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August 29, 2009
August 28, 2009
Lost Glitter
I have been living here in Hyderabad for three and a half year or so, and honestly I don't like it here. I was happy in Khammam where my Dad works. Travel brochures admire Hyderabad's rich culture,the heritage buildings,the food,the nizams...whatever.
They don't really interest me anymore.Donno if it's just me, but I kind of feel frustrated. A city has it's advantages for sure. Education,amenities,lifestyle- but they bring with them a hell lot of other problems I just can't put up with. A small walk for groceries has become an ordeal, traffic awareness is nill. You may end up getting hit even if you're on the correct side,thanks to speeding youngsters.
Corruption: It's at it's zenith now.The blood sucking bastards seem to think everyone's rich,and are now upped their demands because of guess wat, Recession! MFs
Autos: Ask an autowallah at the Secbad station,corporate hospital or anywhere for that matter, chances are you will be asked for almost double the normal fare. It actually takes quite a while to actually find one who's willing to go. I once waited an hour with my sick aunt in front of the Apollo hospital. There were about a dozen autos and no one was interested! Swear to god if I had a truck, I'd have mowed them all down in one go. If there is one thing I'd like to do,it's to
kick autowallahs' a@# and take them off the road. no regrets or Sympathy.
Next,I think people have a serious attitude problem here. I was brought up in a very civilised society(and I don't mean posh) and I find this quite revolting. And no, not everyone is bad, just a few inconsiderate,arrogant oddballs. And where do they get their manners from? I bet you've seen one of these scenes atleast once: A man scratching his crotch (eeeyuk),Women spitting red paan, road sides that smell of urea,people listening to loud music on phones and a lot more.
Once I was going somewhere in an RTC bus.The man sitting beside me spit on the floorboard between his legs! I immediately changed my seat.
All the glitz and glamour of Hyderabad is limited to the posh suburbs and other establishments meant for them. The rest is frankly, in shambles. Heavy rain last year submerged almost the whole of Tolichowki,an area close to Golconda. An improved drainage system would have helped. A minor accident caused a 2 hr traffic jam. Well connected roads could have avoided it.
Back to travel again. A tourist arriving straight to RGIA and staying at Taj Krishna is most likely to 'love hyderabad'. I beg to differ.
What we need is a little education in Ethics,Hygiene and good living.
Basic infrastructure,Health,Transport need utmost attention.
A full scale development project covering all basic aspects and ignoring 'glitz' might help.
But again, their are:
- ministers who want their share,then the contractors,then the small fry.
-The rest spent on cheap material and a flyover or two will collapse(scores die)
- An enquiry ordered.
- Heads will roll(Not really)
- Elections.
- Screen Refresh.
- New project.
Life goes on....
They don't really interest me anymore.Donno if it's just me, but I kind of feel frustrated. A city has it's advantages for sure. Education,amenities,lifestyle- but they bring with them a hell lot of other problems I just can't put up with. A small walk for groceries has become an ordeal, traffic awareness is nill. You may end up getting hit even if you're on the correct side,thanks to speeding youngsters.
Corruption: It's at it's zenith now.The blood sucking bastards seem to think everyone's rich,and are now upped their demands because of guess wat, Recession! MFs
Autos: Ask an autowallah at the Secbad station,corporate hospital or anywhere for that matter, chances are you will be asked for almost double the normal fare. It actually takes quite a while to actually find one who's willing to go. I once waited an hour with my sick aunt in front of the Apollo hospital. There were about a dozen autos and no one was interested! Swear to god if I had a truck, I'd have mowed them all down in one go. If there is one thing I'd like to do,it's to
kick autowallahs' a@# and take them off the road. no regrets or Sympathy.
Next,I think people have a serious attitude problem here. I was brought up in a very civilised society(and I don't mean posh) and I find this quite revolting. And no, not everyone is bad, just a few inconsiderate,arrogant oddballs. And where do they get their manners from? I bet you've seen one of these scenes atleast once: A man scratching his crotch (eeeyuk),Women spitting red paan, road sides that smell of urea,people listening to loud music on phones and a lot more.
Once I was going somewhere in an RTC bus.The man sitting beside me spit on the floorboard between his legs! I immediately changed my seat.
All the glitz and glamour of Hyderabad is limited to the posh suburbs and other establishments meant for them. The rest is frankly, in shambles. Heavy rain last year submerged almost the whole of Tolichowki,an area close to Golconda. An improved drainage system would have helped. A minor accident caused a 2 hr traffic jam. Well connected roads could have avoided it.
Back to travel again. A tourist arriving straight to RGIA and staying at Taj Krishna is most likely to 'love hyderabad'. I beg to differ.
What we need is a little education in Ethics,Hygiene and good living.
Basic infrastructure,Health,Transport need utmost attention.
A full scale development project covering all basic aspects and ignoring 'glitz' might help.
But again, their are:
- ministers who want their share,then the contractors,then the small fry.
-The rest spent on cheap material and a flyover or two will collapse(scores die)
- An enquiry ordered.
- Heads will roll(Not really)
- Elections.
- Screen Refresh.
- New project.
Life goes on....
August 27, 2009
Of obsolete goods and PITA salesmen
Ever assembled your own PC? If yes, read on. Otherwise go build a PC,it's fun. In addition to
giving insight into the various component and parts, it also allows customization according to
needs. A basic setup for internet and word processing requires not more than 2ghz of
processing power and 2gb of value RAM. Dual core or Quad core processors can be used for
gaming rigs or workstations coupled with high speed RAM modules above 4gb.
giving insight into the various component and parts, it also allows customization according to
needs. A basic setup for internet and word processing requires not more than 2ghz of
processing power and 2gb of value RAM. Dual core or Quad core processors can be used for
gaming rigs or workstations coupled with high speed RAM modules above 4gb.
shopkeepers sometimes recommend components that are overpowered and serve no no
purpose for basic tasks. Actually that is ok considering some try to push obsolete parts that
are no longer supported by the manufacturing companies.
My friend who went to buy a Laptop at a computer shop at Secunderabad, was offered a
Laptop that was no longer in production.
I accompanied a friend once to buy PC parts. The salesman offered a processor and mobo
combo that was more than 2 years old!
I also noticed that the products displayed were more or less the same in every shop I went to.
they had the same models of mp3 players everywhere. I asked for a Creative muvo and no one
had it. But it was couple of years ago. Things have changed a now.
Some tips before you go out computer shopping:
purpose for basic tasks. Actually that is ok considering some try to push obsolete parts that
are no longer supported by the manufacturing companies.
My friend who went to buy a Laptop at a computer shop at Secunderabad, was offered a
Laptop that was no longer in production.
I accompanied a friend once to buy PC parts. The salesman offered a processor and mobo
combo that was more than 2 years old!
I also noticed that the products displayed were more or less the same in every shop I went to.
they had the same models of mp3 players everywhere. I asked for a Creative muvo and no one
had it. But it was couple of years ago. Things have changed a now.
Some tips before you go out computer shopping:
- Do your homework: Never go out shopping without proper research. List your requirementsand find products on the internet that are rated well. Read reviews.
An ignorant customer with no computer know-how WILL be taken for a ride.
A shopkeeper once told me a I coudn't connect a monitor without a graphics card! duh! He's working at Intel now I think.
- In most cases the first product the salesman shows you is probably obsolete or has a biger
profit margin. Ignore it and ask for more. If the salesman loses interest,lose him.
- salesman again. Don't put up with arrogant salesmen, If you feel he is not very
cooperative, tell him and walk off. I've quite often seen salesmen who tend to think they own
the shop. Try out the other shops.
- Check,Recheck: Before you walk out with your goods, check them for any defects. Check
the packaging and the documentation. Don't forget to take a printed invoice. Shopkeepers
seem to lose their courtesy once you walk out.
I love shopping. who doesn't? Well, computer shopping is more fun. A little care is all that is
needed.
profit margin. Ignore it and ask for more. If the salesman loses interest,lose him.
- salesman again. Don't put up with arrogant salesmen, If you feel he is not very
cooperative, tell him and walk off. I've quite often seen salesmen who tend to think they own
the shop. Try out the other shops.
- Check,Recheck: Before you walk out with your goods, check them for any defects. Check
the packaging and the documentation. Don't forget to take a printed invoice. Shopkeepers
seem to lose their courtesy once you walk out.
I love shopping. who doesn't? Well, computer shopping is more fun. A little care is all that is
needed.
August 25, 2009
Bass anyone?
I was idly browsing thru indiatimes shopping portal when I came across SonicGear EVO 7 multimedia speaker system which sells for around 2.5k.
SonicGear is unknown in India but seems to have a good following in Singapore,where it is based.
Notable among it's features is a graphical display that displays color visualisations and other information.
Also the subwoofer is powered at 24 watts RMS which is way more than similar priced offerings from other brands such as Logitech,Creative and Altec Lansing.Even the satellites are rated at generous 8 watts. Although I coudn't find any reviews on the internet, the product seems to be good. The company website is neat and provides all the information on specs. I could'nt find a store locater though.
Check out these links
http://http//shopping.indiatimes.com/i/f/t/-pid-2534109-ctl-20376650-cat-960047-pc--
SonicGear is unknown in India but seems to have a good following in Singapore,where it is based.
Notable among it's features is a graphical display that displays color visualisations and other information.
Also the subwoofer is powered at 24 watts RMS which is way more than similar priced offerings from other brands such as Logitech,Creative and Altec Lansing.Even the satellites are rated at generous 8 watts. Although I coudn't find any reviews on the internet, the product seems to be good. The company website is neat and provides all the information on specs. I could'nt find a store locater though.
Check out these links
http://http//shopping.indiatimes.com/i/f/t/-pid-2534109-ctl-20376650-cat-960047-pc--
August 22, 2009
Hurt Locker hurts
I never paid much attention to the Iraq war. US was doing what it did best(mess up things). some directors thought they'd make movies out of it. There they go again, I thought. The Battered hero waving the striped flag and all. I saw 'The hurt Locker' and realised how grossly mistaken I was. Iraqi citizens and American soldiers are at the recieving end of the whole mess that is Iraq War. No day goes without a bomb blast in Iraq. Car bomb,truck bomb,human bomb...
The story follows the life of an elite bomb disposal squad in Iraq. The movie uses documentary style camera work that lends a frighteningly real look to the movie. Even the bomb explosions are real! Jeremy Rimmer replaces Guy Pearce who gets killed in a failed EOD mission.His tactics don't go down too well with his team member, Anthony Mackie who even contemplates killing him citing a 'detonator misfire'. The young Brian Geraghty is shown as a rookie with not much combat experience. All actors play their parts flawlessly, especially Jeremy rimmer who plays his part with precision(he worked with a real EOD team for the movie).The iraqis are played by actual War refugees. The whole movie was shot in Jordan very close to the Iraqi border Had it not been for Ralph Fiennes and guy Pearce in guest roles I'd have actually believed the whole thing as true!
Although there are quite a few tense moments in the movie, the one where Jeremy finds a whole web of IEDs shook me. The damage that can be done with that kind of ammo...
The last war movie I really liked was 'Saving Private Ryan' with the most spot on depiction of Normandy Invasion. This movie makes it(but does not displace SPR) to my favorites list.
Great Watch.
August 21, 2009
tech news update
- Average Broadband connection speed in England now is 4mbps and they're not
done yet. In India we get a 64kbps(sify) 'broadband' connection that sucks and
the highest bandwiths used only by corporates.
- Microsoft releases 20,000 lines of code towards the open source community
under the GPL. So much for calling linux a 'virus' once.
- A new rendering technology called OTOY promises to bring full fledged 3D gaming
experience to mobile phones.
- Windows 7 is doing real good. It's got all the right stuff. It is cute,works
on lower end systems and is way better then the sucker that was
vista.
- Dream Camera: Olympus EP-1 a compact camera with a full frame sensor. Every
tech site out there is praising it. Know I can't get hold of one,but no harm in craving for one.
- tech apart, 'Kamniney' is rocking the box office. Masand can't stop raving about it. And I'm dying to watch it.
done yet. In India we get a 64kbps(sify) 'broadband' connection that sucks and
the highest bandwiths used only by corporates.
- Microsoft releases 20,000 lines of code towards the open source community
under the GPL. So much for calling linux a 'virus' once.
- A new rendering technology called OTOY promises to bring full fledged 3D gaming
experience to mobile phones.
- Windows 7 is doing real good. It's got all the right stuff. It is cute,works
on lower end systems and is way better then the sucker that was
vista.
- Dream Camera: Olympus EP-1 a compact camera with a full frame sensor. Every
tech site out there is praising it. Know I can't get hold of one,but no harm in craving for one.
- tech apart, 'Kamniney' is rocking the box office. Masand can't stop raving about it. And I'm dying to watch it.
August 17, 2009
Mngr
- Internet is very slow here.
- Independance day function at school was good. Sad they messed up the dance part.Wish Amulya ma'am did the announcements. I was really looking forward to it.Asif and I were the only ones laughing our a#$% off.
- Met Asif,Siva,Naveen and Nitin.
- Starting for Hyderabad tomorrow.
- I'll post all pics on orkut and picasa by weekend.
- Independance day function at school was good. Sad they messed up the dance part.Wish Amulya ma'am did the announcements. I was really looking forward to it.Asif and I were the only ones laughing our a#$% off.
- Met Asif,Siva,Naveen and Nitin.
- Starting for Hyderabad tomorrow.
- I'll post all pics on orkut and picasa by weekend.
August 11, 2009
one flu over the....
11 deaths and more than 900 infections, H1N1 is finally here to wreak havoc on an already struggling health System.
The virus has now spread it's wings across the world, starting in the western countries and eventually reaching our country. The government that was so far confident and 'prepared' is now confused. There aren't enough Tamiflu drugs to tackle a flu epidemic,the Health Minister confessed. At the recieving end will of course be the poorer classes who won't have access.
H1N1 is highly contagious and lack of proper care and treatment can be fatal.
A few precautions from our side will atleast help the infection from spreading
1-Avoid going out to public places like theatres and shopping centres. These are like hubs for the virus to spread.
2-Follow hygiene at home too. Sanitise all surfaces with disinfectant,use filtered water only, and most important of all follow personal hygiene.
3-If you notice flu like symbols symptoms in anyone in the family, DO NOT ignore them and
seek medical attention immediately.
4- Prevention is better than cure, the classic advice always applies.
The virus has now spread it's wings across the world, starting in the western countries and eventually reaching our country. The government that was so far confident and 'prepared' is now confused. There aren't enough Tamiflu drugs to tackle a flu epidemic,the Health Minister confessed. At the recieving end will of course be the poorer classes who won't have access.
H1N1 is highly contagious and lack of proper care and treatment can be fatal.
A few precautions from our side will atleast help the infection from spreading
1-Avoid going out to public places like theatres and shopping centres. These are like hubs for the virus to spread.
2-Follow hygiene at home too. Sanitise all surfaces with disinfectant,use filtered water only, and most important of all follow personal hygiene.
3-If you notice flu like symbols symptoms in anyone in the family, DO NOT ignore them and
seek medical attention immediately.
4- Prevention is better than cure, the classic advice always applies.
August 9, 2009
groove
Not many new trance tracks worth mentioning but I did find a couple of hits from 2008 that I'd missed earlier.
groovemagnet sunrize (arjen van thijs sensation white edit)
and
Yana Enjoy the Silence
groovemagnet sunrize (arjen van thijs sensation white edit)
and
Yana Enjoy the Silence
Excellent beats, listening to them on my cousin's new W series walkman was bliss. Wish I had one of those noise cancelling earbuds!
August 4, 2009
Review:Love Aaj Kal
I'd promised myself I won't watch a movie unless it's declared a hit by word of mouth. The reviews can be decieving. The media generated hype got the better of me and off I ran to see 'Love aaj kal'.
Saif and Deepika, both are not very high in my list of favorites but Saif's dialogue delivery is something I always look forward to. The story starts with Saif and Deepika meeting in an elevator, falling in love and breaking up...in the first 10 minutes. Wierd,na? Whatever.
Then they separate and promise to keep in touch. Then those cravings and all we're so familiar with creep in,apna gloomy Saif happens to meet Rishi Kapoor who narrates his 1960s romance. Frankly I found nothing retro about that flashback thing. But credit to the director for giving us the really beautiful Harleen who happens to be a brazilian model,Gisele Monteiro! No wonder she didn't feature in the credits.
The story is simple,straight forward but not really path breaking. Masand got it right this time,it's nowhere near memorable. And what's bothering Saif? Why the stiff acting?
I have to admit that it's better than the previous bollywood debacles like Singh is king and others. Atleast the story makes a little sense.
I am not a bollywood fan and so not very experienced but I know a good movie when I see one. This one manages to make the grade.
(Picture source: www.upperstall.com)
August 2, 2009
Trails of fire
I was sitting idly at the window when I saw this bright spell of firecrackers in the sky, from a nearby Function hall. I grabbed my camera and did my best to capture the bright colors in time.
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