tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382051102012-02-16T11:51:57.067-06:00“I am so busy doing nothing... that the idea of doing anything - which as you know, always leads to something - cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything.”-JSgkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.comBlogger4401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-55671881933130004242011-07-23T22:30:00.003-05:002011-07-23T22:34:37.629-05:00

Dawn, beautiful dawn, the Chief,This day, let it be well with me as I go;Let it be well before me as I go;Let it be well behind me as I go;Let it be well beneath me as I go;Let it be well above me as I go;Let all I see be well as I go.(Navajo prayer to the dawn as translated by Theodore Roosevelt)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-81554358905708855482010-08-24T12:48:00.002-05:002010-08-24T12:53:19.915-05:00

Whenever you're called on to make up your mind,and you're hampered by not having any,the best way to solve the dilemma, you'll find,is simply by spinning a penny.No — not so that chance shall decide the affairwhile you're passively standing there moping;but the moment the penny is up in the air,you suddenly know what you're hoping-Piet Hein

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-6487833879651144112010-08-10T08:03:00.001-05:002010-08-10T08:04:45.234-05:00

An illustrated guide to a PhD....heh......so ironic and true :)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-24629728349960701412010-08-06T14:33:00.003-05:002010-08-06T14:40:54.240-05:00

Good ol' Coach Joe at his best here (from the HCTR listserv)I do believe that each long run for me is a Vision Quest... for me to find a better me.And some are a reminder of how frail and weak I am... a reminder that I am only human.But all that really matters is that I can still GO... fast or slow, no matter... as long as I can GO.And I wish that I could take a few old friends with me ... Rick

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-21074502876769357572010-06-24T10:02:00.002-05:002010-06-24T10:05:19.143-05:00

All you who sleep tonight-Vikram Seth (source)All you who sleep tonightFar from the ones you love,No hand to left or rightAnd emptiness above -Know that you aren't aloneThe whole world shares your tears,Some for two nights or one,And some for all their years.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-78207983244470983622010-03-10T17:15:00.002-06:002010-03-10T17:20:04.259-06:00

Towards goals?Away from challenges?or just ....run

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-46969499893077677612010-03-01T22:50:00.003-06:002010-03-01T22:53:43.737-06:00

Invictus - William Ernest HenleyOut of the night that covers me,Black as the pit from pole to pole,I thank whatever gods may beFor my unconquerable soul.In the fell clutch of circumstanceI have not winced nor cried aloud.Under the bludgeonings of chanceMy head is bloody, but unbowed.Beyond this place of wrath and tearsLooms but the Horror of the shade,And yet the menace of the yearsFinds and

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-43818523516868180272009-10-23T13:53:00.005-05:002009-10-23T14:07:47.621-05:00

Again.....too much....and why is the article under "Fashion and Style" for cryin out loud!Although the definition of the term "sanity" is highly subjective and open to interpretation when it comes to ultrarunners, this is really testing the limits. A quote in the article says: You know any sport has gone off the rails when you have to remove body parts to do itI wouldn't go as far to paint the

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-47671055206019524772009-10-23T10:44:00.004-05:002009-10-23T11:07:26.868-05:00

Seriously NYT....WTF! Devoting an entire article to such nonsense. I am no fast runner myself but all these people complaining in the article are not fast runners by any twist of imagination (4 odd hours for a 26.2...give me a break...I can do that too :P). My take on this is that.....unless you are right up there in the sub 3 or 2.5 hr mark...you should be careful before you open your trap to

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-14519234027609282932009-09-30T16:15:00.004-05:002009-09-30T22:04:37.438-05:00

You will need a truly geeky sense of humor to appreciate this one :P(source: xkcd)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-12336018425786651692009-09-19T09:51:00.001-05:002010-03-01T22:55:14.934-06:00

Load the ship and set out. No one knows for certain whether the vessel will sink or reach the harbor. Cautious people say, "I'll do nothing until I can be sure". Merchants know better. If you do nothing, you lose. Don't be one of those merchants who wont risk the ocean.-Rumi

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-47619012863984634362009-09-12T12:14:00.001-05:002009-09-12T12:16:56.112-05:00

Weird and funny comics for the day

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-20776480808938441602009-09-05T22:47:00.000-05:002009-09-06T10:55:25.031-05:00

Just when you think you have heard the last of some crazy investment ideas, comes another one even crazier...'securitizing' life insurance policies of the old and the ill.. Makes you wonder if these fatcats will ever learn that there should be a limit to their greed, after the near-debacle over the last year that has left the economy everywhere teetering on the precipice.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-60136819090071773702009-08-28T11:17:00.004-05:002009-08-28T11:39:42.725-05:00

A typical economist's view on the true cost of running. Although it reads favorably (?) from my pov...its articles like these that make you go 'duh ...of course I could be doing something else while I am doing this'. But I am doing 'this' because I choose to. There are so many intangtibles that you cannot really assign a price to.....if you are/have been a runner at any point, you know what I'm

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-67507478493544105842009-08-22T22:39:00.003-05:002009-08-22T22:45:35.371-05:00

(Source) Acham Illai- Subramania Bharathiஅச்ச்மில்லை யச்சமில்லை அச்ச்மனெப தில்லையே இச்ச்கத்து ளோரெல்லாம் எதிர்த்துநின்ற பொதினும் அச்ச்மில்லை யச்சமில்லை அச்ச்மனெப தில்லையே துச்ச்மாக வெண்ணிநம்மை தூறுசெய்த பொதினும் அச்ச்மில்லை யச்சமில்லை அச்ச்மனெப தில்லையே பிச்சைவாங்கி உண்னும்வாழ்க்கை பெற்றுவிட்ட பொதினும் அச்ச்மில்லை யச்சமில்லை அச்ச்மனெப தில்லையே இச்சைகொண்ட பொருளெலாம் இழந்துவிட்ட பொதினும்

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-40236948439983716272009-08-14T16:17:00.002-05:002009-08-14T16:25:08.535-05:00

Time to start assembling my crew for the 2015 edition of the Satan's fun run...anyone interested ? :)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-12207969184982890842009-08-08T15:48:00.005-05:002009-08-08T23:43:04.527-05:00

An interesting perspective (based on Buddhism this one..but most surely similar sentiments exist in other religions too) on how there is really no absolute "right" or "wrong" about anything...but only "actions" and "consequences"...read here (.pdf file)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-62817589359958903122009-07-30T13:16:00.013-05:002009-07-30T16:12:15.095-05:00

Passages from "Stray Birds" by Rabindranath Tagore(12)"WHAT language is thine, O sea?""The language of eternal question.""What language is thy answer, O sky?"The language of eternal silence."(37)I CANNOT tell why this heart languishes in silence.It is for small needs it never asks, or knows or remembers.(42)YOU smiled and talked to me of nothing and I felt that for this I had been waiting long. (

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-82209418311445190002009-07-24T15:01:00.004-05:002009-07-24T17:10:27.073-05:00

Some Jedi wisdom for the week....."Fear is the path to the Dark Side.Fear leads to anger.Anger leads to hate.Hate... leads to suffering"- Y

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-90090247518578736682009-07-14T15:40:00.007-05:002009-07-20T13:31:14.218-05:00

One often expects their actions to cause things to happen in a certain way and produce a certain desired/(usually) favorable outcome. If that doesn't happen then it typically leads to frustration and/or anger. Consequently the aforesaid actions are in turn termed a 'failure', (to varying degrees maybe). Does that imply that if there was low/no expectation to begin with, the possibility of such a

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-45870279699284182062009-07-02T23:01:00.003-05:002009-07-09T09:30:49.595-05:00

Heh. (insert background score that conveys utmost irony here :) )

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-60319863451474930692009-06-28T11:36:00.000-05:002009-06-27T14:29:49.848-05:00

Catbert wisdom...don't work just for the money...work to avoid not having any money.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-84832106471291033092009-06-23T22:09:00.004-05:002009-06-23T22:29:01.968-05:00

Do read this article (almost Pollanesque) featured in the current issue of NG. Should provide some food for thought, figuratively speaking of course, the next time while reaching for whatever-it-is that you eat.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-34346214597886171392009-06-17T22:16:00.002-05:002009-06-17T22:25:57.651-05:00

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"(Passage from "If" by Rudyard

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-76006298817755196252009-06-08T17:00:00.004-05:002009-06-09T08:23:57.835-05:00

Writes Pico Iyer in this little gem, describing almost to the T as to how I envision my life to be some day. The one line in the article that hits home his point...couldn't agree with it more-"And then it seems that happiness, like peace or passion, comes most freely when it isn’t pursued."But I don't think I am ready to get off the treadmill yet.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-62383420338730691922009-06-01T13:47:00.003-05:002009-06-01T13:51:55.511-05:00

"Running should be easy, it should be fun, it should include everyone. It shouldn't be a punishment for eating cheesecake, which is what we've turned it into.""because one thing that you will always see in ultra-races that you will never see in normal marathons are smiles. People are relaxed and enjoying the moment""You will not find a four-year-old on this planet who does not like to run. Why?

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-48059270046569380672009-05-30T13:37:00.002-05:002009-05-30T13:52:55.038-05:00

A must-read article in the New Yorker by Atul Gawande on the maze that is the American healthcare system, what is wrong with it (some things he describes are downright scary) ...and parts of it that actually work well. It is almost sad to think that some of the possible models that could be followed , which he describes in his write up, and which can provide affordable (and accountable)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-1414473582186783352009-05-18T20:49:00.006-05:002009-05-23T21:17:13.491-05:00

(Via: Larry's blog)One or two familiar-looking trails (Bighorn?) in the video, but mostly ones I have never seen (on the other hand I might be completely wrong as is often the case. As any trail runner would attest, you either know the trail or you are lost :P...no such thing as familiar-looking). The feeling of being out there staring at the majestic mountains, crossing icy streams, slip-sliding

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-11958044720845931412009-05-16T16:23:00.002-05:002009-05-16T16:29:16.938-05:00

The Road Goes Ever OnThe Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began.Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can,Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger wayWhere many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.- J.R.R. Tolkien (source)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-10237277139213793522009-05-09T22:52:00.002-05:002009-05-09T22:59:34.196-05:00

No wonder people are so easily entranced by his words.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-30892741963383590412009-05-01T19:17:00.003-05:002009-05-01T19:22:45.376-05:00

A rather geeky one this....the path integral formulation of your life...see it here....pure creativity! (not nitpicking the details of course)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-24325832155710033542009-05-01T14:47:00.005-05:002009-05-01T15:13:13.468-05:00

Murphy, of the law, would have loved a day like today when his namesake law seemed to play out to the T.Some of the events that have kept different folks in the workplace busy so far....-Printing pages upon pages of some document only to finally realize upon picking up the print job from the printer, that for some inexplicable reason, the printer gods decided to print out the document....multiple

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-89660293953124105702009-04-23T20:41:00.004-05:002009-04-23T21:09:23.846-05:00

(based on my current state of mind...this can be interpreted slightly out of the original context) tasmad asaktah satatam karyam karma samacara asakto hy acaran karma param apnoti purushah (source and meaning)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-3722003765081499162009-04-17T15:25:00.001-05:002009-04-17T15:29:14.117-05:00

The answer is not just 42 :)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-90093678100774349072009-04-09T23:13:00.004-05:002009-04-10T09:28:29.120-05:00

Random thought for the day comes from yet another long-winded and pointless (sometimes meandering into the macabre) discussion on how people would remember us (me and this other person I was talking to... and no it was not my alter ego) after we were long gone....what would our tombstones say (of course our designated religions preclude both of us from ever having one). But if I do end up having

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-54924052335372843092009-03-24T23:06:00.002-05:002009-03-24T23:15:11.657-05:00

Once More, the Round -Theodore Roethke What's greater, Pebble or Pond?What can be known? The Unknown.My true self runs toward a HillMore! O More! visible.Now I adore my lifeWith the Bird, the abiding Leaf,With the Fish, the questing Snail,And the Eye altering All;And I dance with William BlakeFor love, for Love's sake;And everything comes to One,As we dance on, dance on, dance on.(sources: 1

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-15810617171671880552009-03-04T20:39:00.004-06:002009-03-04T21:29:04.066-06:00

I haven't been really running or training much over the past year since the RR 100, though the list of races on the left bar might tell a different story. Not to brag, but all the races I ran last year...I just showed up and ran the race...treating each race as the training run for the next one with some minor runs between each....so it was just plain ol' dumb luck that I finished all of them

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-49897106156991642502009-02-19T22:39:00.003-06:002009-02-19T22:44:06.868-06:00

And the days are not full enoughAnd the days are not full enough And the nights are not full enough And life slips by like a field mouse Not shaking the grass- Ezra Pound

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-19190635655511329222009-01-27T18:51:00.003-06:002009-01-27T18:59:03.967-06:00

Just when you think your long run over the weekend was a tough one.....imagine a run of 25,000 miles on six continents and through 37 countries. Read more about this incredible journey here.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-36932855738673838432009-01-13T08:24:00.001-06:002009-01-13T08:25:14.949-06:00

Everything has changed. Everything remains the same. Its good to be home.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-66198296125515215742008-12-29T12:14:00.000-06:002008-12-29T12:52:45.824-06:00

(The recent pseudo-philosophical posting streak, can be partially attributed to the fact that my brain has been doing something that it has not really done in a while...some thinking...so be forewarned for some cheesy writing ahead)For some reason, I started to ponder about how much of a metaphor my formerly-active-now-almost-dormant-hopefully-more-active-in-the-future running life can be for

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-23058460758020203422008-11-24T16:37:00.001-06:002008-11-24T16:38:50.505-06:00

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-64277936355646980512008-11-19T14:37:00.002-06:002008-11-19T14:53:41.286-06:00

Anuradha Bakshi at projectwhy writes on how callous some people can be when they perceive themselves as some sort of superhuman do-gooders just because they donated loads of things that they no longer have any use for...nor does anyone else for that matter.Now that I think about it , I have also been guilty of probably doing something similar in the past. This issue struck a chord with me

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-62877959548409177412008-11-18T10:54:00.003-06:002008-11-18T11:29:21.399-06:00

With an inkling of what goes behind the scenes in preparing for an ultra, the actual logistics involved during the run and the fortitude and endurance that is needed to get through such a grueling challenge...all this before more mundane factors like the terrain and weather even come into play.... I can safely say that this recent achievement by Santhosh, is truly epic...do read his

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-30466364624848117932008-11-12T14:49:00.000-06:002008-11-12T14:50:14.518-06:00

As the director/producer of my life's movie - you would think I would have better control over its writer...-Unknown

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-49415128867961871952008-11-10T08:33:00.002-06:002008-11-10T08:35:32.281-06:00

Why do people still forward emails which promise you a cut of Bill Gate's fortune each time you forward an inane email to x number of people and also cc some poor sod on it ?!

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-17998301635535527292008-11-07T09:19:00.001-06:002008-11-07T09:22:03.580-06:00

(title lifted verbatim from source). A heartwarming real-life story here

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-13517163176627505802008-11-05T09:08:00.002-06:002008-11-05T09:10:37.626-06:00

A watershed moment in the history of this nation and the Onion as usual is on the mark with its reporting.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-22063130769441823612008-10-31T23:48:00.004-05:002008-10-31T23:49:31.266-05:00

Or the story of my first 100 miler.. at Rocky Raccoon on February 9, 2008. This highly overdue post has been a long time in coming, baking in the "drafts " oven over the last 9 months (totally unintentional to publish this post at this point of time..and the time interval is also coincidental ). But looking at the sorry state of my blog over the past few weeks, and also because it has come up a

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-48061050432291550202008-10-31T11:50:00.000-05:002008-10-31T11:51:22.192-05:00

Sobering statistics.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-23831981556259977442008-10-26T09:19:00.004-05:002008-10-26T09:28:00.724-05:00

This probably would have been a much easier way to elect the new leader of the free world

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-52776802079566286802008-10-15T15:55:00.003-05:002010-03-01T22:59:24.564-06:00

“Life hits us with something new every day. We can either duck and hunker down in the trenches, or we can stand tall in the wind and shout, ‘Bring it on darlin’! And don’t be stingy with the jalapenos!’”-- late“Big Red” Spicer, former RD for Palo Duro ultra

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-75433686189706367232008-10-13T12:34:00.002-05:002008-10-13T12:44:45.987-05:00

Michael Pollan, doing what he usually does best, talks about the need for a sound food policy in this (long) NYT article.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-89440719712820070612008-10-10T15:49:00.004-05:002008-10-13T12:46:02.226-05:00

Anyone who thinks that people who run measly ultramarathons are crazy, should read about this guy, David Goggins (via:Endurazone)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-18967099109643794502008-10-08T19:49:00.001-05:002008-10-08T19:52:01.328-05:00

What the hell is a vyomanaut? Who pays these people to come up with such terms?

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-89781351956491165322008-10-01T19:58:00.005-05:002008-10-01T20:11:45.300-05:00

This post by Maiji takes me back to some good ol' memories from the good ol' days. (via: Desipundit). The tradition still continues in my family albeit at a much smaller scale now. Though there was nothing much for me to do during the week the Navaratri festival lasted, more than anything I miss the yummy food.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-22191066291811015502008-10-01T10:10:00.003-05:002008-10-01T11:38:36.033-05:00

How much more symbolic can the so-called geopolitical shift of power get than this...the same week, almost down to the same day, that when China lauds its achievements in space.....the U.S tries to wriggle out of the biggest economic mess in history. But despite all temptations for scepticism, it would not be the wisest thing write-off the U.S. completely. Though the days of the world's only "

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-69670554844847633672008-09-28T21:21:00.003-05:002008-09-28T22:22:05.779-05:00

First 2:04:26 and now this! Haile Gebrselassie is an animal...smashing his earlier record by a whole 27 seconds! To put things in perspective this is about a 4.40-odd min/mile pace (I think) for the whole 26.2 miles! I don't think I can run that over a 100m distance. Or looking at it another way, I would need a 15 mile headstart if I were to ever beat him in a 26 miler :P

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-24727664840804306292008-09-28T21:17:00.000-05:002008-09-28T21:18:03.149-05:00

Tina Fey is friggin hilarious!

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-638422009201351012008-09-23T20:13:00.003-05:002008-09-23T20:23:58.775-05:00

This song....something about the whole concept, lyrics, the video....strikes a chord (no pun intended). More about it here.Jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan the...jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan hain?Beautiful!

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-84152433696995479162008-09-21T13:18:00.002-05:002008-09-21T13:25:03.881-05:00

Head out on the highway.Lookin' for adventure. And whatever comes our way (rest here).The 60s rock anthem seems such an apt soundtrack for this National Geographic feature on the ever-under-construction Golden Quadrilateral project. Check out the accompanying photographs too...a slice of everyday life along the corridor.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-54316524636833433562008-09-21T00:29:00.001-05:002010-03-01T23:00:26.074-06:00

The bay is thick with flecks of white.The freezing air is honed and thined.The gulls sleep on the stones tonight,Wings locked against the prising wind.With no companion to my mood,Against the wind as it should be,I walk, but in my solitudeBow to the wind that buffets me.-Vikram Seth

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-40172316604516828962008-09-20T10:32:00.002-05:002008-09-20T10:36:53.481-05:00

(via:Chandni)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-26042897157767954172008-09-17T16:22:00.004-05:002010-03-01T23:00:49.587-06:00

The fat cat on the matmay seem to dreamof nice mice that sufficefor him, or cream;but he free, maybe,walks in thoughtunbowed, proud, where loudroared and foughthis kin, lean and slim,or deep in denin the East feasted on beastsand tender men.The giant lion with ironclaw in paw,and huge ruthless toothin gory jaw;the pard dark-starred,fleet upon feet,that oft soft from aloftleaps upon his meatwhere

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-84294100377510065072008-09-17T14:04:00.005-05:002008-09-17T14:39:36.407-05:00

How about this initiative (via:Goli) for a good laugh..a blatant example of trying to burnish one's reputation by getting on board with a laudable idea proposed by a third party, when the same company is involved in more heinous doings like this. An interesting and ironic state of affairs all at the same time, based on the Marie Antoinette school of thought I suppose...drink cola when you don't

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-18411142582165566622008-09-14T13:23:00.002-05:002008-09-14T13:26:57.936-05:00

Its quite creepy to see how much of a dead ringer Tina Fey is for Palin

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-2776661242888854222008-09-10T22:27:00.002-05:002008-09-10T22:29:33.116-05:00

The invisible hand.Presumably the advert ran sometime in the 50s or 60s...a good couple of decades before the tragedy actually happened.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-44035237770660996172008-09-05T12:33:00.002-05:002008-09-05T12:42:46.537-05:00

It is heartbreaking to read about kids as young as six being pressed into serving in armed conflicts by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh. Even more deplorable is the fact that the state government is also guilty of doing the same thing, and then tries to justify its actions through flimsy arguments like citing lack of documents to verify age. Only can only begin to imagine what sort of a dark future

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-46306130538537810052008-09-01T14:06:00.004-05:002009-10-27T23:10:09.874-05:00

A rubai by Omar Khayyam (source)......a lesson here?The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,Moves on: nor all your Piety nor WitShall lure it back to cancel half a Line,Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-87333113253593993762008-09-01T13:39:00.002-05:002008-09-01T13:49:28.185-05:00

In the name of all things fashionably-holy....what were these people thinking when they did this photo campaign?! And the magazine editor's response is even more appallingVogue India editor Priya Tanna’s message to critics of the August shoot: “Lighten up,” she said in a telephone interview. Vogue is about realizing the “power of fashion” she said, and the shoot was saying that “fashion is no

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-44477838599991726642008-09-01T08:40:00.004-05:002008-09-01T08:46:45.839-05:00

Sunil Mukhi, of tantu-jaal has his own take on the dumbassery that seems to be all-pervasive these days in the city धिस इझ व्हौट मच ऑफ बॉम्बे लुक्स लाईक दीज़ डेज़। ऑल द शॉप्स हैव गौट मराठी साईन्ज़। वन फील्ज़ हैप्पी दैट द लैंग्वेज इज बीन्ग प्रिज़र्व्ड! फ्रॉम "बेचलर्स" आईसक्रीम टू "गैस सिलीन्डर्ज़", "टैक्स्टाइल्ज़" एंड अफ कोर्स "फास्ट फ़ूड", ऑल धीज़ आर नाओ क्लिअर्ली एक्सप्रेस्ड इन द लोकल लैंग्वेज - विच

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-17558954807289490502008-08-31T23:21:00.003-05:002010-03-01T23:01:37.064-06:00

Simple....yet quite profound, from Tagore's Geetanjali (source)The first day's sunquestionedthe new appearance of being –Who are you?There was no answer.Years went by.Day's last sunasked the last question from the shores of the westin the soundless evening –Who are you?There was no answer.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-30152485808265734142008-08-30T13:17:00.006-05:002008-08-30T13:37:17.199-05:00

Or any other term that you can use to describe this guy as he talks of his twice-a-week commute. On a separate note...Alan does seem to be a very nice guy and my claim to fame is that I happened to meet him last year at Sunmart where I was pacing a friend through 50k and ran a couple of hundred yards with him during the race (he had flown in from CA to Huntsville, TX to do a 50 miler there and a

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-25789753489293595812008-08-30T13:06:00.003-05:002008-08-30T13:58:59.538-05:00

on a completely ingenious, maybe even at an insidious level, is described in this article on hiring armies of low-wage professionals to solve the weird and sometimes funny CAPTCHA codes that one often sees as the first form of verifying that a human and not some automated robotic program (which makes this whole process even more ironic) at the other end of a supposedly secure transaction. (via:

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-4001646050492632662008-08-27T10:39:00.002-05:002010-03-01T23:02:03.037-06:00

By Thomas Friedman in this op-ed pieceThe first rule of holes is that when you’re in one, stop digging

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-11284791082229933372008-08-26T09:32:00.000-05:002008-08-26T09:34:27.521-05:00

Or when the moment when you realize that you are in the wrong profession like these folks did

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-6781998500531784572008-08-25T13:17:00.001-05:002008-08-25T13:18:55.187-05:00

or at least that would be the expected retort from most of the dumbasses on this list

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-74240394573683595792008-08-24T12:12:00.002-05:002008-08-24T12:15:58.651-05:00

...for the Vogon demolition ships..such theories abound.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-15806323698959519722008-08-23T22:11:00.001-05:002008-08-23T22:12:41.802-05:00

Could these be the 4 missing runs that could take the Don to a perfect 100?

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-61799617140289263482008-08-22T12:21:00.002-05:002008-08-22T12:28:17.959-05:00

A New York couple's take on what is a very typically Indian English phrase..a literal translation of the Hindi 'ek kaam karo' (or similar statements in other languages like Tamil or Marathi or possibly others too) . As they put itOne thing can be ten things, but it’s still one thing: it’s clarity. It’s an answer. It’s a solution. It’s a way to move forward. “Do one thing” is so powerful because

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-10306635014288111672008-08-22T09:47:00.004-05:002008-08-22T10:04:31.651-05:00

Every other statement in this abomination of an article talking of the big B trying to burnish his do-gooder image (I'm not trying to pass a judgment here...he may very well be) through his Unforgettable tour results in an immense feeling of wtfness.Sample this...."33% of the universe is without electricity and a large portion of it is in India" (which probably means India is some sort of

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-75812646622113098432008-08-22T00:23:00.005-05:002010-03-01T23:03:23.570-06:00

I'm usually the type who breaks into a run in the opposite direction like a bolt whenever there is any talk of spirituality but this particular one by Marianne Williamson, which a friend pointed out to me, kinda struck a chord (even if it is chockful of preacher-type cliches and things I would like to disagree with)....maybe it is just the state of mind I'm in these days.“Our deepest fear is not

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-3124950541399197582008-08-21T16:03:00.002-05:002008-08-21T16:11:54.823-05:00

Amardeep Singh, an assistant professor of English at Lehigh, writes about the experience of one of his students on the generalizations (some absurd, some weird and others downright funny) she encountered while grading an AP exam for high schoolers here. One can just wonder how much more insular can people get in this day and age if such perceptions still persist.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-31398453716297248632008-08-20T16:30:00.002-05:002008-08-20T16:34:31.045-05:00

You know who I'm talking about. Reams have been written about him..but here is how really it all began :PAnd if you also want to know what has been really causing global warming....you might be interested in what ipatrix has to say here

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-50197195462769369822008-08-15T08:36:00.003-05:002010-03-01T23:06:52.284-06:00

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is freeWhere the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic wallsWhere words come out from the depth of truthWhere tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfectionWhere the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habitWhere the mind is led forward by thee

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-45933440645425047342008-08-08T15:01:00.006-05:002008-08-08T15:11:32.475-05:00

"As it becomes cheaper and more widely available, the Desi technology has potential ethnical implications". (sic...and unnecessary/inappropriate emphasis my own)Desi with a capital D but it really is not what you think it is :)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-67086761115305761742008-08-08T08:10:00.002-05:002008-08-08T08:23:20.307-05:00

Here, here and here. (via: Nanopolitan)Yes ...you do need to have a very geeky sense of humor to appreciate these...but then what else do you expect from someone who once analyzed with a fellow geek the amount of heat lost by radiation and convection from a bald man's head (of course it was not assumed to be a perfect black body and emissivity was also accounted for ;)) ....all during the course

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-42120527939952077552008-08-07T14:26:00.000-05:002008-08-07T14:27:39.662-05:00

Apparently fever can catch a cold according to this new study

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-61043419035288801262008-08-07T12:57:00.002-05:002008-08-07T13:33:05.751-05:00

Atanu Dey makes a compelling case for abolishing subsidies provided by the Indian government towards the Haj pilgrimage (a petition to this effect has been accepted to the SC...albeit it looks like some hardliner filed for it). And I completely am with him on this as an idea, although I would like to think that my reasons would be slightly different. It is indeed very discriminatory, in my

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-11268550975085543732008-08-06T11:17:00.004-05:002008-08-06T11:23:09.981-05:00

Would someone care to explain to me how our purported future prime minister, someone who is in public office and is not involved in any business ventures (to my knowledge at least) have an "official" income of Rs.80 crores and pay Rs. 26 crores in taxes?!! As anyone who is even vaguely familiar with Indian politics would very well know, if these are the officially reported figures, one can only

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-28610377521806947262008-07-30T16:11:00.002-05:002008-07-30T16:15:39.918-05:00

....the powers that be had this report by RAND corp, before the whole "war on terror" shebang; the world would have surely be slightly better off. (via:Boingboing)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-3857162202325630122008-07-28T12:56:00.001-05:002008-07-28T12:58:30.924-05:00

An interesting result on what happens to your neighborhood when you win the lottery.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-8275047597103304462008-07-23T15:19:00.002-05:002008-07-23T15:22:17.239-05:00

On a cheapo birthday card... "Life's like a pizza.....When it's good, it's really good....When it's bad, it's still pretty good "

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-81117221718232228182008-07-23T10:46:00.001-05:002008-07-23T10:47:36.886-05:00

(warning:extreme geek alert) Pi or Two Pi .....that is the question here.

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-62357049767309333672008-07-23T10:35:00.003-05:002008-07-23T10:39:59.647-05:00

Singh may be king yet after what transpired on Tuesday...but Pratap Bhanu Mehta hits the nail on the head on what ails Indian politics in his op-ed piece here. Its really sad when you can't but agree when he says "we have a politics without scruples, without principles, without common decency and without common prudence "...case in point here ?

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-68810355187542729132008-07-23T10:11:00.000-05:002008-07-23T10:12:34.164-05:00

The definition of irony...here

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-57896506277942540362008-07-21T14:12:00.003-05:002008-07-21T14:25:30.124-05:00

Why would anyone in their right mind pay Rs. 15 lakhs for 3 doors when they can get 75 doors, give or take a few, of comparable performance, albeit slightly compromised quality for the same price? I agree this is not a fair argument, since they do claim that its targeted at "high-income, style-oriented youth" (also known as 30-something, balding, out-of-shape stock brokers for they are the

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-74380146505608188452008-07-18T15:07:00.007-05:002008-07-18T15:18:45.142-05:00

Yet another nut job....this one is trying to get the message across that all Christians are electrocuted pickles...no offense intended to anyone...but just watch the hilarious video here(via: Boingboing)

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-60165437786579155892008-07-17T14:03:00.001-05:002008-07-17T14:06:33.565-05:00

Heh. Brilliant!

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38205110.post-29551329201918563852008-07-17T10:05:00.003-05:002008-07-17T10:14:36.513-05:00

Can so-called "development" be forced upon a group of people who seem to be perfectly content with their current surroundings? This BBC news article talks of the proposed venture by the mining giant Vedanta to strip the hills of Orissa for bauxite and almost surely destroy the surrounding environment and with it the tribal Dongria's way of life. Harsh and primitive their life may be, but in many

gkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038523998182550302noreply@blogger.com0