Showing posts with label Blabberings. Show all posts

I brought a HP dv2000 series laptop a couple of years back and until recently it was working fine. But these days, it takes several attempts to boot the system. Even if it boots up successfully, the built-in wireless card doesn't work and after a couple of minutes the screen freezes displaying a weird distorted pattern of lines and grains.

A bit of googling revealed that there are many other folks with the same problem. The problem lies in the motherboard and over-heating of the NVidia graphics adaptor. HP has acknowledged this issue and has offered a HP Limited Warranty extension that expires after 24 months from the original purchase date. I came to know about this only after I started googling the issue. My laptop model and serial number qualifies for this limited warranty extension, but HP never communicated this to me even though they have my email address.

Unfortunately my laptop started giving trouble only recently and I'm well past the 24 month period. A call to HP was of no help. I tried to explain them that they had sold me a faulty product and that they are obliged to replace the motherboard for free. But they said that I do not qualify for the free service because I had purchased my laptop in Aug 2007 and hence was not within the 24 month period. Still I insisted that the laptop was OK during those 24 months and only recently it started giving me trouble. They failed to understand and accept my reasoning and said that they could service the laptop for ~$250. I understand that these days the life of laptops ismuch shorter, but still being asked to pay $250 for repairing a faulty product that was sold begs a dose of common sense.

I'm not surprised anymore by these tactics. One of the main reasons for the economic downturn and the recent financial turmoil was that business was being conducted with absolutely no ethics.

Mahakavi Bharathi once said:
"தனி ஒருவனுக்கு உணவில்லையெனில் ஜகத்தினை அழித்திடுவோம்"
(Even if a single man is to starve, let's destroy the world)

May sound like the words of a communist. But these companies should apply the same concept to their customers. Even if a single customer is genuinely unhappy or dissatisfied, money earned like this is as bad as money stolen.

The wise men at the Cuddalore municipality have dug up the excellent roads the highway department laid just a year ago to lay down the underground sewage pipes. Now there is no road at all. The motor vehicles puff up a big cloud of pure dust everytime they use the non-existent road. A couple of weeks back, one evening I was walking along the road and one of those asthma-inducing, lung ailment friendly clound of dust was slowly dis-integrating, one of my high-school teachers, Mr. Anbazhagan appeared on the other side. Though he recognized me, he couldn't recollect my name.

As I approached him, I automatically folded my hands across my chest as any elementary school student would do when he sees his teacher. Mr. Anbazhagan, was very strict and taught Botany for us. He later left the school and is now a lecturer in a college.

After exchanging greetings, we chatted a little about the school days. He kept pulling my hand down, but every time he did so, my hands automatically went back to the default folded position. He said that one of the best things that can happen to a teacher is seeing an old student who still has some respect for the teacher. As he mentioned that I asked him if he was in touch with Mr. Palani, my Math teacher. He replied in the affirmative saying that they both worked at the same college now. Hearing that, I asked him to convey my apologies to Mr. Palani for I was a menace in his class. Mr. Anbazhagan said that it was OK and that it was common for students at that age to be mischievous. But I reiterated that I owed him an apology for all the trouble that I caused during his classes. If not for Mr. Palani's help and guidance, I wouldn't have scored the 80% (not great in Indian standards) that I did in my +2 exams.

I was thinking of apologizing to him ever since I joined BE in Annamalai, but never got to meet him. Atleast now, even though it is not a personally conveyed apology, I atleast did so through Mr. Anbazhagan, another teacher.

Mr. Palani - please accept my sincere apologies.

Now that my mind weighs lesser by one apology, I feel a bit better. Still owe 1000's more.

This past weekend I saw the Oscar winning short film 'Smile Pinki'. It is a short-film about how a team of doctors and social workers in Varanasi find and operate on kids who have a cleft lip. It was one of the those films that brings a smile at the end. The film is about two kids Ghuturu and Pinki. The film documents the pain, and in some cases the humiliation the parents and the kids have to go through because of the cleft lip.

Luckily for them they come across this social worker who says that they can have their kids cleft lip fixed for free if they come to Banaras. Ghuturu's mom borrows Rs. 500 and takes her son to Banaras while Pinki and her dad cover most of the distance on foot. Once they reach the hospital, they see hundreds of parents with their kids. The rest of the documentary shows how the hospital treats the kids and their road back to 'normal' life.

The doctor estimates that there are at least a million kids in India with a cleft lip.

The documentary is well made. It clearly shows that the director has taken efforts to gain the confidence of the parents. It looks so natural and at the end makes one feel happy for those kids. The background music is typically 'Indian' and sounds great. It is in Hindi with English subtitles.

A commendable effort and I'm sure Pinki's smile would have made the director more happy than the Oscar.

If you would like to donate to SmileTrain, you can do so here.

This weekend when I was driving in Mansfield, a frail old man asked for a 'lift'. In other words, he wanted a ride. I did not stop my car. The old man was well dressed and didn't look like one of those weird looking hitchhikers. Though Kavitha and I wanted to stop the car and give the old man a ride, we just didn't. I wasn't sure if it was legal. I hoped that a cop may drive by and offer the old man a drive. I felt bad later.

In India when I used to go to school from Madhavaram to Perambur, my friends and I used to thumb people in bi-cycles to get a ride from Moolakadai to Sembiam. We used to sit in the cycles' 'carrier'. That saved us at least 50 paise a day and with that we brought ourselves a samosa during the morning break. This used to be a routine. In the evenings, the company buses of SRF (Sri Ram Fibres) will stop and pick up students at Moolakadai and drop us off at Madhavaram. It used to be fun.Now I had a chance to offer someone a ride and I just couldn't and I didn't.

பல்லாண்டு பல்லாண்டு பல்லாயிரத்தாண்டு
பலகோடி நூறாயிரம்
மல்லாண்ட திண்தோள் மணிவண்ணா உன்
சேவடி செவ்விதிருக்க் காப்பு

When I was about 9 years old I was down with Jaundice. The allopathic treatment did not work and after taking me to a number of doctors, my Dad finally took me to Sheeba Nursing Home, which someone had recommended. When we went there the first time, we were told that it would only take 3 visits for them to cure the disease. (I still remember the tonic that they gave tasted awful). By our third visit, I felt a lot better and the third visit was more like a formality.

As we left the nursing home for the final time, my dad brought me some tender coconut water from an old man who was selling them on a small wooden cart right outside the hospital gate. Without realizing that he may not have enough money to pay for the bus tickets, my dad brought me one இளநீர். After paying the old man (thatha), he realized we did not have enough money to go home. We still needed Rs. 1.50 for the bus tickets. The hospital was too far away from our home that it would have cost a fortune for us to take the auto-rickshaw.

Seeing that we were in some kind of trouble, the thatha inquired about the problem and once my dad explained him the situation, without any hesitation, he loaned my Dad Rs. 2. My Dad did not accept the money from the thatha. But he insisted that we take the money. He said that we could return him the money when we return the next time. My Dad once again refused saying that this was our last visit and we would not return. The thatha said not worry about it and asked my father to take the money.

My dad had paid the thatha Rs. 1.50 for the tender coconut water. And now the thatha was giving us back Rs. 2.

My Dad finally accepted the money from the thatha. The thatha told my Dad that I was like his grandson and that he would think that he he gave money to his grandson.

This happened sometime in 1987-88. At that time Rs. 2, I'm sure, was a big amount for a thatha who sells tender coconut water in a wooden cart. The thatha wasn't even wearing a shirt. Just a dhoti. For him to part with such a big amount, knowing that he won't be getting it back, was a big act of kindness.

செய்யாமல் செய்த உதவிக்கு வையகமும்
வானகமும் ஆற்றல் அரிது
Voluntary help from unforeseen quarters is,
in quantum, worth heaven and earth

He was so happy to help us. He was a great man. I wish I could meet that thatha now.

The financial turmoil and terrorism in the name of religion - these are the two major challenges the world is facing today" (America has it's own share of problems like dealing with people like Bush, Palin et al.) Greed, stupidity and hatred against each other - that is what is causing all this.

I don't think I'm going too far by saying that Sri Venkatesa Suprabatham is probably the only song in India that got its identity by the singer and not by the author/ composer. (Another one that comes close is கந்த சஷ்டி கவசம் by Soolamangalam Sisters )I know people who only accept Smt. MS Subbulakshmi's rendition of the Suprabatham.

Though I never understood the meaning of Sri Venkatesa Suprabatham, I understood it better when I heard the Tamil version. One Dr. Parthasarathy has provided both the translation and transliteration. Once you know the meaning, I'm sure you will appreciate it more. Smt. Subbulakshmi renders the tamil version with a divine voice. To read both the translation and transliteration click here.

It has been more than 40 years since Smt. MS Subbulakshmi sang in the United Nations. A very good article can be read here. A remix version of Suprabatham has sprung up on the internet. Though it is nice to hear, there is no divinity in the music.

Just some classic ads that we had on Doordarshan.
यह जमीन यह आसमान !


कुछ ख़ास है


Taste of India


And finally this one:



Shop @ allthingsblabbered via Amazon and save time and money.

None can forget what happened on December 26, 2004. The Indian Ocean Tsunami stuck the coastal towns in Tamilnadu. Cuddalore, my hometown, was badly hit. But there is another tsunami that is hitting Cuddalore everyday. This one is invisible and is having a much severe effect on the lives of thousands of Cuddaloreans.

Cuddalore has recently earned the dubious distinction of being one of the many global toxic hotspots. The stench that emanates from the various industries in the SIPCOT stretch of Cuddalore is unbearable. The chemical plants release untreated water in to the nearby water bodies thereby completely altering the chemical composition of water. A large amount of untreated sewage is released in to the Bay of Bengal.

A recent report from the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute states that, “People living in and around a special economic zone in Cuddalore are “2,000 times more” likely to be affected by cancer than the normal population”. Now this is something that cannot be taken lightly. A few alarming statistics in the report are:

• Levels of Benzene - a chemical that causes blood cancer among children - were 125 times higher than safe levels.
• Carcinogens like chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, methylene chloride and trichloroethylene were 881, 553, 32.5 and 21.8 times respectively higher than acceptable levels.
  

• Eating foods or drinking beverages containing high levels of benzene can cause the following symptoms within minutes to several hours: Vomiting, Irritation of the stomach, Dizziness, Sleepiness, Convulsions, Rapid or irregular heartbeat, Death (at very high levels) (Source: CDC).
  
• Exposure to Chloroform may cause liver cancer.
  
• Carbon tetrachloride may cause liver and kidney malfunction and in some cases even death.
  
• Methylene chloride is known to cause lung, liver and pancreatic cancer.
  
• Trichloroethylene is carcinogenic as well.

This is one of the books that you cannot put down until you finish it. The story is set in the 1920s and takes place in and around a circus train. A 'soon to be' vet doctor drops out of his school after his parents' death and jumps on to a circus train. The train journey, the people and the animals on the train shape the rest of his life.

The author has done quite a bit of research about the old circus 'culture'. (She even spent time with a couple of elephants in two different zoos).

The language is easy to understand and the story is gripping. The ending is pretty good with a 'feel-good' factor. For me it is one of the best 'story' books that I have ever read.

While the entire world is assembled in Beijing for the Olympics, half way around the world and in my own backyard, an Olympics of a different kind was held. The Connecticut Police K-9 Olympics was held at the UConn Campus yesterday. About 39 teams (dog + K9 officer) from all over Connecticut participated. Almost all the dogs were German shepherds. The teams were graded on several areas like tactical obedience, criminal apprehension etc.
It was amazing to see what Man's best friend could do. In the 'criminal apprehension' event, a police officer, who acts as a 'bad guy' shoots in the air twice while the dog is looking. Two cars are parked facing each other and are parked in between the 'bad guy' officer and the K-9 team. So the dog has to jump over the car to get to the 'bad guy' officer. The 'bad guy' officer has a thick pad around his left arm, which the dogs hold on to when the reach the officer. (as shown in the foto)
We also met a sweet Golden Retriever named Cricket. She was a sweet dog who seemed to like us :)

It was a grand night for one of the oldest civilizations in the world. The Chinese showed the world the new China. It was truly China's coming out party. They drummed to the entire world what they are made of. The night started off with the countdown by the drummers. From the plasma membrane on the roof of the stadium to the rolling LED screens on the floor, it was all grandeur. The arrangement of the children from 56 different ethnic groups handing over the Chinese flag to the soldiers and the soldiers raising the flag - it gave me goosebumps. Every minute of the Opening ceremony was breath-taking. It was directed by Zhang Yimou (The director of The House of Flying Daggers) .

The only sore point was the commentary by the NBC team. (On Day 1, they said things like "... the American pair from the United States...."). I wish they speak less in the coming days.

The parade of the athletic teams was also great. As Yao Ming walked in with the Chinese flag, the whole stadium was up in it's feet and it was a moment to cherish for all the 600+ athletes who have been waiting for this time since 2001, when Beijing was awarded the Summer Olympics of 2008. It was nice to see the Indian contingent, but the size was dispropotinately small to the population. Hopefully in the coming years India invests more in Sports infrastructure.

Perhaps, the only blemish of the entire Opening Ceremony was someone had given the 9 year old kid a Chinese flag that was tied upside-down in the small stick. Perhaps it symbolized that the Sichuan Earthquake had turned the country upside-down.

I only wish that the Olympics will be held in India - sometime during our time here on Planet Earth.

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, most of you know that I travel south-west from Hartford to Baltimore. With the rising fuel prices, the fares have also gone up and that hurts my pocket. Gone are the days when my previous employer paid for all the travel and accommodation. I don't work for them anymore.

Every Monday and Friday, I see the same folks and the exchanges vary from a smile to a lengthy chat. I used to think that all other business travelers were paid by their companies for travel. But after talking with a few folks, many were in the same boat (or should I say flight) as mine. One person wanted to sell his home in Hartford and wanted to move to D.C, where he is working full-time. But with the housing market at an all time abysmal low, and with a not-so-good Real Estate agent, he hasn't been able to sell his home yet. He too, like me, is a week-bachelor and a weekend-family-man.

I spoke with another person who takes the same flights every week. His company pays for all his travel. I thought that was great. A few more minutes in to the conversation, he told me his wife was a cancer patient. (I wish her a speedy recovery). He was talking about insurance and the healthcare system in the country.

Just last Friday, while we were all waiting to board the plane, a gentleman smiled at me and asked "You take this same flight every week, don't you?". I smiled back and replied in the affirmative. I also told him that I have been doing this for close to 2 years now. He smiled and said, "That must be tough. I know 'cos I have been doing this for 4 years".

Another time, the person who was sitting next to me said, "How is that you can eat chicken and not beef? Dude, you don't know what you are missing. Did you every try a good steak?"

A short Southwest flight to me is a microcosm of the world we live in. It also reminds me that the problems I face are not problems at all. They are just a norm in everybody's life. It also reminded me of a dialog in the movie "Server Sundaram".

"பிரச்சனைன்றது ஒரு சின்ன கல் மாதிரி. கண்ணு கிட்ட வெச்சி பார்த்தா பெரிசா தெரியும். தள்ளி வெச்சி பார்த்தா என்னான்னு புரியும். ஈசியா தூக்கி போட்டுடலாம் "

Translastion for my non-Tamil speaking friends:
A problem is like a small stone. The closer you hold it to your eye, the bigger it appears. Once you hold it away from your eye, it appears small and you will see it better. You can dispose it easily.

Yesterday I went to the same music store where I purchased my first Frank Sinatra CD. This time I got a Bob Dylan CD. A sales associate helped me select the CD. I told him that I had never heard Bob Dylan before. After I paid for it, I played the CD in my car. The first song was 'Blowin in the Wind', written (1962) and sung by Bob Dylan. A few of you might have heard this song before (in the movie Forrest Gump). Without further ado, here is the song:



According to Wikipedia, "The refrain "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" has been described as "impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind".

Thank God it's Friday. Every Friday, I go through the same ritual. I come to work early so that I can leave a bit early. Just before I leave my office, I print the boarding pass and and drive to the airport. Rarely, the Capital Beltway is traffic-free. So its a struggle out there. For no apparent reason, the vehicles just inch forward taking close to 10 minutes to just cover a mile. Once I park the car in the Airport parking Garage, I rush to take the shuttle that takes passengers from the garage to the airport. After going through the security, which takes anywhere between 5-15 minutes, I walk straight to the Borders Express Book store. I just browse the store and occasionally buy a book or two. Then I proceed to the gate and wait for the cattle call. It is like a religious experience to go through this every week. I feel I have a spiritual connection with the Baltimore Airport. Changed jobs twice but still I fly through the same airport.

A short flight takes me just outside Hartford, CT where Kavitha picks me up at the airport. A 40 minute drive takes me to my apartment home in the Connecticut country side. I repeat the same process in the reverse order on Monday mornings. I don't know how long I can continue to do this. Hopefully not until the time when pigs fly.

As the credits were scrolling on the screen at the end of the movie 'Charlotte's Web', this beautiful song was playing in the background. The lyrics are simple and beautiful. Our everyday life is filled with thousands of small beautiful things. In our simple life, which we have made busy for ourselves, we fail to notice those beautiful things and appreciate what God has created for us. This song kinda reminds us what we have forgotten to see.

Ordinary Miracle by Sara McLachlan

லாங்கவுட் தோட்டம்

The main attraction of a small town - Kennett Square, PA is Longwood Gardens. Located at about 70 miles Northwest of Baltimore, the beautiful gardens were once owned by Pierre DuPont. He brought the gardens from one Pierce family to save the gardens from being sold for lumber.

We started with a water fountain show, which wasn't that great. But if you have kids, I'm sure they will love it. Then we walked around the Flower Drive, the Italian Water Garden, the Pierre DuPont house, and a few meadows.

There was another water fountain show at 2:00 pm and it was neither good nor bad. You start to get a feeling that the $16 per person entry fee was not worth it. We then visited the garden Conservatory and that was the best place. Filled with a variety of roses, hibiscus plants, shrubs, palm trees, and a number of other interesting plants, the conservatory gives you the money's worth, if not more.

Here are a few photos: