- 41 days more
2/08/2008
dastane abdul texas dilruba - 2
Continuing from last time -- Street Lights sensors - Wait on the street lights for your turn when you are the only car at the intersection and think about it.
- Speed Cameras - Austin does not need this, the roads are narrower anyway to prevent speeding
- 3G - only regulations in TX no improvement, and they want to sell Iphones
- 21 days to change a modem MAC - no jokes, COX could do it over the phone, TimeWarner needs 21 days.
- Jai Mexico, Jai Jai Mexico, You are my butterfly Sugar, baby!!
1/16/2008
dastaane abdul texas dilruba - 1
As the name goes - it is a series of my acclimatization to Austin -the capital of Texas.
It can be summarized by the four letter word that everyone refrains from using, and for all men - i am not implying "love"
[1] U-turn lane is the left most lane on every exit. Only in a city like Austin. And kattar austinites like HSanj will tell you - "What you all dont have Uturn lanes? How can you live?"
[2] If someone is backing out, you should not allow them to complete - you start crossing as soon as you see enough space for your car.
[3] Drive at 55mph on a 65mph empty freeway
[4] If you can exit from the freeway onto one street - you cannot enter the freeway from that street.
[5] Jai Mexico!!
It can be summarized by the four letter word that everyone refrains from using, and for all men - i am not implying "love"
[1] U-turn lane is the left most lane on every exit. Only in a city like Austin. And kattar austinites like HSanj will tell you - "What you all dont have Uturn lanes? How can you live?"
[2] If someone is backing out, you should not allow them to complete - you start crossing as soon as you see enough space for your car.
[3] Drive at 55mph on a 65mph empty freeway
[4] If you can exit from the freeway onto one street - you cannot enter the freeway from that street.
[5] Jai Mexico!!
1/04/2008
12/25/2007
4/16/2007
VT Madness
just a correspondence from my profs at VT -
" Thank you for asking; fortunately my family and I are fine. My
father's office is in the building of the shootings, but he did not
go into the office today. I am actually out of town and not
returning to Blacksburg until tomorrow -- I can't say that I am
looking forward to returning. A truly awful day."
"Thanks for checking. I am okay. The shootings were in Norris Hall,
which is not far from Torgersen and which houses the offices for the
dean of engineering. I've heard from nearly everyone in the e-textiles
lab, and they are all fine. But since the dean's offices are there and
the classrooms are used for engineering classes, I am very afraid that
some of the victims may be students or colleagues of mine. "
On a side note - condolences for atleast one sister who did not survive. Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajeoon.
" Thank you for asking; fortunately my family and I are fine. My
father's office is in the building of the shootings, but he did not
go into the office today. I am actually out of town and not
returning to Blacksburg until tomorrow -- I can't say that I am
looking forward to returning. A truly awful day."
"Thanks for checking. I am okay. The shootings were in Norris Hall,
which is not far from Torgersen and which houses the offices for the
dean of engineering. I've heard from nearly everyone in the e-textiles
lab, and they are all fine. But since the dean's offices are there and
the classrooms are used for engineering classes, I am very afraid that
some of the victims may be students or colleagues of mine. "
On a side note - condolences for atleast one sister who did not survive. Inna lillahe wa inna ilayhe rajeoon.
3/28/2007
Overhaul?
This blog needs a visual overhaul. period.
Bored stiff? Loosen up...
Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
Bored stiff? Loosen up...
Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games.
WC woes
India is out and suddenly the sheen from the World Cup is over. Ok Bangladesh fans can rejoice that their team will play three more matches, and I wish to believe that they will lose all three. They dont have any more fun teams like India that transform from tigers to lambs in one day.
So who do I wish to win - Sri Lanka.
Do i regret not watching WC anymore - NO
Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast
with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.
So who do I wish to win - Sri Lanka.
Do i regret not watching WC anymore - NO
Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast
with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut.
3/21/2007
Lipan Point
If you are an Arizonian, you have been to the Grand Canyon. And each
time I went there I always tell everyone its a big hole in the ground.
My dad and me were just calculating the other day about how many men
would have worked day and night to create this big hole. Imagine - men
waking up and getting to work to dig and dig and create - viola - a
canyon. Those red indians must have worked themselves out generations
over generations just so that in the end we can make a road (and now a
skybridge) to marvel at it. Really absolutely amazing!!!
time I went there I always tell everyone its a big hole in the ground.
My dad and me were just calculating the other day about how many men
would have worked day and night to create this big hole. Imagine - men
waking up and getting to work to dig and dig and create - viola - a
canyon. Those red indians must have worked themselves out generations
over generations just so that in the end we can make a road (and now a
skybridge) to marvel at it. Really absolutely amazing!!!
Normally I take visitors to the desert tower for ooh-aah oomph and
then stop at random pullouts for some more ooh-aah. Then just for the
experience of enteriing into the canyon, I take them to the Bright
Angel trail. Occasionally Mather point finds itself into this
itinirary. But this time, we stopped at Lipan point and for the first
time I dont call it a big dugout. This point is just awesome -
overlooking the canyon and giving a broad view of the canyon. Must see
for all those who have not.
3/20/2007
Optimistic
Year 1981
Year 2005
1982 Football World Cup won by Italy
1983 Cricket World Cup won by India
2006 Football World Cup won by Italy
2007 Cricket World Cup is won by .....
OPTIMISTIC ?!
- Prince Charles got married
- Liverpool crowned Champions of Europe
- Australia lost the Ashes
- Pope Died
- 2 years later India won the world Cup!!!
Year 2005
- Prince Charles got married
- Liverpool crowned Champions of Europe
- Australia lost the Ashes
- Pope Died
- 2 years later will India win the world Cup?????
1982 Football World Cup won by Italy
1983 Cricket World Cup won by India
2006 Football World Cup won by Italy
2007 Cricket World Cup is won by .....
OPTIMISTIC ?!
3/15/2007
wheezing
Just to get me started back
[1114] I have to start acting better in front of cops. The last time i was cheery and smiley, and not the sober self, I got a ticket and have to attend a defensive driving class. Luckily not too exhorbitant, but it pinches. ouch!!
[906] The World Cup begins and I have not purchased any package. Seeing that I have hajaar things in my head anyways, it seems like skipping it is the best.
By World Cup - i dont mean two clubs of some small US cities battling it out for a trophy that only US recognizes. But this world cup is for real - cricket with teams representing many countries. Though not as global as football.
[771] Tax time - zzzzzz!!! grrr!!
[517] Baby boom time - One more nephew, three more friends becoming parents, another two friends in some time. Learning dua's had never been so easy!!
[300] Loss of a blogger!! Boohoo. Even a farewell note saying that the blog was shut would have been fine. Now it just leads you into the scary horrible world of ad redirection. Someone should make a note of ill-effects of marriages of today...
[1] Parents in town. What better way to spend the next two months.
Seem to recall nearly all the tips we used to get from the various student groups before we arrived here. That one tip that we did not recall was about carrying eye prescriptions and extra glasses. Alhumdillah that was all. Dad now sports a new bifocal.
[1114] I have to start acting better in front of cops. The last time i was cheery and smiley, and not the sober self, I got a ticket and have to attend a defensive driving class. Luckily not too exhorbitant, but it pinches. ouch!!
[906] The World Cup begins and I have not purchased any package. Seeing that I have hajaar things in my head anyways, it seems like skipping it is the best.
By World Cup - i dont mean two clubs of some small US cities battling it out for a trophy that only US recognizes. But this world cup is for real - cricket with teams representing many countries. Though not as global as football.
[771] Tax time - zzzzzz!!! grrr!!
[517] Baby boom time - One more nephew, three more friends becoming parents, another two friends in some time. Learning dua's had never been so easy!!
[300] Loss of a blogger!! Boohoo. Even a farewell note saying that the blog was shut would have been fine. Now it just leads you into the scary horrible world of ad redirection. Someone should make a note of ill-effects of marriages of today...
[1] Parents in town. What better way to spend the next two months.
Seem to recall nearly all the tips we used to get from the various student groups before we arrived here. That one tip that we did not recall was about carrying eye prescriptions and extra glasses. Alhumdillah that was all. Dad now sports a new bifocal.
1/04/2007
blog blok
These days life is so dramatically volatile that I have time to blog, but what i blog may be on the borderline of boring for the general public. It is the fun of fob-biness of being explorative in this festive season, and awesome weather, and keeping tons of patience in every aspect.
Also z-mamoo is leaving la, 2 others got jobs away and the rented house of yesteryears is finally left without any guys to occupy it. It was like a frat house, with alumni stopping by, someone always at the dining table even in the odd hours at night, and salafi, tableeghi, hanafi, shafii etc etc always enjoying themselves. Feeling sad that this day had to come, but happy about the time spent there.
Just enjoy the sales....
Also z-mamoo is leaving la, 2 others got jobs away and the rented house of yesteryears is finally left without any guys to occupy it. It was like a frat house, with alumni stopping by, someone always at the dining table even in the odd hours at night, and salafi, tableeghi, hanafi, shafii etc etc always enjoying themselves. Feeling sad that this day had to come, but happy about the time spent there.
Just enjoy the sales....
12/28/2006
forget the last post - this one is better
At New York’s Kennedy Airport today, an individual was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, Attorney General John Ashcroft said he believes the man is a member of
the notorious al-gebra movement.9 He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
“Al-gebra is a fearsome cult,” Ashcroft said. “They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like ‘x’ and ‘y’ and refer to themselves as ‘unknowns’, but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are three sides to every triangle,” Ashcroft declared.
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, “If God had wanted us to have letter weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes. I am gratified that our government has given us a sine that it is intent on protracting us from those who are willing to disintegrate us with calculus disregard. Under the circumferences, we must differentiate their root, make our point, and draw the line.” President Bush warned, “These weapons of math instruction have the potential to decimal everything in their math on
a scalene never before seen unless we become exponents of a higher power and begin to factor in random facts of vertex.”
Attorney General Ashcroft said, “Read my ellipse. Their days are numbered as the hypotenuse tightens around their necks.”
the notorious al-gebra movement.9 He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
“Al-gebra is a fearsome cult,” Ashcroft said. “They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like ‘x’ and ‘y’ and refer to themselves as ‘unknowns’, but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are three sides to every triangle,” Ashcroft declared.
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, “If God had wanted us to have letter weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes. I am gratified that our government has given us a sine that it is intent on protracting us from those who are willing to disintegrate us with calculus disregard. Under the circumferences, we must differentiate their root, make our point, and draw the line.” President Bush warned, “These weapons of math instruction have the potential to decimal everything in their math on
a scalene never before seen unless we become exponents of a higher power and begin to factor in random facts of vertex.”
Attorney General Ashcroft said, “Read my ellipse. Their days are numbered as the hypotenuse tightens around their necks.”
Math P J
A group of Polish tourists is flying on a small airplane
through the Grand Canyon on a sightseeing tour. The tour
guide announces: “On the right of the airplane, you can
see the famous Bright Angle Falls.” The tourists leap out
of their seats and crowd to the windows on the right side.
This causes a dynamic imbalance, and the plane violently
rolls to the side and crashes into the canyon wall. All
aboard are lost. The moral of this episode is: always keep
your poles off the right side of the plane.
I wouldn't blame you if you did not laugh!!
http://www.ams.org/notices/200501/fea-dundes.pdf
through the Grand Canyon on a sightseeing tour. The tour
guide announces: “On the right of the airplane, you can
see the famous Bright Angle Falls.” The tourists leap out
of their seats and crowd to the windows on the right side.
This causes a dynamic imbalance, and the plane violently
rolls to the side and crashes into the canyon wall. All
aboard are lost. The moral of this episode is: always keep
your poles off the right side of the plane.
I wouldn't blame you if you did not laugh!!
http://www.ams.org/notices/200501/fea-dundes.pdf
12/27/2006
TechnoPolitician
I have been doing a lot of technical and techno-political (if that exists) reading. Partly this interest lies from me being away from it for quite some time (read married life). Apart from the bashing of PS3 and praise for Wii from either camps, and unnnecessary praise for eveything Apple (iT1, iJingoCheetah etc), I came across a couple of links that were interesting.
Though "Support OPEC, buy an SUV" sounds good on paper, hydro, electric and hybrid energy are enthusiastic endeavours. Alas Oil companies and Big Brother does not support this as seen from the following link
Link 0 - http://easygrowhouseplants.blogspot.com/2006/12/inventor-of-water-powered-car-murdered.html
Link 1 - A very very nice interview with Tim Berners-Lee about his story about developing the WWW.
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html#Examples
Though "Support OPEC, buy an SUV" sounds good on paper, hydro, electric and hybrid energy are enthusiastic endeavours. Alas Oil companies and Big Brother does not support this as seen from the following link
Link 0 - http://easygrowhouseplants.blogspot.com/2006/12/inventor-of-water-powered-car-murdered.html
Link 1 - A very very nice interview with Tim Berners-Lee about his story about developing the WWW.
http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html#Examples
12/26/2006
Old Joke - but good laughs
------Jocks vs Nerds----
Michael Jordan having "retired," with $40 million in endorsements, makes $178,100 a day, working or not.
If he sleeps 7 hours a night, he makes $52,000 every night while visions of sugarplums dance in his head.
If he goes to see a movie, it'll cost him $7.00, but he'll make $18,550 while he's there.
If he decides to have a 5-minute egg, he'll make $618 while boiling it.
He makes $7,415/hr more than minimum wage.
He'll make $3,710 while watching each episode of Friends.
If he wanted to save up for a new Acura NSX ($90,000) it would take him a whole 12 hours.
If someone were to hand him his salary and endorsement money, they would have to do it at the rate of $2.00 every second.
He'll probably pay around $200 for a nice round of golf, but will be reimbursed $33,390 for that round.
Assuming he puts the federal maximum of 15% of his income into a tax deferred account (401k), his contributions will hit the federal cap of $9500 at 8:30 a.m. on January 1st.
If you were given a penny for every 10 dollars he made, you'd be living comfortably at $65,000 a year.
He'll make about $19.60 while watching the 100 meter dash in the Olympics, and about $15,600 during the Boston Marathon.
While the common person is spending about $20 for a meal in his trendy Chicago restaurant, he'll pull in about $5600.
This year, he'll make more than twice as much as all U.S. past presidents for all of their terms combined. Amazing isn't it?
However...If Jordan saves 100% of his income for the next 450 years, he'll still have less than Bill Gates has today.
$$$ Game over. Nerd wins.
Michael Jordan having "retired," with $40 million in endorsements, makes $178,100 a day, working or not.
If he sleeps 7 hours a night, he makes $52,000 every night while visions of sugarplums dance in his head.
If he goes to see a movie, it'll cost him $7.00, but he'll make $18,550 while he's there.
If he decides to have a 5-minute egg, he'll make $618 while boiling it.
He makes $7,415/hr more than minimum wage.
He'll make $3,710 while watching each episode of Friends.
If he wanted to save up for a new Acura NSX ($90,000) it would take him a whole 12 hours.
If someone were to hand him his salary and endorsement money, they would have to do it at the rate of $2.00 every second.
He'll probably pay around $200 for a nice round of golf, but will be reimbursed $33,390 for that round.
Assuming he puts the federal maximum of 15% of his income into a tax deferred account (401k), his contributions will hit the federal cap of $9500 at 8:30 a.m. on January 1st.
If you were given a penny for every 10 dollars he made, you'd be living comfortably at $65,000 a year.
He'll make about $19.60 while watching the 100 meter dash in the Olympics, and about $15,600 during the Boston Marathon.
While the common person is spending about $20 for a meal in his trendy Chicago restaurant, he'll pull in about $5600.
This year, he'll make more than twice as much as all U.S. past presidents for all of their terms combined. Amazing isn't it?
However...If Jordan saves 100% of his income for the next 450 years, he'll still have less than Bill Gates has today.
$$$ Game over. Nerd wins.
12/18/2006
3+3= whirlwind
The days of fattening the newlyweds with the choicest of dishes + visa appointment. As you can see we survived both and the whirlwind ended.
Now i feel fine about writing udder stuff on the blog.
Now i feel fine about writing udder stuff on the blog.
3+3+3=whirlwind
The second 3 days is where things turn a little bit more interesting. Now many people will agree with me and many wont, but I put my foot down for that custom/rivaaj called as mehendi where sisters+aunts+cousins of the bride come to my house and subject me to a round of mehendi, grabbing a finger in the end and demanding money to end the torture. (hehe). Henna fine, custom not fine, reason don’t ask. So you would believe that there would be an outcry from the bride’s family about it. Gosh the only outcry was that from my family. No one could explain why this custom came around, no one could explain why green bangles are the norm – but all they were scared off were some superstitions. Surprisingly I found support from all my cousin brudders. Each one had opposed it, but fallen to it in the end, but was happy that I was still standing. In the end all the womenfolk from my house went to A1’s house and had a good time. Good ending to a useless debate.
Day of the nikaah, people were still arriving and we were still picking them up from the railway station. (its India – airports are luxuries). 3 hours to nikaah, and we brothers decide to take a little detour – a detour to find out what are the preps at A1’s house. (Our nikaah was at A1’s house itself). Detour was fine, peeped into their preps, and then zoomed off. Coming home we discover that my contemporaries from my in-laws had come to probably trade my wedding clothes for useful moolah. Since I was out on a detour I missed them, and they probably left disappointed. Feel bad about missing them – because this was not like a blind rivaaj/custom but just some fun time with no superstitions attached. When we reach home – the elders remind me that some picky maulanas will not accept anything except hard cash for mahar – and that was not what we had planned. It is great to have brilliant minds that have experience plenty of weddings to classify the maulanas into useful categories. Last minute arrangements were made. There was still a problem with number of drivers and number of cars. Just the usual at weddings since we always have more guests than the cars to transport them and public transport (rickshaws/taxis) don’t always suffice. Turns out that being the groom I cannot drive, and hence I am at the mercy of others. Things get resolved and we arrive to the nikaah. Stage is set, paperwork gets introduced, maulana wants cash, maulana gets debate from elders, maulana explains his position, cash he gets, wakil etc get signatures, T1 is staring through all these procedures, and gullibly signs on the dotted line when his turn arrives, T1 tests mic, T1 proclaims his nikaah, T1 reads dua with maulana surprised that he did not have to repeat, maulana hugs T1, T1 hugs everyone else in the long line, everyone else in the long line hug T1’s dad/mamoo/wakil. In this organized confusion, A1 magically appears on the stage and T1 heaves a sigh of relief. Now time to stare into the light and smile at every guest on the stage, posing with a few as necessary. C+D+N+S+K arrive and ask about the food and also wish us (Never was happier). Lots of photos, thanks to WK. Great food in the end and a non-tearful bidaaii. Cousins smuggle some money out from me for allowing us to enter into the house. No rituals are allowed (right somebody spoke of kicking milk can) only entering with the Koran.
Day of walima was even better. Jetlag finally gets to me, and I pass out at 3pm and wake up at 6pm. The walima invite mentions 7pm as the time, and I am identifying myself with all the people whom I had labeled as late-latifs. Turns out I am pretty quick after a nap. We were present at the open air garden at 7:15pm. Quite impressive, huh!! Guests pour in, faces that were kids in front of us are suddenly standing 3-5 inches above my head. Good reunion follows with all the people, but then the light on our faces becomes unbearable. M-the photographer remarks occasionally on my sullen face. Again C+D+N+S+K wish me, and then return after savoring the food and all their lip-smacking made me wonder if A1 could manage the stage by herself while I took a small walk to the food. Here is where married life comes into the picture and then I wonder about the food but mention it not to A1. Finally we take a big Sheikh family photo spanning multiple generations and then food. Food never tasted better. And then TaDaaah welcome to real married life. Festivities are done.
Seriously parents rock!!!! To bring about so much for their son sitting far away takes a lot of energy and inspiration and hardwork. If you really feel that this was anyways a fun event (and even if you don’t), please remember my parents in your duas/prayers as this is the only gift that I can give them.
3+3+3+3=whirlwind
Three days from the time I land till the time life lands on me. The last time family used this same flight, they reached an hour early. But the VIP that I am, the plane is delayed in Heathrow due to bad weather and subsequently we were waiting for air traffic control to give us the go ahead to land. The taxi from airport was booked for 11 am and there I walk out at 1:30 pm. Why was I worried about this 2 hours? Patience junta that’s coming. So Mr. Cabbie was sleeping under a tree, and when I wake him up lo and Behold!!! He happens to be the same one who picked me up and dropped me back the last time. A joyful reunion follows, and all the broken marathi flows freely as if nothing has changed. Over home-grown peanuts, the journey to Pune lasts 3.5 hours. An even more joyous reunion follows – dad,mom,gmom,sis etc etc. nice cuppa tea and time for me to drive the car. (left hand drive usa – right hand drive India). Time for me to get wedding clothes stitched. Plan was to leave 2 hours earlier for all of this since shops close at 8-9 pm in my dear old Pune. People normally have their clothes all ready 3 days before the wedding, but kya karen videsi dulha plane late. So count 5400 seconds and shopping was completed – from the head to the toe!!!!
Remaining important shopping was scheduled for next day. Sherwani time at a super store is quite interesting. Apparently another dulha like me was also searching for a sherwani and lets just say that I was 5 inches taller than him on any normal day. Now sherwani tends to make you appear a little short. So ultimately looking at me, he decided that jodhpuri was more his style, whereas vice versa I decided against a jodhpuri. Anyways it was a nice time to stand on a lighted ramp in front of a body length mirror in a room of a grooms to be, each chatting with his own family.
At home, surprises abound – cousins not seen for 20 years make a magical appearance. Obviously, I remember no one, and they remember the 4 foot T1. Not-so-niche-comments like – “Oh so he is the dulha?” flow freely. All the pent-up guilt of not knowing could not be hidden from the faces. But it was great to see my gdad’s generation at my wedding.
12/01/2006
Flame Fractals
Amazing fractals for better desktop backgrounds!!
please dont kill me as yet for not writing about my hectic two weeks at india. its already old so may not be of interest and i am all for skipping it. :)
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