Definitions

Hi , it has been long since i wrote something.Well not any dearth of thoughts but then just didn't find any time.There has been a lot of interesting reading that i have done of late.One book, i swear, that everyone must read is "The selfish gene" by Richard Dawkins.Will write more about it in a post dedicated to it sometime later.For now what i can say is this book will change the way you see things forever!!!
By swear , i remember this ( swear ) , finally research shows that swearing is good at work place.Now this is what i have been saying all along ( Warning : At your own risk :) and too much of anything is bad )

Finally, now this one is special.Most of us would be aware that in US presidential elections are approaching and there are reams of newspaper print saying who will come to power and why,what will be good for India and why , bla bla bla ...Lot of friends have been giving their so called expert opinions.So i decided to do a small test.Ask them the definitions of Liberals and Conservatives.I mean dictionary definitions ( i hear you saying wht the hell , wht other definition can be there )Well most of us would agree as per any standard dictionary,
Conservative: A person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas
Liberal:Showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

So then what would a Conservative and Liberal party mean ? If you are forming any notions on the basis of the above definitions , then without further delay let me tell you that you are making a grave mistake.In political parlance a Conservative party or CONSERVATIVES - believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. They firmly believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals.Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

On the other hand Liberal party or Liberals believe in governmental action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all, and that it is the duty of the State to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need.Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve people’s problems.

So there you see the difference between the dictionary definition and political use of these two terms.Next time be careful when a social networking site ( Orkut / Facebook ) asks about your political views.

Wall Street and V for Vendetta

Wall street is one movie that inspires me everytime i see it,watched it the Nth time last night.Here is one of the most wonderful and diplomatic speech by Gekko(Michael Douglas) :

INT. HOTEL BALLROOM - DAY
The annual Teldar Paper stockholders' meeting is in session: 400 stockholders are there -- many middle aged and older, one bag lady. Cromwell sits on an elevated platform at the front of the room surrounded by an army of bulky EXECUTIVES, none of them weighing less than 200 pounds, ACCOUNTANTS and LAWYERS. Gekko in contrast seems like Robin Hood seated with Alex, Harold, Bud and the other stockholders. Cromwell is delivering his prepared attack on Gekko in a highly sarcastic, gruff manner. CROMWELL ...Your company, ladies and gentlemen, is under siege from Gordon Gekko. Teldar Paper is now leveraged to the hilt, like some piss poor South American country...instead of using our cash to build plants, build our business, all this man really wants is to get paid to withdraw his tender offer and that will cost us approximately another $200 million in greenmail which will be passed on to the consumer...
Gekko seething, jumps up.
GEKKO Where do you get off speaking about me like that, making remarks to the press, I resent these remarks, I demand the right to speak.
CROMWELL Sit down, sir, you're out of order, haven't you done enough damage to Teldar as it is?...have you no sense of decency? (to shareholders) How can your management...
Gekko is urged to sit down by his people but we hear various catcalls, "Let the man speak!" "Sit down, Gekko!"
CROMWELL (CONT'D) ...concentrate on long term growth when we're busy fighting the get- rich-quick, short term profit, slot machine mentality of Wall Street when we should be fighting Japan! The original fundamental reason for Wall Street was to capitalize American business, underwrite new business, build companies, build America. The "deal" has now succeeded goods and services as America's gross national product and in the process, we are undermining our foundation. This cancer is called "greed". Greed and speculation have replaced long-term investment. Corporations are being taken apart like erector sets, without any consideration of the public good. I strongly recommend you to see through Mr. Gekko's shameless intention here to strip this company and severely penalize the stockholders. I strongly recommend you to reject his tender by voting for management's restructuring of the stock.
CUT TO:
Gekko is now at floor level with a microphone. He's calmer, makes his pitch to the stockholders, looking up at the management.
GEKKO ...I appreciate the chance you're giving me, Mr. Cromwell, as the single largest stockholder in Teldar, to speak. (gets some laughter and applause, loosens) On the way here today I saw a bumper sticker. It said, "Life is a bitch... then you die". (gets another laugh) ...well ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasies, but in political and economic reality. America has become a second rate power. Our trade deficit and fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions. In the days of the 'free market' when our country was a top industrial power, there was accountability to the shareholders. The Carnegies, the Mellons, the man who built this industrial empire, made sure of it because it was their money at stake. Today management has no stake in the company. Altogether these guys sitting up there own a total of less than 3% and where does Mr. Cromwell put his million dollar salary? Certainly not in Teldar stock, he owns less than 1%. You own Teldar Paper, the stockholders, and you are being royally screwed over by these bureaucrats with their steak lunches, golf and hunting trips, corporate jets, and golden parachutes! Teldar Paper has 33 different vice presidents each earning over $200,000 a year. I spent two months analyzing what these guys did and I still can't figure it out. (a big laugh)
Cromwell is pissed.
CROMWELL This is an outrage Gekko! You're full of shit!
GEKKO One thing I do know is this paper company lost $110 million last year, and I'd bet half of that is in the paperwork going back and forth between all the vice presidents... (increased laughter, he's getting them) The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be 'survival of the unfittest'. Well in my book, you either do it right or you get eliminated. Teldar Paper is doomed to fail. Its diversification into casualty insurance has not worked. Its crown jewels are its trees, the rest is dross. Through wars, depressions, inflations and deterioration of paper money, trees have always kept their value, but Teldar is chopping them all down. Forests are perishable, forest rights are as important as human rights to this planet, and all the illusory Maginot lines, scorched earth tactics, proxy fights, poison pills, etc. that Mr. Cromwell is going to come up with to prevent people like me from buying Teldar Paper are doomed to fail because the bottom line, ladies and gentlemen, as you very well know, is the only way to stay strong is to create value, that's why you buy stock, to have it go up. If there's any other reason, I've never hear it. (laughter) That's all I'm saying...it's you people who own this company, not them, they work for you and they've done a lousy job of it. Get rid of them fast, before you all get sick and die. I may be an opportunist, but if these clowns did a better job, I'd be out of work. In the last seven deals I've been in, there were 2.3 million stockholders that actually made a pretax profit of $12 billion. When I bought the Ixtlan Corporation it was in the exact same position Teldar is today -- I turned three of its companies private and I sold four others -- and each of these companies, liberated from the suffering conglomerate has prospered. I am not a destroyer of companies, I am a liberator of them. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, greed is good. Greed works, greed is right. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all its forms, greed for life, money, love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind -- and greed, mark my words -- will save not only Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA...Thank you.


Also here is one from V for Vendetta :

Evey: Who are you?
V. : Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Well I can see that.
V. : Of course you can, I’m not questioning your powers of observation, I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh, right.
V. : But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.
Evey: Are you like a crazy person?
V. : I’m quite sure they will say so.
Remember remember the fifth of NovemberGunpowder, treason and plot.I know of no reason why gunpowder, treasonShould ever be forgot…

This one from V for Vendetta is just too good, i dont know how but somehow i need to pen my own version of something similar with another alphabet ...

Biz...

It was the usual shortened weekend with me working on Saturday, had lot of mundane work for Sunday (getting the bike serviced, laundry bla bla bla) Evening met up with Rakesh (aka rocky, he still is the good old rocky) and we went to CCD (Am tired of going to ccd and barista and that coffee shop in kormangla with all the board games, I keep forgetting the name) Caught up after a long time paid some two hundred odd for some 1 hour of sitting space, bad music and ok coffee) Neither me nor he bat an eyelid when giving out those 2 printouts of the Father of our Nation ( no puns or offence intended ) Now to cut all the bakad while coming back our bike's tyre went flat and with some luck we got hold of a roadside mechanic and got the tube replaced (no other choice our bike mistry was not in a mood to mend the tube) All said and done when he asked for 50 bucks as labor charge for his work we did not agree, haggled and paid him twenty)Some points to ponder over :
1)What is the exact net worth for his work? It was 10 in the night, he had to slog hard to procure the new tube (though I definitely feel that it is not original), had to leave his dinner in the middle.
2) Could he not have charged us more if his shop was little more polished, his manners more courteous and sophisticated.

We did not mind paying 200 bucks in coffee day but 50 to him was a strict no no. The difference that I see is of service. CCD served coffee but more than that it sold a service (comfortable sitting, music, smiling staff, fancy lights etc etc) an experience of enjoying that coffee. On the other hand our dear old Hamid (that’s the mechanic's name) did sell the tube to me but in terms of service he sold nothing (did not leverage on the fact that it was late in the night and I did not have too many options near by, always wore that rough look and that stiff upper lip would give any brit a run for his money, no smooth talk and the appearance of his shop did not give much confidence either). There is not much in terms of money that these roadside mechanics and pan shops need to invest but a lot more on the service front. Our dear old leaders of the left who spend much time shouting slogans against MNC's and globalization can maybe give a thought to this and impart the necessary lessons to the poor. This would help them survive and prosper something that no amount of subsidy can. Entrepreneurship is not just about iims and dotcoms; it’s about the common man. What i am afraid of is without the right skill set our dear Hamid will not be able to survive for long. Ten years from now that kind of shop will not be able to exist because some smart operator will come and start selling the service instead of just the tube and people will go all out and give him an extra buck just because he gives you a wide welcome smile, looks neat, looks respectable, genuine and is certified. Cynics may say that’s not possible, I just have one question for them how many of them would have predicted that we will not mind giving 100 bucks for a cup of coffee 10 years ago?

Medical Certificate

I came across this in one of the forward mails and I strongly recommend that everybody should get it signed by his or her doctor
Certified that Mr. /Miss ____________ _____ , working in your organization, is suffering from ‘time-bound’ illness. Due to this, he will NOT be able to work more than 8 hours a day and 5 days a week.
Any attempt to stretch beyond this timing will lead to severe health problems. The losses to the company due to medical reimbursements will be far more compared to the gains made by stretching beyond 8 hours.
It is also warned to keep my patient away from any kind of shocking news such as “Come over weekend..”, “Let’s work on holiday..”, “Leave cannot be granted” etc. which can directly lead to heart strokes.
In view of the above, it is strongly recommended to adjust your deadlines in accordance with the convenience of my patient.
Sd/-Dr. ImpatientCyber Clinic

Food for Thought

1)We need to distinguish between a slash which divides and a hyphen which unites even when it divides.

2)A bird does not sing a song because it has an answer.It sings because it has a song.

3)There are two perfect men,one dead the other unborn.

4)The reason most people fail instead of succeed is because they trade what they really want most for what they want most at the moment.

5)Heart has its reasons which reasons don't understand.

6)It is easy to open a business but it is difficult to keep it open.

7)Life is a disease and the only difference between one man and another is the stage of the disease at which he lives.

Tamso ma jyotir gamaya

Asato ma sat gamaya

Tamso ma jyotir gamaya

Mrityor ma amritam gamaya

The lines have been taken from Brhadaranayaka Upanishad, the first time i came across them were on my school emblem and it has fascinated me ever since.Thats the simple reason why i chose it for my blog's name.

'sat' means truth and 'asat' therefore means false; 'gamaya' means 'to go' or 'to lead'; 'tamaso' is darkness; 'jyoti' means light; 'mrityu' means death; 'amrit' means immortality.So the lines basically mean:

Lead me from the false to the real

From darkness to light

And from stagnation to the ever vibrant action and living.

Recently i was reading this book named Argumentative India which had this lovely poem by Rabindranath Tagore .

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

This too echoes the very same concept of moving from darkness towards light.

In the same vein we also have a song from Kishore Kumar target="_blank" rel="nofollow">"Aa Chal Ke Tujhe Mein Lai Ke Chalu ..."

Science VS Religion

I was coming out of the pathology lab after giving my blood samples when i came across this man worshipping a model of clay, with a baby by its side crying aloud .The child looked famished and was crying for food .The man in tattered clothes offered a banana to the clay model and chanted some hymns .Once he was done with his prayers i approached him and asked why he did not feed the child and apt came the reply, " Sir i am poor and i don’t have any money to feed the child." I was still wondering could he not have given that banana to that child instead of offering it to GOD.

Ever since then i have been wondering about the conflict between Religion and Science .It has been an age old debate with both the sides vehemently pushing their case .Now lets look at the Hindu Religious system and try to decipher if we can get some message out of it .Hinduism is one religion which has number of Gods and Goddesses all equally worshipped and respected .Also one GOD too can have many different avatars Lord Krishna being a case in point.

How does this fare in scientific light? Science says we have different forms of energy sun, wind ,mechanical ,chemical etc . Also energy can neither be created nor destroyed and the various forms can be transferred and transformed from one form to another. Is then not this energy similar to our Gods? They too can’t be created or destroyed and there are various forms of them too. Also is not the divine form manifestation of energy itself?

So science and religion are trying to point to the same thing but in different ways .One may call it energy someone else may call it GOD.