Adi's Eye

The Story of a Sign

2009-04-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

This particular 'short film', won an award at the Cannes Festival 2008. The story is really beautiful. You can watch it on this link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyGEEamz7ZM. I suggest you see it. The following is an adaptaion the same story written in my own words. Hope you like it.

It was another fine Mexico morning. The sky was beautiful. The city park was filled with families hanging out on a weekend.
A blind beggar was sitting outside near the park gate. He had a basket in front of him having a few coins and a board beside him saying, 'PLEASE HELP THE BLIND'. He listened to the noises around and was enchanted. Children were laughing, adult couples talking to each other, the traffic on the road and the soung of water falling on water from the fountain. But he rarely heard the sound of coins falling into his basket with a jingle.
Somewhere else in the park was a man sitting on a bench, fidgeting with something in his breifcase. Later, he closed it and got up. He was wearing a tuxedo, sunglasses and had gelled his hair. He didn't look friendly so people tried to keep distance.
This particular man walked towards the park gate, and stopped in front of the beggar. Sensing someones arrival, the beggar cried out, "Please help me. I am blind." There was a jingle. "Thank You" the beggar said.
The man took a look around and then looked at the basket. There wasn't much in it. He stood there for a while. Then he put his breifcase down and walked towards the beggar's board. He picked it up and the chalk lying beside.
The beggar jerked, "Hey, whad'ya think your doin'?" The other man kept quiet. He rubbed the board and scribbled something on it. He placed it down, picked up his breifcase and left.
The beggar wondered what the man had written on his board. But he did not get time to think. Suddenly he heard a lot of jingles. He became alert and put his hand into the basket. A lot more coins were in there and more were falling. He opened his mouth and laughed happily.
Some time later a boy walked past the beggar and stopped by to read the sign. He was really young but he read the sign easily. "TODAY IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND I CANNOT SEE IT" the boy read aloud and threw in a coin.

Getting Shuffled

2009-03-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, I start with another excuse..... first my PC was attacked by a virus and by the time it was fixed, my exams were round the corner. Now, as it is over, I may continue to write stuff.....

I have been to 3 schools. I spent my kintergarden in one school, first grade to fifth in another and the rest in my present one. But what I'm going to talk about now, is about getting shuffled with other sections after spending three complete years with one single section.
It sure does make you feel scared, 'What will I do? I havnt mingled with any kids from the other sections, koi dost nahi mila to kya kroonga?' Well, for others it may be a cakewalk, 'Are kya ho jayega? I'll manage. The worst that can happen is getting Sarang to be in my class.' Some aren't even scared of Sarang!
But three years. We've been together for three years. I can understand if the school shuffles sections every year. You'll manage quickly as there has been rapport with other students. Many may have been your great friends years ago. In such a case..... you'll survive. Actually, this is the best method.
Then there is having the same class every year. Not the best option I should say, because slowly you'll start wishing that boy or that girl in your class. Maybe the discussions or 'gossip' taking place in the other section catches your interest. Maybe their kind of fun is your kind of fun (ummm.... maybe a little explanation needed here. Your friends discuss about one particular thing but you are not the least interested in it. But maybe a group in the other class is discussing about something else, and thats what you know a lot about. Then there is the games your friends play and the games the other section plays and you prefer the latter.). So I'll sum up by saying that this method.... is real dumb.
We now come back to my problem. Thank God I did not have real close friendship with any kid or I would end up crying like the many others. Yeah, I do have one or two good friends in this class and even in the other sections. If I don't get any of these people in my section...... I'll rely on what my mum calls, my karisma. I hope my quiet and polite nature will work for me. I hope.
In the end, all I can do is wait and see what happens. But first I'll have to face Judgment Day (thats the report card day :P), surviving the shuffle is a second thought.

The Crow

2008-12-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

Been busy in a lot of computer games lately..... especially FIFA 08. This is meant to be an excuse for not writing my blog, but it sure is the truth...........

THE CROW

The father crow the food in his mouth. it was distribted equally amoung the children. The worms slid smoothly down the little thoats. The little birds chirped happily. the father was just about to bring food for himself and his mate, when suddenly, one little bird gave out a different type of chirp. The chirp that is the beginning of a journey. The father stopped and the mother woke up. Both parents looked at their little child through the black eyes. the little bird stood up on it's tiny legs and walked over to the parents. There was silence. Though the birds siblings did not know what was about to happen, the parents sure did. The father puffed up his chest in anticipation. The little child walked over to the edge of the nest. If it were any other species of living things, the parents would have pushed the child back to safety. But these paents did not. The child slowly unfolded it's tiny, weak wings, and jumped. The child went straight down. The father dived and caught his son with his beak. After bringing his child back to the nest, the father encouraged him to have another try. The child first flapped. He kept on flapping, untill he had gathered all the confidence he could. He jumped. The child went down again. He flapped vigorously. He knew his father would be there for the rescue. But he did not give the father that chance again. The father happily watched his son stop falling and slowly, floating in the air. The child felt excited and flapped harder. The cool breeze kissed his face as he rose, up, up, and away.....

A little boy was watching all this from his balcony. He smiled throughout. He felt like celebrating with the crows. He realized, that the must hated crows, could also make you smile. The ugliest scavengers in the world, somehow told the boy, that they were no less that other birds. A difference in appearence, or a difference in food habits did not actually make them monsters. Inside, all birds, from the crow to the peacock, are the same....

I Shook Hands with a Olympic Medal Winner!!

2008-11-09T01:45:00.000-08:00

It may not be something very great, but I still consider myself lucky to have met Susheel Kumar. I was at my friend's birthday party. We had gone to a nearby stadium to play cricket. We met him there. He was running 2600 metres. Whoa! We were a group of 7, and all of us got a chance to talk to him after he finished his sprint. You should see his body. A muscular fellow he was! No wonder he won a bronze medal for wrestling at the Beijing Olympics.

After the party, I told my parents about this. At first, they looked confused, and after that they asked me who he was. Well..... actually, I hadn't expected this. My parents, who can't live without newspapers were asking me who Susheel Kumar was! I told them. And they said, 'That's great, son!'

I hope all of you know who he is, well, especially after reading all this. I have noticed that many people out there don't know about him. But Abhinav Bindra is known by everyone. Yes, he's more popular 'cause he won a gold, but that doesn't mean we ignore Susheel. Even he had tried as hard as Abhinav.

Abhinav Bindra had his own practicing area at his house. Susheel Kumar trained with the local pehelwans. Abhinav had a coah from the very beginning. Susheel did not. There were many things Abhinav could get but Susheel could not. But Susheel Kumar still managed to go that far. Isn't that a great feat?

Definitions

2008-10-19T07:59:00.001-07:00

Now this is really funny.....

School: A place where Papa pays and Son plays.

Life Insurance:A contract that keeps you poor all your life so that you can die Rich.

Nurse: A person who wakes u up to give you sleeping pills.

Marriage: It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters.

Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is defeated by feminine waterpower.

Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either"

Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Dictionary: A place where success comes before work.

Conference Room: A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Classic: Books, which people praise, but do not read.

Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn: The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Experience: The name men give to their mistakes.

Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

2008-10-12T04:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I couldn't think of something new to write as a
post. So I thought I could tell you guys about some good books! Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna' write a book review. And I warn you, I'm bad at this....

Mark Haddon has written this great novel about a kid's life. Though a little childish, fifteen year old Christopher Boone has a great taste of Mathematics. He totally loves maths and would do anything to get an A grade in mathematics.

Christopher has regular visits to his school counselor Siobhan who is also his best friend. He is always ready to discuss his problems with the lovely counselor.

But Christopher's life wasn't smooth. He had lost his mother and all he had was his dad and his pet rat, Toby. Cristopher also had many phobias.

He was quite used to this life, but one night... Cristopher finds out that somebody had killed the neighbors dog, Wellington. Cristopher loves dog and he swears to find the culprit. Cristopher thinks it will be fun acting like Sherlock Holmes, but little does he know that there are many more mysteries to be solved.....

Packed with humour, innocence, facts (yes, you heard it right, FACTS), drama and mystery, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' is a great book that would satisfy people from all age groups.

RATING- 4.5 / 5 (a must read)

Why Don't Older People like Fantasy?

2008-10-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

It may not imply for everyone, but it still is something I keep on wondering about. Why don't elders like fantasy novels? They normally prefer realistic stories to the stories with dragons and monsters. I'm mad about fantasy novels. I always find them interesting. Always.

But still, why don't elders like fantasy? Yes, I have seen people who love books like Harry Potter or The Lord of The Rings. But how many such people are there? What is that elders find boring in fantasy novels?

I think it's because most elders have worries. They have to work a lot everyday and have to take care of their problems, their childrens' problems and problems of the family. They are too busy and have to face reality everyday. Maybe, elders like to read books in which they get to know, how other people like them, face problems in their lives. How a normal human being takes care of problems, not how a powerful wizard takes care of his problems. I find this reason quite logical.

But a dose of fantasy sometimes is good, isn't it? Is it? I don't know. You tell me! Do the Uncles and Aunties need a little dose of fantasy at intervals in their lives?

A Brief History

2008-10-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh............ Good to be back! My exams are finally over and now I can return to blogging! Now this is what's called a fresh beginning!

Da' History of Da' Past Few Weeks

Well..... the past few weeks were a totally freaky! Everybody must be knowing why. Exams. My Exams.
Like every other kid, I dread exams. They're like..... spooky spirits, that haunt you every second of your life. I hate the alphabet E. I hate everything that starts with E.
Well, almost everything.

First it was Maths. I do NOT like maths. I won't use superlatives like 'hate'. I did not study like mad or anything. I really should have. The paper was soooo damn tough.

For Sanskrit they did not even give us a day 's gap. I really got screwed in Sans. I have never understood why, WHY do we need to study an old- and-full-of-stupid-rules language? It really isn't of any use to us....

Hindi............................................................................................................................
went OK, but I'd expected a tougher paper.

Social Sciences and English went worse than I'd expected. I'd studied so hard for my favourite two subjects. Sooooo hard. I got four days to study English, but it still went bad.. :-(

But, General Science was the best. I've written just perfect answers and I can change my name if I get bad marks in Science.

The thing is, this time I did not work as hard as I usually used to. All the while I used to think that I'd get screwed in every exam. But the marks will be coming out quite fine. Actually, I'll be getting a great percentage this time. How did this happen? I have no idea. Some of my friends say that I am lucky . Some say that I just think that i study less. Why does everyone think I'm a padhakoo. I certainly am not. I barely study two hours a day. But, no one believes me. But why should I care? Why DO I care? Is it because my classmates don't like to hang around with very studious kids? Actually, to some extent, yes. Some of my classmates prefer being a more 'cool' person than a studious person. If someone is studying during a free period instead of playing, they jump into conclusions and start saying, 'पूरे समय
पड़ते क्यों रहते हो ?'

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding things. Maybe that's not my friends may mean. Or is it......?

Its All in the Brand, Man!

2008-08-31T02:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys, i know i was kinda late to update...

Its All In The Brand, Man!

"Damn it dude, that's fake! Not original!"
"What's the difference?"
"A lot man! Fake football jerseys are.... not cool!"

A common conversation among my friends. "ManU's jerseys are made by Nike." And if one buys a ManU jersey which may have been made by some local sports company, then it's a fake one. Yes, it is fake. I agree. But is there anything wrong if you don't have original, branded stuff? Actually no, but among friends, yes. It's a matter of 'status'. If you buy fake, then YOU are fake, uncool....
What is the need for one to show off what they have? No need, but that's not what we kids think. These days we're too image consious. And the image that's in is being cool, being a guy who can rule over others. So, only buy branded stuff AND don't forget to show it to your classmates even if you don't need to bring it to school. There are guys in my class who have Nike schoolbags, Nike Footballs, Nike shoes, Nike jackets, Nike Caps, and Nike Water Bottles. Later we'll see them having only a tick made of hair on their heads (yeah, i may be overdoing it a little).
The worse part is, they consider guys who don't have branded stuff as cheap, stupid kids. Doesn't even make sense, does it. There's one so called 'poor boy' in my class who is the target of every other boy. They keep on pestering him, blaming him, making fun of his 'status' and other stuff like.... better not to say. All I can do is watch. I kind of know, even if I act..... there would be one more guy in their hit list. (i'm kind of hopeless, you know. And I'm scared)
Is this a problem with girls? Do they also care about brands? I'm clueless. But, anyway, boys do think they are a lot tougher than girls.......

Independence Heroes

2008-08-15T02:32:00.000-07:00

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi sounds better. The father of our nation. He who gave us independence. The great soul. May he rest in peace.
And how could one forget the others, The other great freedom fighters including Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad etc. That's it, isn't it. Isn't it? Why do I have a feeling i've missed to mention something? What could it be?

Were these the only people. Did these freedon fighters fight alone? No......
The common man of India also took part in the struggle. Hundreds of people took part in Gandhiji's movements. They gave him support, strength. And maybe, most probably, India would not have got freedom without their help.
Man rose their voices against the British, but only those are remembered which were given by the more popular leaders.
Do not the others also deserve respect? Of course they do! Without them, even our greatest leaders may not have been able to do what they did. Hundreds helped them to fullfill their dreams. Then why are not they famous. Many will say they did not raise their voices as much as the leaders did. But the leaders.... what they did was raise their opinions, the opinions of people. Am not I right. The leaders voice, was the voice of the nation as a whole.
I do feel it's a little unfair you know.
But there's another fact also. Who knows? Maybe these people did not even want respect, fame. All they wanted was freedom. Nothing else. Maybe they did not want their names to be written in Indian History. That is another great quality of theirs.

So, finally all I want to say is.... DO NOT FORGET, THE NATION WAS THE STENGTH OF THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS.

Happy Independence Day!!!

The War

2008-08-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

Swords clashed together. Shouts. Screams, horns. There was total havoc. The dead lay strewn on the ground.
The Black Army was winning. (Nobody really knew why they clad themselves in blue....)
The Black Army had already conquered most of the part of the land called Teenbrain. Only a small part of Cerebrum was left. And soon, that part also would turn black.
The Red Army, though small, was fighting the foe bravely. They did their best, but they were not enough to defeat the Black Army, who's sole motto was to ban studies forever. The whole of Teenbrain, once, was totally against this. But now, there was no choice. The Black Army was too strong.
The foreigners, known as Hormones were also supporting the Black Army and helped them to upgrade their soldiers. Nothing could be done. The land of Teenbrain was destined to be doomed.
The Red Army was falling short of soldiers. The had to lose. All the leaders- Hope, Happiness, and Confidence, all were no more. All had been killed.
When everyone started to think that it was all over, a miracle happened.
With a majestic entry, the greatest of the leaders, Sir Determination, entered the battlefield.
The whole battlefield shook at his arrival. The Black Army, for the very first time, showed signs of horror. One could easily see the fear on their faces. The Red Army cheered. Sir Determination rode his horse down the hill, drew his huge, shiny sword and attacked the enemy.
The Red Army suddenly gained a new type of power. Revenge was bubbling inside each soldier. Bravely they joined Sir Determination to attack. The enemy fell like toothpicks. The land of Teenbrain could be saved. Hoorah!
The soldiers fought for hours together. We can do it - was all that was in their minds.
Sir Determination's sword was now red. He fearlessly fought and fought. No one could stop him. But little did he know that a petty little Shadow Archer was following him with his bow and arrow raised. He was so well hidden....
Sir Determination and his horse rode towards the peak of Hill Nerve. The leader of the Black Army, King Evil, sat there watching the battle.
The Shadow Archer stopped. He took aim..... and let go.
All other soldiers could hear his mighty horse neighing in pain. sir Determination, quickly jumped down his injured horse and beheaded the archer. Then he heroically ran towards King Evil.
Nine more yards.... eight more.... Six more.... three.... two.... one....
This was it. There he was, in front of King Evil. Evil's bodyguards were quickly killed. King Evil gave the knight a sly smile.
Swords were raised and another battle began. It went on for maybe hours or more. But later, both became tired. Soon, the winner would rule. Both charged at each other for the final attack. There was a sound of thunder as the swords clashed together. The battlefield fell into silence.
Sir Determination was facing King Evil. Both were equally injured. But, suddenly, King Evil, fell down on his knees.
The Red Army cheered as they had never before.
But wait..... why was King Evil smirking?
Sir Determination fell flat-faced on the ground. The sound of the 'thud', as he fell down, could be heard all over Teenbrain. All was over. King Evil slowly stood up, raised his swored and shouted out a war cry.
What can Teenbrain do now?

(There may be a sequel.....)

Neeru's Formulae

2008-07-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Letter to God

I wrote a letter to God
But I didn’t know his address
I asked the lightning and he said
He lives in the light
The cheetah said
He lives in the speed
The air said
He lives in the oxygen
The tree said
He lives on the leaves
And
The road said
He lives at the end
But
I gave the letter to mom
Because He lives in her heart

This particular poem is written by my little brother Neeru. He is just 9 years old and has his own blog. Please do visit it. He really wants people to come to his blog. A link to his blog is in the blog list in my blog named 'Neeru's Formulae'. Otherwise go to 'http://www.neerusformulas.blogspot.com//' .

:D

In Memo

2008-07-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dr. Randy Pausch

Born: October 23, 1960-10-23)
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Died: July 25, 2008 (aged 47)
Chesapeake, Virginia
Pancreatic cancer

Citizenship: United States

Fields: Computer science

Institutions: Carnegie Mellon University

University of Virginia

Alma mater: Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University

Doctoral advisor: Alfred Spector

Known for: Creator of Alice software project
co-founder of CMU's Entertainment Technology Center
Virtual Reality Research with Disney Imagineers
Inspirational speeches regarding life
#1 best-selling book
Battle with cancer

Notable awards: Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award
ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education
Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computer Science Education
Time Magazine World's Most Influential People List

Global Warming

2008-07-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

The End of World

2008-07-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

Has the 'Countdown To Doomsday' started ? Sorry to say it, yes it has.
Just for your information, 'doomsday' is a term used as an alternative to 'the end of the world'. Biologically, it may happen millions of years later, when the hydrogen supply of the Sun finishes and it blows up into a Red Giant. But don't be so happy about it. The end of the world could take place ten years later, next year, next month, next week, today, or even NOW!
End of the World can take place in many ways. Some may finish Earth off in seconds and others may take their own sweet time:

- World War III-
If this occurs, it will be the most violent war ever. And don't expect anything to be left over in the end.

-Terrors of Nature-
Something we great humans still cannot control. Cyclones and Tornadoes are waiting to spread havoc. Don't forget Tsunamis and earthquakes.

-Global Warming-
The same old boring subject. Why does anyone even have to care. That won't do! We do have to care. Global Warming is another threat to the earth. The more it affects the ozone, the more close is the end. One may even not know when he's contributing to the evil. Using an Air Conditioner, Refrigerator and even to using a correction pen!! Actually YOU are contributing right NOW by using your computer(don't forget me!)!

-Alien Invasion-
There is bound to be another planet with life in this vast universe. And when they come to Earth, don't expect them to walk on Earth carrying zapper guns blowing off our heads, or like ones like in the film 'E.T'. If they manage to come to Earth, it proves they have higher means of technology. If they invade us, it may be the end.

-Robots-
I'm not talking about the films. This could actually happen. Humans are trying to make more advanced robots. And we will keep on doing it. What if one day, a robot with emotions is made. Why not? And if it's made, what if it suddenly gets aware of it's surroundings. What if some virus in it makes it bad? What can we do then. Something or the other. But what if we finally find out that there is an army of robots heading our way?

-Solar Flares-
The Sun occasionally sends out flares which are incredibly hot AND dangerous. Although none of it's flares have been big enough, even to damage Mercury, it may happen once, and the earth would - literally - be fried.

-Flu-
Yeah, this one's the odd one out. But scientists have said that flu is another danger to the human race. I don't know much about this topic, but it does sound bad.

-Gamma Ray Blasts-
This is a phenomenon few people have know. Gamma Ray Blasts are highly dangerous, gigantic blasts which occur when two stars collide. The impact produces a huge..... wave, which can blast off planets. If such a blast occurs inside the solar system, earth would become nothing.

-Black Holes-
These can be formed anywhere in space and they suck everything around them, even our own Sun. Then what is Earth before such a black hole?

-Asteroids and Comets-
Everyone knows about these menaces. Big Asteroids, which are wider than 2 miles, can cause great damage to the earth. Comets are even more dangerous. Unlike asteroids, they have a lot of gas and travel through space in high speed. If one enters our orbit .... you now what i want to say.

So all I want to say is that live your life to your full, and enjoy every moment of it. You never know when a huge flash occurs in the sky and then you get to know that you're dead.

(Come on cheer up a bit. I may have scared u a little. Sorry for thatp . :)

Science Fiction

2008-07-09T09:03:00.001-07:00

Science Fiction. What is science fiction? Is it a contradiction? What is fiction that cannot be science and science is certainly not fiction. (Confused isn't it? Even I did not understand this myself!)
Science Fiction is a widely used term. the correct definition would be- 'Science fiction (abbreviated SF or sci-fi with varying punctuation and capitalization) is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future science or technology.'
Yeah, yeah, we understand. But why called science fiction? Why not something else? I mean, it doesn't sound right isn't it? Science and fiction do not match together at all. The world of science has no room for lies, only for true facts. But fiction is all imagination. Take an example, the 'Time Machine' by H.G Wells talks about a scientist who makes a time machine to boost up into the future. There he meets the new kind of species which are our descendants. Ok, but this may not be true!! It may be just fantasy. Then how call it science ? How? Can anyone explain? Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' (not as scary as dracula), is abot a fiend created by a scientist. A robo, maybe. But a robo with emotions? That is the future dude, (according to what scientists say) but it may not be completely true. But wait a second. What if it were true. What if these perticullar robots, whom humans are wanting to make more and more, really turn against us? Um.... scary, isn't it?
So, talking abou the term, 'science fiction', the term itself is kinda' wrong, according to me. Why not...... um....... anything else? That must be it. The same stupid person who made the term, may have not got anything else? But who cares...... 'science fiction' is just fiction for us. We really do not care much about the boring facts, isn't it (really!! my mind was boggled after i read the first chapter of 'The Time Machine'. a fourth dimension? space warps? what was that again? Mr Wells, u sure are great, but have pity on me!! [i'm not saying anything against him, u know])

Now lets ask the authors themselves.

Author and editor Damon Knight summed up the difficulty by stating that "science fiction is what we point to when we say it".

Vladimir Nabokov argued that if were we rigorous with our definitions, Shakespeare's play The Tempest would have to be termed science fiction.

Um.... yeah, right....... I understand.

Back To School

2008-06-26T00:48:00.000-07:00

You can kind of put me into the list of children that don't enjoy school completely. What I mean is, I don't fancy going to school much. I love to meet my friends and teachers, but the 'study' part of school does not catch me much. Not always, actually. I do love my English, Maths and Science periods. But Hindi and Social Studies periods are kind of boring for me. I actually don't know why.

After another five days, I'll be back at school. Hmm.. I am happy, but not completely. The main problem is waking up early! I just can't sleep to my full during school days! Scientists say a teenager should get eight hours of proper sleep. Eight hours!!! Are you kidding! That's not enough for me. For the lazy Adityan, ten hours is the minimum. For that, i'll have to sleep early, about at eight. But I don't feel sleepy at that time! क्या कर सकता हूँ? I don't know if this is a problem for all my age, but I do believe that for some, yes.

Then comes the amount of homework and stuff to study. Although our school gives less homework compared to my old school, I still find it a lot. And after finishing that, I don't feel like studying! Sometimes, even if I feel like studying, I only touch Science, English and Social Studies. At that time, Maths doesn't seem to interesting and Hindi.... like it has been always... the subject I don't like. I find it tough.

But still, I love my school and appreciate all it has done for me. I'm totally ready for school now. And i'll try to spend the last few days happily.

The Last Lecture

2008-06-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

A lot of professors give talks titled 'The Last Lecture'. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question- "What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?
When RANDY PAUSCH (actually Randolph), a computer science professor ai Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last....
Randy Pausch had been diagnosed with a terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave- 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams'- wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles (what Randy calls BRICK WALLS'), of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment ('because time is all you have.... and you may find one day that you have less time than you think'). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to beleive. It was about living.

I went through this book of Mr Pausch, called 'The Last Lecture'. It was interesting and useful. Some parts... well... what you may call emotional, and when mom was reading the book, we had to keep clean towels beside her all the time. I'm not the kind of guy who will cry, but at such parts, big lumps come into my throat. Well, mom says it's a book worth reading. I've read only a teeny bit of it. I'm looking forward to read it.
Actually one can go to 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo' to watch 'The Last Lecture' and I suggest you should.
Good news is, this great man is still alive, but his days are still being counted. I can't imagine how one must feel when he/she knows that death is before them. Ughh... Poor fellow, isn't he. But the thing is, in his lecture, he doesn't at all feel as if he's sad about it. That needs a lot of.... i don't know the right word.
I do wish he could live a lot longer, but it is all in God's hands.

Computer Games

2008-06-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

"You are now in high scholl, class 8, this year iand the next few years are very important for you now. Now you should stop playihg computer games. Is that OK?"
"NO!!!!"
"I know you like them a lot. I'm not asking you to stop playing immediately. Take your time, but you should stop some day."
"No, No, NO!!!"
"Listen, you should not be making such a fuss. Computer games are useless, thy're only going to spoil you more and more."
"But, still mom..."
"No excuses son. You are a big boy now. You have grown out of the age of playing these games."
"Mom! But they're fun! I really need to play them! Please!!! Next year onwards, I may not be able to touch the computer at all! Please let me have one last year with it. I'm not asking you to give it to me everyday! Just... maybe once in 3 days or so!"
"I'm ready to give you computer everyday, IF you use it in a good way, like going to good websites or to email your friends, and of course, to do your blog. Just, don't play games with it. Computer wasn't made for games, son. Computers have brought a change in the world. The computer is a great machine, if you use it in the way you should be using it in."
"Mom, please.... can't I play even a little?"
"Of Course, but you should give away with it in this year. You cannot afford to waste time playing computer games in the world now. In this world, if you want comforts when you grow up, you have to work, work hard. Otherwise you wont reach anywhere inlife."
"All right..............."

It happens with me. I actually argue with mom about computer games. She doesn't like it when I play it, but I can't stay without it. I don't know why. There is nothing more fun than to stare at your screen with your fingers wildly tapping at keyboard buttons to make you Ferrarri 300 Spider get past your oponents car. When you play, you're not aware of anything else going around, nothing. You're mind is totally into the game, you're immersed in it. Why? Why does that happen?
Computer games were made for pure pleasure, as a pastime. People wwere happy with this new discovery in the world of computers, children even more. And till today, children have been crazy about them, more amoung boys though. This is because most games are of what you call, a 'boyish' theme. Racing with cars, shooting the heads off aliens, kicking and doing slams on fellow wrestlers, and sometimes sports. 90% of computer games have such themes and few have totally 'girlish' themes.
Later on, NITENDO, a leading game making company, came up with and idea to make games more fun and portable. They designed the GAMEBOY. Gameboy and Gameboy Advanced was and still is highly popular. A small portable gameboy can be charged. After gameboy came more breakthroughs like the SONY PLAYSTATION and the XBOX.
Many people, parents consider games useless and avoid buying their kids these. But still, markets all aroung the world sell these in monsterous amounts. Even in my own class, maybe about 5 children may be having a PLAYSTATION or an XBOX.
Another big problem is the violence in numerous games. Games like WWE RAW and MORTAL KOMBAT have violent fighting scenes, which affects a childs brain. The child starts to immitate the actions done by the 'virtual themselves' (i hope you understood what I meant by this). This is the main reason, this generation kids do acts of violence and say gaalis which is foul language.
Sometimes, it's not the violence. Some children, although they may not play such games, start loving it so much, they may relate games and life together. "I can't live without games!"
Computer games have mystified the minds of small children. Many kids have to be forced to play out of the house. Even I have reluctance to go out and play.
What to do?
I want to and maybe will, stop playing games. Even though I won't like doing it, I will, because I know it's good for me. And maybe, later on, when I'm big, I settle down witha good job and a good house, I may think about playing again.

Is Vegetarianism Logical?

2008-06-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

It was June 1st 2008. It was raining heavily and Dad was enjoying the drive back home. My little bro was comfortably sleeping in the front seat and I was there at the back unable to deal with my headache. I was looking outside. Rain. I don't get to see it in Delhi a lot. All I was wishing at that moment was to get out of the car and get wet. But of course, I could not do that.
Afte a while, the rain stopped. Yeah.. so what? At that moment I saw one modified Ford Fiesta. Cool! I kept staring at it. Then my EYE caught three bulls, tied together. Why were they being left there, where is their owner. That's when I saw another bull run past our car and a man running after it with a stick. Was the bull scared of something? Why was it running away? It wasn't hard to find out the reason. Beef. Cow-Bull meat, widely eaten in Kerala. I looked back at the other bulls. Did they have the same fate?

Actually I had a wish to be a vegetarian long before this incident. But at that time is was for no reason. This time, i had a pity for those bulls. The thought of finally becoming a strict vegetarian came into my mind. I said it out to my dad. He smiled. Then he asked me why I wanted to do so. I said I don't like animals being killed just for humans. He smiled again.
"I'm proud you are taking such a decision. Do what you think you should. But I want you to argue about why should one be a veg. I'll talk against it."
I did not stand a chance against him. "There was once a scientist, who was a strict vegetarian. He hated doing the slightest harm to an animal. This was before the microscope was invented. It later was made and this particular scientist bought one for a high price. He was excited of having such a new instument. He wanted to make discoveries. And he did. Once, while studying a steel peice under the microscope, a leaf from the tree outside flew into the house through the window and somehow, landed on his pallette, on top of the stell peice. He was surprised to see the number of moving 'creatures' on the leaf. What were they? Were they cells? Can it be? Living cells? He noticed after some time that the cells started to die. He ran into his kitchen and brought a carrot piece and studied it under the microscope.More living cells. Does this really mean that plants are also living. That explains why plants grow from small plant to big trees! But then he realized something. Although he was a strict vegetarian, he was killing. HE was killing the plants to eat it.
He comes out with his discovery but adds, 'Any person who is an actual strict vegetarian, will have to starve to death.' "
What dad was saying was right. But....
"You say that it feels bad when killing an animal. All right, you kill a hen, you have cut off it's throat. But, how can you know if the top of a carrot is it's head. You cut it off. It's the same as cutting a hens throat. Man is incapable of seeing or feeling the life inside a plant. Science may prove that a plant does not have a hand or a face. But that is according to what WE see. It may not be a reality. Trees may be having eyes with which they are looking at us all the time? How can we know?"
"It is man's incapability that he can't feel a plant."
"Man was actually made a vegetarian. Man's intestined are like that of a cows. But we still eat meat, but do you eat it cooked or raw? There lies the point. Man cooks food not only to make it tasty, but also to make it digestable. Man's actual canine, is not his teeth, but his brain."
I gave up. But dad continued, "Don't change your mind just because i told you all this. Stay a vegetarian. But try to defend your point well with logical points."
And yes, It's been only a week, since I turned a vegetarian and I'm doing good. I have not touched non-veg. Once I was offered even prawns. PRAWNS! MY FAV! I did not eat it. I had to stck to vegetarianism.

I still feel, being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian does not make a difference. But in the world, Vegetarianism has always been encouraged. So I ask you people : IS VEGETARIANISM LOGICAL? Please answer my poll and leave comments about it.