<_DiScRePaNt_>

Aik Alif

2009-10-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

English Translation and Lyrics originally in Punjabi:

Parh parh ilm te faazil hoya
(You read to become all knowledgable)

Te kaday apnay aap nu parhya ee na
(But you never read yourself)

Bhaj bhaj warna ay mandir maseeti
(You run to enter your mosques and temples)

Te kaday mann apnay wich warya ee na
(But you never entered your own heart)

Larna ay roz shaitaan de naal
(Everyday you fight Satan)

Te kadi nafs apnay naal larya ee na
(But you never fight your own Ego)

Bulleh Shah asmaani ud-deya pharonda ay
(Bulleh Shah you try grabbing that which is in the sky)

Te jera ghar betha unoon pharya ee na
(But you never get hold of what sits inside yourself)

Bas kareen o yaar
(Stop it all my friend)

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar
(stop seeking all this knowledge my friend)

Ik Alif teray darkaar
(Only an Alif is what you need)

Bas kareen o yaar
(stop it all my friend)

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar…
(Stop seeking all this knowledge my friend)

Allah Sayyaan Allah Sayyaan
(God is Greatness, God is All)

Nee main jaanaa Jogi de naal
(I shall follow the Jogi {ascetic/Sufi})

Jo naa jaane, Haqq ki taaqat
(those who deny the strength of Truth)

Rab naa devey us ko Himmat
(God does not give them courage)

Hum Mann ke darya mein doobey
(We have drowned in the river of Self)

Kaisi nayya? Kya manjhdhaar…
(the boat and the flowing waters do not matter)

Bas kareen o yaar
(stop it all my friend)

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar
(stop seeking all this knowledge my friend)

Allah Sayyaan Allah Sayyaan
(God is Greatness, God is All)

(thanks to the Lyrics from a co -blogger)

Telecommuting-From the Queen of Hills

2009-09-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the odesk article and the aggression it brought forward, I thought I 'd pen down some thoughts on the way the remaining year has passed and what it has brought as the crests and troughs of being on your own-work wise.

Started with a big bang when recession hit and the fear of being sent home looked plausible. My company was thoughtful enough to keep everyone employed, but sent everybody home with a five hundred rupee laptop and a salary which was now paid directly to them. Thus came Telecommunication to India, and if The Flat World told us how bandwidth availability and Worldcom helped India get on the IT Map, then efficiencies and the search for cutting down operational expenditure brought to us the real remote work situation.

With it came power cuts, bandwidth blackouts, barking dogs and a till now unknown fear of joblessness. But its also brought the sweet tasting Remote work-the company has been open minded and has embraced it in spite of the known risks to allow resources to work from home in India. Its a maverick move and I am not in a position to say if it paid dividends, but sadly unlike as it should have stayed-consultants hired to work on their own at home-people quit and moved on to regular jobs, and their jobs were taken up by smaller companies with regular employees posing as 'contractors'.

The current model isn’t exactly a hit but its survived. I want to focus on the title of the post-telecommunicating and highlight the upsides of freedom with the downsides of responsibility.

Telecommuting Yay!

Freedom to travel anywhere, log in from anywhere and work any time as long you attend the calls
The basic groundwork on being an entrepreneur and the freedom of self employment-the ability to see the value -for example an MBA 2 year stint v.s. an Entrepreneurial 2 year adventure
The ability to question your role as an independent worker viz-a-viz a corporate employee, and to determine life's priorities which get lost in the daily humdrum/rat-race
No More petrol Bills, Traffic Cribs or protocols of commuting, free time better spent
Concentrate on real work, and have time for the distractions that have been ignored making you dumber every year
Office politics seems like a thing in the distance-m sure it’s alive but seems like its virtual
Shut off work when you leave office if it given you hypertension-no more. More like shut off work when you log out
The value of communication
Time and its real value -and an ability to optimize
Music at your volume -freedom of choice
The ability to voice your concerns and opinions since unlike corporate HIPPO* rules-every opinion counts
Going to the GYM is no more an excuse and the timings are up to you
You realize water boils at much lower temperature in the mountains :)

Telecommuting Nay!

The value in office humdrum and camaraderie-although I don’t know how many would agree
The ability to communicate better in less time/energy when you know direct communication is better than aided
No direct career path since being a contractor means you are on your own
More time to travel means more adventure and more ability to crash :)
Managing finances and Tax Returns is now up to you-since effectively it’s a small self owned business
Need to mention here-Health Insurance since no one is taking care of you
Retirement planning-your parents were insured by the Government through Pension Schemes which are inflation proof but you are on your own
The biggest lesson is self discipline which the lack of freedom never imposed on anyone

Thoughts?

*HIPPO-Highest Paid Person's Opinion

Slavery 2.0-My Experiments with Nuconomy

2009-04-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

Recession-[ri-sesh-uh n] –noun
1. the act of receding or withdrawing.
2. a receding part of a wall, building, etc.
3. a withdrawing procession, as at the end of a religious service.
4. Economics. a period of an economic contraction, sometimes limited in scope or duration. Compare depression (def. 7).

Greed got us. Good.

Background

I think the entire conversation around the 7 year cycle of the economy's birth and death is largely true. WHatever goes up comes down and so on and so forth ad infinitum nauseum.

The Gecko
Pre-empt anything that threatens 70% profitability. That includes refusing obvious bonus payouts, changing statements, not publishing anything in writing quoting legal implications-and passive aggressive employee treatment.

The Simple Truth
OK-Most porobably the reader by now is baffled by the mismatch of the title and the content. Well, the above will make sense once the following is absorbed.

My Employer -a $160M 70% profitable privately held IT provider decides one day that the entire workforce out of India is expendable. The decision is made to give employees the option to either stay(they will be replaced) or sign up as independant contractors on ODESK.

ODESK

Ahaa! I dont trust people I represent -So pay me 10% of what you pay them for work they do and I will help you click a picture of their Desktop ever 15 minutes.

Bonus!!! If you'd like We can monitor their Web Cam. Lets get the Indians and The Russians. They don't mind working at $5 or $10 an hour doing extreme programming, while they get monitored.

We also Guarantee that the slaves working harder will be better rated as we will be monitoring their mouse activity/key strokes and processor utimization. Better Slaves =better productivity

IT & Panopticism
Hampered productivity Via deterred multitasking,low morale, constant fear of monitoring-welcome to new age commoditized outsourcing.

Hello! This is bad for us!

2007-07-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

youtube.com/watch?v=IdmnxcClEMc

Raid De Himalaya 2007

2007-05-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Raid is back this year in it's 8th run.

-Looks like we are going to Srinagar
-Reliability is now called Adventure Trail
-Registratiom is on, Early Birds get to pay only 25,000 if register before 30th may
-This year will definitely see stronger participation
-Adventure trail gets 6/10 for diffilculty, Xtreme get a 9!

Itenerary looks like this
6th October 2007

Leg 1 Shimla – Manali

7th October 2007

Leg 2 Manali – Kaza - Tabo

8th October 2007

Leg 3 Tabo - Darcha - Pang

9th October 2007

Leg 4 Pang - Leh

10th October 2007

Leg 5 Leh - Keylong

11th October 2007

Leg 6 Keylong - Patni Top

12th October 2007

Leg 7 Patni Top - Srinagar

13th October 2007

Prize Distribution after the final Scrutineering and the conclusion of the Raid.

So Buckle your seatbelt Dorothy, Cuz Kansas is goin bye bye!

Calm Under the Waves

2007-03-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Not that this blog enjoys much readership , but I realized I sent some 79 new and 27 returning Visitors back disappointed since I posted last.

I have just been traveling, and had some other things on my mind, so didn't find the time to post. And then I read this article on a website that said that most blogs today are dying(ghost blogs)and I have decided not to join that list.

The mid twenties seem to be the toughest age for youngsters in India as the support system that existed back in College/Home runs out and the move into a so called next stage is finally taking shape. This can be a life changing event for this when the word responsible finally starts making sense, and the wait for life to begin is revealed as a hoax! All I can say is that its a crazy experience and can be humbling at times, yet fun throughout. Although this blog tends to stay away from being autobiographical, we do see the entire world through our own eyes and to call everything completely fiction or descriptive is again subjective.

Coming back to the main reason why I wanted to post this ramble, I wanted to share a few things I read some time back:

From Zorba the Greek:

Throughout my life my greatest benefactors have been my dreams and my travels.
I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.

Henry James:
Be someone on whom nothing is lost.

These three have left a deep impression on me. I think on order to find your Nirvana ( or your own Nirvana) or whatever we seek as a manifestation of N: Money, Power, travel, Respect, love, blaah.. The answer to finding them lies in among other things, traveling. I think in order to get comfortable you need to get uncomfortable.
And also what I always preached and now seek to practice, the action is the Juice!

Ramblings on a Friday after a slightly scarce week, work wise that is.

So this marks the beginning of a hopefully enriching journey, which as much as possible will actively live through and hopefully blog about!

Reproduced from ET

2007-01-23T04:21:00.000-08:00

Mobility has an aspirational swing in India : Partha Sinha

AT THE early stage of my working career I used to work with a foreign bank that had a very pronounced recruitment hierarchy. Fresh MBAs were clearly divided between a brahminical and non-brahminical order based on which management institutes they came from. But the most fascinating aspect of that caste system was that these two categories were popularly known inside the bank as the 'mobile' and the 'non-mobile' category. Needless to say the mobile people were from the brahminical institutes. Mobility in India had traditionally been bestowed with a coveted status and was intrinsically linked to material well-being. Contrary to popular belief that Indians are a 'rooted' lot; higher esteem has always been accorded to mobility. From the recurring Bollywood theme of the village boy moving to big town and changing his life almost as a rule, to the entire phenomenon called 'brain-drain' or the obsessions of certain communities to migrate to the UK or Canada the potent power of mobility can be witnessed in many aspects of the Indian life. If we try to understand the codes of mobility in more details, we will find that it's intrinsically linked to the social structure of India. Our society is marked by a linear hierarchy and that invariably produces a desire to move up the hierarchy ladder. This desire is the driving force of mobility. In India, there's nothing called spatial mobility our mobility is fundamentally social mobility. Nobody wants to move from North Delhi to South Delhi for geographical reasons. The dream movement of most starry-eyed management trainees from Malad to Malabar Hill in Mumbai is not rooted in travelling conven ience. One may argue that geographies have represented social strata in almost all societies across the globe, but in India the act of mobility itself ends up determining social order. One of the primary examples of the triumph of social mobility over physical mobility is the way cars are seen in India. Cars are definitely not a mode of travelling between two points. In most cases, in urban India, walking will possibly be a faster and better method to reach a destination than a car. Cars in India represent social destinations. Even if it is difficult to drive a larger vehicle in the congested roads of Mumbai, Bangalore or Delhi everyone invariably wants a bigger car. It's almost a sacrilege for the junior to have a bigger car than his boss. Even if car marketers try to segment the market accord ing to different need types it invariably falls into this social laddering. 4X4 off-roaders and sedans may appeal to different needs and mindsets, according to car marketing convention, but here they are compared and clubbed to form different strata of social destinations. Another interesting phenomenon around mobility is the ever-growing popularity of mobile phones and it's impact on the society. Like most modern societies, Indians are also forced to lead lives characterised by discrepancies between spatial and social distances. On one hand they have to tolerate spatial proximity with people very distant from them thanks to living in crowded cities, moving in crowded areas or using public transport. On the other hand, they have to accept spatial distance from the people who they feel close to. The significance of mobile phone lies in empowering them to engage in communication that frees them from the constraint of physical proximity and spatial mobility at the same time. When an anglicised executive starts using a mobile phone to connect with his buddies while waiting at a doctor's chamber, he is not only moving closer to the people he relates to, but most importantly moving away from the 'non-corporate types' who are waiting along with him in the same chamber. Mobile phones in India have helped create social proximity and distances. Another glaring example of that is the way mobile phones are being embraced by a class that has never heard a dial tone before. The mobile phone is giving them the freedom to get included. A plumber today doesn't need to give the address of his hutment. He uses his mobile number as his address. This allows him to transcend the psychological barriers that would have come with his address. Mobility itself allows the plumber to deny social exclusion. A stable dwelling place was the pre-requisite for creating social organizations. And that's why people had an emotional attachment to their 'own' house. It created the anchor point that started defining who they are. But in the life of the urban nomads today, this stability comes from social standings rather than the stability of the dwelling places. They buy a house today with the definitive plan to move out of it in a few years. The center of social organisation today is a moving point and thus mobility is a coveted virtue. But is this mobility akin to running fast to stay at the same place? Maybe true, may be not but one thing is true for sure: The nation is on the move.

Career Manifesto

2006-12-21T00:26:00.000-08:00

ExecPundit's version, and I loved this:

The Career Manifesto

1. Unless you’re working in a coal mine, an emergency ward, or their equivalent, spare us the sad stories about your tough job. The biggest risk most of us face in the course of a day is a paper cut.

2. Yes, your boss is an idiot at times. So what? (Do you think your associates sit around and marvel at your deep thoughts?) If you cannot give your boss basic loyalty, either report the weasel to the proper authorities or be gone.

3. You are paid to take meaningful actions, not superficial ones. Don’t brag about that memo you sent out or how hard you work. Tell us what you achieved.

4. Although your title may be the same, the job that you were hired to do three years ago is probably not the job you have now. When you are just coasting and not thinking several steps ahead of your responsibilities, you are in dinosaur territory and a meteor is coming.

5. If you suspect that you’re working in a madhouse, you probably are. Even sociopaths have jobs. Don’t delude yourself by thinking you’ll change what the organization regards as a “turkey farm.” Flee.

6. Your technical skills may impress the other geeks, but if you can’t get along with your co-workers, you’re a litigation breeder. Don’t be surprised if management regards you as an expensive risk.

7. If you have a problem with co-workers, have the guts to tell them, preferably in words of one syllable.

8. Don’t believe what the organization says it does. Its practices are its real policies. Study what is rewarded and what is punished and you’ll have a better clue as to what’s going on.

9. Don’t expect to be perfect. Focus on doing right instead of being right. It will simplify the world enormously.

10.If you plan on showing them what you’re capable of only after you get promoted, you need to reverse your thinking.

From Gapin Void

2006-11-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

As technologists, we have two choices:

One is to provide the customer a better experience, the freedom to select what he wants, a differentiation based on service quality against a backdrop of abundance.

The second is to create artificial scarcities around the things that are abundant, create new inconveniences for the customer, new lock-ins, new irritants. Irritants like Region Coding on DVDs. Lock-ins like we see in digital music.

For the last thirty years, too many of us in IT have focussed on creating these artificial scarcities, often without even knowing it. First we paid to bury the data in vendor stacks, then we paid to try and dig it out. We've been doing this for years. And we're in danger of doing it again.

Time for a change.

Time to focus on ways of delivering service where the customer wants, when the customer wants, how the customer wants. Time to focus on open platforms, open protocols, open software, open ways of doing business.

That's what the economics of abundance is really about. Making money because of what you do, and not with what you do. Having customers who stay with you because they want to, not because they have to.

Just another day at work

2006-11-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

Caught these guys helping keep C Naidu's Cyberabad Squeaky Clean. Thats the glass walls of "Cyber Gateway". The walls provide a nice view of the clouds and the odd plane flying by, Nice!:)

World Usability Day & Social Networks

2006-11-13T01:39:00.000-08:00

SUMMARY:
Social Networks: Evolution and Impact On Society
Tags: Social Networks, orkut, web 2.0, social impact of media

Vox Populi today: Don't Make Me Think! and it applies to everything. Starting tomorrow, I am going to start putting pictures of designs that I hate. That is to celebrate Usability Day!(You can send me your pet peeves as well)

And about social networks, a question was raised about blogging/orkut/ with reference to whether they are a fad/ and what is the impact on society/culture. As much as I think I don't belong to the why talk about this topic brigade , I still keyed my thoughts and here's part one:
Blogging is just one of the varied aspects of social computing:

Before we conclude whether it’ a hype or a change agent; we must try and understand what lead to it, what’s happening today and hence where it might go. Since it’s very hard to predict where things go, but when you look at them in retrospect, they seem so obvoius

A Brief History of the Phenomena: (I promise its brief)

Cheap Technology available to everyone, so youngsters used it to their advantage and elderly to theirs. Think Bit Torrent, Skype, Kazaa and SMS, MMS, Chat, XML/RSS.

What does the trend indicate: Networks erode institutional power.

Why: People love right to freedom, are more independent and less trusting. These technologies/platforms just fuelled that.

Now what happened:

Explosion of social networks like:

Orkut/my Space/friendster/Linkedin

RSS- I want the Internet my way:
Yahoo/FeedBurner/Bloglines

My Free Open Source Software
OPen Office/MySQL

Search Engines and now my own search engines
Yahoo, Google>>Rollyo

User Reviewed portals
Cnet/Tripadvisor

My Music/Files free
Kazaa/emule/Gnutella

C2c Commerce
eBay/Craigslist/ubid

Comparison Shopping
Froogle/Shopzilla

POdcasts
Odeo/Juice

Wikis/Collaboration Software
Jotspot/Basecamp

Tagging
Flickr/digg/delicious

Now coming to the sub topic of Blogs, Here’s a fact: There are about 59.5 Million Blogs today that they are being tracked by technorati. So whether it’s a phenomenon or a passing fad remains to be seem. But if you look at he growth of Blogs, it’s certainly reached a plateau-ed growth as seen here http://google.com/trends?q=blogs.

Blogging has given everyone a right to express there thoughts on whatever they feel like, from recipes to travelogues.

Companies that have used this concept, have taken the first mover advantage, now every company including Google has a web log that talks to its consumers in a seemingly informal way. Every newspaper website has weblogs, every job site has weblogs, every technology has a weblog, almost every corporate has a web log. So the face of blogging has changed from being perceived as rebellious to now a contributor to the society.

It’s certainly going to stabilize, like a lot of other phenomenon, but what amazes me is that it took just a decade from when usenet appeared to when this debate started. That in itself speaks about how entrenched this has become in our society, especially in certain quartets, because of it were a passing phenomenon, it would have eroded by now.

Its certainly speaks about what our world wants, a right to basic freedom of thought, speech and experession!

But are most blogs really monologues? Will explore in part two, the impact on society and whether they are leading to more complex human behaviors.

Also, You feel iam left out something, please leave your feedback.

Departed and Open Season

2006-11-06T04:47:00.000-08:00

The madness of Scorsese and the magic of Pixar!

Two movies in two days is not so much, but these are perhaps the best movies I have
seen this year.

Departed is all about cursing, and just to mention what my esteemed friend remarked" There's only two languages in which cursing soundS effective, and he has used both(english and panjabi)". And it's got great plot, amazing storytelling, a splendid cast, the Janus Jack Nicholson, Mark Whalburg, Matt Damon and should have been excluded Leo Caprio. Vera Farmiga Impresses too.

Open Season(In 3-D, which was a nice surprise) is just phenomenal graphics rendering. I mean I have seen tons of animation, but the combined effect of three dimensional projection and cutting edge animation was surreal!

Kudos to Hollywood! Some movies just, make sense.

Oh and I found a list of all makes by Martin Scorsese.

What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? • It's Not Just You, Murray! • The Big Shave • Who's That Knocking at My Door • Street Scenes • Boxcar Bertha • Mean Streets • Italianamerican • Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore • Taxi Driver • New York, New York • American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince • The Last Waltz • Raging Bull • The King of Comedy • After Hours • The Color of Money • The Last Temptation of Christ • New York Stories • Goodfellas • Cape Fear • The Age of Innocence • Casino • Kundun • My Voyage to Italy • Bringing Out the Dead • Gangs of New York • The Aviator • No Direction Home • The Departed

Invictus

2006-11-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance 5
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade, 10
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate: 15
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

And coming to the point of the post, Raid it seems has got some decent media attention with a four page article in the November issue of autocar and a half an hour capsule on cnn ibn. Here's the Link to the videos, will try and scan and put the articles here for your reading pleasure.

http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/24627/raiddehimalayas-tests-driving-skills.html

Note: The video is in three parts, so be careful while navigating.(Requires flash)

Please try this at Home!!!

2006-10-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

Tiff needle shows how to lay more rubber on the road than Malaysia's annual supply.

Happy Riding.

Presenting : Burn More Rubber 101

Most relevant to us: Front Wheel Drives

Z3M Roadster Rear Wheel techniques

4 Wheel Drive, gets Even better-1

4 Wheel Drive, gets Even better-2

Got an Idea: Get Up And Go

2006-10-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

For all the people I read , no one inspires Like Scott Adams.

Wha!!! Scott Adams, you would exclaim. But read this piece and get inspired.

I usually would restrain from doling out inspiritaional stuff, this is not a Guru or geek blog(pun intended), but couldnt resist this gyaan wartaan exercise. Catch the link below:

In over My Head

Here's an attemt to make the post look more interesting

Dilberts Financial planner!

-Make a will
-Pay off your credit cards
-Get term life insurance if you have a family to support
-Fund your 401k to the maximum
-Fund your IRA to the maximum
-Buy a house if you want to live in a house and can afford it
-Put six months worth of expenses in a money-market account
-Take whatever money is left over and invest 70% in a stock index fund and 30% in a bond fund through any discount broker and never touch it until retirement
-If any of this confuses you, or you have something special going on (retirement, college planning, tax issues), hire a fee-based financial planner, not one who charges a percentage of your portfolio

So if you have a idea, go for it, worst case it wont work. but it would be fun trying to make it work, wont it?

I lost my BIG IDEA to an advertising firm :I

Raid De Himalaya 2006

2006-10-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Ive uploaded the pics on flickr.

Heres the link: flickr.com/photos/amansandhu

Please come back and leave a comment. Also, was hoping to post somethin about my experiences, but realise the post went way too long.

Its under the guillotine and will publish it when I am happy with it.

In the meantime, enjoy the pics, and from what i have heard, people seem to be liking them(they are just too nice:)).

The Nawabi Pursuits

2006-09-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

The thing I love and hate about our lifestyle in Bharat is the total disregard for time.
Take for example, my current road trip .

Well as it goes, it was supposed to start yesterday, that is saturday early morning, but thanks to the changing weather, some colds, unavailable and delayed spares, a typical lack of organizational trait and also, a troublesome engine which coughs up a complaint at its whim(road worthy or raid worthy:P), and other inexplicable reasons, we stand delayed by a day and a half.

To put things into better perspective, I am typing this on sunday at 1:30PM and I am still home :D.

This is turning into a road trip which I made without knowing the route I was taking, how long would it take, how much fuel would we burn, and when would we hit home turf: Simla/Chandigarh.

Will we cover the distance in two and a half day, three days, three and a half days... well my guess is as good as anyone else's.

Personally, being the navigator in the team, I should take it a little more personally since i m supposed to be the brains behind this maths, but this is different.

And then again, the silver lining here is that this is the most unplanned and uncertain I have ever felt, and I m enjoying every moment of this insane feeling of losing control.

Maybe all trips should begin once you hit the road!

P.S. "Grow Up Aman! !"

Evil Grin

D Day

2006-09-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well the preparations are in full swing and I am getting ready for the road trip of my life,

in the Next two weeks I'm planning to travel 6000 kilometers across India, 4000 out of those would be by road and the rest by air.
reality check: Earths circumference is 40000 kilometers. its definitely the craziest thing I have ever attempted to do.

For the readers of this blog here is a summary of the itenerary:(It's still sketchy)

Sep 23

Hyderabad Shimla road trip

Sep 28 Scrutiny begins

Sep 30 Raid Begins

Oct 7 Raid Ends

Oct 9 Hopefully back to work and normal life

Distance 2000kms(Depending on the highways taken about 2000)

Estimated time: 3 days(Again, I cant really say)

Here's a map that sheds some light on the highways in India, a long ignored topic.

I would love to take the road west(we always wanna take the highway westwards innit) to End day one in Daman And Diu.

Day two would Destination Udaipur and Day three Destination Chandigarh/Shimla.

However to reflect the sanity in us and to make good time, and under the pressure from some "friendly advice", we might(and the probability of this happening is more) make a saner trip down the middle of India to reach Delhi.(See map)

This would still be a crazy trip, nonetheless.

Will keep the story of my survival through the centre of India as a topic for my next post.

Please excuse the lack of exciting language in the post. Its been written in a hurry and does not reflect the emotions in their true form, or so I would say.

The long tail

2006-09-05T03:37:00.000-07:00

Heard about the book? Here's a Nice video:)

Wake Up Sleepy Head

2006-09-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

Things to do to keep from getting bored

Read subjects you are least close to: cognitive psychology, javascript,
Genres of Photography: (my favorite: lomography)
Aesthetics ergonomics
Common Rail Diesels

Play a sport

Watch constructive tv

Go for a jog

Exercise-hit the gym

Swim

Learn a language

Larn to play the guitar

Walk

Learn to Empathize

Learn to be charming

Participate in raid de himalaya

Dun have the dough try mtb himachal(tour de himachal)

Own a bullet, you can try and participate in the royal enfield trip to leh, and hopefully get featured on ndtv as well

Wanna be good at stocks, play moneybhai, real stocks with fake mone

CrossWords

Su Do ku

Martial arts classes, tai chi, taibo

Hit the kitchen, try a new cuisine: heard about googling leftovers in the fridge for a new recipe?

Learn to red 12 digit bar codes and ISBN nos

Lucid dreams

Astral projections

Out Of Body experiences

Altered state of consciousness

Order your synklini

ESP

Travel with a partner, you will know urself better, so will your partner. Also, your tolerance will surely increase

Take a hike, I mean a hike across a track

Learn to DJ if you think you have a sense of music

Prepare for CAT

Take your GRE/GMAT

Prepare and take the Mensa Test

Really Bored: how about the IAS

Really really bored: keep reading this blog :P

I am kidding about the last one, Anyways I am open to suggestions on how readers spend their time?

Disclaimer:(This is in no way a complete list, and is not an endorsement fo what i may do , plan to do or may be doing)

Raid De Himalaya 2006

2006-08-29T04:49:00.000-07:00

Are you bored with the everyday routine?

* Is skydiving over shark-infested waters just a drop in the ocean?

* Does going backwards, on one leg, down a manali ski run leave you cold?

* Has rishikesh white water raftering begun to seem just a bit wet?

* Are you so far "out there" that you're practically back inside again?

Then maybe you should look at Raid!

Update 1.

It’s exactly one month to go for the raid. Preparations are at full swing. I intend to give you a weekly update on the preparations going towards the raid, and then, will come back and try and update the readers of the blog on the excitement, the perils, the expected and the unexpected, in short the story of my survival.

To start with here's my version of the background on what the Raid is.

Well for the name, as is clearly evident, it’s derived from french for the marathon event OF the Himalaya.

The Himalayas happen to have the highest motor-able roads and passes in the world. And raid is what you get when you take that terrain, that altitude, that weather and make a rally out of it. And that too at the lag end of "good" weather, just when the winter is setting in.

OK, enough ranting about on the irrelevant stuff: Here's the interesting trivia:

· 7 Days of driving in the most inhospitable climes, terrain, conditions

· 2100 Kilometres, so that's approximately 300 kilometres of riding in one day(Its actually around 400 on some days)

· 10 hrs of driving on a good day and 12 on a rough day(Average speeds are never above 40kmph on the raid)

· Approximately 25000 rupees worth of diesel burnt in 7 Days

· Engines idle all night long to avoid cold starts

· Rarefied air causes mileage to drop to half of what you get under normal driving conditions

· You need to fight altitude sickness, and hope your body acclimatises quickly to the altitude(as high as Tanglang La at 17 540 ft, highest pt in rally)

· No habitation for hundreds of kilometres at length

· Temperatures dipping to -25 degrees celcuis at night and -5 in the day

· X treme version participants zipping past you

Raid Trivia:

http://www.bcmtouring.com/articles/raid-de-himalaya/trivia.html

Brief history

http://www.bcmtouring.com/articles/raid-de-himalaya/history.html

A Nice Video Of Bikers going down from TangLang La

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feRXL7t4r-Q

Brief Description of the Raid

(As taken from the official site, its last year's tracks which will definitely change this year so to be taken with a pinch of salt)

28th and 29th September 2006
Pre Event Scrutiny

All vehicles will be inspected for conformity to International Standards of Safety and Preparation as laid down by the FiA. Owing to a large expected entry list this process has been allotted two days to complete, considering the great attention to detail that is required. Technical and Paperwork Scrutiny will be held at Motoworld, Navbahar,Shimla 171002.

30th September 2006
Leg 1 Shimla – Manali

An early start at 0600 hrs will take the rally from Shimla via Baldian to Narel. This a rough gravel stage and though short will set the mood for the days ahead. The second stage is via Narkanda, Bagi, Sungri to Bhadrash. This will be a tarmac / gravel run and fast. The third and fourth stages from Luhri to Kandagai will be half tarmac- half gravel. Though short and fast they are both uphill and relatively easier. From there a long transport via Jalori pass to Kullu and Manali will follow.

Another description:

The Raid flags off from Shimla and makes its way through the classic Himalayan country of tall cedar forests. Rushing through Baggi and Khadrala it finally wends its way up the steep Jalori road to the first of the Raid’s many passes – the Jalori Jot. Then down to Shoja, the whine of engines and smell of scorching rubber cutting through the crisp October mountain air. If climbing uphill to Jalori takes its toll on the engines, then downhill towards Kullu kills the brakes and clutchplates!! The Raid winds up for the day at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Manali.

The Raid will halt at Manali for the night after a run of about 400 kms.

1st October 2006
Leg 2 Manali – Kaza

The 250 kms “Himalayan Experience” will start on this day. The raid will be flagged off by 0700 hrs for Kaza. From Gramphoo a 104 kms dirt stage will take the raid via Losar to Pangmo.

The last 30 kilometres will be the smoothest tarmac run. From there to Kaza will be a short transport.

The night halt will be Kaza.

Another description:

From Manali up to the Rohtang Pass at 13,000 ft, the Raid enters Spiti Valley on the second day’s run. It races along the roughest of roads (or what pass for roads) along the swift, unforgiving waters of th

e Chandrabhaga river, via Gramphoo, Chhatru, over the Kunzum Pass and Losar, until finally sighting the night halt -- Kaza. At the end of the day the overall images that crowd every driver or rider’s tired mind are those of boulders, boulders and yet more boulders!

2nd October 2006
Leg 3 Kaza – Komik - Dhankar - Pin - Kaza

This Leg is the "Rest Leg" for the Raid but a "Cliff Hanger" nevertheless.

Kaza to Thangyud Gompa at Komik will be the first stage. Uphill and thro

ugh a heart stopping gorge to a plateau at Langze the gravel stage will be fast and entertaining. The vistas of the real Himalayas c

an be enjoyed as can the tea at the Gompa, where a regroup is planned since the transport to Lingti is back via the same road.

Lingti to the Dhankar monastery is an uphill gravel stage. Fast and replete with hairpin bends after long straights! Enjoy. The other half of this stage down to Sichiling is pure tarmac with short straights into hellish hairpins. Enjoy this too. If not, then the fact that "there are parapets" should offer some consolation!

Once is not enough. This stage will be done twice to give competitors a chance to perfect their maneuvers!

The last stage will be from Lidang to Demul. Another dead end road will result in a wait for the last car. If nothing else this will be a character building exercise and patience will be the learned reward. This stage is all gravel, frightfully steep and with a cliff drop that will make Stallone quake!

Fortunately the rally will only race in the uphill mode! Be careful on the recce and the race day here.
Survivors will return to Kaza for the night.

Another description:

This Leg is the "Rest Leg" for the Raid but a "Cliff Hanger" nevertheless.

Kaza to Thangyud Gompa at Komik will be the first stage. Uphill and through a heart stopping gorge to a plateau at Langze the gravel stage will be fast and entertaining. The vistas of the real Himalayas can be enjoyed as can the tea at the Gompa, where a regroup is planned since the transport to Lingti is back via the same road.Lingti to the Dhankar monastery is an uphill gravel stage. Fast and replete with hairpin bends after long straights! Enjoy. The other half of this stage down to Sichiling is pure tarmac with short straights into hellish hairpins. Enjoy this too. If not, then the fact that "there are parapets" should offer some consolation! Once is not enough. This stage will be done twice to give competitors a chance to perfect their maneuvers!

3rd October 2006

Leg 4 Kaza - Darcha - Patseo

The pressure will steadily increase both on the resources of the participants and their vehicles from this Leg onwards. 200 kms of competitive stage driving, the real Hima

layas and 2 major passes await them.

The first stage will be the return trip on the same 150 kms from Kaza to Gramphoo. From Gramphoo the Raid will head to Darcha for a second competitive stage. This will run from Darcha to Patseo - 18 kms.

Instead of the usual grind to Pang for the ritual exorcism of oxygen there will be a quick regroup at Sarchu and a third competitive back to Patseo for the night halt !

Another description:
This Leg is the "Rest Leg" for the Raid but a "Cliff Hanger" nevertheless.

The Raid sets its sights on Ladakh. The real Himalaya starts now. There is little wonder that prayer flags flutter incessantly at every high pass for they whisper silently

to the gods. Whether it is the great panoramic expanse of the Morey Plain or Baralacha La, Lachhulung La or any othe pass, each crossing means you are one step closer to the great unknown. The winds are icy and the mountains silent as you focus only on your destination – the Indian Army outpost at Pang. When you get there you can only begin to appreciate what our jawans face everyday at Siachen, for Pang is just an acclimatization point.

4th October 2006
Leg 5 Patseo - Sarchu - Pang- Leh

A long day ahead with 4 stages. Patseo to Nakee la will be the first stage of the day. All tarmac it should be both entertaining and very fast. Debring to rumtse will be Stage 2. Over the Tanglang La at 17 540 ft this will be the highest point on the rally! The night halt will be at Leh.

5th October 2006
Leg 6 Leh - Mugleb – Leh

6th October 200
Leg 7 Leh - Manali

7th October 2006

Prize Distribution after the final Scrutineering and the conclusion of the Raid at HMI Manali.

So people as you can see, with the conditions survival is a challenge. Not to mention the wish that your vehicle takes the brutal assault!

Your wishes needed )

Am I going to die of cancer-Hypochondria or Fact

2006-08-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

Swollen Uvula?

You probably had too much to drink last night.

Have you heard the terms"uvulitis", "uvular edema", or "Quincke's disease of the uvula".

Till this morning even I had not. But for the readers of this blog and whoever may reach here in the future, please do not panick if you wake up with a swollen ovula.

For people who are wondering what the ovula is, its the piece of tissue that hangs down at the end of your mouth. See pic:

Also more about the swollen uvula here.(Possibly the internet's best resource on swollen uvula -a blog with a post in 2005 and about 600 comments from poeple searching for what a swollen uvula is)

I woke up a swollen Uvula this morning and trust me its the worst feeling, because you feel like there is something in your throat that you wanna throw out but it just sticks there.
According to a wiki, it is caused either by 1) dehydration (from arid weather and/or alcohol); 2) excessive smoking or other inhaled irratants; 3) snoring; 4) allergic reaction; or 5) a viral or bacterial infection.

Well for me a couple of things might have worked in tandem. I think lack of sleep caused snoring and coming from a humid clime while I was travelling last week may have caused some bacterial infection.

The usual culprit although invariably is dehydration(usually from excessive alcohol).

Had I known about this condition I would have done what is suggested that is :

Drink tons of fluids.
Also suggested is gargling and resting. but it might lead you to cancer, I duuno f thats true but maybe I am hypochondriac.

But I read about this 5 hours after I started searching, basically for two reasons, I didnt know what this part of my body was called and what condition was I suffering from?

From the Internet abt evolution of the Uvula:

Our conclusion is that the uvula is possibly an accessory organ of speech, and may be another marker of human evolution that differentiates man from other mammals.

Interesting links organised

Wikipedia Page

Neillobriens post-Post on blog with tons of comments

The Uvula mystery-Medical Definition

The riddle of the uvula

PS: There are tons of crazy people on the planet

And after 10 hours its still there...

Aman Sandhu Web 2.0

2006-08-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 seems to have been the buzzword for a while and i found this cool site that lets you create your own neat looking web2.0 logo, beta and all.

Couldn't help puttin' it here :)

Losing Sleep?

2006-08-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to learn more about the how I can sleep better(In addition to an ethical living that negates the need to loose sleep;) ), I found some pointers i wantd to share with the hopefully zealous following this blog enjoys.

>Sleep only as much as you need to feel refreshed the next day.
>Get up at the same time, 7 days a week.
>Exercise regularly.
>Make sure your bedroom is comfortable and free of disturbing light and noise.
>Make sure that your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature during the night.
>Eat regular meals and do not go to bed hungry.
>Avoid excessive fluids in the evening. Cut down on caffeine products.
>Avoid alcohol, especially in the evening.
>Smoking may disturb sleep.
>Don't take your problems to bed.
>Train yourself to use the bedroom only for sleeping and sexual activity.
>Do not TRY to fall asleep.
>Put the clock under the bed or turn it so that you cannot see it.
>Avoid taking naps

Have more time or need more info, heres a few links

NIH PDF on sleep: Consider it a sleep 101(opens a pdf)

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sleep (But Were Too Afraid To Ask)

Interactive Sleep Quiz

ZZZZZZ happy reading...(And you know why this post is here, pretty obvious I am sleepy all the time these daze)

This blog is controversial

2006-07-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

People are mad at , there is disruption, random comments, extreme entropy.
Blames of plagiarism...yes that one too, and no to add just plain and simple, "I did not know that about you. "

I ve decided to make this blog completely non personal, Also since Google knows everything.

In that process I am taking off most of the posts, and you know its crazy when even the google advertising engine starts displaying ads like the one below on your blog.

Please let yourself be heard by clicking the link below:

http://www.majikwidget.com/mw/api/poll1/poll1.php?id=8c19f571e251e61cb8dd3612f26d5ecf

The crazy diamond shines no more

2006-07-14T00:43:00.000-07:00

Syd Barret no more. The father of Pink Floyd, died earlier this week, succumbing to a prolonged illness out of diabetes. He was 60.

Yeah I know this has already starting sounding like a news report.
If that is what you are interested in there are much better places to look.

My reason for posting this is different.

Syd’s example and his name has been used not some much to highlight his creative genius, as much as his drug abuse led downfall. He died a recluse, living out of his mother’s house and shunning all social life for almost thirty years.
He suffered from mental instability, “exacerbated by his use of LSD”. His behavior grew increasingly erratic, and he left the group in 1968 - and was replaced by David Gilmour.

But one asks himself if Syd had continued with the band, would that have lead to a different Pink Floyd than we know of. He is said to have inspired among others David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and even Jimmy Page. Even modern day bands like REM and Smashing Pumpkins have acknowledged his influence in their works.

Twenty years from now, I'm sure that list will have been swelled by a new crop of Barrett-loving groups; and, indeed, that 18-year-olds will still be buying his records. That's how good he was and it's certain that the influence of his music will go on and on.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

Short Biography
Guardian Obituary

Six years after they shunned him out, regretful of their youthful callousness , the band wrote and recorded Shine On, You Crazy Diamond, perhaps the most touching elegy ever for a living musician.

Shine on You Crazy Diamond

Remember when you were young, you
shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes
in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the crossfire
of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

You reached for the secret too soon,
you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Well you wore out your welcome with random
precision,
rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you
seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you
prisoner,and shine!

Nobody knows where you are,
how near or how far.
Shine on you crazy diamond.Pile on many more layers
and I'll be joining you there.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
And we'll bask in the shadow of yesterday's triumph, and sail on the steel
breeze.

Come on you boy child, you winner and loser, come
on you miner for truth and delusion,and shine!

Email - Humor

2006-07-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

"Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him..(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good).. a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis. "

Nice Weekend, Eh?

2006-07-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well I've been going through a catharsis and guess what cures best?

Mission Impossible 3
Da Vinci Code
Dirty Dancing
The Inside Man
Three to Tango
Anger Management
How High;)

"My girlfriend is gettin married tomorrow" said the dreamer

2006-06-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

What is rebel? A man who says no.

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

Well, isn't there supposed to be a good bye , when something new begins, shouldnt the old be done away with.

But what of the incompleteness, the hollowness, of not dreaming because the reality is in stark contrast.

Over to Gibran:

"Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."

And, I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bear my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.

Goodbye, Godspeed, Goodspeed, GodSpent.

Indyeah!

2006-06-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

I looved this Bharatbala producution, so I thought id put it here: Enjoi

Dhanaulti Rocks 2005

2006-06-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

My most memorable trip: hmm.. as I ponder to reveal, it would be unfair to call just one of them the most memorable.
I've been struck by wanderlust as long as I can recall, but I will describe a trip last winter into the middle of the Himalayas as the fondest ever.

Only three words describe the trip: Indian WoodStock '05

Dhanaulti is a small sleepy town, in the middle of nowhere and about 35 kilometers from the nearest signs of civilization, that is Mussorie. And it played host to the first of its kind Indian music festival- Dhanaulti Rocks 2005

Picture this:
Untouched Mountains
18 Indian music Bands
Three days of music
The best Sound(Marshall)
A mosh pit
A hotel which has never had electricity(not kidding, electricity had not reached it)

Oh yes, and I lived through it all, all extremes.

It all started with a newspaper clipping, billing this as the biggest music event ever. I scorned at it. It just was too good to be true.

But research followed, and a visits to Andijis.com and backing by Parikrama(parikrama.com) and names like Cassini's Division, Advaita, Nakshatra, Prestorika, Indian ocean, Pin Drop Violence, and I was hooked.

Well, all that followed was pure bliss. Packed my bag, put two fellow rockers into the car and headed from Chandigarh into the unknown serpentine roads to Dhanaulti (using only the instructions available at the site). We still didn’t know if there was any town like that.:))

Six hours of sheer driving pleasure, a magnificent sunset, homage at Paonta Sahib Gurudwara, amazing Dhaba Bread Pakoras and we hit Mussorie. Little did we know that the diversion to Dhanaulti was four kilometres before mussorie. So we turned back and entered what I would describe as the most amazing 30 kilometers of flattened non tarmac level land (it was not a road). The landscape was simply gorgeous.

And remember all this while we were still not sure the event was happening, it being too good to be true.

Only moment of concern was meeting a couple of bikers who were returning and warned us of the "event” being a hoax. We were twenty kilometers away and although we got concerned, we decided to keep going.

It got dark and by the time we hit dhanaulti and we were greeted by a quiet town, no where near the images of the "woodstock" we expected. By the time we figured out lodging (tents were available, but we figured it was too cold so took a hotel), found andiji's restaurant, got to the venue was (yes it was happening!); it was already 8 and dark.

Paid 500 rupees (the best 500 I've ever spent) and got passes, which were pink ribbons tied by Andy’s Australian girlfriend on the wrists.

The venue was a surreal clearing in a pine forest lit be psychedelic lights. No huge stage, just a 4 feet high arrangement. The sound "Marshall", yes it sounded that good!

A few warm up performances till Advaita came on (advaita.net) and we were just awestruck. Deep Indian vocals, traditional Indian instruments played in harmony with western instruments, just took the definition of creativity to a new high.

Imagine cold that made the guitarists hand shiver, yet the keep playing on, and when we did call it a day it was way past midnight, we headed to the hotel starry eyed after a day where unprecedented experiences had left our minds dazzled.

Next day we got up to a sunny winter day and spoiled ourselves to a coffee in the lawn with the sun rising over the mountains. Time stood still. We were challenged to scale a mountain by a local guide, and the day had already been planned.

So we put on our hiking shoes, and started on a 2 hour trek to the top of the highest peak in that area. Huffing and puffing and a lot of beautiful pictures later, we managed to scale the peak, and got a taste of what Hillary and Norgay must have experienced. I have watched numerous documentaries about scaling mountains and have always love the view from the top, but nothing comes close to experiencing it first hand. Freedom got a new definition, and it is liberating in a way to be able to stand atop a mountain and be able to see in all directions as far as you can see, mountains, valleys, forests, serpentine roads cutting through the landscapes, and elevation that gets the adrenaline pumping.

We returned not because we wanted to, but we heard faint sounds of bass coming from the valley below. Day two was on!

Reached back and were greeted to Parikrama live! It was a wonderful performances, and their rendition of covers from led zep, coldplay et al, and the original (but it rained ) were all well played. Truly the best band in India. What followed was a heavy performance by the winners of MTV rock Idols-Prestorika, and moksha.

It was fun watching locals getting high on rock, although I am sure it made no sense to them, but the energy of the place sure got to them.

Returned to the lodging late night, and were treated to warm paranthas by the firewood, god bless the cook who gave us food so late. Next day we heard orange street had were playing. Went to catch some breakfast and met he band on the roof of Andiji’s restaurant, sunbathing and all.

But real life has a funny way of pervading all bliss. Pressing issues at home forced us to leave that day without witnessing that day’s performances. But as luck would have it, on the way back we halted at a dhaba and were lucky to meet the ban members from Silk route enjoying Skyy and talking about music. How often do you get to share a drink with your favorite band in the middle of nowhere and talk about your favorite topic-music.

The heady feeling is anything but gone, and as I write about it six months after it took place, I realize I have blown the prescribed limit of description to smithereens, I still feel I have left out so much. It just was a trip beyond what words could ever describe!

Will those days return

2006-05-17T03:25:00.000-07:00

I am allowing myself to feel a little miserable, but i am mising all the FUN I had at home. The followin pic says it all. Hope the current cycle comes full circle and the fun filled activities of the WWF(weekend warrior fun(d)) return to the heady days of the yore.

Underwear Goes Inside The Pants

2006-05-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

Why is marijuana not legal? Why is marijuana not legal?
It's a natural plant that grows in the dirt.
Do you know what's not natural?
80 year old dudes with hard-ons. That's not natural.
But we got pills for that.
We're dedicating all our medical resources to keeping the old guys erect,
but we're putting people in jail for something that grows in the dirt?

You know we have more prescription drugs now.
Every commercial that comes on TV is a prescription drug ad.
I can't watch TV for four minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases.
Like: "Do you ever wake up tired in the morning?"
Oh my god I have this, write this down. Whatever it is, I have it.
Half the time I don't even know what the commercial is:
people running in fields or flying kites or swimming in the ocean.
I'm like that is the greatest disease ever. How do you get that?
That disease comes with a hot chick and a puppy.

The schools now: It is all about self-esteem in the schools now.
Build the kids' self-esteem, make them feel good about themselves.
If everybody grows up with high self-esteem, who is going to dance in our strip clubs?
What's going to happen to our porno industry?
These women don't just grown on trees.
It takes lots of drunk dads missing dance recitals before you decide to blow a goat on the internet for fifty bucks.
And if that disappears, where does that leave me on a Friday night with my new high speed connection?

Masterminds are another word that comes up all the time.
You keep hearing about these terrorists masterminds that get killed in the middle east.
Terrorists masterminds.
Mastermind is sort of a lofty way to describe what these guys do, don't you think?
They're not masterminds.
"OK, you take bomb, right? And you put in your backpack. And you get on bus and you blow yourself up. Alright?"
"Why do I have to blow myself up? Why can't I just:"
"Who's the fucking mastermind here? Me or you?"

Americans, let's face it: We've been a spoiled country for a long time.
Do you know what the number one health risk in America is?
Obesity. They say we're in the middle of an obesity epidemic.
An epidemic like it is polio. Like we'll be telling our grand kids about it one day.
The Great Obesity Epidemic of 2004.
"How'd you get through it grandpa?"
"Oh, it was horrible Johnny, there was cheesecake and pork chops everywhere."

Nobody knows why were getting fatter? Look at our lifestyle.
I'll sit at a drive thru.
I'll sit there behind fifteen other cars instead of getting up to make the eight foot walk to the totally empty counter.
Everything is mega meal, super sized. Want biggie fries, super sized, want to go large.
You want to have thirty burgers for a nickel you fat mother fucker. There's room in the back. Take it!
Want a 55 gallon drum of Coke with that? It's only three more cents.

Sometimes you have to suffer a little bit in your youth to motivate yourself to succeed in later life.
Do you think if Bill Gates got laid in high school, do you think there'd be a Microsoft?
Of course not.
You got to spend a long time in your own locker with your underwear shoved up your ass before you start to think,
"You'll see. I'm going to take of the world of computers! I'll show them."

We're in one of the richest countries in the world,
but the minimum wage is lower than it was thirty five years ago.
There are homeless people everywhere.
This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
And then I thought, that's what I'm going to use it on.
Why am I judging this poor bastard.
People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they're just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He's homeless.
I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don't you go get a job you bum.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I'm guessing his resume isn't all up to date.
I'm predicting some problems during the interview process.
I'm pretty sure even McDonalds has a "underwear goes inside the pants" policy.
Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I'm sure it is on the bo

Copyleft, Everdated, All Rights Detoured

2006-05-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

Audiophile speaks out

2006-05-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

For a long time Ive trying to get together a list of my favorite music, Albums i can listen to as a whole. And I realised how hard it is today to like an entire album, such an mp3 generation we have become.

If you think i ve missed out any, please let me know, and also feel free to get tagged :P.

Pink Floyd- the Division Bell

Pink Floyd- The wall

Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the moon

Pink Floyd –Pulse

Incubus- Morning Glory

Creed- Human Clay

Creed-Weathered

Creed – My Own Prison

The Doors- Greatest Hits

Depeche Mode- Playing an Angel

Coldplay- Parachutes

ColdPlay- X and Y

Chris Issak- San Francisco Days

James Blunt- Back To Bedlam

Nirvana-MTV Unplugged

Moby-Play

MatchBox Twenty-More than You Think You Are

MatchBox Twenty - Mad Season

U2- The Joshua Tree

U2- Achtung Baby

U2-All That you cant leave behind

U2- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Strings- Duur

Norah Jones-Come Away With Me

John Mayer- Room for Squares

CBR touces 325 On Autobahn

2006-04-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

I love this video so much , I had to put it here,

Its a CBR driven by a german bike journalist, and it reaches 325 km/hr . Worth noting is the accelaration, the gear changes and the rpm that is maintained. Trust me its something else.

You will be amazed, and it probably is one of my favourite all time videos, something i watch whenever I am missing the adrenaline.

If the above does not work try here.
Leave a comment and tell me if you liked it?"This is a shoutout to the female demography who visit this blog"

Week END!

2006-04-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am really tempted, and so I will let in to it..

My seriously indulgent weekend, almost spilling into the week was well a heady cocktail of salsa, party, alcohol, women, late night coffee's in a 7 star, excellent loud rock music and beers in a loud club, a very intense movie(crash), a tall glass of cold coffee at 2 am, discussion on gamedesign and how i almost switched careers, a long walk on an empty road with female company, the latest issue of autocar, waking up in someone else's bed(do not make a sexual connotation here), 2 g's on a single meal, bullet rides, the best goddamm club sandwich ever, heady cocktails, south american male bravado, business proposals...... will update more as soon as I recall.

P.S. Its spring and i should be in germany.

Also, test how geeky are you?

Airtel.IN

2006-03-27T02:57:00.000-08:00

Below is a Snapshot of my Phone Usage :p

Some more revealing stats

Total Days 29
STD calls 200

Pretty clear I am missing home a little too much, say what?

Mamma I'm Coming Home

2006-03-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys, Here's a beauty, I know not one of the best shots, but it represents all I mean when I say I MISS HOME

My Favorite Dirty Joke

2006-03-10T04:27:00.000-08:00

George Takes Up Golf(Apologies to ET)

My wife said to me, "George, it's about time you learned to play
golf. You know, that's the game where you chase a ball all over the
county when you're too old to chase women."

So I went to see Jones and asked him if he could teach me how to
play. He said, "Sure, you've got balls haven't you?"

I said, "Yes, but sometimes on cold mornings they're kinda' hard to
find".

"Bring them to the club house tomorrow," he said, "and we'll tee
off."

"What's 'tee off"?" I asked.

He said, "It's a golf term, and we have to 'tee off' in front of
the club house."

"Not for me, you can 'tee off' there if you want to, but I'll 'tee
off' behind the barn somewhere."

"No no," he said, "a tee is a little thing about the size of your
little finger."

I said, "Yes, I've got one of those".

"Well," he said, "you stick it in the ground and stick your ball on
top of it".

I asked, "Do you play golf sitting down? I always thought you
stood up and walked around."

"You do!" he said. "You're standing up when you put your ball on
the tee". Well folks, I thought that was stretching things a little
bit too far, and I said so.

He said, "You've got a bag haven't you?"

"Sure!" I said.

He asked, "Can't you open the bag and take one out?"

I said, "I suppose I could, but damned if I was going to!" He
asked if I didn't have a zipper on my bag, but I told him, "No, I had
the old fashioned type". Then he asked me if I knew how to hold my
club. Well, I told him that after fifty years I should have *some*
sort of an idea!

He said, "You take your club in both hands". (Folks, I knew right
then and there that he didn't know what he was talking about.) Then
he said, "You swing it over your shoulder!"

"No no, that's not me," I said, "that's my brother you're talking
about".

He asked me, "How do you hold your club?"

I said, "In two fingers." He said that wasn't right and got behind
me, and told me to bend over and he would show me how. He couldn't
catch me there because I didn't put four years in the Navy for
nothing!

He said, "You hit the ball with your club, and it will soar and
soar". I said I could well imagine! Then he said, "And when you're
on the green..."

"What's a green?" I asked.

"That's where the hole is," he said.

"Sure you're not color blind?" I asked.

"No!" he said. "Then you take your putter..."

"What's a putter?" I asked. He said that was the smallest club
made.

"Well then," I said, "that's what I've got, a putter!"

"...and with it," he said, "you put your ball in the hole".

"You mean the putter." I corrected.
He said, "The ball! The hole isn't big enough for the putter.
Then after you make the first hole you go on to the next seventeen."

He wasn't talking to me. After two holes I'm shot to hell.
"You mean", he said, "you can't make eighteen holes in one day?"

"Hell no," I says, "it takes me eighteen days to make *one* hole!
Besides, how do I know when I'm at the eighteenth hole?" He said,
"The flag will say so."

That would be just my luck, so I said to HELL with golf.

Back Masking

2006-03-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

There's this kool website I found:

Remember those things you heard about stairway to heaven being an incantation to satan:

Led ZEP

" If there's a bustle in your hegderow....."
" Oh here's to my sweet satan..."

Queen:

"Another One Bites the Dust"

"Its Fun to Smoke Marijuana"

Brittany Spears

"With you I lose My Mind"

"Sleep With me , I am not too young"

Check it out, Its Hilarious!

The Color Of Spring

2006-03-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

So, another spring is here, another CEBIT has gone by, and another quarter is about to end. Ok I am kidding about the last one.

Some Random thoughts:

No colors in hyderabad, and the daily grind does not even remind you that the Sky is blue, the fields are yellow, the flowers are full blossom or that the trees back home look beautiful.
IS life all about chasing the dream, better job, more money, better work station ;P, Bigger Plasma Screen, latest Hand Held/Ipod, Bigger Car/House, Beautiful GF/Wifey, more savings, safer future
Why am I paying 30 % freakin tax?, not to mention 6% FBT(Frings benefit tax: I learnt that today)
I heard I will have to pay extra everytime I use an ATM?
Is "Wrap my words around you" a good thing to say :P
Tidy Riddance, eh?
Are people instinctly self centred, or is it a virtue/vice?, I mean is it human nature?
Is Navjot a POTHEAD?
Is Airdeccan a SCAM, all their flights are delayed by 2-8 hours.
Is blogger, gmail, orkut, google News, and everything else " free" a detailed scheme to create a detail of all users' online habits, surfing preferences and network and their preferences in a bid to push targeted advertising, so we suckers are compelled to buy everything we DO NOT need
Is an MBA a 2 year vacation where u spend good money to watch movies, listen to music, booze, smoke/weed, have a ball of a time and then get paid double of what you were getting in when you joined?
Are we a country waiting to explode with its SME's.
Ignore no. 8

Cheers, Smacznego, Skoal!

Borrowed Expression

2006-03-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

To see you when I wake up
Is a gift I didn't think could be real.
To know that you feel the same as I do
Is a three-fold, Utopian dream.

You do something to me that I can't explain.
So would I be out of line if I said "I miss you"?

I see your picture.
I smell your skin on
The empty pillow next to mine, everytime I close my eyes.
You have only been gone three months ,
But already I'm wasting away.

I know I'll see you again
Whether far or soon.
But I need you to know that I care,
And I miss you.

Kool Video

2006-03-06T02:13:00.000-08:00

They made a video out of flintstones. Check it out!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=49IDp76kjPw

Ganne Mitthe

2006-03-02T03:46:00.000-08:00

Among the activities we do, including Media Planning and Buying , SEM Planning etc, I also get time to chew on sugarcanes. Sugarcanes and Online marketing, well its definitely extremes, if you ask me.

Ipod Hi Fi

2006-03-01T02:35:00.000-08:00

Another commodity product, or a work of art.

Definitely on the wish list for me; Check it out on Apple.com

And for those who want to, my birthday is around the corner people.

An Ode to the 350

2006-02-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

After coming to hyderabad, one thing that I miss soooo much is the roads. Driven around so much in chandi that hyderabad, inspite of its recent road improvements seems like a joke. There aint no roads here, or for that matter in bangalore.

Chandigarh's the Bomb, eh?

And here's a beautiful peom from Autocar

The God of Speed

When I was nineteen years old,
typically rash stupid and bold,
I went through a phase called the double ‘A’
My automotive adolescence so as to say.

As a compromise between power and money,
I was given the Rajdoot Yamaha three-fifty
Yes, the one with the miserable fuel economy.

Though the four figure petrol bills,
gave my father nasty chills,
the machine gave his son amazing thrills.

The bike was built for mad, suicidal speed,
and that was my strongest need.

Under me my Rajdoot Yamaha,
the road was my virtual Suzuka.

You feel an incomparable high,
when on the road in harmony you fly.
The bike’s an extension of your body, you two are one

You think about changing a gear and it’s done.
Roaring into a corner you come,
the wind in your ear a loud hum.

Physics says you have to fall,
and gravity does try,
but you make poor old Newton sigh,
he rolls over and over in his grave,
wondering why,
according to his laws you don’t behave.

Your confidence soars,
Louder the bike roars.
The throttle is like a baton in your hand,
the pistons and the crank the best orchestra in land
and it’s Wagner’s opera to your mind ,
the scream of the engine near the red line

The adrenalin in your blood makes it boil,
but….on the next corner there’s spilt diesel oil….

Then comes the fall,
with a shower of sparks, bike ,you and all.

You hit the tar at a hundred and one
dragged along with the bike, remember you two are one,
but now it isn’t so much fun .

You have burns due to friction,
and pain has reached a new dimension.
You are laid up in bed for quite a while,
and now it’s old Newton’s turn to smile.

Another Sunday, Another Bunch of Movies

2006-02-27T02:42:00.000-08:00

Well it’s a second weekend in a row I have spent working; and watching not one but two movies. It’s a habit I caught in Chandigarh, and recently too, of watching no less then two movies in a go. It’s becoming a fetish and every time I walk out of a theatre after the first screening, I get this feeling of incompletion.

Last weekend I saw Rang De Basanti and Chronicles Of Narnia.

And yesterday it happened again. I watched “Memoirs of a Geisha”, another adapted screenplay where they ended up adapting it a little too much. But for a movie I enjoyed it thoroughly, and highly recommend it as a watch. But as I walked out (and this being a good watch), I got the same feeling again.

And then… yup you guessed it right, another movie, and guess what I ended up watching. Some weird movie called “Firewall”, with our very own Harrison Ford, doing a classic family in trouble and saves them from the bad guys, except that it really sucked.

What about the people who religiously follow my blog (I am kidding about this one), any strange fetishes?

She Likes Me For me

2006-02-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

Read the lines below, and make sure you leave comment:

She don't care about my car
She don't care about my money
And that's real good 'cause I don't got alot to spend
But if I did it wouldn't mean nothin'

She likes me for me
Not because I look like Tyson Beckford
With the charm of Robert Redford oozing out my ears
But what she sees
Are my faults and indecisions
My insecure conditions
And the tears upon the pillow that I shed

She don't care about my big screen
Or my collection of DVD's
Things like that just never mattered much to her
Plus she don't watch to much t.v.

And she don't care that I can fly her
To places she ain't never been
But if she really wants to go
I think deep down she knows that
All she has to say is when

She likes me for me
Not because I hang with Leonardo
Or that guy who played in "Fargo"
I think his name is Steve
She's the one for me
And I just can't live without her
My arms belong around her
And I'm so glad I found her once again
And I'm so glad I found her once again
Yeah, I'm so glad I found her once again

Gazing at the ceiling
As we entertain our feelings in the dark
The things that we're afraid of are gonna show us
What we're made of in the end

She likes me for me
Not because I sing like Pavarotti
Or because she thinks I'm such a hottie
I like her for her
Not because she's phat like Cindy Crawford
She has got so much to offer
Why does she waste all her time with me ?
There must be something there that I don't see
I don't see

She likes me for me
Not because I'm tough like Dirty Harry
Make her laugh just like Jim Carrey
Unlike the Cable Guy
But what she sees
Is that I can't live without her
My arms belong around her
And I'm so glad I found her once again
Found her once again
Once again
Yeah, I'm so glad I found her once again

Vinay Singh And The Golden Gate Bridge

2006-02-20T01:04:00.000-08:00

The MAN is in California. Here's a few pics from SJ And SF.

Golden Gate

The young man and the sea

SJSU Library

College Of Engg.

60 Days 60 Nights

2006-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

Today marks the completion of 60 days of my hiatus from home. Hyderabad…Hmmm…honestly…It’s not what I thought it would be.

It really is a hot dusty city with a mix of Hindu Muslim population.

Major grumbles:

Random locations. (Place A has a single Mini Mall, and place B has a Mini Mall. Great right. Except that there’s like a ton of kilometers between them and Narrow slow moving road between them.)

Lack of Things to do. It’s not really a tourist city, nor does it have it share of happening places. Barista and CCD are not exactly JOINTS.

The Food Sucks and not to mention “Service” is unheard of here, whether its Pizza hut or Noodle Bar or any good chain.

Biryaani in not what I thought it would be. I Mean people who have had good Punjabi Food would not be impressed, No great shakes I swear.
People are conservative; Chandigarh is by far “chic”.

It’s a village of a city, with markets lined across roads which crisscross the city.

I am in Jubilee Hills, the most “posh” area in Hyderabad and possibly all of AP. It doesn’t impress me much.

My Office is in the middle of a Residential area and does not have anything in the vicinity(café, market, Phone booths). It also lacks a Canteen! So life is, well not so great in that sense.

But even then, I think it’s a great experience. Can’t wait for it to get better though.

I believe I can Fly

2006-02-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

This was clicked by Nav in his "vedah". Gawd I miss those crazy times. Thanks Nav. Go visit his gallery at maverick-xj.deviantart.com

India Unplugged

2006-01-28T03:22:00.000-08:00

I loved the image so much I had to put it on my blog. You are free to leave comments.

Ogden Nash- Awesome

2006-01-09T07:14:00.001-08:00

Ogden Nash is the undisputed king of humour and poetry. Atleast I think so.. check out some of his stuff!

The Ant

The ant has made himself illustrious
Through constant industry industrious.
So what?
Would you be calm and placid
If you were full of formic acid?

The Firefly

The firefly's flame Is something for which science has no name
I can think of nothing eerier
Than flying around with an unidentified glow on a
person's posteerier.

The Guppy

Whales have calves,
Cats have kittens,
Bears have cubs,
Bats have bittens,
Swans have cygnets,
Seals have puppies,
But guppies just have little guppies.

The Cow

The cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk.

The Ostrich

The ostrich roams the great Sahara.
Its mouth is wide, its neck is narra.
It has such long and lofty legs,
I'm glad it sits to lay its eggs.

The Abominable Snowman

I’ve never seen an abominable snowman,
I’m hoping not to see one,
I’m also hoping, if I do,
That it will be a wee one.

The Termite

Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.

The Turtle

The turtle lives 'twixt plated decks
Which practically conceal its sex.
I think it clever of the turtle
In such a fix to be so fertile.

Click here to get to a collection of some more of ROFL poetry by Nash

What do I look For in a GirlFriend?

2006-01-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

Not much, She just has to be...In-Jean-Ious

Looking Back and Ahead

2005-12-30T03:02:00.000-08:00

It makes me sad to know that I am going to be alone this New Year's. Away from friends, family, even my city(ies) .

But here's hoping the New Year ushers In a crazy time ahead..full of excitement and learning.

And cheers to success and good times ahead. now and Forever...Let the Party begin ;)

Hey DJ!
Tonight..stars
Tonight I’m seein stars
Tonight..stars
Tonight I’m seein stars
Tonight..stars
Tonight

Once again
I found myself with my friends
Dancin the night away
It’s like the party never ends
Then again, we don’t want it to stop
‘Cause tonight’s the night
It goes sweat box, laser beam, flashin lights
Wild cards, men from Mars
Dressed in stars and stripes
Eclectic Electric
Ladies at the evenin
Drinkin booze and mingilin
Mashin through the music
I can do anything
Freaky deaky, star speckles and pink butterflies
And life is nice, so nice
I walk into a club and I found paradise
I’m seein stars, I can’t believe my eyes
I’m seein stars

>>>

Oh my, starry eyed surprise
Sun down to sun rise
Dance all night
We gonna dance all night
Dance all night to this DJ
Now sugar, dance all night to this DJ
Oh my, starry eyed surprise
Sun down to sun rise
Dance all night
We gonna dance all night
Dance all night to this DJ
Now sugar, dance all night to this DJ
Dance all night to this DJ
Now lover, dance all night to this DJ
A ha ha

>>>>

Now the record always spills on the trails we blazed
The walls are closin in, but that’s ok
‘Cause I been waitin all week to feel this way
And it feels so good, so good
I’m on top of the world
Look who is here in the neighborhood
So let me be a sparkle one night, that’s right
Sweat box, laser beam, flashin lights
You got to
Feel the rush, feel the spice of life
Thug life
Shifty rolls the dice
Snake eyed surprise
Izing, mesmerizin
The mic, the sick ones
‘Cause what we are are victims of fun
C’mon, c’mon, the fun has just begun
C’mon, the fun has just begun
Ha ha

>>>>>>>>

Hey DJ!
Tonight..stars
Tonight I’m seein stars
Tonight..stars
Na na,

I see stars
I’m seein stars>>

How True!

2005-12-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

Pablo Picasso
Spanish Cubist painter (1881 - 1973)

I guess its true

2005-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

In a relationship no unnecessary fights
In luv no unnecessary reasons n logics and
In frndship no unnecessary gaps(takin time off)

Serendipity!

2005-12-25T06:23:00.001-08:00

This is one place in the himalayas i have had the pleasure to be. And now that I am in Hot and Dusty Hyderabad, the value of the hills grows even more, and the memories even sweeter.

They say that " A man travels the entire world looking for something till he returns home to find it"

I know it already.

"The Next Episode" (feat. Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg)

2005-12-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

[Snoop Dogg]
La-da-da-da-dahh
It's the motherfuckin D-O-double-G (SNOOP DOGG!)
La-da-da-da-dahh
You know I'm mobbin with the D.R.E.
(YEAH YEAH YEAH
You know who's back up in this MOTHERFUCKER!)
What what what what?
(So blaze the weed up then!)
Blaze it up, blaze it up!
(Just blaze that shit up nigga, yeah, 'sup Snoop??)

Top Dogg, bite me all, nigga burn the shit up
D-P-G-C my nigga turn that shit up
C-P-T, L-B-C, yeah we hookin back up
And when they bang this in the club baby you got to get up
Thug niggaz drug dealers yeah they givin it up
Lowlife, yo' life, boy we livin it up
Takin chances while we dancin in the party fo' sho'
Slip my hoe a forty-fo' and she got in the back do'
Bitches lookin at me strange but you know I don't care
Step up in this motherfucker just a-swangin my hair
Bitch quit talkin, quick walk if you down with the set
Take a bullet with some dick and take this dope from this jet
Out of town, put it down for the Father of Rap
And if yo' ass get cracked, bitch shut yo' trap
Come back, get back, that's the part of success
If you believe in the X you'll be relievin your stress

[Snoop] La-da-da-da-dahh
[Dre] It's the motherfuckin D.R.E. (Dr. Dre MOTHERFUCKER!)
[Snoop] La-da-da-da-dahhh
[Dre] You know I'm mobbin with the D-O-double-G

[Dr. Dre]
Straight off the fuckin streets of C-P-T
King of the beats you ride to em in your Fleet (Fleetwood)
or Coupe DeVille rollin on dubs
How you feelin whoopty=whoop nigga whut?
Dre and Snoop chronic'ed out in the 'llac
with Doc in the back, sippin on 'gnac (yeah)
Clip in the strap, dippin through hoods (what hoods?)
Compton, Long Beach, Inglewood!
South Central out to the Westside (wessyde)
It's California Love, this California bud got a nigga gang of pub
I'm on one, I might bail up in the Century Club
with my jeans on, and my team strong
Get my drink on, and my smoke on
Then go home with, somethin to poke on (whassup bitch?)
Loc it's on for the two-triple-oh
Comin real, it's the next episode...

[Nate Dogg]
Hold up, heyyyyyyyy
for my niggaz who be thinkin we soft
We don't, playyyyyyy
We gon' rock it til the wheels fall off
Hold up, heyyyyyyyy
for my niggaz who be actin too bold
Take a, seeaaaaaat
Hope you ready for the next episode
HeyyyeyyyeEYEYyyyEYYYY....
.... smoke weed everday!

Bittersweet Symphony

2005-12-13T03:04:00.000-08:00

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah

'll take you down the only road I've ever been down.

Musings

2005-12-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

Dnt say u luv me unless forever........dnt temme u need me if ur not stay.........dnt gimme tis feelin i'll strongly believe in,make it real or take it away.......

Drops Of Jupiter

2005-12-02T02:35:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite songs man!

So here's the video!

Watch Video:

DROPS OF JUPITER (Train)

Video Code provided by Amandeep

...and the words for you

Now that she’s back in the atmosphere
With drops of jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there’s time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like june, hey, hey

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

Now that she’s back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there’s time to grow, hey, hey

Now that she’s back in the atmosphere
I’m afraid that she might think of me as plain ol’ jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the milky way
And tell me, did venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you’re wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone
Conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way

Normal life

2005-11-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.

-Ellen Goodman

Death

2005-11-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Wait, wait. Time, a landing field. Death needs time like a junkie needs junk."

"And what does Death need time for?"

"The answer is so simple. Death needs time for what it kills to grow in..."

-William S. Burroughs

Thought for the "Everyday"

2005-10-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

"Be daring, be different, be impractical; be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary”

*Image from liquidsculpture.com

EBB

2004-08-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

ebb
n 1: a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) [syn: ebbing, wane] 2: the outward flow of the tide [syn: reflux] v 1: flow back or recede; "the tides ebbed at noon" [syn: ebb away, ebb down, ebb out, ebb off] [ant: tide] 2: hem in fish with stakes and nets so as to prevent them from going back into the sea with the ebb 3: fall away or decline; "The patient's strength ebbed away."
Our ebb of life. --Roscommon
The hours of life ebb fast. --Blackmore.

This blogg is an average left of the middle city slicker bloke who likes it in the hills.

Its raining outside and i am sitin in office.........such are the "Charms" of life.