Stop Motion Animation - Meccano Mustang

I made this video in my last year in BITS. Do comment!

What's Wrong with Mah English?

The more precise among you must have realized by now what I'm referring to.  For those among you who haven't, just go back to your facebook home page (in a seperate tab, of course), and you'll find the following words aplenty... I have just picked a few from my homepage right now.


Eg: Kp (instead of Keep), cll (for college!)m the dreaded Mah.

I think the worst offender is Mah, though. No doubt the others can be put down to the not-so-trendy-any-more usage of SMS lingo - but what the hell is the deal with Mah?

Ok firstly, the SMS lingo being referred to was probably (hopefully the more discerning amongst you will appreciate that I used PROBABLY instead of the time-saving PROLLY) invented to save time while using the slightly human-unfriendly keypads on cell phones (as compared to laptops/PC's). Now what's the use of using them on a regular keyboard? Does the extra 0.00003 second that you save help you in any way? Does it prolong your life span? Does it improve your IQ? Does it give the additional freedom to take a bite out of your sandwich while you type?

No.

In fact, more time is spent on COMING UP with the idea for the perfect time-saving spelling of a word, than is saved by using it.

Now back to Mah.

I'll plagiarize this conversation I had with my friends the other day. Hell, I was part of the conversation, so it can't be termed as "plagiarized", but what the heck.

Cast: Surendra Singh Chaplot, Nikhil Balchander, Amit Abbi, Kiran Kannan and me.


Scene: Discussion on between friends who met after some six odd years. Topic: I'll be blown if I remember.

NB: You know Varun, I was reading your FB note the other day.

(I had been writing like mad for the past few days, so) Me: Which one?

NB: Wohi, GRE vocab list wala. (For those among you unfamiliar with my work, refer to: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=144477312234689 )

Me: Oh. Well, It rang from the heart.

NB: You know lots of people have asked me the same thing.

SSC: What what tell me.

(Discussion about the note) Rhubbabubbabbubbab...

KK (checks cell phone, smiles at an SMS, details of which both escape my mind and are anyway not relevant to topic here): Check this out. XYZXYZXYZ Mah dog ate it!

NB: "Mah"?

AA: Even I was thinking the same thing. Yeh "Mah" kya cheez hai bhai.

KK: Arey I was just reading whatever is there in the message.

NB (the eternal prankster): Saale kutte tu apni maa ko dog bulata hai!

KK: Abey "Mah" ka matlab "My" hota hai.

All start laughing.


Oh yeah by the way I did not include the conversation because it is funny (which it isn't, in this context. Trust me, it was funny when it happened. We went to talk about Mah home, Mah college, Mah-a-Bharat-aa and what have you.) I only included it to tell you what motivated me to write this note.

So what the bleep is Mah. Why would you want to replace My with Mah?

1. "My" is smaller. Only two letters, for the time-conscious. "Mah" has friggin' three.2.  I know many people who believe that the rap lingo (Afro-American for the more sensitive reader) is cooler. I know many guys who are friggin' brown yet believe that NBA jerseys, thick chains, tilted caps and French beards make them look like MC Hammer or something. Oh yeah and when most of these dudes open their mouths to speak, they look more like MC Stammer or something. "Mah" is a word for these guys. 3. "Mah" neither looks cool, nor sounds it. I mean look at it - M and H in one word in rapid succession? Most of the sane people I know have rolled their eyes every single time they came across "Mah".


Anyways, by now, if you as the reader aren't bored yet, I as the author certainly am. I have just realized that I have lost the last twenty something minutes of Mah life writing abt smpn dat ll crtainly nt rank amng Mah literary achivmnts. So Gn all, ggwphf.

Statutory Warning: This note was prolly so crappy that even the author does not mind if you decide to copy/plagiarize the work as your own, by any means, be it written, typed, electronic. And those among you offended by the note, (I have just reread it, and can only find that the "many guys who are friggin' brown yet believe that NBA jerseys, thick chains, tilted caps and French beards" may be among the concerned party), who cares. Sue me.

What Guys Feel about Girls (but don't say out Loud) - A Frank Letter to all Gals

Why should I bring this up? If we don't say it out loud, it better stay put in our minds, right? Well, most of this stuff is what we assume you know, but in fact you don't (most of the time). And guess what - most guys feel the same way, and probably just don't have the guts (or are too nice) to tell them to you directly.

NOTE: As goes usually with my notes, the Bad Guy notice - no offense is meant to anyone, and all comments and criticisms welcome! This ain't just my personal opinion, and any guy who vehemently disparages my points is either faking to impress his girlfriend, or is really, just really lucky.

So here goes. 


1. NO, YOU DON'T LOOK FAT!

Guys don't care as much about their weight, let alone yours. Oh sure, the impression stands that a guy is more attracted to a girl with a great body, but in no way does that mean putting on a couple of pounds will make you any less likeable. Oh, I know, reading the last sentence, you'd be all like "Oh my God, did he just say a couple of POUNDS?" But face it - Unless the guy is a trainer for the losebellyfat.com or some similar site, and runs marathons every day for fun, and has a 19-pack abs, he simply doesn't care that much. So next time that you ask him, "Does this make me look fat?", expect the same monotonous response you'd get if you asked, "Was the dish I made really good?" :D


2. WE KNOW YOU CAN ALSO GROW FACIAL HAIR - JUST DON'T TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU TAKE THEM OUT.

Face it. It's no secret. I don't know whether you gals actually enjoy going to the parlor, and use all the hot waxes and whatnot concoctions, but guess what - all the guys get the creeps when you tell them about your exploits in that salon. Don't sport a Rajnkanth-esque stache (or like a villain from the old Western films - who keeps twirling his), anything else is almost fine. We do understand that you want to look good, but a couple of millimeters is nothing to freak out about.


3. WE LIKE IT WHEN YOU PUT YOUR ARM AROUND OURS.

Yea, and you don't have to be a girlfriend to do it! If you are close to a guy, he'll be quite happy to guide you. It gives us a sense of responsibility, and also help make other guys (and couples) jealous! :P


4. WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THERE MIGHT BE MORE GOOD-LOOKING GIRLS THAN THERE ARE GUYS.

Oh, save the tosh.. We know that you compare notes behind our backs, we know that you all think you can do a lot better, and we all understand that (at least in India), we might not all turn out to be Brad Pitts and Tom Cruise(s). How many times have we heard the old "99% of girls blah blah beautiful 1% blah blah my college" and how many times have we seen girls roll their eyes at this? We already know that your response is, "Look in the mirror, you perv, before you comment on the girls!" It's just an ego thing, you know.


5. DON'T PLAY GAMES.

This is one that I'm sure all the guys will agree on unanimously. If there are movies I absolutely retch at, it's the kind of movies where the girls gang up and manipulate others. Guess what - MAJOR TURNOFF! If you like the guy, just tell him. If he freaks out, then console him - straight to his face. If he's into you but you feel you aren't quite there yet, tell him so. The guy might feel bad - but will appreciate your honesty. Don't - and I repeat - DON'T leave him hanging at any point. Not only does it kill us - but in retrospect, we won't like to be seen anywhere even remotely around you again.


6. YUP, WE CARE ABOUT OUR LOOKS - BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU DO ABOUT YOURS.

Yea, yea, we all have seen Shahid Kapoor and his ads about whitening and fairness creams for men, and we all have used the infamous BrylCreem at some point or the other in our lives. We gives reasons such as "sunscreen" or "pollution", or even "cosmopolitan", but fact is, we take care of ourselves. We pick our clothes carefully, we think thrice before buying a deo. But that is the extent to which we might go. So don't go picking out clothes for him or keep commenting on his attire. Unless he is a Communist and wears only drab clothing, or else his mother has picked up his shirts for him, understand that his clothes were his choice and he won;t necessarily take your criticism constructively.


7. THE "IT'S NOT YOU - IT'S ME".

We've all heard this one. Don't even try it; it's a man's line, not yours. And don't pull it on us unless you have feelings for another guy and then want to break up. Even if you do so, tell us the guy's name, and give us a chance to fight for you at the very least. Unless of course the guy is that big a mighty jackass and you never really felt anything for him anyway.


8. NOT ALL OF YOUR MALE FRIENDS ARE TRYING TO HIT ON YOU.

Not even if you're a swimsuit model on the cover of Vogue magazine, will all your male buddies be trying to impress you. From where do you (referring to only some girls) get the impression that everyone has put on an act to woo you? We are as bored and irritated of putting on an act as you are.


9. IF WE SUPPORT YOU DURING A DARK PHASE IN YOUR LIFE, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE TRYING TO WOO YOU, IT MEANS WE CARE.

We've all seen the movies where the do-goody best friend is finally the long-lost love that the heroine is waiting for. We didn't WANT to watch it - but you made us do. But guess what. Unless the guy is a total jerk - in which case this post isn't written about him - we really want to take care, and make sure you are okay by the end of your ordeal. No, we are not hitting on you. No, we don't even have an ulterior motive. And no, we do not expect anything in return. We just want a smile on your face and a "Thank you" will do just fine as well.

10. WE HAVE OUR LIVES. 

Just like you, we have our very real lives, with real people, real problems, real emotions. We might not be the best at talking about them, or might not even want to, but it doesn't mean we don't have them. Do NOT expect us at your beck and call every single time and make a big fuss if we can't make it once in a while. On the other hand, listen to the guy once in a while, try and find out what he thinks.

In the end, all these things (and maybe a few more I missed) are what make us who we are. All the tosh about guys maturing later than girls or not growing up is just rot. We appear immature to be cool. We are brash, aggressive, and quite adept at lying. (Oh yeah.) But we still have our conscience, and we use it when required. So do not judge us after watching us during a basketball match where we had an altercation with another player. Guess what? We like you too. :D

So How many Words have you Learnt?

Absolutely hate it when people ask me about my GRE preparations: "How many words have you learnt?" ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! Do you mean to tell me people actually count the number of words they know? Or is it that you had no idea whatsoever of the English language when you began you preparations? Like in kindergarten we thought we knew more than the next kid if he could count to ten and we could count to twelve??

It's not once or twice that people have asked me this question. It's not even the glue-eating snot-eaters or the future auditors obsessed with numbers who ask me this. 

Am I missing something here? Is there a fixed roster that I should consult? People tell me about so many books and flash cards and lists and whatnots...which of these were you referring to when you asked me? 

Nuts. NUTS!

GRE, more than anything, is out to test your logic and vocabulary - or so they say. My preparation for the exam has not been ideal - or even conventional for that matter. But I can say for sure that I'm enjoying learning the language in my own way! I'd rather not earmark 100 words a day and try out all the memory-enhancing potions and concoctions and techniques, I am more comfortable when I write stuff and learn things that are related to what I need to know! Since when has the GRE become a mugger's paradise?

Not that I'm expecting anything great. I know pros like Shalini Lahiri, Harish Aditham and Srinivas Pavan who can easily come up with awesome scores even if they are blindfolded and allowed to type with only one hand.In a blizzard. But for heaven's sake. I'm pretty sure everyone must have faced this question at least once...so how did you guys respond?

What All I Learnt in College: Notes of a Disgruntled BITSian

Tag/Share with as many BITSians as you can!

What all I learnt in college:

1. The more studying you did for the exam, the less sure you are as to which answer they want. 
2. 80% of the final exam will be based on the one lecture you missed and the one book you didn't read. 
3. Every instructor assumes that you have nothing else to do except study for that instructor's course. 
4. When reviewing your notes before an exam, the most important will be illegible. 


More things I learnt:

1. Don't force it; get a larger hammer. (Workshop) 
2. Any tool when dropped will roll into the least accessible corner of the workshop. (again) 
3. On the way to the corner, any dropped tool will first strike your toes. 
4. If you have to ask, you're not entitled to know. If you don't like the answer, you shouldn't have asked the question. (Esp. MT Abhilash’s classes) 
5. It is better for the college faculty level to be going down the drain than to be coming up it. (As is the present case) 
6. No matter which direction you start it's always against the wind coming back.(Never pee into the wind – moral of Harsha’s aerodynamics lecture) 
7. Any order that can be misunderstood has been misunderstood.(Rule used against AVK) 
8. If you tell the instructor you were late for lab because you had a weak stomach, the next lab you will have a weak stomach.(Analog Electronics Lab 4/5) 
9. If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.(Most EMEC labs) 
10. The legibility and length of a report is inversely proportional to its importance.(SOP) 

Her Diary v/s His Diary

Her DIARY 



I asked him what was wrong - he said, "Nothing." 



I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry. 



On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. 



I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, "I love you, too." 



When we got home I felt as if I ad lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. 



He just sat there and watched TV.; he seemed distant and absent. 



Finally I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he came to bed. 



I decided that I could not take it anymore, so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep. 



I started crying and cried until I too fell asleep. 



I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. 



My life is a disaster. 



HIS DIARY 



Today India lost the cricket match. DAMN IT. 

The True Test of Art's Greatness

Is the greatness of art based on it's sole ability to connect with the masses?


Art, in itself, is a medium, through which the artist, the visionary, expresses himself. Every work of art is unique in it's composition, it's intent, and it's aura. Whether the greatness of such works can be measured against a scale, might be a moot point and very much debatable, with it's pros and cons, as the author here will try to convince you.


Art has been prevalent in many forms, from colorful masterpieces on a pastel to the enthralling tones of a symphony; from the intricate carvings on rock to the direction of a cult-classical act or movie. It is undeniable that the artist, or the composer, is a visionary of this idea, and what he tries to present to the observer, is the world from his own perspective. So the question that really answers the issue here is: Has the perspective of the masses changed over the years, enough to understand the perspective of the artist of a bygone era as well?

Consider Leonardo da Vinci, the famous scientist, author, artist, and pioneer. His most famous works include the Mona Lisa, the Neanderthal Man and the Flying Machine. When da Vinci envisioned these amazing creations, we find that his contemporaries did not have the ability to share his vision. In the medieval times, before the Renaissance, science was frowned upon by the clergy and feared by the masses. Any attempt to fly, for example, was castigated, using the example of the monk Icarus who threw himself from the top of a tower with feathers stuck to his arms. But has the parochial nature of these opinions hinder our awe for the masterpieces? Of course not. Nowadays, da Vinci is recognized for what he really was: a great thinker and pioneer. Hence it goes to show that the true test of greatness of art might not necessarily be determined by it's ability to be understood by the masses - it can be an esoteric topic of discussion as well, to be understood and appreciated by a few.


Let us consider the very idealistic vision of Howard Roark, that Ayn Rand presents in the highly acclaimed book, The Fountainhead. As an architect, Howard Roark is the ideal artist - sacrificing obsolete structures on buildings to make way for pure efficiency and science. What Roark envisions is something that his contemporary colleagues and competitors never come to terms with - as can be seen in the case of Peter, his rival. However, to the few clients who look to organization more than aesthetic appeal, and efficiency more than inctricate molds, Roark's works are the perfect embodiment of their plans. Does the inability of the narrow-minded masses to appreciate his work deter Roark from building what he views as the optimal designs? Certainly not. But can they be viewed as examples of great art? Ayn Rand, among others, thinks so.


However, not all art can be termed masterpieces only because they are understood by but a few. A folk song, and traditional dance, can also be considered among the very examples of great art, purely because they are performed with such fervor by the locals, because these routines embody the enthusiasm of the community. For example, the film industry of India, Bollywood, has it's fair share of 'great'music. While the rest of the world might not be aware of these songs or even their composers, it doesn't take away anything from these great souls.

Shakespeare's plays, would be the ideal examples in this context. William Shakespeare's plays were enacted to the public, the actors leading a peregrinish lifestyle. People would flock together to view these skits, and would follow, in detail, the famous stories that the author penned. Shakespeare is famous because he had an innate knowledge over every human emotion, and this quality made his works more approachable by the common man. The masses cou;d relate to his emotions, and hence his prose has been considered great. Nowadays, however, Shakespearan plays are a little obsolete and esoteric, because of the changes that the English language has undergone. However, the concept he imbibes into each of his stories is quite relevant even today.

    
Music and film have always had great artists associated with them. Mozart, Beethoven, Ravi Shankar, Joe Satriani, to name a few, have transformed the way people feel through their compositions. And though their music might be universal, not everyone can claim to understand the passion behind these compositions. Famous movies, like Citizen Kane, The Godfather and Casablanca shall always relate to the masses,of any age or time. This is what makes them classics.


A work of art need not be classified great by only the socialites or the highest rungs of society. It can also be great in the way it speaks out to the masses, in a way it connects to the general public. As long as a piece of art has soul in it, it becomes a masterpiece, whether to the artist himself, or to a few - Like in the very famous story by O.Henry 'The Last Leaf', where the artist paints a leaf and gives his life trying to place the leaf among the others on a tree, in an attempt to save a girl's life. That, without doubt, is a masterpiece.

World's Best Resume Ever!

This video resume of s man called Aleksey Vayner/Garber started making the rounds a couple of years ago, and has even been ranked as one of the most viewed videos of all time. Vayner sent this resume to get a finance job, but the content of the video caught the attention of the employers, and the video somehow got leaked to the Web. Immediately, it became an instant craze, as people logging in to follow the so-called exploits of this man.

The video has been ranked at #87 on the Most Iconic Internet Videos of all time.

Veyner, aspiring to be an investment banker, sent this video along with a 11-page resume to banking powerhouse UBS, along with a glamor-shot. The resume instantly caught the attention of the bankers. Soon enough, Vayner had turned into the biggest joke of Wall Street.

In his resume, Vayner claims to have participated in several outstanding feats.

Describing himself as 'Aleksey Vayner, CEO & Professional Athlete,' the video shows him (supposedly) lifting a 495-pound weight, serving a tennis ball at 140mph, performing a rather impressive rotating jump while skiing, and – in an extended sequence – ballroom dancing with an underdressed lady while clad in a figure hugging black polo neck.
In the video, he comments: 'If you're going to work, work. If you're going to train, train. If you're going to dance, then dance, but do it with passion.'
Finally, wearing white robes, he majestically smashes a pile of bricks with his bare hands.
In his cover letter to UBS, he says: 'As a world-level athlete in several sports, I have developed an insatiable appetite for peak performance and continuous learning. My trainer and world martial arts champion often said, “Impossible is just someone's opinion.” I live by those words.'
His 11-page resume (11 pages!) also states that he is the CEO of his own investment firm, that he founded a charity helping young people, and that he can cure people using his knowledge of Chinese medicine.
Ivygate claims that  his 'investment firm' may be fake, and plagiarises its mission statement from another firm; that his 'charity' Youth Empowerment Strategies bears an uncanny resemblance to an entirely unconnected charity also called Youth Empowerment Strategies; and that his self-published book about the Holocaust ('Women's Silent Tears') plagiarises entire segments from an online Holocaust Encyclopedia.
Other interesting stories about Vayner include one student's recollection - reported in Yale Daily News - that he claimed to be one of only four people in the state of Connecticut qualified to handle nuclear waste. Also reported in the humour magazine Yale Rumpus are his assertions that he was previously employed by the CIA and the Mafia, and that he had given tennis lessons to Harrison Ford.


More about Aleksey
The New Yorker wrote about Aleksey’s past fibs:
Claims to have won two games against tennis great Pete Sampras, and taught Jerry Seinfeld and Harrison Ford to play
The Dalai Lama wrote his college recommendation letter
He was an action star and professional skier

Other publications investigating learned that Vayner has variously claimed the following[1]
He won two games against tennis great Pete Sampras, and taught Jerry Seinfeld and Harrison Ford to play
He is an expert in Chinese orthopedic massage
The Dalai Lama wrote his college recommendation letter
He was an action stuntman and professional skier
He is a professional model and has appeared in promotional ads for multiple clothing stores including Ann Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue.
He worked for the Central Intelligence Agency
He is a master in the art of Tibetan bone-setting
He forged passports for the Russian Mafia
He participated in Tibetan gladiatorial contests
He is one of four people in the state of Connecticut certified to handle nuclear waste
He at one point claimed to be the original developer of Napster
Rumpus Magazine, a Yale University tabloid, had already exposed Vayner as a possible fake before attending Yale.
Vayner is licensed to handle nuclear waste, must register his hands as lethal weapons, and participates in Tibetan gladiatorial contests.


Oh and by the way, Vayner didn't get a job - from UBS or any other bank. He took an indefinite leave from college too.

Valentino Rossi Severely Injured; faces Two Months Out

Nine time motorcycling and current defending champion Valentino Rossi suffered a serious injury today, during the practice session of the Italian Grand Prix.

The 31-year old was gunning for third place during qualifying, with 15 minutes remaining when he suddenly lost control of his bike and was thrown off. As soon as he realized he couldn’t get up, paramedics rushed onto the tarmac and helped him off. Initial scans revealed a broken shin, and at least two months to recover from the injury. The medical squad confirmed that his shin was indeed fractured, and had almost pierced through the skin. He was flown off to a hospital immediately. He has been diagnosed with a ‘displaced and fractured tibia’.

Rossi was severely injured in the Qualification of the Italian Grand Prix

The Yamaha rider was contemplating his title defense with a top-two finish in today’s qualifying for tomorrow’s race, but his dreams have been dealt a real blow now. The impetus, now, is surely with Lorenzo and Casey Stoner to make full use of his absence and take an insurmountable lead in the championship. Rossi had been the fast rider the day before qualifying, and is currently second in the Championship, behind Yamaha teammate J Lorenzo.

The next race is the British Grand Prix, on June 20th. Initial estimates have ruled him out of the Dutch, Spanish, US and German races as well.

The 31-yr old, sporting a new  haircut, appeared calm as he spoke of his crash. Rossi has been recently in the news for contemplating a move from MotoGP to either F1 or rally racing.

PotterMania: Muggle Quidditch

Yea, you read right.

Quit-itch!

If you, like me, are one of the readers of the massively famousHarry Potter series, then you are in for a treat. Quidditch is indeed, now a real sport.

Before you start getting excited, you should first know that there is no magic involved – the game has been (obviously) modified to suit our non-wizard disadvantages. The game was first ‘invented’ in the real world in 2005, by Xander Manshel, a student of Middlebury College, in Vermont, USA. In less than five years, the mythical sport has gained so much popularity that it boasts of an administrative association, it’s own rules, a World Cup and more than 200 colleges as  participants.

The Intercollegiate Quidditch Association was formed in 2007 to form a governing body for this sport. Before this form of the game, many people had already come up with variations of J.K.Rowling’s literary creation, with the game essentially consisting of a mixture of volleyball, handball and basketball rules. To simulate broomsticks, players used bicycles, unicycles, and sometimes even motorcycles.

Intercollege Quidditch Association

The ‘Quaffle’ was a football/volleyball, and the ‘Bludgers’ were  softer balls that the ‘Beaters’ tried to knock down the other teams players. Sometimes, even tennis racquets and balls were used as Bludgers, but due to lesser accuracy, were replaced by other balls.

However, ever since the IQA has taken over the administration of the sport, (and Xander now refers to himself as Commissioner Manshel), the rules have been tweaked so as to make the sport look more like it’s fictional origin. Players wear capes, and handle a broomstick in between their legs, which makes it more difficult to run and handle the Quaffle. Beaters can aim at the other players with large rubber balls and try to knock the Quaffle away from the Chasers. Every team has a Keeper, to man the three hoops which form the goalposts on either end of the field.

But the more excited among you Harry Potter fans must be looking for the Seeker and the Snitch in this Muggle version of the game! So here it is: the Snitch is not exactly a ball, but a neutral player (generally a cross-country runner), dressed in gold, who has a ball hanging in a sock from his pants! The Seekers on both teams try to catch this player and try to tag the ball in the sock from his pants. In most of the games, the Seeker is allowed to enter the field only at half-time. Sometimes, he is given the authority to enter the field at any time he wants. In more ambitious versions of the game, the Snitch-holder and the Seekers can run around the entire campus where the game is being held – there is no restriction to the field! The Snitch, however, is worth 50 points, unlike the 150 in the books.

Referees have the authority to call fouls, and in some cases, even remove the offending player from the field by showing him a ‘Red Wand’ (similar to a red card in football).

More recently, the sport was in news when Bronx High School of Science lost 30-50 to Lenox High School, in New York. Though the Seeker of Bronx High jumped across a fence to catch the Snitch (and eventually caught it), he had lost his broom during the jump, and hence, the match was deemed over.

Quite an interesting sport, though, personally am not very sure if it’ll catch up to the rest of the world as well!

A quidditch Team

The IQA also organizes the World Cup every year – it is an inter-collegiate event in the USA and boasts of some prestigious names like Boston University, Harvard University and Massachusetts as well!  In the 2009 Word Cup, Middlebury won the finals against Emerson, defeating them 60-10. The sport made it to the cover of Wall Street Journal and Life magazine as well. The World Cups receive a fair amount of spectators, and even some broadcasting.

The difference between a Friend and The Friend

Who is a friend and who is The Friend? A look into the oft-floated theories:
1. A friend doesn't mind which restaurant you guys are going to.
    The Friend not only minds, but he makes you pay for the whole damn thing if he doesn't get his pick.

2. A friend will walk with you till the nearest petrol pump if the bike you guys are on runs out of fuel.
   The Friend not only will hitch a ride from the first vehicle to pass you, he'll give you wrong directions to the petrol pump so you have to lug the thing an extra half mile. And the bike is HIS to begin with.

3. A friend will kick you and rag you on your birthday,
   The Friend will not only kick the living daylights (at night) out of you, he'll inject ink into unboiled eggs, get buckets of hot water and cold water, organize a mini-Afghanistan in your hostel room, buy two cakes and ruin BOTH, by stuffing then in your nostrils, hair, ears, pants, and whatnot.

4. A friend will chat once in a while when you are online.
    The Friend will not chat with you, will be busy inspite of his Available tag, and yet make you pay for drinks to make your cold-shoulder attitude next time you meet!

5. A friend syncs his laundry timings with you. So that you can spare a solo trip.
    The Friend will offer to carry your laundry, and throw it in the mud, drool all over it, when you aren't looking, just so that you have to pay extra for that Special Wash which the laundry offers.

The person who popped into your minds while reading "A friend" is a worthy soul - he will stick with you. The person who popped into your minds while reading "The Friend" will stick with you inspite of the restraining order. Enjoy his company!

Questions about the Soul

Is the soul warm or cold? Does it depend on the person's demeanor and activities? Is the soul lighter than air or heavier? All this will tell us whether the fact that we go to Heaven/Hell is destiny, or the choice of our soul. How does the soul get heavier? Does it really need two singing angels to carry it upwards? If it is that heavy, maybe me should start soul dieting. You know - divide your soul into seven pieces, like Voldemort does. Now I understand him! All he wanted to do was get into heaven. If the soul was lighter than air, it would have floated up by itself - it wouldn't have needed any angels. Even when the endless pits of Hell open up at the soul's feet, instead of falling into it, the soul will rise up with the air currents. Plus the fact the hot sir blowing  from hell at it's feet will sort of give it the initial lift - kind of like a hot-air balloon.

Armstrong Crashes out of Tour of California

Lance Armstrong, who has been under intense media scrutiny over the alleged usage of performance enhancing drugs, crashed during the Tour of California along with several other riders on Thursday.

During the opening stages of the fifth stage, Armstrong crashed with several other riders, and needed eight stitches below his left eye, while the X-ray scans to his elbow turned out to be negative.  He continued for a while, but had to retire due to injuries, and withdrew from the event.

The overall lead was eventually grabbed by Australian Michael Rogers, who became the fourth new leader in five days. Rogers finished second in the race behind Peter Sagan of Slovakia in the 195.5 km stretch. American Dave Zabreskie is second, while Levi Leipheimer is third overall. Lance Armstrong remained twelfth overall.

Incidentally, Armstrong also crashed during the finishing stages of the fourth race, but was awarded the same time as the winner, because he had crashed during the last three kilometers of the race.

Fans around the world will be tracking his progress keenly, with an eye on the approaching Tour de France, where the seven time champion will look to continue his dominance.

Earlier, Armstrong strongly denied the allegations thrown at him by former team mate, Floyd Landis. Landis had been stripped of his Tour de France victory in 2006, after failing a doping test. After years of denial, Landis finally broke his silence on Wednesday, and accepted the claims that he had been using drugs since 2002. Armstrong had himself recruited Landis at US Postal, citing his experience and competitiveness as a mountain bike champion. Now Landis claims that this was the period when he learnt about the performance enhancing drugs.

When asked about the allegations, 38-year-old Armstrong said: “We have nothing to hide. With regards to the specific claims, they’re not worth getting into it.

“I’m not going to waste my time or your time. It’s our word against his word. I like our word.”

The Team Radioshack rider is no newcomer to allegations regarding drug usage, he has endured several during the last decade.

What Would It be Like Without Religion?

I came across another unbelievable article (in my blogroll), about abolishing religion totally! Check it out here.

My take on it....

While I am not a very religious guy myself, I am not against people having their own religious beliefs, your point about starting a cult following with a hundred members was pretty funny :P

I want to bring to light the turmoil in France right now, with the abolition of the burqa. In France, you are not allowed to flaunt your religion, not allowed to publicize any symbols/signs related to your religion, etc. Is this how it should be for India as well? Even the mere suggestion of it will lead to (yet again) communal wars.

It's funny I came across your post today, because coincidentally, I was watching The Da Vinci Code earlier this evening. I liked the part where Tom Hanks says, it's all on your beliefs. When the book (and later movie) were released, Christians all over the world felt offended. No one was prepared to accept the fact that it is, merely, a fictional whim, a masterpiece created by the author Dan Brown. If anything, the realism of the story buys into it's whole debate.

While abolishing religion as a whole is pretty idealistic, that doesn't mean to say it's not a positive hope to cling on to. Cases against self-proclaimed godmen have been sprouting up through the years, it's nothing new to misuse people's trust for your own personal gains .And while I am not implicating anything, isn't that exactly what even Jesus Christ was about, and wasn't that why the Romans turned against him? Every belief in the world has it's own set of doubters and critics. It's what makes the world an open playground. If everyone were to have the same set of beliefs, well, that's what Hitler's been famous for, hasn't he?