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Friday, December 31, 2010

An Elaborate Love letter

Dear respected Miss,

For the first time, the 3 word sentence, “I Love You” is spoken by a person to an another person always with a hidden question and an answer is expected from the other person. Now the answer can be of the following types:
  1. With a surprise in expression, a blunt and convincing “NO” with a long silence accompanied by the answering person storming out of there. This event may cause so much awkwardness that the two persons may not speak for a long period of time or god forbid, ever.
  2. A sympathetic “no” with some reasoning like “Oh, I never knew, but I do not. You are a good friend...”. This is accompanied by a long silence and then an apology from the answering person followed by another from the person who said the 3 word sentence may be with wet eyes and sad face.
  3. A happy “YES”, may be because it was about time the person confessed that. This is accompanied by a hug or holding of hands and this time the eyes of both are wet. This may be the moment they will cherish for their whole life to come.
  4. A shy “yes” because the answering person is happy to confess and wants to give the love a chance to grow stronger and more mature taking this moment as the beginning.

Now, when a person says these words, there are the following motives,

  1. The person believes, the other person to be the one for it and wants to move forward in their present relationship which was also enjoyable and stable.
  2. The person feels that without going forward and right away clearly saying these words, there will always be an ambiguity in its feelings and their relationship.
  3. The person wants to make the relationship work and only to grow stronger, irrespective of the above 4 types of responses it receives from the other person.
  4. The person respects the response and realizes that the person is mature enough to handle the situation and would not like the relationship to degrade from the position it is already in.
  5. The other person has some probability of responding in the response type, either 3 or 4. But the person also is empathetic towards the sadness if the response is of the type, either 1 or 2.

Now the above scenario is about a spoken confession. From the feel of it, it seems too risky and dramatic! Isn't it? That is why I chose to write one!

I believe and on some level enjoy the uncertainties of life. This belief opens up many opportunities for me. It gives me the strength to think of future in more positive light. It shows me more options and ways to live and lead my life.

Today, with much thought put in, I want to put some of my thoughts under your consideration.

I have waited for a long time and always thought of finding the one person to whom I will confess my feelings which are related to my heart. Let, for the sake of reference and ease of writing, that the person is A.

When I will confess my love to A, I would like that A should not take my 3 word sentence to have a question embedded in it. It is because I feel putting a question in hiding is a injustice to A, since it is not fair to expect an answer in this manner. It puts A in pressure to react to the question as well as handle the situation properly, if I am someone, A did not expect this expression from or I am someone with whom A wants to maintain the relationship as it was before the confession was made.

When I will confess my love to A, I would like to make A realize that, I am confessing my love because I feel it is an injustice and cruelty to myself to keep the other person unaware of my love and affection. I feel it is an injustice and cruelty to myself to not to tell the other person that I see us both together in the future and not only in happiness but also in other grey emotional moments too.

When I confess my love to A, I would like A to know that I love her, truly, from the bottom of my heart. A, should feel absolutely safe and trust my faithfulness if A wants to convey the same feelings towards me. A should also understand that I am not expecting any answer from her, but an acknowledgement of my love will be respected.

When I confess my love to A, A should know that if A answers in “YES” or “yes”, A would make me the most lucky and happy person and I would be speechless from the love the other person has for me.

Most important of any of the above, if A responds in “NO” or “no”, A should be 100% sure that I am mature enough to be happy than be sad since I got the opportunity to express my love. A should have full confidence in me and our relationship, so that we can continue to be friends, not only that but with more deepness in our relationship. It is not a crime to express one's love, isn't it? :)

A knows that she is such a nice, gorgeous and a lovable person that A could make someone fall in love with her. If it was me, ok, not an issue. It is not a crime, isn't it? :) If she does not know whether she is in a position or state of mind to answer me, that is absolutely fine. Just an acknowledgement is just fine.




Dear Miss,

I Love You, for the person you are. I Love You, for all the years in which our friendship flourished in-spite of ups and downs. I Love You for all the compassion and care you showed towards me. I love you for being with me all these years. Just wanted to tell you that in this lifetime.

Yours faithfully.
Sunit.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Year 2011 Plans?


To Start the Discussion, I have some options:

1. Taking off from work and celebration at home town.

2. Grouping near and dear friends and organising a party at residence.
3. Going to exotic places, like Goa, Pondicherrry..
4. Joining friends at the nearest Pub.

5. Be a part of a organised festival or New Year Rave party.
6. Just sitting at home with December 31st Newspaper and Magazines.

7. Staying awake, watching special T.V. programs, and calling and SMS-ing folks and relatives.

Tell me your options, if different state that..

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

"HDD Low" Virus attack

Just today evening "HDD Low" Virus attack took place on my Laptop. I, with my hands on knowledge on MS command
Virus Attack
prompt and commands and windows boot up modes, valiantly fought and secured the Laptop. Nobita says thanks!!

What is this virus:

This virus is a malware from "mdisk corp" which does not harms the system or deletes the content but creates havoc for the user in the following ways:
a. First of all it will include itself in the msconfig>>startup services.
b. Then, it will disable all the Windows system executable files like msconfig and others. So now you cannot disable this virus from auto loading during Windows boot-up.
c. It will disable all the other startup services including your anti-virus program. So your anti-virus program is helpless.
d. Windows will start displaying windows error messages saying , "Hard Disc Failed, reformat", "RAM Failure".
e. A Window with Caption "HDD low" will pop-up showing that it is analysing and doing a number of tests on your HDD. It will suggest you to Defragment you HDD. Do not do so.
f. You will not be able to exit this window.

Technical details:
Virus locations
This virus gets itself copied at the following locations:
>>C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Temp\1351327.exe
and
>>C:\ProgramData\<Some very long Aplha Numberic File Name>

On deleting it, it regenerates from the ProgramData master File (C:\ProgramData\<Some very long Aplha Numeric File Name>) to a another random numeric named exe file, for example: 
>>C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Temp\107593.exe

How to remove this Virus:

Be calm and do not panic and perform the below steps one by one:
Victim User
a. Restart your computer.
b. While initial stages of rebooting press F8 for advanced options.
c. Select Reboot with "Safe Mode" option.
d. After reboot completes go to,
     d.1 C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Temp\
     and 
     d.2 C:\ProgramData\
and sort the files with modified date. Delete the files with the names matching the characteristics mentioned above.
e. Run "msconfig" and uncheck the entries mentioned below under the startup tab: 
     e.1 1351327
     e.2 107593
     e.3 msql
f. Restart the computer and you are done. 


Similar forum discussion can be found here.
Sunit Ronnie Ghosh

Monday, December 27, 2010

Waah Paan

I tend to overeat at Birthday parties, Marriages, Promotion Party or New Year Bashes and the likes. No doubt the best is there, that too prepaid. Nothing is free of cost in life. In the back of my mind, I have a weapon to counter the after-effects of the sins committed. I know it works with a blast and boom. Enters, Paan. No medicine is this delicious and tempting as is Paan. Green coloured, sweet smelling, shiny (silver foiled) and mouth watering, all at the same time. No shame, if you overeat this one too.

Paan is an Indian and South East Asian tradition of chewing betel leaf (Piper betle) with areca nut and slaked lime paste. Originally chewed as a palate cleanser, a breath freshener, and for digestive purposes. It is offered to guests and visitors as a sign of hospitality (after meals at both personal and social occasions) and at the beginning of social events. It has a symbolic value at ceremonies and cultural events in India and south-east Asia.

Paan has various forms and flavours. The most commonly found include:
Tobacco (tambaku paan): Betel leaf filled with powdered tobacco with spices. Never touched this one.
Areca nut (paan supari, paan masala or sada paan): Betel leaf filled with a mixture consisting of a coarsely ground or chopped areca nuts and other spices. Had once or twice due to acute need. I had to go to office the next day. No leaves left and then only this leaf can help.
Sweet (meetha paan): It is the most celebrated one by folks of all ages. Betel leaf with neither tobacco nor areca nuts. The filling is made up primarily of coconut, fruit preserves, rose petal preserve (gulkand) and various spices. Often, it is also served with a maraschino cherry.
Trento (olarno paan): Tastes like betel but has a minty after taste. Eaten along with fresh potatoes, it is served in most Indian restaurants. Never seen or heard till now, but life is a journey.

Being a Bengali by birth and origin, Paan is more special to me.
In the Bengali weddings the bride enters the marriage podium covering her face with two palm leaves. She will remove them at the auspicious time of exchange of first glances with the groom. All through the ceremony she will keep two whole betel nuts tucked in her cheeks. A tray full of well-decorated paan is an essential part of the wedding trousseau. Bengali grooms go to the house of bride carrying a betel nut cracker. These used to be made of silver, gold or brass and were exquisitely carved making them a collector’s delight today.

One of the Paan leaf variety is named after the erstwhile capital of India, Calcutta. Then there is another, the Bollywood promoted and supported Benarasi Paan. All the big superstars have endorsed it romantically and intellectually. First Mr Bacchan and then following him Mr SRK in the film Don.

Paan, though is of the colour Green, makes its presence felt with its association with the colour Red. If you have seen red stains on the wall or floor, behold , a Paan chewing intellectual is near by. To differentiate a Government Building from others, do not gaze at the Boards, but glance at the galleries and the walls. Paan has already stamped its authority and validation.

The skilled paan maker is known in North India as a paanwala. In some parts of northern India, paanwalas are also known as panwaris (or panwadis). Many people believe that their paanwala is the best, considering it an art that takes practice and expert touch. People are often possessive and proud towards their own and humble Paan ki Dukkaan. I reminisce a Govinda Song, one time favourite of mine, which goes like, “Neeche Paan ki Dukaan, Uper Gori ka Makaan”. Paan Shops are most of the times the place to be in the evenings. You can find Male members of the society paying a visit to these temples several times a day! These places are all in one shop for all needs. Be it cigarettes of any brand, Paan, Mouth fresheners, Paan Masala and many more things of desire and habit.

The thing I like the most is the PaanDaani. Do not confuse it with the spit basin. These ornamental pieces made of Silver are a thing to collect. They look royal and gives a classy look to the place. It may be because of its association with Kings and Nawabs of yore.

The preparation of a Paan is a spectacular event. I always am mesmerized by the rapid strokes of the Paanwaala on the canvas of the Green Leaf. Masterfully filling it with various colours and objects, while his hands show a superb show of resourcefulness picking the needful from all around him with unimaginable precision. The leaf is then folded in a special manner into a triangle, called 'Gilouree' and is ready to be eaten. On special occasions, the gilouree is wrapped in delicate silver leaf (vark). To serve, a silver pin is inserted to prevent the gilouree from unfolding, and placed inside a domed casket called 'Khaas-daan'.Some paan makers insert pointed end of clove to prevent the 'Gilouree' from unfolding. Alternatively, the gilouree is sometimes held together by a paper or foil folded into a funnel with the gilouree's pointed end inserted inside it. Nowadays the toothpicks are used.

The leaves are glossy and heart shaped. Thus the inspiration in the game of Cards where the so called “Hearts” is lovingly named Paan. Paan's association with Ladies is of historic importance. At one time paan served the purpose of lipstick. The pouting red lips of young women have been the theme of many folk songs as well as classical literature. While I write the previous line, I am imagining the same on the girl of my dreams.

Paan is often used for cooking. Meat is cooked wrapped in paan leaves and cooked. Other fillings like shrimps, shallots and peanuts are often used in South East Asia. Platters are decorated with paan leaves. I am sure going to overeat those too. And this way my journey with my mate Paan will go on. I will sign off with the lines, “Jab tak rahega samose me Aalluu, Khaane e bad ek hi iccha, Bhai, ek minute, ek Paan khaluu”

Saturday, December 25, 2010

First Play experience

No no, not that I played a part in the Play but was a part of the audience. What do you expect, I am not that talented as you think :).

I disconnected the call and was jubilant as my friend and I finalized the plan to attend a play being performed in the city. Finally my desire to watch a Play play had come into play. I was going to be in the vicinity of performers. My dream had come true.

As planned we set out to the destination as was the destiny of that fine cool Friday evening of December. Traffic was thick with over zealous folks retuning home to hug the family and kick start the weekend.

We reached late. But as they say, better late than never.

The place was located near a popular Mall. The name was an interesting piece: “La Makaan”. What a fusion of Hindi and French. Innovative indeed! A member of the play management team, stroke out our name on the visitor sheet and a sweet natured girl punched me or rather my ticket. As we ran towards the sitting area, the guy called for switching off our mobile.

Play was on. Lights were intense and focussed. Actors were performing and delivering their dialogues. That moment onwards our attention was captured. We were now, just as expressed in Shakespeare's As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”

The lead actor was performing along with the other characters, bombing, rendering the audience defenceless with the weapons of Mass Emotions. Peals of laughter rolled, Muscles twitched and forehead skin folded. It was a full facial exercise session for the audience. The dialogues were painted with the colours of comedy, wit, quip, intelligence, horror, one liners, gloom and romance. They were delivered aptly on the stage by the actors.

The play ended soon enough with a feeling inside, wanting more. Damn the traffic. I could see the satisfaction dripping off the chin of the actors. They were a blessed and talented bunch indeed. God bless them with success.

My friend and I closed the doors of the car. Switched on the A.C. We looked at each other. There was an expression conveying that we will return of course. It was just the beginning.

I feel that a Play is more powerful and more impacting entertainment media. When you are watching a play, you are a part of it, it engulfs you. The actors are all physically present there. They perform with raw and pure talent and display their skills unaided. Acting and performance as an art materialize and unfolds in front of the eyes. Movies are magic, Plays are not. Plays spell magic on you.

Recommended. To know more about the play, click here.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Teach for India foundation @http://www.teachforindia.org

I truly have faith on this Program and believe that it will make a huge impact on the society. Though this Program is in its nascent stage and is currently limited to near by areas of Mumbai, Pune and Delhi, it is bound to spread to major parts of the country to make its presence felt.

For the readers of this post who are apprehensive of this project, I would like to list some salient, interesting and attractive points:

a. Teach For India Fellows will be paid a stipend of Rs. 15,000 per month and will be given a housing allowance (dependent on the city in which they will stay) along with an allowance for school supplies.

b. Waiver of 3 year work experience requirement for Teach For India alumni in Indian School of Business and School of Business.

c. Reservation of 5 seats for Teach For India alumni in SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and School of Business.

d. A large and growing number of corporates support for Teach For India alumni by offering deferrals on job offers for new hires choosing to pursue the Fellowship, and/or recruiting from the pool of Fellows while giving 2 years of work experience credit.

e. As the experience of Teach For America alumni shows, Teach For India alumni will be in high demand in any sector because they have the experience of overcoming immense challenges and have developed widely applicable leadership skills. Teach For India has already established close ties with Harvard Business School, IIM Bangalore, HDFC, Godrej Industries, the Indian School of Business, McKinsey & Company, Tata Consultancy Services, Columbia Law School, Accenture and the Thermax Group, among many others.

I hope there are many of us who want to take up such endeavours in our life and are waiting for a opportune moment. I would like to extend my greetings and invite them to the foundation. Welcome.

To read about one of such mavericks of our time and generation, please read the article hosted at PaGaLGuY.com Click to read.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Dispatches@22-Dec

Hello,

Today's dispatches will include the following:


1. Apple too plugged the leak!!
Apple followed suit as was expected. Various companies are having a good time revising and blowing off dust from the rule books to fight the hula boo created by WikiLeaks.
To comprehend the menace created by WikiLeaks, if we perceive it objectively, we can give an analogy that it is similar to somebody publishing all our chat conversation and e-mail content on web. Only here instead of an individual, the target is a nation. It can be said that WikiLeaks is also driven by ulterior motives which is beyond comprehension for a common man.
With more companies, which are US based or affiliated, are resisting to any association with WikiLeaks, the matter is getting under control. What will be the final sum of the effects of the leak, only time can tell. Wait and watch as we are mere spectators!

2. After Blackberry now it is GMail!!
Indian Government miffed by the lack of control on the content on the Internet has started to look into this direction and is intensifying the force and the reach day by day. It was Blackberry first then and now it is the turn of GMail. Almost all the individual needs for e-mail today is fulfilled by GMail, Yahoo and hotmail. Many corporates still have not switched to their own domain and increasingly are now dependant on these free e-mail services. Google, in any case has to negotiate and bend its policies as it has stakes in India including corporate offices and research wings.

3. For a change we will have Onions instead of Terrorists from Pakistan. But beware, these Onions can terrorize your digestive system!! LOL
Onion which is a popular and a must-include ingredient in the Indian cuisine is again under the radar for the demand and supply deficit. Onions have, in the past, brought tears in the market and have toppled governments. When asked, why the Onions bear this fate, one of the vendor blames it on the huge demand in the winters due to which the freshly cultivated Onions are directly brought for the sale and therefore succumb to rot due to high moisture content. A high percentage of Onions rot creating a deficit.

4. Pura filmi story ban gaya bhai sahab!!
What is more to be seen. Now filmy style murder plans of the government officials involved in CWG corruption case if believed as told by their fellow inmates is intriguing. We all must have seen some or the other bollywood movie where a key witness or a accused is killed in a staged accident by the villain. So here is a real life incident just for the Indian public.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Technorati Claim Procedure: XT7KJ6ZR9J9W

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Death

Death is a humbling factor. Death is a truth no one can deny. Death is omnipresent. So is life.

I wake up everyday thinking of what this day will bring to me new. It can be either sour or bitter, or it can be either sweet or salty. One thing is certain it will add some taste to my life.

One day death will also knock. That day can be any day. Either tomorrow or today.

Should I think about death? Yes.
Why? Because it is a constant companion.
What this companion tells us? It whispers into our ears that live your life like there is no tomorrow. Live your life like you have only this day to shower love on all your dear ones. Live your life like today is the day you take all the risks to make something worthwhile in your life. Live your life like today is the day is all you have got.

Death in some cultures is celebrated as an important stage of life. Life? Yes life. They believe the soul lives on and thus the deeds and memories of the person who departed.
Sad that the same is not true with all the cultures. Sad? Yes, sad because we do not celebrate but rather mourn the death. We only feel the absence and the gloom left behind. We ignore the goals, ambitions and dreams left behind. We forget the unfinished missions and tasks. Most important we underestimate the bond we shared with the person. We feel it was only physical which was broken when the person left this physical world.

Those who do no believe in souls, should continue to do so. Those who do not believe in God, should continue to do so. But those who do, they must believe that the human lives are not physical but they are the thoughts and the action thereafter. That is why the actions taken in the human history and the thoughts of our ancestors still guide and propel us forward and will continue to do so.

Start living and carry on the energy and the torch because this is what death wants us to do, until the day it knocks at your door. Celebrate your life with death in mind. Be humble. Best wishes!!

Monday, December 20, 2010

SSS's Top Romantic Songs of the century

Hi Folks,

As you all know and understand the importance of music one one's life. Music lubricates the day to day life. It entertains and amuses your mind, makes your body jump and dance. It makes you happy and it makes you cry! It is a constant companion in the happy times and bad.

There are songs for all moods, all times, all occasions, and why it is so? It is because it is song which flows from the human soul and body and speaks for all that is real and dreamt of.

SSS has compiled some of the extraordinary Romantic songs taken from the last century from all genres and all top singers and bands and publishing in this blog. As the songs are countless just as the human emotions and dreams, we are putting only top 10 for the same. We hope you will enjoy the collection.


1. Eric Clapton- Wonderful tonight


This song.. I must say is one of the best english romantic songs I have ever heard!! I have just downloaded top 100 Romantic Pop songs of the century and I vote this the best among them!!

In the 24th (last) episode of the 6th season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, when Chandler proposes to Monica (or vice versa ;) ) this song was played in the background!!! This is also Monica's favourite song!

When I am going to marry, if not at the marriage mandap, I will play this somewhere somehow at least once for sure ;)

This one is the live performance of Eric Clapton at Hyde Park London in 1996.

2. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game


Standing on Number 2 of my favourite Romantic Pop song of the century is Chris Isaak - Wicked Game. The haunting voice of Chris is addictive. You can hear this songs in a loop and can never be bored, such is the quality!

3. WHAM! - Careless Whisper



Here, I present you #3 on SSS's List of Top Romantic songs of the century, "Careless Whisper" by "Wham/George Micheal".
This song is beautiful not because of the lyrics or the theme but because of the instrumental melody and the passionate voice of George.
Just close your eyes and hear the sugary Saxophone sound and tears will well in you eyes and the heart will surge with emotion.
This song was #1 in the late 1980s

4. Tony Bennett - The Way You Look Tonight



Being a Jazz enthusiast how can I forget the Romantic song by Jazz singing Legend Tony Bennett, "The Way You Look Tonight".
So on SSS's Top romantic Songs of the century, #4 is the same.
Bennett has won 15 Grammy Awards and 2 Emmy Awards. He is 84 years old and sings the same as you heard him on the first day of his career.
What you will enjoy in the song is the innocent narration hugged by the Jazz music.

When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you...
And the way you look tonight.


5. Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing



For all you Rock Fans out there, here is a treat..

On the SSS's Top romantic songs of the century, #5 is "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith.

If you swear by doing things by passion then Aerosmith is your guy! Watch him perform, you will certainly define new limits for everything... What passion, what energy is displayed on stage, when he performs.. Truely a Rock Legend who rocks the stage..

So here you go. Rock On Romantically!

6. LL Cool J - I Need Love



23 years ago, just the year after I was born, a singer who loved to call himself "LL Cool J" sang "I Need Love". His rap song touched #1 position on the R&B/Hip Hop charts and many a hearts. So it did mine too.
On SSS's Top Romantic Songs of the century it raps at #6.

The selections for #7 till #10 are under selection process.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

SNAP: The Inky Pen wins over the HB Pencil

Hi,

SNAP is of course a different and an unique exam for MBA Entrance, whether it may be the 2 Marks questions or the emphasis on logical reasoning or the General Awareness section. But one of the most intriguing fact is that the examinee has to mark the answers with a Pen on the OMR answer sheet, leaving no way out if the answer marked was wrong and was discovered at a later stage!

I cannot understand the logic behind the advantage of marking the answers with a Pen instead of a Pencil!!
I have some guesses:
1. Less luggage, more comfort! (Without pencil, no need for Erasure and sharpener)
2. Leave one’s mark in the history of SNAP forever!
3. Pen is mightier than the sword! Snap the SNAP with a Pen and win the Battle!
4. A Pen in need is a Pen indeed.
5. More Mileage, less maintenance!

Just being Jocular here! Smile with me, wear the cap and sail with the SNAP!
Best wishes!!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Nobel Prize - Is it a weapon of Cold War and Eurocentrism?

Hi Readers,

I have cited an excerpt from Wikipedia article on Nobel Prize. The content is mentioned under "Controversies and criticisms" head. This is available at “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize ”

************************************************************
Start of excerpt.
************************************************************

Controversial recipients
Among other criticisms, the Nobel Committees have been accused of having a political agenda, and of omitting more deserving candidates. They have also been accused of Eurocentrism. This is especially true for the Literature Prize.

When Henry Kissinger was announced to be awarded the Peace Prize two of the Norwegian Nobel Committee members resigned in protest.

One of the controversial Peace Prizes was the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Barack Obama. Nominations had closed only eleven days after Obama took office as President, but the actual evaluation occurred over the next eight months. Obama himself stated that he did not feel he deserved the award, and that he did not feel worthy of the company the award would place him in. Past winners of the Peace Prize were divided, some saying that Obama deserved the award, and others saying he had not yet earned it. Obama's award, along with the previous Peace Prizes for Jimmy Carter and Al Gore, prompted accusations of a left-wing bias.

Among the most criticised Nobel Peace Prizes was the one awarded to Henry Kissinger and Lê Ðức Thọ, who later declined the prize. This led to two Norwegian Nobel Committee members resigning. Kissinger and Thọ were awarded the prize for negotiating a ceasefire between North Vietnam and the United States in January 1973. However, when the award was announced hostilities still occurred from both sides. Many critics were of the opinion that Kissinger was not a peace-maker but the opposite; responsible for widening the war.

Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin received the Peace Prize in 1994 for their efforts in making peace between Israel and Palestine. According to journalist Caroline Frost many issues, such as the plight of Palestinian refugees, had not been addressed and no lasting peace was established between Israel and Palestine. Immediately after the award was announced one of the five Norwegian Nobel Committee members denounced Arafat as a terrorist and resigned. Additional misgivings about Arafat were widely expressed in various newspapers.

The award of the 2004 Literature Prize to Elfriede Jelinek drew a protest from a member of the Swedish Academy, Knut Ahnlund. Ahnlund resigned, alleging that selecting Jelinek had caused "irreparable damage to all progressive forces, it has also confused the general view of literature as an art." He alleged that Jelinek's works were "a mass of text shovelled together without artistic structure."The 2009 Literature Prize to Herta Müller also generated criticism. According to The Washington Post many US literary critics and professors had never previously heard of her. This made many feel that the prizes were too Eurocentric.

In 1949, the Portuguese neurologist António Egas Moniz received the Physiology or Medicine Prize for his development of the prefrontal leucotomy. The previous year Dr. Walter Freeman had developed a version of the procedure which was faster and easier to carry out. Due in part to the publicity surrounding the original procedure, Freeman's procedure was prescribed without due consideration or regard for modern medical ethics. Endorsed by such influential publications as The New England Journal of Medicine, lobotomy became so popular that about 5,000 lobotomies were performed in the United States in the three years immediately following Moniz's receipt of the Prize.

************************************************************
End of excerpt.
************************************************************

So if we observe the trend of selecting the recipients of the Nobel Prize, we will see it is never unbiased and always has helped some or the other Nation's candidature in the world scenario. If giving Nobel Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is not a interference to a country's internal order then what else it is? Let citizens of China decide what is good for them. If China and its government is an evil regime then why does almost all the western nations has trade relationship with it? Honey is where the money is, isn't it?

Expected date of publication of final finished article: 3rd week of December.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Beggar's Barista and Bhikkari's CCD

Hello Caffeine Addicts,

People say, "A lot can happen over a cup of Coffee!", I say, "Nothing can happen over a cup of Coffee". How can one not be lost in the sweet intriguing smell and the intoxicating vapours emanating from a Cup of Java or a Cup of Joe? How can one concentrate on the lovely person sitting across when the hot brown brunette is staring at you sitting right on your palm.

I fell in love with Coffee in my adolescence. I was a child, far away from the world of intoxication and caffeine. My mind used to get a high, when friends used to call me from across the street for a game of cricket. Or when the Disney hour on Zee channel used to be broadcast at 5:30 pm. I had little idea then that the cruel world outside is full of substances called psychoactive stimulant drugs. One of the legal one is called Caffeine.

From the age of 15 or so Coffee was a breakaway from the Indian obsession from the Holy Tea. Tea was everywhere. Poems about Tea and praises was omnipresent. But Coffee had its own sanctuary. It was above common but yet common. It had in it a class and at the same time it was for all.

I was first introduced to Coffee's cool modern sister Miss. Instant. Instant Coffee was the hip and the happening. Just mix and enjoy.

I was under the illusion that the Instant Coffee is a lone coffee drug, which is available in sachets and bottles and is either Nescafe or Bru. I was for a rude surprise.

What a shame that I called myself a Coffee lover and yet was ignorant of a much sultry sister Miss Filter. She took my taste buds away from the first sip! It was a instant hit, what a irony of words.

I visited the Barista and Cafe Coffee Day outlets a couple of times and found that the Coffee which I was a fan of was of completely different deal in terms of aroma, taste and flavour from the Coffee which they served there. I had to shell pretty unreasonable number of green bills at those outlets to pursue my amorous activities of smelling, sipping and licking the last drops off the Ceramic Mug. I was desperately in search of some way to recreate the same magical experience at home.

One day while shopping, I noticed few innocent looking unattended, unloved and gloomy Green coloured packets of Coffee from Bru marked as “Fresh and Ground” . Having never bought such green packets of Coffee, I decided to buy it. Being a Coffee fan, I always used to check the Coffee to Chicory ratios in percentages at the back of the pack. I had almost tried all compositions and brands of Coffee but my romance with any one of them never sustained for a long time. Sometimes 60% Coffee and 40% Chicory, at times 70%-30% and sometimes in desperation 100% classic version. I was always baffled at the choices and never being satisfied by any one of them. Until that day!

As I returned home, excited from buying the new version and the hurry to try it as soon as possible made me anxious. I gave a glass full of milk a boil and at the same time cut open the new packet. I was shocked and surprised to see irregular coarse grains of Coffee instead of smooth fine rust coloured powder. Determined to go through, I added two heap-full of the granular powder to the milk and started mixing. To my surprise it turned into a muddy solution. Not able to decide what to do next I took a gulp of the mix and almost vomited. What was this? Somehow I finished that hideous mix and returned to my work table.

I searched for “Fresh and Ground Coffee” and clicked open a wiki page on coffee. In front of my eyes lay the complete history of coffee and even though my stomach was feeling weird, my mind cleared. I then came to know that Coffee actually came from Arabic countries and the original Coffee preparation is nowhere near to what we are used to in India i.e. cut-sachet-add-mix drink. I came to know that coffee is brewed and then filtered or decanted. I came to know about a dozen varieties of Coffee and the advantages of adding Chicory in a proportion in the Coffee sold commercially.

Next evening, my search for the ultimate Barista-CCD Coffee drink at home was about to end and a new affair was going to start. I brewed my first cup of Joe. The whole house was full of mind numbing aroma of the brewing Coffee after some time later. I decanted the brew to the Coffee-Mug and added some milk powder and sugar-free pallets to it. When I sipped for the first time, I was speechless. I found my Coffee. I found the way to make the Barista-CCD  Coffee at home. That too without hassle and no more bills of 100s getting lost in the glassy outlets and small uncomfortable chairs with people staring. Here I was sitting at my home in my comfy Pyjamas, enjoying an episode of FRIENDS on my laptop, Nobita and sipping the elixir.

Cooking Shooking Hai Rabba!


How many years do you think you will live, let us take 70 as a target. Not a inappropriate figure, one must say! So it amounts to 25 Thousand days!

Now tell me ask, do you brush your teeth daily? Ah what a embarrassing question, of course you do, I am right, right? Every morning standing in front of the mirror you do it involuntarily as if the brush is driving you instead.

Just one more question, you learnt to dress yourself, answer your nature calls with due respect and many daily tasks like tying your shoe laces? Now, now do not scare me with your growling... You have.

Now, let me analyse your answers in good mind. Why did you learn them? Was it because, it was something, you realized that you have to do all your life everyday and will make you run away in shame if you could not? Or was it because that you realized that these daily activities will amount to 25 thousand iterative activities overall, for which it would not be wise to be dependant on others, better do it yourself?
I hope it was the latter one.

Having answered my own questions (funny), I stand before a great paradox.

So what was the figure, yes ok, 25K. We all agree, including the chubby ones (chubby and cute are the emotionally correct words for Fat People) that we consume 3 meals per day. No, you Miss, please I am not asking abnormal diet crazy people like you who will have 10 meals consisting of only a banana or a slice of bread. So where I was, yes, 75K instances in one's life where one indulges in enjoying a meal. Don't you think it is also one of the mundane daily iterative tasks we undergo! If you agree, then lets move forward to our discussion.

My target observation group was those folks who are out there in the wilderness of towns (unlucky) or cities (unlucky again) for the sake of a job which, throughout their life, will steer them well away from their home-town and parents or say from a family.

While I had the opportunity to chit-chat with many of such candidates, I noticed that the responses lay in the below phrases:

A: “Baap re, who will cook man, I eat at the nearest Meal centre, not yummy but then issue resolved”
B: “Kya yaar, who will select, buy, wash, peel, cut, cook, serve, aur phir, wash dishes. Not me Bro”
C: “Hey, do you see me married already, enjoy Bachelor life Dude”
D: “It is so tough, Bhai, certainly not for me, also it takes so much time”
E: “I will not, why will I, am I a woman” (I hate this response very much, different issue, different article)
F: “Hey I cannot, who will eat the dish I cooked, after all I am such a bad cook”
G: “Never thought about cooking, hey we are on the topic of food, well I am hungry, lets go to McDonalds to grab a bite” (I liked this one the most as the other person paid)

All I have to say after analysing these responses is that, we, somewhere in our mind have a very humongous and a very complex and incorrect view of the art of cooking. Well to say cooking is a art is totally incorrect in the sense that it is absolutely not a art that one has to master. Since folks view it as a art and therefore do not step in the territory of kitchen thinking it suitable for a selected few, cooking has remained elusive from the list of one's daily routine!

My stand on the Cooking-For-All campaign is that let us treat it as an daily activity and we will see that it will reduce to the level of the activity of brushing one's teeth.

Today, when we have a plethora of appliances ready to grind, mince, mix and boil at our command and we have all sorts of spices and purées ready made, I hope it requires neither the perspiration of a mill worker nor the experience and guts of a Business Tycoon to cook.

Let us give it a try, what say guys! I am certain we would not like to be dependent on others for the daily task which touches the amazing figure of 75,000 iterations in a lifetime and not be running away in shame.  

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Discussion: Engineer vs Others : MBA Entrance exams

Hi Folks,

I am pasting a discussion on the topic which took place in one of the Forums of PG. Topic was "Indian MBA Colleges increasingly becoming hostile to engineering graduate's application for admission". Here the user "engineersunit" is me. You can guess who won!! Have fun.

This discussion is available at : http://www.pagalguy.com/2010/12/ximb-may-become-a-university-soon-ximb-director/#comments




Rakesh Kumar
#1 December 01, 2010, 7:04 pm
“But we’ll continue to give quantitative ability lesser weightage compared to verbal and communication skills and try to reduce the number of engineers.”
Very inane statement :P
I really doubt it’s gonna work! :)
engineersunit
#2 December 01, 2010, 7:29 pm
Quote : “But unfortunately all the students who are getting good grades in XAT were engineers and we could not reduce their number last year.”
What is unfortunate in that? :D but I guess that is a appreciation in disguise. Thanks!! Salute to all the performers. According to me it is wrong to associate the toppers with the engineering degree. The exam is cracked with sheer hard work and determination. Any graduate with these values can do it.
Abhineet Jain
#3 December 01, 2010, 7:35 pm
If you want to decrease the number of engineers, give free credits to non-engineers(like IIML). Otherwise, we will be there and in majority. :)
the clueless
#4 December 01, 2010, 7:38 pm
It is not the fault of an engineer student that his rival competitors are too lazy to work hard and clear the exam . Besides, the engineers are increasingly doing well in the verbal section as well. So , bottomline , hardwork pays .
engineersunit
#5 December 01, 2010, 7:49 pm
@All Please let us, being of the “Aspirant” category, not be divided on the “Engineering” issue. Every aspirant irrespective of the stream of graduation does hard work, it can be just that the % of applicants may be more from “Engineering” stream. So the throughput is proportionate, visible in the final converts.
Also it is very unfortunate on the institute’s part to target the “innocent Engineers” and propagate a negative declination towards such candidates in the name of diversity.
My request to all the MBA institutes, please do not discriminate, just measure on the basis on Merit. All had the same avenue to get through the exam.
stilhope
#6 December 01, 2010, 8:06 pm
Well i do not wish to start a debate here.. but then 3-4 of my engineer friends joined B-schools just because they hated their jobs, or the amount of work they had to put in there or their shifts.. so, so much for the hard work part.. Engineers would rather work hard at the entrance exams than at their respective jobs.. Ultimately, all top B-schools are realizing the facts as to why they lag so far behind in the world rankings and so some much needed changes are now taking place.. Also, they jus throw away marks in engineering and u have ppl graduating from C- engineering colleges with 98%+(ridiculous).. well, atleast in my univ. even if u attempt the same paper 4 times in a year, u still wont get 90%.. neways it was just that ‘hard work’ part in one of the comments that put me off.. NOM Peace out!!
himanshushah20
#7 December 01, 2010, 8:15 pm
“But unfortunately all the students who are getting good grades in XAT were engineers” man UNFORTUNATELY …. never thought we engineers are outcast.
engineersunit
#8 December 01, 2010, 8:19 pm
@stillhope Please do not generalize on the basis of the observation of small group of aspirants. Also let us not associate any Graduate stream with a particular trait.
About your disheartening and stinging comment on quality of engineering colleges in India, it is also the case with other colleges. Please do not stereotype Engineering colleges.
I hope you will agree.
sujamait
#9 December 01, 2010, 8:53 pm
fortune will never come into play in XAT. It’s “mother of all the exams”.
first_timer
#10 December 01, 2010, 8:59 pm
engineers don’t work hard, they just get lucky in the exams. Unfortunate indeed.
and yes, it’s sarcasm.
first_timer
#11 December 01, 2010, 9:01 pm
and what’s the point in saying NOM, when it’s bound to offend. Seriously, don’t understand this.
sunil251
#12 December 01, 2010, 9:55 pm
@first_timer: I second that!!
maddyfc
#13 December 01, 2010, 10:05 pm
Well these people are real slow seeing the trend in top b-schools around the world i mean they should have thought of diversifying years ago and still they are pondering over the issue of how to reduce the intake of engineers..well till they bring a solution its unlikely any university will even come close to being compared to world best and its high time they take some decisive measures…
lingaraj padhy
#14 December 01, 2010, 10:06 pm
The stand taken on the batch diversity is absolutely ridiculous.Don’t understand the strategy at all.
maddyfc
#15 December 01, 2010, 10:13 pm
Its high time people get the point straight that only engineers cant contribute to the economy we need varied view points which these institutes will get from a diversified intake from humanities and commerce and follow a certain premeditated format..and all those proprieting the view of working hard and deserved winners and born geniuses well they should thank the Indian Education system…
anonymous:)
#16 December 01, 2010, 10:15 pm
brilliant initiative.. its really heartening to see such opinions..
“After all its not just an Engineer-Mba thing”.
Would fill XIMB in any case :D
stilhope
#17 December 01, 2010, 10:18 pm
@maddyfc.. very well said..!! +1
rudranilghosh
#18 December 01, 2010, 10:41 pm
Even though I’m an engineer, i feel batch diversity is indeed needed to expand our horizon of ideas, way of thinking and approach to life as a whole…
panchananmishra
#19 December 01, 2010, 10:55 pm
every good instt. tries to setup a versity of its own …. ? why it is so man ….? more over … why they are running behind the engg. grads now a dayz…?
it seems that in the name of diversity they will do some injustice to engg. grads. in the forthcoming interviews……?
lets hope good….
engineersunit
#20 December 01, 2010, 11:25 pm
@maddyfc Now now, one cannot blame “Indian Education System” for a “Aptitude Exam” held for “Graduates”!!!
Forced diversity at the cost of Merit, :D I do not think so!!
maddyfc
#21 December 01, 2010, 11:46 pm
@engineer: well as far as being sentimental and protective we sub-continental ppl top the list and so its natural of yours but as far as reforms go one should look at a larger picture would our institutes be well off with just engineers or people from overtly diversed background if former had been case there would have been no need to change policy..but growing trend suggests otherwise..as far as merit goes i dont think they are any less deserving with few inches here and there..
maddyfc
#22 December 01, 2010, 11:50 pm
@engineer as far as IES goes its but natural as you sow shall you reap…are these institutes autonomous???
abhiworld169
#23 December 01, 2010, 11:56 pm
I am an IT Engineer and working in Reputed Top 5 IT company of India. I agree with stillhope and maddyfc that batch diversity is essential in a good B-school. A batch full of engineers will have moreover a same kinda mindset and attitude towards problems faced by today’s organizations. Most of the engineers opting for an MBA today are coz of watching other people do it,so they also decide do it without applying their own mind and heart as to Why they themselves want to do an MBA irrespective of whether their friends are doing it or not. Engineers today need to change this attitude. I understand the type of thinking that goes on in an engineer’s mind….I am not complaining but just expressing my concern. Also enginners tend to hate their job in nearly periods of their careers which is not the case with other graduates. IT companies witness the maximum attrition rate and almost 5-10K employees would easily resign from any of the top Indian IT company.
lingaraj padhy
#24 December 02, 2010, 12:28 am
@abhiworld169 I dont agree when you say engineers opt for mba by seeing others.Probably you might agree then that people are becoming engineers by seeing others.Mostly it depends on individual interest than anything else.There are so may factors responsible for an successful IT engineer like you(If I may say so) opting for an MBA(assuming ur intrstd in MBA coz you are on PG).Coming to the batch diversity its a very debatable issue and I have my reservations.Exams are conducted and the best people should get the nod irrespective a engineer or non-engineer.What I fear is there shouldn’t be any bias in the GD-PI rounds harping diversity as the reason.
lingaraj padhy
#25 December 02, 2010, 12:33 am
@abhiworld169 FYI I am also an IT engineer working for a top IT company for over last 3 years.Also leaving jobs for MBA constitutes a very small percentage of the attrition population(Mostly switch to other IT companies for better opportunity,growth and compensation)
engineersunit
#26 December 02, 2010, 12:39 am
Time and again, folks here are mentioning an utterly incomprehensible “Fact” that “Engineers” think alike. Is it a self-made feel-justified theory?
Every human being thinks differently and thus the adage, “As many heads, that many minds”. Reasoning and out-of-the-box thought process is not an academic periphery but develops uniquely for each individual. If this is so then do all the school educated Indians think the same;) . (Oh you are CBSE, then you must know what I am thinking :D ha ha ).
As for the rhetoric reasoning that “Fed-up-IT-engineers” are not interested in their job is a completely misplaced in this context!
Folks, IT industry has high attrition not because the employees do not love their job, but since there is a perpetual availability of one or the other opportunity with higher packages which is bound to create hamper(in the present job) and scamper(to the next job).
Let us talk sense now.
engineersunit
#27 December 02, 2010, 12:43 am
Engineers are not army of Robots with same programming code running in them. Each engineer is a unique individual. Let us not say that diversity comes through educational background. If it had been true then after an MBA any ways we all are going to have the same qualification :p . Then do we become redundant!!! What an idea Sir ji…
Jishnu
#28 December 02, 2010, 12:49 am
@maddyfc,@stilhope and @abhiworld169: I dont understand why people tend to forget one simple point – in India most of the toppers at secondary level (I can easily say more that 80%) opt for science in senior secondary and their obvious choice thereafter is ‘engineering’. Some go to the IITs some to the NITs and a lot more to the other good govt engg colleges and the rest to the private engg colleges.
This is solely because of the peer pressure and the pressure from parents. An indian kid has to opt for engineering(havent u seen three idiots!!) :) .
Now if you see the staistics of the no. of persons applying for MBA exams and clrearing them, you will find an overwhelming number of these engineers. Thats simply because the number of engineers in India is huge. Take a hypothetical example: 1000 students are called for GD/PI for 100 seats. And say the college wants a 50:50 ‘diversification’. Now it may well turn out that 900 of these students called for GD/PI are engineers and merely 100 are non-engineers (I am not exaggerating..this is the fact! This is how it is and they cant change it by simply giving more weightage to english, because engineers will still be the frontrunners just because of their sheer number). So do you think the college can find 50 deserving non-engineering candidates from a sample set of 100?? Thats ridiculous!!
Hence even if IIML or XIMB try to “FORCE” diversify, they wont be able to!!
The only way to diversify is to stop the fanatic race for engineering right after 12th. There is no other way.
P.S: One of my friend joined IIML in 2010. He informed that more than 90% of the batch are engineers.
P.P.S: Even at ISB (ranked 15 in the world) has an overwhelming no of engineers in its batch.
This is the scenario in all the premier B-schools and its not going to change soon.
Jishnu
#29 December 02, 2010, 12:51 am
Please note:
The last line should be: This is the scenario in all the premier INDIAN B-schools and its not going to change soon.