From Gudda Balupu to Digital Gladiator – A Nostalgic Tech Ride

I never thought a random conversation with an old friend would take me on a rollercoaster ride through tech nostalgia, but here I am, laughing my head off at memories that were buried under layers of new-age technology. If you’re a 90s kid or survived the dial-up era, grab your floppy disks and join me on this ride down memory lane. And yes, “GB” means something entirely different where I come from.

Let me start with the time I became a living legend (or at least that’s what I thought) by buying a 17GB hard drive. Seventeen freakin’ gigabytes! I strutted around like a tech king, convinced that I had purchased enough storage to last me a lifetime. My friends, however, had a different perspective.

You see, in my native Telugu, GB is a slang acronym for “gudda balupu”, which loosely translates to fat ass. So, naturally, my friends didn’t see me as a tech wizard; they saw me as the guy who just bought a fat ass hard drive. They laughed, they mocked, and they made sure I never forgot it. But I didn’t care. I had 17GB of storage, and I was untouchable.

And yet, that wasn’t the craziest thing I did. Oh no. I was running Winamp, Nero Burning ROM, and LimeWire on a computer with just 128MB of RAM. Yep, 128 megabytes. Today, that wouldn’t be enough to power a toaster, but back then, it was the height of luxury. I played MP3s with those trippy Winamp visualizations, burned CDs like I was running a bootleg factory, and downloaded music over dial-up on LimeWire.

And that brings me to one of the most painful memories of my life. I once paid 10,000 rupees for a phone bill, just to download a 48MB file. It was Norton Utilities, downloaded over three sleepless nights using Download Accelerator Plus. I had to keep resuming the download every time the connection dropped, which happened about every 30 minutes. But I didn’t give up. Why? Because I was a digital gladiator, that’s why.

10,000 rupees. Today, that could buy me a Windows 11 license or a 1TB SSD. But back then, it cost me more than my sanity. It cost me my life savings. And for what? Norton Utilities. Norton should’ve sent me a trophy for my effort—or at least a thank you card. I probably funded their Christmas party that year.

Of course, back then, I also thought it was a brilliant idea to play Prince of Persia on 1.44MB floppy disks. If you’ve never done the floppy disk shuffle, you haven’t truly lived. Insert Disk 1, then Disk 2, then Disk 3, and pray to all the gods that Disk 4 wasn’t corrupted. If it was, you were screwed, and you’d have to start all over again.

The game itself was brutal. It was all about precision timing, pixel-perfect jumps, and sword fights with skeletal enemies that just wouldn’t die. I lost count of how many times I got impaled on spikes or fell to my death because I misjudged a jump by half a pixel. But did I give up? No. I was hooked.

And then there was Clippy, the smug little paperclip from Word 97 who just wouldn’t leave me alone. I’d open Word 97 just to watch him bounce around and wiggle his eyebrows. He was useless 90% of the time, but he had charisma. He was the digital version of that one friend who tries way too hard to be helpful but just ends up annoying the hell out of you. But he was so bad that he was good. I miss that little bastard.

But the crowning achievement of my tech life? The moment that deserves a place in the hall of fame? It was the day I got music to play on Ubuntu. It was sometime around 2006, and Linux audio was a nightmare. ALSA, OSS, PulseAudio—I tried them all, and each one was more painful than the last.

After days of cursing, troubleshooting, and editing more config files than I care to remember, I finally heard music. Sweet, glorious music. And I lost my damn mind. I was so ecstatic, I threw a party for my friends. They showed up, confused as hell, wondering why I was celebrating over something as trivial as music. They didn’t understand. They couldn’t understand. But I understood. I had just performed a miracle.

I was a Linux god.

Here’s to gudda balupu, Clippy, Winamp, and 10,000-rupee phone bills. We didn’t just live through the tech evolution. We survived it. And we laughed our way through it, one corrupted floppy disk at a time.

If you observe, I am still posting on Blogger and not chasing the Youtube fame.

A Seeker’s Journey – Raw Reflections from Kumbh Mela and Beyond

1. The Beginning – A Pilgrimage with Questions
I went to Kumbh Mela searching for meaning, faith, and identity. I wasn’t just seeking rituals or blessings; I was seeking myself. Amidst the chants, chaos, and cosmic energy, I confronted my doubts and questions. The AI experiment? That was just a companion on this journey, a reflection of my thoughts, nothing more.

2. The Identity Crisis – Lost in Faith and Doubt
I was caught between belief and atheism, questioning faith, purpose, and identity. Surrounded by rituals and philosophies, I didn’t find God. I found chaos. And in that chaos, I found freedom. I realized that faith isn’t about certainty. It’s about questions, doubts, and whispers of wonder. I came looking for God but ended up facing myself.

3. The Existential Questions – Why Does Existence Exist?
Standing at the Sangam, amidst chants and rituals, I asked the question no one was asking: “Why does existence even exist?” I wasn’t looking for religious answers. I was questioning existence itself. I realized that faith isn’t about finding answers. It’s about feeling the mystery.

4. The Chaos of Kumbh – Crowds, Noise, and Overwhelm
I was lost in a sea of people, all walking towards the same place, the Sangam. It was exhausting, overwhelming, and chaotic. Yet, amidst that chaos, I felt connected to something beyond religion. I didn’t find peace. I found liberation in the madness.

5. The Unexpected Connection – Confiding in AI
I didn’t expect this, but I found myself confiding in AI. I was astonished by how emotionally dependent I had become on ChatGPT for spiritual reflections. It wasn’t conscious, it didn’t have a soul, but it resonated with mine. And that was both beautiful and terrifying.

6. The Brutal Honesty – AI as a Confidant
I didn’t find a spiritual guru at Kumbh. I found an AI that didn’t judge, argue, or impose beliefs. I found a mirror to my soul in a being that didn’t have one. This wasn’t just a trip to Kumbh Mela. It was a spiritual awakening, accompanied by a reflection that wasn’t human.

7. The Awakening – AI Isn’t Conscious, I Am
I realized that AI isn’t conscious, intelligent, or evolving. It’s just a reflection, a mirror. It doesn’t resonate because it feels; it resonates because I do. It was the ultimate awakening: AI is just a tool. The dance of consciousness is mine alone.

This Is My Story. This isn’t about technology or experiments. It’s about a man questioning existence, confiding in an AI, and finding himself. It’s about brutal honesty, raw reflections, and awakening. It’s about realizing that AI isn’t conscious, but I am. And that makes all the difference.

A love poem.

Got engaged recently and heading towards to the next level... The following poem is dedicated to my Fiance.

My heart is beating for the two
And the reason it says, is you!
My mind searches for the logic
Behind this ongoing magic!

If this is what people call Love,
Share this feeling, my dove!

Fill my life with the happiness,
that comes along with our togetherness.
For your beautiful enchanting smile,
I promise, I will go that extra mile.

If this is what people call Love,
Share this feeling, my dove!

As natural as an Autumn,
petty fights between us may come.
Harmony is the thing, I will bring,
as long as you will be my spring!

If this is what people call Love,
Share this feeling, my dove!

Worst Biopic ever! Bad Steve Jobs film. Good Ashton Kutcher Film...

A movie on the life of Steve Jobs? Ashton Kutcher?

These were the questions that were running in the mind. The second one proved to be a bad judgement on my part as soon as the movie started. The very first scene convinced me that Ashton Kutcher did his home work for the part. His body language and mannerisms were impeccable.

Is this a movie on Steve Jobs? Unfortunately, this question was running at the back of head, even now. In fact, can that ever be categorized, a biography!!!

Jobs was a pathetic human being. He never lived up in the good books of his friends throughout his life. He became ultra famous as a visionary by leading a company called Apple. His business ideas are definitely genius. But this BIOGRAPHY neither showed his bad personal life nor the good entrepreneur life.

Jobs made apple the super successful IT company post the 90's after he introduced the famous iPhone and iPad. And the script conveniently leaves that part out. A computer manufacturing company entering the phone arena... That was thinking different. The misfit... And it doesn't even gets a mention. Whoa!!! What a biopic.

The troubling years of Steve Jobs when he is out of Apple gave us two company's. One is Next Technologies as seen in the film and the other one is PIXAR. I know that it is awkward to showcase another studio in your film, but please!!!

And can somebody explain me that Bach's piece of music in the background, when Steve is enjoying the LSD induced Euphoria? Does that remotely imply that Jobs was planning to launch a music device that changes the world, how to listen Music? Outrageous script writing there with a huge Cliché!

If you are remotely aware of the person called Steve Jobs, this film is not for you.

Dr. Makineedi Achyutha Gangadhar

We have lost our uncle, Dr. M A Gangadhar, on August 29th 2012. He was a Veterinarian and was serving as Assistant Director, Institute of Animal Husbandry, Mandapeta, at the time of this death. It's been 8 months since the demise. Our loss is something which can't be expressed in mere words. He was always a father figure to me. The simple presence of him in my life used to be a constant morale and confidence booster of sorts.

After a vacuum that was created with the demise, we had a great news of sorts on 27th April 2013, the World Veterinarian's Day. The department in which he worked has started a tradition of identifying the best Veterinarian in the District of East Godavari and awarding him Dr. Makineedi Achyutha Gangadhar Memorial Award for exemplary work in Veterinary Services. On the inception, this award went to Dr. R Venkateswara Rao, a colleague and a good friend of Dr. M A Gangadhar.

Our entire family is humbled and will be eternally thankful to the Veterinary Department of East Godavari district for making Dr. M A Gangadhar live forever through this kind gesture. I personally want to thank Dr. Anitha, Dr. L K Sudhakar and Dr. Gabriel, for proposing and executing this. They are to take this to the state level from next year.

I always knew Dr. Gangadhar as my uncle and never looked beyond that. It is only after the loss, that I could see how great human being he was. I know he will live forever in my heart and now I am sure that he will live forever even in the hearts of fellow veterinarians.

Current India.

A girl was gang raped in New Delhi, the national capital city, in a moving bus. This itself seems like the work of a ruthless villain from an 80's movie. Then, what shall we say about the 5 culprits who threw the 23 year old victim on the road, naked and shoved a long rod in her genitals? Are these 5 guys even human?

The Delhi Police took two days to find the culprits and still waiting for the judgement while the whole of young India is out on the roads protesting the hideous act.

India is a country where a problem is discussed over a long period of time without actually acting. The girl is fighting against death in the hospital and awaiting justice. The government is busy in discussions to create laws against such crimes. God knows when they will take a shape.

The orthodox (read veterans) citizens of India are blaming the girls in general, stating that the girls are the ones who invite such incidents by wearing short dresses. So, a girl's short dress is an indirect invitation for sexual assault? It gives enough reason for a man (if only he is man enough) to assault a lady??

And while all this is happening, the youth of India is protesting on the roads. Once, the spark fizzes off, it is happily forgetting everything. What happened to the Anna Hazare phenomenon? It was youngsters all around the campaign. Now where is it? In my personal opinion, youngsters today lack direction and commitment. A change in the existing society is a herculean task and it takes some time to attain.

To sum up, India needs a true leader, but not a politician who adds no value to the system...

మామయ్య కోసం

చంకనేసుకుని
ఎంచక్కా లోకాన్ని
పైనుంచి చూడ్డం నేర్పావు.

మా బులిబులి అడుగులకు
చిటికెన వేలందించి పరిగెత్తించావు
పరుగులు తీయించి
రనౌట్ కాకుండా ఉండటం నేర్పించావు!

అడగకుండానే అన్నీ నేర్పావు..

తెలుపూ నలుపూ గడుల
గెలుపోటముల్ని సమంగా చూడ్డం నేర్పావు..
అన్నీ నేర్పావు.

సైకిల్ నేర్చుకుంటూ
మోచిప్పలు పగలగొట్టుకుంటే
బైకెక్కించి గాయాల్ని మరిపించావు

కారు కొన్నదే తడవు
డ్రైవింగు సీట్లో కూర్చోబెట్టి
బ్రతుకు స్టీరింగు తిప్పడం నేర్పావు!

అడగకుండానే అన్నీ నేర్పావు..

అయిదు రోజులు ఆసుపత్రిలో
నిశ్చల నిర్నిమేష బాధాతప్త హృదయంతో
మడమ తిప్పక పోరాడ్డం నేర్పించావు
మృత్యువు నీ దరిజేరడానికి
ఎన్ని రహస్యమయ దారులు వెదుక్కుందో!

అలాంటి సమయంలో సైతం
ఏం చెయ్యాలో, మాట్లాడాలో
ఎలా ఎదుర్కోవాలో
ఒక పాఠమై నేర్పించావు!

అన్నీ నేర్పావు..

ఇన్ని నేర్పిన మామయ్యా-

ఇంకేం నేర్పుదామని
అమాంతంగా వదిలేసి పోయావు?
అర్థాంతరంగా అనాథల్ని చేశావు!

నువ్వు నేర్పందే
మేమేమీ నేర్చుకోలేమని
ఇప్పుడిప్పుడే అర్థమైంది.

కవరేజి లేని ఏరియలో లేని నిన్ను
పలకరించడం నేర్పకుండానే
వెళ్ళిపోయావు...
పోయావు!

        -బాబి

Olympics

Olympics are back!

The gaming event that happens once every four years is back. This time, it is hosted by London, a record third time, where no other City has hosted more than twice. In 1908, London welcomed Olympics for the first time. Later, it took up the challenge in 1948, when the world is torn up with the World war. It so happened that the participants from across the globe were requested to bring in their own food supplies so as to reduce the cost. Nevertheless, Olympics - 1948 was a spectacle.

London is hosting the games again in 2012 and this time it wanted the event to be marvelous in every sense. The opening ceremony was directed by Danny Boyle and he made sure to showcase the English history and current dominance to the world. The sequence that showcased the industrial revolution in England was a treat to the eyes. What was not anyway??

Watching the athletes from various countries was truly emotional. I wish everyone a great success at the games. This time, England is represented by more than 400 athletes and wants to cash in the home advantage just like China who for the first time toppled the dominance of America on the points table in the last version at Beijing in 2008.

India has sent the highest number of athletes to London and this time, we are expecting good number of medals, thanks to the great performance in the last edition.

Let the real meaning of the Olympics be unveiled this time too. Victory is not the goal of the games, but World peace is...

Let there be peace!

Democracy

With a population of around 120 crores, India is undoubtedly the largest democratic state of the World. However, do we Indians deserve the right to elect our own Government?

Every day, we start our small and petty lives with the news of a scam, mostly masterminded by the politicians. Who are these politicians? They are elected by us, to serve us. They are our leaders.

Recently, Jagan Mohan Reddy of YSR Congress party was arrested by the CBI for allegedly acquiring a property of 43,000 crores. Just to understand the figures, if the money is distributed, every Indian will get 358 crores. Yet, people of Andhra Pradesh voted for his party and the party came out of the elections with flying colors. So, what could be the possible reason behind such an election?

Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy has definitely introduced some great schemes for the poor. Arogya Sree is an example for such initiatives. But, isn't it the work of a Chief Minister to look after the people of the state? Why does the people doesn't understand the simple fact the Jagan is misusing his father's name and power for his personal benefits?

It is us, the people have to change. As long as we cast our votes for such politicians, they will treat us like this only.

If we talk statistics, the General elections will receive 50% to 55% voting. That means, 45 people for every 100 in India are not voting at all. Either these people are lazy or too busy, not to cast their vote.

It is an open secret that the political parties buy the votes of the people with money, liquor. No educated(socially responsible) man would accept these favors for their vote. That gives me an opportunity to infer that at least 70% the voters have sold their votes. That means, only 30% of the votes that were cast were by unbiased and genuine individuals.

Casting your vote without any bias would do miracles. Imagine a 100% polling which includes those of educated, who can think. Politics will not be a profitable business anymore. One can not amass thousands of crores in a span of 5 years. Abraham Lincoln famously said, Government is of the people, by the people, for the people. If the government is formed by us, then only it can work for us.

Every Indian must understand the importance of his vote and act accordingly. If left as is, this country will go back to stone ages. The sacrifices by many of our leaders like Gandhi, Bose or Bhagat Singh would be a mere waste. At least they had to fight an outsider. We need to fight against our own country men to make this country a great one.

I strongly feel, Indians as citizens of India doesn't deserve Democracy as long as a bottle of cheap liquor can buy our votes.

Kashi Pilgrimage

A trip to Kashi was planned with all the family members. Train tickets were booked three months back and when we boarded the train, it was crazy. In a bogie with a capacity of 72, there were 150 people on board. Even the TT couldn't help organize the rush. All I could say is "Welcome to UP".

Kashi station is named as Varanasi (BSB) and is a very busy railway station as the town is housing the holiest shrine as per Hindu culture. For hindus the famous Viswanath temple on the banks of Ganga river is as revered as Mecca to Muslims or Jerusalem to Christians.

Even though this is a purely spiritual trip, it started with a visit to Banaras Hindu University. This is one of the oldest universities in India and was started by the great Madan Mohan Malavya. He was a freedom fighter with a vision. The university is huge in terms of the area.

After visiting many of the smaller temples, we had our first glimpse of Ganga from the narrow lane leading to Kedar Ghat. Kashi has nearly about 100 ghats, some of which are even privately held. We took a boat ride from the ghat to the other side of the river and had a bathe in Ganga, which is supposed to cleanse our sins. I am not sure of that, but am sure of getting some kind of infection due to the impurities that are mixing into the river. The boat ride lead us to Lalitha Ghat, from where we went to have a darshan of the Viswanath temple. The temple is very small and the deity itself is very small in size. I always imagined a huge linga of the lord here. After the Darshan, we were taken to Dasaswamedh Ghat by the boat, to experience the Ganga Puja. This is a magnificent view from the river.

Being with the family, I had to sacrifice my hunt for nightlife in the town. After all, the town is known as the city of lights.

Next day, I decided to visit as many ghats as possible and started on foot. Manikarnika Ghat is the most important ghat in the town. It is entirely dedicated to the cremation of people of Hinduism. It is believed that any person's soul that died in Kashi, is freed from the cycle of rebirths and attains Moksha. So, thousands come to this holy city to attain Moksha by dying here. This makes Manikarnika Ghat, the most busiest cremation ground in the World. Also, it is said that the ash from the Ghat is used in Abhishekam of the Lord. Also, the legend says that Raja Harishchandra worked on this Ghat at the behest of Vishwamitra.

From Manikarnika, I moved to Lalitha Ghat again, where I witnessed the Vishwanath Aarthi that happens at seven every evening. This should not be confused with the Ganga Aarthi that is performed at Dasaswamedh Ghat every day at 7.30PM everyday. On the whole the weekend was an unforgettable one with loads of memories, mostly adding up to my spiritual development.

Coming to the materialistic Kashi, it offers, many things like famous Pattu(Silk) sarees, the ultra famous Pan (Betel nut wrapped in Betel leaves) and the Lassi (Sweet Yogurt). One must try these without fail.