Me in to Cognizant...

Ive got a job in Cognizant Technologies as a Business Analyst...

The interview was in Chennai...

Left early in the afternoon (11:45 AM), a rather odd time to leave but considering the fact that I got the info at 9:00 AM it is not as queer as it would have seemed otherwise. Reached Chennai (flew Deccan, must admit it improved a bit) at 1:00 PM and headed for the inerview centre. No CV and it being a sunday did not help my cause, walked around and managed to find a cyber zone -> took a print out of my CV. Walked in for an interview dressed in the most inappropriate fashion (a pair of jeans, sneakers and a casual shirt with folded cuffs), well not sure I could have gotton any more anachronous. It is said that truly so as I learnt that day that when you want something badly and start doing something in the right direction then the whole world conspires to thrust you forward. Interview went fairly well and was given an offer...

Returned from Shiridi early in the morning at about 7:00 AMish, a back breaking 12 hr drive...

Went to SAI BABA's temple and had a darshan ( the statue has a magical effect on the onlookers, be it the deep eyes or the mysterious smile...)

Reached Shiridi late in the delay thanks to the rain gods will...

Left for Shiridi at around 7:00 PM...

24th September, 23rd September, 22nd September... -> order if narration...

Content, confused, confident, coalesced, convinced -> capricious feelings sketching a melancholy in my mind...

Signing off...

Cinema, Chess, Cops & Corruption!

Just in case you are wondering what the picture above means -> it describes my state of mind perfectly -> full of mixed emotions

"the most eventful day of life' -> a phrase that makes me question the degree of saneness of the speaker...

Well this was before today, why today because today (20th september 2006) happens to be the day when I did things well so many things and so much happened to me that am forced to believe in it a 100% ( well actually 200% because everything that happened with me did so in a span of less than 12hrs that is half a day)...

the day started of on a dull note with me getting up at a time which most would call queer -> 12:00PM...

had to rush and get ready at a very swift pace and in course of which I broke my previous best time taken to get ready...

well then proceeded to the theatre to watch STALLIN (without tickets), reached the theatre bang at 2:00PM and got in to the B.TECH student mode by fishing for the black hawkers. Managed to get the tickets (the fact that I had a shell a damn fortune on them is not worth mentioning especially because the protagonist is none other than the MEGA STAR himself)...

10minutes thru the movie and nothing interesting seems to be happening but all is forgiven because CHIRANJEEVI lights up the screen with his actics. Half hour in to the movie and still no serious plot emerges, am waiting. Just 20minutes to go before the interval and am still waiting to get involved and there the tempo picks what with Chiru chasing the goon in to a political party's office and performing an arm amputation that would put a seasoned surgeon to shame...

The expectations again shot skywards thanks to the exhillarating pre interval episode but alas the second half did not even match up to the less than inspiring first half (well to be fair some parts were slick especially Sunilz acting was quiet refreshing though loud at times). With the movie getting over it was time for a very late lunch (brunch what-so-ever one wants to call it at 6:00PM). Pizza Hut was the chosen venue for the same...

Was heading back home when a sudden desire to play CHESS hit me and did so rather hard so headed off to BARISTA...

Pitted my wits against three different player and conquered all of them, must admit am getting back my old time expertise over the 64 squares back and whats more pretty fast...

It was here that ave met some rather interesting people the last couple of days ->
a sharp and loquacious 78 yr old widower,
a snooker player with national recognition &
an african-american with a flair for swears...
Well this is beyond the scope of this post so shall refrain from delving any furthur in to it...

Getting back to where i left my day, i handled every psychological arsenal shot at me with decent elan and emerged victorious (dramatic i know but a bit of spice never killed anyone)...

The clock tower that was about 5 odd kilometres away from me would have struck ten times when I was about to zoom back home feeling invincible but there was more in store for me...

I was stopped by COPs and why because of some parking concerns...

I tried all the techniques that I picked from my NEGOTIATIONz class back in the GREAT LAKES days but none worked to the fullest...

The law enforcers seem to be getting the better off me no matter what parameter i pursue, what actually put me off was the fact that they were cornering me not just with the rule book but also in sheer numbers...

One hour of persistent debate and i was left having to wrestle 7 officers...

more than the fact that i did not want to part with currency or their sheer numbers it was their plain psyche which drove me crazy...

the guys i was reasoning with were supposed to be law enforcers (protectors) but half of them were drunk (on duty, one can off hand name a dozen companies where such behaviour would warrant immediate termination but well the POLICE department does not fall in that list), and a couple of them were the worst form of 'second handers' ever to grace earth (all Ayn Rand aware people would understand what this means)...

these guys claiming to be upholding law were uprooting the very basis on which it stand -> integrity...

how can i trust a person who cheats himself, one can deal with a person who is saintly or evil but how on earth can anyone deal with a devil who thinks he is holy -> damn others be truthful to yourself atleast...

what i saw was one of the worst faces of CORRUPTION possible...

i found it difficult to remain sane when one of them (a 24 yr old home guard) confessed saying 'i want to help you because you are of my age but i cant do so because i have a case running against me', he went on to give details of the same -> indecent behaviour in a public place (read 'kissing his GF' -> his own words) on the 4th of december 2005...

GOD SAVE THE HAPLESS PEOPLE...

i had to part with some money but the knowledge i gained was way way more precious than what i lost...

i always believed that LIFE is a 'CAPRICIOUS COLLECTION OF TRIGONOMETRIC CURVES' and this was proved right beyond doubt, one hour am the all conquering master of mind games and the very next hour am beaten at mental duels by a set of losers...

INDIA beat WI by less than a score of runs, hell who cares howmuch -> INDIA WON...
A consolation enough for the forgettable rendezvous...

too many emotions and too little time but exciting all the same...

signing off...

The plagues of Egypt -> Decoded

Was reading thru the plagues that were hurled at Egypt -> by God, if the legend were to be believed...

They make for a very interesting read & a scientific explanation is possible for atleast nine of the ten plagues...

Before I go any furthur in to discussing about them let me also confess that I have a very deep rooted curiosity about Egypt -> a good bit of it can be attributed to MUMMY (the movie & video game) & not to forget the fact that PYRAMIDz being one of the ancient wonders...

Would defenitely visit the mysterious land atleast once...

Now focussing on the plagues :-

First series :

1) Nile turning red -> red soil getting washed down the continent to Egypt thereby causing the water to become red in color...

2) Frogs attack -> this happened seven days after the first curse -> water not pure anymore so the frogs are forced on to the land (seems logical)...

3) Lice menace -> no breathing space this time around (action time) -> no clean water for an extended period & frogs doing their bit by unearthing soil...

Second series :

4) The dust of insects -> impure stagnant water for a time period sufficiently long to facilitate breedingin -> location, frog tunnels probably...

5) The death of cattle -> contaminated water does little good to the vegetation, thereby effecting the poultry...

6) Boils on flesh ->heat boils or bite protrusions, pause to ponder...

Third series :

7) hail storm -> rainfall depends on a whole bunch of reasons, one of which happens to be composition of clouds -> which depends on the particles present in previous years vapours...

8) Locusts explosion -> It is a commonly accepted & noticed fact that locust explosion happens at decently regular intervals...

9) The disappearance of light -> did the sun really retreat or was is something else, reason would say someting was blocking the vision a sea of locusts or a sand storm -> possible, very much...

10) Losing first borns => well not sure, frankly...

Signing off...

Mercedes-Benz History

Mercedes-Benz, Germany's most famous automobile manufacturer surprised the market in the late 1990s with a dramatic new design offensive. This took the form of new developments such as the A-Class, the little Smart car, and the SL, a purist contribution to the concept of the roadster. Mercedes-Benz is the successor of Benz & Co., whose founder Carl Benz invented the motor car. Mercedes-Benz was one of the first companies to develop streamlined cars, such as the Simplex, before World War I.

The cars of the Stuttgart manufacturer became a status symbol in the 1920s. This was largely due to the new S (Sport), SS (Super Sport) and SSK (Super Sport kurz, with shorter wheelbase) models, which boasted racing car features such as the long, extended hood from which the chrome exhaust pipes snaked forth. The 1936 Mercedes 500 K was a more luxurious development in styling. Technically full of ideas, with elegant flowing lines yet robust in appearance, it was the paragon of the German concept of car body design. This elongated dream car was created by Friedrich Geiger, and it was available to a small, select clientele in a choice of burgundy red or sky blue. During the 1930s Mercedes-Benz achieved a legendary status that reflected the German people's belief in its superiority, when the gleaming metallic racing cars known as the "silver arrows" dominated Grand Prix racing in the years before World War II.

The first innovative development after the war was the 180, which had a new kind of structural body. Externally, it had nothing in common with its predecessors, with one exception—the shape of the hood had been preserved, although it was no longer necessary. The large radiator grille adorned with the world famous three -pointed star in a circle now became the distinctive feature of the marque and a symbol of tradition. The most famous model of the 1950s was the 300 SL Coupe. This was another design by Friedrich Geiger and had some spectacular features such as the upward-opening doors, giving it the nick-named "gullwing", and arc-shaped deflectors above the wheels. The hand-built sculptural body had elements of the organic design that was fashionable at the time, the first example being the Cisitalia Coupe of 1947 with Pininfanna bodywork. The 300SL was the brainchild of Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the engineer behind company's competition cars. Uhlenhaut, Geiger, the chief designer Karl Wilfert, and the development engineer Bela Bareny formed a team with the young Italian Bruno Sacco in the late 1950s that provided Mercedes with the best possible knowledge and experience in the field of design.

A severe setback took place in the early 1960s, when the 220S model that had been fitted with tail fins was banned from North America market. The situation was restored by Wilfert and his men who created the 220 S Coupe, a car whose perfect proportions, especially the rear, made it one of the most beautiful two-door coupes ever built. Even more innovative was the 230 SL sports car, the creation of the innovative designer, Bareny. The angular, functional car had what became known as a "pagoda roof," with its unusual concave-convex construction.

In the early 1970s, designers were given a free hand to create various concepts. Bruno Sacco's C 111-3 prototype displayed the sharp lines that would be typical of the models of the late 1970s and 1980s. The maxim was that "a Mercedes should always look like a Mercedes-Benz, thus creating a family of models. This principle e mphasizing the identity of the brand was also applied to the 190 series (later known as the E-Class), an innovation introduced in 1982. This was the smallest Mercedes to date and it gave the company a foothold in a larger market. The pronounced wedge shape reflecting the style of the time unmistakably reveals the influence of Sacco's C 111-3 prototype.

When Mercedes-Benz's market share began to drop, the company set about rethinking the company's image and model policy. In the late 1980s, a new “advanced design” department was created, gathering a group of creative minds with an alternative approach to car design. The result was a sharper profile for some series like the E-Class and the C-Class, whose four striking elliptical headlights attracted much attention.

In the late 1990s, the company, which was by now Germany's largest industrial group and a global player, launched two radical new projects—the Smart, a two-seater town car, and the A Class. Both these models were aimed at a younger market, and they stood out with their unusual proportions and post-modern styling. They were launched with considerable marketing panache, although not without some initial problems. The family of Mercedes models is likely to become even more varied in the future under its new chief designer Peter Pfeiffer.

Blatant plagarism however I'm sure it makes for an interesting read...

Signing off...

ROGER RUFFLES RODAPOVA!

Andy 'ROD'dick + Maria Shar'APOVA' = RODAPOVA


Sharapova has already won the 2006 edition of the US open & Roddick was in the final (the fact that he was up against a patrician of tennis was a different issue altogether)...

A fairy tale in the making one would have been tempted to say but alas it was not to be...

Roger rounded the slam calander with a four set victory over Andy... -> 3 victoryz in 4 slam finals, not a bad stat by any strech of imagination... -> With the 2006 edition of US open in his account his slam tally goes up to 8, one clear of Andrea...

Getting back to the stylish and socially active couple 'rodapova', amazing couple -> real yo twosome...

Signing off...

'Carpediem' -> Sieze the Day

The first word that comes to mind when the two words CBIT & fete are uttered at once is 'Shruti' -> Which happens to be CBIT's official fete but unlike most other colleges CBIT also has an alumni funded fete named 'CARPEDIEM'...

The word Carpediem is 'used to urge someone to make the most of the present day and give little thought to the future', the French phrase 'joie de vivre' comes real close to this word in spirit...

CBIT celebrated their first ever Carpediem in 2002, the second edition of which was in 2004 & the third edition of this single day event funded and organised by their alumni pool named 'Chaitanya Smruti'...

This biennial event has been a huge success from its very first edition what with the likes of Euphoria, Shanker Mahadevan and the likes making the audience groove to their litling music...

This edition was no different -> the Pakistani band JAL was the prime attraction and others like Karunya (Indian Idol runner up) and Dj Suke Tu did their bit to make sure the energetic junta had a decent time...

Hero Balakrishna and the cast of Hyd...Bad Nawabs were also around... (Ballayaz english and Mamaz 'respect' fundas were over board even by filmi standards)

The two Channel [V] Vjz or whoever they were 'flown down all the way from Mumbai' (as one of them put it) tried to do their precious little but to almost zilch avail...

The band who won the Channel [V] slash contest or some such stuff acted as fillers before JAL did their thing were good, especially their rendering of CHOPSUEY (a super hit by System of a Down) got the crowd in to raptures...

All in all most things were decently well organized be it the parking or frisking or food...

A decent evening spent reminiscing about four of my most memorable years and tapping feet to awrite music ->
No Regrets...

Signing off...

Comrade Mikhail Youzhny...

Australian Open 2006 -> Final -> Rafael vs Roger ->Federer wins...
French Open 2006 -> Final -> Rafael vs Roger -> Nadal wins...
Wimbeldon 2006 -> Final -> Rafeal vs Roger -> Federer wins...
Us open 2006 -> Final -> Rafeal vs Roger -> Nadal wins...

I got the script wrong well not completely for sure half the script is blotched up...

If it was Rafaelz injury in the Australian Open, it was a random Russian guy named Mikhail something...

A preliminary research of Mikhailz career would show that though he showed potential at the junior level he did little to live up to it, well till now that is...

As a junior he is said to have pulled some decent enough feats especially in the Australian Open but after turning pro his antics were pedestrian...

Even in 2006 most of his defeats were straight forward straight set defeats on the other hand most of his victories were hard fought ones...

One look at Nadalz style of play suggests that he is better suited for hard court than grass, considering that he was the losing finalist in Wimbledon (grass court) it only makes logical sense that he would atleast make it to the finals of the Us Open if not go all the way...

But this was not to be, why because a Comrade decided to take things in to his hands to make amends to my script...

Mikhail Youzhny seems a player with potential but sure is a character with flair for flambouyance...

His racquet salute after every match is a sure shot dont miss...

Hail Comrade Mikhail...

Signing off...

Steve Robert Irwin -> The Croc Czar...

The name of Steve would be in the top three if not the very first one
to be entered in the
'Wildlife Conservators' Hall of Fame...
Nothing would be nearer to truth than saying that it was Steve who
made sure that the whole perception of people towards crocodiles was
changed...
Steve did what many hollywood directors could not -> give soul to a
creature devoid of any kind of expression, crocodiles fortunately or
otherwise lack the gift for expression...
It is argued by most that crocs are the only species to have survived
for millennia at stretch with very little anatomic alterations...
One reason for the above observation could be that fact that they are
so uncomplicated, another one being their ability to adapt...
So considering the before mentioned premises one cannot be blamed for
thinking that the likelihood of getting attracted to crocs can only be
paralleled by crocs developing emotions...
Steve a true livewire in the literal sense of the word, on his shows
he was like the quintessential kid who always seems to be confused but
in reality knew exactly what he was doing -> be it the feeding the
croc while carrying a kid case or even in his regular shows he would
keep talking to the crowds or in to the camera but the end result
always gave an impression that majority of his concentration was on
the job on hand...
A highly enterprising man who single handedly built a huge real time
habitat for the wild -> 'Australia Zoo' -> at on point in time his
zoo was the most popular tourist attraction of his state...
Being an enterprising man that he was he had many more ideas in the
pipeline, which I'm sure will be taken up by his wife & others whom he
had left an impression upon...
Steve might have gone to a better world but his legacy will live on...
May Lord bless his sould...
Steve the unprecedented CROC CZAR...

Freud sayz...

An interestin read, especially for those who have a thing for psychology...

'Freud came to see personality as having three aspects, which work together to produce all of our complex behaviours: the Id, the Ego and the Superego. All 3 components need to be well-balanced in order to have good amount of psychological energy available and to have reasonable mental health.

However, the Ego has a difficult time dealing with the competing demands of the Superego and the Id. According to the psychoanalytic view, this psychological conflict is an intrinsic and pervasive part of human experience. The conflict between the Id and Superego, negotiated by the Ego, is one of the fundamental psychological battles all people face. The way in which a person characteristically resolves the instant gratification vs. longer-term reward dilemma in many ways comes to reflect on their "character".

THE ID (“It”): functions in the irrational and emotional part of the mind. At birth a baby’s mind is all Id - want want want. The Id is the primitive mind. It contains all the basic needs and feelings. It is the source for libido (psychic energy). And it has only one rule --> the “pleasure principle”: “I want it and I want it all now”. In transactional analysis, Id equates to "Child".

Id too strong = bound up in self-gratification and uncaring to others

THE EGO: (“I”): functions with the rational part of the mind. The Ego develops out of growing awareness that you can’t always get what you want. The Ego relates to the real world and operates via the “reality principle”. The Ego realises the need for compromise and negotiates between the Id and the Superego. The Ego's job is to get the Id's pleasures but to be reasonable and bear the long-term consequences in mind. The Ego denies both instant gratification and pious delaying of gratification. The term ego-strength is the term used to refer to how well the ego copes with these conflicting forces. To undertake its work of planning, thinking and controlling the Id, the Ego uses some of the Id's libidinal energy. In transactional analysis, Ego equates to "Adult".

Ego too strong = extremely rational and efficient, but cold, boring and distant

THE SUPEREGO (“Over-I”): The Superego is the last part of the mind to develop. It might be called the moral part of the mind. The Superego becomes an embodiment of parental and societal values. It stores and enforces rules. It constantly strives for perfection, even though this perfection ideal may be quite far from reality or possibility. Its power to enforce rules comes from its ability to create anxiety.

The Superego has two subsystems: Ego Ideal and Conscience. The Ego Ideal provides rules for good behaviour, and standards of excellence towards which the Ego must strive. The Ego ideal is basically what the child’s parents approve of or value. The Conscience is the rules about what constitutes bad behaviour. The Conscience is basically all those things that the child feels mum or dad will disapprove of or punish.

Superego too strong = feels guilty all the time, may even have an insufferably saintly personality'

What surprises me all the more is the fact that a person like Freud who had such insights in to the human mind once confessed, "What women want, this is one question that I do not have an answer for."

Singing off...

New Blogger...

I have crossed paths with the word BETA on two occasions before today...
It is a queer case of serendipity that both happen to be during my student days...
The first time when I was on my way to becoming an engineer & the second when I was picking the basics of finance while pursuing MBA...
However this time around it is slightly different...
The new BloggerBeta is not only interesting to work with but also much simpler...
An obvious analogy that comes to mind is that of DOS & WINDOWS, if the first version of Blogger is Dos then the Beta version is something of a Windows...
Though everyone is harping about it, I thought even I'l hop on to the bandwagon for the plain reason that it deserves its due...
"THE TEMPLATE EDITOR", now struggling with lines of HTML code is a thing of the past all on has to do is get in to the user friendly & straight forwad edit page & do your thing by just clicking or drag-n-dropping...
The look & feel also deserve a special mention, very tasteful & visually aesthetic...
Beta is beautiful & fun to work with, so go for it coz if you dont they'll force you to in a couple of months...
Signing off...