I Say. So I am.

Happy Fathers!!

2011-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Glitterfy.com - Fathers Day Glitter Graphics

First year of being a father, I find the joys so wonderful that I cannot contain it to just one day of the year. So, here's wishing you all a Happy Father's Millennium, folks!!!

Victory for India.. only the beginning yet!

2011-04-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

As Anna Hazare ended his fast today, hundreds of thousands of Indians celebrated the victory... The government has given-in to the demands of Anna and fellow Indians in constituting a 10-member Joint Committee of ministers and civil society activists, including Anna, to draft an effective Lok Pal Bill.

Curtains are drawn on the anti-corruption campaign that drew instant nationwide support with a little girl giving the 73-year-old activist a glass of water at 10.45 am at Jantar Mantar, the nerve-centre of the agitation for a strong legislation to combat political and administrative graft. Read more here..

This is a welcome change in the mindset of the Indian people that have thus far treated corruption as an incurable infection of the society. It is heartening to see every Indian - within the country and outside - coming together, supporting and championing the cause against corruption in the country. As have been proven time and again, online and multimedia have far reaching impact on the fabric of the society and are catalysts to change. It does not matter where you are - as long as you are tuned in and do your part.

Its time for celebration now.. but, Hey!... lets keep in mind... this is only the beginning.

Who would have thought...

2011-02-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

....
{I'm still thinking!}
----

.. that Facebook can be a $100 billion company? Certainly not Mark Zuckerberg! If you dont understand how or why some people think so, check this or this! (Incidentally, Trefis, on which the original valuation appeared, has been founded by MIT engineers, one of them being my batchmate at IIT...)

Saw the movie 'The Social Network'... it is a riot... I just loved the pace of the movie and how it maps out the inception and explosive growth of FB... It also portrays the sad truth that snobs (to put it mildly) do exist in the so-called top echelons of the society. But, anyways, this post is not about the movie... nor the snobs of the world...

When Mark set out to create FB, I am sure he was not looking at creating a $100B company... And I doubt he would have thought of connecting 500 users together.... But he did set out to create something different and something that can touch the dating scene across school campuses. It is a different question whether the world is a better place because of facebook, but it certainly is not the same without it!!

The movie reminded me about my life at one of the prestigious schools in India... Looking back at the folks that I have known and have grown up with, I see everyone (not just everyone from a particular school, but everyone within quotes) doing well in life... leading lives of luxury and comfort.. doing something in life. Some of us have been gifted with all the privileges of the best education that anyone can get and interacting with the best minds in the industry. But, still no one has created anything that has rocked the world...At least, not yet...

But who knows... may be one of us will...

I hope I still have the time....

PS: It is not about the $100B... And I dont think it is about going out of one's way and out of the society's way to do something

Parenting and Coercion, Chinese/Indian style

2011-01-13T20:27:00.001-08:00

Amy Chua's new book is doing the rounds.. She compares and contrasts Chinese parents vis-a-vis the Western parents. And here is a story that explifies the Chinese style of parenting. I thought it is funny and pretty much reflected our parents' style - the Indian style too.... after all, we are neighbors aren't we?!

Here's the story in favor of coercion, Chinese-style.

Lulu was about 7, still playing two instruments, and working on a piano piece called "The Little White Donkey" by the French composer Jacques Ibert. The piece is really cute—you can just imagine a little donkey ambling along a country road with its master—but it's also incredibly difficult for young players because the two hands have to keep schizophrenically different rhythms.

Lulu couldn't do it. We worked on it nonstop for a week, drilling each of her hands separately, over and over. But whenever we tried putting the hands together, one always morphed into the other, and everything fell apart. Finally, the day before her lesson, Lulu announced in exasperation that she was giving up and stomped off.

"Get back to the piano now," I ordered.

"You can't make me."

"Oh yes, I can."

Back at the piano, Lulu made me pay. She punched, thrashed and kicked. She grabbed the music score and tore it to shreds. I taped the score back together and encased it in a plastic shield so that it could never be destroyed again. Then I hauled Lulu's dollhouse to the car and told her I'd donate it to the Salvation Army piece by piece if she didn't have "The Little White Donkey" perfect by the next day. When Lulu said, "I thought you were going to the Salvation Army, why are you still here?" I threatened her with no lunch, no dinner, no Christmas or Hanukkah presents, no birthday parties for two, three, four years. When she still kept playing it wrong, I told her she was purposely working herself into a frenzy because she was secretly afraid she couldn't do it. I told her to stop being lazy, cowardly, self-indulgent and pathetic.

Jed took me aside. He told me to stop insulting Lulu—which I wasn't even doing, I was just motivating her—and that he didn't think threatening Lulu was helpful. Also, he said, maybe Lulu really just couldn't do the technique—perhaps she didn't have the coordination yet—had I considered that possibility?

"You just don't believe in her," I accused.

"That's ridiculous," Jed said scornfully. "Of course I do."

"Sophia could play the piece when she was this age."

"But Lulu and Sophia are different people," Jed pointed out.

"Oh no, not this," I said, rolling my eyes. "Everyone is special in their special own way," I mimicked sarcastically. "Even losers are special in their own special way. Well don't worry, you don't have to lift a finger. I'm willing to put in as long as it takes, and I'm happy to be the one hated. And you can be the one they adore because you make them pancakes and take them to Yankees games."

I rolled up my sleeves and went back to Lulu. I used every weapon and tactic I could think of. We worked right through dinner into the night, and I wouldn't let Lulu get up, not for water, not even to go to the bathroom. The house became a war zone, and I lost my voice yelling, but still there seemed to be only negative progress, and even I began to have doubts.

Then, out of the blue, Lulu did it. Her hands suddenly came together—her right and left hands each doing their own imperturbable thing—just like that.

Lulu realized it the same time I did. I held my breath. She tried it tentatively again. Then she played it more confidently and faster, and still the rhythm held. A moment later, she was beaming.

"Mommy, look—it's easy!" After that, she wanted to play the piece over and over and wouldn't leave the piano. That night, she came to sleep in my bed, and we snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up. When she performed "The Little White Donkey" at a recital a few weeks later, parents came up to me and said, "What a perfect piece for Lulu—it's so spunky and so her."

Even Jed gave me credit for that one. Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.

There are all these new books out there portraying Asian mothers as scheming, callous, overdriven people indifferent to their kids' true interests. For their part, many Chinese secretly believe that they care more about their children and are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. I think it's a misunderstanding on both sides. All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.

Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

Amy Chua is a professor at Yale Law School and author of "Day of Empire" and "World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability." This story is from "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" the new book. You can read the full essay here

So hot and sultry...

2011-01-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

There used to be a time when I was very comfortable with these numbers.....

in the Celcius scale.... Pheeeew!
I used to know of only three seasons.... hot, hotter, hottest....

And now... this is the fifth or sixth time of snow (and ice pellets now!) in this season for me....

Devudaaa!!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011, folks!! May all your wishes come true... Make your wish(es)....

And anyway, the world is going to end in 2012.. or so the Mayan say... but the greatest men said.. "live today like it is your last day on earth!!"

with that note....
Make the most of your day.... Enjoy your day!!!

Making Money.... Simplified!!

2010-12-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

Making Money and everything else... explained through flowcharts.... doogiehorner.com Gawdawesome!!

PS: If you need to make money in the range of र 1.76 lakh crore (1,760,000,000,000 rupees or $40 Billion) contact A Raja...

Leaks... with style..!!

2010-12-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

I gotta give it to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.... This is the new brand of investigative media and publishing... And pretty powerful at that!!

In case you have not checked it before - WikiLeaks is an international non-profit media organisation that publishes submissions of otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous sources and leaks. It was launched in 2006 and Julian Assange is quoted as its founder. WikiLeaks states that its "primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, but we also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their governments and corporations".

WikiLeaks describes itself as “an uncensorable system for untraceable mass document leaking”. WikiLeaks is hosted by PRQ, a Sweden-based company providing “highly secure, no-questions-asked hosting services.” PRQ is said to have “almost no information about its clientele and maintains few if any of its own logs.” The servers are spread around the world with the central server located in Sweden. Julian Assange has said that the servers are located in Sweden (and the other countries) "specifically because those nations offer legal protection to the disclosures made on the site". He talks about the Swedish constitution, which gives the information providers total legal protection. It is forbidden according to Swedish law for any administrative authority to make inquiries about the sources of any type of newspaper. These laws, and the hosting by PRQ, make it difficult to take WikiLeaks offline. Furthermore, "Wikileaks maintains its own servers at undisclosed locations, keeps no logs and uses military-grade encryption to protect sources and other confidential information."

There have been quite a lot of material out there. You gotta see them....

For example, in April 2010, WikiLeaks posted video from a 2007 incident in which Iraqi civilians were killed by U.S. forces, on a website called Collateral Murder. It is gruesome.. exposes the darker side of the war and the uncouth power and the irresponsible use of it by the US armed forces.

Latest leaks correspond to more than 250K diplomatic cables from the US embassies of the world including one in which United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apparently orders diplomats to obtain credit card and frequent flier numbers of the French, British, Russian and Chinese delegations to the United Nations Security Council. Other revelations reportedly include that several Arab nations urged the U.S. to launch a first strike on Iran, that the Chinese government was directly involved in computer hacking, and that the U.S. is pressuring Pakistan to turn over nuclear material to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. The cables also include unflattering appraisals of world leaders. US diplomacy is reeling under the impact of the expose...

Hope this brings in some accountability to the Nations and Corporations of the world. Currently the site seems to be down... Hope they come back up soon. Keep checking !!

PS: Sweden has issued an arrest warrant on Julian Assange for some supposed sexual misconduct... The powers seem to be getting up to him and the website.... Damn you, the powers!! but for how long can you hold us down??

Word of the Day - Cutie Patootie!

2010-11-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

I was watching this series "Millionaire Matchmaker" on Bravo TV.. quite interesting and funny... And that's when I heard this word a couple of times from the host... I was intrigued enough to check it up...

'Cutie Patootie'
someone or something so cute that the word cute itself has to morph into something cuter, thus cutie patootie was born.

In a way, its origin is probably related to potato too and people's love for it...

Ha! who would have guessed!!

Change....

2010-11-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

The time of the year... when change is not just in the air but also in every leaf that floats along... not only in the rhythm but also in the rhyme and the colorful hues that beat down the window sill... is it good or bad.... welcome or not.... what is the absolute truth.. only time will tell... but, alas! even the time is changing...!! :-)

The Indian Movie....The Best & The Worst

2010-10-17T20:32:00.001-07:00

I was so happy to see this movie at the very top... It deserves it!!
Disclaimer: A 7.9 rating is in the range of IMDB Top 250 movies ratings, though this movie does not figure in the list.

Best sci-fi movie made in India... most expensive Indian movie... And a lot of other superlatives too.... Endhiran. Thanks Shankar for this!

Incidently, I also saw this list.. the bottom 100... And was tickled to see an Indian movie in that list!!!

The Sun in New York!

2010-09-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

Paris, je t'aime!!!

2010-08-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well.. I do love Paris. But, this is about a movie by this name..
This is collection of short stories - all revolving around love and set in Paris. I have enjoyed reading books that are a collection of short stories. But, this is the first time I saw a movie that is a collection of short stories.

Paris, je t'aime (French pronunciation: [paʁi ʒə tɛm]; Paris, I love you) is a 2006 film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities including American, British and French. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements (districts). The 22 directors include some of the best in the world: Gurinder Chadha, Sylvain Chomet, Joel and Ethan Coen, Gerard Depardieu, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuarón, Nobuhiro Suwa, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, Walter Salles and Gus Van Sant.

It is a very nice one. Check it out! For more info, here's the wiki and IMDB

-Bhaskar

A new-found hobby!

2010-08-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

I have gotten into a new hobby these days... catching feral cats!

Well... S loves cats.. and I love S... so, by induction, I love cats! But, thats much later. I have had only a passing interest in cats in my childhood. I did not grow up with pets. On a couple of occasions when me or my siblings felt a strong bonding for a cat or a dog, the standard dialogue we would hear was "As such it is so difficult managing you brats. Why one more?".

It seems my grandpa was raising a dog (this is when my dad himself was too small). But when he died suddenly, the dog went crying uncontrollably for a couple of days and he died too. I guess the entire trauma and not to mention, the financial turmoil for the family was too much to handle.

Anyways, the only time we came close to a cat was when one of our many landladies brought a cat home and that delivered a litter of three kittens. But, soon we moved out of that house and that was the end of it.

Now, fast forward to the present - there were two or three cats roaming around in our apartment community. Initially, we thought these were cats owned some folks within the community. But, then one morning I saw four kittens playing with the mom in the backyard. These kittens seemed only a few weeks old. And at slightest sight of humans, they ran away into the woods. We left some milk/food on the porch and initially the mom and later the kittens started feeding on them. Another month or so passed, and there were three or four more kittens!

Then, we called up Animal Control and they added us to the waiting list for a humane trap - that we can use to catch and turn in these undomesticated cats to proper care. We also learned a whole new set of terms like spay, neuter etc.

One week down and we were still waiting on the call to provide us the traps. And I thought I will put some IIT education and engineering mechanics to use. After a couple of failed prototypes, we caught our first cat, Blacky [This pic is from later].

But, S was too sad to see the panicky cat that she decided to set it free. After Blacky went out, it educated all the other cats/kittens and none ever fell into the trap again. And so, I had to design a new trap.

After a few more attempts, we caught a smaller kitten - one from the latest generation of kittens, again a blacky - Blacky jr. He was so young and cute that after a few hours, he let us pet him. We turned him in and set out for the remaining ones.

We caught a few more afterwards - but the females especially are so aggressive that they keep trying for hours together to escape. Thus, a few of them got back into the wild.

One of them - Spotty, a black and white bicolor cat, had got hurt fighting with other cats. Good for him, we caught him and sent him to med attention. We also caught Tabby, a striped cat and sent her to the safe home. Here is Tabby after hours of trying to escape from the room where it was kept overnight. After waking us and our neighbors up, it retired to the box.

And this is Browny sr. He is the smartest of the lot, always cautious and never gets into any risky situation. My guess is that he will be the last man standing.

Around the world.. not really!

2010-07-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Oil spill makes for great photography.. only in UV light though!

Applying UV light to contaminated beaches is also a clever way to spot—and clean up—oil that might otherwise go unnoticed by notoriously flimsy human eyes. You can read more—and see more pictures— here
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The best chases in movies aren't about the explosions and effects: They're about great driving. Per John, these are the ten greatest car stunts or stunt sequences in cinematic history.

Long long ago..

2010-07-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

Mathematically speaking, a local minima should not be confused with the absolute or global minima.

Refer here for more Math fundas on Minima and Maxima.

But, that should NOT be confused with the international Minimma!!!

Minimma: MKKK.. The Prologue

MKKK... 1

Weeds!

2010-06-27T18:16:00.001-07:00

I'm addicted to Weeds... well, not literally... but the series on 'Showtime'... It is quite a show.. going strong into the Season 6 now... to be aired in Aug '10.

I also love the opening song "Little Boxes" originally sung by Malvina Reynolds and then by various artists during seasons 2 and 3.. Each episode also features some cool music... check them out!

PS: If you have a netflix account, you can see all episodes of Seasons 1 - 4 online

This version by the Individuals

The original by Malvina

More music here...

Where's Ronaldinho?

2010-06-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Quiz time!

Whats common to Zakumi, Shakira, Jabulani and $420 million?
For the answer, read on... ;-)
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Life has been pretty busy, but fun....with quite a few pleasant surprises. But, just the other day, I got a shock from my missus... And I found a video that vividly captures my moment... so, here goes...!

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Well... The answer to the quiz: FIFA World Cup 2010!!

Zakumi is the official mascot for the 2010 World Cup, an anthropomorphised leopard with green hair, presented on 22 September 2008. His name comes from "ZA" (the international abbreviation for South Africa) and the term kumi, which means "ten" in various African languages. The mascot's colours reflect those of the host nation's playing strip – yellow and green.

The official song of the 2010 World Cup "Waka Waka" is performed by the Colombian singer Shakira and the band Freshlyground from South Africa, and is sung in both English and Spanish. The song is based upon a traditional African soldiers' song named Zangalewa.

The match ball for the 2010 World Cup, manufactured by Adidas, is named the Jabulani, which means "bringing joy to everyone" in isiZulu.

The total prize money on offer for the tournament is $420 million, a 60 percent increase on the 2006 tournament. Before the tournament, each participating team would receive $1 million, for preparation costs. Once at the tournament, teams exiting at the group stage would receive $8 million and so on..

$9 million – Round of 16
$18 million – Quarter-finals
$20 million – Semi-finals
$24 million – Runners up
$30 million – Winners

Source: wiki

Unchained Melody

2010-06-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Saw the movie 'Ghost' starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore.. Pretty funny movie and romantic too..

Just love the song by the Righteous Brothers.

Oh my love my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow to the sea to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh wait for me wait for me
I'll be coming home wait for me

Oh my love my darling
I've hungered hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

See me at Colombo!

2010-06-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Oh.. did I tell you?

The next time you go to the Colombo airport, you may find me and the missus promoting one of the restaurants (bars) there!!

We were requested to pose for a photo Ad while we were waiting for our return flight from Colombo... :-)

Pictures from our SL trip

2010-06-07T18:35:00.001-07:00

General 'Stuff'

2010-05-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

If "All Indians are my brothers and sisters", what about Americans and folks from the rest of the world?!!
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“Kites,” the adventure film from Mumbai-based Reliance Big Pictures, took in almost $1 million during the weekend to become the first Bollywood movie to open in the top 10 in the U.S. and Canada.

The film, introduced in 207 theaters, had sales of $958,673, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office said yesterday in an e-mail.

For more news check here

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The worse is not over yet.. or so it seems...

"Yes, the eurozone crisis of PIIGS [Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain] is a primary cause of that—even Jean-Claude Trichet agrees with my assertion back in February that the E.U. may be facing a double-dip. But more than a few small European economies may be at stake. The recent problems faced by Greece are only the tip of a sovereign-debt iceberg in many advanced economies (and a smaller number of emerging markets). Bond-market vigilantes roiling Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Iceland have pushed government bond yields higher and forced Germany, France, and the IMF to step in with an unprecedented array of rescue measures. But outside the eurozone, the United Kingdom, and yes, eventually Japan and the United States, will all face the same music eventually if fiscal policy remains on its current unsustainable path."

For more, read here
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From the same link above...

"One of the great ironies of the age, as I mentioned in Crisis Economics, is that fact that while the U.S. proved to be the catalyst for the global financial crisis, it has also benefited from the fact that the crisis is denominated in U.S. dollars. No end to that reality is in sight, no matter how infuriating it proves to Chinese and other emerging-market policymakers."
-----------------------------

It is tragic - the accident involving the Air India flight from Dubai to Mangalore.

In case you had not heard, check on the tragedy here

World War IV?

2010-05-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Will the great recession lead to World War IV?
by Michael Lind

Michael Lind is policy director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation and author of "The American Way of Strategy."

".. As the oversold promise of free-market globalization fades, countries large and small may turn increasingly toward state capitalism. At home, this would mean permanent state support of troubled industries like banking and the automobile industries, which all of the major industrial countries have bailed out. In trade, this would mean a retreat from global trade areas toward regional blocs and bilateral deals. Examples include agreements between energy-hungry governments like those of China and Japan and the state-owned oil or natural gas companies of Saudi Arabia and Russia. In a world of diplomatic rivalries among great powers to win contracts with state-owned corporations, the distinctions between geoeconomics and geopolitics would erode, with potentially dangerous consequences. Direct war between great powers seems unlikely, but if the Cold War was World War III, then a cold World War IV resembling Orwell’s shifting coalitions of Eurasia, Eastasia and Oceania in 1984 is all too easy to imagine.

These trends are clear but the transatlantic establishment refuses to confront them. Instead, elites on both sides of the Atlantic hope that the great recession will turn out to have been merely a particularly nasty business cycle downturn. They pray that soon we can return to something like the illusory prosperity of the late 1990s and 2000s without having to engage in any radical rethinking or reform. Our political and opinion leaders think they are leading us back home. They haven’t noticed, or refuse to admit, that what used to be home is now a large, smoking crater. "

Pretty interesting article.. Read the full article here

Stingy...

2010-05-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

Am I so stingy in expressing myself....??

Sorry guys n gals.... just been busy... but I will see you seen!

Indian Speed Dating Event in the Bay Area!

2010-04-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry ladies... I'm 'taken' already... you just were not lucky enough! Anyways, I wish you the best!! ;-)
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Are you a single from an Indian Origin and looking for your perfect Matrimonial Partner? Attend this Grand Indian Matrimonial Speed Dating Event and Meet several singles like you who will be there for the same reason as you are.

When: Sunday, May 2nd 2010

Where: Radisson Hotel, 1471 N 4th St, San Jose, CA, 95112 Time: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Admission Criteria: Male: 27 to 38

Female: 25 to 37

Fee: $45 ($35 if you enter this special promotion code: kingm )

Dress Code: Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress shirts. We also suggest a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so.

Ladies - Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses, ethnic dress!

Not permitted for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear, and baseball hats.

Hurry!! Seats are very limited. Don’t miss this opportunity.
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Well, I'm not going to give the organizers free publicity... But, if you are interested, leave me a comment along with your email address and I'll send you the website ;-)

And if you want it that way, I will not reveal your comment either :-)

Raavan and Lankapuri

2010-04-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka is beautiful. After a long time, peace seems to be returning to the country and hopefully, tourism will also be back to its glorious days. When I visited Sri Lanka recently, I was enthralled by the natural beauty of the place. They have some great beaches too. [I dont have the pictures with me right now; will post soon as wifey gets my camera back] We spent time at Colombo, Kandy and Bentota (Beruwala) -western and south western parts of the country.

I was also intrigued by what I had heard earlier in different versions of Ramayan - the references to Lanka and Raavan, the king that abducted Sita. Though I did get to spend much time in researching about this before or during my visit, I looked up some sites after. I also saw quite a few artistic references to Ramayana - like the jataayu-like birds and craft.

According to the Ramayana, king Rāvana brought Sita Devi from India in a “Pushpaka Vimana” which is widely known in Sri Lanka as the “Dandu Monara Yanthranaya”, or Large Peacock Machine in Sinhala.

Ashok Vatika was a garden in Lanka, the Kingdom of demon king, Ravana, as mentioned in the Vishnu Purana and Hindu epic, Ramayana of Valmiki, and all subsequent versions. It was the location, where Sita, the wife of Rama was held captive by Ravana, after her abduction, also because she refused to stay in Ravana's palace, and preferred to stay under the Ashoka tree, hence the name. It was here that Ravana's wife Mandodari came to meet her and also where Hanuman met her for the first time, and identified himself with the finger ring of Rama.

Its present day location is believed to be the Hakgala Botanical Garden, the area is known as Seetha Eliya, close to the resort city of Nuwara Eliya. [Nuwara Eliya is overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka]. The Gardens is situated at the base of the Hakgala Rock forms, has Sita Pokuna, a barren area atop the Hakgala Rock Jungle, where Sita was supposedly held captive, the 'Sita Amman Temple' is located here. Other connected site is a spot where Sita bathed in a stream at Sita Eliya, called Sita Jharna.

You can read more interesting accounts here. Dont miss the video too!

Time Traveler?

2010-04-18T20:58:00.001-07:00

Reopening of the South Fork Bridge after flood in Nov. 1940. 1941

The above photo was taken in 1940. Some people say the hipster-looking fellow with the sunglasses on the right side of the photo is a time traveler because his hair, shades, clothing, and camera didn't exist at the time.

Forgetomori says 'he is not'... you decide!!

Reception pics!

2010-04-17T10:54:00.001-07:00

Just back in the US after my wedding and reception and celebrations and....
lo! I have 24 comments on my blog to be moderated... and 22 of them are spam... why is my blog so popular to the spammers??!

Well, guys.. Whiel I am still recovering from all that stuff, here are some pics from the reception... well, these are not my reception pics... I am only an ordinary Indian, u c..... and I need my privacy... but this is of the Indian tennis star and the Pak cricket star... ;-)

Modern-day Spy Story

2010-03-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

From the moment Mahmoud al-Mabhouh stepped off a plane in Dubai on Jan. 20, his killers—probably from Israel’s Mossad—had him in their sights. Al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas official who had arrived from Damascus allegedly to arrange an arms shipment to Gaza, perished hours later in his room at the Al Bustan Rotana hotel, electrocuted and strangled by the seven men who were waiting for him after a day following him around Dubai. The assassins covered their tracks well. They flew in from Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, and Zurich on forged passports. They wore disguises. They switched hotels multiple times. They carried cell phones but never called each other directly.

But they were being watched, and now the video of their exploits is available online.
To read other great spy stories, check here (Newsweek)

Whats going on?

2010-02-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

Heya! guys

Whats going on in the world? Well... too many things, I guess.
Same with me... way too many stufff.... Anyways...

Did I tell ya guys that quite a few of my friends all over have started on their own... It is exciting to know they are taking charge and doing all the things that matter to them and more!! Inspiring!!!!

Here is a small list of their ventures/companies...

Trefis.com

MyZingo

BerrySki

ClickIndia

Pristine Careers

WOTD - MOSH !

2010-02-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

Word of the Day - Moshing

Moshing or Moshpitting or slamming refers to the activity in which audience members at live music performances aggressively push and/or slam into each other. Moshing is frequently accompanied by stage diving, crowd surfing, mic swinging, instrument smashing, and headbanging. It is most commonly associated with concerts featuring more aggressive genres, such as punk and heavy metal..

For more, read here

Meet me Halfway!

2010-02-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

Another song I loved.....

Skype Testing

2010-02-05T19:14:00.001-08:00

Chat

Wow! these DJs...

2010-01-25T21:48:00.000-08:00

2 cool little kids from Japan.... DJ Sara and DJ Ryusei. It seems they were brought in for the after party show - Grammys 2008. The little boy was 6 and the little girl was 9 then. And they set the party off! That was then.....

Love this song...

2010-01-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Spread the Stupidity..

2010-01-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

I have seen this before... some are still funny to read the second time - Thanks CU
-----------------------------------------------

***EVER WONDER...

*Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why the man who invests all your money is called a broker?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
------------ --------- ---------

*You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!
------------ --------- ---------

*Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
------------ --------- ---------

*Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
------------ --------- ---------

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?
------------ --------- ---------

*If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
------------ --------- ---------

* Only in America ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the
back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy
cigarettes at the front.
------------ --------- ---------

* Only in America .....do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and
a diet coke.
------------ --------- --------

*Only in America ......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the
driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
------------ --------- ---------

*Only in America .....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille
lettering.
------------ --------- ---------

Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle)...in other words, send it to everyone. We all need to smile every once in a while.
*Spread the Stupidity.*

At ignition point....

2010-01-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Its gonna kill me.... some day... !!
Thanking myself for surviving through another day, being away....
Being away so far... yet so near...
Ah! and you are... yet so near!!!

© 2010 Bhaskar Sreedharan

The Art of War!

2010-01-15T22:01:00.001-08:00

Now that I am getting married soon, I wanted to build some sound knowledge and fundamentals.... so I started browsing 'The Art of War'... ;-)

You can catch some details here
Sun-tzu, The Art of War

But, here are some quotes that are enlightening!

This is supposedly the last verse of Chapter 3
故曰：知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必殆。(故曰：知彼知己，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼，不知己，每战必殆。)
So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.

Therefore one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful. Seizing the enemy without fighting is the most skillful.

Help Haiti....

2010-01-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

January 12, 2010, at 4:53pm ET

There was a terrible earthquake in Haiti.. The International Red Cross has stated that as many as 3 million people have been affected by the quake, with as many as 100,000 deaths according to the prime minister.

I saw some really saddening and gory pictures at [Warning: viewer's discretion advised]

Boston.com's Big Picture on Haiti: http://bit.ly/6Q3gMf

/via twitter @marshallk @chrismessina @brynn
--------------------------------------

Filed at 10:03 p.m. ET

Doctors Without Borders found two public hospitals in good condition after the powerful earthquake that devastated Haiti's capital, and officials with the group said Wednesday they would begin treating about 500 people who need emergency surgery.

But one of the mission's directors said the humanitarian group doesn't have enough medical staff, equipment and medicine to properly care for the injured. The mission has about 800 medical workers in Haiti, but a large number haven't been located since Tuesday's quake, Stefano Zannini said.

''Most of them are dispersed somewhere, are lost somewhere,'' he told The Associated Press in a phone interview. ''We are not sure where they are.''

About 800 injured people have come to the mission's offices for treatment, Zannini said. They've scattered themselves around a courtyard, sleeping in tents, on top of rugs, on the floor and on plastic sheeting, waiting to be transferred to one of the two hospitals identified as being safe enough to withstand the aftershocks that have rattled Haiti.

''We saw every kind of person: Women, men, young, old, children, pregnant women coming and asking for help,'' Zannini said.

More than 500 people need immediate surgical intervention. But in the next couple of days, the mission will run out of gasoline to transport patients and food and water, Zannini said.

Doctors Without Borders said earlier in the day that hundreds of Haitians were being treated in tents for broken bones, burns and other less-serious injuries.

Several area hospitals collapsed in the earthquake, and authorities haven't determined how many other hospitals were left standing around the capital.
----------------------------------------

This is how you can help: check BBC's page on how you can help the survivors in Haiti deal with the terrible loss

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456730.stm

Just be Ready!

2010-01-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

There once was a time
when you were covered with carbon
the black diamond waiting to be discovered
I just rusted the edges
and removed what was not you
only to see you blushing!

Soon you will be
getting on the proverbial horse
fluttering in attire embroidered
Just be ready
for the ride, Ma Babe
'cos life will come gushing!!

© 2010 Bhaskar Sreedharan :-)

Ms. Capucine

2010-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

A breathtaking story by Capucine. Starring baby monkeys lost in frightening trees, a witch, "krokhodeel", a tiger, a "zipopotam" and a lion, and even a "tremendously very bad mammoth". There are also magic powers and an orange ring, but sometimes, "something goes amiss".

3 idiots!!

2010-01-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

One helluva movie this is!!! ROTFL stuff!!

Gotta watch it again.. may be this weekend :-)

May your dreams burst at the seams in 2010!!

2010-01-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

Wish you a happy and fabulous 2010, peepul!
May ten million fireflies light up your world and may your dreams burst at the seams!!!!

I love this song.... Fireflies by Owl City

And as for me, I got my firefly... My laddoooo! :-)

Owl City Lyrics

An Ode to Minneapolis...

2009-12-30T20:42:00.000-08:00

US Debt

2009-12-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

Just watched this movie... I.O.U.S.A

Mind boggling.... US Debt is sky-rocketing...
And the real shortfall in meeting the US government obligations is even worse.....
Watch the movie or read more here to understand what this really means.... And here for the simple good old wiki on the topic...

But just to give you a sense of the problem.... Indian GDP was only about $1.2 trillion in 2008... In other words, US debt of $12 trillion today is 10 times as much as the entire Indian GDP (GDP, in rough terms, is the value of all the goods and services produced in the country) !!

BTW, you think you know trillion?
One million seconds will pass in the next 12 days.
One billion seconds will take 32 years.
One trillion seconds will pass in 31,688 years.
Time is money, right? If you make one dollar every second, you will have a million dollars in twelve days. You will be a billionaire in 32 years, but it will take you more than 31,000 years to make a trillion dollars.

How is it changing the game for the US?

In 2006, Professor Laurence Kotlikoff argued the United States must eventually choose between "bankruptcy", raising taxes, or cutting payouts. Thomas Friedman has argued that increasing dependence on foreign sources of funding will render the U.S. less able to act independently....

Well... you have seen how China is already gaining power in the world arena... need more to say?

Here's looking at you, kid!

2009-12-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

Watched Casablanca for the nth time..... lovely as ever!!

I did some research on the famous song sung by Sam....
"As Time Goes By" written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931.. It became most famous in 1942 when it was sung by Sam (Dooley Wilson) in the movie, Casablanca. The song was voted #2 on the "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs special", commemorating the best songs in film

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you."
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by.

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date.
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Thanks to Warner Bros for the movie and making the song famous...

The piano playing in the film version was performed by Elliot Carpenter, with Dooley Wilson singing.

The song's famous opening line - "You must remember this..." - is actually the start of the fourth verse as originally written and performed. However, Dooley Wilson did not sing the preceding three in Casablanca. Most subsequent versions have similarly omitted them, leading them to have become virtually unknown to most listeners.

Catch more on the wiki...

And for the complete lyrics, check here

Chinna Star!!

2009-12-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

Off late, I (ISay.SoIAm.) have been getting a lot of attention and interest from my Japanese and Chinese fans... Though I do not understand the sudden popularity and fan-following among the oriental populace, I wholeheartedly welcome them to my blog.

It is a grandiose yet humbling feeling to be in the same league as the Superstar! For the miserably uninformed, Superstar is Rajinikanth aka. Rajini - the God of Style. He is the true international film icon from India. He is best known for his mass popularity and appeal, largely drawn from his mannerisms and stylized delivery of dialogue in films. His films run houseful across the world and especially Japan. One of his latest films, Sivaji - the Boss was hugely popular. Sivaji charted as one of the top-ten best films of United Kingdom and South Africa box-offices upon release. It also became the first notable Tamil film to run for over 100 consecutive days in Toronto at the Cineplex Odeon theatre.

The message on the poster states "On the heels of the 175th day screening (in India), the Japanese Rajini Fan Club conveys their congratulations"
For more details, check Rajini's Japan Fansite http://www.rajini.jp/

Anyways, coming back to my oriental fan-following - To be compared even lightly to the "Superstar" takes me on and beyond Cloud Nine. I humbly accept the title of "Chinna Star" aka. "China" Star!!!! Well... Chinna in tamil means 'small' and China is tamil means China, of course.

I recently got the following golden words as a comment (compliment!) on one of my posts: To quote "最豐滿最好之稻穗，便最貼近地面" which means "The best of the best plump rice is the best close to the ground".

Thank you again, my 'best' fans!! ;-)

Raleigh!

2009-12-20T00:15:00.001-08:00

This place is nice... And of course, the whole world is getting illuminated by the Christmas and New Year eve lighting... so every place looks nicer this time.

I especially like the mistletoe like lighting they put up on the trees here.. (will try to put a picture of that soon). BTW, you know the thing with mistletoe? if you come to meet another person of the opposite sex (or same sex, depending on your preference!) under a mistletoe, you should Kiss! How I wish my lady is here with me now!!

The weather, of course, is fantastic... snow flakes in the air! It was supposed to be a snow storm that turned into a light snowing here... (There has been snowstorms or blizzards, which is more destructive, in other parts of the east coast) ...and it feels so welcome and normal for me, after facing the biting cold of Minneapolis.

-------------------------
here you go... the mistletoe lights that I was talking about..

Once in a lifetime.... may be, twice....?

2009-12-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

Recently, I read this story about how some folks made tons of frequent flyer miles without really spending any money at all.....

But first I have to tell you the Pudding Guy story from 2000.

David Phillips, a California engineer, took advantage of overlapping frequent flyer promotions to earn 1.2 million miles by purchasing 12,000 cups of Healthy Choice pudding, for $3,000. At the time, someone put the value of those miles, redeemable for 48 free domestic tickets, at about $20,000. Not bad for a $3,000 investment. (In case you're wondering, he gave most of the pudding away to charities, soup kitchens, and the like.)

And quite recently, the U.S. Mint has been selling $1 coins in bulk, at face value, with no shipping or handling charges. Canny consumers have been buying the coins and charging the purchase to a mileage- or points-generating credit card. When the coins are delivered, the buyer simply takes them to the bank and deposits them, using the money to pay for the purchase when the credit card statement arrives.

Here is the original Wall Street Journal story

I should credit this story too...

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

Anyways, reading this story made me think about "Being Lucky" and "Being Smart".

I have had this feeling before that every person will get the opportunity of his/her lifetime at least once..... It does not matter what you have been doing till that date... but IF you capture the moment and make use of the opportunity, things will never be the same again.....

And that most of the time, people are not even aware of such an opportunity going by.... And they spend their lifetime ruing/ lamenting about their ill-fortune....

Studies have shown that people that are optimistic have a huge probability of catching the 'right' moment... In fact, I remember a detailed research that conducted many live studies where hundreds of people were given a newspaper to read and answer some questions.... There were a couple of places on the paper where a message was inserted saying something to the effect "If you see this, just turn in the newspaper and we will give you $200".... And as you could have guessed by now, the optimists and the folks that considered themselves lucky collected the $200 many times over those that did NOT consider themselves lucky....!!

Moral of the story: consider yourself lucky and you will be!!

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

But there is a catch... if you have been considering yourself "NOT Lucky" or "Unlucky", how can you overturn your thoughts overnight??

That is a bigger story.... but here is the gist of it -

I have had many such 'lucky' instances in the early years of my life.... And suddenly one day, things changed.... and I thought I turned unlucky.... That was followed by a series of undesirable events and over time, it reiterated my feeling of unluckiness. That left me totally helpless. Well, what can "I" do? the God of luck is not in my favor!! That was a total wretched feeling and left me feeling miserable and unhappy. Oh boy, those were the dark days..

And one day, after months and years of trying to change my luck, I realized that "I" am the culprit!! I realized that it was "I" that was saying that I am unlucky. Like I said, there have been instances of both scenarios in my life. But I was saying that I was unlucky (at that period in life), choosing to ignore the positives that were present.

I can say I am lucky... or I can say I am unlucky. Whatever I say, my life goes exactly the way I say.

When I started taking responsibility for "my life" and what I say about it, I started feeling a lot of freedom and gracefulness back in my life. With the new found grace, I was "free" to start seeing the positives again, and not turn a blind eye to the positives. Life started to look rosy again - show shades of luck. Only this time, I know "I" am seeing it!!!

You may ask - "so what are you saying, finally?"

For one, consider today your lucky day!! What you have read just now is the secret to unravelling your own luck, if you choose to. [Yes, only if you choose to - that is another Zen]

For another, this is the story behind my blog name... "I Say. So I am."

- Bhaskar

PS: Some say it as "I Think. Therefore I am." - but if you are only thinking, how will I know?! Anyways, another Zen for another day!

vs.

2009-12-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

"Positive emptiness vs. Negative emptiness"

Philosophical time: Appraisal time!

-----------------------
Yesterday:
Good morning Raleigh
Good evening St. Louis
Good night Minneapolis

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

Raleigh was nice... and a bit cold.....
But nothing compared to the cold send-off I am getting here at Minneapolis...
15 F, snow and 30 mph winds....

Its Time.... Almost!

2009-12-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

Time to say good-bye... to the city of Minneapolis..... soon!

Minimma in Minneapolis!!

2009-11-23T23:44:00.000-08:00

Minimma (of MKKK fame) is coming to Minneapolis for Thanksgiving... and all her fans have erected a huge cut-out welcoming her.

At the same time, all the ducks are having an emergency 'maanaadu' (mega meeting) - on how to tackle the arriving paparazzi... refer MKKK..the Prologue to understand the ducks' exasperations!

Last heard, all the auto rental companies are closing down their shops in the area... will report back their issues and apprehensions soon...

Also read MKKK...1

PS: I should remind you that even though this Minimma is the poster gal for MKKK, the MKKK brand is not exclusive... and is based on a collections of ambassadors and global stories...! ;)

Hello, I'm Bhaskar...

2009-11-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

... and you are? Please, would you introduce yourselves?

If you read Isay.Soiam. [;)] occasionally or often or regularly, but have never commented before, I'd love to hear from you. What are the kinds of posts you like to read on Isay.Soiam. ? Even if you are a regular visitor here and have commented before (I know I don't say this enough, but I love the fact that you take time to read and leave comments!), it would be awesome if you could tell me what interests you on this blog.

Thank you and cheers!

And Thanks to Sujatha for the idea of outreach!!

Fashion Faux Pas?

2009-11-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

Well... I am not one of those (bloody) fashionistas....
but what the f**k is wrong with this outfit?? Why are they outraged?

May be it is not the best combination... and it is a bit jarring to the senses... still, I think it is cute......

Young Age....

2009-11-14T01:36:00.000-08:00

The trouble with the young age is that you dont realize what you have.....

Until you lose it all in the name of experience...!

Happy Children's Day!!!

To the child in you....

Whattaride!

2009-11-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

1300cc of ultimate power!!

TED India!!!

2009-11-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I heard about TED... rather, I should say this is the first time I paid attention to TED.

TED - Ideas Worth Sharing
seems a place where people share ideas that they think are worth sharing and would like others start benefitting from the ideas.

Wiki says TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an academic organization owned by The Sapling Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation. TED is well-known for its annual, invitation-only conference devoted to "ideas worth spreading". TED is famous for its lectures, known as TED Talks.

Look at this video for example.... it about a cool technology called sixth sense... watch it and be amazed!!

TED India is going on currently... Nov 4 - 7, 2009 at Mysore.... and Man!!!... a revolution beginning to happen... TED India is not as much about technologies, but it is about ideas, thoughts, stories that can shape our future - lot of positives, collaborative thinking and expanding boundaries.

Check this out... A Taste of TED India

you should follow sanjukta on Twitter.. or just read some of her tweets on the event... And see the pics on Kiruba's page... it is pretty awesome!!
He has some 300 pics in there.... Oh is that happening in Infosys Mysore campus?! Cool!!!

cross-posted on my Tech blog

Snow!

2009-10-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Its only October, it has snowed some four times already here!!

Anyways, here is a tribute to snow and Calvin Hobbes......

Thanks M for da strips..!

Oh those dosas...!

2009-10-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

One of the troubles from visiting India is the food afterwards here in the US Indian restaurants start tasting like crap. And it takes almost 3 - 6 months before my taste buds start craving for anything remotely Indian.

Now that I started cooking more regularly myself, I guess I will wait until an official cook arrives especially for me from India... haha!

But, here is one that I should probably try the next time I am in NY area.... The Vegan Dosa..... Thinking of dosaa... I just got some dosa batter... will prob. make a couple tomorrow and down with gun powder!!

400

2009-10-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

What is a statistic?

Well... I guess this can be interpreted in many ways...

But I love blogging... And I am glad I reached thus far!

Love

2009-10-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

I got a gift... many a gift... And so much love from my trip to India!

One of my cousins gifted me "Kahlil Gibran" - an Omnibus. And this is an extract from 'The Prophet'... for you.

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Baby dancing to Beyonce!

2009-09-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

New baby video doing the rounds... Enjoy!

...like somebody said.. may be it thought it was "all the little babies...."!!

PanaOoty!

2009-09-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

From my recent trip to Ooty... my first panaromas...!

Back to the Future...?

2009-09-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

or should I say "Back from the Future"? I dont know...

Just back from my hectic yet wonderful three weeks to India... And I could see some strong signs that things have changed for the better there... and that there is so much opportunity for the future... to be "the Future".... how well do we leverage those opportunities.. thats the question...

But, as they say, change is the only constant... and there were so many that I could see.. For example, Chennai has expanded much beyond the boundaries of three years ago... When I was there the last time, the southmost part was Thiruvanmiyur/Velachery... with some smattering of IT companies on ECR.. and there was Mayajaal...But, now the city has expanded all the way to Mayajaal... thats almost Mahabalipuram! Imagine.. I can live in Mahabalipuram, on the splendid seashore and amidst the rock temples and commute to work some 30-40 kms away in as many minutes!!

For another, taxis are more prevalent (saw that across quite a few cities) and many a time, economical than autorickshaws now. But, stuff in general have become more expensive... the cost of cold coffee has almost doubled in the period... things like face wash has become common across many sections... price of flight tickets have reduced, in general..

I also had the good fortune of meeting the leader of one of the emerging political parties... Dr. JayaPrakash Narayan or Dr. JP, as he is known... of the Lok Satta in Hyderabad... he won the recent elections from Kukatpally in Andhra Pradesh and I hear his party garnered 11% of the votes overall in the constituencies they contested from. And the best part is that he won without distributing money or liquor!

Obviously, one of the things we spoke about was on the same topic.. change. And he mentioned, "The only way to bring about long-lasting change for the good is by transforming the political arena. And that needs people like you".

I know some of my friends are doing some great work at the grass-roots level... like my friend at Lok Satta... or the other friend at Swaraj (Delhi)... but "The Future" needs more.

While you and me are contemplating how we can champion such movements, we can support by becoming an Executive Member. Interestingly, Lok Satta is one of the few political parties that is accounting all the donations received. (The other one is probably Swaraj, but I am not sure. I need to check with my friend) And everything is 'white'.

Salaam India..

2009-08-22T01:40:00.001-07:00

It feels a bit odd that I am taking a vacation to India.. but then this is my first trip back after I moved here. And it is complicated ;-) Anyways, I am all excited to be visiting India after about two years... though I wish I am taking a vacation for 3 months and not just 3 weeks...!

All the same.. no, not the same.. but still I am gonna have a lot of fun... touchwood, barring any swine flu interruptions... Its gonna be three weddings in as many weeks.. and those are my cousins'.. so.... :-)

Here is how my three weeks look like... leaving MSP 22nd morning.. via Chicago and Frankfurt... landing in Chennai on the 24th early morning.. A day of catching up... And then leaving for Kanchipuram on the 25th for the first... Back after the wedding to Chennai on 27th.. official work on the 28th... wedding reception on the 28th evening.. leaving for Coimbatore on 29th morning for the second.. finishing the wedding and leaving for Ooty on the 31st.. Back in Coimbatore on the 3rd for the third.. finishing the wedding and leaving for Bangalore on the 4th.. Bangi!!.. official visit to Hyderabad on the 8th.. back in Bangi... Catching the return flight on 13th at Bangi.. via Frankfurt and Chicago.. landing in MSP on 13th evening...
Whheeeeeeeew!!

Awarded!

2009-08-15T01:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks Deez, the sleeping beauty, for this honor! True to your name, you seem to have gone back into hibernation now ... ;-)

Thank you my parents.. without you I would not have been here in the world..
Thank you Lord the devil.. If you are the matter, you are the anti-matter too!
Thank you Dell for making this laptop.. that has been through my thick and thin the past year...
And of course, the Comcast cable modem and internet services.. without whom I may not be online today..

(Well.. what is an award without an acceptance speech?!! :p)

The Kreative Blogger Award comes with these rules :-

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated

Well.. here comes my magic seven...

1. The first fairy tale I remember is of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs... I was fascinated by the story and I probably carry it to this day..

Here is one that I read recently that reminded me of my Snow White...

Goodly Glee and Lovely Blandishment

Most goodly glee and lovely blandishment
She to me made, and bad me love her deare,
For dearly, sure, her love was to me bent,
As, when just time expired, should appeare:
But whether dreames delude or true it were,
Was never heart so ravish'd with delight,
No living man like words did ever hear,
As she to me delivered all that night,
And at her parting said, she Queen of Faires hight.

Edmund Spenser from The Faerie Queene

2. Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in the LOTR is probably the only highlight of the movie for me.. I fell asleep halfway through the movie.. And the Harry Potters too...!

3. I need to remind myself of the Snow White a lot 'cos the snow here is not going to be fun without her!! Minneapolis is supposed to have one of the coldest winters in these parts.. with temp at or about -30 degrees Celsius for a long time!!

4. I'm gonna meet my neice for the first time when I go to India on vacation next weekend.. She is the cutest!!

5. My inspiration - 'The earth that is not yet under my feet!' (Copyright 2009 ;-)

6. Right now, I am really happy. And happiness is a state of mind!! but, snow white, of course, is snow white ;-)

7. I gotta acknowledge.. I took this up today, 'cos I wanted something to write about.. and nothing else was coming to mind!

Now, I nominate Jam n Missus, Jammy, Venkat, Sangi, Maggi, Sukku, Govar

Keep rocking!!

A few of my favorite things…

2009-08-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Four places I have lived

four is too few....!
1) The Netherlands
I just love the place and all the fond memories associated... Also it was my first trip abroad and was my base for 3 fun-filled months.. roaming another 5 countries in the continent... my first love!

2) Chennai
I am going to visit this place soon after more than 2 years.. I have had some pretty good growing-up years here.. And it is one place I can readily call home (at least I could earlier).. Gotta see...

3) Bangalore
I love this city. (Again I should say I used to.. but then with my cousins being there, I have no doubts I will continue loving it and all the things it has to offer).. And I guess I call this home too...

4) Minneapolis - St. Paul
I am having fun so far here.. Itz still summer u c... Anyways this city is quite complex... It is conservative yet modern... fun yet reserved... A lot of the folks are Norwegian-origin... I kinda am reminded of my time in the Netherlands... But -30 degrees in winter? hmmmmmmmmmm....!

Four TV Shows

1) Friends
all time favs..

2) 24
Gripping..

3) Weeds
Wacky.. and funny!

4) Sex and the City
appeals to my sixth sense?!
watevr!! itz damn funny..

Four places I’ve been on vacation

Just curious.. does honeymoon count under vacation?! may be not... itz serious work ;-)

1) Goa n Karwar

2) New York

3) Paris

4) Norway

Soon, I can add 'India' (haha!)

Four favorite food items

1) Curd rice and moor mulagai

2) Seppankizhangu paste roast (Colocasia)

3) Dulce de Leche Caramel ice-cream

4) Soanpappadi

Four websites i visit daily

1) Google news

2) Google finance CTSH

3) Yahoo mail

4) Facebook

Four places I’d rather be

No where else....
well... may be...

Miami, Bora Bora, Chennai/Bangalore (on vacation), Paris (with my girlfriend)

But I choose to be here ;-)

Four things that i hope to do before I die

1) Accelerated Free Fall (not tandem!)

2) Fly my own plane across the most beautiful places

3) Live and work across the world

4) Go into the outer space

Four novels you wish you were reading for the first time

1) Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

2) Timeline - Michael Crichton

3) The Godfather – Mario Puzo

4) The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

Four movies that I can watch over and over again

1) Casablanca

2) Before Sunset

3) Michael Madana Kama Rajan (Tamil)

4) There is something about Mary

Four people I want to tag

Deez

Sujatha

Kalps

Sri (vera yaarum maatla ;-)

MKKK... 1

2009-08-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yet again, a word of caution.. this is based on a collection of peeps, incidents and imagination... Draw conclusions, inferences, et al. (sic!) at your own peril!! ;-)

And to understand the lay of the land, read MKKK.. The Prologue
--------------------------------

Now, Minimma was a popular figure (pun intended, of course ;-) She landed at LA and took the high ground 1. She met this guy at a party and found him pretty funny. He was chubby and over-weight. Some of these guys have a flair for humor and that is a turn-on for some women. In the heat of the moment, Minimma gave him her number.

And sure, he set himself up for a date. They met at a plush restaurant and he started talking about his life. He went on and on about how he dated only the sexy and oomphy... always the playmate material 2. Initially, our Minimma was happy.. she thought she was being compared to a playmate. But, soon all the high rolls started getting on her nerves.

Minimma excused herself to the restroom.. And immediately set up an escape call with me - "Oh! you need to come here now - your dog is whining controllably!!!" types.. Well, the knight-errant that I am, I rescued the damsel in distress and all is well.. :P

And curious, I asked her.. "what really was the issue with this guy?" And Minimma promptly answered.. "I can never be serious with a guy that has bigger boobs than me!!"

Thats a pretty solid reason, whatsay?!
-----------------------------------------

1 Take the high ground! was a movie nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to the Titanic (1953).

But I am referring to the Jessica Simpson's 7 inch high ground here.

2 You know they are on twitter too! Playboy Playboy Blog

MKKK... The Prologue

2009-08-01T00:31:00.000-07:00

Well... call it adulation.. appreciation... anything....
but this series is about a few of my girl friends (not gfs ;-).. with a twist!! :P

I just like to capture some of the quirky, funny, imaginary incidents uncommonly called L.I.F.E. :-)
-----------------------

Minimma Kaiyila Karuppu Kaai..!!

For the tam-illiterate, Minimma is a rustic yet quirky and modernish name of a Madrasi belle.. One of my friends was super excited about her black berry.. and that planted the seed for this series.. As you might have guessed it, that forms a part of the name too. Karuppu Kaai is the (my) given name for blackberry! (sic!) (somewhat a literal translation)
So, the title stands for a blackberry in the hands of Minimma!!

The Prologue:
Minimma lived right next to the San Francisco zoo.. Though, for good measure, the closest exhibit was shielded from her view even when she stood on the terrace of her fourth floor apartment's balcony.1

But, she could see a couple of ducks within her complex.. in the pond overlooking the north end of the apartment. These ducks were probably lovers. Well, I say 'probably' because, in these times, instant gratification and day/night stands are becoming common even within the duck community. [They still are better off than President Bush.. still..]2

These ducks would go around once in a while and swim in the pond together and lovingly kiss each other on the beaks. And they will form the shape of a heart. (how romantic!)3

Everytime Minimma sees this, she would run home to get her DSLR camera with extra sensitive pentaprisms to capture the moment. But, by the time Minimma can come back, the ducks would have gone their own ways. It was almost like they knew Minimma was looking for incriminating evidence of their affair, to present to their spouses. But then, the ducks dont give two hoots 'cos they are in an open relationship. Of course, our Minimma does not know this... so, she keeps on trying to capture their PDAs 4 and failing miserably.

So, one of the reasons Minimma is super-excited about her blackberry is because it has a very good camera. She is now armed to a T and stealthily. And her hopes are revived!!

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

1 The SF zoo ran into serious problems initially when the closest exhibit, a Siberian tiger named Tatiana got wild(est) and attacked the zookeeper. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Zoo_tiger_attacks
To this day, it is a well-kept secret on why the tiger attacked the zookeeper. But, just to give you a hint, the SF zoo walls were raised from 12.5 ft to 16.33 ft to shield from an adjacent apartment complex. And I am not going to name that apartment. Or tell you that it had four floors. Anyways..

2 President-bush-lacks-sense-god-gave-duck

3 Kissing swans

4 PDA Public Displays of Affection

17323

2009-07-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

SF Half Marathon

2009-07-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year.. when people in the bay area run across the golden gate bridge! yes, it is the SF Marathon time... And I will be there this time!!

Will be loadsa fun... I am so looking forward to that!!!

You can catch the live results at
http://www.runsfm.com/raceweek/bazu.html
http://www.liveraceresults.com/liverc1/Default.aspx

And my bib # is 17323.

Wish me luck, guys!

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

The Plan

Reaching SFO 11.30am on Sat.. picking up rental car.. going to team Asha pasta lunch @ Palo alto.. carbo load... going to the expo in SF.. picking up the race stuff... going to my friend's place at Sunnyvale in the evening... resssst... rezzzzzzt.... Sun early morning, 3am abouts, getting ready and driving to Sunnyvale caltrain station... joining Asha gang on the shuttle... RACE!... coming somehow to Sunnyvale caltrain station... driving back to my friend's place.... [to be filled, probably rezzzzzzt]... a quick visit to my cousin's place at Fremont... driving to SFO, reaching by 11pm... catching the red eye back... Voila!!!

All for a cause - Sexy campaigns for Burma!!!

2009-07-19T00:41:00.000-07:00

you gotta see these videos supporting democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma....!!

Well... I appreciate the babes.. they did it their own way...
Supporting the cause... check out...
http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/

Loadsa other good stuff too on you tube.... how did I miss these from 2008... ?

ENT and Gyno

2009-07-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

This is a short story written by Dr Kishore Shah....he is a gynaecologist in Pune and a gifted writer....as you can see here...
Thanks to Ankush for this fwd!
---------------------------------------------------

My wife is an ENT Surgeon while I am a Gynaecologist. This can lead to some complications, as I recently learned to my anguish. A General Practitioner called me up and told me that she is sending a patient of hers for an abortion. Unknown to me, she had also referred a female with earwax for removal of the wax to my wife.

I duly informed the receptionist to send the patient right in as she was expected (and expecting!) As Murphy lays down the laws of our hospital, it was but natural that the patient who wanted the wax removed from her ear, landed up with me. This is the conversation that I had with the patient.

"Please come in. Be seated." I said with a big smile. I always have a big smile, when I am going to earn some money. The patient gave a feeble smile and sat hesitantly on the edge of the chair.
"Relax."
"Doctor, will this hurt a lot?"
"Not at all." The patient relaxed visibly.
"You know something, Doctor, we tried removing it at home, but failed." I was shocked.
"Thank God. Trying this at home can cause serious complications."
"I first tried to remove it by jumping up and down, but it just wouldn't budge."
I smiled and said, "If it were that easy, who would need doctors?"
She gave a cute smile and said, "Yeah! My neighbour tried to remove it with his finger, but the hole is so small that he used a hair pin."
"Oh my God!"
"Yes! My mother even tried a matchstick."
My blood pressure was shooting skywards. I just sputtered without uttering a word.
"Tell me, doctor, how do I avoid getting this dirt inside me?"
I knew that it was an unwanted pregnancy, but calling it dirt was too much. I replied a bit angrily,
"There are tablets which can prevent this happening. Or you could use protection at night."

Now it was the patient's turn to be confused, "You mean to say that it happens only at night?"
I saw her point. "No! No! I meant anytime of the day, whenever you are in the mood, you should use protection."
She was even more confused, "It depends on my moods?"
Again I saw her point. "My mistake. You need not be in any sort of mood. It just happens."

"My neighbour advised me to go to one of those chaps who sit by the roadside."
"You mean that pin man?"
"Yeah!"
This neighbour of hers seemed to be a very dangerous man. Besides using pins, he was sending her to such quacks. The only safety he knew was among the pins.
"You were wise not to heed his advice."
"But I tried his other advice. He told me to put warm oil inside and wait. However, that also did not work."

This was getting more and more bizarre. Her neighbour deserved to be locked up either in a padded cell or a barred one.

"But have you taken your husband's permission?" Now the patient looked confused.
"Do I have to take my husband's permission? Because if you need his sign, he is working in Dubai . We were not able to meet for the last one year."

It was my turn to be shocked. I gave a sly smirk. It was one of 'those' cases. The pin-wielding neighbour seemed to me the usual suspect. I reassured her.
"No! No! The husband's sign is not at all needed."
"However, I did inform him on phone."

Her husband seemed to me a very broad-minded fellow. I didn't know whether to congratulate her or to commiserate with her. So I hastily turned to other aspects.
"Its good that you came a bit early."
"Actually I wanted to come early in the morning, but I had some other work."
"Oh! I did not mean early today. I meant that if you had delayed this removal, it would have started moving. Then it would have developed a heartbeat."

The patient was staring at me wide eyed as if watching a horror movie. Looking at her face, I decided that she was not fit to listen to the grotesque details..
I decided to relieve her a bit.
I said, "You will bleed a bit, but only for a few days."
By now, the poor patient was trembling,
"how-H-How much bleeding?"
"Oh, only slightly more than your menstrual period, and it will continue only for a week or so."
By now the patient was clutching her hair in her fingers and staring at me wide-eyed.
I asked her soothingly, "Why don't you lie down on the examination table? Remove your clothes and relax."

This was the final straw. She didn't even wish me goodbye. I saw just a blur of motion leaving my consulting room at top speed.

5001 words...!

2009-07-13T22:48:00.001-07:00

Minneapolis..!

Just Beat It..

2009-07-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Am so beat right now... that I can only tweet ;-)

RIP MJ.. the Molester Jackson ? We will have to wait until one of the kids grow up and write a book... by then, you may be long forgotten...

Check..

2009-07-05T06:09:00.001-07:00

Hangover - the movie.. check
Pani puri.. check
Sunnyvale Saravanaa Bhavan.. check
4th July fireworks.. check
Red eye to Minneapolis-St.Paul.. check
Subaru Impreza.. check
Extended Stay America, Bloomington.. check
Meow meow.. check!
zzzzzzzz.. checking-in now!!

Bloom!!

2009-06-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yaay! I will be moving to Minneapolis-St.Paul-Bloomington area. I am pretty excited about this team and opportunity....!!!!

In that spirit, here is a song for Bloomington...
I gotta feeling... this year is gonna be a good year...!

This is fcuking hilarious..!!

2009-06-25T02:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chikita and originally to Ryan Deal !!

King Ryan says "Ahh… the friend zone. It’s pretty much nowhere near where you want to be with any girl you actually like. Being in the friend zone can keep you from the love of your life or at least from possibly some of the best sex you’ve ever had. Here’s a handy chart that shows you exactly where the friend zone is… so you can avoid it."

But there is more to it... look carefully! Like.. null set!!!

First look.. Last glance?!

2009-06-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

I might soon be saying 'au revoir' to this lovely city... Never imagined my love story will come to an end so soon.... I had grown so comfortable in its arms.... But its probably time.... to say goodbye.. till we meet again.... Take care my sweet heart...

I am a micro lender..!

2009-06-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

I made my first microfinance loan today!!

I came to know about Kiva when I attend the TiE conference last month. [TiE - The Indus Entrepreneurs). Premal Shah, who is the president of Kiva, was one of the winners of the top 50 startups award at the conference. And he was also one of the speakers on social entrepreneurship. Man, you should hear him speak... he just is so simple and sincere and straight-from-the-heart and obviously, his presentation touched, and inspired me.

Kiva - the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.

Of course, I got in touch with him right away and it helped that we had a couple of common friends. Well.. thats how Kiva started for me. And I wanted to lend on Kiva, but somehow did not get to it... Until today that is!

I got the tweet last week about a mixer organized by Kiva and the Good magazine in the city. And I decided to attend that. I marked my calendars and worked through a couple of things - one of them being that I should be a lender before I attend the party!!

Of course.. it is fun partying... and if I can mix partying with doing good... Wow! what can beat that?!?!

The party was today (Tuesday) and it was great, but that is another post! This post is about Kiva. And Kiva is cool!!! Check it out!!

You can make a difference to an entrepreneur today..

Wisdom!

2009-06-11T00:31:00.001-07:00

Some wise man said...

Love an angel.. but marry a woman...!!

Learning from a Fishing Expedition!

2009-06-04T00:31:00.000-07:00

The best con — one where everyone gets what they want even if they didn’t know they wanted it!!!

The Brothers Bloom

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

- You need to expend positive vibes during fishing...

- Surround yourself with folks that are better than yourself.. of course, they should not be better at fishing!
-- when going fishing, take with you someone (like 'wingman') that can enhance the energy & can work the waters for ya

- Have three questions to ask the fishes and fellas - simple questions you can fall back on (e.g. is the water good?)

- Keep it simple and genuine
-- compliment the fish
-- appreciate the work of art (every fish is unique and is a work of art!)
-- use positive reinforcement :-)

- IF you think the fish is better than you, then go out of your way to be useful for the fish.. go out of your comfort zone!! (Jump into the water ;-)

Season 2 has begun!!

2009-05-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

cross-posted on my running blog

Itz season 2 of my marathon experience... continuing my training with Team Asha...
I did not run at all after the Silicon Valley Half Marathon last year - took complete rest and allowed my body to refresh itself in the winter.

Then I ran the Asha 10K Spring Run in March early this year. That was good. And end of April, I started my second season with the team. The team, coaches, mentors are as awesome as ever. And I seem to be doing pretty well too.. No real pains so far... which is great!

Hoping to run the San Francisco Half Marathon on Jul 26, 2009. And then, I will decide which full marathon to run. My goal is to get to the start line injury-free and have fun all along while raising money to support one of Asha for Education's projects in India.. That reminds me.. I need to select the project too.

Anyways, to Team Asha... may you fulfill more dreams and help create educated children and inspired citizens!!

Events...

2009-05-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

It has been quite an eventful week..

First came the news that LTTE Prabhakaran was dead.. It was a little sad. He was a leader for the Tamils in Sri Lanka, but his choice of war as the means to achieve his goals led to enormous destruction. Sad to see all lives wasted including his own.. There is this succinct article in the latest Time

Then came the news that the Congress has won a convincing majority at the Indian Lok Sabha Elections 2009. I think that is a good thing for India - a stable government for the next five years and that too one that is progressive and pro-private is definitely welcome..
If you have not been following the elections, you can read about it here
I also think that DMK party coming to power again in Tamil Nadu is a great relief.. for one it breaks the anti-incumbency voting pattern over the decade or more.. Goes to show that people are not discontent without rhyme/reason.. and I think the parties had also started to take it for granted that they will return to power in alternate cycles, irrespective of their performance or policies or platforms.

The Indian stock market reacted to the Election results with a huge positive surge... for the first time in the history of the Sensex, trading was suspended for the day because the index hit the upper circuit, twice! The index was capped at 17.2% spike.

On the personal front.. quite some things happening.. but, sorry, I cannot divulge more details now.. ;-)

Earth - Movie

2009-04-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

"Earth" is an awesome movie abt an awesome planet... just unbelievable the scale in which life happens on this planet... And of course, they have shown it really well.. If you have not watched the BBC series "Planet Earth" - this is just right for ya!

The movie captures the life and travels (travails) of three families - a polar bear and its two cubs, an African elephant and its baby, a humpback whale and its kid... (Just thought abt this now.. all single moms!).. Not just these three but so many different species on earth migrate covering thousands of miles across earth and back... Is a really staggering effort against the vagaries of nature: climate and seasons...

Anyways.. catch here the trailer of Earth on their official site..
http://disney.go.com/disneynature/earth/

Migration is an interesting concept in animals.. its amazing how they remember the route without a GPS or compass!! For humans, migration is primarily for economic and intellectual reasons now... May be, we will need to start migrating as a way of life... if our ability to insulate ourselves from the effect of climate is bulldozed by our destruction of the equilibrium on this (now) green planet.

Condoms and the Pope..

2009-04-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

More on the Pope, using condoms saga!! [Sorry, can't resist the pun!]

Hear, ye all..

The Roman Catholic Church opposes the use of condoms as part of its overall teaching against contraception. It advocates sexual abstinence and sexual faithfulness between husband and wife as the best ways to combat the spread of HIV.

If you are opposed to the church's teachings on the use of condoms.. I have a slogan for ya...

Dear Holy Father... Please don't tell us what to wear..!! ;-)

Slumdog millionaire contesting elections...

2009-04-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Got to know thru Kiruba..

Sarath Babu, the real life slumdog millionaire -- He sold idlis when he was a kid. He worked through the ranks.. and after his MBA from one of the prestigious educational institutions in India, IIM A, decided to set up a food chain. He's now contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

Sarath Babu will contest as an Independent from South Chennai Lok Sabha constituency.

The Royalty...

2009-04-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

SB treated me as royalty...!!

TGIGF!!

2009-04-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

Thank God its Good Friday!!!

Am gonna lap it up @ Santa Barbara :-)

Sicko - the sickening state of US healthcare

2009-04-05T05:20:00.000-07:00

This is one movie that I will recommend every US citizen and especially every non-US guy who is planning to come to the US to watch - so they know what they are getting into...

It is not so much about how 50 million people in the US do not have health insurance and hence do not get any medical care or treatment.. as it is about how the 250 million people that have health insurance might still end up being bankrupt and in turn, be denied health care - because the privately run insurance companies and hospitals look to maximise their profits.. and hence, they will continue to look for reasons and justifications to deny you the right to medical care and can deny or retract your claim!!

And as it turns out.. I had one such experience of it myself... though, thankfully, not anywhere near the scale as highlighted in the movie..

I got treated for knee pain while I was training to run a marathon and had multiple physiotherapy sessions... And since I am an employee of one of the large corporations, my insurance has to cater to the power (read, numbers) of the corporation and covered all my bills (except for the co-pay, that I had to shell out from my pocket).. Everything was smooth.. or so I thought until one fine day, when I got a bill from the hospital saying I owed them some money. Not much, $135, that my insurance company asked the hospital to refund (it had earlier paid to the hospital). So, the hospital billed me for $135, saying I need to pay for it now.

When I called up, neither the hospital nor the insurance had any clue why suddenly the insurance provider asked the hospital for the refund. After a couple of weeks of investigation, the insurance provider found out and informed me (and the hospital) that the hospital had used a wrong code in billing and that is why this $135 was asked to be refunded and is now outstanding. So, now if the hospital can reissue the bill with the correct code, everything will be fine. To this day, and it has been almost a month now, the hospital still records that I owe them the money.. and I do not know if they care to reissue the bill.. but they sent me a second notice/reminder of due.

But, my episode is so minuscule in scale to what can happen to one if they end up with cancer/heart attack or something.. and the insurance company can deny payment due to some unrelated yet legally arguable reason for not paying up. All they (insurance companies and hospitals) care about is maximizing their own profit and any money they can deny is money saved for them..

One of the folks shown was denied permission/coverage for treatment for cervical cancer.. 'cos, in the words of the insurance company, "you are too young to contract ...cervical cancer"... Or contract rescue workers - firefighters who helped in the rescue efforts during 9/11 were denied insurance (to cover their acute respiratory problems ostensibly suffered from the exposure to all that dust and rubble).. because they were only temporary employees... These are just the tip of the iceberg.. watch Sicko to see the enormity of the healthcare debacle...

That is why for-profit is bad in healthcare..

That is why greed is going to kill another 10,000 uninsured this week... and the following... and the week after....

That is why I will not settle in this country as long as greed prevails...

Did I tell ya I don't gamble with my life.. or anyone else's... ?!

Its no country for old men, dude..

Sicko by Michael Moore is available on the Internet, DVD and TV showtime!

I should add that there has been some positive developments on this issue off-late with the push for single-payer healthcare and legislation to support universal healthcare... But, it is still not a reality.. And what is more shocking is the time it is taking US to implement something that is very crucial to the lives of so many people...

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Bloopers!!

2009-04-05T01:41:00.000-07:00

Electric Boogie @ Club Earth!!

2009-03-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

It is heartening to know that we do care for our dear Earth.. And all is not lost for our future generations..

Earth Hour - Mar 28 2009, 8.30pm to 9.30pm

"The world said yes to climate action, now governments must follow," the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said Sunday, a day after hundreds of millions of people worldwide followed its call to turn off lights for a full hour.

For environmental activists, the message was clear: Earth Hour was a huge success.

From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Empire State building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday night to highlight the threat of climate change. Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries dimmed nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

WWF called the event, which began in Australia in 2007 and grew last year to 400 cities worldwide, "the world's first-ever global vote about the future of our planet."

The United Nations' top climate official, Yvo de Boer, called the event a clear sign that the world wants negotiators seeking a climate change agreement to set an ambitious course to fight global warming.

...

For the full report, check here!

These three combo photos show Malaysia's landmark Petronas Twin Towers, right, along with other buildings being turned off the lights to mark Earth Hour in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A combination photo of a night view of the site of the ancient Giza Pyramids before and after switching off the lights for the Earth Hour, in Cairo, Egypt.

The Eiffel Tower is shown just after the 20,000 bulbs illuminating the tower went out Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8.90 p.m for five minutes.

The skyline of Toronto's downtown is dimmed as many of the lights are turned off for Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, 2009

Watch this video..!!

What time is it?

2009-03-25T01:22:00.000-07:00

It is the time to move on.. !
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Have been staying at this place in Sunnyvale for an year now.. Nice big 2BR apartment sharing with this friend of mine... But now, I guess it is time to move on to the next level in life... Staying alone!

Looking for nice cozy studios in calm swanky neighborhoods...
Well.. of course, staying alone gives a whole lot of opportunities... to ponder and explore and all the good stuff...;-) And I can get serious about owning a pet rabbit now!

BTW, got my parting gift too... a parking ticket.. within my apt complex..!

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honey bunch and shonu and
and butter cup and sweetie pie
seems a lifetime.. but now
time to say good bye!!

PS: did ya notice the two consecutive 'and's?!

Mr. President

2009-03-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

Two Too Much!!

2009-03-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

I came across these two articles in the news today... And I wanted to celebrate the irony!!

Why the Pope opposes condoms

{The Pope said the "cruel epidemic" [AIDS] should be tackled through fidelity and abstinence rather than condoms, and that "the traditional teaching of the Church has proven to be the only failsafe way to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids". }

{He told African bishops that contraception was among trends leading to a breakdown in sexual morality.}

U.S. births set record; 40% are out of wedlock

{- Increases in unmarried childbearing, termed at “historic levels” in the report: The total number of births, birth rate, and proportion of births to unmarried women all increased 3 percent to 5 percent.}

{In the 1990s when teen birth rates began declining, Santelli says “fewer kids were having sex, having fewer partners and there was an enormous increase in condom use.”}

Both are two different contexts - one, in the fight against AIDS in Africa and another, about child births in the US.

But, clearly, fidelity and abstinence does NOT seem to be too popular in the US!!
And does the Pope imply that infidelity and promiscuous behaviour is prevalent only in Africa??

And the sad part is that the message from the pope seems to be blaming the guys with AIDS instead of giving hope to the afflicted. (Who said that all the folks with AIDS in Africa got it only thru sex and with illegitimate partners??)

For ye have sinned... now, come to Jesus and he will absolve all your sins... but AIDS, we will not take that away... Because it should serve as an example for others.. Only then will they be afraid.. and turn to God... and I can give more such speeches...

Disclaimer: I am an atheist and I am especially against any religion that uses an epidemic to further itself!

Poker Face..

2009-03-13T03:45:00.001-07:00

Poker Face - Lady Gaga

I dig this!!

Give it to the Kids!!

2009-03-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Your vote (and those of your friends) could win Pratham $60,000 this year! JP Morgan is donating the money to the charity that wins the most votes in its Give-It-Away campaign. Read India is one of the 10 nominees and currently has a small lead over the competition. Voting ends on May 1, 2009. From what I can understand, voting is open only to university students (though recent graduates might be able to vote as well). To vote, click on jpmorgan.com/giveitaway.

Anything you can do to spread the word (emails to friends, facebook etc) and get out the vote would be much appreciated!

About Pratham and Read India:
100 million children in India - one out of every two - cannot read. Pratham, India's leading non-profit in primary education, aims to dramatically improve literacy levels among children across India through the Read India campaign. The campaign has already reached 21 million children in its first year.

For more information, please visit
http://www.readindia.org/

www.prathamusa.org

Join our Facebook group: Pratham (USA)

Into the Wild

2009-03-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

The USP of this movie is that it is based on a real story.. story of a guy who lived in Alaska on his own.. in the wilderness for about 110 days ... and died in the wild tragically - alone and untimely, at the age of 24.

But then, in the relatively short span of life, he had experienced what others did not.. do not.. or even imagine. And lived life on his own terms.

Christopher McCandless grew up a rebel - against what he perceived as materialistic, manipulative and domineering parents. And then embarks on a wonderful journey... after he graduates from Emory University, he gives away all his savings to charity.. He burns and erases his identity - social security card, driver license, all his credit cards... and travels across the country - Atlanta to Colorado and then, kayaks down the colorado river into Mexico and then comes back on freight trains and hitchhiking to Los Angeles.. and finally he reaches Alaska.

He takes up a new identity along the way - Alexander Supertramp.. meets some unique set of people.. And finally in Alaska, he spends some quality alone-time and without any artificial trapments of consumerism. Well.. he lives in an abandoned bus (used by moose hunters in summer) and uses a gun to hunt... but his needs are to the bare minimum... a shelter.. some warmth.. food - small game or fish cooked in the fire, raw plant edible plants etc... some books (that provide him the inspiration, as also the guide to local vegetation.. and his notebook - where he notes down his experiences and learnings...

But, soon the ice melts and the full-blown river restricts his movement... and he eats a poisonous plant (there are various theories) by mistake.. That leads to nausea, weakness, loss of digestive powers and eventually his death due to starvation... The last few days are tragic - he is alone, helpless and slowly treading to his death.. thats when he feels the need for company.

I think he missed most the need to share his happiness and all his unique experiences with someone.. as if all those things in him (acquired and unique) are going to waste with his death... Like a legacy lost.

This movie is a *Must Watch* - but only when you are ready for it. I took my own time, guess about two months since the time I added it to my watchlist on Netflix..

I do not want to live such a life in the wild.. And definitely not the way he did it - without adequate planning, preparation and supplies (I would call it stupid - setting up for disaster in an unforgiving place)... but I sure would like to visit Denali National Park, Alaska sometime.. preferably with another person... not just any other person.. or many... you know what I mean?

It seems the bus can be seen clearly on Google Earth even to this day but is obscured by clouds in Google Maps and most other mapping programs. I did not try it.. but I found this on one of the links on the wiki..

Sweet Dreams..!

2009-03-04T00:09:00.000-08:00

Like this song.. love the lyrics..!!
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Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

I wanna use you and abuse you
I wanna know what's inside you
(Whispering) Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Hold your head up, movin' on
Keep your head up, movin' on
Movin' on!

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

I'm gonna use you and abuse you
I'm gonna know what's inside
Gonna use you and abuse you
I'm gonna know what's inside you

Thriller - ala Indian Michael Jackson!

2009-03-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

This is roll-on-the-floor stuff...!! Pay close attention to the audio visual cues...:-)