Going to USA

I'll be leaving for US on 30th Dec. So all those guys nearby Charlotte NC, mail me the contact numbers and we can meet up soon.

Ways to live

This is the time of the year when we think of life and times ahead. The kind of time when even timid like me start thinking of changing the ways we live. Accordingly I have been thinking of some exciting careers. Some of the fun/adventurous/ no-work work lines I can suggest are:
1. Professional Protester
2. Photographer with National Geographic
3. Active Volcano hiker
4. Storm Chaser (with free plane and rides)
5. Scuba diver
6. Sky Diver
7. School Teacher
8. Wine / beer taster
9. Day Watchman in a night club
10. Food Critic
11. Stock Market commentator
12. Free fall train operator? (does (s)he get to ride the train too? )

You can add your ideas

Season's Greetings

Its the time of the year when Xmas and Hanukkah are celebrated. The impending new year brings cheer to people. Its also the time of get together and parties and holidays taken.
All those who are vacationing or otherwise having fun- Season's Greetings and Happy holidays.
To those who are not- what are you waiting for? Go out, go and have fun.

Plenty of Action, no nothing to report

The week proved to be quite exciting for newspapers. Indians managed a comprehensive win in South Africa, Jessica Lall case finally ended with Justice done, Asian games ended, Lalu got acquitted in disproportionate assets case, Discovery had another launch and so on.
On personal front, or rather my professional front, new developments taking place which I'll update on once things clear up. Suffice to say that a city change is strongly in making for me and that should be exciting.
All in all an eventful few days. Still I hardly had anything insightful to say so kept quiet. After all whats the fun in a news blog posting? As it is we have a surfeit of news in our lives even if its mere salacious fact/opinion reading that mostly goes for news on our news channels. But then why not? Why should I decide what should be reported and what not? If the majority find it boring, they won't watch/read it and the media house go out of business.
Even blogging has this crisis of confidence. Many people pass sarcastic comments as to how Blogosphere is now mostly a teen diary capturing details of teeth brushing in morning and brand of chocolate eaten in the night. I wonder why should it not be so. So long as no one is forcing me to read any particular blog, why not take it as a rather harmless channelization of excess energy? It harms no one and at least the writer sleeps well in the night after the post.
The question is really fundamental. Should 'taste' or 'goodness' be defined by someone or a group or even the majority for everybody. Especially in something like print on web were you only pick up what you choose to see. Yes there is noise that comes across which one can filter. Why not let individual freedom range unhindered at least here?

Hiatus unhitched

Life of late has been hectic, interesting and depressing at the same time. Lots of things happening on my end and still hardly much happens. Ah lets chuck the life stories and talk of something interesting.
I have been blogging a while now. Most of it is mere recap of mundane or erratic wanderings of the mind, along with an occasional interesting idea. Today I just recount something that is supposed to be serious but came across as funny to us comic techies.
The company did a fire drill today, yippy. Last time this happened I remember I was good enough to grab a mug of tea before strolling out to the assembly area and watches the water games over glass buildings with interest while sipping tea and enjoying the winter sun.
This time however the timing caught me. Just before 12, a time when one starts thinking of lunch is not the best time to grab tea. So I had to venture out with no prop in sight. One thing I never did understand is that why with a wide road 30 ft from my building do I have to not take it and in fact traverse a 100m or so, going on the sides of potentially blazing buildings and go to a "high" area. Ne ways, whats to be done is to be done and there we were all out in a cramped lawn under a hot December sun (sun IS hot this December). Then the fun started.
The guy with the mike - yup there was one, i believe some security firm guy wielding it with the enthusiasm of a new poll fray entrant. The guy told us how God almighty is on our sides because we take precautions and how well trained the volunteers and he will now burn *sound drop* after sprinkling petrol and have it doused. Yeah we all wait to see him attempt some fire jumping stunt.
Did I tell earlier that the place was crowded. Yup checked, I did. So all i can see from my safe distance is a huge flame, sorry no one it it, maybe except few newspapers (i tell you TOI should improve its article quality). And then a huge column of fire retardant being sent up in space. Now why should the fire retardant be sent up when the flame is on the ground beats me, but then I am a mere software guy no security expert. Ah as it turns out nothing much there but then the mike comes alive.
There is a lot of commotion but a very emotional voice exhorting the crowd in the name of God almighty thanking God and invoking oaths in HIS name to fight oppression, tyranny and fire all over the world or something like it. Why God should come into it is again a bit thick to atheists like me but I did see some very enthusiastic crowd cheering God and clapping for the speaker. Then came the hose guys. I merely mean the fire hose wielding guys. Last time they washed my building clean but this time it was just a very confused 'why rains in the sun' tree. More clapping, disappointment at no one attempting a rain dance and more invocations to the God.
I have a hunch that it must be a going to poll in a God fearing town, VP of a firm, egged on my hoping for a raise subordinations who was wielding the mike. It was almost fun but for the sound drop outs. Imagine some serious guy hearing "put your finger in the socket, get electrocuted" where the beginning "don't" and the somewhere in the middle "and you might" were inaudible, taking this to be God's prophet's command went ahead and did it?. On the bright side I can do with Thursday off.
Anyways, it was getting too hot outside so at this point I troop back to the old seat.
I do think that 3:00 pm is the ideal time for such drills. Just the time of the day when one looks for excitement in life. Wonder what if there is an actual fire. Will people still troop so casually. Should we test our stampede preparedness by throwing in a few smoke cans next time we drill. That should come across as real fun.