Heres wishing everyone a happy and cheerful christmas. Christmas over here reminds me of Diwali in India. The glowing stars in every household, the ligthted trees, the shopping spree, jam packed traffic, crowded airports and train stations, those yummy sweets and chocolates. The only difference is the enormous noise of crackers thats missing here :). As the year comes to an end I will put down a few points about how the year went by for me.
Self-improvement: Learnt to be more patient and listen to people before bieng judgemental. Experienced one of the most blissful moments of meditation in Hornaadu temple. Learnt that having negative feelings towards someone/something will actually have its delirious effect (this realization literally shattered me and thereby bringing in more compassion).
Fitness: Was pretty much regular at the gym but for the travelling and managed to gain considerable strength ( am no hulk hogan though ).
Travel: Travelled to a lot of places within India and in the US. Fulfilled my dream to visit Wayanad, Alaska and Montana.
Career: Switched 2 jobs from a US multinational to a desi bodyshopper, moved to US as a contractor and again switched to a fulltime position in another US multinational This was more like a dream job for me ( bieng in customer support ) and today feels good to be the primary support/deployment manager for one of our largest customers.
Photography: Was satisfied with my progress in photography, learnt to shoot appropriately in low light and got introduced to landscape techniques. Could manage some decent shots. However I could'nt satisfy my craving for the Nikon D70 owing to financial situations.
Finance: Realized the importance of money in a foriegn land and knowingly or unknowingly landed into one of the worst ever financial crisis of my life. Breaking the contract with my desi consultant cost me a month's salary and relocation to the bay area from Boston turned out to be a rather expensive affair than I had imagined.
Thats pretty much it, we are having a week's shutdown and mostly will be heading to the grand canyon/las vegas region for the new year. U guys have fun, party and have a blast. Adios
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Monday, December 20, 2004
Sunset over Salt lake, Utah
As I was flying over salt lake city, Utah noticed this magnificient sunset and fortunately had my camera handy just in time to take this snap.A little information about Utah. It is supposed to have the best powder snow and some of the world's best ski resorts. So any die hard ski or snowboard folks, mark Utah on your winter travel list.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Sunset in Billings, Montana
Montana, also called the 'Big Sky' is probably one of the largest states in the US. At the same time it is one of the least populated. The land is totally flat, dry and the sky is visible like in no other place. A stargazer's paradise I should say. However during this season, its unusually cloudy and on one such evenings, driving by the I90 took this snap, and liked it a lot for the rare color combinations of the dark clouds and the red sunlight.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Bhopal Gas TRAGEDY : 20 Years Later
The first time I read about the tragedy on the greenpeace website, I literally had tears in my eyes. Reading about the way the children died, their sufferings, the psychological impacts, it was heart breaking. It took me 2 - 3 days to recover and in that duration, my mind was filled with hatred for the DOW Chemicals Co. The company which even to this date, does not claim responsibility for the tragedy and instead has tried suing the victims. What hurts me more is the way the Indian government handled the situation. People who were affected mostly lived below the poverty line, they could'nt afford a day's meal. Such people had to spend thousands on medicines. Still, the government refused to pay them compensation. The victims were asked to prove that they were affected by the tragedy. PROOF, how ridiculous. The whole world knows the effects and the aftermath of the tragedy. Even to this date, the ground water is polluted, women have miscarriages, kids are born with deformities. Still, the government wants PROOF. The kids who are born with deformities have been very earnestly categorized as ''gas kand ke bacchche' or 'carbide children'. Whoever coined this term is worthy of a standing applause.
So 20 years later, people are still fighting for their compensations, activists all around the world are trying to bring justice and force DOW to accept its mistakes and stop such actions from occuring in future. Greenpeace has a provision for writing emails to the DOW execs asking them to realize their mistakes, and I somehow could'nt resist writing a strong letter to the company. Though the letter may never reach the DOW execs of even if it reaches, could end up in the 'Deleted Items' folder without bieng read, it gave me some satisfaction, that I had taken some step which may help in bringing justice to the thousands of affected people.
So 20 years later, people are still fighting for their compensations, activists all around the world are trying to bring justice and force DOW to accept its mistakes and stop such actions from occuring in future. Greenpeace has a provision for writing emails to the DOW execs asking them to realize their mistakes, and I somehow could'nt resist writing a strong letter to the company. Though the letter may never reach the DOW execs of even if it reaches, could end up in the 'Deleted Items' folder without bieng read, it gave me some satisfaction, that I had taken some step which may help in bringing justice to the thousands of affected people.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Anchorage - FlagTop
Daylight during early winter in Alaska is hard to find. Sun rises at 9 AM and sets by 4. Even in this duration, the sky is cloudy and its like twilight always. On one of the days we got lucky and went up to flagtop the moment we saw some sunlight and kept following the sunlight to get atleast one or two shots of the mountains. Every minute, the lighting conditions changed and somehow managed to get this shot. The sunlight was just moving across the mountains and fading away and I wanted to capture that movement but unfortunately could'nt, just caught a glimpse.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Happy Deepavali
Hope everyone gets to celebrate the festival of lights with absolute fervor. I have once again changed the layout of my blog, guess the Gemini mind can never be consistent :).
Have been on a travel spree, ( thanks to my new job ). Presently in Montana, will be leaving today for California. I always desired to visit Montana, but never thought I would come here because of work. Am in a town called Billings in Montana. This is supposedly the most populous town of the state. A highly laid back place, very few people and vast streches of land. Also this is called the 'sky state' or something like that. Thats because the land is absolutely flat, there are very few buildings and if you just lift your head, get to see the vast expanse of the clear blue skies.
Hopefully I get to come back here, as this was a very short stay of 3 days and I get to go to YellowStone :). I forgot to bring my compact flash card for my camera and hence could not take any pics.
The next week I will be in Alaska, and will get to experience the bone chilling winter. Hope I get to go out and explore the state and if daylight persists for some decent duration, will try to take some pics and post them. Till then ... adios
Have been on a travel spree, ( thanks to my new job ). Presently in Montana, will be leaving today for California. I always desired to visit Montana, but never thought I would come here because of work. Am in a town called Billings in Montana. This is supposedly the most populous town of the state. A highly laid back place, very few people and vast streches of land. Also this is called the 'sky state' or something like that. Thats because the land is absolutely flat, there are very few buildings and if you just lift your head, get to see the vast expanse of the clear blue skies.
Hopefully I get to come back here, as this was a very short stay of 3 days and I get to go to YellowStone :). I forgot to bring my compact flash card for my camera and hence could not take any pics.
The next week I will be in Alaska, and will get to experience the bone chilling winter. Hope I get to go out and explore the state and if daylight persists for some decent duration, will try to take some pics and post them. Till then ... adios
Monday, October 25, 2004
Sea Lion
We had been to Monterrey on a whale watching trip. There was this sea lion sleeping on the shore, every now and then it would wake up chk out the sarroundings n then go back to sleep. Isnt that cute :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Boston Red Sox - A ComeBack
Baseball - Initially when I started watching this game, it felt so stupid. I used to wonder how millions of americans watch this game so enthusiastically, until I started watching the series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Just to give a backgroud, Red Sox ( sox for short ) are one of the greatest baseball teams to hail from New England only to be challenged by the New York Yankees. Typically speaking these 2 teams are the best baseball teams in the US. Their rivalry is unmatched for. Red Sox were down 3-0 in a 7 game series. From that point they staged a 'comeback' to win the next 3 games and level the series. No other tema has staged such a comeback in the history of baseball. The yankees were simply shocked by this comeback. In the world of sports very rarely you get to see such comebacks. One such comeback was by Mohommed Ali against George Foreman, in which Ali was down till round 9 and then one powerful punch sends Foreman reeling on the ground. Supposedly it is the only match Ali has stood in the ring for 9 rounds. Well am just waiting to watch the 7th game and hoping that the Red Sox clinch the series.
Friday, October 08, 2004
B2B
Boston 2 BayArea. Am relocating :). Have found a new job in the SunnyVale area. Will be moving in tomorrow and starting work from Monday. Well am glad that am escaping the frigid winters of New England but feeling sad for not having had an opportunity to see the fall colours. The leaves are almost turning red here and in a week or two .. it will be simply amazing. The colours will last for a couple of weeks and then the winter sets in and the leaves start withering away. The best places to visit this weekend and the next are:
White mountains in the New Hampshire region.
Acadia National park, Maine.
Vermont Country side.
White mountains in the New Hampshire region.
Acadia National park, Maine.
Vermont Country side.
Friday, September 24, 2004
Trivia
Pretty much had nothing to blog, so just thought will put in these:
Law of Mechanical Repair:
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.
Law of the Telephone:
When you dial a wrong number,you never get an engaged one.
Law of the Alibi:
If you tell the boss, you were late for work because you had a flat tyre, the next morning you will have a flat tyre.
Variation Law:
If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.
Bath THEOREM
When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.
LAW OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
LAW of the RESULT
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
LAW OF BIOMECHANICS
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
THEATRE RULE
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
LAW OF COFFEE
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something, which will last until the coffee is cold
Law of Mechanical Repair:
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.
Law of the Telephone:
When you dial a wrong number,you never get an engaged one.
Law of the Alibi:
If you tell the boss, you were late for work because you had a flat tyre, the next morning you will have a flat tyre.
Variation Law:
If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.
Bath THEOREM
When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.
LAW OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
LAW of the RESULT
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
LAW OF BIOMECHANICS
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
THEATRE RULE
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
LAW OF COFFEE
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something, which will last until the coffee is cold
Saturday, September 18, 2004
The Digital SLR War
Yes it is a battle between Nikon and Canon. Both of them trying to surpass each other to grab the ever growing digital SLR market. Canon undoubtedly captured the consumer and professional digital segments with their affordable digital rebel, the ultra professional 1DS. Nikon more or less captured the consumer segment with the D70 and now with its new D2X will capture the professional segment.
The camera has some of the world's first features: most impressive is an interchangable FOV (Field Of View) Crop factor, to put in simple terms, u can shoot at 5 fps in the 12.4 MP mode with a 1.5 crop factor and then u can shoot at 8 fps in 6.4 MP mode with a crop factor of 2. In the 6.8 MP mode, a 300 mm lens is equivalent to 600 mm.
The feature I liked the most is the ability to adjust and fire the camera remotely over a wi fi network. With the optional capture 4.0 software and the WT-2 Transmitter, one can set the camera in the desired position, come back sit at the comp and fire the trigger from the comp. This is just amazing.
The world's most robust I-TTL flash system with the optional speedlights enables the use of flash and flash settings without any cords or wires. This is supposedly like a boon to fashion photographers. ( I dont know much about indoor photography ).
Not to speak, the new robust battery can last for 2000 shots and doesnt drain when focusing the lens in manual mode. Battery life tho' not a major feature is a much desired feature.
The pricing is supposedly very aggressive at around 5000$ while the 1DS from canon is around 8000$.
Coupled with this, Nikon launches a new 300 mm AF-S lens with VR. Not sure about the pricing ( I guess it will be in the 4000$ range), but its impressive to see that Nikon is adding the VR feature on their telephoto glasses.
On the whole, very very impressive new equipment by Nikon. Oh, also Nikon launched a new film camera the F6, supposedly priced at around 2,500$. God knows who would pay so much money for a film SLR these days.
The camera has some of the world's first features: most impressive is an interchangable FOV (Field Of View) Crop factor, to put in simple terms, u can shoot at 5 fps in the 12.4 MP mode with a 1.5 crop factor and then u can shoot at 8 fps in 6.4 MP mode with a crop factor of 2. In the 6.8 MP mode, a 300 mm lens is equivalent to 600 mm.
The feature I liked the most is the ability to adjust and fire the camera remotely over a wi fi network. With the optional capture 4.0 software and the WT-2 Transmitter, one can set the camera in the desired position, come back sit at the comp and fire the trigger from the comp. This is just amazing.
The world's most robust I-TTL flash system with the optional speedlights enables the use of flash and flash settings without any cords or wires. This is supposedly like a boon to fashion photographers. ( I dont know much about indoor photography ).
Not to speak, the new robust battery can last for 2000 shots and doesnt drain when focusing the lens in manual mode. Battery life tho' not a major feature is a much desired feature.
The pricing is supposedly very aggressive at around 5000$ while the 1DS from canon is around 8000$.
Coupled with this, Nikon launches a new 300 mm AF-S lens with VR. Not sure about the pricing ( I guess it will be in the 4000$ range), but its impressive to see that Nikon is adding the VR feature on their telephoto glasses.
On the whole, very very impressive new equipment by Nikon. Oh, also Nikon launched a new film camera the F6, supposedly priced at around 2,500$. God knows who would pay so much money for a film SLR these days.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Great White Shark
This was shot in an aquarium in Tennessee. The pic isnt good but it seems to me as if the shark is gonna tear u apart :)
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Monday, August 23, 2004
Canon EOS 20D
For all digital photography lovers, this camera will be an affordable all in one masterpiece. No this isnt any advertisement for Canon, but expressing my appreciation of a professional world class photographic equipment. As it goes without saying, Canon has made this camera 'affordable'. The EOS 20D is the successor to the popular EOS 10D with nearly 30 additional features. Am reminded of the popular saying in the world of Photogpraphy: "Nikon makes the best lenses, Minolta makes the best bodies and Canon makes the best compromise". This 'compromise is what propelled canon as the world leader in Photography which was dominated by Nikon in the 70s and 80s.
Am all thrilled about this new camera, and it came as a surprise to everyone. No leaks from canon, no advertisement hype, nothing. A couple of days back, as usual I open DP review and there it was the first headline. All the features of the camera can be found at the website.
Some key points I liked about the camera as compared to the competition
9 point autofocus screen. ( This is the first to be featured on any SLR camera ). Canon did this before also with their 7 point autofocus system.
5 fps continuous shooting upto 23 frames ( Nikon D70 has 3fps ) fps - frames per second
Faster top shutter speed 1/8000 sec. ( Nikon D70 has 1/4000 ).
8.2 Mega pixels. ( the only other 8.2 MP camera is the eos 1D mark II which costs like 3,600 $ )
A lighter and smaller magnesium alloy body
Power on time 0.2 secs - ( Nikon D70 has 0.3 secs )
All this at a price of 1,500 US$ . Its a steal. Am just waiting to get my hands on this masterpiece.
Clearly this camera is not aimed at competing with D70 because of the price difference. The D70 costs 1000$. But then a guy like me would think of all the above mentioned benefits for 500$ more and would go for it. I somehow did'nt have any great inclination for Canon camera bodies. I adored Nikon for their rugged bodies but then this camera has changed my perspective. Kudos to Canon.
Am all thrilled about this new camera, and it came as a surprise to everyone. No leaks from canon, no advertisement hype, nothing. A couple of days back, as usual I open DP review and there it was the first headline. All the features of the camera can be found at the website.
Some key points I liked about the camera as compared to the competition
9 point autofocus screen. ( This is the first to be featured on any SLR camera ). Canon did this before also with their 7 point autofocus system.
5 fps continuous shooting upto 23 frames ( Nikon D70 has 3fps ) fps - frames per second
Faster top shutter speed 1/8000 sec. ( Nikon D70 has 1/4000 ).
8.2 Mega pixels. ( the only other 8.2 MP camera is the eos 1D mark II which costs like 3,600 $ )
A lighter and smaller magnesium alloy body
Power on time 0.2 secs - ( Nikon D70 has 0.3 secs )
All this at a price of 1,500 US$ . Its a steal. Am just waiting to get my hands on this masterpiece.
Clearly this camera is not aimed at competing with D70 because of the price difference. The D70 costs 1000$. But then a guy like me would think of all the above mentioned benefits for 500$ more and would go for it. I somehow did'nt have any great inclination for Canon camera bodies. I adored Nikon for their rugged bodies but then this camera has changed my perspective. Kudos to Canon.
Friday, August 20, 2004
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Priorities
If am bad at something, it's prioritizing my tasks. Be it day to day activities or long term plans. I just feel like doing everything :). I will list down a few of the things hoping it might help me prioritize stuff. As usual comments, suggestions and criticisms welcomed :).
Week days:
Gym - 1 hr
Play - 1 hr
Swim - 1/2 hr
Office - 8 hrs
Yoga - 1/2 hr
Read a novel - 1/2 hr
Music/Dance - 1 hr
Dating - 1 hr
Blogging/Chatting - 1/2 hr
Week Ends:
Travel/Photography
Learn Sanskrit
Work as a volunteer
Learn Scuba Diving
Long Term:
Career : Goldman Sachs, GIR (Global Investment Research)
Studies : MBA - Finance
Volunteer : Green Peace
Travel : Costa Rica, Brazil, Congo
Others : Open a State Of Art School, Provide Free Education
p.s I just experimented with a new template. So all my previous entries and links are erased. Will be set right shortly.
Week days:
Gym - 1 hr
Play - 1 hr
Swim - 1/2 hr
Office - 8 hrs
Yoga - 1/2 hr
Read a novel - 1/2 hr
Music/Dance - 1 hr
Dating - 1 hr
Blogging/Chatting - 1/2 hr
Week Ends:
Travel/Photography
Learn Sanskrit
Work as a volunteer
Learn Scuba Diving
Long Term:
Career : Goldman Sachs, GIR (Global Investment Research)
Studies : MBA - Finance
Volunteer : Green Peace
Travel : Costa Rica, Brazil, Congo
Others : Open a State Of Art School, Provide Free Education
p.s I just experimented with a new template. So all my previous entries and links are erased. Will be set right shortly.
Friday, July 30, 2004
Fun At Work
This phrase is more of an oxymoron these days. The project am working on right now has unrealistic deadlines and hence code named 'MI' after the famous Tom Cruise thriller. The workplace is cramped, more like a call center. Literally everyone is burning their asses to deliver the product in time.
Amidst all this chaos, people find time to have fun. Every week there will be some occasion to party and if there isnt any we will come up with one :). A party without liquor is so stale hence we make it a point to bring in varieties every week :) and this week it was Tequilas and Margaritas along with some Beer. Beer is like the LCM of liquor, it has to be there. So we drowned ourselves in Tequilas. One of our guys was having a compile problem which he could'nt solve for like 2 hours. So our man gulps in some margaritas, goes near his comp and shouts 'hey that 'p' has to be in lower case' :) and he is thro' with his compiling. Then guys started playing black jack. The game is definitely addictive. I was first exposed to Black Jack in the Foxwood casins. I guess someday am bound to lose thousands in Black Jack :).
Its fun working out here even though the work sucks big time :).
Amidst all this chaos, people find time to have fun. Every week there will be some occasion to party and if there isnt any we will come up with one :). A party without liquor is so stale hence we make it a point to bring in varieties every week :) and this week it was Tequilas and Margaritas along with some Beer. Beer is like the LCM of liquor, it has to be there. So we drowned ourselves in Tequilas. One of our guys was having a compile problem which he could'nt solve for like 2 hours. So our man gulps in some margaritas, goes near his comp and shouts 'hey that 'p' has to be in lower case' :) and he is thro' with his compiling. Then guys started playing black jack. The game is definitely addictive. I was first exposed to Black Jack in the Foxwood casins. I guess someday am bound to lose thousands in Black Jack :).
Its fun working out here even though the work sucks big time :).
Monday, July 19, 2004
New Lease Of Life.
The Victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy get a compensation of 1500,00,00,000 after 20 years of the tragedy. Finally the law has shown some consideration in distrubuting the money to the needy. Greenpeace was fighting for the cause of the gas victims. Finally them seem to have succeeded. I first read about the Tragedy in one of these greenpeace pages and it filled me with sadness. How could a company be so irresponsible about these dangerous chemicals. Even inspite of bieng irresponsible, the company refused to pay the victims. Instead they sued the victim's families.
The Dow Chemicals company, which took over Uninon Carbide, payed 417,000,000 $ for the victims. If the same tragedy had occured in US, they should have to shell out nearly 15,000,000,000 $ for the victims. So y this indifference ? Just because the tragedy occured in India. Just because a few Indian politicians ate a few crores of rupees and forgot about the case.
Am relieved to see that people are getting some money tho its no comparison to the lives lost and the years spent in distress. But I wish I could sue Dow Chemicals company and close their business for ever, for the hienous crime they committed in Bhopal.
The Dow Chemicals company, which took over Uninon Carbide, payed 417,000,000 $ for the victims. If the same tragedy had occured in US, they should have to shell out nearly 15,000,000,000 $ for the victims. So y this indifference ? Just because the tragedy occured in India. Just because a few Indian politicians ate a few crores of rupees and forgot about the case.
Am relieved to see that people are getting some money tho its no comparison to the lives lost and the years spent in distress. But I wish I could sue Dow Chemicals company and close their business for ever, for the hienous crime they committed in Bhopal.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Monday, July 12, 2004
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Siddartha
Yes am talking about the book by Herman Hesse. The book is a marvel. I found the book in one of the libraries in NJ. They were selling it for 50 cents. Such a throwaway deal. The book is a marvel. It just got me absorbed so much. Inspite of my hectic 60 hour weeks I found time to complete this book. The book reflected whatever I had strongly believed all thro' my life. Some of my ideologies were more or less similar to that of the character Siddartha. I never believed in any Guru, I never believed in any scriptures or any 'form' of God. I truly didnt know what 'love' was. I could picture myself so much as the character Siddartha though I was in no way a match for him :).
I would say this book is a must read for everyone, especially those who think that going behind a 'Guru' will lead them into ultimate realization, salvation, moksha etc etc. The essense of the book as I putforth is 'Its easy to be a follower, its tough to be a leader'. A leader who chooses a path of his own and becomes successful. One line that struck me a lot was 'knowledge can be preached, but not wisdom'. Its so true. Wisdom cannot be preached in words nor can it be learnt by reading books. I always used to think that knowledge is supreme and never bothered to think about 'wisdom' at all. The book was a true eye-opener. Its very consice, simple and easy to read. I learnt to give up some of my 'pessimistic' attitudes in life after reading this book. Still theres a long way to go to become totally optimistic.
Otherwise, I found some time to explore downtown Boston. The place is a heaven for partygoers. Such an enthusiastic crowd, small time comic fights between some groups, police cars flashing across often, people in the craziest outfits, tattoes on the 'unexpected' regions of the human body and what not. Now that the democratic convention is on, there are lots of restrictions around this area. Otherwise its one of the most enjoyable places I've ever been.
I would say this book is a must read for everyone, especially those who think that going behind a 'Guru' will lead them into ultimate realization, salvation, moksha etc etc. The essense of the book as I putforth is 'Its easy to be a follower, its tough to be a leader'. A leader who chooses a path of his own and becomes successful. One line that struck me a lot was 'knowledge can be preached, but not wisdom'. Its so true. Wisdom cannot be preached in words nor can it be learnt by reading books. I always used to think that knowledge is supreme and never bothered to think about 'wisdom' at all. The book was a true eye-opener. Its very consice, simple and easy to read. I learnt to give up some of my 'pessimistic' attitudes in life after reading this book. Still theres a long way to go to become totally optimistic.
Otherwise, I found some time to explore downtown Boston. The place is a heaven for partygoers. Such an enthusiastic crowd, small time comic fights between some groups, police cars flashing across often, people in the craziest outfits, tattoes on the 'unexpected' regions of the human body and what not. Now that the democratic convention is on, there are lots of restrictions around this area. Otherwise its one of the most enjoyable places I've ever been.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Robots - The Future
A couple of days back, on wired.com there was an article showcasing the future for robots. The article had a listing of companies that have invested close to $500 million in research related to robotics. Most of the investment has come from Japapn followed by the United States. As per the article companies are inventing robots that have 'human like' abilities. In short they are termed 'Androids'. Presently Antdoids have the ability to sense human touch. For instance, if u tap on the android's shoulder it will recognize that and say 'yes what can I do' and if u bang on the shoulder it will exclaim 'ouch' :). This has been possible by inventing a close substitute for the muscle tissue which ( a mix ofut some artificial fibres ) that are capable of contraction and expansion in accordance to external stimulus. Also androiids are capable of walking like humans. It has been difficult to substitute the human hand. However in the near future we will have androids that might 'think' like humans.
The concept of androids reminds me of the Star Wars movie series. What was considered a fantasy in those days is close to reality today. In the near future we may get to buy these androids from retaliers. It might become a successful business to market androids as low cost alternatives for human labour. The day of man v/s machines doesnt seem to be very far.
The concept of androids reminds me of the Star Wars movie series. What was considered a fantasy in those days is close to reality today. In the near future we may get to buy these androids from retaliers. It might become a successful business to market androids as low cost alternatives for human labour. The day of man v/s machines doesnt seem to be very far.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
I have moved to Massachussets from New Jersey. Am put up in Natick, some 25 miles from Boston. Looks like am going to be here for the next 6 months to 1 year. What a respite it has been to get out of NJ which was so boring and unattractive. MA has been a good experience so far. Boston is filled with colleges and the crowd is fantastic. (Am so much reminded of Poona ). Almost all the features that can qualify a 'good city' are in Boston. Lesser commuting distances, an efficient public transport system and a young vibrant crowd. Its a bit xpensive to live in Boston though and the average incomes are well above the national average.
So before the winter sets in, I should be able to see some of the happening places in Massachussets. Atleast I should go and see what MIT looks like :).
So before the winter sets in, I should be able to see some of the happening places in Massachussets. Atleast I should go and see what MIT looks like :).
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Back From The Break
Feels like its been decades since I blogged. Well I was getting to New Jersey and it took sometime for me to settle down here. Even now am not yet completely settled and still not sure where my next destination is. I was also was tied up with a lot of work which am not used to and found it difficult to cope up with. Having lived in a relaxed manner with not much work and all of a sudden uf I have to learn a hundred technologies, its kind of difficult :). I do however agree that these are no excuses for spending a few minutes on the blog. Somehow I couldnt hit the blog. Well atleast from now on I will try to update this blog regularly. As of now there is nothing much to write, this is an OK place. The feel good factor bieng the close proximity to NYC. Hopefully this weekend I can make a trip to the city that never sleeps. Will have more to write in the coming days.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Motivation
Generally speaking, am not a guy who would go for motivating people to do this, do that, be a better human bieng etc. I dont give advices to anyone, but from the last one month I just could not stand the hair style of one of my colleagues. I used to tell her almost everyday to go 2 a hair stylist and get a neat cut. She was ofcourse not willing to do that. So one fine day, I found out about a good hair style studio from one of my friends, created a great image of the studio in my colleague's mind, and after constant relentless pressure, she finally yeilded. God knows how, but I was one maha thrilled guy. So we went and got her hairstyle changed. Though the process took nearly an hour, it was fun to watch. Finally she was also happy with the style, later found out that it wont last for more than a couple of days. Still am glad she is not back with her old style :).
Thursday, May 13, 2004
NDA Routed
This was pretty shocking for everyone. No one expected such a devastating defeat. Having watched all the reviews and analyses about NDA's failure on TV and tons of websites, it is clear that the coalition went wrong in a lot of places. While the leaders meet today and discuss what went wrong, here are my $0.02
1. Neglecting state politics in the south: Andhra pradesh and TamilNadu costed the NDA nearly 50 seats. Mr.Vajpayee should have been a bit prudent enough in judging southern politics. People in Telangana have been fighting for a separate state, this he should have considered in his manifesto and not let away Chandrashekhara Rao, to break away from TDP. Mr.Rao single handedly today sits with 5 LS seats. Not to mention Kerala, which has become made Harkishen Singh Surjeet a king maker today.
2. Extensive propoganda of the India Shining factor: This is fine for you and me, who sit in urban India, thinking about economics, reforms etc. What about our dear farmer, whose only deal with life is to see whether he gets a good yield of crop. It doesnt really matter for him, if there are 6 lane roads coming up connecting the state capitals. In fact this was one of the foremost factors in Gujarath, where the farmers were dissatisfied with the Modi government. The frustration of the people was evident when Mr.Murali Manohar Joshi lost from Allahabad.
3. Inconsistent Stand: The NDA, in order to deviate itself from the hindutva factor, lost its ground amongst Hindus. It didnt come as a surprise when the BJP lost in Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi. At the same time, several candidates like Shahnawaz Hussain who were supposed to bring in the secular feeling and garner the minority votes, lost. So the NDA, which aimed for a win-win situation with the Hindus as well as other religions, ended up losing everywhere. This is Rajneeti, a party cannot have a wavering stand. One of the foremost factors for the Left to garner so many seats today is thier consistency in policies. They might have the ideologies of the fifties but there is consistency.
4. Infighting: The party should have been a bit more careful about rebel candidates. Mr.Yashwant Sinha lost because of a rebel candidate camapaigning against him. Bihar, which was a NDA stronghold yeilded to Laloo's RJD. Infighting has costed the party atleast 10 - 15 seats in the Bihar, Jharkhand belt.
It doesnt really feel good when someone of a foriegn origin would sit in the PM's chair, but this is Rajneeti and the congress party has over 50 years of experience of ruling this country. Even after having lost eminent leaders like Madhav Rao Scindia and Rajesh Pilot, the party didnt stumble. There are still king makers, who can change the face of politics in the party. However it is clear that none of the parties can take the Indian voter for granted. The candidates have to nurse their constituenceies, take care of the people and listen to their woes and demands. After 50 years, I am really happy to see this amongst us countrymen. It may be disappointing to see Ms.Sonia Gandhi sitting in the PMO, but it is romoured that she might not last for more than 2 years. Worst case someone from RSS will assasinate her.
1. Neglecting state politics in the south: Andhra pradesh and TamilNadu costed the NDA nearly 50 seats. Mr.Vajpayee should have been a bit prudent enough in judging southern politics. People in Telangana have been fighting for a separate state, this he should have considered in his manifesto and not let away Chandrashekhara Rao, to break away from TDP. Mr.Rao single handedly today sits with 5 LS seats. Not to mention Kerala, which has become made Harkishen Singh Surjeet a king maker today.
2. Extensive propoganda of the India Shining factor: This is fine for you and me, who sit in urban India, thinking about economics, reforms etc. What about our dear farmer, whose only deal with life is to see whether he gets a good yield of crop. It doesnt really matter for him, if there are 6 lane roads coming up connecting the state capitals. In fact this was one of the foremost factors in Gujarath, where the farmers were dissatisfied with the Modi government. The frustration of the people was evident when Mr.Murali Manohar Joshi lost from Allahabad.
3. Inconsistent Stand: The NDA, in order to deviate itself from the hindutva factor, lost its ground amongst Hindus. It didnt come as a surprise when the BJP lost in Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi. At the same time, several candidates like Shahnawaz Hussain who were supposed to bring in the secular feeling and garner the minority votes, lost. So the NDA, which aimed for a win-win situation with the Hindus as well as other religions, ended up losing everywhere. This is Rajneeti, a party cannot have a wavering stand. One of the foremost factors for the Left to garner so many seats today is thier consistency in policies. They might have the ideologies of the fifties but there is consistency.
4. Infighting: The party should have been a bit more careful about rebel candidates. Mr.Yashwant Sinha lost because of a rebel candidate camapaigning against him. Bihar, which was a NDA stronghold yeilded to Laloo's RJD. Infighting has costed the party atleast 10 - 15 seats in the Bihar, Jharkhand belt.
It doesnt really feel good when someone of a foriegn origin would sit in the PM's chair, but this is Rajneeti and the congress party has over 50 years of experience of ruling this country. Even after having lost eminent leaders like Madhav Rao Scindia and Rajesh Pilot, the party didnt stumble. There are still king makers, who can change the face of politics in the party. However it is clear that none of the parties can take the Indian voter for granted. The candidates have to nurse their constituenceies, take care of the people and listen to their woes and demands. After 50 years, I am really happy to see this amongst us countrymen. It may be disappointing to see Ms.Sonia Gandhi sitting in the PMO, but it is romoured that she might not last for more than 2 years. Worst case someone from RSS will assasinate her.
Monday, May 10, 2004
Monday, May 03, 2004
Almost every Indian feels that the government is doing very less for the country's welfare. Given an opportunity, we blame the politicians for corruption, for underdevelopment. We need an opportunity to blame, and when it comes to blaming the government I think people will be all exited and come out with great facts and figures to prove the unworthiness of the government. Fine, all that we know is to crib and blame the country and the government for the troubles that a common man faces today. I guess before independence, we were blaming the British, now post independence we blame the politicians. What's the big deal with independence then ? We were filling the coffers of British, now we fill the coffers of the politicians.
I think every one knows that there is corruption instilled in every politician who gets elected. Do we take some action to see that such politicians are taught a lesson in their lives ? No, we lack that 'revolutionary' spirit. For a simple instance, while driving, if someone switches a lane without indication, we just give way to that person and not stop him or hit him for disobeying the traffic rules. We wait for a policeman to come and take action. Y cant we stop the guy, or not let him change the lanes. In a similar manner, when it comes to electing the politicians we are not prudent enough to elect the right candidates and later we blame them for not having done good work etc etc. I hope people take the right action when it comes to electing their representatives for the government.
I think every one knows that there is corruption instilled in every politician who gets elected. Do we take some action to see that such politicians are taught a lesson in their lives ? No, we lack that 'revolutionary' spirit. For a simple instance, while driving, if someone switches a lane without indication, we just give way to that person and not stop him or hit him for disobeying the traffic rules. We wait for a policeman to come and take action. Y cant we stop the guy, or not let him change the lanes. In a similar manner, when it comes to electing the politicians we are not prudent enough to elect the right candidates and later we blame them for not having done good work etc etc. I hope people take the right action when it comes to electing their representatives for the government.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Elections
The first phase of the elections are done. The media is full of surveys, predictions opinion polls etc, esp the TV news channels. I have been sticking to 3 channels: NDTV, Headlines Today and my all time fav CNBC TV18. Some funny interviews I came across in the past few days:
One of the interviews on NDTV went like this:
The topic was the BJP dominance in Gujarath, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattishgarh (commonly called the Hindi Heartland). The panelists, Dr.Prannoy Roy, Rajdeep Sardesai and Dorab Sopariwala. Interview begins with Mr.Shankar Singh Vaghela, the congress state leader of Rajasthan. Prannoy Roy's questionnaire consists of questions that clearly state that BJP is doing very well in this belt and they have literally wiped out congress from this belt of the country. Obviously our congress man defends his party and says all that BJP is doing is bullshit, no economic recovery etc etc. The interview ends. Next Dr.Roy speaks to the BJP spokesperson (Forgot his name) and the questions are like : "Sir ur party is not doing that great in the hindi heartland, congress is having so many allegations against you etc etc". Excuse me, just a few minutes back this guy was praising the BJP while interviewing Mr Vaghela. I could'nt understand what the interviewers were trying to figure out.
The funniest interview was with none other than Mr. Lalloo Prasad Yadav. Imagine our man talking in broken english with phrases like 'my party will throw out the scoundrel govt of BJP' from the centre :). Interestingly Dorab was intrigued by the fact that despite any development in Bihar, people would still want to vote for Lalloo. The reason bieng his way of talking. People are telling that, even though he doesnt work for any development, he will allow them to sit in the lawns of the CM's house, thats more than enough for them :).
Another funny incident on CNBC TV18:
Shireen, (one of the regular newsreaders on this channel) is interviewing an astrologer to get a prediction. Gosh, this was so hilarious . A business channel interviewing an *astrologer* to know the fate of the political parties and the elections. Guess the stock brokers across the country will now start seeking advice from the astrologers. "panditji, aaj Reliance ka bhaav badhega kya " :)
One of the interviews on NDTV went like this:
The topic was the BJP dominance in Gujarath, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattishgarh (commonly called the Hindi Heartland). The panelists, Dr.Prannoy Roy, Rajdeep Sardesai and Dorab Sopariwala. Interview begins with Mr.Shankar Singh Vaghela, the congress state leader of Rajasthan. Prannoy Roy's questionnaire consists of questions that clearly state that BJP is doing very well in this belt and they have literally wiped out congress from this belt of the country. Obviously our congress man defends his party and says all that BJP is doing is bullshit, no economic recovery etc etc. The interview ends. Next Dr.Roy speaks to the BJP spokesperson (Forgot his name) and the questions are like : "Sir ur party is not doing that great in the hindi heartland, congress is having so many allegations against you etc etc". Excuse me, just a few minutes back this guy was praising the BJP while interviewing Mr Vaghela. I could'nt understand what the interviewers were trying to figure out.
The funniest interview was with none other than Mr. Lalloo Prasad Yadav. Imagine our man talking in broken english with phrases like 'my party will throw out the scoundrel govt of BJP' from the centre :). Interestingly Dorab was intrigued by the fact that despite any development in Bihar, people would still want to vote for Lalloo. The reason bieng his way of talking. People are telling that, even though he doesnt work for any development, he will allow them to sit in the lawns of the CM's house, thats more than enough for them :).
Another funny incident on CNBC TV18:
Shireen, (one of the regular newsreaders on this channel) is interviewing an astrologer to get a prediction. Gosh, this was so hilarious . A business channel interviewing an *astrologer* to know the fate of the political parties and the elections. Guess the stock brokers across the country will now start seeking advice from the astrologers. "panditji, aaj Reliance ka bhaav badhega kya " :)
Friday, April 16, 2004
Wild Life Sanctuaries - India
Check out the wild life sanctuaries in India. 6 of them are in Karnataka and I hv visited all of them :). Hv a nice wknd folks ..
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
New age Hindi music
Generally speaking, new age hindi music did not appeal to me. May be because of the poor lyrics combined with the stereotyped music. However I just cannot stop listening to some of the new songs like
Dekh le - (Remix) - Munna Bhai MBBS
Tere bin Ek simple si coffee - Zameen
Chinnamma Chilakkamma - Meenaxi
I cannot justify why I like these songs so much, some things in life u just tend to like .. the way they are :)
Dekh le - (Remix) - Munna Bhai MBBS
Tere bin Ek simple si coffee - Zameen
Chinnamma Chilakkamma - Meenaxi
I cannot justify why I like these songs so much, some things in life u just tend to like .. the way they are :)
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Happy Easter
Its a long weekend once again. So ppol, go out , party, drink, laze, go out in the wild, get drenched in the rains, n hv lotsa fun.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Crested Hawk Eagle
Photographing such birds in the wild needs immense patience (which I typically lack). A small movement can set the bird flying. Well I guess thats what makes this activity challenging, exiting and more than anything rewarding. I somehow managed to get this closeup shot.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Yippiieeee
India's Q3 GDP hits double digit figures - 10.4%
How awesome !!! am just exited. This should certainly wake up our political friends in North America and the EU. Everyone has to think about strategies for India now. I hope our country can become a prominent player in the Asia - Pacific region, which for the rest of the world consists of China, Japan, Singapore and Australia.
It finally rained in Bangalore, what a relief. Even though the showers didnt last long, they gave a respite to us Bangloreans from the shooting temperatures. Hope it rains more in the coming days.
How awesome !!! am just exited. This should certainly wake up our political friends in North America and the EU. Everyone has to think about strategies for India now. I hope our country can become a prominent player in the Asia - Pacific region, which for the rest of the world consists of China, Japan, Singapore and Australia.
It finally rained in Bangalore, what a relief. Even though the showers didnt last long, they gave a respite to us Bangloreans from the shooting temperatures. Hope it rains more in the coming days.
Monday, March 29, 2004
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
The Disappearing Sparrows
I have been staying in Bangalore ever since my childhood. The city has been my home. I have seen Bangalore transform into a megapolis from a small time town. During the course of this transformation, what I have noticed is that there are no more sparrows in Bangalore. They used to be in such abundance when I was a kid. My mom used to throw some rice in our balcony and these cute birds would come by chirping to peck on the rice. They built nests in our compound and it was so thrilling to see those young sparrows emerge from the nests. But now, 15 years later all these birds are gone. I was chatting with one of my friends in this regard. He is a bio-tech guy and has incidentally done some research into this aspect. According to him, the reason for the disappearance of sparrows is the carbon monoxide pollution. It might sound obvious, but how the pollution is linked to the sparrows is interesting. The young sparrows are fed with a particular breed of 'bug' that is rich in protein. For the first three days after birth, these bugs are the life of the young ones. Apparently, vehicular pollution has killed these bugs and that has led to the death of several young sparrows. As a result, their population has diminished or they have migrated to other safe havens. The same phenomenon has been observed in all major cities of the world, and London is the foremost example. May be it was all meant to happen like this, but I certainly miss those cute birds.
Monday, March 22, 2004
A documentary on Hampi
I want to make a documentary on Hampi ruins. This documentary should start with the current day Hampi ruins and then trasform to the olden glorious days of Hampi (somewhat like the Titanic ). It should be a total historical anecdote of the glory of the empire. I want to highlight everything from the architecture of the palaces to those beautiful women to the brutal wars. Its like a digital makeover of the entire ruins into a fabulous empire.
Movie running time: 1 hour.
Equipment needed:
-------------------
A good movie camera (to start with, a digital camcorder),
A good digital camera (SLR or SLR like)
A powerful desktop ( Pentium IV 2.8 ghz or an Apple 1 GHz or more )
Movie editing software.
Equipment I can manage to get:
--------------------------------
The camcorder, digital camera and the desktop.
What I dont have any clue about is the movie editing software. I dont know the head and tail of movie editing. As far as I know Apple's I-movie is a good choice but it costs a fortune. I will be glad if I can get the apple equipment for hire.The problem with me is, this josh wont sustain for long and it will all end up as a half baked cake.
Movie running time: 1 hour.
Equipment needed:
-------------------
A good movie camera (to start with, a digital camcorder),
A good digital camera (SLR or SLR like)
A powerful desktop ( Pentium IV 2.8 ghz or an Apple 1 GHz or more )
Movie editing software.
Equipment I can manage to get:
--------------------------------
The camcorder, digital camera and the desktop.
What I dont have any clue about is the movie editing software. I dont know the head and tail of movie editing. As far as I know Apple's I-movie is a good choice but it costs a fortune. I will be glad if I can get the apple equipment for hire.The problem with me is, this josh wont sustain for long and it will all end up as a half baked cake.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Friday, March 05, 2004
Inner peace
People nowadays are speaking mostly of giving up on material pleasures, searching for 'inner peace' and all that. Thousands of books have been written on this aspect and there is a whole industry that thrives on the 'inner peace' philosophy. Like many others, I was also drawn towards understanding what 'inner peace' means. To give up this material world and go in search of peace. Eventually I figured out that I dont need to go anywhere to look for peace. I dont need to give up any material wealth and I dont need to leave this 'samsara'. Its all here and its here to experience. Most of the direction to these thoughts came from Swami Vivekananda's complete works. (There are 21 volumes ) and am still reading the second volume. Some of the guidelines which he has laid out for leading a 'peaceful' life in this material world are thought provoking. Some simple things when I learnt to follow in day to day life has made me feel a lot more peaceful.
Be punctual
Be committed to your words.
Have a heart for charity. ( Atleast, do something good for the underpriviliged. Not necessarily in the monetary form).
Look at things from more than one perspective.
If you get angry, its fine, get over it soon.
Attachment is a norm, dont try to go away from it. The more you try, the more u get attached.
Dont crib about anything.
I dont have to look elsewhere.
Be punctual
Be committed to your words.
Have a heart for charity. ( Atleast, do something good for the underpriviliged. Not necessarily in the monetary form).
Look at things from more than one perspective.
If you get angry, its fine, get over it soon.
Attachment is a norm, dont try to go away from it. The more you try, the more u get attached.
Dont crib about anything.
I dont have to look elsewhere.
Friday, February 27, 2004
I would like to own
Was just thinking the ever growing list of things I need. Here are a few of them:
A car - Toyota Corolla
A notebook - Apple Ibook G4
A digicam - Canon EOS 10D / Nikon D70
A combination of lenses - ( 28 - 135 mm and 400 mm canon USM lenses )
A Home Theatre - Bose
A Plasma screen TV - LG
A hiking bag - Jansport
A pair of hiking shoes - Reebok
A tennis racquet - Head
A Leather Jacket - Hidesign
A swiss army knife
A pair of binoculars
No wonder I crib about my pay cheque :)
A car - Toyota Corolla
A notebook - Apple Ibook G4
A digicam - Canon EOS 10D / Nikon D70
A combination of lenses - ( 28 - 135 mm and 400 mm canon USM lenses )
A Home Theatre - Bose
A Plasma screen TV - LG
A hiking bag - Jansport
A pair of hiking shoes - Reebok
A tennis racquet - Head
A Leather Jacket - Hidesign
A swiss army knife
A pair of binoculars
No wonder I crib about my pay cheque :)
Monday, February 23, 2004
Changi International Airport
The Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 flight SQ 249 touched down at the Changi Airport on saturday Feb 21st at 4.45 am. Yes it was punctual to the minute. After 3 hours of flying from Bangalore, the aircraft finally came to a halt. It was then I could see the vast expanse of the Changi International airport. Its more of a shopper's paradise than an airport. The duty free shops sell the finest and the most expensive brands or anything and everything available on this planet. The deal is u have to shell out a fortune. Then there are the restaurants, a movie hall that plays Star Movies on a big screen, there are video game parlours, pool tables, massage centres, parlours and an open sunflower garden. All of these is in just one terminal, the Terminal 2. Now there is Terminal 1 which has almost all of these ( except the star movies theatre ). There is a sky train that runs between terminal 1 and 2. The ariport is like a township ( without the houses ) :). The whole area is carpetted, centrally airconditioned and absolutely dust free. Its no wonder that it has been voted as the world's best airport for the 6th time. Apart from this the airport has won several
awards.
Its a tragedy that Bangalore lost the opportunity of having an internatinal airport built by the Changi consortium. They would've made it the second best airport in the world.
awards.
Its a tragedy that Bangalore lost the opportunity of having an internatinal airport built by the Changi consortium. They would've made it the second best airport in the world.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Monday, February 16, 2004
Autumn In New York
Could'nt help watching this movie for the second time. For what ever reasons loved this movie .. though it doesnt end in a happy note. Loved Winona Ryder .. man she just looks awesome .. and her xpressions are so natural and adorable. Am not able to find the appropriate metaphor to describe her :). I mean I didnt feel like drooling over her but just that sheer beauty coupled with her flow of dialogues kept me glued to the movie. I have never had this liking for 'anyone' in my life. I generally dont watch romantic movies .. but this one was way out of the world. The movie is just about 'love' that blooms between Ryder, a girl in her twenties and Richard Gere a guy in his forties or fifties. A very romantic and a touching movie. I guess the only other romantic movie I've liked is 'French Kiss' ...another post describing Meg Ryan will follow soon :). Guess I tend to like women with short hair .. that prompts me to make a list of the most beautiful women I have come across in the world of films ..
Grace Kelly
Winona Ryder
Meg Ryan
Madhubala
Sharon Stone
Yesterday at the BBC ( Bangalore Bloggers Meet ) all of us were introducing ourselves n I had a difficulty introducing myself as 'questor' .. the nick is kinda difficult to pronounce .. I just thot of cutting it short to say 'Q' .. thnx to Arun ..got the idea from one of his comments box .
Grace Kelly
Winona Ryder
Meg Ryan
Madhubala
Sharon Stone
Yesterday at the BBC ( Bangalore Bloggers Meet ) all of us were introducing ourselves n I had a difficulty introducing myself as 'questor' .. the nick is kinda difficult to pronounce .. I just thot of cutting it short to say 'Q' .. thnx to Arun ..got the idea from one of his comments box .
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Heard that the new honda city gives a mileage of 18 kmpl in city driving conditions. Pheww ! thats a lot better than any of the small cars, forget the sedans. Guys plannin to buy accent, ford ikon etc need to rethink on their strategies. ( Considering the great new looks and the Honda tag ). Another choice to the sedan category is the Maruti Baleno at an ex-showroom price of 5.68 lakhs, its a steal. 94 bhp, 12 kmpl mileage in city combined with the Maruti service should make this a good choice, but for its bulky outdated looks.
Saw LOTR-ROTK last weekend. Some of the breathtaking scenes -
The mountain peaks in and around Minas Tirith bieng lit up by the log fires.
The army of orcs marching from Mordor.
The army of the dead emerging from the ships led by Aragorn.
The battle scene at Minas Tirith.
These scenes coupled with Jackson's direction compel me to watch the movie again and again :). Wish I was in some place like Germany to view the Trilogy at a strech. Its no wonder that this movie won 11 oscar nominations.
Was having a discussion with a volvo top-notch exec (who happens to be a distant uncle of mine). Got a lot of insight into the automobile industry and the practices followed there. Want to visit the Volvo plant once.
Want to venture into fashion photography (just for the heck of it ) .. to see how those dusky models in their true avtars, is it only makeup and the camera that does the magic or is there something else to it ?. Spoke to a not so famous upcoming fashion designer in the city and she didnt have a clue as to where/when/how to start. Looking for better avenues.
Saw LOTR-ROTK last weekend. Some of the breathtaking scenes -
The mountain peaks in and around Minas Tirith bieng lit up by the log fires.
The army of orcs marching from Mordor.
The army of the dead emerging from the ships led by Aragorn.
The battle scene at Minas Tirith.
These scenes coupled with Jackson's direction compel me to watch the movie again and again :). Wish I was in some place like Germany to view the Trilogy at a strech. Its no wonder that this movie won 11 oscar nominations.
Was having a discussion with a volvo top-notch exec (who happens to be a distant uncle of mine). Got a lot of insight into the automobile industry and the practices followed there. Want to visit the Volvo plant once.
Want to venture into fashion photography (just for the heck of it ) .. to see how those dusky models in their true avtars, is it only makeup and the camera that does the magic or is there something else to it ?. Spoke to a not so famous upcoming fashion designer in the city and she didnt have a clue as to where/when/how to start. Looking for better avenues.
Sunday, February 08, 2004
India Shining
This is BJP's 'punchline' to get into power for the next 5 years atleast. Apparently the CEC (Chief Election Commisioner ) considers that BJP is using the media at the cost of the taxpayers. This propoganda has costed the BJP a whoophing 200 crores, spent mainly on the print ads. So why has the CEC woken up now ? It is a well known fact that political parties spend crores of rupees on ad campaigns during elections. Y target only the BJP or the NDA ?
As per the latest statistics by the NCAER in the past 5 - 6 years, rural buying power has shot up by more than 20%. It is estimated that by 2006-2007 there will be around 200 million white goods buyers from the rural sector and 240 million potential white goods buyers from this sector. That will be more than the combined population of the European Union. Phew !!. ITC, the cigarette major is setting up 'rural malls' which will sell every possible FMCG item. The malls are suppposed to come up first in Madhya Pradesh, mainly on the country side. India will be one of the biggest markets for consumer goods by 2010 surpassing the EU.
p.s: The data presented here is to the best of my recollection. For details pls grab the latest issue of outlook.
Tata motors are foraying into the heavy duty vehicles market in India, in which Volvo is a major player. They have supposedly publicised their entire strategy for this segment and they expect to bring about a prototype by 2007. Its like telling the competition, 'by 2007 if you dont gear up with something, by 2020 you will not even have market presence, forget being a competition'. The greatest thing I like about this company is their vision. When Tata Motors forayed into the passenger car segment with an indigeneously built car, the whole industry laughed at them. Ratan Tata was made a mockery. Today this man has proved everyone wrong. He is again going to prove everyone wrong by launching the cheapest Indian car for Rs 1 lakh. He will prove everyone wrong by bieng a success in the European markets with the Indica variant called Rover, by bringing the first hybrid engine to the Indian passenger car market. He will be India's answer to the big three in Detroit (Ford, GM and Chrysler, if not today or tomorrow definitely some day he will be.
As per the latest statistics by the NCAER in the past 5 - 6 years, rural buying power has shot up by more than 20%. It is estimated that by 2006-2007 there will be around 200 million white goods buyers from the rural sector and 240 million potential white goods buyers from this sector. That will be more than the combined population of the European Union. Phew !!. ITC, the cigarette major is setting up 'rural malls' which will sell every possible FMCG item. The malls are suppposed to come up first in Madhya Pradesh, mainly on the country side. India will be one of the biggest markets for consumer goods by 2010 surpassing the EU.
p.s: The data presented here is to the best of my recollection. For details pls grab the latest issue of outlook.
Tata motors are foraying into the heavy duty vehicles market in India, in which Volvo is a major player. They have supposedly publicised their entire strategy for this segment and they expect to bring about a prototype by 2007. Its like telling the competition, 'by 2007 if you dont gear up with something, by 2020 you will not even have market presence, forget being a competition'. The greatest thing I like about this company is their vision. When Tata Motors forayed into the passenger car segment with an indigeneously built car, the whole industry laughed at them. Ratan Tata was made a mockery. Today this man has proved everyone wrong. He is again going to prove everyone wrong by launching the cheapest Indian car for Rs 1 lakh. He will prove everyone wrong by bieng a success in the European markets with the Indica variant called Rover, by bringing the first hybrid engine to the Indian passenger car market. He will be India's answer to the big three in Detroit (Ford, GM and Chrysler, if not today or tomorrow definitely some day he will be.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
Heres a pic of Lake Avalanche, a reservoir around 40 kms from ooty. Could not link the pic directly, so bear with me for those extra 'mouse clicks' :)
Had posted a question a few months back and just for the kicks posting it again :)
Is Love driven by Lust or Lust driven by Love ?
Also ppol in B'lore, jam up for the Bangalore blogger's meet
Had posted a question a few months back and just for the kicks posting it again :)
Is Love driven by Lust or Lust driven by Love ?
Also ppol in B'lore, jam up for the Bangalore blogger's meet
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Hampi, Vijaynagar Empire - The Rise And Fall - VOL III
The Origins:
In the beggining of the 14th century, around 1311 A.D, two young soldiers were taken prisoners from the central part of India (somewhere between Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh ) by the Moghuls. Forcefully converted to islam by the Moghuls and tortured heavily ( apparently for not surrendering to their regime ), these soldiers manage to escape from the Moghuls and head down south to seek refuge. Down south, they meet sage Vidyaranya who is desperate to establish a Hindu stronghold in order to protect the culture and to avoid the invasion of Moghuls down south. Vidyaranya, after learning the full story of these two soldiers, will have them reconverted to hinduism and appeal them to lay the foundations for a new Hindu empire. They selected the central parts of karnataka ( owing to the protection by the sarrounding hills ) to establish the empire. So in 1336, these two soldiers laid the foundations for the vijaynagar empire with Hampi as their capital. They were none other than Harihara and Bukka. They belonged to the Sangama dynasty. Hampi was typically ruled by Jains. Harihara and Bukka have supposedly requested the jains to move to the present day Bylakuppe region. After the jains moved out the empire was established and various dynasties ruled this region for over two centuries. Sangama, Saluva, Thuluva and Aravidu were the dynasties that ruled here.
The intentions of the Vijaynagar kings and their attitudes are not yet very clear. Some historians are of the opinion that the Vijaynagar kings were a lot more benevolent compared to their Bahamani counterparts. They had adopted the islam style in their architectures and had contacts with Persia. Abdul Razzaq was a very famous poet/traveller in the courts of Krishnadevaraya. Some other Historians write about the atrocities committed by the Vijaynagar kings over the Bahamani sultans. In one of the books it is written that hundreds of mosques were ransacked and women were humiliated and raped in front of their kith and kin. There has been no historical evidence to prove it, but the mere grudgery and the hatred that developed in the Bahamani rulers kind of answers about these atrocities.
Whatever be the reason, the empire was founded on the basis of vengeance, vengeance against the invading Moghuls and till today nothing that has born out of vengeance has survived. Vijaynagar and Bahamani empires were no exceptions. The glory of both the kingdoms were lost and the British took over. The British rule is well written and explained in the Indian history. Their rule also didnt last for long. Ultimately they had to give into Ahimsa, non-violence and love.
In the beggining of the 14th century, around 1311 A.D, two young soldiers were taken prisoners from the central part of India (somewhere between Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh ) by the Moghuls. Forcefully converted to islam by the Moghuls and tortured heavily ( apparently for not surrendering to their regime ), these soldiers manage to escape from the Moghuls and head down south to seek refuge. Down south, they meet sage Vidyaranya who is desperate to establish a Hindu stronghold in order to protect the culture and to avoid the invasion of Moghuls down south. Vidyaranya, after learning the full story of these two soldiers, will have them reconverted to hinduism and appeal them to lay the foundations for a new Hindu empire. They selected the central parts of karnataka ( owing to the protection by the sarrounding hills ) to establish the empire. So in 1336, these two soldiers laid the foundations for the vijaynagar empire with Hampi as their capital. They were none other than Harihara and Bukka. They belonged to the Sangama dynasty. Hampi was typically ruled by Jains. Harihara and Bukka have supposedly requested the jains to move to the present day Bylakuppe region. After the jains moved out the empire was established and various dynasties ruled this region for over two centuries. Sangama, Saluva, Thuluva and Aravidu were the dynasties that ruled here.
The intentions of the Vijaynagar kings and their attitudes are not yet very clear. Some historians are of the opinion that the Vijaynagar kings were a lot more benevolent compared to their Bahamani counterparts. They had adopted the islam style in their architectures and had contacts with Persia. Abdul Razzaq was a very famous poet/traveller in the courts of Krishnadevaraya. Some other Historians write about the atrocities committed by the Vijaynagar kings over the Bahamani sultans. In one of the books it is written that hundreds of mosques were ransacked and women were humiliated and raped in front of their kith and kin. There has been no historical evidence to prove it, but the mere grudgery and the hatred that developed in the Bahamani rulers kind of answers about these atrocities.
Whatever be the reason, the empire was founded on the basis of vengeance, vengeance against the invading Moghuls and till today nothing that has born out of vengeance has survived. Vijaynagar and Bahamani empires were no exceptions. The glory of both the kingdoms were lost and the British took over. The British rule is well written and explained in the Indian history. Their rule also didnt last for long. Ultimately they had to give into Ahimsa, non-violence and love.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Height of virus attack
Got a mail today with an exe as an attachment. Here it goes
Sender : security@microsoft.com
Subject : 'Use this patch immediately'
Attachment : patch.exe
Content : Dear friend , use this Internet Explorer patch now!
There are dangerous virus in the Internet now!
More than 500.000 already infected!
duhhh.. a virus infected email coming with the sender as 'security@microsoft.com' .. for a moment I was baffled ... Kudos to the creator of this virus ... :D
pssttt .. the mail comes addressed to the official group aliases and not individual mail ids... all the more reason to click on the attachment :D
Sender : security@microsoft.com
Subject : 'Use this patch immediately'
Attachment : patch.exe
Content : Dear friend , use this Internet Explorer patch now!
There are dangerous virus in the Internet now!
More than 500.000 already infected!
duhhh.. a virus infected email coming with the sender as 'security@microsoft.com' .. for a moment I was baffled ... Kudos to the creator of this virus ... :D
pssttt .. the mail comes addressed to the official group aliases and not individual mail ids... all the more reason to click on the attachment :D
Republic Day
On every other 'day', for instance on a new year, 'Valentine's day', 'Friendship day', 'Boss' day' etc etc there will be flashing messages on cell phones, happy this day, happy that day and some ppol who are freakin jobless come up with some snazzy slogans (which by default are crappy). However on the 26th of January, nothing of that sort happened. I got only one msg on my cell phone (the dude who sent this must be a real patriot ). Sometimes I question why this distinction ? Dont the Indian greeting card companies see a 'booming business opportunity' in celebrating Republic day and the like. Why dont people distribute cards ? why dont people get together and have a party ? Arent we supposed to have fun for becoming a republic nation? arent we supposed to have fun on a day when the constitution was framed ? All that matters for us is that 'one more holiday' and that too for us working folks 'a holiday on a monday, lets chilll'. May be in the defence world, parties are hosted and there is that spirit of patriotism but what about the rest of us? I was prompted to write this after seeing a commercial on doordarshan in which a one legged man, stands on his crutches in attention when he hears the national anthem.
As a school going kid, republic day and independence days were such happy occasions for us. I would polish my shoes, wash and press my white clothes, go for a hair cut and on the day would be so happy to participate in the parade, compete in the lectures and what not. Now that spirit is gone, its all diminished. Republic day is just any other holiday.
As a school going kid, republic day and independence days were such happy occasions for us. I would polish my shoes, wash and press my white clothes, go for a hair cut and on the day would be so happy to participate in the parade, compete in the lectures and what not. Now that spirit is gone, its all diminished. Republic day is just any other holiday.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
SLR Photography, First attempt
URL : River Terns
Equipment : Nikon F65 with 28-80 AF Nikkor lens. ( Borrowed )
Location : Ranganthittu, a bird sanctuary in Karnataka.
Equipment : Nikon F65 with 28-80 AF Nikkor lens. ( Borrowed )
Location : Ranganthittu, a bird sanctuary in Karnataka.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Speed
No am not talking about the Keanu Reaves movie, its about a train. According to this article, Transrapid international, a German company has developed the world's fastest maglev train which attains a top speed of 501 km/h. The test was done in none other than our neighbouring rival economy, the mainland China. I hope someone from the Indian Railways is aware of this news :D.
On the other hand it is rumoured that a railway tunnel will be constructed between New York and London under the ocean bed by 2020. No clue as to the name of the company or whether its backed by the two governments. Is it a big deal ??? It is, cos trains in this tunnel will travel at speeds of 1000 mph.
On the other hand it is rumoured that a railway tunnel will be constructed between New York and London under the ocean bed by 2020. No clue as to the name of the company or whether its backed by the two governments. Is it a big deal ??? It is, cos trains in this tunnel will travel at speeds of 1000 mph.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Hampi, Vijaynagar Empire, The Rise and Fall - Vol II
1509 to 1530 A.D - The Reign Of Krishnadevaraya :
Aptly termed 'the golden age of the vijaynagar empire', the regime of Krishnadevaraya took vijaynagar to the pinnacle of its glory. His victorious campaigns over the southern states of the present mysore, tamilnadu and kerala were a proof of his abilities. His kingdom extended from kanyakumari till orissa. So powerful was he, that when he won over kalinga, the king of orissa offered his daughter in marriage to the king. His vicotorious campaigns troubled the Bahamani kings as he marched towards Raichur. After the fall of raichur, the Bahamani kingdom was reduced to the states of Bidar, Gulbarga and Bijapur.
Krishnadevaraya was a connoisseur of art and literature. Bieng a poet himself, he had composed several works which were eventually lost in Hampi. His palace had eight renowned poets like Allasani Peddanna and Tenali Ramakrishna who were held in high esteem by the king. Beautiful temples were consturcted. Importance was given for all forms of art. In fact in the ruins we can still see some persian styles and Jain architectures employed in the construction of some of the temples and palaces. A very benevolent ruler but at the same time highly ruthless to his enemies. The reason for the animosity between him and the Bahamani sultans is not yet known. Such was his hatred that when the Sultans requested him to restore Raichur and restore peace, he is supposed to have said 'Let the Sultan come and lick my feet, if his territories have to be restored'. It was this hatred that led to the downfall of the great empire.
History has shown that hatred leads to hatred and war leads to another war. Nothing won out of violence and war is sustainable. The great city of Hampi is a standing example. The hatred between the Bahamanis and the Vijaynagar kings eventually led to the downfall of both the empires. Mosques and temples were ransacked, women were molested, beautiful and artistic sculptures were demolished. Such was the hatred that, the sultans who were busy fighthing amongst themselves united for a common cause, the downfall of the vijaynagar empire. Whenever a proposal for peace was made with the Krishnadevaraya, the proposal was humiliated. The envoys were sent back with insults. This behavior of the king, coupled with the atrocities committed by his predecessors on the Bahamani rulers eventually led to the downfall of the empire.
Speaking about the glory, the richness of Hampi was because of the trading relations the kingdom had with the Europe and Persia. Spices were traded for gold, diamonds and horses. There were some 7000 persian horses in the kingdom. Travellers like Abdur Razzaq and Paes travelled to this kingdom and wrote about its glory. However all this had to come to an end.
Krishnadevaraya, died of smallpox at a young age ( probably mid 30s ). The sultans were waiting in bated breath for his death, and 30 years after his death, they united and masterminded the battle of Talikota. They won the war, ransacked Hampi. It is said that Gol Gumbaz was built with the money ransacked from Hampi. The great empire fell to the hands of the Sultans and Hampi was plundered.
The origin of the empire, the founders and the reason for the birth of the empire in the next and the concluding volume.
Aptly termed 'the golden age of the vijaynagar empire', the regime of Krishnadevaraya took vijaynagar to the pinnacle of its glory. His victorious campaigns over the southern states of the present mysore, tamilnadu and kerala were a proof of his abilities. His kingdom extended from kanyakumari till orissa. So powerful was he, that when he won over kalinga, the king of orissa offered his daughter in marriage to the king. His vicotorious campaigns troubled the Bahamani kings as he marched towards Raichur. After the fall of raichur, the Bahamani kingdom was reduced to the states of Bidar, Gulbarga and Bijapur.
Krishnadevaraya was a connoisseur of art and literature. Bieng a poet himself, he had composed several works which were eventually lost in Hampi. His palace had eight renowned poets like Allasani Peddanna and Tenali Ramakrishna who were held in high esteem by the king. Beautiful temples were consturcted. Importance was given for all forms of art. In fact in the ruins we can still see some persian styles and Jain architectures employed in the construction of some of the temples and palaces. A very benevolent ruler but at the same time highly ruthless to his enemies. The reason for the animosity between him and the Bahamani sultans is not yet known. Such was his hatred that when the Sultans requested him to restore Raichur and restore peace, he is supposed to have said 'Let the Sultan come and lick my feet, if his territories have to be restored'. It was this hatred that led to the downfall of the great empire.
History has shown that hatred leads to hatred and war leads to another war. Nothing won out of violence and war is sustainable. The great city of Hampi is a standing example. The hatred between the Bahamanis and the Vijaynagar kings eventually led to the downfall of both the empires. Mosques and temples were ransacked, women were molested, beautiful and artistic sculptures were demolished. Such was the hatred that, the sultans who were busy fighthing amongst themselves united for a common cause, the downfall of the vijaynagar empire. Whenever a proposal for peace was made with the Krishnadevaraya, the proposal was humiliated. The envoys were sent back with insults. This behavior of the king, coupled with the atrocities committed by his predecessors on the Bahamani rulers eventually led to the downfall of the empire.
Speaking about the glory, the richness of Hampi was because of the trading relations the kingdom had with the Europe and Persia. Spices were traded for gold, diamonds and horses. There were some 7000 persian horses in the kingdom. Travellers like Abdur Razzaq and Paes travelled to this kingdom and wrote about its glory. However all this had to come to an end.
Krishnadevaraya, died of smallpox at a young age ( probably mid 30s ). The sultans were waiting in bated breath for his death, and 30 years after his death, they united and masterminded the battle of Talikota. They won the war, ransacked Hampi. It is said that Gol Gumbaz was built with the money ransacked from Hampi. The great empire fell to the hands of the Sultans and Hampi was plundered.
The origin of the empire, the founders and the reason for the birth of the empire in the next and the concluding volume.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Hampi, Vijaynagar Empire, The Rise and Fall - VOL I
I happened to visit the ruins of Hampi yesterday. The visit prompted me to write about the erstwhile city, the kingdom which flourished there and its downfall. First a brief account of the visit and then the flashback, filmi style :).
We reached Hampi yesterday at around 8 am in the morning. ( Previous night stayed in Hospet, a nearby town ). Assisted by a guide and started going around the place. First we visited the Virupaksha temple. This is the only temple where people worship the Lord. In all the other temples, the idols are desecrated and I believe, according to hinduism a desecrated idol is not supposed to be worshipped and it cannot be re-made into it's original form also. So its as good as a museum piece. Then we visited Kadalekalu Ganesha - an 18 ft stone idol of Lord Ganesha, Lord Narasimha, Jalakantheshawara, Lotus Mahal, the queen's palace, Elephant's stable and the Mahanami Dibba ( A stage for dancers ) ( all of these are in ruins , only the foundations can be seen and no buildings ) and finally the archeological museum. It took us nearly 4 hours to complete the visit. Came back to Hospet, had lunch and left for Bangalore at 2 pm. As I sat in the car, my mind was flooded with numerous thoughts about the ruins. I had picked up a book and as I sat reading that book, found answers to most of the questions I had. As I write, the first thought that came up to my mind was to write the fall, or the rise of the empire first. In history I always remember reading the rise of an empire first and then its fall. Its quite methodical and boring for many. So I begin in the reverse chronological order:
1565 A.D , The Battle Of Talikota :
On the banks of the mighty Tunga-Bhadra, on January 6th the combined forces of Bahamani rulers led by Ibrahim Adil Shah, attack the might of the Vijaynagar empire led by Rama Raja, the son-in-law of Krishna Deva Raya(He was 90 years old then). Rama Raja's army ( as given in the book Hampi Ruins by A.W. LongHurst ) consisted of 300,000 men and 10,000 horses. Ibrahim Adil Shah did not have such a big force but he was aided by guns and canons which wrecked havoc in the vijaynagar army. Rama Raja was slain in the battle and the Bahamani forces advanced towards Hampi, the capital. Some men from the battlefield, came to Hampi with the news. People had no option but to vacate the city. They gathered whatever they could, gold, diamonds, utensils etc and fled with 500 elephants to the city of Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh before Adil Shah could reach Hampi. Longhurst says, the items they took along were valued at 100 million sterling in those days. Later Adil Shah and his forces stormed the city of Hampi and thus began the plundering. For weeks they ransacked the temples and the city. All the idols were broken. palaces were burnt. Gold and diamonds were looted. It is said that one of the palaces took 15 days to burn down completely. The whole city was in left in a rubble. Later Adil Shah marched onto Andhra pradesh and by the early 1600s Andhra also fell into the Bahamani hands. The vijaynagar kings later sought asylum with the kings of Srirangapatnam. In 1700s Srirangapatnam fell into the hands of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and thus ended the regime of Vijaynagar. The Battle Of TaliKota stands as one of the fiercest battles ever fought in the history of India. One Italian author says, 'so fierce was the battle that the river Thunga-Bhadra flowed red with the blood of the slain soldiers'. The might of Vijaynagar thus fell to the hands of the Bahamani Supremacy.
What was the reason for such a fierce battle, such hatred that the whole city of Hampi was plundered and its richness looted. Was it hatred for religion ? culture ? animosity for the hindus ?
... to be contd
We reached Hampi yesterday at around 8 am in the morning. ( Previous night stayed in Hospet, a nearby town ). Assisted by a guide and started going around the place. First we visited the Virupaksha temple. This is the only temple where people worship the Lord. In all the other temples, the idols are desecrated and I believe, according to hinduism a desecrated idol is not supposed to be worshipped and it cannot be re-made into it's original form also. So its as good as a museum piece. Then we visited Kadalekalu Ganesha - an 18 ft stone idol of Lord Ganesha, Lord Narasimha, Jalakantheshawara, Lotus Mahal, the queen's palace, Elephant's stable and the Mahanami Dibba ( A stage for dancers ) ( all of these are in ruins , only the foundations can be seen and no buildings ) and finally the archeological museum. It took us nearly 4 hours to complete the visit. Came back to Hospet, had lunch and left for Bangalore at 2 pm. As I sat in the car, my mind was flooded with numerous thoughts about the ruins. I had picked up a book and as I sat reading that book, found answers to most of the questions I had. As I write, the first thought that came up to my mind was to write the fall, or the rise of the empire first. In history I always remember reading the rise of an empire first and then its fall. Its quite methodical and boring for many. So I begin in the reverse chronological order:
1565 A.D , The Battle Of Talikota :
On the banks of the mighty Tunga-Bhadra, on January 6th the combined forces of Bahamani rulers led by Ibrahim Adil Shah, attack the might of the Vijaynagar empire led by Rama Raja, the son-in-law of Krishna Deva Raya(He was 90 years old then). Rama Raja's army ( as given in the book Hampi Ruins by A.W. LongHurst ) consisted of 300,000 men and 10,000 horses. Ibrahim Adil Shah did not have such a big force but he was aided by guns and canons which wrecked havoc in the vijaynagar army. Rama Raja was slain in the battle and the Bahamani forces advanced towards Hampi, the capital. Some men from the battlefield, came to Hampi with the news. People had no option but to vacate the city. They gathered whatever they could, gold, diamonds, utensils etc and fled with 500 elephants to the city of Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh before Adil Shah could reach Hampi. Longhurst says, the items they took along were valued at 100 million sterling in those days. Later Adil Shah and his forces stormed the city of Hampi and thus began the plundering. For weeks they ransacked the temples and the city. All the idols were broken. palaces were burnt. Gold and diamonds were looted. It is said that one of the palaces took 15 days to burn down completely. The whole city was in left in a rubble. Later Adil Shah marched onto Andhra pradesh and by the early 1600s Andhra also fell into the Bahamani hands. The vijaynagar kings later sought asylum with the kings of Srirangapatnam. In 1700s Srirangapatnam fell into the hands of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and thus ended the regime of Vijaynagar. The Battle Of TaliKota stands as one of the fiercest battles ever fought in the history of India. One Italian author says, 'so fierce was the battle that the river Thunga-Bhadra flowed red with the blood of the slain soldiers'. The might of Vijaynagar thus fell to the hands of the Bahamani Supremacy.
What was the reason for such a fierce battle, such hatred that the whole city of Hampi was plundered and its richness looted. Was it hatred for religion ? culture ? animosity for the hindus ?
... to be contd
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Stupidity
Something happened while trying to connect to one of our comps .. here it goes
I Enter : < connection command >
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
I Enter :y
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
I Enter :y
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
I Enter:y ( slightly losing my patience )
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
Me wonders for sometime ... n then it strikes ... ohh.....
I Enter:yes
Response : Authenticated !!
Pheeww !! tht was some stupidity aint it ? Typing 'y' when the screen asks u for 'yes/no' :D
I Enter : < connection command >
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
I Enter :y
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
I Enter :y
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
I Enter:y ( slightly losing my patience )
Response : < some blah blah blah > Do you wish to continue yes/no ?
Me wonders for sometime ... n then it strikes ... ohh.....
I Enter:yes
Response : Authenticated !!
Pheeww !! tht was some stupidity aint it ? Typing 'y' when the screen asks u for 'yes/no' :D
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
India Down Under ... The test series
Am not a die hard cricket fan. But this test series had me glued to the television and the online score cards. I had a highly jaded perspective of the Indian team, which was plagued by politics and money. From the beggining I was damn sure that Indians would be wiped out with the bowling attack of Lee and Gillespie. Our team proved it wrong. They proved that they can play without the might of Tendulkar. They literally thrashed the Aussie bowling attack. Commendable performance. The men who drew the attention in this series :
Rahul Dravid : Undoubtedly, regained his position as one of the best test batsmen in the world in the ranks of Ponting and Lara. Extremely stylish batsman. His strokes were a feast to the eyes. He lived up to that Hutch ad :). He stood undettered, when the team needed him the most, played a higly responsible innings every match. No doubt, he was the Man of the Series.
VVS Laxman : I had no appreciation for this man, before this series began. He was just an item of mockery in all our discussions, but what a turn around he did for the team. Absolutely mind blowing strokes all across the stadium, esp in the Sydney Test. Not a single irresponsible stroke, fantastic batting. Geoffrey says, "when u face a bowler bowling at 140 kmph and just slice the ball to the boundary with the least possible effort, do u expect the bowler not to be demoralised'. Thats what Laxman did, pure timing and accuracy were the key to his success.
Irfan Pathan : That yorker to Adam Gilchrist, in the Sydney test just explains the talent of this young man. This young bowler, won the accolades of every commentator in the final test. Deliveries of perfect line and length. His style is very similar to that of Akram. A talented young bowler who needs to mature a bit.
Ricky Ponting : One of the most respected players in test cricket. 2 double centuries to his credit in this series, he is simply an adorable player. Playing in absolute style and stamina, he ripped the Indian bowling attack. Some of his on-side shots were mind blowing. He proved his ability to take on the team leadership from Steve Waugh.
Steve Waugh : Need I say something about this guy. The 'ice cool' guy as he is fondly called, lived upto his name. Though he didnt play a great innings throughout, his final innings at SCG was a class of its own. Any loose delivery will be sent to the fence. Apparently sunny said that was bcause of the bad field setting by Ganguly . C'mon thats bieng pessimistic. The respect the cricketing world has for this man is awesome. Very touching moments in cricket as he bid adeiu, and each and every cricketer who went to the podium had words of praise for him.
The camraderie shown by both the teams were awesome. Lee apologizing to Dravid for that bouncer, Lee congratulating Tendulkar for his double century, Ponting bieng congratulated by Indians on reaching his double century, Langer taking a catch in the slip and declaring it not out as it had hit the ground, these were some of the incidents that showed the respect both the teams had for each other. The final test was somehow marred by bad umpiring. Keeping that aside, it was a fantastic test series, although it ended in a draw. One of the most memorable cricket series in my life.
Rahul Dravid : Undoubtedly, regained his position as one of the best test batsmen in the world in the ranks of Ponting and Lara. Extremely stylish batsman. His strokes were a feast to the eyes. He lived up to that Hutch ad :). He stood undettered, when the team needed him the most, played a higly responsible innings every match. No doubt, he was the Man of the Series.
VVS Laxman : I had no appreciation for this man, before this series began. He was just an item of mockery in all our discussions, but what a turn around he did for the team. Absolutely mind blowing strokes all across the stadium, esp in the Sydney Test. Not a single irresponsible stroke, fantastic batting. Geoffrey says, "when u face a bowler bowling at 140 kmph and just slice the ball to the boundary with the least possible effort, do u expect the bowler not to be demoralised'. Thats what Laxman did, pure timing and accuracy were the key to his success.
Irfan Pathan : That yorker to Adam Gilchrist, in the Sydney test just explains the talent of this young man. This young bowler, won the accolades of every commentator in the final test. Deliveries of perfect line and length. His style is very similar to that of Akram. A talented young bowler who needs to mature a bit.
Ricky Ponting : One of the most respected players in test cricket. 2 double centuries to his credit in this series, he is simply an adorable player. Playing in absolute style and stamina, he ripped the Indian bowling attack. Some of his on-side shots were mind blowing. He proved his ability to take on the team leadership from Steve Waugh.
Steve Waugh : Need I say something about this guy. The 'ice cool' guy as he is fondly called, lived upto his name. Though he didnt play a great innings throughout, his final innings at SCG was a class of its own. Any loose delivery will be sent to the fence. Apparently sunny said that was bcause of the bad field setting by Ganguly . C'mon thats bieng pessimistic. The respect the cricketing world has for this man is awesome. Very touching moments in cricket as he bid adeiu, and each and every cricketer who went to the podium had words of praise for him.
The camraderie shown by both the teams were awesome. Lee apologizing to Dravid for that bouncer, Lee congratulating Tendulkar for his double century, Ponting bieng congratulated by Indians on reaching his double century, Langer taking a catch in the slip and declaring it not out as it had hit the ground, these were some of the incidents that showed the respect both the teams had for each other. The final test was somehow marred by bad umpiring. Keeping that aside, it was a fantastic test series, although it ended in a draw. One of the most memorable cricket series in my life.
Monday, January 05, 2004
Cribbbb...
This is something that I've noticed over the past few months and thought over it a lot last nite. What's friendship all about ? Sharing thoughts ? I think so. During this thought sharing process, if we discover that some of our thoughts match with those of the other person/people we tend to develop a liking for that 'group'. I used to be in such a 'group' and slowly that group is diminishing. What I cannot understand is .. 2 years back every member of that group liked to be there, meet up regularly, everyone wanted to share ideas do this, do that, it was fun. Now it looks like all that was a farce. It looks as if people were part of that group just for the heck of bieng there without any other alternatives, and now when they ve found the greener pastures of life (like marriage, getting into a better position at work or wotever) they ve just said 'to hell' to the rest of us so called friends, me in particular. This has been the case with most of my friends. I sometimes feel, am I so bad ? I dont know whether to term it as good or bad, but this attitude of people kinda hurts. Looks as if people talk to you and share their ideas just because they dont have anyone else to do so. When they find that 'someone else' or some other means of venting out their thoughts, they just forget about you. In essence people dont seem to have any 'gratitude'. Such behavior of my friends hardly affects me but sometimes, I tend to think about these things. I did some introspection and to the best of my thoughts, all I could decide is am gonna be there for whoever has listened to me or shown some care about me or tried to solve my problems or been with me during my days of crisis (In the very true sense ). Am gonna listen to them whereever I am, however I am (barring some time zone differences ), n do my level best to comfort them. At the same time, I wont give a damn for anyone who's had a ungrateful attitude towards me ( irrespective of the circumstances) and been the source of any trouble in my life. Realized about a lot of mistakes I did in the past 2 years, and I feel its time now to get back, take on that baton and turn things around. Sounds selfish, revengeful .. yes of course .. me no Gautham Buddha plz :)
Friday, January 02, 2004
New year, i-bar, dance, scotch, champagne ..
is just the perfect way to describe the ushering of the new year 2004. I-BAR, a small disc/bar/pub in the heart of B'lore was the chosen venue for the celebrations. Entering the place at arnd 9.30, we jus felt cosy on the bean bags .. n they the liquor poured. Till then I could see the place thronged by some of the best dressed women in town (quite obviously with their respective guys ). The music was like .. duhh .. "ya ya ya coco jombo ya ya ye" ... :) gimme a break guys .. that was a happenin number in the last century .. I guess someone went n swore at the DJ or I donno wot happnd .. by 10.30 - some ppol started sashaying to the dance floor .. n me siezed the oppportunity ( by then already was a bit high with scotch ) .. the music started blendin then .. n I was jus closin my eyes .. gyratin in all possible means , sometimes tripping, sometimes falling, somehow managing to do some itsy bitsy dance steps, finally someone started the countdown, someone shouted happy new year ... the clock had struck 12 .. I opened my eyes n then realized I ws the only single guy in the dance floor amidst some 100 or so couples .. :D who cares .. went wished my friends... gulped more of scotch followed by some cocktails, some champagne .. got back 2 the dance floor .. danced, danced and danced .. in between had more drinks .. rested for sometime .. then some girl walks up 2 me n says "dude, that ws some dancin, u fell on me a lot of times" .. me jus looked at her .. n said 'am drunk' (as if she could'nt make that out) .. some guy told me "pal there r two girls out there .. grab em" me said "I don care" ... finally at 2.30 the lights turned on .. n the party was over .. oopph .. one of the most memorable parties I've ever had .. I was just lost with the music .. by the time I went to my car it was 4 .. I jus slept in my car ..didnt want to risk driving .. 6 am woke up said gud bye to my friends .. reached home arnd 6.30 ...
yesterday bieng a holiday, jus slept n slept n ate (giving some rest to my ailing neck and thighs ).. and today came 2 work. Fortunately work meant just checking a few emails :). How I wish the whole year is just like this :).
yesterday bieng a holiday, jus slept n slept n ate (giving some rest to my ailing neck and thighs ).. and today came 2 work. Fortunately work meant just checking a few emails :). How I wish the whole year is just like this :).
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