tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99394262012-01-04T00:02:20.722-08:00Nutannoreply@blogger.comBlogger1321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-33523203946726264892011-05-03T21:15:00.000-07:002011-05-15T21:28:22.202-07:00

January to April. I taught a full fledged course at IITB for the first time . It was a PG elective. I taught Complexity Theory. There are many many aspects of my teaching experience that I will like to talk about. But before I start on that, let me say that I was extremely lucky to get some very motivated and hard-working students the first time I taught. I was asking them to regularly scribe

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-25302874495595883402010-12-27T05:34:00.000-08:002011-01-02T20:40:52.209-08:00

As the year 2011 is already knocking on our doors, I thought it will be good to do a "the year that was" kind of post. Owing to my poor memory I am sure I am going to forget all the important events but let me try anyway.This year, unlike the year 2009 which was marked with losses of all kinds at all levels (yes, I know everybody remembers my lost laptop and plans to tell the story of a girl who

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-37943994351108422332010-12-05T09:19:00.000-08:002010-12-05T09:37:24.328-08:00

It took a complete stranger to tell me that I really don't know how to put my foot down. And he meant it literally. I have been trying to run and increase my running capacity for more than a year now. But all in vain. In IIT ground, I was running in my own funny way when a complete stranger stopped me and told me that the way I was running was totally wrong. I being a flat footed person had a

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-55742091297974252302010-09-23T09:27:00.000-07:002010-10-08T05:07:49.734-07:00

For the past two months or so I have been staying in IIT Bombay campus which is situated in Powai. But what's really worth mentioning is that I am not staying in Colaba any more. Alas!!! Ah how I miss Colaba now. Is this a normal human nature of is it just me? I miss the place I leave!! I remember writing a long post about Chennai. And here I am just about managing to stop myself from writing a

Nutannoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-76170547236027836492010-08-01T21:26:00.000-07:002010-08-01T21:32:00.144-07:00

I really liked this tune and the lyrics are wonderful.Song title: Mr. President (Have pity on the working man)We've taken all you've given But it's gettin' hard to make a livin' Mr. President have pity on the working man We're not asking you to love us You may place yourself high above us Mr. President have pity on the working man I know it may sound funny But people ev'ry where are runnin' out

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-34521983075222159152010-07-26T22:54:00.000-07:002010-07-26T23:17:42.690-07:00

your taxi driver spitting out of the front windowa car splashing water on you while you are walking on a foot pathwater running out of the cooler every time you try to fill a bottlesomeone playing music on a loud speaker of his/her mobile phone in the train compartment... also carrying an expression which conveys "you are welcome!"the washing machine restarting its cycle after having washed the

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-16195099066533152092010-06-07T21:15:00.000-07:002010-06-07T21:16:47.779-07:00

This isn't something that happens once in the blue moon. This is the story of India's cracked head, Kashmir.http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2010/06/02/of-kashmirs-staged-killings-and-south-asian-peace-process/

Nutannoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-67395572146394019142010-03-11T22:30:00.000-08:002010-03-11T22:44:16.739-08:00

Its been so so long since I have seen a good horror/thriller movie. There are so few good horror movies being made these days. There are some thrillers once in a while which are worth watching. Of course The silence of the lamb, The sixth sense etc are classics. If you haven't seen Johny gaddar, I highly recommend it. The plot is really cool and the narration will surely keep you at the egde of

Nutannoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-986501644697761772010-03-09T00:18:00.000-08:002010-03-09T00:33:10.713-08:00

Did you know that if you call Vodafone customer care 5-6 times in a day, they block your number temporarily from reaching their "customer care executives"? Well, I learnt it the hard way. My number is apparently temporarily blocked. A service provider blocking its user!! Can you believe that??!! Any way, I will wait for them to unblock me and try the stunt again to see whether they block me again

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-74546721140497983402010-01-20T00:58:00.000-08:002010-01-20T00:59:31.015-08:00

Movie review time, dearers, oops readers!3-Idiots: The famous Aamir Khan movie which has made Aamir very amir. (Forgive me for the poor humour. But it is best to start with the worst possible joke. One doesn't build hopes.) A movie with a message, like the past many movies of Aamir have been. Only I am not sure what the message was! Yes, our education system needs to be changed. True! But after

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-51056706437985211972009-11-16T21:46:00.000-08:002009-11-16T21:59:37.397-08:00

Who loves to go see a dentist? Here are some excuses that can come handy to avoid a dentist's appointment. The source is a comic strip created by certain Stephan Pastis can be found here. Enjoy!!

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-11480644804462900602009-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:002009-11-16T21:38:45.146-08:00

I have been following some Pakistani blogs and some American blogs that talk about the current situation in Pakistan and Afganistan. Abu Muqawama is one such blog started out as a forum dedicated to issues related counterinsurgency. However, it is more diverse. The move to diversify and focus on the current Pakistan situation was conscious. The two people who maintain the blog, Abu Muqawama and

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-54685012220102102092009-11-12T08:12:00.000-08:002009-11-12T09:07:28.073-08:00

My coffee drinking habit continues. I have started liking this one cafe near Nariman point. It is inside a mall, like all good cafes in Bombay. It's called Coffee bean and Tea leaf. I went there thrice. The coffee there is very expensive, Rs 110/- for one solo cup of Cappucino. But its definitely worth it. They have got nice comfy sofas, fast service.I haven't really tried any tea here. But I

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-28085709122962810872009-11-11T10:17:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:27:30.202-08:00

Amit Trivedi! Yes, "one hell of a" music director that he is.A friend of mine once told me that when he reads a book he maintains a song or a bunch of songs on his play list as he reads that. Which then becomes a sound track for that book in his head. Amazing!Amit Trivedi's music has been a sound track for my last month at TIFR. Iktara, from Wake up Sid is a must listen. And of course, Dil Mein

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-33985482000397259772009-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:17:12.751-08:00

My social life is coming to a standstill. I hardly ever hang out, spend time, chit-chat, go to social networks. I cannot believe I did all this through the days of my PhD. Being a post-doc is definitely very different, I am only now finding out. I seem to get hardly any time any more. The week goes past me. In spite of being in the most amazing locality on the face of this earth, I hardly go out.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-88847555782161949452009-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:002009-10-19T05:53:22.262-07:00

It is really unfortunate that Lonely planet, which is suppose to be a travel guide to the people all over the world, describes Chennai as a hot place with nothing to do. I condemn such an article. This is not to say that I absolutely love Chennai and that the article has hurt my feelings or any crap like that. But simply that this is an instance of irresponsible reporting. And I condemn it for

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-26282405717400480542009-10-05T03:47:00.001-07:002009-10-05T12:19:41.500-07:00

Finally Bombay gets to see some lovely rain. This isn't a good news for most, as the rain is causing floods all over the place. But one cannot stop feeling awesome (with a feeling of guilt) looking at the sea while it rains so heavily here. Marine drive looks just perfect when it rains and the skies are grey and the leaves lush green.For people who love Bombay here is a simple quiz question:If

Nutannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-23350577735947500792009-08-17T03:32:00.000-07:002009-08-17T04:36:14.226-07:00

If a person lies to you, it is not the person's fault. It is your fault that you made the person lie to you.What funda, no? I read this (or some such) on some random 'help yourself' book cover in the train today when a lady in front of me was reading it!The other day a *blind* vendor came in the train compartment to sell some bangles or some such. He kept telling people " Dekho na madam, dekhne

Nutannoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-57383025621643481472009-08-16T23:55:00.000-07:002009-08-17T00:22:18.554-07:00

First trek after coming back to Bombay (August 15, 2009)Place: Naneghat (western ghat near Kalyan)Difficulty level: EasyTime required to climb: Two and a half hours.How to reach: Reach Kalyan station and then take any state transport bus that goes via Malshes ghat. The bus driver or the conductor should know about the spot from where the Naneghat trek begins. The bus ticket is 47 rs as of today

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-54467232034121763832009-08-07T02:48:00.000-07:002009-08-07T03:14:20.091-07:00

Today finally the stars and the planets (and the satellites if you wish) have aligned themselves strategically to orchestrate this grand event. The new laptop, the Internet connection, and yours truly are all in the same place at the same time!It has been one week at TIFR for me. The accommodation is nice and the office too. And that is a white board in my office. (Did I hear someone ask the

Nutannoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-78557230338275604272009-08-01T21:55:00.000-07:002009-08-01T21:58:53.683-07:00

I wrote the following post before the previous post. But I wrote this offline. Hence posting it only now. As you can see, it is all about coming to Bombay and starting a new life etc. (This is more about missing Chennai, though.)The change has happened. I wake up in a totally different place now. Yes, In Bombay. My parentslive here and I grew up here. But damn, Chennai is where I actually

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-77020387595250844142009-07-31T22:42:00.000-07:002009-07-31T22:48:49.589-07:00

Life has changed drastically. The major change being shifting to Bombay. And currently among many other things, I am Internet deprived. It is only during this time, I have realised that I not just depend on being connected but I am officially addicted. In any case, caffeine deficiency coupled with lack of abundant Internet access is forcing some abnormal behaviour in me. I am watching TV, what a

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-63589494641854661232009-06-09T10:33:00.000-07:002009-06-09T11:17:48.788-07:00

Finally my laptop search has ended and I'm feeling lucky!Details:Levono G430 4152 B3QSpecs:Core 2 Duo2gb RAM250 gb hard disk14.1" screencamera, wifi, blue tooth, card reader, essential ports1 year warrantyCost: 34,000/-The story:D1 and D2 were the two dealers from whom I got quotations. D1 first told me 36,250/- for the same model. While D2 quoted 37,500. At the time I was looking at 3 other

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-10206231952918842682009-05-13T13:30:00.001-07:002009-05-13T14:28:35.828-07:00

What next?.... When I was a kid, I always thought that there is a certain age till when this question will bother me and after that, like for my parents, things will be in order. Life will fall into a routine and I will never again be confronted with this demon called "what next?". But turns out, for our generation, there is no point of rest. The demon is a part of our life like stability was for

Nutannoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-58832897570191507292009-03-16T10:13:00.000-07:002009-03-20T22:30:01.580-07:00

The task is a difficult one. Like I told you already, I am about to finish my PhD and now I will go to another stage of my life. This is when I need to make serious decisions and take charge of my life, so to say. People seem to perform this task of decision making much in private. But I am going to use this forum effectively to make certain important decisions of my life. It goes without saying,

Nutannoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-55930530776975896092009-03-09T20:34:00.000-07:002009-03-09T22:27:58.958-07:00

Recently, I have created a one hour talk about three puzzles and how they can be solved or understood using some concepts of computer science.The title of the talk reads: Hats off to theoretical computer science.Before starting the talk, I make a point to make the following disclaimer:This is not a theoretical computer science propaganda talk. It is simply aiming to solve/understand solutions of

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-90158580466867047522009-03-07T03:16:00.000-08:002009-03-07T04:57:56.906-08:00

हत्ती गेला अणि शेपूट राहीली.(Translation: The elephant is gone only the tail is left.)Almost five and half years of my Ph.D. are over. Just another few months before I finish. This is now the wrapping up time. Now I am almost done. But for this one last thing. Thesis typing!And believe it or not, this seems to be the hardest part of my Ph.D. years. Mainly because it is boring. But also because

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-47307636223224161112009-03-02T01:05:00.000-08:002009-03-02T01:37:41.585-08:00

I came across a theory blog started by Lipton. Here is the link to the blog.I found a pointer to one of the articles of this blog through Lance Fortnow's weblog.In the first part of the post, Lipton mentions that the result regarding the closure under complement for space bounded classes was open for a really long time and the fact that people believed that it won't be true was one of the main

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-68329047412943341072009-02-26T21:55:00.000-08:002009-02-26T22:37:32.116-08:00

Every city has its own specialty. Pune is of course famous for its colleges, for its food and many more things. But undoubtedly, wacky notice boards give Pune its identity.Here are a few gems (courtesy Amaresh) found in the by-lanes of Pune.A lot (the tone and the attitude filled in these lines) is lost in translation:The bungalow is empty. There is nothing worth stealing. Don't bother.Outsiders

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-19602163578784503932009-02-23T04:03:00.002-08:002009-02-23T04:34:01.334-08:00

Under a hypothetical situation where Sri Ram Sena becomes the central ruling party of India, following will be the rules (closely resembling/ inspired(!) from the rules of Taliban) for women:1- Complete ban on women's work outside the home, which also applies to female teachers, engineers and most professionals. Only a few female doctors and nurses are allowed to work in some hospitals in

Nutannoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-22325264888159621722009-02-22T23:06:00.000-08:002009-02-22T23:35:45.099-08:00

Did I already post these?Here is one gem by The Mountain Goats. It's called No Children. There is another one sung by the same group, which has similar spirit as this one. It is a cover of Ace of base, called Sign. I haven't found a nice version of this. The only one I have is a live version. If you happen to find it, let me know.Here is another song, not particularly in the same tone as the

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-22174857774177477602009-02-22T05:48:00.000-08:002009-02-22T10:22:02.144-08:00

I saw the movie a few days ago. I really don't understand: why so much fuss? If an Indian director makes a fully filmy hindi movie, no one gives a damn about it. But some non-indian comes and makes this movie and people are going all ga ga about it. A.R. Rehman has given music better than "jai ho". Anil Kapur has done roles better than this.This movie has set new records in making a big deal out

Nutannoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1161335134961464552008-11-05T07:50:00.000-08:002008-11-05T08:31:28.676-08:00

A quick post about a few random things Firstly songs will be on my mp3 (which is on low charge currently)this week:My Brightest Diamonds: Inside a boyLyrics:(Actually I hadn't heard the lyrics very carefully till I posted them here right now. I now realise its like a love song. Even if you are not a fan of mush, let me assure the song sounds good anyway).Inside a boyI found the only oneAnd in

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-90636248535555311012008-11-03T02:44:00.000-08:002008-11-03T04:13:12.750-08:00

I have experienced many disillusionments about my cooking skills. My mother is an amazing cook. And I used to think that I have started on the positive side, as cooking skills must be something that one inherits. I used to be a bold cook initially who experimented and tried new recipes. Those few times when I started cooking maggie and turned it into burnt coal didn't quiet give me a hint about

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-64292556264249116602008-10-28T03:02:00.000-07:002008-10-28T03:53:49.497-07:00

News channels today repeat the news enough number of times. They make sure no one misses the buzz. I have always been critical about the news channels showing same breaking news every day 24/7 and being proud about it. Let alone other flaws in the media reporting, this repetition of news can single-handedly put people off these channels. What is the purpose of talking about the problems over and

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-54122270963396702022008-10-26T03:09:00.000-07:002008-10-26T15:21:21.998-07:00

I have decided to not wait till the new year to make some resolutions....Here are my resolutions:I will update my blog more regularly. Its not that I haven't had anything to say, its just that I have ignored every urge to write in the recent past.I won't wait till I get 'piled higher and deeper' with all the work load and won't let it bring me down like it is right now. Aaargh, couldn't I have

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-13497334093918515562008-08-07T10:57:00.000-07:002008-08-07T11:16:35.562-07:00

I would like to introduce Basanti, whom we (Prof. Ronojoy Adhikari spotted her injured near the main road and called some of us to get some help) met about four months back. We think she was a pet who was abandoned on a road close to where we live. She completely lacked outdoor survival skills, as a result of which she had a severe accident, and one of her hind legs was badly damaged. When we

Nutannoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-87111052978439562452008-07-30T01:56:00.000-07:002008-07-30T02:58:20.239-07:00

Wiki says the following about the language Esperanto."Esperanto is by far the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language in the world. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto, the pseudonym under which L.L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887. The word esperanto means 'one who hopes' in the language itself. Zamenhof's goal was to

Nutannoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-84786430577484634622008-07-06T01:01:00.000-07:002008-07-27T11:22:14.481-07:00

I haven't updated my blog for a long long time. But I have been alive in the real world. I have even been out of touch with most of my friends and sorry about that. But here is one way to update you. (And also boast about my amazing life :)...I am clearly high!)Bought a camera: I have a kick butt camera of my own now. Its a Canon A470. Nothing very exceptional, but still its awesome, just because

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-64350613777353873362008-05-23T23:39:00.000-07:002008-05-23T23:42:45.474-07:00

Finally I have managed to organise the snaps. Check out!Jalsu Pass

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-40465893597011736932008-05-18T09:50:00.000-07:002008-05-21T12:25:27.739-07:00

Here is a blog entry after a long time. I want to write about lots of things. But first things first. I am just back from a trek to Himalaya. I present to you my experience in slightly strange, but hopefully readable format.Q: What was the trek route?A: We did a pass called Jalsu pass. Our brief travel itinerary is:Day 1: Reach Baijanath by bus from Shimla. Take a jeep to Utrala. Camp the first

Nutannoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-57544863182635593482008-03-31T15:14:00.000-07:002008-03-31T03:04:49.852-07:00

Inspired by general tone of phdcomics and the coffee break that has just started.2:58 pm the clock showsthe digitized clockblinks secondsbrings us closeto the time of breakits coffee timego get a coffee dearproof broke downnothing to fearlemma you once provedwas so long agoand you have forgottenthe last you made a gobreak however you takedon't miss it, no matterafter all mathematiciansare suppose

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-53414302189117299582008-03-26T07:36:00.000-07:002008-03-26T07:58:17.502-07:00

In my post about trek to Himalaya I had promised that I will make a separate blog entry on our trek guide Jango-ji. I have yet not done it. But one of the trekkers, An, has managed to come up with a nicely designed web page for Jango-ji.So here is an advertisement for Jango ji.(Yes I know! No ad agency will ever hire me.) And here is the webpage of this dude.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-56390388833704341592008-03-02T08:10:00.000-08:002008-03-06T09:36:35.933-08:00

Unpredictable has tagged me on two subjects. She asks me to post my childhood snap. And she asks me to list 10 things I wish I could say to people right now.The later will come first. For I don't have any childhood snap with me.But again, to list 10 things seems rather difficult. Its not that I don't want to tell people things like they absolutely matter to me and their presence is making my life

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-34596218686698099582008-02-11T01:00:00.000-08:002008-02-11T02:04:09.909-08:00

This was a long planned trek, that some of us decided to do.Plan A:Start from Chennai and reach Kodai.Meet the District forest officer (DFO) and get permission for the trek to Top stationStart the trek midday and trek for atleast 12 km the first day to reach a place between Berijam lake and Top station.Camp here in a guset house/ abandoned house or in a tent.Next day trek for another 20 odd km

Nutannoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-50762789530771976992008-01-15T21:38:00.000-08:002008-01-15T21:44:45.111-08:00

I stumbled upon a nice survey. Its a very well prepared test. They call it a political compass. The site itself is really interesting. And seems like a lot of study has been put in to come up with this test. Here are my test results. Give the test and find out whether your political beliefs reflect in the test results.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-43290179037960426342008-01-11T02:18:00.000-08:002008-01-11T02:21:08.109-08:00

This image was taken from here.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-72634240582547396392008-01-04T05:24:00.000-08:002008-01-04T10:24:24.078-08:00

Oh no, this isn't about another complexity class. (However, this name sounds cool for a complexity class doesn't it?)So this is a movie review for Taare Zameen Par.The movie tells a story of a dyslexic kid, Ishan. Insensitivity, either intended or unintended, towards him turns him into an unyielding and introvert kid. Parents lose patience and put him in a boarding school away from them. Ishaan

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-39981754598650056112008-01-02T21:44:00.000-08:002008-01-02T23:06:17.643-08:00

A small note on progress made to improve the Karp-Lipton TheoremThe original Karp-Lipton theorem says thatIf NP is contained in P/poly or if NP has polynomial sized circuits then polynomial hierarchy collapses to its second level.This was further improved upon by Kobler and Watanabe. They showed that polynomial hierarchy collapses down to ZPP^NP.The class S2P was defined by Canetti and studied by

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-34171051696703795042007-12-30T22:07:00.000-08:002007-12-31T23:47:55.560-08:00

First of January 2008. I started this blog about three years back. Deadly that its still running. Number of posts increasing every year. But I wouldn't call myself an avid blogger. (only 80 posts in last 3 years) This post is for a round up of 2007. I haven't ever done such a post before. Lets see if I can recall the bests and worsts of the year 2007.1. Treks! I trekked to 4 difference places.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-81993631683999794402007-12-24T02:29:00.000-08:002007-12-24T03:01:09.294-08:00

Sitting in the room, with table all scattered with books and papers that I use to refuse to organise. Trying to study something in there. (I used to be a big time padakhu). Aai would walk in once in a while. Talk to me. She loves talking and I absolutely love listening to her. Its been 4 years since this or something like this has happened. Its strange to miss it suddenly one fine day! But I am.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-63099809951744745942007-12-06T10:53:00.000-08:002007-12-06T11:57:51.424-08:00

My own cynicism gets to me sometimes. But for what its worth, it helps me see the other side of the moon. I know, what i am writing is not coherent. But thats how its flowing out of the nerves, into the hands and right into the key board. It has stopped being a thought I visualise on the paper. I see myself writing anything at all like a long text, a long essay on a typed set, with Times new

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-6254036654747674642007-11-29T01:06:00.000-08:002007-11-29T23:01:13.818-08:00

My blog identity has never been more different from my real self than right now. I am exceptionally silent on the blog but have been talking and talking with lots and lots of my friends, people I love. So do not think of this silence as some low phase in my real life.However, the urge to update the blog comes irrespective of the way I am communicating otherwise. There used to be days when I

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-36058240088468334312007-11-12T23:23:00.000-08:002007-11-12T23:29:32.815-08:00

I came across this people-who-don't-know-what-to-do-better-with-their-time-go-waste-time-here kind of website called blogthings.com.I have wasted time taking some tests here. Currently, I feel like boasting. So let me put up what a small personality test said about me. This site is very likely bogus, but I love their analysis. Its almost always good..:)***You Have A Type B+ Personality***You're a

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-71797327779877879622007-11-11T08:57:00.000-08:002007-11-11T11:31:44.269-08:00

After a long time, I am actively back on the web. Following are the web pages I have visited in last few days and have liked.1. A must read article about PhD experience. I reached this link via my guide's homepage.3. Luca Trevisan's short course on Additive Combinatorics. I have done first lecture (Intro) and half of the next lecture. I hope to finish the series in about a month's time. Anybody

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-84778634648947880322007-10-22T13:19:00.000-07:002007-10-23T11:37:11.074-07:00

Five of us (Ak,An,G,K,N) went for a trek to Himalayas. I present here a day by day account of our experiences. I also hope to make it useful for the those who plan to trek along this route.Trek route: Dharmkot - Triundh - Lahesh eelaka - Indraharpass - Lahesh eelaka - Mana - Dharmshala.Day 1. (October 12, 2007)G started out from Chennai in a train for Delhi. K and N went to T. Nagar to arrange

Nutannoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-63221114774303972792007-10-10T00:04:00.000-07:002007-10-10T13:46:28.864-07:00

Morpheus asked Neo:Do you think that's air you're breathing now?This question changed the way Neo thought about everything. The question triggered a process. A shock, a surge of anger seeing his long standing beliefs coming to a breaking point before his own eyes, followed by a strong denial (that it can't be actually happening!!), followed by coming to terms with the fact that many of the strong

Nutannoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-23420874720611481502007-10-04T10:08:00.000-07:002007-10-04T10:51:30.610-07:00

I have always had this endless TO DO list. Sometime it seems to me that I am more fond of making such a list than of actually doing the things listed in my TO DO list. Few days ago, the Madras Players (a drama group) performed in our auditorium a really good drama (The Proof). After seeing that I was like, I want to join a drama school. So joining a drama school happens to be in my TO DO current

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-10605909994076951672007-09-13T05:06:00.000-07:002007-09-13T10:06:32.366-07:00

Did I mention that I am a lawyer? I passed with pretty good grades and was hired by a small private law firm. My boss happens to be a very professional person. Also very famous for the criminal cases. What he sublets his assistants are simply cases of divorce. I have handled as many divorce cases as I have attended marriages. I come to believe that, it all adds up to zero. If I was slightly less

Nutannoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-57932527719554617652007-09-12T11:33:00.000-07:002007-09-12T11:42:00.729-07:00

Nirvana is one thing that can single handedly bring you back to music.... everytime the life gets totally out of tune and lacking of music...... All Apologies Lyrics What else should I beAll apologiesWhat else could I sayEveryone is gayWhat else could I writeI don't have the rightWhat else should I beAll apologiesIn the sunIn the sun I feel as oneIn the sunIn the sunI'm marriedBuriedI wish I

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-35365171554293011142007-08-26T06:49:00.001-07:002007-08-27T07:07:55.817-07:00

This time I went for treks near Palghat. This is a town in Kerala, very close to the Tamilnadu-Kerala border. Unlike my last trek, I am going to describe this one in detail, because our camera abandoned us just when we entered the forest. The pictures can't do the talking, so I have to. Those of you who wish to trek or even those who wish to know how much we freaked out read on.We reached Palghat

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-65070431718972561852007-08-04T10:58:00.000-07:002007-08-04T11:23:15.972-07:00

My weekends are becoming more and more happening. The saturday seminar series starts my weekends. Thats a long story which in short can be summarised as: a bunch of us who are moronic enough to waste our saturday mornings reading derandomization algorithms---which are...thats a really really long story and can't be made short----, wake up and gather together. One of us gives a talk and others try

Nutannoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-12859395987213924902007-08-02T10:31:00.000-07:002007-08-02T11:54:32.553-07:00

The qualities in people I appreciate/love/absolutely adore/admire. (Warning: Many intense words will be repeatedly used)1. I admire people who have ability to be completely content with what they have. That doesn't mean to give up and not try anything further than your ability. It just means to be in peace with what you have. My parents are classic example of this. They have faced many things in

Nutannoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-52223469841372554922007-07-31T09:45:00.000-07:002007-07-31T11:06:08.827-07:00

I have been asked by my friend to write about 10 things I judge about people. I can't promise 10. It may become more.... it may stop early for later additions, it may simply not start.... I might end up making another list of things.... So lets see....May be I'll try this.1. I hate when people are boastful about the things they haven't hard earned. Unfortunately, I have known people who are proud

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-28786898264286087262007-07-27T00:32:00.000-07:002007-07-27T01:03:12.074-07:00

drafts: auto saved on bloggerdrafts: painful to preparedrafts: never get published!!!!drafts: who reads them even when publishedAll I am trying to say is, I have been writing too many drafts under my blogger id but hardly ever feel like publishing them. As if the published one's are real great!!Sarcasm, I used it a lot in one of the discussions.. Shame shame and then kept saying that I haven't

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-26426869889445087302007-07-12T21:47:00.000-07:002007-07-12T22:09:38.567-07:00

Today on Computational Complexity blog (started by Lance Fortnow and now being handled by Bill Garasch) announced starting of a WiKi for open problems in computer science. It has been started by Matt DeVos and Robert Samal. The idea was proposed by Lance few months back. And these guys went all the way to actually start such a wiki space. I think, its absolutely a great idea because:It will list

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-39281565503049018662007-06-24T11:14:00.000-07:002007-06-24T12:30:33.876-07:00

I with two other people did two days of trekking. We trekked on two routes staring from Kodai. We had essentially planned the trek according to the information provided on a website. And as we went along, we realised that a lot of info was incomplete/inaccurate. Here are some facts for those who plan to trek. For those who wish see how much we freaked out, go see the album...Facts:The distances

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-60679203093215976522007-06-05T09:11:00.000-07:002007-06-05T09:21:24.065-07:00

There used to be a certain village in which, all the people had either a red or a black mark on back of their neck. They could see other person's mark but not their own. In fact, they had a rule that, if anyone ever got to know color of his/her own mark, he/she would have to commit suicide. They didn't have a single mirror in the village and they never discussed colors of anyone's marks. They

Nutannoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-70377818052830642132007-05-28T06:25:00.000-07:002007-05-30T05:44:38.289-07:00

Today's xkcd.com, comic strip: (If you haven't seen Memento, then forget about it!!)

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1747095503390660392007-05-23T09:12:00.000-07:002007-05-23T09:29:03.172-07:00

I am going to just write down all that comes to my mind. I am sitting at a desk with a lamp glowing on my right and a bottle of water on the left. Keys to random locks seem to be lying here. I could be anywhere. But I am right here. Sometimes it makes me wonder as to how come and why. But thats currently besides point. Thoughts are coming in floods. But I am shunning all of them. Could I be

Nutannoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-68921991277664738802007-05-21T08:46:00.001-07:002007-05-21T09:13:16.987-07:00

Some quotes I read somewhere and some I came up with. Try and guess which is which... But basically read and enjoy...When you come to a fork in the road ... Take it.Either I find the man and his talks interesting, or none. I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury. Football's not a matter of life and death ... it's more important than that.One who errs is a man, one who errs all

Nutannoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-12119163274956500802007-05-18T06:06:00.000-07:002007-05-18T06:51:27.561-07:00

Me and my friend aaloka can suddenly start off talking about TV advertisements and can go on forever. It doesn't take us too much effort to begin singing all the funny ads that used to come on TV when we were kids. Like dipika-ji aaiye aayie.. . par nirma super hi kyu... then dipika-ji delivers the punch line "dhulai ka super dam, daam phir bhi kam", or else the nerolac ad "jub ghar ki raunat

Nutannoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-81687782152915831582007-05-17T03:11:00.000-07:002007-05-17T05:31:55.748-07:00

Yes!! The title as exciting as that is going to contain a total crib post. I am totally pissed with myself. Well, thought of the day is: when you read a paper, work it out from the end to the beginning as opposed to from the beginning to the end. I mean, get it so right that when you say you understand it, you mean you understand why the author came up with the definition he did and why he came

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-60588711633163425822007-05-16T08:20:00.000-07:002007-05-16T08:59:03.178-07:00

This movie released many years back. But I saw it just 2-3 days ago. I quiet liked it!! I like the idea of a man being an island himself!! The main guy, the hero of the movie, says at the beginning of the movie that, 100 years back people could not think of living alone. In the sense that, for security, for meeting day to day needs etc etc people depended on each other. But now with all the

Nutannoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-47539706059768699202007-05-12T11:36:00.000-07:002007-05-12T12:46:21.964-07:00

ever seen an objectmoving incessantly close to youcloser everyday?it may seems all goodbut ofcourse, it possiblywon't continue this wayit gets so close one daythe object i claim i likei own that object buti lose its sight....one step back....two steps back...it still looks blurredi wonder how i saw it, whenit was this close (this far)its strange that when i go backall by hundred stepsit starts

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-53859418854479626442007-05-12T10:39:00.000-07:002007-05-12T11:09:32.776-07:00

This is a name of a cafe in Chennai. Well, sort of. Actually, the real name is "Coffee..?" but for some mysterious reason people call it pothole. Its nothing like a pothole though. Its really a lovely place with an ambiance perfectly suitable for enjoying a good one hour break from everything and anything. So this place is close to music college, off a noisy road, in a quiet lane. There is just

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-64977578726815968892007-05-12T10:15:00.000-07:002008-08-01T06:08:23.312-07:00

a hazy mirror speaks more truththan a shadow ever can,its not me who is saying iti heard them say thata hazy mirrior looks back at melike a old man with bad eye sighti hate to look at it,do i see myself like it?

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-2453750500480783262007-05-03T21:48:00.000-07:002007-05-03T21:52:18.116-07:00

Going home for a vacation was extremely refreshing. As always I saw lots of TV, spent lot of time with my parents, ate lots of delicious mom-made food, met lot of my friends. At the end felt like not coming back. But now I am here, sitting at my desk. Getting back into things and writing a blog.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-74929120245637741032007-04-12T08:16:00.000-07:002007-04-12T09:23:35.107-07:00

During the time of new years, we get to hear people giving predictions about how the coming year would be for us. When I was a kid, Indian astrology and palm reading etc. were the famous methods. But now things are much more fancy. There are atleast 10-12 different styles in which they predict your future. And mostly, one doesn't match the other. The worst is, if you pick any of the last year's

Nutannoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-61685683534792751672007-04-10T05:03:00.000-07:002007-04-10T05:49:51.679-07:00

Wonder how neverland is formed? (I call a place neverland if its some place one can never reach but has heard of.) For answering the how we need to understand properties of potential neverland,PN, (A land which eventually may become neverland.)I imagine PN is a land inhabited by a whole lot of people. People, who are completely unaware of the fact that, it would become a neverland some day.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-2254841805931504982007-03-31T05:39:00.000-07:002007-03-31T06:44:00.934-07:00

I saw this Nagesh Kukunoor movie, called Dor, couple of days back. The movie is about two women, one from Himachal Pradesh (zeenat) and the other from Rajasthan (meera). Their lives get entangled, through an interesting plot. (Meera's husband dies in an accident and Zeenat's husband is held responsible for that. Zeenat comes in search of Meera because only Meera's letter of consent is going to

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-91361362662509348702007-03-27T08:04:00.000-07:002007-03-27T08:23:29.439-07:00

Lance Fortnow has decided to quit blogging. His blog was the only complexity theorist's blog I read. Also among all the other blogs that I read this is/was my the most favorite. Many many informative posts and discussions will remain as archives online (thank you Lance). But I will miss reading his daily posts so much.This was really sudden, as all bad news are. Hope Lance starts a new blog soon.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-38613669167591097192007-03-20T03:42:00.000-07:002007-03-24T22:02:48.169-07:00

Yao introduced a model for computing complexity of communication. Say Alice and Bob know two different parts of a story and they are trying to solve a mystery. The amount of talking they need to do is the complexity measure. If they need to exchange too much data to solve the mystery then the whole mystery is said to have high complexity, and low otherwise. At first this seems very

Nutannoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-79403943777870104692007-03-04T23:27:00.000-08:002007-03-04T23:45:27.731-08:00

In our institute, we have a week of institute seminars, where in you are expected to give a talk (20 minutes + 5 minutes questions) related to your work or your field to an audience comprising of physicist, mathematicians and computer scientists. So basically, you can not use some high-funda terms of your field. And you should be able to communicate with an audience completely unaware of even

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-13759717729555312232007-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:002007-02-09T11:10:42.131-08:00

its a love storyof two strange peoplewho never knew they couldfall for each otherwhen they first metthey only ended up fightingbut slowy it became clear to themthat they sure shared somethinga small problem happenedwhen pride overtook himhe thought she wasless smarter than himshe would solve a puzzleand he would solve it againhe would tell herthat she was simplyan idea away from him...he said

Nutannoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-45228870491991500262007-02-06T22:50:00.000-08:002007-02-06T22:55:06.481-08:00

Listen to this one, to experience accoustic guitar doing justice to the song Stairway to heaven. I really liked this version by Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-82950665188842555562007-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:002007-01-24T21:29:54.662-08:00

Two years back, I looked for following book every where and could not find. (It was missing in IMSc library and out of print when I tried to order). Thanks to google god, a limited preview is now available online.Title: Circuit complexity and neural networksAuthor: Ian Parberry Link:If anybody has a link to the complete book, please send it to me.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-17330603138468347952007-01-18T12:04:00.000-08:002007-01-18T12:32:18.310-08:00

Take for example a kid whose parents decided to give their life for a social cause. Say they were rich alright. They became poor and went through lot of hardships. The kid was then 9 years old and had no clue why all luxuries of his life should be taken away. He had terrible childhood. Very less opportunities and lot of struggle. He got angry at his parents. When this kid would grow up, will he

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-23431515307833254302006-12-13T01:47:00.000-08:002006-12-13T01:54:47.067-08:00

Here is a painting for you. Click on it and follow the link.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-55762742066148254492006-12-02T13:15:00.000-08:002006-12-02T13:20:20.234-08:00

Suppose you are listening to songs using xmms. And you allow a (almost uniform) random shuffle. There are 100 songs in your song list with each of duration t1, t2,..., t100. What is the estimated timebefore song 42 is played?I am going to hang around here till finally song 42 gets played. Whats worse, xmms's random shuffle doesn't seem all that random.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-88170192662329688932006-11-29T05:48:00.000-08:002006-11-29T06:40:28.430-08:00

I recently got a critic that my blog has become a movie blog. And I have taken it very very seriously. Aa ha!! And as you would see, I will henceforth make sure such comments never come this blog's way. Far from it!!..So question is, its like a survey, what among the following can make maximum impact on your life, your way of thinking and your perception of the world:books, movies, interactions

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-2268455946385484372006-11-27T09:24:00.000-08:002008-08-01T06:13:37.851-07:00

when i was a little kidthe chocolate bunglow i had buildand stoll near it a little pretty gardena bed of roses and the toffies in the carton..i thought thats all there is to itand thats all there would be....how was i to know this is wherei will end up and this is where i shall be....all the pain and all the sadnessseems so much away from the real...wish the life as a kid.. would last me longer

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-67013502009960987642006-11-24T06:07:00.000-08:002006-11-26T12:13:08.554-08:00

Instead of writing about a movie, here is a small movie puzzle for horror movie lovers:Hope you like it!!

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-80451803095125701592006-11-18T10:22:00.000-08:002006-11-20T09:57:56.408-08:00

Well, basically this Friday I saw movies instead of writing about them. So here is a movie for you: Its Hollywood version is called Vanilla Sky. But the version I saw was a Spanish one with English subtitles. Its called "Open your eyes" or "Abre los ojos. "Its a Sci-fi movie, if you wish to call it so. But among the good ones. So the story line is: There is a guy, about 25 years old. He is

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-63215449639529736482006-11-15T07:08:00.000-08:002006-11-15T07:24:50.766-08:00

day passes by and another startsi get up from the bedand it feels like yesterdayi see a fan rotating and seems likei am looking at myself... as if i am not thereand i am also there....people walking up and down...but where am i to goam i following myself or i hear somebodyelse's foot steps...i hate to walk along....but lethargy takes over...doing anything else will need more work thanjust going

Nutannoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1163165786409480682006-11-10T05:05:00.000-08:002006-11-12T20:06:05.112-08:00

Ok, here is a romantic comedy for you. Good part about it is, its available on Google Video. So all of you can watch it for fun(and free;). Its a movie made as an experiment. And I feel for a small scale, low budget movie, its pretty good. The story is really simple: a boy and a girl next door- kind of thing. The boy is a underconfident fellow who has serious problems about talking to girls.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1162556132416038692006-11-03T03:56:00.000-08:002006-11-12T20:06:04.915-08:00

Another friday going past me. Writing about movies is what I should be doing as promised. But, but... Don't feel like it. May be I could mention a good movie. But whats it worth, if I don't say anything about it. Well, everything about the movies could be read from IMDB anyways. Well, then whats it worth starting a friday for movies session?... Well, I am going back to "whats the use" mode.But

Nutannoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1161971915453078482006-10-27T10:05:00.000-07:002006-11-12T20:06:04.837-08:00

I will try to start a Friday for movies session. I am not sure how much it will run, given that in this city hardly any new movies are released 2-3 months after the world releases. Anyhow, I will keep to old as well as new movies for this session to run a bit longer than my enthusiam.So let me start with a movie called "The saddest music in the world". The movie released in 2003. The original

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1161947133513081222006-10-27T03:33:00.000-07:002006-11-12T20:06:04.739-08:00

I had started writing about Arvind's class that I am attending this semester. Well, I hardly said anything about it. But let me reopen the topic. We are almost 3 months down the course and arvind covered a good number of topics. In error correcting codes he discussed about Varshamov's bound, Reed-solomon codes, concatenated codes, Justesen codes and decodings of these. As he kept reminding, the

Nutannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9939426.post-1159174357285454222006-09-25T01:49:00.000-07:002006-11-12T20:06:04.579-08:00

Web draft of new book on complexity by Sanjeev Arora and Boaz Barak is available here.

Nutannoreply@blogger.com1