In an office, whether you work hard or hardly work, you definitely play hard. Folks find different ways to do that. Smoking, coffee breaks, browsing, water-cooler-gossiping or even office romance are some commonly used ways to "play" hard. Mine for the past few years has been Foosball.
Whoever invented Foosball has to be a genius. For that matter all sports inventors have to be geniuses. Except for maybe Curling...but that's just me.
Coming back to playing hard and Foosball for the past few years it has been my outlet. My stress reliever at work and I truly enjoyed it. I do alright and have definitely improved since I started playing but I have hit what you would call a plateau. I play with the same set of folks and do not try to do anything different so that is somewhat expected. And I do not have any aspirations to jump into amateur Foosball championships. Although that does seem like a good thing to pursue during my mid-life crisis when I do decide to grow up.
However, sometimes life throws at you challenges that will just leave you exhausted. In the past few weeks that came in the form of a construction job in the office. We received an email saying the workers have to work on the roof so need access through the glass doors. That meant the Foosball table had to be moved but the email specifically mentioned that it will be merely moved and will suffer no outage in playing time. That allayed any fears us Foosball enthusiasts had.
It started with the table being dirty from tar and dust. We could clean that off and that we did. We continued our game that day and no harm was done. Next day things got worse. We came to kick off our usual game and boom, all the Foosball balls were gone! Who would do such a thing? Such a sick joke right? We managed to find couple of old balls. They were dented and slowed down the game but what are you going to do? We didn't want to risk the balls again so decided to take them back to our desks. As soon as we got back to our desks we ordered new tornado Foosball balls.
You would think that things got better from here right? No, I only wish. We come in the next day and find that the Foosball table is really dirty and it took few minutes to clean it off. We complained and the most enthusiastic one among us went and complained to the office manager. Next day, our new Foosball balls arrive and we walk into the lunch room to kick off a game with them. How exciting!!! Oh no! We find the table wrapped in a big plastic sheet. And a notice that says do not use until Nov 25. That means no Foosball until after Thanksgiving. What the...As we contemplate removing the plastic sheet our office manager comes by and says no, can't do that. "Read the notice", she says. "You guys complained about the table so now don't complain when we are trying to protect it". Argh!!! Completely bummed out, we walk back to our desks...
And there it sits...wrapped in a cold plastic sheet...unable to live its life...unable to fulfill its destiny...crying out to us...
We shall soon be reunited...soon. 9 days and counting! Games begin Nov 30.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The evil named McDonald's
Some might think my title is rather harsh but it is what it is...
I had 6 minutes to catch my train. And I had to get something to eat before getting on the 1 hr 10 min train (the non-express ones suck!). As I move across the food court I see 2 options - Corner Bakery and McDonald's. Now corner bakery will take forever to give your order and I really don't have that sort of time. So I turn to McDonald's. I haven't been there in such a long time except for maybe Coffee. I look for healthier options on the menu and find grilled chicken sandwich. I walk up to the counter and the sleepy looking person at the counter is somewhat disappointed I picked her counter over others. Well, I am sorry. I picked the one closest. So anyway, I go on and order this "1 grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo or cheese, side salad and bottled water". Sorry, we are out of bottled water, she says. Fine, I will take a diet sprite. It cost me $8.03 which is high for McDonald's but I was more worried about my train. After 30 seconds I get a giant cup of Coke. Well, I wanted diet Sprite. Sorry, but Coke is the only diet product we have, says sleepy clerk. Geez, this had to happen when I have no time. Soon they give me my order and I realize I have 2.5 mins for my train and I better run. Once on the train, I open my lunch and this is what I found -
* 1 Crispy chicken sandwich with Mayo (and a lot of it).
* A huge order of fries. It was huge.
* side salad which looked like crap.
* well, the giant diet Coke was already a mess up.
That is when I realized that not only did they give me a crispy chicken sandwich instead of the grilled one, but they "super-sized" me! And I didn't even want fries.
McDonald's thrives on people making wrong decisions about their diet. They want people to keep eating those 1/4 pounder burgers and mega huge fries. That is why they work so hard to lobby for everything that will make it cheaper and cheaper. And they control the food industry so much that they dictate how food is supposed to be grown in the united states. Watch Food Inc.
I have also heard a ex-high level executive of McDonald's say that they set up their stores such that you only see healthy options outside. You do not see the giant burgers and fries until you are in. And they have found that people have trouble exercising restraint once they see all that on the menu.
Just submitted a complaint on their website. I am not expecting to hear anything from them but I had to vent. Well, some of the venting is on this blog. I would have usually tried to introduce some humor but this was way too frustrating for that.
And I fell sick a day later - I wouldn't blame it on McDonald's just yet...
I had 6 minutes to catch my train. And I had to get something to eat before getting on the 1 hr 10 min train (the non-express ones suck!). As I move across the food court I see 2 options - Corner Bakery and McDonald's. Now corner bakery will take forever to give your order and I really don't have that sort of time. So I turn to McDonald's. I haven't been there in such a long time except for maybe Coffee. I look for healthier options on the menu and find grilled chicken sandwich. I walk up to the counter and the sleepy looking person at the counter is somewhat disappointed I picked her counter over others. Well, I am sorry. I picked the one closest. So anyway, I go on and order this "1 grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo or cheese, side salad and bottled water". Sorry, we are out of bottled water, she says. Fine, I will take a diet sprite. It cost me $8.03 which is high for McDonald's but I was more worried about my train. After 30 seconds I get a giant cup of Coke. Well, I wanted diet Sprite. Sorry, but Coke is the only diet product we have, says sleepy clerk. Geez, this had to happen when I have no time. Soon they give me my order and I realize I have 2.5 mins for my train and I better run. Once on the train, I open my lunch and this is what I found -
* 1 Crispy chicken sandwich with Mayo (and a lot of it).
* A huge order of fries. It was huge.
* side salad which looked like crap.
* well, the giant diet Coke was already a mess up.
That is when I realized that not only did they give me a crispy chicken sandwich instead of the grilled one, but they "super-sized" me! And I didn't even want fries.
McDonald's thrives on people making wrong decisions about their diet. They want people to keep eating those 1/4 pounder burgers and mega huge fries. That is why they work so hard to lobby for everything that will make it cheaper and cheaper. And they control the food industry so much that they dictate how food is supposed to be grown in the united states. Watch Food Inc.
I have also heard a ex-high level executive of McDonald's say that they set up their stores such that you only see healthy options outside. You do not see the giant burgers and fries until you are in. And they have found that people have trouble exercising restraint once they see all that on the menu.
Just submitted a complaint on their website. I am not expecting to hear anything from them but I had to vent. Well, some of the venting is on this blog. I would have usually tried to introduce some humor but this was way too frustrating for that.
And I fell sick a day later - I wouldn't blame it on McDonald's just yet...
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Subtle
I love movies. And I have a pretty darn good memory of the movies I have watched. I wish I had that memory with other things – would have helped me as a student. But I think the memory is because of the interest. Few scenes from a movie stay in my mind for….uhh…ever I think. Over the years I realized that those scenes are my favorite scenes because of their subtlety in telling that piece of the story. And the reason I probably like them is because I feel I am some movie critic for having noticed that subtlety. Hey, we all need something to boost our mojo right? This is one of mine…
So here are my top 3. It should also be of no surprise that they are from my favorite movies. Again, these are subtleties in my opinion and I am no movie critic.
Godfather II – Fredo betrayed Michael. Michael found out, confronted Fredo and said he is out of the family. He doesn’t want to see him anymore and he can visit his mother when Michael is out of the house. He walks out of the room and once he is out he tells Al that nothing should happen to Fredo while his mother is alive. Forward few scenes from here...their mother died and it is her _wake_. Fredo and Michael see each other and they hug. Michael gives this tight big hug and with this really intense face glances at Al. Enough said. Wow! I still get Goosebumps when I watch that scene. Subtlety here is the tight hug saying how hard it is for him to order his brother’s hit. And the glance at Al with the intense look tells all that Al needs to know. Depending on how you look at it, it could be a cold order or a very emotional one but Al gets the order with no ambiguity. With just a glance…wow!!!
Gladiator – Maximus pictures himself walking through his fields. He opens his eyes, picks up some dirt, rubs it between his hands and smells it. He gets up and as he turns notices a bird sitting on this thin branch. There is dew on the branch and the bird is shown in the backdrop of just mist. Maximus smiles for a second. He turns, the smile vanishes and he has this really intense war face. He turns and walks away as couple of soldiers rides their horses and the battle-worn place is shown. Subtle! Maximus is picturing his house and sees this bird. The smile shows the other side of this warrior. Shows what he is fighting for. Changes immediately to show his men he means business. That he is the general!
Nayagan – Velu Naickar is mad. He is really mad at this new DSP who has arrested his dearest friend Selva. Filled with rage he goes to the house of this SP. Knocks on the door and almost pushes the maid to go bring the DSP. As the maid goes in he walks around the room looking at the pictures. He notices his daughter in the pictures just as she calls out asking who it is. He is shocked. Not much dialogue here at all. Few moments into this a kid calls out for his mother from inside. His daughter says she will be right there. Naickar is overcome by emotion here. No dialogue again. He looks for something he can give his grandson. He finds no money in his pocket and is ready to remove his ring when the daughter says no. Says she doesn’t want him in her life...There is subtlety in the way the powerful underworld Don is completely helpless in front his daughter but at the same time exercising restraint is not using his power and just walking out of her life. WOW! What a great scene! Manirathnam is a genius…even if this is based on Godfather, the movie has enough originality in it!
So here are my top 3. It should also be of no surprise that they are from my favorite movies. Again, these are subtleties in my opinion and I am no movie critic.
Godfather II – Fredo betrayed Michael. Michael found out, confronted Fredo and said he is out of the family. He doesn’t want to see him anymore and he can visit his mother when Michael is out of the house. He walks out of the room and once he is out he tells Al that nothing should happen to Fredo while his mother is alive. Forward few scenes from here...their mother died and it is her _wake_. Fredo and Michael see each other and they hug. Michael gives this tight big hug and with this really intense face glances at Al. Enough said. Wow! I still get Goosebumps when I watch that scene. Subtlety here is the tight hug saying how hard it is for him to order his brother’s hit. And the glance at Al with the intense look tells all that Al needs to know. Depending on how you look at it, it could be a cold order or a very emotional one but Al gets the order with no ambiguity. With just a glance…wow!!!
Gladiator – Maximus pictures himself walking through his fields. He opens his eyes, picks up some dirt, rubs it between his hands and smells it. He gets up and as he turns notices a bird sitting on this thin branch. There is dew on the branch and the bird is shown in the backdrop of just mist. Maximus smiles for a second. He turns, the smile vanishes and he has this really intense war face. He turns and walks away as couple of soldiers rides their horses and the battle-worn place is shown. Subtle! Maximus is picturing his house and sees this bird. The smile shows the other side of this warrior. Shows what he is fighting for. Changes immediately to show his men he means business. That he is the general!
Nayagan – Velu Naickar is mad. He is really mad at this new DSP who has arrested his dearest friend Selva. Filled with rage he goes to the house of this SP. Knocks on the door and almost pushes the maid to go bring the DSP. As the maid goes in he walks around the room looking at the pictures. He notices his daughter in the pictures just as she calls out asking who it is. He is shocked. Not much dialogue here at all. Few moments into this a kid calls out for his mother from inside. His daughter says she will be right there. Naickar is overcome by emotion here. No dialogue again. He looks for something he can give his grandson. He finds no money in his pocket and is ready to remove his ring when the daughter says no. Says she doesn’t want him in her life...There is subtlety in the way the powerful underworld Don is completely helpless in front his daughter but at the same time exercising restraint is not using his power and just walking out of her life. WOW! What a great scene! Manirathnam is a genius…even if this is based on Godfather, the movie has enough originality in it!
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