Mentation downloaded...

Collective Decision

2010-12-15T00:44:00.003+05:30

When anyone OFTEN talks about securing a "collective or consensual decision" to take an action, understand he is either

not sufficiently empowered OR
not a risk taker OR
a politician by nature OR
shies away from responsibilities OR
has no guts to take a bold decision

Watchout! Cause he is an ally of collectivism, and not merit. When collectivism heads against merit, he will kill merit for the sake of collectivism. He would rather wait for the collective - which includes the jokers, bums and the wicked - and waste time for them to arrive at a "consensual decision", than take a timely decision.

PS: Guess Ayn Rand would agree to this :)

One night at the call center

2010-12-14T02:23:00.002+05:30

One night at the call Center: Just an ok book.

One paragraph, which I liked is:

A bad boss is like a disease of the soul. If you have one for long enough, you get convinced something is wrong with you. Even though you know he is the real loser, you start doubting yourself. And that is when your self-confidence goes.

My Private Theater

2010-12-11T19:10:00.003+05:30

Have you been into a private theater...? I mean, physically stepped into one...? No...?
Have you peeked into one...; just a peek... forget the strolling part...? No...?
Am sure you have an idea on how a private theater would look like - Thanks to our bollywood movies.

I too had an idea about how it would look like.

Ever since I got this idea, I used to day-dream about me watching a movie in a private theater: Yes... Just me in the theater... and no one else. (Well... no harm in having my girl along with me. But that's it... Just two souls, for whom the entire theater is dedicated.)

Can you imagine the sight of the entire front rows being vacant? Just for you?
The whole show playing? Just for you?
Wow! You should be filthy rich to realize that dream. Isn't it?

Last week I realized that "day-dream".

I went on a weekday to a multiplex to watch Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se. When I strolled into the theater, there was one couple sitting in the backmost row. I settled somewhere in the middle, and had this illusion of the entire theater being dedicated to me.

It cost me just 30 dirhams :) And the size of the theater was far larger than that of a private one :)

Succsex

2010-03-28T18:10:00.002+05:30

Read Succsex by RVM - A book one should definitely NOT buy to read!! RVM or Ravi Melwani is the Kids Kemp guy from Bangalore. He lacks writing skills.

95% of the book is bull shit - and most of its content a repeat – a copy-paste – of what has been mentioned in different pages of the same book. The 100 page book could have been easily shrunk into a 5 page pamphlet. Alas, the author will not be able to sell his book. So he stretched it and stretched it – just like how a Sales or Business guy would do. Well... after all he is from a business background. What else one should expect?

Transmutation is definitely a rummy topic. I-net is a better source of info on transmutation. The book is not. It is an infinite pointer to a pointer - a circular liked-list - with very little content.

Keep Off the Grass; and 2 States

2010-03-22T00:48:00.004+05:30

I recently read two books:

1) Keep Off the Grass by Karan Bajaj: I liked it. If you are confused with what is happening in your career-life..., read it. It promises no solution to your woes and confusion. But will tell you that, you are not alone in this rat racing world; that there are lots many confused souls [Peace be with them]. You will lose nothing, but gain, if you step back from the rat race and think for a while; and then enjoy the beauty of your life. I read it while I was on a flight. A sure page turner.

2) 2 States by Chetan Bhagat: Good time-pass book. Chetan's success lies in the fact that many metro Indians can relate to his stories. Besides he leverages the IIT/IIMA brand name quite well.

A few interesting excerpts from the book is listed down. Disclaimer: They are NOT "quotable quotes"; but '"interesting" observations.

Verma: Swaminathan, do you know why they made you deputy GM and sent me to become GM?
Swaminathan: Why?
Verma: Because South Indians are top class number two officers, but horrible in number one position
===
Swaminathan: Maybe Verma is right. We hate the limelight. We believe knowledge is not for showing off. If I do good work, people should notice me. I cannot go sell myself like that shameless Verma. Ten years back I had offers from MNC banks. But I stayed loyal to my bank. And I was patient to get my turn to be GM. Now, I have five years to retire and they send this rascal North Indian.
Chetan: If you don’t have marketing skills, then better admit that than take a moral high ground about knowledge. You have done good work, let the world know. What the hell is cheap or shameless about that? From now on, make sure that people know about the work you do. Look at my boss. He copies the country manager on everything. You definitely have to get noticed, you don’t have to do the work. That’s how corporates work, everyone knows it.

Chetan’s Mom: Don’t take any nonsense from these Madrasis. Give it back to them. They get scared fast.

In an Indian love marriage, by the time everyone gets on board, one wonders if there is any love left.

My mother did not respond. She switched to her favorite soap where a son was throwing his old parents out of his house. She cried along with the TV parents, correlating their situation to hers. Yeah right, she was staying in Park Hyatt and ate four kinds of ice-creams and bread pudding for dessert. But, of course, all sons are villains playing into the hands of their wives.

The world’s most sensible person and the biggest idiot both stay within us. The worst part is, you can’t even tell who is who.

Swaminathan: So why do parents object to love marriage. It is not only about another community. It is the fact your daughter has found a boy for herself. We as parents feel disobeyed, left out and disappointed. We bring our children up from babies to adults, how can they ignore us like this? All our frustration comes out in anger. Actually, the choice is simple. When your child decides to love a new person, you can either see it as a chance to hate some people – the person they choose and their families – Or you can see it as a chance to love some more people. And since when did loving more people become a bad thing.

Jack and Jill - 24x7 channel

2010-03-21T22:58:00.003+05:30

One of the interesting fwds I have received in recent times...

Here is how the an Indian 24x7 TV news channel would report the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme. All names (except those of Jack and Jill), are fictitious.

Prashant - TV Anchor

Two persons have been injured in a freak climbing accident. Jack and his companion Jill had gone up a hill to fetch a pail of water when Jack fell down and broke his crown. Jill came tumbling after. Live from the hill, our reporter, Amrita Shah, takes up the story.

Amrita Shah

Thank you Prashant. Well, as you say, two persons - Jack and Jill - had gone up a hill to fetch a pail of water. Suddenly, Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. Prashant.

Prashant

Thank you Amrita. What do we know about the hill?

Amrita

Not too much. Jack was going up the hill to fetch a pail of water when he fell down and broke his crown. Jill came tumbling after

[Headline appears at the foot of the TV screen: "hill breaks crown of pail-boy Jack"]

Prashant

What news of Jack and Jill?

Amrita

Prashant, it seems that Jack had gone up the hill to fetch a pail of water. We know nothing about the pail, or how heavy it was but it seems that Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. I have here with me, an eyewitness to the accident, Mr Shahid Trivedi. Mr Shahid, tell us what you saw.

Shahid Trivedi

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

[Headline appears at the foot of the TV screen: "Boy and girl tumble down hill. Water spilled"]

Amrita

Jack and Jill. What do we know about them? Are they brother and sister? Are they married? Just what were they doing on the hill together?

Shahid Trivedi

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail a water.

Amrita

And what happened next?

Shahid Trivedi

Jack fell down and broke his crown

Amrita

Go on.

Shahid Trivedi

And Jill came tumbling after.

Amrita

Prashant, there you have it. Two people innocently going about their business to fetch a pail of water when one of them falls down, breaks his crown, and the other comes tumbling after. Back to you in the studio Prashant.

[Headline appears at the foot of the TV screen: "Water errand ends in tragedy"]

Prashant

I have with me in the studio now, Professor Chandrashekar Belagare from the Indian Institute of Applied Hill Sciences. Professor: a hill; Jack; Jill; a pail of water. A tragedy waiting to happen?

Professor

Well that depends on the hill, the two persons, the object they were carrying and the conditions underfoot. Let us look at the evidence so far.

Jack and Jill

Went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down

And broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after.

Clearly, one would suspect that if Jack’s fall was severe enough to break his crown then the surface of the hill must have been slippery or unstable. But I think we’re overlooking something quite fundamental here. Who was carrying the pail? Jack fell down and broke his crown and – this is the key – Jill came tumbling after. If Jack and Jill had been carrying the pail together, would they not have fallen at the same time? The fact that Jill came tumbling after suggests that Jack lost his footing first and perhaps knocked Jill over as he slipped.

Prashant

Professor thank you very much. So there we have it, two persons – Jack and Jill – went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. Later in the programme, Osama bin Laden captured in Afghanistan, President Bush says rent-boy menage-a-trois was "just a brief lapse of judgement", and Pakistan launches nuclear warheads against key Indian cities. But next up, join us after the break for a studio discussion about hills, boys and girls and whether water-fetching trips should be supervised. We’ll be right back...

Courtesy fwded mail from Ksheama

Invictus

2010-02-13T00:56:00.001+05:30

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

- William Ernest Henley

blogspot.com blocked from China

2010-01-03T23:29:00.004+05:30

blogspot.com is blocked from China mainland. Many a times there were interesting experiences - which I wanted to key down. For example,

Do you know how frog meat tastes? It tastes between chicken and fish.
It is difficult to get snake meat because China govt. has banned eating snake.
Eating with chopsticks is just a matter of practice...
The catholic prayer hall where I went was quite crowded. (Yes... I'm talking about Communist China)
India should get rid of its bastard corrupt bureaucrats and polliticans to catch up with China in growth. China is 20 to 30 yrs ahead of India.

And so goes the list...

It was a wonderful trip. And I really wished to stay back, explore & understand China.

But then... I had promises to keep. :-) So here I am - back in India - wishing you, the whole world and China a very happy 2010.

PS: Question: Can someone read these wishes from China mainland?

Drinking wine is an Art??!!

2009-11-14T00:44:00.003+05:30

It is funny... They say drinking wine is an art! One has to first inhale its aroma; then take tiny sips; hold it in the mouth for a while and slowly gulp it.

Isn't it like like telling shitting is an art!
One has to hold it for a while, enjoy the pressure, and release it slowly.

Holy crap!

When I shared my view with my friend, she said it was "bad comparison". That I cannot compare something beautiful and elegant with something bad just because I was in no mood to appreciate it. That people can recognize where the grapes are grown by tasting wine - whether they are grown near sea or mountains. She said she thought it was exotic.

"Well... people can recognize what you ate by getting an air of your fart".

With my response, we ended our conversation

What do you think? Isn't this "wine art" stuff a marketing gimmick?

Advantage Women

2009-10-25T13:51:00.007+05:30

While going through the flickr of a lady, I came across a few flattering comments written by a few netizen guys. The uploaded photos were quite ordinary. The comments - to any guys' naked eyes - were nothing, but an over zealous attempt of a guy to win favor from the girl - in the form of sugar coated RSVP. The i-net doesn't have dearth for guys who enjoy promoting the women talent ;-)

From the lady's reply to those comments, it was quite obvious that she was quite happy and motivated. And I was sure that she will practice more and improve her photography skills. The universe was conspiring to help her improve her skills.

While reading Che's "Motor Cycle diaries", I came across his experience of requesting a few folks for a photo shoot: "I asked if they will pose for a photo, which they categorically refused to do".

It reminded me of my own experience.

A few years back, while I was on a trip, I came across an interesting human subject, whom I wanted to capture in my celluloid. I went to him, and requested to pose for a snap. He sternly rejected my polite request.
"Perhaps it is the way I asked" I consoled myself.
After a few minutes, my lady co-traveler went and asked him the same question. And guess what..? He readily agreed!

Over the past few years this has repeated with regular intervals and incredible precision. The subject - male or female - entertains requests from ladies more than that from guys. Which brings me to another observation: Look at the blogosphere. You would see more 'ardent' fans and followers of lady bloggers than guy bloggers.

Alright... So, what point I'm trying to drive in? As the Alchemist would say "When a person desires something and ventures out for it, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his/her dream.”

I would go one step ahead and add to it: “It encourages and nudges the person towards his/her goal. In the modern times, this is more applicable to a girl* than a guy.”

So feminists..., it is advantage women :-)

* middle/upper class girls

The Motorcycle Diaries

2009-10-19T21:45:00.006+05:30

Read "Che" Guevera's " The MotorCycle Diaries"

Nothing special about the book...

There are a few interesting excerpts, which I'm listing down below.

The old man's prophecy in the last chapter. This is perhaps the best excerpt in the entire book.

The future belongs to the people and gradually, or in one strike, they will take power, here and in every country.

The terrible thing is, the people need to be educated , and this they cannot do without taking power, only after. They can only learn at the cost of their own mistakes, which will be very serious and will cost many innocent lives. Or perhaps not, maybe those lives will not have been innocent because they will have committed the huge sin against nature: meaning a lack of ability to adapt. All of them, those unable to adapt - you and I for example - will die cursing the power they helped, through great sacrifice, to create.

Revolution is impersonal; it will take their lives, even utilizing their memory as an example or as an instrument for domesticating the youth who follow them. My sin is greater because, I, more astute and with greater experience, call it what you like, will die knowing that my sacrifice stems only from an inflexibility symbolizing our rotten civilization, which is crumbling. I also know - and this wont alter the course of history or your personal view of me - that you will die with a clenched fist and tense jaw, the epitome of hatred and struggle, because you are not a symbol (some inanimate example) but a genuine member of the society to be destroyed; the spirit of the beehive speaks through you and motivates your action. You are as useful as I am, but you are not aware of how useful your contribution is to the society that sacrifices you.

Che's observation on Blacks and Whites. His observation can be generalized and extended to other races. It explains why the poor remain poor and the rich richer.

Discrimination and poverty unite the black and whites in the daily fight for survival. But their different ways of approaching life separate them completely; the black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving, which has pursued him as far as this corner of America and drives him to advance himself, even independently of his own individual aspiration.

Che's observation on gifted alpha males. Context: Valdivia's conquest of Chile

Caesar, once proclaimed he would rather be first-in-command in some humble Alpine village than second-in-command in Rome. There are a few men who belong to that special class, in whom a carving for limitless power is so extreme that any suffering to achieve it seems natural.

Che's observation on how to enjoy scenic beauties - not jut by letting it go past your car window, but by immersing yourself in it. If you enjoy traveling, you will be able to relate to it

Seeing the landscape at this superficial level only captures its boring uniformity, not allowing you to immerse yourself in the spirit of the place; for that you must stop at least several days

A movie

2009-10-03T01:03:00.007+05:30

The beautiful empty street, dressed in night, enticed us to take a stroll on it. After the sumptuous dinner, a saunter looked perfect. The silence, which surrounded us, magnified the beauty of the the partly lit street clad in its night gown.

We let silence speak between us for a while...

After some time she broke the silence. "Yesterday we watched a movie..." She was referring to herself and her sister
"Aha..."
"A stupid one..."
"Why stupid?"
"It had this stupid scene..."
[ Silence ]
I looked at her, expecting her to continue...
She continued: "It had lot of nude scenes..."
Now..., THAT caught my TRUE attention...
"Who is the actress?" I tried to be casual
"Kate Winslet..."
"Wow...!!! " My mind said to myself.
With excitement suppressed - I asked in a controlled tone: "What is the name of the movie?"
"The reader"
"Wow... Okay... Once I reach my place, the first thing I'm gonna do is rent out that movie" I blurted.

She glared at me, and I returned a grin.

**************

I did rent out "The reader" and watched it. Yes... My initial intention was to see some "Kate nude" scenes. But as the movie progressed, I realized I'm watching a wonderful movie with a brilliant story line!! I loved the script, the direction, and the acting. No wonder Kate Winslet got an Academy Award for her role.

Given below are some of the interesting dialogues of the movie

**************

ROHL: Societies think they operate by something called morality. But they don’t. They operate by something called law. You’re not guilty of anything merely by working at Auschwitz. 8,000 people worked at Auschwitz. Precisely 19 have been convicted, and only 6 for murder. To prove murder you have to prove intent. That’s the law. Remember, the question is never ‘Was it wrong?’ but ‘Was it legal?’ And not by our laws, NO, by the laws at the time.

**************

JUDGE: Did you not realize you were sending these women to their deaths?
He waits. HANNA nods slightly.
HANNA: Yes but there were new arrivals, new women were arriving all the time, so of course we had to move some of the old ones on.
JUDGE: I’m not sure you understand...
HANNA: We couldn’t keep everyone. There wasn’t room.
The JUDGE frowns, genuinely surprised that she doesn’t seem to understand his point.
JUDGE: No, but what I’m saying : let me rephrase : to make room, you were picking women out and saying ‘You you and you have to be sent back to be killed.’
HANNA: Well, what would you have done?

**************

JUDGE: The first thing I’m asking is, why didn’t you unlock the doors?
HANNA takes a look to the other DEFENDANTS. For the first time her poise is crumbling.
HANNA: Obviously. For the obvious reason. We couldn’t.
JUDGE: Why? Why couldn’t you?
HANNA: We were guards. Our job was to guard the prisoners. We couldn’t just let them escape.
JUDGE: I see. And if they escaped, then you’d be blamed, you’d be charged, you might even be executed?
HANNA: No.
JUDGE: Well then?
The JUDGE waits.
HANNA: If we opened the doors, then there would have been chaos. How could we have restored order? It happened so fast. It was snowing. The bombs - There were flames all over the village. Then the screaming began. It got worse and worse. And if they’d all come rushing out, we couldn’t just let them escape. We couldn’t. We were responsible for them.
JUDGE: So you did know what was happening? You did know? You made a choice. You let them die rather than risk letting them escape.

**************

DIETER: I started out believing in this trial, I thought it was great, now I think it’s just a diversion.
ROHL: Yes? Diversion from what?
DIETER: You choose six women, you put them on trial, you say ‘They were the evil ones, they were the guilty ones’. Brilliant! Because one of the victims happened to write a book! That’s why they’re on trial and nobody else. Do you know how many camps there were in Europe?

A few unanswered questions...

2009-10-02T22:51:00.003+05:30

A few questions of a four year old - i.e. my niece. Can you attempt answering some of those...? :-)

************ QUESTION SET 1 ***********

To her mother: "Amma, You have a few white hairs!!"
Her mom, (i.e. my sister): "Yes... every time you trouble me, each of my hair goes white"

My niece thinks for a while and says: "So Amma... when you were a kid, did you trouble grandma so much...? She has lot of white hairs..."

*********** QUESTION SET 2 ***********

Venue: Zoo; the cage of monkeys.

My brother-in-law thought this as a good opportunity to teach my niece the concept of evolution. He said: "Long time back, during the old days, we - humans - were apes - like this monkey"

My niece thinks for a while and says: "So Appa... was grandma and grandpa monkeys - when they were kids?"

*********** QUESTION SET 3 ***********

To her mother: "Amma, Is Jesus in our heart?"
Her mom: "Yes..."
My niece: "But our heart beats. If Jesus is in our heart he will be bouncing. Is that ok?"

***************

PS: Amma means mother; Appa means father

Recession

2009-10-02T22:44:00.007+05:30

My few-months-old nephew - Elvin - was throwing tantrums. He was crying and screaming...

My younger sister – his mother – was trying to console and clam him down...
So was my mother...
So was my brother-in-law...

But there was no relief...

That is when my four year old niece - Leya - entered the scene...

She gets onto the bed; pats the back of my nephew and says: "Don't cry. It is RECESSION... It is ok... Stop crying... " Then she turns to our stunned face... and gives her nice innocent smile.

We still have no clue from where she picked that 'recession' word. Even my nephew went silent for a while, as if acknowledging those 'words of wisdom'

****************************

Well... that happened last March. It is almost a year since that happened. I hope (and badly wish) the economy starts looking up. Else..., this time I'll be the one who will be throwing up tantrums. And I don't have my niece around to consoled me...

Frog in the well

2009-09-20T23:26:00.001+05:30

Are you a frog in the well?

At which stage are you? Check this --> Click here <--- and let me know :-)

Maturity

2009-09-13T00:47:00.002+05:30

Maturity: Ability to stand others' shit without reacting...

a.k.a partial deafness.

G u(a) y

2009-07-16T00:34:00.002+05:30

A queue at KFC - eagerly waiting to control its drool with a few crispy fried chicken pieces. I'm part of that gluttonous group.

Time was crawling. That was when my eyes caught the movement of the guy in front of me. His eye-brow was pierced. And he was drawling his sweet-talk to his 'guy-friend' in a 'girlish' manner. The tone was laced with tiff: "I waaant extra maionese... Pppppplease. You know how much I lIke it." . He looked at the other guy, with a pair of eyes filled with hope & expectation - as how a girl would look at her guy - waiting for a 'yes'. His stare had the romance, and affection a mate can offer the other. I observed his demeanor for a while. Then my eyes moved from his face to his chest - just to ensure he doesn't have a pair of breasts! He didn't!

“He is definitely a guy, and I'm looking at a gay couple" I mumbled to myself.

WHAT A CATCH!

2009-02-16T23:58:00.005+05:30

Ever since I've been following cricket, I've often wondered whether the following scenarios could really happen!!

1. An over that entertains the crowd with six sixes in an international match. Yuvraj and Gibbs did that in the past.

2. A brilliant catch in which the fielder spontaneously, but accurately, judges the trajectory of the ball, and then dives from the boundary line into the field, to grab the ball... thereby taking the wicket. Adam Voges just did something similar to that. Watch his brilliant catch...

The other unbelievable cricketing scenarios that could probably occur in the future are:

3. Scoring 36 runs in the last over to win a match

4. In a India vs Pakistan match, India hitting a six in the last ball, when the asking runs is 6. (Yeah... I can't forget that Miandad 6 at Sharjah)

5. A single bowler belting 10 wickets in a single one-day or T20 international match. Kumble and Jim Laker did that in test match and 1st class test match respectively. I'm wondering who will perform a similar feat in the other versions of the game.

6. Scoring 108 runs in three consecutive overs.

7. A direct hit (and a run out) from a fielder who covers the deep. (I believe this has already happened)

8. Zero runs and 10 wickets (Batting side is back to the pavilion).

9. 20 wickets by a single bowler in a test match.

Do you have anymore to add to this dream list? :-)

Tax on Income against the constitution?

2009-02-14T20:31:00.011+05:30

Came across this interesting video, which argues that Income Tax is against the constitution. Not in India, but in USA - the country, which stands for personal liberty, and which has a sizable chunk of people who propounds the libertarian philosophy. The arguments put across in the video are interesting. It is amazing to see the drive, and the rationale behind the drive, to question the government on a 'taken-for-granted' item - i.e. taxation on a person's income. I wish in India too the citizens had the power to go and demand accountability from the MPs, MLAs and the Income Tax Department.

The video is a lengthy one - more than an hour ;-)

My College Campus...

2009-01-30T01:54:00.004+05:30

Stumbled upon this video. It's about my college... Felt good to see it :-) Btw, the current campus environment has changed quite a bit...

Railwayconomics

2009-01-29T00:58:00.004+05:30

When I woke up in the morning, I saw the old lady making a veiled attempt to open the 'hanging door' of the 3-tier-a/c-compartment. I guessed she wanted to use the rest room. She tried once again. But the stubborn door wouldn't give way. It remained hanging; and it remained stuck! She soon gave up, and slowly walked to the other end of the compartment.

The Netravati Express, in which I was traveling, was chugging towards Goa. I looked at my watch: time 6:30 AM. "Hmmm... time to freshen up" I thought. Half-awake, I climbed down from my berth, unpacked my toiletry bag, picked my toothbrush and paste, and headed towards the hanging door.

"Before I slept, this door was in perfect condition!" With that thought and curiosity I started investigating the door. There it was.... - the top hinge of the door was broken! In the night, probably, someone - eager to relieve himself/herself - might have had attempted pushing the door hard, and in that process might have broken the hinge. I nodded at myself.

"Anyways... let me get to the wash basin" I partly lifted the door and turned it over its healthy hinge. The door opened up for me, and I was out to treat my teeth with the fresh froth of the tooth paste.

By the time I returned, my father was up. He too had observed the door, which was now open, but precariously tilting, and threatening to fall on any passerby's head. He went searching for the attendant. After a few minutes he was back with the attendant. The attendant had some tools with him. Soon he was at it - fixing the broken door. I saw my father striking a healthy conversation with him...

When my father returned, I gave him a look of curiosity. I was interested to know what conversed.

My father read my mind and said "Low quality hinges!! That's why it came out. He says this has been happening since the Railways started its reform under Lalu. In the name of reform, procurement is being carried out from external vendors, which supply low quality materials - Something, as per him, which never used to happen in the past. He thinks Lalu and his coteries are taking a huge cut (read bribe) from these reforms"

"A different perspective of the famed Railwayconomics" I thought...

Luttappi

2009-01-26T14:26:00.001+05:30

One of my niece's favorite cartoon hero is Mayavi. Because of that, I obviously find pleasure in pulling her legs by calling her Luttappi, whom she hates.

The “I'm Mayavi, You are Luttappi” fight keeps happening between us... - All this till recently she stumbled upon the fact: that Puttalu is Luttappi's uncle or mamman.

A few days back while I was video-chatting with her, she asked me in a cute manner "Mammanae, do you know who is Luttappi's mamman?"

Amid control laughter I decided not to call her Luttappi hereafter... - a promise hard to keep.

Btw, my niece is turning 4 years tomorrow. Happy birthday Laya...

Yo Momma...

2009-01-25T22:19:00.004+05:30

It was just a couple of days since I had joined my engineering college. Ragging was still in vogue.

"What is your name..." The senior asked me in a harsh and threatening manner.

I gave my full name.

He singled out my last name and asked: "Who is he?"

"My father"

"How do you know?!"

I didn't understand his question. Puzzled at his question, I looked at him....

"You mother fucker..., why are you staring at me?! I asked you HOW YOU KNOW HE IS YOUR FATHER!??"

"My mother told me... " I blurted. A stupid answer. But I was in no position to 'think' and give a proper answer. Never in my life I had come across the word - 'mother fucker'. I was reeling under shock and didn't know what to say...

"Will you call anyone your father... whom your mother shows...? *%$#@" The verbal abuse continued for another half an hour

That was how I got introduced to "Yo Momma" abuses and jokes...

Enter 21st century: There are full fledged programs and competitions, such as M-TV's Yo Momma, aired regularly with the sole intention to educate our young generation on how to abuse someone's mother. I think the mission of those channels is so noble! They don't want our kids to get shocked when someone hurls verbal abuses at them and their parents.

God save the young kids from such filthy 'ingenious' programs. And God save the governments, which think such programs need no censorship.

Hit me baby one more time

2009-01-25T17:37:00.014+05:30

The couple with whom I was having the conversation appeared to be happy. Need proof? I saw the girl 'playfully' hit the guy a few times and then, threaten him to give a couple of 'tight slaps'. She would call him all sorts of names - stupid, idiot, donkey, monkey etc etc. To which he would giggle and continue pulling her legs. As an encouragement she would hit him for each of his jokes. Some of those 'hits' appeared to be painful ones. But then, I wasn't the one who was receiving those. and hence not the right person to judge its intensity. "Had it pained, that guy would have squinched" I thought. I did notice him skillfully morph a few squinches into laughter. But then, he is a macho, and her hits were probably feather touches!

The constant thrashing went on till we parted.

While heading to my friend's place, the bashing scene kept on replaying in my mind. It wasn't the first time I was seeing such scene. But the ferocity of this one made me think. During old days... that is, during the 80s, a guy hitting a girl was no news. It was definitely considered bad. But such incidents used to happen. Such incidents hardly surprised any. In the 90s, hitting a girl became a taboo... The society would look down upon such a guy. Come to the current decade: hitting the boy friend or husband is the fad of the town. Observe any couple for a while. Chances are high that you will see the girl hit the guy. It is the fashion!! You know! That is how a girl declares her legitimacy and power over the guy! You will see around the guy's neck an invisible board, which declares "punch bag of my girl friend or wife". It reminds me of the dialogue in the movie - He was a quiet man. It goes something like this...

It was easier in the past...
A man knew what it was to be a man...

Then something happened

We passed laws on decency
Lawyers became our shepherds
And what was once a fairly easy thing to understand became muddled in the bureaucracy of what we call 'being civilized'.

Women demanded equality and she got it
Not by getting everything the man had…
But by the man being castrated in the form of order.

I don't care what you say

This is not progress
This is not evolution

Yeah.. public display of hitting... that too in the name of love... is definitely not progress or 'being civilized'. Now, if you are a guy, don't bother asking a girl about what she thinks of hitting a guy. She would most probably declare it as 'cute' and 'loving'!!

There are many times when I've tried to picturize the reverse. That is, the guy hitting the girl and calling her 'donkey' in front of her friends. What could probably happen? Experts in girl psychology say that the world could split into two.

With all those thoughts, and a smile on my lips, I enter my friend's house. He was watching the television. Tata Sky's ad was playing on. The scene: Gul Panag is hitting Aamir Khan with a pillow.

Chaar seat chodkar beithna

2009-01-24T19:21:00.003+05:30

Bangalore Passport Office. My friend has to meet the officer for passport related work.

He reaches the office very early in the morning, that is well before the office opens, lest to avoid the rush and queue. Outside the gate, the queue had already started forming. He is third in the queue. "Lucky me" He thinks. He can complete the work sooner than expected.

After half an hour of wait, the gate-man opens the gate. The queue moves in a line to the counter where it is actually supposed to form. There are a few chairs placed near the counter so that people can "sit and wait" instead of "stand and wait". The early birds, including my friend, are about to sit on those chairs when the security officer arrives and sternly says "Chaar seat chodkar beithna", which means "Sit after leaving the 1st four seats".

My friend is obviously puzzled. Why leave the 1st four seats? He thinks about it for a while and then choose to ignore the incident. As the wait continues, he sees a lady alight from a Benz. Clad in an expensive sari and layered in makeup, she walks slowly towards the start of the queue. The security personnel welcomes her with a broad smile and politely asks her to sit it the first chair of the queue – well ahead of those who have been waiting.

"Corruption starts at the lower most rug" My friend thought.

This is also India...

2009-01-24T18:41:00.002+05:30

A train journey from Bangalore to Hospet. Time:... around 7 in the morning. In another 1 hour Hospet will be at sight.

A guy - with orange T-shirt - whose berth is next-to-next of mine, is packing in anticipation of alighting soon. He appeared to be affluent. From the iPod, laptop and other electronic gadgets he was using, he appeared to be working for an MNC in Bangalore.

As he was packing, he takes one of the the white bed-sheets, which the Indian Railways offer to its passengers, brings it to his nose, and blows heavily onto it!!! I'm obviously stunned! Can anyone do such a crass act!? Never in my imagination I thought one could! I couldn't believe what I saw! How can a so-called educated person do that?!

I'm yet to believe my eyes when he lifts the next white bed-sheet and blows his nose onto that one too...!! “Bastard” I mumbled. He then, as if nothing happened, merrily packs his personal bed-sheet into his bag! Somewhere in the mid, he takes his handkerchief out and wipes his mustache... “To hell with public property. It should carry my precious mucus.” Was that what he was thinking?

As long as India has people like the one with the orange T-shirt, who has absolutely no civic sense, India will remain nothing but a backward country. Next time when you hear one of those pseudo nationalists harp on the “greatness” of Indian Culture, show them this post. The incident mentioned above is also part of the “great” Indian Culture.

Dumb or Smart?

2009-01-18T15:57:00.010+05:30

First an incident... Then two questions.

The incident:

Venue: KFC Indiranagar

I'm scrumptiously gobbling the crispy chicken breast, but occasionally lifting my head to enjoy the CMH junction bathed in night. There is a girl sitting next to my table. She is having a loud animated conversation with her friend. When pieces of her conversation starts flying-in thick and fast, I reduce my pace of hogging, and start paying attention. She is talking about how the date with her prospective-groom went.

"When my mama showed his pic, I didn't want to meet him. But then I thought it is ok. Mama is putting so much effort. But still... I knew something was wrong. I get this feeling by looking at a person... you know what I mean... I'm that sensitive types."

"Oh... yeah?! What a surprise! Almost every girl I've met so far in this universe is 'sensitive' types! Nice to see one more namoona! (piece)" I thought.

"Did he look good?" Her friend asks with a calm voice.

"Yes... But not of my types. Anyways, I meet him. And Oh my God... It was really really funny. He was asking all stupid formal questions. He didn't know anything else to ask. And I was like asking him all questions hoping that, THAT will help him ask some sensible questions." She giggled "And you know what finally happened?" She paused

"What?"

She continued "Before we parted he stopped and asked me my name!! Can you believe it!! Isn't that so dumb!. Like asking his date's name after such a long conversation!! I was like.. WHAT!! I went back and told my mom not to let me meet any such dumbos"
....
....
Her trumpery went on...

Now the question: Was that prospective groom dumb or smart?

I say he was smart. He found the best way to get rid of her: by asking her name as though he forgot!

The next question: Is that girl so dumb not to realize the above mentioned probability? Perhaps yes...

What is in a Name?

2009-01-14T23:33:00.005+05:30

“Here everything goes by number. Your employee number is your identity. It is more important than your name.” When I heard my manager, I felt terrible. “There is no value for my name!” - I was surprised. To me this was nothing but a good example of communist principle working through an organization, which is based out of a communist country. “Human beings are not valued. They are just ids and numbers” - I thought sadly

A few months passed...

I was having a friendly chat with my Chinese colleague. During the conversation he elaborated the "name-space-crisis" of China. Each Chinese name consists of three components. The first component is the family name. The second is a "connector" that has a fixed pattern of rotation-and-reuse across generations. E.g. if one's father used the connector 'li' his son will use a different - but usually a pre-defined connector, say 'hong'. The third component is the person's first name.

So... the name Wang-li-dong can be split into Wang, li, and dong. There will be no extra tail or header to that name.

Now the problem: Since there are so many people in China, so many Chinese have the same name. E.g. one can find lot of Zhangwei's in China. When there are so many people with same name, how can an organization or government, address or reach-out-to a specific person? The solution is to give the people numbers, or append an alphabet to their names. My company follows the number convention. Some other companies follow the alphabet convention.

“Hmmm... the number has got nothing to do with communism”. I thought and laughed at myself.

Trying to comprehend...

2009-01-14T22:54:00.004+05:30

A wrestler is passing by a street...

A young thug, who is no match to the wrestler, doesn't like his walking style. He hurls verbal abuses at the wrestler. A group of elders, who watch these events unfold, look at each other and continue their boring, mundane and useless conversation. The wrestler too ignores those verbal abuses and walks away. Emboldened by the wrestler's reaction, the young thug repeats the same next day. The wrestler chooses to ignore it again.

The next day the thug - instead of throwing verbal abuses - hurls sharp objects at the wrestler.

How do you think the wrestler should react ?

A) Go, bash the thug

B) Take those hurled objects to those useless elders and crib "The thug threw these at me. I can call my forensic expert to prove it. You must do something!"

Israel opted for option A. Israel is still pounding Gaza for a good reason.

India opted for option B. India is still busy convincing Pakistan and the World, that the Mumbai terror attack was Pakistan's brain child.

Has this type of reaction happened in the past? Yes! To name a few... The Kandahar hijacking, the Mumbai bomb blast, the Parliament attack etc.

"Criticizing the government is easy. That too by sitting in the comforts of a corner offered by Bangalore" - You might think. Nops...! It is not about criticizing! It's about failing to comprehend the government's actions! I can think of many proper quid-pro-quo: i.e. from Naval blockade to severing all ties with Pakistan. Why can't the political leadership think in those lines? Why can't it deliver a fitting reply? Are the Delhi politicians scared that an atom bomb of Pakistan will first fall on Delhi – i.e. on their head? I feel terrible when the Paki "artists" and "entertainers" still keep visiting India with impunity to make money! What is this government doing?

In short... I feel ashamed of India's offensive against the 26/11 perpetrators.

Deshdrohi

2008-12-21T20:05:00.002+05:30

Did you watch Kamal Khan's latest movie - Deshdrohi? I didn't. I just saw the trailer. But that was sufficient for me to recognize this new genius of Indian film Industry - Kamal Khan! I was truly inspired and awed by his performance. I can vouch that no actor in India can match his skills. Honestly... trust me!

Did you see how he deliver dialogs. UNPARALLEL!! Yes... it is unparallel to anyone's in the existing film industry. Checkout the scene in which he says: "Mujhe marna manzoor hai. Magar darna mana hai!" What a throw!! Fellows, what a throw... what a throw of dialog!! I had goosebumps. (I think, before he delivered that dialog, he watched Ram Gopal's “Darna Mana Hai”.) And his voice... wah wah...! Not even Amitab Bachan can match it.

His action sequence is the stealer - the quintessence of his performance! There is one particular scene in which he lifts a chair easily, as if it is made out of plastic, and throws it at the villain. Very impressive! That is one of the salient scenes of the movie.

You must see the way he runs. Man... I wish I had the get-up of Kamal Khan. Every thing he does has a superhero touch. For instance the way he punches the goon's balls...! Boy, that send shivers through the viewer's spine! Trust me! I'll not be surprised if the audience screams out of excitement. But... but... but... the best scene I liked was how Kamal Khan twists the arm of two goons, and rotates them "single-handedly". Yes... I mean... “literally” he does it single-handedly - with just one of his very thin and lean hands.

There are many scenes that would inspire a whole generation - such as the one in which he somersaults and snatches the gun from his opponent. Can anyone do that? Can anyone?! No... Absolutely NO! Not even a Hollywood actor can do that.

Wait a minute... Do you think I'm making fun of Kamal Khan? NO... Not at all! Please don't mistaken me. I'm serious folks!!! Do you know why I'm really awed by Kamal Khan? Because he embodies a normal Indian's dream of appearing on the big screen. In spite of having such a voice, get-up, body and acting skill, Kamal Khan made it to the big screen. Had Barak Obama seen the movie during his election campaign, he would have played the Deshdrohi trailer to his supporters, and said - "Yes we can! If Kamal Khan can act in a movie, then YES... WE CAN dream bigger!"

Deshdrohi is one movie that proclaims loudly that anyone can do anything in this world. Pursue your dreams boldly. Whenever you are beaten by failure..., whenever you feel depressed..., if not the movie, at least watch the trailer of Deshdrohi. It will motivate you. It will bring that smile back on your face.

Kung-Fu

2008-12-21T15:49:00.005+05:30

“Do you know Kung-Fu?” I asked.

To me, the question appeared logical and natural. After all, he is from China. He might have learned Kung-Fu during his childhood days. And if he knows Kung-Fu, this is a good opportunity for me to pick one-or-two simple Kung-Fu moves. Besides, during dinner time we are supposed to exchange pleasantries lest boredom would creep in.

With a giggle my Chinese colleague shook his head and said "No". He continued with his Chinese English "Not all Chinese know Kung-Fu. Only little know. People of other country think all Chinese know Kung-Fu." With that he laughed.

That resonated well with me. I have come across Westerners, who have asked me about snake charmers. Not whether I charm snakes, but whether snake charming is common in India. I used to wonder what made them ask such silly questions. Now I knew. They did so to avoid boredom!

It is good to EXPERIENCE different perspectives. I thought.

"Alright. So... where is this Shaolin temple?" I continued...

The power of blog...

2008-12-20T03:04:00.004+05:30

A few weeks back I was at my sister's place. My mom too had come down. The house-maid was on leave, and hence, all the household chores had to be taken care by my mom and sis.

After having lunch, I had to take leak, and also complete a small work-item. Without bothering to wash my dish, I walked out from the kitchen only to be stopped by my mom's rumble. I turned and looked at her eyes. The message was loud and clear. Silently I took my dish to the dish-sink, washed, and kept it on the utensil-stand.

I, then, headed to the toilet. My mom saw this, and mistook my "pee urge" as the reason behind my rush, and "inappropriate behavior" of not washing my dish. (Actually she was wrong. My bladder had enough room for more pee. :-) Anyways, the point is: she misread it.)

While I was relieving myself, she knocked the toilet door and said "Sorry". Bemused, I said "No problem" and continued emptying my bladder.

When I went back to the kitchen, my sister and mom were smiling. I asked what happened. To which my sister replied what my mom told her a few minutes back. With genuine concern and alarm she had said: "I shouldn't have stopped him. He will now go and put this incident on his blog!!"

While all of us broke into a heavy and hearty laughter, between laughs I said: "Now, THIS part... qualifies to be on the blog"

After that incident, these days I tease my mom telling her that I'll put on blog whatever she does,. I have found my little way of blackmailing ;-) I now know the power of blog.

Meet my crush...

2008-12-20T01:47:00.012+05:30

The inkling starts around the age of 12. From that till his death, a guy keeps adding numerous ladies to his list of crushes. Out of those, some would score a perfect 10-out-of-10, while others would score a little less.

I too have had my list of crushes, perfect-10s..., and heartbreaks! Yes... heartbreaks :-(

Do you know how it feels to see your perfect-10 playing with her kid, whom you have NOT fathered?! It feels terrible! Like waves, those good old sweet memories would rush-in - one after the other - followed by jealousy, and then disappointment, before depression sets in. Then numbness would touch the heart, and would register on the face, in the form of a gloomy smile! To feel what I just said, you need to have the heart of a guy, and at least one perfect-10!

The feeling that encompasses the above paragraph seized me when I saw my perfect-10 with her kid. Her eyes had not lost that old sparkle, which had mesmerized me. The smile was as beautiful as ever. And the vermilion... - I have to admit - looked so good on her. Alas, I couldn't put it on her. Her son had her eyes, and his face carried the hint of a naughty smile, which made him adorable.

Memories came rushing in. It wasn't long back when I had put a reminder in the yahoogroups condoling and condemning her wedding anniversaries. Now, here she is with her 2 year old son! Time indeed flies - faster than one thinks. I smiled at myself. As I was surrendering to the numbness, my friend SMS-d me: "Who is your favorite Malayalam actress?"

I looked at her photo once again... and replied "Samyuktha Verma".

Before folding the magazine, which carried Samyuktha's and her son's photo, I grinned and thought: "Time to hop to my next crush". I picked my cell and SMS-d my friend once again: "... and Meera Jasmin". After all, I have the heart of a guy... to move on... from one crush to the other ;-)

I humbly accept this award!

2008-12-19T20:43:00.007+05:30

Hello World. Thanks a bunch for voting me to get this award. I sincerely appreciate your support. I humbly accept this award.

If the award is a news to you, please click here to see the video.

Special thanks to Sanjay for nominating me...

PS: If the link does not work because of site maintenance issues, just make a note of the fact that I was awarded the "World's greatest business mind"

India made Car

2008-12-05T01:52:00.007+05:30

A couple of weeks back I was at Delhi traveling in a cab with my Chinese college, who happened to be on his first trip to India.

While observing the traffic he came across an Ambassador car. With "eureka excitement" written all over his face, he pointed at the car and asked me "Indian Car!?"

I said: "Yes... an old model. It is called the Ambassador."

The Chinese smiled and replied in broken English "In China, no such cars... Only in Village". with a broad smile on his face he shook his head and laughed.

"Sala.. he is speaking as if he is coming from some developed nation. Rural China is not so advanced" I mumbled in my mind. My Indian pride was obviously hurt a bit.

The Chinese continued in his Chinese accent: "Is there other Indian made Car?"

I looked around for an answer and saw one Maruti SX4 behind our car. I was about to show him the SX4 when I saw the big Suzuki Logo in front of it. I thought: "What... !!? There is no India based car companies that manufacture good quality cars!? Forget good quality, at least one good looking one so that I can show this Chinese fellow!?"

God answered that question quickly. Suddenly an Indigo passed our Innova.

At its sight, I leaped forward, pointed at it and almost shouted in excitement: "That one...! That one...! That is 'India made car'!!!".

While he was staring at the Indigo, and perhaps wondering why I got excited, a grin spread on my face. With a relief, I said to myself “God bless the TATAs”

The "Cross and Garlic" of Bangalore

2008-12-01T07:47:00.004+05:30

Cross and garlic are used to ward off vampires, who normally disguise as ordinary human beings. Cross and garlic protect the place from a vampire attack.

Kannada Paksha Flag is used by businessmen to ward off goons, disguised as Kannnada patrons, from attacking their establishments. The Kannada Paksha flag is supposed to protect establishments, which fetch business for Bangalore, from the attack of hooligans.

My Chinese Name: 威沙奥古斯丁

2008-12-01T01:23:00.002+05:30

I work in a Chinese company.

One of my Chinese Collegues explained the Chinese meaning of my name. It is funny and interesting...

Here it goes:

My first name is written as 威沙

威 means tall and 沙 means strong. It is pronounced as Wei (威) Sha (沙)

My last name is written as 奥古斯丁. Out of which only 古 - pronounced as "Gu"- has a meaning. The rest are just syllables. 古 means ancient.

All in all in a nut shell: The Chinese people find it easy to pronounce my name. Coz I'm an ancient , tall and strong man ;-)

Take my breath away

2008-10-27T02:36:00.007+05:30

A bus journey... from Bangalore to Calicut. It takes approx 8 hours to cover the distance.

Time: Around 10:00 PM. The guy walks in. He slumps onto the seat next to me. He is drunk!

"What a luck!" I murmured angrily. The guy was stinking with alcohol. I used to wonder why such 'spirits' drink and travel?! What pleasure they get!? What 'kick' they get by releasing their 'spirit' in an air-tight enclosed bus!?

Sometime back a friend enlightened me that the spirit they drink helps them sleep well. Hence they drink and travel!!! Wah...! What profound social nuisances!

A boiling me cannot sleep. But I have to. I started counting till 100 to calm myself down. I knew my act won't help much. But that was the best bet I had to get a good sleep. Somewhere at the count of 100000000901 I slept.

*****

Time: 3ish in the morning...

A stinking smell of alcohol wakes me up. Half awake, I turn my head to my left-hand side, and slightly lift my eyelid. I see my neighbor's snoring wide-open mouth threatening to eat my nose; his uvula dancing to his snore.

I grin.

In my stupor I lift my palm and smell my breath. Terrible! The chilly chicken (my dinner) had rotten well. With my palm still facing my mouth, I redirect my fingers to my neighbor's nose... and then... BLOW HARD ONTO MY PALM and thereby onto his nose. I repeat the same three or four times.

The snoring stops! The alcohol stink stops! And I go back to my sleep.

*****

When I woke up in the morning I saw the 'drunkard' sitting in some other seat.

*****

Fellow travelers, follow the example I set. ;-)

*****

DISCLAIMER: This post is a work of NON-fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are NOT the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is NOT coincidence. They actually happened

Underprivileged?

2008-10-27T01:20:00.004+05:30

Who is an underprivileged kid? A kid who commutes in auto-rickshaw and carries one of the most flashy mobile handsets? The English definition of underprivileged is "Lacking the rights and advantages of other members of society".

My friend is a project manager with around 8 years of experience in IT industry. A few days back I met him at a bus stop. He told me he was waiting for a bus!! He doesn't have a car or a motorbike. He is no miser. I can vouch for that. So then... why bus and not an auto-rickshaw!!?? Because he (and I) think the rickshaw-walas of Bangalore are looters who charge exorbitantly and extort money from their passengers. He said he couldn't afford their charges, which seldom go by the meter. Hence commuting by bus.

My relative has three kids studying in a "privileged" school in Bangalore. None of them carry mobile handsets. They don't have the latest computer and accessories at their home. All they have is an obsolete model that gives them constant trouble.

Why am I bringing up all these?

One of my part time activities is to teach "underprivileged" kids as a volunteer of an NGO. I teach them computer basics. I admit there are a bunch of kids who are truly underprivileged. But when I see some others walking into the classroom with flashy mobile phones, and see them commuting in auto-rickshaws, I wonder why am I spending time here teaching “underprivileged” kids, who appear to be truly privileged!! Had I had to teach privileged kids, I would be teaching my near-and-dear “privileged” kids! That would be far more rewarding! Besides, they truly lack the advantages a mobile phone or a rickshaw can offer!

I'm not ignoring other aspects these "underprivileged" kids might be having, such as, a troubled family. But then, it is also my choice and impression, which I can't ignore. I would prefer working for the upliftment of those kids who do lack mobile handsets and who, like other common people in India, commute by bus!

Perhaps the truly underprivileged are unable to find their way to my class. Perhaps the teacher should go out searching for them...

The Kite Runner

2008-10-19T14:41:00.002+05:30

Read "The Kite Runner" of Khaled Hosseini. A good page turner. Khaled knows the art of story telling...

To some extend, The Kite Runner educated me about Afghan people, their culture, and their problems. After reading the novel I had the urge to watch this novel over celluloid. The movie version turned out to be a damp squib. The director and the script-writer could not do justice to the novel.

Given below are a few interesting quotes from the novel.

Baba: You'll never learn anything of value from those bearded idiots - the mullas. Piss on the beards of all those self-righteous monkeys. They do nothing but thumb their prayer beads and recite a book written in a tongue they don't even understand. God help us all if Afghanistan ever falls into their hands.

Baba: No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.

Amir: That's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.

Firsts in Photography...

2008-08-31T18:56:00.001+05:30

Came across this link that talks about the firsts in photography: http://www.maxpower.ca/a-timeline-of-imagery-firsts/2007/10/03/

A good one...

Between Jobs...

2008-08-17T20:16:00.005+05:30

Click the above image to enlarge

Am jobless. Am between jobs. I quit my prev company on 14-Aug-2008. Joining the new company tomorrow. Everything familiar has disappeared. The world looks brand new! It's like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on. It's a magical world out there! Let me go explore... Wish me the very best :-)

Shoe

2008-08-06T18:20:00.011+05:30

There they were - the two pairs! Bathed in pitch black, they adorned a polished look. With smug written all over, they were bold enough to look down upon mine. The conceit was conspicuous and unbearable. I was seething with controlled anger! Oh... how I wish I had a big bucket of gutter dirt, that I could splash it all over them and get rid of that bloody smugness!

Grinding my teeth slowly I looked at their owners' face with a phony smile and continued my conversation. But my eyes kept darting to their pitch-black well-polished shoes. Even the sole of their shoes were BLACK, with no signs of dirt or mud! My jealousy could hardly keep me standing there for long. I found some excuse to cut the conversation short, and hurried to the rest room. I grabbed a few paper towels, soaked them, and with frustration started removing the dirt on my shoes with the paper towel. "It is a workshop happening in a five star hotel! And here I am, with a pair of dirty black shoe!" I exasperated.

Oh... how I hate black shoes! It is such a pain to maintain them. I've often wondered how most of the guys maintain their black shoes. That too in India! In the polluted and dusty Bangalore City! During a trip I have seen my colleague boringly brushing his shoes, carefully examining tiny teeny dirt particles, and then carefully removing them. God...! Kudos to his patience! And kudos to the patience of all those guys, who polish their shoes to perfection.

I have a theory! Do you know why the security guards of big hyper-star hotels look at your shoe before judging whether you are worth entering the hotel? Coz black shoes are meant for the rich! A well polished black shoe with less wear-and-tear means you often travel in cars, and often stay indoors. It means you – the owner of such a pair of shoe - could be rich. Yes... that is the fact - black shoes are meant for the rich. They are meant for those who travel in cars – and not for those who commute on bikes - like poor me.

As I was cursing the "black shoe culture" and working on my shoes with the wet paper towels, the door opened and the janitor strode in.

He was wearing a pair of well-polished pitch black shoe!

Conspiracy of Fools

2008-08-05T00:09:00.004+05:30

Long time back one of my friends recommended this book – Conspiracy of Fools. She said the book gave an interesting tale of the otherwise boring subject - accounting and finance.

It took me quite some time to complete the book. The 1st half was dragging. The going was hard for me coz I have a non-finance background. By the time I reached the second half, I could comprehend some of the accounting issues mentioned in the book - not fully though. And then the going became easy and interesting.

The book helped me realize that there is quite a bit of learning I need to do in the finance world.

A few words on the real life characters of the Enron debacle:

I felt really sorry for Ken Lay. His story shows how important it is for a leader to pick the right trustworthy lieutenants. Perhaps one of the most important things a leader should do, other than developing a right vision, is to get the right, capable and trustworthy reportees, and keep them happy.

It was hard to learn that the real culprits (Andrew Fastow and Michael Kopper) of the Enron scandal - those who hatched the conspiracy, those whose greed had no limits - got easier incarceration than their colleagues, because they "cooperated" with the legal system! Isn't the justice system flawed in a major way?

Limitations

2008-07-23T08:24:00.004+05:30

In the movie - The Great Debaters – prof. Tolson explain to his debater team how the black slaves were controlled and "utilized effectively" by the minority whites: by keeping the slaves physically strong but psychologically weak! That is, the blacks retained their body, but gave their mind to the whites!

A few days back, I got this fwded mail, which talked about how humans control the mighty elephants. Read it...

As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not.

I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away." Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free."

I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Isn't the message obvious? Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they are yours. Hence don't argue for it. Defy it. Make an attempt to grow further.

Heaven and Hell

2008-07-23T07:47:00.009+05:30

When I was a kid, my mom used to tell me this story of "Heaven and Hell" to inculcate the value of being courteous and not greedy. She used to tell the story during our lunch/dinner. It was nice to see that same story, after many years, finding its way to my mail box.

Read and enjoy :-)

A Swami was having a conversation with Lord Shiva one day and said.

'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like'.

Lord Shiva led the Swami to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the Swami looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the Swami's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly! They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The Swami shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

Lord Shiva said, 'You have seen Hell.'

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The Swami said, 'I don't understand.'

'It is simple,' said Lord Shiva.

'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'

PS: Of course, being a Christian, my mom's story had a Christian background, with Jesus opening the door, and not Siva. But the rest... is the same...

Sheep

2008-07-20T14:05:00.002+05:30

The slaughter house near my house:

The butcher grabs the front leg of one sheep and drags it to the slaughter house.

The remaining sheeps in the herd follow the sheep.

The butcher smiles at the herd that's following the sheep he is dragging.

The butcher pushes the sheep to the slaughter bay

The herd follows. Without any force they get into the bay.

After a few hours the butcher hangs the carcass of the sheeps in front of his shop.

Is there any other species that walks into death as obediently and silently as sheeps do?

The definition of sheep is “someone who would rather follow than make an independent decision”

Public Display of Affection (PDA)

2008-07-20T13:13:00.005+05:30

Public Display of Affection (PDA) is the norm in Bangalore City. Yours truly Sophroniscus, even though not yet reported through this blog, has witnessed it innumerable times.

After skimming through an article on PDA, I was curious to know my friend's take on it. Placing the paper on the teapoy, I lifted my cup of hot CoffeeDay cappuccino. She had just finished a hushed conversation on her mobile...

"So... What do you think of PDA?" I asked her sipping the cappuccino.

A bit surprised on the topic I have thrown at her, she carefully kept the mobile in her tan purse and said: "I like it."

I was taken aback. I didn't expect THAT answer to come from her - someone who hails from a traditional Indian family. More than the answer, I was surprised by the aplomb and coolness with which she said it!

"What do you mean you like it?!" I asked, trying hard to suppress my surprise.
"It is good time pass" She said adjusting her yellow kameez and dupatta, and then reaching out to grab her cup of mocha.

"Time pass?! When... Which part...?!" After blurting out that question, I felt like a fool. I shouldn't have asked.

"Well... " she paused, thought for a while, and said "I think I’ll enjoy it in the bus. You know how boring the two hour bus ride to-and-from office can get..."

"Times have changed" I grimaced and said to myself.

She continued "If I have a PDA, I can find ways to cut time... or at least I think so..."

At that statement I started laughing. She was talking about Personal Digital Assistant - PDA!! In this world of HTC and iPhone, how can she talk about Personal Digital Assistant!!?? Yes... my assessment was right. She is a pakka traditional Indian girl. I continued my laugh.

Startled at my laughter she stared at me for a while before I pointed her to the article on PDA. She looked at it and blushed.

"So... you like it in the bus!! I'm wondering with whom?!" Before I broke into another round of wild uproar I saw her flung the paper on my face.

Career Switch

2008-07-20T00:47:00.005+05:30

What profession should I choose?

I've been thinking of a change for a while. I need a change from my current boring mundane profession. I need a change that will put me on the edge. A change that will get adrenalin pumping all over my body. A change that will give me the comfort, which only money can buy…, and truck loads of money to buy that comfort. A change that will solicit travel and take me to different parts of the world. A change that will get me in touch with different people from different walks of life. A change that will make me famous...

Is there a profession that can satisfy my needs and wishes?

How about becoming a politician? A politician gets all the above mentioned. Isn't it? But then, a more important question is: Can I become a politician? OR… Do I have the “qualities” to become a politician…? Well... If I kill the left-over ethics in me, I can become one... I think so… But then, I know, a politician’s life is not that rosy when he is NOT in power. He has to reduce some basic comfort such as air-condition. Under the hot glaring sun, he has to visit different places and in that process… literally “sweat out”. All this… to grab power…, which, after all that effort, can elude him forever!

So... may be I should go for some other “stable” profession. I think becoming a guruji will be good. Unlike politicians, god-men are never forced to bequeath power… and comfort…, esp. basic comfort such as air-conditioned rooms and luxurious cars. Those are permanent for them. All they have to do is give gyaan to the crowd. And “giving gyaan” comes naturally to me. Yes… I think I can become a successful god-man. Besides, of late, I have been having this strong feeling of something spiritual inside me… bubbling and waiting to burst out.

Wait a minute… That is not just a feeling! It is my destiny. I know I’m destined to become a god-man! The spirits and nature are conspiring in favor of me…! Otherwise why did wisdom dawn on me during my Meenmutty forest visit? Yes… it was enlightenment…!! See the picture below. Don’t you see a halo around my head?!

Skeptics might pooh pooh my argument by dragging some “photonic theory”. Don't believe them! There is no dearth for skeptics in this world. Every god-man has his own set of detractors. Do you think my sitting like a Maharaja surrounded by body-guard disciples, and the appearance of the halo was a mere coincidence? NO! No science can explain this… because this is beyond science…

I have made up my mind! I'm starting a new secular sect... The Sophroniscaya sect…! Chant the following mantra and you will be blessed: "Om Sophroniscaya Akbar. Amen"

All your problems will go away if you chant that mantra a billion times a day. If you think you need more blessings, please send a check or DD in favor of Sophroniscus Dialectic, #5, 20th A Cross, 2nd Floor, Ejipura Main Road, Ejipura, Bangalore 560047. Since I'm in the process of getting established, any denomination will be accepted. Make best use of this opportunity. Later, when I become more famous, I will not accept small contributions. Worse… I will treat small contributions as an insult and will curse you...

Om Sophroniscaya Akbar. Amen!

Managing Expectations...

2008-07-19T19:04:00.005+05:30

"Do you know the root cause of all rifts between people?" I posed looking at her, but not expecting an answer. The breeze was playing with the tuft on her face. She looked at me through the corner of her eyes... expecting me to answer.
"Expectations..." I said continuing my stroll with her.

It was long since we had caught up with each other. An evening stroll, we felt, was good to share the latest news, gossips and philosophies of our life.

"Be it work or personal life... one has to manage expectations to avoid rifts. You set meetings with customers... Why? To manage their expectations so that future relationship with them won’t go sour. Parents get angry with their kids when the kids go against their expectations. Spouses fight with each other because each one has a set of different expectations from other. Chinks appear in solid friendship because of improper ‘expectation management’...!"

I looked at her with the satisfaction of unraveling the universal truth (and secret) to her...

"Hmmm...” She paused… looking straight and not at me, she continued: “We are supposed to meet tomorrow for dinner?"
The breeze continued its rendezvous with her tuft.
"Yes" I replied
"Can I manage your expectation....? Can you expect me not to be there for dinner?" I saw the wicked-naughty smile showing its signs at the corner of her lips.

Time to stop lecturing my philosophies... I thought

Generation Gap

2008-06-29T23:14:00.005+05:30

Three or Four years back I was taking a stroll on CMH road. That is when I came across this attractive damsel walking towards me. I don't remember her face. But I do remember something else! She had this very-low-neck pink top that revealed a looong cleavage! When she walked all her assets swayed to the rhythm of her cat walk. My jaws almost dropped...! And I sang to myself - "What a wonderful world….!" As I passed her, I turned back to enjoy her cat walk. That is when my eyes bulged out, and jaws hit the pavement. She had exposed her "rear" and rare cleavage too!! Thanks to her blue ultra-low-waste jeans! My lips almost produced a whistle before my brain intervened.

Months passed... Bangalore adopted the fashion I saw on CMH road. Thanks to low-waste jeans and translucent blouses, figuring out the color and type of a lady’s under-cloths became a cake-walk. The "good ol'coin trick" was no longer required to take a peek at the cleavages (front and rear) some ladies proudly displayed.

Did I enjoy this fashion change? I guess I did. I considered myself lucky to live in this era where nobody has to pay a penny to watch old B-grade movie-bits/scenes. All he has to do is: go to a posh mall... and enjoy the latest “fashion sense”!

But something happened today that made me think seriously...

Today, while coming out from a restaurant, I saw this girl with ultra-micro mini-skirt. Had she bent even a tiny-teeny angle, I would have clearly seen her undies. Unlike three years back, this time I didn't sing "What a wonderful world". I didn't enjoy what I saw! May be I'm finding it difficult to appreciate the latest fashion sense of the youngest and latest generation! Am I getting old? Am I having a generation gap?

Everything happens for the good

2008-04-17T21:04:00.004+05:30

On that unfateful day he met me. I had no malice... I swear! He was getting engaged the next week and I thought we'll just exchange pleasantries. That I'll wish him in advance a happy married life filled with love. And he will thank me. And we will dine together and then we will say bye.

But the talk took a different turn.

I could see that something was bothering him. I probed: "You appear to be tensed?"
"Not really. But yes... next week is my engagement and all this happened so fast…"
I empathized "Yeah... I understand. If I were in your shoes I would feel the same"
Lost in some thoughts, he nodded. His engagement was an "arranged" one.
I continued. "Marriage is perhaps one of the most important decisions in a person's life. Marrying a person whom one doesn't know much is like hoping to win a lottery. I think that decision should be made after knowing the other person well"
"Yes... but there is no way how you will know ANY person WELL"
"Precisely" I said "Especially in an arranged marriage. You will come to know only the polished side of the other person. That is not the REAL character of that person, isn't it?"

From there the conversation took off to a detailed analysis on why marriage is a real risk!!

At times I would console him stating that his philosophy - "everything happens for good" - is the best. I kept reassuring him that he is on the right track. He appeared to be cool till I brought up the misuse of the dreaded Section 498A of Indian Penal Code. I explained to him, with real life examples, on how 498A was being misused. As soon as I did that I wished I shouldn't have done that. He was now really really tensed. I figured it out from his tone: "Hey… Don’t scare me too much!"

So I decided to switch sides and argue in favor of marriages. It was approaching 11:00 PM - the time when his to-be-fiancé would call him. When we said adios I hoped and still believe that I cooled him.

*************

His engagement got over last week

*************

A few years from now:

I ring the door bell. He welcomes me to his home and introduces me to his wife: "This is the moron who scared the shit out of me just a week before our engagement". He beams and looks at my reaction.

I spread my entire array of teeth and says hello to his wife.

*************

Well... Everything happens for the good :-D

Our Soul

2008-04-17T15:58:00.001+05:30

Say "OUR SOUL" repeatedly...

Say it faster...

And listen to yourself...

Did you hear yourself saying arsehole??!!

OK... Now do it the reverse.

Say "arsehole" repeatedly... do it faster... and then listen! Did you find "OUR SOUL" in arsehole?

Next time you blurt arsehole (or asshole), and an undesired audience heard you say that, tell them that you said "OUR SOUL".

Jai Gandhigiri ;-)

Masala Movies

2008-04-15T21:02:00.004+05:30

I like masala movies! In those two or three hours I get the chance to transmogrify to that guy in the screen who can sing, dance, kick-butts... All that at the drop of a hat! In real life doing all that is difficult. I truly know I possess the talent. But I can't do it at finger snap. Special venues and preparation are required. I remember quite well my friends praising my dancing skills at a party! Now... don't think that they praised me under the influence of alcohol. You can't say that until you see me dance. If there is going to be another party in the next two or three months, I'll invite you to watch me dance.

Anyways... the point is not how well I dance or sing or fight. The point is transmogrification... in those two-three hours and then... visiting the most beautiful and exotic places in the world with your crush; driving expensive cars, bikes and even planes; dancing with damsels that come from different continents; firing different types of guns at anyone with the license to kill... Phew... isn't that KHOOL...??!!

And then you have this misunderstanding cropping in between the hero and heroin, creating a rift between them. The problem could have been solved had they talked to each other. But they won't!! As the drama unfolds, impatiently I wait for myself to get into the screen as "me" (not the hero); all to have a chat with both the folks and clear the misunderstanding. Alas that doesn't happen. The drama would unwind ONLY to the scriptwriter’s tone.

Real life provides us the opportunity to be our own life's scriptwriter - the opportunity to talk to folks and clear the air of misunderstanding. How many time do we grab that opportunity? Not many times I guess. And often… because of that… the drama in our life takes a sour turn. So… what to do then? Purchase a masala movie ticket and transmogrify?! ;-)

My Road

2008-04-13T17:11:00.003+05:30

It had rained that night. The side pavement was spotless. The road was washed clean by the rain water. The long black dirt-less road looked beautiful with patches of violet flowers strewn by the roadside tress. "What a beautiful morning": I murmured. I kinda flirted with the silly thought that the road and trees laid those violet carpets to welcome me! With gloat I jogged slowly savoring the beauty and the solitude.

The solitude was soon broken by a cycler-rider. He too was enjoying the nature. I could say that from the way he held his head back. He was at the other end of the road. But I could sense him humming some tune. He was pedaling leisurely with no hands on the handle-bar.

A smirk spread on my face.

When he was a few yards away from me, I jumped from the pavement to the road to pick a violet flower. He lost his balance momentarily..., caught hold of the handle-bar, and regained control. I looked at him with a sorry innocent face and said: "Sorry". Did I hear him say fuck. I think I did ;-)

As he passed behind me, I looked at the solitude road in front of me... and grinned... “She is mine again” :-)

Forecast of the week

2008-04-13T13:41:00.003+05:30

Everything appeared boring - the book I was reading, the animated discussions of the co-passengers, the artificial smile of the beautiful air-hostess... everything! I folded my book, eased my seat belt a bit, and pulled out the magazine - The Week - which was lying in the next-to-next seat. I flipped through the pages. Nothing interesting was there either. The political situation, the Agni missile, the market crash, the romance of some bollywood actor... the magazine had nothing interesting to report!

I lifted my head and was greeted with a fabricated smile by the air-hostess. I returned a phony smile and went back to the magazine. I turned the page and there it was - Forecast of the week by KK Vamanan Namputhiri.

Being a Taurian, I went to the section that read "Taurus". It read "This week make sure you do either of the thing: get married or find a new business partner". I froze!! Only a couple more days were left for the week to end. And I have not yet found a girl to marry!! Forget about business partner… that will not happen in a couple of days. With the resolve to find a girl within the next two days I closed the magazine.

I lifted my head… and my eyebrows, and took a deep look at the air-hostess. Did the hunter get his pray? My eyes narrowed, and moved from her face to her body… to her belly… and that is when I noticed it: Her stomach was bulging! Was she pregnant?!! “Wrong choice...!” I said to myself.

Mr. Namputhiri, I’m better off without your advice.

PS: Horoscope believers please excuse this sarcastic post.

Job opening ads

2008-03-17T00:06:00.003+05:30

Have you seen some of the job ads? Sometimes the requirement, in terms of years-of-experience, in a nascent technology exceeds the age of that technology itself! Long time back seeing those requirements I used to get baffled. Slowly, as time progressed, my eyes (and brain) got trained to such ads. I classified them as "advertising gimmicks" of the recruiting companies.

But it took a dilbert cartoon strip to let me realize the real and true motive behind such ads :-) Click here to see the 29-Feb-08 strip…

In the strip, Catbert (the evil HR director) posts a job opening. The requirement states: Candidate must have an I.Q. of 300, Two Centuries of Unix Experience and a track record of winning Nobel prizes.

After posting the ad, Catbert thinks with a smug: 90% of my job is convincing people they don't deserve theirs.

PS: HR professionals, please excuse this post.

It's not about the Bike

2008-03-16T15:11:00.003+05:30

Read Lance Armstrong's "It's not about the Bike". His other book - "Every Second Counts" - appealed to me more

Linda Armstrong's - Lance's mother’s - character wowed me. To me, her character is much much stronger than Lance's.To bring up a child ALL ALONE in her teenage; manage her studies; and grow up the corporate ladder, without anything to prove to anyone but herself, requires tremendous amount of courage. Do you know what the litmus test of courage is? Carrying-on all-alone with determination, when the chips are down and when nobody cares about you. Lance didn’t pass that test. Linda did! In the hospital bed, before his surgery, to hide his courage Lance declares to his friends that he will fight and defeat the cancer. But he later admits that the declaration was to camouflage his fear. He had friends, his mother and his "declaration" to support his courage. Linda had none of those. (This doesn't mean that I don't admire Lance's courage)

One particular section of the book reminded me about the importance of presenting things in the right way:

Lance Armstrong had approached two hospitals to cure his cancer. Given below are the responses of the two doctors of the respective hospitals. You will see that the content of their message is the same. The way they put across the message is what differs.

The doctor in Houston: “I'm glad you are here. You will crawl out of here. I'm going to kill you. Everyday I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to bring you back to life. We're going to hit you with chemo, and then hit you again, and hit you again. You're not going to be able to walk. We're practically going to have to teach you how to walk again, after we're done."

The doctor in Indiana: "You are in an advanced stage. The percentages are unfavorable. But this is potentially curable. Even-though you're in the poor-prognosis category, we've cured a lot worse. And we don't want the chemo to affect your lungs. This is to give you a chance later to recover physically and compete in cycling."

I think anyone can guess which hospital Lance chose for his treatment. Putting things across in a nice and polite way, and mixing it with hope, makes a huge difference.

Some other interesting quotes of the book are given below:

Lance Armstrong: Your past forms you, whether you like it or not. Each encounter and experience has its own effect, and you're shaped the way the wind shapes a mesquite tree on a plain.

Linda Armstrong: If you are going to get anywhere, you're going to have to do it yourself, because no one is going to do it for you. If you can’t give 110 percent, you won't make it.

Tell Me Why

2008-03-03T23:38:00.006+05:30

While hopping from channel to channel I came across this performance by Declan Galbraith. It is called "Tell Me Why". I loved the 10 year old's performance. He has got good control over his voice...! I managed to catch two philosophical lines in the lyrics ;-)

Everyday I ask myself what will I have to do to be a man?
Do I have to stand and fight to prove to everybody who I am?

For other trivias of this music that set a world record, click on the link above. And if you know where to download the free mp3 of it, please drop in a word ;-)

Marxist Rumors

2008-03-02T17:36:00.004+05:30

A conversation among a visitor, my father and me...

“I heard your entire family's name was cut from the voters’ list. Did you get it reinstated?” I asked the visitor
“Yes... These dirty tricks of Marxist party!” He exasperated “Many sisters' and priests' name were cut form the list. In the next election, the Marxists want to come back to power by hook or crook. They want to manipulate the voters’ list. They want to do West Bengal in Kerala.”
“But... won't that create a permanent hatred among the people towards the party?! Anyone whose name was cut will most likely never vote for the party!!” I was bemused
“Even otherwise they will never! The communists are shrewd. They are cutting the names of those whom they are sure will never vote for them.”

He had a point. I nodded.

The visitor continued. “In West Bengal the situation is so bad. To construct a house one has to donate an amount to the local party office. Can you believe it?! The party has tried something similar in Kerala. Have you noticed that the number of "bucket-donations" the party used to conduct has come down drastically. How do you think they are compensating for the financial loss they incur?”
“How?” I asked.
“Recently, in Kottayam, they approached a govt.-medical-college doctor and asked to donate 5 lakh rupees to the party fund. The doctor refused and said he can contribute only 3 lakh rupees!! 3 lakh!! Not a small amount!! But the comrades were not convinced. In fact they were furious. They refused to accept 3 lakh. Before leaving they threatened him that they knew how to get 10 lakh from him. The next day the doctor got a transfer order. He had to now settle the row with 10 lakh rupees. Btw, do you know what happened in Baby Memorial Hospital?”
“No”
“Well... the Marxists asked for 1 crore donation. The hospital owner refused. The hospital soon received a show-case notice from the environment department asking them why the department should not take action against the hospital for polluting the nearby canal.”

We were silent for a few seconds before my father spoke. “Whatever be the party, politicians are birds of the same feather. All hungry for money and power. They will do anything for it. One of the worst things the Marxists did was extremely politicize Calicut University. The University now reeks with their filth.”
My father - an ex-professor in Calicut University - shared an incident. “There was this institute with excellent facilities that wanted the recognition from Calicut University. I was the invigilator. I liked their dedication and facilities. I approved. The next step was to get an approval from the Registrar. The institute approached the Registrar. His response was to contact Matahi Chacko - the local Marxist veteran. At that time Matahi Chacko was a Senate member. The institute's officials weren't sure what to do. So they contacted me and requested to help them understand the procedure. I knew the official procedure, which was quite simple. All the Registrar had to do was sign the document. Since I had approved, he had to have a strong reason NOT to sign. And I was sure that there was no reason NOT to sign. Since the institute appeared to have that dedication, which is rare to find these days, I told them I'll check with the Registrar what went wrong. On contacting the Registrar, he asked me to contact Mathai Chacko!! I didn't understand why Matahi Chacko has to have a say here. I communicated the Registrar’s message to the institute. Around the same time the institute came to know that another institute was recognized by the University. The other institute had no basic facilities. Bemused they approached me again. Looking at their plight I thought I'll try to help them. I called Mathai Chacko. He lifted the phone and started speaking in an extremely rude and impolite manner. A typical rowdy language which I’m not used to. I was irritated. I snapped the call without speaking anything further. I conveyed the same to the institute. I don't know whether they got recognized later. But that incident was another reality check. I knew once again that the Marxists are not angels.”
The visitor chipped in. “They are devils. Pinarayi has lot of benami property throughout Kerala. Deepika daily is his benami. The whole world knows it…!”

The phone rang and our discussion thread broke…

***************

This post might be a surprise to my friends who have known me as a leftist. I’m no leftist or rightist. Just a humanist. It is better to let the world know about the rumors that are floating around. Support the good in anything. And vehemently oppose the evil.

Lady In The Brown Sari

2008-03-02T14:31:00.005+05:30

Bangalore Airport...

Arrival Section...

I have been waiting for the past 15 minutes for my friend to come out through the Arrival Gate. Waiting is something I detest most. That too for 15 minutes!! I started becoming fidgety.

With no one to talk I looked around. That is when I noticed this girl. Clad in a brown sari, she had her hands clasped against the steel rails. Her eyes was constantly searching for someone's glimpse at the arrival gate. Her eyes spoke volumes. She was expecting someone. Now and then her lips will break into a smile at the sight of someone's shadow in the gate, only to repose when the person steps out from the shadow. “No… it is not him!” Her eyes spoke. In a few seconds hope will again spread in her eyes. She will lean against the steel rail, squeeze them and then gently smile at the shadows with her eyes.

She was 'longing' personified. I wanted to capture that image. It was such a beauty observing her. She stood there with hope dancing throughout her body. But something was restraining her from expressing it to the fullest. Another 15 minutes might have passed. That is when the smile in her eyes became broader... and moved to her lips... to stay there without diminishing. Her eyes stopped wandering. It was now steady, focusing at the arrival gate. I looked at the subject that had captured the fascination of the lady-in-the-brown-sari. With a tired face he walked out slowly. His smile had the touch of relief.

He walked to her, and hugged the old man standing next to her. “His father...” I whispered. Now I knew what was restraining her. While walking to the taxi that was parked for him, he managed to escape the old man's chat-and-eyes. For a moment he held her hand and squeezed it. Both looked at each other and laughed silently...

"Hey...! Stop ogling!"
I turned to see my friend staring down at me with a wide grin.
Ogling!!!! No point explaining to him. He won’t understand.
“How was your journey?” I asked him with a smile.

My niece

2008-02-27T23:11:00.001+05:30

I'm crazy about my niece. Here's one incident about her.

She loves observing people. So, under her keen observing eyes, which is difficult to escape from, I get into this store-room where my mom keeps her home-made wine. (I like the wine my mom prepares) I take the wine jar out and starts pouring the liquid into the glass.

My niece comes to me and asks: "What are you doing mamman? What are you pouring?"

Of course I can't give wine to my niece. And if I tell her that it is "wine" - something she has never tasted - she will create a scene forcing us to let her taste the drink.

So I tell her that it is black tea. She doesn't like black tea. The color of the wine supported my lie.

She observes me for a while, then runs to the kitchen and comes back with a tea filter to help me "filter" the "tea". With a chuckle I try to convince her that "this tea" doesn't require a filter.

She listens, thinks for a while, and runs to the kitchen again; only to bring another glass. I thought she is going to ask me her share of the "tea". She holds the glass to me and says "The tea will be hot mamman. Use this glass to bring down its heat"

My chuckle soon became a roaring laughter

******

Last week she left for Canada. I miss her...

Shantaram

2008-02-18T00:43:00.002+05:30

I read Gregory David Roberts’ 900+ page Shantaram. I completed it much faster than I had anticipated. I liked the way Roberts wove the story. Two main threads of his fabric is philosophy and love. I am not impressed with the philosophy part. I have read better books that put across philosophy in a better way. But the love part intrigued me. It remains as a puzzle, especially Lin's love for Khaderbai. Khader had used Lin for his selfish motive. Lin knew it. But still he loved Khader as a father. But why? Does it happen to all people? Perhaps love is all about giving without expecting anything back. Worse... it could be giving even when one knows that he will get bad things in return. I guess it is that kind of love that makes a person forgive from the bottom of his heart. I guess it is this pure love that drags your loved ones even more closer to you. Equally interesting is the love between Lin and Karla. Their love went numb because mistrust and misunderstanding never let it blossom to the fullest. Without trust love can't grow.

Given below are a few interesting quotes from the book

Never let anyone know what you are thinking.

Karla: The truth is a bully we all pretend to like

Scorpion & Frog Story: The frog agrees to carry the scorpion across the river, because the scorpion promises not to sting him. But half-way across the river the scorpion stings the frog. The drowning frog asks him why he did it, when he knew that they'll both drown. The scorpion says that he's a scorpion, and its his nature to sting

Karla: Most loves are like your heart feeling like a over-crowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out - your friends, everyone you used to know. And its' still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it.

Didier: The worst thing about the corruption as a system of governance is that it works so well

Qasim Ali Khan: Justice is not only the way we punish those who do wrong. It is also the way we try to save them

Lin: A girlfriend of mine once told me, a long time ago, that she was attracted to me because I was interested in everything, and committed to nothing.

Lin: Real suffering is measured by what is taken away from us.

Karla: The surest way to hurt someone you like, is to put all your trust in him

Dider: News tells you what people did. Gossip tells you how much they enjoyed it.

Karla: Men reveal what they think when they look away, and what they feel when they hesitate. With women it's the other way around.

The Enfield of India 350cc Bullet was a single-cylinder, four stroke motorcycle, constructed to the plan of the original 1950's model of the British Royal Enfield. Renowned for its idiosyncratic handling as much as for its reliability and durability, the Bullet was a bike that demanded a relationship involved tolerance, patience, and understanding on the part of the rider. Un exchange, the Bullet provided the kind of soaring, celestial, wind-weaving pleasure that birds must know, punctuated by not infrequent near-death experiences.

Lin: There is a difference between a choice and an ultimatum: A choice means that you know what’s going on, and why before you decide. You can't order me to do something, without an explanation. I'm not that kind of man.

Vikram: A man is truly a man when he wind the love of a good woman, earns her respect, and keeps her trust.

Winston Churchill: A fanatic is someone who won't change his mind and can't change the subject

Lin: Honor and virtue are not same. Virtue is concerned with what we do, and honor is concerned with how we do it. Criminals, killer and mafiosis can be honorable men.

Blessed (Cursed) ATM?

2008-02-08T00:50:00.000+05:30

An ATM near Forum Mall, Koramangala, Bangalore....

The user - ME

I swiped my card, entered the PIN, and then the amount - Rs 5000
Some machine movement happened before the ATM started humming that sweet little music of Rupee-Notes getting machine-counted.
After a while it presented me the money. I took it and counted...

Did I count an extra 100?! Not sure... I count again. YES! There is one 100 Rs note extra. The ATM indeed gave me an extra 100 Rs! Wait a minute... What did the receipt say? I carefully check the receipt the machine had produced. It said Rs 5000. But I got Rs 5100!

With grin all over my face, I said "God bless this ATM!"

PS: If I got lucky, someone else might have got unlucky. So folks, count the money before you leave the ATM. Machines are not perfect!

A different perspective

2008-02-08T00:28:00.000+05:30

While reading Shantaram I came across this ordinary, but interesting paragraph. It talks about a 19 year old slum dweller who resorts to theft.

The 19 year old states: I know someday I might get caught, but I hope not. I hope the Enlightened One is on my side. It's for my sister. I pray that no harm will come to me, you see, because I'm not stealing for myself, but for my sister. She will be married soon, and there is not enough to pay the promised dowry. It is my responsibility. I'm the oldest son.

So... Why am I sharing this?

A few days back, past midnight, I was awaken to a huge pandemonium in my neighborhood. The dogs were barking and people were shouting. When I opened my window, I saw a group of men pounding two teenagers and yelling "chori kartha hai!!??"... meaning "You dare stealing!!??". The teenagers were all in tears, hand-folded, squealing and involuntarily chattering "sorry sorry..." The drama continued for almost half an hour. While the drama was unfolding I was least sympathetic to those teenagers. In fact, I was glad that someone was thrashing them on my behalf. Call it mob psychology or whatever...

The next day, I forgot that incident and got busy with my daily chores.

A paragraph like the one from Shantaram can remind you about your limitation to put things in the right perspective before acting...

Investment nuggets

2008-02-04T13:33:00.000+05:30

Came across some John Templeton quotes. Golden nuggets from the investment guru...

The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell.

I never made money for clients by buying anything expensive.

The only investor who should not diversify is the one who is right 100 per cent of the time.

For those properly prepared in advance, a bear market in stocks is not a calamity but an opportunity.

If you buy the same securities as other people, you will have the same results as other people... To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are greedily buying requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest reward.

Bear markets have always been temporary. And so have bull markets...

...Too many investors can spoil any share selection method or any market timing formula.

History shows that time, not timing, is the key to investment success. Therefore, the best time to buy stocks is when you have money.

Article @ click here

Interpret this...

2008-02-03T01:55:00.000+05:30

There is this book in my hand... I'm trying to read it. But the contents are not clear at all. Everything in the book appears to be blurred out. I don’t know why. All I know is that I'm trying hard to solve a problem. And I know that the book holds the key to the problem and solution.

Suddenly some of the contents become clearer. It says "PSALMS 14"!! And I'm somewhere in the second paragraph of PSALMS 14!!

That is when I woke up from my dream!

I’m obviously puzzled by the dream. Bible is not my cup of tea. I have read only a few chapters of it. I have never gone close to PSALMS. I'm no great believer either. The pendulum of my belief often swings between theism and atheism; often passing through agnosticism. So why this dream??!!

I opened PSALM 14 and read the first two paragraphs. It said: Fools say to themselves, "There is no God!" They are all corrupt and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right. The LORD looks down from heaven at us humans to see if there are any who are wise, any who worship him.

Now... the interpretation of the dream:

Theist: The dream is a divine intervention.
Atheist: Something has been troubling you off-late. The subconscious mind, which was brought up in the Christian faith, is responding to it by echoing your old beliefs.
Agnostic: I’m contemplating on the above two arguments.

Miracle!

2008-02-02T01:26:00.000+05:30

I was chatting with my friend, who 'claimed' to have a recent breakup with his girlfriend

"Are you through with her?" I asked
"I guess so..."
"Do you miss her?"
He lifted his head, gave it a slight nod and said: "She is a poor sweet person". His tone said that he did miss her... perhaps badly
After a brief silence I asked: "So what's your decision? Are you gonna continue with her?"
He sighed and said: "I don't know. If some miracle happens, then yes... !"
I smiled and said: "You seem to hoping for a miracle. May be you should act. That will bring miracle to your doorsteps."

We all wait for miracles to happen. At times it is our own actions that create miracles in our own life.

Feel it...!

2008-01-31T00:42:00.000+05:30

This post is not for the hyper-sensitive heart...

How would you feel seeing your friend getting slaughtered; you are caged (or tied), and you know that you are the next to go down?

Here's something that happened in my neighborhood.

Five Point Someone

2008-01-31T00:20:00.000+05:30

Read Five Point Someone of Chetan Bhagat. A light one that spreads that smile on your face. Loads of reviews are available on the I-net. I don't want to add to add to that weight :-) And sorry... am publishing no Chetan quotes either ;-)

The Road Less Travelled

2008-01-27T21:47:00.000+05:30

Completed Scott M Peck's "The Road Less Traveled". An interesting read. It took me quite sometime to complete the book. I had to skim and skip some of the last chapters, which deals with grace and laziness. Yeah... In Scott's words, perhaps I was a bit lazy and rejected "grace" by doing so ;-)

Given below are some of the quotes and excerpts that I liked.

Discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life’s problems. Without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems.

If we feel ourselves valuable, then we will feel our time to be valuable, and if we feel our time to be valuable, then we will want to use it well. Those who procrastinate do not value their time.

A General: The single greatest problem in this army, or I guess in any organization, is that most of the executives will sit looking at problems in their units, staring them right in the face, doing nothing, as if these problems will go away if they sit there long enough.

Eldridge Cleaver: If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

Mental health is an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs

To our children we say, “Don’t talk back to me, I’m your parent.” To our spouse we give the message, “Let’s live and let live. If you criticize me, I’ll be a bitch to live with, and you’ll regret it.” To their families and the world the elderly give the message, “I’m old and fragile. If you challenge me I may die or at least you will bear upon your head the responsibility for making my last days on earth miserable.” To our employees we communicate, “If you are bold enough to challenge me at all, you had best do so very circumspectly indeed or else you’ll find yourself looking for another job.”

A life of total honestly also means a continuous and never-ending process of self-monitoring to assure that our communications – not only the words that we say but also the way we say them – invariably reflect as accurately as humanly possible the truth or reality as we know it.

Lying can be divided into two types: white lies and black lies. A black lie is a statement we make that we know is false. A white lie is a statement we make that is not in itself false but that leaves out a significant part of truth.

The feeling of ecstatic lovingness that characterizes the experience of “falling in love” always passes. The honeymoon always ends. The bloom of romance always fades. When it fades, the couple, in the privacy of their hearts, begin to come to the sickening realization that the beloved has and will continue to have his or her own desires, tastes, prejudices and timing different from the other’s. One by one, gradually or suddenly, the ego boundaries snap back into place; gradually or suddenly they fall out of love. Once again they are two separate individuals. At this point they begin either to dissolve the ties of their relationship or to initiate the work of “real” loving.

I define love thus: The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.

When someone says that he/she can’t live without his/her love, it is a description of parasitism, not love. When you require another individual for your survival, you are a parasite on that individual. There is no choice, no freedom involved in your relationship. It is a matter of necessity rather than love. Love is the free exercise of choice. Two people love each other only when they are quite capable of living without each other but choose to live with each other.

If being loved is your goal, you will fail to achieve it. The only way to be assured of being loved is to be a person worthy of love, and you cannot be a person worthy of love when your primary goal in life is to be passively be loved.

In a constructive marriage the partners must regularly, routinely and predictably, attend to each other and their relationship no matter how they feel. Couples sooner or later always fall out of love, and it is at the moment when the mating instinct has run its course that the opportunity for genuine love begins. It is when the spouses no longer feel like being in each other’s company always, when they would rather be elsewhere some of the time, that their love begin to be tested and will be found to be present or absent. The person who truly loves does so because of a decision to love. This person has made a commitment to love, the will to love, still stands and is still exercised.

When we love another we give him or her our attention; we attend to that person’s growth. When we love ourselves we attend to our own growth. When we attend to someone we are caring for that person. The act of attending requires that we make the effort to set aside our existing preoccupations and actively shift our consciousness.

Love is work, nonlove is laziness, and anti-love, which is evil personified, is the extreme form of laziness.

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the making of action in spite of fear.

With cathexis there is always the risk of loss or rejection. Love anything that lives and it will die. Trust anybody and you many be hurt; depend on anyone and that one may let you down. The price of cathexis is pain. If someone is determined not to risk pain, then such a person must do without many things: having children, getting married, the ecstasy of sex, the hope of ambition, friendship – all that makes life alive, meaningful and significant.

The essence of life is change, a panoply of growth and decay. Elect life and growth, and you elect change and the prospect of death.

As long as one marries, enters a career or has children to satisfy one’s parents or the expectations of anyone else, including society as a whole, the commitment by its very nature will be a shallow one.

Parents who are unwilling to risk the suffering if changing and growing and learning from their children are choosing a path of senility – whether they know it or not – and their children and the world will eave them far behind. Learning from their children is the best opportunity most people have to assure themselves of a meaningful old age. Sadly most do not take this opportunity.

Loving spouses must repeatedly confront and criticize each other if the marriage relationship is to serve the function of promoting the spiritual growth of the partners. No marriage can be judged truly successful unless husband and wife are each other's best critics. The same holds true for friendship. There is a traditional concept that friendship should be a conflict-free relationship, a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" arrangement, relying solely on a mutual exchange of favors and compliments as prescribed by good manners. Such relationships are superficial and intimacy-avoiding and do not deserve the name of friendship which is so commonly applied to them. Mutual loving confrontation is a significant part of all successful and meaningful human relationship. Without it the relationship is either unsuccessful or shallow.

When we confront or criticize someone it is because we want to change the course of the person's life. There are many ways to influence the course of events than by confrontation or criticism. by example, suggestion, parable, reward and punishment, questioning, prohibiting or permission, creation of experiences, organizing with others, and so on.

One’s feelings are the source of one’s energy; they provide the horsepower, or slave power, that makes it possible for us to accomplish the task of living. Feelings are one’s slaves and the art of self-discipline is like the are art of slave-owning.

The genuine lover always perceives the beloved as someone who has a totally separate identity. Moreover, the genuine lover always respects and even encourages this separateness and the unique individuality of the beloved.

Kahlil Gibran:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

A common and traditionally feminine martial problem is created by the wife who, once she is married, feels that the goal of her life has been achieved. She cannot understand or empathize with her husband’s need for achievements and experiences beyond the marriage and reacts to them with jealousy and nerve-ending demands that he devote increasingly more energy to the home.

The path to holiness lies through questioning everything.

Education is derived from the Latin educare, literally translated as ‘to bring out of’ or ‘to lead forth’. There fore when we educate people, if we use the word seriously, we do not stuff something new into their minds; rather we lead this something out of them; we bring it forth from the unconsciousness into their awareness. They were the possessors of the knowledge all along. When we are reading a book and come across an idea or theory that appeals to us, that ‘rings a bell’ with us, we ‘recognize’ it to be true. Yet this idea or theory may be one of which we have never before consciously thought. He word says we ‘re-know’ the concept, as if we knew once upon a time, forgot it, but then recognized it as an old friend.

Ultimately there is only one impediment to spiritual growth, and that is laziness.

Original sin exists. It is our laziness. It is very real. It exists in each and everyone of us.

Leftovers

2008-01-27T16:59:00.000+05:30

He carefully poured the leftover tea into the steel tumbler he was holding... He picked the next tumbler and repeated the act, till the tumbler he held was full with “leftover” tea.

With satisfaction he lifted the tumbler to his lips and started drinking the tea he just collected. That is when he noticed that I was observing him. His expression changed. He slowly hid himself behind the tree next to him...

I had heard stories of people eating leftovers. This was the first time I was coming across one in real life. I didn't know what to do…

Next time If I see something like that I'm gonna buy them some food. Btw, the man I'm referring to works in Shanti Sagar Restaurant, Koramangala, Bangalore. You can see him cleaning tables, plates and tumblers of the hotel.

Superstition

2008-01-26T14:07:00.000+05:30

The Superstition goes that if there are cobwebs in your home, money will dessert you!

“Superstition... ah!” When I heard it first, I laughed at it...

That’s when my friend explained the logic behind the superstition: “What will you deduce about a person whose home is filled with cobwebs? Don’t you think that person is most LIKELY to be lazy and disorganized? What are the chances for such a character to keep accumulating wealth? Slim? The superstition is based on that logic...”

I nodded...

A small fight...

2008-01-16T10:10:00.000+05:30

My sister was narrating an incident to me. It was about a friend of hers. Let us call that friend Meenakshi. Meenakshi was having a bad time at home - with her husband, to be specific - and badly wanted to vent her anger and lighten up her mind. My sister was her chosen outlet.

What struck my sister was the hatred with which Meenakshi narrated one particular incident - an incident that involved "ill-behavior" of her husband towards her parents. Meenakshi knew how much pain her parents were taking to see the couple in good shape. But her husband seemed to have lesser appreciation towards what her parents were doing. She felt that he was not respecting her parents. That infuriated her. Her hatred was visible in her words, expression and every cell of her body.

So, why am I posting this? This is for couples, who don't well-treat their spouses’ parents and siblings. Be careful. Right now, your spouse might be vending his/her anger somewhere else. And he/she has every right to do so...

A couple's conversation

2008-01-16T09:51:00.000+05:30

Given below is the overheard conversation of a couple.

Girl: Hey... look... discount is going on in Megamart
Guy: No No No No...
Girl: Come on... let us take a look. It is 50% off! We might get something good!
Guy: Nops.. This is just the 2nd week of the month and almost ENTIRE salary of mine is already spent...!

I chuckled. I had heard that spendthrift girls can become a real pain in the ass. This was one first hand incident I was witnessing! Poor fella...

A harrowing bus journey

2008-01-15T15:03:00.000+05:30

A bus journey from Bangalore to Chennai. The bus is air-conditioned and hence the windows sealed. It is 11:30 in the night. Most of the passengers, including me, have slowly drifted into a nice sleep.

Someone in the front row removes his shoes and exposes his stinking socks. The foul smell pricks my nose and I awake from my slumber. In my stupor, I try to open the window to let the foul smell go, only to recollect that I'm travelling in an A/C bus. Cursing the guy who took off his shoes, I try to catch up with my sleep. When I had almost succeeded in welcoming my sleep, my neighbor releases his fart! The stink from the socks and the fart starts attacking my nose!

Later I did manage to get some sleep. But when I alighted from the bus, I was wondering whether my whole body was stinking of rotten socks and fart!

This is a request to all travelers: If you know your foot stinks, please do not take off your shoes or sandals while traveling. To those farters in bus, controlling fart for a long time may not be possible, but controlling the food you eat is certainly possible. Before traveling please do not eat those junky stuffs that will produce “natural gas” in your tummy. Have some concern to your fellow being...

Jew's Contribution...

2008-01-15T14:19:00.000+05:30

The story goes something like this: The brave Roman General who defeated the Jews and occupied Jerusalem decides to give the vanquished a final blow that will shatter them completely. So he goes to the Jerusalem Temple to see the “Jew-GOD”, who is so dear and near to the heart of the Jews. His intention was to destroy the GOD (or GOD's idol) with his sword. With the sword in his hand, he goes and lifts the curtain or parokhet... and sees... NOTHING! How can he destroy something immaterial?! How to fight an idea with a sword?!

I think the most powerful contribution of Jews to this world is the concept of a GOD who is immaterial. Think about this. Can anyone humiliate a GOD, who is immaterial? Can they desecrate HIM? The believers derive the strength of their belief from the infallible and unconquerable nature of GOD. If that GOD “falls” to a human, won't that shatter the belief and the strength of the believers? It will! They simply won’t have the heart to fight the conquerors. The conquerors knew this and for ages they have targeted nothing, but the Kings, Heros and GODs. They knew that destroying those "objects" that are considered to be the personification of strength and prosperity, would take away the strength of resistance. It was one easy way to subdue the defenders easily. This is where the Jew's concept of GOD becomes so powerful. The conquerors can never destroy the “source of strength” or “hope”, also known as GOD. All because GOD doesn't have a material form! It is an idea. A concept. And how to destroy an idea or concept with muscular power?

This concept of GOD was later imbibed by Christians and Muslims. During my visit to Hampi, I felt sad seeing the temples destroyed by the Muslim conquerors. They desecrated the temple and destroyed the idols. They destroyed because they knew that the conquest would be complete and final. And it did work for them! But in that process they also destroyed the marvelous architecture :-(. Had the Hindus stuck to the concept of "Brahmam", which closely goes with the idea of immaterial GOD, we might have been reading a different history.

God's God - YOU??!!

2008-01-15T13:04:00.000+05:30

Have you performed votive prayers (or rites) in advance, hoping God will grant your wish? What happens when HE doesn't grant you that wish? Do you get pissed off? What would be your next move? Stop performing those rites? If you do so, I would say you are exhibiting your impulsive side.

Why not do the opposite, which HE least expects. You did your rites and HE abandoned you when you needed HIM most. Make HIM feel ashamed for HIS deeds by NOT abandoning HIM. Continue your EARNEST & SINCERE votive prayers and rites. Show HIM that you have a higher level of maturity than HIM. You won't get many opportunities to play the role of God’s GOD. Do you? ;-)

PS: Extreme devotees, please excuse this post.

Let my liking LIVE!

2008-01-15T12:17:00.000+05:30

The glance kept coming back again and again, till it became a glare almost burning my hand. I was filling the pay-in slip of a bank and I was feeling uncomfi with those glare. The glare that was burning my hand was those of the "pen vultures" circling those unfortunate nice souls who bother carrying a pen to the bank. As soon as I was finished with my pay-in slip, one of them approached me and asked whether I mind borrowing my PARKER pen to him. I reluctantly agreed to his request.

God... I HATE exposing my PARKER pen in banks and railway stations! Normally, when I enter these places, I take my pen out from my pocket and hide it. But at times, I can't help it. Like in this case, where I had to write a pay-in slip. To make things worse, the pen I carry would normally be an expensive one. So, the moment I give my pen, to make sure that I'm not going to lose it, I need to keep following the hands that are passing my pen. And boy... that is a tedious task! The vultures take their turn and sweet time, using and passing MY PEN... And the botheration that one of them will never return the pen would haunt me till I get it back.

Sometime back I arrived at a solution to the problem. No No... the solution was NOT carrying a cheaper pen. Carrying expensive pen is my liking. Why should I sacrifice my liking because of those vultures?

I decided to get the price of the pen from those who managed to "lose" my pen. Once I did flawlessly execute my decision. The person at the receiving end was one of my acquaintances and colleague. He borrowed it, and later when I asked for MY PEN, he gave me that sorry look and said: "Sorry I lost it". Ok... So if he is REALLY sorry, and meant every word of what he said, let him pay me the price of the pen. So I told him: "The pen costs me 400 Rupees. Please give me that amount". At that statement, his face radiated a mix of emotions, which was hard for me to comprehend. He pulled out his purse and gave me the money. I don’t know whether he took my behavior in the right spirit. I think he didn’t, coz after that incident, whenever we met in a lift or lobby, he never bothered returning a smile.

Some might think I'm nuts! But I'm NOT! I'm NOT trying to make the world correct. I'm NO evangelist. All I'm trying to do is let myself not get hurt by the irresponsible behavior of the crowd. Why should I pay the price of someone’s forgetfulness! All I'm trying to do is let my liking live!

I love Jenny!!

2008-01-14T23:23:00.000+05:30

Can you interpret the picture above? The carving is from Hoysaleswara temple of Halebidu.

As per our guide, the one standing on the left hand side is a young guy, who is in his teens or twenties. The one on the right hand side is a jenny-faced, who is also in her prime. The guy is attracted to the jenny-faced! Meaning... at that age, thanks to the hormones, even a jenny-faced will appear to be a beautiful damsel!!

Prof. Randy Pausch's last lecture

2008-01-12T13:01:00.000+05:30

Prof. Randy Pausch's of CMU was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Given below is his inspiring "last lecture" video. Worth watching...

To get the complete transcript of the video, please click here. The video is listed at the CMU website @ http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/multimedia/randy-pausch-lecture.shtml

Given below are some of his quotes picked from the video.

In one practice, my Football coach - Jim Graham - just rode me all practice. He was constantly criticizing me 'You’re doing this wrong, you’re doing this wrong, go back and do it again, you owe me, you’re doing push-ups after practice'. And when it was all over, one of the other assistant coaches came over and said, yeah, Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didn’t he? I said, yeah. He said, that’s a good thing. He said, 'when you’re screwing up and nobody’s saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up'. And that’s a lesson that stuck with me my whole life. Is that when you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.

Jon Snoddy: When you’re pissed off at somebody and you’re angry at them, you just haven’t given them enough time. Just give them a little more time and they’ll almost always impress you.

I called up Andy Van Dam - my mentor - and said, "Andy, I just gave a two-week assignment, and they came back and did stuff that if I had given them a whole semester I would have given them all As. What do I do?" Andy thought for a minute and he said, you go back into class tomorrow and you look them in the eye and you say, “Guys, that was pretty good, but I know you can do better.” And that was exactly the right advice. Because what he said was, you obviously don’t know where the bar should be, and you’re only going to do them a disservice by putting it anywhere.

If you’re going to do anything "pioneering" you will get arrows in the back, and you just have to put up with it. I mean everything that could go wrong will go wrong.

I was quite an arrogant young man. Andy, my mentor, once put his arm around my shoulders and said, "Randy, it’s such a shame that people perceive you as so arrogant. Because it’s going to limit what you’re going to be able to accomplish in life. What a hell of a way to word “you’re being a jerk.”

Syl: "It took me a long time but I’ve finally figured it out. When it comes to men that are romantically interested in you, it’s really simple. Just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do. It’s that simple. It’s that easy."

Get a feedback loop and listen to it. Your feedback loop can be a dorky spreadsheet thing I did, or it can just be one great man who tells you what you need to hear. The hard part is the listening to it. Anybody can get chewed out. It’s the rare person who says, oh my god, you were right. As opposed to, no wait, the real reason is… We’ve all heard that. When people give you feedback, cherish it and use it.

Love marriage vs Arranged marriage: "Risk Analysis" ;-)

2008-01-01T21:56:00.000+05:30

Over lunch we were chit-chatting. The topic was ‘love marriage vs. arranged marriage’

After some amount of discussion, Pradeep said: "In love marriage, esp. when the girl belongs to a different cultural background, you are taking the risk of introducing her to an environment alien to her. She might adjust to the new environment. She may not. You never know..."

That is when Alok threw his opinion: "In an arranged marriage too there is risk involved. After a brief conversation with the girl, you are asked to make a decision. Once you say ‘YES’, to revert your decision before the marriage takes place, you need a strong reason. Any silly behavior of the girl which you discover later, and which you dislike, are not considered ‘strong’ enough to say ‘NO’. Till you get married, you have absolutely no clue about the true nature of the girl. That is a huge risk! In love-marriage, where you have known the girl for a longer period of time before the marriage, at least you have a better understanding of the true nature of the girl. Hence, to me the risk involved in love-marriage is less, because it is more ‘calculated’ and ‘rational’...”

What do you think?

The Verger

2007-11-29T00:24:00.000+05:30

A very interesting story by Somerset Maugham

There had been a christening that afternoon at St Peter's, Neville Square, and Albert Edward Foreman still wore his verger's gown. He kept his new one, its folds as full and stiff as though it were made not of alpaca but of perennial bronze, for funerals and weddings (St Peter's, Neville Square, was a church much favoured by the fashionable for these ceremonies) and now he wore only his second-best. He wore it with complacence, for it was the dignified symbol of his office, and without it (when he took it off to go home) he had the disconcerting sensation of being somewhat insufficiently clad. He took pains with it; he pressed it and ironed it himself. During the sixteen years he had been verger of this church he had had a succession of such gowns, but he had never been able to throw them away when they were worn out and the complete series, neatly wrapped up in brown paper, lay in the bottom drawers of the wardrobe in his bedroom.

The verger busied himself quietly, replacing the painted wooden cover on the marble font, taking away a chair that had been brought for an infirm old lady, and waited for the vicar to have finished in the vestry so that he could tidy up in there and go home. Presently he saw him walk across the chancel, genuflect in front of the high altar, and come down the aisle; but he still wore his cassock.

'What's he 'anging about for?' the verger said to himself. 'Don't'e know I want my tea?

The vicar had been but recently appointed, a red-faced energetic man in the early forties, and Albert Edward still regretted his predecessor, a clergyman of the old school who preached leisurely sermons in a silvery voice and dined out a great deal with his more aristocratic parishioners. He liked things in church to be just so, but he never fussed; he was not like this new man who wanted to have his finger in every pie. But Albert Edward was tolerant. St Peter's was in a very good neighbourhood and the parishioners were a very nice class of people. The new vicar had come from the East End and he couldn't be expected to fall in all at once with the discreet ways of his fashionable congregation.

'All this 'ustle; said Albert Edward. 'But give 'im time, he'll learn.'

When the vicar had walked down the aisle so far that he could address the verger without raising his voice more than was becoming in a place of worship he stopped.

'Foreman, will you come into the vestry for a minute. I have something to say to you.'
'Very good, sir'. The vicar waited for him to come up and they walked up the church together.
'A very nice christening, I thought, sir. Funny 'ow the baby stopped cryin' the moment you took him.'
'I've noticed they very often do,' said the vicar, with a little smile. ‘After all I've had a good deal of practice with them.'

It was a source of subdued pride to him that he could nearly always quiet a whimpering infant by the manner in which he held it and he was not unconscious of the amused admiration with which mothers and nurses watched him settle the baby in the crook of his surpliced arm. The verger knew that it pleased him to be complimented on his talent.

The vicar preceded Albert Edward into the vestry. Albert Edward was a trifle surprised to find the two churchwardens there. He had not seen them come in. They gave him pleasant nods.

'Good afternoon, my lord. Good afternoon, sir,' he said to one after the other. They were elderly men, both of them, and they had been churchwardens almost as long as Albert Edward had been verger. They were sitting now at a handsome refectory table that the old vicar had brought many years before from Italy and the vicar sat down in the vacant chair between them. Albert Edward faced them, the table between him and them, and wondered with slight uneasiness what was the matter. He remembered still the occasion on which the organist had got into trouble and the bother they had all had to hush things up. In a church like St Peter's, Neville Square, they couldn't afford a scandal. On the vicar's red face was a look of resolute benignity, but the others bore an expression that was slightly troubled.

'He's been naggin' them, he 'as,' said the verger to himself. `He's jockeyed them into doin' something, but they don't 'alf like it. That's what it is, you mark my words.'
But his thoughts did not appear on Albert Edward's clean-cut and distinguished features. He stood in a respectful but not obsequious attitude. He had been in service before he was appointed to his ecclesiastical office, but only in very good houses, and his deportment was irreproachable. Starting as a page-boy in the household of a merchantprince, he had risen by due degrees from the position of fourth to first footman, for a year he had been single-handed butler to a widowed peeress, and, till the vacancy occurred at St Peter's, butler with two men under him in the house of a retired ambassador. He was tall, spare, grave, and dignified. He looked, if not like a duke, at least like an actor of the old school who specialized in dukes' parts. He had tact, firmness,-and self-assurance. His character was unimpeachable.

The vicar began briskly. 'Foreman, we've got something rather unpleasant to say to you. You've been here a great many years and I think his lordship and the general agree with me that you've fulfilled the duties of your office to the satisfaction of everybody concerned.'
The two churchwardens nodded.
'But a most extraordinary circumstance came to my knowledge the other day and I felt it my duty to impart it to the churchwardens. I discovered to my astonishment that you could neither read nor write.'
The verger's face betrayed no sign of embarrassment.
'The last vicar knew that, sir,' he replied. 'He said it didn't make no difference. He always said there was a great deal too much education in the world for ‘is taste.'
'It's the most amazing thing I ever heard,' cried the general. 'Do you mean to say that you've been verger of this church for sixteen years and never learned to read or write'
`I went into service when I was twelve, sir. The cook in the first place tried to teach me once, but I didn't seem to 'ave the knack for it, and then what with one thing and another I never seemed to'ave the time. I've never really found the want of it. I think a lot of these young fellows waste a rare lot of time readin' when they might be doin' something
useful.'
'But don't you want to know the news? said the other churchwarden. ‘Don’t you ever want to write a letter?'
'No, me lord, I seem to manage very well without. And of late years now they've all these pictures in the papers I get to know what's goin' on pretty well. Me wife's quite a scholar and if I want to write a letter she writes it for me. It's not as if I was a bettin' man'. The two churchwardens gave the vicar a troubled glance and then looked down at the table.
'Well, Foreman, I've talked the matter over with these gentlemen and they quite agree with me that the situation is impossible. At a church like St Peter's, Neville Square, we cannot have a verger who can neither read nor write.'
Albert Edward's thin, sallow face reddened and he moved uneasily on his feet, but he made no reply.
'Understand me, Foreman, I have no complaint to make against you. You do your work quite satisfactorily; I have the highest opinion both of your character and of your capacity; but we haven't the right to take the risk of some accident that might happen owing to your lamentable ignorance. It's a matter of prudence as well as of principle.'
'But couldn't you learn, Foreman? asked the general.
'No, sir, I'm afraid I couldn't, not now. You see, I'm not as young as I was and if I couldn't seem able to get the letters in me 'ead when I was a nipper I don't think there's much chance of it now.'
'We don't want to be harsh with you, Foreman,' said the vicar. 'But the churchwardens and I have quite made up our minds. We'll give you three months and if at the end of that time you cannot read and write I'm afraid you'll have to go.'
Albert Edward had never liked the new vicar. He'd said from the beginning that they'd made a mistake when they gave him St Peter's. He wasn't the type of man they wanted with a classy congregation like that. And now he straightened himself a little. He knew his value and he wasn't going to allow himself to be put upon.
'I'm very sorry, sir, I'm afraid it's no good. I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks. I've lived a good many years without knowin' 'ow to read and write, and without wishin' to praise myself, self praise is no recommendation, I don't mind sayin' I've done my duty in that state of life in which it 'as pleased a merciful providence to place me, and if I could learn now I don't know as I'd want to.'
'In that case, Foreman, I'm afraid you must go.'
'Yes, sir, I quite understand. I shall be 'appy to 'and in my resignation as soon as you've found somebody to take my place.'

But when Albert Edward with his usual politeness had closed the church door behind the vicar and the two churchwardens he could not sustain the air of unruffled dignity with which he had borne the blow inflicted upon him and his lips quivered. He walked slowly back to the vestry and hung up on its proper peg his verger's gown. He sighed as he thought of all the grand funerals and smart weddings it had seen. He tidied everything up, put on his coat, and hat in hand walked down the aisle. He locked the church door behind him. He strolled across the square, but deep in his sad thoughts he did not take the street that led him home, where a nice strong cup of tea awaited him; he took the wrong turning. He walked slowly along. His heart was heavy. He did not know what he should do with himself. He did not fancy the notion of going back to domestic service; after being his own master for so many years, for the vicar and churchwardens could say what they liked, it was he that had run St Peter's, Neville Square, he could scarcely demean himself by accepting a situation. He had saved a tidy sum, but not enough to live on without doing something, and life seemed to cost more every year. He had never thought to be troubled with such questions. The vergers of St Peter's, like the popes of Rome, were there for life. He had often thought of the pleasant reference the vicar would make in his sermon at evensong the first Sunday after his death to the long and faithful service, and the exemplary character of their late verger, Albert Edward Foreman.

He sighed deeply. Albert Edward was a non-smoker and a total abstainer, but with a certain latitude; that is to say he liked a glass of beer with his dinner and when he was tired he enjoyed a cigarette. It occurred to him now that one would comfort him and since he did not carry them he looked about him for a shop where he could buy a packet of Gold Flake. He did not at once see one and walked on a little. It was a long street, with all sorts of shops in it, but there was not a single one where you could buy cigarettes.

'That's strange,' said Albert Edward.
To make sure he walked right up the street again. No, there was no doubt about it. He stopped and looked reflectively up and down.
`I can't be the only man as walks along this street and wants a fag,' he said. `I shouldn't wonder but what a fellow might do very well with a little shop here. Tobacco and sweets, you know.'
He gave a sudden start.
`That's an idea,' he said. `Strange 'ow things come to you when you least expect it.'
He turned, walked home, and had his tea.
`You're very silent this afternoon, Albert,' his wife remarked.
`I'm thinkin',' he said.

He considered the matter from every point of view and next day he went along the street and by good luck found a little shop to let that looked as though it would exactly suit him. Twenty-four hours later he had taken it, and when a month after that he left St Peter's, Neville Square, for ever, Albert Edward Foreman set up in business as a tobacconist and newsagent. His wife said it was a dreadful come-down after being verger of St Peter's, but he answered that you had to move with the times, the church wasn't what it was, and 'enceforward he was going to render unto Caesar what was Caesar's. Albert Edward did very well. He did so well that in a year or so it struck him that he might take a second shop and put a manager in. He looked for another long street that hadn't got a tobacconist in it and when he found it, and a shop to let, took it and stocked it. This was a success too. Then it occurred to him that if he could run two he could run half a dozen, so he began walking about London, and whenever he found a long street that had no tobacconist and a shop to let he took it. In the course of ten years he had acquired no less than ten shops and he was making money hand over fist. He went round to all of them himself every Monday, collected the week's takings, and took them to the bank.

One morning when he was there paying in a bundle of notes and a heavy bag of silver the cashier told him that the manager would like to see him. He was shown into an office and the manager shook hands with him.

'Mr Foreman, I wanted to have a talk to you about the money you've got on deposit with us. D'you know exactly how much it is ?'
'Not within a pound or two, sir; but I've got a pretty rough idea.'
'Apart from what you paid in this morning it's a little over thirty thousand pounds. That's a very large sum to have on deposit and I should have thought you'd do better to invest it.'
'I wouldn't want to take no risk, sir. I know it's safe in the bank.'
'You needn't have the least anxiety. We'll make you out a list of absolutely giltedged securities. They'll bring you in a better rate of interest than we can possibly afford to give you.'
A troubled look settled on Mr Foreman's distinguished face. 'I've never 'ad anything to do with stocks and shares and I'd 'ave to leave it all in your ‘ands,' he said.
The manager smiled. 'We'll do everything. All you'll have to do next time you come in is just to sign the transfers:
'I could do that all right,' said Albert uncertainly. 'But 'ow should I know what I was signin'?
'I suppose you can read,' said the manager a trifle sharply.
Mr Foreman gave him a disarming smile.
'Well, sir, that's just it. I can't. I know it sounds funny-like, but there it is, I can't read or write, only me name, an' I only learnt to do that when I went into business.'
The manager was so surprised that he jumped up from his chair.
'That's the most extraordinary thing I ever heard.'
'You see, it's like this, sir, I never 'ad the opportunity until it was too late and then some'ow I wouldn't. I got obstinate-like.'
The manager stared at him as though he were a prehistoric monster.
'And do you mean to say that you've built up this important business and amassed a fortune of thirty thousand pounds without being able to read or write? Good God, man, what would you be now if you had been able to ?'
'I can tell you that, sir,' said Mr Foreman, a little smile on his still aristocratic features. 'I'd be verger of St Peter's, Neville Square.'

Celebrating your small small wins

2007-11-28T23:23:00.000+05:30

In the busy journey of life many feel burned out. Many feel success evading them. Many feel low because of it.

But why does this happen? Have you thought about it?

It is because one doesn’t pause to take a proper look at what he/she has done in the past. He/She has never stopped to celebrate and enjoy the little successes he/she gained. It is important to celebrate the little successes one gains. Success breeds success. Celebrate your little success, and feel lighter and motivated. That will fetch you bigger fishes in your net.

What do you want?

2007-11-28T23:13:00.000+05:30

Here's an interesting clip from the movie - notebook. Towards the end of the clip Noah asks Allie the question "What do you want?"

In real life, many find it hard to answer that question.

Addiction to loneliness

2007-11-18T20:28:00.000+05:30

"I don't think I'll get married" My friend said sipping his beer
"Why?" I asked
He said "Over the past four years I have developed a liking for loneliness. After the hectic work in office, I look forward to go home and soak myself in the peace that loneliness offers. It gives me the space I need! Everyday I dearly need some time exclusively reserved for myself with no one in the nearby vicinity of MY 'time-space'. A marriage will ruin the bliss loneliness offers. I value my loneliness so much that I will do anything to guard it"

I nodded. I was able to fully understand what he meant. Sometime back another friend had mentioned something similar. In her case, her mother wanted her to end her lonely stay. Her mom feared that she would get addicted to loneliness and would eventually decide against getting married. Anyways, after constant pressure from home, she packed herself to her hometown.

Addiction to loneliness is an interesting subject worth studying…

Gospel

2007-11-18T10:53:00.000+05:30

My niece - Laya - has a friend called Matthew.

She is 2+ years old and is a little bit naughty. My sister takes her to the church on Sundays. Church is not that "holy" to my niece. So she spends her time roaming around, observing people - especially kids, who would also be busy doing the same. What else can you expect from a two year old?

But last Sunday, when my niece went to church, while roaming around she caught one sentence of the priest - "The gospel written by Matthew"

She stared at that sentence for a while and then came running to my sister "When is the priest going to say 'the gospel written by Laya'?"

My sister chuckled...

The beautiful horizon

2007-11-17T22:56:00.000+05:30

On my flight from Pune to Bangalore, I captured the horizon using my camera phone... See the riot of colors!! Isn't the horizon a beauty...

Does the horizon always "appear" to be beautiful? When you reach the horizon will one realize that the horizon was not that beautiful? Are pastures greener on the other side?

Two Poems...

2007-11-17T22:40:00.000+05:30

Came across two poems...

Interesting simple ones...

Feelings Poem... by Spike Milligan

There must be a wound!
No one can be this hurt
and not bleed.

How could she injure me so?
No marks
No bruise

Worse!
People say 'My, you're looking well'
…..God help me!
She's mummified me -
ALIVE!

Tonight

I’ll hold back my tears tonight
As I know I can’t have you with me
I’ll try to sleep tonight
But what’s the point?
When I wake up nothing will have changed.

I’ll be sad tonight
And probably tomorrow too
I’ll put on an act though
To try to keep a straight face around you
I know you won’t sense my pain

I’ll think of you tonight
It’s so hard to not cry
Heartbreak feels so low
I’ll try to forget my sorrow
As I know you won’t think of me

I’ll see the stars tonight
And watch them twinkle in the charcoal sky
If the universe is infinite
Then I’ll look for a parallel world
Where you and me are together

And I’ll just wish I was there.

Leadership & Griping

2007-11-12T22:24:00.001+05:30

How many times have you cribbed along with your team members? Countless? If yes, please take a look at the following conversation between Captain Miller and Private Reiben. It offers some tips to handle a cribbing session. Both are entrusted with a mission, which Reiben believes is a waste of time and resource. Miller too feels the same, but doesn't reveal his thought in the open.

REIBEN (Referring to griping-about-the-mission): And what about you, Captain?

MILLER: Reiben, what's the matter with you? I don't gripe to you. I'm a captain. There's a chain of command. Griping goes one way, up, only up, never down. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officers. Up, get it? I don't gripe to you, I don't gripe in front of you. How long you been in the army?

REIBEN: I'm sorry, sir, I apologize.

After a pause...

REIBEN: But if you weren't a captain, or if I were a major, what would you say?

Miller considers his response.

MILLER: In that case, I would say this is an excellent mission, with an extremely valuable objective, worthy of my best efforts.

Reiben rolls his eyes. Miller plays it straight, with no obvious sarcasm.

MILLER (continuing): In addition, as I pointed out earlier, I have a fondness for cheese and I hope to have the opportunity to sample some of the Ramelle products, when we arrive there, to see if they live up to their excellent reputation. Moreover, I feel heartfelt sorrow for the mother of Private James Ryan and I'm more than willing to lay down my life, and the lives of my men, especially you, Reiben, to help relieve her suffering.

Captain Miller's army men thoroughly enjoy his performance.

And the Captain wins the heart of his team's heart without griping!

The above script is lifted from the movie "Saving Private Ryan".

A breakfast conversation

2007-11-11T11:00:00.000+05:30

It was quite sometime since I had visited my hometown. On the dining table at my home, while having my breakfast, I thought I'll catch-up with the latest local news and gossips. I asked my mother to unravel the bundle of gossips.

She started. The first one was the sad story of a neighbor. The second one was an unhappy incident that occurred to one of my acquaintances. The third one was the annoying news of a distant relative. I felt the air of discomfort surrounding me. I was expecting her to share some good news, and here I am having a bad start of the day with all those unpleasant news served with my breakfast.

Before she started with the fourth one, I interrupted and told her that she was spoiling my mood and perhaps my day, and hence should tell me only good news and stories, and nothing else. “For each bad news there should be at least two good news” I said. I was becoming unreasonable.

She paused for a while. Then looking at her plate said casually "Candy is sweet. So is sugar and honey. But lemon is sour. And bitter gourd is bitter. Can you really change their nature?"

I stared at her, then at my father. A smile spread on our faces and we exchanged a hearty laugh. I got my mother’s message. She was just sharing the local news - good, bad and the ugly ones. She couldn’t change their nature. Could she?

Two questions on flickr and photography

2007-10-26T09:11:00.000+05:30

Q&A that appeared in bangaloreshutterbugs@yahoogroups.com

I have two questions in relation to safeguard of photographs published on Flickr etc. I have come across many instances where photographs have been stolen.

1. How can I watermark my images? I do not have Photoshop.
A. Using GIMP @ http://www.gimp.org/. Tutorial @ http://www.tankedup-imaging.com/bumpmap.html

2. How can I disable "download" function in Flickr?
A. Flickr provides a way @ http://www.flickr.com/account/prefs/downloads/

Photography is tough

2007-10-19T08:29:00.000+05:30

Cashback

2007-10-10T21:02:00.000+05:30

How many times have you sat for a movie expecting nothing and then, when you start watching, you realize... slowly... that each scene of the movie is bringing that dazzle on your face. How many times have you felt that you have known those characters in the movie, you have seen them, you have heard them talk, their smile, their expressions… Was it yourself in them?. How many times have you seen each frame of a movie getting better and better, like slowly getting to the center of a chocolate toffee? How many times have seen a movie that narrates a story in pure art soaked with beauty? How many times have you seen a movie whose scenes are crafted in an angle which you always wanted to get? Cashback just blew me away!

A wonderful movie well written and directed by Sean Ellis. His first major venture came out as the "shorter version" of Cashback. Cashback is a beautiful movie! Backed by Agnus Hudson's crafty camera angle/tricks. If you haven't watched it, go watch it. But with least expectation. My taste may not match yours...! Nyways, am looking forward to Sean Elli's next movie...

Given below is the trailer of the movie. Folks who haven't watched the movie, please skip the trailer...

Good Will Hunting Philosophy

2007-10-02T01:08:00.000+05:30

I liked this "fucking" philosophy from Good Will Hunting...

LG Service Center

2007-09-20T13:27:00.000+05:30

I wanted to get an AMC for my LG TROMM Washing Machine. I called up the LG helpline number that I got from http://www.lgindia.com/Service/Services.aspx . Given below are the rates that were provided

AMC for
1 yr = Rs 2650/-
2 yr = Rs 3050/-
3 yr = Rs 3400/-
4 yr = Rs 3800/-

Need to call up the nearby Service Center to understand the formalities [Ph: +91-80-25202988, +91-9986506093]

Addr:
A1 Service, 56 Double Road
Opp Srinidhi-Sagar Hotel
Indiranagar, Bangalore
Ph: +91-80-25202988 (This no. is always engaged)

Yuvraj's six sixes

2007-09-20T11:42:00.000+05:30

Awesome sixes by Yuvraj... Check this out...

Yuvraj's Six Sixes

Yuvraj's Interview - I see hubris in him...

Yuvraj tasting humiliation from Dimitri Mascarenhas

Herschelle Gibbs' Six Sixes

Six Sixes from the legendary Sir Gary Sobers

I couldn't get Ravi Shastri's six sixes.

Every Second Counts

2007-09-18T17:35:00.000+05:30

Some good quotes from Lance Armstrong's Every Second Counts

You ask yourself: now that I know I'm going to die, what will I do? What's the highest and best use of my self?

Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.

I've often said cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. But everybody wants to know what I mean by that: how could a life-threatening disease be a good thing? I say it because my illness was also my antidote: it cured me of laziness.

But fame, I learned, is an isotope, and it's not good fir you. When you become celebrated, a kind of unhealthy radioactive decay forms around you, and the decay can be creeping, or even catastrophic.

J Craig Ventner (who developed human genome): Fame is an intrinsic negative. People respond to you based on their preconceived notion of you, and that puts you at a continual disadvantage.

I like to control things, like to win things, like to take things to the limit. A life spent defensively, worried, is to me a life wasted.

Lee Walker (Former Dell President): Schedule is how we make our intentions manifest in the world.

Mary Oliver (Poet): What will you do with your wild and precious self?

The world is full of people who are trying to purchase self-confidence, or manufacture it, or who simply posture it. But you can't fake confidence, you have to earn it, and if you ask me, the only way to do that is work. You have to do the work.

There comes a time in every race when a competitor meets the real opponent, and understands that it's himself.

Suffering is essential to a good life. It's a great enhancer. It might last a minute, or a month, but eventually it subsides, and when it does, something else takes place, and maybe that thing is a greater space. For happiness! Each time I encountered suffering, I believed that I grew, and further defined my capacities - not just my physical ones, but my interiors ones as well, for contentment, friendship, or any other human experience.

If you are willing to examine failure, and to look not just at your outward physical performance, but your internal working, too, losing can be valuable. How you behave in those moments can perhaps be more self-defining than wining could ever be. Sometimes losing shows you for who you really are.

J Craig Ventner (who developed human genome): It's unequivocally clear that life begins at birth and ends at death and if most people on this planet understood that, they would lead their lives very differently. We find religious or mysterious forces to fill in our inadequacies, but heaven and hell are both here on earth everyday, and we make our lives around them.

If you want to win something, you've got to have single mindedness and its all too easy to wind up lonesome while you're at it.

There aren't many clearly marked, signpost moments in your life, but occasionally they come along. And you have a choice. You can either do something the same old way, or you can make a better decision. If you are willing to make a harder choice, you can redesign your life.

If you want to do something great, you need a strong will and attention to detail. If you surveyed all the greatly successful people in this world, you will find a common denominator: they are all capable of sustained, focused attention.
A far more difficult test of endurance than a bike race is how you handle the smaller, common circumstances of your days, the more mundane difficulty of trying to make your life work.

People warn you that marriage is hard work, but you don't listen. You talk about the pretty bridesmaids' dresses, but you don’t talk what happened next; about how difficult it will be to stay, or to rebuild. What nobody tells you is that there will be more than just some hard days. There will be some hard weeks and perhaps even some hard years.

I've known guys who never quite put it all on the line, and you know what? They lost. One minute, after nearly a month of suffering, can decide who wins. Is it worth it? It depends on whether you want to win. I have the will to suffer. I do have that.

The experience of suffering is like the experience of exploring, of finding something unexpected and revelatory. When you find the outermost thresholds of pain, or fear, or uncertainty, what you experience afterwards is an expansive feeling, a widening of your capabilities.

Hot Ice

2007-09-18T17:31:00.000+05:30

Don't get surprised in my listing down Nora Robert "quotes"! I did find some interesting quotes in her book - Hot Ice

Doug Lord: They say that knowledge is power. I used to think so, but now I know that they meant money.

Doug Lord: If you can't have fun with money, there is no point making it.

Dimitri: An employee remained an employee until death.

Mentation downloaded...

Collective Decision

One night at the call center

My Private Theater

Succsex

Keep Off the Grass; and 2 States

Jack and Jill - 24x7 channel

Invictus

blogspot.com blocked from China

Drinking wine is an Art??!!

Advantage Women

The Motorcycle Diaries

A movie

A few unanswered questions...

Recession

Frog in the well

Maturity

G u(a) y

WHAT A CATCH!

Tax on Income against the constitution?

My College Campus...

Railwayconomics

Luttappi

Yo Momma...

Hit me baby one more time

Chaar seat chodkar beithna

This is also India...

Dumb or Smart?

What is in a Name?

Trying to comprehend...

Deshdrohi

Kung-Fu

The power of blog...

Meet my crush...

I humbly accept this award!

India made Car

The "Cross and Garlic" of Bangalore

My Chinese Name: 威沙 奥古斯丁

Take my breath away

Underprivileged?

The Kite Runner

Firsts in Photography...

Between Jobs...

Shoe

Conspiracy of Fools

Limitations

Heaven and Hell

Sheep

Public Display of Affection (PDA)

Career Switch

Managing Expectations...

Generation Gap

Everything happens for the good

Our Soul

Masala Movies

My Road

Forecast of the week

Job opening ads

It's not about the Bike

Tell Me Why

Marxist Rumors

Lady In The Brown Sari

My niece

Shantaram

Blessed (Cursed) ATM?

A different perspective

Investment nuggets

Interpret this...

Miracle!

Feel it...!

Five Point Someone

The Road Less Travelled

Leftovers

Superstition

A small fight...

A couple's conversation

A harrowing bus journey

Jew's Contribution...

God's God - YOU??!!

Let my liking LIVE!

My Chinese Name: 威沙奥古斯丁