Way to go, Jobs

Steve Jobs has refused to raise prices at the iTunes store, stating that record labels are getting a little greedy. No news this. Record companies have been looting music lovers for ages now. IMO, prices could be even lower and the music honchos would still make truckloads of money. Music online should be free, and artists should perform live if they want to make money!

Down with Mush!

If the Mukhtar Mai incident was shocking, Pak dictator Musharraf remarks about rape and riches are even more so. Is this a reflection of what many men seem to think - that women enjoy rape, if a woman gets raped, she probably deserved it and all such crap? Men may protest that it isn’t the case, but the fact remains that deep down inside men fail to realise the horror and trauma that is rape. What kind of justice orders a woman to be gang raped? Or sentences a woman to life long torture by asking the rapist to marry her? Humankind will have to set right a lot of insanity before it can claim to be civilised.

What have we become?

Reading an old friend's web page brought back memories of how we used to be back when we were young and thought we could change the world. Of times spent discussing Morrison and Dostoyevsky, quarrelling over Ayn Rand, reading Eliot in the temple's courtyard, walking down the streets in the hot midday sun... Of times when minds met to ignite thoughts that exploded into vague experiments with the self. Why must everything pass?

The champion

I was in school when I celebrated Andre Agassi's win against Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon. Years later, I rejoiced as I saw him struggle against much younger and swifter players to reach the US open final. Federer might have won the championship, but Agassi most certainly won hearts all over again.

Today

Oh, the indignity of travel in these local trains!

Rainy days and Mondays

Its been raining heavily since Friday, and the roads are flooded and the trains are slow. Reached office minimally dry and grossly late. But that is in no way comparable to the plight of the poor man near the station, shivering in the rain and trying to huddle under a miserably wet piece of cloth that passed for a blanket. Sometimes I wonder if the only way to live life is to be blind to all misery except your own. Not that most of us (self included) aren't, but sometimes it just hits you deep down in the gut and makes you feel so guilty to be as privileged as you are.

The iPod nano

Just when you thought that things couldn't get any better, Apple launched the iPod nano.

Katrina and the killers

The local media was quick to point out how effectively the US was handling Katrina and how badly the local authorities handled the Mumbai cloudburst. Now, with rape and looting in New Orleans and thousands dead, mum's the word. I am not saying that Vilasrao should puff his chest up and say he's done a better job, but the fact remains that Mumbaikars did not have to go through the nightmare that is New Orleans. And thank Heavens for that.

Back to Nariman Point

Changed jobs, and am back to my favourite part of the city. Makes up for the increase in commuting time. And unlike my previous jobs, there are no butterflies in my stomach today.

Watched "Iqbal" on Sunday. Saccharine sweet, but worth a watch. Shreyas Talpade is amazing. Hate cricket, but loved the movie.

Up and down, round and round

After 3 blissful days with friends at Pune, getting back to work, putting in papers, getting your way with people - phew! Too much for a poor little soul like me. When will the weekend arrive?

The rollercoaster

This whole mess is a really big roller coaster. And I want to get off.

Beauty in the morning

You wake up late, jump out of bed and into the bath, get dressed in a jiffy, miss your train, make it to work just in time, tackle boorish colleagues, slump in your seat and switch on some music wondering what the rest of the day is going to bring... and you hear "A long December, and there's reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last" ... and all the stress just melts away.

Sellouts

After INXS with Rockstar, its Tommy Lee's turn to join the growing list of sellouts. Tommy is going to college at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Who's next?

A lot happened last week

Went to Hyderabad to meet a few companies and more importantly, to attend the Infosys Analyst Meet. An impressive full day event that saw the entire investment fraternity flock to the Gachibowli campus at Hyderabad, it was a good opportunity to hear the heads of various business units talk about the state of affairs, and to rub shoulders with the Infosys top brass, including Mr. Narayan Murthy and Nandan Nilekani. Mr. Murthy introduced us to Hafeez Contractor, who is designing a set of pretty futuristic campuses for Infosys. If they turn out to be anything like the proposed design, Bangalore will have yet another tourist spot.

Got back to Mumbai late Friday night, and slept away through most of Saturday. Sunday morning brought horror, with the murder of a young Manipuri girl in broad daylight at the Gateway of India. 58 years of independence and yet there is no place where you can feel safe.

Back to the gym

I've joined a gym again(yeah, I was lazy the last time around), and I must say that I've never enjoyed a workout more. Stretched muscles I never knew existed. May the Powers grant me the will to continue!