Rusted Ramblings

What's it with guys and cars ?

2007-12-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

What's exactly the deal with guys and cars (or bikes) ? Why do they find them so fascinating, that they glean and memorize every tiny detail of these mechanical devices down to engine torque and the carbon footprint. Apparently guys like cars cos they don't talk back and don't mind if you got another one home ;) . But seriously, i don't understand this obsession with some guys. i guess it makes them feel more cool and macho. When in my teens, i remember trying to get interested in cars because the other guys were. Poring over car magazines, reading up about new cars, trying to make sense of cylinders, camshafts and crash test dummies...i did try. But it was wasted time. The only thing that really got me interested me at that time was the macpherson strut ;) (hey, i was a teenager). To me a car will always be a transportation device from point A to point B.
i couldn't care less if it was water tank on four wheels (actually the santro looks like that). i do like car artwork though. here's one from E.T.

Christmas 2006

2006-12-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

Hey, Our Christmas tree!!!

revo lla daer

2006-11-27T04:55:00.000-08:00

This blog post was triggered by something I read in the newspaper. Here’s the online version http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1065994. I almost always read newspapers and magazines back to front, from the last page to the first! This ritual probably originated from the time I first started reading papers. At that time (single digit age), the only thing in the newspaper that interested me were the comics. I remember ‘Mid-day’ having the comics two pages from the end, so it was natural & easier to go to it from the end. Later as I got interested in sports, I would read those pages and they were right after the comics at the end. From then on I hardly ever remember reading the newspaper the ‘right’ way. This quirk leads to missing out certain experiences, like reading the April fool’s gotcha note before reading the planted stories. Teaser ads are also lost on me, because I come across the final ad of the series before the teasers and I wonder what the fuss was all about. The only stuff I don’t miss are all the political & other such depressing news on the front pages. What about you? How do you read your newspaper?

(As an aside, this had me questioning if all my thoughts were always triggered by some other event- don’t I ever have an original thought? am I just a “moist robot” with no free will? care for a philosophical mind twister? Read http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2006/11/the_little_robo.html )

5 months !

2006-10-04T01:59:00.001-07:00

It's FIVE whole months since i've been married. Here's a picture from back then :)

Pandora

2006-08-07T01:13:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what music I like, I'm always at a complete loss about how to describe my tastes accurately. Music is so vast and prevalent and my tastes are eclectic. I don’t necessary like a particular genre - just certain types of songs from there and I may hate another set of songs from the same genre. I may like Aerosmith, but that doesn't necessarily mean I like Guns n Roses. Coldplay is easy on my ears and so is Enrique Inglesias. Lately I've been listening to music on pandora.com. Pandora basically helps you to find music you like by analyzing certain details from music you already like and matching it with other music in its database. As a side-effect, I'm beginning to see common strains in the music that I listen too. For example, I like 'subtle use of vocal harmony', 'major key tonality' and 'electric guitar riffs' (Whoa!). I also dig 'mild rhythmic syncopation', 'electric instrumentation' and 'a clear focus on recording studio production' (who would have guessed!). So now I know how to describe my musical tastes and if I sound like a music snob what the heck :-) !!

Chez Moi

2006-08-01T02:47:00.000-07:00

So finally we get possession of our home - 4 months after when it was promised. Still have to shift in though - some basic work needs to be done before we do that. Let me tell you it's been quite stressful to buy and move into a home - the loan, finding a decent place, negotiating with the builders, getting the registrations done, other such formalities, forcing the builder to make alterations and complete pending work, planning the shifting, etc. it is starting to take its toll on me. Believe me, if you want to see life, buy a home (with your own money and with your own resources). Meanwhile here is a view from the window of 'ma maison'...

Blunted edge

2006-06-15T05:07:00.000-07:00

One of the most inane lyrics I’ve heard lately is one from James Blunt - You’re Beautiful. Try this,

"..my life is brilliant
my love is pure
i saw an angel
of that i'm sure…."

!!!. Or this,

"you're beautiful, it's true
i saw your face in a crowded place
and i don't know what to do…

!!! !!!

Believe it or not, this song is quite a hit now, despite the lyrics. Though I must say it’s quite radio friendly. The other Blunt songs in the album have pretty decent lyrics, so it’s surprising to be missing from this number. OK-songs overall and less depressing than Damien Rice.

Post-marriage Ponderings

2006-06-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

Been really busy these past few months - getting married !! Well the marriage ceremonies hardly took about 6 hours, but the preparations took about 6 months (seriously!). Anyways this is not about marriage or about me, but about post-marriage and my wonderful wife. For some weird reason everyone she meets post-marriage (its about a month now) seems to be asking her why is she still the same and why hasn't she put on more weight !! Now the whole logic of this perplexes me. In the first place, why is she expected to put on weight? Is it that a newly married wife is supposed to have a more relaxed and less strenuous life now that she has someone else to do the running about? (no sorry that's not gonna happen sweetie :) ). Or is it because you have now 'settled down', so you tend to accumulate umm 'mass' ? Or that the huge amount of endorphins coursing through your blood at around this time has some side effect? I mean I just don't get it !! Is there some physical, chemical or social reason for such a phenomenon to be expected ? And what is weirder still is - why aren't they asking me the same question?!! (on second thoughts, it's good that they don't ;)

Modernistic perching posts

2006-02-21T03:25:00.000-08:00

Some time back there were a couple of jambul trees and a neem tree just outside my building. These were frequented by many birds (mostly crows). I've spent hours observing the antics of crows when I was a kid. Sadly these trees were chopped down some time back, taking forever with them the birds' gallivanting spots.
At present the building is under renovation and is covered with bamboo scaffolding. So guess what, the birds (mostly crows these days, the sparrows have mostly disappeared) have happily taken to the scaffolding. They use them as resting spots, eating spots, take-off spots, wooing spots, bullying spots and practically every other spot. They expertly dart through the lattice and consider then as extensions to the nearrby trees. It quite amazing to see the adaptability of these creatures. Surely a lesson here for us.

2005-09-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

You know you work in a crazy place, when you get a roasted papad, a tomato and an onion (all neatly gift wrapped) as a birthday present ! I luvvvvvvvved it !!

2005-09-20T00:34:00.000-07:00

Apple Pie on my birthday (17th) !!

2005-09-12T00:33:00.000-07:00

Messy desk !

2005-09-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

Diesel (Luanne's dog) wanting to eat my phone !

2005-09-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

View from the backseat of an autorickshaw in Goa

2005-09-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

Me in Goa

Do I even wanna do this ?

2005-01-11T05:16:00.000-08:00

No. nothing here.