Random images from my flickr stream...

www.flickr.com

30/09/08

News !

Low Intensity Blast in Gujrat !!

17 crude bombs found in Ahmedabad!!!

2 crude bombs diffused in a Delhi-Meerut Bus !!!

Looks like the kids have stopped bursting crackers !!! Someone else has taken it up !!!

26/09/08

TaTa saying a TaTa to Singur !!!

What else did Mamta Banerjee want? Her own political agendas hidden behind the deepest concern she had for the farmers whose land had been taken away by the TATAs...

And now when TATAs have decided to move away from Singur, she tells a rally that she does not want the TATAs to leave !!! If that was the case, why did she not make efforts to ensure that a compromise is reached when there were discussions...

She also wants the 400 acres to be returned to farmers in Singur !!! Well... I am trying to understand how can the land on which an industry is going to be built will go back to the farmers !!!

I am not a fan of how the land acquisition works in India either... because the poor farmer does not really end up anywhere, except with some compensation for the land he had and maybe a job which does not utilize his key skill, "Farming"... I have had major arguments over this with friends who advocated industrialization and modernization of places as the factor that influences growth !!! While I agree to them that its important, the basic needs of a farmer cannot be neglected and his only means of earning taken away !!! Also the land is a resource which will not increase... its a constant value... taking anything away from that constant is only going to reduce the total !!!

What makes the entire thing worse is the involvement of the politicians who seem to be the only ones gaining anything out of the entire sequence of events !!!

The solutions to these can be simplified, I wonder why this cannot be done !!!

1. Identify parts of land that are less productive or are not major sources of earning/living
2. Break the projects down into smaller chunks and build them up on the land which when taken away causes minimum loss to the farmers.
3. When the plans are initiated, identify the people getting effected, and prepare them for the future (Capacity Building, knowledge sharing) ; I know of this being done for a few highway projects and this prepares the one effected much better and well in advance.
4. Hire professionals to do both the acquisition, and capacity building and at the same time have a governance mechanism in place. The governance mechanism should have everything right from the blueprint to the completion of projects along with the capacity building and compensations in its scope.
5. Ensure the local politicians do not cash on the opportunity in the name of caste, creed, function, area or anything !!!
6. Ensure there is minimum administrative interference during the entire project.


This post is not yet over, so please do not draw conclusions about what I think about it... There is much more to what I have been able to write here as of now... I am still thinking !!!

while I do that... please keep the politicians away !!! Someone for the country's sake !!!!

23/09/08

ME in eapolis !

The last couple of weeks I decided to just give myself a break from traveling and thought of exploring the city I am in ! Minneapolis !!!

A walk around in the downtown, looooong walk around a lake and sunset at another followed !

Enjoy the few photographs below, while I think of how to write more !

The mushroom, everyone wanted to look at, in color :)

One of many parking lots in Downtown Minneapolis... Walking around the place you would feel that you are in a large parking area only !!! every building has a private parking lot and will cost you anything between $8 to $20 for an 8 hour parking ! Very Expensive !


The reflection of the building in the one next to it was pretty interesting to look at... and hence the picture...

Interesting patterns the glass of water had !!!

Having only one pair of jeans helps a lot... they get roughed up and fade in a way that you fall in love every time you wear them :) or take a picture of them :) And yes this is the only pair that I have !!!


Leftovers from my breakfast :D


Inside of one of the malls in the downtown !

And flowers !!! Something that I don't think I do justice to !!! I do not like taking such regular pictures and posting them !!! I do try to do different things while presenting flowers that i click. Check out some flowers that I have clicked HERE.

Yeah, another one of the flower pictures... I should say they were very very beautiful to see and I am happy that I have some real nice colors !

An old Pontiac !!! screaming to be clicked !!! This would go up on Flickr sometime soon too !

Yupp.... different treatment to color !!!

Even the regular wild grass has the capability to look beautiful if seen properly !!!


I loved the color patterns on these !


Time for the birds to head back home !!!


I really like this one !!! that sail in the extreme left top is something that I am very happy about !!!


More to follow soon !!! Get bored with this post first :)

19/09/08

बिदेस में नौटंकी और छमिया नाच

अरे तू अभी तक नहीं गया? कितने महीने हो गए हैं तेरेको अमरीका में?

ढाई

हद्द है यार !!! चल आज चल...

नहीं यार, मेरे दिल नहीं है !!! क्या करना है जाकर? यहीं बैठते हैं, सुंदर सुंदर लडकियां घूम ही रही हैं उन्ही से काम चला लेते हैं !

अबे चल...

यार !!

चल ना बैठे रहना ऐसे ही वहां पर भी... कोई बड़ी बात नहीं है !!!

चलो फिर !!!

And never before I have said NO to so many dripping hot girls in one night !!! hehehe... what an ego boost (I am just ignoring the fact that I would have to shell out anything between $20 to $100 for the act of seduction that would have followed, had I said yes)

I had been told that a strip bar is THE place to be in if you are in the US, but this was never in the to-do list... however once I have been there, I am glad it was never in the to-do list !!!

The bodies were flawless naked...
The dances seductive...
The faces blank...
And expressions forced !!!

And because I usually start looking at women face down and not breast up, I was only put off with the forced faces that I saw all around !!!

Its a fact that bodies, faces, skin are used as products these days, but Deja Vu (said to be the best strip club in Minneapolis) was one place where I saw this happening to the limit... Just moving naked objects ! nothing less nothing more !!!

Now if you are too desperate to have a naked body dance around yourself, strip bars are the place for you! I just could not make myself like what was happening there!

Spending anything between $20 to $100 for a personal lap dance... sit in the front row, keep a $1 bill in front of you, so that the pole dancer can come to you and rub your face against her boobs, take your cap if you are wearing one, rub it between her legs and you keeping it forever as a souvenir !!! All of this happening while I was only feeling lost looking at it happening with people around !!!




The interesting part is, that when I told this to a few gal friends, they were like, "we also want to go !!!" I was surprised initially !!! but then I thought it could be just plain fun if I am going there in a group that I am comfortable with !!! I am sure I am not going to drool over any of the naked bodies there, but I might just enjoy the entire club thing more !!!

To mention a few good things...
  • Pole Dancing is tough !!! and very !!! needs a lot of control and expertise !!! True ART, I must say !!
  • It was interesting how there were groups sitting there enjoying !!! Men and Women both in the group !! Getting some sexual pleasure was definitely not the agenda for them !!! plain neat fun !!!
  • It was not a shady dingy smoked up place... but a very well lit, nicely decorated, and professionally maintained place !



Images courtesy : www.Cartoonstock.com

18/09/08

Wake me up when september ends !

Yes, because its been like a dream :)

50000 visits on Chai ki Dukaan

4 years of Chai Ki Dukaan

and

today

50000 visits on my flickr page !!!

This September has been a very good month to me !!! and I am glad!

Very !!!

Thank you EVERYONE !

16/09/08

36 36 36

A few weeks back, I had written about how I feel about the camera and the person behind it (Read it HERE)... Like I said its not the camera but a photographer that really makes a photograph !!!

What should make my belief get stronger is an initiative by Kshitiz and some of his friends called the Projekt 36. Let me not talk about it much here and dilute your experience, but give you the links to reach the right pages right away :)

Enjoy reading about the concept HERE, and the main page of the Projekt36 Blog HERE !!!

15/09/08

September 14, 2004

It was a Tuesday !! and rightmore.blogspot.com was born :)

4 years later, and with its vaccinations !!! and good times and bad times !!!

Its still here !!!

WOW !!!

13/09/08

We are Counting !!!

Breaking news...

5 Blasts in Delhi... and counting...

18 dead and counting...

100 injured and counting...

How many politicians have condemned this? Are we counting?

How many channels have this as the breaking news? Are we counting?

How many hours of effortless masala story we are going to see on TV now? Are we counting?

More than 5 cities in the last one year AND Counting !!!

Looks like we are inviting someone for their capability demonstration in blasting bombs in the least complicated way !!!

Come to a city, plant the bombs, blast them... kill a few people too.. and leave some live so that they can be pulled out before the entire system is questioned... and move to a new city !!! Simple !!!

We are counting !!! We will keep counting !!!

The saddest part is that its some people from us only who felicitate this, and its people from us only who suffer...

11/09/08

Long(er) weekend in Logan, Utah !

I always hate the comment "Oh, you are so lucky." partially because I put in a lot of effort in things that otherwise might seem to be just fate... frankly speaking nothing, and i mean nothing works for me if there is no sweat !

However at times after I have started traveling out of the country, I do feel that Uncle God has been kind enough to me and given me some luck to cruise on ! One such thing is having a home outside home !!!

When I was in London, my homes were at Abhishek's place or Bharti's hostel... where I could just go anytime and be ! Abhishek even gave me the key to his house and was kind enough never to disturb me if I had reached home early and was sleeping... or when I was busy taking pictures inside the room and he was locked out !!! Bharti knew that I eat packed food, and was more than keen to cook for me, irrespective of the time I landed !

Luck it is to have people like this in your life... I must have done some efforts I am sure, but not that I remember in this life time to earn them !!!

So back to why I started this post... I went home in the US as well a few weeks back when I landed in the Salt Lake City and was driven to Logan... A small town of Mormons and Aggies located in a valley and home to the Utah State University where Tanu is doing her Ph.D.

Both of us know each other for about 3 years now, and have been talking off and on over various mediums, with the first phone conversation happening in July this year when I arrived in the US... Before I was coming here, she wanted to know if I would come to Utah for a trip... I said of course, and she said, ya right !!! and later when we made the plan, the "ya right" changed to "I don't Believe it" and it still says that way :)

I had an amazing 3 day vacation in Logan a few weeks back, thanks to Tanu who managed to take some time off from the research and made sure I was comfortable... and I was surprised to see her apartment too... She had shifted just a couple of weeks back in that house, and it was perfect !!! I guess the vibes of where you are and who you are with play a very very important role in how comfortable you feel. And I was feeling at home.. I don't think there is any other word to describe that place !!!

Rest let me leave to the pictures below and talk in between !!!




Still taken at the Gardner's Market... My first experience of a local market in the US and I must say I loved it... Thanks Tanu for that impromptu plan ! Or you had thought of it already?

It was a nice bright day with the sun playing hide and seek with clouds while I was sitting on the cool grass and watching people roam around the market...

There were some kids who were having a competition of sorts with their handmade boats... this young man was trying to make sure that his boat does not capsize and finishes the race...


We were back in a couple of hours from the market and decided to move out again in the evening... seen above is a flower against the setting sun...
We did not have much time before the sunset, and we tried to reach a view point but could not... We then went to a place where we just parked the car, switched on the music and sat without talking to each other much... I think we must have spent some couple of hours there before we decided to get back home... my favorite and requested Aalu Gobhi was waiting after all :)

The next day we decided to go out for a drive... and here is Tanu modeling away to glory... nice car too eh!

I was pretty happy too with how relaxing the last two days had been... Seen above is me trying to step on a few clouds :)

This is Bear Lake in the Garden City... some 50 odd miles away from Logan...
I have always liked tread marked in sand... could not resist taking this picture either...

We were back in Logan in good time (another driving experience that I managed) and took a few pictures of the sunflowers before we settled down to see the setting sun !

While I was busy figuring out how to take pictures of flowers like above, Tanu was busy climbing up a huge Ford truck parked nearby (seen below)... One crazy girl she is...

And the sun on my final evening in Logan finally set... and gave me a good view too... Thank you uncle God for the instructions you gave to Sun Unkil...

This was a small half court at one of the houses... what temptation it was to play !!! but no basketball :/

So we were back to the apartment... What you are going to see next is kinda eeeky... so enjoy !!!

This is the RAT that was kepy on my shoulder to freak me out by my dear friend Tanu before she clicked a picture of me trying to remove him from there.... ugh !!!

And she is a Frog Queen or should I say the princess... She keeps kissing frogs and because most of them don't turn into princes, she brings them home and they stay happily after... So here are the lucky kissed Princes of Tanu's world...

This was was the most real one... ugh !!! I did try touching it, but the feeling was too slimy...

Oh, and another one of the Princes...


And here is the Frog Princess herself !!! hidden behind her loved ones...


And she seems to be better than average painter too.. seen below are three of her water colors !!! lovely stuff...


Go to a Bengali's place and not find Ma... impossible I guess !!! Aro? Do you have one? Anyway... here is another picture...

On our drive back to the Salt Lake Airport, we found this cloud maker truck !!! See how the clouds are coming out of its back container...


And so my trip finished.... I have skipped the following parts from the travellogue above...

1. The smallest ever plane that I have sat in...
2. No food and half a glass of soft drink served on a 3 hour flight...
3. Tanu trying to but not being able to find me at the airport while I knew where she was :D it was super funn !!!
3a. Getting lost in Salt Lake City
4. The lovely food at her place
5. How I irritated her to the core when she was cooking food one of the two evenings and how much we both loved it :D
6. One of the cutest ever girls I met, Amrita, at Tanu's place... she was a real darling !
7. The Frog curtain in the bathroom...
8. Dabur Lal Toothpaste ( loooooooooved it)
9. Tweaking Tanu's car deck to deliver the right kind of bass and treble !!! Now the music sounds much better...
10. and loads of moments and go down as wonderful memories !!!

Oh, and I am on Tanu's Blog too... Model and all ;) check THIS out !

10/09/08

Tea, Any one? (by चायबाज़ Anoop)


Tea, Any one?, originally uploaded by -xh- aka aNoop.

Clicked by a traveler, biker, an Enfield lover and a dear blog-world friend... Anoop !

08/09/08

What's been happening in Singur?

I was wondering and read an article about the twists and turns so far, to find out more !!!

I am interested in the land acquisition policies, processes, the rehabilitation and employment responsibilities etc and hence was interested in the entire sage of events. If you also have been reading bits and pieces and wondering the whats and why of Singur, this should help.

Click here.

or

copy paste the following link in your browser window (for me its Chrome these days) :

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/nano-saga-twists-and-turns-so-far/73066-3.html

And I came around this article today :

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/51_of_businesses_owned_by_SCSTOBCs/rssarticleshow/3456486.cms (copy and paste in your browser)

The article says that : "Over half of all business establishments in the country — 51% to be precise — are today owned by the socially disadvantaged sections, mostly OBCs, with a slim contribution coming from SCs and STs. "

Now is this just a chance? or because of a certain capability to do good things? And if this is capability, why the hell is there a fight for reservations? I don't understand !!! I would want to believe that the so called neglected part of the society is equally capable as the "General" category.

06/09/08

Japanese American or American Japanese !!!

A few days back I saw a car on the road here, I recognised it and smiled because I feel good if the same models are introduced in India and outside !!! For me that represents a growing India...

Honda Accord, CRV, Civic; Toyota Camri, Corolla; The Chevrolet UVA (Aveo in the US) are exactly the same models !!! nice... Ok, back to the incident !!!

Everything was fine till I saw the logo of the brand, and I was shocked !!!

The car looked like the Chevrolet Optra and it was carrying a Suzuki Logo... Pretty interesting eh !!!

Check out the following links for yourself !!!



I don't see much of a difference !!! Do you?




*Listening to Don Davis - Navras (Matrix Revolutions Soundtrack) {Fantastic track; High Energy; Sanskrit ; Rock ; Instrumental; What not}

04/09/08

Let the kids stop the melting !!!

Targetting kids has been a strategy that ad-makers have been following for a long time now... and I am sure it works, because when a kid decides to get something, it usually is based how impressed (s)he is with what has been told and how it has been told to him !!! 

Conservation is another thing that needs to be sold this way... There are things happening already ( e.g the Smoke on Diwali in Delhi has considerably reduced after the Kids in schools have been told about the pollution and told again and told again )

Looking forward to the schools making a biiiiig difference in the way the world lives today !!!

Amen !