Buying a laptop

I'm currently on the lookout for a laptop to serve my needs at my B-School. Oh, haven't I written about this? The B-School part I mean... I got into XLRI, Jamshedpur. That's that. Moving on, so here I am, researching online for laptops. I start with a base configuration of about 2 Gigs of RAM, and a decent processor, say of 2 GHz, and a 160 GB HDD, and that's it. However, after a few sessions of browsing the Dell website(which is EXCELLENT, by the way) I hiked up my requirements to a 320GB HDD, a colored body, a backlit keyboard, 3 GB of RAM, and a 2.4 GHz processor, not to forget a 512MB Graphics card.
So the question here is: do I really need all this stuff? And the answer would be a healthy mix of both: yes, and no. yes, because I wouldn't want my laptop to seem inadequate if I decided to play some new game on it, or run a heavy application. And no, because I'd only just be "keeping up with the Joneses".

p.s. I've narrowed down to the Studio 15 Laptop with the following configuration:

Product

Quantity

Dell Studio 15 Laptop (S540506IN8) Base System, Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium SP1 64 bit (English)		1

Base System	Base System	[210-27712]
Processor Options	Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz/ 1066 FSB/ 3MB Cache)	[213-10508]
Memory	3GB (1X1GB + 1X2GB) DDR2 SDRAM	[370-14408]
Keyboard	Dell(TM) Keyboard with Touchpad (English)	[340-16225] [583-12502]
Video Card	512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570	[450-12551] [490-10980]
Hard Drive	320GB SATA Hard Drive	[400-16220]
Operating System	Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium SP1 64 bit (English)	[616-10117] [616-10177] [619-14799] [619-15380] [620-11129] [640-11156] [640-11162]
Optical Drive	Slot Load 8X DVD+/-RW Drive with DVD+R double layer write capability	[429-13408] [430-10224] [640-11003]
Audio Solution	Integrated Stereo Sound with Subwoofer	[219-10069]
Software	Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 (English)	[630-12305]
Warranty & Service	1 Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis	[205-11377] [205-11469] [205-11470] [205-11516] [205-11517]
Palmrest Option	Silver Palmrest	[214-10081]
Wireless Network Card	Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 (802.11a/g/n) Half Mini-card	[555-11886]
Bluetooth Module	Dell(TM) Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module	[555-11729]
Dell Service: Remark	Dell's Terms and Conditions apply Laptop Batteries Carry One Year Warranty Only From Invoice Date	[205-11378] [205-11424]
Batteries	6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery	[451-10783]
Carrying Cases	No Case	[460-10921]
Item Included in the System	Integrated Fast Ethernet 10/100/1000 34mm ExpressCard Slot, (DOES NOT SUPPORT PC CARDS) ICC Regulatory Label Shipment Mod India Country Info Mod System Driver DVD Kit System Driver Mod Dell(TM) PC-Restore Included Dell(TM) Chat Discount is only valid if the corresponding upgraded item is selected above. Limited time promotional offer only. No further discounts apply. Windows Live Software Noise Isolation Ear Buds Power Cord	[219-10125] [219-10065] [340-16223] [340-16224] [799-11576] [613-10695] [613-10618] [640-11181] [640-11179] [219-10075] [219-10076] [630-12219] [624-10050] [450-12557]
Security Software	McAfee(R) Security Center(TM) 30 days trial	[650-12030]
Color Options	Jet Black Colour with Black U-Trim	[320-10394]
Label Options	Intel(R) Centrino(R) 2 Label	[340-16714]
Display	15.6” 720p WLED (1366x768) Display with TrueLife™ and Built-in 2.0MP Web Cam	[230-10741] [319-10079] [640-11007] [640-11008] [640-11009] [640-11374]
Freight Charges	Studio-NB Handling & Insurance Charges /Express Premium	[990-15161] [990-15162] [990-15621]
Delivery Charges	Inspiron(TM) Delivery Charges (India)	[990-10898]

Sub Total(s):

Rs.50,649.16

Bans

The Indian government is going to ban blogspot.com for "Security Reasons". Those being that terrorists use blogspot to communicate with each other.
Taking this a step forward, I believe the government is also going to ban:

• emails
• fixed line phones (Landlines)
• cell phone services
• courier services
• The Indian Postal Service
• messenger services (Gtalk, Y! Messenger, AIM, MSN Messenger etc.)

because all the above items are communication media.

Taking this another step further, the next items that will soon be banned are:

• cars
• buses
• flights
• air
• water
• food
• petrol
• currency notes
• slippers/shoes
• clothes
• toothbrushes, knives, and other items of daily use,

because the terrorists have used, use, and will use these products.
Friends, now is the time. Please suggest the above list to your legislator and make sure you play your part well in this joke we call a democracy.

p.s. The above post is based on an article that was a hoax. However, just imagine a scenario like that.

Hero Honda Passion Pro!

Was channel surfing a couple of days back after a long time when I came across this ad for Hero Honda Passion Pro. With a history of idiotic ads Hero Honda has been showing for the past few years, this, this, and this for example, it was a pleasure to see an ad that finally appealed. Nothing overdone, the protagonist does not speak a word, all he does is to turn off his bike at a traffic intersection, take off his helmet, get off the bike, remove a speck of dust from the body, coolly sit back down, start the engine 2 seconds before the light turns green and zoom off all the while ignoring the derision that the villains in the jeep behind him keep jabbing him with.

With this simple ad, and not a single word, so many things were said.

Our protagonist:

• Cares for the environment(by turning off the engine),
• Cares for himself(by taking off his helmet),
• Cares for his bike(by flicking off the dust)
• And hardly gives a damn for all the derision poked at him by the villains.

I wonder who made this advert. Hats off to them. They should do more HH ads.

p.s. I couldn't find the ad on youtube so there's no link up there. Do let me know if someone has a clue where I can find it. :)

Jai Ho?

Woke up late today, still groggy, turned on VH1. The Pussycat Dolls version of 'Jai Ho' was playing... Considering that it is A.R. Rahman's composition and the Dolls obviously cashed in on the opportunity and that their only contribution was some meaningless lyrics and a few awkward dance moves with some equally pathetic makeup, it was worth noting that Rahman had barely any visibility in the video. A few seconds at the most. Hopeless. Why does Rahman do this to himself?

Wow, just Wow.

The G20 Summit at London is under progress even as I type this. I was watching the BBC coverage this afternoon on, uh... well, BBC. The Brazilian Premier was speaking about the crisis. Now, for a lot of people, that wouldn't seem like that big a deal, because after all, politicians are paid to do just that; talk! But there was something special about Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He was the only one at the G20 who was hungry growing up. Why? Because he was grew up in great adversity, even working as a shoe shine boy, working his way up the social ladder, being a Labor Union Leader at a time.
What he said made a lot of sense to me. He said that the World Economic Order has been decided by white boys with blue eyes who never saw poverty, leave alone lived in it, since the Second World War. They have decided for EVERYONE how business is done, and they have ALWAYS said that whichever way the Whitey does it is the right way. Also, of late, Whitey has stopped making any stuff of his own. All he does is print a lot of funky looking designs on some shiny paper and passes it along to everyone to buy stuff. That paper which is commonly known as the Dollar, has no intrinsic value (in Gold, for example). Having printed too much of this worthless paper, the American system subsequently collapsed under its own weight with banks and funds Leveraging all they could until finally it all gave way. After all, there is only so much shit you can feed a pig until it pukes, right? Well, the pig has puked and the shit has hit the fan. The poor horse that was making his living in a stable far far away also has been affected by the shit-fan episode for his fodder is now toxic and he too has to pay for the pig's bad eating habits.
And not just the horse, even the mouse and the chicken and the goat. Everyone will now have to pay for the pig's idiocy. Here's the worst part of all this: The pig had his fun eating all that stuff. Gobbling up Central American economies, his own citizens' pension and medical insurance money, bailing out his toxic banks, while letting his own citizens' savings go down the drain. Sure makes a lot of sense for the pig. But what about the poor horse? The one who's been slogging all his life and when he finally saw a nice retirement coming along, poof! Gone! Just like that! So, as the story ends, or begins, the horse had his legs tied to the pole earlier. The pole of poverty and ignorance. Now, the horse is free to kick the pig. And it sure looks that the pig's in for serious kickin!!! Wow!

Square root of Three

I watched Harold and Kumar's Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Totally inane movie, just the way I like it! :) The most touching part of the movie ( I guess there's just one!) was when Kumar crashes his lover's wedding and recites this poem when his sweetheart says that nothing could be more embarrassing than what he's put her through. It's titled, "The Square Root of Three". Call me a mush brain but I really loved this piece!

Here goes:

The Square Root of Three

I fear that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

Has quietly come waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

I'm incensed

We live in India. It is, supposedly, a democracy. And a secular one at that. What happened at Mangalore the other day, was a black day in the history of India. Women were assaulted and molested in the name of "culture". I really wonder what kind of a culture we're talking about here. Did the perpetrators of this know the meaning of culture? I refuse to believe that anyone who goes down to that level of hooliganism really could stand up for any culture.
Sri Rama Sene is the name of this outfit. As far as I remember, a majority of this army comprised monkeys. In which case, this behavior of these people is justified! On a more serious note, I know of another organization which does this. They want to prevent "western" influence, they do not want their "culture" to be "polluted" by outside influences. They call themselves the Taliban.
And I'd hate to see my country to be Talibanised. We must stand up for ourselves. It's time we stopped cowering behind our facade of civilization and say NO. We must say NO to these fanatics who believe they have our support just because we follow the same religion they do. Condoning this sort of idiocy would make us no different from those Islamists who would be rejoicing when the Palestinians shot rockets into Israel. What they don't realize is that nobody gains from these random acts of idiocy. Nobody gains when there are innocents suffering. All it leads to is more and more violence. These Rama Sene folks do not represent the Hindus. Just like the Islamic terrorists don't represent the Muslims. And if these people really think that there would be virgins and rivers of wine and a meeting with God, etc etc, WAKE UP CALL, they'll only be wasting their time here!