"I know it was wet on Saturday, but nobody expected so many ducks."
This was really funny. Can you imagine 12 batsmen getting out in succession without scoring?
Just check this out:
http://cricket.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1814612.cms
The comment from losing captain:
"When we were naught for four I jokingly said it would be strange if we were all out for ducks."
Reminds me of Kumble's 10 wicket feat. I was running high fever and was not able to sit in TV room in the hostel. So, came back to room and put on the radio. As the fourth wicket went down, a mad thought came to my mind that only Kumble can take wickets on such pitch. So, he might take 10 today. And he did it. Well, sometimes you can really see things coming. It happens to me for sure.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
Hi tech security. Is it safe?
Watching sci-fi movies... First thing that comes to mind is biometric security systems. Retina scan, finger print based passwords, etc. Interesting thing is that this is not longer a fiction. You can see a lot of such systems in place already. These were meant to be safer than traditional password based systems.
But, I can't help thinking. Are they really safe? Or they are like keeping everything unprotected?
When I choose a password I keep it in my mind and no technology has been developed to read the mind or get the data out of human mind. But if I use my retina scan, anyone can scan that while I am walking on the road. I can not keep my eyes hidden. Anyone can replicate the key to my lock. When I use my finger prints, I leave the key in the restaurant where I go for food, it can be found on door handles, and I guess I leave the prints atleast at 1000 places in a single day. So, in effect, I have no way of keeping my key safe.
I would even go to the extent of comparing it with the old generation lock and key. I find even that safer as I can keep my key carefully so that I do not lose it. But all these biometric passwords are available for all to steal and make a copy. I really fail to understand how the technology creator think that all this is going to provide a secure world.
We sometimes expend a great deal of time, effort, and money to create a "high-tech" solution to a problem, but we get so immersed in technology that we forget very basic things in life.
I will close with the famous story (which I believe is a misquoted one, but message still holds):
During the space race back in the 1960's, NASA was faced with a major problem. The astronaut needed a pen that would write in the vacuum of space. NASA went to work. At a cost of$1.5 million they developed the "Astronaut Pen".
The Russians were faced with the same dilemma.
They used a pencil.
But, I can't help thinking. Are they really safe? Or they are like keeping everything unprotected?
When I choose a password I keep it in my mind and no technology has been developed to read the mind or get the data out of human mind. But if I use my retina scan, anyone can scan that while I am walking on the road. I can not keep my eyes hidden. Anyone can replicate the key to my lock. When I use my finger prints, I leave the key in the restaurant where I go for food, it can be found on door handles, and I guess I leave the prints atleast at 1000 places in a single day. So, in effect, I have no way of keeping my key safe.
I would even go to the extent of comparing it with the old generation lock and key. I find even that safer as I can keep my key carefully so that I do not lose it. But all these biometric passwords are available for all to steal and make a copy. I really fail to understand how the technology creator think that all this is going to provide a secure world.
We sometimes expend a great deal of time, effort, and money to create a "high-tech" solution to a problem, but we get so immersed in technology that we forget very basic things in life.
I will close with the famous story (which I believe is a misquoted one, but message still holds):
During the space race back in the 1960's, NASA was faced with a major problem. The astronaut needed a pen that would write in the vacuum of space. NASA went to work. At a cost of
The Russians were faced with the same dilemma.
They used a pencil.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Culture... Am I missing something?
Today, I want to go back home. I had got over the excitement of seeing the outer world long ago. Now, I am even tired of just thinking about career and compromising my life for it. Perhaps I have stayed away for too long. I feel like a foreigner all over again even though I am so comfortable here. There is not even a single thing which makes me uncomfortable about Korea. But it is not my home. I do not want to think about what to eat everyday. I do not want to worry about not able to understand if some notice comes to my apartment. And most importantly I want to see people around me with whom I can associate. I want to have Dosa's, chats, and pakodas. I want to see hindi movies in theatre.
And when I am thinking of going back, I am realizing what living away does to you. This feeling started when I first went back to India after staying here in Korea. I got to see things from a different perspective. I started noticing things which I would never have, staying in India always. I am not talking about the usual things people talk about like dust, crowds, disorder, nagging policemen, people not being polite to each other, etc. But seeing different cultures, I started thinking about the cliched praises about "indian culture". People do love to talk about it a lot as soon as you tell stories from outer world. There is never an argument as nobody wants to argue. It has to be accepted that we are great. If you do not agree, people will isolate you. They will think that you do not want to come back to India and got too fascinated by life abroad.
When it comes to culture, I keep wondering what is it we are talking about. Here are a few things which I noticed:
1. If I am driving a car, the people on the road have no right to walk peacefully. I will honk at anyone who comes in my way and tries to reduce my speed.
2. A policeman can harass a guy and girl in a public place just sitting and chatting.
3. A boy dropping a girl back home can not come till her house as neighbors will talk about it.
Let me not talk about impolite behavior or lawlessness. But sometimes, when you describe Indian culture to foreigners, couple of restrictions that surprise them are:
1. Boys and girls being friends and going out together is an issue.
2. Drinking in social gatherings like college parties, official parties.
The above two things are really difficult to explain to anyone else in the world and are often talked about in a multinational gathering. And I personally see the first thing spoiling the mindset of the youth in so called great culture of ours. I don't know about girls. But if it is just guys, they can not have fun without talking dirty about girls and sex. Bring in one girl in the group, and things are so different and "cultured" (oops this is my definition of culture, so don't get confused). At various times, I have thought that it is not a good set of people I have seen perhaps. But, with my limited sample set, I would like to illustrate my point.
Let me go back to my school days. Class 8. I joined a new school in Sonepat, SDM School. It was one of the best school in Haryana in terms of infrastructure with hostels, a temple and a huge stadium. I was very excited about it. But I soon realized that I did not know the culture of "good" schools. I did not know how to talk dirty. I did not know any of the popular porn books. I did not understand the language they were talking in. Slowly I got acclimatized to the new environment but I could never pick up the language. I made fewer friends as I was never fluent enough. As I started topping the class, I saw the friend circle growing but I could always feel that they do not see me as one of them.
Now, let me jump to my college days. I cleared JEE, got good rank and joined IIT Bombay. Again, I was very excited being part of premier institute of India. I was amongst the cream of the nation. First time I realized that being a topper in your class or city or district is no distinguishing factor as everyone has got a better story to tell. With all the excitement, I also learnt that things are no different from what I saw in schools. The IITB culture includes weekend TV shows with primary attraction being the X-rated movies with no limit on number of "X" unless people start puking and cleanliness becomes an issue. Everyone still talks about same things and even more openly now as this was a set of confident people who can speak out their mind without any doubt. Unfortunately the competition is so tough that all these people did not spend much time other than concentrating on studies and had very little time to "interact" with girls, so they were even more frustrated than average youth of the nation. And on top of that you have got 25 girls in a batch of 450 with only two of them passing the standard of successful person's girlfriend. I do not see any fault in all of them considering themselves successful. And trust me, that was reducing the standards too low after being declared the cream of nation. With all due respect to fairer sex, I am talking about the majority opinion of guys in my batch. I guess one needs to take this comment sportingly. :)
Now, let us come back to the point. The above two examples are not exceptions. I have studied in 9 different schools, went to NTSC training program for the state (top 60 people from the state), went to the most cosmopolitan IIT (again majority opinion), have been part of a group of top stock traders in India,...
Do I need to add more? This is the ground reality and I believe very few people will disagree.
When did I see a healthy environment in a group of guys? In a co-ed school and even better when there was no sitting restriction for boys and girls. After school, when either the guys had girlfriends or there were girls in the group. But this doesn't happen often for most of the people in India. If you have been in these groups, consider yourself very lucky.
Today's generation does not agree to these thoughts and it is changing. But as this is not accepted in the system, the things are coming out in wrong way. I guess, this opens up a whole new chain of thoughts in my mind and I can not give out real examples in this direction. So, I would end this here. But I am still searching for the answer on what exactly is the culture which we are so proud about. With so many people in India staying away from home for studies and then for making their career, I think it is not a small set of people I am talking about. And myself being away from home for 9 years, I can only relate to this facet of indian culture.
I hope we realize sooner than later that we need to stop singing praises of our culture without understading the real meaning of it and to start taking some positives from the world in addition to what we are already best at, that is, learning all bad habits.
And when I am thinking of going back, I am realizing what living away does to you. This feeling started when I first went back to India after staying here in Korea. I got to see things from a different perspective. I started noticing things which I would never have, staying in India always. I am not talking about the usual things people talk about like dust, crowds, disorder, nagging policemen, people not being polite to each other, etc. But seeing different cultures, I started thinking about the cliched praises about "indian culture". People do love to talk about it a lot as soon as you tell stories from outer world. There is never an argument as nobody wants to argue. It has to be accepted that we are great. If you do not agree, people will isolate you. They will think that you do not want to come back to India and got too fascinated by life abroad.
When it comes to culture, I keep wondering what is it we are talking about. Here are a few things which I noticed:
1. If I am driving a car, the people on the road have no right to walk peacefully. I will honk at anyone who comes in my way and tries to reduce my speed.
2. A policeman can harass a guy and girl in a public place just sitting and chatting.
3. A boy dropping a girl back home can not come till her house as neighbors will talk about it.
Let me not talk about impolite behavior or lawlessness. But sometimes, when you describe Indian culture to foreigners, couple of restrictions that surprise them are:
1. Boys and girls being friends and going out together is an issue.
2. Drinking in social gatherings like college parties, official parties.
The above two things are really difficult to explain to anyone else in the world and are often talked about in a multinational gathering. And I personally see the first thing spoiling the mindset of the youth in so called great culture of ours. I don't know about girls. But if it is just guys, they can not have fun without talking dirty about girls and sex. Bring in one girl in the group, and things are so different and "cultured" (oops this is my definition of culture, so don't get confused). At various times, I have thought that it is not a good set of people I have seen perhaps. But, with my limited sample set, I would like to illustrate my point.
Let me go back to my school days. Class 8. I joined a new school in Sonepat, SDM School. It was one of the best school in Haryana in terms of infrastructure with hostels, a temple and a huge stadium. I was very excited about it. But I soon realized that I did not know the culture of "good" schools. I did not know how to talk dirty. I did not know any of the popular porn books. I did not understand the language they were talking in. Slowly I got acclimatized to the new environment but I could never pick up the language. I made fewer friends as I was never fluent enough. As I started topping the class, I saw the friend circle growing but I could always feel that they do not see me as one of them.
Now, let me jump to my college days. I cleared JEE, got good rank and joined IIT Bombay. Again, I was very excited being part of premier institute of India. I was amongst the cream of the nation. First time I realized that being a topper in your class or city or district is no distinguishing factor as everyone has got a better story to tell. With all the excitement, I also learnt that things are no different from what I saw in schools. The IITB culture includes weekend TV shows with primary attraction being the X-rated movies with no limit on number of "X" unless people start puking and cleanliness becomes an issue. Everyone still talks about same things and even more openly now as this was a set of confident people who can speak out their mind without any doubt. Unfortunately the competition is so tough that all these people did not spend much time other than concentrating on studies and had very little time to "interact" with girls, so they were even more frustrated than average youth of the nation. And on top of that you have got 25 girls in a batch of 450 with only two of them passing the standard of successful person's girlfriend. I do not see any fault in all of them considering themselves successful. And trust me, that was reducing the standards too low after being declared the cream of nation. With all due respect to fairer sex, I am talking about the majority opinion of guys in my batch. I guess one needs to take this comment sportingly. :)
Now, let us come back to the point. The above two examples are not exceptions. I have studied in 9 different schools, went to NTSC training program for the state (top 60 people from the state), went to the most cosmopolitan IIT (again majority opinion), have been part of a group of top stock traders in India,...
Do I need to add more? This is the ground reality and I believe very few people will disagree.
When did I see a healthy environment in a group of guys? In a co-ed school and even better when there was no sitting restriction for boys and girls. After school, when either the guys had girlfriends or there were girls in the group. But this doesn't happen often for most of the people in India. If you have been in these groups, consider yourself very lucky.
Today's generation does not agree to these thoughts and it is changing. But as this is not accepted in the system, the things are coming out in wrong way. I guess, this opens up a whole new chain of thoughts in my mind and I can not give out real examples in this direction. So, I would end this here. But I am still searching for the answer on what exactly is the culture which we are so proud about. With so many people in India staying away from home for studies and then for making their career, I think it is not a small set of people I am talking about. And myself being away from home for 9 years, I can only relate to this facet of indian culture.
I hope we realize sooner than later that we need to stop singing praises of our culture without understading the real meaning of it and to start taking some positives from the world in addition to what we are already best at, that is, learning all bad habits.
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