Ravings of a Nomadic Mind

Valentines Day : History and Tradition

4 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 1:25 AM

Everybody knows about Valentine's Day but its origins are shrouded in mystery. According to University of Notre Dame Professor Lawrence Cunninghame, scholars have two main theories to explain how Feb. 14 became synonymous with romance:

Roman Feast of Lupercalia
This ancient pagan fertility celebration, which honored Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and goddess of women and marriage, was held on Feb 14th, the day before the feast began. During festival time, women would write love letters, also known as billets, and leave them in a large urn. The men of Rome would then draw a note from the urn and ardently pursue the woman who wrote the message they had chosen.
Apparently, the custom of lottery drawings to select valentines continued into the 18th century, coming to an end when people decided they'd rather choose (sight seen!) their valentines.

The Birds and the Bees?
In the Middle Ages, people began to send love letters on Valentine's Day. Medieval Europeans believed that birds began to mate on Feb. 14.

Saint Valentine
There's also some controversy regarding Saint Valentine, for whom the famous day is named. Archaeologists, who unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine, are not sure if there was one Valentine or more! Today, the Catholic Church recognises at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred on Feb 14th, (at least two of those in Italy during the 3rd century.)

The most popular candidate for St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who practised Christianity and performed secret marriages against direct orders from Emperor Claudius II, who believed single soldiers were more likely to join his army. Legend has it that Valentine sent a friend (the jailer's daughter) a note signed "From Your Valentine" before he was executed on Feb. 14 in 270 A.D. That phrase is still used prominently on today's cards!

Early Christians were happier with the idea of a holiday honouring the saint of romantic causes than with one recognising a pagan festival. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius named Feb 14th in honour of St. Valentine as the patron saint of lovers. In 1969, Pope Paul VI dropped it from the calendar. However, the blend of Roman festival and Christian martyrdom had caught on and Valentine's Day was here to stay!

Verbal and singing valentines began to be replaced by written missives in Europe in the 15th century. The first written valentine is usually attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. He reportedly passed the time by writing romantic verses for his wife. By the 16th century, written valentines were commonplace.

Valentine's cards
Early valentines were made by hand, using coloured paper, watercolours and coloured inks. These valentine styles, some still made today, included:

i) Pinprick valentines, made by pricking tiny holes in paper with a pin to resemble the look of lace

ii) Cutout valentines, lace-look cards made by folding paper several times and cutting out a lace design with small, sharp scissors.

iii) Acrostic valentines, which had verses in which the first letters in the lines spelled out the beloved's name

iv) Rebus valentines, verses in which small pictures took the place of some of the words (For example, an 'eye' instead of 'I')

Cards decorated with black and white pictures painted by factory workers began to be created in the early 1800s. By the end of the century, valentines were being made entirely by machine. Sociologists theorise that printed cards began to take the place of letters, particularly in Great Britain, because they were an easy way for people to express their feelings in a time when direct expression of emotions was not fashionable.
Manufactured cards notwithstanding, increasingly beautiful handmade Valentines were often small works of art, richly decorated with silk, satin or lace, flowers or feathers and even gold leaf. And many featured Cupid, the cherubic, be-winged son of Venus, and a natural Valentine's Day "mascot."

Some of the more unusual valentines were created by lonely sailors during the Victorian era, they used seashells of various sizes to create hearts, flowers and other designs or to cover heart-shaped boxes.

The Heart
It's not difficult to figure out the connection between the heart and Valentine's Day. The heart, after all, was thought in ancient times to be the source of all emotions. It later came to be associated only with the emotion of love. (Today, we know that the heart is, basically, the pump that keeps blood flowing through our bodies!)

It's not clear when the valentine heart shape became the symbol for the heart (we all know the heart isn't really shaped like that). Some scholars speculate that the heart symbol as we use it to signify romance or love came from early attempts by people to draw an organ they'd never seen.

Other symbols of love
i) Red roses were said to be the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love; also, red is a colour that signifies strong feelings.

ii) Lace has long been used to make women's handkerchiefs. Hundreds of years ago, if a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man might pick it up for her. Sometimes, if she had her eye on the right man, a woman might intentionally drop her handkerchief to encourage him. So, people began to think of romance when they thought of lace.

iii) Love knots have series of winding and interlacing loops with no beginning and no end. A symbol of everlasting love, love knots were made from ribbon or drawn on paper.

iv) Lovebirds, colourful birds found in Africa, are so named because they sit closely together in pairs, like sweethearts do! Doves are symbols of loyalty and love, because they mate for life and share the care of their babies.

X - the kiss
How about the "X" sign representing the kiss? This tradition started with the Medieval practice of allowing those who could not write to sign documents with an "X". This was done before witnesses, and the signer placed a kiss upon the "X" to show sincerity. This is how the kiss came to be synonymous with the letter "X", and how the "X" came to be commonly used at the end of letters as kiss symbols. (Some believed "X" was chosen as a variation on the cross symbol, while others believe it might have been a pledge in the name of Christ, since the "X" or Chi symbol, is the second letter of the Greek alphabet and has been used in church history to represent Christ.)

It became easier to mail valentines in the mid 1800s, when the modern postal service implemented the penny post. Until then, postage was so pricey that most cards were delivered by hand.

Traditions
A variety of interesting Valentine's Day traditions developed over time. For example, hundreds of years ago in England, children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day and went singing holiday verses from door to door.

In Wales, wooden love spoons, carved with key, keyhole and heart designs, were given as gifts.

The gift of flowers on Valentine's Day (along with Mother's Day, the busiest floral holiday of the year) probably dates to the early 1700s when Charles II of Sweden brought the Persian poetical art called "the language of flowers" to Europe. The rose, representing love, is probably the only flower with a meaning that is universally understood. The red rose remains the most popular flower bought by men for their sweethearts. In more recent years, people have sent their sweethearts their favourite flowers, rather than automatically opting for roses. Also making the list of valentine favourites are tulips, lilies, daisies and carnations.

More gifts
Among early valentine gifts were sweets, usually chocolates, in heart-shaped boxes. Apparently, gifts of chocolates and flowers haven't replaced carefully chosen cards on Valentine's Day. The modern valentine card has become increasingly sophisticated, keeping pace with popular technological advances. For example, there are cards that let you record a romantic message, "scratch-and-sniff" cards (chocolate smells would be nice!) and cards that play romantic music.

And of course, you can send e-mail valentines. Some sites even offer free personal use of their illustrations or cards. Other technology allows you to send a romantic fax or videotape with a personal valentine message. But choose your valentine carefully, some people find fax and e-mail missives too impersonal and not private enough for this holiday of love!

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest!

Article by Paul Denton http://www.pauldenton.co.uk

Flritng :tips and Tricks

4 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 12:12 AM

With V day coming up i thought i would do some research on it so we start here with flirting.
I saw this on another blog loved it so much that i copied it
Humans observed in a natural mating habitat exhibit nearly all the najor flirting behaviors, whether or not they're flirting at all. Here is a guide for recognizing or, for the seasoned flirts, overviewing some flirting techniques:

OPEN BODY POSITION This come-and-get-me stance suggests the man is neither about to flee nor fight.

RAISED EYEBROWS Upon first seeing a potential mate, both men and women often briefly raise their eyebrows.

HEAD CANT Women frequently tilt their head to one side, exposing their neck, and sometimes flick their hair at the same time.

SUSTAINED EYE CONTACT Men and women both hold the gaze of someone they're interested in for longer than feels quite confortable.

LEANING FORWARD Perhaps not as obviously as the enthusiastic girl above, but both genders tend to lean in toward people they're atracted to. Sometimes they'll unconsciously point to them too, even if they're across the room.

LEADING QUESTIONS A man will often ask a woman questions that allow her to show off her most atractive features.
SIDEWAYS GLANCES Often followed by a glance away or down and a shy smile, these coy looks are a classic flirting behavior for both sexes.

GPS-enabled helmet calls for help post-accident

2 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 11:26 PM

by Darren Murph

We've seen some pretty well equipped helmets in our day, but UMass Amherst student Brycen Spencer seems a touch more interested in safety advancements than integrated speakers. His concoction, dubbed the Wireless Impact Guardian (WIG), looks like your average helmet at first glance, but a quick look inside reveals electronics designed to sense an impact, judge if you're conscious and dial for help if necessary. Essentially, an alarm is triggered upon impact, and if you're not cohesive enough to disable it after 60 seconds, it automatically rings up 911 and beams out your location via GPS so that medical personnel can get moving. Currently, the device is quite a ways from going commercial, but considering that Mr. Spencer has already invested in a provisional patent, we'd say it's well on its way.

original story here

Pollution Affects Everyone

3 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 1:36 AM

Singapore environment Council. Atmospheric Pollution affects everyone.

Highway Cruising

5 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 12:01 AM

With the V6 Purring under the hood content to pull the Accord at triple digit speeds, the powerful halogen lights lighting up the night ahead of even as the moonless darkness wrapped around us like a comfy blanket. I truned up the volume of Chris Dughtery belting his hit song "Home", risking waking up my sleeping passengers. i looked to my left to check if my brother woke up and then the rear view mirror to see if i had disturbed my cousin and her boy friend Kenji cuddled under a blanket in the rear seat.

I realised this how i wish life was, an endless road and a powerful and comfortable car and no worries. It was late May 2007 and my cousin had just come from Tokyo where she had grown up and was in India to meet us relatives before she moved to the States to pursue medicine. She and Kenji had come to Delhi and rented an Honda Accord and drove down to Jodhpur. they stayed around for a few days and we conned mom to letting us stay out for a night when we went to Kayalana lake and sat around in the moonlight drove around the outskirts of the city and to the fort and then drove to Chamunda for a very late dinner/early brakefast. then for two days we lazed around the house and after that it was time for them to leave. They had to get to Kerala so that she did a circuit of the rest of the family and then flew on to the States from there.

We came up with the brilliant plan of driving down to Mumbai via Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad and then Mumbai. I drove most of the way, with Kenji spelling me from time to time we stopped at quaint village towns had tea and food at the most awesome Dhabas. visited some amazing Forts and temples. listened to our favorite music and had such an awesome time it was the best few days of the last year. and through out it all the Accord performed faultlessly going thru the motions, delivering speeds when the roads were well paved and open and cosseting us in comfort when the roads got bad but never causing any problems and giving more than average fuel economy of 10 Kmpl. i would write about the Temples of Ranakpur, or the forts and palaces at Udaipur and Kumbhalgrah but it would be like a travelogue. there were a couple of points when we thought we were in trouble but the car always had the answers to the questions thrown at it. once when we were driving from Ahmadabad to Mumbai at night, every one was sleeping and i was driving, this man carying a cycle on his shoulder climbed over the divider separating the oncoming lane and ran across our lane, it was dark and so i sawe him only when the headlights of the car fell on him and he was in the middle of the lane i hit the brakes hard and the car dropped its nose, dumping Tanya from the backseat into the space between the seats, and tugging at every one else's seat belt but it stopped with meters to spare and every one was safe with out drama. only one instance when it proved an expemlary long distance partner and as for the looks it looks stunning, with the over messy rear and all. It always got us looks and smiles from other motorist even though it was plainly not that exotic and with its yellow plates the car was a rental.

thanx Honda for a great product and some excellent memories.

Tagged About me

7 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 9:31 PM

Lone Wolf tagged me to write six inconsequential things about me, but i am not sure these six quirks are inconsequal or not.
When you are a mixed bag of quirkiness, madness and sheer lunacy, you can’t expect me to do sane things all the time. I just picked up six things from a vast pool of my quirks, and here you go. But before that, the rules of this tag game:

The Rules:

Link to the person that tagged you.

Post the rules on your blog.

Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.

Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here is my list...

1. I love Dogs, have had six of them over the years including the current four. i talk to them because i believe the understand whats going on. In my deepest darkest hour one of them has always been with me.

2. I love reading the News Paper from the last page, comics and sports section first.

3. Scared shitless

a. by Tractors and pre world war trucks that ply our roads i have always had this feeling that their wheels will come off and hit me.
b. by ferris wheels, im scared that they will come of their mountings

4. I fall i love very easily, in fact i fall in love with a new girl every day, it can be the most inconsequential thing like a genuine smile, or the way she is dressed but yeah i fall in love every day.

5. I Love eating ice creams the way i used to when i was a child with it dripping all over my hands and coated all over my face, love the smell of we grass and love playing touch football in the rain.

6. hate the fact that i have to wake up in the morning, even though i dont sleep more than three hours a day but i have spent all 24 hrs in bed too. i love laying there and not doing any thing especially on sundays.

i tag Puthali, Meghna, Hakuna Matata, Moose, Smriti

House to Home

2 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 11:45 AM

Delhi to home

Indigo announced its boarding call to all its passengers. i took my tickets and for some reason was so preoccupied to notice that id been allotted a middle ticket. For the matter of record i would like to state that i like flying indigo the planes are clean and the crew really really friendly. They always have a ready smile and they are always ready to help you out in any request. Even though its a low cost carrier they still do every thing to make you comfortable. so it was and i took my seat in 6 E and settled in then i noticed the girl who was in front of me at check in come and take the window seat to my right, and a smiling guy with a blazer in one had take the seat to my right. so we all settled in, i noticed the girl rummaging in the pouch at the back of the seat in front and i asked her what was she looking for and she asked me if the airlines didn’t carry in flight magazines, or news papers? which indigo being a low-cost carrier was "no" so i leant her my Zen Stone to listen to music, a little later with us on our way to Delhi we started to chat and realized that both the people on either side were Wipro employees one from sales and the other was from sales and surprisingly every one had some thing in common to the other common friends same company. So we had a good time, Abhilekh had a fear of flying and Manisha was of such a nice disposition that we all didn’t notice when it was time to land in Delhi. Abhi slept part way and me and manisha watched NCIS on my laptop. We swapped stories and horror flights that we had had. We talked about airline food (yuck), we talked about our favorite landings and other such interesting topics. We realized that Abhilekh had never seen a North Indian winter so we told him horror stories of cold mornings and vapor condensing in every orifice. Finally we landed at Delhi with Abhi having wrapped his hands around his head and me and Manisha laughing at him and giggling.

i came to Delhi on business so i went to the place of some friends and stayed there for the night and we watched some movies till late, then i woke up in the morning and realised to my horror that i had forgotten my bathroom slippers in Bangalore and the floor was marble and freezing cold. In three steps my feet were numb and hurting at the same time and i realised that the cold wasn’t that big a joke any more. But some how i got thru my morning ablutions and and finally got ready. then i finished my business and then set up my trip to my best friends house who is based in Delhi and went to her house where her in-laws treated me to a sumptuous lunch which was some of the best food i had eaten in ages. Then we sat talking and ate and thought we would take a trip to CP and do some window shopping. My sister sent car to pick me up for a ride home from Delhi. It was a big Innova and I had fun driving and being driven down Delhi-Jaipur Highway, its beautiful stretch. Even though it was for two days I met some really good friends of mine and we spent hours and hours sitting around in Sheesha. It was really really memorable trip love u guys and thanx for your great company Manisha and Abhilek

5 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 11:09 AM

If its all really a game, sometimes, the best thing to do is press the reset button.

Soft ,Wolly and a little Dangerous

3 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 7:18 AM

It was a cold night about 4 years ago and the season had just started. Surya, having been brought up in sunny kerala for all of her 18 years, took and instant dislike to the winters and i was trying to do all i could to make her winters as warm for her as possible. Tonight we had ridden to the city in such an effort. We went to this huge annual fair and brought her an arm load of sweaters and jackets to keep her warm and then with us saddled with all this stuff we went home and as it was getting late were riding back to the residential campus we were both students in. the night got dark as we got to the outskirts of the city and we were doing a steady 70 kph when a huge Tata Truck over took and us a sped into the night. i reduced my speed as the Truck went by and then raced up again, never getting too close to the Truck but riding slightly to the left of the truck in a effort to use it to stall the winds buffeting us, then i saw a Mini bus ahead and the truck slowed so i slipped to the right checked the on coming lane for traffic and over took both the truck and the bus and headed our way.

the truck and us swapped places once more and but we still were going faster than the truck and were approaching the junction were we had turn right on to this flyover that took us to the University. the junction is slightly offset towards the right so that people coming off the flyover have a long sweeping left hander that are generally taken at great speeds, so i moved left of the road, checked the left incoming lane where it joined the Highway for any traffic as well as any traffic coming off the flyover into the sweeping turn. seeing none i checked my mirrors once before i raced to the flyover, i instantly saw the truck lights shining in the gloom of my rear view mirror.
and realsied that at the rate that he was coming i wont be able to turn right on to the flyover before he crossed us and i had no idea weather he was going left or right on to the flyover with us. before i could decide he was on us and cut right in front of us with our blinking indicators and all and overtook us from the right and turned left immediately nearly crushing us between the highway barrier next to the higway and the front wheel. i realised that if he finished the turn we wold never be able to stop in time and we would go under the truck, or veer left and smash into the wall. suddenly i was very afraid, iwas affraid for me but i was afraid more for the little girl behind me in a new helmet and a backpack full of new shopping that she was eager to show off to her friends "what had i got her into?"

i throttled up, squeezed thru the gap that slightly wider than my bike, between the barrier and the truck and was out in the clear. with the truck turning left and leaving us safe.... i was still scared and real angry, i realised, by the grip of Surya's hands that she was scared too. relief sweapt over me, no i didnt save our lives but we got thru that only on pure instinct, but the relief was momentary shattered by a shout of warning from Surya, i looked to see a Tractor right in front of me on the left side of the road with no lights, heading straight for us. i knew then and there, we were going to crash. I tried to scrub of the speed using my rear brakes while using the front disk to keep the bike straight but it wasnt going to happen, and we hit the tractor it climbed the front of the bike and we were down. the tractor was on the front wheel of the bike with me lying between its two front wheel, i heard a gasp and then a sob and realised the way it must appear to Surya in the dark with me apparently trapped under a tractor.
we were safe the bike was safe and the biggest injury was that Surya had a scrapped Knee the jacket, the helmet and the big burly bag stuffed with soft wool saved her and i was saved by luck and the fact that she gave me warning.

It was the national higway, with a Major National University situated on it, just beyond a highly populated Paramilitary zone can we let drivers like this still drive the trucks and busses and other vehicles? isnt it time that we overhauled the system no one died that day and even if some one had i dont thing it would have made a difference, but a tractor with no lights on the wrong side of the road, and reckless drivers, some thing ahs to be done

Driving Insane ........

1 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 7:01 AM

Im a Self confessed car nut, well basically i am a self confessed nut, but that’s another story for another day. today i want to talk about cars and only cars. Well, what? You come to page titlled ravings of a nomadic mind and then you expect some continuity to what i write here, what did you expect? Well again thats a story for another time. so i was talking about cars....i don’t know much, but i love cars, bikes and any thing and every thing that burns fuel, ok not really true i mean any thing that uses any source to propel its driver, or passenger to speeds faster than i can run. so it can be bicycles going down hill, sleds, motorcycles, cars or even dumpster lids going down slope on a sand dune.

So back to cars, im not an expert again, having driven them only three times other than the times i spent learning to drive them. once was around the block at the princely speed of 30 kmph as i was shit scared of trashing a new car out from the show room, the second time was to drive in the middle of the night as my friend was stone drunk, it was really late, the second time i was driving and big car (Honda City) and the third time was the last and i drove (hehehehe), long story short... my friend tossed me the keys to his new Suzuki Swift with a tuned Baleno Engine tucked into the nose, i got in, started the engine, shifted into first and let in the accelerator the car actually leapt of the mark like a scalded cat poked with a sharp stick i missed my friend and the gates to his house by inches and it took my heart ages to regain its normal rhythm. so again im not an expert.

but i was recently watching the latest few episodes of "Top Gear" its my favorite televised show and the chemistry between Jeremy, James and Richard is one of the best comic relief and then all those really "oh-sweet-mother-of-God she is hot" rides that they keep having on the show each episode better than the other. Then again that’s not the point any way, well any way while i was reading the reviews i realized one thing be it the new Jaguar XF or the new baby Fiat the common thread was these cars were like inch perfect. be it one that costs 5000 euros or an arm, a leg and the ransom for the king of timbuktu's child and then children from the his entire harem. these cars drive, handle, ride and have every thing the target audience requires. some cars have their quirks like the luxo barge 7 series still handles like a racer grown wealthy but a luxo barge none the less. these days criticism in car reviews is like niggling details, like the feel of the plastic or the blind spot is slightly larger than in the other car, stuff that people a few years back wouldn’t have noticed.

the point im trying to make is that cars today have reached a stage where perfection is not just desired its a prerequisite the engineering faultless even though the cars from different companies have different quirks and different character they all, are build to last through the ages and give there owners a lasting ownership experience. Obviously some cars are better than others, depending on the price range they come in and the experience of their parent companies but most do a better job than a Bentley made say 15 years ago. Today Vauxalls and Opels come with 250 HP engines when even 20 years ago a Ferrari couldn’t pump out that much.

Automotive engineering has come a long way the efficiency of the Engines, Safety, comfort, control, almost all aspects of a car have grown up exponentially. I believe after 100 years of existence automotive Engineering has finally come of age.

Tag

1 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 3:30 AM

I Got tagged by Lone Wolf with this meme, but a little bit serious and different. There are 10 points, and you are supposed to elaborate on each point. Here goes my interpretation.

1) It is important to be liked by others : No its not important to be liked by others
Some one asked me a Question once "whats more important being happy or making others happy?" i have always maintained that i cant make any one else happy as long as i am happy myself so no its not important to be liked by others as long as i don't like my self.

2) Obedience is a virtue:
ok Obedience is a virtue but blind obedience is bad, Ive always believed that if two people agree on every thing then one of them is useless

3) People are not malicious but they become so because of bad experiences or
circumstances:
Every one is inherently good well almost every one people are born nice and innocent its life and there experiences that teach them to me malicious and hurtful. but then a person who believes in a God can never say that there is no evil so yes few people are really really born evil too

4) Education broadens our view and makes people more humane:
Well, in theory, yes. education is supposed to enhance the way we see the world. but most times it shackles a person down in to narrow confines of the said standards of what has gone beyond. it makes people hesitant to experiment it compartmentalizes thought process and dampens innovation.

5) People who have no money troubles are happier:
Ok, i can see where that leads but may be it gives a lill less headache and may be a little more peace but happiness i dont know i mean the street bums dont look that happy do they

6) As people get older they get wiser:
My 5 year old niece talks more sense than i do at times and then there are things like Alziemers
no i dont think being wise is a function of age its aqbout how open and receptive you are to the world.

7) You can live on love and fresh air:
Love and fresh air - ok the Eagles sang "love will keep us alive" but what are u going to eat, wheres the booze gonna come from then clothes. In a day and age when Cell Phone Network coverage is considered a primary requirement along with food, clothing and shelter, can and will you live on love and fresh air. oh and how about fuel for my bike.

8) There is a celestial guardian angel looking after each one of us:
ABSOLUTELY A ZILLION GAZILLION percent do you think id still be around if some wasnt watching over me

9) All living beings reincarnate.
I Find that slightly hard to believe. I Mean do really think Hitler is one of those millions of toddlers running around on the streets, playgrounds and schools. god help us. i think we all get one shot at making a perfect life and thats it

10) Heaven and Hell are places you go to after death.
Heaven and Hell are perspectives built on your beliefs. period . heaven is a long bike ride. with rest stops made of chocolate pancakes

Tag Hakuna Matata, Anu, Abhishek, and any one who cares to type.

Lets Play Tag

4 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 2:09 AM

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Duke NA

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Volcano Chocolate Chip

3. YOUR “FLY Guy” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)

S-Jho

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Black Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Sunny Jodhpur

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Jho Sh

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Red Headbangger

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
John C

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Na Na

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Mishra Mumbai

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Winter Rose

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Grape Jeanie

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
toast Redwood

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Rock Climbing Rain Tour

hehehe that was funny. any way I tag Lone wolf, Smriti, Meghna, Vini, Anu, Hakuna Matata

My Babies

7 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 12:20 PM

Browny the Grand old lady

I am a BIg girl now : Cleo

Zodiac the baby of the house

Coffee being stealthy

the gang, Browny, Zodiac, Steffy, Duke, Cleo

Open Letter to HP/Compaq

4 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 11:48 PM

I bought a laptop V3000 series AMD 64 X2 processor, December 2006. I had a Compaq desktop before that for three years and was very happy with the performance of the system and hence when I saw the laptop I really liked the design the spec list and I bought it.

But within 2 months of purchase the DVD driver conked out I had it replaced then the TFT showed dust particles inside the frame in the bottom half of the screen, it also was replaced then the DVD driver conked out again which was patched together by the service agent. Then the motherboard gave up the ghost in June it was replaced in July in Bangalore. It worked fine for a few months then the DVD drive started acting up again. But when it was taken for service it was fine a small bend in the Metal jacket of the drive meant that it didn’t properly align with its socket and it was again patched up and given back to me. Then in December the Mother board Conked out again. It was promptly replaced and barely in time as it was the last day of my warranty period. Its January 22 2008 today and my Laptop is back in HP service center, with a crashed motherboard.

A year back I was recommending the laptop to everyone I knew and today I would steer clear of talking to HP Compaq for a new purchase. I was so proud of the system it had really good specs for my budget and I had bought the laptop with my own money so it was all the more satisfying. But now I wonder sometimes if it was the right decision may be a Lenovo or a Think Pad or even may be a acer, or a HCl system would have been better. May be brand loyalty isn’t what it purports to be.

I free Lance as a graphics designer, I can’t afford to run to the service center every time my laptop doesn’t feel like working. This is an open letter to Hp Compaq to try and rectify the problem as soon as possible. And please put more dedication into your products.

Shanu S John

The Dream

3 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 9:20 AM

Some people are born visionaries and for one person it seems to run in the family. JRD Tata was one of those people who was one of those people who helped shaped modern India. Hotelier, Aviator and Industrialist. The nature of his contribution to the nation could never be overlooked.

But his biggest contribution to the nation was not one directly contributed too. It was from his nephew's ... Ratan Tata. He has created the most respect for an Indian Conglomerate in the global arena. Tata Sons controls 98 companies Among them, Tetley, Daewoo CV, Corus, and now most probably Jaguar and Land Rover. But still his biggest contribution to India has been his dream to become an indigenous automobile manufacturer . His first project was codenamed MiNT, later called Indica which become one of the most successful cars on the Indian roads the car spawned two other siblings the Indigo, and the Marina.

He created the entire Project, in about 144 corers when Hyundai spent 1 billion dollars on refurbishing the Accent. although the project had teething trouble and the quality of the product was not upto the global standards, Tata committed to making the project a success, making constant improvements and upgrades.

now he has gone on to make another great contribution, not just for India, but for the world by creating the 1 lakh car ($ 2500). The car was created by throwing existing automobile manufacturing standards into the trash and creating new production methods, manufacturing newer parts using cheaper techniques. If the car succeeds it will revolutionise the established manufacturing methods.

So here's to Mr. Tata Na his Vision and to more of his kind

The Top Ten '80s Robots (We Expected to Exist By Now)

0 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 9:32 AM

We were promised robots. Crazy electronic sidekick or death-dealing automaton of doom, we didn't care, as long as the future shaped up to be the awesome electronic robo-battle we'd dreamed of as children. Flash forward 20 years and all we have are sorry, non-robotic pieces of supposedly innovative crap, such as "hybrid cars," "iPods," and "hope for the AIDs vaccine." Consider the below list a sort of report card, so modern scientists can see exactly how far they are from fulfilling the promises of our childhood.

10. Johnny Five (Short Circuit)

Sure, he might be a little obnoxious, not to mention he has the dubious honor of sharing a marquee with 1980s staple Steve Gutenberg. But he scores points for looking like a robot that could actually, you know, "exist." Also, when he gets angry, his eyes go "destruction red" and he blows stuff up with a laser. Which is classic robot!

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: Nintendo Wii

Good First Steps: Entertaining, good with people, rumored to malfunction and cause property damage without warning.

Lacks: Annoying Jackie Gleason impressions. On second thought"

9. Lisa (Weird Science)

To this day, we're not sure exactly what the hell Kelly LeBrock' character was supposed to be in this film, but we're pretty sure computers were involved, making her at least quasi-robotic. And since it' a general rule at CRACKED to include at least one entry in every top ten list that we'd like to have sex with (see number 19 on "The 20 Worst Cover Songs in Pop Music History") we're including her.

Lacking, Modern Day Equivalent: Kate Beckinsale

Good First Steps: British accent, looks good in leather.

Lacks: Has yet to exit our closet in a cloud of fog and, through a series of wacky adventures, help us come of age.

8. ED-209 (RoboCop)

Forget that whiny, morally conflicted do-gooder hero (who was really more of a man in a robot suit anyways), this big guy was the real star of the show. Save for some minor weaknesses ("stairs"), he' our pick in a fight any day.

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: American Foreign Policy

Good First Steps: Destructive tendencies, suspicious disregard for civil rights.

Lacks: Shiny chassis, dual machine guns, voice that sounds like it was put through Macaulay Caulkin' tape recorder thing from Home Alone 2.

7. KITT (Knight Rider)

Take Mr. Bevledere, add a splash of Stephen King' Christine, a shot of one of the guys from The A Team and two shots of some exceedingly strange man/car sexual tension, and you've got one of the most mysterious robots of all time. It' a little known fact that KITT was not actually a special effect, but a fully functional robotic car. However, to protect the secret of the car' existence, Hasselhoff rounded up entire cast and crew of Knight Rider along with their families, and killed them with his bare hands.

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: Hybrid cars.

Good first steps: Being really high-tech and a car, general air of prissiness.

Lacks: Ability to not explode at speeds of over 35mph.

6. Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

He' super strong, fast, and smart, in a pretty standard, robot-y way, but what' endearing is that he really just wants to be one of the guys. Also, he does this thing where he uses the computer by moving his hands really, really fast, which is pretty cool.

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: Wikipedia

Good First Steps: Instant access to a universe of knowledge, generically good intentions.

Lacks: Fast hand trick, suspiciously accurate comedic timing, jaundice.

5. Harrison Ford (Blade Runner)

Is he a replicant? Or just a hard-boiled, genre-bending Han Solo look-alike? It' so damn ambiguous! For the purposes of this list, we'll have to go with the former. Either way, we'll take our young, pre-Flockhart Harrison Ford where we can get him, thank you very much.

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: Harrison Ford

Good First Steps: Being, ostensibly, Harrison Ford.

Needs Improvement: Firewall, Hollywood Homicide, the whole earring thing, distinctly non-robotic signs of aging.

4. Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo (Mystery Science Theatre 3000)

"Wait, wasn't MST3K a '90s show?" you're probably thinking. Well, according to IMDb.com, it started in 1988, smart guy. The equivalent of robot drinking buddies, Crow and Tom taught us that you don't need to look badass, or have exciting abilities, or not be a virgin to be cool. All you really need is massive amounts of sarcasm and snarky pop-culture references.

Lacking, Modern Day Equivalent: VH1

Good First Steps: Brain-splitting levels of self-referential pop culture irony.

Lacks: The ability to not inspire deep-seated self-loathing on a personal and cultural level.

3. The Terminator (The Terminator)

Sometimes, a robot just has to want to destroy all humans, are we right? Also, whether that heavily accented man from the future is here to protect or eliminate us, at least our long-standing Christ complex is finally validated.

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: Al Gore

Good First Steps: Doomsday prophecies; stilted, unconvincing dialogue.

Lacks: Murderous rampages, snappy catchphrases.

2. R2-D2 (Star Wars)

If number one on this list was our older brother, Artoo was our best friend. Adorable, loyal, but just rude enough to let you know he kept it real. Also, did we mention that he spontaneously develops features according to the needs of the user/narrative arc? We guess you could call him the real deux ex machina. (Oh, that sound? That' just our parents sobbing quietly into our liberal arts degree.)

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: iPhone

Good First Steps: Features out the wazoo, small size and sleek, appealing design.

Lacks: Ability to launch a lightsaber fifty feet in the air, sass.

1. Optimus Prime (The Transformers)

Dear lord, where to begin? He' a robot! He' a truck! He' the non-abusive older brother/father figure we never had! Red, white, and freakin' blue all over, he was truly the robo-patriot we hoped for in the next millennium.

Lacking, Present Day Equivalent: Jack Bauer

Good First Steps: Hatred of all things evil, staunch morals, and proficiency with firearms.

Needs Improvement: Receding hairline/paunch, refusal to demonstrate ability to turn into a truck.

Posts

0 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 2:47 AM

Well, frequent visitors (heheheheh yeah right) will notice that the blog keeps changing the way it looks every few days, well the reason being that i am currently experimenting with different looks and color codes. so i keep editing the HTML codes and thats why the ever changing facia. so keep coming back and cheers

shanu

Sex and Death 101

0 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 10:18 AM

No no no this post is not about a higher purpose or the secrets of sex and the inevitability of death, or any thing else. Its a movie, I saw it tonight well its basically about two stories one dominant and the other one a more subservient one. i wont tell you the twist and i wont give you any spoilers.

But i do recommend that you watch the movie. ok its about this guy who is on the verge of getting married and believes that every sign he sees is telling him to get married. So its two weeks before his wedding and he receives this Email with a list of names all female and all of them with whom he has had sex with but his fiance is at number 29th and all the others he has never heard of. well the list ends his engagement and thats that and in the rest of the movie he is struggling with the dilemma of the list.

The second story is of this women who seduces men and leaves them in coma with verses of poems written on the walls of the room where the deed happens. she is this woman that no one ca get their hands on. so these two stories happen and these two character go through a lot of moral and social dilemmas.

and then the seductress leaves her drivers license at one of the crime scenes and the police announce her name on the TV. and our hero realises that the name is the last name on his list. and he has about twenty more names between him and the "death Knell" well as to how the rest of the movie turns out you will have to watch the movie, you will love it. despite the name its not graphic and its not full of blood and gore. its funny sweet and slightly humorous take on our lives in this day and age. its about verbs, and adjectives that we use to classify our lives with, it about fairy tails and sarcasm and how our lives have become a constant circle repetitious monotony. Well may be not ours but of the Decadent Western Civilization (we are not supposed to talk about that, and we do no such thing, they are the ones that have no morals)

Oh and let me warn you there is no blood and gore or teary reconciliations on the station platforms, no triamphant returns, no chasing cabs and no broken weddings, no morning flights to Australia either.

Oh and then there are Bambi, Thumper, Alpha, Beta and Fred.

Take my advice go watch the movie, its all about Karma Sutra.

"You'll never catch them happily ever after."

Tribute : Sir Edmund Hillary (July 20, 1919 – January 11, 2008)

0 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 12:13 AM

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE (July 20, 1919 – January 11, 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first human beings to conquer Mount Everest--Chomolungma, to its people — at 29,028 ft. the highest place on earth.

The names of Hillary and Tenzing went instantly into all languages as the names of heroes, partly because they really were men of heroic mold but chiefly because they represented so compellingly the spirit of their time. The world of the early 1950s was still a little punch-drunk from World War II, which had ended less than a decade before. Everything was changing. Great old powers were falling, virile new ones were rising, and the huge, poor mass of Asia and Africa was stirring into self-awareness. Hillary and Tenzing went to the Himalayas under the auspices of the British Empire, then recognizably in terminal decline. The expedition was the British Everest Expedition, 1953, and it was led by Colonel John Hunt, the truest of true English gentlemen. It was proper to the historical moment that one of the two climbers immortalized by the event came from a remote former colony of the Crown and the other from a nation that had long served as a buffer state of the imperial Raj.

Climbing Mt. Everest is the supreme symbol of man's personal struggle to achieve. As a metaphor; Everest is simple and pure, man versus nature, it approaches a universal understanding of our primal desire to conquer and will eternally stand as a symbol for triumph and failure. As long as Everest and man exist, it will draw adventurers without mercy, leaving no culture nor people untouched. Those who have summitted the mountain seem unable to forget it for a moment, as if the mountain has seeped into their genetic fiber. Others who attempt or merely visit Everest are often equally affected.

Shrouded in mythos and legend, certain peaks reign over a landscape with such dominance they become inseparable from the land and people. While Denali is inseparable from Native Alaskan lore, Everest has dominated the cultures of Tibet and Nepal, long before it was 'discovered' to be the world's highest mountain. Tibetans call it Chomolungma, Mother Goddess of the Universe and to the Sherpa people of Nepal it is Sagarmatha, The Churning Stick in the Sea of Existence. These reverences, add to the magnetic nature of the Everest and the Himalayan Range.

There is something about Everest and its neighboring cultures that intensify our desire to better understand it. The more we learn, the more we need to know. Its profound presence, geography, glaciology, Sherpa tradition, Buddhism, the mighty Yak and even legend of the Yeti draw us deeper into Everest's mystique. By the time most people attempt to climb or visit base camp, they are so obsessed with Everest, the physical challenges are almost forgotten, until of course they reach the Himalayas. It is truly the stuff dreams are made of.

George Mallory responded "Because it is there" to the 'Why climb Everest question', he passed on a sort of permanent approval to those who wished to risk their lives climbing. by most accounts it is not a difficult mountain to climb there are other mountains, which though not as high are far more challenging to climb.

So when the expedition of 1953 set out it was more with an Attitude to do some thing that no one had ever done before, the expedition's was not a tragic one like all the previous expeditions that went before them they did not loose any member of their team and they made it to the top and came back down without too much drama though Hillary and Tenzing were held up at the south col for two days due to snow and wind. And a previous attempted climb by Bourdillon and Evans had to be aborted when Evans' oxygen system failed. The pair had reached the South Summit, coming within 100 metres (330 ft) of the summit. Hunt then directed Hillary and Tenzing to go for the summit.

Mountaineering as with any extreme sport is a voluntary test of human spirit and endurance, against some seriously humongous odds, with out any returns tangible enough to mention. what drives people to climbing is to test themselves against Nature, the weather, physics and their own fragility. For the most part, its heroism is of a subjective kind. It was the fate of Hillary and Tenzing, though, to become very public heroes indeed, and it was a measure of the men that over the years they truly grew into the condition. Perhaps they thought that just being the first to climb a hill was hardly qualification for immortality; perhaps they instinctively realized destiny had another place for them. For they both became, in the course of time, representatives not merely of their particular nations but of half of humanity. Astronauts might justly claim that they were envoys of all humanity; Hillary and Tenzing, in a less spectacular kind, came to stand for the small nations of the world, the young ones, the tucked-away and the up-and-coming.

Both, of course, were showered with worldly honors, and accepted them with aplomb. Both became the most celebrated citizens of their respective countries and went around the world on their behalf. But both devoted much of their lives to the happiness of an archetypically unprivileged segment of mankind: the Sherpas, Tenzing's people, true natives of the Everest region. Tenzing, who died in 1986, became their charismatic champion and a living model of their potential. Grand old Ed Hillary, who is still robustly with us, has spent years in their country supervising the building of airfields, schools and hospitals and making the Sherpas' existence better known to the world. Thus the two of them rose above celebrity to stand up for the unluckier third of humanity, who generally cannot spare the time or energy, let alone the money, to mess around in mountains.

This much was admitted by the great man himself when on Nov. 5, 1998. Sir Edmund surrounded by mountain climbers and social climbers in the posh ballroom of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The now 78-year-old man has grown a bit of a paunch in the intervening years; his unruly hair and bushy eyebrows are snowdrift-white, his shoulders are slightly stooped and he walks with the hint of a limp. Dressed in a dark blue suit, his tie askew, he looks rumpled and professorial -- but he still has the mountaineer's gleam in his eye.

The occasion is the annual dinner of the American Himalayan Foundation, and on this night more than 900 people have gathered from around the world to honor Hillary and the extraordinary work accomplished by the foundation he established, the Himalayan Trust. Sir Edmund is reflecting, once again, on the climb that changed his life: "I was just an enthusiastic mountaineer of modest abilities who was willing to work quite hard and had the necessary imagination and determination. I was just an average bloke; it was the media that transformed me into a heroic figure. And try as I did, there was no way to destroy my heroic image. But as I learned through the years, as long as you didn't believe all that rubbish about yourself, you wouldn't come to much harm."

To say that Hillary is held in awe by the world would be a monumental understatement. They were not, though, heroes of the old epic kind, dedicated to colossal purposes, tight of jaw and stiff of upper lip. That was George Mallory, who said most famously in 1924 that he was climbing Mount Everest "because it is there." But if he ever reached the summit, he never lived to tell the tale. Hillary and Tenzing were two cheerful and courageous fellows doing what they liked doing, and did, best, and they made an oddly assorted pair. Hillary was tall, lanky, big-boned and long-faced, and he moved with an incongruous grace, rather like a giraffe. He habitually wore on his head a homemade cap with a cotton flap behind, as seen in old movies of the French Foreign Legion. Tenzing was by comparison a Himalayan fashion model: small, neat, rather delicate, brown as a berry, with the confident movements of a cat. Hillary grinned; Tenzing smiled. Hillary guffawed; Tenzing chuckled. Neither of them seemed particularly perturbed by anything; on the other hand, neither went in for unnecessary bravado.

I am sure they felt no Zeitgeist in them when they labored up the last snow slope to the summit. They were both very straightforward men. Tenzing was a professional mountaineer from the Sherpa community of the Everest foothills. After several expeditions to the mountain, he certainly wanted to get to the top for vocational reasons, but he also planned to deposit in the highest of all snows some offerings to the divinities that had long made Chomolungma sacred to his people. Hillary was by profession a beekeeper, and he would have been less than human if he had not occasionally thought, buckling his crampons, that reaching the summit would make him famous. Those who have climbed everest or even visited it are always left with the memory. They must have realised what they had achieved when they stood on the summit and they must have anticipated the worlds reaction but i dont think they really understood what it would mean to them in the years to come. thousands have climbed the Everest after them, some at a great loss and there have been other pioneers who have done other great things like sail across the world solo, but no one was as revered as these two were and i guess the reason was simply because, even though the world simply focused on their achievement at first they must have realised that for them it was some thing to be done and not some thing heroic and hence in the later years they worked to bring about a level of awareness and their whole personae even after the climb was coated in a reputation for decency, kindness and stylish simplicity. Hillary and Tenzing fixed it when they knocked the bastard off.

"Ed pointed the way for the rest of us. It was just such a thrill to follow him."
David Breashears, director of cinematography for the acclaimed new IMAX film "Everest"

"Well George, we finally knocked the bastard off."

– Hillary's first words, to lifelong friend George Lowe, on returning from Everest's summit

"Quite simply, Edmund Hillary shaped the course of my life."

Then Jon Krakauer, author of "Into Thin Air"

Song For the Day .... Umbrella - Rihanna

0 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 10:49 AM

Jay-Z:
Ahuh Ahuh (Yea Rihanna)
Ahuh Ahuh (Good girl gone bad)
Ahuh Ahuh (Take three... Action)
Ahuh Ahuh

No clouds in my storms
Let it rain
I hydroplane into fame (Eh eh)
Come'n down with the Dow Jones
When the clouds come we gone
We Rocafella (Eh eh)
She fly higher than weather
And she rocks it better
You know me
An anticipation for precipitation
stacks chips for the rainy day (Eh eh)
Jay, rain man is back with lil Ms. Sunshine
Rihanna where you at?

[VERSE 1]
You had my heart
and we'll never be world apart
Maybe in magazines
but you'll still be my star
Baby cause in the Dark
You can see shiny Cars
And that's when you need me there
With you I'll always share
Because

[CHORUS]
When the sun shines
We’ll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath
I'mma stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella
You can stand under my Umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)

[VERSE 2]
These fancy things,
will never come in between
You're part of my entity
Here for Infinity
When the war has took it's part
When the world has dealt it's cards
If the hand is hard

Together we'll mend your heart
Because ...

[CHORUS]
When the sun shines
We'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath
I'mma stick it out 'till the end
[Umbrella lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella
You can stand under my Umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)

[BRIDGE]
You can run into my Arms
It's okay don't be alarmed
(Come into Me)
(There's no distance in between our love)
So Gonna let the rain pour
I'll be all you need and more
Yeah Read let's go look....
Because ...

Jay Read:

Yo my umbrella's up when the world is too much
We still ride for each other like Starsky & Hutch
The new school Jayson & Lyric and nothing comes near it
We close to Lorenze and Nia and its nothing really to it
We got Love Jones we could never be seperated
We always find our way home and never be decimated
I'm speaking from the heart we been the shyt from start
An we gone grind to the end to our life re-starts
Come back in another life
An see you in a different light
An if I'm Superman babygirl you know you kryptonite
My only weakness its hard to defeat this
An even when I'm losing it feels so goooood
I can't complain you everything I aint
An compliment each other from the root to the base
Sitting on the top is where we always wanna stay
It a take a meotor to break us and that'll be tha day

[CHORUS]
When the sun shines
We'll shine Together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath
I'mma stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my Umbrella
You can stand under my Umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh)

It's raining (raining)
Ooo baby it's raining
baby come into me
Come into me
It's raining (raining)
Ooo baby it's raining
You can always come into me
Come into me

Motorcycle Advertisements

3 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 1:22 AM

A series of Adverts by NHTSA

The allure of the biker guy

2 comments Posted by vagabond dreamer at 12:04 AM

By Amy Keyishian

We’ve all heard that women want a guy who’s tall, dark and handsome. But maybe it’s time to update that to “tall, dark and handsome—and on a Harley.” Because it seems that since the days of the flicks The Wild One and Easy Rider, a guy on a bike has held a special kind of bad-boy appeal. In fact, in a recent Match.com survey, “motorcycle” was the second most-popular term that women used when searching through online profiles.

So we decided to see why it is that a two-wheeled scream machine ranks so high. Dr. Kate Wachs, a Chicago psychologist and the author of Relationships for Dummies, says, "Motorcycles are still perceived as rebellious, tough, and strong—but, unlike in the past, they're now much more socially acceptable." Like tattoos, motorcycles are often the hidden fun-factor in otherwise respectable citizens. Here, the full story on their allure.

Guys with motorcycles have a little extra oomph.
There's no doubt about it: A motorcycle signifies a little extra ingredient in a guy—a little extra testosterone in a world of sensitive men. Hey, sensitive metrosexuals are great, but some women still like a little cave with their man. "A man on a bike exudes independence, self-reliance, and fearlessness," explains Michelle Midyette of Santa Fe. "He has nothing but leather between him and certain harm—clearly, he freely embraces risks and has a lust for life." Yes, that rebel vibe can work its magic.

But of course, this little extra oomph can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he's more masculine than the average pencil-pusher; on the other hand, "you need the tough-boy exterior balanced by a kinder, softer side when you're off his ride," observes Dennie Hughes, relationship columnist at USA Today and author of Dateworthy: Get the Relationship You Want. No problem, says Midyette: "Almost all the bikers I've ever known — and I make sure to introduce myself to most that cross my path — have been sweet, big-hearted, intelligent men.”

Guys with motorcycles offer instant invigoration.
Riding along on a bike, you can feel of the wind in your... er, helmets, which makes a lot of women swoon. "I don't care if it's raining, snowing, whatever—if I am in a bad mood and my biker says 'get your leathers on,' and five minutes later I'm catching the wind, that's always a mood-booster," says Georgia Tillery of Ocean Beach, CA. "There's nothing like that kind of wind blowing in my face—even the dirt in my pores and the occasional bug in my teeth is worth it," agrees Christine Hall of Carlsbad, CA.

Guys with motorcycles thrive on spontaneity.
A guy with a bike is no doubt the sort of fella who’s likely to say, “Let’s go for a ride” on the spur of the moment. If the mood strikes to head for the hills, the seashore, or anywhere else, he’s likely to seize the moment on his bike. And he’ll take his date along for the fun. "With a motorcycle, you're guaranteed two things: Speed and convenience," says Mark Byron of Los Angeles, so you can go wherever your whim and wheels want to take you. Another benefit: "It's a lot easier to find parking close to a restaurant," points out Max Perez of San Francisco—making dinners out all the more convenient.

Guys with motorcycles are the only match for ...girls with motorcycles!
Of course, tons of women have motorcycles themselves and are avid riders—and that's why they search for biker guys: To complement their sassy self-image. "Of course I have to search for a guy with a bike," says JoMarie Spagnola of Atlanta, GA. "Who else is going to keep up with me on my 2001 Yamaha V-Star?" Just remember this, says Hughes: "Between two motors, the wind, and neither of you wanting to get too distracted from the road, motorcycle riding doesn't exactly make for meaningful conversation." Make sure you've got other things in common besides four-stroke engines, otherwise you might be headed for a relationship ditch.

Guys with motorcycles make even the most empowered women feel girly.
In this day and age, women are the masters of our own destiny. No longer do we look to men for power, permission, or affirmation. And as great as that is, there's a part of many of us that likes to be a li'l lady once in a while. "The back of my guy's bike is the only place I'll let a man (literally) take the front seat. I’ll give up my independent power to wrap my hands around his middle and put my trust in him for just that small while," says Amy Kaye of Brooklyn, NY. "It's a little taste of being old-fashioned. That's a great feeling—at least for a little while.”

Dating a biker dude gives a woman an excuse to tap her wild side.
If you’ve ever wondered about what your bad-girl side would look like, this is the opportunity to find out. Surely you won’t be hopping on the back of a Harley in a camisole, prairie skirt and heels. Nope, this is your chance to shine in jeans, boots—and whatever black leather is lurking in your closet. None to be found? No worries! Anything casual will do the trick. Notes Vin Amendola, a guy with a bike in Middle Village, NY: "At any age, a woman looks sexy and rebellious on a bike—even if, in real life, she just dropped off the kids off at soccer practice."

Of course, some women don't dig the biker thing at all. "To tell you the truth… I'd rather date a guy with a convertible," says Dale Chestnut of Albany, NY. "No helmet required, and you can drink coffee and wear short skirts." To which we say: Doll, you're born to be mild.

Amy Keyishian is a New York-based freelance writer who loves anything on wheels, as long as it's a Honda. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Maxim, Men’s Fitness and Nerve.com.