In the loving memory of my Friend who left me yesterday evening.
My dear friend was with me through the thick and thin for almost a year now.Had been with me like a true companion even when everybody else thought that they had too much of me and couldn't tolerate me anymore (but now it seems that it too couldn't shield from my ill effects, as they say access of anything is bad and excess of me can be really toxic).
Still remember the first day that my eyes caught the first glimpse... . my gaze stopped there and then. I had made my decision... , it was love at first sight... still remember the surprised look on Miss Mehta's face who was accompanying me on that day ( think she was trying to convey. "hey dude what the hell, at least ask me if I approve of the choice").
Then our unforgettable journey began ...
We were inseparable, we travelled to where ever I went no matter if anybody accompanied me or not... accompanied me when i was leaving Mumbai, all alone , for the hilly terrain of north.... was there with me when I travelling in the local bus in Punjab, .. was there when I was walking down the hill, drenched in rain in Haryana... together we admired the beauty and the beautiful people of Chandigarh.... was there when I travelled home.... was there when I travelled to the city of temples... was there with me on my B'day, when every one was trying to reach me but were not able to... was there when I returned back to Mumbai.
During all this time has been responsible for many of your smiles . Was responsible for the all those beautiful pics that you admired, was responsible for the those beautiful pics of Dal and the shikara's (even Strawberries) that I dedicated to Mrs Mallik. was responsible for those rare clicks of Mr and Mrs Mallik, was responsible for all those pics which reminded us of all those moments which we had forgotten (Mr & Mrs Mallik, Mota Bhai, Akshat, Bulbul, Astha, Miss Mehta, Vampy, Sumi and all the people in my contact list) ... was responsible for keeping you updated (via facebook, twitter etc) about my endeavours and misadventures.. reminded me of your birthdays, reminded me that how lonely I am with out you by playing all the weired music... reminded of the beautiful moments i spent with you by making me visit all those moments by the means of pics.
Till the end it kept me connected with my Family, with my loved ones, with my friends, the ones i call "spice of my life", it kept me connected with you. In the last moments was trying to make me talk with Ani.
There are no words to describe how much I will miss you. Sure nobody will be able to take your place but may be an Android will replace you soon provided my friends pitch in to fund for that. You will be missed my dear Nokia.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
New Order ...
Strange how certain things (incidents) change one's life dramatically and from that moment there is no turning back, you can't change back to what you were. The plans that you had till then are no more valid. You no more are you … the only thing that defines you now is that moment , that incident , that person.
When ever you get to this moment either (if you are lucky) your directionless, meaningless life suddenly finds direction and meaning or (if you happen to be unlucky) your all meaningful and sorted out life becomes chaotic and a mess. Either way feels like you have been hit by a meteor.
Don't expect, when this meteor hits you, it is going to bother anybody or anybody is going to bother about you, the world has come a long way from the Victorian era. Currently a major info war (world info war I) is going on and nobody seems to be bothered about. Every bad dream from the futuristic scifi movies and Ayn Rand novels is taking shape, no body seems to be bothered about them so why the hell do you think you matter.
What ever happens we humans never stop hoping for the best, we always think that the best times are just round the corner. Hope hope hope …. What keeps us up and kicking , hope!
When ever you get to this moment either (if you are lucky) your directionless, meaningless life suddenly finds direction and meaning or (if you happen to be unlucky) your all meaningful and sorted out life becomes chaotic and a mess. Either way feels like you have been hit by a meteor.
Don't expect, when this meteor hits you, it is going to bother anybody or anybody is going to bother about you, the world has come a long way from the Victorian era. Currently a major info war (world info war I) is going on and nobody seems to be bothered about. Every bad dream from the futuristic scifi movies and Ayn Rand novels is taking shape, no body seems to be bothered about them so why the hell do you think you matter.
What ever happens we humans never stop hoping for the best, we always think that the best times are just round the corner. Hope hope hope …. What keeps us up and kicking , hope!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Freedom At Stake .... Last Front!
Freedom.... a great word , a great feeling, a great expression; but now a dyas can be found only in Tales, movies and internet. Now the freadom on internet is also under attack, but almost all of us are unaware of it.Internet has become the only place where we can express ourselves freely and where from we can get the unbaised information, but seems that it is going well with the so called flag bearers of Freedom and Democracy. Here i am trying to warn you about this inevitable threat, am trying to let you know what is coming.(am reproducing an article by Chris Arsenault)
A new trade agreement being negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States, European Union and other countries could drastically reduce internet freedom, a group of more than 70 legal experts have warned.
The government of Barack Obama, the US president, could initiate the far reaching Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) at the beginning of next year, without a vote in congress, leading critics to call it anti-democratic in a letter released on Thursday.
"In serious negotiations like this, where standards are being imposed, there should be some debate," Chris Sprigman, a law professor at the University of Virginia, told Al Jazeera.
"Instead the Obama administration has brought this to an international forum where there is no legitimacy."
Normally, trade agreements dealing with intellectual property and other crucial issues are dealt with through established international forums such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or the United Nations.
These organisations, while frequently criticised, have established negotiating procedures and some degree of openness.
Secret talks
ACTA, however, is being negotiated by trade representatives in secret on a government to government basis, so critics say there is no accountability to the talks.
The agreement could force internet service providers to deny net access to people who repeatedly download content, lawyers have said.
The US and EU are promoting the agreement "at the bidding of content production industries" including Hollywood movie studios, record labels, software firms and drug companies, Sprigman said.
But the entertainment industry and other content producers say ACTA is crucial for protecting intellectual property, stopping digital piracy and stimulating new ideas and products.
"Increased broadband speeds and penetration make it easier to steal creative works through illegal revenue-generating sites around the world," US television and movie actors wrote in a March 2010 letter to Barack Obama in support of ACTA.
"American workers are … the most immediate 'victims' of rampant copyright theft over the internet - a threat which erodes their ability to earn a living," the actors wrote, applauding Obama for his remarks on "aggressive law enforcement" to "battle intellectual property theft".
Sprigman believes that large institutions who systematically infringe on copyright should be prosecuted, but the diffuse nature of the internet means arresting or charging average computer users who share content is a sign the government is going too far.
Draft copy
After facing mounting pressure over its negotiating tactics and secrecy, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) first released a draft copy of the agreement in April 2010.
"The idea of the text is to get countries to ratchet up criminal penalties for copyright infringement," Sprigman said.
If the agreement comes into effect, security forces in countries which sign on could be under more pressure to criminally charge individuals who download movies or music from the internet if they are infringing on copyrights, he said.
The USTR has not invited comments on the text from the public and the US government has blocked the release of updated versions of the draft agreement, lawyers say.
The most recent consolidated text of the proposed deal is on the USTR’s website and dated October 2, but lawyers say this text is the same as what was released in April.
Sprigman said he became an activist on this issue because the "Obama administration promised they would run an open government" but now they are "pushing this non-transparent back room deal".
"They did it this way because they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to do it in the open," he said.
The agreement could come into effect at the beginning of next year.
Take care and start Downloading (music, ebooks, movies...) as much as you can, who knows what happens next year ;)
A new trade agreement being negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States, European Union and other countries could drastically reduce internet freedom, a group of more than 70 legal experts have warned.
The government of Barack Obama, the US president, could initiate the far reaching Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) at the beginning of next year, without a vote in congress, leading critics to call it anti-democratic in a letter released on Thursday.
"In serious negotiations like this, where standards are being imposed, there should be some debate," Chris Sprigman, a law professor at the University of Virginia, told Al Jazeera.
"Instead the Obama administration has brought this to an international forum where there is no legitimacy."
Normally, trade agreements dealing with intellectual property and other crucial issues are dealt with through established international forums such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or the United Nations.
These organisations, while frequently criticised, have established negotiating procedures and some degree of openness.
Secret talks
ACTA, however, is being negotiated by trade representatives in secret on a government to government basis, so critics say there is no accountability to the talks.
The agreement could force internet service providers to deny net access to people who repeatedly download content, lawyers have said.
The US and EU are promoting the agreement "at the bidding of content production industries" including Hollywood movie studios, record labels, software firms and drug companies, Sprigman said.
But the entertainment industry and other content producers say ACTA is crucial for protecting intellectual property, stopping digital piracy and stimulating new ideas and products.
"Increased broadband speeds and penetration make it easier to steal creative works through illegal revenue-generating sites around the world," US television and movie actors wrote in a March 2010 letter to Barack Obama in support of ACTA.
"American workers are … the most immediate 'victims' of rampant copyright theft over the internet - a threat which erodes their ability to earn a living," the actors wrote, applauding Obama for his remarks on "aggressive law enforcement" to "battle intellectual property theft".
Sprigman believes that large institutions who systematically infringe on copyright should be prosecuted, but the diffuse nature of the internet means arresting or charging average computer users who share content is a sign the government is going too far.
Draft copy
After facing mounting pressure over its negotiating tactics and secrecy, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) first released a draft copy of the agreement in April 2010.
"The idea of the text is to get countries to ratchet up criminal penalties for copyright infringement," Sprigman said.
If the agreement comes into effect, security forces in countries which sign on could be under more pressure to criminally charge individuals who download movies or music from the internet if they are infringing on copyrights, he said.
The USTR has not invited comments on the text from the public and the US government has blocked the release of updated versions of the draft agreement, lawyers say.
The most recent consolidated text of the proposed deal is on the USTR’s website and dated October 2, but lawyers say this text is the same as what was released in April.
Sprigman said he became an activist on this issue because the "Obama administration promised they would run an open government" but now they are "pushing this non-transparent back room deal".
"They did it this way because they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to do it in the open," he said.
The agreement could come into effect at the beginning of next year.
Take care and start Downloading (music, ebooks, movies...) as much as you can, who knows what happens next year ;)
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