nostalgia on S Anand

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 10:50:57 +0000

For a second, I thought I’d been hacked.

If you search for “Geocities” on Google, it shows the results in a Comic Sans font.

https://www.google.com/search?q=geocities

Turns out it’s an easter egg by Google that’s about 8 months old.

Are there any Geocities homesteaders here? Or is LinkedIn too new for the old-timers?

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 16:19:37 +0000

I was surprised to see a big chunk of my #music library is from the 1960s – thanks to the songs my parents grew up with, and passed on to me.

In celebration of Music Day on 21 Jun, I’m treating myself to 2 weeks of songs from the #1960s.

I’ve linked to my collection. Hope you discover some gems too!

Old songs in my music library

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 16:02:05 +0000

My music library has around 1,000 songs (mostly Tamil and Hindi, with some Telugu and English film songs).

I spent this morning tagging them by year with mp3tag. (Manually. You don’t automate the pleasures of life.)

I thought my 1990s collection would be the largest. I was in college, listening to lots of music then. But surprisingly, my collection has grown post the 1990s.

I have 3 guesses why.

Recency bias. I re-built this collection recently. Maybe I forgot older songs?
Digitization bias. Maybe I listened to more songs as the cost of transmission/storage fell?
Worsening standards. Maybe I used to be choosier about music?

Though I’m not sure of the above, there’s another interesting anomaly.

There is a spike in the 1960s.

I don’t need to guess this one. I know why. Those are the songs my parents liked. I grew up hearing them.

The oldest song Tamil song is from Thiruneelakantar (1939). It’s from my father’s collection. I’ve heard it often enough to still enjoy it.

The oldest Hindi song is from Jaal (1952). He has a fondness for Dev Anand’s songs. So do I. This one is a beauty.

The oldest Tamil song my mother introduced me to is from Parasakthi (1952). She used to dance to this song when young.

The earliest Hindi song she introduced me to was from Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955). It’s the song I grew up on, and it’s still among my favorites. What a melody!

My wife prefers newer songs. But I have low standards and few preferences. It makes my life rather happy.

So, in celebration of Make Music Day on 21 June, I’m treating myself to 2 weeks of my collection from the 1960s!

PS: My full collection is at https://gist.github.com/sanand0/877637165b17239aa27beac03749c9a6

All Your Base Are Belong To Us

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:00:00 +0000

(If you don’t get it, see what All your base are belong to us means)

via This is my pizza.

Comments

Grant Carpenterk 17 Apr 2007 12:00 pm: LOL, that comic was made of pure awesome! Well done on your adaptation!
Grand Carp 1 Oct 2008 12:24 pm: Awesome (no I’m not Grant Capenterk, I’m making fun of his name)
Carpe Grand 1 Oct 2008 5:31 pm: May I join in the fun?
S Anand 1 Oct 2008 5:32 pm: Hmm… comments are going a bit off-topic here…

I adopt a 6-year old

Sun, 29 Jul 2001 12:00:00 +0000

This is one of the funniest conversations I’ve had.
funkymishti79: hello
funkymishti79: anyone wanna chat
anand_m26blr: Sure Funky.
anand_m26blr: Are you from Mumbai?
funkymishti79: where r u from
kunu122: hi
anand_m26blr: Mumbai. Actually, I didn’t quite think anyone would use this room.
funkymishti79: hi kunu
anand_m26blr: I had dropped by to practise some Yahoo emoticons
kunu122: is there any 1 there in room
anand_m26blr: which were not listed.
anand_m26blr: Good to see so many join in.
funkymishti79: lol
kunu122: u
kunu122: how r u
anand_m26blr: Hey, did you all know about the secret emoticons?
funkymishti79: i am fine kunu
kunu122: please tell me how
anand_m26blr: Well, for the rose
kunu122: a/s/l
funkymishti79: whose?????
anand_m26blr: you’ve got to type @ } ; -
anand_m26blr: Yours, I suppose, Funky.
kunu122: u funky
funkymishti79: sharon r u theres
anand_m26blr: Mine is obvious – M 26 BLR.
anand_m26blr: Hi, Kunu.
kunu122: how r u
funkymishti79: 6/f/mum
anand_m26blr: Good. Where are you from?
funkymishti79: u are old enough to be my father anand
kunu122: r u just 6 yrs
funkymishti79: yes kunu uncle…..
anand_m26blr: Always wanted a kid, Funky. Shall I adopt you?
kunu122: 16/m/mum
anand_m26blr: Hmmm… between us, we’re in arithmetic progression
kunu122: anand a/s/l
anand_m26blr: M 26. Right now I’m in Mumbai.
funkymishti79: glad to be ur daughter…by the way are u fussy about late nights and chocolates????
funkymishti79: r u not frm mumbai
anand_m26blr: I’m EXTREMELY fussy about late nights, but not chocolates.
kunu122: yes i m from mum
anand_m26blr: Unless you prefer dark chocolate.
anand_m26blr: How about you, Kunu? What’s your preference of chocolate?
funkymishti79: r u adopting kunu tooo…..i don’t want a brother
anand_m26blr: Well, Kunu can be your uncle
funkymishti79: where is my mommy….(tears)
anand_m26blr: These days, you need to learn to cope with having a single parent, dear!
funkymishti79: naa…i wnat mommy and no uncle…
anand_m26blr: Well, Kunu, I don’t know your preferences, but
funkymishti79: unless he is handsome
anand_m26blr: could you become Funky’s mommy?
anand_m26blr: Uh, oh.. I think he’s gone!
funkymishti79: i want kunu mommy…..(laughing with one tooth)
anand_m26blr: Scared him, didn’t you?!? Very bad girl!
anand_m26blr: Shouldn’t scare mommy away.
funkymishti79: vinay r u frm delhi????
funkymishti79: no i want mommy…daddy help
anand_m26blr: Guess I’ll have to get you another one, child.
anand_m26blr: Lots around.
anand_m26blr: Hello everyone.
anand_m26blr: Anyone wants to join me in parenting Funky?
anand_m26blr: Gender irrelevant.
anand_m26blr: She likes late nights (I don’t) and chocolate (I do)
funkymishti79: parents invited for interviews…open now…rush for it
anand_m26blr: Application: 79 year old. Plenty of experience.
anand_m26blr: Retired in 1980.
funkymishti79: help i want a mommy…u fool…not a nani
anand_m26blr: Well, why not both?
anand_m26blr: Application: 79 year old with 50 year old daughter
anand_m26blr: AND a 25 year old grand-daughter.
funkymishti79: i said only mommy and not the whole fuckin family….
anand_m26blr: Good lord, you have such vile vocabulary. Wash your mouth!!
anand_m26blr: Otherwise no chocolates tonight.
anand_m26blr: Do you really like chocolate that much? I’m a white chocolate fan myself.
funkymishti79: i heard u saying these last night with the barely clad woman daddy
anand_m26blr: Well, Funky, you and I should have a little chat about birds and
anand_m26blr: bees in about 6-7 years from now.
anand_m26blr: But till then, sleep early!!
funkymishti79: no i want to stick to daddy and do what he does…
funkymishti79: with the birds and bees
anand_m26blr: I don’t think you can do what daddy does, sweety pie. A bird cannot do what a bee does.
anand_m26blr: (At least, not as well)
funkymishti79: me a delhiwali and u….daddy (blinking eyelids)
anand_m26blr: Daddy has been all over the country
funkymishti79: me likes new daddy….now the chocolates…heh heh
anand_m26blr: Chocolates will be served only after dinner. First, brush your teeth.
funkymishti79: how can i eat chocolates after brushing my teeth u moron!!!!
anand_m26blr: Moron!?!? That’s not the way you speak to daddy, child! Now, spank yourself and
anand_m26blr: pretend daddy really beat you up.
funkymishti79: kids r smarter these days daddy
anand_m26blr: And what’s wrong with eating chocolates after brushing your teeth?
anand_m26blr: You can always brush it again after the chocolate
anand_m26blr: I’ll go with you on the kids getting smarter. The time’s come when I think I know
anand_m26blr: less than my 12-year old cousins.
funkymishti79: lets get brushing outof the scene whats the use????
anand_m26blr: Point. All other things being equal, I’d rather never brush.
anand_m26blr: And, of course, hog all the chocolate and ice cream I can get.
anand_m26blr: But Daddy never said that, OK?
funkymishti79: what do u do for a living daddy???? i mean i have to know the money source
anand_m26blr: well, OK, you might be a prodigy.

funkymishti79: no such luck…i am spoilt brat kinds
anand_m26blr: Daddy works as a consultant. And don’t EVER ask what that means.
anand_m26blr: Daddy makes a life out of conning poor companies off their wealth.
funkymishti79: smart daddy
funkymishti79: naaaaa…me got a sis
anand_m26blr: Well, that makes me the proud father of two, then! Wonder when I got the time away
anand_m26blr: from all these clients!
funkymishti79: interesting so no family jhanjhat
anand_m26blr: None at all.
anand_m26blr: Incidentally, is my daughter fending off a whole array of PMs?
funkymishti79: save me dadddy
anand_m26blr: Kyaa hua bitiya?
anand_m26blr: Kaun tujhe tang kar raha hein?
funkymishti79: duniya bhar ke ladke
funkymishti79: pappa
anand_m26blr: baat karo na? taras rahe honge
anand_m26blr: bichare na jaane kitne door se aaye hein tumse baat karne ke liye.
anand_m26blr: Aur agar koi pasand aaya, let me know. I’ll start worrying about him 15 years from now.
funkymishti79: anand u r damn cute
anand_m26blr: With all due respect, I am NOT cute. I may be a hunk,
anand_m26blr: I may be powerfully attractive,
anand_m26blr: but I am NOT, repeat NOT, cute.
anand_m26blr: you promise not to call me “cute”.
anand_m26blr: Such a ridiculous word.
anand_m26blr: Do you promise?
funkymishti79: sorry daddy…i thought my daddy will be more appropriate
anand_m26blr: Hmmm…. that’s better.
anand_m26blr: Just keep showing me this kind of respect, and I’ll treat you to chocolates.
anand_m26blr: Maybe even let you stay up late on Saturdays.
funkymishti79: cute…cute….cute…anand is cute
anand_m26blr: HRRRMMMPPHHH!
anand_m26blr: Bad girl!
anand_m26blr: Sssshhhhhhhhh….
anand_m26blr: Koi sun lega. What will happen to my reputation!?
funkymishti79: no daddy don’t be greedy now
anand_m26blr: Nothing greedy about not wanting to be “cute”!
anand_m26blr: (Yuk, what a word!)
anand_m26blr: Can I PM you, if you don’t mind? Wouldn’t want Kunu to track me down and propose to me…
funkymishti79: jaydeep are u sharon’s friend
anand_m26blr: Hmm, who’s Jaydeep? Hi Jaydeep! Why don’t you join us?
funkymishti79: daddy…thats is for me….parents stay away
anand_m26blr: This place is a bit of madhouse, but its OK, I’m sure you’ll fit in…
anand_m26blr: OK, OK, dear.
anand_m26blr: Incidentally, I know it’s a little late to ask, but what’s your real name?
funkymishti79: daddy can call beti anything
anand_m26blr: Funky sounds too ‘funky’. Mishti’s better. OK, mishti?
funkymishti79: yes daddy….as long as u feed me
anand_m26blr: Strict diet of chocolates and ice cream, I suppose? No way!
anand_m26blr: Daal chaval and roti is what you can expect.
anand_m26blr: Maybe the occassional bhaingan bharta.
funkymishti79: gotta go…will call u tomorrow
anand_m26blr: See you. And now I can go back in peace to my emoticons

Smileys

Thu, 07 Dec 2000 12:00:00 +0000

The classic collection of smileys and more :-)