Bulle ki jana maen kaun ....

I heard a wonderful song by sufi singer Rabbi Shergill - Bulle ki jana maen kaun. The music is simply superb with soulful lyrics. The song is already topping the music charts. The world has finally woken up to Bulla Ki Jana Main Kaun, Rabbi’s rendition of a song by the 18th-century Sufi poet Baba Bulle Shah. He owes his music to his emotional intelligence which in turn he owes to Tolstoy and Hemingway as to Punjabi literature; as much to the guitar playing of Jeff Beck as to the Ragis of Punjab.

He belongs to a new generation of artistes who form a part of the Subcontinent’s great Sufi revival. He has read the scriptures and understands the concept of Sufiana — a loose ideology of an all-encompassing spiritualism.

Rabbi's work brings revival of sufi music which was well propagated by the late Pakistani singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and his compatriot, Abida Parveen. They sang Sufi songs through their folk traditions of qawwali and devotional music.

Rabbi has had very little formal training in music. His family background (his mother is a Punjabi poet, and his late father was an interpreter of Gurbani, the sacred Sikh texts), with his extended family of farmers living in village Chak Mishri Khan near Amritsar, and his keen interest in the scriptures provide him with inspiration for his songs. In fact, the tune for Bulla Ki Jana was composed one fine day when Rabbi was reading Bulle Shah’s teachings, and this particular song coincided with his then current mood.

Here are the lyrics of his song..

Na maen momin vich maseet aan Na maen vich kufar diyan reet aan Na maen paakaan vich paleet aan Na maen moosa na pharaun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun Na maen andar ved kitaab aan, Na vich bhangaan na sharaab aan Na vich rindaan masat kharaab aan Na vich jaagan na vich saun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun. Na vich shaadi na ghamnaaki Na maen vich paleeti paaki Na maen aabi na maen khaki Na maen aatish na maen paun Bulleh!, ki jaana maen kaun Na maen arabi na lahori Na maen hindi shehar nagauri Na hindu na turak peshawri Na maen rehnda vich nadaun Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun Na maen bheth mazhab da paaya Ne maen aadam havva jaaya Na maen apna naam dharaaya Na vich baitthan na vich bhaun Bulleh , ki jaana maen kaun Avval aakhir aap nu jaana Na koi dooja hor pehchaana Maethon hor na koi siyaana Bulla! ooh khadda hai kaun Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun

Not a believer inside the mosque, am I Nor a pagan disciple of false rites Not the pure amongst the impure Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh Bulleh! to me, I am not known Not in the holy Vedas, am I Nor in opium, neither in wine Not in the drunkard`s craze Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze Bulleh! to me, I am not known In happiness nor in sorrow, am I Neither clean, nor a filthy mire Not from water, nor from earth Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth Bulleh! to me, I am not known Not an Arab, nor Lahori Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari Nor do I live in Nadaun Bulleh! to me, I am not known Secrets of religion, I have not known From Adam and Eve, I am not born I am not the name I assume Not in stillness, nor on the move Bulleh! to me, I am not known I am the first, I am the last None other, have I ever known I am the wisest of them all Bulleh! do I stand alone? Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Road to fame.

So here at last my internship project was inaugatated by Delhi Government ministers (alas shiela dixit couldnt come.. ) at IITF Pragati Maidan. It was chosen among one of the best projects among some 20 odd e-governance initiatives by Delhi Govt. The event was covered by all major newspapers and a special mention to our project was given in Times of India bringing fame and pride to all of us. Click here for the link

It was really fun being interviewed and getting our project online. The project and our hard work for last 6 months was well received by the people out there. Not only that our project was mentioned in the thesis work done by a Mtech student in his study of BUSTRAP : A Metropolitan Bus Travel Planner. The project provides the shortest possible route between two places in delhi for the commuters of DTC buses.

Diwali Celebration

So here at last got a stretch of four days of festivities at stretch for diwali and other subsequent festivals. An extended weekend to celebrate the festival of lights and to enjoy with your family and relatives. The festivity kicked off (first day) with celebration in office with the interior decorated with flowers and candles. THere was a best traditional dressed contest to add spice to people's creativity to dress like prospective bride and bridegrooms :D which somehow i missed coz the judges missed my seat.

Then came the big day of celebrations, the day to devour sweets and sweets and sweets. It was real fun celebrating diwali travelling in a DTC bus going to a frd's place for 3 hrs journey (one way) which gonna never forget. Though the time passed thanx to the choked networks of all mobile service providers which messages sent being failed and me still continuing to waste money in expectation of finally sending messages to near and dear ones. It was great fun afterwards celebrating with friends eating ( i must say like gourmet after a never ending journey) lots of good food. And then yet again journey bak to my place. The traffic was choked with people travelling to seems like nowhere but still driving and driving till they somehow reach somewhere.

The bursting of crackers nowadays on diwali has reduced in comparison to earlier years mite be coz of two reasons : prices of crackers reaching sky-high and awareness among students about pollution. But the skyline was sparkling with crackers of all hues delineating constellations of all kind.

So after two days of diwali celebrations comes (third day) Govardhan pooja which is a day for vishwakarma pooja as well. The day's speciality being Annakuta which is a special food prepared to celebrate the occasion of govardhan. Fourth day being fav. of gals with their brothers showering them with gifts on the occasion of Bhaiyadooj. And finally time to relax till monday after lotsa fun and relaxation...

A lil' Love

here it goes ::

right when you think you don't need love is when you need it most
even if you got the father the son and the holy ghost
well there's more to truth baby than what we know is true
ya we wonder round in the darkness
but every now and then a little shines thru
and a little love - just a little love can change it all

Another of my fav lyrics by none other than Bryan Adams. His songs are my all time favs which one can listen anytime anyplace. A lil love is another good one with amazing lyrics with feelings which most of us encounter at some or other time in our day to day life which is beautifully portrayed by these beautiful lyrics by Bryan. Do visit Bryanadams.com for lyrics and songs by him. Waiting to get the songs of his next album 'Room Service'. And since the album released MTV comes up everyday with his recorded concert with crowd swinging and shouting to his music.. ... will come up with more on Byran shortly...

Euphoria at MDI

Euphoria came to MDI for their annual fest Imperium. So it was a night out with couple of friends for fun, music and dance. As usual the event started late as palash is always late to come. The setting was really nice with the weather at its best with nice breeze blowing and sporadic drizzling. The gathering was enough for a good music nite. The band arrived dressed in all white with Palash looking at his best and with another cutie guy in the band.

So the musical nite was kicked off with the arrival of Dr palash and his bandmates with a song which got all of us bored. Later though he came up with better songs. I wanted to hear 'Maeeri' which is one real good song by Euphoria. Soon it also came and left the crowd asking for more and enthralled. Soon he also came up with some english songs (Summer of 69) for that matter and couple of other hindi hits. The event was all the more enjoyable coz of the group (kept dancing thruout even when real morone songs were aired :D ) and the weather.

THe event soon came to an end with most of us left with energy to dance. So thanx to mdi we jived at their dance party thereafter. The energy these b-schoolers were still left with after 3 days of fest and weeks of preparation was at display in their dance party with all of them swinging to the tunes played by the DJ.

As every good thing comes to an end it was time to pack and leave. But the surprise of the evening was in store for us as we were stopped by policemen while going bak. But it was a really enjoyable evening with lotsa fun and masti.

Sidhuism

Commentary is something which makes cricket alive at least for souls like me who dont cant differentiate between a wide and a googly. Harsha Bhogle and other commentators make life better for mortals like us. But in recent days Navjot has got much fanfare with his famous wise lines - SIDHUISM. The popularity is growing every day with his hilarious comments on the sport.

With his victory in elections and his foray into the world of politics, Sidhuism has grown all the more with his inspirational quotes being caught on every channel. His immaculate dressing style and radiant expressions speak all the more about him. Though he is seen less nowadays with his schedule divided between the two professions, hope that he makes a difference in the dirty world of politics.

Listed here are some of the famous quotes by him:

1. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an oncoming train which will run them over.

2. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald.

3. Kenya in South Africa was like a mountain having labour pains.

4. India look like a crippled cobra whose fangs are clipped.

5. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way they will turn!

6. If ifs and buts were pots and pans, there would be no tinkers, my dear friend !

7. That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it.

8. 'Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.

9. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian taxi meter.

10. He is like Indian three-wheeler which will suck a lot of diesel but cannot go beyond 30!

11. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me tell you, my friend, that the Kiwi is the only bird in the whole world which does not have wings!

12. The gap between bat and pad is so much that I would have driven a car through it!

13. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.

14. The ball whizzes past like a bumble bee and the Indians are in the sea.

15. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin in a haystack.

16. He is a dibbly dobbly bowler.

17. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.

18. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!

19. We are all Adam's children - it's just the skin that makes all the difference.

20. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala..one falls and everything else falls!

21. Its like the brooding hen sitting over a China egg.

22. Indian team without Sachin is like giving a Kiss without a Squeeze.

23. He is as wet as pennies in mud.

24. Even a cock crows over his own Dunghill.

25. Andy Flower is steady as the Rock of Gibraltar.

26. You cannot make Omlets without breaking the eggs.

27. I have seen many Ladies displaying different styles and Different styles displaying Ladies.

28. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goal keeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.

29. When you are dining with a demon, you got to have a long spoon.

30. We'll take the cake with the red cherry on top.

31. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.

32. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect to score a six.

33. He is a wily fox. But, if we make the fox run, the chicken will become hen.

34. It is not all over till the fat lady sings!

35. A fallen lighthouse is more dangerous than a reef.

36. You cannot ride a seat-less bicycle without getting blisters on your bums.

37. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.

38. A revolutionary idea is usually one with its sleeves rolled up.

39. Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.

40. You got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.

41. The cat with gloves catches no mice.

42. If the heavens throw you dates, you got to keep your mouth open.

43. The Indian team is like the Doberman pincher, without a Tail, when they must be like German shepherds.

44. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.

45. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.

46. When you have a hen laying eggs you should not mind the cackle.

47. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.

48. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason.

49. This quote was made after Ganguly called Dravid for a run and midway sent him back and Dravid was runout in the third test against the West Indies at Barbados. " Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope."

50. This quote was made after Eddie Nichols, the third umpire, ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul 'NOT OUT' in the second test at Port of Spain, T&T. " Eddie Nichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands. "

51. Geoffery, one word can describe India's Batting only one word " Absolutely Pathetic".

52. Beware of the naked man who offers you his shirt.

Look at the Stars

Talking about music which has become the only source of entertainment and relaxation during work. Launchcast helping with the good collection of songs. THere are many which really help me out. This song has caught my fancy and has become one of the favorites these days.

YELLOW - COLDPLAY

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.
I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called yellow.
So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all yellow.
Your skin
Oh yeah, your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
You know, you know I love you so,
You know I love you so.
I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
Cos you were all yellow,
I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all yellow.
Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
And you know for you,
I’d bleed myself dry for you,
I’d bleed myself dry.
It’s true, look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine.
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And all the things that you do.

Newspaper and me

One thing which i just dont like to miss in my day's routine is newspaper. Somehow since long this is one thing which i make sure that i read and know the world around me better. Moreover the magazine supplement gives an update on the entertainment section which i generally give a glance. There are certain editorials which have become my favourite over the period and i relish them on weekends.

Forgot to mention here that i am reading Hindustan times for quite some years. Times of India is something where in i dont like certain things so stick to my old favourite. The truce between the two as to who has more circulation gives a delight to the readers with the tussle going to any extent.

Coming back to the editorials starting with the old writer's rumblings and musings towards anything and everything in this world. His article speaks of the way things have changed and how he views them comparing them with his old good days. His attacks on religionism and nowadays dirty politics is worth reading. His friends and acquaintances also get a mention in his articles wherein he recollects the good old moments with them. His autobiography 'Truth, Love and a little Malice' speaks about the real khushwant , the notorious and winsome person.

Sunday Sentiments by Karan Thapar the oxford graduate is another ecstacy which i savour on sunday mornings. Though now it has been moved to the main editorial section which is already populated by the never-ending debates on various issues in the sunday edit section. Earlier it was much better tucked in a corner in the colorful sunday magazine adding more spice to his musings. He is obsessed with himself and most of the articles start and end with things happening around him (like presidential invitation for beating retreat ). I recollect his article on Gujarat's destrutive earthquake and its aftermaths detailing his experience with the destruction. Or rather 9/11 disaster and such issues made livid by his narration. And then once a while comes an article comparing things in england and the way they are in this part of world. It might be somehow unfair to do so considering the disparity in the living standards in the two places. Monarchy and democracy each has their own pros and cons.

Counterpoint by Veer Sanghvi seems to be much like a postmortem done by a doctor. He takes an issue, adds the history behind it , spices it up with his views on it and there comes a thorough analysis of it. Not much is left for one to ponder over the issue after going through the article. His recent article on Veer Savarkar was an autopsy on the matter with both the parties, BJP and the congress point of view. Elections , Politics and Vajpayee being some of the highlights.

Another delight is Poonam Saxena's take on the various shows on the small screen. No channel is spared by her criticism be it CNBC's never ending trailers on the screen or the flashy sets of NDTV. She makes it a point to slaughter all of them on their creativity and stupidity. Ekta's never ending sagas are butchered by her with the mangalsutra wearing vamps conspiring yet another plot against another parvati (dharamvati nari).

Apart from all these columns the newspaper is filled with horrible stories of crime. It was so disheartening to see the gay murder story of delhi on the front page on the eve of independence day. There needs to be a policy not to publish such horror stories as the main news. Newspaper is something which people (like me who still prefer print than media) read for news stories in the morning. I hope that journalists make it a point to give a feel good story on the front page and not the horrible murders and crimes.

Internet is 35

Source : Economic Times

Thirty-five years after computer scientists at UCLA linked two bulky computers using a 15-foot gray cable, testing a new way for exchanging data over networks, what would ultimately become the Internet remains a work in progress.

University researchers are experimenting with ways to increase its capacity and speed. Programmers are trying to imbue Web pages with intelligence. And work is under way to re-engineer the network to reduce spam and security troubles.

All the while threats loom: critics warn that commercial, legal and political pressures could hinder the types of innovations that made the Internet what it is today. Stephen Crocker and Vinton Cerf were among the graduate students who joined UCLA professor Len Kleinrock in an engineering lab on September 2, 1969, as bits of meaningless test data flowed silently between the two computers. By January, three other "nodes" joined the fledgling network.

Then came e-mail a few years later, a core communications protocol called TCP/IP in the late ‘70s, the domain name system in the 80s and the World Wide Web – now the second most popular application behind e-mail – in 1990. The Internet expanded beyond its initial military and educational domain into businesses and homes around the world.

Internet2, with speeds 100 times the typical broadband service at home, is now limited to selected universities, companies and institutions, but researchers expect any breakthroughs to ultimately migrate to the main Internet.

While Internet2 and LambdaRail seek to move data faster and faster, researchers with the World Wide Web Consortium are trying to make information smarter and smarter. Semantic Web is a next-generation Web designed to make more kinds of data easier for computers to locate and process.

And so here we are writing our blogs and reading others all thanx to Internet. Long live the glory of Internet !!

Channel V and Crush

I somehow watched Tv after a long long time. Somehow i dont find Tv interesting anymore with all kinda stupid news coming on Zee and Aaj tak. Just a mere newsclip of these news channels are enough to make one wonder about how can one's privacy be encroached. Recently Dhananjoy's hanging and his family's agony was made a public view by these so called quick news channels.

Channel V offers much respite from otherwise stupid saas-bahu serials and jassi behanjis. One of my favourites on V is 'Crush'. The show is hosted by cutie guy VJ Purab and sometimes Vj Gaurav ( he hosts another show - 'Oomphmatis' - a rather ridiculous show interviewing good for nuthing new remix video bimbettes with just giggles and nothing much worth saying. The latest i saw was the group of gals from Saiyan dil mein aana re bitching another group of gals who did that call gal song.) . The show is a breather wherein guys and gals show their feelings by doing all kinda things - from bungee jumping to running to wat else can one thing ppl can do in love.

So here i caught a new episode of Crush and was happy to do so after a long time. But here was a big shock to see it being hosted by none other than that weird looking lady from the broken VIVA band - Anushka. She has been lately taken Vj as her latest proffession after the debacle in singing. The band was launched with much fanfare with me glued to idiot box to watch gals all over india doing their best to become the V popstars. Mahua was one real good singer in the group. Coming back to the crush episode i watched the episode inspite of that young lady.

Here was another story of a young gal in love who showed her love by singing song and shooting a video for her love. While Anushka caught her love ( a singer himself) on channel V's another show and then showed him his gal's video. It does provide love-birds to show their love in the most amazing manner and each episode is a refresher. It does show how beautiful is a feeling which make one feel like a special person for that someone special.

Long Live Love....

Spaceceaft to Mercury

Source: Hindustantimes
Msn Link

Probing the Unknown..

NASA has launched its Messenger spacecraft on the first mission to Mercury beginning a seven year and 5 billion-mile journey to head to the sun's closest planet in 30 years.

The $286 million, 2,442-pound satellite was launched at about 2:15 a.m. local time aboard a Boeing Co. Delta II rocket from the Cape Canaver al Air Force Station in Florida on a seven-year journey to the closest planet to the sun.

It will be the first mission to Mercury since Mariner 10 visited in 1974 and 1975. Today's liftoff followed a delay yesterday due to "weather constraints." 'Messenger' is a scientific investigation of the planet Mercury. Understanding Mercury, and the forces that have shaped it, is fundamental to understanding the terrestrial planets and their evolution.

The Messenger spacecraft will orbit Mercury following three flybys of that planet. The orbital phase will use the flyby information as an initial guide to perform a focused scientific investigation of this mysterious world. Among the questions scientists hope to answer is whether Mercury, just slightly larger than Earth's moon, was once Earth-sized itself but lost its rocky exterior either to some cataclysmic collision or to slow ablation by the solar winds.

Pace of Life

Here i am after a long time posting on my blog. The month has passed like a whiff of air. I dont even remember when days passed and weeks ended. My schedule has become so hectic and seems like no time for anything.  The one thing which i try not to miss in my daily schedule is upate myself with newspapers. But somehow missed on this fav. pass time of mine. News -- it has been a long long time that i watched my favs. Rajdeep or Barkha on NDTV. Hope to catch up with them soon..

Anyways there are so many recent developments around. Friends have joined Bschools and rest wondering what to do next. The most interesting thing being india's victory over Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The last 2 overs were the most interesting of the entire match. The amount of pressure both the teams were undergoing was simply visible on their faces. The huddling of indian team is something which helps them in reimposing faith on their innate talent. India's victory in the second last ball of the last over was simply stupefying and i even won the bet with friend for the same. Wishing all the best to india for their final with sri lanka..

 

July

Here comes the month of July . It holds a special meaning since i was born in July and another trivial one being that delhi gets monsoon in July. I am a cancerian and thought to find out what my sun sign has in store for me. Though i dont beleive much in the signs but it is good to read them some time.

So here are the results of what some major sites say about me, my sun sign and person born on my birth date.

MSN: Cancer

Your sign is that of sensitive Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac, the sign characterized by deep feelings and protectiveness. You are known for being nurturing, hospitable, and imaginative, and all your effort goes into making your home a safe place for you and the people you cherish.

The Moon, is the ruler of your sign, and makes you a very intuitive and empathetic person. Like the ebb and flow of the tides, you are both receptive to those you love and willing to offer comfort in return.

Being the first of the water signs you have psychic powers, and are able to sense feelings and thoughts in others - you feel rather than think. When you love someone, you love truly and deeply, and have the desire to connect on a profound level.

As a Cancer, you rule the fourth house, the sector of the horoscope that describes your emotional roots, your home, your childhood, and your parent of lesser influence, usually your father. Most of all, the fourth house stands for attunement to your inner self.

Your sign is a cardinal sign, which means that your parental instincts compel you to protect and fight for the security of your loved ones. You thrive on drama, and get stronger in situations of crisis.

Your strengths lie in your ability to adapt and cooperate, and your wonderful way of providing comfort. You are devoted and selfless in your dealings with others, which makes you a very dependable person. Since you are attuned to your unconscious, you have a strong imagination and are in touch with your intuition.

One of your weaknesses is that you can get hypersensitive and moody when someone fails to show you their love and appreciation. In situations of insecurity, you sometimes show immature, manipulative, and even tyrannical behavior, and others could see you as overly possessive and dependent.

Astrology.com

Cancer is symbolized by the Crab. You're deeply emotional and intuitive, and your top concern is family. Something of a homebody, you prefer to stay in rather than go out on the town. You can be moody, drawing into your protective shell if things get too intense around you.

Cancer, the fourth Sign of the Zodiac, is all about home. Those born under this Sign are 'roots' kinds of people and take great pleasure in the comforts of home and family. Cancers are maternal, domestic and love to nurture others. More than likely, their family will be large, too -- the more, the merrier! Cancers will certainly be merry if their home life is serene and harmonious. Traditions are upheld with great zest in a Cancer's household, since these folks prize family history and love communal activities. They also tend to be patriotic, waving the flag whenever possible. A Cancer's good memory is the basis for stories told around the dinner table, and don't be surprised if these folks get emotional about things. Those born under this Sign wear their heart on their sleeve, which is just fine by them.

The mascot of Cancerians is the Crab, and much like this shelled little critter, Cancerians are quick to retreat into their shells if it suits their mood. No wonder these folks are called crabby! For Cancer, it's not that big of a deal, though, since they consider this 'shell' a second home (and they do love home). The flip side of this hiding is that shell-bound Crabs are often quite moody. Further, in keeping with their difficulty in sharing their innermost feelings, it can become a Herculean task to pry a Crab out of its secret hiding place. What to do? Give the Crab time -- eventually these folks will come out to play again. When they do, they'll be the first to say so, in keeping with the Cardinal Quality attached to this Sign. It's said that Crabs are first to laugh and first to cry, so you can bet they'll fill you in. That shell, by the way, isn't the only tough thing about Crabs. These folks are tenacious and strong-willed and like to get their way. If their well-documented kindness and gentleness doesn't do the trick, however, they're not above using emotional manipulation to make things happen. If that still doesn't work, they'll just go back to their shell and sulk, or find a way to get back at the source of their pain, since Crabs can be rather vindictive. That said, any self-respecting Crab would tell you that they are ultimately motivated by protecting their home and loved ones, a most noble goal.

Astrology-online.com

Traditional Cancer Traits

Emotional and loving
Intuitive and imaginative
Shrewd and cautious
Protective and sympathetic

On the dark side

Changeable and moody
Overemotional and touchy
Clinging and unable to let go

The Cancerian character is the least clear-cut of all those associated with the signs of the zodiac. It can range from the timid, dull, shy and withdrawn to the most brilliant, and famous Cancerians are to be found through the whole range of human activity. It is a fundamentally conservative and home-loving nature, appreciating the nest like quality of a secure base to which the male can retire when he needs a respite from the stresses of life, and in which the Cancerian woman can exercise her strong maternal instincts. The latter tends to like and to have a large family. `Nest like' is an appropriate adjective for the Cancerian home, for its inhabitants tend to favor the dark, mysterious but comfortable type of house which has something of the air of a den about it, a place which belongs to the family rather than existing as a showcase to impress visitors.

That is not to say that the Cancerian is unsociable, just that for them there is a time to socialize and a time to be solitary, and this is part of the apparent contradiction in their nature. Outwardly they can appear formidable - thick-skinned, unemotional, uncompromising, obstinately tenacious, purposeful, energetic, shrewd, intuitive and wise, sometimes with a philosophical profundity of thought verging on inspiration. Their intimates, however, may see a very different character, one with a sympathetic and kindly sensitivity to other people, especially those they love. They are able to identify with the situations of others because of the keenness of their imaginations. They are often over-imaginative and prone to fantasy, sometimes trying to shape their lives to fit some romantic ideal. They are appreciative of art and literature, and especially of drama, where the spectacle and ebb and flow of action and feeling particularly excite them. They may themselves possess considerable literary, artistic or oratorical talent. Their sharp ears and talent for mimicry can sometimes give them success on the stage, though their tendency to be emotional may make them overact. Interestingly - because they give the impression of being down-to-earth - they are often fascinated by the occult and are more open to psychic influence than the average. If they can reconcile the personal conflict of their urge to be outgoing with the reserve that causes them to withdraw into themselves, then at best they can inspire a generation, especially the youthful part of it, by their idealism. A job in which they can express this, and in which they can do well, would be as a leader in a youth organization.

Cancerians have a retentive memory, particularly for emotionally laden events which they can recall in detail for years afterwards. they are strongly governed by childhood memories.


Famous Cancerians :

Indian
Karishma Kapoor 25 June
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia 1 July
Sourav Ganguly 8 July
Sunil Gavaskar 10 July

International
Tom Cruise 3rd July(oh that's y he is smart!!)
George W Bush 6th July
Dalai Lama 6th July
Tom Hanks 9th July
Nelson Mandela 18th July

Orkut

The new community service is a breather in the air after so many options on net to get to know people, search long lost friends and to find like minded people. It is another initiative by Google after the most talked about (and wanted) email service GMAIL. There has been a significant change in the way people mail after the introduction of the service. I was lucky one to get a gmail account early. I hav still some invites if anybody needs then do contact me. Since then yahoo increased the storage space to 100 MB (though i still have 6 MB) and rediff to 1 GB. Heard Hotmail also giving 250 MB(great news)..
ORkut is a nice way to make and search frds and ppl hav just stormed the place with their profiles. It is a big hit. It serves many purposes. Communities shows the likes and dislikes of a person more than anything else. I just wish that remains a nice place to search frds and does not get spammed by intruders. The looks of the orkut community is also cool.

Anybody looking for an orkut invite do contact me...

Changing themes of indian movies

Lakshaya which might be called the most awaited movie with yet returned hrithik and superb preity. The themes of indian movies somehow relate more to indian youths. The role portrayed by priety in lakshay of a news reporter brings a new role played by women in new arenas. Barkha Dutt one of my favourite newsreader cum reporter who is portrayed by priety is the new face in indian cinema. She worked hard with priety to make comfortable in her role as a reporter covering the operation Vijay. THough priety's jholas and skirts gave her the quintessential looks of a heroine. They hav already become a rage with the college crowd. Kudos to Farhan Akhtar to make movie on her.

Overall the themes as in Dil Chahta Hai or HUm TUm relate to the indian youth. There is much to be done in respect of storyline which is the most neglected part in the making of indian movies. Though i am not a movie buff but the changing scenarios in hindi cinema makes me excited about the future. There is still a lack of originality and creativity in the movies which might overcome with the arrival of an army of young blood in the film industry with the likes of Karan Johar, Nikhil Advani and Farhan Akhtar.

Astitva

The serial on zee tv seems to be a true life portrayed on tv by some amazingly nice actors Niki Aneja, Alok Nath and Harsh Chaya. It is an escape from those never ending saas bahu sagas by Ekta Kapoor. The serial revolves around SIMRAN the protagonist of the serial and a gynaecologist who owns Astha Nursing home. Her tryst with destiny on marrying Abhimanyu who is 10 years younger to her.
There starts her battle with her family, friends and society on this unrealistic marriage.

It deals with the problems and breakup of the marriage. The mathur family with simran's father( played by alok nath), 2 sisters and bua. THe crisis in the family be it the death of her sister due to cancer seems to be so real that one mistakes it for real life. Doctor Simran's concern for awareness in the society against female child death and other superstitions prevalent in the society are some of the themes addressed by the serial.

Simran's lost love in the war with pakistan (again a doctor) addresses the concern for the families of POW's. The story combined with the star cast gives tv viewing a fresh lease of life.

Gunjan

A nice inspiring speech

This is a real good speech. A trifle long ......... but worth reading.

This speech was delivered during the commencement exercises of the UP Dillman graduating class of 2003 by Mr. Butch Jimenez, the youngest commencement speaker in the university's history. He once dreamed of doing so, and it came true!!!:-)

Students wished they had a pencil or paper to jot down notes during the speech; some even wished they had a tape recorder. Some members of the faculty found his speech practical, refreshing, and funny!

Butch Jimenez, head of PLDT's media and strategic communications department,

delivered this speech at the UP Diliman Class 2003 commencement exercises.

What's better than...?

By Butch Jimenez

As college students, you're just about to set sail into the real world. As you prepare for the battleground of life, you'll hear many speeches, read tons of books and get miles of advice telling you to work hard, dream big, go out and do something for yourself, and have a vision. Not bad advice, really. In fact, following these nuggets of truth may just bring you to the top. But as I've lived my life over the years, I have come to realize that it is great to dream big, have a vision, make a name, and work hard. But guess what: There's something better than that. So my message today simply asks the question, what's better than...?

Let's start off with something really simple. What's better than a long speech? No doubt, a short one. So, you guys are in luck because I do intend to keep this short. Now, let me take you through a very simple math exam.

I'll rattle off a couple of equations, and you tell me what you observe about them. Be mindful of the instructions. You are to tell me what you observe about the equations. Here goes:

3+4=7, 9+2=11, 8+4=13, and 6+6=12.

Tell me, what do you observe?

Every time I conduct this test, more than 90 percent of the participants immediately say, 8+4 is NOT 13, it's 12! That's true and they are correct.

But they could have also observed that the 3 other equations were right. That 3+4 is 7, that 9+2 is 11, and that 6+6 is 12. What's my point? Many people immediately focus on the negative instead of the positive. Most of us focus on what's wrong with other people more than what's right about them.

Examine those four equations. Three were right and only one was wrong. But

what is the knee-jerk observation? The wrong equation. If 10 people you didn't know were to walk through that door, most of you would describe those people by what's negative about them. He's fat. He's balding. Oh, the short one. Oh, the skinny girl. Ahhh, 'yung pango. Etc.Get the point? It's always the negative we focus on and not the positive.

You'll definitely experience this in the corporate world. You do a hundred good

things and one mistake-guess what? Chances are, your attention will be called on that one mistake.So what's better than focusing on the negative? Believe me, its focusing on the positive. And if this world could learn to focus on the positive more than the negative, it would be a much nicer place to live in. Better than working hard?

We have always been told to work hard. Our parents say that, our teachers say that, and our principal says that. But there's something better than merely working hard. It's working SMART. It's taking time to understand the

situation, and coming out with an effective and efficient solution to get more done with less time and effort. As the Japanese say, "There's always a better way." One of the most memorable case studies I came across with as I

studied Japanese management at Sophia University in Tokyo was the case

of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics

companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a

box of soap that was empty. It immediately isolated the problem to the

assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery

department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line

empty. Management tasked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the

engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast. But a rank-and-file employee that was posed the same problem came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line. Clearly, the engineers worked hard, but the rank-and-file employee worked smart. So what's better than merely working hard? It's working smart.

Having said that, it is still important to work hard. If you could combine

both working hard and working smart, you would possess a major factor toward

success.

Better than dreaming big ?

I will bet my next month's salary that many have encouraged you to dream big. Maybe even to reach for the stars and aim high. I sure heard that about a million times right before I graduated from this university. So I did. I did dream big. I did aim high. I did reach for the stars. No doubt, it works. In fact, the saying is true: "If you aim for nothing, that's exactly what you'll hit: nothing." But there's something better than dreaming big.

Believe me, I got shocked myself. And I learned it from the biggest dreamer

of all time, Walt Disney. When it comes to dreaming big, Walt is the man. No

bigger dreams were fulfilled than his. Every leadership book describes him

as the ultimate dreamer. In fact, the principle of dreaming and achieving is

the core message of the Disney hit song, "When You Wish Upon a Star".





"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are;

anything your heart desires will come to you.

If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.

When you wish upon a star, as dreamers do," as Jiminy Cricket sang.

But is that what he preached in the Disney Company? Dream? Imagineering Well, not exactly. Kinda but not quite. The problem with dreaming is if that's all you do, you'll really get nowhere. In fact, you may just fall asleep and never wake up. The secret to Disney's success is not just dreaming it is IMAGINEERING. You won't find this word in a dictionary. It's

purely a Disney word. Those who engage in imagineering are called imagineers. The word combines the words "imagination" and "engineering. In the book Imagineers," Disney's CEO, Michael Eisner, claims that "imagineers turn impossible dreams into real magic." Walt Disney explained there is really no secret to their approach. They just keep moving forward-opening new doors and doing new things, because they are curious. And it is this curiosity that leads them down new paths. They always dream, explore and experiment. In short, imagineering is the blending of creative imagination and technical know-how.

Eisner expounds on this thought by saying that "Not only are imagineers

curious, they are courageous, outrageous, and their creativity is ccontagious." The big difference with imagineers is that they dream and then they DO! So don't just be a dreamer, be an imagineer. You must have all been given a lecture at one time or another about the importance of having a vision. Even leadership expert John Maxwell says that an indispensable quality of a leader is to have a vision. The Bible also makes it very clear that "Without vision, people perish." So no doubt about it, having a vision is important to success. But surprise! There's something more potent than a vision. It's a CAUSE. If all you're doing is trying to reach your vision and you're pitted against someone fighting for a cause, chances are you'll lose. The Vietnam War is a classic example. Literally with sticks and stones, the Viet Cong beat the heavily armed US Army to surrender, primarily because the US had a vision to win the war, but the Vietnamese were fighting for a cause.

In the realm of business, many leaders have visions of making their company No.1, or grabbing market share, or forever increasing profits. Nothing

really wrong with that vision, but take the example of Sony founder Akio Morita. He did not just have a vision to build the biggest electronics company in the world. In his biography, "Made in Japan," he reveals that the real reason he set up Sony was to help rebuild his country, which had just been battered by war. He had a cause he was fighting for. His vision to be an electronics giant was secondary.

What's the difference between a vision and a cause? Here's what sets them apart... No one is willing to die for a vision. People will die for a cause.







You possess a vision. A cause possesses you.

A vision lies in your hands. A cause lies in your heart.

A vision involves sacrifice. A cause involves the ultimate sacrifice.

Just a word of caution. You must have the right vision, and you must be

fighting for the right cause. In the end, right will always win out. It may take time, and it may take long. But if you have the right vision and are fighting for the right cause, you will prevail. If not, no matter how sincere you are, if you are not fighting for what is right, you will ultimately fail.

Two final quotes Allow me to end with two quotes that I have lived by ever since I stepped out of UP.

The first comes from the Bible, which says, "To whom much is given, much

Is required." Having been given the opportunity to study in UP, no doubt,

Much has been given to you in terms of an excellent education. Don't forget

That in return, much is now required of you to use that education not just

For yourself, but for others. And as you move up and start reaching the pinnacle of success, even more will be required of you to look at the welfare of others, of society and of the country. Though I have often dreamed of addressing any graduating class of UP Diliman, I never really thought it would happen. This brings me to the second quote I have held close to my heart as I traverse the destiny God has laid out for me. "There is no destination beyond reach of one who walks with God. " My standing in front of you today, as the youngest commencement speaker of this esteemed university in 92 years, is proof of how true that quote is. A final review:

What's better than ...?

* What's better than focusing on the negative? Focus on the positive.

* What's better than working hard? It's working smart.

* What's better than dreaming? Imagineering.

* What's better than doing something for yourself? Doing something for

your country.

* What's better than a vision? A cause.

* What's better than a long speech? Definitely, a short one.

Thank you and congratulations, UP Diliman graduating class of 2003

"Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends."

GMAIL - A revolution

I GOT IT -- GMAIL Account
Ultimately after much jealousy and envy with those having one i got one. Yesterday as i logged on to Blogger i got the invitation and i got it.. The features are cool and obviously the most fascinating thing being the 1 GB storage space.

Now i can have all the mails and no need to delete any. The looks are ok and different from yahoo or msn. I read soon this 2 gonna increase their storeage space as well ( to 100 MB). Now me waiting for the invitations to give it to my friends. For others who want to get one can get by swapping things on www.gmailswap.com .

Results

The results for class 12th were out yesterday. For some it was a moment of jubilation for others sorrow and grief. All other things seem less important in front of the big monster - the result.

This year's result considering the role of technology in getting the results as soon as possible. The internet had already won the battle by displaying the results midnight with students with butterflies in their stomach waiting to know their results. The next day was spent meeting friends and relatives sharing joy and sorrow. But this year's introduction of SMS service to know the results was a misnomer and broke havoc.

A girl from Indore checked her result and did suicide. Later it was found that it wasnt her result she had actually passed. But then it was late,she was no more. Considering the havoc technology played in case of the girl such incidents should make people aware of the mishappenings. IN recent times media has played such a negative role instead of highlighting and focussing the main issue behing this, it keeps on putting weight on helplines and result websites.

The media should rather try to develop a positive attitude to face the results rather than telling students to rely upon help lines. Such incidents should be focused upon to prevent others from taking such a drastic step.

The results aren't the end of life. There is more to life than mere numbers. I hope that students understand it and face their results in a bold way.

Elections 2004

The results for general elections came as a shock to media, parties and politicians. The verdict as predicted by the opinion and exit polls were proved wrong by the landslide victory of the congress. All this shows the real victory of the people in the greatest democracy in
the world. Here is an account of polling in one of the polling booths in india where one of my acquaintance was presiding officer.

THe polling was going fine. There were 3 groups sitting outside the booth sitting in peace. After 1-2 hr of normal polling they came and told the officer to let them do what they wanted. They started polling using the i-cards of their wives and other women of the village. The officer stopped them after some hours. Afterwards polling was very scarce and very few ppl voted. Again when only a few hours were left the groups started interfering with the officer and ultimately he had to stop the voting and closed the machine.

This is an account what really happens in urban areas in the name of voting. I myself cud not vote as i was out of town. There were 2 more voters listed from my house no whom at least i dont know. It is such a mockery of democracy by so called babus and netas in the name of gaining power and money.

It is perhaps the reason why young generation stays away from politics. But with the coming of young scions like Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot there is a hope among the younger generation in a country where 75% population is below 40 years of age. I hope in the coming
years follow them and make our country a superpower in real terms and not like the losing party's india shining campaign which gave them one of the worst defeats.

India has progressed a lot but a lot still needs to be done where real india lies - this seems to be the public's verdict of the election 2004

Trip to Bombay

I went to Bombay hoping to get a good break from the almost monotonous life in delhi. It was a short trip and for some work. I was really excited about visiting the beaches and meeting relatives. It got a good start as the train was late for 5 hours coz of some malfunctioning signal in Mumbai due to rains. At last managed to reach there at 3:30 after a long wait of 5 hrs. It was so tiring as we kept waiting for the train to start.

Somehow managed to get a sleep for 2-3 hrs before leaving for the exam. There started the bad luck which carried on till the end of the trip. We reached 15 minutes late for reporting for the exam but still managed to get in.

Bombay is a nice place coz of the beaches surrounding it. But still i like Delhi more than Bombay. Delhi is much beautiful than bombay. The infrastructure and the traffic is much better in delhi than in Mumbai.

Mumbai looks like the suburbs of delhi like rohini or dwarka where u see just condominiums all over and no independent houses. It is so difficult to imagine one's life living in those 1-2 room houses with no fresh air.

One can easily see the influence of BOLLYWOOD on mumbaites as can be seen in their hair styles and dresses. Even in restaurants and markets one can see many salman lookalikes.

It was at last journey bak to my beloved Delhi and there again bad luck followed us. We reached wrong station that too 30 minutes before the train's departure. Then we reached the second station just 5 minutes before the train's departure.

As if all this runnning was not enough there was more worse to follow as the train reached Delhi 7 hrs late. so it was a trip where there was one pal which was with me throught out ---- BAD LUCK ..

Confused!!!!!!!

Today was a great day .. I think i am the most confused person on earth. How is it that i am not able to think over a simple matter and take a decision. It might be coz this decision gonna affect my entire life. I just pray to god to give me the strength and vigour to think hard and chart a path for my life.

It has really been a year of lows and lows and i really need a break out of all this. I just feel like to head off to mountains or a calm and serene place like a sea shore. I know it is all a part of life and it is only failure which makes one really strong to conquer the unconquered.

Waise me still confused ....

Bak after a long time

It has been a long time since i posted here. I was wondering throughout about what to post and was rather too lazy to post anything here. A friend reminded me about the impending blog so at last decided to post here. It has been a journey of ups and lows all this time getting so many results and setbacks as well as some moments of pleasure as well . Meanwhile sailed through with the help of some well wishers and friends.

I hope to blog regularly now as not much to do nowadays. Blogging will at least keep my mind working and thinking. I was going thru a blog as to what use a blog can be and got enough inspiration to write this piece here.

Mars- Is life possible?

The day started with beautiful rain drenching me as i went for a walk. It was really beautiful, felt like being on a hillstation. The local authorities hav put up a lot of efforts beautifying the jogging track. Aneways plan for a good long walk were rescinded due to the rain.

The so called Feel Good Factor of the ruling party seems to be visible everywhere with markets and malls being crowded with people buying anything and everything. But when one looks at the poor people and the downtrodden seems the govt had done nothing for them. But with the forex reserves, and the growing GDP growth rate we can soon become the next superpower.

National Geographic's has got some nice programs showcasing the recent developments in science and technology. Their recent coverage of the mars expedition gives good insight into the space exploration programs and their success and failures. After the Columbia space shuttle crash the space program seemed to take a back seat, but now with so many rovers exploring the mars they have again hogges the limelight.

Beagle2's failure might have soured the dream of the scientists, but with the succees of Rover SPIRIT and OPPORTUNITY for the first time colorful pictures of mars surface were seen by people all over the world. The discovery of imprints of water on water surface gives a new dimension to the possibility of life on MARS. There was a lack of coverage on the space exploration programs but the coverage by Nat Geo provided a relief.

After watching the programs at NAT GEO I am thinking of putting up a website showcasing the recent discoveries and inventions in the field of science and Technology.

Republic day celebrations.
Started the day watching 55th republic day celebrations. Nice to see parade after a long time. The best part is the colorful tableaus depicting India's multi culture and diversity. The glory of India's achievements over the past one year. Remembered all those parades watched at Rajpath, the excitement and the happiness of a children seeing the multicolored jhankis and brave stunts on motorcycles.. Hope to watch one again soon....

Now finally got it after umpteen errors in the network ......this error and that error....