passive homes. "use up as much power as used by a hair-dryer to heat the house!" link.

25dec2008

season's greetings 2 u, the reader, from me.

drinking water quality - WHO link.

water bear! what the heck is that? link.

drinking water. link.

drinking water contaminants & permissible levels. link.

20dec2008

aphids - tidbits.

#1. some give birth 2 live young ones! i thought, that feature was a hallmark of mammals. link.

#2. some species of ants "farm" some species of aphids for their honeydew! link.

it pays 2 go back 2 nature 2 get elegant & tested solutions. link.

19dec2008

hmm.. could my allergies have something 2 do with the milk i get in Karnataka, made by Nandini? 

link

16dec2008

did u know? that the coastline of Greenland is approximately the length of the circumference of the earth @ the equator! link.

understanding yawning. link.

etymology of the word, understanding. my take is that, one gets a better view/comprehension of things when they stand underneath that object. ;-)

i just listened to, "maya" by carrie tree. i liked it. i like the way the voice rasps one instant, then becomes smooth the next, and then almost breaks the next, very effortlessly. link.

14dec2008

i'm tired of Pak's argument that they 2 r a victim of terrorism. the point i want 2 make is, that terrorism is not fermented in India or based out of Indian soil. 2 me, that's a huge difference. rather, it a bumper harvest of the seeds (crop) Pak had sown by allowing its land 2 b used 4 terrorist training camps and on account of ISI's involvement in nurturing these terrorist organizations.

if Pak cannot keep its house in order, India would b more than glad 2 help pursue those rogue/terrorist elements in its land. as simple as that. related link.

09dec2008

interesting finding in the area of animal psychology. link.

09dec2008

interesting finding in the area of animal psychology. link

07dec2008

i would concur with this link.

05dec2008

my point is, u can do what u enjoy doing, that in which u find purpose, way b4 u retire. if u're doing all that today, why even retire? everyday is retirement day. read here. 

01dec2008

just in case, u thought india was illtreating it's muslim population, u might b surprised to know the following.

"India is the only Non-Muslim country in the world where Muslims have college and job reservations. Muslims are even given money to undertake Haj pilgrimage." link.

and the college reservations & job reservations come @ the expense of the majority hindu population, just on the basis that, someone was born as a muslim in india. 

even hindus don't get tax payer's money to make religious piligrimages to hindu shrines!

30nov2008

from nyTimes

"Should it become clear that the men who rampaged through Mumbai trained in Pakistan, even if the Pakistani government had no hand in the operation, what will stop the Indians from adopting the same position?" link.

that's exactly, my thoughts too.

27nov2008

a cool visualization of gravitational field

25nov2008

vid credit: lookang

interesting reading. link.

one of the responses to the above linked post, between == markers.

==

Every week Mr. Farrell writes an excellent article and it seems like the most sarcastic and naïve people are the first to respond. Rather than ridicule the messenger, you might want to educate yourself and you won’t be so arrogantly optimistic.

A lot of the things Mr. Farrell writes about is indeed predictable. You might want to watch the “Crash Course” by Chris Martenson. He references a transcript to a lecture by a Dr. Bartlett titled, “The Most Important Video You’ll Ever See.” Dr. Bartlett asserts that “The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the Exponential Function.”

Chris Martinson’s Crash Course can be found at this site.
http://www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse

Dr. Bartlett’s lecture is on YouTube. (Part 1 of 8)
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=The+Most+IMPORTANT+Video+You%27ll+Ever+See+%28part+1+of+8%29&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#

==

another post between ++++ markers.

++++

If you want a really good read, get "Conquer the Crash" by Robert Prechter. Written in 2002, you would have thought he just wrote it last week. You can get a used copy on Amazon for about half.

++++

23nov2008

it is accepted that electromagnetic (EM) waves can travel through vacuum (absence of media), right? if they are indeed waves in literal sense, then shouldn't they need a medium for transmission?

so, then the riddle is how do they travel in vacuum? if u have insight that'll help me understand the propagation of EM waves in vacuum, PLEASE email me.

i've also posted this Q/riddle and the discussion continues, here.

23nov2008

i'm trying to understand, how an object gets its color. lying the bed last night, i narrowed it down to the frequencies/wavelengths of the contituents of the visible light spectrum and the frequencies of the vibration of the atoms electrons attached to the atoms of different elements of the periodic table. beyond that, my quest is following the following links [pun unintended ;-)].

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/archive.htm

http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/ask_st/040892.html

Physics classroom tutorial. 

Lesson 2(light absorbtion, reflection & transmission)  link [the answer lies in this link!]

Lesson 2(electromagnetic & visible spectra) link

while still on the topic, colors, try mixing/painting red, blue & green together and see if u get white! i've tried it.

xtra link - i haven't read this one yet.

21nov2008

i was in mysore again this tuesday and wednesday and was able to pick up a few coins belonging to the princely states of Travancore, Nizam of Hyderabad and Gwalior. 

2 coins of denomination "oru kaasu" or "one cash" from the period of Bala Rama II minted in 1928. see image here.

1 coin of denomination "half anna" from the period of Jivaji Rao Shindey 

1 coin of denomination "2 pai" from the period of Nizam of Hyderabad minted in 1945 in the honor of King Safwat of Ottoman empire. ref

i was doing some reading on this guy, the Nizam of Hyderabad and was surprised to read that he was the world richest person till 1967! who would have guessed that the land of India had so much wealth in it. see article here.

some food 4 thought. link.

15nov2008

so, who is, barack obama? read here.

i enjoyed this exchange between putin & sarkozy. read here. hat tip.

14nov2008

http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/11/11/indian-reactions/

my take on the US adventures on the Kashmir issue. u should b able 2 figure out, which comments r mine. 

12nov2008

-new electric + whatever hybrid car from segway's inventor. ref

11nov2008

-what's up with ppl saying things like, "i was speaking from the bottom of my heart," and its ilk using heart as if it were the seat of thought.

all of our accumulated knowledge posits that, heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood around the body, not only in humans but also in all the other life forms that have one. i'd like to see heart dropped from discourse as being the original of certain thots and feelings.

-more ranting on the same. even feelings, like thought, have also been implicated as a mental activity occurring in brain!

-intel's new health gizmo ref

10nov2008

-marine organisms census, octopus ancestry ref, shark's singles bar etc. ref

-power speak 4 itself ref hello, UN, u there? hello, anybody there?

-a gr8 piece on Rahm ref

if u're wondering, who ari gold is that obama is talking abt, chk out this youtube link.

09nov2008

-Peter Watkins, a compelling read.

-subatomic particles, a pic

-heart of matter, pic

-standard model, pic

-particle adventure, ref

08nov2008

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122602394113507555.html

Paul Jenkins - Phenomena waves without wind

Helen Frankenthaler-Ocean Drive West No. 1

Sam Francis-Blue-balls-IV-1960

Mark Rothko utitled

Mark Rothko utitled

Mark Rothko Blue Green Brown

06nov2008

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/11/yglesias-award.html

don't waste ur life! watch entourage on HBO

04nov2008

the D day

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/one_day_to_go_and_mccain_is_be.php

George Bush beat McCain via questionable tactics in 2000 and he has beaten him with his legacy in 2008.  I can just see W sitting with Cheney saying "How can we make sure John does not have a chance at a weekend comeback?   Sure, Dick, you endorse him!!" ref: click here

02nov2008

(pretty much sums up the political fallout of obama's half-aunt's immigration status)

http%3A//www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-trailaunt2-2008nov02%2C0%2C1832949.story&cid=1264318910&usg=AFQjCNHsWFa2frtz8dxCoBK42d2QDDgCmA

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5061437.ece

01nov2008

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,445804,00.html

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/gallery/101008_Obama_Clinton_similarities/

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/0-0&fp=490c15a8b87baaff&ei=S3AMSfHLCajk6gPkjvSEDQ&url=http%3A//ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVVj5SjAgqpjIbqdmcOB74FtqRIAD94669900&cid=1264318910&usg=AFQjCNHCK8gd5j15Wmcqv-x_q18CERew6g (i wonder what would b the political impact of this one! so close 2 the D day)

31oct2008

http://www.ashesandsnow.org/

29oct2008

http://www.youtube.com/v/GtREqAmLsoA&hl=en&fs=1

28oct2008

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/98jun/gop.htm

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/10/hbc-90003761

http://infochimps.org/static/gallery/politics/endorsements_map/endorsement_graph.html

http://www.americathegiftshop.com/

http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/client/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=211600896

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/style/2008/10/naked-sushi.html

27oct2008

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article5013891.ece

http://elections.gmu.edu/early_vote_2008.html

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/10/27/signs-it-s-over-oct-27.aspx

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505E2DD163BF932A25753C1A96E958260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/C/Clinton,%20Bill

paradoxes

with gr8 satisfaction and pride, i came to know that one of the paradoxes i came up with, was also conceived by another person almost 2 millenia ago, and that person is zeno and the paradox is zeno's paradox on "motion is impossible." today, the 21st of august, 2008, i have come to know that this paradox has a solution. wow! well, some more food 4 thought for me. nice....

quotes

i hate jackFruit! :-\

logic

found this course http://www.filozofia.uw.edu.pl/kpaprzycka/Publ/xLogicSelfTaught.html

working through it, have so far made it to unit 3 pg 27. want to complete the rest soon.

missing piece meets big O

quotes

life like a journey isn't abt reaching the destination. make the most off it while it lasts. -amar (27june2008;9.46pm)

polictics

these r some of the comments that have cracked me up. u'll know whom they're abt if u've been following the 2008 elections. enjoy.

• Old Man's yelling at clouds again.
• Great speech from a guy who obviously doesn't need a teleprompter to string more than two sentences together! Loved his response to McCain's charge about visiting Iraq. Give that old man a US map and get out his flack jacket. He's got some more markets to visit.

philosophy

russell's paradox: can someone help me see/understand the paradox?

let's say r is a set consisting of members (physical beings) crystal, roark, dominique. in set languate, r={crystal, roark, dominique}.

i'm stumped trying to even ask the question, is the group consisting of crystal, roark, dominique a member of the group consisting of crystal, roark, dominique? is there any physical equivalence to this seemingly rhetorical Q?

the original set r consists of three individuals, physical beings. now, that is simple and straightforward. the set is an abstract entity. does it make sense to even ask, whether an abstract entity, in this case the set r, is a member of the set which is a collection of individual physical beings?

doesn't the very definition of the set r, exclude those entities or members who r not physical beings?

worldAffairs

Aung San Suu Kyi is detained 4 more time! big surprise! i find this a joke that the western world, especially the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia who cry foul over suppression of democracy have mere words on this.
i wonder where the knight in the shining armour (read Bush) is. i don't understand why there's so much double standards when it comes to dealing with burma, sudan, zimbabwe as opposed to dealing with iraq and iran?
maybe, there's no oil there! right?

i feel awful with the mere words from the world community on this. ugh! the hypocracy.

even the msm like nyt, washington post etc. who normally would open the articles for comments by readers merely report this as just another non-event. shameful journalism.

i ended up posting this on my blog since i couldn't do so as i normally could on sites like nyt, washington post etc.

philosophy

i remember having read this Problems in Philosophy: the Limits of Inquiry more than a year ago. i was impressed.

i liked the argument put forth in it, that humans might be limited by their cognitive closure explaining or resolving philosophical problems. more of my thoughts on this @ a later time.

ok, my thoughts now.
i think sentience was selected for its ability 2 solve immediate problems of survival and probably procreation @ a later time than solving philosophical problems. just consider this simple scenario, i can survive without thinking about philosophical problems, but i wouldn't be able 2 survive without food, clothing, shelter etc..

disclaimer:@ this point in time, i'm a believer in evolutionary theory but am willing 2 give this up if i find a more compelling theory in future.

numismatics

while in mysore over the weekend of 24/25may2008, i was able 2 get my hands onto 5 coins. the guy hawking them was very talkative, to the piont where he claimed he knew a lil bit of french, italian, spanish, chinese and japanese! when i proded him 2 say something in spanish, i thought what i heard was french. :) anyways, the coins are:
1.20 cents south african coin minted in 1996 with "AFERIKA BORWA" on what i think is the obverse
2.10 agorot israel coin, minted 1985 probably
3.10 cents of all places from sierra leone, 1964, with sir milton margai on the obverse
now the next two, i cannot verify the authenticity yet.
4.left facing elephant on the obverse with perpendicular lines and dot in the center on the reverse. the guy claimed it was from the period of tipu sultan. needless to say, i'm yet to find a pic on the internet matching this one!
5.some arabic or urdu inscriptions one side and 2 in the middle of a circular pattern on the other. this was supposedly from the nawab of hyderabad times! i'm dissapointed to note that the coins i've seen online from that age have what looks like charminar on the obverse.

these last 2 coins have quite a bit of grime on them, so i'm in the process of cleaning them currently. i shall post what i find later.

philosophy

one of the works i've thoroughly enjoyed.
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/Philosophy/axioms.php


note:if u want to read the original 60 page version, email me and i shall sent it over 2 u.

musik

07 Concerto a 5 for oboe in D minor- Adagio by Alessandro Marcello

energy

came across this post a while ago.
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

postAmericanWorld

stumbled on this http://www.newsweek.com/id/135380 via http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/default.aspx and my thoughts are below.

Posted By: amarMabbu @ 05/23/2008 2:16:34 AM
Comment: my observations and things 2 ponder:
1.would any other culture/country in america's shoes have done anything differently?
2.maybe one likes and seeks change as long as it is the other person doing it.
3.maybe this behaviour is more deeply engrained in the human genome that anyone/culture/country that rises 2 the top wants to remain there and try and put down others trying 2 claim that spot.
4.maybe it's the selfish interest of the genes that matters more than the ideology that arose from it.

Posted By: amarMabbu @ 05/23/2008 02:22:48
Comment: i want to give credits 2 the original page http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/default.aspx that brought me 2 this first chapter.alas, i wanted to post the above thoughts of mine on the tnr site, but couldn't do it 4 free.