My Visit to the Home of Pistons!

The habit of all the usual suspects getting-together continued as a ritual in the holy city of Detroit, Michigan. But this time it was special. We had new variables into the old equation as most of us were accompanied by their better halves. Amazingly the eleven year old equation still worked. And to our surprize it worked better than ever as we yielded more of everything in this seemingly very short vacation.

This trip started about a week before I actually landed into the Motor-City. I failed again to convince my dear friends to fly to my place. These guys will never get out of that dead city. That makes me wonder if that city of death itself has anything to do with this.

Why would someone prefer freezing -7 degrees weather to nice and sunny 23 deg celsius weather? Why would someone cancel the plan of the most adventurous weekend and go to some people whom he has been seeing forever? Why would someone waste his wonderful rare bachelor days with bunch of married losers? Why would anyone take an eight hour flight, suffer the baggage loss incidence, when he can sit home and relax? Why? Why? Why?

Well....Ask me...I know exactly why...Gather some stupid friends who happen to live in the city which has the worst weather in the whole country, whom you love the most and you cant live without.......you will end up visiting there....Gosshhhhh I am Such a Loser!!

And there goes my another trip to Detroit....as always filled with excitement, fun and memories.

Love you guys!

Cheers,
-Manish

Why am I confused??

There are so many questions in our lives that we don't find an answers for....and those questions leave us confused......here are some of those funny ones

1. Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?
2. OK I know speed of light, so what's the speed of dark?
3. If a cow laughs hard, does milk come out its nose?
4. If the #2 pencil is so popular why is it still #2?
5. If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing in the store is free yet?
6. The "Psychic Friends Network" went out of business... didn't they see it coming?
7. Is it possible for someone to become addicted to therapy? And If so, how would you treat them?
8. Why do we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?
9. If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
10. Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?
11. When sign makers go on strike, is anything written on their signs?
12. Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
13. Why is the word abbreviation so long?
14. If a word is mispelled in the dictionary, is it mispelled?
15. And if it is mispelled, how would we know?
16. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
17. Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?
18. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
19. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
20. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
21. If you are dialing from a touch-tone phone, Why do you call it 'dialing'?
22. Do coffins have lifetime guarantees?
23. If the sky is the limit, then what is space, over the limit?
24. Are children who act in rated 'R' movies allowed to see them?
25. "Cute as a button" Is that supposed to be a compliment? Since when are buttons cute?
26. Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"?
27. Isn't Disney World just a people trap operated by a mouse?
28. If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
29. Can you get cornered in a round room?
30. Why is it illegal to park in a handicapped parking space but its ok to use a handicapped toilet?
31. Why are people so scared of mice, yet we all love Mickey Mouse?
32. Wouldn't it be smart to make the sticky stuff on envelopes taste like chocolate?
33. Isn't it funny how the word 'politics' is made up of the words 'poli' meaning 'many' in Latin, and 'tics' as in 'bloodsucking creatures’?
34. Why is it that when things get wet they get darker, even though water is clear?
35. If a fork were made of gold would it still be considered silverware?
36. Why is there that little space inside strawberries, as if it was meant for a pit, and then the seeds are on the outside?
37. Why do you go "back and forth" to town if you really must go forth before you go back?
38. Why do companies offer you "free gifts?" Since when has a gift NOT been
free?
39. If something "goes without saying," why do people still say it?
40. You know the expression, "Don't quit your day job?" Well what do you say to
people that work nights?
41. If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
42. Should vegetarians eat animal crackers?
43. How is it possible to have a civil war?
44. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
45. Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have a "S" in it?
46. Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
47. If you spin an oriental man in a circle three times, does he become disoriented?
48. If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
49. Why on Earth, with over 3/4 of our planet covered by water, don't we call it 'ocean'?
50. Do they have reserved parking for non-handicapped people at the Special Olympics?
51. Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
52. If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
53. If quitters never win, and winners never quit, how can it be wise to: "Quit while you're ahead"?
54. Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?
55. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
56. Most mothers feed their babies with little spoons and forks. What do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?
57. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to these people? Why don't they put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while delivering the mail?
58. Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
59. After eating, do amphibians need to wait an hour before getting OUT of the water?
60. If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?
61. What's another word for Thesaurus?--Steven Wright
62. If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?
63. Why is it that when trasporting stuff on a car its called a SHIPment, but if transporting stuff on a ship its called CARgo?
64. How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
65. If two wrongs don't make a right, then how come two negatives make a
positive?

-Manish

God : A false belief system

I had watched video from Osho sometime back. I was completely engrossed into it, as what he was saying made a complete sense to me. Anyway below is what I think...

Everyone has fears. But you hide them behind a virtual wall of a belief system. I believe a strong person does not need to have a false belief system, what we name as god. You can never hide the truth or run away from it. The only way to understand the truth is by facing it. You will face your worst fear your anxiety but you can never deny their existence in first place. By believing in your belief system you just avoid them, avoid the truth.

More over, anyone who gives you a belief system is like your enemy. Belief system becomes barrier between your eyes and the truth. By putting up that barrier, the very desire to find the truth disappears. Consolation you receive is like an opium. It keeps you unaware of reality. Life is flowing past by you so quickly, 70 years will be gone soon.

God does not exist and you don't need such a false belief system in your life which keeps you away from the truth, the reality.

-Manish

BCCI vs ICL

If you consider yourself to be a cricket fan and havent heard about ICL. Please go and read some news!

The obsession of BCCI officials have reached to a dangerous condition and recently, BCCI has threatened any player who takes part in ICL will not be considered for the selection of Indian national cricket team. I am shocked at this kind of threat. Indian fans want that they have best players and it is natural that ICL will produce some good players who would become asset for Indian cricket in future.

This shows the sheer greediness of BCCI officials. They don’t care for Indian cricket. They also don’t care for developing good players. They are only concerned about money and they are afraid that ICL will take away some money generated by Cricket in India.

If BCCI had taken the initiative to make Indian domestic cricket attractive then no body would bother about ICL.

GO ICL!
-Manish

Hope!

Saw Shawshank Redemption zillionth time today

Love it everytime when Andy says....
1) "Hope is a good thing....probably the best thing....and good things never die!"
2) "There's somethin' inside that they can't get to, that they can't touch. It's yours."

Love when Red says....
"You come here for life and thats exactly what they take!"

Will watch it again zillionth + 1 time!

-Manish

I am 6 year's old

It was a late start of the day, I got up at 9.00 am finally after snoozing the clock three times! Thinking about work, I hurriedly tidied up myself. After that 20 minute rush, Aadat song by Aatif cheered up my drive to work. When I got to my desk at work, the first thing that I noticed was the date......24th July 2007. Ooh my god.....I was awestruck! I couldn't believe it. Were those really six years in US???

I took a moment to think over my past six years, going for a coffee. It was hard to believe that the time can fly by so fast. These six years were probably most decisive years. I could feel each and every moment running down the memory lane. I could smell the fresh cut grass from the lawns of the house that I moved in with my friends as a newcomer. I could taste that first rajmah and chawal we made without missing a single step from a recipe book. I could feel that exact silence from a tiring walk after on-campus dish-washing job at the university canteen. I could feel the real heartache of spending hard earned single dollar for a coffee in that chilly winter night. I could feel my heavy hands and those tiring eyes after a long night spent at the research lab trying to finish the week's work in that night fearing the advisor's look at the weekly meeting the next day. I could remember each and every single scene from a movie that we friends watched countless number of times over and over every day. And many more....just felt like I am living those moments again. Back at that time it had felt like all that I was doing had no sense to what I had come here for. But now looking back, everything makes sense. Each thing that happened had some significance and had an impact on what happened next.

If someone had told me then, what I would be in next six year's, I would have probably laughed at him. Well, may be I will still laugh at him....may be...just may be.

Were those happy six years? Were those sad six years? I don't know...but they probably were the best six years so far.

I quote today..."Life is livable only because it is full of surprises...so don't run away from those surprises"

Six year old!
-Manish

Meeting the man

I met a guy today. May be known to only few of us, may be inspiring to only few of us, may be interesting to only few of us.

When I saw him the first time, I did not see anything strikingly different in him. He was polite, humble and seemed a little shy. More like a typical nerdy techi guy. No wonder I was not surprised, when I heard he did his PhD in physics.

But there has to be something special in him that took him to where he is at right now. This question kept bugging me all the time, while we all were talking to him in a casual dinner meet. To be honest, I was not at all impressed by his communication skills, neither by his personality. He probably was the most shabbily dressed guy in the room. Then what was it that made him special? What was it that made him leader of the path, only few of us would dare to walk on? What was it that inspired Ashutosh Gowarikar to base Swades's story on him? What was it??

I decided to talk more with him personally the next day after his presentation. I went on trying to introduce myself again, thinking that he might have forgotten me from last meet. This time I talked a little more only to find him standing like the most sincere guy in the world listening to my words. I took a lead asking him questions about himself. Followed by a little hesitation, he started to talk about himself and how it all started. After all his talk, during which he sounded more like a professor than an activist, I realized that he is not much different than all of us. What made him different was his sincerity, his dedication, his genuineness, and his passion. He was so humble in his explanations that he credited everyone other than himself for what he did.

He was inspiring...in a different way. I saw a very typical me and you in him.

I realized that it is first step that matters. If you are genuine and passionate in your beliefs, things ought to fall in place.

Yes I can do it and so can you.

-Manish

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The Pursuit of Happiness

Pursuit: Following something in order to accomplish it.

Happiness is important in life, but pursuit of happiness is more important. No wonder Thomas Jefferson coined it into the United States Declaration of Independence as one of the un-alienable rights of a man.

Movie "Pursuit of Happyness"(No I am not making a spelling mistake...thats how it is spelled in movie) is a really good movie. Worth watching once. It shows struggle of a man to attain something he always imagined in his dreams. Finally does he attain the "happiness" or "happyness" as in this context?...It is still questionable. But his plight and his fight is worth a sight...which you will like....well....might! (Hey rhyming words....c'mmon!!!!! That aint so bad!)

It is good to have pursuit of happiness...but it is also important to enjoy your journey towards it.

One of my very dear friend once told me, you are never satisfied with how much ever money you get, but you will be most satisfied after you get a good full-filling meal....so true!

I believe...satisfaction is good enough reason for happiness. And enjoyment is the best form to invest your happiness and get more returns on it.

So enjoy your journey...you wont get a second chance!

-Manish

Traveling

A Quote from Mira Nair's movie, "The Namesake".

"Through books one can travel without moving an inch".

But why get stuck in that inch when you can travel for real. Hahaha..no I am not trying to ruin the quote. I respect it from my heart as I have experienced it recently. But that was just a cry from my mind as it was trying to create my second choice. (You would know it if you had read my first ever blog on my reading habits).

The movie wasnt bad though....interesting. I wish I had read the original book from Jhumpa Lahiri.

Asymptote

I remember this mathematical term being taught to us in high school.

It was amazing. I was always fascinated by this particular term. The definition was "Asymptote is a tangent at infinity". I still remember professor stressing on that definition for couple of times in the class. It may sound simple to remember, but it has real deep meaning to it.

You know asymptote is going to touch your curve at infinity. Although that infinity may never arrive, you are still hopeful that it will touch at some point time. As opposed to parallel lines where you are sure that those lines will never meet each other!

Pretty simple for a theory but can be applicable in our practical lives!

Yes....where there is an asymptote, there is hope!

-Manish