Focus.

It has been almost 3 months since my last blog post. A lot has happened in these past 3 months. About all that. later.

Sharing a passing thought in a different way. Hope you like it. :)

The Bibliophile's Problem

I follow a  writer-artist's blog. He is an American and his name is Grant Snider. One of his posters describe's a bibliophile's problems artistically. I have put it below as a picture.

You can view his posters at his website http://thoughtballoonhelium.blogspot.com/

Why 'Chutiya' Is Not An Expletive.

For Reader's Discretion: The following is an attempt to explain the usage of the beloved, much loved, adored and most commonly  Indian remark Chutiya. If the word sends the yucky feel down your spine, please read the other 61 posts on my blog ;)
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When most of us listen to the Hindi word Chutiya and its two most commonly used derivatives, Chutiyapa and Chutiyagiri, we get a little uncomfortable.

A lot of these people take offense because literally, it means, 'born through the vagina' and the profane 'cunt born'.

Unfortunately the people who take offense don't know that the word may have come into existence from the above explanation, but it does not mean the same thing!

For ex. the exclamation 'Oh  Shit' is not uttered when someone encounters faeces in it's innumerable sizes, shapes, textures, smells and forms! Is it?

Chutiya can be defined as 'a uniquely Indian expletive which is endearing and rather harmless compared to other abuses, classifying the recipient as an idiot, ignoramus or someone behaving stupidly'. (definition sourced from www.urbandictionary.com) 

Chutiya is a word which is often found in the lexicon of many households, which is equally uttered by women. This should not surprise you. These people know that the word is not a verbal abuse, but a term to describe a moron. The usage is similar to the American slang word 'dumbo' to describe a stupid and especially dim-witted person.


We must understand that our Hindi word is very dynamic and usage is prolific. Our word is neither an expletive nor a verbal abuse, it is slang-ish. verbal banter.

We are smart enough to understand the difference between an expletive and a verbal exclamation.

A person will take offense of this friendly world, depending on the context in which it is spoken. Let me exemplify it for you give you a few examples.

Ex. 1: An employee has been asked by his boss to do a simple task, and yet he keeps on failing to complete it, and the boss in frustration says, "Abbe Chutiye", then the recipient will get angry because in this case, the boss is directly commenting on this employee's intelligence and capability, leading to anguish in employee's mind.

Now, see the same word when spoken in a different context .

Ex. 2: A group of friends decide to watch the latest release 'Babloo Can't Dance' and Pappu volunteers to get the tickets, but when he reaches the venue he realises that he has forgotten to bring money to buy the tickets. When Pappu calls one of his friends, he yells at him, "Abbe Pappu, kya chutiya hai be tu! You wait, I''ll come there with the money". In this case the recipient won't get angry and most probably when the friend comes, Pappu himself will have a good laugh at his stupidity.  

In both the cases, the doer acts stupidly. When the word is uttered in a formal setting (Ex. 1) it is interpreted as a verbal abuse; but, in a casual setting (Ex. 2) it is interpreted as a remark highlighting the doer's stupidity, which the doer himself, in all probability, would laugh at.

The most common derivative of Chutiya is Chutiyapa and Chutiyagiri. Both the derivatives mean the stupid action of a stupid person. So Ex.1 could have been, "Kya chutiyagiri kar rahe ho?" and ex. 2 could have been, "Kya chutiyapa kia yaar?"

Why am I trying to write a 'scholarly article' on this word? The word which the society dubs as an expletive but yet the people living in it love to speak? Because words in itself do not have a meaning. One word has different connotations depending on it's usage, context, setting, tonality, etc. We cannot blatantly penalize people for using a word!

The matter here is not of this one word, but words in general. Think about it...


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1) Thanks Mihir for pointing the grammatical errors.
2) This shows that I should not post the first draft or in haste!

Miss Those Days...

Miss Those Days...

When I slept without thoughts
When I woke up with a smile
When I played in the sun
When I ran in the rains
When I loved school
When I hated holidays
When I never knew what worry was
When worry was just a word in the dictionary
When I never fretted what the world would think
When I didn't need to explain my actions
When I lived for 'today'
When tomorrow was the next 'today' I eagerly waited for
When things were simpler
When nobody had an agenda
When pocket money was always enough; always
When sailing boats in the gutter was the best thing in the world
When the word 'sex' meant gender

When going to the park was the 'greatest desire'  

When I wiped the fallen-on-floor candy with shirt and ate it 

When my friends snatched and ate that fallen-of-floor candy 

When friends were real and just cared for candies

When we all just cared for candies.

When We Were Growing Up

When We Wanted To Be Grown Ups

But We Didn't Know That When We'll Grow Up

(We'll) Miss Those Days...

The Social Network Wars - Google Strikes Back?

'MySpace' was the original cool social network before the advent of the 'facebook' age. News Corp had bought MySpace for $ 580 million back in 2005. Yesterday, MySpace was sold for a paltry $ 35 million! Read the report here. 

On 28th June 2011, Google unveiled it's secret project called Google +. It is yet another social network initiative from the Google stable. Prior to this the three failed attempts were Orkut, Wave and Buzz respectively.

Whether Google + would 'kill' facebook or not, only time would tell. Here's a fantastic blogpost which says why facebook should fear Google +. 

On trying Google +, I liked it's much better privacy control options. The concept of circles is fair and fast. Circles are the subgroups of my 'Friends' (Friends being facebook jargon here) which I make. 

What's wonderful is that nobody knows in which circle you have added them! You decide what to share with whom. For example if you want to share your honeymoon pictures with just your family, you choose that and only your family can see that, rest others wont.

But there is one thing that can potentially kill another company. In this linked post you can read that how Skype can potentially lose out. Google is offering free video chat with 10 people simultaneously, FREE OF COST! Skype too offers free video chat but it's revenues are based on the paid services. 

I'm not a software or web developer, but these recent developments in the span of few days and the current information have got me thinking:

1. MySpace was the undisputed champion and was running high on valuation till facebook showed up and slayed it!
2. Google launches it's Google  Plus initiative.
3. MySpace was sold for a fraction of it's acquisition cost by News Corp.
4. Should Microsoft, owner of Skype, be worried? Did the 'Googlers' laughed their a$$e$ when Microsoft paid $ 8.5 billion for Skype? Will Skype's fate be similar to MySpace? 

Do we see a change in the fortunes of the companies mentioned here? Let's wait and watch! 

Life, in Apple Style

iBorn

iCry

iLaugh        

iEat

iDrink

iFart

iBurp

iShit 

iWalk

iSmile 

iSpeak 

iSchool

iWrite

iFriend

iPlay

iEnjoy

iDirty

iClean

iStudy

iHate

iTry

iWin

iLose

iPuberty

iHorny

iLove

iMiss

iSad

iLove

iHit

iHappy

iDream

iCreate...iHuman

iKnw

iUnderstand

iDream

iGraduate

iListen

iDream

iWork

iMoney

iRest 

iDream

iHope

iMarry

iSex

iKid

iDream

iHope

iWork

iMoney

iWork

iMoney

iWork

iMoney

iBored

iRemember

iVacation

iDream

iHope

iWork

iMoney

iWork

iMoney

iWork

iMoney

iHope

iOld

iForget

iPray

iCry

iDie

In between all this, you forgot the most important one

iLive.

Why Gandhi Is Not In Peace Even In Heaven

The entire Indian freedom fighters clan is in heaven and seeing how their ‘free’ country is deteriorating every passing day. So to divert their attention from the negativities of the world which is alive on earth, our clan decides to watch a film. They decided to watch Peepli Live instead of the smash hit. The two foremost ‘leaders’ are discussing:

Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS): I’ve come to know that this one is produced by that short actor who has been publicized as a perfectionist. What’s his name?

Mohandas Gandhi (MG): You need to read Bombay Times along with the regional dailies. You must keep an open mind Lal. That guy’s name is Aamir Khan. I don’t know why he has replaced his surname from the original Hussain? Do you know that this was the official selection to be sent to the Oscars?

LBS: Sir jee I know your affinity with the Oscars. The film made on your life won many naked golden man trophies naa. Hehehehe…

MG: You read my mind my fellow. Let’s watch the film.

And he announces that this film will be viewed without an intermission and requested Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose not to revolt for this!

After watching the film, all our national heroes are dejected.

LBS: These guys start so many schemes in our names and do not deliver it to the poorest of the Indians. We are witnessing the carnage from above but I never thought it wouldn’t reach cinema. I’m glad. But do you think the film will help anyone?

MG: I think both of us know the answer! So let’s not talk about it.

LBS: I still want to believe that HUM SAB EK HAIN.

MG: After doing so much for ‘our country’ and opting for the 3^rd class accommodation in heaven too due to my ideologies, everyday looking at earth, I feel that KYA HUM SAB C****** THE?

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: (thinking)…we should have watched that other smash hit Dabanng, at least for once Bapu would have received some solace in his death.

...................................................................................................................................................................

The above post is a satire directed towards the existing 'leadership' of India; just in case, if you did not get it!

Why Growing Up In 80’s And Early 90’s Was Cooler Than Growing Up In Noughties?

I am a child of the mid 1980’s and early 1990’s. Things were much more serene then. In our summer vacations we just used to go to the ground and get ourselves dirty by playing cricket, football, hopscotch, kho-kho or the Indian favourite gilli-danda. We actually ‘followed’ cartoon shows religiously because they used to be aired only during the vacations! Yes, that era of bland programming of Doordarshan  when ‘Fun-Time’ at 11 a.m. was really some fun, when Duck Tales and Tale Spin ruled the roost. Giant Robot was much cooler than Optimus Prime because he could be summoned by a kid with a simple ‘Come on Giant Robot’!

But nowadays, there is a cartoon overload on television. Tom & Jerry, Pink Panther and Scooby-Doo are long forgotten and the new, ‘full of crap’ cartoons have taken over. The only violence that we saw in the cartoon was thrashing of plates and cats and dogs chasing each other in some healthy natural banter. And now we have 10 year old characters 'fighting’ with weapons!

I'm sure we all lived with Mario of the Super Mario Brothers fame to save the pixelated princess and despised to see this again and again!

Eighties and nineties were the days when corporal punishment was existent and practiced in all schools and homes. When I meet my school friends or reminisce about my school days, apart from recalling our teachers whom we had a crush on, we remember how a certain teacher thrashed us or thrashed a friend.

I remember my Art & Craft teacher Mr. Maher thrashing me almost black and blue in the fifth grade; the funny part is neither then nor till now, do I know the reason of the thrashing! Maher sir was a brooding dark fellow over six feet tall with a soft voice. I think God installed his baritone into Archana Puran Singh or Lillette Dubey!

I remember, this one time we were all set in our school bus on way back to our homes and my friend Muzaffar was lame enough to yell “Aye Kaalu” (Yo Blackie!) to Mr. Maher who was passing by. He didn’t intend it to be audible, but then a yell is supremely audible, isn’t it? And then Maher sir entered the bus and we all cornered up into our seats and he smelled the extreme fear that was oozing out of Muzaffar’s face. Muzaffar was, and is, a very fair guy and he had turned red by the time Maher sir had finished thrashing him. After he left, we did not know what to do, whether to laugh our asses out or to console Muzaffar! We settled for gulping down the vision of the battering and telling Muzaffar that “it’s OK’, at least he didn’t call his parents, which would have earned him some more red marks at home, if you know what I mean.  But today, we ‘laugh our asses off’ over that incident.

Those were the days when parents too spanked us, when required. I think they raised their hands only to correct us when we were wrong and never to curb us. Today I look at kids, yelling in the malls and black mailing their parents for buying the seventeenth ‘Ben 10’ toy in 3 months and the parents trying to reason with them how they have sixteen at home and how a seventeenth wouldn’t help. And like the previous 16 times, they fail to ‘win the argument’ and buy the toy. At times like these I feel like going and telling them, “Beat that kid, the prick needs some spanking and he’ll shut his mouth and behave!”

I’m not ‘pro-beating-your-kid’.  I’m ‘pro-beat-that-kid-when-he-is-unreasonably-demanding’ (I remember Russell Peters's stand-up comedy act of Beating Your Children as I write this) 

These are the two things that I’ve noticed. I think you value things when they are scarce. That’s why we loved cartoons and I still go gaga over Tom and Jerry watching it for the 649^th time and still laugh. That’s why my generation knows the value of money and is not as materialistic as the current generation kids who are growing up. That’s why I still kept my He-Man (click & enjoy the opening theme) action figure for over 2 decades, and parted only when it broke and could not be displayed upright in the glass cabinet. We love our parents for beating us at the right time and that’s why we are reasonable and not demanding and will never be demanding with our peers, friends, families, spouses and children. We love our teachers for being imperfect and yet showing us the way towards excellence.

There was something magical about growing up in the eighties and the nineties.  

Monsoon's Arrival...2011

So I finally arrived in Mumbai on Thursday, 2nd June and caught everyone unaware. And like every year no one was prepared for me. And yet like every year the people thanked me for coming.

There is something magical about my arrival. When I touch people on their heads I can read  their thoughts. And I read this guy's thoughts...

This was after years that he strolled on my arrival without the fear of getting wet. He enjoyed my company like he used to when he was in school. He simply did not care! He was glad that I touched his face. So many times he looked up.

Oh how I loved his smiling face, 
His shoes all wet, he didn't care a damn.


For once he forgot time's race,
And turned a child, from a man.

Also on the other hand there were many who were cursing me for my early arrival. Why is it that the people love me and then hate me as the season progresses? It's not my fault that there are traffic jams, water logging, dilapidated buildings tearing apart, etc.

Blame thyself oh human beings! I bring life with me, and you find devastation in life too...

We Don't Want Self Sacrifice, We Just Want You To Fuck Off

Japan was never alien to catastrophes, human or natural. The recent natural disaster has also spilled over to man-made disaster. Japan is now facing a nuclear crisis. 

The Tokyo Electrical Power Company (TEPCO) has deployed it's workers to its nuclear plant. What touched me was the report of the Japanese elderly. Here are some people who are in their last years and willing to offer help by sacrificing themselves by being exposed to lethal radiation. They are offering to go to the plant and do what is required. 

Their argument is that young people have a higher chance of cancer due to radiation. (Cancerous cells multiply very slowly in older human beings. It's approximately 50% slower) They are in their final years or maybe days. Besides it was during their youth that nuclear power was set up. So it is their responsibility to cover up their mess. Why should the current young generation pay for what they have done! WOW!

Read the short CNN report here. 

Now this got me thinking about "my country's elders". The elders who are leading our country. The elders who want to have everything till they die. Forget self-sacrifice, the elders who are willing to kill the youth if it is required. I wonder when will the elders move away and let new blood come in? 

God, Please Introduce Accountability to Indians!

As usual after waking up, I take the newspaper and browse through the front page. I hardly ever read the front page because it is filled with gross, nauseating and heart breaking negative news, which, if I read, will surely make my day worse!

But today a headline grabbed my attention.

Wrongfully arrested, diplomat's daughter sues NY for $1.5m

A certain Ms. Kritika Biswas, daughter of Debashish Biswas, vice counsel at the Indian consulate in New York, was arrested on false charges of sending obscene and threatening anti-Semitic hate mails to teachers of her school in December 2010.

For a change I read the whole story under the headline. You too can read it here. 

Now most of the people who would read this story would be enraged that how could the administration arrest an innocent 18 year old girl? How could ‘they’ mistreat one of ‘us’? I’m sure Indian media would take this story and play it for a while and will surely give a racial undertone to it. Everybody will make a hue and cry about mistreatment of Indians by the Americans, etc., etc.

After reading the whole story, I didn’t feel enraged or think there was racial discrimination. I felt good about Ms. Biswas! No I’m not a sadist!

Ms. Kritika Biswas is in a country where she can actually sue the administration of a city for being mistreated. And if she is innocent, then I’m sure she will receive compensation, not necessary the entire $ 1.5 million. This compensation is for mental and physical stress undergone due to the unfortunate incident.

Now, picture the same scene in our glorious motherland, India. You don’t even need to picture it in your mind; this is the story of thousands of people in this country. But it is not reported in the papers. There are no cases filed against the administration. Because we, the people know that nothing will happen. THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY in our system.

Accountability: The Indian Style...

Ms. Biswas can appeal because she knows that she is in a land, where accountability is of the highest importance and where it is expected; it is something that we Indians can just dream of. A citizen there can sue the administration if he falls into an uncovered manhole and breaks his leg. But here, people have died and nothing has happened.

Aah! I want this for my city. But this wonderful city of Mumbai is nothing but a whore for the pimp-politicians who come every year, do some business through it and leave it bleeding for some other mother fucker to do business with it. And we Mumbaikars are its kids who helplessly watch this whore who provides for us. I think it is true for the entire country, not just Mumbai!

All of us are fed up potholes. The potholes are of all shapes and sizes, all depths, at all locations. They are so prominent that you can find them even on flyovers and highways. I even wrote a satirical post about it here. 

What I’m going to enlighten you will blow your minds off. Do you know that a UK citizen can claim for damages if his car has suffered mechanical failures due to potholes? Do you know that UK pays out more than £ 50 million as compensation claims due to poor roads? Don’t believe me, check it out here.  

It feels so great to read and know that these countries are accountable! As an Indian citizen, I do not want a lot from the government. I just want accountability. Simple! But the people of this country were enslaved for over 3 centuries and went scot-free on 15^th August 1947. For over 3 centuries there was somebody else who was accountable to us. We went to ‘them’ with our problems. We forgot what it means to be accountable. We still do what we did in those three enslaving centuries, we blame each other and want somebody else to come and clear the mess.

The majorities of people choose to stay mute and try to make a living and do not pay heed to things like potholes even though it is the cause of their botched up cars, injured backs, stress, high blood pressure and rage. This majority stays silent because it is busy trying to make a living.

Amongst the miniscule minority who pays heed and are aware, who tries to change and does something to change, are unfortunately defeated by the system. They end up feeling sorry for their standard of life and sorry for their country and insulate themselves.

And then there are the smart ones who do not want to compromise! These people in search of nothing but good standard of life move out of this country to some place where they do not have to worry about petty issues. The media calls it brain drain. I call it ‘Accountability’s Gain’.

I feel, I do not know what to do. If there is someone who knows how to bring accountability in our system let me know. Maybe we can start something which can be a spark a revolution which will lead to this country’s latent metamorphosis.

Like any other of the few ordinary educated, informed and well read citizens, it pains me because I know that the grass indeed is greener on the other side.

Thank You God For…

• Giving me parents
• Blessing called a sibling
• Giving me life
• Letting me live till NOW
• Blessing me with a fantastic working condition human body
• Never having to struggle for food even a single day
• A wonderful home
• My education
• Giving a mind that is continuing my education and will not cease
• All the experiences
• A few, but good friends
• The teachers that came in my life
• Keeping me safe from major sins (the minor ones, I don’t blame You ;) hehehe…)
• A job for sustenance

I don’t know whether you take requests like the local city RJs on the crappy radio stations, but I would be obliged and even more grateful if you just bless me with another thing; then it would read,

Thank you God for… Peace of Mind

[This is a request that the most human kind play on Radio GOD; it surely reaches You, but I think while returning, Your message gets messed up! I hope that when You answer this time, the frequency reaches my channel ;) ] 

Why Do Women Remain in Self-Detrimental Relationships?

Few of us were having a conversation about relationships and why do some girls/women end up in not so loving relationship. For my post, the relationship (partner) to be considered is between a woman with her boyfriend, husband or live-in.

These were a few questions and some general statements that we discussed:

• When in a relationship, how and why do they (female friends) change so much?
• Are we right being perplexed, yet concerned for our lady friends?
• How and why do head strong ladies, too, get marginalized in a relationship? (Assumption being most women do)
• Why do girls (head strong too) fall for complete jerks? (Jerks here are selfish and manipulative bastards, hell bent to marginalize women)
• Why do jerks land up with good women?
• Nice guys finish last but they do get nice girls. (I felt this could be a self soothing and hopeful statement)

This was my my insight for these not-so-grave, yet solemn questions.

I usually am good, at observing human behavior and supplement myself, sometimes by reading about it too. We human beings are complex creatures because of our complex brains which is a self destructive combination of logic and emotions, which are never perfectly balanced. I believe some of us are balanced, but that too, only few instances in a day.

The questions had no single answer. The answers are very subjective rather than being objective; subjective not from my perspective, but from the perspective of any lady in the above given questions/situations.

• When in a relationship, how and why do they (female friends) change so much?

How can a person change so much? I really don’t know! Human behavior is unpredictably irrational at times; which, the person realizes, only in retrospect.

• Are we right being perplexed, yet concerned for our lady friends?

Yes.  But I think one may be over reacting. What they do as a couple is their business. One is not trying to find faults; one is just being thoughtful as a friend who genuinely cares and concerns and hence one may be noticing her too much and trying to find out answers. But frankly my dear, don’t give a damn! 

• How and why do head strong ladies, too, get marginalized in a relationship? (Assumption being most women do)

There can be an unending assortment of reasons spread over the table of difficulties of women! But in Indian context, it could definitely be the concept of ‘sacrifice’ for the good of the husband/family.

• Why do girls (head strong too) fall for complete jerks? (Jerks here are selfish and manipulative bastards, hell bent to marginalize women)

As far as settling for jerks as husbands, the only good reason I think is that they maybe ‘better’ bread winners. ‘Better’ in financial terms and the kind of social standing their ‘family’ has in the ‘society’! Apart from this I see no sense. This is surely a fact, which probably, none of the women will express openly. And if there is, I still haven’t found it. 

• Why do jerks land up with good women?

A woman will not settle down with a jerk boyfriend but there is a high probability that she may settle down with a jerk guy via arranged marriage due to at least, the one reason, I cited above.  (There maybe more reasons) If she remains (bf/husband/live-in) with a jerk she knows, then surely something is wrong with the lady, emotionally! Or maybe the sex is just so great that rest doesn’t matter!

• Nice guys finish last but they do get nice girls.

Read the statement again. Read!!! Have you read it? If you’re a nice guy, you would know that you finish LAST.  But as the world says and is trying to condition us by saying positive things about blah blah blah blah blah… yes you’ll get some nice girl and eventually settle down and blah blah blah blah… Got it? So feel what ever you want to feel. (My perspective)

The concern with guys like us is that we think a lot, are well read, socially aware, don’t have standard opinions, will always go with the right side as we don’t follow factions of thought processes and hence choose to believe and more-or-less stay balanced in spite of the observed prevalent irregularities which highly perplexes us.

Thinking is something that is deep rooted and we’re a rare kind in today’s society which just doesn’t think. I don’t know if I’m too bold to acknowledge that we are the last league of ‘gentlemen’ in our times, at least in the immediate society we stay in.

I’m not an anti-feminist, pro-feminist, male-chauvinist, or any other god forsaken adjective used to describe men or women. I’m just plain-fucking-nice!

3 Reasons Why Zor Ka Jhatka was Totally Wiped Out!

Zor Ka Jhatka - Total Wipeout has been 'totally wiped out' by the viewers! Here's why:

1. Pathetic programme packaging.

2. Contestants - Totally washed out contestants whom nobody wants to watch.

3. Host/Commentator - Shah Rukh Khan! WTF was he thinking to host a show like this(no guesses...it was the money). He can be a good host (KBC-2) but he is not a good commentator. 

The concept was not innovative at all. Indians have been exposed to a similar concept in the form of Takeshi's Castle on Pogo TV. And the only thing that made it popular was Javed Jaffery a.k.a. JJ! 

Takeshi's Castle got the above 3 parameters perfectly right.

1. Packaging - Just the plain video with no unnecessary added animations. Crisp Editing. Only the hilarious and painful endeavours made it to the show.  

2. Contestants were the common people. No 'known' faces. (Because it was an old show where reality shows had real people, not faded nobody's who once appeared on TV!)  

3. A concept like this requires smart commentary, not star power. JJ had us in splits with his hilarious comments. (He was not required to stand in shiny suits. His voice talent was the 'Pulled' the audience ) I still catch the re-runs on Pogo and still laugh on his comments. His commentary was the reason that people loved a stale Japanese show!

The show has not been able to garner TRPs and will soon be called a failure. I have heard the knell.

The channel 'Pushed' the show very hard and tried shoving it up by garnishing it with Shah Rukh Khan. The ever intelligent viewer just moved aside (did not watch) and the channel, itself, shoved the show into oblivion!  

10 Chrome Extensions to Simplify Your Life + 1 Super App.

I'm not an IT person but I have a reasonable interest in technology and especially the Internet.

There are a few tools which has made my computing and browsing experience very pleasant. I wanted to share it with you all. 

App: Evernote

Imagine you're sitting in front of your desktop at work and are getting bored. (You don't need to imagine that. It's a fact! Hehehe) Your mind wanders off and you get a great idea for a party or an idea for your blog or remember the things you have to do when you go home or the grocery list for the weekend. What do you do? You use Evernote. It's a fantastic note taking tool for people who use multiple PCs and own  a Smart Phone. When I say note taking, I mean things ranging from your personal to do list to office to do list. When you are surfing the web, you find something interesting that you might want to read in the future, or maybe a photograph that you liked, etc. etc. 

How is it different from a Post-It Note?

You can sync it to your free account. All you have to do is visit the website, download and install the application on your work PC/Laptop and home PC/Laptop, register and you're done. If you're traveling and don't have the application, you can check your data online on Evernote's website. 

You can tag the notes to sort them. You can print notes directly or email them! You can attach files, pictures, tables, hyperlinks, etc. And if you own a BB, iPhone or an Android phone, you can sync it too!

This helps me a lot as I blog and I can write ideas ASAP and don't need to worry about 'idea retrieval'. Also all of us find great links which we write somewhere because it could be useful, but when the time comes, we fail to find it!

Most of us have practically stopped using pen and paper. This is a fantastic tool for anything. People have composed novels and business plans using this app! Try it. Watch a 2 minute introductory video below. 

(Also see, Evernote widget below) 

Browser: Google Chrome

We all started with Internet Explorer but gradually moved to open source browsers like Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. I have used all the mentioned browsers. Google Chrome beats Mozilla Firefox by a considerable margin. The most important aspect of Chrome is its speed. It is light and loads lightning fast as compared to a reasonable Firefox. (I'm not comparing with Safari as it is an Apple browser. Even though it is awesome, the usage of Safari is relatively low compared to Chrome in this part of the world.)

Incognito mode in Chrome: Do you know that everytime you browse, you leave behind a history in the browser. Many a times we manually delete our browsing history but Chrome can take care of this. All you have to do is open the window in the Incognito mode (Ctrl+Shift+N) or in the Tool function on the Right Hand Side of the browser, click to open the drop down menu and click Incognito Window. 

When you browse in this mode and close the window, the history isn't saved. It's deleted automatically! It's advisable to use this at computers at public places and work. (If you have a collegues or seniors poking their noses)

 

I'm assuming that most of us use the bookmarks functions so I'm not going to say, how it helps me in my browsing. Its the extensions which has made me a fanboy of Google Chrome.

Extensions are widgets (mini - applications) in the browser that a user needs to install.

Below are the widgets that are extremely helpful for anyone.

1. Google Dictionary 

It happens with most of us that we don't know the meaning of a particular word while reading something interesting in the mail or general browsing. Install this and all you have to do is double  click the word and the meaning pops up!

2. X Marks

People who have the habit of bookmarking, this is the best tool to sync your bookmarks. So that you can access it from anywhere.

3. Last Pass

We all have multiple accounts and passwords like Facebook, Twitter, GMail (or any email), blogs, communities, etc. Just install Last Pass and save the login information of all your sites. You have to create a master password for Last Pass. Just key in the master password once when you start. Done. You dont have to fill all the other details. When you open facebook (or any other site), it automatically logs you in! I have over 12 different websites where my log in has become hassle free!

The only catch is, do not use it on your work PC. You don't want the colleagues to access your information ;) And if you have multiple users at home,don't worry, there can be multiple accounts. 

 

4. You Tube Downloader 

Once you install this all you have to do is just click and download ;) There will be a download option just below the video window which is usually not there. (It's not developed by Google but works well)

5.  Evernote Web Clipper 

You're browsing your favourite website or blog and you like something you see. Just highlight the text or photo and click on the Evernote widget icon on the top right hand side of your Chrome browser. It will save and sync it to your Evernote. Simple. 

6. Facebook for Google Chrome 

You can't login everytime to facebook but yet want to receive updates and share status updates. Install this. 

7. Chromed Bird  (Twitter)

You are regular Tweet-er and passionate about following your favourite celebs or your friends. Just install this and let this be a small window to the Twitter world.

8. Remind Me 

If you're addicted to browsing, this is for you! RemindMe allows you to setup reminders while browsing and sync them between computers.

9. Awesome Screenshot 

We all have have a print screen facility in our PCs, but this takes the clipping experience to a higher level. There is a multitude of options to share too. 

 

10. Add This 

This is for the browsing butterflies who want to share interesting links with the world ASAP!

There are thousands of productivity apps/widgets on the official Google Chrome Extension site along with some fun apps too (if you really have the time for whiling away time!) This is the Official Google  Chrome Extension home page.

Internet and technology can assist us, if we use it in that way. Hope you found this useful. 

Leave a comment if you use any. Or if there are some awesome extensions you already use and is noteworthy to be shared.