nVidia card dies finally

My nVidia video card, finally hang up it's boots today. It simply refuses to respond and causes the screen to freeze on Windoze load. I wanted to check if the problem was with the card or the driver, but gave up after finding that my Fedora Core 8 DVD was corrupt. I am back to using the on-board Intel(R, and all that) graphics card. I am unable to use the Aero(R) interface, since that would require a video card. With the cost of car loan at it's peak, I will withhold the new card purchase as of now. In any case, I am not interested in spending more on my desktop. Come December, I may be mobile, in my use of computer at home :)

Also took this opp. to clean my keyboard thoroughly. Plugged out all the keys from the base frame and washed them with soap water. I did have a hectic time putting back all the keys properly back. I do have a much hygenic keyboard now, atleast!

My inability

I am so pathetic! It is such a simple thing. Everyone seems to be able to do it with ease. It doesn't require logic or brains either. Why can't I do it?

It has been almost 3 and 1/2 hours into it, I cannot still ease up the clutch pedal to the "biting point", release it gradually and apply gas simultaneously. Obviously, I should remember to be on the first gear for all this. Blast me!

I knew I was delaying it. Amongst a few other things in my life, this is one thing that I should have done much earlier.

Washed Away?

I was totally drenched today evening, while returning from my client's place to my office to catch my cab.

Was it because the All Mighty wanted to wash away the remaining tit-bits of the 12 year old story? Or was it because he wanted me to get wet, catch a cold and fall sick with fever, and have another miserable time?

Well I will know that in a day or two.

फिर वही

वही सद रंग नाला फर्साई,
वही सद गूनह अश्क़ बारी है|

अजीब बात है

अजीब सी बेचैनी है|
न जाने क्यूँ आज ऐसा महसूस होता है,
तस्सव्वुर में भी तो वह अब नहीं,
रातें भी इतनी तन्हा नहीं| :)

मेरी तन्हाई मेरी तन्हाई है.... :D

Chandrayaan - I

Just read a detailed write-up on the Chandrayaan - I, India's first launch vehicle to the Moon. It is supposed to be launched sometime in September this year, though a final date is not yet confirmed.

Chandrayaan - I will primarily be a remote sensing satellite, for sensing the lunar surface. This satellite is expected to map the lunar surface and create a 3-D atlas of the topography. The entire launch vehicle will contain 11 payloads, 5 by ISRO and 6 by international agencies like NASA, ESA and The Bulgarian Space Agency. The spacecraft will be launched by a modified version of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) PSLV-XL. The PSLV is the workhorse of ISRO, with a string of uninterrupted successes till date. The spacecraft is supposed to reach the moon in 5 and 1/2 days time.

There is a wonderful site put in place by ISRO covering all aspects of the mission. In case one is interested, it can be visted here.

Waiting eargrly for the launch and the pictures! By the way, here is a sample picture of central Delhi taken by the CARTOSAT-2A and presented to the Prime Minister by the ISRO team. CARTOSAT-2A was the main payload of the epic PSLV - C9 launch, which put 10 satellites into space creating a world record.

It is good to see, the space programme of our country now yielding commercial results in big magnitudes.

Blast It!

This is the expression I would like to borrow from Bertie Wooster, to describe the current political situation of my country. The entire world is under a tremendous economic stress, and all that our politicians can think of is the approaching general elections. Energy needs of our country, rising inflation and cross border terrorism are all at their disposal to exploit public sentiments and influence the voters. I hope we are educated enough to understand what is going on, and teach these people a lesson.

On something refreshing now. Watched a small clip of JS reciting "Dil mein ab dard-e-muhabbat". It sounds so different in his voice! Notice the way in which he comes down from the "meri ibaadat" to "ke siwa" in the second line of the verse. With all due respects to Lata Mangeshkar for her version, this short one truly brings out the feeling of the poet.

Yes, that is Babu in the frame to the left of JS.