I came across this article about a woman from Britain whose badly decomposed dead body was discovered in her apartment after 2 years by her landlord. That implies that not one of 6679172520 people missed her existence for over 2 years. I don't know about you but that scares the hell out of me. People are becoming more anti-social as the Internet is becoming a more intrinsic part of life. The internet allows us to do anything and everything we wont over the network. There is no longer a necessity to go to the bank to withdraw/deposit money, no longer a need to go to a counter to pay your bills, no longer a need to meet people face to face to communicate. A person can live his/her whole life now without leaving the house. Pay bills - online, buying groceries - online, buying furniture - online, dating - online.

Please someone tell me how is it possible that no one can notice a person missing in action for 2 years! Didn't the smell of her decomposing body tip someone off?

Here is the link to the article
http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/69/Loneliness_and_Technology.html

After a rather uneventful winter break the weekend turned out to be filled with fun and friends. Nandita rented a car for the weekend. So we headed out to hollywood and went bowling. I scored a dismal 35. It was embarrassing! Then we went to westwood and the ice cream sandwich at Diddy Reise. For people who don't know about this place...its a must go! You get to choose any two cookies and your favorite ice cream and you are given an ice cream sandwich (sandwiched between the cookies) and it costs only $1.25 .



On Sunday we headed out to Long beach and got lost so many times it was ridiculous. We didn't get much time to hang out there however the shoreline village near the harbor is v.pretty.
Later in the evening we headed out to The grove where we had dinner at the cheesecake factory. My recommendation for the bitter taste lovers is the Tiramisu. The chocolate tuxedo cheesecake was also rather nice.
So that was my weekend. Met some nice people through Nandita and had a pleasant time.

Date:	2007-01-03 10:30
Subject:	Britain bringing 1984 to reality?
Security:	Public
Mood:	cynical

" Almost 70 years after George Orwell created the all-seeing dictator Big Brother in the novel ``1984,'' Britons are being watched as never before. About 4.2 million spy cameras film each citizen 300 times a day, and police have built the world's largest DNA database. Prime Minister Tony Blair said all Britons should carry biometric identification cards to help fight the war on terror. " - Bloomberg news

Now there is always someone watching your every move. The destruction of privacy as we know it. Who is to say that they wont start bugging peoples houses. What we can expect is a cross between 1984 and Minority Report.

Found this picture online of a poster in Britain. Are they for real?

Date:	2006-12-31 22:08
Subject:	2006
Security:	Public
Mood:	contemplative
Music:	Snow Patrol

Summary 2006
-My last few days in Boston, meeting up with aarti. Getting dropped off in the middle of nowhere at 12 in the night in Boston. Hot chocolate at La Burdicks.
-Spring break!! The freedom of having a car. ( for 1 week). Loved Vegas!
- My trip to SF was fantastic! met up with my adorable niece and nephew. love you guys! road trip to Tahoe was fun, and randomly walking around San Francisco was wonderful!
- Kuala Lumpur with Vicky was great fun! Talking about old days and catching up.
- India! All my dinners with school friends. The trip to Goa. The beach, the wind, the booze!
- Solvang, the quaintest little town i have ever seen. Great pastries. Nice little restaurants.
- Simulating 576 Projects ( Video transitions, Image Compression )
- Ahhh ! Poullis!

Nikon D40

Nikon D50

Hmmm.... Nikon D40 or D50? trade off between money and features. D40 is the cat's meow.... D50...old news but more economic. The battle ensues till Boxer's day when i will have to make up my mind.

On another note, got back to Shantaram the book that hasnt been able to catch my dedicated attention the last 4 times i picked it up. Am jobless enough right now to try to complete it, although i am not looking forward to the prospect. Maybe i should just wait for the movie to come out.

Date:	2006-12-21 21:13
Subject:	Goals for this winter break
Security:	Public
Mood:	chipper

Winter break in LA.
Working 40 hours a week to save up enough to buy a DSLR. My eye is on the Nikon D50.
Things to accomplish this break:
-Apply to a bizillion companies.
-Learn how to use Photoshop
-Come up with a plan for New Years.
- ASP .NET people!!!

Dream goals for Winter Break!!!!
- Trip to Vegas, Chicago, NY, Montreal, Goa, Spain, London. (lol! dont think my break is long enough for all the things i want to do.) with Daiz, Shruts and the Annite gang.
-Get so drunk i will need a liver transplant.

Date:	2006-12-21 21:11
Subject:	Bone
Security:	Public
Mood:	content

"BONE" is a cartoon epic about three bones... Phoney Bone, Fone Bone and Smiley Bone who get thrown out of their village Boneville. In their wanderings they reach the Valley and get involved in the war between the humans and the Lord of the locusts. This is one of the best books i've read in a long time. Its a lovely blend of humor, fantasy and a story of "epic" proportions. A must read for anyone who loves fantasy fiction

Date:	2006-08-18 00:27
Subject:	My Goa Trip
Security:	Public
Mood:	happy

Goa is definitely one of the best places i have been to in India. When i first got there i wasnt very impressed. The roads are terrible, and it looks like a small town rather than a happening city. Slowly however the people, the surroundings and the atmosphere changed my perception of the place. Without knowing it my outlook started changing, i started relaxing and enjoying just being alive and all the stress just slipped away.
We rented two bikes and drove around Goa saw all the touristy places and spent the rest of the time at the beach.
I realized my personal heaven in Goa: sitting on a beach with the wind blowing through my hair,listening to the waves crashing on the sand, reading a book whilst sipping on a drink.

Goa not only lived up to my expectations it exceeded them, something that doesnt happen very often for me.

Oh and did i mention the fact that booze is dirt cheap there ???? ;-)

Date:	2006-06-14 12:35
Subject:	At work....Where nothing is working.
Security:	Public
Mood:	apathetic

Problem: Hub is not working.
Needed: a cross cable.
Prediction: No work is going to be done today.

Shifted to the TSR branch. the network uplink is not working properly. The internet speed reminds me of the good old days when people used dial up.
Supposed to be testing ITRM R11. Doesnt look like anything is going to happen today.

Hermann moving into the apt for the next year. Yay! Now if i can just find a roomate for the smaller room everything will be just hunky dory!

Went to Little Italy yesterday to celebrate mom's 52nd bday. food was really good, I highly recommend it. 5 stars from my side.

To do for the day:
Gym
Go to Nais's plc
Dinner with Dad's Dallas buddies
Buy dial up connection

Date:	2006-06-09 10:33
Subject:	At work
Security:	Public
Mood:	bored

I am now a worker bee...buzzzzzz! an unpaid one at that. so right now a unhappy worker bee. working on a networks project.
Project Description: Implementation of the R11 Software developed by CA(Computer Associates).
What does R11 do? it combines the functionalities of Software Delivery, Asset Management and Remote Control.
Software Delivery: pushing S/W packages to other computers on the network on request.
Asset Management : collecting data of all the Assets of every system on the network.
Remote Control: well the name says it all.

Sounds exciting?? No?? I think so too.

To do for today :
Learn how to make s/w packages
go for a jog in the evening.
drop mom off at the station

Date:	2006-06-02 01:00
Subject:	I kiss the ground of my Homeland (Metaphorically)
Security:	Public
Mood:	happy

YAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!! BACK IN INDIA!!!
Met up with Himank. surprised Bhavana at Shoppers Stop. !! she was getting out of her car and she looked back and she saw me .... her expression was priceless. She was so zapped! She kept hugging me.!! It was hilarious almost.
Went to mocha after that. Surprised with how the teens have changed. Disgusted with their futile attempts at being "hep". Always fails when you try to fake a persona.
Met up with daiz, shruti and piyush for dinner. Had a great time. Always is fun being with them.
Bhavana called and told me i was to pick her up cause she was staying the nite at my place. Too tired to gossip with Bhav so just crashed after i got home.

Things that have changed in 1 year:
wider roads
everything is more expensive
teens are gettin more foolish
living at the farmhouse now.

Things that havent changed.
Dad
Mom
My car
My friends

Date:	2006-06-01 20:22
Subject:	Kuala Lumpur
Security:	Public
Mood:	tired

Got off at KL in the morning had a 10 hr stop over before my connecting flight. got a transit visa and got out into the city. took the KLAA Express to City Center met up with vikky after more than a year. went to the communications menar, went up to the observation deck and caught a bird's view of the city. After that went to the Petronas Building and had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Was really psyched to find one in KL. Cudnt resist trying it out. relaxed in front of a fountain for a while and then headed back to the airport.

My review on KL: Its a wonderful vibrant city. I wish i had more time to spend there. There is so much to explore in the city but i had no time.

now am back in the airport sipping on coffee and telling bhavana that i am still in LA. This is fun cant wait to see how she reacts when i meet her in hyd.

Jet lag is setting in. Cant keep my eyes open. Hope i can stay awake long enough to get onto the flight.

Date:	2006-05-24 23:45
Subject:	Visiting Veenu In San Diego
Security:	Public
Mood:	sad

All set to goto India. Only left with packing. K said he would call in the evening to clear the air.
Decided to goto San Diego and stay with veenu for a few days. Caught the Amtrak to San Diego. Amtrak is really really good. V. comfortable.
Its nice to be back in San Diego. I love the city . Its so beautiful.
K called. Have to put everything in the past and get on with my life. Well thats that. better than not knowing.
Watched Aeon flux.Bad Bad movie!
played poker. Deebhan lost. i came in second. I suck at cards! Veenu is great at it
From tomorrow starts the rest of my life.

Date:	2005-10-22 08:50
Subject:	Morning blues
Security:	Public
Mood:	sleepy

its 0900 hrs in the morning. finished my first dose of hot chocolate and the weekend has just begun. Life is beautiful and everything is just GROOVY. partied yesterday night. went to indian sweets and spices for dinner. had kulfi :D came home danced like crazy. then we opened up a bottle of champagne and toasted to simar and harmol. it was just one of those days which started out so so and ended up great. now after 4.30 hrs of sleep am at work and extremely sleepy. and hence not too witty. so i think i shall stop now and resume when my brain is not all fogged up

Date:	2005-10-05 13:27
Subject:	At work and bored
Security:	Public
Mood:	bored

at the front office. being a good little receptionist.
i wish their was more excitment, have nothing to do but stare blankly at the technical papers that i am trying to understand. "trying" being the operative word.
if wishes were cents i would be a billionaire right now.
although i dunno where i would keep all those damn cents. i found out today that vending machines donot accept cents. even the damn machines refuse to take them.
finished reading 1984 for the second time. it has got to be one of the most scariest books of all time.
and george orwell didnt even need to say boo.
what is scarier is that it is slowly becoming reality. patriot act woohoo!
well i just transferred a call. atleast i think i did.
goodbye from beyond.