Centrifugal Goldfinger

I've not posted for a long time, so before I get started with bigger posts with long-winded and lengthy descriptions, I thought I'd post a delicious little link first, to start myself up.

I found this beauty on xkcd. I was just pressing the random button, and Centrifugal Force came up. I find it absolutely delightful because

a) it shows a possibility of a new, more interesting way of applying science

b) the James Bond theme along with the ending which-let me say for the record- I never saw coming because I was caught up in the coordinate substitution....

Well, see for yourself

I simply remember my favourite things.......

Aaaargh!!

Sitting and formulating presentations on the Principles and Analyses of Social Stratification which will have to be elaborated and simplified a great deal only to have all my effort frittered away in hurling it at unreceptive brains whose idea of meaningful information is a talk about what you think about, you know..... all that stuff that's been....you know happening and OH DUDES! have you seen the new video on Vh1? It's so amazing.....

As a result, I am here trying to thrash out something to write on  the blog. I really don't know what to write. I was planning on something to do with great moral implications and consequences which could change the world as we know it, but I seem to have forgotten what I wanted to say. Ah well; can't have been any great thought.

In the meantime, I'm just putting up a few of my favourite PBF comics. Not my explicit favourites, but at the current moment, they appeal to me immensely. (To enlarge just click on them)

Rodeo

There are so many bits I love in this. His expression. Their expressions. The inversion. The understated cruelty. Classic PBF at its darkest best.

Baby

It mocks popular culture, and is bitingly vicious. Pardon the pun

Scorpy, the Forest Friend

Bringing something unusual to innocent surroundings can have consequences. Once again, the expression really makes the comic

Mario Too

Reality and unreality collide on a hilarious level. I imagine the next situation having something to do with a bad mushroom

Extreme Crocball

An important stage in the evolution of man

Astronaut Falling

So innocent. So cruel. So brilliant.

Chew Boy

Understated cruelty brought back in its most beautiful, artistic form yet. Like the The Experimenter in La Jetee.

That's all for now. At some other time, when I don't feel like writing much and want to go through the PBF archives again, I'll put up a few more great ones. Until then, back to Davis & Moore and their erstwhile nemesis, Tumin.

Gems from school

The people in my class were born to be entertainers. While some try to take this literally by staring themselves for a few days, most simply provide entertainment by being themselves. Being a bystander (innocent until proven guilty) has its advantages. Here are just a few of the splendid thoughts which have, fortunately or unfortunately, been translated into words over the course of several classes.

Teacher: ...and so we must learn to view all other communities and ethnicities equally. We must not judge them based on what the media says about them. We must learn to stop stereotyping them, and we must not judge them-

Student[noticing the 2nd time "must not judge them" is mentioned] : But that's prejudice!

Teacher: You see, the city [Bombay] is in the hands of the majority. They decide the policies. That is why all the politicians canvass the support of the majority-

Student: Miss, but [arguably the most uttered phrase in our class after "But miss,"] the politicians in this article [refers to article being referred to by teacher] are canv- getting the support of the slumpeople. I mean, shouldn't they be with the majority?

Teacher[confused, and completely unprepared for the asinine comments about to follow]: ...?,.? but they're campaigning in the suburbs, especially in the slums and the middle class areas.

Student: Miss, but those aren't the majority group in Bombay!

Teacher[thoroughly mystified]: Then who is?

Student: Who? Miss, us of course! The upper class community has, like, far more people than the middle or lower classes. Miss, come on; that's obvious.

Teacher: What are you saying??!!?!!?

Student: It's true miss, all the people I know are upper class. I don't know ANYONE from the slums miss, and I've gone farther than Worli, so I know what I'm saying miss.

Teacher: ....................

[after seeing a documentary on the Gujurat riots]

Student: I think it's exaggerated because it was made by a Communist. It was all a very Leftist-ly skewed documentary; it portrayed Modi as this Muslim-hater.

[after hearing that Obama has doubts about the effectiveness of the trickle-down effect]

Classmate: I don't think I'd vote for Obama. He has Communist-like economic policies.

Me: So, assuming we were in a position as US citizens to vote, you'd rather vote for McCain, who has a) NO economic sense/policies and b) economic advisors worse than Bush's.

Classmate:Well, he is a Vietnam war veteran.

Teacher: People in urban India are getting neither food nor money to buy food. With prices rising-

Student: Miss but food prices are low! A burger at McDonalds costs only 20 bucks [Rupees]

There are quite a few more which can' remember right now. I don't really need to. I just have to pay attention in class again....

Fond memories....

...of this man are probably evoked by his epitaph. This grave lies near the city of Hamilton in Canada, a few hundred feet away from the Webster falls, named after this Webster's ancestors.  His first name escapes me, but I wasn't able to forget-amidst the picturesque trees and the beautiful, woody path- stumbling upon this prize of a statement:

For those who can't make out what it says, the epitaph goes:

Come near my friends and cast an eye

Then go your way prepare to die;

Learn your doom and know you must

One day like me be turned to dust.

I sincerely wish that, when I die, words of a similar effect be spread far and wide in my memory. It would be a wonderful prospect to look up and see such poisonous sentiments being spread in my humble name.

My favourite part however is the last line added, perhaps as an afterthought, perhaps to soften the effect of the venom. I prefer to view as an example of how sarcasm transcends various mediums, from conversation to epitaphs- A loving husband, a dutiful son, an affectionate brother.