switching over from the dark side

So you guys may be wondering why I have not posted in such a while...well, maybe not.

The truth is, I've been experimenting with the laptop. Not as much as opening up the case and messing about with the innards, but trying out alternatives to what has come to be the most used piece of software ever written. Microsoft Windows.

Yes, dear friends, there is an alternative to buying an operating system for (but not worth) $300.
I am speaking of LINUX, the free, independent, and public domain operating system based on the UNIX operating system.

Linux thrives on a vibrant community of developers who create their own versions, rather, distributions of linux, the most popular of which is undoubtedly ubuntu. Cast aside your fears, your apprehensions and your Microsoft dependency, and embrace the GNU/GPL domain.

There is an aura of mystery that clouds linux, something about being difficult to use, install, and maintain. Something inherently Nerdy or Geeky, something that needs expert control. And that is part of the charm. it was very easy to install, and set up, once I read about the system and understood its principles. It was wonderful to see it boot, and present me with its simple, yet highly customisable KDE/Gnome interface. It came with neat bundled applications. It was challenging to get the wireless networking going, and it was even more challenging to get my Windows file system into ubuntu. It compels you to explore, tinker, and learn. And it is bewilderingly fast.

of course, I was smart enough to install what is called a Boot Loader, and keep the ability to boot both ubuntu and Windows...it will be some time before I can wean myself off it completely, but Windows has its benefits.

But, damn, linux is so cool...

They're back! The Beer Reviews!

And continuing on my journey through lagerland and aleville, here are some of the other beers I have sampled lately-

Boddington's pub ale- Presented in a distinctive yellow can that hints at the extraordinary color of this beverage, this is a classic British beer, counted among the likes of the more popular Bass pale ale and the Irish Guinness. As mentioned before, the beer has a lovely honey golden colour, unlike any other beer I've ever seen. The head is soft, creamy and somewhat stable, and if poured correctly, it just looks too pretty to drink. The trademark of the beer is a honeybee, and indeed, the flavour is surprisingly sweet, with a distinct honey taste, and a sweet, fermented aroma reminiscent of overripe bananas and fresh yeast. The hoppiness is rather understated, so much so that you may end up checking the can to see if you're really drinking beer. Alcohol content is moderate, which results in a finish that is minimally dry, but otherwise pleasant.
Overall, a distinctive beer with a persona that is like a sweet, charming, emphatic girlfriend, the sort that makes you happy just be around. The sort you just want to hug.

Highly reccomended, unless your idea of an ale is something more hoppy and/or Guiness-ish.

Grolsch- A premium Dutch beer, in production since the 1600's, It retains its character by choosing to remain unpasteurised. Presented in a unique swingtop bottle, that offers you a larger dose than the ordinary pint, this is a very strongly flavoured beer, that gives 'hoppiness' a whole new meaning. This often makes the beer rather unapproachable for most people used to a lighter lager. (Note that lightness or strength here has nothing to do with the alcohol content, as it is commonly misrepresented, thanks to "Godfather strong beer" or "Haywards 10000")
The appearance is typically lager-like, with a slightly darker tint than usual. The head is again, lager-like, the sort that dissipates quickly. All of this is designed to fool the casual drinker to assume this beer is another Heineken. Then you take your first sip. The flavour hits you like a Cadillac Escalade driven at 90 miles per hour, driven by a coke-addled rap-star...very, very hard. Strong flavours of hops dominate the scene, and that is pretty much all there is to it. The Finish is very astringent, dry, and akin to a young wine. Alcohol content is also a bit higher than usual, and all of this makes for a beer that is somewhat like the beer concentrate used to fuel pub taps. Shockingly strong for the Budweiser-Busch-Michelob crowd.

Bass Pale ale- The most popular British ale, second only to Guiness in popularity. Like the Guiness and other beers that were draught-only until a few years ago, the can comes with a nitrogen gas-release device, that somewhat replicates the unique draught flavour . When opened(and poured correctly, this beer is rather fussy to serve in a glass) the amber-copper hued beer forms a half-inch head, that dissolves within two to three minutes to a thin, yet constant patina of foam; which leaves foamy 'legs' as the beer drops down the glass. The taste is primarily caramel, derived from the roasted malt, British hops, and a very mild fruit flavour. The body is disappointingly weak, that feels watered-down and diluted, and features somewhat excessive carbonation, that comes up only when the beer is in contact with your toungue, making for a feel that is something like swallowing a gulp of fresh soda. That detracts from the flavour, thus making for a let-down. In a way, this makes the ale more quaffable, by balancing the caramel flavours with a refreshing fizz and moderate body, but it also results in a drinking experience that is less than pleasurable. Something of an easy-going ale, trying to be a lager.

Although I have sampled both ales and lagers side by side, The exact picture of of what an ale is and what a lager is somewhat blurry for me. After all, I am a novice, and there are people out there who can taste if the beer came out an aluminum can, for god's sake! There is much research to be done, and soon, I will be trying out some Italian beers, and some unusual wheat and assorted-grain based beers. Let us see how the grain types affect the final product.

Hip tip- 'Bud' is made from rice, among other things. Go figure. (I'm talking about the American version, Not the Original)

Asian Top Gear

A Spinoff from 'Goodness Gracious Me!' on the popular Motoring Show 'Top Gear'

Check out the Male-chauvinist Surdy and the Yorkshire accent!!

My Chocoholism

While mom worries about the impending binge drinking that may take place when I am set loose upon Indian soil, I am worried about a far more serious issue.

I have taken to chocolate.

It's not as if I have started to consume large quantities of assorted candy, but I have indeed began to eat prodigious amounts of chocolate. My desk at home has a corner reserved exclusively for a few bars of dark chocolate, as well as a handful of chocolate dipped almonds and raisins. My dessert is invariably dark chocolate ice-cream, or mint chocolate cookies, and I drink a cup of hot chocolate truffle every other day.
The Swiss consume over 10 kilos of chocolate per person per annum, of which most is high-quality Dark chocolate. The Americans eat about 5 kilos per annum, with two-thirds of that being in the form of milk chocolate, candy, and chocolate-based sweets. Dark chocolate is preferred by older people, and those who have an acquired taste for it.

I spend about $5-15 each week to support my addiction, which may not seem like a lot of money, but, convert it to rupees, and you have a weekly cost of within the Rs. 500-per-week range. I bet I wouldn't spend that much money on petrol inspite of having the priviledge of riding a gas guzzler.

So, I must reform myself. Living in Delhi will have to be done on a shoestring budget, of about Rs. 6000/- , plus whatever I withdraw from my earnings here(something to be done only in life-and-death situations) In this case, I have to wean myself off the food of the gods., no matter what.

MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Evil maniac laughter.

Something I could barely control as I singlehandedly Destroyed the hopes and aspirations of hundreds of drunken youth who wanted to get more drunk on St. Patrick's day.

It all began with an invitation. A guy I know at work let me know that there would be 'hammered chicks' everywhere, ripe for the picking at this particular bar he was going to after work, and asked me if I'd like to come along for what he termed the 'muffhunt'
Not having had the chance to go out for such a long time, I agreed to his generous offer.


So, after work, a quick shower, and a quick gargle with the mouthwash(in case of the highly unlikely scenario that I would be required to administer mouth-to-moth resuscitation to an unconscious girl{the whole ending-up-with-a-chick scenario is just too fantastical}) I was ready.

All went well, I was sampling some good Irish Whiskey, while everybody else went beserk on the beer, when some really stupid young white guy started fighting. A minor skirmish, nothing more than drunken posturing and shouting and pushing. As the bouncers ejected the errant youth, we all spilled out of the bar to watch.

Here's when I thought of becoming a responsible citizen, and decided to call the cops.

I walked over to the corner, out of sight, and dialed 911. after being put on hold thrice(what if this was a homocide?) I was connected to the ol' deputy. a few cursory questions later, he hung up. By now, everybody had grown tired of the fight and was back to the drinking. and it was about ten minutes later that the sheriff came and ordered the bar to close.

Anger. despair. rage. all of these emotions ran high in the throng of inebriates, and for one second, I was glad that I wisely kept quiet, and did not brag about my honest citizen's duty. That would have got me lynched.

instead, there was this evil laughter. How easy it was to steal joy from the hearts of the drunkards, how delightful! On the other hand, there were people passing out and puking in every parking lot, and they showed no signs of quitting. Maybe I did them a favour. I had to drop off 2 colleagues to their homes, as they were too drunk to even stand straight. To think that they were going to drive home in that state was terrifying.

Naah, it was pure evil! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Here's a Hip tip- If a bunch of friends and you have been out drinking, ask someone to be the designated driver. even if the driver downs a few shots, the police will never check him or her, as long as the really drunk guys do all the talking. In any case, please avoid drinking if you are the designated driver.

Oh, and here's my photos from last night....

I reed blogs

Do you remember when you first accessed the Internet?

Do you remember the anticipation, the hair on your arms standing on end, the excitement as the modem's lights blinked, and as the speaker let out a wailing cresecendo of a computer trying to connect to the world wide web? The disappointment when you would be summarily knocked offline without any reason? Especially when your browser was halfway between downloading a picture of Pamela Anderson with her Grand Teutons out there for all of humanity to see, and you had got to just above the cleavage?

With Internet Pornography so widely accessible today, it's just not fun anymore to sneak a peek at what goes on between a man and a woman, or two women, and a man (and so on...)

The sparkle of the Internet had just died for me.

Then I began Blogging.

I started blogging, and reading. and my, is there a world out there. Some great blogs, some very talented writers, and the whole experience of being able to read what someone else wrote, like a candid snapshot out of their lives, although slightly voyeuristic, is like a diluted version of being able to read what your girlfriend wrote in her diary. Sets your pulse up a little bit, lets you imagine things and best of all, it lets you see the writer's perspectives from a more intimate angle.
But this concerns only personal blogs, and indeed, some of these pieces of virtual real-estate are maintained by completely self-absorbed people, who love to write in detail about their very exciting lives. Some blogs are boring(like this one), and some are so personal, it becomes a little scary.

On the other end of this spectrum are the 'Professional Bloggers'. writers with talent, a subject and a method. Most of these blogs are maintained with the care due to the grass on the fairways at the Royal Dornoch. Well linked, well-researched(relatively) articles are to be found for all to read. for free. And that is just brilliant.

During this foray into the rarified techno-elite strata of the Net, I have, maybe through subconscious direction, sought out blogs that have the India connection. contrary to my expectations, many Desi bloggers are bringing out weighty articles, as opposed to the pointless drivel that most other blogs churn out. Notable for their opinions and views are the folks at The Indian National Interest, a blog that focuses on Strategic Affairs in the Indian subcontinent. The blogs attached to this portal are quite right-wing in nature, yet very insightful, and they make for intriguing reading.
While we're here, It's also worthwhile to look at some conservative blogs, the most notable of which is run by the rather paranoid Debbie Schussel, A Far-right wing Neo-Con, whose favourite hobby is Islam-Bashing. To read her "blog" is to read the mind of deeply conservative America, for whom she is Jean d'Arc. Some very entertaining content can be found here!

In a lighter vein, a good place to find nice links is DesiPundit, which is rapidly becoming a de-facto blogs index, supported by a large team of contributors. Also notable Are India Uncut, and Jabberwock, both of which feature book reviews; and are maintained by professional journalists. Another Independent Web-based Magazine is called *Pardon my Hindi, a well-designed site, with the associated blog, Turbanhead. Lots of links to YouTube Video clips, media and other stuff.

Taking off from the whole Desi Blogosphere, is EDGE / The Reality Club. This is undoubtedly the place where the heavy-hitters come to. and by heavy-hitters I mean people like Noam Chomsky. Although not a blog by any standard, it makes for some very good reading.

Thus concludes my daily reading list...

Dhoom machade

I had been salivating for months on end now, on the prospect of inheriting the stewardship of the Enfield when I went home. Deciding having one good bike was better than having two bad bikes, I had invested in the long-overdue overhaul of the old warhorse, the outcome of which remains to be seen.

Being the sort of person who likes to do things all the way, I went out and blew $260 on riding apparel.

I had wanted to buy a pair of good-quality winter-proof riding gloves for a long time. Finding them in India is a bit of a wild-goose chase, so I bought these.
Although This may sound weird and make me look like a sissy, I felt that i was a good idea to get a proper, windproof, waterproof and armoured winter riding jacket. By armour, I do not mean a Bulletproof vest, or a knight's iron chestplate, but regular, flexible padding armour. Nice to know that my elbows and shoulders stand a better chance of survival lest the Bullet decides to go skyward.