On a Friday afternoon

Hey people! I wore this poem in two parts – the first part in the afternoon and the second part in the evening after I got up from a very unsatisfying partial slumber! Anyways I am posting it and I am open to all your criticisms and comments (in fact I am looking forward to hearing it!)

I am writing to you,

Not to say,

The weather is beautiful,

I long to walk, anywhere far,

With you by my side,

Holding hands and leaving burdensome thoughts,

With their burdensome owners.

Not to say,

I love yesterday's moon,

Loved it so much that I think,

We should make it our home,

Whose surface has seen no blood or hate.

Not to say,

I detest whatever I see,

This great bazaar we call life,

Where even air has a price,

And everyone is yet another

Faceless mannequin, a product up for sale.

Not to say,

I hate fat faced men,

Who speak of chastity,

Sleeping with the devil behind closed doors.

I hate them as much as I love you.

But to say,

I love you,

to say the world is ugly,

but your beautiful,

more so than you know,

than you will ever know.

Yup it is lame but i gotta keep the blog alive!!!

Please comment! Cya :-)

just another post!

hey people :-)
Me feeling bored so i scrubbed something down. It is lame like always but since I haven't posted anything in a while,I thought I would share this with you guys, by guys i mean the 5 or less people that -
a. read due to pity
b. have accidentally stumbled upon this page
:-)

I could not think of a title but if u guys come up with something I will be happy to hear it :-)

if all the smiley faces,
frown at me,
will i become refuse?
will i be another mistake?

in Sarcasm and hollow joy.
my face is hidden,
one day if it surfaces,
will i hear you say good bye?

hey babes did i tell you?
did i tell you, i burn on Saturday nights,
when i am near neon lights or disco balls,
so ... what does that make you wanna say?

if i tell you my soul is lost,
the day compassion fled humanity,
will you see anything left to love,
in a shell that is now empty?

every cosmic revolution,
binds me to you,
will this suffocate,
or nurture you?


all comments will be happily read :-)

Friendship day

Written on the 4^th of August

I know friendship day was yesterday but i was feeling lazy to write anything on that day. More over I had to complete an assignment for my sis. So here is my friendship day post!

"Friendship day, what kind of a day is that? I mean is that like the only day in a year you can dedicate for a friend or is it the only day in a year you can make friends?" I said. "No, no ,no", said the friend, "it is not a bad day it is a . . . an un-bad day, a good day in fact. It is friendship day! Wear a smile! Go hang out, chill and have fun! It is a day for friends." "Oh, I see" I said, his pro friendship rhetoric was making me hate the day more, "so this day is meant for that?" "Yes!" he said with great enthusiasm. "Interesting" I was gearing up for my counter argument, "but isn't that what we usually do, on "'normal"' days when we meet up with friends?" "well yes . . . eh . . . but . . ." the stress on his facial muscles and the three tiny veins on his forehead region indicated that he was trying hard to formulate an elaborate lecture, "you see on those other days, "'normal"' days we do hang out and stuff but on this day it is different . . . " HOW!?!" I demanded, cutting him short. "Yes . . . "he was getting quiet annoyed and was trying to hold his frustration by biting the left side of his upper lip, "I am coming to that! I was saying . . . ""yes go on" I added hoping to annoy him further. "On this day we can get to really spend time together and . . . ""Hanging out on other days is virtual?" I was starting to get confused – it was either too complicated for me or I was beginning to lose focus because the conversation was starting to bore me and I presume it was the latter. "WHAT! What I am trying to say is . . ." his forehead vein was showing again, "on the other days your just hanging out because you guys happen to be sitting together but on this day it is a more conscious hanging out experience. You are more aware that you are hanging out together and it is a special feeling, a warm and nice feeling inside." "Is it like drinking hot chocolate?" I know this sounds stupid but drinking hot chocolate on a cold night will give your insides a better, 'warm and fuzzy' feeling. "How can u compare your friends to hot chocolate? You should celebrate this day and if u don't, well if you don't it just shows your utter disregard for your friends!" he said sounding like a fiery politician. "Hey do you want to have some ice cream? I feel like eating an ice cream." I really meant it too because this 'intellectual' argument had made me hungry. "I have wasted my time on you haven't I?" he said sounding defeated. "i like black current, what flavour do you like?" i love ice cream. "I want to go home, you are depressing." He began to show signs of breaking out into a drama sequence and I really didn't want that to happen! "hey buddy! Cheer up, it is friendship day, let us celebrate! Ice cream is on me" Sigh I had to pay for ice cream now. His face lit up with a smile, "Do you really mean it? Have you finally begun to value friendship day? I think I didn't waste my time after all" he sounded happy and all signs of his previous sadness vanished and so we went out for ice cream.

I was so bored today, sitting all alone on the college grounds as I had a free hour and with no friends to hang out with I decided to do something 'constructive' with my time. This is a fictitious account in case you are wondering J

Oh and on a totally unrelated note what the hell is with Airtel making all text messages 50pa? That is the only day friends don't communicate properly, how ironic! L

hey!

this is something i wrote on the 7th of july -

The seven prayer :)

if u were a rose, my love,
soft and sweet,
u would be thorn less,
and one could never bleed.

and if u were a diamond, my love,
cut to perfection,
i know of no queen worthy,
to adorn u.

and if u were a butterfly, my love,
beautiful and frail,
u would make rainbows gray
and flowers pale.

and if u were the jacaranda, my love,
in true lavender full,
march wouldn't be,
your only month in bloom.

and if u were a wasp, my love,
fearless and bold,
u would die,
but never sting.

but if u weren't human, my love,
living in my time,
i wouldn't be wearing this smile,
so silly yet meaningful.

ya ya i know its lame :)

Just an update :)

 

16 – 06 – 08

Hey people that read my blog or hey two to three people that have accidentally found this page.

What is happening –

Holidays just concluded and I am back in that depressing place by the side of Richmond road flyover.

I went to Thailand during my holidays with my dad. I liked the place. It was nice, especially Pattaya – went parasailing, chilled on the beach drank some coconuts. I love thai coconuts. Indian ones are small and not as refreshing.

In college the same sense of alienation is back.

My friend's mom called me an anti-social person and that saddens me. I don't know why but it does. I don't look at myself as an anti-social person.

Anti-social?

it is true i have very few friends. it is also true that on certain days i prefer being alone. wouldn't that make me a less successful socialite instead?

18 – 06 – 08

Right now I am in college. It is about 1:15 or so and the college lunch break is going on. I just finished my puliogare (tamarind rice) with some vegetables as side dish. I am sitting alone in college and I am writing away!

Anti social?

I am sitting alone because I don't want to be with anyone. I do have friend (surprisingly) but they are all mixed with their friends whom I don't really know.

It is very discomforting for me to be in a group of many people and know only one person. My usual lunch buddy isn't here. So I prefer to be alone…

Does this make me anti-social?

19 -06 – 08

Today at approximately eight twenty I met a guy by the name of Jigu (hope I got the spelling right) who goes to the same college as I. its been two years since we have been going to the same place from the same place! After speaking to him I realized I was introduced to him about a year back by a mutual friend. I recognized him on the way to college. I asked him if he went to josephs and realized I kinda knew him!

I made the initiation to speak to him so that means I am not anti social :P

 

 

 

‘V.I.P’

How often have we cursed our roads, buses, footpaths, traffic and what not? Everyday travel is proving to be more and more tiresome. We curse when our two wheelers hit a pot hole or road block or when we loose balance on those ridiculously uneven footpaths! We hold our breath when we pass by a drain and look towards the window for air in a crowded bus. In the end of the day however it is still manageable. In the madness we can still see our way through it all, but what of those who can’t?

Haven’t we all wondered how the visually impaired travel, that too in chaotic Bangalore (or should I say Bengaluru)? I met up with two gentlemen - Ravi Paul who is a final year B.A student and Praveen N who just finished his 2nd pre university and is looking for admission into a degree college - for the purpose of understanding the unique problems faced by the visually impaired or “V.I.Ps” (Visually impaired people) as Ravi puts it, with regard to everyday travel.

FOOTHPATHS

'I hate our footpaths' was the first thing Ravi said when I asked him his experience of our roads and Praveen seconded with a firm, ‘yes’. They are very uneven and very unpredictable. It is especially ‘scary’ ' one travels with a cane (it’s a walking stick used to feel the road ahead). ‘Even ' other people are taking us its sometimes scary if we don’t know the person very well. Which is most often than not’ said Praveen. ‘However there is one footpath that I like, it is my ideal walking surface’ said Ravi with a smile, ‘the footpath I am talking about is majestic. I dream of a Bangalore with footpaths like that'. ‘Brigade road footpath is also nice. I have been there once.’ added Praveen. I asked them what they taught about the new cemented footpaths and they said it was a marked improvement over the stone ones but was still uneven. The unpaved are the worse kind. When it rains all hell breaks loose. Unpaved footpaths harbor pools of muddy water that are very messy. ‘I hate it when I step into one of those puddles as water seeps into the shoes soaking my socks and feet in that slush. I find the feeling very uncomfortable’ said Ravi looking quiet unhappy (maybe remembering past experiences). ‘I just hate when there are large rocks or boxes (referring to transistor boxes) in the way. I sometimes snub a toe and it is very frustrating!’ said Praveen. Sometimes when Ravi is alone he prefers walking on the side of the footpath as the road is smoother but some concerned pedestrians always request him to use the footpath as it is safer. ‘I get where they are coming from’ said Ravi with an empathic tone, ‘but its just too difficult walking on the footpath so to make them happy I walk on the footpath for some distance and then use the road again.’

I asked them how helpful the people were and they told me most of the times people help them in crossing the road and sometimes they will leave them till their destination.

Buses

Our BMTC buses are the most affordable transportation system in the city. Like most people, most ‘V.I.Ps’ rely on the daily buses to get about from place to place. ‘We are entitled to a free pass and we can go anywhere in the state with it. However’ said Ravi, ‘the fun ends there!’ ‘Please don’t get us wrong’, said Praveen, ‘we are all glad about our free passes and thank the government for it. There are some problems faced by us in this regard and they are pretty simple and solvable problems.’ ‘I wish buses start stopping in one place or rather the place they are supposed to stop in!’ said Ravi and Praveen added, ‘it would also be nice if the conductors announced the stops.’ It is sometimes difficult for the ‘V.I.Ps’ to get down where they want to because they are not sure of where to get down. They will have to rely in the passengers as the conductors are not always found. A lot of times the people may not know what they are asking and misguide them. Hence they might get down in the wrong stop and in the worse case scenario - get lost. Thankfully they have never got lost. Once or twice they have got down in the wrong stop though but fortunately they have always managed to find their way back into a right bus. I asked them about the attitude of the conductor and they rate it with an ‘OK!’ Some conductors are more benevolent than others. If they are lucky the conductor will leave them to their seat (every bus has a seat reserved for handicapped, usually near the emergency exit) and also ask them where they would like to get down and alert them when their stop approaches. These conductors are quite rare and most conductors ask them where they need to go and may or may not alert them. I asked them about the attitudes of the passengers and they told me it all depends on the crowdedness of the bus. If the bus is not very crowded they will give them their reserved seat. If the bus is crowded no body will get up and give them place. Sometimes the people are very helpful. They will alert them if their stop comes. However they can be a pain in the you know where! Ravi was telling me of a weirdo, (who was possibly drunk as he ‘smelt’ of something awful) who kept telling him how sympathetic he was of Ravi's condition and even offered his daughters hand in marriage as consolation!

‘We have spoken so much about the buses’, said Ravi with some sudden realization, ‘but what about the bus stops?’. Earlier we spoke of the haphazard manner in which the buses stop. It proves quiet a challenge for the ‘V.I.Ps’ as they don’t know where to stand. Eventually when the bus stops they must run quiet far from the actual stop and its very difficult for them to do that. Firstly because it is almost next to impossible for them to run as they are unaware of what is ahead of them and secondly if there are many people going towards the bus it becomes very difficult for them to get in. When they finally do manage to get near the door of the bus it is still a challenge to get into the bus. There is an every man for himself type of attitude. Everybody is so aggressive in getting into the bus. There have multiple occasions when these gentlemen have been pushed from the bus and not allowed to get in. ‘Most of the times the people in the bus stops are not helpful’ said Ravi. When they scream out asking the crowds about the number of the approaching bus most people are mute. Very rarely and after much effort will a person step forward to help them. The area matters a lot too and in some areas the people seem more helpful than others places. I’m proud to know that Indranagar was one of the more helpful ones.

Auto-rickshaw

Buses are not the best for reaching your destination in the quickest possible time. If one is to go from place A to place B in the least amount of time taxis and auto-rickshaws are the next best alternative. In Bangalore taxis are quiet expensive so rickshaws are the better bargain. It is a more comfortable way to travel when compared to a bus. The auto drivers are, ‘6 out of 10 times honest but we have been cheated many times and we are completely helpless in this regard. I wish they had a brail auto meter or a talking auto meter.’ said Ravi.

‘Most problems are solvable. It is only a matter of patients and co-operation and when our fellow humans realize it all of us will be able to live better lives’ – Ravi

Promoters

 

This is an article I wrote for my journalism class. Please leave comments and tell me if it is any good.

Thank you.

 

It's quiet common to find young people in malls and other commercial places trying hard to promote a particular product. These people are dressed mostly in company clothes, i.e. a t-shirt maybe with the company's logo and a smile. Some of us find them annoying. We very easily dismiss them when they come up to us and yet, with their relentless smile they pursue another person. It's a tough job according to me. Standing on for hours at a stretch and getting negative feedback from most of the people you encounter.

When I asked the interviewees why they took up such a job their reply was same – easily available part-time job with very little skills required and a source of pocket money, "it is great having to not beg your parents for money!" exclaimed Sushmita.B, one of the interviewees. Most of the promotion jobs have one main criterion – language and communications skills. If u have to be effective in promoting the product u need to be good in expressing oneself. There are other reasons for our youngsters' involvement in this line of work such as new experiences and the joy of working. Mahalakshmi.iyer, one of the interviewee said with some pride, "I like these jobs as the help develop your personality". I shot her a puzzled expression and she added, "I mean, they give u exposure to various situations and people and one can learn quiet a lot . . . " she chuckled and said, "like the art of patients!". Some of them want to break away from the dependent tag and want to be full fledged adults, "I don't want to be treated like a kid!" said Elsy with some defiance, "if I am financially independent to some extent I will be able to take more decisions on my own". Pocket money seems to be the main motivation but some people go by need to like paying off some money they owe for example.

How young are the youngsters? I interviewed four people in the age group of 16-18. Mahalakshmi.iyer was the youngest at 16 and she told me that people above the age of 15 are accepted though most of the people that work are 18 plus and she is therefore the youngest in the group most of the time.

Most people that take up the job are college students and therefore they work manly on the weekends or on holidays. They work whenever they find time and sometimes they will have to bunk college for a day or two. "If the offer is good I wouldn't mind bunking college", said Sushmita. I asked her what exactly was a good offer and she told me it was to do with the pay, timings, location and the company. She, like most people, prefer working along with friends as "It is easier and more enjoyable".

The pay ranges from Rs400 – 1000 depending on the location, company, hours of work and the amount of commission that the agent takes. The agents can take upto 50% of the pay sometimes. More reputed companies will obviously pay more than less reputed ones and more demanding jobs that call for longer work hours will pay more than less demanding jobs and vice-versa.

Like all jobs it has its share of problems and funny incidents. I asked them to share a few incidents that happened on their duty -

Movies and fun! by Elsy

"It was the last event and we were working for a long time. Near by was a large TV displayed and a movie was playing. There was nobody to keep an eye on us so we decided to watch the movie. We nearly saw half the movie and then we has realized that the manager had arrived but we were lucky that he turned out to be a sweet guy. He didn't say anything and we quietly returned to our post."

Please, IT'S FREE!!! By Sushmita

"I was working in lifestyle, giving out complimentary membership cards. I remember one particular man who refused this card even after me telling him it's free and his reply was amazing, '"no sorry I don't accept complimentary things!"'. I still laugh thinking of him!"

Kannada fanatic vs Sushmita

"Once when I was working to promote refrigerators an elderly gentleman approached me and began speaking to me in Kannada. I told him I am a Bengali and hence didn't know the language well and he gave me a dirty look. If that wasn't enough he also gave me a lecture on how I ought to know the language in this state! Its funny now but at that time my blood boiled!"

The convenient Kannada fanatic! By Mahalakshmi

"I was working in Garuda mall and opposite me was this stall by a car manufacturer. They had an interesting contest where in the winner got a new car. It was a simple he or she who touches the car for the longest contest. Among the contestants was an auto driver who stood their diligently touching the car for quiet a long time but finally he gave up. In our stall was a DJ who spoke in English the whole tine trying to attract attention and draw crowds. After a few hours the angry auto driver returned with some back up! He and his friends created a racket accusing the DJ of speaking English in a Kannada state. Finally the cops were called to settle the matter!"

"The nice thing about the job is that, most of the time, we get to keep the clothes they give us and sometimes we get the goodies we are promoting" – Mahalakshmi.

Like all jobs its is plagued with its share of problems like –

The problem with this kind of job is that there is no fixed contract. Everything is by word of mouth. For example if an agency wants people to work they will contact their middleman and tell them the number of people they want and it is his/her job to find the people. After the work is done the money will be paid to the middleman and it is his/her responsibility to give the amount to the respective workers. This is where the problem lies. The middleman can take a very large commission and give less money to the workers or the person can even abscond with the money. Since there is no fixed contract it all depends on the benevolence of the middleman. Sometimes the money is paid late, sometimes the amount given is lesser than the promised amount and in some worse cases the money is not given at all! This has happened to Sushmita and Elsy and they have lost more than four thousand rupees each. Fortunately the other two have not faced this problem. Mahalakshmi told me however that once she received her pay almost two months late! She told me how her mother had to 'get tough' with the responsible guy and after all the threats and complaints she fired against him and running around from her house to his office and back she received her pay.

Boredom and exhaustion is the most common problem faced by them. It all depends on the job, there has to be a combination of work, friends, idle time and good managers for the job to be great. Too much work with no breaks make it tiring, very less work makes it boring and lack of friends or support groups make it dull. The attitude of the managers or leaders also matter. A good leader can motivate and make the group feel good. The working hours should not be very long as the workers will have to get back home. Most of them with parents to answer!

Girls will have their own set of unique problems and guys will have their unique problems. I think that's the universal law when it comes to anything. Late working hours is a problem for girls as it is unsafe to travel alone late in the night. There are a few 'not to gentlemanly men', for lack of better term, in this world that could prove to be a real pain in the well u know where! The problems caused by these characters include asking for phone numbers, making a nescience of them selves and even clicking their pictures! There was a one incident Mahalakshmi told me about a guy who kept asking her for her phone number and name. She told him politely that she didn't have a number and gave him a fake name. He tried his best to get her number and finally clicked her snap; she lost her temper and threatened to call the cops. The person finally deleted the picture and apologized! "There some difficulties but that's life and u got to learn how to survive!" – Elsy

"Equal pay for equal work" it is there engraved in our countries constitution but that does not seem to be the case here. Men are asked to work longer hours are paid less when compared to their female counter parts. Danny.J one of the interviewee had this to say, "I remember working alone with two other friends, both of whom were women. They got to leave two hours early and where given hundred rupees more than me. I was outraged but later I learned to accept it."

Getting a promotion job is in vogue. It is not only about getting money but also about the feeling emancipation.

 

When it rains

Something I wrote a couple of minutes back. Please leave any comments if this means anything to you. Thank you.

PS: yeah its crap after all I wrote it :)

 

 

sometimes when rain strikes hard

unbending determined velocity

i look from the window

everything appears distorted

but the window itself is clear

clarity found only when

rain strikes hard

Betrayed my self

Wrote this thinking of something I did long back. Something strong people don't do. Was I strong? Or was I ever strong? Am I weak now or still strong?

What is weakness and strength anyways? It is subjective, isn't it? I don't know if my definitions of weakness and strength are correct but I feel weak. Maybe I am not . . . who really cares anyways –

 

Last smile in the lonely glow

Crickets make music as I flow

Beats so slow

I feel so slow

Or maybe no

Hope to never know

Steel silence . . . I am no more

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY SIS!

First impression – rude! Mean! Loud! And I should probably mention MEAN! Well that was pretty much what I felt when I first made friends with her almost two years back. I didn't like her and now she is my second sis after Swathi (in order of adoption).

She is a person who has always yelled at me when I have said stupid things (stupid only to her), always reassured me when I have doubted myself and in general she makes life seem less scary. She is my youngest sis (a year younger) and therefore my baby sis. However I don't really feel like her older brother! I think that's because she protects me and makes me feel face and also because she is louder than me! Is that fair? What kind of a baby sis is she! I ask her for small things like . . . maybe a ceremonious bow accompanied by touching my feet and following my every instruction like the Japanese army did their king during world war two! Is that so much to ask for? She refuses my small requests and goes to the extent of saying, 'DA! There is only 11months difference.' If this is not insulting enough she even bosses me around!

To better explain this injustice –

The scene is taking place in the, ''mess'' (a hospital canteen near our college that we sometimes go to for lunch or tea). Typically its Sushmita (ma baby sis), Nirmal, Ankita and me. However to get a better understanding I am focusing on only our conversation (Sushmita and me).

(Before ordering)

Sushmita (Sush): hey da what do you want?

Siddarth (me): nothin…

Sush: (with a firm angry face) shut up and take something!

Me: fine . . . hmmm . . . I will take rava idly.

Sush: ok
(if its lunch time)

No! That's not enough.

Me: but . . . I . . .

Sush: your taking meals (places the order or asks Nirmal to place the order)

 

Well three things are clear from the above illustration –

1. She is a monster, a really sweet monster that cares about her brother.
   
2. She is the elder sis and I am her baby bro.
   
3. I am a push over!
   

I give you full liberty to form your own conclusions.

What I truly admire (and am very thankful for) about her (and a lot of other people for that matter in my life) is her ability to put up with me! I can get really annoying. I am moody, very moody. I can go from happy to cold in 0.37 sec (acceleration that no modern sports cars can beat, though with ever improving technology I could be wrong). My signature style is to walk away and pretend no body exists. I walk away. I think that is my . . . hey we are not talking about me here so lets get back, yes I remember 'ignoring' her a great deal whenever I was pissed with her (I have gone up to two weeks!). I have really bugged her but in the end all is forgiven. We are siblings after all. I sometimes wish she was my biological sis but later I realized it would not make any difference. Things are already perfect as they are. In the end blood isn't the only thing that determines family, its also love, don't u agree?

 

Sis, I hope the best for you and wish u have a wonderful and productive year ahead.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS! :)

NOTE: for some reason the date shows 2nd april even though i am posting it on the 3rd of april. her birthday is on the 3rd of april. stupid blogger! :(

my green IQ :-)

What's Your Green IQ?

My Result: Green Giant

Can one person make a big difference? Absolutely, and you're doing it! From separating your recyclables to carpooling, you're well on your way to having the green lifestyle all wrapped up (in recycled paper?). But there is room for improvement, you know. Good thing you have the drive and the initiative to keep seeking out more ways to make a difference! You're probably going to be the one to start a clean air initiative in your neighborhood or to install that new low-flow toilet. Can't you see it?


Of course you've still got a few big lifestyle changes to make before you can declare yourself perfectly green, but that's okay. Who doesn't love a little challenge? Keep making your life eco-friendly — the planet needs you!

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=greeniqogt&c=50652

What kind of soul am i?

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can. War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace. You are a good mediator and a true negotiator. Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy. While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental. You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take. On the flip side, you've got a great sense of humor and wit. You're always diplomatic and able to give good advice. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Free applications for your pc

A guide of useful apps to help you get more out of your PC

Recently, I formatted my computer thanks to some weirdoes with massive complexes sitting in their messy cramped rooms creating viruses out of spite towards successful people or happy people or maybe because they want to feel powerful or important or whatever they want to feel when they create those virtual monsters that reek havoc on innocent computers the world over. Now since I got that out of my system I decided to come up with a list of useful free softwares that one might need on a PC that is blank except for windows.

Back up

Before one formats his/her hard drive it becomes important to back up your data into an external medium or on a partition that one is not going to format.

Simply Safe Backup 2005.0.1.706

This is a useful tool to back up your data and it supports various methods like zip files, cds, external drives, etc.

http://www.snapfiles.com/apphistory/simplysafe_history.html

MozBackup

Are you afraid of loosing important bookmarks and settings on Firefox browser, Netscape or important emails on Thunderbird? If yes, then fear not! This software comes to the rescue. U can take a back up, save the zip file on a CD or external drive. After u format your computer u can reinstall the app, select the file and ‘restore’ your profile settings to get your old browser and email client back as you remember it before your machine was formatted (I didn’t back up my browser and I am quiet bugged now, don’t make the same mistake!).

http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/

IE Settings and Favorites list Backup 1

IE users can use this software to backup their favorites and settings.

Security

Anti-virus

AVG and Avast are the most popular free anti-virus applications out there. Both have similar features and are a must for internet users.

AVG

http://www.iobit.com/avg-com.html

Avast

http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html

AVG is a little more popular according to download.com but I feel both are equally good. AVG has one advantage over Avast, it automatically gets updates but Avast has to be manually updated.

Anti-spyware

Virus were bad enough, now we have to deal with a new threat knows as spyware. Basically a spyware is a malicious application that sends information regarding your computer activities to the maker of the Spyware. This can slow down your internet speed as your bandwidth is being used up to send info. Thankfully Microsoft has come out with, ‘Windows defender’, an effective tool in keeping your PC free from Spyware.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=435BFCE7-DA2B-4A6A-AFA4-F7F14E605A0D&displaylang=en&mg_id=10134

Firewall

A firewall is an application that monitors all the programs accessing the net. It will let u block the programs you don’t want accessing the internet and no program will be allowed to access the net without your consent. Windows service pack 2 comes with a free firewall. Just go to security center in control panel and enable the firewall. If u don’t have service pack 2 it’s about time u upgraded.

Service pack 2
http://www.update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/thanks.aspx?ln=en&&thankspage=5

Advance windows care

This software promises to keep your computer running smooth. It promises to clean registry errors, piracy sweep, spyware cleaner, tune up and some other features. I recommend u install it and run a scan every week.

http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html

Search

Windows comes in with a built in file searcher but anybody who is used it will know how slow it is. It’s an absolute nightmare to search for any file and if u your hard drive is large u are finished! Fortunately there are several other search applications from Google and MSN to name a few that are much faster and hence more effective.

I would recommend Windows desktop search as it is a simple software that sits in your taskbar and is convenient to use. You can search for files on your hard drive and the internet.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/choose/WindowsDesktopSearch/266/overview.mspx?tab=Install%20It

Music

Winamp

Winamp is by far the most popular digital jukebox in the planet. It is light, highly skinable which appeals to the aesthetic minded and it players all audio and video formats there is. There are many plug-ins and upgrades that allow u to add more utility to the player. It also lets u burn CD of your favorite songs and supports multiple media devices.

http://www.winamp.com/player

Windows Essentials Media Codec Pack 1

There are so many audio files and video files that I bet u wouldn’t have even heard off. Wouldn’t it be nice if u had a collection of all the codecs in one bundle? Well Windows essential media codec pack 1 is exactly what u need.

http://www.download.com/Windows-Essentials-Media-Codec-Pack/3000-2140_4-10662709.html?tag=lst-4

Audacity

It is regarded as one of the best free audio editor. Its features even compare to the professional audio editing apps available in the market. It has a range of features like recording live audio, conversion of tapes or records into the digital medium, editing of audio files (supports a list of formats like OGG, MP3, WAV or AIFF), etc.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

Windows Movie Maker 2

Want an easy to use video editing application? Well look no further than, ‘Windows Movie Maker 2’. This comes bundled with Windows XP so no download necessary. This application lets u do some basic editing work and has some nifty transition effects. For all us simple folk than just want to produce a decent home movie from the snaps and videos we took on are mediocre cameras this application should suffice. Service pack 2 improves on the earlier version shipped with windows so I urge people to download service pack 2.

Pictures

Do u have a vast collection of pictures? Wouldn’t it be easy to have a software that would let u view, organize and add some minor quick fixes to all those pictures u have? Well there are two wonderful apps that I recommend for exactly this task.

Picasa
http://picasa.google.com/download/

Windows live
http://get.live.com/

Windows live is a power packed application with loads of features which I will deal with later. One of the features is photo gallery which is same as Picasa.

Picture editing

While the above applications will give let the user apply some minor effects and corrections, it pales in comparison to a professional photo editing application like Adobe Photoshop. Since Photoshop comes with a hefty price it is not easily affordable to the amateur or enthusiast photographers. That’s where Paint.net and Gimp come in handy.

Paint.net

This handy application will give u most of the important features that a professional photo editor offers. It is the simplest photo editor out there and I recommend this to photographers who are just starting out.

http://www.getpaint.net/download.html

Gimp

This is a powerful application that is almost as good as Photoshop. It was all the professional features and is more feature rich than paint.net. However it can get a little intimidating to a novice photographer so I could recommend pain.net to first time users.

http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

CD and DVD burners

Instant CD and DVD burner 2.95

This software lets u Burn audio, video, and data CDs and DVDs and create and burn ISO files.

http://www.download.com/Instant-CD-DVD-Burner/3000-2646_4-10393316.html?tag=lst-1

Internet

Firefox

I would recommend this browser to everybody. It beats IE any day and offers far superior security features file better pop up blockers for example. It is one of the faster browsers out there and it is my favorite browser as of now (safari is still in the beta stages so I wouldn’t recommend it just yet but my loyalties will shift as soon as the official version is released).

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Free download manager (FDM)

If you are a download junky like me u need a download manager and accelerator. There a couple of free apps out there but I recommend FDM. It supports all browsers and has a whole lot of use full features that makes this a must have for all download junkies. To use it all u need to do is to install and it will automatically integrate with the browser you use. It also comes with a quiet little movable box which acts like a link grabber, just drag and drop the link into it and it will download. I find the box of no value as I prefer just clicking on the download link. Its primary task is to act as a download accelerator and it doesn’t disappoint. It also has support for broken downloads. This is an important feature. Imagine you are downloading a large file and for some reason the connection is lost, u have no option but to start over and if u have already downloaded most of the file, it is enough to drive a person to the very edge of sanity! The resume broken link download feature is a life saver! It also supports the torrent protocol so another torrent client will not be required. It supports flash video downloads and will even convert the file to the format we desire after it is downloaded (WMV, AVI, MPEG, etc).

Windows live

Earlier I spoke about one of its features, the photo gallery, apart from that it has –

1. Hotmail: Stay connected anywhere with your Web e-mail account
2. Mail: Access your multiple e-mail accounts in one place
3. Messenger: Connect, share, and make your conversations count
4. Toolbar: Easy access to Windows Live services from any Web page
5. SkyDrive: Password-protected online file storage
6. Spaces: The best place to share your world online
7. Photo Gallery: Get creative and share your photos and videos
8. Writer: Easily publish pictures, videos, and other rich content to your blog
9. Events: Plan your event. Send invitations. Share photos.

Therefore we see that it is an all round application and I would like to recommend to every internet user as it a very useful tool in delivering a richer online experience.

Office suite

OpenOffice.org 2.3.1

OpenOffice.org is both an open-source product. The product is a multiplatform office productivity suite. It includes a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation manager, and a drawing program, with a user interface and feature set similar to those of other office suites. OpenOffice.org also works transparently with a variety of file formats, including those of Microsoft Office.

http://www.download.com/OpenOffice-org/3000-2064_4-10263109.html?tag=toprated

I hope this software guild was helpful.

On this day . . .

"Lines and curves man . . . My life has been reduced to lines and curves. Its everywhere and its making me feel so constricted" is what I told James, 10min or so into the economics (was referring to the graph the teacher was explaining. Have been learning a lot of new graphs lately) hour. Reaction: the whole bench was rolling with laughter. I was lost inside my world and was oblivious to everything, it didn’t affect me. It was nothing new; it was the usual Sid, but today, it was different.

I was so tired, I know it’s strange, to be tired at the beginning of the day. The truth is I had a rough night. I woke up two or three times because I had a couple of absurd dreams which can’t be commented about. However I can tell u this; it was far from being pleasant. It was quiet disturbing.

I left home an hour early even though I knew class stared at 10. I was certain my teacher was going to be absent today (for the first hour, 9 to 10). While leaving I had this nagging feeling of forgetting something. I ignored it.

On most occasions I take the public buses to college but today decided to get into one of those private vans. Normally I get into these vans only if I get place to sit but I made an exception today. I made a fool of myself as I had no strength to balance my frail structure. The rocking bus made me dance. I was too nervous and I had no courage to look at the audience. I am pretty certain they didn’t like my performance. If I could read minds I couldn't be alive. I took my seat after a passenger got off and it was a mundane bus ride until the van arrived at Richmond road (my stop). I reached instinctively into my right hip pocket and to my shock realized I had left my wallet at home. I checked my bag - i had nothing! My heart began to pound. I wished my chest gave way . . . but it didn’t. My face shrunk or at least it felt like it did. I went up to the driver and explained my predicament in less than half correct Kannada. I can not recall what he told me but I remember his voice went from anger to disgust to humor to pity and finally a helplessness maturity (which concealed large amounts of frustration) . I got off the bus, very humiliated and hurt.

I reached college and found nobody familiar. I sat beneath the trees with my loneliness, feeling awful and dejected. I felt the world knew about it and I think they were all judging me. Even the squirrels were staring at me and i bet they were laughing! My mind is constantly conjuring up imagined scenes of the amused conversations between the driver and the passengers. It makes me feel so disgusted with myself. I wonder if the driver told all his friends and if they told their friends and if I am the laughing stock of the whole city. The whole day was spent pondering this and its taking its toll on me. I wanna stop but it’s hard. There is way but I can’t go down that path for fear of hurting the few people I have left.

College got over at 1pm. I was a little more depressed by the afternoon and I decided to go home. I went to the bus stop and remembered I had no money so I went walking home. I was so exhausted when I reached my place. I had lunch and took a nap.

Got up in the evening, around 4. My head is still aching.

Its another Thursday . . .

So drained . . .

Sat the whole day and i have done nothing productive.
here is a lame poem i wrote . . .

i scream at dreams
drive them away
heartaches seem sensible

i hop to the wise tree
and say hello
he rambles
on in endlessly
rhythmic monotony
of worlds and heavens
of stars and love
solitude and void
wise themes
from a tree thats seen the ages
but has he seen you
or have i lost my mind

clear nights
when the songbird is still
only air between
moon and me
i muse under my blanket
if your real
its all i do i guess
you know i invented you
fight the loneliness
i love
but your unreal
its all a lie
but if its not
i may die

Thursday!!!!

THURSDAY!!!

I hate Thursdays! I love Saturdays and I don't mind other days but Thursdays are mean. Most of them turn out to be horrible - stuck in an uncomfortable place or situation, a fight with a loved one over some insignificant matter, weird things can take place and everything may seem to be against me, i feel more aware about how ugly and stupid i am or i may feel low for no reason. i feel this negative energy and i think the world is pessimistic on this day. The worst thing about this day is the fact that i was born on a Thursday. Why Thursday of all days? I am not into astrology or numerology or anything of that sort. I am an agnostic so these things don't effect me but i concede, i am fascinated by the . . . art.

Which other day, if not Thursday?

Monday - Is the moons day. i am not worthy. Its is the first working day of the week and its meant for hard working people who are good enough for the moon.

Tuesday - Boring! There is nothing to a Tuesday its the 3rd day of the week. Its dull and there is no charm in this day.

Wednesday - The exact middle of the week. To me it represents a cage of confusion. You are neither there nor here, essentially it means u are no where.

Fridays - Fridays are magical. Fridays appear casual but its the day for love. Its dedicated to Venus. Its a day for beautiful souls who know what care and love is all about.

Saturday - I love Saturdays and things i love are better off without me.

Sunday - as the name says is a day for the sun. I hate the Sun! Its all about ego, false love, anger, hatred and its destructive.

well apart from those days any other day would be fine.

Thursday is dedicated to Thor (also know as Jupiter or Zeus). The king of all gods, its a day for the strong but i am weak or not the person i was meant to be.