W.G.F.A. - Computer Science: July 2005

944mm 26/27 July : Rain measurement (pluviometer / udometer / rain guage)

What does "it rained 944 mm" mean ?

The basic measurement of rainfall is that of how much rain falls in a specified period of time. By how much, we mean the depth of rain accumulating on a level surface without soaking in, running away or evaporating. The depth is usually measured in millimetres. The standard periods are the hour, the day, the month and the year.

Since the required observation is that of the amount of rainfall, then the simplest way of obtaining this is to accumulate the rainfall in a container and measure the amount at the end of each day. The combination of a storage container and a device for measuring the amount of rain collected is usually called a storage gauge.

Why use a guage ? In answering this question we can partly explain why storage gauges are designed and operated the way they are. Suppose on a particular day some rain falls on the ground; why do we not just go out and measure the depth of the rain somewhere with, say, a ruler?

Consider what happens to rainwater when it falls on the ground. It collects in puddles, drains into gutters and streams, soaks into the ground and evaporates. It is quite possible for a puddle in a car park, which collects water from a large surrounding area, to have a depth ten times the depth of rain that fell. The area which drains into the puddle may be dry soon after the rain stops falling. Rain soaks into porous ground, such as fields, very quickly and leaves no accumulation to measure.

Obviously then, it is difficult to find a 'natural' place where an accurate representative measurement of depth of accumulated rainfall can be made with confidence. We use a gauge to overcome these problems.

Calibrations on the guage are representative of the area its supposed to cover. The guage is appropriately callibrated.

The Rain Guage. Also known as a pluviometer or a udometer.A rain gauge is a type of instrument used by meteorologists to gather and measure the amount of falling precipitation, rain.

944mm 26/27 July : The reasons

LP off the Orissa coast
LP in central India
Western disturbance in the Arabian Sea
An unprecedented, huge "cloudburst over Santacruz" area in Bombay

The first three are the usual met-office type ones. The last one perhaps is the most significant. This probably led to the unusually heavy rains.

The destruction, however was due to:

Ineffective police functioning (traffic and directing people/railways/transport).
Poor civic management by BMC.
Unplanned construction activities of roads and new buildings over the year - The Land Mafias. This blocked the major drain networks at key points leading to widespread flooding. What else could be the reason, if even after 24 hrs. of the rain, the water had still not receded.
Ineffective "Disaster Management Cell". I dont know why they set up one, a few years back. Votes, I guess.
Total lack of communication by the police/BMC/Railways/BEST.
People (the new ones whove come to Bombay) making foolish decisions about their travel on Tuesday and Wednesday (like taking their cars out etc. , expecting trains etc., expecting that the routes theyve decided to take would be 'dry'. For example simple logic tells that if a place like Kala Nagar has 10 feet of water, then Kurla etc. would obvioulsy have more. But then this reasoning can be done only by someone who has stayed here earlier.
Rumour mongering. Self styled information givers to gain immediate points (e.g. "Boss, trains are running normally", etc. Each such unconfirmed statement would have led to at least 100 persons rushing to the stations for a sure-shot mis-adventure later. Thats anyway what happened. And when you think that each of these 100 would in turn misguide 100 more, then soon you cover most of our 15 million. Or at least 8 million that would have been out on Tuesday afternoon.

And when one gets panicky - it leads to further illogical and disastrous actions. Cant help it.

944mm 26/27 July : Rain data for 27 July 2005

Colaba 73.4 mm
Santacruz 944.2 mm
Bhandup 815 mm
Thane/Belapur 720 mm
Dharavi 493 mm

Bombay has therefore recorded the highest rainfall ever in India within 24 hours in this year. The highest ever rainfall in 24 hours in India has been at Aminidivi, Lakshwadeep (6 May 2004 ) which recorded 1168 mm. The heaviest rainfall recorded anywhere in the world in 24 hours was at Foc Foc (7 Jan 1952) , Reunion Is. (near Mauritius). They received 1800 mm.

The rate of tuesdays rain was around 0.66 mm/min whereas in the West Indies it rained once at the rate of 38.1 mm/min on 26 Nov 1970. This is the most intense rain ever recorded.

944mm 26/27 July : Unsung heroes

There are several people in my company who have now been at their jobs since Tuesday - manning imporant supply points and facing irate consumers. They have sacrificed their personal family lives and their own health in order to keep the systems alive. These people are : 873498, 88745, 2431245, 98697, 254352, 243234, 875491 etc. - in other words ones who would be only known by their payroll numbers. All the MBA types (the newly recruited kids) who rake in more that a lakh a month are all this while relaxing in their air-conditioned offices. Later, they will however take in the awards and accolades etc. for a job well done - a job done by 873498, 88745, 2431245, 98697, 254352, 243234, 875491 etc.

944mm 26/27 July : 15 hours , 20 hours, 28 hours, .... in a car

A feat that many performed. Every next person you contact would say "thats nothing" i stayed for x hours. ( x > y, where y = the number of hours the previous person had stayed in the car/bus). Poor traffic management. Wait. Not Poor. No traffic management. There we NO policemen anywhere (they might have got wet, so cant blame them) to direct traffic. The BEST personnel didnt know that roads would be flooded and pushed their buses into routes where there was already endless traffic and water.

Ordinary citizens helped the stranded by distributing tea, coffee, water, biscuits, fruits.

Many have abandoned their cars etc. on the way (in the traffic) and walked home.

There was NO police. It was raining. They would have got wet.

944mm 26/27 July : We cant help you, the weather is bad

BEST Buses full of people at Kalina were trapped for several hours in 5 to 6 feet of water. Soon the water level climed to 10 feet and people (women and all) had no option but to make it to the roof of the bus (how they did that, would be another story). They frantically called for assistance and after considerable time had passed the Navy or some other hot-shot govt. controlled agency pleaded helplessness. Ultimately a private water-sports operator got his men and carried out a sucessful rescue operation.

So next time ... only when its bright and sunny ... and when theres a cool breeze blowing ...and the birds are chirping ... and the wind is singing in the trees ... only at such times if you get trapped on top of a bus ... only then call the navy and army.

944mm 26/27 July : Water has reached upto an inch below my TV. I live on the first floor. HELP !!

Somewhere on the Western Express Highway at, Vakola, Santacruz(E). The flood water having englufed the entire area. Cars, animals and humans - marooned.

Similar scences at Kalina (Air-India Colony) and at Kurla (Kalpana) and at Bandra(E) and on Eastern Express Highway and in Sion and on S V Road and in Andheri and in Vile Parle and in .. and in .. and in ....

944mm 26/27 July : Hammer of the Gods

Many Stand Against Us
But They Will Never Win
We Said We Would Return
And Here We Are Again
To Bring Them All Destruction
Suffering And Pain
We Are The Hammer Of The Gods
We Are The Thunder, Wind And Rain

Warriors of the world, Manowar.

Col. Proudfoot

The picture on the left is of Col. C. Proudfoot. He was from St. Mary's (ISC), Mazagon, Bombay. Im eager to know more about this person. So maybe subsequent posts will enlighten you on the same. As for some additional information, it may be added that Zubin Metha, Justice B. Lentin were also from this same school. There another school in Bandra thats desperately trying to catch up with us. Theyve many problems of their own - the main being that they follow the SSC pattern. All the best to them ....

Super Six (from the Old-Economy) at SAP

Things have now started falling in place. A team of the six most qualified/competent persons has been formed to oversee the Configuration/Functional aspects of the billing system. This gains importance since all are from the "Old-Economy". Now they will be hand-in-glove with the BB's and will be meeting P.. and all most of the time. Only hope that they dont get FKD (just like the namsake dervied by replacing an alphabet).

Im not a part of them. Neither im a part of ABAP, or Basis or any other such crap.

Headless children in Gurgaon

Yesterday the police bashed up innocent workers at a company owned by some hot shot Japanese. The police also resorted to burning their own vehicles (before the TV boys showed up) so that it looks as if the workers had done that.

This is lawessness at its best. The below stanza is however, Lawless at his best. It sums up the situation quite nicely.

Father come save us from this madness we're under
God of creation are we blind?
Cause some here are slaves that worship guns that spit thunder
The children that you've made have lost their minds
This monster that we call the earth is bleeding
Cause the children have been left alone too long
This thing that we've made is fat and feeds on the hate
Of the millions that it's taught to sing the song

(from Headless Children by WASP)

Lets travel beyond the city limits

Many persons are now feeling the heat because they have been asked to (or will soon be asked to) report to a place thats beyond city limits. (Its some place that comes when you go towards Pune). And it does take quite some time to get there. Now, a lot of privileged people who have traditionally travelled for only 15-20 mins one way, will feel hurt. But then this is the new rule. Some are asking for 'allowances' to travel all this way. This I feel would be discrimination. Anyway what harm does this do. Think as if you are going to Lonavala or Manali and just keep going on and on ... after a few hours you are bound to reach somewhere. No need for vacations, since you would have spent half your life travelling up and down.

Ask for anything at your own risk

This is the message thats loud and clear to everyone who was consuming 'reports' in our company in the pre-SAP days. Now manage with whatever SAP provides. If you 'ask' for anything else, be ready to face the philharmonic.

You too can buy time

Who says you cant buy time. Time can be purchased, the way my friend did the other day at a crowded store in Dadar. It was just meant to recreate the scene that happens when girls go shopping - endless haggling and drowning yourself in choices. But we couldnt really match up to those high standards that the girls have. Only three showrooms visited, and that should make us hang our heads in shame in front of the girls. And after 'justifying' a reject since the salesgirl at one place woudnt accept some cash coupons or something. Eventually returned to showroom number 1. and bought the watch. I told you we went to buy time.

Some people, they never go crazy. But then truly boring lives they must lead.

Another of the universal truths. (BL). Go ahead and do something that nobody else has done or can do and then only will things get unboring. The down(up) side of this is that youve got to be crazy to get into this. Only then.

Sun or the moon

When asked if the sun was more important or the moon, a king replied, "the moon". The moon gives us light during the night when its dark, whereas the sun gives light during the day when we dont need it.

For light to exist there must be darkness

This is not some kind of canvassing for the doomsdayers and the pessimistic. Its a matter of appreciation. Unless one has 'experienced' (not just having a ringside view), the downs one cannot appreciate the ups. Dont go around trying to be a failure - im not saying that. Anyway when they say, so and so came out on top - well so and so wasnt on top before he came on top. If so and so was already on top, theres no place else to go, beyond the top. So next time put the torches on only in darkness and not bright sunshine.

Another 'universal truth'.

Aside: What did E.H. do after climbing Mt. Everest ? He came down, boss. There was no place else left to go higher.

Be careful what you wish for - it may come true

This is another universal truth. Dont want anything too badly. You might (will) regret it later. Yanked from the CI by BL. Long live.

Some kind of results coming in now

The intended is somewhat being reached. The first part using ED's method and second using brute-force and then being checked for unfound options with a limiting control so that as to not run forever. And lastly a presentation for us to see. Now the next step is to get it onto port 80 so that more people can see it.

Training denied

A person whos name translates into "The one who drank and came .. " has denied us training. First he said six to seven days of it and deputed some rank newcomer to teach. We are professionals and posed several questions which the rookie couldnt understand, leave alone answer. And thereafter next day we were informed that the training was off. So much for being a professionally run outfit. I think this place is no better than a pan shop (pan is a silly thing comprised of rat poison and some some other stuff wrapped in a leaf). And let this "The one who darnk and came .. " come before us. Terrible place. At the end of it, EWD saves us.

Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Edsger Wybe Dijkstra was one of the most influential members of computing science's founding generation.

Dijkstra was born on 11 May 1930 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, the son of a chemist father and a mathematician mother. He graduated from the Gymnasium Erasmianum in Rotterdam and obtained degrees in mathematics and theoretical physics from the University of Leyden and a Ph.D. in computing science from the University of Amsterdam. He worked as a programmer at the Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1952-62; was professor of mathematics, Eindhoven University of Technology, 1962-1984; and was the Burroughs Corporation research fellow, 1973-1984. He held the Schlumberger Centennial Chair in Computing Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, 1984-1999, and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1999.

Dijkstra is renowned for the insight that mathematical logic is and must be the basis for sensible computer program construction and for his contributions to mathematical methodology. He is responsible for the idea of building operating systems as explicitly synchronized sequential processes, for the formal development of computer programs, and for the intellectual foundations for the disciplined control of nondeterminacy. He is well known for his amazingly efficient shortest path algorithm and for having designed and coded the first Algol 60 compiler. He was famously the leader in the abolition of the GOTO statement from programming.

Dijkstra was notorious for his wit, eloquence, and way with words, such as in his remark "The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether submarines can swim"; his advice to a promising researcher, who asked how to select a topic for research: "Do only what only you can do"; and his remark in his Turing Award lecture "In their capacity as a tool, computers will be but a ripple on the surface of our culture. In their capacity as intellectual challenge, they are without precedent in the cultural history of mankind."

Dijkstra enriched the language of computing with many concepts and phrases, such as structured programming, separation of concerns, synchronization, deadly embrace, dining philosophers, weakest precondition, guarded command, the excluded miracle, and the famous "semaphores" for controlling computer processes. The Oxford English Dictionary cites his use of the words "vector" and "stack" in a computing context.

He often came to campus in a cowboy hat. And a T-shirt.

He was a great computer scientist. He defined much of our vocabulary. He invented many of the important ideas. He will be remembered as one of the giants of the science.

Simplicity, beauty, and eloquence were his hallmarks, and his uncompromising insistence on elegance in programming and mathematics was an inspiration to thousands.

Edsger W. Dijkstra, Professor Emeritus of Computer Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin, died at his home in Nuenen, the Netherlands on 6 August 2002.

Tales from the two rivers

Along the way, there will be numerous tales from the two rivers we have here - Ganga and Jamuna. Keep your eyes peeled to this page for acecdotes from them. You wont be dissappointed at all. This post is just a prelude to what follows from G and J.

Population problem

This took place in a BEST bus some time back:

Actors:

A: A man standing for quite some time in a crowded bus.
B : A man whos just boarded the bus and is hanging outside the door, since theres no place as yet to move inside the bus.
C: B's friend whos already inside the bus ... maybe from a previous stop.

B to everyone : Boss, andar jao. dikta nahi kya public bahar latak rahi hai. ( Get inside, Cant you see people are hanging outide)
A to everone : Kitna public ho gaya hai. Conductor kaiko har stop pe public ko bhar ke le raha hai. ( Too many people these days. Why does the conductor stop the bus at each stop to let everyone get in)
C to A: Boss, jab tu bus me chada tha, to gaaliyaa suni thi kya ? (when you had boarded the bus, did you hear the abuses)

Gents seats in the BEST bus

The other day while coming from 720 to 601, somewhere near 135 the following incident took place in a BEST bus :

Actors:
L : Lady sitting in a ladies reserved seat
M : Man sitting in a ladies reserved seat
N : Lady who was standing

N to M : Get up, this is a ladies seat.
M to N : No
N to L : See, what men, not even getting up .... (yells) MASTER ....
(after some commotion M vacates the seat and N gets to sit)
M to N : Look at the difference. When women are sitting on a "Gents Seat" we dont ask them to get up, but when we sit on a "Ladies Seat" they ask us to vacate the seat for them.

So now we know what "Gents Seats" are.

Some further information :
3 seats are reserved for the handicapped.
6 seats are reserved for ladies.
2 seats are reserved for senior citizens.
41 remain.

So,

If you are a handicapped old woman you can sit anywhere.
If you are a handicapped young woman you have 50 seats to yourself.
If you are unhandicapped woman you have 47 seats to yourself.
If you are a man ... keep standing ... all seats have been occupied by women.

Whats the ugliest part of your body

Whats the ugliest part of your body ?

Some say your nose.
Some say your toes.

I think its your mind.

(FZ)

SAP sucks and ABAP is the worst language on earth

Using SAP is like using an oil-drilling rig to drill a hole in the wall to hang a calendar or something. Just think of the process you would have to go through to do this. And ABAP is such a bad language - its better to use Marathi for programming.

Church sets a limit of 15 centimeters

The catholic church (which was supposed to have been all progressive and modern and outgoing and what not) has decreed that girls should wear skirts not lesser than 15 centimeters. They say that people get distracted. Now if these scums get distracted in a church, they arent praying, so then that opens up another problem - what have they come to the church for ? It seems that the stuff the priests and fathers and all dish out is not reaching the common public in the way it was intended. So maybe they should have a rethink. Probably call the big J himself.

The chase is better than the kill

When one sets out to do something, the process of doing so is more satisfying than the eventual outcome. Because, once done, then one might feel - big deal - now what. So in a sense this is one of the universal truths.

I lost my way

They say Jesus is the way. So how can one lose ones way ? That means if someone does lose ones way, then he doesnt know Jesus. They say in Christianity, Jesus is the god and all the rest are followers. In Hinduism, everyone is a god and there are no followers. Now here is some chance for someone to lose ones way. And there are quite a few Hindus around too.

Crimson Idol

Crimson Idol is really good. A long story which needs to be heard. The thing is that long after that you still keep hearing it. You can fit yourself into it quite easily. Actually this will come natrurally to you. Its one thing that wont take any effort.

All paths between two nodes in a directed graph

To find all possible paths between two nodes in a directed acyclic graph :

'path' is a list or array.

Add source_node to path ;

find_nodes ( source_node , path ) ;

find_nodes ( my_node , path )
{
if ( my_node == destination_node )
{
print path ;
return ;
}
Find all the possible nodes that are reachable directly
from my_node ;
For each such new_node found
{
Add this new_node to path ;
find_nodes ( new_node , path ) ;
Remove this new_node from path ;
}
return ;
}

This uses a technique called recursion. You might have heard that to iterate is human but to recurse, is divine.

All along the watchtower

This terrific song is by Bob Dylan from his John Wesley Harding album of 1968. Also covered by acts such as Neil Young, Dave Mathews Band, Jimi Hendrix amongst others.

We find out that the two people speaking are “the joker” and “the thief.” These are archetypal characters that have existed in one form or another for thousands of years. By identifying them in this way, Dylan invokes a sense of timelessness. Because these figures are broad archetypes, there is already a suggestion that this might be a parable of some sort, a story whose essence remains the same over many different times, places and characters.

And, of course, the joker and the thief are both outsiders of a sort, united in their separation from more ordered segments of society.

Complete lyrics:

There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusionI can't get no relief
Businessmen they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line
Know what any of it is worth

No reason to get excited
The thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hour is getting late

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
But outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl

Who's Next

Who's Next.

This was created in 1971 and is one of the most outstanding efforts by anybody. To know what this who and next are you will need to visit this blog as often as you want.

Computer Science on the other hands makes things happen. All things.

I am creating this blog (or whatever you may call it) for viewing and reading. You may however choose to do otherwise.

Who's next ?

Saffron Spice

Saffron Spice is a place opposite IIT Bombay. It is close to the Punch Kutir bus stop and is at the junction of the road leading into Hiranandani. The place is on the first floor, above Pizza Hut. We went to the section on the left of the place. The right side is more open - family kind of people come there. The section where we went was relatively dark but the seating was good - a corner sofa kind of arangement around a table. Good for about 8 to 9 persons. Service is prompt during the happy hours but soon after that the waiters become uninterested. Earlier they would come and refill your glass even if its still 3/4 full. Anyway a reasonable to moderately expensive place. 9 of our gang turned up. Came till Gandhi Nagar in the CEO's Lancer. Thereafter the normal ...

W.G.F.A. - Computer Science

About Me

Sunday, July 31, 2005