Monday, 25 February 2008

  • Why I say "have fun!"

    To my dearest friends,

    Alot of people, as well as my friends, constantly ask me why when someone is leaving i state a salutation and then say "Have fun!!"  even though whatever they may be doing is usually not (or they perceive it to not be.)  It is because life is about having fun, no matter how much crap is piled up around you (to quote someone "the best gold is at the bottom of a barrel of crap.")  It is with great happiness that I pass on a lecture that has affected alot of people for the better and proves to you why I tell everyone to "have fun" -- its just my simple way of reminding you.

    I hope the resource I'm presenting to you gives you a little something of what you need to get through life.  The video that I link you to is 80 minutes long, so make sure you settle down in a comfortable seat and, maybe even have something to write on. 

    Here is some info on Dr. Randy Pausch ::  a Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In September 2006, he was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. He pursued a very aggressive cancer treatment that included major surgery and experimental chemotherapy; however in August of 2007 he was told that the cancer had metastasized to his liver and spleen. He then started palliative chemotherapy intended to extend his life as long as possible, which was then estimated to be three to six months. He remains vigorous and active six months later (February 2008.)  Pausch delivered his "Last Public Lecture", entitled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", at CMU on September 18, 2007.  This talk was modeled after an ongoing series of lectures where top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them, and then give a hypothetical "final talk", i.e., "what wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?"

    His website (below) has a link to the full lecture, a transcript of the video and the slides he presented as well.
    http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

    Here is the video:  Randy Pausch "The Last Lecture" Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
    (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo)

    Enjoy!

    Love always,
    Vibhs :)

    P.S.  HAVE FUN!!! :)

Friday, 25 January 2008

Wednesday, 23 January 2008

Monday, 07 January 2008

  • Currently Reading
    Kafka on the Shore
    By Haruki Murakami
    see related

    time travels @ the speed of light

    last year I promised myself i would write on this blog everyday.... and it turned out a bit rusty.  I wrote, no doubt, in a little book given to me by my roommate on my birthday in June.  It contains excerpts from books, thoughts, poems, dramatic claims, but mostly sadness.  I looked over it today and thought about the things i'd written down.....

    PhD or a bakery?
    how much my heart aches when I am at work dealing with a boss who doesn't guide me and I want to be making the best cake.  I fall asleep thinking of what to put in between a 4 layer chocolate cake and how to decorate it - what flavor goes better with bananas?  But i realize, to be a great pastry chef, its going to take more than cakes, and I can't be mediocre, I have to be the creme de la creme.  PhD .... the hell of incessant suffering.  Some people love it as much as I do, and some people abhor it as much as i do.  Where am i going?  What am I doing?  Why the f*ck can't I just be done?  What the f*ck is wrong with my boss for sabotaging me?

    What have I done to deserve this?
    I must deal with the consequences of my choices.  In men, my choices have been mistakes, but I've learned.  Its all trial and error, next? In my career, i need to be more assertive.  I am no longer going to hold back, 10 hour days will now become 12 hour days.  I will demonstrate with the utmost care that I am a force to be dealt with.

    What is friendship?  still remains unanswered.

    Where is the man who will put his ego aside?
    I've come to the conclusion, that a man is only true male counterpart if he can complement mine with his.  And if, for some reason, mine exceeds his, he should be able to handle it, like a real man.  I heard this year, straight from a boy's mouth, "we find women that make less than us to avoid having our egos crushed."  Am I willing to settle?  No.  Am I willing to just be demure, and take a lowly job? No.  If it means I'll be alone the rest of my life ... so be it.

    Why is there beauty in the ugliest of things?
    Simply because there is ugliness in the most beautiful of things.  One must suffer to understand the value of happiness.

    What is happiness?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness
    Did that make any sense? I thought it was just too personal to define it in a general pattern and then I stumbled across this http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0071492399/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4809970-7556651#reader-link in August of 2007.  It would have made a difference had I done what its told me to do, but instead I stuck with this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichiren_Buddhism and it has made all the difference.

Monday, 26 November 2007