Spammed!

I wonder who keeps sending me all these junk emails.I get emails saying I've won a million dollars,credit card approved,mortgage,a university degree...you name it!.And there is also the matter of this Email which always comes once in a while-a confidential email from some obscure country requesting my services to transfer some million dollar inheritance and keep a percentage as a payout.Holy crap!...it breaks my heart to keep putting down these unstoppable offers of being a millionaire! and I tell you its tough work!.

Seriously,what's the point of this spamming?My yahoo bulk folder(thanks for small mercies) dosent take more than a day to ring up some 1000 emails- all of them spam.I mindlessly keep deleting them most of the time but every once in a while take a peek at where they are coming from.They seem to be overflowing from every part of the spectrum-finances,fashion,banks,music,romance..the list keeps on growing.

I wonder if there are actually people writing out these emails.I fiddle with that thought and then drop it...most likely smart programmes spewing out all the trash.

So there are millions of these "service machines" sending out gazillion of emails which I dont even read!....talk of being redundant.

Interesting Medley!

Quite a couple of interesting things going on in the world.First was the shocking ball tampering incident in the Eng-Pak Test match at the Oval.It was rather amusing too with the 2 candiadates involved having pretty tardy reputations.On one side Daryl Hair who along with Bucknor must be the most controvertial and unfair umpire and on the other side the Pakistan cricket team with a history of chuckers,ball tamperers and cheats.The incident soon snowballed into a rollicking controversy with both sides refusing to budge and Pak ending up forfeiting the test match.The ICC hearing is yet to take place and already lot of dirty politics is happening behind the scenes.Inzy alleges that there is no evidence of ball tampering and Hair is adamant that there was foul play involved.

Its actually difficult to believe either,Hair with a history of unfair umpiring against sub-continent teams and the pak players who themselves are far from the honest card they seem to be playing to the media. All in all its not good for the game.

The other intersting thing I saw on the news today was Pluto booted out its planet status.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/08/24/pluto.ap/index.html
This is quite ironic to me as Pluto was my favourite planet...no specific reasons..just felt that way since its so far far away and sounds so small!...I hope this does not lessen the popularity of Disney character Pluto-another favourite of mine.

I am currently reading Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake".Its been quite some time I last read a good work of fiction and I am impressed by Lahiri's ability to tell a story effusively.It has made me interested in her other work "Interpreter of Maladies" a collection of short stories which won her the Pulitzer in 2000.

Motu in Cincinnati!

Last weekend was great as Motu arrived in Cincinnati to watch the ATP Master's Finals and to spend some time with us.I think we met after more than a year so it was great to catch up on old times and our golden days at BIT Sindri.The memories of those days never ceases to amaze me.

On Friday late evening we drove to Dayton airport to pick up Rajan.Dayton is about 60 miles from Cincinnati.The drive was easy and we reached on time.Dayton airport despite being international is pretty small sized compared to CVG and other US airports I have seen. We waited awhile as we got there a bit early.There were lots of cute little kids running about the waiting lounge with their favourite toys.

On Saturday after a hearty lunch at the Bombay High restaurant we headed to the Cincinnati Museum and Arts center.We spent time at the Natural History museum and then went to watch the documentary "Beavers" at the Omnimax theatre.As expected it was an awesome experience.Beavers are industrious creatures who build dams as their home.Naure is astounding whichever way you look at it.In the evening we went to the Newport on the Levee.Its a nice center overlooking the Ohio river with fine restaurants,shops and an impressive aquarium.On weekends there is live music in the large courtyard and you can boat on the river or walk the purple bridge.Its a very pretty area.

Sunday was the ATP Masters final and from our experience of last year,we wisely reached the venue more than an hour ahead.The crowd was already milling in and we spent time wandering about the shops and the display of Mercedes cars as Merc is one of the tournament sponsors.

The final was between Andy Roddick and Carlos Ferrero from Spain.There were quite a few spanish supporters in the crowd some sporting the beautiful Spanish flag.The match was a one sided affair with Andy blasting aces upon aces to win 6-4,6-3.Andy is a gracious sportsman and he acknowledged the crowd and his opponent in his victory speech.

It was a tiring weekend,and since Rajan's return flight was on Monday morning at 630AM,we had to get up really early.But all in all it was a fun weekend and the only dampener was it was over so soon!.

KANK!!

"Kabhi Alvida Na kehna"(I prefer to call it KANK) is being touted as the biggest hindi film of the year.I havent seen it yet and neither plan to do so anytime soon.Media reports are overflowing with news of a record opening.I did read a couple of critics reviews and true to their name they were pretty savage about the movie.

I can totally relate to them.Karan Johar makes the same kind of movies all the time and there is a serious lack of creativity and realism in his characters.The other big problem is his buddy SRK who apparently is taking his megastardom too seriously these days.I have a healthy regard for the way he has risen to the top albeit the traecherous waters of fame and fortune.But as an actor SRK seems to have serious limitations.He just cant fall back on acting prowess to enact either drama,tragedy or comedy.So what comes across is a stereotype who makes the same contorted faces,hams the same lines,even walks,runs and smiles the same way in all his screen characters these days.SRK in "Swades" was a revelation,I wish we had more of his sober and low key self on screen.

Karan Johar talks the same crap about "relations"(whatever that means) in all his movies.I guess some university needs to gift him a Phd in "relations" and request him not to make any more movies on the topic.I read in some interview he said "I have grown up"....now if that is true then may God save the fans!.

So basically the question I have for these guys is-"Do you have a story?"..and since the answer is obviously "No" then what the heck is the song,dance and all the tears about??

The next weird thing I find is that SRK stars in the new "Don"....I saw a promo and it made me want to watch Amitabh's original again.Can the God father be made without Marlyn Brando?
None of Amitabh's movies can be remade....the guy and the charisma are timeless....
Remember "Don ko pakadna mushquil hi naheen namumkin bhi hai".

Not convinced?Ok watch this and go figure(:

This is called acting

Nobody's Business

When I was growing up I was often intrigued by offices.My initial impression of offices was that of people working at their desks with lots of interesting stuff on their tables-different kind of pens,writing pads,binders while the boss held the imposing corner office.The quintissential image of the big guy I had was that of an old balding guy with a large tummy who scared the hell out of his subordinates.Hindi movies were mostly responsible for this image.

Another thing that had me stumped was the question as to what the hell was a "Businessman" or "Business" for that matter.The movies I saw,there was always someone playing the rich business tycoon or the spoilt son of one.The problem was the movies never revealed what business these guys did.Mostly it was "import-export".I still havent quite figured out that one.

In the movies the sons and daughters of businessmen often went abroad("vilayat") and returned with sun glasses and drove fast cars.In one of my favorite movies "Trishul", Amitabh plays the illegitimate son of a big business tycoon and through his wily skills overruns the empire.I loved that and it somehow dawned on me that business was basically "Auction"..you bid large sums of money to outbid an opponent.It seemed fun but the question remained what the hell did a Businessman do.

Then I used to see scores of people while travelling on train journeys who used to introduce themselves as "Businessmen".These guys looked far removed from the glamorous stereotypes I saw in the movies.

Fast forward to the present,I havent still quite figured it out.Now I know that not all MBA's are Businessmen...many work for Businesses. I also work for a Business...and no its not "import-export".There is no corner office...everyone works in cubicles and peers into their computer monitors all day long.Files and folders exist on a computer though I still love stationary specially post-its!

So again what does a Business or a Businessman do? I guess that's none of my business!.