Another addition to my friendly blog. See the sidebar for the radio station link. It's from a site called last.fm, to which I was very kindly introduced by the Larger A.
This radio station plays classical music and is pretty good, even if I do know nothing about classical music...pretty good to work with, though.
Sunday 30 December 2007
Monday 24 December 2007
The Weekend
Had a great weekend with the Larger A. Much eating and even a little bit of bad wining. This afternoon was terrible. We lost 1-0 to Real. Worse than that, we played poorly. The mood was greatly lifted by some wonderful news on the personal front.
X'mas trip starts early tomorrow morning. NYC-Boston-NYC-Toronto-NYC.
Blogging may be irregular.
Bis dann...season's greetings.
X'mas trip starts early tomorrow morning. NYC-Boston-NYC-Toronto-NYC.
Blogging may be irregular.
Bis dann...season's greetings.
Monday 17 December 2007
To the quicks
I don't usually like a cricket post, but I watched a little bit of the SA-WI Twenty20 game. It looks a one-sided affair - but Dale Steyn has just bowled an incredible spell and it deserves a mention.
The last time I remember being completely awestruck about this kind of fast bowling was Shoaib's spell (must have been 98-99) in an ODI against the Kiwis when Wasim was still captain. Shoaib, if I recall correctly, took 4 wickets in a 3 or 4 over spell in the middle of the innings - all of them bowled. Steyn has just taken 4 wickets in a 3 over spell - all of them bowled...
Hopefully he can stay away from injuries and give us some serious entertainment over the next few years. It's one of the things that excessive cricket over the past 10 years has deprived us of - Shoaib, Bond and a super-fast Lee.
The last time I remember being completely awestruck about this kind of fast bowling was Shoaib's spell (must have been 98-99) in an ODI against the Kiwis when Wasim was still captain. Shoaib, if I recall correctly, took 4 wickets in a 3 or 4 over spell in the middle of the innings - all of them bowled. Steyn has just taken 4 wickets in a 3 over spell - all of them bowled...
Hopefully he can stay away from injuries and give us some serious entertainment over the next few years. It's one of the things that excessive cricket over the past 10 years has deprived us of - Shoaib, Bond and a super-fast Lee.
Sunday 16 December 2007
Launder...it well
See here for a frightening piece in today's HT on the investment of funds by the Al-Qaeda and Taliban in our stock markets.
Galle Cricket Ground
This is a wonderful piece on Galle's curator, Jayanand Warnaweera and his struggle after the Tsunami of 2004.
Saturday 15 December 2007
Here's to Meditation
A wonderful piece sent to me by JG. Read on about the importance of meditation....in the judicial arena.
She's had to scan it...but trust me - a bit of neck craning and patience is worth it. It will put to rest any doubts you had about whether arbitration and meditation were the same thing!
She's had to scan it...but trust me - a bit of neck craning and patience is worth it. It will put to rest any doubts you had about whether arbitration and meditation were the same thing!
When in doubt, sue?
Finally and perhaps inevitably, the fight goes to Court. See here and here for a couple of reports on the suo motu PIL to save the alma mater from ruination.
Is it the right move at this stage? Or ought the strategy have been to wait and fight it out without judicial intervention? I don't know and I don't have the time to analyse it today - this will have to wait a couple of days.
Is it the right move at this stage? Or ought the strategy have been to wait and fight it out without judicial intervention? I don't know and I don't have the time to analyse it today - this will have to wait a couple of days.
Friday 14 December 2007
The General Returns
As BBC goes bonkers with its analysis of Capello taking over - here's my 2 paise worth. The best part of why I think the 'General' (or is it dictator? certain countries seem to confuse the situation!) will do well is that he's one of the few managers in the world who can deal with a 'superstar' team.
I still remember calling RK from Delhi in August this year feeling absolutely ecstatic and somewhat confused when Real sacked him. He's the only reason Barca lost the La Liga last season. Real were in disarray at the start of the season and Capello got that team together with all their ego issues.
He's got almost a year before England's schedule lifts off, so knowing - him he'll probably even learn English by then. I just have a gut feeling that the 3rd most under-performing national team (1st two being Spain and the Dutch, in that order) will do well.
And oh yeah - I think Beckham may get a look in now...
I still remember calling RK from Delhi in August this year feeling absolutely ecstatic and somewhat confused when Real sacked him. He's the only reason Barca lost the La Liga last season. Real were in disarray at the start of the season and Capello got that team together with all their ego issues.
He's got almost a year before England's schedule lifts off, so knowing - him he'll probably even learn English by then. I just have a gut feeling that the 3rd most under-performing national team (1st two being Spain and the Dutch, in that order) will do well.
And oh yeah - I think Beckham may get a look in now...
Wednesday 12 December 2007
Settle for Nothing
Sometimes, nothing is better than a bad something. My morning cup of coffee sets the pace for the day. And despite my usual non-fussiness and general ability to cope with all kinds of food and drink of varying quality - the coffee is a basic standard which cannot be breached.
True to the generalisation at the top of this post, days without a cup of morning coffee tend to be better than days with a crap cup - pheeka.
This is a vent rant...I don't like the cup I'm drinking.
If we don't take action now
We settle for nothing later
Settle for nothing now
And we'll settle for nothing later
Settle for Nothing by RATM
True to the generalisation at the top of this post, days without a cup of morning coffee tend to be better than days with a crap cup - pheeka.
This is a vent rant...I don't like the cup I'm drinking.
If we don't take action now
We settle for nothing later
Settle for nothing now
And we'll settle for nothing later
Settle for Nothing by RATM
Sunday 9 December 2007
God, you're served...
This piece of news turns out to be something that the Larger A has threatened to blackmail me with. Initially, it was merely because I seem to represent the legal community. But that's still a rebuttable presumption and provided me with a healthy escape hatch.
But read the piece and you will discover that the 'Believer' Court in question lies but an hour away from where the world had the privilege of first making my acquaintance. True to the average street-smartness of a lawyer, I managed to give the Larger A a little extra firepower by blurting out that little piece of information.
I think I may be in for a torrid time...
But read the piece and you will discover that the 'Believer' Court in question lies but an hour away from where the world had the privilege of first making my acquaintance. True to the average street-smartness of a lawyer, I managed to give the Larger A a little extra firepower by blurting out that little piece of information.
I think I may be in for a torrid time...
Do the Walk
There are certain things that are universal in this world, regardless of country, race, ethnicity etc etc. One of them, as those of you who have been following my GTalk status messages may know, is the slow torture that is examination time.
The second I have observed, and perhaps not as profound as the first yet undeniably critical to our lives, is the tendency of pedestrians the world over to ignore signals and walk when possible.
Flashback: I recall the Bombay Police trying very hard to get pedestrians (the huge swarms of them) to use the Churchgate subway during peak hours. It was horribly annoying because the subway is terribly under-ventilated, full of aromas (no sarcasm) and usually overcrowded. In fact, I would have absolutely nothing to do with the subway if it wasn't for the photo studio who got me a passport photo briskly in a time of need...and the Jumbo Vada Pav guy...and the sandwich and bhel guys all supplying sustenance...and the...uhmm - never mind the last one (congratulations to KSR on his job). The key was that people don't like being directed and told where to walk (or walk under). The moment the Police stopped wasting their manpower on stopping pedestrians from wandering across the road and disrupting traffic - back they came!! And that included me.
You can then understand my trepidation as I crossed the proverbial seas and moved from the land of the truly free (ala Bombay or even Delhi - mostly Bombay) to NY, having to contemplate waiting endlessly on one side of a zebra crossing in the hope that the traffic authorities have been considerate enough to plan a 30 second duration over a 3 minute one for the vehicular signals.
Then we switch. I come to the land of the allegedly free and as it turns out, the jaywalking clampdown curse goes the other way (or nearly - to Delhi, not Bombay. See here). I was happy to be corrected in my premise that the roads of NY would merely be for the allegedly free. It turns out that the average New Yorker is truly free and happy to cross a road as and when circumstances permit or the need arises, as the case may be.
This is not, however, true of the average Cambridge'ite (of MA fame - not the University) or Berkeley'ite (of the University fame) seeing as Anna, AD and I we hung around a signal on the banks of Charles for an eternity as we waited for the signals to switch. I am rarely seen waiting for the signals to change in NY as are few New Yorkers. One does tend to get bullied into these moments of inactivity, particularly by those of an advanced age.
To be perfectly honest, I must now transfer the title of the allegedly free city to London where, as I recall from my 'brief' visits there, one had to wait for the noisy pedestrian signals (visually challenged friendly - also the reason for the talking lifts. See this post for that reference) to commence their noise-making activities before accessing the opposite side of a zebra crossing.
Cant you see Im easily bothered by persistence
One step from lashing out at you
You want in to get under my skin
And call yourself a friend
I've got more friends like you
What do I do?
Is there no standard anymore?
What it takes, who I am, where I've been
Belong
You cant be something you're not
Be yourself, by yourself, stay away from me
A lesson learned in life
Known from the dawn of time
Respect, walk
-Walk by Pantera
The second I have observed, and perhaps not as profound as the first yet undeniably critical to our lives, is the tendency of pedestrians the world over to ignore signals and walk when possible.
Flashback: I recall the Bombay Police trying very hard to get pedestrians (the huge swarms of them) to use the Churchgate subway during peak hours. It was horribly annoying because the subway is terribly under-ventilated, full of aromas (no sarcasm) and usually overcrowded. In fact, I would have absolutely nothing to do with the subway if it wasn't for the photo studio who got me a passport photo briskly in a time of need...and the Jumbo Vada Pav guy...and the sandwich and bhel guys all supplying sustenance...and the...uhmm - never mind the last one (congratulations to KSR on his job). The key was that people don't like being directed and told where to walk (or walk under). The moment the Police stopped wasting their manpower on stopping pedestrians from wandering across the road and disrupting traffic - back they came!! And that included me.
You can then understand my trepidation as I crossed the proverbial seas and moved from the land of the truly free (ala Bombay or even Delhi - mostly Bombay) to NY, having to contemplate waiting endlessly on one side of a zebra crossing in the hope that the traffic authorities have been considerate enough to plan a 30 second duration over a 3 minute one for the vehicular signals.
Then we switch. I come to the land of the allegedly free and as it turns out, the jaywalking clampdown curse goes the other way (or nearly - to Delhi, not Bombay. See here). I was happy to be corrected in my premise that the roads of NY would merely be for the allegedly free. It turns out that the average New Yorker is truly free and happy to cross a road as and when circumstances permit or the need arises, as the case may be.
This is not, however, true of the average Cambridge'ite (of MA fame - not the University) or Berkeley'ite (of the University fame) seeing as Anna, AD and I we hung around a signal on the banks of Charles for an eternity as we waited for the signals to switch. I am rarely seen waiting for the signals to change in NY as are few New Yorkers. One does tend to get bullied into these moments of inactivity, particularly by those of an advanced age.
To be perfectly honest, I must now transfer the title of the allegedly free city to London where, as I recall from my 'brief' visits there, one had to wait for the noisy pedestrian signals (visually challenged friendly - also the reason for the talking lifts. See this post for that reference) to commence their noise-making activities before accessing the opposite side of a zebra crossing.
Cant you see Im easily bothered by persistence
One step from lashing out at you
You want in to get under my skin
And call yourself a friend
I've got more friends like you
What do I do?
Is there no standard anymore?
What it takes, who I am, where I've been
Belong
You cant be something you're not
Be yourself, by yourself, stay away from me
A lesson learned in life
Known from the dawn of time
Respect, walk
-Walk by Pantera
Monday 3 December 2007
Ignorance is like an exotic fruit....
An 18 year-old genius defending her amazing performance when answering why she thinks Americans can't locate the USA on a map.
Note her new answer where she vouches for the intelligence of her friends, acquaintances and just about anyone she's ever met.
Sunday 2 December 2007
Flake Lawyer
It's snowing like a _____. First real snow for NY.
Am contemplating going out for a walk. But then, a nice big mug of coffee alongwith some grub and my Corporations book seems so much more inviting.
Something's horribly wrong - despite waking up to 'Alive' this morning.
Am contemplating going out for a walk. But then, a nice big mug of coffee alongwith some grub and my Corporations book seems so much more inviting.
Something's horribly wrong - despite waking up to 'Alive' this morning.
Saturday 1 December 2007
Earning his Keep
One of the best comments I've heard recently - Aamir Sohail on Ganguly's dismissal while trying to whack a Salman Butt (yes!) delivery over the top: Ganguly sacrificed his wicket. He holed out trying to satisfy the urges of his beloved home crowd.
If that's the way Sohail thinks players play, I just wonder...
If that's the way Sohail thinks players play, I just wonder...
Friday 30 November 2007
Word Economy
See here for the paper titled, 'A Novel Multi-Antigen Virally Vectored Vaccine against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis'.
At the risk of being called names, I couldn't have put 'TB Vaccine' any more frugally...
At the risk of being called names, I couldn't have put 'TB Vaccine' any more frugally...
The Gracious Way?
This is a serious issue, but I'm in an inessential class with no chance of participation - so it's going to be a rant.... A couple of issues that have found me somewhat confused on my position, particularly seeing as I claim to know a little (very little) about international law.
First see this, and the Comfort Women coming back to haunt Japan for the upmteenth time. Then take a look at this ,which is a draft of the resolution in the US Congress to label the Turkish massacre of Armenians as 'genocide'.
Fundamental issue: what does it matter what country 'A' says about country 'B' 50, 60, 70 years on? Apologise and make some people happy - give them the closure they need. Unfortunately, international law (and indeed, diplomatic practice) says it matters - it will go down in history as a genocide or as a country responsible for the Comfort Women with the country in question having acceded to this.
Do we need a change?
"To courage find and gracious will
Deliver good from ill
Clean the water clean our guilt
With us do what you will
Then will my judge appear
Bear no false angel that I hear
For only then I will confess
To my eternal hell
Now give us our holy sign
Changing the water into wine
So to you we bid farewell
Kingdom of heaven to hell"
- The Pilgrim by Iron Maiden
First see this, and the Comfort Women coming back to haunt Japan for the upmteenth time. Then take a look at this ,which is a draft of the resolution in the US Congress to label the Turkish massacre of Armenians as 'genocide'.
Fundamental issue: what does it matter what country 'A' says about country 'B' 50, 60, 70 years on? Apologise and make some people happy - give them the closure they need. Unfortunately, international law (and indeed, diplomatic practice) says it matters - it will go down in history as a genocide or as a country responsible for the Comfort Women with the country in question having acceded to this.
Do we need a change?
"To courage find and gracious will
Deliver good from ill
Clean the water clean our guilt
With us do what you will
Then will my judge appear
Bear no false angel that I hear
For only then I will confess
To my eternal hell
Now give us our holy sign
Changing the water into wine
So to you we bid farewell
Kingdom of heaven to hell"
- The Pilgrim by Iron Maiden
Thursday 22 November 2007
For the Greater Good...
"Are you a man of peace
Or a man of holy war
Too many sides to you
Don’t know which anymore
So many full of life
But also filled with pain
Don’t know just how many
Will live to breathe again
A life that’s made to breathe
Destruction or defense
A mind that’s vain corruption
Bad or good intent
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Or saintly or sinner
Or some that would believe
A holy war winner
They fire off many shots
And many parting blows
Their actions beyond a reasoning
Only God would know
And as he lies in heaven
Or it could be in hell
I feel he’s somewhere here
Or looking from below
But I don’t know, I don’t know"
Or a man of holy war
Too many sides to you
Don’t know which anymore
So many full of life
But also filled with pain
Don’t know just how many
Will live to breathe again
A life that’s made to breathe
Destruction or defense
A mind that’s vain corruption
Bad or good intent
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Or saintly or sinner
Or some that would believe
A holy war winner
They fire off many shots
And many parting blows
Their actions beyond a reasoning
Only God would know
And as he lies in heaven
Or it could be in hell
I feel he’s somewhere here
Or looking from below
But I don’t know, I don’t know"
Tuesday 20 November 2007
Foo for thought
To one of my favourite musicians, just for sheer talent, and a song off his latest album courtesy YouTube above... Dave Grohl was Nirvana's drummer, then founded the Foo Fighters and writes the songs, plays lead guitar and does the vocals. The YouTube video of 'Home' above has him playing the piano. He's also done a bunch of songs in the past (OSTs and the like) where he's done everything - all the instruments and vocals... ridiculous....
Lyrics to 'Home' while you're watching:
Wish I were with you
I couldn't stay
Every direction
Leads me away
Pray for tomorrow
But for today
All I want is to be home
Stand in the mirror
You look the same
Just lookin' for shelter
From cold and the pain
Someone to cover
Safe from the rain
All I want is to be home
Echoes and silence
Patience and grace
All of these moments
I'll never replace
No fear of my heart
Absence of faith
All I want is to be home
All I want is to be home
People I've loved
I have no regrets
Some I remember
Some I forget
Some of them living
Some of them dead
All I want is to be home
Lyrics to 'Home' while you're watching:
Wish I were with you
I couldn't stay
Every direction
Leads me away
Pray for tomorrow
But for today
All I want is to be home
Stand in the mirror
You look the same
Just lookin' for shelter
From cold and the pain
Someone to cover
Safe from the rain
All I want is to be home
Echoes and silence
Patience and grace
All of these moments
I'll never replace
No fear of my heart
Absence of faith
All I want is to be home
All I want is to be home
People I've loved
I have no regrets
Some I remember
Some I forget
Some of them living
Some of them dead
All I want is to be home
Saturday 17 November 2007
Dodgeball
If you have been, in general (no pun intended), following the Pakistan situation, you must watch this interview of Musharraf with the BBC.
Ever since the Agra summit, we've all known how well he handles the media. This is, of course, true about his interviewing skills as well. I've only ever seen him slip up once - that was a minor one in an interview with Prannoy Roy.
In this interview, he certainly struggles everytime a specific question is put to him and he goes into these broad discussions. But watch how he smartly he avoids the question of why the 'War on Terror/Extremism' is doing worse now than it was 3-4 years ago. (around the 6:30 mark).
Ever since the Agra summit, we've all known how well he handles the media. This is, of course, true about his interviewing skills as well. I've only ever seen him slip up once - that was a minor one in an interview with Prannoy Roy.
In this interview, he certainly struggles everytime a specific question is put to him and he goes into these broad discussions. But watch how he smartly he avoids the question of why the 'War on Terror/Extremism' is doing worse now than it was 3-4 years ago. (around the 6:30 mark).
An abject lack of humour
What is it with us Indians? Why is everything so hierarchical? After umpteen un-funny funny movies - I'm told that Om Shanti Om attempts a number of potshots, falling short of funny at times - but attempts are made, nonetheless... Here is a fall-out...
Why can't we learn to laugh at ourselves?
Why can't we learn to laugh at ourselves?
Wednesday 14 November 2007
Maiden...once again
Tickets have been bought courtesy the Larger A and we will be at the IZOD arena in NJ on March 14 wearing the Maiden passion on our sleeves and screaming from the upper tier.SM is hereby directed to send me the song set after their Bombay gig.
Wednesday 7 November 2007
Nostalgia - good...or bad
This is the original article in the Economist reporting the death of Che. Kindly forwarded to me by APR (who, to put it mildly, is quite the Marxist at heart), I think it quite rightly shows the power that one man can wield, simply by symbolism if nothing else.
Fast-forward to this, and a rather smart, yet despicable method of making some post-retirement money by selling parts of Che...
To the rebellion....
Fast-forward to this, and a rather smart, yet despicable method of making some post-retirement money by selling parts of Che...
To the rebellion....
Tuesday 6 November 2007
Fighting a losing battle
This is worth a read... Tarun Tejpal and his fellow crusaders deserve better... I think he unwittingly spots the true reason behind Tehelka's futility in the last para of that piece; when you want to take down a system, the only way to do it is to simultaneously present a realistic alternative for those involved. Is that possible 60 years in?
The Competitive Streak
Yesterday I played one of the best matches I've ever played in any sport. Maybe the reason I probably enjoyed it this much is that I actually won at the end. But closer inspection would indicate otherwise.
It's been years since I've seen myself so passionately engaged in a match that I'm able to do the Connors-esque pump of the fist and scream 'C'mon' loud enough for the 2 basketball court indoor gym to stop their games momentarily and wonder what's going on. I miss that...and I'm glad I'm back to playing some sort of competitive sport - I just love it. It's now that I realise how much I miss it as well...
The match in itself was very good, in terms of quality and otherwise - I played a German with very good table manners (I'm not sure my screaming would put me in the same category). There are some opponents (particularly in TT, because of the physical proximity) who annoy the hell out of you. And there are others against whom you play hard, but enjoy playing against just because of the courtesy across the table...yesterday was the latter.
In any case, for the record - I won 17-15 or 16-14 in the 5th. During the last game, when we went back to yet another deuce, we sort of looked at each other for a moment, trying to recall the score and just shrugged with a smile!
Great match....
It's been years since I've seen myself so passionately engaged in a match that I'm able to do the Connors-esque pump of the fist and scream 'C'mon' loud enough for the 2 basketball court indoor gym to stop their games momentarily and wonder what's going on. I miss that...and I'm glad I'm back to playing some sort of competitive sport - I just love it. It's now that I realise how much I miss it as well...
The match in itself was very good, in terms of quality and otherwise - I played a German with very good table manners (I'm not sure my screaming would put me in the same category). There are some opponents (particularly in TT, because of the physical proximity) who annoy the hell out of you. And there are others against whom you play hard, but enjoy playing against just because of the courtesy across the table...yesterday was the latter.
In any case, for the record - I won 17-15 or 16-14 in the 5th. During the last game, when we went back to yet another deuce, we sort of looked at each other for a moment, trying to recall the score and just shrugged with a smile!
Great match....
Thursday 1 November 2007
Eddie cometh
In NJ on March 14...let the tickets sell for cheap and be available - pls. I already missed the US Open. The travesty is that they are in Bombay this year - no more trips to B'lore!!
Sunday 28 October 2007
Speed quest
There are exciting goings-on in the WRC world. After 3 seasons of tremendous predicitability with Sebastian Loeb dominating, this season has been close and is going to come down to another last race fight. Gronholm takes a 4 point lead over Loeb into the last 2 rounds of the WRC.
Incidentally, Loeb had a chance to put a big one over Gronholm in Japan this weekend. But as luck would have it - they both ended up in the ditch. First Gronholm went off on Friday, badly damaging his front suspension, I think. And then a pace note error by Loeb's co-driver (he read out plus-plus rather than minus-minus for a turn) meant that Loeb went into a corner too fast and dumped his car into a ditch as well. He was in 2nd place, 10 seconds behind the leader at that point.
Unfortunately, the nature of a WRC rally is that we can only ever get to watch the highlights a week later, although I think someone puts up daily highlights - not that I'm going to be able to access it in this part of the world...
Incidentally, the third official FIA championship will also see a change this year. Andy Priaulx's run of 4 (?) championships in a row in the World Touring Car Championship looks set to come to end - he's currently in 4th place and unlikely to go all the way...
What a great year for motorsports, although the MotoGP wasn't exactly a close call. Rossi desperately needs a better machine next year - c'mon Yamaha...
Incidentally, Loeb had a chance to put a big one over Gronholm in Japan this weekend. But as luck would have it - they both ended up in the ditch. First Gronholm went off on Friday, badly damaging his front suspension, I think. And then a pace note error by Loeb's co-driver (he read out plus-plus rather than minus-minus for a turn) meant that Loeb went into a corner too fast and dumped his car into a ditch as well. He was in 2nd place, 10 seconds behind the leader at that point.
Unfortunately, the nature of a WRC rally is that we can only ever get to watch the highlights a week later, although I think someone puts up daily highlights - not that I'm going to be able to access it in this part of the world...
Incidentally, the third official FIA championship will also see a change this year. Andy Priaulx's run of 4 (?) championships in a row in the World Touring Car Championship looks set to come to end - he's currently in 4th place and unlikely to go all the way...
What a great year for motorsports, although the MotoGP wasn't exactly a close call. Rossi desperately needs a better machine next year - c'mon Yamaha...
Friday 26 October 2007
Retribution
I've been looking through some of Tehelka's stuff on the post-Godhra riots. See The video of Babu Bajrangi is particularly chilling - and rightly put up as their feature. See here for it. Watching him calmly say - "kissi ko nahin chhode. Aadmi, aurat, bacche. Kaato, maaro, jala do" - is extremely disturbing, even for me, with my fascination for most things morbid.
There's a bit of shouting from the cynics about the timing of all this - implementation of the Srikrishna report, the 1984 riots stuff being dredged up and now Godhra. Most seem to say its a politically motivated thing - appearing bang on time for the elections. Well...maybe.... but who cares? If it's a system that has to be broken, what better way than from the inside? (Cf: Sir
Humphrey on the Brits joining the EEC: We joined it to break it up....make a pig's breakfast out of it - the Foreign Office are extremely pleased...)
The good part about politically motivated retribution for the ordinary man is the wonderful concept of the political cycle - and come 2009, maybe Khairlanji will get the attention it deserves as well...
I like politically motivated moves - they weaken the system internally and leave it open for external attack...
There's a bit of shouting from the cynics about the timing of all this - implementation of the Srikrishna report, the 1984 riots stuff being dredged up and now Godhra. Most seem to say its a politically motivated thing - appearing bang on time for the elections. Well...maybe.... but who cares? If it's a system that has to be broken, what better way than from the inside? (Cf: Sir
Humphrey on the Brits joining the EEC: We joined it to break it up....make a pig's breakfast out of it - the Foreign Office are extremely pleased...)
The good part about politically motivated retribution for the ordinary man is the wonderful concept of the political cycle - and come 2009, maybe Khairlanji will get the attention it deserves as well...
I like politically motivated moves - they weaken the system internally and leave it open for external attack...
Wednesday 17 October 2007
The Danger of theology in the Judicial arena
I'm very glad that I was never witness to something like this. The only thing that comes close to it was a number judges undoubtedly very tempted to do something similar on several occasions. Of course, many years of sitting in a seat compulsorily listening to any number of boring and horrible arguments tends to increase one's self-restraint!
I was also concerned of the effect this might have had on one's Ex-Boss. Suffice it to say that his self-restraint, which (I'm told) has greatly increased over the years, did not always endure the strains of the dumbest of arguments and the closest that one could get to perjury in open court...
Grapevine - if you can hear me, kindly provide us with further details of the incident.
I was also concerned of the effect this might have had on one's Ex-Boss. Suffice it to say that his self-restraint, which (I'm told) has greatly increased over the years, did not always endure the strains of the dumbest of arguments and the closest that one could get to perjury in open court...
Grapevine - if you can hear me, kindly provide us with further details of the incident.
My turn - a new face
After anna's dabblings with the spamming world, I have now received a fresh perspective on the African heartbreak story. Perhaps they aren't getting the kind of response they're looking for... this is the fresh version...note the bit on utmost confidentiality!
Your Attention;
My name is Mr. KB. I trained and work as an external auditor for
a Suisse Bank, working as part of a bigger team that covers the entire
sub-euro region. I had taken pains to find your contact through personal
endeavors.
On routine audit check last month, I discovered some investment accounts
that had been dormant for the least twelve years. All the accounts belong
to a single holder (deceased) with monies totaling 21 Million United
States Dollars plus interest. Banking regulation/legislation in
Switzerland demand that I notify the fiscal authorities after a statutory
time period of twelve years when dormant accounts of this type are called
in by the monetary regulatory bodies. The above set of facts underscores
my reason of writing and making the following proposing.
My investigation of the said account reveals that the death occured in
1994—the exact time the account was last operated. I can confirm with
certainty that the said investor died interstate and no next–of–kin to his
estate has been found or has come forward all these years.
I am of the settled conviction that using my insider leverage, with I
working with you can secure the funds in the account for us instead of
allowing it pass as unclaimed funds into the coffers of the Government of
Switzerland. This is especially possible as you share same details as the
said investor. This exactly is why I crave your participation and
co-operation.
I have seized all relevant documents (legal and Banking) that will
facilitate our putting you forward as the claimant and beneficiary of the
funds and ultimately transfer the money to any account nominated by you.
Of course you shall be handsomely rewarded for your part in this
transaction as the people I am working with are prepared to allocate a 25%
slice of the total funds for your efforts, less any expenses.
I shall however leave out the finer details of this transaction till I
receive an affirmation of your desire to participate.
Be assured that my colleagues and I are on top of the situation all the
time and there will be no risk whatsoever if you agree to come on board.
Needless to say, UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY is of vital importance if we are
to successfully reap the immense benefits of this transaction. To maintain
the level of security required to see this transaction come to a
successful conclusion, I have intentionally left out the details.
To affirm your willingness and cooperation to my proposal please reply to
this email,stating your Full Names, Date of Birth, Telephone Number, Fax
Number, Company/position held, Email address, Contact address and Postal
address.
I await your response.
Thank you,
KBMy name is Mr. KB. I trained and work as an external auditor for
a Suisse Bank, working as part of a bigger team that covers the entire
sub-euro region. I had taken pains to find your contact through personal
endeavors.
On routine audit check last month, I discovered some investment accounts
that had been dormant for the least twelve years. All the accounts belong
to a single holder (deceased) with monies totaling 21 Million United
States Dollars plus interest. Banking regulation/legislation in
Switzerland demand that I notify the fiscal authorities after a statutory
time period of twelve years when dormant accounts of this type are called
in by the monetary regulatory bodies. The above set of facts underscores
my reason of writing and making the following proposing.
My investigation of the said account reveals that the death occured in
1994—the exact time the account was last operated. I can confirm with
certainty that the said investor died interstate and no next–of–kin to his
estate has been found or has come forward all these years.
I am of the settled conviction that using my insider leverage, with I
working with you can secure the funds in the account for us instead of
allowing it pass as unclaimed funds into the coffers of the Government of
Switzerland. This is especially possible as you share same details as the
said investor. This exactly is why I crave your participation and
co-operation.
I have seized all relevant documents (legal and Banking) that will
facilitate our putting you forward as the claimant and beneficiary of the
funds and ultimately transfer the money to any account nominated by you.
Of course you shall be handsomely rewarded for your part in this
transaction as the people I am working with are prepared to allocate a 25%
slice of the total funds for your efforts, less any expenses.
I shall however leave out the finer details of this transaction till I
receive an affirmation of your desire to participate.
Be assured that my colleagues and I are on top of the situation all the
time and there will be no risk whatsoever if you agree to come on board.
Needless to say, UTMOST CONFIDENTIALITY is of vital importance if we are
to successfully reap the immense benefits of this transaction. To maintain
the level of security required to see this transaction come to a
successful conclusion, I have intentionally left out the details.
To affirm your willingness and cooperation to my proposal please reply to
this email,stating your Full Names, Date of Birth, Telephone Number, Fax
Number, Company/position held, Email address, Contact address and Postal
address.
I await your response.
Thank you,
Tuesday 16 October 2007
WC predictions - final time
And it's the one match I didn't want to see as the final - a front row punch-out between the Boks and the English. I see the Boks as having the advantage, particularly with the back-row in pretty good form. But this is the final of the WC and don't forget that Jonny and some of the boys have been there and performed, whereas its a first time for almost the whole of the Boks side (the only exception being Os Du Randt, the loosehead, who was part of the 1995 squad).
I don't think its going to be a particularly attractive game and it'll probably come down to a combination of a front-row battle and one between Jonny and Monty with their boots.
Watch out, however, for Francois Steyn. He attempted a 60-odd metre shot on goal from the right corner in the Arg game and almost made it despite slipping. The commentator (can't remember the name) said that in practice during the week, as Monty was employing Jonny's drill of aiming for the upright to improve aim, Steyn was kicking it from his 10m line through the uprights!! That should make for some really interesting viewing, although I suspect he wont get a chance unless its the stroke of half-time or SA are well in front (in which case, it wont matter much, will it?)
The drubbing in the group stages really doesn't mean anything, seeing as how well England have performed since then. This will also be Jason Robinson's last match in the White jersey - and if he does lift the cup, I see (just as we saw 4 years ago), a hardback autobiography selling at 24 quid a pop in (miraculously!) a couple of weeks time...
May he who plays the more entertaining rugby win....
PS for the sake of it - I think the French will be runaway winners in the 3rd place playoff on Friday.
I don't think its going to be a particularly attractive game and it'll probably come down to a combination of a front-row battle and one between Jonny and Monty with their boots.
Watch out, however, for Francois Steyn. He attempted a 60-odd metre shot on goal from the right corner in the Arg game and almost made it despite slipping. The commentator (can't remember the name) said that in practice during the week, as Monty was employing Jonny's drill of aiming for the upright to improve aim, Steyn was kicking it from his 10m line through the uprights!! That should make for some really interesting viewing, although I suspect he wont get a chance unless its the stroke of half-time or SA are well in front (in which case, it wont matter much, will it?)
The drubbing in the group stages really doesn't mean anything, seeing as how well England have performed since then. This will also be Jason Robinson's last match in the White jersey - and if he does lift the cup, I see (just as we saw 4 years ago), a hardback autobiography selling at 24 quid a pop in (miraculously!) a couple of weeks time...
May he who plays the more entertaining rugby win....
PS for the sake of it - I think the French will be runaway winners in the 3rd place playoff on Friday.
Tuesday 9 October 2007
WC Predictions - updated
Ok - so I went 2/4 in my QF picks and of the 2 that missed - one really felt lousy. Such a bad match - they ought to hang their head in shame. I could only pick out 2 All Blacks who had a decent game - Richie McCaw and Alli Williams - the rest were simply pathetic. But due credit to the French - to push back two 15 plus phases in their own 22 in the last 10 mins without a penalty was simply amazing (one was lost by a needless knock-on; the other at phase 27 by a turnover).
So now it falls upon me to pick the next round. So here goes:
I suspect that England are going to turn it around on the French at th Stade de France. After the 2 pre-WC poundings, I just have this gut feeling that they're going to make it good with their front row. The only thing that might turn it is the crowd, Chabal and Michelak - the latter two basically did it for the French against the ABs.
The other SF is going to be an unfortunate blow-out. The Springboks all the way. The Argentine backs and Hernandez aren't going to be kicking their way to victory with Monty playing at 15.
So now it falls upon me to pick the next round. So here goes:
I suspect that England are going to turn it around on the French at th Stade de France. After the 2 pre-WC poundings, I just have this gut feeling that they're going to make it good with their front row. The only thing that might turn it is the crowd, Chabal and Michelak - the latter two basically did it for the French against the ABs.
The other SF is going to be an unfortunate blow-out. The Springboks all the way. The Argentine backs and Hernandez aren't going to be kicking their way to victory with Monty playing at 15.
Sunday 7 October 2007
Saturday 6 October 2007
Eng-Aus: 12-10
What a great match. England came out storming and there was little gentlemanly spirit in the game from either side (for the cynics; Yes - there can be civility in a rugby match). Too many missed kicks for my liking - but it was pretty much equal share on that.
So as far as my predictions go - I'm 0/1. I am desperately (DESPERATELY) hoping that it gets to 1/2 by this afternoon. I swear I will go and kill the next Kiwi I see if the All Blacks lose (and considering the fact that the lucky person may well be my RA Prof. - I'd rather not!)
So as far as my predictions go - I'm 0/1. I am desperately (DESPERATELY) hoping that it gets to 1/2 by this afternoon. I swear I will go and kill the next Kiwi I see if the All Blacks lose (and considering the fact that the lucky person may well be my RA Prof. - I'd rather not!)
Explicit ragging or smart ragging? You choose
The kids of today are going insane. First I read this about an engineering college in Agra where seniors decided to push a junior off the third floor of a building!
NB: It's worth noting here that the 3rd floor in India would be the 4th in the US. The US have this bizarre concept of there being no ground floor - they start counting at one. This is often very annoying, because sometime when you visit someplace on the 2nd floor, habit tells you to take the lift if its accessible. But then you suddenly realise it's time to get off before you've hit the button. In my dorms, it was even more confusing, for there is no 1st floor either. The lift starts at the basement - then mezzanine (where we catch it) and then the 2nd. All very confusing and intially annoying.
But to get back to the issue - there's a piece today about kids in Stephens who sprayed deo on a kid and then lit him up....gosh...need I say more?
These were always just sadistic fantasies that we had as seniors(!!) ...no real intention of doing all this...my juniors will testify to this. My modes of ragging (and indeed, torture) were far more legit and subtle - not to mention that they were always given the cloak of legality through the command structure.
The kids of today are going insane.
NB: It's worth noting here that the 3rd floor in India would be the 4th in the US. The US have this bizarre concept of there being no ground floor - they start counting at one. This is often very annoying, because sometime when you visit someplace on the 2nd floor, habit tells you to take the lift if its accessible. But then you suddenly realise it's time to get off before you've hit the button. In my dorms, it was even more confusing, for there is no 1st floor either. The lift starts at the basement - then mezzanine (where we catch it) and then the 2nd. All very confusing and intially annoying.
But to get back to the issue - there's a piece today about kids in Stephens who sprayed deo on a kid and then lit him up....gosh...need I say more?
These were always just sadistic fantasies that we had as seniors(!!) ...no real intention of doing all this...my juniors will testify to this. My modes of ragging (and indeed, torture) were far more legit and subtle - not to mention that they were always given the cloak of legality through the command structure.
The kids of today are going insane.
Friday 5 October 2007
Free Burma / Myanmar
It's not much, but its something we can do - join in...its blogspot's free Burma day today...Out of respect for this - I open my cellar again...
"It isn't bigger than us - its just wrapped around our necks
There's no good way to chip it away - the rebellion must stay
I tried and I can't - maybe its your turn now
But the world doesn't let us - there's not enough 'you' to fight for
Break it down - end it all with a bang
I can see the black sun turning grey
There's no good way to do this - just the way you can
If the sun isn't what I need - I'll take the stars, anything for that little light I see through the haze
Lost myself in the race I needed to lose
There's options - but not for the survivors
Maybe its best to leave this to the system
But isn't that what I started without?"
Wednesday 3 October 2007
Massa and Kubica on the Final Lap
So, I've finally managed to get YouTube to link to my blog...this is the final lap battle that I talked about in my previous post...
Tuesday 2 October 2007
World Records
One of the more interesting World Records I've come across recently. See the video here. For the record, my top was 11 or 13 bounces, but I never had such a large lake to use - we did ours on rivers and with flowing water everywhere.
The one time we could have actually pushed the limit was at Dodital - where, unfortunately, one is not allowed to disturb the water as per local tradition.
Speaking of world records, the men's marathon time has been smashed by Haile Gebreselassie, which is just an incredible feat, especially at his age. There's a real runner for you. As a way to judge how quick he is - I did the half in 2:11 or so. He did the full in 2:04:55 - thats the same as doing 336 metres every minute for 2 hours. Or put differently - thats doing every 100 metres of the 42 kilometres in 17.8 seconds on average. Ridiculous.
The one time we could have actually pushed the limit was at Dodital - where, unfortunately, one is not allowed to disturb the water as per local tradition.
Speaking of world records, the men's marathon time has been smashed by Haile Gebreselassie, which is just an incredible feat, especially at his age. There's a real runner for you. As a way to judge how quick he is - I did the half in 2:11 or so. He did the full in 2:04:55 - thats the same as doing 336 metres every minute for 2 hours. Or put differently - thats doing every 100 metres of the 42 kilometres in 17.8 seconds on average. Ridiculous.
Monday 1 October 2007
WC Update
Really good Arg-Ire match. The Argentinians have shown that they are good enough to be included (at least) in the 6 nations. I expect them to run through Scotland if they continue to play as well as they have. It will really be wonderful to see them in the Semis. They really do play such attractive rugby.
On the other side - the All Blacks have a dangerous QF against France. That will be a match to watch (actually all matches from hereon are...).
The US has just scored a magnificent interception try against the Springboks. From all the way inside their own 22 in one clean phase. Brilliant stuff. The Springboks are looking untidy today, but I expect them to still ease past Fiji into the Semis.
My prediction for the tournament now:
Semis
NZ-Aus
Arg-SA
Final
NZ-SA
Winner
NZ (please??)
On the other side - the All Blacks have a dangerous QF against France. That will be a match to watch (actually all matches from hereon are...).
The US has just scored a magnificent interception try against the Springboks. From all the way inside their own 22 in one clean phase. Brilliant stuff. The Springboks are looking untidy today, but I expect them to still ease past Fiji into the Semis.
My prediction for the tournament now:
Semis
NZ-Aus
Arg-SA
Final
NZ-SA
Winner
NZ (please??)
Sunday 30 September 2007
Japanese GP - what the *%&# happened to Suzuka?
Yesterday's race was, quite honestly, the most bizarre I've ever seen. I have never seen such immense stupidity exhibited by the FIA in it's desperate compulsion to get a race in. Cars were acquaplaning (go look that up if you don't know what it is), drivers couldn't see the red light of the car ahead of them and, to be perfectly honest, pushing the first 19 laps of the race (that's a lot) behind the Safety Car ought to have given them an idea of the mayhem out on the track?
In terms of results, Heikki drove a great race, especially the scrap with Kimi at the end. So too the last half lap of racing between Massa and Kubica for 6th. Since there was no 'dirty' OR 'dry' line - they actually managed to pull off a whole half lap of racing side by side and pushing each other off the track before Kubica succeeded in doing so on the last corner - only to see Massa race past him after exiting the grass!
Hamilton drove a great race, hardly any mistake that I can recall. Kubica fishtailed him in the middle of the race and he was lucky not to have been completely shunted there. Alonso reserved his only retirement of the season for the worst possible moment in the season. Hamilton just needs to cruise in the remaining two races to get himself the championship.
The moment of the race goes to Sebastien Vettel, who driving the Toro Rosso (the Red Bull 'B' team) decided to absolutely cream the back of Webber's Red Bull (the 'A' team) while the safety car was still out!! He's a talented 19-year old, but that's not going to help him very much, especially considering that Webber was driving for a podium finish and had vomited inside his helmet within a few laps of the start. That must have been a hard drive...
In terms of results, Heikki drove a great race, especially the scrap with Kimi at the end. So too the last half lap of racing between Massa and Kubica for 6th. Since there was no 'dirty' OR 'dry' line - they actually managed to pull off a whole half lap of racing side by side and pushing each other off the track before Kubica succeeded in doing so on the last corner - only to see Massa race past him after exiting the grass!
Hamilton drove a great race, hardly any mistake that I can recall. Kubica fishtailed him in the middle of the race and he was lucky not to have been completely shunted there. Alonso reserved his only retirement of the season for the worst possible moment in the season. Hamilton just needs to cruise in the remaining two races to get himself the championship.
The moment of the race goes to Sebastien Vettel, who driving the Toro Rosso (the Red Bull 'B' team) decided to absolutely cream the back of Webber's Red Bull (the 'A' team) while the safety car was still out!! He's a talented 19-year old, but that's not going to help him very much, especially considering that Webber was driving for a podium finish and had vomited inside his helmet within a few laps of the start. That must have been a hard drive...
Thursday 27 September 2007
Law Making
Is this a far better way of getting the law you want? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, it would reflect precisely what the janta (not junta and therefore steering clear of recent controversy) may actually want. I think that the average citizen would actually be pretty non-frivolous and fair when it comes to submitting his own draft Police Code.
On the other hand, legislation drafting is a serious matter requiring some skill and perhaps best left to the bureaucrats. No doubt, India's staunch civil service would never allow it. All that we get to do is write critical papers reviewing proposed legislation and even those are barely publicised. (On the other hand, considering the quality of some of the legislation I've studied - see esp. Land Laws, Sem VIII - I dare say a bunch of drunks hooligans trying to get themselves a loophole in the law may actually be more subtle than the blatant doors that are left in many of the laws)
On the other hand, legislation drafting is a serious matter requiring some skill and perhaps best left to the bureaucrats. No doubt, India's staunch civil service would never allow it. All that we get to do is write critical papers reviewing proposed legislation and even those are barely publicised. (On the other hand, considering the quality of some of the legislation I've studied - see esp. Land Laws, Sem VIII - I dare say a bunch of drunks hooligans trying to get themselves a loophole in the law may actually be more subtle than the blatant doors that are left in many of the laws)
Sunday 16 September 2007
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Pitter Patter
I have now been up for over 3 hours and the rain has been coming down in NYC for just as long. I would have been quite happy to see Bombay-esque rain (at least you get that wonderful smell from the earth), but this is very London-esque rain...quite depressing.
I was hoping to go down to Ground Zero for the memorial function this evening - if this keeps up, I think we may be in for a little more reading tonight...
I was hoping to go down to Ground Zero for the memorial function this evening - if this keeps up, I think we may be in for a little more reading tonight...
Saturday 8 September 2007
Distractee's distractions
In what it is usually the only time I blog, I have tried very hard and unsuccessfully to get some serious reading done all morning. The inability to concentrate has led me to do the reading for Intl Law which is pretty much the easiest and arguably the most enjoyable class I have, primarily thanks to the presence of an Aussie at the helm...
There are a number of reasons that reading has been rather ineffective this morning:
In other news - I bumped into IS at one of the numerous receptions I have been attending over the past 2 weeks in our eternal quest for free food and daru. IS turns out to be someone I knew from Delhi nearly 10 years ago. Having said that - it did take us a fair bit of PC to establish the link - god bless the Brits and all that they have taught me.
NYC continues to be bathed with wonderful weather, which is an absolute pity since I seem to be stuck indoors battling with reading backlog.
"We were always free to choose
Never free enough to find"
- Overcome by Live
There are a number of reasons that reading has been rather ineffective this morning:
- Following the triple Rugby mauling by NZ, Aus and Eng on BBC Sport (although one can argue that Eng's win was far from a mauling)
- Following the 2nd innings of the Lord's match on radio - it was wonderful to hear Henry Blofeld's voice again. Not quite the same reaction about India's performance though.
- Watching Monza qualifying online
- Lack of food in the stomach and excess of other things from last evening - details are best left undisclosed
- Lovely riff
- Trying to find a site where I can watch the WC.
In other news - I bumped into IS at one of the numerous receptions I have been attending over the past 2 weeks in our eternal quest for free food and daru. IS turns out to be someone I knew from Delhi nearly 10 years ago. Having said that - it did take us a fair bit of PC to establish the link - god bless the Brits and all that they have taught me.
NYC continues to be bathed with wonderful weather, which is an absolute pity since I seem to be stuck indoors battling with reading backlog.
"We were always free to choose
Never free enough to find"
- Overcome by Live
Sunday 2 September 2007
Heartbreak
Of all things, something as stupid as not carrying KRs mobile no. and not waiting at my comp for an extra 2 mins have deprived me of the chance to watch the US Open...
My only consolation is this:
which is not much if you consider my last experience with him at a Slam - see here.
I think DM may have to wait for her postcard...
My only consolation is this:
which is not much if you consider my last experience with him at a Slam - see here.
I think DM may have to wait for her postcard...
Saturday 25 August 2007
6 days - no coffee
I have now gone nearly 6 consecutive days without tea or coffee. Although I am suffering extreme withdrawal symptoms such as praising 'The Wonder Years' in my sleep with KR trying to carry on a coherent conversation with me until he realised I was sleep-talking.
In other stories of withdrawal - for some reason, I cannot log on to BBC News when I'm on the NYU wireless network. I think it some evil plot to deprive me of my commonwealth sports (more coffee withdrawal symptoms evident).
I hope for the sake of my sanity that I can at least access it from D'Ag...pls pls pls
I have located a place which serves cheap(ish) Guiness, but not necessarily showing the rugby. I have been referred to other pubs which may. I have also located Irish classmates. Updates will follow.
In other stories of withdrawal - for some reason, I cannot log on to BBC News when I'm on the NYU wireless network. I think it some evil plot to deprive me of my commonwealth sports (more coffee withdrawal symptoms evident).
I hope for the sake of my sanity that I can at least access it from D'Ag...pls pls pls
I have located a place which serves cheap(ish) Guiness, but not necessarily showing the rugby. I have been referred to other pubs which may. I have also located Irish classmates. Updates will follow.
Thursday 23 August 2007
NYC - First Impressions
I might want to just stop typing at some stage, so I'm going to put some random observations down in bullet form:
- 2 days of Air India sponsored jet lag does not help the cause
- Someone to show you around does
- Went for the Mets v. Padres game courtesy KR's luck in a raffle. Baseball is actually quite fun to watch, although, probably more so because there's always something happening rather than the actual game itself. We had fairly expensive outfield'ish tickets, but thanks to us getting thrown out of what we thought were our seats, KR decided to try and sit up closer to home plate. That it was a cold and wet evening, meant a number of the regular box seats were empty. We ended up watching the last 2.5 innings about 30 feet from the batter. An exciting game (Mets coming from one run behind to win in the bottom of the 9th) seemed to try and press home the fact that baseball can be fun. But as I said in an email to one of my English friends - 'give me the Wankhede crowd anyday!' Am kicking myself for not carrying the camera.
- After the game, we decided to explore Flushing Meadows, which is across the road. Although all relevant areas (USTA Tennis Centre) were shut (it was nearly 11), we got to the 'globe'...it is HUGE!! All those shots on the sports channels must be either on fish-eye lenses or from 1.5 km away.
- There is a Dosa thela outside the NYU Law School building. I have consciously refrained from consuming his wares, lest I end up with cravings every evening when I shift into the next street.
- I am struggling to come to terms with the idea of ultra-fast internet access 24X7 (minus downloading though). I fear it will be even more difficult for me when I move in to my place.
- As my academic career progressed, the distance between my place of habitation to my place of study progressively decreased. It is now going to be frighteningly short. The entrance to my 'hostel' is about 30 feet away from the rear wall of the Law School building.
- A (the larger one) comes in today. It's been a while and I think we shall make all attempts to make inexpensive nuisances of ourselves
- I have quickly given up, admittedly with minimal efforts to the contrary,all efforts (at least until I move on Sunday) to retain my shakhahari status. The worst bit is that the food here is ghastly
- Am trying to get US Open tickets for cheap, although that seems an oxymoron in this city
- Air-conditioned subway trains make for far more pleasurable travel than the Motherland's nauseous equivalents
- I still haven't got the 'feeling' that I'm an 8 hour flight away from anything I can call home. 16 hours for the puritans...
- I fear I shall have to put on an American accent at times to allow many of the local yokels to understand the precious words that exit my mouth...
Sunday 19 August 2007
Traversing
17 August 2007
So I’m sitting in Heathrow’s Terminal 3 and waiting at Gate 32 to board (once again) the aircraft. In what was, from my perspective, a completely futile action, we were made to de-plane, go through Heathrow’s de-shoe, de-laptop, de-everything security check before being made to walk all the way around the terminal and wait for the aircraft to be ready. A surprisingly heavy backpack coupled with the awful seats on Air
Epi: After recurring bouts of sleep, I think I've finally got over my jet lag over 36 hours after hitting NYC. Reading status: nil. Hitting Manhattan today...
Sunday 29 July 2007
The Day
Today feels like a different day...
"Starvation and the hunger, the suffering and the pain
The agonies of all-out war, when will it ever end?
The struggle for the power, a tyrant tries again
Just what the hell is going on? When will it ever end?
No hope, no life, just pain and fear
No food, no love, just greed is here "
Childhood's End by Iron Maiden
"Starvation and the hunger, the suffering and the pain
The agonies of all-out war, when will it ever end?
The struggle for the power, a tyrant tries again
Just what the hell is going on? When will it ever end?
No hope, no life, just pain and fear
No food, no love, just greed is here "
Childhood's End by Iron Maiden
Sunday 8 July 2007
Of Sport
As with most weekends over the past month or so - this one was also meant to be a sporty one. Unfortunately, I missed two key events - the Wallabies-Springboks test and the Federer-Gasquet match. I am extremely upset about the former in particular, particularly considering the dismal levels of rugby available on TV. I did catch the Wallabies-All Blacks test last week and it was a great match. Unfortunately, the Wallabies won it thanks to a sin-binning. If they had to win it, I would have preferred to watch them do it against 15, than 14. Gregan and Larkham have played their last tests at home, which means I've also missed the last opportunity this season to listen to 100,000 people singing 'Waltzing Matilda'. I'm hoping I get to catch the return leg of the Bledisloe next Saturday - the Haka must suffice.
Venus has completed her demolition job of women's tennis. Henin might have made it a good match, but...
Federer-Nadal: You can't not admire Nadal. A born clay-courter getting through the draw twice on the cow's grass (Lendl said that, not me). Unfortunately, it also tells you a great deal about how slow the grass has become. The Rafter-Ivanesevic match, I think basically marked the end of serve-volleyers. We don't see 45 aces a match anymore, and it's far more entertaining to watch players slug it out in long rallies, (call me a stickler for tradition if you must) but then we may as well play Wimbledon on Rebound Ace. What's the point of putting green grass on Centre Court? Mario Ancic, Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi (plus Henman of course) are probably the only true serve-volleyers in the top 100. Its a real shame - it's such a beautiful game...
This is from Iron Maiden's latest offering, and while they played it in B'lore, it was a while before I read the lyrics in detail: this stanza is incredible...
"More pain and misery in the history of mankind
Sometime it seems more like
The blind leading the blind
It brings upon us more famine, death and war
You know religion has a lot to answer for"
For the Greater Good of God by Iron Maiden
Venus has completed her demolition job of women's tennis. Henin might have made it a good match, but...
Federer-Nadal: You can't not admire Nadal. A born clay-courter getting through the draw twice on the cow's grass (Lendl said that, not me). Unfortunately, it also tells you a great deal about how slow the grass has become. The Rafter-Ivanesevic match, I think basically marked the end of serve-volleyers. We don't see 45 aces a match anymore, and it's far more entertaining to watch players slug it out in long rallies, (call me a stickler for tradition if you must) but then we may as well play Wimbledon on Rebound Ace. What's the point of putting green grass on Centre Court? Mario Ancic, Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi (plus Henman of course) are probably the only true serve-volleyers in the top 100. Its a real shame - it's such a beautiful game...
This is from Iron Maiden's latest offering, and while they played it in B'lore, it was a while before I read the lyrics in detail: this stanza is incredible...
"More pain and misery in the history of mankind
Sometime it seems more like
The blind leading the blind
It brings upon us more famine, death and war
You know religion has a lot to answer for"
For the Greater Good of God by Iron Maiden
Sunday 17 June 2007
They're almost here
After a week or so that I rather wish hadn't ever existed, the monsoons have begun rolling into Bombay. It's remarkable that after all these years, it's the little things that nature provides that fascinate me the most.
A few days ago, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen - anywhere. There was this incredible lilac colour to the sky and the Malabar Hill to Bombay Central or so skyline in a perfect silhouette.
Today the sea decided to tell Bombay it shouldn't be ignored in our obsession with the clouds. It was pretty much the roughest I've ever seen it in a long while. As I rode back after a sumptuous lunch courtesy D Aunty, the tide appeared to have come in so quickly that people were stranded at Haji Ali. Even with all the wave breakers that have put in place, this was the first time I can recall some serious waves hitting the Haji Ali sea face walls.
It got even better on Worli sea face. Actually it was incredible - I'm sure there will be photos in tomorrow's papers. The waves were like the waves of old - not going as far as the other side, but rather going at least 30-40 feet straight up. There was a huge gathering as people came in for a Sunday afternoon picnic(?). Can't describe it...but wonderful to see...
"The dust has finally settled on the field of human clay
Just enough light has shown through
To tell the night from the day
We are incomplete and hollow
For our maker has gone away
Who is to blame?
We'll surely melt in the rain"
Say I by Creed
A few days ago, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen - anywhere. There was this incredible lilac colour to the sky and the Malabar Hill to Bombay Central or so skyline in a perfect silhouette.
Today the sea decided to tell Bombay it shouldn't be ignored in our obsession with the clouds. It was pretty much the roughest I've ever seen it in a long while. As I rode back after a sumptuous lunch courtesy D Aunty, the tide appeared to have come in so quickly that people were stranded at Haji Ali. Even with all the wave breakers that have put in place, this was the first time I can recall some serious waves hitting the Haji Ali sea face walls.
It got even better on Worli sea face. Actually it was incredible - I'm sure there will be photos in tomorrow's papers. The waves were like the waves of old - not going as far as the other side, but rather going at least 30-40 feet straight up. There was a huge gathering as people came in for a Sunday afternoon picnic(?). Can't describe it...but wonderful to see...
"The dust has finally settled on the field of human clay
Just enough light has shown through
To tell the night from the day
We are incomplete and hollow
For our maker has gone away
Who is to blame?
We'll surely melt in the rain"
Say I by Creed
Tuesday 5 June 2007
Lost - then found...and how
On my ride into town yesterday morning, I managed to somehow jump the phone out of my pocket on to the road. After realising it some way down, I head back as far as the start of the Mahim causeway - looking down at the road and asking every BMC sweeper on the way whether he/she had found a phone. No luck...
I then proceed to report late on my first day and do the customary lockdown of the sim. Calling didn't seem to help... I reckoned a car had probably gone over it.
At around 2:30, appa calls saying that somebody found the phone, somehow got in touch (some details still unclear) and had left it at a dry cleaners which is pretty much where I went back trying to retrace. (start of the causeway, if you're heading north). I rush back and retrieve the phone...but the good samaritan isn't there anymore...
I was right about one thing - a car did go over it, from the looks of things. No more dabba criticism now please - its working fine this morning.
A word of appreciation also for the call centres who I continually bash around.
That's the great part about this city - not so much the actual fact that one can get his phone back in this manner, but that it never stops throwing surprises at you.
I think I'm going to miss this place...
I then proceed to report late on my first day and do the customary lockdown of the sim. Calling didn't seem to help... I reckoned a car had probably gone over it.
At around 2:30, appa calls saying that somebody found the phone, somehow got in touch (some details still unclear) and had left it at a dry cleaners which is pretty much where I went back trying to retrace. (start of the causeway, if you're heading north). I rush back and retrieve the phone...but the good samaritan isn't there anymore...
I was right about one thing - a car did go over it, from the looks of things. No more dabba criticism now please - its working fine this morning.
A word of appreciation also for the call centres who I continually bash around.
That's the great part about this city - not so much the actual fact that one can get his phone back in this manner, but that it never stops throwing surprises at you.
I think I'm going to miss this place...
Friday 1 June 2007
Water Ahoy
The rains have come...not the monsoons from the looks of things. Just a pre-monsoon thundershower - a long and pretty heavy pre-monsoon thundershower - resulting in some awkward flights from Del to Bom.
The 1st rain smell was unfortunately not all there in the present place of inhabitation...need to call SB and make sure we do the 1st rain walk one last time. Can't remember the last time we did it - must have been 2003, I think. It's one of my favourite memories that I'll take away from Wallace and Bom...
One last time...
The 1st rain smell was unfortunately not all there in the present place of inhabitation...need to call SB and make sure we do the 1st rain walk one last time. Can't remember the last time we did it - must have been 2003, I think. It's one of my favourite memories that I'll take away from Wallace and Bom...
One last time...
Saturday 26 May 2007
Anger Vent
The absurdity continues... The omni-present, ever-ready to protest, infinitely wise and self-proclaimed sole representative of the Marathas - that Indian SS, continues to exhibit its abject insecurity. See here.
Perhaps at some stage, someone ought to explain to these half-wit bumpkins that when you pick a trade name - and it involves the name of a place - it needn't necessarily be the latest/correct name of the place.
And while we're at it - considering the fact that they exhibit little knowledge of company balance sheets - here's a link to explain what goodwill means and why I can't (and shouldn't) just randomly change the name of my establishment of Bombay _____ to Mumbai _______.
Perhaps at some stage, someone ought to explain to these half-wit bumpkins that when you pick a trade name - and it involves the name of a place - it needn't necessarily be the latest/correct name of the place.
And while we're at it - considering the fact that they exhibit little knowledge of company balance sheets - here's a link to explain what goodwill means and why I can't (and shouldn't) just randomly change the name of my establishment of Bombay _____ to Mumbai _______.
Friday 25 May 2007
Me tube
In celebration of the fact that this post is my 100th, I have decided to follow illustrious footsteps and blog a YouTube video. The much improved connection speeds in Delhi have got me hooked to the latest internet phenomenon...
Unfortunately, I seem to be facing some recurring problem with linking my blog to YouTube and so, you shall just have to follow the link and watch...
I have also chosen a 'classic' bit of footage - but not exactly in the same sense as the one posted by the footstep maker...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=b8z5JON-fOc
I didn't know this - but the music in the 'Cat Concerto' Tom&Jerry is Listz's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2....enjoy!
Unfortunately, I seem to be facing some recurring problem with linking my blog to YouTube and so, you shall just have to follow the link and watch...
I have also chosen a 'classic' bit of footage - but not exactly in the same sense as the one posted by the footstep maker...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=b8z5JON-fOc
I didn't know this - but the music in the 'Cat Concerto' Tom&Jerry is Listz's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2....enjoy!
Wednesday 23 May 2007
The Grief Unveiled
Can you believe that a person can go from this and this:
to this:
in a matter of 90 minutes?
Arrrghhhh....
If you look closely at the 'after' picture - you can actually spot the tear in my eye...
"The north is to south what the clock is to time
There's east and there's west and there's everywhere life
I know I was born and I know that I'll die
The in between is mine
I am mine"
I am Mine by Pearl Jam
Monday 21 May 2007
Of Grief
The locks are gone...
As I walked into the barber's, he takes a look at me, desperately hoping that I'm there for a shave and nervously asks, "Haircut?".
Me: Haan
Barber: Setting karna hai
Me: Nahin, chota chahiye
At this stage I can hear him cursing Fate under his breath, as also the other barbers at the place.
What ensues is unarguably the longest haircut I have ever had, both in terms of time and hair. It takes a little over 35 minutes. During the course of this 'process' ('event' seems too momentary a word to use), I learn a great deal about hair. For instance:
The position of your parting depends on how the hair is cut. It seems to explain why I was unable to get a middle parting going at the peak of my hair presence. It also seems to explain how NY managed that new hairstyle of hers sometime back. (my brag about me having more hair than her no longer stands...)
Even N, the friendly vaahan chaalak was most disappointed when I returned with my present ishstyle. He, alongwith one half of the grand-parents and the scores(?) of my ardent followers all endorsed how good the hair was looking.
And so I return to my grief...
The camera battery gave up as I was transferring the before and after pics and so the scores(?) of loyal readers of this blog will have to wait another day for them...
"If I cancel tomorrow the undead will thank me today
Fly in the space of your prophets I mock your morality plays.
The moon is red and bleeding, The sun is burned and black
The book of life is silent, No turning back.
Only the good die young
All the evil seems to live forever"
Only The Good Die Young by Iron Maiden
As I walked into the barber's, he takes a look at me, desperately hoping that I'm there for a shave and nervously asks, "Haircut?".
Me: Haan
Barber: Setting karna hai
Me: Nahin, chota chahiye
At this stage I can hear him cursing Fate under his breath, as also the other barbers at the place.
What ensues is unarguably the longest haircut I have ever had, both in terms of time and hair. It takes a little over 35 minutes. During the course of this 'process' ('event' seems too momentary a word to use), I learn a great deal about hair. For instance:
The position of your parting depends on how the hair is cut. It seems to explain why I was unable to get a middle parting going at the peak of my hair presence. It also seems to explain how NY managed that new hairstyle of hers sometime back. (my brag about me having more hair than her no longer stands...)
Even N, the friendly vaahan chaalak was most disappointed when I returned with my present ishstyle. He, alongwith one half of the grand-parents and the scores(?) of my ardent followers all endorsed how good the hair was looking.
And so I return to my grief...
The camera battery gave up as I was transferring the before and after pics and so the scores(?) of loyal readers of this blog will have to wait another day for them...
"If I cancel tomorrow the undead will thank me today
Fly in the space of your prophets I mock your morality plays.
The moon is red and bleeding, The sun is burned and black
The book of life is silent, No turning back.
Only the good die young
All the evil seems to live forever"
Only The Good Die Young by Iron Maiden
Saturday 19 May 2007
RIP shoulder length dreams...
This is one of those posts I would advise myself not to write - because it is evidence of great grief that surrounds the 350 odd cubic centimetres of space that I occupy.
This evening signals that last day that the flowing locks remain a part of my 'get-up'. Whilst the goatee is the product of a mere 2 weeks of sacrifice and care, the locks have been a 5-6 month project.
This must be what its like to spend months building a model of the White House only for the director of Independence Day to decide that it looks best when blown up and filmed with high-speed cameras. Apparently blowing the model from the inside is exactly what happens when a death ray from the aliens' spaceship comes down on it...
Before and after photos will assuredly be taken and posted...
RIP: May you find your reincarnation on the cold glistening scalp of a needy, rich, bald Indian...
"The killers breed or the demons seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedoms stain,
But dont you pray for my soul anymore."
2 Minutes to Midnight by Iron Maiden
This evening signals that last day that the flowing locks remain a part of my 'get-up'. Whilst the goatee is the product of a mere 2 weeks of sacrifice and care, the locks have been a 5-6 month project.
This must be what its like to spend months building a model of the White House only for the director of Independence Day to decide that it looks best when blown up and filmed with high-speed cameras. Apparently blowing the model from the inside is exactly what happens when a death ray from the aliens' spaceship comes down on it...
Before and after photos will assuredly be taken and posted...
RIP: May you find your reincarnation on the cold glistening scalp of a needy, rich, bald Indian...
"The killers breed or the demons seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedoms stain,
But dont you pray for my soul anymore."
2 Minutes to Midnight by Iron Maiden
Monday 7 May 2007
Rise and Talk, my Metallic Beauty
The English, particularly those who would ostensibly qualify to be in the higher echelons of their white-collars, love to pamper themselves and rest their over-worked grey cells for approximately 3-4 minutes every weekday.
Despite being, in the very least, of average intelligence, these select individuals (most disturbingly) seem unable or unwilling to read the floor number appearing on the display inside a lift. It seems to be some sort of annoying national obsession, although I suspect it may actually be to cater to guidelines for the visually challenged.
Today, for the first time, I was met by an Indian talking lift. I am now terribly frightened that India is going the UK way. I'm glad I have to bear neither for a while soon. Amongst various other trite information such as the floor, the weather, the news and what I suspect was a 60's jazz song, the lady (thankfully Indian) also gives you the exact time - to the second!
In other news I have watched Eragon, Spiderman 3, The Importance of Being Earnest, 8 episodes of Season 18 of the Simpsons and 1 episode of Two and a Half Men in the past 2.5 days. Of these - Eragon and the single episode were alright. The Simpsons is as good as ever and Oscar Wilde is, of course, wonderful regardless of whether you're sober or not (I was when I watched it).
Spiderman on the other hand is (and I'm putting it very mildly) absolute crap. May I be struck with a lightning bolt if I pay to watch the 4th installment.
Despite being, in the very least, of average intelligence, these select individuals (most disturbingly) seem unable or unwilling to read the floor number appearing on the display inside a lift. It seems to be some sort of annoying national obsession, although I suspect it may actually be to cater to guidelines for the visually challenged.
Today, for the first time, I was met by an Indian talking lift. I am now terribly frightened that India is going the UK way. I'm glad I have to bear neither for a while soon. Amongst various other trite information such as the floor, the weather, the news and what I suspect was a 60's jazz song, the lady (thankfully Indian) also gives you the exact time - to the second!
In other news I have watched Eragon, Spiderman 3, The Importance of Being Earnest, 8 episodes of Season 18 of the Simpsons and 1 episode of Two and a Half Men in the past 2.5 days. Of these - Eragon and the single episode were alright. The Simpsons is as good as ever and Oscar Wilde is, of course, wonderful regardless of whether you're sober or not (I was when I watched it).
Spiderman on the other hand is (and I'm putting it very mildly) absolute crap. May I be struck with a lightning bolt if I pay to watch the 4th installment.
Tuesday 1 May 2007
Smoke near the Water
This evening, I was enjoying a walk on Marine Drive, happy in the knowledge that thanks to the breeze blowing, the only thing posing any sort of abnormal danger to my health was Pantera screaming out 'I'm Broken' into my already under-sensitive eardrums.
Somewhere in the middle of the third chorus, I get a waft of diesel smoke (as I have a hundred time before). I know what it is, but for some reason - it really bugs me today, which is why it features on this post.
It's a generator at the bus stop powering the lights in the hoarding above the bus stop. I suppose that when people pay good money to advertise on prime location bus stops like those on Marine Drive, they expect it to be of some use 24X7. But surely when we (a) already have a severe power situation and (b) really can't afford any more pollution; you would think the authorities might wake up and do something about it.
Pull a power line to the bus stop if we must have hoardings with lights or at least insist on solar power. But, all that's far too difficult to implement and so we continue giving walkers on Marine Drive what they really came to find - clean air.
In other news - I will get through No. 35 too. Just one more now...
"I wonder if we'll smile in our coffins while loved ones
Mourn the day, the absence of our faces, living, laughing,
Eyes awake. Is this too much for them to take?
Too young for ones conclusion, the lifestyle won.
Such values you taught your son. Thats how!
Look at me now. I'm broken.
Inherit my life. I'm broken"
Mourn the day, the absence of our faces, living, laughing,
Eyes awake. Is this too much for them to take?
Too young for ones conclusion, the lifestyle won.
Such values you taught your son. Thats how!
Look at me now. I'm broken.
Inherit my life. I'm broken"
I'm Broken by Pantera
Thursday 26 April 2007
What the heck...
After Evidence, I've taken a 24 hour break (a complete break) in celebration of the fact that I had 5 days (now 4) to my next paper. These 24 hours have included a Die Hard marathon...watching all 3 in the order: 1-3-2. This took place thanks to a swap with NY where I traded one of MY CD's for the Die Hard DVD (mine again), which she's had for months. Somehow I feel she got the better end of the deal.
The break is scheduled to come to an end in about 15 minutes, which is why I decided to blog as my final act...
News is that I am terribly disappointed in the final line-up. After the SF draw, I was really hoping for a NZ-SA and a new addition to the list of WC winners. Unfortunately, both have got so comprehensively thumped that it would have been a travesty to let them through. Despite AD's general weirdness and Lankan heritage(??), I'm with her on this one...
In other news, my withdrawal symptoms have finally died down after showing themselves off for 10 days. Phew...
Pretty incredible lyrics these - when you think about it...Dave Mustaine ki jai!
"This morning I made the call
The one that ends it all
Hanging up,i wanted to cry
But dammit,this wells gone dry
The one that ends it all
Hanging up,i wanted to cry
But dammit,this wells gone dry
Not for the money,not for the fame
Not for the power,just no more games
But now Im safe in the eye of the tornado
I cant replace the lies,that let a 1000 days go
No more living trapped inside
In her way Ill surely die
In the eye of the tornado,blow me away "
-Tornado of Souls by Megadeth
Wednesday 25 April 2007
Monday 23 April 2007
Friday 20 April 2007
One for the books
This is likely to be my last post until the 25th, if not the 5th. These exams have seen an unfortunate change - no book is being read on the side and so, I have to lull myself to sleep with mental revisions of situations involving Frenchmen getting married to Englishwomen in Italy under Polish rituals in the vain hope that when they remarry, the bigamy trial Court will be so confused with the validity requirements of the previous marriage that it will effectively say, 'Go do what the hell you like'!
Since we're on the issue of sleep - this photo is to ensure you don't. Part of my pre-exam boredom, really. It is also to give AD an indication as to where I stand to aid in her noble, yet what will undoubtedly be futile efforts to educate me about hair care and all that tripe...
Since we're on the issue of sleep - this photo is to ensure you don't. Part of my pre-exam boredom, really. It is also to give AD an indication as to where I stand to aid in her noble, yet what will undoubtedly be futile efforts to educate me about hair care and all that tripe...
Thursday 19 April 2007
The beginning of the end?
Is it just me, or has Gmail and a host of other Google sites become prohibitively slow, or at least significantly slower for those of you with fast connections? Is the 'free' and 'open internet' concept that Google has admirably advocated and successfully carried out these past 4-5 years finally reaching the inevitable bubble-burst stage?
Perhaps its time to begin looking at alternate avenues for a permanent email address and begin shifting. Or perhaps its time to switch to POP3 - at least that way I'm unlikely to feel the pinch as much.
In other news, characterisation in Conflict is just ridiculous. I am willing to make a phone call to anywhere in the world to speak to anyone who can explain it to me in 10 minutes. Such was the concentration to try and understand what on earth it is that I didn't notice the horrible irritation being caused by the longer than usual stubble on my face until a few minutes ago. This resulted for the 2nd first-time activity in as many days - shaving at 1 am.
When on the topic of natural keratin products - the hair continues to grow. Unfortunately frontward growth is far exceeding backward growth, which results in my eyes often being given the cliched message that ignorance is bliss. Anyone with any tips as to how to ensure ponytail'ish growth rather than broom growth will be treated to a Rustom's ice-cream.
Time now to explore Conflict in lesser detail than I have over the course of the past 12-odd hours.
Perhaps its time to begin looking at alternate avenues for a permanent email address and begin shifting. Or perhaps its time to switch to POP3 - at least that way I'm unlikely to feel the pinch as much.
In other news, characterisation in Conflict is just ridiculous. I am willing to make a phone call to anywhere in the world to speak to anyone who can explain it to me in 10 minutes. Such was the concentration to try and understand what on earth it is that I didn't notice the horrible irritation being caused by the longer than usual stubble on my face until a few minutes ago. This resulted for the 2nd first-time activity in as many days - shaving at 1 am.
When on the topic of natural keratin products - the hair continues to grow. Unfortunately frontward growth is far exceeding backward growth, which results in my eyes often being given the cliched message that ignorance is bliss. Anyone with any tips as to how to ensure ponytail'ish growth rather than broom growth will be treated to a Rustom's ice-cream.
Time now to explore Conflict in lesser detail than I have over the course of the past 12-odd hours.
Wednesday 18 April 2007
Where is all that simplicity gone?
After getting terribly frustrated with Conflict, I returned from the Library and got on to StickCricket after a long long time. And, thankfully (at least from the exam POV) I didn't like what I saw. Loading is slower. Left-handers have been introduced. There is no way to just chase a score anymore - just keep batting with no ostensible total before you. A Super 8 format seems to have crept in as well - I didn't dare venture there.
What was a lovely, simple, good timepass thing to do on the net has been reduced, or rather elevated, to a complex, yet equally-unrealistic version of book-cricket. What a shame...
What was a lovely, simple, good timepass thing to do on the net has been reduced, or rather elevated, to a complex, yet equally-unrealistic version of book-cricket. What a shame...
Power of...well, power
Thanks to an absolutely infuriating and terribly annoying sequence of events over the course of approximately 3 hours this evening, I did what I've never done before - study by candlelight.
After the first outtage(is it with a double 't' or single? Just seems wrong with one), we decided to play some cricket in the corridors. Fear of the annoying watchman (a confirmed squealer) on duty tonight meant we wrapped that up after a couple of games.
What made the outage (does it seem right now? No!) worse was that there were only select parts of the hostel that had lost power. The 5th floor was ok as was the 3rd and the one light in the corridor on the 4th that we used to play cricket by.
Once the fuse (or whatever was wrong) was fixed, all seemed well and the studying began, before the power went again in a matter of less than 30 minutes. This time I had to keep studying Copyright and so produced the candle that PS kindly donated to me at the time of the last exams for exactly such an eventuality...god bless.
After the first outtage(is it with a double 't' or single? Just seems wrong with one), we decided to play some cricket in the corridors. Fear of the annoying watchman (a confirmed squealer) on duty tonight meant we wrapped that up after a couple of games.
What made the outage (does it seem right now? No!) worse was that there were only select parts of the hostel that had lost power. The 5th floor was ok as was the 3rd and the one light in the corridor on the 4th that we used to play cricket by.
Once the fuse (or whatever was wrong) was fixed, all seemed well and the studying began, before the power went again in a matter of less than 30 minutes. This time I had to keep studying Copyright and so produced the candle that PS kindly donated to me at the time of the last exams for exactly such an eventuality...god bless.
Have now decided to pick up a candle tomorrow to prepare not for fuse burnouts, but actual outtages (both seem wrong) which Bombay is currently under a serious threat from. TPC says that there is no need to resort to it at the moment, but will be on an as-and-when-it-comes-to-it basis.
One of favourite new Maiden songs now - its really a lovely song. This one is from Matter of Life and Death...called 'Different World'
"Tell me what you can hear
And then tell me what you see
Everybody has a different way to view the world
I would like you to know when you see the simple things
To appreciate this life it's not too late to learn
Don't wanna be here
Somewhere I'd rather be
But when I get there
I'm afraid it's not for me"
One of favourite new Maiden songs now - its really a lovely song. This one is from Matter of Life and Death...called 'Different World'
"Tell me what you can hear
And then tell me what you see
Everybody has a different way to view the world
I would like you to know when you see the simple things
To appreciate this life it's not too late to learn
Don't wanna be here
Somewhere I'd rather be
But when I get there
I'm afraid it's not for me"
Tuesday 17 April 2007
Birthday's Galore
Happy Birthday to Anna!! I predict that he will have no further mid-life crises, simply because he is now too old to fit within the 'mid-life' category...
Tomorrow is NJ's birthday as well - so happy birthday to him in advance, in case I don't blog tomm.
By way of clarifications:
V1 disagrees that the girl referred to in my previous post is his better half
Muscle Girl doesn't like her nickname and can, in fact, click the odd good photo
Tomorrow is NJ's birthday as well - so happy birthday to him in advance, in case I don't blog tomm.
By way of clarifications:
V1 disagrees that the girl referred to in my previous post is his better half
Muscle Girl doesn't like her nickname and can, in fact, click the odd good photo
Monday 16 April 2007
If Three is a Crowd, what does this look like?
Chasing down Muscle Girl and Footnote Unaware for photos taken during the College farewell, has finally borne some fruit...all from the former though.
Here it is finally - two shots of KSR, AK and myself. The weird one is us gettting incredibly frustrated with Muscle Girl's photo-clicking skills (or the lack of them)...
Here it is finally - two shots of KSR, AK and myself. The weird one is us gettting incredibly frustrated with Muscle Girl's photo-clicking skills (or the lack of them)...
Sunday 15 April 2007
Promised Photos....hopefully will upload
Right - have chosen 'small' size in the hope that it gets done this time...
The '300' poster, courtesy the 'Rex' in Bangalore...
The Maiden curtain...
My room...as it stands today!
The '300' poster, courtesy the 'Rex' in Bangalore...
The Maiden curtain...
My room...as it stands today!
The Spoils of Travels and the Accompanying Mess
Once again - too lazy/concerned about exams to blog rationally. So it's another photo feast! My room in its current avatar along with two prized possessions ripped off public displays.
My 'curtain' was ripped off a lampost, after a failed attempt at one where I only got the bottom half of it, the second one came right off. This was at around 10:30 pm on the Sunday after the Maiden gig. V1 and I asked the auto chap to wait as he watched (rather bewildered) as we attacked the lamposts with some gusto.
The '300' poster was done in a less crude fashion. After we watched the movie (worth a watch, but only for the effects really and therefore, only on the big screen), we calmly walked up to the glass cabinet which had three posters (A3 size) and a really large one (can't remember what size that is) V1 nonchalantly took all three of the smaller ones. One for me, one for him and one for who we all allege his better half his (incidentally the individual who put him up to the task of flicking the posters)
Blogger doesn't want me to put up any photos at the moment, so you will have to live with the empty description for now...
My 'curtain' was ripped off a lampost, after a failed attempt at one where I only got the bottom half of it, the second one came right off. This was at around 10:30 pm on the Sunday after the Maiden gig. V1 and I asked the auto chap to wait as he watched (rather bewildered) as we attacked the lamposts with some gusto.
The '300' poster was done in a less crude fashion. After we watched the movie (worth a watch, but only for the effects really and therefore, only on the big screen), we calmly walked up to the glass cabinet which had three posters (A3 size) and a really large one (can't remember what size that is) V1 nonchalantly took all three of the smaller ones. One for me, one for him and one for who we all allege his better half his (incidentally the individual who put him up to the task of flicking the posters)
Blogger doesn't want me to put up any photos at the moment, so you will have to live with the empty description for now...
Saturday 14 April 2007
Oh for a fan....
I'm most irritated with my fan, that doesn't allow me to either study or sleep. Initially it only ever worked on speeds '4' and '5' - a bit of a problem on occasion in Dec and Jan nights, particularly when I had a cold.
Now its worse...it only works on '5' and even then, noiselessly only if it revolves above a certain speed. Otherwise it makes this awful grinding sound which can be heard as far as the half way mark on the floor, if my door is open. Can't switch it off either, because its just too hot in Bombay.
So I can think of no better way while waiting for the voltage to rise again (it usually drops around 1 am - a little earlier today) than blogging and basically bitching about the damn thing. Usually the voltage drop lasts about 5 minutes and if, god forbid, I should be sleeping, it's a pretty good alarm. Today its been going on for the past 30 minutes...argghhhhhh.......die die die fan.
"I wanted to be friends with her too
So my relationship could be the same as yours
I hated everyone just like you
Hating you should be introduced as a new law
Take the time to learn to hate
Come and join the mass debate
Take the time, take the time
It's all uphill you've gotta climb"
Learn to Hate by Silverchair
PS - the voltage seems to have picked up now...bitching does work!!
Now its worse...it only works on '5' and even then, noiselessly only if it revolves above a certain speed. Otherwise it makes this awful grinding sound which can be heard as far as the half way mark on the floor, if my door is open. Can't switch it off either, because its just too hot in Bombay.
So I can think of no better way while waiting for the voltage to rise again (it usually drops around 1 am - a little earlier today) than blogging and basically bitching about the damn thing. Usually the voltage drop lasts about 5 minutes and if, god forbid, I should be sleeping, it's a pretty good alarm. Today its been going on for the past 30 minutes...argghhhhhh.......die die die fan.
"I wanted to be friends with her too
So my relationship could be the same as yours
I hated everyone just like you
Hating you should be introduced as a new law
Take the time to learn to hate
Come and join the mass debate
Take the time, take the time
It's all uphill you've gotta climb"
Learn to Hate by Silverchair
PS - the voltage seems to have picked up now...bitching does work!!
If only I was famous
A little over two years ago, at the conclusion of the DMH final, as we stepped down from the dais, the Governor of Mah asked me, 'No National Anthem?'. Lost for an answer, I replied, 'No, Your Excellency, we felt it might be inappropriate with the overseas teams here.'
The truth is we never actually play the national anthem at DMH or any of our functions - not out of policy, but more out of the fact that we just dont do it. In fact, if I recall correctly (and I'm probably wrong), it didn't even feature in the little protocol booklet we were given once the Gov said 'yes' to coming.
Fast forward to the present and we have N. Murthy publicly castigated for his comments(rightly so) that it would be embarrassing for foreign students if the anthem was played with the words. Instead only the tune was played. It gets worse - he now has an FIR filed against him under the Insults to National Honour Act. See here. Pretty absurd - all this - to say the least... Sagarika Ghosh's column in the HT today was below-the-belt stuff to be honest and I wouldn't be surprised if a hand or two appeared behind it.
If only I had been famous - that FIR would have been in my name and I would be trashed by her for not being a worthy enough Prez candidate...
The truth is we never actually play the national anthem at DMH or any of our functions - not out of policy, but more out of the fact that we just dont do it. In fact, if I recall correctly (and I'm probably wrong), it didn't even feature in the little protocol booklet we were given once the Gov said 'yes' to coming.
Fast forward to the present and we have N. Murthy publicly castigated for his comments(rightly so) that it would be embarrassing for foreign students if the anthem was played with the words. Instead only the tune was played. It gets worse - he now has an FIR filed against him under the Insults to National Honour Act. See here. Pretty absurd - all this - to say the least... Sagarika Ghosh's column in the HT today was below-the-belt stuff to be honest and I wouldn't be surprised if a hand or two appeared behind it.
If only I had been famous - that FIR would have been in my name and I would be trashed by her for not being a worthy enough Prez candidate...
Friday 13 April 2007
Much mental activity
Too much Evidence floating around to blog rationally. So here's another photo. This was at the Davis Cup tie between Pakistan and India at the Brabourne last April - 8 hours of SB and me screaming our guts out - 10 days before my exams! A Davis Cup tie is something else - if you ever get a chance, go...
The reason the photo's up is that the situation was pretty much the same as this year's tie against Kazakhstan - Leander stepping in to play the deciding reverse singles, and winning.
Happy birthday (as of yesterday) to NB!
The reason the photo's up is that the situation was pretty much the same as this year's tie against Kazakhstan - Leander stepping in to play the deciding reverse singles, and winning.
Happy birthday (as of yesterday) to NB!
Wednesday 11 April 2007
Who's that Maiden?
Can't think of anything to blog about today, or more importantly, don't want to spend time worrying about it. So here's a photo instead. AK and me at a sign welcoming Maiden. DM very kindly took the photo after all of us had our own versions of a sleepless night.
Tuesday 10 April 2007
Why should I let the moojhic play?
I've spent the last hour or so working on a nice riff. That led to me asking myself this question for the second time in the past 4 days: "Why do we listen to music at all? What is it about music?"
To be honest, I don't know the answer, nor do I have the mental capacity at the moment to argue this out - too much of Trade Marks law swirling in my head. Answers are welcome...
"Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems
The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me
But I will pray for you
And some day I may return.
Don't you cry for me
Beyond is where I learn"
The Evil that Men do by Iron Maiden
To be honest, I don't know the answer, nor do I have the mental capacity at the moment to argue this out - too much of Trade Marks law swirling in my head. Answers are welcome...
"Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems
The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me
But I will pray for you
And some day I may return.
Don't you cry for me
Beyond is where I learn"
The Evil that Men do by Iron Maiden
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