I always believed in this, but was never able to say it so beautifully. i was watching a movie right now and found this dialogue. its one of those moments when somebody says EXACTLY what you want to say...
"when you love someone, you should be unselfish enough to give them what they want"
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Thursday, April 02, 2009
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 5/5
Some more excerpts
...
Bistromathics itself is simply a revolutionary new way of understanding the behaviour of numbers. Just as Einstein observed that time was not an absolute but depended on the observer's movement in space, and that space was not an absolute, but depended on the observer's movement in time, so it is now realized that numbers are not absolute, but depend on the observer's movement in restaurants.
The first non-absolute number is the number of people for whom the table is reserved. This will vary during the course of the first three telephone calls to the restaurant, and then bear no apparent relation to the number of people who actually turn up, or to the number of people who subsequently join them after the show/match/party/gig, or to the number of people who leave when they see who else has turned up.
The second non-absolute number is the given time of arrival, which is now known to be one of those most bizarre of mathematical concepts, a recipriversexcluson, a number whose existence can only be defined as being anything other than itself. In other words, the given time of arrival is the one moment of time at which it is impossible that any member of the party will arrive. Recipriversexclusons now play a vital part in many branches of maths, including statistics and accountancy and also form the basic equations used to engineer the Somebody Else's Problem field.
...
And so it was only with the advent of pocket computers that the startling truth became finally apparent, and it was this:
Numbers written on restaurant bills within the confines of restaurants do not follow the same mathematical laws as numbers written on any other pieces of paper in any other parts of the Universe.
This single fact took the scientific world by storm. It completely revolutionized it. So many mathematical conferences got held in such good restaurants that many of the finest minds of a generation died of obesity and heart failure and the science of maths was put back by years.
...
Bistromathics itself is simply a revolutionary new way of understanding the behaviour of numbers. Just as Einstein observed that time was not an absolute but depended on the observer's movement in space, and that space was not an absolute, but depended on the observer's movement in time, so it is now realized that numbers are not absolute, but depend on the observer's movement in restaurants.
The first non-absolute number is the number of people for whom the table is reserved. This will vary during the course of the first three telephone calls to the restaurant, and then bear no apparent relation to the number of people who actually turn up, or to the number of people who subsequently join them after the show/match/party/gig, or to the number of people who leave when they see who else has turned up.
The second non-absolute number is the given time of arrival, which is now known to be one of those most bizarre of mathematical concepts, a recipriversexcluson, a number whose existence can only be defined as being anything other than itself. In other words, the given time of arrival is the one moment of time at which it is impossible that any member of the party will arrive. Recipriversexclusons now play a vital part in many branches of maths, including statistics and accountancy and also form the basic equations used to engineer the Somebody Else's Problem field.
...
And so it was only with the advent of pocket computers that the startling truth became finally apparent, and it was this:
Numbers written on restaurant bills within the confines of restaurants do not follow the same mathematical laws as numbers written on any other pieces of paper in any other parts of the Universe.
This single fact took the scientific world by storm. It completely revolutionized it. So many mathematical conferences got held in such good restaurants that many of the finest minds of a generation died of obesity and heart failure and the science of maths was put back by years.
The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy - 4/5
Some more excerpts
....
He picked up the letter Q and hurled it into a distant pivet bush where it hit a young rabbit. The rabbit hurtled off in terror and didn't stop till it was set upon and eaten by a fox which choked on one of its bones and died on the bank of a stream which subsequently washed it away.
During the following weeks Ford Prefect swallowed his pride and struck up a relationship with a girl who had been a personnel officer on Golgafrincham, and he was terribly upset when she suddenly passed away as a result of drinking water from a pool that had been polluted by the body of a dead fox. The only moral it is possible to draw from this story is that one should never throw the letter Q into a pivet bush, but unfortunately there are times when it is unavoidable.
...
Modern elevators are strange and complex entities. The ancient electric winch and "maximum-capacity-eight-persons" jobs bear as much relation to a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Happy Vertical People Transporter as a packet of mixed nuts does to the entire west wing of the Sirian State Mental Hospital.
This is because they operate on the curios principle of "defocused temporal perception". In other words they have the capacity to see dimly into the immediate future, which enables the elevator to be on the right floor to pick you up even before you knew you wanted it, thus eliminating all the tedious chatting, relaxing, and making friends that people were previously forced to do whist waiting for elevators.
Not unnaturally, many elevators imbued with intelligence and precognition became terribly frustrated with the mindless business of going up and down, up and down, experimented briefly with the notion of going sideways, as a sort of existential protest, demanded participation in the decision-making process and finally took to squatting in basements sulking.
An impoverished hitch-hiker visiting any planets in the Sirius star system these days can pick up easy money working as a counsellor for neurotic elevators.
...
To Be Continued...
....
He picked up the letter Q and hurled it into a distant pivet bush where it hit a young rabbit. The rabbit hurtled off in terror and didn't stop till it was set upon and eaten by a fox which choked on one of its bones and died on the bank of a stream which subsequently washed it away.
During the following weeks Ford Prefect swallowed his pride and struck up a relationship with a girl who had been a personnel officer on Golgafrincham, and he was terribly upset when she suddenly passed away as a result of drinking water from a pool that had been polluted by the body of a dead fox. The only moral it is possible to draw from this story is that one should never throw the letter Q into a pivet bush, but unfortunately there are times when it is unavoidable.
...
Modern elevators are strange and complex entities. The ancient electric winch and "maximum-capacity-eight-persons" jobs bear as much relation to a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Happy Vertical People Transporter as a packet of mixed nuts does to the entire west wing of the Sirian State Mental Hospital.
This is because they operate on the curios principle of "defocused temporal perception". In other words they have the capacity to see dimly into the immediate future, which enables the elevator to be on the right floor to pick you up even before you knew you wanted it, thus eliminating all the tedious chatting, relaxing, and making friends that people were previously forced to do whist waiting for elevators.
Not unnaturally, many elevators imbued with intelligence and precognition became terribly frustrated with the mindless business of going up and down, up and down, experimented briefly with the notion of going sideways, as a sort of existential protest, demanded participation in the decision-making process and finally took to squatting in basements sulking.
An impoverished hitch-hiker visiting any planets in the Sirius star system these days can pick up easy money working as a counsellor for neurotic elevators.
...
To Be Continued...
The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy - 3/5
Some more excerpts...
...
on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.
...
It says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.
...
For thousands more years the mighty ships tore across the empty wastes of space and finally dived screaming on to the first planet they came across - which happened to be the Earth - where due to a terrible miscalculation of scale the entire battle fleet was accidentally swallowed by a small dog. Those who study the complex interplay of cause and effect in the history of the Universe say that this sort of thing is going on all the time, but that we are powerless to prevent it. "It's just life," they say.
...
To Be Continued...
...
on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.
...
It says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.
...
For thousands more years the mighty ships tore across the empty wastes of space and finally dived screaming on to the first planet they came across - which happened to be the Earth - where due to a terrible miscalculation of scale the entire battle fleet was accidentally swallowed by a small dog. Those who study the complex interplay of cause and effect in the history of the Universe say that this sort of thing is going on all the time, but that we are powerless to prevent it. "It's just life," they say.
...
To Be Continued...
The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy - 2/5
Some more excerpts from the book...
...
"The time is nearly upon us," said one, and Arthur was surprised to see a word suddenly materialize in thin air just by the man's neck. The word was Loonquawl, and it flashed a couple of times and the disappeared again. Before Arthur was able to assimilate this the other man spoke and the word Phouchg appeared by his neck.
"Seventy-five thousand generations ago, our ancestors set this program in motion," the second man said, "and in all that time we will be the first to hear the computer speak."
"An awesome prospect, Phouchg," agreed the first man, and Arthur suddenly realized that he was watching a recording with subtitles.
"We are the ones who will hear," said Phouchg, "the answer to the great question of Life!.."
"The Universe!.." said Loonquawl.
"And Everything!.."
"Shhh," said Loonquawl with a slight gesture, "I think Deep Thought is preparing to speak!"
There was a moment's expectant pause whilst panels slowly came to life on the front of the console. Lights flashed on and off experimentally and settled down into a businesslike pattern. A soft low hum came from the communication channel.
"Good morning," said Deep Thought at last.
"Er... Good morning, O Deep Thought," said Loonquawl nervously, "do you have... er, that is..."
"An answer for you?" interrupted Deep Thought majestically. "Yes. I have."
The two men shivered with expectancy. Their waiting had not been in vain.
"There really is one?" breathed Phouchg.
"There really is one," confirmed Deep Thought.
"To Everything? To the great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?"
"Yes."
Both of the men had been trained for this moment, their lives had been a preparation for it, they had been selected at birth as those who would witness the answer, but even so they found themselves gasping and squirming like excited children.
"And you're ready to give it to us?" urged Loonquawl.
"I am."
"Now?"
"Now," said Deep Thought.
They both licked their dry lips.
"Though I don't think," added Deep Thought, "that you're going to like it."
"Doesn't matter!" said Phouchg. "We must know it! Now!"
"Now?" inquired Deep Thought.
"Yes! Now..."
"Alright," said the computer and settled into silence again. The two men fidgeted. The tension was unbearable.
"You're really not going to like it," observed Deep Thought.
"Tell us!"
"Alright," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question..."
"Yes!.."
"Of Life, the Universe and Everything..." said Deep Thought.
"Yes!.."
"Is..." said Deep Thought, and paused.
"Yes!.."
"Is..."
"Yes!!!?.."
"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
...
To Be Continued...
...
"The time is nearly upon us," said one, and Arthur was surprised to see a word suddenly materialize in thin air just by the man's neck. The word was Loonquawl, and it flashed a couple of times and the disappeared again. Before Arthur was able to assimilate this the other man spoke and the word Phouchg appeared by his neck.
"Seventy-five thousand generations ago, our ancestors set this program in motion," the second man said, "and in all that time we will be the first to hear the computer speak."
"An awesome prospect, Phouchg," agreed the first man, and Arthur suddenly realized that he was watching a recording with subtitles.
"We are the ones who will hear," said Phouchg, "the answer to the great question of Life!.."
"The Universe!.." said Loonquawl.
"And Everything!.."
"Shhh," said Loonquawl with a slight gesture, "I think Deep Thought is preparing to speak!"
There was a moment's expectant pause whilst panels slowly came to life on the front of the console. Lights flashed on and off experimentally and settled down into a businesslike pattern. A soft low hum came from the communication channel.
"Good morning," said Deep Thought at last.
"Er... Good morning, O Deep Thought," said Loonquawl nervously, "do you have... er, that is..."
"An answer for you?" interrupted Deep Thought majestically. "Yes. I have."
The two men shivered with expectancy. Their waiting had not been in vain.
"There really is one?" breathed Phouchg.
"There really is one," confirmed Deep Thought.
"To Everything? To the great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?"
"Yes."
Both of the men had been trained for this moment, their lives had been a preparation for it, they had been selected at birth as those who would witness the answer, but even so they found themselves gasping and squirming like excited children.
"And you're ready to give it to us?" urged Loonquawl.
"I am."
"Now?"
"Now," said Deep Thought.
They both licked their dry lips.
"Though I don't think," added Deep Thought, "that you're going to like it."
"Doesn't matter!" said Phouchg. "We must know it! Now!"
"Now?" inquired Deep Thought.
"Yes! Now..."
"Alright," said the computer and settled into silence again. The two men fidgeted. The tension was unbearable.
"You're really not going to like it," observed Deep Thought.
"Tell us!"
"Alright," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question..."
"Yes!.."
"Of Life, the Universe and Everything..." said Deep Thought.
"Yes!.."
"Is..." said Deep Thought, and paused.
"Yes!.."
"Is..."
"Yes!!!?.."
"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
...
To Be Continued...
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
iQuote
It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to cover the earth with carpet.
-Unknown.
-Unknown.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - 1/5
Around the time of my last post about an year ago, I was reading The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (THHGTTG). And besides reading, I was saving some of the excerpts from this book to post here. By the time I finished reading the book, I had becomme terribly out of touch with my blog so I didnt post it. A few days ago I found that document containing the excerpts, and in the meantime I've also been thinking to start blogging again. So I found it convenient to just post that here, as it'd also help me get back into the groove.
Now about the book, well, its a VERY interesting book. A must read i must say! its not really philosophical, but written in an almost unbelievably smooth flow of words. and its funny, no, its VERY funny, and at the same time its thought provoking in an interesting way.
so here i go with some excerpts from the book:
----------------------------------------------------------
One of the things Ford Prefect had always found hardest to understand about human beings was their habit of continually stating and repeating the obvious, as in It's a nice day, or You're very tall, or Oh dear you seem to have fallen down a thirty-foot well, are you alright? At first Ford had formed a theory to account for this strange behaviour. If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, he thought, their mouths probably seize up. After a few months' consideration and observation he abandoned this theory in favour of a new one. If they don't keep on exercising their lips, he thought, their brains start working. After a while he abandoned this one as well as being obstructively cynical and decided he quite liked human beings after all, but he always remained desperately worried about the terrible number of things they didn't know about.
...
"A teaser? Teasers are usually rich kids with nothing to do. They cruise around looking for planets which haven't made interstellar contact yet and buzz them."
"Buzz them?" Arthur began to feel that Ford was enjoying making life difficult for him.
"Yeah", said Ford, "they buzz them. They find some isolated spot with very few people around, then land right by some poor soul whom no one's ever going to believe and then strut up and down in front of him wearing silly antennae on their heads and making beep beep noises. Rather childish really." Ford leant back on the mattress with his hands behind his head and looked infuriatingly pleased with himself.
...
To be Continued...
Now about the book, well, its a VERY interesting book. A must read i must say! its not really philosophical, but written in an almost unbelievably smooth flow of words. and its funny, no, its VERY funny, and at the same time its thought provoking in an interesting way.
so here i go with some excerpts from the book:
----------------------------------------------------------
One of the things Ford Prefect had always found hardest to understand about human beings was their habit of continually stating and repeating the obvious, as in It's a nice day, or You're very tall, or Oh dear you seem to have fallen down a thirty-foot well, are you alright? At first Ford had formed a theory to account for this strange behaviour. If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, he thought, their mouths probably seize up. After a few months' consideration and observation he abandoned this theory in favour of a new one. If they don't keep on exercising their lips, he thought, their brains start working. After a while he abandoned this one as well as being obstructively cynical and decided he quite liked human beings after all, but he always remained desperately worried about the terrible number of things they didn't know about.
...
"A teaser? Teasers are usually rich kids with nothing to do. They cruise around looking for planets which haven't made interstellar contact yet and buzz them."
"Buzz them?" Arthur began to feel that Ford was enjoying making life difficult for him.
"Yeah", said Ford, "they buzz them. They find some isolated spot with very few people around, then land right by some poor soul whom no one's ever going to believe and then strut up and down in front of him wearing silly antennae on their heads and making beep beep noises. Rather childish really." Ford leant back on the mattress with his hands behind his head and looked infuriatingly pleased with himself.
...
To be Continued...
Monday, November 05, 2007
I'm still around!
A friend asked me yesterday that why i've left blogging. It took me by surprise because I dont really think I've left it. Or have I? There are a number of topics I want to write about, but its too scattered. I want to write about things ranging from pResident evil busharraf to the first encounter with my best friend around 7 years ago. I want to write about murders of people I know, and about deaths of people I dont know. I want to write about pleasant, happy, funny times, and I want to write about sad, depressing, bad times. Unfortunately, I'm trying to write about all these things at the same time. Stupid me. I'm unable to concentrate on one thing. Sort of mercurial-natured these days. Working this way, I wont be able to write about anything. And thats exactly what's happening.
Then there's another problem. I'm afraid of writing the truth now. I've discovered that people do read my blog, and its a BIG problem. It means that I cannot write whatever I want to write. Because that would mean calling a lot of trouble. I cannot write what I feel, I have to write what people think I feel. And I cannot freely write about things happening around/to me because they involve other people. And I dont want to create problems for someone else by dragging them in here. I've realized that being anonymous is a real blessing. Maybe I'll have to change the url and my identity on this blog. Or maybe I need to start another anonymous blog where I can be truly myself. Or maybe i need to restrict access to this blog to only those people whom I trust. but whatever, one this is for sure. i'm unable, but still willing to write! i'm still around!!
Then there's another problem. I'm afraid of writing the truth now. I've discovered that people do read my blog, and its a BIG problem. It means that I cannot write whatever I want to write. Because that would mean calling a lot of trouble. I cannot write what I feel, I have to write what people think I feel. And I cannot freely write about things happening around/to me because they involve other people. And I dont want to create problems for someone else by dragging them in here. I've realized that being anonymous is a real blessing. Maybe I'll have to change the url and my identity on this blog. Or maybe I need to start another anonymous blog where I can be truly myself. Or maybe i need to restrict access to this blog to only those people whom I trust. but whatever, one this is for sure. i'm unable, but still willing to write! i'm still around!!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
My state of mind right now...
another birthday today... another year passed... so quickly... so quickly that i almost dint notice it... three years ago, i was in northern areas these days... an year after that, i was there again... for all the wrong reasons... it was earthquake, it was doomsday... then another year passed, i was in london for all the right reasons with all the right company... so vividly i remember it all... nobody wished me till evening last year, when i expected atleast ppl there with me to wish... i dint expect wishes from same ppl this year, but unpredictable as this life is, they wished me...
its really amazing how much life can change in one year... and at the same time, how amazingly still life can become for the whole year... i spent almost all of the year in the same company (though the name changed two days ago), in the same city, same office, same desk... yet i'm not the Kashif who i was 1 year ago... learned a lot from my mistakes, changed a lot for the better and for the worse at the same time... found new friends, lost old ones... among them, lost a very dear friend inexplicably... still unable to understand what happened... i just know that we lost it somehow... not even acquaintaces anymore... i just have sweet memories and bitter moments... his sight makes me nostalgic... my friend took the present from me, i wish he had taken the past with him as well... i wrote this about an year ago, and its sad that i was very much right... my friend, i wish you everything in life!!
i dont know what life has in store for me... where will i be next year... i had ambitious plans, but couldnt act on them... i still have ambitious plans... but i'm working on them more seriously now... i've matured, learned a lot to know whats practical and whats not... i hope for next year to bring fulfillemnt, rewards and satisfaction... i pray it brings health and joy... i pray i discover my true self in the days to come... i pray i achieve my dreams... i pray...
its really amazing how much life can change in one year... and at the same time, how amazingly still life can become for the whole year... i spent almost all of the year in the same company (though the name changed two days ago), in the same city, same office, same desk... yet i'm not the Kashif who i was 1 year ago... learned a lot from my mistakes, changed a lot for the better and for the worse at the same time... found new friends, lost old ones... among them, lost a very dear friend inexplicably... still unable to understand what happened... i just know that we lost it somehow... not even acquaintaces anymore... i just have sweet memories and bitter moments... his sight makes me nostalgic... my friend took the present from me, i wish he had taken the past with him as well... i wrote this about an year ago, and its sad that i was very much right... my friend, i wish you everything in life!!
i dont know what life has in store for me... where will i be next year... i had ambitious plans, but couldnt act on them... i still have ambitious plans... but i'm working on them more seriously now... i've matured, learned a lot to know whats practical and whats not... i hope for next year to bring fulfillemnt, rewards and satisfaction... i pray it brings health and joy... i pray i discover my true self in the days to come... i pray i achieve my dreams... i pray...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
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