The Zune Chronicles - Chapter 1

Every weekend this past month is spent in a very similar fashion. I can't seem to get myself out of bed so I can eke out a few more minutes of sleep. The mental exhaustion overpowers the desire to do anything else; my eyes usually sore from having stared at the computer screen for hours on end. I wish it were physical exhaustion - I sparingly go to the gym during the week; the lack of a car means I rarely workout over the weekend.

When I eventually wean myself out from under the sheets, it takes me a few minutes to get out of my discombobulated state. The rigors of the week gone by are only partially behind me and it's only a matter of time before I am completely rejuvenated. A long shower followed by a warm meal and it's time to go back to office again. This time, it's to tie up some loose ends, catch up on personal email and spin some tunes on the fantastic DJ console in the atrium.

Working on the Zune has been exhilarating, strenuous, demanding and viscerally stimulating, all at the same time. The magical aah I experienced when I saw my feature finally work is hard to describe (here's what the console said - 1 Test SUCCEEDED). I had made a contribution to the release, a change that might seem small and inconsequential to the naked eye but one that heralds my passage into a new role. A role of creator and designer of future features, one that hopefully lends me the opportunity to better A customer's experience. Oh the possibilities...

Pyaar Ke Side Effects

*Update* - I am done watching the movie and it reminded me of Coupling and "Meet the Parents". Good movie nonetheless; the writers have provided an insight into an Indian adult relationship in today's milieu, albeit from a guy's perspective.

This is the first time I am watching a Hindi movie on a Sunday night. Here I am, sitting on my couch watching Rahul Bose waste his talent on this commercial film. Just heard a very honest dialogue though (unexpected) - "During a marriage, women feel really cold. They need to feel the warmth of a man." True you think?

Hung out with Karan and Monu all evening; it started with us doing reviews and ended with chaat and chai at Mayuri. We each rented DVDs before he dropped me back home but not before I got a lecture from Monu about settling down. You want to hear my retort - "If you find me a cute girl like the one we just saw at the DVD counter, I'd marry her without a moment's thought". That kinda shut Monu up but I still maintain, the girl renting the DVD ahead of me is my kinda girl.

This one totally reminded me of Ayesha - dusky complexion, hair cut in layers, nose ring, Levis jeans. I suggested that she see Page 3, a movie I saw in Bombay a few years ago. Now that I think of the situation I could've said, in my deliberate voice - "If I recommend a good movie, the one I am holding in my hand, can I get your name?" I didn't anything remotely close to that; curse missed opportunities. Actually, this exact thought didn't occur to me either, though a similar one (that I can't recall now) did cross my mind. Some honing of the playa skills is in order. Back to watching this silly but funny movie now!

Vote for the Worst American Idol

The motto of this website says it best and leaves nothing left for me to say. Read on and please, Vote For The Worst :))

"We're back! Votefortheworst.com was started in 2004 to support voting for the entertaining contestants who the producers would hate to see win on American Idol. Why do we do it? During the initial auditions, the producers of Idol only let certain people through. Many good people are turned away and many bad singers are kept around to see Simon, Paula, and Randy so that America will be entertained.

Now why do the producers do this? It's simple: American Idol is not about singing at all, it's about making good reality TV and enjoying the cheesy, guilty pleasure of watching bad singing. We agree that a fish out of water is entertaining, and we want to acknowledge this fact by encouraging people to make an even funnier show by helping the amusing antagonists stick around. VFTW sees keeping these contestants around as a golden opportunity to make a funnier show."

The Trouble With India

"And so it goes in India. Unless the nation shakes off its legacy of bureaucracy, politics, and corruption, its ability to build adequate infrastructure will remain in doubt. So will its economic destiny."

Reading this article was depressing; the fact that this has been written for a global audience isn't all that bad. What's worse is the fact that this is all true; no exaggeration, all verity...

The Zune Team

It's time for a new chapter... Will update this space later this evening because I have a lot of work to do right now!

Disgusted with myself

I hardly did anything today and I haven't worked out either. I need to start clocking the hours I put in to work every day. Enough of this, I need to go to bed now so I can start tomorrow on a great note.

Miscellaneous...

I am now a member of the Zune Development Team. The last time I felt so at sea was during RI-14 of the Longhorn Development Cycle. I emerged from that and I will from this situation. It is great to be challenged the way I have been this past week.

I have shot myself in the foot by intentionally destroying my sleep cycle. I forced myself to get into bed before Midnight for the first two weeks upon returning from India but that's history now. I have to get back to that schedule, especially on week days. It might help my sleep (among other things) if I didn't binge eat Rice Puffs (so tasty) at night - point noted.

The Security Processor Team is sorely missed!