Exam or exercise?

It was a really tough one today. Not because of the quality of the questions we had to attempt. But, the quantity! Imagine- no foremost preparation of any kind. Just banging our heads at the books in the library. Groping all kinds of answers. Skipping lunch in between. And, after all these pains and tensions we took, you must have been there to see what our faces looked like upon reading the question paper. Five questions of sixteen mark each to be written in just two hours. And, to top it all, we were asked to provide all sorts of rubbish figures (at least they make no relevant sense to me) neatly sketched!

Indeed, a strenuous exercise rather than an exam. I didn’t understand what they wanted to test- knowledge or writing speed?

Even then, not every time they can get a chance to feel mighty. This time we (my batch) won through. Managed to salvage the impression our prof. (By the way, the exam was on Networks) has on us.

Man vs Robot

This discussion came into light in our recent ‘Robotics and Flexible Automation’ class. I felt that whatever our professor said was true enough to give it a thought. He was giving a lecture on robot imaging sensors. After getting a reply from a student that a robot works intelligently with sensors in return to his question regarding the use of sensors in robots, he said this- “Unfortunately we are not in a position to understand the fundamentals of many intelligent functions that a man or even an animal has.” And, it is so true. Although the lecture went ahead of this and traced back its way in relevance to the topic being discussed, my mind just got stuck there. I was thinking about it.

Really, human is such a beautiful creation of God. It is believed that a human brain is approximately equal to some millions of computer memories drawn together. Still, we hardly make use of even a 10% of it! All right, I agree that even I don’t use mine to that extent. If only I could…

Missed verse

“Koti koti kanttha kalakala-ninaada-karaale
Dwisapta koti bhujayirdhritha kharakaravaale
ke bole maa tumi abale
bahubala-dhaarineem namaami taarineem
ripudala-vaarineem maataram”

-Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

I don’t understand why this part of ‘Vande maataram’ was omitted regardless such depth in it. Especially, the third and fourth lines praising our country as a powerful woman. In fact, this verse is far more beautiful than the existing two.

Spoken...

“karmano hyapi boddhavyam
boddhavyam`cha vikarmanah
akarmanascha boddhavyam
gahanaa karmano gatih”

-'The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know what action is and what inaction is.'
...

“yadruchha-laabha-santushto
dvandvaati`to vimatsarah
samah siddhaav ashidhou cha
krutvaapi na nibadhyate”

-'He who is satisfied with gain that comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.'

- Lord Krishna to Arjuna

A Thought

A Thought-
Can come to you as often as you breathe
Can make your mind work better than it does
Can broaden your mouth and bring you a smile
Can wet your eyes and make you cry
When brought out at the right time, can help you survive
Can show you what you could be
Can be with you so long as you don’t defy
-
A Thought
A Single Thought-
Can strengthen you or make you fragile.

Not happy with the way it is

I planned to make my blog look the way I wanted it to be. I wanted to post my Telugu poems. But, now I think I have to settle down satisfying myself with transliteration. This particular technique where you write something taken from a different language in English is referred to as ‘Rice Inverse Transliteration’. For example, writing maa in English which actually is a Hindi word.

I dug all possible search engines, but couldn’t lay my hands on any promising Telugu software. There’s no such site which can provide me with sufficient Telugu lipi. Found one. But, after all the pains of downloading it, it failed to work. :(

Just can’t imagine my blog with transliterated poems all over. I feel that the beauty of the language and the poems in turn will be lost if they are transliterated. Do I have another go now? Can someone help me sort this out? I want them to be posted in Telugu itself and am not at all willing to post them, otherwise. But, if I don’t get good software, then I’ll have to think of it (transliteration). :-/

Huh!

Anonymity

I never thought I will have to write on anonymity some day. But had to, after reading an anonymous comment in my blog recently. And, my reply was this.

~
"I don't encourage anonymity in my blog. If you are not a blogger user, then you have the 'other' option provided at the bottom of this window. If you still want to go with your anonymous identity then it is your wish."
~

Sometimes, I really wonder why people have to sound so anonymous when they have their unique identity. I don't think one might sound less foolish or much wiser staying anonymous. I'm sorry if I'm sounding rude and if this has hurt you. But, my intentions are just to make you feel free to comment in my blog. Now, that doesn't mean that any sort of (abhorrent) comments would be accepted. I think I need to repeat myself again that this blog is after all, mine!

Comments are welcome. :)

World of books

“The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man.
Nothing else that he builds ever lasts.
Monuments fall.
Nations perish.
Civilizations grow old and die out.
And after an era of darkness,
New races build others.
But in the world of books, volumes
That has seen this happen again and again
And yet live on.
Still as fresh as the day they were written.
Still telling men’s hearts
Of the hearts of men centuries dead.”

- Clarence Day

Link back

My previous post must have given you a direct hint regarding the book I’ve finally started reading after a lot of doubts – The God of Small Things. I’m quarter-way through the book. So, can’t say anything as of now. But, somewhere it gives me a hint of woman-hood, if I’m not mistaken. I can’t judge it, though. (Hey! I said that I haven’t finished yet. So let me take some time). On the contrary, I feel that it can’t make compulsive reading.

May be, I would be able to judge more precisely after I finish the exercise-reading! (Did someone say that reading is to mind what exercise is to body?)

Spoken...

" Human are creatures of habit. It is really amazing the kind of things they could get used to."

-Ammu, a character from the book, 'The God Of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy.