tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12909559905459726852012-02-16T16:50:25.630+05:30An innocent bystander to my own life.Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-72833708957293904092010-10-19T08:33:00.003+05:302010-10-19T08:53:03.954+05:30

New job, new city….new circus….let’s see if it is a new act! Yes, changing jobs is pretty much turning over a new page. A fresh start may not necessariy be a good thing when it comes to one's career...as that would imply you have lost what ever distance you had covered...whatever 'edge' one may have gained in the last job. Somehow I like the parallel of a circus better! And yes, I learnt it from

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-1507735014617311252010-05-15T20:43:00.006+05:302010-05-15T20:55:59.379+05:30

For a very long time I have been thinking of assembling a desktop. I never really had a home computer, did not need one.Wherever I read about assembling a desktop it seemed a really easy thing to do….mostly they would say...it is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle together.After doing some thorough research on you tube and various technology blogs I was kind of ready…the moment had come. I

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-87460071908531846132010-05-05T22:36:00.006+05:302010-05-05T22:53:21.073+05:30

When was the last time you went to the zoo? Try to remember …you go to the zoo all excited hoping to see a whole lot of wild animals running around. Imagine the disappointment when all you get to see are animals lazing away showing little signs of life…the tigers, lions, crocodiles, pythons…large intimidating animals playing dead all day. In this milieu any animal that stirs will immediately

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-61876338211752677062010-05-03T21:59:00.004+05:302010-05-03T22:13:23.761+05:30

Here's a new resolution --- can't call it a New Year one in the month of May!!!Either way, I have decided going forward I will be majorly regular in my posts on this blog.There is a reason....I finally decided to get a home computer!! And on 12th Apr (remember 13th Apr'10- Wednesday was a holiday) I assembled by own desktop.Yes, I probably would have got a laptop at a similar price, and a desktop

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-79487700781812237482010-03-21T22:51:00.002+05:302010-03-21T22:59:05.971+05:30

End of another weekend….I dread going back to office on Mondays. I especially hate the first few hours of the week in office.No it is not the usual Monday morning blues. What I dread is the question that has become all too common among today’s working class.'So how was the weekend? What did you do?'Here’s one that is worse: - 'How was this weekend?' (Note the accent on the article).Actually come

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-64613318793627922762010-01-03T21:27:00.003+05:302010-01-03T21:29:17.925+05:30

Well done US of A! Change in guard notwithstanding, the spirit of George Bush & Donald Rumsfeld leaves on. “You are either with us or you are with them”In response to the gruesome killing of its operatives in Afghanistan, the CIA has come out with the rather Al Qaeda like statement:-“The CIA has sworn to avenge the killing of seven of its operatives by a suicide bomber at a forward operating

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-18796495544499910812009-12-26T20:32:00.009+05:302009-12-26T21:03:45.351+05:30

Well….after a very long time I saw a movie on its first day of release. Actually I do not know how long since I cannot remember the last time I did that.I somehow ended up with a free pass to a Friday show of the new Aamir Khan film “3 Idiots”. It is a movie about 3 guys and a girl.But no sooner had I got over the movie, I learnt of another movie that has been shot. This is about 3 girls and a

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-65480487883625065892009-11-23T20:39:00.005+05:302009-11-23T21:10:00.574+05:30

Given below is a test...take it. Link to the site and a more legible format is given below:http://epworthsleepinessscale.com/1997-version-ess/A score of 0-9 in the above test says that you are getting normal sleep. Above that it means you need more sleep. I took the test with all honesty. The result (13) said I needed more sleep. Showing tremendous agility for a sleep deprived mind, the

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-37138376306582221282009-11-16T21:54:00.004+05:302009-11-16T22:10:34.944+05:30

Well …for a couple of days I was getting pretty irritated with our media competing with each other in a tail wagging competition around Sachin Tendulkar completing 20 years in International Cricket. In my own blinkered view, I find cricket a highly overrated game and other than the T20 version, a major waste of time. T20 version is good only as a form of entertainment, not sport.While Sachin has

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-15359258317895096602009-11-15T18:11:00.003+05:302009-11-15T18:27:53.491+05:30

For sometime there are emails going around that inform you:-1. You won a lottery2. You need to pretend to be a Mr So & So to help someone claim an inheritance EtcAll of the above would come with promises of big money $800,000 or Pounds are Euro. Of late I have been receiving SMS' on my mobile in the same vein.Today morning I received an SMS to the effect of having won GBP 200,000 in the “2009

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-88383202659679174662009-08-29T23:30:00.003+05:302009-08-29T23:37:19.398+05:30

Well...here I am again.....for the second time in two months....travelling to Mel. What used to be an 'annual pilgrimage' is turning out a little more frequent....too frequent if you ask me....Saw a Gucci watch for almost INR 300k....what the ..... I was actually planning to buy a watch!!Well, i know if i service my old watch and put a new strap it will look as good as new...and will probably

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-82486640009458833472009-01-31T22:07:00.012+05:302009-02-15T18:33:35.503+05:30

A colleague of mine informed me that Aamir Khan was playing badminton at IIM(B). Big deal!!! But then I thought, it is less than a couple of minute's drive away...and let's face it...Amir Khan is a bigdeal!!I have been reading in the newspapers that the Super Star and some of the cast and crew of Three Idiots were camping at IIM(B). So here was my chance. I grabbed my camera and started off. True

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-15571136639034450262009-01-26T19:06:00.007+05:302009-01-26T19:21:27.531+05:30

Here are a couple of pictures I recently got the opportunity to click....the majestic Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lampur.The advantage with this structure is, however you take a picture, it always comes out good ....something like photographing....Aishwarya? ... I would not know, but I guess it is something like that :-)

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-66381611714873149802009-01-24T17:36:00.002+05:302009-01-24T18:00:18.129+05:30

During my recent travel, I visited a bird sanctuary. And for the first time I actually saw a man throwing a Boomerang.....and catching it on the way back. Enjoy the video!!

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-57953461415593288022009-01-04T22:22:00.004+05:302009-01-04T22:39:53.138+05:30

Sometime back I wrote about my interaction with a Customs Officer in the Bangalore airport (read post).Well I am travelling again and this time it is the new airport (the Customs desk did not have my friend from last time). This is the first time I am boarding an international flight from the new airport….(I just cannot get over a mindset that the phrase international flight sounds pompous)…and…

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-28810983072613790292008-12-20T21:16:00.015+05:302008-12-20T22:30:21.543+05:30

Now we have all heard, read or been told about Adam and Eve and how they were made an offer they could have refused!We are living in historical times as far as the global economy is concerned. We are re-learning the ills of high risk finance deals, outcome of wrong valuations and the ills of greed.Now who causes such crisis? If you do a root-cause analysis, this is what you’ll get (assuming

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-7521621645772703892008-12-15T20:16:00.004+05:302008-12-15T21:32:29.892+05:30

Now I am not exactly pro-US or pro-Arab, but I certainly consider George Bush’s Iraq policy all wrong. When one undertakes a noble act (deposing a despot like Saddam) for the wrong reasons (control of Iraq’s oil reserves)…the outcome….is what the US is facing in Iraq today. I also agree that decorum and protocol is important especially in the world of global politics.However, I cannot but find

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-86258071808466977432008-12-14T13:15:00.003+05:302008-12-14T13:24:09.815+05:30

I vividly remember a conversation I had with one of my long time friends when I was 27 years old.Me -“Imagine J, it seems like we were in school in just a few years back, and now we are 27”J – “True. Somehow 27 does not seem so old, but 30….man that will really mean death!!” Well, much water has flown since that conversation….30 has come and gone and it has not yet been a disaster. Yet, the other

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-61229427305792589322008-12-06T23:14:00.004+05:302008-12-07T12:41:53.113+05:30

[UPDATE] Self-help is the best help, as I learnt to my glee in college....I have managed to get rid of the ads on top. Thanks to those who would have helped otherwise!!!===========================================================As you can see I have tried to give my blog a makeover.I went about it in the truly original way. Downloaded a free template, then with my scant knowledge of HTML (or is

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-64333170703962978242008-12-04T18:24:00.002+05:302008-12-04T18:37:37.959+05:30

I came across this article in The Economist - Britain has a proposal to make buying sex liable to criminal charges if it subsequently emerges that the prostitute was controlled for another person’s gain. Read full report.C’mon, give the guy a break…engaging an escort is fraught with so many risks already – from STD to harassment by thugs to embarrassment to fear of getting caught by your wife,

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-27650321721220503132008-11-28T22:29:00.006+05:302008-11-30T15:10:41.406+05:30

[update on 30th Nov'08] - It is now clear that the terrorists were not taking any hostages, they were only intent on killing. So the innocents inside were more trapped than taken hostages. So the NSG is not really to be faulted it appears.This is probably the first time that terrorists have actually aimed at foreigners and the creme of society rather than leave a few bombs in a market place

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-90933456859311782412008-11-15T23:08:00.002+05:302008-11-15T23:16:13.038+05:30

The Mexicans got it right:"MEXICO CITY - Mexico City is giving out free Viagra and other impotence drugs to men 70 and older.Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says the city is implementing the plan because sexuality "has a lot to do with quality of life and our happiness." Read full report. While I whole heartedly congratulate Comrade Mayor Marcelo for taking a hard stand, several questions spring to

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-54986042735836970552008-11-11T22:21:00.004+05:302008-11-15T23:17:12.330+05:30

Given the well known popularity level of this blog I guess an explanation for my long absence (my last post was some six month’s back) will not be in order.So I will get down to brass- tacks right away.A couple of week’s back I completed a three week holiday, the longest holiday since I left school.I visited Calcutta (so sue me for not using the new name!), my home town for three weeks, made a

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-38793596848855045022008-05-17T22:22:00.004+05:302008-12-10T17:02:53.681+05:30

The wrong message:- “Police identified the arrested as Venkatesa Prasad (25), a native of Perambalur, who is pursuing a master's course in business administration.””Prasad was nabbed after the police spotted a media advertisement placed by Amir and Prasad to get clients when they shifted base from Mannady to Triplicane recently. They had released an advertisement that they are offering massage to

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-59770696971256806882008-05-07T21:01:00.002+05:302008-05-07T21:12:24.290+05:30

The car I drive is registerd in Jamshedpur (JH registration for the uninitiated). Needless to say in Bangalore I am a little wary of the traffic police and have been mostly lucky in escaping scrutiny.However, in the last 6 months I have been stopped thrice on the roads and asked to show registration certificate and road tax receipt. Now here’s the interesting part, on all three occasions I have

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-48420048991821799562008-05-01T20:34:00.007+05:302008-12-10T17:02:54.307+05:30

I was in Melbourne the past couple of weeks. The highlight of the trip was not the work I did there (well…..it never is honestly). It was more like the people I met, the things I did and offcourse the food I ate.Sample this:- Everything has a beginning, middle (a big one if it’s me) and an end. It was no different for Mr Lobster. It began with being pulled away from a siesta with its friends in

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-89181979155892931612008-04-13T18:18:00.004+05:302008-12-10T17:02:54.639+05:30

I am a transit passenger in Bangkok today. The city celebrated Songkran - the Thai new year today. The date on the banner in the picture shows yesterday, but the celebration was really today.Songkran sounds so similar to Sangkranti. Also the new year seems to co-incide very much with the Bengalis' "Nabo Borsho" (meaning new year) as also the Baisakhi in Punjab. I guess some of this can be

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-52601052656529321352008-04-13T17:44:00.002+05:302008-04-13T18:15:02.641+05:30

Originally intended to publish the following post from the Bangalore Airport itself....but like so many of my intentions this too failed ....+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++For those who do not know, A Quantum of Solace is the name of the new James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig. But this post is not about Mr Bond, nor is it about the pouting, irreverent Mr

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-11973575312895163002008-04-02T22:22:00.003+05:302008-04-02T22:52:38.820+05:30

'Thomas Beatie, a resident of Oregon, told The Advocate that carrying a girl for his wife, Nancy, and himself was an 'incredible' experience. Beatie was born as a woman but later he had a chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy, but decided to keep his female reproductive organs. ' Read full report here.Now I know how irritating it is to hear someone say “I told you so”. I also know how

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-24866969994064686452008-03-23T22:47:00.006+05:302008-12-10T17:02:55.660+05:30

There is a lot happening in the roof of the world. And other than a few pseudo sympathetic tsk tsk from the “world community” there seems to be very little going around for the Tibetans.Here are a few facts – Tibet is a poor nation. It’s economy is primarily subsistence farming. The region is mostly dry with little or no mineral reserves and other than being the home of Tibetan Buddhism which is

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-138464175678565612008-03-17T00:27:00.016+05:302008-12-10T17:02:56.268+05:30

I have been away for a while. And in a self-flattering kind of way, my apologies to those who noticed. A few things have been happening around the world. A MarriageMr Al Zahrani from Taif, near Mecca “A 100-year-old Saudi widower has married for the third time — to a 26-year-old woman”. Read full report.As in most marriages it was a family affair with Mr Al Zahrani’s descendants numbering, hold

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-26067953544232960562008-03-05T23:10:00.003+05:302008-03-05T23:33:35.068+05:30

At the outset, if you are a tennis fan and you are reading this post hoping to know more about Serena William’s Bangalore trip, my apologies. This post is not about the tennis star but about Serena, the now famous Japanese model.“The bikini model, who goes by her professional name Serena Kozakura, was cleared after a court decided she was too well-endowed to squeeze into a room through a hole.”

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-57673831919339663672008-02-29T23:30:00.003+05:302008-12-10T17:02:56.647+05:30

The day is still to end, but I will stick my neck out and consider this a good budget day.Every year around February there is much brouhaha and balderdash about the budget presentation by the Finance Minister (FM) in the Indian Parliament.This is telecast live on TV and being a finance professional, it is obligatory for me to join my professional colleagues and watch the event. In the initial

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-45646849826411016062008-02-24T21:20:00.009+05:302008-12-10T17:02:57.322+05:30

Luke Skywalker: I'm not afraid.Master Yoda: Oh. You will be. You will be.----The Empire Strikes Back===================================It was late in the night. The city, variously known as the Garden City, Silicon Valley, IT Capital was eerily quiet and dark. There was no moon out that night, and the few street lights that were on, threw long shadows, much like sentinels guarding an ancient city

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-58547333640991147762008-02-20T21:19:00.011+05:302008-02-24T11:22:51.686+05:30

Well, Australia is in the news once again. No, I am not talking cricket. Australia has my vote for having the Best Church in the World.“Riverside Church pastor Andrew Newbold and his wife Megan have launched a four-week series on sex, marriage, adultery and pornography. They have in fact gone ahead with advertising about this seminar on a flyer that reads: "the best sex you'll ever have." Read

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-5346931966299726302008-02-09T22:26:00.003+05:302008-12-10T17:02:57.634+05:30

Here’s a quick wrap-up of some of the more interesting happenings in the recent past.The Chinese New Year is the Year of the Rat and Malaysian women developed a taste in a particular type of linen."Malaysian Chinese women are snapping up red panties with mouse motifs for good luck as they prepare to usher in the Year of the Rat, a news report said on Sunday." Read full report.First things first,

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-73230498170981175512008-01-20T23:15:00.001+05:302008-01-20T23:41:32.350+05:30

Last Tuesday (15th January’08) I spent an interesting evening. Why interesting?Well, not because I got a chance to rub shoulders with some of Bangalore’s (and some not of Bangalore's) social elite, not because, for the first time I attended a televised debate getting recorded, not because I got free food and drinks, honestly the only thing good about the food was that it was free, but because I

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-28427388998399458032007-12-23T12:38:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:02:58.301+05:30

Let’s hand it to Narendra Modi. He really pulled off a tremendous victory, one that took almost everyone by surprise, including himself?For one thing he made all these fancy pollsters…exit polls/pre-poll surveys eat humble pie. Their situation is pretty similar to Forex analysts who most of the time wrongly forecast the direction to be taken by any currency.But even as the euphoria of the

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-52008948651958037252007-12-15T23:04:00.001+05:302008-12-07T12:47:49.273+05:30

This actually happened. You got to read this, talk about getting caught with your pants down!!"A New Zealand woman who sent a naked man to the wrong house on the promise of a good time has been charged with misusing a telephone, local media reported. The 17-year-old woman sent the man an enticing text message offering him an early Christmas present in the shape of two friendly women and suggested

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-25161355736564012882007-11-18T20:46:00.000+05:302007-11-18T21:03:52.118+05:30

I do not know how many times it has happened with you, but I can recall various occasions when I and others I know, have returned from a movie totally disappointed. No, not because it was a bad movie but because it turned out to be too heavily censored.It is not a well kept secret that the success of “Film Festivals” at one time depended on the collection of “bold” films that would form part of

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-17694043112335439922007-11-11T00:32:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:02:59.324+05:30

How many times in your life do you get the chance to say “I told you so”. If the answer is “very often” get out of here you bore. If you say ‘never’ well, get out of here anyway, you must be either too dumb or too polite.Sometime back I had written about big changes coming (see previous post) and how our tastes, preferences and priorities are changing. Well, now that Om Shanti Om (aka OSO ...the

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-55261937867015194182007-10-07T22:24:00.000+05:302007-10-07T22:43:26.146+05:30

There are big changes coming. And like most big changes, they are coming in small increments across various aspects of our life. They are being somewhat talked about, but in isolation they really do not mean much. However, once it all gets together, you suddenly realise how big it is and how it was always staring at your face.Let’s quickly take a look at what I am talking about….1. Climate

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-65730728259912280932007-09-09T22:41:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:03:00.490+05:30

Weekly wrap up:Well it has been an eventful week.The Indian cricket team finally lived up to expectations and lost lamely the Lords' one-day.Britain is much closer to its complete retreat from Iraq (offcourse retreat is hardly a word you’ll hear them use).President Bush visited Iraq and the Apec summit. At the summit he displayed his usual grip on international affairs by thanking the Opec (he

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-48376169901120729122007-09-02T21:49:00.001+05:302008-02-20T20:34:07.690+05:30

“In a bizarre act, two churches here have banned a group from conducting yoga classes, saying the ancient practice was allegedly "un-Christian".See full report.I could not agree more. The churches have got it right. Certainly yoga is un-Christian. It originates in India and is closely associated with a religion or rather a group of religions with similar origins collectively referred to as

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-9000958137050117232007-08-13T22:48:00.000+05:302007-08-13T23:09:54.015+05:30

I am too short. I had always known this. In school my class-mates soon out-grew me. My clothes lasted longer than my friends and it took me sometime to reconcile myself with my short-height.However, reconcile I did. And have been at peace with myself for quite sometime. Yet over the past few years it has come back to haunt me.There is this chart that gives you body-mass-index (BMI). And for the

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-46612587627781026322007-08-04T20:07:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:03:01.571+05:30

The week before last was eventful. Now that the dust has settled let’s step back and examine exactly what went on. Well, three women Presidents of India made the news.Ok, so I made it up, but I am not that off really. I am thinking ahead. Only one of the women became the President of India, but the other two, mark my words, are solid President material and will be in the chair in a few

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-13211886042241056872007-07-22T21:54:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:03:03.760+05:30

Yes. Kissing is overrated. Think about it. There is just about too much brouhaha (wow….finally I got to use the word)… about kissing these days….and to think that people have been kissing for ages.What is it about kissing that gives rise to so many controversies?So I have tried to do some research (which really means I googled a bit) and have tried to understand some of the kisses that come

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-82892524219059377982007-07-16T23:09:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:03:03.946+05:30

Pretty dull…that was what my college days started out like. And for those of you who think that by the end of this post, you’ll realise how interesting it finally turned out to be….well, it depends really… it depends on how dull your college days were or are, or will be. Let’s face it, our opinion of ourselves, is really shaped by what those around us think of themselves.. Sounds strange…but

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-34893610142358315242007-07-07T22:55:00.000+05:302008-12-10T17:03:04.090+05:30

I have arrived at my new law of life.This is the longest break between two subsequent posts that I have had since I started this blog.Last week I told myself…I better write a post this week since I have made an unwritten rule that I shall be making one post a week.But hang on, I write blogs because its fun, but then when I start trying to live up to rules it suddenly makes it seem like a job.Ok,

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-57450852737285053102007-06-24T00:09:00.002+05:302008-12-10T17:03:04.277+05:30

“After being named the world’s second ugliest last year, Elwood, a 2-year-old Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix, is sitting pretty this year as the ultimate ugly dog. Elwood, who is often referred to as “Yoda” or “E.T.,” competed against 13 other dogs at the Sonoma-Marin County Fair’s annual ugly dog contest in Petaluma, California, on Friday, June 22. Sources: The Associated Press,

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-6514953773436231282007-06-20T23:18:00.001+05:302008-12-10T17:03:04.381+05:30

I am sick and tired of seeing the big picture, taking a balanced view, accept challenges and be a teamplayer, collaborate…what do they mean anyway?I have always heard people saying…try to see the ‘big picture’…at times I myself have been guilty of using that phrase…."let’s try and see the big picture"…. “are we missing the big picture here?”Tell you what; I am tired of trying to see the big

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-16365153905996519762007-06-10T23:50:00.000+05:302007-06-11T08:25:52.803+05:30

I love the Shiv Sena. These guys just rock. Look at all the things they hate…or have hated at different points of time.They started by hating Gujratis and Marwaris who drove Bombay’s commerce. Soon, their able supremo turned his eyes to the South Indians with lyrical slogans like "lungi hatao pungi bajao"Infact they hated all non-Maharashtrians, and slowly took up various communities in turn….

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-75495439665407396922007-06-06T21:55:00.000+05:302007-07-17T21:11:35.272+05:30

You have heard of Superman, well what about Inferiorman (I-man)? I know it sounds tacky and you are welcome to come-up with a name for this superhero as long as it means the same thing. I have a feeling; I am onto something big here.This superhero – I-man, belongs to a different world, a world very unlike our own world. Our world as we know today is one where the fittest is supposed to survive,

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-23330325845675773732007-05-27T18:06:00.000+05:302007-07-17T21:21:53.115+05:30

Well, early this week, two pieces of news looked up at me trying to say something:-1.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6681793.stm“Female hammerhead sharks can reproduce without having sex, scientists confirm.The evidence comes from a shark at Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska which gave birth to a pup in 2001 despite having had no contact with a male.Genetic tests by a team from Belfast, Nebraska

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-52713109653692411432007-05-20T20:18:00.000+05:302007-07-08T15:53:46.077+05:30

I have been thinking. Well that’s what I do when I am doing nothing else (and its most of the time really).What are the things that I am really ashamed of having done and will never do again?Cheat in my exams…well I am not all that ashamed of it in the first place…so the second part does not arise.The lies I told to my parents/family? Hey get real…are you joking….consider the lies I did not tell.

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-84852288052206624632007-05-11T23:08:00.000+05:302007-07-17T21:22:35.631+05:30

1 Richard Gere kisses Shilpa Shetty2 Iranian President Ahmedinijad kisses his childhood teacher’s hand.3 President Bush winks at the Queen.The above has hogged the headlines for the last couple of weeks and it is all for the good. Why? Well, here’s why:-1. Richard Gere kisses Shilpa ShettyIt’s good. Brings Shilpa back in the headlines (and Gere also, for the guy is pretty much a has-been now). So

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-60301157754091436802007-05-01T12:37:00.000+05:302007-07-17T21:09:51.193+05:30

On the verge of stepping onto the wrong side of 30, many memories flit by, not all pleasant. Of the memories that are pleasant, the ones from my days in school, standout.I passed my 12th Std in 1991… from one of the not quite leading schools of Calcutta…sorry….Kolkata. It was a Kolkata without today’s multiplexes and shopping mall. For better or for worse, Lindsay Street, Chowringhee, Park Street

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290955990545972685.post-52760300707526165952007-04-22T16:45:00.000+05:302007-07-17T21:18:52.293+05:30

With each passing year the gap between my aspirations and acheivements(debatable) increases, the crack between my potential and performance looks more like a chasm, pretentions increase and confidence diminish...this blog shall try to capture my constant progress towards this inevitable precipice. Whoa!! talk about melodrama. Well that is the flavour of the season or is it not. The usual suspects

Comrade Chakrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09364848989036032310noreply@blogger.com2