Photo- Retouching & Typography

Original Pic



Modified Pic


This is a plucky attempt at typography.
Date Pic was Taken on: 28th September 2008
Date Modified: 21st December 2009
Pic Taken By: Monty
Pic Modified By: Me :P
Model in pic (>;P) - Ramil

ADIDAS - Impossible Is Nothing.

The gravity in these words always hits me on the head like a warhammer. Kudos to Adidas, here's my dedication to you guys!

Exam Mode

Compres are here, and I needed to switch gears and bungee into academics - but not without a taste of Photoshop to get me going. :)

Looooong Time No Write...

Z'bin a while since I've written - or designed - something... The last few weeks have been dammmn hectic, what with WAVES coming up, and now T2, all in the while me trying to finish my SOP, and trying to learn other packages of Adobe. Need to submit my final multimedia project by 28th, still beating myself up over ideas.... Every idea is better than the previous. Will post again soon, ( hopefully) with the spoof Matrix script I have just written. Ciao soon.

Me Playing God :P

Varunier Calipers Textured :)

The Longest Yard

This is a photoshop-ped pic of a football field at the 50-yard line. Note that I didn't use even one single readymade pic... everything started from scratch.

I am NOT an Alligator!

After much hue and cry, I finally decided to give the dentist a visit. Not that I was in pain or anything, but I knew I had broken part of a tooth, the right molar, I guess it is called. The resulting cavity was as deep as a mine, and whatever food I ate started having an annoying habit of finding it's way into that hell-hole.

You know how they say that people who have long tongues have great voices? Well, my tongue can even touch the tip of my nose, but STILL couldn't get to that blasted spot. After hours and hours of rummaging, I would finally get through to that dumb piece of waddeva it had been, that I had gorged upon a few hours earlier. (yuck! :X)

So anyhoo, I sped off towards the nearest decent l'hopital, the SMRC in Chicalim. (Wondering where it is? Google Maps, you numbskulls!) Since our esteemed college does not have a dentist, ( or a decent doc, for that matter - our doc was in the papers a while ago for assaulting a nurse or something pathetic/hilarious), I decided to check into the Salgaocar Medical Research Center.
After burning holes in my pockets for the required 200+50 bucks, I made my way into the dental department...only to be pleasantly surprised by a cute doctor. ;P The dream had come true!! :P

Wellllllllll, maybe she wasn't exactly mirror-cracking material... but 2 weeks spent in isolation in a jaundice-infested campus which had decided to send back already depleted stock of chicks, I could have found the local fishmonger to look like Alessandra Ambrosio. Hey! Just like Rathabole's dog did. He certainly thought the fishmonger looked liked a lamppost. The fishmonger, I assure you, did not.

But let me not digress.

After readying the 'dreaded' dentist's chair, she knocked me out of my reverie of fishmongers and BITS dudettes, and beckoned me to the chair. Now I am a guy, a little well-built, and a footballer to boot. You can stuff dry salmon down our parched throats and we wouldn't blink an eyelid. But there is something about a cute dentist peering into your open mouth that makes even the most hardened criminals shiver. Put yourself in my position. Tilted at 145 degrees, in a Chelsea jersey and denim. You get my drift?

Anyways, she peered down my gaping mouth, tch-tching all the while. I suddenly cringed. Damn, I should have brushed my teeth before I came. Damn! I should have sprayed on the ADIDAS deo. Damn! I should have poured on the infamous Fair and Handsome.... and similar thoughts to that effect flooded my brain. The last Damn! didn't really bother me much, because I had recently read a dood's post regarding such potions.

Then she was eroding my tooth and cleansing it with a jet of water at the same time. I had to spit out the water (containing fragments of my dents) so many times, that she got the nurse to use a suction pump to get rid of the water. Picture this, gentlemen... Three, I repeat not one, but three metal rods poking down my mouth, and the vile concoction that I figured later was water, being jetted and sucked out simultaneously. If any one of you fine gents didn't find a chill down your spine, then, I laud you.

To top it all, the thing stank big time! At first I thought it was last week's gobi manchurian, being dislodged from the endless pit. But it turned out, that it was the composite they were using to replace the real me! They were taking away a piece of the Varuminator! (Sad... I know) And the not-so-cute-now artiste, engrossed in her art, had a mask covering her cute nose and mouth! Where the hell is my mask? I wanted to scream. Then I realized I couldn't scream because my mouth was already wide open and the composite wouldn't settle in for some time... so I wouldn't be able to exercise my vocal chords yet. Plus...a mask covering my mouth and nose would rather make the whole trip rather ironic.

Finally, at long last, she was done - and so was my fake tooth. She stepped back, admiring her handiwork, having twice reshaped my molar... once oversizing it, and once undersizing. Finally, happy with the scenery, the artist flashed a wide smile, and said, something like "That's all, folks!", or words to that effect, and I was left wondering why the hell I am not able to clamp my mouth shut. Turned out I had been keeping it open for the past half an hour, a feat which my Discovery Channel sense suggested had something to do with alligators.

Well, i am NOT an Alligator! :P

Angel in the Dark

Dedicate this pic to all those who are fans of my work :P thank you guys, you rock!! :D

Of Planets and Moons...

Nike on Fire!!

Extreme Sepak Takraw...Old pic :)

My 100th Post \m/ ... Ave, Caesar

Morituri te salutant - Those who are about to die salute you...! Caesar with the flame of The Statue of Liberty..

An Ode to CR9...

This wallpaper is dedicated to one of the best players in the world today.

Veronian Bubbles

Similar to the previous wallpaper, but more suited to Vista Black with it's white ghost-like glow effect. :)

Of Godfathers & White Knights

Ever had an adversary or a rival who always keeps you on your toes?

A rival is at least competitive - he pushes you to think outside the possible, to attempt for what is beyond reach at the moment.

An adversary is an even greater hazard - because not only will he try and push you down, he's willing to go to any lengths to see you lose the proverbial cherry. And when he tries to fulfil his role without any benefit to himself, or even at his own expense, you know you have an issue to settle then.

There is an old adage - keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. ( Or was it The Godfather from where I got the quote? :| ) As it turns out your greatest rivals are the ones who are similar minded to you, might even be close to you. What about your greatest adversary? He can be anyone with a grudge, or just a pure psychopath.

I'll just describe in a few words, my biggest rival, and my worst adversary.

My rival is one of my closest friends. He forces me to out-think him, outdo him, outsmart him. He makes sure I do not waste a single moment NOT strategising my next moves. He forces me to look at the bigger picture, because it's in the bigger picture that you can also see the minor details to be ironed out by your actions now. My rival is not only smart and successful, he's got a hell of an ego, too. Dangerous? Maybe. But as long as it pushes ME on to break my own limitations, beyond my self-made boundaries, beyond MY bog of self-doubt, I'll be close to him. The one thing that eats me is - I realized only a few hours ago, that he's my biggest rival.

My adversary knows he's one, too. I am, indeed, fortunate to know such a psycho. Not only does he badmouth me in public, he actually spends his time looking for minor flaws in my work and character. He's the worst type of backstabber, and a degenerate one at that. Without doubt the biggest traitor one can know is the who knows the most about you that can help HIM. My work ethic states that I give him the cold shoulder as much as possible, and I certainly do so. But after a certain point, you HAVE to rethink your outlook. Do you keep changing yourself and your character so as to escape his vile commentary? or do you stay true to your integrity and morals? Do you indulge in a campaign similar to his and engage him at the warfront? Try and beat him at his own game?

They say revenge is a dish best served cold. The scars on my timeline reveal the affect this one adversary has had on my life. Whatever his credits, my ultimate aim is and will, forver be, to bring him down. Like the crisis Bruce Wayne faces in the recent Dark Knight, it is upto me, to decide. Whether to let myself be brought down to their level so that I can engage in a similar war, or be Gotham's White Knight and go by the book.

Veronisque Bubbles..

Crazy Soccerart

Some Lite Pix

Lighting behind the Quarters.
Balancing work and play ;P

When Two Worlds Collide

Inspired by Apocalyptica's Somewhere Around Nothing video, this was just something I penned down to put myself out of boredom.

A lone violin haunts the night,
A night of prayer, a night of lies.
My hand caressing the harvest
Untouched by yesterday's fires.

As I walk by the fieldline,
The violin fades out into the darkness.
The velvet horizon beckons me yonder
Into it's boundless mystery.

I see a shed in the distance,
The world around hued in greys and greens.
A flicker, of light, of hope
Pushes me to trudge along in it's wake.

As I turn a curve, suddenly,
A choir of cellos roars into the air,
The leaves around tremble, in fright
Or expectation, to Hell's symphony.

The pitch rising higher, as I close in,
In perfect harmony, with growing depth.
I wade faster, through the woods
Towards that lonely shed.

I see a vintage Mustang, parked behind,
And a cross on the door, a gong in the chimney.
The haunting music reaches it's peak
As I head towards the door.

I am not afraid, to be out alone,
Nor am I afraid, of this lonely shed.
I know that the answers to yesterday's madness
Are beyond this red door.

I touch the handle, the music stops,
Suddenly the night is still,
As if willing me to open it
The key to my search, and my pain.

UN Declares Casteism as a Violation of Human Rights : Times of India

My comment published in the Times today....

Varun,Navi Mumbai,says:This evil is not only practiced by politicians, but is widespread in the country due to lack of literacy and a firmer education policy. Though the government is trying to spread education to the remotest parts of the country, age-old superstitions and traditions practiced by elders include caste as a valid issue. Along with child-marriages, female foeticide, casteism is a sensitive issue that can only be tackled through education. Why only rural areas, even in urban areas caste is an issue, you can see that in the matrimonial sites. The UN is right to treat caste as a human rights violation. We should follow the example of Nepal and embrace this cause. By opposing this act, we as a country are only showing our backward thinking and accepting our inability to curb this evil.

A Curvy Wallpaper

Yup, started this too from scratch..... enjoy.

Mac-type Wallpaper

My attempt at creating a Mac-type wallpaper.

Multimedia Assignment Attempt 2

My second attempt at the movie poster....

Multimedia Assignment

Our multimedia assignment was to create a Fantasy/Thriller/Suspense/Action/Adventure/Mystery movie poster.... I had to race against time, and almost submitted the one shown below. In fact, if not for a sudden outbreak of jaundice in the campus forcing authorities to suspend classes, I would have surely done so. Looks a little dull, maybe a little bland, and I
m not sure I can say I am proud of my work. However, I still had put in more of an effort than the guys who almost copy pasted pics on top of each other and used fancy fonts.

Now I have nearly 15 days of vacation to get my act straight and bring forth something that might look more attractive, it fetch me some more marks :)

November Rain - Guns n' Roses

Exams goin' on, so can't really spare any grey material on the blog :D

So here's another of my all-time favs.

Song: November Rain
Artist: Guns n' Roses
Album: Use Your Illusion I

"November Rain" appears on the album Use Your Illusion I. At 8 minutes and 57 seconds, it is a rock ballad in the tradition of "Stairway to Heaven", "Dream On", "Dust in the Wind" and "Bohemian Rhapsody". It is the second-longest song on that album, the longest being the 10-minutes and 08 seconds "Coma". Its distinct symphonic overtone owes to a sweeping string arrangement, orchestrated by Axl Rose.[1][2] Most live performances during the Use Your Illusion tour lacked the orchestral backing of the song (the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards being the best-known exception). It is the longest song to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The song peaked at #3 on the chart, becoming the band's sixth and last Top 10 hit and eighth top 40 hit. On the radio, "November Rain" is sometimes played in a shortened version of approximately six minutes, but many classic rock stations continue to play the full version. At around 7 minutes in, the song fades and then builds into a 2 minute guitar solo by Slash. This is accompanied by vocals as well, and then fades out into the ending. This song is listed at number 6 in the The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos list by Guitar World[4]. "November Rain" was voted #1 on the Rock 1000 2006, an annual countdown of the top 1,000 rock songs by New Zealand radio listeners. It was almost voted #1 on the Rock 1000 2007, but was beaten out by "Back In Black" by AC/DC. [5]




Lyrics:

When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the same
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain
We've been through this such a long long time
Just tryin' to kill the pain
But lovers always come and lovers always go
An no one's really sure who's lettin' go today
Walking away
If we could take the time to lay it on the line
I could rest my head
Just knowin' that you were mine
All mine
So if you want to love me
then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin'
In the cold November rain

Do you need some time...on your own
Do you need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time...on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone
I know it's hard to keep an open heart
When even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart
Wouldn't time be out to charm you

Sometimes I need some time...on my
own Sometimes I need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time...on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone

And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain, ohhh yeahhh
I know that you can love me
When there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain


Don't ya think that you need somebody
Don't ya think that you need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

Blow Away - Staind

It's been a helluva long time since I posted some good music. So here's one of my latest fav's - Blow Away, by Staind.

Song: Blow Away
Album: 14 Shades of Grey
Artist: Staind




Lyrics:

live in my head for just one day
i see myself and look away
the road is showing now on my face
soon i'll disappear
i'd disappear without a fucking trace

[chorus]

faces that i've seen turn old and grey
i've lost too many friends along the way
memories i never thought would fade
they fade and blow away

i wish that i could disappear
unzip my skin and leave it here
so i could be no one again
and never let nobody
i'd let nobody
i'd let nobody in

[chorus]

so now the walls are closing in
because in life you sink or swim
sometimes these shoes don't feel right in my head
feel like a book that can't be
a book that can't be
a book that can't be read

[chorus]

A Treat for the buds....

A More guy-ish Waper than the Prev one...

But still intended for the chicas!:P

New Brushes yoohoo :D

When WIll and I stopped to compare our rides on a Maharashtra Freeway!! :P

More Flings with Photoshop :P

I've been an ardent fan and avid collector of cool footballer wallpapers, when it struck me - hey, I'm supposed to be a player too! So here was my (yet another ) feeble attempt at 'designing' a wallpaper with the a new footballing protagonist - that's right - me! :P

These feeble attempts at Photoshop were made during my 2nd yr, I hope I can do better now... but just posting them up for nostalgia's sake. :)

ICEMAN in a dilemma :D




ICEMAN and SINBAD hailing Pingu :P

My Fling with Photoshop

Due to my course Creative Multimedia this semester, I've been dabbling around in Photoshop.. though my work is like that of a noob, :P, am still giving it a hand. Comments please! ( I know the pics are not perfect, but as is said, Practice makes it happen. :)

My Fling with Photoshop

Due to my course Creative Multimedia this semester, I've dabbled around in Photoshop

Ambigrams... \m/

Found a cool site which generates ambigrams.... tried out my nicks ;D
Ambigrams read the same from left to right as right to left, or upside down, etc.

The "Igo" Concept

Hmmm.... no wonder the topic will raise an eyebrow or two. Igo ( to be pronounced : I-ego ) is a concept I wanted to add to... furthering the original ego - era.

Confronted with a soul-searching dilemma earlier today, I just had to delve a little into this tiny word. And in this tiny word, I found something exceptionally huge.... the world of the ME.

Just including a couple of definitions here for reference...

e·go·tist
n.
1. A conceited, boastful person.
2. A selfish, self-centered person.


e·go·ist
n.
1. One devoted to one's own interests and advancement; an egocentric person.
2. An egotist.
3. An adherent of egoism.

What do these definitions make me? An I-goist or an I-gotist? Well, for the time being, let me just be an I-gologist - studying the I-go.I realized today, that it takes only a minuscule change of circumstances, a word here, a deed there, a push somewhere else, for everyone's Igo to shoot up. For example, when I play football, whether I am captain or just a member, I give my hundred percent out there. It is not to impress anyone... but at the very least, it gives myself the satisfaction of being a hard player. Of course, when I have juniors on my team, I try to set an example wherever I can, on the pitch or off it. I do not need titles or recognition, and I won't have a problem with someone who does have titles or recognition. Or so I thought.When I complained a few days ago ( rather tactlessly, I must admit ) that some people do not work when it matters, and need to be out there leading the way for the others ( read: inexperienced )to follow, one of my closest friends retorted, " Well, it's not that we don't work. It's that we know when to work. We can go without food during the job, and unlike you people we do not take breaks or stop to rest. " Well, maybe they didn't pay attention ( in all probability ) but even I didn't eat much the last time around. See what I mean? Just the mere mention of it made me one of the you people. Subtle, but worth a look into.


(Note: It is probable that my thinking might also have been affected by the unconvincing attempts to stay in the limelight by some of today's "celebrities", esp. getting engaged on the telly, revealing personal lives on reality shows, et cetera...Talk about egos that can never be quenched!!)


Anyways, with time, I guess the mind matures enough to deal with these petty problems... what astounds me is that unknown egos which has been dormant so far, burst forth and what not. However, what can an idealist do at a crossroads like that? Put his head down and go with the flow, or let his own Igo dictate terms and rebel against the Powers?

I have decided to go with the flow, hoping that my sensible self will pull me out of this crazy dilemma without scars. But if things get worse, I might have to give in to my huge Igo as well... and just back out. After all, life is not always about compromises.

Yes, We Khan!!

Yawning uncontrollably, one weary hand holding a cup of coffee, the other hand just done scratching out morning wax from his sleepy eyes, the average Indian must have taken the day's paper from under his armpits to glance at the day's headlines - to be treated about an 'ordeal' that our 'global Bollywood icon', let's call him SR Khan, had to go through. Of all the unimaginable horrors that a celebrity could face in this strife-torn world, he had endured one of the very worst - he had been frisked at the Newark Airport, and later requested for a check, in the US of A. All this because ( SR Khan ) he had a last name that belonged to a certain community of a certain continent, and ( unnamed US official ) that he was asked to go through a very 'routine' checkup because Khan had a substantial amount of money on him.

The actor, claiming that his pride has been hurt to an extent that he does not feel like 'stepping on American soil anymore', also said that it is the 'love of his fans', that'll bring him back. Politicians all over the country have started the usual name-calling and effigy-burning, bickering about tit-for-tat tactics to be doled out to American citizens landing on our soil.

While I have no disrespect for Mr. SR Khan, owing to the fact he IS a big name in the Bollywood industry, I would like to point out that a certain VVIP, former President A Kalam was asked to do something similar ( though he didn't have to wait an hour to get through ), him being from the same community as Khan. This, too, was not too many days ago. What with the other piece of 'sensational' news, about another actor E Hashmi claiming that he was denied a house because he belongs to a minority, I feel that things are getting a little out of hand. I mean, the former Prez himself didn't create a ruckus and start bad-mouthing the Continental Airlines, inspite of him being frisked in New Delhi itself.

How is it that after overthrowing around 200 years of colonial rule, and 63 years ( just yesterday, that too ) of independence, we still cannot shed the veil of second-hand? Or was it just clamouring for attention? After all, celebrities are demi-Gods in this country. And like they say - any publicity is good publicity.

While I sympathize with Mr. Khan about his predicament, I wonder why a different article, in the same paper that the same average Indian read at the beginning of my post, that too reaching that page after scratching other unmentionables, didn't create such waves among Americans. I am, of course, referring to Bob Dylan being asked for identification by some rookie cops, because neither the cops, nor the residents who reported Dylan as a 'suspicious man', could recognize the great man. For further references, however, for the American residents, the rookie cops, AND anyone else interested, I am posting a couple of profile pictures of Bob Dylan and King Khan. :P

Considering the furore it has raised, one must at least appreciate the irony that SR Khan was in the country to shoot for his next film venture, titled ( quite coincidentally) 'My Name is Khan'.

Street Kings of India: A Compilation

For the last few days, I've been looking around for professional performers to participate in the college's cultural fest, WAVES 09 - Winter... Being a core member of the Department of Creative Works, I've been pretty busy.

I don't know, maybe it's the football background in me, or just Goa's fanatical football populace taking it's toll on my way of thinking ( and way of life :) ), I've looking around for freestyle footballers in the country. And I've come up with some pretty cool groups, the most amazing of which I've come across, is the S.K.I, The Street Kings of India. They are now also a member of the F3 - the Freestyle Football Federation.

I've just embedded a few of their videos. Check them out! \m/

Ikron - April Video


S.K.I on TV


Ikron VS Fye BEYOND FOOTBALL INTERMEDIATE ROUND 1


Will post more later... BITSian net is too slow for all videos to load, anyways!! :P

My Journey as a Footballer - The Story So Far...

Now before any misconceptions that the topic might trigger, let me first clarify that I am NOT the next CHristiano Ronaldo - not by a long stretch :P. Takes some balls ( and probably some self respect) to admit it, but although I was (and am) a good and competitive sportsperson, I was never a child prodigy or anything. That, and combined with the obsession with Engineering, Medicine and Higher Studies by the Powers that be, (read: family) I played for my school and now play in my University team. But football has been a part and parcel of my life for so long... in fact as I admitted recently, it was my first crush. We have been going steady since :D

Am in a very nostalgic mood, and have just realized how much the sport football, has shaped my life course. I've been playing since my childhood, and still remember getting into the school team with absolutely no experience and that too, after my very first training session. I was selected for the role of a center-back, to the left, partnering Bhavesh in defense. My school, Apeejay Nerul, had a decent team, I remember I was 11 years old at the time.

Most of the matches of the NML, the Navi Mumbai (or New Bombay) League U-12, in that year, 2000, were held in our school grounds. I don't remember much of the matches, except that I broke my glasses during a game with St.Mary's. We had white jersys, and navy blue shorts... since it was my first tournament, I didn't have a jersey of my own, so borrowed Yadnesh's, who had in fact introduced me to the sport.

Anyways, we reached the finals that year, but lost to St.Lawrence 2-0. Our best player and captain, Aditya Giriyalkar, was a guy of outstanding speed and agility. I think he scored in all the games we played. I still remember the blue jerseys of the Lawrence team...and in fact, when the final whistle blew, I was the guy with the last touch.

It was heart-wrenching, to lose in the finals... but back then, I wasn't so experienced that I felt by any measure I had not played well. I thought I was so-so, playing my role to perfection, but probably not flexible enough to help out with the attack at any point.

Anyway, I'll be posting more about my other tournaments ( or what I can remember of them), and delve a little deeper into the sport that defined my life.

Also note - the picture above is NOT my school team from U-12, but I don't think I have any pics from that time, or of the team... this one's of a team I played for later in my life - The Galactico Football Club. But more on that later..... :)

A Comic on Twitter - Hilarious!!

(courtesy http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1198)

Why Figo and Henry shouldn’t be in world team: Avijit Ghosh

My next follow up, to Goal.com announcing their World XI for the decade 2000-2010, and to Sir Avjit Ghosh's blog, 'Addictions'.

Varun says: July 28, 2009 at 02:15 PM IST

No doubt the presented arguments are convincing. I agree with most of them, especially that of Kaka. Kaka has been a pillar of strength and agility combined for the AC Milan team, and his achievements and prowess also won him the World Player of the Year. His incredible speed and superior vision even got him transferred for a (then) world record transfer fee.
Since the team is for 2000-2010, probably Ronaldo, and I am talking about the Portuguese this time, doesn't deserve a place considering that his career spans the later half of the decade. However, overlooking him and even Messi is something which created a lot of debate. Both are world class players, no doubt.
I feel the site's naming of a World XI was probably a publicity stunt - obviously, it has created a furor among the pundits. But no doubt the select XI are all great players. All hail!

Bruised psyche of a faceless Indian : Ramesh Khazanchi

The following was my follow-up,posted in the Times of India to a blog by Ramesh Khazanchi called Hard Copy.It deals with the attacks aimed at Indian students in Australia, to which several people had commented pretty rashly, I felt. Is this what India is coming to? That we snap at the heels of every isolated incident with so much sting? This zeal, probably unheeded, is against our cultural upbringing...

Varun says: July 25, 2009 at 05:08 PM IST

Firstly, I have several friends in Australia, both Australians and Indians. In fact all of them have told me that the initial attacks on Indians were only random incidents. But the media hyped up these isolated incidents so much it led us to believe that all Indians in Australia, and for that matter, the States and even Europe, were target to racialism. I'm pretty sure there are a hellotta cases in Australia where Australians get beaten up too. Accepted, as an Indian, my prime concern goes for the Indian student beaten up. And because of the hype created by the media, the community in Australia held protests and rallies. I'm not going to blame the media for doing their job - but as mediators of information to different corners of the globe, don't they also have a moral and social responsibility? I read through all the comments and it hurt me to see that inspite of all the hue and cry raised, we ourselves revert to the terminology of 'whites' and 'blacks'.
Of course, I'm not going to deny that there are several kinds of people (obvious referral to skin colors) in the world. The education system in India is so high profile, that even an average engineer is highly valued abroad. This has nothing to do with skin color - rather, his level of expertise. Moreover, because his options might include the greener pastures of other countries, he can even settle for the Dream, be it American, Australian or otherwise. Have we all forgotten the attacks on the Sikh community in the US following 9/11? this too simply because they followed their religious regimen of not cutting their hair, and because they wore turbans.
When the question comes to bringing home the bacon, Indians have proven time and again, they are the best in the business. No doubt, I'm sure even Australia and the States can produce an outstanding workforce. But the prices demanded by Indians for their services are certainly way more competitive. (To Be Continued)
Agree (1) Disagree (0)
Varun says: July 25, 2009 at 05:16 PM IST

(Continuing)
A superb point raised in one of the comments above, was the average Indian call-center employee calling himself a Steve or a Michael, when he would actually be a Satyadev or a Makhanlal :). Why camouflage your nationality? It is known in the entire world that Indians are among the cheapest service providers (BPOs, etc) and among the most prolific workers in today's age. We should be proud of this and in fact let others know that we are not Jacob, from Australia, but in fact a Jaikish, from India, and how may I help you, thank you very much.
All this balderdash about outsourcing to other countries when they don't need it - I truly disagree. And even at home, when the purists cry foul over sending over talented individuals abroad, or Brain Drain, as it is tagged - I say, why not? In the end they end up raking in cash for our economy, don't they? In the process increasing the value of the Indian.

How to Solve the World Economic Crisis

Following is an extremely unique story(post) on a very famous blog.

“It's August. In a small town on the South Coast of France, holiday season
is in full swing, but it is the rainy season not much business is
taking place. Everyone is heavily in debt. Luckily, a rich Russian
tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a
room, puts a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, takes a key, and
goes upstairs to inspect the room.

The hotel owner takes the banknote and rushes to his meat supplier, to whom he owes E100.

The butcher takes the money and races to his wholesale supplier to pay his debt.

The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay E100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.

The farmer triumphantly gives the E100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.

The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she owed the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.

At
that moment, the rich Russian comes back down to reception, informs the
hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory, takes his E100 back, and departs.

There
was no profit or income. But now no one has any debt and the residents
of the small town look optimistically towards their future."

Sounds pretty simple :chuckles:

The Bourne Ultimatum Spoof - Guillermo in Jimmy Kimmel Live!

CAME ACROSS THIS AWESOME SPOOF OF THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM TRAILER SPOOF. Was totally wicked.Just had to add it to my psyche series. Check it out!!\m/

Dead and Gone - T.I. feat. Timberlake

Lyrics | Justin Timberlake Lyrics | Dead And Gone Lyrics

Showdown Mumbai - Kunal Avaanti feat.T-Know

Wow! I saw this song about a month ago on Vh1, but couldn't get my hands on the video till now.... What a song!! The lyrics simply rock, so does the beat. I fell in love with it right from the first time I heard it.

The song is dedicated towards the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Directed by Rahul Dias, I'm sure you'll love it too!



Here's an interview of the guy behind the music: Kunal Avaanti.

I've tried a bit for the lyrics, but the best so far's here. Enjoy!

Football Transfers - The Summer So Far...

It's only mid-July, and what a summer we've had already! The footballing fraternity has been left spell-bound by the massive shuffling of players' alliances. In my previous post related to football, I gave an overview about the world-record transfer of Portugese mid-fielder Christiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid. But apart from Real, even Manchester City has been turning quite a few heads with it's spending spree.

When Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea, he spent 128 million pounds in his first thre transfer windows. Manchester City, since the Abu Dhabi takeover, have spent 144 million pounds, and are willing to dig even deeper!! o.0


Here's a look at the ManCity signings since the takeover.

1. Pablo Zabaleta, Argentine u-20 captain, from Espanyol, in 2008 for 6.45 million pounds.

2. Robinho, Brazilian, from Real Madrid, in 2008, for 32.5 million pounds.

3. Wayne Bridge, English, from Chelsea, in January 2009, for 10 million pounds.

4. Craig Bellamy, Welsh, from West Ham United, in January 2009, for 14 million pounds.

5. Nigel de Jong, Dutch, from Hamburg, in January 2009, for 18 million pounds.

6. Shay Given, Irish, from Newcastle United, in February 2009, for 8 million pounds.

7. Gareth Barry, English, from Aston Villa, in June 2009, for 12 million pounds.

8. Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguan, from Blackburn Rovers, in June 2009, for 18 million pounds.

9. Carlos Tevez, Argentine, from Manchester United, in July 2009, for 25 million pounds.

Of these, Robinho's and now Tevez's signings have been much publicized, especially considering the Tevez moved to City From bitter city rivals United. Moreover, ManCity are now rumoured to be keeping an eye out for Xabi Alonso of Liverpool!

In the next post, I'll look at Real Madrid's signings this summer. It is even more hair raising!! They crossed 200 million this summer alone, with Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema being the top transfers. Manager Perez has guaranteed at least two more high-profile signings as he looks to revamp the Real outlook.