30Q

Apparently, someone else is more worried about my rusting blog than me. This post is just another way to while away the days of jobless winter vacation. ;)

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
A. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. (Long long ago...)

2. What book are you reading?
A. The A.B.C murders by Agatha Christie.

3. Favourite board game?
A. Scotland Yard.

4. Favourite magazine/s?
A. Never bothered about magazines much.

5. Favourite smells?
A. Uh... I don't think I know its name.

6. Favourite sounds?
A. Keeps changing.

7. Worst feeling in the world?
A. How about happiness? :P

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
A. My music playlist.

9. Favourite fast food place?
A. None.

10. Future child’s name?
A. No clue.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d…?”
A. Spend it.

12. Do you drive fast?
A. No.

13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
A. Er. Now I'm really doubting if this tag is directed at everyone :P

14. Storms - cool or scary?
A. Cool.

15. What was your first car?
A. Yet to own one.

16. Favourite drink?
A. Black coffee.

17. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would...”?
A. Get bored.

18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
A. :|

19. If you could dye your hair any colour, what would be your choice?
A. :)) Mine is the best!

20. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
A. Hyderabad, Chennai.

21. Favourite sports to watch?
A. Swimming.

22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?

A. Just one?

23. What’s under your bed?

A. A cat :P

24. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
A. Yes.

25. Morning person, or night owl?
A. Night owl.

26. Over easy, or sunny side up?
A. No idea what this question means.

27. Favourite place to relax?
A. My room.

28. Favourite pie?
A. Never had a pie!

29. Favourite ice cream flavour?
A. Butterscotch.

30. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
A. None!

Star-crossed Lovers

"If you wish to converse with me, define your terms" - Voltaire

A discussion is trivial if the so called "arguments" involved are no arguments at all. Instead, it should be termed "Rant race". And it's even more fun when someone is talking to himself.

A: Are you clear on what I meant?

B: Yeah! But you don't understand me-

A: Yes, I understood you.

B: No! But you aren't doing it-.

A: I'm not going to do that and I understood what you said.

B: Then, you didn't get what I'm saying-

A: :|

Things like this happen because of the mental filter in our brain. We don't always hear what the other person says. Actually, that other person has an equally good chance of not meaning a word he says.

When did "Understanding" become equivalent to "Agreement" ?
and "Contrary opinion" become an "Insult" ?
"Selfish" = "Cruel" ?

Basically, if people talk to each other in two different languages, say English and French; we easily get the point that it isn't a conversation. There is no 'interchange of information'. "Language Barrier" is the figurative phrase used to indicate this type of difficulty.

Now, if two people converse in English and still have difficulties such as the above, can we attribute it to "Mental Barrier" ?

Define your terms - says Voltaire.

This might be a nice theoretical solution though not very feasible. We can't cross-check with a dictionary before we speak every word. We can, however, do this when we value debate per se and when we get the hint that the "argument" is tending towards rant race.

It's usually taken that a clearer understanding is reached with attentive listening. This might not be so true, when the speaker itself says things that they don't mean. One of the worst things that can happen is two people meaning the same thing in their head and still fighting about it.

Some of the minds who have thought about this problem suggest the "Common sense" theory. It is believed that for the most part a specific group of people think in a specific way.

Things are not all good with the "common sense" theory. As my cousin says, 'But what is logic? I doubt many people will agree on that'

If many people don't agree on a neutral word like "logic", common sense theory is doomed.

(Oh and by the way, I think the word 'logic' is neutral - just so that you 'understand' :p)

There are two things that you can do to minimize the problem of a rant race -

1. Stop talking altogether. (This works well when applied in the middle of a rant race too)
2. Define your terms and argue with only those people who define their terms.

Neither of the alternatives is extremely pragmatic, perhaps "Language" and "Communication" are star-crossed lovers.

123rd page

So, this blog is returning from a long hiatus and well, let's just clear off some arrears first.

I'm not very certain as to why this "Tagged" phenomenon erupted all of a sudden. Possibly, people have just nothing left to write/post.

This tag is from Smilee.

The rules: Pick up the nearest book. Go to page 123. Find the fifth sentence. Post the next three sentences. Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

The competitive advantage is maximized by the surprise factor. The English longbow was a shock-and-awe weapon in the fifteenth century, comparable to the Colt revolvers and Winchester repeating rifles of the Wild West. Not all new weapons are as fearsome as these, but the fear of unknown is itself a powerful weapon.

This quote is from, "How Life Imitates Chess" by Garry Kasparov.

Tag five people huh? Since most people I know who would continue the tag are already tagged. I tag Nobody, Nobody, Nobody, Nobody and Nobody. :p

MIT, you aren't alone!

"Finals"

Finals...

F i n a l s

Finals!

F.i.n.a.l.s

Finals??

Finals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough said.

You've to hand it to Duran Duran for this amazing song and wonderful lyrics.

Child, don't you worry
It's enough you're growing up in such a hurry
Brings you down the news they sell you
To put in your mind that all mankind is a failure

But nobody knows what's gonna happen tomorrow
We try not to show how frightened we are
If you let me I'll protect you however I can

You've got to believe
it'll be alright in the end

Fighting, because we're so close
There are times we punish those who we need the most
No, we can't wait for a saviour
Only got ourselves to blame for this behaviour

And nobody knows what's gonna happen tomorrow
We try not to show how frightened we are
Would seem lonely, if you were the only star in the night

You've got to believe
it'll be alright in the end

You've got to believe
it'll be alright again

time is a river
a silent icy river
pulls us all
running deep
deep and fast enough to get lost down in the flow
thrashing around me
tiny lives mean everything

And nobody knows what's gonna happen tomorrow
So don't let go, now we've come this far
Hope I have peace
Understand me
you're never alone

We've got to believe
it'll be alright in the end

nobody knows

You've got to believe
it'll be alright my friend

So don't let go

Unless we believe
it'll be alright again

Nobody knows

What happens tomorrow (Duran Duran)

Tagged!

Tagged by Leela! I'm so excited ( :P )

Thankfully, this thing is related to music. One of the few things I care about.

1. Which song is being played in your mind right now?
Love don't cost a thing by Jlo. Arbit song selected by my even more arbit shuffle-selection.

2. One song that describes your life... (No self made compositions please!)
This is how a heart breaks by Rob Thomas. Self-explanatory.

3. The song you listen to most on your I-pod/ MP3/ cell/ PC/ etc
Moi Lolita by Alizée. Coincidence, Leela, I swear! There's this girl, who can dance to the tune of this song. Keep guessing who it is ;)

4. A song that describes best the following stages in your life
- School days: I will follow by U2 Well, that's pretty much what I did with my school days.
- Love: What If by Coldplay
- Your mood right now: Tanha Dil by Shaan.

5. Your all time favorite song and the reason for it... maybe some memory/ some funny story etc!!!
Honey and the Moon by Joseph Arthur. Memories... Memories are too precious.

6. A song you wish you hadn't heard!!! (More than one is always a pleasure!!!)
Not one. Any horrible mixes of songs cause me to go ewww!

7. A song that would best describe... me
(Hey, I took pains to tag you, I guess I deserve this ;-) )
She’s Always A Woman To Me by Billy Joel. No one! No one dare argue with this!!

8. If, you were in an elevator with Himesh Reshammiya and Altaf Raja, you would... (please please please... something funny!!!)
Ask them to put intro. Who are these people?! ;)

Ah well, that's done. Long time since I've sat down and written something.

Tag whom? :O Everyone I know is tagged by Leela! (At least people wouldn't curse me now :P )

Retrospection

Facing the reality
Of our own imperfections

The waves crash without warning
Overwhelmed and short of breath
Never able to escape
The bloodstains upon your hands

I AM! Still bleeding you
From wounds you've never known
I AM! Still bleeding you
From wounds you've never known

The core of our being
Torn out and cast aside

I never looked this far away
Never saw what lies ahead
In the midst of false comfort
The scars were hidden but never healed

The ghosts of past failures (Shadows Fall)

Dia dos Namorados

The first ever valentine's day, that I actually kept track of. Half expected some kind of rush or enthusiasm today. Nothing. No one even seems to bother. The campus is the same. Everything going on as it would on a normal day. Yet, across the world the news is that youngsters are painting the town red. Such is the widespread excitement that BBC even saw it fit to compose a guide on helping singles survive the day.

Aren't they cute?

Lost in reverie

There are certain things to work on. Perhaps, I really want to make it work. Certainty is always a welcome thing. Yet, the apprehensiveness makes me delay it. What if?

If I had to live my life without you near me
The days would all be empty
The nights would seem so long
With you I see forever oh so clearly
I might have been in love before
But it never felt this strong

Our dreams are young
And we both know they'll take us
Where we want to go

Hold me now
Touch me now
I don't want to live without you

Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love

Nothing's gonna change my love for you
You ought know by now how much I love you
The world may change my whole life through
But nothing's gonna change my love for you

If the road ahead is not so easy,
Our love will lead the way for us
Like a guiding star
I'll be there for you if you should need me
You don't have to change a thing
I love you just the way you are
So come with me and share the view
I'll help you see forever too

Nothing's gonna change my love for you (Glenn Medeiros)

What's common?

The object of my affection

On those long lonely nights,
she'll come to me and cry;
When the sun is up,
I see her soaring in the sky.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Let's face it! At times ever-green things just screw up and for no fault of yours.

Sunday, the universal holiday was declared an instructional day by the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Professors and students alike, including me, saw it fit to follow the order if only with certain sense of disdain.

Sub: Instructional day on 20.01.2008 (Sunday) - Reg.

*****

Consequent on the visit of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD to IIT Madras, Sunday, the 20th January 2008 will be an instructional day for all the students and scholars.

Students may please note that Monday's time-table will be followed on 20.01.2008.

/By order/

That mail ruined the weekend. 8 am class on a Sunday! Some of the students were fortunate in that, they didn't have as many classes to attend as per the time-table. I had full 8 hours of classes.

My friend's status message - All I ever wanted in life! Two Mondays :(

Thrilled by The Godfather, the first part, I watched the trilogy last night. A Saturday night wisely spent. Staying up all night and attending 8 am class is one thing in itself and I could stay through all of the classes. Cheers to me!

One of my friends 'predicted' that I would be cranky all day and I'm glad for proving her wrong. :D
If anything, I was ever more cheerful. Inviting a question which has been repeated many times before as to how come I am happy for no reason. :)

"Control Systems", the first class was brilliant. The prof is good and the course is interesting. So, the 50 minutes breezed through. The next one was in a huge classroom and I conveniently found it reasonable to message friends, read a novel, and crash. Then, the tedious math class. The prof's sense of humor saved the day for us. After working monotonously and painfully on a problem, the prof without any emotion, explains that we have just derived a solution for a string of infinite length and it has no practical application whatsoever, because you can't find a string of infinite length! Man! I wanted to shout - "Then, why the hell did we do that for the last 40 min!" And apparently, the proof can't accommodate a finite length string. So, all work and no productivity. The next class, just passed through with the prof paying his whole admiration to stress-strain.

I got a set of pics from the Product Design lab.

Yes...

I cant believe the news today
Oh, I cant close my eyes and make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long...

cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...

Broken bottles under childrens feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I wont heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

Sunday, bloody sunday
Sunday, bloody sunday
Sunday, bloody sunday (sunday bloody sunday...)
(allright lets go!)

And the battles just begun
Theres many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart

Sunday, bloody sunday
Sunday, bloody sunday

How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long...

cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...
Tonight...

Sunday, bloody sunday (tonight)
Tonight
Sunday, bloody sunday (tonight)
(come get some!)

Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Wipe your tears away
I wipe your tears away
(sunday, bloody sunday)
I wipe your blood shot eyes
(sunday, bloody sunday)

Sunday, bloody sunday (sunday, bloody sunday)
Sunday, bloody sunday (sunday, bloody sunday)
(here I come!)

And its true we are immune
When fact is fiction and tv reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die

The real battle yet begun (sunday, bloody sunday)
To claim the victory jesus won (sunday, bloody sunday)
On...

Sunday bloody sunday
Sunday bloody sunday...
(U2)

Peaceful days

Hold up
Hold on
Don't be scared
You'll never change what's been and gone

May your smile (may your smile)
Shine on (shine on)
Don't be scared (don't be scared)
Your destiny may keep you warm

Cos all of the stars
Are fading away
Just try not to worry
You'll see them some day
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

Get up (get up)
Come on (come on)
Why're you scared? (I'm not scared)
You'll never change
What's been and gone

Cos all of the stars
Are fading away
Just try not to worry
You'll see them some day
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

Cos all of the stars
Are fading away
Just try not to worry
You'll see them some day
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out

We're all of us stars
We're fading away
Just try not to worry
You'll see us some day
Just take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
Stop crying your heart out
Stop crying your heart out

(Oasis)