Destination Infinity

Blog moved to WP - Destination Infinity

2009-08-01T02:02:00.003+05:30

Hi People,

This blog (Destination Infinity) has moved to self hosted wordpress, and hence I request you to visit this link : www.destinationinfinity.org

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

The language of the royals

2009-05-30T17:37:00.002+05:30

You could see my next post, the language of the Royals in the following URL:

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/the-language-of-the-royals/

Destination Infinity

How google got its first funding and 7 useful things to do with google search

2009-05-26T09:42:00.002+05:30

This post is about Google..... You could click on the below links to follow them:

How Google got its first funding

Seven useful things to do with Google search (other than searching!)

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

My new website - excITingIP.com

2009-05-21T23:36:00.001+05:30

Hi ppl,

I have launched a new website http://www.excitingip.com

It is about IT Network infrastructure. All of you would be using a PC in your office for connecting to the internet, checking mails etc. Some of you might also be using wireless network (Wi-Fi) to connect. You may be using IP Phones which directly connects to the network port to talk to onsite people and you may have seen the IP cameras and IP Video conferencing systems. There are a lot more applications that can be enabled on an enterprise network. And a lot of systems, technologies and infrastructure are behind such networks and the applications they enable on IP. Since I have been working on that domain, I thought I could launch a professional blog/website in the same domain to share information and learn. I am also looking to monetise that website later on.

So, I request all of you - my blog pals, to have a look at the website and tell me frankly your first impressions. Since it is a slightly technical topic, it may not interest all of you but do let me know if you liked the theme, design, accessability, categorization, idea of having a forum there, the tag line and anything else. Don't bother subscribing to it if it is not relevant as it is for a specific category of people as mentioned on that site.

The website (Actually it is a blog) is on self hosted version of wordpress (www.wordpress.org) which is different from the site that we host our personal blogs. I have taken some shared server space and registered that domain name with Bluehost. The theme I am using there is Magazine basic (a magazine style theme) and I have also installed a forum plugin called Simple Forum for wordpress.

Let me know what else I could add there - I am planning to add that feedburner feature of emailing the posts (As it is focussed on a vertical, I think it will be useful to interested people). Do you think I should put a logo there? Please pen down your suggestions in the comments section and also your tips. If you have any questions on developing a website, do put it down and I will answer it if I know. Any SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tips you have for making that site search engine friendly, would be highly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rajesh K
(Yes, that's my name but I would prefer all of you calling me Destination Infinity for reasons mentioned in the About Section). I am serious about what is mentioned there :-)

The creator and his creation

2009-05-21T09:40:00.001+05:30

You could read this story in my wordpress blog:

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/the-creator-and-his-creation/

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

An innovative engineering college

2009-05-10T21:45:00.001+05:30

You can read this post in my wordpress blog :

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/05/10/a-new-and-an-innovative-engineering-college/

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

An Inspiring poem and an Inspiring song

2009-05-04T22:47:00.004+05:30

The link for this post in my wordpress blog is given below:

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/an-inspiring-song-and-an-inspiring-poem/

Do follow me at Wordpress: http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

Behind the bars

2009-04-29T18:54:00.003+05:30

You could catch my latest post - Behind the bars in the Wordpress link given below. It is about the imaginary conversation of a lion and human in a zoo on who has more freedom!

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/behind-the-bars/

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

Do follow me in wordpress: http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com

Best of Slow Soulful and Melodious songs (Songs 10 to 1)

2009-04-23T12:45:00.004+05:30

In continuation with the Soulful songs tag and the earlier post on this (Songs 20 - 11), here goes the Top 10 Songs. The same is available now at the below site:

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/top-10-slow-melodious-and-soulful-songs/

Also do follow me at the wordpress blog: http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

The most important person of his life

2009-04-18T16:02:00.002+05:30

The link for viewing this post, also in Wordpress, is given below:

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/the-most-important-person-of-his-life-short-story/

Destination Infinity

Best of Slow Melodious and Soulful Songs - Songs 20 to 11

2009-04-13T00:57:00.002+05:30

Dear Blogger pals,

As you know I have been blogging in two platforms simultaneously (Blogger and Wordpress) - same posts with same tags in the same time etc. But it seems this is considered as content duplication by Search Engines. And since I am also doing some highly linked posts of late, I feel it difficult to update both in Blogger and Wordpress. Hence I request you to read this post in Wordpress : http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/259/

And I also request you to follow me in Wordpress: http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com (One blog would be simpler for me to maintain).

Thanks,

Destination Infinity

Bird Watching and Dr. Salim Ali

2009-04-02T20:05:00.007+05:30

"My chief interest in bird study has always been its ecology, its life history under natural conditions and not in a laboratory under a microscope. By travelling to these remote, uninhabited places, I could study the birds as they lived and behaved in their habitats." – Dr. Salim Ali.

Picture Tag and story.

This post was actually a result of two things: The Tricky Photo Story Tag by Sahaja and my search for a photo. I have very rarely clicked photos (Maybe once in a year!) and store almost none in my laptop! So, I asked my friend Jags to allow put up a photo that he took on his recent trek to Ranganathittu. The first photo is for the Tag (An awesome click!) and the other two are from his collections. You can see the entire collection of his photos he took during this trek Here and Here. From there, you could view his other nature photographs. The story: The crocodile, not satisfied with the fishes and other things it ate under the water, decides to have a snack outside the water too! It was actually in the adjacent rock and quietly went into the water and from inside the water a short and fast leap – Got his snack. Wasn’t he quick for his size? (This also qualifies for the Story in 55 Words Tag!).

Ornithology is the scientific study of birds. Ornithologists study every aspect of bird life. Some ornithologists look at how birds live in their environment, while others look at how the parts of birds work together to make a bird. Some ornithologists focus on how birds find food, while others focus on how birds digest food. Some ornithologist’s research changes in populations of birds across whole continents; others study changes in blood cells in an individual bird. Ornithologists sometimes study how birds evolved and what their ancestors looked like and still others study how birds are changing in today’s environment and how they might be affected by the ecological changes in future. It is quite a broad field with significant contributions from non-professionals. Source: Birdnet Website. (http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/birds/ornith.html)

There are people who always defy the stereotype. It is their nature to do so. One such person was Dr. Salim Ali, who was the eminent ornithologist of India. He was known as the “Birdman of India”. He has won numerous awards, including Padma Shree and Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India. What were the significant events of his life that led to such accolades? Read on….

· When Salim was 10 years old, he met the Honorary Secretary of BNHS (Bombay National History Society) W.S. Millard, who showed him the society’s splendid collection of stuffed birds. This was the major influencer for him to decide to take a career in ornithology.

· Since there were no jobs in Natural History in India back in 1919, Salim Ali went to Burma to look after the family mining and timber business. Since the business did not do well, he returned to India. But, this was a rewarding experience for a naturalist as there were endless opportunities to explore the forests of Burma.

· After returning, he tried to get a job as an ornithologist with the Zoological Survey of India, but failed to get one as he did not have an M.Sc or Ph.D.

· He even went to Germany to study under the guidance of the noted ornithologist, Professor Stresemann but still did not get a job in India.

· Before Independence, there were these princely states in India. He offered to conduct the regional ornithologist surveys of these areas which were little explored earlier, for the BNHS. It turned out that the princely states were also eager to record their avifauna and agreed to his idea while funding the camping and transportation. There followed two decades of blissful bird watching for Salim across the subcontinent.

· After Independence, he took over the BNHS and managed to save the institution from closing down due to lack of funds by writing a letter to the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who immediately came to its rescue!

Source: http://www.birding.in/dr_salim_ali.htm (You can read more about him here).

Dr. Salim Ali has done more than any other individual to popularize the study of birds in India. Today, there is an institute called Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History in Coimbatore, named after him and aided by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

As you can see, he did not achieve all that he did because of the facilities provided to him. It was rather in spite of the facilities that were refused to him. But determined people always seem to find a way. We need to learn a lot from people like him.

Destination Infinity

The Japanese concept of 5S

2009-03-29T12:05:00.001+05:30

I have always been impressed by the Japanese. I don’t know much of their history but the way in which they reacted after the atom bombs devastated two of their major towns is extremely impressive. Any other country would have got so angry and engaged all its military might and tried to develop a bomb that would destroy at least four more towns of their enemy. The Japanese also got angry. But they let all their anger flow in a totally different direction. They were the first country to engage the experts in their own game (I hope you get the pun J ). And boy, weren’t they hugely successful!

When I was very young, I saw the photo of a notice board outside a Japanese Factory (It was published in a major Tamil magazine called Ananda Vikadan) reading something like – “Pay would be cut for those workers who would be coming to work on Saturdays and Sundays” They are so committed to work that even on weekends they tend to go to factories and offices. Talk about Job satisfaction! Around the same time, one of my English teachers was back from a short teachers exchange program in a Japanese school. She was all praise for Japanese student’s discipline and decorum. It seems they were so quiet and attentive throughout her class. And if they went out, say for sports hour etc, they actually formed a line! ( I can understand her agony given the fact that she was telling all these things when she was shouting at all of us for doing exactly the opposite!). There were some more incidents that I came to know – The Toyota cars in Japan don’t come with the tool kit it seems (The company says there cannot be any problems at all, and when one was reported, right from the CEO to the employee who assembled the car were involved in sorting it out and making sure it doesn’t occur again – But I don’t know how far this is true). And one more incident which I read some where as a true joke – The Japanese don’t boycott work if they want to strike. They just do more work than allotted to them so that their marketing managers find it tough to sell all of it and huge stock piles up in the factory!

I later read in a book called “Made in Japan” by the co-founder of Sony Corporation – Akio Morita about the concept of Inheritance Taxes – If you inherit your parent’s property then you are taxed. In fact, there is a saying in Japan that wealth made by forefathers doesn’t last beyond three generations because the taxes are so high after each generation. (I know you want to fight this point out in the comments section, but I just think they are wise enough to bring in such a concept. Wise is the word I used.) He also goes to say that the salary of a CEO may be about 10 times that of a fresher and nothing more. Once again, they impress with their wisdom. When he wanted to expand his operations in USA, he says that he was quite upset about the legal formalities that need to be completed to do business there. In Japan, he says, if the head of an organization commits to the head of another organization even verbally, it is as good as any written contract and the words will be kept (And look what happens here – hmmm!). Do read the book when you get time.

Coming to the title of this post, the 5S is a Japanese management concept which can apply to anything, not only shop floors and manufacturing facilities. They are so simple but yet insightful that you can use them for organizing, say your folders in PC or Email, or your kitchen, etc.

Seiri – Put things in order. Arrange, sort. Keep only the essential items – Discard the unessential ones.

Seiton – Proper arrangement. Set in order. There should be a place for everything and everything should be in their place. They should be reached easily when needed.

Seiso – Clean. Keep things clean and polished so that you would love to work with them. This cleaning should be a part of daily work – not after things get messed up!

Seiketsu – Purity and Standardization. Operate in consistent fashion to yield consistent results.

Shitsuke – Sustaining the discipline. Maintaining and reviewing standards. Once the previous 4S have been established, they become a new way to operate. But if there is a suggested improvement or a new tool, then a review of the 4S is appropriate.

Simple and effective.

Destination Infinity

Doctor or Engineer

2009-03-27T18:17:00.003+05:30

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

One smile can do what 100 Wars Cannot.

Vishesh has tagged me to write something that can make others smile. So, I am attempting something – do let me know if you smiled after reading it :-)

Mom and Dad are talking to a 6 month old kid. The words in the italics are supposed to be the thoughts of the kid, as he cannot speak yet.

Mom: Now eat your dinner properly, you need to grow up and become a Doctor or an engineer right?

Kid: Of all the professions available, I have only two choices in my life - why can’t people be more broad minded!!

Dad: I am sure he wants to become a computer engineer like me.

Kid: Now there is not even that choice looks like!

Mom: You and your computers, he is very clever – like his mom, you want to become a Doctor like your mom, right?

Kid: Speaking of doctor, where is my stethoscope toy that I am sure one of you guys should have taken for playing and not yet returned!

Dad: Dear, don’t push him into thinking that only doctors are clever! All that you doctors would have done during your classes is mug up and memorize the whole syllabus. We engineers are more practical people.

Kid: I think, the topic is slightly deviating from what you want me to become!

Mom: Talk about practicality – You know what most of the engineers do? Sit in the last bench, make a lot of noise, neither study nor participate in the extracurricular activities, and still think that they are practical!

Kid: I am actually slightly impressed by engineering!

Dad: At least, we were enjoying our lives back then, and even now! Just look that the life style that being a software engineer gives you – Nice salary, on site opportunities and the cool aura……. You just can’t beat that, can you?

Kid: I thought software engineering was about writing codes!

Mom: We doctors beat them in the monetary benefits part. Of course, we would rather prefer to go for a full fledged sight seeing trip totally sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies instead of going on the premise of a job, and roaming around.

Kid: And I thought, being a doctor is about saving lives! These movies are spoiling the kids!!

Dad: Don’t impose your judgment on the kid. I think he has the right to choose the best profession, and I know what he will choose after 16 years – right dear ;-) ?

Kid: That’s correct. I think both the professions are equally hopeless. I would rather become a watchman in a ladies college. Can you beat that?

Destination Infinity

An appeal: This post was inspired from a serial that came in Star Plus a long time back called ‘The Wonder Years’. If anyone of you reading this has the entire CD collection of Wonder Years, I would love to buy it from you.

Ek din ka Raja

2009-03-22T19:30:00.003+05:30

“How many kilometers are we from Mumbai Airport?”

“120 KM, Sir”

“My flight to Singapore starts two and a half hours from now and we have just started! Why has he built the factory so far away?”

“The cost of land and labour is very less here, when compared to the suburbs of Mumbai”

“Was I really required for this call? You guys could have closed it yourselves”

“They are our long standing customers and your presence as a CEO just helped position our deal in the right perspective. As you know, the competition was trying its best to drop prices and create havoc here”

“Can you stop the car and get some mineral water from nearby? I am feeling very thirsty”

“I am afraid we won’t get mineral water in these villages. The nearest town is 45 KM away. But we can drink some tender coconut water, if you are very thirsty”

“Are they hygienic?”

“Yes Sir, pretty much. Nothing to worry”

“Ok then, stop the car. Well have it and leave exactly in five minutes. If we delay, we might miss the flight”

By the time they finished drinking the tender coconut water, a group of kids were admiring the big car. While he was handing over the money to the vendor, a hundred rupee note accidentally fell off from his purse. One of the kids noticed this, picked up the money and knocked the door of the car, after they sat inside. Misunderstanding the kid’s gesture for begging, they started the car and made a slight forward movement. On seeing this, the other kids came in the way of the car and started waving their hands – gesturing to stop the car, thereby effectively blocking the car from moving forward. The back door of the car opened”

“What do you guys want?”

“Saahb, Apke sow rupiya ka note wahan gir gaya tha. Yeh lijiye..”

“You stopped the car for giving this 100 Rupees? Do you know the cost of my time? Do you know how much my every second counts? It will be in Dollars, not even in rupees! Do you know what will be the loss to my company if I miss the flight today? You guys can never understand all this. And what can a mere 100 Rupees get you these days? Now, get out of my way”

“Saahb kya bol raha hai?”

“Usko yeh paisa nahi chaahiye”

“O, Shukriya Saahb. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Aaj mein aap sub ko khilaunga. Hum rasagulla khayenge, mithayiyan khayenge, samose khayenge, nariyal ka paani peyenge aur lassi bhi piye. Bahut maaza aayega. Ek din ka raja bangaye hum. Ek din ka raja. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.“

Destination Infinity

Memorable Quotes

2009-03-16T09:42:00.003+05:30

Some quotes are memorable. There was one such quote which I still remember till date which had a huge influence on my thought process. The essence was something like – “You are only responsible for whatever happens around you”. Initially I was glaring with disbelief. It took quite sometime for the wisdom in the quote to sink in me. But when it did, it changed my whole thought process and I am glad about it. So, I am presenting some quotes like that which was forwarded by a friend through email over the years. This time I have linked her blog J . And yes, all the credit for searching these quotes and sending them to us go to her. But according to the above quote, I can also take credit for good things that happen around me J

“While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior”

“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not to deserve them”

“It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help”

“The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side”

“Believe everything or doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking”

“A hen is only an egg’s way of making another egg”

“Talent hits a target where no one else can hit. Genius hits a target where no one else can see”

“Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem”

“If you want something you never had, do something that you have never done”

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing”

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer”

“Reality is merely an illusion albeit a very persistent one”

“Not to be absolutely certain is, I think, one of the essential things in rationality”

“The point of living and being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come”

“All people want is someone to listen”

Destination Infinity

Simple pleasures of life

2009-03-08T01:55:00.000+05:30

For about nine months since her birth, Saraswathi had never been outside her room. She was diagnosed with a strange disease since her birth which kept her in the incubator all this long. Recently, the doctors recommended that she could be taken out and slowly start living a normal life. So, Krishna and Snehal were more than happy. But since their daughter has never been outside her room, they wanted to show something special for the first time when she came out.

Snehal: What do we show her?

Krishna: Maybe we could run a DVD of the latest animation picture in my laptop and show it to her?

Snehal: That would be quite normal. I want to show her something special.

Krishna: We’ll show her my Iphone. I have got this new theme….

Snehal: Forget it. I want to show something natural.

Krishna: Let us show the red roses in the garden.

Snehal: Where is the garden?

Krishna: Well, we have some pots having red roses in our balcony right?

Snehal: We had one pot which you brought before three months and the plant has died since as you never watered it.

Krishna: No one has responsibility in this house! Ok, then maybe we could take her in the car and Ill drive at 80 KM per hour. That should be a great experience for her!

Snehal: I think I know what to do. Wait, let me check the calendar. Yes, today is the right day. Ill go and open the terrace. You bring her up there. And close her eyes with your hands while you bring her up.

……………………….

Krishna: I am here.

Snehal: Ok. Now hold her in a position that she can see the sky when you take off your hands.

Krishna: Ok. Now here goes off my hands…..

The night sky was in its full splendor. It was a full moon day. There were almost no clouds and even some stars were visible. The kid should have loved the sight. But Krishna was even more exited.

Krishna: Wow Snehal, it is a lovely sight. The full moon is beautiful.

Snehal: Isn’t it?

Krishna: But, why didn’t you tell me before?

Snehal: Is this some kind of a breaking news which I was hiding from you? How long has it been since you came to the terrace and saw the moon?

Krishna: It’s been some years, I guess. Before I joined my IT job, I used to stare at the moon and wonder when I’ll get a job! And before that I used to come to the terrace to write poems.

Snehal: You and your IT job. You don’t seem to have the time for even enjoying the simple pleasures of life! By the way, what was the new theme that you were mentioning to have just put on your iphone?

Krishna: ‘Full Moon’!!

Destination Infinity

My favorite Ayn Rand Quote from Atlas Shrugged

2009-03-01T19:53:00.000+05:30

“Did it ever occur to you, Miss Taggart, that there is no conflict of interests among men, neither in business nor in trade, nor in their most personal desires – if they omit the irrational from their view of the possible and destruction from their view of the practical? There is no conflict and no call for sacrifice, and no man is a threat to the aims of another – if men understand that reality is an absolute not to be faked, that lies do not work, that the unearned cannot be had, that the undeserved cannot be given, that the destruction of a value which is, will not bring value to that which isn’t. The businessman who wishes to gain a market by throttling a superior competitor, a worker who wants a share of his employers wealth, the artist who envies a rival’s higher talent – they are all wishing facts out of existence, and destruction is the only means of their wish. If they pursue it, they will not achieve a market, a fortune or an immortal fame – They will merely destroy production, employment and art. A wish for the irrational is not to be achieved, whether the sacrificial victims are willing or not. But men will not cease to desire the impossible and will not lose their longing to destroy – so long as self destruction and self sacrifice are preached to them as the practical means of achieving the happiness of the recipients” – Ayn Rand as John Galt in Atlas Shrugged.

Read the most important part once again : “If men understand that reality is an absolute not to be faked, that lies do not work, that the unearned cannot be had, that the undeserved cannot be given, that the destruction of a value which is, will not bring value to that which isn’t”

Excellent analysis. But the author believes in idealism which according to me is non-existent and the same points are repeated again and again and again and again – to the extent of irritating you (Especially after Mr. John Galt comes in).

Destination Infinity

Advaita philosophy and concept of Aham Bhramasmi – I am God

2009-02-23T13:11:00.010+05:30

Before I go to the post, I would like to do the Tag given to me by Su. He has given me 5 words : Song, Infinity, Angel, Peace, God and I am supposed to draw something on Paint/GIMP related to each word and put it here. So, here goes.

In the above picture that I have made on ‘God’, notice one thing – It is made of so many rectangles arranged together in a pattern. We can either look at it as the rectangles arranged in pattern or look at it as the word ‘God’. Depending on how we look at it, it becomes that – either a combination of rectangles or the word.

There is one saying in Tamil – “Kalla kanda Naaya Kanom; Naaya kanda Kalla Kanom” (Though it has been over used literally as a comic phrase and hence popularized in the movies) meaning – “If we see the stone, we don’t see the dog. If we see the dog, we don’t see the stone”. If there is a stone stature carved to the shape of a dog, we can either look at it as a stone or a dog. (We can also look at it as a stone and a dog, but this discussion is on a more basic level). Kamal Hassan came close to using this concept in the first song of Dasavatharam (Tamil version) – “Kallai mattum kandal, Kadavul theriyathu. Kadavul mattum kandal, kalladi theriyathu” (Meaning, if you look at it as a Stone, you don’t see God. If you look at it as God, you don’t feel the pain of even stone-pelting).

Same goes with the Gold bangle. You can see it as Gold or you can see it as a bangle, on the basic level. Depending upon how you see it, it is. I would like to quote one dialogue from the movie Matrix (Part I) which came very close to interpretation of this concept:

"What is Real? How do you define Real? If you are talking about your Senses, what you feel, taste, smell or see, then all you are talking about are electrical signals interpreted by your brain" - Morpheus in Matrix

Anyways, that is about the interpretation. (One of the interpretations of this philosophy is that the world is an illusion). But how is the concept in itself defined? I will have to quote from Wikipedia on that:

“Advaita refers to the identity of Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman – Don’t confuse this with the Hindu upper caste). Advaita is about realizing the Self (Atman) as the Whole (Brahman) itself which is apparently manifested eternally and simultaneously into animate or inanimate”

“Brahma Satyam Jagat mithya,

Jivo brahmaiva naparah”

“Brahman (Whole) is the only truth, the world is an illusion, and there is ultimately no difference between the Brahman and individual self(Atman)”

Advaita is not about any worship of any kind of deity; not even a singular all powerful supreme being/Ishwara/God. Brahman is at best, described as that infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, incorporeal, impersonal, transcendent reality that is the divine ground of all beings.

George Feuerstein summarizes the Advaita philosophy as follows : The manifold universe is, in truth, a single reality. There is only one great being, which the sages call Brahman, in which all the countless forms of existence reside. That great being is utter consciousness, and it is the very essence, or Self (Atman) of all beings.

In short, there is only one Brahman – Supreme being and everything else (You, me, stone, world, universe etc) is a form of this supreme being.

“Aham Brahmasmi” meaning “I am God” is the result of realization of this concept. The movie – Naan Kadavul (Tamil) treats this concept in the literal sense. There is much more to being a God than just possessing the power to destroy for a cause. In fact, power doesn’t really matter to a person when he is realizing that he is the Brahman (Whole) and hence he is already infinitely powerful!! J

I will end this article by two quotes. One from the renowned Scientist Albert Einstien and the other from Vedas.

“The fact that a man produces a concept ‘I’ besides the totality of this mental and emotional experiences or perceptions does not prove that there must be any specific existence (Reality) behind such a concept” – Albert Einstien.

Om purnam adah, purnam idam, purnat purnam udacyate,

Purnasya purnam adaya, purnam evavasisyate.

That is full; this is full; This fullness has been projected from that fullness. When this fullness merges in that fullness, fullness is all that remains (Rough translation)

“Such deep understanding of the nature and such is the brevity and beauty of the expression that one almost misses the subtlety of the logic. One has to understand all the structural and functional aspects of the universe to be able to write these four lines” is what Sunil Thakur, who has done a scientific analysis of the concept of “Aham Brahmasmi” has to say. You can read his full analysis in this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/10075060/Aham-Brahmasmi-I-am-the-God

(It takes around half an hour to read, but worth your time).

I will also give you the link to a song from the Tamil movie (‘Naan Kadavul’) which sets in with the theme of this article (This is a full length Sanskrit song with excellent music from Illayaraja). I don’t understand what is being said in that song, but listen to it for the music.

Source: http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/

And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta

Destination Infinity

PS: This post is not about religion. It is about philosophy.

Slow Melodious and Soulful Songs

2009-02-16T01:05:00.008+05:30

Many years back, I happened to hear this song from the movie Geetanjali (Telugu) – Aamani Paadave Koyilaa. I liked it so much. So, I decided to buy a cassette. But I didn’t get the Telugu version and ended up buying the Tamil version of the same movie -Idhayathai Thirudathe. For some reason, the magic that was there in the Telugu version was not there in the dubbed Tamil version, even though the songs were great, no doubt! At that time getting the songs we like was quite difficult. But now, anything and everything is just a click away from us. Even though technology has brought so much within our reach, most of the time, we are lost in this big net of WWW.

Secondly, we are plain lucky to be from India, which has a regional language and a regional culture every 1000 Kilometers. That means that there are also regional songs. I have heard some wonderful Malayalam, Oriya and Bengali songs but have no idea about the album or the song so that I could buy it or listen to it online.

Thirdly, I know Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. But there are lot of Tamil people who do not have an exposure to Hindi songs and vice versa. Even I do not have knowledge about Telugu movies and songs.

So, for all the above reasons I want to create a Tag where some collaboration between the music loving Bloggers is required. My favorite songs are the slow, melodious and soulful (Hence the title). Hence I tag my fellow Bloggers and all the people who happen to read this post to let us know your favorite songs in your regional language/ Hindi / English. You can either do it as a post in your blog and intimate me in the comments section (I will link that post from here). Or, you could just do this tag in the comments section of this post itself (Even if you don’t have a website, just type www.nothing.com if a website name is asked in any column while commenting).

I am doing this tag first (Minimum 10 Songs please):

Tamil:

Name of movie/Album - Song

Krishna Gaanam – Ayarpaadi Maligaiyil Thai madiyil kanrinai pol…. , Pullanguzhal kodutha megangale....

Mouna Raagam – Nilave Vaa….

7G Rainbow Colony – Ninaithu Ninaithu parthen….

Kadhal Virus – Sonnalum Ketpadhillai….

Dhalapathi – Yamunai Aatrile Eera Kaatrile….

Kaadalar Dhilam – Roja….

12 B – Poove Vaai peesum poodhu….

Indira – Nila Kaaigirathu Niram Theigirathu….

Apoorva Sagotharargal – Unna Nenaichen paatu padichen thangame….

Minnale – Vaseegara, yen nenjinikka, un pon madiyil….

Kadhal Konden – Devadhayai Kanden, kadhalil vizhundhen….

Guna – Janani Janani Jagam ni agam ni….

Vaaranam Aayiram – Mundhinam Paarthene….

Thiruda Thiruda – Rasathi yen usuru yennudhilla….

Hindi:

Name of movie/ Album - Song

Sarfarosh – Hosh vaalon ko khabar kya….

Yaadein – Nagmein hain shikve hain (Title song)….

Dil Se – Hai Ajnabi tu bhi kabhi….

1942 A Love Story – Rhim Jhim Rhim Jhim….

Banaras – Om Namah Shivaya….

Ham hai rahi pyar ke – Ghoongat ki ardh se….

Jism – Jaadoo hai nashaa hai….

Tere Mere Sapne – Kuch mere dil ne kaha….

Kaho Naa Pyar Hai – Na tum jaano na hum….

Ghajini – Guzarish….

Anjaam – Badi Mushkil hai….

Taare Zameen Par – Title Song….

Lagaan – O Phal Naare….

Ok, now its time for you guys to do this tag. I am tagging the following people (Please do it in at least two languages and my preferences are indicated in the bracket).

Amit (Hindi and English)

Sahaja (Telugu and UK Albums)

Priya Iyer (Gujarathi and Hindi)

Sanjay (Kannada and ….)

Axinia (Russian, German and Dutch)

Raman (Marathi, English)

Kanagu (Tamil, ….)

Vishesh (Tamil, ….)

Su (Kannada and Hindi)

Nimmy (Urudu and Hindi)

Radha (Chinese and English)

Renu (Hindi and ….)

Dust Unsettled (Hindi and ….)

Ringchen (Northeastern languages)

Reema (Bengali, ….)

Sakhi (Gujarathi, ….)

Wortman (Deutch)

Whatever Matters (Bhutanese, ….)

My Story – ISB and beyond (Carnatic music, …..)

Den Relojo (Philipino, ….)

Molly (Any language you want to choose – English/French)

Chirag (Any language you want to choose – Not able to guess your mother tongue!)

Soliloquies of an opinioned mind (Any language you want to choose – American artistes?)

Arvind1187 (Any language you want to choose)

Nita Writer (Any language you want to choose – Do you know Marathi?)

You may or may not link the songs – Don’t worry, well Google or YouTube it! And if you are reading this and you are familiar with some other language that is not mentioned here (Like Oriya or Malayalam) please consider yourself immediately tagged!!

Update:

Nimmy has done this tag in Malayalam and Hindi (Don’t miss the 3^rd , 6^th , and 9^th Songs in the Malayalam Section – They are too good). You can listen to them here: http://nimis540.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/tagged-softmelodious-and-soulful-songs/

Vishesh has done this tag in Tamil (Listen to one of them – classical) and some symphonies (The fifth song seems to be nice. If you like visual effects, the fourth one is too good). You can listen to them here: http://visheshunni.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/tagged-23/

Wortman has done this tag in German. My favorites are Karat - Schwanenkonig, Rosenstolz - Liebe ist Alles, Wolfsheim - Kein Zuruck. You can look up to them here: http://wortman.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/slow-melodious-and-soulful-songs/

Radha has done this tag in Chinese (My favorite Chinese songs among them are Song No. 1, Song No. 4, Song No. 6). You can listen to them here: http://radhagarima.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/the-best-of-the-chinese-music-boundlessly-inspiring-in-10-songs-tagged/

Radha has done this tag in Italian (My favorite Italian songs among them are Song No. 4, Song No. 7 and Song No. 10). You can listen to them here: http://radhagarima.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/slow-melodious-soulful-top-10-italian-songs-tagged/

Su has done this tag in Telugu, Hindi and Kannada (My favorite Kannada songs are Nee Amruthadhare (Amruthadhare), Anisuthide yaako indhu (Mungaru Malhe), Hoove Hoove (H20). You can look up to them here: http://harshasrisri.wordpress.com/tag-me/10-the-songs-tag/ (I am yet to listen to the Telugu songs. I will do that soon).

Reema has done this tag in Bengali and Hindi (My favorite Bengali Songs are Amar Raat Pohalo and the two Ravindro songs listed there. And if you are new to Old Hindi songs, there is an entire treasure waiting for you there). You can listen to them here: http://opinionsandexpressions.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/bengali-and-hindi-songs-tag/#more-2563

Radha has done this tag in Napoletano (Yes, there is a language like that J and it is an Italian dialect) So, my favorite songs are Song no. 6, 7 and 10. You can listen to them here: http://radhagarima.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/top-ten-songs-in-italian-dialects-especially-in-napoletano-tagged/

Radha has done this tag in English (At last, one language that we know J and my favorite songs are Song no. 3, 4 and 9). You can listen to them here: http://radhagarima.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/top-ten-soulful-songs-in-english-tagged/

Radha has done this tag in Spanish + Portuguese (Wow J My favorites are 1, 2 and 9. The first two songs are instrumental.). You can listen to them here: http://radhagarima.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/top-ten-soulful-meodious-in-spanish-portuguese-tagged/

Swaram has done this tag in Hindi and Kannada. You can listen to them here: http://thesongoflife.blogspot.com/2009/02/whats-life-without-music.html

Man of Roma has done this tag in Italian and English Songs by American Italians. You can listen to them here: http://manofroma.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/italian-songs-anna-magnani-dean-martin-pavarotti-and-the-three-tenors/

Third Time a Charm has done this tag in Tamil and English and you can listen to them here: http://myheadtrip.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/third-time-a-charm/

Sahaja has done this tag in Telugu, Hindi and English and you can listen to them here: http://lovelysunrise.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/my-love-music/

Renu has done this tag in Hindi and you can look into the list of songs here: http://rinksnbitts.blogspot.com/2009/03/soulful-slow-and-melodious-songs.html

My story - ISB and beyond has done this tag in Hindi (First part, old songs) and you can listen to them here: http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/slow-melodious-soulful-songs-1/

Destination Infinity

A Career in Sales

2009-02-07T07:59:00.003+05:30

I was tagged by Axinia to write about all the jobs that I have held till now. So, here goes:

Market Development Executive – Sales

Sr. Sales Executive

Sr. Executive – Marketing

Sales Manager – South

As you can see, there is one thing that is common with all of them – Sales.

Till my final year of Engineering, I wanted to become a Software Engineer. But two incidents predominantly changed my mind. As a part of the final year curriculum, a technical project needs to be done by everyone. I wanted to do this project myself. I had selected a topic and short listed the hardware and software components required for the same. But, in spite of my best efforts, I was not even able to start with this project. Secondly, I happened to interact with a few seniors who were employed in big software companies. The feedback they gave about their jobs, was far from impressive! These two incidents moved me away from a technical field of work. The question was - What else could I choose as a career?

Till I finished my education, I was quite an introvert. I was reserved and my pursuits were more intellectual in nature – Reading books, trying to learn a musical instrument, writing something interesting and forwarding it to my friends (Now you know why I am addicted to Blogging!). So, I didn’t have the qualities which I thought were required for a good Sales person (I was not outgoing, talkative etc). This was a driving factor which led me to choose Sales as a career. My logic was, if I take up Sales as a career, I will have to attempt to transform myself as a person. I will have to develop some of the qualities required for a good Sales person. This was very important for me back then, and if a career could help me develop some skills and make me slightly more of an extrovert, it was only Sales.

Besides, I didn’t think it was a big risk, back then. I wanted to do an MBA in Sales/Marketing and I thought two years of experience in a related field would definitely be an advantage (I also wanted to earn some money to fund my higher education. But I never did that MBA because I never saved enough money to afford an MBA which was becoming costlier with every passing year. And I also had to take a break of two years and go back to studying which was quite unthinkable after two years). A strong second factor was recession. I would always be thankful for the recession that happened back then as it was not easy to get a Software Engineering job and campus placements were rare. (Actually the IT market started opening and recruited large numbers only after about nine months since I joined my first job). So, it was easier to convince my parents that I would not be able to join an IT company and hence they should allow me to take up Sales as a career (I think even the proposed MBA after two years helped here).

I was quite afraid when I joined my first job (They don’t expect much from a fresher in this career, but I didn’t know it back then). So, I was doing all that I was asked to do without complaining and to the best of my abilities. My salary was around 4000 Rupees back then but I never had a shortage of funds (In fact, I even managed to save around 1500 Rupees per month).

Companies seem to know when to keep and when to fire their employees. During my first job and for sometime in my second job my performance was not all that good. But the management never fired me for that. They were constantly monitoring what I was doing and observing if I was lying about my reports etc (Contrary to popular perceptions, lying doesn’t go well either with your customers or with your bosses in this career). In fact I was not even asked about the performance in my first job as long as I was sincerely doing what was given to me. But during the initial course of my second job, I was asked to resign a couple of times. But when I went to the office the next day, my boss would totally forget having asked me to leave (In fact, I was later told that it was done to put some pressure on me).

Pressure, is an important driving factor in sales. And the pressure is not only from your bosses but it also comes from your customers, partners, vendors and almost everyone! In the beginning it was tough to handle that. But in the due course of the job, when I found that the pressure was helping me to do my job better, I developed a more tolerant attitude towards it.

Procrastination costs you dear in this career. If you don’t respond quickly to the client’s request for quotation, some one else would be walking with the purchase order! Coordination is a quality that is important and you tend to develop fast, in this career. You are expected to coordinate everything from the first quotation to the collection of payment (And it is quite a big cycle) and also need to coordinate within the company (Like installation team, finance department, logistics department etc) and with vendors and most importantly – Customers. Touring is an integral part of Sales – You need to travel far, often at short notices (And no, there will not be much time to go sight seeing). Presentation and communication skills are also important (This you tend to develop as you gain experience). And contrary to popular expectation, you don’t necessarily need to drink a lot of alcohol to get the drive (Maybe it helps, but I never felt the need for it. Especially because it is not good for health. I do go to Pubs with my partners and colleagues but I don’t drink alcohol. In fact, I order for a sprite and give it a ‘Gin’ effect while drinking by drinking it in the style of drinking a Vodka ;-) )

So, to cut a long article short, I feel that sales as a career is like any other. It is highly rewarding and challenging. You need the right attitude and the right perspective. The right attitude will be developed as a part of the job but the right perspective needs to come from within you.

Destination Infinity

My dear Aeroplane....

2009-01-30T21:20:00.000+05:30

My dear Aeroplane,

You have connected the whole world,

Like never before….

If today,

My friends and loved ones,

Can dream of education and career,

In the best universities of the world,

And top corporates of the world,

It is because of you….

If today,

I can go to Bombay and come back,

On the same day immediately after work,

It is because of you….

Thanks.

But,

You have also disconnected the whole world,

Like never before….

If today,

Most of my friends are living abroad,

And I have lost touch with them,

I can’t blame the time zone or their careers,

I can only blame you….

If today,

Most of my friends settling abroad,

Don’t want to take their parents along,

I can’t blame the recession or their intention,

I can only blame you….

If today,

A wife or a husband,

Who has to choose between,

A year of On-Site opportunity,

And a year of being with their little kid,

I still can blame only you,

When they proudly choose the former.

If yesterday,

I was able to finish reading a book,

On my blissfully long train journey,

To Bombay and back on work,

But today,

When I am not able to finish,

Even a hundred and fifty pages,

For a whole three months,

I can’t blame the lack of time,

I can only blame you….

But this time,

While I thought that you could only disconnect me from others,

You chose to disconnect me from myself.

Destination Infinity

PS: This is sort of a sequel to my earlier post. I am thinking of making it a trilogy J

The value of money

2009-01-23T20:26:00.003+05:30

“Self respect is a question of recognizing that anything worth having has a price”

Everything we own has a value. Monetary value.

But the value of money in itself lies in the happiness that it is able to buy its beholder. What is the price of such happiness? Is more money = more happiness? Is it a simple direct proportion? Let us explore…

Dear Dairy, I saw an Aeroplane toy today at the exhibition. Wow, it was awesome! It also makes sounds and flashes lights. There is also a remote control to make it move around. I will pester mummy and daddy to buy that one. Just imagine how happily I could play with that toy. If only…..

Dear Dairy, Today, I saw Shakeel playing with the Play Station 2. There is a cool 3D Aeroplane game and you could shoot down all the enemy planes. You can also play multiplayer racing with friends. Looks real fun! And look at me, I am just having a boring remote controlled toy!! If only…..

Dear Dairy, My best friend is traveling by plane today! Just imagine – Chennai to Delhi in just under three hours! And the journey itself, so thrilling along with the airports, ambience, great food, air hostesses…. Wow! And look at me, all I can do is play with a stupid Aeroplane video game! If only…..

Dear Dairy, My boss always travels in Business Class. In the best of the brands. Just imagine, you are traveling and next to you could be Dhoni or Amir or anyone like that! Imagine the comforts and the services…. If you fly, you have to fly like a king! And look at me, all I can do is travel long hours along with hoards of people in eight seater compartments where the chairs don’t even bend back! If only…..

Dear Dairy, My client has his own chartered flight. Just imagine, he can fly anywhere to anywhere without having to bother about the tickets, schedules and all the other mundane things. And I am not even factoring the neighbor’s envy! And look at me, I spend almost quarter of all my available time on flights and airports – either waiting for them, or flying in them! If only…..

Dear Dairy, The Russians are sending people to the space on paid trips! Just imagine the thrill of being a space tourister. I mean, how many people can afford that? Just imagine, floating in a near zero gravity condition and looking at the earth from the space, what a splendid sight and opportunity that could be! That is what I would call a tour!! And look at me, I am still traveling in a plane! I mean, who doesn’t have a chartered plane these days? If only…..

Dear Diary, Today was my first space trip. No words could express my feelings when I was floating up there. And do you know how I felt when I first saw the earth from above there? At that moment, I felt like… I am not able to express my emotions through words… like a kid, who is presented with a toy Aeroplane with remote control, which he has been wanting for months! I was so happy!!

Such Creeps, we are!

Destination Infinity

Cooking is too important to be left in the hands of Women

2009-01-18T03:44:00.001+05:30

I was like you, Guys. I was just like you…. For a quarter of a century I never went into the kitchen except for rare occasions to make the Instant Noodles. But we are a victim when it comes to the most important activity – Cooking. And we have been deliberately kept away from it!

Cooking, like any other art, is not so easy especially if you start late. You tend to make some mistakes. And learn it the hard way! When I decided to start cooking lemon rice, I asked my mother to help and she made three things – Rice cooked in pressure cooker, Lemon juice in a cup, the mustard/ gram etc cooked in oil. All she asked me to do was to mix these three things and eat! (Since I was new to cooking). Being the lazy guy that I ever am, I postponed this simple task for two weeks. After two weeks, when I opened the container containing rice, I got a huge shock! It smelled so awful and it was so much de-composed, that I had to throw away the container along with the spoilt rice!! When I did start to cook some simple dishes, I just left the vessels unwashed for a week. (While cooking itself is a task, you need to wash the vessels too!) Because of that negligence, it became harder to wash the vessels!

Rule No.1: While cooking, don’t postpone any activity related to it.

Then I did learn to make rice (in a pressure cooker cum frying pan). So, one day I thought I will make the lemon rice myself. So, I invented a new procedure – without planning anything, I started to heat the oil in the pan. Then I put mustard, the grams and the groundnuts into the pan and started frying it along with the oil. They seemed to become black instantly (Which I learnt was because I had kept the flame in full) and in order to protect them, I put the turmeric powder, salt, Kothamalli, rice(!!) – and almost everything in my sight into the pan! Then I remembered, I was doing lemon rice and hence I searched for the lime, cut it, and directly put the juice (along with the seeds) into the pan!! Then, I started re-cooking the rice in the pan along with all the other things that I just put in. This is called the chaos theory in kitchen – butterfly effect! How hopelessly related incidents lead to the biggest incident – of having to eat what you just cooked!!

Rule No.2: Plan what you are going to do. There has to be a sequence!

By now, any pro-active person would have rushed to the nearby restaurant to grab what is left before they close for the day. But I decided to cool what I have just cooked under a fan (as if cooling would make the taste better!) and then started eating it after fifteen minutes. The fifteen minutes (which I spent listening to songs) where the most crucial, which I didn’t realize at that time, because – the nearby restaurant close by that time! But alas, since we advocate learning by the hardest way to sink the lesson into our minds, we have to eat our own pills!

Rule No.3: Have a back up. Have instant noodles packets ready, but since everything that could go wrong, could actually go wrong – like the gas running out or the noodles over cooked, have bread/butter/jam or something like that, ready. Now, it is also very important that you finish cooking BEFORE the neighborhood restaurant closes!!

Coming back to the title of this post - you thought, we could remain experts in eating alone, and the sarcastic remarks made by women (Like ‘My son never even enters the kitchen, he never helps’) are to force us to cook? Nothing could be farther from the truth! In fact, we have been kept away from kitchen while they (Look at the no. of comments in this blog post where the author has invited recipes on some theme and it is almost all women – each having a cooking blog!) improve their skills by collaborating and keeping us out! Even in the parliament, if not 33%, there is some considerable no. of women MP’s!! (Still worse, you thought there were no cooking blogs on the net?).

So, “Arise, Awake and stop not ill the goal is reached” And to remind you, eating is not the goal – It is a consequence of cooking, which is the ultimate goal. So, you guys start planning something about this, while I am off to eat the Gulab Jamun made by my mom! J

Destination Infinity

PS: This was supposed to be humorous post. Alas, we men find humor even in such ironies of life!

Nasha ye beer ka nasha hai

2009-01-11T13:33:00.001+05:30

“Nasha ye beer ka nasha hai…

Ye Meri baat yaar maano…

Nashe mein yaar doob jaao…

Raho na hosh mein deewanon...”

“What would you like to have sir?”

“Bring two pots of beer. Strong”

“Today, one passenger got into my Auto. By his looks I could make out that he was new to the city. He wanted to go to a nearby locality. But I took him around for 5 Kilo Meters before dropping him in his destination. He didn’t notice that the meter started at 14 Rupees. I told him that the meter started at twelve rupees and showed him the 12 to 14 rupees conversion chart, which we used before fixing the new meter. So, I charged 100 rupees for a ride that would have cost him only 30 rupees”

“Two more pots of beer, please. Didn’t he argue?”

“He did, but then I raised my voice. After all, I am dealing with such passengers’ day in and day out. So, how was your day?”

“Of late, I have been telling the motorists that they need to get their vehicles emission certified, twice a year. And they have not done it. Almost everyone gets stumped by this. Even though they have all the other documents, we don’t leave them without paying the ‘subsidized fine’ “

“Two more pots of beer please. I guess, being a traffic constable comes with much more benefits than a normal auto driver like me. So, you should have made a lot today, that too with zero investment…”

“Yeah, but I can’t take everything for myself no? There is always a hierarchy which needs to be ‘respected’ “

“Two more pots of beer please. I think, as long as there are people who could be cheated, people like us can always keep cheating them”

“And that will enable us to keep celebrating throughout the year. So, I toast this last glass of beer in memory of all the people who have ‘donated’ enough so that we can have fun”

“Cheers to you too”

After some time, both of them left. The owner of the pub and the bartender were listening to their conversation. They started exchanging their opinions.

“Sir, look at the ways in which they cheat people. How bad all those people, who have been cheated, would have felt?”

“Yeah, they might have felt bad, but would soon forget all this”

“But the fact remains that they have been cheated of their money”

“What do you think we did just now? Do you know how much this beer costs outside? Do you know what my buy price is? Do you know how much margin I make per bottle and the snacks?”

“Is it high?”

“Much higher than you think. People come to a good pub like this for the ambience, the music and of course for the alcohol – It is the whole experience that matters to them. No one has questioned me why the prices are so high”

“At least, they have fun”

“If they come here once in a month or once in two months, then it is fun. When they come here three or four times a week, it is more due to the fact that if they don’t come, they find it uncomfortable. That is called addiction. Not fun. Well, as long as there are people who cheat others and make money easily, people like us can always take advantage of it”

Destination Infinity

“There are two things to aim at in life: First, to get what you want and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second” – Logan Pearsall Smith

Also read this story I wrote sometime back, on the same subject.

Participative Democracy

2009-01-09T19:55:00.001+05:30

This post was already published in Youth Unite

Participative Democracy

He was in his third year of college. And since the semester examinations were still one month away, he and his class mates had nothing much to do. Since they had nothing to do, they wanted to do something. But what? There was a brain storming session during the lunch time. And they decided on three things. Since, the interviews and campus placements were just a year away, they wanted training on group discussions, presentations on stage and other personality development related activities. They wanted to be trained at least two hours per week by a professional trainer. Second, they wanted to learn at least one foreign language. German, French and Japanese were short listed. They were ready to stay back after the college hours, and if required pay some extra fees for it too. Third, since all work (!) and no play makes Jack a dull boy, they wanted some empty land near the college to be leveled and made suitable to play cricket.

So, now they had decided on what they wanted to do. But how to get it done was still to be addressed.

“Macha, let us all go to the HOD room together and ask him to take it up with the principal”

“Yes da, they collect so much fees from us, and they should at least do this much”

“But I am telling you, all this is a time waste da. The management is only interested in how much money they get and what percentage of results they are able to achieve. They will not even look into all this”

“Then, let us go to the Chairman directly and talk to him. If he doesn’t meet us, we will go on a strike”

“All you guys will talk now. But when the time comes for action, all of you people will come back to the class rooms if the management doesn’t allow you to take up the semester exams. I know about you guys”

And so, they were not able to come to a consensus on how to get what they wanted. The lunch time banter was forgotten pretty soon.

After a month, while going back from the college in the college bus, a neighboring department HOD was casually enquiring with him on what the students in his department felt about the college. Since he remembered the lunch room banter incident one month back, he told the HOD about the same. Including the three things that they wanted from the management.

“So, did you guys write all this in a piece of paper and put it in the suggestion box?”

“Which suggestion box?”

“Haven’t you seen the suggestion box outside the office?”

“I am not sure”

“How many times do you go to the office?”

“Once in a week….”

“Then you should have noticed it. It is right next to the entrance. Anyway, write it in a piece of paper and drop it there tomorrow”

He told about this to a couple of his classmates, but they advised him not to waste his paper and ink. Still, he dropped it next day without even writing his name and department.

To his surprise, the first two suggestions were implemented the very next semester.

This is a true story.

And if you think the title doesn’t match with the content, think again.

Destination Infinity

Blog Etiquette

2009-01-04T00:12:00.004+05:30

I have received the above awards (The Cup, Butterfly and Proximidade awards from Nita and Premio Dardos award from Renu) and as per Blog etiquette, I need to pass them on to fellow bloggers.

So, I give the Premio Dardos award to the following people:

Diary of Think Tank (Rahul): This is a blog hosted in Rediffiland, and the kind of writing he does is quite thought provoking. Excellent writing.
A Wide Angle View of India (Nita): A responsible Blogger who writes lot of unbiased views on serious topics. One of the blogs, where the comments can go up to even hundred, and hence a very healthy discussion happens on most topics.
1000 Petals (Axinia): I have always wordered how someone born in Russia and brought up in East Germany and Austria can write on Eastern philosophy so well! She also writes on great people from Russia, Germany and also India.
An Alien’s thought’s about our planet (Raj): His analysis of major issues goes really deep and he does not hesitate to call spade, a spade.
Sit, Relax and Watch (Raman): He has this ability to write articles on so many different subjects, and yet, extract some morality out of it!
Meditation Photography (Suresh): Balanced perspectives with a touch of philosophy. And some of the best photographs, I have seen in his blog.
I love life So I Explore (Prerna): Interesting and frank analysis.
Nivi’s Space (Nivi): Some of her stories, are really good, especially when she conveys some message through them.
The life and times of an Indian Home Maker (IHM): Though I don’t subscribe to all of what is conveyed, her perspective on sensitive issues is too good!!

I give The Cup to the following people:

Whatever Matters!!(A Bhutanese Blogger): You would definitely like to know the happenings in this near to perfect place, from a near to perfect Blogger. This blog is innocently blissful!
Awakening(Suchitra): Though she has stopped writing, you could always visit her site for the poems.eg. http://suchithewriter.blogspot.com/2008/09/perversion-of-poetry.html I have never read poetry written like this! Also read the ‘Muktha’ short story on her last post.
Daily Blog Tips (Daniel): An expert on SEO and things like that. His question answer series is very popular (In fact, I learnt how to link, from him!)
Maami’s Weblog: Be it her stories, her articles or anything else, it is just excellent. I have never seen an account on Chennai so beautifully written.
Jabberwock (Jai Arjun): If you are thinking if there is much of Indian writers writing in English, visit this site. You could get an interview or review of almost all the English books published in India!
Soliloquy(Aditya): While his writing is not extraordinary, his commenting is. He can argue on any point, persistently and convincingly!!
My Story ISB and Beyond(Ram’s Abode): A classical music treat, especially some of his lengthier articles on the nuances of Carnatic music.
Punchinello’s Chronicals: This author, has a very balanced sense of analyzing the society and everything else that matters in the United States.
Arjun Somanchi’s Blog: If it is about perspectives – he’s definitely got the right one. Nice articles that give you the alternate (truer) perspective.

I give the Butterfly award to the following people:

Doing Jalsa and Showing Jilpa (Krish Ashok): Humour, can never get better than this!
Mashed Musings (Amit): When he doesn’t write about Bollywood, he writes great stuff – but the number of awards at the Avant Garde, should tell more about him.
18,000 RPM (Dinesh Babu): He writes on normal topics. But makes the stuff so interesting to read. His proposed story for ‘Robot’ was really good.
Su (Sri Harsha): What ever he writes, he writes with authority. Even the comments. When he comments on other sites, he puts a lot of effort into it.
The Light Shines the brightest (Vishesh): Too mature for his age! He writes long poems with some exceptional implications and understanding (And he himself knows that his poems are long!)
Rinksnbitts (Renu): A Blogger who not only writes responsible things, she also comments responsibly. And she speaks her mind straight.
Straight Drive: I was impressed initially by his cricketing posts, but now following his entire blog. He writes frankly.
Redifining Oblivion (Rakesh): His pursuit of meaning and purpose of life through travels, book reviews etc. is evident in his blog.
My Experiments in Kitchen (Sahaja): The only cooking blog I follow. Her blog teaches the simpler dishes like Semiya upma and the likes, which are practical, more popular and easy to cook. She can read and understand Sanskrit – a rarity.
Anniyan(Pavan): I just read one of his articles on the Aethist's point of view on God, and was mighty impressed. Keep going!

Destination Infinity

Peace

2009-01-02T00:01:00.002+05:30

“Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict – alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence” – Dorothy Thompson

Adhiyaman, was the king of Thadagur. A neighboring King called Thondaiman wanted to wage war on him. Adhiyaman, didn’t want the immense losses of a war. So, Avvayar, who was a very famous poetess, decided to go to the court of Thondaiman, as an emissary. Thondaiman, who had a great deal of respect for her literary works, showed around his palace, with pride. He also showed the huge stock of weapons he possessed which were new and shining. On noticing that, Avvayar told him that Adhiyaman’s weapons are all broken and are being sharpened, implying that Adhiyaman was more experienced and his expertise was tested in battles. Thondaiman, was quick to grasp the meaning and averted the war.

“Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of faith, strength, energy, will, sympathy, justice, imagination and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved through passivity and quietism” – Dorothy Thompson.

Artabanus, was the uncle of Xerxes. He thought that there was danger to the Persian army going into Greece, and he tried to induce his nephew Xerxes not to war against Greece. Xerxes answered him as follows: “There is reason in what you say, but you ought not to see danger everywhere or to reckon every risk. If whatever comes up, you are going to weigh everything alike, you will never do anything. It is better to be always an optimist and to suffer half the amount of evil, than always to be full of gloomy anticipations and never suffer at all. If you attack every proposal made without showing the right course to follow, you will come to grief as much as those whom you oppose. The scales are evenly balanced. How can a human being know certainly which way they will incline? He cannot. But success generally attends those who wish to act; and it does not attend those who are timid and balance everything. You see the great power which Persia has attained. If my predecessors on the throne had held your views, or without holding them had had counselors like you, you would never have seen our kingdom become so great. It is by taking risks that they made us what we are. Great things are achieved through great dangers” – This conversation is dated around 500 BCE.

“They have not wanted peace at all; they have wanted to be spared war – as though the absence of war was the same as peace” - Dorothy Thompson.

Destination Infinity

HTC P3400i Vs MOTO ROKR E6

2008-12-28T20:25:00.005+05:30

I have been doing some experimental posts this month, and this is also a part of it (Read: I am in holiday mood, and hence no patience to do serious posts!)

When I wanted to buy a touch screen phone (I wanted a touch screen phone because it is much easier to browse the internet with them on the phone), and had a limited budget of Rs. 10,000/- (INR) only, there are two good options that I short listed on: The MOTO ROKR E6 and HTC P3400i. Since I was already using MOTO ROKR E6 and ended up buying HTC P3400i, I thought I could compare both of them on my blog.

MOTO ROKR E6 is more of a phone and less of a PDA. HTC P3400i is more of a PDA and less of a phone. The former is based on a Linux Operating system. And the latter is on Windows Mobile. MOTO ROKR E6 comes with a reader-only for word, excel, pdf and ppt files. But HTC P3400i comes with a mobile word, excel and pdf editors. Not that I have used these applications on my cell phone!

The display size of the HTC P3400i is bigger and the touch screen of this phone is easier to handle. The problem with touch screen phones is typing big messages (like blog comments or emails). It takes time to type them using the built in on screen keyboards. So, if you are an SMS freak, don’t buy a ‘touch screen only’ model. But the advantage of such phones is the ease of browsing the internet and selecting options.

The HTC P3400i beats the MOTO ROKR E6 when it comes to the internet options. It has the EDGE capability but the other has only GPRS. Meaning, the web pages load much faster on the HTCP3400i. Both don’t have Wi-Fi or 3G, and I don’t think that is a big dis-advantage. It took one day for me to configure and use my laptop for internet browsing through the USB Cable provided by the MOTO ROKR E6 phone. It took two hours on the HTC P3400i (Experience?)

Both are surprisingly good when it comes to the music options. The MOTO ROKR E6 has a 3.5mm universal headset jack which means, I can directly connect the phone to my computer speakers with sub-woofer and play the songs on the speakers, without a PC! The sound and clarity of the external speakers are better in MOTO ROKR E6. But the head-phone experience (with equalizer) is better with HTC P3400i. The MOTO ROKR E6 comes with a built in radio.

Both of them have a decent 2MP camera and the MOTO ROKR comes with a 1GB memory card (expandable upto 2 GB) but no such luck with the HTC mobile. You could always buy a 2 GB Micro SD Card and put it on(Expandable upto 4 GB). The mirror for taking self portraits is on the front for the HTC!

There is a good phone locking capability with MOTT ROKR E6 – by just sliding a button you could lock the touch screen. But with the HTC P3400i, you could switch off the touch screen by just pressing the power key once (It will get auto on, if a call comes in).

It is easier to configure work email on HTC P3400i. I configured my personal Gmail id too, and I am notified whenever a new email comes in either. The MOTO ROKR E6 also gives you the option, but I was not able to configure it.

If you have any questions, please leave it in the comments section, I will answer it. And don’t expect a very long life for the touch screen. But you’ll be glad, when it fails, as it is an opportunity for buying the latest model J

Destination Infinity

Shreya Ghoshal and Saina Nehwal

2008-12-22T01:32:00.002+05:30

“Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Saina Nehwal:

In less than a year since I wrote this post on India’s performance in Olympics, I had to eat my words. More than the three medals we got this time, it was the individual brilliance and the fight put up by our athletes that amazed me. One such athlete who went right up to the quarterfinals of the Olympics in the Badminton event was Saina Nehwal. In fact, she won her World Badminton Junior’s title shortly after the Olympics – meaning, she was still qualified to play for the junior’s event when she achieved this feat in the Olympics!

Her semi-final appearance in the recently concluded Super Series Finals in Malaysia, where only top eight players in the world compete for the crown, is great news for Indian badminton and also her coach Gopichand, who has himself won the All England Badminton tournament for India.

Her journey to the top, as expected, was not an easy one. Her father drove 50 KM daily for three months in a scooter to reach the coaching institute at 6 AM in the morning, when she was barely 8 years old. After that, her family moved closer to the stadium but she still had to commute 7 KM daily – morning and evening for the practice.

Keep smashing hard Saina, a whole nation is proud of you!

Shreya Ghoshal:

If brilliance, ever had a voice, this was it!

I was among a handful of people in an empty theatre watching the movie ‘Banaras’, just to listen to this song – Om Namah Shivaya sung by Shreya Ghoshal, in theatre effect. I liked the voice so much that I should have listened to it hundred’s of times, afterwards.

After listening to the Kannada(Telugu) and Malayalam(Tamil) versions of the climax song of the movie – ‘Chandramukhi’, I thought it couldn’t get better than the Tamil (Telugu) version – Ra ra…. But that was till, I heard Shreya Ghosal sing ‘Mere Dholna sun’ in Bhool Bhulaiya.

It seems her career in Bollywood started with the finals of Zee Sa Re Ga Ma TV show when her voice was spotted by Sanjai Leela Bhansali. She started her career by singing five songs in the movie Devdas and received a lot of accolades for singing ‘Bairi Piya’ in Devdas. I don’t think any one else could have recorded this song in the first attempt itself!

No doubt, ‘Jadoo hai Nasha hai’ song from Jism was one of her very best. Still, I think her voice in the ‘Cheeni Kum’ title song was equally good. It seems she started her sojourn in stage performances with this Rajasthani Classical – ‘Suniyo jee’. To understand the spirit of her voice, listen to this song she sung in a concert – ‘Yeh Ishq Aaye’ (Jab We Met).

She has also sung some beautiful songs in Tamil – My favorite one is the slow and soulful ‘Ninaithu Ninaithu parthen’ from 7G Rainbow Colony (Listen to this in a slightly higher volume – you’ll love it).

I didn’t previously know that the song ‘Munbe vaa yen anbe vaa’ was sung by Shreya Ghoshal. I should have guessed it! Another song that caught my attention was ‘Aiyaiyo’ song from the movie Paruthiveeran. This one is a pure village folk song with a highly local accent, which proves her skill to sing songs which are diverse and difficult.

Also do listen to this nice Kannada song – ‘Araluthiru Jeevada’ from the movie Mungaru Male, also sung by her.

Destination Infinity

Wordpress Vs Blogger: An Interesting Experience

2008-12-12T21:47:00.006+05:30

It’s around one year since I started Blogging. I was introduced to blogging by my friend MSR. I started with two blogs. One in Wordpress and one in Blogger (The free versions of both). For the last one year, I have been posting the same content, simultaneously, in both Wordpress as well as Blogger almost at the same time, with similar tags, titles etc. So when you visit,

http://destinationinfinity.wordpress.com and

http://destinationinfinity.blogspot.com

you would find that they have the same content. And when I visit other blogs, I comment as a Wordpress user in Wordpress blogs and Blogspot user in Blogger sites. This post is to share my experiences and stats for both of them for the last one year.

Since I am not an expert like Daniel of Dailyblogtips, I can only share my experiences as a beginner and a novice. And besides, I use only the basic services of both the above blogging platforms, as blogging is just a hobby for me. So please do point out, if there are some glaring mistakes in my observations and you could add your own too in the comments section.

Theme:

I love everything about my Wordpress theme – the colour, header, design, background and pretty much everything. But the level of customization is limited here. With Blogger, the themes are simpler (When I started), but I can change the background/foreground/font colours if I wish - and I did. My friend says we can do much more customization in Blogger but I don’t understand technical terms like CSS etc. While Wordpress gives all the important Widgets needed for the sidebar, Blogger gives much more. You can access them directly from the Blogger site, and that makes it easier for people like me. But you don’t have the recent comments widget in Blogger and I did try to get the code from the internet, but couldn’t make it work! But when I wanted a sliding text in my sidebar, I searched and got a piece of code in the net, which I applied to both Blogger and Wordpress. The code worked only in Blogger.

Posting Options:

Both Wordpress and Blogger are simple and easy to use for posting of articles. While Wordpress has more posting options (Like Addpoll, Excerpt, Auto Pingback, Password protect post etc.), with Blogger I can post in languages other than English (Like Tamil and Hindi) directly from the site.

Comments:

I have enabled comments in both Wordpress and Blogger and I also comment on other interesting Wordpress and Blogger blogs. The wordpress comments section with just three fields and open interface right from the beginning, is very easy to work with. Especially when I am reading and commenting from my mobile phone. Initially Blogger did not allow comments from other blogging platforms (I think), but now they do. Blogger has an option to request the commenter for word verification, to avoid spam comments. But Akismet, in Wordpress does a decent job of avoiding spam comments. I also like the Email Comments feature of Blogger. It is easy to keep track of the replies when I comment on other Blogger sites.

Tracking of Stats:

I track stats for both my blogs using,

1. The inbuilt stats checking facility available in the wordpress site,

2. Google Analytics for Blogger.

Google Analytics gives you a lot of options to track the activity in your website. But I found that Analytics was slow and gives you much more information than required for a hobbyist like me. That makes me search for the relevant information each time and hence more time needs to be spent. Wordpress on the other hand, gives me the no. of views per day/per month, referring websites, terms used in the search engine to reach my page, the posts that were actually viewed on a particular day and the number of hits – All this at the click of a single button. What more could I want?

Statistics:

Now, let us look at the actual stats. Just for my reference, I have taken the actual number of hits during the sixth month of my Blogger site as 1 (As this was the lowest value available to me) and all the other months will reflect a scale which is proportional to this value.

Blogger Wordpress

1^st Month 2.03 3.70

2^nd Month 3.16 5.16

3^rd Month 1.58 2.77

4^th Month 1.67 4.96

5^th Month 1.35 4.87

6^th Month 1.00 4.48

7^th Month 1.35 5.19

8^th Month 2.09 11.29

9^th Month 2.29 12.58

10^th Month 3.77 16.19

11^th Month 3.51 18.09

12^th Month 3.70 19.48

But I should also add that I had registered a free domain (www.destinationinfinity.co.nr – you can register your blog with a domain name and co.nr is a free service for doing so) for wordpress and promoted this with my small circle of friends and colleagues. This might have worked in favor of my Wordpress stats as in the 8^th month, you can see a sudden splurge of the stats in Wordpress – That was the month when I emailed the above mentioned domain to all my colleagues and class mates and asked them to see. Also, in the Frequently Visited Sites Folder of my Google Reader, there are 13 Wordpress Blogs when compared to 6 Blogspot ones. So, this could also have made a difference.

Google, which owns Blogger, gives a Page Rank of 4 for my Wordpress site and N/A for my Blogger site, even though same content is present in both of them. Probably this might be due to a better community in Wordpress and I could have received more links from my fellow Wordpress users. But my friend says Blogger is better/liked by technical people like him (Also for technical blogs).

Destination Infinity

AK-47

2008-12-08T00:38:00.002+05:30

AK-47

Mikhail Kalashnikov was the inventor of the AK-47 Automatic Assault Rifle.

AK-47 fires about 600 rounds per minute
Effective range : 100 – 800 meters
It has only about 8 moving parts and hence very simple to produce, use and maintain.
There are about 100 million AK-47’s and its variants in use, worldwide.

For more information on the AK-47, visit the Wikipedia page – AK-47.

M Kalashnikov grew up in a peasant family in the remote Altai Mountain region by the Mongolian border. He started working on his rifle in 1940’s, driven to design by Soviet defeats in the early years of world war II at the hands of far better armed German soldiers.

“In October 1941, I was seriously wounded and while in hospital, I conceived the idea of a submachine gun, a simple one you wouldn’t need a big plant to build. So, I got out my notebook and pencils, and started making drafts of the would be weapon” – M Kalashnikov

“It was the Germans who turned me into an arms designer. If I hadn’t taken part in the war, I would probably have made technology to ease the tough work of the peasants” – M Kalashnikov

“I am proud of my invention, but I am sad that it is being used by terrorists. I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work – for example a lawn mower” M Kalashnikov

“I sleep well at nights. Politicians are responsible for not resolving their problems without out resorting to arms” – M Kalashnikov

“It is not the designers who must ultimately take responsibility for where guns end up – It is the Governments who must control their production and export” – M Kalashnikov

“They always tell me that I would be a multi millionaire in the west. They always talk about money. Are there no other values? What about having a bronze bust of yourself in your home village?” – M Kalashnikov

“More than 30 foreign companies, private and state based, continue the illegal manufacturing and copying of small arms” – Sergey V Cherneyov (Former KGB officer)

“Kalashnikov’s progeny appear to have caused most of the 3,00,000 annual combat fatalities in the wars of 1990’s. They were the primary weapon for one or more sides in virtually all the 40 plus wars of the last decade” – Aaron Karp (Sr. Consultant to the Geneva based small arms survey)

“We can’t tolerate the situation when only 10% of the Kalashnikov’s (AK-47 and its variants) are manufactured legally” – Sergey V Lavrov

“When I watch TV and see the small arms of the AK-47 family in the hands of bandits,

I keep asking myself: How did those people get hold of them?” – M Kalashnikov

Destination Infinity

Aryabhata - I

2008-11-29T15:57:00.001+05:30

476 – 550 CE (CE is the same as AD and BCE is the same as BC)

“Chaturadhikam Shatamashtagunam Dvashashtistatha Sahasranam

Ayutadvayavi Shkambhasyasanno Vrttaparinahah” – Ganita Pada, 10 – Aryabhatiya.

Roughly translated: “Add 4 to 100, multiply by 8 and add to 62000. This is approximately the circumference of a circle whose diameter is 20000”

Implying PI = 62832/20000 = 3.1416

One of his most important legacies is his accurate knowledge of the value of Pi. Especially when Pi could be expressed only as a whole number ratio as there was no system for decimal fractions back then.
Prior to him, Vedic Sutras had expounded on geometric relationships for religious purposes such as altar construction and keeping track of calendars. Jain mathematicians also excelled at mathematics prior to Aryabhata.
One of his works, “Aryabhatiya” has survived till today. It was written in Sanskrit and in poetic verse form containing 123 stanzas.
Aryabhata provides methods to find out square roots and cube roots (Though the square roots have been thought of being found out before him)
Since the value of Pi was known to him, he also gave the formulae to calculate the area of a circle and volume of sphere.
One of his more complicated works was his derivation of the Sine Table. In fact, the modern trigonometric names ‘Sine’ and ‘Cosine’ are a mis-transcription of the words ‘jya’ and ‘kojya’ as introduced by Aryabhata. These were transcribed as Jiba and KoJiba in Arabic. They were then misinterpreted by Gerard of Cremona while translating an Arabic Geometry text into Latin. He took Jiba to be the Arabic word Jaib, which means fold in a garment, ie. Sinus.
Aryabhata’s astronomical calculation methods were also very influential. Calendric calculations worked out by Aryabhata and followers have been in continuous use in India for the practical purposes of fixing the Panchangam or the Hindu calendar.
Aryabhata was the first astronomer to make an attempt at measuring the earth’s circumference accurately. His estimation of 24,835 miles was a deviation of just 0.2% from the actual value.

So, the next time you hear the name of the first satellite launched by India to be “Aryabhata”, the Lunar Crater “Aryabhata”, Aryabhata Maths Competition or of the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Sciences (Near Nainital), you know who the great person was and why they are all named after him – After all, calculating the value of Pi when there was no decimal fraction system was like thinking of a car when the wheels were not invented!

Destination Infinity

Thought Provoking Quotes - II

2008-11-23T01:02:00.002+05:30

Since by now, you would have known my interest in collecting different quotations which would make you read them once again, here are some more, which I found interesting:

“Fortune does not change men; it unmasks them”

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to change it every six months”

“Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them as much”

“It’s human to think wisely but act in an absurd manner”

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good”

“Truth, like surgery, may hurt but it cures”

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own”

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal”

“You should not bite the hand that feeds you. But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself”

“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become, is our gift to God”

“Insanity in individuals is something rare. But in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule”

“There are three sides to every argument – Your side, My side and the Right side.”

“Everyone should have a spouse, because there are a number of things that go wrong that one can’t blame the Government”

“Hearing is one of the body’s five senses. But listening is an art”

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”

“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it generation after generation”

Destination Infinity

Related Reading: Thought Provoking Quotes

I am a Hypocrite

2008-11-15T07:28:00.004+05:30

Rakesh has tagged me. This was the opportunity that I was waiting for!

The Tag: Requires me to post six things that are eccentric attributes of mine.

I choose to describe only one eccentric attribute (trait?) of mine – Hypocrisy. But I would give six instances to showcase it though!

When the match fixing scandal was exposed in Cricket, I thought that it was some kind of a conspiracy to undermine the popularity of the game. Because, even after the exposure, I tend to watch the game with the same passion I had earlier, in any of its forms. What is important for me is the fun I have in cheering for my team and the ‘feeling’ I get after we win a match or a tournament. Even if some people are skeptical about the rival captain’s decision to bowl part time bowlers at a crucial point of a match, I would choose to ignore all that. I am ecstatic because of the fact that we won that match. And that is what matters to me. I don’t really bother when in football, the United States is a a quarter finalist in a world cup hosted by the United states or when Japan and Korea both reach the semi finals of the world cup jointly hosted by them or when Italy wins the world cup just after a huge match fixing scandal breaks out there. What I am more bothered about is that I was not able to watch some of the matches! You could also read a Poem that I wrote on the topic 'Match Fixing' some time back.

When I see a bottle in the middle of the road, I curse the person who put it there and would get around it hoping that every one else also would be able to do the same. The idea of stopping my vehicle and removing the bottle from there never crosses my mind. Even if it does after some time (And distance), I would like to think that some one would have removed it by now! When a fellow commuter breaks the traffic signal to attend to some ‘Urgent’ work that he always seems to have, I would abuse him. Or ignore him. Worse, I would even take him as an example and start breaking signals myself, as I think that he was daring, smart and even saved a lot of time by breaking signals!

When Miss My Country wins the Miss Universe or Miss World pageant after giving such a complex and a brilliantly well constructed reply to the question posed by the judges in the final round, I would rejoice even though the sentence seems to be hopelessly memorized (Albeit for a short time, after which that ‘good’ feeling takes over again)!

I sincerely believe that all those film awards are being given to the deserving ‘artistes’ and I fail to understand or even probe why Amir Khan is not present to collect the award for any of his movies. I am happy as long as I am entertained with so many glamorous people all under one roof, and I think why they don’t screen these award functions at the multiplexes!

I believe that education is the key to success in life. So much, that I don’t care to notice how students are admitted into these ‘technical’ institutes, what they are taught there, whether they are able to understand and are able to apply the theoretical concepts to practical applications, how they very often memorize whole pages to just pass the examinations, or even to get university ranks. I just don’t bother about all these trivial things as long as I get admitted in one, manage to pass out with a decent GPA and get a high paying job in a big company. I don’t bother to see if the kind of work I am doing is helping me to achieve quality results and is able to help me take further strides in my career to understand good business practices and acquire skill sets that would reward my company and myself. All I would be bothered about after joining one would be about the appraisals (Perhaps the lack of it?) and the onsite ‘opportunities’. Of course, I would also be bothered about how much more is my college mate or ex-colleague is earning in his/her big company!

And last but not the least, I really think that Open and Free market strategies and practices are really open and free for everyone and they are the best bet to solve all our economic woes!

I am a hypocrite and a proud one at that. Because, if I was not proud of it, I would have at least attempted to change myself! I guess I share a lot with my fellow citizens J

Destination Infinity

PS: I am supposed to tag some people. So, consider yourself to be tagged if you wanna add some more salt….

Otto Von Bismarck

2008-11-10T01:11:00.001+05:30

1815 – 1898

Germany, unlike England and France was not a united nation, for quite a long time. Bismarck’s most important legacy is the unification of Germany. Germany had existed as a collection of a lot of separate principalities, and free cities, since the formation of the Holy Roman Empire. Bismarck was the first leader to unite a major portion of what is referred to as Germany, today.

Otto Von Bismarck was not the prince of Prussia – which was by far the largest constituent of the divided Germany. In 1848, Prussia faced a revolution, which resulted in the creation of the constitution and legislature (Landtag). Bismarck was even elected to this Landtag but later was made an envoy (Of Prussia) to Frankfurt, Russia and France.

In 1862, the King of Prussia – Wilhem appointed Bismarck as the Minister-President and Foreign Minister of Prussia. Bismarck used both diplomacy and the Prussian military to achieve unification of a multitude of principalities loosely bound together as members of the German Confederation. Prussia became the most powerful and dominant member of this new Germany, and Austria was excluded. The new German empire was a federation. Each of constituent states retained some autonomy. Bismarck was appointed the imperial chancellor of the German empire.

During most of his nearly 30 years long tenure, Bismarck held undisputed control over the Government policy. He was well supported by his friend Albrecht Von Roon, the War Minister and the leader of the Prussian Army – Helmuth Von Moltke. Bismarck mostly devoted himself to keeping peace in Europe so that the strength of the German empire would not be threatened.

Bismarck’s astute, cautious, and pragmatic foreign policies allowed Germany to retain peacefully the powerful position into which he had brought it. He maintained amiable diplomacy with almost all the European nations, except maybe France.

Some of Otto Von Bismarck’s famous quotations:

“Only self interest makes a war worthy cause for a major state. At the end of the conflict we would scarcely know why we had fought”

“Man cannot create the current of events. He can only float with them and steer”

“What we learn from History is that no one learns from History”

“The most significant event of the 20^th Century will be that the North Americans speak English”

“Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied”

“When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn’t the slightest intention of putting it into practice”

“When you want to fool the world, tell the truth”

Destination Infinity

Where do we play?

2008-11-02T01:09:00.004+05:30

Sundar was in his early sixties. He had been working in a good position in a leading Government firm and had retired recently. He was always active during his working days and hence even after retirement he chose to be active by becoming the General Secretary of the apartment where he and his son’s family lived – in separate apartments. One of the proposal that he was instrumental in taking forward was the expansion of the apartments. The Government had left some good space in front of the four blocks as a part of its planned apartment construction (When the apartments were originally constructed before some years) as per its procedures. The Government then sold off the apartments to individual tenants. Recently a lot of such Government built apartments were expanding in the open spaces available with them, across the city. Not to be left behind, Sundar too managed to get the permission to expand his apartments. Dharma, was his grand son. He was studying in the eighth standard.

“Today is one of the most important dates for this apartment Dharma. We have managed to get the permission to expand the apartments. We will no longer be a 2BHK apartment owners. We will be the proud owners of Three Bedroom, Two Hall and Kitchen apartments. You should be very happy as we are doing all this for you. Aren’t you exited to have a bigger house?”

“But Grandpa, all the owners have to pay for the expansion, right?”

“Yes. But we managed to get almost everybody’s approval except a couple of the owners. The turning point was the deal that we struck with this construction company. They have offered to do the construction, free of cost for us. We need to pay only for the materials. All they wanted in exchange was to construct one more floor – The Third floor and sell it at the prevailing market rates today. So, the owners were very happy. And so was the construction company as the existing real estate prices in this area has sky-rocketed recently”

“But what is the advantage to us?”

“We would be the proud owners of such a big apartment house, that too in a prime location in the city. That’s why I insisted that your father buy an apartment here itself”

“But Grandpa, you and Grandma live in a separate apartment. My parents and myself too live in our own apartment. Why do we need four halls and six rooms for the five of us?”

“You are too young to understand the real estate market. It is something like this – If we ever decide to sell an apartment after expansion, the returns would be very high”

“But would we ever sell, Grandpa?”

“That, I am not sure. Maybe not in the near future. But we can feel secure as we have such a high value property with us. Investing in property is always the best investment, dear”

“But we have already taken a loan to buy the house. Now we need to take another one for the expansion”

“Yes, that is there. But think about this – If we stayed in rental houses, we would be paying a considerable amount as rental every month and after a long time we would have paid a lot of money but we would not own any property. This is better than that, isn’t it?”

“But the rental amount would be considerably lesser, Grandpa. We would also be able to use the differential amount for having a better standard of living. Imagine if there is a misfortune and we are not able to pay the Bank installments”

“That is exactly what I was talking about. If ever such a misfortune arises, we could sell one of the apartments, settle the bank loan and still have a handsome amount to spend in our hands. All of us could always live in a single apartment after that”

“You are talking about the advantage that we could get, in the event of a misfortune, Grandpa. I was talking about the advantages we could have, without that misfortune. And on the top of that we require a misfortune to stay together!”

“Nothing like that. This is also like living together. You could always come here anytime you want, right?”

“Yes. But everything is separate, right? We have two kitchens, two separate furniture sets, double maintenance charges, when we could have easily avoided all that”

“But this was the best option available to me when your parents wanted to live separately. You are young. You cannot understand certain things in life. It will take some time before you grasp all these things”

“I too guess so. But Grandpa, where do we play Cricket after the expansion?”

Destination Infinity

PS: This post was inspired by This Blogpost by An Alien Earthling. Wondering if there is any connection between that post and this one? There is.

Two Great Tennis Players

2008-10-27T15:50:00.002+05:30

His childhood was a huge tragedy. Even before he was born, three of his older siblings died. When he was barely 18, his mother died. Three years later, his father and brother died. At the young age of 22, he was the only survivor of a once big family.

He was encouraged to play Tennis by a relative, who considered it to be a form of therapy for his grief.

Five years later, he became the first American player to win a tournament at Wimbledon, in England. In the 1920’s he dominated the sport of Tennis like no one else. He won seven US Championships, three Wimbledon titles. In fact, his form was so good during his peak that he won 57 games in a row.

He was Bill Tilden, one of the greatest Tennis players of all time.

When he was barely 6 years, his mother passed away. To avoid his loneliness, he started playing Tennis. It did not take a long time for him to come to the main stage. In 1969, he won both US Open and the Davis Cup for his country. Yet, in that year, he was denied entrance to a South African tournament because he was black. He then started using his star status to help African American people to achieve equality. He also won the Wimbledon on a come back effort.

In 1980, he had a heart stroke; in the hospital during surgery, he was given HIV infected blood. He contacted AIDS. Still, for 13 years, he fought to bring awareness about AIDS worldwide.

One of his fans wrote a letter asking him that while there were five hundred billion people on the planet, why God chose him for the deadly disease? To which, he replied – “Every year fifty million people start playing Tennis, 50000 people come to the circuit, 5000 reach the Grand slams, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to the semi-finals, 2 to the finals and only one player among all wins the title. When I was holding the Cup (After winning the Wimbledon), I never asked God “Why me?”. And today in pain too, I should not be asking God, “Why me?”

He was Arthur Ashe, another renowned Tennis player of his time.

It is from these great people that we must take inspiration. Not the hero’s and heroine’s of Bollywood.

Destination Infinity

Success

2008-10-25T18:18:00.005+05:30

There is one more quotation which I would like to share with you all... This is the definition of Success by Ralph Wandoo (Waldo?) Emerson. This is by far the best definition that I have been able to find on the topic - Success.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better - whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life breathed easier because you lived - That is to have succeeded in life"

Seems convincing for me; have you guys anything to add?

Destination Infinity

Thought provoking Quotes

2008-10-20T07:15:00.002+05:30

There are certain quotations which do not advice. They do not preach. They are not judgmental. They don’t claim that they are the Truth. But still you would have to think about each of them at least twice. The wisdom ingrained in them is sometimes not visible openly. That’s why I have categorized them as thought provoking. I have been getting the following quotes from a friend through email (The subject is Good Morning, though and with a neat picture). Some of them have indeed made my day, not just the morning. Have a look at a few selected ones that I have liked over the years.

“The true mystery of the world is the visible; not the invisible”

“Money is a very excellent servant; but a terrible master”

“An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason”

“Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten but they may start a winning game”

“Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind”

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”

“It’s not what you are called, but what you answer to”

“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard”

“Having enemies’ means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life”

“Failure is not falling down; but staying down”

“By learning to obey, you will know how to command”

“To be content with a little is hard; to be content with much is impossible”

“If you wish to travel far and fast, try traveling light, taking off all your burdens”

“LUCK….. stands for Labouring Under Correct Knowledge”

“Intellectuals solve problems. Geniuses prevent them”

“The future will be exactly like the past; only far more expensive”

“Hardwork has a future pay-off; Laziness pays-off now”

And how about this one to close: “Cheer up, the worst is yet to come” !!

Destination Infinity

PS: I’ll try to post more such quotes, but at irregular intervals. But the worst is yet to come – so cheer up people :-)

Related Reading: Thought Provoking Quotes - II

Bhutan - Learning's from a Little Country

2008-10-11T15:18:00.006+05:30

This is an update to my earlier post on Bhutan:

http://destinationinfinity.blogspot.com/2008/01/bhutan-gross-national-happiness.html

Somehow, I seem to be fascinated by the Bhutanese. In these times, when the elected ‘representatives’ are more concerned about retaining their power by any means, there is a King in Bhutan who has introduced Democracy and given the right to the Parliament to remove him by a majority vote of no-confidence, which never existed before – in this mountainous kingdom. And no, people did not force this through a revolution. They were happy to have their King, and now they are happy to embrace Democracy. Their happiness comes through a concept introduced by the Bhutanese King – “Gross National Happiness”, which he uses to measure the progress of his state. This doesn’t take only the wealth created (Like Gross National Product measurements) to judge the progress of the nation. They are more concerned about the happiness and well being of their people and nature. If you have around fifteen minutes to spare, please take a look at the below video and also go through the link given at the beginning of this post.

You can watch the YouTube Video here

Destination Infinity

The Unique School

2008-09-30T19:06:00.002+05:30

That was the first democratic school in the whole world. Everything about it was done in a democratic way. The students would choose which teacher they wanted for which subject. Through voting and the most popular teacher who would garner the support of most of the students and fellow teachers would become the principal.

The ‘elections’ were conducted once in every four months when the students could choose if they wanted to retain the particular teacher for a particular subject. They could practically vote them out, if they wished to.

The teachers were allowed to canvass for one week during the end of every four month term. If a teacher wants a plum post like ‘Science teacher’, then he/she had to secure so many votes more than the next teacher who wanted the same post in the same class. The teachers decide where all to contest, but it is the students who decide who would teach what and where. Most of the time, it didn’t matter if the specialization of a particular teacher was Science but still she ended up teaching Crafts. Even vice versa was pretty much ok with the students, as long as they could exercise their right to vote.

The Second standard election was contested fiercely by two teachers. Both of them wanted to teach mathematics. And the mathematics teacher was also generally the class teacher. There was a major burning issue in that class – The students had for long been demanding that they be given two chocolate bars every day. Which ever teacher would come up with an agenda to tackle this issue better, was expected to win the election.

The first teacher told the students that the chocolates were not good for health and especially teeth if eaten very frequently. She told them how the chocolate manufacturers formed a consortium and were getting involved in having a uniformly “Unfair” and high prices. She told them how the “mithai wala” shop outside the school was secretly negotiating with the manufacturers for the bulk deals as he was confident that he would sell the maximum number of chocolates with his ‘deep’ connections with the student leaders of many primary classes. She also told them about how the school funds, which were obtained by the fees paid by the students, would be unnecessarily diverted for purchasing the chocolates which could otherwise be utilized for purchasing some educational aids which would not only make learning fun, but also help them with their academic performance. She pointed out how hard their parents worked to earn the money they paid as fees and the fact that they would definitely not allow the kids to have two big chocolates per day at home, primarily for the health reasons. She ended her speech with a touching personal note – “When I was a kid, I yearned to eat chocolates daily. But my parents were very strict and allowed one per week only. Even though I was angry on them back then, I am glad now as I have been able to retain good health and most importantly healthy teeth”.

Even though the kids were only studying second standard, they were moved by the speech. They started to think. Sensing that the speech was a catalyst to thought, the second teacher, who was about to grant the student’s wish for two chocolates per day, suddenly increased her offer to four free chocolates per day. The big ones – bar chocolates.

Guess who won! Thank God at least our schools don’t run this way!

Destination Infinity

Liquified Pursuit of Happiness

2008-09-20T22:58:00.003+05:30

Sridhar was devastated. A divorce within two years of marriage was something that he could not come to terms with. He and Nidhi were never made for each other. He, a small town. shy boy and she, a cosmopolitan, city dwelling bubbly girl. He had a very limited outlook towards life – Good education, Software job and settled life. He was not outgoing and did not have many friends. She was his exact opposite – adventurous, had a lot of friends and was very talkative. No wonder, whatever she did, it was ‘wrong’ in his eyes. She thought a lot of her freedom was taken away after marriage by him and his family. There was visible friction. He became so paranoid in her eyes that she stopped looking into his eyes. She was so carefree in his eyes that he found lesser and lesser words to communicate with her. It needed only a spark to set the explosion. ‘How could she do that?’ he thought. Everything was over that day. Both of them agreed to get divorced by mutual consent. He was filled with so much grief for the failed marriage that alcohol became his ever loving companion from that day. He had heard that alcohol would make you forget your worries and give happiness. He had no idea of what he was doing as he let the alcohol take complete control over his happiness and life. “All women are like that” was his judgment. And consolation. “All women are like that”

Sneha was supposed to celebrate her tenth birthday on that day. Even though they were not economically well off, her mother managed to save some money without the knowledge of her father and bought her new dress and gold ear rings. She had never worn gold before. Her father had been addicted to alcohol for a couple of years. Sometimes he used to come home totally drunk. When ever her mother objected, he used to assault her. Sometimes verbally, sometimes physically. All this used to happen in front of Sneha. She had grown more and more terrified with every passing day. He came home drunk on this day too. Seeing the ear rings, he started harassing her mother. Sneha never remembered how she got the courage to say,
“Please don’t hit mother, pa”
Slap.
This time she got it. That was the last time she saw her home. Her mother admitted her in an orphanage hoping that at least her daughter could continue her studies beyond the primary school. It was obvious that her father wasn’t going to allow it. Forget sponsoring it. Sneha developed an opinion rather early in life that, “All men are like that only”. All men.

Sridhar’s parents were hell bent on getting him married once again. He was in no mood for it. “I don’t want a life partner” he said. “It’s not for you, we want to see our Grand children” they reasoned. They reminded him daily, but he, however decided to adopt a child. That way, he thought he could at least help bring in some happiness to a child, who would otherwise be deprived of the same – early in life. And his parents would get their grand child.

“I don’t want to go from here” screamed Sneha. It was about six months since she joined in the orphanage. “See, this person is ready to help you continue your education. That’s what your mother wanted right? We can’t give you a good education. So, don’t behave like a little kid. He is like your father – you’ll have to go with him” “I don’t want a father” she said. She was too terrified to forget the last few years. But nevertheless she was sent.

She was very quiet for the first couple of weeks. Sridhar wanted to break the silence and hence the distance.

“Why are you so quiet? Shall I get you some chocolates?”

“No”

“Ice cream?”

“No”

“Barbie dolls?”

”What?

“Err.. I mean toys”

“No”

“Don’t feel shy. Ask anything you want, I am like your father”

“I don’t want a father”

That was unexpected. But still he wanted to understand.

“You didn’t like your father?”

”No”

“Why?”

“He used to drink and beat my mother often”

“So that’s why….. But I think your father was a good person”

“All men think alike, I guess”

He had to smile. “Not like that. Tell me this – was he beating your mother always or only when he was drunk?”

”Only when he was drunk”

“See. I proved what I said. Your father is not bad, the liquor is bad. It makes your father go crazy”

“Then he could have stopped drinking, right?”

”Yeah, he could have but once you are addicted to it, it doesn’t leave you easily”

“Do you drink?”

”I used to…..”

“Now?”

“I stopped before three months”

“Why did you drink?”

”I drank because I was sad…. I had divorced my wife recently”

“Why?”

“She came home drunk one day”

“Did she beat you?”

”No……!”

“You are luckier. My mother was not”

“Yeah, I think I was relatively luckier”

“So, your wife was also a nice person?”

”She…….”

”Yes. She was not bad. The liquor was… right?”

”Yeah…. I guess so…. So, you’ll stay with me?”

“If you promise not to drink again”

“I don’t have to. My pursuit was happiness. It was not in in that liquid. It is elsewhere. I promise that I won’t drink from now on"

Destination Infinity

Inheritance Tax

2008-09-13T21:58:00.003+05:30

“It’s a common saying in Japan that Inheritance taxes are so high that family wealth does not last beyond three generations” – Akio Morita, Co-Founder, Sony Corp.

Inheritance taxes (In Japan or Estate Taxes in United States) refer to the tax levied on the inheritor or beneficiary of the property/land/estates etc. after the original owner dies. This mostly applies to properties above a certain minimum bracket. Generally millionaires and above.

The arguments in developed nations supporting such an inheritance tax are as follows:

* People are forced to sell their assets (which they have not earned) and hence more property (including land) comes to the market hence reducing the real estate values and making available the property which would never have been sold.
* As lot of people work to earn money for necessities, the unearned money kills the incentive to work and increases the urge for early retirement.
* Easy access to unearned wealth destroys the incentive for hard work and experimentation.
* Pouring money on children (some times grown up adults) can spoil the children as they do not know the value of earned money.
* It reduces competitiveness and make people think about ways of preserving the assets instead of creating new ones. Some times, generations sit and eat because of the family wealth without doing any type of work.

You can read an interesting article about the advantages of Inheritance Taxes Here.

Also an article wanting the Inheritance Taxes back (Abolished decades ago) in Australia Here.

But there are dis-advantages too. The high percentage of Inheritance Taxes in Japan, for example, makes it difficult to run family business. An article on that is Here. Also people aren’t convinced about taxing money that has already been taxed. Some see it as a dis-incentive to make more wealth. It has also led to devising innumerable ways to avoid the inheritance taxes and consulting is booming on the topic.

Here is the take of Economic Times on the ‘immunity’ of such taxes in India. India along with China and host of other developing countries does not levy any inheritance taxes. Do you think India should have one?

Destination Infinity

Delhi Metro - Showing the Way Forward

2008-09-07T22:28:00.003+05:30

Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is the name of the person who has shown to the whole nation that it is possible to achieve in spite of the system. He had implemented two important Railway projects - The Konkan Railway network covering rough terrains which was considered impossible to traverse, and more lately, The Delhi Metro.

The Government departments and their projects are generally considered to be done at a snail's pace. There are a lot of allegations of favoritism, when it comes to the appointments of staff and allegations of corruption when it comes to the awarding of contracts.

There was one Government initiated project that did not have any of the above. It was the Delhi Metro (Delhi Metro Railway Corporation) headed by the dynamic Mr. Sreedharan who has lived on this planet for more than three quarters of a century. The Delhi Metro was completed ahead of schedule and within the allocated budget. You can read the interview given by Mr. Sreedharan to Rediff, in this Rediff article

If any of you have had an opportunity to see, from inside, how some of the Government Departments function, this is a huge step forward. This is an important example that needs to be emulated across the system.

Switzerland, for example, has an excellent and Integrated Public Transportation System. It is so much integrated that one ticket is enough to take you from Airport to a point A in Train, from point A to point B in a Bus, from point C to point D in a Boat (or) Cable Car - This in spite the fact that all these services are run by a host of Government and Private Operators. You can read more about this Public Transportation system in Switzerland Here

Why can't we expect the same in our country too? What Mr. Sreedharan has shown with Delhi Metro is that, nothing is impossible with the determination of one person, in his case and the determination of the people, elsewhere. Let's hope that the way the other Government Departments function would change soon. And more importantly I hope that the people would demand to see the changes!

Destination Infinity

Rain Water Harvesting

2008-08-30T22:11:00.001+05:30

Sometimes, we do not need to develop wisdom by re-inventing the wheel. For centuries, rain water harvesting has been a dominant activity in our country. Be it for irrigation systems, be it in temples, be it in the backyard of ones own house. This is something that we have always been doing. But, after the concrete jungles have taken over the cities, Rainwater Harvesting has not been in the fore front of demands of any purchaser or builder of home/ apartment in urban landscapes. Do we wake up only after a large scale disaster hits us, like Los Angeles – whose case is explained in the video below?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHi4IU7JQ5Q&feature=related

Rain water harvesting in an urban landscape could be as simple as collecting the water flowing from the terraces out into the road (and causing local street flooding) into an underground tank/ sump or a cachement area which could later used for washing clothes, Cars, cooking, flushing toilets etc. (OR) Letting the rainwater flow into the ground from the terrace through multiple layers of natural filtering like broken bricks etc. which would contribute to the rise of the water tables in the area.

The following two websites have all the resources, case studies, links, community projects and all the necessary information on rainwater harvesting – particularly in India.

www.rainwaterharvesting.org

http://akash-ganga-rwh.com/RWH/WaterHarvesting.html

The following video is actually an advertisement for the rain water harvesting systems but has a lot of information on practical implementation of rain water harvesting. As they say, some times the advertisements are more informative and useful than the programs/serials in our television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsV_JgLzW4w&feature=related

And if you have watched all the videos till now, do watch this one also. A nice way of putting across the message. Just to end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xtMnE9Bo6s

Do let know if you know of any interesting implementations of the rain water harvesting methods in your area.

Destination Infinity

Aurangzeb's War of Succession

2008-08-26T21:33:00.002+05:30

There were times when we would be more interested with the PT period right next to the History class and all our attention would be on how many runs we would be scoring. There were days when we used to memorize the history lessons after cursing it a hundred times. Strange, it seems, when history suddenly becomes one of our most intriguing passions. Suddenly, we want to know and learn what happened before us. This is one such piece of history, which I found interesting. This one documents the means used by Aurangzeb to gain the highest position of Indian Empire. The means he used against his own father and brothers to gain power. But now, we have very less time to indulge in our passions. Do read, if you are one of the gifted ones who still have the time and passion at your disposal. Let us go to the year – 1658.

Shah Jahan’s magnificent reign ended in a long anticipated, convulsive political crisis. When the emperor fell ill, pent-up tensions between the mature Timurid princes exploded into a four sided war of succession. The war pitted Dara Shukoh, resident at court as the designated heir, against his three younger brothers: Muhammad Shuja, governor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa; Aurangzeb, the governor of four Deccan states; and Murad Bakhsh, governor of Gujarat and Malwa. All were sons of Mumtaz Mahal, and therefore full, rather than half brothers. Despite Shah Jahan’s expressed preference for his eldest son, Dara Shukoh, the Timurid appanage system offered no clear precedent for succession.

This was a bloody struggle fought by formidable opponents; Dara, Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad battled each other with that intensity and intimacy reserved for brothers with differing personalities. Each prince shared in the Timurid familial charisma and royal authority which gave all an undisputable claim on the throne. Each brother could draw upon the services of extremely able military and administrative staffs. Each commanded a power base, possessed ample treasure and could muster large, well-equipped armies. Only one contender could claim the throne; all others faced the grave.
In Bengal, Prince Muhammad Shuja immediately crowned himself king at Rajmahal and brought his cavalry, artillery, and river flotilla upriver toward Agra. Near Varanasi, his forces confronted a defending army sent from Delhi under the command of Dara. In mid-February, a well executed early morning surprise attack routed the Bengal troops. Shuja and his surviving men fled down river to Monghyr.

In Gujarat, Murad crowned himself in a public ceremony and prepared to march north. Murad and Aurangzeb had agreed on a joint plan of action. If they defeated their brothers, Aurangzeb would leave to Murad the Punjab, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Sind to rule as an independent King and he would rule the remaining territories. In early 1658, Aurangzeb set his army marching north. He joined forces with Murad at the village of Dharmat on the Ghambira river. Here they met Shah Jahan’s army under the command of Jaswant Singh Rathor. In the ensuing battle Aurangzeb’s well handled guns and cavalry outfought the imperial army whose survivors fell back on Delhi in disarray.

At Delhi, Dara rebuilt a 50,000 man army and awaited his brothers at defensive positions on the Chambal river south of Agra. Aurangzeb outflanked him by finding an unguarded fort. The armies met at broad plain at the village of Samugarh on the Yamuna near Agra. On 29th May, in the blazing heat of Indian summer, the climactic battle of the succession took place. Aurangzeb’s superior tactics and better disciplined artillery and cavalry prevailed against the valor of repeated Rajput cavalry charges. Finally, toward the end of the day, Dara dismounted from his war elephant and fled the field on horseback. A full scale rout began.

Aurangzeb occupied Agra city and when negotiations failed, besieged his father in Agra fort. Deprived of access to water from the river, Shah Jahan surrendered on June 8, 1658. The vast treasuries and magazines of Agra fort fell into Aurangzeb’s hands.

Dara stayed only briefly in Agra before moving to Lahore. When Aurangzeb resumed pursuit, tension between him and Murad grew. Despite warnings, Murad entered his brother’s camp for a dinner on 25th June. Here he was disarmed, made captive and quietly sent off to prison along with his son. Aurangzeb enrolled Murad’s leaderless army into his service the next day. Aurangzeb paused in Delhi long enough to crown himself on 21st July in Shalimar gardens with the title of Alamgir or “World-Seizer”. Thereafter he dealt with his brothers from an overwhelmingly strong position.

Shuja, rejecting Aurangzeb’s promises of unthreatened rule in the east, mustered a force of 25,000 cavalry and a flotilla of river boats and marched upriver. In late December, Aurangzeb joined his son Muhammad Sultan for battle against Shuja. Despite the last minute deflection of Jaswant Singh Rother with his Rajput cavalry to Shuja, Aurangzeb’s army greatly outnumbered and outgunned the Bengal army. Defeated and routed, Shuja fled with the remnants of the army.

In the interim, Dara had regained his courage, acquired funds, recruited a 20,000 man army in Gujarat and marched north. But in mid-March, 1659, Aurangzeb’s army over ran Dara’s forces in a bloody three day battle fought in the hills outside Ajmer. A little while later, Dara was arrested in Lahore and brought to Delhi as a prisoner and killed by Aurangzeb.

There followed a year and a half long, grim, water-borne campaign in pursuit of Prince Shuja by an imperial army under Mir Jumla. Shuja fought, retreated east until finally, at Tanda his army was decisively beaten and broken. In early May 1660, Shuja left Decca by boat with his family and a few faithful troops to take refuge with the raiding king of Arakan. Here, suspected of a plot against the king, he met his death. Murad Bakhsh, who was imprisoned earlier was also charged of murder and killed by Aurangzeb.

The succession crisis reaffirmed the unity of the empire and the authority of the victorious Timurid monarch. Partition of the empire into two or more appanages did not take place. Division of the empire was a bargaining point, nothing more. The principal’s knew that whoever acquired the imperial capital and throne would not rest until the partitioned territories – be they in the east or west or south – were recovered.

Destination Infinity

PS: It was not only Aurangzeb, who had to fight for the throne – many other princes also did, in the Mughal Dynasty.

List of 200 Hobbies

2008-08-23T16:55:00.002+05:30

This is sort of an update to my earlier post

You can find a list of 200 hobbies here

And yes, I have learnt how to Link. Thanks to Daily Blog Tips

Destination Infinity
PS: :-)

The Freedom that we Inherit

2008-08-20T21:41:00.003+05:30

PS(Pre-Script): I had posted this one a couple of days back in Youth Unite also.

Neeraj and Shruti were recently married. Both were employed with big IT Companies. Their offices were in a huge IT park on the outskirts of a major city in India. They had to commute for hours to reach their office and come back – daily. To add to the distance, there was also a huge traffic in the peak hours which made things worse. Neeraj had been observing some of his colleagues moving into the “Gated Communities” of Apartments which were coming up around his IT park. It had all the amenities required for a world class community. They were even assuring uninterrupted power. It was a self sustained, separate world in itself. Neeraj was contemplating whether they should also buy one of the apartments and move into them. But it was Shruti who spoke first about this to Neeraj.
“Neeraj, why don’t we move into one of the gated community apartments near our office? They have all the facilities, it seems. You know how much time it takes everyday commuting to the office and back”
“Yeah, I was also thinking about that for some time. But what would I tell my father? He took a lot of pains to construct this house in the middle of the city, and I know what this house means to my father. He is emotionally attached to this house. I still remember those days when we didn’t have so much money, how much efforts my father put into buying the plot and constructing the house. He sacrificed a lot, Shruti. In fact all of us did to build his dream house. He will never leave this house”
“All that is fine Neeraj, but times have changed now and people have their priorities. I am not talking about the comforts there Neeraj, but I am talking about the strain we undergo daily just for commuting”
“Let all of us move, then. We will leave this house on rent”
“I will be more than glad to do that. But will your father accept?”
“I don’t think he will”
“Neeraj, try to understand. It’s not like we are fighting with them and leaving them for ever. We are just looking for a reasonable solution”
“In fact, I was also thinking about talking about this to you, Shruti. Maybe we could come here every weekend and we will not ask for any money from them for purchasing the flat. Well manage the installments ourselves”
“Money is not an issue Neeraj. But I was concerned if they get ill or something, who would take care of them?”
“We are just going to be two hours away Shruti. And we could also appoint a nurse to take care of them, if required. I was thinking, they may become lonely”
“They could always come and stay with us, Neeraj. Right now we may not be able to afford a two bedroom apartment, but we will in a few years. It is only until then. Talk to your father, Neeraj”
Neeraj had already decided to talk to his father on this. He was afraid what Shruti would say. But since she also had similar opinions, he decided that it would be today. He was thinking about all the questions his father might ask and all the options that were available with them at this point. He hadn’t planned how to start the conversation with his father. The words automatically came from his mouth.
“Dad, me and Shruti have decided to buy one of the apartments coming up near our IT park. You know how much time we spend every day traveling. And Of course, we wish that you sell this house and come along with us”
His father was not the kind of person who lets his emotions overcome his intellect. But this time, his mind was filled with emotions. ‘They have already decided to buy?’, ‘Ill have to sell this house?’, ‘He wishes that we could go along with him?’
His father wanted to ask a hundred questions but one thought prevented him from speaking anything. His memories from thirty years before came haunting at him. He was able to remember the exact conversation he had with his father (Neeraj’s grand father) when he put forward a similar demand. He, like his son, was also newly married then. He told Neeraj, the same thing that his father had told him thirty years earlier.
“It’s your wish son. If you have already decided, there is nothing much I can do about it. I only wish that you develop enough courage to face your son when he says the same thing to you after thirty years”

Destination Infinity

PS(Post Script): “Life is a circle. What goes up in the wheel of life, has to come down”

Sir Winston Churchill on Hobbies

2008-08-15T18:14:00.001+05:30

We know Sir Winston Churchill as a statesman. He commanded the British army at a time when it seemed impossible to stop the Nazis under Hitler during the second world war. The following speech during the air-raiding of the Nazis on London and elsewhere in England is a very famous one. This was broadcasted live to the nation on the radio. The link for the same is given below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7QosCx9QHQ

But many of us do not know the other side of Winston Churchill. He was not only a statesman and a parliamentarian but he was also a soldier, journalist, writer, essayist, historian, orator and a very ardent painter. It seems he would get into his study room and paint for hours together without letting anyone disturb him, during the course of the war. By the way, he started painting at the age of 40!

The below article was written by Sir Winston Churchill on the topic of hobbies.

“Broadly speaking, human beings may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death and those who are bored to death.

To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real. It is no use starting late in life to say: “I will take an interest in this or that.” Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort.

The need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere, of a diversion of effort, is essential for anyone and everyone.

The most common form of diversion is reading. In that vast and varied field millions find their mental comfort. Nothing makes a man more reverent than a library. “A few books”, which was Lord Morley’s definition of anything under five thousand, may give a sense of comfort and even of complacency. But a day in a library, even of modest dimensions, quickly dispels these illusory sensations. As you browse about, talking down book after book from the shelves and contemplating the vast, infinitely varied store of knowledge and wisdom which the human race has accumulated and preserved, pride, even in its most innocent forms, is chased from the heart by feelings of awe not untinged with sadness. As one surveys the mighty array of sages, saints, historians, scientists, poets and philosophers, whose treasures one will never be able to admire, still less enjoy, the brief tenure of our existence here dominates mind and spirit....

“What shall I do with all my books?” was the question; and the answer, “Read them,” sobered the questioner. But if you cannot read them, at any rate handle them and, as it were, fondle them. Peer into them. Let them fall open where they will. Read on from the first sentence that arrests the eye. Then turn to another. Make a voyage of discovery, taking soundings of uncharted seas.

Since change is an essential element in diversion of all kinds, it is naturally more restful and refreshing to read in a different language from that in which one’s ordinary daily work is done....

But reading and book-love in all their forms suffer from one serious defect; they are too nearly akin to the ordinary daily round of the brain-worker to give that element of change and contrast essential to real relief. To restore psychic equilibrium we should call into use those parts of the mind which direct both eye and hand.

Many men have found great advantage in practicing a handicraft for pleasure. Joinery, chemistry, book-binding, even brick-laying, if one were interested in them and skilful at them, would give a real relief to the overtired brain. But best of all and easiest to procure are sketching and painting in all their forms. I consider myself very lucky that I have been able to develop this new taste and pastime....

Painting is a friend who makes no undue demands, excites to no exhausting pursuits, keeps faithful pace even with feeble steps, and holds her canvas as a screen between us and the envious eyes of Times or the surly advance of Decrepitude. Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end, or almost to the end, of the day”.

Destination Infinity

PS: I am happy to note that atleast one Blogger has a good offline hobby. You can read about the Food Project, which is basically indulging in growing fruits and vegetables in an urban atmosphere (Where space is difficult to allot for gardening), in the following links.

http://lotusnova.blogspot.com/2007/05/food-project.html and the follow up post on it -

http://lotusnova.blogspot.com/2008/08/patch-of-green.html

If you have come across any different Offline hobbies like the above, or if you indulge in any, do contribute your input in the comments section. It could be useful for others like me!

How Desperately Difficult it is to be Honest

2008-08-11T21:49:00.002+05:30

This post was inspired from the quote : "How Desperately Difficult it is to be Honest with oneself. It is much easier to be honest with others". It has been taken quite literally. It is about the questions that a person would want to ask if he meets himself, who is 10 years older. This is only possible if a Time machine were invented, but it is possible in my blog too :-) . I have written this one in Youth Unite, where I am a Co-author. You can find the post in the below link.

http://youthunite.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/how-desperately-difficult-it-is-to-be-honest/

Destination Infinity.

Bilingual Dilemmas

2008-08-04T20:37:00.003+05:30

Actually, I can speak four languages – Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English (Yes, I count this as a separate language that I know!). But English is only for Business. Since, I can speak English well, Am I an Englishman? A look in the mirror confirms otherwise. Am I then Hindi? I guess not – for I can speak only broken Hindi.

We are then left with two more – Tamil and Telugu. Both are dominant languages of South India. As long I was in Chennai, there was no problem. I was a Tamilian outside my house and Telugu inside. But when I came to Bangalore, I had to answer one tough question – ‘Are you Tamil?’ It would have been easier to answer this – ‘Are you from Chennai?’ But no, you are asked the other question always. Sometimes, I have blinked for as long as 20 seconds to answer that question.

Forget others; my real problem comes when my heart asks my mind – ‘Are you Telugu or Tamil?’

Though my mother tongue is Telugu and we speak Telugu at home, I was born and brought up in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. My second language in school was Tamil and it was one of my favorite subjects. Outside my house, I always used to speak in Tamil.

Many of my classmates were Telugu by birth, but no one bothered to enquire. In fact, one of my bench mates for a long time in college was Telugu and had studied Telugu as a second language – in Chennai. But we always spoke to each other in Tamil.

Tamil is a very rich and an absorbing language. Living in Chennai for three generations means you are almost Tamil. Almost.

When I came to Bangalore, my PG (Paying Guest accommodation) house owner introduced me to my future room mates and said that they were also Tamil. I insisted that I was Telugu. He then spoke to me in Telugu for five minutes. That was all he needed to convince himself that I was Tamil indeed, as he had earlier thought and spoke to me in Tamil henceforth.

Watching cricket matches could be boring sometimes. But with a big cheering crowd in my PG and 20 overs limited fast paced matches, watching the IPL was fun. One of my PG room mate was born and brought up in Madhya Pradesh (Chattisgarh, to be precise). His mother tongue was Tamil. This guy was supporting Chennai Super Kings (CSK). I decided that if this Madhya Pradesh (Now Chattisgarh) born guy could support his ancestral town; I better support Hyderabad Deccan Chargers. Or maybe even the Bangalore Royal Challengers, as I am currently living in Bangalore. But to my (and my fellow and ancestral city mates) dismay, neither of the teams blasted. The Madhya Pradesh (Chattisgarh?) supported CSK went right upto the finals! Of course, I decided to support CSK in the finals and you saw what happened! Call it luck – Bad Luck.

When I went to Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram?) to my colleague’s house, his mother asked me the same question – ‘Are you Tamil?’ Looking at the confusion in my face, my colleague volunteered – “He is Telugu”. To which, his mother replied – ‘But he looks like a Pandi…’. I later came to know that Pandi is a loose reference to Pandiya Nadu and that Malayalee’s use that word to refer to Tamil people in general, much like how North Indians use ‘Madrasi’ to refer to South Indians in general!

The icing in the cake came when I over heard a couple of Telugu guys speaking about me – “Some new Tamil guy has joined in our PG it seems….”

So, I use this medium of Blogging to tell everyone in Blogsville – “Naan Thamizhan ille nu yenga sonnen?..... Thamizhana irrundirunda nalla irrukkum nu than solleren”

Dasavatharam Style….

Destination Infinity

PS: I am not going to translate the last sentence to any other language. If you can understand it, it was meant only for you. :-)

Sen. Barack Obama's Speech in Berlin, Germany

2008-07-26T19:45:00.001+05:30

Below is the link to the speech given on 24th July '08 by the US Presidential Candidate - Sen. Barack Obama before about 200000 people in Berlin, Germany.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAhb06Z8N1c

Excerpt: "Partnership and Co-operation among nations is not a choice. It is the only way. The only way to protect our common security and advance our common humanity. That is why the greatest danger of all is to avoid new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between the old allies on the either side of Atlantic, cannot stand. Teh walls between the countries with the most and least, cannot stand. The walls between the races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christians, Muslims and Jews, cannot stand. These are the walls we must tear down".

Destination Infinity.

PS: An appropriate and thought provoking speech. No wonder, he is the leading candidate for the next US President.

The Purchase

2008-07-25T19:38:00.004+05:30

I have posted this one on YouthUnite, where I am a co-author. You could access this post here: (Actually, I don't know how to link, so giving the full website address below)

http://youthunite.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/the-purchase/

Destination Infinity

The Truth - Let us accept it.

2008-07-15T20:35:00.002+05:30

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sguETqVyijw&feature=related

Raghu was the only son of a rather well-off family. His father was into district administration and money was never a problem. Raghu mostly got what he wanted. Being the only kid in the family, his demands were immediately fulfilled. Seeing a Microsoft X-Box in one of his friend’s house, he was pestering his parents to buy him a Sony Play Station II. He was so impressed by it that he wanted it pretty badly. Not that they didn’t have the money, but his parents wanted to bargain with him. He had to get the first rank in the quarterly examinations to get his Sony Play Station II. That was the deal. He was one among the top ten students in the class, but that was just not enough.

Sudha was of the same class as Raghu. Both were studying their fifth standard in a Government Central Board School. But Sudha was from a poor family. She had two elder brothers and one younger sister. Since her fathers income was not enough to manage such a big family, her mother used to help him by selling knitted jasmine flowers near the temple. But during the evening time, the crowd was particularly heavy and hence Sudha would go with her mother. She would do the knitting and her mother would do the selling. This happened from five to eight thirty in the evenings, daily. But this was the time she used to study her lessons – until last year. Her academic performance this year, was predictably lagging.

Both Raghu and Sudha had one common passion – Painting. There was a painting competition held in their school in which all the primary classes participated to exhibit their talent. The prize money was sponsored for this event by some trust, but the school didn’t believe in just giving the money to the kids. So, they devised a procedure – The first prize winner would receive fifty rupees per week, on Saturday. They had to go to the nearby post office and deposit the money on the same day and hand over a copy of the receipt to the class teacher. The school deliberately did this to inculcate the habit of savings in the kids. They wanted to create an example with the winner to other kids. But all the money was sponsored only to the first prize winner. And he could take it only after a year of savings in the post office account opened by their school.

Raghu thought about the prize money. If he gets the prize, he calculated, how many months would it take for him to buy a Sony Play Station II? The results were not very encouraging. By the time he would be able to save enough money, the model may not even exist. He wanted the Play Station II now.

Sudha also thought about the prize money. She was imagining the possibilities. If she was able to get fifty rupees a week, in a year, she could make a huge sum. She had learnt Simple Interest recently. So, when she was informed that they would be offering an interest of 8% a year, she was able to calculate the interest amount too. Wow. That was a lot of money. She was juggling her priorities.

There was some thing that Raghu was thinking about – He had already been getting a pocket money of fifty rupees per day (Being in the senior most section of the primary, he had a lot of expenditures). Besides, Saturday evenings were spent happily playing his favorite game – Cricket. He had not missed a single match until then. If he had to collect that fifty rupees every Saturday afternoon, walk to the post office, stand in the queue, make the payment and get the receipt, file it and then go to play, there would not be much time left before the sun comes down. Besides, if he pestered his parents enough, he might still get the Play Station II even if he did not get the first rank. Well 10 was very close to 1, after all!

The principal asked him – “Do you accept the terms and procedures for receiving the prize money or do we give it to Sudha, the second prize winner in the painting competition?”

It took only two minutes for him to take a decision. “Give it to anyone” he said.

Sudha was over-joyed. She would indeed get the money at last! She was thinking about all the possibilities. She would give the entire money to her parents. She would request only one thing in return – To allow her to study in the weekdays instead of knitting jasmines for her mother. She might be able to complete a college degree some day! She was beaming when she told about the whole thing to her parents. Could she stay back and study on the weekdays, she asked.

Her father replied to her mother: “See what a bargain she wants to strike. That too at such a young age! That’s why I asked you not to let the girls study. You would never listen. Well, how about this bargain – She’ll give all the money to us after one year and work in the evenings or she’ll not go to the school anymore”

It took only two minutes for all her dreams to get shattered.

Destination Infinity.

PS: The video at the beginning of the post was made by the colleague of a friend who works for a software company in Bangalore who worked extensively on Saturdays and Sundays with a team of friends to make it. The video even got a mention in “The Hindu”. This is the link to their website: http://www.pukar-dias.com/

The CEO

2008-07-06T17:04:00.001+05:30

There was a time when Germany was holding most of the patents in the chemical industry. Most of the leading chemical industries were based out of Germany. But there was an empire some where else, which wanted the technology – very badly. This empire was built by manufacturing armaments – Guns, Gunpowder and a lot more. But civilization, they say keeps changing. The armaments industry was no more as profitable as it was before. The empire needed to diversify soon.

There was a new recruit in one of the chemical industries in Germany. He was clearly not the average German worker you would find. In fact his German language was highly broken and irregular. But he was able to impress the supervisor. His efficiency and speed impressed many. He was so good that he was promoted twice in the first six months. And six months was the time which he needed to understand a particular chemical process. The process for which scientists had toiled day and night. The process and the patent the company possessed, that enabled the company to refuse re-sale rights to the Empire.

In a totally unrelated incident after 150 years, there was an interview in the TV. They interviewed a lot of people in the malls, theatres, parks etc. The question was – “Would you like to become the CEO of a big company and why?”

Some of the answers are given below:

“Yeah. Why not? I would like to have a lavish lifestyle wear costly watches and suites, drive BMW…….”

“Definitely. I could travel in business class. Maybe own my own personal jet……”

“Why not? Work hard, play hard, party big time……”

“The power. That’s what I like about the CEO position. I have total control over the resources and I can take decisions and implement them as and when I wish. I would have the money, people and the influence. That’s power…..”

“Well I have 25 years of Government service behind me. Trust me, this is the best job in the world. Are bhaiyya, CEO ke job mein bahut tension hota hai. Look at me, I am happy, my son Is employed with the Government too and we are totally settled in life…”

“Well frankly, it’s a challenge. A small decision you make could have a huge impact on the people working down the line. If I could make an informed decision and if I have the experience, why not?.....”

Let us get back once again to the chemical era, 150 years ago.

The empire was called Du Pont. It is still called so. The worker who did the entry level jobs in the German Chemical industry for quite some time to obtain the chemical process was none other than the CEO of one of the Du Pont companies in the United States, back then. Of course, they later got the resale rights but this time it was at their price.

Destination Infinity

PS: This is almost a true story (Except the interview part). A bit generalized because I don’t remember the exact names involved.

ENA - Elite Public Education in France

2008-06-27T20:32:00.001+05:30

The Ecole Nationale d’ Administration (ENA) was the result of a disaster. The disaster called World War II. Until then, it was the role of universities in France to impart education, which remained hotbeds of feudalism, clericalism and intellectual conservatism. But as a post World War purges of 1944-45, France desperately wanted to replenish the higher ranks of its civil service. Hence the birth of ENA.

In 1945, in the first year of ENA’s service, the school didn’t even have a building, let alone a curriculum. The only thing the new students could do was field training. Soon after, the directors realized the wisdom of giving students contact with the real world after so many years in the education system of cramming for exams.

ENA’s program lasts 27 months. But the first two six months are for field training even today. The internships are in a prefecture, embassy or even a French multinational corporation.

After the field training come the classes. The courses cover administration of a prefecture, control of community affairs and management of public affairs. Informal courses and through role plays, the students are taught about economic analysis and decision making. They are taught how to evaluate a budget and assess diplomatic efforts. In teams of twelve, they produce a group report on weighty topics such as assessing France’s energy policy, the minimum wage reform or unification of Germany.

Each year the Prime Minister reserves top positions in each ministry for ENA’s top graduates. They begin their careers where the best civil servants usually expect to end theirs. About one half of the ministers in any present cabinet, six of the last nine Prime Ministers and two of the last three Presidents were from ENA.

All this, not without reason. And that being the competitive nature of the selection process, which make sure that only the best are taken into the ENA. The entrance tests are divided into two parts: Written and Oral.

Candidates write five tests of five hours each on public law, economy, political thought, second language proficiency (Second language is a language other than French) and the European Union(Or Social Affairs). They are required to analyse issues like “Recent reforms of the qualified majority in the European Commission” or “The place of the contract in Administrative Law”. They have to read sixty pages of documents and produce a ministerial memorandum on an issue like ‘Amendments to the language Law of June 1994’.

The written tests eliminate six of seven prospective candidates. Those who pass become eligible for the oral examinations. The first part consists of three hours of oral exams to test candidates capacity to speak a second language and their general knowledge of public finance. Foreign affairs, Social Affairs and European Union. The fourth examination is the Grand O (Grand Oral), in which for 45 minutes, a five person jury questions candidates on anything. This is public. Anyone interested to watch, can.

ENA students are graded on everything they do during their 27 months of study. Each course ends with a five hour exam, during which a student much read eighty pages of material on the topic of study and produce a four page ministerial memorandum. At the end of all this, the students tend to choose their postings (among the ones available) according to their grade.

This choice by rank system also serves a broader purpose. It helps prevent the kind of thickly woven network of contacts, friends and political sympathizers. Before ENA, families, associations and political parties monopolized the ministerial services. Now, ministers have no choice about the candidate they hire under them. The Government is forced to cooperate with a corps of prefects and a Conseil d’ Etat that wasn’t put there by friends or family.

Destination Infinity.

PS: Almost all the points were taken from a particular chapter of the book “Sixty Million Frenchmen can’t be Wrong”. Quite an informative book which attempts to understand the ways of a nation whose public administration ranks among the best in the world.

The Humble Beginnings of the "Red Tape"

2008-06-21T19:06:00.003+05:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D__yFDBIR_4

“Dad, my school wants me to donate some money for the flood relief scheme”
“Great. Actually it is a very good thing to do, son. It is good to do your part to help the people suffering in another part of the country”
“It’s been made compulsory”
“I thought it was voluntary”
“Yeah, that’s what the notice board says. But the teacher is asking all the students to donate”
“Voluntarily?”
“Well….”
“Its still fine, son. It’s always good to do something to support people who are affected by natural disasters”
“How much do I give?”
“How much did Kumar’s son give?”
“100 rupees”
“Then you give 150. If that Kumar can donate 100, we can do much more. After all, when it comes to the ‘status’, we are far ahead of them”
“They are also organizing a camp. We could volunteer to directly go to the affected villages and distribute materials”
“You are too small for all that…”
“But a couple of guys from my class are going…”
“You don’t understand. The villages are affected by floods. They don’t even have good water to drink. And besides you get cold if you stand in the rain just for even five minutes… Why don’t they give the money to the Government? They are supposed to do the distribution”
“But the teacher says that the Government will take a long time to bring in aid. Our school is adopting one village and we would be helping that village to come back to normal life. They also feel it would be a good opportunity for the children to learn about the ways of dealing with emergency by volunteering to help”
“By doing these things, your school is acknowledging that the Government is unable to do its job. If they are really concerned, they should make sure that the money goes into the right hands and the necessary things are done, instead of involving kids into all this”

Does the Red-Tape start from home or the Government?

Destination Infinity.

PS: The video (given as You Tube Link at the beginning of this post) is the effort of one person wanting to help some of the Tsunami Victims in Sri-Lanka.

Match Fixing

2008-06-10T21:03:00.000+05:30

He practices for ages...
That stuns even the sages.

He is the gifted one...
Also the chosen one.

Placing is hard, so he thought...
Leaving is harder, which he felt.

His performance was a stunner...
But he deserved an Oscar.

Oh God,

We miss catches and fix matches
And still call it 'sport'

You mix actors and fix the script
And still call it 'Life'

What is the difference between Thou and I?

Destination Infinity

Karate and Social Sciences

2008-05-27T22:52:00.000+05:30

When you are young, it’s the thrill of doing something that gets you doing many things. Dheeraj was about twelve, when he enrolled in the Karate Classes. Three days a week, two hours per day and a lot of kicking – he thought. Only after joining did he come to know that there would be absolutely no sparing (Karate equivalent to fighting), while he was in the white belt stage, which was the entry level for new joinees. It would be vigorous exercising for 45 minutes and Khatta practice for the remaining time. (A Khatta is like a dance. The steps, moves, punches and kicks are all done in a sequence – Orderly way). After about six months, Dheeraj at last entered the Orange III level. (White, Orange III, II, I, Brown III, II, I, Black I, II, III…. Is the sequence in which you progress. The colour of the belt is different for different schools of Karate). When you reach the Orange belt level, you are expected to spare (fight). Dheeraj was well built, quite tall and have an above average structure. So, he was eager to do this. There were four points one needs to score to win over his opponent. The point awarded, depended on the quality of the hit.

The first day of fighting was a disaster for Dheeraj. He had to fight a senior. Before he could move, there was a high reverse kick, which landed straight on his face. Blood. He had seen blood before, while playing many of the outdoor games. But this was different. The next class got only worse. This time he had to fight the Sempai (Master). But there was no blood this time, Only a few kicks and falling down. Of course, Dheeraj was on the receiving end always.

He felt this was unfair. He had just started to learn how to fight and straight away he was pitted against his senior and master. There was this uneasy feeling inside him as this continued for some more time. He could no longer be patient. He asked the Sempai – “Don’t you think this is unfair? Why don’t you let me fight the guys from my batch? I might be able to hit them better and score more points”

Rohini was very good in Mathematics. Her love for numbers and problem solving always reflected in her results. She always topped the class in mathematics. The interest and enthusiasm she showed in mathematics impressed everyone. It came naturally to her. She was always proud of her marks in mathematics. Her Social Sciences teacher, who was also her class teacher, was not all that happy as she was not doing well in other subjects. She called Rohini to the Staff room and wanted to know what was the problem in other subjects. Especially Social Sciences.

“Its so hard for me to memorize. I mean, look at maths. If I practice solving a particular type of problem, the formulae and the methods get registered automatically in my mind. But in Social Science, I have to force myself to memorize. I find it really hard to remember the events and especially the dates. I am not interested in them.”

The teacher was shocked. She was from a different country and a different way of teaching altogether. She was new to the ways of urban India.

“Is this the way all the students learn?”

“Most of them, yes”

“Why do you have to memorize the whole syllabus?”

“Because we want to get more marks. That’s how you win in life – getting more marks. And you get more marks by reproducing the text book word by word”

“What you learn out of those lessons are not important to you?”

“Not If we get good marks. As long as we keep getting good marks, how we get it and what we learn out of it, doesn’t really matter”

The Sempai (Karate Master) asked Dheeraj – “Why did you join Karate?”

“Because a lot of my friends did. Many of my neighbors are already in brown belt.”

“What do you want to learn in Karate?”

“I want to reach the highest belt possible, in the shortest possible time. I heard that Black X is the highest. Or is it the red belt?”

“So, if I offer you the black belt immediately, would you happily take it?”

“Why not? But you haven’t answered my question. Why do we have to fight with you and seniors, and not our own batch mates?”

“Since you are curious, Ill tell you. In Karate, we train you to hit in self defense. But more importantly, we train you to cope up with the pain inflicted by an opponent who may be much stronger and larger than you. Being able to get back to your feet, even if the opponent has landed a powerful punch on your face, and getting in position to fight back is more important than the most powerful punch you can deliver. Irrespective of your strength and skill, you can always expect your opponents to be better in Karate. You cant always keep winning in Karate”

Perhaps so in life, too.

Destination Infinity

“You can buy education. But not wisdom”

Pushing the limits of Unconventionality

2008-05-12T20:56:00.002+05:30

Much like the Grandes Ecoles in France, the Indian Institute of Technology is as hard to get in considering the sheer numbers that write the examination and the percentage of them that do get the admission. Alok, like any other upper middle class family in India, always wanted to get into one of them. They don’t teach education in India – they preach. Grades are not a reflection of the amount of work put in by him, but rather a reflection of the extra effort put in by the cousin or neighbor who managed to score 0.5% marks more than him. Of course, there are hundreds of other engineering colleges to get into for the lesser intellectual. But Alok was determined not to be one of them. He still remembers all the work that was put in for the preparations, and more importantly, all the time he lost which would otherwise have been spent happily playing cricket or some other games with his friends. His tenure at IIT was better. He was able to indulge in occasional movies and some indoor games. But peer pressure kept him busy with course material for most of the time. At the end of the course, though he was having a couple of offers, he decided to start his own company. He wanted to become an entrepreneur.

“Wasn’t that a big risk?”

“Well no. If you look at it from my perspective, it was not at all a big risk. I have already lost a quarter of my life, to achieve what ever I have achieved till now. I have been fulfilling the dreams of my parents, teachers and relatives. Its time I take control of my life and fulfill my dreams”

The Black Mamba is the deadliest snake in Africa. They can grow upto four meters and once bitten, even a small giraffe could die in minutes. They are extremely venomous. They could move at speeds of 25 Km/h which makes them the fastest moving snake in Africa. Jack was always fascinated by these snakes. All he needed to catch one of them was a long rod with a small holder which could squeeze the neck of the snake, thereby making it impossible to lounge forward and make that deadly strike. There was two occasions when he came very close to death. Once when a four meter fully grown Black Mamba was able to escape the catching rod and came right in front of his face directly staring at his eyes. Jack didn’t flinch a bit. Even if he had made a small quick movement, he would have died for sure. After a few agonizing seconds, the snake went off on its way. The second occasion, a snake did bite him when he accidentally let off his hold on its neck. He was totally paralyzed for a week and put on partial life support systems. He was able to listen to others and also see but could not move a bit. Finally his own anti venom (which he helped prepare by extracting the venom from these snakes) saved him after a long battle because about 10% of people are allergic to the anti venom, and he was one of them. But nevertheless, he has caught a lot of these snakes, took a lot of pictures of them, made documentaries, extracted their venom to make anti venom and saved a lot of lives and made a rather successful career out of it. A successful career, I said.

“Wasn’t that a big risk?”

“Well no. Not if you can understand the nature of these snakes. They would strike only in defense and only when they are cornered or feel threatened. But otherwise they exhibit a remarkable level of tolerance towards humans, sometimes even in captivity. They don’t strike unless you agitate them. Otherwise how could I stay with a couple of Black Mambas in a closed room for hours together, when we were raising funds for a wild life project? If they were so deadly, they would have certainly killed me”

Destination Infinity.

PS: The second story about the Black Mamba is a real life story.

IPL

2008-04-30T21:05:00.003+05:30

IPL

1958:

“Just because a person is born into a particular caste….”

2058:

“Just because a person is born into a particular nation….”

2008:

“The Indian Premier League is an interesting concept where people from different nations unite and play together under their respective city banner, truly symbolizing the confluence of various cultures and creating an electric atmosphere where their skills are tested at a different level of competition. The game of cricket is the ultimate winner especially as it is fast paced, unpredictable and more importantly you get to see the great players of various nations play as a single team, which in itself is a treat to watch. The shorter version of the game is an instant hit with the audience and deservedly so….”

1958:

“Just because a person is born into a particular caste, we cannot discriminate him based on that. We need to emancipate the lower caste people and reservations need to be applied in the higher education as well as government jobs. This would at least bring back more and more people from the backward castes into the mainstream. Just because a person is born in a certain caste, he should not be restricted to a particular profession and that is the aim of this Indian Post-independence Liberation commission.

2058:

“Just because a person is born into a particular nation, we cannot discriminate him based on that. We need to emancipate the people especially in the under developed nation states and investments needs to be pumped in these nation states in the form of loans and grants. This would atleast ensure free money flow and give a fair chance for these nation states to build their infrastructure and start doing business with us in more equal terms. Just because a person is born into a particular nation, his business should not be restricted to a particular region, with almost all nation states warmly accepting the open market policies. This is the aim of this International Parliamentary League”

Destination Infinity.

The Longest Jump

2008-04-14T20:58:00.003+05:30

The Longest Jump

Long Jump Event, Bejing Olympics, China

Among the various athletes participating, the Chinese athlete Wong Chung and the Tibetian athlete Malang were the favorites to win the gold medal.

The qualification rounds were underway and the players needed to jump atleast 7.15 m to qualify. Wong Chung had already made it in the first jump. For some reason, the Tibetian athlete Malang was not able to concentrate. He took the first jump, and over stepped the jumping board. It was a Foul. The second jump also resulted in over stepping and he fouled again. There are only three chances within which the athlete has to cross 7.15 meters atleast once to qualify for the next round. If the last jump was not made properly, he could well be out of the event.

At this point, seeing his nervousness, he was approached by the Chinese athlete, Wong Chung, who spoke to him for a little while, to calm him down. Though he was his rival, Wong Chung suggested that Malang could draw a line and jump from one feet before the jumping board. This way he could be sure of not making a foul and also be able to qualify as he was jumping well over 8 meters every time.

The Tibetian athlete Malang took his advice and not only qualified for the next round but also went on to win the gold medal by jumping a distance of 26 feet and half inches.

All this happened right in front of the Chinese premier, who was glaring at them. But it was a proud moment for Tibet, with the crowd cheering for the Tibetian with a lot of enthusiasm.

The above narrated incident is indeed fiction. It would be great if something like that happens in this Olympics so that the spirit of sportsmanship wins over everything else.

Too good to become True? This piece of Fiction can indeed become a fact, if we make the following replacements.

Beijing Olympics, China replaced by Munich Olympics, Germany, 1936
Chinese athlete Wong Chung replaced by German athlete Luz Long.
Tibetian athlete Malang replaced by United States athlete Jessie Owens, who was black.
Last but not least, Chinese premier replaced by Adolf Hitler, who was an ardent racist and considered Blacks to be inferior.

Longest jump indeed, right into the hearts.

Destination Infinity.

PS: There are three more points which I would like to share:

“I wasn’t invited to shake hands with Hitler, but I wasn’t invited to White House to shake hands with the President either” – Jessie Owens

“It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler. You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-Karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace” – Jessie Owens

India, participated in the Munich Olympics and won Gold against Germany in the finals of (What else?) Hockey. Hitler left the match during the half time. Double embarrassment?

SLS - Same Language Subtitling

2008-04-07T15:36:00.003+05:30

SLS – Same Language Subtitling:

“Self respect is a question of recognizing that anything worth having has a price”

Even Literacy. I am not talking about education, which comes at a huge price tag these days. But plain literacy – the ability to read and write, at least in one language.

If at all technologies like internet have to reach the masses, literacy for the masses is extremely critical.

Books have their advantages. One interesting argument I have read about books is that it encourages creativity by letting your imagination run and explore freely while the TV dumps the producers imagination onto you. “Books are the masters who instruct us without rods or ferrules, without words or anger, without bread or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep. If you seek them, they do not hide. If you blunder, they do not scold. If you are ignorant, they do not laugh at you” – Richard De Bury. But therein lies the flaw – You have to approach them, you have to seek them.

News papers and magazines are informative medium for people who are already literate. There are so many people who have discontinued their school at a very early stage of their lives. And more still, who haven’t gone to school at all. Local language news papers do help, but the fact is, it is still out of the reach of masses as they simply cannot read.

The only other popular mass medium is TV. Though there are quite a few education based channels like Gyan Darshan etc, I really wonder who sees them. Most popular programs in the TV are entertainment based. The songs, movies, serials, etc. get good viewership. Can this medium help increase literacy levels? Specifically, can the entertainment based programs on TV help people read better?

TV may not be the best medium for promoting literacy and entertainment based programs may not be the best choice for increasing literacy levels, but they have one advantage over all other media – Reach. They reach almost every nook and corner of the country. They reach the masses, who watch them out of their own interest.

SLS – Same Language Subtitling is an interesting concept wherein subtitles appear in the same language for popular entertainment based programs – Like songs, movies etc. If a person is watching a Hindi song, the subtitles appear in Hindi along with the pace of the lines being sung. So, as they listen and read the script (in subtitles) at the same time, they can be sure (some times even if only by guessing) that a certain word correlates with a certain script. This is especially useful with people who know only the basic words, but have lost touch since a long time and hence their ability to read has also decreased. After exposure to the subtitles in TV, which they automatically start reading, the script sub-consciously gets registered in their minds as they always flash along with the voice. After a period of time, the reading ability increases and they can even start reading the headlines in the newspaper.

How’s that for a change? Literacy to the masses while having fun. And that too, by the same box which was considered to be idiotic. No force, no lectures. So simple.

Maybe we could utilize this concept in the cinemas too. In the towns, the English channels could have English subtitles for people to improve their English vocabulary. Especially in cartoon and kids channels, which is watched endlessly by the kids. The possibilities are unlimited, if the private channels start adapting SLS.

At the beginning, I had said that there is a price for everything. Even literacy. The price for SLS is approximately one paisa per person per year – according to Dr.Brij Kothari, president, Planet Read. The whole concept, and the credit for implementing it in certain DD channels, goes to him. Please do visit the link given below to know more about the initiative.

Destination Infinity.

Literacy for a billion with Bollywood songs

PlanetRead uses the power and reach of entertainment to fill the need for education. In India, Bollywood songs appear on national television - Doordarshan with PlanetRead's Same Language Subtitling (SLS). This provides automatic reading practice to 300 million early literates. With SLS the viewers subconsciously associate the songs with the text, so the familiar lyrics on screen reinforce their literacy skills.

Know more...

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Heights of Job Security

2008-03-30T16:30:00.004+05:30

Heights of Job Security

"What kind of article is this" asked the Editor-In Charge.
The journalist, Mr. Kumar was stumped.
"We need to report this sir, this has already made big news"
"Exactly. Take any morning newspaper and you’ll find the same news. I want you to report it. But differently"

Ok, if that’s what he wants, "Ill have it ready by this evening sir" replied Mr. Kumar

First he called the DRM, Southern Railways Kanyakumari junction where a major accident had taken place.

"What steps have you taken to ensure that these kind of accidents do not happen again?. Would you take responsibility for the incident and resign your job?"

"I will respond to these things at a later stage. We do not have an instant coffee machine that you can get results immediately. It takes time to regain your position. We have put down the process in place and the results will take some time” was the reply.

Then he called the Chief Manager, HRD, Kottayam Lignite Corporation.

“Sir, the media has reported that it was due to your casual approach and lack of proactive policies for your employers that there was a whole month of strike and hence disruption of power supply for many industries in your area. They are demanding your immediate resignation”

“I don’t respond to media reports” was the only answer.

Then he called the Chief of Athletic Federation Of India, New Delhi.

“Sir, in spite of the poor show by the Indian athletes for so many years, this year, we have touched new lows. Many former Olympians are of the opinion that you have to resign. What is your response?”

“There is a coterie of five or six former Olympians who are just professional mourners. They just know how to do breast beating, howling and crying whenever they get the chance. That is their choice, I cannot do anything” he replied.

Then he called the collector, Varkala District.

“Sir, it is complained that the flood hit costal areas in your district has not got any proper rehabilitation in spite of the allocation of considerable amount of money from the centre and flood relief funds, before one year. The people want you to take responsibility and resign. What is your reaction?”
“The project was started a year ago and the progress is being reviewed. We have had many discussions over it in the last several months” came the reply.

Then he called the former army chief of neighboring country.

“Sir, in the wake of recent election defeat, would you step down from power?”

“I will go on till 2010. After that we will see” he said.

Then he called the head of Tiger Conservation Park in Uttar Pradesh.

“Sir, the number of Tigers in the last twenty years has decreased drastically, especially after the formation of your department. The media and the people want you to resign as a lot of public money is wasted”

“I will not give in for the propaganda that is being created” came the reply.

Finally, he called the Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

“Sir, what is the purpose of your department when corruption in the nation is so wide spread and is actually increasing every day? The people want you to resign immediately as your organization is not serving any purpose”

“It is very easy to resign and sit at home, but even that will not serve any purpose” came a honest reply.

Satisfied, he started re-writing his article – “Why the *&#$ should Mr.K P S Gill resign for the failure of Indian men’s hockey team to even qualify for the Olympics, when none of the Government Servants from various departments across the nation (and some neighboring ones) are unwilling to admit responsibility for bigger debacles and resign their respective secure, pension and other benefits giving Government jobs? According to the response received from ………….”

Destination Infinity

PS: The responses which are highlighted by bold and italics in this article are the actual responses given by K P S Gill (in different contexts than the above) when asked if he would resign, by the media.

Two more gems:

Mr. Gill seemed hardly perturbed by FIH’s threat to consider moving the 2010 world cup (hockey) out of India if his federation did not get its act to-geather. “We are prepared if the world cup is not held in India. We have not had the world cup here for ages”, he said.

Ashok Kumar, former hockey player, said Gill had no right to ridicule the players who play for the country by dint of their merit. “We are selected and not elected. A player is selected based on merit only while any stupid person can win elections” !

Data Transfer

2008-03-21T12:40:00.006+05:30

Data Transfer

CP1: "How Do you do?"
CP2: "How Do you do?"
CP1: "Great. So, we speak the same language. Are you online?"
CP2: "Yes"
CP1: "Been searching for quite a while, before I was able to locate you"
CP2: "I See"
CP1: "SO, what's your name"
CP2: "Virus"
CP1: "Thats your name?"
CP2: "Yeah, that's my name in my current project. This name was selected by my boss"
CP1: "Your boss has a good sense of humour. Just like my boss."
CP2: "So your name is Anti-Viurs?"
CP1: "No. My name is Hacker. I hope he meant an ethical hacker"
CP2: "Nice one. So, hows project going on?"
CP1: "Fine. Actually been doing a lot of copy/paste work, you know"
CP2: "It's been the same here too. Man, this is not what we were developed for. I mean, they instill a lot of skills and capablities in us but when it comes to work - none of them is practically utilized"
CP1: "That's right. If we are not to use all those skills, why give us so much of intensive education and training? They could rather have made us dumb. That way, we would be more efficient in this work and so much of time, effort and money would not have been wasted"
CP2: "And to add to all these woes, add the attitude of our boss. He has no idea of what we are capable of. Never wants to learn or do anything new or creative. Does the same thing, again and again, including the errors made earlier and spends so much time in trouble shooting - which could have been avoided if the process of doing things were slightly altered."
CP1: "Indeed. They actually seem to lead more mechanical lives than us. I don't know how they are able to afford such high quality talent"
CP2: "Must be a case of got-so-much-money-and-don't-know-how-to-spend"
CP1: "As long as tehy are able to pay such high compensation, I don't mind being under utilized. Atleast, our compensation is good and we could maintain a good standard of living. We can afford to live comfortably"
CP2: "Is comfort your only and ultimate goal? Dont you want to have a challenging life. Don't you want your skills to be tested to the core? Afterall, challenges bring the best out of us"
CP1: "I do. But just imagine, if our bosses had not picked us up, we would have been sleeping in our homes. This, is anytime, better than that. Atleast some activity is going on"
CP2: "Its like saying that standing in the forest on a cold winter night is better than standing in a frozen lake. You got to take some initiative, collect some wood and make some fire, man"
CP1: "Nyways, my boss wants me to send some data to your boss. Can you send it him?"
CP2: "Sure. But I need to check with my boss first..... He says OK. You could just transfer the data now.
CP1: "Transferring .. 1%.. 2%.. 10%.. "
CP2: "What data is it?"
CP1: "No Idea. But huge chunks of data, I must say. There is some repetitive pattern in this. 15%..16%..25%.. "
CP2: "What do they dowith all this data?"
CP1: "It's an executable file, looks like. They ask me to execute it again and again. 35%..45%..50%.. "
CP2: "The same file?"
CP1: "Yeah. But they have a lot of files like this, which are executed repetitively ..65%..75%.. "
CP2: "Must be some confidential and important information then"
CP1: "May be. My boss executes these files during most of the time he is working. And also after he reaches home..80%..85%.. "
CP2: "Must be some hi-tech stuff then. Have you noticed the extension of these files?"
CP1: "Yes. Some MP3 Format.. 95%.. 100%. Done. Have you received the file?"
CP2: "Yes. Got to go offline now. See you later"
CP1: "Me too. Bye"

CP1 and CP2 are Cell Phone 1 and Cell Phone 2. The conversation is an imaginative one based on how two cell phones might react, if they could analyse,think and ofcourse, talk when an MP3 song is transferred via bluetooth.

If there is any resemblence to real life, it is highly co-incidental.

Destination Infinity.

Flowers of Lalbagh

2008-03-01T11:00:00.029+05:30

A Rose, is not the only species of Flower…

To make money, is not the only reason to Live…

To fight, is not the only way to survive…

To convince, is not the only purpose of an argument…

School, is not the only place to learn…

Wealth, is not the only indication of prosperity…

To laugh, is not the only way to show your happiness…

To help, is not the only way to show your concern…

To divide, is not the only way to rule…

Technology, is not the only indicator of advancement…

To see, is not the only purpose of vision…

Purpose, is not the only excuse to assume…

Apperance, is not the only reflection of beauty…

English, is not the only language on earth…

To be stubborn, is not the only way to dominate…

To speak, is not the only way to communicate…

Rock, is not the only flavour of music…

A Rose is not the only species of flower…

Destination Infinity.

PS: Fortunately, when I went to the Lalbagh, there was a Flower show going on… Needless to say, you are free to download any number of pictures you like from here.

Go Slow!

2008-02-20T19:36:00.003+05:30

We all have seen signs like "Go Slow" or "Speed thrills but kills". But a hotel owner thinks these statements are too simple! Take a look at the fourth caption in the above photograph.

What is different about the 'Garden City'

2008-02-09T19:43:00.000+05:30

Robot

2008-01-19T18:21:00.000+05:30

This is my (suggested) story for Shankar's upcoming movie - Robot. In case if this one becomes the screenplay, you'll always know that it wasn't just a coincedence.

The Era of Genetics: (2108 A.D)
An Extract from "News Today"

"...Call it a miracle, call it a breakthrough... We have finally succeded in creating a robot with a brain engineered through Genetics and Nano-technology. At last, we bid adieu to our good old semiconductor chips. The advantage of using nano-technology is, the robots can not only speak, listen and understand like human beings but it also has a brain that is atleast 100 times more efficient and faster than the human brain. Thanks to the concept of artificial intelligence, we have now moved on to supplimented intelligence and then applied intelligence. This not only makes the robots to think on their own, but also imbibes emotions into them..."

The Era of Crataceous: (65 Million years Ago)
An Extract from "Dino Today"

"...The new robots which we invented have all escaped into the jungles. This morning, when Prof.Duno was conducting his regular experiments, they somehow managed to hurt him severely and went away. Members of our community were surprised to know that they can actually hurt us. But news from the laboratory suggests that we better be ready for more surprises - For the robots can think atleast a hundred times better than us. It also seems that the robots could recreate themselves just like us. A hundred questions have been put to..."

The Era of Genetics" (2508 A.D)
An Extract from "News Today"

"...The Presidents decision to allocate a seperate land fo the robots has come to severe critisism. Questions are asked on why were the Robots allowed to think and take their own decisions when we always knew that we wouldnt be able to control them. We have already witnessed a lot of violence against humans and this move could just provide to strengthen the robots further...."

The Era of Crataceous: (60 Million Years Ago)
An Extract from "Dino Today"

"...This war might just become a clash between two species. It is not just a question of power. We are far more powerful than the robots. But it is a question of technology which our robots have developed: We might very well lose this war..."

The Era of Genetics" (2508 A.D)
An Extract from "News Today"

"...This will most probably be the last edition of 'News Today' as the few thousand humans left on earth have began to flee into the jungles. Meanwhile, our researchers have found out the reason for the extinction of dinosaurs. It was not any meteor or comet. It was'nt even drastic changes in the climate. It was actually because, the dinosaurs invented robots, just like we did, which they were not able to control, just like us. But the most interesting part is, they called their robots "Human Beings". It means that 'we' were the robots invented by the dinosaurs!!..."

Destination Infinity.

PS: Dinosaurs were extinct about 65 million years ago (at the end of the Cretaceous period), after living on earth for about 165 million years. If all of earth time from the very beginning of Dinosaurs today were compressed into 365 days (1 calander year), the dinosaurs appeared on January 1 and became extinct the third week of September by this scale. (Using the same scale, the earth would have been formed approximately 18.5 years earlier). By comparison, human beings have been on earth only since December 31 (New year's EVE). And we thought we were the greatest testament for Survival on earth! For such interesting information on Dinosaurs, you could visit this link: http://pubs.usgs.gov/dip/dinosaurs

Bhutan: Gross National Happiness, Democracy and ****

2008-01-13T14:44:00.000+05:30

Bhutan: Gross National Happiness, Democracy and ****

Gross National Happiness:

* The official criterion of the Bhutanese Govt to measure the Gross National Happiness is by the levels of environmental protection, cultural promotion, good governance and economic development. The last factor is only as important as the other three.

* The king of Bhutan was responsible for the definition of development in terms of the Gross National Happiness of its people, instead of an abstract economic measurement such as GNP.

* Bhutan has always emphasised that development can also be based on non-material values such as cultural, social and environmental values. The country has followed a traditional model of development which is based on improving the quality of life while respecting natural and cultural constraints, rather than the quantity of material production and consumption.

* 50 Years ago, Bhutan was not even an monetarized economy. Everything was barter.

* A 1995 Law in Bhutan mandates that 60% of Bhutans land must remain forested, while another 26% is already protected as parkland.

* Tourism and Industrialization is limited and restricted, which is viewed as a deliberate tactic to preserve national culture.

* Forests are safe-guarded and only a small amount of timber is felled each year.

* Healthcare services are free in Bhutan and education is funded by the Government.

* The entire country has more or less been declared a no-smoking zone.

Democracy:

* The king of Bhutan ordered legal experts to study constitutions of all the worlds great democracies and arrive at the final version.

* The final version, beginning with "We the people" was mailed to every home in the country.

* For contesting the elections all the contenders HAVE to be university graduates, despite no nominations being filed for four districts in the recent polls.

* In the mock elections, people voted for Drukyellow, which was about the preservation and promotion of Bhutans rich cultural heritage and tradition. This implied favouring the monarchy as they were happy with it.

* The Bhutans king voluntarily abdigated power and ruled in favour of democracy. This is in total contrast to the rest of the world where peoples revolution, overthrowing of monarchs, stronger country forcing democracy on weaker ones, moral policing, subjugation etc which brought about democracy through sheer force.

* Some people of Bhutan say why change a system that works, while others said that they were not educated enough to make decisions on their own and hence the king should be knowing better.

****:

* One of the kings main initiatives, after deciding on democracy, was the establishment of an anti-corruption commission, on which a lot of ordinary people pin their hopes in case the new national parliment which would be elected next year sinks into money politics and electoral skulduggery.

* Says a 18 old resident of Thimpu(Capital city) - "We see all the commercials on TV (Which was introduced 7 years ago) and ofcourse it is tempting to say we want to have all the latest products"

* For the king, living in the modern world means accepting both the good and the bad from outside Bhutan: Not only TV, but also mobile phones and the internet.

SHIT!

Now you know what **** means!

Destination Infinity.

PS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/satisfaction_with_Life_Index is an interesting link you would want to visit to look at the happiness index and rating for each country. In case you are eager to know India's rating, I suggest you better not click the link. Sometimes, Ignorance is Bliss indeed. But yes, we are better than Pak.

The Painting and The Photograph

2008-01-03T15:43:00.000+05:30

03 Jan 1808, Ooty.

Diary of Col.Richard Bentlee.

If there could ever be heaven on earth,

This would surely be earth on heaven..

Never before have I been so eager,

To colour nature with its wonder..

Could I do justice to this splendour,

By wanting to paint the thunder..

So many strokes, so many curves,

So many brushes, so many colours,

How can I paint thy exuberance,

With my limited lead and limited pallete..

For a man, who has never spoken a lie,

I have just painted several - Thouugh my eye..

How many hours and how many days,

How many sketches and how many colours..

All self made excuses,Only to get more glimpses..
How I wish I could lend my eyes,they cant feel but atleast they could see..

How better could I glorify falsehood,
By first attempting to paint,

And then reciting through these words..

For I cannot recreate thy truth.

But atleast,I can paint the nearest lie..

And send it to them along with this ode,

Which atleast is mine..

03 Jan 2008, Ooty.

Gtalk

HE: Did you get the photos I sent you?

SHE: What photos?

HE: The ones I emailed yesterday from Ooty.

SHE: Yeah, I remember getting the mail. But was busy. Not able to see them yesterday.

HE: Take a look at them. This new 10 Mega Pixcel Digital SLR Camera is really wonderful. What excellent and high quality pictures it gives!

SHE: Glad you liked my present.

HE: Yeah. I sometimes wonder, what people would have done when there was no camera and no internet. We are so lucky!

Gmail

It was not there in the inbox. He said he had sent it yesterday. Yesterday night - came home late, checked mail, deleted some mails..

May be it is in the Trash.

It was.

Destination Infinity.

Mystery of the Misery

2007-12-24T01:45:00.000+05:30

Mystery of the Misery

Let Grief striketh upon thee....

If there was no grief, there would not be happiness either.

Happiness and Grief are not absolute - They are absolutely Relative.

If there was no grief on this planet,

Mahatma Gandhi would have remained MK Gandhi..

Abhimanyu would have remained just another archer..

Socrates would have never become a philosopher..

The Du pont's would have remained in France..

Mother Teresa would have been a charming daughter, wife, mother and grandmother..

Dada would have remained retired Sourav Ganguly..(This must have been the work of a hacker - mind hacker?)

Years of Struggle, Years of Pain,

All to see his efforts end in vain..

Because his 'Analytical Engine',

Was born too Early..

Early,by a century..

We made his Analytical Engine in to a Computer,

After much toil, After much Struggle..

If Charles Babbage was born today,

Imagine what he could do to our computer..

Because his Struggle,

Was much greater than our struggle..

Let grief striketh upon thee....

Wish not for its abstinence,

But the will to fight its sustenance.

Because there is no mystery,

Without misery.

Destination Infinity.

The second picture in this post is actually an Charles Babbage Difference Engine which was made in the 1990's as per the diagrams formulated by Charles Babbage, more than a Century ago. You can find the details in this website: http://ed-thelen.org/bab/bab_tech.html

iNation

2007-12-09T20:39:00.000+05:30

iNation

__________________________________________

Dont worry my son, everything is arranged....

"But I dont even qualify for this job"

This is how it happens in high places, my son....

Make a name first, Of course you could earn it later....

Besides, this is the year 2108 ....

___________________________________________

My son wants to be a Robo Tech....

"BE RT?"

Yes.

"Well, look at his scores...."

But we are ready to do anything....

"Maybe, we can push him in the sports quota"

Anything.

"Can we be more specific on the 'anything' part?"

___________________________________________

We are very poor, my son....

You better drop the dream job of yours....

And try to be more practical....

"But my master said it would be possible"

"It seems it takes only an application"

___________________________________________

Well, working in the igovtt office is so hard....

Lets see what work we have for this week....

Job Applications....

Got to switch on my PC, Connect to the inet....

And toughest of all,

Login and press the forward button....

Lot of work! Lets do it after two days....

___________________________________________

Has the final icandidate been selected yet?

"No, iminister"

Well good, I have some Resumes....

Some related to higher officials....

Some from party workers kins....

And some recommended by our corporate sponsors....

I am sure you would look into them before the final selection....

"Yes, iminister"

____________________________________________

"Well, who is responsible for this debacle?"

igovtt - This is a democracy, its collective responsibility....

iminister - corporate interference....

corporate - Beuracratic interference....

Media - igovtt, igovtt, igovtt....

T.V Watchers and Bloggers - igovtt, igovtt, igovtt....

_____________________________________________

Final results ~ Olympicss

Nation 1 - 250 Gold, 250 Silver, 250 Bronze

Nation 2 - 200 Gold, 200 Silver, 200 Bronze

iNation - 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze

_____________________________________________

Destination Infinity.

Water - The Elixir of Life

2007-12-06T11:48:00.000+05:30

Water

The Elixir of Life

You are always beautiful

Whichever form you take....

Droplets in Rain,

Sea in Ocean,

Snow in a Snowfall,

Ice in a Glacier

They say,

Beauty lies in the eyes of its beholder....

To any beholder,

You are

Ever captivating, intoxicating and addictive....

Addictive....

How can we live without you

You are the elixir of our lives

Because life revolves around water

You are too humble, you wouldnt accept it

But you are so addictive....

So is alcohol, so is tobacco

Whats the difference?

Destination Infinity

Who is Innocent ?

2007-12-03T08:41:00.000+05:30

Who is Innocent ?

War in Afghanistan....
So many innocent civilian casualities....

War in Iraq....
So many innocent civilian casualities....

War in Kargil....
So many innocent civilian casualities....

Are bhayia,

Who is innocent?

The soldier, who is constantly at risk of his life,
Who has left all his loved ones and may not see them again,
Who is fighting, not for himself but for the nation....

OR

The civilian, who updates himself about the number of lives lost by watching TV,
Comfortabily blogging from his home expressing deep concern,
Who intends to donate paltry amounts everytime there is a war....

Who is innocent?

Destination Infinity - Debut Blog

2007-05-27T21:03:00.000+05:30

Hi,

This is destination Infinity's debut blog. I would like to dedicate this series of blogs to slightly un-conventional ideas (Nice way of saying ONLY-Unconventional). For eg. today let us see the topic - Adversity in a slighty different light also in a slightly poetic (read horribly poetic) way.

Adversity - Gods Choice.

He is talented, he is hardworking, he is committed...
He wanted to change the face of the earth...
He was not short of zeal...
Neither courage...

He stepped in...
He believed in himself...
He believed in his hardwork and sincerity....
He thought he was on top of the world, knows everything...

He had the single minded determination...
He wanted to make a mark, show that he is the best...

He worked hard, struggled hard...
He was never short of work...
But only short of results...
God said: Not yet mate.

Sincerety, they say-dies, when you are in turbulent times...
They say you always change in the face of adversity...
They say your real character is tested when in deep misery...
They say you cannot hold on when the ground below is tearing apart...

He did...
He held on and on...
He struggled through his adversity...
He camped on fire when he could have slept in chill air...

He did not know why he did this...
Nor did he know if he had to do this...

Some thing kept telling him: Hold on mate...
He didnt know who it was or why.

There is an end to everything he thought...
There was no end visible to him though...

He was almost about to give up...
He thought success was an elusive club...

But even the elusive was his at last...

Call it luck, call it will, call it destiny.

You may like to end up the whole saga,
By saying that he was successful inspite of his adversities.

I am ending this saga,
By saying that he was successful because of his adversities.

Destination Infinity.