Cell phone number 5

Cell phones are like girls can't live with them, can't live without them. I have just got my 5th cellphone yesterday. The incredible thing about it is that, they are all the same model.

A low down on my cell phone history

1st one lasted 8 months and was broken in a pillow fight at Mike and Buddy's. I got a free phone(I wasn't complaining) to replace it in exchange for introducing two new customers. I had to make the deal because I didn't have insurance on the phone.

2nd one lasted for another eight months. The problem with it was that it just wouldn't work in California. So the Verizon people in San Jose (after trying for 2 hours to make it work) decided to give me a new phone in exchange for it.

The 3rd one was going good until I broke it trying to show off my line dancing moves. By now I had become smart and had purchased a insurance on my phone. But the insurance company jacked me and gave me a used phone to replace the one I broke.

The fourth one breaking was not my mistake. I just broke the antenna and the screen gave up on its own. But I was lucky enough to know somebody who was a manager at the Verizon store here. And yesterday I got my 5th phone in 2 and a half years in the US of A.

I let you guys know when this one breaks. My luck with cellphones can be summed up by my best friends refusal to allow me to use her phone even though she is out of the country for an extended period of time!!

And the model of my cellphone is a LG VX10. Pretty old.

My love hate relationship with cellphones extends from my school days in India. I was and am what you would a destructive oriented person :) ... go figure.

For some links ...

Want to make your pennies count ???

Hey I would do that for 100$ bucks

The SAW

Another way to getting arrested

Who would prosecute him?

"We don't see things as they are.
We see them as we are. "

Infallible

The papal infallibility is what comes to my mind when I think infallible, of course I am also reminded of celebrities and crooked preachers thinking they are infallible. But the current news about the sickness of the "lineage of peter" got me thinking about it. Being a catholic I think I can say without any prejudice that the infallibility of any man even though he be a pope is BS*. Its another piece of superstition's that has been propagated as a Christian truth.

All I can say as a retort to the pope's position is Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

The protestant church is dong no better with the controversy over gay marriage and anointing gay priest. Who are they kidding by using the excuse of making the church in synch with the times we live in. No offence meant towards people of different sexual orientation than my own but this is another BS*. Would these same "liberal" leaders of the church accept a priest who is living in adultery or would they say that its ok to commit murder just because some people think so. Yes there is salvation and freedom for all in Christ but that freedom does not allow you to call sin as acceptable. The Episcopal church has just lost its Christian identity by appointing a person to a bishop's post which according to 1 Timoty 3:2 should go a person with one wife :).

Well this has caused a informal split in the Episcopal/Anglican church. That's what always happens, when you disagree you just start your won church. Not that I have anything against that. When I think of judgment day as all Christians would like to preach about, I can imagine people standing in lines according to their denominations and they are all going to be surprised that the other denomination is present there.

All my life people have not only asked me if I am a Christian but also if I am a catholic or a protestant. I just hate the whole deal. I just want to shout in their face that I am not a Christian, don't confine me to a religion's boundary because my Jesus didn't do that, he just asked me to follow him ;)

People who tend to support the acceptance of homosexuality by the church think that they are making up for the church's less than acceptable way of dealing with them in the past. I do agree that the church has been prejudiced in that way it deals with people. How else do u account for the Aryan superiority theorem of Hitler or the KKK. But that does not make me condone such lifestyle, you need to love them but does not mean that you have twist the Bible to give it legitimacy.

Above all the point is that you can't have people who not only condone it but practice it have spiritual authority over anybody. Would a person who is openly living in adultery be allowed to hold that post?

This weeks postings are going to be under the heading of "The case against the Christian religion". Just some of my views on all things "religiously Christian". If any of you want to join or want to suggest future topic for discussion in this blog write me a Ulyssesj@gmail.com

Till laters ...

"I still say a church steeple with a lightening rod on top shows a lack of confidence."

*BS = Bull S@#$%

Hot rod !!

My car has got the official seal of approval as a hotrod from "The brothers
Inc". Here is how it went ... I was just returning from the county office
and waiting for the signal to turn green when I noticed that a pimped up
violet car was trying to get my attention(it wasn't too hard when you feel
the road vibrate from it's sub woofer). Once they had my attention they
just lowered their windows and anointed my as a d@#$ sexy car. When it
comes from the pros you know you got it ... ok my ego is satisfied with the
whole world knowing this through my unabashed self-promoting.

Following up on yesterday's post did you know that you have to pay property
tax on your car in Missouri??? When did a car become a taxable property,
its not like I am going to live and sleep in it ... well atleast not right
now. Its true the only things that are sure are death and taxes.

good reason not to date within the office

Brand Bin Laden

"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."
-Barry Goldwater

Just Another Manic Wednesday !!!

The taxes are killing me. Well ok not exactly killing but they are driving me nuts!!! There are a lot of new things that I am learning in Missouri, one is that you need to pay a property tax if you own a car and woe to you if you are new in town, because they will make you run around for it. I just found out that I had to fill a form about my car and mail it in by this weekend. It does not stop with that apparently you can get cited in St. Louis for parking in the wrong direction in a metered parking space. I am still figuring out all the forms I need to fill for the federal and state taxes, and debating whether to go to H&R block who from experience know less that me about taxes.

Laters ...

"The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax."
-Albert Einstein

"Taxation WITH representation ain't so hot either."

Empty Fish Tank ...

That's what I have now. I was going to make this post about my new pets 8 pairs of common gold fish. Alas they died today ... I was going to use my artistic skills and landscape the tank using pebbles but apparently the fishes didn't take kindly to the temperature changes caused but the pebble and decided to die within the hour. Hopefully my next set of fishes would be more stronger ... like the fish I had in Florida. The fish in Florida, "Fishee" as it was known, was a survivor. It survived the first year with me changing the water only once. It was also a glutton just like me. It bloated from being 1 inch to around 5 to 6 inches and is currently in Mr. koshy's house.

In other news, the after school program for slum kids has started in India. Ask me if you want more information.

Hey Michael Carollo (Mike) Happy Birthday

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."

... some more relief ... 

My family pitching in with some tsunami relief ... 

I am old ...

Nothing could reiterate the fact that I am getting old than spending an evening with a bunch of middle and high schoolers. Last week I got to help out with the youth group at my church and it was blast. It also brought back a lot of "when I was your age ..." memories. I have crossed the age of 12 is young to 16 is a kid! I guess that also explains my blogs not to flashy and too philosophical. It also keeps me going with writing stuff even though nobody writes any comments. My site trackers tell me that people have visited this blog from all across the globe but not a single comment.

Now that I have rattled of on the lack of comments (not that its going to help any), have ever noticed that the average life span of the ladies is more than men. I wonder why?? Maybe the nagging and the shopping spree play a part in it ... People in Humanities this is a good topic for a PhD.

This guy certainly spent more than me on personalised lisence plates

He was afraid he would get shot!

Cigrette smoking is injurious to health

eBayer with a wit

Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

-Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses" from Poems, In Two Volumes

Dummy's guide to getting arrested ...

Go 107 on a 65 mile zone ...
Drive on the opposite side of the road ...
Show the finger to the cop ...
Race a cop ...
Have the DMV switch your license plates ...

Actually I didn't get arrested but its a pretty scary thought. I went to the DMV the other day to get my personalized license plates only to find that the license tags I turned in belonged to a BMVs (I would loved to own one). I wondered why in this age of information overload do such things get overlooked. One thing I have found in Missouri DMVs is that it is filled with really really ancient sweet ladies who have long finger nails that makes them press the number 7 instead of number 4.

Did I mention that I hat Internet explorer. This is the third time I am writing this blog. The last two times Internet Explorer shutdown and I have lost the links I wanted to put in here.

that's it for now folks ...

"Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance." -Oscar Wilde

V-Day .... Anti-V day .... SAD day ????

What shall I call this day??? I guess its just another manic Monday!!! I am just not going to comment on the terminology to be used other than saying "Singles of the World unite!!" against this right wing ... left wing conspiracy to make money out the poor souls LOL. My take on this is that if you love somebody you got to treat everyday like Valentine's day ... but thats just me. And if anybody is thinking of giving me a valentine's gift(not that its going to happen ... ever), this would make a wonderful gift idea

Tsunami Update
The trust to help orphan kinds has been set up as previously reported by me. The first plan of action is to start with a after school program for slum around 40 slum kids. A church has graciously allowed us to use their space. This is the first step to set up a full fledged orphanage in a few months after we get the government approval. I'll keep you all posted on new developments

In other news ...

This tells you why you shouldn't trust witch doctors

This would make a good top 10 list

Want to become a hacker the easy way ? try this

A serial streaker

The Prince(also the head of the Anglican church ... God help us) is getting married ... again and who cares ???

I would just call the person!

"Perfect love is rare indeed - for to be a lover will require that you continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain."
-Leo Buscaglia

The Rebel and the Pirate 

TGIF

The end of another week at work. Man I love the money living in that rat hole of a cube for more than 8 hours puts a strain on that love. I guess the grass is always greener on the otherside, when I was in school I just wanted to get to college, when I got there I thought that school was better. Then I wanted to work and earn money but now that I can do that I just want to get back to college life.

Its a vicious cycle believe you me!!

I better suck it up and get on with it I guess.

Hey did anybody hear about this kid who took his mom's car for a spin. Either the kid was really big or the car was really small. I thought I was young to start driving at 13. This kid just took it to a whole new level. Back in the days was I used to be a kid (I don't claim that I am not a kid anymore) a simple three wheeled cycle was all I needed to keep me happy.

I had the first visitors to my apartment yesterday. A bunch of high school kids on an school assignment. Not one being averse to appearing on a video, I agreed to answer their questions on camera only to regret it ... or maybe just embarrassed ... here is how it went

1st kid : "So how should we start?"
2nd kid : "Are you married?"
Me : (Easy answer and smiling) "No"
1st kid : "Are you in a long term relationship?"
Me : (Getting a little uneasy) "No"
2nd kid : "Have you been in a long term relationship?"
Me : (Dreading the next question) "No"
1st kid : "Lets just ask him ..."
2nd kid : "Do you practice safe sex?"
Me : (Well what do I say ?) "...eh ...eh ...smile" (Smile is always a good answer to any question)
2nd kid : (trying to put me at ease) "This is for a sex education class"
1st kid : (Continuing on) "If your wife got pregnant would you make her have an abortion?"
Me : (With a straight face and waiting for it to get over) "No"
2nd kid : "What do u think gives better protection the pill or a condom?"
Me : (Straight from the book answer) "Condom"
...

And the ordeal was over. Next time I give an interview I am going to ask for a list of questions and then decide if I want to participate in it. This brought me to the story of the baby in Florida.

Lots of people have asked me why I don't drink, here is one of the reasons for that

What happens when protectors become violators . This came on the heels allegations of the UN Oil for food program in Iraq having helped the previous Saddam regime.

I thought the Patriots won the superbowl!!

What are the chances of falling in love with the same person twice and hating it!!

New way to celebrate your birthday

There are so many babies to be adopted I wonder why people have to do this

"You only know what happiness is once you're married. But then it's too late."

Is that a monkey or a tree????  

Chicago

I have been a lazy bum(some people think I always am) for the last few days and that's the reason there haven't been as many postings. Well the only that has happened is that I finally made it to Chicago and I really loved that place ... I don't know if it was because I met a few of my old friends or because the city's drivers reminded me of India. Driving in that crowded snow covered city brought back memories of my hometown of chennai. The crazy drivers ... The narrow lanes ... people just going haywire ... constructions all over the place ... I was in heaven. It was as if I was back in Chennai and only difference was that it was covered with snow. Now practically there is a one in a million chance of that happening. But hey I have the right to dream.

I had gone down there to attend the graduation ceremony of a friend. Which gave me the opportunity to see a couple of my old friends. Nanda and I go way back to middle school. We were soccer buddies in high School and hadn't seen each other in 3 years. The other friend was Vidhya a student at UIC and as free spirited as they come. Honorable mention to her cool roommates.

It was breath of fresh air to talk in Tamil after quite sometime with all the slang that only the college students would know. Spending the last 2 and half months in social isolation it was a welcome change to break free albeit for a brief moment.

Now that I have rattled off on about Chicago, here is a bit of fact ... I have put 7000 miles on my baby(car) in the last two months. And I am not likely to stop anytime in the future. Next stop is Dallas if everything goes well.

I just love driving in this country. Its so much fun and its so easy. If it was India I would be spending a lot of time in just finding the route. The Indian equivalent of a yahoo map or mapquest is the pedestrian on the road. And more often than not, if you ask two people for directions, you would get pointed in two different and opposite directions.

Long distance driving is not common place in India atleast till I was there. But my family was an exception. From the time we bought our first car we have made atleast one long distance drive per month. My parents liked the flexibility that a car provided compared to a bus or a train; My dad could maintain his mobility in the villages while my mom could visit her brother everymonth. We kids just didn't care as long as we didn't have to do our homework.

The best drive I have had so far is through Virginia and North Carolina. Those rolling mountains ... man they are a sight to see.

Young traveler

"Who lives sees much. Who travels sees more." ~ Arab proverb