Month: June 2006

I saw the following placard stuck on a shopping cart of one of the numerous homeless folks in the city.

Location: Posh newly re-constructed Pier 14, San Francisco

No Drugs!
No Alcohol!
Money used for food only!!
Not lazy !!!

Now, that was an absolutely ingenuous thing to do. It got me thinking about how interesting it would be to work out the returns of this homeless person, versus the returns of the other homeless people using numerous innane placards. This could give us a feel of whether people genuinely trust or whether the stereotypes of homeless, drunk and sloshed people takes over.

As I was passing this cart, I could not but help look for the self-proclaimed “Not Lazy” owner.

I found him fast asleep using the cart to shield him from the direct glare of the sunlight!

PS: I guess a post-lunch siesta is excusable!!

I was crossing the street yesterday, when a car was pulling out from an underground garage. He did not notice us, and pulled out onto the street as we were walking. It seemed like a legitimate mistake (giving him the benefit of doubt) Imagine a person with his neck craning to gain visibility when he is peering out from the car at some place much higher than his perch. At this a man kicked the rear of the car really hard – and swore that this should teach him not to be rude!

Hmm…..if rudeness would teach a person not to be rude………

Maybe, a war on terror would terrorize terrorists into not terrorizing innocent people!

The pace at work is pretty hectic (Ours being a small company, and one of the fastest growing in our domain) By nature of their profiles, the Production support groups and DBAs are known to be high-tension jobs, since they are always required to take care of issues NOW!

So, imagine how I felt when I walk into the break room to find a member of the production support technical team staring out the window, and making a comment about the weather in San Francisco.

“It is breezier here during the day, and definitely colder in the mornings and evenings” she explains.

I nod in assent.

Soon, she continues after acknowledging my nod, that everybody outside is walking baring their skin, and life looks so pretty outside. I let out a laugh, and move towards my coffee.

Soon, a few more people walk into the break-room, and one of them even responds to her statements: “Fantastic weather isn’t it?”

To which she replies: “Yes, I really wish I could wear shorts” (Not entirely out of context, but….)
He: “Yes…that would be cool. Though the office really is cool you know”
She: “Hmm….I wonder where my white shorts are!”

Now, all of us in the room are slightly baffled! While we exchange concerned looks, she says:
“Oh ma….I really got to go. I am talking with this ear-piece on, that no-one can see, and everyone thinks I am nuts!”

THAT explains it!! Oh..for the love of technology!

Fictional piece:

Setting: Velankanni seashore in India. There is a mild breeze blowing and the tiny droplets of rain are soothing.

Reporter: Da Vinci Code-ai ban pannitaangalaamae? (Da Vinci Code has been banned. What do you think about it?)

The reporter is addressing a Christian couple headed to the local market. The lady has a basket full of fishes on her head, balancing an infant on her hips and walking briskly towards the local market with her husband bearing an equal load on his head

Man : Mariyaadhaiya pesu paa: yenna “Da” podarae? (Speak with respect. ‘DA’ being a derogatory term in Tamil)
Lady: Ayyo irunga….yedho kodai venum pol irukku (Oh wait….maybe he wants an umbrella. Kodai (Code-ai) in Tamil means Umbrella)

The reporter hastens to explain that he is neither treating the man with disrespect nor asking for an umbrella. He explains in some depth about the book authored by Dan Brown, that has been banned, while the fidgety couple glance market-ward in their worry that they may not quite make it to the local market for prime spots to sell their wares.

Lady: Ohh! Browns colour-aa? Addhaan mannu colour. Adhhukku yenna ippo? (Brown is the colour of mud. So what?)
Reporter: Ayyo…….andha Brown illai. Ivar vandhu English-la book ezhudhi irukkaru.(This Brown is an English author)
Man: AAma …….Tamil padikaave aala kaanum. Idhila English veraiya? (I can barely read Tamil, so who cares about an English book)

Couple together: Verai velai vetti illa? Kaalangaarthalae vandhittan yedho book-a patthi pesa. Boney-meeen venum-aa? (Useless fellow wasting everybody’s time in the morning. At least be the first customer to buy some fish!)

Newsitem in The Hindu dated 2nd June 2006 banning the Da Vinci Code movie from being released in Andhra Pradesh:

Dr. Reddy, sources said, was initially reluctant to support the ban. He argued that the original novel had already sold more than 60.5 million copies throughout the world and no Christian country had preferred the ban. He, however, relented when the officials cautioned him about possible law and order problems if the film was screened.

Later in a press release, Mr. Paul Bhuyan justified the stand arguing that the minority organisations had pointed out that the film’s story line attacked the very heart of the Holy Gospel destroying the divinity of Lord Jesus Christ.

It might lead to unrest among the semi-literate and illiterate rural folk following the faith, they had further warned.

The movie has been successfully released in Rome!