Splachack

Book Review

2007-10-11T12:35:00.001-05:00

In the Line of Fire - Pervez Musharraf.

Just finished reading this book last night & the incidents were interesting to read given the recent treatment given by Musharraf to Nawaz Sharif and Ms Bhutto. I could review the incidents mentioned in the book, however I am not knowledgeable enough to dispute them. So I shall review the book as I would review any other fictional tome. The book is written well. It flows well and I would not be surprised if this book is easily adapted for screenplay. It gives interesting sequences of events, almost a-la-24. The story is quite sequential, though he does FFWD it sometimes. I was surprised to see references to a lot of western media. for e.g. The movie 'Black Hawk Down', some songs etc. It almost seemed written to woo the 'gora' readers. I was also surprised to read about the sheer # road trips he has undertaken. 1 was intercontinental.

Having said this, the thing that stood out the most for me was this book seemed a 337 paged SOP. Even though this is an autobiography of a Army soldier and how he rose to the position he is in, it seems to be a rosy bollywood story minus the "vidwa ma ani andhi behen". The story also hides certain aspects, almost knowingly, of the central character's meteroic rise. I guess it's the author's privilege to reveal only that he chooses to.

Fall colors

2007-10-08T15:55:00.000-05:00

I was recently on a camping trip to Door County, WI. We selected this destination as, their neck of this woods as the locals call it, is supposedly quite beautiful during Fall season and they are proud to show their Scandinavian heritages.

We probably mistimed our trip as hundreds others, as we could not see the fall colors in full bloom (blame it on global warming). Though for people planning on visiting Door County, I would recommend other locations in WI and Upper MI, which are better. Kettle Moraine (just north of Milwaukee) has better Fall color display and Upper MI peninsula towns have a much better small town feel. Most towns in Door County seem too artificial sometimes and not to mention expensive.

While driving back, I was engaged in some intense pondering (right word?) with my better half. I am posing that same question here for discussion.

Everyone is excited about seeing Fall colors, and they very well should be. The color display is amazing and definitely a must see, at least once in a lifetime. But if my hair started turning grey next week, people are not going to be queuing up to come see my balding & greying moon. I guess that's life !

Volunteers Fixing Roads in Chennai!

2007-10-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

Potholes are problem on most roads in India. A group of volunteers in Chennai are out to fix the situation themselves. They are planning to fill the potholes with cement concrete by working at night! The city is being divided into zones, allowing teams to work in their neighborhoods. They are looking for more volunteers and accepting donations too.

Click Here for the The "I FIX" Initiative Wiki

ice break!

2007-09-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

Its beeen a while since I posted! Been busy travelling, joining school, orientation, settling in my new place... Jus wanted to break the ice and start blogging again...
will be posting some interesting blogs v.soon!

Painkillers

2007-08-21T15:43:00.000-05:00

An interesting article on addiction to painkillers..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082100146.html

"You get to where you don't even want them (pills) anymore, you just do them so you can get through the day," said the 43-year-old southern West Virginia resident.

"As OxyContin came under scrutiny, doctors were more careful about how they prescribed it. Many switched to hydrocodone products, which were already popular but didn't have the same stigma."

Switching from one to another....and 4 yrs down, they see this is also addictive!!!

Gambling-- a disease???

2007-08-18T15:08:00.000-05:00

In the latest NBA scandal, referee Tim Donaghy has been found betting on games, and sharing information available only to referees. He has been charged with offense due to to the involvement of mafia, and in the latest twist brought about by his lawyers, they are claiming he has had this condition(giving it medical terms) for a while, and being untreated, he has fallen deeper and deeper through the years.....I fee it is a pure manipulation of the system, where anything and everything is a medical condition ....Can betting be really attributed to a medical condition....???

Article on Nightclubs

2007-08-15T16:19:00.000-05:00

Hyper link: Nightclubs are hell. What's cool or fun about a thumping, sweaty dungeon full of posing idiots?
By Charlie Brooker in The Guardian

Quotes:
"Clubs are such insufferable dungeons of misery, the inmates have to take mood-altering substances to make their ordeal seem halfway tolerable. This leads them to believe they "enjoy" clubbing."

"They were all photographing themselves. In fact, that's all they seemed to be doing. Standing around in expensive clothes, snapping away with phones and cameras... It's not enough to pretend you're having fun in the club any more - you've got to pretend you're having fun in your Flickr gallery, and your friends' Flickr galleries."

Save A Life

2007-08-09T16:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you know about the practice of public hangings in Iran. Sometimes it is murderers or thieves. Sometimes.

A while ago, I saw pictures of two young boys being hanged. I didn't know why; thought they did something terrible. I forgot about all of this it until today; I came across a news article that talked about this particular incident; apparently they were hung for being gay. There are a lot of people waiting on death row in Iran, for a number of similar 'reasons'; women and young girls awaiting the noose for "acts incompatible with chastity".

I do not think this issue needs discussion or deliberation. It is quite appalling from any perspective. I found 2 petitions, addressed to the U.N Secretary General, that you can sign. Its not much, but it is something.

http://www.petitiononline.com/sce/petition.html
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Malak/

Nice article on Porn

2007-08-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

The Porn Myth by Naomi Wolf

"For the first time in human history, the images’ power and allure have supplanted that of real naked women. Today, real naked women are just bad porn."

"When I came of age in the seventies, it was still pretty cool to be able to offer a young man the actual presence of a naked, willing young woman. There were more young men who wanted to be with naked women than there were naked women on the market. If there was nothing actively alarming about you, you could get a pretty enthusiastic response by just showing up."

"If your appetite is stimulated and fed by poor-quality material, it takes more junk to fill you up."

Water

2007-07-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

Just watched the movie yesterday.... was a disturbing movie to watch.... Its about widows in India, set during the independance time ,and its about how the widows are ostracized from the society..and how bad their lives are.... It was disturbing to just watch the movie, one can't imagine leading that life.... As Indians, we always talk about the values and culture that we have as a society.... and how much we have progressed from the backward thoughts that ppl had and so forth... However, when you look at aspects like widow remairrage and how they are actually treated in the society, i don think there has been a gr8 change...

Shadow of the Day!

2007-07-23T08:11:00.000-05:00

Linkin park's new Album 'Minutes to Midnight' rocks!
Sweet touch to Alternate Rock ! and Happy feel!
Some of the songs are breathtaking...

My favs:Shadow of the day,What I've Done,Hands Held High,Leave out all the rest,Valentine's Day,In between.

Note:Follow the lyrics and stay through the song and try and experience the song fully!

Shadow of the Day

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Track details

Shadow of the day!

I close both locks below the window.
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes solutions aren’t so simple.
Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

And the sun will set for you,
The sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in grey,
And the sun will set for you.

In cards and flowers on your window,
Your friends all plead for you to stay.
Sometimes beginnings aren’t so simple.
Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

And the sun will set for you,
The sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you..

And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you..

And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you.

Contribution?

2007-07-18T22:46:00.001-05:00

Almost 550 million of Indian population earn a living out of farming and more than 60% of the cultivation is rain dependent. Uncertainties specially when it comes to rain is really high and one year of monsoon not favoring India/parts of India will lead to lots of sorrow, hunger and suffering in so many million families dependent on the yields.

So many farmers committed suicides in a district Called Vidharba last year and I used to get disturbed to see people dying this way. It was very visible that there was poor living conditions and when there is lack of support from the government, its really sad. After several protests and multiple follow ups through different channels, the government finally decided to donate cheques to the farmers and guess what, they were all 50 Rs cheques and according to some of the bank rules, they cannot even be encashed. No bank loans and no support from manmohan singh and only after someone dies money will be sent. This is the state of operations in so many places.Imagine our own lives being such a bad state, receiving 50Rs cheque after several months of wait and payment being denied. They have to move on, either commit suicide or die naturally along with thier families in the days to come.

While survival is an uncertainty in a large percentage of people, rich men continue to enjoy the richness by building private yachts, own private jets, continue to spend lavishly due to lack of control and continue to grow their desires. Large sized companies continue to generate revenues with very little sense of Corporate Social Responsibility. The very basic meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility has been completely changed. There is no willingness to share the profits with the community they are living in. It is very tough to build generous institutions truly aimed to serve the society. There are some exceptions(Bill and Melinda Gates foundation which is largely funded and is historic) It doesnt happen with common capitalists. They are ready to build attractive and state of the art infrastructure, more benefits to the already rich employees but would not even care to think of people who are suffering due lack of financial support and freedom or their basic survival. And they may be living right next door. It has become a way of life. Starting a charitable institution should always be for a cause and the cause should not be earning name and fame. The cause should be to 'help save lives' . Donating money should not be the intent. Intent should be willingness to help. CEOs should be magnanimous in their hearts and prove that they are real leaders in not only building the organization but also in making a difference to this world and start healing people who are doomed. The argument can go on. Everybody is selfish in this world, but when you can clearly see that you can save so many lives and remove people from the death trap, it doesnt make sense not to make your contribution.

The worst part is that , the government is hardly taking action towards it. We are only proud to say that our GDP has risen from 4.x % to 9% + in no time, the statistics at the bottom line is really poor. More than 1 million Children die very young every year due to malnutrition. The so called economic development does not even benefit 20% of the population and this 20% of the population happily raise their standards of living and create a completely disrupted living environment for others.Poor people are not overtaken but are simply ran over by the rich limousines, mercedes and the BMWs.

So what do we do about it? How much of money is required ? How much of awareness do we need to create? Are there people to create awareness? Yes there is. The media and the news channels and all of these information does not reach the right people. Nobody even knows about some of the statistics, mainly because they are not doing their jobs. Very happy to host a show dedicated for 3 hours debating whether Richard Gere should have kissed Shilpa Shetty on an AIDS awareness show? Spend all their time showing Sachin being out of form or a spat between Ganguly and the rest of the cricket team.

Spending money and time on such trivial things and not giving importance to larger problems on hand. Broadcasting the news is fine, but debating about it for hours and days together jus blows my mind! Spending money on panelists, host, the rent spent for the place, and so much of money on articles related to it, are all a mere waste. It serves no purpose. Ultimately they say its for the viewers. Harldly 3% of indian population know to read and write english and these news channels which have the money power should concentrate more on creating regional language channels and reach out to many people and concentrate on showing sensible stuff in order to create more leaders in the country rather than satisfying a minor portion of viewers.

From an individual's point of view while we can continue to enjoy our lives with what we have got, but when we are in a comfortable position to live(comfort does not mean staying in a big Villa and owning a ferrari) we should start thinking on how much we can contribute to people who are really suffering and yearning to come out of problems. Even a minor thought in your mind will someday materialize and be of lifetime help somebody down the line. For we are all interconnected in this world and all of us deserve to enjoy peace and lets try to build a stronger web and create a safe place to Live!!!

Google Reader

2007-07-17T06:04:00.000-05:00

Google comes up with yet another interesting tool!

Google reader....

visit http://www.google.com/reader

and subscribe to your favourite blogs, and sports news and many more entertaining articles right to your virtual 'inbox' created with your account.. I felt that its wonderful!!

Am amazed at the way google comes up with such innovative products free of cost:)

Moore takes on CNN

2007-07-10T23:14:00.000-05:00

Here is a clip with Michael Moore being interviewed live on CNN by Wolf Blitzer. This one's about his new Movie Sicko (if you haven't heard already). Even if you don't agree with him (you would be part of a rather minuscule minority) , you have to admire his courage to go up and ask questions the media doesn't care to ask. [ Clip from You Tube - Thanks to Nikhil]

Sugar - Sweet or Sour?

2007-07-09T00:24:00.000-05:00

Too much of Sugar for the weekend ! Close to 40 spoons of Sugar (flavored in various dishes, coffee, chocolates, juices and sweets) in 3 days, zero workout!
Invokes pleasant feelings inside my brain when i take sugar! Human brain is a store house of feelings(infinite...). Certain events or activities trigger good joyous feelings and some trigger negative/sad/grave feelings inside us! We haven't trained our minds to like something, it has been natural all the way! Lovely music, cool breeze, eating chocolates, etc etc ( The list can go on... alcohol, coke, nicotine................. and its different for different people ) When it comes to ingesting something inside our system, we get an equal amount of joy at the time of consumption, but face health problems later on...(in case of sugar it is diabetes, Obesity, tooth decay etc..) -- why? Why do we derive joy out of something which 'may' be detrimental to our own self ?!

Art

2007-07-02T09:58:00.000-05:00

"...the diamond skull expresses a culture all our own: the celebrity culture. Glittering, hollow and perfectly brainless, it reflects spendthrift emptiness with its every facet."
-- Clive James in the BBC Magazine, on the Diamond Skull created by Damien Hirst

Review - Die Hard 4.0

2007-07-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

(Warning:Might contain unintended spoilers)
Die Hard 4.0
130 min of non stop adventure,action and thrill. A racy entertainer and a kickass screenplay and you cant expect more than this from 4th version of DieHard (call it a fourquel, quadraquel.. whatever) A movie which makes you feel good this summer after a disappointing Spiderman-3 and Pirates of the Carribean-3.
John McClane (Bruce Willis) plays this rock solid FBI agent who cares a damn about bullet shots and bomb explosions. Accompanied by this smart hacker Matt Farrell through out the movie, shows how he can handle things without losing composure! The story is about an international terrorist organization trying to attack United States with their hacking information systems. PLan A to destroy the traffic network, PLan B to offset all utilities including power stations. Director Len Wiseman takes us to a completely different world to show how things can beocme chaotic if systems are not in place. An action movie buff would jus love this wonderful flick completely filled with car chases,copters, explosions and even trucks mauled by an F35!. A fighter plane trying to destroy a suspect terrorist vehicle ! Scintillating perormance from Maggie Q (at times more powerful than John Mclane) the lady love of Thomas Gabriel who takes revenge on America to prove a point. Bruce Willis is back with a bang and yeah Live Free or Die Hard! Dont miss it!

My Rating *****

Think beyond

2007-06-29T07:46:00.001-05:00

I get this scary thought. How real is our existence? While you read this blog, how sure are you that you are not dreaming about it, may be this blog does not even exist, what if your brain simulated such events and makes you feel that its all real? Or what if the events that are happening around you in the recent past(say 2 weeks) didnt happen at all? Think beyond!

Networking!!!!

2007-06-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

As the first step towards job search, I was reading the book , "Knock em dead" and the author was stressing so much on networking, and how important it is and blah blah.... I was wondering why is he stating the obvious.... any normal person will have his own network and there is no special need to work on it.....However, today there is a Master lecture arranged in my department where this famous mathematician has come down to give a guest lecture, and my prof was asking me if I would like to join them for dinner!!!! What a great place 2 get2 know somebody rite!!!!, my first reaction was ...well, may be next time, I have 2 do this, that and ........ This is when I stopped and understood what the book meant.....You meet so many ppl everyday, all you need to know is one correct person for you to land the job.... and here I was abt 2 give up a great chance!!!!!!!

Plinkoo

2007-06-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

Was watching this documentary on the importance of myths in our lives. I am not good with remembering names. So will call him the person. The person seemed to know a lot about myths and stories from all the over the world. I listened as he explained, trying to make sense of it. I must admit most of it was beyond me; even stories that I have known all my life were explained to reveal deep metaphysical meaning. This was too much to take; I felt like some village idiot who had suddenly discovered that the stars were not distant light bulbs in the night sky.

I didn't like feeling like an idiot; I began to continue watching as I had little else to do. In the middle of it, out of nowhere, one of the actors asked if myths provided people with a meaning in life? This is getting interesting, I thought. I had spent a significant portion of my idle youth reading books I didn't understand, trying to make sense of life. I was convinced there must be a real purpose to life and it was hidden in some book tucked away in some corner, waiting to be read.

The person, without a pause, something you would expect when you consider the magnitude of the question, answered quite simply; a lot of people in the world believe that there is a purpose to life, but all they seek is the experience of life. And my head went Plinkoo.

The simplicity of it all. Why did I not see it? Why did I think a purpose would lift my life? All that I ever needed from life was to really feel alive. To feel. That is indeed a rare commodity in todays world.

Welcome blog

2007-06-27T11:57:00.000-05:00

My first official blog! Thanks to Vikram a.k.a. *****, yeah you can choose to fill the stars with galaxy of words ;) no offense...
Again, following the style of my co-bloggers, I really like this famous quote from Spiderman-3
"Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. It's the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what's right. "
So you can always choose to fill the "right" word ! !

Dry Season

2007-06-26T22:27:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine asked me why there aren't many posts of late. Didn't know anybody was reading.

It doesn't do much to blog, does it? I read on somebody else's blog, bloggers are people who like the look of their own handwriting; or something to that effect. Is this whole page an ego trip of sorts? Whining about things that don't matter; and even if they did, does it make a difference if I write about it? This is not the New York Times (good thing it isn't)? If I feel something is wrong, I must get off my lazy ass and do something about it. Not rant on my blog and go back to my life; a life that is filled with self-indulgence and pretentious concern for the fellow man. I see no point in continuing with the charade.

Silence!!!!

2007-05-15T18:04:00.000-05:00

“Odd how much it hurts when a friend moves away- and leaves behind only silence.”

Pam Browm...

I am not sure if the above quote is famous.... but it sure feels true... This past weekend was a good testimony of the same!! Its not like this is the first time a friend is leaving town....Just the realization that, from a group of around 20 ppl, it has now become 2 and I have watched almost everbody leave is a wierd feeling...The silence is undescribable...

Faith in Reason

2006-12-21T14:54:00.000-06:00

Man’s conduct has always been subject to change over time subscribing to the clichéd adage of change being the only entity that is not subject to change.
However, as rational beings, we oppugn the decisions that govern our life using logic as a yardstick to sanction actions that are deemed to be worthy of credence and disapprove actions that are not.
Religion and faith have traditionally shouldered the responsibility of governance and have served as a guide for leading those individuals in societies who lack the ability to use logic as tool for leading a better life. In modern nations, the constitution and the word of law are parallel documents that mimic consecrated scriptures in terms of imposing a certain order to contain disorder with the latter superseding the former in pre-dominantly secular nation-states.
Logic in a mathematical sense is purely simple and is either black or white, but in metaphysical terms, it acquires a great degree of complexity. ‘Logic’ can be defined as a lighthouse that serves to guide ships lost in the morass of disharmony.
But, can religion be logical or in holistic terms, can we use religion as a brick to lay the foundations for a logical construct. Organized religion and in particular Abrahamic faiths are absolute, as in there is no room for accepting certain aspects of the faith while rejecting others.
In essence, if I consider myself to be an observant Catholic or a devout Muslim, I would have to subscribe to all edicts as laid down by the faith. Partial or selective filtering of beliefs would tantamount to heresy, which again would result in me spending the rest of my after-life in the cozy confines of the netherworld.
Most people I have come across in my relatively inexperienced lifespan would characterize themselves as being ‘somewhat religious’, which personifies ambiguity as the faith that you profess your allegiance to do not sanction violable floating notions.
There are Catholics who use contraceptives, but attend the church without fail on Sundays, not to mention spirit loving Muslims, who never forget to attend their Friday prayers and then there are Protestants who indulge in faithless hedonism but still cling to their unnerving belief in Judeo-Christian values.
It is this vagueness and apparent irony that irks my mind as their actions defy the pedantic and rigorous nature of their faiths and at the same time encourage and embrace theories that suit their lifestyle, which clearly contradicts the monistic nature of their faith.
The notion of ‘God’ and ‘Morality’ as defined by faith is absolute with no space for logical argumentation. Religious zealots evoke ‘Divine Impeccable Morality’ for justifying actions that may be morally questionable and would inevitably conflict with individual rights and liberties.
Would it be apt to even define one who has immense faith in reason to be logically religious?

Pulchritude

2006-11-29T10:09:00.000-06:00

Pondering the oh so placid
laced upon her face
mist betrays the morning shadows
beauty shining beauty, wallows and echoes

Sunshine dresses the valleys
gazing across blustery skies
scurries dazed by thee
blinded by the lustrous eyes

The world slithers into darkness
sighing and limping in vain
gloom descends, melancholy and pain
stirred, she knuckles and bows

Closing the windows of misery
rejoice, the golden sun basks
aha is this triumph or trickery
a gentle smile reclaims

Across the oh so placid face
with bated breath all we wait
wondering, if the joy was all in haste
as she unmasks her lustrous eyes again

Morality

2006-09-22T18:09:00.000-05:00

Defenition from Wikipedia

Morality refers to the concept of human ethics which pertains to matters of good and evil —also referred to as "right or wrong", used within three contexts: individual conscience, systems of principles and judgments — sometimes called moral values —shared within a cultural, religious, secular, Humanist, or philosophical community;

If morality is defined for a sect, I am starting to feel any action can be justified....

Nudgets of humanly wisdom

2006-09-18T21:04:00.000-05:00

Here are some interesting nudgets of humanly wisdom that I came across the internet. I thought they would be good fodder for our thoughts here.

Kai's Example Dilemma: A good analogy is like a diagonal frog.

Etorre's Observation: The other line moves faster.

Hofstadter's Law: Everything takes longer than you think it will, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law (Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, 20th anniversary ed., pub. 1999, pg. 152 of chapter 5.

Boren's First Law: When in doubt, mumble.

and last but the best

Minksy's Second Law: Don't just do something. Stand there.

Love and Morality

2006-09-18T00:44:00.000-05:00

It has become a commonsiight to see people change the personnel in their relationships, like changing cars in their lives. I have always hated the fact that people are not committed enough in their relationships. But, seeing some of my friends do the same, I am not able to come to grips with the idea more. The last few days I have been trying to see the situation from the other persons shoe, but still, i have the same questions run through my mind. Is it morally correct to do it? Will that not be a haunting factor in ones life?, Is it correct to ditch your partner for a better person?

Yuppie Nation

2006-09-06T11:58:00.000-05:00

As i write this post right now, news rolled in that another humanitarian aid worker had been killed in Darfur. A nurse working for the International Rescue Committee was killed by looters who also plundered the pharmacy that served around 700,000 impoverished people in the war-torn region.
From the comfort of my home, i pick up a copy of the Chicago-tribune, an apparently well-read midwestern news publication, and what do i see--a piece of news about Suri Cruise!!!!.....This brought back repressed memories of 'Bradgelina' occupying front-page news when a tsunami struck Indonesia killing about 2000 people (which by the way, was relegated to a small column in the international news section).
I am reluctant to blame the media for not giving enough coverage to issues that are consequential.Apparently, they have a business to take care off and if paris hilton sells more papyrus and ad-space than darfur, paris hilton it is!
However, there is a thin line between commercialism, real-journalism and 'anything infamous is also kinda famous' type of reporting. In my opinion, the media mixes everything up and gives undue importance to people, events and issues that are highly unwarranted.
Take the case of the 'Runaway Bride-Jeniffer Wilbanks', there were a host of television networks ready to interview her and she eventually ended up bagging a multimillion dollar book deal to tell the 'REAL' story and all this for what-----Causing havoc in the state of georgia, wasting tax payer's hard earned money on searches for a kidnap that did not occur and for falsely implicating a fictional hispanic male in a stereotypical role…..this is not something to be proud of, it is something that should be looked down and frowned upon. But with the media circus around, she ended up being rewarded for doing something despicable. All I see here is money that could have gone towards rehabilitation of displaced hurricane victims, feeding poor children around the world…and a host of other things that constantly keeps zapping my mind !!!
What I also find suprising is that Gen X and Gen Y seem to be be having a blast and lapping up every shitty bit of news that comes their way and are unwilling to engage in discussions that could potentially be life-changing.Yuppies seem to be more concerned about the disconcerting tastes of celebrities and their beleaguered pets than a starving african nation that is facing a humanitarian crisis of the greatest magnitude.
Why do i have to blame the Yuppies for the present state of affairs?
It is simply because it has always been the younger generation that has shouldered revolutions and have brought about change for the good, take the civil-rights movment or the vietnam war protests….all were galvanized by the 'twenty-somethings'.
Is it true that today's generation is so self-absorbed and egotistical that unlike their predecessors in the 70's and 80's, are unlikely to pay even the least amount of importance, let alone raise a hue and cry about events around the world and some that are of concern to the united states.
On closer observation, i noticed that rebellions do not occur in isolation, oppression and a feeling of betrayal are omnipotent precursors to most revolutionary movements.
Are we nonchalant because we are happy and comfortable?...does that cease our responsibilites and rationalities
Something to ponder about……..

To add to my previous blog

2006-09-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

I am in the 5th year of my Ph.D , with all my friends who are not in school, buying SAAB, and prelude, with me in school with lack of motivation...

Is it laziness or lack of motivation?

2006-09-05T01:18:00.000-05:00

I have been in the lab for 40 hours during thelast week, and I have probably worked 10 hours. Other 30 hours, I have been doing irrelevant things, and things that does not reward me by any means. I have been trying to address this efficiency issue for a long time, but this time around it is as bad as a steam engine. The height of this issue was when i was trying to read an article on how to improve or better your concentration, i took a couple of seconds break, and before i realized i had already closed the window. I have always heard people say about the roadblocks people face when doing Ph.D , Is it the same kind ?

Fall '06 at cll

2006-08-31T19:22:00.000-05:00

Good read

2006-08-23T16:35:00.000-05:00

Walking down the aisle, I saw her in her best blue dress. Coyingly calling me to reach out to her and hear her story. See what she had to show about "The End to Poverty: Economic possibilities for our time". Its authored by Jefferey Sachs. It may seem quite verbose at a first glance, but he has done a good job of keeping the theory stuff out of it. I am yet to get to the chapter where he actually mets out his advice. But a good long read even for those philanthropic ones.

Quote of the Day

2006-08-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing -- that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.

- Richard Feynman

Is mine too small

2006-07-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing quite some returning visitors to this blog-page, apparently with the hope of seeing something - i. utterly confusing (is there like a Upper limit to the confusion we can write and still make sense) or ii. exchange personal viewpoints so that some, viz. yours truly, can be even more confused than they were to start out with or iii. Just add to the confusion, you know like an octopus spraying ink. Get your own colored ink.

Note to other authors: You have a crowd to entertain.
Note to particular author: That crowd is not 1 specific person only.

Moving on to the point I have been pondering over for the past weeks, years, eons (or minutes if you muggles/engineers wish to be realistic). Your views are more than welcome.

People talk. By this I don't mean everything that comes out phonetically from human beings upper orifices [did not mean to be gross, but it came out that way :) ]. By this comment I meant, when people and society in general comments about you and your personal relationships with other human beings and more importantly when you care about what they talk and to whom. As is the case with almost all human beings, no one likes to be slandered or talked bad about and this is the reason we are more than eager to know what people talk about us when we are not there. It is almost like a treasure hunt, with the treasure being either a gold chest (mental peace that you are good and loved by others) or octopus ink (*^*&_*&*%^$$#)

I asked myself the question "How many times do I take the opportunity to talk good about someone (not a product) without being asked about him /her." Please omit dearly beloved ones, kids (if any) and parents from the list of probables. I came up with a number. HINT: single digit.

"Is mine too small?" was the natural male-chauvinistic question that followed.

Man and Beast

2006-05-28T15:58:00.000-05:00

A testimony to the divisive nature of religion and the feral instinct of man...
A documentary on the 'Godhra Incident'
Godhra-Final Solution--A film by Rakesh Sharma

Life's gotta a lot to teach..........

2006-05-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

It was a pleasant december afternoon in 2002. I was back in india for a short holiday and was busy catching up with best buddies and getting reacquainted with old friends.
At one of these reunions, i happened to meet 'X'-a cheerful lad with a relaxed demeanor and an unmistakably friendly disposition...'X'seemed to be an interesting chap, spent a pleasant evening chatting and raking up school crushses, controversial educators and issues that were of consequence to the virile indian male-'buxom women'.....never had the oppurtunity to meet up with 'X'again, although we kept in touch through a common friend of ours..who also happened to be one of 'X's good buddies.

'X' finished his Bachelor's degree in India and came to the states to pursue graduate school in New England; he successfully completed his graduate degree and like many of his peers, landed a job soon after and settled down in the midwest.
Unfortunately,at this juncture in his life.... .'X' was diagnosed with a life threatening condition and was now in need of immediate medical attention. Having lost someone in the family to this deadly malady, i was well aware of its virulent reputation.

I had the fortune of meeting up with 'X' recently as he was and still is undergoing treatment. I was struck with consternation as i met him after all these years..his physical appearance bears a ghostly resemblance to the fella i knew in 2002..but the mind seems more and more like the 'X' we all knew; it was as if time had stood still and nothing had happened in all these years that would alter his outlook towards life.

I also find it worth mentioning that in these dark self-centered days where love and commitment have become oppurtunistic capitalist enterprises, commodities traded on the NYSE.....'X' had a special someone who stood by him through all these turbulent times, unswerving in her single-minded devotion and dedication to the one man she really cared about..I felt blessed in their company and would like to thank them for reaffirming my faith in humanity.

'X', without uttering a single syllable, had taught me one of life's most profound lessons--'Take time to appreciate life and be grateful for what you have in hand'..my ambitions, my constant quest for wealth and my avarice is leaving me dysphoric and disillusioned...All my troubles seem to pale in comparison with what 'X' has to deal with...sometimes i ask myself..am i too shallow, am i too hollow, am i manipulative, am i power-hungry...is this what life is all about?

Void

2006-05-18T10:38:00.000-05:00

Tucked away in entirety
in a remote corner of my mind
The memories are flooding me
dont you dare go fading with time

The Sun shines across the balcony
whilst i make love to a bottle of wine
No remorse and no regrets
withering away as i pen this rhyme

The wait is still not over, and hope is keeping me sane
Days and nights seem so colder as the moon waxes and wanes

Regression is of no avail to me
the shrink tells me 'man you are on the line'
firing away with his pen
drugs...futile to this life of mine

My body is failing me
my mind patiently waits its turn
I know that when i die in abject poverty
my ashes would fade away in an oaken urn

But my pangs of desire still yearn for thee;
not subjected to frugality
an illusion never-ending
set free only by the sweet kiss of demise

An encounter of the eighth kind

2006-04-29T22:22:00.000-05:00

After a couple of hours of staring into a screen, I stepped out into the darkness that had fallen onto the road outside the lab. The road was wide, lit by sodium vapour lamps. They weren't enough to probe into pockets of darkness that hung beneath the trees. Well manicured grass stretched evenly from the illuminating haze into the darkness beneath the trees. The sky was clear. A thin crescent moon hung low in the sky; a face with a faint smile.

Under the tree, I saw a shape in the grass. It munched on the grass, in the cover of darkness. Shy animals by nature, the clever rabbit had found a safe dark clearing in a spot where two roads crossed and four lamps threateningly watched. People walked right by without noticing him. I biked right along him, too see what he looked like. He was shaped like a grey furry easter egg. His back was facing me but both his large ears followed me as I biked in an arc around him; like a radar antenna following a plane. I slowed down as I passed him; he gave me a sideward glance; not alarmed, but seemingly annoyed, "can't you see i am eating?" I apologized without saying a word and went on my way.

Further down the road, the lights had dissapeared. A large family was walking down the sidewalk with two of their dogs; enjoying the cool night. While one dog walked with the group the elder fellow took it upon himself to scout on ahead. I suppose it was route he knew well. I was biking a few feet behind him on the road while he trotted on ahead. A pedestrian crossing came along. He turned towards the road and looked the other way and then, saw me. He didn't expect to see me and was fully prepared to cross. As soon as he did see me, he stopped and looked at me, and smiled, "after you". I biked on ahead and turned back to see him cross, along a straight line, right in the middle of the pedestrian crossing.

In a couple of minutes, I was at a red light. Trucks and cars whizzed past me as I stood and wondered.

Is a blog is mightier than the sword ?

2006-04-19T10:07:00.000-05:00

Reports are just pouring in. Judge for yourself - if a blog is mightier than the sword ?

Purdue Grad Student Charged with Making Threats Against President Bush:

http://purdueexponent.org/index.php/module/Issue/action/Article/article_id/3718
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4789271&nav=0Ra7

Suspect in Okla. Girl's Killing Had Written About Cannibalism in his blog:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041600926.html

1 / 365

2006-04-13T14:59:00.000-05:00

It comes once a year. Starts at 0:00. Wishes are made. Candles are blown. Midnight snack is smeared on faces. Phone calls pour in. Congratulations flood in. ISD calls are made. Greeting cards try and express blessings. The sun seems specially bright that day. Birds seem more chirpier. Gifts (need I mention free) are unwrapped. 11:59 rolls over and the party stops. Almost as if everything turned back into the pumpkin. The next 364 days seem to be clones. But isn't one of those 364 someone else's birthday / special day. "As if I care" / "Whatever", apart from eating that cake & for a few minutes, seems to be the unspoken thought of many in that 364X24 hours. Is there something wrong with this picture. Isnt today someone's birthday? Then why not feel that same special feeling even today. Why is the sun specially here for you today ?

What matters

2006-04-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

A few days back, I was watching TV with my roommate. The anchor on the show that we were watching was interviewing an author, who had recently written a book on Manliness. Towards the end of his talk, the author remarked that the average American woman spent around one-third of her time at work and the remaining two-thirds at home and that was the way it should stay. My roommate, in his mid twenties and single, told me that it was indeed a good formula and that was the only way one could hold a family together.

The next day, I happened to talk to another friend of mine who told me that she was almost certain that her life after marriage would be void of any excitement and time for herself; the only thing she could look forward to was the mundane and a life characterized by the fulfilment of responsibilities, nothing more.

x------x

Thinking back, I don't remember which small town in South India I was in. I don't even remember why I was in that town or with whom I had journeyed there.

I remember that it was evening. The sun had gone down but there was still enough light. The street lights hadn't come on. I was sitting in a bus; a town bus; the name given to a bus that shuttles between towns. The bus was parked in a road side bus-stand. It wasn't full when I boarded it and it began to fill up with old men chewing pan, old women, a few hunch backed, hawkers, flower sellers and wage earners.

Amid the din, I saw a young couple climb up the steps into the bus. They appeared to be in their late twenties. I pictured the man as one who you would find working in a local textile mill, or in a shop, or as a carpenter. He came across as a person who would consider the acquisition of bicycle as a moment to remembered. He was dressed in a neatly ironed dull checked shirt and a dark trouser. On his chest he carried his sleeping child. The child would have been around three or four. His wife seemed to be dressed in her best sari. Bright, neat and immaculate. Her face was powdered with talcum and she wore a bright red pottu on her forehead. Being the end of the week, they might have been on their way to her parents' house in a nearby town or just visiting a bigger town for shopping. She seemed quite excited. She walked very close to her husband, very much like young lovers and newly weds do. Her husband wore a stoic expression on his face. It neither betrayed his worries or the happiness of being with his wife and child. They settled into a seat for two, with his wife taking the one by the window.

A flower seller walked past the bus and the wife commented that the flowers seemed very pretty. The husband asked her to hold onto the child and quickly darted out of the bus. His wife, holding on to her child, looked anxiously out of the window. He was back in a few moments with a large bunch of woven flowers in his hand. He knew how to part his wife's hair and place the flowers in them, just the way she liked them. She was holding onto her child and brimmed with contentment. He didn't say a word. He quietly took back the child, sat beside her and put it across his chest.

The conductor blew on the whistle. She was smiling and he had his stoic expression; they were happy. The bus rumbled forward.

Home

2006-03-24T13:45:00.000-06:00

I have always believed home was something physical, an attribution to a physical place. A place where you felt at home; where you felt right; where physical space and meaning produced a sense of well-being.

Having left home for distant shores, i had forgotten how it felt. Last week, i felt it again. And it was not because i went home again. It was because i went to visit old friends of mine. Old as in a comfortable pair of old leather shoes.

It was then it struck me. Home is not a physical space. It is to do with people. People - bonded to you by blood or just passing by - create that special place; in the space around you and in your head.

To the people who did that for me, my gratitude.

A page from the tome of desire

2006-03-13T18:47:00.000-06:00

10 miles had already past. my bottle of water had only a sip of gatorade left. the road ascended to the heavens ahead. i told myself i would reward myself with it once i am over it. the wild flowers i had picked only a couple of miles before had already wilted in my pocket, unable to take the heat. a pity, i thought.

i was over the hill. i lustily filled my mouth with the last drops of gatorade. a voice in my head told me, sip it slowly; let it slowly trickle down your parched throat. i gulped it all at once. my stomach groaned at the sudden sugar burst. my mouth went back to being dry in seconds. cars whizzed passed me. few motorists looked on curiously, at the flowers sticking out my pocket.

the road stretched on endlessly. the nearest gas station was atleast another twenty minutes of running. the sun was going down and a cool evening breeze had begun to blow. i had stopped sweating and the cool evening breeze wicked away the last traces of sweat from my body, leaving me in a ghostly white shroud of salt.

I was getting hungry. But the thirst was even greater. there were small ponds by the road. i was tempted to dip my empty bottle into them. a sprinkler in a nearby neighbourhood had given birth to a a small trickle of clear water that was flowing along the sidewalk. i almost did put my bottle to the ground to collect a mouthful of water. i decided not to. not because of a false sense of propriety; just didn't feel like it.

my mouth began to crave for a sip of gatorade. hunger was not far behind. my legs were tired and craving for energy. visions of chewy snickers bars and gooey peanuts being crunched on and coating every tatebud in my mouth began to drive me crazy. i saw a shell gas station a mile down the road. my body responded immediately. i grew light and i ran with a new spring in my step. i shot across the lights at the intersection and into the convenience store. i picked up the gatorade and hopped over to the candy section. my hands were almost trembling when i reached for the king size snickers peanut bar. i sauntered to the cashier and paid. i stepped out put the snickers bar in my pocket; anticipation to heighten the taste of pleasure. i greedily gulped on the cold gatorade. i drank till all traces of thirst were drowned. the snickers had waited enough. i pulled it out of my pocket, unwrapped and took a large hungry bite. it was everything i had expected it to be and so much more. fruitition at last. i kept at it, gobbling one sweet mouthful after another. it kept me company for another four miles. i put the last bite in my pocket; wanting to savour the precious last mouthful when i got home.

i got home with a raspy throat. the cold gatorade had deceived me. miniscule bits of peanuts trapped in my throat gave me no peace. my stomach reprimanded me for all that sugar.

a half empty bottle of gatorade and and the precious last piece of snickers lie on my table. i wonder, what manner of affliction caused so much longing? where is it now?

Desire and Despair of the Endless

2006-03-07T10:40:00.000-06:00

Desire is of medium height. It is unlikely that
any portrait will ever do Desire justice, since to
see her (or him) is to love him (or her), -
passionately, painfully, to the exclusion of all
else.

Desire smells almost subliminally of summer
peaches, and casts two shadows: one black and
sharp-edged, the other translucent and forever
wavering, like heat haze.

Desire smiles in brief flashes, like
sunlight glinting from a knife-edge. And there is
much else that is knife-like about Desire.

Never a possession, always the possessor, with
skin as pale as smoke, and eyes tawny and
sharp as yellow wine: Desire is everything you
have ever wanted. Whoever you are. Whatever
you are.

Everything.

Despair, Desire's sister and twin, is queen of
her own bleak bourne. It is said that scattered
through Despair's domain are a multitude of tiny
windows, hanging in the void. Each window
looks out onto a different scene, being, in our
world, a mirror. Sometimes you will look into a
mirror and feel the eyes of Despair upon you,
feel her hook catch and snag your heart.

Her skin is cold and clammy; her eyes are the
colour of the sky, on the grey, wet days that leach
the world of colour and meaning; her voice is
little more than a whisper; and while she has no
odour, her shadow smells musky, and pungent,
like the skin of a snake.

Many years gone, a sect in what is now
Afghanistan declared her a goddess, and
proclaimed all empty rooms her sacred places.
The sect, whose members called themselves
The Unforgiven, persisted for two years, until its
last adherent finally killed himself, having
survived the other members by almost seven
months.

Despair says little, and is patient.

-- Neil Gaiman, Season of Mists, THE SANDMAN.

Eye of the tiger

2006-02-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

I have been grappling with this question myself and was quite hesitant to post anything related to this on our blog simple because any religious statement is always laden (no pun intended) with fervor.

"One's pain is someone else's entertainment" - rough translation of a dialogue from Hindi movie 'KALYUG'

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" - old saying.

So were the caricatures of Prophet Mohammed (may peace be upon him) someone's pain to entertain someone else or is it that the beholder's have not seen the beauty.

The reason I am in this doubt is because of another, though not as publicized, episode of our own M F Hussain. This indian painter has painted, nude paintings of Hindu gods and godesses and further more a nude representation of the India. Well a minority of Sanatan (=hindu) organizations have objected and made some attempts to make the public more aware of this. But that is being touted as Art and Beauty, while something else is insulting.

Someone help me understand the difference.

DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to offend or criticize anybody's sentiments and neither to denounce any religion. Its only intention is to help understand the actions.

A

Ethical Quantification

2006-02-14T12:40:00.000-06:00

"What do i do?"

"What are the consequences of my actions?"

"How do we define right and wrong"?

These are questions that are most often encountered in the day-to-day lives of the hoi polloi. Some answers are axiomatic and some are elusive...some are theoretical and others are complex. But then, there are always those that are obscured to infinity and a few that can never be defined.

Given any context; can one ideally define what is right or wrong; what actions conform to standards of vestality and what constitutes moral reprehensibility.

In a nutshell, the million dollar question is "Can ethics be quantified?"
Ethics are theorized to provide us with a moral-framework for making value based decisions. If we wholly adopt the wildly popular utilitarian approach--" Do what can achieve the greatest good for the greatest number". Then, we end up justifying slavery in the rural south; which, though insentient and brutal; was deemed necessary for the prosperity of the region.

In such a case, it is wiser to adopt Immanuel Kant's account of ethics, which attaches importance to human dignity and certain inalienable rights of the populace.
However, not all situations are so incisively defined that they are constrained by the relevance of the above theories.

How would one categorize a consensual one-night stand?, the arrangement is not contradictory from a utilitarian stand-point and is definitely not infringing on the personal-rights of the individuals involved. On the contrary, both parties stand to benefit from the arrangement.
Why and how is the act outlined above considered morally incorrect by certain fringes of the society?. Though there are certain underlying virtues and standard ethoes that dictate societal function across all cultures; decisions such as visiting a strip-joint, consuming alcohol and/or watching graphic erotica are personal decisions that are relativistic in nature.
To the untrained mind, the way of the masai in africa may sound crude and barbaric....but then again, every culture has characteristics that are unique and unparallaled to those of others in the world. To some, the veil may be considered an oppresive symbol and a relic of the past; to others, it serves as an illustration of their devotion and purpose in life.
However, it has to be noted that only certain moral notions are relativistic in nature; practices such as racism, slavery and torture are condemned by universal consensus as they conflict with the rights of the individual.
In conclusion, i consider it upto each individual to judge the appropriateness of their actions and proceed accordingly, provided it does not conflict with certain universal ground rules.

Move over Itunes..the Bird is Here

2006-02-12T20:58:00.000-06:00

Apple, the name conjures up visions of grandeur albeit on a small scale or rather a much much smaller scale......nanoscale perhaps. Everyone around me has been gushing about the nano and its sleek, euphonodynamic design.
I confess, i am an avid Apple hater, why one would say..as an Electrical Engineer, i admire the design and worship the intricate circuitry that lies underneath this refined fictile alloy. However, my logical constructs arrest my purchasing urges as i realize that the Ipod is a DaVinci fresco cognate, a thing that is meant to be admired and adored...but not to be exploited.
Before accusing me of blasphemy and issuing an edict to have me whipped in public,do hear me out. I admit that the Ipod is definitely the coolest gizmo on the planet, heck may be the universe; but for all the hype and hoopla, it is not as feature packed as the Creative Zen Vision M nor does it have the unmatched audio quality of the Sony Walkman MP3 player. Yet, people hanker after it, some obsess about it and a few fret over it. Infact, the nation of Elucktronikistan has declared Ipod to be the the God of all things small and beautiful.

However,history stands testimony to the fact that beauty and brains seldom go together...transferring music to this beautiful piece of metal can sometimes be a cause of concern to the muscles that line my posterior.
Itunes officially sucks, it does not incorporate plug and play, scrambles the music files in hidden folders tying the user to an inutile scrapless piece of code..and i havent yet gotten to the flawed Itunes MP3 encoder.

But fear not comrades,look up on the web, its a plane, its a bird (kind of)...., no it aint superman, its SONGBIRD-The new open source audio playing software that is based off Mozilla's XUL Runner platform. The Songbird utilizes the VLC media plugin and incorporates features that include adding streaming content from various websites to playlists, searching a variety of music stores for songs of your choice and price,virtual jamming and much more.
Sounds like music to my ears...dare to try?
Click here for Songbird 0.1
Aha, i forgot to mention; if marilyn monroe were a program, this is what she would look like

The Clockwork Woman

2006-02-09T03:35:00.000-06:00

In pursuit of flawlessness, she tinkers to and fro
Embittered and astounded, dare not deem
Can one be perfect thy, precise as a clockwork swiss

A reverie too good, to be true for a beleaguered miss
Alas she ponders, fomenting and contriving
Fractures and flaws, fancied and evoked

The aeonian solitude, wrecked by reckless figment
True as averred, resorts to vice and infirmity
At long last, her yearning arranged

With delight, she fiddles and purges
The inconspicuous blemishes, scathing the very soul
Cries unheard, oblivious to the amending urges

The damage now done, too little to rue
Back to work, obscured by the overt stew
In pursuit of flawlessness, she tinkers to and fro

Beep beep beep. You have been tagged!

2006-02-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

Help, i have been tagged. Serves me right for writing about the joy of blowing soap bubbles - i am doing something very similar now. Click here if you want the whole story . The basic idea is about choosing a theme (a bunch of questions) and forcing it down every unsuspecting friend's throat. The theme (or meme as it is called) is replicated with each person in the chain answering it.

Apparently i will be a poor sport if i don't play along - when did i hear that last, 10 minutes ago? So here we go...

4 Jobs you have had in your life
- Polar Bear Fur Shearer.
- Luggage Carrier on Moutaineering Expeditions.
- Llama milkman.
- Research Assistant.

4 Movies you would watch over and over again
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- Postino.
- The Motorcycle Diaries.
- Austin Powers - Goldmember.

4 Places you have lived
- Pondicherry.
- Aarani.
- Ooty.
- Chennai.

4 Places you have been on Vacation
- Sultan's Batteri, Kerala, India.
- Andaman and Nicobar, India.
- Cochin, Kerala, India.
- Silent Valley, Tamilnadu, India.

4 TV shows you would love to watch
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Robotech
- Big O
- Cosmos

4 Websites you visit daily
- Ucomics
- BBC news
- The Hindu
- National Geographic photo of the day

4 of your favorite foods
- Sora puttu
- Mutton Biriyani
- Gulab Jamuns
- Jack Fruit

4 places you would rather be
- 4 x here.

4 bloggers you are tagging
-Ivan Noble
-Amit
-Aryapadi
-Pramod

Thought for the Day

2006-01-29T05:14:00.000-06:00

Some of the most successful relationships are based on lies and deceit. Since that's where they usually end up anyway, it's a logical place to start.
--Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) in Lord of War

Thought for the Day

2006-01-19T19:04:00.000-06:00

"The most profound statements are often said in silence."
-Lynn Johnston

Blogging On...

2006-01-19T15:35:00.000-06:00

I was quite amused to find many other people with blogs on similar lines; to read people philosophize on things that matter to them - love, change, future and the likes of therof. Before i go ahead i must specify that two kinds of people are exempt from this. One kind is the blogger who relates to life as is. No philosophizing, only stating experiences. They are very real. The other is one who collects such experiences and tries to paint a coherent picture of the world. While i may not agree with many pictures that emerge, i find them interesting nonetheless.

Many are like me. We throw in a few cliched quotes and somehow hope that the messy melange of words we have created will give rise to profound truths that were somehow withheld from man until then. It is narcissism that prevents me from seeing my own writing in this light, but i suppose i wouldn't be too presumptuous in allowing myself this luxury.

What set me off in this direction was a discussion on another blog on change. While one blogger was trying to grapple with change another proceeded to put forward his thought on the matter. It centered on this extremely pithy argument that 'the only thing that is a constant is change'. Now where have i heard that before? Almost everywhere else! And how does it help? It is like telling a terminally ill patient, death is inevitable.

Writing blogs allows one to selectively extract memories and experiences and string them up in a manner of their choosing. The beads are real and one can string them up to make necklaces that people are willing to buy. If you go around reading blogs you will be suprised to encounter lives so rich, filled with insightful experience, gut wrenching sorrow and heart warming love that your life will seem like a cup of clorox. If you find yourself falling for this, take out ten sheets of paper and write out a page everyday. At the end of ten days, your ten pages should be as interesting as the average blog! To make it better than the average blog try shuffling the pages!

Having convinced you of the vanity of the average blogger and the futile irrelevance of his efforts, what have i succeeded in explaining? Nothing more than what you already know; i hope :-)

Thought for the day

2006-01-16T16:39:00.000-06:00

God is a conjecture; but I desire that your conjectures should not reach beyond your creative will. Could you create a god? Then do not speak to me of any gods. But you could well create the overman. --Nietzsche

The Border Collie

2006-01-13T15:54:00.000-06:00

The Border Collie is a sheep dog - a dog trained to guard and herd sheep. Came across the fellows on BBC; a picture of a young girl holding onto a pup. Links below.

BBC (navigate to pic.10 in the slide show)
Pictures of working sheep dogs
Info

This

2006-01-11T11:13:00.000-06:00

For a while, i suppose, all i have been doing is existing. In the sense that what tomorrow brings no longer seems to fascinate me. I remember, it was not always so.

I still remember the sunny morning i woke up to, over fifteen years ago, when my legs weren't tall enough to touch the floor. There have been innumerable mornings ever since, but very few stand out. The older i get, the less fascinating things are. I suppose i could keep myself busy searching for new experience but why do the older ones seem to be less significant? I could easily spend a couple of hours blowing soap bubbles into the air a few years back but now, my enthusiasm for it seems to have waned. If this is what is called growing up, i wonder why anybody would want to?

I ruminated over this as i jogged last night. I suppose jogging got me thinking about this in the first place. When i started out running, every jog was an experience to cherish. Now, it is akin to brushing my teeth. I decided to take a detour, through a neighbourhood i had never been before. The sky was really clear and since the street didn't have any lighting, it looked all the more mysterious. Out of nowhere, like an illusion in the desert, a lovely house came up. My view had been obstructed by trees and suddenly i was looking upon a well lit house with burning candles at every window and a neat and well manicured garden. Following this one were many more houses, each one lovely in its own way. As i jogged past them, i felt strangely good.

Then it dawned upon me. This was probably what according to zen is called thisness. Commonly, it is called being in the moment. I realized the older i get and the more routine my task, my mind seems to fly away. Events and occurences become no longer significant because i was never there in the first place. My mind wasn't present. If you think this is easy, try not thinking about anything. No thought in the head, total silence, just observing what is around. See how long you last. If you did that even for five minutes, i assure you, those five minutes will seem like no other five minutes you have lived through before! Apparently that is what meditation is all about.

It is so easy to be present during what i can only term as moments of beauty. Driving down a beautiful stretch along a highway, a quiet evening with a loved one, a good meal or a jog along lovely homes; they have one thing in common: beauty. It is a concept that a word cannot aptly describe but something you will instantly recognize when you experience it.

I suppose the easiest way, without too much mental strain, to be present is to appreciate the beauty in all that is around. I know people who look up to the sky and smile when they see an aircraft fly overhead. How do you get there?

Courage

2006-01-06T17:54:00.000-06:00

"It wasn't bad. I just went to sleep. I love you".

-Martin Toler -one of the twelve miners who lost his life in the Sago Mine tragedy- in a note to his family.

Click here for Times UK Article

A Life without Pleasure

2005-12-30T15:35:00.000-06:00

There comes a time, when we all question the essence of life, is it the journey that fuels and invigorates this otherwise mundane existence? or is the true purpose of life, certain liberation and fading into nothingness.
Another thought that propogates the alleys of the mind is the very existence of a purpose in life, could it not be the handiwork of an intelligent being, aware that the world would slip into chaos if it were not for the illusion of purpose.

Cultures in the east and west have dealt differently with the importance of pleasure in life, some cultures even regard it as a sin to indulge in the gratification of the mind. Nonetheless, if the purpose of life is to enjoy pleasures; both materialistic and aesthetic; why are values such as abstinence, celibacy and prudence extolled in society?. Is it pure counter-culture, the need to differ from convention or is there solace in pain, suffering and deprival. If this indeed were true, then i believe those who indulge in pleasures of agony, are as guilty as those who bask in materialistic opulence and therefore, are not justified imparting their values to society as a better and meaningful alternative.

Another view is the inevitabilty of death, does death provide us with an answer?, does death lead us to a better ghostly world that makes sense of our existence in the living?, we may never find the answer, for none have returned yet...

As rational beings, we need a motive to propel us in life, if there is no rationale for our existence, then we would cease to function as an organized society and the world as we know it would slip into pandemonium, never to recover. Moreover, the existence of a world without purpose seems meaningless to us, therefore we use religion as a tool to bind us together, to provide answers to questions we seek. After-life, judgement day, rebirth and salvation are terms that lead us to believe that there is balance in the universe and we will be rewarded according to our conduct...but then again, there is no concrete and conclusive evidence to support this observation.

Given these arguments, would it not be commensensical to lead a life of contentment here on earth?, would'nt it be prudent to enjoy all the pleasures life has to offer and live life as if there was no tommorow...

The Day After Christmas

2005-12-27T12:51:00.000-06:00

We got up late. Wanksta, Radhe and me. We picked up a couple of photographs that we had asked to be developed and chatted indecisively as to where to spend the afternoon. We finally headed to a local coffee shop with two packs of playing cards in hand.

As expected, the coffee shop was far from crowded. Our patron, clawingly welcoming and coffee, annoyingly bitter. Couldn't blame him; business was slow and he was happy to have human company. He thanked us a gazillion times for being there. We found three couches in a corner with a nice table in-between. We had a separate cup filled with sugar and tried in vain to breathe taste back into our brew. We played a couple of rounds. We were too tired to continue after a while.

Wanksta, to my left, took off his slippers and stretched himself out on the couch. In a couple of minutes he was off to lands where no man has ever been before - dozing off. Radhe, to my right, had found a bunch of the day's newspapers and was reading them with a twinkle in his eye. Before i asked him why, he looked upto me and said, "How much ever i get to read the news online, the feeling of holding a newspaper in my hand is totally something else; the smell. Don't you think so?" I just smiled and nodded. I was already looking at the light through the window, falling on wanksta's face and the glow the table lamp was putting around Radhe. I whipped out my camera and set out calculating how best i could capture it.

Have you ever looked at an animal in the wild? The joy of seeing a wild animal in its element, doing what it does best. The moment at the coffee shop seemed strangely similar. Wanksta taking a nap, Radhe perusing the paper and me with my camera. Everything seemed in place; right where they should be.

On the Nature of Emotion: The Case of 'Love'

2005-12-22T16:06:00.000-06:00

Wanksta, Indy, Arun and Me have been debating the nature of emotion and love in particular. The argument exists because a couple of us view it as a mechanistic process and some of us who don't. I am leaving it to the comments to take the argument further.

"A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value. "
-Issac Asimov

Possibility

2005-12-20T12:52:00.000-06:00

All men dream, but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds
Awake to find that it was vanity;
But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men,
That they may act their dreams with open
eyes to make it possible.

T.E. Lawrence

Movie Review: 'Autumn Spring' (Babí léto)

2005-12-20T09:21:00.000-06:00

A feel-good movie about an old Czech couple on their final trip on the wonderful journey of life. Brilliantly scripted and an engrossing storyline make this a must see for all movie lovers. The lead actor, Vlastimil Brodsky, is a genius. If you haven't seen any of his earlier movies, rent this one - it's definitely worth the effort. You might say it's not typical Hollywood fare, no sex and violence, instead you're treated to a delightfully simple story of an old man who refuses to act his age and in so doing ends up in several sticky situations. One particular scene that stands out is when Brodsky and his partner in crime Jára (played by Ondrej Vetchý) act like rich millionaires interested in buying a mansion. To keep up their act, they proceed to a fancy French restaurant and are driven around in a limo. Since this is the first scene of the movie, you're surprised when they ride the metro home after all this special treatment!

The movie gives you perspective of what life is all about and that it's never too late to start enjoying it! Fantastic movie, give it five stars.

Timing...

2005-12-18T16:11:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about this in the last few days, about how important it is for one to do anything at the correct time. Anything from batting in cricket, to cracking a joke, to a proposal of some sort or in helping a person....It seems so important..The whole idea seems very stupid, once the moment has passed...But, the same could be the best thing you have ever said or done, if done at the correct time..

Being Realistic

2005-12-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

Was watching a documentary on the sex trade in India, which focussed on red light areas in Mumbai (Bombay) and Calcutta. If you have read anything i write, you will see that i focus more on the theory rather than ground reality; more on broad generalizations rather than direct answers to questions posed.

As i continued to watch the documentary, my initial reaction was that it was immoral and how wrong it was that even children became unwilling actors in this tragedy. What i realized that such a view will never help in finding a solution. Prostitution is the oldest profession and my views only prevent me from seeing the reality of the situation.

I was surprised by what the women in Calcutta had to say; the very same women who practise this profession. Their concern was simple. They did not want to be harassed by the police - who only took bribes and requested sexual favours after an arrest - and wanted to make sure that their health was not compromized. To address this, they formed a labour union! They advice each other on issues that matter to them. They want their profession to be legally recognized so that like other professions, the minimum age limit becomes applicable and minors' rights are protected.

Not once did they talk about morality. They focussed on finding solutions and nothing else.

Al Says!

2005-12-15T13:18:00.000-06:00

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
-Albert Einstein

For the Verbose Blogger

2005-12-13T12:42:00.000-06:00

Duty

2005-12-12T23:26:00.000-06:00

When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty.
-George Bernard Shaw

Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty.
-Stephen King

Color discrimination

2005-12-12T14:19:00.000-06:00

Picture this. You are sitting in the school cafeteria / lounge / a place where a lot of students come on a daily basis. (PS: If you have graduated and sitting smugly in your cubicle, and not thinking of your presentation due on friday and your timesheet for last week, think back of the times when you were in school/university) Oh and btw limit your imagination to only US institutions (though this might be true now back home as well). Getting back.

Of course there will be a mixture of students, who bring their own vibrance to the atmosphere with their own dressing styles, the type of apparel, the type of accessories, their method of communication, their lingo's etc.

I am sure you will notice, not a couple but atleast a dozen examples of the proto-typical Girl who owns only those items that has atleast some dash of PINK. Such an example is right in front me right now, and there are daily sightings of such creatures in many a classes. I have had many an arguments with my 2B, on why girls distinctly favor the color PINK and not only that but why do they insist on getting everything in this color. Right from cellphone covers to dresses to purses to backpack's to hats to shoes and the list goes on.

To me anything thats a little faded than rose-red is Pink. That's when I got a small but not too small a lecture on what constitutes Pink and why must a girl have all shades on pink in her attire. I must say I cannot relate to any of that.

My question finally is this - is this discrimination against all other colors (though the color Black might in fact be way ahead of others) and do guys do the same with supposedly Blue being the guy's color. Do you do it - knowingly / unknowingly.

A

Intrigued!

2005-12-11T00:30:00.000-06:00

i have spent a lot of time writing some articles and don't get as much as a single comment. then i go and put up two quotes and start off a very eventful discussion. i don't get it? :-)

Motivational Quote of the Day

2005-12-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

"If you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting."
- therapy

"Strategy is destiny."
- Andy Grove

Jogger's Quote of the Day

2005-12-03T19:22:00.000-06:00

"Gatorade is your friend.
The Sun is a Ba*****d."

Self and Meaning Creation

2005-11-25T14:41:00.000-06:00

I am from India. Even if you can't find it on the map, i am fairly certain you will have a clue as to the importance of ritual in daily life there. It is a society steeped in tradition. There is such a variety in terms of belief and each community has some aspect of tradition governing every major event in life; Birth, Naming the new born, Coming of Age, Marriage, Anniversary and Death; You will find ritual in all these events, often elaborate and mind boggling.

To the logical mind, all this is trivial. Why do you need it? But even in the western (modern) world, you find institutions that actively seek to create rituals. Organizations especially. Awarding 'employee of the month' plaques is a good example. The human mind wants meaning attached to every event. Some value, some significance that makes it not ordinary. We tend to appreciate only things that are somehow far removed from our daily lives. While these rituals give us something to talk about and somehow make us feel we are different from the rest of the world, is this really so? We are all individuals with a sense of self. Why do we need this meaning creation?

Quoting from "The Way of Zen"(Alan W Watts),

"For the conventional "self" or "person" is composed mainly of a history consisting of selected memories and begining from the moment of parturition. According to convention, I am not simply what I am doing now. I am also what I have done, and my conventionally edited version of my past is made to seem almost more the real "me" than what I am at this moment. For what I am seems so fleeting and intangible, but what I was is fixed and final. It is the firm basis for predictions of what I will be in the future, and so it comes about that I am more closely identified with what no longer exists than with what actually is!

If i was to truly abandon all my memories, what would i be? Today would be no different from yesterday; there would be no concept of time. If everything ultimately has no real meaning, should we then abandon everything and live lives that are synthetically devoid of any form of meaning creation? Is it possible and more importantly, is it healthy? How does one avoid the seduction of the extremes; of no meaning and of delusion?

I think the answer lies here.

"The true joy of life is not in
the grand gesture but in the
consecration of the moment."

-Small Graces (Kent Nerburn)

Marc Andreessen's advice for young graduates

2005-11-21T18:06:00.000-06:00

Marc Andreessen,who is credited with co-creating the Mosaic browser and Netscape, had this to say to graduates at a lecture,

1. Career Planning - Don't plan. They world is changing too fast for you to prepare. There is no way one can anticipate what is going to happen. Be opportunistic; take advantage of whatever comes your way; be open to experience. Marc Andreessen, now in his early forties programmed only for 3 months after he got out of grad school with a computer science degree.

2. Do not do what you don't like. Do what you like to do. Sounds simple, but very few actually do. As a graduate, you learn to survive on a meagre budget and have a couple of years before you settle down. Committments force you work for a steady income and then you never have a choice until you are 60! This is the time to find out what you really like to do.

3. Never listen to anybody else. The nature of work and kinds of jobs have changed and most of the previous generation doesn't even have a clue as to the new kinds of jobs. For example, until Google came on the scene the job title 'Search Engine Optimizer' never existed.

Assorted quotes for the young man!

2005-11-18T20:45:00.000-06:00

"Stop thinking what you say will make a difference in people's lives when you cannot back it up with action. A humble silence would be most appropriate."

"If you begin to think your life has been particularly instructive and somehow everybody missed out, think again."

"If you cannot afford to truly love someone, it is better not to. Not that you cannot take the pain, you probably are going to screw up somebody else's life and everybody doesn't have a brain like a sieve."

"If you wonder how you can be committed to a woman when you are committed to not a single thing - work, ideals or family - you are on the right track!"

"If you are feeling particularly strong, emotionally, it is probably because of somebody else. Don't forget that it is a gift and go around dancing like a peacock with a wig."

"If you are feeling particularly critical of someone remember that person has chosen to expose their most vulnerable portion to you. It is not your place to judge or mask your own darkness by criticizing another. If you cannot take it, get the balls to make a difference or just put up with it!"

Change

2005-11-18T09:19:00.000-06:00

The Art House Committee was screening a movie at my college and i hopped along to get a look (have been reading to much of animal crackers of late!). There was an exhibition of WWII photographs of the AFP at a gallery located in the same building. i was early and decided to check it out. There were around fifty photographs covering the entire war, but one was remarkable.

Like all the other photos, this one was black and white too. It was big; as big as a 25" TV screen. It showed three german prisoner's of war. They were surrounded by allied troops who were standing around them in a large circle. The allied soldiers gave the three enough room, not hounding them. All the soldiers looked like normal men; no expressions of heroism, anger, pain or sadness;looked like people in a town fair. I wouldn't say the expression was uncalled for, for the three prisoners were boys. Fourteen years old. Dressed in proper German gear and in a coat this seemed rather large for them. They didn't seem distraught. Far from it. The fellow to the extreme left had one hand in his pocket and with the other was holding an apple from which he had already taken a bite. He had a cocky expression; seemed like any other smart aleck fourteen year old; not a tinge of arrogance or defeat; you would think this was part of a play from high school. The other two seemed equally nonchalant. Each one was eating something else. They were enjoying whatever they had and seemed to genuinely happy to pose for the pictures.

If you place all this context of the war, wouldn't you agree with me in saying those three were indeed remarkable? They were proper soldiers and maybe they did kill. Maybe they were all starved or put to death later. They may all be old men by now. This uncertainity of the future bridged time and space; looking at the photograph, neither they nor i knew what was to happen next.

With so much talk going around with the globalized economy causing change and uncertainity; change that throws open lives; lives that seem so far from the that of any previous generation; i think one must remember that change has always been a part life. Oftentimes violent, stripping a man of his dignity; dehumanizing; even at times such as these, you have hope. You have people who choose not let circumstances defeat them. Not in expectation of some later reward but because of who they were.

Movie review: Jarhead

2005-11-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

Vikram's polite remark on the amount of movies I watch has prompted me to start publishing short reviews on movies I think are worth going to.

Let' start off with 'Jarhead' a.k.a. military slang for a US Marine, derived from the shape of the hat the Marines once wore (courtesy dictionary.com).

First off, this isn't your typical war movie with gory depictions of people being torn to shreds. Nor does it have heroic acts of courage. Rather it's a portrayal of one man's emotions as he goes through military training and then through the rigors of war. As with any war themed flick, this has more than its fair share of expletives. So if you can't handle an f*** in every sentence, this one isn't for you. The movie reminded me of another military picture, 'Full Metal Jacket' directed by Stanley Kubrick in the late 80's.

Set in the First Gulf War, the movie goes back and forth between reality and the lead actor's emotions (although sometimes you cannot help but feel sympathetic towards him, there are other times when you think he's nuts!).

After you watch the movie, you realize that there is nothing about politics mentioned. Might this be because the director Sam Mendes is an Englishman and couldn't care less about political affiliations and trying to spread worthless propoganda through the big screen? After all, don't most of us go to see a movie to get away from reality, especially from politicians, I know I do.

All in all, this one's definitely Oscar worthy and is one of the few good movies to come out this year.

Farce of Corporate Responsibility

2005-11-07T20:40:00.000-06:00

There is a major drive to contribute towards breast cancer, if you have noticed, lately.

I picked up a carton of yoplait's (fruit yoghurt) recently. Each cup now comes with a pink lid. For every lid you mail back to the company, it will donate 'y' cents per lid to some foundation for breast cancer research. They also add that they will donate a minimum amount ( some 'x' million) even if they don't receive any lids by mail.

why don't they just go ahead and donate the money? what is the big idea of sending yoghurt coated lids by mail? Does it make the average individual feel good that he has donated a couple of dollars towards a worthy cause? It almost seems like a plot with the USPS (United States Postal Service). All this mailing might boost USPS's revenue; and for its part the USPS might share a percentage with yoplait.

Are we there yet

2005-11-07T09:01:00.000-06:00

Padmasambhava is said to have described the stages of the mystic path of enlightenment in the following way (ask yourself the question in the movie title 'Are We There Yet')

1. To read a large number of books on various religions and philosophies. To listen to many learned doctors professing different doctrines. To experiment oneself with a number of methods.

2. To choose a doctrine among the many one has studied and discard the other ones, as the eagle carries off only one sheep from the flock.

3. To remain in a lowly condition, humble in one's demeanor, not seeking to be conspicuous or important in the eyes of the world, but behind apparent significance, to let one's mind soar high above all worldly power and glory.

4. To be indifferent to all. Behaving like the dog or the pig that eat what chance brings them. Not making any choice among things which one meets. Abstaining from any effort to acquire or avoid anything. Accepting with an equal indifference whatever comes: riches or poverty, praise or contempt, giving up the distinction between virtue and vice, honorable and shameful, good and evil. Being neither afflicted, nor repenting whatever one may have done and, on the other hand, never being elated or proud on account of what one has accomplished.

5. To consider with perfect equanimity and detachment the conflicting opinions and the various manifestations of the activity of beings. To understand that such is the nature of things, the inevitable mode of action of each entity and to remain always serene. To look at the world as a man standing on the highest mountain of the country looks at the valleys and the lesser summits spread out below him.

6. It is said that the sixth stage cannot be described in words. It corresponds to the realization of the 'VOID' which, in Lamaist terminology means the Inexpressible Reality.

A

For the Engineers among Us!

2005-11-04T12:10:00.000-06:00

This is a funny article to explain why engineers behave the way do. If you are an 'engineer' and feel different from the rest of the world, this is for you.

Sent to me by Vishnu.

Halloween

2005-10-31T15:16:00.000-06:00

To experience the culture of another country, you have to do some weird things which might seem crazy to you, but is perfectly acceptable in another country. With today being Halloween and me being involved in celebrations at the place I work at, I found an interesting article which explains the origins of Halloween, its customs and traditions.

Compare this to tomorrow's big event 'Diwali' and you have an interesting study in contrast.

From philosophy, we move to real world events - kudos to Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a truly memorable knock during the 3rd ODI at Nagpur... maybe we should start drinking a litre of milk a day to emulate his performance against the Lankans. Way to go Dhoni!

The Human Spirit

2005-10-31T13:04:00.000-06:00

Stumbled across these thought provoking photo essays in Time Magazine.

CAUTION: If you are disturbed by human death and suffering, i wouldn't recommend that you view the following.
One Life At A Time - Photographs by James Nactway
A Diary of Healing - Mary Ann Nilan copes with Breast Cancer

The best shrimp i ever bought

2005-10-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

Finished that run i was talking about earlier. Headed to buy groceries with a friend of mine. He had run out of supplies and i had told him i would take him today. He didn't know that i was going to wake him up at 9 on a saturday morning!

I didn't really need to buy anything, but decided on replenishing my stocks anyway. I walked over to the seafood section. There wasn't anybody attending to customers when i stuck my head over the display of frozen shrimp. I really wasn't in a hurry and took my time deciding whether to buy any or not. One kind of frozen shrimp looks just like another - how do i figure out which one is fresher or any better than the other? There were salt water, fresh water and farm grown shrimp from thailand; each one of a different size. I decided to get the American shrimp - they were larger and had a gray hue.

While i was mulling over all this, an elderly gent walked behind the counter and apologized for not being there. I said it was okay and added something crazy, "That is fine, i was looking at the prawns anyway." I told him what i had decided on and asked for a pound (if you are ever buying unshelled shrimp, a pound is just enough for a single person - unless you have a recipe that calls for the shell too!). As he handed me the packet of shrimp he said, "Our competitor is charging only 3.99 a pound while our price is much higher. Just tell them that at the cash counter and they will match the price." I looked at him for a brief moment, muttered an awkward "thank you" and proceeded to walk away. He added with a smile, "You didn't hear that from me."

Time to run

2005-10-29T06:38:00.000-05:00

Have to do a 10 mile run today. Why 'have to' you ask? i signed up for a training program for a marathon.

It is early in the morning and the temperature outside is around 45 F. I am tempted to go back to sleep. I am never awake this early. I had to drop off a friend at 5; that is why i have time to blog right now. My sleeping bag has never looked so inviting. Too late to back out now. I usually run with my roommate, who too has signed up for this. He is away for the weekend and there isn't anybody to drag me out of the door.

well... got to hit the road. hrmph!

Mani on the prowl

2005-10-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

Mani-an Ode to Nikhil.
LANGUAGE: Tamil
CAUTION: This clip is not intended to be listened to by children or relatives of mine! Strong Sexual Content. Discretion Advised! (Everybody will want to listen to it now!).

Ramki on Wilma

2005-10-28T19:11:00.000-05:00

My friend Ramki is in Miami. I called him to find out what he is upto, after Wilma. I wanted to do it in English but most of it is in Tamil.

I couldn't get ramki to say much, about Wilma, but plenty about everything else :-)

Rain, rain and more rain

2005-10-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is without doubt the worst years in terms of natural disasters - tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods are hitting all parts of the world. Singara Chennai was almost washed away from the face of the map with a considerable amount of rain over the past couple of days. El Nino? or Mother Nature cleaning up for all the things we've done to her over the years?

Time to plant a few more trees instead of a few more bombs!

Extra!
Rains in Chennai

Shivram and me testing audio blog!

2005-10-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

Audio Blog Trial

2005-10-27T18:45:00.000-05:00

I just found out there is something called audio blogging! You call a US number and leave a message and it turns up on your website. Very exciting. You use your blogger account for this!

check it out; click here to go to the audio blog page.

Yin Quote for the Day

2005-10-27T13:04:00.000-05:00

The roses, the lovely notes, the dining and dancing are all welcome and splendid. But when the Godiva is gone, the gift of real love is having someone who'll go the distance with you. Someone who, when the wedding day limo breaks down, is willing to share a seat on the bus.

-Oprah Winfrey

~ to balance the yang of badmash (and for yours truly to regain some credibility).

This week's badmash comic

2005-10-27T11:44:00.000-05:00

Click on the image to see it in full size.
Very funny. Very true.

The Devil's Dictionary

2005-10-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

Compiled by Ambrose Bierce in the early 20th century, it puts a twist on words - here is an entry

ACCORDION, n.: An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.

The copyright has expired and you can find it online at many sites. Click here for one. Have fun.

Ramki meets Wilma

2005-10-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

Wilma (the hurricane and not Barney's wife) passed through Miami on Monday. Ramki decided to bunk it out at his friend's place. He ,after a long set of events, headed home last evening. His roommate told him power had been restored. Unfortunately for Ramki, power hadn't been restored, all the palm trees that formed the scenic view from his apartment window had been erased and the alligators in the nearby lake were having a wet t shirt contest.

By the time Ramki could take all this in, it was too late for him to head back to his friend's place again - there was a curfew in effect. If you ask, how long could it possibly take, consider this. Ramki on an average takes 3.45 minutes to decide on a can of milk and 2 minutes to pick out a loaf of bread. The both of us spent half an hour in publix buying tomatoes, green chillies and a bottle of port wine. We were walking up and down publix like the bunch of dodos in 'ice age'.

Hope he does ok. On a side note - Publix, the one next to Ramki's house, makes excellent Guava pastry and Colache. What is priceless is Ramki's spanish -he inists on talking to ladies at the snack bar and the counters in spanish. He tried teaching me some "mamasita" and it came out like "mama.....sita", two separate words; the first one being uncle in tamil and the second one being the better half of one of lord Vishnu's earthly incarnations.

This class just got nuttier

2005-10-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

The professor just dove into a bunch of crazy equations and i forgot to bring my swimming trunks! Help... i am drowning in regression analysis...

I actually blurted out something in class now - i usually keep my trap shut. I was typing here and the professor was posing a question to the class. I blurted out something, unbeknownst even to myself! The professor asked me to speak up and i repeated what i said. It was the right thing. phew! he must think i am typing notes furiously :-)

I went back to typing this entry - and the professor is nodding in silent approval. I hope he doesn't surf blogs.

Sitting in a boring class

2005-10-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

I am sitting in my finance class. Real boring. I decided to take my laptop along. Now i surf the web and check mail in class. The class actually got interesting once i started blogging :0)

The day has been nice so far. Can't wait to get out of this class and go home. The professor is talking about some 'Warren Buffet'. Looked him up online; supposedly the second richest man in the world.

will get back to trying to pay attention!

Victor E Frankl

2005-10-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

---------------
Choosing one's own way; attitude; perspective; freeing your mind; i find them in almost every book i read. Amit was talking about a Deepak Chopra book that he was reading that meandered around the concept - but he wasn't impressed. I guess Frankl's book should be a better read (check out the link under 'people') - eventhough i have yet to read his work i am impressed by his resilience - for a man to spend 3 years in a concentration camp, loose his wife and still go on.

Adversity

2005-10-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Discarded chicken scraps bought from a restaurant barely make a meal for Untouchables in Bihar, one of India's poorest states. These villagers belong to the Musahar, or rat-eaters, caste, its members known for hunting rodents. - William Albert Allard (Photographer) in NGM.

"Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight... when we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."
- Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

Like so many other aspects of life, i see it, but choose to do nothing; pretend it doesn't exist and then going about trying to create 'meaning' in a life that lacks substance. why? Fear? of what?

Attachment

2005-10-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

"Among virtues, freedom from attachment is best."
- Dhamma Pada, 20th chapter, first verse.

"If one could follow it to its psychological roots, one would, I believe, find that the main motive for "non-attachment" is a desire to escape from the pain of living, and above all from love, which, sexual or non-sexual, is hard work."
- George Orwell

If i took the two arguments without considering where they came from, they represent a contradiction. If i did consider their contexts, i cannot find a common truth embedded in them.

Here it goes. It is of a general belief that religious tradition in Asia tried to give hope to people who knew nothing but poverty and suffering. Hence most eastern philosophy stresses on renunciation and ways to escape the 'illusion' that life is. The 'fact' that all the suffering people went through was only 'illusion' gave people hope. Their new quest was not seeking joy in this world but in the next. Their salvation would be freedom from rebirth; something that had to be avoided at all cost.

Most Abrahamic religions(Judaism, Christiniaty and Islam to name a few) seem to deal with compassion and codes of conduct. They seem to address problems on a social level and are far less esoteric when compared to budhism.

If i did not make this geographic distinction, i have then, two different schools of thought saying exactly the opposite things about the issue. Does it then become an issue of personal choice; to what school you choose to adhere to? In that case, is there nothing that is absolute?

For the moment, i think the following should suffice :-)

"... How sweet, how passing sweet is solitude!
But grant me still a friend in my retreat,
Whom I may whisper, Solitude is sweet."
-W.Cowper

Beauty

2005-10-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting--a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Ugly. Is irrelevant. It is an immeasurable insult to a woman, and then supposedly the worst crime you can commit as a woman. But ugly, as beautiful, is an illusion.”
- Margaret Cho

For a long time i tried to believe that beauty was indeed an illusion. It was probably an attempt by my psyche to reconcile itself with all the beautiful women it chanced to gaze upon. But is not youth, in any form, beautiful? But there are a lot of pithy sayings that remind you that the beauty of youth is just that, something that belongs to the transitory phase of being young. Taking it one step ahead, the next thing you will hear is that we are all dying from the moment we are born.

This is indeed a very pessimistic view of life. We have only one and it is too precious to spend it rejecting all that it has to offer. Does something that is impermanent not worthy of being called beautiful? If so, nothing in the world is beautiful. Both you and I know that is not true. I do not talk only of the human form here, but everything that you have ever experienced that made you feel more alive - an orange sunset, trying to get a hold of a 100 pound dog that thinks it is still a pup, your favorite bit of music - these are not illusions.

Philosophy goes so far as to say that the world is 'maya', an illusion; because it is impermanent. I do not know why there is a fixation on permanence. Nothing is. Why should something last forever? Every flower withers and dies. Every building ever built will return to dust. So will we. Everything that we feel will be lost in time. Aren't we all part of an on going process? Isn't life a string of such moments woven together?

Zen doesn't think so. It believes in centering yourself, to a more permanent part of your conciousness. Having no experience with this, i won't be too hasty in rejecting it.

Do we reject beauty because we reject change? It is a common human condition. We don't like to grow out of the comfortable niches we have carved for ourselves ( i am the poster child for seeking comfortable corners). If we accept beauty we must then accept change and flow too. Maybe that is too scary? Probably this is why 50 year old women get botox shots and use half a pound of foundation on their face?

The male archetype is supposed to prefer permanance while the female archetype flows and changes. I say archetype because all of us supposedly have both, in different or the same proportion. Much of human philosophy is male oriented. I am not familiar with feminist literature but feminism in general tried to supress the female archetype so that the woman may compete / supersede the man in man's world. There is a focus today on changing the world and not the woman. Maybe philosophy that arises from a female archetypal thought would throw more light on the issue?

Death

2005-10-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

"Just Look!
Even the blossoms that are destined to fall tomorrow
Are blooming now in their life's glory."
- Takeko Kujo

Many people i know do not like to talk about it. Especially from an Indian perspective, death is not something that you talk about. I will not debate the issue of what happens after death. It is a realm that we cannot see and whatever your belief, it is personal and not up for discussion.

It has been almost two years since my grandfather passed away. He was my mother's dad. He was a doctor. When i was young i used to go with him to the clinic and sit outside his door as he took care of his patients. Half way through, we would stroll out for a break. The clinic was located right in the middle of usman road, T.Nagar ( think of mardi gras with clothes on - in terms of number people, nothing kinky). The both of us would have a Duke's lemonade and something to bite on and then he would buy me anything that i wanted and we would head back to clinic to wrap things up.

My father's job called for us to hop from one place to next and we had to leave Madras. I spent most of my summer holidays at my grandparents in Madras. I used to spend my afternoons chatting with him. A particularly animated discussion on the difference between hydrocele and haematocele is something that i will never forget. I think it was something to do with the fact that he was a doctor. He could discuss sex and its accoutrements in an instructively plain manner; something many cannot do.

Before i left the country, he visited us in Madras (by this time, he had moved to Salem and we to Madras). We had a lot of fun together. I was all grown up and we were having a nice time with bad language and a lot of innuendo. My mother was furious with me but my grandfather told her to let it go this time as he was having the best time he had had in years. He said he felt he was feeling much younger. I am sure he was holding out on me, but i had to believe him.

The next time i saw him, he was clinically dead. A stroke had put him into a coma and a ventillator was pumping air into him like he was a tire tube with a puncture. I couldn't gather enough courage to even touch him. I always felt that the person lying before me would somehow wake up and say 'hi' if i touched them; as if they were only sleeping. This scared me and still does. My grandfather passed away a couple of days later.

Probably the only thing i felt was shame. Strangely no sense of loss. My mother's side of the family is very strong. Even so, my grandmother was shaken to her core, but held herself together. My mother would break down at times, momentarily but would pull herself together. I couldn't even touch him! It kept going back and forth in my head. I was born prematurely and was no longer than four to five inches long and covered with wrinkled skin. According to my mother, my grandfather was instrumental in making sure that i made it. And now, i couldn't even hold his hand.

I am not haunted by it. I am only trying to understand why i acted the way i did. Was it because i felt than my grandfather was no longer alive? What then is being alive? Life has to be something more; Is death nothing more than wiping a hard disk and tossing the hardware out for recycling?

Why do we mourn death so? I wonder if it is because of the sense of loss we feel in the world that we have lost someone we loved or that it shatters the illusion of stability that we create for ourselves. Read somewhere long ago that the only thing we know for certain from the day were are born is that we will die; we know not when or how but we know we surely will. To live with this thought in your mind; really consider it everday allows you to value the time you have been given. This doesn't work with me. Apparently, it does wonders for Steve Jobs.

Lonely world

2005-10-03T18:10:00.000-05:00

How many people do actually want to read what WE write individually / as a group here and I dont mean people who stumble across while browsing the blog site and of course excluding ourselves. So is this our attempt at a time capsule and leaving some mark on this world ? Or is an attempt to amuse ourselves over our antics.

See Vikram - this is what happens when pigeon shits on your thoughts. BTW who else are members ?

A