It wasnt me.

The Jan Lokpal Bill

2011-04-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Tehelka's Shoma Chaudhury expostulates on the controversial JLP Bill

A wonderfully articulated take on the bill that is making the headlines.

A lot of people have been expressing opinions at both ends of the spectrum about this bill, but none so far have come close to suggesting a solution to the problem. Is corruption just the way things are? Is a sense of morality that precludes corruption/bribery an idealistic and unrealistic world-view?

I need to go get a beer.

Existential stuff

2011-04-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Getting it right the first time

An entry from my friend's blog. I think he expresses the state of mind of a lot of us, when it comes to taking "risks" in life.

A couple of dodgy topics

2010-08-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

In the past three days, a couple of grey areas have surfaced around me.

First, there was an unethical wildlife tourism practice that was debated on a conservation mailing list. The page has since been pulled down by Mahindra, but here's a cached copy as it appeared 3 days ago.

Some might feel that this is a grey area, but I feel that baiting/feeding wildlife for tourism purposes sets a dangerous precedent and should hence be nipped in the bud.

While this debate was playing out, I started noticing a particular ad very often on facebook. Here's a screenshot

When I just heard from a couple of others that they've been seeing the same ad recently, it seemed like too much of a coincidence.

But then, if you look at this and put it in perspective, it is scary. This is eerily accurate ad-targetting online.

George Orwell was right. He just got the year wrong !

insomnia

2010-08-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

Recovering from a viral fever and cold. Slept through all of yesterday and most of today. And now wide awake with a sore throat and being hassled by koels and barn owls.

Living amidst birds & vegetation is not so good when you are trying to catch some shuteye.

Thank you Mr Kalmadi

2010-08-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in Bangalore, there was this vast stretch of marshy land dotted with lakes. It was a haven for all manner of aquatic life. Now there was one particular piece of marsh right in the middle of this place. A vast stretch of soggy, marshy land that was a lair for many aquatic birds. It even hosted migrants such as the endangered Siberian crane. Residents of the area recognized the privilege and kept their peace. Until one fine day in 1997, something terrible happened - Mr Suresh Kalmadi.

Unfortunately, Bangalore was chosen to host the National Games. And this entire ecosystem was to be wiped out to build accommodation for the athletes. The usual cycle of civil protest happened - walks, petitions, letters to editors - to no avail. The marsh was summarily land-filled and a hideous monstrosity of an apartment complex was quickly put up.

A decade hence. There are fewer lakes and more malls in the area. The athletes came and went. The birds went and never came. The hideous monstrosity remains hideous. Its called the National Games Village and the area is Koramangala.

PS: Thank you Mr Kalmadi for inflicting the same vandalism on other cities. Those of us who have a long memory expected nothing better from you.

The Commonwealth games

2010-07-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ah, the Commonwealth Games!

Oh the excitement! The anticipation!

The greatest show on earth ( after the Olympics, Asiad, Winter Olympics, FIFA WC, IPL, EPL, UEFA Champions League, Malleshwaram-Chamrajpet tennis ball tournament and the Undertaker-Rock Steel Cage Match ) is coming to India.

The greatest sporting nations in the world ( except the US, China, Russia, France, Germany, most of South America and... well, most of the world ) will send their most celebrated athletes ( except Jamaica whose sprinters have pedicure appointments... and Britain who value their athletes' lives and digestive systems... and Pakistan who are "our valued tourist visa applicants, kindly hold the line"... and Spain who arent good at much else besides football and weren't invited anyway... and... ) to parade their stuff in packed stadia and on millions of televisions. Its a minor detail that the stadia will be packed with empty seats and construction material and that the televisions will mostly be tuned to Rakhi Sawant's karwa-chauth.

Come on, you people, stop kidding yourselves. There are so many reasons why the Commonwealth Games are a bad idea.

To begin with, India does not have a culture of sports. There's a reason why we only excel at a game where you can legally appoint someone else to run for you.( See, thats where this outsourcing thing started ) Ergo, we don't have too many champions (yet) in most of the events. So, there won't be enough spectator interest for most of the events. This will also dampen the grandeur of the television show and harm the commercial viability of the exercise.

Secondly, New Delhi? Of all places? The clowns there haven't gotten a good patch of grass going in the cricket stadium for decades now. Without delving into reasons, suffice it to say that problems cannot be solved by the same people who created them in the first place.

Thirdly, India? You ask why not? Terrorism. Most of the big names are giving it a miss as they value their left eye more than their bronze medals. Of course its preposterous to suggest that there will be security lapses, with all those committees thinking otherwise. But do you blame the athletes for choosing to play safe rather than play a harp wearing all-white and a halo ?

Fourthly, there's this little matter of an India-Australia Test series at the same time. Need I say more?

This ego trip for some bureaucrats is going to hurt us in many ways. Tax payers will end up footing the bill for a badly organized jamboree. The organization will be sub-standard and will hurt the nation's image and jeopardize our bids to host big-ticket events like the Asiad in future. With due respect to the super-patriots, the few billion dollars that will be burned, could've been put to better use. In fact, we could've bought a couple of the Commonwealth nations with that kind of money.

Birds from the balcony

2010-07-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Watched a strikingly beautiful shikra in action yesterday from the terrace.

Just spotted two owls hovering around my place tonight. Judging by the calls and the size, they seemed to be barn owls.

Maybe its time to get our locality notified as a biodiversity hotspot!

Sachin Tendulkar

2010-02-25T00:27:00.000-08:00

It really doesn't matter what me (or a billion other individuals) think about him, but we cannot but rise and applaud a piece of fine craftsmanship when we witness it. Bravo Sachin!

Have to confess though that I backed Sehwag to get a double hundred more than Sachin. Sehwag's no-holds-barred game seems more suited for such a megalithic knock than Sachin's controlled-aggression approach. But the manner in which Sachin went about constructing his inning yday, a surgeon's scalpel or a sculptor's mallet seemed a more appropriate metaphor than a battle-axe. Achieving such heights of athletic excellence with intelligence rather than instinct, is something new and difficult to comprehend.

Like they say, "Genius does what it must; and then the critics come and analyze"

Now, lets anticipate the chase-down from Sehwag, Dilshan and AB !

private note

2010-02-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

Met three interesting people over the last one week. An entrepreneur, an intrapreneur and a patent attorney. Meetings reaffirmed how perspectives are tinted by one's personal biases.

The intrapreneur raised several if's about the biz plan, and in general sounded risk-averse. He emphasized the strategy part several times.

The entrepreneur was gung-ho about the long-term prospects, and tended to downplay specific aspects of the roadmap. Emphasized the tactics more than the strategy.

The patent attorney was all in favor of protecting core parts of the concept with IP. A defensive approach, intended to raise money "atleast" by selling IP, if the business doesnt work.

Wonder how tough it is to evaluate advice objectively... Hmm...

blast from the past

2010-01-25T10:20:00.001-08:00

When Chappell-gate happened, I had commented that Indian Cricket is in safe hands because nobody wants to kill the goose that lays golden eggs. What I didnt anticipate was that people would conduct genetic experiments on the poor goose, and force it to lay more eggs more frequently until it became a mess.

The ODI & T20 overdose in the BCCI itinerary is raking in the monies, but it is alienating the true cricket lovers. And no, Test series against Bangladesh dont count. Watching the highlights of today's play wouldnt've pleased a cricket lover. All the Indian batsmen struggled against the short ball. Sehwag & Gambhir perished to it, and Dravid fractured his jaw. I dont expect Yuvraj to do any better tomorrow.

Why is all this relevant? Because the greatest sporting moments transpire when two champions compete. And that is what an enthusiast wants to watch, whether its on television or in the stadium. At the moment, Test cricket is the truest test of a batsman's abilities, and blooding our players in this format is currently the best way to distinguish the champions from the journeymen. Which will ensure that the other "masala" formats too preserve their entertainment quotient.

By not playing enough Test Cricket ( or playing against the minnows ), the administration might end up diluting the quality of the other formats too, eventually losing viewership and hence revenue. BCCI has clout due to the revenues it generates. The time is right to convert some of that financial clout to true leadership. For long-term greed, if not out of a genuine concern for the game.

private note

2010-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

Finally got the numbers sorted out. Feel that the hard part is taken care of.
Implementation is going to be complex, but looking forward to it.
Anyway, we think today that it is doable, so making a note to be revisited later.

Dear Diary ##1

2010-01-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

Trying to be my own boss has been surreal so far. Unless you are a particular kind of individual, the minuses far outweigh the plusses.

1. The buck stops with you. There is no scope for "covering your a$$" and shifting blame. Actions have consequences and they are direct.

2. Time is always shorter than the outstanding work.

3. Being organized and meticulous seems to be paramount.

4. The opportunity seems unbounded one moment and non-existent the next.

5. Originality/Creativity is slightly overrated. Execution is more important.

6. Competition is a moving target.

The positives I've seen so far -

1. Starting at ground zero is liberating. Having no safety-net works wonders on your focus.

2. When you start getting answers in dreams, you are officially obsessed with a problem. Feels kinda good.

3. "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do" - Cap'n Jack Sparrow. Reinforced on a daily basis.

More dreams

2009-09-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have a problem with dreams/nightmares, in that I rarely have any. And when I do have a dream, its invariably one of two genres - An action adventure with me as the protagonist or just about me floating in the air/flying.

So yesterday I read a post on a friend's blog about some strange dream she had, and predictably enough, I had a dream yesterday night. And what was it about? An action adventure on the lines of "The Mummy". I find a secret entrance to an elaborate labyrinth of subterranean passages underneath my Engineering College. And it turns out that it houses priceless antiquities from a bygone era, while also serving as the headquarters of an ancient secret society/cult whose members are adept at paranormal practices. And I have gripping encounters with these guys and finally manage to save the day. I actually woke up with the muscles in my limbs taut, as would happen if I had been watching a gripping movie. I really should've penned it all down while I still remembered every detail of my paranormal thriller dream, because now I remember little outside the broad plot outline.

Note to self: Read more about people's dreams, dream more often and along exciting storylines. And get it all down and documented. Who knows, it could well be the next big book/movie/merchandise franchise, a la a certain Monsieur Potter. I need to find a good ghostwriter soon. And I'm thinking Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Irrfan Khan for the movie franchise.

Different strokes

2009-08-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

Two different encounters with strangers.

The first, while on a nature trail in Maharashtra. A retired army officer who was part of the group, asks me politely - "Are you a HR manager somewhere?". I nod my "No", and ask him what made him think that. And he responds - "You have that air of calm and wisdom about you. That is something I have noticed with people who deal with other people a lot"

The second, closer to home, when I was resting on the park bench after my daily jog. Another uncle who was also perambulating the same trail, stopped and asked me - "Are you an author?". Again, I nod my disagreement and ask him why he felt what he felt. He responds - "You seemed to be in deep contemplation, so I thought maybe you are an author or something, thinking about your work". To put things in a bit of perspective, I was wearing bright orange and blue running tees, shorts and running shoes.

A couple of unusual encounters. Wonder why people associate the intellectual tag with anyone wearing glasses...

So long, Freddie

2009-07-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

Flintoff to retire from Test Cricket

Hmm... What took you so long, Freddie? You should have "listened to your body" as soon as you signed that million pound contract with the Chennai Super Kings.

Now your sudden decision will be the only reason why the Pommies will lose disgracefully to an Aussie team whose entire bowling attack is making an Ashes debut.

I cannot help recalling what Krish Srikkanth wrote about you when you came onto the scene in '98. He said -

" Andrew Flintoff is being compared to the great Ian Botham so soon after he has burst onto the scene. He is nowhere near the class of Botham and will not have a cricketing record anywhere near Botham's by the time he is done"

- or something to that effect.
I thought that was a bit harsh at the time, but the stats speak for themselves. To quote Vince Lombardi,

" The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will."

I thought that the ability was never lacking; what was missing was the desire and the will. The desire to become a genuine all-rounder who can turn a game with either bat or ball. That is what Ian Botham could do. And what Imran Khan modelled himself to be, towards the end of his career. But you were never a serious threat with the bat. The temperament to concede the bowler a good spell, and guts it out in the middle, was rarely on display. And just like Kapil Dev, you were content to be considered a bowling-allrounder; batting was just some fun in the middle.

And, if u really considered yourself a bowler first, and a fast bowler at that, you never showed the discipline and professionalism to take care of the body. If you had listened to your body more often, you might atleast have prolonged your lucrative T20 career a bit more. ( Maybe that is the cunning plan now? ) And also avoided embarrassing comparisons to used automobiles.

Indian Stock Markets - an analysis of the analysts

2009-06-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Statutory warning/disclaimer: All characters appearing below are fictitious. They are not modeled after any real world individuals. Even if they are, I am not admitting that here. But they are not. Though their names might rhyme with some real world characters with same surnames. That's just a coincidence. God promise.

Scene: Studio of CNBC-TV18, India's premier business channel. 11:00 IST on a normal trading day in the markets. The anchor, one of the few on Indian television with a stable emotional quotient, is running a phone-in investment advisory show. The advisors on the show are the heavyweights of Indian Investing, each with his/her own unique methodology. The heavy lingo is subtexted and parenthesized for the layperson where appropriate.

Udayan Mukherji : Markets are moving sideways today, and might remain range-bound until the news flows consolidate and the new momentum leaders emerge.
( stocks are moving up and down. Some are moving up and some are moving down. I have no clue why, but I am sure that some stocks will continue to move up and down and I dare you to prove me wrong. )

Lets take a caller now. Please go ahead with your question now, ma'am.

Unsuspecting Caller : Sir, I have bought 1000 stocks of Super Hit Info Tech Ltd at 500Rs each. Now the stock is trading at 20Rs. What should I do?

(The correct answer to this question would be - "You got screwed. It happens to most clueless investors in the stock markets. Accept that reality and move on to better things in life". But the "experts" couldn't say that. )

Lotmany Gujral: If u look at the stock curve for SHIT Ltd, you will see a pattern emerging. The 30 day moving average dropped from 36 to 24. If it rises to 36, it will form a typical Pamela Anderson pattern. This pattern indicates large volumes and rapid rise not based on fundamentals. One may ride this upsurge to book large profits.
(Technical Analysis, Shmechnical Analysis. I have no clue. Never had one. Anyway, why are you even asking me? I've never got a prediction right in my life. Wait! Shit, this is my livelihood and I am too unfit for any physical labour! I take that all back. Technical Analysis rules. Please keep calling me back on this channel. )

Bhayankar Sharma: Look, it doesnt matter if you are running downhill inside a speeding train which is moving uphill. The fact of the matter is, India is in a secular long term bear market interspersed with brief stints of bull runs. Look what happened with JP Associates. It was once at 1000 levels and now its languishing at 200 levels.
( What makes you think that I will answer a question, any question? I reserve the right to express a tangential opinion on broad macro economics, which I understand better than anyone else. Especially after the event. And I hate the fact that I missed out on the JP Associates story. Damn those bulls! I love myself. I think I might even be in love with myself. I am one sexy stud. Did I trim my moustache right today? )

Amir Arora: Udayan, at the end of the day, the market is always right. The only thing that matters is how much money you took off the table. IT sector is experiencing strong headwinds, but who is to say that they wont reinvent themselves?
( Did I just break my streak of answering every question with some metaphysical mumbo jumbo? Or worse, did I actually give out any real stock recommendations? Guess not... Its all good. )

Rock-esh TunTunwala: I don't think this SHIT ltd is an attractive investment. There are much better investments at current levels. Look at the numbers for Global Soft, it's in the same space, but has a high growth trajectory and cash on books. Its trading at an attractive P/E multiple of 200. Who am I to judge fundamentals? Market is always right.
( I don't own a stake in SHIT Ltd. I do have a stake in Global Soft. That's the only fundamental that matters. I rock, bcos my name is rockesh. )

More Chuck Norris facts

2009-06-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

There's been a spate of Chuck Norris facts all around me; email forwards, twitter updates, facebook status'es... Couldnt resist making some up :)

- Nobody knows Chuck Norris' blood group... because nobody ever made Chuck Norris bleed.

- Chuck Norris doesn't carry a credit card, he always pays by Chuck.

- Chuck Norris doesn't need a deodorant; he never breaks a sweat.

- Chuck Norris doesn't use a search engine; he knows where everything is.

- Chuck Norris doesnt use any mode of transport; he just leaps and the earth rotates till his destination is beneath him.

- God created Hell so that the baddies could relax after being thrashed by Chuck Norris.

- Lions weren't endangered; until they got into an argument with Chuck Norris about who has better facial hair.

- The earth doesnt rotate; Chuck Norris uses it as a treadmill.

- There are no donkeys in the US; they all know that Chuck Norris likes to whoop some ass.

- When Chuck Norris is in The Matrix, he's not The One; he's The Only One.

- Volcanoes are a myth; sometimes Chuck Norris has too much baked beans.

You pretty wing thing

2009-05-17T03:41:00.001-07:00

P1060038_mod
Originally uploaded by mohanvee

There she is... the finest thing on the wing I knows... A black-winged kite.

Fake player, real rumors

2009-04-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

The insider's view

This blog has been catching on like wildfire in the past few days. At the moment of writing this, there are more followers of this blog than spectators at the 1 PM matches of the IPL.

There have been privately commissioned investigations to uncover the fiend who is washing the Knight Riders' laundry in public. ( It's besides the point that very few self-respecting individuals would want to be seen washing their classy black-and-gold laundry in public ) This fact, in itself, seems to confirm that the author has access to insiders of the KKR camp. It is a fair assumption that the author isn't himself one of the team members - there's too much at stake for the players, especially those of KKR, who are mostly fringe players.

Besides some inside dirt from the KKR camp though, its mostly old wine in new bottles. Most of the personality stereotypes that are reaffirmed, were already known or atleast strongly suspected by those of us who follow the game closely. Kishan Kanhaiya's womanizing ways are the stuff of legends for over 2 decades now. Lordie's aversion for physical exertion and his snooty ways too are well known and well-documented in the media; well, Australian and British media anyways. Also, Lordie's inexplicable preference for Kaan Moolo has been fiercely debated amongst ourselves over the last decade. The explanation progressed from regionalism in team selection to homosexual connotations as our world-view expanded over time. As for Appam Chutiya and Patiala Prince, the author seems to be venting his personal prejudices into these characters of the plot.

In any case, its good fun when taken with the necessary pinch of salt, and I hope the fun and games continue. Personally, I am looking forward to more dirt about the standoff between the coach, the current and former captains and the franchise owner... Cricket and Bollywood, what an idea sirjee!

Bird on the balcony

2009-04-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Alright, I admit... I've been guilty in the past of boasting about the birds that I've sighted from my balcony... the hitlist includes the Golden Oriole, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Shikra & Asian Koel. Still, I was quite unprepared for what happened a couple of days back.

It was a normal evening, and after a hectic schedule of switching channels on the telly, I stepped out into the balcony to get some fresh air... And there's this massive Brown Kite sitting in the balcony. Ten feet away from me. I've seen cobras a couple of feet from my eye, but this was still quite unnerving. Size does matter I guess. Also, the inch long talons, the hooked beak and the beady eyes staring straight into mine.

After a few seconds of gathering my wits, I rushed to get my cam and get some documentation shots of the nocturnal visitor; it was twilight time when this happened. Now the difficult part - driving this dude away. I tried to shoo him, but it seemed like he was old, semi-blind and hard of hearing. He just ignored me. Even when I approached as close as five feet. And I wasn't brave enough to venture any closer. Next I brought out a pole and tried intimidation. He spread out his wings... all five feet of them, and I slunk away humbly. Onto the next tactic - water. Sprinkling a few glasses of water on him elicited an unusual reaction. He spread out his wings and seemed to welcome the cooling shower!

The situation obviously called for the heavy armoury to be unleashed. Back I came with a big bucketful of water and started bombarding him. He took the first few blows manfully in the chest, but the fifth and sixth rounds knocked him off the balcony and he landed awkwardly on the tarmac. It seemed like he was either injured or old or purblind, since he didnt make any efforts to fly away. Instead, he walked (like a vulture) with dignity and positioned himself behind my car, seriously freaking out a couple of dogs lying there. The dogs, who have no problem chasing cars, looked nervously at this dude, unsure whether to attack or retreat. He spread out his wings and hopped towards them, and they retreated, leaving him alone for the rest of the night. My mom tells me that another kite came in the morning and escorted this guy out safely.

A very unusual experience, but somehow I find such close encounters with animals almost spiritual.

The Bang goes out of Bangalore...

2009-02-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Pavitra, sent me this email a few days back... And its both shocking and depressing. On the one hand, there is an easy way out... that of turning completely cynical about the "system", and basically re-arranging your life to avoid such situations... But on the other hand, there is the sinking feeling in the gut that tomorrow it could happen to someone you care about... Because like someone said when asked "How did things reach such a stage?"... "Progressively, by degrees"

If well-connected and affluent individuals cannot seek recourse via enforcement agencies, what chance does a normal individual stand? My first feeling is of helplessness, but I really want to do my bit to make things better... How? I dont know yet...

Here's the email pasted verbatim...

---------------------------------------------
Made my blood boil and sad at the same time ...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sapna Venu Gopal
Date: Feb 15, 2009 1:23 PM
Subject: Read this...and please forward it to everyone you know
To: fernsresidency@yahoogroups.com

Dear all
Please do forward this mail to everyone you know - I ask this not only as a woman and a citizen of India, but also as a mother , since one of the women beaten up by goons and had to courage to sit the whole night and day at the police station till the complaint was accepted is my daughter, and I am proud of her ! They need all the support they can get, since they are up against goons with no scruples and plenty of political clout !

Regards
Jaya

Millionaire slumdogs and how things change.... (read this, for you may have a role to play!) Yes, everything changes.

The fantastic invisible sweep of time rushes and roars past us every dull and intense second that ticks relentlessly away every day, and all around us things constantly morph. Twin towers crumble, good people die, the good earth turns brown and bare, and old love fades.
And what precisely is your role in the incredible kaleidoscope of change?
A slack-jaw by-stander who barely registers the impact and implications?
A commentator spectator who freely critiques but somehow rises above being affected by it all?
A fatalist loser who bemoans everything and blames it all on circumstances and other people?
Look around you, you who reside in the so-called mind and knowledge capital of the shining new India. This is Bangalore. Many of the quiet avenues that used to snake through the wooded shades and fragrant flower-scatters of a thousand gulmohars, flames of the forest, bougenvillias and silver oaks are now shorn of even a single blade of grass, their tar guts upturned by mammoth earth moving equipment, tortured sites full of grime, steel and concrete through which an endless procession of loud vehicles crawl back and forth, utterly indisciplined, frothing with impotent anger and frustration, from the early dusty dawns to the midnight hours, every single day. We are the victims, you say? The civic governance of Bangalore is sub standard, you claim? Well, you may be right, but does that mean that even as an individual citizen whose real powers to influence matters is way less than what it theoretically should be, we have absolutely nothing to do?

I am re-thinking this premise, my friend. Unfortunately not a self realization case, but prompted by a black incident last Friday, 6th February, 2009. And this time it was not about aspects that affect your life and mine indirectly. It wasn't the death of yet another 100+ year old tree. It wasn't another instance of criminal neglect of any civic infrastructure. It wasn't road rage. It was a kick in the groin. Literally. And it woke me up all right. So, in brief, this is how the drama unfolded:

A few of my friends and I were just paying our bills and coming out of our regular Friday night watering hole and dinner place in Rest House Road, just off Brigade Road, and most of the women in the company were already standing outside. Some of us outside were smoking, people were happy, there was laughter and jokes, as there were many other people in the
street, all coming out, satiated, in the closing hour of the various pubs and restaurants around. Suddenly from up the street a massive SUV comes revving and speeding,
hurtling down, and stops in a scream of brakes and swirling dust, millimeters away from this group of 4 women, barely missing one of their legs. A white Audi, imported, still under transfer, with the registration plate of KA-51 TR-2767. Some millionaire's toy thing, that in the wrong hands can kill. Naturally the women are in shock. And quickly following the shock comes indignation. These are self made women running their own businesses, managing state responsibilities for global NGO firms, successful doctors. They are not used to being bullied. So they turn around, instead of shrinking back in fear. They protest. And as soon as they turn around in protest, the car doors are flung open, and a stream of 4-5 rabid men run out towards these women, screaming obscenities in Hindi and Kannada against women in general, fists flailing. Some of us who came in running at the sound of the screaming brakes now stand in the middle in defense of our women, and then blows start raining down. One of the goons make a couple of calls over the cellphone, and in seconds a stream of other equally rabid goondas land up. They gun straight for the women, and everyone – a few well-meaning
bystanders, acquaintances who know us from the restaurant, basically everyone who tries to help the women – starts getting thoroughly beaten up.
Women are kicked in the groin, punched in the stomach, slapped across the face, grabbed everywhere, abused constantly. Men are smashed up professionally, blows aimed at livers, groins, kidneys and nose. A friend is hit repeatedly on the head by a stone until he passes out in a flood of blood. A plain-clothes policeman (Vittal Kumar) who saunters in late stands by watching and urging people to stop, but doing absolutely nothing else. A 'cheetah' biker cop comes in, with our women pleading him to stop this madness, but he refuses action, saying a police van will come in soon and he cannot do anything. Everyone keeps getting hammered. Relentlessly. The carnage continues for over 20 minutes. Finally when the police van does come in it is this vandals who are raging and ranting, claiming to be true "sons of the
Kannadiga soil", and we are positioned to be the villainous outsiders, bleeding, outraged. How do the cops believe them, especially seeing the bloody faces of our men and the
violated rage of our women, while they carry nary a scratch on their bodies? Don't ask me! Yet, it is us who these goondas urge the newly arrived law-keepers to arrest, and the police promptly comply, and we are bundled into the van, some still being beaten as we are pushed in. Some blessed relief from pain inside the police van at least, even if we are inside and
the real goons outside, driving alongside in their spanking white Audi. The guy who was hit by the stone is taken separately by the women to Mallya hospital. Inside the police station at Cubbon Park it becomes clear that these goons and the police know each other by their first names. The policeman in charge (Thimmappa) initially refuses to even register any complaint from me, on the purported grounds that I am not fluent in Kannada and I have taken a few
drinks (3 Kingfisher pints, to be precise) over the evening. No, it doesn't matter that I didn't have my car and was not driving, and no, it doesn't mater that the complaint will be written in English. We watch them and the goons exchange smiles and nods with our our bloodied and
swelling eyes and realize in our pain-clouded still-in-shock brains the extent of truth in the
claim of one of the main goons when he claimed earlier in the evening in virulent aggression: we own this town, this car belongs to an MLA, we will see how you return to this street!!
This was the turning point of the saga, I guess. For we refused to lie down quietly and be victims. One of our girls, a vintage and proud Bangalorean who is running one of the
town's most successful organic farming initiatives, took upon herself to write the complaint, when I was not allowed to write the same. Another Bangalore girl, a state director of a global NGO firm, wrote the other molestation complaint separately on behalf of all the girls. Some of us called our friends in the media and corporate world. Everyone stepped up. And even when the odds were down and we were out, we did not give up, and as a singular body of violated citizens we spoke in one voice of courage and indomitable spirit. That voice had no limitation of language, not Kannada, nor English, or Hindi. It was the voice of human spirit that cannot be broken. And in the face of that spirit, for the first time, we saw the ugly visage of vandalism, hiding behind the thin and inadequate veil of political corrupt power, narrow-vision regionalism and self-serving morality, start to wilt. We spent 6 hours next day in the police station. The
sub-inspector of police who filed our FIR, Ajay R M, seemed a breath of fresh air inasmuch
that he did not appear a-priori biased like others, even though the hand of corruption and politico-criminal power backing these goons was still manifest in many ways: a starched, white-linen power-broker walked in handing over his card to the sub-inspector in support of
the goons; the goons got an audience with the Inspector because of this intervention, while
we had to interact one level lower down in the hierarchy; the plains cloth policeman of last night, even though he had arrived far too late in the crime scene, gave a warped statement, passing it off as a "neutral" point of view, repeatedly stressing that we came out of a pub and hence were drinking, positioning this as a 'drunken brawl', while completely forgetting to mention the unprovoked attack against the women and the one-sided vandalism and violence that ensued. I guess one cannot blame the low ranked police officer – the criminal connections of these goons must be pervasive enough for him to be careful.
Thanks however to the impartial handling of the situation by Ajay, soon the goons were all
identified. The lead actor was one Ravi Mallaya (38), a real estate honcho and owner of a small property off Brigade Road which he has converted into a "gaming" (you know what that means, don't you?) adda. The others identified are Mohan Basava (22) of Chamarajapet 12th Cross, R. Vijay Kumar Ramalingaraju (25) and Shivu Rajashekar (20). All are residents of 12th & 13th Cross in Vyalikaval. Their bravado and machismo were by that time evaporated. It was good to see their faces then. Of course nothing much happened to them, nor did we expect it. They were supposed to be in lock up for at least the weekend till they were produced in court, but we understand that they were quickly released on (anticipatory?) bail. The car, purportedly belonging to an MLA, also does not figure in the FIR, apparently for reasons of "irrelevance to the case".The media also have given us fantastic coverage and support so far, strengthening the cause. The goons meanwhile, as an after thought, also filed the customary reverse commplaint on the morning after we filed our own complaint: the women have apparently scratched the car! (Why did they not file the complaint the same night, considering they came to the Police Station in the same car? Why was the car allowed to be taken off police custody? Why is the car still irrelevant to the case and not in the FIR? Questions..
questions..).
Is this the end of this saga? Probably not. Are these women, more precious to us as friends and wives than most things in our lives, safe to walk or drive down Brigade Road from now on or are the goonda elements, slighted by this arrest and disgrace, are lying in ambush, waiting, biding their time to cause some of us more grievous harm? We don't know. Is there reason for us to remain apprehensive of future attacks and victimization? Perhaps. But here is the point.
We stood up. We believed in the power of individual citizens even in the face of hooliganism, intolerance, corruption and power mongering. Even though many of us have the option of leveraging political or government connections, we deliberately chose to fight this battle as individuals. Sure, these connections have been activated and they have been kept informed, should the worst case scenario unfold tomorrow. But we have chosen to not leverage them. And in every small win we register as a group of individual outraged citizens of Bangalore and India, however insignificant these milestones may be in the larger scheme of things, there is one small notch adding up in favor of what is right, one small notch against what is wrong. And we believe that every such small notch counts, each such mark is absolutely invaluable.
It is the people who make this city, this country, this world. It is you and I, as much as the terrorists inside and outside. And in our small insignificant little ways, it is my responsibility and yours to not shirk from investing effort – not just lip service or any token attempt, but real
effort – in backing up what we ourselves believe in. It is so easy to logically argue that everything is corrupt, nothing is worth it, there are so many risks involved. We must not fall trap to this escapist trend. We must not fail to try. Next time you feel outraged, violated, abused, don't let it go by and add up to your list of litanies and complaints. Stand up and take
it to the limit - at least your own limit. Not in the same way as they wrong you, but in the
way that every citizen, at least in theory, is entitled to complain and protest. Do not let the hooligans power rant scare you or prompt you into submission. Do not allow the corrupt cop make you give up trying. Carry the flame forward. Try harder. If are up to it, start right now.

Forward this note to everyone you want to be made aware of this. Post it in your own blogs. Talk about it amongst your circles. And if anyone of you should like to step forward with a word of empathy or advise, talk to me. Comment.

It is not Bangalore that is going to the dogs. It is us. We have far too long become accustomed to let everything go. And the more we let things go without any protest or fight, the dormant criminal and dark elements of the society get that much more encouraged. Every time we turn the other way, the hooligan next street gets incentivized to push the boundary
a little further, provoke a little more, try something a little more atrocious. It is time for us to refuse to let this go on. We are responsible for making ourselves proud. Lets believe in ourselves. We can do this.

Regards
Suresh.

---------------------------------------------

Gowda, tussi great ho!

2009-02-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

Deve Gowda's blog on IBNLive

The "son of the soil" image must be in serious turmoil... This seems like an effort to broaden his electorate base; because it seems very unlikely to me that his bread and butter( or should I say ragi muddey) voter base, ie the farmers, are internet-savvy enough to follow his blog.

Sadly though, what he has to say on the blog is neither new nor unintentionally funny.

Gowda shaking off "Son of the soil" image... BJP shaking off "Hindutva" image... Recession hitting my local chaat store ( he hiked prices from around Rs 7 to Rs 12 )

We are indeed living in interesting times... What are we going to see next? Barkha Dutt taking up Mouna-Vrat and ISI taking responsibility for cross-border terrorism?

The Sehwag syndrome

2009-01-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

"I try to hum songs, bhajans, Sai Baba bhajans, Kishore Kumar songs, especially those pictured on Amitabh Bachchan, till the bowler is about to deliver. I try to sing songs as perfectly as possible in order to keep my mind completely uncluttered."

...and thats how its done! Sehwag makes it sound so deceptively simple, and yet it couldnt be that simple. After 80-odd centuries, a Tendulkar still gets nervous in the 90s, and a Dravid who has 10,000 runs still finds it tough to break a poor run of form. Perhaps therein lies the problem and the solution. Adam Gilchrist once said that a sportsperson should just trust his/her instincts and not get too intellectual about the game. The likes of Dravid & Tendulkar tend to do just that, and this I believe limits their game. For instance, Sachin premeditates a single when hes on 99, every single time... and as often happens, he is caught in two minds if he gets a boundary ball. Also, the fact that one is close to a milestone, distracts, and that little bit of loss of focus is sometimes enough to bring about one's downfall.

On the other hand, the Inzamams, Gilchrists and Sehwags have rarely let milestones or game situations bother them enough to alter their natural game. For a cricketer, the next delivery is everything; of course, some amount of strategy is necessary, to gather an inkling of the bowler's gameplan for instance, but that is part of a sportsman's instinct which one automatically acquires with experience. That being a given, he might be better served by letting his natural instincts take over...

Cricket in particular, seems to be a sport which lends itself to a lot of intellectual indulgence... the assorted coaches - batting, bowling, fielding, mental conditioning, the managers, the commentary teams with elaborate pre/in/post match analyses, the resident media experts, statisticians who make careers out of knowing obscure historical facts, fancy terms such as "mental disintegration" & "reverse swing"... it is easy for a cricketer to get distracted and lose sight of the reality - It is just a game and a cricketer is just an entertainer, not a soldier defending his country's honor, nor creating a piece of history for posterity.

And humming Kishore Kumar songs seems to be a good way to keep the mind uncluttered, and let the instincts unfettered to go forth and entertain! After all, you cant argue with two triple hundreds... As for the likes of Tendulkar/Dravid, a humble suggestion - learn some Himesh numbers; most are already mind-numbing, so thats half the job done !

Mayhem in Mumbai

2008-11-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

This mirrors my sentiments to a large extent. Not because I subscribe to the author's opinions about "100% security",(though he has a point there... most accidents on US freeways are fatal for exactly this reason - lowered reflexes due to a sense of security about predictability of traffic ) but because I believe that the dynamics of Indian society are such that we can never really hope to see "100% security" in our lifetimes.

"100% security" implies predictability of our systems. To put in place a system which behaves predictably, consistency is also required from the participants. This is a simple problem to solve if there is a uniform civil code for all citizens.

But as a people, Indians are more aligned with narrow self-interest groups like caste/religion/region than with any aspiration for a better quality of life for self. (To complicate matters, there are a few such groups which promise a better quality of afterlife, which seems to motivate some, more than any earthly pleasures) The rootcause for such a mindset is a complicated topic by itself, worthy of a lengthy debate. For me, its the vast gulf between the haves and the rest, leading to disillusionment, death of personal ambition and consequently, seeking of vicarious pleasure through the achievements of others of the same caste/religion/etc. Whatever the reasons, we Indians seem content to look at narrow self-interest rather than make minor adjustments and adhere to a common civil code. Unless this changes, it is highly unlikely that anything can be done to prevent a similar incident occuring in the future.

Have to say though; the commandos certainly deserve a one week all-expenses-paid at the renovated Taj for their selfless bravery. And all of us who are hitherto content with blogging, commenting on blogs, lighting candles, raising white flags, and doing similar useless acts... it might be a good idea to start an NGO that will raise funds to supplement the salaries of these real heroes from the current disgraceful levels - maybe that will embarrass the govt to rationalize the salaries.

Its a mad mad financial world !

2008-10-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

This just takes the cake !

Its interesting to see what is happening in the financial world now... The poster-boy of capitalism and free-market economics needs legislative intervention to essentially take socialistic control of loss-making financial institutions. And the big daddy of the communist world is displaying a huge vote of confidence in the free market system.

Apparently, the Chinese have an interesting blessing - "May you live in interesting times"... It looks like those times are upon us now !

Back from Agumbe

2008-10-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a very interesting photography expedition in the heart of the western ghats.

The place is so full of interesting creatures & landscapes, that it is a perfect destination for someone looking to experiment with a camera. Now, I need to upload a few of my best shots, and wait for the peer verdict on my photographic skills !

That apart, the expedition reminded me of a trip that a bunch of us classmates went on, 10 years ago... We were young, foolish and full of adrenalin( yeah, me too... ), and we just headed out on a backpacking journey through the western ghats, covering Sringeri, Agumbe, Horanadu, Mangalore, Udupi & Marwanthe, in the course of a 7 day trip.
We shared 2 rooms between 8 of us, mooched free meals in temple towns, hitched rides on random vehicles, trekked through rainforests in our slippers, reached the top of a 200 ft waterfall, were foolish enough to crawl to the precipice just to see the bottom and skinny dipped in random water bodies... among other things !

We also watched Sachin Tendulkar single-handedly murder the Aussies in two dream innings at Sharjah (semis and finals). We did this while sitting on the street(literally, on the asphalt) in the midst of a motley crowd of drunks in Udupi.

And yeah, we did all this on a budget of around 800 Rs per head !

Apple iThing !

2008-09-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is hilarious !

A case for Azaad Kashmir?

2008-09-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

Funny, tongue-in-cheek piece... But the part of the map marked "Territory ceded to China by Pakistan" is very concerning.

Pakistan sets a stop-loss

2008-08-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Looks like our friendly neighbors have some very original ideas to encourage free enterprise and prop up capital markets.

So, its a free market as long as all trades are above prices set by legal mandate ? Absolutely hilarious !

If ever proof was needed about the dysfunctional state of our neighbor, here it is.

Damn !

2008-08-25T00:07:00.001-07:00

Inspirational for some, but just depressing to me. Escapism is the best option for those of us who tend to get affected by harsh realities. :(

Sporting Action... DD style

2008-08-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, the Beijing Olympics have drawn to a close... And I heave a huge sigh of relief. And send a sincere prayer upwards. That Doordarshan does not own television rights of international cricket, football or F1.

After the incredibly mind-numbing "commentary" and "analysis" on DD Sports, my brain has lost the will to crib. So, I will have to make do with a simple list of Do's for DD's telecast of London-2012.

1. Can we have a tad more action and a tad less studio discussions please? After all, it is sporting "action", right?

2. Can you please hire commentators who can speak more than 12 words in the course of a mind-blowing, world-record-smashing mens 100m dash ? My recollection of the commentary for Bolt's magical 9.69s is - "Aur yeh saarey pratiyogi shuru karte huey... aur Usain Bolt jeet gaye". Exactly 12 words.

3. While on the same topic, can commentary-uncle please sound a bit more excited? If he cant, I volunteer to do the job for free. Heck, I will pay uncle to let me do his job in 2012. I am quite confident that a lot of us will pay good money to do uncle's job next time.

4. When a sport is being telecast live, what is the need to mute the original commentary and provide studio commentary in Hindi? We all agree - "Mera Bharat Mahaan". Can we move on and listen to some relevant info, rather than insightful remarks like - "Aur yeh laal waaley khiladi jeet gaye", during a wrestling bout ?

5. Mr Milkha Singh is a legend in his own right. But he is also a very bitter individual( for whatever reason ). A little bit of ranting about lack of recognition for other sport(other than cricket), and the sad state of professional sportspersons is good and even necessary. But beyond that, it just leaves a bad aftertaste and can be avoided.

6. Sania Mirza is a phenomenon and an icon. But only in India. There are serious flaws in her game which, if not remedied, will prevent her from ever going any higher than she already has. Lets admit facts, and stop talking her up like she is a champion... which she still isnt. Reminds me of what the Brits do with Tim Henman before every Wimbledon.

7. One more time, a little less conversation and a little more acion please.

End of the road for Sourav?

2008-08-23T03:08:00.001-07:00

The countdown has already started, if Peter Roebuck is to be believed...

Stumps for Sourav

But then, as Mr Roebuck himself concedes, Sourav is a warrior, and being cornered is nothing new to him. If anything, the Prince of Kolkota has made a career of making detractors eat humble pie.

As a fan of Sourav, I can only wish that he goes out in the blaze of glory that Indian cricket owes him, rather than fading away into the oblivion of mediocrity...

Finally.....

2008-08-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

First Ever Individual Gold

For now, lets put aside all the cynicism and negativity and just savor the moment.

Desis got talent

2008-07-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

The original and the inspired.

Sublime? Ridiculous? Decide for yourself.

Goodness Gracious Me

2008-07-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

I must've watched every episode atleast twice!
Wish they came back for another season...

A lot of the good stuff is on the tube. Sample this.

Gold ?

2008-07-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

A point of view and another. Obviously not unbiased, but makes valid points.

I feel vindicated for buying gold at 1100/gm.

How to pick an autorickshaw in bangalore

2008-07-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have travelled a lot in Bangalore's autorickshaws, and continue to do so. The reasons are mostly laziness, frustration in driving through traffic, difficulty in finding parking spots, etc... but that is besides the point.

Based on my vast experience in this domain, I have built up an intricate methodology of choosing a rick, which, for the greater benefit of (wo)mankind, I shall share on this forum. So here goes. The usual disclaimers apply.

1. The quest begins when you sight the quarry - an empty rick cruising at 10 kmph in the fastest lane. The game begins when the two of you make eye contact.

2. If the rick driver( henceforth referred to as Ricky. Not a coincidence that most of them are abrasive like the Aussie captain ) looks eagerly at you and makes towards you, something is seriously wrong. This is extremely abnormal behaviour for a ricky, and he is probably a Tupperware/Amway salesman or a serial killer. Or Mahesh Bhatt, scouting for talent to replace Emraan Hashmi. Run for your life.

3. If ricky either ignores you completely or looks at you in a disinterested way, thats the first positive signal. The chase is on in real earnest now.

4. Always look at the approaching ricky in a non-committal way. Dont ever show interest in your eyes. This is a valuable technique whose benefit will be demonstrated in later sections, for bailing out at the last moment.

5. Once it is ascertained that ricky might be right for you, we proceed to stage two - non-verbal negotiation.

6. Judge ricky. This is the most critical step in the entire exercise. Based on your eyesight and traffic, you get around 2-5 seconds to size up the individual. Following are tell-tale No-Go signs
- Ricky wears kumkum on forehead
- Ricky is young and looks like he just flunked Class 12.
- Ricky has a mush and a stubble. ( as opposed to a mush only or a full beard )
- Ricky has top two buttons of his shirt open
- Ricky wears gold chain
The rationale for these psycho-profiling pointers shall be covered in a different post.

Following are safe Go signs
- Ricky is an old man ( not old and weak )
- Ricky is middle-aged and follows traffic rules

6. Judge the rick. The rick tells a tale about the ricky. Following are clear No-Go signs
- Old ricks in bad condition ( Old ricks guzzle more fuel, and this will be passed on to the consumer. In the form of a doctored meter.)
- Rick has a Karnataka flag
- Rick has pimped-up speakers

Following are safe Go signs
- Rick has electronic meter and looks well-maintained.

7. If rick/ricky clears preliminary rick-profiling, then make clear eye-contact with ricky and summon the rick. In the unlikely event that ricky does indeed stop, proceed to phase 3 - verbal-negotiation.

8. The more important step - rick-profiling is Negative. This is where the bailing-out move comes in. Since you have not made clear eye-contact till now, you can just pretend to be looking at the cow/lamppost/girl on the opposite side of the street, and thus bail-out.

9. Phase 3 - Verbal negotiation. This is where coping with rejection will come in handy. Most ricky's stop only to humour themselves, and not to offer you a ride. Accept that fact of life. The rest of the negotiation is fairly standard, and need not be covered. The only hitch could be if you noticed something about ricky/rick from close quarters, that you missed from the distance. In such cases, use my patented dont-pick-me-up line -
" Thanisandra ge hogi, alli 2 hours waiting iddu, aamele Bidadi ge hogbeku. Barteera ? "
Its a sure-fire rick-magnet... repels ricks like the wrong end of a magnet.

10. Once inside the rick, sit tight and hope that ricky doesnt stop enroute to help out his fellow-ricky's in street fights.

Thats about it... Keep Rocking, Keep Ricking !

Betting on people

2008-07-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

There should be a legal system to bet on people's success/failure. It will allow poor people like me to make some easy money.

You just know when you see certain people ( Priyanka Chopra, Paul Collingwood, Brendon McCullum ) that they are destined to make it big; however humble their beginnings.

You also know when u see certain other people ( countless boy/girl bands ) that, they are going to fade away from the limelight and from our collective consciousness, however aggressively they are marketed.

Very unfortunate that this cannot be translated into legal income in India (yet) :(

My Home Theater

2008-07-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

... is almost complete.

It has been almost complete for 6 months now. First there is the cosy room, then there is the expensive 5.1 speaker system, and finally the obscenely expensive wiring. ( wonder how I fell for that one! )

Now all I need to complete the experience is... a f*****g TV !

Note to self: Be a man and do it this week...

Of phobias and nightmares

2008-07-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble sleeping at night for the last week or so... What better way to kill time than to add to the wealth of knowledge online :-)

A couple of months ago, my cousin, Sin, was narrating a disturbing dream that she had the previous night. Apparently, she dreamt that she was being attacked by a monstrous black cat. She woke up with a start, and couldnt sleep well for the remainder of the night. On the same topic, another cuz, Shu, started talking about some common nightmares that women frequently have( supposedly ). Seeing oneself with some physical deformity is the common theme of most of these nightmares. Eg. Loss of hair, teeth, scars on face etc. The psycho-analytic explanation of such dreams is apparently the insecurity of most people ( more so women than men ) about losing their physical attractiveness. Another common dream apparently concerns with the death of person(s) with whom one shares an emotional bond. Again, this is related to one's insecurities. Most other nightmares are apparently connected to recent events in one's life. For instance, the particular dream about a cat might have been due to the fact that she had just shut the window before sleeping, to keep a cat out.

I couldnt remember any nightmare I have ever had, and after some serious memory-digging, I realized that I had *never* had any nightmares in my entire life. My cousins were quite shocked, and also convinced that I was either lying thru my teeth, or was a very secure individual !

When I think about the same topic now, I still dont have a valid excuse(!) for not having nightmares, ever. The only plausible reason I can think of, is that I dont have any abnormal phobias.
I dont believe in ghosts or other evil supernatural forces ( which is quite strange, as I do believe in God ), and I would easily spend a night in a "haunted house" if required.
I love wildlife, and am particularly fascinated by reptiles. I have had too many close encounters with snakes to be scared of them. I have been charged by wild elephants and gotten dangerously close to a King Cobra and I still live to tell the tale.
I am not afraid of death or serious injury, nor of losing the people who really matter in my life.

Plus, I must've had a very happy childhood too...

All of this, or I might just be a very heavy sleeper with a bad memory ! :)

Road ahead for US Automakers

2008-07-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

Sounds pretty grim. Will be interesting to see how the Fords & GMs cope; apart from trying to sell sub-standard cars such as the Chevrolet Aveo, in places like India !

George Carlin

2008-07-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

ROTFL...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCljFYn3zTY

Recession 101

2008-07-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Michael Lewis(author of Liar's poker) writes on the ethical standards of Wall St

Deep-fried in contempt, but a realistic take nevertheless...

Food on Cunningham Road

2008-07-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Due to immense public demand ( public = my ex-colleagues at Amazon ), I am posting an insider's guide to fine dining in and around Cunningham Rd.

The eateries covered are in descending order of my preference, but there are so few places in this area, it really doesnt matter...

1. Ramana's - A great place in the Standard Chartered building on Cunningham Rd. Mellow ambience and mildly spicy veggie north-indian food that is easy on the tummy. The tariffs are quite reasonable for the location, and the service is pretty good. A place that you can visit daily without ruining your tummy or burning a hole in the pocket.

2. Masala House - A cosy little place tucked away in an unobtrusive location on Cunningham Rd, opposite MSIL. This is a slightly upscale place, and has a bar too. They have an interesting menu of veggie & non-veggie Indian food with some unconventional options. (I would recommend the sesame-fried babycorn appetizer) My non-veggie friends say that the place serves some good seafood too. The tariffs are quite high and the service is... well... dont go there if you are in a hurry !
I personally enjoy their paranthas and the sinful,heavenly Methi Malai Mutter...

3. InfiniTea - On Cunningham Rd, opposite Sigma Mall.
This is not really a lunch-lunch place, but does serve some interesting rice/pasta options. These can be combined with a variety of teas ( hot/cold/flavored ), to provide a light lunch-alternative. A note of warning - cheese seems to be the chef's favorite ingredient for most of the dishes.

4. Fresco's - On Cunningham Rd, close to Indian Express junction.
This again is not really a lunch-lunch place. The place does have more options than InfiniTea though; mostly continental. And they make a good Spanish Omelette.

5. Miller's 46 - At #46, Miller's Rd
A steak & sizzler joint. Good ambience, decent sizzlers, appropriate serving size for a lunch, and attached bar. Not many veggie options though. But worth a visit for the Corona Beer, and the gratis bread & butter. :)

6. Chalukya Hotel - High Grounds
One of the landmarks of the city, and not surprisingly, the place is chock-a-bloc at lunchtime. Serves a very respectable south-indian lunch buffet, which doesnt have too many options, but is quite wholesome. You can go a-la-carte too, though I've never tried that.

7. Moti Mahal, Sigma Mall
Very good Mughlai food, albeit at a ridiculously high price.

8. Oriental Spice, Infantry Road
Serves a decent Chinese buffet. But not very exciting, if you are a veggie.

9. Pizza Hut/ Domino's - On Cunningham Rd
Well... if pizza is what you want, you can get it here.

9a. Chandrika - Cunningham Rd
Basically a south-indian snack/coffee place, but he does serve the stereotypical north-indian thali. I reserve my comments on the quality of the food, and am covering this place only due to death threats received from certain quarters.

10. Food court, Sigma Mall
An assortment of places serving different cuisines. Most options are mediocre in taste, and mostly of the oily/greasy variety. Avoidable unless inevitable.

11. McDonald's, Sigma Mall
If burgers/pepsi/fries is what your heart wants...

12. Aura - Cunningham Rd
A nice place serving a good north-indian lunch buffet for 150 bucks. The place has shut shop now, but I thought it deserves an honourable mention...

Well, thats about it for the Cunningham Rd area.... If I have missed something, please do let me know...

Also, would really love to hear your opinions on the places covered !

Ads...

2008-07-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Started thinking about some of the ads from the past, and found a few of them...

The iconic black coffee ad. Talk about mindshare and brand recall !

Another cute one - Bru Coffee, capturing the quintessential south-indian psyche to a nicety...

A recent one, really cute and very retro - Tanishq.

There was this Yamaha ad, which was aired for a very brief while. The ad didnt strike any chord with the audience, but the song was great.

...and my personal favorite, the Hamara Bajaj ad.

I get goosebumps everytime this jingle is played. Wonder if its the ad, or just a sign that I am getting old...

The Science of Scotch

2008-07-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here's something to lift your spirits....
http://nyas.cachefly.net/scotch.mp3

And more...
http://www.thescotchblog.com/2006/02/into_the_wood.html

The ubiquitous liftman

2008-07-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

I find it very annoying when I enter an elevator in a public building, and find a lift operator within. I just don't understand the value that this individual adds to the situation. How hard is it to lift up a finger and push a button ? Instead, one is now compelled to have a conversation(albeit brief) with a person, who invariably looks extremely bored. ( can you really blame him ? )

An American friend and me went to a restaurant today, and seeing a lift operator there, we got to talking about this situation. Apparently, this is something rare in the US, and my friend was aghast that someone would actually choose this as a profession. The conversation veered to other things, but this got me thinking on the way back home...

Why does a business establishment hire a lift operator ? And why does a person choose to be a lift operator?

The second Q is probably easier to answer; most parts of India are still not "shining", and this is as good a job as many others for the man to put food on his family's table. ( I know for a fact that the lift operator at my previous office gets around Rs 4000/pm for his efforts, and he must be struggling to make ends meet in Bangalore. )

But, I wonder why an organization would feel the need to hire a lift operator...
To me, it can only be because they feel it is beneath their employees' dignity to operate an elevator for themselves. (not sure if the employees concur on this; most of my acquaintances share my view on the situation.)
This, combined with the fact that it costs next to nothing to hire a lift operator, reflects poorly on the state of our nation.

In my mind, India would be a step closer to "shining" when I no longer see any lift operators around. To me, it would indicate two things :
1. Each one of us doesnt believe it is beneath his/her dignity to perform simple tasks such as operating an elevator.
2. There are so many better employment opportunities available, that nobody wants to be a lift operator.

I miss my bike !

2008-07-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

I really do... I never should have parted with my 2000-model Suzuki Fiero 150cc ride...

I cant help reminiscing about all those long rides that we used to go on, mostly in the middle of the night, when the world was sleeping... And you always treated me well; had only 3 serious falls and just one near-death moment !
But we had to move on... u understand right?
The big bad guv-ment wants me to wear a helmet... And the ride wouldnt be as enjoyable with protection, u know that, right ?

Anyway, thanks for the memories and hope you are doing good with your new ride... For me, there probably never will be another one after you... The car's not as exciting, but she cares more about me...

The upcoming aussie dhulaayi

2007-12-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

Dhulaayi is Hindi for washing.
Which is what will happen in all likelihood to the Indian Cricket Team on their tour to Australia. A very clean Surf-Excel whitewash.
Though a die-hard India supporter, I cant help but shudder at the prospect. Just a look at the itinerary - http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/series/291320.html?template=schedule - makes it hard to hope for anything better than a 0-2 result for India. We will lose the traditional first test, and definitely the Perth one.

Why?

1. We are going into the Tests after exactly ONE tour match. How the #@$% is that enough acclimatization after the Indian flat-tracks ?

2. We dont have the bowling to take 20 wickets in a Test match.

3. Aussie pace - Tait, Johnson and Lee are seriously quick. The Indian batsmen's ability to play genuine pace will be found out.

4. Indian batting. Each batsmen deserves special mention.

Wasim Jaffer - Flat track bully. Will be cruelly exposed.
Virender Sehwag - Very shady selection. Hasnt done enough to inspire confidence. Will be attacked in the rib-cage area, and on the offstump corridor.
Rahul Dravid - Of late, is showing some weakness against the quick incoming deliveries. Surely the Aussies have noticed that too. Still, remains one of the best hopes in batting.
Sachin Tendulkar - Reflexes have noticeably slowed down, and he is quite suspect at handling fast bouncers.
Sourav Ganguly - Not the best technique or footwork against pace, but he is playing for his place in the side, might do decently.
VVS Laxman - The dark horse to me. I think he has the best chance of the lot against the Aussie attack.
Yuvraj Singh - IF he gets to play, he will be an impact player. Will either be dismissed within 20 or will make big scores.
MS Dhoni - Not the best technique, but lots of temperament. Should give a good account of himself.

IMO, the ideal batting lineup will be Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Pathan, Kumble, Murali, Harbhajan/Pankaj Singh, Zaheer

No place for Sehwag & Jaffer in the team. 5 bowlers, with Pathan playing as an allrounder.

But does Kumble have the guts to make the tough calls ?

Sivaji The BOSS - The day after

2007-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Just watched Mr Rajnikanth's latest movie, and I dont know what to say. Actually, I want to say too many things at once...

For one, its a long movie. Well over 3 hours on the clock, but seems like the end of all time on the theater seat.

Secondly, the heroine - Shriya. Wow! Looks great in every frame; even in some of the most outlandishly-shot song sequences. Probably the best reason to watch this movie.

Then the ambience. Probably a multiplex is not the best place to experience a Rajni movie. I was the only person to let out catcalls and whistles through the whole movie. Sad, but true. Multiplex-goers suck ! Having their hands full of nachos, popcorn, bottled water doesnt help either.

The storyline? Formula Shankar-fare. Protagonist is a man of integrity, gets frustrated of the corrupt system and takes the law into his own hands. Nothing new. The humour is good; Rajni has always been good at that part, and his sidekick-Vivek does a good job. So much for the substance. The form? Like Janice ( of F*R*I*E*N*D*S fame ) says, O...My...Gaaawd... Mr Shankar seems to think that saying "Cool" at the end of every sentence is cool. I dont know what to say. Also, there is substantial skin show, but discreetly done only in the song sequences. In the other scenes, the heroine is the typical Bharatiya naari. A great balancing act between Rajni's clean family entertainment, and the current trends. Bravo Mr Shankar, u got that one right !

Finally to the man himself... The BOSS ( which incidentally stands for Bachelor of Social Service ). Well, the Boss is in pretty bad shape. At 58, he can hardly move his hips. Every scene requiring some physical exertion appears to be excruciating to the Boss. I cant help but compare him to his older peer, Amitabh Bachchan, who at 65(I think?) is acting in half the Hindi movies made and shaking his leg with Gusto on screen and in award shows. The Boss looks to be badly in need of serious medical attention.

Overall, it was a mediocre experience salvaged only by some bits of good comedy and Shriya's presence. But, for all Rajni fans, this movie is a must-see; it looks like the last movie he will ever make, by the looks of it.

Are you tone-deaf ? (November 11, 2006)

2007-01-11T09:30:00.001-08:00

http://jakemandell.com/2006/test-your-musical-skills-in-6-minutes

Not sure if it is scientifically accurate, but good fun anyways...

Sheep in the Big City - The Trailer (October 29, 2006)

2007-01-11T09:29:00.001-08:00

Absolutely mind blowing.

Sheep in the Big City Promo

I am convinced that the smartest minds on the planet are either making cartoons or promos for cartoon shows. :-)

The "Spirit of Mumbai" (October 25, 2006)

2007-01-11T09:28:00.001-08:00

I have been wanting to say something about this much-abused phrase for a while now, but never did, just like the townsfolk in the Emperor's New Clothes

Here's someone who says it better.

I couldnt agree with him more. I dont understand how a cultivated indifference to human life and decency can be celebrated as a virtue. And what exactly does "Spirit of Mumbai" mean anyway? That Mumbai is no place to live for humans?

My personal experience of Mumbai left the following images in my mind - squalor, gross inequities among human beings and indifference towards fellow citizens.

Coming from Bangalore ( the older version, pre-software era ), the indifference that Mumbaikars show towards others, came as a rude shock. Many times during my stay there, apparent tourists actually approached me for directions or help, after attempts to get help from locals proved futile. The reaction of some of the locals to a stranger approaching them was as if he/she were made of glass ! They just stared straight ahead and went on with their lives.

I actually discussed this with a couple of staunch Mumbaikar colleagues of mine @ Motorola sometime back, and I got the honest answer. Mumbai Junta come back to work the next day after a calamity because they dont have a choice. Its a ruthless city, and every day is a struggle for existence.

These opinions were kinda validated a few months back, when Shobhaa De voiced similar sentiments in her column in the TOI.

My sister works as a doctor in Mumbai and she was saying that the people are finally getting pissed off with the Netas pushing serious infrastructure issues under the carpet while lauding the "Spirit of Mumbai"

Maybe the way to making Mumbai a more humane city lies in exorcising the "spirit" of Mumbai for good. To hell with spirits; give the humans a chance.

Bangalore traffic ( September 25, 2006 )

2007-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Here's what my good friend, Mr Gyaan-guru has to say about Bangalore traffic and how to cope with it.

http://gyaan-guru.blogspot.com/2006/09/driving-in-bangalore.html

Dude, what can I say.... When life mistreats and harasses a poet, the angst comes out as poetry.

Replace life with traffic and poetry with bloggery(sic) and there you have it.

Journalism falls down a deep hole ( July 26, 2006 )

2007-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Indian media seems to be in a dizzying downward spiral.

First, there is this article in the Times Of India, an example of what happens when you term googling for data as investigative journalism.

And now, reaching the nadir is a 48 hr Live Telecast of a kid falling down a hole, not on one, but all the major news channels in the nation.

One might make concessions for TOI's gaffe, given its positioning as a timepass newspaper, but actually telecasting live, an unfortunate kid's misery ( with commercial breaks, of course ) is atrocious, I think.

To an extent, I believe that the channels are playing to the galleries here. I mean, would all the channels give so much footage to this event if the producers did not believe that there is an audience lapping this up ? I dont think so...

I was arguing about this with a colleague, and he thinks that it is just a case of poor taste from the channel's side. He believes that the channels can actually shape and "improve" audience taste by feeding us with a healthy diet of wholesome content.

I tend to disagree. I feel that, unless you are the clear leader in the domain, you cannot afford to take such commercial risks and try out new stuff. When the competition is hot and the gap is small, the natural judgement call one makes, is to "play it safe". The risk just does not justify the rewards. So, in this case, when a few of the News Channels started primetime coverage of this item, the others ( especially the new ones which are still building their reputations ) had no choice but to follow suit.

I hope I am wrong, otherwise we might be seeing more breaking news of the same genre, maybe one of Laloo's buffaloes got lost, and the search is telecast live ?

Prabhuji ko Pranaam ( July 8, 2006 )

2007-01-11T09:24:00.001-08:00

Caunteya showed me this blog entry , and I am now a hardcore fan of Prabhuji.

It seems that Prabhuji is the purveyor of creative callisthenics for your cerebrum, and his body of work is so exhaustive that even Hollywood scriptwriters have internalised some of his original symphonies in celluloid. Closer home, the Tamil superstars, Rajnikanth and Vijaykanth, arent far behind either. Check out this sample

I discovered that there is a lot to catch up on, so a visit to National Market is in order, to buy the good stuff. There is one masterpiece that I have been fortunate enough to witness with my own eyes...

Scene... A couple of goons have been arrested and are giving the constables a tough time during the "interrogation" with lathis. Enter Mithunda, the honest cop.

The goons have probably caught up with Prabhuji's histrionics( and antics ) on bootleg videos, and are justifiably nervous. Prabhuji has Kanoon ka Junoon in his bloodshot eyes ( cynics might mistake it for the previous night's Scotch ), and he strides in with a purpose. The constables know that they are in the presence of greatness, and slink away humbly.

Prabhuji walks upto the goons, and slowly takes off his police hat after a 5 second freeze frame of those eyes. He then cocks his index finger with a whizzing sound ( those who have watched Rajnikanth in action will know how this is done ) and just pokes it into the wall behind, making a 3 inch hole.

Now, the goons are shit-scared, and are expecting something dramatic, maybe Prabhuji is going to puncture their skulls or something... But they are obviously not aware of the operatic quality of Prabhuji's work; the denouement is more subtle than that... Prabhuji then takes out a pen from his pocket and puts it in the hole in the wall, and then hangs his police hat on the pen. For some reason, this breaks the mental strength of the goons, who submit to the Supreme Being and confess their sins.

Sublime stuff.

Third new office in a year !!! ( May 10, 2006 )

2007-01-11T09:21:00.001-08:00

Amazon, Bangalore is moving ( again ) . This time, the Chosen Location is on Miller's Road. Believe it or not, this is going to be the third office within the last 8 months ( and fourth in the last 20 months ).
We are working on bleeding-edge technologies , and building highly-scalable distributed systems from scratch at the Bangalore center. Notwithstanding, I still think that we are taking stealth-mode operation to a whole new level. :-)

Bangalored! ( May 10, 2006 )

2007-01-11T09:20:00.001-08:00

I am currently reading this book - Bangalored! - by Eshwar Sundaresan, and it is quite engrossing. I have been through around a hundred pages so far, and it has been mostly about people who have adopted Bangalore as their new home... expats, first-generation Americans whose parents have Indian roots... It feels good to know that some of these folk are giving something back to this (once) amazing city !

Of late, all I hear from the people around me is complaints about the city's infrastructure or its lack of a cultural life ( unlike NewYork )... etc etc. I feel annoyed when people criticise my city, but I usually let it go. The very fact that these folks have quit their homes and have adopted this apparently "screwed-up city" , makes any riposte superfluous.

But the rising percentage of immigrant population in Bangalore is adding to the already existing mess in Bangalore. Since people do not percieve this place as their long-term home, their behavioural patterns are biased towards short-term gains, which is not good for the long-term well-being of the city, such as not participating in civic causes, buying or living in low-quality houses/apartments ( Its a temporary home, right ? ), not integrating with the local populace.

The last point especially, is a very critical shortcoming in my opinion. By staying disconnected from the local culture/people, immigrants further alienate themselves from the locals. This, coupled with the fact that most of the immigrants are salaried middle-class or upper middle-class folk, propogates the perception that - "Outsiders have come to Bangalore and are taking away our jobs" - leading to social unrest and eventually to crime.
Unless the powers-that-be take notice and start doing something to arrest this trend, Bangalore is on the fast-lane to being another Mumbai - a ruthless urban jungle, each one to herself/himself.

History and its relevance ( May 10, 2006 )

2007-01-11T09:19:00.001-08:00

Pawan sent me this link... http://history.eserver.org/ghandi-nobody-knows.txt

Apart from the fact that the author mis-spelt Gandhi's name, there seems to be a lot wrong with his rather long essay.

It is common knowledge that History is just a widely-accepted version of what really happened. And anyway, even if Gandhi wasnt the superstar that he is made out to be in history, how does it matter ? India needed a larger-than-life figurehead to rally around, at that point of time, and Gandhi served that purpose ( and served it well ).
If glossing over some weaknesses and conveniently altering some facts can create a role-model for people to emulate, what's wrong with that ? If one were to dig deeper into any event in history, there would always be inconsistencies and controversial circumstances and conflicting points of view. Eventually, people makeup history, and people are moody, self-centred at times, have preconceptions and value systems... and anything reported by a person will always have the various flavors(!) of his personal life at that point of time.

If one sets out on an iconoclastic mission, there is no logical end to it, and when you have demolished all role-models and beacons of hope, there is very little to live for. I am reminded of the life of Nietzsche, who was an incredibly astute individual but died at the age of 44, of mental collapse, purportedly due to disillusionment with life.

Testing 123

2006-12-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

check ...