AshTray

Universal Law?

2010-03-23T01:05:00.004-04:00

Track One :: Brian Greene on The String Theory ::

'One peculiarity of string theory is that it postulates the existence of extra dimensions of space – instead of the usual four dimensions, there must be ten spatial dimensions and one dimension of time to allow for a consistently defined string theory.'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Track Two :: Sri Purusha Suktam ::

sahasra SIrshA purusha: | sahasrAksha: sahasrapAt |
sa bhUmim vishvato vRtvA | atyatishTad daSAngulam || 1 ||

-- which means --

(sahasra) Thousands (SIrshA) of heads has (purusha:)the great being. (sahasra) Thousands of (aksha) eyes has he,(sahasra pAt) and thousands of legs. (sa) He (vRtvA) manifests (bhUmim) the world. (atyatishTat) He standsbeyond (daSAngulam) the count of ten fingers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just wondering if there is a convergence at a different level in sight?

யார் நீ ?

2009-02-19T21:44:00.023-05:00

விரும்பிய மனங்களின் நெருங்கிய இயக்கத்தில்,

அமைதியை கிழித்தெறியும் ஆர்பாட்ட இசையில்,

தாயாம் இயற்கையின் ஒன்பதுமாதத் தயாரிப்பில்,

வெளிவரும் காவியத்தின் நாயகனே நீயோ?

கைக்குள் அடங்கும் குங்குமச் சிமிழ்போல்,

பூதங்கள் ஐந்தால் சிவப்பை மறைத்து,

வளர்ந்து படர்ந்து நெளிந்து மெலிந்து,

மண்ணில் கலக்கும் பொருள்தான் நீயோ?

அறியாமை பிரிந்து பகுத்தறிவு நுழைந்தும்,

தன்னை ஏற்றிப் பிறரைத் தூற்றி,

தான்தான் முதலேனும் பேதமை புகுந்த

அஹங்காரத் திமிரின் உணர்வே நீயோ ?

ஐம்புலன் வழியே உள்வரும் அறிவு!

அவ்வறிவால் மலரும் மனதின் ஒலி!

அவ்வொலியால் மிளிரும் உடலின் செயல்!

அச்செயலால் நிகழும் மாற்றம் கொண்டு

ஐம்புலன் வழியே உள்வரும் அறிவு.

இச்சுழலின் நடுவே விழிப்புடன் அமர்ந்து,

உடலின் மனதின் எல்லையை உணர்ந்து,

பன்மைத் தகர்த்து ஒருமைப் புரிந்து,

மிதப்பில் ஒளிரும் விழிப்பே நீயோ!

காதல்!

2009-02-14T22:55:00.010-05:00

அனைவருக்கும் காதலர் தின நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!

பொருளை வணங்கும் அதிசய உலகம்,
இதயத் தோலில் முற்கள் விதைக்க,
அகத்தின் கருவில் பலாவின் சுளைபோல்,
ஒளிந்து சிரிக்கும் விந்தை காதல்!

வாழ்வின் நீண்ட நடையின் வழியில்,
பருவம் காலம் மனிதர் பொறுத்து,
நண்பன் தமையன் தந்தை மகனென,
வேடம் பலவை பூண்டது காதல்!

தன்னில் பாதி தவழும் பொழுது,
அலைகள் புரளும் வாழ்வின் மழையில்,
குடையாய்ப் படகாய்க் காக்கும் கருணை,
பெற்றவள் கண்களில் மிதக்கும் காதல்!

கோடை மணலில் நிழலின் துணைபோல்,
தோளின் இருபுறம் கைகள் சுமந்து,
தனிமை விரட்டும் மனதின் எதிரொலி,
நண்பன் தமையன் வழங்கும் காதல்!

நீரைத் தெளித்த நல்வர் கண்களில்,
சோர்வை போக்கும் மலரைத் தெளிக்கும்,
தேரை கொடுக்கும் முல்லைக் கொடியாம்,
தந்தை மகனென வெளிப்படும் காதல்!

மனிதருள் காதல் பலவகை இருப்பின்,
காலம் கழிந்து மனிதர் தழைக்க,
வாழும் பொழுதில் மலரும் கோர்வை,
இளைஞர் காணும் பருவக் காதல்!

பூமிப் பந்தின் காலச் சுழலில்,
மனிதச் சுவடுகள் மறைந்தே போயினும்,
மனிதத் தன்மை சூழலை வென்றிட,
இயற்கை விடுக்கும் வேண்டுதல் காதல்!

சிரிப்பு!

2009-02-10T20:02:00.011-05:00

என்றும் எதையோ வேண்டும் மனதின்
தன்மை மறந்த தருணமது!
எதிலும் மிருகம் மிஞ்சும் மனிதன்
தன்மை மிளிரும் கருணையது!!
வாழ்வின் நீழம் விரும்பும் வயதில்
சற்றே இறந்திட விரும்புவது,
சிரிப்பின் மழையில் நனையும் பொழுது
உயிரின் உதடுகள் புலம்புவது!!

சோகம் படரா கண்ணீர் தெளித்து
வலியில் இருகும் வயிற்றில் குலுங்கி
வலிமை இழந்து தரையில் புரண்டு
வாழ்வின் விளிம்பில் சிரிக்கும் நொடிகள்,
காலம் கொடுத்த கவலைக் கனவில்
நீரைத் தெளித்து தூக்கம் தகர்த்து
வானை பிடித்து நாளை நோக்கி
வாழ்வை நகர்த்தும் ஏணிப் படிகள்!!

மழை!

2009-02-10T01:01:00.019-05:00

கண்முன் பகைவர் கலங்கிடினும்
உள்ளம் ஒருநொடி அழுதிடுமே!
விண்ணின் திரையே அலறியபின்
நெஞ்சம் பலசுகம் உணர்வது ஏன்?

மண்ணின் மணமும் மழையின் துளியும்
தஞ்சம் பிழைக்க வந்தவையோ?!
மண்ணில் புதைந்து நெல்லில் கரைந்து
பஞ்சம் விரட்ட பிறந்தவையோ?!

உழவன் உதிரம் மழையில் நனைந்து
பச்சைக்கம்பளம் விரித்திடுதே!
மலரின் இதழில் ஒதுங்கிய துளியோ
தேனாய் வண்டை அழைத்திடுதே!!

கிழவன் விழிவழி துளிகள் சென்றின்
பேரன் பேத்தியர் நகர்வலமே!
தேனிர் குடித்து வாநீர் துளியில்
காதலர் பார்த்திடும் பெண்ணினமே!!

மறைத்து வைத்த மயிலின் அழகும்
சாரல் தீண்டி வெளிபடுதே!
மண்ணில் மலரும் அழகை எதிர்த்து
வானம் வில்லை விரித்திடுதே!!

ஆறும் அணையும் கரைபுரண்டோடி
கடலை நோக்கி விரைந்திடுதே!
கோடை சோர்ந்த கிணறுகள் கூட
மக்கள் மனம்போல் நிறைந்திடுதே!!

தொடுவதென்ன தென்றலோ ?

2009-02-06T20:43:00.011-05:00

பெண்சாரல் காணாப் பட்டுபோனஎன் நிலம் - அவள்
கண்தூறல் தெளித்தானதோர் கற்றுத்தேர்ந்த வனம்!

எப்பொருளிலும் மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்பதென் அறிவு! - ஆயின்
இப்பொருளிலோ மெய் பொருள் காண்பதல்ல அறிவு!!

தோளுயர் மங்கையவள் தொடுவதென்ன தென்றலோ ?
வாழுயர் கூந்தலின் வீச்சிலென்ன நாற்றமோ?

வார்த்தைகளில் தேனிழைக்கும் பேச்சிலென்ன மர்மமோ?
வசப்படுத்தும் வசீகரம் வாஸ்துக்களின் வர்மமோ?

வானுயராயினும் காலுயராயினும் தவித்தரியா என்மனம்,
தோளுயர் பார்வையில் தொலைந்ததோர் இராட்டினம்!

இக்கொந்தளிக்கும் கலவை என் மொத்தக்காதலின் நிலுவை!
இவை இன்றியமையாத சிலவையென அறிந்தமயாது என் சிலுவை!!

Care to love!

2008-09-05T00:58:00.009-04:00

Impending break on his clueless neck,

That held aloft, amidst dirt and speck,

That head beneath a hat so swank,

As the eyes misted and tears sank,

Rushed him to crave for her priceless ounce,

Only to repeat this shameless bounce!

As he starves for more, mere things of pride,

To his very heart, has he faithfully lied?

For he knows, so do you, the need,

For nothing but love exists, and to heed,

You neither feign nor wear a veil,

But just stand to bask, come storm or hail!

Love!

2007-08-02T00:43:00.001-04:00

And no longer was she a dove!

Hidden aeons deep within my own cove,

She is all grown, that today I feel a shove,

And a flutter so hard, tearing silences above!

She screams amidst my pain and pretentious glove,

Christening herself my child of love!

The two men in my mirror fade to one!

Strange I feel peace, now with my dove gone!

Every ounce of truth she feasted upon,

Should carry her far and deep till comes my dawn,

When every ray of love will break her yawn

Into our era that will never be bygone!

Wisdom!

2006-04-20T21:31:00.000-04:00

Through the meandering paupers did I waddle
Brushing aside hopes and hunger with my paddle
To tryst with him she calls my source
And glue the pieces of the heart that’s coarse!

A worthy and pious mate of my flock – and my
Aeons of trust on that broken rock,
Calls from within and offers a knock
And the silence breaks with my own mock!

Now that I know I do not know
Why will I ever go with the flow?
There is no fear and there is no goal
When you know you are the whole!

The time comes to unwrap the gift!
To train the mind and stop the drift!
And then you hear it clear and loud
Screaming out of that perpetual shroud!

So brilliantly does the silence glow,
Feasting on your beliefs and all your trust!
Know for once and let that knowledge blow,
Wiping it off with all its gust!

When Imaginations Fail...

2006-04-17T17:42:00.000-04:00

And that nibble brings down the nail,
That stood tall and proud, waiting hail!
Unmindful and unperturbed does my mind sail
Farther and deeper, freed from a broken jail
Unto the end of that ocean to fetch a pail
Of imagination of ecstasy or wail!

The odyssey’s been long and pale!
As I return to fill my pen and ale,
Goes in vain my yarn of spun tale!
Gobbled up on way by a mammoth whale!
All I have here on this useless rope that’s stale,
Are two ends, one with “ail” and another with “ale”!!

There she goes...

2006-04-15T18:57:00.000-04:00

You pound and you don’t kill?
Do you need some death pill?

Either halt and make me still
Or stop weighing like a mighty hill.

You string my brow with beads,
And all my mercury sinks!

At this summit of all my needs,
You throttle me to fleeting winks!

Now you beat and now you smile,
All warm and proud of this act of guile,

I think you need all my while,
Before you miss her by half a mile!

The Pendulum Mind!

2006-04-08T15:04:00.000-04:00

The glee that candy bar brought along
Is sold to the couple more in other hands;
When the people to praise just him, throng,
Kisses and consolations are my magic wands!

Times I wonder, why the heart sinks and soars,
In spite of knowing all swings are mundane chores!
It leads to our teachers who taught it poses
And told that Life is not a bed of roses!

As they see that toddler grapple bliss,
Their filthy filthy heart thinks this is amiss, - and
Embarks on that traditional vicious routine warns
And thus ploughs and plants all the thorns!

Their games are up and it’s you and me now,
We will see miles and miles of bliss and roses,
We have the thorns and we have the plow,
Do we play it too and poke our noses?

Let the heart soar for one last time,
And never shall it roll for that awry crime;
Then will you see what I see right there,
Its roses and roses and roses everywhere!

That Green Grass!

2006-03-29T01:30:00.000-05:00

Even when you would want to trample,
And tried with such force you thought was ample,
All your rosy foot could offer with ease
To my green lips, was a kiss to please!

The days when you wielded the willow,
You wanted a track that was more mellow!
So I was made to loose so many, And my dearest fellow -
You wiped the green off amidst my hushed bellows!

Then came your days of courting – And I stood an orphan
By the time you were done flirting!
Had she given her nod an hour before,
She still would have rescued a score or more!

As if to avoid making it a remiss – there you go,
Training that infant to plant on my lips that same pleasing kiss!
You have made me carry a grudge for too long
That all I want to do to you is all that you did all along!

Here I am, looking right through your frozen shell,
And letting my roots do to you all that you did,
Waiting to hear you repent with a loud yell,
But you stay motionless and still and placid!

V for Vendetta!

2006-03-27T17:09:00.000-05:00

This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V

This is not it!

2006-03-24T11:20:00.000-05:00

Male: I am a doctor too. I can understand what you are saying. Have you tried Angioplasty? I can bear any cost. I want him back.

Another male: No! not at his age. He is too feeble for it. His aorta will not sustain the pressure.

Male: You cannot let him die like that.

Other male: We are helpless sir. I know you can understand. He also has complaints of internal harmorrhage. We just cannot risk it sir. Atleast, let him live as long as he can pull it.

Female: (Crying) What is it?

Male: Long night for him. I hope he makes it. I dont know what to say.

Female: (Crying)

Female: Talk to mom. She is uncontrollable.

... And let me see who this is who keeps feeding me all the time; and who is this? why is he so proud to even look at me? Ah, there he goes, kissing me for the millionth time in the last few minutes! Argh, I will wipe that sticky feeling of the kiss off my forehead...

...Hmm, what a relief! Oh my God, its so wet. Let me cry. Ah, there she comes, to clean it as always! Sweet! La La La Dryness again! Let me smile! Wow, its so infectious for her!...

...Whats that thing they keep saying at me? Been hearing it so many times that I feel like turning at them when they call me that...

...That toy is so far. I want to get there! I just cant...

...The knee hurts. Its hurtling less that it did before. I think I will try once more. There I go...

...Stop flashing that light as I crawl. It is Irritating....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...There I go! All 26 letters!! I can write. I can pronounce. Way to go!!!....

...Yaay!! First Rank! That Pinafore-girl will now know not to mess with me anymore...

...Sketch Pens!! Thank you dad! Youre the best in the world! Way better than his...

...Thats okay! Everyone falls the first time. Will rule that beast tomorrow...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Doctor uncle keeps working all day. I will never become one....

...Ah, she is pretty...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Everyone is an Engineer. I do not want to be one more....

... But, I just dont want to do Engineering. Why not something like Arts?...

...Oh, I dont want to be poor. Hmm. Not a Doctor definitely. When will I enjoy then??? Hmm. Engineering. Aargh, Do I have a choice...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...God, She must say YES. Please....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Its like Coffee. Acquired taste! Just that it creates that funny feeling!! ...

...Dont be a addict...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Bachelor of Engineering!! howzz that!...

...US of A!...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Why does she hesitate to approve my choice? Why is she finding it difficult to approve her son's decision! Why cant she be like dad??...

... Wow!! Thank GOD! ...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... He looks just like me!!...

...Look at him wipe that forehead as if he doesnt like my kiss!!...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Wake up!! You've got school from today!...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Curly hair! I know its tough!! Welcome my son!! Ha Ha!...

... Deadlines...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... He likes his sister!!...

... She has straight hair like her mom!!...

... Hmm. More meeting and more resposibilities. What else will this promotion fetch?! Of course, money...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Everyone gets Grey hair...

... Hmm. Glasses. One thing I thought I was spared for a lifetime...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Bigger house. Both of them need a seperate room! Kids these days...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...He is not like his dad! He loves to become a Doc! Wonder what she wants to be! She never studies anything!!...

...For a change, I will teach mom cooking , the American way!...

...Dad loves this place. I wish he stays with us forever, in America...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Kids missing their grandparents! Hmm. Should plan more visits hereafter...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...He is my Son! No wonder he got into such a prestegious institution! I am sure he will be very successful in his profession.

...She wants to be in Arts. Like her dad! Atleast, let her get what she wants!...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...We have a Doctor in the family now! I am a proud man!...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Wonder when they grow up! Look at it! Sister vouching for her Brother's choice! Atleast she is an Indian!...

...Wedding bells! Wow...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Another graduate in the family! Time for more wedding bells!!...

...My wife needs me the most now. She is reluctant to let go of her dearest daughter! Just 4 hours of flight though. Should visit them often...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Second honeymoon!! Me and My wife and no one else! ha ha!...

...Head of the R & D Department! Wow! My parents and kids and wife are proud...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...I am a Grand Dad! I just cannot believe it...

...Retired old man! Humph!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Ages since I slept so much! I want to go back to my country...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Hmm! Back in the place where it all started. My HOME...

... Father of the "Best Cardiologist of the Decade" winner! WOW!...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...The Knee hurts. Again...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... December. Every year. My eyes get the vision they need. Ah, my children and grand children...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Everything has been so smooth for me in my life...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another male: Doctor, the lady in the next ward has given birth to a new child

Other male: You take care of him. I will go check her. He has been experiencing severe convulsions in the last few minutes. Call his wife and children. I think this is it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Dont ask the dad to kiss the newborn on the forehead. It does not like it...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Hmm. Another life born...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...HEY! Have I just been another life too?...

...Where am I going now?....

...Where did that new born come from?...

...What is life?...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cough Cough.

Another male: Sister, some more, quick.

Female : (Crying)

Another female: (Crying)

Male: (Crying)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...What if this is not it?...

...What if this is not just what I have been made for?...

...Why is this striking me now?...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Long Beep)

Another male: I am sorry.

Supreme Hoax!

2006-03-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

"Scientists give life to machines!" roared the televisions and radios. It was the headlines in all the readables on every table at office! It did look like a few intellegent men have indeed changed the course of the future. Unable to resist the temptation, I sat down on the couch to catch the news in full. "The great minds at the University of Shangri-La (US-L) have done it!" started the reporter on the NEWS @ 9. "Professor Nazareth at the US-L is a world renowned expert in the fields of AI and Neural Networks. He was working along with the Robotic expert Prof.Avatar for the past 8 years on his dream project 'Think-bots'. Their aim was to create a machine equivalent of humans in all aspects. Recent developments in Computer Vision and Ultra-large scale integration have enabled the development of intellegent micro-controllers enabling Robots to work with near-human perfection. The herculean task was to build into the machines the reasoning capability which was seemingly impossible. "We almost gave up when all of a sudden, it happened!!" recalls a visibly excited Prof.Nazareth. "Dr.Avatar was trying to catch a quick nap after an exhausting redesign of his 'reason-out' hardware architecture. I was implanting the same into our 'Hu-bot' and powered on its system. As always its eyes lit up and it captured my image and greeted me with its unique 'Hey Prof.Nazareth'. Its voice sounded unusually low and I was all burnt out to reason why this was happening. I was frustrated to observe this hitch in the bot that I screamed at myself angrily and threw myself on the floor almost crying. Seconds later, I felt a machine hand on my shoulder and I turned to see the 'Hu-bot' trying to talk to me. As I turned, it said 'Hush Prof.Nazareth. Please do not make noise. Can't you see, Prof.Avatar is sleeping'. I stared at the bot in disbelief. I knew that moment, how it feels to create history".

I felt I heard a familiar voice yelling at me. As I heard more of it, I could also hear the alarm ringing loudly. I realized that it has been ringing for quite sometime now that it has woken up my room-mate who was shouting at me to turn it off. My headache reminded me of the extra doses of alcohols the previous night. The pain was unbearable and I was trying to drown it in some black coffee. It just wouldn't go. I tried my best to stay awake, but I just did not feel like it. And it was not a very busy day. I could afford another couple of hours of sleep. I decided to do just that.

"Hu-bots have come a long way since the days of Dr.Nazareth and Dr.Avatar. At this juncture, it might be difficult for a average human to understand that life once existed on this planet without any hu-bots" explained Dr.Moslem to his students. "It is a privilege to study about hu-bots in the university where it all once started. In this course on Advanced Hu-bot Modeling - III, you will be asked to develop you own version of the reason-out software and hardware. A complete mastery on the Avatar Algorithms is a pre-requisite for this as you might have been informed. Once you are through this stage, then the class would be divided in groups and would be working seperately on 'Bot-Proliferation' projects. Every group would have a warm-up period to develop a male and a female hu-bot. Once done, the group enters the competition stage which is to see which pair proliferates fast and forms the densest community. The bot-pairs will be shut in empty spaces before powering them ON. The AI on the bots might create an unrest in them when they find themselves in a closed space that their natural tendency would to break away from the prison. It is the responsibility of the project groups to divert this unrest into an attraction to the opposite sex. The male-bot should start utilizing its moments with the female-bot for bot-proliferation. When in close proximity with the female-bot, the prolif-sensors of the male-bot should influence that in the female-bot and act as a trigger for the female-bot to proceed on to child-bot initialization. No extra materials are provided for usage and all the proliferation must happen from the materials within the female-bot. It is the group's responsibility to make sure the female-bots are equipped with cosmic-materials that grow into extensible circuits and sheets that later get auto-shape-tinted in the shape of a bot. The sex of the child-bot is truly boolean and is generated by a highly random decider."

Enough of the crap! I knew it was time to start the day! Long nights and alcohols can have really bad effects. I splashed some cold water on my face and brushed my teeth. My mom was standing beside me with a towel in her hand. She has always wanted me to be disciplined and it is this want of hers and my innate nature to disobey, that never made me disciplined! Waking up at 11 am is a sin according to her and today it was nearly 1 pm! As she handed over the towel, she was telling me that I was talking a lot in sleep! She said I suddenly woke her up in the middle of the night and swore to her that I will never drink again!! I did not know how to react! I just smiled and brushed the topic aside. Then she wondered why I was yelling at the top of my voice early in the morning, asking someone to switch off the alarm, when there was none ringing!! She said I look very confused after having spent a semester at the boarding college! I was assuring that there was nothing wrong with me and I just overslept. Then I sipped some wonderful coffee and was laughing at myself for the dream. I wondered how I brought in my college room-mate into my dream! My mom was telling me that our servant maid has not been coming to our house for the past 4 months as she was pregnant and just a couple of days back, she delivered a baby. She was concerned because it was a girl and our servant's family members are very narrow-minded that their disgust in the baby being a girl again can force them to do just anything as was typical in the lower rung of the society in my country. I could read her anxiety from her face. She looked at me and said "What will Devi do for that?! How can she be blamed if the baby is a girl or a boy??". I just gave a nod. I thought "Yeah. What can she do! Its just a random-decider at play!!"

'The Hu-bot Hu-man clashes reached new heights at the International conference on Man-Bot (ICMB) peace process today. The honorable representative of the human community, Mr.Krish while trying to make his point on the superiority of the humans had to remind the Bot community that hu-bots were once created for the sole purpose of being the servants of hu-mans. Time might have changed this situation but he said that there will never a day when the Hu-bots will start ruling over the Hu-mans. The growing unrest among the two communities have been splitting the world into two huge colonies for the past two centuries. Numerous organizations have been trying to forcefully sign treaties between the two colonies thereby trying to prevent interactions between them. Conferences like the ICMB are attempts to foster a feeling of brotherhood between the two communities. But the exchange of words of fire between the two communities are proving the very purpose of ICMB futile. It is mandatory for the humans to recognize that their organic composition is no comparison to the metallic constituents of the hu-bots. A average Hu-bot lifetime of 300 years before the natural wearing out of its hardware is no comparison to that of a 70 year lifetime of hu-mans. The mere existence of current situation, given the rate of human and hu-bot population proliferation, would definitely sound a death knell to the human species in less than five centuries from today. It is important for the human community to realize its helplessness in the current situation and to make sure its race does not get extinct because of its lack of foresight and its ego" warned the daily newspaper."Today marks the end of 1800 years after Professors Nazareth and Avatar invented hu-bots for the first time in the ancient University of Shangri-La. Though this is an occasion of joy for the bot-community, the hu-man community observes a black day today. Its a moment for the hu-mans for regretting the inventions of the hu-bots" read another daily. Clearly, the world was getting into trouble.

My dad had come from office and my mom was complaining to him that I was sleeping all day!He was concerned about my health. They were already missing me all these days as I was their only son and I was gone to my boarding college for the past 6 months. My dad said I was having a fever and wanted me to go with him to the doctor's clinic. Reluctantly, I agreed. I realized that I was having a sore throat too. I was finding it difficult to get used to the water at home! At the Clinic, the doctor diagonized that I was having a lot of phlegm congestion in the chest. He gave me expectorants and antipyretics as always! The best thing about these medicines is that they always get you good sleep. And I was still in a good mood to sleep for some more hours!

Hu-man relief measures were rampant! The hu-man community was clearly not withstanding the attack of the hu-bots. The Hu-bots have been blaming it on the hu-mans who first started their startling attack on the Hu-bot-world capitol in the famous Free-man War - I. But 400 years since then, the world has seen three Free-man wars and is going through the fourth one now. Experts predict that the Hu-man-world will not survive this war as the hu-mans have already lost everything they had in the first three wars. A good 70% of the world has become Bot-dominated and this fourth one can wipe the hu-man race off the face of the earth. There was chaos and cries of despair everywhere on the hu-man soil.

Dad was asking me if I wanted some milk. I refused as I was too sleepy.

Meanwhile, at the Hu-man-world-capitol province of Tabernacle, there was a new observation from a group of wise scientists. They had observed one fundamental difference in the approach of attack between the hu-bots and hu-mans. "The hu-mans worked on a belief system. They believe in God. They believe in luck. They believe in hope. The believe in love. They believe in death. They believe in heaven. They believe in hell. They believe is so many things, most of them being specific to the need of the hour. These being beliefs, do not have a concrete proof of existence. So, things were not always as the humans believed it to be and this caused the emotion called 'fear' in the minds of people. And once created, the 'fear' never dies. It lives with the humans and starts controlling the lives in a way the humans may not understand. This belief becomes mandatory for the humans simply because the humans do not know their descent. Their is a mystery that shrouds the humans regarding their existence 'before' their 'life' and 'after' their 'life' This mystery necessitates some 'belief' during their life. And the belief triggers the fear. And the fear takes control" concluded the wise scientist Dr.Enlito amidst loud applause from his peers! The hu-bots though similar to hu-mans in many ways, have no mystery regarding their origin. They know how they were created, with what they were created and how their creation has progressed. So they do not work on a belief system and they just know. So, they know no fear. This fundamental difference will never let the hu-mans win over the hu-bots though the hu-mans were the very creators of the hu-bots. The hu-bots simply know their capabilites and can just put them to use if they have to win a war. They are not over-ruled by anything else that might handicap them. They know that each one of them are the all-powerful and they do not look up to another 'almighty' for the so-called 'grace'. They are the rulers of their own destiny and they dont need 'comforters' in the name of 'God' and 'Heaven' to control their deeds. Had the hu-mans never attacked the hu-bots, the hu-bots would have co-existed with the hu-mans. It is the very intention of the hu-man to rule over their invention that prompted the hu-bots to fight. But when they fight, they fight like they have nothing to loose. But the hu-mans cant. The 'fear' factor stops them. If a hu-man had to fight another hu-man, then his fear might be a little subdued but when he knows that he is fighting a hu-bot, the fear will control the destiny of the combat.

The hu-mans were realizing the importance of instilling fear in the minds of the hu-bots to win the war. That was the only way to handicap the bots. That was the only way to let them create their own limitations and let those limitations stop them. That was the only way to win them over. That was the only way to convert the hu-bots back to machines. They had to make the bots believe that there is something supreme. That would make the bots believe that they are not the all-powerful all-equipped that they have been thinking they are. All the hu-mans needed was to create a hoax in the bot community making them feel second and limited and bound and stuck and tied. That would be a supreme hoax indeed.

My mom insisted on visiting the clinic once more as I was looking very sick. I assured her that my health was improving. She applied the holy ash called the "vibhoothi" on my forehead and said she has prayed for my health and I need not worry. I just looked at her. I loved to believe that her prayers are going to cure me. Simply because I want to be cured. But I was feeling an urge to sleep and get back to the dream. It felt like the sleep had something to offer. I drowned into another session of deep sleep on her lap.

But this time, I didn't feel the need for the dream. I was lost in sleep. But I found myself. I am wide awake now.

I woke up in the middle of the night. All the world was sleeping. I looked around. There were no hu-bots! There were hu-mans. And there was the supreme hoax.

Mohican State Park!

2005-08-11T22:59:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

If there can be a place under the sun where a group of 15 made of Chinese, Koreans, Americans, Taiwanese and Indians live like brothers and form a very well knit group, then that place is University of Cincinnati and the group is my research group!And if such a group plans for a summer retreat, there cant be better fun!

On the 8th and 9th of August, we all had been to this place called Mohican State Park, one of the 78 state parks in the state of Ohio!As the other 14 are PhD students who have been here for well over 4 years here, its a rich group with many owning cars. Our professor, Chong Ahn also volunteered to pool-in his car. So, we had 5 cars for 15 people! Everyone prepared some food so that we can eat them at the camp. Beef from the Koreans, Crab and Oyster from the Chinese, Salsa and Hamburgers from the Americans, Tuna from the Taiwanese and Onion Sambar from me!! Quite a combination that was!!

As soon as we reached the park, that was lost in the woods deep in the Ohioan countryside with scenic surroundings, we were put up in a nice cozy cottage that sleeps all 15. We rested for a while and were on our way to Canoeing! We Canoed in 8 Canoes down the Mohican River for 8 long miles and 3 long hours! The 8th mile seemed like forever and we all were famished to death by the time we pulled in our Canoes. Then after the exotic food that we all pooled in (I cudnt eat much as I am a Vegetarian but the guys enjoyed every food that was brought), we sat down to watch the movie Incredibles. Then, we lit the camp fire in the middle of the forest and were sitting and talking with the professor like we were all old friends. He was telling us his story of becoming a professor. He was the son of a farmer and is from a small town 300 miles to the south of Seoul. The only one in his village to cross school education, our man went to study in the Seoul National Univesity and then did his PhD in Georgia Tech before becoming a professor at UC. All this talking and joking took us well past 3 am.

After a peaceful sleep, we were all at the Swimming pool by 10 am. We swam for about an hour, then found ourselves comfortably sitting in the Spa! Once we realized that the comfort was pulling us back to sleep, we pulled ourselves from the Spa and sat in the sun, talking for a while. Then, we started the hiking along the Lyon Falls Trail in the Mohical Hill. It was a 4 mile trail and it took us 3 hours! We again were hungry and were treated to a nice Chinese buffet by our professor before we drove our way back home.

All of us had a sore shoulder for a couple of days but the pleasant memories were too pleasant to drown it out. We are back at work now. With more energy. With more enthusiasm.

Definitely,

Me.

Driving in the United States of America

2005-07-12T20:04:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Cars are the primary mode of transport in US. Almost everyone owns one and usually, the car count is a very good approximation of the headcount in a city. It is much more than luxury here coz for each and everything that we need to do outdoors, we need to drive. City Buses and Subway Trains ( in select cities) do help, but cars are the most comfortable and time saving mode of transport. Travelling within a radius of 100 miles and getting back home is considered a pretty normal outing for a evening in the US! I happened to travel a near hundred miles to a city called Lexington in Kentucky just to watch a movie once!

People travel like crazy here. This madness for travelling is mainly because of the marvellous roadways. Interstates as they are called are so well planned and websites like Yahoo Maps and MapQuest make it really easy to find the route and just drive down to any destination. It can be said that for a proper independent life in the US, learning driving is a prime requisite. And that is exactly what I did this Friday.

I have driven considerably in India and so I was not all that new. If you are touching the wheels for the first time in the United States, then it might take you well under a couple of hours to learn all that you have to learn in driving. If you have already driven a car, then there is nothing you'll 'learn'. Driving here is very easy compared to India in some ways. Almost all cars have automatic transmission and all u need to do is keep your eyes open and look for the signals and indications on the road as we drive! Thats about it. In some ways, it is dangerous Coz, whatever happens in the Interstates, happens at more than 65 MPH. Nothing really will happen coz its all so simple but if something happens, its a point of no return. Unlike India, there is no honking, no bumping and excusing or such. Its all silent and mind-your-way kinda stuff. In the City Roads you almost always have a hassle free driving experience as the speed limits are low as well. The driver plays a role as much as the others sitting in the car!!

Driving Test is pretty simple but more often, people tend to not look at the speed limits or lack in their ability to maneuver the car at will. So, getting the license at first go is usally a rare case here. I was lucky enough to get it all right in the first attempt and am all set legally to step on the gas!

Definitely,

Me.

I just would not learn....

2005-06-30T18:03:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

I was a few months old. I was tired of sleeping all day that I deciced it was time to crawl. It was such a lofty goal for the moment that all I did when I was not sleeping or eating, was to attempt to raise myself from the ground. There must be a way to stand on Knees, if not with my legs right away. Of course, all the guys around me could do it! It was a painful thing I admit. But It was fun. It gave me something to think about all day other than wondering when the next food would be served! Then a day came when I saw those cheers around me when they saw me crawl. I became a expert in no time! I crawled all day and night that soon no floors were left un-crawled!! In no time, my goal of crawling became stale and I was now on the next mission. The misson to stand-up! I mean it! On the feet!! After many struggles and bad bruises and consolations, I did that too! Initially I could manage standing up for just around half a minute, so that my dad would capture that in celluloid. But I gained expertise in that as well.

Days passed by and standing was not even a matter of concern. Even walking was something I was at ease. So thrilled I was at the new rare talent in me that I kept walking around the same places again and again till I would groan with pain in the night! Soon, days when there were just one goal were no more. I now had to ride the tri-cycle as skillfully as Debby could and I also had to score more than Winnie in the next exam. I just could'nt imagine how she could always remember that 'T' came after 'S' and not before! I think God was unfair in creating us! She definitely was more brilliant I knew. After hours of hard work, I was able to memorize the entire alphabets and repeat them with ease. I also set better targets for my friends when I could even say 0-9 and say that equally fast backwards as well!!!

So, I was a first rank holder and an expert tri-cycle rider. But I was not even relishing these mighty achievements because now it was time to ride a cycle with two tyres! Yeah, tri-cycle is a kid's thing and I was growing up! I cant ride that any more. After many patient hours of crying and making a real mess at my home, I saw my dad get me a new bi-cycle! I was on target from day one. The price of learning the bi-cycle was pretty high. A nasty fall in a mud pit and a bad crash with a parked car, almost made me look like a wounded hero of the WW2! Nevertheless, there came a day when I could ride the beast! Yeah, it had to fall for me. And the tamed creature served as my vehicle to my school for many years to come!! But even before I could devote time to relish my talent of riding it, I now had to learn and sing the carnatic verses better than the girl next door and I still did not know Vishnu Sahasranamam ( A chanting in praise of the Indian God Lord Vishnu) by heart as did Qwerty. Man, I was already having enough things to worry about. I was in no mood to sit aside and enjoy the achievements. Simply because, who cares! They have already been Achieved!!! They have lost the charms they had in them when they were still far enough. I was not 'hopefully travelling' any more coz I had already 'arrived'!

More targets were set and they were tried with loads of hope. New targets succeeded old ones as days passed by. New hope replaced old ones and life moved on in a similar fashion. But one thing was the same all throughout. I never celebrated the acheivement of any goals for a long time for I could immediately see more and better goals. My wants were always present no matter what I already have and every time I got what I wanted, I had already started wanting new things. There was a time when getting the school topper position in 10th grade was all that I needed. There was a time when getting into a college like BITS was all that I needed. There was a time when SOMETHING was ALL THAT I NEEDED. But still, it was then. Whatever I want now, and looks like the most important thing that is all that I need today, is not even going to be there tomorrow and still, knowing the way the 'wants' work, I still have something that I want as of now, as of today.

There were times when I used to think If life was playing a game with me by always setting moving targets and making me believe that chasing the changing targets was all life was about. But a natural intuition in me would make me think. A human creation like ours considered far superior than the rest could not have been made just for this purpose. A deeper insight would make it obvious that every species has been made special in a way. Humans can't sleep as a hibernating polar bear nor can they reproduce like turtles when all the mess is for begetting just one or two! Humans cant lift as much as an ant that can lift almost fifty times its weight nor can we eat like a hungry python. Every species does something special and logically, the creation of a human that looks like the most evolved creation is supposed to be specializing in something that the rest cannot do.

But looks like chasing the ever changing targets is all that we all do. Even after a few philosophical sermons and few religious scriptures that taught me that life is a meaningless, never-ending, hood-winking experience when we go away from our self and the true speciality of a human lies in travelling inwards within our self, I never seem to learn. Though I know I need time to slow down and look at my own self. Though I know its time to sit down for a while and see whats within me and understand the real purpose of existence of a superior creation like us, I still am doing simple things that do not necessitate all the virtues and faculties that I possess. I find myself simply lost in the flurry of things around me where I also find zillions of all others who have lost themselves.

Looks like I too would lead a existence that many have, thinking and convincing myself that chasing the changing targets is all life is about. That some material achievement is all that is 'real' in life in a world that is transient and a beautifully shrouded illusion.

Looks like I just would not learn...

Definitely,

Me.

Marvellous piece of engineering!

2005-06-26T15:05:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

This is the photograph of a bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark. Its taken from the Swedish side. A major portion of the bridge goes under the water to let the ships pass!!

A beautiful marvel indeed!

Bridge connecting Sweden and Denmark

Definitely,

Me.

Priorities!

2005-06-22T08:37:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Right now, am a troubled soul! I am sick and tired of scores here who are trying to mess up with their priorities in life! Amidst students who flew all the way to the United States from the other end of the globe, there are people who are home sick, especially those who are away from home for the first time! This comes as no surprise. And there are souls at the other end of the spectrum who are happy to be away and want to stay without getting back to India for a long long time. I prefer not to discuss about these guys for these guys do what they like.

But it hurts to see people who do what they do not want to! Like Miss.Rose who is very soft in nature and has been missing home from the day she landed. And now, when every one in her group is booking tickets back to India for a month long trip, she thinks of her cousin, who went back to India only after finishing his Masters and thinks that her relatives in India might think she could'nt stay that long from home like 'him' coz she was 'afterall' a 'girl'!I was convinced then that no human could ever be so silly but people around proved me that she was not an exception! Mr.Boo has been here for the past two years and is a senior! He is quite proud of not going back home when all in his batch did and I am still not sure what is the pride. I had the chance of speaking to his mom when I was back in India.She sadly told me once that her son had told her that he preferred travelling to more places in the United States that shelling a couple of grands to get back to India! I am sure Mr.Boo has no clue how pained her heart was. The worst part is, Mr.Boo happens to be a person I know pretty well and he is not the stone-heart that I have inadvertently portrayed! He is known for his kindness and also for his foolishness like these! I myself have seen him home sick a couple of times and I wonder why would one put oneself in such a position!!

Simple things like getting a job or the thrust to prove the superiority of women over men are actualy, very very trivial when compared to the joy of getting back home. Personally, I value nothing more than the very look on my mom's face when she sees her only son in the airport after missing him for nearly a year and a half. I do not think anything else in the world relates to me more than such moments. Every phone call to my home lets me know how much my parents are missing me and It creates in me, the urge to get back home and see them at the next oppurtunity. I have been used to staying away from home since my undergrad days and still, I can feel the need to fly back home coz I know I am missing my parents' love. I dont think I am an exception for anyone who is normal should be feeling the same. And nothing trivial can come in between me and my parents.

With that being my mindset, the one that people like Boo and Rose prefer not to have, I find it irritating to see more and more Roses and Boos as days pass by. I do not know if I am hard by saying the following, but I think, people need to be constantly threatened with the shortness of life and the uncertainity of tomorrow to make them realize the priorities in life. I feel that the mindset of considering our own people and their love secondary has been cradled by the promise of a better and a brighter tomorrow.

The brightness of tomorrow should never get so bright that it blinds the very realities of today!

Definitely,

Me.

Formula One! - USGP 2005

2005-06-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Let me clarify that I do not qualify in any way as a Formula One fan and suit any definitions of it. I came to know of such a sport when I saw the mishap that occured to the legend Ayrton Senna. Ever since, I have heard the names Michael Schumacher and Montoya and Raikkonen a couple of times, when my friends used to get lost in F1 discussions or when I used to see glimpses of the race on hitting a wrong TV channel! In fact, the first complete F1 race that I saw was yesterday, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!!

Not to be outdone, I took a crash course on the different cars and the team members and their points and the nuances of the race for almost a couple of weeks before the race. I had got the chance to go there coz some one in our group dropped out at the last moment. I was glad I did coz I had wanted to see the zooming cars and hear that shrill sound as they fly. The more I knew about the game, the more expectant I was to see a good race. I was following the practice and qualifiers and had in fact, made an attempt to memorize the positions as well.

Amidst fans of red and black'n'silver, I had chosen to support the Italian Trulli who was on Toyota! It was just for the thrill of not joining the herd and not supporting the well known faces! Indianapolis, the capitol of our neighbouring state of Indiana, was just a couple of hours drive from my home and was an hour behind in time zone. So, we decided to start early in the morning. We were well out of Cinty by 7 am EST and were at the parking lots by 8 am CST. My ticket was with a couple of fellow UC batchmates and around 7 guys from the University of Minnesota.

The festive atmosphere was amazing and more than a hundred-thousand people had turned up! I could see so many caravans in the parking lots suggesting that so many have been witnessing all the practice and qualifying races. I could see Ferrari support everywhere! Almost three quarters of the entire crowd was dressed up in red! The salesperson at the Team Merchandise shop had gone crazy selling Ferrari outfits! I was not keen on buying in any of those coz I didnt know enough to like it all! I was just enjoying myself by just observing the massive crowd and making new friends with the Minnesota people!

Around 10 am, we were at the stands! The race was supposed to commence at 1 pm. But, we had Formula BMW and Porsche races in the meantime and they were good fun too. The sound was already deafening and I was wondering how loud it would get for the Formula One!

At 12:45 pm, we had the American National Anthem sung and a oath taken before the race commenced! At 1 pm exactly, all the cars raced out of the pits making a wonderful display of the brilliance of the f1 cars. It was the warm up round! I was amazed to see the beauty and design of probably the best cars on earth! The aerodynamic design was evident from the very look of the cars!! The cars, were to take up their positions after this warm up round. It was a grand sight to see the crowds cheering as their favourite team members/cars flew past the speedway! As an Indian, I felt very happy to see many Indian flags amidst German, Finnish and Brazilian flags! All thanks to Narain Karthikeyan! The warm up round was over and I was assuming all the cars were taking positions. So were all the hunderd thousand people. It was around 1:10 pm and there was loud cheering in the crowd as the race was about to begin. I was sitting in the stands next to the paddock and so, I could not see the line up of the cars but had to wait for the cars to emerge from the start point.

The five lights got lit up and the count down began. Bam and the moment occured. Sound of acceleration filled the air and with brute force, the cars stormed out of the start line! I was expecting a Toyota followed by a McLaren as the positions were. But I was surprised to see two Ferrari's zoom out followed by a couple of Jordan and Minardi pairs. As I was wondering what was wrong, I was shocked to see that there were no more cars! Yeah! there were just 6 cars in the race!!! All the others were gone in the pits! For a moment I was wondering if they were playing a trick on the audience. The happy cheers from the crowd died down drastically and all the hundred-thousand faces were confused! Moments later, the announcer, FINALLY decided to inform the crowd that Michelin had pulled out all the cars running on their tyres from the race as they felt that their tyres were unsafe for high-speed turn at the main corner!

What a blow that was! It was pathetic to see the dissapointment on so many faces. The crowd started shouting madly. They were yelling "Bullshit","Cowards","Shame on Ferrari" and such stuff. Even the die-hard Ferrari fans wanted a good contest. And they knew there was no contest happening with no Renault and McLaren and Toyota! The only moment of the race was when Schumacher raced out of the pit stop, he almost made a physical contact with Barrichello that sent out smoke and pushed Barrichello out of the track into the greens. Moments later, Barrichello got back on track and till the end gave a very close fight to Schumacher. Schumi and Barrichello got the first and second. All the Indians hoped that Narain would come third for though a hollow victory it would have been, they wanted to see the Indian flag on the podium! But, there was dissapointment on that front as well. Tiago Monteiro came third and it was the first time a portugese is making it to the podium! In fact, he was the only one who was thrilled with the results and happily opened the champagne bottle. Schumi and Barrichello knew it was a bad win and dissappeared soon from the podium. They probably would not have loved to face the crowd cheering them as Cowards and calling the victory a Shame.

Well, with all dissapointing things of the race said and done, let me pen down the experience of seeing these cars fly. The sound that these cars produce when they cross the stand is absolutely deafening that it can affect the ears very badly. Every one wears a ear plug. I stood in the same level of the race track and tried to catch the car in my eyes as it passed from the right end to the left end, but realized it is just impossible because our neck would never turn at that pace to maintain the car in the sight!!!! The Formula One cars are a pure engineering marvel! To see those cars turn at super high speeds even in the sharpest corners leaves one wondering at the design of its components. And the acceleration is simply amazing. Its impossible to beleive that a man-made beast can roll so fast and yet stay on the ground!

We did reach home with a strong dissapointment of not having witnessed a race. The results should make it obvious. The 3rd and 4th positions were a lap behing Schumi and the 5th and 6th were a couple of laps behind! That was no competition! But still, I now know how grand it would be to see these cars in a real race and that is making me wait for the next one. And I would not prefer going to Indy the next time and take a risk and would rather prefer Montreal!!

Definitely,

Me.

Laptop!

2005-06-14T21:02:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

An important purchase was made today. I got myself a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop on a good deal. It has a 1.6 Ghz Processor, 15.4" WXGA screen, 60 GB hard disk space, 512 MB RAM and a 8x DVD reader cum burner drive!

I guess there should be more frequent blogs hereafter, all thanks to the laptop and wireless internet!

Definitely,
Me.

Sloshed!

2005-06-14T00:28:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Atleast for the people who know me pretty well, this title should be confusing enough. But it means what it says. This Friday night saw me all stoned to perfection!

I have started tasting alcohol ever since I came to the US and it was all under limits untill Friday. My friend Rohit has got an internship at Intel and he threw a party for all of us. I started with the usual beer and had no plans of going further initially! But later got lured to a shot of Tequila and then to a Vodka. I still knew I was well under control. I joined the mad race for dancing when they played the popular foot-tappin numbers. The mistake was that for every break during the dancin session, I treated myself to a Vodka shot, the taste of which was beautifully disguised in orange juice.

I still do not remember how much I drank but I sure exceeded all limits very soon. All the dancin and liquor got me dizzy soon and was soon tired to do any conscious move. I sat on the floor wondering if that was what was called 'High' by the dudes, when a friend sitting beside me saw me and confirmed that I was no where near the ground!! Whatever I type after this is whatever I remember vaguely or what my friends told me the next morning!

The guys sat around me in a circle and had asked me to tell me what all I felt about them. Looks like I told all of them personally that I am seeing a God in them! That I can see a Child in all of them and that it is their imperfection that is making them all the beautiful souls that they are! A friend even tested me in some EE concepts which I had explained to him to the last details! Crazy geek I have been!I sure turned one stoned mob to a psentimental crap!! I had called one senior of mine here as the one who I value next to my mom and another room mate of mine here as my own son!!! I went on and on, talking like a grandma for nearly 2 hours when my body felt it has had enough of alco that I started puking. It was all a very bad experience after that. I puked for an hour nearly and was dead tired. I cannot still remember I did all this coz I do not remember a single thing! It was all what I heard!

Woke up in the morning with a nasty headache and a strong body pain. I could feel the pain when I breathed for the hour long puking had spoilt the health very badly. But above all, it was the headache that was really bothering. I thought a quick shower would help and tried it, but in vain. Finally, some bit of buttermilk helped me out of it. Then explored the place to analyse the spills and spoilts of the previous night. All my friends were sleeping and I was feeling bad. Not coz I had drunk but I could not digest the fact of my own guys cleaning the mess I made! It was a sick feeling. I could remember that I puked for I could feel it from within but I found the house so neat in the morning that I knew the guys would have cleaned up for atleast an hour after they put me to sleep!

Anyways, for the guys they were, they never mentioned a thing bout it in the morning and were having a good time teasin me,reminding themselves of all that I had said! In a way, the whole thing was fun. In a way, it was not.

No event in my life is complete without a formal report to my dad'n'mom! They were indeed worried about my health but they knew I would'nt do it all again. They took it all in the lighter vein and made my narration a funny and easy experience!!This sure is a experience I would prefer not to have again but am kinda satisfied that I have had it once!!

Cheers!

Definitely,
Me.

March, April and May!

2005-05-13T19:45:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

I did not know how else to name this blog that is brewing after a real long time that I finally decided on this one! Not that I was too busy with my acads or that I had written enough, but its just the laziness to pen down the many things that were happening!!

I guess my professor read my previous blog as well and I think it sounded too desperate that it brought out all the sympathy he had in him for me! That 'One Fine Day' dawned on March 18th, when everything was meant to be just perfect. I knock on his doors on this last day of the Winter Quarter [as well!] for a routine attempt to request or rather beg him to take me as his student and he obviates the need for any of these with his first few words. He has always been doing that with a different set of words like "Sorry Ashwin", "No Masters Please!" and of course the famous "Not Done with Masters yet?!". But on that fine day, he had the words I craved to hear! "Ashwin, Welcome to join my research group" was how he responded opening his office door! For once I did wonder if my desperation was leading me to hear things I wanted to, very badly! For once, I felt like the boy in the movie 'Sixth Sense', musing to myself "I hear voices!" It was a moment of satisfaction to know that I was wrong! He finally budged!! As is normal in any pleasing surprise, little could I hear of what he said next for I had heard what I wanted to pour le moment!I waited for him to finish saying how commited I must be in the days to come and how serious an issue it is to do research! I honestly did not care! I knew I need not think of all those at that moment and all I needed was freedom to call the near and dear to tell them the news. It was a time when I had a reply to tell all those people who once told me my professor would never take a Masters student!!

March 19th was no ordinary day either! It was the start of my winter vacations! I had planned to fly west! I was heading to the California Bay Area. For a change, I was visiting my uncles, ever since I landed in the US. And this was second in a row, next to New York for the New Years. I had the luxury of staying in a very neat and well furnished room! My uncle had also given me a computer so that I stay in tough with the life on net. The next few days saw me seeing newer and greater places around the Bay Area. San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, Sacramento and Fairfield to name a few. The Golden Gate Bridge at SFO and the 17 mile drive at Monterey Bay are worth a mention. I also got to spend two wonderful days at one of the best universities in the world with a couple of my best friends! All thanks to the similar schedules both the universities had, Rajesh and Shyam were all set to spend time with me at Stanford. It was sheer fun exploring Stanford and Palo Alto with the guys. After a refreshing week with relavies and friends, I was back in the arms of Lord Cincinnatus all set and charged to face the Spring Quarter.

Loaded myself with four full-fledged courses which is demanding a huge quota of work to be done every day. They have been proving me till date how the weeks fly before realizing its time for a new blog! For once, I guess, Friday the 13th has proven to be a good day for something!

Definitely,

Me.

Not done with Masters yet???

2005-02-04T13:55:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

I did explore the possibilities of applying for a direct Ph.D program and the possibities of doing Masters at one school and reapply for a Ph.D thereafter. I believed the former would just save me the ordeal of religiously going through the entire applying process again and might save me a year for one could easily couple the research work for both Masters and Ph.D at one time. I never really thought applying was a tough process and so, I was not apprehensive about applying for a 'Masters Only' stream.

Grad school, I thought, was all about research. In fact, that was what I was told during the orientation here. Unlike fields like Biology and Biological Sciences, where one gets 'hands-on' experience in doing research work at the Undergrad level, EE demands a lot of waiting. In fact, most EE guys almost end their career without exactly working in the labs designing circuits personally. Thanks to the complexities and cost of realizing VLSI/MEMS design on the devices, the need for simulation prior to deploying it on the chip is a must. And most schools world over train students in these software tools and the guys almost always end up with a job designing everything on the computer screen. A few decide to get to the labs for research and proceed further in academia. I happen to be one of them.

Winding up the course requirements as fast as I could, I felt I was all set to approach the professors here for being part of their research group. But everyone seemed to have a different perspective about 'Masters Student'. Few professors who work down in the Clean rooms and who live with the electrons, consider the time frame of one year is too less to do a Masters thesis. They believe that it would take them nearly a year to teach us the trick of working with devices and it would be improper to even talk about graduating with a Masters in the known period of two years if we wanted to go 'hands-on'! Never was I aware of this mindset of the pundits. Almost always, when I approach a professor with the research request, he would talk with me for over an hour, even If I disturb him during his lunch or during his work on some paper. Everything would go so smoothly untill the question "Where did u do your Masters?" I would reply that I am still doing it and I had been talking all about research and thesis at Masters level for which he would almost always say "Not done with a Masters yet???"!! Then he is sure to give a pessimistic nod, get back to his lunch or paper as the case may be with a clearly evident feeling that he wasted precious energy on a useless soul who is STILL NOT DONE WITH MASTERS!!!

I would'nt have been let down so easily had one professor told me this. I really started worrying when invariably every other Professor had pretty much the same to say. They could not bring themselves to waste a year on students who are just going to run to jobs after Masters. Inspite of me telling them that I had plans for a Ph.D and will be doing it immediately after Masters, I find them insisting me that I change over to Ph.D in the same university and commit a good five years for research there. Others simply dismiss my defense saying that they have seen scores say such and just run at jobs after Masters!!

Bachelors of Engineering seemed to be a study that almost everyone values and appreciate the four years that has gone into its making. Doctor of Philosophy is considered most valuable by professors and the learned pundits of the field and they seem to understand the importance of the precious five years invested in research. But I wonder if Masters is living upto its reputation at all! It just seems like people want to get over this minuscule time frame of two years and just clear the scene!! It just seems to be a last minute addition to the resume before searching job overseas! It doesnt seem to brigde the gap between a Bachelors and a Ph.D degree. Probably in the timeline of professors and post-docs, these 2 years seem really short that they have stopped respecting it. The world just expects me to cross over this 'Masters' phase as soon as possible and commit myself to a Ph.D to earn any kind of respect among the professors!! And as we all do what has been taught to us, I see no respect building up for Masters in the future as well. I may, in fact, become one of the many to join the herd in asking poor, budding researchers with a sharp mark of disrespect on my face, the same old irritating question I am tired of. "Not done with a Masters yet???"

Definitely,

Me.

University of Cincinnati - then and now!

2005-01-30T05:02:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

A year back, had anyone asked me where I'd be a year from then, I would have told them that I would be doing my Masters in some top notch university in MEMS. Had they opted to know what I meant by top notch, I would have told them the world famous 'acad alphabets' MIT,Stan,UCB or the like! Well, that was one year ago! So, I think I can be excused.

Had you asked me sometime in June, I was almost sure of attending the Case Western Reserve University, up north at Cleveland. I would'nt have really said anything different on July 10th, hardly a week before my VISA interview! It was a time when I had almost forgotten my option of Cincinnati. I admit, I took my UC admit for granted. I got a tuition fee waiver and I had a scholarship from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in June and so, I knew Cincinnati was a safe option. I knew Cincinnati was the reason why I felt so sure I would land in America finally. I knew it was Cincinnati that was helping me look beyond in my life but I wud simply not admit.

I was frantically trying for a chance for some financial aid in Case Western inspite of that school's policy not to offer financial assistance for Masters. I was just thinking of something other than Cincinnati for I knew Cincinnati was for sure! I wanted more magic in life! I wanted just something more!!

But the last week before my VISA interview had a different story to tell. My Cincinnati I-20 had not come yet and it came exactly on the 12th of June when I had my interview on 19th. I was sure things are falling in place for Cincinnati and it was just as safe as I knew it was and so, was not really concerned on receiving the I-20. I did not even bother to see if the tuition fee waiver was properly printed. I did not see even if it was for the proper Masters degree. I did not even see the I-20 properly, just because Case was all I had in mind and I simple wudnt step down to Cincinnati!! I was busy trying for changing my admit in Case to Ph.D hoping some aid then and stuff like these. I just had my inbox flowing with mails from Case profs. I was chatting with those who were going to Case so that I can team up with them when I go there. I was simply mentally in Case and I never saw the reality.

It was on the night of 13th did I see that my Department name was typed as 'Environmental' by mistake and it shud have been 'Electrical'!!! Wow!! That was just as dramatic as moments could get! So, that final resort, that last safe shot, that 'dear old Cincinnati' was no more one!!! It was hard to face that moment! It was hard to see that reality had something else to offer! I was simply shell shocked. For once, my future seemed very very dark. I was simply lost.

Then, I rang up the Cincinnati Co-ordinator for the first time and told her this. She was more than willing to help and she gave me a temporary letter that I could take to the VISA Interview in case my corrected I-20 does not arrive on time. Suddenly, Cincinnati became so dear and I was trying with all my luck to see that everything falls into place for the VISA interview. For once, I dismissed Case!!

I got my I-20 on 17th. 19th dawned and it was my day. I was a happy man at the end with a VISA for the University of Cincinnati. I relished it so much coz I had got that after almost loosing it. I was really glad I got the VISA and my academic career was not blocked. I was not sure had I missed a lot by not choosing Case but my heart was beating for Cincinnati then for I knew I had to be financially secure which I would be now.

From then, it was all about Cincinnati!! Be it Phone calls or Emails, I was in touch with many Cincinnati people. I came to know a senior called Vishnu here who was also from hometown Coimbatore. We became good friends over the internet. I was glad two others from my own university will be attending UC. I teamed up with them for staying together. So, days flew like this and August 26th saw me landing in Cincinnati, Ohio!!

Its been about 5 months now since I embarked upon this new stage in my life. With courses of my liking, with real close friends of my frequency, with peace of mind of enviable standards, I lead a very very happy life here! I do feel I wouldnt have adapted myself so much as I did here had I been in some other place. I had enough seniors to help me out, enough friends to make me feel at home and enough time to walk on my own! The transition from India to United States was a cake walk for me and I owe that entirely to my seniors and friends here in Cincinnati.

UC is something I treasure now. After 5 months, I do feel at times that this experience will be over in just a year and a half from now. I am afraid I might feel odd when my seniors graduate this summer and leave me with no one to look forward to. I just am so happy at this place with just the way I am, that I feel like wanting this life for a lifetime!

Call it destiny or fate, I am glad things worked out very well for me. Life has taught me the valuable lesson to love what I get and to understand that whatever I get is something that many millions are craving for. Life has taught me never to underestimate anything and not to degrade a thing just because it is already in possession. Years down the lane, I am sure I will be able to cite the Cincinnati experience as one of my very best in my life. I just am so thankful!!

Definitely,

Me.

ECSS!

2005-01-10T23:50:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

Every graduate student who is not lucky enough to get any kind of assistanship has to work for earning his living in the US. I am no exception. I work for Electronic Classroom support services known better as ECSS. It works to serve all the electronic classrooms at the University of Cincinnati. During the Quarters, the job is pretty simple. We sit in the shop during our work hours which is usually 4 hours a day for 4 days and 3.5 on the 5th day to sum up to 19.5 hours per week. If these 4 odd hours happen to be in the mornings and noons, we just have to attend calls from professors who come up with ingenious and brilliant queries like "Hello..The monitor is not switching ON..Could you please suggest a solution?" for which one of the ECSS guys would reply "Have u tried turning ON the monitor with the ON button" and more often do we hear the other end saying "Oh..thanks so much..it works now!". Well, this is not the limit!

There are questions enquiring why the overhead projector wouldnt project on the screen for which the technical reply from our side would be to make the professor press the PROJECT NOW button on the touch screen! Days pass by with such thought provoking questions and mind boggling answers!! At times, for similar queries, we even land up in the class in person to "Solve" the "Technical Snag"!

Evenings are different but still fun! During the 4 hours we work, we are totally free for atleast 3 hours and for the remaining one hour, we are alloted a set of rooms in a different building everyday. We need to go those rooms, check all the equipments like Computer,VHS and DVD player,Document Camera,Display screens,Window shades,Slide projector and stuff. We at times also check the microphone for battery power and the overhead projectors for remaining Lamp Hours. And also, we sometime check all the TVs and VHS players and Document Cameras inside the closet in every building. It is from this closet do we deliver equipments to the professor when they request for them for their class. Its a very easy job for us, though not for the crew leaders and our employer who have to schedule everything.

We all are given what are called KEY PEGS with unique numbers that are used to take Keys, be it for the classrooms or closets or auditorium. Pegs look like pencils with half the length and they look bright orange in color with the number written on it. We need to insert the pegs in the slots near the key we want to take, twist it and the key chain in the same direnction, and LO, the peg gets stuck and the key is freed! So, anyone looking at the board will know which peg has been used to take what key and the unique number on the peg would point to the particular person. A simple and easy way to keep track!! All classrooms at UC have the same keys and this justifies the sign reading on the board from which the keys hang. It says "LOSE KEYS, LOSE JOB"!!

20 hours a week is actually a lot. Its almost next to acadz for grad students or some even debate this coz I have seen many students being more sincere for jobs than classes. Of course, job pays you and lets you live your life without any dependance. Something anyone in the world would love! But above everything, be it money or whatever, ECSS has something more to it. It is filled with Indians and almost all are my friends. Few my room mates, few others my apartment mates, few are classmates and few others are good friends. Every day, we meet at this place and ECSS seems to make our meeting more frequent and helps us get in touch with all of our buddies, which we would not do, especially when the acads are so demanding. Few weeks at ECSS was enough to teach me that ECSS was not just a pay place but more fun associated with it.

Nowadays, after a day full of hectic classes and assignemts, ECSS has become something I look forward to. Firstly becoz I am gonna see my friends! Secondly coz it takes my mind out of acads temporarily and gives me the much needed break. It substitutes for the TV I would have watched had I been in India or the chatting I would have done had I been in a computer lab. There have been days when I thought working on-campus is going to be time consuming and its going to spoil my acads and what not. But today, as any day, I realise everything happens with a purpose.

I typed this entire blog during one of my ECSS sessions to make it more meaningful! :)

Definitely,
Me.

CLEAN ROOM!

2005-01-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

As you people know, I am an electrical engineer or to be frank, an Electronics Engineer for I dont suit Electrical even as a misnomer! Think Electronics and you think Chips!!The cute black ones with pins like spider legs that do many wonders in a host of gadgets! The more we think about it, the more curious we get to know whats inside it. This curiosity in me drove me to VLSI and MEMS that have their roots in Microfabrication. Till this day, all I saw was pictures and softwares about designing stuff inside the black beauty! I never knew for real whats inside or how it looks inside! All I knew was loads about Device physics theory, layouts and schematic diagrams, simulation softwares,some jazz like class1000 and class100 and microfabrication processes! For a real EE enthusiast, the urge to see the end of books in this and get to the real small world is very severe!

Today, things changed. My first lab on Silicon Microfabrication's first class!For once, all visions transcended classroom boundaries and imaginations. I was on the Fab floor in a Class 1000 room that they call the "Clean Room"! A Class 1000 chamber has just a maximum concentration of 1000 particles (5 microns maximum in diameter) per cubic feet of air!! I was shown the entire Microlab facility at the University of Cincinnati. The Photoresist Spinners, Pre and post bake ovens, odidation and reduction chambers, thim film growing areas, mask aligners, bonding machines, Reactive Ion Etching and Deep Reactive Ion Etching areas, Atomic microscopes, the million dollar e-beam lithography and photolithography equipments! I was also shown the Clean100 and even the clean 10 rooms! I was like a kid enjoying and learning every moment inside!! Oh yeah..I forgot to tell you the strange outfit we wore!! It was just like a Bugs Bunny Suit without those long ears!! It was so much fun to be in it! Looked like we were all set for some clandestine operation!

After a long session on the safety equipments and lab rules, which as u can guess, were a lot important in labs like these, we were taught to use AutoCAD2000 for drawing Masks for Lithography for we will be starting our fabrication of a pressure sensor from next week!!Though we need to spend a lot of hours on this lab preparing all pre-reqs for the fab, writing lengthy reports and grading is no joke with Dr.Ahn here, its still fun. Its atleast not just class and boards and lectures!

Hope this serves as the foundation for my entire career coz I am planning for a living with this!

Definitely,
Me.

Cincinnati to Manhattan -- NY at NY -- A Letter to my friends!!

2005-01-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

I just wanted to post a mail I composed for my close friends. Here it is.

Dear Guys,

Just back from a memorable trip today at 6 AM and am already into my Winter Quater! Had 3 classes till now and got 4 hours job as well. So, It looks like I am back to the good old busy days again for 10 more weeks now! I shall post the snaps when I get a breather!

The trip to New York from Cincinnati actually got cancelled as many backed out in the last moment and my senior Vishnu lost his enthu to drive just for four people. So, there was a moment when NYC was just a wish! I had been telling my uncle and thopz for more than a week that we would all have a grand time at NYC and was so sad when the entire thing was called off. Thanks to Rohit and Sudhon, we suddenly were game for a long bus journey!! After almost 15 hours of travelling cutting thru the mainland of Ohio and Pennsylvania, Our eyez saw the most awaited board readin WELCOME TO MANHATTAN! It was a very comfortable journey, somethng which we did not expect. I was planning to live in a small county in Long Island, a feather shaped Island to the east of NYC. Rohit was living just few miles north of mine in Lond Island with Srikant at Stony Brook. Thopz was with his uncle near New Brunswick in New Jersey. And Buggy was also in NJ with her cousin.

Now, for more intro on the characters. Srikant is Thoppul's classmate at St.Johns in his 8,9,10 grades. Rohit and Srikant are childhood friends and they also did their undergrad together at SRM. Rohit was Thopz classmate in 11 and 12th grade at PS Senior. And Rohit is my batch mate now at Cincinnati. So, its just that we havent met together but we all knew each other pretty well. A new character is Anirudh, my cousin.

On 31st morning 10 AM, we all met at the NY main subway station called the Penn Station and from then, the trip took its own course!! Anirudh, Buggy and Srikant did all the planning for us and they were our guides. Me, Thopz and Rohit had nothing else to do but just follow them and enjoy every inch of Manhattan. Starting from Ground Zero, the site of the WTC, we walked thru the Wall Street, Broadway, NYU, 5th Avenue, Washington Square and by the time it was 6 pm, we found that we had ended up amidst people being frisked by the NYPD. The NYPD guys were letting the huge crowd near the Times Square in an orderly manner. Though none of us were game for waiting more than 6 hours for a simple Balldrop, we didnt have much choice then! We were caught admist enthusiasts who had travelled far and wide to see the Hundredth Ball Drop event at the Times Suqare. Its the heart of the heart of the Downtown NYC! Soon it was our turn to get frisked and we were disheartened to hear the NYPD officer say "No Back Packs Whatsoever!". In fact, all of us had one! and we had also bought loads of T-shirts during the day and we didnt wanna loose it. Thanks to Anirudh's idea, we ended up wearing all the clothes we had and emptying our bags, wearing the empty bag and then wearing the winter jacket on top and zipping it tight! we looked like one packed mass!! And now, surprisingly, the NYPD didnt have much to say! We were let in and we end up at a spot just a couple of streets away from the Ball Drop spot! Though we never really had plans to wait or had the patience to do so, we were literally driven to watch it! Guess we cannot get any luckier!

Now that we knew NYPD was not all that NYPD, Occasionally Rohit and Thopz went out of the ring on the pretext of attending the nature's call and returned with Full Size Pizzas and bread sticks hidden within their winter jacket! We munched and talked our way to midnight to witness which as Thopz himself has said, demands no special fittings from my side. It is something that you guys must come and see for yourself.

After the memorable jamboree, we were back on our ways, except that I took Thopz with me to my uncle's place. For once, we got a chance for late night lacha and we wud not miss the oppurtunity!! We managed to wake up reasonable early and were back at the same meeting spot at around 1 PM. We had to miss the ferry to the Liberty Statue as it was late. But we cud get some wonderful glimses of the familiar statue. Then we went to Madison Square Garden and by the time it was dusk, we were all set for a walk down the Brooklyn Bridge. The entire Downtown was well lit and what a scene it was to enjoy from the Bridge!! Guys, please relish the snaps! I have taken enuff of them to my heart's content! Then, we hit upon the Rockfellar Center, its main attraction being the HUGE christmas tree and the Swarowski Crystal on top of it. After enjoying the musical lighting of the famous building called SAKS and the wonderful architecture of St.Patrick's church, we were all set for spending a little over than two hours at the world famous Madame Tussauds museum! All thanks to Buggy's boldness, her stylish Yorker accent and her expertise is moving Manhattan at will, we never had any problem with our timing! We surely owe the trip to her!

It was time to part. It was truly sad! Its been a unexpected group of friends meeting but still, we got really close, it was difficult to stop it. Especially, It was difficult to think of getting back to acads! But it had to happen. Bugz back to Jersey, Thopz for some lacha about old school days with Rohit and Srikant at Stony Brook and Me back for atleast sometime with uncle and family before I leave! Sanketh and Rahul Sampath had come the next day to see us off at the Bus station.

Just back from the memorable trip today at 6 AM and am already into my Winter Quater! Had 3 classes till now and got 4 hours job as well. So, It looks like I am back to the good old busy days again for 10 more weeks now! I shall post the snaps when I get a breather!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yours,
Ashwin.

Definitely,
Me.

Winter Break!

2004-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

After almost a month's absence with due thanks to last minute submissions and final exams, here I am, back with a bang!Its winter holidays for me, the name vindicated by the first snowfall day before! With subzeros and heater warmth being the way of the day, I am enjoying a new experience in my life. Though Pilani has made me see Subzeroz, Snow is something that is totally new and I am so so excited to see white everywhere! Its such a new and pleasant scene!

With many layers of clothing, I feel like a sealed pack when going out! Especially the wind that blows seems to freeze the spine!Its so cute to see the pink cheeks on almost every fair female as she walks out in the cold!

To kill time usefully, I am working 40 hours on campus. A boring but occupying job. I got to go to a set of classrooms everyday and clean the electronic workstation with my group. Lotsa chemicals handled in the process!

A nice workout in the evening and a pleasant lacha session in the night followed by a sound sleep and a early morning wake marks my days. Its good to be out of acadz. It does feel good to be free from exams and grades. Hope I get to enjoy these hols fully to recharge my batteries for the upcoming innings!

Shall pour in more in the days to come.

Definitely, Me.

Internet Radio Station!!

2004-11-07T00:20:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

I am basically a technical person and I love to dream about technology.I have always found that the existing technology interest me no more for I always want some motivation and expectation to pull me along in the technical domain. I want to see the tech for tomorow, today. I want to state it and prove it is possible. It is this urge in me that is fanning my desire to do a doctrate in the future.

Once, when I was working with the Director of Hewlett Packard Research Labs in Bangalore, Dr.Ramani, as an intern, I proposed a model to make available the internet to every nook and corner of the globe. This is posted in today's blog and I warn all those tech-ignorant people to skip this one. My dear Tech ppl, enjoy this!

This is an idea to make internet available as easily as AM radio is today!This basically involves the convergence of the concept of RADIO and RECEIVE ONLY INTERNET.

I think I should first justify why I am suggesting RECEIVE ONLY Internet than the duplex channel.I am suggesting a model of Internet that will be available globally just as an AM Radio receiver in Palo Alto,California can very well tune to the New Delhi AIR station!Which obviously means I am talking of radio waves which are the most precious section on our EM spectrum.Because of its far reaching property,a frequency alloted to one station can never be re-used in any part of the world anytime!A Duplex channel demands many folds more bandwidth than the one-way channel and this is prohibitive.So also is the cost in the case of a duplex channel.

As any basic book on Communications would tell you,a communication to happen needs a Transmitter(Tx),Receiver(Rx) and a medium or a Channel for the transfer of information to take place.I suggest every Radio Station in the world can be the transmitter. A antenna with a card similar to an ethernet card,say,I call it a RADIO CARD which forms the receiver.This card will need a device driver and a S/W like Winamp can act as a user interface in the computer.

Every station announces the schedule of the WEBPAGE it will transmit and the time of transmission.This information can be made available through newspapers and Televisions just as a normal radio program is listed.Few minutes before the broadcasting,it sends out a PREAMBLE which is unique to every station.The tuner at the antenna end in the receiver end can be manually tuned to the particular frequency of the INTERNET RADIO STATION.On identifying the PREAMBLE,the receiver waits for the transmission of START BITS as in any Wireless LAN.The entire WEBPAGE with all the links can be stored in just the same way as a normal internet page may be saved in the computer.The TUNING circuit can be manually tuned to a particular station transmitting a particular website!

Getting into the technical details is interesting for this model.To facilitate long reach of the broadcasted signal,AM wave needs to be used(which is very very precious).The Digital Data can be sent by using Digital Communication Modulation Techniques like FSK/PSK/QPSK. The Demodulating circuit in the RADIO CARD will accordingly demodulate and store the received data in the computer's hard disk.As any frequency shift keying(FSK) used TWO frequencies for the digits ONE and ZERO,an INTERNET RADIO STATION will have TWO identifying frequencies as against only one in a normal RADIO STATION. Freq1/Freq2 may be the way in which a particular INTERNET RADIO STATION is referred to with Freq1 being the one for ZERO and Freq2 being the one for ONE. This facilatates usage of Freq2/Freq1 for an entirely different INTERNET RADIO STATION enabling RE-USE of frequencies inspite of using Radio Waves from the Khz band.

RADIO STATIONS are normally allotted carrier frequencies which are few Khz apart for Filter Design constraints and the like.These intermediate frequencies can be stolen to serve the INTERNET RADIO STATIONS.A normal AM Receiver may find this INTERNET RADIO FREQUENCY as NOISE and reject it.If 100Khz would refer to NEW DELHI AIR,97Khz/103Khz can serve as the NEW DELHI INTERNET RADIO STATIONS (IRS).

I can already feel the reader being displeased with the concept of one-way internet where even search engines like GOOGLE and ONLINE APPLICATION FORMS dont work.Why even STOCK TRADING cant be done and even CHATTING is impossible!!I should first tell that India alone has more than 14000 colleges which are not connected to the internet backbone.There is no point in a technology just affecting the lives of people is the busiest of cities!Technology's ultimate success is not in its working for the previleged few but working for everyone!A person sitting in some remote corner of India getting access wirelessly to technical tutorials and encyclopedia's on the net will be doubly benefitted and that is what I am aiming at.First these colleges should get this internet and then they can even serve as Information Source for the villages around.

I see a different problem though!Though this model is technically strong,the difficulty in implementing does lie in the mindsets of the people of emerging economies who have denied themselves wireless access for almost 50 years since the WW era.Taxi cabs in Chicago have been using walkie-talkies for almost 40 years now and we still are thinking of ideas to provide full connectivity.Government will be hesitant to allocate frequencies in the AM Radio spectrum for this purpose and no RADIO STATION is equipped as of now for even trying out such services on a trial basis.All these obstacles make my idea analogous to building a house in the middle of a road.Its all possible...but will you?!!The traffic police and the next bus will be waiting to knock it down!!Hope we get an overbridge soon!!

Definitely, Me.

Love and Age

2004-11-03T04:05:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

Spare some tears for my most favourite poem. The poet is Thomas Love Peacock (1785–1866).

I PLAY'D with you 'mid cowslips blowing,
When I was six and you were four;
When garlands weaving, flower-balls throwing,
Were pleasures soon to please no more.
Through groves and meads, o'er grass and heather,
With little playmates, to and fro,
We wander'd hand in hand together
But that was sixty years ago.

You grew a lovely roseate maiden,
And still our early love was strong;
Still with no care our days were laden,
They glided joyously along;
And I did love you very dearly,
How dearly words want power to show;
I thought your heart was touch'd as nearly;
But that was fifty years ago.

Then other lovers came around you,
Your beauty grew from year to year,
And many a splendid circle found you
The centre of its glimmering sphere.
I saw you then, first vows forsaking,
On rank and wealth your hand bestow;
O, then I thought my heart was breaking!—
But that was forty years ago.

And I lived on, to wed another:
No cause she gave me to repine;
And when I heard you were a mother,
I did not wish the children mine.
My own young flock, in fair progression,
Made up a pleasant Christmas row:
My joy in them was past expression;
But that was thirty years ago.

You grew a matron plump and comely,
You dwelt in fashion's brightest blaze;
My earthly lot was far more homely;
But I too had my festal days.
No merrier eyes have ever glisten'd
Around the hearth-stone's wintry glow,
Than when my youngest child was christen'd;
But that was twenty years ago.

Time pass'd. My eldest girl was married,
And I am now a grandsire gray;
One pet of four years old I've carried
Among the wild-flower'd meads to play.
In our old fields of childish pleasure,
Where now, as then, the cowslips blow,
She fills her basket's ample measure;
And that is not ten years ago.

But though first love's impassion'd blindness
Has pass'd away in colder light,
I still have thought of you with kindness,
And shall do, till our last good-night.
The ever-rolling silent hours
Will bring a time we shall not know,
When our young days of gathering flowers
Will be an hundred years ago.

Definitely, Me.

Personalities by Leona!

2004-11-02T03:10:00.000-05:00

Dear You,

If the title makes you feel that you are about to dash upon a poem or read a poetic prose or stories from the victorian era or anything relating to exemplary literary work, I am obliged to warn you that you might be unmistakably mistaken. Nor is this a Cut-Paste of an article of some fame claiming mag or a teenagers delite. 'Personalities by Leona' decides the personalities of many a poor souls in the midtown Cincinnati! This is the place one visits atleast once a month with the fond hope of looking and feeling better whe they come out. This is the place everyone loves coz something changes without you moving a muscle. This is the place which we call the Hair Cutting Salon!

My first Hair Cut in the US of A. I was required to something which I would'nt do even for consulting a Doc or meeting my professor in India. I was asked to fix up an appointment for my Haircut!! I was warned by my seniors that If I end up being a few minutes late to the salon, then dear Leona wud refuse to work! So, I called up the Salon and booked an appointment at 10:45 am on the first of November, 2004! All set, I woke up on time on this Rainy day, grabbed my umbrella and few Wrigleys and rushed my way to Clifton Street. There it was, a small, neat and clean Salon. Leona was quick to say "Welcome Aaashwin.." as I entered the floor. It made me realize how closely are they keeping up with their schedule for the day. She seemed to be booked for the day and she has alloted a good 40 minutes for all customers!!

Leona was far from attractive. She was a white with short hair and a pitiable flair for talking. She makes sure none of her customers remain silent when she is at work. I was asked to sit on a soft cushion and on me was spread a nice black rexin that sealed my body well from the surroundings.

"From India?"...."Yeah"..."Have they used Clippers on those curlies before?"..."Ah...NO!", coz I have never heard the word clippers!I hope they do no harm!As I was wondering what she might do next, she just said "I think Four would suit you" and just chose a huge orange clipper add-on to the cutting machine! She added "Yeah..that wud suit you" in the most trite, usual style when I requested her to cut my hair real short. After all, I didnt want to spend $10 every month!!

She treated my head nothing more than a lawn and with the handheld mover, I found my hair being cut at so rapid a rate that I was done in a few minutes. Leona has done a good job. She has made sure I dont give her business for atleast 3 months! Exactly what I wanted!! She then made me sit in the Shampoo room where she applied some wonderful lotion. My scalp felt the way our tongue does when we chew some strong mint!! It was good, trust me! I was enjoying the cool feeling when she had to say its time for the next person.

Paid off the dues and walked back in the rain, feeling a lot lighter!

Definitely, Me.

Some Serious Stuff!

2004-10-29T07:28:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

I just thought I shud pen down something serious and hence decided to post this poem from my collections, which is based on a serious topic. I have always seen many people who put in the best of their efforts but do not reap what they deserve. I dedicate this one to all those souls.

Here flows, the 'Poisonous Elixir'...

With the burden of waking up the cocks and hen!

Starts his day with nothing more to pen!!

Four unmarried siblings and their torn dress

And their ugly countenance and hanging tress

Are not the only sights that prevent

This poor man’s eternal nap!

All he does is sob and lament

For his past life which he prefers to zap!

Haunting memories of the dead wife;

The threatening realities of dear life;

Gratefulness of his own foes!!

And the dark side of the elixir dose!

Harsh truths that defied him,

See him today thin and slim!

And his very duty that saved him,

Agonizes his state in a light that’s dim!

Good old days were there,

When people were ready to swear

That this man was their savior

Who never tolerated cheap behavior!

But now he stands alone- Wishing

His Country never will produce any such Clone!

For all you know, dear wonderer,

He was not really a murderer!!!

His wife would love to watch that diamond ring

On his digit, dance like an emperor full of zing

And he would die to see the gold

Tangling over his wife’s body, now sold!!

Four cute little proofs-

For the happiness that rested under their roofs!!!

If at all a life were to be heaven-it seemed

That was the place for the Gods even!

The entire Army cherished his presence,

And adored him for his charismatic luminescence!

Even older parents went on penance

To beget such a son- hoped the poor nuns!!!

After him did every man wonder

Whether ever could there be another such commander!

The country’s trust was with him

For she knew then her future will never be dim!

Worthy he was for all that trust

The only such guy on this entire crust!

Nothing went wrong in his entire premises

Till the day, when began the nemesis!!

Selling and buying was never so new,

Until the day he was asked to give

His country’s secrets and some cheap clue!

Negation would mean cessation to live!!

A drop of poison in a stream of blood?

Royal and righteous from the first flood!

Undisturbed was he and truthful he stood

Setting great examples, as he should!

Terror was he for those who erred

And laid the trap for ‘those’ preferred!

The opponents devoid of any interest

In this man of sheer bloody truth!

Took his wife for a look of lust,

And treated his clones like a pile of dust!

His wife was new for this sudden shock

And her breath very soon did block!

Tiny tots bathed in acid!

Could never anymore remain placid!!

Their faces that portrayed God’s dream

Were all down now in the garbage stream!

Even carrots weren’t chopped like his toes

And an eye was pricked by dear old foes!

A deep cut near his nose

Took away from him his adorable pose!

With a leg and an arm banished with pain,

The dear old hero’s valor in vain,

And with a heart that saw never any stain,

He remained the same even in his vein!

Useless he proved for a job in army

Owing to the incident that’ll live in infamy.

For a man who knew nothing bad,

With truth in his heart, well clad,

Such a fate is really very sad

And drives his followers complexly mad!

Never he was short of any money,

All thanks to the grateful army!

But dear little wife and charming tots,

All gone now like the cracked pots!!

With old age and four eternal maidens,

He leads his life with sorrows laden!

All because he was very good

And will be, till he finds his wood!!!

He’ll live there very much amidst

Haunting memories of the dead wife

The threatening realities of dear life

Gratefulness of his own foes!!

And the dark side of the elixir dose!

Definitely, Me.

BITS and pieces!

2004-10-29T05:36:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

I did my undergraduation in the prestegious Birla Institute of Technology and Science(BITS),Pilani. Apart from the wonderful education it imparted, the college is also filled with art and decorations enthusiasts who form the group called "ART AND DECORATION" known better as 'ArtnDee'. These guys manage their time between academic work and art work and produce excellent backdrops for the cultural events like OASIS and for academic events like APOGEE. One part of this group is dedicated to producing excellent structures for these events.

I would like to post the awesome structure completed by them for OASIS 2004! Tears to pop up to know that I am half a globe apart from this wonderland when all this is happening there. I wish and hope to get back to BITS, Pilani sometime in my life.

Here, Enjoy the structure. The Clock tower you see behind is the main landmark of BITS, Pilani.

OASIS 2k4 STRUCTURE

Definitely, Me.

Childish...still...love!

2004-10-24T23:00:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

This is one of the poems written many years ago and this falls in the category of love. Guess, I wrote this during the boy-man transition or something for now it seems pretty ridiculous even to me! Anyways, it is always fun exploring how immatured we have been! And I guess this poem on date serves no purpose other than that!!

I called this a 'Pain in the heart!'.

Do skim thru it. Here it goes!

Bloody teenage in my life

Started searching for a good wife!

It did with all the buck,

And selected one, just my luck!

For all that you know,

She was not very bad!

Beauty she had much to show,

Made others wish they had!

She was quite dumb,

That made me feel numb!

Her smile! oh that sword,

Killed me without a word!

Her eyes were too shrewd,

Just making anybody easily glued!

They seem to explore your heart

And read the mind as fast as a dart!!

The main aorta and every vessel,

Bunch of nerves and all the muscle,

Grumbling stomach and patient intestine,

Searched for her in operations clandestine!

Aching nerves of my optics,

And thought of doubtful skeptics,

Wait for that day’s glory,

Ah... this is the daily story!!

Any trouble in dear life,

Is always a pain in the neck!

But this one,.you can check!

It’s a pain in the heart!!

Bloody teenage in my life

Started searching for a good wife!

It did with all the buck,

And selected one, just my luck!!!

Definitely, Me!

My Lovable Indian Women...

2004-10-23T16:27:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Being brought up in India where the women play the most important role in upholding the wonderful Indian culture, it is difficult not to be impressed by their ultimate devotion to their family and kids. Infact, the very backbone holding together the billions of families in India is the women in every household. I hold very high regard for them and I have written many poems admiring their diligence.

Change is inevitable. And it is interesting to observe this change in the women of India.I have written quite a few poems that speaks of the possible positive and negative outcomes of this change.

Today, I post one such poem, which I prefer to call "Dame or Lame?"

Here it goes...

Always set to wake up the sun,

My Indian women are on the run,

All day long from dawn to dusk,

Scorched and baked like a tiny rusk!

All they knew was to serve their husband,

No matter he is lively or sober,

Not because he gave love and fund,

But because he gave the rank of ‘mother’!

Husband’s order was the first book,

And she followed it with no second look!

For sure he was christened for others to call,

But she wasn’t for it even on last fall!

Boon she was for the chauvinist race,

Even if they showered their malicious grace!

Never did she see him face to face,

And followed him always with a shadow’s pace!

For anything in the world has to change,

And this unique scenario had no special range!

Calling a person by his very own name

Was not found wrong by our modern dame!

Wrong he was when he argued for fame

And punishable he was for excuses lame!

Serving the wife is no big deal

And they bet for sure, it is no ordeal!

Equally they placed the men and women,

And argued they are all completely common!

This is the fashion right on date

And it continues now, with none to abate!

Definitely, Me.

Something to worry about...

2004-10-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Why do we prefer to worry?

Well,atleast you should have thought I have run out of topics to discuss!This might look a meaningless question at first glance but lets see how meaningless is it!

Is anyone you know happy with what he is? Anyone always wants to get better than what he is and I dont find this urge in him as a problem.But one seems to have this notion perenially till the moment he falls down still!No one is really happy with what they are and the few who disagree will mostly go out of their way to prove me wrong! For being in their own way would add them to the herd!

The natural instinct of the mind is to be happy for else,we will not even want to live.But it is pathetic to see that we have been torn between the dualities of nature that we never have time to stop and enjoy the happiness already existing.We either brood over the past or fear the future and that how the present gets lost!

As a child,Ruby never knew what worry was! She was a happy kid with what she was till the day she me little shravan who had one doll more than her.Its a fact that she was taught to count but wonder where she learnt to compare!Her collections being one less becomes such a big problem for her and she cant sleep as long as she gets one more or even two more so that she has the most now!She studies well but "You shud study like Kevin!Only then can you become a first-rank holder" is a parent's role of teaching their child's mind,what worry is!It might not seem like this now for the child might relish the First rank she works for!But a constant thought that she might be looked down as the second best if she fails to keep up the position, steals away the joy of her hard work!She resorts to more hard work,not to be happy,but not to be sad!!Kevin will have his day too for he too has been equally programmed by his parents! And now,you can see,Ruby is not happy by her own success but also by Kevin's failure!Its Kevin and Shravan at the age of three and this booms to one huge society when she is twenty!!As you can see,this instinct not to be happy at the moment fearing something that has happened or fearing something that might happen is learnt at a very young age!I blame none,nor the child nor the parents and I prefer an analysis first.

"Dont be Jealous" is the most easily available piece of advice for it costs nothing to advice others!I need not necessarily say the person who advices the same is not the one Mr.Perfect for he was another Kevin or Ruby sometime back!How could have he escaped it for he too is from the same old society!The inherent feeling that "I am not okay by mysely" and the quality of being a perennial seeker always saying "I want...." makes one an incomplete person by himself.His completeness lies in the addition of something else to him.He wants something more to be done with.There is a deep rooted sense of dissatisfaction and the craving for something which will make him the "better one" he aims at.Nothing wrong as long as this statement is left as such.The problem lies in the fact that the "better one" of today is not the same "better one" of tommorrow!

Mr.Green,like you and me,was one such man!Lost in this usual pandemonium,he walks on the road and suddenly runs into Miss.Rose!Rose is very happy for she has made a job in one of the best firms in the city and she is too happy to share the news with Green.Green doesnt have a choice but to congratulate her for he must first be socially acceptable to become the "better one" he dreams of!But look at Rose,she is already there!!She is already the "better one" she wanted to be.Rose is now totally happy and complete by herself....for the moment!How can that happen?Mr.Green is yet to get there and Miss.Rose is already there!Though this has got to do only with Rose's happiness,it never fails to give Green some worry!!And this is because he has learnt it this way from Ruby and Kevin next door many years back!

Rose,who should be totally happy about her achievements is not the one without any thorns!She probably told Green so that he should be green!Or probably to let him know she is better of the two!And it is even possible that Rose is not totally happy for Green might also be "there" someday!!

At this point,it looks as though one prefers to worry!For given a choice between happiness and worry,one doesnt really choose happiness comfortably but with some worry!!He has been so used to it, that it looks as if it is impossible for man to stay without worrying!He loves worrying and the biggest ever criminal offence is when the parents teach their children that "life is not a bed of roses"!They show them the thorns and so,they are obliged to say this to their children.I can't say if this is total ignorance on the part of their parents or a touch of sadism mixed with it!!I know you are bugged by this statement for I am talking bad of your mom and dad.Do know,its not really the point I want you to think about.You and me will be a parent tomorow if not today.

What is it that we want?Why do we keep searching for something and not happy with it when we get it for we have something else to search then?Do you see an end to it?Is it really happiness that we are searching or it is because we firmly beleive this is the way life has to be lived?Is it too difficult for you to be happy this moment?Is it not possible for you to live in the moment and not think of yesterday or tommorrow?

Know that the thing you are wanting now will not bring happiness when it is got for then,you will be wanting something else.Dont be a seeker all your life.Realise the completeness in yourself.Don't have something that is always sought.Live this moment and come on..be happy when Rose is happy!And be really happy!U should be...thats the way you have been made naturally.Your "D-day" is on the cards but its today...its now!Just love this moment and enjoy the present.

Live it this way...and you will know what I mean when I say.."Life is a bed of roses"!

Definitely Me!

Tronics Trickles!!

2004-10-21T21:05:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Electronics has always been a part of me and I am planning to make a living out of it. I enjoy writing poems about tronics which speak out the fascination I have for them.

Here is one such sample. This one, which I call "Tronics Trickles.." got published in the EEE magazine of BITS, Pilani.

Flintstones and fire, wear and a spear,
Were all that we needed in my yesteryear,
When the world was petite, needs were less,
With Kith and kin staying right with us!

Those were the days of the ancient past,
When people lived with limited cast!
Things have to change as it always does
For we can't really stay like somber joes!

Man realized there were tougher jobs
That he cannot do with even mightier mobs!
But he knew for sure, he was the one supreme,
And had the brains for even a bigger dream!

To carry him over, thousands of miles,
Was not a joke or a usual wile!
To speak with people and share a smile
Beyond the horizon, seems to demand some guile!!

To tame machines to do his work,
We need a magic, agreed even the berk!
We even wanted to replace the sickle,
And that is the moment when tronics trickled!

This sacred mother of all inventions
Is the magic wand that changed all conventions!
It has its life in the tiny electrons
And is here to stay for many aeons!!

Right from the watch on the wrist,
To the satellites on the air,
Tronics shares an unforgettable tryst
And plays a role that's quite fair!!

The movie that we enjoy
And the telephones that we use,
Are nothing but a tronic toy!
I bet! They never fail to amuse.

Sound of a motor in a distant factory,
And fan that rotates as you read this one,
The bulb that glows even in the lavatory,
Would have been a dream and this isn't a pun!

The car that you drive and train you catch,
Friendship overseas that you intend to patch,
The voices of you loved ones wherever you want,
Medical gadgets when you huff and pant!

The music you have listened,
And the robot that has been christened,
The automation that you see,
And the means when you wanna flee!!

Few good reasons are these to say,
Right from my heart without any pay,
That where we are from where we were,
Is all because of tronical care!

The journey is long and we've just begun,
Thanks that we have a flawless wagon,
Get in to it and join us folks,
We'll take you to future and these aren't jokes!

Definitely, Me.

Smile, Laugh, Wink, Hug, Love....

2004-10-21T17:09:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Do we really mean the smiley's we send during the chat windows??!

Its become so very common and even catchy names like 'emoticons' are used to refer to them as if they are icons used to transfer emotions across the net!Some websites like 'smileycentral' even have a ready made software for many well animated smileys.They do look good and do make the chat session more lively.But the usage of these emoticons have become so damn common that many use them for no reason at all!

Like the other day, Dr.Wolfmann started the conversation with his secretary in his office by sending the "Hug Me" icon! Probably he wants to hide his secret intentions thru such smileys!When asked,he can always say he forgot the hotkeys for "GoodMorning" smiley and it was totally beyond him how the "Hug Me" icon got on his screen!And he might even end up complaining against the Eurekha Messenger service saying the icons have been malfunctioning for quite sometime now!!

And there are many hundreds yearning for that special emoticon yet to come which shows their intention to 'Pluck the Yew' if you know what I mean!!In a country like India,where the value for virginity in the society is remarkably high,such emoticons even act as vents to quench the thirsts of sensual pleasure!!

It need not take a very matured mind to understand that I am not blaming everyone in this regard.It is only about the very few who do it and I beleive that its a rarefind to find a person who really bothers about such emoticons sitting at the other end of the chat link. With both ends okay with the content, I think the stage is all set for welcoming better ways of making our chat conversations vulgar and a graduate student in cybersex will find more topics to research!

Afterall, you and me are not the only jobless people on earth!!

Definitely Me!

Cela est ma photographie !

2004-10-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Definitely,Me.

My She!

2004-10-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

As every other soul, I too assumed and proclaimed a soul of the other gender to be my she. Tortured pillows and disturbed grey cells eventually let themselves out in the form of a many poems, one of which I post today!I call it "Just As..."

This was written few years ago and thou shall forgive the lack of poetic sense,if any!

Just as the dream reached its peak,

The bloody alarm drove it weak!

And thy pretty face fluttered away,

Giving way for the real day!

Just as the aroma of the caffeine dose

Played its way thru my inner nose,

My eyes get busy with a distant gaze

Viewing your face in a crystal maze!

Just as I get ready with great pace

Managing my bread and shoe’s lace,

The urge to see thy refreshing face

Forces me like a horse’s race!

Just as I reach my place of study

Amidst friends and my best buddy,

My senses start their expectant search

And my body feels like beaten with a birch!

Just as I find that it is really you!

My forehead sweats like morning dew!!

The fear of others seeing me blush

Forces a ‘hi’ as if I’m in rush!

Just as our teacher starts his chore

And the entire class begins to snore!

It is me, who is alert all the more,

Staring at you till my eyes get sore!!

Just as the bell goes for the hour,

I feel like I’m out of a bar!

My buddy sees me in a condition bizarre

And realizes the need for a great big jar!!

Just as I stagger to the café

You’re still there in my safe!!

My buddy gets me a full coke

And I gulp it down without any choke!

Just as I hurry, back to the dorm,

Like a strong and long-awaited storm,

To continue the responsible duty

Of relishing the unbeatable beauty!!

Just as the dong goes for the day,

My eyes yearn for an early lay!

And waits patiently for that night’s dream

Where I can be with you without any scream!!

Just as I again set my clock

And sleep amidst my own mock!

It’s all again the same old news!

The ecstatic pandemonium continues!!

Definitely,Me.

Good old Sesquanz!

2004-10-20T18:00:00.000-04:00

Dear You,

Any purpose served in a language being sesquipedalian?

"The cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication" is how a language is defined and how is shud be!From the years when we used sounds to communicate to this day where we have some hundreds of scripts and thousands of dialects,a language has been used as the most preferred mode of communication as against intuition,ESP or telepathy which are rarefinds till date.

Language has become a more intersting study now and having a strong vocabulary is very much appreciated for it helps one to enhance the felicity of his expression.Well,all this is feasible only if both the people in a conversation have a comparable vocabulary.Its common sense to guess the background of the audience one's speech is targetting and accordingly tone up or tone down the language.This trait is always appreaciated and has been found in all great men whose honest intentions were that they wanted their message to reach the audience without any ambiguity.

But,we never run short of misfits in any field and even this basic communication field is no exception.Infact,the word SESQUIPEDALIAN has become a thing of concern nowadays because of such people.Mr.Sesquan has made it a point to say something in as complicated a way as possible using as obscure a word as possible having as many syllables as possible such that the audience loose the content and start concentrating on the words,distorting the basic cognitive process in the communication.Mr.Sesquan usally wants the listener to appreciate his Vocab.He wants the listener to feel his own lack of vocabulary when compared to the speaker.He wants to force the listener to be inarticulate and in the process,fails to understand that he has made a mess of the conversation by totally distorting the information he wanted to convey.The worst part of the story is that the speaker usually feels a sigh of happiness with a satiated ego and an assumed air of superiority.Little does his misconception make him understand that he has eventually won the hatred of the listener for a satiated ego almost always leaves behind another hurt ego!Bold listeners come out with a repartee making the speaker understand the basic flaw in his intention.Those reasonable souls with already weakend ego plead the speaker for a explanation.Defeatism might force someone to just shut up and act as if they understand every bit of it,much to the happiness of the speaker who knows the listener is not that capable.Others,used to the speakers style,enjoy making fun of him the moment he clears the scene!

Asked how a movie was,Mr.Dreamworks said it was "temerariously meretricious and the Director has made a flaw in the screen play bloody damn obtrusive!"....I dint get anything out of this and I dont think anyone sane will immediately do so.And no matter whatever movie I see with Dreamworks,I will never ever ask him again for an opinion!He has lost the critic in him to his own words!And rarely do sesquans get true friends and these friends also happen to be one of the same breed.

Come on,lets be friends!!

Definitely,Me!

Kick off..

2004-10-20T04:36:00.000-04:00

Dear you,

Accueillir à mon blog ! Its a pleasure to have you here! I have always had a passion to write about almost everything in this world and ideas never fail to strike me. My inherent laziness and the limitations of time prevented me from devoting time to the task. Its taken 21 years for me to finally start a blog and to hope that this one kicks off and never stops like did the many previous ones!

I am a graduate student currently studying at the University of Cincinnati at Cincinnati,Ohio.I am an Indian and have been in the USA for the past two months.

Born in Madras (or Chennai as it is known now) and bought up in the wonderful city of Coimbatore at the foothills of Nilgiri Mountains in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, I owe my origin to a place called Solapur in the state of Maharashtra in Western India.

My friends believe and so do I, that I have the ability to spin tales about simple things in life and make them sound really big.Thats exactly what I intend to do here! Conquer every attractive sight that captures me and feed them to my tale spinning abiltiy to produce interesting reads.

Hope you all enjoy it!

Apprécier votre séjour !

Definitely,Me.