I always thought that Pakistan was a parliamentary democracy (when it was, i.e.) that was similar to India in many respects. The same federal structure, the same judicial structure and the same administrative structure.
So I was surprised when I saw Asif Ali Zardari visit Washington and address the UN as the head of state. I was under the impression that like India, the PM was the head of state for all practical purposes while the President was a titular head.
Did the constitutional changes that Musharraf made, also include the clause that the Pres will have greater authority than the PM? Haven't they rolled back those changes?
Or not as yet?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Have you ever....
Been in a meeting in which you're not needed?
You can do cool stuff like writing blog posts....
You can do cool stuff like writing blog posts....
Some sense of humour
A fast track court has sentenced four people to death and awarded life imprisonment to 11 others in connection with the murder of a Dalit 15 years ago
These guys have some sense of humour, seriously.
If the link hasn't expired, you can read the article here.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Devil's Delusion
Is a direct reply to Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others who believe vehemently that god does not exist and use science and logic to convey their viewpoint.
It is an enjoyable read, mainly because of the belligerent feel of the book.
One cannot but help feeling that the author, David Berlinski, is totally pissed off with Dawkins and others of his ilk.
Strictly speaking about logic, though, I find the book getting its logic right 80% of the time, mainly when it exposes the logical flaws of the aforementioned atheists.
Clearly, that is the purpose of the book. To totally take apart these guys even if it is by nitpicking and taking small quotes and making fun of it.
The cosmological argument is discussed in great detail and Thomas Aquinas' views are given predominance here. Now Thomas Aquinas' views on an expedient/contingent god are complex, and on a first reading I had to literally ask myself, WTF? What exactly is this guy(Berlinski, presumably speaking for Aquinas) trying to say. Aquinas' arguments do not, logically, prove the existence of God.
However, one of the good points worth mentioning is the apparent leap of faith that scientists are willing to take when it comes to predicting that we will have a GUFT, that explains how everything works. (Why it does, will still be unanswered). This is compared with the leap of faith that believers in God take. There is a difference between firm belief and cautious optimism. The former, of course, attributed to theists, while I am attributing the latter to the attitude of scientists in general. I do not think that all scientific atheists are of the firm opinion that a GUFT will be 'revealed'/discovered in the near future.
One more point, Berlinski has, on several occasions in the book, supported his analysis, with mere quotations from people who are supposedly credible sources with infinite wisdom. Quotations cannot prove anything. Nothing. They are merely attention deflecting devices that are used when your core point isnt strong enough.
In his zealousness to 'take the case' of Messrs Dawkins and Co, Berlinski does go overboard most of the times, but I must admit, reading this book has had a positive after effect for me. I've looked up topics/personalities that I would never have bothered to otherwise and it did get me thinking on a couple of good points.
It is an enjoyable read, mainly because of the belligerent feel of the book.
One cannot but help feeling that the author, David Berlinski, is totally pissed off with Dawkins and others of his ilk.
Strictly speaking about logic, though, I find the book getting its logic right 80% of the time, mainly when it exposes the logical flaws of the aforementioned atheists.
Clearly, that is the purpose of the book. To totally take apart these guys even if it is by nitpicking and taking small quotes and making fun of it.
The cosmological argument is discussed in great detail and Thomas Aquinas' views are given predominance here. Now Thomas Aquinas' views on an expedient/contingent god are complex, and on a first reading I had to literally ask myself, WTF? What exactly is this guy(Berlinski, presumably speaking for Aquinas) trying to say. Aquinas' arguments do not, logically, prove the existence of God.
However, one of the good points worth mentioning is the apparent leap of faith that scientists are willing to take when it comes to predicting that we will have a GUFT, that explains how everything works. (Why it does, will still be unanswered). This is compared with the leap of faith that believers in God take. There is a difference between firm belief and cautious optimism. The former, of course, attributed to theists, while I am attributing the latter to the attitude of scientists in general. I do not think that all scientific atheists are of the firm opinion that a GUFT will be 'revealed'/discovered in the near future.
One more point, Berlinski has, on several occasions in the book, supported his analysis, with mere quotations from people who are supposedly credible sources with infinite wisdom. Quotations cannot prove anything. Nothing. They are merely attention deflecting devices that are used when your core point isnt strong enough.
In his zealousness to 'take the case' of Messrs Dawkins and Co, Berlinski does go overboard most of the times, but I must admit, reading this book has had a positive after effect for me. I've looked up topics/personalities that I would never have bothered to otherwise and it did get me thinking on a couple of good points.
Debate?
Since mainstream Indian Television (I will not call it TV!) has been unavailable for the past year or so, I've made it a point to watch clippings of videos put up on websites like the Times of India and IBNLive at regular intervals to catch up with the goings on in India.
Now IBNLive does a very good job by hosting a large number of video clippings, of nearly all the major programs that run on air in India. Most of the times, these clips load fast, stream well and are void of problems like poor clarity, etc.
Good job there, IBN, you have a much better site than other mainstream Indian media outlets, at least than the ones I've visited.
I have a complaint, though. In the so called 'discussions' that take place, the program hosts always seem to have made up their mind as to which side they are on. The questions seem to be directed at the participants with that conviction in mind.
My complaint is this: If you are so convinced as to what the real problem is/what the solution is, then why invite people from opposite views to present their case?
Why not pass off your judgment to the viewer. Why don the greasepaint of discussion/debate to cover your prejudice/pre-conceived notions.
Right from the question that people are supposed to respond to (Don't organizations like the Bajrang Dal need to be banned just like organizations like the SIMI? TYPE QOTD YES/NO and send to 5525), to the questions asked to the participants and the flippancy with which opposing(opposing the host's view, of course) viewpoints are dismissed, the whole god-damn attitude that some of the show hosts seem to have is irritating at times, though you might at some point of time even agree with them. Your prejudice, no matter how logically correct it may be, is no cause for being dismissive of other peoples' views, especially if you're asking them to participate in your show and thereby sustain it.
Stop it IBN, it's just not correct.
Now IBNLive does a very good job by hosting a large number of video clippings, of nearly all the major programs that run on air in India. Most of the times, these clips load fast, stream well and are void of problems like poor clarity, etc.
Good job there, IBN, you have a much better site than other mainstream Indian media outlets, at least than the ones I've visited.
I have a complaint, though. In the so called 'discussions' that take place, the program hosts always seem to have made up their mind as to which side they are on. The questions seem to be directed at the participants with that conviction in mind.
My complaint is this: If you are so convinced as to what the real problem is/what the solution is, then why invite people from opposite views to present their case?
Why not pass off your judgment to the viewer. Why don the greasepaint of discussion/debate to cover your prejudice/pre-conceived notions.
Right from the question that people are supposed to respond to (Don't organizations like the Bajrang Dal need to be banned just like organizations like the SIMI? TYPE QOTD YES/NO and send to 5525), to the questions asked to the participants and the flippancy with which opposing(opposing the host's view, of course) viewpoints are dismissed, the whole god-damn attitude that some of the show hosts seem to have is irritating at times, though you might at some point of time even agree with them. Your prejudice, no matter how logically correct it may be, is no cause for being dismissive of other peoples' views, especially if you're asking them to participate in your show and thereby sustain it.
Stop it IBN, it's just not correct.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Bomb Squad guy or bloody daredevil?
In the aftermath of the Gujarat and Karnataka bombings, we've been subjected to intense media coverage of the events post the bomb blasts.
More significant amongst these was the live diffusion of a bomb in Surat/Ahmedabad, I don't remember which.
I am completely shocked by the way the bomb squad guys go about doing their job as if it were a routine job like signing and shutting a file in a government office. Moreso, because these guys do not use any protective covering, and diffuse bombs with their bare hands.
I cannot for the life of me understand why we do not provide our bomb squad guys with suitable gear and the state of the art tech in diffusing bombs. If we do, then why aren't these guys using it??
What if something goes wrong and the bomb goes off? The guy diffusing the bomb is bound to lose his life in such a case. Every one of these guys is important to us if we are going to fight terror. I've seen instances where the bomb squad guys are wearing jackets but no helmets, helmets but no protective covering for the hands. I am yet to see a visual in which a bomb squad guy is diffusing a bomb with full protection.
I mean, I may be naive in my judgement of the situation, may be these guys first go ahead and check if the bomb is likely to go off any time soon and then when they are relatively confident they don't feel the need for protection. It's possible, but I'm not sure if this is what is happening. For one, there is no guarantee that a backup mechanism for triggering bombs hasn't been implemented, even if the time of explosion may have passed.
Ideally speaking, these guys are supposed to take a fiber glass compartment and first enclose the bomb in it and diffuse the bomb in the safety of the bomb sqaud premises...but in the visuals I've never seen this happening...
Why this callousness? Why the unnecessary bravado?
More significant amongst these was the live diffusion of a bomb in Surat/Ahmedabad, I don't remember which.
I am completely shocked by the way the bomb squad guys go about doing their job as if it were a routine job like signing and shutting a file in a government office. Moreso, because these guys do not use any protective covering, and diffuse bombs with their bare hands.
I cannot for the life of me understand why we do not provide our bomb squad guys with suitable gear and the state of the art tech in diffusing bombs. If we do, then why aren't these guys using it??
What if something goes wrong and the bomb goes off? The guy diffusing the bomb is bound to lose his life in such a case. Every one of these guys is important to us if we are going to fight terror. I've seen instances where the bomb squad guys are wearing jackets but no helmets, helmets but no protective covering for the hands. I am yet to see a visual in which a bomb squad guy is diffusing a bomb with full protection.
I mean, I may be naive in my judgement of the situation, may be these guys first go ahead and check if the bomb is likely to go off any time soon and then when they are relatively confident they don't feel the need for protection. It's possible, but I'm not sure if this is what is happening. For one, there is no guarantee that a backup mechanism for triggering bombs hasn't been implemented, even if the time of explosion may have passed.
Ideally speaking, these guys are supposed to take a fiber glass compartment and first enclose the bomb in it and diffuse the bomb in the safety of the bomb sqaud premises...but in the visuals I've never seen this happening...
Why this callousness? Why the unnecessary bravado?
Friday, July 25, 2008
Attention!!!! General Post is here...
The past few days and Summer in general have been quite eventful. Eventful in the wrong/sad way, IMHO.
Theres been a lot of losing happening.
Bombs went off in Bangalore, lives were lost, politicians have been bought and their nonexistent credibility was lost, Fed lost to a virtual unknown after losing an epic battle to Rafa, Amitabh Bachchan lost his luggage, twice,...I can go on and on...
I no more find it surprising that the Bangalore bomb blasts didn't get the attention they deserve around the world...A bombing in Gaza city seemed to keep journalists busy...I'm reminded of a scene in Hotel Rwanda where The UN peacekeeper played by Nick Nolte tells Paul Rusesabagina, 'Nobody cares about a bunch of black people killing other black people.' Now I harbor no communal or racist sentiments, but in the US, it seems like unless a Jew or a Hispanic dies abroad, it doesn't seem to be as important. I can understand that this may be due not to any hidden agenda in the American press, but something that reflects the demographics of the country and hence economic interests of newspaper. More Jews, Hispanics across the US, would mean that newspapers would translate, I think to more news about these sections of society and smaller incidents involving them to translate into comparatively greater newsworthiness than other people elsewhere.
Amongst other things, Via Darjeeling is a bad copy of Rashomon, Heath Ledger Mesmerizes in the Dark Knight, which is a good film IMHO, not like oh-my-god-im-cumming types good. Jaane tu ya Jaane Na is a bad film, Imran Khan acts passably well, Genelia can act, but cannot express herself in Hindi, Page 3 was a good movie, I dunno why I didn't see it for so long, Christopher Nolan is a good director, Christian Bale is a tremendous actor, Shatranj ke Khiladi is a satirical masterpiece, Donny Darko is excellent, electromagnetics is good to study for leisure, but sucks during exam time and nano-technology is an over-used over-hyped word.
Theres been a lot of losing happening.
Bombs went off in Bangalore, lives were lost, politicians have been bought and their nonexistent credibility was lost, Fed lost to a virtual unknown after losing an epic battle to Rafa, Amitabh Bachchan lost his luggage, twice,...I can go on and on...
I no more find it surprising that the Bangalore bomb blasts didn't get the attention they deserve around the world...A bombing in Gaza city seemed to keep journalists busy...I'm reminded of a scene in Hotel Rwanda where The UN peacekeeper played by Nick Nolte tells Paul Rusesabagina, 'Nobody cares about a bunch of black people killing other black people.' Now I harbor no communal or racist sentiments, but in the US, it seems like unless a Jew or a Hispanic dies abroad, it doesn't seem to be as important. I can understand that this may be due not to any hidden agenda in the American press, but something that reflects the demographics of the country and hence economic interests of newspaper. More Jews, Hispanics across the US, would mean that newspapers would translate, I think to more news about these sections of society and smaller incidents involving them to translate into comparatively greater newsworthiness than other people elsewhere.
Amongst other things, Via Darjeeling is a bad copy of Rashomon, Heath Ledger Mesmerizes in the Dark Knight, which is a good film IMHO, not like oh-my-god-im-cumming types good. Jaane tu ya Jaane Na is a bad film, Imran Khan acts passably well, Genelia can act, but cannot express herself in Hindi, Page 3 was a good movie, I dunno why I didn't see it for so long, Christopher Nolan is a good director, Christian Bale is a tremendous actor, Shatranj ke Khiladi is a satirical masterpiece, Donny Darko is excellent, electromagnetics is good to study for leisure, but sucks during exam time and nano-technology is an over-used over-hyped word.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Lives of Others
The West Lafayette (IN) Public Library, has one of the best global film collections you'll find. I was a fan of serious cinema, for sure, even before I came to Purdue, but the fact that there's a public library that allows you to borrow 5 DVD's a time, (for a week, i.e.) for free, makes one 'want' to watch all the movies on offer.
I've watched movies, both Global and American by the dozen after I became a member and I must say that the fun in watching a movie legally, in fine DVD quality print, at your own leisure, re-watching several times those parts that you liked, is quite a few times more than watching a movie on the net, fuming at the low stream rates and the poor picture quality.
Amongst English movies that I've watched recently, I liked 'No Country for Old Men' (knockout performance by Javier Bardem), The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (Every character here is grey, no completely good, no completely bad, though Eli Wallach, methinks, is literally quite ugly) , Pi (By Darren Aaronofsky, the guy who gave us the smashing, 'Requiem for a Dream' and whose style Anurag Kashyap has copied completely in 'No Smoking') and several others that I cannot recount immediately.
I've managed to see almost all of Scorcese's films, Kurosawa, (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai and Kagemusha, out of which the last one sucks like a newborn, while Rashomon impresses immensely), some of Kubrick's films and the Apu Trilogy (I liked the innocence of Pather Panchali, but Apur Sansar and Aparajito were turn offs, IMHO).
Coming to the topic of the post, after watching movies like 'Valentin', 'Children of Heaven' and 'Cinema Paradiso', I thought that I had watched the best that the medium could offer. I soon found out how wrong I was, when I watched this movie called 'The Lives of Others'
Set in last few years of East Germany's existence, this movie is essentially about 'Operation Laszlo', one of the many covert missions undertaken by the East German State Security Police (Stasi) to weed out potential enemies of the state by monitoring their personal and professional lives.
A engaging screenplay, superb direction by a debutant director (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), brilliant performances by the lead cast, brilliant moments scattered throughout the movie in the form of subtle expressions (mainly by Muhe), a super ending, especially the last dialog in the context of the whole movie (this is not a thriller mind you) make this movie a must watch. And yes, I forgot to mention, that this movie also won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2007.
A few things immediately came to my mind after watching this film. If the intension in making the film was depicting the horrors/lack of freedom of life in a totalitarian, oppressive state, then I am sure we can find such instances in so called progressive states too. Why, during the McCarthy witch hunt, there were files maintained on suspected communists, their phone conversations tapped and their lives were essentially under the FBI microscope, much like is shown in this movie based in communist East Germany.
I suspect though, that this isn't the case, because nowhere is there any sort of preaching/banner-raising. It is simply a story that is set against an unfortunate background and how the lives of people involved get affected.
I'm hoping though, that there'll be many more films from this guy Donnersmarck (Quite like Bismarck, really, this surname, makes you want to clap your heels as if you heard the word 'Achtung'), because if his first film is anything to go by, the ones to follow should definitely be worth waiting for.
I've watched movies, both Global and American by the dozen after I became a member and I must say that the fun in watching a movie legally, in fine DVD quality print, at your own leisure, re-watching several times those parts that you liked, is quite a few times more than watching a movie on the net, fuming at the low stream rates and the poor picture quality.
Amongst English movies that I've watched recently, I liked 'No Country for Old Men' (knockout performance by Javier Bardem), The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (Every character here is grey, no completely good, no completely bad, though Eli Wallach, methinks, is literally quite ugly) , Pi (By Darren Aaronofsky, the guy who gave us the smashing, 'Requiem for a Dream' and whose style Anurag Kashyap has copied completely in 'No Smoking') and several others that I cannot recount immediately.
I've managed to see almost all of Scorcese's films, Kurosawa, (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai and Kagemusha, out of which the last one sucks like a newborn, while Rashomon impresses immensely), some of Kubrick's films and the Apu Trilogy (I liked the innocence of Pather Panchali, but Apur Sansar and Aparajito were turn offs, IMHO).
Coming to the topic of the post, after watching movies like 'Valentin', 'Children of Heaven' and 'Cinema Paradiso', I thought that I had watched the best that the medium could offer. I soon found out how wrong I was, when I watched this movie called 'The Lives of Others'
Set in last few years of East Germany's existence, this movie is essentially about 'Operation Laszlo', one of the many covert missions undertaken by the East German State Security Police (Stasi) to weed out potential enemies of the state by monitoring their personal and professional lives.
A engaging screenplay, superb direction by a debutant director (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), brilliant performances by the lead cast, brilliant moments scattered throughout the movie in the form of subtle expressions (mainly by Muhe), a super ending, especially the last dialog in the context of the whole movie (this is not a thriller mind you) make this movie a must watch. And yes, I forgot to mention, that this movie also won the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2007.
A few things immediately came to my mind after watching this film. If the intension in making the film was depicting the horrors/lack of freedom of life in a totalitarian, oppressive state, then I am sure we can find such instances in so called progressive states too. Why, during the McCarthy witch hunt, there were files maintained on suspected communists, their phone conversations tapped and their lives were essentially under the FBI microscope, much like is shown in this movie based in communist East Germany.
I suspect though, that this isn't the case, because nowhere is there any sort of preaching/banner-raising. It is simply a story that is set against an unfortunate background and how the lives of people involved get affected.
I'm hoping though, that there'll be many more films from this guy Donnersmarck (Quite like Bismarck, really, this surname, makes you want to clap your heels as if you heard the word 'Achtung'), because if his first film is anything to go by, the ones to follow should definitely be worth waiting for.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
On Quizzing: Why do I like it?
Decided to start writing again, for some random reason.
Just last week, I found out that there's a Quiz Club at Purdue. It goes by the name 'Purdue India Quiz Club', I think. Being starved of quality quizzing for the past 6 months, my mind literally did double cartwheels when I heard that there was a Quiz Club at Purdue. A long quizzing session later, my heart content with the fact that theres some quality quizzing going on out here, I returned home.
Later on in the day, I asked myself why I enjoyed quizzing so much. This question didn't really seem relevant, or necessary to ask when I was in Pune and attending quizzes by the dozen (esp. during college days)
Some possibilities came to mind immediately:
1) I like to retain and regurgitate useless trivia
2) I like to show off that I know a lot of useless stuff that normal people would not bother to care about.
3) I like to compete with others who have similar knowledge on similar utterly useless topics.
I immediately disproved 1), 2) to myself on the basis of my past experiences. I felt that 1) was not valid because I don't think I have ever made a conscious effort to 'retain' trivia...(Shiva will know, however, that this is not true, we did spend the Christmas of 1996 mugging up Manorama in preparation for a quiz called IQ97, which ended un-ideally for us when, despite my best efforts to identify Cindy Crawford by saying 'Sidney, Sidney...', my team-mate, Darshan Parekh chose to exercise his power of seniority by blurting out 'Claudia Schiffer'...again, long time ago..sab maaf, but these things do stay in your mind)
So, yes, barring this one stray incident, I don't think I have ever consciously tried to 'mug-up' for a quiz.
2) Showing off, and me?? I think not. I don't think I have ever come across as a 'show-off'. But then again, I might be wrong here, people who have been in my company might be able to answer that, but yes, in this context I must say that I never have purposely tried to show that I have a lot of knowledge.
3) seemed like a possible contender, but then, theres so much competition all around anyways, be it for getting admitted into a prized University or for getting that much coveted job. So I think I will rule out 3) too.
I then tried making the question more general, by asking myself, why does someone enjoy a particular activity more than others? My own opinion is that any activity that can make you feel happy, gets an upper hand over the others. The reason the activity can make you happy can vary. People are able to focus their mental and physical faculties better at certain activities, as a result of which they perform better at these activities.
From personal experience I can say that this is true. I seem to be more focussed when I quiz, than when I try to study for an exam (True, and sadly so :) ). Also, over the hundreds of quizzes I have attended/attempted, there have been a lot of 'Voila/wow' moments. I shall define a 'Voila/wow' moment as one in which you have no idea as to how a particular thing happened, since it defies logic. I often found myself recognizing tunes that I had heard (and for all practical purposes, forgotten) a long time ago. One word in a quiz question triggers off a random thought and, what the heck, your 'educated guess' on the basis of that random thought turns out to be correct. I can also remember several instances when some connects just seemed right, just like that, pure instinct. No effort involved here, just pure, random access from shelved memory. I can't think of any other activity that has given me comparable moments.
I've seen people who like to quiz in a very structured way, thinking logically, drawing conclusions from well reasoned arguments and extrapolating information in order to piece together the question-answer-puzzle. I think I personally do not enjoy this style of logical quizzing, though I have to utilize this style of quizzing too, since the above mentioned moments of epiphany are far and few. But I generally feel I have enjoyed a quiz (even when I end up on the loosing side) when there are 2-3 such moments in a quiz. ( I think this also explains why I really really like long questions, where much side info is given alongside what are supposed to be hints to the answer. Even though useless, this side info has, on several occasions, helped me get an answer when what was supposed to be a logical hint did not do the job)
I think I have digressed from my main point though, which wasn't about why I like a particular 'style' of quizzing. (I think this also explains why I do not like writing so much. I am simply not good at it :) )
After much thought, I still don't have a complete answer, only some hints, which may be able to give me a complete answer someday. But yes, till then, I think I shall go with 'Quizzing makes me happy...' as my educated guess!!!
Just last week, I found out that there's a Quiz Club at Purdue. It goes by the name 'Purdue India Quiz Club', I think. Being starved of quality quizzing for the past 6 months, my mind literally did double cartwheels when I heard that there was a Quiz Club at Purdue. A long quizzing session later, my heart content with the fact that theres some quality quizzing going on out here, I returned home.
Later on in the day, I asked myself why I enjoyed quizzing so much. This question didn't really seem relevant, or necessary to ask when I was in Pune and attending quizzes by the dozen (esp. during college days)
Some possibilities came to mind immediately:
1) I like to retain and regurgitate useless trivia
2) I like to show off that I know a lot of useless stuff that normal people would not bother to care about.
3) I like to compete with others who have similar knowledge on similar utterly useless topics.
I immediately disproved 1), 2) to myself on the basis of my past experiences. I felt that 1) was not valid because I don't think I have ever made a conscious effort to 'retain' trivia...(Shiva will know, however, that this is not true, we did spend the Christmas of 1996 mugging up Manorama in preparation for a quiz called IQ97, which ended un-ideally for us when, despite my best efforts to identify Cindy Crawford by saying 'Sidney, Sidney...', my team-mate, Darshan Parekh chose to exercise his power of seniority by blurting out 'Claudia Schiffer'...again, long time ago..sab maaf, but these things do stay in your mind)
So, yes, barring this one stray incident, I don't think I have ever consciously tried to 'mug-up' for a quiz.
2) Showing off, and me?? I think not. I don't think I have ever come across as a 'show-off'. But then again, I might be wrong here, people who have been in my company might be able to answer that, but yes, in this context I must say that I never have purposely tried to show that I have a lot of knowledge.
3) seemed like a possible contender, but then, theres so much competition all around anyways, be it for getting admitted into a prized University or for getting that much coveted job. So I think I will rule out 3) too.
I then tried making the question more general, by asking myself, why does someone enjoy a particular activity more than others? My own opinion is that any activity that can make you feel happy, gets an upper hand over the others. The reason the activity can make you happy can vary. People are able to focus their mental and physical faculties better at certain activities, as a result of which they perform better at these activities.
From personal experience I can say that this is true. I seem to be more focussed when I quiz, than when I try to study for an exam (True, and sadly so :) ). Also, over the hundreds of quizzes I have attended/attempted, there have been a lot of 'Voila/wow' moments. I shall define a 'Voila/wow' moment as one in which you have no idea as to how a particular thing happened, since it defies logic. I often found myself recognizing tunes that I had heard (and for all practical purposes, forgotten) a long time ago. One word in a quiz question triggers off a random thought and, what the heck, your 'educated guess' on the basis of that random thought turns out to be correct. I can also remember several instances when some connects just seemed right, just like that, pure instinct. No effort involved here, just pure, random access from shelved memory. I can't think of any other activity that has given me comparable moments.
I've seen people who like to quiz in a very structured way, thinking logically, drawing conclusions from well reasoned arguments and extrapolating information in order to piece together the question-answer-puzzle. I think I personally do not enjoy this style of logical quizzing, though I have to utilize this style of quizzing too, since the above mentioned moments of epiphany are far and few. But I generally feel I have enjoyed a quiz (even when I end up on the loosing side) when there are 2-3 such moments in a quiz. ( I think this also explains why I really really like long questions, where much side info is given alongside what are supposed to be hints to the answer. Even though useless, this side info has, on several occasions, helped me get an answer when what was supposed to be a logical hint did not do the job)
I think I have digressed from my main point though, which wasn't about why I like a particular 'style' of quizzing. (I think this also explains why I do not like writing so much. I am simply not good at it :) )
After much thought, I still don't have a complete answer, only some hints, which may be able to give me a complete answer someday. But yes, till then, I think I shall go with 'Quizzing makes me happy...' as my educated guess!!!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
AweSome, AweSome
This Post On Crystal Blur
had me in splits.Totally Cool.
A wise old man in a beard,who once taught me Mathematics,told me that if you learnt to laught at yourself,half your problems would be solved.Couldnt agree more.
Hawks,be warned,take it with a pinch of salt!!
had me in splits.Totally Cool.
A wise old man in a beard,who once taught me Mathematics,told me that if you learnt to laught at yourself,half your problems would be solved.Couldnt agree more.
Hawks,be warned,take it with a pinch of salt!!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Ganesh Hegde on Ganesh Hegde
Ganesh Hegde.Yes,thats my name.
Now if youve hit Ganesh Hegde on Blogger! and have expected to find the personal blog of Ganesh Hegde,youve come to the right place.We'll,to begin with, I AM Ganesh Hegde,and this IS my personal blog.Ive been Ganesh Hegde for quite some time now,22 years nearly.
I also have a namesake,who has been making merry on TV,and wowing all the girls with his dance-cum-mush songs.Now not many people know that this guy was a choreographer before he hit the jackpot with "G".Going by the popularity of the songs that he's choreographed,one could also safely assume that he's a good choreographer.I mean songs like Khallas,Kambakht Ishq,and Babuji Zaraa Dheere Chalo,were huge hits,not to forget songs like Mitwaa from lagaan and Mehboob Mere,from Fiza .Some of these songs,were bigger than the films themselves.
So far,so good,Ganesh Hegde is an ace choreographer,people dont know about it and everyone is living happily,when this dude comes up with his own album "G".Its a rage amongst girls.
So,you may ask,why does this guy have a problem with his namesake making it big??
No No No,i dont have a problem with Ganesh Hegde making it big.Why should I??
In fact i was basking,quite shamelessly,in this reflected glory(this can be verified by checking the number of hits my blog has had in the last few days),when i received this response on one of my posts,from a fan called tinahegde [:-))]
So I felt it necessary to clear the air once and for all,and take the risk of not getting even those few hits that i managed in the past few months *sob ,sob*.
Gals,devijis,dudes and dudettes,who have the hots for the great G,who google Ganesh Hegde and find this Blog,please know that this is not Ganesh Hegde the hot shot Choreographer-cum-Popstar,but Ganesh Hegde the...hot shot Software developer-cum-quizzer-cum-electronics&dsp-enthusiast!!
Now if youve hit Ganesh Hegde on Blogger! and have expected to find the personal blog of Ganesh Hegde,youve come to the right place.We'll,to begin with, I AM Ganesh Hegde,and this IS my personal blog.Ive been Ganesh Hegde for quite some time now,22 years nearly.
I also have a namesake,who has been making merry on TV,and wowing all the girls with his dance-cum-mush songs.Now not many people know that this guy was a choreographer before he hit the jackpot with "G".Going by the popularity of the songs that he's choreographed,one could also safely assume that he's a good choreographer.I mean songs like Khallas,Kambakht Ishq,and Babuji Zaraa Dheere Chalo,were huge hits,not to forget songs like Mitwaa from lagaan and Mehboob Mere,from Fiza .Some of these songs,were bigger than the films themselves.
So far,so good,Ganesh Hegde is an ace choreographer,people dont know about it and everyone is living happily,when this dude comes up with his own album "G".Its a rage amongst girls.
So,you may ask,why does this guy have a problem with his namesake making it big??
No No No,i dont have a problem with Ganesh Hegde making it big.Why should I??
In fact i was basking,quite shamelessly,in this reflected glory(this can be verified by checking the number of hits my blog has had in the last few days),when i received this response on one of my posts,from a fan called tinahegde [:-))]
"hey ganesh this is ur greatest fan on this planet earth i love u so much iam crazy for u hope ull respond soon i love u my name is christina my mail id isnatalie_200123@yahoo.com "
So I felt it necessary to clear the air once and for all,and take the risk of not getting even those few hits that i managed in the past few months *sob ,sob*.
Gals,devijis,dudes and dudettes,who have the hots for the great G,who google Ganesh Hegde and find this Blog,please know that this is not Ganesh Hegde the hot shot Choreographer-cum-Popstar,but Ganesh Hegde the...hot shot Software developer-cum-quizzer-cum-electronics&dsp-enthusiast!!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Theres something on the telly beyond Ekta.
The Great Indian Laughter Challenge(Minus N.S.Sidhu),now Champions:-Star One,Friday 10:00 PM.
One of my favourite shows.The actual competition was great fun,now its kinda watered down.
One just cant stop laughing when Sunil Pal says in true Suniel Shetty Style " A-he Veerappan,MAdhurI ko choD de veerappan ",or better still "Prove karoon kya ?? Proove kar sakta hoon".Navin Prabhakar has almost started a parallel genre of bar dancer girl comedy with his "Paichaan Kaun,HaT Kutta" jokes.Besides that,Ehsaan Qureishis limericks ,Raju Shrivastav's ideas (I especially liked the Modified sholay,and laughing reporter gags),and the energy of Bhagwant Mann(Oh MyGoddddd!!!!!!mera beta mar gayaaaaaaa!!!),definitely make the show worth watching.Between Desperate Housewives,which airs at the same time,and TGILC,its a no-contest.Even some of the guys who didnt make it to the finals were amazing.among these Jimmmy Moses(the Chinese in India gag),Dharsi Beradia,and Deepak Raja.
All in all a rocking show.
Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai :-Star One,Monday 9:00 PM.
Maya Sarabhai (played by Ratna Pathak-Shah),the champagne drinking,quintessential socialite,is always at loggerheads with her daughter-in-law,Monisha,who as it turns out unluckily for Maya,is a quintessential penny-saving middle class girl.Ratna Pathak-Shah is just to good in this serial.Her dialogues,which almost always involve chiding her bahu with "its so typically middle class",are ably complemented by Monisha's,which almost always involve an exaggerated description of the middle class.Other members of the cast,like Sumeet Raghavan (who played Phaster Phene several years ago),and Satish Shah,do their job commendably.
The Kumars At Number 42:-Star World,Sunday 10:00 PM.
One Hillarious Show,never mind the BatliWalla,and the Kudkudiya cheap imitations.Sanjeev Kumar,and his grandmother are simply hillarious.Cant stop laughing when the grandma insults her less-than-pefect grandson.
KBC 2:- Star Plus ,FRI-SUN 9:00 PM.
I like this show simply because the way the Big B presents it,is unparalleled,aDwitIya.The junta pleasing questions notwithstanding, I do get some good trivia on India once in a while.
Sab Kuch Ho Sakta Hai:SAB TV ,WED-THURS 10:30 PM.
if you want to see spoofs done on Indian Personalities in the most hillarious manner,watch this show.Sajid Khan is ok,but the show stealer is Suresh Menon.Simply hillarious.
Another show that does spoofs is the Great Indian Comedy Show,modelled on the lines of Mad TV.But some of the gags here are really boring and do not evoke too much laughter.
Besides these,the usual stuff like Friends,Seinfeld(Kramer rocks),and the Drew Carrey Show.
All in all,enough to keep me occupied all weekend(I get to watch only repeats)!!
One of my favourite shows.The actual competition was great fun,now its kinda watered down.
One just cant stop laughing when Sunil Pal says in true Suniel Shetty Style " A-he Veerappan,MAdhurI ko choD de veerappan ",or better still "Prove karoon kya ?? Proove kar sakta hoon".Navin Prabhakar has almost started a parallel genre of bar dancer girl comedy with his "Paichaan Kaun,HaT Kutta" jokes.Besides that,Ehsaan Qureishis limericks ,Raju Shrivastav's ideas (I especially liked the Modified sholay,and laughing reporter gags),and the energy of Bhagwant Mann(Oh MyGoddddd!!!!!!mera beta mar gayaaaaaaa!!!),definitely make the show worth watching.Between Desperate Housewives,which airs at the same time,and TGILC,its a no-contest.Even some of the guys who didnt make it to the finals were amazing.among these Jimmmy Moses(the Chinese in India gag),Dharsi Beradia,and Deepak Raja.
All in all a rocking show.
Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai :-Star One,Monday 9:00 PM.
Maya Sarabhai (played by Ratna Pathak-Shah),the champagne drinking,quintessential socialite,is always at loggerheads with her daughter-in-law,Monisha,who as it turns out unluckily for Maya,is a quintessential penny-saving middle class girl.Ratna Pathak-Shah is just to good in this serial.Her dialogues,which almost always involve chiding her bahu with "its so typically middle class",are ably complemented by Monisha's,which almost always involve an exaggerated description of the middle class.Other members of the cast,like Sumeet Raghavan (who played Phaster Phene several years ago),and Satish Shah,do their job commendably.
The Kumars At Number 42:-Star World,Sunday 10:00 PM.
One Hillarious Show,never mind the BatliWalla,and the Kudkudiya cheap imitations.Sanjeev Kumar,and his grandmother are simply hillarious.Cant stop laughing when the grandma insults her less-than-pefect grandson.
KBC 2:- Star Plus ,FRI-SUN 9:00 PM.
I like this show simply because the way the Big B presents it,is unparalleled,aDwitIya.The junta pleasing questions notwithstanding, I do get some good trivia on India once in a while.
Sab Kuch Ho Sakta Hai:SAB TV ,WED-THURS 10:30 PM.
if you want to see spoofs done on Indian Personalities in the most hillarious manner,watch this show.Sajid Khan is ok,but the show stealer is Suresh Menon.Simply hillarious.
Another show that does spoofs is the Great Indian Comedy Show,modelled on the lines of Mad TV.But some of the gags here are really boring and do not evoke too much laughter.
Besides these,the usual stuff like Friends,Seinfeld(Kramer rocks),and the Drew Carrey Show.
All in all,enough to keep me occupied all weekend(I get to watch only repeats)!!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
A Few Pune centric definitions
Recently -I happened to read this Headline in the Marathi newspaper Sakal.
It translates as follows:
ROAD:something that exists between potholes.
This coupled with my experiences with Pune's roads this monsoon,made me think about a few more definitions,or rather modifications of existing definitions,as they apply to Pune city.Though these defintions apply to Pune, they can be derated according to the road conditions in other cities to be
applicable there.
1)ROAD:Something that exists between adjacent potholes.
Appendix : The minimum distance between potholes required to complete the definition varies from area to area.e.g:in the Cantonment area it may be as far as 20 metres,while on Ganeshkhind road it is about 5 -10 cm.
note:In areas like Ghorpadi(if you knew that it existed in Pune),the concept of road does not exist.
2)CONCENTRATION:A quality required by pedestrians,and vehicle drivers,that enables them to reach home in one piece.
3)SURVIVOR:A person who has a high amount of concentration.
4)ACCIDENT:Something that happens to potential survivors,when they are concentrating so much on surviving,that they bang into
a) A Pole,or a divider
b) A Pedestrian
c) A Cyclist
Case a) can also be taken as the definition for Pole-dancing as one of my friends tells me.
5)MOONSCAPE:A clear view of the moons surface(Craters et al),earlier visible only through the telescope,and pictures,but due to the untiring efforts of the PMC(and road contractors),a very precise simulation of it is now accesible to the general public in Pune.
6)UPA:Hithertho known as the United Progressive Alliance,in Pune it is known as the United Pothole Alliance.As conspiracy theorists might tell you,it is an association formed by road contractors,politicians,orthopaedic surgeons,accident hospitals,and vehicle spare part manufacturing companies(genuine and fake).
It translates as follows:
ROAD:something that exists between potholes.
This coupled with my experiences with Pune's roads this monsoon,made me think about a few more definitions,or rather modifications of existing definitions,as they apply to Pune city.Though these defintions apply to Pune, they can be derated according to the road conditions in other cities to be
applicable there.
1)ROAD:Something that exists between adjacent potholes.
Appendix : The minimum distance between potholes required to complete the definition varies from area to area.e.g:in the Cantonment area it may be as far as 20 metres,while on Ganeshkhind road it is about 5 -10 cm.
note:In areas like Ghorpadi(if you knew that it existed in Pune),the concept of road does not exist.
2)CONCENTRATION:A quality required by pedestrians,and vehicle drivers,that enables them to reach home in one piece.
3)SURVIVOR:A person who has a high amount of concentration.
4)ACCIDENT:Something that happens to potential survivors,when they are concentrating so much on surviving,that they bang into
a) A Pole,or a divider
b) A Pedestrian
c) A Cyclist
Case a) can also be taken as the definition for Pole-dancing as one of my friends tells me.
5)MOONSCAPE:A clear view of the moons surface(Craters et al),earlier visible only through the telescope,and pictures,but due to the untiring efforts of the PMC(and road contractors),a very precise simulation of it is now accesible to the general public in Pune.
6)UPA:Hithertho known as the United Progressive Alliance,in Pune it is known as the United Pothole Alliance.As conspiracy theorists might tell you,it is an association formed by road contractors,politicians,orthopaedic surgeons,accident hospitals,and vehicle spare part manufacturing companies(genuine and fake).
Monday, June 20, 2005
The al-Chemist
Happened to read the much acclaimed book,"The Alchemist" recently.The book makes for absorbing reading.However it does suffer from major drawbacks.
It prophesises that "If you want something,the entire universe conspires in helping you get it".It exhorts the reader to follow his/her dreams through the medium of the protagonist Santiago.However there seems to be a paradox here,for it says that you must dream,for only if you dream will they become true,and it talks about Santiago having found his 'destiny'.
Now dream and destiny,for me,are not always compatible.Further,it says that you must spot the 'omens',while on the quest to fulfill your dreams.This and a lot of mysterious elements,like the 'soul of the world',and the author Paulo Coelho's cleverness in subtly putting his point across about his own(I presume) religion,Christianity,confused me thoroughly.There is talk about 'the Tradition' never being wrong,about our fate being written(Maktub).
But I guess the book can take such liberties,for it essentially is fiction.Another thing that struck me about the book is that,since the author uses the medium of Santiago to put his views forth,he does not become unnecessarily preachy,unlike other motivational books which indulge in direct conversation with the reader.
All in all,very well written,and some of the points do make sense too,but only people of enormous faith,can,i suppose put into practice what Coelho says.
It prophesises that "If you want something,the entire universe conspires in helping you get it".It exhorts the reader to follow his/her dreams through the medium of the protagonist Santiago.However there seems to be a paradox here,for it says that you must dream,for only if you dream will they become true,and it talks about Santiago having found his 'destiny'.
Now dream and destiny,for me,are not always compatible.Further,it says that you must spot the 'omens',while on the quest to fulfill your dreams.This and a lot of mysterious elements,like the 'soul of the world',and the author Paulo Coelho's cleverness in subtly putting his point across about his own(I presume) religion,Christianity,confused me thoroughly.There is talk about 'the Tradition' never being wrong,about our fate being written(Maktub).
But I guess the book can take such liberties,for it essentially is fiction.Another thing that struck me about the book is that,since the author uses the medium of Santiago to put his views forth,he does not become unnecessarily preachy,unlike other motivational books which indulge in direct conversation with the reader.
All in all,very well written,and some of the points do make sense too,but only people of enormous faith,can,i suppose put into practice what Coelho says.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
im back
after a self imposed sabbatical for a month due to exams,im finally in a position to write regularly again.dont know what to write about though.on my way back home,i saw a few signboards,which were pretty comical.
they read something like this.
"shrikrishna-mutton shop";
"m.s. chut-ke and sons-tailors";
"saatvik-the vitamin filled diet(on the lines of d-aag-the fire!!);
ive made a resolution to keep my eyes open for all these signboards.there sure is a lot of humour everywhere if you read the signs.
(i also saw an empty mall that had the signboard-shoppers stop!!)
they read something like this.
"shrikrishna-mutton shop";
"m.s. chut-ke and sons-tailors";
"saatvik-the vitamin filled diet(on the lines of d-aag-the fire!!);
ive made a resolution to keep my eyes open for all these signboards.there sure is a lot of humour everywhere if you read the signs.
(i also saw an empty mall that had the signboard-shoppers stop!!)
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Paki singers rock
This thing called the PL that we engineering students have is a manna from heaven.not only does it give us all the time in the world to do all the useful stuff that we dont all semester long,it also gives us time to study.so here i was one fine pl night,downloading software for my ancient comp,when i happened to listen to the song "jiya na jaye" by faakhir from his album 'mantra'.what struck me about the song was that it was original,and melodious,unlike the remix crap thats regularly being dished out on music channels nowadays.since i had all the time in the world,i immediately downloaded the song.
i wonder why indian musicians arent doing good original stuff nowadays.the indian pop scene was totally rocking in the late 90's,with several singers like daler mehndi,shaan,sonu nigam bursting on to the scene.and they did real good stuff then.while shaan and and sonu nigam have moved on to playback singing,daler mehndi has (allegedly got several illegal immigrants deprted back to india from canada!!) found little luck with his recent albums.
on the other hand,pakistani bands and singers have regularly made good music,evident from the fact that these bands have a huge fan following in india.and lets face it,these guys are good.junoon,fuzon,atif(of yeh lamhe fame),faakhir,strings have sold albums like crazy out here.(ive purposely left out adnan sami for the simple reason that he cannot sing,and plus he would take up more space than required on this web page!!).its really good to see that these guys are getting the attention they deserve(and the moolah).unfortunately,our very own abhijit(chaand taare of yes boss) doesnt share my views.he feels a lot of indian singers are being neglected in the wake of this craze for paki bands.though his comments about adnan sami might be valid,i dont think its right to criticise these singers just because they are pakistanis.afterall,people want to listen to good music,and they dont care if its coming from across the borders.he seems to have conveniently forgotten the fact that indian movies are so popular in pakistan,that despite the ban on them,pirated copies are freely available,and people there love the stuff.chances are that if youre watching a pirated version of a movie at home,the cd has been originally burnt in pakistan!!.
thankfully,the scene seems to be getting a little better for indian pop music.ive heard good stuff by abhijit sawant(indian idol),rabbi shergill(bulla ki jaana totally rocks),kunal ganjawala(channa ve),bombay boys(though its half indian,and half norwegian) and kumar sanu(tera mera pyar),in recent times.
i wonder why indian musicians arent doing good original stuff nowadays.the indian pop scene was totally rocking in the late 90's,with several singers like daler mehndi,shaan,sonu nigam bursting on to the scene.and they did real good stuff then.while shaan and and sonu nigam have moved on to playback singing,daler mehndi has (allegedly got several illegal immigrants deprted back to india from canada!!) found little luck with his recent albums.
on the other hand,pakistani bands and singers have regularly made good music,evident from the fact that these bands have a huge fan following in india.and lets face it,these guys are good.junoon,fuzon,atif(of yeh lamhe fame),faakhir,strings have sold albums like crazy out here.(ive purposely left out adnan sami for the simple reason that he cannot sing,and plus he would take up more space than required on this web page!!).its really good to see that these guys are getting the attention they deserve(and the moolah).unfortunately,our very own abhijit(chaand taare of yes boss) doesnt share my views.he feels a lot of indian singers are being neglected in the wake of this craze for paki bands.though his comments about adnan sami might be valid,i dont think its right to criticise these singers just because they are pakistanis.afterall,people want to listen to good music,and they dont care if its coming from across the borders.he seems to have conveniently forgotten the fact that indian movies are so popular in pakistan,that despite the ban on them,pirated copies are freely available,and people there love the stuff.chances are that if youre watching a pirated version of a movie at home,the cd has been originally burnt in pakistan!!.
thankfully,the scene seems to be getting a little better for indian pop music.ive heard good stuff by abhijit sawant(indian idol),rabbi shergill(bulla ki jaana totally rocks),kunal ganjawala(channa ve),bombay boys(though its half indian,and half norwegian) and kumar sanu(tera mera pyar),in recent times.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Kya Kool khai khum
k{
(
Im taking inspiration from Ekta kapoor.She's taught me so much.I mean,I realised that whatever I do,however hard I end up working,im still going to be a failure in life if theres no k in my name,or someplace around me.Because you see k stands for karma,and by adding a k in all possible places ,it improves my karma.Dont believe it??Go ahead ,try it yourself.Youll be surprised at the results.
When I was pondering over my future "Nnaaamkkarran Sanskaaarr",I Read the article about *Star* numerologist Mr.Jumaani.He says,that numbers rule our world.So the reason why Shourobh Ganguly is not doing well,is not because hes playing plain badly,but because he wears Jersey no.99.He should switch to 24 he says,because no 6 again somehow stands for akhdkhd in the house of jwhrohhht thats why hghohohogho which rules the planet of ghohgogohgohghhghghigh is not matching the numerological equivalent of his name,so if he changes his jersey to number 24 then he'll be back with a bang(No wait!! bang doesnt seem to have the right numbers.we should make that ngab,no ngam,Yes this is perfect,NAGMA!!you see Nagma and Saurav are both numerologically ruled by the god of lust,sorry light,surya,and thats why they offered prayers at the konark temple!!yes,that really fits in well)
Therefore,im thinking of changing my name.I think i should make it kganesh,or kkganesh(i can imagine people going around trying to call my name,ekdum shahrukh style,hey kk..ganesh!!),or better still,Kanesh.So please,change your names,and reap the benefits.
Have you also noted that the total number of letters and characters in this post also has an equivalent of 6??And Ive also added an extra k which has improved my karma so much,that im actually feeling more confident,and thats why im going to do well in life.Amazing,isnt it??
)
}
(
Im taking inspiration from Ekta kapoor.She's taught me so much.I mean,I realised that whatever I do,however hard I end up working,im still going to be a failure in life if theres no k in my name,or someplace around me.Because you see k stands for karma,and by adding a k in all possible places ,it improves my karma.Dont believe it??Go ahead ,try it yourself.Youll be surprised at the results.
When I was pondering over my future "Nnaaamkkarran Sanskaaarr",I Read the article about *Star* numerologist Mr.Jumaani.He says,that numbers rule our world.So the reason why Shourobh Ganguly is not doing well,is not because hes playing plain badly,but because he wears Jersey no.99.He should switch to 24 he says,because no 6 again somehow stands for akhdkhd in the house of jwhrohhht thats why hghohohogho which rules the planet of ghohgogohgohghhghghigh is not matching the numerological equivalent of his name,so if he changes his jersey to number 24 then he'll be back with a bang(No wait!! bang doesnt seem to have the right numbers.we should make that ngab,no ngam,Yes this is perfect,NAGMA!!you see Nagma and Saurav are both numerologically ruled by the god of lust,sorry light,surya,and thats why they offered prayers at the konark temple!!yes,that really fits in well)
Therefore,im thinking of changing my name.I think i should make it kganesh,or kkganesh(i can imagine people going around trying to call my name,ekdum shahrukh style,hey kk..ganesh!!),or better still,Kanesh.So please,change your names,and reap the benefits.
Have you also noted that the total number of letters and characters in this post also has an equivalent of 6??And Ive also added an extra k which has improved my karma so much,that im actually feeling more confident,and thats why im going to do well in life.Amazing,isnt it??
)
}
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Ein neue Papst
Rejoice all you Roman Catholics of the world,for you have a new pope.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI.And he will lead you into the kingdom of God.
Im afraid for not long though.For he looks as though he may soon secure a permanent seat at the eternal security council,where Giovanni Paolo II will ask him "Et tu Papa??"Congrazie!!"".This "humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord"(dont know why he chose a vineyard over other places of work,free booze attracts one and all!!) is a known hardliner,which again puzzles me.Why would any one having any sense oppose change.Its probably out of the fear that they would then lose control over a people they have kept in the dark for ages.So God doesnt want women to enjoy their time in bed,haan (Hump not, when thy need is not a child)??Or he has an aversion to latex??Or pills for that matter??
How people still believe this stuff puzzles me.What also puzzles me is that Even after having so many names to choose from he ends up chosing Benedict.Was he so hard pressed for choice.It reminds me of a joke though.A drunkard is standing next to a manhole shouting "15,15,15......"So a guy comes up to him and asks him whats up.he says "go ahead,take a look".and as soon as the guy bends down to take a look this dude pushes him down and starts screaming "16,16,16..........!!!".
Hey Papa,im sorry,I hope my soul doesnt burn in hell for this.
May God bless you.Amen.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI.And he will lead you into the kingdom of God.
Im afraid for not long though.For he looks as though he may soon secure a permanent seat at the eternal security council,where Giovanni Paolo II will ask him "Et tu Papa??"Congrazie!!"".This "humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord"(dont know why he chose a vineyard over other places of work,free booze attracts one and all!!) is a known hardliner,which again puzzles me.Why would any one having any sense oppose change.Its probably out of the fear that they would then lose control over a people they have kept in the dark for ages.So God doesnt want women to enjoy their time in bed,haan (Hump not, when thy need is not a child)??Or he has an aversion to latex??Or pills for that matter??
How people still believe this stuff puzzles me.What also puzzles me is that Even after having so many names to choose from he ends up chosing Benedict.Was he so hard pressed for choice.It reminds me of a joke though.A drunkard is standing next to a manhole shouting "15,15,15......"So a guy comes up to him and asks him whats up.he says "go ahead,take a look".and as soon as the guy bends down to take a look this dude pushes him down and starts screaming "16,16,16..........!!!".
Hey Papa,im sorry,I hope my soul doesnt burn in hell for this.
May God bless you.Amen.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
An Interesting method
Found a very interesting,and amazingly simple way to solve an equation involving complex powers.Say we have a equation x^3-x^2+x=z^2+2z;we separate this into two equations,say y= x^3=x^2+x,and y=z^2+2z.Plot the graphs of both against y,and the points of intersection are the solutions to the equation.Complex problems truly have simple solutions.The source for this solution was the book "The shadows of the Mind",by Roger Penrose.Quite a good read actually, considering that the author has gone great lengths to show where quantum physics fails to explain the workings of a conscious mind,and how we must develop a new physics to accomodate the concept of a non-mathematical consciousness.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
My First post on My first blog
After one year of listening to people discussing blogs whenever i visited B.C.,i decided to have a blog of my own.Not that i had any particular animosity towards weblogs.Its just that BSNL made sure that i didnt have a decent net connection,which meant that i had to make regular trips to the nearby cybercafe to check mail,and that i didnt have enough time for this 'indulgence'.Finally i decided that ive had enough,so when Sify came up with a decent offer, i jumped on to the broad-bandwagon,and here i am,with enough of online time to create some space for myself on the web(and be an active contributor too) .
Ive never understood the actual need of a blog.I still dont.But after beginning to write my first post,I get the feeling that its out of the need to express yourself,maybe in a way that can never be done in a conversation.Maybe its done out of the urge to show to others, how intellectually inclined you are.Seems pretty confusing,and i sure would like to get some comments on this.
Till my next post,
Ganesh
Ive never understood the actual need of a blog.I still dont.But after beginning to write my first post,I get the feeling that its out of the need to express yourself,maybe in a way that can never be done in a conversation.Maybe its done out of the urge to show to others, how intellectually inclined you are.Seems pretty confusing,and i sure would like to get some comments on this.
Till my next post,
Ganesh
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