What would I do without music?
Nothing.
Book Review of "Starter Villain"
1 year ago
23 February, 2010
15 February, 2010
The Demon called Language
Language is a one sadist multi-headed demon.
One thing that Language has achieved, that even the Devil himself couldn't, is that Language tricked everyone into believing that it is actually a blessing. It is probably the greatest trick it ever pulled off. Much like Sauron who fooled the Men, Dawrves and the Elves and made the One Ring to rule the world. Language is playing the same game.
Now the favourite game that this demon likes to play is the trick-your-perception game. It takes reality, distorts it according to what you fear the most and then manipulates your perception to think that this is the actual reality. Much like the Boggart of Harry Potter. Just that Boggart manipulates the physical perception whereas this demon is more sinister. It hampers not just the perception, but compromises your system so badly that there is no notion of "reality" at all. If Boggart is userspace virus, Language is the rootkit.
Fighting this beast is near impossible because of the games it plays. It takes the facts from me, distorts them beyond recognition and inserts this distorted reality into the perception of the other soldier. Miscommunication. We bicker around trying to sort it out, while this demon has a nice laugh and then when everything has seemed to settle down, it plays the game again. And again. And again.
"Stab it with your steely knives but you just can't kill the beast"
This beast can be subdued, but it needs means other than Language itself. Something which transcends words or something which fixes the distorted reality and puts in the right perspective.
(Note: I wanted to write a note, but I forgot what I wanted to write here :-D)
One thing that Language has achieved, that even the Devil himself couldn't, is that Language tricked everyone into believing that it is actually a blessing. It is probably the greatest trick it ever pulled off. Much like Sauron who fooled the Men, Dawrves and the Elves and made the One Ring to rule the world. Language is playing the same game.
Now the favourite game that this demon likes to play is the trick-your-perception game. It takes reality, distorts it according to what you fear the most and then manipulates your perception to think that this is the actual reality. Much like the Boggart of Harry Potter. Just that Boggart manipulates the physical perception whereas this demon is more sinister. It hampers not just the perception, but compromises your system so badly that there is no notion of "reality" at all. If Boggart is userspace virus, Language is the rootkit.
Fighting this beast is near impossible because of the games it plays. It takes the facts from me, distorts them beyond recognition and inserts this distorted reality into the perception of the other soldier. Miscommunication. We bicker around trying to sort it out, while this demon has a nice laugh and then when everything has seemed to settle down, it plays the game again. And again. And again.
"Stab it with your steely knives but you just can't kill the beast"
This beast can be subdued, but it needs means other than Language itself. Something which transcends words or something which fixes the distorted reality and puts in the right perspective.
(Note: I wanted to write a note, but I forgot what I wanted to write here :-D)
11 February, 2010
A terrible waste of Life
Frankly speaking, I remembered my blog only because I was bored. So bored that I seriously considered fixing all the tags in my MP3 files!! I should have seen this coming when a month ago my TODO list dried up. Nothing to do!
Today, its been a week that I have nothing to do and let me tell you that it is mighty frustrating! I am not used to it. No work pressures (no objective to achieve either). Nothing new to learn (well, ofcourse there is loads of stuff to learn, but just learning them to forget is useless. I learn something only when I get a feeling that I'll need it in the near future. Currently, there's no such need. I think I know everything that I am going to need). Nothing to pursue (Its been ages since I quit sketching, skating, basketball. I am game for restarting basketball, but it needs a team and there's no one I know who plays basketball. Anyone?).
Earlier I used to pass time in movies, serials, books and following cricket, chess and a bit of tennis. But, all these passive means of entertainment do not provide any sense of satisfaction. They are just meant to kill time. I long for something active where I play a part. Something real. Something like working on a software package or basketball or table tennis. My favourite passtime used to be to get stuff working in Linux (dns servers and mail servers and dhcp servers and what not). But, even that is just passive and uninteresting now. And there's nothing new to get working ;-)
Its been 7 days I am searching for something to get involved in. Since I am posting to the blog, obviously I have had no luck and now I am just pissed off with myself. To be frank, I have had some thoughts, but, all of those were silenced by "Fakt 5-6 mahinyansathi karaycha? whats the use?".
I need rescuing :-)
Today, its been a week that I have nothing to do and let me tell you that it is mighty frustrating! I am not used to it. No work pressures (no objective to achieve either). Nothing new to learn (well, ofcourse there is loads of stuff to learn, but just learning them to forget is useless. I learn something only when I get a feeling that I'll need it in the near future. Currently, there's no such need. I think I know everything that I am going to need). Nothing to pursue (Its been ages since I quit sketching, skating, basketball. I am game for restarting basketball, but it needs a team and there's no one I know who plays basketball. Anyone?).
Earlier I used to pass time in movies, serials, books and following cricket, chess and a bit of tennis. But, all these passive means of entertainment do not provide any sense of satisfaction. They are just meant to kill time. I long for something active where I play a part. Something real. Something like working on a software package or basketball or table tennis. My favourite passtime used to be to get stuff working in Linux (dns servers and mail servers and dhcp servers and what not). But, even that is just passive and uninteresting now. And there's nothing new to get working ;-)
Its been 7 days I am searching for something to get involved in. Since I am posting to the blog, obviously I have had no luck and now I am just pissed off with myself. To be frank, I have had some thoughts, but, all of those were silenced by "Fakt 5-6 mahinyansathi karaycha? whats the use?".
I need rescuing :-)
29 November, 2009
Identity
"Mathematics has the completely false reputation of yielding infallible conclusions. Its infallibility is nothing but identity. Two times two is not four, but it is just two times two, and that is what we call four for short. But four is nothing new at all. And thus it goes on and on in its conclusions, except that in the higher formulas the identity fades out of sight."
page 1754
-Johann von Goethe, In J. R. Newman (ed.) The World of Mathematics, New York: Simon and Schuster
This identity is infact a core part of Mathematics. Example. How would you prove that six times six and nine times four are one and the same thing? (Johann might say that they are not. They are infact what they are: six times six and nine times four respectively. But these are just different perspectives of the same object. Read on.) In the decimal world, you can name six times six thirty-six and nine times four also, thirty six and come to the conclusion that we are talking about the same object. In the hex world, we can name the same quantity twenty four. Names don't matter, what matters is that using these identities we can keep aside perspectives to focus on absolute objects. That is the essence of Mathematics! It kinda puts us in a frame of reference where we can safely define absolute w.r.t that frame of reference.
Now, one might argue that he can name six times six fooday-foo and nine times four, looday-loo. But, then asking for fooday-foo pencils or looday-loo pencils will give you the same number of pencils. So, its better to call them thirty-six.
Until and unless counting is redefined in a revolutionary new way, six times six and nine times four will have the same identity and thats a conclusion that is not just made-up from thin air.
page 1754
-Johann von Goethe, In J. R. Newman (ed.) The World of Mathematics, New York: Simon and Schuster
This identity is infact a core part of Mathematics. Example. How would you prove that six times six and nine times four are one and the same thing? (Johann might say that they are not. They are infact what they are: six times six and nine times four respectively. But these are just different perspectives of the same object. Read on.) In the decimal world, you can name six times six thirty-six and nine times four also, thirty six and come to the conclusion that we are talking about the same object. In the hex world, we can name the same quantity twenty four. Names don't matter, what matters is that using these identities we can keep aside perspectives to focus on absolute objects. That is the essence of Mathematics! It kinda puts us in a frame of reference where we can safely define absolute w.r.t that frame of reference.
Now, one might argue that he can name six times six fooday-foo and nine times four, looday-loo. But, then asking for fooday-foo pencils or looday-loo pencils will give you the same number of pencils. So, its better to call them thirty-six.
Until and unless counting is redefined in a revolutionary new way, six times six and nine times four will have the same identity and thats a conclusion that is not just made-up from thin air.
09 November, 2009
Finding Flow
A colleague of mine recently recommended this book to me: Finding Flow by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
The best thing about the book is how the author's name is pronounced: "CHICK-sent-me-high-ee" :-D
Jokes apart, its a good book. It had been a long time since the philosopher in me was fed and groomed. It kinda reminded me of the college days when we pondered on how this human civilisation is one shithole at 3:00 am in the morning on the terrace of our society (Fighter Kombdas, remember? :D). A long reflection on self was long overdue and this book provided the perfect opportunity for it.
For starters, it horrendously breaks the myth of how we have come to define happiness and how much importance it has in our life. I like how Flow is closely related (or almost synonymous) to satisfaction. The book drove out all the radicalism that I had been accumulating for a while now. It has quenched my thirst atleast for now.
Its a short read of about 150 pages. It touches almost all aspects of our lives: work, relationships, solitude and provides a solid insight in why all this stuff really matters. It is a good afternoon read and will certainly change the way you perceive life, universe and everything! So, there's my recommendation!
The best thing about the book is how the author's name is pronounced: "CHICK-sent-me-high-ee" :-D
Jokes apart, its a good book. It had been a long time since the philosopher in me was fed and groomed. It kinda reminded me of the college days when we pondered on how this human civilisation is one shithole at 3:00 am in the morning on the terrace of our society (Fighter Kombdas, remember? :D). A long reflection on self was long overdue and this book provided the perfect opportunity for it.
For starters, it horrendously breaks the myth of how we have come to define happiness and how much importance it has in our life. I like how Flow is closely related (or almost synonymous) to satisfaction. The book drove out all the radicalism that I had been accumulating for a while now. It has quenched my thirst atleast for now.
Its a short read of about 150 pages. It touches almost all aspects of our lives: work, relationships, solitude and provides a solid insight in why all this stuff really matters. It is a good afternoon read and will certainly change the way you perceive life, universe and everything! So, there's my recommendation!
07 November, 2009
One-liners
Since I have nothing new to post about, here is some borrowed entertainment. Some of the one-liners are old-timers, and yet never fail to make you grin. Enjoy!
Word play:
1) I've got to sit down and work out where I stand.
2) Doesn't expecting the unexpected make the unexpected become the expected?
Insults:
1) Sometimes I need what only you can provide: your absence.
General musings:
1) If it's true that we are here to help others, then, what exactly are the others here for?
2) How come we choose from just two people for President and 50 for Miss America?
3) Think about this...no one ever says "it's only a game" when their team is winning.
4) A conscience does not prevent sin. It only prevents you from enjoying it.
Feel-good:
1) Don't frown. You never know who is falling in Iove with your smile.
Hilarious:
1) Best way to prevent hangover is to stay drunk.
2) If your father is a poor man, it is your fate but, if your father-in-law is a poor man, it's your stupidity.
3) A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you are in deep water.
4) I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.
5) Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.
Life:
1) Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive anyway!
2) I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
3) Of all the thirty-six alternatives, running away is best.
General lot:
1) If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
2) Living on Earth may be expensive... but it includes an annual free trip around the Sun.
3) Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Word play:
1) I've got to sit down and work out where I stand.
2) Doesn't expecting the unexpected make the unexpected become the expected?
Insults:
1) Sometimes I need what only you can provide: your absence.
General musings:
1) If it's true that we are here to help others, then, what exactly are the others here for?
2) How come we choose from just two people for President and 50 for Miss America?
3) Think about this...no one ever says "it's only a game" when their team is winning.
4) A conscience does not prevent sin. It only prevents you from enjoying it.
Feel-good:
1) Don't frown. You never know who is falling in Iove with your smile.
Hilarious:
1) Best way to prevent hangover is to stay drunk.
2) If your father is a poor man, it is your fate but, if your father-in-law is a poor man, it's your stupidity.
3) A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you are in deep water.
4) I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.
5) Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.
Life:
1) Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive anyway!
2) I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
3) Of all the thirty-six alternatives, running away is best.
General lot:
1) If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
2) Living on Earth may be expensive... but it includes an annual free trip around the Sun.
3) Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
02 October, 2009
Ranting a rant ...
The good thing about the good things is that you can do them recursively and hence, can increase the increase in the goodness. The bad thing about the bad things is that you cannot do them recursively. Eg. you cannot hate hate. (because if you do, then you would have to NOT hate) but you can love love. Or you cannot forget to forget (because then you won't be forgetting anything and hence you won't forget to forget), but you can remember to remember. You cannot kill the dead, but you can give a new life to the living.
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