Scribbles

2011-04-29T21:12:00.003+05:00

The Royal Wedding is done but the Media Hype is not.

If you have been following the news lately, it is hard to miss the attention media has been giving to royal wedding all this month.CNN had an entire section dedicated for royal wedding where there was information not just about the wedding but every bit of the royal details including their history revisited. I learnt a lot about the royal family than I ever knew, not that it was necessary but it was on the news after all. There was new about how the couple had met and fell in love. There was news about how down to earth Kate and William are portrayed to be and how they had invited to their wedding some of the local grocery store owners that Kate used to visit. There was news about how they went back and forth on their relationship but were in the end destined to be together. There was so much speculation about the wedding dress she was going to wear. People wouldn't just stop guessing the designers and at one point they even guessed the right one. There was news about her 1.5 million worth sapphire diamond engagement ring and its history. There was more about Prince Harry and how is now one of the most eligible bachelor in the world and how he has shades of Diana when he relates to a commoner. And then something you couldn't miss, the news about Diana and Charles relationship and how a fairytale to be faced a not so beautiful ending.The history wouldn't just stop there. Media would go on and beyond the even queen mother's years to dig out all there is to sell. Everyone seemed to taking advantage of this big wedding to sell their stuff. There were numerous items on sale with pictures of Kate and William on it, ranging from silver wares to personal items. At a point some guy even decided to take advantage of the market and sell the house Kate was born in and that moved into different hands.

The day came, the dress mystery unwound. She wore an Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sandra Burton. The dress was a bit too old fashioned and way too strong for her structure and personality. But, it is her wedding and she is allowed to wear anything she likes. They said their vows, became husband wife, went to the balcony, waived to their faithful followers, and exchanged 2 sweet kisses and some giggles. Went for a round in the chariot and then.... I wouldn't follow. Because even though the wedding was over, the news was not. And it was getting a little too painful now for me to follow more.. LOL.. may be the realization hit a little late, nevertheless, I just closed CNN. What had I actually learnt so far from all this? That news sells!

Well, I wish the couple a blessed and lovely life together but I also have my own life to carry on with now. :) .Thanks to Media for all the enlightenment about the Royal family.

2011-04-19T02:10:00.000+05:00

yeah, someone definitely better than Britney spears ;)

2010-11-12T00:07:00.004+05:00

Another year coming close to an end and as I was reading through someone's blog on goals and aspirations, I remembered faintly about setting some goals for myself a few years back. I had specifically penned them down on this blog and it sure is good humour to read and compare if I have done anything close to that!! Haa.. (look at the date below .. :D perfect mid time review!!!!)
my comments on Nov 11,2010 in blue...

DEC 27 ,2005 I wrote :

*5 Things i want to do within 10yrs*

1) Do a PG -- Ok, Maybe I meant Post Graduation. But ,I do have another PG to tuck - Parental Goodness.. LOL
2) Make a career for myself --Hmmm!.. I have just realised that what I do is not my career. So it will take upto another 5 yrs to actually do what I like now..
3) Own a Black Honda City -- Check , I got black acura instead
4) Learn 3 More Languages -- one done-baby language!! ;) 2 more to go in another 5 yrs.. (I mean languages not babies!!!)
5) Make my Mom feel proud of me --Oh , Iam sure she does.. (She BETTER!!!)

*5 Things i want to be within 10 yrs*

1)Be more assertive - Really, tell me a person who knows what they want?
2)Be less bothered about less important things - Check ,"less important things" are relative to age ;)
3)Be more Humble - I dont think Iam that great that I have to be Humble.. (laugh if u get the catch, else just leave it.)
4)Be less perturbed - Iam in a state of tranquility (until H1B lasts...)
5)Be more aware of time -So much so that I quit wearing my watch these days

2010-08-25T19:43:00.002+05:00

I have heard that life after a kid becomes hectic. That is no understatement, you got to experience to understand that! It is sometime since I joined work and I have figured that Iam not able to do stuff , just regular stuff, once Iam home. Before, I had all the time to myself and could do anything in/ around and outside home . Now there is this tiny person, so dependent on me and I cannot take my eyes off him :p . Part of it comes out of the guilt that Iam away from home most of the day and that my little one will need my attention for the rest. I keep wondering how working moms make it all the time, raising children , taking care of all the chores and still keeping a little time aside for themselves . Iam struggling to do so and learning to enjoy along the way cause I know this moment is not going to come back!!

2009-09-18T01:31:00.003+05:00

US Road trip experience of an Indian Parent

hi all,
how are u.i am enjoying my holidays here.last week, we have gone to south padre island - near mexico border. it is 7 hours drive from houston. we spent 2 nights and 3 daysat the island. only sea everywhere. enjoyed the morning bath in the sea. dolphines are plenty. we ate the mexican food.this island was abandoned by mexicans during american civil war. then USA annexed this island. last day, we went to the mexican border, guarded by lot of military personnel. when we were on board of a ship - big size boat - one fellow was asking about the sticker on the forehead of my wife (pottu). i took some pottu from my wife's bag, and put it on the forehead of a few persons and told them that this beautifies the forehead. some asked for the mirror to see their forehead after the stickiers. during our return trip to houston, we were halted by the USA military for a routine check up. they are checking the identity and drugs. we do not
have any identity card with us. i left the passport and visa at the houston itself. my brother in law was driving the car. he is american citizen. he showed his driving licence. we have nothing to show. one military officer asked to take out my vallet - purse, thinking i have everything in the purse. i told that i have only a few dollars, for which vallet is not necessary. so i do not have any purse with me. then i was asked to come out of the vehicle. i told him that my wife also doesnt have anything, so let she also come out of the vehicle. (afterall i need a company ). he said yes. then that officer took us inside the camp. one dog came near to us for smelling any drug. after letting us in a room, he locked outisde. they checked thoroughly whether we have gun or not. it is a glass room only. it is just like our BM's room. in our chair, handcuff was hanging. luckily they have not used that. i think they would use only if we agitate. they are not
prepared to hear anything from me. i told my son's phone number to know more about me and passport, visa details. but they are not in a mood to listen. then 4 military officers cameand enquired one by one. i replied casually. they asked me my first name and last name. i dont
know which is my first name and last name. i know only k.swaminathan. 'k' comes first or second - i forgot. i asked my wife - she said she is swaminathan geetha. so i could understand that i am krishnan swaminathan. finally they saw my photo in the computer.that
fellow staring the computer and me for 5 minutes. i also tried to give a smiling face as i appear in the photo/computer.finally they let us free after advising me to keep the documents hereafter. actually i enjoyed that moments. i dint have anyfear. my wife only not happy with me - as usual.more news in the next mail.
bye

2009-09-16T21:10:00.027+05:00

From 'Pala'Kaadu to 'Pala' Naadu

When my great grandmother was born in early 1900, India would have been under the British reign. Little would have she imagined about the country's independence itself let alone the fact that come another century and her descendants would soon be culturally diversified.Born in Palakaadu, I imagine her as a meek,orthodox,south Indian girl also married early with life slipping away catering to the needs of her husband and children.She had,I think 8 children - 4of each gender and one of them being my grandmother. I wonder if their generation would have been more outspoken and forward in their thinking because the British culture was more prominently evolving during their times and for the fact that my great grandfather served the army during the period.My grandmother ,her brothers and sisters were probably the first to cross the borders of their state to settle in their life. She(my grandma) married my grandfather from 'Tiruchy' at the age of 16 and gave birth to 9 children . I know, they wouldn't have had much to do in those days..LOL. Meanwhile the family continued to grow on the other side with her sisters and brothers adding more branches to the tree.My grandmother's generation crossed states to make their living, and my mother's crossed the sea.It was not until one of my mother's cousin, an IIT graduate crossed over to US married an American ,that the roots started going global.I was not aware of the event as I was pretty young then but I have often wondered how the family would have reacted to this in the early 1980s.And then he (the cousin) had a son, who became my first american relative . I was often quite fascinated by the way he used to talk when he came down for vacation and all the fancy stuffs he had. At this point my mother and her siblings who were raised in trichy spread their wings to cross state and country borders. My own uncles married from different places like bangalore and Bihar and from being palakkadu tamilians we had come to be nationaly integrated .Neither my grandmother nor grandfather were alive by this time to see how gracefuly we started to embrace the different cultures as a family.My generation consists of 17 first cousins now ,some of them belong to hindi/tamizh descent and some of them growing up to be americans and yet remain bonded by the family ties.While reminiscing on all these facts, I was distracted by where I started from - the photo of a newborn snuggling in his mother's arm.Born on Sep 15 , my half nephew Jai Allen venkataram is also half british. As I welcome him to the family with love,my mind is amazed by how far the descendents of a small city have gone and races into curiosity on how much farther they will go.

2009-08-30T02:11:00.005+05:00

Meant to "be"

Somethings are meant to be. Am not talking about a person or any relation .It is about a Top/shirt (whatever it is supposed to be called) that I have been having.One may think this is a funny subject but what's interesting is I have been having this top for a very long time. Don't even underestimate when I mention a very long time. I have been having it with me and still using it for a rock solid 12 years now :-) . I can see what anyone reading this must be imagining, that it should be an old tattered piece of unusable shred and what kind of person is this who would still be using it. But the fact is , it is in the same shape my mother got it for me 12 yrs ago ( when I was in Std 8 ) on the platform shop of Egmore(chennai) where they used to sell bedspreads. So , I was walking on Egmore with my mother when she was buying some sheets for our house, and this pretty blacktop with small pink flowers all over hit my eye. It was love at first sight and then everything was history! . I never intended to save it at all, but I have purchased a million dresses, donated some , thrown away a zillion , changed 6 houses in 12 years, changed schools,left school, left college, left the city and even left the country!Some how I never felt like throwing this piece away mostly because I was guilty that it looked as good as new and dint even tear. Even when I left India I never bothered to pack it , it happened to be sighted by my mother later and she sent it to me through some one who came here. Well here Iam on a Saturday afternoon cleaning up the closet shelf to throw away some more stuff and this top is what I find . For sometime now, I had forgotten all about it so I tried to wear it to see if still fits and I was so relieved it did. I remember there were times in my life it did not fit ( i was rather fat then lol ) .It just brings with it some good old memories and its just much more than just a top now, its too old, its almost like an evidence of my life that am unable to destroy, not that i would want to.. just a phrase. Its not of any brand, just pure soft cotton and no one would believe that it did not fade at all. I look at it and think, may be its high time I give it some respect and not dump it in some corner like I have been doing all these years. So, I unfold this faithful little top of mine that has relentlessy followed me to this date and hang it carefully in my closet and shall we say that the saga continues ?....

2009-08-13T21:10:00.006+05:00

Jon Itkin- Devil in Another Man's Hell

Occasionaly you find a diamond in the rough,likewise I heard this song by chance somewhere and loved it.The way Jon sings is spectacular.I tried looking for the lyrics online but in vain.. None of his songs are in a free to download mp3 format and very hard to find the lyrics!, Also searched youtube and found just 2 videos of him palying on his guitar.. Anyway, finally I just listened to the song and wrote down the lyrics myself, in case some one else like me was looking for it. I dont know if I got the entire lyrics correct though, so marked ** where I really was doubtful.

Listen to the song online and enjoy..
http://www.youlicense.com/SongDetails.aspx?ID=32264

'Devil in Another Man's Hell' Lyrics
It started with a question, continued with a smile
a few kind words ,a short walk down the Aile.
I was aiming for the cherry till i slipped and fell.
now am the devil in another man's hell.
It stared with an explosion
and a couple bad mistakes
now your swimming thru the sand storm
waiting on a bout of break.
Am at the bottom of his dreams
where suspision starts to swell,
am a devil in another man's hell,
Shes now dancing
**Am looking to move.
I know the right answer is to not what I chose.
She promises none, says not to tell
Now am the devil in another man's hell.

he'l never know my name,
he'l never see my face,
**since in the ash the target sleigh blow away.
if he comes back home, he'l find an empty shell
Ya Am the devil in another man's hell.
Ya Am the devil in another man's hell.
Ya Am the devil in another man's hell.
Ya Am the devil...

2009-08-08T01:00:00.007+05:00

Copywrites reserved by Rathi :-p

Hold my Hand..

hold my hand,
Just hold it right there because
When you hold my hand
and sit close by,
the world becomes beautiful
the sorrows shy.

When you smile at me
and gently kiss
the doubts fade away
there is nothing but bliss..

O hold my hand, O hold my hand..

I dont if I told how much I love you,
All I know is no matter how many times I say,
you wouldn't understand, you wouldn't understand,
that but for you, things wont be the same way.

The happiness that I sought all my life
the happiness that I thought was too good be true
that happiness took a form,
of love and hope and became you..
So hold my hand,
Just hold it right there .

O hold my hand, O hold my hand
I never knew how to love
I never knew how to care
You taught me all baby,
you taught me what joy it is to share..

Now I wouldn't want to let go of you
Wouldn't even want to dream of the same.
So hold my hand,
Just hold it right there..

O hold my hand....Just hold my hand..

2009-08-07T23:28:00.002+05:00

Dear Diary,
Another friday afternoon.. boredome is hitting hard. I want to go home, but really there isn't much to do there either :-$ . I try to keep occupied, but easily fall back bored. My kitchen blog doesn't seem to interest me anymore and I have become what you can call a scatter brain. I do things here and there in bits and pieces and casually leave unfinished. Iam struggling to concentrate!

2009-05-26T23:43:00.004+05:00

Debit card theft!
Whats sucks the most is when your debit identity is stolen and 100s of dollars are taken away from your account in purchase of some crap that you wouldn't imagine in the wildest of your dreams. And that too when it is a vacation time. Thank god for the alert we recvd from our bank, saved us from losing more. Still, it is pain to call numerous numbers before you reach the right one ,explain your position and get the situation dealt with. It will still take a while before we get our money refunded.. :-( .

Seriously, no idea how this can happen but there sure is lot of precaution one can take to save yourself from the headache.

1) Never trash you bills without tearing properly.
2) As much as possible avoid swiping debit cards.
3) Keep a low credit limit..
4)Get a security insurance policy from the bank that your account is with , so that your stolen money will be refunded immediately.
5)Set up to receive automatic alerts from the bank regarding account activity.
6) Monitor account activity once in 3 days yourself.
7)Goes without saying.. always have a credit watch.. (reminds me of the ad : "Free Credit report.com, tell your friend tell your dad, tell your mom!".. cute guy ;-) )
8) Keep your system updated with latest antivirus patches ,so that Ur identity is not stolen online!

2009-04-07T21:08:00.005+05:00

Plastic and microwave.

It has just been 2 years since I have come to the US of A and suddenly my life seems to be dominated by plastic and microwave. My every day habit have changed so much, I wonder if any of it is for good. For the first 23 years of my life , for the part where I used to take lunch to school/college/office I never used plastic tiffin box nor did I microwave my lunch. Today, it is the order of the day. Not a day goes without microwaving my lunch. I certainly think that it is worse than bad considering the fact I just read on an article about Bisphenol A in plastics. My realisation is not new. I have been trying to avoid plastic spoons ( this one is tough, trust me). I make sure to use steel spoons fork and heat my cereal in ceramic bowl for sometime now.Now, after reading this article on a magazine in the break room I think it is only wise to switch to stainless steel tiffing box ! ha, I used to enjoy my food even if it was not so hot and whats with me now? The article points out that Bisphenol A may be a cause for cancer and that it is present in canned food (OK you lazy, I think now , may be lesser canned beans,channa ..do the traditional way like your mom used to . soak it and steam it!!!) ,and sometimes even in the water cooler.It also states that microwaving the plastic or placing it in the dishwasher or using strong detergent is not so good and causes what they call "Leaching". I have stopped "cooking" in microwave for long now but still know some people who do it. My advice is - the better & healthy way is always not so easy. The dishwasher part is new knowledge.Come to think of it more, my mother had very few plastic containers and even the food that was stored in fridge was in stainless steel, re-heated on gas stove and there was no dishwasher.The things that have been adopted by our culture/society knowingly or un-knowingly may be more healthy than we think . This new lifestyle of eating in throw away plastic (to reduce washing time) , microwaving food ,storing cartons of coke at home (that probably is contaminated by leeching) seems fancy but definitely not so safe.Google your way to Bisphenol A .

Here is a starter :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Human_exposure_to_bisphenol_A

2009-04-02T19:24:00.003+05:00

Do you know who your best friend is?...

Best friend, well that has always been a big word for me. Not that I dont have any close friends , but maybe best friend is just too tough a word. when you say you have a best friend, count yourself lucky, cause with changing times and places it is so difficult in this world do be and to let some one be constantly involved in your life. I dont know about others, but a lot of time I wonder.. do I have any best friends? and to me , best friend means some one who takes part in the happy and not so happy hours of my life. And I have sensed this with a few of them along my life till today. But , to tell the truth ,though they still are very special people I don't know why it is a struggle to keep the same feeling intact. Sometimes I get blamed for not keeping touch, but I will not accept that completely. I make just enough effort to keep in touch, and I never ever shun away a friend who has taken all the effort to talk to me. Look at this world, its changing so rapidly , you and I both are not in the same place , not in the same situation ,and not having the same responsibility. Behind this curtain of issues/responsibility the persons are the same. I know that, and when you understand that then you become my best friend.Finding a best friend is as tough as finding a life partner..haha..keeping the latter is easy cause once you are married, you are bound to be together and the bond remains which is not so in case of the former.Back to square one, do I have a best friend now?.. sometimes I think I do, and other times I don't know, maybe the bond will just wane as it happened other times. Only time has to tell .

2009-03-03T20:44:00.001+05:00

Men are from Mars...

A story I read and found very hilarious.. now I understand why they say men are from mars and women are from Venus...

Let's say a guy named Roger is attracted to a woman named Elaine. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.
And then, one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?"
And then there is silence in the car. To Elaine, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.
And Roger is thinking: Gosh. Six months.
And Elaine is thinking: But, hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship, either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily toward . . . I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?
And Roger is thinking: ... so that means it was ... let's see ... February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means ... lemme check the odometer ... Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.
And Elaine is thinking: He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed -- even before I sensed it -- that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected.
And Roger is thinking: And I'm gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It's 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a bleeping garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.
And Elaine is thinking: He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry, too. Gosh, I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.
And Roger is thinking: They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty. That's exactly what they're gonna say, the scumballs.
And Elaine is thinking: maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I'm sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.
And Roger is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a blankity-blank warranty. I'll take their warranty and ....
"Roger," Elaine says aloud.
"What?" says Roger, startled.
"Please don't torture yourself like this," she says, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "Maybe I should never have ... Oh Gosh, I feel so ...."
(She breaks down, sobbing.)
"What?" says Roger.
"I'm such a fool," Elaine sobs. "I mean, I know there's no knight. I really know that. It's silly. There's no knight, and there's no horse."
"There's no horse?" says Roger.
"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Elaine says.
"No!" says Roger, glad to finally know the correct answer.
"It's just that ... It's that I ... I need some time," Elaine says.
(There is a 15-second pause while Roger, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)
"Yes," he says.
(Elaine, deeply moved, touches his hand.)
"Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?" she says.
"What way?" says Roger.
"That way about time," says Elaine.
"Oh," says Roger. "Yes."
(Elaine turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks.)
"Thank you, Roger," she says.
"Thank you," says Roger.
Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, and weeps until dawn, whereas when Roger gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis match between two Czechoslovakians he never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it's better if he doesn't think about it. (This is also Roger's policy regarding world hunger.)
The next day Elaine will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and they will talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, they will analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, considering every possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it, either.
Meanwhile, Roger, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Elaine's, will pause just before serving, frown, and say: "Norm, did Elaine ever own a horse?"

2009-02-24T21:10:00.005+05:00

Flight Phobia and Media Hype

What once used to be an exciting thing for me is slowly turning out to be a phobia. Cant blame anyone, I have read more news about flight crashing in the past months than the economy downturn. At least, the latter is being dealt with. I do not understand where these news of crash vanish into?, there is no news thereafter of any sort of inspections for other flights to necessitate safety/ assure public that it is safe to fly. Or is media just bothered about the prior because it creates popularity?. Sure, one should agree to that as it is evident from the question they ask onlookers of a crash -" Tel me Mr. X , when you were walking down the road and saw the flight coming down, what was your "feeling" at that very moment?? " . What do you expect them to say? -" Oh , I thought my burger needed more cheese? " . Damn. It is media, it is a skill full art of playing with the human emotions, that's no news - that's the way of getting your attention. Everything is made so dramatic . For example these are some headlines from the past few weeks on "plane crash" ...

9/11 widow among Buffalo flight victims

Musicians, 9/11 widow, family man among plane crash victims

Witnesses saw and heard plane going down

Videos of family and witnesses, plane crash - now that's so selling for them!

Turboprop crash plane one of the safest -

2009-02-11T23:03:00.010+05:00

My Grand American Dream...

PRO
4 times the salary
CON
4 times the rent and 3 times other living expense

PRO
I have privacy
CON
I have way too much privacy

PRO
2 times the freedom to buy something without thinking.
CON
5 times the risk of ending up with a credit card debt.

PRO
I can send my family enough money so that they can live without any hassles
CON
I cannot actually enjoy by spending it with them.

PRO
I Am independent. I can do my own stuff.
CON
I can never ever imagine having the luxury of someone helping me.

PRO
I might be able to get my dream house with a swimming pool in the backyard.
CON
Some of the close to heart chaps will probably never visit to stay with me.

PRO
My children will probably be more affluent in English with outgoing personality than I was @ their age.
CON
But will my children be ever able to understand the values that my dad instilled in me?

PRO
I get to experience what it is to be like in this amazingly developed country .
CON
I cannot be proud by being part of /contributing to my developing nation.

PRO
I can keep in touch with my best friend with all the wonderful technology this country has come up with.
CON
I cannot attend his wedding.

PRO
When My brother was here,he was just 3 flight hrs away as opposed to my parents being 6 train hrs away in chennai when I was working in b'lore.
CON
I visited him once a yr.I used to go to chennai every weekend.

2009-02-11T00:13:00.007+05:00

Great heaven, Vundo/virtumonde is the most irritating trojan. at least, I have seen nothing worse. This thing got into my system, don't know from where, about 2 weeks ago. At first , I thought it was pretty simple stuff and run the spybot and fixed the problems.. little did i know that it would soon get on to my nerves. The problem with this is it keeps popping ads and how much ever I try to remove, it would re-appear from no where!. slows down the system miserably , for there is process that is constantly running in the background. tried Avg,spybot,trend micro, and still no luck.After a lot of reading online, and research this is what I found..

Vundo associates itself to any program and creates junk dlls in the system32 folder. In my case , it attached itself ,rather used the rundll32 to do its operation. Usually it installs itself in the startup with some funky name and the command looks like 'Rundll32.exe "C:\Windows\system32\mimegepa.dll ", a and the location is like "Software\Microsoft\windows\currentVersion\Run" .. So this is what I did to remove the vundo
out of my system

1) Ran spybot and removed what ever I could using the software
2) Deleted all temporary Internet files/cookies
3) Since it was using the Rundll32, went Process in taskbar and stopped the rundll32..
(warning: all thought there might be other things that use this...)
4) In system32 folder, selected the option to show all "hidden files" and the "Protected operating system files". Since I knew, kinda when my system was attacked, sorted the list by date and manually deleted suspicious dlls that were installed after that date.. Also knew that I did not install any other software after that date. may be it was not the best thing to do , but I wanted this thing out.. little did I know it wont stop there...Some dlls wouldn't be deleted as they were being used by some program.
5) I noticed that the dlls kept on re-appearing. So , as next step re-started system in safe mode, opened the registry and scanned through HKEY_local_machine\Software\microsoft\windows\currentVersion\Run\ . Saw that there were junk entries that were not cleaned by spybot. the name was like 'rejarewasu' and the content was again Rundll32.exe "C:\windowd\system32\mimegepa.dll ", a .
6) Searched for that name in the entire registry and deleted them. Ofcourse, took a back up just in case something went wrong.
7) one last thing remained.. had to go to MSconfig and in the startup, needed to uncheck the process that was automatically started every time the system would boot.. I wanted to be sure that it wouldn't start again so I read somewhere, it was better to even delete the registry entry for this. So , searched for the startup item name in the registry and found that it was in hkey_local_machine\system\controlset001\services\sharedaccess\ . I deleted this
and re-ran the spybot scan in the safe mode and this time it was NEAT!! ...great, that was so relieving!..

I think this should be pretty much it to remove the fella.. vundofix and others did not do much good for me.. and in the worst case if in this process there was any thing deleted but was not supposed to be and if something weird happens with windows, the best would be to just repair it with the windows CD.. (I would try that before trying to re-install)

2009-01-29T20:46:00.008+05:00

Thousand miles by Vanessa Carlton : Its funny how/why I feel like a school girl listening to this. The notes are striking though..

and this is the version of the song from the album...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnkvhi1XOR8&feature=related

2009-01-27T00:43:00.003+05:00

India- The Terror within

May be its time that India had a little more aggressive security force , Govt in place .Its not surprising at all if more such 'TAJ-Mumbai' attacks happen, when the country itself is but in a pool of terror.A perfect example is this recent news of Mangalore bar attack where apparently a mob belonging to the Sri Rama Sena activists attacked the girls in the pub. They claim to be protecting Hinduism and its culture .More-over, the head seems to be accepting all this and acclaiming what the group did,but we are still not sure if anyone at all is behind the bars.

The worst of all is , the media seems to be running behind the activists capturing all this !

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/pub-attack:-police-book-arrested-men-under-goonda-act-064

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=56075

It really makes one wonder, what steps does government of India take to avoid such local mob attacks? And when there is no sense of security among people of one's own nation , how can you identify the same with your neighbour ?

One must feel really sorry that the country seems to be in total chaos, not knowing how to handle western influence. Everything comes as a bundle of good/and bad and when India wants financial prosperity , it must learn to also endure the difficulties that come in its way.

For example, all seemed flowery at a point when IT made a revolution and every other industry in India was booming. But ,last October, when Jet Airways revealed about cutting 800 jobs, there was so much tension that apparently a politician seemed to have threatened Mr. Goyal to take back on the decision. The result being - a made up speech by Goyal to the media regarding how he considers every employee as "his own family member". People should realise that in trying to reach heights such things are bound to happen- Economy high and lows. That's exactly what US is undergoing right now. Just imagine, if there were 2 million employees sacked in India , every other CEO would have been found dead. ( like what happened to the official in Gurgaon)

Politics,Economy, Lifestyle are three different things that should definitely co-exist and grow strong together to form a proud nation. At present, these things are just being mixed up brutally . And when the govt tries to draw fine line between these, it will then begin to actually prosper .

2009-01-26T02:56:00.002+05:00

My piece of mind for the day -
Nature :- Philosophical

what was yesterday
isn't today.
what is today
Isn't here to stay.
For what does he craft
for what he whittles.
for what does he watch
as into ashes we crumble.
for what lesson learnt is worth this pain
of losing all there is
without no gain.
It haunts to know the truth of death
and that of living
cause my dear,
there is no such thing...

2009-01-19T21:05:00.003+05:00

Its been a long weekend.. Today is off 'cause its Martin Luther King's day.Not everyone observes this govt holiday I suppose. While universities and other non profit organisations remain closed, the profit organisations are working in full speed.. I did read some where it was one long process to get this holiday bill to be approved. Whatever, for me its a day to relax and do what I like . In fact I got up a little early to enjoy my filter coffee by the balcony. Now that's something that one does not get to do everyday.. filter coffees are a strict weekend things . Then , my second love is cleaning my house - ha , I never get bored of this one.. then of course Am trying to play a slow melody in a fast note on my keyboard.. then I wanted to return some tops in Macy's, and watch some t.v, go to the gym .. rite , its a long list and a short day.. so I better get going 'cause I don't want to lose my holiday !~~~~~

2009-01-17T00:41:00.005+05:00

Enya - I think she has some magic in her voice. Yeah its true, sometimes I fall asleep listening to her songs.. but this one is amazing - something different.

Summer. When the day is over
there’s a heart a little colder;
someone said goodbye,
but you don’t know why.
Somewhere there is someone keeping
All the tears they have been weeping,
Someone said goodbye,
But you don’t know why.

Is there a reason
Why a broken heart begins to cry?
Is there a reason
You were lost although you don’t know why?
Give me a reason
Why you never want to say goodbye.
If there’s a reason,
I don’t know why.

Always looking for meaning,
All the time you keep believing,
But I don’t know why
You won’t say goodbye.

Even when the sun is shining
You don’t see the silver lining,
But I don’t know why
You won’t say goodbye.

Is there a reason
Why a broken dream can never fly?
Is there a reason
You believe and then you close your eyes?
Give me a reason
Why you hide away so much inside.
If there’s a reason,
I don’t know why.

Is there a reason
Why a broken heart begins to cry?
Is there a reason
You were lost although you don’t know why?
Give me a reason
Why you never want to say goodbye.
If there’s a reason,
I don’t know why.
I don’t know why.
I don’t know why.
I don’t know why.

2007-06-16T20:18:00.000+05:00

--Reflection--

As I see my reflection in the mirror
i tend to explore..
Just THAT is me?
Or am i some more?

i touch ,i feel my skin
is this my reality ?
just blood running through the bones and flesh?
Or is there some more to this nature of humanity?

One Heart and One brain,
Is that all that takes to rule me
Or is there something that science cant explain
That only self can realise and see.

Yes i hear a voice
A voice in the abyss
a voice not of my heart or brain
A voice that guides me when amiss.

Is that what i shoud say is 'my soul'?
a soul with a purpose and a reason?
a soul beyond time and space ?
that which transcends the law of destruction and creation..?

i try my best
i cant comprehend.
Lost in the nature of duality
i cease to self apprehend.

Next time when you look into mirror
look carefuly,look again
Some blood flowing through the bones and flesh
is just THAT you,or is that JUST to feign?

2007-06-14T00:20:00.000+05:00

Phew, last post june 29, 2006 ->Now thats quite sometime. :-) well, at least am back now!..

2006-06-29T18:17:00.000+05:00

As a part of daily routine, someone or the other sends me a motivating quote of the "Prav's World" .. and today it reads -- "In Life,answer to only one question matters.Have you chosen a course that leads to a destination which matters most to you ? "
I read. I read again.I contemplate.I fail to answer.

I cant say a yes or a no.
For i cant decide upon what matters the most to me.Sometimes i feel like as though iam lost in one big maze and unable to find my way back. May be thats the difference between the common people and the successful ones. So many of us are unable to decide what exactly we want in life,what our priorities are and end up accepting upon the decisions we have already made.
At this point of a time am reminded of hindi song lyrics that really appealed to me..

" mere man ye bataaaye tu,
Kis aur chala hai tu..
Kya paaya nahi tune?
kya doond raha hai tu? "

For those who need translation -
" Tell me o mind,
where art thou headed?
what is it that you havn't got?
what is it that you want to seek?"

Dunno y i experience this persistant search within.Is it because i dunno what i want in life, or is it because that i want something better than the best? or is it iam confused?Am i not able to prioritize my wants?Let alone priority, first am i even able to decide what i want?
To me it remains a puzzle unsolved.

Blindfolded i stray
in the street of life..
i ain't able to understand a thing..
i ain't able to find my way..

2006-06-27T17:31:00.000+05:00

Kabhi alwida na kehna...

A film about relationships
A film about love
A love that broke all relationships

thats what the ads say...something to do with strained relationships?..i have been getting all sorts of mails. its too soon to decide the fate of the movie.
Lot of expectation building up as for all karan johar's movies.
I wont blame anyone, the best of stars are in it. sharukh ,preity,abhishek and rani.
Shankar Eehsaan Loy ,i guess ,was in his best moods when he recorded the songs. It wont be strange if you would notice a similarity between kal ho na ho and KANK songs... KANK is almost like KAL HO NA HO -- VERSION -2
:-)..

Farewell trance has come out amazingly well...
other songs are
Rock n roll soniye - very much like pretty woman... ( PROVE ME WRONG!!)
Wheres the part tonight--- Its the time to Disco..!!
Tum hi dekho na---little like kal ho na ho..not completely though..

alrite, so what if they sound similar..at the end all songs are good and thats what is needed.

2006-04-24T12:55:00.000+05:00

Fanaa..the most talked about movie has been rocking the world of music..chandh safarish is the song everyone is talking about, personally its my favourite too.
and the club remix of the same is also good though nothing to beat the original version..jatin lalith ->good job and i dunno y but i find a a.r. r touch to the song...ask not about shaan, he cant get better!

one of those rare kinds which reaches ur heart and touches your soul! provided u hav a liking for hindi songs..

http://www.channeldosti.com/indian-movie-songs/Fanaa/885

2006-04-22T10:44:00.000+05:00

damn my saturday goes waste in office......

2006-03-17T08:36:00.000+05:00

MY BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wonder whats wrong!! i haven't been around orkuting or blogging for sometime now...2day when i have all the time in the world, i sit to blog and i get a not authorised message...
Iam not authorised to view my own blog......silly ...but the funny thing is, though i cant view...am still able 2 update....whatever,hope the problem is resolved soon...

2006-02-26T15:21:00.000+05:00

Tomorrow ,dont cry
because iam no more..
today give me the love i need if you can,
show you care,show you adore.

Tomorrow, dont sulk in despair
because am no where around..
today show me happiness,if you can,
that has no bounds

Tomorrow, dont brood for hours
because iam not there for you to see..
today though you have little time, if you can
come ,spend some with me.

Tomorrow, dont sit next to my coffin,
because my body rests inside..
today my sould needs you
so if you can, come sit beside.

2006-01-27T18:54:00.000+05:00

On Hosur Road, A Never Ending Journey......

Welcome to the world of merciless, where the traffic rules.

My dear friends, i feel proud to introduce to you ‘Hosur road’, the sole ruler of your time and the one who teaches everyone, day in and day out, what it takes to be patient. Long lady, as I call her, connects bangalore and Electronic city, the heart of software world in blore. If there is one thing that any software professional dreads about ,its the traffic on the hosur road. You have a train to catch? A very important appointment? A do or die situation? NO MERCY !! You better had it all planned and envisaged the traffic and started well well WELL ahead of time. Otherwise, trust me, you are going to get no where near to what you intended!

There is minimum of 1 hr and half to be spent on the bus for a 20 min long journey (minus any traffic) for me. And last Wednesday it took 2 solid hrs!
The girl next to me was getting so restless, scolding the driver for taking the service lane.(the road on the left side in the picture.)Poor guy, what would he do when there is utter chaos and not an iota of discipline in the way traffic is regulated. Even chaos would be an understatement.
In Chennai, I haven’t seen so much traffic unless the roads are blocked for the chief minister to pass by. Out here, its a routine. I would be really amazed if any day I would start by 6:15 pm and reach home by 7 pm. When you are on Hosur road, you realize the importance of time!On bus, I do things that I neither have time for during office hours nor the energy for after reaching home. Like catching up on a long( when I say long , it really means long!) conversation with a friend and eventually getting bored talking! I would disconnect the call only to find that iam still on my way home. Thanks to her, my logical reasoning skills are always stressed. For, its on the bus that I love to solve the SUDOKOs. I can doze off to dream about the nicest things, assured of a long nap.

It really gets on your nerves to just sit there and have no other option by which you can reach faster.Sometimes I feel like some pitiful animal so pathetically trapped in a cage.

When the clock strikes 6, office is over for me and so many others.. but we still have a long way to go before reaching home. Its going to seem like another eternal journey..

If you opt ( like I did) for a place like blore, you ought to bear with the traffic.
Like the saying goes.. All is fair in Love, war and on the Hosur road…

Picture taken on 25/01 while stuck in traffic

2005-12-30T08:40:00.000+05:00

one morning i get up, i want to see my mom.. another day to go, but i cant wait... i think( actually i dont think!)..i pack my baggage, i go to nearest KSRTC bus booking counter..its not yet opened..i wait for an hour.. its 10 am, he opens.. i get my tickets for the earliest bus possible..cancel the earlier booked tickets for next day night...i think about the consequences of not going to office and not informing anyone( again actually i dont think!! )..there is a hell lotta traffic and i have to reach the bus stop by 11:15am latest .. its 10:30 already.... i look at the traffic.. i look at my watch, i pray i shudn't be late.. 10:45...10:50...10:55...its almost 11 and finally iam there!...i rush to find platform number 14...ya iam there, but the bus is late!...i wait and the beautiful volvo emerges...11:30 am.. the bus starts, i smile for in another 7 hrs i will be seeing my family! i cant sleep, am restless about reaching home.. i c a movie, eat lunch and suddenly the vehicle halts... some stupid accident... nothing major thank god.. another half hour goes by ...finally the bus starts again...we arrive at chittoor another halt! now what for? i get irritated... lunch it seems... at 4:pm???!!!! while everyone has their so called lunch i roam around... eat an icecream try to relax myself...phew after half an bus starts again...this time its a jackie chan's movie.. i intend to watch but doze off...around 6:30 pm now..am in tamilnadu!so good to c the tamil fonts and posters all over the place.. am in maduravoyal! so excited...but the excitement is put off soon! for there is a again just too much traffic!! the bus moves inch by inch( literally!)...with lot of struggle it reaches near rohini theatre ( ahhhh my house is only 10 min from here...) i ask the bus driver to stop..but damn he doesn't!!!! am so angry with him now! he takes me to koyambedu and i rush out 2 catch an auto... i drop my friend in her house on the way..as i drive through annanagar, i admire the decorations made for new year, looks like this place is the most beautifull place in the whole world.. i have never admired it so much.... its 8pm and iam in front of my house...i have no patience to bargain, i pay what he asks for..i run up the stairs, ring the bell... i hear my mom asking 'who is that..'... i dont reply..... she opens and i shout ''ammmaaaaaa...." and give her a big hug........i love to see the surprised look on her face... i feel safe..am at home..MY HOME.... and i just love it! :-)

2005-12-27T15:07:00.000+05:00

**********************************************
5 Things i want to do within 10yrs
**********************************************
1) Do a PG
2) Make a career for myself
3) Own a Black Honda City
4) Learn 3 More Languages
5) Make my Mom feel proud of me

***********************************************

5 Things i want to be within 10 yrs
************************************************
1)Be more assertive
2)Be less bothered about less important things
3)Be more Humble
4)Be less perturbed
5)Be more aware of time

2005-12-21T09:16:00.000+05:00

yerstaday we had a team outing...the whole of manufacturing team went to a resort..till daybefore yerstaday night, i had second thoughts on going...i thought i'd rather stay in room and take rest...then i changed my mind...i dont know y!...

morning started with breakfast and five of us teamed up to play the treasure hunt game..shafeeq,radhika,fasla,indu and myself..i told shafeeq -'we are gonna win this game'....he smiled..little did he know that it would come true!
it was huge resort! mostly like a forest..nothing special about it though. in an hour we found some 3 clues then it came to a halt! the other girls got tired ...but me n shafeeq continued on our errand!...we walked and walked n walked like crazy determined to find something...nothing struck...then we decided to have lunch..and at lunch it stuck us! we found it....the treasure was none other but my vertical head.....the clue was 'vertical limit'..haha....then slowly i was getting bored..we played some games with my team ppl....and then came tea..then they gave away our gifts...and then came the best part...
music and dance...i was all worn out but wanted to take part ...so we went.. there was this room with disco lights and all crazy ppl started dancing...so did i...i dint know till they said '10 min more' that we have been dancing for some 1 1/2 hrs non stop...that was crazy..altleast i haven't been so crazy ever.....

the effect of yerstaday is on me today..! my hand hurts cause i clapped too much, and my legs hurt too... i thought i wouldn't come to office today..but i changed my mind! i dont know y!!

2005-12-16T17:21:00.001+05:00

Rest Rest,
for long rest,
unaware of the world
like the blessed.

Rest Rest
for long rest,
relieved from pain
so long supressed.

Rest Rest
for long rest,
from the thoughts of this mind
stay repressed.

Rest Rest
o Soul !, in peace rest,
Worry of nothing,
for in this body, you are but a guest..

2005-12-09T09:03:00.000+05:00

My life is a tennis court.........

Think about it, my life is a tennis court..the players being b'lore and chennai...NOW , NOW ..WHERE AM I??....well iam the tennis BALL....Come friday, and i am on my way to chennai, and monday morning back to blore....
Chennai is fierce player, she hits me hard and am back to blore in no time at all....
Now a days the match has considerabally slowed down in its pace... blore takes more time to shuttle the ball back to chennai....How long this match will continue, i have no clue....The interesting point in this match is, the players dont get tired, only the ball does.. ;-)...

2005-12-02T17:09:00.000+05:00

When you say you have a problem with someone else's attitude it means you yourself have an attitude problem....

2005-11-29T08:23:00.000+05:00

Today i decided to leave behind the baggage of 'if only' factor....
the 'if only' factor that causes unnecessary mental block..
am not here to change any situation or the people...am here to live my life
and i intend to do that alone!

2005-10-02T19:14:00.000+05:00

its been a fun week , meeting old friends, watching all new releases....this time next week i will be in a different phase of life!....from a school girl to college, then 3 months of joblessness now 2 a working girl !

I CLOSE MY EYES, MEMORIES FLASH......

my school days....
till 10th ...
i was not very talkative, not studious either...i was in my own world..never bothered about anything! that was a plain and simple life! devoid of any complications.... i had my part of crushes never serious about any though :) .. ..... i hardly remember sitting and studying for tests..haha..i never had urge 2 come first in my class...

11th and 12th...

i changed schools..may b that changed my personality. they say your friends influence you a lot.. i got a new set of friends, all lively and bubbly and for once i started making friends for lifetime.... though i already had made one in the previous school i never realised what best friends meant until i came here... new school taught me many things! rite from what friends are to what life means.... and here i started studying ( i wont say hard..but definitely i took it seriously!)......

college...
.... though my coll was known 2 be strict!, i had fun in my own way......new friends again , new promises, some were broken abruptly only to patch up again....lots of laughter, lots of gossip, lots of crushes again, lots of teasing...and some misunderstandings .....by now i was completely different, more outgoing, more talkative... more outa my shell......i dont go out to make friends for life, they happen..and am glad it happened in college too! am sure it does happen for everyone !!!
college made me more sensible,practical, taught me more about life, to laugh more !!...i never knew what it was to be like a diplomat..hahaha..college taught me that too! or shall i say the peope around me taught?? ;)... ... at the end of it, am happy i have made a nice set of friends who respect my thoughts, who know me well and care for me!.....
when coll life was going to get over, i wont say i felt really bad...not that bad...i dint have to!...all those i would like to be with , would obviously keep in touch...
what i would miss may b is the amount of time we spent together... and ya talking silly things which wont happen often now, cause we would always wanna catch up with eachother's life
and talk more about that!....

joblessness.......

around 5 months of joblessness, at home...eating ,sleeping for long hours,sitting near my mom when she cooks and smelling the freshness in her dishes, no one to question me about not studying, no difference between weekdays and weekends, orkutting and making some friends which i never thought i will( cause i dont b'lieve in online friends), trying my hand out at cooking!!, shopping ,reading anything from sensible to stupidity, laying back and taking total control of the remote of my television ....and i can go on an on.... its been really wonderfull!!!... the longest holiday of my life! and i would cherish every moment of it...

I OPEN MY EYES......

Now when this holiday is getting over, i feel slightly nostalgic but i look forward to what is waiting for me, again a fresh place, new people, new experience.....

i realise i hav changed so much from a not so talkative girl, to an enthusiatic individual ...and i like what iam...

:-)

2005-09-25T13:02:00.000+05:00

*********************DREAM***********************

i have a dream,
that i carefully weave
and build it with a thought
thought called "i can ,i believe.."

i have a dream,
that i protect from dying
cause when there is no dream,
theres no use living....

i have a dream
to evade the impossible
to make the odds even,
to make the unable able

i have a dream ,
that will come true one day
til then wont give up,
cause i hav come here 2 conquer & stay..

2005-09-23T15:01:00.001+05:00

BE HAPPY.......

a) Dont be too conscious about the way you feel!

b) Dont ponder too much about things, TRUST YOUR INSTICTS.

c) Love yourself.

d) Forgive yourself .

e) make time for urself.

f) When you want to buy something or do something for urself, go ahead and do it first!

g) Love people but be independent.

h) laugh as much as you can for the most silly joke you heard.

i) If someone shouts at you, shut your mouth !

j) Understand that there are many more fighting a harder battle in life than you are.

And most importantly, learn that

K) Life is not ALL that you want,but you can make MOST of it. For the other things that you miss out -dont bother too much....

ok..just because iam writing this, iam no big saint! and i will not accept that iam always happy, but i do try to!...over the years i have learnt that happiness is what lies in you , in your attitude.

World is the way you think it is..

2005-09-16T13:37:00.000+05:00

Sometimes english is so funny..... or is it that people, over the time have made it sound funny?....at this point , i know u'l ask.. now come on, whats so funny about english?...o ya there is, in fact there are a lot of funny things...

i was talking to a friend and eventually we ended up talking about food, and she says ' Iam a pure Vegetarian...' i leave it at that...after she goes, i ponder ..now there are two things 1) you are a vegetarian or 2) you are a non vegetarian...then what is this thing about 'PURE VEGETARIAN'???????......i had no clue!! is there anyone at all who is called an 'IMPURE VEGETARIAN??? that sounds really dumb!... or may be you can argue saying over the period of time some vegetarians started eating egg and that those who dont eat are called 'PURE VEGETARIANS...'...hmm now again, iam not in for fight whether chicken came first or egg did! but its only sane enough to agree that egg is non veg.... so whether you eat one kinda non veg or two of the kind ,if you eat it then you are a non-veggie!...if you do agree with me that you wont call yourself an 'impure vegetarian' , then you should also agree that there is nothing called 'pure vegetarian'!!...

And like this in our daily life if we care to notice there are a number of things that are coined by ourselves like the very common 'actress'... a small ref to what i read somewhere... the -ess suffix is supposed to be demeaning mostly . so why call somone an 'actress' and demean them while there are so many who actually revere the person!..

and ya this reminds me of a joke. It had been a few weeks since my cousin had enrolled herself in a new school at chennai. She was basically from b'lore . Being very good at art, she would sketch a lot and often be aprreciated for her effort....During one particular art class, her mam came around looking at every student's work , when she stopped near her's and exclaimed 'O ! YOU ARE A VERY GOOD DRAWER!'......

like this there is no end to the way people make english sound funny...like from my school days some of the famous quotes were ...'Open the window ,let the atmosphere come in',
'Stand in the corner of the circle', ....' i have two daughters, both are girls!' ..i really wonder if these were all really said by people or were they made to merely to make everyone laugh!...whatever it may be, i have truly enjoyed having had my share of laughter thinking about these..................