Senator Obama's iPod

There are some articles I read here and there, which I have no connection to whatsoever. But I still get a feel-good rush in my body. For no reason.

CNN.com had this article - What's on Barack Obama's iPod? - a few days back, and it listed most artists he listens to. Get ready for this, because Senator Obama has a genuinely eclectic taste.
Bob Dylan.
Bruce Springsteen.
Rolling Stones.
Elton John.
Earth, Wind & Fire.
Stevie Wonder.
Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker from the jazz front.

"Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is 'Maggie's Farm,' " Obama said of one of Dylan's tracks. "It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric." In the song, Dylan sings about trying be himself, "but everybody wants you to be just like them."
[snip]
Several musicians on Obama's iPod support his bid for the White House, including Bruce Springsteen. Earlier this month, Dylan told a British newspaper that he believes Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a nation in upheaval.
"I've got to say, having both Dylan and Bruce Springsteen say kind words about you is pretty remarkable," Obama said. "Those guys are icons."
Obama said he hasn't met Springsteen, but the two have talked over the phone.
"Not only do I love Bruce's music, but I just love him as a person," Obama said. "He is a guy who has never lost track of his roots, who knows who he is, who has never put on a front."
And did he address him as the Boss?
"You've got to," the candidate said.

[Source]

Turns out Senator Obama does not think highly of the rap of today's generation. Though he correctly says that this music has removed segregation in the music culture, he quoted that there was way too much materialism and misogyny in the lyrics. He is concerned about that fact that his daughters listen to it. While he says that hip hop and rap moguls Russell Simmons, Jay-Z and Ludacris are "great talents and great businessmen", he feels that it would be nice if he could have his daughters listen to this music without him worrything that they are getting bad images of themselves.

Senator Obama at Penn State, 2008

Why I had that feel-good rush when I read all this? Probably because I listen to a lot of stuff he listens to too. And I really admire him and agree with his taste.

Jump!

MY! FIRST! SKY! DIVE!

Free fall.
The ecstasy of free fall.

On a wonderful day of 15th June, after a lovely night of camping in Hickory Run State Park (PA)...

Our camping site, Hickory Run State Park, PA

...I jumped off a perfectly good plane from a height of 10,000 feet. And flared a parachute 6000 feet later. Like I was already not livin' on the edge doing my doctoral studies.

Hazleton, PA. Above the Poconos skydivers. Taking along 13 other people, it was an exhilarating experience for everyone. Falling at speeds of over 120 mph (close to 200 kmph) makes your ears go deaf. Really deaf.

Words cannot describe it. You have to be there. Trust me.

It started with a basic training exercise as to what do do when we are airborne. After a slew of papers to sign and places to write our initials, the legal stuff (which basically relieves them of liabilities in case of accidents). Next thing, we are being sorted into flight numbers. Gaurav went first, and quite the ride of his life, making complete flips at 10,000 feet. Beautiful landing. He then talks of possibly undone zippers at 10,000 feet. Saumya has some real nice tips for skydiving, that involve flying kisses and flying boeings. Soon, lots of people were flying up and falling down 25 minutes later... all happy and smiling and extremely excited. Some said they were doing it again. Some said, never again. By the time it was my turn, I had no clue how it is going to be.

The plane was crammed with 7 of us, one of who was the pilot (and the owner of the place). Who needs a comfortable plane anyway? Why the other six? Two of us, me and my friend. Two tandem jumpers, guys "harnessed" onto our backs. Two photographers, who jumped with us.

After 30 seconds of deafening falling and flipping stomachs, there was a sudden jerk and absolute silence. The parachute opened. The contrast in sound was astounding. Five minutes of peaceful sailing in the serene quietness watching over the Poconos mountains.

A day before my jump-off, I informed my sister-in-law. (And thereby my brother). After the jump, I told my parents. Guess what my dad's fist question was...
"Was it cold up there?"
"That's the last of my worries up there, Dad!"

The Free Fall. Soundtrack: Bruce Springsteen - Long Walk Home

Was I terrified? Yes. When you are at 10,000 feet, and the door of the plane opens the same deafening sound with a spectacular view of the earth below. That's terrifying. My smile vanished for a second. Then it was back.
Free fall.
The ecstasy of free fall.

Cell phones make popcorn. Hah!

That's what three videos doing the rounds in Youtube showed.
Don't believe it? I didn't either.
But there was video proof!
Hah!

How it works:
1. Use three or more cellphones, with their antennae towards corn kernel on the table.
2. Make calls to all cellphones simultaneously.
3. Pop goes the corn!
See? See.

YouTube Video (0:40)

The two other videos are here and here.

What's with everyone on a table? Why could they not do it um.. let's say, on the floor?
Turns out that it is a hoax. Obviously, first because cell phones do not have enough power to do it. Second, the creators confessed. Actually they gave a disclaimer.

The contents of these videos are fictitious and humorous optical illusions, designed for entertainment. Nothing in these videos is meant to imply that mobile phones can make popcorn and Cardo Systems specifically disclaims that these videos contain any portrayal of facts or comments about safety. Cardo disclaims any liability for the information in these videos.

Source: PC World Blog

Cardo manufactures bluetooth headsets. This is their viral marketing strategy.
And this is going to sell more headsets.
Sure.

O( )ama

I wish the #1 Most Wanted in the world - Osama, and US Presidential Candidate Obama didn't have names that are so similar to each other.

It causes confusion.
Like today, when I was browsing IBNLive, I saw this piece -


and I thought that it was an Osama doll outdoing Barbie. I went click-happy over it, but turns out it was Obama. And not Osama.
Not that I was gravely disappointed... but some part of me still wants to see an Osama doll.

New Folder (11)

Every time I go home to my parents' place, my Dad tells me to have a look at his files on the computer. Because he feels that there could be several duplicates, and I should delete the files that are no longer relevant or have been superseded. My Dad is very methodical about keeping up to date with his finances and all sorts of transactions in a huge number of files on his computer, in soft copy. He often creates backups and stores copies on several media. While my Dad is very meticulous (admirably) in maintaining all this, he is not very innovative in giving names to files. And that's where all the trouble starts.

I need to sift through several gigabytes of data to try to figure out which is the latest file - sometimes the files are modified on a different computer and copied on later to the home computer... and otherwise - and ultimately it's a huge melee of "latest updates" which I need to sort out.
Considering that each time I go home, I just sleep, eat, sleep, watch TV, eat roadside good, sleep, eat... understandably I have lots of time on my hands and I am more than willing to help.

But only at first.

Folders that go by the following names:
"New Folder" (8 or more)
"New"
"Personal files"
"New Personal"
"Personal Final"
"Personal Latest"
"Final Personal"
"Old files (to del)" [Hah!]
"Files (check and del)" [Double Hah!]

The same is repeated with segments like Backup, Data, PPT, Report etc.

Several files that go by the following names:
Sinha final.doc
Sinha latest.doc
Sinha old.doc
Sinha to-delete.doc
Oh, and these files exist in all those unambiguous folders I have named above. Gigabytes of word documents, scanned images and excel sheets. Ow.

But then, when it is all done, I feel like I have actually accomplished something. :-) It feels good.

As a side note, it's not just my Dad who has this organized mess. Lots of people do! Some of them might be readers of this blog as well.

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