I want to see cricket: Musharraf

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf says he would love to see some of the India-Pakistan cricket series - but only if invited.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

"I don't believe in going anywhere without an invitation." - Musharraf

Disclaimer : Crossing LOC occassionally and going to India without an invitation is an exempt. Other risk factors include engaging in terrorist activities while peace negotiations are going on, inciting communal violence, supporting infiltrators and floating counterfeit currency.

India Today

The weekend so far has been relaxing. Went for an aroma therapy massage.
It was very relaxing.
Also I saw 2 Hindi movies. I usually don't see any Hindi movie unless it's a really good one or it's a Hrithik Roshan movie. I rented the DVDs of 2 movies, Page 3 and Swades.

These 2 movies, in my opinion, really portray the present India. I don't believe in coincidences. So for anyone, who doesn't know about India and who wants to know what present day India is like, should see these 2 movies.
The movies picture the 2 entirely different worlds in our country.
Page 3 is all about the rich high society plastic life people and their parties and get-togethers.

Swades is all about the poor farmers and villagers and their struggle in their day to day life.

I was particularly impressed with the screen writing of Swades. I thought it was very realistic and I really couldn't find any loopholes. Later when I mentioned this to Dixita, she said the movie was based on a real life story. So it all makes sense.
Shahrukh's acting was good. Different from his stereotype roles. Gayathri Joshi looks very beautiful and glamorous. She resembles and reminds me of one of my friend from college. This is her first movie and she has appeared in numerous TV Ads in the past.


One more thing I liked in this movie is the scene where Gita(Gayathri) challenges Shahrukh to name the five rivers in India, new state and number of lions in Asoka pillar. It's funny when people in India call NRIs as Non Returning Indians(Swades) and Non Reliable Indians(Page 3) and accuse NRIs of not knowing about what's going on India.
I just can't buy that argument. We people here don't ignore what's happening back home. Sometimes I feel that people here in US know more about what's happening in India than the people living there. Thanks to Internet and Satellite TVs.

Now come on...you have to understand that we are in US and all we do at work here is browse :)
Do you still believe we don't know what's happening back home?

German driving license

You think getting a driver's license in US is tough?
Well...think of Germany.

How Germany can drive you crazy

Tired of same Google?

Want to have some fun with google?

http://www.google.com.sa

Start typing in the search box. You will notice it behaving differently :)

Conflict of Interest

Hugo Chavez arrives in New Delhi
India and Iran in gas export deal

This really puts US in the spotlight.
US really doesn't like Iran and Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president who was overthrown in a US-backed military coup in 2002. Now both India and china, the two fastest growing economies in the world, are getting close to both Iran and Venezuela. With India and China investing billions in both the countries, they sure would not like to see any one messing with the affairs of those two countries. I guess the US would now have to tone down the rhetoric.

Was the Taj Mahal a Vedic Temple? - The Photographic Evidence

Many of us know about Taj Mahal.

Well...we have seen the pictures of Taj Mahal and heard a lot about it. But, do we really know about it?

What is the Taj Mahal?

Here's what Stephen Knapp tells us about Taj Mahal.

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/

Shut the hell up Dravid.

'Pakistan brings out the best in us' - Rahul Dravid

http://us.rediff.com/cricket/2005/feb/25cinter.htm

Sometimes this guy talks really garbage.

Pakistan always had the upperhand when it came to cricket, Test or ODI.

Test Records

ODI Records

If this is supposed to be the best in us ....then it sucks.

LOC Crossing permit

Look at this.
This is the new LOC Crossing Permit that has to be carried by the citizens of India and Pakistan if they are to cross the LOC.

Look at how small the area is to fill the address.That too look at the place where you may have to fill multiple address.

And where is number 9?
Is it so secret that it can't be printed or shared?



http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/18look2.htm

Wan to be bugged ? hehe

http://www.rubal.net/swf/BuggingYou.swf

I finished reading Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. I should say that this was a wonderful experience. I knew quite few things about Christianity. This novel was a total 'shock and awe' for me. I guess in our life time we may never know the truth.

I wish I had read the novel before my Euro trip. I would have tried to visit the places mentioned in the novel. I would have definitely gone to the Louvre. Anyway, there is always a next time :)

Now I have to read the prequel ‘Angels & Demons’.

Ooohhh...now they say a fuel tank dropped accidentally from an airplane in southern Iran.

What the heck!!!

Missiles fired near Iran nuke plant

I just saw foxnews.com
It's 9.00 am.
Some plane fired a missile near Iran's nuke plant.

UN Peace Keeping Force Contributors

When I was watching the movie 'Hotel Rwanda' I noticed that most of the UN Peace Keeping Force members looked Indian. I wasn’t surprised as I knew that India contributes a lot to the UN Peace Keeping Force. But I was curious to know the exact statistics of the contributors to the UN Peace Keeping Force. When I was researching on that, I stumbled across some interesting facts.

Pakistan has been the leading contributor to the UN Force followed by Bangladesh. India is behind them and on occasions even behind Nigeria.

January 2005

You can get detailed statistics here.

http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/contributors/

Formula One rule changes for 2005

1. Engines must now last for two races, rather than just one, with any unscheduled change resulting in a 10-place penalty on the starting grid.
2. Qualifying will be held over two days, with the final session on Sunday morning. The Sunday and Saturday times will be aggregated.
3. Changes in aerodynamics of the car.
4. Tires must last for qualifying and the race.

huh.....no....the last change, same tires for the entire race, is really bad :(

It's fun to watch the tyre change at the pit stop as it adds a lot to the excitement of the game. Now I think we will have to miss all that.

I wonder what they will do if it starts to rain during the race. Usually the teams go for a pit stop and change to wet tires and when it stops raining they have to again come back to change to dry tires. Now I wonder what they will do? Are they going to run on all season tires. That would be terrible. Will have to dig into the details of this.

iPod shuffle ad

This ad has been my favorite one recently. I don't fancy the iPod Shuffle much, but I love the ad.

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ads/640.html

It's a video ad. Turn down your speakers at work :)

Hotel Rwanda

Saturday I went to the movie "Hotel Rwanda" with my friend Pat and his wife Velma. This movie had a limited release (like all other good movies) so we had to drive to cary town to watch it. It's a very touching movie. It's based on a real incident that happened in Rwanda. It's like Schindler's List. Don Cheadle's acting is brilliant. He has been nominated for the oscars.

Google Map

Google has come up with their own map/directions service.
Check it out folks.

http://maps.google.com/

Virginia Senate drops droopy-pants bill

Virginia lawmakers dropped their droopy-pants bill Thursday after the whole thing became just too embarrassing.

CNN News

Yeah Baby. Freedom Kicks Ass.

Fines for 'droopy drawers' backed

US politicians fed up with catching an eyeful of underwear want to fine those who won't hitch up their trousers.
The Virginia state house has voted to outlaw the trend of wearing trousers so low that underwear hangs over the top.

Ohhh come on.
This is ridiculous.

Honestly... I hate when I see people dressed like that. I don't like it.
But coming up with a bill to fine those who won't hitch up their trousers....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4249831.stm

That too this is in Virginia.

You know who they are going to target next?
Yes. "Girls".
Guys wake up.

Goddammit!

Isn't America supposed to be the world's brightest beacon of freedom?

Teacher charged with having sex with student, 13

This is one reason why guys should never study well and graduate from school. They should just fail and remain in school. Dammit.

CNN Article