Happy Halloween !!!

Optimism in Adversity

Southern Indian is soaked in rains.Bangalore,Hyderabad and Chennai took the brunt this time. After the stock traders of Mumbai it was time for IT stalwarts to figure out what's gone wrong with the place where they have invested millions and want to spend a few more.

I received these two pictures from a friend of mine in India.This guy communicates with his Japanese client in Hindi, so I won't doubt the authenticity.

Catching fish in flood is what Indian life is all about. Kudos to the Junta and my friend who right now is standing knee deep in water and working on the floating server to get his world class enterprise application up and running.

Splendor Sine Occasu

Before I moved to Victoria, Parliament building attracted me as a tourist too.This piece of art is a strong symbol of what Victoria is all about.

Vancouver Island was so huge that British Empire found it unmanageble and leased it to Hudson Bay Company [similar to East India Company but these days they are a super store chain and East India Company is still run by locals].

A young engineer from UK, Francis Rattenbury was awarded the contract for the building.He was only 25 when he started working on this magnificient piece of architecture.The architecture looks inspired by US Capitol Hill and Tajmahal.It is also rumored that he copied the design of a Maharaj's Palace in India.It also resembles Vatican, but forgive me father for I have sinned. Politicians work inside the building and this resemblance ends here.

Francis Rattenbury led a very high profile life in Victoria . Later he moved to UK and was murdered by his second wife.But this resemblance with Donald Trump too ends here.

Parliament Building is infact the provincial legislature.On a summer evening picnicing on the lawns of Parliament Building, eating a Tofu HotDog I often read & wonder why British Columbia chose the motto 'Splendor Sine Occasu ' (Splendor without diminishment).

This grand architecture is an evidence enough for me.

*** My spouse's office is also inside this building and..........Darling for the umpteenth time .......Yes, your office is better than mine.

Russell Peters

One of my favorite comics......He is of Indian origin and funny at the same time.

Must watch clip .... (appx duration 45 mins)

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~albertck/Funny%20shits/Russell%20Peters.wmv

Da' Pub UPAT

I welcome ya'll to this great event tonight.Da Pub UPAT is pleased to induct Ms Harriet Miers to the Hall of Fame.Ms. Meyers is our newest member.Da' Pub is also pleased to have previous hall of fame inductees tonight :

Ashlee Simpson
Michael D. Brown
Tom Delay
Arnold Schawznegger
Paris Hilton
Madonna
& My Man George W.

Applause !!!

Friends don't forget to join us on Halloween when we meet again to witness a dual between Ben Affleck and Jack Hanna to qualify the next nominee.

Applause !!!

**Da' Pub UPAT [Unqualified People At The Top] is an equal opportunity employer.

Bollywood 2.0

The recent bollywood films dazzle ..its like moving to Firefox after using IE for years.

Hindi movie fans like me are easy to please.Some Latkas good Jhatkas lots of melodies and I'm sold.Plots don't matter,stories are immaterial.If I can forget a bad day for a 2 1/2 hrs of razzle dazzle. I want to buy a ticket.

Storylines have moved out of Gulshan Nanda novels , Reservoir Dogs to folk tales of Rajasthan. There is a lot of originality. Teen Deewaren,Black did give me a mometarily flasback of seeing a 70s Hollywood classic but even than it had a lot of original stuff. There were a lot of movies which have made Popcorn my staple diet.Paheli,Mangal Pandey,My wife's murder,Chocolate,Ramji Londonwale are a few.The list is increasing by day.

Bollywood has been an integral part of being an Indian.If you are an Indian in any corner of the world from Louisiana to Ludhiana you have a birthright to gossip about Karishma's domestic dispute. That's how I keep myself busy on a taxing 30 hr flight home.My neighbor's 3 yr old son cannot remember his parents name but he knows who Bunty & Bubli are .

Bollywood fans are as fanatic as a suicide bomber.Nothing will deter them from watching hindi movies even when they have to spend 1/2 hr to figure out why Shahrukh is wearing lipstic.But the metrosexual hero is appealing to lot of urban & rural fans.

When I see Jr & Sr Bachan dancing together in 'Kajra re'... 'm on my feet .Salman & Sushmita's gyrating gospel in the rain thrills me more than War of the Worlds....... ..beat David Dhawan to that Spielberg.