Imitating Christopher Hitchens: Conversation with a girl of 10

The title of this blog posting will make sense at the end of the blog post. (No peeking!)

This post is in two parts, corresponding to the two parts of the blog title. The first part deals with a person who I count among my heroes. The second with a small
incident that happened yesterday.

Part 1: Christopher Hitchens
==================
Prayer is flattery. But ...

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". (Charles Caleb Colton ) (Love the alliterative initials of his name!)

Christopher Hitchens dislikes prayer. What would be his reaction to imitation, I wonder ....?

I have never had the chance to meet the writer, journalist, polemicist and public speaker Christopher Hitchens. (But I would love to). I first came across his work when I was a grad student at MIT circa 1999-2000. It was an opinion piece by CH or an interview of CH (I forget which) in which he explained (extremely cogently) his strongly negative views regarding Mother Teresa. My intial reaction was one of extreme distaste (that anyone could criticize Mother Teresa), but after much thought, I concluded (and still feel) that his criticisms were and are largely valid.

I have always felt that an essayist and/or writer who can cause a person to change his views as thoroughly and completely as Hitchens changed mine through the clarity of his arguments is worth deeper study.

Since then, I have been a regular reader of his column "Fighting Words" in Slate.
I strongly recommend this column for those who love a good intellectual dust-up.

As a book lover and a (somewhat) impecunious graduate student, I tend to spend more of my stipend than I can really afford to on books - both technical (Math, Physics, Electrical Engineering and CS) and non-technical (both fiction and non-fiction).  (My non-fiction non-technical reading list consists mainly of books on history, economics and finance, biography and evolution - more on that later, in another blog post).

I have, in the past few days, acquired three of Hitchens's books. Well, actually collections of his essays. I have not the slightest doubt that these book purchases will prove to be "paisa vasool" i.e. value for money. (I think the Hindi phrase has more "kick").

In order of purchase, I list them below:

1. Letters to a Young Contrarian: Art of Mentoring (Mother obtained this at my request from the Harvard Coop bookstore on her recent trip to the U.S).

2. Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens (a few days ago, at the Crossword bookstore at Hiranandani).

3. Hitch-22: A Memoir (Obviously the title is a play on Joseph Heller's Catch-22)
Yesterday evening at the bookstore in Lokhandwala Market

Besides P.G. Wodehouse, who (for those who are not of the cognoscenti) was a writer of humorous fiction (and thus the comparison is perhaps unapt), Hitchens (who sticks almost exclusively to non-fiction) is the writer whose quality of language never ceases to entrall me. (I have already mentioned the quality and cogency of his argumentation).

For a while, I found myself in broad agreement with him on almost all topics of current interest (politics, the Rushdie affair, Henry Kissinger, views on the value of (or lack thereof of) religion and many other such matters). This was mildly annoying. I don't think any self-imagined self-respecting contrarian (as I like to think I am) likes it when he finds that another human mammal, no matter how cultured has pre-empted his own thoughts. ("Human mammal" is partly tautological, but still an eye-catching turn of phrase. It is due to CH in his book "God is Not Great: How Religion Spoils Everything). 

Anyhow, I find myself in disagreement with CH's views regarding Mahatma Gandhi. Hitchens is very strongly critical of Mahatma Gandhi. In some places, unfairly so, in my opinion. CH's visceral distaste for religion (something which I partly share) and for mixing religion with politics colors his views about the Mahatma, who freely used "religious" symbolism in his peaceful campaigns to awaken India's masses against the British Empire. However, in a short biographical sketch about Salman Rushdie, titled "Salman" (sorry, can't find the link), Hitchens writes approvingly about the "... Iranian revolution that pitted masses of unarmed (emphasis mine) civilians against a crazed megalomaniac ...".  (reference to the Shah of Iran). The operative words are "peaceful" and "unarmed" (presumably implying peaceful as well). I used "religious" in quotation marks above. Let me explain.

Surely a person of CH's intellectual caliber can see that what really mattered was not whether the language and idioms employed by a political leader (Gandhi) do or do not come with "religious" baggage, but the intent and execution.

Intent: MG's use of Hindu symbolism and phrases such as "Ram Rajya" in no way meant a return to a monarchy and/or theocracy, but only good governance). MG gave ample evidence of that in his writings and speeches.

Execution: Unlike demagogues such as Hitler in the 1930s and religiously inspired nutcases, such as the mullahs of Iran in the present day, Mahatma Gandhi at no point attempted to mix the (admittedly extremely potent) brew of religious symbolism and political grievances into the Molotov cocktail of hatred and violence against an occupying power and/or defenseless minority. As he could have easily done - the British were the first, but could have easily become the second, as they (quite rightly) feared. (Indeed, following the naval mutiny in 1946, this fear was one of the primary causes for their "inglorious scuttle" (CH's phrasing again) in 1947).  But the credit for the awakening of the Indian masses in general and making the sailors think of themselves as part of the Indian navy and not the "Royal" Indian navy must largely go to Mahatma Gandhi, gainsayers notwithstanding. (Swapan Dasgupta has made the same point in his blog "Right and Wrong" in his opinion piece "Gandhi: The only Visionary among Many Patriots").  

Indeed, MG was largely a voice for sanity (in the political realm certainly). His decision to call off the non-cooperation movement as a result of the Chauri-Chaura incident was, in my view, the correct one. (It is another matter that his currying favor with the religious obscurantist Ali brothers to obtain their - and by (incorrect)  extension, Muslim - support for the movement was a matter of poor judgement).

(I should hasten to add that any political leader - of any political stripe whatsoever - in the India of 2011 who attempts to call for Ram Rajya would meet with my skepticism and/or derision. Our middle class and intelligentsia are of  sufficient critical mass (or at least I hope that is the case) that appeals that might spark atavistic/millenial/utopian passions should be considered unnecessary and/or dangerous. But that was not the case with the India of 1920, where the aim was to galvanize people against British imperialism).

Some of Hitchens's criticisms about Mahatma Gandhi are spot-on. MG's belief in a country of self-sufficient village republics (Babasaheb Ambedkar has also criticised this view - sorry I can't find the reference) and his (non-violently) Luddite views regarding machinery and industrialisation and anti-scientific world view and attitudes towards sex are worthy of criticism.

Anyhow, regarding CH's views on MG, that is all for the moment.

Now for the second part of this post.

Part 2: Conversation with a girl of 10
=======================
It happened yesterday evening at a bookstore in Lokhandwala market. I enquired of the bookstore propreitor (as I think she was - or should it be proprietress?) whether she had a particular book. She was unsure, but a little girl sitting next to her (who turned out to be the lady's daughter) piped up and said that they did not.

Further conversation revealed that she was 10 years old and in the 6th standard. (This was a little surprising. At age 10, most kids are in the 4th standard (as I was), or at most, the 5th standard). I was impressed and asked her whether she enjoyed school. Receiving an affirmative answer, I asked the usual questions "What subjects do you like?" and so forth.

She said that she liked Mathematics (in response to a specific query).

You see, by this time, I had spent some time browsing in the bookstore and came upon Christopher Hitchens's "Hitch-22" (see above). (Not the book I had gone to the store to buy).

Anyhow, recently Hitchens was asked by a little girl Mason Crumpacker (all of 8 years of age) for a reading list. (Oh, and by the way, the link preceding is to a blog by Jerry Coyne, author of "Why Evolution is True", a magnificent read, and another book I am proud to say I possess).

And now we come to the title of the blog.

Let us see. A Hitchens admirer holding a book by Hitchens is in conversation with an intelligent little girl of 10 who is the daughter of a bookstore owner and who loves Math.

So I did the only thing I could do. I suggested to her authors whose books she should read. She dutifully noted down my suggestions.

I named:
1. Martin Gardner (recreational math puzzles)
2. Raymond Smulyyan (recreational math puzzles)
3. Richard Dawkins (biology, especially evolution).

I felt that she was too young to comprehend Hitchens's work. Blog followers' opinions are welcome.

Thus "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

I hope Christopher Hitchens -- if he ever reads this blog, which seems a priori unlikely at the moment --  will approve of my imitating his actions.

To conclude, a collection of Hitchens quotes, to whet the reader's appetite.

Semester 6 of my Ph.D: Taking Stock: Part II

This post is about taking stock of my Ph.D progress. I suppose I should do that now. Part I dealt with many sundry events in the summer, but I left out what I did for my Ph.D.

At the beginning of the summer, I started reading "Optimality and Approximate Optimality of Source-Channel Separation in Networks" by Tian, Chen, Diggavi, and Shamai. (OAOSCSN from here on). A really nice paper, it deals with issues of source, network and channel separation in networks.

After about a week of reading, I realized that I did not know enough about many aspects of network information theory to be able to effectively decode the paper. I was fortunate to obtain Gamal and Kim's Lecture Notes in Network Information Theory (LNIT) around May end during my Bangalore (and IISc) trip from Prof. Sundar Rajan, my advisor's (Bikash Dey's) advisor. (Hopefully, in about 2-2.5 years' time, my academic grandfather).

Much of June was spent decoding parts of LNIT, and I have made progress on the 1st fifteen chapters of the book. I have more or less successfully decoded OAOSCSN.

Currently, I find the whole topic of separation problems and theorems fascinating and have been reading up quite a bit on the topic. Besides the work of the above group, there are great papers by Effros's, Medard's groups and also some by Gastpar.

Hopes/ Plans for the coming semester
=======================
I have not been assigned T.A duty this semester, so I hope to be able to accomplish relatively more.

In decreasing order of priority: 
1. Make sufficient progress on a problem to be able to write a conference paper for the International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT) 2012. The deadline is Feb 2012. Some problems  have been suggested in OAOSCSN itself.

2. Decode all of Gamal and Kim's LNIT by the end of the semester, with the exception of one or two chapters, which do not interest me much. That is a total of 24 chapters, less one or two. Many open problems are suggested at the chapter end sections, and also some great references.

3. Audit Prof. Rajbabu's course EE779 on "Advanced Topics in Signal Processing". Sit-through Prof. Diwan's lectures on Network Information Flow (and possibly Randomized Algorithms) in his course CS601 "Algorithms and Complexity". Time permitting, maybe learn a little bit of Saravanan's EE605 "Error-Correcting Codes".

Again, I wonder if I am being too ambitious.

Semester 6 of my Ph.D: Taking Stock: Part I

The start of a new semester. Methinks it is time to take stock of my Ph.D progress and my plans/hopes for the next 2-2.5 years.

But first, a quick recap of the summer.

The Summer of 2011
=============
The summer that passed has been mildly eventful. In May, I attended the Joint Telematics Group 2011 workshop held at IITB. Almost immediately after, a wedding in my extended family in Bangalore.

I used the trip to renew some contacts at the Indian Institute of Science made during the JTG. Also, quite by chance, I met my advisor's advisor, who gave me a lot of material in Information Theory, among which was a soft copy of Gamal and Kim's "Lecture Notes in Network Information Theory" -- LNIT for short (More on that later). I renewed acquaintance with a friend from my undergrad IIT days, who is now a faculty in the Center for Neuroscience at IISc. Plus I purchased a ton of books at the IISc bookstore, including "The Pleasures of Counting" by Korner.

On my return to Bombay, in mid-June, I had an endoscopic sinus surgery -- a minor and routine procedure, but one which was to be performed under general anaesthesia. My mother and father had set my mind at ease about the procedure, and I recall feeling only a very mild anxiety about the surgery. After the anaesthetic had been administered, I must have "gone out like a light", for when I came to, I was informed that the procedure was over.

During the recuperation period, I was homebound and did not check my emails, so I missed Prof. B. G. Fernandes's email re T.A duty allotments. Consequently, I have not been assigned any TA duties this semester.

Taking Stock: Part II follows shortly.

Ballroom dancing with a girl whose eyes are level with you

This blog posting is delayed by about two weeks. Much has happened these past two weeks: (a) a workshop on signal processing and machine learning conducted by the Joint Telematics Group at IIT Bombay and (b) a trip to Bangalore to attend a wedding in the family. I shall write about these at a later late.

But for now, a pleasing minor incident that I ache to share with the world.

About two weeks ago, at Conrad Coelho's ballroom dance class conducted on Friday evenings, one of the girls (ladies?) wore high heels to the class. As a consequence, her eyes were level with mine. Almost exactly level.

The high heels caused her to lean back slightly (as is required in many kinds of ballroom dance), and so there was an immediate kind of electricity. A kind of tension.

It was a very pleasant feeling. (She was amused when I mentioned that to her - the exact words shall remain between us).

You see, the girl I referred to is, in addition to being a good dancer, a friendly and helpful type. However, she often wears flat shoes. (High heels are preferred footwear for ballroom dancing).

In ballroom dancing, the somewhat close physical proximity and the positive vibes it generates is enhanced when there is eye contact. Of course, eye contact is most easily maintained when both partners are looking straight ahead - which can only happen when their eyes are level.

Chat with a Tum-Tum driver at IIT Bombay

Yesterday afternoon at Gulmohar Garden Cafeteria, I got to chatting with one of the Tum-Tum (1) drivers. Here is what I learnt.

I was unaware, as presumably most IIT students are, that the drivers are temporary staff. They have long hours of duty - from 7:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night, with two 40 minute breaks allowed, one each for lunch and evening tiffin (tea-break). They do not receive an allowance for food and have to find their own accommodation. (Accommodation is, of course, extremely expensive in Bombay/Mumbai).
  
As temporary staff, they do not have job security and/or other perks such as pensions.

The gentleman with whom I conversed lamented the fact that he had not accepted a position as a driver with the BEST, which he had been offered three years ago. (2) (The Tum-Tum service was started three years ago as well).

His mates who had accepted employment with the BEST were earning much more than he was (More than twice as much). Plus they had, after a span of only a year, been assigned permanent status. If I understood him correctly, the Tum-Tum drivers had expected to be assigned permanent status after an appropriate probationary period.

Given his age, it is also difficult for him to find employment in other government organizations. (Privately owned businesses etc., are another matter).

As a grad student, one is necessarily somewhat focused on academic matters, but it seems to me that the driver's complaints were genuine. I wish there was something we could do for them. Surely changing their status to permanent staff would not be too much to ask for?

(One novel that I love is Thomas Hardy's "Jude the Obscure" which tells the story of a poor boy from a village, in love with learning, who is forced to take a job as a stonemason at a university. His many attempts to improve himself and embark on a life of learning are thwarted by university dons who do not take his ambitions seriously. Academic institutions can sometimes have a very different "feel" for those not privileged to take part in academic life).

(Note to myself: See the movie version of "Jude the Obscure" sometime without fail. James Caviezel (of "Frequency" and "The Last Temptation of Christ" fame) plays the role of Jude Fawley, the eponymous protagonist of the novel, and Kate Winslet (of "Titanic" and "The Holiday") plays the role of his lover, Sue Bridehead). 

Footnotes:
=======
1. Tum-Tum: IIT Bombay's internal shuttle service
2. BEST is Bombay's premier bus service, noted for the superb quality of its service and fleet of buses. The acronym BEST, which stands for "Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (Undertaking) is well-earned.

A Memorable Experience: Blue Light Shiva Paintings by Guruji Aruneshwar

On Saturday, I visited an art exhibition titled "Blue Light Shiva paintings" by the artist Mr. Arun Kalwankar aka Guruji Aruneshwar. The exhibition was conducted at the Maharashtra Kala academy in the Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi. (Note: Ravindra Natya Mandir can be translated as Ravindra's Dance i.e. Performing Arts Academy/Temple).

(During much of my childhood, I used to stay at Worli with my mother on weekends. I spent my junior college years entirely at Worli. Prabhadevi is very close to Worli. Strange to say, I had never been inside the Mandir during my childhood and early youth, though I had often visited the chess club at Zandu canteen between the ages of 11-15, and took the bus from the stop right outside the Mandir).

Before I try to describe the paintings themselves, I shall briefly describe how I happened to make the acquaintance of Kalwankarji.

Mr. Arun Kalwankar
--------------------------------
These past few months, I have developed a habit of working at the Gulmohar garden cafeteria, especially during the morning hours. I often strike up conversations with other patrons. Sometimes the conversations lead to interesting encounters, as happened in this case, about two-three weeks ago.

Kalwankarji cuts a striking figure, in his deep blue colored kurta, and with a flowing white beard. He has a generic resemblance to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. And is quite aware of that fact.

Anyhow, during the course of conversation, it turned out that he was an artist. I mentioned that I used to enjoy painting in school, but gave up on artistic activities after that. He suggested that I attend his exhibition.

I am glad I did.

The exhibition
-----------------------
I cannot of course comment on the paintings with the eye of an expert, so I will confine myself to my reactions to the paintings.

I really liked most of the Shiva paintings. There must have been about 20-25 Shiva paintings, and about 15 Ganesha paintings, plus a few other calligraphic designs, and even one Krishna playing the flute. (Well, actually two, if you count the Hari-Hara)

(If I receive Kalwankarji's permission, I shall try to place a link to photos of the paintings themselves in a future posting).

(a) Shiva in meditative poses:
----------------------------------------------
There were two paintings of Shiva in a meditative pose, the classic 'Padmasan' i.e. the lotus pose. Both of these were part of the "Blue series". In one of them, Shiva has a tiger-skin for a rug. This was one of the most captivating exhibits. In the usual iconography of Shiva, He carries a 'trishul' i.e. trident. In this painting, He carries a 'parashu' i.e. axe. Plus the artist has created a mysterious look in His three (yes, that's right, three!) eyes called the 'outward and upward turned gaze'. The dominant color in this painting is a deep blue, almost black, these colors symbolizing infinity.

Why three eyes? In the iconopgraphy of Shiva, Shiva's third eye is supposed to be the 'Inner' eye - the eye of insight that opens up as a consequence of the process of deep meditation.

(b) Shiva seated 'on a chair'
--------------------------------------------
Another "Blue Light" painting has Shiva in a seated pose, as one sitting on a chair, only He is not sitting on anything. The iconography is more standard - he has a trishul in one hand and a 'damaru' i.e. a drum in the other. His other hands rest on his lap. (He is a God, so He has many arms!). Some parallel lines on the top of His head symbolize the descent of the Ganges down to Earth, She being trapped in His matted locks, so that the Earth would not be washed away by the force of Her descent. (This is one of my favorite stories in our mythology). (Note: The Milky Way is called the Akash Ganga i.e. the "Celestial Ganges, and many ancient Indians believed that the Ganges on Earth was the Celestial Ganges descended to Earth).

(c) Hari-Hara
----------------------
Yet another painting that caught my fancy was of Hari-Hara, namely, Vishnu/Krishna (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). In Hindu iconography, they are both usually depicted as different hues of blue. My first impression was that it was Vishnu and Shiva - they are normally shown together in Hari-Hara. However, a closer look at the painting reveals that the Deity with the discus (the Sudarshana Chakra) is also playing a flute. The flute is usually associated with Krishna than Vishnu Himself.

In Hindu traditions, Shiva is described as a devotee of Vishnu, and Vishnu is described as a devotee of Shiva, and there are many beautiful stories employing this trope. The Hari-Hara is the usual iconographic depiction of this relationship.

(d) Shiva standing with one arm akimbo
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yet another 'Blue-Light' painting has Shiva standing, with one arm akimbo, and holding a trident in the other. This is a pose full of restrained dynamism, and gives the impression of a 'Sattvic' (i.e. relaxed, calm and self-controlled) Personality who could spring into furious action and activity at a moment's notice (called 'Rajasic' in Hindu/Indic traditions).

Shiva standing with one arm akimbo 'Like a coiled spring'.

(e) Shiva Tandav and (f) Shiva in profile
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Two other Shiva paintings seem to have been composed in a style quite different from the "Blue Light" paintings (I hope I am using the terms correctly). In both, one of Shiva dancing the Tandav and another of a profile of Shiva, while the dominant color is still blue, the lines are much more distinctly drawn.

The Shiva Tandav painting has Shiva dancing. But this is not the classic Tandav pose made famous by the Chola bronzes. The iconography is again not what one is accustomed to (though no less attractive for that). Shiva does not have his feet on any demonaical dwarf. Rather, there are snakes coiled around his lower legs, arms and torso. But the dancer has them under control. (Somewhat like the Krishna-Kaliya iconography). This painting gives an impression of movement, which is what any painting purporting to depict Shiva as 'Natraj' i.e. the Lord of Dance should do.

The Shiva in profile painting has densely drawn curly hair. Shiva's profile looks almost feminine, with a slim nose and soft chin. Possibly an androgynous Shiva, revealing His connection with Shakti (the feminine principle).

(g) Shiva as an artist
----------------------------------

Another "Blue Light" painting, this shows Shiva in a seated pose, as in seated on the ground, lost in abstraction. Also a pleasing and eye-catching composition. This painting did not convey the same feeling of mysteriousness that the 2nd of the two meditative poses described above did. But the feeling portrayed was one of a Being wholly absorbed in his own concerns. Shiva here is very human, with 'only' two hands, and a lot of Shaivite markings on His body (strange to think of Shiva as covered in Shaivite markings!). He carries no weapons in His hands and seems quite human, and also, happy and content.

To conclude:
--------------------

For those of you who would like to know more about Mr. Arun Kalwankar, here are two web-sites:
1. Guruji Aruneshwar
2. Blue Light Trust

It was a wonderful experience.

My favorite female characters in comics, TV and movies

Today is International Women's Day.

I want to thank all the amazing women in my life who have acted as role models. Especially my mother and my aunt -- two of the most competent, capable, and compassionate women I have ever known.

In this blog posting, I shall discuss my favorite female fictional characters in comics, TV and movies. In another posting, I shall mention real-life heroes of mine who happen to be female. (Margaret Sanger wins my vote for the most influential person of the twentieth century, pipping Einstein and Gandhi. Others on my list are Madame Curie and Emmeline Pankhurst).

Anyway, here goes.
===================================
1. Favorite female characters in the comics

I shall confine myself to the DC comics world. (Amar Chitra Katha in another posting).

1. Wonder Woman
2. Supergirl
in that order

Wonder Woman was the creation of the American psychologist William Moulton Marston who wanted to create "a
feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman."

Wonder Woman:
a. I love the way the name rolls off the tongue, especially the alliterative "Ws" in Wonder Woman.
b. I love her backstory. Wonder Woman is an ambassador to Man's World from Themyscira, an island inhabited entirely by women, and ruled by Wonder Woman's mother Hippolyta
c. One thing I have always found slightly surprising is that Wonder Woman (who draws her powers from Mother Earth) is described as the 2nd strongest superhero in the Justice League. 2nd after Superman, who draws his powers from the Sun. But Supergirl also draws her powers from the Sun. So should she not be stronger than Wonder Woman?
d. Some of the early Wonder Woman comics are silly - her enemies are nowehere near as epic or scary as the ones Superman or Batman face
e. Note to myself: Obtain all the copies of the Wonder Woman TV series someday

Anyway, more on Wonder Woman in a later posting.
=================================
Female characters from the movies and TV that I love, plus what makes them special to me. I have divided this section into two parts:

a. Spunky Women warriors/leaders: These women kick butt, but you are not likely to meet them anywhere in real-life -- aside from the movies and other fictional universes.
b. Real women: The kind of women one comes across in the real world. She could be a competent surgeon/doctor/medical professional, a capable detective, or a brilliant scientist. She could be your sister, your girlfriend, your fiancee, or a colleague or classmate.

================================

Character: Princess Leia
Movie: Star Wars series (of course! No surprises there)
Portrayed by: Carrie Fisher
A princess, a rebel, and a spy takes on an Evil Empire

Character: Queen Padme Amidala
Movie: Star Wars series
Portrayed by: Natalie Portman
A queen defends her country in peace and war.

Character: Selene
Movie: Underworld series
Portrayed by: Kate Beckinsale (in a leather body-hugging suit that seems to have been sprayed on her!)
A hot (but good) vampire makes love and war. All the while looking scrumptious in a black figure-hugging leather body-suit.

Character: The Bride aka "Beatrix Kiddo"
Movie: Kill Bill I and II
Portrayed by: Uma Karuna Thurman
A kickass warrior sets out to avenge the murder of her fiance and her unborn child on her wedding-day
(Uma Karuna Thurman's parents named her after Hindu Goddesses. Boy, did they get that part right!)

Character: Carolyn Fry (the pilot)
Movie: Pitch Black
Portrayed by: Radha Mitchell
Not the main protagonist. She has a supporting role. But what a role!
Pitch Black also happens to be one of my favorite SciFi-cum-Horror movies. It is an amazing must-see movie.

Character: Trinity
Movie: Matrix
Portrayed by: Jennifer Hale
The Tridevi (Trinity) assists and guides the Avatar (Neo) in setting the world right. And in breaking the bonds of Maya (Delusion/Illusion).

====================================
i. In the movies
ii. On TV

(I have not watched too many Hindi movies recently, so I will skip over, say, Basanti from Sholay, for instance).

1. In the movies
================
Character: Marge the Police Chief
Movie: Fargo
Portrayed by: Frances McDormand
A pregnant cop catches a wife-killer
Note to myself: See the movie again.

Character: Lara (Larissa Feodorovna Guishar, later Antipova)
Movie: Doctor Zhivago
Portrayed by: Julie Christie
Note to myself: See the movie without fail (Have read the book)

Character: Detective Clarice Starling
Movies: Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal
Portayed by: Jodie Foster (SOTL)
Portrayed by: Julianne Moore (Hannibal)
Detective Clarice Starling is every Man's Dream Woman -- smart, strong, resourceful, intelligent, wise and compassionate, and also gorgeous and ravishingly beautiful.

Character: Stella
Movie: How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Portrayed by: Angela Bassett
I fell in love with Angela Bassett after watching this movie during my grad school days at MIT. Saw the movie with a lady friend (and her lady friend).

Character: Medical Intern Kate McTiernan
Movie: Kiss the Girls
Portrayed by Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd happens to be one of my fav actors.

ii. On TV
=========
Character: Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan
TV Series: Bones
Portrayed by: Emily Deschanel
Why I find Brennan special: The most amazing woman in my life (Mom of course!) had a job that was in some ways similar to that of Dr. Brennan.

Character: Detective Olivia Benson
TV Series: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
Portrayed by: Mariska Hargitay
I guess I have a thing about female cops on TV - can't get enough of them.

Professor Diwan's course on Algorithms

Today morning, Prof. Diwan discussed the solutions to the first two midsem problems in his course CS218, "Design and Analysis of Algorithms". I feel privileged to have the opportunity to learn from him. I feel, however, that I will gain much more if I put in more sustained and regular effort into his course than I have done so far.

A belated New Year's resolution: For the next two months, until semester end, I shall spend the morning hours between 8:00 and 12:00 (when I am not attending a lecture) working on either:
(a) Kleinberg and Tardos's book, "Algorithm Design" and/or
(b) Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest and Stein's "Introduction to Algorithms"

The time will be spent on trying to solve problems and/or studying the solved examples in these books. I intend to sit at the Gulmohar Garden cafeteria. Plus I shall spend at least one full day in addition on the course. (Most probably Wednesday evening and as much of Thursday as possible). During this time, I shall go over the material that Prof. Diwan has discussed in class, and/or have discussions with my classmates and/or try tutorial problems suggested in class.

This would mean an investment of 2.5 hours every morning, at least during weekdays (Monday thru Friday). For a total of 12.5 hours per week at least, counting only the weekday morning sessions.

At the semester end, I will note how well I have stuck to this resolution.

I wonder if I am being too ambitious.

Poems that have had a deep impact on me

1. Mortality
Author: William Knox

Also known by its first line "Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?" The poem was Abraham Lincoln's favorite. During a difficult time, I came across this poem and learnt it by heart.

Here is a link: Mortality
===================================================
Here are the opening lines:
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud
A flash of the lightning, a break of the wave
He passeth from life to his rest in the grave.
===================================================

The overwhelming mood is one of poignant loss and a recognition of the inevitability of death. (In a later posting, I shall write about the science-fiction novel "The Eyes of Heisenberg" which deals with a possible dystopian society in the distant future ruled by human and inhumane immortals).

 2. Garden of Proserpine
Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

I came across this poem at around the same time as "Mortality" by William Knox.
It did not have quite the same impact, but some lines (see below) have stayed with me.

Proserpine is another name for Persephone, Queen or Goddess of the Underworld in Greek mythology. (Note to fans of the movie Matrix: Monica Bellucci plays Persephone).

Here is a link to the poem: Garden of Proserpine
===================================================
Here are the specific lines that still send chills (in a good way) down my spine:

.....

Pale, beyond porch and portal,
    Crowned with calm leaves she stands
Who gathers all things mortal
    With cold immortal hands;

.....
She waits for each and other,
    She waits for all men born;
Forgets the earth her mother,
    The life of fruits and corn;
.....
===================================================
The awe-inspiring imagery evoked by the stanzas above has always stayed with me, and I often find myself reciting those lines.

Prometheus Unbound: What's in a name?

As promised in my first ever blog posting, I shall now explain the meaning and significance of my blog's title.

As a child of about eight, I first came across the legend of Prometheus in the "Chandamama" magazine. (I can still vaguely bring to mind the pictures accompanying the story). The name Prometheus means "forethought" i.e. foresight.

For those unfamiliar with the legendary Greek hero, I recommend the Wikipedia entry on Prometheus. 

Short summary of the legend of Prometheus

In Greek myth, Zeus, the ruler of the Olympians (collectively the Greek Gods and Goddesses), despises Mankind and plans to destroy it. Prometheus is a Titan (a kind of anti-God) who loves Mankind. To enable "Men to become as Gods", he steals fire from the Gods and gives it to Man. (Hence he is also called by his epithet as "The Fire-Bringer").

For this and other similar "transgressions", Zeus sentences Prometheus to eternal torment. Prometheus is chained to a rock and has his liver eaten every night by an eagle. During the course of the next day, the liver would regenerate, only to be eaten by the eagle again the coming night. (1)

As punishment for Mankind, Zeus sends the first Woman, Pandora, who brings with her all the ills that Mankind is subject to, the worst of all ills being "Hope".(2) & (3)

After "thrice ten-thousand years", the Greek hero Heracles (or Hercules) (ironically a son of Zeus by one of his many amorous dalliances) frees Prometheus from his torment.

As the price of his freedom, Prometheus is to reveal to Zeus a great secret, the knowledge of which will prevent his (Zeus's) downfall from Omnipotence. (4)

Prometheus and Zeus are reconciled in this version of the Greek legend.

End of summary

Observations:
1. Wonder if the eagle didn't consider the monotonous fare to be torture as well?
2. Misogyny is a recurring theme in mythology, and says something about mankind's psyche i.e. the way (many) men perceive women. (More on this in a later blog posting).
3. False hope is certainly a curse, and since it is often difficult to distinguish hope from false hope, oftentimes some (mistakenly in my view) consider hope to be a curse as well.
4. Zeus's conduct is not praiseworthy and exemplifies Lord Acton's famous adage "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." It could be argued that having saved Mankind from Zeus's wrath and ensured for it a glorious Destiny, Prometheus's decision to reconcile with Zeus was the only sensible thing to do, saving him from further torment.

And yet .....  And yet .... And yet ....

Now we come to the title of my blog.

"Prometheus Unbound" is the title of Percy Bysshe Shelley's play.
Note to myself: Read this play in its entirety sometime.

In PBS's version, Prometheus does not reveal to Zeus the secret of his (Zeus's) coming downfall. So Zeus is unable to prevent it, and gets his (well-deserved) comeuppance.

For a variety of reasons, some intensely personal, methinks this version is ultimately more satisfying. Tyrants always deserve (a) derision and (b) to be thrown off their high horse. (The Arab nations are trying the experiment as I write these lines -- let's hope something good comes of it).

(Jeez, I wonder who would be Zeus in the Indic context? Answer: One who probably imagines himself to be "Lord" Narayana perhaps?)

"The Fire-Bringer"

In August 1999, following the advice of certain persons I (incorrectly) believed worthy of my respect and esteem and trust, and disregarding the advice of one who was, I made a disastrous choice to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hoping to obtain a PhD in the newly emerging field of Computational Neuroscience. One of my primary motivations for making the choice was my  intent to return to our motherland after a few years.

Well, I got my wish about returning to India. But not much else. (Not even a terminal Masters' from MIT).

Methinks the period of "thrice ten-thousand years" has elapsed, however. (Touchwood).

(Zeus, I do hope you can read this. Oh, but of course you can. You are omniscient, right? But omniscience is no guarantee of wisdom or compassion or good sense or basic decency, is it?)

Prometheus is Unbound. And he is very angry .

Coming blog postings (but maybe not the immediate next):
1.Some observations about the field of Computational Neuroscience (and Theoretical Neuroscience and Neurophysics and similar matters regarding other inter-disciplinary research fields).
2. Two of my favorite characters from fiction:
    a. Howard Roark from Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and/or
    b. Golan Trevize from Isaac Asimov's "Foundations Edge".

My First Blog Posting Ever

My first ever blog will be about why have I decided to write a blog. My second blog will about the title of my blog.

Why I have decided to write a blog?

My reasons are likely similar to others who do. But ... they are still my reasons. So here goes.

Today is a Sunday, the 13th of February 2011. The time is approximately 11:20 p.m. 40 minutes from Valentine's Day, Feb 14th.

A few months ago, around mid-October or early November 2010, a (very attractive) lady friend of mine stated on her Facebook web-page that she had decided to take up (or possibly restart after a longish gap) dancing. That inspired me to take up dancing as well. The last time I had danced was as a grad student at MIT, when I attended square dancing classes -- more than 10 (!) years ago. I have been attending salsa and ballroom dancing classes for the past 3 months. I hope to be a fair to good dancer by the time I complete my Ph.D.

A few weeks ago, around early January 2011, I came across the blog of another (also very attractive and impressive) lady friend. Reading her blog has motivated me to take up another activity I used to love -- namely, writing.

And so .... I have decided to start blogging.

(I had hoped to audit Prof. Neelima Talwar's creative writing course this semester, and had briefly discussed the matter with her. But I have too many other commitments at the moment).

I hope to get my creative juices flowing and write at least one blog every week.
Plus I would like to set down my thoughts about various matters. Thoughts about everything from science (especially neuroscience and physics) and tech and engineering (especially electrical engineering and computer science) and mathematics (of course!), to the music and films I watch, and the books I read, and the people who have played a role in my life, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Such as the two women I mentioned above.

(Digression: I have always thought that many stories in our (i.e. Hindu) mythology such as that of Vishwamitra and Menaka, for example, do injustice to womankind by portraying Woman as (primarily) Temptress. But that is true of many myths the world over. Far better to acknowledge Her role as Inspirer, as I have done.

There is of course at least one other absolutely amazing and extraordinary and competent lady who has always played that role in my life, and continues to do so .... Guess who?  (See the next blog posting)).

I hope that answers question (a)

The answer to question (b): In my next blog posting.

(Hmmm... The critic in me is dissatisfied with my posting. I have spent the better part of the past 15 minutes making minor changes which I don't think were really necessary. Comments, including critical ones, from my friends and well-wishers are always welcome. But I think I will tell my internal critic to be silent .....)

OK. So for better or for worse, here is my first ever blog posting.