Antonym help!

Today afternoon, I was trying to write an email regarding something in which I wanted to use the antonym of the word “Nominate” (or Nomination). Strangely, I couldn’t find an antonym for that word! Do let me know if you come across the antonym for the word “Nominate” or “Nomination”.

 

On similar lines, have you come across any word(s) that do not have antonyms?

Goodbye 2008, Welcome 2009!
Yet another post welcoming the New Year, well, I just give myself another opportunity to get back to the blogging world! Last year had been really good for me, both from professional as well as personal front. Though I wasnt able to achieve everything that I set out to in the first place, I am glad that I made some good progress on certain things. Some of the goals stopped in between, some transformed and some didnt even get started! This year, I am starting off with very few goals, I am sure it will get stretched or transformed as the year progresses. But I am glad that I am starting off with something at least!
Wishing everyone a fun filled New Year! May this year witness peace and prosperity everywhere!

p.s: Just noticed that this is my 200th post in this blog! :)

It happens only in India...

Things which made news for more than a week and were covered by media till its 'completion':
1) Shilpa Shetty winning Big Brother, made even more famous by Jade Goody (portrayed as triumph of good over evil)
2) Rahul Mahajan and his sleaze acts in Big Boss
3) Darsheel Saffrey refusing Best child actor award as he wasn't nominated for Best actor award (especially when Aamir Khan was nominated for the same movie)

Things which was in news for a day or two and forgotten very soon by the media:
1) Headlines today reporter Sowmya Viswanathan shot dead by unknown miscreants for unknown reasons
2) 2 year old kid Sonu fell inside the borewell and was brought out dead. Were the folks responsible for that really punished? Or have they come out on bail?
3) An employee of MNC, Soni Jagadish, committed suicide due to some issues with the employers. Was the true reason identified? Were the folks responsible punished?

There are zillion instances like that where media sensationalizes unnecessary issues and doesn't highlight the necessary ones. I remember reading an interview of Dr. Abdul Kalam, where he mentioned about Israeli media. Despite so much calamity and confusion in the country, the first page of the newspaper always used to contain achievements of its citizens, new discoveries in science, technology or agriculture, honor showered on its citizens by foreign countries etc. The front page always used to contain something on positive note! Why doesn't our media highlight the good things happening in the country? Sometime back, one of the lesser known TV channels in India used to cover interesting discoveries that happen in the rural areas; a lot of interesting ideas that originated in the minds of people who had never attended school were discussed and presented. Now i am not sure whether that show is still on! I am sure it must have been replaced with a show covering Page 3 gossip!!

What i read in college...

Today morning, while I was checking my emails, one of my colleagues asked me what an Oscilloscope is. The term sounded very familiar but I couldn't figure out what it was. I was wondering maybe it is something to measure the 'g' value or perhaps where the North Pole is. After sometime, I gave up and referred the ultimate source. When I found what it was, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! I had used Oscilloscope all through my college life, and here I am, 6 years later, struggling to remember what oscilloscope is! I hope my Profs don't read this blog entry :)

Yet Another delightful shopping experience!

I had earlier blogged about Calypso, the music store and their customer service. Last weekend, i again had a "A-ha" moment there! While i was looking for a "Best of Beatles" collection, i had an interesting conversation with the Sales guy there. Here is how the conversation went:

Me (showing the Beatles No.1 collection CD): Hi, I was looking for a good Beatles collection and i spotted this CD. But this doesnt seem to contain "Imagine". Do you have any other Beatles collection that has "Imagine"?

Store guy (with a casual look at the CD cover): No sir, no Beatles CD with contain "Imagine"

Me (with a puzzled look): Why?

Store guy: Because that is a John Lennon single, it wasn't a part of Beatles composition!

Me (with a relieved look): Ah! How did i forget that! Anyway, i am taking this CD.
............
Me (Looking at a G3 CD featuring my favorite guitarist Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen): Do you have the other G3 CD?

Store guy: No Sir, the one featuring Eric Johnson is out of stock.

I was seriously stunned! Had these questions been directed to a Landmark or Music world store guy, i am pretty sure they would say "We will search sir" and find their nearest escape route!

Check out Calypso at Jayanagar 4th block (next to Dosa Camp) for a wonderful shopping experience!

Online, At last!

After nearly 3 weeks of struggle, the broadband line became functional(or rather self-healed) again at my home! During this course, i learnt that
1) BSNL Customer Service center rocks, if you meet them in person. And they really do work from 8 AM to 8 PM every day!!
2) BSNL has a really good portal! Never knew that i can check my billing information online...
3) The 1-800 number for BSNL broadband service never really works! You press 9 for speaking to the operator and you keep waiting forever!

Anyway, feels good to be back online. Will blog more later!

My Hate List

Looks like San, during his India visit, noticed that i was pretty idle and tagged me in his blog :) Thanks San!

It was a really difficult task for me to list the people whom i hate the most. Some of my friends tell me that i try to stay diplomatic in many decision making situations, thereby being "good" to all (or rather, not being bad to some). To be honest, i tend to forget and forgive on too many occasions, as life is too short to be spent worrying. Anyway, with lot of struggle, i ended up with the following hate list:

1. People who waste others time. Be it in office or at home or while shopping, i tend to get irritated if i am being made to wait! I am not ready to buy the argument that Indians are always never punctual. Don't blame the country if you are not punctual!!

2. People who discriminate based on caste. Sadly, this category exists even now, that too among some educated folks! What's the point in being educated if one doesn't even have this basic sense of respect towards every human being? I openly maintain my distance with people who start talking like "He is a Brahmin" or "He is a sudra".

3. People who talk loudly just to make their point! Comeon folks, empty vessels make more noise.

4. "Educated" smokers and drinkers! This category is again an evil, mainly because they continue to do a mistake, even after knowing the ill effects of it.

5. People who waste food, water and Money! Everyday, when i see the food wastage counter in the Office cafeteria, i feel bit upset that so much is getting wasted when millions around the world are suffering from food shortage. If you have lived in a place like Chennai, you would know how it feels when you see water overflowing out of a bucket or leaking out of a water tanker. There are also certain people, who splurge money on unnecessary things, which could have otherwise been spent wisely or saved for future use. Just because they have money now, they waste it unnecessarily.

So that ends my list! I would like to tag Ramya to write her hate list!!

Good bye Bill Gates!

As most of you might know, Bill Gates is retiring from Microsoft today. Bill Gates perhaps became famous in India due to Anti-trust case, until then i guess only very few knew him as the world's richest person. I still remember my high school days, when my Maths teacher asked me who my role model was, i told her "Bill Gates" (ah, what a nerd!). Now, even though i do object to some of the crooked practices of Microsoft, i would really appreciate Bill Gates for putting the computer into the hands of common man. Without the Windows OS or the Office suite of applications, i believe computer wouldn't have reached its present popularity. Above all, the work done by Bill and Melinda foundation is phenomenal!

An energetic entrepreneur, technology visionary and a kind hearted Philanthropist, I believe Bill Gates is one person who has achieved quite a lot in life. Thank you Bill and wishing you a happy retired life!

Midnight Musings

I have heard of conversion from Christianity to Hinduism and vice versa; Islam to Hinduism and vice versa; Hinduism to Budhism and vice versa. There seems to be "established methodologies" for those conversions (ok, i am talking controversies here, but since its midnight, its excused for the moment)

Now the question is, one of the "famous" personalities whom i know, wants to convert himself into an Iyengar; he is currently an Iyer. Do we have any procedures for conversion between Iyer and Iyengar? Narayana Narayana...

Now playing: Kadavul mattum kandaal kalladi theriyadhu...

Some updates...

Thought i will let the world know about what's on my plate at the moment :)

Music
Of course you might have guessed this is what i would start with! At the moment, i thoroughly enjoy watching/listening to "Gods of Guitar" in VH1. It was a feast watching live shows of Nirvana, G3 (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai was especially awesome!), Eagles, Clapton, Metallica...
Other than this, i also loved couple of tamil film songs. Yaaradi Nee Mohini is now my favorite, especially "Venmegam Pennaga" and "Engeyo Paartha Mayakam"(Ahem, i have some reservations about Udit Narayan singing tamil songs, but anyway, the tune is good!). "Dasavatharam" features two good songs- "Mukunda Mukunda" (by Sadhna Sargam, she can hope for a National award for this song) and "Kallai Mattum Kandal" (have a close watch on the lyrics, just too good).

Books
There has been a dry spell on this area. I am specializing in reading some dull reads, even though they have been highly recommended by others. Some of the books i read in the recent past are - "A whack on the side of the head" (a book on creativity), "A whole new mind" by Dan Pink and "Envisioning Information" by Edward Tufte. Tufte is god but to understand his works, one needs some patience! I would recommend "The visual display of Quantitative Information" by Tufte to anyone making powerpoints, excel charts or working on Business Intelligence area.

Story Writing
I have received some feedback (both good and bad) for my earlier stories. I am glad that atleast some people are taking time out to read and provide me some valuable comments. I have already started conceptualizing my next story. I am also trying to venture into something new, which will be dedicated to someone very very special :)


Hobbies
As you might have noticed, i have taken up photography and long distance running this year. In both areas, i am still in the learning phase, long way to go, but thoroughly enjoying it!

Movies
Watching tonnes of movies these days over weekends and sometimes during weeknights. Some good ones include Fight Club, Planes Trains and Automobiles, The Devil wears Prada, Kandahar...Still have tonnes of backlog!

Musings
Whenever there is a fuel hike, why do we see long line of Cars in the petrol pumps? What do they gain by saving those 100 odd bucks, which they can as well save by using public transport instead of car, for one day?

What happened to the "Unlock Bangalore" movement started by Times of India? Did they finally realize that it cannot be unlocked? Did they get locked up trying to unlock?

Why does it rain only in the evenings, in Bangalore?

:)