Finishing the Foundation

At last I have managed to complete the Foundation Series by Asimov. It was about an year and a half since I started with the first of the series 'The Foundation' and have just finished the concluding 'Foundation and Earth' this weekend. At the end of it all I can say is: Asimov is GOD! The series more or less contains 7 books and the preferable order would be thus:

Prelude to Foundation
Forward the Foundation
Foundation
Foundation and Empire
Second Foundation
Foundation's Edge
Foundation and Earth

The books of the series were written over a period of half-a-century and are chronologically misplaced when one consider the read-order ( In fact "Forward the Foundation" came out to be the last book written in the series just before Asimov's death).Still each book is self contained and would not spoil the thrill if you choose to read what you come across first.

The story is the future set in history and its about the Galaxy and the rule of mankind across the stretches of the galaxy. And its about the creation of a new science - Psychohistory, by Hari Seldon, a mathematician and how it influences the decaying Galactic Empire and the mankind. It does not bring in three headed aliens or such stuff, but goes along genuinely scientific. I would say its a divine delight for even for someone with a slightest liking for Sci-Fi.

I am also having my occasional dosage of humor from P.G.Wodehouse. I have never read a book by PGW fully in one go. I do not know if its the monotony of the chapters, if I can put it that way, or that it is due to the feeling of self depreciation that piles up within self. Self- depreciation? Yeah, you heard it right! Its because at times I feel I am a reincarnation of Mr. Betram Wooster himself, except that I do not have a Jeeves at my disposal to save my head. Mmmm I digressed.. I was talking about not being able to read a Wooster book at one stretch.. But I always end up issuing another of the lot from the library when life tends to take a shade of boredom.

Another happening to be mentioned was the Annual get-together we had at the Company. It was on last Saturday, and turned out to be a real extravaganza. Five of my six roomies are with the same company (but we are at different facilities) and we had a gang for the function. The stage was set like that of a Film Fare Award ceremony, with huge LCD projectors to lend clear view to all audience. The performance, both music and dance was par excellent, considering the fact that the all the performers and the orchestra was constituted by our own employees.Even Thenal Karthik gave a splendid mimicry performance on stage. And there was this band from Philippines that rocked the night for a good part and also the great fireworks display. It was a day well enjoyed..

And I swim a good deal now, having completed 15 days of my aquatic coaching successfully. I never believed I could catch up the skill for I felt like a limping frog in drowning during the first few days. Then I picked up the nuances bit by bit. Today I made 16 laps, my first two digit, along the length of the pool.

I very much hate making an abrupt ending, but at times I am not able to help it. So I say - Bye!

Resonance

My roomie (anonymity preserved) observed a strange phenomenon with the BPL radio at home playing Radio Mirchi.. Just out of bath, he suddenly got a crazy idea to stick his neck out (literally) near to the speakers. As he did that, the sound suddenly amplified and when he pulled back, the audio came back to normal. Bringing his head near the radio somehow apmlified the audio.

When he asked the Communication Engineers (your truly being one..) for an explanation for this strange event, we identified and concluded that it was a well observed effect. With all due respect, we clarified thus:
'When an empty cavity is brought near an oscillating source it resonates with the source, amplifying the signals'.