Brown Motion

Nothing dramatic here like the famed masters of the renaissance but more mundane as in getting the abode painted. As in our home from the inside and out. Now we (as in born in India) have tried this form of DIY task in the past with mixed results. It takes quite a while to do one room and the results are mixed. As in not mix of paints on a wall but the finish leaves a lot to be desired in spite of having the right tools (or so we thought). Now use the concept of hiring domain experts and typically you would go with folks that have a heritage from south of the border. This largely implies folks with a Mexican lineage (not to sound racist but some in our government with their stance against illegal immigration will literally run against a resource wall with their thinking on sending all so called illegals back to their homes - no salads at dinner to no clean restrooms at their favorite restaurant to no food in most cases); who are skilled to handle repetitive and laborious tasks t

As in you have kicked the bucket or said your Sayonara, what really happens? For one you do not occupy any more physical space on our planet at least if you are cremated. Here the organic matter will simply convert into multiple gases and a lot of the matter will convert into heat energy as it grills on the flame until a pile of ashes is left behind. Gruesome some may say but that is really all there is to it. Now on the subject of how people will remember you there can be some benchmarks established if you were a well known entity when living. Examples could be - Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Osama BL, Mark Twain, Steve Jobs, George Carlin or Jerry Seinfeld. But for most of us that is not a privilege we are able to earn. So then the host of romantic write ups of how one should not chase money and material things in life, because you cannot take them with you; you are only remembered by your deeds etc. seems kind of blah. If chasing material things in life makes you happy

Why do humans (perhaps more stateside than other countries I have visited) tend to ask this of another human? Like Clinton famously said "It depends on what 'it' is"? Then there are variants to that like - Hows it hanging or hangin?; Whats up? (that literally depends on ones point of view I believe - if you are doing a Shirsasana or a gymnast doing a headstand then Up is confusing. Also it is now the name of a famous animated movie. On the subject of hanging and what it is - there could be various possibilities. Answers could vary from - A little on the right to twisted and bunched or its not. 'How are you?' is another flavor of the same general retarded question. I am right there in front of you - how do you think I am? Also on the previous question about going - why is it assumed that it has to go? I may be constipated. Perhaps I need to get some coffee before I drive myself crazy.

What the heck does that mean? I find this line of thinking oxymoronic. (I am not sure if oxymoronic is good use of the word or if it is even a legit word). But you get the idea (perhaps you do not). I have heard the journalists assign this term to the President of the US. First of all if there is a free world it is incongruent to have leaders and followers - they would all be free without bondage or subservience. Also it is mildly hypocritical to declare that we have a good idea of what a free world is since such a notion is entirely utopian. We think we know everything there is to know of global cultures and forms of government that rule across the world and believe that a free world is the only sustainable world out there and want to publish that idea on non believers. Trying to impress that concept through speeches and propaganda is not good marketing. It should work somewhat along the lines of how Apple makes people into believers of its product. i.e. create a need whe

When I look at ruins or significant works of cultural art I notice that each is qualified with the word 'ancient'. Does that mean that as a society humans have ceased to leave behind anything significant for generations to come? Does that bode ill for our grand grand grand children where the only concept of history may be clunky touch screen devices that were all the rage during the 21st century? Today we seem to be in awe of former kings and emperors and even are willing to spend significant time and money to go understand their cultures, imbibe their food and stare at what are admittedly ugliest stones ever (think ruins of any fortress or old dwellings that have survived and acknowledge them as a feat of engineering). What has man done in the recent decades that compares to the Incan and Egyptian pyramids; Notre Dame or the Taj Mahal or even the Brooklyn bridge in recent history, that can withstand the test of time? Are there new Mona Lisa's or Sistine Chapel

One could argue that this media outlet has a lot of smart morons. So here is a short list of their oxy morons hashed out on their daily broadcasts and reports - Instant analysis Unemployed workers Slam dunk Investment trade Short term advice Solid erosion etc

Call me crazy but at this point I pretty much rent a movie when I see Matt Damon on the cast. Matt is from the east coast (a Bostonite) and has grown into a very mature and versatile actor over the last decade providing very involved roles from movies like 'Goodwill Hunting' through the 'Bourne trilogy' (though I found Ludlum pretty boring during the college years) through most recent roles in 'True Grit' and 'Adjustment Bureau'. The latter is a perspective movie in many ways that 'The Truman Show' was. It provides the audience a chance to ponder the 'what if' in how there may be a power beyond our comprehension that guides and steers our daily rituals and what we think is a fair or unfair hand that life has dealt. The protagonist (Matt) gets pulled into this world where he comes face to face with this Adjustment Bureau. They try to coax him to behave a certain way because not doing so would change the rhythm of the big picture th

Many a finance wiz has ground the topic of kicking the coffee habit to death. Their logic says that by doing so many of the indebted Americans will begin to start saving substantial sums of money and therefore collectively be better for it. While I understand that in principle, writing about it in every possible media and channel seems to imply how stupid the entire community has become. On the one hand they continue to imbibe whatever they want, when they want and as many times as they want thereby improving the stock price of certain purveyors of caffeinated (or non) beverages. At times these purveyors get punished for not meeting their stock price trajectories is also seen as a criminal act, when people really could not go and afford to drink the brew. All in all people will keep whining because they feel good about it. Absolute happiness is a myth and if there were tons of people who found it we would have a very quiet planet. Now that just would not do. So just get and

Dogs missing Freeway closures Heat wave grips the nation (temps over 100 F or to those Celsius minded about 38 c which is outright balmy in many parts of India and Africa and Gulf states) Budget imbalances (were they ever balanced - really?) Tiger losing his grip (literally) High unemployment (at least they are counting) Homicides increasing (again - they have the wherewithal to count) Gay parades Non gay parades (for other important matters like Prop X / J / K / A etc - who knows what these props are used for) Vigils (for many fallen or missing creatures - leading to boom in candle sales - never got the concept) War effort (and opposition view of how not to) Dead soldiers Lindsay falling off the wagon (again) Tiger mischief (new one) Lindsay mischief 2 (latest one) Boots on the ground (and off) Teen violence Teen pregnancy View of the rest of the planet perceived by someone in the first world - example - strife in Africa requiring millions in aid to end hunger; EU w

Today the large airports along America's coasts are clogged with air traffic when approximately half of its 300 million or so people are potential market size for the country's airlines. Now that includes over 50 large metro locations with fairly modern airline handling capabilities. Can you imagine what happens in India if this ratio holds? We have about 10 large airports in total in the whole of the country and a population that is exponentially growing in terms of being able to afford air travel. One can imagine the airways buzzing with planes like mosquitoes over an open drain. Pilots will soon want planes whose windows can slide open since they would prefer to yell at other pilots and very loud horns to alert them about their oncoming jet. Very soon there will be an airborne strip mall to cater to clogged planes hovering in air with chutes to deliver chana and vadas. Not to mention bottled water. Hope the toilet situation does not mimic the ones on the high sp

Not so much a state of mind as much as in sexual orientation. This is the wild west for politicians and commoners alike in the so called first world, right there with over extended lines of credit and debt defaults. Every day the local and national news are fraught with some tidbits about how the gay community is expressing their latest angst about not being treated as equals and given the same rights. Now to a straight observer such as myself all this seems comparable to a new product launch that may be besieged by hitherto (sounds cool) unknown problems, marketing challenges, financing issues etc. Getting their voices heard and making sure they get to feel at par with the rest of society is clearly the big driver. After all it is the land of the free, democracy, justice and liberty for all, etc etc. No mention of rights. That is what they are after. Right to marry and most recently a new wrinkle - right to be divorced like the next man or woman. Big snafu for those that f

Got to thinking about the use of popular Christian names that are associated with other words to form new words. One of them that to me seems ahead of the pack in terms of widespread use is Jack. Carjack (and there are 2 kinds - one that props the car and the other that explains what happens when you are taken against your will) Pepper Jack (as in the cheese) Magic Jack (as in the cheap alternative to talk to all the Jacks using the Jack and a phone) Jack in the Box (that needs to be taken out of the box to be eaten) Blackjack (a novel way to get rid of your money or conversely depending on which side of the table you are on - of making easy money) Jackrabbit (why so many in the animal kingdom also got affiliated with human names beats me) while Jackfruit actually gets into the fruits too, Jackass (if you have not figured out what this blog is about) I wonder if Jill (since tumbling down the hill with him no less), Mike, Rob, Dave feel slighted? Btw - Jack of all tra

Have you seen some of the unemployed folk that the media interviews for ratings? These are those that have been unduly punished (they would have you believe) by getting sacked from Corporations that had to do some house cleaning. What with reduced GDP and all there are a number of companies unwilling to carry dead weight. Hence the reduction in force. Now when these so called folks are on camera talking about how they are sending their kids to the local shelter for blankets and warm bed, or to the food bank to eke out what they can for nourishment, they tend to be dressed better than me. They even appear to have spent some quality time with a make up salon getting a new do or look to appear as the Next Super Model on national TV. These are moms talking about making sacrifices and making sure their children have good food (that only the food bank or local charity can dole out) - very noble - while sitting pretty (as in with manicured nails and eyebrows Posh Spice would vie for)

After having imbibed a few bottled elixirs in my four decades on the planet I've decided to list what seems to elevate me to a nice state. When it comes to gas filled liquids I think hands down the India brewed and bottled Kingfisher beer takes the top spot. It is a refreshing and crisp lager best served and consumed chilled on a hot, sticky Indian summer day. None of the European, Asian or stateside brewed concoctions measure up in taste or price as in value for Money. On the subject of wines i may have vented on how dry the activity of consuming dry wines is. My favorite is the Ice Wine harvested in the cool weather of the Niagara region of Ontario in Canada. Like honey with distinct hints of apricot and clove it is equally thick and potent and leaves the palate with a long lasting after taste that is worth savoring. Again good value for money. As far as the true high potency and quick return on investment beverages go (taste with buzz); I prefer a good spicy Tanquer

Does Time exist? What would a world without numbers look like? Would we even wake up? What is there to wake up for? I suppose as the human brain indicated a need to adjust the internal plumbing pressure we would be awakaned. Not because the sun had risen to a certain point in the sky or because we would need to catch that train or start the car. We would merely obey a central nervous system command to get some calories into the body or to dispose what the body did not need by way of waste. So life must have seemed for Homo Erectus and its relative brethren as in relatives = No clock and no numbers. Just variety of flora and fauna waiting to be tasted. Many an erectus would swing by another on front or rear or all limbs, checking out the opposite sex or same sex for reasons hitherto unknown. The expression - when it was time - would lose significance in a world where such an idea would be irrelevant. Nothing would be done in a timely manner since to do anything would be an

Angelinos (aka our cousins to the south in the great state of CA) feared something that may rank only next to the next big quake. They lost the use of one of their freeways. For a whole 48 hours. Caltrans (local road fixers) had a project to demol and needed to keep the omnipresent driving public away from their blast site. Hence the 405 was closed. It is amazing how a country's or region's culture dictates what becomes news or noteworthy as compared to say Europe or India or China and how the local public might react to that same piece of information (that is if that information was indeed deemed worth sharing and shared with the public). So it was in the case of this freeway closure that the entire state of CA was on high alert almost a few weeks ahead of the event. There were large signs alerting drivers traveling in the general direction of Los Angeles that this section of freeway would be closed and that detours were available. They even hired an old Soap Star th

Two business news out yesterday. Google announced blockbuster earnings last night with billions in cash reserve and cash flows to envy (irony is Blockbuster earnings are nowhere like Google). Borders book group is hanging by a thread to survive in it's bankruptcy saga with individual consumers either too disintersted to read old fashioned print or not having enough to pay for books without a paycheck. You could argue that Google like services have helped disenfranchise folks from the traditional media like books and newspapers. But Borders served a purpose far beyond being just a bookstore. To me, a loyal customer of the bookstore it was also a good refuge to go when the weather turned nasty during my grocery run or I had an hour to kill when the daughter was in art class. Sip a latte or chai and read a few words of wisdom from a global library of authors. In many neighborhoods it provided a good alternative to low income folk to find a good read and get away from their

Remember the biology classes we all took growing up. Bacteria are the omni present organisms that surround our very beings and are being inhaled and exhaled with every breath, we were told. Well as it turns out now people in the crazed marketing culture are actually paying a premium to imbibe them as part of a healthy lifestyle choice. How you ask? Take for example the recent craze in the lowly Yogurt Brands. From being a plain or vanilla flavored, non sexy tub in the refrigerator aisle it has literally acquired Star Status, riding the coattails of nothing less than the measly bacteria. Acidophilus to other probiotic microscopic matter now boldly displayed on every other container of this creamy white milk based condiment sells. Then there is the other European sham that every uncle with a farm is trying to pull by labeling their Yogurt as GREEK. Honestly it is all Greek to me. What the heck is a greek yogurt? Are Greek Bacteria somehow more potent in their value delivery

Officials blame terrorists for blasts in crowded city. Duh - that is the whole idea of being a terrorist - cause terror by destroying civil order. Oil prices might fluctuate this summer; followed by the next day's headline - Oil likely to creep higher in summer The stock market is in for some wild swings (yea it is a theme park alright)!

I remember the days in elementary school when I could not wait for the recess bell to go. That meant you could officially chill out without staring at your teacher drone on about the subtleties of 'Rana Tigrina' (or common toad, for those not familiar with amphib lingo), while almost looking like one; or stress your brain about correct use of 'past participles' (not a Christianity lecture but English grammar); and just chew gum or something and dream about hanging out with that cute girl 2 grades higher than me. Now compare that with adding the letters 'ion' to this wonderful state of mind. Ions btw are insignificant charged atoms in their own right but add it to recess and we get the most dreaded word in recent human evolution. Whether its our FED mentioning it in one of their soporific depositions to congress (sounds like something the neighbors dog did on my lawn), or the president of the nation trying to use it to move public opinion it is enough to wrea

It is hard for my pithy brain sometimes to process information as it streaks out from the radio over FM and tries to enter my half asleep being which is sort of focused on keeping the commuting vehicle on track. Here are some distractions - If someone's half brother dies as some headline indicated what happens to the other half? Is he colorless? Why are we devoting endless hours and sound bites at top of the hour to update the nation on what others thought of what could have been a psychotic mother wanting to rid her own toddler? Face it folks - we humans are the craziest species that lived. Then there is the budget impasse. Really? Present time we are spending more than we are making so huh - watch that wallet and shake hands no? The latest Prince and Princess from the continent (between reproductive activity, which is job 1) went traveling to North America and made photo ops and news by sending a puck into a hockey net. Native Indians among others cheered. And t

As in not the one where someone presidential does it to a sentence (not the casually written kind but one for a bad dude or dudette stuck in the slammer). After those two digressions I am refering to the American pet peeve kind. As in the one that one encounters going to and fro repeatedly between 2 points or multiple points if that is the point. So what of it you ask? Well I began observing the characteristics of said activity during my own. Very worldly experience and all. 1. Work Related - While many Americans will multi task and drive all different ways on their landscape called 'the freeway' (you are free to do what you like), they exhibit a peculiar characteristic when driving 'To' work as compared to driving 'From' work (to that place where they derive more pleasure). That difference is one of eagerness to get to the destination. Going 'To' work the traffic tends to drive at posted limits and seems much well mannered for the most par

The Big Apple. The City that never sleeps. THE Melting Pot. 5 boroughs with the largest population density anywhere in the US. New York City. Father and daughter made it their next stop on the east coast journey after wrapping up a sweltering yet wonderful July 4th in DC. We took the Amtrak NE Regional from DC to NY and were transported in little over 3 hours right in the heart of Manhattan. Our eyes lit up before we saw the lights as we ran into a Krispy Kreme donut on the way out. It was the glazed goodness that got us charged, before we emerged from the underground into the madness that is NY. We spent over 3 days in and around NY taking in everything from the local architectural landmarks to historic memorials like the French gift in the form of a lady holding a torch (Statue of Liberty, which celebrates her 125th anniversary of installation in the Harbor this year. Also visited 'ground zero', which marks the site of one of the most daring but outrageous acts

As remembrances come and go there are people worth celebrating for as well as places. Thusly this July 4th we (father and daughter) decided to embark on a long air trip to the other coast. We visited the nation's capital (and then plan to travel to the financial capital of NY, NY). We were in the 'District of Columbia' for the July 4 independence day celebrations. It has been a while since this desi (a colloquialism attributed to an expat from the Indian subcontinent) has witnessed the sea of humanity but the arrival on the national mall brought a true sense of 'deja vu' pretty quick. Scores of people moving in every direction representing a global face in terms of ethnicity surrounded us as we emerged from the subterranean rail system. That there are these underground transit options to move people from one corner of the metro area to another is a very slick undertaking. Once bathed in humidity and 90 plus degree heat we quickly oriented ourselves with the