Morning blues

This guy took an early morning shower when the lawn sprinklers went off.

Spring 2008 Graduation Ceremony at ASU

This wasn't my graduation, not just yet... damn!

Getting my Bachelor's degree, did not really leave me with any sense of achievement. May be I had it easy, or may be I just didn't care, everyone around you, everyone you know is graduating, so whats the big deal?

Well, getting to the ceremony to see a friend graduate, made it seem like a big deal. The band with the Scottish piper and all, the students and the staff dressed in the traditional gowns and hats, a fairly packed arena, long speeches, big applauses, the several photo sessions afterward, all made it a big occasion. Each fall/spring, about 500 graduate from the engineering college at A.S.U. which isn't, too much really.

I don't know, but I still don't feel too strongly about my own graduation yet. It certainly is a milestone along the road - I know I would be glad at getting out of college, but would it be with the excitement of having graduated? Probably not. I'm on the fence on attending my own ceremony and pray it will be the fall of 2008. May be that ought to change it a little; if it doesn't then I freaking just don't care :P

More birds

This is a Quail. I mistook the curving crest or plume for its beak the first time I saw this bird from a distance. Its pretty neat.

Two's company.

Funny seats

This was just too good, and this being in China, brings a little surprise with it.. I admire the artist behind it and also the town or whatever for installing it - and I would think these women didn't know what they were getting into :)


Courtesy: Reuters, Yahoo News.

Under Barack Obama!!

Well, you know what's exciting - when you stumble upon a hilarious video when you weren't even looking for it. Now a friend pushed a link to "Pehli Nazar Mein - Atif Aslam" and when I loook to the videos in the related section - there it was!

I have been following Barack and Hilary's race for the democratic nomination quite closely and it made it all the more funny. It has been a while since I have found something that made me laugh my ass off. The content may or may not be office-safe.

A baby rabbit

It is so much fun watching them.

Beating the sun

I saw this pigeon take shelter in the shade for quite a few minutes. That got me wondering - How does it figure its better in the shade? Does it know why? Did it just happen to experience that it was better in the shade or did it know already and went looking for it? Does it make a note for next time to go directly to the shade?

Have you ever thought what it would be like to be an pigeon, a cat , some other animal for just a bit? To experience what goes thorough its head, to see the world through its eyes? I do that all the time.

Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance.

Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me, I am the sunscreen.

Lyrics from:http://www.generationterrorists.com/quotes/sunscreen.html

Life is good, The possibilites are limitless

Ever wondered how many movies there are out there? Well, scavenging through the used DVDs section at F.Y.E, I was struck by the countless movies that have been made. Likewise, countless books get written, songs get made, paintings and sketches are made - each in some way unique, each in some way special. It is simply amazing that there are no limits to the creativity within the collective us.

post it art :P

Its fun to use post its. Along with that post-it two other things on my table.

From my window

Tagged by Parag.

This is not a typical me. But I was tagged by Parag and I guess playing along wont hurt... much.
So, dude, this one is because its you :P

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Street kings - I was hoping this would be a rather Speed like action movie; but instead found it to be quite an intense action movie. It was good though, Just not the fun filled mindless action.

2. What book are you reading?
The catcher in the rye. Had 'The world is flat' going on for sometime on the side. But its been put down for sometime now.

3. Favorite board game?
As a kid, I agree with the guy who has kind of had me into writing this post. Business was a fun board game. I remember how thin the notes were. So me and my sis had cut out chart paper as backing for those notes. Had it a for long time.

4. Favorite magazine?
Duh. No brainer - Playboy of course.

5. Favorite smells?
Smell of a rose. Smell of water hitting the dry soil.

6. Favorite sounds?
The sound of the breeze in the leaves of the trees... hey, that rhymes!!

7. Worst feeling in the world?
To feel useless.

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Damn, its 8:30!

9. Favorite fast food place?
Now its Subway. Used to be Quiznos until last semester.

10. Future child’s name?
I live in the moment.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?”
call it quits and go on a road trip in each continent.

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
I used to sleep with live cats back home.

13. Storms - cool or scary?
Depends where I am at - me witnessing the storm should be cool; me in it, I can't be too sure. Well, check with me in 6 months.

14. Favorite drink?
Used to be coffee back home in Pune. Now its orange juice; but I think I just moved on Coors' Light.

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Play tennis all day.

16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Please tell me there is something to this question. No I don't.

17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
Black, with streaks of red. Looks great on some gals. How bad can it get on me, I wonder.

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Pune, Tempe, Phoenix - noting living is different from visiting :P

19. Favorite sports to watch?
Tennis. Can still watch cricket, football, pool, bowling, basketball..ah pretty much any sport. I don't find watching Golf or poker too horribly exciting though. Otherwise pretty much a sports junkie without the trivia.

20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
I'm still thinking..

21. What’s under your bed?
Nothing interesting.

22. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
You bet. May be with wings though.

23. Morning person, or night owl?
Really up to me and my interest and the need of the hour. I have a history of 14 night outs in a row and also of getting up at 3 during PLs.

24. Over easy, or sunny side up?
Dunno whatchya saying.

25. Favorite place to relax?
Any place out and removed from things man-made.

26. Favorite pie?
I think the only one Ive had is the one with the different berries in it.

27. Favorite ice cream flavor?
I don't like ice-cream ! Would trade one for a can of Coke every time.

28. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
The stupidity ends here :D

Sketching

I have been thinking of having a go at sketching for a few days now. Reading my cartoons each morning, Garfield was the natural first choice. For starters, one from today's strip on my yahoo, onto the back of a visiting card.

Quote

Just got off watching Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman for the nth time.

"Some dreams come true, and some don't. But keep on dreaming..."
~A random guy in the movie, or the narrator - I couldn't be sure.

quote

Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal.

~Mike Ditka

Competitive tennis

Year 2007, ASU Olympics, Tennis: Number of participants 3, I finished 3rd.
Year 2008, ASU Olympics, Tennis: Number of participants 4 - but this time I finished 2nd, I won a set and it sure felt good. It was nice of the organizing 'Coalition of International Students' to award these medals; Its good to have something to remember things by.

Its not often that I play a regular game of tennis. I always prefer to just hit - it has always just been about improving strokeplay and pretty much going on without a goal, with getting better being the only motivation. I have come to believe it is important to play competitive tennis; it can still be fun. This is one of those things I find different in the way Americans approach the game and the way I have seen others play - no matter what the skill level, playing a game with rules and scores is something they just have to do.

Playing with scores, and more so in what was a tournament, showed me just how different the same thing could get. I wasn't half as good. Most of the game was getting played just in my head than on the court. With every swing I know, it needs to go in. The fear of losing a point, makes me not want to go for those winners, I would go for when I'm just hitting. I would be content at pushing the ball into play and keep alive in the point. I felt elated, when I knew I was going to win my first set. I was able to put that aside and just play through the final game. In my second match, I could feel the dismay, when I knew the set was out of my reach; I got myself to forget that and get back in the game until it was really over.

This was not the US Open; it was just four guys, who decided to show up. I cannot even begin to imagine how guys like Federer feel when playing for so much more and with so many eyes on them. While the scale of that I may never know, I surely tasted the spirit in which they play the game.

OMGIF!!

The week comes, and the week goes,
What happens within, I never know,
Time, so lost it seems,
Time, so lost is me.

While I may or nay,
It shall never lay,
As hours turn into many a day,
For never is it for here to stay,
As the sun rises, as the night grows,
A week comes and a week goes.

Tequila - A good laugh

The little joys of life

Hope this list can grow over time.

• Finding a parking spot
• Finding a parking meter with 20 minutes on it
• Seeing a red light turn green when you are 100 feet from it
• Not knowing where you are going, but ending up on the road you were looking for
  
• Changing lanes and going past a dozen cars
• Opening a new can of tennis balls and hearing swish sound followed by the strong scent of the bright green balls.
• Finding the music you are looking for in the public library
• Finding the book you are looking for not checked out
• Finding the muscles shape up after a good workout
• Finding a truckload of mp3s where you least expected it
• Stepping outside a closed building and find the breeze taking the dust and the dried leaves around in circles
• Finding your tax refund credited to your bank account
• Finding the palo verde trees turn yellow in full blossom
• Finding a rabbit on the front lawn
• Seeing two pigeons chase each other
  

Buckcherry - Sorry

Heard it a few times on the radio. I like how it sounds.



Oh I had alot to say
Was thinking on my time away
I miss you and things weren't the same
'Cause everything inside it never comes out right
And when I see you cry it makes me wanna die.

I'm sorry i'm bad, i'm sorry i'm blue
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you
And I know I can't take it back
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds
And baby the way you make my world go 'round
And I just wanted to say i'm sorry.

This time I think i'm to blame
It's harder to get through the days
We get older and blame turns to shame
'Cause everything inside it never comes out right
And when I see you cry it makes me wanna die.

I'm sorry i'm bad, i'm sorry i'm blue
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you
And I know I can't take it back
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds
And baby the way you make my world go 'round
And I just wanted to say i'm sorry.

Every single day I think about how we came all this way
The sleepless nights and the tears you cried
It's never too late to make it right
Oh yeah Sorry!

I'm sorry i'm bad, i'm sorry i'm blue
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you
And I know I can't take it back
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds
And baby the way you make my world go 'round
And I just wanted to say i'm sorry.
I'm sorry baby.
I'm sorry baby.
I'm sorry.