Too many boxes of too many movies. Emptied both the plastic and cardpaper movie boxes and put them in 9 CD Pouches each holding 40 CDs. Since most of mine are VCDs (2 discs), I definitely needed to do this right away.
The pre-order for Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" was done by me on 6th May 2009. The book finally reached me today. LOL. Buying anything online from outside India and getting it to my hands here in India is difficult. Lot of pilferage and plain old corruption. Amazon.com guys were nice enough to send me a replacement when the first one didn't reach me and they refunded the shipping amount which is of course more than the cost of the book itself. Well, I wanted the US First Edition and suffered for my hobby/collection. Anyways, I have to admit that Amazon.com is very generous to have been so considerate to a foreign customer. Their branding says that they aim to be completely customer centric company and I think they really are making it happen. Did you notice the clever way that Amazon logo is presented - the arrow goes from A to Z which says they got everything you need and then it is also shaped like a smiley. :-)
I don't feel like throwing out my 2009 AXE calendar. LOL. I mean seriously, who looks at that calendar and sees dates (no pun) anyways? The McDonalds ran out of "Avatar" movie toys overnight. All I got for my Happy Meal was that toy electric guitar which plays only one rocking tune. But it drives the girls crazy....out of irritation. LOL. No more "Avatar" merchandise is expected at McDonalds. The movie is still running House Full and I can't find a ticket for the IMAX Dome theater show. I don't want to watch it at the multiplexes. Hopefully, next weekend I can get a IMAX Dome ticket for it.
At a reception - a bouquet, 2 plaques and a diary. :-)
Busy and totally gung-ho about it. When you have the right chair at the right place, it doesn't matter how long you have to sit at it. Same goes for jobs and working at it.
More ties. I like slim ones but rarely any retailer has it. Could you work all day wearing a necktie? Well it feels good actually. And the summer is still some months to go, so I will see how long I can keep wearing it.
LOL. I miss my breaks on the forum at office. But well, all in good time. "Some Like It Hot" by Robert Palmer is playing there on my screen. Reminds me of the good old days when MTV was new in India and it was still MTV. Now if you see that channel here, you would wonder what it is. Some crazy videos of Palmer is playing in my head too. LOL. (Wow, I started and ended with "LOL")
I got another goodie from office. LOL. Well for new joinees there was an informal quiz at a meeting and my trivia skills ensured that I recalled enough. It was a tie between me and a very senior employee - so we both got a Cadbury's Fruit & Nut Chocolate. "Fruit and Nut" - that's me - fruity and nutty. Everyone likes to grow - look at my bamboo plant - it is in a small bowl without soil, only water - so it can't spread a foundation and reach for the skies. Yet in this limitation, it has managed to grow fuller leaves and a bit taller of course - it's in its "blood" to grow. Also - finally my Jan 2010 issue of Scientific American arrived today. As you can see it is the India edition. It was launched in India over a year ago, not catching on too much, probably due to poor marketing. But this means it has less advertisements and good content at throwaway subscription rates - mine is for 3 years.
The title of that book sure reads like hyperbole and of course cocky exaggeration at that. But it is handy. Read it like a few essays on general aspects of management rather than as an alternative to good education. It doesn't go into too much detail, but makes its point which is - see the big picture. Very good and thought-provoking book. The dedication page inside says, "This book is dedicated to all those who refuse to see business education as an oxymoron." Backcover says, "Citius est Melius" One of the authors has worked with Guardian and also Observer newspapers as contributor and as a presenter on BBC2. The bookmark says, "Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying". :-p
So with Silly Cow in tow, I headed to new avenues, searching for something to excite me. We found a gigantic new mall nearby. It is huge as you can see from the external view photo above. The parking too is huge and free. Then we ventured inside and I was indeed impressed. Silly Cow got some good photo opportunities.
One view from the second floor shown here.
Then spot Silly Cow sitting on that huge guitar...
And now a view from the opposite end on first floor sitting on the plastic couch for comfort and cleanliness.
Was so exhausted yesterday that I slept at 8 PM and woke up at 8 AM of Sunday (today). So decided to head out and see wassup! The nearby multiplex was not playing any English movies as seen from the box office view.
Keychains. I always end up with a wide variety of them. I never consciously aimed at a collection, but seem to be having quite a few. Here are a few good ones I treasure for varying reasons. I don't have too many hobbies, stuff just keep happening. From left to right: 1. Yes the keychain to my Enfield Bullet - a handy bottle opener shaped like a bottle. 2. The smiling Buddha - got it Nov 2009 while returning from the Goa trip. Gave a better one with a Biblical inscription on a golden heart to a friend of a friend from France. 3. This wooden shoe from Holland, and they have a tradition of wooden shoes for real footwear actually. 4. The angry God from Sri Lanka. 5. The 2 corks are wine bottle corks - the waiter at that resort was so impressed by the wine-tasting and consumption capabilities of bikers that he showed us a neat trick by making keychains out of beautiful corks. The one at the extreme right-end is so beautifully made in a matter of seconds by him.
It is 11 PM and I just got home from the gym. Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show is about to start. This is all I can click at the gym - the very entrance. Quite a day - woke up at 7 AM, at office by 8:30 AM and left office by 8 PM and reached home by 8:40 PM, then coffee and to the gym. :-p
One of my prized First Editions from my collection, even though it is not autographed, it is an incredibly awesome book from the late President of USA and strangely out-of-print.
The Hemingway stack. My Haruki Murakami stack is way bigger, but of course he writes thicker novels anyways. Another contender is the Alistair MacLean stack. Considerable challenge is posed by my Scientific American magazine stack. LOL
This red bunny is the earliest toy that I can recall and also I still have it, since during/before kindergarten. It wasn't a toy actually, it was stitched on a beautiful shirt which proclaimed "Playboy". I still like to see it around and thought of photographing it today with the current toy that I use most - my Notebook PC - on top of which the bunny and the 2010 cow are placed. I think the photo came out very nice since the glow and the dark glossy colour of the Notebook is giving a great background. So now you know how organized I am and since when - the condition of the saved bunny shows that. I also have school textbooks and notebooks I have saved simply because I thought it was good content.
I just noticed that I have a dozen floppy disks with my ancient data. And current PCs/ laptops offer no way to check my floppies of course. :-p
I take care of my things (and I take care of my people). As a follow up to the 15 Jan 2010 post of the bunny, here is my current computer speakers - Creative Soundblaster - which I purchased in the year 2000. I still use it with my digital TV, the DVD player and my first computer, connected together in a network of wires. An essential part of my self-assembled home-theater system. It can still play the songs at its max volume without distortion or other problems. Some of its dust stains are almost impossible to remove now (it adds character, LOL). I don't intend to get a new speaker system anytime soon. I think this speaker-set may qualify for antique-IT-product criteria anytime soon. LOL. :-)
That white block that you see there is not paperweight nor a custom brick - it is a tee-shirt. LOL. I love it how American companies market the same thing in such innovative ways. This one I got free with a purchase today. I am looking forward to wearing it, for which, all I have to do is soak it in water. :-p
Must resist! Don't need those books! 80% discount is not good! :-p The mobile phone photo is blurry but I have had only 3 hours sleep in past 48 hours, and worked 12 hours on both the days of the last weekend as well.
Oh, things keep coming to me. :-) This is a Reebok watch with a signature of Indian cricket team's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the dial. Got it free and it arrived in the mail today. It is a Reebok Classic model and even the packaging was so beautiful that I photographed that too. The leather strap is fabulous and it has a white on black dial with a nice round design. Curious thing is that with that Indian skipper's signature, there are like so many places on the watch where the British flag is embossed - on the metal parts and the inner side of the leather strap. LOL. And, Reebok is owned by German giant Adidas, so it is no longer a British company. LOL. I have a whole lot of fab wristwatches actually. A Titan chronograph watch, a Fastrack sporty watch, an HMT watch commemorating 50 years of India's Independence, a Polaroid watch I got free with its sunglasses, one hand-made Swiss winding wristwatch with paper-dial which was my dad's first watch when he was a kid, etc. :-p
Only the one on the extreme right is the one that dates back decades (and was from a visitor from Japan). :-)
On the way back home from the gym at 11 PM. Can you spot the scruffy dog?
On the way back home from the gym at 11 PM. Can you spot the Silly Cow? :-p
Mumbai: Any day of any week, traffic and more traffic and many more people, shuttling from one end to another and in between - whether day or afternoon or evening or night, we run and chase and hunt the elusive dream. The Money making machine, is it the city, its people or the illusion that we are going somewhere, that the pasture is just one more mile away. "Run, run, run", reminds me of a spooky song by "The Doors". The immortal voice of Jim Morrison as a ghostly guide to the human-un-kind.
On my way back home on Sunday morning. It was cold and riding the motorcycle was thrilling as well as chilly experience. The above pictured gigantic pipes are lying and rotting on that highway for as long as I can remember, since a decade at the least. Anyways, since they were lined up and no hobos were around, I clicked a couple of shots and posted this one which came well despite my frozen fingers. Well not really frozen, it never gets that cold in this city. But even after the solstice, the weather is nice and pleasant and perfect for morning/ night rides. :-)
A postcard from Rome, Italy from a friend of a friend from France. Resisted the urge to splurge at the Crossword Clearance Sale and only bought these fast reads - handbooks on stuff that I can distract myself with when I have had enough of the regular hobbies. I think I will adapt the sketching/ painting tips for Photoshop as well and see if I can do it digital with traditional tips from the book. Call me crazy, but I do painful stuff just for kicks. The dog training book - practicals to be done on my stray dogs of course since I don't really have a pet dog at home. And I have a friend who has taught plenty to such mongrels so will be doing the practicals soon I think as 26th January is Republic Day - national holiday here. A new wallpaper each day from the photos of this blog itself - as seen in laptop in background. :-p
India's first female President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil with Chief Guest South Korean President Lee Myung-bak after witnessing the annual parade. The Republic Day parade at New Delhi is an annual event and much look forward to by many. It showcases not just the range of military forces, their horses and their vehicles, but also floats that showcase culture from the diverse Indian States. Every year there is a Chief Guest at the event who is a Head of State of a nation with whom Indian Government has ties with. This year, India celebrated the 61st Republic Day. This is different from the Independence Day celebrated every August 15th, celebrating independence which India got in the year 1947. http://presidentofindia.nic.in/
I wonder what flavours are sold or are popular in the home of Kelloggs - USA. The most commonly found flavours here in stores in India are Banana, Mango, Honey and the original unflavoured one. I buy the banana or mango flavours because well, the honey flavour doesn't taste any different than the original unflavoured one. LOL. "Iron Shakti" literally translated means "Iron Power". The tetra pack milk brands here are also heavily advertising "Iron" in their contents. There are other premium packs of Kelloggs available as well. The new advertising campaign they started late last year talks of the "Kelloggs Diet". I mean, I am sure every bottled water brand could start their own diet - like "Bisleri Diet" or "Evian Diet" - and convince real living humans to buy it and of course lose weight too.
Silly Cow still smiles as she sees a glimpse of William Blake's "The Ancient of Days" while a trooper battles demons and monsters inside the stomach of a gigantic hell-beast. I love William Blake's artwork. The Nintendo advertisement is a game I yearned for as a kid but never got - I used to see its advertisement in the American comic books. So when I found a nice JPEG, I printed it and framed it as well. I think I need to find something to complete my own unique Dante trilogy I have going here. Silly Cow seems like she is enjoying Purgatorio there. http://www.worldofdante.org/
Silly Cow's silhouette in the foreground as the meter of the autorickshaw rolls over and over as we speed home on the highway. It will hopefully be a relaxing weekend.
Thought accessories. An "Indian" (India) tobacco and an Indian game. Practicing a round alone? Don't want to boot your PC? This is a portable, pocket, magnetic chess set. The tiny pieces have magnets at the bottom and they stick to the board, so it is essential for a game where the positions are the critical part of the game. It folds in the center to store all the tiny pieces like a small box. Its the only one I ever use and it is the best. Not just for home or at a cafe - take it with you on long train journeys, put it in your pouch during bike rides, carry it like a small pocketbook that is as worthy an exercise as any book. Cost: Rupees 25 (One USD = Rupees 49). Priceless stuff Made in China. LOL. Tomorrow I will photograph it in closed form with the wonderful software I have to improve and learn the intricacies of chess.
Mission Impossible: Your objective is to defeat the computer game engine at chess. *ing Agent Methane Hunt LOL. Silly Cow does a Ethan Hunt/Tom Cruise trick of sneaking from atop to get access to the chess techniques of Grand Masters. Click image to enlarge. This software is not the latest version of "ChessMaster" and that's why I bought it. Yes, it provides the same features and functionality and insights at a lower price of Rs. 299 (One USD = Rs 49). It has 3 CD-ROMs which tells you how much data it has, including training from a complete beginner level to a direct tutoring from a Grand Master - each with interactive practice modules. Techer. Mentor. Ultimate Opponent. That's what the box says and that's no cattle-dung. You can also see the magnetic tiny chess set mentioned in yesterday's post. This message will self-construct on typing at the keys and clicking "publish". :-p
New business cards (with most text discreetly not captured). The box in which the cards are stored (seen there) has the image of Eiffel Tower embossed on top left side and is strangely labelled by the printer agency as "Tower 100" (so stores 100 cards). :-)
"Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird." - Jules Renard Well, Silly Cow will have to only make guest appearances now. She is camera obsessed and needs to stop demanding footage in every photo. So she will be back in random photos while we get to see some other interesting stuff around. This photo looks like a painting at the top half because of poor lighting. Yet it seems to capture a brief moment where the cat is alone, sort of contemplative and taking a long walk down the pathway.
Two crows take refuge in a city garden and are silent observers for a change. Normally, the crows are the most active and noisy birds in the city. Very social creatures and well-fed by various sources not the least their own scavenging. The tree itself has a bizarre shape and you need to zoom the image to see its absurd branching. Mark Twain acknowledges the tenacious crows of Bombay in his book-length travelogue "Following the Equator", and at the linked page of Project Gutenberg you can read it in "CHAPTER XXXVIII". LOL. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2895/2895-h/p4.htm#ch38
A cool cab with a cool 4 digit number. LOL. Enough said!. In Mumbai all taxis are black with yellow in colour as manadatory licensing for taxis. The cool cabs are the air-conditioned taxis and are coloured in a pleasant sky blue colour.
Lazy afternoon, almost a solitary seance in the sun. Need to sleep. Need to wake up. Need to work around. Need to play an idyllic sound. Silence is in the heart of a plant and the root of your enlightenment.
An Ancient Art To live is to endure. Let death be to achieve. A prayer to the undesired, the imminent, the glorious.
Playing with matches...
And more matches...
And the flame burns...
And we pray to light up everyone's soul...
Spaceship journey to gain knowledge How about using a spaceship to make your daily journey in quest of knowledge? The light of knowledge kindled into a cosmic explosion of brilliant radiance? LOL. The above image is a photo of the new eco-friendly energy-conserving product - a LED bulb. A bulb that works on both AC and DC power with rechargeable battery. LED bulbs produce light while utilising lesser energy and no wastage of the same. So you can read your book/ magazine/ newspaper daily without using more energy than required to gain your dose of knowledge. :-p
More Aliens "Go green" or to "see red" Wait there is more...
And then again tomorrow...
Did they just...OMG Are these eyes, or approaching space probes? What's that behind it - oh damn! They blew up that planet. Oh good Lord! Think of the women and the children and the cute furry animals with their frenetic heartbeats.
They are so close. I need the Cosmic Probe Ray Deflector Glares to continue looking and photographing them. What will happen next? Why can I see them and no one else? Oh the humanity!!! :-O
Mesmerizing Cosmic Wormhole I am mesmerised by these strange alien luminescence. 8-o I have seen too much. Is that a portal? A gateway? A wormhole to a distant galaxy? Oh what if it was a black hole?
Which path do I take Oh Cosmic Overlord? May thine will be done! Spoken too soon! I am warped!!!
ROOFTOP GARDEN The roof of the office building with grass and pathways and palm trees and flowering plants. More tomorrow and throughout next week... :-)
ROOFTOP GARDEN
Yay!!! THE RETURN OF THE SILLY COW She is tracking down a lone gunslinger from Old West and she ain't looking too tame in the shadowy silhouette. Click Image to enlarge. hahahaha. Okay. This image shows the Bikernet.com homepage with my Western fantasy short story in the window behind it. Read "THE RAILROAD" at Bikernet Fiction department http://www.bikernet.com/fiction/PageViewer.asp?PageID=3100 Synopsis: In a world of vermin and violence, a lone gunslinger will cheat crooked businessmen, cowboys, lawmen and his own nightmare. As DuJang fights to stay alive in an alternate dimension, the Old West is yet to find peace. So have fun, and recall spaghetti westerns, read it online. Ride a horse or ride a motorcycle - "ride forever" as Bikernet gang says. http://www.bikernet.com/fiction/PageViewer.asp?PageID=3100 :-)
LOL Yes, finally feeling free enough to watch a movie. New Purchases. I am experimenting by trying out non-English language movies. So 2 Hindi and 2 Marathi films in there. "Rocket Singh" was much hyped about an intelligent man who doesn't have fancy degrees yet aims to make it in the corporate world. And of course finally found a lot of "Carry On" titles that I didn't have. It is actually cheaper for me most of the time to buy the VCDs (movie in 2 discs), and DVDs sometimes have discount offers. The only reason I believe piracy could ever be justified is due to the irrational censorship of anything and everything. :-p
BOOK SALE
Mahadeva “Where is the gracious hand of thine, O Rudra, thy hand that giveth life and bringeth solace, remover of the woe that Gods have given us? O Strong One, look thou upon me with thy eternal compassion.” - Rig Veda, Book 2, Hymn 33, verse 7 (Dated to roughly between 1700–1100 BC) A sketch I made of Lord Shiva and photographed it and then changed the sketch with very basic Photoshop skills. Not looking the way I envisioned in my imagination. But well, still when I see it, I behold the vision I saw and sought. It aims to look like a stone age artwork. But I think even the ancient seals discovered in Indus Valley have better drawing skills than me.
:-p Twin buds with a lot of sparks in them. LOL. Need to get going and plant my sunflower seeds. Been really busy.
Train tickets. Fastest way to travel in Mumbai. :-p
Greens with rocks, paths and light
Greens and shadows
Wedjat in day and night
Wedjat rising
Fleeting Temptation
FIST and FLOW
Devil's Workshop
Randolph
Signed First Editions
On TV
SAG awards
Oscar Awards
Rebuilding FFJ
Summer Sun
Summer Shade
Antenna!
Three nights work. Freedom Fiction Journal new website
Rider at large Well, the weekend seems to be fun. When is a weekend not fun? Had to click this and had park my Enfield Bullet right in front of the signboard. Did I tell you my Red Indian name is "Riding Crane". LOL. :-p
True Garden Fountain
Lamppost Key
DEVIL'S WORKSHOP: Life is a bitch
DEVIL'S WORKSHOP episode: Denial
SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS
CITY LIGHTS: Under the Flyover, Over the Highway
City Lights: Moving ahead of the pack
City Lights: Highway Apparition
City Lights: Chase the dream
Water in the rooftop
My shadow bathes in the rooftop garden sprinkler in summer
Head over heels over the cooling landscape
Reach for the skies little one
NH8
A friend in need... of patting
Bag and Box of goodies
The postman doesn't ring
Gag Gift? Framed Mischief!
Bicycle Men
Bicycle angles
Car bump
Elephanta Caves
Garden stairs
Plant Meter
Newly acquired
View fromtop the
The mangroves
From faraway friend
Holy tree at a temple outside a crematorium
Bachelor Pad Cometh Purchases for new bachelor pad
On the highway to home
Strange flowers and bud
Shrek Meal toy
Elevated Reflection
Four strangers on an elevator
Shady Siesta
Quadruple Fire Hydrant in sidewalk
First Class
Second Class
The stuff cometh
Death and Decay? A dying tree with a abandoned construction in the background
Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized
PadmaShree Dr. Tatyarao Lahane
Shrek Meal Toy collection
Strange buds of a strange plant
The bench again
Sergeant Bert Dalton
Art essentials
The Foetus
Home Appliance Shopping
Nourishment
Cityscape
Building window
Inside looking up
Bleak Clouds, Dreary City
The Big Brother Sun
Back to Life
Gone Baby Gone
Tiny coconuts
Bright White
How green was my valley?
Where there is smoke...
Shaded Time
If you can read this...
Open Graves
Incoming
Wheeler rolls on
Speed and Light
Baby pigeons
Tracks and Trains
Tracks and Tracks
Looking back
Ceiling Fan Principle
Midnight Meat Train
What we were waiting for
Thar she blows!
Strange Spider
Oddity
