Troll Jokes -- Old Furniture

Morning Everyone,

    Well Well, this is the 200th post!! So I thought we should laugh out loud a little!! So here is a troll pic!! Hope it is funny enough!!

Troll Pictures

    Hope you liked it. Don't forget to check similar ones here and here.

with warm regards
Abhishek Boinapalli

Book Review: SEAL TEAM SIX

Hello Everyone,

   How is all going on? Enjoying the week? Reading anything new? Here is a review of SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of Elite Navy SEAL.      
     Just when the world went on a high about the death of Osama Bin Laden in a assault by SEAL Team Six, we had access to SEAL TEAM SIX Memoirs of Elite Navy SEAL by Wasdin Howard E. and Stephen Templin. Co-Incidence or not, the book gained some popularity immediately. So I too was interested, tried it couldn't complete it. But eventually after trying hard enough I completed the book recently.
 Authors :
DR. HOWARD E. WASDIN graduated with BUD/S Class 143. After the Battle of Mogadishu, where he was awarded the Silver Star, Wasdin medically retired from the Navy in November, 1995, after 12 years of service. He lives in Georgia.

STEPHEN TEMPLIN completed Hell Week, qualified as a pistol and rifle expert, and blew up things during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. He is now an associate professor at Meio University in Japan.
Plot:

     The book tells us a story, of Mr. Wasdin Howard E. of his childhood, harsh spanking he used to receive, the hard work he used to do as a teenager in watermelon field, his love, his  SEARCH and RESCUE  job  in Navy, how professional he was as a SAR swimmer, his training as a SEAL, his operations, operations of other seals, how he entered the operation DESERT STORM, how he managed a few operations, how he dealt with kindness to those in need, how he took down a few evil men with great SNIPER shots, how he earned the respect of DELTA boys, how he went in into battle of Mogadishu (known to all as operation BLACK HAWK DOWN), how bad he was hurt, his treatment and rehabilitation, how he went into depression, how he came back, why he resigned and took up police service and how he joined college to become a chiropractor.

     Now, what do I say about the book? I don't like it at all. I feel the authors did a shitty job. I prefer to read Lone Survivor The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. This book covers SEAL training, spirit of SEALS and such better. I almost felt that SEALS are demigods after reading the book. I prefer to read Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War to know about the battle of Mogadishu. The military men of USA won my respect and laurels only after reading Black Hawk Down. Black Hawk Down introduced me to the military man's heart, spirit and hard-ships.

Cons: 

     Pitiful and Pathetic work by the authors of SEAL TEAM SIX. Not much gore, Not much training intensity, Couldn't catch the spirit of military men, couldn't show a reason why I must keep on continuing, half the way down I was bored and didn't feel like going forward at all. I completed the book, only because I am a freak of military stuff. I must say, that the book must depend on the timing of release for sales and on some of the cool parts of excerpts available online. I am sure, this book will be soon forgotten but a few jokes from it may live forever like this one here and this one here

Pros:
  Though the plot and narration of book are pitiful, the book captures the spirit of military-men, the bond between men-in-arms, the pain they undergo, how they need to work hard, how they have to look after their careers, their lives, their martial problems and all.  There is quite some humour here and there. I guess you can read that part. 

Do I recommend the book? No, not for someone who knows the SEALS, who is die-hard fan of military stuff. If you are a newbie into the military world, you  may give this book a try. Though I prefer not. Better to read Lone Survivor and Black Hawk Down.

--x--

with warm regards

Abhishek Boniapalli

First Campaigner Challenge -- Four Campaign

Hello Everyone,

 RACHEAL HARRIE of the Rach Writes is holding FIRST CAMPAIGN CHALLENGE in the FOURTH CAMPAIGN.  Here is the challenge:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count. 

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:

• end the story with the words: "everything faded." (also included in the word count)

• include the word "orange" in the story

• write in the same genre you normally write

• make your story 200 words exactly!

Here is my entry:

--x--

Shadows crept across the wall in the dim orange glow of the bed-lamp as they crouched low, holding the bat's grip tight in their sweating palms, straining their ears to listen , ready to break-in into my bed-room to kill me while I was hiding under the couch directly opposite them, thunderstruck, careful not to give out my position and watching the men who are about to hunt me.

Unconsciously my mind said out a prayer asking for safety and a thanks for the kid who worked hard with the alarm, though it gave so short a notice that all I could do was jump and hide below this couch. I shall run the moment they enter the room shouted my panicked heart while my mind warned there might me more of them waiting for me outside.

Thud Thud Thud

Bang Bang Bang

The door gave-in under the heavy weight of their shoulders and I was startled at the shots. Just then, I crawled out to run away before my head exploded in sharp pain, my vision blurred at sight of my blood and my brain stopped registering anymore pain as left me to die and then everything faded away.

--x--

Did you like it? Does it make sense? Are you participating in the campaign too? Kindly drop in your link @comments so that I can visit you back.

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Author Interview: THE HOME GROWN

Morning Everyone,

 Hope you all enjoyed the weekend well and are back with new enthusiasm to the work-place. Hope you have a great week ahead.

  Yesterday I was hosting the tour de codex Virtual Book Tour and posted about the GiveAway by Harry DeshPande, the author of The Home Grown.

  Mr. DeshPanda unwinds here with us and chats about his book, his ideas and his work.

--x--

• Mr. Harry Deshpande, tell us a little about yourself? (w.r.t. your native place, your inclinations towards writings and the inspirations you have)

-- I am born in India in a city called Pune which is mid-sized city in India. Growing up I never had any thoughts of becoming a writer. This is sort of an acquired taste for me and I am liking it so far.

• Mr. Harry, You are an Indian. Did the relationship between India and Pakistan have an impact on the HOME GROWN?

-- Yes, like any Hindu boy growing up in India, I was trained to hate Muslims. I am quite sure that the reverse is also true. It took me long time to come out of the mentality and this process taught me that there are essentially multiple ways to look at the same event, the devil is in the interpretations.

• Mr. Harry, the topic / theme of the book is about Jihad and how someone can turn from western citizen to public enemy. Can you give us your comment on it?

-- It is fashionable among western countries to foster diversity. While there should be no problem with diversity, it also encourages tolerance of extreme diversity. Extreme diversity results in suicidal interpretations. Fortunately, as of now this 'extremist' group is a small phenomenon and can be controlled if people understand the importance of understanding the 'method behind madness.'

•  Mr. Harry Deshpande tell us a little about your writing endeavours, future plans and current projects?

-- Nothing firm in pipeline yet. I am writing a screenplay for the book and then I am thinking of writing another fictional book based on the life of an Aryan Supremacist.

• What was the most difficult part? Writing Home Grown? Re-editing it? Getting a publisher? or ..?

-- getting a publisher. The mount of self-censorship in US is un-believable. Mere mention of the Allah or Qur'an is enough for people to not to touch this book. This is rather unfortunate since this book does not insult Islam, neither does it condone terrorism.

• Your advise to writers who are trying hard to get published?

Stay away from controversial topics. :)

--x--

Here are a few links to Mr. DeshPande. Check him out!!

http://www.facebook.com/harshawardhan.deshpande

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/harshawardhan-deshpande/17/a93/b78

http://borderlessnewsandviews.com/author/harry-deshpande/

http://www.thehomegrown.info/

http://www.systomatics.info

 Wishing you all success Mr. DeshPande

Abhishek Boinapalli

The Home Grown : tour de codex

Hello All,

  This post is for Virtual Book Tour viz Tour De Codex to promote The Home Grown by Harry Deshpande. 

  This post shall give out the details of the book, the author and the GIVE-AWAY. The interview will be posted in the next post. 

About Harry DeshPande:

     Harry Deshpande has worked in finance/costing/admin/procurement at various points of time. During the same period he also managed to rack up losses in about six business ventures, one after another.

     He left India in 2001 and started programming in 2002. He and his family have moved around the globe for the next few years and are now settled down in United States since 2007. Harry is now working as a developer for a fortune 500 company.

  Other than writing and programming, Harry also indulges in book reviews and day-trading stocks.

About THE HOME GROWN:

What does it take to make a man turn against his country and join the Jihadists? Today, as suicide bombs and terrorist attacks devastate all corners of the globe, this question consumes all of us. Now, author Harry Deshpande's debut novel, The Homegrown, comes all too close to home to explore the journey of an educated Danish citizen, who is confronted by circumstances that compel him to unfathomable ends. With Deshpande's effort to lift the veil on the lethal exchange at play on the international stage, readers who seek a deeper understanding of the global dynamics that are compromising world peace will find invaluable insight into the mind of the converted.

When recent college graduate Anwar, a Muslim born in Denmark, marries Nahgma, an Indian Muslim, her prosperous father is keen to celebrate the union by treating them to a honeymoon in Hawaii. However, Anwar's father has a markedly different idea in mind to launch their marriage: a visit to the family homeland of Pakistan to acquaint the new bride with Pashtun culture. Reluctantly agreeing, Anwar finds himself in the province of Quetta, and in the forbidding company of Hamid, a member of his extended family who has a palpable madness in his eyes.

Regrettably, this meeting will forever alter Anwar's worldview. When he takes up Hamid's offer to visit a site of American attack as proof that the United States is targeting innocents, Anwar lands in the middle of a skirmish between American Special Forces and the jihadist elements. From there, one traumatic event after another calls into question Anwar's accepted Danish mores, his relationship with his new bride, and his comprehension of Denmark's complicity to Pakistani atrocities at the hands of Americans.

From there, rigorous Jihadist brainwashing quickly transforms a benign Western accountant into an avowed Muslim with a new wife, for whom he has a passion that even surprises him. With that love rendered asunder, Anwar now has the fire to enact the unimaginable, right in his once-beloved Denmark.

With each turn, The Homegrown charts the grave and all-too-common trajectory from world citizen to public enemy, casting crucial light on why terrorists succeed with their message of hatred, and why the United States may be losing in the war of propaganda.  

Give-Away:

Three kindle versions of the book are up for grabs. To grab the same, kindly comment on this post. Visit Mr. Harry Deshpande and let him know your opinions on the book. I shall contact the winners in the end of Feb.

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Book Review: HITCH - Making Good In Hard Times

Hello Everyone,

 Hope you kick-started the weekend with lots of plans, hopes and an awesome spirit. Me too, took a day off to read HITCH a novel about CCC's and their efforts during great depression. It was worth burning the mid-night oil.

  Here is a review of the book:

Author:

Jeanette Ingold is the author of short stories and novels that ask young adult readers to explore lives beyond their own. Her books include Hitch, The Big Burn, The Widow,... You can find her official home page here

Plot:

    The book starts with a good spirited seventeen-year-old (Moss Trawnley) loosing his job during the depression coz his boss wants a relative on the payroll during those hard times. The book starts giving insights into how life was back then, how everyone worked hard to make the ends meet, how many a institutions and farms turned belly side up and how people started looking out for relief work, for odd jobs and for ensuring the ends meet. 

  

    Searching for his dad, Moss Trawnley ends up in jail for tress-passing rail-road property (after eventually meeting with his dad who abandoned them). The magistrate advices Moss to join the CCC and thereby get a job, get some bread for his family and become a responsible adult unlike his own dad.

    After his share of doubts, anger, frustration about depression, about his dad and about the general state of affairs in the country, Moss joins the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and makes friends at the conditioning camp. To his dismay, the Junior leader Compton is a simple ladder-climber and hates Trawnley due to misunderstanding.

    A series of events later, Moss is in a construction crew commanded by Major Garrett. Had it not been liking the Major took for certain characteristics of Moss, Moss would have been out of CCC by now. All the while, Moss, LEM, military staff build a new camp, work extra hard to keep it on schedule through bitter winter months. 

  When camp is complete and filled with 160 odd enrolees, Moss is promoted into Junior Leader due to various traits of leadership he has shown. Mr. Compton (Junior leader at conditioning camp) joined the new camp. When Captain Hakes takes over as CO, the woes of Moss increase ten-fold. Captain Hakes and Compton make the enrolees work extra hard intending to create a great show for their own reasons *read military careers*. 

   Ample good work is done by Moss *though he bears with both Captain and the other Junior Leader* setting aright many a things in the land, building new reservoirs, ponds, planting willows, recreating grazing lands, helping local farmers during winter, helping people try farming in-spite of drought and all, educating the enrolees to help them in their future, training the folks at village at different skills, ...

  Moss is demoted to rank of Enrolee and sent out on weekend. All hell breaks loose at the camp resulting in strike, problems related to faulty supplies, questions on the chain of command and all. The reservoir is about to break and is threatening a flood onto farms and destroy all good work done by CCC's

  Major Garrett takes over and sets everything right with help of Moss and the CCC's. Moss decides to extend his service period *called HITCH* for another six months.

Pros:

   The book takes you back to your childhood *teen-age* where everything is new, you are apprehensive and yet see the widest range of possibility and opportunity. The narration is so good that you wouldn't like to keep the book down until you are done with it.

    Everyone can co-relate to various characters in the book not just Moss Trawnley. Everyone can re-collect the friendships of youth, the toil, the pride they had in their strength / ability, the willingness, the social life of teenager, the distant relationships and all.  

    The book gives you clear idea of how groups work, how men must be commanded to work together, how one can help other, how leaders must take care of people, how leaders themselves require help, how courage and good-heart make you a role-model, how to take pride in work you did, how to look at bigger picture and lot of other simple morals that can change lives.

Cons:

    I got so emotional when the friends were parting after their HITCH in CCC. I think it is not a con but I still felt sad.

Praise For the Book:

• Hitch received a Christopher Award 
• Hitch was on the Society of School Librarians' International Best Book Shelf
• Hitch was on the We the People Bookshelf for the year 2009-2010  
• National Endowment for the Humanities project done in conjunction with the American Library Association.

Recommended for:

    Everyone in general. Young men and women who want to change their lives, see a better tomorrow and want to accomplish something.

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Fourth Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

    It is a pleasant surprise to me that RACHAEL HARRIE from Rach Writes has announced the Fourth Writer's Platform - Building Campaign. After successfully participating in the Third Writer's Platform - Building Campaign and meeting out a lot of awesome buddies there, I am really looking forward for making lots lots and lots more of buddies this time.

  Hope all goes well and I enjoy the campaign.
Abhishek Boinapalli

CockRoach and the Troll

Hello Everyone,

    Here is a simple, stupid but humorous (I guess) idea. My first attempt with Troll pictures using a few online tools like Google Picasa and the Rage comic builder.

   Hope everyone likes it. Let me try creating a few more.

Troll Pictures.

    Liked it? Does it make sense?Find other such Troll Pictures by me here and here.

with warm regards
Abhishek Boinapalli

Clipix: Much Needed Tool To Organize your life!

Morning Everyone,

   How is life going on? Enjoying? Finding time to surf, chat, talk, laugh and party hard? Hope life goes well for you, me and all by the grace of god. 

   About a week back, SocialSpark introduced me to Clipix.com via a casting call though I didn't get qualified back then. I just wanted to give out a casual try and to my surprise I really love the service now. What is so special about it? Check this video out:

   In simple words, I sign-up for a free account with clipix and a CLIP button to my bookmarks toolbar. What next? Whenever I find something awesome on the web, I can ask the CLIP button to create a specialized book-mark for me, categorize it as per my preferences, organize my life. 

  There arises the first question. When a book-mark tool does all these tasks why to go for Clipix? It is because the average book-marking toolbar / software doesn't have simple interface, can't organize the book-marks properly, can't synchronize the book-marks across your various systems (if you are using different systems for work and home then??), can't share your book-marks with your friends, can't afford to have many book-marks about the shoes you want to shop, about the vacations you dream about and ofcourse the book-mark toolbar can't export your book-marks to twitter / facebook to be shared with your buddies.

 

   So, I just urge you to sing-up, check the service and see the difference yourself.  I am posting a few ScreenGrabs / PrintScrens of my clip-boards (boards on which my clips are organized).  Do let me know what categories will both of us have in common? Vacations / Shoes / Books to Read / Interesting Articles found on blog / blog hops I signed up for / Party Ideas / ...??

 

Here is some other information from Clipix:

• There is an iPhone App (take all your clipboards with you on the go and add new clips by taking photos of things you see)

  • You can create customized clipboards - create as many as you like for any purpose and rearrange them however you want

  • Clipix lets you choose whether you want your clips to be private or if you want to share them with your friends or the whole clipix community.

  • Reclip clips, comment on clips, share them on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

  • Create a clipboard at any time from within the "Clip" panel (Often you’ll see something you want to save that makes you think of a whole new category of things to save.)

  • You will always find new uses for it all the time

Now Now, Get going and check out the site without any further delay here on clipix

 

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Promoted Post

Book Review: A rumor of War by Philip Caputo

Hello Everyone,

    The other day, I found a old worn out copy of A Rumor Of War by Philip Caputo. Well, the title and the cover could themselves convince me to buy the book. Here is a review of the book:

Author:

    Philip Caputo is an American author and journalist. He served United States Marine Corps as a infantry lieutenant and was deployed in South Vietnam. After his service, he choose journalism as a career and covered fall of Saigon (aka end of Vietnam war) in 1975. 

     Philip Caputo is well known for his A Rumor of War, Acts of Faith and for winning Pulitzer Prize.

Plot:

    Philip Caputo starts the book explaining why he joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC), shows you how he fought and fought for his life in Vietnam for nearly an year. The book ends when the court-martial clears all charges on Philip Caputo. The epilogue is about evacuation of author (journalist now) from Saigon as the VC took over Vietnam almost ten years later.

    On March 8th 1965, Philip Caputo, an infantry officer reached Vietnam among the first American regular troop units sent there(9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade). Philip Caputo who joined the USMC to prove himself was carried away to Vietnam on the romance of war alone.

    Trained to annihilate the enemy in Guerrilla warfare at the Quantico and eager to earn a few ribbons and get baptized in fire, Mr. Philip Caputo is highly disappointed. He doesn't get to see action for long time and all the time to his company are an invisible enemy (who is claiming his kills), large insects, horrible weather, long periods of waiting, boredom to the point of madness, fatigue from which no one recovered, cold C - rations, soldiers on the brink of break-down, crazy superiors, shit, more shit and even more shit.

    Even the occasional encounter with enemy usually isn't either in favor of USMC or in favor of Mr. Philip Caputo. Young men were lost / injured everyday, thanks to booby traps, mines, enemy snipers, accidents, friendly fire and the jungle. Everyone lost the "I will win this war single-handed" attitude, lost their youth, thier misconceptions about death, war and gained wisdom in the death's great Grey-land.

    As the officer in charge of death *staff job, counting the dead and keeping records* Mr. Philip Caputo saw horrors and became someone for whom every death was only a statistic. He hated his job, the madness, the crazy spit and polish, the show put up for higher echelons of Army and everything around him. As a line officer, he was happy to be with his men though he had to put up with never-ending patrols, fire-fights, ambushes, VC, constant chat with death itself.

    The book comes to end narrating the trail *court-martial* in which Mr. Philip Caputo and five of his men are tried for murder with premeditation (involving death of Le Dung) during one of the raids on village. The fervor of court-martial is good enough to ensure that you don't keep the book down. Verdict: Everyone acquitted and Mr. Philip Caputo receives a reprimand from General.

Praise:

    The book is worth all praise that a man can give. Awesome book that captures not just interesting facts of the war but the attitude, physiological state of men in war, the frenzy activity due to which horrors of war occur, the dance of death, the boredom in Vietnam, the evil inside a man, the fears and the fear of fear, the doubts about sacrifice for nation, the doubts about death of beloved, spit and polish of USMC, what constant fear can turn you into, what death of brother-in-arms does to a soldier and a lot more.

    The book is a must read for every military frantic. I think you must keep away from the book if you can't accept gore. The gore isn't all glory, isn't all legendary in this book. The book can scare the wits of anyone who feels war is romantic.

Others:

• The book is filmed by the name A Rumor of War *as a television miniseries* casting Brad Davis, Brain Dennehy, Keith Carradine, Micheal O' Keffe and Christopher Mitchum.
• Don't read the book, if you can't take gore. It will surely give you nightmares. 
• Yeah, I do recommend this book for all.

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Review ~ The Unexploded Man

Hello Everyone,

  Here is review of one book I read on politicians, spies and sadism. 

The Unexploded man

Author: Leisle Watkins

Plot:

The secret seven society in Russia in its efforts to prevent war between NATO and the USSR, puts all efforts to weaken the faith of people in British politicians, to make the British war-machine crumble, to cripple the British monopoly over trade and to dishearten the common British citizen from war.

In one such effort, they need someone who knows the dirty secrets of all the major politicians. Who can serve them better other than the Political gossip writer Mr. David Barnett. Mr. David Barnett is kidnapped, his death faked, tortured for the single purpose of getting information about major politicians who were working to make the war-machine stronger

 

The reader of the book would surely be terrified & frightened out of his guts reading about the torture Mr. Barnett faces. The reader would also be moved knowing the character and heart of Mr. Barnett, how he is suffering, how every part of his body aches and how he sees night-mares of more torture viz eaten by live rats, flesh being pierced by cigarettes, teeth pulled out from the jaw in one go, merciless beatings...

The book isn't about sadism of Mr. Bernett's captors alone.. The book is also about meticulous planning of the Russians, the fear of people of nuclear holocaust, the extravagant length to which politicians want to go to stop nuclear holocaust.

What is more intriguing about the book is, how very small vices (boozing / womanizing / ..) of public men (politicians here) can disrupt their career and destroy their whole lives. How the lives of bigwigs are wrecked due to the demands of their career, how the life of undercover operatives in foreign land are many a times left to mercy of his own, how many a people give up lives for the betterment of their nation and much more.

The ending of the book? Very simple: Mr. Barneet escapes from Mr. Rupert (captor) and sets right everything that went wrong, though he looses his wife to another man.

And And, a simple note: Unexploded man refers to Mr. Rupert. He barely escaped from a huge explosion and has half a face. The other half is always covered in green bandages which add charisma to him. Mr. David is also referred to as Unexploded man in the very end.

Summary

Well, what do I say about the book? simple: The book, the plot and all is well created. It would have been more successful if the author wrote about lives and sacrifices of big-wigs and the spies (around whom the story revolves) rather than concentrating in detail on the sadism of captors.

Do I recommend this book? yeah I do!! Go through the same, enjoy it and learn a lot from it.

with warm regards

AllMyPosts

Songs -- Military Non Fiction

Hello Everyone,

   Kicked off the weekend in all glory? Enjoying?  Well, that is the case with me!! I started this weekend with what I love the most *read reading military non-fiction*.  I am now currently reading A Rumor Of War by Philip Caputo.

   Here is a funny song, usually sung by the Marines. Just go through the lyrics here:

--x--

I gotta gal that lives on a hill ...

    Oh, Little Liza, Little Liza Ja-ane.

She wont' do it but her sister will...

        Little Liza Jane.

        Whoa-oh-oh-oh Little Liza, Little Liza Jane

        Oh, Little Liza, Little Liza Ja-ane.

I gotta gal in Lackawanna...

    Oh, Little Liza, Little Liza Ja-ane

She knows but she don't wanna...

        Little Liza Jane.

        Whoa-oh-oh-oh Little Liza, Little Liza Jane

        Oh, Little Liza, Little Liza Ja-ane

--x--

Interesting right? I can't imagine how wonderful a sight it is when a bunch of Marines sing it, just like a cry of defiance. How proud you would be when the Marines after humping through miles and miles of wilderness in intense heat / severe cold with forty pounds on their back and they still sing and you understand that nothing can subdue them at all. 

God willing, someday I guess, I will live like that. You ever saw Marines / Uniformed Men singing some of those songs? Liked them? Got any lyrics / vedios to share with me?

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli