Conundrum of God

Certain chapters of Holy Scriptures are strewed with prophesies. Most of the prophesies draw a bad picture about the future. Through these prophesies the religion instills fear in its followers and thereby makes them obey its doctrines. My objective here is not to criticize the "stick and carrot" approach of religions, but to analyze those prophesies. Time and again lots of prophets have appeared in this little blue planet. Their “abstract” fortune-telling are similar to those that one will find in the holy books. Have you ever thought why these prophesies go abstract? If God is speaking through them – both scriptures and prophets - then why give something that is abstract? Why can't the prophesies be more specific? E.g. instead of saying "underworld daemons will destroy one forth of the human race" (which is tsunami), why can't they say "The sea will swallow most of the land on so-and-so date". Some might argue that phenomenons like tsunami were puzzles to the prophets themselves and hence they had to use such similes to convey the message to masses, who were not as educated as modern men.

Another version can be that, God is not really sure of the future. So He gives something abstract to the prophets, which they deliver. The beauty of such abstract prophesies filled with similes, is that one can fit any contemporary disaster to it. But why should God do that? Is He (or She) not confident about His predictions. Perhaps yes... He is not *that* confident and He is trying to get a bail through the abstract. But why on earth (and heaven) should God - the omnipotent - be unconfident about His own predictions? The answer partly lies in the book - God's debris. In that book Scott Adams raises a question. How can an omnipotent challenge himself? Perhaps the omnipotent gave a part of his powers to human beings. His current mission is to get all that power back by attracting the souls to Him and not away from Him. When He is dealing with an energy or form that has part of his powers, He is not quite sure how “that form” will react to his moves. His moves consist of religion that would lead the people to Him (through a “stick and carrot” approach): "if you do this then.... else...” Humans, that possesses a part of His power can choose that "else" and then another "else" and then another "if". How can one accurately predict when the numbers of such combinations are overwhelming? That can be the conundrum that puzzles God. And that can be the reason why He conveys abstract prophesies.

Award winning Short Story...

There was a contest in a software company to write a fictional story for 500 words max which would start with the line " On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Bangalore station "

This is what a guy wrote for the contest....... and surprisingly, it was adjudged the best short story : ))

On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Bangalore station. At once I was held back to see someone in that position during midnight with no one around. With curiosity taking the front seat, I went near the body and tried to investigate it. There was blood all over the body which was lying face down. It seemed that a ruthless blow by the last train could have caused the end of this body which seemed to be that of a guy of around my age. Amidst the gory blood flow, I could see a folded white envelope which was fluttering in the midnight wind. Carefully I took the blood stained envelope and was surprised to see the phrase "appraisal letter" on it. With curiosity rising every moment, I wasted no time in opening the envelope to see if I can find some details about the dead guy. The tag around the body's neck and the jazzy appraisal cover gave me the hint that he might be a software engineer. I opened the envelope to find a shining paper on which the appraisal details where typed in flying colors. Thunders broke into my ears and lightening struck my heart when I saw the appraisal amount of the dead guy!!!!! My God, it was not even, as much as the cost of the letter on which the appraisal details were printed.... My heart poured out for the guy and huge calls were heard inside my mind saying "no wonder, this guy died such a miserable death"... As a fellow worker in the same industry, I thought I should mourn for him for the sake of respect and stood there with a heavy heart thinking of the shock that he would have experienced when his manager had placed the appraisal letter in his hand. I am sure his heart would have stopped and eyes would have gone blank for few seconds looking at the near to nothing increment in his salary.

While I mourned for him, for a second my hands froze to see the employee's name in the appraisal letter... hey, what a strange co-incidence, this guy's name is same as mine, including the initials. This was interesting. With some mental strength, I turned the body upside down and found myself fainted for a second. The guy not only had my name, but also looked exactly like me. Same looks, same built, same name.... it was me who was dead there!!!!!!!! While I was lost in that shock, I felt someone patting on my shoulders. My heart stopped completely, I could not breathe and sprung in fear to see who was behind......... splash!!! Went the glass of water on my laptop screen as I came out of my wild dream to see my manager standing behind my chair patting on my shoulder saying, "wake up man? Come to meeting room number two. I have your appraisal letter ready".

Courtesy: Forwarded Mail

Timex Expedition "Alarm Puzzle" Decoded

A meeting is on. Suddenly from some corner the alarm of a watch goes on. Beep... Beep... Beep... - the distinct pitch of a Timex Expedition. After the meeting I meet the owner of that Timex Expedition. I check with him why he set an alarm at an odd time. To my expectation he replies that he didn't set it. That sometime back it was accidentally set and he doesn’t know how to turn off the alarm. I was glad to meet another person facing the same problem that had haunted me for a while. Welcome to the Timex-Expedition-Watch-Problem Group!

The instruction set (key combinations) for Timex Expedition is quite complicated that it is quite hard to remember the combinations. I couldn't find any online manual that gives those instructions. So here goes one blog dedicated to the owners of Timex Expedition watch. It will help you turn off your alarm and chime. I have numbered the keys of the watch. Please see the image.


To turn off the alarm:

1. Toggle the button 2, till the word ALARM blinks on the display.
2. Then press toggle buttons 3 and 4 simultaneously. The tiny alarm symbol (not word) on your display should go off.
3. Press button 2 again.

Congratz! The alarm of your Timex Expedition is turned off.

To turn off the chime, replace step 2 with "Toggle the button 4 till the chime symbol goes off."

Why do people bike?

"You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car widow everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You are completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.

That was an excerpt from Robert M Pirsig's Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM)

Pirsig continues... explaining how one is "completely in contact with it all".

"I can see by my watch, without taking my hand from the left grip of the cycle, that it is eight-thirty in the morning. The wind, even at sixty miles an hour, is warm and humid. In the wind are pungent odors from the marshes by the road.

Before trying to explore why people bike, let me share one more excerpts form ZAMM.

"We want to make good time, but for us now this is measured with emphasis on 'good' rather than 'time' and when you make that shift in emphasis the whole approach changes. Twisting hilly roads are long in terms of seconds but are much more enjoyable on a cycle where you bank into turns and don't get swung from side to side in any compartment.

So.... Why do people bike? Why do I bike? I love biking for those reasons mentioned above and many more. I see that as "trekking taken to the next level". For me, there can't be a combination better than Biking, Trekking and Photography. To elaborate: You bike to a location, clicking all the way; then you trek, clicking all the way; and then you return biking and clicking. Nothing can beat it. Enjoying this combination would mean you have struck a perfect balance of left and right brain; mind and body. At one point you will be cruising trying to reach your destination on time; your mind always active, making calculations about the time left, distance yet to cover, milestones you need to reach in the next couple of hours etc; your eyes actively searching for short cuts. On the way, to give some relief to your back ache, you would be doing some small stretches on your bike, like leaning forward with your chest almost touching the fuel tank. The next moment you would see yourself stopping on the road-side copying the nature into your camera, ensuring that you get the right frame. After a while you would find yourself navigating the potholes and overtaking those cars that had zipped by you sometime back. Stopping on the roadside and talking to the locals with a smile on your face is another thing that you would do. You will be banking left and right when riding through twisted and winding roads. And yes, you would be definitely enjoying the nature around.

I love biking.

1. Biking gives me a sense of freedom
2. It lets me stop with ease at any place I like thus providing me that wonderful opportunity to tame that lovely light in my black box a.k.a camera
3. I like to challenge myself physically and mentally. Biking gives me that opportunity.
4. Biking requires some basic knowledge of bike mechanics.
5. I enjoy the planning part of a trip... and to see at the end of the trip, the difference between the "planned" and "actuals"
6. Biking gives me the opportunity to meet different people of different places. It helps me meet other bikers - owners of excellent minds... and bikes :)
7. Biking helps in building confidence
8. I get a chance to explore the 'unknown'
9. It gives me that precious time to think about stuffs that I wouldn’t have if I had closed myself in a city. I can let my mind wander through the forest of philosophy
10. I find it much easy to travel in a bike through rough terrains than traveling in a car.
11. I can navigate easily through heavy traffic.
12. It is easy to park a bike
13. It is economical
14. As mentioned in one of the Discovery Channel Programs "For a man, it is nice to have a powerful thing thumping between his legs"
15. With that stern face and goggles, isn't biking fun?
    

So much said about my reasons of love, let us see why others love biking?

I stumbled upon this website - a wonderful website that tries to explore the Psychology of Motorcycle Riding. It says: "When you are riding a motorcycle, you are away from everything, and in a sense in the unfamiliar. You are unable to talk on a cell phone, listen to the radio, or even talk to a passenger (if you choose to have one). By removing all these things which have familiarity in life, a rider can be free and experience something new each and every time he/she gets on that bike." The author also explores the Psychology of motorcycle-gangs: "Because there is a shared interest between riders, they tend to treat each other with comradory. This is why there are “motorcycle gangs"”

Here's another website that I googled out. It talks about the pleasure of solo rides.

I hope folks-who-dont-bike and have wondered why-people-bike now know the reason.

Worm in Cafeteria Food!

Today I got a mail from a colleague. Subject: "Worm in Cafeteria Food!" It had a few attachments - the pictures of the worm crawling out from his curry, served by Riviera Food Court. Calvin would have loved to pick it and drop it in Susie's plate :-). Riviera Food Court, Located in Embassy Golf Links, Bangalore, is not our company's "official" cafeteria. But virtually it is! This venture started by a food vendor has monopolized the Embassy Golf Links business park. There is absolutely no competition in 1 sq km around the business park. Result: Pathetic food quality. Folks who eat here do so because they have no other option. Having food outside the park will cost them TIME, which they don't have when work pressure touches its peak.

Coming back to the mail, something I found interesting about it was the attachments - the pictures. Why? Because those pictures were captured in a mobile camera (Mobile Phone with Camera). Makes me think how powerful mobile cameras can get. If the Indian Judiciary can accept footages taken on mobile cameras as proof to charge the guilty, we can have millions of amateur journalists guarding our society from such menace. Five years back, could anyone imagine how powerful telecom could get?

Mentation aside, after getting the mail, I tried to reach the Food Inspector of Bangalore. I gave a google search - "Food Inspector Bangalore phone number" - to get the phone number. It fetched me nothing. So I called up JustDial - a yellow page service (Ph +91-80-23333333) and got the number of Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd, Kasturba Road, Bangalore. (Ph +91-80-22214431). When I called up, the personnel told me that the area I was referring to, i.e. Domlur, comes under the jurisdiction of another office of Food and Civil Supplies Corporation. He gave me the number of that office - +91-80-25360750. I dialed that number to get "Ee dooravani durasthiyillathe. Dayavittu swapa samayandadra dial maadi", which translates to - "This telephone is Out of Order. Please try after some time".

Guess I should try after a few days and learn the process of filing a complaint. Might get handy.

PS: I finally managed to get the Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd Contact Details. Click here to get the details.

Riviera Food Court Manager "inspects" the worm

Calvin Again...

No other person can find a better use of Canteen Food

If you were Calvin's father would you do the same thing? What will be its effect on your kid's psychology? Won't he think that his 'hero' - you - doesn't care about him and gien an opportunity, is willing to desert him? Won't that leave a scar in his mind that will perhaps never heal? Think...

If I had a kid who is as naughty as Calvin, I would have done the same. Full marks to Calvin's father for handling that scene in the most apt way.

Isn't this true? Honesty and Selfishness are oxymorons!

Age doesn't matter

Whenever I think that I'm getting too old to do a few stuffs in my life, I go and watch this video clip. That keeps me away from being senile. Barbara you inspire!!

System Engineer OR SystemS Engineer

Which is correct - System Engineer OR SystemS Engineer. I have seen many going for the former. But the latter is correct as per INCOSE.

Talking about INCOSE and SE, I got this nice chart from INCOSE. It lists the skills and qualities needed by Systems Engineers...

Skills and Qualities Needed by Systems Engineers

• Good math skills
• Strong time management skills
• Aptitude for systems thinking
• Good common sense
• A strong desire for organization and efficiency
• Excellent communication/salesmanship
• Creative problem solving
• Quantitative skills
• Technical competency
• Continuous drive for improvement
• Resourcefulness
• Listening skills
• Negotiation skills
• Diplomacy
• Patience
• Ability to adapt to many environments, wear many hats and interact with a diverse group of individuals
• Inquisitive mind
• Continuous desire to learn
• Leadership skills
• Ethics

Shakespeare and Internet

For years there has been a theory that millions of monkeys typing at random on millions of typewriters would reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. The Internet has proven this theory to be untrue. - Anonymous

"NOT MY JOB" Award

Satan will be overjoyed to see this wonderful piece of work. It epitomizes Laziness - One of the seven deadly sins. People who stoop to such level hardly know the impact their act (or no-act) makes on others. (Or Do they know?) Bureaucrats fall in this category. This article (click here) shows how nasty bureaucracy in India can become. God save the common man. The same is seen in big companies. I have seen this deadly bureaucracy and laziness in my company. I used to get frustrated... but no longer. I guess I got used to it. These days I try to train new joinees on how to adapt themselves to the reality - that others laziness will impact them; that it cannot be cured; that... "What cannot be cured should be endured". I hope in that process I'm not turning into a lazy blot.

Mobile phone info...

Came across this info...

If you lose your mobile/cell in India, send an e-mail to cop@vsnl.net with the following info. Seems that they will take care of the rest.

Your name:
Address:
Phone model:
Make:
Last used No.:
E-mail for communication:
Missed date:
IMEI No.:

To get the IMEI number of your mobile, dial *#06#. This part worked for me. Dial it and keep the details in a safe place

Source: Hindu 13-May-2006

Dilbert's tip to become a successful manager

Bet you have seen such 'successful' managers...

Calvin and his philosophy on life

Surroundings matters

Did you ever walk into a public washroom that smelt so bad you wanted to choke? But you were so desperate to go to the bathroom you had to carry on.

Did you notice something? By the time you left five minutes later, it didn't smell quite so bad! And what if you had accidentally locked yourself in there for an hour? You might be saying, "What smell?"

There's a principle operating here. We get used to our environment!

Live with miserable people, and you become miserable - and you think it's normal! Work with critical people, and you become critical - and you think it's normal.

If your friends tell lies, it worries you - in the beginning. Eventually you get used to people telling lies. Hang out with them long enough and you'll tell some yourself.

Mix with happy and motivated people, and you become happy and motivated - and you think that is normal.

If your family is negative and miserable, than you need to find some bright, happy friends. Somewhere in your life, you need positive company or the pessimists will drag you down - and you won't even know it is happening.

We are all affected (and infected!) by the people and attitudes around us. Sometimes we need to take action - or change the company we keep - while we still notice: "Something smells around here!"

Credit: A fwded mail

Lesson on Management

Once PVNR (PV Narasimha Rao), L.K.Advani and Laloo Prasad Yadav were traveling in an auto rickshaw. They met with an accident and all three of them died. Yama Raja was waiting for this moment at the doorstep of death.

He asks PVNR and Advani to go to HEAVEN. But, for Laloo, Yama had already decided that he should be sent to HELL..

Laloo is not at all happy with this decision. He asks Yama as to why this discrimination is being made. All the three of them had served the public.

Similarly, all took bribes, all misused public positions, etc. Then why the differential treatment? He felt that there should be a formal test or an objective evaluation before a decision is made; and should not be just asked on opinion or pre conceived notions.

Yama agrees to this and asks all the three of them to appear for an English test.

PVNR is asked to spell "INDIA" and he does it correctly. Advani is asked to spell "ENGLAND" and he too passes. It is Laloo's turn and he is asked to spell "CZECHOSLOVAKIA". Laloo protests that he doesn't know English. He says this is not fair and that he was given a tough question and thus forced to fail with false intent.

Yama then agrees to conduct a written test in Hindi (to give another chance assuming that Laloo should at least feel that Hindi would provide an equal platform for all three).

PVNR is asked to write "KUTTA BOLA BHOW BHOW". He writes it easily and Passes. Advani is asked to write "BILLY BOLI MYAUN MYAUN". He too passes. Laloo is asked to write "BANDAR BOLA GURRRRRR....." Tough one. He fails again.

Laloo is extremely unhappy. Having been a student of history (which the other two weren't), he now requested for all the 3 to be subjected to a test in history Yama says OK but this would be the last chance and that he would not take any more tests.

PVNR is asked: "When did India get Independence?". He replied "1947" and passed. Advani is asked "How many people died during the independence
struggle?". He gets nervous. Yama asked him to choose from 3 options: 100,000 or 200,000 or 300,000.Advani catches it and says 200,000 and passes.

It's Laloo's turn now. Yama asks him to give the Name and Address of each of the 200,000 who died in the struggle. Laloo accepts defeat and agrees to go to HELL.

Moral of the story : IF YOUR MANAGEMENT HAS DECIDED TO SCREW YOU, THERE IS NO ESCAPE !!!

Credit: A Fwded mail

Employee Onboarding

The three letter company in which I work has a similar onboarding process. My dept. is notrorious for it.

Why do people trek?

Why do people trek?

When I reflect on that question, two faces come to my mind. One is that of a guy who was my room-mate. And the other is that of a girl who used to work with me. Both of them are owners of a mind that is extremely practical that sometimes, while talking to them, you would wonder if they are cynics.

The guy abhorred the thought of trek or anything that involved sweating out. He would buy such an idea only if it resulted in some tangible benefits, like attracting femme fatales ;-). The girl thought that all those who were into 'stunts' like trekking, did that because they wanted to attract the opposite sex! That there were better things one could do e.g. getting new stuffs for your home, washing, cleaning etc.

Both of them had asked me this question: "Why do you trek?" Sometimes I feel that that question is as good (or worse) as "Why do you watch movie?" OR "Why do you follow football?"

I trek due to many reasons

1. I love photography and trekking provides me ample opportunities to click nice snaps
2. I like to challenge myself physically and mentally. Have you tried clicking towards the end of an arduous and strenuous trek? You will find it difficult to apply your mind. Your mind will be tired; so will be your body. While trying to hold your camera still, you will find your hands shaking. You will cease to observe good frames that you would have otherwise noticed. On the top of it, if you are trekking in a team, others would want you to speed up and reduce the number of clicks, so that all can reach the destination asap. That demands striking the right balance.
3. I enjoy the planning part of a trek.
4. Trekking gives me an opportunity to meet excellent minds. Their good qualities inspire me.
5. Trekking helps in building confidence
6. Often I find myself exposing the daring side of me. Taking risks... I like that part.
7. I get a chance to be with nature, far away from the 'known' city, exploring the 'unknown'
8. Trekking gives me a sense of freedom
9. It gives me that precious time to think about stuffs that I wouldn’t have if I had closed myself in a city.

I recollect reading somewhere that trekking builds character. I agree with it. Trekking is a process that has many stages. Each stage has something to offer. It is not just about reaching the destination. Preparing for the walk; walking the path, which leads to the destination; making the best use of your meager resources; all are equally enjoyable. I agree with Pirsig (on Mountain treks) when he says “Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion. Then, when you are no longer thinking ahead, each footstep isn’t just a means to an end but a unique event in itself. This leaf has jagged edges. This rock looks loose. From this place the snow is less visible, even though closer. These are things you should notice anyway. To live only for some future goal is shallow. It’s the sides of the mountain that sustains life, not the tip. Here’s where things grow. But of course, without the top you can’t have any sides. It’s the top that defines the sides.” That is precisely why I think photography and trekking go hand-in-hand.

I did a google to see what other trekkers think about trekking. Most of them had thoughts that were similar to that of mine. There were a few interesting thoughts that didn't cross my mind. One was that that some people trek to have sex!

This website (click here) says that "Discovery and excitement is arguably the single largest factor why people trek around. This is part of our human instinct and has never been easier to do so than now." Point to be noted.

The most interesting website I came across was this (click here).

Some of the reasons listed by this discussion group are

1. To tackle difficult situations
2. To develop and enhance human relations and other qualities like adjustments, flexibility etc.
3. To make one more tolerant
4. To gather experience that one can never get anywhere else
5. To know how to be self reliant and how to handle difficult situations and of course different and difficult people.
6. To learn how to manage meager resources and how to be ingenious

I think trekking is fun. And I love such fun. That’s the most important reason why I trek.

The hitch of a bike trip and lessons learned

I had planned a bike trip to Masinagudi. The plan was to start at 5:30 AM today. It didn’t work. Reason? A snapped clutch cable at 00:00 hours of 21st Oct 2006. Good that it snapped before I started the trip. It helped realize why bullet bikers insist on carrying spare clutch cables. Seasoned Bullet Electra 5ES bikers recommend carrying the spare items mentioned below

1. Clutch Cable
2. Throttle Cable
3. Fuse
4. Chain Connector
5. Tyre Tubes
   

Stuff these items in the tool box or in your Cramster bike bags.

The bike trip got postponed by a day. I wish to hit no rough patches in the two day lonely trip…

Crimson Tide

I watched the movie Crimson Tide. I liked it…

A couple of dialogue exchanges, which I liked, are given below

Ramsey: “War is a continuation of politics by other means” - Von Clausewitz
Hunter: I think what he was trying to say was that… the purpose of war is to serve a political end, but the true nature of war is to serve itself
Ramsey: I'm very impressed. In other words the sailor who is most likely to win the war is the one most willing to part company with the politicians and ignore everything except the destruction of the enemy. Uh... you'd agree with that?
Hunter: Well, I'd agree that… that's what Clausewitz was trying to say.
Ramsey: But you wouldn’t agree with it?
Hunter: No sir, I do not. I just think that in the nuclear world, the true enemy can't be destroyed.
Ramsey: Attention on deck. Von Clausewitz will now tell us exactly who the real enemy is. Von?
Hunter: In my humble opinion, in the nuclear world, the true enemy is war itself.

Note down the last dialogue of Hunter. Reminds me of Plato - "Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War"

There is another dialogue that Captain Ramsey delivers.

Ramsey: We are here to preserve democracy. Not to practice it.

It just shows the importance of discipline and maintaining the chain of order to win a war.

This one on horses and high school girls is quite cool.

Ramsey: Horses are very fascinating animals. Dumb as fence posts but very intuitive. In that way they are not too different from high school girls. They might not have a brain in their head, but they do know all the boys want to fuck them.

Captain Ramsey’s speech to pep up the crew just before they board USS Alabama is awesome. That’s what I call an inspiring speech

Talking about speeches, my fav one is the one delivered by Mr. President in the movie Independence Day

There are other speeches that I love, like those in the movie Main Azaad Hoon. I guess "famous speeches" is altogether a different topic, which I should cover in a separate blog.

Know the real meaning behind a few common words...

Another interesting fwded mail that hit my inbox...

FINE

This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

FIVE MINUTES

If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

NOTHING

This is the calm before the storm. This means "something," and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with 'Nothing' usually end in "Fine"

GO AHEAD

This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.

LOUD SIGH

This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing"

THAT'S OKAY

This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

THANKS

A woman is thanking you. Do not question it or faint. Just say you're welcome.

WHATEVER
A woman's way of saying #$%@ YOU!

Scott stole my words!

Scott, you stole my words. I have worked with such boss!

An Ostrich Act

Tiny little acts can make one lose his reputation and the respect others have for him.

I have (had) high regards to the protagonist of this story.

Before this incident took place, my regard to this guy - one of my bosses - was = 8/10. I had fixed an appointment on Friday with him to discuss certain issues. On the day, few minutes before the meeting was supposed to take place, I pinged him to check his availability. No response. I waited for a while. Our IM tool has this feature of checking whether the other person is typing something or not. I observed that he had typed something and then retracted. I guessed he was really busy. So I decided not to bother him. Hoping to catch him later I closed my IM window.

Regard to this guy is still = 8/10.

After a few days I catch him again on IM. This time he responds and asks me: "Why didn't you ping me last Friday?"
I'm taken aback: "I did!"
"Strange I didn't get your message!"

Regard to this guy = minus-minus

Moral of the story: Don't try to do an Ostrich Act. You will lose others’ respect.

Managed to pull one.

This pic I had clicked, managed to secure a prize in a flickr competition. Feels good :-) And I hope to win more... :-)

My last day in 216-Kleopatra

My diary note:

It was a VERY hectic day. The last day of any consignment - shipping metallic-ore to home in batches - is always hectic. Managing them is tough. Good that today is my final day here in 216-Kleopatra. I was asked to get back home to manage some other work item... and I'm overjoyed. I hate traveling out of my home planet. But can’t help it. Sometimes have to do it. Home planet needs my service. Resource hunting in asteroids like 216-Kleopatra is vital to keep things running back home. Unable to sleep due to the excitement of returning back to earth, I stepped out from my bed.

Everyone was still sleeping so I went to the window and gazed at the Earth slowly gracefully rotating underneath….

What I mentioned above is very much possible! The last paragraph was lifted from Anousheh Ansari's blog. She has written it as if it quite normal! As if it has become part of her life - inseparable! Read that last paragraph once again. Savor it! You might be saying that soon... :-)

Dussarah and Gandhi Jayanthi

"Hi, Monday is a Holiday!"
"Yep I know..."
"It is Dussarah, right?"

And my eyes popped out at that question. My expression spoke for me. Failing to understand why I gave that face, my friend continued...

"What happened? It is Dussarah. That is why we have a holiday this Monday!"

Ok... He is not joking. He really doesn't know the significance of the day.

"It is Oct 2nd!!"

It was his turn to give that puzzled expression.

I said: "It is Gandhi Jayanthi!!"
"Oh... ok. Dussarah falls on the same day. In my place, that is more important"

I don't think "Dussarah" earned him his freedom to talk like that. Gandhi did. But who cares about Gandhi. He has become old fashioned and has vanished to oblivion. For most people he is the guy whom you can see on the Indian Rupee Notes.