A windy place

East of Omaha

2011-09-04T17:16:00.000-05:00

Right. This post comes after a whirlwind few months on the road. It all started with Memorial day long weekend (05/31) when I made the trip to the west. (Los Angeles/Las Vegas/AZ) This was followed by several trips to meet friends on the Jersey Shores. This was the first time I was in that area. Had a lot of fun on the beaches, just floating around in the Atlantic is a lot of fun. And excellent seafood fare later of course. Then came the epic trip, Istanbul, Mumbai, Pattaya and Bangkok.

Flew into Istanbul via London-Heathrow. Heathrow is by far one of the worst I have been at so far. The ST bus stand at Dadar/Panvel is better. Also on the flight from London to Istanbul the meal options were interesting, so you get a choice of veg/non-veg. I took the non-veg of course which was prime beef and the veg option was chicken. :) Thankfully noone on the flight threw a fit since it was just for 4 hrs anyway.
Once I landed at Istanbul, made my way over to Immigration n got my visa paperwork sorted thru. Noticed that Canadians have to shell out 60 TRY(Turkish Lira) as compared to the rest who shell out 30-40TRY. Apparently the canadians raised the visa fee for the turks and they followed suit. Next dumped my stuff in the cloakroom and took a cab into Sultanahmet (The main district/downtown) with a backpack. Checked into the hostel and started roaming the district. Over the next few days covered all the usual suspects, Topaku Palace, Aya sofya, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, now that was the touristy stuff, won't get into much details there is a ton has already been written about these.

Now this is the middle east, one of the more politically unstable regions in the world today and usually in the evenings when I came back from my wanderings I met a lot of interesting ppl in the hostel area like South Africans who were mercenaries, ex-special forces dudes from Mogadishu (remember Black Hawk down, I met a guy from there who was half cyborg due to the amount of plastic n titanium holding him together.), Afghani and Syrian refugees, German Lufthansa pilots, Irish drunks :), Egyptian merchants, Macau gamblers, pretty much ppl from everywhere who didn't want to do anything with the EU, since its expensive n also pretty strict. A ton of conversations around the situation in the middle east and how turkey is becoming the china of that region and North Cyprus being the North Korea, how the Syrians n Egyptians see their govt's turning out, the turmoil in Greece and Gaddafi's rule over Libya, lots of world history n politics basically over some fine Turkish coffee and hookah. These conversations usually ended up going late into the night and once found myself sipping Raki n Vodka over the banks of the Bosporus with some Germans, Scandinavians, Afghans and Turks. All I can say is am hooked to Raki now and don't miss a chance to down some.

A week flew-by in Istanbul and I hardly saw any desis. Reasoning being, there is no shortage of mosques n minarets in India, also this is the middle east we are talking about, its the friggin' desert here, nothing grows in these areas except palm trees and cacti, thus veggies are in short supply and most of them have to be imported, hence the staple diet consists of kebab n more kebab. Its not like you can't get veggie fare, its just that its extremely limited even more than the US and also if you do find some chances are you will pay thru your nose for it. The few desis that I did see were folks like myself who were already residing outside India.

Over that week made a ton of friends in Istanbul and just walked around Sultanahmet a lot. Would I go back myself to Istanbul, YES for sure. Would I go there once I had a family, ummm...probably not.

This post was typed up a while back and was in draft until now. Hence the delay.

Taking flight

2011-06-17T05:03:00.000-05:00

Insomnia has been plaguing me for a while now especially with the trip getting closer and closer. Got done with some final packing/shopping yesterday evening. Never realized I had as much stuff as I did and even then considering just 1 checked-in bag which still has space in it I prob have a lot less stuff than most of my other friends who travel.

I made some last minute travel arrangements n will be stopping over in Istanbul for 4 days before I reach Mumbai. Turkish Airlines were fairly accommodating to my inquires and queries. Their customer support is good but the background music while you are put on hold is just irritating. Found out its actually a lot cheaper to book an entire round-trip flight and then pay the charge to change a certain segment of it, instead of booking the 2 segments separately. Once I land in Istanbul after paperwork n customs are cleared will prob just dump most of my luggage at the secured airport lockers and head into the city with a backpack. Have always wanted to do an extended stopover but never had the time/energy/money to attempt these. Istanbul came as a culmination of all three and it helps that its a lot cheaper than the rest of the EU and requires considerably lesser paperwork.

Will try and keep this space updated with some updates while in Turkey else probably some when I get back. For now though, Hey Ho, Lets Go.

Human Powered Vehicle

2011-05-15T19:02:00.001-05:00

This weekend I went and got a cycle finally, after many months of contemplation, with being only able to bike 8-9 months of the entire year and when its not snowing/raining. Thus just spent the entire weekend on the bike. A 12 mile bike ride to Georgetown, followed by some tennis and more biking after.

Trek Tiburon Gary Fisher Ed.

Instead of going for a bike from a big box store I went to a local store and ended up with a pricier one, ensures that any issues with the bike, extra fittings can be taken care of and also the store was pretty closeby so I could bike the way back to my apt.

Capital Crescent Trail

DC has some fantastic cycling trails, and it helps that this section (Northern Virginia, Montgomery County) is among the greenest. Currently am biking the Capital Crescent Trail which runs right behind my apt all the way to Georgetown and once you're there pretty much the entire Tidal Basin/National Mall strip is an open playground.

The last time I did biking was in Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Mackinaw Island near the upper peninsula in Michigan. Both were excellent bike rides, Santa Monica of course for the whole festive atmosphere near the pier and Mackinaw Island for the entire circumference around the island. I plan to get the bike out a lot more now with a backpack and the Nikon D90 along for the ride, especially since the trails run parallel to the Potomac providing some mind-blowing panoramas of the Great Falls region of Northern VA and MD.

On a side note, I booked my tickets for India and will be going next month after almost 2 yrs now :D Plans for hikes/treks along the Mumbai - Pune section are already on, especially hoping for the monsoon to set in. Khopoli, Bhandardara, Malshej Ghat (near Pune), Lonavala are some of the places am hoping to hit this time around.

Meme

2011-05-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

Stealing this meme from SEV

20 years ago I . . .
1. was in elementary school
2. discovered swimming
3. was watching mahabharat n visiting ppl over summer vacations

15 years ago I...
1. was still in school.The last stages of it.
2. playing soccer in the monsoon
3. started playing the guitar.

10 years ago I . . .
1. was doing engg.
2. attending a ton of rock shows all over the mumbai landscape. So much that I was there when PDV was first starting out at Terna Engg, Nerul.
3. Just having a blast going thru college, made some lifelong friends in the process.
4. did a lot of PC gaming, AoE, Halflife, NFS (this is when I first heard about the Nissan Skyline)

5 years ago I . . .
1. was in the process of coming to Rolla.
2. travelled alone thru some remote areas of interior Maharashtra on local transport. One of the best trips ever.

3 years ago I . . .
1. switched from working in the auto industry in LA to the Insurance domain in Lansing, Michigan.
2. found a fantastic mentor at work, if you have seen HOUSE M.D. now that is what the mentor was like.
3. got my first car, the Mercury Cougar

2 years ago I . . .
1. was working 60hr/week shifts
2. got promoted at work and was mentoring another guy now
3. but gained the lbs as a result.

1 year ago I . . .
1. moved to DC from Michigan, got back to swimming
2. got the G37, (ref. from 10 yrs back,the Infiniti G37 is known as the Nissan Skyline 370GT in Japan)
3. started exploring the DelMarVa and started using the Nikon outdoors more
4. discovered that the best time for a drive is early Sat morning when 
everyone's wasted from the previous night of partying. 
Thus got upto 130mph/210kmph on the I-70 at 5am, thanks to clear roads.

So far this year I . . .
1. have been busy with parents n relatives visiting.
2. have got a receiver + surround sound setup now and the blu ray on the ps3 is being used to its full potential
3. thanks to the above have been hooked to the full sonic range capabability from the likes of Yanni, Satriani

1 week ago I . . .
1. saw Chalo Dilli, Fast Five
2. ate awesome dosa at Udipi Palace
3. saw Braveheart after a very long time. It's still kickass.

Yesterday I . . .
1. got a colleague's large library of Dvd's, gladiator, troy, pirates, matrix, generally good stuff.
2. got done with my regular 2km/day swim.
3. put on the Division Bell, audio bliss.

Today . . .
1. is a Friday and may meet some friends later tonight
2. will start watching some stuff from the library
3. Hookah + Tandoori/Chinese nights.

Tomorrow I will . . .
1. recover from the hangover.
2. check out tickets to India again.
3. will try to swim some more.

In the next year I will . . .
1. try to make an India trip during Holi. 
2. hopefully not be married ;)

Done. This meme was easy. Typed this up on Friday, posted it on a Saturday :)

A year in DC

2011-03-23T06:21:00.001-05:00

Its been exactly a year now in DC, damn, time flew fast and I thought I was only gonna be here for 6 months. Since I moved to the east coast haven't been out much (exception being the St.Louis trip over new year's), partly this can be attributed to the fact that several ppl visited me over july 4th, labor day, thanksgiving, n even the folks visited last feb. So far so good. Am looking fwd to more friends coming over (prob. the Boston ppl) over this summer. May get out to Boston by myself over some summer long weekend. Probably spend a night in NY and drive on the following morning to Boston.

Sometime back made a trip to Rutgers,NJ which was good. I needed to get out of DC and also just go on a long drive by myself. Audiobooks are pretty neat. Last winter I didn't drive much and also had a colleague's Toyota RAV4 SUV at my disposal most of the time so put about 1k on the G's odometer thru the winter period. Have gotten the hang of rev matching now and it takes time to get used to it but it has its own share of fun. Got upto 130mph/210kmph on the NJ turnpike. Quite hairy, I assure you, especially in traffic.

Rediscovered swimming in DC and do about 2km/day on a regular basis thru the work week. Also thanks to another colleague have been going for tennis lessons on warmer weekends. There are several plans for this summer not restricted to just biking thru the DC trails or camping in the Shenandoah Valley. Figured that I might as well make some use of staying near a warmer place on the east coast and with a more relaxed work schedule compared to my days in Michigan.

Hiking/Camping plans to Yellowstone/Yosemite/Alaska Glacier park don't seem feasible yet. Like the last post said I really need a vacation and time off.

The vacation

2011-03-01T18:51:00.000-06:00

My last time off was Nov 2009 when I made the trip to India, since then haven't taken any time off, not even a short break from work. Its not that I can't take time off its just that before I moved to DC I had an entire tour of Italy all chalked out but had to scrap it right at the last moment for the big jump to DC. Also its been more about do I really need time off, I don't really feel burned out or anything that I need time off to "recharge my batteries" and "ease my troubled mind."

Infact I end up just hurrying along to every place I can on vacations. I have barely ever sat still on a vacation and its always been go-go-go. Also the photography bug means sitting still means losing some scenic vistas as well so all the more reason to snap click every little thing that catches my eye. My last trip was to St.Louis to meet the old gang, and it was just everything that I thought it would be and more. Just the feeling of seeing the same old Lambert International terminal again makes me nostalgic. I have spent New Year's eve at Times Square, & on a cruise in Miami but this last trip to St.Louis ranks right up there with the best of the parties. That wasn't a slow recharge rather it was more like a sudden jolt of energy to last me hopefully thru the entire year.

Winter is almost over now which does mean that driving season is comin up pretty quick. So far I have a few road-trips planned to the NYC area, maybe Pittsburgh (Rama's), and of course an annual trip to Boston and Quincy Market, the Harbor area. Last year I went to the Florida keys for some fantastic snorkeling, Mustang convertible action, camping on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the trip to Boston and New York. This year I should make a trip to Atlantic City, the Chesapeake Bay, and hopefully find someone to go camping/canoeing with thru the Shenandoah.

For now its back to my good routine since winter is over. My punishing swimming schedule.
Work-swim-work

Tv

2010-12-05T18:24:00.000-06:00

As a latest update, have now quite got the hang of rev matching, have switched from Linux finally back to Windows, have been playing the drums (Alesis DM6), work related stuff will always be there on my mind, n watch a lot of TV thru the entire weekend (College Football, NFL and of course Dexter S5).

Speaking of TV, I hardly ever watched any sport as much as this NFL season, even cricket, partly this can be attributed to coworkers/ friends following NFL, College Football and also as in Lansing due to being around MSU where the Big Ten is a religion. Infact I have started following football so much that I tried to watch an EPL (Chelsea/Everton) soccer game a few days back and it just seemed slow and boring in comparison. College Football is even more interesting since the Spartans had one of their best seasons in 20 years.

This brings me to Dexter, I usually don't follow a series but Dexter is different. I started following Dexter from last year in Lansing due to recommendations from various co-workers and so initially caught up on seasons 1-4 on Dvd's and finally started season 5 on the regular TV schedule. IMO, the best seasons have been in that order seasons 2,4,1,3. Season 5 looks to be shaping up as a classic as well, sortof a combination of seasons 2 and 1.

After moving to DC have hardly ventured out at all except for an occasional NYC trip, rather have had a ton of visitors for sometime now, starting from July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and prob thru the end of the year as well. Need to get out and connect with STL/KC folks sometime, its been a while since I met the old gang.

Centurion

2010-06-28T20:58:00.000-05:00

100 posts over a two year period, wow. I need to get back to doing this as soon as I stop thinking about (in that order) work related stuff, the car (downshift rev matching it is now).

Need to practice the rev matching part more, will post on that sometime.

iTunes under Virtualization

2010-06-25T07:18:00.001-05:00

I generally do not update my iPhone on a regular basis thru iTunes since there isn’t a native iTunes client on Ubuntu , iTunes even under XP is a generally buggy s/w. Since I did not want to jailbreak my iPhone I ended up running a XP image inside VirtualBox under Hardy. Now this was working fine until recently when the latest iTunes 9.2 update came out. Apple for some reason decided to crash iTunes if virtualization was underway over here. Now this I realized pretty late until after I had made multiple images of my WinXP and after several unsuccessful attempts to get iTunes going on each of these multiple images. I even tried to get Vista to play nice, but the Vista iso itself had issues, so had to call it a day there.

Coming back to the issue at hand, the quick fix for this was to revert back to an older version of iTunes, I mean who really cares about an iTunes update anyway. I use iTunes for transferring music to the iPhone because Apple makes me do so (unless I jailbreak), but that’s all I really do with iTunes. No Podcasts/Video, nothing. But the catch over reverting back to an older iTunes version is that apparently iTunes uses a library file called (you’ll never guess this one !! ) ‘iTunes Library’, now this file gets timestamped with the latest date that it was generated by iTunes and the version of iTunes used to generate it. And this file isn’t exactly backward compatible too, so several attempts to replace the existing lib with the older lib didn’t work either. Finally the easiest fix for this was to simply delete the lib itself and have iTunes regenerate it. Yes, I do lose my playlist info and stuff, but that’s ok, I was booting up from a fresh XP iso anyway.

But all said and done at the end of the day the only reason am still going to stick with the iPhone over Droid phones is since the G37 has a complete iPod interface and I intend to make full use of that without buying another iTouch for the same. I did try to do an update today after several months since I needed a backup of my Contact List after I switch to the iPhone 4.

Ride Review

2010-06-06T15:19:00.002-05:00

G37
Originally uploaded by Nikon Babu

The first 1000 miles are done on the car now and I had promised a review to several folks, so here we go.

This car is incredibly fun to drive. I have driven the 335i so lets start with that. Yes, the 335i does carry the tag of 'the ultimate driving machine' but there is still German refinement in there, but not so much in the G37. Simply put the 335i is like an escort service whereas the G37 is just a high class hooker. They both will finally lead to the same result, total ecstasy, but there is a whole lot more fun to be had in the G37 than the 335i. This is the car that can bring out the child in you, who simply wants to have a blast on his day out. The 330 horses in this are more than enough for regular folks on city streets and most ppl will never ever go upto the red line here anyway except on rare occasions. Yes, the 335i does produce more torque(30 lb-ft) but it is a lot more entertaining in the G37 because you need to rev it upto 5200rpm to fetch the 270 lb-ft.

I had a friend (Pam), comment on the looks once as ' A Batmobile lookalike', enough said. Everyone knows that the Batmobile is by far the coolest car anyone can ever have. The number of gizmo's loaded in this is HUGE. Damn, there is also a USB host port in it, so basically anything and everything goes now. A special mention goes for the 4th gear, which will keep pulling from 1500 rpm all the way to 7000 rpm. The sound from the dual exhausts is mind blowing. The gear ratios are perfect higher up, 6th has a sublime 1:1.

There are cars in which you need to think twice when coming up to a traffic light changing from green to yellow about if you press the throttle whether you will clear the light or not but no such doubts over here, the G37 is up there all the time with you during these decisions. A joy for weaving as well thru traffic. If you think that you can get thru sticky situations then this car will do so too. Simply put, when at a traffic light you get into a drag race then pretend your inferiority and encourage your adversary.

Curvy mountain roads are where this thing comes into its own. The power is savage, speed is exhilarating and handling on a knife's edge, so you really need to be awake to push this car and when you do the rewards are there too.

Once another friend (Rama) gets back to Pittsburgh I will be taking this on the Pennsylvania TurnPike thru the Appalachian Mountains. I also have started using the WMATA bus service to get to work and back and taking the car out now on weekends when I can really enjoy the drive :)

On long drives I intend to take the D90 with me now everytime to get some panorama's from the east coast.

You know you own a G37 when...

2010-05-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

This has been lifted off of various forums, automag sections, comments etc.

You know you own a G37 when...

1. You still don't see another one the road, and the one you do see makes you go wow!!

2. When one of the things you hate most about your car is something as trivial as not having a tire pressure display in the TPMS.

3. you see a 2008 G35 sedan on the road and you wanna race them

4. When u drive by people and they're trying to catch up to see what kind of car just flew by them.

5. When you play along when some dumb kid says... wow is that the one that has 400hp.

6. When you get nervous turning a corner too fast and think you might spin out because the car has too much power.

7. When you drive by a Cayman and realize your car looks better, is faster and is way cheaper to own.

8. When you get your monthly car payment.

9.When you have stock brakes that are bigger than most guys aftermarket ones, same goes for the intake manifold, catback exhausts too.

10. When you get stares from young bucks to old fogies b/c they don't know if its a LEXUS or some new car

11. You get no girls hitting on you b/c they think you are too poor to buy a bmw

12.When every parking space feels like you're just way too close to the other cars in the lot.

13. When you get pissed because someone thought an Altima coupe they saw in the in a parking lot was your car!

14. When you wanna quit your job, but won't do it cuz you can't afford to see it GO.

15. When you're excited to drive to work!

16. and when you look forward to lunch cuz you cant wait to drive to the furthest place away from work.

17. you know you're a G37 owner when your talking on the hands free phone system through your car and the person on the other line can hear your exhaust.

18. You know you're driving a G when the other guy who clearly arrived at the 4way stop before you waves at you to go first so he can watch you drive by

19. When you prefer to turn down the stereo and roll down the window just so you can hear the engine purr~~ (or roar like a lion in an underground parking lot!!!)

20. You have an extra 7-8K in the bank because you didn't get the 335i

21. You can't wait till after break-in to feel what this thing can really do!

22. When you're eating milk n cereal three times a day to make your monthly payments even though you decided not to get the 335i because you wanted to save money, but you still ended up blowing the money saved on gas, parking because you can't stop driving it and you only park your car in a parking structure 5 miles away from civilization.

23. When you blow the doors off an Audi TT because some young punk thinks his car is faster than yours.

24. When you scratch your car and it feels like you just skinned yourself alive

25. Folks do a double-take at your car: 1st take to admire the car, and the 2nd take to wonder how the hell that guy (or girl!) can afford this car!

26. when guys in vettes and vipers tell you u have a wicked hot car

27. When haters insist on calling it a NISSAN, and then drive off in a Honda!

Ride

2010-05-02T18:11:00.000-05:00

I bought a new car, a 2010 Infiniti G37 Journey Coupe. Enough said. Will post in detail after the break-in period of 1k miles.

Swim Shwing

2010-04-23T09:23:00.001-05:00

Since the past couple of weeks, I have been leaving work at 5.30pm to go swimming till 7.30(the time the pool closes) and so haven’t explored DC as much as I would like to yet. Get exhausted by the time I get back (5k/day swim is no joke man). If I get good enough at swimming longer distances maybe then next year will take part in a swim marathon.

Drive to DC

2010-03-23T16:33:00.002-05:00

Recently relocated to Washington DC. I decided to drive there instead of flying as I had done previously.(LA -> Lansing) Since I was more comfortable now with long/boring drives than I was initially.

I decided to leave around noon on Friday, halt at Rama's at Pittsburgh (my apologies to Ramya here) and then drive onto DC the next day(Saturday). I had recently also got my car serviced and decided to give this a shot. So I loaded my car with as much stuff could fit into it and took off.

Michigan,Ohio for the most part is just boring old flat land, the Ohio Turnpike especially was extremely boring, since speed limits are heavily enforced in Ohio and also since I have an old car and had decided to keep it around 2500 rpms. Thus the initial part of the trip was extremely boring (I had a good playlist ready thankfully).Once I hit Pennsylvania though things started to look up. Mountains and long curves were the norm. However since this was nightfall so couldn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped to.

By the time I reached Rama's I was exhausted. The next morning after a good night's sleep and a cup of South Indian Coffee I set out to DC. This time it was amazing though for the drive thru the mountains. Perfect weather, early morning(lesser traffic) had made it the perfect time. Pennsylvania to Maryland was much shorter, more gorgeous drive. Tunnels especially reminded me of the Mumbai - Pune expressway.

I got into DC around noon finally. There is some stuff (PS3, Guitar etc.) that I have left over at Pittsburgh and so will be going back there again in a few weeks to pick those up. The next time around I plan to halt a while to get some snaps of some awesome landscapes.

Rock Band

2010-02-13T10:07:00.003-06:00

Recently got the Rock Band 2 SP Bundle. This includes a wireless guitar, wireless drumset, USB Mic and the game disc itself.

I was very apprehensive about getting RB because I had tried it earlier (in Boston) and since can actually play a real guitar the plastic one from RB just feeled very disorienting. However RB has another ace up its sleeve and thats the drums.(Am not much of a singer)

The Drums are awesome once you get the hang of it. In fact once you get real good at it there also additions like a cymbal expansion kit which can be connected. (Yes, I know that I probably sound like a drummer/geek combo by now)

Also the Rock Band music store helps since they have a HUGE selection of tracks, thus more add-on content. (Drumming gets especially difficult on the Metal tracks when the double bass kicks in). I generally do not mind paying for RB music tracks since I have pretty much ripped all my music so far from a million sources(poor student days) and so its only fair that I pay for this when I earn now.

There is another feature that most people are missing when they try RB. This isn't about how good you are on each of these 'instruments' , its about getting together, having fun and hitting the right notes. (Just like DDR isn't about how to dance but rather about hitting the right notes) Another thing that a lot of folks are missing is that RB is just another way of experiencing some good music (only this time its much more interactive). This makes RB all the more popular for kids who are starting out to explore the amount of music available out there and not just listen to Britney, Christina but rather go onto Deep Purple, Beatles, Rolling Stones. (Too bad Floyd, Zeppelin haven't released any of their stuff yet)

For now lets get back to drumming some more and hopefully get the cymbal expansion kit sometime.

Wants v.s. Needs

2010-01-14T21:02:00.002-06:00

A new/almost new car is something I have been planning for a while. This post is exactly about that(i.e. the Planning, not the Purchase).

As of now I drive a 2000 Mercury Cougar, its served me very well since I bought it in '08. It does everything I want and more, comfortable seating (for me), more than enough cargo space, a great stereo, the V6 ensures that am the first guy off at the traffic lights (when I feel like it) and its also perfect for my favorite activity while driving (weaving). But lately I was thinking of getting another car, infact I have been thinking about this since several months now.

Now obviously since am a driving enthusiast (NOTE. the keyword is driving enthusiast and NOT car enthusiast) my first choice was a BMW. I did ride shotgun in the new 3 series sport once from Chicago to Lansing too but for some reason it felt cramped up, but of course a lovely experience nonetheless. I decided then and there that I wanted to go bigger and started looking at SUV's/Crossovers.

It started by looking into the Honda CRV, Ford Edge, Mazda CX7 and my favorite (so far) the Nissan Murano. The argument against this though is that if am going to buy a new car and keep it for several years now then I might as well go in for the higher end models. And so looked further towards the Audi Q7, Infiniti FX, Lexus RX350 and the BMW X5(The Volvo XC60 and the Mercedes GLK350 just appeared extremely 'boxy'). Needless to say the X5 won this round hands down.

Lets get back to my situation now, as of now being a single guy I don't really need an SUV, I mean there are only so many occasions for which that am really going to need all that cargo room, seating, AWD etc. But that doesn't stop me from still wanting one. So I decided for the time being to not purchase anything at all (since I don't need it) and have now started looking towards the Porsche Cayenne.

Tragic Relief

2010-01-12T21:44:00.001-06:00

How many have heard the " We are sorry but we are going to have to let you go". (Basically in a nutshell, you are fired). Also how many bosses have heard "I do not want to do this anymore, I quit" from their employees.

I can say that I have done each of both. Yes, I have heard the phrase, we are sorry but we are gonna have to let you go,(Toyota, Sircon) and I have also delivered the phrase, I quit (to my research Prof at UMR, I was getting paid here for RA NOT TA, and NO I did not quit because I had something better in hand, I quit because I just didn't want to do it anymore, infact afterwards I washed dishes and did the cafeteria thing for a while, but I did sleep very well though)
It isn't easy to do either though, $$$ are still essential. But each time, each of these disparate incidents happened it has been like a wakeup call. A wakeup call to salvage whatever is left and move forward. I am a consultant, I know that I get paid more because I am dispensable, I can get fired very easily without any explanations either because if the client isn't satisfied with my services I can be let go without any complications. No hard feelings. Just good business. Then again it isn't the worst thing to happen since there will always be some other client. Yes, it may entail moving bag and baggage to a totally new place but this is me we are talking about over here, for those who know me best know that making new friends, adjusting to a new place isn't the hardest thing for me to do. (I moved thru 4 states in 2008, MO, TX, CA, MI, I would know)

The reason I can do this right now is because I am not married (settled) yet. Am sure of course that over the natural course of time this will need some adjustments and will eventually settle down to a question of a comfortable life vs. more money. But for now its a question about how much can I cram into the limited amount of time that I have. (Before I get married) This can be interpreted in different ways as how much $$ can I make before the wife spends it all, how many places can I see before I get bogged down with baggage, the best car/techy goodies that I want etc etc.

I am still very much interested in 'fishing' (Can't elaborate much, my folks read this space too). But leaving everything aside if someone asks me today (01/12/2010) as to whether I want a FT versus consulting, I think I'll take the latter option. I probably may not have said this though when I got out of grad school.

Btw after reading this far it shouldn't come as a surprise that I typed this up after watching Jason Reitman's Up in the Air. Gold Stuff.

Elementary my dear Watson

2010-01-03T22:31:00.000-06:00

Recently saw the Sherlock Holmes movie with RDJ in the lead role. Like Johnny Depp even Robert Downey Jr. has managed to get into the A list pretty late in his acting career. Loved him in Ironman, he wears the role of Tony Stark like he was meant for it. But this post is not about that its about Holmes.

I have read the entire collection from Arthur Conan Doyle very early on, almost like 12 years back in 1998. I went back and reread some of the stuff again and its still just as golden as it was before. Now Holmes is set in Victorian London, much before the on set of the WW's and just after the 1857 mutiny. Crime was much more difficult to detect back then unlike now due to advances in forensic science (CSI). This makes him seem all the more heroic due to his eccentricities but ultimately its just a primitive form of forensic science.

However even today he would do very well. A lot of cases that Holmes gets aren't really deemed national security or worth some extremely large sum of monies (exceptions being the Red headed league, Hound of the Baskervilles, Sign of Four, the Naval treaty among some of them.) Thus there are still those outlier studies which most agencies wouldn't fret over like infidelity, recovering objects of certain sentimental value/societal value, revenge(Valley of Fear, Devil's Foot, Speckled Band, Copper Beeches, Study in Scarlet) etc. These are still cases which are present very much in society and would serve very well to highlight Holmes' powers.

Sooner or later we'll end up with Holmes' being set in the 21st century, now that would be interesting to see when Lestrade, McDonald, Gregson and co. have all failed even with the best of forensics at their disposal. Maybe something like Sacred Games would be where Holmes' prowess would shine. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if Hollywood or even Bollywood for that matter come up with something now.

Blitzkrieg Bop

2010-01-01T14:41:00.001-06:00

2009 has been very definitive. Most of life has been about work. More and more work. Also watched a ton of movies and played more video games in a year than I ever did before. Visited India and Canada too. Had some amazing outdoor trips during the summer/fall, Colorado (Rollaites), Mackinac Island (MSU Crowd), Niagara Falls(MSU Crowd) and Grand Rapids (Myself).Of course Chicago was there twice as well and once to LA. Parents visited me and later I saw them again as well.
Drove A LOT. 4 Hrs drive to Mackinac Island then an 8 mile bike ride around the island and then 2 more hours drive further up north to waterfalls and finally the 6 hr drive back to my apt. All in 1 day.

A lot of me has changed this year. Become extremely pragmatic and value oriented. I have my work manager to thank for this. If there was a single person to whom I would attribute to having the greatest influence on me this year it would be him. Also I kind of got into a senior level position at work since I got assigned to train another guy.

Have my fingers in multiple pies right now as far as interests go. Life is just not boring. Work and Office are priorities over pretty much everything else. Followed up by Photography, Cooking, Guitar, Gaming, Driving, Traveling all in no particular order.

As the Ramones go

Hey ho, let's go
Hey ho, let's go

They're forming in a straight line
They're going through a tight wind
The kids are losing their minds
The Blitzkrieg Bop

Game of the year

2009-12-26T01:19:00.001-06:00

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is awesome (Spoilers ahead). It does everything right. Perfect gameplay, gorgeous graphics, amazing sound. This is an experience that should be had by anyone even remotely interested in gaming. It only thus makes sense to make this the killer title for the PS3.

I did play Uncharted: Drake's Fortune but for some reason I wasn't quite immersed into the story aspect of it. Also maybe the reason I quit halfway thru, was looking at greenery thru low end resolution. But once I picked up Uncharted 2, I sat thru it for a nonstop 13 hours until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and had to get some sleep. Now that I have finished the game am thinking of going back and doing a playthrough of it again, just to experience the awesomeness one more time.

Graphically this game is so gorgeous that you won't realise when a cinematic cutscene gets over and you get back control. Also this game has some of the best water and snow effects I have seen. Yes, AC2 (Assassins Creed 2) did have a lot of water effects (Venice) but this game tops it.
In the Audio dept, amazing large over the top orchestra pieces are arranged to pull you right in (For those who have played Crimson Skies you will get my drift here). Also the voice acting is just superb. Excellent lip sync.
Gameplay wise this game does everything right, you get to do parkour like AC2, ass-kicking like Batman:AA, puzzle solving like PoP and also cover based third person shooting.

The overall experience is just extremely detailed and photo realistic. Like there are some sequences which are set in Nepal and Tibet. These are just perfect, you will even be able to make out the Indian influence over here by looking at signboards and hoardings along the streets. This is what you would expect if you actually went to Kathmandu and Daramshala. ( I have personally traveled as far as Gangtok, Sikkim and the Indo-China border and can see the similarities.)

Hitting all the right notes is a very difficult task to do in video games because more often than not particular sections start to get boring and tedious. Like goto point A, press button/ move crank B, goto point C and repeat previous steps again. Also it helps that Uncharted 2 doesn't have levels but rather chapters (like Halflife) and thus the story seems all the more seamless.

I generally don't do game reviews but this is breakthrough stuff. If you do not have a PS3 yet, Uncharted 2 would be the reason to get one. For those who have a PS3 but haven't played this game yet, sell it :P

Btw I haven't played the multiplayer aspect of this yet.

Holiday

2009-12-24T12:49:00.003-06:00

Everywhere at work there is something known as the 'Holiday Mood', ppl seem happier even on Monday mornings than usual. Shopping is everyone's priority now. So stores are packed with shoppers going berserk especially around the female shoes sections.

After getting the TV I decided to make some hardcore use of it since from next month I mostly will be back to my uber work schedule. So have decided to stay in my apt from 24-27th. Gaming n watching BluRays/DVD's is my plan.

AFA movies are concerned am doing a zombie movie marathon now; Dawn of the dead, hail George Romero; also the Resident Evil Series.
Gaming also has a zombie influence with Resident Evil 5 but also Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, Resistance 2 are in line as well.

Also am thinking about looking next at ebook readers, maybe the Kindle or the Nook. But thats sometime away probably more like when I start using more public transit and stop driving so much.

Dark Ages

2009-12-20T13:59:00.005-06:00

I personally don't care much for the raves, rants of the MNS, Sainiks et al. There are much more practical things to occupy my life currently than these. The entire marathi speaking thing, mumbai for marathi natives etc. however is an extremely hopeless cause for ppl who have nothing better to do than occupy their minds with this nonsense.

Am a Bong, born n brought up in Mumbai. Yes, I do know marathi (I studied this till the 10th grade) and quite comfortable with conversing in that medium and also when the occasion demands letting choice expletives fly in it. I care more about things that am concerned about like the economy improvement, my car insurance/gas rates, the prices I pay for eating out, trying to select my new crossover/suv from the vast lineup available, getting the best deals from best buy etc. you get the drift.

But if even educated ppl fall for this kind of nonsense then its just sad that even after coming this far in terms of evolution it doesn't take a lot for the human mind to go back to the dark ages.

I wrote this up after going thru this.

Tv Purchase contd.

2009-12-14T21:15:00.004-06:00

Today I noticed that Samsung was doing a combo deal which included a free Blu Ray(BR) player alongwith the TV that I had purchased on Saturday. Now I do not need a Blu Ray player since the PS3 does BluRay for me. This free player from Samsung originally retails from BB at 200$, and was marked down to 150$ for Holiday sales.

So my intentions were to get the free player and then post an ad on craigslist/other classifieds and make some $ from this. When I got to BB this evening I went and picked up the BR player and went straight to customer service to check it out. In front of me was a dude who had bought a Panasonic plasma tv but since Panasonic was not offering any combo deals so he was looking to get a BR player. As soon as the customer service rep got me thru I went ahead and sold my BR player to the dude for 100$ cash.

Win-Win situation for all. The dude wins as he got a brand new BR player for 100$ instead of 150$, BB wins because they managed to ship another combo out, I win as I recovered some costs. Only Samsung has lost out over here since they didn't make any money on the guy who bought my BR player.

Moving on, thus in this calender year I ended up making 2500$+ purchases from BB (Nikon D90+Samsung TV). This entitles me to Silver Elite status on the rewards card. One of the perks of this being a 45 day return policy instead of the usual 30 day. Thus the way I look at this is since the Super Bowl will probably end up falling within this 45 day window if the price of the TV falls further after the Bowl I will be going back to BB to get my price-match guarantee.

I Love Best Buy.

TV purchase

2009-12-14T05:07:00.004-06:00

I recently bought a new 46" Samsung LCD HDTV. Here's my experience.

Last Tuesday I went and bought my TV (Model 1) for x$(lets say) from Best Buy (BB). This was a deal that I had seen online and so went ahead. On Wednesday I was playing Assasins' Creed 2 when I noticed a solid black line right across the center. Now obviously since I was in the 30 day return policy period so on Thursday evening I went back to BB and asked them if they could hold one of those TV's for me since I didn't want them to get sold out. BB costumer service rep said "Sure, we'll hold it for you which you can come and pick up on Saturday morning when you bring your existing TV in".

On Saturday morning I went back to BB with the TV now to exchange it and get the one which they said they would hold for me. Now I go upto the Geek Squad desk and they verify that there indeed is a solid black line thru the center of the screen. So I get the go ahead from Geek Squad to pick up the one which I wanted. Now when I get to the TV section the sales rep tells me that those particular TV's (Model 1) are sold out. So I try to see if they are there in the other BB in the area and it seems this TV is sold out over there as well.
So now am quite pissed since a TV was promised to me and TV I shall have.

So I go ahead and take the next higher end TV (Model 2) for (x+80)$ thinking that "abhi, 80$ ke liye kaun kitkit karega". So I go home with Model 2 now. I set it up and it looks gorgeous and no black line. The next morning when am browsing thru the BB online store I notice that the price on Model 2 has fallen by 80$ and the price on Model 1 has been hiked up by 120$. So now in the evening I go back to BB and ask them to refund me back the 80$ that they had charged me the previous day since I am well within my rights to return that and buy it again for a cheaper price. And BB goes ahead and refunds me the money. (Totally the refund was 116$, tv+protection plan+sales tax refund)

Now it seems to me the software BB is using to determine these markups has a very weird loophole in it which allowed me to get the Model 2 at the same price as Model 1.

Special Mention: Alok and the Cougar for helping me cart this beast around.

Shutterbug

2009-10-14T18:50:00.001-05:00

I recently got a new dslr and will be starting a photoblog soon. Flickr is awesome.

Politik

2009-10-09T22:25:00.004-05:00

Politics. Some reminences from being a student body leader at Rolla. Vamshi, Sanjeev and myself did campaign for this and went from house to house with promises etc. etc. However once we got into the top posts of the President, VP and Secretary respectively we formed our cabinet (Cultural, Sports, Web etc.) and tried to have meetings regularly and the final decisions were usually a consensus among the three of us.

The UMR India Association's work for a particular term was scheduled as Spring Sem (Fresher's Party, Holi, International Student Day, sports), Summer (More sports), Fall (New student pickups, Fresher's Party, Food Festival, dandiya and finally Diwali Night). Mind you this is a non-profit org am talking about over here. These were NOT paid positions.

Of course we bickered a lot n all but still all the events above did get done. This was possible mainly because decisions were made. The UMR India Association was a democratic body no doubt but when it came to making some hard decisions it was mainly on the VP and the Secretary (Our President was on a co-op but still was there when it mattered the most, Diwali Night)

I have long since graduated from Rolla and now am working in Lansing, home of MSU, Michigan State University. There is quite a sizeable Indian student population over here as well so obviously there is an Indian student 'organization' as well.

There is something that is however very weird with the structuring of this. First of all it is a non-profit org, the student cabinet (E-board) is democratic in nature with every member of the cabinet having an equal say. However this leads me to question that tomorrow if there is a misallocation of funds or some university property goes missing during an ISO (Indian Student Org.) event then obviously the president is the one to get pulled up over here to explain this.

However the president is just another member of this cabinet now and does not have any special powers which distinguish that post from the others. So basically, the web-coordinator has just as equal a say in matters as the president. This effectively makes a a mockery of the president's post. Since the president can neither justify commanding authority over the cabinet(democratic) nor can the president standup to a panel to explain misappropriations.

The president should have some powers which distinguish that post from the others. This ensures greater responsibility and accountability from the president as well. This also ensures that come election time the people will want to put someone in charge who they think will do it properly irrespective of the cabinet formation later on.

P.S. The word organization has been specially highlited to ensure that ppl who read this post understand the context behind it. :)

Another Day

2009-09-16T05:04:00.002-05:00

Am about a week away from the 23rd now. 23rd is my bday, but dunno if there is anything special over here. Its been a while since I left Rolla so the crazy parties are no longer in the picture.
Also 23rd being a Wednesday doesn't help, falls smack in the middle of the work week. Maybe I'll end up having a good time with friends over the weekend though. Also am quite sure that colleagues at work will bring a cake over too.Also time to go over some questions from the Gipsi.

1. Kept Fit - Ummmm...Tried to for a while

2. Attended any friend's wedding- No . I even couldn't attend a friend's wedding in the US since memorial day weekend i was away from town to Colorado. The last I attended was an engagement in 07.

3. Lived Well- For now, yes, quite well

4. Got My Car - Yup, its been a while to that now. Hopefully get another newer one by the time I get around repeating these questions next year.

5. Fell In Love- Lol, Of course, several times n then some more

6. Got promoted - Well I have been training someone so I guess am ahead of someone now.

7. Gave up my shopping obsession - Never had one to begin with

8. Stopped Being Bitchy - Never was an issue

9. Doubled my bank balance - Hell yeah (Ref. to 7)

10. Acted sensibly on a number of occasions - Yes, several actually, which is very very unlike me.

Mp3sort

2009-09-07T09:43:00.002-05:00

Ever since I got the iPhone I have OCD'ed on having a perfectly sorted music library with even the Album Art for each and everything. This is fine when it comes to rock/pop/hiphop etc. , however having album art for a bollywood album is an entirely different matter.
iTunes is a very nice s/w (which I run under Win Xp which is running under Vbox under Ubuntu) and it works well with Album Art. But Bollywood unfortunately doesn't have a very comprehensive section within the iTunes library. Also most of the tracks from Bollywood on my HDD are downloaded from a multitude of sources which also implies screwed up id3 tags. So when am getting the playlists updated on iTunes they often get screwed up from the album's view. And since the iPhone is capable of displaying some gorgeous album art it makes even more worthwhile to get it on there.
So far I have successfully kept everything working all good and clean with all album art working properly too. OCD is turning out fine so far. :)

Car views

2009-08-23T10:36:00.003-05:00

Before I say anything else let me state for the record I love my car. Its a 2000 model year Mercury Cougar V6, Automatic.

Ford stopped the production of these cars in 2002 just like GM stopped doing the pontiac firebird the same year. So there are very very few cars that you will see today on an daily basis that are Cougars (car). However since the population of these is less and also because of its very very distinctive styling I have often got hi5's, hand waves, head nods from other drivers at an intersection who have been driving a cougar. (I can assure you that Honda/Toyota owners do not share such an association/camaraderie)

Obv since its an old car though does mean that it has its set of problems though. Thankfully in my case those issues have been mainly electrical and common problems with the car from the day Ford started production on them rather than something new. (I had a blown AC motor, Auto door lock, and the worst being a new alternator in the past 1.2 years.) Mainly my commute is to work and back, around 13 miles in all and some trips to Detroit around the weekends.

I am a big guy so when I drive, the driver's seat has to be all the way back and all the way low. This essentially renders the immediate rear seat behind effectively useless unless the person sitting in that position has no legs. However the car has one of the largest trunk spaces I have ever seen. I mean it can easily hold an entire cycle in the trunk area(with the back seats flipped down) without needing the front cycle tire to be dismantled. I love the trunk space that can be afforded over here.

I do plan to ship the car if I end up moving out of the mid west area though and maybe sometime next year get a brand new car. (more like crossover/suv now) :)

Let us rock

2009-06-19T04:26:00.002-05:00

I am back from Los Angeles with the axe now and with the Vox Pathfinder 10 too. So now will get back to shredding after a long hiatus.

P.S. For the past several weekends I have been out of town to Boston,Colorado,Sandusky and Los Angeles and with trips to Mackinaw and Chicago within the next couple of months it will probably be a while before I get back to blogging.

Traditions

2009-05-10T09:53:00.003-05:00

A very interesting conversation with colleagues over lunch ensued sometime back over the whole concept of traditions.

Lets consider a sociological experiment first.
Put five monkeys in a cage with a ladder at one end which leads upto a banana. Now sooner or later at least one of those monkeys will go ahead to the ladder to scale it and grab the banana. As soon as one of the monkeys touches the ladder spray the other bunch with water. (At this point it is immaterial if the first monkey gets the banana.) Now place another banana and whenever any monkey reaches the ladder, spray the rest with water. After sometime there will be a scenario where if any of the monkeys goes towards the ladder then the rest will gang up on him and hold him back with the fear of getting sprayed.

Once this condition is manifested then remove one of the monkeys and replace him with another. Now obviously this new dude will go towards the ladder to grab the banana. But this time (no water spray) what would happen is all the other monkeys would hold him back (with the fear of getting sprayed if someone went to the ladder). Replace all the original monkeys now one by one with others and soon a pattern emerges that noone will be allowed to get to the banana. Even though there is no water being sprayed at this point.

None of them know exactly why they aren't supposed to get to the banana but the argument over here is "Since this is the way things have always been done, we continue to follow suit".

This is the whole point about tradition, most of us do follow several customs etc. but as to what reasons are behind this we hardly ever know.

Driver Rants

2009-05-02T11:15:00.003-05:00

I like driving.A lot. So it drives me nuts when I often see some very very moronic drivers on the roads. When someone is in the left lane going at 90-100 then invariably some moron will be on the left lane going at 65 as well which ends up leading to a bottleneck and all the cars behind this moron are doing 65 as well (especially when theres a massive semi on the right lane.)

Also I hate people who cut and do not signal. First of all its dangerous to other cars behind and also its just stupid. The whole point of having indicators is that you use them to flash other cars. Same thing goes for the idiots(on the right lane) who decide to speed up as soon as you are trying to get past them on the left lane.

I am all for weaving in and through traffic but provided the proper lane change indicators are given. The whole point about having a powerful car is that you can do all this.

Another observation is that somehow invariably if there is a traffic issue/bottleneck somewhere on an otherwise long stretch(without construction) then it more often than not is due to an asian chick behind the wheel. I mean c'mon asians should be among the best drivers ever since they mainly come from countries which have some of the worst traffic systems in place. But I suppose then that this only leads to one observation and that is of over cautiousness.

Everyone has encountered someone who has pissed them off on the road sometime or the other. It is also a good outlet for all the rage though sometimes. ;)

Chevy and Mitsubishi

2009-04-16T05:43:00.003-05:00

Had a very interesting discussion with my PM yesterday regarding the whole India outsourcing thing. Lets digress for a while, he owns two cars, a Chevy and a Mitsubishi. Now essentially the Chevy is the flagship American car and the Mitsubishi is the 'foreign' model. However as far as manufacturing is concerned more of his Mitsubishi is made in the US as compared to his Chevy, which is made in Korea.

So if you are looking at sending people back then due to reasons of recession then there is a lot more to lose rather than gain. As this practice would then have far greater consequences. Like just because people are not buying a Chrysler over a Honda does not mean that to support the economy you send back Honda to Japan and make sure that people only buy Chrysler. Thus this finally hurts the economy even more if Honda also employs American workers, then you are looking at an even bigger blackhole.

Same thing goes for foreign workers,(like yours truly) they still pay taxes and buy products over here so if everyone of them is sent back just because there is a recession going on then there would be a greater backlash.

Taste-Bud

2009-04-15T19:01:00.003-05:00

In India one of the most popular foods is Chinese food. And by that I mean Chinese food from 'Biswas Dragon Corner'. I will have a whole other post just
dedicated to this but for now lets move onto another Asian choice, Japanese Cuisine.

Now in India I have never seen Japanese Cuisine take off like the Chinese did. This always puzzled me no end until I had a chance to frequent and sample some amazing fare Japanese style. (Yes, I know how to use chopsticks)

I have gone to Teppanyaki and Sushi places several times now. And enjoyed them both a lot. Some things to be observed from both these places from a desi perspective.

Teppanyaki cuisine will never ever make it in India. The whole premise of the Japanese grill just cannot. First of all it isn't cheap. My dinner alone cost me about 35$ now. Theatrics is a large part of the whole experience. The chef will often perform juggling acts with sharp knives, toss egg shells into his hat, happy face, onion volcanoes etc.
Desis can watch juggling acts like these by the dozen if they just attend any mela type exhibitions. Also all the food is cooked on the 'teppan' (grill) in front of you. Thus this means that it is far from kosher for a vegetarian(Even if he does order vegetarian food explicitly). Thus this ultimately ensures that I have been to Teppanyaki places only with colleagues and the muse.

Now sushi is a whole different ball game. I have a vegan colleague who liked the food over here. (Vegan is the baap of vegetarians.) I have loved the chicken curry over here. A very different style of making curry than the Indian/Thai way. But yes if there was a place where vegetarians could go and eat some great food if they just explored then this would be the way to go instead of the same old choices between a cheese pizza, BK veggie burger, Subway sandwhich/pizza.

Coming to the point the muse hates sushi, which isn't a good thing and loves teppanyaki which is.

Jesus baba ki jai ho

2009-04-10T10:52:00.002-05:00

A long weekend after a while now. The last one was on Jan 19th, MLK day. This earlier part of the year is usually devoid of any breaks unless you are a student and then you get springbreak.
I am mostly staying at home this weekend, maybe headout to detroit, again with the muse. So far it doesn't look it though. Which is good because the last weekend was very tiring with the taxes, car servicing(oil change) n detroit.

Muse 2

2009-04-08T19:30:00.004-05:00

A follow up to the previous post.
1. You can't mouth dialogues like 'main tere liye saat samundar paar karr saktha hoon" and "tere liye taare tod ke laa saktha hoon..."
2. Sing songs like "Tan tana tan...tan tan tara....chalti hai kyaa nau se baara..."
3. Dinner time is around 6-7pm.
4. Having your own apartment makes the most sense now and justifies all the high costs.
5. In an Indian Restaurant food is always spicy even when you order it mild.
6. The familiar waiters at the same restaurant look upon you like you are GOD.
7. The entire office asks me for the whereabouts of the muse now.
8. Silence is golden in front of colleagues and the muse. I am just too familiar with the 'foot in mouth' syndrome.
9. There is nothing like extra concern. You are just being there when needed.
10. Dinner etiquette is very very important.
11. Always make life(in general) easier for the muse and you will be rewarded.
12. Humorous situations do not translate the same way across the saat samundar.
13. Go feminism. Go dutch

Muse

2009-04-07T18:18:00.002-05:00

One of the problems with dating a non-desi chick is that you can't mouth cheesy lines and songs.

Hectic

2009-04-04T05:50:00.002-05:00

I have hardly visited this place since the past couple of weeks due to a 60 hr work week thing going on currently. A lot of that work is to do with Document Generation again and making changes to hundreds of these word/pdf templates or so. In short very tedious and need to be very very meticulous and tenacious with this.

My review came in sometime in the past couple of weeks as well. It was positive overall. The comments were "His greatest strengths being flexibility of assignment and willingness to step up to the plate to complete any task". Feels great to know that work is appreciated as well and its not just about the green.

Am looking forward to weekends now more than ever not just to relax but to get my other stuff done including paying rent, utility bills, groceries, cooking etc. Also need to arrange and sort/tag my massive music collection sometime as browsing through coverflow in the iPhone gets a lot more easier.

Another post soon on the iPhone on my efforts in getting iTunes and the iPhone to play well with my Ubuntu box.

Venus Earth Mars Part 1

2009-03-15T16:22:00.004-05:00

There are some things that most guys (including me) will never get. Let me demonstrate.

Case 1:We cannot distinguish colors between purple,mulberry, orchid, lilac, lavender and so on. Purple is just one color for us and beyond that it can either be light or dark. Same goes for colors like beige, mauve, etc etc.

Case 2: I fail to understand how accessories are so important to an outfit. For any guy it will be one watch and maybe a set of shades. But most females will pay just as much attention to the extras like handbag, earrings, necklace, shoes, etc etc. as the pay for the outfit.

Case 3: Women will always have problems buying shoes. If there is an online store eg. finishline.com then the female will first search by color/design etc. before coming to the size aspect. The guy will first filter it out by size and then depending on brand/design/color and so on. Thus this will invariably lead to females buying up shoes which definitely will look great and may not be the most comfortable to wear (since they filtered out the size aspect at the end)

Case 4: If a guy gets a giftcard as his birthday gift he will be happy that someone did think about him enough to get him something. But if that same giftcard is given to a female then rest assured you will never hear from her again for the rest of your life.

Case 5: Hairstyle for a guy is either long,short and same goes for hair color, black or not and quantity too, you either have hair or you don't. But now for a female this becomes the litmus test whether you think about her enough or not. If you do not notice even a slight tweak in the hair settings then you will never hear from her again.

Enough for now but expect more cases in the future.

Modern day OST

2009-03-07T16:38:00.002-06:00

Loved Amit Trivedi's Dev D and now after listening to a few from Gulaal hats off to Piyush Mishra as well. While Dev D was more about the all these different types and tastes of music i.e. Folksy / Rock / Wedding/ Psychedelic, Gulaal is more about the lyrics and poetry. (Of course I had to shamelessly download both these albums.)

It starts off with 'Ranaji' a regular mujra/item number (this song has been picturised on Paro (Mahie Gill btw)). Pay close attention here to the lyrics with references to 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan Invasions, and Coke/Pepsi. This witty number is followed by 'Yaara Maula' sung by Rahul Ram and Aushim (members of Indian Ocean.) For some reason this reminds me of Linkin Park's Session with thought provoking lyrics though. "Tum hi kal ke ho Shivaji, tum hi kal ke ho Sikandar".

Then theres 'Aarambh' an out an out war song with the drums and tutari giving us a nice effect. This is the perfect example of heroic poetry and one of the showpieces in the trailers. Shudh Hindi is the norm over here. Next is 'Aisi Sazaa' a very melancholy number sung by Shilpa Rao. Heavy lyrics again over here.

Next up is 'Sheher'. This one has a nu-age feel to it with 'Shudh' Hindi again. There are subtle references to this being the title track with references to Gulaal as 'Jis raat sheher mein khoon ki baarish aayi re' . Rekha Bharadwaj again makes another vocal apperance with 'Beedo'. However the previous item number was much better though. This one appears similar to Omkara's 'Namak Ishq Kaa'.

'Duniya' is next and another very dark track inspired from the Pyaasa song by Gurudutt 'Yeh duniya agar mill bhi jaaye toh kyaa hai'. In the words of Dhake, genius over here. The album finally closes down with 'Raat ke Musafir' which is almost devoid of an instrument alltogether. This track has to be listened in perfect silence its almost like meditation of sorts. The echoing lyrics give it a different touch alltogether almost surreal.

My friends often complain that ARR is not that great because more often than not the lyrics are sacrificed for some good music. Piyush Mishra gives us just that, lyrics in some good music. It would be interesting to see how Amit Trivedi, Piyush Mishra shape up. Remember that Vishal Bharadwaj had scored the music for Maachis and Satya and later gave us the superb Maqbool and Omkara.

Go and listen to Gulaal now and you won't regret it. Good lyrics are genius.
FYI Piyush Mishra is the same guy who gave us Dil Dance Maare - Tashan

Opinions

2009-03-01T12:51:00.004-06:00

Most of my friends have this thing about individualism. "I have my opinions and everyone else can go to hell." This is fine except when a heated debate/discussion is going on about certain sexist topics.

I usually try and stay out of discussions like these as I really am not that smart to think about 'hard issues' and also because I have better things to do/eat when something like this is in the air. Like last night there was this whole thing about women not being good in the field of computing/engineering etc. etc. so on and so forth. (Ok. There were two issues over here 1. the topic mentioned previously and 2.some delicious paav bhaaji n kanda.) As most people will guess I would anytime have gone with the latter choice.(As I did)

Getting back though I will say that today it would boil down to the monetary concerns in the end. Whoever can do their job faster/cheaper will win. (Take note that faster/cheaper does NOT imply that the outcome of the job was mediocre) Irrespective of any other conditions etc. etc. This is America, a hardcore capitalist state, the American business principle is ' We pay for brains.' So if a male can do a particular task in x number of days with y number of resources and the same days/resources are taken by a (similar) female then all other assumptions/outcomes are irrelevant.

Coming down to basics lets say we need 10 boxes each weighing 10 lbs to be moved from Point A to Point B in 10 mins. Now a male will/may be able to do this effortlessly. However the chances of a female ending up with a torn ligament/minor ache/cramps at the end of it are much higher than that of the male's. This is often confused with the notion of inferiority. Consider another scenario where child rearing etc. are concerned. It goes without saying that the female is by far the superior over here. (PLZ do not consider exceptions in the above cases like the world's best female weightlifter and the best male nurse.)

IMHO discussions like these are just a waste of time and energy as far as am concerned there are more worthwhile things to think about especially with the state of the economy as is. I would rather just laze and eat some good food rather than get involved in crap like this.

Grammy Rewind

2009-02-15T18:30:00.003-06:00

The Grammy's have been the pinnacle to judge music from but does it really matter. Since music is basically subjective so who is to decide whether one song is 'better' than the next. If the judging was upto me then Slipknot/Metallica would have walked with a major bulk of the awards.

Psychosocial and The Day that Never Comes would have been the picks for me from last year. For Metallica, 2008 was the year when they silenced their critics with a return to old school trash metal. Slipknot also had big expectations to live up to with a followup to their mindblowing 'Subliminal Verses'. I was not a big fan or their debut 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' but when 'Iowa' came out I was blown away and then after a listen to the Subliminal Verses I was another one of 'the maggots'.

Moving on, the grammy's have become a farce now. Very few people outside the music industry this year knew anything about the nominees. There were the same usual performers, U2 n co. Also most people just care about genre's now. AFA am concerned Country + Rap = CRAP music. So I do not really care about who gets in, in those categories. Give me some good old school metal and am happiest.

A very very relaxed weekend

2009-02-08T19:39:00.003-06:00

Now this weekend was just exactly what I needed and most people should try this too. Slept for longer hours than usual at several stretches. Never left the apt except on Sat night for dinner and just lazed more and more.

Now I am really rearing to get back to work tomorrow as more of this lazing stuff means trouble. The only thing pepping me up on a Monday morning is the fact that two days later is Wednesday (my fav. day btw) as half the work week is over come Wed evening.

This lazing around is because of the fact that on a working day I come home, eat food and just crash ASAP. I need to crash ASAP as I have started running 3mi in the mornings on the treadmill. (Will post on the running bug sometime)

The PS3 is there. But I am not that big a gaming addict to keep through it and online too for hours on end. Sure its fun sometimes but never so much that I forget that the weekend is meant for relaxation.

So ideally if you look at it a five day work week isn't that bad now.(or is it ;)

Star Scream Awards

2009-02-07T11:52:00.003-06:00

Just caught the argument between Ashutosh Gowarikar and Sajid Khan. Now if even this kind of entertainment cannot generate higher TRP's then I don't know what will.

Publischer

2009-02-03T05:27:00.008-06:00

Since the past several months I have been working on some publishing tasks through Apache FOP (Formatting Objects Processor). The basic goal was pdf generation through FOP. Since there is a ton of paperwork in the insurance business and taking care of it is a manual cumbersome process so I come under the document production/letter generation aspects of it.

Working on FOP from scratch since the past 3 months now have made me realise a couple of things about the printing/publishing/typesetting business.
1. Production Printers differ greatly from Regular Printers. (The same pdf that you see may not come out the same way from both the printers)
2. Absolutely no one actually knows the innards of a publishing system. (Even my tech lead/dev lead weren't aware.)
3. Everything is in the details. It isn't enough to just make a document by eyeballing it but you will need to go and zoom in several hundreds of times to make sure that absolutely everything is just that perfect.
4. Fonts are BIG BUSINESS. The weird font you see on the bottom of a check for the account number/routing number is a font approved by the ABA.(American Banker's Association) That specific font can cost anywhere from 2k -3k $.
5. Barcode changes made by the USPS to replace legacy barcodes which have been around for ages can be very hard to implement especially if the USPS does not communicate those barcodes in a widespread fashion.
6.There are some things which are just dumb in the way they were designed/coded. But since 'kaam chal rhaa hai' noone would bother to find out why this was so.
7. Paper quality is very very important. It won't matter if the typesetting is perfect but the paper quality isn't.
8. There is vast difference in 300dpi and 600dpi prints. (Unseen to the naked eye)

Maybe someday I get my hands on an intaglio press and then would start some real fun ;)

The Infomercial

2009-02-02T18:11:00.002-06:00

Anyone who has seen TV atleast once in the US has definitely run across Billy Mays. I mean c'mon there isn't a product on tv that this dude has hawked. He is 'the face' of the teems of hawkers all across the world who will exhort you on every opportunity to go and buy a product, any product.

I have often felt sorry for the salesguy who would move from house to house in India to sell the bathroom phenyl cleaner etc. etc. but this guy takes it to the limit. You feel like a kid again when he starts the screaming at you to go and buy the product. I seriously believe that people who do buy those products have some major issues. I mean the guy literally screams at you to pick up the phone and buy the item. Just by looking at the wiki page of his you come to realize the sheer extent of idiots who are keeping ads like these in business.

It is true there is no such thing as bad publicity but still there is such a thing as a pathetic ad atleast. The standard ad for any product goes as "HI, BILLY MAYS HERE. THIS (insert Product Name) IS GREAT !!!.(If you are wondering why the previous text was in caps its because caps = 'shout' to the netizen.) The premise pretty much stays the same for all the other products too.

And as long as there are crappy infomercials like these there will always be the motivation to press the MUTE button or just to switch channels randomly. Anything to get past an infomercial by Billy Mays.

FPS World

2009-02-01T00:14:00.007-06:00

Just got done with COD Modern Warfare(MW) and World at War(WW) and about 30-40% done with Resistance 2(R2). I started out on WW which took getting used to but since it didn't have a training tutorial mission of sorts and so was just slam bang go. Learning the controls the hard way was probably the best way too but sure it required a good amount of patience at first.

Will start on other difficulty levels now since I played all the above on the recruit mode(most basic). Soon (hopefully) I get good enough to go online and then kick some serious ass.

Carfest

2009-01-25T13:16:00.003-06:00

Yesterday had been to the Detroit Auto Show. The Detroit Auto Show has primarily been one of the world's most looked forward to of all, thanks to the presence of GM, Ford, Chrysler. Due to the gas price wars and the economy not doing great either there were many skeptics present. Then again if driving is a passion for some then an auto show is a treat to attend.

I knew what to expect since I had been to the one in St.Louis sometime back. The cars to attract the most spectators this time around were the Camaro, Prius, 10' Buick Lacrosse, Ford Taurus and the Audi R8 (wow). The Viper SRT10, Shelby GT500, AM DB9 , Gallardo Spyder's are always present to attract crowds but they are like the white elephants of the show as there will be very few from the general crowd who will buy them ultimately. And the people who will buy those cars don't need to mess around in admission tickets and the food court. So they are basically just there to remind people that there is something called as the 'driving experience' too.(without bothering about gas prices,traffic jams,bad roads etc.)

There were quite a few desis scattered throughout the show as well but no surprise that they were mainly milling around the new civics and camrys. I saw very few around the R8 and even fewer around the Lacrosse. (Expect a post on this trend sometime.) There was a 'test-drive' session of the latest hybrid cars too for which there was a long queue,(I skipped that and went onto the Sprint nascar racing sim instead and ended up winning that :).

Also since this is Detroit there was a special 'Tuner' section too which had the cars and bikes from the Midnight Club games. The tuner series had a very rare Saleen Mustang. But since not a lot of people were aware of the tuner possibilities there were mainly car nuts like me around it. My only disappointment was the Bugatti stall as there wasn't one for the general audience but only for the press release. Also since Nissan skipped out too so couldn't get the Skyline GTR or the new 370z. The other usual suspects were present too including BMW,Lexus,Merc etc. The Jaguar stall brought back some desi pride but which was later squashed when Alok told me about the bailout package Tata Motors had asked for the marque.

This was the first apperance of the Chinese brands Brilliance and Denso, both of which were quite brave and innovative. (Denso even had a snowmobile...probably the most apt vehicle for Michigan). Overall the Auto Show could have been bigger (The St.Louis one was bigger than this 2 years back.) and more extravagant. (I remember seeing pics of the Dodge Tomahawk when it was unveiled in detroit some years back.)

Falling Wickets

2009-01-17T18:50:00.004-06:00

This post comes after going through GK's. In the past year a lot of friends have got hitched and this year has just started and already I have a long list of ppl who will get hitched. Being in the Sam land is a real downer at times like these cos you are missing out on these 'special' occasions more often.

The funny part is that seeing all the shaadi pics of my friends drives me away more n more from the very thought about marriage. I mean love n all that is fine but c'mon you can't be serious. Especially for those whom I know quite well.(Shweta(Houston)/Mayukh/Gala/Ugands/) Marriage definitely is an institution and requires a tremendous amount of patience above all else. I am very very happy for now being single. (For those who doubt this, let me state for the record that I HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE 'THAT').

On an India trip this year is a plan for a good outing to Goa. But being hitched deters some of my buddies from joining the others as would not have been the case in the good ol days.(I can say this as being the only reason and not the lack of holidays because the trip is during a rare, Good Friday long weekend when most offices are off). There are a huge amount of responsibilities after getting hitched and I totally understand if some folks abstain from reliving the bachelor days.

The freedom that one gets is unparalleled when one is not married. Basically it means one only has to think of doing something and can do it without effecting anyone else in the process. Like now that am a working stiff I prefer my weekends being just lazing around the house and catching up on just general housekeeping and stuff. The whole point of a weekend is that you get to unwind at home and during those rare long weekends make plans well in advance for that Miami/Vegas vacation.

But this is hardly ever the case with ppl getting hitched as ppl work through the entire week they want to spend more and more 'quality' time together which leads to them going out to movies, shopping etc. etc. This is one the main issues I have with marriage. I prefer doing general housekeeping,cooking,laundry,groceries on the weekend so that I won't have to deal with them during the middle of the work week. If someone does want to spend quality time then plz do help me in all the previous housekeeping activities too. But unfortunately the term 'romance' is never associated with practical stuff (Washing dishes, car cleaning etc.) and more so with the most impractical ideas.(Watching sunsets, Long Walks etc. you get the drift)

I have no doubt that plans are already being well laid(pun intended) for my upcoming vacation in India. (I feel like Israel now surrounded on all sides by Arabs but still existing). There will be a few survivors left by the end of this year from my old friends list who will still be unattached and I hope to be among those few.

Controller issues

2009-01-11T19:02:00.004-06:00

Coming straight to the point, I just can't seem to play an FPS on the PS3 as fluidly as I could on my PC. The controller is just way too jacked up for me. I fail to understand why developers can't integrate the keyboard mouse setup to the PS3. There are exceptions of course like UT can be played with a keyboard,mouse setup, but for the most part this rule does not apply.

There is a device available 'FragFX' which supposed to map the Keybd,mouse combo well but since the damage is a 100$ I haven't had that much inclination to go and get one especially since V.2 of it is supposed to be even better but hasn't arrived yet.

For now I guess like most gamers I will have to keep getting used to the controller for FPS.:(

Finger Workout.

2009-01-10T18:27:00.006-06:00

This post comes after going thru SEV's post

105 Questions

1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?

No.(And am in no hurry to get one either)

2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?

Almost a year

3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?

PS3

4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE?

Yes, lots of times

5. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT?

Thursday(01/08)

6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?

Ps3 game titles

7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?

Turkey Keema n Roti

8. FIRST THINGS YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?

Hair.

9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?

Fade to Black - Metallica

10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

421, Saxon Rd, Apt 401, Lansing,MI, 48917

11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:

AEJC (Atomic Energy JC)

12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER:

ATnT

13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:

GAP, Panda Express(If you count that as a store)

14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD:

1.5 Years (Chartwells Catering in Rolla)

15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?

No

16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?

No. Have better things to do.

17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED:

Loong time ago. Way too long ago.( I did attend an engagement ceremony tho the last time I was in India. July 07)

18. FIRST FRIEND YOU’D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY:

Hmm...maybe Gerard/Dhake/Mihir

19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Quite a while since I saw any of the three above. Met Dhake before I left Rolla in Jan(skiing), met Gerard in March (NYC), Mihir in July(Chicago). All in 2007.

20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT:

BK....yeaaaaaah.....

21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD:

"My eyes are paining"....LMAO....

23. WHERE’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?

No Snooty n Snobbish places for sure....Maybe a food court in a mall...

24. CAN YOU COOK?

Well Enough (Nowadays)

25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?

Mercury Cougar 2000

26. BEST KISSER?

Bishop (An Alaskan Malamute)

27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Absolutely No Idea...

28. MOST DISLIKED FOODS:

Karela, Brinjal(Eggplant) for sure.

29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:

Will do some very crazy stuff if need be for that at the moment

30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:

Same as above. Some of the crazy stuff can be deemed stupid as well.

32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?

All night while I was a GRA in UMR.

33. FAVORITE MOVIE?

Aaaaah a tough one...depending on the moment it can be Gunda, Memento, LOTR - ROTK, Deewar(1975), Lord of War....k...nuff said.....

34. CAN YOU SING?

Yes

35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED?

Trapt/ Shinedown in Rolla

36. LAST KISS?

Great Song by PJ

37. LAST MOVIE RENTED:

Batman Begins.

38. THINGS YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT?

Keys.

39. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT:

Chicago (Of curs)

43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?

Laptop.

44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?

Seinfeld, Rasssaaal Peters, Colbert

45. DO YOU SMOKE?

Occasionally.

46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?

With.

47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?

No one. I sleep better that way.

48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?

Difficult to make em work. But yes they can.

49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?

Once.

50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?

Neither. A tall glass of orange juice plz.

51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?

I like it better than chai, but again I would prefer a tall glass of orange juice over both.

52 HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?

Boiled.

53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?

No.

54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Watwe

55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?

Watwe. (I was just returning the call.)

56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED?

ATnT - Promotional Offer

58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?

One.

59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?

Yellow UMR tee.

60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC:

Aankhon kaa hai dhoka...aisa tera pyaar...tera emotional atyaachaar....- Dev D

61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?:

Doesn't matter. I hate PB.

62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?

No.

63. CAN YOU SWIM?

Very Well. (I used to be a lifeguard once)

64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Chocolate flavored anything.

65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS?

Yes. If they are useful

66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:

I hate things with their pointy ends pointed at me.

68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?

No.

69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?

Mumbai in Summer or Scorching Heat in Nagpur.

70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID?

Yesterday.

71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING?

8.30 - 9 am

72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?

Staying Indoors.

73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?

Never.

75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?

Never had one.

76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?

Overrated.

77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND?

Lazing around the house.

78. BIRTH DATE?

23rd Sept.

79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE:

I am human...does the above question mean I have a choice over here...??

85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?

Yes.

87. ARE YOU SMILING?

No. I was smiling till Q79...and now I am NOT.

89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW?

No.

90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?

Chicago....duh...

92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?

No.

93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?

Yes. Most of the time. They keep changing though.

94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME?

Hmm....Maya (cos it has to do with magic n supernatural stuff)

95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR SWIMMING SUIT?

Navy Blue.

96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?

Most schools in India start in Aug. What a dumb Q.

97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?

No. $$ issues.

8. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?

Yes.

99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER?

No.

100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?

No. (Again stupid Q)

101. ARE YOU IN LOVE?

Of curs.

102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL?

Yes.(Several times)

103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW?

Lots of ppl.

104. WHO IS IT?

Like I said a whole lot of ppl.

105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS?

Watch some TV probably.Drink Water. Laze some more.

Woohooo...i finally got through this list....

Photogenix

2008-12-27T09:02:00.004-06:00

Photography is a hobby that requires a tremendous amount of interest and patience. I have a ton of friends who are into this and purchase all the required stuff for it like lenses, tripods, filters etc. I myself have never been 'into' this hobby much. I would much rather be in front of the camera rather than behind it. Its not that I do not enjoy taking pictures. But as long as they are of some occasion rather than just abstract shots then its fine.

People take pictures of random trees, flowers, scenery etc. etc. and I will end up just looking at something like this for a moment or two and then forgetting all about it. Its not that it don't like the picture its just that the picture is absolutely pointless. Maybe a really good picture will end up being on someone's desktop wallpaper someday.(I have a picture of the Golden Gate bridge from SFO on my desktop at work right now). But other that its 'just a picture'. There is nothing in that pic which will have me looking at it 10 years from now and getting all nostalgic about it. Sure if I was the one who actually took the picture then definitely it would be a hell of a story to tell.

Probably my situation is same the reverse as well where I am more interested in car mods like intakes,exhaust systems that won't appeal to all my photographer buddies.

P.S. I did own a canon basic digicam sometime back but now that I have sent it away to India I make do with my cellphone cam.

Driver's Choice

2008-12-07T14:00:00.005-06:00

While driving depending on the mood I usually put on some music. Most of the music I have burned on CD's is bollywood and there are a couple of cd's which are floyd,led zepp, ACDC and the like. But I preferably try to listen to bollywood dhinchak tracks. This is because you never ever hear bollywood stuff anywhere else. I mean I can always listen to Death Magnetic (Metallica's latest outing) on the radio but never ever will I get to hear 'Sundara sundara' from Rakshak on the radio(not even in Dallas,TX with its desi radio stations).

But one genre I avoid while driving is ghazals. I do listen to some occasionally during an extended booze session but never while driving. I believe there should be a specific genre known as 'roadtrip' with songs like 'Turn the page-Metallica','Barracuda-Heart','Chick Habit-April March' and of course 'Roadhouse Blues-The Doors'. (Here's some more)

Driving with songs like these on brings something else to the entire driving experience altogether. Also songs which one may enjoy in a party or at a rock concert do not necessarily translate back into being songs one can enjoy while driving.(I can only listen to Indian Ocean/Lucky Ali these many times but not everytime man...)

An open,clear road, the wheel, good music (and of course cheap gas) and that is a combination that can also be called your 'Stairway to Heaven' (Pls do not take the 'Heaven' term literally over here. Drive Safe.)

Apna Hollywood

2008-12-01T20:37:00.004-06:00

A lot of hollywood movies are dubbed into Hindi for the mass audience in India where an American accent is the stumbling block. Subtitles are too distracting and take away from the 'action' ;) on screen.

I have managed to come across several recently including:

1.Indiana Jones aur Chamkili Kapaal ki Saltanat (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
2. Mahashaktimaan (The Matrix)
3. Mita Doonga Naam-o-Nishaan (Eraser)
4. LOTR - Anguthi ke Hifaazatgaar (LOTR - Fellowship of the Ring)
5. Mayaawi Talwar (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

I could go on and on about these titles. Now we are speechless when titles like these come up because we, desi junta are more used to the sugary sweet titles like K3G, KKHH, DDLG, Mohabattein. This is where Bollywood distributors have got it all wrong. You don't see movies like 50 first dates, Knocked Up, Amelie getting translated into Hindi, thats because we can dish out equivalent romantic comedy types but when it comes to action, now that's a different story. Even the most well executed stunts end up looking hilarious (of course there are exceptions) and we end up splitting our sides.

I wish there comes a day when Hollywood will translate our fare into English and see for themselves how mutilated this whole dub-redub process becomes and that day we get to hear the immortal dialog
"Children of Pigs. They were two and you three !!, even then you returned !!. What did you think, the ringleader would be joyous and shower praises on you !!! " (Any guesses about this masterpiece in its original form)

Discovery Channel updates

2008-11-22T15:45:00.003-06:00

I keep getting these updates in my gmail inbox which keep me updated with the 'latest news' around the world. Quite a few of which happen to do with discovery channel.Now I fail to understand who even keeps abreast of this stuff. I have a ton of other crap in my head already without the need for more nonsense to cram into it.

Who does even care about news like "Ancient chariot found in Bulgaria" or "New remains of CroMagnon discovered". I fail to understand even the least amount of importance 'news' like this has to my life. I worry enough about the economy and gas prices and my next set of tickets to India to even get into this crap.

Which brings me to the point that Indiana Jones may be the most dashing archeologist but except for treasure hunting I really doubt am ever going to be interested in digging around old bones and sculptures.How would the Indy movies ever work if he was just shown to be digging around scavenging fossils and finally ending up as an old foggy museum curator.

Yes, yes I know that keeping in touch with the past allows us(mankind) to know ourselves better. Well then keep it out of the news unless something really relevant happens(Maybe they discover an AIDS cure in trillion year old insect DNA preserved in amber). Until something really ground breaking comes along am still going to be bothered about the economy, gas prices and other mundane activites of the day.

I can picture a scene from FRIENDS in context of this where Ross(PhD in Paleontology) goes into the nursing ward with Rachel to see Dr.Green(Rachel's Dad) and introduces himself as Dr.Gellar and Rachel reminds him that they are in a hospital and the prefix 'Dr.' really means something over here.

P.S. Its great to be back :)

Linux'd (again)

2008-08-16T08:53:00.014-05:00

Very few people other than active developers are into linux and use it as their main OS. Even those who do use it occasionally do have the dual boot feature with Windows just so that some features are easier to use in Windows than Linux.

This is aversion to linux is also unfortunately something for which the development dept is to blame as well (atleast partially). One of the biggest things being video rendering related s/w. I did a lot of that during Diwali Night at Rolla, making those presentations for the show but haven't seen anything like Adobe Premiere,After Effects on linux (yet). Not to mention the loss of gaming since then too. Very few games are out there which are fully supported by Linux and those that do run do so on WINE(Win Emulator :P).

Dhake and myself were having a discussion yesterday on s-video capture through linux since that was one of the few things for which he still had a Win dual boot on his system. Finally after some poking around I suppose he got through to it and hopefully will now ditch Win totally :). Later when Alok (handy Linux quick ref guy) and myself were chatting about situations like these and he came up with a situation where one day if a couple of linux guys started a company then they would no doubt use Linux for everything. However the kicker is that today most companies (atleast all the application/service provider ones) do NOT use Linux.

This is mainly due to the fact that Linux is restricted to the techy guys rather than to the mainstream eg. Business Analysts, Sales, Marketing, QA, Conversion, Customer Service Rep, App Analyst, so on and so forth. Also until someone can effectively demonstrate that business can be as usual in Linux as in Windows the scenario will still never change. (and Microsoft will continue to reap their millions).

It may take time and patience to wade a bit through various Linux forums to come up with quick answers to even the most basic things but it definitely is worthwhile in the end. Unfortunately both time and patience is something that very very few people have today and the same translates to the corporate environment as well.

Coming Soon

2008-07-25T21:42:00.003-05:00

Its been quite a while now since my blog was updated. There is a ton of stuff that has happened between now and then. I hopefully should be able to put down atleast some of the stuff over here. Will be getting back to posting soon.

The Long Weekend

2008-05-30T16:20:00.005-05:00

Since the US has so few public holidays (compared to India) most people try to make the most of the few that are around. Public holidays in the US are usually structured in such a manner as to make every holiday count. The Long weekend is a concept that is the most popular. It happens such that the Federal Government schedules a holiday on a Friday or a Monday. Thus with the Saturday, Sunday coming in between it makes for a solid 3 day vacation. Flight prices soar, hotels are booked to capacity and popular tourist destinations are packed.

Planning for these weekends takes quite a bit of patience and enthu as well. The list of places to go and people to visit was always endless. Ultimately it used to come down to cheaper flight tickets.(invariably) I have scoured around on travel sites for just that one exclusive flight deal which could make/break the trip. This process is somewhat akin to the hunting techniques of the Cromagnon dudes of old. You basically look up the deal on several dozen travel sites and initially gauge an estimate of how much it would cost you and then once you have set your upper limit on this then try hunting for something 'better' over the next couple of days. Also planning meant ensuring that you dug up your old contact list and sometimes even renewed friendships with old lost buddies.

There a ton of long weekends coming by end of the year. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's are all available and I have no doubt that people will travel too (thanks to lower gas prices) but I for one have absolutely no plans for these holidays (which is weird because usually I was among the first people to have my travel plans all sorted out.) I am planning for a trip to India soon in the next year and thus thought it best to avoid any outings this year and go for the biggie next year. :)

(It feels great to get back to blogging after a break).

The Borg

2008-05-22T11:49:00.005-05:00

Bluetooth technology is something great. I used to own an Ngage (The Classic one and NOT QD) back in India. The Bluetooth feature was one of the most favorite features in it. It was sometimes damn slow but then it was probably one of the easiest ways to transfer data during that time. Primarily I had used it to transfer some pix, ringtones, etc from others.

I got myself a bluetooth headset a couple of days back from Radioshack. I was previousy using one of those cheap handsfree connectors for talking. I finally relented and got myself one of these devices which could be worn on the ear. (Also my handsfree cable got snapped somewhere so it didn't help matters.) I got a pretty pricey headset, the Plantronics Voyager 520.

I had done some decent amount of research into these headsets and also have tons of friends who use them regularly. I was looking for something comfortable and loud and clear. My friends who use them had often complained that comfort was the primary point. Most headsets will have decent enough reception and clarity.

The headset is also sometimes a cool accessory if you want people to think that you are actually talking to someone else while in public, you can jabber endlessly on it and no one would be the wiser. It also brings back very futuristic images of a Cyborg from some Hollywood action movie.

Data Dump

2008-05-13T14:09:00.005-05:00

My first thanksgiving shopping experience in the US and I got for myself an external HDD. I didn't even have a laptop at that time but I just couldn't resist a deal like 25$ for a 200gb external drive. (Dhake being the oversmart guy that he is got two of those.) Subsequent thanksgivings never had that sort of a deal.

Now why is storage capacity more important than a laptop you may ask. Well for one, laptops and desktops were available in plenty in the university and almost everyone (except us, new guys) owned one. HDD's were a lot cheaper too than a laptop for a first time purchase. Also this was the time of the infamous Seek42. Seek42 more than anything else was famous for a search tool on the university LAN network. It had a ton of other stuff but as far as we desis were concerned we were just into it for the wealth of data out there. Now it wasn't always possible to get movies, mp3's, games from seek42 too as there were restrictions as well on various HDD's and to avoid a burnout due to a ton of people logging into the same directories and basically just clogging and taking up all the traffic. The amount of movies especially was huge. It was a paradise for a movie aficionado. (A special mention over here goes to Abhinay for being the "imdb of Rolla" for several generations.)

My good old HDD has survived a lot of bashing in Rolla. Since it was a total dump of movies most people borrowed it dozens of times. (Also because the dump was directly from Abhinay's server with top notch stuff) I myself had to hunt for it several times and finally found it in some totally random location than it was at previously.(Several times at Dave's place. :)) Thankfully it is still working fine even though it does make a ton of noise now.

I have never felt a need to get more and more storage capacity. But I think I will have to get myself a new HDD soon sometime as my current one has been abused so much that it may die out on me anytime now. The next thing thus I am targeting for thanksgiving is a 1 TB+ external HDD.

Wholesome food

2008-05-10T21:09:00.003-05:00

Its been quite sometime for me in LA now. Initially, Yatin and myself had pretty much frequented almost all the food joints in the vicinity. Then after we finally moved into the apt we started cooking. Its been about a week now since we started on home cooked meals and for a change we went out to a normal American diner yesterday.

Now this place had the best lemonade I have had so far in the US. Seriously its just like the tangy sort that you get in India. (Most other places the lemonade is just not done.) We had been to this joint before and remembered only the lemonade part of the previous meal. Yesterday we ordered almost the same items off the menu. But for some reason neither of us could finish the meal. We both were quite hungry and the food seemed exactly like the previous time but for whatever reason we just couldn't eat beyond a few scraps.

Finally we attributed this to the fact that we were getting so used to home cooked food and thus couldn't get ourselves to feast on normal American fare which now seemed way too bland. We then decided that Chipotle (Mexican), SUBWAY, IHOP, Dominos would probably be the only set of joints we could eat out at and that too in the worst case scenarios. Otherwise it doesn't matter how low our culinary skills stooped to but we would still prefer to eat ghar kaa khana.

Aye Hitch Hiker

2008-05-08T18:42:00.005-05:00

How many of us have taken random rides from people. ( i.e. lifts) I have taken quite a few from some strangers during my undergrad days. Usually the trick involves to have a chick sticking a finger out (especially for flagging down a Sumo, Qualis) and then after the vehicle has stopped the rest of the junta used to pileup as well into the SUV.

Now regular drivers do regard hitchhikers as dangerous and even the vice versa where the hitchhiker needs to be careful about whom hes taking the ride with. Hitchhiking especially for the fairer sex is a lot different than it is for the guys. I remember taking a ride in a truck alone about 4 in the morning while coming back from a college fest. Now most people would probably consider this sheer lunacy but then again the only vehicles out at 4 in the morning are trucks ferrying the day's morning paper or vegetables, so I really didn't have much of a choice.

Hitchhiking is also a subject thats treated in a very negative role in most movies. Hollywood/Bollywood have a very stereotyped notion. Most often either the driver or the passenger turns out to be the evil dude.

In the US hitch hikers are a rare breed. First of all on no one walks on the roads, other than in the cities. However there is definitely a unique form of hitching a ride also known as "slugging" over here. This is pretty much specific to the Washington D.C. area (for now).

There is the concept of the HOV (Heavily Occupied Vehicle) lane on the freeways over here but for that in DC there is a 3 person HOV so many a times a car may have only the driver who cannot use the HOV as he does not have the specific capacity in his car. Thus the driver pickups passengers (slugs) from the bus stops and thus it is mutually beneficial for all people involved. The driver gets to his destination faster because he can now use the HOV and the slugs save on traveling time, parking and gas.

On the tube

2008-05-07T01:57:00.009-05:00

The television is something that means different things to different people. Guys usually watch TV to catch up on a game or two. I have hardly ever seen a guy sitting and watching a serial (and am not talking about the K crap here.) Watching a game is something that takes precedence over most other matters. While in India it was cricket. (as probably this was the only sport that had the highest media coverage of all) but in the US its a whole different thing. TV rules the average joe's life over here. Its no wonder that the Superbowl is among the most watched events ever. The World Series, Stanley Cup, NBA Conference Playoffs aren't far behind either.

Also people watch all kinds of programming over here. Sometimes seriously the amount of crap out there on the TV is huge. I mean how many people need to see late night reruns of bad 80's acting.( or even Flavor of Love on VH1). TV was always a luxury in Rolla, not many apts had TV's and there were even fewer with cable installed. Most of the time though we hooked up our laptops to watch a movie or watch a cricket match.

Southpark will be of the most remembered shows. We are still so hooked up to it that "Timmmy", "Lick my b****" , "Screw you guys, am going home" are like golden words.

Blackjack !!!

2008-05-05T23:01:00.005-05:00

I have never been fond of playing cards. Actually I'll probably be the last person you would associate with cards. Don't get me wrong I have played these games before but I would invariably forget most of these games once they were over. The next time that someone would ask me to join in for rummy etc., I would need a crash course again in the basic rules before I could actually play.

Also I fumble a lot if there are more than a few cards in my hand. I couldn't produce a highly stylish 'fan' shape even if all my money depended on it. Also I tend to get bored after sometime of playing card games. (Its probably because I lose concentration on the current set of cards and look for something else to do :))

However this post is about blackjack, one of the most popular card games in the world. I had recently gone to see 21, it deals with a bunch of MIT students who could beat the big time casinos and take them at their own game. I felt the movie was quite over the top as I highly respect Kevin Spacey and wanted to see him in a meatier role.

I found the game quite interesting though as for one I didn't have to hold cards in a 'fan' shape and just plain maths was involved over here. 21 is blackjack period. You didn't have to take into account for colors, shapes or anything else. It was just numbers, and that too basic math i.e. addition, subtraction. Most housewives in India could probably play good blackjack as this is what they did daily. (Compute regularly the rates of the veggies, assorted household products.)

I did go back home and try it though and I have been hooked since then I must say. (and No I don't play with real money as frankly I don't have that much to gamble away. If I did have a bundle I would probably spend it on a trip to India or visit friends elsewhere)

I still play blackjack online as and when I get time for it. And maybe I will play with real money when I go to Vegas, but for now am quite content with learning the game and becoming a better player at it.

A-part-ment

2008-05-04T15:57:00.005-05:00

After I had moved to Rolla one of the first things to do was hunt for an apartment. 1300 was the desi apt complex and with a ton of people coming in for the fall semester it wasn't going to be easy to secure an apt.

Shetty and me had decided to book an apt from India itself. (Shetty will probably remember our garam sessions near Thane station.) After spending a night or two at apt 5 we made our way to the nearby Investment Realty (IR). Now IR is the agency which has under it most of the buildings near campus and as mostly desis stay near campus its quite used to seeing desi junta coming in regularly to get an apt. The unit we were getting was a brand new unit as previously due to a heating problem it had been completely renovated.

We both were among the first bunch of people to finalize an apt and a grand housewarming ceremony was held as well within as much as our meager $$'s could afford. It was the first sem and Bud was pretty much the staple diet initially. The apt was quite big and was the most expensive one in the entire complex during that period.

Moving into your own house however empty it is, is always a different thing than staying in temp accommodation at some other place. Setting up a house is something I also got pretty much used to now. There are a ton things to be done when you move into a new place. Also this was a lot more than just a new apt. It was an apt in a different continent altogether.

We did prepare some food and pretty much most of the guys who came for Fall 06 were present. It wasn't like it was a 4 course spread but then it was our first home cooked meal.

I will probably move in and out of several places in some span of time but moving for the first time into 'My first home in the US' will always be in a different league.

Cuban Connectivity

2008-05-04T13:02:00.005-05:00

Cuba is primarily known for its cigars. I came across an article that said Cuba was finally selling PC's to the general public. (Mind you, legal internet access is still a long way away.) The new prez has finally opened up a lot of stuff that were previously not available thanks to sanctions etc.

In the 21st century we have got so used to being connected all the time that it sometimes is difficult to even imagine that a country so close by to the US is still in the dark about IT.

Need for MORE Speed

2008-05-03T23:50:00.007-05:00

We had been looking forward to the Red Bull Air Race since quite some time. The RBAR is a basically an aerobatics event where pilots have to complete a complex course in the shortest possible time. It's popularly known as the F1 of flying.

We decided to attend the qualifying event on Saturday instead of the final race on Sunday as crowd would be a bit less, hence parking wouldn't have been a major issue. Yatin, Raajan and myself setout from LA to meet Deepak and his friend at San Diego. Tickets had been already booked online and we had an idea about what we were in for. The good thing though was since this is a relatively new event the ticket prices were kept decently priced. (15$ each)

The only way you ensure that an event becomes a big name is by making sure first that the event becomes popular and this can only be possible if you get the maximum amount of people to attend it. Thus the crowd turnout was quite sizeable at the event and since it was on the weekend with some excellent sunny weather, people were out to have a good time in the sun.

Food,drinks and merchandise however were a different story and were quite pricey. Then again this was being held in the San Diego bay area where I don't think that you can do something like this regularly. Restrooms were also easily accessible which was a good thing as the entire bay area was pretty much cordoned off. We initially drove a bit off path and were almost at the Mexico border. Soon though we were back on track and reached the South Embarcadero Island which was one of the two viewing points for the race.

We then met up with Deepak and took some good spots to view the race. Initially there was a show put up by the Navy the highlight of which was a F-18 Hornet roaring past us on full afterburner. The sound was HUGE and the entire bay reverberated with it. Soon the actual qualifiers started and it was treat to watch highly honed skills being put through razor edge tests. The pilots had to complete a highly intricate course with chicanes in the least amount of time. This was very similar to F1 where skills are put to the test a lot more than strength. Soon we were cheering for passes being completed successfully and for even shorter lap times.

In the end it was a highly successful event and everyone returned back tired but entirely satisfied. This was a very different outdoor experience akin probably to going to a Lakers game. (Probably I'll think about catching a Lakers game sometime now.)

UBUNTU

2008-05-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

My travels in linux land

Concrete Ideas

2008-04-07T11:33:00.004-05:00

The internet boom has made it easier for people to interact, blackberries, corporate wi-fi services have also ensured that no one anywhere is 'left out'. Rolla for instance which is referred to as the middle of nowhere has one of the best connected campuses in the entire midwest region.

Now considering that all this connectivity exists today then why do still people crave to live in the urban jungle. If you just consider the monetary aspect over here it would definitely be advantageous to stay in a place like Rolla. As far as commodities go the essential ones will always be available at the local Walmart and if you want something specific then you could always pick it up online.

The bottomline thus comes to the fact that we prefer being around people. To be more specific we prefer being around 'like minded people'. Yes most of us often dream about owning our own private island but when it comes to actually moving permanently then I doubt how many of us would actually go for it.

In the US there is something about megacities like NYC, SFO, Chicago, LA. In todays world being around the right people more often than not is the reason for people relocating to these megacities. The $ factor is there obviously but you are exposed to a whole lot more when you are based in the cities. You learn to live by your watch, subway times become more important than anything else and most of your routine is based on the subway schedule.

And once you are into this system it becomes really difficult to let go and move to a laid back country lifestyle. Maybe several decades down the line we consider health issues and then relent to moving to something less stressful and slow.

Coming back to Life

2008-03-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

A classic Floyd track from the Division Bell album and then something more too. The phrase "Coming back to Life" is something related to rejuvenating the mind, waking up from a deep slumber, a fresh start.

For any desi who has been in the US of A for a sufficient amount of time this phrase can be truly applied when he is landing on Indian soil. There is a very very different feeling when you are coming back to your country. The feeling, the high can never ever be achieved by any sort of stimulants whatsoever. And if you ask anyone he would probably tell you that just this feeling itself is totally worth the actual price of the ticket or any other expenditure incurred on the trip.

I had gone to India last summer. My itinerary was St.Louis - Detroit - Amsterdam - Mumbai (Northwest Air). I couldn't sleep during the route from Amsterdam - Mumbai. The airbus had displays which showed the entire flight route being undertaken like a driving route on google maps. I spent quite sometime watching that route and especially had my eyes glued to the display when the flight was somewhere beyond the Pakistan border and in the Arabian Sea.

I sometimes think that patience is one of the few virtues I possess but now with the flight just hovering over Mumbai I was getting damn pissed. Finally it did land however. The feeling when the wheels touched down on the tarmac are just the same as any other flight landing I had experienced but then again I knew better. The flight finally taxied a bit and soon was at the gate. Even while the flight was taxiing I was grinning from ear to ear. There were signboards around in Marathi and desi vehicles all around. As soon as the doors opened to the aircraft and I stepped out I was hit the face with INDIA all over. It wasn't just the weather or the smell or anything like that. It was just the entire experience of being on Indian soil after being away for so long.

I was never more happy to see a Mumbai Police constable than when I was while walking towards the baggage claim carousel. I hadn't told anyone that I was coming on that day to India except a few close buddies and so I really wasn't in a rush to head back home and all. I managed to get my bags comfortably and headed out of the terminal to gorge on some really good food after eons. Since no one at home knew about my arrival I figured I might as well use the extra time I had at my disposal and go home at my own convenient time. I did reach home late though and gave my folks quite a good scare.

Hamara Jagghuaar

2008-03-27T13:09:00.000-05:00

I came across a news article recently, Tata Motors had bought the marques Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford. This piece of news is a huge step for the Indian Automotive industry. It could turn out to be a bigger revolution than the IT sector and outsourcing for India.

These events could very well mean that Tata could now compete in the global luxury car market. This market has mainly been the bastion of the old school players, i.e. Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Bentley etc. (Note. I do not mention the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches over here as they truly do not recent the uber rich class. You will more likely see a multimillionaire astride a Triumph than a Harley Davidson or inside an AM Vanquish than a Porsche 911.)

Now even though Jaguar wasn't exactly a profitable division of Ford it was still a league apart compared to the other road cars. Jaguar showrooms were and still are few and far between. I have seen tons of other car showrooms in Dallas but have hardly come across an exclusive Jaguar dealership.

Also this piece of news was in the wake of the unveiling of the Tata Nano. Now monetarily at least the Jag and the Nano are poles apart. Also the biggest surprise is Tata acquired the Jag, Land Rover at half the price which was initially paid by Ford to acquire these marques. The Jag thus is probably Tata's initial foray into the higher end car segment. I won't be surpised if Tata later acquires a supercar marque (McLaren anyone...) and works its way into that market share as well.

I don't know if I can own a Jag anytime but it does give a great feeling to know that a desi manufacturer is taking it to the big guns.

Print(F***)

2008-03-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

One of my biggest peeves has always been the printer responsible for getting me crucial hard copies. It works fine when anyone else gives it a print job but when my turn comes, then NOOOOOO it will more often than not spew out garbage.

It all started during my engineering. The lab printers hated me for some reason or the other. Even a simple print command from notepad meant reams and reams of garbage. There were occasions when during a particular lab someone had to sit and take printouts from the lab for about 10-12 of us friends. If I was ever given the charge to sit and take those printouts then rest assured the job would never have been completed and I definitely would waste a ton of paper and toner. Now these printers were dot matrix printers. The ones which go "khrrrrrrrrr.... khrrrrr... ghreeee......khrrr". It always seemed to me as if the devil was operating the printer and foul mouthing us for abusing the device.

This thing with the printouts continued till the end of my engineering. After I moved to Rolla the library, lab printers seemed like angels compared to what I suffered. They obeyed my every command and paper, toner was never an issue. I may not be the only one on cloud nine over here too. After the discovery of color printers in the ECE bulding it was a riot. Desis totally abused those printers and how. Tons and tons of printouts of personal photographs were taken. The entire situation got so out of hand that by the time I was in my final semester the color printers were removed from the ECE building altogether. (Desis later took their photos from the Mech building and other labs.)

The UMR library was one the best places if printouts were ever an issue. All those resumes which were handed out in lieu of coffee cups, assorted junk were mainly taken out on the old faithful library printers. Those printouts which later weren't of any use were either just thrown away or dumped in the recycling bin in the library itself. Maybe a few overzealous students would have maintained notes meticulously and those slides,handouts would again be used by the next bunch of guys taking that course.

I wish there would someday be the ultimate printer in the market, something which could print as fast as your mind could think. (Also I hope I am alive to see that day.)

6 Strings of Steel

2008-03-25T19:59:00.000-05:00

I picked up the guitar pretty late. SSC (1998) had just got over and there was a huge 3 month gap before anything else could happen and so I ended up getting myself a 6 string to play with for that duration.

I bought a standard sasta Hobner for about 2000 Rs from Furtado's @ Metro. It was the first time that I had ever set foot in a music store to actually purchase something rather than just fiddle around with all the paraphernalia. Walking into a huge store with all these musical instruments around is a very different experience than walking into any other consumer goods store. You can see all the instruments lying around and you just know that there could have been a concert right then and there. Also when you walk down the walls of guitars in the store you have an urge to just pick one up, irrespective of whether you intend to play it or not. I have seen people going speechless while walking down that section.

I got the guitar back to my place and decided to join a local instructor. I wasn't the only one though and there were a couple of my other friends who also had decided to take up the guitar. The first couple of weeks were rather boring and also it didn't help that my fingers hurt like hell. We spent the initial couple of weeks just going through the basics and going through the scales to build up speed and harden the finger tips.

Many people who pickup the guitar ask me "Tell me the notes to play Hotel California/Stairway to Heaven etc. etc. I want to play only those." It isn't easy to explain it to them that learning songs takes time and patience. These songs are considered masterpieces in the own right and it took quite sometime before they were even composed so how can someone learn to play them outright.

I later soon left the instructor as school had started back but I still kept at the scales and still practiced them regularly. I took breaks quite regularly especially with the HSC coming up close. The vacation I got after the HSC was a really long one as engineering admissions for Mumbai Varsity took about 6 months to finalise. It was during this time that other friends joined in.(Amba, Jayant, Darshan, Rahul, Boney)

Engineering college started and finally I actually started on my guitar education. I had joined another instructor during the HSC break and soon quit there as well. I discovered the PC and after that there was no looking back. Jayant, Amba and myself spent countless hours perfecting some scales. There was always an interest in getting tabs, chord tabulature for some song or the other. One of the first songs we learned was "Nothing else Matters" by Metallica. We all felt on top of the world after we had accomplished it. There was no looking back after that and GnR, Floyd, Iron Maiden were being constantly practiced. It isn't easy for the person who doesn't play the guitar to understand this but its literally like a high that you get onto after getting one riff perfectly. ( I know people who have made the other person hear a particular song that they may have picked up, on the phone by keeping the phone right next to the guitar.)

After moving to Rolla I went to visit the local music store, Merles Music. It was quite a large store and had quite a few choices. Gerry helped with funds to setup the purchase of a Jackson Dinky. Sid had a basic Digitech RP80 processor which he had got from India. He had purchased the FX2000 and so I went to Merles and got myself the necessary adaptors and cables to hookup the RP80. Regularly then I had sessions at the apt also Diwali Night was just another excuse to pickup the guitar on and off. The jam sessions with Sid, Rommel, Arvie, Spandan and Romy will remain in my memory for a long time. More than anything else we were primarily interested in having fun.

As time passed however I didn't get a lot of chances to play, blame it on time constraints or just another party in Rolla. The Jackson is right now in St.Louis and I intend to go back soon and get it back with me.

New Jersey musings

2008-03-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

I just got back to Dallas from New York. This was my second trip to NYC and I really don't need to mention that it will always be excellent. 42nd and Broadway especially will always have that kind of energy around it.

The trip this time around was more about meeting new people though than sightseeing NYC. The only people I 'knew' beforehand this time were Gerry n Shubika. Since we were crashing at Rutgers it was a very Rolla-ish atmosphere during the time we spent there. We did spend time sightseeing around NYC but since I had already seen the touristy places I was more than looking forward to meeting the Rutgers crowd.

On Saturday night we spent time alongwith them. It was a nice change to running around the whole time on the streets of NYC. Initially there were about 8-10 people which later on became larger and larger as time progressed. I have never been a big fan of board games but this time around with so many people we had some fun during TABOO, Cranium and later Dumb Charades (DC).

I have always enjoyed DC and so in the end was totally up for it with just 5 more people in the fray.(Hmm...let me see if I can remember everyone over here now....Satish,Ramya,Gayatree,Shilpi,Nishant...if any of you guys do read this do let me know if the list is correct.) The wine was just superb. I usually go for Shiraz but this time tried out Merlot and couple of others. Playing DC after wine is better than simply playing DC. :)

The best part was that people welcomed us to join in their parties just like they would have done to close friends and within themselves. I thought that UMR had the most enthu desi junta but turns out that Rutgers also isn't too far behind when it comes to having big desi parties too. (Probably the main difference though when it comes to Rolla and desis at any other place was that no one in Rolla needed a reason to party anytime. Ever.)

This post is dedicated to Satish, Ramya, Gayatree, Pallavi and the rest of the Rutgers crowd. Thanks guys. You Rock.

P.S. Gayatree if you do read this could you send me those pics taken at the party.

Delayed

2008-03-21T08:51:00.001-05:00

I just reached Newark Liberty International yesterday evening. Thanks to the Easter weekend there were tons and tons of travelers at Dallas, St. Louis and Newark.

My flight from Dallas to St. Louis was perfectly on time. Rather it was me who could screw it up by just missing the flight. I have usually just a single backpack on me (with no checked in baggage.) and so even a last moment dash to the gate is fine.

Seeing St. Louis will always have a special feeling. Am sure any person from Rolla will know what I am talking about here. It was just a stopover for me this time around instead of usually being the destination. But Lambert International will always bring back several memories. (Sanjeev will undoubtedly remember the Fall 07 pickups :))

I was in for a major mess up ahead now. My connecting flight to Newark was delayed and how. Whoever said that Indian Rail has delays hasn’t seen how delays affect the entire American system. My flight from St. Louis to Newark was delayed badly and the worst part was none of the staff and crew could tell me when it would be resolved. I usually carry several bollywood movies with me on my DELL whenever traveling to at least have something to watch rather than spending on pricey wi-fi services at airport lounges. (Bollywood stuff because each movie is about 3 odd hours long and so you have almost a solid playing time of 12-15 hrs with several movies)

I managed to catch the first half of Omkara before I finally boarded the flight to Newark. I thought that the worst was over but there are some ways of how these things keep spiraling out of control. My flight was then stranded on the runway. The captain switched the engines off and we were just sitting on the runway. It was sometime again before we finally were on our way to Newark.

On finally reaching Newark I saw that it was a total mess of things. Almost all flights arriving at Newark were delayed. I had a friend coming in from Greensboro, NC. Her situation was probably one of the worse ones. The flight previous to hers had been delayed and the crew over there as well had no clue when her flight would be scheduled.

The delays however were restricted just to the eastern zone (Newark, Cincinnati etc.). When I got off at Terminal A there was total chaos all around. It was like a sea of people. Most had no other choice but to wait it out. The numerous food joints weren’t complaining though. Even the pricey ones were crowded beyond the usual and people who would think several times about paying those exorbitant prices were lining up outside these joints.

Being the only one with a solid almost fully charged cell phone and full signal strength, I was by default in charge of ensuing a sort of co-ordination between the rest of us. (A special thanks to the inventor of the hands free without whom it would have been really slow as I had my hands full by now with other stuff.)

I have to say that patience is a virtue at these moments and could see several people who were quite pissed at the whole thing and were ready to fly off at the least of provocations. Now I hate to think about the state of those people who aren’t just delayed but also have misplaced baggage (I didn’t have both my bags when I landed in St. Louis the first time and I can imagine this scenario quite well.)

After quite a wait (while watching Chaalbaaz) we (Shubika, Moumita, myself) all finally met up and moved to the NJ Transit for Rutgers. I leave on Sunday back to Dallas and this time I have a stopover at Chicago. (The busiest airport in the US), and if I face delays of a major sort I have half a mind to take the CTA and go off to Loyola and then to Devon Avenue. (Btw I typed up the major part of this long post while I was waiting at Newark)

Flying Comments

2008-03-18T11:52:00.000-05:00

My primary mode of travel in India has always been the Great Indian Railway.( and that too only 2nd class sleeper.) After coming to the US the only time I took the rail (long distance) was from St.Louis to Chicago. Low cost airlines are the defacto mode of travel over here for the common man.

Being a student I had to search and search quite a lot for getting good cheap flight deals.(However going to India justifies any and every cost.) I have managed to get some real good flight deals often. (Call it luck or my patience to wade through tons of deals to get the best one.)

While traveling as a student time was never a constraint and so flights at any time were fine with me. Also I have preferred to have flights with stopovers. I am quite tall and so sitting in a cramped position for any period of time is not my cup of coffee. (I don't drink tea.) Even if I do get a cheap flight with no stopovers while I am getting my boarding pass from the counter during checking in I try and ask the guys at the counter if they have anything with a stopover that I could change to.

Thanks to this stopover business I have seen quite a few airport lobbies and met several interesting people along the way too. There will always be the couple out to spend a special weekend together, an entire family, business executives on their blackberrys, the hottest chick on that flight( that everyone will be hoping to has the immediate next seat to them), the lost people (in their own thoughts), fanatical sports fans (I had a conversation for quite a while with a Cardinals fan when he saw that I was from St.Louis.) and other assorted characters. On international flights however I am a lot more interested in the airport lobby than my fellow travelers.(Duty free stuff anyone.) Also you get to sample local fares from that country at these international stopovers.

Low cost airlines are the big rage in India too now. (Air Deccan, Spicejet, Indigo etc.) There is nothing that can beat the Indian Rail network though. Even though there are these cheap airlines but still the common man who may have a stopover at Bhusaval while going from Mumbai - Nagpur will take the rail. The low cost model has done well in the US mainly due to the less coverage of its rail network and also due to the huge number of airports. NYC for instance is serviced by JFK, Newark International and La Guardia. (Dallas also has two airports ,DFW and Lovefield.)

IMHO until adequate infrastructure comes up it will take quite some time for low cost airlines to take off in India and become the main mode of transport like they are in the US.

Shopaholics Anonymous

2008-03-17T23:29:00.000-05:00

Shopping is considered a very big stress reliever in the US. (also some times known as retail therapy.) I am a typical guy and shopping is probably one my of last things to do. (My policy pretty much is I won't buy it if I don't need it IMMEDIATELY. Procrastination is an art I have honed and perfected over the years.)

I have several friends though who are constantly on the lookout for bargains and will keep searching like it was the Templar treasure. (Mind you it isn't just gals over here that am talking about too.) I don't mind going along for shopping though as it is interesting to see new stuff and also good fun. (If you don't know what I am talking about here you have obviously not seen females going crazy on a shoe sale.)

Shopping online though from recommended stores is good if you know exactly what you are looking for. Getting electronic consumer goods especially is a simple and hassle free process. It definitely beats going from store to store looking for the best bargains.

There are various types of shoppers. There are people on whom any store depends on. These are the guys who will pick the stuff up even if they won't need the stuff. There are also roadie shoppers who will hunt and hunt for even a pair of cheap slacks. I am that kind of shopper who is hated the most by dealers. First of all I come in at the last spur and demand just for one and only one thing. Also I CAN'T bargain. If I need something that would only be possible by bargaining then I take a friend or two along who are good at haggling and get my stuff.

I admire those guys who have the perseverance to negotiate a deal with the seller. These are the guys whom I call the equivalent of the spanish matadors. They can skillfully negotiate a deal with the seller and come out looking quite contended with their purchase. Whenever a hostage situation arises then I suggest these guys to be put in the negotiation teams.

On a closing note there are also people who need therapy to relive stress from shopping. (Varun's quote from Hyderabad Blues comes to mind.) I'll be in NYC soon with shopping some where or the other on the agenda for my friends. The trip should be fun. :)

Organised Chaos

2008-03-17T14:27:00.000-05:00

Blogging for me is mainly about putting my thoughts down on any particular topic I have in mind or have been thinking about for some time. Lately I have been reading a lot and was often swamped by the amount of stuff out there on various blogs. There has always been a need to have easy accessibility to information. Just picking up stuff at random and reading through them is fine but if you are looking for some specific information then it could prove to be a daunting task. Sure Google search has eased the work out a lot. But there is still a lot more out there.

The latest widget to try and help bloggers is there on the right, 'VerveEarth'. Now I just registered over here today and got my blog on the VerveEarth network. The idea over here being the geographically mapping out of the web. For instance it could be used for finding out what fellow bloggers in Madagascar were talking about or meeting up bloggers with similar interests in Dallas,TX.

Its a good idea of geographically mapping the web and literally puts the world at your finger tips now. The site is still in its beta phase and with more and more bloggers coming into the picture soon this may just be the next way of checking out blogs,news etc.

It will take some time but soon people would be interested in checking out region specific stuff. Meeting out fellow bloggers could probably even work out as a dating service. (People having similar interests being the common ground to meet up.)

Gaming Station

2008-03-14T10:08:00.000-05:00

My earliest experience with indoor games were the regular dice and counter based board games,Monopoly, Business and also Scrabble. Hours and hours of rainy afternoons were spent with friends on those boards. Later on however hardly any could get together to play them as most were immersed in books and school.

Nintendo,SEGA then flooded the indian market and the game system was the whole rage everywhere. The amount of time that kids during the 90's spent on these was huge.

Contra and Super Mario were everywhere. Any kid all over the country was into them. There was just one rule: You would be the grandmaster of Contra if you crossed all the stages on the 3 life limit.(I don't know how they did it but I could never complete the game even on the 30 life limit.)

Later on after sometime most of us lost interest in the SEGA's, Nintendo's mainly due to the advent of the PC. Kids now would spend their time on Dave,Prince of Persia (Original), Wolf, Alladin. Soon as hardware got more and more elaborate we played a multitude of titles NFS, Halflife, Age of Empires, Quake, Flight Sims and dozens of others. Multiplayer Gaming later took off thanks to the bandwidths being offered. (BTW I have played FIFA 02 multiplayer with a friend even on a basic dial up connection.) In Rolla I had some really great sessions of CounterStrike with fellow roommates and other friends.( Will post on those sessions sometime soon.)

Last weekend me and a couple of friends went out and got ourselves a home theater system and a PS2. (We didn't go in for the PS3 because we didn't have a HDTV and neither did we have that kind of money to splurge.) We got Tekken 5 and a couple of other game titles and there was no looking back. We then stayed glued to the controllers and hardly left the apt thereafter.

It's a weekend again now and Tekken here I come. :)

Nashe mein kaun nahi hai mujhe batao zara

2008-03-13T11:02:00.002-05:00

Wiki:
In layman's terms, the word alcohol (Arabic:"al-kuḥl") usually refers to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol or (older) spirits of wine, or to any alcoholic beverage. Ethanol is a colorless, volatile liquid with a mild odor which can be obtained by the fermentation of sugars. Ethanol is the most widely used depressant in the world, and has been for thousands of years. This sense underlies the term alcoholism (addiction to alcohol).

Alcohol does elevate us to a different level. People drink for various causes. Some of the greatest ventures are celebrated with a toast, a special occasion marks the clinking of glasses and a pop of the bubbly, and also to just revel in the present moment.

There are various types of characteristics which can define people by their preferred choice of beverage. Most guys start out on beer and then develop a taste for the better stuff. The combination of alcohol and music is a deadly one. People dance,laugh and even cry after they are 'done'. Another thing I have noticed is people talk a lot when they are under the influence. I myself have spilled out stuff that most probably I wouldn't have if I was sober.( Then again I do talk a LOT normally.)

Conscience doesn't prevent sin, it prevents you from ENJOYING IT.

The above line is so true. Its for those guys who have a conscience to never touch a drop of the stuff. Now I am NOT advocating alcoholism over here. (Too much of a good thing is bad for one.) I know people who have tried it and say "I just don't like it yaar". Well then you guys probably haven't tried out the good stuff ;).

Another set of people are those who proudly claim to have a capacity of a large tank. I seriously pity this category simply because they are a waste of good spirits. I mean consider a scenario where you are just having a good time sitting and drinking with friends and you are the only one 'left' out because you are the least affected. It ultimately comes out that it is just drinking for the sake of it rather than enjoying the moment. The 'state' which your other comrades are at will never be attained by you.

This goes out to all my fellow revelers of the moment, those immortal lines from the movie 'Sharaabi'.

kissi pe husn ka guroor jawani ka nasha....kissi ke dil pe mohabbat ki rawaani ka nasha....kissi ko dekh ke sanson se ubharta hain nasha...bina peeye hi kahin hadh se guzarta hain nasha...nashe mein kaun nahee hain mujhay batao zara...

Freeze Frame

2008-03-12T19:11:00.000-05:00

We have all heard the concept about the flash mob. (A group of people gathering at a place at the same time and vanishing just as fast after performing a common activity.) I then came across the 'Frozen Grand Central' video. It was executed to perfection. There were scores of people wondering to themselves and to others what was exactly going on. I then followed the links to ImprovEverywhere.(IE)

This was built on the ideology 'We cause scenes'. The FAQ on the site states that they are basically out to have some good harmless fun. (Fun doesn't mean over here at someone else's expense.) It is all purely voluntary and almost anyone can sign up. I went through the site and had a peek at the list of senior agents. There was something striking over there. This group is mainly based in NYC and I couldn't spot a single desi name in the listing even though Queens is a haven for desis.

There is something that was weird about that as there are tons and tons of desis in and surrounding NYC but still this was the scenario. There is a different mentality to be taken into consideration when you think about a desi participating in a venture like this. Even if someone did decide to take part the initial reaction would be "Nahi yaar....its too damn embarrassing yaar...Kisi ne mujhe pehchan liya toh fir...and of course...log kyaa sochenge...."

I checked out the IE Global site and saw that there were groups of people based on different cities, countries. I did find groups on Mumbai and Bangalore too. But with just the founders of those groups being the current members. I could imagine something like the NYC Grand Central thing happening at VT, Churchgate stations though. Mumbai, Bangalore have a very youth oriented crowd and so something like this if possible could be done by them. Mumbai University (MU) students have often staged several meets outside Kalina, Santacruz (MU HQ) and maybe someday this movement would be possible over there as well.

For now though if this idea was proposed most guys reactions would be..."mujhe aur koi kaam dhaam nahi hai kyaa...kyaa bakwaas idea hai...". Maybe bollywood could also make a movie based on this. Yuva-sque.

All aboard the culture express

2008-03-11T21:56:00.000-05:00

There is one striking scene about 'Swades' which defines the movie in its entirety. Its the 'cup of water scene'. This scene delivers the whole theme behind not just the movie but the entire system. The reason why this is because SRK is experiencing it for himself rather than reading about it in some common newspaper. We are equally moved because without saying a word we can feel what he is going through at that stage.

But this post is not about the movie. This post is about what SRK experienced during that moment.

The only way to actually experience something is to go do it yourself. SRK was a traveler here who was returning back to the village. While on the journey back he saw for himself what the people at the grassroots were facing.

Most of us travel with elaborate plans and everything chalked out right upto the end. Yes this does give one a good, safe view of the trip but also alienates us from something that maybe happening on the extreme fringes of the place which most tourists are aware of. For example some of the best delicacies are found in the bylanes and roadside shacks in Mumbai rather than in the fanciest of restaurants. You get to meet several interesting people there as well. And to really talk in 'Bambaiyya Hindi' you need to talk with its people who travel in the locals and eat the roadside vada paav, chicken fried rice.

Above is a pic courtesy of rediff, Mrs.Pitt boarding a local from Charni Road to Churchgate. Now thats what I call trying to be ' Lara Croft'. If she did something like this during peak hours then she probably deserves the title of the biggest action star since Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

Btw on a closing note. If you see 'Swades' closely there is a strong influence of water in the whole movie. It starts with SRK giving a talk in NASA about the dangers of global precipitation, his consuming a load of bisleri initially, the cup of water scene, SRK putting his feet into the water for the first time and finally diving headlong into the water tank.

busy

2008-03-10T22:56:00.001-05:00

Have been a bit busy on the weekend ;) and should be back to posting in a day or two

with bag n baggage

2008-03-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

The last weekend was pretty busy. A friend(Bazzu) just moved to Dallas and was helping out with the usual stuff. This got me thinking about several issues such as, how many ways someone may view a new place, the initial adjustment issues, making new friends from scratch, away from all the people you spent so much time with (and more often than not took for granted too.)

Moving to a new place is hard. Especially after staying in a place like Rolla(literally a home away from home.) When I moved to Dallas I wasn't exactly in a happy happy mood and all. However I did hear from other guys that Dallas was a pretty good place to be in.

I had a couple of friends already in Dallas (from UMR as well as from my undergrad days in Mumbai) so most of my weekends so far have been pretty much with those guys. Making new friends however is a different matter all together. Dallas has a ton of desis, probably more than even NJ, Chicago but getting to meet people and having a good time isn't that easy. I have been in touch with most people during my days in Rolla. (The north - south 'divide' didn't bother me much as it does most other guys.) Also I guess I have been a bit provincial in my outlook too and haven't moved on to make more friends than beyond the existing Rolla, Mumbai friend circle.

Maybe if I do end up hanging out with the UTD (University of Texas - Dallas) crowd then probably I will end up having a blast. Its much easier to make friends during your student lifestyle than it is during the working phase. (Also probably the reason for guys getting married and all and looking for a companion .)

This one is quite a different post (for those people who 'know' me). Well all i'll say is being in new place with a minuscule friend circle does give one time for introspection.

Loose Change

2008-03-07T14:28:00.001-06:00

The city of Mumbai (previously known as Bombay.) There are cities and there are cities but none of them can come close to Mumbai and its people. There is something over here thats much more than the amount of money that is present in the city. In the early days if anyone in the country wanted to make something for himself then Mumbai was the place to be in.
Mumbai has been the breeding ground for most of the entrepreneurs we hear about today. Sure the majority of them have built up on businesses handed down to them from generations, but then the whole startup was in Mumbai itself.

There is something about the famous work culture of Mumbai. After the 93' riots immediately the next day itself most offices recorded large scale attendance. This was true even during the 26/7 floods which had disrupted and crippled the city to a large extent. I was a kid during the 93 riots and was more concerned about my Geography test in school. However I was quite affected by the 26/7 flooding incident. I was stuck at Thane station for quite sometime with a dead cellphone. I did manage to reach home the same day though after several hops, skips and jumps along the way. (Not to mention the amount of water that I did wade through. I am 6'2" and still had water pretty much waist high.) I am a decent swimmer.(I have been on lifeguard duty for the YMCA.) , however the raging floods were quite another thing so I can imagine how the situation must've been for the average office goer.

Family and all were fine as I was the only one who had faced the floods. Dad stayed back in office and came the next day. Mom's work place was pretty closeby and so she had an early day off. The next morning while the folks stayed at home, I went out to see what had actually happened the previous evening. All I could see for quite sometime was a scene from Kevin Costner's Waterworld.

After surveying the damage done and seeing that pretty much everyone was out of the water and people were just waiting for the water to subside to get back to their daily routines, I headed back home with a heavy mind. I had tons of questions in my head which were asking basically just one thing." Mumbai is the richest city in the country, paying the most taxes, with a huge population demographic and still getting just loose change for all that it was contributing to the country's economy. Why."

Us and Them

2008-03-07T10:33:00.000-06:00

You never realise this in India but when you are in the US there is a huge cultural impact of the term 'TGIF' (Thank God it's Friday). The whole system is geared towards the weekend being the most looked forward to of all days. And if there is a long weekend then you will find most people flying out to various destinations arranging to meet loved ones and having a blast while doing so.

After a really gruelling work week a Friday means that you will see most people smiling at you irrespective of who you may be. Even during my grad days in Rolla I have seen people just smiling and generally happy on Fridays. As it is the US doesn't really have an extensive list of holidays like India does, so the common public makes the most of those precious ones that do come by.

It starts out with Friday evening, people going back from work and planning to headout to some happening joint which would be the buzz around town, partying till the wee hours of Saturday morning and then heading back home for some rest. Saturday nights (SN) are also pretty much similar to the Friday night (FN) culture. However most people who have already partied on a FN try to avoid another round on SN. The people who do end up clubbing on a SN are either the die hard party goers or those guys who missed out on the previous FN. Most people though end up spending their time at a fancy restaurant or just relaxing at home with buddies. (Mind you, this doesn't prevent them from getting stoned though.)

In India nightlife usually means SN as most people work on a Saturday as well. However recently DUI has become a major issue in most metros and most people are having some sort of designated driver while traveling in groups. Also most regular people aren't really the partying types and end up just relaxing at home and watching a movie or something similar. Sundays are also pretty much relaxed with just some friends meeting up and going out for lunch etc.

In the US the Sunday is usually reserved for recovering from the hangovers one may have based on their SN experience. (I have become a veteran is this issue now...lol). Also people finish up what they may have to leave out during the coming work week (shopping for essentials, laundry, paying the bills etc.)

Bottomline: The US motto " Work Hard, Party Harder"

Q

2008-03-06T22:38:00.000-06:00

For those of you who aren't followers of the James Bond series, Q (Quartermaster) is the head of the research and development division for most of Bond's fancy gadgets. Most of us have seen or at least heard about James Bond's vast array of gadgets and his extreme wheels.(Shown below is the Lotus Esprit)

Most of us have wondered at some time or the other how a spy's life would actually be. I mean we really don't read most the stuff a spy actually does in the daily news. There have been scores of books published to that effect as well. But the gadgetry is something that none of the books can do justice to. Take the cellphone as an example. We had just started out with the most basic phone (Back in those days a single minute of outgoing used to cost about 20-30 Rs in India.) Today we have the iPhone. One device that can do pretty much everything that someone would wish for. However functionality and design are two separate issues at hand.

The device you see above is the next generation of cellphones from Nokia, Morph. Based on Nanotechnology the possibilities of something like this are pretty much endless. (Wearable technology anyone...) You can catch a glimpse of the 'Morph' over here. The future looks to be Nanotech all the way. However the repercussions of this revolution could be huge as well.
We have all seen the demos of Microsoft Surface Computing but I wonder how many establishments will actually end up using it actively.

I use a Motorola SLVR L7 and am quite happy and contended with it. (And NO its a not a case of the story 'The grapes are sour'.)

Knowledge - Nation

2008-03-06T16:13:00.000-06:00

I came across this on Youtube. The work being done of this type at KSU (read the transcript of the video) is highly different than what most other varsities are having in their curriculum's. I went to UMR (now Missouri S & T) and could realise what actually a student today had to put up with.

There is a statement in the beginning of the video which says " If students learn what they do, then what are they learning sitting here". (here as 'In the classroom.') Today I think this is typically a primitive form of teaching .(I have been a teacher too, and a part of the system. So I should know.) Most of the stuff that we end up reading is usually not relevant with what we probably will be doing the rest of our lives. (I am a Comp Sci graduate and so with the whole IT thing, I am quite happy the way my curriculum has turned out compared to what my peers have faced. I can cite countless sources who had to change majors just for fitting into the demands present in the job market.)

The video also mentions that when a student does graduate from school he will mostly be working at a job which may not even have existed while he was going through the rut of schooling. (Pretty relevant I should say if the student does end up changing majors at the end of it all.) A typical student does work at some job or the other in the US. This has to be the MOST important lesson in the guy's education.(there is a saying "Don't let you schooling interfere with your education") Most desi grad students I know haven't worked professionally during their undergrad years. This work culture which is present in the US truly shows the value of money to the student. ( w.r.t UMR I say that any desi who does come to the US should work atleast once in a dining and catering service. I have moved to Texas now and have seen guys from UTD work at the local desi cuisine joints for those extra $$)

Me and my fellow classmates have worked on everything else but classwork most of the time when we had our laptops in front of us in class. This wasn't just because the whole session was too damn boring but also because we really didn't care about the course and had to take it because of the compulsory number of credits required for the program of study.

Seeing the pic on top I suppose the class in session was probably not the most interesting class to attend. The pic has been taken from a Journalism class at Mizzou (University of Missouri - Colombia.) If you look here you will see why most of the students are working on a Mac.

Rang Barse

2008-03-06T12:01:00.000-06:00

Its March and the Festival of Colors, Holi is here. For most desis in the US it isn't a really big occasion. Back home however Holi means a BIG DEAL. The day starts out with a puja and then a meeting of families and relatives and then us kids headed out to the neighborhood for some fun with colors and water.

The last holi however I was in Rolla. We did celebrate there as well with colors and water (Schuman Lake). However it was quite freezing as it had snowed the day before and most of us were out wearing several layers and trying to enjoy as much as we could. The colors were brought from St.Louis as were several other food items as well. After we had finished our playing and the cleaning, it was time for some food. There was a sumptuous spread prepared by the student volunteers completely. There were even fellow American students who had come to join us, desis in our holi festivities. It felt great that even though we were away from the festivities back home there was still enough to keep us occupied in Rolla, the middle of nowhere.

In India all us friends used to gather together and roam the neighborhood stalking anyone who strayed in our paths. By the end of it all however when we did look in the mirrors then all we could make out was a shape that resembled ourselves in some ways and probably a ton of assorted colors everywhere else. There were several people though that had a major fanatical phobia of colors and we used to take delight in dragging them out of their respective houses and totally plastering them all over. When we finally made our way back home after a really tiring session of roaming and loafing around we sat and hogged as much food as our families and others could prepare.
When we had finished with the food sometimes we also went out for another round of colors and fun. It also happened that we were pretty much the only ones left out in the streets by late evening. :)

Rail Gaadi

2008-03-06T09:54:00.000-06:00

If like rap you must listen to Rail Gaadi from the movie 'Aashirwad', its one the pioneers of the rap genre that has taken over most of the US. Long before Tupac and his gangstas, our very own Dadamuni had already done it.
This post is however about the subject of the song 'Rail Gaadi' (Train). I have traveled extensively all over India at a time when low cost airlines weren't the norm they are today. The great Indian rail is one of the best ways to see the country (especially when the rail network is very very extensive.)

Before coming to the US, some friends and myself included made a trip on the Konkan Rail from Mumbai - Panaji (Goa). The whole stretch is often plagued by several landfalls and is closed quite a few times during the year. We decided to meet at Kurla Station and then head onto Thane to meet the rest of the guys. This was a weekday morning on which we were heading out. Being a true Mumbaiker it really didn't matter about the whole issue of crowds etc. (When you are from Mumbai and have spent some nauseating moments in the local trains you really care a lot less about petty issues.... lol)

We managed to grab some hot and spicy batate wade,kanda bhajias along the way. Our group comprised of Gaurav, Sushil, Mayukh (My undergrad buddies) and Laxman (An old pal from my 10+2 days), Rohit (Mayukh's colleague), and yours truely. The route from Thane onwards was breathtaking. It wasn't just enough that we were going to GOA!! but also that we were in the Konkan Rail. Travelling along the coastline was amazing. Konkan can easily be said to be one of the most beautiful and pristine places in India. Lush greenery all around and places untouched by the march of technology.

Malvan was truely amazing in every sense. We had a stopover later and then proceeded by bus to Panaji. We had just the bare essentials with us and so changing modes of transport wasn't an issue at all. We just slung over our bags and headed onto the bus. Sure the bus ride was bumpy and not ideally the cup of tea for most people but we really didn't care. We reached Panaji pretty late in the evening. We were exhausted but quite contended with our travails. In the following days we got ourselves immersed into Goa (aaah...heaven on earth).

Musically (De)clined

2008-03-05T22:21:00.000-06:00

If we look at some the greatest musicians who have ever lived we can see a common pattern involving the use of intoxicants and assorted narcotics. The list is endless.....Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Freddie Mercury, Michael Hutchence, James Hetfield, John Lennon, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Ozzy Osbourne among others.
These are the same people who were icons during their time. I mean everyone knows that Hendrix was and will always be 'The Guitar God' (inspite of Slash,Petrucci and other contenders to the throne)

'Green day' is a band name but it also implies in California slang "Lazying around and smoking pot all day". What makes a musician indulge in narcotics is the whole issue. Yes, it does 'elevate' someone to a 'mind numbing' place. But the price that is paid is huge. I have had friends with whom I used to hangout and discuss heavy metal and the deepest ideologies behind lyrics, but soon with the usage of marijuana those same guys later moved onto Trance instead of Rock and Metal. This pretty much put them out of the group's hangouts as well as on various topics of discussion.

When we listen to Floyd or a even Dream Theater this is exactly what we try to achieve, a higher state. Yes the feeling that someone would get after smoking a joint and listening to "Coming back to Life" would probably even be better than anything else before that. (Some other guys I know would probably prefer Tool over here instead of Floyd)

Some of the most famous pieces of music were probably created when the band playing it themselves weren't aware of the notes being hammered out. Metallica themselves say that the "Kill em All" tour is something that they hardly remember anything of since they were mostly stoned while on stage. (Ref. the Live Shit - San Diego DVD)

Now if anyone thinks that all the substance abuse ended with Kurt Cobain needs to think again. Recently multiple Grammy winner, Amy Winehouse had some issues on that front.
There are choices to be made (maybe life altering one's) faced by most of us. The idea trying to be conveyed here is quite similar to the film 'Thank You For Smoking'

Dealings of the Horde

2008-03-05T18:33:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving for most desis in the US is concerned with getting good bargains while shopping. Most desis I know couldn't care less about the whole turkey eating event. Shopping remains the main priority during this time of the year.

During Thanksgiving 06' Abhinay woke up Dhake and myself to get to the STAPLES outlet nearby. So the three of us along with Devdutt made our way to the store in the wee hours. It was my first experience of shopping deals,rebates and what the big deal about the whole thing was. The previous night Abhinay had a whole sorted list of all the items which he was looking for (External HDD's,webcams etc.) I opted to just get myself an internal 200GB HDD.( I didn't want to risk a considerable amount on the whole rebates thingy as I frankly had no clue how the whole thing worked.) I had also already bought myself a external HDD enclosure online for 5$ (mind you, I had just got myself an enclosure and not the actual HDD yet).

Rama was the first one in the line when we reached STAPLES. I figured he was out for some serious shopping. Standing in line outside the store during thanksgiving is a nice experience. You end up cursing the weather a lot as well as STAPLES for not opening the store soon enough. Soon the store doors opened and the horde rushed in as if they were some conquering barbarians out to pillage and loot the golden town. One glimpse of the internal HDD was enough for me to pounce for it as if it was the elixir for immortality.

Abhinay and the others were also looking for their own share of bargains. Rama managed to achieve all his objectives by getting all the items he had on his list, as well as several other items which he could probably barter later for something he may have missed out. It was like going back to the Medieval Ages and STAPLES resembled a regular bazaar with hawkers, their wares and the customers haggling over bargains.

Once we were done with our dealings however it was time to shell out the cash and hope for the rebate checks to come back. We went back quite satisfied though and after reaching home fiddled a bit with our respective deals and then promptly went back to sleep.

It did take quite sometime but I managed to get all my rebate checks and so my overall purchase came to 25$ for a 200GB external HDD.

Wipeout !!!

2008-03-05T17:23:00.000-06:00

Recently I had gone for skiing to a place near upstate Missouri. (Snow Creek) Turns out that skiing is way better than ice skating but nonetheless I was down most of the time. However I enjoyed the falling down part of skiing a lot more than the falling down part during ice skating.(Aaargh..)

Devang,Gerry and myself set out from Rolla to meet Mihir(from Tulsa) and Yadu,Dhake in Kansas City(KC). From KC the next morning we set out to the ski resort. Dhake had done some skiing earlier in Ohio and seemed a bit familiar with the whole environment. We started out by taking beginner lessons and then we were pretty much on our own. Yadu,Devang and myself were absolutely on a rampage, taking down ourselves as well as anything which stood in our paths. It was a lot like bowling actually. Going down the slopes at a decent enough speed and BAM!! before we knew it we were lying in the snow at the bottom of the slope. Gerry,Mihir and Dhake bravely hit the steeper slopes though.

After sometime we decided we had had enough and as usual went to grab a bite to eat. Gerry,Dhake and Mihir were still on the slopes though. We were quite contended with all the fun we had and after getting something to fill us up hit the slope (or rather should I say the deck once again).
Finally once all of us were done with skiing we returned our boots and gear. And I have to mention this but the relief you get from taking those two ton boots off is unbelievable. It felt for sometime as though we had just wrapped some cloth around our feet and nothing more. We then headed back to Dhake's place for some much needed siesta.

A mouthful of vitriol

2008-03-05T14:09:00.000-06:00

vitriolic - harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments";

We have always viewed television shows in India where the hosts are sweeter than honey.(Anu Kapoor, Pallavi Joshi and several other characters come to mind.) Some years ago before Simon Cowell came into the scene there was a show which originated from the most 'propah' place of all,London. BBC had started a new game show called 'The Weakest Link'. Anne Robinson, the host wasn't exactly sweet and sugary and most contestants on the show hated her. The show however became a hit with viewers because mainly people liked to see someone else being ridiculed on national television.

Now obviously (being inspired) TV channels in India started their own version of the show called 'Kamzor Kadi Kaun' (KKK) and the host over here now was Neena Gupta. The show was designed as an exact copy of the original BBC program along with the attitude of the host as well. Initially the show ran for some time but then it was soon shelved.

Around the time that KKK was meeting its demise another show was coming up on air, KBC. Soon KBC became a household name and the Big B was back with a bang. This now brings me to question why does Indian society frown upon rudeness and harshness on the part of the host. I mean c'mon even Big B must have lost his cool sometime . It would have been interesting to see how much KBC would have run if the host was all harsh and rude to the contestant. I suppose even if the whole Bachchan/Yashraj clan were hosting the show still it would have been a damp squib on the ratings scale and advertisers would soon have pulled out if the show wasn't a hit with the evening familywala viewer.

Simon Cowell on the other hand from his stint in American Idol is quite popular in the US of A. Its very true actually that there is no such thing as bad publicity.(especially when you are in the US.) He has pretty much told contestants off in the most blunt and rudest possible ways. India is also catching up though now to Mr.Cowell. If you happened to catch the latest MTV roadies auditions you would have seen one the judges, Raghu Ram and his scathing comments to the future bunch of roadies. Also there have been instances when contestants have told the duo(Raghu, Nikhil) off too.

It does prove though that audiences do want to see people taking it out on each other. (The auditions seem to be a bigger draw for most people rather than the actual roadies show itself.)

Writer's Block begone

2008-03-05T00:00:00.000-06:00

Have such a ton of stuff going on in my head at any given time that I seriously doubt that writer's block will ever be an issue over here. Writing has been mainly constrained to me by the time factor rather than about what to write.(Also another trivial issue being my proximity to the Dell.) There will probably be just one cause for me to blog less and that would be being with people, friends, family, colleagues etc.

Kitaabi Keede

2008-03-04T21:01:00.000-06:00

I used to be a voracious reader but have found other activities to engage myself over the course of time.It started like a lot of other kids with just plain old comics.(Yes, I have read Indrajaal comics featuring Mandrake,Phantom and other assorted characters) Then there was a phase during school which introduced me to Enid Blyton,Famous Five,Hardy Boys,Nancy Drew (The usual suspects...you know.)

While onto the mystery novels I was also catching up on the the two best loved comic book characters ever.(TinTin and Asterix) Captain Haddock especially was one of my most favorite characters.

However (with the advent of the rat race) the only stuff that I ended up reading in later years were my trigonometry and physics textbooks. I caught up later onto Clive Cussler,John Grisham,Ayan Rand,Mario Puzo. One of the books which really got me though was the entire LOTR trilogy. Tolkien had created a masterpiece which did require some amount of perseverance to go through.(it's a pretty fat tome.) Since then it has remained on my reading list for a pretty long time and will probably stay on top of it too.

A lot of people have asked me to but I haven't read any of the Potter books though. Maybe I will try them out someday. There is another book that I need to mention over here 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts. Now that was a superb book. I tried out Maximum City by Suketu Mehta as well but liked Shantaram a lot better for the entire portrayal of the city of Mumbai.
There is a movie reportedly in production based on Shantaram with Johnny Depp essaying the lead role. I just hope that they do the character justice and don't end up screwing the whole idea behind the book (i.e. Mumbai)

Socially Networked

2008-03-04T13:18:00.000-06:00

The phenomenon of social networking has been around since ages. Some of the most helpful people in the latter phase of a person's life turn out to be school chums from really a long time back.
Social networking is also one of the most popular systems behind the whole concept of the 'arranged' marriage in India. In the 90's it was still in its nascent stage,but today with the advent of the internet it has taken off in a BIG way.

Orkut is one of the most favored sites among the several contenders for the title of the best social network website. I was a late entrant to orkut and was sent an invite by someone who probably couldn't stand to see me absolutely ignorant about the most 'happening' activity around. But I have to admit that it did get me hooked immediately.

Orkut also helped in a big way when I was leaving India for my MS.Meetings could be fixed up easily now(Am sure members of the group UMR Fall 2006 will testify for this.) Also it helped to get in touch with people when I moved recently to Texas.

But then there are vices as well of this service. Most countries in the middle east have blocked orkut and other sites. Consequently people found a way around them by utilizing proxy servers. But the tug of war between censorship and the people is still on.

But orkut is just the tip of the iceberg. I have been getting invites to numerous sites now. During my days in Rolla I had created an account on facebook as well, but hardly ever used it as most friends in India were mainly on orkut and facebook was primarily an american campus thing.
I began to use facebook now again and hope that it is one the last services I sign up for. Getting in touch with friends is fine but the pain is later keeping track of them. Slowly it starts affecting a major part of a person's lifestyle as well. I know people who have made and deleted their orkut accounts several times just because it was turning out to be too much of a hassle and addicting as well.

On a closing note,I have around 400+ odd friends on my orkut friend list and I have been asked by people if I stand at a busy traffic junction the whole day and talk (scrap) with anyone who stops by.

Windy Destinations

2008-03-04T10:42:00.000-06:00

This is with reference to the city of Chicago. I have been to this wonderful city twice now and both the times were during the thanksgiving weekends (Nov). The first time I saw Chicago it was with a whole crowd of fellow friends from UMR. We were basically out to have a good time and rather it was also the fact that we had about a week ahead of us in Rolla with absolutely nothing to do.(Now Rolla can sometimes get rather depressing and bleak when most ppl have left durin holiday breaks and there is nothing to be done.)
The trip was excellent overall and also because I met an old friend in Chicago from my days in Engg in Mumbai.We had a great time at Devon Avenue

I made my second trip to Chicago during Thanksgiving 07. Now I made this trip to meet an old friend from Mumbai again. Gerry gave me a ride from Rolla - St.Louis following which I took the Amtrak to Chicago Union Station.Chicago this time gave me a proper feel of the place. With just the map provided by the CTA I could comfortably navigate the city at my own pace.
In spite of the chill in the air, looking from Navy Pier for a view of the amazing skyline felt great.Devon Avenue as usual is always a stop over for any desi who is visiting Chicago to sample the fares of this place. Millenium Park was fun especially the 'bean'.

Since there is the facility of the fun pass which allowed you to use an unlimited number of rides on the CTA(bus,train) we usually made our way to Loyola and then Devon for several breaks :)
I wasn't all enthu about the prospect of leaving Chicago back for Rolla, but I made my way to Sameer's place in Aurora. He was coming back to St.Louis with his mom and after a hearty lunch at his place we made our way to St.Louis from where a very very patient Devdutt got me back to Rolla.

Texas Kaamgar Yojana

2008-03-03T18:42:00.000-06:00

Living in Texas does have some perks associated with it.The weather has been great especially since I moved from the Midwest. The food has been amazing.Going to a desi joint meant eating at India Palace,India's Kitchen,Gokul (St.Louis) or the occasional Ruchi(Kansas City). Texas seems full of desi junta for now. The park behind my Apt Complex is actually nicknamed Gandhi park.( The official name is Jefferson Park btw )
Cuisine has been really good over here. Desis seem to have pretty much displaced the notion of a Texas Cowboy. Rather it is the time of the Desi Infotekker than the Texas Cowboy. With several corporate giants in the vicinity it comes as no surprise when I can search on google maps for Indian restaurants and come up with results of 10+ joints within a radius of a couple of miles.
Also a BIG factor for desis to have adopted Texas in such way is because Texas is a tax free state.(You just pay Federal over here and not Local.)

On Fri/Sat Night most parking lots in happening nightspots are filled with Hondas,Toyotas and the occasional Nissan,Mitsubishi.Richardson is a suburb which is home to UTD. The shopping complex nearby seems to house only desi shops(names like Bombay Chinese,Zyka,Taj Mahal Imports etc.)

Overall it's been great over here. And also more importantly than any other factor.People are nice too...:)

Livin' on a Prayer

2008-03-03T17:37:00.000-06:00

Just before flying to the US of A for my MS I took a trip across Maharashtra (Mumbai-Aurangabad-Nagpur) alone with a couple of hundred rupees, a few coins to make phone calls and a diary with phone numbers in it.
I made the trip on the MSRTC(Maharashtra State Road Transport Corp.) bus service totally. (I had opted to stay out of the whole VOLVO,luxury bus thing).My theory is that seeing a new place doesn't mean seeing it from a bird's eye point of view because then you hardly remember any of it.Rather if you want to make your trip then do it the way with the common locals. Eat the food they eat,stay where they stay, and speak their language.(I had no issues with any of the conditions.)
The culture of a new place is made by the people inhabiting it rather than the buildings,architecture associated with it.I met some fantastic people along the route and ate some really great food (authentic maharashtrian fare).
The route from Mumbai - Aurangabad was rather uneventful. However while on my way from Aurangabad to Nagpur. I was stranded for quite sometime as all the buses were running to capacity and I barely managed to grab a seat on a broken down vehicle. But since I was totally exhausted, I couldn't care less and dozed off immediately.

My fellow passengers were mostly just local families who were traveling to other places on the route and I was going the furthest to Nagpur. I did manage to strike a conversation with a few guys like myself. We ended up discussing on general topics like the state of India's politics or the some bollywood movie running at that time.

After reaching Nagpur finally it was quite a relief to have completed the whole trip. I mean with my flying date to the US barely a month away most people wouldn't have taken the trip (man..if I get sick m gonna get screwed etc. etc.)

Personally am glad I did make the trip. Yes,I did endure the heat(Nagpur during summer is BLAZING) n also run the risk of falling ill in the whole process. But it was an excellent experience on the whole.