Jaidutt's Blog

Cute lil thing

Got this from the TOI, Sunday Edition.

Isnt he/she looking cute ?

posted by jaidutt @ 7:54 PM 2 comments

Heartless in Mumbai

Well I was casually reading the paper today and saw this article.

Well what can I say....Its pretty strong, but some occasions require one to take a strong line.

HEARTLESS IN MUMBAI

Along with the just past Raksha Bandhan day, it’s time to institute a Raksha Bandhan week. To many women out there, the charming tradition of honouring their brothers and — gulp — seeking their protection has become somewhat meaningless today.

The message is loud and clear — women need to learn how to protect themselves in this city of eunuchs (Mumbai), where a 19- year-old was butchered in broad daylight, and not one of the many men around had the guts to intervene. Had even a single man raised an alarm and got the others to overpower the murderer (a slightly-built fellow, wielding a kitchen knife), Leisha Choan from Manipur would have been alive today, and her friend, Ngakuim Raony, unscarred and untouched.

The tragic fact is only two people in a crowd of over 500 at the Gateway of India responded — one (Ngakuim) became a victim herself and is recovering on a hospital bed. The other was a visitor to the historic site, who bravely saved Ngakuim’s life. But what about the ones who stood around and watched an innocent girl’s throat being slit? Worse, the devilish persons who reached for their cellphones and took video clips of this ghastly incident? Or, for that matter, the press photographers who rushed to freeze the stomach-churning images of the victim lying in a pool of her own blood? What prevented those fellows from instinctively rushing forward and saving Leisha? The key word here is ‘‘instinct’’. Alas, we have lost it. What ought to have happened instinctively, did not. The reflexes were simply not there.

This apathy speaks volumes about people’s growing hard-heartedness. Nobody wants to get ‘‘involved’’. Nobody wants a lafda. But everybody participates in cheap thrills. And nobody thinks it obscene to make money out of a tragedy. Without our realising it, we have allowed phone cameras to rape our conscience. The ‘‘instinct’’ today is to first whip out a cellphone and record anything that has commercial value — never mind how gory.

The brutality of the act was matched by the indifference of onlookers and the insensitivity of the media. Close-ups of Leisha’s mangled body were telecast for two straight days. I kept wondering what her parents must have gone through, in case they were anywhere near a television screen. Are we in media truly doing our jobs, or are we pandering to some sort of a perverted, sick need in society to devour such visuals? And beg for more?

The last time the Gateway of India’s cobbled stones were covered with the blood of innocents was when a bomb blast took place and a taxi loaded with explosives shattered the psyche of a city that was still coming to terms with the earlier serial blasts. But that was an act of terrorism planned and executed by motivated forces.

The Gateway Butcher (Junaid Patel) was a lone attacker. And to all appearances, it was an unplanned act by a deranged individual. And to think, he could’ve strolled away after committing it, perhaps slashing randomly at any and every one in his path, had a few cops not been around, is a terrifying prospect for a city still unaccustomed to these sort of ‘‘New York style’’ crimes. We in Mumbai used to boast at one time, ‘‘Whatever else this place may be, it’s safe for women.’’ I’d like to believe it still is. But, I still can’t find it within myself to forgive the namarads who stood around and watched a 19-year-old girl die. Some of them must have sisters. What sort of raksha can those women count on from such men?

A time has come to reverse the ritual. Or better still, leave the charm intact by tying raakhis, womanto-woman. We can do a better job protecting ourselves. And yes we don’t mind extending the service to men in need either!

------- Shobba De in the SUNDAY TIMES dated 21/08/2005

posted by jaidutt @ 7:47 PM 1 comments

My peace of mind : The Chronicles Begin

Long time since I have posted. And almost everyone I know is calling me a sluggard as I have not yet got down to posting my so called chronicles. Me thinks it’s high time too that I actually posted some happenings from my new life.

Well for the uninitiated, I have joined India's largest construction company and was asked to join at company HQ which is in Chennai on 1st July 2005.

I returned from my whirlwind across the India tour on 27 June (more about it sometime later). One day to pack and I was off on the 29th by the evening train to Chennai. One day prior to leaving for the India Tour, I received a letter from my company saying that I was to report on the 30th by 3 pm. But by this time I already booked my ticket and was scheduled to reach by 9 pm. I talked to the helpful P & OD officials who assured me that it would ok if I reported directly to the hotel on the 30th but that would mean that I would miss the informal introduction session.

So by the time I reached Chennai at 9 pm on the 30th I was both anxious and nervous as to what sort of people I would find when I reach the hotel. The train journey was largely uneventful except for the fact that grandfather of the family with whom I was traveling spilled coffee on me twice and the little kid just wouldn’t sleep without howling for at least an hour. To add to this they put on the overhead fan in the AC compartment, giving me a nice cold (The baby cannot sleep without cool air, they told me)

From the railway station in Chennai to the Hotel, it was an half hour journey in a pre-paid taxi, where I actually paid the fare after I reached the hotel (that too 10 Rs more than bargained for :{)
When I reached the Hotel I was ushered into the lobby and then taken to my room (No. 425). My roomie that already checked in and was probably dining. So I too dumped my baggage and barged into the dining room to indulge in my favorite hobby. Me thinks that they had actually named the dining room with a rummy name, which I didn’t care to remember.

After what was a sumptuous meal (It would always be) I left to go back to my room. The door was opened by my roomie. After the initial introductions were over, he asked me matter-of-factly.

"Smoking or Non smoking?”

After the initial shock somewhat subsided, I responded with a courteous smile and a "NO"

"Hmmm" he said...”Then do you mind if I...”

With a more enthusiastic smile, a half brained creature that I am, replied "Ohh... No problem what so ever".

And in here lies the reason why from that day onwards to date I cough for almost one-sixteenth time of the day. OK OK that was a slight exaggeration. But yours truly is not accustomed to being a passive smoker so I was quite uncomfortable sometimes especially when the "fragrance" used to pervade the room. I distinctly remember spraying half my deodorant bottle all over the room once while he was out. Me thinks he figured this out and started to smoke in my absence. Sensible fellow.

Two things of note in my room were the little refrigerator and the shower cubicle (Well actually everyone had them). Now this little refrigerator was in possession of my chocolates and other foodstuff that had been dumped in my bag by my grandmother. It had two soft drink bottles which were changed every day. Thus my morning pre-breakfast eating would consist of a soft drink and some homemade snacks.(Point to note: pre-breakfast eating :) )

And my daily rituals of bathing were performed in the shower cubicle. Now those who know me are well aware of the fact how an indulgent a bather (does such a word exist?) I am. I refuse to walk out of the bath unless the clock shows an occupancy time of at least half an hour. I believe in the aboriginal belief that bathing cleanses the soul with the body (Do they? I don’t know :D ). Well none the less this particular bath had a shower cubicle, a novelty I am not accustomed to. I have nothing against shower cubicles, its just the fact that their vertical alignment cannot be altered and they eventually end up showering you at err.. inappropriate places. I wasted no time in switching over to a conventional shower and immediately regained my peace of mind.

And thus start the chronicles .....

posted by jaidutt @ 7:30 PM 4 comments

Choice of Site Banner

Well when I launched my webpage www.jaiduttlad.tk on 1st Jan 2005 I made a couple of banners to display as site logo. After quite difficulty I managed to settle upon one. Here are a few of my works.






So which one do you like

posted by jaidutt @ 9:08 PM 4 comments

New template

Yay ! I have a new template

posted by jaidutt @ 12:45 PM 1 comments

Are you a Physicist?

"You might be a Physics Student...

* if you have no life - and you can PROVE it mathematically.
* if you enjoy pain.
* if you know vector calculus but you can't remember how to do long division.
* if you chuckle whenever anyone says 'centrifugal force.'
* if you've actually used every single function on your graphing calculator.
* if when you look in a mirror, you see a physics student.
* if it is sunny and 70 degrees outside, and you are working on a computer.
* if you frequently whistle the theme song to 'MacGyver.'
* if you always do homework on Friday nights.
* if you know how to integrate a chicken and can take the derivative of water.
* if you think in 'maths.'
* if you've calculated that the World Series actually diverges.
* if you hesitate to look at something because you don't want to break down its wave function.
* if you have a pet named after a scientist.
* if you laugh at jokes about mathematicians.
* if the Humane Society has you arrested because you actually performed the Schrodinger's Cat experiment.
* if you can translate English into Binary.
* if you can't remember what's behind the door in the science building which says 'Exit.'
* if you have to bring a jacket with you, in the middle of summer, because there's a wind-chill factor in the lab.
* If you are completely addicted to caffeine.
* if you avoid doing anything because you don't want to contribute to the eventual heat-death of the universe.
* if you consider ANY non-science course 'easy.'
* if when your professor asks you where your homework is, you claim to have accidentally determined its momentum so precisely, that according to Heisenberg it could be anywhere in the universe.
* if the 'fun' center of your brain has deteriorated from lack of use.
* if you'll assume that a 'horse' is a 'sphere' in order to make the maths easier.
# if you understood more than five of these indicators.
# if you make a hard copy of this list, and post it on your door.

posted by jaidutt @ 11:58 PM 0 comments

Brighter side of breaking up :)

"Dieting is easier when you don’t have an appetite.

Even though you’ve become massively in debt from gifts you bought your ex, at least your newfound addiction to cigarettes has left you with bad breath.

Since on average you fall in love every 9 years, you’ll only be 40 when it happens again.

You get to do a huge spring-cleaning regardless of the season since half your stuff is now in the “memorabilia” category.

You get to experience what its like to be a depressed, tormented artist… just without the motivation or talent.

Crying at movies no longer makes you feel stupid, since it’s the only place where its okay to do it in public.

You can appreciate the nuanced subtlety in the lyrics to Richard Marx’s “I’ll be waiting right here for you”.

You finally get to learn how to delete a number in your cell phone address book.

The fact that your cell phone now has 148 empty slots, gives you a new urgency in reconnecting with lost friends.

You get to experience a deep warm connection when the guy at Starbucks says 'Have a nice day!' and smiles.

You can do empirical studies on whether alcohol is actually a depressant.

You find yourself answering the question “How are you today?” honestly and at great length.

You get to finally reconnect with your pet.

You begin to wonder whether pets think in sentences and whether the words” i love you “ ever crossed their minds.

You get to look forward to dates where you catch someone else up on how many siblings you have as well as all the other mundane facts of your life.

You get to hone your marketing skills by attempting to sell “beauty on the inside” in noisy bars.

You can try to convince your parents that they owe you money considering how much they saved since you aren’t going to have a wedding.

Boggle is easier to win when you play by yourself.

You can remember old times by revisiting the single-serving coffee maker your mom bought you during college.

You get to rely on that killer instinct "

source

posted by jaidutt @ 11:39 PM 0 comments

Right in my backyard

One month since the last post. Things have been quite busy on the academic front, something very usual for us civil engineers at SPCE. finaaly im done with my submisions and with prep leave on I guess I can post more frequently (Please associate frequently with a time period of 15 days)

Last four years at SPCE, and I learnt this now !

Right next to my college is ...

Gilbert Hill is a 200 foot (91 m) monolith column of black basalt rock in Andheri, Bombay. The rock has a sheer vertical face and was created when molten lava was squeezed out of the earth's clefts during the Mesozoic Era about 65 million years ago. During that era, molten lava had spread around most of the Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, covering an area of 50,000 sq km. The volcanic eruptions were also responsible for the destruction of plant and animal life during that era.

According to experts, this rare geological phenomenon was the remnants of a ridge and had clusters of vertical columns in nearby Jogeshwari which were quarried off two decades ago. These vertical columns are similar to the Devil's Tower in Wyoming, and the Devil's Post Pile National Monument in eastern California, USA.

Atop the rock column, two Hindu temples; the Gaodevi and Durgamata temples, set in a small garden, is accessed by a steep staircase carved into the rock. The hill offers a panoramic view of the city of Bombay.

Right in my backyard :)

(Source : Wikipedia.org

posted by jaidutt @ 12:00 AM 1 comments

Random Quotes

Treasure what you have right now,
or else you may regret one day...
Dream as if you'll live forever,
live as if you'll die today.

Life is like a rollercoaster,
Sometimes it goes up and sometimes its goes down,
And you wonder whats going on,
But smile :) and remember that you are sitting in a rollercoaster
--- A friend

"All those who wander are not lost" --- JRR Tolkien

posted by jaidutt @ 9:25 PM 2 comments

Can you read this

Believe it or not ! You can read it !!


I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt..

posted by jaidutt @ 9:24 PM 1 comments