this might be the last election in which military service in Vietnam has any political currency.

for the record, it's worth noting who really served among the heavyweights.

Democrats:
Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V Purple Hearts.
John Edwards: did not serve.
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star &Bronze Star, Vietnam.
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953.
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and 7 campaign ribbons.
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars &
Soldier's Medal.
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat *
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Chuck Robb: Vietnam
Howell Heflin: Silver Star
George McGovern: Bomber pilot, many missions. Silver Star &DFC during
WWII.
Bill Clinton: No service. with student deferments. Entered draft but received 311.
Jimmy Carter: Annapolis grad. Seven years in the Navy.
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
Tom Lantos: Said to have served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved
by Raoul Wallenberg.
Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam, Purple Heart, Silver Star.Retired 4-star general.
John Dingell: WWII vet
John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea

Republicans:
Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
Tom Delay: did not serve.
House Whiip Roy Blunt: did not serve.
Bill Frist: did not serve.
Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
George Pataki: did not serve.
Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
Rick Santorum: did not serve.
Trent Lott: did not serve.
Dick Cheney: did not serve. Had "other priorities." Several deferments, the last for wife's pregnancy.
John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
Jeb Bush: did not serve.
Karl Rove: did not serve.
Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max
Cleland's patriotism.
Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
Vin Weber: did not serve.
Richard Perle: did not serve
Douglas Feith: did not serve.
Eliot Abrams: did not serve.
Richard Shelby: did not serve.
Jon Kyl: did not serve.
Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
Christopher Cox: did not serve.
Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
Donald Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor.
George W.Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (in four years);questions
about his service remain.
Ronald Reagan: made war propaganda movies.
Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII
Phil Gramm: did not serve.
John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and DistinguishedFlying Cross.
Bob Dole: Army officer WWII.
Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.
Duke Cunningham: nominated for Medal of Honor, Navy Cross,S ilver Stars, Air Medals,Purple Hearts.
Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986
JC Watts: did not serve.
Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese.
Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam.
Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
Clarence Thomas: did not serve

Pundits & Preachers:
Sean Hannity: did not serve.
Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
Michael Savage: did not serve.
George Will: did not serve.
Chris Matthews: did not serve.
Paul Gigot: did not serve.
Bill Bennett: did not serve.
Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
Bill Kristol: did not serve.
Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
Michael Medved: did not serve.

get ready for the good times!

e-voting machines making choices for you.

ever wondered..

what it would be like if you put your cat in zero G and then threw him across the room?

well, wonder no more because NASA thought of it first and recorded the results:

http://216.40.242.213/mirror/cat.mov

its apparently possible to levitate if one spends enough time learning how.

Mera geet mere dil ki pukaar hai
Jahan main hoon vahin tera pyaar hai
Mera dil hai teri mehfil
Zara dekh le aakar parwaane
Teri kaunsi hai manzil
Kahin deep jale kahin dil

Na main sapna hoon na koi raaz hoon
Ek dard bhari aawaaz hoon
Piya der na kar aa mil
Zara dekh le aakar parwaane
Teri kaunsi hai manzil
Kahin deep jale kahin dil

Hindi Song Title: Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil
Hindi Movie/Album Name: BEES SAAL BAAD
Singer: LATA MANGESHKHAR

hilarious!

turn the volume up though.

einstein's warped view of space confirmed!

5 large black coffees in the last 3 hours!

sssshhhhhhaaakkkkkkkkeeeeeeee

ugh!

get off my back!!!

its 4am!

and i just love the world!

but i'm not sure about the people..

anyways.. the weather's a bit crisp. a lil chilly. i wonder if its enough to take my fur coat? naaww. the leather will work just fine.

i'll be driving to work in a few.. i cant wait to
rev the engine.
hear the growl.
play a lil enigma.

good morning, world!

he: why are so many people so callous and ignorant?

me: because its not easy to have a heart..

she: yeah. they limit the access to their deeper feelings.. and they put up emotional walls and psychological barriers. they hide behind their opinions, habits, busy timetables and convenient, well-rehearsed excuses and explanations.

me: to be sensitive is to be vulnerable. but its also to be free.

he: i didn't ask for a fucking explanation.. it was just a rhetorical question!

she: fm, leave him alone.. he's pms'ing.

24 hours from now..

you and i will be a lot wiser.

been thinking back over my life so far.

the good times and the bad.
and the not-quite-sure-what-to-make-of-it-times.

all the dramas.
all the traumas.
the triumphs.
and all the wonderful experiences.

and i just realized that they've been leading up to today!

i've been given the chance to see with fresh eyes where i've been and what i've been through.

be ready for the blood moon on october 27th!

extremes are attractive.

i'm a creature of passion. i like intense experiences. there's something very dull about commonsense. even when i try to restrain myself, a part of me rebels. the further i err on the side of safety, the more i end up yearning to take a walk on the wild side.

maybe i'm being wiser in deliberately courting adventure. i'm letting steam out of a pressure cooker that might otherwise explode.

hey! anything's better than paying for fuckin' therapy.

love hurts.

dos has a secret!!!

and i'm not telling :-p

some people have peculiar tastes.
garish color combinations.
eating foods that seem strange.
liking me.

i'm still split open by the raw and the unfulfilled.

me: i still haven't figured out why i'm telling you all this...

he: like i said - perhaps it is easier not to ask the question rather than attempt to answer it

i've stopped asking questions.

Aging black leather and hospital bills,
Tattoo removal and dozens of pills.
Your liver pays dearly now for youthful magic moments,
But rock on completely with some brand new components.
How do you afford your rock'n'roll lifestyle?

- Cake

people say, "life's what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

i think its how happy i feel while trying to keep sadness at bay.

what i wish..

from time to time, is that i could be closer to some people and, maybe, a little further away from some others. i try to spend a lot of time trying to get the perfect balance.. but i know i'm unlikely to achieve it.

Rule of survival ; always pack your own parachute. - T.L. Hakala

a very happy 50th birthday to my dearest mom!

i love you very very much. thanks for being the world's best mom. thanks for being my mom.

:)

back to listening to jagjit singh:

sach ye hai bekaar hamein gham hotaa hai
jo chaahaa thaa duniya mein kam hotaa hai
dhalta suraj phailaa jangal rastaa gum
hamse poocho kaisa aalam hota hai
gairon ko kab fursat hai dukh dene ki
jab hota hai koi hamdam hota hai
sach yeh hai..
zakhm toh humne inn aakhon se dekhe hai
logon se sunte hai marham hota hai
zahan ki shaakhon par ashaar aa jaate hai
jab teri yaadon ka mausam hota hai
jo chaahaa tha duniya mein kam hota hai
sach yeh hai bekaar humein gham hota hai

waaaaaaahoooooooooo

Google SMS

to all the hyderabadis out there:

In Hyderabad we have our own little Johnny.
His name is "HOWLA".
His father is ambitious to educate 'HOWLA'.
'HOWLA' goes to school located in Afzalgunj.
Its principal is educated in Urdu medium high school and claims that he passed tenth class!

There is a school inspection the next day and the conversation is as follows:

Teacher: Kal inispector ayinga. Kochchanaa(questions) puchinga. Sab achchaa padkey aau. Koi galath answer deengaa naa tho main uske pairaan thodtoom.

HOWLA: Iski maakki. Kyun aara inispector? Kaam nai hai usku? Kya kochchanaa puchta kathey?

Teacher: Abey tereku kaiku re, tu kal ischool aanaaich nai. Tu tera moo khola to gaaliaan aati. Tereku main absent nai daalthaum. Ghar pe baithkey gotiyaan khel. Tu ischool aayingaa to inispector ke saamney mere izzat ki biryaani karke khaaingaa tu.

So our HOWLA is excited, goes home and tells his father that he is Not going to school the next day.

Father: Yeah kyaa hai... ischool hai paan dabba? Gaand pe maartoom saale tu ischool nai gaya to.

HOWLA: Arey Bava, mera teacher bola nakko aao bolke.

Father: UskO akhal hai!? Begum suno! HOWLA ischool nai jayinga kathey kal. Agar ino ischool nai gaya to kaise padhinga? HOWLA, agar tu kal ischool nahin gaya naa, tere haathan pairaan thod daaltaum.

So HOWLA cries and finally agrees to go to school. Next day at school, Teacher is very upset to see HOWLA back.

Teacher: Arey teri maakki. Nakko aao bole to bhi kyun aaya re?

HOWLA: Mera bava gaand phodtum bola ischool nai gaya to.

Teacher: offo?! Tera bava bola? Theek hai chal. Last bench pe baith aur inispector aya to chchup jaa. Dikhnaich nai. Kuch bhi gadbad karinga naa meri noukri gaand lag jayingi.

So HOWLA goes to sit in the last bench hiding behind a tall guy. Inspector comes for the visit.

Inspector: Adaab...!

Teacher: Adaab saab...!!! Bachey acha padrain saab. Kochchanaa puchey to answeraan yun bolte.

Inspector: Abaa? Offo! Ithney kilever hai aapke bachchey? Achchaa, ek bahuth easy sawaal - - - Hamarey body mein sab se nazook cheez kaun si hai?

Teacher: Arey Imtiyaz tu bata rey!

Imtiyaz: Saab, Khaleja (HEART) saab.

Inspector: Aisa! ..... woh kyun?

Imtiyaz: Saab, khaleja hai to sab kuch hota. Agar woh gaya naa, kuch bhi nahin hota saab.

Inspector: Abaa, kya tez potta hai rey! Aur koi?

Teacher: Arey Akram, tu bata re.

Akram: Saab bheja(Brain) saab..! Bhejey ku khuch bhi hua to kuch yaad nahin rehta saab. Haathaan pairaan kaam nai karthey, iscooter ku kick bhi nai maar sakthey saab.

Inspector: Abey Teacher, kya kya padaaraa re inku tu. Chutiye ke jaiseich answeraan bolrai naa!!

In the meantime, HOWLA is trying very hard to hide but Inspector sees him. He thinks HOWLA is hiding because he does not know the answer.

Inspector: Woh last bench pe yun jhuk ke ! baithaa naa woh pottey ka naam kya hai?

Teacher: kaun saab? .......Woh! (iski bhain ki, kaiku dikhaa re tu) Woh HOWLA hai saab.

Inspector: HOWLA? Ye kya naam hai? Kahan-kahan se lagaathey re bhai naamaan! HOWLA, woh lambu ke peechchey kaiku chchup raa tu?

HOWLA: Saab main moo khola to teacher maaringa saab.

Inspector: Tereku yaa mereku??

Teacher: Arey kya baath kar reh saab, main kaiku maarthaum aapku. Ye potta ekdam badmaash hai saab, jhoot bolraa. Abey HOWLA, answer maloom hain to bol, nai tho khaamoosh baith jaa mere baap, tere pau padthaum.

HOWLA: Saab answer Gaand hai saab.

Teacher: Allah!!! ino moo khola meri gaand lag gayi re!!!

Inspector: Abey kyaa to bhi bolra re! Sharam kar badon ke saamney aisaich baathaan karthey! Yeich sikhaaye tumhaarey amma-bavaa? Gaand kahaan kaa answer hai re?

HOWLA: Hau saab, gaand ich sabse naazook cheez hai. Kaiku boletho wahaan pe dilli mein baamb phata....Yahan Hydrabad mein apni gaand phat thi.. Yahaan old city mein gadbadaan shuru hothey....wahaan new city mein sabki gaand phat thi gadbadaan wahaan phailtey kyaaki bolkey. Uttaa kyoon saab, main yeh answer bolraun naa, mere teacher ki gaand phatrai dekho!

holy shit! i couldn't stop cracking up. i fell off the chair at work!

when the going gets tough...

i go to the movies.
or i watch TV.
or i read a book.
or i sit around and play scrabble!

i definitely do what i have to do, of course. one thing i don't do is worry. i don't stay up all night, fretting about how things will turn out. i just get on with my life..

i don't indulge in escapism or try to avoid the issue by taking a break from a silly situation.

i just help myself to get it in perspective.

i'm drunk.

the cheesiest line i've ever heard!

I dropped a tear in the ocean. The day you find it is the day I will stop missing you.

ugh.

the death of a mercury astronaut.

a very sad day for me. leroy gordon cooper had set a space endurance record way back in 1965!

i'm actually driving my new porsche to work today! driving it into manhattan is going to be a challenge and a pleasure :)

people are so excited at work. they still can't believe that i bought one. here's one snippet of a conversation from last thursday:

me: *to the office in general* people! i bought a porsche boxster!

boss: damn. i pay you too much. i'm going to have to do something about that.

me: you jealous bastard :-p

i fell in love with it when i started the engine and heard that mean-ass growl!

suggestion scientists take seriously:

the beating of a single butterfly's wing, on one continent can, under the right conditions, set off a process that eventually creates a hurricane in another part of the world.

makes me imagine the impact that we all must have on each other and on our environment, every day.

we're not islands. maybe we're all invisibly inter-linked.

i can't win.

i'm stuck, stumped, stymied.

there's something awkward, unexpected or just plain baffling everywhere i turn.

i finally brought home my baby last night:

a '99 porsche boxster in a rare blue. and with traction control! i'm so ready for winter and the car. feel like i've waited lifetimes for this car.

there are a few things i'm passionate about in life and this car is one of those things.

hopefully, i should have some pics up soon!