CBT CAT 09 - Evaluation and Ranking

Update: I got a re-assuring reply from Professor Pankaj Chandra, Director IIM B, saying - "Sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. We will address the issues that you have raised in your email." Thank you Sir, it means the world to me for you taking out time to reply to my email. Hope everything is sorted out and resolved pretty soon so that everyone gets a fair chance to start their MBA from the IIMs !!

Also check out this TOI article.
End of Update

Following is the email which I've written to the directors of the prestigious IIMs regarding information for evaluation and ranking of scores obtained by students in the CBT CAT 09. Decided to post it in the blog sphere as well so as to know if there are others who share a similar concern.

Disclaimer : I'm not whining against CBT CAT 09 nor asking for a re-test / paper based test to be conducted again. Also those who have scored awesomely in this years CAT might be against the views expressed in this post and will definitely tell me to "adapt" to the changes and that this is the system and that we have to live with it. Okay, thanks in advance. And congrats to all of you for cracking CAT. Please spare me the lecture.

Respected Sir(s)

I, the undersigned, aspire to start my management studies in one of the prestigious IIMs from next year. I have appeared for CAT 09 on 5th Dec from Hyderabad and I have no complaints with respect to the actual test conduction process on a personal level since everything went smooth for me. There were no technical glitches or inconvenience of any type. I guess the situation has been improved drastically from what it was at the onset and I thank the quick measures taken for the same.

However, keeping asides all the other issues we have seen bogging CBT CAT 09 so far, I always thought that the greatest challenge of this year's exam was to arrive at 20 papers with questions having more or less similar difficulty level. This is based on the presumption that, the evaluation of candidates is going to remain constant as earlier years - i.e. - the "percentile" marking / grading system - where you rank students based on the "score" they obtain.

However, me and a very large number of students who have appeared for CAT 09 feel otherwise (that the difficulty level was different and waving in different slots) due to the following reasons:

1) Students who gave CAT in the earlier two days, though had to under go the trauma of delayed server responses and virus attacks, have reported that the level of questions was very easy and most of them managed to score 50+ out of 60 which was so unlike a CAT exam. Unless, it was intended that the CAT exam be brought down to a lower level, I feel this has really dented the image of CAT as an exam where scoring 50% of the total marks was considered as a daunting task earlier.

2) Students who gave CAT in the middle days reported that the questions were getting repeated from the earlier slots and also were being taken "as_it_is" from previous years CAT papers. This, I feel, was a big blow to those who took the tests earlier because they would never even have got wind of some of the difficult questions since they were actually attempting it for the first time. It might be unnecessary to point it out Sir, but even 3-4 questions solved in a minute just because of "prior knowledge" ensure that you make a quantum leap by saving time and dedicating it to other ques. Is this fair to all others who instead got unique questions ?

3) After the break out of all the above issues along with numerous others, it seems that the CAT has been brought back to being CAT on the last few days. Suddenly, the level of difficulty of questions in some sections has been steeped up making it really difficult to cross even the 45 mark !! I will admit, I might not be the brightest of the CAT aspirants, but then I am definitely not among the dumbest. Now we are seeing almost a no-show of repeat questions and no previous CAT questions. This is good from an exam point of view, but how do you justify the same happening for some students earlier, which clearly gives them advantage over others. As you know, a difference of a couple of questions make it a big deal of difference due to the current "percentile" based marking / grading.

The issue which I want to address through this letter is that how are we going to grade students appearing for CAT 09 based on questions with varying difficulty level ? Is it really fair to compare someone who got 50 correct in a easy paper (By easy I mean and include any / all of the following : easier questions lifted from database, questions repeated from earlier slots, questions taken from earlier slots, questions passed on by friends / teachers / forums etc) to someone who got 40 correct in a paper which did not have the above mentioned features ? Unless of course, there is going to be some sort of normalization based on the difficulty level, some sort of relative grading, I believe many are going to suffer from gross injustice and would only be left to regret at not being offered a fair shot at the IIMs.

From IIMs stand point I have heard that the argument being offered is that such things happen with other exams like GMAT as well and no body complains there. However, I would like to point out some key differences between the two, which I know you are definitely aware of :

- GMAT can definitely be taken more than once in a year in a testing window which is very large as compared to that of CAT 09. The point being, one can improve upon his / her score if he / she feels she got a bad deal. CAT 09, on the other hand can be given only once, and you just have to live with it and give it next year only.

- While GMAT also sometime may show up with repeat questions and different difficulty level questions, we can't forget its a "Computer Adaptive Test" - where the difficulty level depends on how many questions you answer correctly. The database is repeatedly updated to avoid repetitions. Even the scoring algorithm makes sure you can't skip to the next question until you answer the current one. Most importantly, the "result" is generated at the end of the test itself.

In the case of CAT which is a "Computer Based Test" - and most importantly - where the results are based on "%tile" and not "%tage", it really boils down to how many students you outscore / outperform. In such an evaluation scenario, how is it justified to have some students face a difficult paper and some an easy one (the demarcation of the above being done in Point 3) and on top of it, its just unbelievable to imagine that our futures will now be controlled via a random algorithm which is modified "midway" between the exam after glitches being pointed out by earlier CAT takers !!

I believe that there are many things which have gone the undesired way in CBT CAT 09. But the most serious issue according to me which needs to be addressed is how the "ranking" of students is now going to be done? Do we just have to live with the earlier ranking scheme based on %tiles and cut offs which will be same for everyone or are the IIMs going to take pain to make a definitive analysis of the different slots and come out with something which is just for all ?

By the way let me just repeat, I am not asking for a re-test / paper based test as some might perceive but I'm only asking for the right to know how will the grading and ranking be done and would it be fair to everyone given the above things which have hampered this year's CAT.

I don't know if this letter will even be "opened / read / thought upon" by the busy IIM directors since you must be receiving thousands of such emails / letters by now and one more student crying out aloud will just be like a drop in an ocean. They might even consider me treating CAT as sour grapes. But at least I will be in peace thinking that I did raise my voice / concern when I had the time and means and would avoid the regret in case I don't complete my MBA from an IIM.

I sincerely hope that I would get a fitting reply from some of the authorities responsible for CAT 09.

Thanks,
Suyash Joshi

Please feel free to comment and provide your feedback about the above "rant" by clicking here. Also read the disclaimer at the top of the post before posting your opinion on me / any views in the post.

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Theft, Copyright Infringement, File Sharing and Piracy

Please Click the picture to enlarge and view the "fine text" in between with greater detail.

Well, they say, pictures talk louder than words. I have nothing more to say on this super controversial topic. And of course, this does not mean that I endorse absolutely everything depicted in the above picture. But then, you must not misunderstand this as just another image since I might as well be echoing a very popular sentiment amongst one of the ever growing community in the world.

Avast matey, Shiver me timbers !! All hands on decks... Leave nothing behind. That by the way, in plain English means, please pour your heart with the comments about what you feel regarding this glaring issue by clicking here. Savvy, eh?

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My Quarter Life Crisis

Well, I officially turned 23 this year on 3rd Feb, 2009. No Big Deal, since I'm not traveling at speeds more than that of light, I'm going to age forward only. (For more info on this, do read "How to build a Time Machine" by Paul Davies, awesome book there...) Anyways, the point is, this birthday was unique since it was the first time probably that I "celebrated" this day away from my home and family. It kind of brought home some sort of awareness, since the last 9 months of my life have not been the same as they were for the last 22 years. Some things, or rather many things have changed after I left the cozy comfort of family, friends and college. This new life, where I go to "work" is not something I could take less seriously since with freedom and power comes greater responsibility and bigger challenges. And I'm not really sculpted for them yet. Though the iron hammer of life and the experiences I'm undergoing act as the required heat/catalyst to mold me as an individual (Don't think much about metallurgy references there), I realized that day, that indeed, I'm also undergoing some of the symptoms of the well known Quarter Life Crisis.

According to the Wiki, The quarterlife crisis (QLC) is a term applied to the period of life immediately following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the early twenties to the early thirties. The term is named by analogy with mid-life crisis. This is what being in twenties something makes me think about.

It was only after I came to Oracle, Hyderabad and after I stopped going along with the crowd, I started realizing that there are many things about me that I didn't know and some of them were something that I myself don't like. Due to the things I feel I'm good at and due to the things I hate myself I did get me that mixed feeling of being confident and insecure at the same time about where I will be in a year or two. And then I get scared because I barely know what I'm capable of doing and what not.

I started realizing that some people are really selfish and would go to the extreme to achieve their ends and maybe some of the friends that I hanged out with earlier aren't really the greatest people living on Earth as I get to meet new people. Also, its a really sad thing to acknowledge that some of the friends with whom I lost touch with are those I am missing the most. Maybe everyone isn't really so cold, mean or insincere because even they might be undergoing this same state of confusion.

One thing that I like though is at least I got to choose the right job that I wanted. It would have been a personal disaster had I been working with something that was not even close to what I had planned. Although, it does make me aware of how vast the canvas of professional life can extend if everyone tries their level best to succeed, whether it's about PG programs, scaling up the ladder or becoming an entrepreneur!!

My opinions about some things have really gotten stronger. Whether it's about communism or equality, about balancing personal and professional life, about India as a country - (is it really united due to the religion diversity ?? ) or about my beliefs, I now really am looking out to find a purpose to my existence. And at the same time I'm questioning more and more about why the universe has formed the way it is and about meta physical things like God and Death. Someone needs to provide me these answers real fast or I'm soon going to suffer with insomnia!!

I can understand and judge other people why they are doing things in a certain way and I constantly update my list of things of what is acceptable and what is not. What is good and what is bad are really relative. And this scares me to no end.

Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry with the greatest force in my life over what's going on around me. Talk of being alone, confused and scared. Suddenly, change is the enemy and I try to refuse to come out of the shell that I hibernated in the last 22 years. But I can't really cling on to whats dear to me since the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

Some people affected by QLC get their heart broken and wonder how someone they loved could do such damage to them. Or they lie in bed and wonder why they can't meet anyone decent enough that they want to get to know better. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. They go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with their friends about the same topics because they cannot seem to make a decision. They worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now everyone would just like to be a contender!

I believe many people in their twenties something might relate to the QLC factor. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure out what really this whole thing called LIFE is all about.

Please let me know if anyone has some cure for this "Quarter Life Crisis". Please feel free to post your comments by clicking here.

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World of GOO !!

Ameya Khandekar writes:

I am glad to guest-blog here again, - Here is my earlier attempt.
I confess, I am not an avid gamer i.e. I don't go on downloading FIFA - 200X each year or install the latest version of NFS i.e. Carbon (you can see how outdated I am with my knowledge of EA's latest in racing). I don't detest gaming, in fact I would love to play all these games, but my PC isn't boosted with steroids such as NVIDIA-GEforce 8800. So when one of my friends suggested me a game compatible with my PC, I installed it. My experience with it ensues:

World of GOO is a game based on construction and physics, it is a game developed by a team of two people (amazing isn't it?). The game is 150 MB in size and should run on all of your PCs because it ran on mine. The game is basically a 2-d game but that doesn't take the fun aspect out of it. Each stage requires the player to build a structure made of GOO-balls (yep, GOO balls) and reach an exit point. The structures commonly would consist of bridges,towers etc (see the figure below).

And the amazing thing is the game keeps on surprising you with innovative stages. As can be seen from the figure the building blocks are goo-balls. Now, in this game there are various species of goo-balls such as flying ones (see the figure below), inflammable ones, explosive ones, sticky ones etc. So you can imagine how different structures can be constructed.


So if you want to indulge in some creativity and brainwork do play this game in it's entirety. I myself, am in the last stage currently. Most of the gaming websites such as IGN and Nintendo gaming world have given the game a rating of 9+. Also, the game has got a very humorous plot, animation that makes you laugh, and there are subtle witticisms throughout the game. You will know what I mean, when you play a stage named EUREKA, which requires you to make use of the Archimedes principle ;).

Reviews by some gaming sites :-

IGN (<---courtesy for images, hehe)

Eurogamer

And a very Hilarious Trailer on Youtube

P.S:- A GAME WHICH COMBINES THE ART OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND SANITATION !!! LOL !!!

P.S.2: - dont take the meaning of GOO in a derogatory way... It means Grease balls, I was just joking above.

Click here to write your comments to provide an ode to this fantastic game which is sure to rattle the grey matter in your brains and might make you revise engineering mechanics once again !!

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Try to Beat this Resume !!

The content of this post comes from one of the "FWD" type of mails. Generally, I don't support the popular trend of forwarding meaningless crappy mails unless they are really of some value. Some of my friends forward good interesting stuff and some forward stuff that they find funny, amusing or are "propelled" to mass mail it due to some kind of desire or threat(?) or for the betterment of their life!! I find it really hilarious as to how many people continue to fall trap to this kind of hypocrisy. Anyways, coming back to the post, this is something that really made my heart flutter and I hope will make yours too. If you've read this earlier, then do let others know about it. This Curriculum Vitae, is really top of the tops and something every Indian should be proud of. Someone really said it correctly, the cream is there only at the top of the milk !!

RESUME

EDUCATION/ QUALIFICATIONS

• 1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh
• 1952: Stood first in MA (Economics), Punjab University , Chandigarh
• 1954: Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College, Cambridge
• 1955, 1957: Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge
• 1957: DPhil ( Oxford ), DLitt (Honoris Causa), PhD thesis on India 's export competitiveness

OCCUPATION /Teaching Experience

• 1957-59: Senior lecturer, Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh
  
• 1959-63: Reader, Economics
  
• 1963-65: Professor, Economics, Punjab University , Chandigarh
  
• 1969-71: Professor, International Trade, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
  
• 1976: Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
  
• 1996: Honorary Professor, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi

POSITIONS /Working Experience


1) 1971-72: Economic Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Trade

2) 1972-76: Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance

3) 1976-80:

• Director, Reserve Bank of India ;
• Director, Industrial Development Bank of India;
• Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, Asian Development Bank;
• Alternate governor for India, Board of governors, IBRD

4) November 1976 - April 1980:

• Secretary, Ministry of Finance (Department of economic affairs);
• Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission;
• Member,finance, Space Commission

5) April 1980 - September 1982: Member-secretary, Planning Commission

6) 1980-83: Chairman(India), Indo-Japan Joint Study Committee

7) September 1982 - January 1985: Governor, Reserve Bank of India

8) 1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of Governors, International Monetary Fund

9) 1983-84: Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister

10) 1985: President, Indian Economic Association

11) January 1985 - July 1987: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission

12) August 1987 - November 1990: Secretary-General and Commissioner, Geneva

13) December 1990 - March 1991: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Economic Affairs

14) March 1991 - June 1991: Chairman, UGC

15) June 1991 - May 1996: Union Finance Minister

16) October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress Ticket

17) June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha

18) 1996: Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Finance

19) August 1996 - December 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing committee on commerce

20) March 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha

21) June 1998 onwards: Member, Committee on Finance

22) August 1998 onwards: Member, Committee on Rules

23) 1998-2001: Member, Committee of Privileges

24) 2000 onwards: Member, Executive Committee, Indian Parliamentary Group

25) June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha

26) August 2001 onwards: Member, General Purposes Committee

27) May 2004 onwards: Prime Minister of India !!

BOOKS

• 1964: India 's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth - Clarendon Press, Oxford University
• Also published a large number of articles in various economic journals.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge - 1956

• Padma Vibhushan - 1987

• Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year - 1993

• Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia - 1993, 1994

INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

• 1966: Economic Affairs Officer
• 1966-69: Chief, Financing for Trade Section, UNCTAD
• 1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee International Monetary Reform
• 1977-79: Indian Delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
• 1980-82: Indo-Soviet Joint Planning Group eeting
• 1982: Indo-Soviet Monitoring Group Meeting
• 1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Cyprus
• 1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna

RECREATION

Gymkhana Club, New Delhi; Life Member, India International Centre, New Delhi

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name: Dr Manmohan Singh

DOB: September 26, 1932

Place of Birth: Gah ( West Punjab )

Our Prime Minister seems to be the most qualified PM all over the world !! We are all proud of him !!

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Batman : The Dark Knight

As I had said in my last post (which was ages ago), Batman: The Dark Knight is simply the most awesome and God level movie (It's a master piece) ever made till date. (Note the date: It's 13th Sept '08, unless Chris Nolan and Christian Bale have again teamed up together for Batman 3 at the time of reading). The list of adjectives that I can use is simply endless to praise it. In fact, the one word which is apt might be Ubercool!! The proof of this obvious statement can be judged by the fact that it stayed on #1 on IMDB for a couple of months (yeah, the internet movie database, I am really surprised so many people haven't heard about it yet !!) and while some people (who don't have a taste in anything other than classy non fictions or those who don't appreciate the super hero mythology) cried foul and said it would slid down are still amazed as to why its still #3 on IMDB... Of course, its based on perception, but you can't deny the fact that the movie is really class apart - which can be attributed to the unbelievably good direction and vision of Chris Nolan and the way his cast have been supporting him. The basic difference between Nolan's Batman and the earlier one can be credited to the one of the most fundamental attributes of Batman - the darkness within, the complicated chaos and the mindsets of characters involved in the storyline. My message to super hero film makers: "It's all about portraying the mythos and storyline as properly as it's done in comics". And that's where Batman: The Dark Knight and it's prequel (Batman Begins) score.

The movie obviously had an advantage of being a blockbuster even before it's scheduled release. It was riding high on the earlier prequel, Batman Begins' success and so the expectations were high. It had a really great ensemble of a cast. Plus the tragic death of Heath Ledger (who was really, really exceptionally brilliant in portraying the menacing Joker) put the movie in a lime light. Of course, as a super hero, Superman has always overshadowed Batman in terms of popularity and fan following, but I think this movie might as well reverse the trend (After all, I've always been a Batman fan, from the last 8 years when I had read the first DC Comics of my life ever).

To sum up the movie in brief, it begins with the sheer maniac and genius plan of the legendary Joker, who in Alfred's words is someone "who just wants to see the world burn" !! I mean, he is someone who believes that Gotham needs an altogether different class of criminals and this, coming from someone who believes in sending a message... "Everything Burns !!" and he really does torch a 15 feet high mound of cash... Insanity at its level best, must say that. He wants the end of Batman, by unmasking him and spins such a finely meshed web involving the mafia and the dark knight himself. In between the skirmish, Harvey Dent, the local super hero who makes a terrific effort to squash the crime in Gotham using his tremendous law skills, is entangled and life becomes messy for him. Another distinguishing highlight of this movie is that every charecter plays a hero - whether it is Alfred who continues to remove doubts from the fragile but impervious mind of Bruce Wayne or whether it is Det. Gordon who is simply superb yet again and you can't forget Morgan Freeman - who believes in certain sets of ethics and signs off in the end with style. Between all the punches, explosions and stunt-work is some great dialog work. All the actors have their moments and this list is endless.

Bale's Batman is THE definitive Batman because we see everything in this character finally on film. Martial arts skills, cunning, great tactical thinking, forensic application, technological genius to advance or improve Luscious Fox's inventions/technological breakthroughs, intimidating personality, and even a little swashbuckling.

As for Heath, yes he gets credit for his performance as the Joker. But you have to also recognize Jonathan and Chris Nolan for the writing and treatment of the character. It's not just the fact that Ledger makes the Joker so menacing, but the Nolans have given the character this great manifesto that drives its actions. The Joker's stance on chaos, order, anarchy, the morality of the average modern human being make the character so interesting psychologically. The Nolans have drafted a complex character and only a perfect performance could've pulled something like this off. That's how difficult of a role this was, and that's why Ledger's performance is so great.

An imperishable, spectacular and chaotically-brilliant movie. The Dark Knight possesses the essence that should always exist in the handover from comics to the big screen. Sequence after sequence, this is the absolute glory. A great movie that does not give even a single frame to breathe. An ode to chaos and anarchy, while shares are confronted inevitably lead to a path dirty, black and hostile. A real Gotham City, dominated by fear.

This is the best film of the all time. Simply put, The Dark Knight belongs to a category where no comic adaptation could enter before. Thanks Christopher Nolan. Thank you very much for a film that's a lot more than the typical film based on comic books. Please do post your views about what you felt about this legendary movie by clicking here.

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Why so busy?

As you must have figured out by now, I have not been much active on the blogging front from the last few weeks. I will be trying to give the reason for the same through this hurriedly typed post, so please excuse if there are any grammatical mistakes or typos. It seems that life is really a blur now, and quite routine which really contrasts what I had been living earlier. Its a new day, says Brian Adams, and how truly... Because the things around you are new, the people are new and the activities that define your life are new. Some of these aspects are pleasantly good, and at the same time, some of them are too bad to remind you of the luxuries you enjoyed earlier at home. If you are still with me, kindly proceed forward to read about the recent transition of ways, which I'm braving like a brave warrior caught unawares amidst an infinite sea on a black stormy night !! I know, I know, I am extremely good at Hyperboles :-)

Que.1) Exactly When and Where did I first become busy?

Day : 21st June 2008
Time: 11 PM
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
Occasion: Suyash Joshi arrives in the Tech Capital of India.
Status: Feeling sleepy...

Que.2) Why did I become busy?

Because after completing graduation and spending a glorious summer at home, I decided to join Oracle which is a multinational software company at Hyderabad, and about which you can read more on Wikipedia. I could have ranted more about Oracle, but if you remember, this post is about me being busy. So Later... :)
Status: Getting pumped up...

Que.3) What (was/am/will be) I busy in?

Pre-Induction and Joining Process - I've never done so much paper work in a span of 6 hours in my life. Joining formalities, Company policies, Finance, Accommodation, Bank Account, Mobile Connection... and many others - I gave a lot of autographs for sure that day !!

Setting up Desktop - Arranging for your own system and phone, stationaries and other facilities. Also includes opening and configuring many (yeah, many) accounts / login id's for various services, even the machine login

Interaction and getting to know more about the work and people around you - My team is a very good one, and I am fortunate enough to have got such cool friends right away. And then there are the experienced guys, the Manager and HR Representatives etc. Everybody sure makes it a point in Oracle to make freshers feel at home, and boy do they succeed. But then they say, everything is nice and a storm is just waiting for you in the next corner (work, after training)

Training - Ahh... Now that I am finished with this part, I'm really relieved. Some of our technical skills were "enhanced", some were entirely new and we also got to know more about what "eggjactly" we are supposed to do and how to it. Platform, Framework, Standards etc. Pretty boring stuff. Hopefully, when atmy workstation, I will be allowed lotsa extra curriculars (:D ...hehe... The only part that I hated was the duration. I mean, 8 hours a day - that equals a week's quota of classes what I attended while engineering. Seems like we are better off at self study (last night study, tu put it up in a better way). Thank God - It's August. Training over. Work Starts. And 31st of last month was my life's first Pay-Day. Feels good !!

Que.4) Proof that I was busy...?

- My last blog post was 41 days ago.
- I wasn't able to catch up with my regular quota of Gtalk"ing" and Orkut"ing".
- I missed the complete Asia Cricket Cup and also the India Sri-Lanka test match !!
- I was not able to communicate (in detail) with friends and relatives via mails / phone calls.
- I saw only 2 movies since I came to Hyderabad... :(
- Forget computer games... I don't yet own a laptop yet...
- I have not yet taken any pics of my workplace, Oracle or Hyderabad. Will be doing it today.
- I hardly got time to read news paper in the morning.It was rush rush for training everyday and in the night we slept late. These people who stay with me are night hawks !!
- I could finish up reading only one book in the entire month...
- We didn't spend much time shopping (now my new economical state played a role in that too...)
- and lots more for sure.

But come August '09 and things will change. A new era will begin. I might post a few more blogs to this infinitely expanding blogosphere and bore my readers even more. and amen to that [:D] !!

And before we depart, let me tell you. Batman - The Dark Knight is the most awesome superhero movie, in fact the most awesome movie ever made !! More on that in the next post...

If you wanna squabble or complain like me about how not to be busy, then please Click here and offer your feedback.

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Home Sweet Home

"Home! Sweet Home!" (also known as "Home, Sweet Home") is a song that has remained well-known for over 150 years. Adapted from the 1823 opera "Clari, Maid of Milan", the song's melody was composed by Englishman Sir Henry Bishop with lyrics by American actor and dramatist John Howard Payne. Key phrases from the song have been a cultural staple for several generations. The opening lines of the song have become very famous, worldwide. There is also another version of this song, sung by the Motley Crew, but I like the traditional version more. It's true after all that "Old is Gold". If you want to hear the melody tune for the song, it is available at the end of the lyrics. Before you sing the song posted below, in the end, I must say "There (really) is no place like home". Adios Nagpur... See ya soon !!

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain;
Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again!
The birds singing gayly, that come at my call --
Give me them -- and the peace of mind, dearer than all!
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

I gaze on the moon as I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother now thinks of her child,
As she looks on that moon from our own cottage door
Thro' the woodbine, whose fragrance shall cheer me no more.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

How sweet 'tis to sit 'neath a fond father's smile,
And the caress of a mother to soothe and beguile!
Let others delight mid new pleasures to roam,
But give me, oh, give me, the pleasures of home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;
The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there;
No more from that cottage again will I roam;
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

by John Howard Payne

Click here to download the tune for "Home Sweet Home"

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Crazy Engineers.com interviews Suyash Joshi

If you are an Engineer (by profession or by thought, inclination, aptitude etc) and still haven't heard of Crazy Engineers, you are surely missing something great. You can read more about the same from this earlier blog post of mine. Since I had nothing to post today, I felt like blowing my own trumpet for a while. (If you are thinking whats new in that, then maybe you are at loss... hehe) Anyways, instead of gloating over my likes and dislikes like I've done in my Orkut profile, I will only like you to kindly read my interview taken by CE which was a really good one. Hopefully, it covers almost everything you need to know more about me. It will be even great if you read the interview directly on the website, which will surely have you hooked on, since it is a vast resource of informative reading and knowledge storehouse!!

CEans, We all know CEan Suyash through his posts on CE Forums. CEan - Patty aka Prateek got in touch with Suyash and grilled him for "Know your CEan": Suyash, first of all, congratulations on completing your B.Tech. You have been an active member of CE for quite a time now. We would like to learn more about you for the benefit of the future generations of CE (and for the present too!) -

Q. What are your most memorable experiences in college?

Suyash: VNIT (Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology) has indeed been a great chapter in my life which has made me what I am today and I will continue to draw inspiration from the various events that occurred with me during the wonderful four years spent here. Amongst the most unforgettable experiences in college, I can list quite a few of them: hanging out with my friends, eleventh hour exam preparations and spending quality time to continuously upgrade my technological knowhow... and of course campus placements also have been an exciting phase in the final year !!

Q. Tell us something about your Engineering Trade i.e. Metallurgy and Material Science.
Suyash: Metallurgy and Materials Science Engineering (MME) has always bought me mixed feelings (mainly due to the highly theoretical approach in some courses and some of the really advanced modern applications of the others). Nanotechnology, which will definitely be at the core of the things to come in future, promises scientific breakthroughs never imagined before. Selection of Materials has never been so crucial before, given the stringent requirements based on modern applications. My final year engineering project too gave me a very critical insight into Materials Science and it will be really great if aspiring graduates turn up their sleeves for research and development in this field.

Q. How have you planned your future now that your graduation is over?

Suyash: Despite my engineering trade, I've always found myself fascinated with the world of Computers and programming in general (which can be associated to my penchant of playing games from a young age). As a result, after being placed in Oracle India Pvt. Ltd via the campus placements, I'll be looking forward to enhance the technical skills that I learnt during my engineering curriculum to the fullest extent. I've planned to complete an MBA program affiliated with Software Enterprise Management and then return back to IT industry. Ultimately, it would be dream come true if I could be a part of an organization which deals with high end gaming development for the PC platform!

Q. Tell us about your extra curricular activities in college.

Suyash: VNIT provided me a plethora of activities to indulge into and they have been a really great source of entertainment, learning centers as well as a pathway to let the academics heat out. I have been involved in managing and organizing of Aarohi - Cultural Festival (coordinator Quiz), Axis - Technical Festival (Manager - Lan Gaming Contest) as well as being part of the college Cricket team. Besides these, I am also involved in participation of quizzes, programming contests etc.

Q. When not studying, how does Suyash Joshi kill time?

Suyash: When I am not studying (which occupies the larger section of my 24 hours) I indulge myself with reading books ranging from fictional to biographical and other great works. I also heavily pass time by playing games on my PC, which I upgraded recently to give a performance boost. But Crysis still demands more juice out of my gaming rig L. Other than that recently I've developed a keen liking for solving puzzles (began during campus placements) and of course CE and other such great sites ensure that I never get bored. Watching movies and playing Cricket with friends ensures that not a single day of my life can be labeled as a boring one :)

Q. You ask(ed) people (your friends) to subscribe to your blog (Time of your life - Suyash Joshi). Why do you think people should read your blog & what makes you think that you are maverick - blogger?

Suyash: Ahem... I knew this one was coming [:D] . I think that in my blog I post articles based on absolutely anything, from my personal idiosyncrasies to diverse topics like sports, entertainment, computers and gaming, jokes and whacky ideas. Given the range of the crap that I post, I feel that my blog is an entertaining read for most of the people (my friends [:D] ) and hence the title "Maverick" - since I am someone who feels it's necessary to exhibit great independence in thoughts and actions. I ask(ed) people to subscribe to my blog via email so that they don't have to check my blog every now and then for a new post. Though, these days, services like Google reader serve the purpose very well, but still I feel email subscription is one of the best ways to keep your readership alive and kicking. Anyways, there is always an option of unsubscribing at a later date.

Okay here is a Rapid Question Round

Q. What do like the most about CE?

Suyash: CE - the conglomeration of crazy engineers from around the globe, gives me an opportunity to interact with some of the great brains of the world, to share ideas and actively participate in some really interesting chats about the latest path breaking technologies, scientific discussions and lets me have real fun, and most importantly, is one of the best platforms for an engineer to be himself.

Q. One thing you don't like about CE?

Suyash: Not much really. But it would be great if we can have a better participation from the elder generation of engineers (Since I feel that the majority of members on CE are youngsters like me or just about to be engineers). Having a record of the experience and wisdom of the tried and tested hands is always beneficial whenever you try to innovate or create something. But I'm sure, with the given track record, the average age of CEan's is definitely going soar real high in a matter of time.

Q. Name three CEans that you would like to meet in person

Suyash: Since I've already met Big K in my college, I feel it would be great if I get an opportunity to meet Kidakaka (hopefully in Hyderabad in the latter half of 2008), Maro (don't know when the trip to Egypt will materialize, at least in the near future) and Mahul (I'm still yet to complete the NFS MW Challenge Series dude, stuck on #61)

Q. Describe yourself in 1 word

Suyash: Maverick

Q. If not an Engineer then....

Suyash: I always wanted to be in the Indian Air Force, but certain unfortunate events made it sure that I became an engineer instead. In foresight, not a bad alternative career though.

Q. Your best achievement till date

Suyash: Campus Placement in Oracle India Pvt. Ltd.

Q. Your most embarrassing moment

Suyash: Scoring negative marks in Data Interpretation in one of the Mock CAT (Common Admission Test). That was a rare blunder though, which only happens when you give an exam in a sleepy state.

Q. One thing you would like to change about yourself

Suyash: It seems that the world wants me to be less impulsive in doing things the haphazard way, to think for a moment more before taking that last step, since I believe in the "never-fret-about-anything-ever" policy. Of course, I'm still trying to work on it.

Q. One thing you wish you would have invented or discovered

Suyash: It would be great, (and it's high time) if someone works with me to find a shielding material for the obstruction of disasters caused by nuclear radiations emitted by atomic bombs.

Q. Suyash is a Crazy Engineer because:

Suyash: There's no point in living life the ordinary way. And to obtain extra ordinary results, you have to be crazy enough to venture into that unexplored territory. Believe me, it's really a wonderful combo to be an engineer and be crazy to think about seemingly impossible ideas and to actually put them into action.

Patty: It was a pleasure talking to you and getting to know you better. Have a nice day and a great life ahead. And enjoy your vacations.
Suyash: Thanks for providing me space in "Know your CEan" section on CE. It's been a real pleasure to be a part of CE.

Do enter your comments and feedback (and doubts, if any, of course) by clicking here.

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Con Jargon

If you liked the article about the TV Series "Hustle" (to read it, click Here) and yourself enjoy the same, here's more food (?) for thought. Some of the people who have seen it complained that there are many "keywords" used in the grifter lingo, that they weren't able to comprehend. For eg: Do you know what "a mark" is? What would you do with a "cackle-bladder"? Don't be depressed, reader. The official BBC site has a solution which I will be shamelessly posting here, only for the benefit of the less privileged. Without any hurry, be ready to get the low-down on the world of the con and the jargon used in Hustle. Hope you enjoy the list and it adds to your vocabulary!!

# 'The mark' is the intended victim of the planned con.

# A 'short con' refers to taking 'the mark' for all the money he has on his person. It's an opportunist scam that isn't pre-planned to any great deal.

# A 'long con' or 'big con' refers to a more complex, planned con, whereby 'the mark' is sent to get more money or used to get more money than is just on his person.

# 'Putting him on the send' is another term for a 'long con' or 'big con'.

# The 'big con' is a form of theatre - "staged with minute naturalistic illusionism for an audience of one who is enlisted as part of the cast".

# 'A mark' is lured in by the conman by, in the first instance, by making money himself on one of their scams. Having gained 'the mark's' trust, the conmen 'sting' him for a load of money.

# There are two types of con settings, real life (ie. restaurants and hotel rooms) and 'The Big Store', where empty offices are rigged out to look like a real life setting.

# 'The Roper' is the 'Outsideman' - the man who identifies with 'the mark' (the victim) and gains their confidence.

# 'The Insideman' is the key player, the member of the con mob who stays near the 'big store' and receives 'the mark' (the victim) whom 'The Roper' brings.

# 'The Manager' manages the outfit and is often the bookmaker for the group.

# 'Extras' are unemployed conmen playing the role of extras in the con.

# 'Putting up the mark' refers to the process of locating a well-to-do victim.

# 'Playing the con for him' refers to gaining the victim's confidence.

# 'Roping the Mark' refers to steering him to meet the 'insideman' who will eventually fleece him.

# 'Giving him the convincer' refers to the process of allowing the victim to make a substantial profit on the first scam, thereby gaining his trust.

# 'Blowing him off' refers to the process of getting the victim out of the way as quickly as possible.

# 'Putting the fix' refers to forestalling action by the Law.

# 'Playing a man against the wall' refers to conning a man in a real setting, eg. a hotel room.

# 'Cackle-bladder' is a method of faking the death of one of the conmen. It involves filling a small receptacle with chicken blood which the conman conceals on his person for the fake gunshot.

# If 'the mark' 'beefs' then he's gone to the Police to grass up the conmen.

# 'The Fix' refers to the cooperation bought from the Police. A Fixer usually has political connections and is paid off by the conmen for fixing people in the banks, police, and the courts. Most con mobs can't exist without 'Fixers'.

It would be wrong on my part if I don't mention the actors who make up the best Grifter crew ever seen in the world at this juncture, since Hustle won't have come so far (not forgetting the writers, of course)...

• The Legendary "Mickey Bricks" a.k.a. Micheal Stone played by Adrian Lester - He is the Leader and the Inside Man.
• "Alby" a.k.a Albert Stroller played by Robert Vaughn - He is the Roper.
• Ash "three socks" Morgan played by Robert Glenister - He is the Fixer.
• "Stacie Monroe" played by Jaime Murray - She is the Lure.
• "Dannie Blue" played by Marc Warren - He is the Inside Man and the Floater.
• "Billy Bond" played by Ashley Walters - He is the Rookie.

If you have anything else to add to the list, feel free to do so. Click here to comment, add or to notify any correction with respect to the above data. And beware, don't ever be greedy and dishonest, you never know when somebody cons you !!

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