Frozen Shivers and African Weddings But Looks Like SAARC Sucks!

Elton John’s Creamery? Come on Dinidu! As I said Haagen-Dazs will do! But the guy seem to busy with his work. Didnidu and Deane are the places I started reading SL blogs. That was a funny story as well, I got to know them because somebody started plagiarizing their posts and we had internal campus project to detect plagiarizing students and the knowledge engine used blogs for learning. So when I came across articles from SL, I got interested and after sometime that interest turned into this blog.
Of course I wordled as per Deane information.
Then I went over to rhythmic to talk about red hot chili and see him getting ready for drums and London in Lanka.
I also saw Rajaratarala, gone fishing! I really like what he is doing but wonder if I ever be able to do so!
Lady D is trying to stand still but I told her it is ok to have a drink while doing so!
But it was good to find where Dinidu been! and of course I had my 1000th visitor, who could be a fish. May be because Gallicissa recommended me to “I and the Bird #80”.

I think Achcharu missed a beat (some blogs did not get updated) but luckily Kottu was there for the rescue. Then I saw Paan-Waati (I had to ask my Sinhalese and Tamil teacher what the meaning of the name was and had a laugh! I like to eat loaf ends with crunchy peanut butter) giving instructions as how to travel during the SAARC.

Then I read the famous Darwin Awards about an African Wedding. I have not traveled much in Southern Africa but Northern Africa is like home to me!. (I have a Moroccan sister in law!) But I speak Afrikaans.

Again People, if you do not want to show your self in photos, do not just mask them. Masking is like applying a band aid, anyone with right tools can peel it off. Trust me, I take photos of Earth! and such things. If you want to merge the mask better, save the image through two versions, eg. jpg -> gif->jpg and it will make the deconstruction a bit harder. So Nikon S1 photo did take the photo right, if you get my drift.

But I am still wating for Appu to give me a way to drink spiced rum, I am tired of drinking it straight!

Burning In The Morning

Gallicissa has been manipulating monkeys on a wordless mission and Indyana got me! I really thought she was coming to SL! :). But I got a kick out of some one blaming Dinidu for propagating communal unrest in SL, all by himself.

Then Cerno pointed me towards a virginal uttering in India that made my coffee come out through my nose.

Just as I wiped my nose and traveled to Rhythmics to see if he promoted Kalus, he made me throw out the next sip of coffee. (I was going to ask him about reaction of spicy food on certain areas of the anatomy but passed it thinking it was improper but he answered my question). I am facing the same fate as I will be visiting LA with my parents to see one of my elder brothers at UCLA. He is married to very nice SL girl and she finds ways to make me sweat just looking at her food. I eat because I love both of them and their extra effort to make me and my Dad happy (My mom washes her chicken before eating 🙂 ). Yes I am always happy because the numbness in cheek bone area fixes me in a constant smile and I keep on eating , as food in mouth hides the burning feeling. Added to that I consume their collection of Arrack, which makes me even more happier!

I had more laughs as I visited certain number of Square KM in search of “barefoot“! (I was hoping to see RD eating Ice Cream at Barefoot!).

But most interesting read was by Romeo, actually the Kill Romeo Project. He showed me the ’83 riots from another pair eyes. But it was too close to Davids story, except romeo saw the bad things from front of his Dad’s motorbike. (I think I guessed right and if not, thousand apologies!)

Oh, My Fantastic God (OMFG)

Rhythmic is having a time of his life with his daughters, but I am happy that he finds time to write and let us know that the Barefoot Garden is cooling him down, or is it sugar free ice cream? Anyway thank you for rubbing it in!

Dominic as usual surprising, enticing us with his craftsmanship. Never seen a photo that I did like or go thinking why can’t I do like that!. That reminds me to find some films (120/220) for my Mamiya before Barrow. Yes I am collecting money for a digital back.

David Blacker told us of a ’83 story that different from the ones floating in the SL blogsphere at the moment. His personal ’83 riots surrounded by comics and dinky toys (had to lookup what dinky toys are and realized it is the imperial version of Matchbox toys!). I can just imagine the two pouring over the 25 year gap in memories.

Scrumpulicious has a bunch of questions. I told her to get off the bus! last.

Gallicissa has completed making Emma Happy! I even asked back a zoom lens for that I have lend to one of my friends, so I can look at birds and perhaps capture them.

Indyana is also going to SL, coming in from different direction from that of Rhythmic. But they might walk the same floors of Odel (?). Have a good time!

Since it is still 22nd I an going to add about the comment I left on Cerno’s blog. It is heart warming as well as heart breaking to read about the ’83 riots. But you always wonder what drives people to attack others and at the same time you marvel the strength of those decide to protect others, without thinking about their own safty. I salute Cernos family for what they did, and feel for David. Blogging is good, I should have done this earlier! You get to know all sort of people.

Of Birds And Promises To Gallicissa

A herd of Canada Geese

After a three days of short and long hops like  confused bird on small and large airplanes and like a regular guy using rental cars, I went from California to Austin, Texas and then to Tusa, Oklahoma. Then back to Dallas, Texas. But finally I am in sunny California.

I am not an avid birder like The Bird Man, Gallicissa. Heck I am not even a birds feather. But his weblog has made me read a lot about birds and be inquisitive about them, and seeing them in different light. I even went to the Barnes & Nobel and picked up a book, to read in Barrow. I am learning that high Arctic birds are the specialty in Barrow, snowy Owls are common, seen a few before. I assumed they were snow patches, the first time I saw them. Also that spectacled and Steller’s Eiders are having their very short breeding seasons in June. Additionally, Yellow-billed Loons breed in the area. So instead of going hunting for seals and polar bears (I do not hunt but I follow Native American hunters, like one of my friends below) I will look for some birds.

But recent trip to a park, Lake Merritt, near my place I saw some birds and in response to Gallicissa’s wonderful work, specially the last post where he made Emma happy, I am posting the following. (I have put the names according to database searches I did, please correct if these are wrong.

I will be better prepared on my next visit and will try to take better photos. These are cropped chopped versions of large photos.

Hope RD will see some birds get rhythmic as he is in the isle now.

Black Crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Order CICONIIFORMES – Family ARDEIDAE

Canada Goose Branta canadensis Order ANSERIFORMES – Family ANATIDAE – Subfamily Anserinae

Double-crested cormorant Phalacrocorax  auritus | Order PELECANIFORMES  – Family PHALACROCORACIDAE

Blue jay Cyanocitta  cristata | Order PASSERIFORMES  – Family CORVIDAE

Greater white-fronted goose Anser  albifrons | Order ANSERIFORMES  – Family ANATIDAE

Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata Order ANSERIFORMES – Family ARDEIDAE (ICUN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES least concern)

All Birds Are Protected By Law!

Today was a busy day. Have to run to Texas and then Oklahoma. But I was at RD’s and told him about the watches I wear. He wants the complete disclosure. Perhaps about a few when I return. I am leaving early tomorrow.

But I got a kick out of RD doing algebra over messy threesomes by Mad As A Hatter. Best thing to do with crush is to go and declare it! That is what I do. (actually what I did, the way things are going, and if I can convince my Mom that Japanese are not that bad! I am through with those now) Even “The One”, I walked up to her on the grounds of a Japanese University, asked to go out in my broken Japanese. She refused and I smiled and said “Domo Arigato”  and walked out. After that I said “Hi” anytime I saw her, Within two days she asked me to go out 🙂 . Since then I have been in!

Then Dinidu, was praising Sonny bono and the hag, actually the song “I got you baby” but bono;s save the disney act have got most of the people by the testes with copyrights.

The birder has gone and made Emma happy, partly, blogging wise. But I also ran out to look at some birds this week, no not the kind I observe more carefully and attentively on the campus grounds, but the feathered kind. I did not have my zooms with me but managed to capture a few. RD is on his way to the emerald isle. Bit of envy runs through me. I get to goto Texas to tell some people about research I did / do and then to Tulsa Oklahoma to see some my moms friends to deliver some stuff that I don’t want to know about. Then once I come back, I have exactly a week before hitting my perpetual sun on a sand less beach!

And I thought I saw a drummer cat!

Chicks on Desktops, Black Cats, Mozart and taking my pulse with dragon flies!

Charmax has his desktop for Cernos Desktop Carnival posted. Linux seems to be making inroads in SL a lot! Super. Indi has a piece on an fund raiser/ photo sale to support his friend Mo, the exhibition will take place at the barefoot.

Sex is in the air, must be the summer heat, even dragon flies do it, hanging from leaves. Somehow DeeCee managed to get a cat on her desktop, French black cat at that for Cerno, he must be loving it!

Dominic Sansoni has a few Photographs on from his India trip, and I loved the studio, amusing how photographers see the world with different eyes, I would have just walked past even without seeing it! Did not leave a comment but I will later. Dominic also mentioned about the fund raiser / exhibition that Indi mentioned Mozart. Dominic is offering one of his photographs, a very nice one.

Shoat statements got me high in the morning with her summer Wine, reminds me to go to Napa to pick up a few bottles before the trip, Barrow is a dry town. Last time it cost me closer to $100 for a six pack.

Pradeep at half life reminded me of home and to call a few people across the pond. Eat Lard’s post about taking pulse made my pulse stop, momentarily.

By the way iPhone is not working because there is no way to activate because of network congestion. Well Blackberry still works! ;(

Birds and Bees and Bees

I had a super weekend as on Friday we were at the beach, surfed a bit, drank a lot and got drunk. Then watched to 4th of July fireworks wrapped in glorious fog that we have in SF. Then it was dinner and clubs. Slept most of the Saturday and woke up in the evening and went to campus. Since it is 4th of July weekend everyone has gone home and all those trillion no zillion cycles of computing power was for me and me alone. Ran some really processor intensive analysis all night. Sunday I had to take my girl friend to her Buddhist temple (Japanese), of which I am also a member and then we went weekly shopping. (Usual 5KG bag of Japanese rice that used to be $14 is now $20! Orange Juice is $4.99 per L and so on) then I went back to work until she came to pick me and goto dinner at our favorite Korean restaurant.

So here I am getting my usual doze of SL from Blogs! Gallicissa had a very nice photo essay about birds (Birds eat Trees? may be he was building a nest!)and loved it. He is super when it comes to birds. I actually take more than passing interest in birds now!. But the missing sandwich is sad that the Pride week is over. I hate to tell her that in SF it is Pride week all year in Castro / Upper Market area. One thing I know is that LGBT are fun loving human beings that I do not see being any different from me, except when it comes to sexual preference.

Cerno had an article about war but did not leave a comment as I left to check out the Jaffna Maps. I guess I will come back later, Thank you people all the info and entertainment.

Gutter Flower reminded me of my teachers, including my Grand Pa, who taught me my earliest Physics.

The young Photographer Travish is very good.

But the best part was I ran into this Rajaratarala’s blog. That is really inviting to read. I think I will spend a few days reading what he has written already! Fantastic stuff!

seventy nine

No sooner than I wrote “One meter of coffee” the London Drummer with leather thongs wrote about Interesting Blogs And Coffee And Tea. So I had to leave a comment. But then I notced the newly groomed Lady D was not so happy ‘cos her dear Mom’s doc said some things that are not so nice to hear. Love and hugs are in order to lift her up. I also saw Cerno’s desktop, he is a Mac OS X guy. That remind me I have to upgrade my mini with new leopard DVD sitting on my desk. Man this rum is good! ( I could not wait till tomorrow so I am testing and tasting one bottle of spiced rum). But Gallicissa had the best ecard for 4th of July, Loved it!