I faced this today. Did you?

Did you face a gmail without vowels today? I did. Check this out.

SLUG seminar on 30-03-'10

The initiators of the SLUG in our college are going to pass out soon. And we have to do something to ensure that it does not die a natural death. Towards this end, we have planned a series of seminars to filter out some really enthusiastic and interested students who can carry it forward.

The first of the seminars was organised on the 30th of March, 2010. The agenda was:

• Ubuntu 9.10 installation
• Intro to FOSS
• Post installation configuration
• Venue: IT Gallery

We didn't have much time to publicise the event this time. But the turn out was quite encouraging. Manash Pal (4th year CSE) and Sandipan Das (2nd year CSE) took us through the process of installing Ubuntu 9.10 on a machine. Following our instructions, a lady from first year IT had brought in her laptop and installed it on spot. This was very encouraging. Manash took us through the concepts of partitioning, the system requirements, and other essentials.

We had decided on a bit of pipelining. While the new setup was on on the Dell Optiplex, we switched the projector cord to the Acer laptop with Fedora 10 where Arijeet Mukherjee (3rd year CSE) presented a lively piece on introduction to FOSS. This enlightened the uninitiated on what we are on about. This was followed by Truth Happens to a thunderous applause.

By the time Arijeet had finished, the installation had been completed on the Dell Optiplex. Shinjan came into the scene with his take on post installation configuration. He demonstrated how to set up the network, where to find which package, how to install new packages by the Synaptic Package Manager, the command line and the Ubuntu Software Centre.

At last, we divulged the purpose of the seminar. And when we asked how many would be interested to carry the SLUG forward, at least 5 hands (all belonging to different people) went up. That was quite encouraging as when we had started, we were only 2 of us.

The complete set of pictures from my cam are here.

Reservation- once again

There was a widely circulated mail during the time that Arjun Singh brought in reservation in Central Education Institutes for the OBCs. Now that there are talks for religion based reservations in jobs, it is apt that I share that mail with everyone. The words in the mail had been attributed to the Wipro Chairman Mr. Azim Premji. I doubt its authenticity. So , I quote only the words, because they are unfailingly catchy.

I think we should have job reservations in all the fields. I completely
support the PM and all the politicians for promoting this. Let's start the
reservation with our cricket team. We should have 10 percent reservation for Muslims. 30 percent for OBC, SC/ST like that. Cricket rules should be
modified accordingly. The boundary circle should be reduced for an SC/ST player. The four hit by an OBC player should be considered as a six and a six hit by an OBC player should be counted as 8 runs. An OBC player scoring 60 runs should be declared as a century.

We should influence ICC and make rules so that the pace bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar should not bowl fast balls to our OBC player. Bowlers should bowl maximum speed of 80 kilometer per hour to an OBC player. Any delivery above this speed should be made illegal.

Also we should have reservation in Olympics. In the 100 meters race, an OBC player should be given a gold medal if he runs 80 meters.

There can be reservation in Government jobs also. Let's recruit SC/ST and OBC pilots for aircraft which are carrying the ministers and politicians (that can really help the country...). Ensure that only SC/ST and OBC doctors do the operations for the ministers and other politicians. (Another way of saving the country...)

Let's be creative and think of ways and means to guide INDIA forward...
Lets show the world that INDIA is a GREAT country. Let's be proud of being an INDIAN...

May the good breed of politicians like ARJUN SINGH long live...

Samsung Hoarding in a Videocon ad!

Just look at the pic. within the red circle. Or click here to see it big.

Trip to মান্দারমনি, an experience to live with.

The trip to মান্দারমনি with Sarbartha and Shinjan was my first without my parents. We had taken ample precautions so that the things fell in place naturally. And some of them, I now feel, were unnecessary. We could have easily got seats on the bus from Esplanade on spot. We didn't have to get them reserved 2 days before hand. In the process, we had to shell out quite a bit extra. (Thank the gods that the CSTC is ancient enough not to do return reservations from Kolkata). Then, we could easily have got to মান্দারমনি from চালখোলা without having had a car booked to carry us. There is a good trekker service running there. However, we didn't do very bad for our first time.

The first thing that strikes one on the 14 km drive from চালখোলা to মান্দারমনি is the stark low socio-economic condition. Hardly any brick house is to be noticed. Ramshackle mud houses peep out from behind trees. And through them, along the patched metalled road drive the upper class snobs in the latest fancy cars. I was prepared for the last part of our drive along the beach itself. The compact sand of the beach makes allowances for such practices. However, one must keep along the track followed by the locals to escape getting one's car stuck.

Along the beach, the only brick houses were the hotels and resorts. The locals all dwelt in mud houses. On the one hand we had the 7 star resorts and on the other the houses of the poorest of the poor. Sharp contrast at its prominence. It is evident that developmental activities have steered clear of this part of the state. A perfect breeding ground for Maoists, mind you. And the locals live for the day when the road will be completed, and the electricity lines will go live. (Ah! yes, there is no electric supply yet. Either you depend on solar power, or generator power. The fans work only when the latter is functioning).

The one thing that will shoot you through the head (and also the pocket) is the high cost of the place. The lowest room rates is ~500 INR. And you can expect no more than the lowest services for this. The meal charges at our hotel was a whooping 80 INR. (But I must mention that the food cooked was extremely palatable and hygienic). You can get cheaper meals at the shanties along the beach. But I will not vouch for the hygiene maintained.

Sometimes, you may feel that you are the only person on the spot. Such is the desolation. When we jumped into the sea at 7:30 in the morning, we were the only 3 persons who did so. There was not a living soul along the shore. Only the shanty keepers went about their chores far away along the edge of the beach. I just wondered if we were too early or were the only people around.

Every shanty keeper that we cared to stop by tried to push sell chilled beer to us. And indeed, booze was freely flowing all along the beach. Men and women of all ages got drunk with ease.

If you just want to while away your time on holiday by walking along the beach thrice a day, then you may visit the place any time. But if you want your tour to be productive, do visit during the full moon. I have never seen the sea clean sweep out of sight during low tide as it did here. It surely went back by more than a kilometre. And, what an experience it was to walk over the sea bed. I can hardly describe. Sea-organisms of all kinds were swept in durng high tide, but they failed to move back during low tide. As a result they lay on the virgin beach. I had never seen star fish, jelly fish, sea-cucumbers, sponges, live oysters and slugs all lying on the beach. And there were fish-spawn scuttling about in the small puddles made by the tides. We actually walked along a strip of land jutting into the sea over a colony of red crabs. And there was sea behind us. We were approaching the local delta when we decided that things were getting pretty dangerous with our feet sinking in the loose sand. If we got burried in the sea bed, there would be no one to even call back home and say so. So we returned, with a lifetime experience.

We also tried a bit of beach football and beach volley, but the wind was so strong that we were soon running all over the place to catch the ball. And finally when Sarbartha further twisted his already twisted knee, we gave up.

The one thing that strikes a cord with every heart is that the place has not yet been touched by the vice of commercialisation. The shanty keepers have set up their shanties only to eke out a living. They are willing to open up and have a chat when approached. The people are willing to help you out when you ask. You don't have to be on the look out for conmen waiting to dupe you at the first chance. As the place develops, there will surely be better facilities. But then, we do know what may become of a commercialised place.

A few tips for those planning a trip to মান্দারমনি:

• You don't need to get seats reserved on the bus. There are too many buses leaving Esplanade.
• You don't need to ask the hotelier to arrange to pick you up from চালখোলা, there is a good trekker service between কাঁথি and মান্দারমনি via চালখোলা.
• You may carry as much breakfast material as you can to avoid steep food bills.
• Do visit during full moons.
• Don't ask the hotelier to drop you at চালখোলা for your return journey. Just hop into a trekker along the beach. চালখোলা is only 15 INR and কাঁথি only 20 INR.

(Ah! I happen to have just written my longest blog entry.)

Phir Mile Sur reeks of commercialisation

There was this excellent classic called Mile Sur Mera Tumhara produced by Doordarshan in the '80s. I grew up watching it on the national television. It still warms my heart to watch it. We played a game of identifying the language that a line is being sung in. It still is a testimony to national integration.

This Republic Day, the Times of India group produced a video which they call Phir Mile Sur. This new video comes no where near the original version. The original video featured people from all walks of life and from all regions of India. The current video highlights only Bollywood stars. This one is a cheap commercial project. What is Salman Khan, who has successfully killed black bucks, overrun people in a drunken state, doing in it? Where are the great leaders like Dr. Kalam, Sachin Tendulkar?

And they could not find any better persons than Prosenjit and Rituparna to lip-sync the Bangla part! I thank the gods that West Bengal is not known for its forgettable movies. What more? The people who matter a bit, like Baichung Bhutia, Abhinav Bindra, the armed forces, are pushed to the end more like an afterthought.

This article in the Hindustan Times aptly summarises the reactions. (However it must also be noted that The Hindustan Times has its interests going against The Times of India.)

Campussing Nama

I got through the Cognizant campus recruitment drive at our college yesterday. But, strangely, I don't feel, in the least, elated. Probably because there were candidates more deserving than me who didn't get through. And some, who cannot say what subjects they had in the last semester, or what was his elective subject, got through. And, I got through with this lot!

I guess, it depends on one's luck. And I was lucky yesterday. The companies do not come to take the best: they come to fish a few students. And in the net get caught both small and big fries: while some are left to cry, but none to hear.

What pained me even more was the wild celebrations of some who got through in the very presence of the lot who didn't get through. There were singing and dancing, and in their midst were people secretly crying, thinking all was lost. And who were celebrating the most? Those who did not deserve to get through at all.

What has man come to? No feelings for one's friends? Lord, make me a wolf in the next birth: at least I will be one of a decent pack.