As good as it gets

Its My way or the Highway- Govt

2009-11-02T05:01:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when you make a bunch of idiots take decisions.

The Government will not sanction any Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) for an employee who uses personal car or taxi as mode of transport.

Ok...from the first statement I understand that the government is trying to provide some business to the State/Central Government owned Transport mechanisms. This also means that it believes that these systems are on par or atleast comparable with the private operators. However, the next line shows something else

However, the rule shall not be applicable to employees with a handicap or disability of self or dependent family member.

What does this show!!...That if I want to travel by JetAirways because it costs me less i should first get my self a disability or bring a physically challenged friend along...WTF!! This is a classic case of solving the wrong problem. The problem is that the sales of tickets in Government carriers is less because they do not offer the value for money ( be it in terms of service quality or comfort). This cannot be solved by forcing people to use it...No!!....Upgrade them, improve them make them attractive...cut down the excessive flab!!

Alas!....Who cares..
Mantriji always insisted on having his aircraft tank full...and would get it fully refuelled everytime it landed. On asking what was the reason...
"The only time you feel you have too much fuel on this worn out planes is when you're on fire"
Good answer mantriji!!

Tooth Biryani

2009-10-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

I always thought that there are a few ways in which one can die when he flies and none of those risks could be avertible...But this came as a shocker!!

Malad-resident Brijesh Lohia;- it seems;- had reason to be angry: he had allegedly found a tooth implant in the food

I am sure it is not long before you would find a whole denture in the food served. It is appalling to see that the national carrier standards have gone down to new low. Now there are more reasons to avoid eating during the flight apart from the poor taste of the served stuff.

It happens only in India

2009-10-31T11:39:00.001-07:00

It happens only In India..(Not really!!)

Bus in Chennai...Photo from Hindu website....

Silence

2009-10-31T00:56:00.001-07:00

I have been silent on this blog for some time now. I have been going through a lot of pressure & questions in my mind in the past few days which have kept me busy...Apart from the Never ending German classes.
I have also invested some time in continuing my reading of Micheal Chricton's "Travels". However, my success in finishing about 30 pages can be largely attributed to the time i spent reading some pages while i spent time on the toilet seat every morning during the past one week. Also, I have invested money in the markets to some time was spent in reading where to invest and into what should i invest. And finally gave up deciding that whatever i do....I love south and so do my investments. No wonder my profits always look southwards oblivious of the market trend...

Of late... I have been trying hard to build a cross-platform GUI + Database based software completely in C. Yeah i know!! I sound like a freak...but i wanted to just see how much of C i still can manage after doing about 10 months of "Model based Development". I think i will soon giving up and switching to python, which is not only faster,simpler and cleaner...but also newer to me ensuring that there the ever drooping learning curve gets some positive slope!!. I have something like a good gui in "C" using GTK ....so it is not really too much of aproblem to port it to Python i trust.

And Before i forget....I had been on a team building excursion with my team....It was nice fun with a lot of take home. I always thought i had the right ingredients to make a good leader...but apparently not!!.....I am sure a lot of those who are reading this would just shrug off saying...We always knew that!!....But yes, i gather that there are a few things that i suck at and i should fix those before i can even imagine of taking some responsibility.....

Finally, hairfall has been always my friend....And i think a point of time has come when i should take a decision if i should go completely bald on my own or let nature do this job...However, I have decided to just hang on and continue for a while..

Now that i have found some time and some hope that i might be able to procure a netbook soon, I shall try to write more....
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Deepavali Wishlist

2009-10-17T00:51:00.001-07:00

Deepavali the festival of lights is here. It is a great to have a few days of fun and celebration. ( eating of sweets and meeting of friends) . The festival marks perishing of Darkness by light. While all this is great there a few things that irritate the hell outta me during these days!! ( Yeah!!, i know i always complain) So i have put down my 3 point wishlist for Deepavali.....Gods can you grant even one?

Time It: Bursting crackers is perhaps the only way kids and a whole bunch of adults identify Deepavali. I have a problem that people are free to burst crackers anytime during the Deepavali days. I was harshly woken up today when a neighbour of mine who never wakes up until the sun warms up his butt.....woke up early just to light a loud-sounding cracker and go back to sleep after ensuring that mine was destroyed!!...Why cant we have timings for bursting crackers? This would not only ensure that the pollution window is restricted but also ensure that there are no annoying moments for Elders, Infants etc.
Place It: Malleshwaram is a zero garbage area. So i see BBMP workers cleaning the roads all the time. It pains me to see that while at one end folks are doing the backbreaking work of cleaning the streets of the mess created by crackers on the other end folks are dirtying the roads again. Why cannot we use large open grounds to burst our crackers. In densely packed localities bursting of crackers is not only a health hazard but also significantly increases the probability of fire mishaps and accidents on the roads when drivers try to avoid the crackers!!. Go out to grounds and celebrate...this way you can see lot more variety of crackers...enjoy the lighting too and ensure that the pollutions is localized. Also it is easier to provide first aid and medication in case there are any mishaps....BBMP can organize this the same way they organize immersion of Idols during Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Pooja ....Alas who cares?
Control It : While bursting of crackers cannot be avoided and should not be totally irradiated because that would mean pushing a big part our community to Unemployment. However, the crackers should be made safer, cleaner and better. This means that we should have proper controlling authorities who monitor the quality, monitor the cost and safety issues at the manufacturing areas.

I have seen the crackers that are used in Germany, when i happened to be there during the Silvester ( New Year) a couple of years back. These things look much better, safer and you really can be sure that you can use them without risking yourself too much.

So Let the festival of lamps bring a lot of light into your homes too....Enjoy Maadi

Beans

2009-10-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Found this 1X2 beans....and thought will put a pic...

And if you say ..what so special....then my reply...When this can become breaking news...this beans deserves some justice

Dilbert says

2009-10-07T03:50:00.001-07:00

Could not refrain from sharing

Looks like all managers follow Dilbert religiously....especially mine!!
[ Thanks to my friend Divya from status message i got this!!]

Pic of the Month - Oct

2009-10-06T02:42:00.001-07:00

This time the picture of the month is far from funny....

My caption: When even gods were not spared by nature!!
[Image from Hindu website]

When Roles reversed

2009-10-03T11:47:00.001-07:00

Roles reversed.....ain't that cool

Drunk poll officer, vigilant citizen and a unique trial

I salute this vigilant citizen...who chose to risk his life and in the end just let the man go with a real lesson for life....However, on the hindsight i feel a couple of tight slaps would have still gone a long way...(Dandam Dashagunam Bhaveth).

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The Ig Nobel award goes to

2009-10-03T11:09:00.001-07:00

I should share this....coz i really loved it...the Ig Nobel awards for 2009

Dr Elena Bodnar won for her bra that converts into a pair of gas masks — one for the wearer, the other for a friend.

I am sure a few of our dudes would love some gas leaks of sets of bollywood....especially when Rakhi sawant or Mallika Sherawat is around...In the hope to get a chance to be shaved by them ( when they lent their br...er.. gas-masks!!).
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Deo-dead-rent

2009-09-24T23:12:00.001-07:00

This is why guys ....we should not wear deo's the way the show it in the advertisements.

Man became human fireball after deodorant caught fire as he lit barbecue

Anyway, This shows that when you are out of luck even a harmless deo can f**k you....

Spit and get paid too....

2009-09-23T01:12:00.001-07:00

Some of the weirdest things are always out on sale in this world. The morbid details in this report tells us in what deplorable conditions people have to earn a living in some parts of the "Civilized" world.

Tuberculosis sufferers in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, were found to be selling samples of their sputum to healthy people to pass off as their own in a scam to gain medical grants.

On one end it shows us to what new lows can "Humans" get down for a few bucks and ironically it also shows us how low the living conditions are for some "Humans". This makes me remember of a woman who had sold her virginity to pay college fees. The dire need for money can definitely force people to take extreme steps. On the funny side of it i think Indians would not have been too concerned in donating their sputum. Apart from Peeing, Indian consider spitting at public places their next right....( and will not give up at any cost!!)
Mantriji narrates this incident that happened with him at a local pub...
I got a call when i was having my third Beer....Since the pub was quite full and i did not want any one to take a swig from my mug....I stuck a post it saying ...."I have spit in my beer".....

When i returned there was a small addendum to the note which read , "I too!!"
( Joke from a old friend!!)

Miraculous photos for ID cards...

2009-09-20T23:40:00.001-07:00

Indians have a real uncanny sense of humor or should i say it is the I-Dont-Care attitude. Just have a look at the photo's dudes sent in when they applied for their Voters-ID card in Mumbai.

And guess this is not the so called "Illiterate" or "Uneducated" dudes who are doing this. What is more shameful is this ...

It’s not just average citizens who are giving back-end election office staff a tough time-a leading Bollywood action star actually sent a photograph of himself wearing a pair of dark sunglasses! He has since been told to send a picture that had a clear view of his face.

Now tell me i am living in a country where dudes are considered smart....

Technical fools

2009-09-20T22:13:00.001-07:00

I wonder if people are outright stupid or is humanity becoming more dumber by use of technology which it cannot handle well....
Proof 1:

The Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) in Adelaide says it is worrying that two girls lost in a stormwater drain raised the alert on a social networking site rather than ringing triple-0.

And if youthought that was one extreme here is the other one
Proof 2:

Apparently wanting to travel light, he did not take the victim’s computer, but he did use it. To check his Facebook page. And he forgot to log off.

While it is great to make best use of technology, Using it to prove your stupidity is something really unique.....As they say...

"You can make anything foolproof....because fools are ingenious"

How "Not" to fail!!

2009-09-19T11:49:00.001-07:00

A wonderful set of slides which talk about what you should and what you should not if you really mean business...

How To Fail: 25 Secrets Learned through Failure

View more presentations from Taylor Davidson.
There is so much to learn.....

Conception Discount

2009-09-14T22:35:00.001-07:00

Well the world is full of weird offers in order to woo customers. Walk on Brigade road on a busy Sunday after noon and you will see ridiculous banners like buy 1 get 2 free
and so on. Also offers and incentives have been used time and again to get people do something. For example, reduced rates if you copulate and conceive during your hotel stay...

Couples will be rewarded with a $300 ‘Conception Credit’ if they can prove
that their baby was conceived while they were staying at the hotel

or extra marks at your school examinations if your parents vote.
Some offers are out of desperation like the one JET is offering now by giving you 50% fare cuts.
The most interesting part of the whole thing is that we all know that no offer comes free...there are always some catches which we either fail to notice or they do not matter to us. As long as you feel that the offer is worth it i guess one should
While all this is true, I have always believed in the quote that
" The buyer never buys costly and the seller never sells cheap"
So....at the end of the day what matters is if you are convinced that you got a good deal.....

Shoe throwing Hero!!

2009-09-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

No wonder there were so many instances of people throwing their shoes. However, most unfortunate is that a majority of them missed their targets by a whisker. Nevertheless, the story here tells you why.

A new four-bedroom home has been built by his former boss. A new car – and the promise of many more – awaits. ....
"One Iraqi who lived in Morocco called to offer to send his daughter to be Muntazer's wife," said editor Abdul Hamid al-Saij.

I guess after this the expectations of the blokes who imitated Mr. Muntazer have gone up. Imagine if people can offer you so much for throwing a shoe and missing it....What might have been the reward for throwing a stone and not missing it.....
That would truly be called...."Killing two birds with one stone..." what say.....

No Comments!!

2009-09-11T06:07:00.001-07:00

This picture speaks for itself...i can imagine it happening!!

Google says

2009-09-09T23:47:00.001-07:00

I shall only give the link here. Rest is self explanatory. Yeah the best one is below

Swine flu - Eye Opener!!

2009-09-09T05:38:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the media hype in our organization the HR department pressed the panic button when some suspected Swine Flu or H1N1 case was reported. It went to such an extent that immediately some awareness programs where put in place and Employees were with symptoms were asked to take a few days off.
The awareness program that took place yesterday was an eye opener ....and this article is for all those who are still worried about the SwineFlu.

Swine Flu or H1N1 as we know it today doesn't spread by eating Pork. It is called so because the virus was created inside a pig. The virus mutates very fast.
Swine Flu doesn't transmit through air. It however, does transmit itself from body fluids. When one sneezes a lot of his mucus is thrown out in the form of very fine particles which can be inhaled by someone like you and me. So do not believe if someone says that AC environment promotes the H1N1 spread.
It is not fatal by itself. No flu is. However, if one is suffering with other problems then flu definitely can be a killer. Saying that H1N1 killed a person suffering from multiple disorders is like saying the guy who hit the last run won the match for you !!.
However, Flu could be fatal in case of infants. It is pretty clear that infants cannot tell you when their nose is blocked, when their throat is irritated etc. Also, their lungs are smaller and have lesser resistance to bacteria and viruses. Therefore for infants it is better to stay at home ( they are not smart enough to cover their noses when someone sneezes near them).
The ways in which the virus spreads - Mouth, Nose and eye.
Use of Tamiflu for normal flu might lead to new virus strains which are resistant to Tamiflu. These might mutate with the H1N1 to give rise to variants which are totally resistant. ( It is already so in some places outside India)
7 days is the timeframe in which you should be able to get rid of the virus from your system ( 21 days for infants) if you take proper precautions. Note that only advanced stages of the infection demand to be treated with Tamiflu. Stage 1 and 2 can be handled by taking normal Antibiotics like Paracetamol. Stage 1 and Stage 2 are basically days 1-3 and days 4-5. A decent medications and clean environment during these days will ensure that the body builds enough resistance to fight the virus and you dont need to go to Tamiflu which is the ultimate medicine.

Finally, Do not panic. It is not really something we should be so sacred about because it is not really a killer by itself. It is as dangerous as any other flu, only difference is that it becomes more resistant from days 5 onwards ( if untreated) and is more dangerous in case of infants.

Pic of the Month - Sep(2)

2009-09-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is a real one as the site claims. I am sure folks must have laughed their guts out!!....

The couple had set the timer on their camera while posing at a lakeside in a national park in Canada.
Just as they were about to be captured on camera the cheeky squirrel popped up in the foreground and stole the show

"Photo Photo pe likha hai ....Aane wale ka naam" - Deepak

Pic Of the Month - Sep (1)

2009-09-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

Well cool one from web for this month's Pic. I will try to dig some of my older emails to get a better one

Insurance claim - How?

2009-09-01T03:37:00.001-07:00

Experience teaches you more than what you can get from any book (or blog post) and recently after my bike and a speeding Skoda decided to get a bit cosy, leaving my bike with a bent forks and split fender I was forced to claim insurance and get the damn thing fixed.
So this post is for those who want to know what happens and how it happens when you claim insurance.

First off have a good look at your vehicle and estimate what parts are completely screwed. In some cases you can decide and in others you cannot so just get a rough estimate.
Second go to the vendor from where you got the vehicle only those guys will fix your vehicle well the rest will screw it up even further. In my case i went to Kiviraj bajaj and they spoilt my bike all the more ( My bike came from Kalyani Bajaj).
Once you go to the vendor, inform him that you want to do an Insurance claim and ask him to tell you the rough estimates of how much it is going to cost. The moment you say you will claim insurance, the folks will tell you all kinds of things that are wrong with you vehicle. Since, you have done an estimate yourself you can judge if they are bluffing. In case of bikes, they will always say that the fork is bent and the handlebar is twisted ....so be careful.
Next thing that you need to do is ask for the claim form and fill it up. Call your insurance folks and register the claim. The claim form will ask you for details like accident time, place vehicle make and other details which you should provide correctly.Submit all this with copies of your license, RC book and copy of premium paid details.

Forget your vehicle for a few days from then. It can be from 1 week in case of two wheelers to 2-3 weeks in case of four wheelers based on how much damage is done to your vehicle. The insurance company will call you up a couple of times to know in which garage is the vehicle etc. They will do a survey and then give the OK for the repairs to be done. Once the vehicle is ready you will have to pay up the bill and get your vehicle.
Then begins the wait for the SMS saying that the cheque for the insurance claim has been processed. This cheque should reach you in a few days.

Usually, if the vehicle repair bill is about X don't expect to get more than 2/3 of X as insurance claim since a lot of parts will undergo depreciation and hence they are not considered for 100% reimbursements. Also depending on the age of the vehicle the insurance amount reimbursed will be lower.

While i wish that you never run into a situation where you would have to claim the insurance, I hope this blog post helps you in case you have to claim it.

Where Statues live and People Die.

2009-08-27T00:04:00.001-07:00

I fail to see where our culture figures in this heroic stunt by the Maharastra government? Some days back there was a great furor created over the unveiling of the statues of Tiruvalluver in Bangalore. It is quite absurd to see the such gross misuse of public money. While people are dying everyday because of lack of medication, food and shelter our government feels, it is a great way of promotion of our culture by making new statutes.

“He is not a dead hero. He is alive in the minds of people who love Maharashtra,” added Awhad.

Yeah, right.... if he is alive in our minds then why do we need him in the sea that too at such a high price tag. In India apparently for everything a statue works as a solution. If you want to make your movie popular erect a statue, if you want to commemorate someone's life or death erect a statue. The human infatuation for erection...I mean erection of statues has reached a new high with the erection of the statue of the first Swine Flu victim in Mexico.

Then there are some statues of people who are living but portrayed as dead in their bronze-iron versions. Of course, when it is not your money that is at stake you might as well get statues of all your family members put up ( even may be your family dog), however grotesque the sculpture might turn out to be......

Finally, by doing all this we are atleast doing the avian population in India a favor. We give them a new place to empty their bowels...instead of doing it on our heads....

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It's all in the game

2009-08-21T03:39:00.001-07:00

The only question i have after reading this is .....

Badminton Association of India (BAI) officials reportedly forgot to e-mail her entry to the organisers on time.

Would this have happened to Cricket in India and for any sport anywhere else????

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