X-Planes of NASA

Each is unique in design and each design has a specific purpose. If only India had so much money to experiment...

The Optimistic Pessimist

I used to be very negative about everything. In a way it was good since it let me plan for contingencies and analyze the situation throughly. But it did not help me on the longer run.

Being too negative was too difficult to change. Hence I multiplied it with a negative. I assured myself that being negative cannot possibly work. Since it is useless to attempt something which does not work, I turned pessimistic about pessimism.

Negative of negative actually worked well for me. The interesting thing is the rate at which I could bounce back from such utter pessimism. You may also like to try it in situations where you have lost all hope. Continuing to feel hopeless is probably the fastest spiral down the path of hopelessness!!

Too sleeeeeee.....eeeeeee.....eeeepy to continue....

Plight of Sanskrit

One of the oldest of the Indo-European languages and possibly the longest continuously practiced language in the world. Such richness that there are 21 words meaning "water". Palindromes so rich that there is a entire poem (Ramakrishna Viloma Kavyam) which when read one way talks about Rama - in the reverse talks about Krishna. Compatibility with computers, some of the longest words, influence on every Indian language (including the literally un-influenced Tamil).

Somewhere in the middle, it lost it omni-presence. Many myths like - difficulty to learn, reserve for a specific social order, association with mysticism and sorcery, etc lead to its downfall. Advent of Buddha and his adoption of Pāli as the favored language and subsequent spread of Buddhism is probably the only outside threat for Sanskrit. Still Sanskrit managed to survive - thanks to the countless religious seers and their dedication to the language.

Drastic decline of Sanskrit speaking population happened during the past two-three centuries. It is ironic that most knowledgeable Sanskrit folks were not in North India (where Sanskrit was sullied into Hindi with lot of Urdu, Arabic etc mixed in). Cities in Kerala (Trivandrum and Trissur) and Tamilnadu (Kanchi) were acting hubs for Sanskrit. Thanks to renewed effort by volunteers, lately the language is on the rise. I hope it stays that way and grows further. After all, if we Indians don't keep it alive, who will?

Matrix - Kungfu -Pretty creative

Dance or Fight?

Capoeira - This martial art has its origin somewhere in africa - highly developed by slaves to latin american colonies. Very idea was to disguise it as a dance so that prison authorities would not suspect them. Dont be deceived by the looks - it is deadly. Now it is an integral part of Brazil's culture.

Dreams, Nightmares and DejaVu

These are interesting phenomenons. They are considered to be communicating to us in subtle ways about our own fears, aspirations and minute ability to predict future. In my case, everything is upside down. These three items were very rare, when it did happen - it is usually irrelevant. Many of my friends use to have vivid dreams which they remember for a long time. Not me. I forget them before I even wake up.

This is the only nightmare I ever had. After final exams of every year, vacation time, sleeping peacefully, It will wake me up as early as 10AM . What is it about? Well, I am running late for one of my exams - and its already 10AM . After the first 2-3 days of vacation, I wont see it. A pretty thrilling real world alarm clock!

Every morning I brush my teeth, it feels like I have already done this before! Thats the extent of my Dejavu's. For me, they are abrupt - they dont start till I am well into the situation, and they dont tell me how it will end. Hence of very little value.

Do you know why?

|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
|                     | Why did the chicken cross the road?|  |
|        Name         |                                    |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| KINDERGARTEN BOY    |  To get to the other side.         |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| PLATO               |  For the greater good.             |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| ARISTOTLE           |  It is the nature of chickens to   |  |
|                     | cross roads.                       |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| KARL MARX           |  It was a historical inevitability.|  |
|                     |                                    |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| TIMOTHY LEARY       |  Because that's the only trip the  |  |
|                     | establishment would let it take.   |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| CAPTAIN JAMES T.    |  To boldly go where no chicken has |  |
| KIRK                | gone before.                       |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| HIPPOCRATES         |  Because of an excess of phlegm in |  |
|                     | its pancreas.                      |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| MARTIN LUTHER KING, |  I envision a world where all      |  |
| JR.                 | chickens will be free to cross     |  |
|                     | roads without having their motives |  |
|                     | called into question.              |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| MOSES               |  And God came down from the        |  |
|                     | Heavens, and He said unto the      |  |
|                     | chicken, "Thou shalt cross the     |  |
|                     | road." And the chicken crossed the |  |
|                     | road, and there was much rejoicing.|  |
|                     |                                    |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| RICHARD M. NIXON    |  The chicken did not cross the     |  |
|                     | road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT|  |
|                     | cross the road.                    |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| MACHIAVELLI         |  The point is that the chicken     |  |
|                     | crossed the road. Who cares why?   |  |
|                     | The end of crossing the road       |  |
|                     | justifies whatever motive there    |  |
|                     | was.                               |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| BILL GATES          |  The newly released Chicken 2003,  |  |
|                     | will not only cross roads, but will|  |
|                     | lay eggs, file your important      |  |
|                     | documents, and balance your        |  |
|                     | checkbook.                         |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| DARWIN              |  Chickens, over great periods of   |  |
|                     | time, have been naturally selected |  |
|                     | in such a way that they are now    |  |
|                     | genetically disposed to cross      |  |
|                     | roads.                             |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| EINSTEIN            |  Whether the chicken crossed the   |  |
|                     | road or the road moved beneath the |  |
|                     | chicken depends upon your frame of |  |
|                     | reference and relativity.          |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| GEORGE BUSH         |  We are committed to establishing a|  |
|                     | democracy where chickens freely    |  |
|                     | cross roads without oppression from|  |
|                     | terrorist organizations.           |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Azharuddin          | I am totally innocent, you know,   |  |
|                     | I'm unnecessarily being dragged    |  |
|                     | into this, you know, because I'm   |  |
|                     | from the minority..... I neither   |  |
|                     | know the chicken nor the road, you |  |
|                     | know....                           |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| George Fernandes    | I am deeply hurt that this question|  |
|                     | is being asked after my 40 clean   |  |
|                     | years of public life. I don't own a|  |
|                     | house, or a car, leave alone a     |  |
|                     | chicken !!!                        |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Mulayam             | I demand a 50% reservation of the  |  |
|                     | road for the chicken class, so that|  |
|                     | they can cross the road freely     |  |
|                     | without their motives being        |  |
|                     | questioned                         |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| ARJUN SINGH         |  Our policy will ensure the        |  |
|                     | development of socially            |  |
|                     | underprivileged chickens so that   |  |
|                     | they can also cross roads.         |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Abdul Kalam         | Yes, why did the chickens cross the|  |
|                     | road? .. please tell me why? ..    |  |
|                     | they crossed to go to the other    |  |
|                     | side of the road... now repeat     |  |
|                     | after me ....                      |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Advani              | I see Pakistani hand in this ...   |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Vatal Nagaraj       | No Tamil or outside chickens will  |  |
|                     | be allowed to cross our roads, our |  |
|                     | roads are meant only for Kanadiga  |  |
|                     | chickens!.                         |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Bal Thackarey       | Chickens crossing the roads is     |  |
|                     | against our culture, my followers  |  |
|                     | will stone all such chickens which |  |
|                     | cross the road.                    |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Jayalalithaa        | From reliable sources I've got the |  |
|                     | information that the chicken       |  |
|                     | belongs to Karunanidhi. He is      |  |
|                     | making his chicken cross the road  |  |
|                     | to create law & order problems. The|  |
|                     | chicken has now been imprisoned    |  |
|                     | under POTA.                        |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Amitabh Bachhan     | The chicken has crossed the road?..|  |
|                     | are you sure.. very sure ... really|  |
|                     | sure...                            |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Venkaiah Naidu      |  "We are very sure of the fact that|  |
|                     | the chicken did not cross the road.|  |
|                     | It's a conspiracy by the congress. |  |
|                     | The poor chicken has been made a   |  |
|                     | scapegoat in this whole issue"     |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| H.S.Surjeet         | We are adopting a wait and watch   |  |
|                     | policy. We have convened a meeting |  |
|                     | of the third front today. We will  |  |
|                     | decide the future course of action |  |
|                     | after the chicken comes back..     |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|
| Maneka Gandhi       | Chicken crossed the road alone...!!|  |
|                     | If a vehicle had passed over it, we|  |
|                     | would have lost one of our dearest |  |
|                     | creatures. Ban all vehicles from   |  |
|                     | using the road. Protect our        |  |
|                     | chickens...                        |  |
|---------------------+------------------------------------+--|

Evolution Vs G.Engineering

Mr.Genetican Clone (C) and Mr.Naturalian Evolution (E) have a conversation.

E: Go easy Mr.Clone, things should happen my way - slow and steady.
C: Hell no! Now that I have the tools and knowledge of Genetics, I would naturally use it to outgrow you..
E: But do u know what each gene signifies? It is like opening up a mainframe program that running for decades and arbitrarily changing a few lines. You can never predict the consequences.
C: As my technology is growing, my capability should also grow. Wont I fall prey to the dependency on that technology otherwise?
E: It is your damn technology and medicine that is helping defunct, genetically inferior beings to survive and reproduce. Else I would have cleaned them up long ago
C: Precisely my point too. But by engineering a new race of humans, I am actually working for a faster convergence to a better world.
E: What if someone misuses your methods and produce copies of dictators and scoundrels? More importantly, what if you change a gene that has a an essential disease resistance or body fuction?
C: You are right in a way. But I am catching up fast on what gene controls what. Ignorance may be comfortable - but there is nothing like knowledge.
E: Well, just remember that you will never overcome anything. Any bacteria or virus will also evolve to fight you. You are just replacing one set of problems with another - all in the name of false control
C: Nah!! you are just jealous of the rate at which I can provide improvements to the Human race. You remember that I am the future
E: Well,let use see. Humans have the capacity to obliterate themselves. I hope your "knowledge" survives the third world war. There may be no humans left for our experimentation :)

Some links

To improve your blog appearances

adding music to your blog

adding stars/rating - link1
and link2

awesome templates

adding voting buttons

adding chat to ur blog (if u r blogging anonymous, u wudnt wanna do this :) )

One blog to know it all

Hope everyone enjoys!! if u havent got a blog start one :)

Wants

All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.
-Samuel Butler

Let us assume money making as the main reason for someone to stay employed. What is then the impetus to increase the money that we earn? Do our wants increase or decrease with more money?

Kind of caught in the cause-effect paradox.
We more we earn :: the more we spend,
the more we spend :: the less we save,
the less we save :: the less we have,
the less we have :: the more we need,
the more we need :: the more we earn......

It is extremely difficult to go back on habituated spending - unless the situation turns dire. Needs may not increase much, but wants do. The social status, your long running habits, need to show off, etc don't diminish with reduced funds. But they do increase rapidly with increased money flow.

As the title quote goes - progress is change to a improved state - and that usually costs a lot of money. Want healthy growth? you need "Want". Wanted is the want. Make sure it doesn't add you its list of victims.

The Mind

The power of the mind transcends the physical world. we see people who walk on fire, piece their bodies thousand times, break 20 bricks,endure incomparable pain, do the almost impossible. Every time you feel that the human body has been stretched to the limits, it outperforms itself

In athletics we had the 4 minute barrier - 4 X 400 m within 4 minutes was certified by the doctors to be medically impossible. But it was broken soon. Evidence like this all around -Placebo effect, breath control and heart beat slowing through meditation, enormous increase in ability under life threatening situations, recovering from coma after years etc.

It makes me wonder if - only what we THINK is possible, limits what IS possible. It is like the factors affecting your efforts on the physical world are nothing, if your mentally determined to achieve it. May be thats how we are able to push ourselves to legendary heights and still manage to surpass ourselves. Wondering if I am mentally prepared to take bath today....

Rare interview of Abdul

Interview of an Abdul Rehman

Some Letters They Write

This is a collection of leave letters and  applications written by people from various places.

1. A candidate's application: "This has reference to
   your advertisement calling for a 'typist and an
   accountant - Male or Female'… As I am both for the
   past several years and I can handle both, I am
   applying for the post.

2. An employee applied for leave as follows: Since I
   have to go to my village to sell my land along with
   my wife. Please sanction me one-week leave.

3. Another employee applied for half-day leave as
   follows: "Since I've to go to the cremation ground
   and I may not return, please grant me half day
   casual leave".

4. A friend of mine had written a leave letter to
   the headmaster: "As I am studying in this school I
   am suffering from headache. I request you to leave
   me today".

5. A family friend of ours told an incident of his
   friend's letter "I am suffering from fever, please
   declare holiday to the school".

6. Another leave letter written to the headmaster:As
   my headache is paining, please grant me leave for
   the day.

7. A covering note, "I am enclosed herewith…

8. Another leave letter written to Administration
   dept: As my Mother-in-law has expired and I am
   responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.

9. Actual letter written for application of leave:
   "My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her
   only husband at home I may be granted leave".

10. Letter writing: - "I am in well here and hope
   you are also in the same well."

Some Stupid Questions

1. At the movies:
 When you meet acquaintances/friends…
 Stupid Question:- Hey, what are you doing here?
 Answer:- Dont u know, I sell tickets in black over here…
 2. In the bus:
 A heavy lady wearing pointed high-heeled shoes steps on your feet…
 Stupid Question:- Sorry, did that hurt?
Answer:- No, not at all, I'm on local anesthesia…..why don't you
try again.
 3. At a funeral:
 One of the teary-eyed people ask…
 Stupid Question:- Why, why him, of all people.
 Answer:- Why? Would it rather have been you?
 4. At a restaurant: When you ask the waiter Stupid Question:-
 Is the "Butter Paneer Masala" good??
Answer:- No, its terrible and made of adulterated cement. We occassionaly also spit in it.
 5. At a family get-together:
 When some distant aunt meets you after years
 Stupid Question:-Munna,Chickoo, you've become so big.
 Answer:- Well you haven't particularly shrunk yourself.
 6. When a friend announces her wedding, and you ask…
 Stupid Question:- Is the guy you're marrying good?
 Answer:- No,he's a miserable wife-beating ,insensitive lout…it's just the money.
 7. When you get woken up at midnight by a phone call…
 Stupid Question:- Sorry. were you sleeping?
 Answer:- No. I was doing research on whether the Zulu tribes in
Africa marry or not. You thought I was sleeping…. you dumb witted moron.
 8. When you see a friend/colleague with evidently shorter hair…
 Stupid Question:- Hey have you had a haircut?
Answer:- No, its autumn and I'm shedding……
 9. At the dentist when he's sticking pointed objects in your mouth…
 Stupid Question:- Tell me if it hurts?
 Answer:- No it wont. It will just bleed.
 10. You are smoking a cigarette and a cute woman in your office
asks…
 Stupid Question:- Oh, so you smoke.
 Answer:- Gosh, it's a miracle ………..it was a piece of chalk and now it's in flames!!!

flicked from the same site

Lessons in Logic

If your father is a poor man,
it is your fate but,
if your father-in-law is a poor man,
it's your stupidity.
………………………………………………………………
I was born intelligent -
education ruined me.
………………………………………………………………
Practice makes perfect…..
But nobody's perfect……
so why practice?
………………………………………………………………
If it's true that we are here to help others,
then what exactly are the others here for?
………………………………………………………………
Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.
………………………………………………………………
How come "abbreviated" is such a long word?
………………………………………………………………
Money is not everything.
There's Mastercard & Visa.
………………………………………………………………
One should love animals.
They are so tasty.
………………………………………………………………
Behind every successful man, there is a woman
And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.
………………………………………………………………
Every man should marry.
After all, happiness is not the only thing in
life.
………………………………………………………………
The wise never marry.
and when they marry they become otherwise.
………………………………………………………………
Success is a relative term.
It brings so many relatives.
………………………………………………………………
Never put off the work till tomorrow
what you can put off today.
………………………………………………………………
"Your future depends on your dreams"
So go to sleep
………………………………………………………………
There should be a better way to start a day
Than waking up every morning
………………………………………………………………
"Hard work never killed anybody"
But why take the risk
………………………………………………………………
"Work fascinates me"
I can look at it for hours
………………………………………………………………
God made relatives;
Thank God we can choose our friends.
………………………………………………………………
The more you learn, the more you know,
The more you know, the more you forget
The more you forget, the less you know
So.. why learn.
………………………………………………………………
A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk, I have a work station….
what more can I say…….

flicked from this site

Some definitions

ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.
BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.
CANNIBAL: Someone who is fed up with people.
CHICKENS: The only creatures you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.
EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.
GOSSIP: A person who will never tell a lie if the truth will do more damage.
HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.
INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.
MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISIN: Grape with a sunburn.
SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.
TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.
TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.
YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed.
WRINKLES: Something other people have. You have character lines.

This is Flexibility

I liked the music too..

Mind Your Heart

I remember reading an article by Sudha Murthy on the charity matters of Infosys welfare groups. I was really struck by one of her statement.

The essence was that line was, though charity is a admirable thing, there are lot of people posing to be needy, to get the money. Consequently, over time, she had to look at needy people with a magnifying glass - than with pity. She was not very happy about turning judgmental, but realized the importance of it. The brain took over. Making sure that only the real needy people get the help, is as noble a motive as charity itself. She may be out of reach for a fraction of the deserving - but as long as the purpose is solved, it is good.

The fight between the mind and the heart is eternal. Every one of you should have read a lot about heart owned and mind owned people. My personal opinion is that - there can be no harmony between the mind and the heart. You may be predominantly of one category but the other always disturbs you. Intelligent people are emotionally unstable, the over emotional ones are easily deceived. Since the fight is eternal, only thing we can hope is a state of compromise

New Bike Design

Check this out!

Quotations

I have this craze about quotations, one liners, proverbs etc. They are usually short, witty and (atleast one of them) fits perfectly for the situation you are thinking or writing about. I have collated some of the quotations about quotations. I am not like Anatole France and would wish to give credit for the author, except when anonymous.

When a thing has been said and well said, have no scruple; take it and copy it. Give references ? Why should you ? Either your readers know where you have taken the passage and the precaution is needless, or they do not know and you humiliate them.
-Anatole France
By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
I do not speak the minds of others except to speak my own mind better.
-Michel de Montaigne
The best ideas are common property.
-Seneca the younger
It's better to be quotable than to be honest.
-Tom Stoppard
Quotation. The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. The words erroneously repeated.
-Ambrose Bierce
Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted.
-Groucho Marx
Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.
-George Santayana

Lot of these things, which contain the authors own experience and generalizations derived from it. As the corollary of the last quote, there is always one which fits your situation, whichever side you are on.