Status Quo

Album changed

2007-10-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

Now the album has moved to: Durgesh.Singh @ Picasa

Plan to restart the blog underway. Till then Comfortably Numb...

Trip to Mulshi

2006-08-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Initial plan was to make a trip to Sinhgad near Pune. As usual my friend Sandeep overslept as it was Sunday. Next day was a office day for him, and I had to go to his place that night. So making a trip on last day was near to unexpected. Surprisingly on 15th (Independence day) he decided to make the trip and we got ready by 1130 hrs. Later we got to know that Sinhgad was blocked and we had to change our plans. Not knowing where to go and with an indomitable spirit to explore we continued. We left the city soon and we were on the road to Mulshi. After an hour long drive interspersed with rain we reached the Mulsi lake which has a TATA Power Generation unit. Had a smoke in the pine forest near the lake. And then started again. This time we reached a place full of cars and bikes. People swarmed the place like bees. Everyone excited and happy. Hard to find such enthusiasm everytime. The place was beautiful with huge cloud covered mountains on everyside and greenery all around. From the mountains waterfalls could be seen falling. There might be around 10 or more waterfalls that could be seen from that place and they join to form a big one below. Going above this one will lead you to small trek with the stream gushing in full flow. With loose, sliperry rocks and a strong flow of water, crossing the stream was tricky at times. Finally we reached the place where the it striked with full blast. It was all misty nearby. An ideal place to have a bath. It was already 1530 hrs and we were tired and hungry by then. We made our trek down and then drove back to the city. It was really a welcome trip after a long time. Sandeep is highly unpredictable regarding such sudden trips and whenever we have trekked, biked or travelled together, the experience has always been memorable. A detailed album of the trip is here. technorati tag: travel trekking pune india

"Travelling is like flirting with life...

2006-08-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

... It's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.' "- Lisa St. Aubin de Teran Last weekend I had been to Pune. Not my usual hectic trip this time. Spent four days over there. Rain was blessing the city for the whole time. Everytime we went out getting drenched was inevitable. "The slow drizzle which sprays your face while driving the bike" is just my kind of rain. The residents there might get fed up with such continuous wet condition. Living in a comparatively drier Hyderabad, things in Pune were quite different and pleasant. Watched some movies, shopped a bit, went around the city, catched up with friends and siblings and spent rest of the time idling. Something to worth mentioning this time was the trip to Mulshi. technorati tag: blog india travel

I think its...

2006-08-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

...bad to write when you dont really have a compelling need to say something. - Robert M. Pirsig [Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintainence] technorati tag: books blog

I am listening to...

2006-08-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Song: Night Driver Singer: Tom Petty Album: Highway Companion My Rating: 4 out of 5 Have been on trip since Raghu gave the album. All the songs are good enough to be repeated time after time. This is Tom Petty's recent solo album. technorati tag: music blog

Hungarian Grand Prix 2006

2006-08-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening provided a real thrilling race. Race at Hungaroring was incident packed this time. Wet conditions did not favour the rain maestro as Ferrari struggled with the Bridgestone. Renault's performance was impressive till Alonso crashed. Though not an Alonso fan, this time he drove really well in the wet condition. It was really heart-breaking when he overtook Schumacher in the start. Raikonnen was again unfortunate this time, crashing Liuzzi. If there is one team that is jinxed, then its McLaren-Mercedes. With all this happening, Button clinched a deserving win. Just a few moments before I read something in the Formula 1 site and it did lift me bit. Kubica has been disqualified for driving an underweight car and Schumacher has been promoted a place and awarded a point, even after retiring. That means he is now 10 points behind Alonso and Ferrari down 7 points with respect to the Constructors. With last 5 races to go, the scramble for the top is going to be interesting. technorati tag: sports formula one

Last 15 days...

2006-08-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

With Baddy in town, taste and knowledge buds go on a roller coaster ride. Attended around 4 quizzes in the city. With Asha Quiz 2006 and KCircle Open among the biggies, it was a time for me to sharpen the lost edges. Made usual trips to Shadab, KFC, Deewan Dhaba[Nagpur Highway] and some other new eateries/restaurants. Roamed a day completely drenched during the incessant rains in Hyderabad. Though it was bad for the whole three days as it rained non stop, the cool and wet climate made the weekends a pleasure. Mouli bought a washing machine this time. Goodbye, dirty socks and soiled jeans. technorati tag: blog hyderabad

Ferrari 1 - 2 :)

2006-07-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Q: Michael, your seventieth win for Ferrari, a big dent in Fernando's championship lead, hundredth win for Bridgestone: a phenomenal day for you. Michael Schumacher: Yeah. You're putting numbers on... they're very important but at the moment probably the most important is eleven because it's eleven points left in terms of championship lead for Fernando. - Formula1 An amazing race again this week. Got to be religious for the rest of the races left. technorati tag: sports

Amores Perros

2006-07-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Another nice watch this weekend was Amores Perros. A 2001 mexican movie. Containing three different stories connected to a road accident. Translated as Love is a Bitch, the stories have dog as an essential element in them. They deal with some harsh realities with a good pace and content to keep you glued to it. Worth mentioning dialogue: "If you want to make God laugh... tell Him your plans." technorati tag: movies

Omkara : Re-viewed

2006-07-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

When Rediff gave the review of Omkara as "Shakespeare would have smiled" the point had been made about the movie. A movie adapted from a classic tragedy has to tell more than the original story. And Vishal Bharadwaj has managed to do this in a great way. Before going into other characters of the movie, the character of Iago (here Langda Tyagi) played by Saif Ali Khan demands special mention. Simply beyond par. The dark shade of this character is evident from the very first scene of the movie. Nasseeruddin Shah, Ajay Devgan, Kareena and Konkana Sen are brilliant in their parts too. Vivek Oberoi and Bipasha Basu also manage to do their job well. Another actor to look out for is Deepak Dobriyal as Raju. Use of rustic UP dialect garnished with profanities at times makes the dialogues, a treat for the ears. Sometimes difficult to understand too. As I have already fell in love with its music, so not mentioning about it again. Simply a must and mast watch. I just came watching it the second time... technorati tag: movies india

I am listening to...

2006-07-24T07:41:00.001-07:00

Song: Naina Singer: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Album: Omkara [OST] My Rating: 4 out of 5 Downloaded the album after hearing the title song in the trailers. This song has the touch of Vishal Bharadwaj's Maachis. Yeah, he is the music director of Omkara. One of my expected watch. Other tracks like Beedi, Lakkad, Jag ja, O Saathi Re, and Omkara are equally good. Nice buy or download. technorati tag: music blog india

A funny ad

2006-07-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

iPod Flea technorati tag: blog technology youtube

Good things that happened inspite of the ban...

2006-07-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

I got Outlook Traveller's Wildlife Holidays in India. It has some comprehensive description of some of the better known and also lesser known wild destinations across the country. Got to plan some trip soon. Another proud possession was, Master Strokes-The Best First Films of the Masters in the Movies. FTII released a two DVD set of 20 first movies of its students who are now some well known names in the movie industry. Saw Cidade De Deus, the first thing to do after waking up on Sunday. A recommendation from Chiku and it turned out great, as every time. Thanks again dude ! Formula One again saw Schumacher win with a Ferrari 1-2 during qualifying. Nice performance by Alonso who managed to split the two Ferrari's in the end. Completed, My God Died Young by Sashti Brata. An autobiography set in the post independence era. The questions raised then and now haven't changed much. The inner conflicts now are just taking place on a new stage with a wider platform and narrowed audience. One thing that striked me in this book was a beautiful or I can say an appropriate description of Kolkata's Coffee House. Somehow the author has brilliantly put the whole experience in words. I have went there every time I have been to Kolkata. Its more addictive than the coffee it serves. Why? You have to be there to know it. Previous post on Coffee House, Kolkata: 1 technorati tag: blog india travel trekking books movies

I guess...

2006-07-20T04:11:00.000-07:00

... the blog ban has been lifted. I can now access Blogspot from home. Have to wait for confirmation from other ISPs though. Yipee !! technorati tag: blog india

Indian Blog Censor

2006-07-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the incessant protests from the blogger community and timely media attention, the censorship is expected to be lifted soon. One funny thing during this ban is that I kinda liked my office more due to no block in the access. We all have known various forms of censorship and in India we havent suffered much except for the time and again whimsical Film Censor Board. A few years ago I heard about the blocking of some yahoo groups related to Naga outfits and it didnt matter much as I didnt have much access to Internet then. This time I came to know what it can mean. Repeatedly frustrated attempts to get a page on the browser for an whole evening and then near midnight getting enlightened of the fact that DoT has gone crazy. The government should open up an department to keep up with the latest web developments. With no dearth of IT professionals in the country it is sad witness such short sightedness on the part of the government. It is a common reaction for anyone to block the source of trouble. In this case the government might not be aware of the fact that millions would be affected. It might be just an immediate reaction. I am not trying to be pro-government and this paragraph will still be valid if the ban is not lifted. technorati tag: blog india

Has Indian Government gone tech?

2006-07-16T03:48:00.000-07:00

Since last two days, I havent been able to access blogs on blogspot.com. I am not a serious poster, though I follow a number of them. Initially I thought it to be because of the scheduled maintainence on Saturday. Yesterday it was confirmed when the blogger community spelled out their woes. This block has been erratic with some ISPs still allowing access. What surprises me, is that has Indian Government decided to follow its neighbours finally? If that is the case then it is seriously a communist attack. Ask why? The UPA government might be getting pressurisedby the comrade bandhus. Once done India will be completing the series of blogspot banners in the SE Asia. China, Pakistan and then India. See the connection. No?? CPI-Communist Party of India. I still wish this to be some temporary thing and not some despotic curb of freedom of expression. On the other side if it is concious effort, kudos to the government. Atleast it is aware of stuff like blogging and internet. Not that they are that dumb, just it feels funny when you are aware of incidents like taking a PC monitor as evidence by the police for showing sex videos. Whatever it is, "Where there is will, there is a highway" will rule... To get some tips for aceessing, go to: Neha Viswanathan India Uncut Desi Pundit or pkblogs.com Update 1: More information regarding the ban at Digital Inspiration technorati tag: blog technology india

Reservation Issue... Hahh!

2006-07-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

Q: If reservation issue is extended to the banking sector in India, which bank is going to enjoy maximum benefits? A: Oriental Bank of Commerce Product of an idle Sunday morning ;) And this PJ is hence copyrighted(Oops, reserved) !! technorati tag: blog india

Gimme a break

2006-07-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

You get insulted, you react and get punished. You insult, you are attacked. End of story. No, not in this case. Things have to be stretched much harder and longer than any elastic could ever endure. Lip readers, speech analysts, terrorism experts, human rights activists, all are trying to explain the world why Zidane reacted and what Materazzi said? Things happen on and off the field. Over here a player reacted to some insults and was sent off the field. May be his team was so shocked that they lost the World Cup. If FIFA is so keen in really attending to the problems of the tournament, lets start with the quality of refeering. I can understand the concern of media in this case. I do. World's biggest sports event is over. Now the concern is to keep the viewership and readership up. After all, they are also in business. technorati tag: sports

I am feeling lucky...

2006-07-13T23:51:00.000-07:00

My broadband has gone crazy giving me insanely high download speed with respect to the plan I have. Already three movies downloaded yesterday night... :) technorati tag: computer technology

Shine on you Crazy Diamond

2006-07-12T03:03:00.001-07:00

Syd Barrett dies...

technorati tag: music syd barrett pink floyd

I'm loving it...

2006-07-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

McDonald's is in Hyderabad now... Yesterday went there and could not go in because of ridiculously long queue of people waiting to grab a bite of the Big Mac. Today will try again. With Baddy in the city, tastebuds are going to have gala time... McDonald's is at Prasadz in Hyderabad near Necklace road. technorati tag: hyderabad india

Superman returns :(

2006-07-10T04:44:00.000-07:00

Saw Superman on Saturday. Superman does return, that too with a super heart to weave the tales of his super romance in a state when his supervillian is planning to take on the world superbly and he battles with his superpowers and baring his super emotional side to the super dumb world at the same time. Arrrgh!! I didnt expect much from the movie and it stood up to my expectations. In fact got so bored in the movie that I started making PJs on Superman. Why does Superman wear a cape? Reason 1 : To drape himself at colder heights. Reason 2: "Woh maut ka saamna karne ki himaat rakhta hei aur apne saath kafan leke ghoomta hei..." Super heroes too have girl problems. Superman, Batman, Spiderman... Only one guy has found the answer and hasnt been bothered by it. Guess, guess who? Ans: HanuMan technorati tag: movies hyderabad india

Catching up...

2006-07-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

The carnival comes to an end. So also a month long of late night TV,lengthy discussions, ESPN site surfing, result tracking and 'N' bottles of beer. Not much impressed with all European semi-finals and final.

Player of the Day - Materazzi

2006-07-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Caused a penalty, scored a goal(equalizer), provoked Zidane and scored a penalty.

Yeh match mein action tha, emotion tha, drama bhi tha.

Movie Review: Let's Talk

2006-07-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

Main Storyline: Of a husband whose wife is pregnant with somebody else's baby. The movie explores possible reactions from the husband when his wife breaks the news. Frustration, anger, forgiveness, sarcasm, humor, all played with ease by Boman Irani. I liked the scene where he is sarcastic and at his best with his caustic retorts. The movie was shot with a handycam and has only a single classical background track and is blended brilliantly with various moods. One more thing that was worth noting, was that the movie starts and ends with a piece of news where people have sightings of Lord Krishna. The age old story of Krishna and Radha is somehow similar to the Radhika and Krish having an affair. Boman is superb throughout and Maia Katrak as his wife has also given a decent performance. Lets Talk is more of a play than a movie... technorati tag: movies

I liked...

2006-07-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

...Pune. Yeah I kinda started liking the city. Last time I went there, it didnt impress me. May be this time it was due to the constant drizzling that went for the whole two days I stayed there...

Went for my favourite hunting of rock t-shirts and this time with salary just credited, I got three. The Rolling stones, The Doors and Pink Floyd. Met Sandeep after a long time.

I missed the Grand Prix as I had to board the bus back to Hyderabad. Was elated when knew that Schumacher has won... Left office early on Monday to watch the repeat telecast. One of the beautiful race except for the crash initially. Championship is still looking good with Ferrari picking up.

With World Cup coming to an end, a month long of high adrenaline action is going to take a pause for next four years. All the expected contenders are out of the race. Felt bad when Argentina lost . Now with Italy and France remaining, Sunday's match will be something to look forward to.

technorati tag: travel india

I am listening to...

2006-06-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

Song: My Heart, My Life Singer: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Michael Brook Album: Night Song My Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Since two months I have been listening to the album every night. Every song in the album is a masterpiece and equally mesmerising. My title of the post should have been "I am addicted to..."

technorati tag: music

Packed, Packed and Packed

2006-06-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

With imminent plans of getting relocated to Bangalore, tasks of covering some topics required for a project and some gripping matches in world of sports, my postings on the blog has been irregularised since a week. Yesterday night was spent switching in between Formula 1, soccer and cricket. Even though I had an interview to prepare for, the Portugal-Netherlands match was nasty enough to keep me awake. It was a match with Yellow and Red cards flying all around. In the previous match between England and Ecuador, David Beckham scored. He really did "Bent it like Beckham." Formula 1 saw Michael Schumacher in the second place after a mistake of Kimi Raikonnen in the last lap. Canadian Grand Prix action packed yesterday. Saw "Closer" a few days back. The forthcoming "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" is based on this. Clive Owen has given a great performance in the movie. It also stars Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Jude Law. As Roger Ebert comments "What is unique about "Closer," making it seem right for these insincere times, is that the characters do not understand each other, or themselves. They know how to go through the motions of pushing the right buttons, and how to pretend their buttons have been pushed, but do they truly experience anything at all except their own pleasure?"

technorati tag: movies

The Best of Satyajit Ray

2006-06-15T02:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I finished "The Best of Satyajit Ray." A collection of short stories by the renowned film maker. I started with the last story called "Pikoo's Diary." A brilliant depiction of a small boy's diary and the complex happenings around him which he cannot understand. Talk of looking the world through child's eye, this story provides the glimpse. Then followed the other twenty stories. One after the other, he impresses you with the manner he handles each one. Be it ghost stories, encounters with alien creatures or even a simple daily life incident, each story has some element of humour and suspence attached with it. The characters described in the stories gets etched into your mind. The book can be recommended as a nice buy. Noteworthy: Satyajit Ray was given his Legion of Honor in 1987 by France for his short stories. technorati tags: books

Phir (Nahin) Hera Pheri !

2006-06-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

Keeping up the tradition of "failing sequels", this movie can serve as another example in Bollywood. Maintaining its original main cast, it also included a long list of prevalent comedians more noticeably Johnny Lever and Rajpal Yadav. Trying hard to show the continuity and huge commotion at the end made the weak story line fail miserably. One can see brilliant comic scenes at times from Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty and Akshay Kumar. With Bipasa Basu and Rimi Sen acting as mere female presence on the screen. Inclusion of circus was just for the kids to join the highly expecting viewers who came in to watch the sequel of the previous cult comedy. I went to the movie as I had nothing better to do before the World Cup match between Germany and Poland. technorati tags: movies

There is pleasure in the pathless woods

2006-06-13T03:56:00.000-07:00

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more, From these our interviews, in which I steal From all I may be, or have been before, To mingle with the Universe, and feel, What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal - Lord George Gordon Byron technorati tags: poetry blog

I am listening to...

2006-06-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Song: View from the Afternoon Singer: Arctic Monkeys Album: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not My Rating: 4 out of 5 (Downloaded this song after I watched its video twice in VH1) technorati tag: music

Are you "Shining"?

2006-06-09T01:41:00.000-07:00

Back a few a days, I watched the Jack Nicholson movie "The Shining." With a great director like Stanley Kubrick and actor like Nicholson, you can never expect anything less from a movie. And this psycho thriller was no different. Exteremely well handled music and camera builds up an eerie feeling when you watch it. At times scaring you and keeping you bound to the screen. I watched it twice, and even the second time it surprised me with its scary elements. The story is of Jack Torrance(Nicholson) who comes with his family to the Overlook Hotel as its caretaker during the extreme winters. And slowly he gets deranged with the loneliness at the place and still likes the place insanely. At the same time his family which includes his wife and son starts fearing the unusual happennings and coping with the growing insanity of Jack. Isolated in a vast hotel, growing torture of the winter and seeing things of the past, it makes you have goosebumps even watching. Top it up with the menancing looks of Nicholson, the horror creeps into you. Shelly Duvall(wife), Danny Lloyd (son) and Scatman Crothers (Chef) are equally brilliant. Watch for the kid pedalling his tri-cycle through different floor textures. Shining is a telepathic phenomenon as depicted in the movie where people and places communicate with past and future references. technorati tags: movies

Recent snaps uploaded

2006-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Early morning at Dhauli Link for the album. Click here. technorati tags: orissa india travel photography

Dhauli - The Peace Pagoda

2006-05-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

As I said before my brother was making a short film. He and his crew had to capture a sunrise and had planned to go to Dhauli on Monday. Hardly slept for two hours the day before and joined them at 0300 hours. I also wanted to do some photography. Dhauli had been my favourite hangout place since I have got a bike. I have been there a numerous time, with friends or alone and at times ranging from early in the morning to late in the evening. I have watched three sunrises over there itself. The monastery near the stupa is also a nice place. Kind of silent and peaceful with the drums beating. Daya river flows below the hill and the area surrounding it is covered with bushes, shrubs and cashew trees. Once went through a dirt patch with Praveen and watched an angler for a long time. Its actually a nice getaway for an afternoon or evening when you run out of your options. I generally avoid the stupa area in the day time because of the huge number of tourists thronging the place. Commercialisation always takes away the tranquility of such places. One of the landmarks, it is situated 10 kms from from the city and is on the way to Puri. This stupa was built on the site where Emperor Ashoka is said to have renounced war and violence. Took some snaps there till dawn. Will upload after editing them. technorati tags: orissa india photography travel

A fun weekend

2006-05-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

Again a hectic trip with hardly 36 hours to spend at home. Baddy left Hyderabad and went to Bhubaneswar. Last few days were spent in his farewell party, packing, and of course gorging. We left for Bhubaneswar on Friday. Sunday had a quiz there, Quizzotica 2006. Came third and raked 2000 bucks. We did some silly things in the buzzer round and lost the second place by 2.5 points. Ridiculous, simply ridiculous ! My younger brother was making a short film on street children. Joined him on Monday morning to Dhauli to film a sunrise. I was with him to watch the shooting. Got some DVDs. Got a tripod for my camera. Mainly hindi this time. Left for Hyderabad at 1500 hours and slept all the way back. Mouli was already waiting over here and he shifted to my place yesterday. technorati tags: orissa travel

Yesterday...

2006-05-24T01:05:00.000-07:00

... I watched Agantuk. Another movie down from Satyajit Ray list. A stranger(Utpal Dutt) claiming to be a long lost uncle coming for week, generates suspicion, doubt, confusion and excitement among the family members. Each with various levels of emotion interacts with the stranger as the story unfolds. It becomes very difficult for the so called civilised urban class to accept a nomadic stranger who claims tribals are one of the most civilised people with whom he has spent most his time. When asked if he considers cannibalism to be a civilised practice, he replies "Yes, it is barbaric. But do you know what is even more uncivilized? The sight of homeless families on streets of New York. The mere ability to destroy a civilisation by the push of a button." Or when asked if he believes in religion, replies that he does not believe in something that divides people from people. A movie providing some deep insights to urban life. technorati tags: movies

Get busy living or get busy dying...

2006-05-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

Whim: A late night 50 km bike ride on Friday Achievement: Woke up with an hangover and scored 20 in Mahaquizzer 2006 yesterday Routine: Boozed all the three evenings, not a deliberate attempt Excitement: Going Bhubaneswar next weekend Responsibility: Avoiding as always :) Regret: With no responsibility, you might be kidding! Best time in the whole weekend: Friday evening. (with "Old Friends/ Memory brushes the same years/Silently sharing the same fear...") Concern: Downloads going to touch 150 GB, have to back up, back up, back up... technorati tags: life blog

Restaurant: Angeethi - Kabura - KFC

2006-05-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Angeethi In Banjara Hills, near Barista. Tried buffet over here. Rs.140 including taxes. Not a bad deal. Numerous North Indian and Tandoori dishes and great deserts. Weekends are busy and waiting time is around 20 minutes. Nice bollywood posters adorning the walls. Dhaba type setup. Nice crowd, if you know what I mean. Good service once you get your table. Kabura A North West Frontier cuisine restaurant. I guess buffet would be economically recommended. We should have gone for it. Murgh Kabuli Shorba was awesome. Mutton curries were OK. Biriyani was spicy, Chicken in it was not satisfactory in quantity. Tried variety of rotis, none up to the mark. Its in the Lifestyle Building, Begumpet. KFC Went there a umpteen number of times and it has never disappointed me. Original Recipe Fried Chicken fries are always a treat. Back them up with some french fries and a large cola, you have got one full meal. Burgers in itself can be quite filling. This time we had the chance to visit the kitchen and saw how such delicious chicken are prepared. Most of the ingredients are imported while Chicken is locally procured. The formula of the mix is a secret including its employees and even the companies who produce its ingredients. With clearly defined work practice, these international chains show good professionalism. Lightning fast service and always some nice music playing gives you fair enough time to relish the soft and finger licking chicken pieces. Its there in MG Road, Secunderabad. technorati tags: hyderabad

Who What Which ?

2006-05-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Posting some questions from my quiz done at K Circle, Hyderabad. Mail me the answers at: durgesh.singh@gmail.com Questions: 1. Chuck Cunningham syndrome, Jumping the shark, Fonzie syndrome, Spin-off, Cousin Oliver... Whats common to these terms? 2. It has been presented 33 times in the past. Recipients include Robert Peary, Roald Amundsen, Capt. Robert Bartlett, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Richard E. Byrd, Charles Lindbergh, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins, Richard Leakey, Jane Goodall, Robert Ballard, Bertrand Piccard, Brian Jones.... What? 3. Early known instance of using this is in a newspaper advertisement in the New York Herald Tribune, March 10, 1953. Promoting the film Lili, starring Leslie Caron, the ad read as follows: Today You'll laugh __ You'll cry __ You'll love __ What am I talking about? 4. Name the neighborhood of New York City that includes the area between 34th Street and 57th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River. [Hint: The Godfather] 5. What take its name from a pair of celebrated racing cars built and raced by Louis Zborowski and his engineer Clive Gallop, in the 1920s? 6. He looks and sounds like Elvis Presley, except for having blonde hair and a Fonzie-ish[as from Happy Days] appearance. Incredibly narcissistic and dumb. He lives in the fictional town of Aron City. Who? 7. A series of animated short subjects produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1938. Donald Duck got his start in The Wise Little Hen, 1934 and Pluto's first appearance without Mickey Mouse in Mother Pluto, 1936. Seven times Academy award winner of short series. Name the series. 8. Bernd Maylander is a German racing driver who has previously competed in the DTM series. Whats his present job? 9. He started his career as a wicketkeeper and played cricket clubs. He joined his father's firm and made it into one of India's top construction firms. His firm constructed Kolkata's M.P.Birla Planetarium in 1963. In 1996, the BBC declared him to be one of the world's top six sports executives. Who? 10. In the 1958 film North by Northwest, director Alfred Hitchcock wanted to do it but couldnt. Sydney Pollack did it in 2005. What? 11. King Parikshit of Hastinapur, one day walking in the countryside found a man beating up a one legged bull and a famished cow. He recognised the figures immediately. Who were they? 12. A member of Eric Clapton's band played this album for him and asked him to cover it. Initially he refused to so, as it would be disrespectful to the original artist. This was Clapton's only #1 hit. Give me the song and the original artist. 13. Glenn Frey came up with the title when he was up all night drinking and the sun was rising when he finished the song. The line, "take another shot of courage" refers to how if you drink this, it will give you courage to talk to women. Which song? 14. He never took seriously the awards he himself received. And once said "I owe my Swedish Order of the North Star to my cook, whose skill won the approval of an eminent stomach," "And my French Order was conferred upon me as the result of a close personal acquaintance with a minister." Who? 15. During W.W. II, the head of Hitler's Luftwaffe, Hermann Goring, offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who could kill or capture a famous American airman. Who was this airman? * Zelda, Yosemite, Yoda, Warhol, Tsunami, Trinity, Perseus, Jaguar, Dulcimer, Cyan, Spartacus, Osiris ...... and the list goes on. For what? technorati tags: quiz hyderabad blog

Caffeine + Nicotine = Nightout

2006-05-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

Pooh ! Finally completed my questions for today's quiz. It demanded a complete nightout from me. Found some audio clips too. Going to host my first quiz at K Circle. Tensed?? U bet ! Completed my task by 0400 hrs and headed to roof top for some night photography. Sounds too big when I say it though. I have posted some of my nocturnal exploits here. Trying my hands with delayed exposure. Beginning to have fun now. Gotta go to the office now and doze off. Reminder [Comments awaited]: Pics Uploaded technorati tags: hyderabad photography

I'm singing in the rain...

2006-05-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

... Just singin' in the rain, What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again -Singin' in the Rain [Gene Kelly]

It rained two days back in Hyderabad. The evening became wet and cool. Real respite after a long time...

Sis came that morning and left by evening to Pune. Murphy's law proved its dominance again. I asked my Sis to get my raincoat from Bhubaneswar in view of the rainy season. She failed to get it and the same day the city gets lashed by showers. Murphy rules. Did some shopping with her. Went to Odyssey and rode my bike back in the rain. Awesome evening...

I am still in the R&D phase with my new camera. Various permutations and combinations being tried. Though the Auto mode is always a lame shortcut.

This Sunday, the Ferrari and Schumacher showed why they are an indispensable team. How sheer strategy can beat a faster car and why experience always rules. The second pit stop strategy by Ferrari showed when it comes to Formula 1, you can never take Schumi lightly.

Stuck with questions for a quiz at K Circle. Dont know if they will be ready by Thursday... technorati tags: hyderabad

"I can resist everything...

2006-05-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

...except temptation." - Oscar Wilde A Digital Camera - My biggest weekend whim. I am now a proud owner of a Canon PowerShot A 530. After toying with the idea for a long time either to buy a film SLR or a digital camera, I finally settled on this financially apt solution. Since Friday, after I left office I decided I am going to get a camera this weekend. Didnt know which one. What range. How I gonna pay for it. Or why this impulse. Only thing that I love now is, I crossed another long pending roadblock. Also got a good deal on a book on Formula One. Looking forward to European GP today. Snaps to follow soon...

Hell yeah...

2006-05-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Havent scribbled anything since last week... I am trapped in the vortex of laziness, I guess. I guess?? Too lazy to think about it even. Back some days I realised I havent doodled since last three months. My irritatingly addictive habit has gone for a toss. Just now my mentor called me and asked me about my future plans. He must have been fed up with my increasingly careless attitude in the office. What did I reply to him? Just imitated a confused garden lizard. Nod, Nod and run. Two days back, I took a day off as I wanted to have a long nap. Atleast I completed this task and as described by Baddy, "I sleep in four shifts a day." That means I operate 24/7 from the comfort of my bed. Now U can see the result, a lousy post just to keep up with the visitors, so that they dont get too lazy to visit this blog. technorati tag: life

Restaurant review: Shadab

2006-04-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Located in front of Madina Square, this restaurant is known for its mouth watering dishes ranging from Irani Chai to Biriyani. I have been there number of times and I dont know why I havent written about it till now. People say Shadab has surpassed Madina, another restaurant near it. I cant boast of trying every dish over there. Those I tried, have never disappointed me. Biriyani Undoubtedly the best biriyani in Hyderabad. Right amount of spices with nice long rice grains and of course a generous amount of chicken/mutton. People talk of Bawarchi, Paradise, Hyderabad House and numerous other joints when it comes to biriyani. Just have it once here, you will forget about majority of biriyani place. Kebabs Speak of it and you start to salivate. Highly recommended is the Reshmi Kebab, wrapped in silky and fluffy egg white the chicken pieces just simply melt in your mouth increasing your appetite ten folds. Not very impressive Seekh Kebabs. Pakistani Chicken You will get the resemblance of its name once you see the green coloured gravy. Nice spicy dish with boneless chunks of chicken drowned in a rich gravy. Baghdadi Chicken Talk of richness, this dish tops it. Boneless chicken dish with a gravy filled with cashew and butter. A bit on the sweeter side though. Pudina Paratha Slightly crisp with butter and mint leaf coated paratha. Goes well with the curry dishes. Never forget to take Falooda, Lassi or an Irani Chai after your meals. They help you to put a nice full stop to your meal. This place also offers dishes like Paya, Zaban, Magaz, Haleem etc. Havent had the time to try them yet. Dont be too experimentative about the dishes. Yesterday, the Chicken Sizzler was no good. Reasonable pricing and good service. technorati tag: hyderabad travel

"Giving somebody a job for a small salary...

2006-04-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

... is same as condemning him to life imprisonment." This quote from Brecht summarized the whole idea behind the play I saw yesterday, "Dayashankar Ki Diary." We all dream, so did Dayashankar. He came from a small village to the city of dreams, Mumbai. He wanted to be an actor. Sixteen years of drudgery as a low paid clerk, burdens of his family away in his village and the constant realization of not being able to fulfill his ambition to be an actor. He never could make it to the silver screen, so he set a stage of his own. He tried to bury his failures behind his fantasies. And slowly the wall separating truth and imagination crumbles, making our protagonist its victim. We are reflections of our thoughts. We are all actors who live in both worlds. Some are successful in maintaining the balance, some are not. That does make them any less human, they just become the pawns of human misery. Ashish Vidyarthi enacted the whole play with brilliance. Taking us through his various stage of life filled with interesting characters and imagination. He is the only actor in the play but his vivid description of other actors creates an impression as if they were also present on the stage with him. His love for MLA's daughter Sonia, despise for his boss, dominating room-mate More and funny conversation of two dogs Softy and Tiger. He expressed humour in his own way, like comparing the swaying posterior of fisherwomen in Mumbai as clash between "two mountains" trying to decide which one was bigger. The play progresses showing signs of delirium of Dayashankar, first visualizing talking dogs to the missing king of Nepal at last. Ashish kept his audience riveted with his simply mindblowing performance till the end. Talk of the climax, it will haunt you for the rest of the evening. Question where real actors are born. Theatre will always be the answer... technorati tag: hyderabad life

I am listening to...

2006-04-19T01:18:00.000-07:00

Song: Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) Singer: Neil Young Album: Rust Never Sleeps My Rating: 4.9 out of 5 (Because I equally like its acoustic version, My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)) Stumbled upon it after I got to know that Kurt Cobain mentioned a phrase from it, in his suicide note. My first Neil Young song and I have been on trip with it since. Now busy downloading Neil Young albums. The phrase in Kurt's note was "It's better to burn out than to fade away." technorati tag: music

Great weekend....

2006-04-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

With the unfortunate and sad demise of Rajkumar and the chaos that followed in the city of gardens (It was in fact !), my trip was cancelled. Three days meant to be spent in Bangalore was now to be spent in Hyderabad. No work, just fun was the motto and I stood by it. Thanks to Baddy also. Day 1: Woke up late. Some FRIENDS episode to kickstart the day before leaving for lunch. Went to an ongoing book exhibition and spent more than I had planned. Gorged at Ching Ling. Eating would have been an understatement. Watched Groundhog Day. A nice movie from Baddy's list of cult classics. After that went to IMAX to watch long pending Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Came back and watched Yahaan. Went to sleep after a late night dinner of noodles. Day 2: Had plans to go to Chilkur Balaji temple. Supposed to get up at 0500 hrs. Then late night sleepers are not suited as early risers. So had to delay the plan till 0700 hrs. A cool and pleasant early morning drive of around 25 kms from my place. A bit of photography was also done on our way.More about Chilkur later. Spent around 2 hours there. Got back by 1000 hrs. Praveen came for lunch. Went to Old Fox. No guess, gorged again. Went off to Club 8 for a drink and watched England getting battered by Yuvraj. Then a nice siesta followed. Went to Central and to Odyssey.Nando came to stay over. Smirnoff ruled the night. Day 3: Woke up at 1000 hrs with some after effects of the russian water. A hot black coffee and bottles of water got my system flushed. Watched Snatch. A Guy Ritchie flick. Well a great MOFO movie. Brad Pitt ruled. Home delivered lunch. And then Season Four of FRIENDS till evening. Well my trip woudlnt have been more great than this. Would have been no less fun also. Four movies, music, long drives. Never better. Anyway, no matter whatever comes... Keep them coming. Hey I forgot also got some books on Satyajit Ray which I ordered before and Baddy got his refrigerator. Some pics have also been uploaded. technorati tags: blog travel hyderabad photography movies

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

2006-04-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

"...To say ' I love you ' one must know first how to say ' I.' The kind of surrender I could have from you now would give me nothing but an empty hulk. If I demanded it, I'd destroy you. Thats why I won't stop you. I'll let you go to your husband. I don't know how I'll live through tonight, but I will. I want you whole, as I am, as you'll remain in the battle you've chosen. A battle is never selfless." - Roark to Dominique after she says that she is married to Peter Keating. technorati tag: books

I am listening to...

2006-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Song: Guncha Koi Singer: Mohit Chauhan (Silk Route fame) Album: Main, Meri Patni aur Woh (Unplugged Video released) My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Nice and Slow) technorati tag: music

My new profile in Orkut...

2006-04-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

...inspired from V for Vendetta

Pending reviews since last two weeks...

2006-04-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Movies V for Vendetta: Portrayal of an Revolution. A nice flick with smooth dialogues, some fine performance, overdose of English accent and a brilliant screenplay. Masked Hugo Weaving steals the show and leaves very little room for Natalie Portman. Nice flashbacks especially of Valerie.A monstrous product of the detention camp, this Guy Fawkes mask cladded charismatic V quotes Shakespeare with the same ease as he battles the bad guys with knives to make the audience to remember, remember the fifth of November... Crash: Makes you realise why some movies deserve Oscar. All through the movie you go through various emotions because you encounter reality in bits and pieces. In the end everything boils down to the prevelant prejudices among various stratas of the human society based on colour, race, nationality and religion. This reminds me of a quote, "Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something,loves something, and has lost something." When we will understand and appreciate the above saying prejudices will vanish and we will be able to treat human beings humanely... Restaurants The Southern Spice: A restaurant situated near Punjagutta on the road towards Jubilee Hills. Filled with Dakshin cuisine in its menu with glimpses of Chinese, Continental and North Indian dishes. Though exhaustive in the non veg segment, vegetarians can have a tough time deciding the menu.Food is good.Service is smooth once you get going with the order. Doesnt have much to offer in the dessert category. For people wanting to have a overall taste of the southern spices, a Special Veg/NonVeg Southern Spice Thali is recommended. Extent of Spiciness: I spent the longest in the throne of wisdom the next day... Malgudi: Tempting Chettinad drew us to this place after an recommendation. Nicely decorated interior with soft lighting enhancing the ambience. Good sketches and dhoti clad waiters depicting a rural theme. This restaurant is situated in the Lifestyle building at Begumpet. Provides dishes from the Southern states of Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and a few North Indian ones. Tried Chicken Chettinad biriyani and Chicken Chettinad curry with Malabar parantha and a chicken dish with spicy semidry roasted chicken. All mouth watering and delicious. Had to wash them down with a sweet lime soda. Chicken curry was especially hot. Service is fine and prices are reasonable for an exclusive Southern restaurant. Just get there with a right appetite to enjoy (We actually devoured) the blend of spices that southern India is famaous round the globe for... technorati tags: hyderabad movies

I am listening to...

2006-04-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Song: Ya Ali Singer: Zubin Album: Gangster [Movie] My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Note: Addictive) technorati tag: music

Deviations to be rectified... Soon

2006-04-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Erratic net connection welcomed me after coming back from Bhubaneswar. More thanks to the monitored surfing in the office, I have not been able to post in a regular manner. Things got sorted out yesterday evening. Went to watch 'V for Vendetta'. An anti-establishment flick had been long due for me, needless to say that I liked it. And IMAX screen is always a treat.

This weekend I went to Bhubaneswar

2006-04-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Back to the city to catch some breath, relax and recharge. The hectic train journey takes two days of your time, though the window side seat provides bit of respite with the moving scenery and hot/cool air blown directly to your face. Stations some empty and some teeming with people come and go. So also fields, some barren and some green till the horizon. Listen to music or get deeply engrossed in a book, nothing betters the sleep that one gets in the ever vibrating and swaying train compartment. One thing that strikes whenever you go to your own city is that, no matter how innumerable the changes are or how rapid growth it has undertaken, it always welcomes you with the same indifference. It makes you feel at ease and reminds you that no matter how old you grow or how long you have been away from it, you are still the same kid who learnt how to cycle in its lanes. Life here is pretty laid back. No one seems to be in hurry. Days are longer over here. You are never lost in the crowd. A hundred meter walk will never be without someone recognising you or without a smile that tells they are glad to see you back. Things are much simpler and above all "complexities never rise above your necessities".How hot or humid its climate maybe during the summer, the cool breeze takes away all the heat in the evening. Top it up with sipping a hot coffee in the CCD near XIMB, and you cant expect any better a deal. Things are changing over here too. Government is busy signing MOUs with software firms. Big industries are coming up to exploit the huge mineral reserves of the state. Roads are being widened. Fly overs being built. Green covers vanishing. Real estate prices soaring. Crowd is more hip. Crime rate has increased. All the signs of a growing city. The city where I went to my first school, made scores of friends, hanged out in the scorching heat, heavy downpours and breezy winters and of course rode my first bike. technorati tags: travelling life orissa

An habit revived...

2006-03-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

Taking my bike out for a ride on the streets. Just to watch the "life moving". An habit backed up by nightouts. It had been a regular feature during my semester exam days when I went to get an early morning smoke.

Today's was my first feat in Hyderabad to catch the "life moving". A cool and quiet morning beckoned me after a long time. It was great to watch roads with speedy yet less traffic. People trying to reach their destination before the maddening traffic ruins the urgency. Others running/jogging before the "fats" and their sedentary life style catches on, rendering them useless with ailments. Small stalls surrounded with people waiting for their morning cuppa tea. Parade ground swarming with morning walkers and aspiring cricket stars. Some tired jogger pausing to catch some breath by the roadside. Restaurants being prepared for the breakfast to be served. Hawkers getting ready with their wares. Buses going relatively empty.

Then I came across a car crashed on to the Patni flyover. With the driver side completely crushed. May be an late night drunken crash. Or an early morning crash where the driver got a bit sleepy. Who knows ! Who wants to know? Life's moving. I too move.

One thing that strikes me, everytime I see early morning joggers/walkers, is a statement made by a teacher of my brother, "They are running to save their life."

Hilarious? Nopes, someday everyone will !

technorati tags: hyderabad life

A day well spent

2006-03-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

A day when your whole surrounding becomes laidback. Roads are emptier. Sheds filled with vehicles till late afternoon. Kids out of their home to play early. Some cars going packed for some outing. Multiplexes, malls and eateries filled teeming with crowd. Bus stops with people not dressed in their work cloths/uniforms. Balconies generally remaining empty on weekdays, stuffed with cloths to dry, telling residents are work people. My idle sunday. Psyched out by the sheer delirium of the week, a day long peace is welcomed with such fervour that trading it with any outdoor activity is out of question. Waking up late in the morning, having a sumptuous lunch, deep siesta and a long quiet evening. A day spent exclusively with oneself. Next: Monday Coming !! technorati tag: life

What has reason got to do with it...

2006-03-26T05:03:00.000-08:00

A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a river. The scorpion asks the frog to carry him across. The frog refuses and asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion says, "Because if I do, I will die too." The frog satisfied with the proposition, agrees to give the scorpion the ride. In the midstream, the scorpion stings the frog. Paralysed by the sting frog starts to sink. Before drowning frog gasps, "Why?" Replies the scorpion: "Its my nature..."

2006-03-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box.

Phulbani Nov 2005

2006-03-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

Pics from my November 2005 Phulbani trip have been uploaded. technorati tags: travelling trekking orissa india

Overheard at a cafe

2006-03-24T02:15:00.000-08:00

"Why something important occurs when we are absent?" This happens. 101 out of 100 times. Its like a giant cosmic phenomena since the Big Bang that happens in our everyday life. And I was absent on that day even. May be I was ridden badly with loose motions after having an Andhra meal. I have experienced this at every stage of life, till now. In school, college or at workplace. After a long monotonicity of a mechanical schedule, you decide to take a day off. Or forced to after eating that spice loaded lunch. The very next day, when you arrive the first thing that rings your ear, that something great happened yesterday. The person who informs you has temporarily filled in for Gabriel. And he/she never forgets to add the most irritating line, "Dude you missed it !". And ensures that you feel like an imbecile for remaining absent on that eventful day. Coming back to the "phenomena", the important question is why does this happen at all? It seems like there is a huge "stack" of exciting things waiting to happen. And the moment you choose to be absent from the scene. Thud ! One "exciting thing" falls in that void. As if you were obstructing its space with your pathetically long existence. The exciting things can be anything from a day-long outdoor trip or a class photo taken or a long awaited jam session of your college band or somebody kicking your Boss hard in the balls which renders him bed ridden for the next week. Now that means your Boss is going to miss a week long fun that you and your colleagues going to have. Whatever it is, it teaches us one important thing. No matter how boring your schedule becomes or how spicy your food is or how tempting the movie/match is, never let the giant "stack" dump anything to fill in your meaningless existence. Even if you get kicked in your balls, shift your bed precise enough not to let anything take your place. technorati tag: life

The Rubaiyat

2006-03-23T23:22:00.000-08:00

After I came across an recent post at Melancholetta on Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, I remembered some of my favourite quatrains from it. On Life: Of threats of Hell and Hopes of Paradise! One thing at least is certain--This Life flies; One thing is certain and the rest is Lies; The Flower that once has blown for ever dies. On Wine: Why, be this Juice the growth of God, who dare Blaspheme the twisted tendril as a Snare? A Blessing, we should use it, should we not? And if a Curse--why, then, Who set it there? A quatrain that says it all: Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend, Before we too into the Dust descend; Dust into Dust, and under Dust to lie, Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and--sans End! Omar Khayyam was a Persian mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. His poems were based on wine, women and song. technorati tags: poetry philosophy

Ongoing week...

2006-03-23T22:35:00.000-08:00

After working meaningfully for a week, I have been dumped back again to my old office on a prestigious business wait, Sorry! Business Wait. Utilising my time has never been better. Reaching office minimum 3 hours late and leaving 2 hours early, since last four days as a silent protest. Tomorrow is a work day and I am going to come too. Well another reason for it is, I won a cafeteria quiz. May be I will get something useful as a prize. A cup with the company logo which I can use as an ashtray or a penstand with the same "logo" to dump my change... Hyderabad is growing hotter by the day. And with my room on the top floor, my bottles serve me with water, hot enough to make coffee when I get back from office. How thoughtful of the weather ! Its good that two movies have been released. 'Being Cyrus' and 'V for Vendetta'. With some great reviews backing them, I may catch atleast one of them before the week ends. Very soon I will upload some more pics of my Phulbani trip in November 2005. They are lying on my PC waiting to be re-edited since then.

I am listening to...

2006-03-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Song: Teri Deewani Singer: Kailash Kher Album: Kailasa My Rating: 4 out of 5 technorati tag: music

In past life...

2006-03-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

You Were a Horse

You can't be fenced in - you long to run free. You are good at overcoming obstacles and realizing your potential.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

The Debate...

2006-03-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

From Melancholetta The Suicide's Argument Ere the birth of my life, if I wished it or no No question was asked me--it could not be so ! If the life was the question, a thing sent to try And to live on be YES; what can NO be ? to die. Nature's Answer Is't returned, as 'twas sent ? Is't no worse for the wear ? Think first, what you ARE ! Call to mind what you WERE ! I gave you innocence, I gave you hope, Gave health, and genius, and an ample scope, Return you me guilt, lethargy, despair ? Make out the invent'ry ; inspect, compare ! Then die--if die you dare ! - Samuel Taylor Coleridge technorati tag: Poetry

Why...

2006-03-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

... I work? Why I read? Why I roam? Why I wake? Why I crib? Why I doodle? Why I hate? Why I thrive? Why I listen? Why I eat? Why I jump? Why I talk? Why I see? Why I procastinate? Why I smirk? Why I dream? Why I fight? Why I lose? Why I buy? Why I whistle? Why I pause? Why I love? Why I get happy? Why I judge? Why I think? Why Iexplain? Why I hope? Why I breathe? Why I trade? Why I lie? Why... technorati tags: life

Entertainment Unlimited

2006-03-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

Well it had been long due in Hyderabad that I was yet to get settled in terms of technology. Finally, I made it. TV with cable connection. And broadband connection for my desktop. So I am back on the Information Superhighway... My download manager have to work hard now and make up for all the idle time it enjoyed. Muhahaha... technorati tags: Technology Hyderabad

Obscure factoids about the Greatest Brain

2006-03-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

Ten Obscure Factoids Concerning Albert Einstein Got the link through Madman.

Anomalies of a system called India

2006-03-17T05:06:00.000-08:00

Watching the recent events and inspired by the phrase "Anomalies of Indian Monsoon" which was a prominent CBSE question for my Class Xth exam. Jessica Lal case verdict has raised nation wide debate on the ineffectiveness of the Indian Judiciary. And its a recurrent phenomenon, when a big fish escapes the net. With witnesses turning hostile or lack of evidences or delayed justice, the so called "judiciary" denies the justice eventually. Even though questions are raised, everyone knows its the "perfect act of manipulation" that comes into play. No matter how many debates are organised on the news channels or how lengthy articles are written in the weekly magazines, in the end these events serve to provide the contents only. Another recent and ongoing event is the hit and run case and the black buck shooting case for Salman. Even though the cases have been running since a long time, every time some developments occur, we are made aware of it in details. With TV cameras showing the actor going through a crowded alley or trying hard to get past the reporters we are made sure that he should look guilty. No escape for him is what said by some social activists. Does it show the system being really competent in the actor's case? Is the actor less efficient than the Sharma's to manipulate the system? Is Mumbai police really more honest than their Delhi counterparts? Are the witnesses more safe in Mumbai than they are in Delhi? Does it show that the judicial and legislative capital has more powers than the financial capital? What's in a name, Wrong by any other name would harm the same. Manu Sharma and Salman Khan are both guilty. So also were many others who have escaped or were punished by the system. Just the size of the holes in the net have to be defined, so that persons wanting to escape "the long arms of law" be safe. So that the common man should know how to become uncommon. technorati tag: India

The cafe that is Odyssey....

2006-03-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Good cafes have been my weakness. Say India Coffee House in Kolkata or Cafe Coffee Day(CCD) outlet near XIM,Bhubaneswar. No comparision drawn. The first one is awesome with its ambience and humming sound. I have never missed to spend an hour or two, every time I had gone to Kolkata. Second one is good because of the cool windy Bhubaneswar evenings I have spent alone or with friends sipping Caffeine Kicks. When I came here, I was dissappointed with CCD's service. On weekends some CCD outlets force you to have their specials menu. And they never come under 100 bucks. Situated in Punjagutta, near the Central, Odyssey is a book store and cafe. Its a part of the Deccan Chronicle group. Its store has got a good collection of books, gifts, magazines etc. But what draws me here is its cafe downstairs. Quiet, never too crowded, great service, good food and strong Americano. And smoking is allowed over here. The waiters are not over friendly. Nice collection of music. No specific time to go there. If I feel like having a nice dose of caffeine and have some time to kill, I head towards Odyssey. After 2200 hrs is a nice time for me though. Now after shifting, my travel time is down to five minutes. If you happen to be in Hyderabad Central or PVR, you can check the place. Nearby is Frankfurt. An old book store, not the city. Actually, its from Frankfurt, how I got to the cafe. Odyssey's Americano = CCD's Caffeine Kick = A shot of espresso diluted in hot water = Layman's Black Coffee. technorati tags: Travelling Hyderabad India

The day that was Holi...

2006-03-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

...I spent the pleasant/unpleasant morning in the office. Isolated from the outer world in a fluorescent lit office, staring at the monitor and typing on the keyboard. Went out late in the afternoon and had lunch at Kamat. The feel of Holi was not much on the roads by then. Saw a couple of coloured faces on my way back, whizzing past me. May be they were shocked to see themshelves coloured. Later got to know that its not much of a serious festival around here. May be thats why people were quite present in the office. Who cares anyway? During school days, exams overlapped Holi. During college days, quite have played Holi a lot. May be now professional life catching on. Sounds same like old age catching on. Gosh ! What a depressing narration... Ohh I forgot, the setup is same as yesterday's. A fluorescent lit office, staring at the monitor and typing on the keyboard. Isolated from the outer world. technorati tags: Life Hyderabad

Tomorrow's a HOLIday...

2006-03-14T02:35:00.000-08:00

When you search in the morning for a pair of old jeans and a shirt to wear for the rest of the day.

When walking on the street, you get drenched by a bucket of coloured water and you dont say anything to the grinning children on the balcony and continue walking.

When you have taken bath for an hour, not because you want to relax but its that hard to stop that red colour flowing from your scalp.

When you are getting ready for your siesta and somebody knocks at your door to paint you like a rainbow.

When you go around the city to smoke your friends out of their holes (thanks to Bush for the statement) to give them a spray of a lifetime.

When you watch little multicoloured monkeys with colour sprayers in their hands and not bothered to go to school the very next day with their red palms and faces for the next of the week.

When the whole day is spent devouring lovely delicacies and sweets at the home of your victims and still you dont get tired of eating.

When you hear that your college hostel taps are running with coloured water as somebody has creeped successfully to feed the tank with a fine dose of colour.

When you greet people packed behind the carriage of an autorickshaw whom you dont recognise and dont even wonder who is behind the black, pink and red painted faces.

When you go out of your home pre determined that your shirt/tshirt is not going to survive the mob of your friends and you are going to return only with your body painted.

When Doordarshan telecasts a blockbuster and all the family members flock infront of the TV ensuring a memorable get to gather in the process.

When you drink a glass or two of bhang and come home insanely hungry and sleepy and still your parents dont say a word.

History made, then remade...

2006-03-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

Needless to say I am talking of cricket. Yesterday no doubt the world of cricket witnessed making and breaking of records in such quick succession that it has left many of its worshipper speechless. I was busy yesterday with Baddy shifting to our new place till the evening. So busy I lost the track for the first race of F1 this season. When got free, was dissappointed with the results a bit. Alonso Schumacher Raikonnen. Only consolation was atleast this time Ferrari isnt going to let its fans down. The prancing horse is back... Still hoping to catch some bits and pieces of F1, me and Baddy went to Odyssey. Its a cafe at Punjagutta. Later about Odyssey. We reached around at 1930 hrs there with South Africa at 120/1 in 15 overs. Normal score expected from any good team in such a situation. Then we went into a trance and kept staring at the television screen. Glued would be an understatement. What striked before was the behemoth total raised by Australia in the first innings. Odds were stacked against South Africa like a moutain. We watched the rest of the innings drowning ourselves with hot coffees and iced teas. The perseverance paid. We the fans of the game finally emerged victorius after innumerable trips to the loo. Thanks to the vital element called caffeine. No doubt the reeboks gave the kangaroos a befitting reply. Records are made to be broken. And this time in very quick succession. I am no great expert on the game so discussing the stroke plays and ball deliveries are never my cup of coffee. What I can say is that I watched a match which cannot be replayed or re-telecasted as LIVE. Where the deserving team won. Where the game was no doubt pushed to new frontiers. So also our coffee drinking and draining abilities.

The weekend that was, The week its going to be...

2006-03-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

Again an amaazziing weekend. With booze, goose (chickens infact) and lot of snooze. Got afternoon shift for the rest of the week. 1400-2300 hrs. Restricted net access. Lesser blogging and more working.

Wake Up, Stand Up

2006-03-10T02:27:00.000-08:00

Over years I wanted to have a digital alarm clock which I could plug in to the power supply and forget till it blares me out of my sleep, deep sleep to be precise. Till now, innumerable number of them have retired with a minimal chance of success to wake me up once I have retired to sleep. Added to that, unaccounted number of turns for the mechanical ones with a blaring trrinnnggg sound and enough cells to keep the Big Ben running for a decade. The best "alarm clock" that I had during exam days was my mother whose success rate was around 99.99%. She had every functionality and preciseness of a digital clock like accurate wake up call, snooze functions ranging from 5 minutes to 1 hour(max), day-light saving (well her clock always ran 30 minutes ahead of mine) plus some early morning rebukes about my laziness. Believe me, it worked every time ! Now a days, my cellphone takes up the job to wake me up with minimum five reminders and one main alarm. Now I dont remember why I started writing this. Yeah, well I came across this on Slate. Have a look... I liked the RCA RP3720. Technorati tags: technology

"Don't talk to me. Don't speak to me. Stay with me"

2006-03-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

Found the link to an interesting article on introverts by Jonathan Rauch. This article was written in 2003 and still doing rounds. Also read an recent interview with Rauch. Found the link through India Uncut.

Teri Duniya Mein Jeene Se

2006-03-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

I heard this song yesterday night for the first time, even though I got the CD longtime back. A brilliant 3 minute retrospection... Teri duniya mein jeene se to behtar hai ki mar jaaye Wohi aansoo wohi aahe wohi gam hain jidhar jaaye Teri duniya mein jeene se to behtar hai ki mar jaaye Koi to aisa ghar hota jahaan se pyaar mil jaata -2 Wohi begaane chehre hai jahaan pahonche jidhar jaaye Teri duniya mein jeene se to behtar hai ki mar jaaye Arrey o aasmaan waale bata ismein bura kya hai, arrey o aasmaan waale Arrey o aasmaan waale bata ismein bura kya hai Khushi ke chaar jhoke gar idhar se bhi guzar jaaye Teri duniya mein jeene se to behtar hai ki mar jaaye Link to the lyrics Technorati tags: movies music life

Its not only me. Even its creator hates it...

2006-03-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

It has been years and I have hated the rampant CUBICLISM. As I have always said,"Crammed into a 4x4". Well its like the greatest trap ever made to make you believe that its the "best place to be". And now I sound like a rotten hypocrite. As I am working in a software firm and typing these valuable insights from a "4x4" Now this story says that even its creator hated it. technorati tags: business, technology

My favourite verse from Bhagwad Gita

2006-03-08T03:25:00.000-08:00

nainam chindanti sastrani, nainam dahati pavakam, na cainam kledayntyapo, na sosayati marutam. The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can it be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. (Bhagavad-gita 2.23)

Why people feel so devoted to godmen?

2006-03-08T03:22:00.000-08:00

A near manifestation of imagination. People have never seen anything like god, its just a image they have created. A belief and a faith unquestioned. And undaunted group of followers to back this idea. So when a godman comes, he/she gives the people a real life form to their belief and and above all feeds their imagination. This way he/she directs them to place himself/herself by the side of god. So now people can connect with this godman. They can touch, listen, see and pray to him/her and start believing that he/she is very near to what they have imagined. Now this person becomes the penultimate step to their destination. Destination being realising god. Thanks to the pompous environment these godmen create around them which lures people to submit to this man made creation. Its like guessing the taste of real strawberry from the strawberry ice-cream.

Promised long back...

2006-03-08T02:59:00.000-08:00

I promised to publish the photographs from my Phulbani trip in the year 2004. I had some posted in my yahoo albums. Giving the link for that. Descriptions could not be completed as there was problem with the office PC. Will do it later on. Phulbani Trip Oct-2004

Nice Story I came across.

2006-03-08T01:32:00.000-08:00

I came across this beautifully written story through some link posted in a blog. Cant recall now which one. I met a hermit on the run Parikshit Sahni Thursday, January 19, 2006 22:26 IST Two things were on my mind when I went to Devigarh for the shooting of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's movie recently - the condition of my health and the condition of my finances. My cholesterol had hit the 400 mark and, being an inveterate hypochondriac, I thought the end was near. And the Income Tax office had slapped a huge fine on me for not paying my dues twenty years ago so I was sure bankruptcy was just round the corner. I was happy to be a part of Chopra's wonderful unit but I was worried sick. Devigarh is 27 kilometers from Udaipur - an ancient castle that has been converted into a hotel. It is spectacular. I thought the Rajasthani countryside would be parched and arid. Instead, it was green and verdant. It had been raining incessantly in the region for the past month, something that had not happened here for as long as people could remember. The surroundings were beautiful. But I had no eyes for the landscape or the balmy weather. My thoughts were gloomy, my mood sombre, my soul depressed. I decided to go for a jog early in the morning in order to get the cholesterol levels down and be fit for the shooting. The doctor had recommended that. I ran at a leisurely pace for half a mile through the countryside and then, finding myself out of breath, switched to a walk. I had barely taken a few steps when I saw an old man, grey haired, lean, barefoot, running towards me from the opposite direction at breakneck speed. He was carrying a long staff on one shoulder and had a bundle of clothes slung on the other. He gave me a toothless smile as he passed me by. Intrigued, I started running alongside him. "Take it easy! What's the hurry, Grandpa?" I said to him, barely able to speak. "I am off to Dwarka!" he grinned. "You are going to run all the way?" "Yes!" "And where have you come from?" "Kathiawar!" That, I calculated, was a distance of not less than four or five hundred kilometres. Noticing that I was pooped he slowed down to a walk. He wasn't even out of breath. "Why are you doing this?" I asked him, astonished. "It is a pilgrimage. It's something that has to be done. Ancient tradition. Peace of mind. After Dwarka I will go to Hardwar." "On foot?" "Of course." I was stumped. Running barefoot from Kathiawar to Dwarka was astonishing enough, but then to run from there to Hardwar was unbelievable. "Where do you eat? Where do you sleep at night?" "People feed me on the way. There are good souls everywhere. No problem," he smiled. I had never seen such a carefree man in my life. "How much money are you carrying with you?" "Nothing. What do I need money for? The less baggage one carries in life the better, Sahib. Gives one peace of mind," he laughed, baring a lone canine. “How old are you, Sir?” He laughed out loud again. "God knows! But three of my grandchildren are married and have children of their own! So I must be pretty old." "Won't this wear you out?" "I will be worn out if I don't run, sahib! One has to have a goal, a target, and a destination in life. As long as I have a destination, I will not be worn out." Saying this he laughed again and resumed his run. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him disappear down the road. It was then, for the first time since my arrival, that I noticed the beautiful countryside, the dew on the grass, the wild flowers, the verdant, heavenly landscape. I was not worried anymore. The toothless, uneducated, grey haired, barefooted old man had taught me the greatest lesson of my life.

Finally...

2006-03-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

After three days of tiring effort, my AMD Sempron 2600 and Asus K8V-MX motherboard has sprung back to life. Initially it had problems with the sound output. The vendor after testing yesterday, acknowledged that it was a faulty motherboard and got it exchanged. This job was finished by evening. Relieved now. Thanks to Vinay and Kartavya to carry the CPU. Hyderabad's weather has developed a pattern since last four days. Sunny and hot in the morning. But it is raining in the evening. Atleast the nights are cooler now. Today Brand Equity Quiz is there at Taj. Have to rush from office early.

Last weekend...

2006-03-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

Well last Saturday I made move to my new place over here. Will be sharing it with my senior and college quiz buddy Baddy. Got this place after a tiring search which took a whole precious Sunday previously. Fifth floor, two bedrooms, big hall and a nice locality. Upgraded my system but have to change my motherboard as some problem persists. Hope I get my broadband soon. One more thing, went to Hyderabad's swankiest joint and had a good Chicken steak sizzler, Waldorf salad and a panaromic view of the city. Folks if you are here, its highly recommended. The place: Palace Heights.

Random Thought #666

2006-02-28T04:31:00.000-08:00

May it the movies or the artists or poets or authors, every one has potrayed this entity as someone really ugly, ill-tempered or hideous. He is despised. He is loathed not only because of his deeds but also the way he looks. I should not be emphasising on "he" so much.The ladies will never brand me as a MCP if I call it "he" now but if its the other way round, then believe me I can become the greatest one ( MCP of course ) ! Well lets raise the curtain. "He" over here is the Devil and the other way round is god. Again the image that strikes is an age old creation with horns, long ears and beard. A goat like creature or whatever. Never rectified or dared to rectified. When I thought of the matter, I made a Google search to check if I may be wrong. But I am glad the large cluster of servers didnt dissappoint me much. Someone who lures you into doing things and manipulates the greatest gift of man "The Free Will" has to be the most charming, suave, handsome and above all gentle of all. Then only he can exert the beautiful control over you deciding the next course of action for you. The only way then will be the way he wants...

Just like that...

2006-02-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

Sith philosophy Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hatred leads to power. Power leads to victory. Let your anger flow through you. Your hate will make you strong. True power is only achieved through testing the limits of ones anger, passing through unscathed. Rage channeled through anger is unstoppable. The dark side of the force offers unimaginable power. The dark side is stronger than the light. The weak deserve their fate. The Sith Code Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.

Since then to till now

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

Moved from sleepy laps of Bhubaneswar to my workplace Hyderabad. So in between completed my graduation, trekked a bit and did a lot of packing before boarding the train on 7th of August 2005. Three months of rigorous training in Satyam. Rigorous for the training providers. And now already six months old over here living on a diet of great Hyderabadi cuisine, cheap chinese fast foods and packs of Classic. So pretty much in shape. Day by day getting familiar with the roads, malls, good and old book stores and of course eateries. Very soon the boundaries of the city will force me to venture out for some fresh air, atleast on the weekends. I forgot to mention, I have also got my bike over here...

Bored to Death...

2006-02-27T02:09:00.000-08:00

A chilly office room on a hot afternoon in Hyderabad with added luxury of doing no work has motivated me to rethink on my blogging sleepiness... May the blogger return and post some insightful opinion about the master experience called LIFE. Amen !!

I am back !

2004-12-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

The Holistic "BE GAME" Plan for young adults Looks: If you've got a big nose or a small chin, blame your parents. Also, blame yourself for not doing anything about it. While acceptance is the key, there's no harm in trying a few distraction techniques, like dyeing your hair green or wearing yellow polka-dotted pants. Thoughts: These are largely beyond your control. However, learn to recognize "chicken" thoughts. Like, for instance, "How do I tell mom I'm marrying a girl who's anout the same age as mom herself?" Succumbing to these thoughts is death. Attitude: Adopt an overall attitude of arrant fearlesness (except if you're in front of judge and looking at seven years). Risk is an oppurtunity. Take your chances. Maybe you'll win. Maybe you'll lose. May be you need to find out. Lifestyle: Remember, one day you'll be seventy with a bedpan as your only companion. Till then,do stuff. Do your room in red. Do your car pink. Learn Mandarin. Say hi to the lift guy. Listen to a new band. And, before we forget, turn off that damn TV! Profession: An MBA is not necessarily the passport to lasting happiness. What is it you really want to do? Study the mating habits of the fire-bellied toad? Very, very unusual. Email your resume to National Geographic and pack a bag. Family: From time to time, you will be asked to make yourself useful around the house. Like helping granny to the bathroom or reading your kid sister a bedtime story. Family is important. Resist the urge to rebel. That's so, how we should put it.... passe?

Courtesy - From a poster of The San Frisco Jeans Co.

Coming soon.....

2004-11-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

A photoblog of my trip to Phulbani.... with great landscapes & some worthy adventures........

Well the days are getting longer...

2004-11-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

With the annual function preparation at the full swing, we really have some tough schedule to follow. The best part is getting to know all the things needed to make a event & more things needed to make it succesful. Missing out small details really screws up the whole event sometime. And sometime paying a great too much attention to another detail, turns out to be trivial at last. With me going to college in the morning & getting back in evening makes me dog tired.... Yesterday I gulped down two Disprins just to get some sleep. But on the other hand, I have some work on hand. Atleast I am getting to learn something or the other each day. Well why the hell I am babbling all this? Maybe because I spend too much time in the college dealing with all this stuff. But sometime holding responsibility makes you too eventcentric or may be eccentric.

Have you ever wondered.........?

2004-11-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Scene I X chatting with his unknown friend since three hours.... Both of them never gets tired. Finding a good friend, moreover a girl by X has been quite an experience. They belong to same age group, share similar interests and above all X is sensing some kind of attraction towards her. After recent breakup with his girlfriend Renu after a cosy two year long relationship, things have started to look pretty positive for X. He has been chatting with Neha since three months, spending on an average twenty hours per week. By now they are quite accustomed to their habits and lives. Except for the fact that Neha says “Carry on" whenever X asks some personal questions to her. But he doesnt care about that, thinking maybe she is not comfortable with the questions. Another thing which makes Neha stand out of the rest is her memory. She even remembers their first chat with all the details and all the movies he has seen with starcast & dates he has been to(X is a movie buff & never misses out any movie in the town). She asks a lot of question about him & he answers them all. After all she is a patient and caring person who takes the pain of chatting with him so long (Longest being six hours at a stretch on a working day!). Moreover she cheers him up whenever he is down by telling him some good jokes or anecdotes. What more can he expect? After four hours he logs off. He then decides to tell Neha about his intentions. Yeah he is going to propose to her. Even though that means going to Bangalore where she stays (X stays in Delhi) to meet her. After a brainstorming session with himself he decides next time they meet on the messenger, his first sentence will be "I Love You. Do you love me?" Scene II At a coffee house in Oslo the next day, Brian: How did LIZA do today? Kevin: Pretty well. Achieved 95 % accuracy in remembering past events. She again had some problem with questions related to her school days. But she faired well. Brian: How? Kevin: Instead of the usual "Carry on", I made it to ask the same questions back. Brian: Isnt that kinda absurd? Kevin: Maybe. But if the other side is comfortable, he/she continues answering it. Else they think LIZA's is not comfortable. In both ways it helps. Brian: How? Does it not make the other side suspicious? Kevin: Nah, like today some guy asked LIZA about her "first blowjob". She didnt expect that kinda question. So she repeated the question. As a guy was there on the other side, he thought LIZA was uncomfortable and went on to describe his own first date. Brian: Well that was one thing I never thought about. Brilliant Kevin! Kevin: Thank you. Hey something interesting happened today....Some guy from India proposed to her today.... Brian: What? What did LIZA do? Kevin: She repeated the sentence as she was not aware what to do. Brian: Sounds interesting. What next? Kevin: The guy was saying something that he will go to Bangalore and meet her. Then the server link broke down. System got shutdown prematurely. Brian: How? Is LIZA fine? Kevin: Yeah yeah dont worry. She is rebooting and rearchiving her database. I believe we will get the Loebner Prize this time. Scene 3 U can be Mr. X.

Veer-Zara and Spark Plug made my day !

2004-11-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

With the holidays going I just get more active. So naturally my days become eventful. Yesterday was a Sunday. I dont like to do much on Sundays but this one turned out to be an exception. Had some family appointments like seeing off my brother at station(He was going back after his 1.5 months of vacation... Man I really miss these kind of vacations after the school days !). Sunny had plan to watch Veer-Zara, so he called up in the evening. We had to get the tickets, so had to start up early in the evening, even though the show was supposed to start as 9.20pm. After meeting Chinmoy & Guttu, I went to Sunny's place to pick him up. We got the tickets by 8.00pm & rushed to Coffee Day for some coffee & snacks. Abhijit was the third person to join us at the movie. While parking our bikes, he had some starting problem with his bike. But anyway we rushed to catch the movie. Even though we got the tickets at a time from a "blacker" (Dont except to get a ticket on the counter for a newly-released-hyped-big star cast movie on a Sunday night !) we had the seating problem as the tickets were not in serial manner. #@$* the blacker ! I sat alone & watched the movie(Though it is not fun, it doesnt matter much). The movie by its standard was good. It contained a good plot, nice starcast, good performances, some romance and a nice twist. Hey also some songs were nice ! Never felt much bored watching it. In fact I had some good reviews beforehand helping me in making my decision to watch the movie in the first place. Infact this is one good flick after DDLJ from the Yash Raj stable. When we went out we still had Abhijit's bike problem at hand. We postponed it before for the movie(Cant spoil the night for such trivial things !). When we got our bikes out and it was already 12.45am. We decided to park the bike at some stand & move on. But I again thought of giving it a try(I hav always been fickle). Opened up my tool kit & decided to see the spark plug. Guess what !I didnt have to tinker much. Yeah the spark plug was the culprit, previously I feared about the carburettor. Cleaned it, fitted it and bingo ! Enjoyed the night ride back to home as a pillion passenger. Some fog, cold air & above all no traffic always makes a beautiful night ride. Still sitting before the computer after finishing some work. The blog has been really long. Seeing the clock doesnt make me happy as tomorrow I have a jam packed schedule. Have to go to sleep.....

20Q.net

2004-11-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

Got link for this site while going through someones blog.... 20Q.net is an experiment in artificial intelligence. The program is very simple but its behavior is complex. Everything that it knows and all questions that it asks were entered by people playing this game. 20Q.net is a learning system; the more it is played, the smarter it gets. Sunny was elated when it guessed "Cable Modem". Give it a try..... Believe me it is worth it !

Trip back from Jatni

2004-11-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well as today it is Diwali, I decided to get some good amount of crackers for it. My obvious choice was Jatni, where the wholesale prices lure me whenever I plan my Diwali celebrations in advance. Day before yesterday evening Praveen & Me planned. We four (Me, Praveen, Naresh & Chadda) started at 9.00am. Well it is around 26 kms.Shopping part was great. Then at 11:00am we started back, now owing to the guidance of a local we started on a road which according to him was straight enough to get us back to Bhubaneswar. After ten minutes the road became narrower and narrower. Another local man confirmed the route to follow but concluded with "Be Careful ! ". It really started ringing the warning bells. There was no space even for turning back, so we had to continue. We had a climb of around eight feet on a slope which gave us with a road narrow enough for a bicycle to go. This dirt road was on the side of a railway track which went on for 3-4 kms. On the other side was a slope down upto ten feet. Then this track came to an end with us having to lift our bikes across the railway track. It was turned into one helluva task when a man passing by asked us to speed up the process as a train was due to pass by.This really started off a volley of profanities on the person initially recommending us this path. And guess what? After our 2nd bike was lifted off the tracks & we took the slope down, the train rumbled past by. Well that I can say as real timing! After continuing for another 4 kms on a more muddy track by the side of a canal we encountered a point which drove us all nuts. We had to cross a canal and only way to do that was to go on a concrete slab of 50 mtrs length & 1 mtr wide. Sounds easy, right? Well how about having water flowing 15 feet below it. More over the concrete slab was "S" shaped at both the end. This blew our fuses out.We stepped off our bikes, stopped other persons from crossing the bridge/slab(whatever U call it...!) and then started walking across with the bikes back to back. With complete silence westarted our walk, any noise made by any of us was rewarded with some good profanities by the rest. Anyway we crossed it and managed soon to get to the main road. Somehow those few minutes were filled with some concentration, a bit of risk & an element of uncertainity. but guess what, aftr we crossed the last hurdle, one thing ruled, an adventure worth remembering.... A good country side biking on some unknown & challenging tracks. Hey I saved something for the last: " !@@#$%^&*(*%@#!#$#$^^$#$@!%^#$*(()#!~#%^^ " for the person suggesting the road.

Google strikes (off) terror !

2004-11-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Google is now doing what it has been doing best....Censoring "Try searching Google Images for abu ghraib, lynndie england, or Lynndie's boyfriend charles graner and note how you don't get any pictures of US soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners of war. Now try it with some of their competitors, like AltaVista, Lycos, or Yahoo!. Google used to be able to find them, as is discussed in this AnandTech forum thread." I'm guesing that this is another case of our administration confusing "National Security" with "Politically Undesirable" -Slashdot Check these links: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=52&threadid=1410716 http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/11/07/1442217.shtml?tid=153&amp;amp;amp;amp;tid=226&tid=217

Sunday

2004-11-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

Although I carve six other Sundays out of a week (by bunking classes), the real one is always a pleasure to have. At least this day I always follow a schedule. Sleeping till 8-8:30am, then read the newspaper and have a cup of coffee. Then spend the rest of the day as much as possible in my room. Listening some music, working on the PC or have a book to read. Hey, I also sleep a lot. Then in the evening I may venture out for go out for an hour or two. For me a Sunday is always a real holiday. Since my school days, I always have a different feeling about Sunday. This day always stands out from rest of the day... Even in the middle of a three month long vacation, Sunday always meant a genuine holiday. Somehow I could feel it in the air(just like "Love is in the air"), that everyone is having a holiday. Maybe because there is not the usual hustle & bustle of the office goers or absence of the school goers at the bus stops or many other things which usually identifies a work day...... even if U get any other holiday in the weekdays, it never has that same feeling of being a Sunday. May be we are conditioned for that. At least I am!

The Rock Rolls Again......

2004-11-04T22:57:00.000-08:00

Chiku cleared my idea... Sunny, Nando & Kiranmoy started it..... Chiku started it also..... I got my cable modem. Then what followed?? . . . . . . . I joined the club of Bloggers.....!!! (Thank U guys for the impetus)