Keep the Faith

Based on my experience, I believe that most opportunities are disguised as obstacles. I managed to recognize and benefit from them sometimes, and probably have totally missed them on others.

The precision with which a series of events have happened in one of my good friend's life in the recent past, made me believe that the Divine has created him all the right conditions, and is telling him pursue bigger and better things. I am writing this post (as always) wishing him the very best.

Here is a relevant story from Pastor Joel Olsteen's Sermon at Lakewood Church (that I watched on TV).

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost.

He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island!

It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Moral of the Story:

It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad or things have caused undue stress, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain, suffering, or stress. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

On reading a quote from the Bible on my blog last year, one of my childhood buddies (and a distant relative) wondered about my reason for quoting Bible, when so much wisdom is available in Hinduism.

My answer is, if we find some water when we are really thirsty, we probably will not be finicky and try to find if it was extracted from an aquifer or river of our choice. If it looks good and tastes good, we would gladly quench our thirst with it. Finally, I love the following song.

Men Vs. Women

According to two studies by professors at Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, the results are in, and it turns out that men are happier than women. On average, the studies showed, women are unhappy about 90 minutes more per week than men.

I think the following photo pretty much answers the question "why so?"

Just kidding! I think women take things a lot more seriously than men, and they make less impulsive decisions than men. In addition to the burden of greater family responsibilities they take, their tendency to analyze things in many angles may be one of the causes for their dissatisfaction (because, the world makes no sense)! I will leave it here. If I continue analysis any further, I will be crossing the boundary:-)

Drive by Snaking

Weird things happen everywhere. But when they happen in Austin, they get special attention.

Three Taco Bell customers threw a python through a drive-through window at an unsuspecting worker who is very afraid of snakes. Bryant Simmons, 20, was handing food to the men in a pickup Sunday night at the restaurant at 1108 N. Interstate 35. Someone inside the truck tossed the 3-foot snake at Simmons. It hit him in the chest but did not bite him.

Simmons was still terrified when officers arrived, Round Rock police spokesman Eric Poteet said. Simmons couldn't be reached for comment Thursday, but Don Barton, vice president of human resources for Austaco Ltd., said Simmons "is shaken up but just fine." The snake will also be fine: Officers gave it to a known python fan who works at a nearby Thundercloud Subs restaurant. They said the reptile is harmless.


"As soon as I saw it, I had to have it," said Mandie Page, who has two other ball pythons. "I can't believe someone would throw it like that, because they could have hurt him." (She meant the snake.) Page said she's friends with one of the officers but said it took a little bit of coaxing to get the snake. She named it Joker.

This reminds me of a lady I saw at Lady Bird Lake a few years ago - she was speed walking with ~ 6 ft python coiled around her neck! I wish I had a camera then. I thought it was weird!

అశ్వధ్ధామ అత&#3075 :-)

General Petraeus or General Betray Us?

While the Senate condemned MoveOn.org, I think the majority of those voted for this condemnation realize that MoveOn has a point. But politicians have to say what they have to say to save their careers. For almost all organizations, we have yard sticks that would help us gauge if they are passing or failing in their mission. I noticed that in the name of patriotism, we never question Army's actions. They are always right. Sure, we all must salute the brave soldiers who sacrifice their lives so that we can feel secure and sleep well at night. But, shouldn't they too have a yard stick? No one should get a carte blanche.

President Bush basically is saying that (1) the Administration is not at fault (2) Iraqi government is not at fault and (3) the soldiers are not at fault. And yet, the violence in Iraq is increasing, while every one is doing their jobs well. This doesn't make sense!

We find bad apples even in the best run organizations. We all know that the military has acute shortage of recruits. I doubt if military has enough resources to thoroughly evaluate psychological profile of all the recruits and reject those who are unfit psychologically. I am sure that they recruited a good number of manic depressives, sadists, and kids with abused childhood (albeit unintentionally). Think of all the damage these kids can do to the innocent civilians on the other side of the line (e.g., Abu Grahib). I think that this administration is feeling compelled to maintain 140K+ troop levels just because they don't want to admit that they made mistakes (ego thing).

Re: cooking up of Petraeus report, I wonder why President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq just before this report was released? Sure, he makes unannounced visits for security reasons. But why visit just before the report was due? We just can't say that Petraeus is a four-star general therefore he must be right, honest, and all that good stuff. Remember astronaut Lisa Novak? Achievement is no guarantee for righousness, I think.

Picture of God

A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's artwork. As she came to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."

The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."

Without missing a beat or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

License Raj

In India, Will Corruption Slow Growth or Will Growth Slow Corruption?

Now that India is playing an ever larger role in the world economy, the issue of corruption, in both the private and public sectors, is coming into sharper focus. Two scenarios are possible: As India's multinational corporations develop both economic and political muscle, they may act as a broom, sweeping corruption from the economic sphere. On the other hand, entrenched practices may prove the stronger force, and corruption could end up being a significant brake on India's economic rise.

The costs of corruption are manifest in various parts of the economy. Inadequate infrastructure, of course, is widely recognized as a serious impediment to India's advancement. Producing valuable goods is of limited utility if they cannot be transported in a timely fashion, for example. Transparency International estimates that Indian truckers pay something in the neighborhood of $5 billion annually in bribes to keep freight flowing.

Corruption also cripples the effort to ameliorate poverty in India and to improve the country's stock of "human capital." The rate at which this happens varies tremendously from region to region. Edward Luce, for example, author of In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India, notes that "Rates of theft vary widely from state to state in India, with the better states, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, getting more than 80% of subsidized government food to their poor. Meanwhile, in the northern state of Bihar, India's second poorest with a population of 75 million, more than 80% of the food is stolen."

Transparency International monitors corruption globally and puts out an annual report which it refers to as the Global Corruption Barometer. The most recent figures from 2006 provide an interesting perspective on how Indians see progress in the area of corruption.

Geek Magnet

Three years ago, Google posted these ads along roads and highways in CA and MA for recruiting folks with affinity for numbers. I thought it was a pretty creative attempt for grabbing attention of the right folks with dominant left brains.

{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com

The correct answer to the banner problem leads to a Web site that poses yet another puzzle. Eventually, the determined problem-solver lands at a Google Web page that asks the smart, or lucky, few for a resume.

Nebraska Sanator Sued God!

As an expression of his frustration with frivolous litigation, Nebraska State Senator Mr. Ernie Chambers filed a law suit against God in Douglas County Court!

Chambers bases his ability to sue God, as, "that defendant, being omnipresent, is personally present in Douglas County."The suit asks for a "permanent injunction ordering Defendant to cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats."Chambers also cites that the, "defendant directly and proximately has caused, inter alia, fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornados, pestilential plagues...""The Constitution requires that the courthouse doors be open, so you cannot prohibit the filing of suits," Chambers says. "Anyone can sue anyone they choose, even God."

So, now it is the God's turn to wait for the judgement day!

Chinese Menus, Lost in Translation

As a part of preparation for 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China is trying to clean up English translations on the menus in city's restaurants. I recently heard on NPR that the Chinese tourism officials found a menu with a dish steamed carp, with letters 'a' and 'r' accidentally interchanged:-) Yummy for mud bugs!

On a serious note, I heard from Jim (my boss, a Chinese American, visited China last month) that China is all pumped up on showing off its ability in organizing this grandiose event, and making a lasting impression on the world community. Olympics are scheduled to begin on 08/08/08 (August 8, 2008) at 08:08:08 PM (as '8' is a good number according to Chinese numerology!). Here is some interesting information I heard from Jim.

To reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, Beijing will be taking one million cars off the roads during Olympics. Also, all chemical and industrial operations in and around Beijing will be shut down during these events. I was told that a popular joke in China these days is the question, "what is the national bird of China?"


The answer is "Crane"! (because there are cranes every where, due to rapid construction activities)

No. 5, 1948

No, this is not my doodling with colored sharpies during one of the conference calls last week! This is a painting titled No. 5, 1948, created by Mr. Jackson Pollock. At $140 Million, it is the most expensive painting ever sold. Mr. Pollock is also known as 'Jack the Dripper'.

Instead of using the traditional easel he affixed his canvas to the floor or the wall and poured and dripped his paint from a can; instead of using brushes he manipulated it with `sticks, trowels or knives' (to use his own words), sometimes obtaining a heavy impasto by an admixture of `sand, broken glass or other foreign matter'.

The painting No. 5, 1948 falls under the category, Abstract Expressionism.

Abstract Expressionism does not describe any one particular style, but rather a general attitude; not all the work was abstract, nor was it all expressive. What these artists did have in common were morally loaded themes, often heavyweight and tragic, on a grand scale.

What this means to (the sceptic in) me is, this abstract expression movement had one hell of a marketing guy (or gal)! Here is one more product of abstract expression.

The 500-year old painting Mona Lisa still remains the most valuable painting with an estimated worth of well over $500 Million.

వినాయక చవిత&#3135

వినాయక చవితి శుభాకాంక్షలు!

Ganesh Chaturthi (गणेश चतुर्थी) is an occasion or a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. It is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). This typically comes sometime between August 20 and September 15. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi.

Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

What is Real?

Lao Tsu said:

I dreamed I was a butterfly. Now that I am awake I wonder, am I a man who dreamed he was a butterfly or am I butterfly dreaming that I am a man?

This wonderful quote reminds me of the following quotes from the movie The Matrix. I love this movie as excellent philosophy is finely intertwined with superb special effects in it.

Morpheus: Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?

Morpheus: If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.

Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, or when you go to church, or when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

Neo: What truth?

Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind. Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

[This is after Neo notices blood coming out of his mouth after an encounter in the Matrix, the imaginary world]

Neo: I thought it wasn't real
Morpheus: Your mind makes it real
Neo: If you're killed in the matrix, you die here?
Morpheus: The body cannot live without the mind

Killer Bees Spotted in New Orleans

This blog post is a transition from The Beatles to bees! Louisiana's Agricultural Commissioner says that killer bees (aka Africanized bees) probably have established themselves in the New Orleans area.

Africanized bees are the result of an experiment to increase honey production in Brazil. A swarm escaped a lab in 1957 and headed north. When they mated with native strains, the offspring were as aggressive as the African parents. They reached Texas in 1990 and have spread west to California and east to Florida. They were first found in Louisiana in Caddo Parish, in June 2005...

Talking about Killer bees, the apiarist above was trying to cover himself with roughly half a million Africanized bees to break the 1998 Guinness world record of 350,000.


When Killer bees started migrating to Hidalgo, Texas, the mayor of that town decided to bee different, and welcome them with open arms.

Most towns would view this occasion with horror, something best left unmentioned in the hope that it would be forgotten. Happily, Hidalgo was blessed with a mayor who knew that killer bees bring honey as well as a sting. John Franz gave the media the buzz: Hidalgo was "Killer Bee Capital of the World" and proud of it. Within two years Franz had wheedled 20 grand from his city's budget to build the World's Largest Killer Bee.

Imagine - John Lennon

"Imagine" (music video below) is one of my favorite songs, for its anti-war message and soothing tune.

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said, "In many countries around the world — my wife and I have visited about 125 countries — you hear John Lennon's song 'Imagine' used almost equally with national anthems."

Iraq war reminds me of George Bernard Shaw's quote: "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history"

(x,y,z)* of God

This is a continuation of yesterday's post. In discussions following Satsang, the fundamental question of "where is God?" came up. I thought of the following Jalaluddin Rumi's quote, which was featured in recent AWAD. Though most us know this, Rumi expressed it so eloquently.

I tried to find Him on the Christian cross, but He was not there; I went to the temple of the Hindus and to the old pagodas, but I could not find a trace of Him anywhere. I searched on the mountains and in the valleys, but neither in the heights nor in the depths was I able to find Him. I went to the Kaaba in Mecca, but He was not there either. I questioned the scholars and philosophers, but He was beyond their understanding. I then looked into my heart, and it was there where He dwelled that I saw Him; He was nowhere else to be found.

No wonder philosophers like Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer quoted him so many times. Here is one more gem from Rumi.

Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire,
Come even though you have broken your vows a thousand times,
Come, and come yet again.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.

* Didn't mean to imply that God is confined only to three dimensions like us; just using the only realm we are familiar with.

Got Guru?!

Attended a wonderful Sai Satsang at Shiva's place yesterday. As always, great crowd and uplifting bhajans. It was nice that Srini opened up discussion at the end of puja, and Raj and others shared their spiritual experiences. One might argue, "why bother talking about abstract spiritual concepts? let us just pray and leave the rest to God". I too think that no matter what, we all must offer prayers without questioning, or expectation of benefits. However, I think that healthy spiritual discussions (parallely) would help us in offering our bhakti more effectively.

An analogy that I can think of is, our usage of a quiet room, incense sticks, devotional music etc. when we meditate. Do we really need all these things to offer our prayers? I think the answer is "no". Technically, you can be in the middle of a boxing fight and offer a better (more devout) prayer than a person at the feet of Balaji statue in Tirupati. However, devotional music etc. certainly would act as catalysts in getting us into a meditative mode (like in Pavlov's Dog!). Similarly, I think productive spiritual discussions, sharing of pleasant spiritual experiences, reading good books, and pious living would help us immensely in becoming better bhaktins and Bhaktas.

One of the questions that came up yesterday was, "do we need a living guru for spiritual guidance?" I don't see this question any different than "do we need a music teacher for learning to play rock guitar?" My answer is, if you are like Jimi Hendrix, you don't; if you are like me, you probably will need the help of a whole music department! For a (lot) better and relevant answer to this question, please see - Need for Guru.

Perpetuum Mobile

Read the book Does Anything Eat Wasps over the Labor Day weekend. Most of it was not stimulating. However, I did find some interesting information on cats.

I'm reminded of a study reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association in 1987 by WO Whitney and CJ Mehlhaff, two New York vets, entitled 'High-rise Syndrome in Cats'. The study was also summarised in Nature a year later. Briefly, the authors examined injuries and mortality rates in cats that had been brought to their hospital following falls ranging from between two and 32 storeys. Overall mortality rates were low, with 90 per cent of the cats surviving, a fact that supports the correspondent's ailurophobic friend. However, the study unexpectedly found that the incidence of injuries and death peaked for falls of around seven storeys, and then actually decreased for falls from greater heights.

A falling cat has a higher surface area to mass ratio than a falling human, and so reaches a terminal velocity of about 100km per hour (about half that of humans). They are also able to twist themselves so that the impact is spread over four feet, rather than our two. And, as they are more flexible than humans, they can land with flexed limbs and dissipate the impact forces through soft tissue. To answer the paradoxical increase in survival rates once seven storeys has been reached, the authors suggested that an accelerating cat tends to stiffen up, reducing its ability to absorb the impact. However, once terminal velocity is reached, there is no longer any net force acting on the cat, and so it will relax, increasing both its flexibility and the cross-sectional area over which the impact is dissipated once the cat hits the ground.

When a cat is dropped, it always lands on its feet, and when toast is dropped, it always lands buttered side down. Therefore, if a slice of toast is strapped to a cat's back, buttered side up, and the animal is then dropped, the two opposing forces will cause it to hover, spinning inches above the ground.

Agassi on Cooking

In a recent interview, while talking about retirement life, Agassi said that he has taken up snowboarding and cooking. Taking about his culinary skills, Agassi said:

It’s fair to say that I’m not a great cook, but if I serve it to you, you’re going to love it.

I didn't see an exclamation mark after this sentence, and I wonder if the interviewer caught this (obvious) pun!

Badminton - All England Open 2007

This is an amazing rally!

Mehican Vs. Mohican

Nice word play with "Mexican", which is pronounced somewhat like "Mehican" in Spanish, and Mohicans! Timing of publication of this cartoon is right, as increasing number of Americans are bothered by the fact that the majority of those who enter the country from South of the border are not learning English* and not getting integrated into the society. Though I loved the cartoon, I too feel that all foreigners in the US must learn to speak English.

*This lady has some learning to do in writing English:-)

Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday began in 1882, originating from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the "working man". It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many. Labor Day became a federal holiday by Act of Congress in 1894.

I heard that wearing white after Labor Day used to be a fashion faux pas. I wonder why? One of my guesses is, with the advent of winter, white wouldn't offer a contrast in color when it snows. Also, may be the fashion police thought that it would be nice if people start dressing up in colors as Christmas approaches, to reflect festive spirit. Who knows? Fashion is not bound by any rhyme or reason:-)

A recent report says that the people in the US are the most productive workers.

American workers stay longer in the office, at the factory or on the farm than their counterparts in Europe and most other rich nations, and they produce more per person over the year.

The average U.S. worker produces $63,885 of wealth per year, more than their counterparts in all other countries, the International Labor Organization said in its report. Ireland comes in second at $55,986, followed by Luxembourg at $55,641, Belgium at $55,235 and France at $54,609.

The U.S., according to the report, also beats all 27 nations in the European Union, Japan and Switzerland in the amount of wealth created per hour of work — a second key measure of productivity.