I am now in Canberra for The Logic Summer School in ANU. My friends and I went for a bushwalk the other day to Tidbinbilla natural reserve. It was a very beautiful place. But this blog is not about the beauty of the place, rather it is about the magic that occured in which I took part.
One of the friends was saying how four people could life any person effortlessly in that particular method. And amidst a doubter, me, he set on to prove it. We chose the heaviest person in our group. There were 5 males in the group and the heaviest was to be lifted by the rest. Now this person sat on a rock and we held our hands together in the 'i am going to shoot you position', (i.e, we made a gun in our hands, which is basically hold the two fists together with extending the first two fingers out and folding the last two fingers). And the four guns were placed under the two arm-pits and the two knees. We tried to lift him in this way.. It was not possible for us and we did not even move him an inch.
Next we put our open palms (palms facing the person's, to be lifted, head) in the following order. The 1st lifter would put his right palm out above the head of the person to be lifted and then the second lifter followed with his right palm above the already placed palm without touching it. Followed by the 3rd and the 4th lifter.. Then the first lifter puts his left palm about the last palm and the sequence continues to the 4th lifter... None of the palms are touching each other or the head. This is all done in complete silence. The hands are held for half a minute and then the palms are removed in the reverse order starting from the left palm of the 4th lifter to the right palm of the 1st lifter...
Now the lifters again form the gun and try to lift the person, still without talking. And, would you believe it, the person felt like a feather...
I am not sure what is the science behind it.. We took turns lifting the others and trying to figure out how it is possible... but to no avail...
If you have an answer.. you know you can post it here...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Old Politi...
What is the deal about the old politicians? How come every top politician in the country so unhealthy? How can the nation be healthy in unhealthy hands? I have huge respect for Dr. Singh...
But this has just become too much... The only improvement that I have seen in the last decade is that India has managed to find couple of presidents who could walk... That is a great improvement for our country. I am not even being sarcastic here.. i am just plain stating the fact!
Lets just see how the country has developed in the last few decades...
In 1940s and earlier... people who have passed school could be teachers, those who have done some basic medicine could practice as doctors, and people with little qualification but more of experience could be chief engineers...
By 1960 - 1980 things changed and to become a teacher, a person had to get a basic degree from college, speak little english; to practice medicine, it was compulsory to pass MBBS; and to become an engineer, a BE.
By 2000, a Masters degree is considered a basic qualification and not even a sufficient qualification to teach; an MBBS is no way good enough to be a successful doctor; and engineers qualify themselves with a MTech, MS, a PhD and what not....
But to become a politician, a minister... all one needs is still to be over the age of 25 (if my memory of CIVICS is any good!!) What other qualification is needed? This has been the case since India became independent. Is there no need for that to change?
At least in those days India had people who had suffered under the British rule and wanted to do some good to the impoverished country... But today's so-called leaders have not seen any such suffering... they had happily followed the footsteps of the early statesmen and lived in their shadow without any trouble and now think it is their right to exploit this country for their own good...
The retirement age in all the fields have come down in the last few decades.. but the politicians have no retirement.... they only retire permanently... And worse they make it a family affair.. What is the point of having a democracy in that case... Why not have another try at royalty? A king for every constituency and then the king will be followed by his wife or son or daughter... Whatever non-sense...
There must be a public rally leading to the parliament demanding a retirement age for these politicians... a degree as a necessary qualification to be a politician...
These are the least one could ask for...
But this has just become too much... The only improvement that I have seen in the last decade is that India has managed to find couple of presidents who could walk... That is a great improvement for our country. I am not even being sarcastic here.. i am just plain stating the fact!
Lets just see how the country has developed in the last few decades...
In 1940s and earlier... people who have passed school could be teachers, those who have done some basic medicine could practice as doctors, and people with little qualification but more of experience could be chief engineers...
By 1960 - 1980 things changed and to become a teacher, a person had to get a basic degree from college, speak little english; to practice medicine, it was compulsory to pass MBBS; and to become an engineer, a BE.
By 2000, a Masters degree is considered a basic qualification and not even a sufficient qualification to teach; an MBBS is no way good enough to be a successful doctor; and engineers qualify themselves with a MTech, MS, a PhD and what not....
But to become a politician, a minister... all one needs is still to be over the age of 25 (if my memory of CIVICS is any good!!) What other qualification is needed? This has been the case since India became independent. Is there no need for that to change?
At least in those days India had people who had suffered under the British rule and wanted to do some good to the impoverished country... But today's so-called leaders have not seen any such suffering... they had happily followed the footsteps of the early statesmen and lived in their shadow without any trouble and now think it is their right to exploit this country for their own good...
The retirement age in all the fields have come down in the last few decades.. but the politicians have no retirement.... they only retire permanently... And worse they make it a family affair.. What is the point of having a democracy in that case... Why not have another try at royalty? A king for every constituency and then the king will be followed by his wife or son or daughter... Whatever non-sense...
There must be a public rally leading to the parliament demanding a retirement age for these politicians... a degree as a necessary qualification to be a politician...
These are the least one could ask for...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Luncheon War
This is a long over-due blog entry...
This day (when the following happened) I had not packed my lunch and had to eat out. And there I was in the Macquarie Centre with my lunch, Chole and Rice. Chole was not excellent, but then I will be the last one to complain about that. Anyways, as always I was having trouble finding a spot to sit down. Mind you, I was not looking for a quiet spot, just any spot would have great. At 12:30 PM it is next to impossibility to find a place in Mac. Centre food court.
I had completed my second circling of the food court and I found this single empty chair. I took it and next to me were sitting two friends. It is very difficult or uncomfortable to sit that close to someone and not talk with them. I was wondering how was I going to endure this for the next 20 mins of my lunch. I was praying that they would finish sooner. But they were deeply involved in their conversation. Did I mention that it was more uncomfortable to act as if I was not listening to them.
Anyways, this is an excerpt of their interesting conversation... One of the two was of south-asian origin and so more well-versed in the subject of terrorism.
Terrorism is caused by the feeling of being wronged, when a group or community feel they are wronged and justice has not been done on their foes, they sometime take up arms.
And when they do avenge, they might end up making some innocents on the opposition side feel wronged.. And if you can see this chain goes on and on....
Anyways, even before they finished their conversation they completed their lunch and left me alone to ponder on this....
So what is the solution, how does this persecution and terrorism end?
Two choices... Dialogue - a refined approach, nuke - a return to stone-age...
Of this Dialogue seems to be a better option not just for the obvious reason...
One of the not so many negatives of globalisation rules out the nuke option... how?
Thanks to globalisation people of a community spread to all parts of the world, and one such person from one of the aggrieved community could be and, most probably, would be abroad and feel wronged by the 'nuke'rs and take up arms himself...
This might seem silly, but there is lot of truth and rationality in this...
This day (when the following happened) I had not packed my lunch and had to eat out. And there I was in the Macquarie Centre with my lunch, Chole and Rice. Chole was not excellent, but then I will be the last one to complain about that. Anyways, as always I was having trouble finding a spot to sit down. Mind you, I was not looking for a quiet spot, just any spot would have great. At 12:30 PM it is next to impossibility to find a place in Mac. Centre food court.
I had completed my second circling of the food court and I found this single empty chair. I took it and next to me were sitting two friends. It is very difficult or uncomfortable to sit that close to someone and not talk with them. I was wondering how was I going to endure this for the next 20 mins of my lunch. I was praying that they would finish sooner. But they were deeply involved in their conversation. Did I mention that it was more uncomfortable to act as if I was not listening to them.
Anyways, this is an excerpt of their interesting conversation... One of the two was of south-asian origin and so more well-versed in the subject of terrorism.
Terrorism is caused by the feeling of being wronged, when a group or community feel they are wronged and justice has not been done on their foes, they sometime take up arms.
And when they do avenge, they might end up making some innocents on the opposition side feel wronged.. And if you can see this chain goes on and on....
Anyways, even before they finished their conversation they completed their lunch and left me alone to ponder on this....
So what is the solution, how does this persecution and terrorism end?
Two choices... Dialogue - a refined approach, nuke - a return to stone-age...
Of this Dialogue seems to be a better option not just for the obvious reason...
One of the not so many negatives of globalisation rules out the nuke option... how?
Thanks to globalisation people of a community spread to all parts of the world, and one such person from one of the aggrieved community could be and, most probably, would be abroad and feel wronged by the 'nuke'rs and take up arms himself...
This might seem silly, but there is lot of truth and rationality in this...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Off to Uni!!
Thats me, going to IIT.... Not sure who clicked it though...
I like this pic, cuz i am in my fav. t-shirt!!
Chak De India? Or....
I have this bias against ShahRukh Khan's movies. Having said that Chak De was no moer than a glorified bollywood movie for me. The story was alright and acting was more mediocre and less talked about direction the better... But then this view of mine reached a new low last night. Why?
Last night I was watching a movie on TV, Miracle, starring Kurt Russell. This movie was not great, but good with average directorial effort and good acting. So what was the story... If you haven't guessed already, an Underdog Ice-hockey team making it to the olympics and winning the gold.
I never had great expectation from bollywood movie makers, but what really did it for me was they don't even write original dialogues... Everything inspirational dialogue, every key point in the movie has been lifted from Miracle. What was original in Chak De was its stupid way of showing team-spirit, where the team goes and bashes up some guys in a restaurant, and the so-called romance between one of the team member and a cricketer... But full-credits to the makers of Chak De, they were innovative in making the story about a Women's hockey team!!! Now that is amazing creativity!! Even if you are only copying a hollywood story, give the original some credit and try to make the original look better...
Last night I was watching a movie on TV, Miracle, starring Kurt Russell. This movie was not great, but good with average directorial effort and good acting. So what was the story... If you haven't guessed already, an Underdog Ice-hockey team making it to the olympics and winning the gold.
I never had great expectation from bollywood movie makers, but what really did it for me was they don't even write original dialogues... Everything inspirational dialogue, every key point in the movie has been lifted from Miracle. What was original in Chak De was its stupid way of showing team-spirit, where the team goes and bashes up some guys in a restaurant, and the so-called romance between one of the team member and a cricketer... But full-credits to the makers of Chak De, they were innovative in making the story about a Women's hockey team!!! Now that is amazing creativity!! Even if you are only copying a hollywood story, give the original some credit and try to make the original look better...
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