Selling out to the system

I have finally done the deed. No no that one... did that long ago.. (to be precise on the 12th of February)!! *grin*

I have joined a company as a full time employee. I have sold my soul to the "system". I have given up the pleasures of the freelance life for the sweat of the organised commercial media sector.

Due to this move now, I wont have the pleasure of shaving my own boss, I cannot take off to Goa once in three months. I cannot walk into office anytime I want, and leave anytime I want. I cannot run 6 parallel businesses simultaneously. I cannot sleep late and wake up late. lol .. and beat this.. I Get PF and Gratuity!

The good news now!

I have joined Radio 1 - A venture between the Mid day group and BBC. The station will beam on 92.5fm. We are looking at a July 1st 2006 launch.

I am designated as Programming Manager. Ill be incharge of the programming, production and content management of the radio station in Bangalore. My primary Role will be Producing the Breakfast show. (Yippee)

After having done a thorough study of the 7 stations that are going to hit the Bangalore airwaves, I have concluded that this is one of the best stations to work with. Even though I did have offers from 3-4 other stations, this seemed to be the best bet. The company as such is all set to do extremely well in Bangalore. After its immense success in Bombay, they are launching their daily tabloid Mid-Day in Bangalore too.

When it comes to Radio, we have the best people in the business, starting from the CEO to the National Programming manager to the station head and the Programming director in Bangalore. Every one of them is weathered in the radio/media business and knows exactly what he/she is doing. A fantastic team to work with. My growth chart looks enticing and learning curve very promising. The programming wil be over the edge, and out of the box. The "wackiness quotient" will be very high. Creativity will peak.

The radio scene in Bangalore is going to get really competitive with 7+1 frequencies beaming out similar programming. Its an exciting phase to work on radio. This is when ground rules for radio will be made. Competition has always excited me, and this is as good as it getsIm not sure wether I'm gonna be RJ'ing as of now, maybe in a couple of months, but im darn right gonna do some good programming. And in 5 years I can look back and say I helped revolutionise radio in Bangalore~!!!! :)

Even though I was making more money as a freelancer, the fact that industry standards wise, my payscale seems to be above average is very heartening. At the end of the day its NOT all about the money is it?

So folks, wish me luck with this new venture in my life, and its not as bad as I portray it to be, trust me, its a good move! :) And like they say, You have to be in the system, to fight the system! Right?

Afternote :-
We am on the lookout for Radio Jocks, Programmers, Producers, Music Managers, Copywriters, and idea people. If anyone reading this is interested and knows their music, Call/Mail me Asap.

Talk Maadu Beka?

Costume Party!!!

I turned 26 on the 10th of May. The day was so exciting. Ammu gifted me a 90min swedish massage at the "Leela", Buffet Lunch, And a truckload of gifts. Im so lucky for that girl in my life.



In the evening We visited my parents and then my grandparents and took their blessings. Then came the wildest time of my entire day.. We threw A Costume Party!!
What a Wild Party!!! The most memorable Birthday party ever.

Ammu Dressed up as a malayalee girl. I was a Cuban Havana Mafia Henchman.
The other characters were Rahul Dravid with a tail, Mirchi Girl, Egyptian Belly Dancer, Wild west Cowgirl, Tool Man, Secret Agent, Clark Kent, A Milkman, A drag queen, Arabian Sheikh , Camboian Tourist , Boot Camp Recruit , a schoolkid , golfer / male avril lavinge , and others.

What Fun! Phew!
Some photos for you to relish!








Ive Turned an Year Older. Things look new again. Its a new dawn I guess, its a new day. Its a new life. Its a whole set of New feelings. Birthdays are truly special arent they. No matter how much you think "its just another day", In reality.. It isnt! :)
Happy Birthday to me.

123456

On first Thursday of May, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. That will never happen again, at least in our lifetime!

As we move along the waves of time, hope you enjoy this unique time wrap! Happy Once in a Lifetime Experience!!!

Apernit SIngh- Indias Fastest Guitarist

This Sunday make a date with your radio sets.

Tune into Radio City 91fm Bangalore and Listen to Apernit Singh - LIVE AND LOUD.

Find out more about Apernit as an artiste, get to know the new tunes of his album, and how he aims to be among the guitar legends of the world. Apernit talks about his hopes, dreams aspirations and about his new album releasing on cresendo music called "Apernit - Indias Fastest Guitarist".

Also Get to hear an exclusive special preview of his lead single "Dhoondo Kahan" - for the first time on Indian Radio!!!!

Dont miss out on this First of a kind interview as RJ Rohit Jayakaran smoothly guides you between Apernits Music and some good conversation.

Apernit Singh - Indias Fastest Guitarist, Live on 91fm, 30th April 8pm onwards.

For Bookings / cassete and merchandise purchase and any form of feedback pls mail me on meanjaan@gmail.com , or apernit@thetpot.com

Addiction!!

People have addictions. Some are addicted to nicotine, some to caffeine, other to Cocaine. But im Addicted to MMORPGS!

For the newly initiated or noobs (read newbie) MMORPG is a Massively Multiplayer Online Real Play Gaming Device.This enables thousands of players to play in an evolving virtual world at the same time over the Internet. MMORPGs are a specific type of massively multiplayer online game (MMOG).

Im completed addicted to them. I spend my work days wishing I way online playing, I spend my nights dreaming about the different levels and weapons and avatars, I spend my free time Playing. Sigh! Im addicted! And im not complaining!

The world today is a PS2 world, and is a game like CS (Counterstrike) has been played by almost everyone... its time for the MMORpgs to take over!

The online world is a fantastic world. A world where one creates avatars, buys land, creates friends, wins money, puts it in a bank, goes grocery shopping, shoots people, becomes a doctor, becomes a pilot.. whatever one wants.

Im comparitively new to the world of Mmorpgs. Ive only indulged in Free mmorpgs. A3, Navyfield , and Ragnarock have been my favourites.

My latest addiction is Gunz . A fast paced shooting game. Their Indian version launched on april 10th and relaunched on april 17th. Download the Indian Version if you want now.
Gunz is a FPS MUD
FPS MUD means First Person Shooting Multiple Dungeons. It is smaller then a MMORPG. This game has rooms ranging from 8 to 16 members. If you ever played gun bound or American Army it is sort of like that in rooms. Further more it is really a 3rd person shooting but we consider it a First person because that is what the genre title is.

If U do download, and start playing, do come onboard and look for "Quickshot", Thats me. Happy Shooting! :)

The Becoming of Annavaru

Dr Rajkumar passed away Last afternoon. He would have turned 77 on the 24th of April.
And this should happen exaclty 3 days after I post on Life and Death - Ironic?

Its not even 24 hours since the incident and the aftermath is already hitting us hard on the head. The death of the Kannada Mega superstar has sent a smoothly functioning city into haywire. It has aroused emotions and fuelled anger and wrath. Its understandable that a state so deep rooted in culture has such feelings for the demise of an old man, but should the passing on of a "Legend" lead to riots and road roka's?

The Local Daily's headline reads "Star passes on" And Alongside it says "Fury and Fire Grip City"

Im guessing that Kannada film activits and the general pro kannada movement and anti social elements are at play for these spurious incidents. Vandals are reported to have broken windsheilds and set ablaze to vehicles in many parts of the city. There also have been reports of stone pelting. Protestors had ensured that by 4pm all the shops all around town were closed.. in the name of mourning. Offices were asked to close. Theatres were forcibily stopped.
Thank god all schools and most colleges have study holidays going on now!





These incidents got me thinking.
What is the use of Vandalism? What do these people think their final outcome will be? Why should a city mourn? Who instigates such riots? Who controls such behaviour? The public. or a few who hold the masses by a leash and move them like pawns on a chess board.? Who operates the Remote Control? If anyone has answers for these questions please do tell me.

All of us remember the Rajkumar Kidnapping. And then the time he was admitted to the hospital. I guess the public should have been mentally prepared for what bangalore has seen is the last 24 hours!

Another intersting Irony to note is that , the same village , Singanallur , has given Karnataka its most famous, and its most notorious, citizen. Rajkumar, born Muthuraj, shares a birthplace with a certain Koose Muniswamy Gounder - more notorious as the sandalwood smuggler and brigand Veerappan.

But that defenitely is one of life's little ironies - for there could be nothing as disparate as the cop-killing, elephant-slaughtering Veerappan and Rajkumar, the matinee idol, an accomplished singer of both film tunes and bhajans and, by all accounts, an aesthete who has, in his advancing years, developed a marked penchant for religion. Incidentally, most of his devotional songs are in honour of Raghavendra Swami - who ranks among his followers the likes of Tamil film icon Rajnikanth, and classical singing doyen Bhimsen Joshi.

The Prayer

Oh doyen of Kannada film industry, Annavaru (elder brother), Mannina Maga (son of the soil) , Kannada Kanmani (Kannadas Darling) , Oh Matinee Idol, Role model to millions of Kannadigas, Sinagullur Puttaswamaiah Ganallur Muthuraj, aka, Dr. Rajkumar... The City mourns for you, The City Burns for you, The city weeps for you, The city Riots for you.
I plead with you. Wherever you are, please influence the minds of your fans and other and make sure they are spiritually at peace.

The Flipside

Frankly Dr.Rajkumar made no difference to my life, or the life of the people I am close to. Until Today.
The karnataka government has declared a holiday today. There will be no offices and schools. Most shops still remain closed for fear of vandalism.
Therefore we have a LONG weekend. My next work day would only be Monday! Yippee! I get to catch up on my sleep, my reading, my bloggin, my mails, my accounts, Spend some quality time with Ammu, and catch up on all that's been pending.

On a lighter note you do wonder why all the halla over the death of someone who was 77. I guess the classes will never understand the masses. And vice versa. I guess we do live in 2 different worlds, like the Ennoi and the Morlocks (from H.G.Well's time machine). Some friends I know are wishing the event happened when we were in college. So that we could cherish this holiday even more. The Irony?

Here's Something to Lighten up the moment. Im sure the ladies will like the way the tush-shake of the tight white pants. Something For you to Remember the Doyen oF Kannada Cinema By. May his Soul Rest in Peace.

The Truth of Life

That which is born shall Die.

That which begins shall End.

That which Starts shall Finish.

What goes Up will come Down.

What is Created will be Destroyed.

What Commences will Cease.

That which Originates will Decay.

That which is Opened will be Shut.

Every Wound, shall Heal

Every Wall Plastered, shall Peel.

Every Cookie Baked, shall Crumble.
That is the truth of Life!

Bread, Butter and JAM!!!

Has it ever happened to you that suddenly you wonder if things are really what they seem. Does it feel like sometimes the entire world is looking at conning you into someplace you dont want to go? Do u wonder why things happen? Does it make you stop and think. Does it make you contemplate? Does it make you Laugh at the state the world is in?

Has it ever happened to you that, you wonder why certain things will never change, and certain things change all the time??

The most hilarious and paradoxical event happened to me on friday.
I was in a Traffic Jam!

Now ladies and gentlemen, this is no ordinary traffic jam. This is a traffic Jam, that teaches one that what in reality is, is actually not. Kinda Freudian, but different. This is a traffic jam that makes one wonder what the truth actually is!!

You will all agree that the modern phenomenon known as the "Traffic Jam" is definetely one of the biggest avenues for wastage of of human talent, skill, time, energy, and patience, not to mention the copious amounts of petroleum gasoline, motor oil, steering fluid, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc.

It takes a lot to endure such scourge. Its a demanding job. Being part of a Traffic Jam! Demanding from the driver and especially demanding from the poor Vehicle.

The jam happened on the ever famous (not) Hosur Road! YUp. This jam was the Mother of all jams. I had finished an event in electronic city for Satyam and was headed back home (Frazer town) . The happiness of having a seemingly well-done Hosur Road was pretty short-lived. The magic of the 6 lane super highway between Bangalore and Hosur blended into nothingness. As I entered hosur road my not so sharp ears already started picking up loud honking and people shouting. I could see kilometers and kilometers of trucks and cars lined up, on their way back to bangalore. And I thought to myself.. Ah! there goes half an hour in a traffic jam. (usual bangalore standards).

Ive heard of nightmarish stories and exasperating tales of being stuck in traffic Jams on Hosur Road. I was thanking my stars and the good GOD above for not letting me be a "software engineer".

Anyways. I ventured boldly into where my car and me had never gone before. And guess what. I was stuck in this jam from 11.10 to 1.50. That is be the LONGest traffic JAM I've ever been in. I agree by standards of people who travel everday to electronic city this must have been a miniscule jam.

But here is what took cake, and made me think about the pride of Bangalore , the 6 lane superhighway. The jam happened 11.10pm to 1.50 am .

Yup. Feel Flummoxed. A traffic Jam in the dead of the night! With the stars above my head. I was stuck in a TRaffic Jam in the middle of the night! How unbelievable is that. The irony eh?

There were trucks and goods vehicles everywhere. Swarming all around like bees from an attacked beehive. Chaos and disorderliness prevailed. You couldn't also miss out on the many humps on the road that only helped in the most bizarre of traffic jams. Not to forget the reckless driving of those blessed truck drivers who think they are the kings at this time of the night. The innumerable unruly city riders and drivers. One carries on with raving and ranting, fretting and fuming, grimacing and grouching, whining and wailing, cribbing and complaning, but then, who's listening to you?? The irony eh?

And in between that the karnataka government is creating the 9 km flyover along Hosur Road leading to Electronic city. To begin in April 2005, this will take 30 months for completion. The 6 lane Super highway causes a jam in the middle of the night, wonder what Expressway is gonna do? The estimated cost of construction of the 9-km elevated super highway is Rs. 450 crores.

Wonder if Chaotic truck guys know that!!!! The irony eh?

I feel I am lucky to only have to travel Hosur road once in a while. I know my friends who work in Electronic City and they spend most of their day on this road. Also bangalore is also the only place you can ever see a traffic police constable controlling the traffic on a flyover bridge, or at a construction site. And expecting a traffic cop in the middle of the night is like expecting the impossible.

Thankfully I had my Caselogic to keep me company for the entire duration. I did manage to catch some sleep too. Only to be woken up by the rude honks from the truckers and tempo guys behind me. In retrospection I probably would have got home faster If I walked home.

Hosur road really set me thinking about where the our city and the civilised world in general is going to. All this infrastructure, civilisation, superhighways, expressways, and Im still stuck in a traffic jam at 1pm in the night!!!!!

Life is after all a bittersweet symphony isnt it?

Bangalore - Garden city? Pcity? City with beautiful women? IT City?? Naaaah!!!
Bangalore is defenitely the Traffic Jam capital of India.

Pilgrimage to a Paradise called Palolem

Yup I did it again. Travelled on impulse. Even though its been due for more than 6 months now, it really was a last minute decision. Ive promised myself after this trip that no matter what Im doing "Goa" at least 2 times in a year.
In 2002, 2003, 2004 , I managed to clock an average of 4 times a year. In 2005, I went only Once. I did make up for it by heading to thailand and egypt! But Goa is Goa. There's no arguing with that.

Over the years so many things have changed about Goa. For one, everyone seems to be going there. The combination of the "sosegãdo" or laid back lifestyle, the amazingly bracing weather and Goa's carnival-like nightlife has lured many people to it off late.

Gone are the days when baga and calangute (north goa for the uninitiated) was travellers paradise. Now its more like a fishmarket. SO MANY PEOPLE. We even tried the staying at Harambol and Arpora moves, (Again north beaches), but no luck! North Goa just doesnt excite us anymore.

We did stay in Baga for 2 nights. We did the whole flea market (Ingos' and mackies - Both in Arpora hill area). We went to this new night club called "on the rocks" where DJ gopu from bangalore spins now. We also did the whole paradiso, mambos, kamaki, titos circuit. Not so exciting. We also caught the sunset at harambol and did the humdrum Anjuna, dando, Aswem Circuit. Was nice. We also managed to catch some forts, and some churches.



While the north is where the action is, the south is where the relaxation is. South of Margao, are some of the most fantastic beaches in ASIA. Beaches like Arrosim, Colva, Betalbatim,Benaulim and of course the Picturesque Palolem.



Palolem is the ideal beach to feel the soft sand beneath your feet. This is where one realises that there is no place like a warm, inviting beach in Goa to make you feel at peace with the universe.



Palolem beach, situated in the Canacona distrct, is also known as "Paradise Beach". Until a few years back, it was among the virgin beaches of Goa. It is a fishing beach popular for its dolphin cruises and fishing trips.

We stayed in some coco huts (which u dont find in Baga). And did precisely "nothing for two days. We, ate, slept, watched the sunset, swam, played with puppies, and ate and slept! Thats it! :)

Ah! the pleasure of a holiday!
I urge everyone who reads this to catch the next bus/flight to goa. Now! Go ... Go... GO.... GO... Goa!!
U can always get back to work on Monday!?

Sigh!

Make some noise, Some Blank Noise!

Make some noise, Some Blank Noise!

It was womans day yesterday! Isnt every day womans day? Doesnt the day belong to them as much as it belongs to men? Dont women take care of us men every single day. Dont they do the things men do, everyday. But it was womans day yesterday. 1 day in a year to celebrate yearlong acheivements. The irony eh?



This Blog is an ode to all the women I know. All the women who have influenced me and continue to change me everyday. Its these women who have made me the man I am today. Its these women who make me a better man each day! My mom, my grandma, my aunts, my school friends, my classmates, my ex girlfriends, my teachers, my neighbours daughters, my friends, my sisters, Ammu and my female listeners. A huge Thank you to each one of you! :)



This Blog is also my bit for the Blank Noise Project . A unique anti street harrassment project. They also have offline activities in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. Make sure you take a look, and see what you can do to spread the word. Do your bit to help women from all around!



My womans day went off pretty well. I went to sleep the previous night watching "Casanova". A story of women actually, (will blog that sometime soon) . I woke up with 2 women by my side..*grin* (now now dont get all excited, One was Ammu and the other mandy) . The first thing I did in the morning (before even brushing my teeth) was head to supermarket to buy the girls a pack of "monthly protection gear". What a way to start womans day eh? lol. The entire day was packed with women and things women need. A friend of mine did a radio show on radiocity with Jasmeen. Got me thinking on the true meaning of womens Day. To convince me of my opinions and fortify my thoughts, came a blessing in disguise! A womans day event. My night ended with a womans day fashion show event At I Bar, Bangalore.

Last night It finally hit me! At the pub, during the event, as semi naked men were walking on the ramp, I realised something! The ladies were whistling, hooting, screaming, burping and being completely outrageous. The things that men usually do. Once the male models started walking the ramp there was ample Clawing, pawing, grabbing, Commenting on Sizes, tightness and color, and glaring, and other ego-gnawing acts. There was a lot staring and letching. And lewd gesturing. Some women even went to the extent of pulling out the models clothes. (the models did seem to enjoy it though) Some women even went on to comment that a planet "without men" would be ideal. Another even went on to explain how she loved vibrators to men!! Another Said she'd like her "sausage".. without the "pig" sheesh!! the things a poor innocent compere has to go through!!
For one night, All the women thought like men! They even acted like men!

Just one night of male bashing, and adam teasing (if there's such a term), made every man in there feel really insecure. It made every man squirm. It made every man cover his private parts. Made every man wish he was somewhere else, probably safe at home. Im sure most men in there wished the earth would cave in and swallow them.

I empathise with women, who have to go through this every day!
I empathise with woman kind, who are taken for granted!
I empathise with girls of all ages who have to mind their tongue, clothes and bodies because us men will do what we do the best.. "Think Like a man!"

Street Harassment is a common phenomenon. All of us know at least 1 girl who has been troubled/letched at or felt up/grabbed by a complete stranger at some point of her life. And mind you, these are only smaller issues. The bigger ones usually go unspoken for. After hundreds of arguments and multiple fights against men who indulge in street harassment, one wonders if there's any point to standing up for it at all!

And then it dawns on you! What is happening is a world wide phenomenon. And unless someone stands up for it, correction, unless everyone stands up for it, things WONT change!!!

There can be a million questions!!! Will men always be men? Or will they change? Women will always be oppressed? Or will that change? Only Time will give an answer to that. But all of us can work our way to the answer we want.

I urge every woman who reads this to get Angry. Get angry for your own sake. Anger creates fury. Fury creates fear!! I urge every woman to get infuriated! Indulge in wrath!! I urge you To NOT lay low!

But its important to get out that anger in the right way. Its important to channelise it. Start using Pepper spray, learn the Three point technique (Eyes, Solar plexus, groin) , start educating the men you know, Talk to other women about things that trouble you, about men who harrass Start voicing your opinion. Start to Make some noise. Some blank noise.

Im proud to be part of the The Blank Noise Project blogathon