The Lena.tiff

Image of Lena (as shown above) is used as test image in Digital Image Computing (especially Image compression). People use the image for their computing tests and I was no exception for about a year until I graduated. Her beauty kept me always ‘in’ the work and drove me toward writing some of the most complex, original and superior algorithms that I ever worked out. Our main aim was to compress the image without affect on Lena’s beauty and we tried hard to show Lean how deserves to be shown i.e. beautiful. I wonder why, but I never googled her to acquire higher resolution image of the same.

Much after I abandoned the Digital Image Processing work, I came to know that she was a ‘playmate’ (model of “who don’t know” Playboy mag in issue of November 1972). The test image itself was published in playboy magazine and full version was actually more appealing than I thought.

For the full picture click here. WARNING this picture contains nudity.

Kodaikanal

It was some days before when I and four other friends headed toward Kodaikanal – a famous but not too crowded hill station situated in southern India. Forward journey became kind of adventurous and uncertain (by time) when we used only public transport to reach till to top. Hotel (J C Grand) was already booked and was near bus stand so locating was easy. The hotel was almost empty except our neighboring room with naughty kids having drums and some kind of instrument (sounded like feelings of a foot on sharp pieces of glass).

We went to the beautiful Kodaikanal lake same day where cycle riding was real fun. And why not when you have 4 old collage pals with you :) A tip for you about the timing: 3 O’clock in season time, otherwise roads will get crowded by 5. For non season time I guess 5 o’clock and after is ‘ok’. We visited almost all famous places which you may find on Wikipedia on next day. The ‘next’ and ‘last’ day in Kodaikanal was excellent but was about to be ruined by the cab driver that we hired who asked for more money and wasting time when we couldn’t afford to do so (and so was duly treated for doing so).

Return journey in the cab gave us the glimpse of the hills which we missed in crowded and noisy bus during forward journey. Kodaikanal was refreshing place but Gokarna, mentioned in one of my previous blog, was hippy loved place. Gokarna still tops my next destination where I can pass some days and give some time to myself.

India in Satellite Launch Race

With a world stunning launch of PSLV yesterday and setting up 10 satellites into their orbit has shown the capability of ISRO and it’s ability to succeed in most complex operations. It seems like this is the day Sarabhai was pushing ISRO to see.

On other hand, When India is taking pride on the success, ISRO is preparing another adventure named “Chandrayaan” – the Indian moon mission which will use PSLV C-11. This in turn will put ISRO into range of very credible organizations of oligopolic multi-billion dollar satellite launch market. India also, now, can see itself in very comfortable situation for foreign relations, science and technological development domestically, rural and agricultural development, security (e.g. yesterday’s launch has two remote sensing satellites), negotiation with other organization for technological sharing and partnership for mutually beneficial projects.

Let’s wish for PSLV C-11 completes the relay race which has been extremely well performed by previous PSLVs till now.

By 'yogee'

I am not the “painter” painter but certainly a “rough book painter” with my pen and rough pad. It wasn’t a my normal Sunday when I though to really paint something. The stationary shop that I visited didn’t have my choice of brushes but I got the minimal things at Rs. 77 ($ 2) which included a bug white paper (enough for 4 small-sized painting like below). It is not my best paining but easiest and this is the only one on this blog because last time I scribbled with brush was almost 8 year ago (no record exists of those as they were thrown out in garbage the day before I left my home for college).

Flowers are created by totally slanting the brush and without any stroke.

Notice to Customer

Well !! No comments ;)
Click the image for more details.

Oops! It happned again :(

I am one of the most troubled fellow in computer world when it comes to great debacles of PC. From the day I started using my PC, I’ve encountered a numerous problems and issues regarding software and hardware. Issues never stop and frequency of getting major issue is every fortnight. This blog covers only great stories of “data losses”.

The moment I am writing this blog, I have accidentally deleted a partition of 80 GB (above 90% filled) with all my important documents, software, software code written by me, data of my friends, and “may be” many other important things. All gone… in matter of seconds.

I have already lost my complete data 2 times due to hard-drive crashes. That time it was not my fault here, but it happens to the chosen ones of God.

It doesn’t just ended with me and I murdered data of my friend (sorry again, Sirish) by installing an operating system before 8 months or so. That was the saddest day of my life as I delete all his personal photographs. Some how, some things were recovered but it is never same. (For the matter of fact, he is still my friend)

But life starts again with new and fresh data. Older ones are to forget and move on in life. God is great! But not fair : ( I have to live with it.

No tree! No Problems!

I visited my neighborhood market place - CMH road after tree tiring weeks. I was delighted to see that most of trees were suddenly gone. Now I could clearly see various advertisements which was not possible with trees hindering their visibility! Damn trees, why do they grow this big? It was pleasant to see that each tree cut made a clear space where a bike could be put on stand. Who knows, it may my bike one day resting on the grave of one of these trees. Those trees might have though that nobody would dare to touch them because of their longer service toward nature. Oops! They don’t have brains. They are just dumb unmovable creature which came into existence when the God was learning phase of making life. I have no doubt in my mind that by culling them we will correct this mistake of God. And I can do that because the God gave me brain by which I can do some of his work. Wouldn’t that be in line with claim of me being from the superior species? It will. Our generations to come will be very thankful to us for the path that we have chosen for development.

Choose

Chanakya told to choose,

Angry over Cunning;
Pain over Obligation;
Imperishable over Perishable;

Because the earlier ones hurts your body and the later onces your soul.

Gokarna Trip

I had a refreshing trip to Gokarna i.e. Gokarn and end of year 2007. Gokarna (in Indian state of Karnataka) is famous for its beaches (some are covered by small hills) and Hindu temples. The trip ended at Goa when calendar year 2008 just started.
It all started when we left Bangalore at around night 10 on 28 December with 8 other friends. The feeling of lively and cheerful joy started in morning when we were passing through dangerous roads in dense forest near Shimoga. It feels really nice when you are very near to nature in early morning.
We reached Gokarna at around 3 PM on 29th which is couple of hours late due to our extra stoppages. We got a good place to stay (at around INR 350/- per day, which is cheap in tourist season) surrounded with natural garden. After visiting Gokarna Beach for sun set on the same day, rocky Om beach and Paradise beach were enjoyed on next day followed by Campfire at Om beach. Gokarna is ideal place to hide from modern word with mostly hippie tourists from all over the world.
31st was reserved for Goa which is around 200 Km from Gokarna. We chose to go Bagga beach in Panaji as our single destination to welcome 2008 in Goa. Beach itself was excellent, very safe, enjoyable and over crowded. New Year was rightly welcomed with fire crackers bursting everywhere which felt like Diwali.
Here are some photos to describe which cannot be described above:

Jungles near Shimoga

Welcome, it's Gokarna !


Gokarna Beach sun (already) set


Some beach from hilly route


Om beach


ChilL dUdE !

you can fly...

1. Opposition
2. Competition
3. Criticism
4. Budget constraints
5. Fear
6. Lack of experience
and
7. Bad timing
may hamper your success, unless you believe in yourself...

F5

Had a refreshing weekend after a long time at ‘Talakadu Jaladahama Resort’ around 125 km far from noisy of Bangalore. We also visited a shivasamudram water fall. Here are some pics [from cameras of my colleagues]. Njoy madi... Kingfisher.. You cannot see hayward's 5000 is somewhere around Old bridge.. made of stones Resort from far Guest houses at the resort

National Anthem and National Song

As 15th August is coming nearer, this is a funny way of making little fun... Just ask people “Which is our National Anthem (of India)?”. They will be less confused if you don’t give them options. Tell them, “As it’s difficult enough, I am giving you two option 1. Jana gana mana or 2. vande matram” (belive me I got ‘sare jahan se achchha’ as an anwer once). You can trap considerable amount of people and see them getting confused. Their next step would be to visit ‘www.iloveindia.com’ :)
(I guess many of you would be confused while reading this blog but I have a help for you ... go here )

Shitty Affair

This is what once my US preaching friend said about difference between India and United States.

Difference between Indian and American democracy: In India you can shit in public but you can't kiss in public. In America you can kiss in public but you can't s hit in public! Any comments!!!

At first I visualized the slum guys setting near a pool of water and doing bird watch as doing the mentioned activity which said to be ‘legal’ at public place in India. I though the vocal war is lost against him in a regular ‘debate’ (read ‘time killing’ for exact meaning) activity. But as I had to defend that somehow, I used ‘focus shifting’ strategy and debated based on fundamentals of ‘freedom’ where I proved superiority of India over US on above situation. My answer (translated from Hindi):

First of all, you can always stop yourself from kissing but shit is impossible to stop. So in the case where a person had no choice but shit, it is totally illogical to punish someone for the act which he/she cannot control.
Another thing, India believes in freedom. ‘Locking’ lips is an activity against freedom and this may also involve ‘holding’ the partner, ‘holding’ attention of others… while ‘freeing’ your shit and long held gases is something which is in line with the philosophy of freedom which shall never be punishable when demonstrated in public.

NOTE: Don’t take this seriously because I am roaming with a camera to capture the demonstration of the freedom in support of the blog.

Water IS on the Earth

When I read a news title “Water Found on Distant Planet”, It didn’t go in my little head why this people are searching for water on “distant” planet when we already have lot of water on the earth. Thanks to TIME, I didn’t use much “horsepower” of my brain because the title was immediately followed by “Call it one giant leap for mankind's search for life on other planets”. I am not a “scientist” but I firmly believe that when we image about ET life, we should use extra wide approach also because life may not always come with water. NASA is spending hell lot of money to find water on the other planets, but a day will come when somebody will come with the proof of life without water on earth itself. And at that time we may really think that we have enough water on the Earth :-) Happy living …

Inspiration from life and lifestyle

There are hell lot of people whose life may be inspiring, but no one is parallel to him.

Encountered the encounter specialist

You are standing at ‘signal less’ zebra crossing from last 5 minutes- just waiting to have right time to cross and no vehicle stops allowing you to cross then probably you are in India.

This afternoon when me and my colleagues were returning from our lunch, we kept waiting for sometime to cross the road. We noticed a car with red light coming. Generally we don’t take risk to cross on such occasions.
But to our surprise, this car stopped with clear intension of giving us the opportunity to cross the road, and we cross. Later I came to know form my friend that the person setting inside the red light car is an IPS officer and his name is Vijay Kumar – because of whom we got rid of Veerappan and many rowdies of Chennai. It was a good experience to experience the humbleness of so called ‘encounter specialist’.

South-Indain Meals

This is picture of South-Indian meals that we take for lunch. There are so many items and still, my favorite 'Appalam' and a big bowl of rice is missing in the picture :)
Counted myself - total 16 delicious items.

Baby's smile

O Baby, stops smiling. It is beyond your and my capabilities but I want to communicate to you a truth. The smiling that you are holding on your face is either fake or you are a mad. Your life is more miserable than of anyone else. You can’t walk, can’t speak, and can’t understand who is friend and who is enemy… in fact, you cannot do a thing that other people can. The whole world is alien to you. Everyone else are telling thousand words and communicating at the rate of which you cannot even imagine. And here you are! Even your mother cannot understand you. Others are around you just to play with you like you are a toy. You don’t have any freedom for which people die in real world. So, I am telling you o baby, stop smiling. Because to me, you look crazy when you smile like this even after all these problems.

O God, this is one of my more than thousand efforts that I made to speak to a baby. If you can hear my words then say something. Is there any knowledge that this baby has got which I haven’t yet? Or, is there any knowledge which took away my happiness? Whatever but these babies have become reason for my surprise and jealous.

Are these ‘high class’ people?

The place were Jessica was shot dead by Manu Sharma was bar, full of so called ‘high class’ people. A middle class girl, who was working in bar for her livelihood, dies and all those high class people keeps mum when the time comes to just speak ‘truth’. Those who broke their mum, at last, spoke in favor of Manu. And today, the verdict of the Delhi High Court have proven them ‘high-class’ cowards. Like all other Indians, me too, feeling more secure and proud then yesterday :-)

Google Blunders

Atlantis is back safely and now it will be used to hunt Laden :)
And Mush is also there.