Bon Voyage, GSB!

This is one of those rare weekends that I was not looking forward to! I just saw off my Andhra University-Geophysics batch mate and good friend G. Sreenivasa Babu (GSB) at ABIA, after enjoying his company over a two-month period in Austin. I was very glad to see him again in Austin, after we parted about 18 years ago in pursuit of our careers.

In spite of his busy schedule, GSB graciously made time to visit us on most of the weekends. Rama and I tremendously enjoyed his company. We managed to do a variety of things together w/GSB like going to Barsana Dham for Sunday Bhajan, playing video games at Dave and Busters, hiking on Town Lake, attending International Gem and Jewelry Show, hanging out at Barnes and Noble book store, and having a memorable dinner at Benihana Sushi Bar yesterday.

I was looking forward to every weekend for the past two months, esp. because I could go to Room # 228 in Extended Stay America in Round Rock and hang out w/GSB.

Heard from GSB's team that due to their Austin Visit (training), the Oil and Natural Gas Commission of India is expected to save about $12 million per year over the next five years from reduction of outsourcing of Geophysical Well Logging at Mumbai Off-shore! Way to go folks! You are dearly missed in Austin!

Random Quote:

Science may be described as the art of systematic over-simplification - Sir Karl Raymund Popper

What is Your Deepest Fear?

One of my childhood buddies sent a nice and inspiring e-mail to a bunch of Sea Sands folks (including me, of course). He is a well known figure in Hyderabad now, and he rubs his shoulders with prominent people (I heard). Here is an excerpt from his e-mail. It took a lot of determination and hard work for him to become what he has become. He managed to hold on to his values and modesty all this time. Way to go Mr. X! This post is dedicated to you.

I made a lot of money with my door-to-door sales stuff, but listen, more than money, I made myself stronger, stronger and much more stronger by the minute. ...How many of us from Sea Sands must've slept on a platform for three months amidst the thick of summer in a city like Mumbai at the age of 18 years. Well, I did. How many of us must've not eaten for weeks but yet maintained a face so smiling in order to sell those few goods, well, i did.

It reminded me of a quote from the movie Coach Carter. In this movie, Coach Carter keeps asking the players what their deepest fear was. These under dogs practice and practice on their Basket Ball skills, but no one gives coach an answer. After many days, while reaping their success from hard work, Cruz, one of the players abruptly says this to the Coach.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Thou Shalt Not Vituperate Thy Devil!

QUITO, Ecuador — The leftist presidential front-runner in Ecuador said Wednesday that the devil should be insulted by comparisons to President Bush, whom he called a "dimwitted" leader who has done "great damage" to the world.

Rafael Correa, speaking to Channel 8 television, referred to a U.N. speech last week by his friend, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who caused an uproar in the United States by calling Bush "the devil."

"Calling Bush the devil is offending the devil," said Correa, a U.S.-trained economist who leads 12 other candidates in polls ahead of the Oct. 15 election. He said "the devil is evil, but intelligent."

Read the complete article here

olny sramt ploepe can raed tihs:-)

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. ??Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!??

Source: floridatoday.com

Random Quote:

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us. - Bill Watterson

High Velocity Lead Poisoning!

Read this really funny epitaph in The Reader's Digest when I was a kid. Came across it again in the picture form. Apparently, it really exists!

Birth: unknown
Death: 1880
Lester Moore was a Wells, Fargo Co. station agent for Naco, Arizona in the cowboy days of the 1880's. He's buried in the Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, Arizona, Cochise County, USA
Plot: Row 6

[It reads,
Here lies Lester Moore,
Four slugs from a .44
No Les, no more]

Random Quote:

A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg - Samuel Butler

Success is...

At age 4 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 16 success is . . .. having a drivers license.
At age 35 success is . . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . .. not peeing in your pants.

Source: E-mail from Steve.

Random Quote:

Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly for the same reason.- Author Unknown

An Honest Car Salesman!

Source: Headlines on Jay Leno Show

'Cost of promotion may increase price of vehicle.' Well, duh!

A Random Quote:

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe - Carl Sagan