.

Typo Troubles!

2007-01-23T17:19:00.000+05:30

Misspell blogspot.com and you get a "mega-site of Bible, Christian and religious information and studies".

Awakening?

3 days to go!

2007-01-23T13:13:00.000+05:30

The countdown begins ...

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UPDATE: 2 more days to go ...

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MORE UPDATES: Just a few more hours away ...

Every end has a new start!

2007-01-04T14:34:00.000+05:30

Lost.

2006-10-26T18:21:00.000+05:30

Write down all the numbers that appear on your plastics - membership cards, credit cards, debit cards, frequent flier ... you have no idea how vital these numbers are. Then remember these 24x7 helpline numbers to hotlist your plastics ...

Standard Chartered: 080-2559 7777
HDFC Bank Credit Cards: 080-6622 4332
HDFC Bank Debit Cards: 022-2856 1818
Citibank: 080-2227 2484

Or don't lose your wallet.

Flat tyre!

2006-10-26T18:20:00.000+05:30

Time destroys everything. It's Irreversible!

Life: Demystified!

2006-10-16T19:05:00.000+05:30

Ok I have demystified life! Ssshhh. Don't tell anyone yet. It's a work in progress but I have got it. Ok ok, I will let you in on the little secrets I have discovered so far.

#1. It's a Memory Game:

Everything in our lives are played out of memories. Like we are born with just one gift. Like the Almighty decided that as a human being, all you can do is remember the past. We remember everything that has happened to us and we end up comparing every new experience in our lives to something that may or may not have happened. Have you ever heard someone or even you say any of the following?

~ I went to Goa. Last time it was more fun. May be it's the crowd. May be I came in the wrong season. May be the monsoons have caused havoc. Tsunami ... what a sucker!

~ I love this song. This was the song that was playing on when I first caught a glimpse of you in that coffee shop. Ok ok, I'm not trying to do a DCH Subodh here .. but we do indulge in some minor details. Like I remember and cherish the song I played first on my new hi-fi, or the song I would wake up to every morning when in college.

~ The food definitely tasted better last time I came here. That's why I wanted to bring you to this place. Honey, can we order that Italian Vegetables? I loved it last time.

~ Hey, have we met before? Aren't you Shilpa from that rave party I had been to last Thursday ... ok - this is not just a cheesy pick-up line but it could happen to you. Any sense of familiarity, real or otherwise is often generated by your actual or assumed sense of memory.

~ I love flying Kingfisher. They have an awesome flight crew, ground staff .. and I remember that they do attend to you more than the competitors.

~ How come I don't party with my friends anymore? We had such a blast together for several years and suddenly looks like they have moved on. I'm the left over. Oh I missed attending that birthday party. It used to be so much fun ...

You see the point? I can actually make this list grow very long. But you get the message. Every time we open our mouth, we do end up speaking out a line that ought to be prefixed by "I remember". Why do we get attached so much to the past? Can't this be a different experience? I love the Emirates ad that used to come on the tube .. it would say ..

When was the last time you experienced something for the first time?

Really ... this is interesting. Do we not try out something new everyday? Even occasionally? Do we just repeat ourselves over and over again? You go to the same shop; you choose the same vendor; customer loyalty; same life; same routine; why? because you remember that it once sounded like a cool concept or may be you had an unforgettable experience. Works the other way too. "I don't like talking to him; last time we met, he was drooling on all the girls". What's the guarantee that something that worked before will repeat itself? What's the probability that you will carry back the same memories ... in relationships, in affiliations, in acquisitions .. in life?

So you know now. All your life you are constantly fighting your past. You are always trying to prove to yourself that you can have better memories. But what you do not know is unless you try something new, you can never excel what is already there in your memory :-). It's a memory game, - go play it!

Footnote to #1: Human body cannot remember pain. Yes, it is true. Don't try hard.

#2. You alone are responsible:

Here is the thing I love the most. I have often heard myself or others constantly say that someone else is responsible for what's happening in your life. This is really interesting and very simple concept. Trust me. Every time we think someone else is responsible, we ought to re-evaluate what's going on. It's your body defense mechanism which is working overtime and telling you that it found someone else to shift the blame.

Recently I read from my old friend's blog where he has written about how the girl he has fallen in love with is not accepting him in her life because of pressures from the friend's circle. I say bullshit. No one influences such big decisions. Leave big decisions, take even small ones. You alone have the ability to choose the blue or the red pill. In this case, i definitely think that the girl has chosen a very easy excuse and is now hiding behind it. And this guy with all his intelligence and worldly experience, thinks that its the friends' circle which is to be blamed and not his sweet heart! Now, he is dedicating himself to writing a blog about how friends are good and how they are bad and why friends don't matter in your life anymore. Why it is so difficult to find good friends who will stand by you and who will always stay with you; support you. He is even proposing that friendship is more superficial than casual sex and yada yada yada ... Basically the whole nine yards. Oh boy ... Smart girl!

Like my two dear friends who when asked for a honest opinion of buying a yellow car, they thought it looked pristine and different. Two weeks after I bought the car, they later thought it looked like a cab :-) But you know what, I know why I chose this car, why this color. My friends did give their opinions but it was ultimately my choice and I had my own reasons. To say, that I bought this car because of my friends can be a good laughter source in an evening party but that's it. You know it and I know it - It's my choice and I'm responsible for it. Whew - this makes it very easy on me and sounds extremely simple, uncluttered, uncomplicated.

The same mantra applies to every choice, decision that you take. You are what you are because of your choices. You are happy, you are rich, you enjoy life, you are in and out of a rehab .. it's all a choice. You can either make it work or move on to making the next decision. But you know, every choice/decision that you take is your responsibility and no one else can take that blame/credit. The quicker you learn it, better wisdom will prevail. Next time, don't waste your energies trying to find a scapegoat for your mistakes. Admit it and move on. This way, you will really know why commitments are what they are. No one else but you can own it. Be it a dog or a girlfriend, it works the same way. Own up your responsibilities and the air around you will seem lighter. Feel it?

That's it sweeties. I have just two secrets to share with you at this moment. With more meditation and worldly observations, I will be back with more secrets. In the meantime, why don't you earthlings practice what I have written here and tell me if your lives are working better than before ...

The conquests of Lonelygirl15!

2006-09-15T17:04:00.000+05:30

Here is a reality show that was never real. Lonelygirl15 became a popular internet video teen through YouTube and MySpace. She would post several videos/short films about her and her boyfriend. The videos instantly attracted lots of visitors and had them glued to this 16-year-old home-schooled girl who goes by the name "Bree".

The short videos began appearing on the Web sites YouTube and MySpace in June. Lonelygirl15 started posting video episodes online and began incorporating changes based on reactions and suggestions from fans who would comment on her blog. The result is part video game, where viewers exercise some measure of control over the characters, and part mystery novel, complete with hidden clues and cliffhanger chapters that left viewers wanting more.

Soon, visitors began to wonder if she is for real. Some thought she is a front for a big Hollywood studio marketing some upcoming film. Some more fans of her two- to three-minute videos began questioning her existence and expressing disappointment that the seemingly genuine video diaries were a hoax.

After a lot of hue and cry, the creators have identified themselves. Lonelygirl15 is busted. Turns out Lonelygirl15 wasn't making her own videos. Instead 3 friends, seeing the success of YouTube & Podcasting, came up with this awesome idea of writing scripts for short films about the adventures of the doe-eyed, Bree as an experiment in storytelling. They hired actors to play Bree and her boyfriend Daniel, and began writing the broad outlines of an open-ended plot filled with all kinds of mysteries and clues. And it worked! Big time. Kudos to the creators!

Lonelygirl15's channel in YouTube is heavily subscribed and she has about 8000 friends online in a short span of time. Her videos have totaled almost 2 million views, her “channel” is the fourth most popular on YouTube, and the New York Times recently lobbied for her to get her own TV show.

So who is Lonelygirl15? She is Jessica Rose, a 19-year-old actress from New Zealand who recently moved to Los Angeles.

I find this amazing! We in India are so much bragging about blogs and camps and what not! The other side of the world is going ga-ga over the next level of community or social networking! YouTube has roughly 6 million members! It boasts a collection of some 70 million video clips, from the comedic, to the connoisseur, and averages 60,000 uploads a day. Last checked, YouTube drew 19.6 million visitors in a month. Video sharing is at its best. Wow!

Here is a little secret. People love to waste time on the Internet, and if it's funny they'll go there, regardless of who put it up there. Now you know why YouTube or its clones are so popular.

Time for me to grab my camera and create videos. Need some actors though. Anyone interested? :-)

Microsoft Zune Player - iPod Killer?

2006-09-15T15:48:00.000+05:30

Ready for another remote?

2006-08-22T15:47:00.000+05:30

Just when you want to think that you have everything, comes another technology which sways you in. I'm a visual learner and that means that I get my daily dose of news, music, entertainment, sports ... through a TV, DVD player and a Hi-Fi. I pay a monthly nominal fee to get cable access and close to 100 channels stream in content on a daily basis. Other than the occasional blackouts by cable operators and genuine technology problems, the performance has definitely been bearable.

With the advent of Satellite Television and Direct To Home (DTH) services, life can become different. For months in this year, we had DishTV - India's first DTH Entertainment and now we are seeing the launch of Tata Sky Digital Satellite TV. It's a whole new world out there.

So I'm gearing up for another box and another remote to my existing gadgets. Question however is that of choice. Should I go for Tata Sky or DishTV? Here is how they compare.

~ Right now DishTV has more channels in their package (around 100) while Tata Sky offers a mere 50 channels. Tata Sky misses out on the whole Zee bouquet of channels, HBO and some other prominent channels. Not sure when these would be available and at what price increase, they will be introduced. DishTV has it all.

~ The one-time costs are comparable and the monthly package costs are also close to each other.

~ DishTV has DVR & Movie-On-Demand services. Tata Sky is yet to introduce them. Not sure when they will be available and what additional cost. While DishTV promises an overdose of Bollywood, Tata Sky's promise includes Hollywood titles as well.

~ There is a buzz around Tata Sky while DishTV lacks it big time. Not too many takers for DishTV since its introduction. There is an expectation that Tata Sky will pick up well and will find a major audience in the metros/other prominent cities.

~ Not sure when the CAS (Conditional Access System), Set-Top Boxes will be mandatory in Bangalore. Would be interesting to see the dynamics between CAS against DTH services.

So is it DishTV or Tata Sky? Should I wait to see how the channels are increased in either of them or should I take a plunge now? Decisions decisions ... who said it's easy :-)

See no evil!

2006-08-10T23:31:00.000+05:30

How about a tale that is driven by the ambition of a few unscrupulous people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Well that's what is captured in the interesting novel See no evil written by Robert Baer which is then made as the film Syriana by Stephen Gaghan. In a way, Mr. Baer's novel as well as the film seems to be reaffirming Niccolo Machiavelli's The end justify the means.

Syriana is a blistering, powerful film about the degree to which governments and corporate conglomerates place the ambition to control the world's oil supply above the well-being of their citizens and employees. In this game, there are only bad guys, and what separates the villains from the protagonists is not a question of who's good and who's bad, but rather how bad each is willing to be.

So maybe Syriana doesn't tell us anything new. But that doesn't mean its points aren't worth making again and again. Though it is complicated, it's easy to follow every detail of its intricate plot. Stephen Gaghan is a good writer, and he provides a nice summary of the film's action in its final moments.

What emerges from this tangled puzzle is a web of corruption and self-interest, all fueled by the need for oil. In one plot thread, the men behind two soon-to-merge oil companies will stop at nothing to make the merger go through, since the new company will be one of the most powerful in the world. In another thread, the law firm representing the company proves that it's eager to cash in on the company's new economic success.

Meanwhile, a power struggle between the two sons of an aging king in an unspecified Middle Eastern country (though Saudi Arabia is obviously suggested) has attracted the attention of the American government, operating through the CIA. America (read American business) has a vested interest in which of the king's sons succeeds him to the throne: It doesn't want the reform-minded eldest son, whose priorities will be building a country to benefit his own people; it wants instead the younger son, who will continue to relegate his country to a cosy spot in America's hip pocket and take its orders directly from the president of the USA. And in the film's most chilling plot strand, we see how the struggle for oil feeds the radical Islam movement in the Middle East, providing young men with a feeling of brotherhood and righteousness in the face of a region they feel has turned its back on them in favor of big business and Western corruption.

Syriana is tense, fast and furious. Following it can admittedly be somewhat exhausting, but if you pay very close attention to the first hour or so, as each story is introduced and the relationships between characters become clear, the second half of the movie is easier to digest.

Syriana is angry, yet it's not hopeless. It's a must watch for the americans. When people in the USA are trampling each other in malls in order to be first in line for Christmas sales, I hope they remember that the vast wealth of America frequently comes at the sake of people all over the world who will never have a fraction of the comfort those in the USA take for granted.

Not exactly a feel good movie! But if you are involved in world politics involving oil, then you will love this one.

Ankle Sprain

2006-08-03T13:30:00.000+05:30

Definition: A common musculoskeletal injury in which the ligaments of the ankle partially or completely tear due to sudden stretching. This typically occurs when the ankle is suddenly "twisted" in a sports activity or by stepping off an uneven surface. The pain is initially severe and can be associated with a "popping" sensation. Immediate swelling over the area of injury often occurs as the injured blood vessels leak fluid into the local tissue. Partial tears retain some ankle stability, whereas complete tears lose stability because the strapping ligaments no longer brace the ankle joint.

Initial treatment is with ice, rest, and limiting the amount of walking and weight bearing on the injured ankle. The leg can be elevated to reduce swelling, and crutches are often recommended to avoid further trauma to the injured ligaments. Antiinflammatory medications can be given to reduce local inflammation. Severe injuries are placed in immobilization casts. Surgery may be needed for complete tears. Physical therapy programs are part of the rehabilitation process, incorporating strengthening exercises of the lower leg muscles.

Oh boy! What an experience ...

Strip Search!

2006-08-02T19:35:00.000+05:30

HBO Films brings to you "Strip Search", yet another thought-provoking, contemporary tale. Acclaimed film director Sidney Lumet joins forces with Emmy®-winning Oz creator Tom Fontana to explore the precarious status of individual liberties post-9/11 through two parallel stories - each containing identical dialogues - taking place on two continents half a world away. Saw this film recently and hence the post.

The film ingeniously weaves together cautionary scenarios in which two graduate students - one a female American in China, the other a male Arab in New York - are detained without hard evidence and interrogated about activities which may or may not relate to terrorist plots. The film explores the plights of these very different people, both of whom are relentlessly questioned and then strip-searched by a pair of government officials who are intent on eliciting information to protect the public safety in the face of the threat of imminent terrorist attack.

Identical dialogues alright. But I love the way the scenarios are handled differently. Look at the countries involved here. One is US of A where you find leaders from the country often proclaiming that they have a very mature democratic setup. The other is China, a nation which is ruled by communist forces. The rights that people enjoy in these two nations are very different. It's quite easy to guess which one appears more liberal on paper. However in the film, there are not-so-subtle differences in the way the foreigners are detained and interrogated. I'm sure it is a conscious decision on the part of the director but nonetheless he drives home a very important point, which makes all think about the ground realities. Here are my observations from the movie.

~ The arrest that takes place in China is very quiet. No force or violence used. On the contrary, the arrest that takes place in the USA is the usual grind. Floor the foreigner in the middle of the road, handcuff using force and push him into the unmarked vehicle.

~ The Chinese officer is sympathetic to the needs of the detainee and offers to switch on a fan when he hears that the room is hot. When asked for water, he offers a glass of water. But the interrogating officer in the USA has anything but sympathy. When told that the room was hot, the officer increases the room temperature instead of keeping it cool. Also when asked for water, she drinks the water but refuses to offer the same to the detainee.

~ Both the detainees are visitors to the nations. Not citizens, not permanent residents, just visiting guests in the respective nations. When detained, no one reads the rights to them and neither are they given a chance to call someone or hire the services of a lawyer. So there is this scene in China, where the detainee asks for the passport to be handed over and the officer quietly does so. However in the USA, when asked for the passport, the officer burns the passport in front of the detainee.

~ Now the strip search. Of course, with a film titled as such, how can you not have this extreme scene. So we have a male detainee strip-searched by a female officer in the USA and a female detainee is strip-searched by a male officer in China. When doing so, surprisingly, in China, the officer seems to understand the sensitivity involved and offers clothes to the detainee in the middle of strip-search. However in the USA, the officer insists on defaming the individual and hence the religion by her actions.

~ Let's talk about the end of the movie. The American detainee held in China confesses that she knows the so-called-terrorists. The interrogation is termed successful. However in the US, the detainee insists that he has no knowledge of any of the terrorists and so the interrogating officer returns home after a failed interrogation.

I find these differences between the plots in China and USA impressive. Remember, both nations are fighting the war on terror. We do not hear of any blasts, 9/11 or USS Cole incidents in China. But they are a reality in the US of A. Also in the film, the Chinese officer speaks with undoubting loyalty for his country and has no personal agenda. However, the US officer is not interested in the truth. She believes the detainee is indeed a terror agent and she wants that to be the truth. And she would do anything to bring out that truth from the detainee. She is more interested in punishing the entire Muslim community and pours all her frustrations on the detainee. It's more of a personal agenda than to save a nation of heinous crimes.

Moving away from the film, I recall what happened to couple of my friends in 2004. So they got a stamped B1 visa on their passports and traveled from India to the US of A to attend a customer-initiated meeting. They landed in Detroit and that became their port of entry. At the immigration counter, they were interviewed one by one. So the first person was asked the usual question; What's the purpose of your trip to the US? In her answer, she uttered the word "work" and then the immigration officer caught on to it. Both of them were detained and placed in a secluded office. They were denied access to telephones. They could not call the customer representative or their loved ones in India. They landed in US alright but they were detained right at the port of entry - at the airport. Now comes the best part. They are soon branded as scheming aliens who were attempting to work under the business visa. They were interrogated for the next 3 hours where their integrity, moral fibre and ethics were questioned. Instead of listening to them or verifying the nature of their visit, they wanted the detainees to accept/confess to their story; that they had wrong intentions and they really planned to work under a B1 visa.

During the whole term of the interrogation, my friends could feel through the negativity; the anti-outsourcing movement has given the right to every American to suspect and question the integrity of every foreign national. They called them liars; depraved them of communicating to others; detained them; denied them food and water; humiliated them by calling names and even ridiculed their Indian culture. There goes all your basic rights. At the end of it, they were asked to sign on a document that informed them that their visas were cancelled and they were being deported to their home country; right away. They had no clue what got entered as the reason for their deportation. Just an unassuming clause number on the cancelled visa document and that leaves everything to your imagination. So the officials typed the story they wanted against the case of deportation and it didn't matter if the detainees agreed to it or not. So finally after a gruelling 45 hours, my friends landed back in Mumbai and that's the first time they got to speak to the loved ones. So where are your basic rights? What's is allowed and what is extreme? Perhaps, we should all ask ourselves the following questions that closes the film too.

Would you give up all your rights for a day, if you are told that it would help the administration do away with terror forever?

Would you give up all your rights for a week, if you are told that it would help the administration do away with terror forever?

Would you give up all your rights for a month, if you are told that it would help the administration do away with terror forever?

How about a year? How about a lifetime? Can you live a life without rights?

Brain Wave Patterns & You!

2006-07-28T19:10:00.000+05:30

Ok folks .. the write-up below is long! But it has lots of insights. So stay with me. Or if you like to spend less time to know what I'm talking about, just scroll down to the last 3 paragraphs of this post.

Twenty-four hours a day, nerve cells in your brain are generating electrical impulses that fluctuate rhythmically in distinct patterns called brain wave patterns—patterns closely correlated with your thoughts, your emotions, your state of being, the functioning of the various systems of your body, and, in essence ...the entire quality of your life!

There are four categories of brain wave patterns. The most rapid is called a beta brain wave pattern, the pattern of normal waking consciousness. Beta is associated with concentration, arousal, alertness, and cognition.

At its highest, most rapid levels, though, beta is associated with anxiety, disharmony, and dis-ease. (Perhaps the ability to slow yourself down from those levels might be beneficial??)

As you become more relaxed, your brain wave activity slows into what is called an alpha brain wave pattern. Alpha patterns vary from deep alpha, a state of deep relaxation often referred to as the twilight state between sleep and waking, to the higher end of alpha which is a more focused yet still very relaxed state.

When you are absorbed in a good book (or a television show) you are probably in alpha. And, as I already mentioned, alpha is often associated with what is known as "superlearning" — the ability to learn, process, store and recall large amounts of information quickly and efficiently.

Slower still are theta waves. Theta is best known as the brain wave state of dreaming sleep, but it is also associated with a number of other beneficial states, including increased creativity, some kinds of superlearning, increased memory abilities, and what are called integrative experiences (in which we make broadly-based positive changes in the way we see ourselves, others, or a certain life situation).
"Ah-ha!" experiences, where you suddenly "get it," have an insight, or a great idea suddenly comes to you, are accompanied by bursts of theta waves in your brain.

You can probably see why putting yourself in this state might ... increase your effectiveness!

Here's another exciting characteristic of the theta state: Critical and often self-sabotaging filters of the left brain are bypassed in a theta state, and that in terms of making positive changes in beliefs or habit patterns, a lot of work gets done very quickly.

And best of all, theta is also a state of tremendous stress relief. In the slower theta brain wave pattern, the brain makes lots of relaxing endorphins that really do—as you will see (or rather, feel) when you try it for yourself—melt your stress away.

The slowest brain wave pattern is delta, the brain wave pattern of dreamless sleep. Generally people are asleep in delta, but there is evidence that it is possible to remain alert in this state—a very deep, trance-like, non-physical state you'll have to experience to appreciate.

In certain delta frequencies the brain releases many highly beneficial substances, including human growth hormone, which we ordinarily make in decreasing quantities as we get older, resulting in many aging symptoms including loss of muscle tone, increased weight gain, loss of stamina, and many diseases associated with aging.

So would you like to know how you can switch from beta to directly theta or delta state without investing your lifetime savings? Relax - I'm writing about a product alright but I'm not selling it to you. Someone else is :->

Introducing Holosync audio technology! It is just an audio CD which carries some regulated noise/sounds. Listening to it in an uninterrupted way, takes you from beta to theta .. and more.

Thanks to a generous soul, I will soon be trying out this technology. Will keep you all posted about its results.

Not a happy country!

2006-07-28T14:40:00.000+05:30

So I read this report which stated that India is not a happy country. My initial reactions: Ok, some more statistics. As I read the report fully, I come to realize why some countries score above India. FYI - Denmark is the happiest, Switzerland, Austria and Iceland follow. India is 125 in the list while China (82) and Japan (90) score above India.

The report goes on to say that a nation's happiness is closely associated with health levels, distribution of wealth and provision of education.

I'm now surprised. Only three parameters to determine if you are happy or satisfied in life? Aren't there negative parameters? Like stupidity or DUH! index? How about lack of priorities, lack of civic sense, lack of sensible governance and more ... It's all prevalent in India.

What you don't believe me? Allow me to refresh your memories and highlight some events from the recent past ...

~ 5-year old boy falls into a one-foot wide pit while playing with friends. Boy is rescued after 2 days. The media is completely hijacked and covers the whole event with a lot of frenzy. Boy is rescued. Heroes are born. Case closed. Why was there a pit in the first place? Was anyone held responsible for the disaster? How do we ensure that such cases do not repeat again?

~ Serial blasts in Mumbai railway stations. Not one but seven blasts. 200 dead. 300+ injured. Media does a circus again. Rescue efforts are highlighted. Everyone now talks about how mumbaikars have the courage to get on with their lives, how they help each other .. and of course, there are heroes. People have lost a limb or some other part of the body. But they are determined to live a life fully. Services resume. Blasts cost Rs. 5 crore loss to Western Railways. Government grants compensation to every blast victim. And they are taxable income :-> No convictions yet! BTW, we are still waiting to be told about who was behind the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Is this the first time that India is worried about its porous borders and cross-border terrorism? Religious intolerance is at its high. But here again, diplomatic relations or otherwise, have we ensured that such acts of terror do not repeat again in the country? Well, we need to look at what US of A has become after the 9/11. True, people have lost their sense of freedom and privacy but who has those anyway in these days?

~ 2005 Maharashtra floods. It takes 37.2 inches of torrential rainfall to bring a city like Mumbai to its knees. Nearly 1000 dead. All services affected. Residents had no water, electricity or other essential services for several days after the flooding. A direct loss of Rs. 450 crores (€80 million or US$100 million) reported. Human tragedy primarily from drowning, landslides, stampede, trapped inside vehicles, electrocution, wall collapses & water-borne diseases. Media was there when the floods affected the state and hence the country. The media was once again there covering the first year anniversary of the flooding. So we have lots of heroes again. People who rescued others and how they sacrificed their lives to let others live ... And of course, Mumbaikars have the courage to get on with their lives. Here again, everyone knows that it is the antiquated drainage system, uncontrolled, unplanned development in northern suburbs, destruction of ecosystems and various other factors. Were there any measures to control such freak incidents occuring in the future? Well, everytime it rains, every Indian city assumes the worst and prepares for the unthinkable. Funny!

~ Government retracts on RTI act. Introducing changes in the rules under the Right to Information Act (RTI), the government has decided not to disclose file notings relating to "identifiable individuals, groups of individuals, organisations, appointments, matters relating to inquiries and departmental proceedings". What this effectively means is that we will have to indulge in under-the-table acts to get what we want.

I can write about more such events but the message is already clear. Health, Wealth, & Education are important alright. But we still have to figure out how to instate a responsible government, how to make the government work for the welfare of the people and how to make every citizen care for others. We are only as good or bad as our leaders. First of all, we don't vote and those who do, vote for the wrong reasons. Hey, they are giving free TVs. How can I not make him my leader of the country? Then we figure out that our leaders have a different agenda and now there is nothing stopping them from doing what they want. No I'm not talking about a certain Arjun Singh or Anbumani Ramadoss.

It's not just your life, you see. Even others have to live here. Everyone has a responsibility to make this work. It is of course very clear that you cannot be happy unless the people around you are. Soon in this country, we will have a gun culture and then it will be a simple survival game of haves and have-nots. Not the gun, you idiot.

So how can India be a happy country? What is it that countries like Denmark, Switzerland, Austria have that we do not. May be it is the people. Or may be it is a problem of population. or may be ... never mind. We can always analyze and write a lot about what's going wrong. But what we need is knowing how to make this right and a collective strong will to execute it.

And on a lighter note, I absolutely enjoyed the breaking news on TV last night. You see, 3 youngsters drove past the security gates of the PM's residence and no one stopped them. It is a case of security breach and what's more. The young ones looked totally drunk and the one behind the wheel (Yogita, seen in pic below) was blowing kisses at the cameras.

They had no clue what a big deal it all was and were happily giggling at the cameras. May be the youth has risen in this country. They are all out to prove how the PM's security cordon can be breached and they are out to show this country what they are capable of.

Naaah! You kidding me! I still cannot forget the look on the girl's face when a reporter told her that she should get a lawyer and talk to their parents soon. Promptly, this morning, they are all fired from their jobs. Blissful!

May be it is not a good idea to meet the leader of this country when you are drunk like a fish!

Vote for Harish!

2006-07-12T12:22:00.000+05:30

Ok, so we all know that Harish is a great vocalist! But here is a chance to support him. He is participating in the Airtel Super Singer contest being telecast in Star Vijay. Do watch the show that gets aired on 14th July and 15th July, on Star Vijay between 8 PM - 9 PM when his performance will be telecast. Here is how you can vote for him.

Voting - How To:
The voting is open only to Airtel Subscribers. The voting lines will open on 15th July at 9 PM and close on 17th July midnight!

Mode 1: Send SS14 as an SMS to 6464 from your airtel mobile phones (Airtel subscribers from any state can send the SMS.)

Mode 2: Call 646314 from your airtel phone (mob / landline) to televote (This is available for only the tamilnadu users)

Do visit his blog to know more about him and you could also listen to some of his performances & compilations. What are you waiting for?

Vote for Harish!

Google rocks my world!

2006-06-13T19:01:00.000+05:30

As if the unassuming Google Search wasn't absolutely amazing already, I discovered new tools/applications released from Google Labs.

The first half of 2006 saw the release of some 12 odd apps/tools like Google Writely, Google Spreadsheet, Google China, Google Trends, Google Co-op, Google Notebook, Google SketchUp, Google Mars, Google Page Creator, Google Calendar, Google Chat, Google Pack ... so what are these?

Here is a brief introduction for the uninitiated.

Google Writely - Free web word processor which lets you share and collaborate your work online.
Google Spreadsheets - Create, store and share spreadsheets on the web
Google Page Creator - Create your own web pages, quickly and easily
Google Calendar - Organize your schedule and share events with friends
Google Notebook - Clip and collect information as you browse the web
Google Trends - See what the world is searching for
Google Mars - View some of the most detailed maps of Mars created by NASA scientists
Google Sketchup - Create 3D models for Google Earth
Google Talk - IM and call your friends through your computer
Google Co-op - Contribute your expertise to help improve Google search

Wait a minute ... Now I have a word processor, spreadsheet application, web page creator, calendar and a MS One-Note clone all available on the web for free and I can also share them with others in my community?

U - n - b - e - l - i - e - v - a - b - l - e.

Beg, borrow or steal to get your invites today and try out these goodies. You will be hooked onto them immediately. Take my word.

The other side!

2006-06-13T17:12:00.000+05:30

Ok, so we know that stuff kills. Gone are the days when you can talk about having smoked pot, popped and snorted LOTS of pills, speed, E, took some acid, shrooms, alcohol ...

So you think drugs are bad? But that is a sweeping generalization. There are recreational drugs and there are hard drugs. And of course, we also have prescription drugs. Taking any drug runs a risk of harm. Anything in excess is bad. But there are some drugs that no one should touch, like cocain, crack or heroin. Leaving these drugs apart, the world is filled with several recreational and prescription drugs which when taken in excess can leave you as a different person. Even some of the legal prescribed drugs can make you addictive and wasted. How do you know which one is more dangerous than the other?

So why are we talking about this? In this world, no amount of policing will ever stop the illegal drugs trade. It is just not possible. Worldwide, this is an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars. No matter how many arrests are made, this trade can never be stopped. The amount of money involved is too tempting for anyone. All the gatekeepers (police, customs, politicians) get bribed; no one can stand in the way of that much money. The best we can do is redirect it to a least harmful route. Legitimize it. Bring it out in the open, regulate it, license it & tax it.

In my perfect world, a lot of things would be legal, including all drugs and prostitution.

I don't think it's been mentioned, though it might've been, but legalizing all drugs, including heroin, crack, coke, ice etc. has amazing health benefits for the addicts. Right now, someone's in a dark alley somewhere shooting heroin, with a point that's been used by four different people. Right now, a heroin addict is contracting HIV because of unsanitary conditions, not to mention pumping their veins with bathtub cleaner. People die from badly cut drugs and AIDS every day.

If all drugs were legal, and doctors were able to regulate each person's drug use and how pure the drug was, things would be a lot safer.

And the harder drugs aren't the only ones being cut with unsafe chemicals. Ask any weed smoker and they will tell you that it was mixed with something. I'm sure the majority of herb smokers know that you can even request weed sprinkled in coke, or others. God only knows where the coke and pills are coming from, and whether that's what's really on the weed. Even pot isn't safe anymore, especially with the younger buyers who get ripped off more easily.

Weed sold over the counter like cigarettes wouldn't have this issue.

To me, you can't stop people from wanting to alter their consciousness, that's just the way it is. Right now, drugs are illegal and as dangerous as they've ever been, for addicts and users of all ages. And if drugs were legal, I have a feeling the amount of people addicted to harder drugs would be lowered as well.

Legalizing drugs would also take care of the "naughty" factor, and I think less number of people would get into them, but that's not a proven fact or anything.

You won't ever get rid of drugs, so the governments around the world may as well embrace and tax the living hell out of them.

Relax! It's just reverse quotas!

2006-05-23T14:53:00.000+05:30

Some definition first:

Affirmative action (U.S. English), or positive discrimination (British English), is a policy or a program aimed at increasing the representation and opportunities of members of groups that have traditionally been discriminated against. This typically focuses on education, employment, government contracts, health care, or social welfare.

and now the post ...

An affirmative action is desirable and necessary in every country. Or in simple words, reservations are necessary. It was necessary and so they were implemented 50 years ago. Today, they are once again being implemented in higher percentages. To understand what is happening, let me highlight a case in point that happened in the US.

In the US, the emergence of a black middle class and the rise of Asians have both been helped by affirmative action implemented over the past few decades. But today, their growth is so steadfast, there are now reservations of a different kind. There are reverse quotas. The University of California, Berkeley has imposed limits on the number of Asians it accepts, because if admissions were purely based on grades and merit, the entire incoming freshman class would probably be Asian, disadvantaging their own citizens. To protect the interests of their own countrymen and to provide benefits/opportunities to the countrymen, they now have reverse quotas that prevents immigrants from eating the pie completely.

I believe the same thing is happening here ... Draw your own parallels.

Isn't it ironical that even as the Chinese have embarked on an ambitious plan to create 100 world-class universities, Arjun Singh has begun an exercise to dismantle the IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS, India's symbols of excellence recognised all over the world, by means of caste-based quotas. If reservations upto 50% or 70% are accepted based on caste, people will adjust to the new system. Those who can afford it will send their children to colleges in Singapore, Europe, and the United States. The inputs to these premier educational institutions will then be at best, suspect.

Of course, in the future, the quota idea will be pushed in new forms: based on religion, in private industry. May be there will be reservations for OBC/SC/ST in airlines, railways ...

Excuse me sir! You are sitting in my seat! This is a reserved OBC seat and i chose the window!

The Indomitable Karan Thapar!

2006-05-22T13:00:00.000+05:30

Watched this episode of Devil's Advocate on CNN-IBN. Karan Thapar dealt with some real questions and he had Arjun Singh squirming all over.

Here are some excerpts.

Karan Thapar: In which case, lets ask a few basic questions; we are talking about the reservations for the OBCs in particular. Do you know what percentage of the Indian population is OBC? Mandal puts it at 52 per cent, the National Sample Survey Organisation at 32 per cent, the National Family and Health Survey at 29.8 per cent, which is the correct figure?

Arjun Singh: I think that should be decided by people who are more knowledgeable.

(Full Interview here)

What's special about TN?

2006-05-22T11:57:00.000+05:30

In the reservations game, there is one state which is maintaining a stoic silence. While the rest of the country sees mass agitations, suicide plans, stirs, dharnas, fast unto death claims, professionals/students from one state will raise no objections to the increase in reservations from 22.5% to 49.5% among premier institutions. No points for guessing it right. Tamil Nadu has always behaved differently from the other states in the country. For it is in this state, we have a whopping 69% reservations set into practice. This has to be explained.

Going back in time, the caste-based politics in TamilNadu started much before it captured the imagination in the rest of India. To evoke sentiments of the people and to capture power, politicians had to identify a social enemy to fight with. The minority Brahmins were the unlucky choice in TN.

All the backwardness of the state and the people were attributed to the Brahmins, similar to what Hitler did in Germany against Jews (though really the Brahmins were the only poor in the state serving governments whereas the wealthy landlords who wielded power were all from non-Brahminical castes).

Sentiments were raised, power was captured and 40 years have rolled over since then. Over the last 40 years, the only affirmative action towards implementing the policy of social equality has been reservation.

Now some statistics (Source: http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/bc_mbc_welfare.htm)

From the population and reservation chart shown above, you will notice that 87.05% of the population enjoys 69% of reservations. The rest 12.95% will compete for the remaining 31% of seats available in professional institutions, state government jobs and more. Nothing wrong with the picture above. But you see, the Communities benefiting from Reservations don't compete just for the 69% of seats; they also compete within the remaining 31% and that leaves the Communities NOT benefiting from Reservations a meagre 3%. This is not a random number taken out of my head. In 2005, the medical admissions in TN saw these numbers. Out of 1445 seats, 40 seats have been taken by Communities NOT benefiting from Reservations (so called ‘Forward’ communities); the rest 1405 seats have been taken by members of Communities benefiting from Reservations.
Source: http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/20/stories/2005072011970100.htm

So some quick take-aways, as borrowed from my friend Nathan:

There can never be a protest from students in Tamilnadu. A classroom consists of about 90% of students who get benefited from reservations.
Communities NOT benefiting from Reservations look outside TN for education/jobs. They know that they can only get a mere 3-4% in their own state and so look at other states in India for fulfulling their education needs. Now with the current proposal to bring 50% of reservations in premier institutions through-out the country, even this will become difficult. The only way out is to say goodbye to this country and pursue higher-ed elsewhere.
Since 87% of the population enjoys reservations, no government in the future will dare to reduce the percentage from 69%. Once a majority has been given undue privilege in a democracy, it cannot be scraped at all.
On the contrary, even if a TN government says that, 100% seats are reserved and all the forward community students have to be kicked out of the state, and passes an Act in the assembly to this effect, the 12% of the folks in the state do not command any power to react. They will have to accept it and live with it. The 12% in the state is just at the mercy of any opportunities that are provided by the rest.

Other states, better watch out for the TN situation. If you let more than 50% of seats to be reserved, then there is no looking back. Even for making a protest demonstration in the future, the anti-reservation junta will be in a minority in the classrooms. No wonder getting a "SC/ST/OBC" caste certificate in TN is such a flourishing business.

Did anyone read the Tehelka angle?

Ogling Bangalore!

2006-05-16T23:19:00.000+05:30

Thanks to renewed Google Earth, now we can see Bangalore in its full glory. Check out some awesome spots here. You can click on each of these snapshots to enlarge the view. Or if you have Google Earth installed, I can send you the whole working session file (.kmz). Here are some interesting spots ...

~ M G Road:

~ Airport Road:

~ Vidhana Soudha:

~ Electronics City (wat else? :-)):

Da Vinci Code is Anti-Christian!

2006-05-16T21:48:00.000+05:30

It is official. After selling 40 million copies worldwide in print, the upcoming film The Da Vinci Code is now being called for a total boycott by the Vatican. The film is facing a temporary ban in India after Christian groups called the movie anti-christian and full of lies.

Much of the controversy surrounding the book and the film is the proposition that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. The story line claims she had a child with Jesus – an heir that became France's royal bloodline. It further suggests Catholic secret societies hid these and many other secrets about Jesus. It supposes Leonardo Da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton were in on the secret. Da Vinci, the book says, tried to covertly alert the world through his painting of "The Last Supper."

Here is another world uprising in the making. No the issue on Prophet Cartoons are over. Time to start another. I wonder why these Christian groups allowed the book to become so popular ... And why make all the noises when Sony Pictures is set to release this movie on May 19, worldwide. Well, if this movie/book is controversial, wonder what people say about Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ".

Here is a family secret ...

2006-05-16T21:25:00.000+05:30

Well, it is another birthday. How different can this be? Here again, one more time, I look forward to living another year of my life. May be I should live this year differently. Let me think .. what can be improvised? Don't make a long laundry list. This is not a time for a new year resolution. Just one thing. One thing alone that when changed will ensure that you have a peace of mind supported by a good health and wealth situation. What will it be? Got it. I will stay away from all the people who demand 2% on all their services. What you don't know them? They are everywhere. And they just need a modest 2% for any and every service. What's wrong with them? Nothing - just that they are after your money ... Money .. hmm

While I was lost in my thoughts, my dad walked in. It is very unusual for my dad to walk in so late in the night and talk to me. He sat near me and put his hand on my shoulder.

He said "Son, I have a family secret that I want to tell you ...".

The moment those words came out of his mouth, my whole senses became attentive. I listened. He then stood up and walked the room calmly for about couple of minutes. They looked longer to me. Then he began.

"For years, our family has preserved a secret. But time has come to pass on this secret to you. We have been the keepers of a major treasure. A treasure so big that big powers will go to fight each other. A treasure so valuable that one will not think twice about killing the keeper. It's time, my son. I want to pass on the treasure to you and your generations forward. "

"But dad ... is this really true?"

"Yes, it is. Why don't you walk with me?"

After a little walk, he then showed me a huge iron crest. It was truly rusted. He struggled a little bit and with a huge heave, pulled the lid up. There it was .. the treasure I have never heard of until an hour ago. Now it belongs to me. I curiously looked into it and to my surprise saw wads and wads of currency notes, lower denominations but large number of notes. All in the currency I want. I turned around and asked my dad ...

"So how much is it?"

"Well, my son .. it enough to take care of 5 generations."

"And you are telling me that it's all mine? "

"Yes my son. I was waiting for this day. Now it rightfully belongs to you. "

"Thanks dad. Thanks for everything. "

Well, now I have all this money ... what do I do? Live it up. This year onwards, life is gonna be so different. Time to buy a few cars. May be an isolated bungalow with a jacuzzi fit right next to the bath tub. May be I should live in a different country. How about a little philanthropy? What home loans? Mortgaging? 2%? 15%? Floating? Fixed? You kidding me?. May be I will call my friends and find out what they want. It would be a good idea to build a township. Why not buy some property in the Moon? In Mars? Hey, may be I will produce some movies and make more money. Politics? Sure why not?

"Knock Knock"

"Who is it"

"It is 10'o clock in the morning. Wake up. Time to go to office"

"Oh yeah!"

Don't Let Me Get Me!

2006-05-16T20:44:00.000+05:30

Two comments posted one after the other, found at a blog that I frequent. Couldn't resist posting here. I hope the real anonymous wins.

subbu,
Sounds like a awesome trip. very cool pics. will call. cheers.
Posted by Anonymous

Hey subbu
I'm anonymous but you know me. will call. Cheers. No, i'm different from the other anonymous. Oh yeah, very cool pics. awesome trip. will call. and cheers.
i'm the real anonymous.
Posted by Anonymous

Decisions, Decisions & Decisions

2006-05-08T12:12:00.000+05:30

What is constant? Our ability to make a decision everyday. Well, you may choose not to take a decision everyday, but you will be met with situations (both simple and complex) where you are expected to take a decision. We all wake up every single day knowing fully well that we will have to face such situations. Consider this a quick tutor to the decision making process. After all, no one likes to be indecisive.

So how to make decisions? How do you know whether you have taken the right decision or otherwise? No, I'm not repeating Robert Frost. I read an interesting note somewhere that the human mind applies different techniques when it comes to making decisions. There are different rules when it comes to taking decisions amidst simple and complex situations. Let me explain.

If you are buying a mobile phone or a laptop (simple decisions), you will use a highly rational and researched approach. You will engage in thorough conscious deliberation before choosing.

If you are buying a new home or say, you are trying to get married (complex decisions), research has found out that a new technique called "deliberation without attention" works well for such situations. This is more of a "follow your gut" decision than any well-thought-out decision.

So when do you choose to apply "delibration without attention" and when do you take a highly researched decision? For relatively simple decisions, it is better to use a highly rational and researched approach. However, when making a complicated decision, the unconscious in each of us appears to do a better job of resolving factors and making a sound conclusion.

No, this is not a pop psychology and I'm sure many of us will not agree to the stated hypothesis. It's worth a try, nonetheless.

Now that you have taken a decision, how do you ensure that others don't judge you for your decisions. Here is a list of rationalizations you can hide behind; anyday. You can even call your decisions ethical - my favorite, of course. Here is the list. So next time, when you take a questionable decision, rationalize it by choosing one of the following.

If It's Necessary, It's Ethical
The False Necessity Trap (Necessity is an interpretation, not a fact)
If It's Legal and Permissible, It's Proper
It's Just Part of the Job
It's All for a Good Cause
I Was Just Doing It for You
I'm Just Fighting Fire With Fire
It Doesn't Hurt Anyone
Everyone's Doing It
It's OK if I Don't Gain Personally
I Can Still Be Objective
I Did It For Us

Your life will be so easy when you apply these techniques. I haven't yet. But if it works for any one of you, you know how to reach me.

Circle of Trust!

2006-05-02T17:55:00.000+05:30

I had a conversation with my friend (who majors in Psychology) about the whole concept of "Circle of Trust", referred to as COT henceforth. Don't ask me how this discussion got started. After an hour of "consider this" and "consider that" scenarios, supported by some high-flying jargons from Developmental, Cognitive & Social Psychology, my friend summarized how we Indians form and deal with COT. The take-away from our discussions were so informative, I decided to share it here. So here it goes ...

First thing to note is that we don't have one COT. We form many. Strange as it sounds, it is true so as to support the varied activities in one's life. This needs to be explained. Let's understand this through an example.

Shweta is unmarried and she is our lab rat. For our discussions, we requested Shweta to be candid with us and share her social behavior. She did so, in full bloom. We thank her for her contributions. To protect her identity, I have changed her name here.

So in 24 years, Shweta has formed several circles of trust. 12 to be exact; that's the current number. How does she nurture, develop and manage so many circles? We are curious and so we ask her. Her reply was spontaneous and deep. So she says, she has at least 4-6 friends in each of the circle. They are not exclusive though. Some friends are present in more than one COT while others are strictly confined to just one. The circles of trust are merely logical and none of the participants (read "friends") know that they exist. Only Shweta knows. And she plays the circles of trust to her benefit. Then comes the obvious question. How does she differentiate once circle from another? Here lies the beauty.

Every circle of trust (COT) has a set responsibility. Shweta has pre-assigned these responsibilities to the COTs and she invokes them when the need arises. This needs to be explained again. We have simplified the functions so that it is easy to understand. Here it comes .. in her own words ...

~ So when I feel like spending an evening by having a cup of coffee, I will invoke the services of COT #1.

~ Wanna watch a movie? That would be COT #2.

~ Oh I met this wonderful guy! I want to talk about him .. The listening pleasures are reserved to COT #3.

~ I'm so drunk. I want to be dropped home. Time to call COT #4.

~ I feel like bitching and complaining the whole day. Need COT #5.

~ I'm feeling low. Feel like crap. Time for some wallowing in self-pity and more. Think I'm lost and eventually slipping into a major depression. Desperately want COT #6.

~ I'm so high today. Everything around me is upbeat. I definitely need to be with COT #7.

~ So I wake up with a strong feeling to travel to some place quite mystical .. I will choose the company of COT #8.

~ I'm feeling esoteric today. I want to be with people who are high-achievers. No place for slackers. Time to call COT #9.

~ Something major is happening in my life. Oh, my parents want me to get married. Need some sounding board. This has to be the job of COT #10.

~ Did I put on some weight? Or have I lost some? Need some expert opinions. COT #11 it is.

~ I have secrets. Secrets I normally don't tell anyone but me. But today, I want to tell someone about my secret. I shall call on the ever dependable COT #12.

So you see, the whole list is morally ambiguous. The concept of friendship is very superficial and the role you play in Shweta's life through these COTs defines who you are for her. Some "friends" over a period of time, come to know of Shweta's grand design and they refuse to be placed in certain COTs. So they leave. Shweta looks at it positively. She and she alone can determine who gets placed in what COTs. Really, it is a matter of what her heart tells her than any planned analysis of someone's abilities. "Life goes on", says Shweta with a deep relaxed breathing. We couldn't agree more.

From all these, one can easily look around and map your "friends" into circles of trust. You are either playing someone into a COT or someone is playing you. As simple as that. Enjoy the ride.

Designed for the senses!

2006-05-02T15:48:00.000+05:30

Happy Birthday Eleanor!

2006-05-02T14:56:00.000+05:30

Happy Birthday to Eleanor! That's right, my car's third birthday just passed. What, you don't celebrate your car's birthday? Ridiculous!

Eleanor got a nice birthday wash on Sunday. Promised Eleanor that after passing the 30,000 mark, I will take her for some more mods. It was a wonderful weekend!

Just arrived today!

2006-04-28T16:10:00.000+05:30

This baby just arrived today! Seagate 100 GB Portable USB Hard Disk Drive. Cute, Slick and very handy. Ideal for travel. For more information, visit the Seagate Website.

Playing the Baghdad Blues!

2006-04-28T15:40:00.000+05:30

Here is a drill. Of the photos lined up below, identify which ones were taken in Bangalore and which ones are from Baghdad. Get the idea?

For two days in April, Bangalore looked like Baghdad. I'm not the only one saying it. Following the death by heart attack of the south Indian film icon known as Rajkumar, grieving fans shut down the nation's knowledge capital. Bangalore's streets, usually imagined as paved with hi-tech gold, were on 12 and 13 April turned into a stage for tear gas, gunfire, burning cars and bloody street clashes between police and 60,000 of Rajkumar's supporters. The entire IT population of 1.95 Lakh workers stayed at home and did not even venture into streets.

The final body count: eight, including a young policeman killed and strung up by outraged fans attempting to gain entry into their hero's funeral.

Several questions arise. Why are film stars treated as Demi Gods in South India? Is Bangalore really two-faced? Is this a fight between haves and have-nots? How can the "nation's knowledge capital" be hijacked to a very abnormal standstill in a matter of minutes? How can the Government prevent such similar incidents in the future?

One thing is for sure. For the people who live here, the level of tolerance has gone up. Nothing shocks us anymore. That's exactly what the media hails as resilience!

Substantiated True Facts!

2006-04-27T14:05:00.000+05:30

I dig these.

In an average lifetime, a woman will consume six pounds of lipstick. - San Diego Union, 4/25/06

Americans spent $14,300,000,000 on dog food in 2004. That's $10,000,000,000 more than on baby food the same year. - The Week Magazine, 3/10/06

India is racing to complete a spacecraft for moon orbit next year. Its space agency employs more people than NASA. - KTLA Los Angeles, 2/12/06

A Malaysian man received a $218,000,000,000,000 phone bill and was ordered to pay up within 10 days or face prosecution. - MSNBC, 4/10/06

5 of the United States have more gun dealers than gas stations. - Time, 3/27/06

U.S. airlines last year lost about 10,000 bags a day on average. - USA Today, 2/16/06

Starbucks says China is their #1 growth market. At $6 a cup, the coffee costs more than the average Chinese worker earns in a day. - Yahoo.com, 2/14/06

A 150 watt personal computer left on continuously for a year consumes the electricity equivalent of 100 gallons of oil. - San Diego Union, 12/28/05

Cell phone ringtones generate 2 billion dollars in annual income for the music industry. - Fortune Magazine, 12/12/05

A Santiago, Chile restaurant named "Car Crash" had to close temporarily because a car crashed into it. - Seattle Times, 7/28/05

An Ohio business man spent over a half million dollars opening a sports bar before realizing it is located in a district that prohibits the sale of alcohol. - 19 Action News, 12/11/05

Stephen Crawford recently resigned as co-President of Morgan Stanley. He was on the job for 15 weeks, and was paid $32,000,000. Assuming he worked seven days a week, sixteen hours a day, he still made $19,000 per hour. - Business Week, 7/11/05

If you brew your own coffee instead of purchasing a $3 latte each day, you would have $55,341 after 30 years (calculation includes interest). - Motley Fool, 6/21/05

A 24-hour suicide hot line in Canada will only be open between 9 am and 5 pm on weekdays because of budget cuts. - Houston Chronicle, 5/27/05

Wal-Mart's profit in 2004 were $20,000 per minute. - New York Times, 2/27/05

28% of all Medicare costs are spent in the last year of a person's life. - National Center for Policy Analysis, 8/02

Approximately 240,000 manhole and street drain covers were stolen in Beijing, China in 2004. - CNN, 3/15/05

Each and every day, Saudi Arabia receives $500,000,000 from oil-consuming nations, including almost $100,000,000 from the United States. - The Week Magazine, 3/17/06

Gillette will be coming out with a razor with five blades in 2006. The "Fusion" will best its own Mach 3 and Schick's Quattro. - Newsweek, 9/26/05

According to a recent study, birds prefer their droppings to be on white cars. - WFMY News 2, 6/29/05

Writers on a rampage!

2006-04-26T16:32:00.000+05:30

Read some interesting perspectives about the KV/Opal Mehta episode.
http://mayareynoldswriter.blogspot.com/2006/04/how-opal-mehta-got-caught.html
http://lawyerwriter.blogspot.com/2006/04/viswanathan-by-any-other-name.html
http://frogsdong.blogspot.com/2006/04/harvard-student-just-common-sneak.html
http://oldcontemptible.livejournal.com/111759.html
http://poynter.blogs.com/the_mechanic_the_muse/2006/04/um_i_was_uncons.html

More at
http://lolharvard.ytmnd.com/
http://harvardart.ytmnd.com/
http://kaavyasnewbook.ytmnd.com/

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed and Got Caught!

2006-04-26T13:06:00.000+05:30

19-year-old Kaavya Viswanathan's debut novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life was headed for The New York Times's national bestseller list. Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks (now a part of Paramount) bought the novel for an undisclosed sum which could catapult Kaavya to the millionaire list. And then came the bad news that she had borrowed language and passages from two popular books by Megan McCafferty.

Kaavya, who is now studying in Harvard, quickly acknowledged that she has lifted passages by saying 'she wasn't aware how much she may have internalized Ms. McCafferty's words' and that she is a 'huge fan' of Ms. McCafferty.

So how did this get started? The Harvard Crimson, an independently-run newspaper published by students at Harvard University (where Kaavya is studying now), reported that Opal Mehta, written when Kaavya was 17 and which secured her a two-book contract for $500,000, was plagiarised in parts. The Crimson even quoted a passages from the book to prove its claims. Since then, there is no stopping the world media and now both sides of the publishing houses are involved in legal proceedings.

I look at this episode and couldn't help but wonder what does it do for India in a global scene. When Kaavya became a success, everyone wrote about how the writers from the Asia Pacific region are storming the literary scene and how the development in these countries are well-rounded. Now with these turn of events, suddenly everyone will become suspicious of all Indian writers (NRI or otherwise) and will be prejudiced about any work. India as a country is already known for Cheating, Serving Food, Hospitality & Tenacity in that order according to the Prejudice Map published by Google. Click on the partial map below to see the whole world represented in the Prejudice Map.

Cheating? Is that how the world looks at India? We just play the survival game a lot better than others but that doesn't allow anyone to call us as cheats. Ok, we occasionally steal questions papers of major exams, print our own marksheets, fudge our resumes, run out of jobs, always think about making more money by making others earn less money .. hey but we are not cheats.

Is that what that word means? Kaavya got 'inspired" by the works she read. We even have a few professors who have lifted papers from International Conferences and presented it under their names. But then that's not cheating. They are spreading the works of other people. No one will know of Megan McCafferty if Kaavya has not done what she has done. In fact, Ms. McCafferty should be thanking Kaavya instead of throwing legal suits at her.

Indians cheat? Na, never. Let this be your answer the next time someone asks you this question. Oh boy, we have lots of work to do in this country.

Opal Mehta Got Kissed alright, but she definitely Got Caught.

Footnote: Some of the passages in this blog post may have been inspired by news reports from Rediff and CNN.

Emerald Isle!

2006-03-27T00:27:00.000+05:30

After a long time, I agreed to be a part of corporate team outing. Here are the usual expectations of a day-out. You visit a resort by driving an hour or more out of city limits. Once you are there, its about a day of team games, sports activities and of course, some good food/liquids. Emerald Isle was nothing compared to what I had in mind. As soon as the gates opened, the resort came to an end. It is so small and is flanked by a swimming pool on one side and a little greenery on the other. The facilities were mediocre and it really looked like we had nothing else to do.

Then we discovered Outward Bound Learning (OBL). No, it is not a learning solutions company. It really is a section attached to the resort which provides for what typically you would call an army training camp base. So we had Burma Bridge, Obstacle Course, Crawl Pipes, 9 foot wall, Spider's Web, Ascending Bars and some more. Some of us in the hot blazing sun decided to try out couple of them. Spider's Web looked the easiest and it just involved climbing on boxed ropes to reach a height of 10 feet and then you climb down. I had my moment of truth when I decided to try out Burma Bridge. It's about climbing rope stairs to reach a height of 30 feet and then walk across a single rope dangling across the poles separated at 15 feet. Well, I always knew I had fear of heights. I found that out in my first trip to the Empire State Building. Dizzy heights .. head goes out for a spin. Here in the Burma Bridge, after climbing the steps to reach the 30 ft. height from the ground, I discovered some uneasiness in my stomach which would easily spread across to every part of my body. Thanks to Tom, who I still think is an alien, led the way to cross over the bridge. When I completed the course, I looked up and it didn't look all that threatening any more. Well, what do you know ... sometimes, by trying something, you know you are wiser than not trying at all.

Here is one more unknown removed from my list: Fear of heights. I hope so.

Visit Sin Signs to catch all the excitement or you click here to view team outing photos.

Rang De ..

2006-03-26T23:53:00.000+05:30

This has been due for a while now.

Watched Rang De Basanti (RDB) only after lots of my friends kept egging me on to go watch this movie. Suddenly Rakesh Mehra is catapulted to A class of directors and his work is worshipped now. After watching the movie, I could not help myself comparing this movie to Anniyan, a work by Shankar. Here is why.

RDB has conciously included a patriotic theme and provided a needless replay of Jalianwala Bagh massacre, perhaps to justify the awakening of today's youths. Leaving all threads of patriotism aside, the movie just focuses on how an individual or a group reacts when the unthinkable happens. Then comes the corruption, greed and a bag of sins that the group finds repulsive in their lives. Finally, we all get to see how the youth take law on their own hands to set precedence so that the country is awakened by all the wrong-doings.

Final takeaway - If you think someone has done something wrong - punish the individual or the whole system. Wow!

Compare this. In Anniyan, it is not about a MIG crash where a pilot loses life and later his honor. In this movie, Shankar has clearly dealt with how this country has become tolerable to all sins and how one man takes upon the challenge to punish everyone who indulges in various sins. While watching Shankar's work, one gets the feeling that director is taking a very moral high ground and hence declares almost anything and everything in shades of grey to be punishable.

Final takeaway - This country needs something drastic/sudden to change the ways of life; unless there are timely punishments, everyone's life will be impacted by each other's wrongdoings. Even if the governments (read system) fail to bring order in the society, any individual can involve in such a task to set a precedence. A round of applause please!

Two different stories told by two different directors who are popular in their own league. However both of them fail to realize the director's responsibility when it comes to churning out such themes. Civilizations that we live in have taken years and years together to get to where we are. What we have now in the name of a system is a pretty evolved one and not perfect though. We do see instances whereby loopholes in the system are (mis)used by wrong-doers to continue their ambitious lives. To tackle this, you cannot make a man and woman in this world take up arms and reduce our lives to the stone age. Instead, we should find ways to tighten the system and set legal course to work in a hawk-eye mode.

When I was coming out of the theatre after watching RDB, I did wish that the director had offered us a more pragmatic solution than to resort to emotional measures. Well, what do you know. This is India!

Wake Up! It Was All a Dream!

2006-03-26T00:11:00.000+05:30

Wake up! Snap out of it! Something's going on and you need to wake up! You've fallen into a trance or something, and you need to rouse yourself. You think you're awake but you're not - and as you've been sleeping, all kinds of hideous things have been happening.

The dream is over. World is moving on! Time to wake up.

Cartoons in a Controversy!

2006-02-03T17:11:00.000+05:30

Jyllands-Posten, a newspaper from Denmark has printed some cartoons of The Mohammad. Reprints of these cartoons have emerged in a few other newspapers in Europe, thereby raising lots of protests from the Islamic Nations.

Well, I follow a lot of cartoons and this is not the first time cartoons have landed in huge controversy where nations are involved. Cartoons inhabit an aesthetic world that is an alternative creation, a comic world of humour. The humour works by exaggerating, and often combining disparate elements for the comic effect of ironic juxtaposition. The 'meaning' of such sketches can in fact often be quite other than what it may at first appear. Similarly, the target in these cartoons is not the religion itself, but those people who use violence in its name. Such crucial distinctions are understood fairly generally in cultures that share such comic traditions. In the same breath, let me add that not all cultures share the same psentiments when it comes to such cartoons that ridicule religion or its top leaders. And this incident is set to explode in big proportions.

Here is the scoop on the cartoons. Sources: Wiki & Jyllands-Posten ePaper.

After an invitation from Jyllands-Posten for around forty different artists to give their interpretation on how Muhammad may have looked, twelve different caricaturists chose to respond with a drawing each. These twelve drawings portrays Muhammad in different fashions.

In the clockwise direction of their position in the page layout:

The face of Muhammad as a part of the Islamic star and crescent symbol. His right eye the star, the crescent surrounds his beard and face.
The most controversial drawing shows Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, with a lit fuse and the Islamic creed written on the bomb.
Muhammad standing with a halo in the shape of a crescent moon. The points of a crescent moon peeking out from behind the subject's head take on the appearance of horns.
An abstract drawing of crescent moons and Stars of David, and a poem on oppression of women "Profet! Med kuk og knald i låget som holder kvinder under åget!". In English the poem could be read as: "Prophet! daft and dumb, keeping woman under thumb"
Muhammad as a peaceful wanderer, in the desert, at sunset. There is a donkey in the background. This is presumably a reference to Don Quixote.
One shows a nervous caricaturist, shakingly drawing Muhammad while looking over his shoulder.
Two angry Muslims charge forward with sabres and bombs, while Muhammad addresses them with: "Rolig, venner, når alt kommer til alt er det jo bare en tegning lavet af en vantro sønderjyde" (loosely, "Relax guys, it's just a drawing made by some infidel South Jutlander". The reference is to a common Danish expression for a person from the middle of nowhere.)
An Oriental looking boy in front of a blackboard, pointing to the Farsi chalkings, which translate into "the editorial team of Jyllands-Posten is a bunch of reactionary provocateurs". The boy is labelled "Mohammed, Valby school, 7.A", implying that this Muhammed is a Danish second-generation immigrant rather than the man Muslims believe was a prophet. On his shirt is written "Fremtiden" (the future). According to the editor of Jyllands Posten, he didn't know what was written on the blackboard before it was published.
Another drawing shows an angry Muhammad with a short sabre and a black bar censoring his eyes. He is flanked by two women in burqas, having only their eyes visible.
Muhammad standing on a cloud, greeting dead suicide bombers with "Stop Stop vi er løbet tør for Jomfruer!" ("Stop, stop, we ran out of virgins!"), an allusion to the promised reward to martyrs.
Another shows Kåre Bluitgen, wearing a turban with the proverbial orange dropping, with the inscription "Publicity stunt". In his hand is a stick drawing of Muhammad. An "orange in the turban" is a Danish proverb meaning "a stroke of luck."

And in the center:

A police line-up of seven people, with the witness saying: "Hm... jeg kan ikke lige genkende ham" ("Hm... I can't really recognise him"). Not all people in the line-up are immediately identifiable. They are: 1) A generic Hippie 2) Politician Pia Kjærsgaard 3) Possible Jesus 4) Possible Buddha 5) Possible Muhammad 6) A generic Indian Guru 7) Journalist Kåre Bluitgen, carrying a sign saying: "Kåres PR, ring og få et tilbud" ("Kåre's public relations, call and get an offer")

Get your jobs on TV!

2006-02-03T15:51:00.000+05:30

Here is something for all the job hunters! Now we have a job show on TV. Coming live on CNBC TV 18 at 8.30 PM on 4th Feb, 06.

Apprentice anyone? Visit this link for more information.

India Meets France!

2006-02-03T13:10:00.000+05:30

Got back from a relaxing trip to Pondicherry. The seafront is certainly the best place to start any exploration of Pondi. We chose a beach resort, Hotel Ashok to enjoy the lazy sea shore of Pondi. For the first two days, we found bliss at the resort occasionally stepping out to explore the other attractions in the city.

We later found out that the city has a White Town (Ville Blanche) and a Black Town (Ville Noire). The white town was where the French stayed and the Black Town was inhabited by the Tamilians during the French Colonization. While Hotel Ashok was on the ECR stretch, thanks to Vels, we got an opportunity to stay in a service apartment in the White Town area. This area is at the heart of the city and has well planned streets. It has some of the finest colonial buildings and most of the distinguished buildings are set against the sea front. Oh yeah, many streets have retained their French names. It was heartening to see a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the middle of the seafront, close by the old lighthouse and pier. In the evening on the weekends, no vehicles are allowed to use the sea front road. Our visit to the sea front reminded us totally of a carnival, what with a band of music, road side foodie-goodies, giant wheel and thousands of people all packed into one narrow street facing the sea front.

One cannot ignore the influence of Sri Aurobindo on Pondi. Auroville and Aurobindo Ashram are named after this accomplished linguist & scholar. He studied spritual discipline of Yoga and was joined in this intensive study by a French Woman, Mira Alfassa who is popularly referred by the devotees as The Mother. Auroville is the brainchild of The Mother and is designed by French Architect Roger Anger. One should definitely visit the Auroville when in Pondi. Auroville is an experiment in international living where men and women can live in peace and progressive harmony above creed, politics and nationality. Yes, you heard that right! This piece of land stretched over a few acres is not governed by any politicians and is said to be beyond any nationality.

We also took some time to visit Chunnambar. This place is unique as on one end, there is the backwater and on the other, a long seashore. We took a quiet boat ride on the backwaters which take you close to the sea shore. It's pretty scenic and boasts of tree houses where one can watch the amazing sunrise.

Surely, we had our memorable moments but I cannot stop talking about the behavior of the traffic police. Having decided to take an out-of-state vehicle into Pondi. we were constantly stopped by the police for "permit". We will be approached by the traffic police for at least 5 times a day, sometimes 2-3 times in a ride. At one time, we were stopped for trying to jump a redlight and a cop lectured us about the need for road discipline. Finally he let us go after we gave him Rs. 50! Clearly, this city doesn't encourage tourism as Goa does. What a world of difference between Goa and Pondi! In Goa, even local people welcome the tourists, here in Pondi, everyone is out to fleece you. Well, this I had to see for myself.

Having visited Pondi, I hear myself say - Nothing like Goa!

Alaska: Breathtaking!

2006-01-23T20:23:00.000+05:30

Pictures don't do it justice. Words fail. People visiting Alaska for the first time are awestruck at the enormity of it all. You'll need all the time in the world for fishing, sightseeing, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, hot-springs soaking and more. Clouds break to admit a brilliant shaft of sunlight, then close again over a silver lining. Weather changes with breathtaking swiftness. A week in Alaska is a mere taste of the Great Land. Two weeks is better and three better still. Oh yeah! it isn't cheap. It's priceless. This is definitely one of the places to visit in my lifetime! Here are some snapshots for you to enjoy the Great Land! Yes, you can click on them to view a larger image.

L. Kayakar admiring intense blues of Glacier Ice, Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska
R. Sea Kayakar dwarfed by the huge expanse of Alaska's inside passage and the towering mountains that surround it.

L. Sea Kayakar stops to admire the view, Lynn Canal, Inside Passage, Near Juneau
R. Kayakars enjoy the solitude of an evening paddle near Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier, Tongass Forest

L. Hikers peer down into ice cave from surface of Mendenhall Glacier, Tongass Forest, Near Juneau
R. Sea Kayakar admires blue ice of large iceberg in Tracy Arm, Tongass National Forest

L. Kayakar enjoying an evening paddle on a quiet pond in the Tongass Forest
R. Sea Kayakar paddles in Tracy Arm Wilderness, Tongass Forest

Photographs by John Hyde.

Pulp Fiction in 30 seconds!

2006-01-23T17:00:00.000+05:30

Satire anyone?

2006-01-23T16:50:00.000+05:30

STUDY FINDS YOU REALLY DON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE
In Grand Scheme of Things, Your Hard Work, Diligence, Found to Mean Squat

London, England (SatireWire.com) — In an unprecedented study, British and American researchers have concluded that despite what you've been told at work, you really don't make a difference, and are not remotely integral to your company's success.

"In our research, we found that you've been encouraged to believe that your hard work and contributions are substantial, and that you are a significant member of the team. But what we discovered is that in your particular case, there's no way," said Neil Romsby of the London School of Economics.

In the study, jointly conducted by the LSE and Stanford University's Business School, researchers interviewed your superiors and colleagues, and uncovered a variety of slogans meant to boost employees' sense of worth, such as "Our employees are our greatest asset," and, "Our value is in our employees."

"We're not necessarily saying these platitudes are all lies," said Stanford economics professor Harold Bloom. "We're just saying they have nothing to do with you."

"That may seem sad," Bloom noted, "but it's actually rather funny because your situation is quite obvious to everyone else."

Romsby added that it's also ironic. "When you tell your boss he is doing a good job, you know you are lying, but when your boss tells you the same thing, you actually believe it. That's priceless."

Romsby cautions you, however, not to assume you are simply a meaningless number to your company. "No, that's not a fair comparison," he said, "because numbers are actually quite meaningful to your company. Unlike you."

Researchers concede the study may be difficult to accept — even though your colleagues insist it shouldn't really be a surprise — but suggest you begin by substituting the word meaningless for important whenever your boss or colleagues speak to you. For example: "Diane, this is a really meaningless project and I think you can make some meaningless contributions as a meaningless member of the team." Once you feel comfortable with that, Bloom added, substitute the word "shitty" for "meaningless," and you'll have a pretty good sense of where you stand.

In another finding, researchers also learned that contrary to your company's public relations claims, your company is not really "creating the future" or "improving people's lives." This, Romsby explained, is actually good news for you.

"By failing to make a difference at a place that also doesn't make a difference, at least you're not really hurting anybody," he said.

In other research findings:

When your company says "Great companies are made by great employees," they aren't talking about you.
When your company insists that "Each employee makes a special contribution," that's not you either, unless you consider having your head up your ass half the day as "special."
When your company discusses its relatively low turnover rate, it wouldn't mind if it went up another point, if you catch our empirical drift.
Your deep-seated fear of being revealed as a fraud who doesn't really deserve the job you have is unfounded. Everybody knows.

Where do you want to go today?

2006-01-06T17:33:00.000+05:30

Just a week completed in this new year and Swathi and I are already planning our visits to some holiday spots. So what's confirmed now is at least 2 different trips to Goa and a 3d/3n stay at Munnar in the next 4 months. Thanks to Club Mahindra and Sun Resorts, we even have our coupons confirmed. And then there is Pondy which can happen during the last week of Jan.

To help us plan our holidays better, we were offered some time-sharing holidays' advice by the RCI folks yesterday. Idea is to invest a lac or so one-time and enjoy a week, every year for 25 years continuously at any designated resorts throughout the world.

It can be anywhere in the world. Europe, North/South America, Asia, Carribean, Africa, Pacific regions .. anywhere.

One day, I must seriously consider subscribing to a package like this one! And I'm told RCI is extremely popular. So what am I waiting for? :->

Guilty Pleasures ...

2006-01-06T12:04:00.000+05:30

Ok, so finally got my hands around my two favorite DVD collections! The Godfather DVD Collection (5-DVD Set) and Seinfeld - Seasons 1 & 2 (4-DVD Set).

Thanks to Nikhil who flew down from the US recently and wasted no time in handing over these babies to me. I'm all set to grab my popcorn and be a couch potato this weekend!

:->

2006-01-04T17:04:00.000+05:30

Your professional life isn't going anywhere, if ...

2006-01-04T16:30:00.000+05:30

~ You've sat at the same desk for 4 years and worked for three different companies.
~ Your company welcome sign is attached with Velcro.
~ Your resume is on a diskette in your pocket.
~ When someone asks about what you do for a living, you lie.
~ You get really excited about a 2% pay raise.
~ Your biggest loss from a system crash is your best e-mail jokes.
~ Free food left over from meetings is your main staple.
~ Your supervisor doesn't have the ability to do your job.
~ You sit in a cubicle smaller than your bedroom closet.
~ Salaries of the members on the Executive Board are higher than all the Third World countries' annual budgets combined.
~ You think lunch is just a meeting outside the building.
~ It's dark when you drive to and from work.
~ Communication is something your group is having problems with.
~ You see a good looking person and know it is a visitor.
~ Weekends are those days you hear about in songs or see in movies.
~ Being sick is defined as can't walk or you're in the hospital.
~ You're already late on the assignment you just got.
~ When your non-working time never exceeds 20 hours a week.
~ You work 200 hours for a $100 bonus check and jubilantly say "Oh wow, thanks!"
~ Dilbert cartoons hang somewhere in your department.
~ Your boss' favorite lines are "when you get a few minutes", "in your spare time", "when you're freed up", and "I have an opportunity for you."
~ Vacation is something you roll over to next year OR a check you get every January.
~ Your relatives and family describe your job as "works with computers".
~ Nepotism is encouraged.
~ The only reason you recognize your family is because their pictures are hanging in your cubicle.
~ You read this entire list and understood it.

A year passes by!

2006-01-04T15:46:00.000+05:30

No Regret, No Grief,
No Lament, No Guilt,
But, the past is always said to
Move your heart!
How and Why?
Among the cluster of joy
We remember the times
More when we cried!
The moments of happiness
Are shadowed by the 'times of less'
Is darkness more powerfull than light?
Or is it the mind?

Reminiscences can be selective
They choose not to bring back the smiles
But the tears,
Amazing and annoying,
How you can relive the pain, ages after they have hurt and gone.
Thoughts come forth, the way they were, the way they ARE,
The freshness of the pain, still remains,
Can joy be as fresh as the pain?
Then why is the joy short-lived,
Why do we consider joy as something that was "to-be"
And not something to cherish..for long?

Prolonging the Pain of the Past
Pains the Present,
Then why do we Persist to Perceive the Past?
Who do we Please?

Not Parting with the Pain
Passing the Pleasures...
Is this Human?
Or is this ME?

(Contributed by Swathi)

An Evening of Black Dog & Kashmir!

2006-01-03T15:57:00.000+05:30

Guess what? Led Zepplica, the tribute band from L.A is going to be the main gig at IIT Madras' Saarang. I will not miss this opportunity to listen to Led Zepp's greatest hits.

Not sure about Led Zepplica? They are great; my phirang friends tell me they enthrall the audience totally. This is also the first time they are performing in India. Mark your calendar. Show is on Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 7:00 PM.

Here is what Led Zepplica have to say about their performance.

Imagine this. You are transported back 30 years and you are one of the lucky few to experience a live concert by Led Zeppelin at a local venue. This is what Led Zepplica is all about. The chemistry, the magic, and the legendary performance up close and personal. We invite you to relive it all over again.

Led Zepplica has been performing as an entity since 1989 locally and nationally. Often performing concert sets 2 to 3+ hours long, they have developed a reputation for being the next best thing to seeing a live Led Zeppelin performance. Led Zepplica has evolved to being one of the best drawing tribute bands here in Southern California. Their shows are charged with such emotion and realism, that people who attend these performances often forget that they are seeing a simulation.

Hello 2006!

2006-01-03T15:42:00.000+05:30

Received this from my friend and I'm sharing this will all of you.

Dreams visit us when we are asleep, but Commitment wakes us up each day and gives us a chance to make our Dreams come true.

May each day of 2006 and beyond takes you closer to those dreams of yours.

Live your dreams. Imagine. And, believe in yourself! Wish you a very great 2006.

I wish you good health!

I wish you love!

May your worst day of 2006 be better than your best day of 2005!

Zero Tolerance!

2005-12-29T12:59:00.000+05:30

Last evening, one of India's premier institution, IISc, Bangalore was attacked by terrorists. The victims of this dastardly attack were professors, students and other delegates participating in a World Conference. Talk about soft targets ...

What's surprising and shocking is that Bangaloreans are suddenly facing the realities of terrorism. Of late, there have been a few bomb hoaxes in some of the top IT companies in Bangalore but this is the first time, such a sick act has occured within the gates of a reputed academic institution. The police and the state machinery were caught unawares but doing their best to find the answers that elude them at the moment. Why Bangalore? Why IISc? Why Scientists?

India has often been subjected to such acts of terrorism and somehow has a reputation of being tolerant to such acts. The Delhi bombing that occured last month killed more people than the 7/7 bombing in London. While the Londoners are still trying to come to terms with such a reality, India has already forgotten about this blast. It almost looks like we are the testing grounds for all grenades/explosives before it's attempted elsewhere in the world. We talk about failure of intelligence when such an attack occurs, but then intelligence alone cannot prevent such dastardly acts. There has to be a political will and more importantly every citizen must have zero tolerance on these attacks. There is no way we can take this lying down.

Reality is ... this new year will be celebrated on the streets of Bangalore along with the security forces. This must be the new-age freedom!

Get Visual!

2005-12-28T17:04:00.000+05:30

Ok, so I'm becoming very predictable.

I'm a movie buff and I would do nothing but just listen to music .. or better still watch music videos.

Started another blog recently to share my viewing pleasures to the world at large. Gave it a name "Get Visual"; was pretty surprised to find such a domain string available. This blog dishes out a must-see list of movies/trailers, music videos, amazing ads .. anything goes here. So you see, every day I choose a theme .. and three videos will be showcased in a category. Had a blast collecting them and also compiling them for all of you. You will agree when you experience them.

Here is what you need. A good bandwidth connectivity to watch all the videos. Don't think you can watch it only on your office connectivity and get a bad review on your performance appraisals. Apparantly some companies have a strict code for such personal indulgence. Instead try it on a dial-up. It works amazingly well. Of course, don't miss the headphones.

So what are you waiting for? Visit getvisual.blogspot.com and enjoy!
Some small print here ...

---------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER:
Watching these video bits could drain your Internet Bandwidth. Please use your own discretion to spend time on this site. Other than the primary selection, other items in the playlist are not selected by the author and hence may contain mature content.

Two Cities: Two Days!

2005-12-22T14:58:00.000+05:30

While I live my life everyday in Bengaluru, something about these 2 other cities keeps me go back again and again and again! This thought briefly struck me this week when I was in both these cities.

Yep, its Hyderabad and Delhi.

Thanks to my job, I'm able to meet some interesting people in Hyderabad. I have always wondered how people from this city/state are so different from other parts of the country. Extremely enterprising, these folks are completely capitalistic. Every spend here is big! Be it the weddings, education, politics, entertainment .. Its all about living life in style! Oh yeah .. you need to see some of the bungalows they live in. Style and Status - Redefined. That's Hyderabad. Thanks to Vels, enjoyed a great dinner complete with some premium liquids. Met up with some interesting and influential people in the city. Its always FUN when you meet someone the first time.

And then Dilli happened the next day ... Thanks to the surds here, life in Delhi is typically boisterous. Its official. Delhi is filled with show-offs who care very less about everything and everyone else. Life here can be loud, boisterous, carefree and .. big! While living here, you may enjoy this city too. Why not? Its got some great infrastructure support and no matter what, every facility works in this city. Of course, occasionally there will be a bomb blast in different parts .. but you move on, if it doesn't stop you.

I have some great memories of Delhi when I was here for a brief period. So took some time to go visit the home where we setup a shop 6 years back. Fortunately, the tenants were still there, getting old alright, but having fun in their own way. They are surds and hence was treated with a traditional kawa drink. Good for health I'm told.

Took their permission to go see the place where I have lived some good times. Straight out of college, this was my first independent home, quite close to PVR Cinemas and McDonalds. To my surprise, the place was not rented and it looked like no one lived there for about a year. Its always an awesome moment when you find a chance to relive your past, even if its only for a few minutes. Here I was, standing in my bed room and noticed that the poster I had on the wooden closet .. was still there.

A little flash back .. and some gentle memories of the people I have lived with at this home. Suren, Manoj (Jhatax), Anis, Sara .. folks, it was good to see this old place still in shape. Wish I had taken this trip with you folks :-> Said all the goodbyes to the kind-hearted souls I know and dragged my body out of that place.

I will always love this place and this city! Dilli - quite magical.

Stay Away!

2005-12-15T11:32:00.000+05:30

I start everyday telling myself that I will stay away from two attitudes in life:

Mediocrity & Foolishness

Of these two, the one that I constantly watch out for is "Mediocrity". For I fall into this trap very easily. My head constantly tells me "Do not strive. Take it easy. Ever heard of complacency?" I fight back. Everyday. If I refuse to improve my thoughts and life, I will settle for mediocrity and live with the status quo, sleepwalking through my daily routines. To live with status quo is to live with mediocrity.

And mediocrity isn't an option. Not in my life.

Think Differently.

2005-12-15T10:53:00.000+05:30

Just remembered some awesome quotes ...

"If you always see what you’ve always seen,
You’ll always be who you’ve always been."

"If chess is so smart, why is the leader the weakest piece?"

“It is well to remember that the entire universe,
with one trifling exception, is composed of others"

“If past history was all there was to the game,
The richest people would be librarians ."

“And in knowing that you know nothing,
That makes you the smartest of all ."

Strawberry Fields!

2005-12-09T14:01:00.000+05:30

Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout
Strawberry Fields forever

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me
Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout
Strawberry Fields forever

No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low
That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right, that is I think it's not too bad

Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout
Strawberry Fields forever

Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know when it's a dream
I think I know I mean a "Yes" but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree

Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real, and nothing to get hungabout
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever

Your music will live a long time!

Upcoming Attractions!

2005-12-07T19:44:00.000+05:30

Waiting for these movies to be released in my city ... have read some awesome reviews about each one of these ...

The Weather Man
Derailed
39 Pounds of Lov
Walk the Line

Did anyone say DVD?

Priceless!

2005-12-07T14:42:00.000+05:30

Yesterday was invited to attend a farewell party. Only the venue was not announced. Here is a parody!

Car fuel to take you to the party: Rs. 200.00
A farewell gift: Rs. 1500.00
Dinner for 8 at a cozy restaurent: Rs. 2000.00
Not going to the party at all: Priceless ...

:->

Life in the fast lane ...

2005-12-06T15:45:00.000+05:30

I have been obsessed with this idea for quite some time now. Finally its now in my blog too. Here it goes ...

To me, driving a car is the same as living a life. Show me how you drive and I will tell you who you are.

Do you feel like you are driving slow? How many times has it occured to you that you should be at some place else? Not where you are right now ... Do you see several others passing by .. leaving you behind? Did you ever feel you are stuck in a wrong lane? You may even feel helpless or resign to the fact that you are indeed in a wrong place at the wrong time. Are you comfortable with someone else driving ahead of you? Is it ok to follow others? Do you let others get past you? Do others consider your driving rash? Aggressive? Do you even care? Like taking risks?

Is it ok to hurt someone when you try to get ahead leaving others behind? Do you derive any pleasure when you haunt others? How do you feel when you try hard to follow the rules .. and then you see others who don't? Does that give you a moral edge? Are you polite when you ask to drive ahead? Do you look down on smaller vehicles? Are you always right? Is there anyone who drives better than you? What about others who bully you? What about those who insist on driving so slow that you wish you had a bigger vehicle to just run them over? Are there any driving incidents? How easily do you give up? Are you able to pick up the pieces and start all over again? Do you leave your past behind?

So many questions .. but pretty much defines your life pattern. Helps you find out who you are and what your comfort zone really is. If you think that driving can reveal so much about you .. you should know that the roads are so typical like your life.

So many ups and downs .. so many unthinkables. You always never know what to expect. Where you are at any given point is only a function of how you use your head. So the next time, you are behind the wheel, pump up the volume, indulge in your kind of music and stop worrying. At least you know who you are and what you would do in any situation.

Like life in the fast lane? Go for it. There is no stopping you.

Is it true Bangalore?

2005-12-06T15:20:00.000+05:30

The following is my response to the Nimish Adani episode. As with every story, there are several versions of what really happened. But surely, one thing to note is that Bangalore is two-faced. Read ahead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Nimish

Salute you for what you are doing here. Its easy for anyone in your place to just quit this city and ensure that no one from your clan ever enters this city again for generations to come.

After all the mental and physical trauma, you have certainly displayed the courage to stand up and tell the whole world what has happened. No matter what the implications are. I'm glad you are giving out your identity and never let anyone think that you are not giving the facts. I also appreciate the way you are reaching out to the 'community' that suffers from fascism directly or indirectly.

I have vigorously followed up on these posts and it all speaks very loudly about one thing only. No one likes what has just happened and everyone knows that it could have been anyone instead of you. We have all heard of IT professionals being soft targets and been robbed of cellphones, watches, credit cards ... may be some of them got hurt in the process, may be someone got killed. But its always treated as an isolated case.

Truly this city has a set of fanatic crowd which thinks people from other states have come here and are taking away all the opportunities; earning lot of money .. already there are protests about not enough kannadigas being allotted employment in IT companies (IT reservation?) ... protests about the alien crowd here not speaking kannada in namma bengaluru. I bet if you had spoken in kannada at the railway station, things would have been different.

Or take the incident where a Hutch shop was raided by activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike because the salesman didnt speak in Kannada. If for your unfortunate incident, say we have the backing of the activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, then you don't have to worry about reaching out to the press, police, someone suggested to get in touch with politicians .. well things can be so different. We can protest before the railway station under the banner of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and trust me, there will be top reactions and more importantly some heartening results.

Reason why I'm bringing out this angle is to tell you that you are fighting an invisible enemy and so obviously there are short term wins and some long term. Short term wins would be to get your money back and surely the perpetrators need to be booked of this heinous crime, suspended from duties .. i bet they are already on a vacation.

Long term wins would be beyond you and includes this whole community. Clearly there is a Shiv Sena face emerging in this metro and people here are taking sides. One that consists of all the professionals who bring opportunities, fame and more importantly lots of money to the government. Other which is convinced that the professionals are here to 'spoil'/'destroy' this wonderful city and its culture. It is becoming easy for the others to choose by whatever means to hurt the first group members. We have protested in the middle of the road as a whole community and demanded for improvement of city infrastructure in the past. Now this time, we probably have an outright call for our safety and more importantly, right to live with dignity. I'm sure people who witnessed your trauma at the railway station thought you did something against the law. Where is your dignity? The government or the powers in this city should realize how foolish it is to not take note of such 'isolated' events as it impacts the whole community and not just the individual. True, we dont have voters card to make a difference, but we still contribute to this city.

Nimish, my full support to you on this fight and once again salute your spirit, attitude and more importantly, courage.

Best Wishes!

PS: I'm not a victim of any isolated cases of mugging in this city and neither am I affiliated to any political party. I have lived long enough in this city and dont care if my kids are not allowed to sit for CET. I'm OK if I dont get to watch an English movie the day its released worldwide. I have nothing personal against Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and the views expressed are entirely mine. If what I have written has hurt someone, my apologies as it is not intentional. I do encourage you to open your eyes to see the bigger picture.

Blog your thoughts. Its a contest!

2005-12-06T13:56:00.000+05:30

ConneXions is organizing a blog your thoughts contest.

The Theme : "CAN Conquer CANcer" (or "Cancer is Conquerable").

Blog a smile, Blog a while, Blog whatever you feel like, but just remember your writing could help someone conquer cancer. Lend a healing touch to your imagination and watch how far your keyboard strokes can go towards motivation and support.

What are you waiting for? Submit your blogs for entry to the contest. There are some prices too! But who wants them anyway? :->

Visit ConneXions Website more information on the contest.Contest ends in 21 days. Spread the message.

Google died in my arms today!

2005-11-29T17:46:00.000+05:30

Googled Jain Muniraj Acharya Jayanth Sen Surishwar and it almost died today!
This shows that God and his men are beyond technology

:->

Some IT Gyan ..

2005-11-29T17:38:00.000+05:30

Lesson #1: Discover yourself when on the 'bench'
Lesson #2: Be flexible
Lesson #3: Work on the weakness or be replaced
Lesson #4: Believe in the leader who has a vision
Lesson #5: It's all about teamwork

Thanks Biswas!

It rightfully belongs to you!

2005-11-29T16:02:00.000+05:30

Of the current events, I have been tracking with fascination the story on Raj Thackerey and the Shiv Sena. If you don't know what has happened so far, here is a chance to read more about this developing story.

Anyways, what fascinates me is how everyone is playing the game with utmost caution. Most importantly, Raj. He is clearly invisible in the party now even though he has been an important member of it since his early days of political life. No, I'm not an ardent supporter of Raj and neither am I affiliated with this political party. So lets remove the political overtones and just look at what goes on here.

Here is a person who has given everything for this organization; dedication, sacrifice, color, charisma and everything else that an individual can offer. He has nurtured the organization and watched it grow. He has worked through the ranks to provide direction and stability. Now he sees himself in a place where the organization is taken away from him and is clearly heading in to pits. He is quite the forgotten hero and he has to fend for himself. He is left with some options, of course.

One option is to either acknowledge that through sheer organization dynamics, things are what they are and he can do nothing about it. Suddenly peers around him are becoming more important than him in the organization. After all, in any family-run organization, you will always find a new import within the family who has a reputation of saving the world from the brink of every disaster. A new reality prevails and now all the saviors of the organization are mere cronies. Nothing wrong about cronies. They are skilled well to understand the power centers in an organization. Their every action is driven by the need to stay close to these power centers and truly belong to the "Yes Boss" coterie. I love cronies. Given a chance, I would like to blow their brains out; from an arm's distance and using a .44 magnum. Back to Raj here. So here is an option where he can accept to stay invisible in an organization and continue to live a subdued life. Quietly his life will drift away and slip out of existence.

Or there is another option. Raj can walk through the door and start a life all-over. After all, talent can never be wasted. He has to build everything from the scratch or join ranks with some like-minded souls and support/lead them to victory/success. By doing this, he will leave behind his creations; all his hard work/dedication will create the right results - not for Raj but for someone else. Who says life is fair? He has to forget his previous association and call it a bad dream. After all when you start small, there is no guarantee if you will be successful. If it indeed becomes a success, who says it belongs to you.

Given the two options, I was expecting Raj to come out in the open and declare his choice. He did so; in style. Except there are not just 2 options anymore. He has decided to fight back and rightfully call for what belongs to him. The powers-to-be now have to decide whether to open its eyes and do the right thing; or drive the organization in to obscurity and a definitive death that no one enjoys.

We already know what's gonna happen, right?
So much for family-run organizations!

Not Kidnapped by Aliens...

2005-11-21T16:45:00.000+05:30

…just very, very busy.

I hope to get back on the blogging wagon shortly. I have had some very pressing projects going on and they have not left much time for, well anything really.

You might find some of my photo albums interesting though.

Visit www.sinsigns.com

Me, Myself and My Thoughts!

2005-05-04T14:35:00.000+05:30

Life has taught us all to look at any situation beyond your first reactions/thoughts; It taught us to think, analyze, strategize, define right behavior ... Let me paint a picture.

You see someone lying in the middle of the road, drunk. Your first thoughts are usually genuine. You would like to help this guy be moved to a safe location and probably help him come back to his senses. When you are about to act on your first thought, comes the second, third and several other thoughts in a flurry. My head is a cluttered place now. Somewhere you have read that you must be careful with people who are drunk. They have lost all senses and they have no idea what they want to do. May be the drunk guy will harm me. May be its just a waste of time. I'm heading to work and I'm already late by 30 mins. Let someone else take care of him. May be there are social organizations who do this kind of work. May be the drunk guy will wake up, realize he is in the middle of the road and so will move away from that place. May be he is just acting drunk. If I stop my car, he will create a ruckus or probably mug me. May be he wants my mobile phone and my wrist watch. Also if I stop my car, I will create a big traffic jam in the morning hours. I will then become responsible for lots of confusion in the road. Let me not be responsible for everyone walking into the office late. What's the police upto? Why can't they see the danger here? What if someone runs over the drunk fellow? May be when he is hit by a vehicle, he will be helped by people around. Will I be responsible if he gets hit? Why should I be? I have the same social responsibility as the next guy who passes by in his vehicle. May be I've an overdose of moral responsibility that the next guy doesn't have. This is India! What am I thinking? This is a place where survival instincts define who you should be at every situation. It would take another 100 years for this country to mature into a nation where people help one another and respect each other for what they are. May be I won't live to see that. Can I contribute in any way as an individual to bring about a change in everyone's attitude to situations like these? What if I really helped this guy be moved away from the middle of the road? Won't others see and learn from the good deed of mine? May be they will think I'm related to this guy. May be they will think I created this situation for him. May be I will be branded as a jobless youth pursuing politics as a career option. Never mind. I've already reached the office. Let me pray for this drunk man's wellness.

"Oh God! Dear God! Save this poor drunk soul who is sleeping in the middle of the road next to Adugodi Police Station in Koramangla, Bangalore, India. I know you are powerful! Bring about a miracle and save this guy! I trust you completely to make this happen! I know I can count on you! Oh God! Dear God! Thank you!"

Happy Birthday Eleanor!

2005-05-04T12:15:00.000+05:30

My baby wheels completed two years on April 30th with a modest reading on the dial.

Its been a wonderful two years and I have enjoyed the perfect company of my wheels, every single day. I acknowledge the unique bond we have; it plays to my mood, silently observes every single emotion I have gone through in these years. Perhaps that explains how it took me just a first sight to buy this car without insisting on a dry run or expert advice.

Eleanor, we have miles to go, before either one of us go to sleep ... forever.

Who am I?

2005-04-28T17:17:00.000+05:30

Found some interesting quizzes in quizilla.com. Here they are! You can click on any of the questions below to take your own personal quiz!

Which Season Are You?

Winter - You're Most Like The Season Winter ... You're often depicted as the cold, distant season. But you're incredibly intelligent, mature and Independant. You have an air of power around you - and that can sometimes scare people off. You're complex, and get hurt easily - so you rarely let people in if you can help it. You can be somewhat of a loner, but just as easily you could be the leader of many. You Tend to be negative, and hard to relate to, but you give off a relaxed image despite being insecure - and secretly many people long to be like you, not knowing how deep the Winter season really is. Well done... You're the most inspirational of seasons :)

Which Precious Gem Are You?

Pearl - You are most like A Pearl ! Independant, indifferent - and powerful. You tend to be alone a lot but you like that. You are rare, and amazingly strong. A good head on your shoulders and very practical minded. You're like a pearl because you're smooth, cool and have that hard exterior. People long to have your confidence, and you're the one people follow and admire. Congratulations ... you're the confident cool gem that people most want to be like.

Which Of The Seven Deadly Sins Are You?

Sloth - You are Sloth! Lazy huh ?? You're a bit slow in getting going - and tend not to do anything unless it is absolutely necessary. You'd rather sit around, watch TV/Sleep then go out and about with friends, or take part in a sporting event. On the positive side, you tend to be quite smart, as you spend a lot of time watching the News (!!) or on the computer, Also by conserving your energy, it's right there waiting for you when it's vitally important to get going. Consider possibly moving out of the room once in a while - and perhaps once a week trade watching TV for half an hour with a walk - and you'll be back on track. However, Congratulations on being the most intelligent of the 7 deadly sins...

Which Mythical Creature Are You?

Which Angel Or Demon Are You?

Which Horror Movie Are You Living?

Scary Movie!

Which Creature Of The Sea Are You?

Which Of The Greek Gods Are You?

Which Alcoholic Drink Are You?

Which Natural Wonder Or Disaster Are You?

Lightning!

One Life!

2005-04-28T15:37:00.000+05:30

For all the things that could have been, but never was

Found these lines from a blog that I track often. It looked like a simple statement and yet it swept me away! I could instantly recognize why this line means so much to me ... It just defines my life. Looking back in my life, I can say that there have been several instances where I could hear myself say this line ... No surprises then that I adore the wonderful creation of Mr. Frost in "The Road Not Taken". Ok, before I let anyone assume that this post is about my misadventures in love, let me stop you right there to say, this applies not just to love; but to every aspect of my life.

These words surely taught me to imagine a life that I don't have! A life that only I will know. Everytime there is something exciting coming my way with a half chance or sometimes no chance at all, I immediately start creating a future out of nowhere, built by the sheer brilliance of my imagination. Not that I don't convert these half chances into a reality, there still are occasions when they just silently fade away!

I surely live different lives in a lifetime, except they are small episodes and far from reality! Hope I don't succumb to an identity crisis one fine day!

Go Goa!

2005-04-19T10:36:00.000+05:30

8 of us, visited Goa on the dates 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th of April 2005. Here is a day to day account about our trip. Completely a true representation of the events; no twists.

The Gang: Pras, Kris, Arun, Jen, Ram, Sri, Shashi, Swats

Day 0 (8th April, 6 PM): Having comfortably booked AC Sleeper tickets in Paulo travels, we were shocked to find out that the designated bus had broken down and some of the sleeper tickets are converted to sitters. The bus looked like it would not take us all the way to the planned destination. The driver looked drunk and the bus started an hour late from the originally planned time. This is what I often call as a great start to an unforgettable getaway!

The onward journey (8th April): As the bus started moving, we all started to believe that we were indeed proceeding to Goa as planned. It took us about an hour or two to settle down and break the ice within the group. This is not an usual group and this is probably the first time all of us had come together to be on a getaway. Hence the breaking the ice ritual. Anyways, soon we were cruising on the highway and not bothered about whether we will reach Goa in time. Some good hearted souls volunteered to share their berths on the sleeper. So its Prasanth, Kris and Swati on one berth. Ram, Sri and Jen decided to share another berth. Shashi was missing in action throughout the onward journey. Arun was hopping places as typical of his high-energy protonic behavior. Soon after some not-so-innocent games like "Chinese Secret" and "Scribble something on the paper", we decided to sleep off. I must say that Prasanth has long legs and can sleep by arching his lower part of the body by 120 degrees and his head slanted by 64 degrees. Sri, Jen and Ram (not the right order when sleeping) were trying hard to not wake up the rest of the bus. I believe they were having some fun as Jen says "This must be fun. I'm having so much fun". These comments were heard intermittently throughout the night journey where there was just a single red light alive and 3 people bundled in a sleeper that’s 2.5 feet wide. Of course, we all decided to sleep after tasting some good malted drink and celebrating the 12 rich years of Chivas.

Arrival in Goa (9th April, 10.30 AM): We all landed in Goa with some big bloated up bladders and hearts that were singing our happy songs. We were picked up by a very kind man who owns the Villa Fatima where we opted to stay. Of course, we booked our return tickets back to Bangalore before doing anything else in Goa. Jen wanted to leave a day early and she succumbed to some emotional blackmail from Arun and Kris (who else?). Ram and Sri booked their tickets to leave a day early and wanted to reach Mumbai instead of Bangalore. Soon after we had confirmed plans to go back home, we cut loose. We reached the Villa Fatima. Close to the Baga beach, this indeed was a very calm, picturesque place that offered some very good accommodation facilities. We paid out the advance amounts and proceeded to our AC rooms. We had arrived in Goa!

First Day, First Show (9th April, 5 PM): We walked from the backside of Villa Fatima to the Baga beach. From what I heard, Arun and Jen decided to train themselves as the local guides and so they visited the beach couple of hours earlier than us and walked the beach separately together to get acquainted with the beach facilities. We love them for their sacrifices and they definitely helped us enjoy the beach and its facilities. Also Ram twisted his left leg when climbing down a set of non-existent steps in the stairs. His left leg started growing big, pained a little but Sri wasn’t ready to let him just lie down. She dragged him along to the beach with us. The beach didn’t disappoint us and offered us some tranquil moments, lots of good looking and less clothed phirangs; Inspired by the sights and sounds, we ran into the sea water and drenched ourselves. Arun and Pras thoroughly enjoyed swimming, drifting between the waves. Kris liked to beat his chest against the waves. After ensuring that their feet are wet, Shashi, Swats and Jen returned back to their seats where they tried their hands at nature photography.

First Night (9th April, 9 PM): We found a Kashmiri eating place, "Prince Wazwan" right outside our villa and ordered our fav foods. Kris noticed couple of phirangs, both women enjoying their dinner in the same eating place. Without doubting their sexual preferences, he approached Natalie in his own casual style. After some heart warming discussions and mutual appreciation for each other, Kris decides to say his goodbyes to Natalie and Caroline, Swedes who have come to enjoy Goa like us. Soon after returning to our rooms, we decided to enjoy couple of drinks. Single Malt, Premium Scotch, Red Wine .. the spread was awesome and we all enjoyed our drinks. Ok, that’s Jen after a few rounds; but she was alright.

After satisfying our thirsts with these awesome fluids, we walked to the beach again in the middle of the night with no lights and no clues to the roads that would lead us to the beach. Pras stayed back. Kris managed to drag all the drunk women and Arun managed to once again walk separately together with Jen on the beach. As we sat by the beach, we realized how easy it was to drift into the vast blackness that lay ahead of us. No worries, no frustrations, no scope for disappointments, easy to forget all about you and just stare at the sea blankly. We all returned back to our rooms after couple of hours of sea gazing to mark the end of day one in Goa!

Second Day (10th April): No one woke up until noon except of course, Arun and Jen. They once again managed to reach the Baga beach and this time walked separately together to a very distant place, away from the civilization. They answered the calls of Kris, Pras, Swats & Shashi and traced back their way to where we were. Ram and Sri were not to be found at all in the rooms. This bothered us as the previous night, Ram's ankles were swollen beyond our imagination as he walked the beach a lot after his leg twist. He was soon attended by a doc who was kind enough to come to his room and administered a liberal dosage of antibiotic. We continued our quest of seeking tranquility by visiting the beach again, only this time the sun was above our heads and was strikingly hot. However as we closed on the beach, it was such a pleasant weather. It still amazes me how cool it was in spite of the hot blazing sun and the sun-screen lotions. Instead of just playing with the waves, we decided to try out the jet boats. I will remember this experience for a long time. Pras managed to get the boat for us and soon after a small photo op, he asks me to hop on. So its Pras on the front, a small boy with a very diminutive body frame sits behind him and they immediately powered the boat. I had no instructions as to what to hold on to, when I sit behind these two guys. Soon I realized that the boat was taking off to amazing speeds and I held on to the guy's jacket or whatever I could grab. The ride against the waves was totally rough that which tested every muscle in my body. Pras on the front was crying out loud everytime the boat hit the crushing waves. I thought he was having fun but he later told me that his body parts were getting squished everytime it hit the trough. Poor Pras. Anyway, much to our relief, the ride came to an end and I finally decided to let go of the guy before me. I couldn’t believe I was alive. The ride was still in our heads and I did like the feeling of adrenalin rushing to my head.

Second Night (10th April, 9 PM): The eves made a plan to get the attention of a phirang. They decided to dress up or is it dressing down? Anyway, we walked into Titos, full strength. Titos is the most happening place; that’s what we heard. So if the girls were vying for some phirang attention, what were the guys doing? Well, we are smart. For the cover charges, we heard that literally any drink on the floor was free and unlimited. Now you know why we joined the girls to Titos. Anyways, so we get a table, wait for the happening phirangs to join us or may be take the dance floor. For a good 2 hours, we saw only phirang grandmas dancing to horribly slow music and the DJ insisted he will play only slow R&B music. Jen, Shashi, Arun, Pras & Sri decided to stir up things a little and so they took to the dance floor. I lost count of the number of refills on my glass. Just when I was thinking that there is no fun in Titos, I saw these glam dolls, phirangs of course, dancing with lot of rhythm and the right moves. These two girls danced away to glory while others simply chose to watch their body movements. I totally believe they must be some erotic dancers of sorts in their countries. They entertained us for hours together that I totally forgot about my group. They were still dancing to the groovy tunes. The night ended after Jen was approached by a half drunk phirang, a good looking one, I'm told, who expressed more than just passing interest in the way Jen was dancing. Jen was obviously pleased to the core that she decided to walk by the beach separately together with Arun; again. Rest of the crew called it a day.

Third Day (11th April, 10 AM): When I opened my eyes after a good night's sleep, I had no clue how wonderful this day would be. We hired some bikes and decided to drive to some beaches up north. So its Jen/Arun, Pras/Shashi, Kris/Swats and Ram/Sri on the bikes. We started from Baga to drive north to Mapusa only to be told there are no beaches at Mapusa. We drove further to Anjuna but skipped the Anjuna Beach. Instead we drove straight to Vagator beach. Vagator, Vagator, what a pleasing sight! I personally like the depth this beach has to offer. Of course, there is a liberal dosage of nudity in this beach. After climbing down the rocks, we reached the sea shores and parked ourselves by the beach. Arun decided to play with the waves, what else. Pras and I tried some beach volleyball, half way converting that to a football game. The girls however continued their phirang hunt, still hoping for the prince charming to turn up in white skin. After some amazing photo ops fulfilled, we decided to hop on to our bikes and continue the drive. Now about the drive to Morgim. No one seems to know about the existence of the Morgim beach. Its well maintained roads have an amazing landscape on either side of the roads. I love long and fast rides. Here the roads are never ending and offer you the thrills and the frills of a trouble free ride. Soon we reached Morgim beach only to discover that there were hardly couple of tourists in the beach. Instead of explaining the beauty of this beach, let me bring the beauty right in front of your eyes.

This is one awesome beach where the tides are low and graceful; the beach allows you to walk into the sea for well over a couple of miles. The sand is pristine white; soft and granular; feels good on your feet to walk over the sand. The seascape is uneven; in some places the water is right above the surface of sand and in some place else, the sand caves in. While playing throw ball, I had a feeling that something was crawling under my feet. This beach is the breeding ground of sea turtles, we are told. I think even crabs live here with their families. Lost complete sense of time; the wonderful sight of this beach lifted my spirits up, liberated me of all my earthly needs. Felt completely integrated with the elements of the nature. Wish I own a small hut by the beach from where I could stare and gaze into the never ending seascape. If only wishes were horses …

With great reluctance, we drove back to our rooms only after witnessing the graceful sunset at the Morgim beach. One could watch the sunset here for eternity. Never lost any of the photo ops at the Morgim beach and we posed before the beach like there is no tomorrow. Need to mention that Swats created some magic through her photographic skills and we have some great pictures; some of them are my wallpapers. No points for guessing.

Third Night (11th April, 9 PM): We decided to try out a swanky restaurant and so we discovered Lobo's place. It is a cozy place that dished out some local tunes and also some eating tables by the sea. For some reason, we didn’t have any lit candles on our tables. Arun took care of it though. I should mention that Jen was wearing some hot clothes and for once, it was not her smile which drew everyone's attention. The night at Lobo's truly belonged to Jen and she was initiated into the marvelous world of Margherita. After couple of drinks, she was pleased as a punch and declared to everyone that she will name her kid Margherita. She was obviously buoyed by the magic potion and its effect lingered on as long as she awake that night. We all returned back to our rooms with a very heavy heart knowing fully that like all good things, even this trip is coming to an end. We chose to accept the reality and drift into a peaceful dreamy sleep.

Final Day (12th April, 10 AM): We checked out of our rooms at Villa Fatima. Said our goodbyes to all the wonderful people out there who completely took care of our stay.

We traveled south of Baga to reach Fort Aguada. Some more photo ops and only this time, we posed together to capture the old tall walls of the Aguada fort. The sun once again was blazing hot and was not relenting. We soon gave up and left Fort Aguada. With limited time left, we visited Old Goa and in particular the Bom Jesus Church to see the miracle of St. Francis Xavier. Soon, we were saying goodbyes to each other and in particular to this wonderful place on earth called Goa.

For all those patient readers of my monologue, here is a link that you can visit to read the story in pictures.

Truly yours - Kris (Hyperbole)

Hit & Run!

2005-04-14T18:08:00.000+05:30

Last evening, I finished work and started my car to get back home. I had no idea what was in store for me when driving. As I was driving on the highway at 80 kmph, a small boy 10/12 years of age, tried to cross the road with absolutely no chance of crossing at that time. For along with me, there were 3 other cards zooming forward and this boy probably closed his eyes and started running across the road. He luckily missed getting hit on all the cars but dashed on the side of my car and the front-side window as well. My side glass window broke into pieces and fell into the car. Luckily he fell to the left and not in front of my car.

I quickly parked my car to check if he is alright. I was shocked to see that the boy was running away from me and the accident spot. This is certainly a hit and run case alright; only that my car is hit and the boy was running away. The on-lookers caught hold of the boy and brought him to me. I checked his head and his shoulders, two of his body parts which took the full blow. With some random bleeding, he was alright. Before I could ask him as to why he would run into cars on the highway, he once again took off. This time, running away in the opposite direction.

Thats when it struck me. In this stupid country, the drivers of the vehicles are responsible for the lives of the pedestrians. I have often seen the cases whereby pedestrians cross the roads where they are not expected to. Now this is no ordinary road, this is NH-7, National Highway. Its common these days to find pedestrians displaying no respect to the speeding vehicles and expecting a miracle to happen when they decide to cross the road on their own terms. The less fortunate dogs which are hit by the speeding vehicles in the middle of these roads will only be a grim reminder. For soon, if the pedestrians dont realize their responsibility and bring in a better civic sense, they will take the place of the dogs in the middle of the highways.

Indian Idol? Really?

2005-04-06T16:18:00.000+05:30

Indian Idol, the desi version of the ever popular 'American Idol' has just announced its winner. Abhijeet Sawant is the winner as decided by the whole country. Why am I talking about this?

I have been studying the content and format cross-over of this popular tube show from "American Idol" to its Indian counterpart. I was amazed to note that the auditions for the show were conducted in 4 cities all over India. Just 4 cities.

Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad.

I took a map of India and traced these cities. Much to my surprise, all these cities were located in the North India. In American Idol, all the auditions were conducted in all states of the USA. But here in India, the search for the Indian Idol was conducted in the northern parts of the country and seems like there are no cities in South India which can host the auditions of this programme. Talented contestants from south will have to travel to Mumbai to attend the auditions. That seems like fair. Of course, contestants from Ahmedabad cannot travel to Mumbai and that justifies the audition held in Ahmedabad.

I have seen several North-South divides in the country, but this one takes the cake. Sony/SET channels which are televised through-out the country felt the need to conduct auditions in the Hindi speaking regions of the country (Kolkata???) and ignore the southern states. Over 300000 aspirants participated in the auditions through out India, the channel claims. I wonder how many of them are from the southern states. Beauty is even Bangalore, the so-called cosmopolitan city is ignored.

Just wondering, how will these channels react when they are shut-off from being televised in these southern states. I bet they will do a doggie or desperately anything to get their TRP ratings up. Next time, they want to repeat this program, they better call it "North-Indian Idol" and not "Indian Idol".

:->

Compatibility Checklist!

2005-04-05T17:35:00.000+05:30

Should one wait for eternity to find a soulmate?

Not at all. Just be clear on why you want to get married and what you want from a marriage. Think beforehand about what efforts you are willing to put in. Love sure is great, but two compatible individuals can also make a marriage work too. Sometimes Love doesnt allow you to discover lack of compatibility or otherwise. For your convenience, I have put together this very trivial "Compatibility Checklist".

What is the room temperature you both are comfortable in? (In 9 out of 10 cases, you will like AC during the night and your spouse wont or the other way round.)
What time do you sleep and wake up? (Think its dumb? Ask and you will be amazed)
My parents are not perfect. Please love them and tolerate them. What you want me to love your parents too??? And I should consider their suggestions while making my decisions??? What do you mean by being polite to your friends? And how will you treat my friends? and so on ..
What do you watch on TV or is it ok if we have different tv and watch different programmes. Similarly, do we have to do everything together? Shopping, movies etc.
If its a holiday will you like to prefer to go out more or slouch around the house?
Do you read books? What do you read? If its the same choice, decide who gets to read it first. If one reads and other doesnt, decide what the other will do when one reads. :-)
Everyone loves music. Find out the volume the spouse prefers to hear it in. What type of music do you like? I like head-banging music and you like ghazals? God, some mercy!!!
How much of your salary do you spend on other family, past loans, lifestyle,hobbies etc. Do you believe in investment, and what do you prefer to invest in and what do you think are basic essential expenditure (list out. just eating out , clothing, etc won't do). How much can we spend without checking with the other. and vice versa.
What are your bad, irritating, annoying habits which you wont change even for me?
What are the dates I should remember (Include family and friends important dates too? Write down and save it). What are the gifts I can buy and not buy. Is an utility item a gift? Are you sure you love suprises?
Do you know to cook? Do you clean after cooking? Who should cook when and ask them to be specific on their food preferences. Just Indian, Chinese won't do. How many spoons of sugar in coffee, how spicy, how much oil, coconut whatever etc. (Better if each write down the specifications and negotiate.)
What is your favourite problem solving technique? Astrologer, counsellor, family, friends, mag columns, ignore, hysteria etc and mix and match them. Of course all problems are not similar. But be prepared for the techniques.
Can we discuss sex?
When to have children, and what each one of us should do for the child. (Discuss nappy changing, doing homework etc too. Not just being a role model for the child blah blah blah). And if any career adjustments should be made after having children ...

Please note that all the points apply to men and women unless specifically excluded. But if all this is tough for you, just ask what you would like to do if you get 15 minutes of free time. And ask the other person to think and then tell. If it matches, go ahead. Sometimes thats all you get to spend with the person in a day.

:->

Goodbye, my friend!

2005-04-04T17:34:00.000+05:30

Clenching the water there is no grip
Always knew there would be an end to this trip
Take in the ice he feels no pain
All is lost only 2 his gain

Forever is too long to wait
But you had to take that great escape

Tries to fly only to find he will hit the ground
With one motion it comes to an end so goodbye my friend

Remember the days we stared at the sky
At the clouds and ships that passed us by
The monkey bars and the jungle gym
Seemed too high too high for him

The Strand::Venice, CA

2005-03-31T15:47:00.000+05:30

I'd really been looking forward to exploring a brand new web phenomenon: The Strand: Venice, CA. The Strand is the latest web exploit of the people who made the Blair Witch Project. It's an episodic drama using video, a weblog and a discussion board, and the first episode was released a few days back. It even has a plan for making money. This first episode is free, but from here on you have to sign up for a micropayment account with Bitpass and pay 99 cents for each episode. Sorry, webisode.

Each webisode is a 600 MB video that you have to download over BitTorrent. It'll only play on specific versions of Windows, with very specific software. The "Detailed instructions" in the email inviting me to come look at this are as long as my arm.

I think I'd rather just reread Online Caroline instead. Though that web drama is nearly five years old, it's still surprisingly avante garde. It actually crafts a narrative that suits the medium instead of using the web as a complicated means for distributing 600 MB of video.

But then, you know what? After I downloaded and played the webisode, it was such a pleasant experience. The first webisode introduces all the characters and they are so real, so much close to heart and the whole series is about how individual lives of strangers influence each other.

Very nice concept; after all, what else do you expect from the guy behind Blair Witch Project.

Power of Silence!

2005-03-31T15:20:00.000+05:30

There is time to do different things in a day. Time to get up. Drive to work. Do that thing at work. Meet up folks. Enjoy a drink or two with friends after work. Meet up new people everyday. Time to care about your loved ones. And all that.

Not so long ago did I discover that I admire silence. I like spending a few minutes, if not longer, sitting there, staring at a corner of the room, or may be stare at the pages of a book that I read and just enjoy silence. All this at the end of a very long day, everyday, before I close my eyes to drift to sleep. What am I thinking during those times? Well, at times nothing. Just like the empty feeling on the head. Sometimes, I just sit there and reflect the events of the whole day. Its like standing on a cliff and cherishing the sight before you.

I have done this so long that I really didn't feel the need to ask why I like this so much? Recently I invested a lot of time to really figure out why I feel this is important to me. Here is the answer I got.

In the last 10 years, my life has changed for better. I used to be an "ants-in-the-pants" character trying to accomplish everything in a day. A decade ago, I used to live my life so fast like I will not live this life for a long time. There has been a significant change in me today. Instead of just doing 25 different things in a day, now I do what I can in a day and also spend significant time reflecting on my deeds. This is my way of taking care of myself. Looks to me, that I have written down what I want in my life and I'll slowly go about achieving each one of them in the next 25 years. This approach has brought stability in my life and gives me plenty of reason to wake up every morning. No matter how the world is, no matter how tough life becomes, I have my own thing to do.

And I will live each day fully with a clear perspective of the bigger picture.

On a song!

2004-12-29T14:36:00.000+05:30

They are playing my song ...
I could close my eyes and goto a happy place ... Yeah thats right!

i'm invincible ...
i'm invincible ...
as long as
i'm alive ...

The Road Not Taken

2004-12-29T14:21:00.000+05:30

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

Why do these lines sound so enigmatic everytime I come across them?

A closer look at the poem reveals that Frost's walker encounters two nearlv identical paths: so he insists, repeatedly. The walker looks down one, first, then the other, "as just as fair." Indeed, "the passing there/Had worn them really about the same." As if the reader hasn't gotten the message, Frost says for a third time. "And both that morning equally lay/ In leaves no step had trodden black."

What, then, can we make of the final stanza? My guess is that Frost, the wily ironist, is saying something like this: "When I am old, like all old men, I shall make a myth of my life. I shall pretend, as we all do, that I took the less traveled road. But I shall be lying." Frost signals the mockingly self-inflated tone of the last stanza by repeating the word "I," which rhymes - several times - with the inflated word "sigh." Frost wants the reader to know that what he will be saying, that he took the road less traveled, is a fraudulent position, hence the sigh.

Anyone for irony or self-pity?

Verve Pipe - Thank you!

2004-12-16T19:31:00.000+05:30

You will never hear me singing la-la
I guess la-la means I love you!

Everything's fine!

2004-12-13T19:15:00.000+05:30

The sun and moon came up alright! Birds flew across my window several times during the day; may be finding a new abode for themselves. I found comfort and peace of mind at work ! I felt lucky and blessed to have a job where I meet a lot of very special people over the years. No hype, lies, frustration ... phew! Didnt sell my soul to anyone this day!

Today I am happy and in a good mood. And nothing anyone has done or said took away from me my inner piece. You don't have that power over me.

Another day passes by! I lived another day! Isn't life an odyssey?

The Hitchhiker's Guide ...

2004-12-09T19:20:00.000+05:30

Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes, I caught a glimpse of the upcoming film, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Missed out the BBC radio series but really got drawn to the books. Somehow the thought of this world coming to an end and its aftermath seems to be of immense interest to me. I know there are other souls out there saying the same thing. Dont panic calls out the trailer! Panic?

You only fear what you dont understand!

Anyway this is not just about the world coming to an end. It is a sci-fi comedy novel(s) about a hapless British gent swept away during Earth's final hours, embarking on an interstellar adventure filled with oddities like a morose robot, a roguish two-headed space president, a hot babe, towels, babel fish and Vogon poetry.

You get the idea?

MND!

2004-12-08T18:44:00.000+05:30

Of all the works of Bard, I like 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' the best. Ok, some people have claimed that 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is full of "adult", "immoral" and "occult" content. I would like to disagree :)

Its said that Shakespeare's works are larger than anyone individual's ideas or knowledge. You'll need to bring your own experience -- especially of being in love -- to help you decide what it all means for you. Thats when it becomes an enjoyable experience when you read this particular creation.

The tale is simple. The focus is more on ideas (very clever ones) and emotions than the plot. Read it to enjoy the wonderfully lyrical expressions of the bard, most notably of the love, dreams and of both. Using creative imagination, you are drawn in to a world of fun, fantasy, supernatural powers, power of love, human stupidity and some hilarity.

The main plot of Midsummer is a complex contraption that involves two sets of couples (Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius) whose romantic cross-purposes are complicated still further by their entrance into the play's fairyland woods where the King and Queen of the Fairies (Oberon and Titania) preside and the impish folk character of Puck or Robin Goodfellow runs his trade.

Grab your copy of this wonderful creation today!

Religion, Spirituality, Occult?

2004-12-07T18:40:00.000+05:30

Close on the heels of Da Vinci Code, I'm now spending time reading these books - "The Woman With the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail" by Margaret Starbird & "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln. Surely this week seems to run high on the theme Religion, Spirituality, Occult?

Both of them are nail biters, amazing pace maintained through the story line. Instead of finishing one book after the other, I decided to indulge in a little experiment; how about reading both books parallelly! Trust me, may be because of the subject connections, its great! Different authors, yet similar story tracks! All connected. Feels amazing!

Dont get me wrong! I have always indulged in some experiments. Normal is boring; So they say ... Sometimes, I have read the books from the back! Similar experience when I watched this movie 'Memento"; I thought its a skillfully crafted movie with slick editing and a brilliant story line. Its the story of a twisted and complex mind of the protagonist yet the story is told in the reverse order! Its wonderful.

Back to my world of conspiracy! Until next time, adios

Apprentice Pillar at the Rosslyn Chapel!

2004-12-06T17:46:00.000+05:30

A Da Vinci influence again! A quick fact on the Apprentice Pillar at the Rosslyn Chapel!

"According to legend, the master-mason of the Chapel was unable to execute a complex design of this pier from the plans furnished to him and had to go to Rome to take an accurate drawing of a similar one there. On his return, he found that his apprentice had, in his absence, overcome all difficulties and that the work was already finished. Instead of being delighted at having trained such a workman, the mason was so overcome by jealousy that he immediately killed the apprentice with a blow of his hammer, and thereafter paid the penalty of death by hanging for his own misdeed."

The Da Vinci Code!

2004-12-06T15:04:00.000+05:30

Just finished The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown twice in the last 3 days! Ok, only this time its an illustrated version and I enjoyed reading the details every bit! Its an amazing write-up and makes the reader believe every development captured in the book!

The beauty of the illustrated piece is that I physically felt present in all the happenings! Travelled back and forth from Paris and London!

Of all the places, the most that captured by imagination is the Paris Louvre Musuem ...(below)

and its pyramids! Its built by erstwhile president Francois Mitterand and everyone wondered this man's fascination for the pyramids! Those who believe in Da Vinci code will appreciate the symbolism. Me thinks he has done a fantastic job making Paris the mecca for art-lovers! Grail or otherwise, I will definitely look upto the moment when I stand next to the divine presence. Look at the array of beauties I have lined up below!

All pictures - courtesy & copyrights: Eric Rougier / FromParis.com

Poker It!

2004-12-06T13:58:00.000+05:30

Poker! What an awesome game it is!

My admiration for this game is growing day by day not because of the 'real money' it involves. I believe that Poker brings/shapes a character in self. It teaches you when to be aggressive and when to lie low! It also subscribes to the fact that the game, like life, is all about taking chances/risks. There can be no 'wins' if you dont take a chance. A straight line graph is never an indication of an exciting, well-achieved task. This game gives you the highs and at times, it also tells you that life is not full of roses.

Quite situational! Makes you think what next? Think on your feet ...

You have won something - does it mean it will get repeated? No, its a new game everytime you get ready to stack. You lose, you lose again. but can you lose your heart? Never! Keep trying! Of course, until you have the chips stacked :)

When playing, it expects you to observe your tablemates, read them well so you know what they think by just a twitch in their eyes. So true! How many times have we fallen in life by failing to observe the signs around us, messages driven to us indirectly by the elements, by our companions! Emotions, how do you control it! Do you gloat when you are an occasional winner? How about you lose the next hand, back to back losses - how about it now? This game certainly brings about a sublime quality of modesty, patience, never-say-die attitude and even grace.

How truly wonderful? Surely life is a game of poker! Simply Poker it!

Devil Fish, my hero in action here at the World Poker Tour with a $500K booty... I'll be there someday!

Leap of Faith!

2004-11-29T16:09:00.000+05:30

People stuck in unfixable situations try desperate measures. Sometimes they are inventive, sometimes they are ingenious, sometimes they work and sometimes they dont. You know what they say, desperate situations call for desperate or even extreme measures.

Its very easy for anyone to walk into one such sticky ugly situation.

How do you wriggle out?
How does one still get the best of the given situation?
Can there be a solution for every such problem which creates the best favorable result for everyone involved?

Not exactly; you cannot please everyone all the time. There are times when the whole world can be so against what you believe in. I call these as unfixable situations. The only thing that can get you out of these situations is a Leap of Faith, loads of it.

Its our inherent ability to believe in something and one's true character is best witnessed when one stands by his/her own beliefs. Trust me, its easier said than done. Your faith is questioned, beliefs shattered by better reasoning from others, make you sound so hollow; so empty.

Yet you gotta have faith! Believe in what you foresee! Trust your feelings and move on with your life!

Need some novocaine for the soul ...

Time of my life!

2004-11-25T19:35:00.000+05:30

How can I forget these bad boyz? :) Good things in life are always unexpected. So there was this LG Cheer for India contest and I filled up some form in some pub. Declared a winner, I was flown to Mumbai to let me experience the best days of my life. Ok so you see here Vikash, Me, Adi (666) and Ru Ru (JD) ... but there were more in our P3 gang. There was Neha, Anushree, Kanika, Farida, Kapil and who am I missing here ...

Here you go - Neha enjoying a soul searching moment here ...

and the rest of the gang (Anushree, Kanika, Farida and thats Neha hiding) below partying hard in Leela ...

Just realized ...

2004-11-25T10:37:00.000+05:30

I may have won the battles ... but I lost the war!

A fuller life?

2004-11-24T18:14:00.000+05:30

I live my life on my own terms. I would like my life to be the way I want it. I make decisions, setup goals, create choices and choose one, that which suits me. Feel happy about results when favorable; sometimes sad when things dont pan out as expected.

I look around and wonder how sometimes my friends live an unprepared life. I have seen some of my close friends who dont plan, dont prepare, but just respond to events that happen in their lives. I wonder again, is it possible to live a life without making decisions, without choosing what you want; what you like;

Wonder whats the best way to live?

A life where you set expectations by immersing yourself in a world of choices and decisions or is it worthwhile to let the elements around you dictate the life for you. So whats good about not making decisions and choices? For starters, there are no expectations in you; no expectations from your close circle of existence; no expectations from life and hence you are not setting up for failure in anything.

Why is this so important to me? To anyone?

Some point in life, there begins an exploration to identify the purpose of one's being. I'm going through one, for sure. Its a joy ride alright; but this brings about a few provocative thoughts in me. Just recently, I woke up one morning saying 'May be life is not about what I want'. Tough. But I had to admit. Then I visited one of my friend's blog and call it coincidence. Even she was talking about the decisions in her life and how life places a string of surprises before everyone. Wouldnt it be simple if you always get what you want? But who said life is fair? It always dishes out the unexpected; least expected; least wanted; What do I do?

May be I'm living the wrong way. Why drown in to choices, decisions, miseries? How about simply welcoming anything thats set to come your way, treat them as part of a greater design and play along. Perhaps that would keep me happy. Did someone say blissful?

I'm not sure? But I'm going to try to this way of life.

Decisions, choices, anyone ?

Jupiter!

2004-11-24T17:40:00.000+05:30

Yes, this is about the big planet Jupiter! No, this is not about Astrology! This is not Koi Mil Gaya stuff. I dont dream of aliens. This is about the planet Jupiter, the way it looks in different Hubble Images. There is something about it that makes me say wow! Reminds me of what Keats said ...

Then felt I like some watcher of the skies when a new planet swims into his ken. - John Keats

So what draws me closer to this planet? I have really done some image hunting to have a sneak preview of this planet in its full glory, its great red spot, The Eye as I call it, its moons, its crescent image, its subtle halo ring, not as boastful as the Saturn .. its amazing! May be its turning out to be my obsession to watch Jupiter everyday! Tch Tch, I dont have a powerful telescope to have a private viewing of this awesome beauty!

I look at Niagara falls. The Horse Shoe! Such a captivating sight. Been there! Looked and felt so small in life! To think that at the bend where the water falls down, its only a foot deep adds to the thrill.

I wonder, why do I do this? It just fascinates me to think that I'm somewhere and doing my own thing! Supposedly a meaningful life! But then there are these elements around us, the nature, which is doing its own thing! Clearly no argument on who has a bigger and a better agenda! We get sucked into our lives, fight the rules, fight the system, draw boundaries, physical, mental, emotional; trying to live a life 'fully'! But what good is it if we dont get the bigger picture? I do like 'The Matrix' theory. Blue Pill, Red Pill - wonder which one I swallowed! I read this poem written by Sumant. Titled 'In Transit', his reflections are so similar to mine! It feels good to know that I could spend some time daily to watch and reflect on such small things, things that we usually take for granted! Gives me a perspective! Defines my journey in life.

Time to wake up now! You lucky guy! A whole day ahead of you and still so many new things to discover from the invisible world around you.

Day is mine. Truly! May be I should buy a Hubble today!

C.I.M & C.I.M.I

2004-11-24T16:56:00.000+05:30

So who's a C I M (~kim)? A hot and happening Conservative Indian Male. Move over all you Conservative Indian Women. Announcing the resurgence of an all-new, motley collection of simple minded 'alpha' male. So whats special about a CIM?

Remember reading Farah Naqvi on the TOI - Off The Cuff section 'Nirupa Roy meets Pamela Anderson' a few days back where she went on and on as how women these days dont conform to conservatism. Well, interesting concept though, but dont we know this by now. So whats the big deal?

What about a CIM? Most men play the role of a CIM sometime in life but you need to differentiate that with a yardstick. Right? Everything should be measurable. Introducing the Conservative Indian Male Index. Now we have a name. All we need is a set of questions to ask, provide some choices and there you go, you can have a rating on what comes out as a result! Hey dont think for a moment that I will list some questions here with choices and my take on CIM & CIMI ... Well, that would be easy right? Why dont we skip the obvious and find out why I'm talking about all this.

Here comes the interesting part. I have a friend who fits and looks the part of a CIM. In one of our usual weekend specials, we decided to put him through a CIMI check-up. Guess what? Guy didnt even get past couple of questions!!! We loved it. We always suspected he had some very strong thoughts on the subject of conservatism but never thought how close it would turn out to be! Set me thinking next morning, of course with a heavy head, thanks to all those wonderful liquids. Is it good or bad to be a CIM? What are the chances that a CIM can survive this world? At these times ... Needless to say, a CIM has tonnes of expectations on everything. On his future, 'life' partner, all expectations though. Isnt it just a matter of time that all these expectations become a thing of another world, a world he doesnt belong to. Sure, when confronted with a reality thats different from what's imagined, a CIM could improvise, change, transform; thats all about the survival tactic one is all blessed with. What if a CIM stays the same? Even when he gets Pamela while all his life he imagined he would live a perfect life! A life filled with happiness; a life with Nirupa Roy.

Any takers? Anybody?

Call it a mind-expanding thought! But I have been churning this over for a while now! Thanks to my friend Jai! No hard feeelings man! Who told you life is fair?

What, me geek?

2004-11-24T16:49:00.000+05:30

You are a geek. Good for you! Considering the endless complexity of the universe, as well as whatever discipline you happen to be most interested in, you'll never be bored as long as you have a good book store, a net connection, and thousands of dollars worth of expensive equipment. Assuming you're a technical geek, you'll be able to afford it, too. If you're not a technical geek, you're geek enough to mate with a technical geek and thereby get the needed dough.

Dating tip: Don't date a geek of the same persuasion as you. You'll constantly try to out-geek the other.