Sweet Home Alabama

One of those night outs with guys from MML, MDI introduced me to Lynyrd Skynyrd (wiki) and Sweet Home Alabama (wiki). Awesome song. Pure bliss. Here is a video.



And after thoughts, I think I went into a mini-depression when I read that the lyricist and the lead singer died in a plane crash. And they crashed because they ran out of fuel. I mean WTF !! He was all of 29.

All items (1000+)


All items (1000 +) is what Google Reader tells me when I have more than 1000 items that I haven't read.

I use Google Reader to track news, blogs, friends, updates et al. I am subscribed to 465 sources (blogs, magazines, websites etc), divided in 66 categories (or tags, folders). Whoa! Till the time I was with CLA, it was all fine. I could read as many items as the reader would have because I had that disciple of sitting in office for 8 hours and I could read at my convenience.

Ever since I moved out, things have been different. I spend most of my time meeting people and traveling. And this leaves me with very limited time to spend online. And as a result the time I spend on Google Reader has also reduced proportionately. Like few days ago I was cribbing on twitter that my Google Reader has more than 1000 unread items. Today, morning I was surprised to see yet another update with 1000+ unread items. Wish there was a job that required me to gather, categorize and collate all this info.

And coming back, I think I need to trim down my reading lists. Why so many? I believe I should not miss out on any news. Information after all is the edge. I need to be able to know things happening around me, to be able to harness em.

All said and one, there is no way I can keep doing this for very long. I need to trim the lists.

Acer = Awesomeness

Kunal and me Cyntax were looking for cheap laptops. He had killed his desktop with all the overclocking and CS kills. My Thinkpad finally died on me after 4 years of painful struggle. And since we dont have a lot of money, we were looking for cheap machines that would work for next year or so. After some bit of research, we settled on Acer 5738. It cost us about INR 32 000 each. Bought two machines from Nehru Place.

Very very happy with the purchase. Its got 4 gigs of RAM. More than enough to run CS and Q3. And obviously it can run *other* software. The keypad is awesome. As good as Macbook's. Added feature is the Numpad. Helps while working with spreadsheets. Has 4 USB ports. I can now connect my pendrive, external hard drive and a mouse at the same time. Then the sound quality is super awesome. Has got 8 channel output. Coupled with my Sennheiser (love their logo) earplugs, its awesomeness. Right now I am listening to Sweet Home Alabama.

So, coming back to Acer, as life has it, my machine had some manufacturing defect. I was told to contact Acer support call center. The staff their was knowledgeable, courteous and was able to give a solution quickly. I was asked to visit the Acer service center to get the part replaced. Even at this franchised service center, staff understood the problem fast. They gave me a deadline and delivered by that date. In fact I picked the machine after business hours and they dint mind that at all. They dint create any fuss and bent to help me with the machine.

This is a typical case where I had not expected a brand to perform and it surprised me with its performance, customer service, willingness to understand a customer's view point, deadlines and host of other things.

I would recommend Acer to anyone any given day. Thumbs Up guys. Other companies ought to learn from Acer.

I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure.

From @aparnaandhare
I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.
Marilyn Monroe

I (too) have (had) a dream

THIS IS A REAL STORY. Of a dream I saw. Yesterday night.

I am in a building attending some talk or something and suddenly a guy comes and whispers in the ears of someone important. Like they do in President's ears in most movies. And since I observe people, I understand that something is wrong. And then someone announces that we have been surrounded by terrorists. I guess (in the dream) that they might take us hostage but I get this feeling that I am going to die. I check out. There are two escape routes. I peek through the window on the left. I see one guy dressed in a pathan suit (images) and crouched near the wall of the courtyard. Yes there was a courtyard. And a wall. And yes I get these many details in my dreams. I get vivid dreams. (Not that vivid). So I see that there is a terrorist. And he was talking to someone on the phone (or was it a walkie-talkie?) and making gestures towards someone on the other side of the wall. I then go and check the other entrance/exit. I dont remember what I see there. And then I realize that I am going to die. I think that what a waste. A life where you promised a lot and ended by a gunshot. Without a warning. Aint that how most lives end? Anyways so once I realize I was going to die, I try to find places to hide (yes first thoughts were to find places to hide). I also think about possibilities of locking the building down. I also think of ways to control the people there and use their help to save ourselves. Now that I am writing, somehow the thought of calling for help dint come that time!. And then, I have no clue what happened. Next thing I remember is my cellphone buzzing and showing that its 5:30 AM and time to get up!

Thats it. Short and simple. Sans climax. Any interpretations?

Aaj Pehli Tareekh Hai

Nov 01, 2009.

In an ideal world, today would have been day 1 of a new month. And would have meant, amongst other things, salary. Ok, if not salary, the hopes of getting one (my salary usually came in the beginning of the second week). Salary meant that bank balance would be back to respectable levels (which IMHO is subjective). And that would mean midnight buffets with friends at five stars (and an opportunity to ogle at pseudo-celebrities, act rich and snobbish). And would mean a new gadget (that I would use for exactly four days. Ask my iPod, PSP, Kalieodoscope, Rubik's Cube, Dominoes, Juggling Balls etc.). And would mean a new pair of jeans/sneakers/tees etc (and bragging points for redefining desi "coolness"). And would mean plans to travel to yet another place (and once in a while those plans did work and me and Neo explored places, mountains, rivers, roads, people, ourselves) . And it would mean decisions of investing whatever is left in some penny stock (hoping that that might go up by 500% in one week and dreaming the vicious cycle of dreams). And it would initiate those conversations where you compared your paycheck with your classmates and colleagues (and you discovered that you earned the least among the lot).

Sigh! those were the days.

Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan

Another lyrics. After ages. Goosebumps material. From Chak De India (IMDB, wiki).
Teeja Tera Rang Tha Main To (2)
Jiya Tere Dhang Se Main To
Tu Hi Tha Maula, Tu Hi Aan
Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan (2)

Teeja Tera Rang Tha Main To (2)
Jiya Tere Dhang Se Main To
Tu Hi Tha Maula, Tu Hi Aan
Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan (2)

Tere Sang Kheli Holi
Tere Sang Thi Diwali
Tere Anganon Ki Chhaya
Tere Sang Sawan Aaya
Pher Le Tu Chahe Nazaren Chahe Chura Le
Laut Ke Tu Aayega Re Shart Laga Le

Teeja Tera Rang Tha Main To (2)
Jiya Tere Dhang Se Main To
Tu Hi Tha Maula, Tu Hi Aan
Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan (2)

Mitti Meri Bhi Guhi
Wohi Mere Ghee Aur Churi
Wohi Ranjhe Mere Wohi Heer
Wohi Sevaiyyan Wohi Kheer
Tujh Se Hi Rooth Na Re Tujhe Hi Manana
Tere Mera Naata Koi Dooja Na Jaana

Teeja Tera Rang Tha Main To (2)
Jiya Tere Dhang Se Main To
Tu Hi Tha Maula, Tu Hi Aan
Maula Mere Lele Meri Jaan (4)

I would consider myself lucky if I could ever write something like this!

Credits: Copied lyrics from Chandani's youtube video.

The Nidhi Kapoor Story

Did you like this post? May be you want to read my first book - The Nidhi Kapoor Story.

Check it out on Amazon or Flipkart?