Diary of a confused Confucius

2007-03-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

I am a great singer too..

Sorry pals, its been close to a decade since I posted a new one. Life has been just lazy/cozy or at times its just pumping with jolts of "work" here and there. These jolts make me so tired that I don't find time to post. Just another frigging lazy excuse for not blogging. So why would this make me lie down in my bed well past my bedtime...(actually they stole an hour of my sleep) and write a post?

Well, recently I have been following American Idol since it aired in January. I noticed in the Hollywood selections, there were 2 Indian singers, one Sanjaya Malakar and his sister, whose name I forget, but she was quite hot. After the selections/deletions from Hollywood, American Idol was left with 24 contestants which constitutes 12 guys and 12 girls out of which 2 guys and 2 girls get eliminated every week until they have 12 people; 6 guys and 6 girls to compete with.

Sanjaya was in the top 24 but his hot sis did not make the cut. Actually, I could not see both of them perform. But what followed the weeks after seem to make me kind of upset in the bottom of my spleen.

The week started with all 24 singers singing their choice of songs and the judges judge them and then America votes for the best. The singers with the least number of votes would get eliminated every week. I basically think the girls are far better than the guys this season..anyways getting back to where I left, I saw Sanjaya perform the first week. This guy is 17 years old and I was kind of happy watching an Indian guy perform. He was bad! His song selections were way off the ground and he never had a great voice. On top of that he was never putting any effort into his singing. He just came across as a casual singer. I thought he's never going to make it to the next round.

When the results came in, I was surprised that he was voted among the top 4 of the 24 contestants. I was shocked! I thought perhaps I made a bad judgement too early. I thought I'll give him one more chance. The next week, he was even worse! Whats even more worse is that the judges were totally onto him like a pack to lions out there to tear him apart. He was pathetic.

When the results came in, he was through to the next round. I was stunned! So were the judges and so was the guy who performed a lot more better than him. Then I started to wonder, if they are going to choose the winner based on votes, if all the Indian Americans had voted for him, he would have got a huge share other than his family and friends and other acquaintances.

That was terrifying. People were just voting based on the fact that he was an Indian. They never thought to hear him sing? Was he so perfect? I bet no!

The last 2 weeks, this guy was singing old jazz/blues and a song by Stevie Wonder which never ever came close to getting him top 4. The next week, he sang John Mayer and this time, he was bad. Remember, last time he was worse. This time he was bad. That's a consolation. The judges agreed with me. In fact Simon Cowell has been straight forward all this time spitting on his face without mercy.

When the results came in, I was in for another shocker. He got through again and broke into the top 12. I was like WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? He won over a guy who has sang his heart out like a lion. I have always like Sundance Head and I am going to miss him on American Idol. I have never seen a more humble, yet a brilliant artist like him. I almost puked when Sanjaya was selected. Everyone was shocked including Sanjaya himself. He is totally confused as to whats happening.

In the end one only wonders how these things happen. First of all, this is a singing competition and when one of them is not doing good and you as an audience is supposed to vote, vote from your heart and not from mind when you think, "Oh, he's an Indian, lets vote for him!" He clearly knows whats happening when better artists are getting kicked out as he has the highest votes for a poor song. Why can't he walk away? I am sure he's carrying a whole load of guilt when he either talks to any of the other contestants, or even when he sits on the chair that's reserved for a better singer who only got kicked out as he had lower votes.

Are we voting on some Congressional bill hearing?? The next time you vote, once again I re-iterate. Vote from your heart. You make/break a budding artist. When a great artist goes into oblivion, his/her career gets shredded. Fine, don't vote at all. At least you would be saving $2.99 in text messaging charges.

2006-11-18T08:21:00.001-08:00

Let me show you around, 360.

With the PS3 released, now people would have another reason to compare with the X-Box 360. Before its limited release yesterday, people from all over, gathered and set up places all along even in thunder storm warning conditions to grab a piece of action. In fact, there was an article in the news yesterday that a thief came by and demanded money from a potential PS3 customer, and the customer stated that he had got the money to buy his PS3 and was in no mood to let go of the opportunity.

I have had my share of gaming experiences and nothing has been mind blowing as the X-Box 360. I got my 360 last week and already I am beginning to see my weekdays and weekends smothering devils, dodging berserkers, saving the world from D-Day and making the US Army proud of its new found Lieutenant, TSIZ.

Before I go on ranting about the games, a word of caution. Most of the X-Box 360 games are single player with the multiplayer option only on X-Box Live. That sucks! But then, due to the recent criticism from all quarters, they are releasing games with multiplayer spit screen option.

The graphics are out of the world. And moreover, if you have a HDTV, you are going to kick ass! My recent missions have been Gears of War, Call of Duty 2, Chrome Hounds and Ghost Recon-Advanced Warfighters. The AI has also significantly improved, so when you are playing these games, the enemy thinks a lot more the same way you think. So the missions are going to be difficult. What more would you ask for, when your old X-Box games are backward compatible?

2006-11-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

Before I start off, I would like to apologize for not having updated my blog for the past three months. I would also not like to take credit for the fact that I have completed a full year in the blogsphere with about 26 odd posts. Phew..That's done..now lets carry on forward.

I moved out from Texas to Maryland three months back and since then it has been a jet ride. Work has been hectic and the weekends just buzz past. I was in NY with friends and enjoyed the trip. Was almost in DC for a month and enjoyed that even better. Life is just coming on to me like a thunderbolt. East coast is fast paced! I'll try to blog every other weekend. Until then..

2006-08-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb?
Mother do you think they'll like this song?
Mother will they try to break my balls?
Oooh-Aaaah, Mother should I build the wall?

Mother, should I run for President?
Mother, should I trust the government?
Mother will they put me in the firing line?
Oooh-Aaaah, Mother is it just a waste of time?

--Mother, Pink Floyd.

2006-07-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

How to transform India into a Poverty-Free Nation

Disclaimer: I am neither an economist nor a reformer. I am just another simple Indian who is sharing his ideas in making India a poverty free nation. This article would have various assumptions that might not work in the realistic government. Also, other reforms are based solely on thoughts and might not even work out.

Primary Assumption:

India is a corrupt free country. I know this might sound very far fetched, but considering the fact that corruption in India has its roots right from the lower end employees to the high end executives or politicians as to the kind of only high end corruption we see with the developed countries.

Path:
India is the agricultural hub of the world. So it is very easy to assume that one the whole it consists of a majority of farmers. Farmers toil it out everyday to meet their needs and their only primary concern is the lack of water. We cannot do anything about the floods, but droughts can be some how managed.

*Linking of all the major rivers.

I still don’t understand why politicians are not taking up this issue very seriously. It might be a darn tough job, but not impossible. It can ensure perennial flow of water all across India all time of the year keeping farmers on their toes, maximizing their productivity and henceforth maximizing exports along with increased GDP. Secondly, nature would lend its hand along the path of the rivers making our Country less pollutable.

*Making a few changes in your taxes.

Considering the fact that working people with Rs.100000 and above are required to pay taxes, the finance department could introduce a new bill that would deduct accordingly, a small amount from every tax payer based on his income, which goes towards funds that are used wisely for improvement of India.

Eg: Person, who earns Rs.100000/yr. Take 0.005(0.5%) that sums to Rs.500
Person, who earns Rs.200000/yr, pays about Rs.1000 and so on.

In the end, this does sum up to a lot of money that the government can use in order to give better education for children, provide better medical facilities, better infrastructure, etc. And the people, who pay this, treat it like an act of charity that they are doing in making India the best.

*People must be made more aware of birth control and HIV.

A recent survey shows that more number of HIV positive patients are no more in Africa, its India. People should be made aware of excessive population explosion and at the same time generous information should be shared amongst people in the case of HIV/AIDS.

2006-07-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

How can the human race survive the next hundred years?

This was the question that was posted by Professor Stephen Hawking, renowned Astro physicist at Cambridge University, a week back on Yahoo Answers

Today has been an extremely sad day. A day when you get a chance to see this question, you tend to relate all the incidents that has happened, and you wonder how to answer this. Ironic?

Today’s incident in Mumbai is another blow in the face of mankind. What actions lead to these massacres? What is the point that has to be proved by killing innocent civilians? Will they get what they want? How long is this going to go? Well, in such a situation, I am very much eager to give out an answer to “How can the human race survive the next hundred years?” It’s easy; we don’t have to wait for another 100 years. It would happen in a very few years time.

From a layman’s viewpoint, what do these people want? Considering they are definitely a part of some insurgent terrorist organization that eventually is an ally of Al Qaeda. So what, do these people want India to give up IOK to Pakistan? Eventually, take the situation, to stop terrorism, India goes out of the way and gives up Kashmir to Pakistan, would this curb such violence? I am afraid; it is not going to happen.

Are these people trying to bring fear in people’s life? I think these people are a disgrace to the Muslim society. In the name of “Jihad” they commit so many terrible acts of violence, not only tarnishing their community, but also by bringing utter shame in the 21st century. It’s very easy to point a finger at them now-a-days; it has just become a daily routine.

At this time, I can only relate myself as just another NRI

The terrible thing about terrorism is that ultimately it destroys those who practice it. Slowly but surely, as they try to extinguish life in others, the light within them dies.

I would like to take a moment to mention the passing away of Syd Barrett. He was the founding father of Pink Floyd, one of the early psychedelic rock bands to rule the century.

May all these people rest in peace and arise like the Phoenix only to make this world a better place.

2006-05-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Tickets to Universal with express pass- $300

Stay at Trump International North Beach, Miami- $500

Car Rental for 3 days- $300

Exquisite Dining- $300

Jet Ski rentals- $300

Swimming in the ocean, Jet Skiing in the middle of the sea with no fear of sharks, getting tanned mid day and the best of all...enjoying with your friends and living life..King size---PRICELESS!!!!

What did you do for memorial day? If you were at home watching Spiderman on TBS with those irritating commercials every 2 minutes- Shame on you!

Atleast plan for your next memorial trip..and think Florida. We were 5 of us. Had fun that was much more explosive than a Dynamite. I think this has been the best ever trip and I will cherish this for a long time...right..another 363 days to go. Myself and JC reached Orlando on Friday evening and met up with Nair in less than an hour. We checked in at our hotel and returned to the airport to pick up CSP and Mooks. It was a reunion of sorts for all of us since it had been more than a year since we last met. After many failed attempts to search for an IHOP to gorge, we finally settled for Denny's that was pathetic..least to say, took a very long time. Within minutes of reaching the place...all of us sync'ed up instantaneously with just a late reaction from the overtly coy JC. After a 1.5 hr dinner, we returned back to the hotel room and crashed except for some poker action from myself CSP and Mooks in which one witnessed me trashing the inexperienced Mooks. Saturday was a long day...phew...the sultry sun pouring down at Universal studios was unbearable. We reached Universal at around 10:30am and left the place at 8:00pm. Everyone seems to have enjoyed it...but I think the next time we need to go to someother place other than Universal. Came back home after dinner at TGIF and crashed. We checked out of the hotel the next morning at 9:00am and drove down to Miami. Initially, Mooks had suggested that we stop over at South(So) beach for sometime and check out their Jet Ski rates. As we reached So beach..word around spread that there was a huge congregation of African Americans for the hip-hop weekend. We passed on that and decided we would check in at Trump International and take the plans from there. Once we reached Trump International, our plans took a sharp turn. To talk about Trump International is something I can compare with God's Palace. Huge, Luxurious, 5 star...what else do you need? We got our room at the 14th floor and after valet parking, we went straight to the room. Once we opened the door, everyone burst into a huge din....what was going on? From the balcony, we could see the ocean. It was irresistible and inviting. Immediately, after buying out some beach wear, we strode into the ocean as to what I would like to call an experience, one has to encounter. Pristine water that stands at 6ft. We had the time of our lives. We were glad not to be in So beach. We dabbled in the water for 2 hrs and went right to the pool by the hotel and jacuzzi. We never expected to experience luxury this way! We sat on the armchairs by the pool side overlooking the sea sipping beer and having funny conversations. Later on, we had the best dinner followed by dessert and one cannot forget the discussions we had over dinner and Mooks request for a "French Kiss". The next day, we rented out 3 jet skis and went into the ocean. If there is a so called "Adventure Sports" wherein Skydiving, Parasailing gets classified, I would prefer to classify this on the same terms. Driving at close to 35mph in the middle of the ocean, one can only experience sheer thrill and fear. Everyone could see the Halo/Aura on JC's face as he sped as fast as he could. Nair was typical...MGR stuff..where as CSP was cautious. Mooks was warned for driving reckless. Wonder when will he ever get to drive properly. I had the best time...wait..Everyone had the best times. We have decided to come back next year..only thing being..we need more fun and more days. I would suggest everyone who has not visited Miami, to make a trip next Memorial. You would also not forget this one true amazing adventure.

2006-05-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

Its time to let the truth out. I have been holding this for the past month, and I have decided to blurt it out. Alas, RDB failed to impress me.

2006-05-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

People...give the poor girl a break! -Kaavya Viswanathan

The publishers have pulled out the book "How Opal Mehta got kissed, got wild and got a life. She is not going to write the sequel too. Grabbing a 6 figure amount for a book at the bare age of 17 makes you wonder at awe. I was just looking at Amazon's list of reviews for this book, and let me tell you, there were people who sympathized with her. Here are a few excerpts. Now wait, I am not plaigiarising. I am openly pasting comments left by some readers.

"I've read excerpts and similarities of other books and I really didn't see word-for-word plagiarism in this novel. Many authors plagiarize each other's work. It's a form of flattery. I read it all the time in novels and non-fiction. Sometimes I'll read one author's work and say . . . "hmm, deja vu. I've read this somewhere before." Then I'll remember where I read it in another author's work. Somebody in the industry is out to get this girl for whatever reason and I think it's terrible. But beware you green-eyed monster, whoever you are, cause what goes around comes around! You can bank on it! Don't worry Kaavya. You're young and talented. You can comeback using a pseudonym. "---5 stars

"I just went back and reread James Joyces "Ulysses" as well as Milton's "Paradise Lost"---there are several uncanny resemblances between "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life"....I wonder how many other sources of her literary theft are yet to be uncovered in yet another expose. We should all move on with our lives, and leave this pathetic young woman alone. She is suffering through purgatory with no end in sight."

This was actually written by a desi aunty who found similarities to Milton...hahahahaha...sure desi gossips don't end. But then, this one really threw me off.

"Thanks to you - we have another thing to be embarrassed about now. I am one of the many desis who is from a middle class family. My parents don't have the kind of money your parents do and I went to an average state college but I still have MORE CREDIBILITY THAN YOU!! I worked my way through college and did internships at investment firms and now hold a Senior position at a major brokerage. Being an Indian woman myself I am so ashamed at what you did, despite the financial and academic resources that you had access to, you are a CHEAT! Also just to let you know - I did read that you wanted to work on wall street after graduation. My employer along with any other brokerage house VALUES AND EXPECTS - HONESTY AND INTEGRITY more than anything else and you don't have either of those qualities. GOOD JOB YOU CHEAT! "---Another Desi.

The interesting part of these reviews are before the plagiarisation charges were framed, reviewers gave 4-5 stars calling it a very encouraging novel from a 17 year old. Why the sudden change after these framing charges? She was 17 years old and she took inspiration from the other books that she had lifted off, but still, she wrote a novel and it stands 57th best seller at amazon.

2006-04-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the previous post...

I begin to wonder

*How have all the generations that have come so far, been here without going back

- Are you greedy for the green?

*Haven't you ever given a thought of going back home?

-Don't give me a trite reason as to "Ohh..I have bought a home here"

*Have you not given one thought about people whom you love?

-Don't give me another hackneyed reason "I plan to bring them here for the rest of their lives". That ain't going to be possible. I am pretty much sure they won't get to adapt to this lifestyle for the rest of their lives though, they would not show that out.

*What is the one good reason for you to stay here?

-I almost answer this myself. "My parents want me to be happy wherever I am. And this is where I am the most happiest" Are you being self centered? Don't you care about what they would feel deep inside? They would want you to be beside them all the way long.

*Does a marriage make a difference in your opinion?

-Ofcourse. It does. You cannot always take your own decisions. You will have to get your other half's opinion as well. But then, either the final decision would be one that would be taken on the same level where both of you are a part of all of these characteristics above, else your other half is submissive enough to follow you all along.

In this post, I have mentioned "You" and not myself. In the end, I myself feel guilty.

2006-04-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Bringing the boys back home

I presume that until the year 2002, the brain drain was a bit too high considering the students who passed out of college coming to the United States to pursue higher education, eventually leading to a job and settling down here. Since then, the turn out of grads have lessened tremendously. Post 2002, there have been very few people who turned out and the dwindling numbers stand to prove it. Even people who have been here for quite some time, say about 5 years are deliberating going back home. Management institutions in India compete with one another in this brutal battle and the net result is, Who's taking home the max salary? Why, not only on the management side, from the technical side too, the pay package has been drastically increasing every year. When I passed out of college with a job, I was on a probational status with a monthly take home of 17000 Rupees. Now, for the same fresher, I think its gone upto 25000 Rupees. Moreover, the economic boom that India is reaching right now is also one of the main factors. The spending limit on the Rupee has exceed more in the past 2 years. Home loans leased out for the maximum amount, credit cards issued with ease, the working class generation are being exposed to a concepts there were totally a stranger to- "Freedom" and "Independence". Well, in the end, when the white collared engineer with over 3 years of experience who earns a take home of 50000 USD gets a pay package of 15 lacs a year in India with all the other bonuses not included. That really makes a lot of sense as to why people are now looking for greener pastures in India- The land of opportunities.

2006-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

From an entrepreneurial view -

This is a lemonade stand simulation link that I got from Manu's blog. This is quite a game. I made a profit of some $4 odd bucks in a span of a months time. Well, the sad part is the profit made...but the best part is that I got a 100% customer satisfaction. Well..in the end that is what that counts eventually!

2006-03-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Getting out of the Shell

The past 2 months have been nothing but quite disgusting. The feeling of a poor downtrodden induvidual being engulfed within his own small world where he has nothing else to look upto other than his bed, food and the toilet. The claustrophobic effect within the 4 walls was'nt even a cause of concern. It was the inner thoughts that seem to run deep with conflicting ideas that seem to bring you down every moment you think of it.

2006-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

Huh! The truth seems always bitter!

2006-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Nostalgic memories keep lingering on...

I am back after a very eventful vacation in Chennai. This big break was indeed mandatory as it comes after 3 years. The one month vacation was a culmination of all the national holidays that I had worked on..for the past 2 years and it has paid off. I reached Chennai on Dec 31st at 11:45pm. What a way to start the new year! My parents were there and words can't describe how it was to be in their midst. I presented my Dad with a Movado I had purchased and a Glenfiddich 18 year reserve. He was very happy. I gave my Mom a 3 piece cut diamond pendant. She was happy too. I gave a nano to my Bro. The next day..he started to show it off!Chennai has changed a lot over the past 3 years and when I look at it, culturally, its grown out more cosmopolitan in outlook, shedding out the "conservative" tag it used to hold. When I see Chennai, it reminds me of Bangalore as it was and is now. This time around since I was traveling alone, I was more at home with my parents than out on the roads chasing down the chicks! But I did find time out to go to some of the hangout places in Chennai. There is this new place called Mocha-Coffee and Conversations. Its set up in a middle eastern style with drapes and dewans adoring the dim lit walls and I guess wooden flooring. Even though it was afternoon, one had a sense of feeling it was night. Outside was a big patio which had lot of benches and they served Hookahs along with coffee. Well, with a decaf house blend on the house I thought a Hookah won't be such a bad idea. I could also figure out a big generation gap with the crowd from sixteens to the twenty two ish! More of the teens I suppose. I felt kind of embarrassed and so did my friend who had come down that day. It was strange to see teens holding upto a hookah. Traffic in Chennai has increased two fold with many two wheelers and small cars lining up the roads. I found it difficult to navigate through the streets for the first few days..but as days went by, I became one of them and drove around with ease. My travel in India was limited to Tirupathi, Bangalore and Mangalore. I had great fun in Bangalore with my cousins and we hung out in some new malls that have come up. Forum and Garuda mall. They pretty much look more like the malls out here with a 6-8 theater movie complex. The road that leads to the IT park is terrible and I guessed it right why the IT companies are trying to move out of Bangalore. Food tasted like ambrosia. I made sure I had breakfast and lunch at home and occasionally went out for dinner. Well the days did not actually fly by. I thought it pretty much went at a normal pace until the final week started to show up. It was during this week that I had a lot of emotions going through. Why couldn't India be where Mexico is today? It would have been so easy to cross the border every week and stay with my family. The distance is so big that when you come for a holiday, people treat and pamper you as though you have flown down from mars including the parents. I still miss the fights that I used to have and the normal conversations. I had a great time in Chennai and it became worse when I was on the return journey to Boston. I was all alone and felt terrible. Boston was snowing again. I was the only odd passenger out who wasn't wearing a jacket. How can I tell them, I just boarded from a city which has an annual average temperature of about 90F?

PS: I drove past SVCE, my Alma mater, on the way to Bangalore. It looks like a mess. What happened to the arch? They've taken it down. The road to the college remains the same red dirt road. There has been a few buildings that have come up. Learnt from PCK(Prof. Kishore Raja), my ECE..Data Comm prof, they've made it to 90% management quota. Well, AC Muthiah does'nt have to crib for more money and so is Jayendra Saraswathi-II.

2005-12-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Looking back at 2005....

2005 has been a roller coaster year for me. I did not meet the goals that I had put forth. There were a lot of downs..but the few positive things made it a break even.

January:

Spent the new year working in Las Vegas. Its always been a great pleasure to be in Vegas. Made the 3.5 hrs trip by road to Los Angeles every weekend. Caught up with some very old friends. Was in good company. Enjoyed my weekend hauls at the casinos and week days at work. Vegas has been the best!

February:

Shifted to New Jersey. First impression- Sick and Dirty. Stayed with CSP at Princeton. We had good fun..and dude, I did my share of improving coverage in your city :-) Enjoyed Dosa Grill, esp the nei podi dosa. Ofcourse, I won't forget the Da Vinci Episode!

March:

Shifted to good'ol Dallas. My base for 5 years now. I love Dallas..and I still miss it a lot. Work got hectic but I stole timeout to have prime time fun with lost long roomies, Mooks, Nair and JC. Met a very interesting person.

April:

Most gruelling time of the year. I started to work close to 24/7 and it was getting on my nerves. My boss was pathetic in managing the project. At times, I thought of killing him myself. Shifted out to a brand new 2 bedroom apt with a colleague.

May:

By far the most productive month in terms of work. Client was happy and impressed. Needed a long time vacation. Booked tickets to NY for a big re union, but missed the flight because of last minute work. Drank with JC and brooded over the fact that work's always been a pain in the ass.

June:

Started to think out of the box in terms of work! Did I have any other social activities other than work? Started clubbing with roomies. Had a great time, infact a ball of a time. I still remember the good'ol purgatory days.

July:

Had a spat with my colleague. I never used to come back to my apt. Stayed all while long in my roomies apt. They understood the situation and took good care of me. Had great time with friends. Missed a couple of opportunities, but got over it.

August:

JC's sudden decision to leave to Boston shocked all of us. He wanted to shift jobs. All of us had a very good feeling that we would end up together in Dallas. His departure was just the beginning. Mooks parents came from India. Had a great time esp with the food.

September:

Work is just sane, not challenging. My seniors are very happy with the work.

October:

I realize that what I'm looking for is just close to reach. But it doesn't end up in fruition. I get very frustrated and depressed. There were 2 instances of these. These make me depressed even more. Mooks ready to shift to Houston. We feel we have come to the end of the road. It all started with JC..now Mooks..next me. Nair's happy to be in Dallas. We envy him.

November:

I'm all set to goto Boston. I hate Boston. I had been here last year and it sucked. I reach Boston, but in couple of days..work shoots of and I find out I don't have time to have dinner too. Meet up with JC and we talk about good'ol times we have had. This 2007, I would have known JC and Mooks for 10 years. That quite a time. Skip Thanksgiving for work.

December:

Work gets even more hectic. Boston market stands last. Some how we pull off a miracle and the market is launched. Buy ticket to Madras. I'm going after 3 years. All excited and almost done with shopping. Looking forward to meet people I have missed over the years.

I just hope 2006 would be a better year both careerwise and personally. Wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Great 2006. Let Peace reign in the souls of the depressed and confidence in the minds of the down trodden.

2005-12-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

My parents have been a great source of inspiration all through my life. Be it when I was young and troubled or old and confused! I still remember the days when I was young, I used to flunk in every possible subject..big time. My Dad used to cane me and my Mom used the belt. I used to flare up and create a big commotion in the house. I never knew why they were hitting me. Were they trying to put forward a point? I used to steal petty things when I was young. My Dad used to cane me..and my Mom used to belt me. What were they trying to gain out of hitting their own child? Sometimes, I used to throw things that were in the reach of my hand at them. What was I gaining doing something like that? But, when I scored very well in my exams, they poured their happiness on me...they showered me with things that I had dreamt of...when I got a job after undergrad, they were thrilled. When I got my visa, they were overjoyed...and when I landed a job here..they were on cloud nine.

I was a spoilt brat right from my teens to my undergrad college days. I just used to blow out every single penny that my Dad had saved. I never used to think..how is that parents just keep on giving whatever you need and never ask for anything in return? When I finished up my undergrad and was ready to leave India to the United States, I was overjoyed...one with the fact that I was going to pursue a dream that I never thought of accomplishing. Secondly, I was a free bird in an alien country with no one to check on me at any given point of time.

The first few days were enjoyable..getting to know new people...but as time passed by, within a few days, I was left with a void surrounding me. I did not have anyone whom I could share my sorrow and happiness. All these years, I had shared it with my parents, but now...we were so far apart that this void was becoming very difficult to bridge. Even a phone call takes a long time to connect...most of the times giving busy tones.

Days pass by and I keep sitting and brooding over the same old fact, when I then realize how difficult it is to be away from Parents. The reason why they hit you when you fail in an exam is to make you understand the importance of education. The reason why they hit you when you steal is to mould you into a good person and not a thief. They know what is best for their child..and I was wrong all the way. Parents are parents and children need to learn a lot from them.

Papa and Mummy, I miss you all a lot. I am sorry for being a very bad child all this time. I do not know how I am going to repay all of what you have given me. I love you and here's wishing you a very Happy Wedding Anniversary.

2005-12-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Snow gives me a break!

Finally, I've found time out of work. The snows still hitting down hard and has probably accumulated to upto 5''. They had to close the building. ummm...I'm so happy. I skid all along the parking lot and lost all of the traction that was left. Its time to change the car. I am really looking forward to the weekend. A glass of scotch with a friend to talk helps a lot on this day.

2005-12-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

I deleted the previous post! It has brought about great confusion among people! I am sorry but I never intended to hurt anyone with that post.

2005-11-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

This is a hilarious post. I lifted it off another blog :-p

Perplexed about Premarital Sex

These reasons aren't enough, to have premarital sex.

1.My friends are doing it

You are not your friends. You have your own identity.
2.It would be cool.

When you want to be something you arent, you are Wannabe Kewl not Cool.
3.I would lose my partner

If your partner cant respect your decisions, you ought to dump the partner.
4.I dont want my friends/partner to think I could be gay

Better be thought a gay, then be in a closet and doing things you dont want to.
5.What if I die tommorrow?

Why are you terminally ill or verrrrrry old? Well I do know there could be a tsunami or earthquake or a terrorist attack. And you could be an unfortunate victim.But we dont yell at our Boss thinking what if I die tommorrow, or spend everything in the bank thinking what if I die tommorrow.
6.Its seem so great in the movies

People jump from tall buildings and never get hurt in the movies.
7.I feel bored

Get a hobby
8.I feel lousy now perhaps I would feel better after sex

10 minutes afer sex you are probably going to feel lousy too. And if you dont really want to do it, and have sex just because you think it will make you feel great, you are just expecting too much and perhaps will end up feeling lousier.
9.I have the money and someone needs the money.

Its unethical and illegal (Yes I Know you Know). And those who get caught never thought they would get caught.
10.Porn feels good, sex should feel better.

Looking at an icecream advertisement is not the same as eating a melted icecream. Things could get sticky and yucky too. And you might not like the flavour.Those in the ads, are paid to look as if they are enjoying it.
11.Someone hot and popular wants to do it with me!

Chocolate is great, but 15 minutes after having it, you are not going to feel great. Its never worth it if you really dont want it.
12.I want to blog about it or talk about it

Read couple of other blogs which are on it, and blog. None would know the difference. Or better blog about something different about you.

13.The magic of unknown.

If thats your only reason, ask yourself, if your are going to stop after it becomes known. The best thing about the sex doesnt lie in the first time. Then people would do it only once:) By the way, the magic of Yelling back at the Professor or Boss is unknown to many too:)
14. I have done it in the past

Sex is not just a habit. Let it be meaningful to you. Every breath of life, is an opportunity to be yourself. Just because you thought it was fine, in the past doesnt mean you would think its fine now.
15.Kissing, Oral Sex etc are not the same as intercourse.

Yeah of course they arent. But whatever the nature of the sexual act, dont do it for the wrong reasons

Whats enough? Well if you really want to do it for yourself and after you have considered the Premarital Sex Checklist

1. Spontaneous maybe fun, but definitely not at the cost of safe sex. There is nothing romantic about unplanned premarital pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
2. Dont rely on peer knowledge, better to get the doubts clarified from a doctor.
3. Be prepared also for the possibility of a seperation in future. If you are having sex, kissing, oral sex etc, only in the belief that the person will marry you , well why not wait a few more years. If these activities, make you feel vulnerable and if you think you will not be able to emotionally handle, a seperation later, dont.
4. Never have sex just to prove your love. This is just a form of emotional blackmail. The partner can always " prove the love" by going for a socially recognised method of "proving love". 5. Look around before exposing or indulging in sexual activities. One of the key ingredients of the Jalgaon scandal which happened some years ago was women being duped in the name of love, and recording the act and then blackmailing into doing more , with the video.
6. Oral sex is Medium HIV risk. Kissing can be a risk if you have open wounds. This is just for HIV, if you are so keen on having sex, do a basic research on other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
7.Even if its just casual sex, think of the consequences if your future life partner gets to know about it. Think if you would be able to face any problems created due to this.
8.Also worth a check : The age of your partner and if the partner has another jealous "partner" or a family member with homicidal tendencies

"So this concludes the post on premarital sexFor both the chromosones, xy and xxIts really not very complexBut better, to exercise these mental checks."

2005-11-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

Are holidays meant for work?

Work's getting pretty darn hectic day to day. Last week was manageable. This week its overflowing! I am not enjoying my Thanksgiving. While everyone's gonna munch on the roasted turkey, I would be sitting at my desk slogging. I did find time today to sneak out to post a new blog! There's no one at the office except for a few people who are made to work. Everyone else is enjoying. I'm working tommorow too :-( and looks like the week end too :-((. I need to shop tommorow! Its black friday for christ's sake. I would miss some great deals! I hope my boss gives me some time off in the evening. It has started to snow from today and the whole city is spread with atleast 6 inches of snow. I am yet to shop for winter clothing and I am already freezing. My lips have gone sore from the cold. JC does'nt cook at home. All I have is either some junk from BK else curd rice! Have a happy thanksgiving people!

2005-11-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

BOSTON SUX

It had to be the 7:30pm flight that I had to take on Monday night to Los Angeles. I thought American Airlines would offer me pretzels atleast! Naa ah...not a single pretzel! I just got the apple juice. Are they cutting back on pretzels for christ's sake? The flight was already late for take off at DFW..and I was starving. I hoped to have been served a meal atleast on the connecting flight from LAX to BOS. Naa ah...they did not serve food. Since the flight landed late into LAX, I just had 10 mins to grab a bite at burger king. Overnight flights are a friggin pain in the ass. So was this one. When I landed at Logan International, my company had not booked a car. Then I thought, the problems have started. Well..thats just the beginning. Its bloody cold out here...which is one of the reasons..Boston sux. Secondly, I stopped at a Starbucks to browse on hotspot, and the barista came and told me that they close at 9:00pm. I then stop by a walmart to grab a splitter and a cable, they close at 10:00pm. Whats happening? Does this city sleep by 10:00? Work's been hectic off late...and the only thing that keeps me going right now is Dunkin Donuts. The coffee is out of the world. Given a chance ask for a medium regular with cream and sugar. Get the coffee and stir it for 2 mins. Take a sip. You'll be taken to a totally different world. Dunkin Donuts rule Boston and Bostonians.

2005-11-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Six Degrees of Separation

The day has dawned. We're going separate ways. It has been a very close association of more than 4 years since we were room mates. Now the time has come and each of us are going along a different path. I'm leaving for Boston tonight and I am not too sure on my return date. Pradeep, the guy who's thin in the pic, got another job in Houston and he's moving there. Its only going to be Deepesh, who's staying back in Dallas. It has been great to have lived in Dallas for all these years and all of a sudden a pall of gloom hovers above my head when I think about shifting to Boston. I had been to Boston, the year before and I'll tell you, BOSTON SUX. Infact, North East SUX. But in these situations, I can't help but keep brooding over the fact that I miss Dallas. I still remember the good old days, when we used to watch the 2003 world cup at home with 15-20 people coming over and staying all night long to catch a glimpse of the Indian team. Bajji's used to be served during the match and Tea/Coffee at 4:00am. We've come a long way in these years and what started out as a casual friendship turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It thought me the essentials of friendship...not that I did not have any friends back home..but the fact that when you get exposed to an alien country, where you have no one to bank on. These people exuded trust, passion, love, kindness and a great sense of humor. I have been grateful in sharing all my feelings and have stumbled upon some great advice given out by them. I still remember the weekends we used to party out and have a great time. The times when we used to sit at home contemplate on our future...from the right "girl" to the right "career". Days we used to sit down with the X-Box and play tennis amongst ourselves, else watch any of Captain's movie with a renewed interest. I guess I will miss them all. But no worries, I'll catch up with them...one fine day..we'll get together and laugh out at all the good times we had. I would fail in duties if I forget to mention JC (Chandy) and CSP. Well the former is shy of posing for a pic whereas the latter has a big frame for a pic. Oops! Guys you all have been wonderful and I wish you all the very best life has to offer. Chandy, I hope you friggin vacate your room when I come over to Boston. I have great plans for Thanksgiving.

2005-11-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

We enter into the usual desi store to check on some movies. There is always an air of disgust when we all enter into the store. On the left checkout desk, the most notorious lady we've come across stands short rolling over her eyeballs to the corner of the stand where the Tamil DVD's are placed. Thats the spot we're checking out for some new movies. Her look in the eyes show up as "Suspicious" as she monitors every movement of ours. When I turn around and glance at her, there's an immediate rush of blood to the head and I feel like grabbing a baseball bat and start plummenting the short lady. But I control myself. One of my roomie, Mooks aka Pradeep, tries to pick up the lone pickle bottle on the stand and tries to hurl at her..but then we stop him from doing so. By that time, another roomie, Nair aka Deepesh, starts cussing at her big time. She stares at us and we stare back. All these were mind games played by 3 us. We take a pick of 3 new Tamil DVD's and walk back to the counter for checkout. Describing her would be a pain, but some of them would be, Short, Dark, Sloth-like, applies 1 gallon of oil to her hair. The conversation begins-

Sloth: whaaats you account number?
We: xxxxx
Sloth: you alreaady have 4 DVD's that were not returned on time.
We: we returned all the DVD's that we rented and there is no backlog.
Sloth: no no no...nothing doing...the database shows you haave 4 DVD's. You all think I am wrong?
We: (Thinking in our minds)- I want to smash your sloth face.
We: errrr...We think you have not updated your database properly, else you have put the returned DVD's in the wrong account number.
Sloth: I need to put fine sir....2 for every DVD thats $8 in all...pay that else you cannot check out other DVD's.
We: Ok fine we'll pay it up.
We: Do you have the movie Gajini?
Sloth: sorry sir..that movie is checked out.Moreover if we had it, I would not give it to you because you don't return it on time.
We:(Testing our patience has touched the limits)- You cannot talk like this..we have been customers for more than 4 years.
Sloth: sorry sir...its my duty to warn people like you.
We: !@#$ you Biatch!

We walk out of the store, all 3 of us cussing at her...she still has that stone cold staid look on her face. We'll see you next time Biatch...this time...its we who would be talking!

2005-11-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

"When you try your best but you don't succeed,

when you get what you want, but not what you need,

when you feel so tired but you can't sleep,

stuck in reverse"- Fix You, Coldplay

Why is life so complex? Why can't it be straightforward? Why can't I have a clear road ahead of me that I know if I take, would make life better in every aspect? I have 3 roads ahead of me...one which I know I don't want to take..and the other 2 in front of me are always open but there always seems to be uncertainty surrounding it. I never know the outcome of whats in there...when they call out to me..I reciprocate..but then when I go closer and closer...the road starts to diminish and I end up standing from where I began. Why is the quest for 1 solution always accompanied by 3 or more confusing situations? Why the pain? When I see every other person's life, its neatly outlined. They do have bottlenecks, but not as often as when I experience it. Why does it always happen that when I want to achieve something..it looks like a mirage. The opportunity looks very tempting...but as you move closer to the goal, you just find that the water you came in search of has shifted to a distant horizon. At first, the best thing is to keep moving in that direction..but after a while...you get the sense of excrutiating pain in your soul for the quest of success. You keep searching and searching...and you also see the water in front of you...but alas once to get there..you find out that its a mirage. How long will I keep searching for that? I need to quench my thirst too.

2005-11-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

"Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you brother
You can't have one without the other"----Frank Sinatra

Marriage is the union of two souls. Period. Marriage is the step people take when they feel that they are truly committed to one another. How do they find this out? It has to be love. Love has always been a very complex factor for me especially when trying to figure out what the opposite sex is trying to think! I meet this girl in a cafe, she speaks to me..and we start a conversation that lasts for an hour. As soon as she leaves, my mind tells me that I am in love with her. Thats crazy. Everytime I come across some girl, I fall in love. This cannot happen. She doesn't reciprocate in any way...its just a friggin normal conversation. Then why do these thoughts pass over my head? It cannot be infatuation all the time! Atleast why can't I click well with one female? Whats wrong? How do I see the signs? I want to fall in love! I had always been thinking that "one fine day....I will meet the girl of my dreams...and we'll live happily everafter". Thats a load of crap. I'm going to turn 25 and I can't be waiting and waiting for that moment to come by. So I decide to put in some kind of effort...go clubbing where I get to meet and know many people...visit a few dating sites...though I friggin don't have the courage to go on dates. Nothing seems to work out. I feel totally depressed. How do I get there? Will I find my love? Will we live happy for the rest of our lives? Looks kinda bleak brother! Comments please!

2005-11-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Can one ray of light save the universe? Depends on who is holding it.- Yoda

Have you ever wondered that you could be the person who could save the world? I have lost hope. I have always dreamt big, probably some day I would do something worthwhile and that would have a big effect on the world. Is your life predictable always? If you take mine for example, for the past year and a half, its been monotonous, going to the office, checking mails every five minutes, chatting up with friends, browsing the news, having lunch at a specific time, leave the office at a specific time, grab the same old coffee from Starbucks everyday, and also to an extent eating the same food everyday! When I walk into a Starbucks everyday, I can't think of any other coffee than what I drink everyday, be it hot, cold, day or night..always take the same thing..so much so its already prepared before I end up paying at the register. Have you ever tried changing your routine? Has it worked? I end up changing it(not the coffee though) but then the next day, its back to same old routine. Well, coming to the point that needs pondering, have you been able to give something back to the world that has made a change in you or a change in another person's life? There is this website called CRY(Child Relief and You), an Indian organization that helps the poor and parentless children with food, health and education with donations from people around the globe. All your donations are tax free and more than that it gives you a sense of satisfaction in helping someone. It brightens a very dull day in your life while at the same time bringing a smile on a young person who longs for your help. I always feel proud doing this and most of the time try to remain anonymous..but if this really makes me feel good..then I ought to share it with you all. Visit http://www.cry.org/ and try saving a child from the miseries he/she has been bound to so far. Have a nice day.

2005-11-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

It has always been frustrating when you buy a product online or in store for a set price, and then one fine day..BANG..you see the same product for a much much cheaper deal. It has always had an after effect..more of a guilty feeling on me :-( What I would like to share with you are some of the most fascinating websites that offer a comprehensive search of the cheapest deals in town!

Slick Deals
www.slickdeals.net

People. This is a truly amazing website that offers great deals on products on a daily basis. Be it some techie stuff you need to buy or some set of knives or a mattress foam for that sake. You get the best deals.

Deals2Buy
www.deals2buy.com

This is more for the geeks. Techie stuff..right from great IPOD deals to great deals on cameras and memory.

Tech Bargains
www.techbargains.com

Another techie site.

e-Deal info

www.edealinfo.com

Good deals on both techie stuff and for that sake any other product you're looking to buy.

Hope these sites offer you a very comprehensive list of deals you are looking out for. Check them out everyday...given a chance every hour or every minute...there could be a deal that you would'nt want to miss..and then regret later. Laterz.

2005-11-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

I've just started to blog and consider myself an infant. Life has always been challenging for me and most of the time, I consider myself lucky in crossing those obstacles that I had never dreamt of getting by. There are just 3 sources to this. Parents, Friends and God. I've created this blog so that I could share some of my experiences with you all and also pose questions that have always bothered me in finding a solution. I will always look forward to your comments and suggestion in making life better for me and for the people around me.