Pigs and Profs....

Hey hey...don't get me wrong. I am just quoting a quote....
"Arguing with a Professor is like fighting with a pig in mud
After a while you realize that while you are getting dirty the pig is actually enjoyin"

(All credit to Pratik Singhal for comin' up with this...original or copied doesn't matter)

I guess, there are only a few who would disagree. Don't get me wrong, I am not comparing profs and pigs. I genuinely respect quite a few of 'em. I am just tryin' to have a realistic comparison(!!).

So, what is it that keeps these creatures(not pigs dumb head) ticking. Why is it that even after decades of endless torture sessions, they just don't seem to have enough of it. You can be as reasonable and as polite as your temper and your peanut sized brain(thats what profs tell us) allow you to be and still that person in front of you, with all his grey strands, with all the coldness in his eyes, and years of experience, just fails to see the reason. Why would he think he can't be wrong just for once. That, this time the direction of flow of reason may be opposite, that his professor-ly ego might be misguiding him.

Thinkin' that I am wrong?? Try this:

The prof who made me write all this is a very good example. Though he lacks grey strands and has no experience, but, he is a professor alright. He drops a shocker just a few days before exams that my attendance is short. That was just too hard to believe.
How?? Well, he said I didn't attend a few classes. Alright. Where was I, programming my way to glory in ACM ICPC. Not impressed, he asks did I take prior permission?? I did. I asked him a week before the contest. Still in no mood to give up, he asks, did u give any application?? What....

Why would someone think of application when he said yes. Anyway, I wasn't giving up just yet. I had in fact submitted application with Academic Dean (sort of...). That should cover every subject including his... No... He is son of god. His next issue; how would he know. Now I was at end of my wits and didn't want to lose my temper (and another sem). So, I had to give up.

Finally I had to do a stupid project (he wanted this to be meaningful!!). Crapping and coding (again) my way to more crappiness, I hope to satisfy his ego.

Anyone reading this would say, the prof is right. Hold on to that thought for a moment. First of all he took one full week to raise all the above said issues. More importantly, why can't he just adjust attendance later. I tried and tried, and tried some more, but couldn't find an answer to this. Maybe, my pig knows the answer......

PS: I am racist, and my only target is the race of professors....

Pratik Singhal:: http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=13249304010539509748

Movies Music and Engineering...

Talking a bit more about engg geeks...oops!!...grads...Two activities seem to dominate any engineering student's schedule, Music and Movies.

At least, for me both have been soul savers. No job, no girlfriend, no fun...don't go to delhi...listen to music and watch movies. I have a very quotable quote, "A movie a day keeps tension at bay".

Creatures living in dungeons called Boys hostels either fall for drum abusing rockstars or my personal favorite Himesh bhai!!(Plz don't infer anything from this). Those aliens living in girls hostels either go nuts for bhai or give in to immortals like Enrique (who ,by the way, only demands kisses, pain and weird sex with his music).

In the bigger picture, more pressing question is why does this happen. People have called me names and don't know what else for watching so many movies and listening to such a variety of music. Obviously, these people have never known a thing ,as this pain, called Engineering. They can't even imagine such a schedule. They would die and still would not except in the final hour of truth that they don't have any taste of their own and follow whatever MTV, [V] and VH1 ask them to.

Whatever maybe the reason, one thing for sure, if we worship these two things, internet has to be the place of worship. Forget about month late releases, waiting eagerly for arrivals, lagging season schedules. You get it as it happens(even if not released). Right or wrong, I am no one to decide.

There is a strange addiction to this. Ever since I got my desktop PC in hostel, there hasn't been a single day that has passed without some insanely loud music or a fast forward show of a movie.

So, coming back to question, why. Well, I have heard a few explanations
"They complete me"
"I don't need to understand Hetfield, he completely gets me!!"(yeah punk... he is your brother...)
"Gump was so innocent"
"Dude, that movie rocks"
"Mind blowing action, MAN!!"

Well I have a few of mine. But I won't list them(don't wanna come across as dumb). But what I can think of is.....We seem to find that glamor, that excitement, that passion, that energy, that missing edge (This is not a Viagra commercial punch line...so keep reading) that we don't have with us. As engineers, more often than not, we are honest enough to accept what we lack and thats why we try to complete all that. Some may call all this superficial and unreal, but they are no more superficial and unreal than us. At least we dare to accept.

So till someone gives me a good reason to stop listening to cold play, I am not stopping...They get me!!

Here we go for the 100th time!!

I hav come to believe tht engg serves only two purposes.....
1) Make a perfectly sane and healthy human being totally numb. Food lacks taste, exams don't scare anymore, u dare beyond ur capacity
2) Whatever u learn only helps in exams, and nvr again in life after graduation...

Regarding the first case i m ready to forgive anyone who thinks i m talkin abt falling in love....but all that is true. Some faculty member is sayin he will fail u...and u jus don't care...infact, u declare(shouting at full volume) that u r goin to fail, n might as well throw a party to celebrate!!

Second thing, i guess i really don't need to talk a thing abt that. Ask any engg grad....he'll first punch u and then say "yeah, u r rite mate!!"

And if thought this was all bullshit.....try this...i m posting this blog less than 2 days b4 my end sem exams start.

People might say i hav left out a lot....
There is definitely one more thing....evryone drinks and evryone smokes and no one accepts.
Proof--Check orkut profile of engg grads who say they don't do either of that...and i can assure you 60% are actually addicted* to smoking and even more drink regularly(nt addicted 'coz they don't hav that sort of pocket money that devdas boasted!!).....hic!!..Cheers!!

PS: I don't smoke or drink and thats why i have all the unpartiality in this respect
* Conditions apply...