Got tagged by DD. After doing a few tags, though I admire the idea of tagging, was really not interested in another Tag. But, this one is different- atleast the person who tagged me is!

The tag is to write about me..There are no other conditions put up for that, except that it had to be about Me..So here I go!

나 는 나 이다. 그가 하는 것을 총계로 혼동하는, 별나 괴짜는, 누구 모르고, 그러나 그가does!..Couldnt이해하는 것에서 그가 원하는 것을 있있다? 잘, 저것은 정확하게 복잡한 복잡하게 하는 나... 너무 나를 포함하여 많은 것에understand!..A간단한 복잡한 수수께끼에 그러나 간단한, 이다!- Soduko은 나 간다! 아직도,Google나 나아지십시요!

(Picture Courtesy: Flickr)

Wow!..Thats Korean!;-)...(Sin Q/Cos Q) Altavista Bablefish! Now, start speaking with your nose...Oops!..did I tell nose? I wonder how they speak with such a short nose!:P

Anyways, God Bless You!- I am not tagging none! Escape!

அவன்:
சுவையில்லா இனிப்பு,
மலரில்லா கொடி,
வேரில்லா மரம்,
நிலவில்லா இரவு,
வேனிலில்லா காலம்,
பனியில்லா மார்கழி,
ஆதவனில்லா பகல்,
பணியில்லா அலுவல்,
பாதையில்லா பயணி,
மழையில்லா மேகம்,
மனிதமில்லா மானுடன்.

அவள்:
சுவை,
மலர்,
வேர்,
நிலா,
வேனில்,
பனி,
ஆதவன்,
பணி,
பாதை,
மழை,
மனிதம்,
மற்றும்- கருணையில்லா கடவுள்..........

An English version of the same:

He:
Tasteless Sweet,
Flowerless climber,
Rootless tree,
Moonless night,
Springless Year,
Fogless December,
Sunless day,
Workless Job,
Routeless Traveller,
Rainless cloud,
Unhuman Man.

She
Taste,
Flower,
Root,
Moon,
Spring,
Fog,
Sun,
Work,
Route,
Rain,
Humanity,
And- Unsympathetic God.........

Ok...so enough of senti"mental" posts..now, as I keep reading things, I keep storing some interesting links for that day/time to be posted on to my blog later in the day. Sometimes I make a post- sometimes, I don't and I end up with chunks of dated folders(with a naming convention of "ddmm-Interesting"- so that I can remember the dates) in my favourites drop down!

Mostly, the source of the link too would be made note of as a sub folder inside the favourites item folder. But, yesterday, I had made a mistake of not storing them in sub folders- so I cant provide the source of any of the links here...So, I dont claim any responsibility for the authenticity of the links posted here..though all are taken from sites that I trust the most- like Slashdot, Engadget, Meta-filter etc.,

So, go ahead and enjoy the links!:)

See what the World is fighting over. I mean, we have nothing like this here in India. When will we fight over things like this rather than other similarly useless things?

The day had been calm and serene. It had been a hard day at office, with a single problem left unsolved. A single thorn in the flesh. A reminder of the unfinished task. Something incomplete- Just left as a comma!

Unable to accept defeat at the hands of a stupid program that wouldn't understand that I wanted to change it, I retreat back to the den, to fight another day, another chance, at the altar of bits and bytes- my Computer.

The work desk is strwen with papers, manuals, training materials, cables running at all sides, pens, note pads and other "essentials"! I clear them with a wisp of air and tuck in the papers into the drawer. Just then the phone rings and the weekend plan is finalised. Our Plan stands cancelled!

Brooding over the cancelled trip, and unsympathetic friends, I trudge along to room, switch on the idiot box and it dutifully presents itself with a smiling face of Nitish Kumar, unable to answer questions like "Why are you not flamboyant as Lalu yadav?", "Why hadn't you called your parents and brother?", "Why is it that you think you have won?"

Unable to bear the sickness of the questions, I change channels to settle down on Nat Geo. Atleast it seems, animals are far more sensible than their supposedly intelligent evolution. The program was to show a family of Baboons in some african forest.

A male "commander" of the tribe, with a challenger to his position in the harem, always in the look out for a suitable female and being chased away by the commander everytime he manages to get what he wants.

A female with a new born, unmindful of the rebel, leaves her kid unattended.

Sensing a chance to avenge for his inability, the rebel grabs the kid and runs away.

In the ensuing chase and subsequent retreival of the kid, the mother finds that the younger one is already dead in the altercation. Unmindful of the fact, it gaurds over the dead body...

The gaurding goes on for several days, even after all that is left is a skeleton. The narrator at the background says, "The Love overcomes sense" at precisely the point when, the mother takes the dead body and runs away from the commander, who comes to console her!

I sit there, shocked, moved- I am unable to describe what I felt- was it revulsion, pain, surprise, anguish, shock, sentimental, sympathetic? I feel numb for sometime, before the full meaning and power of what the narrator had just told strikes me..

"Love overcomes Sense"....isn't this the case everywhere- even in humans?

How many times had we been fooled out of our senses by Love? Isnt Love mindless, mind numbing?

I hate Love!

Well, as I hear from my friends, on the recent CAT(Common Admission Test), I tend to get a feeling that, the CAT is becoming more transparent by the day and that the day is not far off, when CAT can be taken online, just like GMAT.

Yesterday, Prof Bakul Dholakia, Director, IIMA, was on NDTV, answering questions on GMAT like Online CAT and what he said, provides somepointers in that direction. HE said it in so many words, that though, the aspirants can't look forward for an online version next year, the option is very well on the table and, yet no decision had been arrived at...

Though, I understand the massive preparations that had to go into CAT, I also wonder, what stops them from making a decision fast?..These are the same people, who teach, the cost of indecision is often much larger than the cost of wrong decision!..What had happened to what they teach? For how long are they going to postpone the decision- Yeah, that is what it is...it is no doubt, that taking CAT online is one great inevitable, then why is that not happening?

Let us look at the possible issues that might be solved through having an online version!

1. Almost instantaneous valuations possible- It takes somewhere around 3 months for the results to be published currently. With an Online version, this will be cut down!
2. The location of test centres in some far off city- I have friends, who had to travel to Chennai from other states to just give the CAT- and here, from Mangalore to Bangalore to give CAT- A travel of 10 hours (ie. by bus) to write an exam of 2 hours!
3. Question Paper leakage- I strongly beleive online version is far safer in that sense!
4. There can even be a Computer Adaptive Test - sort of format!(Though, I wouldn't recommend it- simply because, CAT is a test for elimination and not for selection, and having a adaptive test would not eliminate, but would select!)
   
5. Better time management for the students- Somehow I personally feel that, I would be more time conscious with a computer based test rather than a paper-pencil test!)
6. And most of all, it would reduce my Pencil box's costs!- Man, I carried six pencils, a sharpener, a knife and an eraser to the test- I was like a school going kid, rather than a 22 year old!:-(

The stumbling blocks (not really, but atleast our Babu's are well versed in the real politik) that I see for such an implementation are,

1. The computer based test, would discriminate against the rural aspirants, as they would not be comfortable with computers!
2. The issues of Internet Security!
3. The issues of Investment, resources.
4. And to cap it all, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a voice for the lakhs that will loose their jobs, if it is taken online!
   

It's already high time that CAT goes online!

But, to say a last, lasting word, I think this year's CAT was indeed tough( by many standards- be it the explicit note that the negative marking is gonna be 1/4th or in the toughness of the DI and Quants questions!)

The one statement that my friend made, when I asked him about the CAT, still rings in my ears and makes me laugh my lungs out, but I know, it wasn't so for him!

I hadn't seen such circles before!- Man, they were circular!

For all those future Managers, wannabe Managers, taking up CAT, all the best!!

Well, it was the same time 3 years back, that I did my prayers and sat for the CAT at Meenakshi College for Women, Arcot Road...umm...well, that was a great exam I gave and I still remember the single mistake, that I made in Quants that cost me the IIM call and made me look a cropper at Quants, with 95 percentile in Verbal, 94 Percentile in DI and 89 Percentile in Quants!

That question was a simple...rather utterly simple..I still don't know how I made that mistake of marking the wrong answer...but anyways, its been three years now, and nothing was lost by that mistake...well, at hindsight, it seems, nothing does really matter!

Yesterday, been to BrandScan, yesterday- same enthu, same adrenaline pumping moments, but I was standing there as a by-stander, watching events unfold, watching moments of raw fury and ecstasy and watching my junies handling them in style and feeling great to have left behind that institution, called BrandScan!

Happen to catch up with this guy for a chat! Had a good chat on topics of mutual interest- that had always been Self Organising Teams and my Ph.D..Well, I dont know whether I will do it, but if at all I do, that would be in this topic with good amount of inputs from him!..I am preparing for the a general paper too, but then, I dont know, whether that would be worth publishing!- As always, lets see! ;-)

1. How many times, can you fold a piece of Paper? I can to a maximum of 8 folds..that had been a received wisdom till date..but, but, but, - Check this out![Via Boing Boing]
   


2. Are you an early raiser? - I mean from bed and then take a look at the beauty outside? Then, atleast now, have a look at what all you are missing!


3. An amazing collection of Volkswagen ads, put up in the site![Via Commercial Break]
   


4. My experiences with Google Base...well, not mine...not Gandhi's even!


5. Future plans of Google!


6. Now, you know what lacked in my Guitar training...I can see a George Harrison in the horizon!


7. Have you ever thought, that it is always very important, to be politically correct- no matter how logically stupid you are!...well, there are people, who think so![Via Metafilter]


8. Passion never dies..so treat yourselves with the Logos of Google, as I did!


9. This is what I call, intutive thinking...sad that it had come after long experimentation!..may be experimental intuition!

A daily stroll in the archived electronic cemetry...
A lone "Good Morning" mail in the wades of useless chatter...
Meaningless "Ummmms" and "Hmmms".....
Unreplied missives..
Replied bullets....
Somehow, he feels, he was happier with meaningless chatter
Than with meaningful Silence!

Graveyard's silence,
Is far worse than the incessant noise of a forest...
How he hated the noise...
Then, he hated the silence!
Wretched Silence..
n wretched Lives!

He never knew,
Silence kills...
Now, he will never know!

Obituary for Peter Drucker- the one man, whom we were made to internalise for two years, who made what we studied possible, who created a class of what we call," Knowledge Workers" and his "The Post Capitalist Society", was a real interesting book for anyone who would want to study(even practice) Management, is dead...Let his soul RIP.

On a more interesting note, how many of us have seriously given a thought to? Well, I mean the Time....Has we ever thought, the simple, taken for granted time, that we often look at our watches, can have serious, geo-political, fatal, and often very serious implications in our daily life?- Read this! to understand.

Of Google:
First, of Google. When you want to comment on a blog, using the blogger commenting tool, had you noticed the server that it calls the comment page from?..It used to call it from something like, Urchin.service.blogger.com from the beginning...But of late,[ie, I had noticed it only today!], it is calling from a site called, google-analytics.com..but the site isnt letting users in..It throws up a 502 server error[which is a temporary error!]...Wondering what is this analytics page!

Secondly, the base.google.com is alive, but is sitting behind a secure zone...It recognises me, but wouldn't let me in!..How stupid of it!:P...and Google Base is getting redirected to the search page!..BTW, Googlebase is a web hosting service, with rumoured data management services from Google![Via, Google Tealeaves]

Of Coke:
Of Coke- What can I possibly say after seeing their recent "piyo sar utha ke"!...How can I drink it with my head up, after seeing what they have done to the Kerala People and the way they treated the Photographer, Sharad Haskar, for his photos- So, I drink with a Straw!- Need not hold my head high you see!:P

Gyan!
A couple of links here and you read the Gyan, as this comes from a someone I respect a lot!
What is this but- Oh! anything?
Calvin's!

This time, as I had been to Chennai after Diwali, on a state visit to survey the flood affected areas, I realised Chennai had not been under such rains for quite long now. The well in our house was over flowing...this is the first time in four years that I am seeing water in the well[not that, there was water 4 years back - there was no well before 4 years!].

To add, as I say, "T.Rajendar to Ramarajan" sort of issues, there was no power for the two days that I was in Chennai and I was denied the comfort of good food with the Idiot box...As the days were perpetualy like twilight times, the one thing that was most sought after atleast in Mambalam area[I dont know about other areas], was Candles...There was virtually, no candles in all of Mambalam area. I understand you asking why not go to Ranganathan street...but, who will wade through the water there...there are people who did that, as I finally found out, but I preferred the comfort of the two wheeler to foot!

Searched for candles in the entire West Mambalam area to find none, then started searching for in the Saidapet area- I mean the West Saidapet..Its amazing to see that, even when people know that, the candles are in short supply, there was no price hikes...I bought the candles for the same price that was printed on the cover..Infact, I bought 4 pockets, so the shopkeeper made a special concession on the marker price too!:)

But the highlight was an accident and bad bruises on my hands and body on this visit...All because, of one lodaaku Kinetic Honda and a rain drenched street...fell flat on side and had a good scratch in the elbow...the Kinetic just dragged me along for some distance and had a deep bruise...I was able to see the bleeding itself only the next day morning, as this happened the night before!

The highlight was the game that I happen to play with my uncle's kids there...one is a grown up kid and another a naive, adamant youngster...they started playing cricket and the younger one, was all demanding more and more..he would only bat, would not bowl, would not field- but the way, the elder one took all that and still played her part of the game was really something surprising...then I realised isnt it, that way with almost all of us?

Dont we generally, agree to anything that a kid says- any demand that a kid makes? Why do we do so? Do we just start competing with the kid?..then, what is the whole purpose of being grown up and matured?- whatever, this adjusting mentality is what I find lacking with many grown-ups(including me!)- I am not meaning adjusting with the kid..I mean, adjusting with other adults!:P

When you think you know much about technology, it is at that precise point that, IT decides that you don't know even to comprehend english, let alone master Technology!...

Was going through my usual daily reads, when I came across this piece of information!...

As it was interesting enough to make me try it once, I wrote a decently long mail, [without reading the entire stuff- I guess I read it, but I was too distracted to understand what was written in that!], I keyed in the To address(that was the most mailed email id too), pressed enter, thinking that this would be delivered a year later to the recepient.

Only then, did the message came up, telling that, a confirmation mail had been sent to the mail address and asking me to confirm that too....Then, it dawned on me...I was supposed to send a mail to myself, such that I will receive it later in some years time...

But, I had sent it to someone else...Now, I feel stupid...To have not read the instructions, to have not understood what it means- as always, understanding what things mean had always been a problem with me...

This happened in the early hours of my work and I couldn't stop teasing myself and laughing even now!..

So much for my tech savvyness and pride with it...I deserve it!!

Guess, I need to start watching Tennis from now on...It is really an interesting game of balls it seems!- No trust me..it is an interesting game of more than just balls!

Read a nice piece of open mouth [I mean Open heart] there...Think this is the true version!

The Hindu is actually, going to dogs...a look into this scholarly work and it reveals more than just a chink in the armour! [Via My Precious]

Yahoo!'s prank on Google is plain hilarious...but leaves a fishy taste- quite literally!

Well...That title should have given a tinge of explanation for the tone of this post....Mine was not bad..That's the most that I can say about this...All because, I was witness to a near fatal(that's what I think...I am not sure of that!) accident in the thick of night(again if you consider 9:00 PM as late evening, I am not to be blamed....

That was the day before Diwali and I had planned for a get together for my School Friends...So, had mailed the group asking for the opinion and seeing no replies to the mail, had lost hope of it..But suddenly, felt like going to Neyveli(for some other work) and so, ended up in my friends place...Was astonished to see that, there was already a big gang waiting for the get together, thinking that I had made all plans ready....But, ended up with a good dinner and a wonderful time....

As it was time to return home(a good 25 Kms ride..), I started early..at around 8:30 PM and the road is a fairly decent road, with not so much as potholes, as there are stray cattles. I started off with my TVS Victor, and it being a faithful new machine, was at its best at 80 Kms/hour and I was enjoying the ride immensely. The ride was all fine and I was humming the "Oru Maalai Ilaiuthir Kaalam" and was at that particular sentence, which says, "Mazhail sendraal, un mugham, en manathil neerai iranghum", when I saw what I saw...

There were three silhouettes, standing on the road, a massive dark patch that was and seemingly immobile. As I drove nearer, I realised those were bovines- a calf and two adult cows. With my continuos horn not making any dent in their resolve to enjoy the quite night out under the dark sky, I was wondering how to cross them.

That being a State Highway, connecting Chennai with Kumbhakonam, there was always good traffic of high speed vehicles in it. As I saw two head lights at a distance approaching me, I braked my Victor and started blarring the horn even more hardly(as if it makes any difference- how much harder you press the horn, the sound is going to be the same- foolish me..) The head lights doesn't seem to be slowing down and as each moment passed, I was praying the head lights will slow down or the poor cattle will move out of the road...

Suddenly, there was a loud squeaking sound at my back and I couldn't even think about it, as there was huge thud in my front. The bus, speeding at somewhere close to 80 Kms/hour had hit the cow in its face and the cow was swinging wildly(Sorry for the bad language..I couldn't find a suitable word to explain that movement- what you call, "thataamaalai" in tamil- the closest I can come to that word and the meaning was this!)... and it was wildly flying towards the road side, thrown away from the hitting bus.

I was standing there, with utter untrust, shocked to the core to see the red lights of the bus's rear, disappearing from my sight at the near-by turn and hearing the blarring horn of the car, that had screeched at my back... The guy from the car at the back, got out of the car and started shouting "It's not me!..It was the bus"..there was none expect us in the visible distance and with that, I had already come a good 100-150 Mts away from the still trembling( and violently quivering) cow.

I couldn't decide what to do..I check my cell for the possible signal that had been playing hide and seek from morning, only to find that the battery had completely dried off and the mobile was dead. I yell at the guy asking for his cell..He hands over the cell and as I frantically start dialling, 100, he jumps over to me and snatches away the cell and says"Its of no use. Dont stand here...start out..this is not the right place to stand now..You will be caught and be beaten.." But I plead him to atleast make a call to the nearby police station, so that they can take charge. The cow is still alive and it is panting.

The remaining two cows, were licking the wounded one and I can see they retreating back. That doesn't omen well for me, as I am amused by the behaviour. Usually, cows are known to be around their wounded ones and to lick them continously..As I get the full meaning of their action of abandoning, I realise that, it might be too late now, even for help to reach. The Car guy asks me to follow him to the nearest Police Station and suggests that we can lodge a complaint there.

I agree to this suggestion and as I start the bike and start following him, I see that Fiat Uno's speed is much more than my Victor to catch up and I fail in my attempt to follow him after a couple of minutes. I horn continoulsy to remind him of me at the back, only to find that the speed keeps increasing steadily, till the point at which, I reach 90 Kms/Hour and still see that the distance between me and the car increases.

I curse the car guy, and curse the bus driver for the rash driving....I curse the villagers to have let the cattle out in open in the night, I curse the Government to have not put up street lights there, I curse the foolish cattle for not having brains to keep away from the road on seeing the head lights.....

I cross the Police Station cursing myself.

The Diwali wasn't what it was supposed to be.

I am no longer able to hum that "Mazhail sendraal, un mugham, en manathil neerai iranghum"......