People, Friendships, Relationships and... Escapism.

Hats off to life .. again.. and again. Another set of lessons! I might not be able to explain the lessons. But the following are the things I saw around me.

- Friends being drifted off to worlds apart....
- People being confused a lot...
- Escapism helps a lot of them... escape from the problem, escape from the confusing situation.

I am seeing that quite a lot lately - it teaches me a lot too. Like.., What not to do? How not to act? How not to think?

As I had said earlier... confusion is a good thing - it gives you clarity, even though it takes you through troubled times. But don't give up -- don't ever give up. Don't try to escape. Figure out the reason and fight the problem. If everything else fails, fall to the option of seeing things materialistically. Try to look into the future - try to see which action would do what in the future. Plan the actions accordingly. ***

Isn't life so simple? Like everyone else, I do have my fair share of problems, my fair share of demoralised, low moments. Still everything has always looked so clear to me. Even when there were confusions, I could steer clear of them (Not always very easily and sometimes with the help of the below mentioned friend; sometimes other friends too). Still, mostly, I have been able to ... perhaps because I am unknowingly learning from others.

As Vimal said, I have too much time to think. I should give a thought to giving less time for thoughts! ;)
Glad that it's not devil's workshop... YET! :)

Time to sleep. Signing off, Sands.

***: Easily said than done. ;)

The Red Girl (again)

I was not at all like me. Life teaches you new things, every relationship teaches you new things. But, this was totally new - I saw a new face of mine.

After seeing the Emptiness post, the Red Girl asked me - "So you missed me?". Both the times this topic came, I replied, "Not really.. may be a little" - which was more or less true. Because, even though I wasn't enjoying the silence/emptiness while she was away, I knew she'd be back in a couple of days. More over, I am not the kind of person who'd miss people.

But now it is not even 2 hours since she left. I already miss her. It is for the first time in my life, I am showing such a weakness. Really!!

I have never missed even a single person in my life. Never means Never... NOBODY this way.

I myself hadn't realized that this very girl was so valuable! Isn't it surprising? Boy! She is damn sure special.

I know, she will be back in a couple of days again ... but this time is different!

Writing this down here is not going to help me but I cannot help recording such an intense feeling which I am having for the first time.

It was not like me at all, all the afternoon - in the negative side of moods. To add insult to injury, my voice trembled when she was just leaving! :( [too bad... shame on me :( ]

Well, I should change the topic. Or just go ahead and have some food!

Signing off, Sands.

List of 19..

Here is a list of English non-fiction books I want to read. I am happy that they made to the number 19 - a favorite number of mine. (Some links point to German Amazon website where as others point to the US-website)

Color code - Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy, non-cateorized,

1. Selfish Gene [LINK]
   
   What is selfishness? A vice... or a virtue ... or a trait? I had read a good portion of this book some months back; had to break. Now, I am reading it again... from start.
   

2. The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe [LINK]
   
   The title explains everything... doesn't it? This book too is in my night stand. I might need 2-3 more sessions to finish this.
   

3. Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to Al-Qaeda [LINK]
   
   Again, the title says it all. This too is in my night-stand. I would take a month to finish this huge-volume.
   

4. Physics for Future Presidents [LINK]
   
   The simple physics we need for day-to-day life - to find out the way the media is fooling us (eg.). And many other interesting stuff.
   

5. Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul [LINK]
   
   Brain theory.... I don't know much to give an explanation.
   

6. How to Calculate Quickly: Full Course in Speed Arithmetic [LINK]
   
   I guess, I am pretty fast at doing math in mind. Still I could try to improve a little. Why not? Right?
   

7. The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe [LINK]
   
   This is probably the largest and most difficult of the books here - half mathematics and rest physics - I would have to break my head to understand this (eg. Riemann surface and stuff like that).
   

8. Consciousness Explained [LINK]
   
   Well.. Philosophy? I don't know! :(
   

9. The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design [LINK]
   
   Anti-GOD. And the title explains it again.
   

10. Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon [LINK]
    
    Partly culture, partly biology, partly philosophy and psychology - this is what I would say. A study about/on religionS - not a specific one.
    

11. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything [LINK]
    
    I don't dare to explain it in other words, when the title says it very crisp and clear.
    

12. The Last Lecture [LINK]
    
    The book by Late. Mr. Pausch - the professor who died of Pancreatic Cancer. Inspirational, I would say.
    

13. Bookless in Baghdad: Reflections on Writing and Writers [LINK]
    
    Again, vague idea. I like this author - Mr. Tharoor.
    

14. Quantum Mechanics and Experience [LINK]
    
    Again physics - need to get QM clarified.
    

15. Woman: An Intimate Geography [LINK]
    
    After all, I need to know the *important* stuff. Shouldn't I?
    

16. The Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cell Phone: Reflections on India: The Emerging 21st-Century Power [LINK]
    
    India .. India .. India! and Mr. Tharror.
    

17. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything [LINK]
    
    Some basic stuff I wanted to learn - for a better living in these times of financial crunch.
    

18. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions [LINK]
    
    This could perhaps be the most imaginative stuff; or rather abstract. This could help me understand relativity better.
    

19. The Modular Brain How New Discoveries in Neuroscience Are Answering Age-Old Questions [LINK]
    
    Again, in the same class of Astonishing Hypothesis from above.
    

Well, I am not sure - when will I be able to finish all these books. Assuming, that I finish 2 books/month ... or may be 3 books in 2 months, I'd need about a year+.

Let me see.

There is a list of papers (Math and CS) which I want to read; I might have to forget fiction for a while. Or once in a while, pick up an easy-airport-read and finish it in a couple of days.

Signing off, Sands.

Not so Perfect Murder(s)

First, let's read a short conversation between Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson. [Ad. of the Speckled Band]

"What do you make of that, Watson?"

"It's a common enough lash. But I don't know why it should be tied."

"That is not quite so common, is it? Ah, me! it's a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst of all. I think that I have seen enough now, Miss Stoner, and with your permission we shall walk out upon the lawn." [source]

Recently I read about some murders which happened in Kerala. I am specifically talking about the guys who murdered their wives (respectively) and one of them killed all his children too. I do totally resent the whole affair.

Both of them had planned their deeds beforehand. Well, there must have been a trigger - but they were pretty sure about the murders to be committed.

Now, the surprising thing is that they were caught within a week's time. They had left all the clues/evidences which had pointed to them. As a good citizen/man, I am happy that they were caught, as they should be.

The surprise comes from the fact that they were caught within a few days - was that all their planning was? Shouldn't they have done a little more of homework before doing the thing? Idiots!!

Well, according to Mr. Holmes, then they weren't clever enough. According to me too.

I have always known that I am good at finding loop-holes and at closing them too (if needed). The few times I have got inside our locked home@Nellayi without keys, and some other wonderful experiences at Hyderabad have proven me right. [Those experiences would account for a long post - hence later].

If you are a criminal, before your act, try to get into the shoes of an investigator, THINK WELL and then do it. If you are an investigator, try to do the other way around. That would make you more successful. Don't you think so?

These idiots obviously didn't do that. Lack of competence and efficiency is something which I hate. Hence the post. Even the police officers wouldn't have enjoyed the investigation for the lack of challenge in investigation. Kerala Police is usually pretty good with complicated cases (exceptions are there though).

Enough said. Perhaps I should join the police force .. but if the criminals are this way, where is the challenge? ;)

Well, anyway as I said this much, I shouldn't leave without giving this wonderful link to a documentary from BBC - How to commit the perfect murder. You could watch it here_at_video_google [not for the faint of heart].

Moral of the post: If you do something, do it right. If you can't... just don't do it.

Signing off, Sands.

PS1: I am a good, law abiding, fellow-being-loving person. But this total idiots did make me think about their lack of planning and stupidity; and I wanted to comment.

Clarification: If so, why would I watch such creepy/negative stuff? - because, I am interested in literally everything. Starting from  Atom through Spy in the Jungle, Physics for future Presidents [vid] ,  Dangerous Knowledge [vid], Planet Earth, up to  Cosmic Voyage - touching the different areas including Physics, Mathematics, Nature, Sociology etc.