Here's a recent interview of Arjun Singh done by Karan Thapar. I've always admired Karan Thapar's guts in asking questions bluntly and exposing politicians to what they are - dumb-witted hypocrites.
Karan aur Arjun
Here he exposes Arjun Singh and makes a mockery of the minister. But then who has the last laugh. Arjun Singh and the congress will now go back to the OBCs and claim that they have now resolved all their problems - what if the people who might need some support are not even in a position to get primary education; what if the only people who are going to benefit from this are going to be the creamy layer of the OBCs who don't really deserve these reservations.
At one point, he says this is the first time that the entire parliament has unanimously passed an amendment. That was a nice joke dude. Which political party would want to be known as Anti-OBC? Every Tom, Dick and Harry is going to vote in favor of the amendment. Even if you had said 100% reservations for OBCs and SC/STs, the amendment would probably have gone through.
It pains me to see the state of affairs in my country. All this makes me think for a moment of running away from it all. But then that's surely not the way to go. We need to do something about this. But then what? What options do we have of combatting this?
For once there are people fighting the wrong. It's time we support them in their battle, spread the word about the wrong being done and if possible join them in their fight against the amendment. If we don't join them in their battle, there will be no one joining you when you are wronged. If you feel, a wrong has been done, it's time to join the fight.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
My Dear Brother
I am walking to school with my brother on a shady and deserted road to my primary school. As we near the turning to the 100ft road that leads to our school, we notice a group of drunks sitting on a stone and drinking and laughing away to glory. I notice one of them has a sickle and am a little hesitant to go closer. I ask my brother if we shouldn't pick another route. He being the idealist says "C'mon, we should be brave. We haven't done anything wrong. And we are already late to school. Am sure they won't even notice us". I thought ok - let's move on.
As we head closer, one of the drunks notices how scared I am and says something to his friends. When we are about 10 ft away from them, he picks up his weapon of choice - the sickle and brandishes it and says "chindi chindi madi hakthini" (I'll cut you into pieces). I take two steps back. They all have a good laugh over it. My brother steps in between (I hide behind him rather), holds my hand and says "Nanna thammanige enu madbedi. Do anything you want to me." ("Don't do anything to my kid brother. "). Seeing this, the guy backs out "Aithu paapa antha bidthiddini - hogi schoolge" and goes back to his drinking.
When I think about the incident, it brings a smile to my face. My brother is one person who's always been there for me. Just to think that he was in his 2nd grade when this incident happened. There may not have been many instances when I've gone to him for help. But he's been there whether I'm in distress, i'm in doubt or if I'm in conflict over a decision trying to help me out. I don't remember once asking him for help. But he's always been there at the right place and the right time. Whether we were both in Bangalore, he was in Hyderabad and I was in Bangalore, whether I was in the US and he was in India, it did not matter. He knows I'm in trouble, he'll call me and spend hours on the phone trying to solve my problems with his advice or just patiently listening to me.
Off late I've started trying to do my part too calling him and talking to him whenever I find out that he needs someone to talk to irresp. There are obviously some things which can only be told to a brother. Hope I've done half as well as he has done for me. I just wanted to say "Thanks a lot Sudhir for being there for me all my life. Love you." and here's wishing you a very very Happy Birthday - May you have a great year and an even greater life ahead.
PS: I don't think my bro is a visitor of my blog. But then who cares. One day when he comes across it - it'll make his day. :-)
As we head closer, one of the drunks notices how scared I am and says something to his friends. When we are about 10 ft away from them, he picks up his weapon of choice - the sickle and brandishes it and says "chindi chindi madi hakthini" (I'll cut you into pieces). I take two steps back. They all have a good laugh over it. My brother steps in between (I hide behind him rather), holds my hand and says "Nanna thammanige enu madbedi. Do anything you want to me." ("Don't do anything to my kid brother. "). Seeing this, the guy backs out "Aithu paapa antha bidthiddini - hogi schoolge" and goes back to his drinking.
When I think about the incident, it brings a smile to my face. My brother is one person who's always been there for me. Just to think that he was in his 2nd grade when this incident happened. There may not have been many instances when I've gone to him for help. But he's been there whether I'm in distress, i'm in doubt or if I'm in conflict over a decision trying to help me out. I don't remember once asking him for help. But he's always been there at the right place and the right time. Whether we were both in Bangalore, he was in Hyderabad and I was in Bangalore, whether I was in the US and he was in India, it did not matter. He knows I'm in trouble, he'll call me and spend hours on the phone trying to solve my problems with his advice or just patiently listening to me.
Off late I've started trying to do my part too calling him and talking to him whenever I find out that he needs someone to talk to irresp. There are obviously some things which can only be told to a brother. Hope I've done half as well as he has done for me. I just wanted to say "Thanks a lot Sudhir for being there for me all my life. Love you." and here's wishing you a very very Happy Birthday - May you have a great year and an even greater life ahead.
PS: I don't think my bro is a visitor of my blog. But then who cares. One day when he comes across it - it'll make his day. :-)
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Coupon cutting
I've heard a lot of talk about how desis are the coupon cutters and the the cheapos and what not. The other day in Kroger, I saw an Amru couple who stunned me with the number of coupons they'd brought for one shopping session. The other lines at the cash counter had 4-5 people waiting. So I decided to go for this line with just one couple with a cart full of stuff.
Only later did I realize why people were not going into this line. I expected something like a 5 min wait at worst. By the time the cashier went through the box of coupons, the grocery total had come down from 145 to 32$, I had to wait for almost 20 mins. I had almost decided to move to another line which had 2 people in line. They really must have put in a few hours of effort into getting them all together and planning what to buy and what not to buy. Considering what the avg american makes per hour, was it really worth the time and effort? Or maybe we haven't seen the other side of the effluent USA.
Only later did I realize why people were not going into this line. I expected something like a 5 min wait at worst. By the time the cashier went through the box of coupons, the grocery total had come down from 145 to 32$, I had to wait for almost 20 mins. I had almost decided to move to another line which had 2 people in line. They really must have put in a few hours of effort into getting them all together and planning what to buy and what not to buy. Considering what the avg american makes per hour, was it really worth the time and effort? Or maybe we haven't seen the other side of the effluent USA.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Most amazing weekend
Had a cricket filled weekend.
Saturday morning - 9am - 5pm -> Cricket match with Covansys. We scored 147 in 30 overs and lost in the last over of the match.
Saturday 9pm - 10pm -> Interesting game of Pool
Saturday 11pm - 2pm -> Watched MI-3. Had read good reviews and as far as I'm concerned it lived up to the hype. Some of my friends weren't that pleased. Some nice scenes that I really loved. Some laughable scenes like the one where he jumps of the building and then swings onto another like Spiderman and the way they try to defend it by giving some scientific fundas - fulcrum or lever or something like that. Overall liked the movie - it's always tough for the sequels to live upto the prequels and add something. But MI-III did a pretty good job at it I thought.
Sunday 8am - Leave for the ground since the match was supposed to start at 9am. I was playing for a new team in which some of my friends play for - this was a really strong team with some of the players playing in the league for the last 15 years. So I was very much like a fill in player expected to do nothing but field in a position where there are least number of balls expected to go for. The first match turned out very much that way - we fielded first (I fielded about 10 balls max). We bowled out the opponents for 92 and chased them in 15 overs (20 over a side game).
Sunday 1pm - Go to a Dosa place and have a hearty meal - A Dosa Thali (Idly, 2 Vadas, Onion and Hot Chilly Masala Dosa, Gulab Jamun) and come back to the ground to watch a run feast in another game going on in the tournament. By the way the matches played on Sunday was part of a Invitation Only tournament played between some of the top teams in Ohio. Laze around on the grass watching the game and try and catch a few winks in between all the noise around. Team batting first (Cleveland) ends up scoring 198 runs in 20 overs with mabe a zillion sixes in them and a 20-30 dropped catches. Team batting second obviously doesn't measure up to the task and gets bowled out for under a 100.
Sunday 4:30pm - Finally our second match gets under way. We were hoping to bat first to give ourselves some rest - we were still tired from the previous game. We lost the toss and we put into field. Cleveland get off to an amazing start - 45/2 in 6. Batsman then makes the mistake Aamir Sohail made against Venky Prasad. Tries to instigate the bowler. War of words ensues. Every Tom Dick n Harry gets involved and the next few deliveries were amazing. Fun to watch from such close quarters. Every ball that the batsman missed or defended was met with more and more words from the fielding side. It finally got to the Batsman and he tried to hit his way out and gets caught at Mid-wicket. This triggers off an amazing collapse - 74/8. Somehow with a few missed run outs and some great running, Cleveland manage to reach 97.
Our batting starts and as expected - I don't expect to bat atleast not close to the end. Team gets off to a slow but steady start. 30/0 in about 8 overs. As the runs begin to dry out, our team starts panicking and we loose wickets in a hurry. I was just lazing around on the grass when I suddenly am told am the next to go. We've suddenly lost 3 wickets in a hurry and we have no one else padded up. My god, my gloves and abdomen guard are in the car. I run to the car and somehow manage to get the stuff in and I realize the batsman who just went in is also out. I've just about got my Pads on. I ask Kirti if there's a good team bat I can use since I haven't played in this team before and didn't want to take someone's personal bat and go out to play. He asks if a heavy bat is fine. Do I have a choice? I say yeah that's fine just because I wanted to go with some bat and not have to bat without a bat. I get the gloves on but as I'm trying to get my sweat shirt off, the gloves get stuck. I am making a big fool of myself and in all this people from the ground are shouting for me and probably laughing their asses off at the mess that I'm in.
Bad start to the Innings a? You bet. Get off to a nervous start with a LBW appeal and a dropped catch. Before I know it, my partner's tried to hit his way out and got out. Now we are in a precarious situation. 2 wickets left. 40 to 30 balls. My new partner has a tough time with the short pitch bowling that is dished out. We get only 2 runs in the over. 38 in 4. The new bowler tries the same short pitch stuff against me with no cover at deep square leg - result 4. More short deliveries and now b'cos there is cover there - a few 1s and 2s. 27 in 3. Doesn't sound so bad. But with just 2 wickets in hand - pretty dangerous situation.
Isko short mat daalna. Sirf usko short daalo. Next ball - Dance down the wicket take the ball on the full and the sweetest four. And did I forget to tell you. The bat was really heavy. I was in fact upto that point thinking of asking for a bat change. But after that shot - no way. A few more 2s trying to retain strike - some crazy run thanks to my partner who was willing to sacrifice his wicket to keep me on strike and we end up with 18 in 2. Some misfields on the line and some more quick runs later - we are at 10 of 1. Comes down to 6 of 4, 4 of 3, 2 off 2. Get hit on the pads - ball is close to the keeper and my partner wants a single. Decide not to take a chance since I still had another ball to get the 2 runs in. Last ball - hit to long on. In trying for the second run - partner gets run out. Match is a tie. Since we were already into the semis and my team wanted to be in the second in the group due to their wanting to play a particular team in the Semis, it worked out well. We came second in the group due to a lower run rate but also avoided losing the match. :-)
Match finally got over at like 7:30pm - Still a lot of light around. The atmosphere when we went from the brink of loosing to almost winning the match was amazing - really charged up because of the incident that happened while we were fielding. After the match, sat around chatting about nothing in particular for an hour or so after the game over a couple of beers and overall had fun. Looking forward to more such fun-filled games where I fill in and have fun. :-)
OSU is a real good team to play in. Play real hard Cricket on the field. They are really competitive. Every game is either a match to be won and also a match with an eye towards practice for key players in coming matches/tournaments. Fun to be with off the field too. That's probably part of the problem in my not being able to commit to playing with them. It surely is going to be fun. But since they have a well established side, I'd be affecting the balance if I get to play and / or I might not get to play enough. So will probably stick with UCC.
Saturday morning - 9am - 5pm -> Cricket match with Covansys. We scored 147 in 30 overs and lost in the last over of the match.
Saturday 9pm - 10pm -> Interesting game of Pool
Saturday 11pm - 2pm -> Watched MI-3. Had read good reviews and as far as I'm concerned it lived up to the hype. Some of my friends weren't that pleased. Some nice scenes that I really loved. Some laughable scenes like the one where he jumps of the building and then swings onto another like Spiderman and the way they try to defend it by giving some scientific fundas - fulcrum or lever or something like that. Overall liked the movie - it's always tough for the sequels to live upto the prequels and add something. But MI-III did a pretty good job at it I thought.
Sunday 8am - Leave for the ground since the match was supposed to start at 9am. I was playing for a new team in which some of my friends play for - this was a really strong team with some of the players playing in the league for the last 15 years. So I was very much like a fill in player expected to do nothing but field in a position where there are least number of balls expected to go for. The first match turned out very much that way - we fielded first (I fielded about 10 balls max). We bowled out the opponents for 92 and chased them in 15 overs (20 over a side game).
Sunday 1pm - Go to a Dosa place and have a hearty meal - A Dosa Thali (Idly, 2 Vadas, Onion and Hot Chilly Masala Dosa, Gulab Jamun) and come back to the ground to watch a run feast in another game going on in the tournament. By the way the matches played on Sunday was part of a Invitation Only tournament played between some of the top teams in Ohio. Laze around on the grass watching the game and try and catch a few winks in between all the noise around. Team batting first (Cleveland) ends up scoring 198 runs in 20 overs with mabe a zillion sixes in them and a 20-30 dropped catches. Team batting second obviously doesn't measure up to the task and gets bowled out for under a 100.
Sunday 4:30pm - Finally our second match gets under way. We were hoping to bat first to give ourselves some rest - we were still tired from the previous game. We lost the toss and we put into field. Cleveland get off to an amazing start - 45/2 in 6. Batsman then makes the mistake Aamir Sohail made against Venky Prasad. Tries to instigate the bowler. War of words ensues. Every Tom Dick n Harry gets involved and the next few deliveries were amazing. Fun to watch from such close quarters. Every ball that the batsman missed or defended was met with more and more words from the fielding side. It finally got to the Batsman and he tried to hit his way out and gets caught at Mid-wicket. This triggers off an amazing collapse - 74/8. Somehow with a few missed run outs and some great running, Cleveland manage to reach 97.
Our batting starts and as expected - I don't expect to bat atleast not close to the end. Team gets off to a slow but steady start. 30/0 in about 8 overs. As the runs begin to dry out, our team starts panicking and we loose wickets in a hurry. I was just lazing around on the grass when I suddenly am told am the next to go. We've suddenly lost 3 wickets in a hurry and we have no one else padded up. My god, my gloves and abdomen guard are in the car. I run to the car and somehow manage to get the stuff in and I realize the batsman who just went in is also out. I've just about got my Pads on. I ask Kirti if there's a good team bat I can use since I haven't played in this team before and didn't want to take someone's personal bat and go out to play. He asks if a heavy bat is fine. Do I have a choice? I say yeah that's fine just because I wanted to go with some bat and not have to bat without a bat. I get the gloves on but as I'm trying to get my sweat shirt off, the gloves get stuck. I am making a big fool of myself and in all this people from the ground are shouting for me and probably laughing their asses off at the mess that I'm in.
Bad start to the Innings a? You bet. Get off to a nervous start with a LBW appeal and a dropped catch. Before I know it, my partner's tried to hit his way out and got out. Now we are in a precarious situation. 2 wickets left. 40 to 30 balls. My new partner has a tough time with the short pitch bowling that is dished out. We get only 2 runs in the over. 38 in 4. The new bowler tries the same short pitch stuff against me with no cover at deep square leg - result 4. More short deliveries and now b'cos there is cover there - a few 1s and 2s. 27 in 3. Doesn't sound so bad. But with just 2 wickets in hand - pretty dangerous situation.
Isko short mat daalna. Sirf usko short daalo. Next ball - Dance down the wicket take the ball on the full and the sweetest four. And did I forget to tell you. The bat was really heavy. I was in fact upto that point thinking of asking for a bat change. But after that shot - no way. A few more 2s trying to retain strike - some crazy run thanks to my partner who was willing to sacrifice his wicket to keep me on strike and we end up with 18 in 2. Some misfields on the line and some more quick runs later - we are at 10 of 1. Comes down to 6 of 4, 4 of 3, 2 off 2. Get hit on the pads - ball is close to the keeper and my partner wants a single. Decide not to take a chance since I still had another ball to get the 2 runs in. Last ball - hit to long on. In trying for the second run - partner gets run out. Match is a tie. Since we were already into the semis and my team wanted to be in the second in the group due to their wanting to play a particular team in the Semis, it worked out well. We came second in the group due to a lower run rate but also avoided losing the match. :-)
Match finally got over at like 7:30pm - Still a lot of light around. The atmosphere when we went from the brink of loosing to almost winning the match was amazing - really charged up because of the incident that happened while we were fielding. After the match, sat around chatting about nothing in particular for an hour or so after the game over a couple of beers and overall had fun. Looking forward to more such fun-filled games where I fill in and have fun. :-)
OSU is a real good team to play in. Play real hard Cricket on the field. They are really competitive. Every game is either a match to be won and also a match with an eye towards practice for key players in coming matches/tournaments. Fun to be with off the field too. That's probably part of the problem in my not being able to commit to playing with them. It surely is going to be fun. But since they have a well established side, I'd be affecting the balance if I get to play and / or I might not get to play enough. So will probably stick with UCC.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Just read about some research that drinking coffee puts you in a much better mood and activates the central nervous system to be more receptive to arguments. Maybe the Indian youth have caught on to this. That must be why Coffee Day and other coffee shops in Bangalore are having a field day. So want to pop the question - do it in Coffee Day after 2-3 rounds of Coffee.
On my trip to India in November, had a tough time finding a seat in a Coffee shop on a week day afternoon. I was wondering at the time, what's gotten to these kids in Bangalore. Now it all makes sense.
I never was a big coffee drinker. Maybe it's time to make a change.
On my trip to India in November, had a tough time finding a seat in a Coffee shop on a week day afternoon. I was wondering at the time, what's gotten to these kids in Bangalore. Now it all makes sense.
I never was a big coffee drinker. Maybe it's time to make a change.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Go'sipping
What is Go'sipping?
It is a game very much prevalent across the Central Ohio region esp among Desis. Person A starts of with an empty glass and pours drink a into it and passes it onto B. B takes a sip of it, adds drink b to it and and passes it on. By the time, it reaches person Z, it's a brand new Cocktail. The drinks added alternate b/n an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic drink. Person Z has to gulp the entire drink down in one go.
The transformation that takes place from Drink A to the ultimate cocktail is really amazing with each person in between adding his own twists of punch into it. Since there is only one guy (the last guy) who has to gulp the drink down, people do their level best to make it as hard on him as possible. The sadists that most bl#@$y De$i$ are, who cares how difficult it is for that guy to gulp it down or even if the guy is a drinker or not? It's fun to see a fellow de$i suffer rite.
Any similarity of the above game (noun) to a similar sounding verb (esp from a Mallu) is purely co-incidental and un-intentional. The author bears no ill-feelings towards people A-Y during the last instance of this game since he sympathises with them and understands their frustrations in life. And anyway the author loved the drink. Thank you!!!
Coming up!!! Description of Bulls' hitting - a game similar to the famed Bull fighting.
It is a game very much prevalent across the Central Ohio region esp among Desis. Person A starts of with an empty glass and pours drink a into it and passes it onto B. B takes a sip of it, adds drink b to it and and passes it on. By the time, it reaches person Z, it's a brand new Cocktail. The drinks added alternate b/n an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic drink. Person Z has to gulp the entire drink down in one go.
The transformation that takes place from Drink A to the ultimate cocktail is really amazing with each person in between adding his own twists of punch into it. Since there is only one guy (the last guy) who has to gulp the drink down, people do their level best to make it as hard on him as possible. The sadists that most bl#@$y De$i$ are, who cares how difficult it is for that guy to gulp it down or even if the guy is a drinker or not? It's fun to see a fellow de$i suffer rite.
Any similarity of the above game (noun) to a similar sounding verb (esp from a Mallu) is purely co-incidental and un-intentional. The author bears no ill-feelings towards people A-Y during the last instance of this game since he sympathises with them and understands their frustrations in life. And anyway the author loved the drink. Thank you!!!
Coming up!!! Description of Bulls' hitting - a game similar to the famed Bull fighting.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Moving up in life!!!
After 2+ years in Win Cove Condos, last weekend moved to another Apt. It wasn't like I liked it that much in Winchester Cove. It was my laziness to move all the furniture and clean up the place that kept me there for this long. And when it finally did happen, I was forced into it by the bloody ol' b#$$@ refusing to extend the lease.
Anyway despite the humungous effort in moving all the furniture and cleaning up the mess of 2 years, looks like it worked out well. Although the new apartment is not as New as the Older one :-), it has an amazing pond-side balcony view where ducks flock to our side of the apartment and are a treat to watch. Here are some photos of that view.
As I keep saying these days, balcony, balcony ke aage garden, garden ke aage pond, pond mein bahut sare machli. Maybe I'll do some fishing one of these days.
And why is it moving up in life. Well, first floor to second floor is moving up rite.
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