Bangalore is riddled with rumors, stories, views, opinions and everything else for the past two days... The 2 days since that unthought of shooting happened in the Army Campus. Now first the facts.... This was a shooting of an intruder who had jumped into the Army premises to save his ass from the cops... Now opinions/views- He should have been arrested; Army and Cops should work closely to go after the real terrorists etc etc and rumors- This is a clear case of minority hate crimes from the Army and all other possible communal angles interspersed...
SO this is my quandry... I feel a bit bad about a youngster losing his life; but why did he need to indulge himself in something illegal? Why do drag racing when its not allowed? Why run away from Cops when they accoust you on commiting a crime? If youngsters do not want to own any part of the social fabric of this country; why have demonstrations against the system at all?
The thing with corruption is that it seems harmless till it doesnt affect or bite you. You get caught at a red light; you slip a 100 rupee note and scoot away. It is only when this manifests into BMWs and MERCs banging into innocent pedestrians that we feel the wealthy have got it easy in this country. We love to pay money to avoid the long queues at temples but its only when an Ambani or Bachaan reach there in private jets making you jostle for the darshan that you feel the heat (pun intended). Its great as long as your small shop gets stolen electricity but the department becomes useless the day someone from the family gets electrocuted by live-wire.
So it was great as Long as cops turned a blind eye to demonic younsters drag racing and putting innocent civilians at risk... The day some cop with a honest bone chased your kid the question for nabbing a younsgter gets challenged. Its great as long as the Army sleeps to glory letting terrorists infiltrate us left,right and centre but the day they knock off an intruder, they may have minority bias.
Wow Democracy, I salute thee!!!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
To strike the fear of Death
When would this terrorism stop? I am sure thats a rhetoric because we all know it never will. Till now they was only something called cross-border terrorism; but now we have manifestations of this wicked phenomenon with different names.. Some are right wing, some left, some want Jihad while some crave for liberation.
All supposedly represent the downtrodden and are righteous in their own way (Which way is something i have never figured out)!!! Furthermore, they are all doing it for a cause. Crueler the kind of attack; bigger the cause... And mind you, all of these so-called rebels are fearless... I mean, really where else do u get the balls to stop a global metropolis completely for an entire day or more...
So, lets get it right... Terrorism is a reality and here to stay. No amount of coaxing them is gonna help. If you stub out one, they would emerge from somewhere else, more stronger, meaner and wiser to survive. Their whole fulcrum is unabashed terror; no matter the cause or the spectra in which they manage it. Gruesome is a nicety when one can see what they do...A look at the ones involved in these and one might be mistaken to think these are college kids playing out a gory video game, only here the characters are real. Sometimes I wonder if "being a terrorist" is the hottest new profession on the block or what...
Does it mean we are just gonna get wounded day in and day out? I dont know. I honestly dont have a solution. We can plan and be better organized and more accurate with info sharing but my gut feel is these bastards would find a way out. They are like agents of death... out there to strike the fear of death in every civil human alive on this planet... They come in different shapes and nomenclatures-- either for their religious prosperity or national security or sometimes plain to make some moolah. No one cares a damn about the destruction they live in their wake.
I feel; assuming we cannot stop them.. and death to them is an understood aftereffect-- why not elevate the hurt we give back to them...
No courts no trials no frigging human rights... Whoever from them is caught alive.. Take them to the middle of the street...skin them alive and pour bloody salt on it.... Make them beg for death and dont let them die till they bad mouth their movement..... If it sounds barbaric...I feel it may just work...
The only way to survive is to be the strongest... Dont let the anarchic face of the world prove to be the survivor... WE need ACTION and we need it NOW
All supposedly represent the downtrodden and are righteous in their own way (Which way is something i have never figured out)!!! Furthermore, they are all doing it for a cause. Crueler the kind of attack; bigger the cause... And mind you, all of these so-called rebels are fearless... I mean, really where else do u get the balls to stop a global metropolis completely for an entire day or more...
So, lets get it right... Terrorism is a reality and here to stay. No amount of coaxing them is gonna help. If you stub out one, they would emerge from somewhere else, more stronger, meaner and wiser to survive. Their whole fulcrum is unabashed terror; no matter the cause or the spectra in which they manage it. Gruesome is a nicety when one can see what they do...A look at the ones involved in these and one might be mistaken to think these are college kids playing out a gory video game, only here the characters are real. Sometimes I wonder if "being a terrorist" is the hottest new profession on the block or what...
Does it mean we are just gonna get wounded day in and day out? I dont know. I honestly dont have a solution. We can plan and be better organized and more accurate with info sharing but my gut feel is these bastards would find a way out. They are like agents of death... out there to strike the fear of death in every civil human alive on this planet... They come in different shapes and nomenclatures-- either for their religious prosperity or national security or sometimes plain to make some moolah. No one cares a damn about the destruction they live in their wake.
I feel; assuming we cannot stop them.. and death to them is an understood aftereffect-- why not elevate the hurt we give back to them...
No courts no trials no frigging human rights... Whoever from them is caught alive.. Take them to the middle of the street...skin them alive and pour bloody salt on it.... Make them beg for death and dont let them die till they bad mouth their movement..... If it sounds barbaric...I feel it may just work...
The only way to survive is to be the strongest... Dont let the anarchic face of the world prove to be the survivor... WE need ACTION and we need it NOW
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
stock market kya hai
A very simple yet intelligent read about the stock market that I got in a mail
Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to thevillagers that he would buy monkeys for Rs10. The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at Rs10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at Rs20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer rate increased to Rs25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at Rs50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at Rs35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell it to him for Rs50." The villagers squeezed up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!! ! Welcome to the "Stock" Market!!!!!
Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to thevillagers that he would buy monkeys for Rs10. The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at Rs10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He further announced that he would now buy at Rs20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer rate increased to Rs25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at Rs50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at Rs35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell it to him for Rs50." The villagers squeezed up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!! ! Welcome to the "Stock" Market!!!!!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Butter Chicken
Food .. any type of it; gets me going. When I was got the news that I have to travel to the US for two months; the first signs of alarm were: What will I eat???
Not that I hold back from eating anything but my earlier experiences had suggested that I would get crapped out with bland meat sooner than later. I started prepartions on a war-footing. Started furiously searchin "Mr. Know it all a.k.a GOOGLE" for accurate answers. As always, got thru to more food related porn sites(just kiddin... u figure whether abt the food sites or the porn ones :P) than anything. The few that threw out them recipes were so complex that I felt like I would be delivering a baby rather than a barbecue. Most masalas mentioned there were words that sounded like mean minded abuses in some unknown languages...
I was at my wits end. I was enthused with cooking but I wanted variety too. I wasnt in a position to carry all of the stuff I had gathered I would need to prepare that smorgasbord. Thats when it happened.. Like always my mom jumped in to my rescue. She told me abt some pre-made masalas.. daalo, ubalo, chicken milao and all done... Parampara, thy name is God to a desi foodie in foreign land...
So here I landed with the confidence of using these pre-made masalas to devastating use and got myself a bag of chicken ...I was all armed to make hot and spicy Indian curries, the sort that would make any American shed a tear when I open my lunch box. Pleased with my armor of eveything from Moghlai to kolhapuri to tandoori; I set about on my way...
But alas; my bubble was soon to burst. The final product was a watery gravy smelling Indian-curryish...All my pride in my culinary expertise was draining down as well. I needed a fix and a damn good one. Research ensued on war-scale; searching websites and books. Talking to people with experience. Advice, since its always free started flowing in like those Indian -idol sms'es...
Kanda ghaal, use ginger garlic.. put masalas too, have u marinated the meat with curd? fry the chicken first... use mutton and not chicken.. marinate in the masalas overnight.. chuck this its a scam.. so much so that I was even more confused... What should I really do?
I swept aside all random suggestions. Put on my thinking hat and approached the best chef I knew: no not my mom, Sanjeev Kapoor. Searched his website and saw the method. (I am using SKs name as I dont recollect where I saw the recipe).. I relied on Parampara to provide me with the masala ingredients and set about treating the rest of the prepartion like always
marinate meat with curd and ginger-garlic.. lime juice... Cut Kanda... etc
Went about with the prepartion with dedication unbecoming of me.. fried my onions tillexactly golden brown and thn slipped in my chicken.. Sauted it tillsome time before pouring in the masala and blob of butter... Held on patiently for the time prescribed and then dheere se slided the lid from the vessel.
Wow!!!! I had overshone myself. Bettered expectations in a way my mom would be proud of me... There it was.. The most amazing BUTTER CHICKEN I had ever made.
Not that I hold back from eating anything but my earlier experiences had suggested that I would get crapped out with bland meat sooner than later. I started prepartions on a war-footing. Started furiously searchin "Mr. Know it all a.k.a GOOGLE" for accurate answers. As always, got thru to more food related porn sites(just kiddin... u figure whether abt the food sites or the porn ones :P) than anything. The few that threw out them recipes were so complex that I felt like I would be delivering a baby rather than a barbecue. Most masalas mentioned there were words that sounded like mean minded abuses in some unknown languages...
I was at my wits end. I was enthused with cooking but I wanted variety too. I wasnt in a position to carry all of the stuff I had gathered I would need to prepare that smorgasbord. Thats when it happened.. Like always my mom jumped in to my rescue. She told me abt some pre-made masalas.. daalo, ubalo, chicken milao and all done... Parampara, thy name is God to a desi foodie in foreign land...
So here I landed with the confidence of using these pre-made masalas to devastating use and got myself a bag of chicken ...I was all armed to make hot and spicy Indian curries, the sort that would make any American shed a tear when I open my lunch box. Pleased with my armor of eveything from Moghlai to kolhapuri to tandoori; I set about on my way...
But alas; my bubble was soon to burst. The final product was a watery gravy smelling Indian-curryish...All my pride in my culinary expertise was draining down as well. I needed a fix and a damn good one. Research ensued on war-scale; searching websites and books. Talking to people with experience. Advice, since its always free started flowing in like those Indian -idol sms'es...
Kanda ghaal, use ginger garlic.. put masalas too, have u marinated the meat with curd? fry the chicken first... use mutton and not chicken.. marinate in the masalas overnight.. chuck this its a scam.. so much so that I was even more confused... What should I really do?
I swept aside all random suggestions. Put on my thinking hat and approached the best chef I knew: no not my mom, Sanjeev Kapoor. Searched his website and saw the method. (I am using SKs name as I dont recollect where I saw the recipe).. I relied on Parampara to provide me with the masala ingredients and set about treating the rest of the prepartion like always
marinate meat with curd and ginger-garlic.. lime juice... Cut Kanda... etc
Went about with the prepartion with dedication unbecoming of me.. fried my onions tillexactly golden brown and thn slipped in my chicken.. Sauted it tillsome time before pouring in the masala and blob of butter... Held on patiently for the time prescribed and then dheere se slided the lid from the vessel.
Wow!!!! I had overshone myself. Bettered expectations in a way my mom would be proud of me... There it was.. The most amazing BUTTER CHICKEN I had ever made.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
What a game....
Always been a sports person... loved almost anything I watched and my stay in US was no different.. I got hooked big time to both basketball and American football.. moreso because College sports out here are a phenomenon to LIVE..
My team, the Gators, luckily is a great team. And that made me more aware about how college sports unveils...The amount of respect and fan-followin these guys have is so inspiring that if I ever were to settle here, I would wish my kid to definitely be active in sports.
Having said that, i was kinda bummed this time round as I wouldnt get to see any football. But to my great relief MARCH MADNESS was round the corner. For all those that dont know what I m saying... well, its this crazy college basketball tourney with the best 64 teams being selected and going through a crazy 3 week roller coaster to come up with the national champion.
I was really hoping for the Gators to make it through but they missed the cut and I was kinda turned off from watching the game. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and since I didnt have any favorites any more... I was enjoying the games neutrally.
And a memorable tourney it was. The first time all No.1 seeds were in the Final Four. All storied college programs fighting it out.., The semi-finals were kinda damp but it threw out an interesting finals match-up
KANSAS v MEMPHIS.....
and what a game that has turned out to be,,, Jus done watching that. A complete yo-yo going forward and back all the time.. Exciting clutch shots, missing simple baskets.. leads changing hands, missed free throws and a last second three-pointer... whoa that want enuff.. we got an added overtime thrown in too... The underdog winning made it just sweeter... My heart bled for Memphis; having played magnificiently all through-out and having posted the best record ever... and to come so close (close enough to the last game)... and then we had Kansas... the winners.. the darlings...
and this is what makes sports so amazing.. I didnt know any names of any players or had no allegiance to any team and here i was ..absolutely roller coasting on a crazy ride of pure adrenaline and I was thrilled at the end of it..
Lov the college sports scene. I wish it were the GATORS though. :)
My team, the Gators, luckily is a great team. And that made me more aware about how college sports unveils...The amount of respect and fan-followin these guys have is so inspiring that if I ever were to settle here, I would wish my kid to definitely be active in sports.
Having said that, i was kinda bummed this time round as I wouldnt get to see any football. But to my great relief MARCH MADNESS was round the corner. For all those that dont know what I m saying... well, its this crazy college basketball tourney with the best 64 teams being selected and going through a crazy 3 week roller coaster to come up with the national champion.
I was really hoping for the Gators to make it through but they missed the cut and I was kinda turned off from watching the game. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and since I didnt have any favorites any more... I was enjoying the games neutrally.
And a memorable tourney it was. The first time all No.1 seeds were in the Final Four. All storied college programs fighting it out.., The semi-finals were kinda damp but it threw out an interesting finals match-up
KANSAS v MEMPHIS.....
and what a game that has turned out to be,,, Jus done watching that. A complete yo-yo going forward and back all the time.. Exciting clutch shots, missing simple baskets.. leads changing hands, missed free throws and a last second three-pointer... whoa that want enuff.. we got an added overtime thrown in too... The underdog winning made it just sweeter... My heart bled for Memphis; having played magnificiently all through-out and having posted the best record ever... and to come so close (close enough to the last game)... and then we had Kansas... the winners.. the darlings...
and this is what makes sports so amazing.. I didnt know any names of any players or had no allegiance to any team and here i was ..absolutely roller coasting on a crazy ride of pure adrenaline and I was thrilled at the end of it..
Lov the college sports scene. I wish it were the GATORS though. :)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Freezing Point
Almost a month has passed since I landed in the US.
When I had left for India for good about 4 years back, my mind was filled with weird emotions. I was a failure; a certified one... I had turned my back on the land where "Dreams come true" and returning home; with a battered soul and fatigued spirit... armed with nothing but a degree earned with extreme hard-work and honesty. And honest I was gonna be to it as well. I wasnt ready to sell my soul to the body-shopper who makes me a fake resume and gets me a license to hand around in the "land of the free"...
Circa back to 2nd March,08 and life had almost come a full circle. India had been kind to me.. Luck better and life awesome. I was returning after 4 yrs ; almost... I was handling a role better thn my experience commanded and working for a firm earnin more revenue than most others in the world... I had proven my worth; albeit to myself.. and I had a smile much more genuine than the one I had when I left JFK. I was as happy as the definition demanded.. Two months of great experience and I would b flying back to marry my sweetheart..
I didnt knew as I got into my flight what I would feel or how I wud take to being back. Life was moving so fast that I didnt have time to ponder over it...But the flight was long and 16 hours was enough time to go back and let the bitterness come back.. I chose not to..
I had enough of it.. I was coming back a changed man. Bad memories had no place.. I was gonna ensure that they dont.. I was gonna live life King size this time round. I was gonna have the fun I couldnt and see some place tht I should have earlier..
However, once aboard the flight my mind just erased all memories... Two pegs of whiskey and some good food and hefty slumber later; not to forget some 4 movies too... I had landed... @ JFK... the very same place... from where I had left, red-faced, teary eyed, zero confidence..some four years back...
Before even realising the gravity of it all, there I was.. In the same immigration line to get my I94 stamped... I answered all the mandatory questions; picked my bags and glanced at my watch... Five hours for my next flight...
Having nothing better to do.. I stepped out at the airport... Thats when it hit me.. It was still the same freezing, biting, cold country ...I had bade goodbye to.. In a different time-zone, in a different situation and with a different mindset... Today was mine, again..once again.
The freezing temperature wasnt gonna bother me.. not after all I knew i had overcome
When I had left for India for good about 4 years back, my mind was filled with weird emotions. I was a failure; a certified one... I had turned my back on the land where "Dreams come true" and returning home; with a battered soul and fatigued spirit... armed with nothing but a degree earned with extreme hard-work and honesty. And honest I was gonna be to it as well. I wasnt ready to sell my soul to the body-shopper who makes me a fake resume and gets me a license to hand around in the "land of the free"...
Circa back to 2nd March,08 and life had almost come a full circle. India had been kind to me.. Luck better and life awesome. I was returning after 4 yrs ; almost... I was handling a role better thn my experience commanded and working for a firm earnin more revenue than most others in the world... I had proven my worth; albeit to myself.. and I had a smile much more genuine than the one I had when I left JFK. I was as happy as the definition demanded.. Two months of great experience and I would b flying back to marry my sweetheart..
I didnt knew as I got into my flight what I would feel or how I wud take to being back. Life was moving so fast that I didnt have time to ponder over it...But the flight was long and 16 hours was enough time to go back and let the bitterness come back.. I chose not to..
I had enough of it.. I was coming back a changed man. Bad memories had no place.. I was gonna ensure that they dont.. I was gonna live life King size this time round. I was gonna have the fun I couldnt and see some place tht I should have earlier..
However, once aboard the flight my mind just erased all memories... Two pegs of whiskey and some good food and hefty slumber later; not to forget some 4 movies too... I had landed... @ JFK... the very same place... from where I had left, red-faced, teary eyed, zero confidence..some four years back...
Before even realising the gravity of it all, there I was.. In the same immigration line to get my I94 stamped... I answered all the mandatory questions; picked my bags and glanced at my watch... Five hours for my next flight...
Having nothing better to do.. I stepped out at the airport... Thats when it hit me.. It was still the same freezing, biting, cold country ...I had bade goodbye to.. In a different time-zone, in a different situation and with a different mindset... Today was mine, again..once again.
The freezing temperature wasnt gonna bother me.. not after all I knew i had overcome
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Writers block
I had always heard this term and never really believed it. What would stop you from writing... If you like it , you just do. The ideas would flow and things would just present itself out on paper. I never had considered I did have a regular blog ever. I mean I thought one should, would and could write whenever he/she really felt like. I dismissed as blashphemous those claims about I get stuck when I wanna write. That is; till this phenom actually struck me.
It was a given that I would write about any and every thing under the sun that really caught my attention. It may be something that I loved or hated or was quite neutral about. And; mind you it all was flowing very naturally. Maintaining a blog, sharing my thoughts, ideas and my life was all so normal. If there ever was a "Writers Block" it was damn too scared of me....
But I was in a merry world of my own... Lurkign around the corner; it was about to bite me and get me hard. Around October things started happening (quite albeit for the worse). My firm blocked orkut and blogspot and chained my ideas for a while. By the time they were restored I had lost a bit of my zest to scratch my brains and pen them out.
But I had a solemn hope. Life was springing up new things daily and I was sure I shall cxapture it as nicely as I can. Personally, I was entering a new phase of life... I can write about that. India was turning a new leaf around in the T20 world cup.. maybe capture different aspects of that... My job was getting more streamlined and I could keep blabbering about it... Diwali and Christmas were around the corner.. Definitely the time to let your juices flow. Go back to your childhood and paint those vivid canvases once again... But nothing..nothing at alll .. I just couldnt motivate myself to write
I would think of ideas and dissemble them saying " Maybe next time.." There seemingly never was a next time...
The new year approached and I revisited my resolution that I did write atleast one substantial blog every month if not bi-weekly but then like most resolutions this one never saw the light of the day. Broken and shattered in the first month itself... I loveeeeeee sports but no news in it; big or small was makign me write anything... I felt helpless because words had deserted me (They still have and trust me I am clawing something out here)...
I was scaring myself... I felt my 40-50 blogs till date had just been a dream run that did never be repeated. I was a mute observer and remain so all my life. Scary but True
I was exhorting myself to write about something. CUrrent affairs, the Bhutto assasination, but the effort showed up as zilch in the results table, ie till today..
February dawned and with it a fragnrance of Valentines...smeared in parts with venom being spewn by the irrational Raj Thakre. I knew I had to write... and I did... I wrote today,, well nothing about events that mattered but I somehow wrote a few lines
I m happy tht there is hope for the writer/blogger in me to survive. As they say..Hope Floats...
I say Amen to that..
Wish you a peaceful lovable Valentines day
It was a given that I would write about any and every thing under the sun that really caught my attention. It may be something that I loved or hated or was quite neutral about. And; mind you it all was flowing very naturally. Maintaining a blog, sharing my thoughts, ideas and my life was all so normal. If there ever was a "Writers Block" it was damn too scared of me....
But I was in a merry world of my own... Lurkign around the corner; it was about to bite me and get me hard. Around October things started happening (quite albeit for the worse). My firm blocked orkut and blogspot and chained my ideas for a while. By the time they were restored I had lost a bit of my zest to scratch my brains and pen them out.
But I had a solemn hope. Life was springing up new things daily and I was sure I shall cxapture it as nicely as I can. Personally, I was entering a new phase of life... I can write about that. India was turning a new leaf around in the T20 world cup.. maybe capture different aspects of that... My job was getting more streamlined and I could keep blabbering about it... Diwali and Christmas were around the corner.. Definitely the time to let your juices flow. Go back to your childhood and paint those vivid canvases once again... But nothing..nothing at alll .. I just couldnt motivate myself to write
I would think of ideas and dissemble them saying " Maybe next time.." There seemingly never was a next time...
The new year approached and I revisited my resolution that I did write atleast one substantial blog every month if not bi-weekly but then like most resolutions this one never saw the light of the day. Broken and shattered in the first month itself... I loveeeeeee sports but no news in it; big or small was makign me write anything... I felt helpless because words had deserted me (They still have and trust me I am clawing something out here)...
I was scaring myself... I felt my 40-50 blogs till date had just been a dream run that did never be repeated. I was a mute observer and remain so all my life. Scary but True
I was exhorting myself to write about something. CUrrent affairs, the Bhutto assasination, but the effort showed up as zilch in the results table, ie till today..
February dawned and with it a fragnrance of Valentines...smeared in parts with venom being spewn by the irrational Raj Thakre. I knew I had to write... and I did... I wrote today,, well nothing about events that mattered but I somehow wrote a few lines
I m happy tht there is hope for the writer/blogger in me to survive. As they say..Hope Floats...
I say Amen to that..
Wish you a peaceful lovable Valentines day
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