[Assam] More on Minneapolis Collapse
Chan Mahanta
cmahanta at charter.net
Fri Aug 3 05:45:56 PDT 2007
Hi K:
I am trying to meet a deadline before I rush to the airport. Be out
for about a week. Will get back to you as soon as I can.
c-da
At 4:01 PM -0700 8/2/07, Krishnendu Chakraborty wrote:
>Bridge 'structurally deficient'
>
>Engineers spotted structural problems in the bridge as
>far back as 1990, but state officials thought patches
>and yearly inspections would be enough to keep it
>together, Minnesota's top bridge engineer said. This
>year's inspection started in June and would have been
>finished in September after $2.4 million worth of
>maintenance on the deck, joints, guardrails and
>lights.
>
>-------
>
>C'da your comments on this will be highly appreciated
>--- first because it was designed by some Very Bright
>and Very Creative American Engineer whose Math
>foundation is very strong (unlike some Desi idiot) and
>second, the "chacks and balances" seems to have
>failed and third because it is your field of
>expertise.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--- Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>> O' Ram:
>>
>> Hope your weekend is going well. We had a nice
>> kharkhowa gathering,
>> along with some kolgutikhowas and even a couple of
>> desuali folks
>> last evening. This has been the most pleasant of
>> July weather I can
>> recall in our 32 years in St. Louis. A light breeze
>> carrying mist
>> from the river kept us comfortable, the mosquitos
>> were on vacation,
>> the cicadas were noisy but our friends' conversation
>> kept them at bay
>> and my mango-margarita kept everyone mellower than
>> the near
>> full-moon's light under a clear sky, until we fared
>> our friends well-
>> in whose honor we hosted the gathering--on their
>> impending
>> trip to the desert of Rajasthan where he will be
>> teaching business
>> management as a Fullbright Scholar
>> on sabbatical at Pilani and she will be there to
>> keep him company.
>>
>> Anyway, I read your thoughts here. As usual, no
>> problems with your
>> being a non-engineer. I am not one either. In IIT
>> we, the
>> architecture students, were laughed at by our
>> engineering friends,
>> because we did not use slide-rules, which was
>> equivalent to looking
>> down upon people who count with their fingertips,
>> the lowest of the
>> low-tech lot, a few notches below the
>> logarithmatic-table users. We
>> tried to turn the tables by laughing at their
>> drawing skills. But
>> they knew how to put us even further down: They told
>> us that they
>> will always have draftsmen ( I don't remember
>> hearing of draftswomen)
>> to do their dirty work, while we shall remain
>> pencil-pushers for
>> ever. That was really below the below the belt, and
>> it hurt.
>>
>> Enough about my sad stories.
>>
>> On the fools'-rush front, I won't hold anyone guilty
>> of crimes that I
>> routinely commit. So rest easy there also.
>>
>> By now if you are beginning to fret about all the
>> nicey-nice leader
>> to this response and wondering if I am about spring
>> a tripper on you,
>> relax there too. I don't have anything tricky up my
>> sleeve this
>> morning.
>>
>> All I ask is WHAT exactly were you and your cheering
>> section, ably
>> led by Krishendu, trying to prove or disprove ?
>> Once I get a bearing
>> on that, I will be pleased to share my thoughts.
>>
>> Take care.
>>
>> c-da
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> At 9:16 AM -0600 7/28/07, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>> >C'da
>> >
>> >Being a non-engineer, and susori-musori pass kora
>> individual, I may
>> >not be qualified to comment in this high-flying
>> math/engg. debate -
>> >but nevertheless, I will try... you know, "fools
>> rush in where
>> >angels...."
>> >
>> >One, is it is generally recognized that Indian
>> graduating from
>> >Indian schools are good in math/science. Not
>> because they boast
>> >about it, but because they just are. There are
>> extremely bright
>> >people there.
>> >Most of the people who have been a big success in
>> this and other
>> >countries have had their "fundas" from India, and
>> most Assamese from
>> >the Engg. colleges in Assam, and education in
> > cotton or GU or DU.
>> >
>> >Second, you charge that because you don't see
>> contributions from
>> >these people in India, then obviously these
>> graduates are Not
>> >creative etc.
>> >
>> >It is possible that even though these Indians may
>> be creative and
>> >intelligent, but may NOT be willing or are not able
>> to contribute to
>> >societies they came from. Maybe, they came to the
>> USA to make more
>> >money (read better opportunities).
>> >While, I do not think there is anything wrong with
>> that, let us
>> >realize that there are many many people in India
>> who are just as
>> >capabale or better than immigrants to the US and
>> who have
>> >contributed to Indian's growth and development.
>> >
>> >Third, if these people were not creative in India,
>> how is it that
>> >these very same people with the basic fundamentals
>> from India have
>> >suddenly become creative here? Did they suddenly
>> sprout wings?
>> >
>> >Lastly, (and I may the loner here) - Math & science
>> are great, but
>> >let us not put down other branches. There are many
>> world leaders
>> >(Kennedy/Gandhi/Nehru etc) who have come from
>> non-science, non-tech
>> >backgrounds, but have been instrumental in
>> development and broad
>> >visions for their countrues.
>> >
>> >If it wasn't for Nehru, many today would NOT have
>> gone to the IITs.
>> >Yes, those same IITs that have enabled many to
>> build careers in the
>> >US and in India. Yes, those same IITs that have
>> built the very
>> >foundations that they so easily rubbish today.
>> >
>> >If it wasn't for JFK, man may not have gone to the
>> moon. A country
>> >needs visionaries, just like it needs bright people
>> from every other
>> >branch.
>> >
>> >More later
>> >
>> >--Ram
>> >
>> >On 7/28/07, Chan Mahanta
>> ><<mailto:cmahanta at charter.net>cmahanta at charter.net>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> > >By this logic, with so many successful Indian
>> >Engineers and Scientists in US and other countries
>> the
>> >primary math foundation laid by Indian School
>> system
>> >must be excellent.
>> >
>> >
>> >*** Can you cite some statistics, or even educated
>> guesses on how "
>> >many successful Indian
>> >Engineers and Scientists in US and other countries"
>> are there, and
>> >what percentage is that of :
>> >
>> >A: Total number of scientists and engineers
>> produced by India?
>> >
>> >B: Total number of people of the demographics of
>> which these are a
>> >segment and how the rest are doing ?
>> >
>> >
>> >C: HOW these "successful" products of an
>> 'excellent' Indian education
>> >system have contributed to India's well being?
>> >
>> >D: How the rest of the 'excellent' Indian education
>> system have
>> >contributed to India's well being?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>=== message truncated ===
>
>
>
>
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