Season 2 has begun!!

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...

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

"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..

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...

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...

SB treated me as royalty...!!

TGIGF!!

Thank God its Good Friday!!!

Am gonna lap it up @ Santa Barbara :-)

Sicko - the sickening state of US healthcare

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!!

Electric Boogie @ Club Earth!!

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?

It is the time to move on.. !
----------------------

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..!


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

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

Two Too Much!!

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..

Poker Face - Lady Gaga

I dig this!!

Give it to the Kids!!

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

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..!

Like this song.. love the lyrics..!!
---------------------------------------

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!

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

Guess who?!?!

It is so funny.. looking at this old pic!!

OSCARS 2009..

This post summarizes my "live"r updates on Twitter...http://twitter.com/sbhaskar77

Freida Pinto is looking great in blue... Natalie Portman is gorgeous... Anne Hathaway serene!!

The show has just begun.. it seems the year of slumdogs all the way...... and this just the beginning of the show... way to go.

I dont remember if I watched the event last year... but this year there seems a lot more personal touch at the show probably in tune with the need of the hour... with everyone needing a good hug and a warm shoulder.

First oscar of 2009... best actress in a suppporting role.... Penelope Cruz!! ...for vicky christina barcelona..

Oscars for screenplay: original - Milk, Adapted - Slumdog Millionaire!!!
Best Animated Movie - Wall-E
Art Direction - Duchess
Makeup - Curious case of Benjamin Button
Cinematography - Slumdog again..!!!

Best actor in a supporting role - Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight

Smile Pinki - Best short documentary film... Is also based in India... Its about treating children with cleft upper lips.. watch it. I just watched the trailer in the Ad break.

Visual effects - Curious case of Benjamin Button
Sound editing - Dark Knight
Sound Mixing - Slumdog again again !!
Editing - Slumdog again again again !!!!

Wow!! the count is four now... slumdog.. four of five...you are five questions away from becoming a millionaire ;-)

This is something I have to mention... I see Danny Boyle whenever one of the guys (from Slumdog) are called out.. and he is so genuinely happy 4 them..

The 81st Academy Award continues...

Original score - AR Rahman - Slumdog Milionaire...
At the end of his acceptance speech he said, as he does.. "Ellapughazum Iraivanukkae"... All praise for the Lord!!

BTW, that is also the title of one of ARR's songs that I love..

That was a good performance... of the songs - O Sayya and Jai Ho and one from Wall-E.... and the academy award for the best song goes to..... AR Rahman for Jai Ho.... Wow!!!! I am super thrilled!!!!! Thank God for ARR.

Liam Neeson and Feida Pinto on the stage to present the award for the Best Foreign Language Film - The award goes to Departures (Japanese).

Best Directing - Danny Boyle!!!!! "Finally, to all the folks in Mumbai who helped make this movie and who didnt.. You dwarf even this guy (The Oscar award)" says Danny.. I love this guy.. Love you Danny!!!

Best actress in a leading role - Kate Winslet for Reader...you guys if you are not watching this.. catch the video on youtube or something - gotta watch all this real drama... Really!

Best actor in a leading role - Sean Penn for Milk.. I gotta watch this movie

Best Picture - among Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Reader and Slumdog - Slumdog Millionaire. The entire team of Slumdog are on the stage... this is great!!

Thats eight Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire... Bravo!!! it is a whole lot of awards and recognition... well deserved... have fun guys, everyone!!!