Naan-Violent Olympics Medals

China (deservedly) showed-off its economic prowess, athleticism, and ability to conceive grandiose events, during 2008 Beijing Olympics. India too made a statement by winning medals in categories that are uncharacteristic of its legacy. The bronze medal winning boxer sure didn't turn his other cheek! All three medals in combative sports - shooting, boxing, and wrestling:-)

On a side note, if University of Texas (current and former students) were country, it would have ranked 8th in the world in gold medals standing (10 golds) in Beijing Olympics!

The Beauty in Sadness

One of my childhood buddies from St. Anthony's High School is faced with an "apparently" unpleasant situation over which he has absolutely no control. While praying for his comfort, I say "apparently", as nothing would turn out to be as bad (or as good) as we project it to be, at the time of trial (or triumph). I realize that words are mere words, and only we know how it feels when things don't look as bright as we want them to be, and no one can really share the magnitude. While I was talking to my buddy, I was reminded of the following content from the thought-proving tome The Book of Understanding: Creating Your Own Path to Freedom.

Can't you see any beauty in sadness? Meditate over it. Next time, when you are sad don't fight with it. Don't waste time in fighting - accept it, welcome it, let it be a welcome guest. Look deep into it with love, care .... be a real host! And you will be surprised - you will be surprised beyond your comprehension - sadness has a few beauties that happiness can never have. Sadness has depth, and happiness is shallow. Sadness has tears, and tears go deeper than any laughter can ever go. Sadness has a silence of its own, a melody, which happiness can never have. Happiness will have its own song but more noisy, not so silent.

I am not saying to choose sadness. I am just saying, enjoy it too. When you are happy, enjoy happiness. Swim on the surface, and sometimes dive deep into the river. It is the same river! One the surface is the play of ripples and waves, and the sun rays and the wind - it has its own beauty. Diving deep into the water has its own quality, its own adventure, its own dangers.

And don't become attached to anything. There are people who have become attached to sadness, too-...

సర్వేజనా సుఖినో భవంతు

Poor Sight Beats Foresight

I think buying lottery tickets is not a good idea. This kind of gambling can turn into a habit, and could cost a lot of money in the long run. But for a few, it pays off in strange ways.

A man's forgotten bifocals led to a $3 million lottery jackpot.

Bobby Guffey usually plays the same combination of numbers representing the birthdays of his five children. But he left his glasses at home when he bought the winning ticket Aug. 6, accidentally entering the last number as 48 instead of 46. The Hoosier Lotto ticket ended up being worth $3 million.

Guffey, who's from the northeastern Indiana town of Roanoke, said he didn't realize he'd used the wrong number combination until he had left the Huntington service station where he bought it.

He went back inside to buy a ticket with his usual numbers and that ticket won him $1,000 to go along with the jackpot.

The Midas Touch of Michael Phelps

Eight ain't a good number just for Chinese any more. For Michael Phelps in 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 8 attempts, 8 golds, 7 of them with a world record!!

The number of Olympics gold medals he won in 2008 is equal to the total number of golds won by India (a country with a billion people) in its entire Olympics history. Also, the total number of Olympics medals (gold + silver + bronze) won by him (16) is greater than the total number of medals won by India (15) up to this point. This is a good wake up call to us (Indians).

With uncorroborated glory in our rear view mirrors, we (typically) quickly jump with a laundry list of excuses for our abysmal performance in sports - if not for the British, if not for poverty, if not for population.... Folks, our destiny has always been in our hands. As Albert Payson Terhune said win without boasting and lose without excuse. The first step for growth is recognizing its need. The problem with the psyche of well-fed middle class Indians is, everything is fine and dandy all the time. We just can't solve a problem that we don't see.

We grossly misinterpret the key saying in Gita (do your best and leave the rest to Me - God) and assure ourselves that as we are "detached", and hence any outcome is AOK - బాధే సౌఖ్యమనే భావన రానీవోయ్ type of attitude:-)

We (including, yours truly) need quotes like win, or die trying, with a Lombardi riding on our backs 24/7! One might say, let's zip it and move it! Action certainly is better than words. But words are better than no words, no action. Historic events like French Revolution probably would not have started, if not for ranting and raving of bourgeois reaching a crescendo in street Cafés (or places like that). There is nothing wrong with poor performance. But it would be unwise to step into something, and suck in it big time (that too, pretty consistently!).

The solution to our problems? Obviously, not easy, and there is no quick fix. I think we should try to find a way to produce sufficient proteins for the unfortunate janata, to replace a portion of the massive amounts of carbs we consume (for the lack of affordable healthy alternatives). In spite of all the economic growth, only a few of us (may be 40%?, I guesstimate) can afford to consume dal or dudh on a daily basis. And those who can afford these, neglect to consume a healthy diet. The carb-overload shocks the system of pretty much half-a-billion people, making them less productive, to say the least. My solution may seem laughable. But a quick review of performance and dietary patterns in the world should validate my thoughts, at least in part.

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin - Ground Breaking

Cosmic Story: Groundbreaking Report From my View - by Craig Sastry

Groundbreaking, which took place last Sunday, was a grand success! Activity began early in the morning at the temple land, and got into full swing with about a dozen ladies making leis for Baba at 8:00 am. By 9:00 various pujas in the main tent were in full swing. At 10:00 installation of the shanku began. The previous week, we had dug a six foot hole in the ground in the exact spot where Baba's murthi will sit in the inner sanctum. (This was quite a job -- after about 18 inches of rock and topsoil, the earth became solid limestone!) In this hole, three pundits and myself climbed, while two other pundits chanted the Vedas facing east on the top of the pit, which was about five foot square.

Offerings were then made to the nine planets, which control our destiny here on Earth. The shanku was then installed. The shanku is a specially shaped, one foot long stick made of a special wood. It was placed exactly underneath where Baba will sit. The shankustaphana, done at this muhurth (time) especially selected for the occasion, is meant to rectify the vaastu (placement) of the land and remedy any negativity on the land. The ceremony brings prosperity and happiness to those on the land.

It was quite interesting, sitting in this hole, six feet down, performing the ceremony under the hot sun, with hundreds of well wishers sitting and standing above me on every side of the hole, while the Vedas were being chanted. I would describe this as a very blessed event. For many persons it had special significance. It is not every day a temple is being inaugurated. For many it will be a once in a lifetime event.

Following the shankustaphana ceremony, bricks were carefully lowered into the hole to secure the shanku, which was then cemented in. Many persons had sponsored a brick and made a donation towards the success of the future temple.

After this, the start of the homa (fire offerings) began. The priests started the fire in the traditional way, by rubbing two special sticks together. It works like this. Two pundits on either side of each other attach ropes to a special short wood pole between them. Together, they tug on the ropes, causing the wood to quickly move back and forth against another piece of wood placed beneath it. Meanwhile, a third pundit applies weight on top of the wood so that as much friction as possible is created. When a little charcoal is produced, "hair" from a coconut is added to the hot coal to produce a flame. Getting a fire started this way took the pundits about 20 minutes. Loud applause broke out when the fire was started.

We then transferred the small fire to the homa kunda. This is a special brick enclosure we constructed. It was 3 feet in depth and 3 feet square on each side, per traditional Vedic formula. We then began the first of six homas planned for the day. We offered 1008 modaka balls, a special desert, to Ganapati, who is always worshipped first in these ceremonies.

Towards the end of the Ganapati homa, the police arrived. Unfortunatey some of the announcements made over the PA system had disturbed the neighbors, and a noise complaint was filed. When the police saw the homa (fire), they called the fire marshall, who told us to shut down the fire due to the drought conditions and risk of the fire spreading. Fortunately, while I was negotiating with the Fire Marshal, the pundits had the good sense to briefly perform each of the next five yagnas, and I performed purnahuti (the final offerings) before the fire was extinguished by pouring milk over it.

We then returned to the main tent, where the pundits continued chanting the same mantras that would have been used in the remaining five homas. It was extremely blissful to listen to them! The pundits really do have the power to invoke the energies of the devatas (gods) and bring down heaven to Earth.

I then gave a (very) short talk, telling those in the main tent that they were sitting where the Temple would be in the future and where the other buildings would be placed. I said our dream was that the Temple would be a place of refuge, where people could come and at least temporarily lay aside their problems and find peace and contentment.

We concluded with afternoon aarati to Sai Baba, followed by more Vedic chanting (mantra pushpam), and then everyone offering flowers to the images of Ganapati, Mahalakshmi and Sai Baba on the altar constructed for the ceremony. Dakshina (payment) was offered to the priests, and then everyone broke for lunch prasad.

Everyone seemed very happy, even elated after the event. The most common compliment was how well organized it all was. Well, yes! So many volunteers! About 60 ladies, along with three restaurants - Teji's, Bombay Express, and Ranjoli's - donated food. 40 - 50 or more persons worked on various committees - land clearing, parking, refreshments, kids entertainment, audio visual, and many others. Quite a team.

Of course, everyone wonders why Baba (God) allowed the homa to be shut down. We don't know why anything happens. I find it helps to have a good sense of humor when things go "wrong". I particularly laugh when I think of myself, dressed in a white dhoti (a rather delicate dress) having to run across the hot dirt and sand in bare feet, to and from the homa kunda to my nearby home, in the 100 degree heat, to meet with the police and then the fire marshal. After my second or third trip back and forth, the bottom of my dhoti was all in a tangle! I was doing my best to tuck it back in between my legs to avoid embarassment! Baba, what a jokester you are on Craig!

All the six homas were performed in miniature, and the purpose of the sankalpam (intention announced at the beginning of the yagna) was fulfilled. But if the opportunity presents itself we'll re-perform these particular homas in the Fall or the Spring for all the sponsors who looked forward to this event which was cut short. The yagnas are very blissful and any excuse to perform them again will be a good thing!

Amnesiac Aggressor

Of all the people in this world, W is upset about Russia's attack on a sovereign nation! Are we forgetting something Mr. Bush? He said that:

...the violence is unacceptable and Russia's response is disproportionate.

Disproportionate? "Disproportionate" as opposed to what? His unwarranted and pre-emptive strike on a country the size of California?

Stamps of the Last Shangrila

We (the mortals) choose our own poisons. Some of us get addicted to physical poisons like smoking, alcoholism, and binge-eating. And some of us get addicted to mental poisons (ego boosters) like possessions and prestige. Unfortunately, many of us manage to get a healthy (?!) dose of both!

Bhutan is apparently obsessed (ego boost for Napoleon Complex?) with postage stamps; at least, its monarchs are.

Some of Bhutan's stamps are made from steel, silk, even vinyl. Bhutan introduced the world's first talking stamp in April 1973. It's a tiny vinyl record, that when played at 78 rpm, included the Bhutanese national anthem and a brief history of this country.

Bhutan was the first nation to make a 3-D stamp. It was Oct. 30, 1967, and the stamps honored America's Apollo astronauts in space.

Bhutan is releasing a CD stamp. It'll include pictures, music and history. Yes, you can indeed send a letter with this stamp just as you can with all the others.

Bhutan was also the first nation in the world to have self-adhesive stamps. Today, almost every nation has followed Bhutan's lead with a self-stick stamp.

Bhutan is one of the most isolated and least developed nations in the world. However, Business Week rated Bhutan the happiest country in Asia and the eighth happiest country in the world. I guess Bhutanese are not rich, but are wealthy! Apparently, there are very few beggars (if any) in that country.

But how come this tiny, remote, and undeveloped country has this zest for philately? Surprise, surprise - an American conceived of a win-win situation with innovative stamp issuance business!

Another interesting tidbit about Bhutan is, it is surprisingly expensive for non-Indians to visit this country. Even though the tourist visa costs only US $20, the entrants need to sign up for a tour package, which costs a minimum of US $240 per day, for the entire duration of the stay!

Neon8s*

Read on MSN that two babies, each weighing 8 pounds and 8 ounces, were born on 8/8/08, in two neighboring states (Iowa and Minnesota)!

If these babies live long enough, they might feel a little uncomfortable as 8:08 AM approaches, when they are 88 years, 8 months, and 8 days old:-)

Chinese folks are crazy about number eight as it sounds like "prosper" in Mandarin, and are not too crazy about number four, as it sounds like "death"! Someone in Chengdu, China paid over a quarter million US $ equivalent for a telephone number 8888-8888!

* Neonates!

Economics of $mile

I find it amusing to note the distinct difference between commercials made for low-cost brands, and those that are made for the rich. Based on my observation, here is my hypothesis.

In general, cost of a product is inversely proportional to the size of fashion model's smile.

So, we should expect to see big smiles on faces of the folks who model for cheap products, and vice versa.

The reason for this difference in my opinion is, the rich folks (generally speaking) try to distinguish themselves from the common folks, even if it doesn't really do them any good. They don't want to display their emotional outbursts like a regular Joe, and display their spontaneity in the face of adversity, like animals. They train themselves to be stoic.

Why? Because, they achieved their position by applying superior strength and foresight. They don't want to be seen as someone who failed to anticipate things and got caught unguarded. Also, certainly they don't want to drive the same car as their plumber or the house maid.

So, these folks don't get attracted if a fashion model shows her (his) teeth like a monkey. Reminds me of Dwight's quote in the Office.

I never smile if I can help it. Showing one's teeth is a submission signal in primates. When someone smiles at me, all I see is a chimpanzee begging for its life.

They (rich, so called aficionados of art) prefer to see an enigmatic expression on the model's face. If there is a smile, it should be no bigger than that of Mona Lisa's. Compare this smile to the typical genuine ear-to-ear smile of a used Chevy salesman!

Apollo Says "Aloha Austin"

As Snoop Dogg might say, "Austin fo shizzle sizzles". Temperature in Austin reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius) on August 4, 2008, a record for the year (so far). As of August 4th, Austin had 42 days with temperature at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). This was the number of 100-degree days in year 2000, which was the hottest year in three decades. The record for the most 100-degree days was set in 1925, when Austin hit that mark 69 times.

When I observe/experience adverse conditions like this, I try to find a person who I really can't complain to. In this case, that person would be any resident of Marble Bar in Western Australia. Like in Death Valley, they have sizzling summers. Between October 1923 and April 1924, they experienced 162 consecutive days of 100+ degrees Fahrenheit (world champions in this category)!

A Vegetarian in the BBQ Capital

I was in training in Kansas City, MO (KC) in the work-week of July 27th, along with a couple of my colleagues. Though I visited MO numerous times, this was my first trip to KC. While I was waiting for my luggage in the airport, one of the locals mentioned that KC is the barbecue capital of the world, and wished me luck on finding good vegetarian diet! On the way to the hotel, I did notice that BBQ places are pretty much every where.

Later, one of the (exclusively carnivorous/very friendly) folks we went to dinner with, quipped that he prefers not to eat anything that has no parents! His comment reminded me of a few bumper stickers I came across.

Surprisingly, we (one of my colleagues is also a vegetarian) managed to find tasty vegetarian (sort of) entrées at many places, including Jack Stack Barbecue, a famous BBQ place. One of the eateries we went to is an Indian restaurant with a catchy (spicy?!) name. Among Asian restaurants, I am used to seeing Chinese places with funny names, like Wok on Fire, Woks Cooking?, Wok in the Park, and Wok and Roll.

I feel good when I see an Indian restaurant name with no "Taj" in it - over use of "Taj" makes people think that India has nothing but Taj Mahal, snake charmers, and sadhus. A few other places where we found menus with some vegetarian-friendly items are: Gordon Biersch, Vinino, Panera, Jazz, and Blanc Burgers.

Another conspicuous thing (in addition to ubiquitous BBQ places) we noticed was the friendliness of the locals; every one seemed to be eager to strike a conversation. One of the guys who came from NYC said that he was flabbergasted by the jovial nature of the locals. Will post more on KC later.