Ramblings

Am I glad that all the experiments related to LHC are being carried out now and not some 20/30 years back. This means that the future generation will sweat over the diagrams and describing the experiment in their exams and not moi :-) Some links related to LHC are below. Boston's Big Picture ( Do check out Boston's big picture series. Some amazing photos there) Wikipedia-The eternal source of knowledge Link 3 

Boston has some wonderful pictures from around the world capturing the spirit of Ramadan. Do have a dekho here .  Festivals, food and music are a few things which make me put up with religion :-) A nice post on Lehman for layman.  I want this.   Some useful Javascript techniques can be found over here . An article on one of the most influential person in the media.  The economist asks if there is a future in investment banking.  Roger Ebert on why he gives out more stars than other critics.

Hopefully the tag of perennial underachievers will not be associated with Spain any more . They were the better team on the park today and were the deserving champions. A great way to end the football season. Now looking forward for the next season to start so that Chelsea lifts each trophy in sight :-) Cheers, HP

Rajdeep Sardesai writes a good post about the growing animosity between the leaders of Indian political parties . Surely, we should all have the ability to agree to disagree. :-) Some of the life's little mysteries explained by Daily Mail. (Link via. Smoke Signals ) Kamla Bhatt interviews Karthik Srinivasan of itwofs fame. Do check out the itwofs site. Check out the photo essay on Wired which discusses the places where some of the pioneers had their Eureka moments. (Link via. Scripting News ) A real good letter by Richard Feynman to his student letting him know as to what are really the important and worthwhile problems. Reading this letter reminds me to get Feynman's book back from my friend and read it once again. His is the only book that made me take any interest in pure science, specially Physics :-) Krishna Kumar lists out the different types of workaholics . Check out Rupashree Nanda’s moving acceptance speech as she received this year’s Chameli Devi Award. Vivek

A Really Nice video of Pakistani artists coming together to see that Islam does not get hijacked by the radicals. (Link Via. Sepiamutiny ) More details about the song can be found over here . Also, a news link about a Palestinian educator whose stint in an Israeli jail inspired him to devise a different approach to teaching history. That was his real education. While awaiting charges, Adwan overheard two Israeli soldiers arguing over whether he should be made to sign a document in Hebrew that he couldn’t read. Shocked to hear one of his enemies defending his rights, Adwan decided that he had some things to learn about the Jewish nation. So much of the gulf in understanding that plagues the Middle East has to do with the willful disregard for the other’s point of view. Israelis refer to the 1948 conflict that gave birth to their nation as the War of Independence; Palestinians know it as the Nakba, or Catastrophe. What Israelis call “the riots of 1920"—when Palestinians attacked Jew

IT'S IN THE BLOOD Cheers, HP Related Reading : http://bluechampions.com/its-in-the-blood/

Will any Economics Student please explain me as to how the above is possible? I know Conditions Apply and all but still... Cheers, HP

There is only one God. Please bow to thee! Cheers, HP

Saw Sivaji today. Well, I don't understand much of Tamil but loved a major portion of the film. Rajni as usual is superb. Shriya is enchanting, totally enchanting :-) And, the rest of the technical department is also pretty good. Yes, the film is over-hyped but a Rajni film coming after a gap of 2 years was going to be hyped. And, Rajni doesn't disappoint. He does not look and act like a 60 year old guy. Truly, a Superstar!!! ----------------------------------------xxxxxxxxx--------------------------------------- Links for the day. Enjoy this one ------ http://www.mizpee.com :-) Beautiful Postcards...Really too good ------ http://valmays.homestead.com/index.html [ Link via. Selma Mirza ] Cheers,

Patriotism is a kind of religion; it is the egg from which wars are hatched. -Guy de Maupassant, short story writer and novelist (1850-1893) Cheers, HP

Can someone please explain to me as to what all is for and against Indian culture? Thanks! Cheers, HP

Let others cheer the winning man, there's one I hold worthwhile. Tis he who does the best he can, then loses with a smile. Beaten he is, but not to stay, down with the rank and file. For he shall win some other day, who loses with a smile. Just Hope that the Indian team takes the field with a smile and leave the field with a smile. Cheers, HP

A Team Loses . A Coach Dies. Never before the phrase 'Its Just A Game" been explained to us so explicitly and cruelly! I am just at a loss for words. Can't think or say anything about this. Hope the fans in the sub-continent understand now that in a game between 2, there is supposed to be one winner and a loser and if one does not lose, then the other cannot win. They are 2 sides of the same coin. And, just as we would like to be encouraged in our day to work/student life instead of being criticized continuously , the same applies to the players. Sir, You lived well and played hard and fair! May the next world treat you better! RIP Woolmer . ----------------------x---------------------------x-----------------------x--------------------x Finally, it is proved that India and Pakistan are Brothers In Arms :-) ----------------------x---------------------------x-----------------------x--------------------x Can Someone please tell this man that we have this guy who can do some

Finally, the Cricket World Cup is going to start. In India, one will find a lot of ppl saying that they don't really care whether India wins or not, infact they wil abuse cricket and say that the game is taking our country down :-D But, you will find them trying to ask the score now and then :-) Anyways, it is very difficult for me to rationally analyze our chances. I may or may not believe in the concept of nationality, I may disagree with the concept of patriotism being attached to supporting any particular sporting team but I can't ignore the fact that a win for India makes the world a better place to live for that moment. One sees more smiles around after a victory in an important match. I may dislike Dhoni's technique but I can't but applaud when he unleashes his famous whip on the hapless bowlers. One will ask why Pathan is in the team but will be the first to applaud when he gets the swing going and make the batsmen dance. Anil Kumble's inclusion in the tea

You are soon going to change your present line of work. :-) Cheers, HP Psst...Don't tell anyone :D

So, the Carling Cup is ours . Sad to see the brawl almost at the end of the game . It nearly robbed the sheen of a good win over a very good competitor in a Cup Final. Arsenal dominated a better part of the game but luckily, playing experienced people in the final paid dividends for us. Also, the goal scoring machine Drogba clinched the match. Overall, a satisfying win barring the fact that Terry had to be carried on a stretcher during the match. Seriously hope that no one is added to our ever increasing injury list. As per now, Chelsea might be the only team that can play a Injury XI instead of a Playing XI. :-) Cheers, HP

The polling is now open for Indibloggies . Go and vote now! I have casted my votes and below are my choices for the particular categories. The Indiblog of the Year 2006 ---- Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind [ Recursive Hypocrisy was another choice for this category but guess, Nilu is above such awards ] Best Designed IndiBlog   ----    Ckunte.com [ Megha comes a close second this time for moi but she won last year. So, a new winner this time :-) ] Best IndiBlog directory/service/clique/network ----- Blogbharti [ They have done an amazing job in bringing in limelight some blogs/posts which otherwise we would not have been able to find. ] Best Entertainment Indiblog ----- Blogical Conclusion Best Group/Community IndiBlog ------- INI Signal [ Indian Muslims comes a close second ] Best Humanities Indiblog ----- Falstaff Most Humorous IndiBlog ----- Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind [ Gawker comes a distant second ] Best New

With Parzania being not allowed to be released in the model state of Gujarat, the below cartoon  that appeared in the Hindu seems apt. The Hindutva factions operating over there have taken themselves to a new level. And for now, they appear bigger than the Indian Constitution and the law. Cheers, HP

Saket on his blog says that he does not find Madrasi girls hot and appealing. All I can say is that he needs to develop his taste better :-) Cheers, HP Update : In an update to this earlier post, Saket asks if he is a racist? The answer is NO. He was just plain insensitive and no, I don't feel bad if anyone calls me a Madrasi.  To not know Geography is not a crime, still. 

I got the below pics in a mail. Some of the pics are gruesome and anyone who is sensitive to such  pics, please do not scroll below. Note : All the copyrights on the pictures are of the photographers. 1957. The first day of Dorothy Counts at the Harry Harding High School in the United States . Counts was one of the first black students admitted in the school, and she was no longer able to stand the harassments after 4 days. January 12, 1960. A second before the Japanese Socialist Party leader Asanuma was murdered by an opponent student. 1963. Thich Quang Duc, the Buddhist priest in Southern Vietnam , burns himself to death protesting the government's torture policy against priests. Thich Quang Dug never made a sound or moved while he was burning. 1962. A soldier shot by a sniper hangs onto a priest in his last moments. 1965. A mom and her children try to cross the river in South Vietnam in an attempt to run away from the American bombs. 1966. U.S. troops in South Vietnam are draggi