Goin on...and on.. and on...

From 33333.3 to 44444.4 in about 10 months... not so bad considering the fact that I was not riding much this year.  

Thanks a lot buddy - you mean a lot to me and each and every passing kilometer makes me 

happy that I chose you.  

Never I thought all is white and black.
Said people, if you trust-
broken heart is what you will be left with,
but I said, for every broken trust-
i will find ten another
For my trust is not on a man, but on mankind
and one is not whole, but an isle
in the land of Atlantis
Each small piece of trust broken
leaves me a little hollow
but like a ball thrown down
bounce back, I will.
A forfeited smile, a sublime betrayal
will never break the trust
for the forest is not a tree.

 

This is for you, my friend - the trust you broke today will make place my trust on others with more confidence, and I will keep doing it till I am the last man standing... I promise to myself that betrayals will never take me down, but will make me bounce back harder... 

points..

Point 1: Last weekend was hectic - and I discovered a new love - Cycling. The new partner in crime is a slick blue Firefox Fusion - i am now totaly in love with the light weight blue bird or a cycle. Ove rthe last weekend, I put a considearble amount of mileage and did some quick speed runs (and clocked 50+ kmph at ORR, near Marathahally)

Point 2: After a really long gap, I got contact details of a friend and called her up - it was after 10 years we are talking to each other, and man, it really felt good.

Point 3: If any of you like karnatic music, do check out this - Alaipayuthe, new classical album from Yesudaas. 

Awesome is not enough. 

(If you go to that link, look for teh album Alayipayuthe - i am not able to get a permalink to the album) And yeah, songs from Oye Lucky Lucky Oye! - love them too..

Point 4: NFS is reclaiming me.. ANd I enjoy re-living the old gaming days... and no, I am not playing the latest NFS Undercover, but the old NFS MW.

Point 5: I cook dinner regulerly now, and I am enjoying every moment of it. (Poor my room mate - i dont think I can say same about him ;) )

Point 6: there is no point 6. itz time to get back to work... December is a busy and hectic month... :|

I refuse...

Open the newspaper any day, and chances are that you will see some news about terror in some parts of our country.

Do you live in a shadow of terror? Do you think twice before you get out of your home? Do you think you are still ready to take that road trip / vacation / outing without some nagging worry in your mind? Would you think twice before heading to a shopping mall or a cinema hall?

I don’t. I feel safe walking down the street. I feel happy riding my bike to there and nowhere. This is MY home. Some insane lunatics can’t take this from me. If you see cockroaches in your house, do you live in a state of fear? Or do you take preventive measures to eradicate them from your space?

I agree that our country is vulnerable. I know that most of our politicians are useless and are interested only in playing poli-trics and making money.
But I will not let that knowledge plant a seed of fear in my mind.

But I know that our army will fight till their last breath before the enemy sets foot in our soil. I refuse to live in a shadow of perpetual terror - for I believe, the moment you succumb to terror, the elements who want to disrupt India wins. The ultimate aim of all the terror attacks is to make people live in a state of fear, and I refuse to be a victim.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once." - Julius Ceaser.

rants

Am I a feminist? 

(This blog is inspired by Usha’s blog. If you have not read it, take few moments to read the blog. ) 

Dictonary.com says feminism is the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men. By that definition, yes, I am a staunch feminist.

I don’t believe in discrimination of any kind. Man or women, at the end, all are separate individuals. And all individuals have equal rights.
I was hoping around in the blogsphere and I saw a blog where the author has written a comment made by author’s friend “A new women joined our office and she got promoted. Obviously, she slept her way around” - I was like – man, wtf. If it is a guy who got promoted, will any one say he got promoted coz he slept around? I hardly see that. 
I see lot of discrimination happening around women around me.I have heard many of my friends saying that they hate men because of the experience they had.  But when I think about it, I have friends who hate women because of the experiences they had.

In my opinion, generalizing people under a gender is something which one should not do. I have seen many women bloggers saying "never trust a man" and I have seen an equal number of guys’ blogging "never trust women". If you look around, you can see the good, bad and ugly in both the genders. Michael Schumacher is a guy - does that mean all guys are good drivers? Absolutely not. I have seen guys who should not even be allowed to come near a car or a bike, driving merrily to their hearts content. I have seen excellent women drivers who can give any man a run for their money. But that does not prove that all women are excellent drivers. 

It is all in the individuals. Why drag gender/cast/creed/color and build barricades? Why cant people be taken as individuals and appreciated / abhorred for what they are, than taking examples and generalize the whole? 

Hm. Now I realize I started this blog from one topic, and then went to another topic.. digression digression… the ban of a wandering mind. 

IF you are a mallu, watch this video – this is hilarious. I got this from Manu’s blog…

 

Lori maari poyi….

Happy B'day, Veenzie...

Wish you a very very happy b'day, veenzie. You are always dear to me, and I know we will be like this in future also.

 I wish you more and more happiness, peace and blissfulness in your life and I wish life will present you with a smile, what ever the circumstances may. 

Be there always and keep making our life fantastic by adding more and more sunshine as you keep doing. 

((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))

Geek Comics

Thanks to Vibhu, I found something which made me laugh all the way.  Try them and may be you will laugh too...

twiddected.. completely

Tweeples, i am getting twiddected. now itz the first thing i check, whetehr on my workstation,lappy or even on my mobile.. and tworld is fascinating. Now, when i get some free time, I explore twitter to find out more twittizens - the real time time line is fun. 

if any of you use twitter, drop a twitt -  http://twitter.com/theexperthand

Observe...

saw this videos at rearsets blog and to tell the truth, i failed the test miserabily... 

take time to watch this, and think about this when you drive next time...

(though it is aimed at cyclists, it is relevent in many fileds of life... just wondering - do we really observe things or do we just pass through them, sleeping with our eyes wide open...)

ps: this videos are made by Transport For London (TFL), and can be seen at http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

happy b'day, Dear Friend

For being the wonderful human being you are....

For being the fighter you are....

For being the allrounder you are...

For not giving up when the world said you cannot do it, for fighting silently when the ray of hope was not even a distant spec, for making our life woderful by just being there....

Wish you a very very happy b'day...

Ps: sorry for disabling the comments - comments will b bk from next post :)

The list...

Picked thsi list from Monikas blog..

U got to bold what u have done

 01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink 

02. Swam with dolphins 

03. Climbed a mountain (well, not a mountain, but hills) 

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive 

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid 

06. Held a tarantula (me and spider - NO WAY :P ) 

07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone 

08. Said “I love you” and meant it 

09. Hugged a tree 

10. Bungee jumped 

11. Visited Paris 

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea 

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise 

14. Seen the Northern Lights 

15. Gone to a huge sports game 

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa 

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 

18. Touched an iceberg 

19. Slept under the stars 

20. Changed a baby’s diaper 

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon 

22. Watched a meteor shower 

23. Gotten drunk on champagne (havnt got drunk yet ;) ) 

24. Given more than you can afford to charity 

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 

27. Had a food fight 

28. Bet on a winning horse 

29. Asked out a stranger 

30. Had a snowball fight 

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can 

32. Held a lamb 

33. Seen a total eclipse 

34. Ridden a roller coaster 

35. Hit a home run 

36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking 

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day 

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (why just a moment, I feel happy about my life, all teh time :) ) 

39. Had two hard drives for your computer (just two? ) 

40. Visited all 50 states 

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk 

42. Had amazing friends (had? still have LOT fo amazing friends) 

43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country 

44. Watched whales 

45. Stolen a sign  (yeah, I have stolen teh sign of peace from many peoples heart ;) ) 

46. Backpacked in Europe 

47. Taken a road-trip 

48. Gone rock climbing 

49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach 

50. Gone sky diving 

51. Visited Ireland 

52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love 

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them 

54. Visited Japan 

55. Milked a cow 

56. Alphabetized your CDs 

57. Pretended to be a superhero 

58. Sung karaoke 

59. Lounged around in bed all day (almost all teh day - had to get out for food) 

60. Played touch football 

61. Gone scuba diving 

62. Kissed in the rain 

63. Played in the mud 

64. Played in the rain 

65. Gone to a drive-in theatre 

66. Visited the Great Wall of China 

67. Started a business 

68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken 

69. Toured ancient sites 

70. Taken a martial arts class 

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (not D&D, but NFS :) ) 

72. Gotten married 

73. Been in a movie 

74. Crashed a party 

75. Gotten divorced 

76. Gone without food for 5 days (yes, only on water and coffee) 

77. Made cookies from scratch 

78. Won first prize in a costume contest 

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice 

80. Gotten a tattoo 

81. Rafted the Snake River 

82. Been on a television news program as an “expert” (does newspaper count? ) 

83. Gotten flowers for no reason (nope, but have given ) 

84. Performed on stage 

85. Been to Las Vegas 

86. Recorded music (yeah, soundforge rocks ) 

87. Eaten shark 

88. Kissed on the first date 

89. Gone to Thailand 

90. Bought a house 

91. Been in a combat zone 

92. Buried one/both of your parents 

93. Been on a cruise ship 

94. Spoken more than one language fluently 

95. Performed in Rocky Horror 

96. Raised children 

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour 

98. Passed out cold 

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country 

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking with the windows open (sang loudly, yes - but never noticed if any one is looking ) 

103. Had plastic surgery 

104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived 

105. Wrote articles for a large publication (yeah, but they never published it :P ) 

106. Lost over 100 pounds 

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback 

108. Piloted an airplane 

109. Touched a stingray 

110. Broken someone’s heart 

111. Helped an animal give birth 

112. Won money on a TV game show 

113. Broken a bone 

114. Gone on an African photo safari 

115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears 

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol 

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild 

118. Ridden a horse 

119. Had major surgery 

120. Had a snake as a pet (want to do it ) 

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 

122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period 

123. Visited more foreign countries than India 

124. Visited all 7 continents 

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 

126. Eaten kangaroo meat 

127. Eaten sushi 

128. Had your picture in the newspaper 

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about 

130. Gone back to school 

131. Parasailed 

132. Touched a cockroach 

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes 

134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey 

135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read (not one, but many) 

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (killed - yes, prepared - yes.. but not the same) 

137. Skipped all your school reunions 

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 

139. Been elected to public office 

140. Written your own computer language (language? cant even write a program now and you are asking language.. :P ) 

141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream 

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care 

143. Built your own PC from parts (love doing that - still I do it for my friends)

 144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you 

145. Had a booth at a street fair 

146. Dyed your hair 

147. Been a DJ 

148. Shaved your head (just couple of weeks back...) 

149. Caused a car accident 

150. Saved someone’s life

59 / 100 hm.. lotsa things to do :-D

tags.. tags...

this tag is from Cess, and herez my answers...

1. Who are you? 

   --xh--

2. Are we friends? 

   blog pals now. 

3. Something I have and YOU want? 

   hm.. sunny days? 

4. Give me a nickname and explain why you picked it.

   hm.. sunflower.. coz u love sun so much...

5. Describe me in one word.

   nice

6. What was your first impression of me?

   Nikon, Food, Wine - I am gng to enjoy her blogs...

7. Do you still think that way about me now?

   yeah

8. What reminds you of me?

   nothing in particular...

9. If you could give me anything what would it be?

   More sun? 

10.How well do you know me?

   Not Much...

11.How do you see me in the future?

   see as in? do u plan to come in my dreams? :P 

12.Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn't

   hm.. ok, lemme try - whatz the tattoo you are having? 

13. Are you going to post this in your blog and see what I say about you?

yeah, you are  reading it in my blog :) 

I am not tagging any one, but will be great if you will do it @ the comments section... and yeah, I ment you. 

The second tag is frm Monica - The Tagaddiction. 

Bikes, cars, Bus, lorry - anything that have got an engine - Automobiles are an integral part of my life

Books _ i love reading and I love collecting books... 

Music - I listen to songs almost all the time I am awake - and I listen to anything - from classical (bach / carnatic) to EDM. 

Cooking - my roomamate is a living testimoney that I can cook edible food... poor guy - dunno when he will file a suit to stop me from making him my guinea pig ;) 

Google, Blogs, My Camera, Chocolates, Coffee, twitter, friends - my addiction list goes on adn on... 

Thanks for the tags, Cess and Monika :-D 

a random update...

Yesterday was Jeevs 3rd b'day - itz ben theree yers since we have met each other and we have been through thick and thin, and 3 years and 43,000+ kilometers later, when I look back, I am glad that I have him besides me, ever ready to whisk me from this world to a place where I am free, where I live a life of no worries... where nothing else matters...

From Jeevs @ night

I have been to kerala for a short visit and this time, me and 2 of my friends drove down to kerala - we took my friends Hyundai i10, and man, it is a nice l'll car for some nice highway jaunts - nimble, fast and surefooted, the l'll car is sure fun to drive. 

The NFS Undercover have been released.. thinking whether to get it now or not... if any of you have tried it, temme howz the game...
ps: if any one out there want to tag me, most welcome... :) 

D'Vali-08

Itz tag Time

RULE #1 People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by them.

[I don’t dislike any, so I’m not replacing any question]

 

RULE #2 Tag 6 people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by.

[I was tagged by Aarthi]

 

Continue this game by sending it to other people.

 

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?

hm.. will bounce back and carry on with my life.

 

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?

only one? that is so unfair :P

 

3. Why do you blog?

I blog coz i love to blog.

 

4. Will you fall in love with your best friend?

Nope. (She is committed ;P )

 

5. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?

Being loved by someone whom you love.

 

6. How long do you intend to wait for someone you love?

Till I get bored.

 

7. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?

I will wish her all teh best and will be happy that she found teh one for her :)

 

8. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?

Child Labor

 

9. What takes you down the fastest?

Whatever it may, i make sure it dont makes me keep there for long :P

 

10. What resurrects you the fastest?

Myself

 

11. What’s your fear?

No fears. The moment you give in to your fear, you lose the battle.

 

12. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

Dont know her personally. Feels she is some one nice and it is always a treat to read her blogs...

 

13. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?

Dose it matter?

 

14. What’s the purpose of such Tags?

To know the author better...

 

15. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously whom will you pick?

That is not a situation I would like to be in.

 

16. Would you give all in a relationship?

Nope.

 

17. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?

Forgive, but forget not.

 

18. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?

Currently, single.

 

19. Who/what inspired you to start blogging?

I was always keen on blogging, and started it when I found that company have given me access/

20. Tag 6 people.

I am tagging only three - Winnepoohie, pratz and Cess.

2009, here we come

Sometimes, perfection is not enough... 

Massa drove so beautiful, outdoing himself lap after lap, setting blazingly fast lap timings, pulling clean pit stops - he was clearly in a class of his own. 

Two laps to finish, and Sebastian Vettel is almost on the gearbox of Hamilton - and then under tension, Hamilton slid wide , and Vettel passed Hamilton - the tension was high in the room... silent prayers, beating hearts, tension filled moments - last lap, Massa takes the chequered flag, and as we erupt to a collective shout of euphoria, at the last corner, Timo Glock loses his speed and Hamilton passes him to grab his 5th position - an almost unheard cry left my throat, watching the moment when the perfect is defeated by the mediocre... 

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali paid tribute to Massa, commenting: “Felipe has grown so much, year after year, demonstrating his talent and personality, answering his critics with his driving and with his mind. He has had an amazing season and would have deserved the title. That's sport, it can sometimes be cruel.” 

Filipe, you did well. We are proud of you.

After 143 days, let us show them again…. 
(Stefano Domenicali's comment and picture - courtsey F1.com)

KLUELESS4 -Addiction has a new address!

I know I am not regular on my blogs, and I havnt visited many of your posts - I really thought i will be active again from yesterday, but thne I got this link from Sandhya - Klueless4 - the new name of addiction.

Now I am stuck at leavel 25. If any of you ahev finished, clues are most welcome.. If any of you needs clues, hapy to help. 

(Nids, where are you? )

EDIT: We -Me and Cheeze, finished the game at last. And we are now going to atack the next one.  *raising a toast of JD*

Nothing Much...

 I picked up a set of colors and brushes when I went for the book launch of 34BGAC, and after much delibration, put them to some use today. 

It do feel good, playing with colors after a really long break, and I have a long way to go to reach where I was before, but what the heck, I am happy :-D nd that is what all matters.

And then he said..Let there be light

Ps: Aravind Adiga won Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his book The White Tiger

COngratz... 

The White Tiger

Simple, straightforward and different - Aravind Adigas The white tiger do warrants a read just for the fact that it is different from most of the other Indian novels - here you will hear the story of Balram Halwai and his journey from rags to riches.

 

Balram Halwai is an average Indian - born in a village and raised and conditioned to be servant - this is his story - the story of entrepreneurship and breaking free, the story of how he transformed himself to become one among the entrepreneurs who made their life - the story of Truth about India, as Balram says.

 

The story unfolds in a series of letters, written to Chinese premier, and follows the path he took to reach where he is today. There are lot of remarks in the book which will leave behind an impression - "In the old days there were one thousand castes and destinies in India. These days there are two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies." - like this.

 

Adiga have succeeded in capturing the outlook of the poor man about the ways of modern world and the quest of the poor to make it to the rich, and as a side story, he puts light on the true condition of the politics and business - a place where money and power talks.

 

The author paints the difference between the 'darkness' and the modern world - the entrepreneurs paradise, the call center heaven, the IT city - places like Gurgaon and Bangalore, and he have done it with remarkable effect.

 

There is no boardroom drama, there is no cut throat business competition, there is no glamorous world of fashion, pubs and high society, but there is a stark naked world of truth - a world where pot bellies are made and cash and shrewdness rules the roost.

 

Give it a try - I liked it.

Boca Grande

I love this place - it is as simple as that.

Boca Grande is situated almost diagonally opposite to Koramangala police station (bangalore), so near but away from the crowd. The place is kind of hidden from the view by the trees, and if you really don’t look for it, you may lose it easily.

Parking is not great, but passable, and there are by lanes if you find that there is no free space in front of BG.
The place is spacious and have lot of seating options - the simple task of deciding where to sit - do u want to sit outside, under the tree, or do you want to lounge on those sofas or do you want the wooden benches or do u want some nicely lit corners – it is as tough as choosing something to eat.

The service is nice - they don’t hover near your table or keep asking for orders - they serve you the food and let you continue in your world - the pin up "Don’t look at time, it comes free with the food" says all. (they have got lot of nice and interesting quotes on pin ups)

The selection of food is equally good and tasty - and for a change, vegetarians are not left behind for choices. The Chicken ceasar salad I ordered was nice and the garden salad my friend ordered didn’t disappoint at all. The chicken and mushroom soup was good, but not really impressive, but the potato wedges where quiet good and crispy, without being too much oily. They make some good pizzas, and the Chicken Cordon Blue and grilled chicken with saltimbocca were impressive. The Chocolate milk shake was thick ad creamy, but the litchi milkshake was a tad too sweet for our liking.

They have some awesome desserts and thick and creamy milk shakes and for chai lovers, they do have good verity.

The place is ideal for an unwind session with friends and they do have board games if you are in a mood for a group game. All in all, a place worth dropping in - if you are in and around Koramangala and need a place to while away some time, away from the rush, this can be your ticket.

Oh, and before I forgot, they have a designer dress boutique inside-Irah – some nice designs on display, and they do extensive customization.

thnx winnipoohie, for introducing me to this place.

Questions...

I was bloghopping as usual, reading and commenting, making most of a lazy Monday morning, and then I saw the post by Crystal

 

She have given a set of Questions and asked for the answers - and I love the set of questions.

 

I liked them so much that I just had to share them with you,

so here you go with the questions and my answers. 

 

Do answer them, either @ the comment section or at your blog (if you do it at your blog, leave a link), I would love to know your answers...

 

The most powerful force in life?
Self Confidence 

The greatest asset?
The belief that I can do it

The most powerful channel of communication?
Open talk

The most important thing in life?
Freedom

The greatest joy?
Being happy

The worst thing to be without?
a free mind

The greatest loss?
self esteem

The most worthless emotion?
Guilt

The most effective sleeping pill?
a worry free mind

The most satisfying work?
any work as long as you are happy doing it

The greatest problem to overcome?
lack of self confidence

The best attire?
Constructive ego

The most crippling disease?
Destructive Ego

The most dangerous pariah?
Blind Envy

The two most powerful words?
I can

And the greatest attitude?
I.

 

 

Carburetor tuning - a detailed picture

Dont read it - it is nothing but some tech rant, which will go over your head unless you love your bike and love getting your hands dirty...

I am posting it here to preserve it.

Before I start, one word of friendly advice - more often than not, carburetor is best left untouched. If you really want to play around with your carb, make sure you have the required knowledge, and tools. Carb is a very vital part of your bike, and properly tuning it is no Childs play.

 

Unicorns use a Keihin CV carburetor - in a CV (Constant Velocity / constant vacuum) carburetor the throttle cable is linked not to the throttle slide as in a conventional carb, but it activates a butterfly valve, and when you open the throttle, the air pressure difference between the sealed chamber above the vacuum slid and inside carburetor venturi forces the slide up and down. the slide is located in front of the butterfly valve. A CV carb gives good mileage, and adjusts better to altitude changes, but the throttle response is not as fast as of a conventional carb.

In a CV carb, the amount of air is controlled by the butterfly valve and the amount of fuel is controlled by drop in pressure, and the jets.

 

In a nutshell, to tune a carburetor properly, you need most suitable main jet, proper needle height / clip position and optimum float height.

 

The carburetor has a number of different jets, passages and orifices to control the precise amount of fuel and air flow into engine. Engine idle, part throttle, full throttle and acceleration uses different passages, and are referred commonly as 'circuit'. Practically, more than one circuit will be functioning at a time.

 

the basic circuits are - choke, idle circuit, midrange/main, high-speed/power enrichment and accelerator pump. Though these circuits overlap, all of these have their primary functions.

 

Choke helps is cold start and warm up.

 

Idle circuit controls the idle speed and some low end throttle response. The main function of the idle circuit is to control the idle circuit. It is controlled by slow speed jet and air fuel mixture screw.

 

Midrange - as the throttle is progressively opened, the flow through idle circuit gets reduced. In this range, the most effective component is the jet needle. Midrange is characterized by steady throttle and light acceleration. Generally the throttle opening will be from a quarter to three quarter of the full range. If you feel your mixture is rich when you are at a quarter throttle, and as you open the throttle further, if you feel the mixture is becoming lean, then you need a jet needle with larger taper. If the feeling is the opposite, then what you need is a small taper jet needle. If the mixture is lean throughout the range, then you need to raise the jet needle by lowering the clip position, and vice versa. From the moment the throttle is opened, till you open it really wide, it is the jet need which controls the flow.

 

High-speed/power - it is controlled by main jet. A rich mixture will provide more power, and will keep the engine cool. If you have tuned your carburetor lean, then don’t ride with throttle wide open much - it is not good in long run. so, the safe practice is to install a main jet which is one size higher than the one which offers best performance - it will help the engine in long run.

 

Accelerator pump - usually, this needs no adjustment. If you feel a stumble (a temporary lean condition when you suddenly open the throttle), you can widen the gap on the pump linkage, to delay the timing.

 

The simple and best way of setting a carb is to set the different circuits with ideal conditions for their primary functions. So, set the air fuel mixture and idle jet for best idle, set the needle for cruising at a steady speed (midrange) and set the main jet for wide open throttle.

 

Remember - carburetor tuning is and art, compromising lot of experience, lot of science and a bit of black magic... :)

 

(I express my gratitude to many websites which taught me the basics of carburetor tuning.) 

Google says it...

I saw this meme in many blogs, and today, where you google "your name + needs" and list the first 10 results. 

i was googling as usual for some stuff and suddenly, I got the idea to goole for "Anoop needs", and here is what I got - and teh result did surprize me - for, the 10th item was actually about me, written by one of my best friend, in his blog, long time back... *wide grin*
so here is what Google think I needs

1) Anoop needs to make drawings that are more complete

hm..now it is a known secret that my sketching talent leaves a lot to be desired.. and now Google have officially proclaimed it :P
(btw - here is one of the last sketches I did, about 4-5 years back. Plan to start sketching again, and some day, I may feed you forcefully with my merciless massacre of lines and curves) 

2) Anoop needs to turn 7 more or gain 162 more Vampire points to reach the next level 

now now, I have never been much of a Facebook fan, but I did play the Vampire game some time back.. Never knew Google kept a close tab on me.. Big brother is watching.... 

3) Anoop needs help in expr. essing his ideas mor. e clearl 

hm, i do think at times, i need the help. Good old Google uncle knows what I need... :) anybody there want to volunteer? 

 4) Goshhh, Anoop needs some kind of contract for singing 

It is very hard to keep your secret life secret - I tell you. Googleman knows how Good I sing and says I need a contract.. hear hear...  

5) Anoop needs to ... 

ok, now, are you playing some kind of a game? this is what I asked you, Mr.Google. And I need an answer.  

6) It sounds as if Anoop needs to wait for one process to finish before starting the next 

my oh my - can you be more wrong. I think I am the king of multitasking :P 

7) I very much doubt Anoop needs all this publicity 

yeah, so true.. you, out there - please turn off that spot light on me... man, my hand aches after signing all these autographs... google knows whatz best for me.. ;)  

8) looks like anoop needs more and more votes, he is still at 4th place 

now, isn't this sweet. this one is really about me. before I started blogging here, I used to blog @ yahoo. Once yahoo selected 10 best blogs across the whole yahoo 360 and conducted a voting to see which will come as the best blog. My blog was in the list, and when the voting was over, I got 4th :-D  

9) Susan, a developer in California, learns that her colleague Anoop needs to build Susan's software component at the Indian development lab 

Now, this is very close to reality.... very very close :-D 

10) Anoop needs to turn 4 more or gain 91 more Slayer points to reach the next level. 

then vampire, now slayer... hm... the eye sees it all.... 
 

I dont tag anyone, other than cess, who is automatically tagged... If anyone finds it interesting, feel free to take it up :-D

 

A date with books

Harini tagged me and man, this is a tag I love to do :-D

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?

my parents encouraged me to read - they used to get me boks from Prabath book house - it was not a conventional book store, but a big red bus. they used to have stories translated from russian. I used to read a lot of them and then i joined the library at my dads village when i was in school. I always liked ot read, and i grew up listening tales of indian mythology from my grandma and reading russian flok tales from the books. 

It was my friends shyam who introduced me to English litereture. I started reading english books when i was doing 1st year Pre-University. And I started with Hardy boys :-D 

What are some books you read as a child?

Lot of flok tales from russia, malayalam novels and short stories. I used to look at Mirror and Misha - two russian magazines - Our library used to get them and my dad used to bring them home. Though I could not read and understand them, I used to look and imagine the life there. 

What is your favourite genre?

Anything other than sweet-sticky-mushy romance. 

Do you have a favourite novel?

A lot, and I have said about them many times in my blog. 

Where do you usually read?

I read at almost any place. If I am at home, I love lounging on my beanbag. I have the habit carrying the book I am currently reading with me when I go anywhere so that if I have to wait, I can read and pass time. 

When do you usually read?

Any free time I can get

Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

Nope. I kind of like to read one at a time. 

Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?

Nope. I ain't a advocate of descrimination :P 

Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?

Buy them most fo the time, borrow them once in a while - but I borrow from those who I am really comfortabel with, and I lend to those whom I am really comfy with.
 

Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?

Yes, I keep them. I want to ahve a library of my own :-D

If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?

Yes, i think so. but only thing is, now I dont see much russian folk tales and the books I used ot read as kids.  I would suggest Kerala, Bengali and Russian children's Literature

What are you reading now?

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre

Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?

Yes. I start doing it eitehr wehn I read some reviews and like the book, or when I am almost ready for next visit to book store. But I always not necesserily goes by that list. 

What books would you like to reread?

The list changes. Now on the top are - Kalam by MT Vasudevan Nair (Malayalam), My Childhood by Maxim Gorky and Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra.

Who are your favourite authors?

from Ayn rand to Grisham, From PG Wodehouse to Fritjof Capra, from Mt Vasudevan Nair to Shivarama Karanth, from Vijay Tendulkar to sadath Hasan manto, From Kafka to Khalid hosseini, the list goes on and on. 

i tag..

Preetz, Veenzie, Winnipoohi, Tia, Prats, Tys and Cess - u r always tagged. I would love to tag Busy_writer too, but she is alredy tagged. 

ps: If any of you read bengali literature, could you please ping me on my mail id? I am trying to get the name of some books I read during my school days, but i am not able to pinpoint them. Any help will be really appreciated. 

Wish you all a Happy Onam.

എല്ലാവക്കും എന്റെ സ്നേഹം നിറഞ്ഞ ഓണാശംസകള്‍

(Wish you all a very happy onam)

leaving on a jet plane

Well, not exactly. it is more like leaveing on a red train... no points for guessing, I am off to Kerala, my home for a short break. Plan to be back by 11th.

I have not replied to all your comments in the previous posts, and I am sorry - will reply to it as soon as I am back. 

between winnipoohie gave me a very sweet award and I am quoting her verbatim 

(yeah yeah, shameless elf promotion, I know. sue me :P ) 

-----------------------------------

Anoop Kumar is his name,

"xh" is his fame  *winks*

A biker to the core

And many other talents, hidden in the core 

Cooking and looking ?

Wining and dining

workoholic to the core

Romantic too.. can anyone ask for more? 

----------------------------------------------

I am giving this award to all in my blogroll :-D

Gato Negro Merlot

When friends deicide to catch up over a lazy evening, what is better than to have a bottle of nice wine to make the evening more appealing?

Couple of my friend decided to have a mid week break as the Wednesday was a holiday. Now, it have almost become norm among my friends to let me choose the wine and we paid a late visit to Madhuloka, our favorite liquor boutique on Tuesday evening.

After some hunting around, I decided to try 2006 vintage Gato Negro Merlot, a medium bodied wine from Chile.

Gato Negro is one of the oldest brands from Chili, produced at the San Pedro region. Chili does produce some exceptionally good wines, so I had no qualms picking it up from the aisle.

Shyam did the honors with the bottle (we did manage to misplace the wine opener this time, and luckily, I had my Swiss army knife and he used the cork screw of the knife to uncork the wine :P ) and I must tell you, the wine proved very good value for what we paid.

The wine is medium bodies, with a well rounded taste. The wine have a fruit forward taste, and is predominantly pleasant jammy in taste. I believe the grapes grown in Chili is less acidic, owing to the sunny days, and it sure helps the Merlot to retain a smooth, velvet like experience. The wine went well with thandoori chicken and cheese, but however, the channa masala spiced up with pepper was not exactly a good match. 

At 545 INR a bottle, the wine is not at all expensive, and I found it better than some pricier wines. The wine goes well with or without food, and is rich in flavor, but not overpowering. I won’t place it among the best out there, but it is one among the best entry level wine out there. If you fancy a easy on pocket, easy on palate merlot to make your evenings merry, this may be your ticket.

 Wine, friends, poetry and a cool night sky, what a combination.
(I miss you Reggy Mina, and you are remembered fondly)

Chromed

It was love at first sight - when i read the comic book about Google Chrome I knew it is something which is worth watching, and when Chrome went online, I promptly downloded it - and boy,it blew  my expectations.
Chrome is neat. It is the browser version of google home page - neat, practical,fast and to the point. Chrome dont clogg CPU usage, and lets me  do the work more fast, in a neat, well arranged package. Those who have seen my desktop will know that I dont like clutter, and chrome kind of made me a fan with the neat, clutter free lay out. It offers almost all FFX features, and makes a FFX user right at home.

There are some small details I would like chrome to improve on, but I am sure as the time goesz, it will come. And the icingof teh cake is that, Chrome is opensource. 

here is a screenshot of my newfound love, Chrome 

Read On...

***warning:Long post ahead***

Usually, I dont blog forward mails. I love reading them and I do ask my friend to keep sending me forward mails. But blogging, I beloive, is a place for me to express myself. 

But this mail was so much different, that I had  to simplyy blog it. Many tims, we do lose sight of the hardword other put to make our life easy. When we work hard, cutting the deadlines, delivering the project in the stipulated budget, when we let our job guide our benchamark of hardwork, we lose sight of the amount of hardwork other do, and we tend to drive home the point across every one who care to listen that the work we do is the most strenoues work. 

I can say from my heart that I dont think the work I do is strenous enough - yes yes, it is all true about the 'we use our brains, not muscles, it is not a matter of writing just few lines' part, and I agree with it, but that does not make the hard work of a daily labourer any less demanding. But I have often seen manyof my friends looking down at people who are not in IT, and saying, they dont know how tough our life is. well, this forward os for all those who think so. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A real story  ...A gossip between a Solider and Software Engineer in 

Shatabdhi Train .........An interesting  and a must   read! 

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the 

air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdhi express could not cool his 

frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air 

travel. It was not the prestige he sought; he had tried to reason with the 

admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to 

do!! 

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to 

some good use. 

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring 

appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in 

affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as 

if it were an expensive car. 

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir. Today 

everything is getting computerized." 

"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always 

found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily 

built like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that 

little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was 

a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass. 

"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and 

write something on a computer and  it does so many big things outside." 

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naive ness demanded reasoning not anger. "It is 

not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few 

lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." 

For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development 

Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very 

complex." 

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply. 

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept 

into his so far affable, persuasive tone. " 

Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to 

put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit 

in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You 

exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less 

taxing." 

He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home 

the point. 

"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation 

system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations 

from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centres across the country. 

Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time 

concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the 

complexity in designing and coding such a system?" 

The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was 

something big and beyond his imagination. 

"You design and code such things." 

"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "but now I am the Project Manager." 

"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, 

"so your life is easy now." 

This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, "Oh come on, does life 

ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. 

Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am 

responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to 

get the work done in time and with the highest quality. 

To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always 

changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, 

and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday." 

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. 

What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the 

truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth. 

"My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in 

the Line of Fire". 

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if   in realization. When 

he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek. 

"I know sir.... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......." 

He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast 

expanse of time. 

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover 

of the night. 

The enemy was firing from the top. 

There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for 

whom. 

In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us 

were alive." 

"You are a...?" 

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. 

They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment. 

But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. 

On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, 

open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. 

It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib 

refused me permission and went ahead himself. 

He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put 

the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and 

welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, 

always and every time." 

"He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the 

bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking 

all those bullets, which were actually meant for me . I know sir....I know, 

what it is to be in the Line of Fire." 

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he 

switched off the laptop. 

It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of 

a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of 

duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes. 

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant 

picked up his bags to alight. 

"It was nice meeting you sir." 

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. 

This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the 

tricolour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his 

right hand went up in an impromptu salute. 

It was the least he felt he could do for the country. 

PS: The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life 

incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying 

to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this 

and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the 

nation's highest military award. 

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn! 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lety me finish this post with a snippet of comment i nicked from Prasanth bhai at Veenzies blog - "carry on living !!! its great :)"

whatz on ur desk, doc?

Got this tag from Sameera - This is how my desktop looks today. I keep changing my desktop picture frequently, and as you might have guesed, i use ONLY automobile pictures as my desktop background.

A bit about the bike - this is Ducati Hypermotard 1100S - the bike which right now tops my wish list. The wallpaper is downloaded from official Ducati site.
Now now, who all out there dare to bare (their desktop :P )

A must read - Devils Chronicles by Tys on Ice

I was going through my mailbox and i end up clicking on the profile link of Tys on Ice - I always like his blogs, and I consider his as one of the most hilarious bloggers around - his sense of humour never fails to light up my day when i read his posts. I saw link to two anotehr blogs, and being a blogphile I am, I promptly clicked on the link to see what more is on store.

And then I found this -Devils Chronicles - One of the best story I have ever read in blog world.
I knew he was talented, but this story made me realise what a talented writer he is. All of you who like good fiction - go there and read, I am sure you will not be disapponited.

lost...

rain....
strands of rain..
like a shadow
like a cold embrace

she traced her fingers on the windshield of the car. the fogged windows, the lines made by the water drops...

the paper boat
the drenched white petticoat
the long lost childhood
she sat back, lost in the rain

he looked out, trying to make out the penetrating yellow light beams. the winding road. The sleeping tea beds on the roads sides, enclosed in the blanket of mist.

warmth of a coffee mug
fresh Jasmin flowers after the rain...
the wet umbrellas
the overflowing paddy fields

the traveler he was. the crazy paths he trampled. the slow moving cars, the old man with a black umbrella. the stacked logs on the side of a roadside hotel. the lorrys stopped for rest. the gentle kiss of his leg against the throttle pedal. the soft feel of raindrops against his stubble.

the silence is more heavy
than the weight of a thousand words
she looking out, lost in the rain
he looking out, trying to find himself

and they - they traveled along, in different tangents but bonded by the physical presence...

the flowering grapevines...
the rain draped mountains...
and the long winding road, lost in mist...

Hungry?

Thus spoke the wise

I love quotes. At times when I have feelt I have no power left in me to fight, I have come across words so powerful that the very next moment I was back with full energy, trying to achieve what I thought I am not going to do.

Tia tagged me recently with a "list-5-of-ur-fav-quotes" tag. This is something I love to do, and here goes my favorite quotes.

1) “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” From Old man And the Sea by Hemingway

2)"I stand at the end of no tradition.I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one"From The Fountainhead by AynRand

3)" I swear by my life, and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine" From Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

4) "I have what I have given" - Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

5) "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" - Godfather by Mario Puzo


There are many more quotes which are near ot my heart from all these books, but I have limited myself by choosing one from each book. The next in this list will be Jonathan Livingston Seagull,Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Tao of Physics, Fathers and sons, The Prophet... the list goes on...

I tag WinniPoohie, Sameera, meghz, Preetz and ~nm. And cess, u r always tagged ;-)

Klueless 3

I was back to active blogging and was clearing my backlog slowly when I stumbled up on the link to Kluless3.
For those who are new to kluless, it is a puzzle game made by students of IIMI for their annual Management Festival - IRIS. This is the third iteration of the game and it is challenging and addictive to the core.
From the moment I got the link, I started playing around with it, but my monitor decided to play the spoil sport, so i had to call it quits after level 4 (or was it 5). Today I started cracking it again during the free time and by evening, I solved all the leavles. Now i can go hoem and sleep well :)
(thanks Meena and ~nm for teh two clues :) )

If you like solving puzzles, try this - it wont disappoint you.
Try playing it, and if you stuck at any level, ask for clues :)

Horsley Hills, a trip log.

Phew! it sure feels good to be back here. I know I have been neglecting this place so long that I can almost see cow webs hanging around.

Almost one month of a crazy schedule is over, and life is back to almost normal.
I was so looking forward for this weekend to take a break, and started making plans for a three day getaway. But all the initial plans came crashing down when I realized that I had to be around here coz I might be working on Friday, so we - me and my friend Sivaram, started re planning and scouting for possible routes.
The incessant rain made it sure that most of the plans I had will not be feasible, and then I saw a thread @ BN mailing list about a ride to Horsley hills. A quick call to Vasnath and I was all set for the ride.

The grouping point was hanging bridge near KR Puram, and I reached there by 5.25. Soon one by one, the nomads started arriving and after a set of quick hellos, we started the ride. The road was good, and early morning traffic was not heavy, but once we took the turn after Hoskote to Chintamni, the roads became smooth and inviting. Every one was in the rhythm, soaking up the sweet fresh early morning air and enjoying the smooth, traffic free roads.



After a small sutta break and some more miles behind, we stopped at a small village hotel for some delicious breakfast. Soon after Chintamani, the roads stated deteriorating, and the next few kilometers where pothole filled - the road was bumpy and almost resembled a caterpillar ride in an amusement park. Once we crossed the border and entered Andhra Pradesh, the roads became butter smooth, and soon our steeds started ripping the black ribbon.



A detour en-route took us to Rishi Valley School. I fell in love with the place the moment I saw it - If I can, I want my kids to study there. Click here and read more about the school. The place is calm and quiet, serene and green.





(This snap of white Lilly is for a blogger - I remember reading in a blog the author saying her favorite flower is white Lilly - I am sorry i forgot who it was, but this is for you, my drea blogmate.)





We met some of the students and saw the display of some of their talents. Some of us (I think it was professor, but I am not sure who it was) asked "what do the students generally choose as a career once they are out of the school" and Jitu, a 7th standard student gave a prompt reply - "Something like agriculture or other options." Imagine asking the same question to a student from most of the educational institutions, and I am sure you wont come across many who have the same answer.

After spending close to two hours exploring the campus, we traced our route back to the highway and then to Horsley hills. The road was better than when I visited last time, and we didn’t waste time but started devouring the twisties soon.





After a small on-the-rocks session and enjoying 'hot' chilli bajjis, we parked our bikes and started scouting the area.
After rounding it up by a nice buffet from the AP tourism hotel, we started our journey back by 2.30. This time, we took another route - around 50 kilometers extra - one of the best decisions we took that day. The tarmac was smooth, sprinkled with lot of nice curves (yeah, I love curves - cant get them enuf.. ;) ) We took fewer breaks on the way back, and before duck, we reached Hoskote. By 7.15, I reached home (Sorry Prof - lost you in traffic between Marathally and Sarjapur junction)

A nice ride, lot of enjoyable roads, nice scenery and cool weather - what more can I ask for to take a break from the daily work grind?

Click here for the Picasa album
PS: I have not startd visiting the blogs, but will start soon...