Retro ..

Oohooi...how many times in your life do ya get to remember the jolly 'ol ways..?

Be it indoor fun or outdoor,many of the things which we used to do for entertainment in our childhood is now out of fashion,rare or sometimes not heard at all by others...

For a normal guy like me it would be the retro tv/video games we used to play..with the nice catridges and all...and the cool and funky tv series of the late 90s.I had only DD,so only those who were in same condition would know..coz no self respecting person with cable connection would watch the shows in DD as we did :)

It was the DD metro movie that was aired every weekday at evenings to which I would credit my grasp of Hindi( and not on the strict or boring teachers). There were lots of strange shows, which I wonder how many would have watched(I mean the non-DDs),but we never minded or complained..be it stupid or weird.The names of many shows come running to my mind,but I am not going to make a list here,because that is not my intention.


The original reason why I wanted to write this post is the opening sequence of the Cartoon show SWAT KATS,which was aired in Cartoon Network.I just downloaded and heard it.It was my favourite show though we had cable connection for only 2 years..that too the last 2 yrs of schooling.I still get attracted to such retro series if any are aired,and bear a dislike to the kiddish japanese stuff flooding the channels.I do not say all Japanese anime are stupid,cause I myself am in love with 2-3 of them,but frankly I don't like the dubbed versions.Just think how weird it would be,if an English guy tries to voice any of our local movies..it would be pandemonium among the viewers... :P

The prize deeds of those days were: Hit a few sixes and take a few wickets everyday:Catch all episodes of all favourite toons and tv shows :Finish reading the latest comics and spread the story to all friends:Finish all levels or beat friends on the many famous tv games and boast about it for a whole year ;)....hehe and it was all carried out with such fervor...

gray and slow

Life is so gray and slow..it seems..

Thanks to the broken undersea cable,the internet is helping a lot in increasing the effects. Its tough to maintain a sane life in these hostile conditions.There is something seriously awful about me or maybe its the world.

My only companions now are some books,some ebooks,few old photographs and items that I had used in my past. Had plans to go out with a few friends, but most of them seem to have gone out of station.

Blah,in spite of all this,I do not intend to say that life is that boring,because it never can be ... ;)
coz i am already on the hunt for the next adventure...

Smiling Moon

It look so special...I have never seen such a sight in my life.
I noticed the smiling moon,on the clear western sky while going to the library after 6pm today.It was quite amazing and funny at same time.

I felt as if the sky itself was smiling at the world below.Don't know why the peculiar shape occurred. I never have seen two planets(Venus and Jupiter) so close by the moon,that too in crescent. This is a pretty sight occurring due to the alignment of these planets.Those who missed the view would have to wait for someone to upload images soon, or for a newspaper with an observant photographer.

What I noticed was that,not many noticed the peculiar sight on the clear sky.People were busy and had frowns on their face,obviously worried about the hectic lives. I felt the sky was saying "Smile Please" and I am sure the peculiar sight would have brought a smile on anyone's face.

Lets' take it as a message to ourselves.Keep Smiling and go about doing our jobs with a smile on our face...

Trust me to interpret anything with a useful message.. ;)
PS:
Got a photo taken by Cyriac and posted it(he admitted to not have taken it well)

Deadly Decisions

Post 26/11,with the entire population breathing down the neck of the politicians and many on rampage,the politicians are struggling to weave strategies to hold power while calming the people.

The political game has begun with the resignation of Home Minister Shivraj Patil.He is just being made a scapegoat,someone to point to by either sides ,instead of looking at the clear facts and taking difficult decisions.NDTV just reported that there are moves to break the five year ceasefire at the LOC and increase troop concentration,which means an escalation of military activity against Pakistan.After watching such strategies being used over and over by the ruling governments,we the people shouldn't go by their game.

We,as the taxpayers and the ones who elected these bureaucratic demons onto power,should see through their plans.An announcement for military action against Pakistan would satisfy many a commoner whose is now chanting "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and profanities about Pakistan.The government is surely going to cash in on this kind of emotions held by majority of the population.And sadly,that is exactly what the evil brains behind the attacks want India to do.Breaking a 5-yr ceasefire has long lasting effects on the political situation of the subcontinent.Also,considering the huge costs involved with such a military action,it is always unwise to resort to full scale military action without proper consideration.The government is clearly planning to divert public rage for some time by going ahead with this dastardly decision.

A war at this point will hurt the diplomatic relations with Pakistan(it is of atmost importance that we do not consider Pakistan as some country simply surviving at our mercy),as well as hurt our already reeling economy.This also serves as a good diversion for governments,politicians and even other similar evil parties to avoid media and public attention for their activities.I vehemently oppose this attitude of resorting to military action every time attacks occur due to reasons other than direct infiltration via LOC.How else can they justify this decision??

This and all the other attacks in urban areas that have taken place in India is clearly due to failure of intelligence,negligence of officers at duty or bottlenecks created by bureaucratic issues.I would have been happier if the Government had issued an order to check and fix the reasons for such intelligence lapses,deal with bureaucratic bottlenecks regarding security of all important locations in India.The voice and inputs of local intelligence and officials should be considered in this matter.

A report shown in a news channel,just showed how deplorable our coastal security system is.Let's demand our politically elected loudspeakers to show some guts,show some spirit and to show some life.Instead of pushing the country into yet another war,I wish and I want them to realize the vulnerable situation of the nation and take strong measures to fix it up.I also want all responsible citizens reading these paragraphs to take caution against the vile speeches and propaganda of any political side.We should keep vigil and maintain clear vision of the situation and demand our governments to do the right thing.I also request you to please educate nearest fellow citizen who thinks that the military action is the solution,about the possible outcomes of a war(which is never,never good).


We have seen lots of deaths over the past many years,this time we even saw it Live on TV,how they dug in and fought us,killing our countrymen and our guests indiscriminately.There were no politicians involved in the rescue of the hostages or elimination of hostile forces.The only people affected were the security personnel,the guests,innocent civilians and their kin.So,lets keep the faith and respect we had in our men who simply did their jobs well,unlike the politicians and corrupt/negligent officials who couldn't prevent it from happening.We don't want another bout of bloodshed at the borders.We can stop it.We should demand proper action,not just action.Let us raise our voice and make it clear that the people of this country cannot be duped again.I wish our brothers and sisters who are taking huge processions and protests at various places understand that it should not be something that recedes when the government gives such diversions or die down in a matter of time.

As I always say: "The Power is Ours!!"

A nation burning...

The news is everywhere...all know...the facts...not going into it..

Eyes burn and heart bleeds,watching the live coverage on TV on the Mumbai attacks(I would rather term it 'war' or 'siege').I announce here in my blog,where I get to post my views that matter to me:I really feel now that my nation is burning in all sense.

Terrorist attacks,fidayeen,blasts have always occurred in northern parts of India,for quite a long time now.J&K related stuff is almost like daily news,and with the growing media coverage the ones in cities and metros are also given lot of limelight(though only when it is hot news,not later on ..like investigation etc...clearly indicating the TRP as goal).This year itself,there has been numerous blasts ,killing many people and also this time the south coming under the scanner with the emergence of the group called Indian Mujahideen,which is believed to have networks in Kerala(thats chilling,but compared to an average Kashmiri,Naga,Assamese,Mumbaikar or Delhiite,it is nothing).

But what makes the current situation different and scary,is not a single reason,but many of them.First of it being the very idea of fully armed men freely attacking important public places of the top metro of the country(also the financial capital+a city used to attacks).I cannot express the shock I felt when I came to know of the proper situation by late evening of 27th.These men clearly looked like highly trained(and I mean highly and thoroughly,unlike the shabby terrorists usually shown in TV) personnel,using the perfect amount of arms,provisions and environmental facilities to conduct such an operation.Their modus operandi is quite unknown to the media used to covering incidents and the local police force as well.The moment I saw the images of those guys caught in CCTVs, what raced through my mind was images on commando operations and hostage standouts that are seen in foreign countries and which I have seen in some video games(believe me,they make it as real as possible that some are used for training combat soldiers).I could imagine the risk and threat these guys posed,and I really felt horrified on realizing that the nation has come to such a situation.

The intensity with which the security forces were resisted and the strategies employed by these guys,just strengthened my hunch that this was not going to end soon,unless something dramatic happened.But nothing like that happened,possibly owing to the sensitive and soft civilian targets that were chosen.Another fact that was brought to light by the media nearly made me fall from my seat.The route of the terrorists being through the sea was something I didn't expect to happen,at least not directly into a huge city like Mumbai,with strong coastal patrolling plus the naval base being located there.

Among several important things to note here are these:
--Scale of infiltration
--Precise co-ordination between attackers
--Almost perfect choice of targets
--Armed to the teeth with modern weaponry
--Tactics to confuse media and/or security forces to strike fear and confusion

This is being termed as 'India's 9/11'.Truly,this is what it seems like.It deserves that label owing to the scale and intensity with which the attacks have been carried out.It has shaken the very sense of security of each Indian citizen.I congratulate the NSG commandos for taking up the tough task head on and slowly but surely cleaning up the conflict zones(who would have imagined calling the five star hotels of Mumbai conflict zones).After the dust clears,all lot of heads will roll.Politicians will soon be back into doing their duty of pointing fingers and giving token speeches.But there needs a proper understanding among the people and the administration as well,all over the country on what steps should be taken to avoid such a situation in the future,and in case it happens,how to smoothly handle the situation.

Hope the situation in Mumbai clears as soon as possible without further heavy damages(I fear that the last standing guy could do something desperately).The lives of thousands of people will be transformed due to this event.Many have lost their kin,friends and suffered losses which may never be recovered.Let's pray for the departed souls and try our best to stand by those in grieving.Let's not waste our time and energy in pointing fingers or speculating.The world watches,as the emerging power of the world struggles to handle the situation.The mark of a strong nation are strong-willed people who share each other's happiness and sorrow.

May my nation stand tall in all kinds of crisis, and its people find the heart to live on ,learning from the experiences....

Tea times

Of course this is not tea time..but I am a tea lover who drinks various kinds of tea at odd times :)

Just tested the 'Adrak'(ginger) tea which turned out little weak due to the hesitation from my side to put an overdose.But it tasted nice...with milk.
My other usual experiments are with black tea,as milk doesn't help the flavour always.

I cherish the good Darjeeling tea I had at Mussorie 5 years back and recently had the packed version at Cafe` Coffee Day of IIT-M.The one I had tasted at Mussorie was like heaven...and it was rightly taken at 5 in the morning daily after jogging(as part of mountaineering course) up and down the hill.The so called 'Assam Tea' at CCD didn't taste too bad..it was pretty strong as well( considering the time of consumption being nearly 12 am).

Another flavour is the Lemon Tea,which smells so refreshing and tastes good as well.But I left it for sometime for the sake of not getting bored.Same goes with the bitter(believe me) 'Green Tea'..all black...

My other experiments include 'Ginger Lemon','Pudina','Tulsi','Masala' and various kinds of tea leaves themselves..brought from various places like Darjeeling,Munnar estates etc directly ...thanks to my father who tries out a variety of agricultural products and my mother who shares my passion for innovative cooking...My daily tea itself is flavoured with cardamom powder and I am specific about the flavour of tea leaves used. :)

My view about cooking varies from a mere necessity to an art that needs quite a lot of interest and a keen sense of taste and lets say...aptitude.In case of tea,I believe that any kind of flavoured leaf or condiment that tastes good on being boiled in water can make a good tea!!Of course,tastes vary from person to person,and you might not be aware of the fact that some people in Tibet(recall so) drink tea with Yak's milk flavoured with...salt!!(Courtesy:Balarama Digest of unknown era)

Anyway I will stop this small dialogue with these lines "Anyone can Cook!" from...Ratatouille..and a message for wannabe tea fans..keep innovating(don't resort to searching recipes on the internet) and always stick to organic products as they taste much better and are healthier than their counterparts.Have a good tea...adios

Deep anguish

My heart is in deep anguish and pain...over the loss of my precious collection of documents.
It covered almost every subject I was interested in..and that too the best in the lot...I cannot convey my pain..my heart is crying inconsolably...it would take me another few years to collect it back...I can't bear to do that...

I had burnt it as a dvd to keep it forever,but it doesn't seem to around here anywhere after I replaced the hard disk and wanted to copy it back to disk.My four years of engineering were marked in those documents,they had always held something of interest for me,whatever be my mood.. :(. I am crying in deep sorrow.....

Everything else in life seems so simple and gray at this point of time,and this feeling will last until I push it over after a few minutes(but believe me,the pain is excruciating...I don't like it when such treasures of a lifetime are lost due to negligence or ignorance.. waiting for that angel to whom I gave the dvd to return it asap without further delay...
If someone reading this has that DVD(Labeled 'Misc Docu'),please for god's sake,return it to me and save a poor life ....

Pushing the footprint

We all have heard about the global warming issues,the speculations,the graphs and the likes..
Countless seminars,reports and studies have been done on this...all pointing to the same danger...rising temperatures,melting glaciers,dying flora and fauna,irregular climate and related catastrophes,human conflict over limited resources...

So,now that almost everyone knows its implications fully or partially...why is that not everyone is doing something about it.I am not saying everyone should make drastic changes,like not using a car at all...or things like that..but as part of the educated mass,everyone...including school students have a part to play..its about making the second change..The first change is what we are currently making to the space around us..that is affected by me or you as an individual.It is called the footprint.

Footprints are of different kinds,what I am concerned with here,is ecological or specifically carbon footprint.That is what has to change.Most people soak up in knowledge about global warming and ecological issues and then after that,do not take any action,maybe thinking that the onus is not upon them to make a change,but upon NGO's and dedicated environmentalists.That is a big mistake.You as an individual are responsible and accountable for the change that you bring to the world around you.Just look around you,at your home or workplace and see how your lifestyle has modified things around you.

If you were even slightly affected by the awareness campaigns on environment protection,you should ideally start finding new realms to make the most of your time on this planet.Instead of having detrimental effects on the world that you interact with,I request you to try and make a difference.I assure you that you would always have some new things around you that can be made better if you make the right choice.The right choice may include the use of more efficient tools,efficient use of electric devices,taking care of a garden or implementing some environment friendly improvisations.It upto you to make a choice.

Let's hope more people rope into this,making the world around themselves much better,instead of waiting for others to take an action.Remember:
The Power is Yours!!!

Interestng Read
Another article

The last week

Ah,so I am back...
Last week was pretty much interesting and different.
I had a suppli(still have) for MSD(Microprocessor System Design) and so I was pretty busy, "allegedly" preparing for it.
But the week was not just preparing for MSD alone,many other interesting and different things happened,many times tempting me to blog about it.But thoughts of daily chores and MSD sunk most of those built up ideas.
There was pretty heavy rainfall for 2-3 days and during that time I was outside ...drenched and enjoying the heavy rainfall with strong winds..thinking up senti as well as exciting stories and plans ;) As I said,I couldn't bring any of those into the blog.

As my friend Aswin pointed out in one of his comments to a previous post,it only when you sit to study something,you get to think about everything else in a wonderful and different perspective.You may think of the same things as usual,but unlike when you are free,you don't procrastinate or push it aside without giving it a positive thought.

I was busy reading stuff and books I had left on the shelves in spite of them being interesting.I also found enough time to appreciate many things in life that I had left in a queue and forgot.I am not saying that I changed a lot or learnt a lot.. I am almost the same person...just got more original thats all :)

And work is still pending on assignments..blah blah(read as academics)..but thats ok.....its fine to take a break in between,stand back and look what you are doing.It was Yahoo! boy Sandy's b'day today..but couldn't blast as classes suspended and ppl busy with spl supplee exams..hope to blast it and him asap!!And I feel I am almost over the disease or tendency for movies(for time being)....so gonna do some interesting work on the computer(it sucks power u know..got to make use..cannot waste kseb's efforts and help bring in more powercuts or cause water level to sink cochin ;)..and shut it off more often than before !!!

Sayanora...byye bye...

Trust is what matters...

Among the myriad amount things that mark a human being's social life,what matters the most is trust...in all forms.

A child learns to walk by trusting his parents to take care of him if he falls.He expects them to support him ...he trusts them with his heart.You might have noticed how a child reacts,when people he trust turn up doing things he is unfamiliar with and this surmounts to break of trust for most kids.The agony and pain at that moment can only be understood by seeing it by yourself.

In the due course of life,everyone trusts someone.No matter how strong and blessed with skills you are,without trust of some kind,it is impossible to make a move.If you take a walk down the memory lane,you would acknowledge that the happiest days of life were when you had the significant other,whom you trusted with your life.

The biggest agony and pain of life is the breaking of trust.A person who goes through that hell loses his sense of reasoning and happiness seems to drain out of there face.You might have seen this happen to many people around you.The people who call them emotionally strong are not immune to this human weakness as well.They just manage and hold their emotions until they find a new support and they usually are pretty good with adapting quickly and in finding new trusts.

I cannot emphasize the importance of trust any more than saying that ...without having trust and faith in someone or something,human beings are almost equivalent to animals(even they trust each other at times) or even worse.

Lack of mutual trust between people cause wars and famine(remember cold war,proxy war and feud over religion,caste and region).The root cause to almost all kinds of suffering we see around us is due to lack of proper trust and understanding....people just block out their minds using doubts and distrust ...it breaks families,friends,companies,countries....People just don't try to understand other people..they prejudice and poison their own minds by hating and detesting others who are different from them..never once trying to seek the truth.

How many different generations have passed by over the years...why is the generation gap occurring at this point of time with such adverse effects?It is the plain lack of trust and understanding between the family members.No one has a sense or idea about what they are living for...parents trying to burden the kids with no consideration whatsoever. Parents don't trust their children,who in turn end up trusting no one...and finally creating insensitive destructive attitudes.

Even if this is the case of the world,there is still hope.You just need to open your mind and not let it be prejudiced.Never make the mistake of degrading people without proper understanding.Release the goodness that is held within you...believe in the goodness others hold.A person who can view the world with this perspective can break the veil of darkness that is lack of trust.Religion was supposed to help people maintain their trust and in some way act as an anchor(trust ur own instincts while inferring this),and hence understanding more about the world around you and having deeper knowledge of why things are the way it is...is the absolute solution to the problem.
Geez..pretty big post...will improve recall soon ...sure! :D

Co-ordination difficulties

I was just settling to learn ...and I trying the usual stuff of playing around with things around me :)

I was rotating my wrists and then fingers..but when I tried to rotate my two index fingers in opposite directions simultaneously,I simply got confused and in utter disarray.But individual rotations are perfect...only when these are done together...its almost impossible.so I wondered what might be the reason...some kind of neural co-ordination problem i guessed...but is it only for me or for all ?

Many such co-ordination faults exists in normal human beings.But I wonder if overcoming some with huge effort is possible and if that is done,is there any benefit as in will it provide me with increased reflex or flexibility...its in doubt.

So,I left the studies(:( it is so tough to make me study...) and came over to blog about this new thought...and a search on Google gave me a research paper that talks a lot about such co-ordination effects being very useful to learn about brain functioning.Praise the Brain!!

Infinite knowledge

This is not about acquiring infinite knowledge and the associated pleasures..this is about a thought I had...and connected with the following:

अप्र्व कोपि कोशोयम् विद्यते तव भारति|
व्ययते व्रिधिमायाति क्शयमाति सन्चयात्||

The meaning of this 'shloka'(from the 'Neethishloka' or some other that was in Sanskrit text) is as follows:
Strange is your treasury ,oh Bharathi(Goddess).
which expands on spending and shrinks on stockpiling.

If the reader knows a bit of Sanskrit,or has come upon this before..they can simply relish the fact..for the others.(if you haven't guessed what treasure we are talking about)..what we are talking about here is Knowledge..isn't it true that it shrinks if you stockpile and expands if you share it with others..and that is the same reason why we respect our teachers and learned people.


So,how come infinite knowledge is linked to this...?

Infinite knowledge or Omniscience is something you can dream about,only if you are into teaching and taking pains to share you knowledge with others.Only a person who knows the pleasure of sharing knowledge can explore things beyond a limit...even a person with specially modified brains has a limitation on ordinary levels....that is my point of all this...

So...learn,share and spread the light of knowledge all over the world...

Loka samastha sukhino bhavanthu....

What the name means

This is what What Your Name Means(Numerology) had to say about me...

You entered: Vivek

There are 5 letters in your name.
Those 5 letters total to 24
There are 2 vowels and 3 consonants in your name.

What your first name means:
Indian Male Wise.

Your number is: 6

The characteristics of #6 are: Responsibility, protection, nurturing, community, balance, sympathy.

The expression or destiny for #6:
The number 6 Expression provides you a truly outstanding sense of responsibility, love, and balance. The 6 is helpful and ever conscientious, making you quite capable of rectifying and balancing any sort of inharmonious situation. You are a person very much inclined to give help and comfort to those in need. You have a natural penchant for working with the old, the young, the sick, or the underprivileged. Although you may have considerable creative and artistic talents, the chances are that you will devote yourself to an occupation that shows concern for the betterment of the community.

The positive side of the number 6 suggests that you are very loving, friendly, and appreciative of others. You have a depth of understanding that produces much sympathetic, kindness, and generosity. The qualities of the 6 make the finest and most concerned parent and one often deeply involved in domestic activities. Openness and honesty is apparent in your approach to all relationships.

If there is an excess of the number 6 in your makeup, you may exhibit some of the negative traits associated with this number. There may be a tendency for you to be too exacting and demanding of yourself. In this regard, you may at times sacrifice yourself (or your loved ones) for the welfare of others. In some cases, the over zealous 6 has difficulty distinguishing helping from interfering. You may have difficulty expressing your own individuality, because of involvement with responsibilities and causes. Like all with the Expression of the number 6, it's quite likely that you worry much too much.

Your Soul Urge number is: 5

A Soul Urge number of 5 means:
The 5 soul urge or motivation would like to follow a life of freedom, excitement, adventure and unexpected happening. The idea of travel and freedom to roam intrigues you. You are very much the adventurer at heart. Not particularly concerned about your future or about getting ahead, you can seem superficial and unmotivated.

In a positive sense, the energies of the number 5 make you very adaptable and versatile. You have a natural resourcefulness and enthusiasm that may mark you as a progressive with a good mind and active imagination. You seem to have a natural inclination to be a pace-setter. You are attracted to the unusual and the fast paced.

You may be overly restless and impatient at times. You may dislike the routine work that you are engaged in, and tend to jump from activity to activity, without ever finishing anything. You may have difficulty with responsibility. You don't want to be tied down to a relationship, and it may be hard to commit to one person.

Your Inner Dream number is: 1

An Inner Dream number of 1 means:
You dream of being a leader and one who is in charge. You want to be known for your courage, daring, and original ideas. You seek unconquered heights. People may get a first impression that you are very aggressive and sure of yourself.

Now with my full name...

You entered: Vivek Ramanathan

There are 15 letters in your name.
Those 15 letters total to 61
There are 6 vowels and 9 consonants in your name.

What your first name means:
Indian Male Wise.

Your number is: 7

The characteristics of #7 are: Analysis, understanding, knowledge, awareness, studious, meditating.

The expression or destiny for #7:
Thought, analysis, introspection, and seclusiveness are all characteristics of the expression number 7. The hallmark of the number 7 is a good mind, and especially good at searching out and finding the truth. You are so very capable of analyzing, judging and discriminating, that very little ever escapes your observation and deep understanding. You are the type of person that can really get involved in a search for wisdom or hidden truths, often becoming an authority on whatever it is your are focusing on. This can easily be of a technical or scientific nature, or it may be religious or occult, it matters very little, you pursue knowledge with the same sort of vigor. You can make a very fine teacher, or because of a natural inclination toward the spiritual, you may become deeply emerged in religious affairs or even psychic explorations. You tend to operate on a rather different wavelength, and many of your friends may not really know you very well. The positive aspects of the 7 expression are that you can be a true perfectionist in a very positive sense of the word. You are very logical, and usually employ a quite rational approach to most things you do. You can be so rational at times that you almost seem to lack emotion, and when you are faced with an emotional situation, you may have a bit of a problem coping with it. You have excellent capabilities to study and learn really deep and difficult subjects, and to search for hidden fundamentals. At full maturity you are likely to be a very peaceful and poised individual.

If there is an over supply of the number 7 in your makeup, the negative aspects of the number may be apparent. The chief negative of 7 relates to the limited degree of trust that you may have in people. A tendency to be highly introverted can make you a bit on the self-centered side, certainly very much self-contained . Because of this, you are not very adaptable, and you may tend to be overly critical and intolerant. You really like to work alone, at your own pace and in your own way. You neither show or understand emotions very well.

Your Soul Urge number is: 9

A Soul Urge number of 9 means:
With a 9 Soul Urge, you want to give to others, usually in a humanitarian or philanthropic manner. You are highly motivated to give friendship, affection and love. And you are generous in giving of your knowledge and experience. You have very sharing urges, and you are likely to have a great deal to share. Your concern for others makes you a very sympathetic and generous person with a sensitive and compassionate nature.

You are able to view life in very broad and intuitive terms. You often express high ideals and an inspirational approach to life. If you are able to fully realize the potential of your motivation, you will be a very self-sacrificing person who is able to give freely without being concerned about any return or reward.

As with all human beings, you are prone to sometimes express the negative attitudes inherent to your Soul Urges. You may become too sensitive and tend to express emotions strongly at times. There can be significant conflict between higher aims and personal ambitions. You may resent the idea of giving all of the time and, in fact, if there is too much 9 energy in your nature you may reject the idea. You may often be disappointed in the lack of perfection in yourself and others.

Your Inner Dream number is: 7

An Inner Dream number of 7 means:
You dream of having the opportunity to read, study, and shut yourself off from worldly distractions. You can see yourself as a teacher, mystic, or ecclesiastic, spending your life in the pursuit of knowledge and learning.

Though some of these are correct,I don't actually believe much in this..just found it amusing.hence put it up..

Bolt makes a bolt for gold

Its over..the 100m finals of Beijing Olympics...in a matter of seconds....the Fastest Man on Earth has been declared,Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
Usain made a 'bolt' for the gold medal,finishing at an astonishing 9.69 seconds creating a new World Record.He beat his own previous record of 9.72 seconds by a big margin.
It was a must watch competition of the entire Olympics...he left the rest of the competitors far behind.Here was no where in the frame which caught the rest of em crossing the line.
Silver medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago ran a time of 9.89 seconds, leaving American Walter Dix at 9.91 seconds to take the bronze.


In other Olympics news,three Indian boxers have made it to the quarterfinals through wonderful bouts...some were thrillers..
Lets hope more medals come in through them...

Rat business

I just visited www.l.google.com and saw the above logo.
I was wondering why the 'rat' was doing the weightlifting....initially I couldn't see any reason...then I remembered that this is the year of the Rat for the chinese.That is why the rat is doing the weightlifting.

And when i visited www.google.co.in I saw this


I wonder what that red mark on the right bottom is...I tried magnifying..but looks like some house.can someone point out what it is actually?

wth is happening...??!!

This is what the entire world is saying...just by the events that unfolded in the last few weeks ....

The largest democracy of the world ....bah...any one who calls himself/herself an Indian should hide their face in shame after what happened.

really....wth was going on ...first the left decides to withdraw support from a govt which is nearing the end of a tenure...then the decision for no-confidence motion...followed by frantic horse trading and proxy wars...amidst frequent verbal attacks between various political 'pump'kins over the media....which was on a rage...every single reporter and crew member running around local politicians and so called experts..having discussions every 10 mins...taking statements from regional politicians who may never have even read anything other than his party's favourite newspaper....maybe not even that...

The same issues about the magic number 272...and how UPA is buying MPs,how others are resisting..blah blah....over and over....for almost a full week...all news channels..24x7...


And the most interesting episode of parliamentary affairs I have ever witnessed in my life(if u watched it..u can connect this to some of the speeches made)...it was serious heavyweight boxing....with lots of tantrums and action...

As my friend Neelan has mentioned in his blog...this was the most entertaining content for those 2 days...I feel really sorry for those who missed it...(check youtube..u might find it)...the angry and disgusted opposition...putting up lots of tricks and accusations...with most of em being countered well by senior UPA politicians with tact and slight humour...I really appreciate the work of Speaker Mr.Somnath Chatterjee on impartially heading this crucial proceeding...at the cost of his part membership.His comments and style..made the entire drama more interesting..

And lo...what was happening on the second day....notes being brought to the Parliament of the Republic of India..MPs accused of corruption..sheesh..truely a day all Indians will remember forever with shame..whether or not we get energy security...and ya at the end..the govt survives...and now the opposition has expelled almost all of their members !!They now plan countrywide protest...wat for...because they cudnt win..and have to do something...bah...

Summarizing...3 bad things happened...first,the nation's political integrity has become highly questionable and bloated...second,a potentially dangerous deal went thru the highest seat of democracy..with money power(in case any of the readers doubt my ideas...I wud suggest u to check up news and info on deals around the world where US interests were at stake....u can take any time period from the cold war era to present age...either money ,force or both..has always ensured that the US had their path cleared)....3rd...a great parliamentarian i.e Somnath Chatterjee expelled from the Communist Party for doing his duties to the house and the country...maybe the communists forget that the country and duty to it comes before their stupid party rules...shame on them...shame on me...simply blogging about it and cursing them...

Deep into the madding crowd

This happened at the Ernakulam South railway station.I had gone to pickup my parents who were returning from the native place by train.I reached 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

I was simply enjoying the nice weather and standing at the front of the station,some distance away from the entrance.
Then I noticed some recognizable face in the crowd that was forming...it was Sony ...my senior in college who has joined Yahoo! at Bangalore.I wondered why he was there,but I couldn't meet him as he quickly disappeared into the crowd.I was thinking of that,when I saw two more seniors whom I knew closely,walk into the crowd,carrying luggage.

Now I was really intrigued on what was happening.Then came the announcement from the station :"Train number xx334y going from XXYYY-Bangalore is on platform number 1"!Now I understood why all of them were present there.I was thinking how funny it might be if more ex-MECians turned up ,just to go to Bangalore.
That's exactly when I saw more and more faces...I counted upto 20-30 ex-MECians coming in from various directions and modes of transport..all running for the same train..to the same destination...Bengalaru...

All this time,I was standing there,watching all these seniors pass by...I was struck by the idea of an entire batch of a college working at the same place...and in many cases,the same company...some knew the existence of others....some unfortunately didn't.
As my final year in College is starting up,I wonder what I might be doing next year...maybe running like this into the madding crowd...

Memoirs of a lost civilization

The beautiful red sun that lit the sky is no more.Dark clouds,as dark as the Xenorians clung to the moist air....
It burnt their eyes and souls alike,but the last few survivors of Storbia still stared at the dark sky,as if waiting for some miracle to occur and save them from doom.I had no emotions watching people die of suffocation and the deadly Aphestaxix.30 long years of battle has left me emotionless....and helpless in this case...

I still remember the day the Xenorian swarm landed on the shores of Entripaga.If Zomanga had heeded to the advice of the Science Guild....we could have fought off the swarm for a longer period of time...alas...now even Stevens is no more...he was the motivation of all the natives...

They have virtually destroyed every sign of biological life on the archipelago,rendering us useless and obsolete.There aren't enough supplies to survive for more than 2 weeks,let alone make an assault.The last time such an effort was made,only two off fifty Royal Militia men returned to base...now we just sit here...haphazardly living..... awaiting complete biological degradation ....

............

.............


i miss Nancy and the kids.....



~~~Excerpts from the diary of Captain Demoran,2nd Storbian Regiment
~~~Dated 2200 AD

PS:He was one of the last survivors of the legendary Storbian civilization.His diary was preserved in the snow and retrieved 50 years ago by a team of explorers.

Life in 2500 AD

I was woken up from my alpha slumber by Mito-3 at exactly 10.30 ZIT.The ZIT,introduced in the late 22nd century is still in use in this part of the world.
I faintly recalled the details of the TIME project that I had joined yesterday.It has only been 5 moons since I had graduated as a system design engineer from the Alpha Technology Institute,a premier institute for research and design.My skills in recreating thought patterns accurately on any system were rewarded with a work at the dream project.

The project was started off by Captain Vikram 10 suns ago,aimed at recreating the story of ancient mankind which officially ended in a thermonuclear war which spanned 2 centuries.My work would be to identify and recreate stories and events of those times.I don't have much idea about how to go about with this.I expect to be briefed today by none other than the Captain himself.

He was my hero and role model from the very beginning of my Advanced Scientific Research Training,5 suns ago.Now that I have joined my dream project,I can meet him face-to-face.What an exhilarating experience it would be.I can't wait to get ready for the meeting today.

Enough of this banter,I should check Dreamfix for any ideas.I should have spawned something interesting in today's sleep.After all,yesterday was one of the most important day of my life(flick the button on Dreamfix...whhrr...this is a recorded message...you have 15 unprocessed dreams ..press A to process all..B for interactive...).I press A and move to the Mind-pod.
It is one of my favourite inventions,and also the one which fetched me enough appreciation from the council and a lot of publicity.In a way,it led to me being selected for TIME.

I activated the device from its hibernate mode.The Health-monitor displayed 'fair'.Hm..I would need some bio-chip shots today.The last one was taken 1 moon ago.Everything else seemed normal.The total number of users for this machine has become over a hundred,that is about 30% of total human population on Mars.No wonder,I get so many mails talking about enhancements and compliments.

My thoughts about Captain Vikram and the TIME project was detected by the device and it started displaying various news casts,articles,thoughts,dialogues and other information related to them and available on the public information highway.The 360 degree display made of organic carbon nanotubes is such a wonderful creation.Though a tad expensive compared to other displays,natural display suits me the best.I blindly filled in some precautionary checks against diseases on the screen.No one knows how or why diseases used to affect ancient man.So this effective system monitors cell life and administers special pills by itself.

By the time I finished reading the mails and articles,the Dreamfix outputs were ready.I went through them...most of were based on my future in the project.I would be travelling around researching about the mysterious minds of the ancient man.Then I could recreate the sequence of events that led to its downfall.Few of them were about Captain Vikram.

It is almost 11.I took my diet pills ,one red and two blue...enough for a hectic day.I should be going now..the asimov craft leaves in a couple of zeons...I shouldn't miss it...as there is only this one mode of transport to System B from Andromeda..especially because I am the only living being here...bye...hope to see you soon

Experiments continue

I am testing a few new styles in blogging from my part.It seems I can't create content that I see in many blogs even if I frame it in my mind.So,beta testing (even alpha) of stuff might be seen here.Its the same strategy that google uses.
In order to map my chaotic mind more deeply to the readers I am planning to mark thoughts in italics.That's just one of it.Why map your chaotic mind..want to hurt people or yourself?Hehe,the site is nothing but an experiment,contains nothing that might be done with a proper goal or aim for me,but just a virtual place for another set of experiments.

The topic I intend to talk about here is the distinction between martial arts as a method of defense and a form of art.Most of the readers might be aware of the flashy martial arts moves that almost every movie now sports.There are also those exotic ones that you see in the movies of local origin(East Asia mainly).Though it might be breathtaking or even cheesy,the stunts they put up deserve no more credit than a piece of orchestrated ballet.
It is meant only for amusement,and never is it advisable to try those moves in real-life battles.It would only end up in an 'uncomfortable' situation.As expert martial artists point out,the flashy kicks and blocks performed in the movies(forget the bigger stunts) would,in real life provide advantage to your opponent to beat you up.

For martial arts,there are a huge variety of forms and techniques.Most of the self-defense based moves that are taught in many schools around the world are meant for quick blocks and instant disarming.These are like crash courses that are taught to allow a person to defend himself or a group from one or more assailants(armed or unarmed) of any age or size.I must emphasize the word 'defense' as usually in the worst case,it just gives you a minute or two to escape.Most of the people expect martial artists to beat up goons or even their rivals on the fly.

Not only do most of the martial arts schools(common ones) emphasize the point that these arts are 'strictly for self-defense',but also the moves taught are seldom offensive.Kids who imagine but never actually train in martial arts end up taking risks,leading to serious injuries at times.

Though this is the case,experts also say that martial arts is not just about fighting or defending.It has an artistic style to it and also quite a lot of philosophical part.But they say,its best left to the experts to choose.

What is the point of entire post?I am just sharing a thought.Adios

21st post

This is the 21st blog post this year,ten each for both my blogs.And the month of June has the highest number of posts.
In case people are wondering from where this guy shot up,writing pieces of junk(hope not) every now and then,I feel truly sorry about myself.;)

I really am frustrated by these long holidays.Though I did travel a bit here and there,there is really no option for me to go on longer journeys...so I was pretty much holed inside my house.At this point of time(actually until I started typing this post) I am frustrated...

The reasons being as simple as ..immobility and my own lack of initiative to find resources to keep myself happy and kicking.Hm...I am frustrated at myself ...?No...because as I will point out later,this hols were not completely a waste.I feel my anger vanishing...and I want to do other things...so what is the point in continuing with the same point?But I will publish this anyway...simply for fun.

Its the effect of music and open-hearted conversation in the blog...hehe....so afterall I am a good boy!Might as well meditate or do zen/tai chi ...haha ....


Well,I might not meditate in that form at this point of time,but surely do something interesting..hehe..I really do feel sorry for the people who read(if they do) through my posts...

I cannot frame or artificially make stories...at least not now...but I did have this idea of a very good story...which I could dramatise and post..but left it...maybe later...if I could manage to convert some of my horror/action stories(I use them successfully on small kids...to keep them entertained or get them to sleep)....then it might be gud...

Linux all the way

Right from the start of college,I am hearing this word,Linux.There were different pronunciations provided for it ,according to some of the intellectual giants of the time.It all sounded so alien for a guy who had done some easy VB programming and the only challenging work ever done was using sql and pl/sql.

There was this utterly black screen on every computer used for our labs...with red spirals and the word 'Debian'...another word which I had to gulp.Had some intro from the pulis who had at least heard of these things before,and managed to start moving around directories.But still it was all in the dark.

Then came a chance...a golden one I would say....but for me it was just a chance to hear more about this stuff.I am talking about an install fest of Linux conducted by our seniors,only for us.Due to fear of ragging and other reasons,many people didn't enroll.But I and a few others did enroll for this.Actually my memory is a bit weak,so I don't remember which workshop was conducted first...we had 2 of them...I assume it was this one which was conducted first.

It was actually interesting when we were given the notes containing commands and we tried them.The theory sessions on commands,users,administration..yawn...I remember falling asleep.They even provided snacks ;).After this workshop I was fairly good with commands(duh...the basic ones) and was going around either trying them or demonstrating to the poor souls of my class who missed the chance.

Even after all this,I had never installed a distro myself at home,I was afraid of tinkering with the system(for the fear of losing my games..).I couldn't risk losing anything,so I never looked into any of those things..administration(in windows),hardware etc...at most,I installed and uninstalled games with good speed and accuracy :P

Then came this real 'Golden' chance,Mandriva Install Fest.Attractive posters were stuck around the college and limited number of seats were available.Also,at that time,all workshops were paid for...nearly Rs.30/- per workshop,and also admission was on First Come First Serve basis.I got enrolled for this too...this time a very few people enrolled.This is evident from the photos I have put up.

I must say,this was almost a turning point in my life.Mandriva linux...made out of Mandrake and Connectiva(more terms....) was being installed worldwide.We were given in-depth class on installation methods,including the BIOS settings,danger zone of partitioning,configurations and other settings.It was really interesting and superbly conducted by Cherian,our super super senior and his team.We were even allowed to install it on some pcs and were given lots of Mandriva goodies and cds.


And lo...I never had to look back.I started off with Mandriva...tinkered with it...and soon my needs and aspirations took me to the bigger world of Debian,Fedora and what not.Throughout my quest for knowledge,many of my seniors(Sony and Anirudh) and most importantly,my friends played an important role in my achievements.In two years of working(read as tinkering with) on Linux,and conducting classes for juniors and school students,I believe I have matured a lot,compared to the noob in the photo.

I cannot say that I have mastered Linux,but I surely have gained a holistic view of the entire concept of Linux and Free Software.But I surely have a long way to go,and in order to get a further detailed and deep understanding of Unix,I must keep learning and most importantly keep experimenting.My seniors and even juniors are a continuous source of motivation for me.

Today when I saw an old mail from the 2006 batch seniors who conducted the install fest,I really wish to thank them for helping to create such a strong foundation and instilling the passion in me.These are photos were uploaded by them on the Mandriva site.All these photos in good resolution can be found here Click Here!
That is the sole cause for this post....now don't think I am in a senti mood.I am actually looking forward to tear apart those things that I have been told about and try and search for the truth in it.Mr.Jay Jacob of the ILUG-Cochin had a point in saying that we should try and find the truth in everything.
Wonderful,now that is some food for thought....

nvidia OPC Workshop

Today is day that I may not forget so fast.
I was among five students who were invited to the Taj Residency for a workshop on Optimized PC,conducted by nvidia (did I mention they are one of our recruiters?).Getting a chance to visit the Taj itself is rare and above that the brand name of nvidia,what else could you ask for ?
We didn't have much of an idea of what the workshop was supposed to be on,as we had just heard that its on 'PC Assembly' and they give a 2gb pen drive to everyone who participates.Srijith,Rathin,Arun ,Cyriac and myself were the students from MEC who were invited.

On reaching there,our names were checked with a list and we entered the conference hall of the Taj,after registering and collecting the folders.The atmosphere inside was quite electric and had a graphics 'mayam'.People in formals were having snacks and chatting with each other.Huge arrangements had been made,with a large screen showcasing nvidia's product line over the years and some clips on graphics techniques were being played.

Our lecturers also were present there.All of us had our snacks and waited impatiently for the proceedings to begin.It was announced that an assembling contest would be conducted and winners would receive Rs.3000/- per member of the team.Groups were arbitrarily divided but we managed to stick together and found a table.Our eyes were on the nvidia products stacked up on the side,and on the attractive green nvidia t-shirts worn by some of them(ooh..i wish i had one of em).

Our team leader was selected and then team was named Force 13(13 members).Later on our lecturers joined the team,making it 15...still the name remained.The other 5 teams had quite good names as well(Sakthan Daredevils,Nano Zion,Gung Ho,Tsunami and the Gadget Gurus),providing a very aggressive atmosphere to the competition.

We were given a list of peripherals available with their costs.We had to at first suggest a non-optimized ordinary system that is usually requested by a lay customer.And it was supposed to be under 29k.We designed one with Intel Core 2 Quad and no graphics card,2GB RAM and Intel G31 Motherboard.After collecting this list,they gave a short video on nvidia.It showcased many of their products and technical accomplishments.

After this,they went through some quick slides on their new cards and its features...the presentation by a fat guy(i forgot his name) was funny and non-informative.Transcoding and hybrid power features were demonstrated.

Then we were asked to provide an optimum configuration under the same budget.After a huge brawl,we finally settled with a E4500C2D and 8600GT,though my friend Cyriac and some others insisted on using the latest 9600GT card and reducing the CPU to a Pentium Dual Core.We were asked to assemble both our configurations.It took less than 5 minutes for everyone to assemble the hardware.But the loading of OS(sigh..vista) was slow and troublesome with the optimized pc.Power supply and other device failures added to our agony.

Finally by lunch time,things were going ahead for our team,3d mark test was conducted twice due to power failures.When the officials put up an excel spreadsheet and listed the configurations of all teams,we found that everyone used the same configuration for the normal PC and there was a 50% division in case of optimized PC,with 3 teams choosing 9600GT/Pentium-D/1GB RAM and rest 3 choosing 8600GT/E4500C2D/2GB RAM.

Finally,as the scores were being collected,we understood that the 8600GT configuration stood no chance against the might of the 240 core giant that is 9600GT,even with better CPU and double the memory.The lines were clearly drawn at that point itself.Finally,when all results were out,we topped among the 3 teams that used 8600GT in all tests.But the teams that used 9600GT were having a huge margin of lead in 3dmark test...almost twice the score.So,all three positions went to those 3 teams.

Though we lost the contest,the entire event was very enlightening.I learnt and experienced the might of the GPU heavyweights.We worked with and shared ideas with experts from the industry.There was also a monstrous(truely) system that was used by the nvidia team for demonstration.One of my friends called it a 'steam engine'.It's graphics card had a menacing look and the power supply was like a huge box..with lots of LEDs and lights ...making it a star attraction.At the end of the event(about 4pm),we were given Kingston 2GB Data Traveler 101 pen drives wrapped like a gift.


One thing I noticed was that ...nvidia provided us with cracked version of Vista and also other benchmarking softwares.I didn't expect them to promote piracy so publicly.

Now that is something to talk and boast about for next few weeks.I am supposed to be preparing for the hardware lab which is on 19th..which is..oh my god...day after tomorrow..