Back after a short nap

Well, I needed this vaction after my tiresome work here. Also I needed this rest after my vacation. And now, I'm back to blog...

Keep watching the space from tomorrow.

Bon Voyage!!!

I'm leaving on a 5-day vacation to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and hence I won't be (b)logging in... See 'ya.

Car & Cream... (Moral: Never underestimate a complaint, no matter how funny it might seem)

A complaint received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors:

“This is the second time I have written you, and I don’t blame you for not answering me, because I kind of sound crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of ice cream for dessert after dinner each night. The kind of ice cream varies so every night after we have eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It is also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.

You see, every time I buy vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car wont start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I’m serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds: ” What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind? ”

The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well-educated man in a fine neighborhood. The engineer had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night, and sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn’t start.

The engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, the man got chocolate, the car started. The second night, he got strawberry, the car started. The third night he ordered vanilla, the car failed to start. Now the engineer being a logical man refused to believe that this man’s car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged therefore to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And towards this end he began to take notes: he jotted down all sorts of data, time of day, type of gas used, time to drive back and forth, etc.

In a short time he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to find the flavor and get checked out.

Now the question for the engineer was why the car wouldn’t start when it took less time. Once time became the problem - - not the vanilla ice cream the engineer quickly came up with the answer: vapor lock. It was happening every night, but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapor lock to dissipate.

All models then had their gas systems changed. The guy got a new car and also had his car repaired (now it likes vanilla flavor). General Motors disseminated an internal official statement, demanding employees to take seriously any claims, even if it sounded bizarre, ” because maybe a great innovation is hidden after a vanilla ice cream.”

Bird Flew !!! Bird Flu !!!

Oscar time, again...

Los Angeles is happy for two reasons. First, the great Sai (Hey, it's me) is making an appearence in the streets of Hollywood next weekend and second, Oscars tonight. Here are the nominees for tonight's Oscar 2006:-





Best Supporting Actor

George Clooney; Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence


Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain


Best Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Terence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Stratharin, Good Night and Good Luck


Best Actress

Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line


Best Director

George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis, Crash
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller, Capote
Steven Speilberg, Munich


Best Picture

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich


I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Charlize Theron to win the oscar for tonight...

Whatzzzup Bro???

Thought of sharing with you a funny video... MSN Space is not letting me add the video to my blog

Moral: Men are better friends

Okay, Funny Friday is here.

Women:
A wife was not at home for a whole night. So, the next morning, she tells her husband that she stayed at her girlfriend's apartment overnight.
The husband calls 10 of her best friends and none of them confirm that.

Men:
A husband was not at home for a whole night. So he tells his wife the next morning, that he stayed at his friend's apartment overnight.
So the wife calls 10 of his best friends: 5 of them confirmed that he stayed at their apartments that night, and the other 5 are claiming that he still is there with them!

Catch my point?

So now, the British are in and the heat is on... Cricket time, again. Good progress from the host on the first day. More would follow after the first test; Spectacular moments for you till then. Catch me?

Budget 2006 - Dream or Nightmare?

The Union Budget 2006 has been a mix-up of highs and lows, not sure if this is a "Dream Budget" this time. When Chidambram quoted Charles Dickens' - 'the best of times and the worst of times' for the time the country is going through, he also set the stage of the upcoming budget too. With no unpleasant surprises, the Budget is all set to increase the current GDP growth rate from 8% to 10%. Let me review the areas of my interest in this budget.

For the salaried class, the 1/6 rule for filing taxes has been abolished. As anticipated, the income tax rates will remain the same. I personally feel that FM had thought "Why fix something which is not broken?". However, contribution to pension funds are not 80 CCC anymore, but they come under the 1 lakh ceiling limit. Mr.PC has indicated his proclivity for savings - he's exempted long term FD (5+ years) from income tax. Market transactions become costlier, if you're an investor of securites or funds.

As a consumer, there's one important aspect of this budget that's likely to pinch all our pockets - service tax has been hiked from 10% to 12%. Since this tax applies to a wide variety of services, most of us will be affected pretty directly. He has also hinted that service tax would increase in the upcoming budgets also, thereby decreasing the deficit. Small cars would cost less, which would bring in some smiles for the upper middle class. However, Refrigerators & Airconditioners will be costlier. Processed foods like instant Idli / Dosa mix will be cheaper.

It is evident that FM did not want to walk the rope this time. Nothing was broken and nothing therefore needs to be fixed. Although budget facilitates funds towands Rural investment, infrastructure, health & education, there are always doubts with the pace of these reforms. I don't know why I get the feel that this budget is not so complete; could be since there were not much tax-related changes that would directly impact me. But still, Idly is fine and Dosa is nice; Where's the spicy chutney, Mr. FM?