Star Wars III - Revenge of the Sith

Yesterday, I had been to the late night show of Star Wars III at Inox. Movie started at 23:00 hrs.

Before starting of the show something took me by surprise. Usually, before starting of the movie lots of advertisements and messages are displayed. So, I was not viewing them and was lost in my thoughts. When suddenly I saw everybody around me standing up including my friend sitting next to me. For a moment, I thought, 'is there some bomb hoax and have we been asked to vacate the theatre ?'. When I took a look on the screen, there was a message "Please stand up - for the National Anthem". And I think I was the last person to get up, and that too with a jerk.

I liked this idea of National Anthem before the movie begins. But, the flag cloth that was being picturised on the screen could have been of better quality. Anyways, something better than nothing.

Star Wars as usual had cool graphics and special effects. Anakin Skywalker who saves his master Kenobi and rescues the Chancellor gets promoted to be included in the Jet-I council. But to his dismay he is not designated as a Master(One who becomes the member of the council by default, becomes a Master). This came as a surprise to him. Since he is not the master, his suggestions are not taken into consideration and nor is he being consulted for any critical decisions. Though, his skills were more than anybody in the council.

This made him felt being left out of the activities of the council and he is approached by the darker side of the mission. He becomes the slave of the evil and obeys his command.

Director, George Lucas has very well highlighted this part of the movie where the hero in the begining becomes a complete devil towards the end.

Good movie. Worth watching once....

That bad morning

Yesterday morning, when everything went wrong for me. Here how it goes ..........

When I woke up in the morning it was already 8:30 am to find that my alarm did not rang coz' it's battery had gone down. I hurriedly got ready for office by 9 am, and to mention that I had to skip exercising that day.

By 9 my office starts and here at 9, i was leaving my house. It takes 10 mins to reach office by an auto-rickshaw. But since this was a bad morning there was only stand without any rickshaws. Had to keep walking towards my office, keeping an eye on all the auto-rickshaws that passed my way to find them boarded. After 10 mins found a one. And to add to my woes, this rickshaw driver was not carrying any change, not even a rupe. No option but, left change with him.

At last, reached office at 9:25 am. Quickly ran through my mails and headed towards pantry to have breakfast. Corn flakes with milk was on my mind. On reaching pantry found that it was not readily available which burgeoned the queue.

Sandwhich was the another quicky left. I moved out of the queue, to get sandwhich coupon. To my disguise Sandwhich guy had no chutney left.

Headed towards cornflakes queue, only to know that the bowls that came out have been served. So, took the decision to stand in the general snacks queue and have idlis. Atlast, got some idlis, had them and returned to my desk.

Managed to start my daily work at 10:00 am which was planned to start at 8:30(a day ahead).

I would always remember this morning......

$5m a day EU fine looms for Microsoft

Following the Ballmer-Kroes meeting, the E.U. confirmed that Microsoft was still not complying with the order to stop abusing its Windows monopoly and that time was running out.

"All I can say for the moment is we are still not satisfied," said Jonathan Todd spokesperson for Commissioner Kroes. "Patience is not unlimited. We are talking weeks rather than months."


Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO - During the past 20 years, Ballmer has headed several Microsoft divisions, including operations, operating systems development, and sales and support. In July 1998, he was promoted to President, a role that gave him day-to-day responsibility for running Microsoft. He was named CEO in January 2000, assuming full management responsibility for the company.
Todd confirmed on Friday that the clock is ticking.

"Within a matter of weeks rather than months we will have to decide whether we are satisfied that they are complying with the remedies to our satisfaction," he said.

Microsoft may be fined up to 5 percent of its daily worldwide turnover.

Microsoft is appealing the Commission's decision before the EU's Court of First Instance in Luxembourg.

On Friday, the court admitted the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, a business group, as a formal party in oral proceedings on the grounds that it has an interest in the outcome of the case.

That group includes companies such as IBM, Oracle, Nokia and Red Hat.

An oral hearing in the case is expected before the end of the year