This Blog is moved

I had closed this blog effective 26/Nov/2005. This doesn't mean I had stopped blogging. You can find me in my website. My blog page would be www.musketers.com/blogs/sandipan.


Thanks.

My Website

I had finally been able to put a layout in place for my website. I had used a publishing framework from Apache, Forrest. Still a long way to go. As a version 0.1 release, I had updated the site for comments from my friends.

Shantaram

I was browsing through the racks in Landmark and suddenly my eyes fell on this red book. This was written by some Gregory David Roberts. I had to confess I had never heard this name before. And interestingly, the book-self on which it was placed was that of best sellers. It's a 1000-page book. On turning to the excerpts I found :-

"This is a real life story of Gregory David Roberts. He was a drug (heroine) addict-turned gang robber in Australia, his native. He was sentenced to 20 years full life-imprisonment. He escaped from the high security jail and landed in Bombay, India. There he joined the mafia, engaged in money laundering, fake passport business and all other stuffs. He stayed in a Bombay slum for almost 1 year and opened a medical clinic. From there he went to Afghanistan and fought against Mujhahideens. He was finally caught and sent back to Australia to serve his remaining sentence. He wrote this book 3 times. On two occasions he wrote this in his cell. The security guards had destroyed the script two times. This is a story about grit, determination of a man.He can speak fluent Marathi, Hindi and a bit of Urdu."


I bought it. The book is just too good. His courage, determination and will to survive is just unimaginable. I doubt how many person could fight like that and live to tell the tale. His efforts in learning new things, adapting new cultures, adjusting to different way-of-thinking is superb. The story may have been edited by the Editor, but the core part are his. As a matter of fact, all his life whatever be the situation, he never gave up writing. I guess thats what had saved him from been dead a long time ago.

There is a specific page about cold turkey (withdrawal syndrome) of heroine. The page describes about the effort made by him to shrug the habit. That is un doubtfully the best description of cold turkey of drug, I had ever experienced/heard/seen/read. I'll try to post the page later.

And now there is a movie in making on Shantaram.


For your will to live, I salute you Sir - Mr. Gregory David Roberts.

www.shantaram.com

Get "Stoned"

"Stoned" is happening. To much stuff in mind.
Anybody interested? I know, even if people are, they cant join me. They are in some parallel universe altogether. Will be "Stoned" with the bugger.

"LFS" - do not mind.

Weekend

A busy and healthy week comes to an end. Busy - because of my professional demands, healthy - because I played loads of TT. I feel TT really pumps energy into you. As a matter of fact any outdoor games should do that. I had been playing TT daily for last 2 mnths or so, daily for 2 hrs. Interestingly, I lost 2 kg in weight. My tummy had reduced. I dont feel tired too often. It had became an obsession of sort. And how well am I playing man !!! Winning some very good games against veterans in here.

Keep it up buddy.!!

SONY In Trouble

A very bad week for SONY. Some one had put up a lawsuit in Calif against the company. Another one is in coming from some group. The point is why did they use such things against consumers ? What was they think. They must have been too complacent about things and thought no body will detect anything. Now its all over. Even some anti-virus company had labeled this as a security threat.

"The security threat, according to antivirus softwaremaker F-Secure of Finland, is caused by the software technology the program uses to hide itself deep inside Microsoft's Windows operating system. Called a rootkit, this technology is commonly used by writers of Internet viruses to embed hidden programs that then wreak havoc with infected systems."

Wonder in how many different ways the companies will use private informations.

Sony's Malware Detected in DRM

I think everybody should know this. LISTEN TO THIS --

"SONY puts a cloaking device in people's boxes whenever they buy a CD with copyright or DRM software in it."

SONY uses rootkit technology for its DRM (Digital Rights Management) software. Rootkit technology is used by malware, spyware, viruses, trojans and all the bad elements, to hide themself from the anti-viruses, spyware-malware-detectors, sys-management utilities. Mark Russinovich of Sysinternals was the one who found it first. See his blog for detailed analysis. He did a very nice job and the details listed are pretty strong against SONY.


Some other links to have a better understanding of the matter.

1. Rootkit
2. RootkitRevealer

SONY had not mentioned anything in its EULA. At least it should have mentioned of putting software in users system.
One thing is certain from this news. Companies will do anything to make money. If anyone sues SONY on this issue, they will probably sue him back saying "you cannot decompile, reverse engineer" the licensed product.

SONY had taken matter of DRM already too far. It remains to be seen how many other companies had used technologies similar to this and in what way ?

Pujo-2005

Its been 3 years I hadn't gone to Kolkata in Puja. That means this is my third Puja in Bangalore !!! WOW !! JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT. It seems like just the other day (puja in 2003) I first came to Jaymahal with Sunrita. In that year - 2003, no body was there in Sakama-Garden. Souvik and other mates had gone to native. Me and Arindam was the only thing that remained. So, as usual Sunrita called me one day to have bhog (kichudi) in Jaymahal. It was on Saptomi-2003. I took Arindam with me. It was raining
like hell.

And now in 2005, he came with his wife on Nobomi to have bhog.

"Guru-re".

This is by far the best pujo I had attended after quite a span of time. Everything was so cool, so easy going, so relaxing, that I really was into the mood.

Ponchomi - did nothing. Slept in room. Rather me and papa was always in a
"trance". Sunrita did chip-in and we had a blast of a adda.

Soshti - Went to North Bangalore- Chord Road. Eating-and-Masti Phase-I started. Had a bash in Phase-I. Kakimas (Aunties) and Uncles (Ung-kle) had put up home made food stalls. Just Imagine !!

Saptomi - Went to jayamahal to have bhog. WOW !! kichudi, alur-torkari, papad. By the way I came to office at 11 am, went back to home at 1.
Great Aal !!
Went back-to Jaymahal in evening. Was reaaly a blast. Papa was mad at the Fish-fry's, Chingri-r chop, Rosogolla, Mihi-dana, Sita-bhog. And then there is Mamma. Went out-of-mind. Ate everything that I cud find. Taste is just like typical Kolkata stall. Stalls of Suruchi, Spicy Bengal, Best of Bengal were the most visited place in the area. There was a chinese shop. But no-body went there. Felt sorry for the shop-owner. The food was reaaallly tasty. Man, puro manicktala-r, salt lake-r khabar dokhan gulo-r kotha mone pore jae.

Ashtami - Left office at 8 pm, went to Jayamahal at 8.45 pm. Was reeaaally crossed. This is supposed to be the best day in Pujo. We normally wear the best clothes given by parents, in this day. And mez stugging to get to pujo at 8.30 night. Just think of a guy doing this in Kol !! No way man. Blame on Sunrita.

Nobomi - Declared Holiday. Went to have bhog for lunch. Again kichudi. Arindam and Sridevi had dropped in. Went back home and came back to Jaymahal at arnd 7.30 PM. Since this was the last day, every body was dancing and having masti. Intially we (sunrita, papa, me, mamia, gudi and raju) were just a spectator. But suddenly Sunrita Bagchi got peeped up. And all of
a sudden every body was dancing. Highlight was certainly Mamia's number. She is such a lady. And then Papa's twist. And then Raju's sudden maddnes. We enjoyed till the bone.

Doshomi - Stayed back home. Went to Jaymahal at night. But cudnt eat at all.

Hope this will continue to another year.

KICK OFF

Next release kick-off done today. It was really like kick-in-the-ass kinda stuff. Anyways, you will always find some ass to be kicked. Got to take a week-off. Need to go out with mom-dad-banu.