Expedition around the Megacosm

2012

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000+05:30

Well then for all those it matters, wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year! And instead of saying this exact same thing every year in a loop, make sense of your life and live it. :)
Personally, 2011 been good (or rather I have been?) to me, and related to this, an awesome new year start -

May 2011S be same as 2011! Enjoy! :D

The year that went by - 2011

2011-12-31T19:11:00.000+05:30

Decided to write down significant aspects of my life in this (almost) past year 2011.
Yet to update, will do once finished.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T21:39:00.001+05:30

My new Alienware M14x

2011-12-14T01:28:00.003+05:30

So after almost a year of planning, strategizing and begging, finally got my Alienware M14x thanks to dad, distant cousin Shyamala and a lil bit me :P :D

Thats me, happy with my new lappy :D

And for the first time shot an unboxing video, did this completely myself so might not be satisfactory but still a good start.

Mission Accomplished

2011-12-05T16:30:00.000+05:30

Thanks to my good timing, Vh1 India and Viacom18, managed to win a pass for the premier of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Red Carpet and special fan screening here in IMAX Wadala, Mumbai. My lucky day indeed, got to meet Tom Cruise, Paula Patton and Anil Kapoor who had come to promote the film and the main reason for my and 99% if everyone to go :D

And that was the start... with my entry ticket to the event!

The Day

Paula Patton

And finally Mr. Ethan Hunt aka Tom Cruise arrives

And Mission Accomplished! He was nice with the fans, gave autographs and took pics with everyone (the latter depended on a lot of luck thanks to the rush, dam media and security but he was good nonetheless)
Even gave me an autograph the second time when the first didn't come proper.

This is specially for my Kalyani :)

Mr. Anil Kapoor was nothing of less than suprised when he saw this '24' poster of mine and asked everyone how did we get this. Got to speak with him specially for a moment for this, with a BIG thank you, autograph and pic with my compliment :)

Finally with a few fellow co-winners whom I met and befriended. That is the specialty of Mumbai :)
Followed by the movie which was no doubt good. Check my review at Imdb here.
A great day to remember indeed! :)

My childhood's hardest decision

2011-12-03T22:45:00.001+05:30

This picture describes it perfectly...

Nostalgia anyone? :)

Mumbai 26

2011-11-26T18:00:00.000+05:30

After 3 years of the drastic terrorist attacks in Mumbai, history showing 26 (and around) to be a deadly number, comes this incredible work by some citizens actually showing the 'Spirit of Mumbai' than the most crap posted online and that are telecast by the media. Kudos to the makers and all involved.

The Art of Googling

2011-11-24T21:15:00.001+05:30

Most people who use the world wide web and the giant Google (which pretty surely one can say ~99% of the population) actually cannot search efficiently and are not aware of what is infamously called 'Art of Googling'.

So check this out with this well explained infograph, huge help and useful.

Click to enlarge

An Avereage Day... on facebook

2011-11-18T15:36:00.001+05:30

(Click to enlarge)

A man must constantly exceed his level!

2011-11-18T15:26:00.001+05:30

This inspiring story is about Bruce Lee, the legendary martial art master.

“Bruce had me up to three miles a day, really at a good pace. We’d run the three miles in twenty-one or twenty-two minutes. Just under eight minutes a mile [Note: when running on his own in 1968, Lee would get his time down to six-and-a half minutes per mile].

So this morning he said to me “We’re going to go five.” I said, “Bruce, I can’t go five. I’m a helluva lot older than you are, and I can’t do five.” He said, “When we get to three, we’ll shift gears and it’s only two more and you’ll do it.”

I said “Okay, hell, I’ll go for it.” So we get to three, we go into the fourth mile and I’m okay for three or four minutes, and then I really begin to give out. I’m tired, my heart’s pounding, I can’t go any more and so I say to him, “Bruce if I run any more,” –and we’re still running-” if I run any more I’m liable to have a heart attack and die.”

He said, “Then die.” It made me so mad that I went the full five miles.

Afterward I went to the shower and then I wanted to talk to him about it. I said, you know, “Why did you say that?”

He said, “Because you might as well be dead. Seriously, if you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

From The Art of Expressing the Human Body

By Bruce Lee, John Little

LPU11 Launches

2011-11-17T20:02:00.001+05:30

The eleventh year of the Linkin Park Underground has launched and due to the hard work of the band, the LPUHQ and with the inputs of the fans, this year a completely brand new revamped members only site is launched like all the previous years and better! Powered by ground(ctrl)

A highly promising and innovative design adds to the awesome privileges the inner circle already provides it's members with package including a t-shirt, membership laminate and lanyard, LPU flag, and an earplug case and earplugs.
-FREE worldwide shipping for LPU11 Annual merchandise packages
-New benefits including early entry to Linkin Park shows and downloads of LPU-TV episodes
-All existing benefits are still included such as access to meet & greets, presale tickets and invitations to LPU Summits, exclusive downloads and more. The LPU 11 CD has also been launched at the same time, featuring Linkin Park demos from Hybrid Theory to A Thousand Suns and it's available at an exciting price of just $ 1.11 when you buy the annual membership! So go and purchase the membership that'd leave you with an experience of a lifetime. Below is the tracklis:

01. YO (MTM Demo)
02. Slip (1998 Unreleased Hybrid Theory Demo)
03. Soundtrack (Meteora Demo)
04. In The End (Demo)
05. Program (Meteora Demo)
06. Bang Three (What I’ve Done Original Demo)
07. Robot Boy (Test Mix, Option Vocal Take)
08. Broken Foot (Meteora Demo)
09. Esaul (A Place For My Head Demo)
10. Blue (1998 Unreleased Hybrid Theory Demo)

Here's what the post signatured by Rob said on LinkinPark.com

LPU11 has officially launched! This new year of the LPU launches with a brand new members-only online community, an exclusive merchandise package and additional benefits, including LPU members' request for early admission into Linkin Park shows.
We are also releasing our annual LPU CD. The LPU11 CD is filled with unreleased demos from Hybrid Theory to A Thousand Suns. Some of the songs on this CD are early versions of familiar songs, such as the “In The End” demo. Other songs on this CD never made it on a Linkin Park album and remained unfinished and in raw form. All of the songs represent the journey it takes to create an album as a whole, and we're excited to share them with you.
To learn more, visit us at LPUnderground.com
Thank you to our dedicated members for making LPU such an amazing place for us to connect with our fans!
Rob

So heres to another great(er) year! Find and add me in the LPU here

All about the 1's 11/11/11 11:11:11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000+05:30

As the title says it all, its kinda funny, all these years sometimes as this particular date approached in a year, it was cool to watch all the 1's lined up in the watch, calendars, etc. as a kid. Now in this 'one of a kind' date, its funnier to see the hype and speculation like another big event (somewhat of the 21/12/2012 type, only not with some certain drastic outlook)

So I wonder whats so special? As far as I know and concerning me, except the facts like some movies like Immortals and video games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is going to be released and I have my end semester exams coming up, another normal day of life, yet.

PS. Check out my submission for The Dark Knight Rises campaign here. For all the bat and Nolan fans out there, must see and to try out. Spread the word!

Thank You Steve

2011-10-16T22:16:00.001+05:30

So (today) 16th October 2011 is observed as Steve Jobs Day as declared by the Governor of California as a tribute to the great man, one of the greatest innovators and entrepreneurs who ever lived. Now I'm not going to write down his entire life story, since many might be somewhat aware of it in his recent demise. And as the old saying goes a picture speaks a thousand words.

Instead, I want to take time and write about my feelings, thank him for how he changed not only mine but millions of lives across the globe. My father being an enthusiastic in the world of stocks, I was often inquisitive and tried to get along with him in his doings as a kid. At that time, I just knew a guy called Steve Jobs was like the 'creator' of personal computers that day used worldwide, and I was nothing less of amazed at my little understanding that time how he ruled the share market. Being a computer (and video game) geek since way back then, my access to this world was limited to my cousin's and uncle's laptops since I didn't own a computer then. As time rolled by, as the world changed, Apple was a king in tech and here in India owning one became a status symbol. Although I was amazed as millions of others when I saw the iPhone for the first time in 2007, as I said before owning one here would be a luxury. But it was not just the fine Apple products which brought my attention most to him but it was far more.

Never did I imagined years ago as a kid, or later watching random videos at youtube of his before watching this (or this, heck I must have posted that over a dozen times in the years and god alone knows the number which I watched) the charisma and innovative-ness of the Great Man. Yes, I'm referring to his Standford commencement speech back in 2005, but the moment I saw it in 2008 (during my 'exile to study' for 2 years after finishing high school) my love for him as a computer/tech/game geek increased exponentially making me surrender to him with nothing else but respect.

Since that day onwards he became a 'mentor' for me in my life.

Since that day he was a role model for me giving inspiration with each action.

Since that day he gave me a sense of direction in my life, become one of the big (or perhaps in a way the sole) reason for me to pursue Computer Science Engineering

Since that day whenever someone asked me about my idol (in any context), you can guess the answer which I shouted!

Since that day a purpose to my life was discovered.

And this is my story, one of many thousands in the world. Not to anyone else, but for me it made a big difference as to my perspective to my life. Little did Mr. Jobs knew that he would not only inspire the students there in the convocation but move millions across the globe. That short speech remains one of his best moments till date. Not even many volumes of books can be compared to his short 15 min 'talk'.
And since that day I can truly say I became a 'Steve Jobs fan'. Just to see him speak always during an announcement was like a moment of glory. He was very simple, subtle and extremely impactful.

He was the man who changed the world, who always remained himself.

So I would just want to thank him for everything...

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for realizing us the importance of listening to our heart and intuition. Your quest for knowing what you love which even led you to drop the college is unparalleled.

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for letting us know who a real champion is. Not someone who never falls but one who has the ability to rise after every fall. Your exit from your own company and its return is scarcely believable.

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for making us believe anything’s possible. You transformed computer from a geek’s device to everyone’s personal computer, the idea which seemed unattainable and was scoffed at that time.

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for showing that a one who is crazy enough to change the world, actually can. You love and dedication to your work made the world realize that is what makes an ordinary man extraordinary.

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for showing us what passion really means. All your hardships at college and a turbulent return and success shall serve as an example for all of us.

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for truly giving a meaning to the old saying 'A successful man is the one who lays his foundations with the bricks that others throw at him.'
Sometimes life can throw a brick at you, don't lose faith in yourselves...

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for proving us that its innovation and imagination that truly drives and changes the world…

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for 'Think(ing) Differen(tly).'

Thank You Mr. Jobs, for teaching us to be “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”…
Never be content with what you do and keep pursuing for the better. Excellence has no end.

Thank You Steve…

You have might ended your journey here, but you and your legacy will always be remembered for generations to come and we will proudly say we lived during 'The Era of Steve Jobs'

"Heavens... Be prepared, Once your apple changed the future of Earth forever…

Now, our Apple’s founder is gonna change your world in ways you can never even imagine…"

The Life of Steve Jobs

(Click to enlarge)

image courtesy of Mashable

And he moves on...

2011-10-06T09:05:00.001+05:30

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

- Steve Jobs (24 February, 1955 - 5 October, 2011)

Everyone have their own view!

2011-09-29T18:26:00.000+05:30

Each one has his/her own view of the world. Brilliant picture I came across depicting this! Have a great day.

13 year old giant

2011-09-27T11:49:00.000+05:30

And that is none other than - Google

Changing almost everyone's lives. So big in just almost a decade, quiet a oxymoron isn't it?
Happy 13th Birthday Google! (By the time 'Teenage' and 'Adulthood' is reached I wonder what will happen)

i - iCaptain!

2011-09-23T20:54:00.002+05:30

Not Today But One Day

2011-09-23T15:55:00.001+05:30

Below is a poem written by a Bansalite in November, 2010 during his study at Bansal Classes.

As it was the last day of Bansal Classes.

So I thank B.C. for making thousands of students to wear glasses.

Thanks Bansal for making me to realize where I am weak.

I will work hard, I will encore and one day I will reach the peak.

Today, I don’t have a good batch.

But I have a FIRE.

Today, I don’t have a good cumulative rank.

But I have a DESIRE.

Yes I agree that I don’t belong to the layer of cream.

But I have a DREAM.

I don’t have the “AUKAT” of A-1 Batch today,

But remember “EVERY DOG HAS IT'S DAY”.

So what in there two years at B.C. I don’t become a HERO.

But remember Sachin Tendulkar in his first match scored just a “ZERO”.

Thanks Bansal for making me to realize that life is about hard work and competition.

But one day I will swing this world with my sensation .

One day, I will have that “AUKAT”

You just wait and watch.

Today you don’t find any thing extraordinary in any activity of the mine.

But remember every “Diamond” take some time to shine when it comes out the mine.

Every one say that I have not developed so much as compared to the rest of the masses.

But I know that I have developed a lot as compared to the first day I arrived at Bansal Classes.

I know for selection in JEE a good batch is very important.

But remember “Students makes batches, Batches does not makes student”.

I promise you, I will be sharper one day, I will be smarter one day, I will be faster one day.

ONE DAY I WILL GET EVERY THING WHAT I DON’T HAVE TODAY.

Life is much Bigger than any competition.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Being an ex-student myself this clearly reflects what most of us faced and everyone else in general. Thanks to Jitendra and BCPL for these beautiful words. Original can be found here.

Who is a Teacher?

2011-09-19T21:24:00.000+05:30

From A School Principal's speech at a graduation:

He said that a Doctor wants his child to become a Doctor,
Engineer wants his child to become Engineer,
Businessman wants his ward to become CEO,
But a teacher also wants his child to become one of them!
Hardly anyone wants to become a teacher 'By Choice'. Very sad but that's the truth!

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education and the system, the endless lists of flaws. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest;
"You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Teacher Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,

"You want to know what I make?
(She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 minutes without an iPod, PC or movie rental.

You want to know what I make?
(She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them how to write and then I make them write, keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math.
They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.
(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?

I make a difference in all your lives, educating kids and preparing them to become CEOs, Doctors and Engineers...

Well, what do you make Mr. CEO?
His jaw dropped; he went silent.

(Play with the) Hamster

2011-09-17T12:37:00.003+05:30

The Hacker Manifesto

2011-09-13T21:40:00.000+05:30

+++The Mentor+++

Written January 8, 1986

Another one got caught today, it's all over the papers. "Teenager Arrested in Computer Crime Scandal", "Hacker Arrested after Bank Tampering"...

Damn kids. They're all alike.

But did you, in your three-piece psychology and 1950's technobrain, ever take a look behind the eyes of the hacker? Did you ever wonder what made him tick, what forces shaped him, what may have molded him?

I am a hacker, enter my world...

Mine is a world that begins with school... I'm smarter than most of the other kids, this crap they teach us bores me...

Damn underachiever. They're all alike.

I'm in junior high or high school. I've listened to teachers explain for the fifteenth time how to reduce a fraction. I understand it. "No, Ms. Smith, I didn't show my work. I did it in my head..."

Damn kid. Probably copied it. They're all alike.

I made a discovery today. I found a computer. Wait a second, this is cool. It does what I want it to. If it makes a mistake, it's because I screwed it up. Not because it doesn't like me... Or feels threatened by me.. Or thinks I'm a smart ass.. Or doesn't like teaching and shouldn't be here...

Damn kid. All he does is play games. They're all alike.

And then it happened... a door opened to a world... rushing through the phone line like heroin through an addict's veins, an electronic pulse is sent out, a refuge from the day-to-day incompetencies is sought... a board is found. "This is it... this is where I belong..." I know everyone here... even if I've never met them, never talked to them, may never hear from them again... I know you all...

Damn kid. Tying up the phone line again. They're all alike...

You bet your ass we're all alike... we've been spoon-fed baby food at school when we hungered for steak... the bits of meat that you did let slip through were pre-chewed and tasteless. We've been dominated by sadists, or ignored by the apathetic. The few that had something to teach found us willing pupils, but those few are like drops of water in the desert.

This is our world now... the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn't run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore... and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge... and you call us criminals. We exist without skin color, without nationality, without religious bias... and you call us criminals. You build atomic bombs, you wage wars, you murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals.

Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for.

I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto. You may stop this individual, but you can't stop us all... after all, we're all alike.

_______________________________________________________________________________

more info

The Politics of The Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings Part 2: The Kingslayers (spoilers)

2011-09-11T19:40:00.001+05:30

Read Part 1 if you haven't already.

After making the brief overview for all factions involved, both major and minor, I thought it would be enlightening to look at one of them indepth. The Kingslayers, four Witchers of the viper school led by the giant of a man Letho, are the main antagonists of the game, and their quest to fullfill their mission would lead them to interact, ally with and backsab several factions. This impressive maneuvering orchestrated by Letho, the leader of the kinglsayers, will culminate in a sequence of events that would sow chaos in the North and pave the way for the Third Nothern War.

Before starting, I must emphasize that much of what I wrote is my personal interpretation based on the knowledge we are given. A lot of it is left ambiguous and not explored with great detail, especially considering that a lot of it happened outside the game. The assassin that appeared at the end of The Witcher 1 in particular, is not mentionned at all, barring the first scene and a flashback sequence with seemingly a fourth Witcher in it next to Geralt, Letho, Auckes and Serrit, who most likely is our mysterious assassin. Also, I will not delve into their hunt of...the Wild Hunt with Geralt. My focus will rather be on what transpired in Nilfgaard and after.

I- Caught in Nilfgaard

After a long pursuit, Geralt, thanks to the help provided by Letho and three other Witchers from the viper school, finally caught up with the Wild Hunt in the Hanged Man's tree near Nilfgaard, intent on freeing his lover Yennefer from its grasp. A long and brutal fight ensued and a stalemate was reached. Unable to defeat the King of the Wild Hunt, Geralt exchanged his soul for that of Yennefer, and disappeared with The Hunt. Staying true to his short lived friendship with Geralt and returning the favor after the White Wolf saved his life, Letho took Yennefer under his care. Her time in captivity with the spectral riders caused the sorceress to lose her memory and later behave erratically, much to Letho's annoyance. She attempted to drive a wedge between the remaining Witchers by seducing Auckes, and because of her deliriousness started attracting too much attention.

In Nilfgaard, mages are regarded with much suspicion and little tolerance. It was only a matter of time before the band was caught by the imperial secret police, headed by Vattier de Rideaux. For weeks, Letho and his band were held for questioning, albeit non-violently, before the Nilfgaardians made a significant discovery. Through Yennefer's memories, magically extracted by a Nilfgaardian sorcerer, they learned of the Lodge of Sorceresses, a secret organization of sorceresses de facto led by Philippa Eilhart which aims to spread the influence and political power of mages and save guard the North from the Nilfgaardian empire. Mages have proven to be an obstacle to Nilfgaardian expansionism in the past, in particular during the battle of the Sodden Hill. After weeks in captivity, Letho was led to the emperor of Nilfgaard himself, Emhyr Var Emreis, who had certain plans for the Witcher.

The plan was brilliant in its simplicity. Letho and his fellow witchers were to sow chaos in the North, by assassinating kings and laying blame on the sorceresses. It would veritably be hitting two birds in one stone, causing chaos and weakening the North, softening it up for invasion, while depriving it of a powerful weapon that is the mages by turning it against them. In exchange for this service, the emperor promised to rebuild the School of the Viper, the virtually extinct Witcher school where Letho and his comrades came to be. Only Emhyr, Letho and Vattier knew of the mission. Letho accepted, most likely realizing that the old ways of Witcher neutrality can no longer be maintained. He was given complete freedom and leeway to complete the mission assigned to him.

The Kingslayers thus came to be.

II. Meeting Sile de Tansarville

Sile de Tansarville was one of the names extracted from Yennefer's memory. She was one of the founding members of the Lodge, and was present in the court of Kovir and Poviss, a wealthy kingdom in the far North. How the Kingslayers met her and under what circumstances is unknown. Letho acted like her personal Witcher for a time, slaying monsters for her, while making sure that reliable witnesses saw them together and were able to link one to the other.

Mages in general, especially those of the North, are highly sophisticated and knowledgeable about a variety of subjects especially politics. In addition sorceresses in particular were known for their glamorous looks. It is also true that mages are not impressed with the magical signs Witchers command. In addition to what can be seen as haughty attitude generally shared by her kin, Sile herself was reserved and had little patience for nonsense. All these traits were easy for Letho to exploit.

Taking advantage of his bulky looks, Letho acted like the oaf Sile seemed to think he is. Perhaps exploiting pride in her sophistication, Letho presented himself as a naive melancholic man who thought the world was simply unfair. This seems to mirror Geralt's exchange with Zoltan in The Witcher 1, where he genuinely expressed how his antiquated world views no longer fit the new order. It seems likely that Letho wanted Sile to believe that he had a naive antiquated world view as well and was easy to manipulate. Since sorceresses in particular also use their looks to manipulate, it is not impossible for Letho to have faked physical attraction to her as well.

During this "rapprochement", Letho planned to strike the first blow. He planned to assassinate the king of Kovir and Poviss, Thyssen, and probably shift the blame to Sile. Kovir is the largest exporter of mineral ressources in the continent, and it financially supported Northern Kingdoms against Nilfgaard. Causing chaos there would be a decisive blow against the North. But fate smiled on the Viper as a better opportunity presented itself. Before he can carry the deed, Sile herself, thinking that the naive oaf is easy to manipulate and use, came to him and asked him to assassinate King Demavend of Aedirn for her.

Could there have been a more fertile soil to sow chaos in? The Lodge signed its own death warrant by ordering a regicide which Letho was all too happy to carry out.

III- Assassinating King Demavend

The Lodge of Sorceresses wanted King Demavend out of the of the picture to pave the way for the rise of Saskia, the dragonslayer who had rallied peasants in open revolt against the unpopular king, and the establishment of an independent Pontar State with egalitarian principles, treating nonhumans equally. The Pontar Valley is a land rich in mineral wealth and of high strategic importance. The Lodge secretly controlling it behind the scenes would go a long way to spread its influence in the North.

Sile thus provided Letho with the financial and magical assistance to assassinate the King of Aedirn. To facilitate his escape, Sile also contacted a group of Scoia'Tael whom were part of Iorveth's cell (the Scoia'Tael leader however was in Eastern Temeria at the time and seems to have been unaware of this alliance). They were to support the kingslayers and help them escape and hide. Sile's plan was well though-out, and thanks to the Scoia'Tael, no one would be able to trace the "big oaf" to her. Except she severily miscalculated.

Letho managed to assassinate King Demavend, and despite Scoia'Tael assistance, barely escaped with his life. Most probably led there by his Scoia'Tael allies, Letho found Iorveth in his hideout near Flotsam, and struck an alliance with the veteran warrior. The crowned severed head of Demavend was to be the first of several more decapitated heads, contrary to what Sile wished.

At around the same time, it appears that the Kingslayers also aimed to assassinate the king of Temeria, Foltest. Perhaps seeking to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Vizima uprising and the attempted coup d'Etat by the Order of the Flaming Rose. The mysterious fourth assassin failed however as Foltest was narrowly rescued by Geralt of Rivia. The Witcher assassin was killed in the process. Very little is known of him and the game makes almost no mention of him at all barring the first scene. So a lot of it is speculation and hopefully it will be clarified in the future.

IV- King Foltest is next

Following the first failed attempt, Letho and Iorveth planned a second attempt on the king of Temeria's life. Temeria is a main bulwark against Nilfgaard and was key to inflicting a severe defeat at Brenna on the empire in the Second Northern War. Despite the victory, the kingdom suffered from internal instability, starting with the Vizima uprising and then spreading to La Valettes on the Pontar river. Spreading further chaos in Temeria would be greatly beneficial to Nilfgaard. Baroness La Valette gave birth to Foltest's illegitimate children, unknown to him, whom several barons sought to use as their banner to overthrow the king.

Tensions rose and it was only a matter of time before king Foltest delt with the rebels and recovered his bastard children. This Letho and Iorveth knew. Children were usually taken to the monastery during a siege, so Letho had to become a monk, for he was sure Foltest would seek them out. He had to become a monk ahead of time however, so Aryan La Valette's patrols one day stumbled on a defenseless blind monk who was being tortured by Scoia'Tael. They were driven off, and Letho was taken to be healed. He paid a large sum of money to the healer to be quiet about his lack of recent injuries, only to kill him later as only the dead could keep a secret. Letho was thus exactly where he wanted to be.

Letho and Iorveth's prediction was vindicated, when Foltest mounted a siege on La Valette Castle and defeated the rebels relatively easily despite the chaos caused by the unexpected intervention of a dragon. As Letho predicted, Foltest rushed to the monastery to recover his children. Only he was accompanied by Geralt of Rivia! How could Letho ever have predicted this? How did he escape from the Wild Hunt? Geralt would have no trouble recognizing an old friend and exposing him! Thankfully for Letho however, Geralt was suffering from amnesia and was not able to recognize his old companion.

This proved fatal to Foltest. One of the mightiest kings of the North was slain, with Geralt being unable to prevent it. Letho escaped thanks to the Scoia'Tael, and Geralt was accused of the assassination. The plan was proceeding well, the complications caused by Geralt's return notwithstanding.

V- Hiding in Flotsam

In a span of three months, two kings of the North were assassinated by the Kingslayers, and both their kingdoms plunged into chaos and civil war. But Letho's mission was far from complete. He opted however to wait for two weeks after his murder of Foltest. Letho was likely waiting for King Henselt of Kaedwen, who had been mobalizing his army south, to start his campaign on Upper Aedirn. His comrades Auckes and Serrit were in Uppper Aedirn at the time, preparing with a group of Iorveth's Scoia'Tael to kill the Kaedweni king.

The Kingslayer also felt that his hands were tied so long as Iorveth was around. He recognized that Iorveth was a cunning fox who could see through him at any moment. The Scoia'Tael were betrayed by Nilfgaard after the last war, so them discovering Letho's true purpose would lead to unpleasant results. So the viper attempted to orchestrate an internal coup d'Etat, by overthrowing Iorveth and replacing him with another Scoia'Tael, one more amenable to manipulation. He tried to persuade Ciaran to do so, but miscalculated and underestimated the loyalty the Scoia'Tael showed to their leader. He was forced to slay Ciaran and his unit to keep what happened from Iorveth.

Letho was thus in a precarious position. It was exacerbated when Sile de Tansarville arrived in Flotsam to pursue her betrayer. She was followed by Geralt of Rivia and Vernon Roche, who were also hunting Foltest's killer. Letho's miscalculation with regards to Ciaran almost proved fatal, as the elf was not dead, but taken captive by Loredo's men. Geralt learned from him of Letho's attemted backstabbing of Iorveth, and used that to drive a wedge between them. Geralt and Iorveth set a trap for Letho, where the two old friends confronted each other for the first time, in the elven gardens where he often spent time thinking. But the trap was jeopardized by the intervention of the Blue Stripes and Loredo's men. Letho and Geralt crossed blades during the ensuing the skirmish.

Trading blows, both verbal and with the sword, the two former friends clashed in the elven ruins, matching each other in skills and abilities. Letho however proved to be the better fighter in this round. He defeated The White Wolf and had him at his mercy. He was the only obstacle in his mission, removing him would make life easier for the viper. But Letho did not kill him. Didn't Geralt save his life once? Weren't they friends who fought the Wild Hunt together? Wasn't Letho doing all of this to revive the Witchers? Geralt was not his enemy.

The Kingslayer walked away from his beaten foe, and rushed to take hold of the sorceress Triss Merigold, Geralt's present lover or friend. He caught her in Sile's room using her megascope, fatally wounded Cedric who was assisting her, and forced her to teleport both of them to Upper Aedirn. Letho had eluded Geralt, the Blue Stripes, the angered Scoia'Tael and Sile de Tansarville.

VI- Time at the Pontar Valley

The teleportation was successful; Letho let Triss go and went on to join his brothers Auckes and Serrit. They massacred the Scoia'Tael unit they were preparing with considering what has transpired in Flotsam, and proceeded with planning King Henselt's assassination. It was shot down however as the curse Sabrina Glessivig inflicted on King Henselt three years ago while being burned alive, activated and summoned a spectral mist. It delayed the Kaedweni invasion, and the kingslayers' attempt.

At around this time, Letho found out that fate had once again smiled on him. He learned of the planned conference in Loc Muinne, which aimed to revise the borders in the Northern Kingdoms, and more importantly re-establish the magi Conclave and Council, which were dissolved after the event of the Thanned Coup. The main kings of the North would be there, along with emissaries and the sorceresses as well. This would be the ideal setting to complete his mission.

King Henselt's death no longer became necessary after the discovery, so Letho decided to go to Loc Muinne and prepare; he entrusted the assassination to Serrit and Auckes. They failed however, as either Geralt of Rivia, if he sided with Roche, stopped and defeated them, or most likely Sile managed to do so on her own if Geralt sided with Iorveth and was on the other side of the mist. In either case, Sile finished them off in the hopes of removing all evidence pointing to her and to bring an end to the slaying of Northern Kings that was contrary to the Lodge's plans. Geralt however, via different means depending on location, still managed to find out that Sile was behind King Demavend's murder.

VII- The Grand Finale

Letho arrived at Loc Muinne and met with Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen, the emissary of the Nilfgaardian empire. It is not clear if the latter knew the extent of the emperor's plans or of Letho's mission, but it's clear that he was instructed with dealing with the Lodge. Indeed, Shilard captured Triss Merigold after Letho let her go, most likely to be used as evidence against the Lodge seeing how she is a member. Letho revealed his mission to the emissary, and together they planned for the grand finale where the Lodge would be exposed and the Northern Kingdoms would turn on the mages. It was the ideal setting, for the ampitheatre was protected by a spell that supresses magic. The mages would be defenseless. Depending on Geralt's choice, one of two scenarios took place.

If Geralt decided to help Roche / Iorveth to deal with the Temerian / Pontar Valley question instead of trying to free Triss from Nilfgaardian captivity, Letho is bound and led to the conference by the Nilfgaardians, where he "confessed" to have been behind the assassinations on the orders of the Lodge. King Radovid of Redania and the others turned on the mages, destroyed the Lodge and stopped the Council and Conclave from being created, and soon after a witch hunt ensued. Perhaps still feeling indebted to Geralt, Letho saved Triss and protected her from the Nilfgaardians. They both waited for the White Wolf in the Temerian encampment in the ruined city.

If on the otherhand Geralt decided to save Triss, he takes Shilard hostage. The emissary however was killed by Imperial bodyguard Renuald, revealing that Shilard is expandable in the emperor's plans. He is soon after killed by the witcher, and Triss was freed. She revealed in the conference the Lodge's culpability vis-a-vis the assassinations but made sure to dissociate the rest of the mages from their crime. The Lodge was seemingly destroyed by King Radovid, while the Council and Conclave were established. Letho, knowing that Geralt would continue pursuing him, waited in the Temerian encampment for the final confrontation.

In either case, the dragon controlled by the Lodge intervened during the conference to save Sile de Tansarville, who tried to teleport away using her megascope. As it turns out however, Letho had played his "final prank" by replacing one of the diamonds used to operate the device with a defective one that would cause her to be torn to bits. Geralt either helped her or left her to die. Letho despite his cold demeanor genuinely seemed to want to end her life quickly instead of letting her be caught and suffer painfully.

Wanting to bring the chase to an end, Letho waited for Geralt. In the ruins of Loc Muinne, the two old friends stood face to face in their final confrontation. Geralt had been gradually recovering parts of his memory, and by that time recalled his time and friendship with Letho and the rest of the kingslayers. Letho was willing to put all his cards on the table and answer any question Geralt wished to ask vis-a-vis Yennefer and his mission, but not before offering some of vodka. Geralt can drink some of it with his nemesis, talk with him and walk away, letting the Kingslayer go. Or they both fight to the death this time. Geralt walks away victorious.

Regardless, Letho was in large part successful. Two monarchs were killed (potentially, King Henselt as well depending on Geralt's choice), the two kingdoms standing as bulwarks against Nilfgaard were destabilized, and the Lodge was destroyed possibly alongside the Council and Conclave. With chaos sown, the way was paved for Nilfgaardian invasion. The Third Nothern War had begun, and the kingslayers were pivotal in its erruption.

PS: The Witcher is one of the best games made in today's generation and the entire universe is an epic of its own. Being one of my most favourite games, always wanted to post something and glad founded this to share.

The Politics of The Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings Part 1: Factions Overview (spoilers)

2011-09-11T19:36:00.001+05:30

by KnightofPhoenix

This first blog is a brief overview of all the factions, both major and minor, involved in the game that Geralt can interact with and in some instances, influence their fate. By "major faction", I mean the major players that are present more or less throughout and / or have a dominating presence in the Loc Muinne Conference in Act 3. By "minor", I mean the smaller players that are confined to one act or small locale and / or have a minor role in the Conference of Act 3.

After the brief overview, I will attempt to explain how they all interrelate, which they do, in a vast and complex political web of intrigue.

Before all of that however, we should take a look at the map of the North.

As we can see, the major kingdoms of the North are Temeria (blue), Redenia (red), Kaedwen (green) and Aedirn (brown). The black bloc is the mighty Nilfgaardian Empire. The game deals with all five polities and more. For a detailed summary of the history of the Witcher universe, please check the Witcher wiki. Or this trailer that briefly sumarizes the situation in the North immediately prior the game.

Please keep the map in mind for I will refer to it several times, more notably when it comes to Flotsam and especially the Pontar Valley.

Major Factions:

I. The Kingslayers:

Letho: "I want no gold and have no interest in a killer's fame."

Comprised of 4 Witchers from the Viper School, led by Letho of Gulet, the kingslayers are responsable for the assassination of King Demavend of Aedirn, the failed attempt on King Foltest of Temeria's life and later on his succesful assassination, and finally the attempt on the king of Kaedwen, Henselt's life. The Witcher 2 is focused on them as main antagonists and on Geralt uncovering the conspiracy, to clear his name as he was wrongly accused of Foltest's assassination.

The game starts with Letho assassinating Foltest during the siege of La Valette's castle, where we see the Kingslayers employing the aid of the Scoia'Tael, specifically Iorveth's band of nonhuman freedom fighters / terrorists, while at the same time trying to undermine Iorveth and orchestrate a pseudo-coup d'etat, but without success. It is later on discovered that the Lodge of Sorceresses provided them with the order and ressources to eliminate King Demavend. Only to find out later that Letho had in fact tricked them, pretending to be a mindless grunt while in reality he is quite a competent chessmaster, and went on an assassination spree targetting Northern Kings which the Lodge did not approve of.

At the end, it is revealed that it was in fact the Emperor of Nilfgaard, Emhyr Var Emreis, who was behind the conspiracy. The objective of the kingslayers was to sow as much chaos as possible in the North to pave the way for a Nilfgaardian invasion, by eliminating the major leaders and putting the blame on the mages. With a combination of luck, resourcefulness and trickery, Letho was more or less succesful in his mission, though how much he succeeded depends on Geralt's choices. In exchange for this service, the Emperor promised to rebuild the Viper School of Witchers, which like all Witcher schools, is on the verge of dying out.

It is also revealed that Geralt has history with them, once saving Letho's life, who in turn made sure that Geralt's lover, Yennefer, was safe. Letho also returns the favor by sparing Geralt when he defeated him in Act 1, and potentially further by saving Triss Merigold, Geralt's friend or lover, at the end. The Kingslayers, Letho specifically, are in my opinion one of the best examples of a non-villanous antagonist that are competent but also reasonable. The game can end with Geralt deciding not to fight Letho (my favorite ending).

II. The Blue Stripes:

Vernon Roche: "I carry out orders others are incapable of executing."

Near the end of Act 1, Geralt is confronted with a choice of siding with two opposing factions, to help him in his hunt for the Kingslayer. One of them is the Blue Stripes.

The Blue Stripes are Temerian Special Forces commanded by Vernon Roche. They are essentially a counter-terrorist / guerilla fighter specialist commando unit. The Northern Kingdoms all had their own Special Forces, created during the war with Nilfgaard to counter the Scoia'Tael, nonhuman fighters who employed terror and guerilla tactics. Somewhat inaccurately dubbed "nonhuman hunters", the Blue Stripes fight the Scoia'Tael and clamp down on rebelling nonhuman communities, with ruthless determination and cruelty, but the nonhumans who abide by the law are not touched by them (of course they are still more or less treated like second class citizens).

In addition to this role, the Blue Stripes also aim to secure Temerian interests against human enemies as well. Indeed, they helped secure the Eastern border, helped finance and organize rebellions in other kingdoms, and as we see in the prologue, participated in the war against the rebelling La Valettes. In essence, they execute every command the king gives them. Vernon Roche is genuinely very loyal to Foltest, who looked past his commoner and rather "low" standing (he is a bastard son of a ****), and raised him in rank based on his merit and loyalty.

The Blue Stripes are also known for being the only Temerian unit that has a woman in it. Ves is indeed virtually Vernon Roche's right hand woman, who was able to look past gender and appreciate her skills and determination. Though of course her womanly charms are something that the Stripes exploited to their advantage on occasion.

Vernon Roche is almost fanatically devoted to his country Temeria, and even after Foltest's death with no one ordering him, he continued to serve Temeria in the best way he saw fit. He aimed to assassinate the traitor Loredo (Act 1), helped organize dissidents against Henselt (Act 2) which resulted in the massacre of his unit after his actions were discovered, and finally sought to free Foltest's daughter and heir to the throne, Anais, from Dethmold's clutches (Act 3), with or without Geralt's help. At the end depending on choice, Roche ends up either joining up with Regent Natalis of Temeria to help protect and raise Anais to become Queen of Temeria, or runs off with Anais to raise her on his own, or gives Anais to Radovid of Redania and joins the Redanian army.

III. The Scoia'Tael:

Nobleman on Iorveth: "He's been fighting humans for a century!"

Saskia the Dragonslayer: "But for the first time in scores of years his fight makes sense. The Scoia' tael know no peace, they've died for Nilfgaard, for the Valley of Flowers; in vain. They've been betrayed and cheated. Now they have a new goal. The Pontar Valley can be the first state where no man would have to fear elven arrows when venturing beyond city walls, and elves and dwarves wouldn't live in ghettos or on reservations"

The second choice is siding with the Scoia'Tael led by Iorveth. The Scoia'Tael, which means "squirrels" in Elvish, were established during the war with Nilfgaard, as allies of the Empire agains the Northern kingdoms. They are a militant band of nonhuman freedom fighters and terrorists, comprised of Dwarves and Elves but mostly the latter, who are responsable for the devastation of many human settlements. They were betrayed by Nilfgaard at the end of the war and most of their leaders were sacrificed in order to ratify the peace treaty.

One surviving Scoia'Tael leader is Iorveth. A tactical genius and cunning fox, Iorveth managed to outsmart and defeat all Northern Special Forces (he took their crests as trophies, which can be seen on his outfit), with the exception of the Temerian Blue Stripes. He is also a notorious mass murderer, feared and hated by many including nonhumans. His involvement in the story begins with him supporting Letho in his assassination of King Foltest, and preperation to assassinate King Henselt of Kaedwen. However Letho, not underestimating his current ally's cunning, attempted to eliminate him and replace him with another elven leader before he realizes that he is being used. He failed as Iorveth's men displayed remarkable loyalty.

After learning this thanks to Geralt, Iorveth turned on Letho and offered his support to the White Wolf in hunting him down in Upper Aedirn. We also learn that Iorveth has a change of hearts of sorts, and has found a purpose other than terrorizing human woods. He wanted to support the creation of a Free Pontar State (Upper Aedirn), led by Saskia the Dragonslayer also known as the virgin of Aedirn, where humans and nonhumans can live equally. We later learn that Iorveth was in fact behind the whole idea and myth of the dragonslayer surrounding Saskia, who herself is secretly a shape shifting dragon. Iorveth and his Scoia'Tael participated in the battle of Vergen against Kaedwen, where they potentially (depending on Geralt's choice in Act 1), turn the tide of the battle.

The Socia'Tael and Iorveth specifically, evolve from a band of desperate freedom fighters / terrorists with no hope of victory, to a band of warriors dedicated to a higher cause that quite remarkably (though not without complications and inner strife), has them fight side by side with humans.

IV. Kaedwen:

King Henselt: I’m the King of Kaedwen and soon of Lormark. The North won’t survive without me. I’ve won! Do you know why I rushed into battle? Do you? I had to resolve it before Loc Muinne. A new world order, new borders. Everything will change. All the kings and princes of the North will be there. Do you know the old saying? He who controls the Pontar Valley controls the North."

Geralt of Rivia: "Have the mages been invited?"

King Henselt: "It’s their idea. They want to revive the Council and Conclave. They want to regain their rights and privileges, their place in society. What tripe! I’ve outsmarted them all! I’ll be the one to dictate treaties. I’ll show them who’s ruler!"

The largest state after Nilfgaard, Kaedwen is a northern Kingdom ruled by King Henselt. Henselt is notorious for his oppression of nonhumans, and much more for his backstabbing of Aedirn during the war with Nilfgaard and his deal with the invading Empire to annex the Pontar Valley, then part of the kingdom of Aedirn. The invasion was aborted however, and Kaedwen joined the coalition that defeated Nilfgaard at the battle of Brenna. One year after the war with Nilfgaard, Henselt once again attempted to take the Pontar Valley by force, but suffered a pyyrhic victory that forced him to abort the invasion due to the intervention of Sabrina Glevissig, his then sorceress advisor, who was secretly working with the Lodge to make sure that the balance of power in the North was not disturbed.

The Pontar Valley, called Upper Aedirn or Lormark, depending on who you are asking, is a stragetically very valuable piece of land that borders Temeria, Kaedwen and Aedirn, is rich in mineral wealth, and is bordered by the important river Pontar in the north and the river Dyfne in the south. It thus naturally a very contested land, claimed especially by Aedirn and Kaedwen (it was once Kaedweni lands), and a rising movement of Upper Aedirnian natives (dwarves and humans), led by Saskia, who wish to secede and form their own state. Henselt, despite his defeat in Vergen a few years back, reassembled an army of 5000 men to try and take the Pontar Valley again, which due to King Demavend's assassination and the civil war in Aedirn, was de facto ruled by Saskia at the time. The Dragonslayer mustered a force of a thousand men for the defense of Vergen, the capital of her nascent state.

His ambitions are hinted at in Act 1 when we learn that Loredo, the de facto ruler of the very strategically valuable Flotsam (refer to map), struck a deal with the King's sorcerer advisor Dethmold. Act 2 deals with his invasion of Vergen, the capital of the Pontar state in formation. His objective is two fold. Acquire the Pontar Valley, which in and of itself is very important, but also strike a preemptive checkmate prior to the Loc Muinne Conference. Him siezing the Pontar Valley would increase his political leverage, and thus his influence on the conference.
Depending on Geralt's choice in Act 1, Henselt either conquers Vergen (though could be killed by Roche), or is defeated due to the timely intervention of Iorveth and his Scoia'Tael. In the latter scenario, Dethmold is executed and Philippa Eilhart imposes her associate from the Lodge, Sile de Tansarville, as his advisor. He is later forced to relinquish his claim on the Pontar Valley and recognize it as an independent state at the Conference.

Henselt is not without opposition. His past deeds, coupled with his current rapprochement with the hated Nilfgaard, to the point of inviting its emisary, Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen, to the Loc Muinne Conference, angered Kaedwenis, nobles, soldiers and commoners alike. With help from Vernon Roche, they formed a hidden dissident group that uses Square Fish coins as symbols. However, the resourceful and cunning Dethmold was successful in dealing with the conspiracy, rather ruthlessly.

Should King Henselt win and still be alive, we see that he has a dominating presence in Act 3 at the conference and we also learn that Dethmold acquired Anais, King Foltest's daughter, given to him by Shilard who was using her as a bargaining chip. Henselt was planning to spread his influence into Temeria itself, dividing it up with his neighbour Redania. Depending on Geralt's choices, he either succeeds, or is checkmated by King Radovid of Redania, or neither get what they want for the time being. Regardless, Kaedwen reached its zenith and the people of Kaedwen prospered thanks to Henselt's expansionist ambition and ruthlessness. Should Henselt die with no heir, Kaedwen falls into civil war.

V. The Free Pontar:

Saskia the Dragonslayer: "Inns will be marked "Humans only". Dwarves will choke in the mines, elves will perished, hunted in the forests! Lords will slaughter peasants because they didn't bow low enough! Is that the land you want to leave to your children?!"

For the sake of simplicity, I'll refer to this faction as the Free Pontar, which Geralt interacts with and explores up close if he sided with Iorveth. The Virgin of Aedirn, Saskia, rallied around her a peasant army that revolted against the Aedirnian monarchy. King Demavend's assassination further resulted in a bigger civil war in Aedirn that prevented the ascension of his son, Stennis, to the throne.

In such chaos, Henselt mobalized his forces to take over the Pontar Valley. Faced with a common foe, the Dwarves of Vergen, peasants and some Aedirnian nobles rallied under Saskia, the only capable commander at this point, to defend it against the Kaedweni invasion. Saskia, with the help of her adviser the sorceress Philippa Eilhart, sought to create an independent Pontar Valley with egalitarian principles, where dwarves, elves and humans can live together equally. The importance of the valley has been explained beforehand. She is thus joined by Iorveth and his Scoia'Tael. This coalition of human peasants, dwarves and Scoia'Tael laid the foundations for the state to be, with the relunctant and ambivalent support given by nobles, knights and the Prince of Aedirn. The coalition managed to muster an army of a thousand men for the defense of Vergen.

Of course such an arrangement is hard to maintain. Dwarves of Vergen are fearful of human peasants overflooding their city, while peasant and noble tensions are rising, while everyone looks at the Scoia'Tael with suspicion, while Prince Stennis refuses to consider Saskia an equal let alone accept her proclamation of independence. This is shown especially when Saskia, the only one holding the coalition together, was poisonned and fell into a coma, before she was cured by Geralt.

On Iorveth's path, where Saskia and the Free Pontar defeat Kaedwen, it is revealed that she was being mind contolled by Philippa Eilhart and the Lodge who have their own agenda, and that she is in fact a dragon (dragons can shape shift in the Witcher universe). The same dragon who tried to help La Valettes against King Foltest in the prologue, because she was apparently impressed with Aryan La Valette, and maybe to gain an ally for the future. Her victory at Vergen allowed her to participate in the Loc Muinne Conference and proclaim the Pontar Valley's independence. Her defeat results in the annexation of the Pontar Valley by Kaedwen and the succumbing of the rest of Aedirn to King Henselt's influence.

VI. The Lodge of Sorceresses:

Philippa Eilhart: "The restitution of the Council and Conclave, and the creation of a strong, independent state with Saskia as its leader. As a bulwark. A defense against Nilfgaard. After years of chaos and destruction, the time has come to build. We wish to rule, yes. Where is the fault in that? Everyone wants to rule! And I know how to do that - better than any monarch in this city."

After the Thanedd Coup, which ended the old mage order as mages turned on each other with regards to whether they should join Nilfgaard, the Northern Kingdoms or remain neutral in the war, a band of sorceresses established a secret society called the Lodge. The Lodge sought to advance mage interests and establish their political dominance. There were 8 founding members, including Philippa Eilhart the de facto leader, Sile de Tancarville, Sabrina Glessivig and Triss Merigold. Many of them were already advisors to kings and in prominent political positions, especially Philippa who was the advisor of the late King of Redania Visimir and his son Radovid after the former's murder (Philippa is hinted to be behind it).

The Lodge's ambitions became much more explicit. They sought to establish an independent state in the Pontar Valley, which they would secretly control via their puppet Saskia (it is thus very likely that Philippa was behind her poisoning, as it is her antidote that brings Saskia under her complete control). In addition, they sought to establish a Conclave and Council of magi, an international organization that they would also control behind the scenes, that would regulate magic and more importantly, appoint mage advisors to Northern Kings. This would allow them to control a very rich and important piece of land and control who gets to advise the kings of the North. In essence, they would control the North behind the scenes.

To achieve this goal, the Lodge needed King Demavend of Aedirn dead to pave the way for the rise of Saskia and the Free Pontar. Letho and the Kingslayers, who were already there trying to start their mission, couldn't believe their luck when the Lodge itself in the person of Sile, unknowingly signed its death warrant by asking them to assassinate the king, providing them with the contacts and ressources to do so. They gladly siezed the opportunity, while faking naivety and compliance. Of course as the sorceresses later realized, Letho outwitted them and went on to assassinate King Foltest, which the Lodge never wanted. It was not in the Lodge's interests to have the North fall into chaos. Hence Sile de Tancarville, predicting that Letho would seek to assassinate Henselt, joined the King's side to both protect him and make sure that the trail leading to her is removed (Geralt still finds out however). She was also there as it was planned that in the event of Henselt's defeat, his advisor Dethmold would be executed and replaced by Sile. It is also interesting to note that while Foltest's death was not part of the plan, it was still slightly convenient. As Triss reveals in Act 1, Natalis is endebted to Philippa Eilhart, through his stakes in Vivaldi's bank which she controls.

The Lodge was not that succesful at the end. King Radovid turned on his advisor Philippa (who either dies or escapes after losing her eyes), Saskia is possibly either dead or freed of her control (though there is the choice to spare her while she's still under their control), and the Lodge was revealed (either by Triss or by Letho who is pretending to be captured by Nilfgaard), partially wrongly, to be behind the assassinations. The Free Pontar could have been defeated, and the Conclave of mages is either disbanded before it even started, or was established, thanks to the intervention of Triss, but while denouncing the Lodge.

VII. Redania:

King Radovid V the Stern: "Politics is like a complicated puzzle. Every piece may prove useful. Or equally useless, even harmful. A breakthrough awaits us at Loc Muinne, by my hand no less. This will be no second Thanedd. Soon, everyone will learn what the Redanian king is capable of."

While Redania and Radovid only show up in Act 3, I'd consider it a major faction because of Redania's importance in the conference, its role in dealing with the Lodge, and its influence over Temeria's fate.

After the murder of Redanian King Visimir the Just, the nobility competed to hold power, while the rightful heir Radovid was still a boy. Philippa Eilhart, hinted to be behind the murder of the king, quickly imposed herself as the most powerful figure in Redania alongside the Regency council to restore stability to the kingdom, and helped raise Radovid (though disregarded his authority as king). However, unexpectedly to all including perhaps Philippa, Radovid turned out to be an astute and cunning politician who would outmaneuver his rivals, impose himself as king and establish for himself the moniker of "The Stern". One way he outmaneuvered mages, Philippa in particular, is his very recent absorption of the Order of the Flaming Rose, a religious-military order that deals with monster, nonhuman threats and more importantly sorcerers (indeed Redanian intelligence helped create it for this purpose).

At Loc Muinne, Radovid aimed to hit several birds in one stone. He immediately turned on an unsuspecting Philippa, the last remaining obstacle to his undisputed sovereignity in Redania under the pretext of her being behind the assassinations as Shilard told him. She is either killed or escaped with her life depending on Geralt's choices on Iorveth's path. He also sought to bring a fractured Temeria under his influence. In order to avoid having to split it with Kaedwen, he asked Geralt to free Anais, King Foltest of Temeria's daughter, from Dethmold's clutches and bring her to him, on Roche's path. If Aryan in the prologue is spared, we see him asking Radovid to free his half-sister. In addition, depending on the choices in TW1, Radovid could have married Princess Adda, King Foltest's daughter (from incest). Both would help Radovid in his quest to make Temeria his protectorate. Depending on Geralt's choice, Radovid is either successful or would have to find another way to sate his ambition.

Furthermore, if Triss is not saved, Radovid deals with the Conclave and the Lodge with an iron fist. If Triss is there to dissociate the Conclave from the Lodge, he brings the Lodge down only. It is also revealed that Radovid and Nilfgaard concluded an arrangement of sorts, but the specifics are not revealed. It is possible that Radovid helped Nilfgaard deal with their own mage problem (some of the founding members of the Lodge are Nilfgaardians).

Depending on Geralt's choices in both Roche and Iorveth's path, Radovid is either supremely succesful or slightly undermined. But regardless Redania still remains a major power in the North with significant influence and will undoubtedly have an important role in the coming war. And Radovid is the only Northern King who cannot end up dead in the game.

VIII. The Nilfgaardian Empire:

Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen: "I am no warrior sire, I must admit. I prefer to joust verbally or with a pen, the emissary of peace that I am."

King Foltest: "Hogwash! You're the emissary of The White Flame Dancing on the Graves of His Foes, the emperor of Nilfgaard, who spared no blood conquering over a dozen sovereign realms."

Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen: "Thus bringing them laws, culture and peace above all."

The mighty Nilfgaardian Empire is ruled by Emperor Emhyr Var Emreis, and representated in the game by Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen, the Empire's cunning and eloquent emissary and ambassador.

Shilard is present in the Prologue, Act 2 (on both paths) and Act 3. In the Prologue, we can potentially see Nilfgaard playing its own game already if Geralt killed Aryan La Valette. Shilard persuaded the Baroness La Valette to accept Nilfgaardian protection. Already Nilfgaard can be seen projecting its influence. We furthermore see in Act 2 that Shilard captured Triss Merigold, Geralt's friend / lover, which as we learn later was to extract the name of members of the Lodge and as "evidence" of the Lodge's guilt with regards to the assassinations. We also find out that Shilard was the one who took Anais (and probably killed Boussy, King Foltest's bastard son and Anais' brother), and used her as a bargaining chip with Kaedwen, giving her to Dethmold, most likely to make sure that Temeria would be divided. And as we have already seen, Nilfgaard was in fact behind the assassinations to pave the way for its third invasion attempt, by promising Letho that it would re-establish the Viper Schools.

In Act 3, if Triss Merigold was not saved (which requires Geralt to storm in the Nilgaardian camp and it ends up with Shilard dead), Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen pretended to have captured Letho, who subsequently "confessed" that the Lodge was behind all the assassinations at the Loc Muinne conference. Which led to exactly what Nilfgaard wanted, the elimination of the Lodge and the blaming of mages. If Geralt chose to save Triss, he opted to take Shilard hostage, but Renuald aep Matsen, an imperial bodyguard, killed the emissary himself, showing that he is in fact expendable in the Emperor's plans. Triss revealed in the conference the Lodge's guilt, but dissociated the mages in general from it, which allowed for the Conclave to be created.

How much the Emperor's plan succeeded depends on Geralt's choices, but it was more or less successful, and at the end it is revealed that the Nilfgaardian empire's army crossed the Yaruga River and is marching North. The Third Northern War had begun.

Minor Factions:

I. La Valettes:

Aryan La Valette: "Hear that men? The king sends a witcher and we are to surrender, forgetting the very nature of honor and pride. We must choose, shame or a witcher's sword. Is that how you would live? Will you bow your heads before Foltest?"

La Valettes' rebellion is delt with in the prologue. La Valettes, alongside opposition to Foltest made up of nobles and knights, rose up to remove the King, by using the Baroness Marie Louise's children, Boussy and Anais whom she concieved with Foltest, as their banner. Temeria thus fell in civil war.

The rebellion made its last stand at La Valette castle, but was defeated by Foltest, despite the curious intervention of a dragon that only targetted the King's men. However, during the battle Foltest was assassinated by Letho and Temerian lords quickly maneuvred to secure or advance their position, causing the virtual collapse of central authority.

If Aryan, Marie Louise's son and commander of the rebelling army, is killed, Shilard is shown taking up the Baroness under his protection. If the former survived, we see him in Act 3 appealing to Radovid to aid him in recovering his half-sister Anais.

II. Temeria:

King Foltest: "Piss on the laws! I'll change them if need be. Above all I'll not allow a band of treacherous barons to use my children as their banner."

King Foltest of Temeria was assassinated by Letho after his very short lived victory against La Valettes and the recovery of his bastard children and heirs. The death of one of the mightiest kings of the North, plunged Temeria into civil war. Nobles competed against each other and threatened to divide the kingdom up.

Constable John Natalis, the victorious commander at the Battle of Brenna, siezed power in an effort to prevent the disintegration of Temeria. Due to his apolitical skills however, the now Regent of Temeria was in a very precarious position, admitting that he could not guarantee maintaining his position for a week. It is as such that Temeria was the weak link of Act 3 to be devoured by Redania and potentially Kaedwen. It must be reminded that Natalis is indebted to Philippa Eilhart via Vivaldi's bank as well.

Geralt however could deliver Anais, Foltest's daughter and heir, to Natalis, though it remains to be seen if that would strengthen his position or cause more civil strife as nobles fight to control the girl. Another alternative has Roche free Anais and flee with her, intending to raise her to one day reclaim her father's throne. And finally if Anais is given to Radovid, Temeria becomes a Redanian protectorate, with the Stern King taking the girl to Redania where he would look after her as her regent.

III. Loredo:

Loredo: "King Foltest is dead. It's likely that the Scoia'Tael had a hand in this heinous murder. So you see, none of you can feel safe. That is why today, wagons with armements will roll out on Flotsam's streets. I hereby declare a state of emergency! Await orders, prepare to fight, and ready yourselves to avenge your fallen king."

I'd consider commandant Loredo a faction due to his dominating position in Act 1, especially over a very important trading hub on the Pontar in Temeria, Flotsam. After Foltest's death and the virtual collapse of central authority, Loredo essentiallly became the de facto ruler of the city, by using his garrison and the fear and hatred of Iorveth's Scoia'Tael to bring everyone in line. He is also contributing to the rising tension and hatred of nonhumans of the city, potentially provoking or allowing a pogrom targetted at nonhumans to take place in Flotsam, should Iorveth be victorious in the skirmish just outside the city's walls.

We also learn that Loredo is corrupt, practising nepotism and traficking in fisstech (drugs). And that he was making deals with Kaedwen via Dethmold, showing his true colors as a traitor to Temeria. Needless to say, Vernon Roche wanted him assassinated.
Loredo dies on Roche's path and can be killed on Iorveth's, should Geralt elect to not save the elven women from burning and hunt down the commandant.

IV. Square Fish Coin Rebels:

Anti-Henselt pamphlet: "A new order must arise in the Northern Kingdoms. A wave of turmoil has passed through Aedirn and Temeria, and now it rushes towards Kaedwen. A swell murky with blood rises in its wake. Once it reaches Henselt's realm, we shall not speak of regicide, but of the simple slaughter of a pig."

As said earlier, King Henselt is not the most popular king during the game. His past and present overtures to Nilfgaard, in addition to Dethmold's notoriety, had angered soldiers, commoners and nobles. With the assistance of Vernon Roche, under the order of King Foltest, a secretive dissident movement rallying noblemen and soldiers was formed 3 years prior the game, which uses square fish coins as its secret symbol.

Indeed, King Henselt faced opposition a few days before the second battle of Vergen, where apparently a number of officers and nobles refused to fight without being guaranteed land in the Pontar. It seems that Henselt was only able to command part of his army to attack. That said, it's not clear if these individuals were part of the secretive dissident movement, and it became evident that with Foltest's death and Dethmold's gradually more severe and volatile crackdown, that Roche could not longer sway a number of nobles to continue their opposition.

Dethmold successfully and ruthlessly cracked down on the conspirators during the 3 days prior the battle and after discovering Roche's complicity in the conspiracy, eliminated the Blue Stripes. Which pissed off Roche tremendously to say the least.

V. Aedirn:

Prince Stennis: "In this world there are crimes that can be forgiven! And crimes that, by any means, cannot! Just as a mother killing her own child or a man slitting his own brother's throat cannot be forgiven. A crime against one anointed by the gods themselves can also not be condoned! He who raises hand against divine right is not worthy to walk this world!
[...] I am the one you should look to for guidance. Let my deeds be the flame that lights up your darkness."

After King Demavend's assassination, several factions began contending for the throne, including his son Prince Stennis. Some such as Count Felart, fearful of the peasant rebellions, even desired to assist King Henselt of Kaedwen in his invasion of the Pontar Valley.
In order to increase his legitimacy, Stennis on the otherhand decided to join forces with Upper Aedirnian forces, led by the only capable commander at its disposal Saskia, to fend off the Kaedweni invasion. The hope was that they'd see him as their leader and savior and that victory would be attributed to him, which would boost his legitimacy and his prospects of gaining the throne. Unfortunately for him, he underestimated Saskia's popularity and the disdain the commoners, who were now used to egalitarian rethoric, showed him, as well as overestimating their ability to tolerate his arrogance.

On Roche's path, Stennis died even before the battle started. On Iorveth's path, he survived and it is heavily implied, though not clearly shown, that Stennis was behind Saskia's poisoning. In any case, the mob is quite sure it was him and sought to lynch him. The nobility stood behind the Prince, not because they believed he was innocent necessarily, but because they were afraid what the mob might do to them as a whole if they got out of control. Indeed, the human mob went as far as to say they wanted to kick the dwarves out of their own city.

Depending on Geralt's choices, Stennis is either killed by the mob, or simply imprisonned, where he is later on freed and crowned the king of Aedirn (minus the Pontar Valley, in that scenario, it would have been an independent state).

VI- The Conclave:

Carduin of Lan Exeter: "The document describing the charter of the Council and Conclave is, as perviously ascertained, an exact copy of the charter found in the ruins on Thanedd Island. The more important question relates to the Conclave and its power to designate royal advisors. Today, randomly chosen mages and sorceresses reside at many courts. However at the time of the previous Conclave, such persons were carefully chosen."

After the Thanedd coup, magic and mage advisors were no longer regulated by an international organization. The Lodge desired to re-establish such an organization, but with them secretly controlling it. The purpose of the Loc Muinne conference, in addition to redrawing the map of the North, was to establish the Conclave, a new international organization that would regulate magic and appoint mage advisors to the Northern Kings.

However, if Triss is not saved, the yet to be born Conclave is declared guilty of the assassinations alongside the Lodge and a witch hunt ensued, preventing its creation. If Triss Merigold is freed however, despite being a founding member of the Lodge (which she does not reveal publically), she denounced her colleagues and revealed them to be behind the assassinations. Carduin, the main spokesman of the nascent Conclave, immediately and quite astutely removed Sile from the conclave and denounced the Lodge. This allowed the Conclave to be established.

Inter-Faction Dynamics:

This is a tough one because virtually all of them are linked in one way or the other, that the game shows quite well. And this web develops throughout until its glorious climax in Act 3.

So I decided to try and show all the dynamics at play via a (poorly made) diagram:

And that's it for the Faction Overview! The blogs coming afterwards would deal with more specific issues, in more detail, such as the nonhuman question and the Pontar Valley, and attempt to draw real life parallels.

See Part 2

Operators vs. Operation Systems

2011-09-04T13:17:00.001+05:30

The end of an apple era

2011-08-27T11:46:00.000+05:30

The news of the resignation of Steve Jobs as Apple's CEO just simple shook the world leaving the people surprised and for some hard to digest. The man regarded as a legend in today's world being a revolutionary in technology, his innovations and inventions paving way for a generation of technologists, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Steve Jobs is regarded as an icon. Very likely one gets to see such a man of simple taste and great excellence, but the truth is those two facts only go together.

If it weren't for him, the world wouldn't have the (precious) personal computers on which more than half the world or so runs. The maker of the music revolutionary iPod and the exotic Mac, so natural for the internet to be flooded with his news of resignation, marking an end of the 'Steve Jobs era' for technology and Apple, being the company's co-founder and two time CEO.

This is the resignation letter Steve Jobs sent to the Apple board:
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve

Simple and Powerful. With that the iGod stepped down as the leader of the world's biggest and most innovative company which he himself founded with his Steve Wozniak in his garage.

But worry not as he still continues to follow his vision of excellence by serving as the Chairman of the board and (as the great man stated) as an Apple employee.

A animated parody of Steve Jobs career in Star Wars fashion:

Not only is he a genius in technology and business but a clear modern day realistic example that life is not easy, and anyone can come up with will. His start was not that beautiful but look today and think for yourself. And even today, he urges everyone to think different, be innovative and follow your own heart.

For millions of people and myself, Steve Jobs has been a great source of inspiration and icon. His work, principles and pretty much everything he does 'changes' the world in some manner as how technology (and business) is approached (with a unending line of copy cats that is)

Here is a video of his commencement speech at Standford University in 2005, where little he knew that his speech would not only affect the students of the institute but millions across the globe. Yet again, simple, powerful and straight from the heart, his own words and personal experience and not those 'motivation speeches' worded by the secretary or librarian and spoken out by a speech giver.

Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Arguing on the Internet

2011-08-04T17:56:00.004+05:30

The Ant and Grasshopper

2011-06-08T18:05:00.009+05:30

U.S. VERSION:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs, dances, and plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold. Nobody is surprised.

INDIAN VERSION:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs, dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed, while others are cold and starving.

NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s house.

Medha Patkar goes on a hunger strike along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper.

The opposition stages a walkout in Parliament and demands an apology from Sonia Gandhi.

Left parties call for a “Bandh” in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

Mamata Banerjee allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ‘Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Arjun Singh makes ‘Special Reservation’ for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it’s home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it “A Triumph of Justice.”

Lalu-Mulayam call it “Socialistic Justice.”

The Grasshopper is invited to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later…

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley.
1000s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India.
As a result of losing a lot of hard working Ants and feeding the Grasshoppers, India is still a developing country!!!

And the right time is...

2011-05-28T20:21:00.000+05:30

VG Movies infograph

2011-05-25T08:06:00.000+05:30

It's tough to get girls to watch the movies we reserve sacred space for in our respective Man Caves and Nerd Bungalows. Especially if they are video game movies.
To help convince your ladyfriend that VG movies are worth the time, especially if she wants to be your girl for the long haul, IGN partnered with Online Dating University to present you with this infographic on Video Game Movies By The Numbers.
From the most expensive video game movie ever to the lowest-grossing, is ranked the sh!@ out of the films we love, even though most of them aren't worth the box office hugs.

courtesy of IGN

Water - Life

2011-05-21T22:29:00.000+05:30

The 'Art' of Appraisal

2011-05-21T22:24:00.000+05:30


Big Boss: This year your performance was good, excellent and outstanding. So, your rating is "average". Kumar: What? How come 'average'? Big Boss: Because...err...uhh...you lack domain knowledge. Kumar: But last year you said I am a domain expert and you put me in this project as a domain consultant. Big Boss: Oh is it? Well, in that case, I think your domain knowledge has eroded this year. Kumar: What??? Big Boss: Yes, I didn't see you sharing knowledge on Purchasing domain. Kumar: Why would I? Because I am not in Purchasing, I am in Manufacturing. Big Boss: This is what I don't like about you. You give excuse for everything. Kumar: Huh? Confused Big Boss: Next, you need to improve your communication skills. Kumar: Like what? I am the one who trained the team on "Business Communication", you sat in the audience and took notes, you remember? Big Boss: Oh is it? Errr...well..I mean, you need to improve your Social Pragmatic Affirmative Communication. Kumar: Huh? What the hell is that? Confused Big Boss: See! That's why you need to learn about it. Kumar: head spinning Big Boss: Next, you need to sharpen your recruiting skills. All the guys you recruited left within 2 months. Kumar: Well, not my mistake. You told them you will sit beside them and review their code, and most resigned the next day itself. Couple of them even attempted suicide. Big Boss:stunned (recovers from shock) Err...anyway, I tried to give you a better rating, but our Normalization process gave you only 'average'. Kumar: Last year that process gave me 'excellent'. This year just 'average'? Why is this process pushing me up and down every year? Big Boss: That's a complicated process. You don't want to hear. Kumar: I'll try to understand. Go ahead. Big Boss: Well, we gather in a large room, write down the names of sub-ordinates in bits of paper, and throw them up in the air. Whichever lands on the floor gets 'average', whichever lands on table gets 'good', whichever we manage to catch gets 'excellent' and whichever gets stuck to ceiling gets 'outstanding'. Kumar: (eyes popping out) What? Ridiculous! So who gets 'poor' rating? Big Boss: Those are the ones we forget to write down. Kumar: What the hell! And how can paper bits stick to ceiling for 'outstanding'? Big Boss: Oh no, now you have started questioning our 20 year old organizational process! Kumar: faints Hilarious but sad, pathetic but true. courtesy of my Pop

A Software Engineer and a Soldier

2011-05-18T21:05:00.001+05:30

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdhi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought; he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!!

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir. Today everything is getting computerized. "

"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naive-ness demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it."

For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Life cycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone.

"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."

He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point.

"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.

Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"

The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination.

"You design and code such things."

"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "but now I am the Project Manager."

"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over,

"So your life is easy now."

This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, "Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work.

Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality.

To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth.

"My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the Line of Fire".

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

"I know sir.... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......."

He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night.

The enemy was firing from the top.

There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom.

In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive."

"You are a...?"

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment.

But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier?

On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker.

It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself.

He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded.... his own personal safety came last, always and every time."

"He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir.... I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop.

It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.

"It was nice meeting you sir."

Vivek fumbled with the handshake.

This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute.

It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS:- The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war.
Capt.Vikram Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.

Dedicated to those who sacrificed everything to become who they are.

courtesy of the SSB facebook page

.

The LPU is back with a bang!

2011-05-03T22:06:00.013+05:30

Yeah! after quiet some months since the first announcement and the inception of the 10th year of the fan club of one of the world's most biggest bands, there has been quiet a rift among the fanclub, but now after such a time finally we get some good news (well atleast heading in the right direction again)

With a new fresh look, looks good just like the old days. Moere enhancements to roll in.
A good post for all those who are not familiar - What is LPU?
(celebrating the on-going 10th year of Linkin Park Underground)

Well I though to snip the image and paste it here, considering that might not be present as the years go by.

http://lpu.linkinpark.com

(due to some problems the image is not that clear, pardon. Will try to fix it soon)

The Dark Knight first rises in India

2011-04-29T02:28:00.002+05:30

That's right!

YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! \m/

Looks like finally my (our) country is getting the attention she deserves!! Gary Oldman in an interview stated no one can top The Dark Knight, but Nolan can... \m/

The Dark Knight Rises is no doubt gonna be great, and now looking at this brings much more happiness!!

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur where the shooting is going to begin on May 6th.

source: Batman-News.com and TOI

thanks to Mind U Read for the heads up!

The film is scheduled to be released on 20th July 2012.

Can't wait! How many Batman/Nolan fans out there? Excited?

Is Internet doing just what its supposed to?

2011-04-24T19:52:00.001+05:30

click to enlarge

Barah Baj Gaye! (It's 12 o'clock!)

2011-04-24T19:48:00.000+05:30

"Its easy to joke on a Sardar, but It's too difficult to be a Sardar"

I was standing at Jalandhar station when my attention went towards a Sikh youth standing near me wearing a Black turban having a long beard and wearing a kirpan over his shirt.

After a while, one local train arrived, which was totally packed. The Sikh youth tried to alight the train but failed to do so. Just then a voice was heard from the back coach 'Sardarji Barah Baj gaye' (Sir it's 12 o'clock!)

The Sikh youth looked over at that voice maker who was a young Mischievous type of person and instead of showing any anger made a smile towards him.

The smile made was so enigmatic that it seemed as if some type of truth lies behind it. Not able to resist my temptation, I walked towards him and asked why did he smile at that person who teased him.

The Sikh youth replied, 'He was not teasing me but was asking for my Help'. I was surprised with these words and he told me that there was a big history behind that which one should know. I was eager to know the History and the Sikh youth narrated:

During 17th Century, when Hindustan was ruled by Mughals, all the Hindu people were humiliated and were treated like animals. Mughals treated the Hindu women as there own property and were forcing all Hindus to accept Islam and even used to kill the people if they were refusing to accept.That time, our ninth Guru, Sri Guru Teg Bahadarji came forward, in response to a request of some Kashmir Pandits to fight against all these cruel activities.

Guruji told the Mughal emperor that if he could succeed in converting him to Islam, all the Hindus would accept the same. But, if he failed, he should stop all those activities. The Mughal emperor happily agreed to that but even after lots of torture to Guruji and his fellow members he failed to convert him to Islam and Guruji along with his other four fellow members, were tortured and sacrificed their lives in Chandni Chowk. Since the Mughals were unable to convert them to Islam they were assassinated.

Thus Guruji sacrificed his life for the protection of Hindu religion.

Can anybody lay down his life and that too for the protection of another religion?
This is the reason he is still remembered as "Hind Ki Chaddar", shield of India. For the sake of whom he had sacrificed his life, none of them came forward to lift his body, fearing that they would also be assassinated.

Seeing this incident our 10th Guruji, Sri Guru Gobind Singhji (Son of Guru Teg Bahadarji) founder of khalsa made a resolution that he would convert his followers to such human beings who would not be able to hide themselves and could be easily located in thousands. At the start, the Sikhs were very few in numbers as they were fighting against the Mughal emperors. At that time, Nadir Shah raided Delhi in the year 1739 and looted Hindustan and was carrying lot of Hindustan treasures and nearly 2200 Hindu women along with him. The news spread like a fire and was heard by Sardar Jassa Singh who was the Commander of the Sikh army at that time. He decided to attack Nadir Shah's Kafila on the same midnight. He did so and rescued all the Hindu women and they were safely sent to their homes.

It didn't happen only once but thereafter whenever any Abdaalis or Iranis had attacked and looted Hindustan and were trying to carry the treasures and Hindu women along with them for selling them in Abdal markets, the Sikh army although fewer in numbers but were brave hearted and attacked them at midnight, 12 O'clock and rescued women.

After that time when there occurred a similar incidence, people started to contact the Sikh army for their help and Sikhs used to attack the raider's at Midnight, 12 O'clock. Nowadays, these "smart people" and some Sikh enemies who are afraid of Sikhs, have spread these words that at 12 O'clock, the Sikhs go out of their senses. This historic fact was the reason which made me smile over that person as I thought that his Mother or Sister would be in trouble and wants my help and was reminding me by saying off 'Sardarji Barah Baj Gaye'.

Wonderful isn't it? Fracas among our own people?

Courtesy of my pop and cousin via which I came across this.

Happy Birthday Chappy

2011-04-16T20:05:00.000+05:30

Charlie Chaplin's 122nd birthday today. The legacy of the comedian and a true genius from that movie era continues to live on and make anyone laugh holding their stomachs like a kid.

... well mostly.

4

2011-04-15T16:54:00.003+05:30

.. years ago when it happened. First time I saw.... HER

When years are passing by like days,
and in my hand your hand is placed,
that beautiful smile crosses your face,
a simple touch can still make my heart race.

It all stared with two best friends, a beauty and a fool,

I love you as much now as I ever did before,

this love is not a transient feeling based on a mood,
a feeling of connection we chose to explore.

I don't know what it is that you saw in me,
what I saw in you was that bliss can ever be,
even more so on the day when you and I became "We",

Have a long way to go, so much to achieve and abundant to see,
I can still smile and say with love and truth baby,

I love you... Happy Anniversary.

P.S. Pardon my sense of unromantic-ness and all for its been a very dam long time since I've written anything, courtesy of current on-going situation, technology and engineering.

10 Bands Shaping The Post-Nirvana Era

2011-04-02T19:52:00.002+05:30

Well written! again one cannot write everything in one place but well done! should provide good insight to the coming folks

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Ten Bands That Shook The World

2011-04-02T19:50:00.004+05:30

Incomplete but good list and well written justifies some of these great music legends

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Harsha Bhogle's note after Ind-SA match. A must read.

2011-03-16T09:09:00.001+05:30

Remember when you failed an examination. How many people recall that, your class, friends, relatives? You failed to make it to the IITs or IIMs. Who remembers. How many times have you had the feeling of being the best in your class, school , university, state….., you failed to get a visa stamped this quarter…, you missed a promotion this year…, how did it feel when you dad told you in your early twenties that you are good for nothing…..and now your boss tell you the same...

You keep introspecting and go into a shell when people most of whom don’t matter a dime in your life criticize you, back bite you, make fun of you. You are left sad and shattered and you cry when your own kin scoffs at you. You say I am feeling low today. It takes a lot from us to come out of these everyday situations and move on. A lot??? really?

Now here’s a man standing on the third man boundary in the last over of a world cup match. The bowler just has to bowl sensibly to win this game. What the man at the boundary sees is 4 rank bad bowls bowled without any sense of focus, planning or regret. India loses, yet again in those circumstances when he has done just about everything right.
He does not cry. Does not show any emotion. Just keeps his head down and leaves the field. He has seen these failures for 22 years now. And not just his class, relatives, friends but the whole world has seen these failures. We are too immature to even imagine what goes on in that mind and heart of his. That’s why I would never want to be Sachin.

True, he has single handedly lifted to moods of this entire nation umpteen number of times. He has been an inspiration to rise above our mediocrity. Nobody who has ever lifted the willow even comes close to this man’s genius. His dedication and metal strength is unparallel. This is specially for those people who would have made fun of him again last night when India lost. They are people who are mediocre in their own lives. Who just scoff at others to create cheap fun. Who have lived in a small hole throughout their lives and thought they have seen the oceans.

Think about the man himself. He is 37 years of age. He has been playing almost non stop for 22 years. The way he was running and diving around the field last night would have put 22 year olds to shame. The way he played the best opening quickies in the world was breathtaking. He just keeps getting better which is by the way humanly impossible. Its not for nothing that people call him GOD.
But still I don’t want to be in those shoes. We struggle in keeping our monotonous lives straight, lives which affect a limited number of people. Imagine what would be the magnitude of the inner struggle for him, pain both mental and physical, tears that have frozen with time, knees and ankles and every other joint in the body that is either bandaged or needs to be attended to every night, eyes that don’t sleep before a big game, bats that have scored 99 international tons and still see expectations from a billion people.

And he just converts those expectations into reality. We watch in awe, feel privileged.
Well I think its time that his team realizes that enough is enough. They have an obligation, not towards their country alone but towards sachin. They need to win this one for him. Stay assured that he himself will still deliver and leave no stone unturned to make sure India wins this cup.
This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....

- Harsha Bhogle

Indian cricket commentator and journalist

And then she came...

2011-03-02T00:00:00.157+05:30

Today is a very special day. One of the most important days of my life. No its not my birthday or anything but rather much more special. Today is the (19th) birthday of my love Kalyani. Its funny that I never bothered about my own birthday my in my entire life (so far) while this day brings me to the most excited state that I ever could be in. That's the way how unconditioned love goes I guess. I can write a big and complete best selling novel on her (and us a bit too) but I guess I better stick to this post for now.

No matter how old we grow, just like to our parents, she still is my baby. Not only that but also my precious, love, best friend, companion, critic, and a big reason for how I am today. And (despite all the other shit life has to offer) I'm really happy :)

Birthdays and many other things in life were never special for me until I met her. They say love is blind but I feel that is not quiet the case. Maybe because many important things and decisions I encountered in my life relating to my career, spiritual awareness, sense of honour and life itself coincided with her, so I feel rather awakened rather than being blinded by sleep.

I got an excellent text which quotes someone -

"There are 2 most important days in one's life. One is when you are born, and the other is to know/prove/show why you were born. We found the first, let us work for the second day."

Really motivating and one of the best birthday messages I know.

baby I just want you to be successful, achieve your goals, fulfill your dreams, be happy always and keep smiling, whether I'm the reason for it or not :)

Love wish you a very Happy Birthday! :)

Love you :*

keep smiling :)

Facebook is 7

2011-02-04T23:53:00.002+05:30

Yes today the biggest social networking site Facebook completes 7 years of existence since its launch in 2004. So much has changed since I first joined in 2007, when not much famous and the real essence wasn't yet achieved. But today everything is different. Changing drastically the way we socialize online and being such a powerful medium for connection. 1/4th of the people having access to Internet are part of it. Well this is one of those things which doesn't need much of an explanation ;)

Happy 7th b'day facebook!

Edit: Check out some fun and cool facts of facebook in one of my earlier posts here

'Life In A Day' world premier

2011-01-28T09:42:00.003+05:30

The worldwide premier of Life In A Day following a Q&A with the LIAD team and some of the top lucky contributors at Sundance, streaming live on youtube just got over. Wonderfully made, an attempt to describe life in a street man's perspective. Though my stuff didn't make the final cut, atleast happy reaches ad good stage and more importantly been a part of something big.

Watch out the YouTube Channel for more information in the coming future. The movie will hit selected theaters most probably on 24th July 2011, exactly a year later the day the actual film footage was shot by people worldwide. DVD of the film director's cut which is originally 3 hours in length is expected to launch sometime this year.

Celebrating 61 years of The Republic of India

2011-01-26T00:00:00.003+05:30

26 January 2011

A letter written by a father to his son

2011-01-22T22:55:00.000+05:30

My pop sent me this earlier today.

My dear son Aditya,

I am writing this to you because of 3 reasons:

1. Life, fortune and mishaps are unpredictable, nobody knows how long he lives. Some words are better said early.

2. I am your father, and if I don't tell you these, no one else will.

3. What is written is my own personal bitter experiences that perhaps could save you a lot of unnecessary heartaches.

Remember the following as you go through life

1. Do not bear grudge towards those who are not good to you. No one has the responsibility of treating you well, except your mother and I. To those who are good to you, you have to treasure it and be thankful, and ALSO you have to be cautious, because, everyone has a motive for every move. When a person is good to you, it does not mean he/she really likes you. You have to be careful, don't hastily regard him/her as a real friend.

2. No one is indispensable, nothing in the world that you must possess. Once you understand this idea, it would be easier for you to go through life when people around you don't want you anymore, or when you lose what/who you love most.

3. Life is short. When you waste your life today, tomorrow you would find that life is leaving you. The earlier you treasure your life, the better you enjoy life.

4. Love is but a transient feeling, and this feeling would fade with time and with one's mood. If your so called loved one leaves you, be patient, time will wash away your aches and sadness. Don't over exaggerate the beauty and sweetness of love, and don't over exaggerate the sadness of falling out of love.

5. A lot of successful people did not receive a good education, that does not mean that you can be successful by not studying hard! Whatever knowledge you gain is your weapon in life. One can go from rags to riches, but one has to start from some rags!

6. I do not expect you to financially support me when I am old, either would I financially support your whole life. My responsibility as a supporter ends when you are grown up. After that, you decide whether you want to travel in a public transport or in your limousine, whether rich or poor.

7. You honor your words, but don't expect others to be so. You can be good to people, but don't expect people to be good to you. If you don't understand this, you would end up with unnecessary troubles.

8. I have bought lotteries for umpteen years, but I never strike any prize. That shows if you want to be rich, you have to work hard! There is no free lunch!

9. No matter how much time I have with you, let's treasure the time we have together. We do not know if we would meet again in our next life.

Your Ever loving Dad.

The King's Speech

2011-01-17T22:06:00.000+05:30

I was just viewing this very good film of the same title, when I came across this on Youtube. The famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr. 'I have a dream' which continues to be a legacy. Thought it is something worth sharing (if any alien doesn't know about it, yet)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Transcript:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Wikipedia turns 10

2011-01-15T15:55:00.001+05:30

Today one of the world's most visited and used (& one of the most favourite) websites celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Happy 10th birthday to Wikipedia and kudos for the innovation of openness sharing knowledge and making many lives easier (along with side sister projects) :D

From school to 1000

2011-01-13T22:12:00.004+05:30

Today is a great day for me and my fellow batch mates of my alma mater St. Francis D'Assisi High School. Today marks the 1000th day after completing (our) 10th std at St. Francis D'Assisi High School batch 2007-08 and thus ending our school life (in a way) and starting to become where we stand today and what we will become tomorrow. Indeed a day worth noting in my life. Rejoice!

Wishing everyone success and a great life ahead.

When I bid farewell.

How it stands today.

Facebook Obsession

2011-01-13T15:34:00.002+05:30

courtesy of Mashable

National Youth Day

2011-01-12T23:16:00.003+05:30

courtesy of Vj Renju & Essence Creations

ACT – Get up and put your shoulders to the wheel – how long is this life for? As you have come to this world, leave some mark behind.Otherwise, where is the difference between you and the trees and stones? They too Come into existence, decay and die.

– Swami Vivekananda

So on this day let us invoke the vivek within us.

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced.”

Wishing one and all a very happy - inspiring National Youth Day!!!

The difference between Nerd, Dork and Geek explained by a Venn Diagram

2011-01-11T11:11:00.016+05:30

To all of you nerds and geeks who have been unfairly and inaccurately labeled "dorks", only to then exhaustively explain the differences among the three to a more-than-skeptical offender, I say:

You’re welcome. This nerd/dork/geek/dweeb Venn diagram should save you a lot of time and frustration in the future.

To those of you who have been called "dweebs", I say:

Stop hanging out with people from the 1950s.

And ya nice date/time for such a post right? /relevance =D

Warriors are made of Honour

2011-01-07T23:34:00.002+05:30

Warriors are born from loyalty, love of neighbor and country and a desire to protect and safeguard. Their actions are precise, principled, determined and committed to act selflessly for the benefit for others.

To those men that make every sacrifice to become what they are.

For Honor. For Country. For Brother.

Medal of Honor

The following text is the Tier 1 dedication as seen when completing Medal of Honor’s single player campaign. This was not written or edited by any EA employee. This is directly from the Tier 1 Operators who consulted during the development of Medal of Honor, and on this Veteran’s Day, we’re sharing this dedication with the entire world.

To our brothers, past and present –

This is a dedication to America’s servicemen. A dedication to the debt we owe to Warriors lost and to all of our military forces who continue to defend freedom around the world. Men and women who have honorably served throughout our nation’s history – who stood and continue to stand fast in the face of a determined enemy and defeat them with unwavering discipline.

Most Americans do not know what our Special Operations Forces community experience. They do not know what these Warriors endure in combat, nor do they understand the selflessness and love of the brothers beside them. Men within this community bring the fight to the enemy, engage aggressively and stand their ground.

Born unto a different cloth, these men could have chosen a life of prosperity and chased every opportunity afforded by our great nation. Giving life as they live it, they chose to leave these pursuits behind and devote themselves instead to a higher calling, living with indomitable purpose, by simple truths – Brotherhood. Honor. Sacrifice. Words molded into their character, exemplified by their actions.

It is their final hour we celebrate – our fallen brothers who shine a light on the greatest attributes of dedicated men. With their sacrifice, legends are born and will live as examples to inspire the heroes that will lead our nation to victory in the years ahead; making our founding fathers proud and acting as a promise to America’s next generation.

This is to our fallen brothers. You will be honored in our community’s history as the greatest heroes. As men who shouldered our nation’s burdens, you will remain as beacons for our heroic ideals. Taught to be proud and unbending in failure and humble in success, there are no greater examples for which this nation stands for and of which this nation is built from – the ideal of service to country and others.

To our community and all who wear the uniform – Thank you for your service to the nation.

And, to those in this hour who are in the fight and keep our enemies awake at night.

courtesy of http://www.medalofhonor.com

Salutations to these men, heroes noticed or not. Every hero may not be a warrior but every warrior is a hero to be looked upon.

Saying, Knowing and Living

2011-01-04T22:16:00.002+05:30

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by her ability to climb a tree, she will live her entire life believing that she is stupid.

There is no Market for your Sorrows. No one will buy them!
So never Advertise your Feelings! Just display your Attitude!

'Love at 2nd Sight.'
A Girl Fell In Love With A Boy At 2nd Sight.
Because
At 1st Sight, She Didn't Knew That He Was RICH. :D

Money...
Attitude...
&
Ego...
are like an
'Underwear'.
We should have it,
but we should not show it unless we become a 'Superman'!!

Life Is Like Playing Chess With God.
After Your Every Move,
He Makes The Next Move.
Your Moves are called CHOICES....
&
His Moves are called CHALLENGES...!!!

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much......

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him......

Have you noticed that the "lol" symbol looks like a drowning guy?
Bet he's not laughing out loud!!! :D

Wise men make proverbs, but fools repeat them.

The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

When you are in doubt, just toss a coin. Not because it will solve it, but when the coin is in the air, you will know what your heart is hoping for...

Don't argue with fools, they bring you down to their level and beat you with their experience.

Amazing English

2011-01-04T22:07:00.001+05:30

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

An english pangram ie containing all 26 alphabets.

"I do not know where family doctors acquired
illegibly perplexing handwriting nevertheless, extraordinary pharmaceutical intellectuality
counterbalancing indecipherability, transcendentalizes intercommunication's
incomprehensibleness".

The n^th word of the sentence has n number of alphabets. You might need the help of a dictionary for this one :)

Another year gone by... another end, another beginning!

2011-01-01T01:11:00.042+05:30

So another year has come to an end, full of times filled with happiness & sadness, excitement & boredom, success & failure, life & death, a beginning or an end! Another year in my growing up decade as ended. So many things have happened in this duration of time. Such a time is filled with much anticipation. Although on a personal note it doesn't much make a difference, but this is a time to let go of the past and look into the future. (though this is applicable 365 days of the year 24/7, but still this time creates the excitement for the change)

Every year of our life is filled with events both small and largely significant. Every year around this time I ponder what I have achieved so far in life, and what is gonna happen as time passes? We always wish everyone a 'Happy New Year' and on any other occasion but how happy are we exactly? Thinking about what is gonna happen next is truly mind itching, can be exciting and full of optimism yet frightful and filled with doubt.

What is that makes this 'New Year' occasion special? Isn't it not just a transition of just another day/month/year? It will happen always, nothing exclusive about it. Whats so special about the earth completing a one cyclic journey around the sun? Come to think of it even I think, or rather though the same. I never celebrate my own birthday (I know sounds so uncool) so this New Year is out of the question.

But in reality it is indeed special. Not for most of the reasons and wished said by people but actually its more than meets the eye. For an average person its time for celebration with family and friends, parties and fireworks, feasting and dancing, spending time together with people who mean to you in your life (and many who don't, well at this point its just that the realization takes time to come). In a sense the whole world is connected with this event, irrespective of location, nationality, religion, liking etc. and all those points based on which other occasions exist. This might be the single and only event till now which is rejoiced by everyone around the globe in unison. That is the specialty of this - New Year.

Sounds good and nice, doesn't it? Bust sadly thats not entirely true. All this maybe applicable to 'everyone' but not exactly in entire sense. Here who are this 'everyone' in the world? It only comprises of the educated, so called 'civilized' people, people who have a house to live and who can feed for themselves living a normal and above life style. What about those who don't fit into this category? While we enjoy, what about those farmers who toil everyday for their daily bread? Beggars lying on the road waiting for something to happen (most probably die) someday?

What difference does it make to such people? Why even 'normal' people among us who has faced a tragedy like a huge loss or death among loved ones? At such times would we care if if any event is actually happening or not? (In reality many go 'oh crap my ___ got ruined thanks to this!')

So keeping in mind that there are those who are not (blessed/fortunate or whatever you like to call it) like us, shit can happen anytime, and to live life with meaning,full satisfaction and happiness, working towards your goal and reaching there successfully, and hoping to live in a world worth living, wishing everyone and especially those like me who are too busy not doing anything special :D

another Happy New Year 2011

Remembering 2010

2010-12-31T23:03:00.002+05:30

So 2010 has almost come to an end (approx an hour away here in India now as I write this). Since its been awhile since I wrote a blog post thought it would be a good way bidding farewell by sharing few key aspects and moments of what happened with me during this year. Keeping it chronological as possible, with some over the period stuff here and there.

Starting with the beginning, I remember my initial days in January. The atmosphere was more or the less same as now, with the end of the 00's decade and this year 2010 beginning which is to meeting an end. So many things happen over a span of time, and recollecting them is one pleasure that one can always get. I was in another city that time, Kota for my studies and a course. The anxiety of upcoming exams had me kept busy.

In February, I turned 18. Considered as something big, I didn't much celebrate or enjoy it though (as any of my birthdays) and was amazed (as always) people actually remembering it and calling me up. #small happiness in life.

My two year course got over. It was time for taking photos, any remaining final contact info, enjoying the last time before everyone return to their respective homes and farewell to everyone and Bansal Classes. Then came along the hot season. Not just summer but much more to it. Exam season. I came back home after my 12th board exams and was delighted being back, yet did miss my those days over there. Preparing for the upcoming engineering entrance exams, jumping around every part of the city took most of the time and was really tiring.

After all the exams got over came some amount of time of freedom. First time went to organize a national camp with an overwhelming response of around 800 participants from all over the country based on the title 'Face Life Make Life' being hosted by Chyk, International youth wing of Chinmaya Mission held at a beautiful place surrounded by the mountains and nature called Chinmaya Vibhooti, a wide 70 acre campus of international status. CV is perhaps one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've ever been in my life. Also had another opportunity to go on a trek on Indian Independence day. (See here)

However things weren't going so well as time went. They say happiness is short lived and shit can happen anytime. That was so dam true. Life became miserable (looks like those lessons I learned from that camp and all my life had to play a role here too). I did face a lot of shit in my life before, varying from health problems, disgrace, having to be with cheap shitty people (and their worse families too), having to fight for myself all alone, having to be considered different among everyone and so many others. But thats life and you got to live with it. Everyone has problems says people who try to console, and why me and this is what I feel (just like everybody else, probably)

But now things were equally worse - faired miserably in my entrance exams, was in a life/dream shattered situation, parents lost all sense of hope and trust, being treated like an outcast (as usual), closest & best friend whom I loved the most had a bad quarrel and she not talking to be for about 5 fmonths. In all this in one way or the other it was my fault and I had to live with it.

Though eventually everything went back to normal and two of the most significant things of my life happened this year.

Firstly after all the initial shit, got into SFIT, Mumbai University making me the most closest person living to the college as it is just a wall away from my apartment :D

Doing Computer Science Engineering, which I wanted to do, so happy in one way because I'm doing what I want. Important mark which will determine my life.

And the other thing is about me and my love. The most beautiful and most important person of my life, apart from my other family members (here family includes parents and life long friends). She sure is special for tolerating all my life long (and on going) non-sense XD

She was always there for me when I was down, even when my parents who criticized me badly of my failures. If I had someone to turn to, it was her. She was one of those who accepted me as I'm, because of whom I feel I'm a better person today. Not everyyone can influence you and mould your character into a better person.

This year things went terrible for some time. Despite our so strong bond, always had quarrels (which is a normal thing) but I committed such a mistake that I blew her head off (ya as usual I'm the criminal). One of the most worst periods of my life, its not that we didn't fight but for this time it went insane - didn't speak to me for like 5 months! Even ignored me right on face in her own house when I went to see her (and apologise countless times). I felt miserable and terrible.

Eventually things went back to normal and better. Sometimes in life such 'shock treatments' are required to bring you back to reality and not make the bloody mistakes which you did. I never imagined such a sweety-pie like her would turn into a demon like that. But that showed me her real concern despite my initially disturbed state. I just can't express how happy I am to have her and I hope she feels the same for me. (She does, I just hope I can live upto it)

Its real love if you and your partner can just sit there and talk about nothing and everything at the same time. Its all about connection.

And in the end Linkin Park released their fourth album A Thousand Suns. A very different and epic album which is a must hear. As an Indian, very happy that many such related elements are seen in the album and are a part of the inspiration in making of it.

And by the looks of it there are mostly going to come here in India next year! 2010 gave A Thousand Suns. Let 2011 give us Linkin Park :)

So thats it! Overall it was a good year mixed with every element of the usual and unusual, of great movies and good games, heart warming events and happiness. Feels good to remember the good old days. Lets see what the future holds.

Water - Action!

2010-10-15T23:44:00.000+05:30

Yes water - one of the most basic entities of life on earth. Just like many existing global issues like global warming, recession, poverty and the list goes on, this one is no exception.

- Millions of people all over the world have no access to clean and safe water whereas most others just tend to neglect it's importance and wastage. To such people clean water itself is a luxury.
- Not to mention the countless who die each year because of this unhygienic water.
- There are more people who have access to cell phones than those (approx 2.5 billion) who don't have access to proper toilets! Sounds funny but definitely isn't.
- Loss to marine life, oil spills and all need no introduction.
- As time passes will we have water for ourselves one day?

These facts don't have to be that way, but as normal people what can we do? Do we have the power and capacity to take some action? Are we first responsible enough to understand this crisis?

What can YOU do?

For starters,
- Don't let the tap running when not required.
- Don't use more than necessary.
-Support some NGO who help in the 'conservation of water'
- Keep water bodies like rivers and seas clean by not throwing away your garbage. They are also home to many.
- Educate yourself and others. Spread the awareness.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

A hoax of our time

2010-09-18T21:26:00.004+05:30

A very famous hoax among the millions on the internet (said to have been written by George Carlin)

Very true and worth reading.

The Paradox of Our Time

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and
hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away.

____

Dr. Moorehead, minister, author, and former pastor of Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington wrote it in 1990.

It was later published in 1995 in his book WORDS APTLY SPOKEN

courtesy of http://www.truthorfiction.com

Invaluable values by the man who knows the value - Warren Buffet

2010-09-18T10:39:00.019+05:30

"I always knew I was going to be rich. I don't think I ever doubted it for a minute" - Warren Buffett

A THOUSAND SUNS

2010-09-14T23:36:00.000+05:30

... is out!

Get it today!

A Thousand Suns by Linkin Park.

4 beautiful babies

2010-09-06T21:11:00.004+05:30

New born sparrows at my window.

God bless us everyone

2010-08-28T21:32:00.000+05:30

Music video for The Catalyst by Linkin Park is here. Released on 26/08/2010.

Random Images

2010-08-22T08:57:00.001+05:30

Random images I came across here and there...

Our virtual world (Click to enlarge)

This white guy is a big nemesis of all Twitter addicts.

ah the power of Integral Calculus :D

Ramayana on Facebook?

Unspoken communication.

gender discrimination still prevails (virtually!)

Vibhooti to Moksha

2010-08-18T10:54:00.001+05:30

On 15th August 2010 India celebrated 63 years of freedom. Everyone had their own way of celebration and hoisting the national flag, so did I and fellow (empowered) youth along with some of the greatest acharayas.

Went on a trek in the nearby mountains of Chinmaya Vibhooti in Kolwan, Maharashtra, India where we hoisted the Indian tricolour. Singing the National Anthem, patriotic songs, breakfast, discussions and solitude time made it an experience of a life time. A genuine way of showing patriotism.

The journey begins...

Rishiji and Swami Mitrananda. Leading inspiration...

Hoisting the national flag.

The free team :)

as seen from vibhooti

For more pics check out my facebook album.

India is free BUT are we Indians really free? A very intriguing question it is. Where is the freedom when we are bounded by our mind, thinking, emotions, fear, the world etc. ? What is the true meaning of freedom? Are we at peace with ourselves and what we do? Think.

Let us work for this second freedom...

Jammers stopping the meter today!

2010-08-12T00:00:00.005+05:30

Yes today 12th August 2010 and this time the public is going on strike against autos and taxis.

Check out my previous post to know more. With full support (and no laziness/excuses) let us together bring the change we want to see for a better tomorrow.

And be sure to follow this:

Meter Jam - Time to say NO!

2010-08-08T23:47:00.006+05:30

It is time citizens stand up for themselves against the atrocities one has to face. In Mumbai, India one such issue is the big problem due to auto-rickshaws and taxis. These fellas and the union declare a strike whenever they want for increasing their fare rates and yet behave as if they rule and we the citizens depend on them. So to display the power of public and shake the auto-taxi-'dadgiri' system, on 12th August 2010 Mumbai decides to ditch the the taxis and autos and bring a halt to the meter.

Meter Jam, a campaign started by three Mumbaikars who can't take the 'No' anymore and have taken the willing step to strike back and thus lead thousands of supporters and followers not only across the city, but spreading across the country. Its simple - Say No to autos and taxis on 12th August because they say no to whenever they want.

Autos and Taxis being public services need to be in favour of everyone, not only in their self interest. In the manner they act, it seems they are the working force with the most important job and people have nothing urgent, no emergency and are happy to adjust according to their liking. They strike whenever they want, to have their demands fulfilled and in their fights we the people have to bear with them every time.

With the corruption, politicians and government who else to be blamed?

WE! When do we stand up for ourselves instead of just complaining every time how flawed the system is?

Some common problems (of the many) include -

Rise of fare which a passenger unnecessarily has to pay for the
Despite the fare, refusal of hiring not only in the start but also anytime in the journey
Refusal to go beyond certain points due to any reason ranging from traffic to the driver's self interest
Demand of excess fare from the (already high) meter claiming meter is not working or in the name of the system
Women abuse and seeking advantage from children
Ganging up and threatening passengers in compelling with their own demands.
and the list goes on...

So this is an attempt to put a halt to this on going non-sense. As the old saying goes its time to fight fire with fire. If they can strike for their own means, we the public can also do the same with more power and enthusiasm.
NOTE - This has nothing to do with violence as it is definitely not promoted. In a polite manner to say no to all autos and taxis (just like slapping on their faces with just a cunning smile) on 12th August to teach them a lesson and let them know that the city and the country will continue to live on with or without them.

So for success of this campaign words aren't enough, we need everyone's support. Please no laziness or excuses. It is for a better tomorrow.

Go check out http://www.meterjam.com/ now! Spread the word!

Be the change you want to see!

Edit: this new poster can help in bringing in attention of everyone

Life In A Day - The story of a single day on Earth

2010-08-07T18:01:00.007+05:30

In my earlier post I had mentioned about me taking 'a day off' and filming aspects of my life for a global experiment of making a user made documentary film called 'Life in a day'

The project was initiated by Oscar winning directors Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott in collaboration with LG, the Sundance film festival and Youtube.

What is Life in a Day?

It is a completely brand new concept of making a documentary film where anyone who is above 13 years of age can take part anywhere in the world. A big global event across all nations, boundaries and cultures.

‘Life in a Day’ will be made up of compelling footage submitted by YouTubers showing scenes from their lives on July 24 and is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and compelling collaborative documentaries ever made.

The rule was simple - go out and capture aspects of your life on film, and upload the footage. After considering all the entries, a film will be made which will be shown in the Sundance festival in January 2011. And whats more, all those whose footage was used will be duly credited. Neat right?

When (and Why)?

24 July 2010. Now why that particular date to film our lives? Well it can be written as 24/7 or 7/24 depending on where you live. For the sake of fun ;)

The Vision

Basically to 'capture' a single day on earth in film. Maybe after many years (say 20, 50 or even 100!) people can look into it that how we live today. This is the common vision shared by all the makers (yes that includes the directors, the team and everyone on earth who took part!) of the film. This day united the people of the globe for being a part of something big. We can proudly say we created film history!
I'm glad I could be a part of it.

Finally, what did I do?

Just like when it is the birthday of someone close to you and you stay till midnight so that you can wish right away, similarly (yes the most favorite word used by students studying mathematics) I too did a similar thing by shooting the temple in my house, invoking the lord's grace and a snippet of the official youtube page.

Went on a morning jog, although this one was pretty different where I was not jogging at all! Rather with a bag on my shoulders, 3 cameras and lots of batteries. I realized an old proved which goes
'You do, you learn.'
This was the first time I actually paid a close attention to nature and the surroundings, for that is the key in good film making. Although being a passionate photographer (hobbyist) myself, I realized film making was a level ahead. The most important aspect was - Being natural and being yourself.
And of course enjoying what you do! :)

After shooting the early morning, forest, paths, roaring streams in the heavy rains, another thing which I learned (one VERY important thing) is how to NOT screw yourself and what you have (yes referring to the roaring rains and my equipment)

My alma mater St. Francis D'Assisi High School was the next destination I hit. The same place where I grew up apart from home and what I learned to today what I am and tomorrow what I will be. Following common sights of the city, my area etc. Some visuals and planned shooting.
As the day was declining, and after so much of wandering (in the never ceasing rain) my lunch became my evening snack and dinner became a late night one.
Finally got the opportunity to interview a few of my pals on their thoughts and a small thank you speech

Thats it. Had a lot of fun filming, learned quiet some things and in short, the day was epic.

Check out more on LIAD's official channel - http://www.youtube.com/lifeinaday
Check out what I've shot on my chanel - http://www.youtube.com/Adityaisthebest

Apart from filming, did (my first!) videolog answering some questions by Kevin -
- What do you love?
- What do you fear?
- What makes you laugh?
- What's in your pockets? Is there a story behind any of the objects?

What are your answers to these?

.

Open letter from Linkin Park about A Thousand Suns. (Must read)

2010-08-05T09:20:00.003+05:30

1) A THOUSAND SUNS

Whenever we finish an album, it's usually coupled with a block of text meant to describe it. The record company pays a “reputable” writer to craft their most exciting description of the music, in the hopes that it will help convince you to like it. But it seems to us that words usually don't do a great job of defining the sound of an album, so we thought we’d try something different and just tell you, directly from us, what was on our minds as we set out to make our new album, A Thousand Suns. We’ll leave the rest up to you.

Before you hear the music, we wanted you to know that this album was put together to be enjoyed as that: an album. We’re aware that many people are accustomed to small, single-song servings. In spite of that (or maybe because of it), we mean for this album to take you on a journey. If you decide to listen to the album in pieces, that’s fine; we just wanted to let you know there’s a part of the experience that only works when you listen to A Thousand Suns from beginning to end.

Listening to some of our favorite albums, it’s easy to forget that there was a moment in time, before their release, when they were just a crazy idea to an artist. We tried to keep that moment in mind as we were making this record. It provided us with the inspiration to take chances and not worry if at first something we tried was different or weird.

If you are already familiar with our band, you may notice a difference in the sound of this one. Part of it is because we love to try new things, and part of it is because there has been a sound that we've been waiting for in modern alternative music. We worked with Rick Rubin again on this record (he co-produced our last record) because he understood our vision of trying to capture this new sound.

We hope you enjoy the music and will come talk to us at www.linkinpark.com.

Brad, Chester, Dave, Joe, Mike, and Rob.

PS: The people who work hard to promote our band wanted us to add a bunch of stats right here that are meant to impress you. We didn’t like that idea but, as a compromise, we agreed that we’d provide this link in case you want any of this information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linkin_Park. We said that we’re pretty sure you’ve heard of Wikipedia but they didn’t believe us.

2) A THOUSAND SUNS

We were not making an album.

For months, we'd been destroying and rebuilding our band. The experiments that resulted filled the studio hard drive with diverse, abstract sounds. Amorphous echoes, cacophonous samples, and handmade staccato merged into wandering, elusive melody. Each track felt like a hallucination.

We didn't know if any of those unorthodox ideas could be incorporated into a traditional album, but we knew we didn't want our next album to be predictable. Sitting together in the same studio where we made our first album, all six of us voiced a commitment to going out on a limb, to making something truly daring. We asked ourselves: were we all earnestly willing, more than ever before, to abandon the precepts of commercial ambition in pursuit of what we believe to be honest art?

The inclination to begin writing conventional songs for a conventional album came and went. The temptation to adjust our creative vision to fulfill expectations beyond our studio walls yielded to the audacious ambition of what he hoped to achieve as a band. The two years of making A Thousand Suns marked our exhilarating, surrealistic, and often challenging journey into the creative unknown.

On the eve of its completion, this body of work, assembled through unconscious inspiration and unmitigated exertion, has revealed to us notions both stirring and surprising. The album's personified imagery is neither dogma nor political premeditation. The emergent themes and metaphors illuminate a uniquely human story.

A Thousand Suns grapples with the personal cycle of pride, destruction, and regret. In life, like in dreams, this sequence is not always linear. And, sometimes, true remorse penetrates the devastating cycle. The hope, of course, springs from the notion that the possibility of change is born in our most harrowing moments.

Enjoy the music.

Linkin Park.

The Catalyst

2010-08-03T15:21:00.008+05:30

Well its been a crazy morning when The Catalyst premiered worldwide today morning at BBC Radio 1 at 19:00 GMT. Everyone around the world went nuts as the first single of Linkin Park's upcoming album 'A Thousand Suns' premiered. The track shows the evolution of Linkin Park as a band, and as with every album the change in the sound. Linkin Park needs no introduction, being the top experimental artists in the globe and setting a genre of their own.

Everyone went insane as Zane Lowre gave a shout out to the 'most loyal fans of any artist' in the world which includes the LPU, and many other fan sites. It was followed by a short commentary by Chester Bennington, lead vocalist of the band and a sweet second round of the much awaited single.

Mike Shinoda even had a chat with fellow fans on LPU, linkinpark.com and on Ustream.tv

A thank you to LP Association, another long running fan site who work hard in keeping everyone updated apart from the official sites, sneak peeks offered by many like us, and reminders for stuff which isn't formally announced. Their involvement is pretty great. Kudos to the LPA team!

Finally, a big thanks and kudos to Linkin Park for their hardwork and dedication in what they do, the oucome being such a heavenly master piece!

Listen to The Catalyst at Linkin Park's myspace or at iTunes NOW!

The Catalyst Lyrics:

God bless us every one
We’re a broken people living under loaded gun
And it can’t be outfought
It can’t be outdone
It can’t be outmatched
It can’t be outrun
No

And when I close my eyes tonight
To symphonies of blinding light
(God bless us every one / we’re a broken people living under loaded gun)
Oh / like memories in cold decay
Transmissions echoing away
Far from the world of you and I
Where oceans bleed into the sky

God save us every one
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand
The sins of our tongue
The sins of our father
The sins of our young
No

And when I close my eyes tonight
To symphonies of blinding light
(God save us every one / will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns)
Oh / like memories in cold decay
Transmissions echoing away
Far from the world of you and I
Where oceans bleed into the sky

Lift me up
Let me go

Pre-order A Thousand Suns today!

Joe Hahn, the DJ of the band who directs most of their videos has made a trailer of the upcoming game Medal Of Honor featuring The Catalyst as the soundtrack.

So what do you think? Excited?

Edit: This one is with the lyrics but note that this is NOT the official music video of The Catalyst.
Decided to put this up as well as its up through the official channel and is so dope.

The music video for The Catalyst will be out by the end of August 2010.

.