Scribbler On The Net

MOVED!

2005-11-01T04:35:00.000-08:00

I have now moved to a WordPress blog. Why? Because they are easier to maintain and offer better navigation and categorisation options.
Also, I have an invite to give away... please me and it's yours!

My new address is: Scribbler On The Net.

See you there.

Egads! It's flying in my kitchen

2005-10-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

I kid you not. This evening, I reached home after a tormenting drive from Andheri to Chembur (those in Mumbai will appreciate the effort it takes at about 6 pm!).

To start with, things were normal... I came home, freshened up, changed and sat down in front of the TV... my 'seat' till dinner. Soon enough, though, I was startled to hear something that sounded like vessels clanging together and tumbling down from a height.

Initially, I thought the noise had come from the neighbouring house where the interiors are being done and did nothing about it... who wants to leave a nice cosy spot, eh? Soon again, the noise was heard again and this time, it was even greater and it sounded as if it were closer to me... time to check the clues, Watson!

A leisurely walk into the bedroom revealed nothing and on reaching the kitchen, I decided to reach for a bottle of water and lo, there it sat over the gas stove! A pigeon. In my kitchen. Chilling out! Once the initial shock died and I regained my balance (physical and mental), it was time to figure out how to get that feathered fiend out of the house.

Let me assure you that I am no animal hater and in fact, the window ledge in my bedroom has been converted into a maternity home by all pigeons. I think word seems to have gotten about in their circles and there are more arriving by the day to meet the newborn(s). So much so, that a new would-be mother is also getting comfortable with her eggs as you read this.

So now that it has been established that I am not an bird hater, the problem of shooing the pigeon away was back at hand. For some strange reason, at this point, I started wondering about my choice of words to the pigeon and assuming (it's a safe assumption, you see) it knows none of the languages I do, it hardly mattered whether I muttered "shoo" or "avast" or any other words of 'choice'! Thankfully, I was alone at home and decided to test my knowledge of expletives!

It's one thing that the bird did not understand what I said (maybe because it cannot hear... I noticed no ears, you see) but it's entirely another when it decides to protest my actions. And how! I managed to get its attention (how is mystery) and the darn thing decided to go for its version of a stampede right there within the kitchen. In fact, I realised that it was scared when it decided to get rid of its lunch on the kitchen counter and then fly over to the light and perch itself atop. This put the problem in an entirely new light...

Moments later, a thought struck me like light(n)ing! I decided to switch the light on and off to scare it away. Hmph. A lot of good that did... only more defecation. Geez.

Soon enough, though, it relocated to its original camping place, the window. Now all this while, it kept on looking through the glass and wondering (I imagine) how to get out of there. Little did it realise that there was the open part of the window right under it. Over the course of the next 20 minutes or so, it explored all the corners of the kitchen including the sink. At one point, it was so scared that it confined itself to a corner in the sink and refused to move... poor thing actually, but my problem was yet unsolved. It would be fair to remember here that I was the victim.

After a round of the kitchen and a fair bit of fluttering (including that of my heart considering the glass objects present), it perched itself on the window again momentarily returning to further defecate on the kitchen counter. Dinner tonight will be hard to ingest.

During its many attempts to find the open part of the window, it had banged against the glass on many occasions... it did so one more time and this time decided to sit on the counter to survey the terrain as it were.

By this time, I had a kitchen cloth to aid my efforts and repeated flashing of this weapon produced more fluttering and showed no signs of a solution being found. With much courage (hey, it has a beak and can fly with a lot of fluttering that is scary) I got as close to it as I could and waved the cloth one final time.

Finally, it flew straight into the open window and found its way out. I'm sure it's having quite a chat with its friends about its adventure. In fact, it could well be blogging about it in its own world... perhaps a search on Poogle would reveal something!

For now, though, the kitchen window (and all others in empty rooms) remain closed. And so they shall when we leave home tomorrow.

Technorati : birds, disaster, kitchen, panic, pigeon

Eating my words... and enjoying it!

2005-10-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Just a few days ago, I asked for the omission of Sachin Tendulkar from the Indian team. Little did I know that he would do this to me! But for once, I am happy to be eating my words... and I really enjoyed the way he made me do it!
Perhaps it's time I did the same about Sehwag... that would give the Lankans the heebie-jeebies! Anyway, I don't expect this to be a cakewalk for India in any case and tomorrow (Oct 28) should be a great game.

Technorati : Cricket, India, Mumbai, Sports, Sri Lanka, Tendulkar

'Dost' and 'Youn Aur Sheher'?

2005-10-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Sex and the City'

Sounds creepy to say the least! But that's what Zoom TV is announcing. It will create local versions of Friends [1, 2] and Sex and the City [1, 2]... why is anybody's guess. I mean, hasn't Friends been tried before on Indian TV (called Friends Forever) and was it not an outright disaster? Here's the sequel!
Out of curiosity, I wonder what the cast would be like... especially in the case of Sex and the City. I mean, is there an actress that can play the character of Sarah Jessica Parker? (Yes, I watch it).

Hmmm... here's a list that I think may just happen... actually I cannot think. (I'll just pen down some names!) Suggestions are very welcome. And the wackier the better!

Friends (Original Cast) *That's some detail there*
Rachel - Jennifer Aniston VJ Anousha?
Monica
Phoebe
Ross
Joey
Chandler

Sex and the City (Original Cast)
Carrie Bradshaw
Samantha Jones
Charlotte York
Miranda Hobbes
Mr Big
Aidan Shaw
Trey MacDougal

IIPM issues notice in "intrest of IIPM and Planman fraternity"

2005-10-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Why bother, I ask? If you 'general notice' is in favour of only your own people, may as well send out an e-mail or internal mailer...
Anyway, the contents of this notice are hilarious. Must-see on today's Page 3 of Hindustan Times (Mumbai at least).

The gist of it is that whatever claims they have made are true and that everyone else (including the people who have denied having any association with IIPM are liars).

There. Go live with that!

Going by the language, they don't have much of a lawyer to issue 'notices' and maybe this is another exercise for the students itself! Har Har!

Technorati : IIPM, India
Ice Rocket : IIPM, India

Heh! The bluff has been called!

2005-10-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

Looks like someone has finally called the bluff of the family Chaudhari. Dr (?) Malay Chaudhari's education (!) has been laid bare and soon, it may be time for his son's qualifactions to be laid bare.
Man, it looks like they will regret taking on the blogosphere!
[Via India Uncut and DesiPundit]

Technorati : IIPM, India
Ice Rocket : IIPM, India

He looks pretty!

2005-10-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

Logic escapes me when I see the photo with this story.

Check this.

Ice Rocket : Films, India, Mohanlal

Victory?

2005-10-15T02:09:00.000-07:00

There's a smug feeling about Greg Chappell for the last couple of days and why not? After much controversy, it would seem that he has finally had things his way. How he did this is unimaginable.Getting through the an(n)als of Indian cricket and getting things his way despite being a 'foreigner' has indeed been nothing short of Herculean by the coach.

And no sooner than the team was announced, Chappell was waxing eloquent about the choice of the team and how Sachin is "almost hitting form" and how this is good for Indian cricket.

Gone is the grumpy look about him and he is a new man. One only hopes this augurs well for the future (read until the WC in 07).

p.s. I don't know how Ganguly too has managed to get a tennis elbow all of a sudden. Sounds rather shady, if you ask me.

Technorati : Chappell, Cricket, Ganguly, India, Mumbai
Ice Rocket : Chappell, Cricket, Ganguly, India, Mumbai

Double Standards

2005-10-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, the team for India's next two series (v Sri Lanka and South Africa) has been announced and the selection leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth to say the least.Why? Because Tendulkar made the cut. Before you screm Bloody Murder, consider this:

In the recently concluded NKP Salve Challenger Series that was meant to display the talent available, Tendulkar barely made a mark (I wonder where Chappell gets this from). VVS Laxman, on the other hand, shone bright and scored rather well. The argument presented by Kiran More is that the "focus is on the youngsters". In that case, why is Agarkar in the team?

Coming back to Tendulkar, he hardly moved the scorers and if experience is the argument here, Laxman has it too. Plus, he's in form and not returning from injury either.

Let's get one thing straight here. I am not against Tendulkar. He is a class act and deserves to be in the team as long as he wants to be. But if certain arguments are being presented for one player, they should apply to all.

I say bring in Laxman even if it is at the cost of Tendulkar. Call me crazy, but it's a question of using the same yardstick for all players. Else, don't give us this bulls*** about experience and form and age.

Technorati : Cricket, India, Mumbai, Team Selection, Tendulkar

Blogs with Yahoo! News

2005-10-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Finally one of the big boys has picked up the news-worthiness of blogs and decided to add them to their News sections. About time too!

Technorati : Blogs, India, Mumbai, News, Yahoo

MBA Mafia

2005-10-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

And I don't say this! It's AC Himself! And on his own site! And in an article by his holiness the Ponytail!

What I am trying to drive towards is the non challengeable fact that management
as a stream of studies is more hype than content.

Lest you guys not believe what I have extracted from his 'thoughts', here is the link (to his site).
Actually, you will have to do some work and find your way to Thoughts > MBA Mafia. I suspect it may soon be moved and hence the screenshot. Apologies for the size... but the sites is a Flash one and I cannot hyperlink to the article.

I need to disinfest my mind because I actually endured that entire article and cannot think strett anni moar...

Sue This!

2005-10-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

I think this post is jinxed. My computer has crashed thrice and each time I was about to hit 'Publish'! Never mind!

The point I try to make is bloggers are increasingly being tracked and even sued in some cases because of their outspokenness. This, in no case, though, should compromise the very nature of blogging and freedom of speech must be upheld. SOunds a bit like a speech at Azad Maidan, but bear with me. There is a point at the end of this!

About two months ago, a blogger was sued by a company not because he said something but because a visitor left a comment on his blog that was against their interests. Wow.

There's something to be learned for Rashmi Bansal and Gaurav Sabnis regarding their IIPM fracas from this... maybe they could sue all those nasty comment(er)s (which I am sure have originated from one of the IIPM edifices) and in a way get some of their back. At the end of the day, what they have said is in the larger interest of the students (current IIPM students excluded).

But it is not surprising that there has been so much of spam comments hitting the fan (or their blogs) because Mr A Chaudhari (aka Mr Ponytail) has a lot to lose. But, for someone who doesn't think before claiming that his institute is better than the IIMs and that he is a management guru (I am Dr Spock!), he sure has taken this expose rather badly.

Interestingly, there was also a ruling by a US court where it said that anonymous bloggers may not be sued for their views. Time to go underground, maybe? Nah! Some reactions about the court ruling are here as well.

Good job, guys.

When shit flies

2005-10-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

Truth just isn't what it used to be. People who want to tell the truth still exist but are not as abundant. So when you do find someone who does speak up (unlike newspaper ads), I think we should stand by them. But battles that are fought by individuals against the might of larger institutions seldom end well for the individuals.

Just like the current imbroglio involving IIPM, Rashmi Bansal and Gaurav Sabnis. Since I have been (very) late in jumping on to this story, I will not link individual posts, rather just one that sums it all up.

In conclusion, I think Rashmi and Gaurav were well within their rights to say what they felt and I think their claims and findings were true. For long, I have wondered about the source of money for IIPM and the subsequent quality they deliver. Their Pune campus for one, is hardly a campus and no more than a building.

I hope more bloggers stand up and fight for Rashmi and Gaurav.

ADDITION 1: I just saw this blog and it's a howl! How is "Andy" ever going to convince anyone he has posted anything before his "more after lunch"!??!??!

Game Over!

2005-10-07T03:41:00.000-07:00

This was bound to happen. Just that it's a little sooner rather than later. And what's the deal with psychological sessions for gaming??!?
People have even died because they played for over 50 hours at a stretch. Soon enough, we might not see people on the streets because everyone is hunched over a computer screen... sometimes one has to think that there are advantages of not being as well wired a country as South Korea. In fact, gaming is considered a sport in this country.

And then what?

2005-10-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

Is there life after death? Where do we go when we die? Does the devil chew on our souls and spit it out? What happens to blogs that die? Where did that last one come from?

It came from some recent thinking I have been doing (on the side... not my profession, mind you!) and I am wondering what happens to blogs when their owner(s) pull the proverbial plug as it were. While I am not so worried about individual blogs, I am more curious about those that are run by communities or groups. Especially if there is one owner who can pull the p.

Normally, most bloggers would cross post and cross link (and do all that jazz) to preserve their precious thoughts in more ways than a cow can moo. Despite their best efforts, though, there would be the odd post that is lost. And given the volume of posting that most bloggers have, I'd bet half my beard (why not!) that they would not remember which one they are missing. At a very superficial level, the solution is to blog using a blog writer.

Community blogs are great and offer a good chance to (hopefully) meet like-minded chaps (and chappies, not chappels!) and have some friendly banter or maybe even a touch of rancour. But invariably, one grows to be friendly (openly) or at least admire others' writing. If the community blog is your only link to their space and (if you are also an idiot like me) you have no other record of their whereabouts in cyberspace, what do you do? Searching for their name on Technorati is an option if you know the name (or alias). I don't. And I am looking for at least 4 people (or spaces) as of last week. It's hopeless.

So I return to my question as to what happens to these blogs? I would also like to know what happens to the efforts that have gone into creating that space not only by the owner(s) but also by community members? The place obviously got its following and character after a long time of contribution from many and not just one...

But I still want to know where the posts went to... And the people. Whither bloggers?

Diwali dude... It's like, you know, i mean

2005-10-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Please please please take this in the right spirit. Just got this from a friend and thought it would be a good chuckle!

A young second generation Indian in the US was asked by his mother to explain the significance of "Diwali" to his younger brother, this is how he went about it...

"So, like this dude had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him. But, like, his step-mom, or something, was kind of a bitch, and she forced her husband to, like, send this cool-dude, he was Ram, to some national forest or something...
Since he was going, for like, something like more than 10 years or so.. he decided to get his wife and his bro along... you know...so that they could all chill out together.
But Dude, the forest was reeeeal scary shit... really man...they had monkeys and devils and shit like that.
But this dude, Ram, kicked with darts and bows and arrows... so it was fine.
But then some bad gangster boys, some jerk called Ravan, picks up his babe (Sita) and lures her away to his hood. And boy, was our man, and also his bro, Laxman, all the gods were with him... So anyways, you don't mess with gods. So, Ram, and his bro get an army of monkeys...
Dude, don't ask me how they trained the damn monkeys... just go along with me, ok... ..
So, Ram, Lax and their monkeys whip this gangster's ass in his own hood. Anyways, by this time, their time's up in the forest..and anyways...it gets kinda boring, you know... no TV or malls or shit like that.
So, they decided to hitch a ride back home... and when the people realize that our dude, his bro and the wife are back home...they thought, well, you know, at least they deserve something nice... and they didn't have any bars or clubs in those days... so they couldn't take them out for a drink, so they, like, decided to smoke and shit... and since they also had some lamps, they lit the lamps also...so it was pretty cooool... you know with all those fireworks...
Really, they even had some local band play along with the fireworks...and you know, what, dude, that was the very first, no kidding.., that was the very first music-synchronized fireworks... you know, like the 4th of July stuff, but just, more cooler and stuff, you know.
And, so dude, that was how, like, this festival started."

Sound familiar to anybody?

Better late...

2005-10-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Very proudly, as though it were the breakthrough of the century, Microsoft has sent this to its users in India (about 10 days ago):

Here’s great news for Hotmail users! Hotmail just got bigger & better. You can now enjoy 250 MB storage for your email account at no extra cost. Also, keep your mailbox clean with powerful spam filters & enhanced virus cleaning.

Unbelievably, they are crowing about offering 250 MB mailboxes when the rest of the world is offering at least 1 GB. Google, in fact is offering 2.27843874 GB and is still counting!
Thenks, but no thenks!

Incidentally, MSN is also working on 'Kahuna', the next generation mail client that is set to revolutionise e-mailing as we know it today. Knowing Microsoft, this could well be another tool to unleash a virus attack on an unwitting world!

The development process of this tool is being chronicled by those working on it and does offer some interesting reading. [Here, here (Kahuna poster) and here]

Worth noting that there's two (if not three) Indians on that team. Oh, and yes, they are through giving away free user accounts for testing purposes. (I didn't get any!)

And the guy who seems to be heading this, Aditya Bansod, is also doing some Google bashing!

Art = Rat?

2005-10-05T04:49:00.000-07:00

Now this is wierd... totally and outright wierd. I mean why would anyone believe that someone could turn into a monkey (or kangaroo or any animal for that matter!)?
Unless they were two french fries short of a happy meal...

Hey, Lalu's got more choices!

2005-10-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

So what if his 'chhota beta' dislikes politics? He's got eight more kids to turn into politicians and ensure that Bihar is ruled by his family (like a dynasty) for at least another 100 years. Something also tells me that Tejaswi Yadav (the son) will shortly be 'eligible' for a place in the Indian Cricket team. Yes, he is interested and plays for his school as of now.
God save Bihar.

Super flop?

2005-10-05T04:07:00.000-07:00

So says Mid Day about the Super Series currently on in Australia. And with only 17,000 of the available 55,000 tickets being sold (can't find a link for this) for today's game, maybe that's a fair assessment.
But then again, this may well be because it's a working day and a bigger crowd may just turn up over the weekend... I don't care for it much really. (Anyways, the Aussies murdered the World XI today).

And that's why you should be just a bystander

2005-10-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

Shameful. What, I say, is the point of helping the Police if those whose reputation you saved don't care for it? Why identify a thief?

$1 mn or maybe $1.3 mn

2005-10-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Read this and weep! If you are an aspiring writer and have dreamed of such deals, you must read this. This dude - Vikram Chandra (and he's a good writer, mind you!) - has just picked up a $1 million (or $1.3 mn) deal from HarperCollins for his next book. And all this, after a three-way (or was it six?) bidding war. Incredible.
After all this, the book is about love, life, family and the Mumbai underworld... Satya Part 2 or Parinda Part 2? Any which way, it sounds good. I just hope it's not priced at some unbelievable Rs 1,500 or so! Did I mention it's a 1,227 page book? Pre-order for a discount, I suggest!

Technorati : Authors, India, Vikram Chandra, bidding, deal

Improved Festivals

2005-10-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have nothing against festivals and especially this one. I quite enjoy the music, sweets and a feeling of 'nice' that envelops one during this period.
But there is a fundamental difference in how these festivals are celebrated across India. In Pune, for example, I remember Ganeshotsav being the biggest followed by Diwali and then Christmas. This, of course, is in terms of public participation. There were other festivals also like the more local (or Maharashtrian) Gudi Padva and so on, but these were overall the biggest. And they still are.
In Mumbai (which is now home), every festival is just as big. I mean, when the 10 pm deadline was imposed (yes, it was 'imposed'), on Ganeshotsav and Navratri, the hue and cry was just as big for both in Mumbai but in Pune, nobody (apart from those under 21 years of age) seemed to mind it for Navratri.

But has this meant that the festivals suffered? In a way, I feel the quality of festivities improved and the unnecessary show off that used to happen has reduced. Mind you, not much, though.

Eventually, this has been extended to midnight in Gujarat and Maharashtra and there is now a different kind of question being asked as to why a 'Gujarati' festival gets this leniance while a 'Maharashtrian' one does not. And that too, in Maharashtra. Interesting and to some extent, a valid question. But that is not for this article neither is it in keeping with the fabric of India (or Mumbai, anyways).
I have enjoyed all these festivals just as much but I have to admit the ever extending deadlines were getting out of hand and ever since this 10 pm thing happened, life during festivals has been much better. For one, without the music, (which also means no Ganesh pandals to really visit), there's not much to roam around for. And this also meant that the overall rate of unwanted elements (let's face it, there always are many) on the streets during this period went down.
But has this meant that the festivals suffered? In a way, I feel the quality of festivities improved and the unnecessary show off that used to happen has reduced. Mind you, not much, though.
I remember a time when Diwali started before sunrise with a nice early (too early) bath and a generally 'clean' and festive amosphere. All that has changed and it's now shifted to becoming a race of who buys the most crackers and how we can all collectively push the limits of pollution. Sad.
Even Ganeshotsav, for that matter has become all about noise and show off where every 'Ganesh Mandal' wants to show how much bigger they are. Seriously, whatever made them think that Lord Ganesh would be interested in 'Slim Shady' or '18 'Til I Die' is anybody's guess. I suppose, though, that this is their way of enjoyment and that's what festivals are all about anyways. Or are they?
Partly, yes but more than just enjoyment, festivals are also about ones belief and if you sincerely believe in what you are celebrating, the only way to really do it right is by keeping with the spirit of the festival.
Why has Ganesh Visarjan day become one that is dreaded by most in every city? Why is that after this day is over, we are left cleaning the mess caused for weeks? Why can't people just immerse idols (made of clay and not POP) in their backyards or at home in a bucket of water? How is it better to cause a traffic nightmare, pollute rivers and seas and bid farewell to the idol that you worshipped for a day, five or ten in the worst polluted water body around?
I know of a lot of people and communities (in Pune, including my family) who do the immersion in a bucket, keep it for a day so it dissolves and then water the plants at home with that. At least we feel that we have kept the 'God' closer to us for a year. It's just belief but then that's what festivals are all about. (Did I say that already?)
The festival of lights and nine nights of celebrations also have a deep mythological and historical significance and so long as this is not lost, I think there is no need to really frown at the way we are celebrating. Unfortunately, we are not keeping with the spirit. Can we try at least? It would be worth experiencing one festival sans all the noise and pollution, if possible.
Now that would be the experience of a lifetime!

Technorati : Dandiya, Festivals, India, Mumbai, Raas Garba

Men want to be fair too, stupid!

2005-10-01T02:59:00.000-07:00

I have not seen anything as revolutionary since sliced bread! A fairness cream just for men! And check out how unique and original the name is too! "Fair And Handsome". Yes, I am serious.

Launched recently (I saw the TVC where a college guy sneaks into the girls hostel to steal their fairness cream... cream of all things!), this disaster sounding product might just do well. Considering the fact that Indian women have always wanted to be 'fair', this was the next logical step. So now, we shall soon have self-depricating ads about how a man got left behind in life because he was not fair or was too dark and how by using this Rs 30 tube of ointment (which could be moisturiser for all I know), he can catch up and indeed leave the rest behind.

So now, we shall soon have self-depricating ads about how a man got left behind in life because he was not fair or was too dark and how by using this Rs 30 tube of ointment (which could be moisturiser for all I know), he can catch up and indeed leave the rest behind.

What a load of bull.

I, for one, would not be caught dead usnig or buying this. Here's a news link about this. Also read here, here, here and here.

On the side, this is one of the most tech commercials I have ever seen. [Compaq Widescreen notebook]

Technorati : cosmetics, india, mumbai, tv ad

Zoundry Blog Writer... It's free!

2005-10-01T01:52:00.000-07:00

Of late, I have realised that it is extremely boring to log into Blogger and then type out the post. This, I feel, makes me lazy. So instead of letting Blogger take the credit for me being lazy, I set out to find the right tool to do so. Along the way, I found Anconia RocketPost by Manish Vij of Sepia Mutiny and even CityDesk but my latest find is what has me excited: Zoundry Blog Writer. (It's free).

There are some advantages of this over RocketPost, such as a faster interface when connecting to Blogger and downloading older posts. One of the major differences, though, is the management of more than one blog from the same window. It's like using MS Outlook (to be fair, so is RcketPost) and as simple as drag-and-drop. In this regard, getting RocketPost to manage multiple blogs is not so easy.

But the biggest thing, though, is the $30 price on RocketPost. Zoundry is totally free (and no ads either).
Manish: I would like to continue using RP even after the 30-day trial, but cannot afford it and hence the shift. Even if you were to place ads in RP, I would use it... I like it plus it's Sepia in colour!

For now, though, you can download Zoundry there.

Technorati : blog writer, test, zblog

Now using Opera 8.5

2005-09-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

With much despair, I admit I am now using Opera's latest (free of ads) offering, version 8.5. While I still maintain that Firefox is a better option (as I maintain with the button on this page), I just wanted to see what the fuss was all about.
For one, Opera does not have a rich text editor (hence, this post is also being typed without it and am not sure what font would be displayed on the page). Second, the number of extensions that are available are too few and an even fewer number of these is of any use to a power user.
RSS feeds are received a la e-mail and this can be quite cumbersome instead of having something like the InfoRSS reader I had in Firefox.
The look-and-feel of Opera, though, is far superior as is the functionality. The added integration of an e-mail client also helps (but this can be a negative since one crash crashes it all).
If you are the adventurous types, give it a whirl. Else, stick to FF.

@ Mozilla: I think it's time you guys cured the security flaws that have been cropping up. Else, I (and many others) can learn to live without a rich text editor!

p.s.: Sorry, can't link to anything using this. I am also too lazy to type the entire line of code just to link you to InfoRSS (http://inforss.mozdev.org/) or the Opera download page (http://opera.com/free/).

It's here! The blogging handbook for dissidents

2005-09-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

The blogging handbook is finally here!
Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) has launched "Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents".
RSF, it seems has "produced this handbook to help them [reporters in countries where the mainstream media is censored], with handy tips and technical advice on how to to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most suitable method for each situation. It also explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles.
Noble attempt. I have just downloaded this and will attempt to know if I am indeed one of 'them' and if the book is of any use to me. The PDF can be downloaded.
Also on CNN.com TECH

Free Ads for celebs?

2005-09-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

Even I want this! Just because she has two flats of about 1300 sq ft each allows DNA to place an ad for her on their front page? they may as well have labelled it 'For Sale: Aishwarya Rai's flats'.

This is just getting out of hand!

Isn't that a shame?

2005-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Cricket in India is now the same as politics. Because of this.
And if the events (like this and this) of the last few days are anything to go by, it's quite a shame. I have a couple of theories...
Saurav Ganguly chose to announce how he was being mishandled by the new coach bang in the middle of a Test match. Soon enough, this dispute is resolved (no matter how farcically).
The elections for the Indian board president's post are coming up. And then this: The cricket board today said that its annual general meeting will not take place unless all court procedures were completed.
Now how in the name of W G Grace are these two connected you ask... fair question!
The timing (as has always been the case with Ganguly's batting) was perfect. Ganguly announces how a foreigner coach has mishandled him and then apparently reconciles (despite the real story being to the contrary). Soon enough, Dalmiya realises he might lose control over the BCCI if Sharad Pawar were to compete since his dummy candidate (aka the current Pres.) is neither too ambitious nor conniving. Bummer!
So he tries to build this sympathy wave (Aamar Bangla!) and has now actually gone about and gotten this election postponed. Hmmm... far-fetched? Let me know and we'll debate!
All these guys are just playing the Indian fans more than the game, I say.

Net=free?

2005-09-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

For long I have pondered over why the Internet crashed back in 2000. And only one reason comes to mind: Free stuff.
Just too much of this was being peddled about then and at a time when none of the online entities could afford to do so. By no means am I suggesting that they can afford it now, but one would safely assume that it's fiscally much better now than five years ago. But was it so bad?
Here's some stats:

In 1999, there were 2,161 initial VC financings of start-ups, and 40 percent of those are still alive and kicking (private and independent), with only 32 percent out of business. Rounding out the rest, 3 percent are publicly held, and 25 percent acquired or merged. In 2000, there were 2,680 financings, and 47 percent are still alive and kicking, with 34 percent out of business, one percent publicly traded, and 18 percent acquired or merged. [Via] [Also this]

Compared with back then, it's not so grim but my fear is that if this appetite for free stuff is whetted any further, the scenario cannot get much better. Look at Google... they made their money in the stock market and honestly may not need to have regular income for a long time anymore (of course, I'm exaggerating!). But (all of) what they offer is primarily free and with their kind of portfolio, there's very little chance for any competition.
At the other end of this spectrum is Microsoft who charge for every little thing. For once, I might be inclined to to think that this, in the longer run, might be better for budding corporates and the user. Why?
Because Google is free, we can't really ask (unless you are an investor) whether they really are collecting all the information people claim about. With MS, you can always demand an explanation. In Google's case, because of the free stuff, all the 'Beta' versions they release are acceptable. For MS, they need to come out with a finished version sooner rather than later. But does this in any way mean that MS is helping the advancement of personal computing any more than Google? But then, they are both in different domains; somewhat!
Coming back to the point, my feeling is that if this continues (and it will) from the bigwigs, there's no way the smaller guys can not do the same. In the bargain, and looking at Google's overvalued stock, another bust could happen. When? I don't know. If I did, I could make a lot of money off some stocks!

That's an ace!

2005-09-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Now, I totally dig this chick and like the author of this Rediff.com article rightly says, "if she plays like she talks, we are in for a feast".

Another word: To all the groups who think it's necessary to police what she wears and does, shut up.

This one on Sepia Mutiny is a good 'un too!

New Blogging Software

2005-09-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

RocketPost, a new blogging software developed by Manish Vij of Sepia Mutiny is perhaps the only one I know of that allows such ease of use and convenience in posting and managing multiple blogs.
If you are a compulsive blogger and have different blogs for different purposes, this is a godsend. one good thing is the possibility to write offline and upload all at a go (a la POP mail). Some bugs need straightening out but this is something that can only happen on an ongoing basis. I would strongly urge anyone who blogs to get it (full version 30-day trial free).

If you’re an active commenter here or have donated to the blog before today, email me and I’ll hook you up with a free copy. Otherwise, it’s totally free if you use Blogger. It also works with Movable Type and WordPress, and TypePad is coming soon. It’s Windows only for now, but we’re looking for a good Mac developer.

It's a touch expensive, but please him and he may just give it for free! (Don't say I sent you!).

Katrina

2005-09-18T04:49:00.000-07:00

It's not just out of compulsion that I write this, but I have some points to ponder over.

Ever since the tragedy struck, there has been an outpouring of help from all parts of the world. The recent debate about remarks by some US bloggers about India sending aid notwithstanding, fact remains that Indian bloggers (Dina Mehta for one) and the blogging community on the whole has had a huge part to play.

Even a corporate the size of Microsoft set up Katrina Safe and helped the victims. But the one dampener in all this was the PayPal issue where the founder of the Something Awful site had to refund almost $28,000 because PayPal could not donate to Red Cross. What a shame.

Technology, though, did play its part right from blogging to Skype and was heartening to see that it's not just for entertainment that the Internet and its armchair activists exist. This, of course was amply visible during last year's Tsunami. Good show.

The Human Zoo

2005-09-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

These Poms are real nuts!
Late last month (Aug 25, I think), they had this exhibit where humans were placed at the world famous Bear Mountain in a cage as if animals in a zoo.

The 'invitation' for participation put up on the ZSL site read as follows:

Do you fancy showing off at the Zoo?
We are currently looking for individuals who would like to take part in a unique event. The August Bank holiday will welcome an extra special exhibit to London Zoo as a flock of Homo sapiens gather on the world famous Bear Mountain.
Presented to the public with only fig leaves to protect their modesty, the humans will become an important feature of zoo life as they are cared for by our experienced keepers and kept entertained through various forms of enrichment. The four day event aims to demonstrate the basic nature of man as an animal and examine the impact that Homo sapiens have on the rest of the animal kingdom.
If you would like to take part in this exciting new exhibit fill in the form below and tell us, in 50 words or less: Why do you want to take part in ‘The Human Zoo’?

Apparently, "The four day event aims to demonstrate the basic nature of man as an animal and examine the impact that Homo sapiens have on the rest of the animal kingdom."
Has this also happened elsewhere? Wonder what it would be like to have this in Mumbai or Delhi!
Reports about it on Yahoo! and Ananova. Also on the Beeb Online!
Here's a photogallery too!

Carpooling in Mumbai

2005-09-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Basic as the idea may sound, this is truly a first-of-its-kind effort in this city. Also, the use of technology is mind-boggling and I feel this can actually work.
Check it out here (C*S*F) and then go sign up (@ Patang!).
I already have!

A weekend on the town

2005-08-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

After a very long time, it was an idyllic weekend. A friend dropped in on Saturday evening and the three of us (that's Tosha, him and me) chatted up late into the night. Sunday was equally relaxed and after lunch at a relative's place, Tosha and I decided to go shopping. For household necessities, that is.
This, over the last 10 months or so (since we got married), has become one of our favourite activities. Walking up and down the aisles and looking for things we need but buying everything we don't is perhaps the way we let our hair down. Yesterday, being in Byculla, we decided to go over to Crossroads (Haji Ali) and eventually ended up spending a good three hours there.
What I did notice, though, is this place has lost its charm and the crowds have dwindled a great deal. Of course the invasion of malls in the suburbs would have had a hand in this.
Even their grocery store was poorly stocked. Nothing of note, here, to be honest. Who cares.

Hardselling Photos!
Incidents at malls are nothing new. Also, given the current media invasion in the city, I was not surprised to find a girl approach me and try to sell me a copy (an I suspect an annual subscription as well) of 'Top Gear'. This British mag has been brought to India thanks to the BBC's tie-up with the Times Group.
She was dressed well in a blue T-shirt and black trousers and before I knew it, she had thrust a copy of the magazine and the free mousepad in my hands.
"Just Rs 50 if you buy it here. Outside, it's for Rs 60," she said starting the sales pitch.
"Let me take a look", I said. I was genuinely interested in the mag and wanted to buy one. For one, it's new and two, I am addicted to mags...
As I started thumbing through the mag, she insisted I look at the number of photos there are. Why? Where's the info?
"There are so many colour photos in here," she insisted again.
One page I definitely check in any magazine is the 'Colophon' where the staff is listed. Why? There may be someone I know working on this. There were a couple of people I knew and some more I knew of.
"There are so many colour photos in here," she said again. It was almost becoming the background score for the day!
Ignoring, I decided to carry on and take a closer look.
"There are so many colour photos in here," and this time, it was said considerably louder.
I did the only thing I could. Handed tha magazine back and walked away.
But it was not going to be easy. Barely ten steps and another guy with another set but this time, the sales pitch was different.
"There's a column by Jeremy Clarkson in this," he informed.
Now we're talking...

That was Rs 50 well spent. But I won't do it again. The mag needs to move to become a car mag and not a 'lifestyle car' mag. My opinion.

How Journos use blogs

2005-08-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

Wall Street Journal tech reporter Nick Wingfield tells Bulldog Reporter how journalists use blogs in their jobs.
Interesting and well-researched article that I think, is quite apt.

Read full story here.
So, now you know!

Taking the Mickey out of you!!

2005-08-25T04:29:00.000-07:00

Maybe not, and it's probably just my perverted mind at work. But is this picture something it should not be?
This was what I received as a mailer. It was from Toon Disney announcing their Hindi service starting Sept 1. Whatever.
To me, it looks like Minnie is trying to suck the face off Mickey. Making quite a mickey out of him, eh?
This has been an unproductive day!!

Why I love Google

2005-08-25T02:47:00.000-07:00

I love Google because it's the best search engine available. I also love Google because it's the only company in a position to upstage Microsoft. Not that I hate MS, but it's always good to have some competition. And no, Google's not paying me to write this.
But just consider how the company started and has evolved. Today, they are also providing 'Google Talk' a chat interface that allows you to talk with the person at the other end. Very light and fast to load and use, it has all the trademarks that a Google software does.
There's also this interesting piece I read in the NY Times about how Google is now one of the hated companies in Silicon Valley. I say there's no better indicator of success than hate!
Agreed that Google is trying to juggle too many things at the same time, but they have a lot of catching up to do. And I will also concede that they do sound arrogant now (Not that I have ever spoken to 'them').
Anyhoo, you must try the Google Talk engine (you must have a GMail account) and here's the article I mention: "Relax Bill, It's Google's Turn As The Villain".

Is the Police above the law?

2005-08-22T02:43:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a sermon against the cops, rather just a simple question. Often I have seen (and has also been highlighted in the media) that cops tend to take liberties in terms of following rules and laws they are supposed to ensure are upheld.
Just this morning, for example, I spotted an Inspector of Police driving a green Hyundai Santro (MH 02 J 9603) at Nerul without wearing a seat belt. On pointing that out to him (by a signal), he conveniently turned the other way. Similarly, there are lots of cops (off-duty) riding around town (known thanks to the 'polics' sticker on the bikes) and not wearing helmets. Does this mean I can also do this? No, stupid, the laws are meant for your benefit too. Ok, so I won't.
But in principle, if they can take such liberties in their profession (they get paid so I won't call this a public service) can I do the same?
Can an accountant do that? Can a journalist (like me) do that? Can a doctor do that? How? Not following a rule or so that they must. Unfortunately not for we are answerable to the client/reader/patient and in some cases even the public at large. But aren't the cops?
Hmmm... I think they think they are answerable to no one. I'd call such behaviour callous. No?

Aamir Sohail's pearls of wisdom

2005-08-22T02:40:00.000-07:00

The plight of cricket and cricketers in his home country of Pakistan notwithstanding, he has chosen to comment on the status of player selection and treatment in India.
Now, we agree there are faults here, but the point he makes sounds like it's a case of sour grapes. He says the media blows them out of proportion before they prove themselves fully. Yes Mr Sohail but that's because our media is not state controlled and they have a mind of their own.
He also points out that corporates scramble to promote them and sign them up for endorsements and pamper them. Ahem. Something you missed during your playing days? Moreover, there are corporates and money to be spent.
Also Mr Sohail, who was the biggest advertiser in Pakistan when India visited? Videocon and Hero Honda—Indian companies.
We can't help it, really... We are like this wonly! Freedom of speech (even if badly used at times) exists as does some money (esp for cricket!)...

At Work On Sundays

2005-08-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

Look, Im not cribbing. But I'm not exactly thrilled about being in office on a Sunday either. To be honest, part of it is also my fault... I do tend to get a touch lax at the beginning of the month and then put myself in these spots. I'm not even gonna try to resolve to work harder next month and "not let this happen again". It's useless.
One good thing though about coming to work on Sunday is that roads are empty as is the office! Not too many idiots like me, I guess! But hey, I'm not complaining. It's nice and quiet and I can get a lot of work done (finally!).
One thing I do miss, though, is the Sunday afternoon siesta. Ahhh.. what I wouldn't give to be able to take a nap today... May be I just will... ;)

Journalism. Not in their DNA.

2005-08-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Competition is supposed to bring out the from you. But apparently, newspapers seem to be above all this.
Today's (Aug 19) edition of DNA has a story on page 5 about the recovery of Ngakuimi, the survivor from the August 13 Gateway of India murder.
Titled "Fernandes, Manipur Minister visit Ngakuimi", the story goes on to talk about why Fernandes visited the hospital: "To show my solidarity with the people of Manipur" (he is the NDA's in-charge for Manipur); what her friends and relatives have to say: "Don't discharge her so soon" and how the hospital will bear all the cost of her treatment. Not bad, eh?

The kicker is in the box with the story that is titled "In High Places". It elaborates on other high profile people at Bombay hospital.

Here's the box:
Governor SM Krishna visited Kannada actor Rajkumar
Former CM and Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushilkumar Shinde had a private consultation with Dr BK Goyal
Actress Shilpa Shetty underwent a personal check-up

Wow. That's reportage. Guys, you missed out on who scratched their bums and when... And all this after slamming the TOI and their standards and blaming them of turning the whole paper into a page 3 tabloid.

Hypocrisy. It's in their DNA.

Here's a report from Dancewithshadows.com on how the media royally goofed up on reporting about the murder.
This is a Mid-Day report on the mental state of the attacker.

Pic: Raleng recuperating in the hospital. Courtesy & (c) Mumbai Mirror

Inversely proportional?

2005-08-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

Just a thought that occured to me on my way to work this morning: Are distance to office and punctuality inversely proportional? When I used to travel 37 km one way, I would reach about 25 min before the designated time. Since I have moved to 18 km, I am late almost everyday.
Anyone else experience this? Or have I just beome lazy??

Of weekends and long weekends

2005-08-16T03:38:00.000-07:00

For most employers, a long weekend is productivity lost. But for most employees, it is productivity increased! Trust me. I am an employee!
So it was the 15th of August and flags were hoisted and respect was paid to the freedom fighters (I hope) and one hard boondi laddoo was had by unfortunate school students. What did I do? I spent ten hard earned rupees and bought a flag to be put in the car and slept through the morning.

What else? Like all Indians born since 1947, I have had my share of 6 am flag hoistings when no one can even say the National Anthem right. I also have my reservations against the anthem considering it was a song in honour of the Queen and all that, but generally, I don't believe in making a song and dance about the independence. Don't get me wrong, I truly respect all those who have fought for it and I value it greatly.
Unfortunately, I am living in an era when things are easy for me. Yes, I am accepting it dad, things are easty for us. I never had to walk miles to reach school... I had water when I turned the tap... I believed milk was created in a factory like vegetables... well, not really, but you get the point!
So coming back to my floofy weekend... I slept, ate, attended a puja at home and then ate some more. Came back to Mumbai, wished my Mama (uncle) on his birthday, ate some more and went home to a rather heavy stomach. (In all this, I also watched the agonisingly close 3rd Test between England and Australia, hoping all the time that England won... on India's Independence Day... hmmm).
Let me assure you, though, that I was not the only one 'indifferent' to the fact that it was August 15th. Not so august for me...
In the true 21st century sense of things, I caought 'Swades' on TV, drove back to Mumbai on the new Expressway (my freedom), violated a few traffic rules, saw the tricolour lying around on the ground being trampled... freedom. Bloody joke they have made out of the day.
I have also realised that organisations and offices where the government has minimal or no control never 'celebrate' I-Day. It's a holiday. That's it. This year, though, it was a long weekend. Monday for I-Day is ideal. You have Saturday, Sunday and then Monday. And now, I don't even have to eat those darned laddoos. Yay!
Jai Hind.

Lip-smacking!

2005-08-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

Food is one of my greatet weaknesses... Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, whatever... but the greatest is what's made at home.
Despite this, though, I do wander about looking for good food all over. In Mumbai, one of my favourite haunts is the Independence Cafe on Hill Road in Bandra. There was also a time when a pitcher of beer here cost Rs 99 and I have seen some friends guzzle it only because it cost that much! Such deals are no longer available but the food remains great.
One suggestion: The chicken stroganoff. Word of caution: Don't poke the chicken too hard. Hot cheese will be caused to squirt!
Another fabulous place is the Cafe Ideal in one of the bylanes of Fort (behind Great Eastern Watch Co to be precise) and the Dhanshak here is just out of the world. Top it up with a round of caramel custard and mmm...
For more caramel custard, you could also try Rajasthan on SV Road, Khar. Quite yummy. Also on Fridays, a must-have is the Dabba Gosht. Divine.
If Kheema is your choice, rush to Cafe Excelsior next to the theatre at Fort. Awesome. The list could go on... but I think I want to stop. I just had cauliflower and chapati with dal. Tonight shall be tough on the stomach!
Yenjoy!

The City This Week

2005-08-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to write about my experiences of the floods in Mumbai for a while but after I heard and read what some have had to go through and what others are still going through, I figured my plight wasn't really a plight at all. So let's forget about that.
Some of my colleagues and friends have some interesting stories, though... ones they would ideally like to forget. My guess is that won't be easy. Given the fact that they have seen dead bodies float past, people die in a car in front of them and tourists being heckled and led towards danger, it'll take a lot for them to get over this.
One observation I do have about this weeklong nightmare (that still continues for some) is that there were no reports of abuse... no women were raped, no shops looted, no burglaries... yes some government officials were roughed up but they deserved it!
I hope the 'facts' I mention are true and if not, please let me know. It does make me proud to know that the city really came together and helped. But I think it's time we moved past the 'Spirit of Mumbai' jingoism. Enough. The worst is past (so we are told) and it's time to start rebuilding. Pronto.
How about we start with asking Delhi for some of our own money back? Rs 500 crore out of the Rs 58,000 crore in taxes paid by Mumbai last year? When the estimated losses are at Rs 15,000 crore, I say cough up at least that and then some more for repairs and then some more for improving the infrsatructure. Let the Delhiites pay for their Metro and infrastructure from their own pockets. For once.
I have nothing against Delhi or its improvements (!) but think that Mumbai deserves to get a third of its tax share back to improve the infrstructure and systems.
Oh, and Mr Deshmukh, how about a trip around the state? Flood threats (in addition to existing floods) are high in many parts. Ms Prabha Rau (at 70-plus years of age) has already had one. Or is the varsha season better sitting in 'Varsha'?

The reason there's no photo with this post, is the photos are just too graphic and disturbing.Call me weak, but I don't want to see them for a while again.

Bollywood a flop?

2005-08-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

Zafar Anjum from Singapore seems to think so in this article. But why is Bollywood a flop? Moreover, he argues that China is a hit... on what grounds? Because Hollywood is investing $150 m in China and nothing in Bollywood... overtly, anyways.
Here are my two bits on the issue:

Bollywood doesn't really need Hollywood's approval to become a global force... it already is.
But isn't is a force within its diaspora? Largely, yes but I would attribute it to the fact that we make our own movies and have our own song-and-dance style. Western audiences cannot understand this.
Despite all the 'globalisation', Indian cinema has maintained its roots and still continues with the same song-and-dance routine and two-and-a-half hour long movies. In some cases, it's even more!
China makes 90-minute movies, much like the ones Hollywood churns out. Moreover, their sole identity is their martial arts (correct me if I am wrong here).
Piracy is an issue in both countries, but more so in China. In India, theatres are still running to full houses and proof is the number of multiplexes mushrooming at every corner.
$150m? Bollywood probably does that in 3 months. Remember, we are comparing with China and not LA.

My final point remains that Bollywood does not require Hollywood's approval. The Chinese have been in the US longer than Indians and hence have become a part of the US culture making it easier for them to tap this potential. In a few years, it will be India's turn and I think, we may even be in a stronger position to benefit more than China will.

Here's something more to make my point:
Amazon.de selling Bollywood Music
Main Hoon Na (or Ich bin immer da) (Amazon.de)
Bollywood Music (Amazon.de)
All Bollywood Products (Amazon.de)
All Bollywood Products (Amazon.co.jp)
All Bollywood Products (Amazon.co.fr)

And I've purposely not included the US, UK, Australia or Canada.

Vocab Wiz?

2005-08-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Read the sentence below carefully. . .

"I do not know where family doctors acquired illegibly perplexing handwriting; nevertheless, extraordinary pharmaceutical intellectuality counterbalancing indecipherability, transcendentalizes intercommunications incomprehensibleness."

In the sentence above, the Nth word is N letters long.
E. g. 3rd word is 3 letters long, 8th word is 8 letters long and so on.

Just some relief from all the flooding...

Also published here.

Mumbai comes to a standstill

2005-07-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year: Mumbai has been flooded and nothing (and I mean nothing) is moving. Speaking to various people, here's the status:

Traffic jammed from Suman Nagar, Chembur to Vashi bridge (Yes, believe it). My uncle turned back from Suman Nagar after driving for 4 hours from Nerul till there.
Buses and trains out of service.
Mankhurd (near station) towards CHembur has water till the window of a bus.
Orange (Hutch cell phone) service is down (I believe in parts coz some friends could call their spouses, friends etc.)
I am in Nerul (Navi Mumbai) and cannot even reach the corner of my office street.

Suggestion: Stay where you are. Don't venture out. Irony seems the best thing to loo at at this moment. Read this.
Image not recent/today's. Courtesy: The Hindu Online.

Focus in India shifted to Tennis? When?

2005-07-22T02:41:00.000-07:00

And where was I when this happened? Last I checked, I was discussing the Sri Lanka - West Indies Test with dad!
Jokes apart, I wish this were true. At least then, players (and not just stars) like Sania Mirza would get their due. In a post-match interview after she progressed to the quarterfinal of the Cincinnati Open, she is quoted to have said "The focus in India has turned from cricket to tennis, so that's exciting."
She's young and has moved from No. 400 in the world to 70-odd in a year (and probably better now after this tournament). Her fan following has grown humongously but let's face it... cricket still rules.
I am a huge fan of Sania's and would watch all her matches but cricket remains the religion it always was.
Maybe she can change it... ?

Pic: Tournament

Salman Khan ka kya kiya jaye?

2005-07-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan is a heartthrob and an actor I could not care less about. But the fact is he keeps making news and is (infamously) on the front pages.
Take for instance the latest 'tapes' imbroglio or his acccident when he ran over people about three years ago, he continues to be dogged by controversy. The question I have is whether he is a victim of the media and politicos.
Before we go any further, let me clarify that I am NOT a fan and although I have enjoyed some of his movies, I wouldn't always pay good money to watch them.
Coming back to the issue, his accident happened apparently because of his driver's carelessness but because he was sitting in the car, and being as high profile as he is, he became an easy target. That's the theory anyways.
As for his tapes imbroglio, why have they come up after four years? Because the Hindustan Times needed something sensational to create a dhamaka with their first edition in Mumbai. Who better than one of the bad boys on Indian cinema? Why it wasn't Telgi (as Shiv Kumar asks here) is another issue. If the HT could get their hands on this, surely they can also get their hands on the Telgi tapes.
Another theory I just heard (on Go 92.5 to be precise) was that yes, the phone was tapped and it may well have been Salman making all those claims but the reason for tapping the phone was totally different. Apparently, the Police have been doing this for a while now and using such tapped conversations to extort money from the high profile 'tappees', if you will.
Which begs the question "Why doesn't he just name the cops (if any) who may have tried to extort money and put them on the spot?" Two reasons: a) It would mean that the voice is his and that he has indeed made all the claims he has and b) The politicos and top cops would further tighten the noose around him in the hit-and-run case.
A third theory is that this is all politically motivated according to brother Sohail Khan. Sohail had earlier blamed competitors saying this was all vendetta since Salman's new movie was due to release that Friday. Yeah, right!
Also, as some factions of the media and in fact, Police have said, "How much can you believe a drunk man boasting to his girlfriend trying to hold her back?" Good question. But then again, no one just uses such names even in a fight unless there's some substance to it. There's never any smoke without a fire, I say. Now if you are going to prosecute him for something he has done three years ago and only because a newspaper who wanted to make a dhamaka published the story, it's a little 'iffy'.
On the other hand, just because it's three years old does not mean the crime is pardonable today. But first, we need to see proof of the crime. Until then, let's stick to the hit-and-run case!
As for me, I think he's innocent (against my better judgement) and is just plain stupid.
To answer my question, I say probe this and if found guilty, hang him!

Ah! Cricket Season!

2005-07-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting

Yes the season has begun in full earnest with the Ashes and soon, the Indian team will also take the field. To celebrate this and add my two-bits to the sport, I have started posting about the season of Cricket 05-06. Would appreciate comments on this.
Cheers.

High Water, Then Hell

2005-07-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

This is real scary. First the snow will melt and bring floods with it. Then, the water would mix with the sea making it useless for humans or agriculture. Then there will be famines. Is this the apocalypse? Outlook has a very scary story about the future... and they say it's just another 95 years away. So what if we won't be around... our kids (or grandkids) sure will.
What are we gonna do about it?

300-plus dead. But not as important as London blasts?

2005-07-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

A three-way train crash in Pakistan last night killed over 300 people. TOI has a pic on the front page with a report on page 25 as does Mumbai Mirror but without any mention on P1. It first features on page 18.
I guess the country (Pakistan, that is) is not as glamorous as the UK and Pakistan could afford to lose 300+. But London's 37 are more important. London, btw, continues to be in newspapers all over.
Can't figure this one out. IE reported it on their site at about 00:56 am. So I guess there was time for others to include it better. At least on their sites, if not in print.

In case any of you did not know of this, here's some links:

Indian sites/papers
Triple train crash in Pak (Mumbai Mirror)
150 killed in Pakistan train collision (Hindustan Times.com)
Three Pak trains crash, 128 dead (The Indian Express)
Rediff.com, Indiatimes.com, msn.co.in do not feature this on the homepage. HT also had this about a screen-and-a-half down.

Internationally...
Scores killed in Pakistan train crash (Al-Jazeera)
Pakistan collision deadly (Globe and Mail)
Three-way train crash kills score in Pakistan (ABC News Online)
Misinterpreted signal causes crash (Guardian unlimited)

Slightly older
Pakistani train crash toll rises to 128 (NineMSN)
104 dead in Pakistan trains disaster (Sydney Morning Herald; smh.com.au)
Pakistan train crash kills more than 100 (WashingtonPost.com)
Pakistan train carnage kills 128 (China Daily)

Photos of the crash are on the BBC site.
Pic from BBC.com and AFP

Blogging The Fifth Nail

2005-07-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Joseph Duncan is a kidnapper, paedophile and murderer. He is currently in jail. But, as has been the case with many other things, the Internet could well be the place where his crimes may be proven. With armchair Internet detectives getting into action and more and more pieces of his life after 18 years in jail being pieced together, who knows where that could lead.
For some background, Duncan was convicted at 16 for raping a 14-year-old at gunpoint. Since he got oout of jail, he had taken to computer programming and other activities but then, the beast in him returned, as it were.
Duncan, 42, was arrested early last Saturday after turning up in a 24-hour diner with 8-year-old Shasta Groene just a few miles from where the bodies of Shasta's mother, her mother's boyfriend and an older brother were found bound and bludgeoned at their home near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
But, that's not all. Duncan maintained a weblog of all his activities and this become a forum for abusing him and his activities since his arrest.
The chilling account is easily found at Blogging The Fifth Nail and this is another more detailed story.

Radio Ga-Ga

2005-07-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

I have become a regular listener of the Radio since my car came along (and since my return to Mumbai where the choice is wider). But I feel unsatisfied. The listening experience much to be desired.
There are various aspects to this. Audio quality, which can be described as fuzzy at best, is one. And no, this is not a result of my music player. The quality varies as you change locations and depending on whether your antenna is out or not.
Next are the RJs (Radio Jockeys). There are a few good ones like Jaggu and Tarana (Good Morning Mumbai, Go 92.5FM), Roshan Abbas (Radio City 91.0FM) but not many other. Malini (Horn OK, Please; Go 92.5FM) is all right but makes far too many mistakes to take her seriously. Red FM 93.5 is also worth a listen if purely Hindi stuff (and mostly old) is what you prefer.
The problem with some (actually most, but I'll be polite!) of the other RJs is that they are too full of themselves. Most insist on laughing at their own jokes and have given themselves ridiculous nicknames like "Natkhat Neeta" or "Chulbuli Chhaya" (Chaya and Neeta are both from 93.9FM, Radio Mirchi, Pune). The trend is the same in Mumbai as well.
Another problem with Radio is the over abundance of countdown shows. I mean how many number one songs can a city have? Apparently, five!
Lack of research on what they talk about and sounding obnoxious are the least of all problems. I think the guy's name is Abbas (Go 92.5FM) and he is so irritating, that i HAVE to switch channels the moment he's on (even in ads).
Coming to ads, the less said the better. There have been some good 'uns but mostly, they're crap. My favourite, though, are the mutual fund and insurance ones where they say "Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. Please read offer document carefully before investing" in about 0.6 seconds. It's incomprehensible yet funny! Another all-time worst ad is the "One hour champi"! Yes, champi! Parachute coconut hair oil is the culprit. Believe it, I took about 2 months to figure out that the voice said "...doosri ko runner-up bhi nahi diya". Anyways, that's what I think they are saying. Still not sure!
The good of Radio are the traffic updates. I have saved myself from traffic jams on at least two occasions till date when I heard an update and changed my route.
Radio is a vibrant medium and a lot of fun with the right RJs. But currently, we are stuck with the not-so-great ones and it's not such fun. What's worse is the repetition of songs.
Kajra Re (Bunty and Babli), I'm so lonely (Akon), Kaal Dhamaal (Kaal), B-n-B (Bunty and Babli) are just some of the songs I hear on my to office and on my way back home. They grow on you after a while, but soon thereafter, you grow out of them.
Why is this the case? Why are the playlists so limited? Are the songs so costly? But then again, isn't that what's gonna catch the listener? Hope someone responsible hears us!

G'bye Shep!

2005-07-12T02:28:00.000-07:00

David Shepherd, one of my favourite characters from cricket will retire today after the third ODI between England and Australia. In an interview to Cricinfo, the portly, superstituous and highly respected upmire said "Players are the stars.
The game of cricket is for players not umpires." That's the man... The loser will be cricket.
Shepherd has been known for his antics (jumping when the score is on 111, 222 or so on) as much as his quality as an umpire. As a cricket fan, I always felt if he was umpiring an India match, the decisions would be fair.
We'll miss you Shep. Enjoy retired life.
Full Interview.

Home Sweet Home

2005-07-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

Four months is what it took us to find the home we liked. Too long or not is debatable but we finally have it. It wasn't easy though!
During our four-month-long struggle, we traversed the suburbs of Mumbai from Santacruz to Bandra to Sion to Wadala (yes) to Dadar to Mahim to Chembur and even parts of New Mumbai including Vashi, Nerul, Juinigar, Belapur and Kharghar.
I don't even want to think how much money I blew up on travelling to these places not to mention lost weekends and efforts. It's intangeble and unfair.
Classified ads are an example in cryptic writing. "1BHK, East facing, 10/1L, 3RD FLR, NO/LT, Near Rly Stn, Juhu". For god's sake, which railway station is close to Juhu? And which idiot in Juhu is giving away a 1BHK for 10K? I had to find out! So I called. And it was an agent. And I saw the flat. And it was a 1 RK (that's room-kitchen) about 280 sq ft that was converted into a 1 BHK (you do the math about the sizes of the rooms!) and with a common loo. Gawd!
We lived through this for 4 months.
One thing I have relised during this ordeal is that luck, more than anything else, plays a very big part. We lost two houses only because of well, timing. I stopped short of saying bad timing, because it was not us who were the culprits. One in Santacruz was lost because the owner had just gone out of town for a month "that morning" while the other in Vashi (how we wanted that one) was lost due to lack of communication between the agent and the owner.
Estate Agents are a unique breed... they can get attached and well, de-attached (for want of a better word) from you just as quickly if they realise a bigger better deal (commission!) may be had from elsewhere.
However, I have to mention Mr Chawla (from Chembur) and his resilience in putting up with me (which can be an ordeal for him and for all you know, he may have put up a post somewhere in blogsphere!) and showing me no less than 25 flats!
Funnily, though, everytime we narrowed it down to two or three, one of them got taken, another owner went missing and the third suddenly didn't seem so nice... Is there something wrong with us? No. Because wanting to live in a good house is not a 'wrong' thought to have and being extremely discerning about the house you choose is a must. There's just too many strings attached to choosing a house... You must feel like coming back there... it must be bright, conveniently located... you know... all that jazz!
Bottomline here is, we have finally chosen one in Chembur (in an area just behind R K Studios; I hope to do some celebrity spotting!). It's in a brand new building called Blue Bells, on the seventh floor overlooking only greenery and no noise or pollution to be had. Our sole companions are the hills of BARC and the building has great videophone security and all!
We move in on August 1 and neither of us can wait. Hope to see you there for the housewarming! Yes, you are invited to our home.

What a pity

2005-07-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Quite a violent week, this. First Ayodhya and then London. But it seems London has gained prominence over the blasts in Ayodhya. And why not? Blasts and terror attacks are a way of life for us here in India. We have learned to live with them. Shame on us, but who cares?
London had just won the bid to host the Olympics in 2012 and within 24 hours, these blasts happen. Yes, the damage and the impact of the blasts has been greater there but how many of us have taken time to at least condemn the attacks in Ayodhya? Motives for both blasts might be different, but the end result is the same: Terror, damage and loss. One life or 1,000... the impact remains.
I am all for writing about the blasts in London and how it has affected our "pals" there but what about our brothers in Army fatigues in Ayodhya and Kashmir over the last 15 years or more? Ever stop to think about them?
Or is it just fashionable to write about the blasts in a foreign land? July 7, 2005 would probably be a date etched in memory much like 9/11 but how many of us remember 12/26 or 4/13?
Let's be a little more objective and fair, I say. Let's not make it a way of life for ourselves. Let's not be so hardened that nothing of any magnitude affects us anymore. Let's introspect first.
Thankfully the Ayodhya blasts didn't kill any civilians (not sure about the injured lady) but it could have been worse and the effects of a larger casualty rate could have been felt across the country... as they were in parts with the VHP bandh.
Let's not fall into the trap of being the 'Indians who only ape the west'. Annie, I think that answers why not many Indians have gone to jail in the recent past for just doing their job.
Hate me if you like after this... you could also block me out, but the fact is, C**S**F has been very unfair in its opinions about the two terror attacks this week.
Hope we can bear to read that.

Oh what a day... And it's still just 12.30

2005-06-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

Yes they’re finally here and how! Mumbai has been deluged (literally) since Tuesday afternoon and this morning, I was caught in the seemingly never-ending downpour. It felt like the entire Arabian Sea had been sucked up and is being poured back down—in installments!
But it was beautiful. The freshness of the trees, the coolness of the weather, the feeling that all is well with the world, the lateness of the buses… yes, the regulars were all in attendance.
As roads choked up and traffic snarls grew longer, commuters grew uneasier. Natural progression of events, you may say. But the rain was there to make you feel better. For once, the BMC seems to have got its act together. Barring the odd open manhole, pothole and missing roads (you know, the ones without tar or cement), it was a smooth ride to office.
Leaving home at around 8:30 am, we (Tosha and I), proceeded to the nearest ATM to withdraw money. Thereafter, we were stuck for only 15 minutes at the signal under the Andheri flyover. Not bad for a rainy day, I say.
This was followed by a smooth (no pun, really!) ride till the domestic airport when we hit a small jam. This jam eventually let up at the Kherwadi junction at Bandra East. Time taken: 35 minutes. Distance covered: 3 km. Have had worse without the rain, honest.
Then we got off at the Bandra East bus stop (after travelling past MIG Club and giving up the main road) and the auto driver decided this was time to stop in the middle of the road and let us out. For a moment, I thought he was going to do a Moses and create a way for us in that sea (metaphor, mind you) of water under our legs (not feet, since it was about shin deep).
But no. He took his 50 rupee note and left. Oh, well.
Two things had to be done before we resumed our respective journeys… break a Rs 500 note so I didn’t have to fight with the conductor on the bus and she, with the cabbie. The next task entailed heading for the bus stop and hailing a cab and catching a bus respectively.
Task 1: Despite a row of about 10 shops at the corner and with each being infested with customers, none of the shopkeepers had change for a 500. But, as soon as I bought a pack of mints worth Rs 5, the change appeared—almost as magically as the guy who sits inside the ATM handing out money!
This is where the plot thickened.
There was this proverbial sea of water in front of us and more stuff (not just water, mind you) was being added to it with each passing moment. We had to make a run for it. It was now or never. For us, it was never. Tosha spotted a cab on the other side of the road and noticed someone get off. Spotting this as her chance, we both bellowed like never before for the cab to make a U-turn and come this side. But, as a truck passing by had more vocal strength, our shouts were drowned—much like our legs. The water continued to rise.
The BMC has this unique new tiling craze where each corner of every road has been fitted with interlocking tiles. It’s smart considering they need to dig the road every three hours or so. Here, just take it out and fit it back. Much like opening a door, really. But, given our day, there was a patch that had no tiles and I landed in this. Much to my disgust, I also landed in a lot more than I bargained for. Thankfully, there was enough water going around to take care of that.
Coming back to the original predicament, it was time to get on to Task 2 with complete concentration and absolute focus. No time for hocus pocus.
Task 2: We made a run for it. This time, we did it. Crossed the road and made it to the bus shed, that is. Along the way, like two smitten lovers in the rain in a Hindi potboiler, we told each other that we were getting wet. Without getting lost in the profoundity of our statements—it was raining, you see—we carried on and made it to the bus stop. I was a little more drenched than her. Of course, I have more girth and hence more scope to absorb water. Simple geometry (and I thought I’d never use it in daily life).
Once at the bus stop, we confronted our newest, well, adversary. Wind. It changed direction at will and no amount of us changing direction beat it. We were the ones left guessing. I need more practice with this, you know.
While I made up my wind about which side of me I could let get wet, Tosha was busy scouring the landscape for a cab with the meter saluting… and not at half-mast or in mourning. After 10 minutes of trying, we spotted one. More importantly, he spotted us. We waved frantically… after all, he was our saviour. As he tried to muscle his way through and get to us, the fact that there were a couple of risks involved dawned upon me… one, someone else might hop in or two, he may never make it, getting washed into the sea (sic) of traffic and flowing away never to be seen again.
Considering both possibilities, we swung into action and ran to him. More like fast walked, but you get the point. Soon, in about 17.454 seconds, that is, we were there. And Tosha was in a cab and I was getting wet. “Turn around you idiot and go into the bus shed,” she shouted. I concurred.

Task completed with success and a pat on the back was in order.
Back in the shed, and with time at hand to think about what-not, it was interesting to notice how different people react to rain. There were some who were content waiting for their bus sitting while others, including yours truly, looked on—peering, squinting to read numbers, jostling for space, et al—for the elusive bus.
In this melee, was this very interesting group. Interesting, because I could have handed them a certificate of idiocy. They ran towards every bus as if this was the one they wanted. But returned to the shed on seeing this was not the one. After doing this for about five buses, they took turns for another five. Finally, better sense prevailed and they asked one of the fellow sufferers where the stop for bus No. 84, going to Peddar Road, was. He replied it was on the other side of the suburb. “But we were told it’s just outside the station”, complained idiot no. 3. “On the west, not east,” informed the enlightened soul.
Gradually, they accepted their fate, took it in their stride, stuck out a hand and hailed a cab. This was going to be a costly mistake. This set me wondering, you know. Not about how people get lost, but about how they got a cab so easily and we didn’t (refer Tasks 1 and 2 for details about this adventure).
After fighting to stay dry for about 20 minutes, I gave up and came out and stood on the road. Anything you do, go all the way is my mantra. I won’t shower tomorrow. That’s it!
Finally, I saw the magical number on the horizon. It was, at first, a small 505 in red and as it grew bigger, my heart grew warmer, the continuing rain notwithstanding. Pushing my way through (now size matters, eh?), I got in only to find a 1x1 square foot space available. This is what I would call home for the next 45 minutes. Finally, after an uneventful journey till TISS, I got place to sit. This was also about the time when I heard a ruckus at the back (yes, I had gone with tide, as it were, and was now in the front seat behind the driver). Someone didn’t have change for a 500 and the conductor refused to oblige. I am smart, I thought to myself. But in due course, I was to be proven wrong.
I diverted my thoughts to other things like the new house, how I missed my car and how it was cruel that of all days, I had to travel by bus just as it had started to rain… you know the usual sulking.
But, then we reached Vashi soon enough, and my destination was in sight. Or so I thought. It would be wise to inform the reader(s) that prior to this, I have not gone to office by this particular bus. I have used a combination of a couple of others yesterday (No 384 to BARC and then No 504 to Nerul; on Monday, I took No 507 to Santacruz East station) and the train before that. Mostly, though, it was by car. The 505 Ltd had been used only till Vashi.
Leaving Vashi depot, the bus went along Vishwajyot and continued on towards Turbhe. Odd, I thought. Wasn’t this a longer route? Moreover, only two people got off till we reached Nerul and none got on. What a colossal waste of time and resources. Anyway.
Getting off at the LP junction, (thankfully, a truck came across and I could jump out before the actual stop which is about 1/2 a km and you cant even jump on to the service road because there’s a gorge in between) I found an auto and ordered, “To Om Sagar Building.” In five minutes, I was at the gates of mercy (office, you know, with AC and more importantly at this point, a clean loo!) only to be held back further. I had given away all the change from my mint purchase to Tosha and was left with a Rs 100 note as the lowest denomination. The fare: Rs 10. How did this happen? All that planning, foresight, washed away (sic) in a moment?
No amount of asking arund helped and I finally had to take Rs 10 from the security guard which I plan to return at lunch time. Finally, I am at work and it’s also about time I did some—work, that is. Ironically (or maybe thats what life’s like, it stopped raining five minutes after I entered office. It was 11.20 am. Almost three hours for 36 km. It takes me about 50 min by car.
I shall chronicle my return journey tomorrow. Something tells me it will be just as eventful.
Cheers. (I wish I could).

Much ado about nothing?

2005-06-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Australia's recent form in the short (and shorter) versions of the game have been less than inspiring and given their track record, there may seem to cause for concern. "This is an ageing team"; "It's over the hill"; "Is this the beginning of the end?" Well, I would not like to agree with all these ideas.
Yes, this is an old team (average age in the late 20s) compared to some other like England, Pakistan or even India where the average ages of the teams are in the early to mid-20s. But look at the team and its strength. The players, the confidence the coach has in the team... this team will bounce back and with a vengance.
For England, though, this will be the first time in nearly a decade that there's a realistic chance of winning back the Ashes. And to be honest, no amount of number-crunching, trying to make sense of the current lack of form will hold water once the Tests start. Of course, this is something only time will tell...
One thing I feel is for sure, is that the law of averages has caught up with the Aussies. So will this be the year Ashes history is rewritten? I, for one, sure hope so.

Is this true?

2005-06-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Mirror to shut shop? More top-level resignations at ToI? What's up?
Read more on C**S**F.

Traffic's a bitch

2005-06-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

It's official: I HATE AUTO RICKSHAWS.

All this while, I had nurtured a silent hatred for these 'machchars' that infest out cities but today, I got a taste of thier careless and callous attitude. In the bargain, my new three-month-old car was damaged and it will cost Rs 12,000 to set it right. Thank god there's insurance.
It was one of those typical lane-changing manouevres by the machchar and the next thing you know, there's a mini pile-up at Chembur, Mumbai. An Esteem and a Jeep were also at the receiving end and the machchar got away with just a cracked tail-lamp.

I think it's time to put my long-debated plan into action. Buy a huge truck, modify it with earth-flattening devices and run all of these a**h**** over.
This is a bad day and one I would dearly like to forget soon. My baby is hurt bad and I need to get back to nursing her.

Adios.

Information overload

2005-06-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

There's so much happening in the world, it's not funny. Ok, I work for a vertical tech mag that's monthly but that, in fact, makes my life tougher. Believe it!
I need to track stories for at least 3 weeks before I can publish them and I need to go in depth since I (the mag, that is) will be expected to take a stand. So if there are about 4 new events a day (that's avg) in the tech world, that gives me 4x20=80 stories to track for 3 weeks max. Daily updates and developments (even if once in 3 days) means there's something to the equivalent of 80x3=240 stories for 21 days. That's like writing 11 stories a day. Top that, you daily newspaper guys!

Sample this:
I mean why couldn't Apple just come out and announce they will be lining with Intel and ditching IBM? Why the whole cloak-and-dagger thing? Apparently, they have also been working on a platform for their OS on Intel codenamed 'Marklar'. And then there are these people who have been predicting since 2002 that this will happen. Then there's the Mac fanatic who's crying foul. Then IBM's refusing to comment. Daily papers can handle this one thing daily... I have to follow all of this at the same time. Think I'll wait for it all to happen and then collect info... BAD IDEA. It's never gonna end... next, there will be announcements about developing the Mac OS for Intel's 3.6GHz chip and how the transition from PowerPC to Intel will happen and the roadmap and support announcements and vendors' problems... it's an endless pile of shit! Damn you Steve Jobs. (I still like Mac anyways!)

Dailies have it easy. Write on the slate, clean it up tomorrow and start afresh. Man I miss the daily paper days!! Whatever made me think monthly would be easier... and after having gone thru this for three years already! I think I am a moron.
No, it's just information overload. Weekend... where art thou?

When it was all new...

2005-06-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Last night got me reminiscing... and how things have changed in my life in just over a year... how responsibilities have increased and how I can no longer have a 'devil-may-care' attitude. But first, the reason for the reminiscing...
One of my neighbours and a close family friends' daughter recently got married and was on her way to her honeymoon. Tosh and I offered to be their hosts and chaperones for the evening and so it was... they came over, had dinner, we chatted till about 2 before we finally dropped them to the airport. They must have been over for about 5-6 hours and looked totally smitten! Cute. But it got me wondering how I missed that first week of being married... when everything was new and exciting (not that it isn't anymore, but you get the drift) and anything we did was news (within family circles, thankfully!).
It's a bit like when you start seeing someone and then over time, get used to that person and eventually, take him/her for granted. Maybe not for granted, but at least expect them to do certain things and behave or be in a certain way... they become part and parcel so much so that they are always around. Not a bad situation to be in at all, but what happened to that excitement?
Even today, when Tosh and I see each other after work, we are excited... what can we do? Where can we go? Even if we (actually, it's almost always her) are cooking, there's an element of excitement... but I still miss that first week (or two) of being married. Wish I could have it back...
This thought transported me back to my childhood when everything was always new... nothing (not even school) was mundane or boring (well, almost!). Friends, new stuff happening... crazy time. Will I get that back? Maybe when my kids start going to school.
*I'm straying from the point and have also forgotten what I started to write about!*
But am I saying I'm not enjoying my life? Hardly. I love my job, love my wife, my home my friends, family (not necessarily in that order) but I have this feeling that sometimes takes over me that I can do more... more what? Work? Maybe... spend more time with Tosha? Yes.... Spend more time at home with parents? Yes... but I've done all that and that feeling still doesn't go away.
Was it the same when it was all new? No, I didn't have time to think so much then... life was on autopilot... now I have to steer it. Much like the protagonists in Richard Bach's One. Does this mean I can any of the courses available to me and steer my life in that direction? Am I already doing that? Even if there is a certain routine in my life? Was I choosing a path when I got married? Yes, obviously... but what about the rest of the questions? Any answers?
That's why I want the time when it was all new... I didn't have to think of all this at least.

Lazy Me...

2005-06-02T03:48:00.000-07:00

Lazy Me...
Originally uploaded by Scribbler-A.

I admit I am lazy and hence the yawning (no pun intended) gaps between posts... I've been trying to up energy levels of late by guzzling tons (actually litres) of Red Bull... hope it works. Until then, though, it's just lizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Insipid, hypocritical and blasphemous

2005-05-23T02:15:00.000-07:00

Yes there is a media war on in Mumbai. The grand old lady of Boribunder is under threat and this is as exciting a time as any if you are a journo or in any way connected to the print media.
As one would expect, therefore, there is a major war being waged for eyeball space in the city and the number of hoardings related to newspaper ads are beating the shampoos and the soaps and the cars hollow!
One particular campaign that has caught the fancy of the city (and the media world) is the 'Speak Up' campaign by Zee-Dainik Bhaskar's soon-to-be-launched daily, DNA. Yes, they were ambushed and not just once, but twice (by BCCL and the Indian Express Group) but my point is the hypocritical and the blasphemous nature of their ads.

Here are some of the ads and tag lines:
a) "Maybe women should wear armour to protect themselves" (Sarcastic or are you serious?)
b) "Maybe I could educate the education system" (What have you been doing so far?)
c) "There should be a rate card for bribes" (And maybe a bulk discount?)
d) "Why should I care who's wearing what at Cannes?" (Stop ogling at the TV, then!)
e) "Mr Chidambaram, I am sorry I am succesful" (So am I, but pay your taxes, anyway)
f) "I work in Mumbai but my taxes work for Delhi" (Get out!)
g) "I am a Mumbaikar from Meghalaya, any problems?" (Yes. read on to find out!)
h) "What's the BMC digging for? Gold? Oil? Fun?" (That's 'coz your taxes work for Delhi)
i) "Sourav should play at No. 12" (Okay by me... but is it that important?)
j) "Duh" (You said it?)
k) "Borders have no meaning" (Yash Chopra... and we don't need celebs to endorse, because...)
l) "Mumbai should come out of New York's shadow" (Dolly Thakore of the 'Page 3 sucks' fame)

Attractive as these may have been, I have some fundamental questions:
1. They are questioning everything in the system. So what exactly do they stand for?
2. Are they encouraging the kind of immigration that the guys in ads (f) and (g) say? Why?
3. Are they justifying the immigration and lack of committment or interest in the city's welfare from immigrants?
4. Who are they to say this?
5. Why are they roping in celebs if that's the very thing they say they don't want?
6. What of the people that have joined to work for them? These are mainly from TOI and if changing all they say they want to, aren't they being hypocritical? Aren't these the guys that made these 'ideas' click?
7.So, now why do they think these 'ideas' they introduced are wrong?

I have specific grudges against two ads: (f) and (g).
You are a Mumbaikar from Meghalaya and I have no problem with it so long as you are ready to live here as a Mumbaikar and not as an immigrant who cares two hoots about the city. This city has been ravaged enough and we don't need more people to do that. Mumbai has been prostitutionalised to the extent that anyone who wants to make money comes here, does that and goes away. What did the city get? Nada.
And sir, if you are proud of the fact that you work in Mumbai but your taxes work for Delhi, I take strong objection to that. Why should I, as a taxpayer, pay for your roads and water when you are paying for someone elses? You are yourself at a loss, but my loss is bigger. I will be here forever... you will not.
Are these the thoughts the paper is propogating? Is this 'Mumbai's own newspaper'? I think not.
Given this campaign, I would also like to risk speculating the nature of the paper... If Zee News is anything to go by, and given this campaign, the editorial policies could well be along the same lines—of investigative journalism and sensalitionism.
Yes, TOI is is fence-sitter but do we need undercover journalists? Maybe in some cases... if your policy is to be against everything, how can I survive being with you? I have to live in this system whether you like it or not.
Hindustan Times is on another tangent altogether and are as yet not disclosing any edit policies... TOI is busy telling the world thier paper is full colour now (which it is not) and MId-Day is too tied up promoting some damn quiz. Does IE still have a Mumbai edition? I wonder.
Blasphemy from the media houses. Insipid advertising that is also irresponsible and entirely hypocritical, if you ask me.
God save us—the reader.

Also published here on C***S***F.

Take her off air PLEASE

2005-05-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

Diana Hayden-Anchor? No Way.

She might have been a beauty queen but she ain't no TV host(ess). For one her accent is incomprehensible. Where did she get it? Chembur? Moreover, isn't she from Hyderabad? So why the accent?

Anyway, the TOI is so deeply rooted in her psyche (!)—thanks to Ms India—that she can't control herself! Sample this:
Wednesday (I think), Biography featuring the Nehru-Gandhi family:
"Sonia Gandhi wore a pink saree for her wedding...." do you wanna hear the rest? Never mind. Thank god she didn't dig out the shoe and jewellery designer. Aren't there any better people who might do a better job of this. I think this is a documentary show and there is NO NEED to glamourise it thus.
Ok, so don't keep it drab like someone died but this is downright flaky. Moreover, she has no connection with the actual show and her bits are at best cut-and-pasted into the show. Why, oh why, have they ruined a perfectly good show?
I'm even ready to start a petition on this, but PLEASE TAKE HER OFF AIR.

New Photos...

2005-05-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

More new photos have been posted @ Aditya's Photos and Prajakta's site. Check them out.
Cheerio.

Action time

2005-05-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

This post would probably appeal to no one. But I had to put it down because these are thoughts I might turn back on and do just what I am saying I deplore...

There's plenty of action going on in Mumbai in the media industry. It's not across India, but only in Mumbai where three new newspapers are to be launched in the coming 4 months. Big deal? Yes. The last time something half as big happened was about 12 years ago and the next time could well be another 12 years ago.
The direct result of this is that anyone I know in any publication (marketing or editorial) is in the process of moving to another (not necessarily the new) publication or has already moved. Every evening when I get back home, I hear of another aquaintance having switched loyalties. Yes it's an opportunity but will such mass exodus (esp from the TOI) help any of these guys? Shouldn't you be a little more selective and sceptical? What makes you think you have nowhere to go in your existing job? (To be honest, I thought that in my previous job).
Looking at it pragmatically, if your bosses and top management is moving out (and they are moving faster than you can say where they are going!), there is going to be a vacuum.
Unless you are a fresher, there is a huge opportunity if you stick around.
First there's the brownie points for having stuck around and then, thanks to that, there's the chance to move up. Seriously. How else will the top positions be filled up? The media industry is not like any other where the bottom line is just sales. There is a certain amount of experience and background required if you want to be at the top (or the mid- to top-level).

I realise this post sounds pointless, but I just had to get this off my chest. As of this moment, I am not moving to any of the 'greener' pastures. I like this pasture better...

Now that's true grit

2005-05-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Kim Phuc (the girl in the centre) is perhaps one of the more unfortunate symbols of the Vietnam war. But she didn't let that deter her. Even napalm burns and attempts by her own government to deprive her did not hold her back. Read her interview... it's very inspiring.

Been a long time

2005-04-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Tempted to take the lyrics from the song... but here's something I just read. It's an old proverb: "Learned or unlearned we all must be scribbling". Hmm... makes you wanna ask if anything you write is sense or not. How many times have you gone back to an old posting (or an article or writing more than, say, a year old) and thought... "What rubbish have I written!" It's happened often with me. Possibly because within that year, we have grown as has our thinking. Or has it?
I don't think so. It's more like the embarassment of seeing your own childhood photos or looking at your old music collection and saying... "What was I thinking?" But this brings me to the question whether we can write something that can have appeal at any point in time... even ten years later. Photographs have that charm (sometimes) that can bring a smile to your face or trigger a memory. Can writing, especially by mortals like us, have the same effect? Maybe. But can that effect be brought about for personal writings that are, more often than not, put down more carelessly and without much emotion or thought than some of our more formal writing? Should we research before we write our own log? Or is spontanaiety the best way to go with this? Let the real you come out... I think that works best but that would almost always make the writing 'dated' and not appeal to you or anyone else in even six months. Too critical? Think I'll try to write like this for a while and see if it's possible. Wot say?

I'm Left Brained!!

2005-04-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I took another test. This one was a touch more accurate! You tell me...

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (42%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.
Left Brain (62%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

And that's my leader

2005-04-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Don't entirely agree with this... but it's their result, not mine!

That's my movie...

2005-04-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Interesting...

2005-04-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Imagine there being a movie and a leader to personify you... this test (rather inaccurate, if you ask me), attempts to do that. The questions, though, in both tests are similar (some same). Hell, it's fun to do this once... check out who I am!!

Impressions

2005-04-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a five-day trip of Japan and my first impression, as most of us from India travelling to a developed nation would say, was WOW!
And why not? They have systems that work... systems that are maintained and are fabulously well organised... what hurts even more, is that some of these have been developed, deployed and maintained by Indian companies...
Be that as it may (coz it will be!)... the country is a pleasure to be in... the people are extrememly warm and hospitable and normally go out of their way to help you. Politeness is something they seem to have in excess... I mean, imagine someone waiting to let pedestrians cross through before driving on... in India, the pedestrian would have been on his way to the hospital!
There are some obvious problems too, though, like high cost of living and skyrocketing costs of real estate. Never-ending, serpentine traffic jams are also more the norm than exception. Interestingly, though, these happen without any fuss and drivers wait patiently without honking or cutting lanes to get ahead.
Food, though, for the uninitiated and the vegeterian in particular can be a nightmare! We had a couple of them in our group and they almost died of hunger! For the Japanese, seafood is vegeterian! Eat that!
I had sushi and once I got over my initial apprehensions, it was delicious! Salmon turned out to be my favourite and was spicy as hell without any garnish or even seasoning! Shrimp and squid are something I really like and no one makes them better than the Japanese! If you ever get a chance to sample the exotic cuisine of the Far East, go for it. A word of caution, though: stay away from the Tofu. After one meal (seven courses of Tofu!), I could almost throw up!
But if a Jap ever serves you Tofu, please eat it. They feel bad if you refuse!
I'll add more to this series regularly... I am so impressed, my thoughts are totally mixed up! Need some time to clear my mind!
Arigato.

Our inanimate friends

2005-03-29T01:14:00.000-08:00

Through our life, we get attached to certain things—even inanimate—that we are moved by when the time comes to get rid of them. How many times have we really wondered if these are worth the pain we feel?
Take for example a restaurant called Savera opposite my college, Fergusson. I can't even remember the number of days/nights I spent there... now I wonder why. But one thing is for sure... I can never forget the place. Similarly, there is this regular stop on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway called Center Point where the bus stops for a few minutes for a cuppa chai! But this week, I drove to Mumbai and not stopping there made me miss it. Not that the food is great or anything, but just that it had become a part of something I did regularly. This, in fact, was what set me thinking.
So I started to think about other such inanimate things that are really important to me. The first thing that came to mind was my motorcycle... I haven't used it in almost five months now but I still don't want to sell it. Can't even bring myself to think about it. Perhaps there's too many memories associated with it... Another such thing is my backpack from college... it was a green one with brown suede at the bottom and black straps... fairly ordinary, but again, has too many memories... a look at it reminds me of the 3 years in FC and the life (carefree, mind you!) I enjoyed back then...
The list is endless and I will add to it as and when I can think of such things. Call me nuts if you will, but I think these things matter and are great.

Music II

2005-03-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

I agree with what tinkerbell has to say and also concede to the fact that perhaps even the 'original' I was referring to may not have been so. But, given the 'clandestine' manner in which she supposes it was done, I beg to differ.
Most of the old songs were 'inspired' (at the risk of using this word!) by folk music or other local art forms of the time and what they did was popularised them using the mass media at their disposal. While the intent may not have been of doing this, it sure served this purpose. Today, by remixing, we are not only not helping local art forms and Indian music (which, by the way, still has plenty to offer) but blatantly and blindly aping the west... has anyone heard the rhythms that are worked in Indian classical or folk music? The latinos would struggle to keep up with it!
So while remixes are popularising older songs, there is no agenda to it and certainly no credit given to the original artistes. Unfortunately, in this regard, they even copied their Indian predecessors who lifted tunes and rhythms from folk music without giving them due credit...

Music

2005-03-22T02:18:00.000-08:00

I like all kinds of music... Hindi film, classics, some Indian classical (esp instrumental), Western classical, Rock, some pop but what I hate are remixes of old songs. It's like mistreating an elder in your family. Of late, there are enough available that I think flout all copyright laws... just because someone else is singing it with added percussion should not qualify it as a new song.
What's worse, the very industry that's fighting piracy is supporting it by doing this. A case of cannibalism? Clearly.
Why then, do these guys indulge in this? My thought is they have run out of original stuff! Some of the guys that can do some original work are happier working in films making money when they can. Even if they try to do some original non-film work, they don't get the kind of support or exposure a film can get them. Economics rules this, nothing else. By now you would like to know the purpose of this post... I was shopping for some music the other day and came across this MP3 CD that had some really good old songs and without checking for any of the abovementioned details, purchsed it. Much to my dismay, the moment I played it, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkars voices had changed dramatically! Worse still, their talent had waned! Please, someone, please put an end to this!

She's here...

2005-03-19T05:30:00.000-08:00

Yes! Our new car is finally here and she's way more than what I thought. Have already had a small drive through the streets of Mumbai, but that's no fun... I'm now looking forward to tomorrow when we head off to Pune... that'll be a drive, now!
We are yet to put in all the accessories we planned, but then, what are Sunday's for!!? ;)
Man, I am so excited, I just wanna leave office now and go drive! But then again, work beckons. So I better hurry anyways!

Click here to see the photo.

It's time...

2005-03-18T05:10:00.000-08:00

Before I write anything else, here's the schedule for the next fortnight: My car, my new car, my car and did I mention, my Car??
I'm obsessed... can't help it, tho!! She'll be here tomorrow morning... and I shall heed to some of my friends' suggestions not to blow up too much decorating it, but a CD-Player, I agree is a must. To be honest, I'm too numb and dumbstruck to do anything right now... can't even concentrate on work (hope my ed doesn't read this!).
All the same, in about 16 hours and 22 minutes, I'll have my new car. All I have done the last two days is burn CDs in office and now I have 12 CDs with MP3s (that's about 8 GB of music!!). I seriously hope I can finally drive tomorrow.
It's been three months since the search began and the whole process finally culminates tomorrow. It had almost become a part of our (me and Tosh!) life to go car hunting every damn weekend. Now we'll probably just end up driving around aimlessly... that sounds like fun, wot say?
To all those who I will not be able to meet in person, here's a virtual pedha! Tond god kara!!

Saturday is a big day!

2005-03-15T23:36:00.000-08:00

My new car will be here on Saturday! It's been a while since I wanted one. As most who know me would be heaving a sigh of relief that I'm finally getting one, there's more. Remember guys, you are not spared of the car talk for 'I wish...' is just going to be replaced by 'You know what, my car can fly!' For me, it will after my previous car, an engineering marvel and nightmare all rolled into one! (As a parting gift, she decided to breakdown in the middle of nowhere outside Turbhe station in New Bombay and cost me Rs 600 and 4 hours in the sun... this when I was on my way to hand over the car to the True Value dealer).
I still have sentimental attachment to it and both, my wife and me, spared a moment for the trusted old Maruti 800 (1995 model with A/C as it is referred to) when we bid her goodbye... she was loyal, not very trustworthy, but certainly a part of our lives... Look at me... getting all sentimental...
Moving on, we have booked a shiny new Maruti Wagon-R (LXi) Pearl Silver (a couple of shades darker than beige) and are expecting to get the delivery on Saturday... so most of our current discussions revolve around the furnishing of the car and the accessories we want in it. Thankfully, so far we are in agreement that we do not want any stickers on the outside other than those mandatory and would like a CD+MP3 player instead of the usual cassette player. This after much asking and hearing and then some more from friends and 'experts'.
I'm starting to get a feeling similar to the one I got when I bought my motorcycle two years ago... I could not go to pick it up from the showroom—I was stuck, freezing in Delhi—but this time, I WILL BE THERE. Soon, you shall see photos here!
Vroooooooooooooooooooooooooom!

Who am I?

2005-03-15T23:32:00.000-08:00

I am a writer/editor/photographer and (as my wife says) should write shorter sentences. Really? You tell me. The purpose of this blog is to put down the events of my life and while not many people would be interested in this, (don't even know why I'm putting up a disclaimer!), it's for me. So there... we've established who the writer is. More info is available on request. (What?!?)
Cheers!