In order to save the environment in any small way possible,
I took to stairs while going from 2nd floor to gound floor,
Although I noticed the elevator being stationary on 2nd floor,
Almost temptingly welcoming me!
But as I started walking down,
Some one on ground floor pressed the elevator button
And the elevator almost mockingly made its way down empty
And reached before I did.
So much for saving the environment.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thought for the day
[21] So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh;
[22] and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
[23] Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man."
[24] Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
- Genesis [2], The Bible
[22] and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
[23] Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man."
[24] Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
- Genesis [2], The Bible
More you don’t know...
Literally speaking, higher the corporate ladder you climb, farther from the ground (realities) you are. The finer aspects of grass are lost and higher you go, the more you talk in air, making no real sense! I have noticed many senior managers speaking at length about a topic on which they actually have no real clue about but are very conversant with the choicest of words! I remember Sam giving a classic extempore of Board Members in a press conference where heavy duty adjectives and adverbs are used but the essence of the 5 minute speech is in effect null and void, which happens ever so often and is so true.
They even try to add a humorous touch and burst out laughing abruptly as if they made an intelligent remark or, if a joke is told by a junior member, they act as if they understood and guffaw but inwardly, I know that it was a laughter born out of nervousness, out of lack of knowledge. This lack of knowledge always gnaws at their consciousness.
Some truthful ones admit their weakness and learn, break their head and fill this void of knowledge. Rest go with the flow and keep the ball moving somehow, by being on the surface of the water, just able to breath and float and survive. Both are paid equally well. The former think that they are paid well to face situations where they have to talk crap without knowing anything but later break head to fill that void. The latter think that they are paid well just to face the aforesaid situations.
I might have already faced some such situations in the past and I know that I will be facing more such situations in my corporate future. I sure don’t want and don’t like that void of knowledge and I do hope I don’t get lazy and not break my head for things I don’t know. This reminds me of a previous related post.
Irrespective of breaking the head, the irony hit me:
More you don’t know, higher the pay.
:-)
They even try to add a humorous touch and burst out laughing abruptly as if they made an intelligent remark or, if a joke is told by a junior member, they act as if they understood and guffaw but inwardly, I know that it was a laughter born out of nervousness, out of lack of knowledge. This lack of knowledge always gnaws at their consciousness.
Some truthful ones admit their weakness and learn, break their head and fill this void of knowledge. Rest go with the flow and keep the ball moving somehow, by being on the surface of the water, just able to breath and float and survive. Both are paid equally well. The former think that they are paid well to face situations where they have to talk crap without knowing anything but later break head to fill that void. The latter think that they are paid well just to face the aforesaid situations.
I might have already faced some such situations in the past and I know that I will be facing more such situations in my corporate future. I sure don’t want and don’t like that void of knowledge and I do hope I don’t get lazy and not break my head for things I don’t know. This reminds me of a previous related post.
Irrespective of breaking the head, the irony hit me:
More you don’t know, higher the pay.
:-)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thought for the day
I some times wonder if I use
USA as a means of escaping from India and
India as a means of escaping from USA.
USA as a means of escaping from India and
India as a means of escaping from USA.
Qs of the day
Quote of the day:
"When my mother resisted my decision to start working as an assistant in Bollywood at age 16, I told her I wasn't stopping my education. I was just beginning it. I was always very clear about what I wanted."
- Aamir Khan to a Times of India reporter
Question of the day:
How is it that some people are always very clear on what they want, and some are not?!
"When my mother resisted my decision to start working as an assistant in Bollywood at age 16, I told her I wasn't stopping my education. I was just beginning it. I was always very clear about what I wanted."
- Aamir Khan to a Times of India reporter
Question of the day:
How is it that some people are always very clear on what they want, and some are not?!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Quote of the day
To get something you never had,
You have to do something you never did.
- Seen on a cubicle board
You have to do something you never did.
- Seen on a cubicle board
Friday, January 08, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Heavenly
Heads leaning on one another...
Arms locked in one another...
On a bench in a park under the cool night air...
Under a canopy of side-by-side arching branches...
Greenery, shrubs and trees all around...
Orion filling the small visible sky...
Not a thought in the world...
Not a worry in the world...
Heavenly!
Arms locked in one another...
On a bench in a park under the cool night air...
Under a canopy of side-by-side arching branches...
Greenery, shrubs and trees all around...
Orion filling the small visible sky...
Not a thought in the world...
Not a worry in the world...
Heavenly!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Happy New Year 2010!
For the first time since I can recollect,
I slept on the New Year’s Eve…
A sleep year ahead?!
Happy New Year!!
I slept on the New Year’s Eve…
A sleep year ahead?!
Happy New Year!!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Vishnuvardhan is no more...
Everyone informed that he was one of the finest human beings on Earth and a wonderful, wonderful man. What a great honor to be said thus as eulogy...it just makes his whole life worthy.
But there was a peculiarity in this natural death: Just a few years ago, actress Soundarya died before the release of Apthamithra film in which Vishnu had acted. This was a film based on paranormal theme. Vishnu died before the release of Aptharakshaka film in which he was taking part when he died. This was supposed to be his 200th film, and a sequel to Apthamithra. This film also was based on a paranormal theme. It was also said that there were 'peculiar' incidents happening to the film crew during the shooting of Aptharakshaka. Like the actress of this film feeling someone was sleeping in her hotel room, seeing shadows, etc. Whats with this 'Aptha..' and 'Paranormal' theme thats haunting the Kannada film industry?
Whatever be the case, Vishnuvardhan is no more with us. There were many films of his that I liked. I especially remember Rayaru Bandaru Maavana Manege. May his soul rest in peace...
Sigh.
But there was a peculiarity in this natural death: Just a few years ago, actress Soundarya died before the release of Apthamithra film in which Vishnu had acted. This was a film based on paranormal theme. Vishnu died before the release of Aptharakshaka film in which he was taking part when he died. This was supposed to be his 200th film, and a sequel to Apthamithra. This film also was based on a paranormal theme. It was also said that there were 'peculiar' incidents happening to the film crew during the shooting of Aptharakshaka. Like the actress of this film feeling someone was sleeping in her hotel room, seeing shadows, etc. Whats with this 'Aptha..' and 'Paranormal' theme thats haunting the Kannada film industry?
Whatever be the case, Vishnuvardhan is no more with us. There were many films of his that I liked. I especially remember Rayaru Bandaru Maavana Manege. May his soul rest in peace...
Sigh.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The 'Treasure-Hunt' feeling!
I vividly remember one Friday in September when I left office at 4.30 pm to get AAA maps of New York City [AAA closes at 5 pm]. If you have noticed a AAA map, it is HUGE! It spans across almost a 3*3 table top and the street names are tiny. As I was driving home (and thence on to NY with wife), I had this strange sense of excitement and anxiety within me and I could not understand why.
It struck me a while later that it was because of those AAA maps! Apart from the mapquest printout from and to my sole destination point in NY city [I did not have a GPS], I had not taken any further mapquest printouts and I was totally relying on the AAA map. This feeling of finding out driving directions from a paper map was alien to me and feeling was almost akin to a treasure hunt! Hence the excitement! I was totally looking forward to it! Just goes to show how a device like GPS can kill or mute an innate human feeling of excitement.
Manhattan, with its streets and avenues and traffic jams, is a pain to drive as it is but with no clear sense of direction, it is even more difficult. But I was able to manage it with ease and learnt a lot more about Manhattan than I would have if I had used GPS [A related post]. Not just that, it was plain fun to find roads by myself through paper maps and navigate through the NYC traffic.
PS: I finally fell to the charm and versatility of the GPS and bought one last month.
It struck me a while later that it was because of those AAA maps! Apart from the mapquest printout from and to my sole destination point in NY city [I did not have a GPS], I had not taken any further mapquest printouts and I was totally relying on the AAA map. This feeling of finding out driving directions from a paper map was alien to me and feeling was almost akin to a treasure hunt! Hence the excitement! I was totally looking forward to it! Just goes to show how a device like GPS can kill or mute an innate human feeling of excitement.
Manhattan, with its streets and avenues and traffic jams, is a pain to drive as it is but with no clear sense of direction, it is even more difficult. But I was able to manage it with ease and learnt a lot more about Manhattan than I would have if I had used GPS [A related post]. Not just that, it was plain fun to find roads by myself through paper maps and navigate through the NYC traffic.
PS: I finally fell to the charm and versatility of the GPS and bought one last month.
Quote of the Day
Wealth is relative to the amount of time one has to enjoy it.
~Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity
People and Work
There are some people
Wanting to do the same work
At the same office
Day in and day out
For years together
And yet be very content.
And then there are some people
Wanting to do different work
In different offices
Because they get bored and discontent
With a particular stream of work and location
Within a short span of time.
Why that passivity?
Why this restlessness?
Wanting to do the same work
At the same office
Day in and day out
For years together
And yet be very content.
And then there are some people
Wanting to do different work
In different offices
Because they get bored and discontent
With a particular stream of work and location
Within a short span of time.
Why that passivity?
Why this restlessness?
Lingua Franca
It will be reasonable to say that Man came on Earth a very long time ago. Based on Continental Drift hypothesis, it is also reasonable to say that a very long time ago, Earth was just one land mass. Might not exactly be correct to deduce (as cited in the website) but as per Transitive Property of Equality, it is possible that when Man came on Earth very long time ago, Earth was just one land mass.
Continuing thereon, Man would have led to Men (due respect to Woman!) and Men to Community and Communities. Supposing that we had Communities of Men on Earth when Earth was still one land mass, it is possible that the Native Man started some form of communication to communicate with one another. This would have led to the creation of alphabet and sentences and grammar and what not. Its all hypothesis because no one can really say how it all really evolved over period of time.
Now my thought is this: when Earth was just one land mass and Men lived in one community or neighbouring communities, then how did so many languages evolve on this planet? Should not there have been just one language in this whole Earth?!
Since there are more than one languages, it implies that when Man came on this Earth, the Earth was not just one land mass. But then this means that Men came on Earth simultaneously in different parts of the continent at the same time and Continental Communities created their own languages. Of course, this discredits Adam because we are now saying that Men came simultaneously at different parts of Earth. Of course, another explanation is that this implies that Men got separated by continental drift before a form of communication was developed and this resulted in different languages across continents and regions. Possible.
But its surprising and fascinating that there are so many languages on this planet. Its understandable if a huge land area talks one language (like countries having their own languages) but its unthinkable to have neighbouring people (like states within a country) talk different languages. Its almost as if there was a time when people hated one another so much that they thought they should have a language of their own so that they can converse secretly without being understood!
In this one planet, we have 6909 languages and in India alone, there are 452 listed languages! I mean, why take all the pain to create alphabet, create grammar, create sentences, meanings, synonyms, antonyms, etc to create a new language when someone has already created a language? Was the hatred so much that the pain of creation of a new language was absolutely worth it?!!
Or was creating a new language the order of the day for regions, just like how states and countries got created and are being created? Like, as if its an achievement to have a state of one’s own with national language and national flag and national animal and national bird! Did it not strike then that the wheel was being reinvented, so to speak?
One reasoning is that perhaps there was one main language, but it got broken down over the ages to something simpler and easier. For example, if you consider Sanskrit as a parent language, Hindi came out as a child language. The script is the same but content was simplified. Again, its all my hypothesis.
I guess it is too vast a topic to write about and I know too little about evolution of Man and languages. All I know is that when I travel 6 hours from my place, I cannot talk nor read nor understand what people are talking, and I will be left wondering – again – why was there a need to come up with so many languages in this world!!!
:-)
Continuing thereon, Man would have led to Men (due respect to Woman!) and Men to Community and Communities. Supposing that we had Communities of Men on Earth when Earth was still one land mass, it is possible that the Native Man started some form of communication to communicate with one another. This would have led to the creation of alphabet and sentences and grammar and what not. Its all hypothesis because no one can really say how it all really evolved over period of time.
Now my thought is this: when Earth was just one land mass and Men lived in one community or neighbouring communities, then how did so many languages evolve on this planet? Should not there have been just one language in this whole Earth?!
Since there are more than one languages, it implies that when Man came on this Earth, the Earth was not just one land mass. But then this means that Men came on Earth simultaneously in different parts of the continent at the same time and Continental Communities created their own languages. Of course, this discredits Adam because we are now saying that Men came simultaneously at different parts of Earth. Of course, another explanation is that this implies that Men got separated by continental drift before a form of communication was developed and this resulted in different languages across continents and regions. Possible.
But its surprising and fascinating that there are so many languages on this planet. Its understandable if a huge land area talks one language (like countries having their own languages) but its unthinkable to have neighbouring people (like states within a country) talk different languages. Its almost as if there was a time when people hated one another so much that they thought they should have a language of their own so that they can converse secretly without being understood!
In this one planet, we have 6909 languages and in India alone, there are 452 listed languages! I mean, why take all the pain to create alphabet, create grammar, create sentences, meanings, synonyms, antonyms, etc to create a new language when someone has already created a language? Was the hatred so much that the pain of creation of a new language was absolutely worth it?!!
Or was creating a new language the order of the day for regions, just like how states and countries got created and are being created? Like, as if its an achievement to have a state of one’s own with national language and national flag and national animal and national bird! Did it not strike then that the wheel was being reinvented, so to speak?
One reasoning is that perhaps there was one main language, but it got broken down over the ages to something simpler and easier. For example, if you consider Sanskrit as a parent language, Hindi came out as a child language. The script is the same but content was simplified. Again, its all my hypothesis.
I guess it is too vast a topic to write about and I know too little about evolution of Man and languages. All I know is that when I travel 6 hours from my place, I cannot talk nor read nor understand what people are talking, and I will be left wondering – again – why was there a need to come up with so many languages in this world!!!
:-)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thought for the day
Sometimes change is all what we crave for...
Sometimes constancy is all what we crave for...
Sometimes constancy is all what we crave for...
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sick Leaves
In my organization, employees at onsite are entitled for 10 sick leaves per year. If they are not taken, they get lapsed at the end of the calendar year. I had not taken a sick leave as long as I was in onsite just for the sake of utilizing the sick leaves. But one day I really fell ill and I took the sick leave.
At the back of mind, there was a sense of satisfaction that I was utilizing the sick leave. I was staying at home, taking rest, being leisurely on a working day. Completely away from work and tension. And yet, I got to keep my earned leave balance the same. Happy-happy!
Then I realized that, due to me not going to office, the client would not be billed for my 8 hours of work by my organization that day. So, my organization would not receive pay for the 8 hours that I was supposed to work that day. In effect, the overall profit would have got hit however infinitesimal this hit might be. But if the organization is over 100,000 people strong and if a considerable number of this population are in onsite and take sick leaves during that quarter, then it is no longer an infinitesimal hit. When the profit hit is significant, then it gets reflected in my own pay slip because my variable pay reduces. So, the sick leave I had taken was essentially back firing me monetarily. Not so happy-happy now!!
Another classic case for Improper Initial Perception.
At the back of mind, there was a sense of satisfaction that I was utilizing the sick leave. I was staying at home, taking rest, being leisurely on a working day. Completely away from work and tension. And yet, I got to keep my earned leave balance the same. Happy-happy!
Then I realized that, due to me not going to office, the client would not be billed for my 8 hours of work by my organization that day. So, my organization would not receive pay for the 8 hours that I was supposed to work that day. In effect, the overall profit would have got hit however infinitesimal this hit might be. But if the organization is over 100,000 people strong and if a considerable number of this population are in onsite and take sick leaves during that quarter, then it is no longer an infinitesimal hit. When the profit hit is significant, then it gets reflected in my own pay slip because my variable pay reduces. So, the sick leave I had taken was essentially back firing me monetarily. Not so happy-happy now!!
Another classic case for Improper Initial Perception.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Life in a suit case...
After 6 months in Heights,
12 days in Royal Crest,
10 days in Raleigh and
15 days in Homestead.
At least now, for some time,
We do not have to live out of the suit case...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Geography and Electronic Communication
When me and my wife were in Jayanagar-Bangalore-India, my wife’s mom was in Jalahalli-Bangalore-India and their daily communication was through cell phone.
When me and my wife moved to Marlborough-MA-USA, my wife’s mom continued to stay in Jalahalli-Bangalore-India but now their daily communication was through video –chat!
Geographically farther though we went, their communication became much more audio-visually closer and clearer!
Hail Technology! :-)
When me and my wife moved to Marlborough-MA-USA, my wife’s mom continued to stay in Jalahalli-Bangalore-India but now their daily communication was through video –chat!
Geographically farther though we went, their communication became much more audio-visually closer and clearer!
Hail Technology! :-)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Why does the queue not move?!!
When you are driving from New York to Boston, during one particular stretch, you will have to exit I 91N, merge onto CT 15N which becomes I 84E. Now, generally, the traffic from New York to Boston (or MA state) and vice versa during weekends is heavy. This particular exit from I 91N to CT 15N is a one-lane exit and hence, very often, there will be a huge queue – about a mile, mile and a half – on the right most lane even before this exit.
Now, those who are not aware of this traffic condition at the exit, usually - innocently - drive right to the exit and then realize that there is actually a queue. Upon realization, they humbly, meekly slide onto the queue and become a part of it. If there are a huge number of such innocent humble drivers, the guys who are in the queue get delayed and the queue at the very end doesn’t move at all.
Now, those who are aware of this traffic condition at the exit, are also aware that the queue at the very end doesn’t move at all and hence, usually – deliberately – drive right to the exit and then smartly, savagely get into the queue and become part of it. If there are a huge number of such deliberate smart drivers, the guys who are in the queue get even more delayed and the queue at the very end doesn’t move at all.
So, those who are aware of this traffic condition at the exit but are neither smart nor savage join the queue at the very end and stay there for a long time…
Quod Erat Demonstrandum
Now, those who are not aware of this traffic condition at the exit, usually - innocently - drive right to the exit and then realize that there is actually a queue. Upon realization, they humbly, meekly slide onto the queue and become a part of it. If there are a huge number of such innocent humble drivers, the guys who are in the queue get delayed and the queue at the very end doesn’t move at all.
Now, those who are aware of this traffic condition at the exit, are also aware that the queue at the very end doesn’t move at all and hence, usually – deliberately – drive right to the exit and then smartly, savagely get into the queue and become part of it. If there are a huge number of such deliberate smart drivers, the guys who are in the queue get even more delayed and the queue at the very end doesn’t move at all.
So, those who are aware of this traffic condition at the exit but are neither smart nor savage join the queue at the very end and stay there for a long time…
Quod Erat Demonstrandum
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