Political Cliche

I was very pleased with Obama's victory in the presidential election this week . It reaffirmed my belief that one does not have to walk away from his true identity to be victorious in an unfamiliar terrain .

Obama believed in himself , he was convinced that he could make the lives of Americans better and people's trust followed through. This holds true for all aspiring leaders.

Movie Rights

Being a ardent follower of Kolywood and Bolywood news and gossips , my movie picks are usually on target . I keep myself updated on who is dating who , when is the next blockbuster being launched ,and which hollywood movie the plot is based on .

Recently I forced Deepthi to go with my two tamil movie picks despite her strong rebuttal.Let me take one movie at a time and explain how it was a failed movie experience .

Kuselan , I knew it was not a typical Rajini blockbuster , but I had my expectation on the lines of Lakha Lakha Lakha .Pasupathy is an amazing find for tamil cinema , meena is my all time favourite tamil hottie , but depressed face of pasupathy for entire length of the movie was difficult to sustain . Kuselan for me was a boring farce which had no highpoints .

Satyam,great music from HJ , sensible hero Vishal and bomb Nayanatara ideally should have been a perfect recipe for success .Movie actually went as expected till Upendra's flashback but after an interesting first half the second part of the movie as a big letdown .

Saroja , Varnam 1000 are my next picks , If they dont go well I might have to watch movie in solitude moving forward .

Wah Kya Chai Hai !!

I have been wishing for this from a long time . Every time I doled out $4 for chocolate-coffee , I wondered when would this be among the list of things they served . Ingredients were sold separately and one had to mix them together, but every drinker knew it was not the same .

I rejoiced , when I walked into Starbucks a few weeks ago, they started my much awaited Black Tea Latte Tea service . Black Darjeeling tea dipped in hot water mixed together with steamed milk and sweetened .

Next in my wish list is Hot Chai being served in my Office Kitchenettes .

The dawn on cricket leagues

Kapil Dev and folks may have started something that would stop a middle class parent from saying " Dont run behind the bat and ball ...you know well that only 11 people get to hog the lime light ,leaving the remaining idiots like you good for nothing " with their kids cricket obsession.

Formation of private cricket leagues would improve the lives of many aspiring cricketers. In the past a job in railways ,bank was the benifit earned by a state level cricketer but with companies like UB and Reliance owning cricket teams , players can earn big money .Hmmm.. UB KF ,It makes my evil mind wonder if the King Fisher swim suit model's would be cheering cricket matches.

I am hoping that these new avenues would motivate the younger brass to give a career in cricket a serious thought .The current trend of youth in india flocking towards science and technology, is creating an imbalance . Not many explore performing arts , sports as a career option .As a kid I wanted to be a cricketer but parental pressure put academics before games.I still continue to enjoy playing sports but I wish I could play sports for a living.

Hail the traitor .

Indian media seems to follow the principle of "Innocent until proven " to the core . As for the common folks , movie persona overshadows any real life blemishes . Gandhi was one of the most influential person this century , but I never thought that a national traitor could sway the public into believing that he is a true follower of peace and non violence by a mere portrayal of gandhisim in a commercial entertainer.

Millions of fans in the Indian household praying for the release of their favorite movie personality from a criminal case is just another case of Idol worship but the fact that media and educated crowd considering law and justice as obstacles to the release of a person who was responsible for a gruesome attack which killed thousands of innocent people including women and children is shocking.

In third world countries escaping crimes bribing your way through law is no biggie but publicly escaping betraying the whole nation in a act of terror shakes the very foundation the modern day society stands on .

Tea Shop...

I like travel , and what makes travel even better is the culinary experience while visiting some place new . Great food , awesome music , romantic ambiance and to spice it up hot waitresses would sum any favourite hangout place /restaurant .All these attractions fade away after numerous visits . I pondered as to what would be that one place that entices me for a visit on every possible opportunity , OR can there be such a place...??

The time I spent in my college teashop , growing out of teenage were most memorable.What fascinates me even more is with no variety in menu , seating of a wooden chair , a tea shop attracts so many people.

A tribute to all tea shops and memories associated.

Life that was...

Life that was ...

Start @ 15
Study Important 4 years of your life 9 10 11 XII
Maths Physics Chem
Entrance Exam , Engineering , Medicine
Tution Coaching Classes
Engineering percentage
Computer Classes
GRE /TOEFL /CAT
Aptitude /G.D /Campus Interviews
IT Job / MS abroad
Software Job /US for a Client project
H1b /Green Card
End @ 25

Wish it was

Start @ 15
Sports , Games
High School romance /Friends
A little bit of studies
School cultural /Dance /Songs
Some College /New city /New friends
Busy doing nothing /Beer and Smokes
Pretty Girl in your bustop /Slacking in the last bench
Travel
College Canteen /tea shop
Cultural/Sports /Love & Breakups
New job /First pay /Gifts for your family
Drink/Dance /party weekend POA
Hiking /Goa /Fenny
end @25

May be "Wish it was " elements were there in my life , I wish they formed the major chunk of it .I guess one always wishes that their past had more fun filled memories . I hope not to write a similar blog 10 years from now .

Have fun , while it lasts...

Beer to Wine...

Time is a healer , time is a killer . As you age , your decisions change .Things you once cherished the most ,doesnot exite you anymore .6 pack that used to be a permanent member of my grocery cart is slowly being replaced by cabs , merolt and blanc .

Is the transition from beer to wine an indication that my life is not exciting any more ?Are choices you make an indication of your present state of life .

Such men rarely exsist.

1. It does not matter how a girl looks , but what goes inside the the look matters.

2.I would have done this even if it was a guy .

3.Once I am committed , I seldom checkout other women .

4.I do not care about the past ,lets look into the future .

5.I would always respect your space.

6. You can still be friends with your ex , that's totally kool with me.


Such men rarely exist , if you are with one of them ...consider yourself lucky.

I am bored ....

"I am bored".There has never been a week that passed during these three years that I have been in the states ("Land of my dreams" the way I referred to it when I landed here )where I did not claim to be bored.

I have the urge to do something always , be it playing some sport , watching movie in a hall ,dining out or traveling .People around me easily guess, that I am really bored ,when I sit down in a place quietly and start reading a book . I have had friends who can sit in their house alone and entertain themselves pondering on something , may be watch some TV , drink beer or read some books.These group of people I just talked about come under the category of calm souls and those people who always want to do something , like me fall in the "restless soul " category .

While talking to a good friend of mine ,a calm soul , she said that people who are bored of themselves constantly seek so called activities of fun .Not able to stand a mockery on myself , I quickly snubbed back with an escape phrase "What ever looser !!"

Are we , the adventure seeking folks , looking to explore the unexplored , bored with ourselves ?

Not So personal

Hey All ,

The posts on my blog are mostly random thoughts and have no inspiration from my current state of life

Thanks
Shiv

Traits !!

Walk up to the counter to purchase a few usual things and when the clerk gives you the credit card receipt ,do not forget to say THANK YOU .Every day in the morning a fellow driver needs to give way , to merge into the crowded lane , always waive your hand to thank him .Donot forget to hold the door for some one who is following you , always smile when you pass somebody , know to you.This is called courtesy.

Never boast your achievement so that the other person might get intimidated . Trying to convince some one that the road to success is just a few steps ahead in the right direction . Motivating others to achieve their goals better. This is modesty.

Apologizing even if you know that its not your mistake just to reduce the tension , with a kin. Not passing rude remarks or comments which can induce laughter to a few but might hurt some one's sentiment .You are considerate and may be modest.

Do you have to be rude to sound confident. Is modesty a sign of weakness?

Heterodoxy!!

Born into a family , culture ,society forces you to accept certain conventions involuntarily .Growing up,you imbibe values which your parents choose for you .A doubter would question how much freedom do I have ? What choices in my life are mine ? Following established traditions ,customs might be easy , but accepting a way of life which is truly not yours may not be a easy choice .

Questioning the established belief , can raise a few eyebrows , but non believers I feel are the need of the day .With the society being plagued by malicious practices , people seeking a rationale for every established rule can help trigger a modern day movement to eradicate the problems which have been shackles to our development .

Stepped out BRB

Hi All ,

I have had major changes in my life and all have been for the good .It will take a while for me to adapt to the new changes and get back to blogging .Till then stay put , I will be back shortly.


Cheers
Shiv

Mind Your words

Just 5 posts away from my 50th I write one , which is loosely based on my blog URL .MIND YOUR WORDS a constant battle that I have fought, with very little success . I have had a history of LOOSE TALK , atleast that's what I consider .I have had many instances where immediately after saying something I wish I hadn't.

I have always believed that LOOSE TALK is associated with extreme emotions , by which I mean we talk a lot when we are angry or in a happy state of mind . WE here belongs to those people who find it difficult to control their emotions , people who speak their heart out . I have had friends , mentors and family members(read it as BRO) whom I have seldom noticed utter something which was more than required , I admire their self composure , but how do they pull it off so well ?? My best pals Ashok and Bala exhibit the same composure , I envy those people because they have to deal with lot less troubles. Words that we speak are the root cause of most trouble.Take note that these composed people are by no means introvert ,they are full of energy , fun loving and great people to be with .

Many a times I have observed that good deeds are overcast by bad words , people who are in the good books of their friends and family members are those who maintain control over the words they speak . As the battle of my mind over the words continue I leave here with a question in my mind "Will I be know for what I said or by what I did ??"

Cell Phone Mani

Cell phone has been an integral part of my social life .My relationship with my Cell went sour when I touched her with with wet hands . For the past few days , volume functionality of my cell phone was repaired, by which I mean the display and other tasks work fine, but I cannot hear anything from the phone nor can I talk into it .

This morning I rushed to the Verizon wireless stores hoping to find a remedy for the illness , my cell phone had contracted .The store keeper checked a few things and said , that the cell phone has liquid damage and that I need to buy a new one for $150 .

This is the famous "Car Kit" Error of LG phones where in the phone assumes that a hands free ear phone has been plugged in and all external volumes are muted .I read user groups for the past two days , stripped the cell phone apart , cleaned the PCB , used a high power duster to remove all dusts , Used a microscope in my lab to see if any lines are shorted , broke into the firmware setting and cleared all firmware errors , channeled all my embedded knowledge , but sadly Nothing worked .


A disappointed me , sitting on my bed at 11 pm not able to talk to my friends unable to pick up calls.Is there any hope or Is this the end of my relationship with my cell phone . The final tip was to fold a aluminum foil and insert it into the slot for the battery charger. I had little faith in this trick , but I wanted to try this as it was my last resort . I ran down to my kitchen picked a strip of aluminum foil made a small piece , big enough to fit the battery charger slot and scrubbed it .To my Great Surprise the volume was enabled again and my Cell phone came alive from 3 days of coma .Tonight I am a happy man , my Life support System is back up .

Moral of the story is , if you in a bad situation in life and feel there is no solution for your problem don't loose heart , type the key words of your problem in GOOGLE and you are sure to find a solution .

A Phase in the Life of an Indian ...Guy - Part 1

There is a phase in life of many ( Not so Hep ) Indian guy's life where

1. Bryan Adams songs makes him romantic .

One would Lip Sync his song and when he screams "In Heaven " the romantic-o-meter's mercury will be at its peak.

2. Chicks flicks are very funny

About Chick Flicks my buddy kartik once said "Only way I could watch a Chick flick is to drop my b&%*ls in a ziplock leave it out side the movie hall and watch the movie peacefully ".

3. You would say nice things to your Guy friends Like

"Man I missed you when you were at home"
"Hey I have been waiting for you so long ?? Where have you been "

4. In a family function's you would find yourself discussing family politics with your aunts and girl cousins.

5. A phase when you would wear a "Capri" aka 3/4th pant and consider yourself kool

6. Where you would go to Gym few days and buy one of those tight sleeve less tshirts to display your muscle.

7. Where the center page of regional magazines was your source of inspiration .

8. Where he would buy Greeting Cards and give it to his Guy Friends on birthdays.


There are many interesting things that an Indian Guy does during his early teen .If you have read the above bullets and if you think you cannot relate to it , be happy for yourself that you were one of those confused wanna be dudes.For those who can relate , you have nothing to be proud of either.

Are you financially Smart ??

I landed my first job last year . I led a cost conscious life in Grad School with a $600 income to pay for rent ,utilities and groceries . A full time job encouraged me to spend more .Few months into my job I was unable to track my expenditure and had huge credit card debts.

When my finance went messy, I had to come up with a strategy to combat my impulsive shopping nature .First of the few things I needed to do was

Track my expenses
Budget
Reduce expenditure one category at a time.

I cancelled all additional credit cards and stuck to one major card for all my expenses bought Microsoft Money and linked my credit card and checking account to it and tracked my monthly expenses . I budgeted all categories of my expenditure and decided to monitor my expenses Vs Budget every month.

This leads us to the first step towards investment.

Rule 1 :Save as much as you spend ( If you earn $3000 a month say $1000 goes towards your Rent + Car loan + Insurance , the remaining 2000$ needs to be split for expenditure and savings $1000 a piece).

2. Aggressively transferring money to a savings account (ING Direct 3.4% APR ) helps you save money.

The next few basic steps for investing are
3. Contribute the amount that your company matches into 401K every year .

4.If your company offers ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase plan ) use the full limit of this plan.

5.Every Investment plan should have a long term goal and a short term goal .Typical Short term goals are Investing money in the order of 5k -10k in mutual funds . Long term goal is to buy a house in 2-3 years with around 15% down payment.

Stocks , Mutual funds are good investments but one needs to collect a lot of data on those before attempting to buy .Investing Bible is a good book to get a heads start.Create a portfolio online and monitor it constantly , try to understand the factors that affect a stock price.

My friend Ashok has a website PROCUE which has lot of information in the finance section.He happens to be the source of all information that I provided in this post.

Lok Paritran (Alas Serious Indeed)...

Lok Paritran party know to all as "Former IITians forming a political party".The party is contesting elections this May .It is looking for candidates to contest.

Any social cause needs finance and support and I hope the Indian diaspora that has been talking , complaining about the state of affairs back home will take steps to donate generously.I have emailed requesting the folks at the helm of affairs to create a Web Based method of sending money, facilitating the IT savy crowd to donate .

Till then spread the word about the party and encourage your folks to VOTE for them .


Jay Hindh

Lok Paritran

Trust , influence ,positive energy , inspiration and belief

Ashok , a good friend of mine handed me a copy of "Wings of Fire "which is Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's autobiography .A man who is admired in the Global Community .One Chapter of the book has inspired me to write this post and I am sure remaining portions of this book will motivate me more .

Every person born into a family acquires its Socio Economical Values , he is taught a few good things by his parents. Teachers mould his thought , make him ready to accept challenges ,and to deal with uncertainties that life has in store .Friends , mentors , elders influence your thinking. After obtaining inspiration from many sources we draft a plan on our own and set to achieve it .Religious feeling aka spirituality which ever way we choose, tends to have an influence to on our thinking too .

I have always performed better when my parents encouraged me , my teachers motivated me and my friends trusted me .I take responsibilities for my actions and thank god for the great things he has done to me in my life , the good friends and mentors who he has sent to guide me .

I believe every one can be a positive influence in some ones life , creating positive energy in others is reciprocative .Let us be the source of inspiration for a few people whom we cross as we travel the journey of life.