Life As I Know It

Assistive Technology Blog: Captioning On Youtube

2011-02-26T20:53:00.000-06:00

Assistive Technology Blog: Captioning On Youtube: "There are some very friendly and extremely simple features on Youtube that let you add captions to your videos for your audience that may ha..."

Assistive Technology Blog: Accessibility Video Tutorials For Websites

2011-02-22T00:10:00.000-06:00

Assistive Technology Blog: Accessibility Video Tutorials For Websites: "Think Vitamin Membership recently made all its accessibility tutorial videos free. Think Vitamin is a website for web developers, and has ma..."

I HAVE MOVED!

2011-01-01T14:26:00.000-06:00

Blogspot has been quite nice to me, but I find it kind of stale and boring now. I blog here now: http://daftmale.tumblr.com/

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

When You Are Engulfed In Flames..

2010-10-13T23:56:00.001-05:00

Can't wait! I can't believe I would be seeing my favorite author tomorrow!

Bloggin On The Go..

2010-10-13T02:09:00.001-05:00

I have decided to phone blog now so that I could use the physical keyboard on my phone more often. I am actually sitting in front of a computer but still not using it because I really don't have anything to talk about. Oh yeah, life has been kind of sucky and unexciting for a while now, but that's a different story.

So I was thinking that from now on if I am stranded at an airport, watching someone eat their food at a restaurant, see a baby crying, or see a dog lover get excited about their new pup, I will phone blog. There and then. Unlike those smart people who tweet in less than 140 words, I am going to write an insane amount of text about something that I find idiotic or hilarious. Oh, I have also decided to give twitter one more shot. I have tried it several times in the past, but always failed. This time I have downloaded the Twitter app on my phone also (I told you I am serious this time). I don't know what I will tweet about, but rest assured that nonsensical blog posts would show up here for sure (from my phone).

if the backspace was a character I would have many more words in this post - but I digress.

I have spent like 10 minutes typing now, and this post doesn't even make sense.

And my fingers hurt a little bit.

2010-10-12T14:52:00.001-05:00

Trying to phone blog.

You Are So Funny....NOT!

2010-08-06T17:04:00.000-05:00

Well, there are funny people, and there are funny people who are annoying.

I always appreciate the presence of funny people around me because they just do a hell of a good job at making me laugh. The one thing I like best about these funny people is that they would be conversing about something and suddenly they would say something that would be absolutely hilarious. Usually, they compare the topic we/they are talking about to something that they have experienced in the past, watched on tv, or read in a book. There are also those funny people who just randomly pull something out of their asses. What they say may or may not make sense, but it sure does crack me up (these are #1 on my list).

These are the kind of people I like. I always like it when they are being funny just because i love to laugh and they do a good job at making me laugh my lungs out. I always wait with bated breath for them to crack their next joke!

And then there are the funny people who are annoying. Notice that I am still calling them funny.

These people have a good sense of humor, no doubt. But they are not the natural jokesters. Okay, sorry, they are, but they try too hard. Let me tell you what they do.

They crack a joke, and a person like me laughs. Immediately, two things happen. Either they get some kind of an ego boost and assume that their value went up on the "How funny are you" stock exchange, or they think that it is their moral responsibility to keep me happy by making me laugh constantly. And here is when they start mutating from funny to funny but annoying.

I usually don't like to break people's hearts. If they keep cracking jokes, I keep laughing (yes, fake laughter). But after a while my jaw starts to hurt, and I start blaming the supposed jokester for bringing misery to me. I immediately start praying to God to make that guy stop. If I am on an airplane, I immediately open a book or close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. But if I am in a social gathering stuck with this clown, I keep laughing. Sometimes the jokester sees my eyes water while I am laughing and immediately assumes that he is doing a very good job. I wish he (sometimes she) knew that the tears were a direct result of the suffering his or her jokes (or should i say their will to keep going) were causing.

But just like so many other things in life it is pretty much impossible to escape this species. They are everywhere, and determined to ruin your day by being extremely funny.

Flying Woes

2010-08-05T16:46:00.005-05:00

Air travel has never been easy for me. No, I don't vomit when the plane is mid air, nor do I get panic attacks like some people. I am one of those guys whose flight is always delayed or canceled. If not delayed or canceled, I miss it, and it's never my own fault. I have been known to sleep at airports (on the cold floor) on numerous occasions, or sprint at full speed to catch my next flight (which I still miss), and that happens because my bad luck is always working overtime to keep me away from my final destination.

I recently realized that I am always in the last seating zone (it has always been 4). I have never been in 2 or even 3 (1? forget about it!). I am always at the end of the queue to board the flight. What makes this matter worse is that usually with Seating 4 "everyone else" is allowed to board the flight which means that those assholes from Seating 1, 2 and 3 who missed the announcement earlier get to board the flight with me, which in turn means that if they join the queue before me then I am further pushed back in the queue. But that's not the worst part.

The worst part is that because I am one of the last ones to board, all the space above the seats to keep your carry-on is full, and I always have a tough time dealing with adjusting others' luggage to make way for mine. Sometimes I have to give my bag to the flight attendant and she finds space for it somewhere. Occasionally the bag would go at the back of the plane, which means that I have to wait for it to come to me when I deboard, and if I am in a time crunch, this situation makes sure that my next flight is missed.

Since traditionally I have had such a horrible experience flying in and out, don't I deserve some kind of a nice treatment in the future to make up for all the sufferings? How about Seating 3 to start with?

I m Sending You An Email And Guess What..

2010-08-04T17:10:00.001-05:00

Some people I know have recently been provided with smart phones, and needless to say, these folks are now sending emails from their phones to everybody. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with it. That's in fact a smart move. Send emails while watching tv, playing with your kids, driving..it's all good.

But here's the problem - they either do not want to type a lot on that tiny keyboard, or they have just become goddamn lazy (and rude), because what they do is they type the actual message in the subject of that email, and leave the body blank. Now when I read the subject line of that email on my phone or computer I obviously open it, thinking that there would be details in the goddamn body of that email. But guess what, I am always surprised because there is no goddamn text in that email. It's freaking blank!

That pisses me off. Why? I will tell you why.

Because 1), it wastes my time and energy. Reading the subject first and then opening the email (anticipating a detailed message) only to find out that there is nothing else being mentioned is an insult to my efforts. When I put some energy trying to get more information from an email, I expect to be rewarded. If you want to send one line messages to everybody, send us all a freaking text message on our phones. If you are too lazy to do that then at least mention "end of message", "that's it", or "over and out" (or whatever) at the end of the message in the subject line.

2) I just think it's rude. An electronic message is made of a number of parts (To, subject, body etc.) and I feel that each component of an email should be respected by providing content that it's meant to accept. If you are sending me just a file via email and I know that you are going to do that, then it's okay. Send me an email with an attachment and an empty body. Go crazy, I don't mind. But sending the message in the subject line is like disrespecting the "Body" part of that email. It's like snatching a toy from your kid and giving it to your dog. The kid doesn't deserve that treatment (I am okay with you snatching the toy from your dog and giving it to your kid though). And like I mentioned earlier, it's just rude to send an email without text in the actual goddamn body.

Lately I have been noticing a pattern. I can spot the email that would have an empty body instantly, and the first thing I do is cuss. I call the sender an asshole.

There. I am done bitching, and I feel good now.

Babies

2010-07-08T17:08:00.000-05:00

After watching Multiplicity last night, I thought to myself - Why doesn't somebody mass produce babies and sell them at stores so that we could just go and pick one (fair skinned babies would be a huge hit with Indian parents!). The babies should come with certain features though - they should never get hungry, never cry ( hate it when they cry in supermarkets and airplanes), and perhaps never grow up (some people complain that they loved their kids so much when they were little).

I love babies, but not sure if I can handle one of my own. I would rather have a dog. Or a spider. Even a fairly sophisticated robot would keep me entertained for years (Should recharge its own batteries though).

I Am A Football Expert Because I Update My Facebook Status Every 10 Seconds

2010-07-02T17:11:00.000-05:00

There's one aspect of smart phones that I am not really liking these days, and that aspect is the Facebook app. Now don't get me wrong. I spend most of my time holding my phone or my iPod Touch and checking out Facebook updates. However, there is something that is kind of annoying me, and it will stop on the 11th of this month for sure (I hope).

We all love football, and the last three weeks or so have been extra special because of the World Cup. Now this is where my problem starts. It goes without saying that everybody (including the ones who have never played football passionately but have watched the Lipstick League on cable every year) is an "armchair expert" of this game. I don't mind that. We all have opinions, and we all make judgments. Nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is that all of those so called experts are updating their Facebook statuses every 10 minutes on their phones.

"OMG! OMG!"

"Handball!"

"That was not a fair yellow"

"$&^k the referee"

..and the list goes on.

I know that there was a goal. I know somebody got a red card, and I freaking know that the referees are not doing a good job. What I don't know is why you all cannot just quietly watch the game and keep your excitement and emotions to yourself or the people around you?

Being a Facebook junkie, I keep checking my Facebook all the time, and all I see are these insane statuses - every 5 - 10 minutes. The biggest mistake I make is when I comment on somebody's status (or even just Like it for that matter). I keep notification emails about the fifteen of my friend's friends who just commented on his status right after mine. The phone keeps beeping and when I check my email, all I see is "Asshole # 1 commented on your Assholic friend's status", "Asshole # 2 commented on the same Assholic friend's status", and so on.

I don't mind post match comments, but commenting every 5 minutes while the game is still in progress? Don't you understand that nobody gives a chhit about your updates? And also, don't you know that those updates are awfully annoying (yes they are, if you said no to that question)?

I know nobody cares about the emotional trauma I go through when I read those updates, but please, for the love of God, let me watch the games in peace. I am not complaining, I am just saying that I don't want my phone to keep beeping all the time during my game only to tell me that an armchair expert just made a comment about a yellow card.

Enjoy the World Cup my ~~awesome~~ Facebook friends!

Haye Mirchi!!

2010-06-14T01:18:00.004-05:00

This audio clip should hopefully show up soon on a website I am working on...as background music. It would be part of a roughly 30 second stop motion video I am making to promote a website my friends have been working on.

I hope you like it :-).

Hello!

2010-06-10T11:35:00.004-05:00

Quick post - I have not been blogging at all because I am bored. Of blogging. Well, that's not entirely true. I am bored, yes, but I am also lazy.

I have been wanting to blog about a certain things but procrastination made sure that i did not.

Just today, however, I noticed that I have had a surge in the number of visitors to my blog over the last one month or so, especially from Texas, NY, and Northern Europe (hello to you all and everybody else!).

Do you all like reading this blog? I don't know, but I am inclined to assume that you do.

So starting today, I will write more regularly (and also probably revive my other blogs), and see if my blog continues to interest you.

Thank you for your time and interest everybody!

Pop Goes The Corn..

2009-12-27T23:43:00.012-06:00

I am not writing about anything exciting. In fact, most of the things I write about are mishaps.

Here's another one.

I recently decided to make some "white chocolate popcorn" (I made that name up). The "recipe" for it was provided by my super cool (ex) boss. Basically, here is what was to be done - get white chocolate, melt it, and pour it over the popcorn. Simple, right?

Wrong.

Why?

Because I was involved.

I was in a very relaxed mood that night - I just wanted to watch some tv and do nothing else. Usually I just grab a bag of chips and start munching, but that (fateful?) night I was a little ambitious. I decided to make the "white chocolate popcorn", not the regular popcorn you losers eat.

Kidding.

Anyway..

I started with the white chocolate bar. The bar was sitting in the fridge for a few days so it was as rigid as the stones used to build the Pyramids. I decided to just keep it on the counter to thaw it, but soon ran out of patience. I used my awesome (not really) knife to cut three huge blocks of that chocolate bar and almost ended up stabbing myself in the thumb.

Now was the time to melt those big boys, and so I did.

In the microwave.

For 3 minutes.

And started watching TV.

At the 2nd minute and 50th second I got up to take a gander at the inside of the microwave, and for a moment could not really comprehend the situation.

Why were there angry black bubbles blowing inside the microwave? Is white chocolate supposed to turn black after heating up? I didn't think so either. Those black bubbles made a certain sizzling sound, and I sensed that something was not right.

In fact, nothing was.

I quickly stopped the microwave (with 3 seconds still left) and opened the door to see my tupperware totally massacred! The black bubbles were made not by the chocolate but the melting plastic, when it was crying in pain, and seeking help.

I was flabbergasted. I had completely underestimated the power of the microwave. At that moment I was thinking that melted chocolate straight out of the microwave has the capability of becoming the deadiest weapon ever. A few seconds later I started thinking about the mess that was to be cleaned in my kitchen.

I then realized that those classic vessels and the stove still exist for a reason. I quietly cut three more blocks of the chocolate and put them in a vessel and melted them on low heat on the stove.

Slowly, and patiently.

And within a few minutes (15?) I was pouring some rich and smooth white chocolate over my popcorn.

The end result.

I munched away to glory watching yet another episode of "It's Always Sunny.." on the DVD. Fifteen or so minutes later I smelled something.

Burning.

With the usual "Oh shit" coming out of my mouth, I leaped and ran towards the stove to see that I had kept the empty vessel on the stove without turning it off! There was just a little bit of chocolate stuck to the bottom here and there, and it was all burning and turning black.

But the damage was not a lot. I quickly washed the pot and the stains went away fairly easily. I kissed my tupperware goodbye (by throwing it in the trash can) and continued to enjoy my popcorn.

All's well that ends well (thanks Boss!).

Good Riddance To..

2009-12-27T23:32:00.003-06:00

A lot of people know about this blog now, thanks to that goddamn Blogger application that I installed on Facebook. I didn't like the fact that some assholes who did not know earlier that this blog existed were also reading it and commenting on the "notes". I always had the urge to write about random things that kept coming to my mind but stopped at the last moment because of the reason I just mentioned.

So I uninstalled that goddamned app.

If you are reading this "note" on Facebook then I did not write it.

Oops, I Did It Again!

2009-11-04T23:32:00.004-06:00

A while ago I was thinking about how and where I embarrass myself, and came up with these:

The Hindu temple: I have a knack for saying or doing something that kind of irks the pandit or the people at the temple. The last time I went to the temple was around a month ago because it was an important occasion (and my mom forced me to go). That day I went to the temple wearing a green t-shirt with guitars on it, a faded blue jeans, and Chucks. When I entered the temple, I saw everyone else dressed up nicely (men in formal pants and buttoned shirts or kurta and women in sari)- and immediately felt ashamed of myself. I quickly offered my prayers and sneaked out quietly. To read more about my temple stories, click on the Temple Drama label.

During random conversations: I lose interest very quickly if the conversation is not interesting - I completely stop paying attention. My brain is always looking for opportunities to hibernate, and that is what it successfully does when I lose interest in a conversation. The two things that do not hibernate and remain active all the time though, are my head and vocal chords. So during a "lost interest already" conversation I keep nodding my head, and I keep saying "umhmm, umhmm", "yeah", "sure" and similar things just to maintain the continuity of the conversation without letting the other person know about the situation. But some people are smart - way too smart. They somehow come to know that I am not paying attention. They suddenly stop talking, and ask me, "so what did I just say?". Oops. That is when I shit bricks in my pants and grin like an idiot. I also admit defeat and say "sorry (I wasn't listening)". :D

Note: If you are talking to me and all you hear me say is one of the things I mentioned above, then you (now) know what's going on.

Social gatherings: I was telling someone recently about my "performance" when I am around other people - inconsistent. I can either be very comfortable and keep blabbering and clowning around like a buffoon , or, turn totally antisocial and just keep my mouth shut. Usually the antisocial situation occurs when either I do not know what the people are talking about, or people do not get my jokes. People not getting my jokes is more embarrassing because it's kind of awkward when I am the only one laughing like an asshole at the end of the joke. So if I am with you (and your friends) and I am acting strange, it's your fault.

Accent: It doesn't happen anymore but it used to when I came to the US a few years ago - I obviously had problems understanding the accent. If somebody said something and I didn't understand, I would just reply back keeping in mind the tone of their speech, and go, "yes", or "yeah" or "oh yeah? ha ha ha". I am sure everybody thought I was a jackass.

Note: It still happens once in a while ;-).

I think I am going to embarrass myself even more now. I am not happy about the fact that this post is going to show up on Facebook.

*sigh*

Quick Update

2009-11-03T01:25:00.003-06:00

It's time to give this old blog of mine some well deserved attention. Blogging has always been fun, and not writing on a regular basis makes me sad. The sister blog should be getting some love from me too.

I will be blogging on ctrl+alt+startup's blog too on a fairly regular basis. So far, I have been doing what I do best - procrastinate. I finally posted something there last night. I hope I made Web Ninja, Code Monkey and Chief Operating Babe proud. Read more about ctrl+alt+startup here.

I also started a new picture blog around an hour ago. I will post some pictures there that I take with my SLR. The idea is to learn and perhaps let others learn. As of now I don't think I would be discussing too much technical jargon, but i hope i do in the near future.

Women And Motor Cycles

2009-09-16T21:19:00.003-05:00

A strange question popped up in my mind a few days ago, and the question is - "What are the similarities between women and motor cycles?"

Here are some of the answers I have come up with:

They both look good in red or black.
They make a lot of noise.
You can ride both of them.
They can be high maintenance.
If you take care of them they make sure that your ride is smooth (no pun intended).
Mishandling them may land you in a world of hurt (both emotional and physical).
They both look most beautiful when they are just standing in a corner without indulging in any kind of verbal/noise emanating activity.
Most of us do not like to share them, but some of us are okay with sharing them with others - on a fairly regular basis.
Riding them for too long may cause body (back?) pain.
Sometimes you look at somebody else's and instantly wish that you had theirs.
If treated well, they both would stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Dream On..

2009-05-17T02:01:00.003-05:00

I have been seriously thinking about a lot of things.

Not many people know about it, but when I was a kid I wanted to become a musician. However, growing up in India really meant that I was to focus my energy on my studies. Also, my parents never really encouraged me to learn a musical instrument (they did want me to learn classical music when I was very little, but I refused). I think one of the reasons why they did not encourage me was because they could not have afforded the lessons, the instruments and the works. And again, like I mentioned earlier, they wanted me to focus on my education.

Since the last few days I am thinking about making my dream come true (I know it sounds very dramatic, but I am seriously thinking about it). I want to be a musician. I am not planning to be in a band and cut an album and tour and all that. I just want to learn a certain instrument very well (guitar?), get some recording gizmo, and make an MP3. That's all I am planning to do. The day I make my mp3, I will smile. My heart would smile. But now the problem is this - I know how to play the guitar, but I don't know how to play the guitar. I mean, I can strum some chords, do a little bit of picking here and there etc., but when it comes to the technicalities of it - I fail. I fail because I do not know most of the stuff associated with good guitar playing. If you ask me to tune down my guitar half a step I wouldn't know how to do it. So my plan is:

Learn to "really" play the guitar: I had ordered a set of "Learn Rock Guitar" DVDs around 8 - 9 months ago. I did do a few lessons from it but lost interest later. It's time to relearn those lessons and learn new ones.

Record stuff: I don't know how to record. I looked up recorders and mixers and stuff on musiciansfriend.com and got totally lost and confused. None of the jargon used to explain the functionalities of those gizmos made any sense to me. So I ordered this. I would learn what the things do first, and then order stuff and learn to use them.

Create MP3 and distribute it for free.

Sounds simple, no?

Another dream of mine has always been to learn photography - like really learn stuff and click amazing pictures using the technalities involved in photography, and not just click pictures with my point and shoot randomly without knowing what is really going on in those pictures. For that I would require an SLR.

I looked up some cool SLRs online today, and instantly shat my pants. Those cameras are not cheap - even the ones for beginners are around 500 bucks. I checked Amazon, and BeachCamera. And then I checked Best Buy. I had almost given up hopes of buying an SLR when a certain offer grabbed my attention on Best Buy's website - "no interest on orders of 499 and up if paid in full in 18 months."

So I applied for their credit card...

And got it instantly!

At that very moment I ordered the Canon Rebel XS, and went to the store to pick it up, with a smile on my face of course! I picked it up, came back home, and opened the box only to find out that they had actually given me the Rebel XSi, and not the XS, which is a lot more expensive and has better features! I looked at my clock and realized that the store was about to close in 10 minutes. I called them to let them know of the mistake they had made, but they did not answer. I tried again. Same thing. Then I emailed the store general manager explaining the entire situation. I wrote that I want what I paid for, and that I would return it tomorrow and get the XS. The XSi is now sitting in my room inside its box, doing nothing.

But atleast I am glad that I have started chasing dream # 2. I am hoping to learn a few tricks quickly and click some nice pictures.

Oh and ofcourse, dream # 1 should hopefully see the light of the day some time soon too :-).

And yes, as of now, my parents' dream of me getting married soon can go to hell :-).

2009-05-06T02:45:00.002-05:00

I just wish I had spent some more time with a few people I did not spend so much time with.

I Ain't Got No Money, Honey..

2009-05-05T21:32:00.004-05:00

Common sense finally prevailed.

I did not buy the Streamium or the iPod dock, and I don't plan to buy any of those in the near future. I bought a vacuum cleaner instead, and I am glad I did. I brought it home and used it for like 2 minutes, just to test it, and it did wonders! After turning it off I saw the amount of dust it had in its dust compartment or whatever it's called, and I was both amazed and ashamed at the same time. Amazed because of the power and efficiency it managed to display, and ashamed because in just two minutes I realized that I have been living with filth around me for a very long period of time. The last I had vacuumed with my older crappy vacuum cleaner was about four months ago (maybe more, I don't know).

And I bought a 16 piece dinner set, because my folks are coming over for around a month, and I really did not have any decent plates,bowls and spoons to serve food to them in.

And then..

..I bid on two tickets to U2's concert in Chicago [the bitch]. I had to bid on them because obviously the show is sold out, and I have been thinking that this might be my only chance to see them ever, since they are getting older and may not tour in the future. Of course, there are more reasons that defy common sense, but what the hell, you only live once. Just last night I found out that Snow Patrol is opening for them, so that kind of motivated me all the more to get those tickets, although secretly I am hoping to be outbid/ sniped by somebody else.

And I am going to Normal this weekend because a couple of my friends are graduating, and then to Champaign to meet a good old friend of mine, and I am pretty sure that I would end up spending quite a substantial amount of money when I am there.

And I got my car serviced this month, so spent a little bit on that.

Oh of course, how can I forget my bills - I have not yet paid them, and I hate paying them. So I have to still make way for a few hundreds of dollars. I sometimes feel that access to electricity, Internet and car insurance should be our birth right and we should not really pay for these man made necessary evils, but then that's just me I guess.

I am pretty sure that I will go broke by the 10th of this month.

So here's my plan.

I recently used a few amazing coupons and got a 5 lbs bag of potatoes for 88c (which is usually around 4 - 5 bucks). I also bought a loaf of bread for 38c (original retail price - $1.18). Now, my plan is to survive on just potatoes and bread until my parents come here. No Chinese, no Indian, no Pizza, no nothing. I will be a caveman for the next 15 days or so and try my best to survive. I think I will buy more bread because I am pretty sure that the loaf I have right now would vanish in the next 2-3 days.

Hopefully a potato a day would keep the doctor away.

Incidental Expenses Are So Heavy..

2009-05-04T01:04:00.003-05:00

Just this morning I was telling my best friend about how I do not know what I spend my money on, and we both agreed that it is almost certainly impossible to save money, however hard(ly?) we try. He asked me if I bought something new, and I said no, which is true. I have not bought a single interesting gizmo in the last so many months.

After talking to him and a few cups of chai later, something made me go to Amazon's website. Since I was already there I decided to look for some cool electronics stuff. Since I now have an iPod, I decided to look for docking stations for it, convincing myself that I really need one just because they can so conveniently connect the iPod to my stereo, play music and charge it at the same time. I did like one, and almost decided to buy it when my eyes managed to spot one of those ultra cool Streamiums that I had always wanted but could not really get it because they are so expensive. Anyway, I forgot about the dock and started exploring the Streamiums. Philips launched a really cool Streamium last december called the NP2900/37, which I fell totally in love with. The biggest advantage of that player is that I can log in to my Rhapsody account through it and play songs - without the computer. It only needs an Internet connection - wired or wireless. It can also wirelessly connect to the computer and play songs from the hard drive. And oh yeah, it has Internet radio, which means that I can possibly listen to a gazillion Internet radio stations from around the world. I almost decided to buy it, but something kept stopping me. Then I did a feasibility study.

I already have a Philips micro system that connects to my computer and plays music that exists on my hard drive. If my computer is turned on then I can access any music website that exists on the Internet and play music, including Rhapsody, last.fm, and Pandora to name a few. If I want Internet radio, I can always use Winamp or go to any other random website that has Internet radio stations. The only disadvantage, if at all it is one, is that there is a USB cable dangling between my computer and the stereo, whereas with the new Streamium it would all be done wirelessly. So, after around 10 hours of thinking and debating, I decided not to spend $230 on something that would really not add value to my experience. Oh, and I decided not to spend $140 on the dock also. I will continue to use the RCA cable that I have to connect my iPod to the stereo, for which I paid $3 around a year ago.

But you know what I really want? A vacuum cleaner. Seriously, I want one really bad. The one I have is really crappy and just doesn't do anything. For me, vacuuming with that vacuum cleaner means literally (hand) picking stuff from the floor and breaking my back.

But again, something always stops me. I feel that I just should not spend too much on a vacuum cleaner.

I know I am wrong.

And of course like I always say, I know how good my bad luck is. While Amazoning today my computer's power adaptor died, and my computer's got like 50 minutes of power left in it. Now I will really really have to buy a power adaptor. This is something I cannot avoid. The adaptor had died two years ago also, and I had paid 90 bucks back then to get a new one.

Oh fudge.

Deja Vu..

2009-04-22T20:41:00.004-05:00

My friends often complain to me about how their parents are always digging their noses in to everything, and that they are so interfering and annoying that my friends just want to move to a different city so that they could stay away from their parents and live in peace and enjoy the freedom, do whatever they feel like, and most important of all, not be annoyed by illogical and irrelevant arguments.

That kind of always bugged me, and to be honest, I felt really bad - not for my friends, but for their parents because (until a week ago) I had not seen my parents in three years, and in the last three to four months or so, was getting a little homesick. In the last three years, I missed them a lot, and always yearned for their love and comfort they have given me. That is the only reason why I could not comprehend the fact that my friends were trying to run away from their parents.

My parents came here a week ago.

Like I said earlier, I saw them after three years, and obviously, was totally thrilled. I totally loved their presence around me. I love my mom and was very very glad to see her.

However, it's been just one week, and I am beginning to remember my days of freedom that I have enjoyed in the last few years. I have started to understand why my friends are trying to run away from their folks. I have realized that kids change, but parents don't.

Don't get me wrong though. I love my parents - to the bone. But there are so many things that are somewhat annoying me, and when I look back, I realize that this is how it's been right form the beginning...

My dad loves politics, which essentially means that he loves to discuss politics with whoever is around him. Unfortunately, I am the one who ends up around him these days, and he asks me random questions. Now seriously, I have no problems answering his questions, but he has a certain answer in his mind which defies all kinds of logic, and he expects my answer to be as close to his answer as possible.

I think my dad has a problem accepting technology and the amazing things it can let you do. My sister goes to work and usually I am either on the computer, or on my phone - Facebooking. My dad is always intrigued - he keeps wondering why I keep punching buttons on my phone all the time. I don't tell him that I Facebook - explaining the entire phenomenon to him would be another daunting task that I am not sure I can handle very well. Plus, I would have to tell him the pros and cons of social networking, and listen to his theories about how technology is killing the beautiful art of letter writing.

He also thinks that there is a reason for everything - and that he is supposed to know all those reasons. He wonders why the person living downstairs smokes so many cigarettes, why there is a doormat at the entrance (duh, right?), why my sister and I grocery shop like the world's going to end tomorrow, etc. My sister and I more often than not fail to answer his questions. Even if we provide an answer, I am sure it does not meet his expectations.

My mom always wants me to eat. If I am sitting idle (read Faceooking on phone) she thinks I am hungry and instantly asks me to eat something - like repeatedly. She also cannot comprehend why we buy so many items when we grocery shop.

Just yesterday all of us went to my sister's boss's house for dinner. Now, to be honest, I have changed a lot in the last so many years. I mean, my sense of humor, the way I talk, the way I smile and all that jazz has definitely changed, and I myself can feel it. There was a time when I would totally get a panic attack when someone talked to me about cigarettes or booze in front of my parents, but not anymore. Last night I cracked a few booze jokes at my sister's boss's house and we all were laughing like cute donkeys. Well, not sure if we all were laughing - I forgot to see my dad's reaction. He is totally against alcohol and cigarettes and meat and all that jazz, and I am pretty sure that after last night my dad thinks that I am an asshole.

My mom was surprised by how outspoken and "stylish" I was. She probably thought that I am an asshole when it comes to socializing and all that, but I surprised her. She thought I have an american accent though. My sister and I think I don't, and that is absolutely correct.

So anyway, a few shockers here and there have been experienced, and memories from childhood have been brought back - in just one week. It is amazing how parents don't change one bit. They are as stubborn as mules, and so are the kids. However, it is kind of fun when we all argue about immaterial things, trying to prove that the rest of the gang is absolutely wrong. All of us in my family have different personalities - my dad and sister are the kind of annoying ones with their unlimited questions and Hitlerism whereas my mom and I are the patient ones, who keep their cool all (most?) of the time.

Being with family is both fun and unfun.

A Lesson Unlearnt..

2009-04-19T22:53:00.003-05:00

Andre now knows very well that he cannot learn lessons from the past. He has been through this before - three times to be precise, and every time, he had prayed to get out of it and had promised himself that he would never again get into a similar situation. That he would use his brains, and that he would not let his heart take any decisions.

But here he is, doing the same thing, going through the same thing. Cannot think about anything else, and cannot do anything else. Uncertainty is a part of the game, yet he always dives into it, knowing that he may be utterly disappointed in the end, or perhaps, right at the beginning. But there is something that keeps encouraging him, and provokes him to go forward. Something that gives him confidence and courage, something that keeps him moving. Something that puts words in his mouth, and something that doesn't stop him from expressing himself.

It is not something normal, but rather weird. It doesn't happen to him very frequently, but when it does happen, it just makes him do crazy things. It makes him go and achieve it. It makes him give it everything he got, because he feels it is so beautiful.

He is going to do it again. We do not know what it has in store for him, but he will do it anyway. Just like always.

And no, he is not listening to his brain.

Your Samosa Makes Me..

2009-04-15T00:11:00.007-05:00

It's amazing how people come up with something so interesting that it immediately catches your attention and before you even know it, becomes a part of your life.

One such amazing concept, or let's jusy say a website, is www.yourlogomakesmebarf.com. It is a site where people from all over the world post amazingly ridiculuously hideously uncreative logos that represent local or perhaps national businesses. The idea of a logo I guess is to tell people what the business it is associated with does. The prettier the logo, the more impressed customers would be, maybe resulting in an increased clientele in the future. But what if the logo is crappy? Such a logo perhaps tells the customers that the business is as bland and unimaginative as the logo itself, and that going to that business may only result in murder.

I like this site not only because I get to see the best worst logos, but also because the people who post them write hilarious descriptions, which obviously adds to the super unawesomness of the logo. I used to check this website a few times a week, but I just realized recently that I check this website atleast once a day now - just like Facebook. I appreciate humor in my life, and yourlogomakesmebarf.com does an awesome job in supplying humor to me on a daily basis.

Another awesome site that I really like is called www.yosamosa.com, which is as interesting as the name itself. It targets desis around the world and encourages them to post news articles about India, original blogs, stories, and tweets on the various forums on that site. Extremely simple yet easy to use, YoSamosa lets you do unlimited things in YoSamosa land in various groups and forums. Still in its early stages, YoSamosa is yet another site that I see myself totally hooked on to in the coming days.

What I like about this site is that it has some really smart people on it who post smart articles, unlike other sites like Humsurfer and Indianpad, where all you see is junky articles and videos that are posted by their users just for heck of it.

I see YoSamosa as a meeting point for students who want to discuss and exchange project materials, people belonging to certain communities who want to organize an event in their local areas, and for normal users like me (and you?) who are interested in reading interesting stuff and exchanging ideas.

There are very few things that catch my attention, and yourlogomakesmebarf and yosamosa are two of them. I expect to see a lot of action from these sites in the future. Stick around!

Thanks For Reading, Dear..

2009-04-14T22:41:00.004-05:00

The thing that really really annoys me is when I am addressed as "Dear" by someone. For example, If I get an email or a message that starts with "Hi Dear" or How are you dear" - I freak out. I freak out even more when the email or message ends with "take care dear" or "bye dear". It is the worst end to a usually awesome email. And the funny thing is that only Indians seem to do this. Even guys. Okay, I can understand when a message from a girl comes with an extra coating of dearness - they are generally affectionate, and loving, and caring, and many (some?) of them believe in displaying their qualities with no or minimal subtleties.

But when guys do the same thing, I start to make faces, because that really disgusts me. I don't like it when guys go "ok take care dear, bbye!" or "Hey, remember me dear?", and like I said, for some reason unknown to me, or perhaps to mankind, only Indian folks do it. I don't know how it got in to their (our?) system, but it is devastating. The word makes me queasy for atleast four minutes, after which I promise myself that I would never use that word in a sentence ever.

Another thing that annoys me is the bunch of emails with cute little puppies, kitties, babies, or very pretty flowers with the message "Good morning" or "have a great day", or something utterly similar and cliched and stupid. I mean, why in the world do you think your email would add goodness to my morning or greatness to my day? Do you think I would be pleased by looking at those animals and flowers so pretty that they are not at all seen in the real world, but only in emails sent by you awesomely brain dead imbeciles who think cuteness in an email somehow adds value to a certain someone's day? Oh and yeah, have you ever noticed how these emails are sent by the same assholes again and again, on a fairly regular basis?

It's just amazing how people keep doing the same thing for years as if it were their moral responsibility. Ask them to lend you some money, and they won't. Try to borrow their video game or DVD for a day or two, and they would flatly refuse. But they would most certainly forward you those sickening emails that only make your day worse, even if you told them that they should stop those forwards with immediate effect.

The worst part is when you notice that your name is the first in the huge "To" list on that email.

Sick.

Hey Pig Piggy Pig Pig Pig..

2009-03-31T00:28:00.003-05:00

Summer has not even approached and tragedy has struck already.

Trent Reznor had announced last year that his 2009 tour would perhaps be the last tour ever, and after that tour NIN would retire. So I had decided that I would see them for sure this year, come what may. But then things can never be easy in my life, right?

My folks would be with me when NIN comes to Chicago to perform, and I don't think a good son would leave his parents alone and drive 400 miles to watch a concert (I have saved that idea for the Coldplay concert though, since it's only in Des Moines and I would be back the same night!). So I checked their tour dates again and found out that they are performing in Tampa on May 9th. I said swell, and almost made plans of going there to see NIN. But that very night a friend of mine called me and invited me to his graduation ceremony at Illinois State, which, as luck would have it, is on May 9th.

I just couldn't say no.

A tear dropped from my left eye as I thought about how I would never be able to see NIN ever in my life again.

Okay, a tear did not drop, but I was a little sad. NIN does not and perhaps never will come to India to perform. I had a chance to see them, and lost it. But it's okay. It's really not a big deal. I will have fun at the graduation ceremony anyway. It's so much fun to watch the ceremony, especially when you don't have to work at the venue from 7:00AM to 4:00PM 3 times a year, like I did :-(.

Boy, how I hated those saturdays!

I hope Trent Reznor changes his retirement plans.

2009-03-31T00:24:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I feel that I am way too honest and open on this blog. I probably should think twice before posting just about anything here simply because I don't want some people to know about what's going on in my life.

Because they are assholes.

Sayonara!

2009-03-30T00:43:00.005-05:00

I finally decided to retire my favorite pair of shorts, after five fine years.

This pair was gifted to me by my sister when I had come here for the first time in May 2004. They were so darn comfortable and nice that I wore them almost everyday. But age and more than normal wear and tear started taking a toll on their health, and the poor shorts started showing signs of ill health and sadness. I still wore them, thanking them and appreciating their ruggedness. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and so did my shorts.

Are You THE Marcus Fenix? The One That Fought At Asho Fields?

2009-03-29T02:08:00.004-05:00

Finished it today. I know I am a wee bit late, but I am glad I got a chance to play it. I think GOW is the best game I have played till date. The story line lacked flow (not a big deal), but then we are all just grunts, right? We do as we are told, and that is all that matters. It is actually not a very lengthy game. I think I finished it within a month, playing around one hour every day. I really want to play GOW2 now, but I don't think I am willing to spend 60 bucks on a game. Or maybe I will buy a used disc for half the price.

Finishing this game was on my mind for a few days now, and I finally did it. I think I will now relax for some time, before starting a new game. I do have an unfinished NFS Pro Street to take care of, but I just feel that racing games are not fun anymore. Would see what NFS Shift has in store for us. I did see the preview on Xbox Live, and I wasn't really impressed. The last NFS game that I liked was Most Wanted - Carbon and Pro Street are kind of sucky to some extent.

Andre's Adventure

2009-03-20T23:48:00.005-05:00

I did not know what was in store for me. The sun was gone, and darkness had crept in. It did not come alone, though. It brought with it its friend and my nemesis - the wind. I still walked towards the orifice and got sucked in immediately. The moment of lightnessness ended in a few seconds, and I saw a dingy corridor. I walked a few steps and found myself right outside the power chamber.

I entered the chamber and saw a red light emanating from the corner, which instantly vanished when I turned on my flashlight. I stood there and observed - snakes resting in a corner, books untouched and unread, grotesque art hanging on the wall, and a mirror powered by electrons. The mirror lit up when I touched it, and it showed me the map.

I studied it for hours and realized that it had missing information. Suddenly I became nervous. I knew that the only way to get the missing information was to stare at it without blinking.

When I stared at it for a few minutes I noticed new lines developing on the map. I continued to stare, and the lines continued to develop. After a while I got tired. I decided to come back some other time to complete the map. I realized that the bovine army might discover and seal the orifice, but decided to take my chances anyway. I was completely drained.

I walked out of the power chamber to reach the orifice. I was sucked in again, only to be thrown out in the open. I walked up to my chariot, and climbed up. With the full moon shining on me, and a cool breeze slapping me in the face, I roamed the city in my worthy vehicle, like a satisfied man.

One Of Those Days..

2009-03-20T22:25:00.002-05:00

What a day it has been.

When work load is a little high and there is a deadline to be met, people generally slog like donkeys and try to be as productive as possible. But it's just the opposite in my case.

I had 5 cups of coffee in the first two hours of the day (was kind of grossed out by the time I finished half of the fifth cup), and then facebooked the entire rest of the day. I did feel guilty at regular intervals, but hell, it was not enough make me feel ashamed of myself and get me back to work. I even stayed back a little bit today. Well, that sounds stupid and bizarre, considering the fact that I was not at all productive today. I actually stayed back because I had started a stupid "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" trivia session on Facebook, and I was hell bent on getting atleast 2000 points.

I finished with 2100.

Well, it's a friday, so my actions are somewhat justified. I think.

Now I am thinking that my boss would see this post and fire me immediately, just like the girl who got fired even before she started her work at Cisco.

Oh well.

Wounds & Cables..

2009-03-15T19:49:00.007-05:00

I did not go running today. Instead, I saved myself 50 bucks by doing something that I had been wanting to do for a long time.

I spent hours today and finally, after a couple of knife and screw driver stabs in my left hand, I successfully managed to connect my XBox to my home theater.

In case you are wondering why/how I got hurt trying to make some cable connections, you should read this article. I basically did it to save $50. So I guess a little bleeding and a couple of wounds are okay when it comes to saving a lot of money.

My sunday afternoon in pictures:

Just Do It..

2009-03-15T13:37:00.003-05:00

Oh wow.

Okay, I think I should quickly type something here and push the "Publish post" button before I get bored and save this post as a "draft" and just forget about it. February was a weird month - in terms of blogging, that is. I started many posts, but got bored writing them (in minutes) and never finished and posted any of them.

So, I started my day today (at 11) by looking out of my bedroom window and noticing how sunny and beautiful it was outside. After a while, made myself a few cups of tea, and bought some music on Amazon - not full length albums, but a few selected songs of Rabbi Shergill and The Dandy Warhols.

I have plans of going out to run. It really is very nice outside, and after a traumatic winter (like every year) , I would not let myself spend a day like today in the confinement of my dingy apartment. By the way, I always wanted a partner who would run/exercise with me but could never find one. But just this morning my sister told me that she has started exercising - for like 20 minutes everyday. Now, that was delightful news for me, and I too plan to exercise every (other?) day at home, and of course, run too. We'll see how that goes.

Today, for some reason, I am very relaxed. I think it's the weather outside. Like I said, I plan to go run sometime in the noon, and then go get a book from the library. Maybe I should get "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" again. I had brought it last month too, but had to return it without reading.

Okay, this post is good to go. I shall push the Publish Post button now.

2009-03-10T15:03:00.001-05:00

The more I drink coffee, the more I yawn.

A Messed Up World

2009-02-13T15:39:00.002-06:00

"I have seen a lot - more than you can imagine. I find myself dealing with tough situations all the time. For me, the sky has never been blue. The air has never been fresh. My life smells like rancid milk. But I perhaps shouldn't complain too much, because things are getting better. Slightly.

I like my work. I enjoy going to my office everyday. I have made some really good friends at my workplace, and I cherish their friendship. My life has been tough right from the beginning, but I have started to enjoy it. At least that is what I would like to claim, and for that I thank the bunch of dear friends I have. I have started to believe that life is beautiful.

But perhaps I am one of those who can never be happy. I mean, I am not supposed to be.

I was sexually assaulted by someone I know very well today. Just because I am a woman and just because I had a few drinks with him made him think that he could do anything. With Me.

To me.

My life is shattered. I am disappointed. I can't tell anyone about it, and I don't want to take this secret to my grave. I want justice but don't know where to get it. I want justice but don't know how to get it. I want happiness but don't see it anywhere in vicinity. I want happiness but by now I am pretty sure it is not meant for me.

Misery is my best friend, and that doesn't make me too happy.

Did someone say I can buy happiness? I am sure they will run out of it by the time I reach the store.

This is something I can't forget for the rest of my life. A scar has been made on my body that will never go away. I am an educated and independent woman, but still very susceptible to exploitation by evil men.

I just hope this incident would not bother me too much. I have cried enough, and now I want to live my life with my head and chin held up high. I know I am a strong woman, but if this happens again, I honestly wouldn't know what to do."

I Promise I Will Eat Only At Home..

2009-02-06T11:51:00.002-06:00

I am on a mission this month.

I am trying to see how good I am - at not eating outside. At all.

At the beginning of this month, I decided to give it a shot. Well, actually, there is a reason why I am doing it. Looking at all the layoffs happening around the world, I thought, "What if this happens to me one day?". Being a single guy I know that I have the liberty to eat outside whenever I want to. Not that I don't cook - I do, but if you read my previous posts, you would know that I am kind of getting tired of cooking everyday. Well, again, assuming that I get laid off in the near future, eating out frequently would not be such a good idea. So, I thought I would do a "dress rehearsal", if you will. I promised myself that I would not eat outside at all this entire month, and see how I take it. I am not trying to be frugal, or whatever, but I just want to see if I can do it or not.

So, on 1st February, I brought loads of grocery items, and decided to finish all the dals and other sundry stuff that's sitting in my kitchen cabinet for months before going again to the grocery store.

Today is day 6 of the month. I hope I keep my promise to myself.

Thank God it's not a leap year ;-).

Why Me?

2009-02-02T09:59:00.004-06:00

I am just wondering why there is always a newspaper in one of the stalls in the bathroom when I just go to pee, but none when I go to crap? Don't I have the right to relax while crapping? Or was I born to live without privileges?

What Is The Probability Of..?

2009-01-30T16:42:00.006-06:00

Would definitely like to read this book someday. I wish this book was available when I was a student. Not that I did not grasp the concepts when I was in school - Dr. Chaudhury made sure that I did, but perhaps I would have scored an A instead of the usual B had I read this book.

Just a thought.

Update on 10/25/2010: I had to increase the size of the image because I am trying a new feature called Stipple It (www.stippleit.com) that lets you add comments and descriptive information about the object(s) in the picture. For example, if you move your pointer over to the dot on the picture displayed above, you will see a window pop up with two icons - shopping cart and more info. You can buy the buy by just clicking on the Stipple It dot! Sadly Stipple It does not work on images less than 200 X 400 :-(.

Please Vote For Me..

2009-01-20T22:13:00.004-06:00

Just finished watching an independent film called "Please Vote For Me" on PBS which is about holding elections for the first time in an elementary school in China (Guhan) to elect the class monitor. After watching this movie my evergrowing fascination for China went further north, but for a moment I thanked God that my childhood was not spent in China.

The story is about 3 candidates - Xu Xaiofei, a girl; Cheng Cheng, perhaps the naughtiest boy in the class; and Lou Lei, the current class monitor (also a boy). The selection process starts with a talent show (which I missed), and goes on to a debate round in which all the three candidates confront each other on a one on one basis. Cheng Cheng and Xu are first, and Cheng totally insults her. He tells her that she cries, and lacks confidence. He also tells her that she is a slow eater to which she replies back saying that it's a personal habit. Cheng cleverly tells her that she should be setting examples for other students if she becomes the class monitor. If she eats slowly, then how does she expect the other kids to eat fast?

After the debate, Cheng tells Xu that she should have been prepared. She runs away from the camera - crying.

Lou and Cheng - Cheng tells Lou that he is a dictator, and a fascist! He also goes on to say that if elected, he would be a manager, and not a dictator. He would treat everyone equal, and that he would not pull anyone's clothes. Lou defends by saying that he is strict because if he is not then the other kids won't listen to him. "Parents beat their children when they misbehave" is what he adds, to which Cheng quickly says, " You are not an adult".

I should perhaps not divulge more details about this fascinating story about 8 year olds and the adults in their lives, all pushing the little kids to extremes, telling them about their failures, about what they would do when they grow up if they give up now; the speeches, the giving of "gifts" to influence votes, and the "quick thinking" of those little kids that always keeps them in the competition.

At first I was a little upset when I saw the parents discussing the election with their kids, preparing speeches, and making the kids memorize them("Watch your tone and expressions"), and getting annoyed when the kids did not listen. If I were a 8 year old in China, I probably would have ran away from my house. But, we as Indians are not new to pressure. We have been asked to meet our parents' demands all the times, and we have always tried to fulfill them - how many times we succeeded (or failed, in my case) is a different story.

I am just amazed at the so many things that cultural differences have taught me.

Here's a preview of "Please Vote For Me":

Not Again!

2009-01-18T21:01:00.005-06:00

First there was "I am a Mac", and then came "I am a PC" (after Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates totally sucked ass on the pointless MS commercials). Now, there's "I am an IBMer". The IBM commercials, however, are not about making fun of the competition, but more about CSR and innovation in technology that would help the planet. It's kind of fun to watch these commercials, but when all the folks go "I am an IBMer", I go, "seriously?". I mean, couldn't they really come up with something truly unique, something that would make IBM stand out from the rest of them, and that would make an IBMer proud? Hearing them go "I am an IBMer" on TV just makes me think that Apple is indeed a great company for having started a trend (yet again). Cheers to Apple's creativity, and boo to IBM's "let's just use their's" tactic ( or the lack of effort in coming up with something really nice and IBMish). Or did IBM hire the same ad agency that made the "I am a Mac" commercial? Whatever the case may be, the new IBM commercials are cool, but "I am an IBMer" somehow sounds a little lame.

Btw, Circuit City going out of business was a total shock to me. The company shut down overnight, and immediately released majority of its 34,000 workforce.

Bizarre.

So Long, vsrao!

2009-01-14T14:26:00.002-06:00

"Our records indicate you have left Illinois State University. You will lose electronic access in 1 days as described below.If you are a student, register for at least one class before January 15th, 2009 to avoid losing electronic access.On January 15th, 2009, your ilstu.edu email account will be permanently removed. If you have an email forward set up, it will stop forwarding your email on this date.On January 15th, 2009, your ULID account will be permanently removed, and you will lose access to all ULID services, such as email, iCampus, Datastore01, Milner Library, etc.For more information, refer to . You may deactivate your ULID account before January 15th, 2009 by going to .Questions about this message may be directed to the University Computer Help Desk at 309-438-HELP (4357).Thank you,Computer Infrastructure Support Services"

My last link with Illinois State would break tomorrow. The Ulid vsrao would be permanently disabled, and my ilstu identity would cease to exist.

I am sad.

Wrongness in the Right..

2009-01-12T15:44:00.003-06:00

I think I am at that stage of my life where I have to explain to everyone about why I am the way I am. Explanations were not really a part of my life around a few years ago because I was surrounded by people who knew me inside out, and vice versa. Living with roommates also was not really a problem because in three years even they got a general idea of what I was. But now I am surrounded by people who I don't know very well, and when I do or propose to do something - they question. They either ask "why" questions, or they think that I shouldn't be doing what I plan to do at all. Some of them think that I am a really sweet guy (which I guess I am, to some extent), but I always have to tell them that in my younger days I have had my share of fun. I have done a few extreme things that I am not really proud of, but I am not ashamed of them either. Indulging in such things is a part of growing up after all.

So anyway, justifying my actions is slowly becoming a way of life, which to be honest, is annoying. I sometimes miss my friends a lot, simply because I am sure I would have been a totally different person (my usual self, if you will) if they were around me.

I have mellowed down a lot (I think) which is perhaps both good and bad. Good because it suits my age, and bad because I don't want it to suit my age. I want to be a wild animal like before, but miss the people who would help me become one.

I want catalysts who would bring my wild self back to life.

Are You Serious?

2009-01-05T16:42:00.005-06:00

I am slightly irritated right since morning. I spoke to my mom this morning and what she told me came as a total shock. She wants me to get married. It was one of those "enough already" talks. Suddenly. My mom thinks this is the right time to get married. I asked what happened to the deal that we had about me not getting married for 2 years (one year is gone, btw). She said we would have to start looking now - it is a tedious process apparently. I told my sister about my chat with mom, and she also seconds mom's sentiment. She wants to talk to me in detail about all this.

So now I have no support whatsoever. I used to look at my single friends and kind of sympathised with them when they said that their parents are pressuring them to get married. I am one of them now I guess. Well, my parents are not really pressuring me, but it might just start - you never know.

Mom also said that I should reduce/quit smoking and drinking if I haven't already. I said I have quit smoking. She said she was glad I said that. She also told me that I should change my lifestyle and that I should be more accomodating and all that.

Man, it's a very strange and awkward feeling. My life would totally change if I get married. I cannot see myself doing things that I normally do, with another person. It's so weird.

My brain has not been functioning since morning. I have been thinking about this. Oh God!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T23:26:00.003-06:00

Here's wishing a very happy new year to one and all. I hope this year brings cheer and happiness to all of us. The global recession is a bitch, but I just hope our lives are not affected too much by it.

May peace and prosperity reign this year.

Amen.

The Thin Black Line..

2009-01-01T23:18:00.003-06:00

You know what else I hate?

I hate butt cracks of men taking a sneak peek at me when their pants slide down a little bit. It's just so damn gross.

Especially when it's hairy.

Goddammit.

Would You?

2008-12-31T14:37:00.004-06:00

At lunch I had a discussion with a friend about how the university wants us to voluntarily take one to five days off without pay to save money.

Post lunch, I am sitting here at my desk, listening to music, and thinking - so what would happen if I really get laid off? And to make things worse, what if I don't get another job? Like, forever?

I think I would probably beg my friends to take care of me. I think I would offer to do their laundry, dishes, etc in exchange for free food and some pocket money.

This is no joke.

Hey guys, you will take care of me, right? *Eric Cartman voice*

The Root Of All Evil..

2008-12-30T14:38:00.001-06:00

This is absolutely hilarious. Larry King is evil!!!!

NASA Simulator Prepares Astronauts For Rigors Of An Interview With Larry King

My Name Is..

2008-12-28T22:31:00.003-06:00

I finally started building my robot today. What you see are just the legs of the humanoid. Apparently, he is supposed to walk but I really could not test Alpha Rex's walking skills because I did not have batteries :-). I am hoping to post a video here once he is built and programmed.

Really?

2008-12-28T01:58:00.004-06:00

After installing the "Subscribe to" gadget, a thought came to my mind - who in this world would want to subscribe to my posts?

I mean I know that my blog has some regular readers who read the posts and sometimes even comment. There are also those secret admirers who read my blog on a regular (?) basis but never post comments. But seriously, who on this planet would want to read my posts as soon as I post them? Who are those eager creatures who are dying to know about my life, thoughts, existence, and all that jazz? Because in all honesty, what I write about is nothing but shit (for lack of a better word). I just think that this gadget would never be used.

However, I would take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads this blog. To all the secret admirers - I don't expect you to post comments. As a matter of fact, I don't expect anyone to post comments on this blog. This blog is only for your reading pleasure. A mere mention of my posts in parties or drinking sessions is proof enough that I do an okay job.

Once again, thank you to all. You get my mojo going :-).

Don't Do It Again..Please

2008-12-28T01:26:00.003-06:00

Confession.

I really hate it when people say "Welcome to the club". To be more specific - whenever I do/ buy something I tell people about it. If those people have already done/ bought it they say " welcome to the club". They usually have a smile on their face that tries to convey a certain message which goes something like, "hey, you know what, you did what I had done a long time ago, and your life would have been totally incomplete if you hadn't done what you just did."

I don't care about the message being conveyed, but the phrase annoys me - annoys me so much that I almost make an ugly face when somebody says it. In my mind I say WTF? to myself, but keep quiet. No I don't keep quiet. For some strange reason I say "thank you" to the other person (WTF, right?). And then I smile. I don't let the annoyance brewing inside me show on my face. I just decide not to offend the other person.

If you really want to use that phrase on me, use it when I really join a club that you are already a member of. Please don't otherwise. Please.

I hate it.

Another phrase that totally annoys me is "believe you me". I go "WTF?" every time someone says it. It doesn't make sense at all. If someone asks my name, do you think I would say "My is name Venkat"? I am sure you said no to that.

So all you nice people out there - if your friend does/ buys something that you already have - don't annoy them. Don't try to welcome them to a non existent club that only you are a member of. Say "Oh how nice!" or "Cool!" or "Attboy/girl" instead.

Thank you.

2008-12-28T01:25:00.002-06:00

I just added a few "gadgets" here to make you wait a little more for this page to load. See if you like them.

Joy To The World..

2008-12-23T20:49:00.003-06:00

Decided to buy myself some nice christmas gifts. Sudden decision of course.

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I - IV

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns

Grand Theft Auto..

2008-12-21T13:24:00.003-06:00

Something totally bizarre happened yesterday.

Whenever I come out of a Wal-mart store carrying more than one grocery bag, I open the back door of my car from a distance, walk up to it, open the back door, and keep my stuff in the back seat. Yesterday, when I got out of the store, I did the same thing. But when I opened the door, the light turned on, which I thought was bizzare (it's usually doesn't). Anyway, while keeping my grocery bags in the back seat, the dashboard in the front happened to come in my line of vision, and that kind of freaked me out. There were around four knobs there, and I am used to seeing only too. There was a little too much of blue and red around those knobs, and I am not used to seeing too much of that at all. I actually panicked. I could not understand how it could all happen. Then I thought that maybe this is how my car looks like from the inside. A second later I thought that maybe I am hallucinating. The left back door was open, my stuff was on the back seat, and I was half inside, staring at the front from the back in astonishment, thinking what really went wrong.

All this happened for not more than 7-8 seconds. And then it struck me.

It was not my car.

I quickly took my stuff out, shut the door, and looked around. My car was parked next to this one. Same color. Same freaking size. This one was a Ford Focus. I quickly looked around again to see if anyone was watching. There was a huge SUV parked at a distance with lights on. I thought that the guy would perhaps call the cops and tell them about how a terrorist planted a bomb in somebody else's car and drove away in a red Honda Civic. But that didn't happen.

Moral of the story - before you get in "your" car in a parking lot it is better to do a thorough check to make sure that it really is yours. And for God's sake, please don't leave your doors unlocked.

Spare Me Some Rock & Roll?

2008-12-20T17:24:00.004-06:00

For some strange reason I felt like listening to Led Zeppelin today. I logged in to Rhapsody and searched for Led Zep, only to find out that most of their albums (and songs) are for sale only. You cannot listen to individual songs. I was mad. I wondered if I was getting the most of my subscription.

Anyway, I was already in the mood to listen to classic rock. I decided to listen to AC/DC. Searched for them too, only to find out that most of their albums are not on Rhapsody at all. I did find a cover of "You shook me all night long" by an unknown artist, and when I played it, I freaked. It was instrumental, and the entire song was played on a violin. I mean it was kind of cool to listen to that song, but I really wanted the classic heavy guitar riffs and Brian Johnson shreiking his lungs out. I half heartedly decided to switch to Aerosmith. I heard a live version of "Walk This Way", but without Run DMC. The annoying part was that the song ended with the opening lines of Aersmith's version of "Hey Jude" by The Beatles which went - "Hey Jude, lend me a penny...". WTF.

I was dissapointed. I was so in the mood to listen to classic rock but wasn't getting what I wanted. I was in the head banging mood, but somehow wasn't getting the head banging element. I felt very nervous and anxious. I felt like how when you are jerking off and you are about to reach the point of no return and the doorbell rings. You almost had it, but you never really got it.

I switched to Pearl Jam, but that did not satisfy me either. I finally gave up and decided to give Fleet Foxes a chance..

..and I am loving it.

I Am Awesome..

2008-12-19T00:06:00.003-06:00

Okay, so am I awesome or am I awesome.

Yesterday, after coming from work, I felt like eating chaat - paapdi in particular. Luckily I had all the ingredients that were required (I have been making bhel puri quite often these days :-) ). I must mention that I have never attempted to make paapdi before. Anyway, I went in to flashback and just tried to remember what all the "chaat wale bhaiyaas" do - how they start, what all they put in it, and what it looks like. So, it took me around 2 minutes to recall everything and come up with this:

I think yesterday was one of the days when I totally impressed myself. For the first time I felt like I had magic in my fingers. The paapdi was yummy to the power of n, and I was a little sad when I finished the entire thing. I wanted more, but the idea of boiling the potatoes and making the chutney again demotivated me.

Awesomeness totally blossomed yesterday.

You have perhaps figured out by now that I have totally stopped running, and that I have been eating like a pig these days.

Will It Ever End?

2008-12-18T22:39:00.004-06:00

Episode 1.

Episode 2.

..and the saga continues.

I went to the temple around 2 weeks ago to pray for a few random things in life. Well, the real reason is that I had spoken to my mom that morning and she asked me to go to the temple instead of just sitting at home and sulking (it was a saturday). I tripped on endless cups of chai the entire day and finally decided to leave at 7.

The temple closes at 8.

It took me around 45 minutes to reach there because one, it was raining, and two, for some reason the folks who built the temple decided to build it in the middle of a tiny, godforsaken town, the roads to which have been cursed with endless number of speed limits at different stretches. Also, the last road that takes you to the temple was covered with a fine layer of pure white ice (not snow, ice).

Anyway, I park my car and entered the temple. I saw panditji talking to an Indian couple. His wife was also standing there, just listening to the other couple crib about life. I removed my shoes and went to the hall where all the idols are. I folded my hands, closed my eyes, and started praying. But, the constant bickering of the husband and wife outside stopped me from fully focussing on what I was supposed to focus. They both were so freaking loud - it was like they both were trying to outdo each other. The guy was telling panditji about how he told his boss that he would not go to California and that he wants a project in Des Moines and all that. In my mind I was like, yeah right, as if that's going to happen and as if you actually talked to your boss in that tone. The wife was complaining about the weather and about how they don't have comforters and what not.

Anyway, those two idiots left the temple, and at the same time I finished my prayers. Panditji came to me and said, "main aapka naam bhool raha hoon" which literally means - I am forgetting your name. I told him my name and he went, "oh yaad aaya" (Ah! Now I remember). He asked me why I was visiting after a long time (September). I just rambled something and escaped the situation. Obviously he did not remember our conversation from my last visit, so he said, "to south se hain aap" (So you are from the south) to which I made a funny face and told him (again) that my parents are from the south and that I was born in Gujarat and brought up in Delhi. He said no wonder you speak such good hindi. I smiled a "whatever" smile. He then brought forward the silver plate that had the lit karpur so that I could take aarti. The plate also had a few one dollar bills that other people must have donated. I took the aarti, looked at the bills, and then looked at panditji. I saw a gleam of expectation in his eyes. I think he was envisioning me pulling out my wallet from my pocket, taking out a dollar or two and keeping them in the plate. I, on the other hand, was thinking about the only dollar bill that I had in my wallet (I keep it for a rainy day. I am more of a credit card person - I am a sucker for 2% cashbacks), and whether or not to let it go.

I decided not to.

I kept looking at panditji. He kept looking at me. After a few seconds, the gleam in his eye vanished, and I saw anger. And perhaps a little bit of embarrassment. I am sure he must have called me an a-hole in his mind. But I really couldn't do anything. I definitely felt bad for coming to the temple and not donating anything, but I went with my instincts on this one.

He chatted with me for a few more minutes, but only this time I could not look him in the eye. First, because I was embarrassed, and second, I thought that a third eye might pop up on his forehead and burn me to ashes there and then. He gave me prasad also - four bananas, probably because it was time to close the temple and he wanted to finish those bananas on me. I got excited nevertheless, and grabbed those bananas with a smile on my face.

I went outside, got in my car and kept thinking about when the day would come when I would go inside a temple and come out without embarrasing myself or someone else.

Some Music News..

2008-12-16T22:51:00.003-06:00

Apparently Darius Rucker is a country singer now. When he released his album a few months ago I had thought that he would flop. But no. He is a huge hit, with a #1 country single under his belt. WTF.

Rucker is a great musician, and I just feel that he is wasting his time being a country singer. He is cut out for something totally different. I just wish Hootie and the Blowfish were still alive. I hate to see Rucker in a white shirt and blue jeans, playing the guitar and singing about love, relationships and whiskey.

And also, Marcy Playground is turning country too. Oh goodness, seriously? There goes all the sex and candy down the drain.

Rolling Stone's top 50 albums for this year has all kinds of shit, but not R.E.M. Spin, however, has a different opinion, and has given Accelerate a place in the top 40 (Kings of Leon made the RS list, which is good). Rolling Stone also has a list of Top 50 re-releases. It goes without saying that U2's Boy made the list, but Murmur was nowhere to be seen. I wonder why Rolling Stone would give the re-released Murmur a 5/5 and not include it in the Top 50. Assholes.

Finally, enjoy this funny "Carmensita" video by Devendra Banhart. Natalie Portman is oh so pretty!! And she dances really well in this video too. Check out her expressions and all.

I feel so good after writing this post. I feel that the enthusiasm I used to have in the 90s (in terms of following music) is back in me. I think if I had access to the Internet when I was a teenager I would have kicked total ass.

Bean There, Could Never Do That...

2008-12-04T18:34:00.006-06:00

I don't usually go to coffee shops, and I have my reasons for not going to one.

Having said that, I must mention that this post is being written inside a coffee shop.

But wait.

I came here straight from work because I am supposed to be somewhere at 7:30. So instead of going home and taking my evening nap (which has become a ritual) and missing my appointment, I decided to come to this coffee shop and finish reading some notes my boss prepared yesterday for tomorrow's meeting.

Whenever I go to coffee shops I see these young kids studying - with huge books and notebooks around them. Some have computers too. The look on their faces tell me that they are really grasping what they are reading. And usually, in such a situation, just one question comes to my mind.

How.

I have never seen a coffee shop that does not play music. The music usually is not very loud, but loud enough to stop you (me?) from focussing on whatever you are supposed to focus on. And of course, it goes without saying that there are always loud people in coffee shops. I consider those people to be very rude.

So anyway, here I am, sitting in "Cafe Diem", drinking my chai and trying really hard to focus on my boss's notes because tomorrow's meeting is kind of important and I want to be somewhat prepared for it.

It took me nearly an hour to read around ten pages of a word document. Why, did you ask? Because...

There is music blaring - Christmassy music, since it is festival season. It is not very loud, but loud enough to tickle my ears and disturb me. As it is I cannot concentrate, and now I have to "face the music" to make life harder.

Oh and did I mention that there are loud people around?

There is a group of five women sitting at 10 O' Clock. When they all gathered and greeted each other I thought they were all childhood friends or whatever, meeting after a long time and all that. They shouted for like 15 minutes, took pictures, and then all of them pulled out a blue book out of their purses. A fucking book club in a coffee shop. Sure.

There is an older man sitting at 11 O' Clock who looks like an executive. He has a diary on the table, and a cell phone in his hand. He has been constantly calling up people and talking business. Loudly of course. 12 O' Clock is a group of two girls with I think their mom and grandmom. They are chattering about something that I cannot comprehend - it's all noise to me. 1 O' Clock is a kind of cute girl, doing something on her mac. She is either chatting with someone or seeing pictures because she has a smile on her face, kind of an astonished smile. I think she is seeing pictures of someone else and just "found out" something about them. Whatever.

Sixth member of book club just entered the room [I am so Yahoo!]. Expect more chatter.

So I ask those people again who have the "totally focussed" look on their faces in coffee shops - how?

Plan A Update

2008-11-22T20:58:00.007-06:00

Update:

I think Plan A was a success.

Details:

Side View:

Viewer View:

TV View:
To Be Viewed View: Empty Stomach View:

Blogging: The ultimate Internet based anti-boredom tool.

Oh God! Please give me the strength to do my laundry tomorrow!!!

...Ah! But I digress..

Plan A

2008-11-22T20:20:00.003-06:00

Okay, I have a very ambitious plan for tonight. Since I cannot go out (not that I do every saturday night), I decided to cook good food (I am cooking chinese style fried rice. I also have egg nog) for myself, bring my tv and xbox in my bedroom and watch movies while lying in bed. I also plan to clean my bedroom to get a 5 starish room feel.

Let's see how everything goes.

*Wide grin*.

Biding My Time...

2008-11-22T15:57:00.004-06:00

I have neglected my Mindstorms NXT robot for a long time now. I paid $222 for it when I was unemployed (yeah, I know I am stupid). Well, the reason for this horrendous mistiming was the fact that it was nowhere available around an year ago - It was absolutely out of stock everywhere. I had checked so many websites and stores, but nobody had it. Finally I found this guy on e-Bay who was selling it for less than its MSRP of 250 bucks (wonder why) and he was also giving away stickers and batteries (yay!) for no additional cost. Of course, there was free shipping too. So thanks to my ultra handy credit card, I bought it. I did build a simple robot out of it (when I was in Baltimore), but within a few days I had to come to Ames, so I disassembled it, and bought it with me. Since then, the robot parts are sulking in their little box, not knowing when they would see daylight again.

I decided to unpack my Mindstorm today and build a nice little robot, but then I remembered that my rechargeable batteries are stuck inside something that is perhaps used more often - my xBox controllers. The only option is/was to go to a store and get some batteries, but then you cannot get what you always want, right? And of course, the almighty God needs to have a chuckle once in a while by totally stopping me from what I plan to do.

It snowed today.

There's snow everywhere, and now I don't feel like going anywhere. Not to mention that I have zero experience driving in the snow, so I really don't want to take chances. I can actually walk to a store that is not far from where I live, but dressing up and getting slapped in the face by the wind while walking to the store and back does not really excite me.

So here I am, sitting at home, drinking my chai, biding my time. [This line kind of rhymes with the line "I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine" from Norwegian Wood by the Beatles. Sing it!]

2008-11-22T15:24:00.002-06:00

One of the joys of living alone - You can crap with the bathroom door open.

AMF...

2008-11-16T10:41:00.005-06:00

I have a knack for building strong relationships with people who are way too different from the rest of us - people who defy the rules of normality, have weird quirks, and are most of the times stubborn (in a very non- annoying way). Initially I thought they were annoying but went on to become my good buddies, and if somebody is my good buddy they know that I will never forget them and would do whatever it takes to keep regular contact with them. Also, all these strange friends of mine have great enthusiasm - they all see life from a different angle, and do what they have always wanted to do.

Vineet Singh was one of them.

I saw him struggle when he lived in Delhi, and I think I was his only companion back in those days. I would go to his house and we would both smoke cigarettes, and drink chai for hours, and Vineet would keep talking tabout how his childhood dream was to join the army and how he plans to fulfill it. He would keep joking all the time - he was very very spontaneous with his one liners, and was a master in the art of making a fool of himself. There were times when he would be sad, but he would just brush the sadness away instantly and get back to his usual self.

After school he decided to get his engineering degree. He left Delhi and went to a school near his home town to pursue his education.

I recently found him online, after 8 odd years, and got to know that with his super dedication and a childhood dream to back him up, he did join the army! He had served the Indian army for a couple of years, and now was back to school because the army wanted him to learn advanced stuff. We talked online for some time a few days ago, and his laughter and zeal made my heart smile. He had not changed, and I told him that. He said the same thing to me. I smiled.

Just today I got to know from Nitin that Vineet met with an accident and is no more with us. I don't know the details - I guess it doesn't matter. What and how it happened is immaterial. What really matters is he is gone, which I still cannot believe. As I type this post, I see Vineet's smiling face right in front of me. I had plans of meeting him during my next India trip. I guess that would never happen now.

I always wanted to tell him what a great guy he was, and that his presence has always been appreciated by me and so many other people. Now I will never be able to tell him that, and that seriously makes me very uncomfortable.

I stole his pictures from orkut. I hope he won't mind.

Here's a salute to a great human being, a true army man, and a great friend! I will miss you.

Supply Chain Gone Wrong Or Just Indifference?

2008-11-13T21:59:00.003-06:00

In grad school we read so many case studies and articles about how amazing and powerful Wal-mart's supply chain is, with the real cool satellite links and sophisticated tracking systems and what not. I knew for a fact that the case studies were fairly accurate not because I never found anything missing in a Wal-Mart store, but because I always saw so many Wal-Mart semis on city roads and highways. Of course, there are so many of those always parked in the unloading zone of every store.

But lately, I have seen that they don't have stuff available - stuff that I really want. Last week, whenever I went to the Wal-Mart in my town to get green chillies, they didn't have it. I went there around 3 times. They didn't have it. I once went to the store in the morning to get my breakfast, and the presence of those freshly sprinkled peppers made me smile. I thought to myself that I would buy them on my way back home in the evening. I went to the store in the evening - they didn't have it! )

I wanted ginger yesterday (dry cough sucks!). I went to the store and did not find it. I even asked an associate, and she pointed me to a certain area and said that I would find ginger there. I told her that I have already looked there.

"Then we don't have it".

Seriously?

For two weeks I have been trying to get wheat tortillas at Wal-Mart. I just cannot find them. They have all kinds of tortillas - tomato basil, spinach, four flour, and what not. But wheat - no sir.

Whenever I don't find anything in a Wal-Mart store, I think of the articles I read in school, and then I go - "No, this can't be really happening". But the only problem is that it really is. Are the satellites hibernating? Is the tracking system malfunctioning? Or am I just over reacting to the absence of veggies in the store?

If I go tell one of them authors from HBR or Business Week or whatever about my experiences, would they believe me? I am sure I will be a tiny little dot on the graph far far away from the others, and they would outlie me. Perhaps, they would not even believe me in the first place.

But it's just sad to see things not available in my favorite store.

*sigh*

I like, I hate..

2008-11-09T14:26:00.003-06:00

I hate:

- Doing my laundry.

- Folding/hanging my clothes in the closet after I do my laundry.

- Ironing my clothes.

- Vacuuming the floor.

- Doing the dishes.

- Getting up in the morning.

- Shaving in the morning.

- The feeling of going to work and spending eight hours there pretending to be productive.

- The fact that good clothes are so ridiculuously expensive.

- My non - existent sex life.

- Crazy people.

- Loud people.

- Drunk people going/gone berserk.

- The fact that Art Wolfe's pictures are so expensive.

- Assholes.

- Rapes/Sexual assault.

- Bombs.

- The fact that I cannot afford a DSLR.

---------

I like:

- Lying in bed, watching tv/playing video games.

- Doing nothing at all.

- Eating food cooked by someone else.

- Music.

- The Office.

- Driving around without knowing where I am really going.

- Hayao Miyazaki.

- My friends.

- Barack Obama.

- Myself.

- R.E.M.

- Art Wolfe.

Ajit Ninan..

2008-11-04T15:43:00.003-06:00

Just by chance I found out that Ajit Ninan's cartoons are published in the Times of India under the cartoon section. It's just amazing to see how these cartoonists maintain their style over the years. Nothing about their cartoons change. In case of Ajit Ninan, every politician has a huge moustache, wears a kurta, dhoti, and often a Nehru topi. Cops are usually stupid, and usually have a beer belly. His jokes are very very simple - not too much intellect required. If you know a little bit about what's going on around you, you would have no problems understanding his cartoons.

I really liked his cartoons when I was a teenager. His cartoons were printed in my favorite magazine that time - Target, in a section called "Funny World". Another comic strip called "Detective Moochwala" by Ajit Ninan was printed in Target. Too bad Target was discontinued, but I am just thrilled to find Ajit Ninan cartoons again!

See his cartoons here.

Oh Gawd!!

2008-11-02T23:02:00.003-06:00

This post may gross you out a bit.

After so many years, I puked like crazy. Yes sir, friday night. I went to a bar friday night with a couple of friends, got totally hammered and did not even realize it. I was totally okay when I was inside the bar. But once we got out and sat in the car, my head started spinning. I still could not anticipate catastrophe, because I end up with a spinning head almost every friday and saturday anyway. But deep down inside I knew something was not right, that is why I did not even bother to go take my car which was parked at my friend's place. I got back home, took my shoes and pants off, and crashed out. Within minutes I could feel stuff coming out. Usually I try to hold it in my mouth and swallow it back, but only this time the volume and pressure of the stuff was way too much for me to handle.

So I let the stuff come out. And hence, I technically puked.

Of course, once this process starts, it goes through multiple cycles. So I puked again. But only this time, I rushed to the bathroom. What I did not realize was that my room was a dirty mess, with my stuff (read clothes) lying around everywhere. So I pretty much puked on my clothes before I downloaded the remaining puke in the wash basin.

When I got up the next morning, I almost cried. My eyes could not see and believe the mass destruction I had caused the previous night. The entire episode flashed in front of my eyes in a few seconds. And oh yeah, my head was screaming with pain and disgust. I followed the "bread crumbs" to my bathroom and saw that there was puke around the wash basin too. Then the thought of what I did (that I always do when I go get drunk at a bar) grossed me out. I have a tendency of overtipping the bartender whenever I go to a bar, and I realized that I had tipped the guy 50% . Like always, it hurt. But the sight of puke lying everywhere hurt me more.

My friend picked me up soon so that I could go to his place and take my car. Take my car I did, and went to Hy-vee to buy a carpet cleaner and some food. I came back home, watched a movie, and ate my food, my head still spinning like a crazy catherine wheel. After a while, I started scrubbing my carpet. Scrubbed like crazy and got the stains to "kind of" disappear. Did my laundry too.

I sulked the entire day - I did not really know what was happening and did not really know what to do. In the evening I went to the only Indian restaurant in town, got me some food, came back, ate it, and slept. At 10, which is totally bizarre.

I got up this morning and felt so much better, and the fact that I gained an hour made me jump with joy :D.

The last time I went on a puking rampage was in 2001.

Cooking..

2008-11-02T22:43:00.003-06:00

I have noticed that I have started procrastinating when it comes to cooking. I think I am slowly losing interest. The thought of just cooking food for myself tires me. There was a time when I used to start cooking food for myself at 7PM sharp. Now I don't cook for days, and when I do, I just prepare something and eat it. I am actually cooking right now, and I see that my partially cooked food has something missing - genuine efforts I guess.

Another indication of me losing interest in cooking is the fact that I have stopped using onions, because I feel that chopping onions require too much time and energy. I just heat up a little oil and dump whatever I have in it. I of course add spices and all that jazz, but still the final outcome is not what I expect it to be.

I have sometimes also wished that I had someone who would cook food for me. A robot, perhaps.

I just hope I gain my interest back.

Do I Need Change?

2008-10-29T01:12:00.004-05:00

So I just realized that it is way easier to parallel park when you are drunk.

I just got back from my friend's house. She had made Diwali dinner for a bunch of people. I was in a group in which just about everybody was atleast a Ph.D - very intimidating. For the first time I realized that just having a masters is not enough. And anyway, I have always believed that people who do their PhDs are just great. They deserve to be on a different planet - with their own kind of people. They could/should leave this small world for us mortal people. Well, I think I will never discuss this story again.

But a discussion about marriage with my friend and her husband over a few rum + cokes kind of left a deep impact in my brain.

My friend said that as human beings we constantly seek change. We cannot just keep doing something that we have been doing forever. I thought she was right because I think I am at that stage where I would enjoy somebody's company. I am not referring to a potential girlfriend or wife, but perhaps a social circle which would keep me busy and entertained. People usually ask me about my marriage plans and I tell them that I would probably wait for another two years. I know for a fact that all the pretty girls have been married, but I think at this age, I should look at how beautiful a woman is from the inside. Beauty, after all, is only skin deep.

No, sorry, that's bull crap. I would still want a pretty girl when I decide to get married.

Anyway, I came back home and decided to blog. I started writing my post but stopped in the middle because my head was spinning really bad, and I wanted to sleep. It was three in the morning afterall.

I got up this morning, totally hungover, and suddenly last night's discussion popped into my mind from somewhere.

I laughed out loud. And I am still laughing.

ODC??Power User??...Namaste Ji!

2008-10-22T01:29:00.006-05:00

I met this very nice guy a few days ago (he is Abnormal's friend) who has come from India on a project. We started talking about software projects in India ,and at the end of the conversation I realized that I now have a decent understanding of how onsite/offshore teams function. He was very kind and patient - I had so many questions and he answered all of them. I now understand how people are selected, how they are placed in projects, and what can they do to get kicked out of a team/project/company. His profession as a techie guy has allowed him to travel to many countries - he mentioned Germany, Singapore, New Zealand, and the US. I asked him if it's fun to travel around the world on a ticket paid for by the office. He said it can be, but the shorter trips don't mean much (~a month). Apparently monday to friday is spent in office, and there is only so much you can do on weekends. I guess it does make sense. But still, I think all them techie guys in India are damn lucky :-).

Dang! I should have taken a picture with him! I like getting my pictures taken with nice people.

Anyway, a different story - this is more about my experiences with random nice people. There is a lady at the Wal-mart I go to who looks hispanic, and has great interest in Hindi. Every time I meet her she greets me with the usual namaste. I think she learns words and phrases from other Indian customers too, because after the usual namaste, she once said kya haal hai? (how are you?) and something else the second time. She asked me to teach her "good morning" and "good afternoon". I did tell her what good morning was in hindi (I wrote it down on a piece of paper), but guess what - I did not know what good afternoon was. I totally blanked out. I tried to recall, I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but just could not come up with a/the word. This was yet another moment where I made a fool of myself by giving the impression that I don't know stuff about my own country/language. Digression - this keeps happening to me at work, when my colleagues ask me "India" questions and more often than not, I don't have an accurate answer. I sometimes make things up, but I do tell them that "I may be wrong". Then I usually look it up on Wikipedia and go, "oh! this is what it is!". Anyway, so I sheepishly told the lady that I don't know what good afternoon is in hindi( I actually wanted to say that there's no hindi equivalent of good afternoon, but stopped - I did not want to make a fool of myself yet again), said bbye, and walked out of the store, thinking how stupid I really am.

I might not go that lady's register again.

Nah, I will.

It's Not The Couch, It's Not The Floor...It's Not Even The Sleeping Bag!

2008-10-21T00:22:00.004-05:00

I am couch friendly. I am floor friendly. I am sleeping bag friendly.

These are the things I sleep on/in whenever I visit friends over weekends. But this weekend was a lot different - I got to sleep in a bed! A pretty big bed with 2 pillows and a comforter!! Seriously, it was a privilege, considering that I always carry my own pillow and comforter everywhere because my friends don't have extras.

Anyway, I am just looking forward to my trip to Dallas. Seeing the concert with Dr. sahab should be fun. I hope he has learnt the lyrics to all the songs by heart by now.

I had deer meat today. It was good.

Run, Forrest, Run!!!!

2008-10-17T01:02:00.004-05:00

I have been pretty inconsistent with my running, and I openly blame my shin splints for that. I have been running almost everyday now. There was a time when I couldn't even run a mile. Now, on a good day, I can do 6. But I know for a fact that I cannot do 6 miles on a regular basis. I usually end up running between 3-5 miles. I try to run atleast 3 everyday. Yesterday was perhaps the only day that I ran only a little over a mile mostly because it was suddenly very cold outside, and I was running in my shorts and t-shirt. The cold wind slapped my chest constantly and I could not breathe. So I decided to stop there and then. But, like I said, I get shin splints every day. Every day my legs hurt - the right one more than the left. I have tried icy hot, and pain killers. I also bought new running shoes for God's sake.

But when I run I can feel strength building up inside of me. I think I get shin splints because I am running after a long long time. It will go away for sure. I just have to keep running, and I think I have reached that point where I somewhat feel cranky if I don't run at all. And guilty.

My legs may cry after my daily run, but it sure feels wonderful when I am actually running in the park.

I finished watching all the Wes Anderson movies just a few minutes ago..

It's OK, It's Not All That Good: Pain - tagram

2008-10-08T22:26:00.003-05:00

While listening to music at work yesterday I decided to check out Pentagram, the Indian rock and roll band that I slightly admired when I was in India. When I searched for them on Rhapsody, I found two entries for Pentagram. The first one was a doom metal band, which I knew was't the one. The next one did not have a genre attaached to it, so I clicked on it. It turned out to be the band I was looking for - the band from Mumbai, and their newest album was listed there too. It's called "It's OK, it's all good". The cover of the album has a peace sign and a "I want to rock & roll" next to it. Anyway, I added the songs to my player and started listening to them one by one. The first song, "Today", got me totally bewildered. I was expecting some cliched Iron Maiden/ Metallica kind of guitar riffs, but instead I heard an entirely different "sound" - a mish mash of metal/techno/punk-pop, a heavy bass line, and Badlani's filtered voice. I must say I liked the song - very much. It was something I did not expect from an Indian band. Kudos to Pentagram for introducing a new sound to the Indian rock and roll sound. All the head banging losers should now realize that it is time to change. The world has a lot more to offer - not just Maiden, Sepultura and Metallica (oh btw, the newest Metallica album is apparently very very very very heavy - for the first time their fans complained and asked them to turn the volume down a little bit).

So, the first song had a lot of energy and was very encouraging. But...

The second song, "Electric" is a blend of NIN, daft punk, LCD soundsystems, digitalism and any electronic band you can think of. Of course, Dadlani using filters to sing kind of gave him a Danzig voice. This song made me cautious. "Are all the songs going to sound the same?" - I though to myself.

And sound the same they did. Every song is an over ambitious attempt at making the song more electronic, which is totally fine. But the only problem is that usually, every song on an album has a different feel to it. I once again appreciate Pentagram's attempt to introduce a new sound, but their lack of experience perhaps let them down. And 16 songs on an album? Please, nobody has the patience to listen to 16 songs now. Give me 10 good quality songs and I am more than happy.

Of course, Dadlani should stop singing. Has somebody ever told him how bad his vocals are? Thank God he used filters, but still in a few songs he sounds like himself which is totally disappointing. Make way for someone else now, Dadlani.

And the lyrics..oh My God! Childish and hilarious. They have tried to sound very bold and serious, but the words are just silly and nonsensical. "Man Eat Man" is a joke. Listen to it if you get a chance. I think it's about how Man has created everything that is bad. I could not understand many of the words because of Dadlani's filtered voice, but it's just stupid. And oh, this song has a very peppy beat to it. Who would ever think of singing about serious things in this world to dance beats, huh?

I heard 5 or 6 more, then gave up. It was deja vu. I had bought their first album in 96. It had a few good songs, but the album was not solid. This one is very similar, except that it's electronic.

So in a nutshell:

- Pentagram's got balls *applause*.

- Very over ambitious , should have been a little cautious (first attempt at something new, you see).

- Don't use filters on all songs, you guys.

- Dadlani should stop singing. He is a good musician, and an equally bad singer.

- Hire a lyricist.

- 16 songs on an album? Don't joke with me please..

Ewwww!!!

2008-10-06T23:29:00.003-05:00

Some people are just so disgusting.

I just watched Hugh Hefner's birthday on TV a few hours ago. First of all, this guy is pathetic - 82 years old and still screwing 20 year old females. His so called girl friends should be shot in public for getting screwed by this creep every day and every night. Show a little class and dignity now, you girls.

Anyway, so they were showing his birthday party on TV (his birthday is actually in April but the party was broadcasted now). So this dude goes to "The Palms" in Vegas with his girl friends where the owner of the hotel gifts him his own table. The table has black and white pictures of Hugh and the three chicks with "Hef's Table" written in red in the middle. The dude and the girls are surrounded by hundreds of people who are obviously excited to see this old pathetic fuck.

Apparently there's one more surprise party for the guy. The girls and the dude go somewhere else where...oh my God! I just could not believe it. I still cannot believe it.

Pamela Anderson, naked from head to toe, greets our man. She is holding a birthday cake in her right hand with so many candles on them. She is kissing this old fart non-stop and this lame bastard, who is all smiles, is kissing her back and what not. I was surprised to see how Hugh Hefner was caressing Pamela's ass - and she wouldn't stop smiling as if she was enjoying it a lot.

Now the grand finale - They all go back to his mansion (Pamela too). There the girls, Pamela, Hugh's sons, and a few more people sing "Happy Birthday to you.." for him, he blows candles once again, and then receives gifts from his girlfriends. Now, these are not ordinary gifts - he gets chocolate casts of private parts of his girlfriends. He gets Kendra's ass in white chocolate with a brown circle in the middle (oh sick!), Bridget's tits, and Holly's vagina..

Oh man..enough.

I think this entire Hefner' birthday experience was the most disgusting thing in the world to the power of n.

I will go puke now.

Being John Malkovich?

2008-09-28T04:04:00.007-05:00

I cannot believe it..I just cannot believe it! I am so proud of myself..I am so so proud of myself!

I just found out that I went to the same school as John Malkovich!!!! I was just browsing through the ISU Alumni website when I came across this page:

I don't think my blog allows people to see magnified pictures..but it's true! John Malkovich did go to Illinois State University in the 70s..woohoo!!!!!

Okay, You should be able to see the enlarged image here.

Aunty Samosa Please..

2008-09-21T13:24:00.003-05:00

I had planned to go to Des Moines this weekend to do touristy things because I have been near Des Moines for nine months now, but unfortunately have seen only the airport there (oh and the state fair). Friday night I was looking up tourist attractions in Des Moines when my friend from Minneapolis called me and asked me to come over. Well, I said okay, and immediately chucked my Des Moines plan. Some other time, I thought.

So saturday morning, before getting on I-35N, I decided to grab a bite to eat. I stopped at a Burger King, and got in the line to order stuff. The lady behind the counter looked like she was in her 50s, and very Indian. Anyway, I ordered the usual - enormous omelette sandwich meal with "no meat", but only this time I forgot to say "no meat". She said, "five seventeen". Suddenly I realized that I had not given her the "special instructions". I asked her - "Did I say no meat?", and she goes, "Oh, no meat?" and quickly changed my order.

Obviously we were conversing in English.

Then she goes "India se?". I go "haanji". She goes "India mein kahan se?". I go "Dilli se."

I think she thought that I am new in America, so she started telling me about other vegetarian options on the menu. I told her that I am aware of those options and that I really like the EOS without the meat. I didn't feel like telling her that I avoid bacon but would eat it if I have very few or no other choices.

Then she asked me if I go to Iowa State. I said I work there, and that I graduated from Illinois State. She goes "kya? professor?". I go "nahi, programmmer/analyst". Then she tells me that her son did his internship at Caterpillar in Peoria, and that he goes to Iowa State. I said, "swell".

Now the best part - she told me that she cooks at home and sells stuff - like samosas and all. I was like "kya baat kar rahe ho aunty?". She said, "haan, main karti hoon. Kabhi aao ghar pe - main mall ke peeche rehti hoon." I told her to give me her contact information. She did. I was very happy. I thought maybe she sells stuff for cheap, unlike the international store dude who sells a somasa for a buck and a half - a total ripoff. She might have been happy too, because she had just found a bakra. Whatever. I think once I go back to Ames I will give her a holler.

I later realized that she was a little too nice to me. I was supposed to get a medium coffee - she gave me a large one. I had asked for four creamers - she gave me five. I said "that's swell" to myself and finished my breakfast.

I think I keep having these random encounters/experiences with nice people once in a while, and whenever I think about those incidents, I smile.

I Win!!

2008-09-20T00:05:00.002-05:00

Oh look, I got an Oscar!! I finally made my Mom and Dad proud..thank you SilentBeauty2001.:P

PS: Now seriously, thank you SilentBeauty2001 for being a regular reader :-).

Ass..

2008-09-18T00:46:00.004-05:00

So traditionally I make a fool of myself whenever I go to a Hindu temple, and this time was no exception.

Last friday I went to this Hindu temple around 30 miles from Ames to get Pooja done for something new I bought. When I entered the temple I noticed that the Panditji was about to start a Pooja for someone else. So I also decided to stand there with folded hands, knowing that my Pooja would not be done that day, and that I would have to come back some other time. Anyway, Panditji started the Pooja, and there were around 10 of us. To be honest (sorry God!) I get very bored during Poojas that last more than 15 minutes. So after 15 minutes I totally lost my focus and started looking at all the idols inside the temple. I was also thinking of blogging about the entire situation too. I was in a different world. That is when I noticed that Panditji was asking each one of us our names and our gotras. I instantly knew that the time had come to embarass myself. I vaguely remembered that my mom once told me that my gotra is haritsa. But somehow I was not very sure. I kind of convinced myself that it was not haritsa. Panditji came to me and asked me my name first. I said Venkat. Then he said, "Which Gotra?". I blurted out "Haritsa" and immediately I said, "I don't know". Panditji gave me a weird stare. I said Haritsa again, and Panditji started chanting shlokas in sanskrit. By now I was very much convinced that my gotra was not haritsa. There I was, standing and thinking that the Pooja would have no effect on me whatsoever because of the wrong gotra.

So now two things were happening to me. Firstly, I felt like a complete idiot. I, a 28 year old guy, did not know his gotra, and by saying "I don't know" in front of 9 other people, I made a complete fool of myself. Secondly, I lost my focus again. I started thinking about food, the rain outside, the people inside and what not.

I usually dont care when I make a fool of myself because it has become a way of life, but this time was different. I strongly felt that I should have atleast known my gotra for God's sake. And also, there are so many other things in life that I cannot ignore/avoid anymore. I thought to myself that I should start behaving myself, and that I should take life more seriously. I cannot just keep having fun all the time.

But two days later I was like - screw it. I am not going to kill myself thinking about just about every minor thing in life.

I know for a fact that I am as stubborn as a mule. I don't think I would ever change.

2008-09-09T22:22:00.002-05:00

The Brett Favre of cycling - Lance Armstrong.

Update - 09/10/2008

I take my words back. Lance Armstrong is not coming back because he was confused earlier (like Favre). He is coming back to spread awareness about cancer. I just read about his comeback and his reason.

I think I just got a taste of my own foot.

Fannie, Freddie..Fucked

2008-09-07T22:04:00.004-05:00

So Fannie and Freddie have been fucked to the bone - well almost. But thanks to the Fed, both the companies should be able to see light at the end of the tunnel in the coming months, or years. All the lenders involved in the subprime mortgage crisis screwed everybody, and because of that, Fannie and Freddie have been dealing with nightmares since July 2007. Both the companies would never have thought that they would one day be really penalized for their MBSs. I just wonder how it feels when a nightmare comes true.

From CNN: The Fed has almost 80% ownership of Fannie & Freddie now. Dividends have been put on hold, and all "charitable" activities of the company are under review. Good job Fed, I say. Charity begins at home.

I am just wondering what would have happened if Fannie and Freddie had declared bankruptcy. After witnessing the subprime mortgage crisis in July last year, and the chaos that it created in America, F & F's bankruptcy would have caused a chaotic situation hundred times larger in magnitude. But desperate situations demand desperate measures, and that is why the Fed intervened - at the right time, I guess.

GSEs like F & F in a capitalist economy are a good example of socialism (in a capitalistic economy) and social interventionism (in the 30s and 60s perhaps), and it has its own advantages and disadvantages. Its presence made sure that people belonging to lower income households got to own houses. It's absence would have saved trillions of dollars, but would have also made the housing market much more aggresive - if there was someone big enough to replace F & F.

2008-09-07T20:46:00.001-05:00

Dr. Indiana Jones is the greatest hero ever ;-)

Thank You Mom and Dad!

2008-09-07T03:41:00.004-05:00

I have always valued what my parents have taught me over the years. They have always given importance to morality, ethics, honesty, and level headedness. They have always told me not to let success get into my head, always to respect people, never to shout at someone - however annoyed I may be, and to always keep my cool.

I know for a fact that they are absolutely right. My dad used to run his own business, but he could never get rich because he could never lie, he could never cheat, and he could never be dishonest. My mom always supported him. As a kid I always thought that money was everything, but now I know that it really is not. If you don't have peace of mind then you are basically screwed to the power of n.

When we grew up my mom preached us constantly. She always reminded me that we should conform to humanity and that we should respect others. She still tells me that shouting at someone is never a solution to anything, but dealing with the problem in a cool and composed way can automatically solve so many problems so easily.

There is something wrong with my cable box - the TV guide does not download properly. I have called my cable company three times, and while calling them today I almost wanted to shout at them , but I did not. Whenever I am in a shitty situation or I am pissed with someone, I remember what my parents have taught me - and I automatically calm down.

It's nice to be nice to someone.

I am proud of what my parents are, and what they have taught my sister and I. I promise to stick to their principles - come what may.

Snow Snow Go Away...

2008-09-07T00:31:00.004-05:00

It has started getting colder - already. I don't like it, I just don't like it. I mean I like what it is like right now - slightly chilly, cloudy and really really nice. I may want the weather to be like this forever, but what I don't like is the fact that the niceness would make way for hideousness in the coming months. Last winter was the worst I have ever seen, and the fact that it took so long to go away added to my misery. I dread the sight of snow and ice everywhere, and wind literally slapping my face while I walk on ice, trying my best not to land on my buttocks.

I hope the winter this year is nicer than last year.

I hope there is less snow.

I hope I get to see a tree somewhere with leaves on it.

I hope I don't start smoking again.

I am listening to Sugarcult as I write this post. I think I like them.

Everybody Here Comes From Somewhere..

2008-09-06T23:53:00.002-05:00

My R.E.M. experience has not yet ended. For some reason (thank you God) R.E.M. decided to add Dallas to their world tour. They finish touring Europe and come back to North America to perform in Dallas and New Orleans in October, before proceeding to South America. When I heard about Dallas I immediately bought the ticket. It wasn't cheap for sure - well, seats in the first few rows are never cheap, right?

The only dilemma I have now is whether to fly or drive to Dallas. It's pretty far - 800 miles. If I drive, I will be exhausted. If I fly, I might get stuck - again.

I just might drive.

TAPFS is coming to Des Moines in November. Have heard a lot about their shows, and I think the ticket is only 30 bucks. Should be fun.

Sweet!

2008-09-05T01:18:00.003-05:00

I will not spend any money on anything fancy and useless this month. Last weekend I think I spent more than I was expecting to spend on my Chicago trip (which was Uber fun!). I have also bought a nice little surprise for some people I know - but that's it. No more toys and video games this month. If I go to Minneapolis next weekend, I will spend on alcohol because I have asked my cousin to get drunk with me.

That's it.

PS: I can't believe I spent close to $100 last month on toys. I usually buy small toys from Wal-mart but last month I went to Toys-R-Us, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But I like the toys I bought - Die cast war helicopters and tanks, and Eric Cartman and Butters bobbleheads ;-).

Sweet!

O-O-O-O-Oshikuru..

2008-08-27T23:14:00.003-05:00

You know how when you hear someone sing a song and you like it, you start singing it all day long and just don't stop? Well, I remembered a few songs that I keep singing these days non-stop. These are from TV shows..

1. Charlie Harper(Sheen) in Two and a Half Men. He changes the words of the popular christmas carol "Joy to the World.." to "Joy to the world, I am getting laid..I am getting laid tonight..."

2. Charlie Harper in Two and a Half Men again. He is supposed to write the theme song for a TV show based on an Anime character "Oshikuru". This is what he comes up with:

"O O O O Oshikuru
O O O O Oshikuru
My oh my he's a demon samurai..
Who's the guy who had to die...
O-Shi-Ku-Ru."

Here's the video:

3. Karen (Rashida Jones) in The Office - Phyllis's Wedding. They show her sing just one line of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" By The Police.

4. Dennis and Charlie in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Oh my God! Crazy song from the craziest TV show I have ever seen. Take a look.

2008-08-20T02:05:00.001-05:00

It's always so good to talk to old friends...I sometimes just wish they were not married..lol!

Flashed..

2008-08-20T01:14:00.004-05:00

Oh my God!

Can't stop watching "Women's Appreciation" from season 3 of The Office. Watch the first few minutes of that episode when Pam tells Michael that Phyllis was flashed and he starts laughing and then does stuff with his finger. Oh my God! Absolutely hilarious! It's really really gross and cheap, but that's why it is so funny, right?

I still can't stop laughing.

Steve Carell is the master of comedy.

Three Cups of Tea...

2008-08-18T20:56:00.005-05:00

Greg Mortenson will be in Rockford, IL next month, and I am seriously planning to go and see him. Those of you who do not know who Greg Mortenson is, please read his book "Three Cups of Tea.." or follow one of the links on the right sidebar. What he has done to educate muslim girls in Pakistan is commendable - started with a failed attempt to scale the K2 and ended up (no, still going) with building schools in the remotest of regions in Pakistan, where fund from the government do not reach (perhaps because the government is not interested in educating children in those regions).

It's good to see that people still conform to humanity and morality. I want to do something very similar - but where, when and how? I don't know. I would perhaps write a letter to Dr. Gireg and ask him for suggestions. I am pretty sure I would not be able to volunteer in Pakistan, but if he has some kind of a desk job for me, I would be more than willing to do it :-).

Greg Mortenson - remember this name. You might hear this name again in the coming decade or two - when he wins his Nobel Peace Prize :-).

Fourth Time Lucky?

2008-08-18T20:17:00.005-05:00

So Shawn Johnson won her third silver medal yesterday - not sure if Hy-vee is disappointed. Apparently, Shawn signed a huge deal with the grocery chain, which was pretty evident from the Shawn Johnson commercial that used to be on TV everyday much before the Olympics started.

It's okay if she has not won a gold medal yet in Beijing, and I really like the fact that she keeps smiling, even after losing, and that's how I define a real champion. Also, the way she smiles constantly makes me think that she is never under pressure. Of course, her goal is to win gold medals for her country but can she help it if her team mate keeps falling (shit happens, Alicia), or another girl from Romania is just too good? Maybe not.

Would she turn into a lovable loser in the years to come? I don't think so, considering her past record. Her luck is not helping her too much in the Olympics, I think.

Another reason why she is never under pressure is because she is really liked by her people (by the way, she is from West Des Moines), so she knows that even if she doesn't win, her fans would not be disappointed because they would know she tried.

Update (08/19/2008): She won her gold medal..finally!

Missed Connections?

2008-08-12T00:07:00.005-05:00

Lance Armstrong was in town, and I did not know. That was last month. He was in town to promote RAGBRAI. Apparently he does that every year. I got to know about it when I (over)heard two girls talking about it. I was in the mall buying birthday gifts for myself. I asked the girls if he would be in town the next day. They said they weren't sure.

Maybe I will get a chance to see him next year.

Totally missed Lollapalooza, and I hate myself for it. I had to miss it last year because I had an exam. I had to miss it this year because I had to move into my new apartment. Hate it!

So basically I missed NIN and Radiohead. Fuck.

NIN came to Minneapolis too. Couldn't go because of the same reason - moving.

:-(

8:08 PM On 8.8.08

2008-08-11T15:47:00.003-05:00

And those of you who missed the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing - I declare you a disgrace to mankind.

I have never seen such a spectacular show before. The experience cannot be described in words.

It was just Spuh-len-did.

The most creative thing to have ever been shown to the people of this planet. Now we are really not talking about what the 15,000 participants had to go through (maybe nothing, who knows), but the end result, which was not supposed to be missed by any creature alive.

Into The Wild..

2008-08-11T13:58:00.004-05:00

While shopping at Target the other day I saw Into The Wild's soundtrack CD. I picked it up instantly simply because I had heard so much about Eddie Vedder's work on this CD.

Went home and played it, only to find out that it's a very very soft and mellow album - not that I expect grunge from Pearl Jam/Vedder any more. Vedder has experimented a lot with different instruments on this CD- "No Ceiling" actually has nice banjo strums.

Again, I could not grasp the music. I listened to it time and again. I played the CD around 8-10 times a day (it's a little more that 30 minutes, so..) but still could not figure out what the music is all about. After a few days I decided to watch the movie because I was pretty sure that the songs had connections with certains scenes/ overall theme of the movie.

Watch the movie I did.

And was lost for words.

Not because I had found the connection between the soundtrack and the story, but because the film shows Alaska, and oh my God, Alaska is beautiful! Very beautiful! I was totally spellbound by the snow covered mountains, the mooses, the rivers of Alaska, especially when they showed bird's eye or panoramic view of the state. The craziness of the story added to the excitement.

I would want to just go and live in the wild too, but I cannot live in the wild forever. I am pretty sure I'll chicken out.

Also, watching the movie first would help you enjoy the soundtrack all the more.

Last night, I tried to use the CD as a lullaby, and I think it was very effective.

This Or That..

2008-08-08T10:27:00.002-05:00

Okay, I succumbed to temptation and bought a subscription to Rhapsody just a few minutes ago. I can now listen to Radiohead for an n number of times, without any interruptions.

While making the payment I was thinking of discontinuing Netflix. Maybe I would. I don't know. I got the Starz/Encore package with my cable, so maybe I should get rid of Netflix. Or maybe Starz/Encore should go after a month or so. It's clear that I have way too many sources of entertainment now - Something has to be sacrificed.

I think Netflix would stay.

Just One More Time Please...

2008-08-07T14:44:00.003-05:00

Okay, Last.fm won't let me play full Radiohead songs anymore because I have probably finished my quota of free plays already...daaaaaang it!!! I hate it when that happens.

Last.fm is the source of my music at work these days.

I was actually trying to avoid a Rhapsody subscription because I thought I could stick to last.fm forever because it is so nice and it always lets me play full tracks for free and all that . Well, it is nice, but I just got kicked in the ass by last.fm..I am revisiting Radiohead these days and last.fm was the only place where I could listen to all there albums for free. I will probably have to bring my own MP3s from home.

I may not get a Rhapsody subscription after all because I got cable & Internet for my new apartment today and guess what, I will be shelling out 60 bucks every month for both. Well, that one came out of nowhere, but I am supposed to get some really good channels in digital, so that should be fun.

OK Computer...

2008-08-06T10:46:00.003-05:00

Have been listening to a lot of Radiohead - at work, and I think I have found the missing link.

When I heard Kid A in 2000, I was totally shocked. I really could not believe that Kid A was a Radiohead album. It was difficult for me to grasp the weirdness in that album. I must mention that I had not heard OK Computer, and between 95 and 2000 I kept tripping on The Bends and assumed that OK Computer was more or less like The Bends, which, I would say, was alternativish, if not very.

But I really could not understand how Radiohead transformed themselves from a regular "guitar based" band in Pablo Honey and The Bends to an electronic, or as I like to say, "different and unusual sounds" band in Kid A.

Until I heard OK Computer.

So basically, It all started with OK Computer - the weirdness, and the unusualness. OK Computer has some great "guitar based" songs like Paranoid Android and Karma Police, but the rest of the songs are totally different, and unusual. I listen to OK Computer everyday, and like it a lot. Now when I listen to Kid A, I feel alright. I am not confused and disillusioned anymore.

No wonder Radiohead is one of the greatest bands in the world.

Happy Birthday To Me..;-)!!

2008-07-28T21:20:00.007-05:00

I am 28 years young now.

I have never really given much importance to my birthday. Every year my birthday came and went, but I never got excited - it was just another day.

But this year was different, more so because my own perception changed a bit. A couple of days before my birthday I sat down and tried to think about why I don't really celebrate my birthday, and why, on the other hand, just about everyone gets super excited on their's. By definition birthdays are supposed to be special, and I decided to make my own birthday (this year) worth something, if not special.

To start with, I bought myself two shirts. Giving gifts to myself was strange - I do buy stuff for myself all the time, but there's never a "special" reason. I usually buy stuff either when I really want something or when my brain goes for a holiday.

I must mention that I now share my birthday with a two year old girl who happens to be my colleague's daughter. Now that's really an amazing feeling - two people, from different generations (!), born on the same day. This is what excited me, and perhaps added a little bit of "specialness" to my birthday. I made sure I bought gifts for her too - a Webkinz pug, and a t-shirt and shorts. Now shopping for her clothes was amusing because I have never stepped into the kids' section of a store before, and this time when I did, I was totally lost. I did not know what to buy, and the ultra super compressed size of the clothes made me laugh. But I shopped for her the way I shop for myself - just picked something up, without bothering too much about style, color and all that jazz.

I took cookies(5 dozen!) for my colleagues at work. Some of them even sent me a personal Happy Birthday email, which was really nice. My colleagues from Vet Med took me out for lunch, and Dr. Roth insisted on paying for mine- he said it was tradition. Later in the afternoon, they had cookies too, and all of them sang the Happy Birthday song which was a totally awesome feeling. When they were singing I tried to remember the last time I had heard that song being sung for me - It was so many years ago.

I was generally happy. It was a very nice feeling. But the best was yet to come.

Andrew invited me over to his house in the evening. When I reached his house, I was really really surprized to find out that Andrew and Sarah had cooked for me - and it was not something ordinary, it was something that I really really like - Falafel and Hummus! And there was turkish salad too! I swear I could have finished everything on that table for two reasons - I was really hungry and everything was uber delicious. Also , the fact that both Andrew and Sarah "invested" so much energy and love into making stuff for an ass like me, actually added to the taste. I did not know that Andrew had invited more friends over! Travis and Lisa showed up very soon, and Travis's usual funny antics made me laugh non-stop.

Then the cheesecake came - that Sarah had made, and then they all sang the Happy Birthday song for me again! The cake was (and still is) just out of this world! Absolutely delicious to the power of n. Sarah was kind enough to let me take the rest of the cake home with me.

The grand finale to this truly great show was at Old Maine, where Andrew bought us a beer sampler - 8 different kinds of beer in small glasses.

And the birthday was a success, thanks to the so many wonderful people I met this year, especially Andrew.

Also, I must mention that I received this "beautiful" greeting card from Kedar, which was a really nice surprise. I was so not expecting it, and it just made my day so special. It really feels nice to know that people care and appreciate your presence in their lives.

If only all of us could do something to make others smile.

So that is that - and once again, thanks to all you lovely people out there, I am 28 years young.

I Don't Want To Work At Dunder Mifflin...

2008-07-26T23:35:00.002-05:00

I kind of have always liked The Office but never really followed any season because I have always been too busy dealing with South Park, and Two and a Half Men.

Recently I laughed my lungs out when all my office mates watched two episodes of The Office in the conference room of our department. You know how it is with funny movies/tv shows - when too many people watch something of that sort, funny suddenly becomes funnier.

Well, I decided to give The Office some attention. Right now, I am performing my weekly, saturday night ritual of drinking beer (6 pack is so easy) - but instead of watching the usual movie from the library or Netflix, I am watching The Office online, and boy, Am I loving it!

But really, the presence of an asshole like Michael Scott in the office can be absolutely brutal - I for one, would probably quit my job and perhaps talk myself into doing something totally unchallenging and boring, just to avoid an assholic boss like Michael Scott. But I think the reason why this show is such a big hit is because most of Michael Scott's actions are just gross to the power of n - most of the viewers know that what he does is really not possible in the "real world" (as my statistics professor would say), and that is why it becomes absolutely funny.

I am drunk and I think I make no sense whatsoever.

I Love Her..I Love Her Not

2008-07-20T21:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was perhaps the first saturday when I sat at home the entire day (well, I did go out to get myself a Subway sandwich). Since I had to kill time somehow, I decided to watch movies, and ended up watching four.

The movies I watched were Kamikaze Girls, Enemy At The Gates, National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, and Amelie.

And then I fell in love.

Some of you may not know but I have a thing for girls with short hair - I find them cute. I go absolutely crazy when I see a girl like that. My brain goes for a holiday, and my heart starts to smile. The damage is doubled if the girl has a very very cute smile...just like Amelie.

Watching Amelie was deja vu all over again. I was in a similar situation 10 years ago - when I had fallen in love with Meg Ryan. Internet in those days was a new and expensive concept, and every month I ran up my telephone bill high, downloading pictures of Meg Ryan. My dad always got mad, but then I was pretty sure that I would have gotten slapped if I had told my dad how much I loved Meg.

So well, the same thing happened last night. I totally fell in love with Amelie, and throughout the movie I could not help wondering how cute she was, and that what would I have to do to get a girl like her. I kind of swallowed my pride for a moment and decided to hunt for a girl like her. Life can be a blessing if spent with a girl like Amelie, I thought. Her presence would bring a smile to my face, I thought. Spending the rest of my life with such a pretty yet sensible girl would make my existence worthwhile, I thought.

The movie ended,...

..and I finished my third beer and slept.

I got up this morning at 11:30, and smiled. The effect of last night's beer had totally vanished from my body, and here I was wondering if I could have gotten up at 11:30 if I were married. The answer was clearly no. I thanked God for my singlehood, made myself a cup of tea, and spent of the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing.