Mark IV Entertainment Inc.

They just kept going on!!!

2009-01-04T10:17:00.006+05:30

So, what have you done with your life for the last 5 years? Have u ever surpassed ur initial estimates by 20 folds... Have u wandered more than 10 miles alone in a barren land...

Dont feel ashamed if the answer is NO... But please take a moment to appreciate this one of a kind acheivement of mankind that has gone unnoticed... This feat so umatched isnt unfolding on Planet Earth but 125 million miles away on Mars... Yes, on Mars, and I am talking about the twin rovers Spirit and Oppurtunity.

Launched on Jan 2003 for a 90 day mission to this barren land. The rovers have been relentlessly unravelling the mysteries of mars. Some say after this mission humans know more about Mars than Earth!!!

They have given us some breath taking images of Mars and have survived to most hostile situations. Spirit has even lost one of it wheels and dragging them along for years now!

Surely this is an remarkable acheivement for Space Technology and Mankind as such!

P.S: I started this article for the fourth year anniversary... and posted it on the Fifth anniv! such is a lazy a** I am!!

True Dare Devils...

2009-01-04T09:06:00.002+05:30

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

This is absolutely frikken nuts. I wanna DO it so much!!!

Ennada life idhu! Anubavikara vayasu idhu!! :-P

Decisions

2008-12-31T07:31:00.000+05:30

It doesnt matter who you are, who you are with, what you are doing everyone has to make choices! Everyone has to take time to think things through to consider how these choices will effect them and others around them. It can be so hard to make decisions sometimes cause it could result in the people you care about getting hurt and life changing. There are so many choices in this life some are minor some are huge but we all like to act like some choices were never there and that we never have to deal with them. some choices we wish others could make for us cause that would make life simple but we know we are the only one that can possible make the decision. so when you make a decision whether it is minor or more complex just make sure you are aware of the results and how they effect you and others.

Best Scenes From the World of Tamil Cinema...

2008-04-01T10:04:00.004+05:30

For the next few posts I would be posting the scenes that moved me, impressed me, made me go WOWWW!!!! from the world of Tamil Cinema...

This scene is from the movie Thevar Magan.. amazing peice of work by Kamal and Sivaji...

This is why they are the greats of Tamil cinema!!!

Disclaimer
All content is copyright to it's respectful owners.
If you own rights to any of the images/audio/video files and do not wish them to appear here, please contact us and they will be promptly removed.

Yahoo! Rebuffs Microsoft's $44.6 Bln Bid

2008-02-12T10:14:00.000+05:30

Seems hilarious. May be better to read some comics or watch out some comedy or magic show.

Microsoft says :p

Our employees are idiots.. we keep on acquiring and purchasing.. or we don't trust our employees and their capabilities.. don't allow them do anything.

I say :D

Gates is a great visionary.. Eric and Ballmer are great businessmen.. Brin and Larry are great innovators and, Jerry, David not even worst salesperson?

Microsoft Direction Puzzle

2008-02-10T10:37:00.000+05:30

The puzzle was posed by Microsoft as a challenge.

How many distinct points are there on the surface of the Earth from which you can walk one mile due South, then one mile due East, and then one mile due North, and end up at the same exact spot from which you started?

The Paradise - Redang Island, Malaysia

2008-02-10T09:11:00.000+05:30

Would love to spend a day here... Man heavenly!!!

Original Pic on Flickr. All rights Resevered as per Original Publisher.

Hello, my poor neglected blog

2007-12-29T08:37:00.000+05:30

i am dedicating this for u... he he he he... my blog after sometime... maaaaaan... i ve postponed to write for quite sometime...

I hv planned on writing more often and maybe that will be my 2008 goal. :p

I am planning to use my blog to post thing i come across... interesting things... useful stuff.. anything i feel is good... :p its upto u ppl to discriminate.. :D

Am missing her...

2007-07-19T11:10:00.001+05:30

I have now come to terms about the facts that I won't be with her. how long time is saddening me, however I have come to terms with this.

I want to be with her with all my heart I do. This 'maybe' state is what is making me nervwrecking and frankly I hate it.

it is something 'I' must work with and 'I' to sort out within myself and nothing anyone else could do for me and I am working on it.

It is hard to come to terms that you might not be able to be with the one you truely love.

Will I miss her...yep...but with technology I will be able to keep in touch

I really do miss her... I miss her smile... I miss her company... I miss her every single day... I miss her friendship... I miss her desperately... I miss her innocence... I miss her frankness... I miss her intelligence... I miss her fragility...

what is wrong with me am I genuinely missing her or am I homesick or something as I now find myself very alone??; Do I love her to such an extent that I can't easily move on; and if that is the case should I try it out regardless of the implications or should I give in and act upon my feelings of missing her so desperately.
I miss her terribly.

[Photo]

The Law of Attraction

2007-05-25T20:43:00.000+05:30

The Law of Attraction simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest.

- by Steve Pavlina

Assuming responsibility for your thoughts is so important. If you want to see peace in the world, then intend peace for EVERYTHING in your reality. If you want to see abundance in the world, then intend it for EVERYONE. If you want to enjoy loving relationships, then intend loving relationships for ALL. If you intend these only for your own avatar but not for others, then you’re intending conflict, division, and separation; consequently, that’s what you’ll experience.

Entire reality is your creation. Feel good about that. Feel grateful for the richness of your world. And then begin creating the reality you truly want by making decisions and holding intentions. Think about what you desire, and withdraw your thoughts from what you don’t want.

The Paradoxical Commandments

2007-05-13T08:13:00.000+05:30

The other day my friend told me about a speaker she’d heard recently who wrote the “Paradoxical Commandments”. I had not heard of them and so googled for them. And here they are: (Don’t you love Google?)

PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS OF LEADERSHIP

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

My Life Sucks

2007-05-11T23:19:00.000+05:30

It was a boring Thursday afternoon. I had a new job, a new set of people to see everyday and no work to do. For the past two weeks I had been hearing everyone say the same sentences over and over again. “It’s the honeymoon period. Enjoy it. You wouldn’t get this time again. He! He! He!” And I would end up saying “yeah!” I was tired of playing this game, and was jus wondering whether a plate of samosa and elachi tea would help in clouding this boredom, atleast for sometime.

Thats when I got a call from my friend. I picked it up like how a drowning person would a life-jacket, and screamed out a huge “Hi Machchi”. “Mams, we’re having a drinks-dinner-movie party tomorrow night. Just we four. Can you make it? It would be fun.” I was thrilled. The time spent with these three guys , I knew would always be a time to remember.

There comes the twist to the tale... He is in Cincinatti... "Arrrgh... I will kill you BASTARD..."

Happy Birthday Mother Nature... Celebrating LIFE!!!

2007-04-22T17:34:00.000+05:30

On 1990 A.D. almost 4.2 Billion years after the EARTH was born, a small group of homo sapiens - one of the superior (read 'the most stupidest') being on the planet came to gather and decided that its time to stop the destruction they have been causing on mother nature...

They decided to call April 22nd the EARTH DAY.

27 years have passed since then, there has been a lots of awareness created on many of the issues concerning the destruction caused to mother nature...

They fight against lots of activities (read industries) causing a major dent in the earths's ecology... ranging from Global warming... to rain forest depletion in Brazil... till Sulphate poisoning in Russia...

Their efforts will not succeed without our co-operation

After all there is just one Earth...

Lets make Earth DAY Every Day

Adios, Amigos!!!

2007-04-21T10:30:00.000+05:30

A blurry remains...
Today is my last day of work for Wipro, the end of almost 32 months of hard and passionate work on one of the most exciting projects.

It is both unsurprising and… surprising!

Life at Wipro really did have more similarity with my college experience than it did with a job. We worked hard, pulled some all-nighters and had a lot of fun.

More than anything though, I learned a lot! I was exposed to so many different ideas, perspectives, cultures, and people.

After 32 months here, I guess it is time to "graduate" and move on.

I want to thank all those involved in this adventure, starting with the great team who worked with me for the last 26 months, all our testers, friends and coworkers who provided advice, ideas and challenges.

I'm really going to miss the place.

To all my friends at Wipro: Stay in touch

It's all very exciting.

1. 2.. 3... 10...

2007-04-17T21:41:00.000+05:30

Thanks Srini for tagging me...

And I tag this to everyone who is reading this...

1. One thing you are very much afraid of?
Caterpillar

2. Two incidents you can never forget in your life?
The day I met her :P
The day I got my job

3. Three books you would love reading again and again?
Yes, Minister
Five Point Someone
The Glass Palace

4. Four females who you think are most beautiful?
Kajol
Sharon Stone
Sushmita Sen
Asin

5. Five of your favorite food items?
Gulab Jamun
Vazhai poo Paruppu Usili
Poori with channa
Guava Juice
laddoo

6. Six words you use very often (oral/written)?
Freeya Vidu
Saniyan
Chanzeee / Chance-a Illa
Basically
Adha Cha
Chee

7. Seven things you like about yourself?
Friendly
Patience
Sincere
Practicality
Punctuality
Perseverance
Kindheartedness

8. Eight film personalities who are your all time favorites?
Kamal Hasan
Rajinikanth
Ilayaraja
Leonardo di Caprio
Prakash Raj
Chitra
Delhi Ganesh
Andre Tatau

9. Nine movies you won’t mind watching again and again?
Amelie
Matrix
Mozhi
May Maadham
Babel
An Inconvenient Truth
The Pianist
Anbe Sivam
Azhakiya Theeye

10. Ten songs you would like to listen to everyday?
Vennilave Velli Nilave - Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu
Enna Satham - Punnagai Mannan
Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
Ninukkori Varnam - Agni Natchathram
Pachchai Nirame - Alaipayuthey
Hotel California - Eagles
We Didn't start the fire - Billy Joel
Who is it - Micheal Jackson
Musafir hoon yaaron - Kishore Kumar
Ramta jogi - Taal

The Nerd Test!

2007-04-10T21:37:00.000+05:30

Thanks Srini for guiding me towards the Nerd Test!!

The Score Speaks for themselves...

Your Score Summary

Overall, you scored as follows:

5% scored higher (more nerdy),
0% scored the same, and
95% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

All hail the monstrous nerd. You are by far the SUPREME NERD GOD!!!.

What the hell...

2007-04-08T20:29:00.000+05:30

Beware!!!

Tomorrow Google will tell u from where, which room, who accessed ur website!!!

Mozhi: A fantastic Effort

2007-04-08T09:30:00.000+05:30

Its been quite sometime since I wrote a review of any thing... not bcoz I didn't have time to review any of them... But none of them were worth the effort.

How Many movies have we seen in the recent past with NO Aruvals, NO Vulgar Dialogues, NO Scantly Clad femmes, NO attempted rapes? How Many Movies have been able to watch with ur parent without having to fast forward songs...

Mozhi is one of those movies that haven’t got any of the above.

A pure Feel Good film...

What else can I say about such a lovely movie!

I had never seen such a sweet Tamil movie recently.

I am not concerned about its box office power.

I am not concerned about the next superstar... (I personally feel no bleedy person in the current cine field is fit to be termed as one.)

I am not concerned whether Mozhi will be a big hit or not....

But, dear friends, if you really are a supporter for good cinema, don’t miss MOZHI...

Fantastic cinema - whatz the definition for it? Should it be a slow movie? Should it make tears from your eyes? Should it run 200 days in main centers? Then I donno the word FANTASTIC is suitable for MOZHI...

Prithvi - A nice find...
Prakash Raj - Man does he proves his worth again?
Jyothika - A laudable effort after the damage she did by talking in her previous film (PKMC)
Swarnamalya - Lots of talent in waiting

This was a really good, light hearted movie, with GREAT characterization. There are points where the movie is a little slow, but not slow enough to loose your interest.

Over all, it was a wonderfully character driven movie, which was enjoyable and had you leaving the theater feeling good. I recommend it highly!

I Cannot Beleive this!!!

2007-03-16T07:18:00.000+05:30

I cannot beleive this.. OMG...

This is not in the god damn'd US of A dude...

Its our Good ol' Chennai!!! phew...

You Belong to a Simpler Time

2007-02-28T23:03:00.000+05:30

Things Start To Make Sense

The light has changed, and the weather has warmed. It really does feel like spring, false as that promise may be. I'm sure it will get much hotter pretty soon.

Sometime last week, a penny dropped and the situation at work started to make sense. My level of stress dropped. It's easy to forget there's a learning curve with everything, and I'm still on the steep slope of the curve now.

I've been thinking a lot about the people I know. More on that later.

I'm making my list and taking stock of my relationships, and I'm wondering which have changed and which have not. Which are worth the effort, and which are not. Stay tuned.

How Evil are you?

2006-12-14T06:33:00.001+05:30

How evil are you?

Food for thought...

2006-11-17T07:09:00.000+05:30

I was talking about representations of women and how they have changed on television with my friends, and we found that women representations have shifted because of the cultural attitudes. In the past women have always been shown as domestic individuals who were always in the house cooking, cleaning, or taking care of the kids. But now a days women are shown as independent, strong, and intelligent. Women no longer depend on a man to be stable, they can take care of themselves, and they’re smarter. I think that it is good that the culture has shifted and women have been shown in a different light. I also like how women are shown as sexually aggressive. I like this because it shows that not all women are reserved and that they do have a wild side, but at the same time I don’t like it when they’re sexuality dominates over their intelligence. For example, if a woman was to get a job, I want her to get it because she is qualified and smart. I don’t want her getting a job by sleeping with a man or anything in that nature. Images of women have changed and some representations are good but sometimes these images can work against them. I just think that we need more diverse roles for women in the media because it is so limited. They can either be housewives, a career woman, or sexually aggressive. But if you really think about it, women can carry all of these traits. In this society, women can be career moms who still cook and clean while taking care of the children. But the media makes it seems as if women can’t handle being all three, when in reality they can. So it would be nice to see more of that on T.V.

Voicemails...

2006-11-08T23:20:00.000+05:30

The gud old Voicemails, i am asking the people, Guyz....why cant u leave a short n sweet message? Here r the types of voicemails i have listened to....

I might have left some of the beautiful and attractive Voicemails , so plz dont feel bad if urs dont show up here :)

1. Hi, this is , right now i am busy, i will not be able to answer your,please leave me a message and i will get back to you as early as possible......

As if this person is like VERY busy and dont even have time to answer his/her call...

2. Hi you have reached at , please leave a message, i will get back to u as soon as i can....

I know i have called your number, why r u repeating the number??

3. Hi this is , I am sorry that i am not able to answer your call right now, please leave me a message, and i will get back to u as soon as possible. Why r u sorry for this???

4. Hello... Helloo... Helloooooo... You have reached, please leave a message and i will return your call as soon as possible.

This is the height of voicemail, the other person at the calling end will be like, "is there something wrong wid my signal or voice, why is he/she not able to hear me ?" and all of a sudden there will be a giggle and the voicemail will continue

5. Hi you have reached , i am not available to answer your call, please leave your name and number and i will get back to you as soon as i can. Have a nice day.Thank you.

Man, my minutes r getting over...please stop ur message so that i can leave a message for u...

6. Hi (the rest of the voicemail is in the person's mother tongue)

This is really crazy, what if a person who doesnt know ur mother tongue calls u up?he will be thinking that he has reached greek/latin international call or something....

7. Hi you have reached , please leave a message.

Very Sweet....Jus like it.....short n sweet message which conveys everything in the above blah blah voicemails.

Oh yeah , how can i forget the Service provider voicemail.....when u call up someone and that person doesnt answer, and they finish their nice and beautiful voicemails above, our own service provider madam will start saying......."The person you are trying to reach is not available.... press 5 tp page this person or wait for the tone to leave a message....a pause for 3 to 4 seconds... MEEEEEEEEP.......

Yeahhhhhhhh i get to leave a voicemail FINALLY!!!! by this time, my minutes count wud have increased by 2 to 3 minutes.........

-am in a good mood-

2006-10-31T03:45:00.000+05:30

"What? Thats like asking me to hack the internet!"

I think its a line from "Password Swordfish" or something ...
that movie with John Travolta.
its goood . x)

hahah . I've just been thinking about . the world we live in .
and the matrix is really interesting . =P
sometimes I really wish we were just living in a simulation .
where everything is just . electrical signals our brain sends us .

like what Cypher says "I know, that this piece of beef is not real, but my brain tells me its tender, succulent and tasty.... After all this time, I have come to realise, ignorance is bliss"

hahah . he preferred the matrix to the 'real world'
which I guess is what lots of us are like .
preferring your matrix to the real world .

mmmm juicy meat .

I like my matrix...

mmm what is your place in life . . .
find it . or drop out , and die .
hah . xD

thats so 'AMERICAN' .

I don't really know what I'm talking about .

-leans back-

oh yeah . okay .

about life .

au revior .

Complicated Days...

2006-10-26T21:38:00.000+05:30

People are complicated creatures. What people do and say and what they mean to do or say are completely different. People have a hard time explaining how they feel and their actions usually don't help out too much.

There is a difference, however, between being misunderstood and lying to people. When people can't explain themselves it usually doesn't cause to much drama. But, when people lie, things get very complicated. It's hard to trust them. You don't know if they are lying to you. It's very hard to believe them anymore.

Lying can completely ruin a relationship between two people that have known each other for a long time. It goes from caring and being understanding of that person to not even caring anymore.

People really are complicated creatures. I'm sure we will never understand ourselves and why we do the things that we do. Maybe we would be better if we just stopped trying and just lived our lives.

If everyone stopped trying to figure other people out and why they do things that they do and why they say what they say, maybe life would be just a tad easier...

Satisfaction

2006-10-11T04:59:00.000+05:30

It's an interesting idea, satisfaction. Seems there is little to be had, or perhaps it's just that we - or I in any case - haven't the capacity to create it for ourselves. At least not to any level of satisfaction. It is, like most else, supposed to be self-generated after all. My friend says, "happiness is a choice." Sure it is, but then so is defensiveness, rage, melancholy, loneliness. And, I suppose, satisfaction.

I am dissatisfied. With day-to-day responsibilities, the fluctuating disappointment and apparent pointlessness of what I do. I am dissatisfied with my own ability to connect, to draw connection from others, to sustain something so intangible and for all intents of purpose, so bloody elusive in the first place. I haven't the clarity of insight to peg my own responsibility in these broken attempts nor the wherewithal to correctly place the blame let alone alter my own behaviour accordingly.

It all seems rather hopeless. It appears inevitable.

Awesome...

2006-09-20T23:38:00.000+05:30

rango rangoli koalangaL nee poattaal
koalam poattavaL kaigaL vaazhi
jal jal
rango rangoli
koalangal nee poattaal
koalam poattavaL kaigaL vaazhi
sundara malligai sandhana malligai
sithira punnagai vannam intha

this is the rendering in the song Munbe Vaa from SOK... I have been humming this for the past 3 days...

what an addictive song after a long gap!!! ARR and Shreya Goshal blows u out...

Special mention of Vaali... delivering such a beautiful lyrics...

All I can say is - its jus mesmerizing!!!

Movie Marathon

2006-09-18T21:54:00.000+05:30

Last weekend, i was totally bored and in a sober state... not knowing wat to do i went through my DVD collection... i was surprised to see that lots of titles were left untouched... thus began the movie marathon...

I broke the previous record of 7 titles in a weekend and bettered it with one more...

8 films in 2 days.. 48 hrs.. 2880 min.. 172 800 sec...

1. Animatrix
2. Imsai Arasan 23 am Pulikesi
3. Memoirs of a Geisha
4. Rush hour 2
5. The weather man
6. The Chronicles of Narnia
7. The Aviator
hmmm wait... what was the last one.. oh my god... my memory is getting worse day by day...
8. Vertical limit

Phew... i got it... 8 movies... quiet an achievement!!! hope to better it some time soon...

please listen to me.

2006-09-17T13:23:00.000+05:30

parting is never easy. it is never easy because it is painful. it is painful because you feel the part of u being ripped off from ur soul.

this to me, is pain. pain so impacable u never want it to happen again. i remember the last time i was struck with such a tremendous heartache was when my grandpa left me. i never thought i'd have to go through another round of this familiar greive so soon.

this time, this time its different. its a loss i carry with me every living day. its a loss that is possibly irreplacable by any walking person. i lost the presence of two very important individual in my life. how do you replace this?

i am not able to comprehand this emotional pain in words my friends as much as i want to. but i know you feel it the way i do. i really do miss you two very much. do you know? this heartache in me i carry every single day.. i suppose we'll never be able to place a price tag on any individual until you actually loose them physically. i will forever be grateful to have met the both of you. u brought too much joy in me life.

i hope to see you soon..

e-Mail from Dad

2006-09-16T23:41:00.000+05:30

Stress Management ...

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water? "
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance."
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. " He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. " "As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. " "Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"

From the Wonderful Gaping Void

2006-09-16T21:57:00.000+05:30

welcome to the red zone

i no longer have feelings

Goodbye?!?

2006-09-16T19:54:00.000+05:30

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.

- Richard Bach

I dont know why... I dont know how... but all I can say is that I can feel this... And I hate to be cornered... what can I do?

All I can do is get a breather... called TIME...

2006-09-03T16:26:00.000+05:30

Yep, that just about sums up this blog at the moment! More soon...

What's ur Hero Like?

2006-08-17T22:46:00.000+05:30

Just got these from How to Be a Hero website(Courtesy: Srini)

Congratulations!

Hello, Warrior.

Character Stats:

Rogue (7)
Warrior (16)
Wizard (13)
Paladin (14)

Your Profile:

You're tough, courageous, and up to your eyebrows in chutzpah. If you're still in school, your teachers probably talk a lot about your "potential." If you work, your boss calls you a "pro-active self-starter," whatever that means. You don't shy away from hard work, that's for sure. When it comes to leisure, you'd rather be out hiking or biking or snowboarding than sitting around watching TV or reading a book. You care about your health, and have strong opinions.

Above all, you're a man/woman of action and a born leader. You see obstacles as challenges and hardship as an opportunity to build your character (and your muscles). You're not afraid of conflict - in fact, you're not afraid of much of anything. You tend to dive into things headfirst and sort out the consequences later.

Your Mission:

You were put on this earth to lead others. They will follow you, because they are bowled over by your forceful personality, your charisma, and your willingness to do what they're afraid to do. You are the one who has to make things happen, because everyone else is too afraid of rocking the boat.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to Start Something. Something small, or something big. Start a club at your school. Propose a new project to your boss. Invent a new family tradition. Start a small business. Start SOMETHING.

And don't dally about it. We WILL be checking up on you.

A Warning:

Try to remember: it's not all about you. Yes, people tend to do what you say, but don't abuse that power. Don't be a bully, even if you feel like the weaklings really deserve it. Have a Paladin teach you how to "make nice" when necessary. You have the potential to become a great leader, but only if you curb your tendency to be thoughtless, egocentric, and well, sometimes just plain rude.

And by the way, just because you don't understand something, that doesn't mean it's "stupid." Get a Wizard to figure things out for you instead of just giving up when your attention span runs out.

What Next:

Don't know a Paladin or Wizard? Maybe you do, and just don't know it. You can lead others to their own heroic callings by displaying the following on your own web site:

My Inner Hero - Warrior!

I'm courageous, straightforward, and charismatic. I'm a born leader, but I'm also not afraid to face danger on my own. Nothing stands between me and victory... nothing that lives to tell the tale, anyway. If you need someone to charge into battle for you, call on me.

How about you? Click here to find your own inner hero.

Who am I????

2006-08-02T07:30:00.000+05:30

My "About me" section doesnt tell anything about me... You people still guessing who I am? I have always wanted to write one and my first attempt in analysing my interests and bascially answering Question Who Am I???

I am Jackie Chan... Oops I am Vikram... Vikram Swaminathan...

I dont want to present this as a essay... lets make things Interesting

Three Names I go by -
Vikram {Peers Colleagues)
Vikky {Friends}
Dawg {Close Freinds}

Three Cites of my Heritage -
Chennai {Where I have lived right from my childhood}
Nyveli {Where I was Born}
Myladudhurai

Three things that scare me -
Street Dogs... Bloody Dawgs {Had a tough time during my 12th std tution classes}
Exams... {they used to scare me but not any more... hehehe}
Twisting caterpillars...{i dont know why but they scare the hell out of me}

Three things about the Opposite sex that appeal me -
Nice color & Complexion... {Stop It!!! NO, I dont support "Fair & Lovely"}
Good Conversationalist and decent sense of humour
a bit chubby... {no obese will not go}

Three things I want in a relationship -
Mutual Respect
Love
Freedom

Three Places I want to go on a vacation -
Las Vegas {What comes in never goes out... ;) }
New Zealand {LOTR effect...}
England { enjoy the english cricket }

Three all time Fav movies -
Pass... too many to mention

Three things I cannot live without -
Internet
Cellphone
Shower

Three things I am wearing now -
A gold Chain
Head Phones {i wear it most of the time i sit before the system}
Imported shorts {u now where it came from... ping me to know about it}

Three things I want to do before I die -
Want to drive a Ferrari F1 car {'idhelam konja overa theriyala... nu neenga ketkardhu enakku puriyudhu..}
Watch all the Grand Slam in a year live in action...
Want to rare collection of sports cars

Three reasons why I am posting this -
My blog lacks an intro
I didnt get anyother topic
I bored to the core...

Three things I want to change about myself -
To get rid of this god damn laziness
to leave this i-care-a-damn mania{attitude u might call...}
make myself more organised

Three things I regret for -
Not continuing to play cricket... {india has missed a Rahul or a Dhoni..}
to take cae on certain aspects of life...
been a non attentive member in my class

Three Things I want to badly do now -
Go on a long Vacation...
Party all night long...
go to bed...

I have gone thru many "Know me" sections before writing this and its prety obviuos that some of the points resemble the ones that have been found elsewhere. I have tried not to use the same words but couldnt help it at times....

Thanks for this long journey

Cheers

Ten pleasures in life

2006-07-30T23:43:00.000+05:30

1. One of my favourite things in life is rain... nothings relaxes me more than geting drenched in it....

2. Taking a long, lonely bike ride with lush green fields on either sides and the sweet smell of watery mud filling the air...

3. To get an unexpected phone call from someone u like most...

4. watching the lighting trough the window pane when u are comfortably under the blankets during rains...

5. Having a long conversations with my near and dear ones all night long.

6. To have a ice cream after being thoroughly drenched in rain...

7. To gaze at the stars from my bedroom window on a clear night...

8. Watching India win the world cup finals in a nail biting finish...

9. Realising that someone very dear to you is missing you as much as you are missing them

10. listening to the golden voice of MS when I'm down and out...

Phew... I'm done...

The name meme

2006-07-28T10:27:00.000+05:30

Stolen from a friend, whose blog is private, so I can't link her:

The Name Meme

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet and current street name) None Second

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your dad's side, your favorite candy) Subramaninam Snickers

3. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your last name) V-Swa

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite animal, favorite color) Cheetah Black

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) None Neyvali

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name) Swa thanon

7. JEDI NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards)
Enon Ahtal

8. *word that's not family friendly* STAR NAME: (middle name, street you grew up on) None Second

9. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, the automobile you drive) The Black Victor

Alert Backstabbers Spotted!!!

2006-07-26T21:47:00.000+05:30

It seems that the world I live in has become a very selfish place. People I thought as friends and colleagues speak behind my back in a language disadvantageous to me. I am now in few eyes an enemy who tolerates passing sarcastic remarks and sycophant.

Yet I will remain tolerant bearing no grudge on these unremarkable fools. Because I know that I do my job better than the rest and I take the initiative to make things happen. That is my nature and if people have a problem with that, they can stick up in their ass.

I Would like to tell them onething

"I am not an example. I am an exception."

Life!! Crossroads??

2006-07-22T19:48:00.000+05:30

I often wonder what lies ahead.

When I was young, there seemed to be an order in which things are to be done. Since I was a student for a large part of my early life, would it be presumptuous for me to say that the education system dictated what lies ahead?

To an ignorant child who is trying to understand the order of this world, won't it be easier to be guided by the paths that predecessors have crossed? As such, it seemed quite natural that after one has completed pre-school, one would proceed to primary education and then secondary education? Even though one gets to choose one's subject combinations in higher secondary school, what seemed to be difficult choices to make at those times were in fact simpler in comparison.

Yes, in comparison. Choices to make are now much more complex. The element of uncertainty can sometimes be beyond one's wisdom.

There is perhaps no such thing as a predestined path? With choices, there come outcomes. Predictable or not so predictable ones. I sometimes struggle over what to eat for a meal. When faced with more complex, larger choices to choose from, how would one make sense out of the complexities?

Would it help to learn from predecessors?

Would there be an internal compass that guides one on one's unique path? Maybe it is not a compass, but a North Star?

Today;s Special!!!

2006-07-22T09:17:00.000+05:30

Today is Pi Approximation Day!!!

Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day are two unofficial holidays held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (Pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3.14 at 1:59pm 1.e., 3.14159); Pi Approximation Day may be observed on any of several dates.

July 22, which is written as 22/7 in international (little endian) date format; 22 divided by 7 is an approximation of π.

Pi Approximation Day is also celebrated on the 355^th day of the year at 1:13 (based on the approximation of 355/113) or November 9/10, the 314^th day of the Gregorian calendar.

If you don't use the American date format, Pi Day instead corresponds to January 3 at 4:15.
(3.1415)

Facts About π

The first 30-digit of π :3.141592653589793238462643383279

Up until now 1,241,100,000,000 (over 1 trillion) digits after the decimal place have been traced out using a computer. There are regular competitions to see who can remember the most digits.

To remember π upto 30 decimal, Use a mnemonic rhyme:

Now I will a rhyme construct,
By chosen words, the young instruct.
Cunningly devised endeavor,
Con it. And remember ever.
Widths in circle here you see,
Sketched out in strange obscurity.

My Social Butterfly!!!

2006-07-22T08:21:00.000+05:30

well. more like a moth actually. but still, been quite busy lately doing stuff for other people. A nice change from the rut i've been digging myself since i landed here. attending lunches, hosting dinners, hiking with friends from work, movies. it's all good. but it costs money.

work is super busy, tons of delivery and things to do everyday. and the pace is accelerating. it's crazy doing epigenetics stuff. one can go from idea A through to F in half an hour of discussion/contemplation and then read 3 documents and end up at point Y. then discover the next day that you need to start at Z and start the thinking process again. but at least it keeps me off the streets. makes it difficult to blog though :) but it'll be fun anyway.

ah, so much to do.....

Geographically Challenged, Unwelcome

2006-03-04T21:37:00.000+05:30

article | posted February 27, 2006 (web only)
The Nation

Bush in India: Just Not Welcome
Arundhati Roy

On his triumphalist tour of India and Pakistan, where he hopes to wave imperiously at people he considers potential subjects, President Bush has an itinerary that's getting curiouser and curiouser.

For Bush's March 2 pit stop in New Delhi, the Indian government tried very hard to have him address our parliament. A not inconsequential number of MPs threatened to heckle him, so Plan One was hastily shelved. Plan Two was to have Bush address the masses from the ramparts of the magnificent Red Fort, where the Indian prime minister traditionally delivers his Independence Day address. But the Red Fort, surrounded as it is by the predominantly Muslim population of Old Delhi, was considered a security nightmare. So now we're into Plan Three: President George Bush speaks from Purana Qila, the Old Fort.

Ironic, isn't it, that the only safe public space for a man who has recently been so enthusiastic about India's modernity should be a crumbling medieval fort?

Since the Purana Qila also houses the Delhi zoo, George Bush's audience will be a few hundred caged animals and an approved list of caged human beings, who in India go under the category of "eminent persons." They're mostly rich folk who live in our poor country like captive animals, incarcerated by their own wealth, locked and barred in their gilded cages, protecting themselves from the threat of the vulgar and unruly multitudes whom they have systematically dispossessed over the centuries.

So what's going to happen to George W. Bush? Will the gorillas cheer him on? Will the gibbons curl their lips? Will the brow-antlered deer sneer? Will the chimps make rude noises? Will the owls hoot? Will the lions yawn and the giraffes bat their beautiful eyelashes? Will thecrocs recognize a kindred soul? Will the quails give thanks that Bush isn't traveling with Dick Cheney, his hunting partner with the notoriously bad aim? Will the CEOs agree?

Oh, and on March 2, Bush will be taken to visit Gandhi's memorial in Rajghat. He's by no means the only war criminal who has been invited by the Indian government to lay flowers at Rajghat. (Only recently we had the Burmese dictator General Than Shwe, no shrinking violet himself.) But when Bush places flowers on that famous slab of highly polished stone, millions of Indians will wince. It will be as though he has poured a pint of blood on the memory of Gandhi.

We really would prefer that he didn't.

It is not in our power to stop Bush's visit. It is in our power to protest it, and we will. The government, the police and the corporate press will do everything they can to minimize the extent of our outrage. Nothing the happy newspapers say can change the fact that all over India, from the biggest cities to the smallest villages, in public places and private homes, George W. Bush, the President of the United States of America, world nightmare incarnate, is just not welcome.

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE NATION

An Open Letter From An Indian Citizen--Duh-B's Visit To India

2006-03-04T21:33:00.000+05:30

by Anuradha Mittal

You may not have been informed that your future strategic partner in the war on terror is a nation plagued by child labor, starvation and poverty.

Dear President Bush,

Air Force One will touch down in the Indian capital in the early hours of Wednesday, March 1, on your maiden presidential visit to my country, the new star on the horizon for Washington. I am concerned that your preparation for the occasion might be as half-baked as the intelligence reports on WMD in Iraq or the state of levees in New Orleans, so I am writing to fill you in on some important details.

Your visit follows the state visit of President Chirac, who was in India for three days in February with a delegation of 30 businessmen. The day after you leave, Australian Prime Minister John Howard will grace India, followed by Chinese President Hu Jintao two months later. Presumably, the success of your visit, just like the rest of the parade, will depend on your ability to help induct the Indian government into the elite nuclear club of nations and for you to secure new contracts for your defense manufacturers.

Just a month ago, India was the proud host of DefExpo. All sorts of goodies ranging from anti-aircraft guns, artillery, military vehicles, decoy systems, rocket launcher systems, submarines, tanks, infantry combat vehicles and torpedoes were on display. The hawkers came from all parts of the world: France, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Israel, Bulgaria, Switzerland, etc. But did you know that it was your 20 major defense companies, including Raytheon and Lockheed Martin and, of course, the U.S. Army, who outshone the others, promoting everything from fighter jets to over-the-horizon radars?

India's desire for military hardware and software has made it the third-largest spender on defense in the world, next only to the United States and China. It was the largest arms importer in 2004 and now is in the market for 126 new multi-role combat aircraft, which could be a lucrative $6.5 billion contract. Recent announcements from the Indian government indicate that additional perks might come for your defense corporations. The new budget presented in the Indian Parliament on February 28, 2006, has allocated a substantial amount--Rs. 89,000 crores ($20 billion)--to defense.

The 2006 budget is graced with the words of Swami Vivekanand, "We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate. The wind is blowing; those vessels whose sails are unfurled catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have their sails furled do not catch the wind. Is that the fault of the wind? We make our own destiny."

But India's destiny, determined by the "karma" of the Indian government is described on the World Food Program's country page: "Nearly 50 percent of the world's hungry live in India. Around 35 percent of India's population--350 million--are considered food-insecure. Nearly nine out of 10 pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 years suffer from malnutrition and anemia. More than half of the children under five are moderately or severely malnourished, or suffer from stunting."

Yes, an estimated 330 to 350 million people in India survive on less than $1 a day, joining the ranks of starving millions in the country who face the prospect of "starvation deaths" each year.

India's destiny is that it is a nation plagued by child labor. An estimated 60 to 115 million children are classified as working children--the highest number in the world. Deprived of their childhoods, most have never seen the inside of a school. However, if confronted by those overzealous NGO types such as Human Rights Watch, you can always counter with the argument that no current figures are available for the number of children engaged in child labor, since the Indian government does not collect such data. And yes, it is for similar reasons that the efficient Indian government, proud of its human resources that are running Silicon Valley from the United States to Bangalore, does not bother to keep data on the numbers of people displaced by large dams either.

You are right about the possibility of India being a strategic coalition partner in the war on terror. You have much in common. You have come under a lot of flak for the war in Iraq. According to the U.S. group, National Priorities Budget, the $240 billion bill for Iraq could have fully funded global anti-hunger efforts for 10 years; a worldwide AIDS programs for 24 years; or ensured basic immunizations for every child in the world for 80 years. Had that money been spent elsewhere, the lives of 2,291 American soldiers and countless Iraqis who have died in Iraq, might have been saved.

I don't expect that anyone has informed you of these realities. Quite the opposite: the Sunday edition of the New York Times exclaims, "In the India that President Bush will visit this week, an extravagant ethos of bling has arrived. Gone is a half-century legacy of independent India--stubbornly socialist, avowedly nonaligned, deeply anti-American."

Such media coverage, devoted to modern-day Indian "nouveaux nawabs"--some 70,000 people who earn about $232,000 a year -- has obfuscated the reality in a country of a billion people.

Mr. President, the obvious has been stated. It might be good to revisit your agenda. The poor, the marginalized and the hungry, along with civil society groups will line the streets of Delhi and Hyderabad, where your motorcade passes, to protest the visit of "W," a symbol of war. Indians want peace. Indians want bread, not bombs.

Anuradha Mittal is executive director of the Oakland Institute.

Lessons from the US of A

2006-03-04T21:27:00.000+05:30

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.
A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.
What Bill Clinton did in the 1960's is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80's is irrelevant.

In the next few blogs i will be posting letters written to Duh B' in regards with his visit to India...

Silence is not golden; it's complicity. What can you do today to effect change?

BUCK FUSH!

Change - The Gandhian Way

2006-03-02T12:24:00.000+05:30

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do.
-Apple Computer Inc. television ad December 15 1997

Surprisingly, this has been in already stated before.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Mohandas Gandhi

Like the Zen saying, "The only person whose actions you can change are your own", Gandhi's quote is correct.

"You must transform yourself before you can transform the world. It must be a selfless transformation, otherwise, ego will taint whatever you do to change the world and corrupt it." Said John B Moore

The 'anti materialistic' Gandhi is what every body in the world would be looking for - If and only if they think PEACE of MIND is more important than the POWER of MONEY. People now adays think more about changing others for their benefit.... CORRUPT is the new BRAND name

Greed has been around since men developed minds. Hypercapitalism is just the latest manifestation of it. Perhaps capitalism will collapse or evolve into something better when people realize that accumulating stuff isn't the answer to their problems. I don't know what the answer is. I do know that Gandhi pointed out that the planet probably didn't have the resources to elevate every Indian to the same economic level as every Englishman, therefore, India most likely needed to find a different path. It may be that technology will solve India's economic problem. Heaven knows that if the developed nations shared their wealth more wisely, conditions would improve for a great many people. But the main thing is to fix yourself first. Tolle says, "Primary reality lies within, secondary without", which is essentially the same thing that Gandhi said. Only when you are complete, whole and sane, can you effect lasting change upon the World of Man.

Even then, it might not come to pass. Western Civilization killed it's Buddha (Jesus of Narzareth) because it didn't like his message. Gandhi was martyred as well. We need to Do the best we can and enjoy the life we have. I think that's all anyone can do these days.

Why am I telling these things? I dont know! I just wanted to criticize some one, I am in a MOOD to CRITICIZE - The Worlds Most Powerful Beings - We HUMANs.

The Butterfly Effect

2006-03-01T14:07:00.000+05:30

Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil set off a Tornado in Texas?

This is the theory predicted by Lorenz, which translates more technically the "sensitive dependence on initial conditions", is the essence of chaos.

This Butterfly Effect is taken as the essence of this movie.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Elden Henson, William Lee Scott, Eric Stoltz
Director(s): Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama

This movie deals with the emotionally conflicted Evan Treborn (anagram of Evant Reborn) dealing with suppressed childhood memories. When he is young, he Suffers from blackouts during certain traumatic events in his life. But he maintains some kind of journal that helps him record all the events in life. Celeverly enough he find a way to travel back in time (re-reading old journal entries) to repair all the damages he has done. Moving back and forth from the time it makes you think of Back to the Future kind of stuff.

Every time he goes back to fix his life and returns he finds himself in a completely new life. A perfect example of the butterfly effect.

The first-time directing and writing team of Bress and Gruber take great pains to set each reality apart from the others with various tricks, including a wide range of film stocks and color palettes.

Of all the things the suprise comes in the end, the movie has two ending. The first ending is in the regular movie and the next one comes after the trailing Who is who section.

Directors Cut (single end) is what thats available in the market and fairs much lower than the Theatrical Cut version (dual ending).

All said and done - Unfortunately, it uses such clumsy and blatant storytelling tactics that the message of accepting responsibility and the consequences of your actions is nearly lost.

The Movie that moved me a lot

2006-02-27T22:08:00.000+05:30

AMELIE

Not very often there comes a movie that moves u so much or connects to u in someway. This one is at the top of the list for me.

I watch all the junk movies. But unfortunately I missed this one for a long time, until one of my friends suggested it. I will be presenting the story in pictures and make reading very short in my next post.

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's (of Alien: Resurrection)
"Amelie" (rhymes with "Family") deserves to be cherished, hugged and celebrated.

This French movie begins with a narrated flashback to Amelie's childhood that explains her quirky personality, which sets up the warmth, humor to the rest of the film.

According to me this is what movies are supposed to be all about, magical, transporting confections of dreams and hopes and kindness and true love.

A New Life

2006-02-27T20:49:00.000+05:30

This is the second blog I have started. The first one failed miserably. Not the blog but the driving force behind the blog — the product. I spent all of my time building up traffic to an idea. An idea that was taking a back seat to the blog itself. I found myself spending all my time trying to find opportunities to blog on what was relevant. I had great ideas in my mind for the product but I never did anything about it because I could not focus on the product long enough to get anything done.

That is what will be different with this blog. This blog is based on a schedule(The driving force). First and foremost I work on my product. If I need a 15 minute break (and only 15 minutes) I write in the blog. Sometimes I may not write for days but that is because the blog isn’t that important YET. Right now I need to get a product started.

Since I have a plan on using my blog as a big portion of my marketing strategy, blogging will become less of a hobby and more of a business move in the future. For now, and until I have a good start on my product, this blog will take a back seat to the real development.