Sunday, August 30, 2009

Sleep cycle

Its gone all wrong. I used to sleep in mornings. Sleepless nights. It is a bad practice. So in an attempt to mend it I've made worse of it. Yesterday I slept at 10 at night and thought it would be a good change to wake up in the morning. But then I woke up in the mid of night at 2 a.m. after an weird dream. Tried to contemplate but couldn't sleep for next one hour. So I wake up and brush. Study for an hour. Go jogging. Go bathing. Go M.T. Still no sign of sleep. Breakfast at 9. But still no sign. Finally I fall at 11. And played dead till 2.

And guess what. This day same thing repeats. At least till this time of 3:20 a.m. How do i mend it. If there is need to.

Friday, August 28, 2009

My first 5x5x5 solve!

Finally I got to solve 555 completely! With no edge parity. I took help from a video but I did it finally. 5x5x5 can help construct much more conundrums than 3x3x3. After all it has much higher cardinality (total possible configuration) than 3x3x3 Rubiks cube. A total of 2.83 x 10^74. !!!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

back on lists

Once again started wordlist and moved on to 13 after a long time. Exam tomorrow. I'll start preparation in the evening.

BTW I had my first class on Wednesday. I took english class in stead of a friend of mine who unfortunately caught jaundice and took a break. It was a nice experience. People were anxious to know things. Not like us sitting like deadpan in class. Most of them of our age group. Next class on Saturday. Maths this time.

I've got hold of a 5x5x5 cube which Im able to solve with two edge pieces reversed or more technically with one edge parity. I need to figure out how to resolve the edge parity. I just need some time for it. May be this weekend.

Our first  installment (of 3 months) of stipend to be posted end of this month. Lots of money. Unsure what to do with these. Earlier planned to buy DSLR camera Nikon D60 kit. Reviews suggest that its a good entry level DSLR with optical anti-shake technology. But now I need bucks for GRE and TOEFL and who knows for applications too. So I've held the idea in abeyance.

Monday, August 24, 2009

All work no play

No squash for now. Not this month. Even after paying 150 bucks. After all the 2 months hitting the ball I was going with a group where all we were supposed to do is ping the ball. 2 bounce and wall. 2 bounce and wall. 2 bounce and wall. How many times? The new racket is like driving a bike as compared to cycling with the old one. Its just that I'm not used to the grip as well as speed of this one. I think I need to hit the shots a lot to fit into this one. But this might happen in near future I fear.

Now the wordlist count has come to halt as shown by the roll count at the top. Most of the time these days goes in a website that Im developing. Struggling with the rusty IE 6 browser which behaves annoyingly and incompatibly with many CSS feature. Why the hell people use such browser. We must declare it sinful to use IE in these modern times.

Next up I'll be talking classes in maths/computer in an organization of our institute which trains people in basic computer, maths and English. Probably after next week or so.

Also mid-sem exam is coming this week. This time its not when-are-exams-starting. Its just when-is-exam. Only one course. [:)]

SPO has started its activity and the season for PPTs and resumes have started. I too will have to go through inevitable and pathetically boring task of making resume. In other words it's self-bragging on MS-word. Buying yourself a black coat suit, long sleeved shirts, black leather shoes and packing yourself in all these. It's all part of the process I'll have to go through in the next few months. Karega bhai karega. Naukri ke liye kuchh bhi karega (Translation: everything to be done for job).

In all these tasks the gre thing got overshadowed. And the will for gre also. Till now I'm not registered. There is no harm in research but the thought of me living out there with once-a-year visit threatens my mind to think in that direction. Let us hope that I have enough thought, reason, courage and will to appear for it. Or not appear for it. Whatever is good. Ohh. By the way does it sound something like 'I Used to Be Indecisive But Now I'm Not So Sure'. Wait, I have a snap of it!


Monday, August 17, 2009

Its birthday time

Its birthday time again.for I have seen 23 17 Augusts in my life. Birthday came and went. Each year. Year by year. And I only grew older. And wiser i must say in usual sense of the word.

Parents visited me this time. Gifts and all was quite nice. Btw I bought myself a gift this time. New Dunlop Blackmax Carbon 520 squash racket. So I finally get rid of the old Aluminum body racket. New one weighs only 140 gms! Although 2006 manufactured it is brand new in usage. It was good to have Rs.1800 discount on it anyway. Reviews suggest that it is specialized in power shots but has a disadvantage too. Its grip is not as per expectation. The rubber is wearing leaving powdered particles in hand which act as lubricant (as we studied in ME461 small particles can act as lubricant) . This forbids a firm grip. Let's hope it settles down quickly otherwise I'll need to change the grip.

No progress on wordlists.

Need to learn web development using ajax/jsp.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

61 years hence...

Let's wind our clocks 61 years ago. Imagine the aura that must have prevailed in the new rising country. But as I think of those celebrations it reminds me of the concomitant havoc the treat of independence brought with it for the two daughter countries. Millions faced the blades of millions. Millions displaced. And millions wept for them. The carnage was such that it would shame the cruelest of murderers. 

Yet millions were celebrating. Yet the newspaper headlines read: "One-sixth of human race get independence". Yet Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister. Yet the Brits claim credit of power transfer. What was transfered? Power? If yes then it got dissipated in the process of transfer. And the dissipated power exploded in the form of violence and hurt very people it was transfered to. 

The celebration of independence was marred by the violence the engulfed millions for most people. But for others the independence meant execution not in British rule but in self-rule, if by any definition there a tint 'rule'. From then year after year people celebrate independence and year by year the marring of celebration is lessened. But for me it always reminds me of the people for whom independence meant death. It brings a bad taste always.

The Brits expulsion from country is many times referred to as Shameful Flight. As for my belief the largest share of this shame should be credited to Mountbatten. The undue celerity he showed in making decisions was the core of it. And if not half then at least partly the shame is shared by Indian leaders who were so hesitant to partition before Mountbatten and just as he stepped in everything seemed running for them. At least they should have foreseen the aftermaths. For Pt. Nehru himself said that: It was difficult to decide the best way of transfer but for what's happening now I can say this was certainly not.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Get busy living

Yes. I've found something to work on. Mugging up wordlists for GRE. Not very interesting though. To much of everybody surprise I'm giving GRE. Everybody is either preparing for CAT or GRE. May be because they want to play safe with an extra option than relying on SPO for placement. And in the times such as now someone getting placed for a job is not a frequently occurring phenomena. So it be. I'll also play safe. At least it keeps me busy.

Squash coaching started this Wednesday. And this time in the morning 7 A.M. Now that means getting up early morning. Implies sleeping early at night. Implies very difficult thing to be regular.

Thesis is dull as used it used to be and with only three lectures a week I'm left with affluence to prepare for GRE. Doing one wordlist per day is not bad. Whole 50 in 50 days. Sounds good.

By the way I'm reminded of a considerable achievement of mine. Into fifth year of stay at IITK and still alive! That's not a certain event. Statistically speaking that's not 100% probable event. Unfortunately in last 4 years seven unfortunate people have failed to do so. All of them chose to end it rather. A few others attempted but couldn't succeed. A most recent attempt came few days before. What a pity of this institute and what a sad end to those so-called cream-of-the nation. And what bad name it brings to institute. But authorities still shamelessly lying in everyone's face.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Worrying works

Worrying works! 90 percent of things I worry never happen!

Friday, August 07, 2009

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Happy new month!

Its  August baby. Month of independence day and month of Birthday. That is my birth day. And my sister's and my friends'. Rakhi in the same month. And yes today is friendship day also. Happy friendship day to all. I'll look to make more and more friends and less and less enemies.

Also this seems to be month of idleness. Earlier in first 4 years of my graduation it was loads of courses. Always pinned between deadlines. Extra stress. Lots to do. But now its only one course and thesis work which is not so heavy. There is lots of free time. Im not getting ways to kill time. Just wasting it away.

I need something consuming. Something to work on. By sitting free I'm growing degenerate. I'm doing nothing but aging. This day I was thinking that I should start preparing for something. May be GRE or CAT. GRE seems a better option. But a bit costly. CAT will take nowhere but management. I do not want to close the option of working in my field for which I have dedicated 5 invaluable years of my life. I don't want to waste it.