Quotes over the ages

There was a time when I used to study from my notebooks more than any text. All that became a thing of the past when in college. Notebooks became more of a symbol of expression during the lectures (often monotonous). One habit that I caught up was writing down a quote on the first page and omit writing down my name. Due to the fact that I didn't have many notebooks during the four years and cuz I might have lost one or two, I could recover only 4 of them:

S5:
Science is an ongoing process. It never ends. There is no single ultimate truth to be achieved, after which scientists can retire. And because this is so, the world is far more interesting, both for scientists and for millions of people in every nation who, while not professional scientists, are deeply interested in the methods and findings of science.
- Cosmos, Carl Sagan

S5-S6, Still one of my favourite quotes:
It's so easy to run to others. It's hard to stand on one's on record. You can't fake virtue in your own eyes. Your ego is the strictest judge. It's simple to seek substitutes for competence - love, kindness... But there isn't substitute for competence. That precisely is the deadliness of second handers.
- The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

S6-S7, Very meaningful at that time:
My past life seemed floated away to an immeasurable distance, the present was vague and strange, and for the future I could form no conjecture.
- Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte. ( The irony is that I never completed that book)

S7-S8:
I yearn to define my life
Placing faith in chance to meet me in halfway
Back row to the left, a little to the side,
Slightly out of place
Look beyond the light, where you least expect
There's someone special.
- From the song Someone Special, Poets of the Fall

Breathin' on..

A month ago, I'd told myself I'd start thinking about college ending only after Dhwani. The last few hours of Dhwani suddenly left a void in me. As expected, nostalgia caught up with me and I went around in circles, kicking empty plastic bottles in an empty playground at the middle of night.

I haven't been able to blog as much as I would've liked about the last few days in college. So hoping to make up with short blogs.. much like the twittering has caught up with ma classmates.

Had our demo week last week. Sadly couldn't attend the first 3 days. That took a lot out of the fun but completely enjoyed the last two days.. Black, Pandi, School, Gunda and to top it all the Cross day. Awesome! Final years kii..

Finishing off the kutti blog with some usual philosophy:
There's a saying that each individual is an island. I've never believed so. Each of our lives are so intertwined with those around us that even if we sever off some branches, so many remain to hold us together.

The Way Back Home

My friend and I got down at the bus stop and we part ways.. My mind was still not at ease after the main project session. I decided to call it a day and let Vienna Teng sing softly at my ears. As if by providence thence came the bus that led back home but via a long road I hadn't taken oft.

Time goes fast if you hurry. This was the verse that I played around for a while in the bus. The drizzle was starting to find in through the windows. I didn't care.. I fact I wished it would continue, like the days we spend in college. Time has it's own speed. It's our mind that goes fast or slow and it's seldom that I get moment like these when I'm able to pause everything for a moment and slow down time such a pace. A pace from which I could both admire the past, accept the present and dont give a **** about the future :-)

I don't want to remember my college days as a blur. Neither do I want to be tied down by the memories. So I try not to slip up on such chances that come by. As I was floating along in such memories something outside suddenly struck me. The walls outside seemed more than familiar. The fact that I hadn't thought that this road led afront ma school filled me with some kind of shame. I hadn't been to school for some months, even though I'm just a stone throw away. Had I been preoccupied with so much thoughts from college that i forgot my dear school? na.. After seeing school it was memories from school that took over. I'm now walking back home.. The drizzle's still there as if to say everything takes it's time; only if you don't hurry.

Self Realization of a Senseless Dream

inspiration:Future leading to the past
subject: self realization
If life is a dream called life,I am seeing a different dream from yours and I am the only one who can see that dream.Then I am the only one who can see this blog. I am actually not writing this but actually I am dreaming about writing it. Nobody else are actually part of this dream.
Damn!! nobody else could else could comment!!
Shit!!nobody else can see this!!
Then why the hell am I writing this!!??



Hang on.......Actually I am not writing it ,I am dreaming of writing it..Great..So the comments are dream t by me....If u are reading this..understand that this blog is not actually written by me but u r dreaming about it...So please realize...lets get out of this dream......This is called self realization...You are the only lucky one to come across this dream.
WAKE UP........
.................Aj

Future leading to the Past II

g3Mo flipped the paper. He saw the other side was still blank...

//
Just what in the world makes you think that you are not trapped now?? What makes you think that you are doing the so called 'living a life' now... What if the ones sitting in front of you and this write up that was re-routed to you was all part of a dream from which you never woke up... I mean how would you ever know?? What if I told you that this whole life was one big dream ad the dreams you had was actually the dream within a dream.

This actually makes me think that heaven is not a place you were served all your delights by the virgins. Heaven is a place where you find all the answers, those who deserve it, get it. Only those powerful enough to ask get all the answers. The greatest battles humanity has ever seen are raged inside our own minds.. I am getting nowhere.. Continue this later..
//

He never did. The period was getting over and JFx resolved to fill up the rest of that side of the paper...

//
The answer to the question 'is this a life or just another dream' is another question: How do you differentiate between an AI that's as powerful as human mind and an organic human mind? I'm going by that logic to conclude that this is life and the dreams we see are actually dreams in life. If sometime in the future, we find that the life is just part of a longer dream, then that dream would be still tagged 'life' and the original life - 'super life'.
//

The epilogue was written by g3Mo:
//
We've just concluded on a theme that was stated in another great ork of literature almost 5000 years ago!!
Ellam maya - Bhagavad-Gita
Surely, human intelligence hasn't evolved over the years, has it?
//

You might be wondering why I've (painstakingly ;-) typed out so much rubbish. Well there's a future to this past. That was the day we decided to make a group blog. I've only one person to thank - the teacher who took that boring lecture.

Future leading to the Past I

This one dates back to one of those days when our creative mind got to work during some boring lecture in S3.

Iceman looked down at the blank paper. He looked around, he saw our blank faces and decided to write some sense into it.
" Johnny is trapped in a dream..."

JFx continued:

//
How many times in my life have I thought- Am I living or is this just a long dream? How would you know whether you are dreaming or not? Dreams are meant to be seen, not understood. Similarly, life's just for living. Not to be cut down, analyzed, debugged and reloaded.

I'm having just questions and more questions in my head. The path to finding an answer leads to another question. This makes me think - who really has the answer - God? The human mind is more powerful than the most powerful supercomputers. Maybe that's why, now I'm thinking about something, listening to someone and watching a third person at the same time. Our ability to think is not what make us different from animals. It's our ability to feel emotions at a higher level. Someday the cat in your house may murder you for all the bad things you've done.

This line of thought takes me back to the question that has been nagging me - shouldn't the human race be just another highly developed animal? This is getting worse. That part doesn't make much and stands out of this write up like a rotten nail in an old hinge. So you may or may not wish to read on.


Could you ever be trapped in a dream? Perhaps, when you are in a coma and don't wish to wake up. The more important question would be do I want to be trapped in a dream. And I have the answer, yes I would. And what be in the dream? "My whole life."
//
(page over)

g3Mo flipped the paper. He saw the other side was still blank...

(to be continued)

Archived Observations

Here are some of the observations I made while passing through the alleys of life. At that time, they seemed important enough to be archived in my mob. Dunno if they are valid now or even if I agree to all of 'em now.

1. Friendship, love.. stick together if they complement each other, not if they are similar to each other or if they are opposite to each other. [12:25 am, June 1]

2. You might not love someone even if you had seen her/him before many times, but some little incident can change it all. [12:05 pm, June 9]

3. We really mean many things in life only the first few time. After that, it's just the mind making the body repeat. [8:44 pm, Aug 12]

4. It's hard to find your match when men are looking for women like their moms and women look for men like their future sons. [1:45 pm, Aug 13]

5. Most often you can't enjoy life if you are intelligent. You've got to be a fool or act foolish to get the real joy in life. [9:03 am, Aug 26]

6. This one's as a poem..
Time's going ahead very fast
But mind's slowing down lookin past.
I fear a day my mind will stop
And then will countless memories do pop!
[I was on a bus traveling through the beautiful malabar countryside; 1:06 pm, Aug 28]

“HISTORICAL DOORSTEP OF THE IRREVERSIBLE”

It’s a pity that the world doesn’t realize where its heading to. It’s a pity that the precious space on this little piece of written work meant for others to read and enjoy be taken up for publishing such an article. It’s a pity that I had to choose, above all, this very topic for writing on. “DESP!”-all might say, but its not with an intention of writing the best essay that I am coining these few paragraphs. The facts are loud and clear. But the greater majority wouldn’t choose to heed it. So there has to be ostensibly “desp” environmentalist characters like me to carry on the message. If the readers are still wondering what this guy is jabbering about, well just read on and perhaps curse me at the end of the article for wasting your time. Here goes…

A conscious attitude about the environment is seldom found amongst people. They cant be blamed, for life has turned out to be that way. Some great son-of-a-philosopher had once commented “We begin to die from the moment we are born”. Just like all idealistic thoughts that we hear quite frequently, this one’s true too. Every thing that has life in it, has to come to an end. Its only a matter of time and the various ‘modus operandi’ of our daily existence that matters. Earth too is filled with far too many lives to count… (do take a few seconds to contemplate on the last sentence)

On one hand we see the “social human life” filled with technical gizmos, fashion, red carpets, wars, accidents, crime etc etc and getting more into next-door-examples, we have our friends getting the latest bikes, mobile phones, silly hours of flirting, break-ups, completing assignments, bunking classes, freaking out for parties, never missing a latest movie at the cinemas etc etc- all that could be related to a normal college life…

As this normal life goes on, on the other side of the perturbed balance lies a façade of earth that only a few even bother to ponder into. Mother nature…flora and fauna…landscapes…snow capped peaks…luscious greenery…wildlife…blooming flowers…all more worthy to be called beautiful than the best girls you can imagine… A different world altogether devoid of terrorism, hatred, prejudices and any negative nuances.

Thats the kind of life that the ‘modern world’ can only dream of. Its not pessimism, but truth is always sour. We have reached too far ahead, we are too advanced to revert back anything. The ‘social human life’ that was mentioned earlier will carry on as it is, taking giant strides in the direction which they think is forward. But an important question- when we go about minding our business, trying most eagerly to bring in as many luxuries as possible, or getting our heads into other’s matters-be it individuals or nations-should we not show atleast a tiny bit of consideration for “earth”? As engineering students under a very “able”(ahem) syllabus, we’ve got plenty of other things to worry about. Global warming, climate change, ozone layer holes, brown clouds, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, endangered species, extinct animals- no, these are not the things that an engineering student should worry about- these are things that every one of us have read about or heard. But what’s the use? Is anyone doing anything to help the cause? Is anyone bothering to spread the word amongst others? Such a dead and boring topic for discussion right, so why bother!

Despite the urgency in the tone of environmentalists and the most sincere climatologists and scientists the world over, little importance is given to take steps to tackle climate change. Changes are inevitable. This might really be a berserk comparison, but just think over the changes that have occurred to you since you first stepped foot on the college premises. Looks, attitude, relationships, fashion…everything. The single burning flame of life within you got changed so much within just a couple of years. The evident reason- plenty of other such burning flames nearby. There’s no escape from the collective inferno. So imagine the extent to which the world’s climate has been withstanding changes since the advent of humanity. It has a life of its own – a life so closely related with that of others. The Creator hasn’t given loads of intellect to all creatures. And the only ones who possess it, take it for granted. The nature’s rhythm had begun to be recklessly encroached upon long back. Climate changes had begun since then, but now its consequences are blanketing on us without a needle’s gap.

The rate at which the climate is being affected by our lifestyles can definitely be controlled, provided the major countries realize and implement stringent measures, and the citizens are prudently educated to follow them. In this regard, the recent ban on plastics was a bold and much-needed enforcement on the part of the government here.

A sad fact is that, despite true-life reports based on long term research and surveys, very little awareness is being propagated by the media. Take for example, the leading dailies in our state dedicate just a small part of a page for such reports and articles. They are doing only what it takes to earn their efforts worth. Large chunks of the literate populace are concerned only with updating themselves on the latest current affairs, exam postponements, sports, gadgets, gossip and so on. Who would want to read a small grayscale report on the planet’s deplorable environmental condition , India’s melting glaciers, the most innocent and beautiful animals being starved to death and so on, when political propagandas, ‘Big Brother’ celebrities, fresh world cups etc fill tons of coloured pages.

So what can we do? I am no great scientist or a political leader to answer that question. This is not a school essay writing competition or an exam question to propose steps to avert global warming. I could very well talk about the media’s role in spreading awareness, people being more sensible and far-sighted in their lifestyles to help save energy etc. But this article was not meant to be published in a primary school environmental textbook either. Its more of an open talk with the person who would be reading this. We have a nature club in the college (no one would have even heard of it) with very few members. Why only few members? That’s the problem. No one’s interested. If they decide on conducting any programme, no one offers any support. Just simply laugh way. Talk about encouraging the use of cycles amongst the modern generation –“Are you nuts?” Tell them to switch off the electronic items not in use- “Who cares! Just a single person following it wont make a difference.”

Good gracious! If only people would understand… if only terms like ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’ would become common words spoken by the layman…if only school children be bright enough to question the question the present-day validity of their geography text books…if only everyone realizes that the unpredictable rains here are a small part of an impending global upheaval …

The sky is not falling down, and I am not being Chicken Little. I’m only asking you to lend a hand if at all any opportunity springs up to fight for the cause. The words used by the French President Jacques Chirac a few months back formed the title of this article. I’m not being rhetoric, but the coming generations would perhaps understand the true meaning of the title. Pray! Lest it should happen. Back in the school days, my environment club badge had a small caption to it

“We belong to the earth

The earth does not belong to us”

Linked to:
AEI Oh! You: Stars are just a speck in the sky, What are you?

Law of definition

Disclaimer: This was written some time before on a boring night.. I may or may not agree to everything said below.


Law of definition states that anything exists only if it is defined. Another version of the law says that the determining factor in differentiating one thing from another is its definition.This may seem a simple universal law, but in recent times it has helped me in answering two important scenarios.

The first one is the controversial topic of human mind versus AI. The power of the human mind is a combination of its logical ability and emotional versatility. If in the future we create an AI that has the same powers as a human mind, could it be called a human mind? I say yes. LOD says that the determining factor in differentiation is definition. AI satisfies the defenition of human mind. So it can be given the status of human mind.

I had a vague idea about my second scenario. But my friend's question made it clearer. Here goes the question: "What if the thing we call 'life' is just another long dream?" Again LOD came to my rescue. This is life 'coz it is defined so. The assumption that it may just be a part of some super-life, does not make any difference. Life may be that stage of super-life where the laws of physics as we see it hold true. My view maybe contradicting to 'The Matrix. The movie says that life in the Matrix is just an illusion.But I say for the people inside the Matrix, the outside life is just super-life. The only problem lies in definition. I remember my Physics teacher deftly answering my question: "Sir, why is it so?". He answered: "Because it is defined so."

Come to Naught

First love at first sight,
but she ain't my plight.
Second love at first sight,
thence tight remained my plight.

Now I wonder,
yonder lies the truth;
but where yonder?
I stand aghast,I breakth.

Love eternal on the platter;
Alas!! it lay beyond the veil,
Ignorant you, do the blather,
as The veil of deception decieves thy peer.

Will the divine knot,
or the holy oath hold affirm,
for lust shalt pout,
and thou fall with the grim.

Nay,I ain't mad,
but despair is what i have.
For the yesteryears I'm glad,
'cause forever indifferent i behave.

After wandering fathom's deep,
Now,I realize what not to seek.
For eternal love shalt remain,
a dream trapped in my heart's terrain.

Fool

I can't breath
Cannot speak, why not?
Shh.. the guards awake

Can't find solace
No, not anywhere, why not?
I'm all alone

Anything I do,
Turns out worse
Is it? then why?

The papers turned;
Couldn't find it,
What? The answers.

I ask, why not?
No answer, ya
Thats the answer.

Then why,
Why the exam?
Why mouse can't run?
Why I can't shoot?

Pages turned around,
It was me,
Not the question.

I never read it,
Never heard the answer
Right inside me.

I found it, what?
Never a question
Without an answer.

The Walk

Once I called along Friendship for a walk through the garden of life. We talked about so many things. We were so happy together. On the way we saw Love. Friendship asked her to join us. I didn't want it, but Friendship insisted. So I agreed. Love separated our hands and caught mine. Then Love and I walked ahead into the woods, leaving Friendship behind. She killed herself in grief. I hated Love for this. I never walked again.

Another day, I called along Friendship for a walk through the garden of life. We talked about so many things. We were so happy together. On the way, we saw Love. Friendship asked her to join us. I didn't want it, but Friendship insisted. So I agreed. Love separated our hands and caught mine. I told Friendship to hold my other hand. She did. Love didn't like this. She went away. I was sad, but continued to the woods with Friendship.

I called along Friendship for a walk through the garden of life one day. We talked about so many things. We were so happy together. On the way, we saw Love. Friendship asked her to join us. I didn't want it, but Friendship insisted. So I agreed. Love and Friendship caught each hand of mine. We walked all day.

Stars are just a speck in the sky, What are you?

Another day wasted [1]. Thought I'd make use of this free hour trying to blog. This one's related to the Futuro in some ways, but is from a completely different view point. The idea of the blog arised when my fellow blogger, aj sms-ed [2] me this question. It was about what will happen in the future. Too bad i dint save the sms, but one of the options was human's will evolve into something superhuman. Anyways, the point i want to make doesnt lie as much in the question as in the answer i gave to it.

"Have you ever thought.. Humans occupy a very very small area in the timeline of evolution. Many other living beings have been around before humans evolved and are still here. Darwin's theory says about survival of the fittest. Is human race the most equipped to survive a catastrophe on earth? I think not... Until we start colonising other planets and discover interstellar travel, we are just too many eggs in the same basket."

'An Inconvinient Truth' is a good place to start from, if any of the readers plan to continue on this line of thought. The documentary says about the effects of global warming, and our role in it. We just might be scripting our own end, an end that would lead to the rise of another living being superior to us (hopefully)... There was a time when Dinosaurs ruled the earth. Nature always has a way of doing it's own balancing act. Every ice age was preceded by some of the warmest years. This just might be humanity's end, and we might be the last surviving generation. There's no use getting anxious about the unknown. So other than doing our bit to save mother earth, all we can do is pray for the best.

Keepin the religious aspects apart, I'm someone who believes in extraterrestrial life. So dont worry if the human race dies out, or even if life is wiped off the earth. There i can see another John playing in the fields of Ciam [3].

[1] just that I didnt study anything doesnt mean the day was wasted. But just for exaggerations sake..
[2] sms-ed: short messages send from one mobile to another. SYN: time-wasting.
[3] a fictitious planet in the Andromeda galaxy