Reservation Please!

This post is for all those who keep asking me about my IIM results. No - I would like to say - they're not out yet.

And to tell you the truth, I'm kind-of relieved that they're delayed. Though this issue of reservation makes us wait-listed passengers, it is a little surprising that most of us are unconcerned. Or at least the "most of us" that I know. And a few like me are perhaps even gleeful. And its not because I'm afraid in some way, or "unable to face the future".

They'd told me about self-doubt and uncertainty and all that kind of stuff via stories and anecdotes. I listened to them as faraway emotions that I would never have to face. A bit like you reading "What to do if you come face to face with a Tiger". You listen, attentively even, but knowing that stuff like this is never going to happen to you.

But I'm afraid - I think - that it has. And at a moment like this, I'm glad that there is still that element of "luck". For I'm trusting random chance, which is how I see luck, to make my decision for me. I know this idea of leaving it up to a celestial (pseduo?) random number generator is crazy to say the least. But, that is one thing I'm sure I want to do now. Something crazy. In a safe sort of way.

A position someone I know would call a "weak-ass way of thinking". Again, what can I say but quote Metallica - Sad, but true.

Note to self

No matter how much friends try to convince you, do not watch an Anees Bazmee movie at 8:30 am on Saturday morning. Ever!

Finally, She purrs!

Yesterday night, I slept with the quiet joy of a man who know that his computer is going about its job of getting bits and bytes from people around the world so that when he wakes up the next day, it has a small present for him. Getting up, is an equally joyous experience - I act as if I really did not know, that my computer is going to present me with such bounteous gifts - and to some extent my surprise and admiration is genuine.

Now, this morning however was a rough patch in our relationship. I got up, as usual - and rushed to her hoping for another day of joyful gift-revelation. Imagine my surprise then, when I find a grumpy black face starting at me saying, "the computer has to shut off due to overheating" - or somesuch. This is the last straw I decide.

I knew it was going to come to this. She has been slowly increasing the intensity of what was a quiet whir, to a almost resounding growl. I somehow managed to sleep - and have been putting up with this obstreperous behaviour for almost a few months now. So - I decide, enough is enough!

I get up, and armed with my screwdriver and two pieces of rags I approach her. I yank open the side cover - and set about trying to figure out a way to get the heat sink off. After a little while, the heat sink is off - and I'm hacking away at her innards getting all that layer of dirt, slime and grease off it. Finally she's clean and good to go. Pleased at having done a good morning's work - I then put her back.

This is where the problem arrived. If you've ever tried putting back a heat sink without taking out the motherboard, it can be a bitch! Finally I manage somehow, but to no avail. Obviously it's not been done properly, and the system promptly shuts off in ohh.. about 3 seconds.

So finally, I take the last resort. Take her to the big daddy. I yank out all the wires - shove her in the car and bang her on the mechanic's desk. He's smiles at me as if saying - "you don't really know how to handle her, do ya?". He takes her apart, piece by piece and puts her back - lovingly. She obviously must've relented - because in about half-an hour she was all ready to go.

I was still mad. But when I put her back at my place, and plugged her in - she purred! Softly and silently as she did about a year back. And as I sit here typing this, and listening to her - there is no greater joy than a really silent computer!

Look Ma, I'm quoting Dani!

From here

Looking back, we ( the VIT quizzers and Kunal S) have done so much of college quizzing in the last two years that I think that we should really think about whether its worth or time to go for such frustrating quizzes any longer. It is an enjoyable quizzing experience that we are looking for, not the incentive to get yet another certificate of yet another college event. But then at the back of my mind I do know that most probably I will end up going for many more such quizzes this year, just in the hope of getting a good quiz, and a taste of Pune college quizzing for what will be my last year in VIT.

Man! Can't believe that a) I'm in final year already and b) I abso-fuckin'-lutely agree with the man. Wait a min, the last time I checked, that can't be good!

Banging head against wall!

Please show me effective ways. Why, why do we have IE AND Firefox. I just can't handle it! Tearing my hair out!

AS : We bow to thee!

I've always believed in the theories of the gradients and of the "gray vs black/white" notions, and that nothing in itself is either totally right or wrong. It's just a question of how far you are from the net, and are you on the right side.

This theory holds for the so called "Generation Gap", the name given to the tendency of people of different ages to differ in their thoughts, opinions and tastes. However as Stephen Hawking (who I owe much of my love of the history of science to) writes eloquently in The Brief History of Time about theories and saying that one counter-example was enough to disprove a theory, while even a million examples were nit enough to prove it.

The above theory, at least for the application in the case of Generation Gap has failed abjectly to explain the thinkings of a certain Anand Sivshankar, I and a few readers of this blog might know. I, for one, am absolutely sold, on this post that monsieur has published.

Calling impropriety of dress, a lack of "sartorial elegance" and commenting on lasses who "leave a strand of undergarment peeking out from beneath" is exactly the kind of words and thoughts you would expect to spew forth from ssanand.blogspot.com. It is as if the law of gradual increase in the generation gap gave up when it met against Anand, and said - boss, this one's impossible.

That said, this post is a must read. How we wished he wrote more often.

Shame, shame!

Fortunately Andrew Miller spares me the agony of putting this in words. Still, I'm somehow glad that I stayed up and watched.

Aane waalaa pal ...

I and Kapeesh were talking recently about how one looked back at old writings and often felt embarrassed, overcome by a sudden urge to purge the said material and disown any claims to the same. One often wonders if and how once one could've been so naive/stupid/inarticulate/idiotic and a litany of similar epithets.

I however very rarely feel this way - as the stronger feeling is that of understanding and assessing personal development in terms of thinking, writing in specific and expression in general. I was once obsessed with seeing the stats for this blog - and often cast the digital version of an envious eye at folks like this guy, this guy and sometimes even this guy. I dreamed one day of lazing around at home while adwords clinked money into the pit of my boundless web-sack.

A few months later however the realization dawned, and more profoundly so after the experience with revisits of older posts, that I should firstly write for myself - like a semi-personal diary for book-keeping and suchlike. I once tried writing a diary, but the whole enterprise is inherently flawed in that the basic premise is that no one is meant to read what is written, and though this may permit jottings of more personal details, totally no attention is paid to language and structure - the diary becoming more of a faceless log-book rather than a living, talking journal.

One of the things i most enjoy reading from that time - and one which floods back memories of dial-ups and Kimaya among other things is this thread from the now-defunct Fergusson College Cultural Committee forum. Do read if you have the time - and the desire to look back into my writing past. It might not be the best example for the contrast that I want to depict. But the effort would be worth in the content itself.

And yes, read quick - before I decide that this post is too amateurish and needs to fall prey to the delete button.

Copy right ,Prime Minister.

Regulars here, and some quizzers might remember that my post introducing the Centaurian System of Scoring and Passing the concept of PMQs. i.e Popular Misconception Questions. However, a powerless and comparatively small in size isaam like me, cannot protect his own interests. The British Government has shamelessly ripped off the acronym, and is using it to promote what they call "Prime Minister's Questions".

It is supposed to be some pseud concept where the overpaid, under-worked smart asses called MPs questions the Prime Minister on questions of monumental importance like "what are your engagements for today", "how much did you stuff up Ahmadinejad to release those 15 pot-smoking, cast-offs" and " is it true that the reason why your ears are so big is that they were pulled forcefully by your nanny with coal-heated tongs because you were in love with Mr.Tabbot, your professor of mathematics at Chorister Elementary" ?

Now, prima facie, it may appear that the British Government in fact came up with this first, but serious investigative work on my part has revealed that this is not the case. It is a sheer case of the small man losing out against the big, power wielding goons at the top, that we have. This will not be tolerated and to protest I shall used the word PMQ 5 times in my next sentence. PMQ, PMQ, PMQ, PMQ and PMQ. That meant nothing, but it must've hurt - you spineless bastards!