S.C.Avengers: IIT's Dopiest

The Inedible Bulk

The Bulk!! Hold your breath!!

C-Tease was a normal Web-Designer. Somehow, he ended up on the test site for a "Shit Bomb". The explosion transformed him into a yellow skinned embodiment of SHIT!!! THE INEDIBLE BULK!!
The Dirtier he gets, the Stronger he becomes. Behold, the wrath of the Walking Shit-load!!

Abilities:

• Shit Rage
• Shit Talk
• Foul Smell
• Bad Breath
• Bulk Spam

Phony Stark/ Iron Pan

Phony, in his workshop

Some say Hack Saw was a child prodigy, some say he was just another average geek. Better known for his
pseudonym Phony Stark, modelled on his favorite super-hero. Carrying an aversion for Teflon Coated pans, Shah, is a highly proficient engineer having dismantled each of his childhood toys and occasionally his own lappy (only to end up contacting Dell to fix it back!!). He is the Iron Pan, pioneer of Gujju Food Technology!!

Weapons:

• Khakra Cannon
• Dhokla Blaster
• Smart (read fart) Grenades
• Uni Cream Softy

Bore: The God Of Blunder

Bore in his Deep Slumber

Bore, is one of the lesser known Asgardian deities. Also, known as Bore The Blunderer, he lives in his human form amongst us in the body of Satteek Mehta. The Blunder God is also known for his fondness of sweets. The Frost Giants once lured him into an ambush using a Double-scoop Ice cream, and then again tricked him by sending him off to the hostel mess following a hoax regarding free sweets, when the Asgardian forces needed him the most.

Weapons/Abilities:

• Blunder-Strike.
• Paneer, the war mallet made out of the Asgardian "Uru" (not the Uru metal of Thor's Hammer Mjonir) variety of Cottage cheese.
• Blunder-Storm

Constable Roorkee

Constable (left) with Dr. Singh (right) ,
 prior to the experimental procedure

"Pandy", attended the NCC camp after his 1st semester at IIT Roorkee. At the camp he underwent intensive training to volunteer for the SCP (Super Chomu Program). As per the program, he was treated with Dr. Ashmeet Singh's (not so secret) super strength "Lal Goli" Formula. Thus, came into being the very first Super Chomu of all!! Codenamed as Constable Roorkee!!

Weapons/Abilities:

• Branch Changing Maneuvers 
• Frisbee, Dishes, Lids etc.(he is obsessed with disc-like objects)
• Ghissand Smash
• Super-Stealthy Shoulder Poking
• Ugly Dance

Director Paani-Puri Of F.I.E.L.D.

Director Puri, constipated much?

Paani-Puri, is one badass dude for a leader. Director of the F.I.E.L.D. (Faltu IIT Enterprise Leading to Disasters) Agency, Puri is the one responsible for assembling the aforementioned members to be his S.C.Avengers (Super Chomu Avengers) 

And, Thus came the S.C.Avengers into being!!

5 Unpleasant Spider-Man facts

Guess who turned 50 this year (except for my dad!)?

Your own friendly neighborhood, the wall crawling wonder: Spider-Man!! And, I must confess that Spider-Man is my favorite superhero second only after the caped crusader himself! 

Spider-Man, created by Stan "The Man" Lee and Steve Ditko debuted in the Amazing Fantasy#15 back in August 1962, and 50 years hence Spider-Man is the face of Marvel Comics!

I have been re-reading all "The Amazing Spider-Man" titles till date right from the very 1st issue, and I decided to share 5 unpleasant, annoying and even disgusting facts from Peter Parker's life. Before, we move on to the list, let me point out that Peter Parker's life is a total screw-up! He has had problems with his girl-friends, his aunt, his foul-mouthed boss, his married life with Mary Jane and the fact that he blames himself for his uncle's untimely demise (and Gwen Stacy's murder at the hands of the Green Goblin)

“One of these days you’ll give me an ulcer!”

Back in the issue #113 of "The Amazing Spider-Man", Peter's Aunt has been missing now for quite sometime. Meanwhile, Parker obviously searching for his "frail" aunt has to simultaneously deal with both Doc Ock and his rival Hammerhead, who are fighting for control over the underworld. At a certain point Peter confronts Doc Ock, and squirts his webbing on his visor to loosen his grip over him. Just when he is about to fight back, the wall crawler is struck by painful cramps and is forced to flee. Afterwards, when Dr. Bromwell diagnoses him (using a stethoscope ONLY!!) and it is revealed that Peter is suffering from an ulcer!!

I mean c'mon!! One of the greatest superheroes of all time has to call a day off and run away from a super-powered showdown owing to the spicy Mexican food he had for lunch? Only, if he were Batman! He might have carried antacid pills in his utility belt!

Uncle Ock?

Remember that time when Aunt May went missing? She managed to land up a job at Doc Ock's hideout, as a maid at his estate. Aunt May apparently inherits a nuclear facility on some Canadian island, the mad doctor wanted to make the most out of this opportunity and proposes to marry May, to which she agrees.

Had it not been an untimely intervention from Hammerhead, it would have been an 

utterly disgusting occurrence! And, I sincerely appeal to the Marvel Comics, please

for God's sake never ever publish a "What if..." title where this unholy union actually happens!!

“Flat-top my cousin?”

If marrying Doc Ock, wasn't enough Aunt May got remarried to John Jonah Jameson Sr., father to our very own foul mouthed, spider hating, flat topped publisher J. Jonah Jameson Jr.!! A total set-back!! Yes!! Poor Peter even accidentally bumped into their room, while they were making out!! *pukes* Marrying Doc Ock is one thing, but J.J.J.? Seriously?

Happily “un”married

Peter and Mary Jane get married in “The Amazing Spider-Man” Annual #27, 1987. After 20 years of a(n) (ab)normal married life, the couple is forced to strike a deal with Mephistopheles in an attempt to save Aunt May's life. Their part of the deal being that their marriage be erased from the timeline itself, as if they were never ever married! In exchange of which, Mephisto restored May’s health and erased Spider-Man’s secret identity from everyone’s minds, which had been revealed after Peter had unmasked himself publicly in the Civil War story arc.

This development was, sad and annoying, yet not as disgusting as the final instance on this list!

The time when Gwen cheated on Peter

The story arc "SinsPast" by J. Michael Straczynski in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #509-514 (August 2004 - January 2005) reveals Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin's alter ego, fathered twins, a boy and a girl, with Gwen Stacy, to whom she gave birth while in France shortly before her death. She vowed she would raise them with Peter and refused to allow Norman access to them. Seeing her as a threat to his potential heirs, the Green Goblin killed Gwen. Norman Osborn then raised Gwen's two children, a boy and a girl named Gabriel and Sarah. Due to Norman's enhanced blood, the twins aged about 2 to 3 times faster than normal and became adults within the span of a few years. Osborn told them Peter was really their father and was responsible for their mother's death.

The first time I read this story arc I was disgusted to the point that I decided to skip it when I re-read all the titles. Osborn defiled Gwen, Peter's first love and then murdered her! Norman Osborn is unlike any other super-villain. He is the devil incarnate himself! 

The Dark Knight Rises: What to expect?

Who's the MAN? B-A-T-M-A-N!

Yes, he is my favorite, he is everyone's favorite: The "Goddamn Batman". The conclusion to Nolan's Batman Trilogy will be hitting the cinemas within 3 days. Sometime back, while I was reading some Batman titles I realized that Chris Nolan had actually borrowed or umm....  lets say loosely adapted the screenplay from some of those story arcs. For instance, there were many scenes in 2005's Batman Begins, which had been taken from Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One". Then, again in 2008's The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent's character portrayal was very similar to that in "Batman: A Long Halloween". Coming to the 3rd installment of the superhit series, many experts have actually speculated that the plot has been taken from the 1993's 
"Knightfall saga".

THE KNIGHTFALL SAGA

It was a major Batman story arc, which added Bane into Batman's Rogue gallery. Bane played by Tom Hardy, also happens to be the main antagonist of the upcoming movie. The "Knightfall" storyline revolves around Bane who is hellbent on beating Batman both physically and mentally. To achieve his goal, Bane actually helps the inmates of the infamous Arkham Asylum to escape, and thereby weakens Batman. Then, Bane correctly deduces Batman's secret identity and after Batman is exhausted to the point of defenselessness, Bane storms into the Wayne Manor and then after a short brawl he breaks Batman's back leaving him paralyzed below the waist.

Wayne decides to hand over his cape and cowl to Azrael, a superhero-in-training under Batman and Robin. Azrael designs an armor for himself and single-handedly beats Bane. Meanwhile, some 15 issues later, Wayne fully recovers from his back injury, all credits to his lady love, Shondra Kinsolving's Metahuman healing talents, whereas Azarel goes rogue. The later half of the Knightfall focuses on Wayne's training under Lady Shiva who helps him regain his combat skills and reflexes. Finally, he beats Azrael to reclaim the mantle of the Batman: END OF THE STORY!

SPECULATIONS

• We haven't heard anything even remotely related to Azrael or Lady Shiva being in the movie, but, Liam Neeson is going to reprise his role as Ra's Al Ghul, leader of the eco-terrorist organisation "The League of Shadows" which in the film continuity trained Bruce in the arts of Ninjutsu, tried to destroy Gotham in Batman Begins and is believed to be involved in the murders of the Waynes.
• The trailers featured Bane introducing himself as "Gotham's Reckoning", which very much matches Al Ghul's own agenda further establishing somewhat a link between Bane and the league. And... this reminds me of the "Legacy" storyline in which Ra's decides to name Bane his successor instead of Batman (Remember Ra's Al Ghul wants Batman to lead his organisation!) thus justifying his I-am-going-to-judge-Gotham attitude!   
• Then again, Batman is shown to have retired 8 years ago after Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes' deaths (in The Dark Knight). He decides to put on his cowl again to face Bane, so I expect some scenes inspired from yet another of Frank Miller's graphic Novels: "The Dark knight Returns".
• As depicted in the "Knightfall" saga Bane is expected to "break" Batman, not his back though, maybe just injuring his leg, but he definitely breaks his spirit! Enter Selina Kyle aka the Catwoman who will help him recover both physically and mentally. Ms. Kyle is expected to fill in the roles of both Shondra Kinsolving and Lady Shiva from the "Knightfall" saga.
• Although, I am unable to figure out the role Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be playing in the movie, but while I was watching the 3rd trailer to the movie, during a certain sequence I felt that it was actually Levitt wearing the cowl, so MAYBE his role is analogous to that of Azrael? But, that is ENTIRELY my hypothesis and I myself am not very sure about it!

Gosh, I'm so excited! The Legend ends! 3 more days to go! I'll be back with TDKR movie reviews next time. Till then goodbye!

The Pathan, the Patel and the Paggla: An Ahmedabad Experience

This summer I was a part of the "Summer Research Internship Program" at IIT Gandhinagar. I stayed there for exactly 50 days, made new friends there and promised them a post on my blog! This post entirely concentrates on their personalities and my experiences with them.

The Pathan

Imagine a Marwari who is also a bong, and speaks in a Pathani hindi dialect. Now, further imagine the same guy with a slightly weak constitution and an average height. Do not judge him by his appearance! Appearances maybe deceptive and Pathan's INTIMIDATING persona may just prove this old axiom true. Let me narrate an incident when we walked into a certain restaurant, and following was his conversation with the owner cum manager:

Pathan: Suniye...

Owner: Ji?

Pathan: Yeh tum humko kaisa dal deti?

Owner: Kya hua?

Pathan: Humko nai pasand aati! Le jao! (Wallah hum abhi bomb giraati!!)

The owner was so shocked that he asked for a spoon and tasted the Dal himself, he was so frustrated that he ended up fighting with a business associate of his. 

Then, there were times when Pathan told us about his adventures at NIT Calicut, including that one time when someone stole away his undergarments, to which the Paggla remarked:

"Abe jab tum apni chaddhi nai bacha sakte, toh izzat kya bachaoge?!!"

Despite his Pathani trigger happy attitude, he is also a Maadu (Marwari). His Maadu powers include the exact and precise calculation of how much each and everyone has to pay while paying dutch after a dinner. Imagine a guy who informs you:

"Kal maine tumhare 50 Rs pay kare the, aaj tumhara contribution 58.17 Rs banta hai! Aur parso tumne sabke paise diye the aur mera contribution tab 69.33 Rs. banta tha. Toh aaj main tumhare bache 19.33 Rs de raha hoon aur tumhe ab 38.84 Rs dene hain!"

But, our Pathan is very shy around girls. In fact, I and the other two proposed the concept of the Pathan Radius!

Pathan Radius: If a girl is within a certain minimum radial distance (called the Pathan Radius) from the Pathan, his body vitals exhibit an exponential increase, and he runs away!!

Pathan was the luckiest of us 4, he was the first to leave. He left us a very sentimental goodbye note, to which the Patel commented:

"Saala gay hai!! Love letter chhod gaya hai hum logon ke liye!!"

The Patel

A Patel who is NOT a gujju, lives in Odisha and speaks hindi in a Bihari accent! Interestingly, he was my roommate for the entire time period of 50 days. He has a slightly loud personality, more appropriately put, a Bindass one. 

We acknowledged him as our BABA, the spiritual Guru! He has this special way of his own to explain and correlate 2 entirely independent and unrelated events (which obviously left us awe struck!)!! Like any other contemporary Baba, Patel has a taste for girls (as a matter of fact I will not elucidate on that!) 

I and the Paggla devised the Baba Theorem:

Baba Theorem: Everything is a part of your life.

Yes! Everything is a part of your life, any catastrophe, any misfortune, always A PART OF YOUR LIFE!
Simply put, suffix each of your sentences with

"... Yeh bhi life ka ek part hai!!"

• "Aaj bathroom mein paani nai aa raha. Yeh bhi life ka ek part hai!"

• "Yaar mera shampoo khatam ho gaya. Yeh bhi life ka ek part hai!"

• "Arre dhatt... baarish ho rahi hai!! Yeh bhi life ka ek part hai!"

• "Ricky Martin gay hai! Yeh bhi life ka ek part hai!"

So... Everything is a part of your life!

The Paggla

No, actually he was the luckiest of us all. He was the last to arrive and the second to leave. While, the other 2 were busy with their Maadu and Babagiri antics respectively, the 2 of us had made a habit to observe them and record their exploits, and eventually it was him who constantly pushed me to write this post. I hope I haven't disappointed them.

Anyway, I'd be back with a Superhero themed post next time.

Superhero Zodiac Signs: Which one are you?

I have this strange habit of entering random search strings on Google and then further, googling related search results. For instance, today I happened to end up reading an article or two on the traits and personalities of various Zodiac signs. And an idea struck to me. What if, we could actually classify the zodiac signs according to the Superheroes exhibiting similar traits? This blogpost might be an answer. Also, interestingly only one DC Comics character ends up on the list, rest 11 being from the Marvel Universe. Check out for your birthdate and your own Superhero Zodiac. 

Aries: (Mar 20-Apr 20) The Invincible Iron Man

He is rich, arrogant, and a genius! Also, he is one of the fewer characters here who have all the qualities as listed in my source of reference. Highly energetic which is equally matched with his quick wit. Adventurous by nature, pioneering, courageous and not to forget slightly over confident at times. 

Also selfish, quick-tempered, very impulsive and impatient, leading to his frequent foolhardy and near fatal endeavors. 

Taurus: (Apr 21-May 21) Wolverine

Definitely ox-headed, fairly stubborn! But, patient and reliable in his own way. Also, Logan is warm-hearted and loving which is not quite evidently portrayed, but holds true. He is jealous of Cyclops and possessive regarding Jean Grey. The feral X-Man and Avenger is as adamant as his Adamantium laced skeleton and at times very inflexible and difficult to deal with. Known for his ox like rage Wolverine is a true Taurus.

Gemini: (May 22-Jun 21) Nightwing

Dick Grayson aka Nightwing, who was the first Robin and has even donned the cape and cowl while his mentor was presumed dead at the end of the Final Crisis. Very adaptable and versatile. Excellent at communication skills and fairly intellectual. Well known for his wisecracks. Even, the caped crusader has admitted that were it not for Robin lightening things up for him, it would have pushed him off his edge. Despite his confidence, Nightwing is nervous on occasions largely due to the fact that his mentor's are pretty big shoes to fill in.

Cancer: (Jun 22-Jul 22) Ms. Marvel

Carol Denvers, was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. prior to a freak accident which merged her physique with the Kree physiology. She adopted the name of Ms. Marvel and became an Avenger. Emotional, loving and intuitive. Being an ex S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, she is a very shrewd and a cautious adversary. Unfortunately, owing to her Cancerian traits, she is very temperamental and moody. And, her adamancy is comparable to that of a Tauran.

Leo: (Jul 23-Aug 21) Thor

Thor the thunderer, Prince of Asgard and protector of the earth realm, Midgard. Lion-hearted and generous. Bravest of the brave, yet arrogant and pompous. He was banished to earth for his arrogance and lack of humility. But, he learnt his lesson and Thor still remains to be one of the greatest and most fearless warriors in the Marvel Universe.

Virgo: (Aug 22-Sep 23) Mr. Fantastic

Reed Richards, unarguably one of the smartest men in the Marvel Universe is the leader of the Fantastic Four. Very modest and reserved by nature. Reliable, meticulous, practical and highly analytical. Also, very fussy and a worrier. Richards is overcritically harsh at times owing to his perfectionist nature.

Libra: (Sep 24-Oct 23) Jean Grey

Jean Grey, is one of the original X-Men. She is also the host to a cosmic entity, the Phoenix Force. Diplomatic, charming, easy going, sociable and idealistic. Although she has a fairly balanced personality, but she is indecisive, gullible and easily influenced, which directly resulted in the emergence of the Dark Phoenix.

Scorpio: (Oct 24-Nov 22) Magneto

Once a Gobal threat, Magneto has switched sides too many a times. The Master of Magnetism is determined and forceful to the extents of genocide to achieve his goals. One of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. Like a true Scorpion he is both obsessive and compulsive to achieve mutant supremacy over the humans.

Sagittarius: (Nov 23-Dec 22) Wasp

Janet Van Dyne aka Wasp, wife to the scientist superhero Henry Pym, was an avenger and she has even served as their chairman for a brief period of time. The Wasp is optimistic, fun-loving, jovial and honest. In fact she is blindly optimistic, to the extent of carelessness and irresponsibility. Like Sagittarians, Janet lacks tactfulness and she has a very restless persona.

Capricorn: (Dec 23-Jan 20) Cyclops

Practical, prudent, ambitious, disciplined and patient. Reserved by nature, Cyclops is one of the best strategists and tacticians in the Marvel Universe. Leader of the X-Men, Cyclops projects concussive blasts (and not heat rays or lasers!!) from his special Ruby-Quartz visor. Like any Capricorn, Cyclops is a bit insensitive at times and focuses only on his goals despite what his teammates think.

Aquarius: (Jan 21-Feb 19) Deadpool

Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, the merc with a mouth. Friendly in his own way, Wilson is very original and inventive when it comes to killing. Perverted to the utmost extents of imagination, Deadpool is very unpredictable owing to his unstable psyche. Further, he is a cold blooded assassin, unemotional and detached by nature! (But, Deadpool is simply AWESOME!!!) 

Pisces: (Feb 20-Mar 20) Spiderman

Imaginative, sensitive, compassionate and kind. Time and again Peter Parker aka Spiderman has proved his selflessness with his heroic deeds. But, owing to his so called Parker Luck, Peter has grown into an escapist and he is very secretive when it comes to his super-hero life. Spiderman is unarguably the greatest hero in the entire Marvel Universe. 

You may also like to read:

How to form a Super-hero team of your own?

The Not-So-Amazing Spiderman

In 2001, came the very first Spiderman movie. Toby Maguire, played Peter Parker/Spiderman. It was a blockbuster, and thus came the 2 sequels. 11 years hence, director Marc Webb has cast Andrew Garfield as the AMAZING Spiderman! Garfield played Eduardo Saverin, in 2010's The Social network.

Andrew Garfiled played Eduardo Saverin in "The Social Network" (2010)

While Maguire appeared to be a bit overgrown for a school going teenager, Garfield's look perfectly matches with his role.

What remains the same?

The origin remains the same: the accursed spider-bite, in the comics it was a radioactive one, in the 1994 cartoon series it was again a radioactive spider only charged with radiation from a Neogenic Recombinator, in the 2001 movie it was a genetically enhanced spider and here we have another genetically enhanced spider (developed by Peter's own father! Wait for the "What's new?" section) which bites him and leaves him with a spider like agility, wall crawling (and annoyingly sticking to everything) ability along with the PROPORTIONATE strength of a spider! Uncle Ben, does die owing to Peter's own irresponsible behavior very much like Stan Lee's original story back in 1961. Flash Thompson is yet again a jerk who bullies other students, only that we see a milder version than that from the 2001 movie. And, lastly Spiderman's creator Stan Lee does a cameo, like all the other Marvel Comics movies. (except for The Blade, and Punisher maybe? No.. wait.. Ghost Rider too!)
Now, the whole Spider-bite thing, isn't it a bit too cliche? They could've come up with a rather more innovative origin for Spiderman. A freak gene splicing accident maybe, or maybe the use of a neogenic recombinator?

What's new?

Peter Parker here, is the son of a brilliant biochemist Richard Parker, who along with his friend/colleague Dr. Curtis Connors develops an effective gene splicing technique to transfer one species' traits to another. The very first scene shows a very young Peter being dropped in at his Uncle's place, where his parents leave him under Ben and Mary's supervision. Fast Forward: 15 years. Peter is a high schooler, a great photographer and an electronics whiz with a prowess in robotics as well. In the 2001 series Spiderman had an organic webbing, but this time round Parker develops his own uber-cool LASER-GUIDED web shooters!! (thwipp)

Killer Croc: A recurring foe of Batman

I definitely missed J.Jonah Jameson, but Captain George Stacy stepped into the foul mouthed publisher's shoes by playing an equally obnoxious part, and prejudiced Spiderman for being a two-bit criminal. Stacy, also turns out to be Gwen Stacy's father, Peter's love interest. Speaking of Gwen, everyone's favorite red-head Mary Jane Watson was not featured in the movie. Although, a cameo role from Irfan Khan, and a mention of Norman Osborn along with the mysterious plane crash killing Peter's parents suggest a sequel! And, hopefully we will see JJJ and MJ both in the sequel.

Curt Connors is a good doctor by day and a lizard mutate by night. Mutated into the LIZARD pursuing his obsession to grow back his amputated arm after splicing his DNA with the reptilian DNA, he is stopped by Spiderman, who helps him revert back to normal. Also, the lizard character largely resembles the Killer Croc from the DC Universe, and not even remotely resembling Marvel's Lizard, except for the regenerating tail!

The Costume

Ben Reilly's Spidey outfit

The costume is loosely based on the newer outfit designed by Ben Riley (a clone of Spiderman, a very looooooong and confusing story! Leave it for some other blogpost) during the brief time he donned the mantle of Spiderman. It is kinda good, and fairly realistic, but I simply hate the VISORS in his mask!!

Sequel: If any?

I have a very strong feeling regarding the production of a sequel. Many questions remain unanswered, Irfan's role, Osborn's mysterious illness and the deaths of the Parkers under suspicious circumstances.

Verdict

A one time watch, I watched Maximum a couple of days ago. The Amazing Spiderman, is not as amazing as the name suggests, but waaay better than Maximum! And, I was quite disappointed with the plot. Being, a devout Spiderman fan, it was a little awkward to see Peter Parker without his usual caustic humor. Surprisingly, Ben Parker never utters those lines which have immortalized him in the comic book history! Need I remind you? Oh C'mon!

"With Great Power..

Comes Great Responsibilty"

Also, the screenplay stands nowhere compared to the 2001 series. I sincerely hope that if they make a sequel, it turns out to be better. Needless to say I am waiting for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

Survivor Roorkee: A freshman's guide to life at IIT-R

Nearly a fortnight ago, I wrote a post regarding Applied Mathematics at IIT Roorkee. The post received a fairly good response, so I decided to type in a post to help the prospective IITians at Roorkee.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

Roorkee, is yet another town in Uttarakhand. But again, not many towns can boast of an IIT. In case, you mistake Uttarakhand for a perennially frozen cold province in North India, then please allow me to disillusion you. Roorkee is not hilly, it is not cold (not throughout the year). The climate here is Temperate as we call it. Very hot in the summers followed by again a very humid monsoon and extremely cold winters in January and the 1st half of February. 

Tip: No need to pack warm clothes for the Fall semester, though. Packing umbrellas and/or rain-coats would be a far better choice!

Circumscribing the IIT at Roorkee are the Civil Lines, where every possibly necessary commodity of use and more is easily available. Also, the canteen for the Rajendra Bhawan (the hostel for the freshers) supplies mattresses, buckets, mugs and hangers etc., at the beginning of a new session.

Tip: Since, everything is available in the Civil lines and at the Rajendra Bhawan, you need not travel carrying your bedding along with you!

POST-REGISTRATION

Once you end up with the registration process at the Convocation Hall, I'll advise opening an a/c at either of the SBI or the PNB branches inside the campus, preferably SBI. It would actually be a matter of 15-20 mins, because both the banks usually setup their stalls just outside the Convocation Hall in the lawns. There is a small shop cum PCO/FAX within the Cautley Bhawan. The shop will take care of daily amenities and mobile recharges, if you are lazy enough to walk to the civil lines. 

What about bicycles? Should we buy one? I bought a bicycle back in 2010 and I prefer walking now. I would advise against buying one. Why? Do you want your bicycle turning into a public commuter? Or, do you want to bear the extra load of a batchmate? Plus, a bicycle has maintenance issues.

Still want a bicycle?

Tip: If you want to save on the bicycle costs, you can always wait for the unclaimed bicycles being sold off at the hostels. They are priced as low as Rs. 200-400 against the Rs. 3000+ bicycles outside!

THE FOOD

The mess at Rajendra Bhawan, is a little rigid with the customs to be followed there. One has to dress up properly to be permitted inside. Where 'properly' means NO shorts/capris/3-4ths and definitely NO slippers. However, this rigidity lasts for a very short period of time, i.e., till the Council Elections. Also, during this pre-election time, restrictions are set on the entry and exit of the hostellers. Which, are dissolved once the elections are done away with. In case, you do not like the mess food, you can always order a home delivery from the Dominos outlet just outside the campus.

The telephone no. being +911332275424

Other good food outlets include Prakash, Center Point, Sagar, 36 Chowrangee Lane, Olive and TinTin.

Tip: If you want to eat food other than that from the mess, and save on it, try the Govind Bhawan or the Ravindra Bhawan canteens. Comparably good food, at reasonable rates!

THE NSO-NSS-NCC CONUNDRUM

NCC guarantees returns.

With, the end of the 1st week, you'd be asked to opt for either of the 3: NSO, NSS or the NCC as a proficiency. NCC is lot more physical and tiresome, the cadets are required to stay for 10-12 days camp in the winter break, but it ain't bad. If you aim at being a hotshot IAS officer, the 'B' and the 'C' certificates help a bit. Plus, if you are already an 'A' certificate holder from the school, do join NCC. With NCC as a proficiency, you are guaranteed with a good grade. NSS, is not at all generous with the grades, mind you! You will have to earn your grades, unless you have good contacts in the core team. To get into the NSO, you need to qualify at the trials. In case you are already a sportsperson, NSO would be an ideal proficiency.

Tip: In case you don't want NCC, nor the NSS and do not play any sport, simply go for the hockey trials and you'll be selected just for showing up!

THE BOOKS

Lastly, the books. There are 2-3 good book stores in the civil lines, I prefer the Indra Book Depot. They sell both second hand and new books. The newer ones at a 20-30% discount and the 2nd hand at half the rates. The shops at civil lines remain closed on Wednesdays, except for the book stores. The Mahatama Gandhi Central Library at IIT-R, is HUGE and has a good collection of books. The library also runs a TBLS, the text book loan scheme, whereby you can loan 3 text books from the library after paying Rs. 200 and issuing a TBLS card from the library.

Wishing you a good stay at IIT-R.

Rebooted: Cartoons from the 80s & 90s retold

I have been a regular follower of many of the animated series both available and unavailable in the subcontinent. And, I have a special liking for the cartoons from the 80s.

Now, this post primarily concentrates on the re-telling/reboots of some very popular animated series from the 80s and one from the 90s.Starting up with G.I.Joe:

GI JOE: RENEGADES

Those familiar with the G.I. Joe, know that it is an uber-awesome global peace-keeping team with special operatives recruited from all across the globe, fighting against the terrorist organization Cobra headed by the megalomaniac, world domination loving and ever sulking Cobra Commander. In November, 2010 Hasbro reintroduced the team as a band of fugitives!! Well, obviously they are not fugitives, they were framed for the crimes they did not commit. 

Each of the 26 episodes from the series (except the first 2), started off with the following narrative:

Accused of a crime they didn't commit, a ragtag band of fugitives fights a covert battle to clear their names and expose the insidious enemy that is... Cobra. Some call them outlaws. Some call them heroes. But these determined men and women think themselves only as "Ordinary Joes". And this is their story.

which, sums the plot pretty much.

What makes this series different/better? The plot focuses on how the team comes together. Also, the back story of nearly every mainstream and/or popular character from the G.I. Joe mythos is explored and retold in a fairly realistic manner.

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

X MEN:EVOLUTION

Absolutely no need to introduce the X-Men! Anyway, for the sake of the non-believers:

X-Men are mutant heroes, who want to preserve the peace between humans and the genetically gifted(?) mutants.

Of all the X-Men Cartoons, X-Men: Evolution tops my list. Unlike, the other series this one features adolescent school-going X-Men characters. Mutants, with the usual Marvel universe issues plus the problems of being a teenager. I actually like the idea of having younger Scott and Jean, the students meanwhile, Wolverine and Storm alongside Professor X, themselves being the teachers. 

In a broader sense it was more like a good piece of fan fiction which materialized into a pretty good animated series. All the popular mutants from the X-Men and the Brotherhood attended the same school, and their principal was none other than Mystique in disguise! How awesome is that?

An intricate drama minus the redundant themes like Sentinel attacks, alien invasions and time travelling mutants (from the 1994 series), is what makes this series tick. The series is lot more youthful, one can  easily associate it with themselves.

You can watch the episodes on Marvel.com: The Official Site itself 

IMDb Rating: 8.0/10

THUNDERCATS

Remember that 80s cartoon with humanoid feline characters? The one, about the little sword (more of a dagger/knife) which expanded into a full-sized sword? The series revolved around the eponymous protagonists, the ThunderCats, apparently the last survivors of their species from a planet named Thundera.

A reboot to the ThunderCats was launched in 2011 in the form of an ongoing series. The characters except for Panthero, are a lot younger, more likely to be in their 20s. Instead of a high tech Cat race the Thundercats are here the residents of a seemingly medieval kingdom of Thundera on the planet "Third Earth" ruled over by the Lion clan of the Cats. The plot resembles that of a fairy tale, whereby Lion-O the prince of Thundera flees alongside his adopted Step Brother, Tigra and his sworn protector, Cheetara. The series also uncovers an extensive backstory regarding the Sword Of Omens, the power stones and Lion-O's own history with Mumm-ra, the main antagonist. 

Unlike the original series, this one is not as campy as its predecessor and we witness a plot involving a love triangle, sibling rivalry and issues such as trust, betrayal and loyalty. Another, fascinating feature being the newer looks to the characters. Lion-O is a lot younger, Wily-Kit and Wily-Kat are a lot kiddy. Cheetara is well... beautiful (and hot!). Tigra, is a lot more verbal and condescending unlike the reserved and calm Tigra of the original run. Panthero has been muscled up! He is huge and he appears to be more of a Bushido Warrior.

The story involved good twists and turns, but Cartoon Network decided to cancel airing the show after 2 good seasons.

IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

HE MAN & THE MATSERS OF THE UNIVERSE

Who is He-Man? He-Man is everyone's favorite peace loving scantily clad Viking warrior from the planet Eternia.

"By the power of Grayskull...  I have the power!!"

Ring any bells?

Now, He-Man is actually Prince Adam of Eternia, who undergoes a transformation using his power blade after saying the above lines. Transformed into the mightiest hero in the universe, by the mystic powers of Castle Grayskull, He-Man fights for peace against the evil forces of Skeletor. The original concept of He-Man is believed to have been inspired from Conan the barbarian. The original 80s series followed the introduction of a toyline by the same name from Mattel. It was a marketing campaign for the toyline.

The original run was quite campy owing to the strict broadcasting regulations at that time. Which meant He-Man could not use his sword to hit any villain except for well... robots. The series was a hit. Hit enough to produce a live action movie (which did not fare that well at the box office).

Then in 2002-03, Mike Young Productions launched a reboot to the He-Man mythos to tie it in with a newer toyline from Mattel. Prince Adam is an adolescent and an insecure prince, who initially refuses the Power of Grayskull, but accepts it as a last resort to help his father and his allies against the armies of Skeletor who is seemingly pissed-off with the Eternians for having exiled him. 

After receiving the "Sword of Power" and the "Power" Adam transforms into a rather muscular and barely clothed He-Man, who turns the tables in the battle and defeats the forces of evil, and so ends the series of the 6 pilot episodes. 

Unlike, the original series, one can actually differentiate between Adam and He-Man. In the second season, the connection between Grayskull who happens to be an ancestor of Adam and He-Man is revealed. No campiness here, He-Man is entitled to all hitting, sword slashing, punching etc. Also, a convincing revelation of Skeletor's origin was also featured in the series. One can always watch the reboot and compare it with the original.

IMDb Rating: 7.3/10

What is your favorite cartoon from the 80s/90s? Feel free to leave your comments.

Why IIT-R? Why Applied Mathematics?

I cleared JEE back in 2010. 4839 wasn't exactly a very good rank, which meant I did not have much choice during the counseling. Consequently, I ended up being enrolled in an Integrated M.Sc. course at IIT Roorkee. 5 years hence, I have graduated this year. I have fond memories, great experiences and above all: a fairly decent job.This post was written way back in 2012, with the objective of creating awareness regarding Applied Mathematics at IIT Roorkee. I keep updating this post almost every year, and this year, an FAQ section has been added. 

Quoting from my own experience, I believe clearing JEE is a lot easier than the counseling procedure followed by it, especially if you have a 3000+ rank. While choosing a branch, you need to keep the following things in mind:

1. Getting into an IIT does NOT guarantee a job at the end of 4/5 years.
2. NOT everyone is placed at an IIT.
3. All the packages offered at the IITs are NOT in the excess of Rs.10 lpa.
4. The placement in the core branches viz. Mechanical, Civil, Chemical and the Electrical Engineering is NOT 100%.
5. Of the most sought branches only the Computer Sciences, ECE and Electrical Engineering are the well-off branches when it comes to placements.
6. India lacks in manufacturing industries and as such there is little or no demand of engineers outside the IT sector, which explains the preceding point. 
7. Most of the recruiters come from the non-core background, like IT, Finance, Banking and Consultancies etc.

Every other day dozens of IT based startups are springing up in the country. There is an increasing demand for technical analysts, software engineers, app developers and data analysts. Therefore, it is advisable to opt for a branch with opportunities in the IT Sector.

Most of you will agree with me that CSE is currently the most sought after branch at the present. But, there are only limited seats offering CSE in the IITs. As such, with a rank as much as above 3500 you cannot expect to get into CSE at the original IITs, even BHU or ISM. This is where Applied Mathematics comes into play.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the course contents and the course structure to be followed?

You can go through the course structure and the list of the electives offered over here:

Applied Mathematics - Course Structure.

Applied Mathematics - Electives.

What are the Course's Placement Statistics?

Packages Offered

Placement Percentage

What are the companies that usually recruit students from Applied Mathematics?

The students are mostly recruited by IT firms, Financial Institutions and Consultancies.

Following is the list of recruiters for the past 4 years:

2011-12

PayPal (2)

InMobi(1)

Flipkart(1)

Deloitte(1)

Oracle(2)

Cognizant(1)

CA Tech(1)

Tavant Tech(1)

2012-13

Goldman Sachs(1)

Microsoft (1)

Royal Bank of Scotland(1)

Oracle(2)

TCS(2)

Mu Sigma(1)

Sapient(1)

Grey B Technologies(1)

Futures First(1)

2013-14

Royal Bank of Scotland(1)

Oracle(1)

Groupon(2)

Axtria(3)

Indian School of Business(2)

Capgemini (1)

Teach For India(1)

2014-15

Visa Inc.(2)

Housing(2)

Oracle(1)

DocSuggest(1)

Policy Bazaar(1)

HackerEarth(1)

MuSigma(1)

Cognilytics(1)

Beehyv(1)

MeritNation(1)

What are the opportunities offered to a student enrolled in this course?

Phoren mein Internwa!

There is a multitude of opportunities for the students enrolled in this course:

• Internships are an essential part of the college life today. (How else are you expected to flaunt your visits to foreign lands otherwise?) Being a basic sciences course there is no shortage of internship opportunities both in India and abroad. Students from the branch have interned at Canada, UK , Netherlands, Italy (the gentleman in the photo), Germany, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Spain, Singapore and New Zealand.
• The placement stats suggest that the average packages are significantly above the Institute average which remains at about 6-6.75 lpa.
• The placement stats also suggest 100% placement from the first 2 batches to pass out. Whereas the the placement at the institute level remains at 60-65%.
• The good thing about Applied Mathematics is that you can always diversify. You can always pursue a career in diverse fields like, Computer Sciences, Finance, Economics, Operations Research or Academic Research. 
• Another good aspect of the curriculum is that the contact hours are comparatively very less, which will let you spend more time on learning other skills or even prepare for competitive exams such as the CAT or GRE. 

What is the INSPIRE Scholarship?

INSPIRE is a Scholarship offered to all the students enrolled for Applied Mathematics by the Department of Science and Technology. The students receive Rs. 60,000 p.a. if they can maintain a CGPA above 6.000.

BOTTOMLINE

Do not consider an Integrated M.Sc. course as your last resort in accordance with your JEE Rank, these courses esp. those in Mathematics and Economics are very much at par with the B.Tech courses.

In case you have further queries, kindly drop in a mail at: Mathematiciansiniitr@googlegroups.com

You may like the followup post to this one, the one about fresher life-hacks at IIT-R:

http://crankyanimesh.blogspot.com/2012/06/survivor-roorkee-freshmans-guide-to.html

Lastly, I would like to thank you all for your overwhelming response to this post.

The Avengers Initiative

Now that "Avengers", has smashed all the previous records at the box-office collections, they (Disney. Yes Disney owns Marvel) have confirmed the production of a sequel. Now, this blog concentrates, rather touches on those points which might have actually confused the viewers (or irritated the author).

So, I have compiled a list of such occurrences in the entire Avengers movie franchise:

• TESSERACT CUBE: 





Red Skull holding the Cosmic Cube

The Tesseract Cube was first seen in the post-credits scene of Thor. When Dr. Eric Selvig is requested by Director Fury to take a look, also in the room was Loki invisible to the other two. Next, we see the cube in Captain America: The First Avenger, where the Red Skull and Arnim Zola study the cube to manufacture energy weapons. The cube apparently kills the Red Skull (although I say, transports him into some other dimension) and then it drowns into the Arctic Ocean along with the Captain and the monstrous airship he was piloting. However, the cube was recovered by Howard Stark, tracking it from the unique gamma ray signature emitted by it. Sadly, Captain America wasn't that lucky.
Now, for the question as to what is the cube? The cube, is an Asgardian artifact, which is an unlimited source of energy, it can also be used to open inter-dimensional gates.
My guess, is this Teserac thingy is the movie equivalent of a Cosmic Cube with reality altering powers as shown in the Marvel comics itself.




Thanos: The Mad titan. Does that ridged purple jaw seem familiar?
Only, if you waited till the post-credits scene!!



• WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LOKI:
Towards the end of Thor, after the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge, Loki was seemingly lost in the endless space, but he somehow managed to survive. He ended up in yet another dimension inhabited by the Chitauri, and their mysterious leader (whom I believe, is the mad titan: THANOS).
Although, an accomplice of Thanos mostly appears in the AVENGERS movie, acting as the spokesperson and the negotiator both on behalf of Thanos. This, unnamed accomplice I feel is the Red Skull, going by the reddish teeth (the only facial features visible) it may well be Cap's long lost arch enemy!!



• STEVE ROGERS: CAPTAIN OR CADET AMERICA? 


Throughout the 2 movies, Chris Evans has been highly disappointing in Captain America's role. No glimpses of leadership, his part resembles more like that of Toby Maguire from Spider Man-2. Lack of confidence, Self-Doubt and boy he is confused like hell!! Or, maybe Robert Downey Jr.'s antics and/or the Hulk's smashing over-shadowed our very own "First-Avenger". I liked Evans better as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four franchise, but I actually hate him now, for his SUPER-AWFUL portrayal of Cap. *sigh*



MARVEL UNIVERSE (DIS)CONTINUITY:
Now, for those who are familiar with the "normal" Marvel universe, the storyline of The Avengers and the related movies is well, a bit awkward. They didn't have a Cheer-leader dressed in the American flag for Captain America. Or, the Avengers working as government operatives. This, movie franchise is loosely based on the "Ultimate" Universe and all these characters are a part of the Ultimates or the Avengers of their respective universe.



WHY CAN'T WE HAVE WOLVERINE AND SPIDEY IN THE HOTSHOT SPANDEX CLUB?
Well, the answer is pretty obvious. Although, both Wolverine and Spidey are actually on the Avengers roster in the comics, but the rights to feature them in movies are held by movie studios other than Paramount,  so No SPIDEY, No WOLVY for the Avengers!!



SPECULATIONS FOR THE SEQUEL:

1. It is most likely that The Avengers would face Thanos in the sequel hence there is a high possibility that Ms. Marvel (and, you know what, SHE'S SMOKING HOT!!!) lands a place in the Earth's Mightiest Team of heroes, owing to her Cosmic Powers!  Moreover, Carol Denvers a.k.a. Ms. Marvel is a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, and we don't seem to have any female member other than the Black Widow on the team!
2. There was a mention of "Vibranium" and "Wakanda" in Iron Man 2, a clear indication that we may soon hear from the Wakandan monarch T'Challa better known as the "Black Panther" (Marvel's answer to DC's Batman).
3. Return of the Red Skull, is yet another highly probable prospect, hopefully Red Skull'll inspire Evans to enact a better self-confident Cap.

Finally, a note to those readers who imagine an impossible team-up of the "Goddamn" Batman with the Avengers!!

PLEASE DIE!!!!