Different kinds of creatures on Orkut

Yes, I don't have anything better to write (or rather type). So what the heck? This is my blog. I would type whatever I like. If you don't want to read it, get the hell out of here.

So, if have come to this line, it means that my blog interests you. So go ahead read on.

Saturday night I have nothing better to do, so I started browsing random profiles on Orkut. Though frankly speaking (or rather typing :D ) I occasionally this site to respond to my friend's scraps. But today's intention to visit the site was different. I had time to kill and I decided to visit random profiles just to check how people make others view their self portrayed image.

Some creatures( I actually mean many creatures) login to orkut to find where their friends are and what is going on in their personal life. I don't understand what pleasure do they get doing so.

Some just upload 100s of photographs depicting them standing next to some great monument. Some with fascinating cars or bikes. Some with their girl friends or wives. And the captions go like these - "Me at Times Square", "Holiday in Las Vegas", "With my better half", "My new car" or "Prized Possession" (to tell ya that the car is expensive), "Birthday in London". Some for the fear of getting their pictures posted on "obscene profiles" just upload celebs snaps or postcard snaps.

Then there are those people who like to tell everyone what they are doing as if anyone cares. Like our Mr. A who has mentioned that he in on a world tour. He hasn't failed to mentioned that he is making everyone jealous. Miss B will mention that no random friend requests are accepted. Mr. C will talk about his latest adventure in some exotic country. Mr. D will put some poetry in their "about me" section describing how much he is in pain. Mr. E will post some random job openings. Mr. F will talk about the latest orkut screen.

Some creatures will keep changing locations and statuses to tell people that they are abroad. Some interesting statuses - "Back to the States" or "Bangkok calling".

No matter for what purpose do people login to these so called social networking sites, these sites will make sure that people waste enough time on these to generate revenues for them.

PS: The writer doesn't intend to offend anyone here. In fact, the writer confesses to be part of some categories described here. :D

Some more movies

• The Ruins - A group of friends visit an old temple in deep forest only to find that it was not a proper picnic place. The bushes in the ruins were evil and very soon they find that it is impossible to leave the premises. Ratings: 5/10
  
  

• The Bucket List - A drama which unfolds with Jack and Morgan lying on hospital beds in the same room. They have very few months with them. They decided to enjoy the time doing things they always wanted to do. The movie also takes you to The Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal looked very beautiful. I also liked the conversations between Jack and his PA, Thomas. Ratings: 8/10
  
  
• Batman Begins - A good movie to watch if you like the superhero movies. It is surely better than the Spiderman and the Superman. Moreover, the lead actress is Katie Holmes. If you are planning to watch The Dark Knight, it is advisable to watch this movie before watching the former. This shows the story of Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. Ratings: 7/10
  
  
• Zombie Strippers - The worst movie I had seen recently. This movie is a proof that even Hollywood can make non-sense movies. No story, no characters, no sense at all. Instead, watch Gunda one more time. :D Ratings: 1/10
  

Movies I watched this weekend

• 21 - a story of a group of students from MIT who tried to make a fortune in the sin city, Las Vegas. This is based on a true story, however some parts were fictitious. If you want to read interesting facts about the movie, go to IMDB. Ratings: 7/10
  
  
• Pathology - story about a freak game between forensic doctors. The game is about killing any random person and the ease of getting away with it. The doctors used novel ways to kill someone and made others to guess the modus operandi. Ratings: 6/10
  
  
• Hancock - A very unpopular superhero who meets a PR executive willing to work on improving his public image. The superhero discovers something about the PR exec's wife, who can be a threat to his existence in a different way. I wanted to watch this movie for one more reason - it has been shot in downtown LA, where I stayed for a month. Ratings: 6/10
  
  
• Untraceable - The best pyscho movie I watched this weekend. The killer broadcasts the killing on the internet live. As the number of viewers increases, the death expedites. The ending could have been better. Still it deserves a good rating. Ratings: 8/10
  
  
• Chaos Theory - A highly organized man finds out that everything in life cannot be planned. Ryan Reynolds in a very different role than Van Wilder. A very different movie. Ratings: 6/10
  
  
• Apna Sapna Money Money - Ritesh Deshmukh trying to do another Bluffmaster. He is a con man who tries to help his friend Shreyas Talpade who in turn helps his "poor", "desperately needing money" friends. Watch this movie if you like to watch Riya Sen, Koena Mitra or Celina Jaitley. Ratings: 4/10
  
  
• College Road Trip - Watch this movie if you don't have anything better to do. A super boring and time wasting movie. I should have known by seeing "Raven" from the Disney channel in the movie. I really admired Chris Tucker before watching this movie. Ratings: 2/10
  
  
• The Prestige - A very good direction and screenplay. Slow in the beginning, but keeps you involved. Shows how rivalry between two fellow magicians have dire consequences. Superb ending. Nice magic tricks. Ratings: 9/10
  
  
  

CFA level 1 cleared

It was always on my wish list ever since I joined Headstrong. There were dozens of people writing this exam, but only few managed to pass. I was betting on not only the money, but on the time too. The stake was too much - almost Rs. 90000, 6 weeks and two onsite assignments. I am not counting the numerous movies I could have watched during this time.

29th July, 2008
The entire month of July went very hectic for me. I was away from family and friends on my birthday, worked on weekends, slept for less than 7 hrs on most of the days ! I was relieved to get released from the project (after completing the work I was assigned). On 28th July, I left Los Angeles. I stayed in Hong Kong for a day. I almost forgot the 29th July D-day. I was at the HKIA airport, when my mom called me and asked me about my result. I had forgotten the password to login to the site! I hurriedly reset the password and logged in to see that I have cleared the exam. Here is the snapshot of my result:


I have scored the maximum marks in the dreaded FSA (Financial Statement Analysis) :D. This result was worth taking the risks. I am happy. I feel satisfied. July ended well for me.

Hotels around the world

Temenos, a private rental property in Anguilla, consists of three villas that uses white and spare elements to bring the attention to the beautiful Caribbean surroundings.

***********

Schloss Velden, located in Austria, is a combination of old and new. The historic castle is the focal point from the view of the new modern wing.

***********

Asaba, a 19-room inn in Shuzenji, Japan pays homage to traditional Japanese architecture and landscaping: guests must pass through a Meiji-period gate into a gravel courtyard before entering the inn.

***********

Cocoa Island's 23-room hotel that features suites resembling local dhoni fishing boats that are anchored to the ocean floor with pine poles. Best feature? Steps in the back of each suite/boat lead right into the water. Located in the Maldives.

***********

Washington D.C.'s Park Hyatt Hotel celebrates one of its finest springtime treasures: cherry blossoms. Taking cues from nature, this hotel has one of the prettiest pink tile backdrops paired with warm wood, making this modern lobby particularly inviting.

***********

Hollywood Sign

The hollywood sign - everybody knows about this. The sign was visible from my hotel room in LA. Though not this clear, but yes anyone could read out the letters: H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D

Birthday special

This was the longest birthday I witnessed in my life. Wishes started coming right at Singapore morning time and ended at LA night time, which is 15 hrs behind Singapore time. Some were expected some were unexpected. Though, the orkut server was down for about 5 hrs, I managed to respond to every wish today itself. This is a big thing for me. I normally resist typing messages. :D
So, what did I do today. Nothing special - almost about to finish the work I was assigned. I was literally slogging for the last one month here. Only, few tit bits are left. I would be leaving in the next week for India.
The most important thing - I just ditched a long term US opportunity with a client with whom I always wanted to work and at a place I like. The reason - personal and professional. For now, I just want to be in India for sometime, take up a hobby and start learning German, again :p
This particular choice can change a lot of things in my life and I am aware of that. This is a conscious decision. Lets hope, I am not pushed for this project.
A few more days and I would be in India.
Good bye to the $22 breakfast.
Good bye to the suite on the 25th floor.
Good bye to the Heavenly Bed.
Good bye to the Starbucks coffee.
Good bye to the Hollywood sign that I could see right from my room.
Good bye to the complimentary 54mbps internet connection.
Good bye to the waking up early. :D

Signing off,
Cheers,
Sachin

My daily routine

6:30 AM - Wake Up
7:30 AM - breakfast
8:00 AM - Office
12:00 PM - Lunch
7:30 PM - Leave office
8:15 PM - Dinner
9:30 PM - come back to hotel
10:00 PM - South Park / Byomkesh Bakshi ; doze off watching it

I have got fudging tired with this. I don't feel like doing anything else. No friends, no movies, no time for urself. Fudging weak dude. I hope this will soon get over peacefully.

Sleepless in LA

So, what if you have a King size bed in a luxurious suite in a hotel in downtown, if you can't sleep. Its been two days in LA and I hadn't had good sleep. In the last week, I hardly slept 4 hrs a day. Initially, it was the packing, then the journey and now the jet lag. I have tried it all - watched South Park, Friends, spoke to my friends, read Tintin, had a bath, ate to full capacity, surfed the internet, and adjusted the room temperature a 100 times. Why the hell I am not feeling sleepy?
And now I am writing the blog. Why don't I understand that I have to reach office by 7:30 in the morning. :(
I will now count the sheep as suggested by Mr. Bean in one of his episodes. :D
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Heated Economy

A few minutes back reports of 11% inflation broke. It has broken all records for the past 13 years. The markets have crashed. Its a pity that the ones who would be affected the most (BPL families) don't have enough means to bear this.

What is inflation?

• % change in the CPI(consumer price index) over the last year.
• compares the price levels of current year with the previous year.
• can be either "cost push" or "demand pull".
• In India, the figures published are for wholesale CPI( the CPI basket consists of only some products). The actual inflation is around 3 times, according to some analysts.
• The worst effect is that the value of money decreases as the inflation increases.
  

Lets hope that RBI and the Government will take some quick steps to control inflation.

Some trivia:

• Highest inflation - Zimbabwe 11000%
• Seychelles and Barbados actually have negative inflation.
• In US, the inflation currently is around 4.2%
• In India, the current inflation rate is 11%, highest in last 13 years.
  

Titbits

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Lamborghini Diablo for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (literally)
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Called in sick when you were not ill(many times :D )
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath (showers do count)
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer (I do right now)
49. Visited all 50 states/every county
50. Loved your job
51. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country(I have the pics too)
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud.
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Swordfought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Been arrested
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so wasted you don't remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to Las Vegas
111. Recorded music
112. Written your own role playing game
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congress person/Member of Parliament
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. ...more than once?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge/Q E II Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking (all the time)
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Pet a stingray
145. Broken someone's heart?
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Been a DJ
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Dyed your hair
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Pet a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
183. ...and gotten 86'ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch (nobody's taught me anything about photography or playing guitar)
185. Bunked school.
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Been bald.
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196: Dyed your hair
197: Fought with your neighbor.
198: Abused your Boss.
199: Played a prank at someone.
200: Built your own PC from parts.

Baz Luhrmann - Sunscreen song

This song is really very beautiful. It was published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997. The most popular version was released in 1999 as a music single by Baz Luhrmann. If you wanna listen to this song on you tube,click here.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
Wear sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you've been hurting, and I know I've been waiting to be there
for you. And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you've been hurting, and I know I've been waiting to be there
for you. And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)

ब्लॉग हिन्दी में

मैं हिन्दी में भी वेब पर लिख सकता हूँ । मैं हिन्दी में भी पोस्ट करता रहूँगा । यह बहुत ही मस्त है । क्या आपको ऐसा लग रहा है की मैं डिस्कवरी चैनल पर कमेंट्री करने जा रहा हूँ। ऐसा नहीं है। मैं तो ऐसे ही हिन्दी में लिखने का प्रयास कर रहा था।

TGIF (Thank God its Friday) :D

Thursday is coming to an end. Though I had some plans for the weekend with Saurabh and other friends, but I think he will arrive on Saturday. Lets hope for a pleasant weather on the weekend.

Have a couple of things lined up for Friday. Have to finish off early and leave. :D. Comes Friday and I miss the FDLS (first day last show) with Madhura or a mid night buffet with her and Sid.

It started drizzling here today, wanna go for a long drive. I remember the last time I did this was when I was in college. Have to go to Prashant's house, not a long drive though, but yes in Bangalore even a short FBT( fetch bread trip) will take at least half an hour.

Will write reviews for some movies I watched this week - Jerry Maguire, Spirited Away(Japan, animated), Gone baby gone, 10,000 BC, Perfume - The story of a murderer
Yes, I watch hell lot of movies. :D

First Public Blog

So, finally I started blogging publicly. Yes, I don't have anything better to do. Its not the first time I am blogging. I have been blogging for some time now, but that blog is private and serves as a diary for me.

Why I started blogging?

• To kill time.
  
• Its kinda kewl.
• To shun my laziness to type.
• Gives me an opportunity to kick someone's ass. :D
• Document my thoughts and share them with you.
  

BTW, I don't give a fudge whether you write comments or not. :D

Why should you visit my blog?

• Because its MY blog.
  
• Its kinda kewl.
• There are some good widgets you can use. ( I will keep adding new.)
• I swear (by you) to write some "meaningful" posts.

Read my blogs if you

• have nothing else to do.
• are kewl (Is this a cliche?).
• want to kill time.
• are "really" interested.