I hate flying. It's way more stressful than it needs to be. Between the checkin' in, the security lines, and then rushing to the gate, there's far too many uncertain factors. Sometimes you get there hours before you need to, and other times, you're hearing your name over the intercom cause you're late (even though they're the ones that put you on an earlier flight!)
My flight into DFW was two and a half hours late. First, there was the announcement of a 45-minute "company-controlled" delay for all flights in and out of Dallas with no explanation. Some passengers were speculating that it might be because there were too many planes on the tarmac, so they needed to slow things down. Another guy was chattin' on his cell, saying there was probably some security issue. So we're sittin' in the waiting area, and then finally the pilot comes out and announces that it's because of "high winds"!
That's right, wind is causing all planes in and out of American's hub to be grounded. Unbelievable. I can understand snow and heavy rain, but wind? It's not like Dallas is getting hit by hurricanes or tornadoes. Suck it up and fly through it. Seriously.
So we finally board the plane at like 7 (when we were supposed to leave at 6:08), and then sit on the tarmac until 8, with various updates from the pilot (basically saying that the flight has been further delayed and that we're taking a new route that'll take 4 hours instead of the usual 3.5).
After we're in the air, I'm thinking everything should be fine now. The "heavy winds" should be calm by now, if some guy at American Airlines decided that planes can come in again. Oh, but I'd be wrong. We're like 20 minutes away from DFW, when the pilot announces that we're supposed to "hold" in the air. Do what? I thought only helicopters could hover. But we end up "holding" for like 10 minutes or so.
And then another announcement -- the worst I've heard from a pilot -- "We'll be going through high winds, but don't worry. The plane has been stressed for these conditions, and the crew and the plane are prepared for these conditions. We'll try and get through this as quickly as possible." Sounds similar to the kind of stuff that the dentist says right before they drill into your teeth!
I hate flying!
Monday, November 28, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Lessons Learned
They say you learn something new every day.
Today's lesson: progress = kidnapping.
Put in other words, in order to have any progress, kidnappings must be present.
Think about it.
Today's lesson: progress = kidnapping.
Put in other words, in order to have any progress, kidnappings must be present.
Think about it.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Gwen! BEP!
Went to the Black Eyed Peas/Gwen Stefani concert last night. It was freakin' awesome.
This is the first "stage-show" concert I've ever been to... I've been to a couple of rap concerts (a free Ludacris one at college, and another TI/Ludacris/Ciara one that was paired with a car show), but this one had an entirely different feel. I'm easily awed by flashy lights, bright costumes, and special effects, so this was my kinda event.
I had no idea Fergie, the sole female on the Black Eyed Peas, was such a strong vocalist and had such a strong stage presence. She pretty much commanded the stage the entire time, and should take a hint from Gwen and go solo. The entire group is crazy talented though, both vocally and physically. Those guys know how to bust a move. They also added some breakdancers as a nice little touch between songs.
After a hour-long intermission (is that normal?), Gwen rose up, seated on a luxurious throne (similar to the LAMB CD cover). While the BEP's stage set was more subdued, allowing people to focus more on their strong performances, Gwen's was all about the lights and multiple screens displaying music videos and crazy visuals. I've never been to a Britney Spears concert (unfortunately), but I'm imagining it's all along the lines of what her stage set would be like. Not that Gwen's performance wasn''t strong, but I'm guessing people expect a lot more in terms of production value when you're the headliner.
She seemed to be genuinely grateful for her fans, and took time out to say that she had no plans to tour, but felt she had to after her albums were so successful.
Overall, a great concert and tons of energy. Oh, and there were lots of hot girls :)
This is the first "stage-show" concert I've ever been to... I've been to a couple of rap concerts (a free Ludacris one at college, and another TI/Ludacris/Ciara one that was paired with a car show), but this one had an entirely different feel. I'm easily awed by flashy lights, bright costumes, and special effects, so this was my kinda event.
I had no idea Fergie, the sole female on the Black Eyed Peas, was such a strong vocalist and had such a strong stage presence. She pretty much commanded the stage the entire time, and should take a hint from Gwen and go solo. The entire group is crazy talented though, both vocally and physically. Those guys know how to bust a move. They also added some breakdancers as a nice little touch between songs.
After a hour-long intermission (is that normal?), Gwen rose up, seated on a luxurious throne (similar to the LAMB CD cover). While the BEP's stage set was more subdued, allowing people to focus more on their strong performances, Gwen's was all about the lights and multiple screens displaying music videos and crazy visuals. I've never been to a Britney Spears concert (unfortunately), but I'm imagining it's all along the lines of what her stage set would be like. Not that Gwen's performance wasn''t strong, but I'm guessing people expect a lot more in terms of production value when you're the headliner.
She seemed to be genuinely grateful for her fans, and took time out to say that she had no plans to tour, but felt she had to after her albums were so successful.
Overall, a great concert and tons of energy. Oh, and there were lots of hot girls :)
Monday, October 31, 2005
Halloween at the office
Halloween turned out to be the event of the year at work!
For some reason, it was decided at the regular office lunch on Friday that everyone should wear suits and "professional" clothing today for Halloween. Everyone, that is, except for the project managers. I'm not sure how exactly how this idea came about, but then again, I've been to office lunches and any idea that comes out of it ceases to surprise me any more.
Well, seeing as how the official dress code is pretty much "wear whatever you want, since it's a long day and we want you to be comfortable," this was an occasion to be commemorated! Break out the cameras! We need pictures to mark this oh-so-rare event. The only time I've seen anyone wear a suit at work is when we have candidates come in to interview. (I believe that's the last time my suit was worn.)
So, after the company-wide picture at noon, we did another oh-so-rare thing: company lunch on a Monday!
Ah, and you thought it would stop there. Nope, pictures and company lunches aren't enough; not for Halloween 2005. We need one more thing to make it a true holiday. Cake! We need cake!
Oh the irony! The company's employees have never looked so professional, and yet we probably got less work done than a normal Monday.
For some reason, it was decided at the regular office lunch on Friday that everyone should wear suits and "professional" clothing today for Halloween. Everyone, that is, except for the project managers. I'm not sure how exactly how this idea came about, but then again, I've been to office lunches and any idea that comes out of it ceases to surprise me any more.
Well, seeing as how the official dress code is pretty much "wear whatever you want, since it's a long day and we want you to be comfortable," this was an occasion to be commemorated! Break out the cameras! We need pictures to mark this oh-so-rare event. The only time I've seen anyone wear a suit at work is when we have candidates come in to interview. (I believe that's the last time my suit was worn.)
So, after the company-wide picture at noon, we did another oh-so-rare thing: company lunch on a Monday!
Ah, and you thought it would stop there. Nope, pictures and company lunches aren't enough; not for Halloween 2005. We need one more thing to make it a true holiday. Cake! We need cake!
Oh the irony! The company's employees have never looked so professional, and yet we probably got less work done than a normal Monday.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
...
My grandfather passed away this week.
I wasn't that close to him, so I'm doing ok. I think it'll be pretty hard for my mom though (she took a year to get over her uncle's death a few years ago).
It's kinda scary though, cause he was in the States visiting my uncles for the past four months and only went back to India in late September...
Life's far too short and unexpected to take tomorrow for granted.
On that note, I'm thinking about taking flying lessons. It's a tad expensive, but it seems like a lot of fun and would be a very unique skill to have (I read that only one out of 10,000 people have a pilot's certificate).
I wasn't that close to him, so I'm doing ok. I think it'll be pretty hard for my mom though (she took a year to get over her uncle's death a few years ago).
It's kinda scary though, cause he was in the States visiting my uncles for the past four months and only went back to India in late September...
Life's far too short and unexpected to take tomorrow for granted.
On that note, I'm thinking about taking flying lessons. It's a tad expensive, but it seems like a lot of fun and would be a very unique skill to have (I read that only one out of 10,000 people have a pilot's certificate).
Monday, October 10, 2005
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Garba-Raas!
Weekend recap..
Saw the Texas-OU game at a friend's apartment on Saturday afternoon.. we finally won! Broke a six-year losing streak.. definitely worth the wait though.. final score 45-12.
Later that night, went to Garba-Raas for the first time in years. For those non-Indians, basically there's two types of dances: one is garba, which is a four-step dance, two steps facing forward, and two steps facing backwards (but still dancing forwards). The second is called raas (or dandiya-raas translated as "stick dance"), where you have two sticks and a partner standing directly in front you; there's 5-steps: 1-2) tap one of your sticks with your partner's stick, 3) tap your own sticks together, 4) tap one of your sticks with your partner's stick, 5) tap your own sticks together.
The raas is more fun in my opinion, since you can modify what you do on step 3 to mix it up. There's also other variations that include 12-steps instead of 5. It's quite a workout though, since you're constantly moving and the beat is pretty fast. You're also in a line, so if you miss a beat or want to rest, the entire line gets messed up and people get pissed.
Saw the Texas-OU game at a friend's apartment on Saturday afternoon.. we finally won! Broke a six-year losing streak.. definitely worth the wait though.. final score 45-12.
Later that night, went to Garba-Raas for the first time in years. For those non-Indians, basically there's two types of dances: one is garba, which is a four-step dance, two steps facing forward, and two steps facing backwards (but still dancing forwards). The second is called raas (or dandiya-raas translated as "stick dance"), where you have two sticks and a partner standing directly in front you; there's 5-steps: 1-2) tap one of your sticks with your partner's stick, 3) tap your own sticks together, 4) tap one of your sticks with your partner's stick, 5) tap your own sticks together.
The raas is more fun in my opinion, since you can modify what you do on step 3 to mix it up. There's also other variations that include 12-steps instead of 5. It's quite a workout though, since you're constantly moving and the beat is pretty fast. You're also in a line, so if you miss a beat or want to rest, the entire line gets messed up and people get pissed.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Best Shows on TV
In no particular order:
Veronica Mars - Kristen Bell, the new hotness, is a part-time student, part-time detective who helps her dad solve cases in their upper-class neighborhood. I've only caught bits and pieces, but she seems to be a bit of an outcast and people are always accusing her of committing crimes like murder.
Arrested Development - By far, the funniest show on today. It takes multiple viewings to catch all the jokes. Unfortunately, the ratings are pretty low, and Fox might cancel it if more people don't start watching (Mondays at 7 pm).
Desperate Housewives - Eva Longoria, plus some deep dark secret (in the form of a human) locked in a basement. Enough said.
Making the Band 3 - Diddy wasn't impressed with the girls his minions found last season, so he sent them all over the country to try and find better (i.e. hotter) ones. Apparantly he wants girls who can dance, but "not dance like Britney." Oh ok, so ignore the secrets of success of the youngest female artist ever to have four #1 albums? That's a great idea, Diddy. Good luck with that.
Veronica Mars - Kristen Bell, the new hotness, is a part-time student, part-time detective who helps her dad solve cases in their upper-class neighborhood. I've only caught bits and pieces, but she seems to be a bit of an outcast and people are always accusing her of committing crimes like murder.
Arrested Development - By far, the funniest show on today. It takes multiple viewings to catch all the jokes. Unfortunately, the ratings are pretty low, and Fox might cancel it if more people don't start watching (Mondays at 7 pm).
Desperate Housewives - Eva Longoria, plus some deep dark secret (in the form of a human) locked in a basement. Enough said.
Making the Band 3 - Diddy wasn't impressed with the girls his minions found last season, so he sent them all over the country to try and find better (i.e. hotter) ones. Apparantly he wants girls who can dance, but "not dance like Britney." Oh ok, so ignore the secrets of success of the youngest female artist ever to have four #1 albums? That's a great idea, Diddy. Good luck with that.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Inventions
Around the turn of the 20th century, inventors were focused on creating devices that would allow people to travel great distances in a shorter amount of time (i.e. planes, cars).
The inventions and innovations today, in contrast, are greatly focused on allowing people to do more while never having to travel any distance at all. With the expansion of the accessiblity of the Internet, you can buy anything you need to buy, and see all the sights the world has to offer without ever leaving your computer.
I wonder what sorts of inventions people will be thinking about 100 years from now.
The inventions and innovations today, in contrast, are greatly focused on allowing people to do more while never having to travel any distance at all. With the expansion of the accessiblity of the Internet, you can buy anything you need to buy, and see all the sights the world has to offer without ever leaving your computer.
I wonder what sorts of inventions people will be thinking about 100 years from now.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Guitar Notes
When I'm really good at guitar, I want to learn the intro to Mr. Brightside by The Killers. There's also this really cool guitar part in a song by Modest Mouse.
Oh, and another thing.. I found out that guitar has its own way of writing notes, called guitar tabs.
That's helpful, since in my guitar class, they're teaching how to read treble clef.
Good to know this entire semester will be a waste and I'll have to teach myself how to read real guitar music.
Oh, and another thing.. I found out that guitar has its own way of writing notes, called guitar tabs.
That's helpful, since in my guitar class, they're teaching how to read treble clef.
Good to know this entire semester will be a waste and I'll have to teach myself how to read real guitar music.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Saturday, September 17, 2005
News?
Why is this news?
Supermodel admits to drug use
Um.. I thought all supermodels used drugs. It's the equivalent of these headlines: "Cars have wheels", "Summer brings heat," "Britney Spears is hot."
It would be more newsworthy if it said something like "Supermodel admits she's never taken drugs." Now that's a story!
Supermodel admits to drug use
Um.. I thought all supermodels used drugs. It's the equivalent of these headlines: "Cars have wheels", "Summer brings heat," "Britney Spears is hot."
It would be more newsworthy if it said something like "Supermodel admits she's never taken drugs." Now that's a story!
No food - Hour 14
Saw "Dancing in the Twilight" yesterday. A friend of a friend of a friend (a fellow Indian) wrote the screenplay, and the entire movie was shot in Houston. It started out kinda slow, but once the tone was established, it was a bit easier to follow what was going on. I kinda predicted the ending about 20 minutes before it happened, but it was still very depressing. Very well done though: the acting, the directing, the writing.
I think this could be a really great play. The whole setup seems better suited for a stage than for a movie set. Nothing in the movie really takes advantage of the fact that it's being filmed. I wonder if it was originally intended to be a play, but then somehow they got money from a studio to make it into a full feature film and decided to go for it.
Still, I hope this movie does well. It has a great story, and more people should see it. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much publicity (I haven't seen any trailers, and the theater was practically empty even though it was opening night).
Afterwards, we went bowling. I've now been to that bowling alley every week for the past three weeks (2 weeks ago with some co-workers, a week ago for an official company party, and then yesterday). I started out kinda slow, but ended up with a personal all-time best 136 on my last game.
Oh, and get this: they have this bizarre "curfew" at the alley, where everyone under the age of 18 has to leave the place at midnight! I've never heard of such craziness. Especially since everyone gets incredibly wild and outrageous as soon as the teenagers leave (what with the bar shutting down at midnight as well).
I think this could be a really great play. The whole setup seems better suited for a stage than for a movie set. Nothing in the movie really takes advantage of the fact that it's being filmed. I wonder if it was originally intended to be a play, but then somehow they got money from a studio to make it into a full feature film and decided to go for it.
Still, I hope this movie does well. It has a great story, and more people should see it. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much publicity (I haven't seen any trailers, and the theater was practically empty even though it was opening night).
Afterwards, we went bowling. I've now been to that bowling alley every week for the past three weeks (2 weeks ago with some co-workers, a week ago for an official company party, and then yesterday). I started out kinda slow, but ended up with a personal all-time best 136 on my last game.
Oh, and get this: they have this bizarre "curfew" at the alley, where everyone under the age of 18 has to leave the place at midnight! I've never heard of such craziness. Especially since everyone gets incredibly wild and outrageous as soon as the teenagers leave (what with the bar shutting down at midnight as well).
Friday, September 16, 2005
No food
So, when was the last time you fasted? What's that? Never? Ever? Never ever? Never ever ever?
Well, that's a shame. Me? I'm actually fasting tomorrow! Why? Well, it's only the most auspicious day on the Jain calendar, silly!
Yeah, I've been doin' the fasting thing every year for about 12 years or so now... Quite the experience. You should try it sometime.
I mean, if David Blaine can do it, so can you.
Well, that's a shame. Me? I'm actually fasting tomorrow! Why? Well, it's only the most auspicious day on the Jain calendar, silly!
Yeah, I've been doin' the fasting thing every year for about 12 years or so now... Quite the experience. You should try it sometime.
I mean, if David Blaine can do it, so can you.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
It's About Time..
http://tinyurl.com/arxan
Wow, less than a year after he was re-elected. I guess it's pretty easy to keep approval ratings high when people have no idea what's going on in a war if you make sure that all media is filtered through the government. All the people hear about are the numbers of deaths, and the politicians proclaiming that we're still winning. But it's a lot harder to censor the media if they get there days before any government presence, and are able to show the horrid and inhumane conditions that these people went through. It's tough to convince the public that "help is on the way" and that the victims are being taken care of when they can see people dying on their screens.
Pretty ironic that the president who proclaimed that he was the strong leader who would keep us safe is now apologizing and questioning whether we are prepared....
"To the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility," Bush told a White House news conference at which he openly questioned U.S. preparedness for another storm or a "severe attack."
That's interesting, since I vaguely recall his entire re-election campaign theme was about protecting the country and how he would do a much better job of keeping people safe. That, coupled with the fact that he's spent billions of dollars supposedly beefing up security everywhere and his newly concocted claim about the war in Iraq: "fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here." Well, I guess you can't "fight" hurricanes or other natural occurences wherever you want. Sounds to me like the whole country was duped into voting for him under false pretenses. The president's approval ratings have hit new lows
Wow, less than a year after he was re-elected. I guess it's pretty easy to keep approval ratings high when people have no idea what's going on in a war if you make sure that all media is filtered through the government. All the people hear about are the numbers of deaths, and the politicians proclaiming that we're still winning. But it's a lot harder to censor the media if they get there days before any government presence, and are able to show the horrid and inhumane conditions that these people went through. It's tough to convince the public that "help is on the way" and that the victims are being taken care of when they can see people dying on their screens.
Pretty ironic that the president who proclaimed that he was the strong leader who would keep us safe is now apologizing and questioning whether we are prepared....
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Vegas Baby!
Went to Las Vegas for Labor Day weekend. It was a pretty fun trip.. overall, made approximately $40 at roulette/slots (all of which was spent again on food/drinks/misc.)
The Strip is much more elegant/extravagant than the last time I went (which was probably like 10 years ago, pre-Bellagio, pre-New York, pre-Venetian). It's such a bizarre feeling to be able to travel through time/space as you go from hotel to hotel.
I literally felt like I was going from medieval Europe to modern-day New York City to ancient Egypt. The Roman/Italian theme is a little overdone though.. with the Bellagio, Venetian and Caesar's Palace all within a block of each other. I suppose the theme is fitting though, since the Romans did represent excess and overindulgence.
It's such a great idea for a city.. create a place where people flock hoping to make lots of money, and then offer enough goods/services that even if somehow people do manage to win big at the casinos, they end up spending all their winnings back in the city. I saw ads for at least 5 new condominum complexes (one owned by Ivana Trump) that will be located on or near the Strip, plus they have a Ferrari/Maserati showroom at the new Wynn hotel.
Of course, if you win less than 100K, there's always a myriad of stores/restaurants catering to your every whim and desire.
If I was really rich, I'd definitely have a place there.
The Strip is much more elegant/extravagant than the last time I went (which was probably like 10 years ago, pre-Bellagio, pre-New York, pre-Venetian). It's such a bizarre feeling to be able to travel through time/space as you go from hotel to hotel.
I literally felt like I was going from medieval Europe to modern-day New York City to ancient Egypt. The Roman/Italian theme is a little overdone though.. with the Bellagio, Venetian and Caesar's Palace all within a block of each other. I suppose the theme is fitting though, since the Romans did represent excess and overindulgence.
It's such a great idea for a city.. create a place where people flock hoping to make lots of money, and then offer enough goods/services that even if somehow people do manage to win big at the casinos, they end up spending all their winnings back in the city. I saw ads for at least 5 new condominum complexes (one owned by Ivana Trump) that will be located on or near the Strip, plus they have a Ferrari/Maserati showroom at the new Wynn hotel.
Of course, if you win less than 100K, there's always a myriad of stores/restaurants catering to your every whim and desire.
If I was really rich, I'd definitely have a place there.
Friday, September 02, 2005
It's OK!
I was very concerned for awhile there.. I heard about the horrible hurricane that struck Louisiana this week and thought about all the destruction and lives lost.
I kept thinking, this is very very bad. But then, to my great relief, I read an article on cnn.com, and all my worries disappeared!
Britney Spears, who was raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, posted a message on her Web site saying her family was safe and that her "thoughts and prayers go out to everyone" on the Gulf Coast.
Everything will be alright, folks! She will continue to entertain millions of people around the world. Not even a hurricane can stop this woman from doing what she does best.
To add to the joyousness, Juvenile has also survived, and will continue to whisper in women's ears, and instruct women what to back up.
As long as these people have survived, I believe the country can move on from this so-called tragedy and continue to live their lives.
I kept thinking, this is very very bad. But then, to my great relief, I read an article on cnn.com, and all my worries disappeared!
Britney Spears, who was raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, posted a message on her Web site saying her family was safe and that her "thoughts and prayers go out to everyone" on the Gulf Coast.
Everything will be alright, folks! She will continue to entertain millions of people around the world. Not even a hurricane can stop this woman from doing what she does best.
To add to the joyousness, Juvenile has also survived, and will continue to whisper in women's ears, and instruct women what to back up.
As long as these people have survived, I believe the country can move on from this so-called tragedy and continue to live their lives.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Lunch Conversations
I work with a bunch of crazies.
We go out to lunch as a group (normally between 6-10 people) on Fridays, and this is the stuff we talked about on our last outing to a Mexican restaurant:
1) chips "mating" - Yes, the tortilla chips that they hand out as an appetizer. Two chips were stuck together, and we had a good 10-minute discussion on how chips came about, and why they didn't mate in front of us.
2) "double dog dare" - another 10-minute discussion on the expression, what it means, and where it came from. In the end, it was pretty hard to convince the others of the dire consequences if you backed down from one of these.. the others consisting of one Canadian, one guy who grew up "all over the United States" (and considers Arizona part of the South) and a couple of Romanians.
3) how the smoke from fajitas is similar to war - this "discussion" took about 10-minutes too, but mostly because we couldn't understand what our co-worker was saying (he has a thick Romanian accent). First, we thought he said "work", which didn't make any sense. Then, we thought he said "world," but that was too vague and also didn't make sense. Finally, he made the universal machine-gun motion to signal "war." Ohh! War! Wait, that still doesn't make sense. How are fajitas like war?
Just your typical lunch conversations..
"So what are you doing over the weekend?"
"The smoke from the fajitas are like war!"
"Uh.. that's cool. I'm probably going to do some shopping.."
We go out to lunch as a group (normally between 6-10 people) on Fridays, and this is the stuff we talked about on our last outing to a Mexican restaurant:
1) chips "mating" - Yes, the tortilla chips that they hand out as an appetizer. Two chips were stuck together, and we had a good 10-minute discussion on how chips came about, and why they didn't mate in front of us.
2) "double dog dare" - another 10-minute discussion on the expression, what it means, and where it came from. In the end, it was pretty hard to convince the others of the dire consequences if you backed down from one of these.. the others consisting of one Canadian, one guy who grew up "all over the United States" (and considers Arizona part of the South) and a couple of Romanians.
3) how the smoke from fajitas is similar to war - this "discussion" took about 10-minutes too, but mostly because we couldn't understand what our co-worker was saying (he has a thick Romanian accent). First, we thought he said "work", which didn't make any sense. Then, we thought he said "world," but that was too vague and also didn't make sense. Finally, he made the universal machine-gun motion to signal "war." Ohh! War! Wait, that still doesn't make sense. How are fajitas like war?
Just your typical lunch conversations..
"So what are you doing over the weekend?"
"The smoke from the fajitas are like war!"
"Uh.. that's cool. I'm probably going to do some shopping.."
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