R-Rated

Watched the first presidential debate on friday night between John McCain and Barack Obama. Good timepass on a friday night, if you are into these things. I have been taking a keen interest in politics lately and it keeps the clock ticking for me after I reach home from work.  I am particularly annoyed and irritated at both these candidates on the Iraq war for always ignoring the fact that over 100,000 Iraqis have lost their lives. What wrong did they do? And there aren't too many news outlets that are willing to show the plight of (Iraqi) families who lost near and dear ones. That's obvious, isn't it? Barack Obama looks confident and ready moreso that John McCain to lead the United States for the next 4 years. Looking forward to the Joe Biden - Sarah Palin debate this coming thursday. Should be interesting to see Palin talk extempore without a teleprompter.  Back to some sunday night news here. For the first time in few years since I started following football, I felt bore...

Hate to be this person. Think twice about being the CEO of a company. At the same time, got to make sure never to get in this embarassing situation in the first place. The embarassing situation of the (dismissed) employees, that is.

Kirti and I completed 3 years of our marriage on August 28th. Feels like yesterday when we got hitched. This year was different as we celebrated our anniversary   (if you want to call it that) in Minneapolis and Chicago with respective roommates and friends. Hardly a consolation. Like last year we had Ganpati celebrations at my place. But a lot of things had changed from 2007. Most importantly, for obvious reasons, Kirti wasn't here although she did help a lot in the preparations.All the furniture was gone for reasons less said the better. The idol itself was "Made in China" (not kidding). The events were low-key this year compared to last as lot of people from Wipro and HCL moved on with their careers to different parts of the U.S. There were some new faces this year. It started getting colder much earlier as compared to any of the previous 6 years since I have been here. Looks like the making of a long and cold winter is ahead of us. In the office, it feels terribly sim...

It is the first week of September. Then why the hell does it feel like November!!!! God surely has a cruel way to show us the middle finger. Could be a lot worse though. Keep praying.

The Olympics are officially over. The games and China will be forever remembered for largely being exciting and thoroughly spectacular. The closing ceremony was as grand and un believable as the opening ceremony. I just felt that it got over too quickly. Olympic games from past years have tend to last forever. This one ended with lot of stars born and 2 huge superstars to remember for a lifetime. Michael Phelps (Swimming - 8 Golds, 7 WRs) and Usain Bolt (Track & Field - 3 Golds, 3 WRs) are going to be super-star attractions in 2012 when the London games start. Over to the U.S. Open Tennis tournament which starts in New York (for once the pressure is on Rafa Nadal as compared to Roger Federer) and the upcoming NFL season. You can't get bored in America once you start following sports here. But the biggest game of all is just getting started. It is presidential election year and the 2 sides are all but ready for "war" to get to the White House. John McCain vs. Barack Ob...

Sixty years ago on August 20th, in Tamil Nadu, India, a baby boy was born. The second-to-last of many children. He grew up in south India and moved with his family to Bombay to complete his schooling and college. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree and got a job in a bank. By 1976 he was married and well settled into his career and in 1977 his first baby was born. A nasty little rascal at that. Few years later, he welcomed his second gem, a silent but "strong" type. Correction, a silent but "heavy" type. Life moved on and his work was steady in Canara Bank, having risen up within the ranks and transfers to multiple branches including one to a remote village in Tamil Nadu. I haven't seen anyone do more for his family and siblings than this man. He has been the cornerstone of the family he grew up in and a rock-solid support that everyone was looking for. He supported his sons in whatever they wanted to do and become in life leaving nothing to chance and...

China is the host of the 29th Olympiad and they have welcomed the world with open arms leaving politics to the politicians and lawmakers and the games to the athletes. The opening ceremony on 08/08/08 at the Bird's Nest stadium was simply the grandest spectacle I have ever seen for any event. One World One Dream is this olympics' motto and by the looks of it, China is doing all it can to bring the world together. China finished second to the USA in 2004 in Greece and they have revenge on their minds as they want to win the overall medal tally and desperately the gold medal tally, at all costs. Estimated amount spent by China to get Olympic-ready, $43 billion. Boy-o-boy, they are proving to the world what they are made up of. Just as The Rock from WWE would say, "Just bring it". India's Abhinav Bindra made a billion of us beam with pride and happiness by winning the gold in the 10m rifle event. India's first gold medal since the 1980 Moscow olympics when the H...