Upakram Diwali Ank - Online Marathi Diwali Ank

Marathi literary sphere has a long tradition of Diwali Ank (A special diwali edition of any magazine or newspaper) Reading Diwali Ank is as enjoyable as diwali itself and reading/buying Diwali Ank has become a part of festivities on Diwali.

To add to the Diwali Ank in print media; many online, free to read Diwali Ank have came up. One such online marathi Diwali Ank is Upakram Diwali Ank. Upakram (http://mr.upakram.org) is a marathi website known for informative articles and discussions in marathi. Upakram members have come up with their diwali ank which is available online at http://diwali.upakram.org The contents of this ank go with the nature of upakram itself, i.e. Informative articles on various subjects like art, literature, history, languages, social movements, science & technology, philosophy, current affairs etc. Also it has selected photographs which were taken by the members of photography community on Upakram. I request you all to visit this online diwali ank.

About Upakram:
Upakram (http://mr.upakram.org) is a Marathi website for writing and reading informative articles and discussions. (The website is available for more than a year so you can get a feel of it by looking at the articles/discussions already present.) Here you can directly type in devanagari without any typing tool/aid. There are various communities devoted to specific subjects or initiatives and share their knowledge and ideas online. Please visit http://mr.upakram.org for more. It’s quite easy to be a member and start writing informative articles or take part in any ongoing discussions or even start a new discussion.

Linuxforum 2006

Recently been to the Linuxforum 2006 at Copenhagen. That was quite an experience. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture was a fitting venue for such a conference.

The program for the day could be seen here : http://www.linuxforum.dk/2006/program/saturday/

Though the seesion by Alan Cox on The changing face of PC storage was the main attraction, I especially liked the session on google maps by Lars Rasmussen and the session by postfix writer Wietse Venema. Also the session by Mirko Dölle on VDR (Video Disk Recorder) was also quite interesting.


Dream come true, a snap with Alan Cox :)



The session on Google maps



Postfix session



Vegeterian food



Free as in freedom, well, free as in 'free beer' too. The "Open source beer" on display!




.

she's in my dreams errr..desktop :)

"When you look in her eyes, and she is looking back in yours, everything feels not quite normal, because you feel stronger, and weaker at the same time. You feel excited and at the same time, terrified. The truth is you don't know what you feel, except you know what kind of man you wanna be. It's as if you've reached the unreachable, and you weren't ready for it.."
- Peter to MJ in Spiderman 1

This excatly what came to my mind when I saw this photo of Nicole. I spent no time and she is on my Desktop :) (you can click on the image and can see a bigger picture)

And when I was listening this very melodious song, I was wondering how well suited it was. Sonu Nigam is superb, music direction and lyrics too, are great. If you have not listened to this song, you should. It is available streaming here, or beg/borrow/steal Gayab's songs and listen. You will thank me for letting you know the beautiful song.

तनहा....

दिल की ज़मीनपे इक हसीन चेहरा
सांसोके पास है ज़िंदगी के जैसा
दिल की ज़मीनपे इक हसीन चेहरा
सांसोके पास है ज़िंदगी के जैसा
आखोंके तले दियासा जले
अकेले गुजारा किया जाए ना
तनहा, अब ना रहा जाए, तनहा
तनहा, अब ना रहा जाए, तनहा

उजली सी रातोंमे बातोंकी खुशबू होगी
गाएगी फिर सारी खामोशियां
झिलमिलसी रिमझिमसी चुपकेसे तू आएगी
मिट जाएंगी इक दिन ये दुरियां
जीना है सझा अब तेरे सिवा
अकेले गुजारा किया जाए ना
तनहा, अब ना रहा जाए, तनहा
तनहा, अब ना रहा जाए, तनहा

आंखो ही आंखोसे देखा है छू कर तुमको
रेशम से भी ज्यादा नर्म हो तुम
बूंदोके जैसे तुम इस दिल पे बरसी हो तुम
होटोंपे आयी जो प्यास हो तुम
सीने से लगे और तू भी कहे
अकेले गुजारा किया जाए ना
तनहा, अब ना रहा जाए, तनहा
तनहा, अब ना रहा जाए, तनहा

Movie Name: Gayab (2004)
Singer: Sonu Nigam
Music Director: Ajay-Atul
Lyrics: Taabish Romani

Not everyone is meant to make the difference

yeah... I know, after "oslo experience part 1" there is supposed to be "oslo experience part 2" and further sequels. But taking advantage of the infinite liberty and privilege I have given myself, I have decided to insert this snippet here. Please don't mind!

okay so I was thinking about some inspirational quotes from the movies. Then was thinking about Spiderman 1 and 2. The films based on the fictitious character Peter Parker who, apart from his normal life as a physics student and a part time photographer, has to play another, a more important role as "The Spiderman". The movies were really exciting and I was moved and inspired after watching them. I saw them again and again. As it always happens, if I like something, I become kind of obsessed with that and it leaves a deep and lasting impression on my philosophy, behavior and the way I think. More recently it happened with the movies "Spiderman 1 & 2"

What is so appealing about the characters and the story?

first, unlike any other superhero, spiderman has not come from the planets/galaxies far away. He's just a normal person. Like anyone of us. The uprising from a ordinary man to a courageous, self-sacrificing person, to "a hero" is what appeals me most.

second, it's not just about stunts, climbing walls, flying around or fighting bad guys. No doubt these things are present and appreciated by many (or most) of the viewers, but what is more significant is the internal psychological or mental fight between Peter Parker and Spiderman, the fight between the way they are supposed to think, the fight between their *wishes* and *interests*.


there are many more aspects of it I would like to write about. May be in the subsequent posts.

Another and more important reason for my special interest in the Spiderman is (the text is removed from here for some unexplainable reasons)

Not everyone is meant to make a difference. But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option

- Spiderman

Oslo Experience part 1

It can't be better timed than this one. Mid-summer holiday in a sun-starved scandinavian country. We decided to take a luxury cruise from Helsinborg in Sweden to Oslo in Norway. Thursday was pretty busy as I had to do a lot of stuff in and outside of office. But I, somehow, managed to do it well before the 3 pm deadline and at 3:15 I was in a bus racing towards Helsinborg. The two hour journey was not so good as I am (now) fed up of seeing the never ending woods. Helsinborg was an happy surprise. Being a coastal city it was warm and humid. We started walking towards the jetty. It was a nice view down there. Wind was blowing heavily and luckily no clouds in the sky.

Cruising towards Oslo

After watching a number of boats sailing here and there, the cruise ship, supposed to take us to Oslo, arrived. It was like a gigantic 12 storied luxury hotel somehow floating on a ship ! We were really excited by merely looking at the massive ship. We got in. Our rooms were at the 10th floor! very close to the top deck. After an announcement of departure, the typical horn blew up and I was on my first marine expedition ! It was really exciting, watching the distancing shore, dissappearing slowly. After sometime there was nothing else but visibly infinite sea below and the sky above. This particular situation made me realize how insignificant I am in the big world. After a bit of introspection, I realized myself being attached with the world in more than one forms. If you attach yourself with the almighty, you are the one who is everywhere, and if you detach yourself from the almighty, you are nothing. everything depends on how do you think and what do you think you are. I had been lost in the deep sense of spiritual satisfaction for some time .

please click on the images to see the bigger ones. !
I was dragged down to the earth by my yelling colleague. It was the time to take dinner and he was calling me for that.

"Only" dinner on a cruise journey was not making much sense :) So some bottles of Martini were brought to add some "spirit" to it :) It was a real fun enjoying Martini and good food on the deck at 12th floor with sun shining above your head and cool breeze buzzling.

Soon everyone was climbing to the *seventh heaven* ..... step by step. Alongside was the rising volume of songs, gazals, romantic songs, sad songs and even "koli geete" :) we were really enjoying, somewhat worried were the married women, worrying about their husbands making use of the opportunity to booze :) After this a lot of things happened, dance, disco and stuff like that, more on this was informed to me by my colleagues on the "next morning" :) I had a sound sleep in the lavish room.

I woke up by sound of the siren at 7 am. It was the time when the ship enters the *fiord* (A narrow inlet of the sea, penetrating between high banks or rocks, as on the coasts of Norway and Alaska). It was a treat to eyes.

I am short of words to explain the natural beauty. There were many islands, hilly regions, full of trees with small and pretty farm houses. There was a small jetty in front of the small farm houses and a small road from the jetty to the farm house through the Green woods. All in all heavenly experience.


To be continued in the next post....

fair unfair

After a pretty usual day in office I returned back, and then, I was supposed to meet this guy. I had never met him before. Had not heard anything about him except his name. The time decided was 7:30 pm. I left home at 7:35. I knew, first he was supposed to talk with other people so the delay was permissible. He was a tall guy, with a innocent smile on his face. I was observing him as he was talking to others. His behavior reinforced my first observation that he's innocent and a genuine person. A person with a good soul. Later I came to know that he doesn't have any job. He was well educated, appeared well informed and technically adept. He had all that is needed for a technical job. Then why he doesn't have any? thinking on it further I realized, for getting a job, or for getting whatever one likes to have, one must realize "it's an unfair world!". But some people don't realize that. Their true, and hence good, soul makes them think, everyone else is genuine like them. They never use any unfair means and never complain or fight back if someone uses unfair means against them. They will leave any competition, not because of fear of losing, but because they don't want to hurt anyone. Hence they often lose the opportunity to someone inferior but unfair.

In a fair world such people should survive, not just survive but thrive as per their ability. But in reality it's not fair and just. The constant commercialization and globalization is the latest disguise used by the unfair people to achieve their motives and still not being characterized as one. They keep on shouting, "the fittest should survive!". True, everyone will accept that. But more often than not, the *fitness* boils down to unfair, dishonest and unjust means.

That meeting with him, made me realize all this. I am too, a part of this world, the world which is not fair with the people like him. A little bit of soul-searching revealed, though I am a part of the system, I was never involved, knowingly, in any of the unfair conducts. But still what can we do to improve this situation?

why not start with ourselves? let's take an oath that we will never make use of unfair and immoral means for our benefit. And in the same pursuit, we will not let go dishonest people without paying prise for their wrongdoings.

I conclude with the hope that one day we will live in a fair world, where every good person is taken care of and everyone else is made to understand that they just can't run away with their immorality.

long live truth in the real fair world !

Change !

a few changes. first in the template of this blog. it's now more readable, except the contents :)

also was busy last week shifting to a new apartment, assembling new furniture and stuff like that.

changes are not always bad, as they appear when they appear for the first time. thinking more on those lines, changes make the life, they make it interesting, they leave you guessing on what will happen next. you learn a lot, good or bad, only when you undergo a change.

to be continued....

The lost world !

ok ... today I decided, I must write something here.

I don't know in what phase of life I'm currently in.

I'm not sure ... either I'm not confused at all or I'm too confused to understand I'm confused.

have to find out a way out of this situation.

sometimes having no big problems take you off the ground. it's like expecting a faster one in the block hole from Shoaib Akhtar and getting out on a slower half-volley! life always doesn't bowl yorkers, it sometimes bowls googly as well! so even though beaten by some deliveries, i (fortunately) still have my wickets safe :) so will have to be more cautious and watchful.

bye !

after a long gap

Something unique with the life, you can never predict what is coming in your way. After a long time I'm writting something here. My last post was on December 9, 2004, was really busy with the project then. Now I'm in sweden, miles away from where I was sometime back. Quite a huge change.

Opportunities do come your way but your interests might (mostly always) clash with someone else's. convincing them is a real hard job, luckily I got out of it without really hurting anyone's interest. This was my fourth *successful exit*. I remember leaving Highband (My first company http://www.highband.net), then my first project, then *Center Of Excitement*, all in a nice 'n cool way. How did I manage to do it? well... not here, if someone is in a situation like this and really don't know what to do can get in touch with me :)

My Life: The day that was !

I think, I can control most of the things in my life except....myself! It's really hard to predict what I'll do tomorrow if I face the same situation. I think in that sense, machines are better than human beings. Even animals. Animals (minus humans) are very much predictable in their response.

Today I am in "mood" as per Mohit. hmm Don't know exactly but feeling good for no reason! cool. I need to be in the same form then ;)

Today Nitin pinged me after a long time. I was fortunate to have him as my roomie for almost one year. I was fortunate in college too. Jai was the roomie then. But now I guess, I have run out of luck. living in a virtual "Hell" :) (It's little too much!)

Good things keep on happening...our beloved Manu aka SolutionGuru@internet.com pinged me just now. He is one of the best combinations I've ever seen, very sound technically and a really nice human being. I need to think of such good people rather than thinking about the really mediocre people around here.

Professional: professional life - 1

In a training session i attended last week, we were supposed to list down our three positive points and three "areas for improvement". One of my entry in the "areas of improvement" was "The right balance between professional and personal life".

When i was thinking more on the professional life, it came to my mind that I'm more or less satisfied with my profession.

Though I don't have any serious issues against my profession I have some against the so called professional companies.

From today I'll be listing some of the corporate realities and these can be, in future, collected under the title "How to cheat and exploit people" :)

So here goes the first one ......

1.Talk of ethics and values....just TALK, don't ACT!

It's really a dangerous phenomenon and can be treated as the "best policy" by cheats.

Talk of really good things, keep on repeating them whenever and wherever possible and when it comes to acting, come back to your natural cheap intentions. So it's not less than a farce or a frod.

This way you don't offend people in the beginning. The short sighted people won't be able to understand your "real" intentions and it will be too late for the people who can think and analyse , to understand your "real" motive.

philosophy: what is real?

what we are living and feeling now is a real life? or is it just a dream?

what happens when one has a dream?
whether he knows ('inside' the dream) that it's not real?
no! he feels it's real. rather he doesn't KNOW what is real.

so why can't THIS (what is going on now) be a dream?
may be tomorrow you'll get up and realize your name is different, your home, your city, your parents, relatives everything different.

can u take on this kind of indentity crisis?
yes. if you BELEIVE that the identity you have is not the TRUE identity.

surprizing isn't it? but it is possible

welcome to the matrix

before reading on please be sure you really want to do this !

he he don't worry ! go ahead and read i hope you'll like it.

some thought-provocating stuff !