Though I personally use Google (search, mail, chat, blog, docs, homepage, maps), I can't accept that they are a company whose net effect on environment is positive; rather it is largely negative
Blog entries like "Helping others go green" in my perception are nothing but a way to stress upon their intention to be environment friendly and run away from any opposition on various other fronts.
To run their enterprise, they need a lot of energy. Apart from a portion of it coming from some of its green initiatives, most of it comes from greenhouse gases producing processes. And that applies to Yahoo, Microsoft, Ask and all others.
I understand that people do need them and therefore they have become so big so one can't question that. But what I would like to point out is many other things that they currently do, esp. Google whose slogan is "do no evil", but can avoid and hence create an example for the world.
1. How many garbage is generated in one day at each of their offices?
2. How many polythene packaged fast food is gulped by its employees? Is a water filter installed in their office or everybody uses mineral water to drink packaged in plastic bottles?
3. How many people leave their machines ON while they leave for home?
4. How many other environmentally non-friendly products they use in their office?
5. Have their buildings been constructed to conserve energy? How much electricity is used per day on air-conditioning? How many electronic gadgets like screensaver running on a big screen to get the awe of visitors can be done away with?
My list can never end. I know that implementation of any of the above ideas needs effort but only if you are able to do one or more of them that you must claim a blog entry titled "helping people go green". All other gadgets are just another way to cash on people's conscience for environment and gain their support.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
GATE CS 2008 Answer Keys
GATE CS 2008 Answer Keys
A little correction!
Answer to
- 17 D
- 32 B
- 36 D
- 40 B
- 44 B
- 50 C
The keys are just a result of compiling various keys from various gate coaching institutions and discussion on various forums (orkut and gateforum).
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Socially Relevant Ads
Just recently, I got awakened to a new kind of awakening in Indian Ad Industry - Socially Relevant Ads.
I am sure the ads I have mentioned below in this category would already have been noticed by you. At least, that has been the case with many of my friends. They found them very amusing, short and sweet. I first came to know about the concept of socially relevant ads through a news article about Tata Tea in Times of India which itself has fueled similar campaigns in the past ("Day in the Life of India", "Times City, Mumbai", "India Poised"). The latest one in the TOIs campaign series is "Lead India".
Other ads of similar nature are
* Most of the above links are video ads. Do visit them. You would surely like them. In all it would not take more than 20 minutes to watch all of them.
** Credit to some of the above ad videos goes to magindia.com that maintains an online ad gallery.
I am sure the ads I have mentioned below in this category would already have been noticed by you. At least, that has been the case with many of my friends. They found them very amusing, short and sweet. I first came to know about the concept of socially relevant ads through a news article about Tata Tea in Times of India which itself has fueled similar campaigns in the past ("Day in the Life of India", "Times City, Mumbai", "India Poised"). The latest one in the TOIs campaign series is "Lead India".
Other ads of similar nature are
- Greenply - chalta rahe (both greenply and the case in Indian court)
- Vip Innerwear - kitna adjust karte hai
- Dish TV - Don't be सन्तुष्ट(satisfied) ! Thoda wish karo, Dish karo (SRK)
- Kerala Tourism - The Hindu
- Idea Mobile - an idea like replacing everything with numbers to fight caste differences can truly change the world :)
- Some more in TOIs Lead India fleet
* Most of the above links are video ads. Do visit them. You would surely like them. In all it would not take more than 20 minutes to watch all of them.
** Credit to some of the above ad videos goes to magindia.com that maintains an online ad gallery.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Status of Gmail Status
I would like to share some Quotes that appeared as gmail status of people in my circle over the last 8 months.
Some of them might be "Driven by copy, Powered by paste" but all are not.
Some of them might be "Driven by copy, Powered by paste" but all are not.
Unix is user friendly - it's just picky about it's friends.
- gmail status of rahul upakare
People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
- gmail status of ankit garg
Smooth roads never make good drivers.
Smooth sea never make good sailors.
Clear skies never make good pilots.
Problem free life never makes a strong person.
Be strong enough to accept the challenges of life.
Don't ask life , 'Why me?' . Instead say, 'Try me!' ... :)
- gmail status of chintu sir
We meet to make memories ...we part to cherish them..
- gmail status of rashi82 on gmail
Life means missing expected things and facing unexpected things. When you are right, no one remembers, but when you are wrong, no one forgets...This is life
- gmail status of Neeta, cdac
There are two great days in a person's life - the day we are born and the day we discover why.
- gmail status of amol
It's impossible to have faith until you have doubted.
- gmail status of kanika
People laugh because I am different. And I laugh because they are all the same.. That's called ATTITUDE.
- gmail status of AMOL
Difficulties in your life do not come to destroy you but to help you realise your hidden potential. Let difficulties know that you are difficult!
- gmail Status of Abhishek (cnie, cdacmumbai)
My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that i am right.
- gmail Status of Eva
A single rose given during one's lifetime is better than a bouquet of orchids placed over the grave.
- gmail status of Neeta Mishra
It's better to burn out than to fade away.
- gmail status of Paras Kapoor
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. - Adapation (2002)
- gmail status of Shriram Ramani
Reasoning gives life to knowledge. - Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach
- My gmail status :
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
RICH and RIGHT - what it meant and what it means
For the indomitable vocabriented exam ahead, I am working towards expanding my vocabulary through reading etymological stuff periodically.
While looking for the origins of the word indomitable I stumbled upon this article and came across the origins of the word rich.
Some excerpts from the same.
"[the] words "rich" and "right" derive from the same Indo-European root"
"[the] word rich comes from a Teutonic root found in Gothic reiks. Originally "rich" meant someone who was powerful and mighty, noble and great. Because material wealth accumulated to those individuals the word now means merely that which is of great material possession or abundant physical wealth. The Roman, Keltic and Indian people retained the word for a noble ruler in that ancient Indo-European society."
"The Rex was the exemplar of upright, proper and "straight" conduct. He was the moral leader of the community, the one entrusted with responsibility to ensure that all other members of the community also conducted themselves in a "straight" manner. He laid out the "rules" and "regulations" as well as the sacred areas. He was the one to keep everything "right." He made sure that all was done with respect to a higher moral allegiance. Thus he became a priest and the leader of the people. As time passed he began to take on more political responsibilities with less recognition of the moral and religious ones. Thus the title eventually came to mean the ruler or sovereign, the king."
Now I understand the myth of the right hand. Some mortals interpreted right as a direction/position while right should be interpreted as something which is "righteous".
Note that "right hand of god" means ruling hand of god.
Oh my mortal pals, please interpret the language of your religious books in the right[eous] sense.
the roots : reg, rex, raj, regere, ri, righ, rego, rectus, koenig, reiks, rix, rect
the words : regal, region, regular, regulate, right, righteous, king, rich, rectify
While looking for the origins of the word indomitable I stumbled upon this article and came across the origins of the word rich.
Some excerpts from the same.
"[the] words "rich" and "right" derive from the same Indo-European root"
"[the] word rich comes from a Teutonic root found in Gothic reiks. Originally "rich" meant someone who was powerful and mighty, noble and great. Because material wealth accumulated to those individuals the word now means merely that which is of great material possession or abundant physical wealth. The Roman, Keltic and Indian people retained the word for a noble ruler in that ancient Indo-European society."
"The Rex was the exemplar of upright, proper and "straight" conduct. He was the moral leader of the community, the one entrusted with responsibility to ensure that all other members of the community also conducted themselves in a "straight" manner. He laid out the "rules" and "regulations" as well as the sacred areas. He was the one to keep everything "right." He made sure that all was done with respect to a higher moral allegiance. Thus he became a priest and the leader of the people. As time passed he began to take on more political responsibilities with less recognition of the moral and religious ones. Thus the title eventually came to mean the ruler or sovereign, the king."
Now I understand the myth of the right hand. Some mortals interpreted right as a direction/position while right should be interpreted as something which is "righteous".
Note that "right hand of god" means ruling hand of god.
Oh my mortal pals, please interpret the language of your religious books in the right[eous] sense.
the roots : reg, rex, raj, regere, ri, righ, rego, rectus, koenig, reiks, rix, rect
the words : regal, region, regular, regulate, right, righteous, king, rich, rectify
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Buts or Guts
Buts and Guts, yes Life is all about that and the movie "School of Scoundrels" too.
"I could have done it but you see .... "
OR
"I just want to do it. Who is s/he/they to stop me?"
Sometimes situations give you guts that your own desires don't. You might complain of your inability to do something because of pain in your legs but what if a fire breaks out in your own home. You will run for life as far as you can.
Might seem too out of the way example. I felt the same 7 years back while listening to the same example from a counsellor of a coaching institute. He lectured that the attitude of being unreasonable makes all the difference.
Sometimes
Reasoning kills us and our aspirations.
Compromise leads to sub-standard things.
Note:-
One should be watchful towards marketing frogs who use it all the time to convert people's psychology and make them try out their products and services.
"I could have done it but you see .... "
OR
"I just want to do it. Who is s/he/they to stop me?"
Sometimes situations give you guts that your own desires don't. You might complain of your inability to do something because of pain in your legs but what if a fire breaks out in your own home. You will run for life as far as you can.
Might seem too out of the way example. I felt the same 7 years back while listening to the same example from a counsellor of a coaching institute. He lectured that the attitude of being unreasonable makes all the difference.
Sometimes
Reasoning kills us and our aspirations.
Compromise leads to sub-standard things.
Note:-
One should be watchful towards marketing frogs who use it all the time to convert people's psychology and make them try out their products and services.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Path and the goal
Who seeks for heaven alone
To save his soul
May keep the path
But will not reach the goal
While they who walk in love
May wander far
Yet God will bring them
Where the blessed are.
Henry Van Dyke
The Other Wise Man
Found at a blog titled "A Lust For Life"
To save his soul
May keep the path
But will not reach the goal
While they who walk in love
May wander far
Yet God will bring them
Where the blessed are.
Henry Van Dyke
The Other Wise Man
Found at a blog titled "A Lust For Life"
Land of Opportunity
"India is the land of oppurtunity,
an oppurtunity to eliminate inequality,
an oppurtunity to provide equal access to facilities to every citizen."
an oppurtunity to eliminate inequality,
an oppurtunity to provide equal access to facilities to every citizen."
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Carl Jung says...
The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.
A shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.
It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are in themselves.
The brain is viewed as an appendage of the genital glands. (Comment upon Freudian psychology).
"The foundation of all mental illness is the avoidance of true suffering"
Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.
Children are educated by what the grown-up is and not by his talk.
A shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.
It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are in themselves.
The brain is viewed as an appendage of the genital glands. (Comment upon Freudian psychology).
"The foundation of all mental illness is the avoidance of true suffering"
Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.
Children are educated by what the grown-up is and not by his talk.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Age of Imagination
Had to meet a person who is ages ahead of me in terms of experience and age too.
Had a lot of apprehensions about how at all I will face him or manage myself before him.
Then contacted one of my friends who knows the person very well... well at least he has been in touch with him on a regular basis. My friend told me that the person is too alone (a side-effect of old age these days) and he feels great whenever anyone goes to meet him. That single fact evaporated all my hesitation. But then I cogitated for few minutes on the thingy that ppl call "OLD AGE". Out of the cogitation on "how to remain young" came the quote
"Death can limit Life but not its Imagination"
Looking ahead for the meeting. :)
Had a lot of apprehensions about how at all I will face him or manage myself before him.
Then contacted one of my friends who knows the person very well... well at least he has been in touch with him on a regular basis. My friend told me that the person is too alone (a side-effect of old age these days) and he feels great whenever anyone goes to meet him. That single fact evaporated all my hesitation. But then I cogitated for few minutes on the thingy that ppl call "OLD AGE". Out of the cogitation on "how to remain young" came the quote
"Death can limit Life but not its Imagination"
Looking ahead for the meeting. :)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Pirates of Content
Yesterday I watched the movie "Lage Raho Munnabhai". Saw Munna doing Gandhigiri.
After the movie ended, I became conscious that I had bought the ticket in black. This moved me strongly to take an oath not to buy tickets in black in future. But then I started extending the oath. What about the pirated music I download from net? And those pirated movies that I see with my family?
After the movie ended, I became conscious that I had bought the ticket in black. This moved me strongly to take an oath not to buy tickets in black in future. But then I started extending the oath. What about the pirated music I download from net? And those pirated movies that I see with my family?
For now I want to restrain myself watching movies with tickets in black for the next 3 months. But regarding piracy I hold very different views from the cyber policing people. I think our business model hasn't evolved with technology. We still sell things the way we used to thousand years back (except few exception like web services supporting themselves with pay per click, pay per call models). We still sell content like any other goods. That we need to change.
Update: For more on "Change and not blame", read James' ideas here and here as comments on the news of launch of a new online video service, Guba, that will automatically detect and flag copyrighted video.
Update: For more on "Change and not blame", read James' ideas here and here as comments on the news of launch of a new online video service, Guba, that will automatically detect and flag copyrighted video.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Heat generates more heat
Don't know how to assuage the pain arising through the burns I got in a useless debate.
I don't want to accept that I don't some XYZ concept.
It's only that my way of explaining things was different.
I thought about sending the other person a mail with detailed links on the concept but then I thought "I know the concept, I know that he too knows but he is not convinced that I also know. Its only the gap of misunderstanding that made us feel that the OTHER doesn't know. So why generate more heat."
But I am burning and the burns led me to spoil my blog with the above charcoal.
I don't want to accept that I don't some XYZ concept.
It's only that my way of explaining things was different.
I thought about sending the other person a mail with detailed links on the concept but then I thought "I know the concept, I know that he too knows but he is not convinced that I also know. Its only the gap of misunderstanding that made us feel that the OTHER doesn't know. So why generate more heat."
But I am burning and the burns led me to spoil my blog with the above charcoal.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
tamanna aur Tamanna
After a long time, my brain's decaying poetic part has something to say
People suffering with literature allergy should better close their senses
tumhe laga ki pa gaye hum us afsaane ko
shayari hai nahi bani ishq paane walo k liye
yeh to cheez hai bachi kuchi lut jaane walon k liye
ishq ki kurchan jab itna nasha karti hai
kya hoga anzaam iska ishq karne walon k liye
People suffering with literature allergy should better close their senses
nazar ki baat ko dil mein utar lete hain
juhki aankhon ka yeh dhoka hum ek pal mein jaan lete hai
tumhe laga ki pa gaye hum us afsaane ko
na karo aisa mazaak aur dard do deewane ko
tamanna aur tamanna mein farq hota hai
ek laati hai dil mein kashish, doosri ko dekh kar chehra surkh hota hai
bas aaj itna hi kahunga tumhe mere dost sun lo
umr jaa rahi hai chhod kar jawaani ko, ishq kar lo
shayari hai nahi bani ishq paane walo k liye
yeh to cheez hai bachi kuchi lut jaane walon k liye
ishq ki kurchan jab itna nasha karti hai
kya hoga anzaam iska ishq karne walon k liye
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
It's all in the approach
"Power crisis"
POWER that drives everything from devices to governments to news channels.
---HEADS---
Committees and research groups predict future power usage and govt.'s and companies get themselves ready to meet the demands. And as always, demand wins over supply and the game starts all over again.
Problem: We target the wrong thing or rather the partial problem. Our aim is to achieve net demand-supply balance and in that government is not the only one to blame for.
---TAILS---
Have we ever taken demand more seriously than supply?
Approach 1
Why not ban those companies that produce less-efficient power devices?
Approach 2
Why not improve our power consumption habits? Why not we take the initiative to buy power-efficient devices and let the power-hungry ones get eliminated naturally from the market? Why not we take the initiative to inculcate discipline in power consumption?
Remember companies can bribe governments but not the entire population.
They don't sell products, they buy habits.
Fact:
"A huge chunk of the electricity used in the US is actually wasted by AC to DC power adaptors for electronics and also for standby mode in other types of electronics (TVs, VCRs, etc.)"
So next time, for everybody's sake, please don't leave your PCs, TVs ... in standby mode.
You can save a lot not only for yourself but your future generations.
You just need to press a switch to bring light to others' dark homes.
One more point to make in support of HARMONY which you might think is nowhere related to POWER consumption.
Two people are reading in separate rooms because they can't sit in the same room and read. Power goes off and since their inverter(a kind of power bacup) can only drive 1 tubelight, they have no other option but to sit in one room and read. [With examinations on their head, they go for it]. Imagine if they would have been sitting in the same room and reading like this before the power went off. If in the same manner everybody would have been using power, the power supply would have been there twice the time it is usually there.
My own room, my own TV, my own mobile, my own family --- such individualistic notions are leading to exponential growth in instability of every kind. No doubt these are the things that are also boosting consumer economies of today's world.
Nothing more to say but my old punchline - Faster development, Faster Extinction
POWER that drives everything from devices to governments to news channels.
---HEADS---
Committees and research groups predict future power usage and govt.'s and companies get themselves ready to meet the demands. And as always, demand wins over supply and the game starts all over again.
Problem: We target the wrong thing or rather the partial problem. Our aim is to achieve net demand-supply balance and in that government is not the only one to blame for.
---TAILS---
Have we ever taken demand more seriously than supply?
Approach 1
Why not ban those companies that produce less-efficient power devices?
Approach 2
Why not improve our power consumption habits? Why not we take the initiative to buy power-efficient devices and let the power-hungry ones get eliminated naturally from the market? Why not we take the initiative to inculcate discipline in power consumption?
Remember companies can bribe governments but not the entire population.
They don't sell products, they buy habits.
Fact:
"A huge chunk of the electricity used in the US is actually wasted by AC to DC power adaptors for electronics and also for standby mode in other types of electronics (TVs, VCRs, etc.)"
So next time, for everybody's sake, please don't leave your PCs, TVs ... in standby mode.
You can save a lot not only for yourself but your future generations.
You just need to press a switch to bring light to others' dark homes.
One more point to make in support of HARMONY which you might think is nowhere related to POWER consumption.
Two people are reading in separate rooms because they can't sit in the same room and read. Power goes off and since their inverter(a kind of power bacup) can only drive 1 tubelight, they have no other option but to sit in one room and read. [With examinations on their head, they go for it]. Imagine if they would have been sitting in the same room and reading like this before the power went off. If in the same manner everybody would have been using power, the power supply would have been there twice the time it is usually there.
My own room, my own TV, my own mobile, my own family --- such individualistic notions are leading to exponential growth in instability of every kind. No doubt these are the things that are also boosting consumer economies of today's world.
Nothing more to say but my old punchline - Faster development, Faster Extinction
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Some one-liners
Question mark is a beginning, Full-Stop is a sojourn
How we Indians celebrated 15 August?
Independence from Terrorism by dependence on Security
A new breed of ornaments have mushroomed these days - Digital Ornaments (Mobile, Ipod, USB drives)
Message to the developing and the developed...
Faster development, Faster Extinction
Companies can bribe governments but not the entire population.
They don't sell products, they buy habits.
Money - Language of Pragmatism/Practicality these days
Met a person on my train journey. Had debates on practicality and difference between the Indifferent attitude of a Mumbaikar and a New Orleander.
He told me
There's a difference between being selfish and being cruel.
I told him
Everybody has his/her own boundaries of practicality.
How we Indians celebrated 15 August?
Independence from Terrorism by dependence on Security
A new breed of ornaments have mushroomed these days - Digital Ornaments (Mobile, Ipod, USB drives)
Message to the developing and the developed...
Faster development, Faster Extinction
Companies can bribe governments but not the entire population.
They don't sell products, they buy habits.
Money - Language of Pragmatism/Practicality these days
Met a person on my train journey. Had debates on practicality and difference between the Indifferent attitude of a Mumbaikar and a New Orleander.
He told me
There's a difference between being selfish and being cruel.
I told him
Everybody has his/her own boundaries of practicality.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Smile vs. Laugh
Just few days back while returning to my home, I was thinking about what is it that makes somebody laugh (instead smile) on something and vice versa.
Can anybody throw light on my above curiosities?
- Is smile symbolic of less happiness than laugh?
- Does laugh originates only from humor?
- Is smile more emotionally related to mind than laugh?
Can anybody throw light on my above curiosities?
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
What made Rama Lord Rama?
Last weekend after my pooja, while I was pondering upon Rama, my mind triggered this question
For the time being, I have my mother's teachings to keep me calm.
Note:- This article titled Is Superman = Jesus? forced me to break the rule of not blogging more than once a week.
What made Rama Lord Rama?
The immediate answer I got was his sacrifice of power to keep his father's words and came the quote
The immediate answer I got was his sacrifice of power to keep his father's words and came the quote
Sacrifice is the highest form of bravery.
But then didn't other ascetics in ancient India choose the life Rama went for?
Moreover, Krishna didn't go for any banwaas. What is the equivalent sacrifice he made?
And all those qualities that are ascribed to [super] heroes flashed in my mind - Conviction - Determination - Commitment - Strength - Far-Sightedness - Knowledge - _ _ _ _
And also came those controversial stories that non-followers talk about like Rama's unfair treatment to Sita etc.
And then came the question
But then didn't other ascetics in ancient India choose the life Rama went for?
Moreover, Krishna didn't go for any banwaas. What is the equivalent sacrifice he made?
And all those qualities that are ascribed to [super] heroes flashed in my mind - Conviction - Determination - Commitment - Strength - Far-Sightedness - Knowledge - _ _ _ _
And also came those controversial stories that non-followers talk about like Rama's unfair treatment to Sita etc.
And then came the question
What makes super human or a super hero a GOD?
I pose this question to all my readers.
For the time being, I have my mother's teachings to keep me calm.
Imbibing their qualities is the true worship of those great souls
(deified or non-deified).
(deified or non-deified).
Note:- This article titled Is Superman = Jesus? forced me to break the rule of not blogging more than once a week.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Is India meant for non-right-brain activities only?
Shocking but ...
Above paragraph seems to be a result of the image our mushrooming IT industries might have made or the myopic knowledge the writer/speaker has about India or may be the writer is trying to address the concern of his countrymen about outsourcing drains.
Articles on Contemporary India
Men and Ideas: Curse of Seniority by Gurcharan Das
Quota crisis opportunity to take off, says Moily: from hiking teachers’ pay to tripling college enrolment
Why no Indian Buffett or Gates?
Pink says that most technologically based industries are telling engineering schools the same thing. "They are saying, 'Don't give us technicians, people who only do routine work; we can send that to India. We need people who can think across disciplines.'"Came across this while reading an article on Beyond Technology that outlines a lot of good points supporting usage of one's right brain.
Above paragraph seems to be a result of the image our mushrooming IT industries might have made or the myopic knowledge the writer/speaker has about India or may be the writer is trying to address the concern of his countrymen about outsourcing drains.
Articles on Contemporary India
Men and Ideas: Curse of Seniority by Gurcharan Das
Quota crisis opportunity to take off, says Moily: from hiking teachers’ pay to tripling college enrolment
Why no Indian Buffett or Gates?
Monday, June 26, 2006
Temple vs. Tourist Spot
Last week I visited two very famous temples in Maharashtra - Sri Siddhivinayak Temple Mumbai and Panduranga Vithhal Temple, Pandharpur. #
There are many things that are burning inside me after visiting them. For now, I am just summarizing a typical temple scene.
Typical Temple Scene
- Long serpentine Queues competing with the longest in the world surrounded by iron fences and walls accompanied with hawkers trying to sell garlands, beverages and eatables.
- Bare-footed devotees trying every other alternate to get a quicker and longer sight of the deity's idol like
- getting in Q hours before the temple opens
- pushing, VIP pass
- breaking queue
- jumping the iron fences that I got to see in Pandharpur
- Thanks to terrorism, security people live closer to GOD.
- CCTVs used both for security and calming the queue by putting their deity LIVE, soon companies will have to approach the deities for a brand ambassador.
- Priests asking you to part away with at least a 50 rupee note and offer it to the deity. The heftier the amount, the more seconds you remain in front of the idol. They also sometimes ask separately for dakshina. This is what happened with one of my groupmates recently.
- The common belief among the followers as Rajiv Malik quotes:
"Many ardent Hindus live by the conviction that the mere sight of this temple's central icon of Lord ... assures spiritual transformation." [That is only one of the thousand things people want assurance for]
"Long serpentine queues of bare-footed devotees waiting for hours to get a “darshan” of the Devi may be common elsewhere also, but the Kali Devi Mandir here stands out for the large amount of liquor and sheep which are offered to the goddess on the occasion of Ashtami." [Kali Temple seems to make asuras out of them]
Is this what true Hinduism all about? For that sake I question every other religion in this 21st century, a continuation of the darkness, the human beings have lived in since their inception.
I appeal to all Bapus, Moraris, sants, sri sris and all such religious corporates - Can't you bring light in such people's dark minds in lieu of the Laxmi endowed on you?
# Other famous religious places that I have paid homage to are:
Vaishno Devi, Jammu * Neelkanth * Jwala Ji * Haaji Ali Dargaah, Mumbai * Akshardham Temple, Gandhinagar * Doodheswar Nath Temple, Ghaziabad
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Increase English Vocabulary
Those who are looking for improving their English esp. word power for exams like GRE, SAT should visit NYTimes and read articles on language written by William Spahire.
In every article, he picks up a word, part of some news, and discusses etymological evolution, usage in various contexts. You will also learn at least 7-10 good , if not new, words. By good I mean words rarely used by an average English literate.
Update
I gave my GRE and scored 600/800 in Verbal.
I had mugged up 3500 words [Barron's wordlist], mostly alien to me in one or the other way in around 3 months time, on an average 2 hrs a day.
Though I could retain 2800 just before GRE.
I would like to share the strategies I tried to attack my weak vocabulary
Newspaper reading
These days newspapers like TOI consciously present them(esp. their editorial section) with a focus on students preparing for competitive exams involving strong English vocabulary.
Though its a well known fact that editorials usually involve unusual vocabulary, TOI takes special care by ensuring that its articles covers words from Barron.
All About Words: An Adult Approach to Vocabulary
I read first 4 chapters of this book and it was real enlightening.
It helped me build an appetite for words
Another thing that acted as a friend, philosopher and guide were the 2 dictionaries that I bought
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Oxford Illustrated Dictionary
They helped me understand subtle differences in words and fine shades of their meanings.
I literally sat for over 600 words and read from the dictionary. But give the time constraint, I could not continue this exercise for all words.
More later .... need to run for dinner
In every article, he picks up a word, part of some news, and discusses etymological evolution, usage in various contexts. You will also learn at least 7-10 good , if not new, words. By good I mean words rarely used by an average English literate.
Update
I gave my GRE and scored 600/800 in Verbal.
I had mugged up 3500 words [Barron's wordlist], mostly alien to me in one or the other way in around 3 months time, on an average 2 hrs a day.
Though I could retain 2800 just before GRE.
I would like to share the strategies I tried to attack my weak vocabulary
Newspaper reading
These days newspapers like TOI consciously present them(esp. their editorial section) with a focus on students preparing for competitive exams involving strong English vocabulary.
Though its a well known fact that editorials usually involve unusual vocabulary, TOI takes special care by ensuring that its articles covers words from Barron.
All About Words: An Adult Approach to Vocabulary
I read first 4 chapters of this book and it was real enlightening.
It helped me build an appetite for words
Another thing that acted as a friend, philosopher and guide were the 2 dictionaries that I bought
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Oxford Illustrated Dictionary
They helped me understand subtle differences in words and fine shades of their meanings.
I literally sat for over 600 words and read from the dictionary. But give the time constraint, I could not continue this exercise for all words.
More later .... need to run for dinner
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Digital Divide vs. People Divide
If people can get any song they like, why should they listen to their friend's music, or (horrors) listen to the music selected by a group of barflies? By allowing people to have whatever they want, are we destroying that ability to get along?
- Sarah Gilbert blogs About those killers: does digital music kill community?
I think Sarah's blog about Fry's theory stating that with mass customization and digitization comes loss in community and the thrill of the hunt for that one good song in an otherwise terrible
jukebox is something people should be conscious about when they use gadgets like iPods, MP3 players etc.
These days, we are constantly searching new technologies and business models for narrowing the digital divide between urban and rural people to hunt down "lack of access" to information and communication technologies. But in this run, we should not get hit by the problem of people getting divided across iLines.
Technologies that allow people to hide in their own [mental] cocoons are a threat to the community spirit. Remember, Man is just not a being, Man is a social being.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Don't know, hum kis talaash mein hain?
There is one program on DD called talaash(search) wherein they everytime introduce you to a new kind of employment opportunity.
Yesterday, they told about the business of making leather toys (mostly animal toys like tiger, elephant etc.). They told that there is a big market especially outside India. Madhya Pradesh is the leading business centre for this. They also mentioned that its a low capital business, provides good employment opportunities to lot of poor people and the export revenue is increasing at a good pace. Therefore, govt. has started providing them incentives. In addition to this, there is something called Gandhi Shilp Mela which runs throught the year in various parts of the country. This provides a stage to showcase there work.
Now my views.
Animals killed to make leather. -> Leather used to make animal toys.
Under the umbrella of Gandhiji (who was against killing of animals) mela, these objects are showcased.
Gandhiji's philosophy was to make leather from the animals who die natural death. But in this fashion oriented world, people need separate formal and informal shoes, leather accessories like jackets, purses, and what not. So to meet this demand, we can't wait animals to die !!!
Such kind of world should be drained of resources. Only then we would learn the value of things nature provides us.
Note:DD is DoorDarshan, our national channel if people have forgotten.
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