Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Why the f*** is it 42?

Walking down the memory lane....


'The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything' by Douglas Adams.

Excerpts:

First-

"...I am at a rough estimate, thirty billion times more intelligent than you. Let me give you an example. Think of a number, any number." [said Marvin]
"Er, five" said the mattress.
"Wrong," said Marvin. "You see?"


Next-

"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"
"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is."


Last-

"Six by nine. Forty-two."
"That's it. That's all there is."


p.s: For novices, the number was calculated to base 13!

How many roads must a man walk down?

42

Thursday, November 23, 2006

bookcrossing

bookcrossing
n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.


http://www.bookcrossing.com

why?
good karma!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

November Rain










Caution: The below text involves some preaching and please avoid it if you can. Much of it involves exaggeration of facts and sways on the borders of fiction. It was written under no influence of alcohol. For the record, I turned into a teetotaller lately. I totally drink tea now.

(Here it goes..)

It rained again!

If you are a young adult and indian, the one animal you definitely know a lot about is CAT. And if you are not, get out of here. If you are faint hearted, it will definitely terrorize you. It will make you feel things which you probably never will when faced with any other kind of exam. It is a real test of character where all the basic human traits of fear, greed, love (albeit self-love), courage, moral conviction, intution are tested and tasted. And people usually tend to deny the obvious effects inflicted upon them by the exam. Firstly, the evil force of the exam makes you feel cold-blooded. Nothing effects you anymore. You stop feeling things. Its bound to happen when you stare at the truth that only <0.5% of you and your fellow victims can get through into the sacred gates. And the losers stand at a staggering number of close to 1/5th of a million! Neverthless, thousands of innocent young men and women march into the gallows on some sunday every november. All of them have something in common. The ambition to make it big(ger). No, not in their own eyes but in the eyes of their friends/parents/society whatever. I hardly know a person who gave CAT because he felt the genuine need for management education (what do they really teach?). Its normal to believe that MBA will lead to a happy ever-after life when you look at the high pay packets offered to the grads. And its also perfectly normal to not know what to do in life right after college or even after some years into it. Life is a big level playing field and everybody has enough pie to eat from and to contribute. Frankly, does money even matter after a level? It may to many people and many of them would probably be thinking that i have lost it. But, i think it will help one immensely if one questions and tries to find out one's real purpose beyond money.


And by all means, there is such a terrible gap between demand and supply of quality higher education in India. Will the real indian government ever stand up?

And the man who gets into the hallowed portals is not granted sainthood either. He is turned into a monster as one is bound to be when trained by one. The life as they say, changes forever. You can touch but you can't feel.


P.S: A Boy who read all this asks his Mother, "Will it rain again next year?"


Disclaimer: I have gone through the hammer thrice now. And ironically, everytime i have been through it, i have come out a better person! I believe it is all that counts in the end.