However, I think this might just be an easier explanation to cover up the lack of a more convincing one to explain the origin of the species! It is quite possible that anyone, who does not have the right explanation might end up thinking, "Perhaps, there was one man and one woman to start with!"
]]>Recently though, I moved to Microsoft Windows completely for three reasons:
1. Linux does not have any software that provides editing facilities anywhere close to Adobe Acrobat. I have moved to paperless writing and reading, and this facility is a MUST!
2. Development of a native port of KDE for windows has started. So, why should I not have Microsoft Windows and its advantages, along with all the advantages that KDE provides?
3. University of Michigan will recognize only RedHat Linux Enterprise 4, or Fedora Core 4 (and above) as "safe" operating systems (of course Windows XP professional SP2 is also accepted). If I use anything else, I would need a department approved hardware router. I don't like RHEL4 and FC5. I like Ubuntu Linux. But, I cannot use it. So, I don't want to use anything else.
To get a diploma for passing the 12th grade, California students have to take the CAHSEE. Asking the students to prove their abilities through an exam before they proceed to a 4-year college program seems to make perfect sense.
The problem seems to be that the program overview says:
The CAHSEE has two parts: English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The ELA part addresses state content standards through grade ten ... The mathematics part of the CAHSEE addresses state standards in grades six and seven and Algebra I.
What I fail to understand is why 12th grade students are being tested for:
1. anything less than 12th grade exams, AND
2. only Math and English!
1. Why is it still called West Bengal, when East Bengal has been renamed to Bangladesh and is not even a part of India?
2. The Bengalis have very peculiar last names (surnames). At one end are surnames such as Sen, Gupta, Dutta, Choudhary, Ghosh, Maulik, Das, Roy. At the other end are concatenated surnames - Sengupta, Duttachoudhary, Ghoshmaulik, Dasgupta, Roychoudhary. Sometimes these names are written in mixed cases, e.g., Roychoudhary or RoyChoudhary. Sometimes even with a space, e.g., Ghoshmaulik or Ghosh Maulik (with the space!)
]]>Every discussion about the person ends with discussion of how she/he faced problems, etc. We never hear someone saying: "Well, scientist XYZ got the best education and he had a very happy personal and professional life and by the way, he also made this very important contribution to science."
This especially true of the stars - the famous people.
Do we understand that we all have our shares of ups and downs and so it is impossible to find someone without any downs? Glamor is highlighted and published, and so we concentrate on finding the sorrows; the personal life - much like the search for Charles Foster Kane's Rosebud.
Do we, as humans, have a tendency to believe that given perfect conditions, achieving greatness is not great in itself?
Do we believe that "ups" cannot exist if there are no "downs?"
Along with the above, we are in the constant search for heroes everywhere, and mythology has influenced our thinking. Somewhere inside us (even if we haven't studied Campbell), we have an idea of what is expected of a hero. So, if we have to believe that someone is famous (or a hero), we search for the sorrow in his/her life.
]]>The ICC recently announced the Future Tours Program (FTP) for the next six years.
The story says:
The FTP, which was unanimously approved by the ICC's Executive Board at its March meeting in Dubai, provides the foundation for a balanced schedule of international cricket for ICC Full Members.
The site goes on to say:
The new FTP retains the core commitment to reciprocal tours for Full Members but expands the touring cycle from five years, under the previous FTP, to six years.Spreading the calendar over six years means each side can fulfill its mandatory minimum requirements of two Tests and three ODIs, home and away, against every other Full Member over that period while still scheduling rest periods for their players.
A look at the actual programme shows:
India is the only country that does not host Bangladesh or Zimbabwe ever in six years.
Obviously (and I wish I am wrong), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not want to host Bangladesh or Zimbabwe because it is not economically beneficial for them.
I guess, cricket has become Indian and is not really International anymore!!!
]]> An edit:Just noticed a similar comment at Prem Panicker's SightScreen.
Should have read it earlier, would have saved myself quite some time :(
]]>The gist of his article is in the first paragraph
"Padoge likhoge banoge nawab, kheloge khudoge banoge kharaab� was what most of us were often told while growing up. I think this adage is soon going to be part of an ancient past.
However, I guess, the main point that he makes is at the very end:
But is it worth for a kid from an average middle-class family to take that chance? It’s a tough call. I believe you should chase your dreams. But it’s an unforgiving world. So I suggest, keep a backup handy.
Don’t dismiss that degree.
Definitely, worth a read or may be two!
]]>I could not browse a few computers on the ME department network. Sometimes, I could not see my own computer! There were times when I could not connect to a computer that I could see on the network and that I could connect to from another computer.
I had the same problem at my home network.
So, I tried "netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt". See Microsoft Support for more detail. After that I just had to add in the WINS information and since then everything is fine!
I don't know how, but it worked!
]]>Tooling up: - Excellent articles on several aspects of career developments, right from 1997.
How-to Guides - Practical advice on a variety of topics related to finding a job and building a career in the sciences. These include:
How to make the most of Career Fairs]]>
1. Bottom posting
2. Correct wrapping of text, especially during replies.
So, I am back to IMAP and back to Thunderbird.
]]>I have Zero knowledge about Indian classical music, and no understanding about beats/rhythms, etc. However, my friend, Ashish Deshpande pointed two things about Hindi film music:
1. A.R. Rahman is amazingly innovative and different when it comes to percussion in any of his compositions.
2. The song "Mere Humsafar" from "Refugee" has an awesome tabla rhythm (I don't know which one) throughout the song- rarely seen in Indian music.
And now, when I listen to any song, my focus is only on "percussion." So, here is my list of songs that I think have special percussion (throughout the song):
1. "Ek Hasina Thi" from "Karz".
2. "Ek Shahenshah Ne" from "Leader", "Abhi Na Jaao" from "Hum Dono" and "Jaane kahan gaye woh din" from "Mera Naam Joker" have same rhythm; I have not heard it much in recent songs!
3. The song "My name is Lakhan" seems to have only percussion. At least, I could not detect any strings in it!
It seems that it is very rare for Hindi film songs to use different/novel rhythms/taals. This does not imply that the other songs are not melodious!