logicark's blog

The culture that is Iceland

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 03:53:00 +0000

Iceland Police had to say this after having shot dead an armed man who was firing a shotgun in his house (including a couple of shots at the Police) : Police regret this incident and would like to extend their condolences to the family of the man.
This was the first time, EVER, in Iceland when a civilian was killed in a Police shooting.

Thanks to Marginal Revolution blog for the info

Rooting Android

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 14:42:00 +0000

Rooted my android phone (Samsung Galaxy S2); installed Cyanogenmod. Immediate benefits - better looks, improved performance and much much clearer text (the first two benefits were expected, the third one was a great happy surprise

PS - baby step to be back, just wanted to record my happiness over the clear text in my phone somewhere, this came as an idea

Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:55:00 +0000

With all the busy-ness of life, when the occasional lull creates clouds of doubt, tales like this give perspective.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/02/world_press_photo_winners.html

unfinished finale...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:44:00 +0000

till when can one keep the veil
the heart seems to swell
with all the pain that one has abound
life keeps screwing you around

nevertheless am glad that you moved on
and guess it's time to say goodbye
hope the past won't dwell upon
and that joy finds you, and away you fly,,,

What could have been

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:32:00 +0000

We didn't get a chance,
not because I didn't wish for it.
It was just that
there was a lot at stake.
Hopes too few,
and conflicts too many.
And opportunities too inappropriate.

And soon it was too late...

But I hope that
you'll agree
We've got something beautiful.
Something to cherish,
which I do; and hope
that you will too.

A Promise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:27:00 +0000

I make a promise
to get back to you
The question you posed
A reply is perhaps owed to us

Sadly, i am hurried at present
and it will be an injustice
to respond in haste

So give me some time
and i will get back to you
I make a promise

Resenting success

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:32:00 +0000

Have you ever resented your successes? Those successes that came naturally to you; those that you got by virtue of being who you are. Ever felt that they came at the expense of others which you miss; which you wish were yours?

Change

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:42:00 +0000

I don’t have a great track record with change. I was distraught while leaving Bangalore for Mumbai 3 years ago; and similar sadness engulfed me a few weeks ago when I was leaving Mumbai for Ahmedabad.

The fact that I wouldn’t be seeing Payal sitting next to me every day; or won’t have an evening tea with Diesel; or won’t be saying “Sai P, wassup” anymore; or won’t be able to call Rajendra for a quick bite and chat at Subway – all this was quite distressing. Add to that the fact that I was making a career move which has very high tail risk in terms of opportunity cost; and had a difficult situation at home. Bottom-line, it was not easy.

And then calm came from the most unexpected place. While everyone in my close circle was rallying around me, I was perhaps too used to getting advice from them. So, when my younger brother told me on the flight from Patna to Mumbai – “just do what faces you; do it then and there, and then get over with it. Don’t think over it” – I was taken aback with the simplicity of what he said. Not that anything he said was new to me; it’s just that he put it so simply that made an impact on me.

3 weeks fast forward, and 2 weeks into IIM A; I am settling OK. Thankfully, my work ex and education is helping me get through the academic load relatively easily. And I am doing exactly what my brother said – do what faces you, then and there; and then get over with it.

Though clouds of doubt do emerge once in a while. But the busy schedule of IIM A takes care of them. Not sure how healthy this is – cause I am not that person inherently who brushes away of thoughts. But for now I guess it will have to do. Anyway, as Nietzsche said – What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

PS: To all my friends in Mumbai - I will cherish our memories together forever to come. Hope , we will keep in touch.

Introduce Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:01:00 +0000

Got another linkedin connection invite from someone I don't know or am unable to recall, without any introduction. Fail to understand why people do so. If you don't expect the other person to know you or remember you from a conference 2 years ago; please introduce yourself when you send a connection invite - you would do it if you meet him in person, won't you. Online world is no different.
And if you don't be ready for a reject.

Back on Time!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:57:00 +0000

It's been a long hiatus; quite a busy life and not enough enthusiasm to take some time out to blog. But der aaye durust aaye. I am back.

While I am talking about deri, let me tell you about something that happened on Tuesday. I was on a flight and when we landed at Mumbai, the chief of the cabin crew announced, "We are glad to inform you that we have arrived in Mumbai on time." Does that statement sound wrong to you? I am not referring to the fact stated - she might actually be glad to be in Mumbai on time, may have a party to go to. I am talking about the thought that goes behind it.

To me that statement means that the airline believes that it has done a great job if it gets its customers to their destination on time. I disagree, that's the minimum expectation that flyers should have. But, alas, the expectations have changed, and sadly on both sides of the table. Such it goes...

26/11

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:47:00 +0000

just saw a video documentary on the terrorist attacks. brings the truth so much closer to you.
Time has a great ability to erode memories, weaken feelings. This was a good reminder.

Do watch

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1e4_1246490858

it rained, finally!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:57:00 +0000

wow, the euphoria!!

first it the tell-tale tap-tap sound, then the sight of droplets pouring down..oh what beauty, short lived but full of hope and relief

remember last year, similar post, just a day or two before cfa; same thing this time around. wish me luck for sunday

girls: the way they think

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:36:00 +0000

usually, guys are chivalrous towards their female friends (i mean friends from the opposite sex, and not girlfriends) and help them out proactively in situations where they wouldn't bother if the friend in need was a guy (unless asked by the guy, of course).
my question is - do girls think of this as friends helping friends, or as making use of guys?
just overheard a conversation which made me wonder about this. If the latter is true , even for, say, 25% of the cases, then that's ******

any lateral views?

PS: given the no. of comments on my blog lately, any views at all??

Why do people lie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:19:00 +0000

1. they don't trust you with the information - that you will give out the information to someone whom they don't want to know
2. they don't trust you with the information - that you will misuse it in some way
3. they are not sure if you are telling the truth, so they play safe not to get on the wrong side of the information transaction
4. they trust you, but they do not want to tell you because they think it somehow puts them in bad light
5. they trust you, but they think the information is irrelevant to you and do not want to say no
6. they are plain mean and want to get the info from you without divulging their cards

Anybody wants to add to the list?

a fleeting image

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:49:00 +0000

you so desperately want it to be true, for that image to be a part of your life..and you know you are not asking for more, cause it was already there, in some form.
but since it was there, you know it could only lead to destruction, to a void which you could not fill with all your efforts. and now that it is not there, the void is back, a different one, but still there.
what can you do to get rid of it? the void i mean, cause the image, that you are stuck with. one of the harsh catch-22s of my life

Scared

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:57:00 +0000

I am scared and confused; and as has been the trend over the past few months, meloncholy due to the restlessness, due to the feeling of purposelessness.
Reasons are many, nevertheless, I think I have become prone to complaining, and brooding a lot of over perhaps not so important things. And becoming less self-dependent, trusting too much, not taking decisions myself.
And hence the scary feeling, of the feeling of being stupid, being the average joe. This is not who I am, and this is not who I will be. I will bounce back. Not sure how...sigh; but will find a way. Have to, there is no alternative.

Eventful Tuesday trip to A Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:40:00 +0000

The title - a try to come up with something witty - seems a lost cause; so let's get on with it.

Yesterday, went to go watch the new movie - the movie's name is A Wednesday, in case you haven't guessed it already - with teammates A and P. Initial plan was to take an auto to the theater - the Cinemax in Andheri (E). However, at the last moment we decided to take P's car.
We didn't know where exactly the theater was; and it was raining bigtime outside.
Murphy's law dictated that we took the wrong turn from the main road; furthermore, we took a wrong turn in a desparate attempt to find a parking space. Finally, we managed to park the car in P's old office; thankful that she still had the old office sticker on the windscreen.
Next started the search for the theater. After walking for a couple of minutes, then taking a bus and heading out the next second, then taking an auto for 5 minutes and finally walking for another 5 minutes we reached the theater. Adding insult to injury, the theater staff and my ignorance made me join the wrong queue for getting the tickets that we had booked online. However, we made it finally made to the cinema hall, though after having made another wrong turn and opening the entrance to the cinema offices instead of the hall.

The movie was good; a fast paced drama/thriller - overall a great and recommended watch.

Halfway through the pre-interval part, I got a call from roommates requesting me to have dinner outside as those two had successfully managed to devour the food that the maid had cooked for them and me. The solace was that we had some maggi lying around, which I later confirmed with them.
More misadventure was waiting for us when the movie got over. It was raining even more mightily when we came out. Plan was that A would take an auto to his place; me and P would take another to her car and then I will head home. A small discussion for dinner plans died prematurely cause of all the rain. Seeing no autos outside the theater, we decided to brave the rains and venture on to the main road to get one.
That's when disaster hit us first. I stepped into a puddle, assuming it was just an inch deep and instead found a manhole waiting for me. Thankfully, the hole was not very wide, and my other leg hit the front edge and I managed to climb out without much injury. I assumed that A and P had seen me falling, as they were behind me. So not wanting to continue with embarrassment of having fallen into a manhole, and in the race to catch an auto, I shrugged the episode and went ahead with the auto search.
Success in the search came in the third try; and I went back a few meters to indicate to P that I had gotten an auto. At that point I saw A crossing the same spot; I yelled at him - "be careful". Now I know he didn't hear me; and he knows that he missed just by a few inches. I had pointed the spot to P before and now, seeing A getting through safely, I was very much sure that they knew the danger.
So, worried that the auto would take another passenger, I walked back to it and then turned towards A and P. And that's when disaster struck the second time. I saw P falling into the same hole. That was perhaps the biggest WTF and frightening moment of my life. I ran back, but by the time I reached, she had gotten out of the ditch safely.
But were we shocked!! When it happened to me I was just shocked, because it happened so fast. I fell in the hole and climbed outside within two seconds, max three. Seeing it happen to a friend was so damn frightening, apart from the immense shock factor. The only other moment I could remember when I was so shocked and frightened was years ago when I realized that I had taken a step and had landed not even an inch far away from a snake's mouth.

Thankfully neither of us were hurt seriously and we reached our places without any further misadventures.

When I finally regained complete control of my senses on the way back; I realised I had made two mistakes. I had forgotten my bag in P's car and I should have put a bamboo or something in that hole to warn others; but forgot both due to the shock. However, overall, the episode was nothing huge, in fact we high-fived the next day on an adventurous evening.

Lesson learnt - do not let such small things shock you so much for so long.

Bigger lesson learnt - watch before you step!!

By the way, the snake was dead!

lalbaugcha raja

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:44:00 +0000

That's the name of the Ganesh idol in Lalbaug area of Parel in Mumbai. That's the idol which is getting a Z-category security cover from the Mumbai police, or to be more precise, the whole festive organization centering around the idol, celebrating its platinum jubilee this year.

The question that comes is - what exactly is the fuss all about? So the inquisitive me got a very good opportunity of finding out when a friend, who is more religious than me, proposed that we go and visit it for a darshan .

The decision was made on the spur of the moment and we decided to go day before yesterday evening. Those who know Mumbai, would know that Saki Naka to Parel is a fare bit of distance, and trying to accomplish this commute by road in the evening traffic is one form of slow death. However, day before yesterday being Ganesh Chaturthi, there wasn't much traffic and we reached there in an hour.
I was joking that there seems to be no traffic and perhaps not that big a crowd would be there for the darshan. My friend said," tu dekh, puri mumbai ki bheed udhar hi hogi". And man, how correct was she. When we first reached the place, after having a very timely dinner - we would indeed have perished before the night was over hadn't we eaten then - we realised that there was a long queue. Long but not THAT long I said, from my past experiences of visiting religious places on such auspicious days.

So we did a small jugaad and entered the queue somewhat ahead saving us one hour. But still I expected a 3-4 hour queue. But then we were hit by a real life example of the "tip of the iceberg". The queue that we had seen on the road was just 1/5th of what was inside. First there was one room 25 by 25 meter square with 15 parallel rows and then another room 4 times that with similar serpentine queues. All the calculations said it would be a 7 hour queue in total.

Then my friend had a brilliant idea and we just skipped one half of the bigger room - bang - a save of atleast 2 hours. Another few minutes and we were in front of Ganesh ji; asking for all the things we had ample time to think about while standing in the queue. Though I didn't get any extraordinary bhakti-bhav near the idol - no offenses, afterall my friend was deep in prayers, so i guess the idol does have some effect - I guess the whole point was to go through such a tough routine and get to an objective. For me, that high would be as good as the high other people get after having a darshan. Once out from the pandaal, we shook hands on a mission successfully accomplished.

Isliye jor se bolo ganpat bappa morryaaa...lagbaucha rajacha jai jai kaar

Need an anchor

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:09:00 +0000

Life's become a purposeless commute. From day to night, from apartment to office. I desperately need an anchor. Without it, the waves of indecision and the tides of everyday activities are just throwing me here and there. Dunno where this all is going; and in the meantime, I am dying inside, a slow and steady decay of frustration and helplessness...

Greatness

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:37:00 +0000

the problem with greatness is, people tend to associate it with a very few qualities, a few events and anecdotes. No one who has been termed great, ever in the history of humankind, was/is made up of just those few character traits and events. S/he is a complete humain being. The rest need to separate out the heroism from the totality, in order to satisfy their need to look up to something ; something which they strive to become. these are tales, of ordinary people, or may be slightly extraordinary people, converting them into super extraordinary heroes; tales created and spread wide in order to fulfil different objectives at different times. i remember watching a movie, i think it was braveheart, where a common man comes up to the lead character and asks him - i thought you were a gigantic 8 foot tall big muscle guys; but u are just like us; so where did this tale come from , people telling each other about some mythical human who could slaughter enemies like some ancient god-hero. these tales originated because the people needed to believe that someone existed amongst them who could indeed slaughter enemies, so that they, in turn, could garner the courage to stand up against tyranny. thus began the story of a hero. of course a person who has the capacity to be called a hero is also required; but its the need of the hour that creates a hero out of him/her.

confusion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:53:00 +0000

questions of existence
survival vs living
rationality vs idealism vs ground truths
floating aimlessly vs rowing to the island just beyond the horizon
where's the horizon? when? how?
the purpose of it all ; meaning
so many questions; or may be just one, many forms
someone truly said - ignorance is bliss
but what do u do -
the curse of knowledge - of half knowledge -
is already upon u
try to find light in the darkness
without really needing anything,
cause u already have infra red
so wat with that quest of light?
may be just need a direction;
or it already is there..just the knowledge of it...

Its raining

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:27:00 +0000

It has started to rain in Mumbai; has been raining all the time since yesterday. Am so excited, if only didn't have an exam to write tomorrow and if only Mumbai was half as clean as Bangalore. Even then, the sound of the sudden increase in the downpour attracted me to the window and i couldn't resist feeling happy and snapped a pic of the view outside my window.

That's it for now. back to studies..

We need an Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:05:00 +0000

How I wish that the Gandhis, the Advanis, the Yadavs, the Karats and the Thackerays of this country had the understanding and the audacity to rise against the culture of divisiveness; on the lines of caste, region and religion; which is so pervasive in our country - as Obama does in his remarkable speech on the racial divide in his country.

And on the sidelines, I hope the Indian economy realises soon that we need to be creating enough jobs within the country to support the employment requirements of the ever-growing youth. Obama's speech makes it pretty clear that if he wins, the outsourcing on which we rely so much, will take a serious backseat. What we need to realise is that even if he doesn't, the problem doesn't get solved; we only get slightly more time to come up with a solution.

Liberating

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:40:00 +0000

Those who know my daily routine would be aware that I often come back from office after at least 9 in the night; if I am lucky I am back at 8. Today, there was a day of exception. For the first time, in the past 7-8 months I have been working at my current job, I left office at 1815 hrs.
The feeling was so different - kind of liberating.
It was so good to see sun light in the evening; to see people moving around - doing their kitchen shopping at the roadside vegetable market, waiting at bus stops in numbers to get a bus back to home, coming out of offices with their lunch boxes; to see a tempo driver trying to tie a canvas cover-all over his tempo; to get stuck at one of the many traffic signals; to have so much of activity around; to feel life going on; to feel liberated.

tere ishq ki ek boond

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:13:00 +0000

तेरे इश्क की एक बूँद
इसमें मिल गई थी
इसलिए मैंने उम्र की
सारी कड़वाहट पी डाली
-- अमृता प्रीतम

found at a comment from rk in http://desitrain।com/2008/03/03/will-you-marry-me/

for those whose screen can't show hindi fonts
tere ishq ki ek boond
ismein mil gayi thi
isliye maine umra ki
saari kadwahat pi daali