What the hell do I want to do in life anyway?

Dang it! I'm so damn irritated with myself....therefore venting my frustration. If you're also in a pissy mood, suggest you try some other blog for some light-hearted banter!

I was thinking the other evening when driving back from work....pretty rare that I do that....thinking I mean! It was one of those Venki moments....I know your next question - what's a venki moment? well, that's the subject matter for another blog! :-) let me see if I can find you a link....hang on!

Aaha...found it! I coundn't have explained it better...http://venkythinky.blogspot.com/2006/08/my-god.html

Coming back to what I was thinking...what percent of the human population really knows what is it that they want to do in life? sounds simple isn't it? I suspect it is a very very small number! If I could hazard a guess (no science, just gut feel), I would say roughly 5 to 8 % of the population. Then came the next question - what percent of the human population actually has the power and authority to control / direct / govern whatever is happening on this earth? I mean the true power players...Again, gut feel tells me that number is between 1 and 2 % of the population....meaning - in my opinion, 98 % of human beings are just followers....just bodies taking orders and carrying out work....

I realize that there are several levels of questions that can come about as a result of the statements above....for e.g. levels of authority based on levels in any organization etc, and how that plays into the numbers....that's more like the hierarchy, the pecking order etc,...but based on who the key power players are in any type of organization, be it a multi-national company or a tribe, the numbers (atleast in my head!) seem reasonable.

Continuing my thoughts....am I one among the 98 % or the 2 % on this planet? am I one of the 5 % who know where they're going or the 95 % who just lead their lives the way nature takes them? just drifting along aimlessly with no real direction? Where is it that I want to be? Do I want to choose even?

Am I a lucky SOB that was in the right time at the right place? Well, that cannot be entirely true now....I know that much. I have taken some steps / some risks / some opportunities to get where I am. But yet, I do not know what I really really want in life....what thing or things I would just LOVE to get up in the morning and really WANT to do....WANT TO DO! Is that so fucking hard to figure out....

There are constraints....seemingly very many....but reality / nature(?) cannot work well with very many constraints... one should be able to narrow it down to 2 or 3 at the most. So I guess the real question I need to ask myself is - What would I do if I had no constraints? no fear?

To be continued......

Your thoughts por favor? :-) Buenos Noches!

Yeah buddy.....keep talking!! ROFLMAO!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6079782.stm

This research says - Talking on the cellphone for more than 4 hours causes reduced sperm count and motility as well as resulted in poorer quality of sperm!

Little did I know that my little swimmers were in so much trouble....not only am I not gonna talk a lot on my mobile from now on, I am not even gonna wear the bloody cellphone on my beltclip!

Screw that dude...dont want my cellphone in the same zip code even as my you-know-what! :-)

Better get back to work!

Dateline NBC show by Chris Hansen – ‘To catch a Predator’

Just watched a Dateline NBC show by Chris Hansen – ‘To catch a Predator’. The show’s about online predators who solicit sex from minors…and they arrested a total of 179 people over a 2 year sting operation!

I was stunned to see atleast 20% of the people who ACTUALLY came to meet this 13 year old girl were INDIANS!!! I mean it’s bad enough, improper and illegal to chat with minors but to actually take it to the next step from online to real life….that’s plain fucking stupid!

Desi Software Engineers, desi guys here in the US on short time assignments, one even boasting of having a PhD in Computer Engineering….all got arrested and sent to prison.

Other people included soldiers from the US Marines and the Army, a physician, software engineers from the Silicon Valley, Mexicans, school teachers and even a frickin’ Rabbi who came looking for a 13 year old boy. They were from age groups ranging from early 20’s to even 50 + years old, some of whom HAD teenage kids themselves! Many sent in pictures of their “unmentionables” to the sting agent…..and this agency had stored all data related to the explicit content of all the chat transcripts. Almost all people were asked to and DID bring condoms on them when they came to meet the girl….

Our initial stunned silence grew into utter disbelief that this was actually happening….then come to find out this was not the first time this was televised….and a couple of guys even KNEW and HAD SEEN a previous episode of the same show. They all intrinsically KNEW this was wrong…and it was evident on their faces when they were interviewed. They all gave some screwy and clueless excuses but INSIDE their hearts and minds, they knew it was wrong!


In the chats, it was made plain and clear that it was a 13 year old girl and this was repeated a couple of times in most cases…..EVEN then, EVEN though the guys knew that she was a minor, they still went ahead and chatted seriously explicit nonsense and sent pictures anyway…. Now what could have caused this sort of situation? I mean there is the obvious answer of internet addiction, porn addiction and perversion and what not…. There must also be this thrill of grabbing an opportunity. Maybe it’s just plain stupidity or maybe even a disease…

All in all, it left a pretty bad taste in my mouth to see so many Indians getting arrested…by all means they deserved to get the punishment for their crime…as that’s what it really is…..but somewhere inside, incidents like this tugs at one’s heartstrings when it involves one’s own countrymen.

Bottomline - I guess the “thinking” is best left to the head that’s supposed to be doing it…and not the other one…if you know what I mean :-)

Naked!!!!

Now that I have your attention! :-)

It's funny how we remember friends....silvi and I tend to remember friends usually via some funny / funky incidents!

Today we remembered Venki and Soumya a lot!! If you guys choked on your food or had water in your wind-pipe, it was probably us! :-)

Anyways, I was in Sam's club this evening and after buying the usual groceries, was walking past the "refrigerated foods" section. I noticed a juice labeled "Naked" with a tag-line 'Nothing to hide'. The featured flavor was 'Pomegranate Acai' and it was fantastic! Acai is sourced from the Amazonian forests and packs a mean anti-oxidant punch.....or so it seems...because as soon as I drank it, I sure was out of oxygen! ;-)

The last time I brought the "Naked" juice home, there was pandemonium....I tried to instill some level of healthy eating habits in my friends...Venki, Soumya, Vijay and Namrata. The flavor in question then was "Green Machine" and had Spirulina, Chlorella, Green Tea, Blue Green Algae, Barley Grass and several other turbo-charged ingredients sourced from all over the world...

I managed to "sell" that one to Vijay quite easily.....Namrata too got on board without too much hassle.

But these MBA types I tell you, these people are hopeless.....no trust whatsoever...and I thought I was a good friend....tsk...tsk.

Anyway, Venki smelled his glass of err...smelly potent juice....and promptly labeled it "Mehendi juice". Soumya being slightly more health conscious started to drink it, probably even liked it but the quintessential "pativrata" that she is, promptly (as in the same breath) changed and said "Yup, this sure smells like Mehendi".

Then Venki thought I was playing them all JUST LIKE he tried to and almost succeeded with that dried nasty sheets of Anjur or peach or something....Disgusting stuff I tell you! God knows who else he has tried to peddle this dinosaur poop to.....maybe he even took it to Houston as it was declared illegal to store, consume, sell or even discard in the great state of North Carolina! :-)

Here I was, trying to get them onto the health bandwagon and everyone suddenly got the smell of Mehendi...what broke my heart was that even Silvi....who I thought for so long would side me, support me through thick and thin...ditched me in a nano-second!

But I am not one to give up easily......so Pomegranate Acai it is today......and next comes 'Orange Mango Motion' to quell constipation followed by 'Tangerine Scream' to soothe my throat.....while Silvi might just say to hell with all that, drink a 'Strawberry Kiwi Kick' and you know the rest..... :-)

If y'all thought I was goofing off, check nakedjuice.com. This is serious business yo!

Cheers.

P.S. - I am going to "gift" the remaining bottle off Pomegranate Acai to my friendly neighbors....pssst...dont tell them! :-)

LRMB Zindabad!

Finally managed to see Lage Raho Munna Bhai last evening....What a movie! :-)

After the extremely awful taste left by the previous Bollywood movie I saw (Fanaa - crappy ass movie!), this was a refreshing change! These two guys (Munna and Circuit) have surpassed themselves and this sequel breaks the norm of not being as good as the original.

The punch lines come faster than the speed of sound (!) and I'm willing to bet if you've seen it just once, you probably haven't caught them all....De-Silvi and I plan to see it again soon!!

I remember the days when Venki, Silvi and I went to see Rang De Basanti for the second time...this one is so worth it!

Ergo, Lage Raho Munna Bhai indeed! Hope the gang take the time to work on Part 3 and not hurry through with it riding on the success of this one...

I googled LRMB for some additional info and got something unexpected! :-)

LRMB - Laboratoire de résonance magnétique biomoléculaire

How about that!! Have a great weekend my dear vsitors....I guess that's a total of 4 including myself! :-)

Great place + Even Greater Friends = Sheer Magic!!

Pending photoblog....I know, I know...I should have put it out there sooner...better late than never I guess..Anyways, apologies to Takloo & Roopa, Umi & Jay and Dumma & Bindu for the delay!

Kulli and I reached Bangalore from Japan around midnight and left for a trip to Bheemeshwari the VERY NEXT MORNING!! :-)

Thanks to Umi and Taks for largely organizing this...and ofcourse Dumma's rather brief consulting assistance! :-) you damn americans!! :-)

Anyway, as can be seen in the ensuing pics, it was a rinky-dink van....5 wheels (incl. steering wheel!!!) on a tin box and we weren't sure there were any brakes...the driver's chappals probably did the job! it was the noisiest son-of-a-gun van I had ever sat in.....BUT THAT DAY, THE EIGHT OF US WERE PROBABLY THE HAPPIEST WE HAVE EVER BEEN!!! and IT WAS THE VERY FIRST TIME WE HAD GOTTEN TOGETHER EVER!!!



Old habits never die!! let alone die hard!



Lotus flowers in bloom along a roadside "lake" - classic example of beauty in unexpected places!



It's taken us a while to all get into the same damn photo!! BUT WE DID IT!! all of us remembered Rohan a whole bunch that day!! Would have been a different experience to have him with us!! little fella was taking it easy at his grandma's place! :-)



I can safely say this about the guys...if not the gals (dont want to get kicked on my ass!)...fellas, I notice one thing in common in all of us....POT BELLIES!!! dudes, we all need to lose weight!! :-)



This one is after the rather long and tedious climb to the top of the hill and the watch tower....happy faces as everyone realized there was no more climbing!!



Bheemeshwari in the distance.....what a day that was....perfect weather....perfect set of friends.....great conversation....



Umi and DS...goofing off while the debates were raging on!! :-)



It's become clear to me now!!! Umesha, it's the DISTI vs. 1st class separation man!!! BASTARDS DUMMA AND TAKS!!! they still have to prove that they are "different"! :-) just kidding.....



The two chicas with nary a care in the world!!



So the day went....lots of talking....catching up with each others lives...ate some killer DILPASAND....drank some fantastic buttermilk from Nandini.....and talked some more....heated debates about the usual topics around families, compromises, new lives starting out....

Then the rains came and we ran for cover....I guess the rains served their purpose in cooling us all off....and we returned to more jovial topics....

Then it was time to head back....back to the grim realities of Bangalore.....of the guys going back to work the next day....oh well....such is life!

I will treasure that day for a LONG time to come......Kulli and I talk about that day a lot....hope we get to do it again....SOON....and we do it again....FOR A LONG LONG TIME!!

Here's a toast to some of my greatest friends ever.....to all you guys and gals, Long and healthy and Happy lives! Cheers!!

More photos from Spain....Toledo

If you go to Madrid, Spain.....you just owe it to yourself to check out Toledo.....beautiful architecture....lovely cathedrals, castles, city walls....see for yourself...

Entrance to the old walled town...



close up...





The Cathedral...I know I should remember the name....I will dig it out and add it... :-)



the city has outgrown it's fortified walls....this shot taken from the walled edges of the old town that's on a hill top.



More from Alcala and Madrid later...

Photoblog: Warren Muller's exhibition in Philadelphia airport.

De-Silvi and I were sauntering along in Philly airport biding time while waiting for our flight to Madrid...and we came across this really cool exhibition....



This one is from an artist Warren Muller and I guess the collection name is 'bahdeebahdu'. Need to research it some more....but thought it more important to post the pictures first.

Very intriguing with electric lights being added to common and uncommon metallic objects.....beautiful...



Some more....De-Silvi and myself have this internal copyright thing going where I post only what I photograph and she does the same!! :-)



Dont know why I seem to favor black and white images lately....am I looking for some clarity in life? black and white simplicity vs. technicolor complexity? maybe, just maybe I am....

"Run-in" with "THE MAN"

Arrived at the Philadelphia airport on Friday evening and had a "run-in" with the immigration official....it's not like you have much of a choice really....we all have to go through "THE MAN" before you are out free. This particular one was more interesting as the officer in this case was of Chinese Origin.

The conversation was as follows:

DS Says: Good Afternoon!

THE MAN: An unmentionable sound that was a cross between clearing his throat, a gargle and blowing his nose...all at the same time.

THE MAN: Why are you here?

DS Thinks: What the fuck? Why dont you check my current address in my I-94 and my fricking visa classification?

DS Says: I live here in Raleigh, NC.

THE MAN GRUNTS: Any proof of that?

DS Says: I can show you my Driver's Licence.

THE MAN: No need. What have you brought with you? Cigarettes, Liquor, Drugs, Diamonds? What?

DS Thinks: Are you immigration or Customs? Why dont you just be clear what "hat" you are wearing today?

DS Says: None.

THE MAN Condescendingly: None? HA! Then what did you bring? Food? Plants? Seeds? Indian Spices? Curry? Mangoes? HUH?

DS Thinks: Hey Fucktard! Do you see where I am coming from? From Madrid!!

DS Says: None...you see I'm coming from Madrid, so....

THE MAN furiously scribbles some numbers from my visa to the I-94 etc,.

THE MAN Interrupting: OK OK OK...Go that way.

De-Silva and De-Silvi walk away towards Customs....where a man just takes one quick look at the customs forms and says Thank You - Please proceed this way.

I must thank Russel Peters here....all I had to do to feel better was to imagine how Russel would have role played the situation and suddenly it transformed from one of irritation to one of pure bliss....I actually felt a lot better! :-)

Interestingly enough, and on a more serious note, if you look at the glossy posters there, they all state that every person passing through the immigration and customs secions at airports will be treated with compassion, respect and dignity. The websites linked to these departments state the same. I know for a fact that I am not an isolated case among the thousands who pass through everyday.

In my past travels, I have met some really good immigration officers who have gone about their job in a thorough and professional manner....but as in any walk of life, I chalk this one up to a case of a bad apple...and continue on...