Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Tsar



Most amazing video I have ever seen. The largest nuclear bomb ever tested. 50-58 Megatons (~58 million tons of TNT). This is equal to 10 times the total amount of explosives used in the Second World War.

It is amazing we were able to create something like this. We have enough explosive power to crack open the crust of the Earth like an egg shell. Probably the next step is a nuclear explosion in space to simulate what kind of damage it can cause.

I am in favour of such tests. Better to know what these weapons are capable of so that people think 100 times before they use it in aggression.

If you have a gun, might as well learn to use it well so that you don't end up shooting yourself in the foot by accident!


Another amazing video... love the last bit. I wish I can see a nuclear explosion in my lifetime (especially the mushroom cloud!). The new Indiana Jones movie (The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) has a scene in which Indy just survives a nuclear explosion and he is shown staring at the mushroom cloud.

J. Robert Oppenheimer the physicist who headed the Manhattan Project (also known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb) is said to have quoted the Bhagvad Gita when he saw the first nuclear explosion.

Oppenheimer later would be persuaded to quote again in 1965 for a television broadcast (from Wikipedia):

“ We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another "

How true he was... except I would like to make two minor modifications to the above quote:

"We are Death, the destroyers of Earth"

And this relates not just to the Nuclear Bomb or other weapons. But to our complete disregard for the environment.

:)

Thursday, May 29, 2008

With a heart of stone and flowers in my eyes...

My sweet little flower...

A fountain of pink..


Another fountain...

Flower with a delicate center... see the patterns in the yellow bit...

Another view

See the edge of the yellow center... how delicate it looks!


Another view...

Delicate pinks..

White flowers...


Yellow, white and green!

White in front yellows at the back! Line up everyone...

Dark greens, mud and a cloudy sky... that is how the city looked that day!

Foreground, background, the lookout point and the sky!

Veins in the cliff..

Another view looking West...

1/4 foreground and 3/4 background

1/4 foreground and 3/4 background - slightly different


Wood, water and stone

Images of Summer (May 2008)

Beee-zy at work!

Not a 9-5 job!

Bristol - the trees and the mud.

Look at the rock... look at the ROCK!

Cliff face - old and green.


Flowers in a line.

The Clifton Bridge against a grey and angry sky!

South-side tower of the Clifton Bridge.

The curve of the suspension cables.

The full bridge!



Pink flowers...

Pink, red, green and grey...


Bristol

The Clifton Bridge


A sea of green..


Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Never give up the good fight!

And come down and put your heart in this fight
Ah, Come on and make your stand tonight


Every Move a Picture - Signs of Life


Ever felt like quitting? Ever felt what is the use of all this crap that surrounds us? Ever felt frustrated?

I do. Many times! :) Because I am a human being with normal aspirations and expectations. Sometimes I feel what is the use of all these complications? (Yeah I am a normal person!)

Why do we love, hate, laugh, sing, dance, laugh, cry, kiss, hug, slap, hit, kill, create life?

Wouldn't it be simpler to just live out this life for yourself? Why have other people to worry for you and other people to worry for?

The answer is very simple... because we are supposed to fight! :) The fun is in the fight!

And fight we do. Whether we stay alone or embrace life. Alone we fight with outselves. The negative energy turns inwards. The destructive force channeled inwards.

So better turn the energy towards the world. Negaitve and positive.

Fight the good fight with the world! Live life! :)

And put this post on your favourites list... on bad days read it! :)

Hope it motivates you to continue the fight.



:)

Shots of the New Moon!


The crescent moon!


Long exposure of the new moon.

One in a....

There are approximately 6.6 billion people in the world.
The population of India is approximately 1.1 billion.

So next time you tell someone that they are one in a million (or as we say in India (lakhon mein ek - one in a hundred thousand)... it means there are about:

-> 6,600 people like them in the world

-> 1,100 people like them in India

:)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

A Tale of Two Summers...

The British Summer

Bristol - 27th May 2008; 1:00 AM

Current Nearest Observations:
Cloudy 11°C with Max of 25°C
North Easterly Wind (19 mph)
Relative Humidity (%): 78,
Pressure (mB): 1011, Rising,
Visibility: Very good


The Indian Summer

New Delhi - 27th May 2008; 5:30 AM (adjusted for time difference)

Current Nearest Observations:
Clear 25°C with Max of 37°C
N/A (0 mph)
Relative Humidity (%): 88,
Pressure (mB): 1004, Steady,
Visibility: Poor

It has been a funny bank holiday weekend. Rains have embraced Bristol and are not letting go. Even now I can hear the rain beating down on the window behind my head. Delhi has also been enjoying good weather last week or so.

Here during the summer when the rains comes one needs to dig up winterwear. In India when it rains during the summer people go dancing in the rain!
On the other hand people in both the places complain when it rains.
In UK because it eats up the short 'British Summer' and in India because the roads clog up!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Kübler-Ross model: Five steps towards grief management!

The Kübler-Ross Model lays out a five step process to deal with grief:

1. Denial

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance


Hope this helps you get over problems in life! :)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

How women communicate with men?

How do women communicate with men?

An example I heard of a girl talking with a guy:

"If you had taken my suggestion, I wouldn't have allowed you to buy it"

This is a very good example of multi-level communication. On one level the girl doesn't want to appear too aggressive on the other she wants to firmly state her displeasure. Combining the two allows the girl to command the guy as well as not appear dominating in front of others.
:)