Take a look at the story of the birth of Dr. Partha
Thank you, France for all that you gave me.
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13-2021 Flavours of mathematicians
Recently, I posted an article about mathematicians. We spoke about the kind of things mathematicians do, I call each type of mathematician as a “flavour”. I did not know where I stood in this classification, since I was clearly a misfit in any of the “flavours” I had mentioned. So, I added one more flavour to suit me — mathematics missionary. This is the type who pretends to know mathematics, just waves his hands and talks endlessly whenever he sermonises on mathematics. You can also call him a mathematics vagabond
To borrow a religious metaphor, he is an evangelist who implores all to follow his GOD, mathematics. Whether you care for what he says, or disagree with him, he does not mind either way.
12-2021 Beaches you should visit in India !
Till recently, India was home to 8 Blue Flag certified beaches. Now, we have two more — bringing the total to ten !
The two new entries are ::
- Kovalam (aka Covelong) (near Chennai)
- Eden Beach (near Puducheri)
Here is a list of all the ten beaches waiting for your visit. And of course there are many serene islands you can enjoy.
Add this beach to your bucket list :: Malpe Beach, Udupi, Karnataka.
Welcome to the paradise called India !
11- 2021 Filth and garbage, or religious freedom ? You choose !
Filth and garbage, or religious freedom ? You choose :
1. Holi
2. Ganesh chaturthi
3. Durga pooja
4. Deepavali
10-2021 How I ruined my Sunday evening .
Yesterday, 12/09/2021, I decided to experience the much publicised traffic-free promenade, along Tank Bund in Hyderabad. Tank bund is a major artery connecting Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and runs along the periphery of the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake. And my GOD , I was so disappointed /disgusted and had to curse myself for this faux pas. This experience proves how good-intentioned schemes can be ruined by reckless , irresponsible and uncivilised behaviour by the very people who should be promoting such ideas.
I saw how filth and garbage can be spread or dumped in the name of religious liberty. They say that there is an order of the high court which prohibits immersion of plaster of Paris Ganesha idols in the lake. What I saw, was exactly the opposite. Hundreds of policemen in the area kept watching helplessly as people kept dumping all their idols into the stagnant and stinking lake. Added to the mess and filth were also thousands of plastic bags, styropor/thermocole material, with many more nondescript garbage. Vive la liberte !
The traffic-free aspect was just a farce. Traffic had to pass through a major part of the tank bund, which made the crowd more congested all over. The density of traffic was much higher than other usual days. A considerable part of the walking space (or whatever was left free) was also occupied by hawkers and street-side vendors. Blaring loudspeakers made the evening resemble more like a sojourn in hell. But who cares ?
If you ever think of visiting tank bund on a Sunday evening, just drop the idea pronto. Do not fall for all the organised propaganda, stay away and feel safe.
Do not get carried away by all the colourful publicity. (see examples above). What you actually see at tank bund will not be so good or enjoyable.
Moral of the story : If you are looking for some peace and tranquility, tank bund is certainly NOT the place to go to. There are many better places in Hyderabad, to go and spend a serene evening.
Filth and garbage, or religious freedom ? You choose !
partha
NOTE : Readers are welcome to send their own experiences and opinions, to the author at drpartha@gmail.com .
09-2021 Add this to the list
Add spoonerism to the list of tools which help enhance the
value of your English language
Wikipedia defines “spoonerism” as :
an error in speech (aka play of words) in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched between two words in a phrase. These are named after the Oxford don and ordained minister William Archibald Spooner, who reputedly did this.
Here are some examples found in wikipedia:
- “Three cheers for our queer old dean!” (rather than “dear old queen,” which is a reference to Queen Victoria)
- “Is it kisstomary to cuss the bride?” (as opposed to “customary to kiss”)
- “The Lord is a shoving leopard.” (instead of “a loving shepherd”)
- “A blushing crow.” (“crushing blow”)
- “A well-boiled icicle” (“well-oiled bicycle”)
- “You were fighting a liar in the quadrangle.” (“lighting a fire”)
- “Is the bean dizzy?” (“Dean busy”)
- “Someone is occupewing my pie. Please sew me to another sheet.” (“Someone is occupying my pew. Please show me to another seat.”)
- “You have hissed all my mystery lectures. You have tasted a whole worm. Please leave Oxford on the next town drain.” (“You have missed all my history lectures. You have wasted a whole term. Please leave Oxford on the next down train.”)
Do not miss the other interesting examples given in the above wikipedia page :flutter by (butter fly), Resident Pagan” (President Reagan) , US’s periodic practice of “Licking their Peaders” (Picking their leaders), NSA “poopin’ on Snutin” (Snoopin’ on Putin) and “phugging everybody’s bones” (bugging everybody’s phones).
08-2021 Lessons a pencil can teach us !
Lessons a pencil can teach us !
A young boy was watching his grandmother writing on a book. He asked her what she was writing.
His grandmother stopped writing and said to her grandson:
I am writing a story, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using.
I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve seen!’
“That depends on how you look at things. It has seven qualities which, if you manage to adopt them, will make you a happy person who is always at peace with the world.”
- First quality: You must never forget that there is a hand guiding you. We call that hand God / almighty / supreme power and He always Guides us according to His Will.
- Second quality: Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, it is much sharper.
So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person. - Third quality: The pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes.
This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the right path. - Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.
- Fifth quality: It always leaves a mark.
In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in every action of yours. - Sixth quality : It gets shorter and shorter with use…. so also life.
Make the most while it lasts. - Seventh quality: It writes till the very end.
Be useful and productive till your last day on this mother Earth
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07-2021 Alan Turing is mine !
But who was Alan Turing ? Why is he so famous ?
If you are not too much into computer science, AI and stuff like that, you may as well assume that Alan Turing is the God of computer science. The proof, if required, comes from the fact that the world’s biggest prize/award in Computer Science is named after him, and also the fact that the fundamental (smallest) model of a computer was developed by Alan Turing ! He gave the real meaning of “computation”, at a time when there were no computers around !
To know more about this genius, see :: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing
But his life had a pitiable end. See : the man who knew too much .
How did I get to own Alan Turing ? 
I simply managed to get a 50 GBP note issued by the bank of England on 23 July 2021. Details are here :: the new 50GBP note .
I thank my dear friend Christian CHEVALIER who procured this treasure and mailed it to me promptly. Mille merci, cher ami.
I can now claim proudly, Alan Turing is mine !
06-2021 Copyright is NOT the “right to copy”
One of the most misunderstood terms in the English language is “copyright”. The word “copy” in “copyright” is a noun (denoting the original object, created by an author) and not a verb (denoting making a duplicate). The French have a more explicit and less ambiguous term: “droits de l’auteur”, which can be translated as “author’s rights”.
Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution. It is important to note that copyright protects only the “original expression of ideas, and not the underlying ideas themselves”. An idea is an abstract entity. It is expressed in many ways : as words (prose, or poetry), as music (lyrics, or tune), as figures (map, sketch, diagram, drawing, painting, icon, sculpture, photographs, logos, monograms, emblems) , as computer programs, or in any other palpable form/medium). Such an expression (of an idea) is often called as “copy”.
The exclusive rights are not absolute but limited by restrictions and exceptions to copyright law, including fair use. These rights frequently include usage, reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and “moral rights” such as attribution. Typically, the duration of a copyright spans the author’s life plus 50 to 100 years (that is, copyright typically expires 50 to 100 years after the author dies, depending on the jurisdiction).
Another term closely related to “copyright” is a “license”. A “license” is a legal instrument used for sharing the copyrights of the author. The license can be granted only by the author — the person who owns the copyright. A license is a formal document which specifies the rights being shared, and the conditions attached to this sharing. The license can come for free (gratis) or may require a “license fee” . A “licensor” grants rights through a license, while a “licensee” receives and exercises those rights.
The difference between copyright and license is similar between an ownership document (of a house) and a rent/lease agreement (for the house). While renting out an apartment, the owner specifies various conditions (see examples below), but retains the ownership with himself. Another analogy would be like buying a train ticket. The passenger gets the right to use the train, the train still belongs to the railway company. The ownership is not transferred to the tenant (house) or the passenger (train). A more common place comparison could be the road license you obtain (by paying a fee — sometimes called as road tax) for your car or vehicle. Only the conditions of usage by the tenant/passenger/road user is formalised.
In the case of road license (road tax), you are authorised to drive on public roads, subject to your following a whole lot of (complex) traffic rules. You may use the road, but you do NOT own the road !
For a house/apartment :
Here are some common examples of conditions which can be specified in a rent/ lease document :
Usage: The tenant may not use the apartment for commercial purposes. The tenant may not store weapons, explosives etc. in the apartment. The tenant should not disturb the peace and tranquility of the neighbourhood.
Copying / distribution: The tenant may not be allowed to hire out the apartment to others. He is not authorised to sell or mortgage the apartment.
Modifications: The tenant is not allowed to make any modifications to the structure (e.g. breaking walls, blocking windows or doors etc.). The tenant may also not be allowed to repaint the apartment. The tenant may not add rooms or extensions of any kind.
Attribution: The tenant must retain the actual owner’s name and title in all documents pertaining to the house.
The train ticket analogy is pretty similar. Each train company can impose its own set of restrictions/limitations with the ticket you buy, for instance :
Usage: This ticket permits you to travel only between the stations mentioned in the ticket (via the route specified, if any). Some tickets also specify the train or the class you can travel, or even the dates and time of travel. Sometimes, even the compartment number and the seat number may be imposed.
Copying : You cannot use a copied ticket for travel. The ticket is not transferable.
Modifications: You cannot make any modifications to the train or compartment you are travelling in.
Like a rent/lease agreement, a license may adopt / impose similar conditions. The license may or may not require payment of any kind.
A license is a contract between the author and the user. The author is free to take any action, if the user violates any conditions mentioned in the license (copyright infringement). The author may take up
any legal step, like: simple , written warning, “cease and desist” legal notice, litigation, penalty, arrest and prosecution …… The availability and cost of such options may vary from country to country.
Certain businesses e.g. music and entertainment business, have advocated the extension and expansion of copyright and sought additional legal and technological enforcement. The computer software industry has its own adaptation. There is a plethora of licensing schemes adapted for the computer software industry. Two licenses stand out, for their popularity:
* The GNU General Public License (GPL), created by the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
* The Creative Commons License
These two licenses provide an unambiguous and standardised framework for sharing computer software or similar literary publications, and makes life generally easy for both the user and the author. It is generally painful and cumbersome for the author to detect all copyright infringement, all the time, and take up legal action against the alleged offender. The user feels assured that he may not have overlooked any invisible restrictions or rights.
Some social activists object to restrictions imposed in the name of copyright. Two examples of such movement are :
Both these movements define a legal framework for overcoming copyright restrictions (in specific cases).
DISCLAIMER: The author is NOT an expert in legal matters. The above post is only his personal impression on copyright. Consult a qualfied and competent legal professional for confirmation on the above.
NOTE: All the downloadable material published by this author on the web, are licensed under a CC-BY-SA License.
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05-2021 Oxymorons
Figures of speech in English make your writings interesting and worth reading. An “oxymoron” is a clever usage of two contradictory words,
to innovatively convey an idea. Here are some interesting examples of oxymorons (the last one is the most interesting) :
*1) Found Missing*
*2) Open Secret*
*3) Small Crowd*
*4) Act Naturally*
*5) Clearly Misunderstood*
*6) Fully Empty*
*7) Pretty Ugly*
*8) Seriously Funny*
*9) Only Choice*
*10) Original Copies*
*11) Exact Estimate*
*12) Tragic Comedy*
*13) Foolish Wisdom*
*14) Liquid Gas*
*15) Working Holiday*
*16) Toxic Honey*
*And The newest Mother of all is*
*17) Social Distancing”*
“And I Forgot to mention”..
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” *Happily Married* ” !!*
See also : anagrams