Running, Some Thoughts
Posted by: agsharma on: November 18, 2009
So, I love to run. A friend introduced me to running 3 years ago and slowly, but steadily, I have gained immense appreciation for this sport. On twitter I follow all sorts of runners. From ultra runners to casual runners and each one has their thoughts on running so I guess it’s my turn to put in some thoughts of my own.
Some of my observation on running are :
- Always keep an eye on the road. Since I run on the pavement, I always look over my shoulders to make sure there are no vehicles approaching when I am about to cross a road. This has become a habit for me and has saved my skin a number of times. And a few times when I know I have kept my eyes open and the driver has not, I have let the driver know what I think about him/her. :)
- I work in an area which is surrounded by hills. So I have been trying to conquer the hills without compromising on my pace. It has not worked very well so far. When I run up the hill, I lean forward and keep my head straight. For some reason, this seems to be the least stressful position. And when I am running down hill, I lean back and look up which shifts my centre of gravity backwards.This lets me maintain my speed/momentum. However, I always, always get shin splints so maybe I am doing something wrong.
- I always keep my head straight. I do not know what the body mechanics are but if I hang my head when running, I get tired very quickly.
- My nipples chaff very easily. Something I learned from my last 1/2 marathon. The worst feeling EVAH!! And it took me 1 week to recover and had trouble wearing cloths…..so no matter what, I will never ever wear a new t-shirt for a run.
- Music is very important to me. It’s been one constant in my life and I listen to it whenever I get an opportunity. But 3 years ago, the opportunities began dwindling because of added responsibilities in my life. I could have always kept on listening to music during my long commutes but for some reason I would always take a nap so that opportunity was lost too. It was running that saved my love for music. During a run I had no one to talk to me, no chance of falling asleep, no one telling me the music sucks so I should turn it down, no one to tell me how the music I listen to hurts someone’s ears etc. I began to consume music passionately.
- After a run, the warm feeling is one of the most amazing feelings I have ever experienced. I know it’s mostly the endorphins but there is also a part in me that’s super proud of the run I just completed.
- I am a weakling when it comes to food. I just have this propensity to hog and feel really guilty after my meals. But on the days I have had a run I do not feel guilty at all. In fact I use my running to justify a super big meal!!
- Till last week my mode of running was to set a pace and keep at it until the end of the run. I do break into walks because I still have not learned the art of drinking water and running at the same time. Now I am trying something new that a colleague mentioned. During the week I am going to run short (5K to 8K) runs but run as fast as I can. And then after a couple of short hard runs, I will be going for a really long run (aiming for 20K over the weekend). Well, that’s the plan but god knows if I will be able to do it.
Updates to the list to follow!!
My New Obsession
Posted by: agsharma on: November 10, 2009
- In: About Me| Music
- Leave a Comment
So, I found this site through stumbliing (what did people do on the internet before stumbling?) called 8tracks.com. This site presents itself as internet radio managed by you, the user. You essentially create lists of songs you like and then broadcast it to the world. That’s it.
As with every technology in the world, the ones that do well are the ones that are simple and intutive. You upload songs from your computer and then start mixing them up and create lists. If you like a certain mix by another user, leave a comment, follow that person’s mixes, or click on “next mix” and the site is intelligent enough to present you with a similar mix. Simple as ABC. There are numerous categories for you to choose from. And if you really like some music (e.g. I found I love CocoRosie’s music), there is a link to amazon and you can purchase your music.
As per their Legal page, their site works because the bitchy organisation called RIAA (and it’s counterpart in Canada called CRIA) is paid for each song uploaded and played on the site. Which is probably why RIAA has not issued takedown orders to 8Tracks. (note : Isn’t it funny, RIAA does not care where the song originated. (I may have downloaded it ileagally and uploaded to 8tracks.com) But because RIAA gets paid, they say “aw shucks”).
Anyway, there are restrictions. Only 2 songs from one album and you cannot skip songs more twice on a mix which I think is fair. If I create a mix, please listen to it and don’t skip over and over every song. If you think the mix is not good, just skip to the next mix.
The things I like about this site it how easy it is to find music of your taste. All I had to was to click on my desired categorise and off I went. And I did create a couple of mixes for your listening pleasure (you do not have to sign on to listen – that’s another amazing part!!). Here are the lists. Hope you like them :
Men Who Stare At Goats – No Spoilers
Posted by: agsharma on: November 9, 2009
*This is my first review of a movie so please excuse the cliches!!
So, I was able to get away from my routine on Saturday and, with nothing much to do, I decided to go for a movie. I really wanted to see The Invention Of Lying but it’s not playing in too many theatres (- why?), so it was either some new horror movie (a genre that I cannot stand) or the new Clooney movie. I chose the later.
Thank god I listened to my inner self. What a fantastic movie!!
The synopsis of the movie is : back in the cold war days, the US government started a secret program to train soldiers with telepathic powers.The movie is about how the program started in the 80s until the beginning of Gulf War II.
The story is excellent and written brilliantly. But the way it’s told as a movie, falls short of the great cinematic experience it could have been. Up until 15 minutes before the movie was going to end, I thought it was one of the best anti-war movies I had seen in a long time, then, it fizzled. It almost seemed that the director/producer/who-ever-was-in-charge-of-the-movie could not decide what was the best way to finish the movie so they probably shot a few endings and let a popcorn-munching, happy-ending, crowd decide how the movie should end. The ending just makes the movie fall flat on it’s face.
George Clooney was excellent in the movie, a guy seeking meaning to his life through his “psychic” abilities. I thought he played a whimsical version of the character he played in Syrianna. Ewan McGregor plays a run of the mill journalist who happens to “fit into” the designs of these psychic soldiers. He plays his role excellently, as usual, and when there is a reference to Jedi Knights in the movie, you can almost see the twinkle in his eyes!
On the whole highly recommended but on DVD.
Walken And Lady Gaga
Posted by: agsharma on: November 6, 2009
I have always loved Walken’s comic timing. It never ever fails. Even when he is playing a bad ass, it seems his inner comic is just bubbling under the surface. Here he is reading out the lyrics of a song Poker Face by Lady Gaga. First the original :
and here’s Christopher Walken :
Isn’t that hilarious!!!
Yearning
Posted by: agsharma on: November 5, 2009
For some reason I am really missing India a lot these days. I guess not having visited my place of birth for 7 years would bring about the yearning. A part of it is because the places I used to love in India have gone through a drastic change (as everyone loves to tell me) and I want to compare the changes with the image in my mind. My hometown of Patiala, as my folks say is now unrecognisable. The places I used to hang as a youth have either been razed or have been altered drastically. Another place I really want to visit at my hometown is the engineering college I used to attend. I have a lot of wonderful memories of that place and visiting it after 7 years would surely bring all those memories rushing back into my mind. And to be able to share them with my daughter, who will be with me, is something I am looking forward to.
Delhi is another place where I want to spend some time. Again, a lot of memories. Delhi was the place where I really matured (stop snickering, mom and dad). I had a lot of tough decisions to make in Delhi and more often than not, I ended up making the wrong decisions. Those were moments that really taught me valuable lessons which I like to think I continue implementing to this day.
Hullabaloo Over Swine Flu Vaccination
Posted by: agsharma on: November 5, 2009
I am not really sure what the big noise is about NOT getting vaccinated against the swine flu. The argument seems to be that there are unknown dangers about the swine flu shot. But those risks seem to be unknown and the risk of getting swine flu and dying from it are very real.
So, once the rush at Ontario clinics die down a bit, I and my daughter will be getting the swine flu shot. Of course, convincing my daughter to get a shot is going to be herculean task.
Why We Should All Love The Onion
Posted by: agsharma on: November 4, 2009
This video demonstrates why The Onion is the best non-news news site out there.
Changes
Posted by: agsharma on: November 4, 2009
I am trying to take my blog into a new direction. I know I have not been posting for a little while but I had fallen into a rut and could not break out of it. Hopefully, my mood is now changing for the better and I will post more often.
Here’s what I want to focus on
- Music
- Running
- My life
- and everyday funnies.
I do want to talk about other stuff too but I prefer twitter for that….hopefully I will not lose too many readers!!
The “New” Music Industry
Posted by: agsharma on: October 15, 2009
<Link>
Before he signs a new band to his independent music label, Franz Schuller usually gives aspiring musicians bad news: They’re probably not going to be famous. This bitter pill is briskly followed by another: “Whatever they think they knew about the music industry from what they’ve heard, or read, or seen on television, that really doesn’t exist any more,” says Mr. Schuller. “It’s really, really hard for artists out there now. It’s an insanely huge challenge to actually make a decent living playing music these days. That’s the reality.”
Ok, I do not know much about the music industry but right away this statement by a music industry insider put me off. If this is true then all the musicians are doomed and it’s the end of the indie music industry and we will all be listening to manufactured pop from the major labels from now.
But wait. Is that what’s really happening? No. We consumers of indie music are not being forced to listen to manufactured music at all. There are tonnes and tonnes of choices of indie musicians who are creating superb music. I am a child of the 90s but I can say without any doubt in my mind that the indie music scene at the moment has been the best EVER.
Schuller thinks that bands will never make it in the real world.
“For all the massive opportunity that the Internet and mobile phones and devices give us by reaching millions and millions of people, there’s also a gazillion bands. It’s really hard to get noticed or to get anyone’s attention,” says Mr. Schuller. “It’s allowed people with absolutely no business competing in the same space to complicate the careers of people who do have a lot of talent. There’s way, way too much stuff out there.”
So, the reason you are not making money because untalented people are taking up your space??? What the fuck? That is one of the crappiest statements I have ever heard. You will get noticed if you are good and if you think you are destined to be famous then tap on the shoulder of your management not the technology. No one is asking you to be a technology genius. Just be smart about how to connect to people. If you can’t do it, ask your friends, family, your fans or just google it. I cannot believe that the reason why you are not successful is because you think someone else it taking up your space. What nonsense.
And then there is this :
This rings true for Tim Baker, lead singer of the burgeoning Newfoundland-based band Hey Rosetta!, which made the shortlist for this year’s Polaris Prize. As social networking technologies grow more popular, bands are put under pressure to communicate with their fans in a way that didn’t exist a decade ago.
“I just want to create a clone who actually enjoys being online,” he says with a laugh. “What a band is historically supposed to do is tour, and write music and put on shows. When you get home, your time off is actually way more work than being on the road.”
Again. What nonsense. If you do not like to spend time on line – Don’t. Please. Spare us.
Just make sure your music is easily accessible (iTunes, emusic, amazon) and put up shows in different parts of the country to stay in touch with your fans. Stay away from Twitter and facebook if it bugs you so much. I want to hear your music and I will pay for it and your shows/t-shirts. I do not want to hear about your life. I have no interest in it.
I think that’s what bugs some of the musicians these days. Gone are the days where a musician could define a fan, now it’s the fan who defines a musician.The fan decides what he/she wants to hear, what he/she wants to share and what he/she wants to spend money on. The musician should focus on what they do best, play music and leave the business of making money to the quality of their music.
Watch this video to learn the business model of the new music industry.
More (broken) Harper Promises
Posted by: agsharma on: October 15, 2009
<Link>
“What’s becoming apparent is that the Conservative stimulus program is biased, unfair, targeted to Conservative ridings and shameless in the way it uses party logos to promote a stimulus program that ought to benefit all of Canadians,” Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said in Regina on Wednesday.
Conservative MPs have been orchestrating cheque-presentation ceremonies, in which the oversized ceremonial cheque contains the picture of the MP, the signature of the MP, Conservative Party logos or a combination of all three.
One of those MPs, Nova Scotia’s Gerald Keddy, said the $300,000 cheque he presented for an arena upgrade mistakenly contained his party’s logo and he could not explain how his signature ended up on the cheque.
“I think the member (of Parliament) in question admitted that was a mistake and should not be repeated,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday while visiting Edmonton.
“So Keddy’s not going to do it again, but what about the rest of them?” said NDP MP Peter Stoffer. Stoffer filed a complaint with the ethics commissioner this week. “It blows me away that they could be so blatant, using your tax dollars to promote themselves.”
And this is the same political party that howled incessantly on the Liberal Party sponsorship scandal. It’s one thing to try and win an election but this is blatantly politicising an infrastructure program. I hope Harper is investigated oh wait that can’t happen because of all the cronies now in place.
And this just proves why it’s so easy to detest the Harper adminsitration:
In one case, B.C. Conservative MP Colin Mayes handed over a cheque with the Conservative party logo and his own picture on it.
In Ontario, Conservative MPs Scott Reid and Larry Miller dispensed with party logos altogether, but put their own names in large print in the top left corner of ceremonial cheques they posed with, making it seem as if the cheques were drawn on their personal accounts.
“These are the tax dollars of Canadians,” said Easter. “They’re not Conservative dollars . . . just to be used for the Harper propaganda and messaging machine.”
Cartoon Of The Week!
Posted by: agsharma on: October 7, 2009
<Link>
Hockey
Posted by: agsharma on: October 2, 2009
- In: About Me| Hockey| Sport
- Leave a Comment
Well, I have been in Canada for 7 and a half years and I am finally going to give it a shot……developing an interest for Hockey (that’s Ice Hockey to you non-North Americans).
This season I promise to follow NHL……ok that would be too much. I promise to follow the Leafs this season. That’s how I learned to appreciate football (that’s American Football to non-North Americans). I forced myself to watch the games and over time, I realised that football requires a lot of skills and strategies which really appeals to me as a couch athlete.
So here are my thoughts on the Leafs’ game last night (which I was able to watch in peace and quiet on account of my wife and in-laws). Keep in mind that these thoughts are from someone who has never in his life watched an entire game of hockey.
Leafs and the Canadiens played quite an engaging game of hockey. Never was there a dull moment and when the fights started, it was even more entertaining!! I guess there is a fair amount of animosity between the two teams because they came to blows fairly regularly. I thought it was the Senators from Ottawa that the Leafs hated.
From what I can gather, the offense was top notch from the Leafs. They were playing hard and most of the time the puck was in Canadiens’ half. But it was their sloppy defense that basically lost the game for them. 3 of the 4 goals by Canadiens were from power plays in which, I swear, the scorers basically walked over to the goal and scored. It’s start of the season so let’s see how it unfolds.
I hope to watch more games (now that I have a PVR, it would be easier). I will not bore you with the details except to let you know from time to time if I have any passion developing for the game like most of my colleagues and friends do.
Later.
Thoughts On The Scotiabank Half Marathon In Toronto
Posted by: agsharma on: October 1, 2009
I have taken running half marathons in the last two years or so and I have never felt as alive as I do when I finish a 21 KM run. The delicious ache that flows through the body for a day or so is exhilarating although the the crash that follows is PAINFUL on the legs.
The thrill that one experiences as the run is about to start is pretty amazing!
- The leg muscles are tense.
- The crowd’s thrill starts to infect you.
- The iPod is switched on.
- Just before the start, you start focusing your mind towards the run.
- And the start……I feel as if I have just sprouted wings and am ready to fly.
I am usually able to maintain my enthusiasm until the 10 KM mark. After that for the next 3 – 4 KM it’s a struggle to gain back the momentum. I start popping more gummy bears, start drinking more water which is probably what I should stop doing. This stopping and starting kills me. Once I get my runner’s high back, I can run fairly well until the last 3 KM or so. I feel like I have bricks for legs and I start plopping to the finish line.
And that’s what happened on Scotiabank Marathon as well. I was sure I would crack the 2:15 hour mark but I finished with a pathetic 2:21 hour.
On the whole, I really enjoyed the run except the last 3 KM. Need to practice more.
I did have an issue with the organisation of the event. I mean, the organisers had done a superb job on the course but the approach to downtown (by car) where the event was to start from was absolutely pathetic. I had given myself enough time to reach the venue but because all the approaches to the downtown core were closed (and on the site there was no information that these approaches would be closed), I barely made it to the run on time.
Moreover, once the run was finished, the runners were carted to a cordoned area (understandable, as the organisers did not want anyone other than runner to eat food) where we were squeezed to the point where I was actually claustrophobic. I mean, we have just finished a run, we want to relax and enjoy some food but no, we were squeezed and had to go through back ways to get where we wanted after jostling with fellow runners. Very annoying.
But I will come back to the run again and maybe, just maybe, I will run the full marathon next time
:)
Abdelrazik Sues Ottawa
Posted by: agsharma on: September 24, 2009
<Link>
Abousfian Abdelrazik is suing the government – and Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon personally – for $27-million over Canada’s role in his arrest and alleged torture in Sudan and for violating his constitutional right to come home.
Mr. Abdelrazik, who spent nearly six years in prison or forced exile while his attempts to come home were thwarted, returned to Canada in June after Ottawa was ordered by a federal judge to repatriate the 47-year-old Sudanese-Canadian.
I knew it was a matter of time before Abdelrazik sued Ottawa but what’s surprising is the lawsuit includes Cannon! Good for Abdelrazik. Cannon has displayed over and over again that he is all about “CONservative compassion” – of course, he means only for the non-dark skinned folks.
I don’t know why some anglo-Canadians do not reconcile with the fact that Canada (and USA) is changing. Both these countries are now going to be different shades of colours and to stay fixated on “your own kind of folks” is small mindedness and stupid.
Having said that, this statement is also true for Canadian or other colours. I mean, we Canadians from north India are one of the most racist folks in the world!! Try having a conversation about south Indians (who are a shade darker than north Indians) amongst people from Delhi and Punjab (northern states in India). Oh boy, some of the things I have heard said are so politically incorrect that they would be down right hate speech!!
The Power Of Art
Posted by: agsharma on: September 22, 2009
This is so amazing.
I have no idea what the context is but the music and art does evoke a powerful response.
Dumb And Stupid
Posted by: agsharma on: September 21, 2009
Holy cow!!!
I have no idea where to go with this….
Creation, which opened the Toronto International Film Festival last week, might be winning favourable early reviews, but its still-controversial protagonist — naturalist Charles Darwin — has prevented the film from snagging U.S. distribution, according to one of its producers.
The Jon Amiel biographical drama stars real-life couple Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as the evolution theorist and his devout wife, during the period when Darwin struggled with his faith, the loss of a beloved daughter and with the decision to publish his seminal On The Origin of Species.
Though Creation has scored deals to screen in movie theatres around the globe, U.S. distributors have been reluctant.
I guess progressives and liberals are really not controlling Hollywood? So, a graphically violent movie like The Passion Of The Christ based on a fairy tale is ok with the distributors but a biopic on one of the greatest scientist in the history of the world, is a big NO.
Absolutely pathetic.
The Tea Party Or Teh Stupid
Posted by: agsharma on: September 16, 2009
I hope this is just a representation of the idiots in the US and not really the whole population of The United States of America.
Bill O’Reilly Is A Douchebag
Posted by: agsharma on: September 16, 2009
Not only I do think that, Mike Conway, Assistant Professor at Indiana University says so after conducting a quantitative data based research to back up his and his partners’ claims.
The research team analyzed 105 segments of O’Reilly’s “Talking Points Memo,” a segment that opens his nightly show on Fox News Network. The segments were recorded from shows airing between the first week of January to the last week of June 2005.
In these segments, they looked for the seven elements of propaganda previously identified by the IPA: name calling, glittering generalities, transfer, testimonial, plain folks, card stacking and band wagon. Techniques were measured by the number of times they occurred in a minute, a strategy Conway said he thought would counteract the different lengths of the two men’s broadcasts.
The data shows that O’Reilly used all seven of these techniques. Most prominent in his verbiage is the use of name calling, occurring an average of 8.88 times per minute, or close to once every seven seconds.
A pattern also exists in the subjects of this name-calling. The “left-leaning media” led the pack, receiving 21.6 percent of the name calling during the studied time. Illegal aliens and terrorists also held prominence, receiving 26.8 percent and 21.4 percent respectively, with academics rounding out the top four, the study stated.
On the other hand, Americans, the U.S. military and the Bush administration were most commonly alluded to as victims in O’Reilly’s nightly commentary.
CONservative’s Hypocrisy At Display……
Posted by: agsharma on: September 16, 2009
….and this is why we make soooooo much fun of them.
Conservatives labeled Bloc Québécois “separatists, socialists, leftist” when the Bloc was part of the coalition to bring down the conservative government, but when the Bloc supports the Conservatives, they are partners!!!
Pathetic.
Miscellaneous Stuff
Posted by: agsharma on: September 13, 2009
- In: Misc
- Leave a Comment
- I hope to “god” this is not true : Charles Darwin film ‘too controversial for religious America’. The dumbing down of the USA continues.
- Looks like someone does not know how to handle competition.Steve Ballmer publicly ridicules Microsoft employee with iPhone, threatens to smash it.
- 7 thoughts that are bad for you. I would have ignored this list as nonsense if it was not on livescience.com
- Cynicism,
- Lack of Meaning,
- Fretting,
- Lack of Self-control,
- Anxiety,
- Gloom and Doom,
- Stress
- Ok, this is too much of a coincidence. Baby born at 9:09 on 9/9/09 weighs 9 lbs., 9 oz.
