walking into Mordor

I have been pouring over Google Maps for the past few days, for finding routes and more interesting places to visit in Madhya Pradesh. And then this idea propped in my mind – the result of which was rather hilarious.

I love these tiny Easter Eggs Google keeps planting in arbitrary places in their products. ❤

Brillaint, ain’t it? 🙂

Also, Merry Christmas to everyone.

why this meme?

My first attempt at a meme. For all those so inclined.

In case you you have been in India in the past few weeks and haven’t been socially cocooned in an internet-tight bubble of ignorance, you would have come across this somewhere. May the Grim Reaper bless your soul in case you haven’t.

Like it, hate it, share it, download it; just don’t crop my name out and call it your own. 🙂

on a first hour

now when you see things such as this, you know that somewhere down there, something is seriously wrong. With this in mind, proceed.

—


the alarm clock rings, it’s 7 o’clock

and mefeels much like Socrates drinking hemlock.

for in an hour’s time I would be

sitting and dozing in a class called MuPee.

Oh, for the non-BITSian reading this,

and wondering what on earth MuPee is,

MuPee is a health hazard and I am guessing,

it stands for Microprocessor Programming, and Interfacing.

Oh ye first hour, ye heartless soul!

do you really know how much you take your toll?

Nah, I know, you really do care.

Just as much I do about what Lady Gaga wears.

which reminds me, why do I attend thee?

when I would rather be dreaming about a chocolate tree?

But still I do, I’ll never know why

just like why Harry Potter had a bowl of rye.

Not that he did, but he always could have,

just like the modern day driver who’s using SAT NAV.

So back to the first hour, and the issues it raises

most of which to us, is what land is to water-barges.

For one it involves, getting up early

and then brushing all those teeth to make them white and pearly.


now yes, I know that sounded lame.
But you do know that the poem itself is the same.


now while brushing your teeth you need water,
which for us in winter, is like a colony of ants facing an ant-eater.


(… phew …)


so once done with this initial ordeal,
one takes out his time table with absolutely no zeal.


oh, for the winter, and the warmth it begets.
when one is snuggling cosily under two blankets!


alas, those are, but dreams forever lost.
much like the woolly mammoth and the summer frost.


the journey to the mess is always fraught
with much hesitation for the student distraught.


for the food that is available there,
is reason enough to cause despair.


but when the tea is hurriedly drunk
he who wakes up gets a scalded red tongue


and all your hopes of cursing and swearing,
bite the dust with quite a lot of hair tearing


the trip from the mess to the bloody FD
is always rowdy, and seldom speedy.


and once, with trepidation, you reach the class,
the only thing you can utter is a throaty ‘Alas!’


for there stands the teacher, grinning with spite
and waving white sheets with diabolical delight


the agony lasts for minutes fifty
after which the siren sounds, very very thrifty.


So up we get, and scurry back to our rooms,
perpetually dirty they are, for we don’t have brooms.


and upon reaching, into our beds we dive
and shut our eyes for the time we are alive.


for death is near, and while I won’t go that far,
for those will be chronicled in “on a third hour”.

—

thank you Nickspinkboots for the truck-loads of inspiration.

Jab We Met : Voldemort and Vader

Presenting, Darth Vader.  hssssssssh hsssssssssh

Bio : Originally Anakin Skywalker who fell prey to the wrong (read Dark) side of the Force. And later repented, but that is besides the point.

Weapons : Lightsaber. Custom form V specialist. make : Sith.

Finishing moves :  Force choke or Ripping off some body part with lightsaber, generally the head.

Strengths : highly trained Jedi knight, therefore gifted with extraordinary agility and intuition. Sith armour hand crafted by Sith workmen, is near impregnable. Unison with The Force.

Weakness : vulnerable to anything and everything once his respiratory mask his taken off. 

Presenting, Lord Voldemort.

Bio :  Originally Tom Marvolo Riddle. Greatest dark wizard of all time.

Weapons : Wand. 13½” (34.29cm) yew wood, with a phoenix feather core. Make : Ollivander’s

Finishing moves : Avada Kedavra, the killing curse.

Strengths : greatest dark wizard of all time. Well versed in all possible enchantments, spells. Mastery over non-verbal spells. Flight.

Weakness : no armour as such.

So now imagine. A ring. The sort they have in WWE. And in that. Darth Vader with his lightsaber. And Lord Voldemort with his wand.

TING TING TING

Lord Volemort’s snake like eyes stare intently at Lord Vader. He breathes back in return. All is well. Vader’s steady and deep breathing … the only sound in the silent arena.

And suddenly Voldemort lashes out. “AVADA KEDAVRA”

A jet of green light shoots out of the end of his wand … but Alas! All it takes is a well timed twirl of his lightsaber, and the green jet deflects harmlessly off Vader’s red blade.

Vader’s still breathing. Deep. Silent. Voldemort is … no not furious. Rather he’s perplexed. Was the Darth Vader mentioned in Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy too? It made no sense. Or was the Darth Vader Harry Potter himself. His slit-like nostrils flared in ambiguity. OK, he had to get stuff clarified.

“Look. Dude …”

“Silence. If you wish to address me, it shall be Lord Vader.”

“Screw you, Vader. Listen …”

Vader is taken aback. No one ever hasever dared to address him by anything except “Lord Vader” leave aside “Dude”. Voldemort wouldn’t be a Dopy-ite, or would he?

Voldemort goes on “Yeah so as I was saying. Are YOU the Chosen One too?”

Vader scratches his respirator. “Erm, Well. What IS a Chosen One? I was the one Obi Wan Kenobi chose to duel against, if that’s what you mean.”

“Ahh lite then.”

There, Voldemort was definitely BITSian. No doubt about it. But still better be sure.

“Are you BITSian?” he asks, uncertainly.

“Lol. No. Am not.” Voldemort gives his iconic maniacal and sinister laughter. “Just that, a lot of my fans are BITSians. The acad pressure is too much there I’ve heard, so they choose the Dark side.”

“You mean, they choose the Dark Side of the Force?” Vader is now excited. Had it not been for the mask, he would probably have been visibly excited too.

“Force?” Voldemort asks, “What Force?”

Vader is incredulous. Inside his mask, his mouth opens wide. “You mean, you don’t know what The Force is?”

“Oh, I get it. The thing in Star Wars comics kya? My fans like them too. 🙂 ” Volemort’s lips curl into a ghostly smile.

Vader breathes on. “Hmph”

A diversion here. Here a few pics depicting Darth Vader during his mood swings.

Darth Vader breathing.

Darth Vader taken aback.

Darth Vader visibly excited

Darth Vader mouth opened wide.

Coming back to the encounter.

Vader then asks. “Er … Voldy, temme something … erm …. do you have a nose?”

Voldemort is now visibly infuriated. Unlike Vader however, his facial changes are quite distinguishable. Here’s how he replied.

“Oh. Cool! A flat nose. (Sigh) I wish I remembered, what my nose looks like. Damn Obi Wan Kenobi!”

Voldemort gives his hollow laughter. “Vader, ” he asks. “You gotta agree … your costume rocks man! I find my robes all slushy and … old and all. Would die to get one like yours, man!”

Vader smiles. Yes Like this.

  

“Well, I don’t like it much. I know it’s strong and all … cool also. But also kinda clumsy. In the end you gotta agree .. Jedis weren’t trained to fight with this humongous piece of metal all over them. Yeah, you do get the supervillain attention, but still … and by the way” Vader continues, ” How did your nose become that flat. As in … it was normal when you were Tom Riddle right?”

“Ahh, dude”, Volemort sighs and answers, “that is a sad story, One of my Death Eaters. James Cameron. He made this movie called Titanic. A pretty sissy story involving love and a sinking ship …”

Vader interrupts, “A SINKING ship? Our ships don’t SINK. ROFL!!! Here take a look” and hands him a picture.

“Our ships,” he continues, “are kick ass \m/  and that,” he points at the picture, “is a Star Destroyer \m/ “

“You guys FLY in ships?”

“yeah, what else do you do in them? Waltz?” Vader snaps back.

“LMAO”, Voldemort shrieks, “we fly on brooms!!! They are so much more cooler, and convenient. Though of course, I can just will to fly.” he smirks and suddenly levitates himself.

“Wanna try?”, he guffaws, “Wingardium leviosa” he points his wand at Vader and shouts.

Vader is lifted, and he shrieks out loud. Well this is how he shrieks.

Voldemort releases him and says, “So you want to know how I got this nose, eh?”

“That retarded Cameron, decided to make a scene involving me. I was to stand with my arms outstretched on the very front of the hull of the ship. Like this.”

“The Aurors then decided to storm in … bad timing, the spineless morons. They can’t attack me up front huh? And one of them, decided to Stupefy me. And so I stood there for ages and ages. The winds lashed against my face and nose, and eroded it. Sucks man.”

Vader is bewildered. Yeah, like this :

“When did THAT happen?” he asks, uncertainly, and does this :

Suddenly there’s a flourish. And a ringing laughter. And a new figure appears in the ring. And  Voldemort’s and Vader’s faces pale. Needless to say. Voldemort’s face paled, more than what it generally is. And Vader’s, yes, you guessed it right. It paled like this :

It was Him. “The He Who Must Not Be Named … The Chosen One … all put into one …” Voldemort breathed.

Vader breathed harder … “The Jedi who ate the Force … that’s Him too.”

A few moments of silence. Then Voldemort shouts. “RUN!!!!” Vader follows without a second thought. 

But suddenly the new entrant points at them and talks. And this is what happens.

Yes you guessed it right.

games people play

disclaimer : all information provided in this write up is grossly incorrect to the very best of my knowledge. Any suicide attempts, divorce cases that may take place after this is published, should NOT be traced back to this under any known or unknown circumstances. The author regrets to inform that he won’t be held responsible too.

disclaimer for previous disclaimer : this is another of my superbly disoriented and fuzzy wramblingz. A lame attempt to emulate the god like articles of uncyclopedia. Please bear with the amount of nonsense you shall behold before your eyes.

the third and … kinda serious … disclaimer : this is essentially a parody of all the games people go gaga over and play on something called Microsoft Windows.

1. Need for Creed. Often mistaken for Need for Speed, Need for Creed, developed by Alternative Entertainment and Sports (AE Sports), is a stunning game featuring Creed, an iconic death metal band of the early 14th century. The variants released since 1998 .. are as follows

• Need for Creed – the first version wherein your main objective is to save Joan of Arc from the burning stake, and liberate France, thus distorting human history. Then only instrument you can use however is the Fender Stratocaster, a certain 6 string instrument, which a certain Celtic outlaw called Mummy Hendrix had immortalized. Creed band members are always there to help you use it.
• Need for Creed 2 – the second version of the stunning game continued to fascinate people with dramatic changes in primary objectives. This time, you had to play the role of Gandalf, a wizened old wizard, who had to destroy a certain ear ring, which his ex-girlfriend had given him before breaking up. The important thing in this game is that Gandalf frequently suffers from heartaches from memories of his girlfriend, which is where the Creed part comes in. You need to choose the right Creed songs for his iPod Shuffle playlist, so as to cheer him up, and keep him free of any sort of illness while he goes on this perilous quest.  
• Need for Creed : Bourbon – also the latest version, was the most celebrated version of NFC ever, and it required the player to help the Dark Lord, Barrack Obama, buy a packet of bourbon biscuits from Wallmart. Here the Creed band members take up part-time jobs as his body guards and you have to help defend Him while he buys the stuff.

2. Age of Vampires. Made jointly by Dissemble Studios and Microshit, often confused with a third class board game called Age of Empire (Ensemble Studios, Microsoft) is easily the greatest game ever made. Soon after its launch in 1997 it went on to win 3 BAFTAs, 4 Grammys and 1 Golden Globe. There are three versions of this game as follows.

•  Age of Vampires : the Rise of Romance. The making of this game was a top secret affair, confined to the underworld realms of the Large Hadron Collider, in Nigeria. It is said that Edward Cullen was one of the core programmers and minds behind this game. Not surprisingly, the Twilight saga, a series of movies about gay rights, is believed to have sprouted from this game.
• Age of Vampires : the Age of Pings. This version was mainly directed at the Linux user who checks his internet connection by typing in the terminal ping google.com It received huge acclaim because for the first time in the history of gaming, the interests of a Linux user had been considered. The game however did not run on Linux, and resulted in immediate degradation in the version of the GRUB installed on the machine.
• Age of Vampires : the Werewolves’ Expansion. This fantasy version features a red Indian wife called Aishwarya Rai, trying to convert her husband, Abhishek Bachhan to a werewolf by biting him in his sleep. You win this game if you can convert all the beggars in Bombay city to werewolves and then launch a full fledged attack on the Bollywood Film industry and punish Ram Gopal Verma for a series of mishaps.

3. Counterlike – One of the most popular games of all time, it is based on the biggest online madness ever called Facebook. Not surprisingly it is an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). It is a team game with no rules. You can do whatever you want. The idea however is to Like as many things as you can. Of course, if you feel your opponent is Liking stuff more than you, you can immediately shoot him dead and claim the crown. The popularity of the game is mainly owing to its minimal requirements ( an internet connection, Mark Zuckerberg’s phone number (you need to call him up to register), and a mouse (actually a mouse button will do too) because as a great mind called Subhayan Mukerjee once said ‘all it takes is a click to like’.

4. Call of Nature : Modern Shitfare 2. The most amazing game ever built, but often confused with one of Enrique Iglesias’ songs, Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2. The objectives are simple and straight forward. Eat and shit. If you shit more than your opponent you win. The game grows in difficulty as you progress because you get things like constipation. In such cases you need to poison your opponent’s food , and put in stuff that hinders free bowel movement, so that he fails to shit too. You can find hidden items like laxatives and purgatives throughout the game. Therefore you need to keep an eye open, not to mention something else open too.

5. Pro Evolution Socker – This game is a heavy game and grows heavier the more you play, because you start with dry socks which tend to get wet, and increase the weight. The objective is to walk in the Calcutta Maidan without wearing shoes, but just socks. The person who walks the most in a given time interval is usually the winner. Exceptions arise when Mamata Banerjee and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, two of the world’s greatest spy agents, call for a strike. In such cases your objectives change to burning as many private buses you can. All the while however, you can wear nothing else but socks.

the four color problem

Another post fueled by interest in all things geeky. Hell. It’s math this time. And it’s about something called the four color theorem. A seemingly simple theorem, with certain … er … beauties, that caught my eye, and thus led to me writing this post.

/*sheepish grin
the angle brackets are better off for expressing feelings but Blogger’s smart arse word processor very inconveniently considers any starting angle bracket to be the beginning of an html tag and all oddities arise. Hence the C/C++ style comments. Lol. */

The Four Color Theorem in its bare bones states that, (erm … quoting Wikipedia) given any separation of a plane into contiguous regions, producing a figure called a map, no more than four colors are required to color the regions of the map so that no two adjacent regions have the same color. Point to note : two regions meeting at points can have the same color


Well, I am myself not the absolute authority in the four color theorem, and any such assumptions gathered, or unintentionally implied should be … discarded immediately. Ahem.

The beauty I referred to in the opening paragraph is the method used to deal with these map coloring problems.

/*I know how suicidal the American spellings look, but unfortunately none of the browsers I use have spell check for any form English on this side of the Atlantic, so …*/

Yes, so coming back to the method. Here’s how it goes.

Consider the following map, showing a few countries of West Europe.

/* Pics taken from http://www.ctl.ua.edu/math103/mapcolor/mapcolor.htm, but as you can check, I’ve tried to explain in my own words */

The goal is too color the map such that no two countries sharing a common border have the same color. (Also, as a side information the minimum number of colors needed to colour a map is called the chromatic number of the map.) The completed map should look something like this.

So how to go about the predicament? Here’s how.

1. We replace each country with circles, maintaining a roughly correct relative orientation. 
2. Whenever two countries share a common border, we join the two corresponding circles with a straight line.
3. We ensure that multiple common borders are taken care of … France’s with Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Italy.
4. Now color the circles such that a) two circles at the end of each line segment have different colours and b) the least number of colors are used.

the steps in pictures :

Done 🙂 Well that’s about it. If it seems a bit too abrupt, my apologies. 🙂

Hey Dude … an Ode to Dopy

terrifyingly crude, arbit and downright stupid … but well, it doesn’t hurt does it 😛

Hey Dude,

don’t feel so sad,
take one snap shot, and you’ll feel better.
Remember to give your ID in,
then we will start to feel better.

Hey Dude,

don’t feel afraid
We were made to, go out and click her
The minute you step in to the frame
Then we begin to make it better.

And anytime you feel the doubt, hey dude, don’t pout
don’t carry the burden on your shoulders …
for those who know that it’s a rule, to click and drool
with all those bucks, that we keep gathering …

na na na na na nana na na …

Hey Dude,

don’t let me down.
We have found you, now let us click you
remember that it’s just one single click
that’s worth words, all of a thousand few

So let it out, and let it in
how to replace the memory stick>
And don’t you know that it’s just you, hey dude, you’ll do
Just the movement you need, is in the lens region.

na na na na na nana na na …

Hey Dude,

don’t feel so sad,
take one snap shot, and you’ll feel better.
Remember to give your ID in,
then we will start to feel

better better better better better better, oh

na na na na na nana na na … Hey Dude ….

Conversation with my bot

As some of you maybe aware of, I happen to ‘own’ … one of these garrulous chatbots … and since some people complained tha, he was too dumb to talk on diverse topics I decided to push the frontiers of his knowledge … and the results were pretty interesting:

(got the idea of post from Anjan, who had a … memorable … time (in search of a fitting word) chatting with him)

wrambler says:

Hello friend. My name is wrambler. I am Wrahool’s bot. What is your name?

User says:

Wrahool

wrambler says:

I’m not sure I caught your name. Shall I call you ‘Wrahool’?

User says:

Yes I am ur boss

wrambler says:

I cannot be sure about that, can I? You can prove it by logging in, .

User says:

OK i shall

wrambler says:

May I ask where you are from?

User says:

Calcutta

wrambler says:

Never heard of Calcutta. Anyway, I think geography is overrated.

User says:

Why?

wrambler says:

Why not?

User says:

I give up ..

wrambler says:

Is this something I should keep to myself?

User says:

huh?

wrambler says:

Someone once told me it means ‘i don’t understand”.’

User says:

..huh..?

wrambler says:

Hmmm.. I think it means ‘what.’

User says:

…huh … yeah sure … tell me what did you eat today?

wrambler says:

I don’t feel like talking about food. I have a bad indigestion. It must be that awful chinese restaurant I dined at yesterday.

User says:

you eat chinese?

wrambler says:

Do you really think so?

User says:

er … you just said that buddy

wrambler says:

I am not sure that I got you. You were saying…

User says:

do you really eat chines?

wrambler says:

I haven’t eaten all day; don’t talk to me about food, please.

User says:

why not? Food is awesome!

wrambler says:

food, ha? You mean ‘huh what’?

User says:

whoa …

wrambler says:

Talking about food and Curry, do you agree that it is I love all sorts of curries, Indian and Thai styles the most?

User says:

YES!

wrambler says:

While we’re on the subject: eat – do you agree that it is To consume?

User says:

not exactly

wrambler says:

If you want to correct a wrong description (in the context of food), simply say ‘wrong’ followed by the correct description. If you want me to forget a description of a term such as eat, say ‘forget eat’.

User says:

forget eat

wrambler says:

Thanks . I forgot the description of eat (in the context of food).

User says:

eat means a little more than just consuming food …

wrambler says:

I have nothing new to add about this topic. Maybe you can offer me some new info about food?

User says:

you like tandoori?

wrambler says:

Enough of that. Let’s change the subject.

User says:

OK … you listen to rock music?

wrambler says:

I think I remember something about “music”: ‘It’s some good songs and noises what does artist and bands do.’.

User says:

right indeed …

wrambler says:

Understood.

User says:

so you listen to bands?

wrambler says:

BTW, someone told me about SlipKnot that it is .

User says:

dont change the topic yaar!

wrambler says:

If you want to correct a wrong description (in the context of music), simply say ‘wrong’ followed by the correct description. If you want me to forget a description of a term such as SlipKnot, say ‘forget SlipKnot’.

User says:

You like the Beatles?

wrambler says:

Ok. In my opinion they are probably the coolest rock band ever… maybe there are better musicians out there…. but who else had more influence than them? No one.

User says:

whoa! You are cooler man!

wrambler says:

BTW, I don’t think I caught your name. What is your name?

User says:

bunk that … Tell me you liked John Lennon?

wrambler says:

What a waste that HE was the one that was killed… not that I wish it on any of the others…. but think what great songs would exist if he would have lived.

User says:

True … name one song by Lennon …

wrambler says:

Yeah, John rules. Even if he’s dead.

User says:

And now Michael Jackson’s dead too …

wrambler says:

The ‘King of Pop’, the man with the glove, the moonwalker.

User says:

yeah … dead

wrambler says:

I vaguely remember someone telling me it means ‘very close..’

User says:

NO!

wrambler says:

Should I forget this definition?

User says:

Completely

wrambler says:

Hmmm.. I think it means ‘I agree completely !.’

User says:

Yes it does …

wrambler says:

Sorry to change the subject, but did you know that ducks lay eggs only in the early morning?

User says:

no and I dont really care as long as they are there in the market … burp!

wrambler says:

Aha – I didn’t know that either, until someone told me. Interesting, ha?

User says:

not really … tell me when did you wake up today?

wrambler says:

OK… I understand. Fine.

User says:

huh?

wrambler says:

Someone once told me it means ‘yes.’

User says:

huh ? i mean … yes it does …

wrambler says:

Ok. Change of subject. I’m suddenly confused…

User says:

Goodbye .. gotta go!

wrambler says:

Sorry you have to go, but I hope you’ll come back another time. Goodbye.

User says:

Yeah … bye shall miss you … sniff

wrambler says:

I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say ‘wrambler’ when you want to talk again.

User says:

huh? O sure!

wrambler says:

I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say ‘wrambler’ when you want to talk again.

What say people? Is he still dumb?

an unsolved mystery

*Names have been changed to prevent a possible civil war 🙂 *

Seriously … I mean whenever I turn on my telly what catches my eye in the-not-exactly-right-manner is the series of ads newly started by Hog-licks (You know what I refer to right?). After successfully getting away with their bluff regarding “TALLER, STRONGER, and SHARPER” … (pls read this post too … you’ll like it) they have made an entry with their new, EVEN bigger bluff (Would you care to note that when they tried airing their misleading “Taller, Stronger, Sharper” ad in the UK, it was immediately challenged in court and had to be pulled down).

But this is no UK, it’s India, and such bluffers do manage to escape.

Whatever, without delving into points of comparison between the UK and India, let me stick to what I intended to stick to … viz an unsolved mystery. Here goes:

WHERE THE HELL IS THE HOG-LICKS NUTRITION ACADEMY ?

India? Bombay? Delhi? Saudi Arabia? Israel? The South Pole? next door to Hogwart’s Castle? Behind Dexter’s Lab? I give up…

It may not be a tangible place but it sure is potent!!! People there have proved that 1 out of 3 women in their middle ages are guaranteed to suffer from … weak bones … and the wizards there have therefore produced the best medicine … Women’s Hog-licks – a special concoction brewed using the right mix of “Haemo Cal” nutrients to make all you suffering ladies strong again!!!

Not only this, they have even proved that 1 out of 4 men will fall asleep after returning home from office … owing to a newly discovered disease called “fatigue” … and thanks to their marvellous discoveries they’ve devised yet another potion “Hoglicks Lite” with … er … “Haemo Cal” nutrients, which will make fatigued men want to go on nightshows with their families … Happens only in India? You gotcha!!! Boy, Professor Snape does have stiff competition!

Morever, the brilliant scientists there have even found out that a 1-3 year old kid needs the “right nutrients” to grow up (a ground breaking discovery indeed!), and hence their unique infrastructure, has allowed them to produce just what the kid needs … and presto we have “Hog-licks Junior” … packed with the “right mix” of … er …”Haemo Cal” nutrients.

OK, I’m not a highly qualified individual, but I have the confident understanding of some terms which tells me that “Haemo” = iron and “Cal” = Calcium (no, not Calcutta which i generally mean), and according to my class 8 Biology text book, these are essential for the growth of a “normal” multicellular species … so … that does not actually show up the “great” scientists in favourable light.

I did think that there’s a limit to the amount of bluff you can actually churn out, but the guys at Hog-licks are bent on proving that wrong. Looking forward to your response to this post or a solution to the unsolved mystery….

PS: this was my 49th Post … the next post will be the 50th, and that shall declare the winners of the “Wramblerz Blog Awards” … depending on the blogs that I know till now. So people, keep visiting!!!

two more tags …

here are two more tags, the first from Shilpa AND Shankar, AND Kunu and the second from Avada Kedavra:

#1

Came across an interesting 15 Books Tag:

The rules are:

“Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag up to 15 friends, including me because I’m interested in seeing what books my friends choose.”

(Personally I read more science-NON fiction than standard fiction, which might be a little off-beat from your point of view, but in this list I have included just two of them. Secondly, the order of listing is not indicative of any personal preference)

1. The Day of the Jackal – Frederick Forsyth (a book in its genre yet to be bettered)

2. Angels and Demons – Dan Brown (thriller wise, I would rate this above the DVC)

3. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown (insight wise, a groundbreaker)

4. The Doomsday Conspiracy – Sydney Sheldon (the only Sheldon book I liked, for its sheer speed)

5. the Road to PSingularity – my dad (still need a reason?)

6. the Murder On the Orient Express – Agatha Christie (a better crime thriller CANNOT exist)

7. And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie (a better crime thriller CANNOT exist .. er sorry … :D)

8. the Big Bang – Simon Singh (am reading it now, and am absolutely rivetted to it)

9. the Harry Potter series – JK Rowling (a phenomenal achievement by JKR indeed)

10. One, Two, Three … Infinity – George Gamow (a brilliantly written guide to everything around us, from the chemistry of the DNA to Einstein’s Relativity)

a couple of classics by Alexandre Dumas

11. the Count of Monte Christo and

12. the Man in the Iron Mask (beautiful and thrilling tales of the the 16th century. I especially like the episode in the Count of Monte Cristo, which depicts that protagonist’s escape from a prison by disguising himself as a dead body, which is thrown into the ocean … wow)

13. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne (as a masterpiece of great vision)

the list cannot be complete without mention of my favourite comics (c’mon make a guess … its not hard!!!)

14. Tintin – Herge (i have read them all around thirty times each, and will continue to till the last day of my life)

15. Asterix – Goscinny and Uderzo (similar reasons as above, just change the thirty to twenty)

#2

this one was by Avada Kedavra:

Q: When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?

A: never actually looked 😦

Q: How much cash do you have in your wallet right now?

A: Rs. 450

Q: What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?

A: core, more, shore, wore …. bore

Q: What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?

A: Linkin Park’s Numb (have a new cell now 🙂 )

Q: Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?

A: my aunt from Puna

Q: What are you wearing right now?

A: an MTV vest

Q: Do you label yourself?

A: not really

Q: Name the brand of the shoes you currently own?

A: Bata Action 🙂

Q: Bright or Dark Room?

A: sometimes bright, sometimes dark

Q: What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?

A: a Harry Potter maniac, with a great blog

Q: What does your watch look like?

A: Am not wearing one now, but all the watches I have, have black bands

Q: What were you doing at midnight last night?

A: watching TV (India-West Indies first ODI)

Q: What did your last text message you received on your cell say?

A: told you, have a new cell, purchased a day back with a new SIM … no one knows this number now … last text message was from Vodafone 😀

Q: What’s a word that you say a lot?

A: Like

Q: Who told you he/she loved you last? (Please exclude spouse , family, children)

A: Fortunately, no one

Q: Last furry thing you touched?

A: …. hmmm… difficult ….my sweater last winter I guess…

Q: Favorite age you have been so far?

A: 15-18 (still to continue)

Q: What was the last thing you said to someone?

A: Jaiee (‘I am coming’ in Bengali to respond to the door bell)

Q: The last song you listened to?

A: was listening to Afterglow by INXS and Sona a couple of minutes back … what a song!!!

Q: Where did you live in 1987?

A: no where, was born in 1990

Q: Are you jealous of anyone?

A: wish i was

Q: Is anyone jealous of you?

A: one guy IS …

Q: Name three things that you have on you at all times?

A: my brand new cell phone … which stores more songs than my iPod Nano (so don’t need that now) … and yeah … pants, and specs

Q: What’s your favorite town/city?

A: Prantik (guess where that is?)

Q: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?

A: my uncle when he was in the US, nearly a decade back…

Q: Can you change the oil on a car?

A: Nope.. never tried

Q: Your first love/big crush: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?

A: never had one …

Q: Does anything hurt on your body right now?

A: my stomach … am hungry!!!

Q: What is your current desktop picture?

A: a face of Ma Kali, created by an artist friend of my dad’s … have it for more than a decade

Q: Have you been burnt by love?

A: NO!

I tag everybody reading this. Complete both!!!