Owner: Crazy Quilt URL:http://aldebaran14.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2006 04:43:14 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: A riot of color. And shades of grey. My reflections on a Saturday afternoon.. Site statistics:Click here
Aksharkantha 1970-01-01 00:59:59 My personal library, Aksharkantha, got its five hundredth book last month! I discovered this only yesterday while I was rearranging and cataloging books.The milestone was reached by Franklin Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' which I bought last month from one of the book stalls at King's Circle, Matunga. (Better late than never.)The little library I had set up in a corner of my room now has more than 500 new and old books in four languages with subjects ranging from literature to astronomy to history to technology. Which is why I have named it Aksharkantha (Akshar = letter; Kantha = Crazy Quilt.)
Saturday Morning Sojourn 1970-01-01 00:59:59 On a lazy Saturday
morning I decide to take a walk down the little south Indian community in the central part of the city.The colourful and splendid gopurum of the local temple breaks the blue of the city skyline. Lord Vishnu reclining on the Shesh Nag with his consort Lakshmi, the great churning of the sea - Samudra Manthan; there is aeons of mythology carved out on the tall and stately gopura. Inside the temple the air is thick with the fragrance of jasmine incense and sandalwood. From the sanctum, the Deity - freshly bathed and forehead resplendent with saffron and sandalwood paste - watches over the business of the world. The place is quiet except for the priest muttering holy verses under his breath. At the evening prayers more devotees stream into the temple complex and the milieu then is a sharp contrast. With the rhythmic chanting of paeans, a thousand bells toll in unison. A thousand fervent appeals go up to God.I leave the place soundlessly.Outside the temple gates lie ba Read more:Morning
, Saturday Morning
CQ Is 6 Months Old! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 My first blog, Crazy Quilt, was born on this day six months ago.Lately this site has seen a huge surge in the amount of traffic going from about one to three hits per day to 30 to 50 hits per day. The visitor counter seems to tick away magically like the (faulty) meter of a Delhi auto rickshaw.I am currently working on two new blogs but this one will always be special because it brought out the best and the worst in me. When I started off I had zilch net presence, no HTML skills and no knowledge of the tricks of the trade. I have come a long considering I started blogging on an impulse. To let the cat out of the bag, here's the story:I did not get along well with a girl in my extended social circle. A cold war sparked off between us * and we used to lose no opportunity to go one-up on each other. One day she announced she had set up a blog. I had given blogging the thumbs-down earlier. But after honoring her request to "Please visit my blog" I lost no time in setting up my own bl Read more:Months
Blogger's Quizzes 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I came across these while surfing and being an avid quizzer couldn't help taking them myself.You Are SunsetEven though you still may be young, you already feel like you've accomplished a lot in life.And you feel free to pave your own path now, and you're not even sure where it will take you.Maybe you'll pursue higher education in a subject you enjoy - or travel the world for a few years.Either way, you approach life with a relaxed, open attitude. And that will take you far!What Time Of Day Are You?Geez!What Your Soul Really Looks LikeYou are a wanderer. You constantly long for a new adventure, challenge, or even a completely different life.You are a very grounded, responsible, and realistic person. People may not want to hear the truth from you, but they're going to get it.You believe that people see you as larger than life and important. While this is true, they also think you're a bit full of yourself.Your near future is a lot like the present, and as far as you're concerned, Read more:Blogger
, Quizzes
Engineers of Con 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Acharyaat paadam aadatte, paadam shishyaha swamedhaya.Paadam sahabrahmacharibhayaha, paadam kaalkramen ch.[A quarter of all learning is obtained from the teacher, the student acquires a quarter from his own intellect, a quarter is received from fellow-students and a quarter accumulates with the passage of time.]Halfway into the new semester internal assessment tests are in full swing. To the students already beleaguered by assignments, submissions and that scourge of student life called the attendance defaulters list, these tests are an additional cross to bear. Too much to do and too little time.So how do young, wannabe engineers deal with it? Well, if you can't beat it, circumvent it. Assignments are uploaded and shared on Yahoo groups and Orkut. Drawing sheets are stuck on the large paneled windows in the classrooms and traced against sunlight. (Engineers
should be resourceful!) Right before a test graffiti on the desks is promptly overwritten by formulae and derivations. If all e
Let's Link Up! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Ok. It's not what it sounds like. If you are a blogger, let's swap links! Link to me at http://aldebaran14.blogspot.com/ and I'll link back to you. Post a comment below informing me about the name of the blog/site where the link to my site is located followed by the URL. If your site contains profanity, adult content or porn, well, Thanks but No Thanks.Regards,Julia.
Monsoon Blues 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Another night has passed but it barely seems to be a new day.With the downpour unabated we have seen no sunlight since three days. The Rain God has been too generous.It pours. Just pours. Spurt after fresh spurt barraging the already rain-swept streets. Sporadically, the wind joins forces with the torrents.The metropolis doesn't care for sun or rain. Life ticks here, perhaps, faster than the clock. When the showers ebb a little, a motley group of boys plays football in the slush. The hawker selling roasted corn cobs makes brisk business. Happy, shiny young couples sit by the promenade taking in the spray of the sea and the drizzle. When the torrents return everyone scampers back to their cubbyholes.The rain usually makes me feel happy and renewed. But a glum feeling overwhelms me today. It doesn't help to have had a rough day in such gloomy weather. Sad, stung and scathed, my spirits are as dampened as the world outside. There is a chill in the air. From my window, the world is a s Read more:Monsoon
, Blues
What's in a name.. 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In an introductory lecture on computer programming,Prof: "C language ka naam "C' kyun hain?" (Why is C language named so?)(Effect: Some blank faces. Thinking caps put on.)Student1: "Dennis Ritchie, the inventor of "C' had temporarily named it that while the language was being developed. The name was however not changed later" (Effect: Some skeptical looks, some nodding heads.)Student2: "When Roentgen accidentally discovered X-Rays he had arbitrarily named them "X' indicating that they were an unknown entity. Today there is nothing that we do not know about X-rays but the name has been retained for convenience. The name of C language has stayed on for similar reasons"(Effect: Some gear up for a protracted discussion, some feel enlightened.)My answer: "A' and "B' programming languages had been introduced before "C'.(Effect: Peals of laughter.)
Manna From Heaven 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Raindrops are such funny things.They haven't feet or haven't wings.Yet they sail through the air,with the greatest ease,and dance in the street,wherever they please.- Anonymous The rains are well and truly here!The monsoon is virtually the third season of the tropical subcontinent.The season of unexpected power failures, overflowing drains and pot-holed roads. The season of piping hot pakoras and steaming cuppas of chai. Cheers!(Image:http://www.praktica-users.com/img/pics/mk_raindrops.jpg) Read more:Heaven
Not for Sale 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Gather from theStar Dust,Earth Dust,Wind Dust,Cloud Dust,And splinters of hail.One handful of dream dust.NOT FOR SALE.Author: Unknown(I had this little poem written in my little scrap-book. It has been a bit of an inspiration for me in my early teens though I don't like it so much now. Thought i'd post it now and see it for the last time since I won't be a teenager any more next month.)Top Image: Source Unknown
My B.F. 1970-01-01 00:59:59 He's my B.F - Best Friend. He calls me his G.F - Girl Friday. And we share a wonderful, wonderful platonic relationship.A fellow engineering student three years my senior, he's my B.F, Santa Claus and comrade-in-arms all rolled into one. Being the sweet, sensitive soul and the popular man that he is, he attracts women by the droves. So much that his guy friends call him a chick-magnet. I always wonder how he cake-walks his way into people's hearts. Maybe it has something to do with his being multi-talented. (An engineer and former state level cricketer who is skilled in half a dozen styles of ballroom dancing!)He is also a self confessed bevda (alcoholic.) He had once turned up slightly drunk to a Communication Skills practical session of making impromptu speeches and scored an A+++!So what makes this bevda my B.F?He props me up when I am down in the dumps, reassures me when I am gripped with self-doubt, pulls me back on track when I go astray, prods me to stay put when I am
Take flight, Falcon 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I haven't been posting much recently. Readers write to me saying they hope I haven't quit blogging.The reason for this lull was that I had been grappling with personal problems. Blogging was the last thing on my mind.I had been down in the dumps since two months with no real solution in sight and no one to turn to. Not even my best friend. (Why should he help me? He created the problem!)Thankfully, it's all over now. Not only have I learnt I lot from this experience I am much happier now than I was before it happened.I am not much into Urdu and Hindi poetry but these lines from a Mohammed Iqbal poem titled Shaheen are some of most inspiring ones I have ever read. I had read it in one of his biographies. It keeps going when little problems bog me down.Tu shaheen hai /parvaaz hai kaam tera/Tere saamne aasmaan aur bhi hai.You are a falcon; your duty is to soar high.You have greater skies to scale. Read more:Falcon
Blogger Girls 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The link to 'blogging chicks' blogroll is way down in the left sidebar. Do join! Read more:Blogger
, Girls
A Few Pounds More, A Few Pounds Less 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "Aha!" A friend who bumped into me three months after disappearing off my radar beamed at me with surprise and admiration, "You seem to have lost weight" Her words felt like nectar poured in my ears. I was actually feeling lighter; unmindful of the fact that I had done precious little to deserve the "compliment'. Later in the day I ran into another long-lost friend. "Has anyone told you lately you have put on?" he asked looking at me with concern and dismay. I felt put off and puzzled. I buzzed the female friend I had met in the morning. "Arre, don't worry", she said reassuringly, "guys always think that way"(If my maternal aunt's advice is anything to go by, guys think thus and a lot else. Her having two sons and no daughters puts me at the receiving end of all her motherly words of wisdom and persistent badgering."Use a honey and lemon face pack. It'll work wonders on your complexion""Boys prefer only slim brides. If you remain the way you are, Read more:Pounds
Texan-Speak 1970-01-01 00:59:59 LIMOseen: (1). A cattle breed. (2). A new pickup with an extended cab.(From "Speak Texan in 30 minutes or less' by Lou Hudson.)Where else would you have a breed of cattle with the same name as a luxury car but in Texas.I am a summer baby and yesterday was my birthday. For the (almost) two decades that I have walked the earth a book shopping spree has been an indispensable part of my birthday plans. Among the half-a-dozen odd books in my haul is the funny and delightful little "Speak Texan..' (Published by "The Texas Twang Preservation Society', Printed in Texas by Texans!) At just five bucks, the second-hand copy was a steal. Now, I have no plans of moving to cowboy country from the concrete jungle that I am presently put up in. But the tiny book makes a hilarious and interesting read for the trivia enthusiast, the linguist, the general reader and the layperson.Sample this:(English phrases followed by their, well, Texan translation.)"What do u call this in Texas?""Lit
Strange Signboard Syndrome 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I was under the impression strange signboards were "native' to the scholarly city of Pune. The signs found in and around Pune are a topic of great intrigue; they range from downright inane to brilliant to plain rude, sarcastic or scornful. (Spotted outside a Pune home: "We are vegetarian but our dog is not") However traces of the "strange signboard syndrome' can be found everywhere in the world including Mumbai. Read on.· At the nursing home located opposite the mosque in Bandra:An assortment of signboards bearing the names and visiting hours of various medicos has been put up above the façade. One of them reads:Dr. D. K. SinghPHYSIO THE RAPIST Really. No cattle excreta. The painter clearly reads too many SMS jokes.· Last week I was at the Examination building in the University. At the entrance stood a blackboard announcing the retirement of three of its officials. It further read:"May their remaining life be full of happiness and prosperity""Remaining" life!! Read more:Strange
, Syndrome
AWOL 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It's time to roll up my sleeves and face the barrage. The barrage of questions, to be precise. Varsity exams begin next week and, thanks to the long breaks between consecutive papers, end on Boxing Day. I hereby declare a partial blog hiatus. That is, I wouldn't practice total abstinence from blogging. (I am so addicted I could sign up for Blogaholics Anonymous.) Instead I'll Apparate (am I too old to read "Arry Pottah?) into the Blogosphere occasionally. To use military jargon- but translate it into another context - I am goin' to be AWOL. Absent Without Official Leave. Absent from the "scene of action' but without the intention to desert blogging! Adieu, Dahlings..************In the wee hours on Monday, a drunken youngster traveling with his partygoer friends crunched his speeding car into a footpath full of sleeping pavement dwellers. Seven lives were snuffed out. All through the legal proceedings the driver kept flashing his middle finger. The incident reminded me o
Blogger's Block 1970-01-01 00:59:59 One week into the study leave I am well and truly bugged. We have one phaadu (tedious) subject which is a melting pot of three subjects of mechanical engineering, another three subjects of electrical, one of electronics and math to boot. Even as my blog compltes 1K visitors I have nothing happening in my life that is worth putting into cold electronic print. Call it the web equivalent of what newspaper editors call the "big gooseberry season.' To my rescue comes the easiest topic to write about: MyselfHere's presenting 10 things about me that are quirky, off-beat or unusual. I bet no one knows this about me.l) I am obsessed with making to -do lists. I would be crippled without my little black diary.2) For some uncanny reason I keep meeting with freak accidents. Fortunately that hasn't happened since quite a while.3) I talk with myself habitually. I do it to clear my head (in case it is muddled), to talk myself out of a problem or simply to keep myself from getting lonely. I Read more:Blogger
From Chindigiri to Gandhigiri 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I haven't watched Lage Raho Munnabhai. Gandhigiri, a newfangled term in the film has become quite a buzzword. I am told it is "Gandhism Made Easy' Munnabhai-style. (I was tempted to say "Gandhism for Dummies' but there is enough dummy Gandhism prevalent already, Munnabhai or no Munnabhai.) Gandhigiri is what happens when you club Mumbai ka Munna with the Saint of Sabarmati.The movie is a runaway success and with it Gandhi has become a well-known figure. T.V. channels and newspapers are going gaga over the new-found concept of Gandhigiri. Through the character of the lovable criminal the idea of Gandhism has been revolutionized, they say. The home-spun loin cloth has been glamorized and the half-naked look is no longer the exclusive domain of certain people in showbiz and the fash frat. People everywhere are talking about innovative ways of incorporating Gandhi's philosophy into their lives (When slapped, extend the other cheek. Then, bash up the one who had slapped. Why? B
I have been tagged! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This is the questionnaire that Greek God Prometheus has tagged me with. Whoever fails to post this meme has been threatened to come under the curse of the Promethean esophagus or Sarcophagus or whatever.The meme contains questions about workplaces and since I don't go to one I'd rather write about the place where I spend a large part of my day.1. What is the best thing about my workplace?It is Masti ki Pathshala. It may not be the best engineering institute in the world but it is this totally chilled out college located by the sea in a cool Mumbai suburb. The junta is neither too hep nor too dabba (boring). I could go on and on...The best part is that we get unlimited freedom. No one bothers you unless you bother someone.2. What do I hate about my workplace?1) I hate college during submission time and when internal assessment tests are on (which is right now.) The endless saga of chaaping (copying) assignments and journals, writing tests, the works...2) Though the guys gravely outn
Paraskavedekatriaphobia 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Fear of Friday the Thirteenth. That's today. The first day of the mid-term exams. I shall go underground from now (due to the exams not Paraskavedekatriaphobia) and shall be back next week.Till then Au revoirAnd wish me luck!
Meme Mia! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The mid term test and submissions are finally over. I scored max in one test, flunked in another and did well in the rest. (What the hell is consistency?) I have one full month of study leave to go before the university exams. And for a breather I decided to tag myself with this interesting picture meme about stuff that I think is amazing.HugsThere's nothing like getting wrapped in a nice, warm hug.IkebanaJapanese technique of flower arrangement. Flowers are my weakness. I get to spend hours with them while practicing ikebana.DiamondsDiamonds are a girl's best friends. Extreme MachinesScramjets, Submarines, Spaceships, Sigh! This is a picture of a jet plane breaking the sound barrier.RiflesLock, Stock and Barrel!PizzaYum.. SalsaCome, salsa with me.BloggingWould you disagree? Gopurams and Gothic TowersArchitecture is frozen music. The sky. And what lies beyond.Every time I train my telescope skywards I can't help but marvel at the cosmic drama that could be unfolding beyond my lin
Of Men and Machines 1970-01-01 00:59:59 You Have Your PhD in MenYou understand men almost better than anyone.You accept that guys are very different, and you read signals well.Work what you know about men, and your relationships will be blissful.How Well Do You Understand Men?I guess with the skewed guy-girl ratio in engineering we learn to handle both men and machines with equal aplomb. Wot say, folks?
Narcissa Is Me 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I took up blogging on an impulse. I had given no thought to what my blog was going to be like. On being asked to fill the "Display Name' field on Blogger, I was stumped.Beta of the Plough?Reminds one of A.G. Gardiner but sounds like too much of a spoof.Alpha Tauri?Obvious but too masculine.Belle, The Cat?Witty but too girlishI was quizzing on the Encyclopedia Britannica right before going online to set up my blog. The last question was an audio-visual clip from the play Julius Caesar. ("When beggars are born, no comets are seen".) The "last stored value' in my brain "Julius Caesar' transmuted into "Julia Scissor' (not Scissors, mind you.) Bingo! That's a name with the cutting edge and it's apt for a quilter.Catch My StarAnother name that has generated great intrigue is Aldebaran. (See profile.) Aldebaran is ranked fourteenth among the brightest stars seen from the earth. Astronomically speaking, my real name is the Sanskrit language equivalent of "Aldebaran'
1,2,3, On Your (Book)Marks.. 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Defender of the earth, Terra Shield tagged me with this meme.1. Grab the book closest to you.2. Open to page 123, go down to the fifth sentence.3. Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog.4. Name of the book and the author.5. Tag three people.The only non-technical books in my room are my trusted Concise OED and a dog-eared copy of the Bhagwad Gita.So I walk into the adjoining room which houses my personal library, close my eyes, run my fingers across the spines and draw a lottery.Here goes:Amusing Anecdotes on Indian Red Tape- Barun Kumar Sahu"With so many units, there is utter confusion of a high order about what is whose work. For example, drinking water which is so essential for the rich and the poor alike, may relate to any of the following organisations: Planning Commission, Drinking Water Mission, Rural Development, Public Health Engineering, Water Resources, Environment, Disaster/Drought/Flood Management, Health, Geological Survey, Water Commision etc. Such confusion ex
To-Do List, Done List 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I am obsessed with making to-do lists and this interesting one has a whopping 150 items on it. I flicked this meme off Terra Shield's blog. The items in bold are the ones checked done.P.S: I am posting the second meme in a row because I have just written my exams and can't be bothered to tax my brains further and come up with a brilliant post. (So what if i cheated big time. An exam is still an exam.)01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink02. Swam with wild dolphins03. Climbed a mountain {It was just a hillock. I am such a lazy bum that all I can climb is Mt. Ever-rest. }04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive05. Been inside the Great Pyramid06. Held a tarantula07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone.08. Said "I love you" and meant it.09. Hugged a tree.10. Bungee jumped.11. Visited Paris.12. Watched a lightning storm at sea13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise.14. Seen the Northern Lights15. Gone to a huge sports game16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower
Floccinaucinihilipilification 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The act or habit of esteeming something as worthless. Floccinaucinihilipilification of the great is a favorite occupation for many. Sample this compilation:Attention to health is life's greatest hindrance.-PlatoPlato was a bore.-Friedrich NietzscheNietzsche was stupid and abnormal-Leo TolstoyI'm not going to get into the ring with Tolstoy-Ernest HemingwayHemingway was a jerk.-Harold Robbins--------------------------------Lives of great men all remind usWe can make our lives sublime.And, departing, leave behind us,Footprints on the sands of time.-H.W Longfellow-------------------------------Winter BikeThe winter that is usually not has set in here in Mumbai. Did you say you will be cycling south for winter?
Merry Christmas 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Merry Christmas
to everyone!And don't forget this:Get your own peace globe at http://mimiwrites.blogspot.com Read more:Merry
, Merry Christmas
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