P(No_H1) = 0.2301

"What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss ?" - Javier Bardem , in 'No country for old men'.

Anton Chigorh, a psychopath serial killer, from the oscar winning movie, posts this innocuous question to his victims, before he kills them. It would have been definitely nerve wrecking, if the victims knew that their life was at stake. Seeing them, knowing that they would die if they lost in the coin toss, was a saliva swallowing moment.

Chance has this effect on men. Not being in control drives us nuts. To take a ride on a mule, through a very narrow path, with gorge on one side, overlooking the river and the steep hill on the other, scratching its beard, winking its eye majestically at the moksha seeking soul, on the way to see the source of ganges, the Gaumukh, the old pilgrimages have their heart besides their molar, bulging through their cheek. Why? Of course, of not being in control of the mule. We humans are hysterical about taking things in control. The greatest of drivers squeamishly squirm when they are the pillion riders. Some people like this adrenalin pumping, no holds barred, purely luck driven outcomes. Hence, Las Vegas.

163,000 American Dreams at stake. What? - The number of people seeking work visa(H1B) in USA in the year 2008 has surpassed the set upper limit. 163,000 applicants. A computer-based random number generator(albeit, a pseudo one, unless their random function takes as input a truly random input such as stray radio signals coming from cosmos) will choose 85000 applicants, who will get to stay in US (legally) with a work visa.

If (you_hate_math == true) {
goto the_paragraph_after_this;
}

else { //read

Its a career deciding lottery. My career is at stake too. Take an envelope and a pencil and lets do some basic probability. The 163,000 applicants will fall in to 2 categories: "masters" or "graduate" applicants and the "open" quota. Students like me who has gone through 2+ years of graduate school hell in US, will fall under the masters quota. The rest, namely the people who happily forward cute pictures of cats and babies sitting in the cubicles of Infosys, TCS, Wipro etc, will fall under the open quota. Masters has its own upper limit of 20,000. According to USCIS, they have received 31,200 applications. The people who do not get through this lottery(i.e choosing 20000 from 31200, leaving 11,200 master students) will be spilled over to the open quota. So the open quota lottery becomes choosing 65,000 from 143,000. So for a masters quota applicant to get rejected, he/she should be left out in both the lotteries. So if we do the math right it should point to a golden value of 0.2301.
}

the_paragraph_after_this:
I have a 77% chance of getting that visa.

There's a leeway for certain companies, which are registered under USCIS in a certain program(E-Verify program), where in employees of such companies who do not get their H1, can legally stay for 17 more months in USA as a student and hence apply for H1B the following year. Unfortunately some companies do not register under this program. More importantly mine hasn't.

So, my American dream (if any), my career, my way of life, will be decided by a stupid algorithm (How cynical of me to call a PRNG algorithm stupid, esp being a computer science graduate). I'm all but frustrated. In fact I'm excited about it. Looking forward to the lottery. If I do not get it, I would be a tad disappointed, but that can wait. I can blame it on fate and leave home for good. I have a beautiful car. Its well maintained and pristine, just as new, used only for office commuting..... err... even the craigslist advertisement can wait. For now its the wide eyed me, looking for the lottery result. I have already delegated to many people the task of calling upon their super powers, their prayers. I need that badly. I need it to shine on me like a crazy diamond. Thanks a lot folks. I'm so excited I even spewed out this:

Its mundane and mostly insane
To load 0's and 1's in vain

Occasional geeky satisfaction
At the cost of free mind and passion

To be honest, I like my Job
I must warn, I do lie like the mob

What my life needs is some spice
As I speaketh, I'm done by the dice

Sad ain't it. I meant the poem. My life just got a bit interesting. I thought I would share it with the world.

P.S I actually do not hate my job, I wanted a cheesy poem thats it. I do hate it though, when I compare it to other jobs like, the person who is paid to watch videos in youtube and filter the porn or the one who tastes chocolates and rates its taste. I actually day dreamed the fictionary youtube job when I was at work asleep, google must have a cheesy algorithm for filtering I bet!

Mallu, Metal, Misc, Macadamia

Being a rock music lover, I do follow Indian rock and its products. They come and go like lightning. There is Parikrama(probably the best of the lot), Sceptre, Moksha(Lead vocals passed away, Leon- RIP), Brahma, Pin Drop Violence(Nu, death, trash, contemporary metal), Thermal and a Quarter(again a mallu band, but vocals in English though, comprising of 3 mallus and a guy whose grand pa is a mallu and hence the band name; thermal ~ 3 MALlu, quarter- grandpa is 1 full mallu, dad is .5 mallu and the grandson is quarter mallu). I haven't heard any indigenous Indian rock band that vocals in their vernacular. There is a Tamizh rock band called Kashmir stones from Malaysia which had a good number or 2 and they faded into oblivion just like every other small band. Then, came Avial, from the God's own land. Musically sound, supposedly deep well written lyrics and very professional in their approach. I have been addicted to their music. Nada Nada was my first love but Karukara takes my cake, a beautiful composition. Though not a mallu, I feel extremely proud listening to them. I hope they are here to stay. We just have to wait and watch/listen. BTW I might get their Album this May. Thanks to Cassius.

Moving to silly things. My parents are flying this summer for my convocation and I'm already nervous. I almost brushed my teeth with my facial wash cream and the vice versa almost happened today morning. My mom was right, I can even forget my own ass at times.
I remember this quote from my best friend's apartment watchman and it goes like this:
"Manushanukku rendu idly; 1000 rooba note irundha, oora(soak) vechu thinniduvaya?". Funny and intellectual, I thought it deserves a place in www. There's this girl, who makes my heart beat faster everytime I see her, though not very often. Just like it happens when I see Shirya on the screen, only this is just a bit more intense and real. She isn't the dancer chick referred in the prev post.

I 'm not a big fan of tagging but I think this time I would give it a shot as I keep forgetting the thoughts worth blogging and time has become so scarce suddenly. Brat tagged me, but that wants me to be honest and I need an Ipod and it seems like its time consuming, so thats for laters. So I'm going to oblige Macadamia the nut. Here goes :

Last Movie I saw in theatre:
"21"
worth watching


What book(s) are you reading?
Fountain Head and 'The name is RajiniKanth'
The latter is badly written and if not for the content, I don't think its worth the 1000 Rs shipping cost i spent on it. The former is lovely so far.


Favorite Board game:
Dhaaya kattai - the ones you see in mahabharatham.
Miss those summer family fun times.


Favorite magazine:
Reader's Digest
Miss it in a way.


Favorite smells:
Mun(sand) vaasanai aka the smell that rises up from the soil, right after the first few rain drops.
I think I haven't had it for almost 3 years now.
Smell of Amma's rasam.


Favorite Sound:
when i call home and my mom goes "vijay chella kutti... eppidi da irukka?"
apparently she also bags the most annoying sound when she screams vijaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to make me stop playing in my terrace and come back to do some home work.


Worst feeling in the world:
Serious: The feeling "I'm going to die", when I for sure thought wouldn't come out alive out of those rapids of Ganges, in Rishikesh, May 28th 2006.
Silly and Gross: You think its a fart and you let it go and it is actually shit. Shit!. My 'upset-tummy-24X7' days are gone, thankfully.


First thing you think of after you wake up?
Hope its 7 30, hope its 7 30... ah crap its 8 30, Not again!


Favorite Fast Food :
Kai yendhi bhavans (street side shops) of Chennai. Cheesy Fiesty Potatoes(i hope i got that right,i miss it every time) from taco bell.


Future Childs Name:
If its a girl, its Amudha. Boy, haven't decided
(@self: get urself a gf first u dickhead!)


If I had a lot of money I'd....
try to find a 1000rs bill, when soaked in sambhar tastes like idly!- courtesy Srinivasa Apts watchman. Have some and donate the rest, very realistic don't you think.


Do you drive fast ?
Depends on the music I'm listening to and the mood. If its 'Fuel' or 'Motor Breath' by Metallica or 'Highway Star' by Deep Purple.... i go 'gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire'


Do I sleep with stuffed animals?
seems like I have to in the near future. 23 yr dry patch.

My first car?
Toyota Scion Tc '08. My second love. First Love is my Mac.

Storms - Cool or scary?
Cool

Favorite Drink
Water, closely followed by Kaapi.


If I had the time I would...
{day dream, dance, sketch, play cricket, blog, read}.


Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
This Q is, IMHO, aimed at 'cho-chweet' girls. Supposedly very random and cute. My foot!


If you could dye your hair what color would it be?
Though I have substantial count of gray hair(i'm 23 and not 43), I wouldn't dye for life. I need to have something very big at stake to force me do such things. Like 'if you dye, Actress Shriya will date you' then I would probably think about it.


Name all the cites you have lived in.
I'm answering with the same hope an 'on-site' wannabe "Americanised desi" would answer this Q. Thiruvallur, Chennai, Chicago and now Sunnyvale.


Favorite Sports to watch.
Oiled women wrestling, Oiled women wrestling, cricket ... in that order


One nice thing about the person who tagged you.
My fav blogger friend, who happily agrees to disagree and as the name says,
a humourous wierd nut.


Whats under your bed?
An incomplete pencil sketch, 20 odd pencils and a putty rubber.


Would you be born as yourself again?
Of course. If any change, it would be me minus my lizard phobia.


Morning Person or Night Owl?
From a morning person to a night owl, now I have become the Afternoon Hyena.


Over easy or Sunny SIde Up?
Sunny Side Up


Favorite place to relax.
Kabaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore, closely followed by marina beach.


Favorite Pie.
None actually. Pi is more like it! BTW belated Pi day wishes.


Favorite Icecream flavor.
Dulce De Leche all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Of all the people who you tagged who is more likely to respond first.
Mirror mirror on the wall
Who's the vettiest of all... warm sea.


People I tag
Umashankar
Vamsee

P.S You owe me a post with my blog name on it! Yeah 'you know who'!