Finally some relief...
Monday, February 28, 2005
The last couple of weeks went in so much of agony. The agony of being bored to death. Now, I don't have a TV at home. So, my only source of entertainment once I reach my place is my roommates' computer (or Dabba, as we lovingly call it). We squat around it religiously every night as
The Show begins. Some times a movie that i downloaded at work and managed to get it written onto a CD but generally it is re-runs and re-reruns and re-re-reruns of "Friends". Don't laugh cuz though we have memorized most of the dialogues by now but they are our only hope and sahara. Then the show is followed by an un-ending loop of songs that are in abundance.
Just when I had started utilizing the "Never Played" section of winamp (How I was horrified to see about 20 GB out of the total 43 GB collection listed there), something happened. We were happily watching "Friends" as usual, Chandler made a PJ, I threw back my head laughing (since my sense of humour is so pathetic that i find pleasure in those PJs), as my head came back forward and my eyes started to open again, I expected to find a bustling "cafe perk" in front of me, but instead I found a pair of eyes staring back at me from a dark background. What was the horrifying part behind this was that those eyes were my own, belonging to a reflection that aws cast in the now-blank screen. Too dumbfounded, I coudn't move for a few seconds. After gathering my senses, opened the CPU cabinet, hoping it was just some lose wire or something. But my heart skipped a beat on seeing the soot covered Power supply. Yeah guys, the power supply was gone.
We mourned the passing of our pyaara dabba into coma for complete two minutes (that is the maximum attention span I can give to anything). And our life has been hell since then...
Neways, thanks for listening to one of the most tragic incidents of my life. But here's the good news...
My roomie's got a new power supply and its gonna be one rolicking night. Hope my landlords aren't feeling too sleepy today cuz they aren't gonna get any......
Dabbe, Rock on....:)
Well-designed hoax or genuine fraud?
Friday, February 25, 2005
A few days ago, a news spread like wild fire all over the country. Every newspaper, TV channel, radio station screamed that this high school student "Saurabh, from Bihar had topped the "NASA" International Scientist Discovery examination. Reports further claimed that the same exam had been taken by the Prez APJ himself as well as Kalpana Chawla (For those who don't know, she's an alumnus of my college. I'm not very modest, u see.. :D ). The boy was hailed as the child genius all over the country and every newsgroup, forum, blog, webpage was flooded with "I'm proud to be an Indian and India is the best" messages.
People say I'm a bit too sceptical about everything that I hear/read from any kind of media. As always, it was a bit hard to digest for me. Not because I don't have faith in my countrymen, it was becaue there are just too much of this child prodigy stuff going on nowadays. Remember that "Tathagat Tulsi" scam? But when I read it everywhere I was forced to believe it was true. And proud indeed I was, of the feat of this young man.
Take Two:
Date: Feb 25, 2005
Venue: My bed
I woke up, got hold of the newspaper and what do I see? NASA refuses that Suarabh has topped the test, what the heck, they don't even have such a test, they never had. Rashtrapati Bhawan (President's office) says that Kalam never gave such test either. People of this child's village have taken to roads and are blocking highways, torching vehicles to protest against these reports and maintain that he has indeed won the award.
More reports pour in that actually he's won some award in an exam conducted by a universtity affilliated to an organisation called "NAASAA", God know what that is...
I don't know what to believe...Even the sceptical me is confused that where should my scepticicm be directed? Is the boy (and his family) innocent and they were just duped by some fraudulent organization or were they the active part of an elaborate hoax?
But one thing is for sure. My *faith* in the media has been restored, faith that it'll lap up anything and eveything that comes its way and project it to the world without even verifying the barest of the facts...
Free Mojtaba and Arash Day
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Today I came to know that Iran is clamping down on various blogs and bloggers, stifling their voices, condemning the freedom of speech and expression..[
LINK]
It was sickening. When humanity is oppressed, its last hope lies in speaking out against it, atleast someone about it, share its pain with others. But the Iranian government is seeking to take away that last hope from its people.
Its like beating someone up brutally and then telling him not to yelp in pain...
An example of this brutality is the arrest of Arash Sigarchi and Mojtaba Saminejad in Iran.
The global web log committee is calling upon the bloggers of the world to rise against it.
Curt Hopkins from the committee says that we could atleast dedicate today, February 22nd, for the revolution against this henious act. We could atleast do this by putting nothing other than
"Free Mojtaba and Arash Day" on our blogs today...That'll tell the world this story it is still ignorant about.
Here I'm putting my drop into the ocean and just wishing that the ocean fills up soon. And if we all unite, that day will not be far when we are able to get our fellow bloggers their speech back...
Amen....
Smells like teen spirit
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Last words by Kurt:
"This note should be pretty easy to understand.All the warnings from the punk rock 101 courses over the years since my first introduction to the shall we say, ethics involved with independence and embracement of your community, it's proven to be very true".
"I haven't felt the excitment of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing something, for too many years now".
"I feel guilty beyond words about these things -- for example, when we're backstage and the light go out and the roar of the crowd begins, it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love and relish the love and adoration of the crowd. Which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact that I can't fool you, any one of you, it simply isn't fair to you or to me. The worst crime I could think of would be to pull people off by faking it, pretending as if I'm having 100% fun".
"Sometimes I feel as I should have a punch-in time-clock before I walk out on stage. I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it, and I do, God believe me I do, but it's not enough. I appreciate the fact that I and we have effected and entertained a lot of people. I must be one of those narcissists who only appreciate things when they're alone. I'm too sensitive. I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasm I once had as a child. On our last 3 tours I've had a much better appreciation of all the people I know personally, and as fans of our music, but I still can't get out the frustration to gather the empathy I have for everybody. There's good in all of us and I simply love people too much. So much that it makes me feel just too fucking sad.Sad little sensative unappreciative Pieces --".
"I had a good marriage, and for that I'm grateful. But since the age of seven, I've become hateful toward all humans in general only because it seems so easy for people to get along that have empathy. Only because I love and feel for people too much I guess Thank you all from the pit of my burning nauseous stomach for your letters and concern during the last years. I'm pretty much of an erratic moody person and I don't have the passion anymore. Peace, Love, Empathy".
Happy Birthday Kurt....We miss U
With the lights out, its less dangerous..
Here we are now, entertain us....
Just some info for pecobians...
Friday, February 18, 2005
This is just a piece of information that might be useful to you if you are a passout of PEC (Punjab Engineering College), Chandigarh.
There is an alive and kicking forum for all the PECobians out there. Check out
http://www.pecobians.com. Within days of its conception, the memberlist has become huge and we are all having loadsa fun..
So, do register over there...
Comments....
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Some time back, I was asked a question by Neelima that why did I visit her blog many times a day even though I know that there is no new post. Well, she came closer to the answer when she created this
blog. Yes, the reason is "comments". As much as I like reading the posts of my favourite bloggers, with the same enthusiasm (if not more) I like to read the comments various fellow readers have posted.
They say "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder". The posts are indeed beautiful but anything's beauty can only be seen only when defined by the beholders (here, the readers). Comments let u see the different aspects of the posts that u might have missed, add to it by exploring further and if nothing else, urge u to go on and write more. If we give a little bit of extra thought towards comments, they are nothing less than short posts themselves. If posts are like stories trying to drive home a point, then comments are like those witty one liners that make u ponder over it for just a moment and nod ur head in appreciation. This is why the comments mean so much to me and this is why I visit various blogs again and again even if they are not updated. Cuz they may not be updated postwise but for me, they are as they contain a lot more meaningful content later in the day when the beauty of the post has been enhanced in the context of the comments....
This is all from me today as I move towards some more comments hopping, to soak in the great words of hundreds of intellectuals around me emanating from just a handful of blogs....
The Adventures of Shantz: Shantz in Meerut
Monday, February 14, 2005
Spare the Tintin style heading...Neways have just returned from a cousin's marriage in meerut and boy was it fun.
Well, a few days ago, mum called up.
Mum: Beta, its ur cousin's marriage on sunday. So u have to come.
Me: Aww mom, I don't want to. I don't anyone there. I'll be bored.
Mum: Nahin, u have to come. U don't know anyone cuz u never go there.
Me: But I've so much work at office. (Even though I didn't ;) )
Mum: I'm not going to listen to any of ur excuses. u've to come.
Me: Ok mom, I'll come on sunday evening.
Mum: Nahin, u've to come on saturday and that is
FINAL<click>Enough hint to show me that was the end of discussion.
Neways, with a heavy heart and lethargic arms, I picked up my bag on saturday and started for meerut. Just to worsen my mood, I had to change 3 buses to get there and each was filled to its capacity. I even had to endure the Delhi heat, standing next to smelly armpits, hanging on to a shred of a holder in the bus.
Reached my aunt's place. Put on a fake smile trying very hard not to show my grumpiness.
AND THEN IT HAPPENED.
Saw so many ppl (and kids, loadsa them) around. The place was just buzzing with cheerful activity. I told myself "Okay buddy, this may not be as bad as u thought". How wrong I was. Cuz it dint turn out to be "not so bad", it turned out to be an amzaing and wonderfully pleasant experience.
The adventures began with the introductions. I was introduced to so many of my Aunts and Uncles whom I'd never heard about, what the heck, I dint even know they existed. They were all so frank. None of that formal stuff of just sitting around with ur lips just glued to make a silly smile. I mean, these were real party ppl. All the guys and gals (don't get any wrong notions ppl, the gals there were mostly of my auntie's age or my niece's age) talked to me as if they knew me for a long time.
Had a blast all night long, dancing to the tunes of dholak (a traditional indian musical instrument) and later on to the thumping beats of CDs belting out Bhangra numbers.
Next morning woke up to the sounds of "Pakad oye, dheel de, kheench kheench, kaat kaat" (Catch it, loosen it, roll roll, cut it, cut it).
Obviously it was basant panchmi and when I walked out of my room, I couldn't see the sky cuz it was completely filled with kites all around. It was just amazing. It seemed as if the sky had got bored of that dull old skyblue and had put on a new colorful garb. Spent the next few hours learning the intricacies of kite flying from a group of 5-10 year olds who talked about kite flying with just panache and authority that even Tendulkar can't demonstrate about cricket.
In the evening, went to the marriage place and had all the meerut specialities like kachories, halwa parantha and what not. Had so much fun participating in all the customs and rituals with the ususal ladke wale - ladki wale stuff and all.
Whew, and snap. It was over. My bus was waiting and had to start back for home. Come to think of it, earlier I dint want to come here and now I dint feel like going back. But guess there is only so much of fun that a guy can have. For the sake of keeping its charisma intact....
Blinding flash of the obvious
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Let me ask you a question. What is about the human nature that annoys you the most?
Well, for me the inherent habit of stating the obvious does the trick.
Everywhere I go, people will incessantly talk something like this.
At a movie theater: "Oh, you are here to see the movie too?"
Me thinking:"Nah, just wandered down here to look at you and have fun seeing the expressions you make during the movie"
At an exam center: "Oh, you are giving the exam too?"
Me thinking:" Nah, its just my hobby to wander around the exam center and stalk every nervous creature I can find"
Standing at a bus stop during rain:"Its raining hard."
Me thinking:"Oh really, Till now I was under the impression its a sunny afternoon"
And more recently, at a newsgroup, in a discussion regarding the apple shuffle:" In my opinion the iPod Shuffle was a effort by Apple to conquer the Flash MP3 Player sector."
Me thinking: "Damn it, and I was thinking that they wanted to conquer the vegetable market."
No doubt then that Dilbert so often goes berserk yelling out "GAAH, blinding flash of the obvious." I think that this peculiar nature of the human species can be explained only by Ford Prefect's theories in The HItchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy.
Theory 1: If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, their mouths will seize up
Theory 2: If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, their brains start working.
I tend to agree with Ford on his abandoning theory 1 in favour of the theory 2. If only, people could stop continually stating the very very obvious, aah, i can just imagine.
Neways, enuff blabbering from me. I think I should also stop typing now and get my brain started......
Me, the movieholic
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
I never was much into movies. Yeah, used to go to an odd couple over a month, combined with another couple on the idiot box/comp. But over the past 2 months, I've become a complete movieholic. Believe it or not, I've seen atleast 100 movies over these 2 months with about 10 being at the theater. That comes to more than 1.5 movies per day. Dunno what has come over me, but am glad that even though I've had to go through a lot of hopeless stuff, still I've seen some true pieces of art, strokes of masterclass.
One of them was "Finding Neverland". Watched this a few days ago and just couldn't speak anything for about half an hour after it finished. Kept soaking in the slight sensation of pleasure it had aroused. Johnny Depp enlivened the screen of my PC with such an enigma that I couldn't rip my eyes off the screen lest I should miss a sentence he said. He delivered the dialogues with such charisma, he really seemed to enchant and entrance me with every word he said. He really seemed to be Peter Pan. One must see this pretty little movie.....
Neways, on a side note, just wanted to mention that I just came to know that the central character, Howard Hughes, around whom "Aviator" is based(saw it just before finding neverland), is actually the original founder of my company (Hughes Software Systems). He found the General Motors, under which then lied Hughes Eleectronics, Hughes Network systems and Hughes Software Systems. Now, that is one nugget of info that made me proud ;)
Gmail....
Friday, February 04, 2005
It all started one fine day(or rather night) when I opened my blogger account and saw a little box on the right hand side...
The box said that I was one of the chosen ones (remindes me of Neo) to get the highly coveted "Gmail" account...
Ironically, I didn't know at the time what a gmail account meant. All I knew about this gmail was that I had seen that a few of the mail IDs, in the mails that I received, ended in "gmail.com".
Anyways I clicked on it and was amazed to find out about the 1 GB space being offered. That was quite a shock considering that I had spent a large part of my cyber life in a situation where a 6 MB account at yahoo was a lot and hotmail with 2 MB was okay. 15 MB at softhome gave me a feeling of "whoppingly" (ok ok, I dont know if that is even a proper word) large space....
After I was able to overcome the initial shock, I registered and began a journey that has only got better so far for me in the world of e-mail....
At that time, having a gmail account was a matter of respect and pride.
Sites sprung up everywhere to trade gmail accounts. Even I received many offers.
One guy offered to give up his US $150 worth of Gamespy+Fileplanet+IGN account in return of a gmail invite. The euphoria was such.
I love u gmail....ummmmmah...:)
And My dear gmail, I think u r now mature enuff to come out of the beta and move on to the final release. And I think u r on the path cuz yesterday only u bumped up the 6 invites lying unused in my account to 50.....So, my dear lets see u in the full flow....Just waiting for u to bloom out and blossom further.....
PS: Yeah, I know everyone of u must be having a gmail account by now. Who doesn't??? But still, if there's any soul out there, bereft of this lovely cyber partner, just ping me to get onto the ride....:)
Indian flag reaches F1 circuit
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
"About time" is the general feeling right now all around as news pours in about the Jordan offer to our very own Narain Karthikeyan to be their number 1 driver.
The guy has already test driven for a lot of teams (vis. a vis Jordan, Jaguar and Minardi). I felt a lot for him when he was offered a drive by Minardi but he coudn't raise enough money as asked by Minardi. He missed the chance to break onto the F1 circuit by a whisker. But it seems God has much better plans for him cuz unarguably, starting with Jordan means much better prospects for Karthikeyan. Jordan might not be a front runner but it is still a much better platform as compared to Minardi, who are happy to just finish the races, let alone fancying any chances of winning some points. This also means that more and more Indians will be exposed to F1 now, and better prospects for the proposed Hyderabad Grand Prix.
So, herez wishing luck to Narain and hoping that he is the one to fill the shoes of Michael as and when he leaves.....
PS: Next one month is surely going to be too hard to pass for me now waiting for that first glimpse of an Indian driving in a grand prix
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