Shot earlier in the summer, this was in the middle of a ramp to a highway...for a moment, everything paused for this magnificent scene in nature to unfold.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Pause...
Shot earlier in the summer, this was in the middle of a ramp to a highway...for a moment, everything paused for this magnificent scene in nature to unfold.
Its Boston, baby !
Shot earlier this Fall in Boston, MA at the Hynes Convention Center (September 12, 2006) 
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
WP: Limbaugh mocks Michael J. Fox ad - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com
WP: Limbaugh mocks Michael J. Fox ad - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com
Everytime you think politics cant get any worse, along comes something like this.
Everytime you think politics cant get any worse, along comes something like this.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Chikungunya and Dengue
Chikungunya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chikungunya has become the next big disease to make a significant impact in India. Thanks to sanitary conditions and lack of proper medical awareness, the disease has claimed many a life and is threatening to cause many more deaths, especially in South India. Read more about the disease and spread the word on how to prevent it.
Recently, Delhi has started reporting cases of Dengue fever. This has also caused several deaths and hundreds of people are in hospitals.
Read more about Dengue, its symptoms and the cure here:
Dengue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chikungunya has become the next big disease to make a significant impact in India. Thanks to sanitary conditions and lack of proper medical awareness, the disease has claimed many a life and is threatening to cause many more deaths, especially in South India. Read more about the disease and spread the word on how to prevent it.
Recently, Delhi has started reporting cases of Dengue fever. This has also caused several deaths and hundreds of people are in hospitals.
Read more about Dengue, its symptoms and the cure here:
Dengue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Past and present
This picture was taken from inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Specifically, in the foreground is the Temple of Dendur exhibit and in the back is NYC. One if from 15BC and the other is 2006 AD.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Incredible India - in Hamilton, New Jersey
A very gratifying sight. I always felt Indian tourism wasnt promoted as well in the US. Not anymore. This shot taken in the sleepy NJ transit trainstation of Hamilton, NJ confirmed its happening...and I love it.
The Joy of Gardening - 3
Capsicum, mint, coriander and chillies - All in the comfort of our own garden.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
The Joy of Gardening - 2
A picture of our flowers - in Fall. This year, the flowers have lasted for an unseasonably long time. The flowers themselves give a great sense of accomplishment with regards to our gardening efforts all year.
The Joy of Gardening - 1
Fresh from our very own chilli plant. More on this in future posts.P.S. This is a day's worth.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Why HP Customer Service sucks?
Update on 07/25/2006:
I have now been formally billed 307.35 by HP for what they said will be free of charge. Turns out the person in HP Corporate (do they actually have Corporate folks...seems like they dont) and the HP Parts Store person who took my order (Charles at 1-800-227-8164 x 5559147) didnt promise me anything or atleast there is no record of it. So now HP says pay up or return the product for credit. We hear everytime we call Customer Service about "Your call is being recorded for Quality purposes". If this is not of use now, why have the recording. If HP revisits the recordings of my conversation with them, it should be apparent enough. But no. They wont do it. I am now returning the product. I have also lodged a complaint with BBB (#253027).
Lessons Learned:
1. HP sucks
2. HP Customer Service is even worse.
3. Never buy anything HP.
4. Make sure you take down names of all customer service reps you talk to in any conversation.
5. Request that anything promised by Customer Service immediately be noted in the order Notes section (they have one that they never mention to you about unless asked for).
6. And finally, dont buy anything HP (I know I am repeating this but it should give you an idea of the inconvenience, lost time and effort that went into something that yielded nothing).
After a whole lot of time logged in phone calls with HP Parts customer service I decided to write a post my travails with them. This should tie in really well with how customer perception and the so-called awards and ratings differ and by how much. It also shows how impersonal the company is while touting their "The Pc is personal" compaign.
On the 3rd of March 2006, I ordered a 256MB graphics card for my desktop to play my games better. I got an order confirmation immediately. I waited eagerly for my card to ship. Hours turned to days and days turned to months. The status online didnt change. The seasons did. Winter was over. Spring came and left..and then it was summer. In the meantime, I had called HP Parts Customer Service multiple times (I called them between 5 and 10 times) to be told EVERYTIME that the product was backordered until recently and that it was going to be shipped in the next week. The next week never came.
When I checked status online for the Nth time on the 14th of July, I noticed that my order was cancelled. No warning. No reason. Just cancelled. By this time I had realised how much the company differed from what they claimed to be. HP is just another behemoth that cares two hoots about its individual customers. It likes the money we spend on its products. But just doesnt really care about how we suffer. I called Customer Service immediately and was sent from pillar to post (each pillar gave me a different reason why my order was cancelled - product unavailable to credit card denied) all the way upto Executive office. A lady in the Executive office started asking me stupid questions like what PC I owned and how old it was, that was completely irrelevent to the problem at hand and only outlined how removed the company was from reality. I could use the graphics card to stomp on. Why would the company care as long as I paid for it and knew what I was doing?
Coming back to the story, the Executive office lady redirected me to the Parts Customer Service section to redo my order and provide a VALID CREDIT CARD. Did I mention that I have been using this card for 4 years now and continue to use it on an almost daily basis?. Nevermind. I gave them a different credit card only to be told the product was no more sold by HP. The Parts store "expert" was unable to recommend a viable alternative from their store even after consulting other "parts experts". It took me all of 5 minutes to select an alternative from their store and a "new" order was created. I was explicitly told that HP would NOT be charging me for their repeated blunders. I figured this would be the very end of my ordeal. WRONG.
The new order confirmation came with a bill for 307 dollars. I called back immediately only to not be able ot reach the same Customer Service Rep. The other rep who handled the issue said that the new order or the old order had no notes saying that HP would be taking care of the bill. So now after 6 months of waiting and letting go of innumerable good offers on graphics cards, I am asked to pay 307 dollars for what amounts to multiple critical flaws in the famed and much ballyhooed customer service of HP.
I am at a loss of words. I figured as the helpless consumer who has spent hours wrangling to no use, I need to atleast let others know why companies like HP thrive. Its because suffering customers like us do not make the right kind of noise. The kind that gets noticed. If you have had a similar customer service experience, with HP or any other MNC, I would definitely like to hear about it.
I have now been formally billed 307.35 by HP for what they said will be free of charge. Turns out the person in HP Corporate (do they actually have Corporate folks...seems like they dont) and the HP Parts Store person who took my order (Charles at 1-800-227-8164 x 5559147) didnt promise me anything or atleast there is no record of it. So now HP says pay up or return the product for credit. We hear everytime we call Customer Service about "Your call is being recorded for Quality purposes". If this is not of use now, why have the recording. If HP revisits the recordings of my conversation with them, it should be apparent enough. But no. They wont do it. I am now returning the product. I have also lodged a complaint with BBB (#253027).
Lessons Learned:
1. HP sucks
2. HP Customer Service is even worse.
3. Never buy anything HP.
4. Make sure you take down names of all customer service reps you talk to in any conversation.
5. Request that anything promised by Customer Service immediately be noted in the order Notes section (they have one that they never mention to you about unless asked for).
6. And finally, dont buy anything HP (I know I am repeating this but it should give you an idea of the inconvenience, lost time and effort that went into something that yielded nothing).
After a whole lot of time logged in phone calls with HP Parts customer service I decided to write a post my travails with them. This should tie in really well with how customer perception and the so-called awards and ratings differ and by how much. It also shows how impersonal the company is while touting their "The Pc is personal" compaign.
On the 3rd of March 2006, I ordered a 256MB graphics card for my desktop to play my games better. I got an order confirmation immediately. I waited eagerly for my card to ship. Hours turned to days and days turned to months. The status online didnt change. The seasons did. Winter was over. Spring came and left..and then it was summer. In the meantime, I had called HP Parts Customer Service multiple times (I called them between 5 and 10 times) to be told EVERYTIME that the product was backordered until recently and that it was going to be shipped in the next week. The next week never came.
When I checked status online for the Nth time on the 14th of July, I noticed that my order was cancelled. No warning. No reason. Just cancelled. By this time I had realised how much the company differed from what they claimed to be. HP is just another behemoth that cares two hoots about its individual customers. It likes the money we spend on its products. But just doesnt really care about how we suffer. I called Customer Service immediately and was sent from pillar to post (each pillar gave me a different reason why my order was cancelled - product unavailable to credit card denied) all the way upto Executive office. A lady in the Executive office started asking me stupid questions like what PC I owned and how old it was, that was completely irrelevent to the problem at hand and only outlined how removed the company was from reality. I could use the graphics card to stomp on. Why would the company care as long as I paid for it and knew what I was doing?
Coming back to the story, the Executive office lady redirected me to the Parts Customer Service section to redo my order and provide a VALID CREDIT CARD. Did I mention that I have been using this card for 4 years now and continue to use it on an almost daily basis?. Nevermind. I gave them a different credit card only to be told the product was no more sold by HP. The Parts store "expert" was unable to recommend a viable alternative from their store even after consulting other "parts experts". It took me all of 5 minutes to select an alternative from their store and a "new" order was created. I was explicitly told that HP would NOT be charging me for their repeated blunders. I figured this would be the very end of my ordeal. WRONG.
The new order confirmation came with a bill for 307 dollars. I called back immediately only to not be able ot reach the same Customer Service Rep. The other rep who handled the issue said that the new order or the old order had no notes saying that HP would be taking care of the bill. So now after 6 months of waiting and letting go of innumerable good offers on graphics cards, I am asked to pay 307 dollars for what amounts to multiple critical flaws in the famed and much ballyhooed customer service of HP.
I am at a loss of words. I figured as the helpless consumer who has spent hours wrangling to no use, I need to atleast let others know why companies like HP thrive. Its because suffering customers like us do not make the right kind of noise. The kind that gets noticed. If you have had a similar customer service experience, with HP or any other MNC, I would definitely like to hear about it.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
X3 and Chinese
X-Men 3 was a lot of fun. And where we watched it made it all the more enjoyable :)
If you didnt know, the picture above is of the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood Blvd, LA, California.
Work and be happy
Work has kept me busy but I hope to be back to my regular blogging soon. Until then, something about work to see and enjoy!
This picture was taken in the Amish County outside Philadelphia, PA.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Rainbow
Sunday, April 02, 2006
I live for this!
Its baseball season again. Will the Sox get it together after an oh-so-average season last year?. Will it be the Yankees after 6 years?. Will it be the WhiteSox repeating it?. So many questions. And so many reasons to watch the baseball season this year.
I know I will be rooting for my RedSox.
Who will you be rooting for?
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Chronicles of Collegeville:The Brush, the paint and the ladder. (a.k.a) Home Painting Tips from one novice to another.
Long long ago, there was a couple who believed that they could paint their house. They had never painted before but the lure of TLC and HGTV was too difficult to resist and the ladder and paint beckoned to them when they decided to move into a new house. Little did they know how hard it would be. Painting is hard, tiring, agonizingly long but most of all, a whole lot of fun. It was not this easy, when a partly painted house (a bad color at that) and an unpainted rest was what they started with. Along the way, they learnt a lot of things that they believe should be shared with all those other novices out there who, being the foolish romantics, think they too can. Here are some of those pearls of painting wisdom for you.
1. First off, HGTV and TLC are overrated for the most part. Yet, amidst all the unwanted stuff, there are some vignettes of wisdom you could do with. So start watching it if you intend ever painting your house or apartment.
2. The bargain bin in Borders, Barnes and Nobles and their smaller siblings (Borders Express, Brentanos, etc.) are excellent places to find cheap, colorful and extremely heavy tomes on painting ideas. Like their TV counterparts, these guides are filled with a whole lot of unwanted stuff but have some hidden gems you could start your project with.
3. When you decide to paint, plan your colors well in advance. A sampler (to-go) pack doesnt hurt. Lowes, Home Depot and Sherwin Williams keep coming with promotions to save 20-30% off on paints. Look for the ads. Spend your time visiting all the aforementioned stores and looking at their average prices, color selection and availability. In general, the more personal effort and money you spend, the better will be your final paint result.
4. Be prepared to experiment. Be creative. Its your house for Gods sake. Do what you feel like. Not what the world feels is the way a room should look. You are going to live there and the sense of accomplishment is all the more when you do it your way.
5. Dont ever scrimp on quality of paint, brushes, or rollers. They make a BIG difference. Trust the ones who have learnt it the hard way. Look at it this way. By conservative estimates, you are saving atleast $250 dollars a room (for a small one) by painting it yourself. You owe it to the room and the final look to give it the best of best. And the difference in cost is not more than 10-15% between the average and the best of supplies. Why be penny wise and pound foolish?
6. Dont forget to buy a lot of rags and kitchen towels and drop cloth (both canvas and polythene). They are truly invaluable. Also, having a gallon of primer (both the white and gray versions for light and dark colors) helps. A good ladder never goes waste.
7. Buy a lot of rollers. Roller reuse is bad idea. Even after a great wash, the quality of roller is so bad that it doubles your effort when you reuse it. Not to mention a wall with white spots all around. Having a couple of roller poles/extenders is also a good idea. It reduces your effort big time.
8. If you havent moved into a house, plan as much as possible to paint before moving or before loading the room with stuff. Its infinitely more difficult to paint with things around the room.
9. On the day of painting, be prepared to do this and nothing else. Painting is very tiring and strenuous. If you have back pain of any sort, be prepared for more at the end of the day.
Before the actual paint job, have the rags, a bucket of water, some kitchen towels, and spare everything at hands reach. Disposable gloves are a God send. Have enough of them around. They are cheap and universally available.
10. Be prepared to order in or cook in advance. You are not going to be able to do both painting and a lunch.
11. Make sure you either have your phone closeby or switch it off. Rushing to get the phone in the midst of painting, results in a whole lot of problems ranging from an irritated fellow painter to paint stains on the floor, wall or possible your phone and what not.
12. Eat well before and between the painting effort. Have some soda around. It really gives you a refreshing feel amidst the paint job.
13. The smell of paint can be overwhelming for very many. Either stay away from it or have your favorite headache pill around. Trust me. You'll need it.
14. Painting thrives on preparation. Every minute spent in preparation is 10 minutes saved while actually painting.
15. Painting is a fun job especially for couples. Be prepared for a tough day but never lose your sense of humor. There is nothing worse than a foul mood and a paint job. They almost never go together.
Many of the tips above are from the tens of books we consumed as part of the learning process and the hours spent watching various programs on TV. I have tried to summarise them to save you the time. The sense of accomplishment you get after seeing your handiwork is priceless. That alone is worth all the effort.
Enjoy your painting !
1. First off, HGTV and TLC are overrated for the most part. Yet, amidst all the unwanted stuff, there are some vignettes of wisdom you could do with. So start watching it if you intend ever painting your house or apartment.
2. The bargain bin in Borders, Barnes and Nobles and their smaller siblings (Borders Express, Brentanos, etc.) are excellent places to find cheap, colorful and extremely heavy tomes on painting ideas. Like their TV counterparts, these guides are filled with a whole lot of unwanted stuff but have some hidden gems you could start your project with.
3. When you decide to paint, plan your colors well in advance. A sampler (to-go) pack doesnt hurt. Lowes, Home Depot and Sherwin Williams keep coming with promotions to save 20-30% off on paints. Look for the ads. Spend your time visiting all the aforementioned stores and looking at their average prices, color selection and availability. In general, the more personal effort and money you spend, the better will be your final paint result.
4. Be prepared to experiment. Be creative. Its your house for Gods sake. Do what you feel like. Not what the world feels is the way a room should look. You are going to live there and the sense of accomplishment is all the more when you do it your way.
5. Dont ever scrimp on quality of paint, brushes, or rollers. They make a BIG difference. Trust the ones who have learnt it the hard way. Look at it this way. By conservative estimates, you are saving atleast $250 dollars a room (for a small one) by painting it yourself. You owe it to the room and the final look to give it the best of best. And the difference in cost is not more than 10-15% between the average and the best of supplies. Why be penny wise and pound foolish?
6. Dont forget to buy a lot of rags and kitchen towels and drop cloth (both canvas and polythene). They are truly invaluable. Also, having a gallon of primer (both the white and gray versions for light and dark colors) helps. A good ladder never goes waste.
7. Buy a lot of rollers. Roller reuse is bad idea. Even after a great wash, the quality of roller is so bad that it doubles your effort when you reuse it. Not to mention a wall with white spots all around. Having a couple of roller poles/extenders is also a good idea. It reduces your effort big time.
8. If you havent moved into a house, plan as much as possible to paint before moving or before loading the room with stuff. Its infinitely more difficult to paint with things around the room.
9. On the day of painting, be prepared to do this and nothing else. Painting is very tiring and strenuous. If you have back pain of any sort, be prepared for more at the end of the day.
Before the actual paint job, have the rags, a bucket of water, some kitchen towels, and spare everything at hands reach. Disposable gloves are a God send. Have enough of them around. They are cheap and universally available.
10. Be prepared to order in or cook in advance. You are not going to be able to do both painting and a lunch.
11. Make sure you either have your phone closeby or switch it off. Rushing to get the phone in the midst of painting, results in a whole lot of problems ranging from an irritated fellow painter to paint stains on the floor, wall or possible your phone and what not.
12. Eat well before and between the painting effort. Have some soda around. It really gives you a refreshing feel amidst the paint job.
13. The smell of paint can be overwhelming for very many. Either stay away from it or have your favorite headache pill around. Trust me. You'll need it.
14. Painting thrives on preparation. Every minute spent in preparation is 10 minutes saved while actually painting.
15. Painting is a fun job especially for couples. Be prepared for a tough day but never lose your sense of humor. There is nothing worse than a foul mood and a paint job. They almost never go together.
Many of the tips above are from the tens of books we consumed as part of the learning process and the hours spent watching various programs on TV. I have tried to summarise them to save you the time. The sense of accomplishment you get after seeing your handiwork is priceless. That alone is worth all the effort.
Enjoy your painting !
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Rang De Basanti : Paint me Yellow
Rang De Basanti :: Official Web Site
I got a chance to see this movie last evening. Very thought provoking. Within the "Indian mass entertainment" format, the director weaves a tale that juxtaposes the turbulent times of 1930 -31 when Bhagat Singh and his friends revolutionised the freedom movement and the youth of today, quite unlike the youth of Bhagat Singh times. The slow yet powerful awakening of the youngsters of today makes for great thought provoking cinema. The acting is top notch led by the ever dependable Amir Khan and the brilliant Atul Kulkarni with excellent performances by Siddharth (he is a revelation), Soha Ali Khan, Sharmaan Joshi and Kunal Kapoor.
Watch it. It makes you think. The same cannot be said for the many hundred movies that the Indian film factory churnes out every year. This is good cinema at its best. Funny, sad, and most importantly, intelligent.
I got a chance to see this movie last evening. Very thought provoking. Within the "Indian mass entertainment" format, the director weaves a tale that juxtaposes the turbulent times of 1930 -31 when Bhagat Singh and his friends revolutionised the freedom movement and the youth of today, quite unlike the youth of Bhagat Singh times. The slow yet powerful awakening of the youngsters of today makes for great thought provoking cinema. The acting is top notch led by the ever dependable Amir Khan and the brilliant Atul Kulkarni with excellent performances by Siddharth (he is a revelation), Soha Ali Khan, Sharmaan Joshi and Kunal Kapoor.
Watch it. It makes you think. The same cannot be said for the many hundred movies that the Indian film factory churnes out every year. This is good cinema at its best. Funny, sad, and most importantly, intelligent.
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