Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The 11th thing- Cheer up Anu!

My friend Anuradha hadn't done her exams well due to various (valid) reasons. She enters class one day to find that the CAED marks were being announced. The attender was the centre of attention, with students flocking around him and badgering him and trying to look into the register containing their marks.
Anu chose to walk up to Prajwal, the class nerd and asked him as to how he'd fared.
"9.8 on 10" was the smug answer.
She then joined the slowly dispersing crowd of students and managed to catch the attender's eye and said,"Anuradha R, roll number 5."
The attender looked importantly into the register, frowned and said something that sounded like a six.
Anu was shocked. She hadn't done that well! She was very nearly expecting a zero.
"Six?"
The attender got back to her and said,"No maa.. Point six."
Anu was devastated.
The attender took in her expression and said kindly but seriously,
"Its alright maa.. nothing to worry about. Point six is rounded off to one."

*************************
Note- There is no need to feel sorry for Anu. She's a bright kid. More importantly, all of her classmates except for the class nerd and his girlfriend have got marks ranging from 0-2.

The tenth thing- CF

Part 1: Einstein's Big Blunder

100 years ago, Albert Einstein published
three papers that rocked the world. These papers
proved the existence of the atom, introduced the
theory of relativity, and described quantum
mechanics.

Pretty good debut for a 26 year old scientist, huh?

His equations for relativity indicated that the universe
was expanding. This bothered him, because if it was
expanding, it must have had a beginning and a beginner.
Since neither of these appealed to him, Einstein introduced
a 'fudge factor' that ensured a 'steady state' universe,
one that had no beginning or end.

But in 1929, Edwin Hubble showed that the furthest
galaxies were fleeing away from each other, just as the
Big Bang model predicted. So in 1931, Einstein embraced
what would later be known as the Big Bang theory, saying,
"This is the most beautiful and satisfactory explanation
of creation to which I have ever listened." He referred
to the 'fudge factor' to achieve a steady-state universe
as the biggest blunder of his career.

As I'll explain during the next couple of days,
Einstein's theories have been thoroughly proved and
verified by experiments and measurements. But there's
an even more important implication of Einstein's discovery.
Not only does the universe have a beginning, but time
itself, our own dimension of cause and effect, began
with the Big Bang.

That's right -- time itself does not exist before
then. The very line of time begins with that creation
event. Matter, energy, time and space were created
in an instant by an intelligence outside of space
and time.

About this intelligence, Albert Einstein wrote
in his book "The World As I See It" that the harmony
of natural law "Reveals an intelligence of such
superiority that, compared with it, all the
systematic thinking and acting of human beings is
an utterly insignificant reflection."

He went on to write, "Everyone who is seriously
involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced
that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe--
a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in
the face of which we with our modest powers must feel
humble."

Pretty significant statement, wouldn't you say?
-Cosmicfingerprints

Monday, November 24, 2008

The ninth thing

Humans. Can be amazingly adaptive.

Monday, November 10, 2008

The eighth thing

When things are down, and you're sick of it-
You were born to be famous. You're way too important to be worrying about such trivial things. So think of the present, the future isn't important cuz you know you're gonna be famous anyway.

Monday, November 3, 2008

The seventh thing- Article?

The Inauguration of I sem BE:

We had the inaugural on August 31, in the indoor stadium of our college. It was expected to begin at 11, and the indoor stadium was packed with expectant students and parents. The music club put up a commendable performance to entertain us till the chief guests arrived. About an hour or so passed with the melody serenading the fidgeting crowd. The chief guests took their places on the dais and the invocation was rendered by the faculty to mark the beginning of the inaugural for the batch of 2012-13. We are the 63rd batch of the students of BMS College, and our principal revealed with pride in his welcome address.

The Minister of Higher Education, Mr. Aravind Limbavali, alumnus of BMS, reminiscent of his glorious college days, spoke in praise of the college. He regaled about the freedom this college provided to develop one's personality holistically. He commented on the absence of the stadium in which we were present at that moment. He also said in lighter vein, much to the amusement of the audience, that had he known that he was to be present to address the freshers some day, he would have attended more classes in his college days.

The addresses by the other dignitaries, Sri M.R. Srinivasa Murthy, Prof. S. Bisaliah, and Justice Sri R. Gururajan, revealed many interesting facts, such as high placement records, the college's alumni being spread around the world, popular fests, innumerable clubs, all of which reinforced the quality of this college. We were also advised to make the best use of the facilities and freedom the college provided, and now to the amusement of the students, reassured that this was a No Ragging Campus.

The unpredictably heavy rains thwarted the elaborate arrangements made for lunch in the open grounds. However, alternate arrangements were efficiently and quickly enforced, which provided me an opportunity at an early peek at the girl's hostel.

The departmental orientation was conducted on the following day for telecommunication students, along with few other branches. We were first shown around the vast and well-equipped library, and then made our way to our respective departments. We were introduced to our departmental lectures and of course our H.O.D, Mrs. Kanmani, and were impressed with their qualifications. We were shown many graphs that gave a vivid description of the performance and placements of our seniors and a list of the achievers from our department, in order to inspire us to follow their steps, or even better them.

Watch out! This year's batch is sure to surpass all expectations. So don't even have any!

Monday, October 27, 2008

The sixth thing- The first story- Theives or detectives?

It was past two in the morning and it was very dark. There were few diffused patches of light on the floor near the windows caused due to the dim street lampposts.

The two intruders crept stealthily across the hall on bare feet- not a sound was heard. They quietly slipped through the doorway and reached the stairs and looked at each other. This was it. No turning back now.

Lisa and Frances had marked down number 13 a month ago. Though the inhabitants were quite rich, they didn’t seem to be wary of burglars. Their burglary alarm was dreadfully simple to be silenced by the amateur criminals. They had the whole house under surveillance and knew every nook and corner.

Lisa first tiptoed up the stairs and glanced around. She then nodded to Frances who was waiting at the bottom and then hurried off quietly to check on the inhabitants- a Mrs.Alastor and her three month old child. The father was away on a business tour. Lisa had only one door to guard, which made things a lot easier than it was last time. She put her head near the keyhole and was satisfied to hear steady breathing. She hoped Frances would hurry up.

Frances set off and reached the huge study. He flashed his torch once around the room. The walls were lined with shelves that contained the best books on law. There were few locked windows at regular intervals. The large mahogany table and cushioned chair glared at him imperiously from across the room, as though he could never pull it off in a hundred years. He smirked and his eyes fixed upon the moderately sized safe that was on the left wall, its iron handle catching the light.

He sneaked up to the safe and put his bag gently on the floor and felt the cool metal.

“Not too long buddy, you’ll be open in a jiffy.” He set to work.

Not five minutes had passed since she last saw Frances that Lisa began to feel fidgety. She didn’t want to guard a woman who was sleeping soundly anyway. She thought she might be able to help Frances and crept back down the stairs and into the study room, where she saw him hard at work. She slipped in.

“Are you done?”

THUNK!

Frances had dropped something metal and heavy onto the well carpeted floor, but the sound was loud nonetheless.

“What do you think you’re doing? Sneaking up at me like that?” he demanded angrily.

“The woman’s asleep, might as well help you here. And don’t look at me like that. Its safe enough.”

Just then, there was an unmistakable sound of a baby wailing.

Mrs. Alastor jerked awake, and sat up on her bed slowly. She then walked a short distance to the cradle and lifted her crying baby and made soft crooning noises to comfort her. She looked sleepily at the luminous arms of the clock. It was 2:15.

Maybe her baby was hungry. It was the third time this week she’d wailed in the wee hours of the morning.

The baby stopped crying and Mrs. Alastor put her down gently into the cradle and put on her bedroom slippers. She trudged down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Then she distinctly heard a noise in the study.

“Let hope she doesn’t wake up,” whispered Frances “if she does and causes trouble it’d be your fault.”

Both listened with bated breath. For quite a while, the baby wailed and then there was nothing.

Maybe they’ve gone back to bed, thought Lisa. But suddenly, a footfall was heard on what seemed to be the bottommost stair!

Quick! Hide!, mouthed Frances. Both Frances and Lisa dived behind the desk at the same instant, resulting in a collision, Lisa yelped.

Her heart missed a beat.

What in the world-

Mrs. Alastor quickly walked to the hall and reached the side door which opened out to the garden. She saw the green light of the burglary alarm blinking innocently and heaved a small sigh of relief.

“Now that that’s working perfectly, what- ohhh”, she muttered, comprehension dawning on her.

She quickly walked to the study and her suspicions were confirmed once she saw the study door ajar. She stood at the doorway, carefully looking.

They lay hidden behind the huge desk, scared to breathe. The lady was scrutinizing the room. They heard her mutter “I must’ve been mistaken” and leave the room.

Lisa and Frances exhaled and slowly crept out of their hiding place once they’d made sure there were no more noises heard from the lady. All of a sudden, light flooded the room. The two spun around, the bright light dazzling, and saw Mrs.Alastor’s finger still on the light switch. Their hearts sank.

“What do you think you two are doing?” she enquired in a weary but stern voice.

“Nothing mum.. we were just-”

“We were sleepwalking. We just found ourselves here-”

“Yeah can you believe it? Must’ve been some shock for us eh?”

Enough.”

The two children’s explanations were silenced at once. Mrs. Alastor looked at her children’s innocent faces and smiled inwardly. She quickly put on an impatient face though, and said, “I’ll deal with you two later on when the sun has properly risen. Till then please try not to blow up this place. Honestly, what were you two doing? Playing detectives?”

Monday, October 13, 2008

The fifth thing

Celine Dion- A true singer(?)

The fourth thing

Eye exercises- hope they work!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The third thing

I listened to Poets of The Fall today after an extremely long time, and I realized how much I missed Lift. Well its just once of the songs that trigger off memories (of about a year back). Good or bad, I don't know, but I seemed to have this happy feeling for around a month. This indestructable happy feeling. A kind of happiness that didn't feel real. And it wasn't. Well is was, but not in my sense of reality. But oh boy did I enjoy that trip to the amusement park. That was one day of sense among those of unreality. I sound too poetic for my liking, but what the heck. I'm here to spill anyway. I dunno if this is true with everyone, but with songs, I know what I what I was doing when I was obsessed with it (it might bring me back 3 years). I mean maybe because I listen to the songs over and over again for a week (hence the word obsessed) I feel transported to the past. Like now, when I just listened to I still by Backstreet Boys, I was really happy then too. But now looking back I feel sad, cuz that was the time when I was in school. I miss my best friend, Smruti. We did keep in touch for two years. But things change right? Especially when we don't have anything new and common to discuss about. We're in different places, studying different things (and curse my memory, I can never keep in track with her schoolmates and her hundred odd cousins). People change. If they didn't they wouldn't be people. I'm hoping that doesn't happen with Fig or Runa. Both of them got really close to me at the end of second year. Fortunately we're all in B___.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The second thing

Disturbia- Rihanna
Best sung- "Its a thief in the night.."

Saturday, September 27, 2008

The first thing- About music

I've wondered. Why is it that vocalists are better appreciated than instrumentalists. When there are many who listen to the melody part of music and like it, its not like the words are too important. I'm listening to Somewhere I belong by Linkin Park. So when you sing it, the music is not impressive, which shows that instruments are definitely needed in Western Music. But still the singer gets to occupy the central position on stage. So is there something special about our voices? Instruments are made by us after all, they are just imitations of what our voice can do. Besides its easier to sing than to play any instument for most. So its like appreciating the person who invented the chair more than the person who invented the computer. Anyone can invent the chair, like how anyone (or most) can sing. If we didn't have chairs, we would've sat on small boulders first, then moved on to something lighter and portable, inventually we would've made use of wood or something similar to create a chair. But Charles Babbage thought of something revolutionary. So. Why are vocalists better appreciated than instrumentalists?