tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103593972024-03-07T10:09:23.579-08:00Of Blogs and a GeekSometimes Geeks want to write too...Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-45162322638029994512009-05-19T16:12:00.000-07:002009-05-19T16:39:34.461-07:00Of Laptops and Futures<span style="font-size:100%;">I was looking at my now 3.5 year old laptop, typing up some documents that I need to be sent. At various points in the last few months I have seriously contemplated buying a new machine. My trust machine despite being unstinting in its service and ever willing to run for its user, sometimes shows it limitations, in size, in speed, in bulkiness and in box shapes. Right across my house is a neighbhor who has one of the new Macbooks thats excruciatingly thin and small and lightweight not to mention packs in twice as much number-crunching capabilities without breaking a sweat as my machine could hope to do at its peak (no side processes, hard disk clean, no windows .. so on).<br />This got me thinking.. what do I think laptops will look like in the future? Hmm.. a short answer will be.. smaller, more powerful. Another answer would be that laptops won't exist at all. Simply put, we'll all have iPod like objects that will be twice as powerful as any laptop that exists today, while consuming very less power and capable of connecting to any wireless device or display.<br />For now, I am going to look into only the next 10 years and see how things can change. Of course two things can happen here: I might make categorical statements that will be proved horribly wrong and make me look like an idiot in 10 years time, or I will grossly underestimate how technology can change and things will look much better. Another remote possibility is that global warming will get to us and destroy humanity, before any of these devices can come out, oh well, let's see..<br />1) Displays: LCDs will be history, Plasma TVs might be also-rans, most likely, future display technologies will run on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_light-emitting_diode">OLEDs</a>. Not only do they consume less power, they are seductively thin, and will most likely be foldable, thus bringing about the minority report kind of paper that we have all been waiting for. Apple is expected to come out with OLED versions of its products in the next year and already we have 40" showcase TVs from Samsung and Sony.<br />2) Processing: Bring on the multi-cores! Won't be surprised to have 64 cores in one computer connected and working with each other to produce mind boggling processing. Graphics cards might be obsolete and the lines will finally merge, unless one needs extra graphics processing ofcourse. Another philosophy, might be that all future laptops will be netbooks that delegate processing to a stationary more powerful machine and only take care of local caching and minimal processing.<br />3) Hard disks: Magnetic drives might stay for a while since they are a mature technology. However, don't count Solid State drives out! They have no moving parts, are so much lighter and pack a lot more data per weight and if the technology matures enough to become consumer friendly (as it is slowly becoming) harddrives as we know it might be a thing of the past. I wouldn't discount a breakthrough in nanotechnology or holographic technology leading to dramatically increasing storage capacities either.<br />4) Supplementary drives: A couple of optical drives might stay, CD roms will be obsolete, Blu-Ray and its derivatives will work for a while, but ultimately all data transfer will be from a remote source eliminating needs for temporary storage drives.<br />5) Wireless: Hmm.. tough one.. there would ideally be two wireless receivers one for short range and one for more steady needs such as data transfer. Both would consume less power in a week, than a light bulb does in an hour. But most future laptops will bank heavily on wireless technology to transfer and store data. The days of CDs and DVDs might be over, just download the software or movie or song that you want and use it (I never liked those stores anyway).<br />6) Speakers: Why have speakers when you can wireless communicate to a speaker set or headphones nearby :) Speakers might exist as a rudimentary case though, just so people don't crib.<br />7) Wires: Ugh.. no external connections. All wireless please. Especially to those annoying projectors and TVs!!!<br /><br />This is by no means a full list.. so many things could change and comments are invited to add or subtract from what I wrote.. Can't wait for the future :)<br /><br />Berhael<br /></span>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-72663233221535339542009-03-23T19:04:00.001-07:002009-03-23T19:07:02.513-07:00Of BC and RoyI was reading this article..<br /><a href="http://209.97.214.175/%7Escholars/wordpress/?p=1024">http://209.97.214.175/~scholars/wordpress/?p=1024</a><br />What impressed me the most about this was the idea that if enough people get together and fight for a cause, together with intelligent reporting, anything is possible. I'd like to think that this was how our independence was won. The only unfortunate thing was the use of violence and destruction of property. Hope that does not happen again and also hope that this results in real change. But still, it was a valiant effort.<br />Also hope the reporting was objective. Seems so.<br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-58445662673685633492009-02-07T11:35:00.001-08:002009-02-07T11:52:13.667-08:00Of Legos and FridaysIt was Friday night, 7:30 pm, didn't really have a party to go to nor was in any mood to work or go to the gym after 3 hours of meetings. It was raining heavily outside and there was no one else in the lab. Felt really bored. Thats when I remembered something. My cubicle neighbhour had recently got a Lego Mindstorm set for Mentoring school kids next fall. I've always loved <a href="http://mindstorms.lego.com/eng/Bangkok_dest/Default.aspx">Lego Mindstorms</a>, it has and will always be my dream birthday present. The nerd/child/self-obsessed-engineer in me will always make sure I will spend hours working under a lampshade making some new creation. And the beauty of Lego Mindstorms is that, it is somewhat like Windows, it is meant for people who don't want to tinker around with settings and innards and just want to whip something up real quick. But how it differs is that if you DO require to tinker, you can start interfacing python code or C code to create ever complicated robots. So when he gave me the license to play with the toys over the weekend, I couldn't resist.. So I spent about 2.5 hours pouring over the instruction manual and constructing the robots, and loading the programs. I wanted to do more, but the fear that there would be nothing left to do if I finished everything in 1 day, there would be nothing left to do later, kept my enthusiasm at bay. Here are some videos:<div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-dhsLNdrhE8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-dhsLNdrhE8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><br /><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z7VrTMIz07Y&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z7VrTMIz07Y&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br /><div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ULJJv3QF7Bg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ULJJv3QF7Bg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br /></div><br /><div>Who needs a social life when you have THIS!!!<br /></div><br /><div>Berhael</div>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-91074287000247568252009-01-09T17:09:00.000-08:002009-01-09T18:00:16.562-08:00Of Kaakas and Naris<div>Once upon a time, there was a <a href="http://www.haryana-online.com/images/Birds/Rajiv/HouseCrow.jpg">Kaaka</a> (no not <span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><a href="http://thesuperficial.com/2006/10/16/sheryl_crow_bikini_03.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">this</span></a></span> one, but <span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><a href="http://www.haryana-online.com/images/Birds/Rajiv/HouseCrow.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">this</span></a></span> one)who was very hungry. True to satisfy his wants, the new-age Maami wearing a T-shirt bought by her son from Walmart and sent across just yesterday, made him some Masala Vadais and gave them to the Kaaka. The Kaaka of course was used to the best food from across the world thanks to food at Ascendas, just a few potholes away. But since he was hungry, he decided to indulge the Maami and took them to his new Penthouse nest on top of the latest YAIT*.</div><div>Just when he was about to munch his sumptuous feast, a Nari (no not <a href="http://www.celebrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/megan-fox-drug-quote-of-day-7-9-07.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">this</span></a> one, but <a href="http://www.canids.org/gallery/Swift%20Fox%20-%20Travis%20Olson.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">this</span></a> one) saw him from the bottom. The Nari didn't want to waste any energy shouting out to the Kaaka so he decided to SMS him with his new BlackBerry Storm. The text convo went something like this:</div><div>Nari: hey dde sup?</div><div>Kaaka: nthng mch dde. jst got thse vds frm tht mmi</div><div>Nari: wtf it's bn ags snce i had vds pass sme ovr!</div><div>Kaaka: lmao ..no way jose, i'm fckng hngry now & no 1's gnna bt MY ass 4 these vds</div><div>Nari (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">strikes Vairamuthu pose and walks at the footsteps of the YAIT..thinking deeply and then</span>): <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>yo kka kka UR the brd i'd eat </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>if i didn't hve UR vds 4 a trt</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>i'm sre UR vce is vry swt</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>so sing me a sng 2 the aadhi bt..</div><div><br /></div><div>Now this was too much for the Kaaka and he immediately started his own hand at rap while the Vadas were still in his mouth and they all fell down faster than Satyam's shares in the stock market, for the waiting Nari. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nari: rotflmao!!! so lng sckr!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>In this way the Nari managed to dupe the innocent Kaaka out of all his Vadas.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Update :</span> This is to announce that the Kaaka has officially been granted a bailout package, approximately 70 billion vadas and tax-cuts worth another 70 billion whenever he goes for dining at the San Jose Saravana Bhavan. Some creatures have it made. *Sigh*</div><div><br /></div><div>* - Yet Another IT Tower</div>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-30406795178893668932009-01-07T09:49:00.000-08:002009-01-07T09:51:53.756-08:00Of Coffees and Winters4 sets of crispy, thin dosais with Thaengai Chutney, followed by Bru Filter Coffee on a cold winter morning.<br />Of all the pleasant surprises I expected in the US this was the least expected.. :)<br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-64495532181185158912009-01-02T21:57:00.001-08:002009-01-09T17:56:19.054-08:00Of Macs and Worlds..Macworld is around the corner and from macrumors.com I saw these two pics..<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Even the Small Talk Will be BIG</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EBCDTepoKZabSs-iJ2YEYvX1PoK0wmHXq9Si4RUdLHd5flJXXx8-HKMCb7C2idJiTELu18aC3uOBnBvH04PqKneL4DRvSp25XgpbukjWUobeMUMR6M8m0ME7GIxoRPmfMbTCsg/s1600-h/171923-smalltalk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EBCDTepoKZabSs-iJ2YEYvX1PoK0wmHXq9Si4RUdLHd5flJXXx8-HKMCb7C2idJiTELu18aC3uOBnBvH04PqKneL4DRvSp25XgpbukjWUobeMUMR6M8m0ME7GIxoRPmfMbTCsg/s400/171923-smalltalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286942944549508370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There are widespread rumors that Apple is going to release the iPhone Nano very soon, this could just be the announcement that portends it. I am waiting with jollu to see how it looks like.<br />And also..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Start of a New Era</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLiv9nRRzL3pw86gJk3uzC_GyQ46k1LilyK7o3fVIKCpsuXxHoQgZ26yav0B3OaQl1k5TDWVdbQ7I5x8Z8gW4QOjcxtywnjvMpg6O5AO-eTeRagaIPWDJdvqkHF5CU9Z7m2nYCA/s1600-h/moscone09outside15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 380px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLiv9nRRzL3pw86gJk3uzC_GyQ46k1LilyK7o3fVIKCpsuXxHoQgZ26yav0B3OaQl1k5TDWVdbQ7I5x8Z8gW4QOjcxtywnjvMpg6O5AO-eTeRagaIPWDJdvqkHF5CU9Z7m2nYCA/s400/moscone09outside15.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286943549791152978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This probably signifies that Apple is not going to be @ Macworld from 2010 onwards. But I am going to go one step further and say that the big Kahuna of Apple is not going to be at the helm of affairs anymore come 2010. Praying to God that its not so!<br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Update :</span> Both my predictions were wrong! :(<br /><div><br />Berhael</div></div>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-75732934540373922612008-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:002008-12-22T15:59:58.817-08:00Of Trolleys and BowlsYesterday:<br />Location : Los Angeles<br />I walk down the road on my way to college and spot a person moving along a trolley. Its a woman, about 5' 6" wearing a green-checked shirt and worn out jeans. She wears brown boots that have four stitches in them. She is rummaging the trash can looking for plastic bottles and cardboard boxes. The only thing protecting her from the cold is her withered sweater and an olive green jacket that she has tied around her waist for now. As she collects each box, she places it carefully in her trolley so as to create maximum space for impending items. As I walk across she smiles at me and says good morning. And just as I cross her a face pops up from under the boxes in the trolley, its a kid, perhaps 5 or 6 years old. His face is all dirty betraying his lack of bath for the day (at least). He has a cookie in his hand and waves it at me showing his half-broken teeth. I wave back at him, smiling, and show a thumbs up as I walk across.<br /><br />One Year Ago:<br />Location : Chennai<br />I walk from the Besant Nagar bus stand back home after escaping my classes for the day. Right opposite my house, near the school, there is (and has always been for as long as I can remember it) a green trash can. As I cross it, I see a woman with a wrinkled face and natted brown hair probing it hoping to find some plastic packets and cornflakes boxes that the people would have thrown. She is about 4'5". She has two bags, a dirty greased sling on her left shoulder into which she puts each box or <span style="font-style:italic;">dabba</span> and the other bigger bag on her right shoulder from which an infant peers out looking wonder-eyed at the world around him. I can't help but smile that in this world there are still innocent faces that are goodness personified. The woman gives me a cold stare, I walk on.Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-21132290282141548622008-12-07T15:41:00.000-08:002008-12-07T15:52:08.168-08:00Of Gestures and Robots<span style="font-family: arial;">Here's what I did for my class project in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">Sensing and Planning in Robotics</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> . This was done as part of a 5 member team. The gesture recognition is tracked with an Inertial Measurement Unit that I hacked up. We use Hidden Markov Models to identify gestures. The robots actually track the leader through a pair of Wiimotes on each robot that track a Sensor bar on the leader. This is one project that uses 5 different languages on the same framework. :P</span><br /><br /><center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJLjfP_oySA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJLjfP_oySA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"> Oh and for those who might have questions feel free to comment. :)</span><br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-60530248329600164082008-12-06T10:26:00.001-08:002008-12-06T10:27:35.184-08:00Of Daminis and Dosas<span style="font-family: arial;">Siiigh.. Why can't they have franchise outlets like these....</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Idxn6zWkL66FBQooQqnL-x7qt1YGlX0qr8J5rEr4TSYnHhep_wySyK-bWsrVKHRZUKm6AbWBIe-T5praEO1_b9U_cge30I1qruzBSUvx8RTpCaf-TxjEunw30GqDAuiUREgB-Q/s1600-h/damini's+dosa.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Idxn6zWkL66FBQooQqnL-x7qt1YGlX0qr8J5rEr4TSYnHhep_wySyK-bWsrVKHRZUKm6AbWBIe-T5praEO1_b9U_cge30I1qruzBSUvx8RTpCaf-TxjEunw30GqDAuiUREgB-Q/s400/damini's+dosa.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276745401645319906" border="0" /></a>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-90607497424355227842008-12-01T17:26:00.001-08:002008-12-01T17:27:14.966-08:00Of CMs and DogsWhy calling a politician a dog is a compliment:<br /><span>1. A dog is a honest and hard working animal, a poitician is a scoundrel, a thief and a hardly working animal.<br />2. A dog guards his territory no matter what; a politician sells his territory if the price is right.<br />3. You can always trust a dog not to bite the hand that feeds him, you can expect the politician to always bite.<br />4. A dog looks cute and good while a politician .....<br /><br />Copied and pasted by Berhael<br /><br /></span>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-30062786589691276462008-11-28T23:07:00.000-08:002008-11-28T23:08:45.835-08:00Of Rest and PeaceMay God bless the souls of those who gave their lives for our country's security.<br />You make me proud of my country.Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-10085062292715248142008-11-27T17:09:00.001-08:002008-11-27T17:14:21.634-08:00Of Blues and Dots<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3p9tvX_69FDx3xJDYqLFLhhfbLmjU59U_75MMrIYApzQz3rYsA5JyCTTXDmMJ86me_06jPpakNmHe2WvYJgrox5U3fvLIjDx7YlGLWsBC_1LsusIQe1orHI_s0q2-HUjdaY_EAg/s1600-h/Earth_India.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3p9tvX_69FDx3xJDYqLFLhhfbLmjU59U_75MMrIYApzQz3rYsA5JyCTTXDmMJ86me_06jPpakNmHe2WvYJgrox5U3fvLIjDx7YlGLWsBC_1LsusIQe1orHI_s0q2-HUjdaY_EAg/s400/Earth_India.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273509479508028162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Look at the image above...<br />Who would think that on this blue ball are organisms ready to destroy each other?<br />Who would think that on this blue ball that religion exists?<br />Who would think that on this blue ball is pain, suffering, loss of loved ones and carnage?<br />Who would think that on this blue ball is fear, hatred and anger?<br />Who would think that on this blue ball is panic?<br />Who would think that on this blue ball is us?<br />Who would think... Who would think...<br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-63756979427508207232008-10-21T23:36:00.000-07:002008-10-21T23:37:36.492-07:00Of ISRO and MythsTop 5 myths of Moon Mission<br />It's a waste of money:<br />India's GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity) = $4.156 trillion<br />ISRO budget = $ 940 million Or 0.02% of our GDP<br />Amount paid as bribes in India per year = $4.6 billion<br />Total Consolidated revenue for BCCI = $ 1 billion<br />Cost of Pirates of Caribbean = $300 million or 1/3rd the cost.<br />Total revenue of Bollywood in 2007 = $ 1.3 billion<br />(All costs in US $)<br />So you decide what's a waste.<br /><br />US has achieved this before:<br />Yes but they did it 30 years ago. All the data from those missions is 30 years old with not much added after that. The image/terrain resolution is of a bygone age. The main scientific objective of the mission is high resolution remote sensing which involves mapping detailed terrains of the moon and determining what the soil of the moon contains with a sophistication not seen before. THAT is new and is data the whole world would want.<br /><br />Why should India do this anyway:<br />Some of the US, Russia, Japan, China are all planning on establishing bases on the moon eventually. We would definitely want to have some moon real-estate of our own and not end up at the mercy of other nations. As a country willing to assert its authority in the world stage, the capability that we demonstrate is important.<br /><br />It won't benefit common man:<br />There is hope that the helium found on the moon would be useful for electricity generation in the future. Helium is found in abundance on the moon. If the ISRO is able to tap even two tons of helium from the moon then it could be considered a major achievement as it could be used to generate power supply to the entire country for a year. The mission will also explore minerals available on the earth's only satellite. So if they are found in abundance, we would definitely want to be the first to stake claim on them. Even besides that, the fact that ISRO can send a probe to the moon means it has the increasing capability (and confidence) in its launch vehicles, very similar to the ones used for satellites. These could be used for launching further satellite systems, India's own GPS system for example.<br /><br />Whats the point? Its just going to the moon:<br />If you can send a space craft to the moon, it means you have the technology in<br />- Electronic Systems<br />- Advanced compound materials<br />- Advanced Rockets<br />- Control systems that can precisely control an object all the way to the moon<br />Roughly, if you send a probe to the moon, it also means that you have the potential to send an inter-continental ballistic missile half-way across the world. The technology just has to be re-arranged.<br /><br />AND CONGRATS TO ISRO!!!<br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-37896153029623188752008-09-20T09:38:00.000-07:002008-09-20T09:39:15.956-07:00Of Just and LyricsThroughout life people will make you mad<br />Disrespect you and treat you bad<br />Let God deal with the things they do<br />Cause hate in your heart will consume you too<br />Always tell the truth say your prayers<br />Hold doors pull out chairs easy on the swears<br />Youre living proof that dreams do come true<br />I love you and Im here for you<br />--Will Smith<br /><br />Copied and Pasted By BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-18106605437260992282008-08-15T05:05:00.000-07:002008-08-15T05:26:23.311-07:00Of Dogs and MissesTo my two brothers..<br />Socks<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSWZaGsjH3qM6tMGp81eq0w4VrXtDcJP-1xrYgsXcikwJEIeNbqgz3esxcHAsNTkYTMHmtkXTDVS_9AAfNFS-vySnLc2wsnKeeixdTM3_zI5_z-tlk9ZlRbW14MJOhIY_kW2O4Q/s1600-h/DSC02651.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSWZaGsjH3qM6tMGp81eq0w4VrXtDcJP-1xrYgsXcikwJEIeNbqgz3esxcHAsNTkYTMHmtkXTDVS_9AAfNFS-vySnLc2wsnKeeixdTM3_zI5_z-tlk9ZlRbW14MJOhIY_kW2O4Q/s400/DSC02651.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234715823122697858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkvtFEKkORJzoijcZiTsw7355L5_wibIfVqhyNCfzQ0TK1Lon5219EA4UGvIpoAaS0IfqP9A06Y3-keZhGFZfrxcZLlvMOOHPLrwYMiiNetbmKBy6GeA9WZfcB5Akf7oFjHeVKA/s1600-h/DSC02466.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkvtFEKkORJzoijcZiTsw7355L5_wibIfVqhyNCfzQ0TK1Lon5219EA4UGvIpoAaS0IfqP9A06Y3-keZhGFZfrxcZLlvMOOHPLrwYMiiNetbmKBy6GeA9WZfcB5Akf7oFjHeVKA/s400/DSC02466.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234715465826901202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and<br />Prince<br /><br />I'm going to miss you guys crazy... You've taught me a lot about how to live life and I hope we will be friends forever. Keep yourselves safe and out of harm's way.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-43712363891370987482008-08-04T08:34:00.000-07:002008-08-04T09:14:39.394-07:00Of Olympics and Predictions<span style="font-family:arial;">The Olympics is around the corner. It is highly likely that China is going to (finally) overtake USA in the medals tally. Last time, China won 32 golds. It might win at least 40 this year around. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On the downside, I am expecting at least 3 athletes from the USA to end up in a dope scandal and at least 1 from China.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Interestingly, a list of "Medal density", i.e. the number of medals won divided by the population of that country (unit is Parts per million or ppm) gives the top 5 countries as The Bahamas, Norway, Australia, Cuba and Hungary! USA is ranked 34th. Also the medal tally divided by GDP ranking yields, Georgia, Ethiopia, Cuba, Jamaica and Uzbekistan! Now there's something that tells you that a country need not be rich in people/resources to produce medalists! Just two or three good ones or a strong program in a particular sport.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />India first participated in Olympics in 1900 in Paris. The country was represented by Norman Pritchard, an Anglo Indian. Mr. Pritchard was holidaying in Paris during that time. He bagged two silver medals in 200m dash and 200m hurdles. (How's THAT for a productive holiday?!?). </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />One of the most consistent medal winners for India has been the Men's Hockey team. At one time, 7 successive Olympic Golds were won by the team right from 1928 to 1956. The Goals scored by versus against in all these matches was a very Federer-esque 178 - 7. Of course they also won two more Golds in 1964 and 1980 apart from 2 silvers and a bronze. With such a rich history, you have to wonder whether bad management, apathy of the masses or just the drying up of talent has brought Indian hockey to a pathetic state of not even being able to qualify for the current Olympics.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />We are yet to win an individual Olympic Gold, having won 2 silvers in Athletics, Bronzes for wrestling, a bronze in tennis, a bronze in weightlifting, a bronze in shooting and a lone silver in last time in Athens.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Not that what I say really matters, but my predictions for this year?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Archery - 1 medal</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Shooting - 2 medals</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Boxing - 1 medal</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Tennis - 0 medals (and I hope that will be the end of the Lee-Hesh story, for the love of tennis!)</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />And for everyone who would like to know, here is the list of the Indian Contingent. For everyone's information, I had to look for this in a news archive, the Indian Olympic Association does not even have a website (this is the so called address : </span><span class="a">www.olympic.ind.in ) </span><span style="font-family:arial;">, let alone putting up names of athletes online to look for sponsors. And we wonder why we don't win medals!</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Archery: Dola Banerjee, Pranitha Vardhineni, Bombayala Devi, Mangal Singh Champia.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Athletics: Anju Bobby George, Krishna Poonia, Harwant Kaur, Preeja Sreedharan, Manjeet Kaur, Chitra K. Soman, Sini Jose. M.R. Poovamma, Mandeep Kaur, J.J. Shoba, Susmita Singha Roy, G.G. Pramila, Vikas Gowda, Renjith Maheswary, Surendra Singh, K. Mridula, S. Geetha.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Badminton: Anup Sridhar, Saina Nehwal. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Boxing: Jitender, Akhil Kumar, A.L. Lakra, Vijender, Dinesh Kumar.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Judo: Khumujam Tombi Devi, Divya. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Rowing: Bajrang Lal Thakar, Devender Kumar Khandwal, Manjeet Singh. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Shooting: Manavjit Singh Sandhu, Mansher Singh, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Gagan Narang, Abhinav Bindra, Samaresh Jung, Sanjeev Rajput, Anjali Bhagwat, Avneet Kaur Sidhu.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Swimming: Virdhawal Khade, Ankur Poseria, Sandeep Sejwal, Rehan Poncha. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Table tennis: Sharath Kamal, Neha Agarwal.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Tennis: Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, Sunitha Rao.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Wrestling: Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Rajeev Tomar.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Weightlifting: L. Monika Devi.<br /><br />Yachting: N.S. Johal.</span><br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-60666563814176911392008-08-01T05:12:00.000-07:002008-08-01T05:24:13.605-07:00Of Uncles and BallsToday, I was walking through a municipal corporation ground while walking my dogs and there I saw a group of kids playing cricket. Immediately, the youth in me took over and I felt like joining them for a game despite my canine entourage.<br />And then it happened, one of the boys hit a ball and it came flying towards me and landed right next to my feet. It was a small ball, rubber, blue, shining, inviting. And there it stood, right in front of the three of us, man and beast coveting the ball alike. The kid posted at long on, ran over to me and came up to collect the remains of an astounding shot.<br />And there I was, waiting for him to ask me to join in their game, maybe even join midway through this one (as they were a keeper short). I was bristling at the opportunity to showcase my sportsman skills. The dash towards the boundary, the rolling in the mud, the incessant appealing, the fright on seeing the fastest opposing bowler, the inventive sledging, hoick over mid-wicket, the satisfaction of finally placing that cover drive, all came to me in a menagerie of frenzy, excitement, lust, exhilaration!<br />And so the kid ran up to me, walked about to about 10 feet within me. I was just waiting for him to ask the question, quivering with adrenaline. And there, his lips moved : "Uncle.... could you please pass the ball?"<br /><br />"Uncle?" :|<br />So much for youth<br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-78215731026020039102008-07-31T07:59:00.000-07:002008-07-31T08:07:30.804-07:00Of IITians and AnalyticsAlright, I confess, I use Google Analytics to monitor which content is most viewed on my blog and what are the keywords, to tune my future content and meta tags better. Long back I had written an entry on why IITs aren't so much a waste of time. And today, I happened to see the search keywords for that article and I am pasting them here. Basically, it means people Googled for these phrases and got (mis?)led to my blog. At this point, I must state I have not cooked up any list item here they were actually used!<br />Here you go, in descending order :<br />0) all about iitians<br />1) blog about iitians abroad<br />2) blogs of iitians<br />3) dowry rate of an iitian<br />4) hate iit iitians<br />5) how iitian achieve so much<br />6) iit colleges hate<br />7) iitian bloggers<br />8) iitian quotes<br />9) iitian+software+blog<br /><br />Dowry rate of an IITian? Priceless. :)<br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-64973041115747633962008-07-30T07:34:00.001-07:002008-07-30T09:34:52.234-07:00Of Lasts and LecturesMay you Rest In Peace Randy.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/RandyPausch_Wiki_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 346px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/RandyPausch_Wiki_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Image courtesy: Wikimedia</span><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-84577480405037057402008-07-26T01:46:00.000-07:002008-07-26T01:54:18.614-07:00Of Hindu, Kalam and Projects<span style="font-family: arial;">This article came in The Hindu today. In the paragraph indicating the low-cost technology developed in IIT Madras, one of the two projects shown was mine! :) </span><br /><p style="font-family: arial;">CHENNAI: In the eyes of APJ Abdul Kalam, the scientist, there was a Stephen Hawking lurking in every corner of Vidya Sagar, wielding technology from a wheelchair. “This is a very hi-tech establishment,” he remarked of Vidya Sagar, which works for children with cerebral palsy. “What Stephen Hawking is doing, you are trying to do everyday.”</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: arial;">Stepping into the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Centre in Vidya Sagar, which works on various devices used by students who are “non verbal,” Mr. Kalam spent more than his scheduled half-an-hour, finding out how technology could be harnessed to help children with poor motor and auditory skills to learn and communicate. </p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: arial;"> Rajul Padmanabhan, director, Vidya Sagar, told Mr. Kalam about a low-cost technology, developed in association with IIT-Madras, that opens up the world for a child with multiple disabilities. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;">Poonam Natarajan, founder of Vidya Sagar and chairperson of the National Trust, and Usha Ramakrishnan, chairperson, Vidya Sagar, informed Mr. Kalam of the various initiatives of the institution. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Kalam promised to come back to Vidya Sagar, along with a student conducting research on mental retardation, and spend half a day with the students, teachers and mothers. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;">He took a couple of questions from 12th standard students Anjana and Abhishek. </p> <p style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Kalam congratulated “his friend” Siddharth, a former student of Vidya Sagar currently employed in a private bank, for his achievements. </p>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-9896353866069696872008-07-22T09:18:00.000-07:002008-07-22T09:20:35.640-07:00Of Singhs and KingsAfter the 48 hour reality show that we just saw.. its been proved who the true Khatron Ke Khiladi is and of course :<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4qSRvq-EK9uzuZMDLAGznvD0me0f2oiX6WYIKmihrpejzMcY0gZ3am2kP4fFawTWTOFs-NdpymPLgFmGgfSeWADbBzAOnJ5rQJm2KrDuqn1laXJNHbhviO79SIy6dYjaeyfBZw/s1600-h/singisking.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4qSRvq-EK9uzuZMDLAGznvD0me0f2oiX6WYIKmihrpejzMcY0gZ3am2kP4fFawTWTOFs-NdpymPLgFmGgfSeWADbBzAOnJ5rQJm2KrDuqn1laXJNHbhviO79SIy6dYjaeyfBZw/s400/singisking.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225873966820403970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />berhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-42299078506703486922008-07-08T08:50:00.000-07:002008-07-08T08:55:16.024-07:00Of Nuclear and Reactions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoUWabEHggnOnd0wLkwST0GxBmCWFM91WgvruwLyceFHHJxWfCbNzv62dgJnkputMfTBTTVHH_xUE7rgIrXzPro1pMqjawfWt7PXQfYwVJJOPKduCqR3ToEPcv2IOe9rhDnxwHw/s1600-h/deal.PNG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoUWabEHggnOnd0wLkwST0GxBmCWFM91WgvruwLyceFHHJxWfCbNzv62dgJnkputMfTBTTVHH_xUE7rgIrXzPro1pMqjawfWt7PXQfYwVJJOPKduCqR3ToEPcv2IOe9rhDnxwHw/s400/deal.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220672343035400194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDBrFd7B0IpIbY_MLMiLv69Eo82Au_ryGGuXnVJL0b_im_dtgaObD5oWcbvxBDzGxglGDagHaK9__fbyJgHqCZ9rV2p93mKalcu8ki9ynvaGTX7kDSc8ASBh97DARiyzZH9Bi2w/s1600-h/deal.PNG"><br /></a>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-12888784596266235772008-07-01T22:21:00.000-07:002008-07-01T22:27:18.277-07:00Of Kuselan and KrishnaKuselan is due to release in a week and I couldn't help but draw a parallel of the story to the Krishna-Sudhama story that all of us have grown up watching, no points for guessing who plays the role of Krishna and who of Sudhama.. :)<br />Now this kind of provides hints, will Rajini be a God for future generations or was Krishna the true "movie-star" of his day? :D<br />But for now, here is the story of Krishna and Sudhama blatantly copied from www.balagokulam.org<br /><br />God Krishna had in his student days a classmate, who was very poor. His name was Sudhama. Krishna became king of Dwaraka later on.<br /><br />Sudhama remained a poor householder. He had many children. He was, however, a good-loving man.<br /><br />Everyday Sudhama went out singing bhajans in the streets. People gave him handfuls of rice. He came home and gave the rice to his wife. She cooked it. Sudhama first offered the food of God. Next he gave part of it to his guests. Then he fed his children. The husband and wife ate what remained.<br /><br />Sudhama never stored food for the next day. He was sure God would feed him everyday, as He had always fed him. When the children grew up, the alms Sudhama brought were not enough. On some days they had to go without food. Sudhama had no fine clothes to wear. He was in rags. So people called him 'Kuchela'. It means a man with torn clothes.<br /><br />One day Sudhama's wife said to him: "Lord! Why don't you meet Krishna? You were at school together. He will surely help us!"<br /><br />Sudhama had been wanting to see his friend Krishna, not for money, but for the joy of meeting a beloved friend.<br /><br />When we go to see a baby, a great man or God in a temple we must not go without gifts. We must take with us some sweets as a token of affection or respect. Sudhama took what his wife could give him-a small package of beaten rice. They were that poor.<br /><br />Sudhama walked all the way to Dwaraka. When he reached Krishna's palace, he went in. Krishna saw him from a distance. At once he rushed out and met Sudhama at the gate. He gave him a great welcome. He embraced him. He washed Sudhama's feet. He took him to his room, and seated him on a silken cot. Krishna's wife Rukmini gently fanned Sudhama. The maids-in- waiting gave him plenty of sweet food and delicious drink in golden vessels.<br /><br />Sudhama had never seen such a beautiful palace of such riches. No one had ever treated him so nicely before. So he did not even know how to thank Krishna for the hospitality. After Sudhama had taken a rest, Krishna spoke to him of their student days and about their teacher, Sandipani.<br /><br />At last Krishna said to him: "Are you married? How many children have you?" Sudhama nodded his head shyly, meaning to say that he was happy and content. "I am sure you have brought something for me to eat," said Krishna suddenly.<br /><br />Sudhama was ashamed to take out the package of beaten rice. But Krishna saw the bag and pulled it out. Taking a handful from and putting it in his mouth, he said: "How nice of your wife to have sent this to me?" Then he ate two more handfuls.<br /><br />After spending the day happily at Dwaraka, Sudhama took leave of Krishna, and walked back to his village. He completely forgot to ask for any gift of favor of Krishna. On the way he as thinking how loyal and generous Krishna had been.<br /><br />When Sudhama reached home, a great miracle waited for him there. There was a grand palace where his old home had been. Many servants went about doing all kinds of work. His wife stood before him. She wore a costly sari and had golden ornaments on! All his children wore gorgeous clothes. He could not believe his eyes.<br /><br />Sudhama's wife said:"It all happened by the grace of Krishna."<br /><br />Sudhama worshipped Krishna with greater devotion than ever before.<br /><br />Hmm... 'Kuchela' ? Kuselan? :) I think we know the story of the movie already. ;)<br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-43310957953158155952008-06-29T06:21:00.000-07:002008-06-29T06:34:39.248-07:00Of Ants and Grasshoppers<span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Got this in one of those forward emails.. I've always tried to make my blog politically correct, but couldn't resist this time. All the same, no one get offended please, its meant in good humor.<br /><br />The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold. </span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;color:blue;" ><u>Indian Version </u></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. </span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">NDTV</span>, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. </span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Arundhati Roy</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Medha Patkar </span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance)<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bharat Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath '.. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">Arjun Singh</span> makes ' Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services. </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice '. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Lalu calls it ' Socialistic Justice '. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden ' </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly . </span><br /><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Many years later... </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley .<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(79, 79, 79);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);">India</span> ... </span>Berhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10359397.post-44122334872345176472008-06-27T22:03:00.000-07:002008-06-27T22:46:20.801-07:00Of 10s and IIT - Part 2Alright, this time I am going to focus on 10 things I absolutely cannot forget in IIT, in a good way.<br /><br />On the side, someone once asked me (actually no one did but I am just providing some build-up) why I say the bad thing first and then the good thing, I remembered what the Mahabharata has to say (loosely), when confronted with two pieces of news, the good and the bad, the ordinary man would be happier on hearing the good news after the bad news than the other way round. The person who has detached himself from the outcomes of actions will treat both pieces of news with equanimity.<br /><br />Anyways, epic-knowledge-showing-off aside, my points on 10 things in IIT I Liked:<br /><br />1) Some really good teachers, who've been more than "academic" teachers to me sometimes.<br />2) My rooms and all their ambience (despite the Pink connotations attributed to me because of them, I'm sure all you guys were jealous anyway :P )<br />3) The 4 to 5 Gurunath Chat Sessions (4 years of it would give you enough Philosophy to last life I would think!)<br />4) Literary Competitions, especially the gruelling quiz season, Dramatics, speaking events and word events (except for Last year's Lit-Soc where they cupped it big time with the schedules)<br />5) All my trips to Ritchie Street and Parrys buying things (half of which I never used)<br />6) The Institute wildlife population - it's quite a sight to see a grown up handsome Stag eating vegetable puff (not to mention the harrassing monkeys, they have more rights than us i nthe !)<br />7) My first night-time mobile-phone light experience in Saarang<br />8) My wing-mates, EP-mates, Cauvery-mess-mates and Ganga-mates (despite all our flaws and incidents we still had great times, all of you are brilliant in your own way, thanks)<br />9) My final year project, what a learning experience it was (oops no blog post on that yet!)<br />10) Shaastra, all 4 years of it :)<br /><br />Besides these there are smaller things like Ambience for Saarang, Tennis, my S in ID110 so on so forth, all-in-all its been one helluva learning experience I guess.<br /><br />BerhaelBerhaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08032533938804527658noreply@blogger.com0