What is the SpaceSet thing??

Many people have been asking that WTF is Space Set. It happens to be a competition, also known as the Asian Region Space Settlement Design Competition. It is, as you have read, on the Asian level, excluding Russia and China.

The registered schools are assigned a company Northdonning Heedwell who are given a Request for Proposal to build a space settlement/colony for Earthlings in space. Now, the settlement to be designed at the initial levels is always in orbit, only the langaragian points (L1-L5) vary. The proposal consists of all the minimum requirements to be met by all departments like the Operations, Human Factors, Automation, Structure Design etc. A 40 page proposal is them submitted complete with robots, charts, tables etc.

To design the structure, one basically uses a torus in most cases since it offers equal gravity at all points. Like this ,one ends up designing the settlement keeping in mind what the Foundation Society, or the contractor demands. So while designing, one needs a lot of math, science and knowledge about the things around you. While designing the robots, I intend on using 3d models – they offer a better perspective of what one would like to show.

4 Indian semi-finalists and 4 Non-indian semifinalists along with 4 invited teams are invited for the Asian finals. One from each group are paired together and divided into companies. We are then supposed to attend a series of workshops and finally are given a proposal which has to be prepared under a day and presented.

So, that’s what Space Set is all about. The top 12 teams every year go to the Asian finals where the Indian and the Non-indian winners get to go to NASA while the invited team gets another chance to submit the proposal once again. I am part of an invited team and hope to win it here in the Finals so that we can send our proposal again.

So long!

Space Settlement 08-09!!

Oh my GOD! We’ve managed to scrape through and have qualified as an invited team to the semi finals of the Asian Region Space settlement design comp. For those who don’t know, we had to send a proposal for a company to design a human settlement in space. Initially we hadn’t qualified….But since the team from Malaysia had backed out due to the Chinese New year falling in the 3rd-4th week of Jan, we being the next best team were invited to a 4 day stayover, complete with workshops and a 2 day marathon settlement design competition…winning it will enable us to send our proposal again to NASA directly. This is what our team did in 07 and went to NASA.

Hope to do well here atleast…considering that I have AGAIN messed up the S.Sc preboard…just passed. The others were awesome. This gives me time to do this subject.

OK then…gotta scoot off.

Final IT Project for HTML

Okk….this is the final CBSE IT Project  containing 10 samples. You can use the samples although I would advise you not to use them directly since there are some things which are related to what I do i.e. a page of my Photoshop creations and some pics in some docs. PLEASE modify them before submission. PLEASE!!!

Download via MediaFire

A new beginning!

Yeah…this is the first post of the new year! So, I’ve made this wallpaper (1024 x 768). If anyone needs the .psd file, you may comment or write to me.

Big, nice and Beautiful

So long till I finish with a few of my preboards….have only finished S.Sc and Maths till now….Also coming up is the cyber olympiad 2nd round on the 18th….2 days before the English preboard! Today I also had the Council interview. Man I was scared, nervous ….. overwhelmed to be precise! Luckily it went off well.

So long!

2008: A year in review…

2008 hasn’t really been one of my best years. I’ve tried lots of things this year, gone for many competitions, won some and lost many. Still, as the memories fade away and I witness the last night of 2008 in another couple of days, just want to write about some the defining moments of this year before I crack up studying for the preboards:

1. Bad Quizzing

One of the worst quizzing seasons I’ve had. Its been a downhill ride since April when we won the quiz at Gyan Bharati (Anveshan). Since then the only good moments have been the Columban quarters and the CBSE Heritage quiz zonals – which we lost again. The japan quiz, LBR, TCS etc etc…the list could go on and on….Still, let history not repeat itself…2009, I’m waiting for you!

2. Visits to some computer symposiums

This year was my fist experience at Computer symposiums at DPS VK, RKP, MR. I loved the way the event functions – students running around all over the school, the whole school buzzing with activity and 4 guys from Amity Saket running from event to event in the pursuit of getting “Something” for our school. We did get some stuff in DJing, Gaming and made it to some quiz finals. Atleast I got some experience!

3. Bad exams

I have successfully messed up 3 sets of examinations, trying to resurface after each attempt. July test, 1st term, December test…..SSc has become my nemesis. And with the preboards on my head…SSc is the last thing I want to do. But the catch is that it is the first preboard.

Other subjects have been fine. English is going good and there has been improvement to a 94 in german. Am just about to touch perfect score in maths. Science is OK….apart from some silly errors here and there.

4. The FutureSchools FutureQuest ‘08

This is one ‘big’ event we won – big because it was a national event. We got both the 1st and the special awards in this computer event. It consisted of a quiz in the first round and a makeshift powerpoint presentation in the second round since the quiz couldn’t take place. We didn’t go to collect the prizes in Chennai since that would mean missing out 8 days of studies and a band competition.

5. The school band

Speaking of the band, we’ve made a start. Now, we are playing DreamTheater stuff although our inclination is more towards punk. We also got Rs. 3000 for qualifying at a RockFest organised by Ansal Plaza….we were the only school band, the others were college bands and professionals.

6. Missed classes

Among all the quizzes, IT comps, band etc etc saw me missing from fast paced action in class sometimes. The teachers took this as a chance to speed up studies – The course was wrapped up in November! I thought of putting up a notice on my usual, changing empty seat in class with my photo and the words ‘Missing, presumed fed’ written below it.

7. The Jack Kilby Quiz

Something I will surely miss from next year. This quiz has BIG prizes and a HUGE no. of teams. Shreyans and me finished 4th out of 500 odd teams by 5 points – heartbreaking.

8. IPL matches

We went, we sat and watched in awe… These matches were too good to be true. Thanks to Abheek and Akash for getting me tickets to these matches. Abheek’s leaving school and I’ll truly miss him – my best friend.

9. Grade 8!

Starting April, I’ll be doing Grade 8 for western classical piano from Trinity College, London. This is the final level and after this I’ll only have to do the diplomas. 

 

I’ve slept through the year and now is the time for the New Year Resolutions:

1. More of study – Status: URGENT

Why? Because I’ve missed so many classes that it is impossible to count the number of classes missed on both your fingers and toes.

2. Less of Sleep. Status: URGENT

See (1) for further explanations. Less Sleep -> more study

3. More winning. Status: Moderate

Come on. I’ve lost count of the no. of events I lost through this year!

4. Frequent updates on the blog. Status: Moderate

I’ll write more often than not on this online journal. I lose track of what to write and what not to….

 

Well that’s it, I guess. This may well be the last post for 2008.

Wishing you all a prosperous new year!!

The Final HOTS…all subjects :)

Hallo Leute!

Ok, these are the FINAL HOTS for English, Hindi, Maths, Social Science, German and Sanskrit. French students…sorry guys, couldn’t get hold of questions for french.

There are a whole lotta questions for practice. Here is the link::

English

Hindi

Hindi 2

Maths

German

Sanskrit

Social Science

Please tell everybody about this…..;)

Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous 2009!

Agrim

Updated HOTS!

Here are the updated HOTS questions for:

Science : DOWNLOAD

Maths: DOWNLOAD

You can also refer to the earlier version of science hots on the blog.

 

Agrim

1000!

A thousand views…..a landmark! Congratulations!!!!

I’ll keep blogging while you keep visiting to read all sorts of *crap* I write, even though it has ‘Some’ significance in your life…..

 

Agrim

Kyunki Saans bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi….R.I.P.

It had to end. The serial, on for about 8.5 years had to end. With all the leaps and the TRPs falling, STAR decided to put an end to a serial which gave STAR Plus its image.

The story focuses on the wealthy, stinking rich Virani family, which hails from Gujarat (Jai Sri Krishna people). The Viranis are quite successful and well-known in the corporate world, always signing business deals and appearing on the front page of newspapers. The story is mainly focused on Tulsi Virani, daughter of the family priest, who elopes with the family’s eldest son, Mihir. The entire family except Govardhan Virani (the patriach-BAAPUJI) and Amba Virani (the matriarch- BAA) (played by Sudha Shivpuri) are against it. Due to anger, the daughters-in-law of the family, Savita (Dead), Daksha (Evicted from Bigg Boss) and Gayatri (Disappeared into thin air) blame Tulsi for charming Mihir into marrying her and entering their rich household from a smaller, middle-class family and harrass her in all respects. However, due to respect and belief in God Shri Shrinathji, called Thakurji, a form of Lord Krishna, Tulsi fights the injustice and battles her mother-in-law and devranis). The entire serial focuses on the battle between the mothers-in-law and Tulsi and in the process teaching them a lesson and earning respect from her family members. Tulsi maata acts as the sole protector, saviour, guardian angel et al.

The serial started on 3rd July 2000 and ends today, on 6th November 2008. Baa has just died on Tuesday and there, a five year leap on Wednesday. No last rites, nothing. Tulsi becomes the new Baa.

Earlier the serial appealed to the masses, with the saans bahu sagas, but soon the story lost its plot. On careful calculations, there are a total of ‘5′ generations of Viranis living in one house. This has been quite chaotic and made life tough identifying the people in the house.

The tracks have changed quite repeatedly with the introduction of the so-called ‘vamps’ in the form of Payal, Anupam Kapadia, Meera, Mandira, Gujrals et al. They had little impact on the story as all of them followed more or less the same storyline.

Ekkta Kapoor tried a lot to keep the serial in the news. With the killing of Ansh Gujral by Tulsi, she gained quite a lot of TRPs for KSBKBT. She also had crossovers with other serials like Kayamath and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. She also *revived* Baa on public demand.

The last bit I liked was the introduction of beefy Tripti. She’s fat, obnoxious, over imposing and has her way in the house bringing the Virani family to the roads. Then Viranis come back and take over the house. The newer plot showed Shiv Singhania running after Ganga, who is the wife of Sahil (confusing…).

After getting rid of Shiv, Ekkta lost the case in the Bombay High Court regarding the continuation of KSBKBT. So she was told to wrap up the show in a week’s time. So she started by diverting Baa to think about her past and how she missed Baapuji (she’s 400 years old). So she eventually dies putting her gramophone on while the house members enjoy a party. Thenafter is a 5 year leap where Tulsi is the new Baa and ends the serial on a philosophical note.

The serial started fine but like all ‘K’ serials, it diverted from its plot and soon had no story. Serials like Baalika Vadhu took over the TRPs and soon KSBKBT lost its audience and had to make way for new serials. Ekkta managed to complete almost 1850 episodes of this serial.

So, that’s the end of one of my personal favourites. Not that I regret the High Court’s decision nor am I emotional. Its just that I can now watch Bigg Boss in its final week since it clashed with KSBKBT!

All’s well that ends well!

Jack Kilby 2008

It wasn’t to be. Lost the only chance to win the quiz.

It started a day before the quiz i.e. 15 Oct. I was at my piano class when I got a call from mom telling me that the quiz was the next day. Normally this quiz is held in November and we usually got the invite and I had been waiting for this quiz for AGES since my friends form Vidyamandir, Chennai had won it a year ago. I rushed home and tried to register by calling up the TI office and other random places but to no avail. So we decided to go to the venue directly and sort out matters there itself.

Venue was the Air Force Audi in Subroto Park. We reached on time and with some smooth talking were allowed to take part in the quiz. The audi was jam-packed and a source revealed that there were effing 520 teams in the competition. The written commenced where we missed some simple answers but got the tough ones correct which fetched me a Texas Instruments calculator. These calcs are damn expensive and I had gathered 2 on previous occasions. We finished with 25 correct and 4 stars. News revealed that the girls from DPS Dwarka failed to qualify at 25 and 2 stars. We were damn scared since the other team from our school ALSO had 25 and 4 stars. So if they qualified, we did as well.

Qualification results showed that the guys at 26 and 5 stars topped and both our teams from Amity Saket went through. Arjun Hans (my dramatic quiz team member, this time on a different team) reacted as if he had grown up watching American Idol and other reality shows. On stage were DPS RKP, DPS Rohini, Springdales pusa, SPV and 2 Amity teams.

There were many rounds where we did messup in places but got some stunners right. We tried to pull up in the speed round but missed by a whisker. 5 points. That is the difference between guys who come 4th and the guys who come 1st. I was heartbroken. I wanted to run away…but not before getting the prize…

Final scores showed that there wasn’t much to choose between the first 4 teams with scores 85, 82, 81 and 80 (SPV had 82 from the one mark in the tie breaker. DPS rohini had 81 from the written marks carried forward).

If this would have been a 3-a-side quiz, we would have RULED the quiz since one guy from my regular team was in another team and scored 70. IN all, Amity teams had 150. 

Hard luck but well then…..time to move on and look forward to bigger and better things.