First Venture into Astrophotography

On Thursday, Dec 28th night, I got the urge to take a photograph of the moon. So, I set up my digital SLR camera on the tripod and snapped away! For the picture, I sed an F-stop of f/8 and Exposure at 1/250. The first picture is the original snap. The second one is modified in Photoshop.

original:

Photoshopped:

Dhoom 2 Trailer

Dhoom 2 Trailer. I figured if I was going to update the blog after such a long absence, might as well be with something that is sure to get your blood flowing and heart pumping and get you excited! Whach out for this movie coming out on 11/24/06. This movie is going to rock!

The real question

Well guys, in a short 5 days it will be the 5th anniversary (is that the right word?) of 9/11. The question seems to be, these days, "where is baby Suri?!?" When the real question should be "Where the F is Bin Laden?!?!?" But I guess the daughter of a love-crazed Scientology-following celebrity and his partner are more important than finding the person who killed about 3,000 people.

It's funny how short our memories are. Sure, when the time is closer to 9/11 everyone is thinking of the attacks and where Bin Laden (BL) is and all that, but what happened to the rest of the 364 days since the last anniversary? How come the news stories are not reporting on the progress of the hunt for BL? Does this mean that our government is not looking for him? I don't know. I'm pretty sure they are. But how are we supposed to feel safe when we don't know what the heck is the progress on hunting him down?!

Just a few days ago, there was another "recruiting" video that was released over the internet. And then, as I was scouring CNN.com, I found an article buried at the bottom of the page on their section for World news (Link: In Pakistan, signs of al Qaeda all around). What the heck is something about Al Qaeda doing 4 levels down at the bottom of the page where people are less likely to notice it? Oh wait, maybe that is the reason it's buried that deep! And of course, after that article we have another one that rebutts it saying Bin Laden will be captured (Link: Pakistan: No bin Laden arrest deal).

5 years and the main person responsible is still not caught. Some of the people nabbed by London Police before they can bomb more planes were supposed to go to Pakistan to train (a sort of "How to be a Terrorist 101 for Dummies" camp). What was their reason for the visit to Pakistan? Did they say "Oh, I'm unhappy with the level of Terrorism I have in me. I need to be a better person and hence I'm going for training"? NO! Their reason was for visiting "family". They were visiting family, alright. A family of killers and cowards.

How dare these people sully the principle and teachings of Islam for their demented, selfish, fanatic ideals! How dare they use the name of religion to justify their bigotry and genocide! Religion by itself is pure and impartial, but in the hands of fanatics and politicians it is the most effective weapon. How many wars and skirmishes were waged in the name of religion! In the end, who pays the hefty price of these mis-directions? The bystanders and even more sad, the unbiased innocence of children and I don't think that anything is worth losing that innocence.

He is doing just what the wall says

Ran across this picture when I was browing the web today. I thought it was pretty funny! This picture is too perfect!

Will you recycle?

There are about 2 billion cell phones being used around the globe today. When you think about it, there are about 6 Billion people on this earth, so that means 1/3 of the population of this planet have a cell [any ideas where the majority of the cell phones are ;)] and let's face it, we are not going to be using the same cell phone from start to finish. A lot of us like to switch our phones from time to time. And when we do switch, what is happening with the old phones? Are they being recycled? Well, some are. But others are sitting in our desks or garages or somewhere, doing no good! So, this brings us to the poll of the week:

Would you recycle your cell phone? YES! NO Maybe, if I knew where to take it view results powered by blogpoll

Vote and let me know what you would do!

Happy 1st anniversary to Brian & Carla!!

Two of my best friends, Brian & Carla, tied the knot exactly one year ago today. Please join me in wishing this happy couple their very first anniversary!

I will post some pictures from their wedding day, but first a very brief history about this couple. I have known both of them for about a decade (gasp! has it been that long?). Brian and Carla have been together for about 8 years before they finally took the plunge and tied the knot. Well, at least for Brian it was a plunge ;) just kidding! Carla was like an eagle that just spotted her prey when she saw Brian. She zeroed right in! :) They met each other at our good friend Oleg's party. And the rest, as they say, is history. One thing led to another and it all culminated in Brian proposing to Carla and them tying the knot. Brian even picked out the engagement ring himself with no help from anyone else and I have to say, he did a fantastic job on the ring.

Carla, Brian, you are one of the few couples I have seen that are perfect for each other. When they say the wife and husband balance each other in a marriage, they must have been talking about you. I will always love you guys and keep hoping for nothing but happiness through out each and every day of your marriage. Thank you for letting me take part in your wedding ceremony. I am truly honored.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, some pics from the wedding.

Here is the church where the marriage took place.


Here is a picture of the Bride, Groom and their parents


Here is a pic from the outside of where the reception took place.


Picture of the tables being setup inside


A picture of the happy couple laughing their butts off! Check out Brian's newly polished grill. But first, a word of WARNING TO THE PILOTS: The light reflecting off this grill will blind you! Proceed with caution and make sure you have really dark shades!


Here's Brian saying "Aaaawwwww Yeeeaaahhh!! Finally we get to the adventure." Either that or he's just feeling "good" from all that champagne he just had.


Very high level of concentration

This picture reminds me of The Hokey Pokey "...Now put your right foot in, Your right foot out, Right foot in Then you shake it all about..."

"Alright, I think I got a hang of this....let's see...."


Now that they got though that, time to watch others.


Ladies and Gentlement, lastly but definitely not the least, the Bride and the Groom, the one and only, Carla and Brian

Doesn't she look just FANTASTIC?!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GUYS!

How to dance like a white guy.

Do you like going to clubs but feel inadequate after seeing all those white guys dance? Did you ever wish that you have some awful moves like the white dude next to you? Do you think you might not like stepping to the beat? Well then, this video is for you! This instrucional video will show you time tested moves like "The Point to The Lord", "The Cracker Squirm", "The Fat Rebel", and many more! Don't miss this opprotunity to be the most awful dancer you can be! Order now!Just listen to these testimonials: * Before this video, I was jealouse of all the white guys in my school. But after watching it, now every White guy comes up to me and asks me where I learned all those rad moves! - Billy Bob, Texas * This video made me the man I am today - Cooter, Alabama * Without this video, my marriage woulda bin on the rox. My wife, who is also my first cousin, threatened me with divorce if I ever danced with rythm! Thanks How to Dance Like a White Guy, for saving my marriage! - Bo, Montana

Wok the fu*k?

Simply Hilarious!!!

Enjoy!

Warning: This flash movie contains some explicit language and other subject matter that some might find offensive. If you are easily offended, please do not see this

Ghostly Car Ad... Do you believe in ghost????

Don't know if it's true, but I thought I'd share it with you guys =) Here's a message from the person who posted this online: Hey Folks, This one is really wild, but make sure you read the info below before you view the video and turn up the volume if you can. This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot. The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. Watch the front end of the car closely as it clears the trees in the middle of the screen and you'll see the white mist crossing in front of the car then following it along the road....Spooky! Is it a ghost, or is it simply mist? You decide. If you listen to the ad, you'll even hear the cameraman whispering in the background about it near the end of the commercial. A little creepy but it seems to be authentic!

Is that U.N. Ambassador or Colonel Sanders?!

I took a break from all the madness of the move to see what is going on in the world. I saw that our Mr. Bolton, John Bolton, is back in the picture awaiting Senate approval to become the U.N. ambassador. I was looking at his picture and thought "Wow! That guy can do KFC commercials posing as Colonel Sanders!" Don't believe me? Take a look at these photos.

Here's the Colonel:


Here's Bolton:



Here's the Cololnel holding KFC:


Here's Bolton holding Quaker Oats(?!?!):


What is Bolton trying to say with that can of Quaker Oats (notice how his tie colors match the colors on the can's label)? Is he saying that if he were to be confirmed, he will give each and every Senator a can? Or that if he were to become the Ambassador, he will push nutrition through the world? Maybe he's saying that he will be a spokesperson for Quaker Oats. Great! Now the world is going to associate U.S. with oatmeal and chicken. MMMMMMMMM!!! Delicious!

Update

Finally, I get to write another post! These past few weekes have been hectic, to say the least. Work has been busy and on top of that, I'm moving into the new house (yay!). So, all in all, been pretty busy with packing and moving and unpacking and work. When I finally had a moment, I discovered that the internet connection has already switched to the new house! So, I'm at the apartment with no internet, no bed, no desk, no chairs. Luckily the bathroom is still there.

I've been experiencing the thrill of sleeping on the floor and I gotta tell ya, my back is hurting. I don't know if it is sleeping on the floor that's causing this or if it is the carrying those boxes that's the culprit. I guess it doesn't matter what cuased it as long as I can make it go away.

I will post pictures of the casa soon so that you may see it as well :)

Well, no matter. I'm back now and I hope to keep a steady stream going on the blog.

Shuttle Diplomacy

Shuttle Diplomacy was a term that became popular when Henry Kissinger was the Secretary of State. It means that a third, disconnected, party is used to mediate or negotiate between two parties that do not want to talk directly (but still want to negotiate). This third party Shuttles back and forth between the two parties conveying information (questions, answers, and the mediator's own take on reaching a faster resolution) privately and indirectly. Sometimes direct communication between the two warring parties might be counterproductive. These are the situations where shuttle diplomacy has shown to work a great deal. Eventually, this shuttle diplomacy might lead to a direct negotiations between the two primary warring parties.

Backdoor to Iran?

Well, Israel is in the news again! This time, in a tiff with the Hezbollah. Israel has been fighting wars for so long that it doesn't even phase me anymore. Granted, being surrounded by 5 or so Arabic states hell-bent on Israel's destruction will illicit that response. I don't know the whole history of the region. I should really read up on that and reserve my interpretations till later. But hey! We've all pretended to know things we really didn't one time or other!

In short, here's the latest tiff-starter: Palestine kidnaps couple of Israeli officers and demands that Israel release some prisoners. Israel refuses and basically says "F@#k you guys! We are not releasing the prisoners. You give our officers back before we bomb the crap out of you.....again!" Guess what happened? Israel bombs the crap out of Palestinian gourds....again! Well, few days later Hezbollah follows in the footsteps of Palestine. Now Israel is bombing Palestine and Hezbollah strong holds.

Now, Hezbollah is said to have backing of Iran (not to mention Lebanon). Tony Blair is reportedly pressuring our cowboy president, good ole G.W., into sending our illustrious Sec. State Rice for Shuttle diplomacy (See post titled "Shuttle Diplomacy" for more info on it). I'm thinking that we will end up invading Iran now. Our excuse will be "well, they are supporting Hezbollah which is attacking Israel and we don't like our friends attacked by a bunch of terrorists!" And there, folks, will be our justification for going into Iran. It won't be failed Nuclear talks. It will be something bold, chivalrous, and noble! After all, defnding friends against their enemies is bold, chivalrous, and noble! We will not only invade Iran, we will also destroy their infrastrucutre, and be attacked by insurgents. Wait, this all sounds eerily familiar! Don't get me wrong, I support our tropps over there whole heartedly. I just don't agree with the reasons the administration gave before seding off those brave souls to fight.

Let us hope that we only do the negotiations and the fighting will subside.

Offbeat news of the day

Well folks! I've scoured the net going over 10s of offbeat stories and only one has the honor of receiving the FSA (Final Sudhir Approval) stamp! Without further delay, here it is:

Inmates Sue to Overturn Nude Magazine Ban
Two inmates, currently enjoying the Indiana Department of corrections' hospitality, sued to have the ban on nude magazines overturned. The law suit seeks a "Class Action" status on behalf of more than 20,000 state prisoners.

Apparently, the ban on adult magazines and other printed materials that of the nude/sexual origin went into effect on July 1st. It gets even more ridiculous: this would mean that National Geographic magazines could be selectively banned! And let's forget about any artwork from the renaissance period!

I guess one could make the case that butt-piracy will be even more prevalent because of the influence such materials can have on our complacent and obedient inmates. I say if they want their nudie magazines, let them have them! These people have nothing else to do! They might go stir-crazy if they don't see some action, no matter what form it is in, once in a while! Testosterone build-up in a facility like that could not be good!

7/11 is not a good day for trains

If you have seen the news, you know one of the biggest stories of today already: The train blasts in Mumbai (Bombay) killing hunderds. More on this later.

What you might or might not know is that there were a total of 4 incidents involving trains today around the globe:

1. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, the subway system used in the San Francisco Bay Area) reported earlier today that one of the trains got stuck in the Trans-Bay tube (the part that goes under the water across the bay from SF to Oakland). Smoke was reportedly coming out of one of the cars. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.
   


2. Many were reported dead (at least 33 at the last count) in a train crash in Bangladesh. The train reportedly plowed through a bus at an unmanned railway crossing (Source: CNN)
   


3. Chicago subway train derailed and fills the subway with smoke. Dozens were taken to hospitals to be treated for smoke inhalation. Once again, thankfully, there were no fatalities reported.
   


4. Finally, the biggest story of the day: 7 (some reports say 8) bomb blasts rip through commuter trains in the Indian financial center, Bombay, within 11 minutes of each other. Death toll has reached 174 according to latest CNN reports at the time of this blog, not to mention hunderds more injured (464 at the time of this blog). The death toll can be higher as time goes on.
   

I said that the biggest story was the blasts in India. I do not mean to diminish the tragedy that took place in Bangladesh. It is regrettable. But, in the end, that was an accident as opposed to the events in India.

The Bombay blasts were carefully orchastrated to conincide with the evening rush hour commute. For those who don't know, Bombay's commuter rail system (Western Railway System) shuttles 4.5 million passengers each day. Some go to work, some go to schools, while some use it to just get around. This incident is being condemned by world leaders - including Pakinsatni Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf - as a "despicable act of terrorism".

Eventhough there has so far been no claim of responsibility for the blasts, U.S. officials said the blasts followed a pattern initiated by the two main Islamic Kashmiri separatist terrorist groups. Adding support to this statement is the fact that earlier that same day, there were grenade blasts in Inidan-controlled Kashmir that killed at least 4 people.

My heart goes out to the families of those killed in both the Bombay blasts and the Bangladesh tragedy. Terrorism has become an everyday happenstance in our society. How many days go by before there is a terrorist attack in Israel, or Iraq, or Kashmir, or somewhere equally charged geographical location? Not many. Terrorist attacks have become as frequent as people sneezing. What has this world come to when innocent persons are being butchered for the pleasure, stubbornness, and inferiority complex of a small group? The term "despicable act of terrorism [or cowardice]" is being thrown around as casually as you say "Good Morning!" to your neighbor. It is easy to commit the act, but infinitely harder to counter it. Those who fight terrorism will be criticized and their persons and families will be put at risk.

One of the biggest problems of India storming all Islamic Fundamentalist groups is that some of them are not terrorists. India's second larget population is Muslim and any wrong step will create severe civil unrest. So, we bear it as a nation of one and move on. I'm not saying that we don't root out the terrorist camps. We do. But the need to tread carefully hampers the results. Some say we should take the route of Israel and just bomb the heck out of any suspected terrorist camps. But, intelligence always carries with it the risk of wrong analysis. How does a government balance this? How does a government choose between it's civic duty and ethical matters? What do you think? Let me know.

As a closing thought, I would like to ask the following: Did the attacks take place on 7/11 because so many Indians in the U.S. own 7-11 stores? Before you get sensitive on the matter, know that I am merely proposing a conspiracy theory much like the theory of Al Qaeda choosing 9-11 for the coincidence with U.S. Emergencies phone number, 911.

Let us all hope that these acts of terrorism will go into global decline as the War On Terror progresses.

Please pray for the victims of the attacks.

A Joke

A new monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to help the other monks in copying the old texts by hand. He notices, however, that they are copying copies, not the original books. So, the new monk goes to the head monk to ask him about this. He points out that if there were an error in the first copy, that error would be continued in all of the other copies.
The head monk says, "We have been copying from the
copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So the head monk goes down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original.
Hours later, nobody has seen him. So, one of the monks goes downstairs to look for him. He hears sobbing coming from the back of the cellar, and finds the old monk leaning over one of the original books crying. He asks, "What's wrong?"
"The word is celebrate," says the old monk.

Attacked by a giant snail

I had a dream of being attacked by a giant snail last night. It freaking ran me over and slimed all over me. Here's the conversation (at least, what I can remember) between me and the snail. The snail had a deep, thundering voice.

Me: Why did you do that to me?!
Snail: Because you freaking stepped on me and killed me earlier, you moron!
Me: That's it? That's all you are going to do to me?
Snail: That is acidic slime! It's slow acting, but it will melt you down, baby!
Me: Ah-ah! But I know how to counter the acid! I just need some base!
Snail: Good luck, buddy! I brought you to the desert! You can't find any base here!
Me: How do you survive in the desert?
Snail: I'm dead, stupid! I'm a ghost!
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! (Imagine me screaming like the girl about to be iced by Freddy or Jason).

At this point I woke up and had to think back to earlier that night and sure enough, I did step on a snail as I was leaving my friend Brian's B-Day BBQ at his house!

Was I really subconciously that traumatized over stepping on a snail, or am I just crazy?!

Russian Girls

Good techno and sexy girls! What more do you want??!?!?!?!

Saturday night and sitting home

Anyone that knows me also knows that it is hard to find me home on a Friday or Saturday night. But guess what! It's Saturday night and I'm at home! I have to say, this is new territory for me. I never realized how boring and yet at the same time strangely relaxing it is! I guess when you go out every weekend, staying home once in a while will give you time to just be lazy and not do anything. No pressures to keep conversing, to be social, to be upbeat, to be....well, to be more than you really care to be sometimes. I think I'll do this more often. Nah, who am I kidding! I love going out and having fun! But an occasional stay at home is nice.

Yo!

So, it's 3:30 A.M. on June 1st, 2006 - my parents' 34th anniversary - and I thought to myself "what better day than today to jump on the blogging bandwagon!"

I just got back from hanging out at the spot that my friends & I are frequenting these Friday nights. It's called Dragon Bar on Broadway in the glorious city of San Francisco. Now I'm watching a Hindi DVD as I type and talking to my friend on AIM. Apparently some sleazy guy tried to dance with her and buy her a drink. I tell her that she should've taken the drink and left him! You know what her response was? She said "nah, i would have felt bad". I say, ladies, take my advice. If a random guy at a bar/lounge/club offers to buy you a drink, take it! If the guy looks sleazy, leave him! If he gives you trouble, find the security guy or have a friend watch your back! If all else fails, just tell him that you are not into guys and proceed to dance with a drunk chick just to reassure the guy. The chick probably won't mind on the account that she is drunk. If that girl has a boyfriend, trust me! He won't mind you dancing with her either!

If that guy that bought you the drink is still after you, tell him that you only talk to people that live in your head. That is probably enough to run any guy away! Just to make sure that you have a crazed look in your eye and say to no on in particular "what was that? you think I should do what? Do you think that's a good idea?"

Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC weekend!