Section of the maze has melted away (250 yards to be a little more precise).
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/29/highway.collapse.ap/index.html
80W to 880S is closed and so is 80E to 580E. I don't think anything else is though. 880N to Bay Bridge is still open and so is 80W to Bay Bridge. Morning commute into the city is gonna be a bitch for a month or two. As for me, there is a reason I live just 6 miles from work. So many backroads for me to choose from.
There are speculations that this might be a terrorist attack. Seriously...WHAT?! There are possibilities that this might be a terrorist "activity" but if it is, this must be the most mellow one in the history of terrorist-kind. Yes, it does affect the economy of the bay area but why wud the terrorists blow up just a section of the freeway rather than just blow up the bay bridge or even worse, blow up the bay bridge in peak traffic? And why in the middle of the night when there is no one else around? Is it because the terrorists didn't want to be spotted? Damn you, Muhammad-Al-Sayid aka Sneaky. Just doesnt make sense. So media, please stop "speculating" unnecessarily for every squat shit that happens. This makes me want to see if I get on the news for floating a balloon with a toy gun hanging off it. News channels will probably bring in "experts" to discuss the possibility of that being a terrorist warning. Geez!! Truth is, we are not fighting terror in any way (rehabilitating Iraq doesnt qualify), but we are living and reliving IN terror everyday - thanks to the gratuitous use of the "TA" words by the government and the media.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
It's JUST a name!!
To the guy/girl at the register at Safeway - DON'T !!!
May be you are trying to get kudos at your job or may be Safeway made a company-wide rule that you have to greet the customer by name. But seriously, do you really think I makes me so happy to watch you use all your rudimentary skills from kindergarten and play spelling bee with my name? Please cut the crap and just say "Thanks" or some formal shit like that. Who knows, that might make me happy and I might send u that kudos letter.
To the guy at the Deli near work - COME ON !!!
It's not even my last name that you have trouble with. My first name and that too just the first 4 letters. Repeat after me. A - R - U - N - Arun. Not Aaron, not Aaroon, Not Ar... (and then looking up to see if you can spot me). It's Arun. You know I am a regular and you are the manager there. The other two guys know me by name and know how to pronounce my name. The other day one of them spelled my name correctly and my white friend's name wrong. He made my day. I have gotten used to your ways now though - if you are alternating between looking at the order slip in your hand and looking around, while holding an order in your hand, I just assume that is my order and that you are looking for me. And, not surprisingly, that works most of the time.
To the guy behind me at the Deli when I was paying for my lunch - PRIVATE SPACE !!!
I know you got intrigued when my friend, the Deli manager guy, tried and failed to call out my name. And you noticed how I deftly understood he was trying to call me and responded. And I agree that this might have kindled your curiosity. But, dude, I thought there was a concept called private space... If you had just asked, I would have told you my first name, last name, my dad's name, my grand dads' names and all the other names I knew. You were a towering 6.5+ ft 250+ lb guy trying to peek over my shoulder to read my name in those tiny little font that credit card slips are printed in. You scared the shit out of me man. And I am still slightly perturbed by the fact that I was slightly bent over the counter trying to sign the credit card slip and that you were standing right behind me and that it was the busiest hour of the day at the deli.
Finally, for those who mentally start counting the vowels on hearing or seeing my last name - "SCREW U GUYSSS... I'M *not* GOIN HOME" (Thanks: Cartman)
May be you are trying to get kudos at your job or may be Safeway made a company-wide rule that you have to greet the customer by name. But seriously, do you really think I makes me so happy to watch you use all your rudimentary skills from kindergarten and play spelling bee with my name? Please cut the crap and just say "Thanks" or some formal shit like that. Who knows, that might make me happy and I might send u that kudos letter.
To the guy at the Deli near work - COME ON !!!
It's not even my last name that you have trouble with. My first name and that too just the first 4 letters. Repeat after me. A - R - U - N - Arun. Not Aaron, not Aaroon, Not Ar... (and then looking up to see if you can spot me). It's Arun. You know I am a regular and you are the manager there. The other two guys know me by name and know how to pronounce my name. The other day one of them spelled my name correctly and my white friend's name wrong. He made my day. I have gotten used to your ways now though - if you are alternating between looking at the order slip in your hand and looking around, while holding an order in your hand, I just assume that is my order and that you are looking for me. And, not surprisingly, that works most of the time.
To the guy behind me at the Deli when I was paying for my lunch - PRIVATE SPACE !!!
I know you got intrigued when my friend, the Deli manager guy, tried and failed to call out my name. And you noticed how I deftly understood he was trying to call me and responded. And I agree that this might have kindled your curiosity. But, dude, I thought there was a concept called private space... If you had just asked, I would have told you my first name, last name, my dad's name, my grand dads' names and all the other names I knew. You were a towering 6.5+ ft 250+ lb guy trying to peek over my shoulder to read my name in those tiny little font that credit card slips are printed in. You scared the shit out of me man. And I am still slightly perturbed by the fact that I was slightly bent over the counter trying to sign the credit card slip and that you were standing right behind me and that it was the busiest hour of the day at the deli.
Finally, for those who mentally start counting the vowels on hearing or seeing my last name - "SCREW U GUYSSS... I'M *not* GOIN HOME" (Thanks: Cartman)
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
£1 = $2...
FUCK BUSH!! I don't care if FBI or HomeLand security is monitoring my blog and they put me in the pound-my-ass pound for this. One fuckin pound is worth 2 fucking dollars. I can hear the English laughing at our ass - "We pulled our troops out for a reason laddie. You thought we needed more of them back in England, huh!! You ignorant bastards. Keep laughing at our accent and our dental plans until you become the world bum from being the world police. Let's see you laugh then."
I, for one, think that Bush is the worst president America has ever had. Not that I know that many presidents but I know stupid when I see one. Senior wasn't too far behind either but Junior just went all the way. 1$ was almost 46 Rs when I came here 3 months ago. Now it is 41 Rs. 5 Rs in 3 months!! No economy can fall faster than this except for the ones that are having a military coup or ones that are in the midst of a civil war. Kudos to Bush for this great achievement.
For those of you "ignorant bastards" wondering what "Rs" in the earlier paragraph stands for, it is Rupees, you idiots - currency of India, Pakistan and a few other countries in South Asia. There is a world outside of USA and may be you should know about it. NO!! Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Europe and South-East Asia is not a list of all places outside US. Sorry to break your bubble, but they aren't countries either. If you read the last line and think "Aren't they ?!", then you are the reason Bush is in the fuckin White House. Go hit yourself in the head with a shovel.
While I am on that topic, what the hell does "third-world" mean? Where did that come from? Just because US was in a cold war against USSR and people were too lazy to remember all the other country names, doesn't mean we can use that term in a derogatory way now. FYI... Most of those "third-world" countries have gone through thousands of years of civilization and they have exhausted most of their natural resources. Hence, they are now poor. It has been a little over 500 years since Columbus landed here. At the speed we are using our resources -not to mention with some timely help from Bush - we should be able to hit the poor mark easily within another 500, even 300 if we push for it.
I am way off the topic now. Back on to the train of thoughts. Isn't there any way in the constitution to kick Bush out of office? I need to learn about American constitution just to see if there is any way he can get kicked out of the white house. That stupid ass does not belong there. He only belongs in the ranch with his head up his horse's ass. Even the horse would be like "Did you know that you could have used a flashlight instead of putting your head in my ass? Jesus Christ!! Grow a brain man."
Never have I longed for time to roll faster just so that this man gets out of the white house. The day he gets out of office would literally be the happiest day of my life. And hopefully, the next one won't be a bigger asshole. If he/she is, I am getting the fuck out of this country and moving to somewhere in Europe or Asia. Switzerland, may be - coz I can rest assured they are never going to war. Like Robin Williams once wisely put it "How butch is an army with wine openers in their army gear?"
I, for one, think that Bush is the worst president America has ever had. Not that I know that many presidents but I know stupid when I see one. Senior wasn't too far behind either but Junior just went all the way. 1$ was almost 46 Rs when I came here 3 months ago. Now it is 41 Rs. 5 Rs in 3 months!! No economy can fall faster than this except for the ones that are having a military coup or ones that are in the midst of a civil war. Kudos to Bush for this great achievement.
For those of you "ignorant bastards" wondering what "Rs" in the earlier paragraph stands for, it is Rupees, you idiots - currency of India, Pakistan and a few other countries in South Asia. There is a world outside of USA and may be you should know about it. NO!! Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Europe and South-East Asia is not a list of all places outside US. Sorry to break your bubble, but they aren't countries either. If you read the last line and think "Aren't they ?!", then you are the reason Bush is in the fuckin White House. Go hit yourself in the head with a shovel.
While I am on that topic, what the hell does "third-world" mean? Where did that come from? Just because US was in a cold war against USSR and people were too lazy to remember all the other country names, doesn't mean we can use that term in a derogatory way now. FYI... Most of those "third-world" countries have gone through thousands of years of civilization and they have exhausted most of their natural resources. Hence, they are now poor. It has been a little over 500 years since Columbus landed here. At the speed we are using our resources -not to mention with some timely help from Bush - we should be able to hit the poor mark easily within another 500, even 300 if we push for it.
I am way off the topic now. Back on to the train of thoughts. Isn't there any way in the constitution to kick Bush out of office? I need to learn about American constitution just to see if there is any way he can get kicked out of the white house. That stupid ass does not belong there. He only belongs in the ranch with his head up his horse's ass. Even the horse would be like "Did you know that you could have used a flashlight instead of putting your head in my ass? Jesus Christ!! Grow a brain man."
Never have I longed for time to roll faster just so that this man gets out of the white house. The day he gets out of office would literally be the happiest day of my life. And hopefully, the next one won't be a bigger asshole. If he/she is, I am getting the fuck out of this country and moving to somewhere in Europe or Asia. Switzerland, may be - coz I can rest assured they are never going to war. Like Robin Williams once wisely put it "How butch is an army with wine openers in their army gear?"
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
From 21 to 26...
I am amazed by how much shorter time seems the longer you have had it. At 21, 26 seemed a long time away. Now at 26, 21 feels like recent past. Other than my toddler 5, these 5 years have been the most happening in my life. The toddler 5 don't really matter for the topic of discussion because I don't remember much of it. Anyway, I digress.
Why 21 to 26? Why not 20 to 25? 21 because that's when I (under)graduated and stepped out into the so called "real" world. Or should I say the "unreal" corporate world. I think I have achieved quite a few of my goals in these 5 years. But thinking back, what kind of goals did I set? I hoped to get to US within 3 years and I achieved that in 1 year. I vowed to get a promotion in 2 years and got 2 promotions in 2 years. But weren't they just goals for my career? Thinking back, did I have any goals for my LIFE? Or did I just equate career to life? I guess I did. So was that ok that I set goals only for my career when I was 21? May be it was. Isn't career supposed to me one's main focus at that early age?
Where am I in my personal life now? Most of my close friends are half-way around the world which doesn't make it any easier to stay in touch. I can telepathize some of your thoughts - "Well... you can still stay in touch if you really want to; after all the world has shrunk". Think I don't know that? Yeah the world has shrunk but so has human mind. It might be a cliche, but how many of your neighbors do you know?
Lots of questions with no definitive answers. At the end of it all, here I am writing my first blog on blogspot (or blogger for the perfectionist in you) and wondering, what have I achieved in these 5 years and what have I lost? I have achieved my goals in my career but in that path, I wonder, if I have lost a few friendships. May be it is time for me reorganize my priorities and give more importance to friendships and relationships than my career. May be I should do the simplest of things - call people on my contact list at least once a month. May be I should care more about people than about my career.
Or may be I should shut the f*** up and get back to the 10 projects that I have to complete by end of this week.
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