Monday, February 23, 2004
Speed Brakers
Somewhere close to my home, there is a shady (with trees ;) ) road that plays out a epic in light and shadows everyday on the road below should one have the patience to sit and watch in the hot sun. Ha! Patience! I don't even have time to break up sentences :)
Anyway, this road also had a nice bumpy speed breaker(SB). About 1/2 foot in height like all decent, well groomed SBs should be. Since practically everyone knew about the SB, we had vehicles zooming upto the SB, slamming the brakes, gently cresting the SB in the deceleration and then zooming off once again utilising the downward slope. Thus, the title.
Of course, not *everyone* knew of the SB resulting in it being lost to people's vision in the light-shadow epic mentioned earlier. These folks would drive "normally" and give the SB the respect it deserves.
Last week, the entire road was tarred and flattened resulting in our SB being reduced to about 3" in height. Ah ha! Short & submerged, but still pretty effective like a kick in the nether regions. Also quite invisible :)
So now, we have the erstwhile daredevils who used to honk the 'normal' ppl for driving so slow, driving on that road uncertainly looking/probing/feeling for the SB. The L-S epic makes sure that it remains a dauting task. People in front of me look at the road minutely until the moment someone 'finds' it!. After that they zoom towards the SB quite confidently until they reach the vicinity and it slinks away to be a pain in more senses than one. Sight and touch, to be precise.
Even more pitiable is the state of the new (to this road) motorist who, finding a flat stretch of road, speeds happily and finds out too late that it's not. NNNGGHHH!!!!!
"Life Finds A Way", as Ian Malcolm muttered....well, at least these people won't be muddying up the gene pool, eh? :)
At any rate, the general traffic on that road has slowed down to the respectable speed limit the SB was meant to acheive in its prime. Delicious irony that it's acheiving it now by being a royal PITA.
Life! I'd die before I let go of you!
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Anyway, this road also had a nice bumpy speed breaker(SB). About 1/2 foot in height like all decent, well groomed SBs should be. Since practically everyone knew about the SB, we had vehicles zooming upto the SB, slamming the brakes, gently cresting the SB in the deceleration and then zooming off once again utilising the downward slope. Thus, the title.
Of course, not *everyone* knew of the SB resulting in it being lost to people's vision in the light-shadow epic mentioned earlier. These folks would drive "normally" and give the SB the respect it deserves.
Last week, the entire road was tarred and flattened resulting in our SB being reduced to about 3" in height. Ah ha! Short & submerged, but still pretty effective like a kick in the nether regions. Also quite invisible :)
So now, we have the erstwhile daredevils who used to honk the 'normal' ppl for driving so slow, driving on that road uncertainly looking/probing/feeling for the SB. The L-S epic makes sure that it remains a dauting task. People in front of me look at the road minutely until the moment someone 'finds' it!. After that they zoom towards the SB quite confidently until they reach the vicinity and it slinks away to be a pain in more senses than one. Sight and touch, to be precise.
Even more pitiable is the state of the new (to this road) motorist who, finding a flat stretch of road, speeds happily and finds out too late that it's not. NNNGGHHH!!!!!
"Life Finds A Way", as Ian Malcolm muttered....well, at least these people won't be muddying up the gene pool, eh? :)
At any rate, the general traffic on that road has slowed down to the respectable speed limit the SB was meant to acheive in its prime. Delicious irony that it's acheiving it now by being a royal PITA.
Life! I'd die before I let go of you!
Labels: Misc
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
The Bug
Been blog surfing like my good friend Brijesh suggested and I was pleasantly surprised at the route I took. First off, Pawans' page and then onto Rohan's blogs. Couldn't help but notice the effect that the Bike has had on them.
Well, I concur!
My affair with the Bug (that's what I call her) started in June 2000. Here I was shopping for a 2 wheeler when I come across my ex-landlord, who happens to have a Bullet showroom and who runs the best Bullet garage in Bangalore right under my erstwhile abode. We get to talking and I commit the faux pas of asking him to recommend a bike..u know the CBZ or Fiero kind. Ah! Did I mention that Anand of Teknik Motors is built like a bull and that his forearms are the kind that would have Schwarzenegger nervously eyeing his trophies and quietly slinking off to the gym? Thankfully, this time, he did not *pat* me on the back but quietly asked me to try out a bullet the coming saturday. Well, what did I have to lose? Only my innocence! :D
From the time I took out a 500cc monster and felt the gently thump of the beast, I knew I had to possess one.
2 weeks later, I was the proud (but not vain) owner of the Bug(Machismo A350). My reasons for naming her thus are many but the gist is: The bunched up look (I've shortened the silencer for a meatier growl), the unassuming confidence of the bike (u need to only pull up at any signal to see that), Dire Straits, the gentle need to be first off the post (ok, this is my need but hey, I can almost feel her reproaching me if I don't do it!) and the fact that we have this relationship of bugging each other. For instance, I'd be very late for a servicing and would coax her to see me through the week with the promise of the best care on Saturday. (So far, I have not broken that promise). At other times, she'd give me niggling problems but nothing so serious that muttering under one's breath and a few sweet talks would not solve :)
Earlier when my office was a nice 25 min ride from home (from Indiranagar to ITPL) with the last 10 mins on absolutely open roads, I used to ruminate on the bike. Ya, just thinking of the day, the solutions to some of the previous days' errors, life in general, etc. was an everyday activity at 80kmph. Just the thing that I miss now. You see, ruminating while riding on Hosur road is just not what you'd commit and live to tell about it.
For a long time I would not wear the helmet because "I wanted to feel the wind in my hair" and also because I felt (no, really...it was a gut feel) that I was safe on board the Bug. I still feel the same but I am wiser now and not so inclined to reduce my chances. So all you guys out there on bikes, Do Strap On That Helmet. Serious.
Now I'll leave you with the lyrics to the Bug by Dire Straits....
The Bug - Dire Straits
Well it's a strange old game - you learn it slow
One step forward and it's back to go
You're standing on the throttle
You're standing on the brakes
In the groove 'til you make a mistake
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going lose it all
You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad
Because you're gonna know lonely
And you're gonna know bad
When you're rippin' and a ridin' and you're coming on strong
You start slippin' and a slidin' and it all goes wrong, because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger baby
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going lose it all
One day you got the glory
Then you got none
One day you're a diamond
And then you're a stone
Everything can change
In the blink of an eye
So let the good times roll
Before we say goodbye, because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger baby
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going lose it all
|
Well, I concur!
My affair with the Bug (that's what I call her) started in June 2000. Here I was shopping for a 2 wheeler when I come across my ex-landlord, who happens to have a Bullet showroom and who runs the best Bullet garage in Bangalore right under my erstwhile abode. We get to talking and I commit the faux pas of asking him to recommend a bike..u know the CBZ or Fiero kind. Ah! Did I mention that Anand of Teknik Motors is built like a bull and that his forearms are the kind that would have Schwarzenegger nervously eyeing his trophies and quietly slinking off to the gym? Thankfully, this time, he did not *pat* me on the back but quietly asked me to try out a bullet the coming saturday. Well, what did I have to lose? Only my innocence! :D
From the time I took out a 500cc monster and felt the gently thump of the beast, I knew I had to possess one.
2 weeks later, I was the proud (but not vain) owner of the Bug(Machismo A350). My reasons for naming her thus are many but the gist is: The bunched up look (I've shortened the silencer for a meatier growl), the unassuming confidence of the bike (u need to only pull up at any signal to see that), Dire Straits, the gentle need to be first off the post (ok, this is my need but hey, I can almost feel her reproaching me if I don't do it!) and the fact that we have this relationship of bugging each other. For instance, I'd be very late for a servicing and would coax her to see me through the week with the promise of the best care on Saturday. (So far, I have not broken that promise). At other times, she'd give me niggling problems but nothing so serious that muttering under one's breath and a few sweet talks would not solve :)
Earlier when my office was a nice 25 min ride from home (from Indiranagar to ITPL) with the last 10 mins on absolutely open roads, I used to ruminate on the bike. Ya, just thinking of the day, the solutions to some of the previous days' errors, life in general, etc. was an everyday activity at 80kmph. Just the thing that I miss now. You see, ruminating while riding on Hosur road is just not what you'd commit and live to tell about it.
For a long time I would not wear the helmet because "I wanted to feel the wind in my hair" and also because I felt (no, really...it was a gut feel) that I was safe on board the Bug. I still feel the same but I am wiser now and not so inclined to reduce my chances. So all you guys out there on bikes, Do Strap On That Helmet. Serious.
Now I'll leave you with the lyrics to the Bug by Dire Straits....
The Bug - Dire Straits
Well it's a strange old game - you learn it slow
One step forward and it's back to go
You're standing on the throttle
You're standing on the brakes
In the groove 'til you make a mistake
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going lose it all
You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad
Because you're gonna know lonely
And you're gonna know bad
When you're rippin' and a ridin' and you're coming on strong
You start slippin' and a slidin' and it all goes wrong, because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger baby
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going lose it all
One day you got the glory
Then you got none
One day you're a diamond
And then you're a stone
Everything can change
In the blink of an eye
So let the good times roll
Before we say goodbye, because
Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're a fool in love
Sometimes you're the louisville slugger baby
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're going lose it all
Labels: Bike
Friday, February 13, 2004
0.5 GB RAM
And now it's a lacuna in the posts that will need an excuse from me but I'm not giving one. Just been busy a while, used to visit this site often to write something but would give up due to an absence of inspiration.
However, all thats' going to change...nowwherehaveweheardthatbefore... :)
Just got a new PC at office, std. 2.6 GHz stuff but what blew me completely was the 0.5 GB RAM in it. Ya, I know its quite common and what with phones having 256MB (bear with me, more on this later), it should not have been a surprise to me. But, there it is, I was totally taken aback when a cursory glace at the system properties nonchalantly announced 0.5GB RAM. Then the PC went back to glistening its fingernails on its shirt. Silly upstart kid! what would it know of the days when 4MB RAM was adequate and 16 MB was heaven, tho ppl would shake their heads and say that its a needless expense, when you'd give your right arm for a Pentium (on second thoughts probably not, without a right hand how could we ever play Tie Fighter, after all!) and your left bal....er..eye for ...er...ok, I exagerrate. Things were never so dire as we dare to imagine them but its a whole lot more satisfying to think it was just to make the present more delicious.
Which brings me to the point of this Blog: Things have to be exciting by half as before to get me half as excited as I was half my age. ( Tolkien, take a bow! )
Finishing up for the day with a quote from one of Terry Pratchet's books:
[Granny and girl(Esk) falling to the ground from, oh say, 1 km straight up]
"Granny," said Esk, in the exasperated and remarkably adult voice children use to berate their wayward elders. "I don't think you quite understand. I don't want to hit the ground. It's never done anything to me."
|
However, all thats' going to change...nowwherehaveweheardthatbefore... :)
Just got a new PC at office, std. 2.6 GHz stuff but what blew me completely was the 0.5 GB RAM in it. Ya, I know its quite common and what with phones having 256MB (bear with me, more on this later), it should not have been a surprise to me. But, there it is, I was totally taken aback when a cursory glace at the system properties nonchalantly announced 0.5GB RAM. Then the PC went back to glistening its fingernails on its shirt. Silly upstart kid! what would it know of the days when 4MB RAM was adequate and 16 MB was heaven, tho ppl would shake their heads and say that its a needless expense, when you'd give your right arm for a Pentium (on second thoughts probably not, without a right hand how could we ever play Tie Fighter, after all!) and your left bal....er..eye for ...er...ok, I exagerrate. Things were never so dire as we dare to imagine them but its a whole lot more satisfying to think it was just to make the present more delicious.
Which brings me to the point of this Blog: Things have to be exciting by half as before to get me half as excited as I was half my age. ( Tolkien, take a bow! )
Finishing up for the day with a quote from one of Terry Pratchet's books:
[Granny and girl(Esk) falling to the ground from, oh say, 1 km straight up]
"Granny," said Esk, in the exasperated and remarkably adult voice children use to berate their wayward elders. "I don't think you quite understand. I don't want to hit the ground. It's never done anything to me."
Labels: PC
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Terry Pratchett books.
Oops...where does time fly? Already its been 3 days since I added anything. Its going to be a while longer till I add anything meaningful.
For those with a literary inclination, check out http://ice.prohosting.com/cybersoc/pratchett.html.
Here you can download and read all of Terry Pratchett's books. I have dnlded/printed most of them and am into the 3rd such book already. Funny thing is, AFTER reading the book, I want to buy them so that I could have them in a more permanent medium. This is exactly how file-sharing(read Kaazaa/Napster) should work. Ya, I know everyone has their pet theories but fact is, if I like it, I'll buy it so that I can POSSESS it. Period.
And for those who have not yet sampled Terry Pratchett, think of it as Douglas Adams beyond those 5 books. And for those who have not sampled Douglas Adams, my heart weeps for you.
Will get back to the mobile saga soon. FYI, newer chapters are being added to it even as we speak....
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For those with a literary inclination, check out http://ice.prohosting.com/cybersoc/pratchett.html.
Here you can download and read all of Terry Pratchett's books. I have dnlded/printed most of them and am into the 3rd such book already. Funny thing is, AFTER reading the book, I want to buy them so that I could have them in a more permanent medium. This is exactly how file-sharing(read Kaazaa/Napster) should work. Ya, I know everyone has their pet theories but fact is, if I like it, I'll buy it so that I can POSSESS it. Period.
And for those who have not yet sampled Terry Pratchett, think of it as Douglas Adams beyond those 5 books. And for those who have not sampled Douglas Adams, my heart weeps for you.
Will get back to the mobile saga soon. FYI, newer chapters are being added to it even as we speak....
Labels: Book reviews
Monday, February 02, 2004
Yawn...long long weekend.
Just gave the folks who read my blog some time to catch up with the *flow* before I go on :)
Also, I have no PC at home. Thus, the hiatus.
Carrying on from where I left off, the Fisio 826 was quite the thing that I needed to keep my tech-attuned senses in a constant turgid state. Like the time I was travelling to Mumbai and there was this photographer chap next to me who had a SE T610. Ah, the hours flew by while he slept and I played with the Bluetooth file/image transfer capabilities of both phones. You see, I had worked on the Bluetooth stack while I was er...cutting my teeth(pun intended) in the s/w field. It was quite satisfying to see what I had read and manipulated many a zany hour come alive. Granted, this particular stack was not mine. But...well, you had to be me at that moment to understand :)
Some months later, I chanced upon a couple of prototype Motorola A760s. A moment while we let all that indrawn breath come out you chaps so that the earth's spin remains unaffected (what with nature not quite seeing eye-to-eye with a vacuum), the ppl not reading this post don't gasp for air-that's-not-there and so that sound-waves can wave again. There. Another moment while we let the resultant tsunami pass.
Hmm. The A760 (for those who came in late), is ... well... just check this out: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handphones/0,39001718,39017281p,00.htm and http://www.mobileburn.com/gallery.jsp?Id=532.
I'll wait.
Ok, now with 2 A760s and 1 Fisio 826 in the house, I absolutely freaked out on the Bluetooth functionalities. The BT range on the A760s were lacking though. My Fisio could detect the A 760 in the next room but the A760 in my hand could'nt find its brother. However, what struck me most was the touchscreen. Why would anyone ever need buttons again? Oh, did I mention that this phone has been wholly designed and developed in the Bangalore Motorola division? Possibly because it was still in the development stage, this model was a little slow.
The defining moment came when I carried one of it to Casa Picola one sunday night. It turned out to be a total Babe-Magnet! Freaky, huh?
What happens next? Does our brave hero succumb to the wiles of the device? Or just to his own wiles? Watch this space :)
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Just gave the folks who read my blog some time to catch up with the *flow* before I go on :)
Also, I have no PC at home. Thus, the hiatus.
Carrying on from where I left off, the Fisio 826 was quite the thing that I needed to keep my tech-attuned senses in a constant turgid state. Like the time I was travelling to Mumbai and there was this photographer chap next to me who had a SE T610. Ah, the hours flew by while he slept and I played with the Bluetooth file/image transfer capabilities of both phones. You see, I had worked on the Bluetooth stack while I was er...cutting my teeth(pun intended) in the s/w field. It was quite satisfying to see what I had read and manipulated many a zany hour come alive. Granted, this particular stack was not mine. But...well, you had to be me at that moment to understand :)
Some months later, I chanced upon a couple of prototype Motorola A760s. A moment while we let all that indrawn breath come out you chaps so that the earth's spin remains unaffected (what with nature not quite seeing eye-to-eye with a vacuum), the ppl not reading this post don't gasp for air-that's-not-there and so that sound-waves can wave again. There. Another moment while we let the resultant tsunami pass.
Hmm. The A760 (for those who came in late), is ... well... just check this out: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handphones/0,39001718,39017281p,00.htm and http://www.mobileburn.com/gallery.jsp?Id=532.
I'll wait.
Ok, now with 2 A760s and 1 Fisio 826 in the house, I absolutely freaked out on the Bluetooth functionalities. The BT range on the A760s were lacking though. My Fisio could detect the A 760 in the next room but the A760 in my hand could'nt find its brother. However, what struck me most was the touchscreen. Why would anyone ever need buttons again? Oh, did I mention that this phone has been wholly designed and developed in the Bangalore Motorola division? Possibly because it was still in the development stage, this model was a little slow.
The defining moment came when I carried one of it to Casa Picola one sunday night. It turned out to be a total Babe-Magnet! Freaky, huh?
What happens next? Does our brave hero succumb to the wiles of the device? Or just to his own wiles? Watch this space :)
Labels: Inane comebacks
