MY SOUP

To choose or not to choose!

2011-03-07T09:00:00.002+05:30

After a long day at work, I feel lethargic and lazy. I wonder what is it that would jolt me into my normal hyperactive self . The decision making algorithm in my left hemisphere ponders at this critical juncture not able to decide what to do next.

Fortunately, many of the day-to-day choices we make are not as life-threatening, life-changing, reality-shaping, destiny-determining (I tried everything possible to make myself clear :) )

What meals to cook? What to buy when shopping for food or clothes? Which route to take in our travel? But, one very important choice everyone has to make, the biggest one of all is to decide where we want to make a choice or not.

From the moment we wake up in the morning till we retire, we make countless “choices” during the day.

Some people will get up today and do exactly what they did yesterday. Though they hated yesterday as much as they hated today. And the common defense being “I have no choice.”

We always have choices.

If not always with what happens… we can always choose how we respond, react, cope.

What we do. And don’t do.

Settle for the cards I’ve been dealt with (by my own previous actions more often than not). Are you kidding me? Not a chance. Rather try and get a new set of cards. It might not be easy to do but it’s better than sitting around wallowing.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of complacency and take the easy road…The one that leads to nowhere and eventually joins up with itself again. The one where you keep passing that same tree, same compound, same dog and where everything looks all too familiar!!!!

Maybe if more of us realized that changing our outlook was the first choice and most times leads to opportunity, we’d make it more of a priority.

So tomorrow when the alarm goes off, are we going to jump out of the cozy bed or hit the snooze for few more minutes of respite knowing the tradeoffs involved?

Slipped Away

2010-10-30T22:45:00.000+05:30

everything starts to fade
and i'm starting to think things aren't great
world that seemed so tailor made
is actually according to one's fate
so i wake up and feel there is nothing real
it isn't right. it isn't fair
it only drives me crazy, crazy because i care
long ago a faith, lived deep inside my soul
but disillusion clouds my eyes and winter takes it toll
for spring has gone and will not come again
what about my dreams that will still remain?
i wont let them burn
they will have to return
will rise from the ashes and feed on flame
can't give up thinking its end of the game
there is no point in dragging the hours from the clock on the wall
instead balance myself before i fall
not gonna run away but prove what i am
be the best coz i know i can
will find my space and time
and grab all days and make them mine
so what if life is strange
one can always change
can increase or decrease
till one is at ease

buried them all, the feelings that troubled me
gonna face this life and not turn my back to reality!!!

Endure

2010-10-23T11:06:00.000+05:30

Will to conceal the course of dark
Makes one strive for the spark
So I pick the pieces of my past
To keep them till tomorrow last

I pack myself again today
To travel and find a new way
Far away I hear the anthems greet
The only ray of solace sweet

Will catch the moments as they fly
Etch the distant echoing reply
The comfort of my own skin
Surpasses the joy of my biggest win

No fear that I may mispronounce
Fills me with energy to bounce
The delight of this open space
Lies warm within my embrace

It’s to praise this circumstance
Feel humbled to get another chance
Time to break the ties between joy and pain
To rejoice the Life’s scanty moments that remain

Ready to welcome my new day
For there can just be no better way
Thanks to the realisation that hits me at all these times
That I get to venture it in my rhymes

Coldplay

2010-07-21T00:28:00.001+05:30

Invested just to get the raw end of the deal
Embraced false impressions which led to this ordeal
Ladders leaned on the fragile glass
Memories turning into dust as time pass

Blame it on equation or situation
Or let’s say it was actually the foundation
Called out loud just to find
That it echoed within this hollow mind

Loose deck of cards, stared right in the eye
Waiting to be Shuffled but no one wanted to try
Thrill was in building a pyramid and waiting for it to fall
So what if it had no purpose…nothing at all!

Now all days seem the same
No purpose in continuing a lost game
For infinity has its bound
When time stands still…turn around

The "Epic" Browser- India joins the Browser Battle

2010-07-17T21:17:00.000+05:30

Indians have another reason to be proud! The first Indian web browser: Epic.
I have never really paid much attention to the browser I use or ever compared internet explorer to chrome or firefox. I am sure most of us are like that. But in order to celebrate the first Indian browser, I installed it and have been using it ever since and I must say it’s aptly named “Epic".

It’s one of a kind and is surely not a run-of-the-kiln browser. It for sure will appeal the hoi polloi, especially the generation Y. The credit for this great achievement goes to a Bangalore based startup company ‘Hidden Reflex'.

This is surely not a product review as I am not the right person to comment on the claims made but I would like to certainly list what I liked about this browser.

1. I am an Indian and it’s the first ever Indian web Browser 
2. The logo- It has an Indian feel to it. Brilliant!
3. There are tons of applications on its sidebar-including Twitter, Facebook, and other similar services.
4. With just one button, one can access the latest news from several well-known publications.
5. I simply loved the word processor feature.
6. One can watch a video from YouTube in a small window so that other activities can proceed apace.

So one can do tons of things but continue browsing in an uninterrupted manner.
Apart from these there are loads of features which make epic an Epic browser.

It’s an experience, so give it a shot!

EpicBrowser

PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE

2010-05-09T21:38:00.000+05:30

As I entered the auditorium of Alliance Francais 10 mins late for the play, I was delighted to find out that the play had not commenced. So there I was waiting to meet Picasso & Einstein at the Lapin agile.

So I spent my Saturday evening watching “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”. The play was about a fictitious meeting of the young Artist (* Picasso*) and a crazy young scientist (*Einstein*) one night in a French Bar(*Lapin Agile*).

The play revolves around Einstein, Picasso and a few friends at a bar—and this encounter is not only hilarious but clever in the best of ways. In my opinion it should have taken zillion scillion brains to put Picasso and Einstein in the same room and make it as hilarious as this play. This play had a style of its own-not that I have seen many plays but this certainly was different (In a very good sort of way)!

The play very beautifully involved various characters that came into the bar and their relationship with respect to time as well as to each other. The geniuses of science, art, and music (Elvis : The visitor from the future) reflected on the quirks of the 20th century with insight, intelligence and wit.

The dialogues were very fast paced and the entire play was filled with action from the opening line itself. There were lots of levels of humor so everyone could possibly relate to it but actual wit and humor could only be emphasized by the close attention to details. The costumes were absolutely apt with amazing sound & visual effects but what added charm to this play was a terrific cast. Everyone embraced each character just perfectly and flawlessly.

What was slight disappointing was the place- it was small though in an intimate kind of way, as it brought the audience closer to the action on the stage, there were more people than the seats available which made one easily feel cramped. It was unpleasantly hot and was not soundproof as we could hear zhoooo-zheee-zhooo from some nearby construction site.

All in all "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" was quite a complete experience. The discussions focused on various topics such as art, science, fame, love, intelligence, the future and sex. Underneath the jokes there was a serious thread of deep thought. The way Picasso argued that art is the best form of expression, but Einstein believed it to be science was quite thought provoking.

The way history was combined with where we are today was so very profound. The play makes us respect our history as it helps us know how far we have come and how we have amalgamated that into our present time

Journey

2010-02-28T23:49:00.000+05:30

These few lines are dedicated to someone really close to my heart.

Looked right into her face
As it came closer to embrace

Came from a World within worlds- it was a friend
For it lead to a bridge beyond the dead end

There was no time that this could prolong
Coz she could hold her breath only for so long

It helped her dive deep into the dream
To retrieve the pearl of the brightest gleam

Was it the end times that are manifest?
Or just the beginning of a new-fangled quest?

As she crossed the river ...for her quiet sanctuary
Leaving the world behind extremely wary

Her voice faded for she was gone
It’s an unrelenting truth that Life moves on

An Experience Called Theatre

2010-02-14T23:28:00.000+05:30

When a part of your life is over, the realization usually comes as a surprise, an after-effect. Here’s the truth of it, in all its bareness: I watched the first play of my life ! (What was I doing all this while in Bangalore? ... I wonder ! )

Met my friend after a real long time in Ranga Shankara over a play today.

Ranga Shankara is not just another auditorium intended to only house plays, it is an experience. Its a state of the art theatre. As one enters the place, one can see a grand foyer with leading staircase which has a Love-at-first sight effect. The place is decorated beautifully with posters and things giving it a very ethnic touch. There is a book shop and a cafe which catches your eye right away. Thus this place serves an edifying purpose even for those who are not so much into theatre, it’s a cultural hub.

As it was my first encounter with theatre, am glad my friend had decided on the play and booked the tickets, so luckily I had nothing to do but to look forward to the play titled “Hedda Gabler”. We were handed a small booklet which had all the details of the group with cast details and credits. It was thoroughly professional.

As we entered the auditorium, it looked like a premier place for a theatre performance. There was free seating which kept us on our toes to grab the best seat. I sat in the centre of the front row , it was as close as it could get to the stage and the actors. And as soon as we settled in our seats , the play started.

There I was in wonderland; it was what I would call the best human art form. Each actor entering the play was a living, breathing character with a completely different personality. There was not a single microphone not that it was required. The voices were reverberating in the auditorium.It was an intense script with all elements of Love, hate, betrayal and jealousy . I had thought of looking up the plot of the play before going but missed it. Everything about the play was superb.

There was a scene towards the end when the actor said his piece looking straight in the centre where i was sitting. He made an eye contact and looking at me he delivered his dialogue. A spine chilling moment that was ! The focal point of the play, Sheebha Chadda who played Hedda did total justice to the role. It was amazing to see how all actors got into the role with great ease and aplomb.

As the play got over and the cast came forward to take a bow, there were tears in Sheeba’s eyes which has left an everlasting effect on my mind. I could not detach my mind for quite some time after the play got over. The fact that Theatre not only has the ability to make us smile, to make us cry, it makes us think and reflect. I had never really thought of theatre or its role in our life before. The fact that it’s a source of entertainment and inspiration and has the ability to unify the many diverse cultures and peoples that exist throughout the world is just superficial. It is more than that and can also provide opportunities to educate and inform.

I left the hall with so many thoughts in my mind.It was truly inspiring and a great promotion of creative excellence. It is one of the most beatiful way I have spent my time and look forward to many more such sensitive experiences.

FIRST ATTEMPT ON CANVAS !

2009-12-20T22:42:00.000+05:30

I made my first Painting on Canvas today and it was out of this world (Have a look and you would agree the creature painted is not remotely close to anything that belongs to this world). I didn’t know that I really enjoy painting this much knowing that i had nothing better to do leave aside enjoyment. Once I finished the painting, I experienced a feeling of accomplishment and I just can’t wait to share this joy with everyone!

Before I even finished the event-Painting, I decided to write a post documenting this experience. This post will take you through the entire Painting with a Twist experience. It is nothing like the real thing but it will give you an idea of what you can look forward too.

I had a lot of fun making this painting. This scene is of ummm.. ermmm...hmmmm...Let me have you guys guessing it first !!

The painting is done from a photo reference, I took a lot of time framing the composition, so it is very close to the painting I tried to copy.
This painting is all about values of colour. I started the painting by using a thin 0.005 brush(Price: Rs. 22/-) soaked in black colour right on the canvas. Then with the same colour, I blocked in my darks. From there I carefully added different colors, and then covered all those colours with black to get it right . As I painted the different shades slowly the painting began to focus and I confess, I once thought about making money too.

The face is small, like three inches high, so tiny brushstrokes yielded big changes…it was pretty tough(Damn tough!). Since it’s on canvas the texture also makes the painting look a little different depending on what angle you look at it, etc, so there was a ton of stepping back, looking in other light, upside down, and the like.

When I finished the painting I got up to take a final look. It was not exactly like the inspirational painting but close enough. If anyone would like more info on my method of using paint, comment me, I'd be glad to describe it.

I developed my guidelines before I become famous as an artist.

1. Don’t ever be embarrassed about your painting.
2. No whining – if it doesn't turn out good, make paintings of Dog! Coz if its not your day,it better be Dog's instead!
3. Don't question other artists as you dont want to be questioned.
4. For all those who do not follow Point No.3, "Only as an aesthetic phenomenon is the world justified.”
5. Abstract paintings are good for health.
6. Never wear your favourite shorts while painting.

All in all am pretty happy with this one…overall the mood and look are what I was going for(Hoping to sound artistic enough)
I've yet to name it however, so if anyone can come up with a good name for this painting, leave me a comment, and I may end up using the best as the actual title.

Mbps sure beats the hell out of kbps

2009-11-26T08:44:00.000+05:30

Thanks to the advancement in the technology, broadband connection is everywhere from Jhumritalaiya to Honolulu.

Yes, I've been Missing In Action, but there was a good reason. Last 10 days I have been at home with my parents in Jammu.There was no Broadband connection at home. So my ISP gave me a dial up connection while they slug it out with the evil broadband connection. Though BSNL is mighty reluctant to do anything that invloves anything remotely close to working, i was glad atleast i had some way even though slow ( trust me even Slow feels fast when i think of my connection) to be connected to the world (so to say :) )

Little did I know what i was in for.It’s funny how quickly we sometimes forget.

The antique dial up sound of my computer's modem dialing into an ISP, the way it screeched and whined its way to some pathetic connection speed felt like centuries have passed since the last time i heard that. The web was no faster than a humble pigeon.The speed was ultra slow to the fact that I had to load Gmail in basic HTML, couldn't open attachments, couldn't cancel my flight ticket (grrrr..how i did it is another story!), check office mails,let alone blogging.

Who knew so much of the interesting parts of my life were tied to a fast connection? While at times it seemed grass grew faster than the throbber on my Firefox.
Eversince the ‘arrival’ of the phenomenon that is known as "High speed Internet", we have become obsessed to some extent with the speed in which it lets us live our lives.
So coming back to the world of 56kbps.The shrill noise did shock me out of my reverie but it did connect me to the internet and I actually managed to get myself online.

Being Connected to the rest of the world at pathetically laughable speeds made me feel like one turtle lying on its back (Cant get slower) unable to move and even if it does not make much difference.

Today as I sit at the airport leaving from home,the wifi connection is a delight!And what is an even bigger treat is that my blog page came whizzing on to my laptop screen which had not happened in the past 10 days.

Although the 10 days of dial-up were painful, the experience has been for me a Useful reminder that not everyone has the luxury of everything.

In between, this however, I managed to tuck in some Yum Mum Food and also snuck in a few round of social visits at home. I feel like a Sumo wrestler already. Though I am actually becoming paranoid about putting things in my mouth.
Let me quickly get myself a snack before my next post…

JUDGE-GRUDGE !

2009-09-29T00:46:00.000+05:30

Dear Enlightened Soul (Judging the mortals around),

I am really grateful to you for showing me the long tunnel and then the darkness inside. I must thank you for sharing your wisdom and understanding me faster than I understand myself. Your common sense mixed with the amazing sixth sense you posses makes me wonder why I went for Engineering coaching classes and not come to you?

I love the way you skillfully preach the masses and get the most intangible out of it. Your dubious reasoning and massively illogical approach towards people never ceases to astonish me of your unearthly intelligence. I used to think that I was part of a small clique of slightly above-average people whom your highness doesn’t care for, but your interest in me has pleasantly surprised me.

When it comes to discussing people, the metamorphoses that you go through is soothingly catastrophic. You are blessed with an opinionated loudmouth and the way you just can't keep your trap shut blows anyone off his/her mind. Nothing is hidden from you, I don’t have to look smart enough or pretty enough or happy enough or funny enough, or keep myself and my feelings hidden. It is your supreme power that judges me despite of what I am!

We all are blessed to be one in your eyes. The way you label us even before knowing us makes us feel so close to you. You show us the mirror which makes us wonder if its really us (Well that ugly?!?!?!?!)

Only with your grace and the judgements that you pass generously morphed in a little too exaggerated form, the meek ones get help to burry themselves in the ground to never come out again. This is just your big heart that cares for people with whom you have no dealings.

So in a sense, you reinforce the average person’s convenient misconceptions (and ignorance) about each other (For the noble cause - Global Warming! ). By dismissing people when you condemn, or oppose, or judge as being vain characters you are enlightening the world with your stunning revelations.

The way your logic stands high with dignity without support of any facts is commendable. I give entire credit to you for making people know more about me than I know myself (With nothing overlapping!)

Every time you fight the evils like common sense, practicality, moral values, rationality, you provide a small yet valuable window of judgement for people to introspect.

I know I have taken your precious time that you would have spent dismissing the unlucky (extremely lucky) person, the thinker; thereby helping my fellow mortals to reaffirm their faith in your judgements.

Thank you for your patient hearing.
Mere Mortal

Twitterism: What are you doing?

2009-09-26T17:18:00.000+05:30

“One could change the world with one hundred and forty characters.” – Jack (Founding Member of Twitter)

I’m not really sure if one can do that but what one can certainly do is let the world know in one hundred and forty characters that world needs a change – All thanks to Twitter!

Twitter’s popularity is gaining impetus of late. Twitter has become one of the most used micro-blogging platform, where in it allows users to interact with friends and strangers called followers (who for some odd reason are very interested in your life). Answer a simple question “what are you doing?” in 140 characters or fewer (Spaces and punctuation marks count too in life!) and have your loyal followers reading your published snippets of conversations and observations.

Every day I read/hear something or the other about Twitter in the newspaper or on TV. With famous people adopting twitter, there is no choice but to speak about it. Special credit goes to the celebrity endorsers like Ashton Kutcher and Oprah for having taken Twitter to the middle of the road. The witty and funny Tweets posted by them have gotten them millions of followers who religiously read every single one of them.

I’d been avoiding it for quite some time now thinking it is just another way of draining time. But after spending almost a day on it and checking out what people typically tweet, I must say it’s unique in its own way. The people who make a regular life’s humdrum details very exciting garner a large audience. The utterance of these details by other people is not the part that fascinated me but the fact that there is phenomenal flow of information and that too real-time.

It was not easy to figure out what’s going on. The little that I figured out of it was that Twitter is what you want it to be. If you look at it as a tool for entertainment- It can be that . If you look at it as a news source- It can be that. If you look at it as a Business/Marketing tool- It can be that. If you look at it as a place to learn- It can be that as well. We have a choice whom to follow and what information to gather. It is simply Staggering!

At the same time what I feel about this new medium of expression is that

# Everyone need not know “What are you doing?” at every second of your life.

# It can drive one crazy. It is nonstop. It is place where everybody 'replies all.'

#The character limit makes one abbreviate. For understanding more on dangers of that Read This ASAP!

# Whether you are a worthy member of Twitter is known by the number of people following you, it’s pretty silly.

#There needs to be a filter between the tweets one is interested to read and the ones shouting an upset stomach!

As with any tool, you have to determine what you want to get out of twitter, and then use it appropriately. It is influential, useful, addictive and very captivating but in the end it’s just another way to dissipate time on Internet.

Music Unplugged

2009-09-06T14:58:00.000+05:30

I can just listen to Music all day long and not get tired. I can write about all genres and groups like Anathema, Poets of the fall, Creed, Oasis,Pink Floyd, Death Cab for cutie, U2, Staind, Nickelback and about loads & loads of other artists and risk losing most of my friends who read my blog.

Yes, I love Music. I sometimes feel I live and breathe music. Music is a language, a universal language that brings people together. And not only people, music lets me connect with myself: my silent and creative side.

We are all so busy spinning our wheels and pushing them along, not realizing that they will soon burn out. So just to prevent work from chewing me up and spitting me out, I immerse myself in music. But the fact is that I am never soaked up enough. There is always more to hear, feel and love.

As defined by wikipedia:

Music is an art form whose medium is sound.

Just the way painting infuses in it the beautiful moment and soothes the eyes, Music soothes the soul by the rhythm, the flow and the theme. Every piece of Music brings with it a feel or vibe, it gives a tingle within, a deja-vu moment of it being a perfection to the feeling once felt.

Take any subject and the plethora of Music that we have splits it into all the ways of seeing it, bringing out all the colours that possibly exist like a Picasso’s painting. So many times I have stayed up till the wee hours of the morning listening to music, tracking down various songs by various artists. Music is something that helps me to get through the day sometimes. It has a tremendous ability to dive deep and break the surface to find something within me that’s an integral part of me.

Music that is played with a certain kind of emotion, whether its soft or loud, is full of passion, even the slightest of mood change is reflected which in no time connects directly to my soul. What still doesn’t cease to amaze me is the fact that everyday there is new to listen to and like. And as the artist sing, they etch the emotions in our memories because of all the passion they put into delivering it.

When I am not listening to Music or singing, am thinking about it which itself is a form of Music. As I cannot finish unless I share some music, so here is my playlist , playing while I’m swimming in the ocean of music on my blog.

1. Outside - Staind
2. Home - Duncan Sheik
3. Sleeping Satellite - Tasmin Archer
4. Fragile Dreams - Anathema
5. Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla
6. Glory Box - Portishead
7. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
8. Grapewine Fires - Death Cab For Cutie
9. 1973 - James Blunt
10. Ordinary - Train
11. The memory will never Die - Default
12. You Oughta know - Alanis Morissette
13. Angels - Robbie Williams
14. Tequila Sunrise - Eagles
15. Foundations - Kate Nash
16. You found Me - Fray
17. Without You - Hinder
18. If I never see your face again - Maroon 5
19. Give me one reason - Tracy Chapman
20. Gotta be somebody - Nickelback

Quick Gun Moron - Mind It , I say !

2009-08-31T01:01:00.000+05:30

The Verdict is out : Quick Gun Murugan is far, far away from being anything funny.

I am hardly a fan of movies but I must say that some movies of late have much to be said about them. Quick Gun Murugan had the honour of being watched by me.

The conversation in the movie was majorly in not-so-alien-yet-alien Tamil language. Tamil helps retain the flavour of the character in the film, but then it’s a language I can’t understand to even save my life. Though there were subtitles of course, it needed more than 90 minutes to get me totally immersed in the movie.

Everything was larger than life, literally blown out of proportion and this illusion is maintained throughout. The characters, with their dress, make up, their language, the picturization, the sound – were superb (All sarcasm Intended)

Oh, what is the movie about, do you ask? It is a spoof about this guy Mr. Quick Gun Murugan, with the most flamboyant style and the most garish outfits ever seen on any hero. Hats off to this gaudily dressed pot bellied Tamil cowboy , an unlikely superhero with a heart of gold (don’t miss the gold heart locket hanging in his neck all the time ) and a tongue that shoots off punchy one-liners sleeker than the reverberating bullets from his gun.

This movie definitely reminded me of Rajnikant as it is based on a cameo done by Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Om Shanti Om’, where he had copied the Tamil Superstar. The fight scenes portray Quick Gun Murugan as a superman, the way he manages to overpower scores of goons at one go is just like Rajnikant.

The story is not difficult to understand. Good versus evil. Quick Gun Murugan- a middle-aged, pot-bellied cowboy out to save the world from non-vegetarianism, takes up the cause of vegetarianism. He’s the dosa-loving superhero who embraces vegetarianism and takes on his arch rival Rice Plate Reddy (Non vegetarian with vegetarian name Rascala ),who wants to make world’s A1 tip top, perfect, non-veg dosas.

There are some of the wackiest names and characters in the movie. Chitragupta for example is a Gujarati man named C Gupta, Rowdy MBA, Mango Dolly to name a few. There’s a McDosa Corporation, there’s an Institute for Coconut Tree Climbing, Well-Known Lodge and the Ministry of Death ( yamlok ) Each personality has their exclusive melodious track which plays when they come in a movie scene. Things like these would be funny in primary school. To give it to the actors, they have really lived up to their exaggerated characters.

The lack of sustaining power in the movie content makes this one and a half hour movie also appear real long.The tone of the film is frustratingly inconsistent, so outrageous that I can’t even laugh at it.

If people say that sometimes we don’t want to use our grey cells while watching movies, this movie challenges every sense of logic one may have. I must say that it takes some sense to come up with entertaining nonsense. I am thinking hard of something that I can say I liked.... I pass.

Reader's Digest

2009-08-23T01:03:00.000+05:30

Reader’s Digest files for bankruptcy. The news shocked me!

Reader’s Digest was one of the best magazines when i was in school. I grew up reading it as we had subscribed to it. I used to read it page by page, not only because i wanted to escape course books but it was very addictive. It was truely a mix of everything . A magazine for all generations, with a collection of real life inspiring stories , humour, tips, word building and much more. Absolutely integral part of the intellectual diet.

Reader's Digest was actually started by husband and wife, William Roy DeWitt Wallace and Lila Acheson, because they wanted to publish a collection of inspirational stories. Inspiration itself was their inspiration !

It was so ful of life, hope, inspiration and lessons which taught a lot about life.. Even the ads put on the effort to give that personal touch to it and not just those commercialized ads we used to see around that period. A magazine with principles.

Laughter the best Medicine was made famous by Reader’s digest . Humour in Uniform and All in a day’s work being my favourite sections had a very witty and intellectual humour. Still remember how i used to be rolling with laughter most of the times and those other times when i used to read the joke twice with straight face to understand what it meant.The word power section had 17 words with 3 options for definition. I used to struggle with that but was a very challenging one. There's always been something so comforting about Reader’s digest, the moment i see it around i feel at home. It tempts one to just grab it at the first opportunity.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, I had forgotten if there was a magazine called Reader's Digest. Though I see an occasional copy lying here and there or at a magazine stall.

It is a sad reality that Readers Digest is a shadow from the past. Now, the Indianized version of the Reader’s digest which started from 2000 is relatively dull. RD has lost its grace and feels like it has traded off its very essence in trying to cope with changing times and perceptions.I stopped reading it years ago. I’m sure I am not the only one. I feel the readers lost interest somewhere along and with the print reader population decreasing at a faster pace with the advance of the online media it is tough to sustain it. With this bancrupcy coming in the picture I guess it wouldn’t be around for long.

Something very tough for Readers to Digest !

Read this ASAP !

2009-08-12T00:08:00.000+05:30

Have you been a victim of a group of letters that are not recognizable and attack your brain for quite some time before you can fight them out?

Yes ? Then you know exactly how I felt today. While I was chatting with my friend today for the first time over the gtalk (Barely managed that during office time), she was a different person. Felt as though a dragon called Lingo had taken over her while she was chatting, had corroded all her words, even the one that was hiding in the farthest corner of the vocabulary section of her brain.

I did manage the first attack...HRU. As she was attacking, I kept fighting all LOL, B4, ROFL , OMG that came my way. But who knew that the happiness was so short-lived.

Friend: CYM

Me: Hmm...What is it ?

Friend: CYM .. u will kno

Me: I don’t know

Friend : check

Me: Check where?

Friend: Have u lost it ?

Me: What are you saying ?

Friend : Meeting time..gtg... b4n... cym

As i decoded the last sentence.. I was still wondering what CYM was. At these times, when i feel less intelligent (Assuming I am a little bit already), i find solace in my only Know It All Friend GOOGLE .

Imagine a reaction after listening or reading something hilarious of one clapping hands, hitting the thigh, throwing one’s head back, eyes watering because of laughing. ROFL is all that it takes to describe it. I must say that this Lingo is clever, informal and saves a lot of time. A few key strokes and one can quickly convey a complex emotion or feeling. But are we missing something very important here?

Though adopting these words is definitely helping us keep pace with the high speed internet interactions. But the beauty of expressing and enriching ones thought in the garland of words can simply not be compared to anything else. We are in this internet world of language where typos are quickly becoming acceptable .I feel this language is highly destructive to conventional grammar. After having the freedom of typing a word in any way one wishes, following the spelling with restrictions, gets tough. These words might appear to be reckless strokes at the keyboard, but these misspelled words are now often spelled intentionally in the wrong way.

The internet has sparked the evolution of a conventional language towards a more efficient and less restrictive style of communication. This compact spelling is making one lose the proficiency in a Language. The authenticity, the beauty of the language is being taken over by a quick, compact, flexible language, with no grammar to confide it.

For all those wondering what CYM stands for, It meant Check your Mail. It was her wedding invitation waiting in my inbox. Lol !

Malgudi Days

2009-08-08T12:23:00.000+05:30

The “Mango People” has become a common status message on Gtalk and facebook (Thanks to Love Aaj Kal !) The “common man” just reminds me of the best known cartoon by India’s greatest ever cartoonist R K Laxman which indeed reminds me of the common man just out of his brother R K Narayan’s fictional city Malgudi.

Malgudi is a metonymy for India. There are so many memories associated with Malgudi Days . The engine-trouble story I read when I was in class 5 I guess. The TV Serial I waited to watch when I was a kid. The title track of Malgudi days with magical flute piece “Ta nana tana na na naaa” is still so fresh in my mind.

Malgudi days, is a series of short stories, based out of Narayan's creation – the town called Malgudi. The peculiar flavour of Narayan's fiction comes from the integrity of his characters, the human tragic-comedy of their struggles for a living, the aptness of the Malgudi locale with its temples, reading room, The boardless Hotel, treadle printing presses, Gaffur's taxi and the railway station.

Each scene brings back an essence that we have almost forgotten in the high-tech world we live in. Values that have shaped us as Indians. Ideals that we seem to have put somewhere at the back of a dusty old room. The characters speak to us in a profound yet simple way. It hides within the simple nothings of life that are everything. Leaving us with an enriching experience. Few of my favourite among the malgudi days are Father’s Help, Engine-Trouble and Swami and his Friends.

In Swami I see our childhood. Everything about it, from beautiful friendships of the childhood days to teacher punishing us, playing with granny, getting scoldings from the father, mom’s delicious food, playing with friends etc.. I still can’t forget one episode in which swami decides that he should skip the school and how he sincerely prays to God that an earthquake should flatten the school building etc.,

In Malgudi we find real people, real places in one harmony of day-to-day existence and eccentricity. Every minor and major character of Narayan's stories fascinates us in its own way. The ordinary is the most extra-ordinary aspect of Narayan’s Malgudi Days. The most interesting things in our life, pass us by unnoticed. These things that we miss out on ultimately shape us and our destinies too. This is what is the soul and charm of Malgudi Days.

Malgudi is a state of mind common to many Indian temperaments, indulgent to both ambition and equanimity, co-existence and co-exclusion. Malgudi Days just takes us to a real place with which we have been as familiar as with our own birth place. Like the streets of childhood, Market Road, the local vendors, the grocery stores etc.. all that we relate to. The simple yet captivating stories, sound like they’re happening to someone you know, the characters are so real, you would imagine them to be someone like your aunt, or your old grandfather.

The spell that it casts on us will certainly outlive us. The message that 'Malgudi Days' conveys represents every human emotion there ever was and every personality there ever will be.

Encounter With An Angel !

2009-08-05T00:44:00.001+05:30

Place: Right in front of the computer

Time: To sleep

Thinking of the little angel who sprung out of nowhere at the traffic signal today. She was not one of those beggars who believe that with all manner of persuasion they can extract any cash at all. This one girl, I would guess was about 6 or 7 years old but the most beautiful child I could imagine. She gazed at me, wearing a tattered shirt, with the tiny hand holding a bunch of light pens(As she called it !), hoping I would buy one of those and make her day. What was special was not the pen with a small button light on it but the sparkle that was there in her eyes shining brighter than any light.

I thought I was inured to this behavior of kids after years of facing them on every red light. But with this girl, something snapped inside me. I could see that her elbow was scraped and that there was no one to caress her. At first impulse I felt like bringing her to my house but then I know how it works. My roomie would have thought something heavy must have fallen on my head when i was a baby to get me into this condition. Just felt that girl’s eyes pierced me through with questions, questions I had no answer for.

Doesn’t she deserve the same care as I got ? Doesn’t she deserve to eat those chocolates I ate when I was her age? Why did she not ride piggy back on her dad? Why did her mother not check if there was blanket drawn up to her ears at 3 in the winter morning? She was as innocent as anybody else and deserved the same love and care.

The sight of that little girl made me feel very small and inconsequential. Felt like i am not doing all that I can. But the question that needed to be asked was whether anything could be done. She was surely not begging, not waiting for me to drop that fateful coin in the tender hand. She was trading, and had an expression of glee , though it looked like she would soon pass out from sheer hunger and exhaustion. And this sight raised so many uncomfortable questions which are still twirling in my head .

Soon, traffic moved again while I was still staring at the girl. She was still hopeful that i would buy one of those light pens. As I digged my wallet, I had enough change to pick a pen, and just about enough time to wait for her to give me the orange pen. I looked back, and she watched me. This time with a bigger smile and a wave of the hand.

I felt beautiful seeing that smile. What I did, did not deserve my statue to be erected all over the place with pigeons dropping their digested breakfasts over my stony head. It just made my day! With the pen lying beside my pillow to see the time in the night (Its a light pen after all !) , brings sheer joy to my heart as i think of her.

I don’t know where she went, and I can’t imagine her life is anything but daily misery. But she had a spirit I hope still lives.

Crossroads

2009-08-04T01:17:00.000+05:30

Another beautiful song by Tracy Chapman called “Crossroads” defining my mood beautifully today. As the day slips quietly and I enjoy its most beautiful hour, listening to my favorite music, letting my fingers unwind my thoughts as they move on the keyboard and contemplating life.

The many signs on the crossroads just overwhelm us. The comfortable road that we have been down before becomes an easy choice. We follow the known. The fear of the road less travelled is tangible and very real. It does manifests in many ways. But at this juncture its just us and us alone. Here are the lyrics of the song :

All you folks think you own my life

But you never made any sacrifice

Demons they are on my trail

Im standing at the crossroads of the hell

I look to the left I look to the right

Therere hands that grab me on every side

All you folks think I got my price

At which Ill sell all that is mine

You think money rules when all else fails

Go sell your soul and keep your shell

Im trying to protect what I keep inside

All the reasons why I live my life

Some say the devil be a mystical thing

I say the devil he a walking man

He a fool he a liar conjurer and a thief

He try to tell you what you want

Try to tell you what you need

Standing at the point

The road it cross you down

What is at your back

Which way do you turn

Who will come to find you first

Your devils or your gods

All you folks think you run my life

Say I should be willing to compromise

I say all you demons go back to hell

Ill save my soul save myself

Our experiences and our choices in past bring us to the crossroads we face . As we discover/unearth the profound truth when we spend time with ourselves, it decides the crossroads which we will embrace.

Happy Friendship Day !

2009-08-02T22:16:00.000+05:30

Messages started pouring in at mid-night, ‘Happy Friendship Day!’A day endorsed to honour the friends that we treasure or have taken for granted.

There is a perception that as society has become more mobile, and traditional family bonds have loosened, friendships have become more fleeting. But on the other hand, modern technology has meant we can stay in touch with more people than ever. So I see a disconnect here.

Friendship is the most revered institution since time immemorial. It is defined in million ways. But what is this criteria that makes one our friend, someone whose company we enjoy the most? Someone we can trust our life with? Someone who is useful to us?

As i mentioned in one of my previous post, I totally believe that people always come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Our experience of friendship alters with age.

If the friendship seeks benefit and is only for usefulness then this is a friendship with an expiry date. It is bound to dissolve. When the reason ceases to exist, the friendship starts to wither because whatever be the reason, it will die its natural death as the time passes by. This friendship seeks pleasure in each other’s company only till one has hopes of advantage from it. Such persons do not spend much time together and feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful. Take for instance a child who is 5 years old, for him/her the friend means playmate. As soon as there is any other playmate, he/she becomes the friend then.

Then there is friendship based on fun. Like the ones in college where interests are same, the lives are regulated by feelings, and the chief interest is in the opportunity of the moment. Friendship arises out of common interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each one believes is his own unique one. The typical expression this Friendship would be something like, 'What? Really? You too ? I thought I was the only one'....

With advancing years, however, the circumstances change, their tastes change too, so then they are quick to make and to break friendships; because their affection changes just as the things that excite them do and this sort of pleasure changes rapidly.

Then there is friendship for lifetime...And it is those friendships where the friends become strong pillars of life . Friendship of this kind is permanent, reasonably enough; because in it are all the attributes united that friends ought to possess. Such friendships are rare in nature. This friendship is not a state of mind, it’s an act, it’s a balanced relationship between two people. In warmth of this kind of friendship the disguises just melt away and each can be said to provide a mirror in which the other may see himself.

Am thinking of all my friends at this very day and am grateful for the gifts they have brought into my life. I do acknowledge all the friends that I have had so far, ones I am in touch with and also the ones I am not. They are definitely thought of at some point in time or the other. And I am Thankful to God for giving me this chance to have met all these gems I call my Friends.

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”

Order in Disorder !

2009-08-02T00:28:00.000+05:30

I just finished reading a beautiful article talking about Six degrees of separation, a concept which makes a person just six steps away from any other person on Earth. The thought that you could be in one part of the world and actually just 6 links away from anyone in the other corner of the world is quite fascinating. This reminded me of another enthralling concept, “The butterfly effect”. It is said that, “A Butterfly flapping its wings in Mexico can start a change in the weather that leads to a typhoon in China.”

The butterfly effect is a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory.

Chaos is a very simple idea with very complex implications. The simplicity of the concept makes it incredibly intricate. Aspects of chaos show up everywhere around the world, in the currents of the ocean, the way blood flows through the vessels to the branches of trees and the effects of turbulence. Chaos has inescapably become part of modern science.

But a simple flutter of a butterfly’s wings change the world forever? If you’re a believer in the butterfly effect, the answer is indeed yes.

The tiny changes you make do in fact, make a difference. At every turn in the road of your life, there will be a person standing there helping you or hurting you, guiding you or blocking you, giving you good or a bad direction.There seems to be a direct relationship between the number of people that you know, meet, bump into and interact with and the quality of your life.

How many times in your life has your direction changed because of your meeting and interacting with another person? Sometimes an observation or an advice from someone with more experience in a particular area than you can change the course of your destiny.

The fact is that there exists a possibility that anything can happen in life. You can influence it by doing more of the things that are more likely to lead to your success. The challenge is that you never know what you do and whom you meet is going to be the one that helps you the most.

It all starts with a flutter…just as I was reading six degrees of separation and how there were ripples in my mind and what you are reading now is the tornado they caused. Am sure you are on your way to create your own butterfly effect!

SHE...

2009-07-31T02:00:00.000+05:30

Neither a princess nor just an ordinary one
She was placed in the vastness somewhere between
Her mind consumed the meals of her meagre thoughts
Nothingness inside she tried to clean
Drowned in the void of the explanation
She was far away from the noise of the world
World full of misery and frustration

The rain outside still disturbed her sleep and
Eyes still stretched to discover destiny endlessly
Far away her search began
Even farther was its place to end
As she was already on her way to happy liberation
Little did she really know about the salvation

I searched for her for she was not gone
Not gone too far to have not been found
A pulling power just dared a leap, a leap without bound
Hopes did astray and fall into the darkness of her own
While she peeled off all her layers, until her bone
The thoughts in her eye were deeper than anything else i could ever see
I felt the blood just rush , as there she was in front of me

I felt for her as she was special, so much special just to me
She taught me how to unwrap myself
From this hell where we were caught
Life is a test insistent upon strength i was beautifully taught
She instilled that strength that just holds on
As every day she lives, inside me from dusk till dawn.

Uncomfortably Numb!

2009-07-28T23:42:00.000+05:30

"Ok.....Ok....Ok....Just a little pinprick.

Be like that ....Nothing will happen .....Aaaaaahhhhh!

But you may feel some pain."

These words are echoing in my mind for some time now. In fact, ever since I made the appointment with the dentist. Or may be even before ..when i broke half my tooth? I can't remember ! I guess I can blame it on Novocaine.

Don’t ask me how I managed to crack my tooth with Bingos Mad angles (I think I did not read the instructions correctly, just ate it at some Mad Angle! ). All I remember is that I heard a crunch and there was this weird feeling that everything was not okay. I avoided it till I starting having this funny aching pain in the right side of my face. It was Bizarre. There was no way out and I had to get this check up done.

The thought of dentist just reminds me of Ogden Nash’s poem “This is going to hurt just a little bit”. It has always been a funny poem to read and enjoy. But suddenly the poem becoming the story of my life is not making me laugh!

So i met the dentist and the verdict was out.. Root Canal. I was told that the whole treatment is done after putting me on Anaesthesia. So its pain free treatment. But then the injection??? I have had a huge fear of needles as long as I can remember. I didn’t know what to expect this time. But then there i was on the Hot-Seat. Phew.. It was anything but just a little pin prick.
To some extent it was true that after that there was no pain but the way the dentist digged-drilled-digged-drilled, my mouth felt like a house of debris. The horrific sounds and the spit-suction-thingy. Every time he approached me with that big pointy machine my heart skipped a beat. While I was high as well as low on Novocaine the Dentist was busy chiselling his favourite shapes on my tooth. Though my small anxiety and dentistry fears still exist, just salute the Poet-Ogden Nash to have read my mind much in advance and summarised my thought in just one line.

Some tortures are physical and some are mental,But the one that is both is dental... So True !

But this is one of those experiences where you reward a little kid with a candy, but then isn’t it ironic !

Afterthought !

2009-07-28T00:16:00.000+05:30

I came across a very interesting OUR(memories)TICKLE today, talking about the many things that kids today have probably never gotten to see and do - and likely never will. I started reading and after a few points just thought what are the things that I have done as a kid or saw in life which my kid will never do or see.

So here is how my list goes.
1. Audio & video cassettes: They have been a very integrated part of the childhood. Not existent now.
2. Phone Booths: How i used to go and make calls to my granny from the phone booth.
3. Typewriter: Have seen it and used it even once. Am sure few more years and it will be in the museum.
4. Dial up Modem connecting to internet making that screeching noise: Still remember how i used to connect to internet before my mom slept. Else it was a BIG problem!
5. Floppy disks: How I deleted the data from my Dads floppy disk to put a game for my friend.
6. Phone Directory: Looking at my dad’s name in the directory gave me such a thrill.
7. Telegram: So many times I visited the exchange for sending telegrams.
8. Old time water filters: How I used to be damn thirsty as soon as mom used to fill the filter and i had to wait for the water.

9. Console Video games with cassettes: Videogames with those remotes sitting close to the TV not letting anyone watch anything on the TV.
10. Colourful Signal Bar: Right when I used to be so engrossed in Chitrahaar on Doordarshan, the signal would go with this rainbow bar.
11. All the 10, 25, 50 paise coins.
12. Sparrows: How I used to admire sparrows. Can’t find any in Bangalore. Wonder if they exist anymore?
13. Hand Fans: How we had a stock of Hand fans for summer when light used to go and fans would not work.
14. Post cards & Stamps: It has reduced now itself. Wonder what the kids will see.
15. Goldspot: I loved that drink!

So go ahead and check this wonderful OUR(memories)TICKLE from wired.com and share what you feel .

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-07-26T17:34:00.000+05:30

Thanks Anupama for selecting me for this award. I was flummoxed, overjoyed, and excited as it is my first award. Coming from you makes it all the more special as i thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and if i have to pick one person for this award , it will certainly be you.

So now the seven things that are important for me and i just cant live without :

1. Family & Friends: The Energy that keeps me going.

2. Music: This is what my feelings sound like.

3. Laptop: If not for this smart gadget, i would be so lost.

4. Writing: Its an exploration, and this journey surprises me most of the time.

5. Food: The foodie that i am . After all i live to eat

6. Watch: To remind me that its always the right time !

7. News: To keep myself at pace with the fast moving world.

Beyond Truth !

2009-07-26T15:31:00.000+05:30

Controversial Indian television appears to be taken over by a reality and game show swing and these contests cause controversy(Tailored or not is on public to believe!). Who cares if a 'reality' show is as unreal as it gets, programmes thrive on exposing gruesome details of an individual's personal life?

Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akhtar's recent outburst in parliament over "obscene questions about a person's personal life" on STAR Plus' "Sach Ka Saamna" has raised eyebrows among viewers about the regulation of TV content in the country. STAR TV is in no postion to enjoy the high TRP of Sach Ka Saamna as the government has issued a show cause notice to the broadcasters for 'offending good taste and decency' with the new reality show.

Finally I grabbed a chance to see one episode of the most talked about and most overplayed game show “Sach ka Saamna”. The show is only in its second week and is unarguably the most controversial show we’ve ever watched on Indian television.

Prior to the show, a contestant (members of public or celebrity) is hooked up to a polygraph and asked more than 50 questions; there is no polygraph testing conducted during the actual show. Without knowing the results of the polygraph, he or she is asked 21 of those same questions again on the program, each becoming progressively more personal and embarassing in nature. The contestant is not aware of the results of the polygraph for his or her answers.

If the contestant answers honestly, he or she moves on to the next question; however, should a contestant lie in his or her answer, or simply refuse to answer a question after it has been asked, the game ends and the contestant loses all their prize money.

I was excited to watch Sach Ka Saamna, the Desi version of Moment of Truth. I realised that the show is all about revelation. It reinforced my faith in this famous quote, “Appearances are deceptive”. The contestants cross the boundaries just to rake in the moolah. It has created a furore in living rooms across the country, generating a heated debate.

The show is all about spilling the beans

I personally find the show a rather humiliating one .Well i have quite a lot of questions!

1. Polygraph a Money minting Machine?
Is it not misuse of polygraph test conducted to detect lies of a person, to be used by a game show to expose bitter facts of human life in front of millions of people on a TV Channel? Is it fair? It is boiling down to trusting a machine with one’s life. Ultimately its a machine and HOW can it be trusted to such a level.

2. What is the value addition to our society?
There is no good message that one is trying to send out -on Indian society. The questions asked are very voyeuristic, very titillating, maybe that is why the programme is such a hit. I think some of the questions they pose are simply disgusting and add no value to anyone’s life. Some of the issues that have come through from the questions are infidelity, teenage pregnancy, extra-marital affair, sexuality and abortion .Imagine the parents who would be struggling to keep their children away from watching such a show citing objectionable content. As far as i am concerned I don’t see any positive impact on the people by telecasting such a show.

3. Challenge for the participants ?
Is it like one of those shows which is very daring and challenges the contestants to come out in public and prove themselves? Definitely not ! Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? is what would be challenging as asking grade-school level questions to adults will be a nice healthy challenge. . But in Sach Ka Saamna, all the answers are known to the participant, the only thing that stands in his way, is his willigness to be open. It just makes the contestant awkward to answer a very personal question. Is this challenge worth it ?

4.Moolah ?
Is it the big money, the nectar for all the celeb-“bees” to come and suck at. Money is so important that one is putting such a tremendous trust in the lie-detector. What is the authenticity that programme-producer reveals real reply received at lie-detecting test? For all you know, he might be stooping to this low a level to not let the moolah go.

4. Truth is easy to handle?
Truth- the world’s best kept secret. Considering that the truth is easy to handle, then why was the show recently banned in Greece on grounds of decency/taste. The Moment of Truth, was accused of breaking up marriages and estranging parents and children . Incidentally, the US show was inspired by a Colombian show which also ran into trouble after a contestant said yes when she was asked if she had paid a hitman to kill her husband. It is not easy to handle where it really pinches so much.

6. Learning from the experiences of others?
From this show, we can learn from the experience others who may be in the same positions as ourselves. Nonsense! Sometimes we tend to feel that we are the only one suffering and knowing that someone is in a similar situation and knowing how they handle it may help us deal with it better. But is this the right way? People are watching it. However, I doubt what they are watching for, as its about peoples life, a subject that consumes most of us Indians.

7. Makes or breaks Family?
This show can disrupt the normal life-living families. This show goes deep into personal matters which we would generally like to cover. Family secrets, we believe, should be buried in the darkest recesses of our emotional selves. It's tougher than you think. One in million chances, a positive revelation could end up strengthening a struggling relationship facing certain misunderstandings. But is it worth it, as too often, a relationship which looks stable from outside breaks due to a bitter truth.

8. Popularity? Publicity?
If this is what the producers and the celebs are aiming at , so let me take a minute off to congratulate them that they have been successful in doing so. A grand opening, sky-rocketing TRPs, an introspective host, startling revelations and candid confessions by Urvashi Dholakia followed by Vinod Kambli has got the entire country talking about the show and the contestants. If audiences are lapping up this show, why create such a fuss? But one cannot ignore the fact that there are several who find this show offensive. Producers of television programmes have a duty to respect the sensibilities of their viewers.

9.Truth Sells?
Truth is selling, folks! I can’t believe that the crowd is so interested in other’s humdrum lives. There is a great drooling public out there lapping up every bit of humiliation suffered by others.

As TV shows reach the maximum people. It is a responsibility of the media to have shows which leave people thinking about positive things and not things like , is my spouse cheating on me? when will he ditch me? did my mother love me when I was young?
In the cut-throat world of general entertainment channels, Star Plus is bound to gain significant brownie points with this show. But is that all that matters??

Oodles of Google Doodles !

2009-07-25T15:54:00.000+05:30

Google is a part of our online lives today – be it Google search, Google talk, Google maps or Google documents. Google’s got a way of keeping its users up-to-date with latest on content. And that extends right from the most compelling links to the very doodles that appear on the home page. Google's logo has become as recognizable as Nike's swoosh. Some symbols have a culturally acquired meaning, such as a love-heart or Christian cross, but ones that start getting universally accepted are considered almost inherent. Google has become one such symbol which indicates familiarity along with the realm of knowledge it belongs to.

The Google logo that appears is the face of the company to the world and it reflects the real-time dynamism that has made it the powerhouse of the Web. As for millions of people around the world, Google is the go-to site for everything from online shopping to project research. Almost everyone has Google as their homepage. One thing that it should get credit for is its subtle and artful way of reminding us about important or at least intriguing calendar dates. It is quite a risk to play with the Company’s Identity but the way Google redesigns its logo (a.k.a. Google Doodle) every once in a while to commemorate special days and events, is definitely a challenge!

The actual credit goes to Google Logo Maven - Dennis Hwang who works with Google and takes care of these Google Doodles. I think everyone can appreciate that he not only has talent but also a great imagination and can come up with anything if he puts his mind into it. To make sure that the design complements the shape of the letters in the Google logo and at the same time not restrict one’s creativity is definitely a challenge and needs one to think out of the box.

It's interesting to see how Google's logo art has become the subject of such curiosity in recent years. And the doodles have gone all the way from the commemoration of Louis Braille’s birthday to the once-every-122-years Transit of Venus. These Doodles are displayed on Google search engines home pages for at least a day each.

Few of my favorite Google logos are:

Valentine’s Day!

The logo has an older couple with grey hair holding hands while they walk the beach towards the sunset. This sweet little drawing reminds us that love is great and good at any age.

Mothers Day !

The logo has a mother duck in place of the g within the logo design. The duck is accompanied by two ducklings, one of which is presenting her with a rose on this special day !

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Birthday !

It is nice Holme-age to the great author. The magnifying glass and the trademark deer hat make out the "O" and the "G" with the Victorian lamp post completing the "L".

Teachers Day !

Each letter drawn in chalk on a blackboard. The best one can be reminded of Teachers. The almost old-fashioned chalk style stands out because it's so different from the simple, bold primary colours and clean lines of the standard Google logo.

Halloween !

Though the carving of the pumpkin and the scary looks makes It very predictable, leaves very little to the imagination. But the way each letter of the logo is approached to illustrate whimsical Halloween is so creative.

These logos obviously makes a long lasting impression. It is just a great reminder of how much fun a simple logo can be when you get to use theme and variation.

Survival of the craziest :P

2009-07-24T00:48:00.000+05:30

Listening to Crazy by Alanis Morissette all the way back home today set in motion a chain of thoughts that culminated with one single but most profound line of the song.

No, we're never gonna survive unless

We get a little crazy!

Its a Cover for Seal's song Crazy but yet sounds so original. Alanis Morissette just nails the notes she aims for, a terrific performer . But what i love most about her is that she sings in character. Alanis has done absolute justice to this song, showing that she is not limited to the same style and Crazy is an excellent remake on her part.

This song has a message speaking for everyone. The message to be crazy ! As some people walk in the rain . Others just get wet. These reactions make all the difference in the world.

In a sky full of people, only some want to fly.

Isn't that crazy?

In a world full of people, only some want to fly.

Isn't that crazy?

In a heaven of people there's only some want to fly.

Isn't that crazy? crazy crazy...crazy...

The lyrics inspire me, the meaning that one interprets is of a world full of people where only some have wings to fly, only some want to take up the challenge, only some want to think out of the box, only some want to be crazy.... isn’t that crazy in itself??

No no, we'll never survive, unless we get a little...bit...

Song brings with it the strength and encouragement to not get worked up for something when everything in this world is surmountable. To get a little crazy and set one self free from chains. This attitude sets the atmosphere not only of our words but our actions. Anchored to the positive state of mind and yet soaring high in the crazy sky.

Passion to show and believe that everything is energy, We are energy, our body, our thoughts- everything around us is energy. Energy is what transforms and take various forms. So be full of it so that one has enough to explore and still live life to the fullest.

The crazy ways I manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in various situations in Life... this song reminds me of those and makes me love life all over again.

My Slice Of Pizza

2009-07-23T00:46:00.000+05:30

Today when my colleague called to tell me that he was in VNIT(My Alma Mater ). It just brought all the old memories back !

When I left home for the first time to pursue my engineering degree in NIT Nagpur, there were zillions of questions hitting my brains from all directions. What am I doing with my life? Where am I going? Will I stay in touch with everyone that I want to? Will I achieve what I dream for in four years? Will I be able to take up the biggest challenge of life i.e. LIFE?

So with an agglomerated feeling of anxiety, fear, sorrow, happiness, excitement and big dreams I came to the college (My College!) Still cant forget the day when my Dad dropped me off with a tear in his eye , which did not roll down but did not go unnoticed either.

It was indeed one of the best decision of my life and those four years were the most beautiful and will remain the most beautiful years of my life !

If i have to think of one thing I miss most about the college. I can just not pin point anything.

1. The rounds from the AD Block to the bank during registration of every semester. (It got better with years ... and girls always had an advantage of being girls !)

2. Learning the whole goddamn history of the batch mates -their name, branch , place , dads name, moms name, siblings ... pets if any to name a few.

3. Making the veg and non veg list for the Sunday feast , for which we had to memorize the names of all the girls in the hostel (I still remember Anitha tirunavakarasu.... How on earth did i manage that ??)

4. The oiled hair with two plaits, in suits and V shaped dupatta with 3 safety pins we went to college, ate slept and few others bathed also like that . And ya.. not to forget Mess duty (It is the culture to feed the hungry on Wednesday nights, Friday nights and Sunday afternoons)!!

5. The Jail Timings being 8 in the night followed by a prayer for forgiveness for all the sins we have done to be in the jail. Hmm.. how did it go ??

Ya Kundendu Tushar Har Dhavala
Ya Shubhra Vastraavrita

Ya Veena Vara Danda Manditakara

Ya Shveta Padmaasana

Ya Brahma Achyutaha Shankara Prabrithibhih

Devai Sadaa Poojitha
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswathi Bhagavati
Nishyesha Jyaadyaapaha

Still remember in one the Ragging sessions (So called “interaction” session) how Sheetal got stuck to Ya tushar , ya tushar , ya tushar and how Vishakha had an accent to the whole prayer.

6. The Ganghrekar’s Math class... the first benchers needed hearing aid. The Telugu Physics mam who used to flirt with Alok and Shreesha (God alone knows what she “chepoed” in telugu). According to a very reliable source(*cough*Wikipedia*cough*) she even invited them for lunch !

7. The exams for which the notes were arranged a day before and the night was spent eating the poha and drinking tea. Well exams means.. Poha .. duh !

8. Food tasting was VNITian’s part time job, so Saturday evenings were ‘spent’ doing that. If you insist .. you can blame it on mess off.

9. Constant vocab building...Pungi, TP , Load, topo to name a few.

10. The DP, Sita Buldi, Bajaj Nagar... Tapri, Sadar.. oooooooooh Taubys !!!

11. The predominant divide in the auditorium for boys to stay away from girls as they belong to the Touch Me Not (Save me Save me ) species for every cultural or college event.

12. Dinshaw Uncle, Motu Airtel Uncle, Renuka Uncle, Nisha Mausi, Pandit ji(Hot and Happening!)

13. The Canteen Dahi Samosa with 3 Bucks extra Dahi...

14. .... those crazy DJ Nights..

15. The Department Gatherings .. People gathered only for Rose Day though.

16. The Y point couple watching !!

17. The PinkOO and the group .. THE ROCK SHOW !

18. The Placement times .. a common feeling... wish we had studied last 3 years.

19. Job treats... Booze Treat is more like it

20. Dr. Khatra (Batra).. ok i am confused, which is the real name !

And for the people. People always come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do. Was lucky to find a perfect mix of every kind.
I can go on but I realize that i will not be able to go to work if i don’t stop.

What an IDEA !!! Pun certainly intended !

2009-07-22T00:45:00.000+05:30

There are good ideas, there are great ideas, then there are ideas that meet a higher standard, and those are the ideas Lowe has brought to us by the IDEA Cellular campaigns!!

The Idea chief had said that they have always celebrated Ideas which have the power to change the society.

The fact that a 60 sec ad has not only conveyed that IDEA keeps people connected, it successfully has spread a noble message of a world without cast, a real democracy, a world where no one is deprived of anything because of the disability to communicate and Education for all . It is not only impactful but also meaningful.

The straightforward delivery of message and the intrigue it generates rings the right bells (Ringtones !)

It can no better be summarised than the tagline ‘What an Idea, Sirji!’

The IDEA is back with none other than Abhishek Bachhan (who is back in shape) with a new commercial. The new “walk when you talk” campaign which has a brainwave that if talking and walking happens together for people, their health will improve. Fitness is linked to walking & Talking. In this ad the message sweeps the country through TV, making it a mass movement. This is basically to initiate again a very noble message on fitness, across the country!

This campaign is done in order to appeal the masses. And i would say it has been successful to do so as well.

I must say, Its impressive stuff ! But one has to still think for oneself.
IDEA has made some considerable changes in this AD, they have edited it & started flashing an under note---"cell phone usage should be avoided in crowds and while crossing the roads"
As the studies show that talking on the phone while travelling, whether you’re driving or on foot, is increasing both pedestrian deaths and those of drivers and passengers.

Whatever said and done... What an IDEA, sirji !

Home Cooking ... Dying Art?

2009-07-20T23:54:00.000+05:30

The worldwide phenomenon of not cooking at home is spreading like a wild fire and has not spared this part of the world either. How screwed up it is that most people don't feel like they have time to cook a healthy meal, either for themselves or their family !
I think a lot of people look at people who cook and think, "They must have too much time on their hands
The trend nowadays is to cook less at home. We all know that cooking at home is healthier than eating out. Even though the chemicals in the outside food we eat actually eat our bodies, we still do it. We are aware that many restaurants and eateries recycle food and if they don’t, they probably use stale ingredients. And we like to believe that the hotels we eat in have clean kitchens and cooks.
One of the main reasons for the obesity epidemic, is that people are relying on commercial foods that are packed full of fat and sugar and preservatives. Restaurant food is almost always higher calorie than something you'd cook for yourself. Frozen dinners and prepared foods are covered in salt and fat and sugar, most of the time.

So we do not know the value of home cooked food!!!

I certainly disagree to agree on that. So what are the real reasons for this major shift to eating out in a modern society?
Cooking is an uphill task ? Is it that many people are intimidated by the very idea of cooking something because they assume it will be time-consuming and complicated. And, in fact, if you go by what you read in a lot of cookbooks, you would certainly have good reason to think that. You need to know that you don't have to spend hours assembling a million different ingredients to make something for dinner.
Is cooking Not Respected? Cooking at home doesn’t garner the respect that a job in a Multinational firm does. It is an inferior job, a reason why they call it a woman’s job, a tedious yet non-challenging job. But if a woman is working she is considered smart and intelligent. So what is it that one earns for, if one cant respect the mere reason why one is alive.. because of food!
People dont have time ? What would it take to allow normal people to cook again? Better wages per hour, so people could work less? Less TV ? Education in schools about how to cook ? Then again, there are the things that suck up time that really aren't necessary. Even i used to feel that i did not have enough time... till i deactivated my Facebook account!
McDonald Culture Affecting It? There is no doubt that the convenient, quick-paced, low-cost world of fast food is luring all and sundry. But risking one’s health just because KFC chicken is crispier than homemade food? Is that worth it ?
Women going out to work? I agree that a working women would spend 10-12 hours a day outside the home and due to that so how many things she will be unable to do, but that is where men need to give a helping hand!! Men need to chip in too, but then the society frowns upon men who spend time in the kitchen and by society I don’t mean just other men, but also women. Well so are we saying that we can’t manage both together? I don’t think so.

THOUGHTS?

That is why I applaud all those women who go out of the house and do the kind of work that gets them not just money, but status and respect and also all those men who come back home after a long day of work and see it as their responsibility too, to make sure that they and their family is healthy and happy.
As there is no meter to show units or gauge the value of a meal cooked in hygienic conditions with love. One should not undervalue it either to pay a heavy price. In terms of our health.

If we live longer, it should be because of our natural health not because of medicines and doctors.
I don't want people who don't cook to feel guilty. But cant miss congratulating my friends studying in US for their dabblings in Cooking. Meal preparation is not really a big ordeal. This is the one thing I wish I could get across to people!

Super Mario or Superb Mario?

2009-07-19T19:04:00.000+05:30

Who on earth can challenge the fact that Mario is the most recognizable video game character of all time? I can vouch for it, having played it ever since I was a kid, it just got better and better every single time that I did. All these thoughts came to me when I visited my Friend’s house and saw the old videogame console connected to a big Plasma screen. It drew my attention and there was this sudden urgency and restlessness to just grab that remote and play my favourite Super Mario Bros. I finally stepped out and asked my friend if he had Super Mario in that 76 in 1 cassette that was plugged in the console.

Yes???....and there I was lost in the mushroom kingdom with the blue sky. All the fond memories of the game started coming back.

Starting with the pling-pling sound when one picks up a coin is still so fresh and constant in my mind for over a decade. Knocking the subterranean creatures over by bumping the platforms from beneath, before running into them to nudge them into the water. Kicking the Koopa shells as weapons....everything came flashing!

I still remember how at the end of every level, reaching exactly on the top of the flag flying high into the Mushroom Kingdom's blue skies, always made me wonder if I can just hop over it. Struggled for months and later one fine day did manage to do that in level 3-3 (I still remember it !). It was one of the happiest day of my life to have managed to hop over the pole :P

At the end of every world , after fighting the Bowser , Mario would be greeted by a mushroom man who would inform him "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" And sheah! when he does finally find the Princess Peach she just sends him out to do it all over again with more difficult challenges :(

And playing it after years and seeing my Mario pop out of one of his pipes gave me a high ! Just when i thought i was doing great, there i went into the water. Watched my friend have his share of fun with Luigi, although he was simply a green-painted clone of his brother at this point. We both so engrossed in the game that we lost track of time and soon I was to leave for home as it was too late and Princess was in the castle so far far away.

So i came back home thinking of our Good old Mario and the most amazing day that i had. Sometimes, things are this simple for some of us. We all have unlimited desires for money, power, ambitions, etc. But happiness is this simple – like playing Mario for the zillionth time, nothing more.

WHEN PIGS FLY!

2009-05-03T04:05:00.000+05:30

Michael Jackson was to go to UK for House hunting trip... but that’s when pigs flew, “Beat it” !

Couples wanted to fly to Mexico for their Honeymoon ... and before they could... Pigs did !

Obama is trying to restrict hiring of H1-B visa holders to get in but guess who makes it with H1N1???

No newspaper or channel is off the swine flu. As my friend Rohit cracked this real good one when he said that the time that will never come has come and so i cannot, not appreciate. When pigs fly-Swine Flu :)

“Google Could Have Caught Swine Flu Early”, I came across this very interesting article today which caught my eye. Google Flue Trends aggregates and analyzes search queries about influenza to estimate possible flu activity. What’s even more interesting is the way it works!

Millions of people Google for flu related topics and few of them generally have certain specific symptoms that they are looking for. So considering that out of the people searching, not all are actually sick. One can observe a pattern from each region when added together. So by counting the frequency of these search queries, one can estimate how much flu is in circulation in a certain area.

But can search query trends provide the basis for an accurate, reliable model of real-world phenomena? This is a tough one. This works well for US in particular as the people are very tech-savvy and look for every small thing on the internet. This is one reason why the data generated becomes a little more reliable.

So coming to the swine flu, there was a small increase in many parts of Mexico even before the major news coverage happened. So before Google could come up talking about this increase in the flu trend some research was required. But what is more exciting is that it can be an early alarm for the next flu to come (Hoping that it doesn’t!)

Am happy that there is still not a single case in India of “Influenza A” and that the tests of the suspected lot came negative. The point that I want to get to is that Google is just doing some awesomely brilliant stuff and I strongly believe that we should all help them build such awesome systems across the globe. Hence we should contribute more and more, you never know when it will save us.

May be just right before the time when Pigs fly!

Learn to lose !

2009-01-15T12:04:00.000+05:30

Don't live life just for living

Actual fun is not in taking, try giving

Try to find more in less

Not strategizing like you were playing chess

Dont always look for gain

'cause there can be pleasure even in pain

To be alive first learn how to die

You can never appreciate a smile if you cant cry

Learn to listen to your inner voice

and only then make any choice

Try seeing through the darkest night

Nothing will look gloomy, everything will turn bright

There is always an end to sorrow

As every day has a tomorrow

There can be loads to imbibe even from a sinner

So learn to lose like a winner

CRUMBLE ...

2008-12-17T21:39:00.001+05:30

I saw it with my own eyes
The drop on my cheek vaporize
Everytime I smile and say... I choose
Like there is anything left to lose
Still looking for some direction
Digging for the hope piled up with rejection
No room for error no room for mistake
Wondering if i am living for someone else's sake
Hear footsteps echo behind me as i walk
People listening when i talk
I see faces when there's no-one there
Times i could be with myself has become so rare
Life has become a pendulum of stress
Feel like a seeker of unlikeliness
Looking for ways to right the wrong
Have had enough cant prolong
Is it me i'm deceiving ?
Got no faith left so am believing
There's no reason to cry
Anyway i wont get no reply
Don't regret the past that has gone
Sleeplessly waiting for the tomorrow to dawn
Looking forward to a world i create
Where i live for myself and to others i relate
Place i'd love to explore
And go beyond the bolted door
I try to walk away and i stumble
Moment i gather myself.. Again i crumble....