தினமும் செய்தியைப் பார்த்தால் முக்கால்வாசி இங்கே நில நடுக்கம், அங்கே விபத்து, வன்முறை இம்மாதிரி கெட்ட செய்திகள் தான் அதிகம். போதாக்குறைக்கு ஜூனியர் விகடன், நக்கீரன் என்று பத்திரிக்கைகள் வேறு வெறும் கொள்ளை, ஊழல் செய்திகளோடு. இந்த மாதிரி தான் அமெரிக்காவிலும் இருந்தது. அதைப் பார்த்து விட்டு வெறுத்துப் போய் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்ட பத்திரிக்கை அமெரிக்கன் ப்ரொஃபைல். இதில் நல்ல செய்திகள் மட்டுமே வரும். வலைப்பக்கத்தில் பார்த்தால் Chicken soup for the soul மாதிரியான கட்டுரைகளும் சமையல், உடல் நலம் போன்ற பொதுவான விசயங்களும் இருக்கிறது. நம்மூரில் இம்மாதிரி பத்திரிக்கை இருக்கிறதா தெரியவில்லை.
May be a bit too late for Valentine’s day gifts. DNA stuff has some cool items based on the DNA double helix theme. While it looks cool I dont buy their statement, “Your inner self, revealed …. connect to their images…”. The good thing is all their profit goes to charity. It would be nice if they dont insist on having flash installed.
புஷ்க்கு உதவியாக ஈராக் சண்டைக்கு சில சாக்குகள்.
7. பண்ணி வச்ச ஆய்தங்கல்லாம் துருப் பிடிச்சிடாது?
9. ராணுவத்துல இருக்கிறவங்க சண்டை போடுறத மறந்துட மாட்டாங்களா?
6. நம்ம பிளைர் தம்பி தான் எப்படி சண்ட போடுறதுன்னு ரொம்ப நாளா கேட்டிட்டிருந்திச்சு.
2. என்னோட ரேட்டிங் எப்படி ஏத்துறதாம்.
8. வியட்நாம் சண்ட படமா பாத்து போரடிச்சுப் போச்சு.
10. ஈராக் மக்களுக்கு சுதந்திரம் வாங்கி குடுக்கத்தான்.
5. மக்களுக்கு கொஞ்சம் புவியல் அறிவ கொடுக்க வேண்டாமா. டிவில நம்மூர் ஜாக்சன் (மைக்கேல்) தவிர ஏதும் காட்ட மாட்டென்றான்.
3. ஒஸாமாவோட பிரண்ட்சிப் வச்சிருந்தாரு.
4. சிஐஏ தான் அணுகுண்டு புரளி கிளப்பினது.
1. அட அவர் தேவைக்கு அதிகமா எண்ணை வச்சிருக்காருங்க.
At the risk being 20,001th link to this, read the very interesting story Why your Movable Type blog must die. According to him:
All of your blogs talk about the same crap.
And the content of virtually any US citizen’s Movable Type blog is about these subjects, in order of precedence:
- Presidential elections
- The economy
- Political parties
- Blogging
- Open source software
Blogs are changing the internet content and some of its structure fast. More people are throwing their thoughts into the internet. I think blogs pulled the internet away from just being formal presentations.
Saving money in America is very easy. You do not even have to go to bank or for that matter need not have a bank account. The kind souls who want you to save your money own big stores selling lots of useless items. But in the process of saving you may end up having a few of those useless items. The process of saving is extremely easy. To find out just open any newspaper and check the ads. The more colorful ones the better. Wherever you see, there will be words like “YOU SAVE $$”. Depending on how much you want to save you can pick a few of those items. Some stores, to save you some mental strain will print the amount you save in the bill. Some of them even print how much you will save in your future visits. Keep doing this every month and you can see how quickly it adds up. Long live the sales people.
Yesterday I was coming back home after a pathetic game at chess club. It was around 11.30 PM. There was snow and cold rain earlier that day. Just before our apartment complex a guy was standing. He waved a pair of cables at me. I guessed it must be jump start cables and he probably needs a jusmpstart for his vehicle. I decided to help him and slowed near his big van. He asked whether I can give him a jump start. I said yes and parked my car in front of his van. I opened my bonnet and went out. He connected the cables and tried starting two three times. It did not start. He said he will try it after giving some gap. I did not know how much. Since it was not too cold after the snow, I waited outside. He asked whether I am a Pakistani. I said I am Indian. He asked several standard questions probably to keep me interested and wait for him. Since I am not a great chitchatter as usual I just repeated some of the questions back to him.
What do you do?
Programming. Computers. What do you do?
I build houses. How do you like here?
Its ok except for the weather.
Is India very hot.
It is hot most of the year and most of the places.
Is it cold on mountains.
Yes, but who lives there.
Does it have monsoons?
Yes. There is rain and flood.
Do you like your job?
Yes. What about you? (Time to ask something back.)
Yes. (and then immediately) No. I dont like my job. I wish I were a programmer and sit inside like you. You dont have to be outside in the bad weather. I know how to operate a computer but cant program like you.
Where do you live here?
I showed him the next building.
That place is expensive. How did you learn English?
I learnt in school.
Are there universities in India?
There are many.
Are they good?
They are good.
Really. (He probaly didnt believe that. Even some Indians dont believe it.)
Where do you live?
Medway. (I had no idea where it is. So it may not be closeby.)
Then he tried to start again and it didnt start this time also. So he asked whether I may wait for some more time. I said ok. He started smoking.
How did you end up stopping here?
I ran out of gas. I walked to gas station to get some gas.
He showed me some of the plastic water bottles and a small can lying on the side of the road.
It was not enough. I went back again and again to fill enough. I came here at 9.30.
I felt sorry for him. At that time it must have been snowing. He must have walked in that snow several times to the gas station which is about half a mile from there. (I think I should get a cellphone.) He saw that there was some gas left in two of the bottles. He said he should use them and started pouring the gas into a bigger can. He took his cigarette so close to the gas bottles I was afraid he is going to blow up something. I kept a distance till he finished pouring the remaining gas into his van.
He saw my bag with chess set and asked, “Do you have a gun?”. The chess bag is long and narrow. I told him I play chess and that bag has my chess set. After the van failed to start second time I was the one who was worried. I was thinking whether he is using his van to just delay me and finally when no one is around show some weapon to rob me. But after seeing the bottles I was convinced he is stranded there.
I also play chess. Where do you play?
In Natick.
Where in Natick?
In Natick senior center.
Is it in Rt. 135 near Wellesly.
It is in 135 after Rt 27. (I dont know where Wellesly is.)
How many people play there?
Around 100.
Wow 100 people play at the same time? How long does it take?
3 to 4 hours.
That long for one game? That is a long time.
It was 15 minutes since I had stopped. Then he tried to start his van again. By now I also started praying to have it started. I decided to go after that try, whatvever is the result. After several shakes it finally started with a big noise. He jumped out happily and showed his hand for a hifi. I shook it. He removed the cables and said “Thank you very much. I appreciate it very much. I hope we meet again”. I hope it is not for another jump start. I said bye and went home.