Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Renting as a Bachelor

One Reason why I would wish to lose my bachelorhood
Writing out of anguish...that we (the so called "BACHELORS") had to suffer
to fulfill one of the three basic amenities of life (" roti, kapada aur makan").
There might be very many good reasons why a bachelor would love
to lose that tag...It could be due to the basic instinct, or could be _fill_,
but what I felt the most driving one was the need to find a makAAn. I dont
know how many of our friends would have endured it but... we certainly had
enough of it. Not once but twice....and not too sure...how many times in future
before I settle with a girl besides me. Well the story starts like this:
It all started when we were to be kicked out of our hostels. We thought
we could easily find one..but nay said the God. The hunt for the house started.
Factors being : cost, space, water availability, ventillation, location suitable for
everyone, a good owner who was allow BACHELORS and the last but not the
least...good beauty (i hope u get what I mean) around. (We soon came to realize
that the before last factor was of prime importance). We had to compromise
on many things later just because of that inadvertently attached tag to us .
Luckily after some serious hunting...could locate a few prospective ones.
How come those owners ...who were for sure BACHELORS at least for
sometime in their past could be so wrathful. How can they forget those days
of yore where they were at the receiving end.
I dont know what is the situation there in Mumbai, Chennai, B'lore & Pune. Do
you guys feel the same kind of exploitation. why dont you give some name to this
kinda oppression.
Well I dont know if the people of the opposite sex too find the same problem.
Hope they dont....what say gals?

Friday, July 23, 2004

The 23rd Day

Important Date   

Looks like the 23rd day of every month has got lot of importance in my life. Here

are some events:-

January 23  = Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose born (year 1897)

March 23  = Martyr's day (Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru & Sukhdev, year 1931)

April 23    = Joined Pramati (year 2003)

May 23    = Brother's b'day (year 1980)

June 23   = Sarithakka's b'day (year 1979)

Lemme see this list grow.

Amity


    Recently went to Jammu for visiting the "Vaishno Devi" Temple. If at all there's one thing that I wont ever forget about this trip, that would the following event that happened with us.
Shows how kind people can be.
   While roaming around the hills of the villages Krimachi & Mansar, (Udhampur district) we
(my brother, cousin and uncle's son) were close to being lost, but luckily found a settlement.
The lady from one of the houses came out and helped us by all means. She even invited us
to have lunch at their home (not even knowing who we were and where we from, humanity
at it's best). Not just this lady, others were as much willing to treat us with utmost hospitality.
This touched me. Can we attribute to the race or region? I dont think we south indian people
aint that open & helpful.

Friday, July 09, 2004

Movie : The Legend of Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh : A Great Leader / Enterpreneur

Saw the movie "The Legend of Bhagat Singh" made by Rajkumar Santhosi in Muppi's PC at
home. I was so impressed by Bhagat Singh's and his abilities that I was so sorry about
myself that till this age of 22 I wasn't aware of what really Bhagat Singh was. At most
what I knew abt him was that he was a great freedom fighter who was hanged with another
two fighters Rajguru & Sukhdev on 23rd March 1931. And our history books too mentioned
only that point. But after watching the movie realized how significant a role that he
and the organization Hindustan Socialist Republican Association had played in getting
Independence to India.


If you have the notion that all these revolutionaries were pure head-strong guys who
were ready to take up any sort of activity, means to pursue their goal without being
rational then you are wrong. Go better see the movie or read the articles at
http://www.parwhaz.com/shaheed-bhagatsingh/letters.htm

Will write more abt this later.

Useful CVS commands

Have been looking for the cvs command to list the modules available on the
server. Finally got it today.


cvs co -c
cvs co -S


but need to understand the output a little.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Two Victories (Reflections on Kolkata and Adelaide)

Two Victories (Reflections on Kolkata and Adelaide)
- by Harsh Bogle. Published in the January 2004 issue of the
"Wisden Asia Cricket" magazine

I remember the day well. It was the 15th of March 2003, a young man of 28 was
replaying in his mind the most famous win in cricket history and watching the
attention targeted at two others, younger and more flamboyant. Cameras, words,
handshakes, those friends in fame and strangers in anonymity, were clustered
around Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman. One had taken 13 for 196, including
India's first ever hat-trick. The other had scored 340 runs including the
highest score by an Indian in Test cricket. Rahul Dravid had scored a crucial,
but easily overlooked, 180, had been in a partnership of 376, and had batted
through the fourth day of the Test. And had lost his No. 3 position in the Indian
batting line-up.

I see another day. The 16th of December 2003. Ajit Agarkar has shown the world
that he can belong at this level. Anil Kumble has served a reminder that there
is more in his tank. And VVS Laxman has scored another incandescent hundred,
shared in another partnership of over 300 against the best cricket team in the
world. Rahul Dravid is now less than a month short of being 31. This time the
symbols of immediate infatuation are directed towards him. And he has his No. 3
position again.

In many different ways, in different languages, words and accents, the sages
tell you that if you hang in there your time will come. At Adelaide, Dravid
showed there is much truth in these old, worn out sentiments that have seen
the odd millennium and a few centuries go by. Indeed, he might have been a sage
himself, his body merely seeming to be at the most beautiful cricket ground
in the world, his mind at some exalted, higher level of detachment.

He had 'hung in there' for seven years, averaging more than 50 at home and
away; like a solid piece of furniture - you know it is there. There were other
classic objects d'art around him, some delicate, some rather more robust. But
none carved out of the most solid oak, happy to take the weight, and just as
happy being understated. If the world was all plywood, there would be no need
for an oak. If one-day cricket was all that mattered, there would be no need for
the virtues he embodies: resilience, solidity, patience. They count now.

There is orthodoxy in most of what he does; not just in the manner the bat
comes down to meet ball, straight and full, but in the way he has grown in life.
He started early but wasn't a prodigy, and was 23 by the time the selectors
started showing interest in him. He had done the hard yards at first-class level
and he was quite happy to do that in Test cricket as well. When a man grows one
step at a time, every step is a celebration, sometimes when you get too much too
soon you don't understand the value of what you have.

He has a strong memory and he thinks deeply about the game. And with a bit of
help from VVS Laxman he will remind you that lightning can indeed strike twice.
At Kolkata, like at Adelaide, India were demolished on Days One and Two, fought
back on Day Three, turned the tide on Day Four, and snatched a win on Day Five.
In both games, sport had showcased the finest human qualities. That is why you
must have five-day cricket; that is why you must play five-setters in tennis;
that is why you must play golf over four rounds. Both games showed that
momentary disappointment can be replaced by lasting joy; that if you are willing
to ride the rough, the smooth will follow; that sweetness is often the result of
letting the bitter have its moment. Dravid knows that well, so does Laxman. So
too does Steve Waugh, who has played the game having been dealt similar cards.

I wonder, though, if Dravid and Laxman know that there was another bystander
present on both occasions. When I reached the little commentary booth assigned
to the ABC at Eden Gardens, I saw a beautifully carved sandalwood Ganesha amid
all the cables. The well-known Australian commentator, Jim Maxwell, brought one
along hoping it would act as a remover of all his obstacles. There was much
discussion that day on whose obstacles the sandalwood Ganesha was removing.

I had forgotten about it till the Test match at Adelaide, when Jim drew my
attention to the very same Ganesha placed carefully on the table in front of us.
There was more discussion, but I suspect it won't be around for too much longer!






Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Technical Education : Interview with Dr. U. R. Rao

Interview with Dr. U. R. Rao on the current state of technical education
http://in.rediff.com/money/2004/feb/11bpo1.htm

Thursday, February 05, 2004

Importance of Punctuations

This ones about the importance of punctuations in a language in it's written
form


    - from the book "Eats, shoots and leaves" by Lynne Truss

A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it,
then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards
the exit. The panda produces a badly puncutated wildlife
manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough,
finds an explanation.

"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to
China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

Views on Outsourcing

Positive views on Outsourcing by Chris Anderson (ca@wiredmag.com) Wired's editor in chief. It's not hard to see how outsourcing to India could lead to the next great era in American enterprise. Today, even innovative firms spend too much money maintaining products: fixing bugs and rolling out nearly identical 2.0 versions. Less than 30 percent of R&D spending at mature software firms goes to true innovation, according to the consulting firm Tech Strategy Partners. Send the maintenance to India and, even after costs, 20 percent of the budget is freed up to come up with the next breakthrough app. The result: more workers focused on real innovation. What comes after services? Creativity.