Baseball

I finally went and watched the great American pastime. My verdict ... American Football is probably the only game I would watch in a stadium. Don't get me wrong I did enjoy myself. I was like a ADD kid the whole evening so much so that I could get on the nerves of the ADD kids I went with. It was St. Louis Cardinals Vs. the Milwaukee Brewers game and it was freaking cold with a lot of rain showers!!! With amount of baseball games being played each season I wonder how so many people show up to these games. This was also a opportunity for me to check out the metro link. The ride back with the crowd was awesome, reminded me of the electric trains in Madras(Chennai). The only difference was that we couldn't hang out of the doors!!

Final verdict ... there is nothing to beat Cricket ... or soccer ... yet!

I finally got to show off my singing powers (its a laugh). On Sunday I got to sing(sic) Jana Gana Mana at a dinner in my church. I was also surprised that I was able to remember it so well to. I did sing another Tamil Christian song (there were errors in it), but hey it doesn't hurt if you don't know. For those of you who wanted to know the meaning of the Indian National Anthem please follow the previous link.

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught."
* Oscar Wilde

Phone #7

Some time back I wrote about my cellphone habits. Well I have got on to a new plan which more than doubles my minutes. The new phone can play MP3 and take pics. Though of using the pics in this blog ;). Also got my number changed to

(636) 233 2922

Well I am too tired to continue today ... had to work even this weekend. Well got a couple of crazy links ...

Did you heard of drunken monkeys???

Benefits of being a scientist!!!

And showcasing a young talent ... Here is a quatern by Justin Feagans

Innocent
killer monkeys on my head,
i swat at one with a bat,
killing flies with big fat lies
eating cockroaches drinking beer

monkeys like to stay alive
killer monkeys on my head
my mommy said i like the color red
what a book i just read

wow this poem is long
my monkey is getting strong
killer monkeys on my head
flesh eating rabbits in my bed

the TV blares with lots of noise
wow i need to get some new toys
i think he has just about killed me
killer monkeys on my head

With Love from Nigeria

I don't know how many of you have received an email purporting to be from a person with a lot of money in Africa. Be warned this scam has been going on for a long time since the early 80's. Its also called the 419 scam where the number refers to the penal code of Nigeria, the source of the scam. It is estimated that this scam is the third - fifth largest industry in Nigeria. Its ironic that the scam is still successful even after being around for more than 20 years. That maybe because the success of this scam is dependent on the basest of human emotions GREED. Everybody wants to find a way to make a quick buck (Including me).

I hadn't seen these scam emails in a long time but for the last couple of weeks I have been getting quite a few of them. Some saying that they are royalty and some claiming to be ex-dictator's sons. Though you get them from all over Africa but the source is still Nigeria, whose government most people feel is in cahoots with the scamsters.

The modus operandi is pretty simple, they want you to help them get money out of the country for which you will be paid a fee running into millions. In return you have to go to the African country and invest some money running in the thousands of dollars. But once you are hooked, they won't leave you till they have got the last penny out of you.

Some resources about this scam are

The 419 coalition
The US Secret Service
Quatloos
A comprehensive site

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not any man’s greed."
- Gandhi

Driving in India (or the lack of it)

I am going to be a bum and reproduce a funny email that I received from my friend today ...

This hilarious article was written by an man from Bane,Netherlands who spent two years in Hyderabad ( A city in India) ..

Driving in India For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company.

The hints are as follows:
Do we drive on the left or right of the road?

The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality.Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the intended direction.Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation, the other drivers are not in any better position.


Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.


Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment,frustration, romance and are lust (two brisk blasts),or, just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.

Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwaters to recede when overground traffic meets underground drainage. Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.


Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations,children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion enroute to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.


Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steert clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms,it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound hypercritical, I must add a positive point also.

Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.


Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience (for those with the mental makeup of Chenghis Khan). In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes. Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate.You may prove your point posthumously. Of course, all this occurs at night,on the trunk roads.


During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers will never show any Signal. (And you must watch for the absent signals; they are the greater threat). Only, you will often observe that the cleaner who sits next to the driver, will project his hand and wave hysterically. This is definitely not to be construed as a signal for a left turn. The waving is just an statement of physical relief on a hot day.

If, after all this, you still want to drive in India, have your lessons between 8 pm and 11 am-when the police have gone home and The citizen is then free to enjoy the 'FREEDOM OF SPEED' enshrined in our constitution.

Having said all this, isn't it true that the accident rate and related deaths are less in India compared to US or other countries!!??

till laters ...

"Don’t be so humble - you are not that great."

Contingency exercise

For the non techno savvy readers of my blog

"con·tin·gen·cy"
1. An event that may occur but that is not likely or intended; a possibility.
2. A possibility that must be prepared for; a future emergency.

For the geeks who are all too familiar with this, I feel your pain. What they do at these exercise is to see if we are ready for any emergency, and believe it or not we weren't. Something that was supposed to take only 4 hours took the whole of this weekend. So that's my excuse for not writing a blog. But this exercise was fun though, Murphy's was proved again and again ("If something can go wrong it will"). It was also fun to see 7 VPs and 3 senior VPs on the same conference call. A server went down and the outage was more than 7 hours which is long by any standard. One thing I must say though they provide some good food when they want you to work the nights.

Well I am off to get some sleep now ...

"The ultimate inspiration is the deadline."

Other side of town

Some call it the seedier parts or red light districts, call it what you may its the "oldest profession" on earth. I have often wondered what makes people in this day and age to get into that profession, and then it hits me, its all about surviving. All my life I have heard people talk about the ladies in "the profession" as though they were the devil incarnate himself. Coming from a conservative society which even frowns upon girls wearing skirts it was easy for me to get the same prejudice. I was ideologically joined with the hypocrites to look down upon women in the flesh trade thinking I was better than them. Being a Christian didn't matter, the Christians (me included) could talk about the Love of Jesus but not practice it. We talked about forgiveness and how we all have sinned but we were all too happy pointing fingers and still do.

What brought me to my senses were news reports like this. And its not a problem just in some third world country but shockingly even in the USA and Israel. You might ask what demented mind could think of such things ... the answer is you and me. It is said that for evil to succeeded good men have to do nothing. By our indifference and prejudice we help in the exploitation of these women.

What can we do about it? Knowledge is power, most of the women exploited have no formal education. Hence we must make education a priority. In developed countries which already have the education needs taken care of we need a change in the attitude of society. We need to treat them as equals.

Some more news on this ...
India
USA - Mexico
Eastern Europe
Southeast Asia

The news that made me think about this is the closure of dance clubs in Maharastra a state in India. I am not patron of such places, but I do not think that the governed has any right to ban it specially using the excuse of "to protect our culture" and "to safe guard the morality of the youth". The story of some of these women would melt anyone's heart. And these are not even in prostitution which is illegal in most parts of India.

You are free to say what you think on it ...

"Judge not that you be not judged, for with what judgment you judge, you will also be judged"
- Matt 7:1

Man in the mirror

I see a guy with the third world war being fought on his face(The docs call it acne vulgaris). The self deprecating joke apart, its been driving me crazy that I have been cribbing a lot on my posts. I have been just highlighting all the things that are wrong in this world, just problems, without offering any solutions or saying what I as an individual am going to do about it. People who have known me in the past would vouch for me being a pretty optimistic person. So I have decided to change the format of these postings. Not only am I going to crib about all that is wrong with this world, I am going to suggest what could be done to change it and what I as an individual am going to do about it. I know what you guys are saying now, not another Oprah or Dr. Phil or countless other people on TV who want to change the world (on TV). Don't worry I'll spare you the talking and concentrate on the walking.

One of my friends has already comment in my college's yahoo group that my postings are generally all about myself with some gems(sic) among them. I would just like to reiterate that Ulysses is the be all and end all of my posting ... (joking of course)

On side note, man in the mirror is also a song by MJ who also happens to be one of my nemesis. He is the reason that all secular English music is virtually banned in my house to this day!! Even Bony M was acceptable, but MJ was the devil himself!!

I know I am long overdue with the report on how the effort to establish a orphanage for the tsunami victims is going on. Right now we have just started out with a after school program for around 35 - 40 kids from a slum in Chennai. Once I am able to generate more income, we would be on our way to start with the orphanage. We also are looking at all the legal issues involved.

The fishes have survived so far. 12 of them are still alive after a months time. Now I have to think of what I am going to do if they are start getting real big!

Hey people I would like to hear views about what you are doing to make a difference in your life/in somebody's life/for the whole world. I know you all are pretty humble but this could help other people do more!! I can see that quite a few people read this blog but few if any write any comments. I would really appreciate it if I could see your views on here too, its pretty lonely at the top :D. So here is your one big chance to talk about yourself and if you are shy just post it anonymous!

till laters ...

Avoiding the phrase “I don’t have time...”, will soon help you to realize that you do have the time needed for just about anything you choose to accomplish in life.

Trust me on April fools day ...

This year on April fools day, I had the sudden divine inspiration to claim that I was getting engaged. I selected the name after the wife of Ulysses in Greek mythology (Penelope), added a little bit of Hispanic spice into it and voila I had my fiancee Penelope from Argentina working in Information Security. The only glitch was that my friends knew me too well or atleast they think they do ;) ... I did have a lot of my friends fooled. One person was convinced after I mailed her a picture in my yahoo album.

If it weren't for a couple of meddling people who could never believe that I would get a girl, I would probably be receiving some cards and gifts by now ... The plan was perfect, I even had a date (May 25th). But I did overlook the fact that I come from a society that pre-dominantly has arranged marriages.

From my friends refusal to believe me, I don't know if I should take it as a insult that they think I won't get a girl, or be happy that my friends know me so well :) ...

Something to ponder.

The Pope is dead ... long live the Pope

The talented Mr. Modi ...

I had mentioned in a previous post that I would be posting a discussion that I had with my under graduate classmates about the denial of visa to Mr. Modi who is the Chief Minister of the State of Gujarat in India. I personally and almost all the people involved in this discussion have no love lost for Mr. Modi who you could say is a scaled down version of Hitler. The topic of the discussion was on the ethical issues involved in dening visa to a foreign official by the US government.

Hey mates,
Just for time pass... What do u think about the decision made by U.S in denying visa to Narendra modi. For those who don't know him he is the chief minister of gujarat.

I personally think it is a decision made against indians... i can site many reasons for this. But please i am doing this to keep mails floating... if it is not worthy of a discussion then lets talk something else...

Badri
Time is 1315 hrs GMT

---

Hi badri,
I support ur argument, just for the sake of supporting an Indian Leader (in distress!)! But, personally, i dont care what happens to this person, who was (allegedly) involved in the death (MURDER!) of so many innocent ppl for just (dirty) political reasons!!

Regards,
Anitha

---

Hey Guys,
Somebody has to play the devil's advocate, so I'll do it ;) and oppose your views :). Firstly, I don't know how u can call it a insult to our nation, when most of the opposition to his visit came from Indian's in the US? You mean to say that the Indian's wanted India to be insulted. Technically I think the government was right in lodging a protest, personally I would say hang that guy. He is something that the "Indian" supreme court has called the modern day Nero. I know BJP is trying to project it as a National Swaabhiman, but did day organise anything like that when Gujrat burned?? Or is this double standard. Is Narendar Modi more important that the 2000 or more people who died in the train fire and the subsequent riots?? Maybe you can claim that the US is not the one to judge it. But then if the Indians inside can't do anything, then the Indians outside will try to do something ...

Badri good idea da(Tamil slang for man/dude) ...

NoViCe
Time stamp : 9:06 AM CST

---

Hey mates,
The reason given by U.S for visa denial is the findings of NHRSC(National Human rights Commision) . It is a one under govt of india. I 100% agree to the fact that he(modi) is a very ugly and a bad man of bad ideas and other stuff. But when sinn fein leader and musharaff are welcomed in U.S and the reason cited for the visa denial for a person elected by people(100 or 1000 or 100000) shows to methe way in which Uncle Sam see us. I don't say that denial to modi is a disgrace to all indians, but I wanted to point out the dual standard maintained by U.S. (no offense). But, whoever is big and talks loud people or world tends to listen to him. right so when uncle says that a visa to an indian is rejected because of the "extremism" done by a person why don't they do it for other people. This is just question arising in my head. I truely feel that they could have handled this issue differently.

Badri
Time is 1830 Hrs (GMT)

---

Hey all,
I do agree with you Badri on the point that it is double standards. What it all comes down to is economics. But thats all I can agree with you about. This is a big fiasco. Do you think that the US would have reacted in the sameway if we had rejected visa to one of the US Governor's? No they would not have a pubic meeting to cry like a wimp and just bad mouth US in some distant rural area. But they would have taken some bold steps to retaliate. In India this has been turned in a fisaco, with people starting all this swabhimaan rallies et all. Do u think the US gives a damn about that? they could care less.

There is another angle to it. I don't know if you have read but the sinn fein leader has got quite a snub this time around becasue some of his own country people have been lobbying for changes. Same way as the coalition against genocide did it against modi. The website is at http://www.coalitionagainstgenocide.org/. You could just say that the sangh parivar's lobbyists were not as as persuasive as the anti-sangh group of Indians. So its basically another group of Indians who are claiming victory. what do u think about that ???

Ulysses

---

Hey uly,
Being a devils advocate u seems aruging well. but the fact is if a country is not granting a visa for a top level people(political) in a country the reson should be good. The country cann't jude a person from another country. doesnt matter if modi is good or bad, but india IPC had judged the case, so if they try to prosecute him on any basis its not far on indian law.
I agree with you and i know US govt wont give a damn about this, but still there are so many eurpoean and arab nations condemed the act of invasion(iraq war). But still no one did this for bush ...

This arguement will continue for ever, but the fact is no country should judge a person other than his own country.. Granting a visa should strictly follow the immigration law. If modi has a criminal case against him or any other criminal records on can be used as evidence to cancel his visa application.

According to my knowldege there is no case filed against modi in US as well, so seems not far, US is trying to prove a point that, americans are superior than other human races.... which i strongly disagree.

Rubesh

---

it s a right judgement

it s not an insult to India. it s great judgement whether he s big politician or small man like us see u guys, oneday our primeminister may also be denied VISA days have come for BJP PM, they politicize it ofcourse it s a lesson to other country and other politicians/business man/anyone in india

i welcome US judgement
Guru

---

and ruby good point mate.. uly it is not that modi is good or bad it is wrong for uncle sam to say that he is bad and ugly (and citing from NHRSC as reason) and so he is denied visa into u.s. as if u.s is a very peace loving country and they haven't done anything bad in this world. i get irritated when they try to act as the salt of the earth but the fact is they are not. I know we will have a lot of disscussion, it is not about modi or BJP or sang parivar or other religius or 'extremists' group. it is the way in which the govt of u.s thinks about an indian. they want to prove their superiority which i honestly dislike. and what i read in the nhrsc findings were, modi didn't do all he can do to stop the riots. and that is wrong. and it never said he had hand in the killings. i agree that being the c.m he should have done more. but again it is an internal matter within india and indians.

Here in northern ireland there was a killing of a person and IRA men were involved in that so when normnally on 'St.Patricks day' president will invite Sinn fein leader but he didn't do it this time because of political honesty(idu oru porvai). and one more thing IRA has funding from people of united staes and that is why govt of u.s doesn't see killing of people in united kingdom as genocide. rather a religious upliftment. and what about musharaff.. is he not responsible for the wiping out of the whole kashmiri pandits in jammu and kashmir. but there are no governing body to see this because it comes under freedom of kashmir. and is he not a terrorist(he got hold of the government in a coup. ofcourse, which is wrong if it happened in india)

Badri
0915 hrs GMT

---

Modi, the C.M of Gujarat was elected democratically to lead the state ....unlike Musharraf, he didn’t orchestrate a coup nor did he win with very less percentage of difference like Bush(vs Al Gore)...Pity with an IDIOT at the helm of affairs US is suffering!!!

MKarthik

---

Hey guys,
I do agree with you that double standards have been used here. What it all boils down to is politics and who needs who more. They allow the saudis who are at the forefront of religious persecution to come in becasue they need their oil. They need musharraf a dictator and the head of a religious state to come in becasue of afghanistan. They allow Sinn Finn to come in because the Irish have a strong lobby in the US and they don't casuse genocide. While Modi needs the US to invest in his state!

Ruby the Americans did use the immigration laws to deny the visa, it was not a ad hoc decision. I agree that they haven't followed the same yardstick for everybody. If as you say they were judgin him, then there would have been a suit filed in a court in America. One more thing you have to remember is the Modi was democratically elected in India and not America. I believe that every country has the soverign right to decide who is welcome and who is not. If any Indian immigration law prevented George Bush form getting a visa then it can be used. Also you cannot claim that the american's think that they are superior, because it was the Indian lobby in the US that pushed the state department to not grant the visa. So it only goes to show the growing strength of the Indians here. The global Indian finally does care what happens back home!

Badri you seem to have mistake terrorism for genocide, what happened in Gujrat in 2002 was a mini genocide, the IRA didn't come even close to it. Becasue the IRA was never in power. And about musharraf, nothing like what happened in Gujrat happened in pakistan. Kashmir is part of India and its the terrorist who should be canned for it. Musharraf is responsible for it though, but its a technicality and has been overlooked.

Ulysses

---

The part I liked about this discussion was that the participants were from all parts of the globe. I am here in the US, Badri is in UK, Rubesh in Australia while Kartik, Guru and Anitha are in different parts of India.

Would love to hear if anybody else has any other opinion to add ...