If 10 terrorists who are dismayed with the way "operations" are being carried out get together and decide to actually do something, they can. Definetely. And that is what probably happened now.
If 10 IPS officers who are dismayed with the way "operations" are happening get together and decide to actually do something, they cannot.
As long as the equation is not balanced, we can just enjoy the media circus out there. That being said, here are snippets from blogs that said it best.
Youth Curry
"In 2004, samples of the bullet proof vests were sent for a trial at the firing range of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF). They were fitted on dummies, [as is the practice] and sprayed with AK-47 bullets and bullets from self-loading rifles (SLR). Every single bullet went through the jackets even though the rounds were fired from a distance," a senior police official revealed, on condition of anonymity.So, did a terrorist kill Hemant Karkare... Or was it his own countrymen??
In football it's called an 'own goal'.
In war, it's called TREASON.
Idling in Top Gear
You turn on the TV and watch the news. You see that a police officer has been suspended or arrested for excessively "encountering" gangsters. You feel sorry for the guy who put his personal safety and family's welfare below the welfare of the state, and you call him an idiot. At least you have saved up some money being an IPS officer, but these idiots from the subordinate services don't even have much of a background, you sympathize. You hear that a top officer fled the scene of a bomb blast has been suspended, and you call him a smart man. He'll be reinstated someday, like countless others before him, but who will provide for his wife and kids if he had been blown up? Then, you flip the channel and see that officers and men went in and shot well trained terrorists knowing well that they were against a superior enemy and that their own lives were at stake, and you hesitate to comment. Clearly, they are better men than you are as far as their country was concerned. But what of their families? Will people remember them 3 months from now? Two years from now? How about when it comes time for their kids to get into college? Who will look out for them then?
So, what have the police been doing? A lot of them have been busy trying to survive, just like the rest of us, in a country that has become a "dog eat dog" society. It is not very practical to expect that someone will look out for others when no one is looking out for them. The few that do, we can only sincerely thank them and hopefully not forget them too soon.
The Indian Investor
The Thackerays were conspicuous in their absence, and no one seems to care, because we now know they only attack helpless people who can't fight back. Modi, who has a record of battling terrorism with terror, isn't much solace - and he went political, which was taken in bad taste. Manmohan Singh said something in such a sissy way I feel ashamed to have him as my leader. Advani has josh but that crackling voice and age of 80 - I don't know man, I don't want to have our army provided leadership from a hospital.
Our president has absolutely no clue, and she's supposed to be the ultimate leader of the army. We have a bunch of jokers out there leading our country, and all we can do is light candles.
What is the point of lighting candles? Candles are frikking exact photocopies of our stupid response. We'll stay lit long as long as the wax is around, and after we die and are forgotten.
We'll light candles? And that will somehow convince the families of all those dead that we mourned for them? That such a thing will not happen to them, or indeed, to us anymore? We'll light a frikking candle?
If we have to light something, let's light a fire under our own arse. And under all those who were supposed to be working but weren't. Under A K Antony, our defense minister, who had mentioned in April 2007 that since we secure road and air, the next attack could come from the sea. Under Manmohan Singh, for not firing that sissy Shivraj Patil. Under ourselves, for not voting and for not standing up against the establishment. And for not finding someone worthy enough to vote for.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
What actually happened
For a naive follower of economics like me, making sense of the economy, the bailout, the politics related to it and all this in the midst of a bloodbath on the Wall Street and yo-yo'ing Dow was becoming a frigging circus. I've been reading like crazy for the past 40 days or so about what led to the current state of things and was yet was getting nowhere. The blog posts in the following links couldn't have said it any better.
As for whats in store for India next,
I wish I knew.
As for whats in store for India next,
I wish I knew.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Happy B'day Friend
The world is a better place coz you were in it.
Wherever you are, have a great day.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
End of Days ?
I have two questions for you
1] If the world was to end, would you prefer that it end suddenly without your being aware of it, or that you had some time to contemplate your end, and maybe do some things still left undone?
2] If your answer is that you’d like some time, how much time would you like?
Okay, now here’s the deal: you’ve got that time. It starts now.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A fleeting musing
I think of all the things that are happening and i wonder the meaning of it all. A friend who's constructed a new house but cant attend the house-warming ceremony due to an onsite trip. A friend who doesnt like to marry a girl he's meeting 'online', but has no other choice. A friend who had a happy married life but a mediocre job back home, came here for better oppurtunities, had no luck with his job search and is now working in a grocery store. Not all are sob stories. One who has bought an European car first hand and thus i believe achieved salvation in life. Another who has come from a poor family but is now able to send money back for his sister's marriage. This is a land of stories, some shared, but many hidden deep in one's own heart.
Generations will come attracted by the glitter of the exchange rate and a better quality of life, but is this really worth it. To not be able to talk to your own brother when its really needed, but to be able to buy the PS3 he wants. To not be able to spend an evening on your terrace with your own friends, but drive to casinos and spend time like zombies. Perception, is all that is. It maybe true that i am judging it all too early. Tell me what really is early. Should i speak after this land and its people and culture have taken a toll on me. After i embrace a new rich and meaningless life ?
What got me started today was the knowledge that a friend's father had passed away. Of course, he started ASAP, but i believe that will not be enough. In the time that he should be with his own, he will be on a flight fighting sleep and tears. Is this it ? One small sacrifice that we make for the sake of everything else. Not being there to hold your father's hand in his last moments. Not being able to console your mother when she needs it the most. The body will be taken care of. The ceremonies will be performed. And the void shall remain.
Yes my friend, you will earn more money than me. Your kids will go to richer schools and you will afford better cars. But you will never be happier than me. You will never be an part of the company you work for, just a contractor. You will be able to buy exquisites, but will live a nomad. All things in life have pros and cons. And it is an irony that i knowingly share the same fate as you today.
I might be guilty of growing deep roots.
But deep roots is better than no roots.
Generations will come attracted by the glitter of the exchange rate and a better quality of life, but is this really worth it. To not be able to talk to your own brother when its really needed, but to be able to buy the PS3 he wants. To not be able to spend an evening on your terrace with your own friends, but drive to casinos and spend time like zombies. Perception, is all that is. It maybe true that i am judging it all too early. Tell me what really is early. Should i speak after this land and its people and culture have taken a toll on me. After i embrace a new rich and meaningless life ?
What got me started today was the knowledge that a friend's father had passed away. Of course, he started ASAP, but i believe that will not be enough. In the time that he should be with his own, he will be on a flight fighting sleep and tears. Is this it ? One small sacrifice that we make for the sake of everything else. Not being there to hold your father's hand in his last moments. Not being able to console your mother when she needs it the most. The body will be taken care of. The ceremonies will be performed. And the void shall remain.
Yes my friend, you will earn more money than me. Your kids will go to richer schools and you will afford better cars. But you will never be happier than me. You will never be an part of the company you work for, just a contractor. You will be able to buy exquisites, but will live a nomad. All things in life have pros and cons. And it is an irony that i knowingly share the same fate as you today.
I might be guilty of growing deep roots.
But deep roots is better than no roots.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Quote of the day
Inorder to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
God Listens
Yes, he does !
Trust me on it.
I asked for an adventure, and i got it.
Shoved in my face.
Next time, i promise to think again before i pray.
Amen
Trust me on it.
I asked for an adventure, and i got it.
Shoved in my face.
Next time, i promise to think again before i pray.
Amen
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Fuck you
is such a beautiful word. or statement. whatever. isnt it ?
how many times does it help release so much stress. sometimes we ache to say these words to some especially deserving people. and once said, these words can cause as much happiness as a full bladder emptied on the verge of . . . well, lets just say emptied at the right time.
So you see, beautiful doesnt have to be beautiful to be beautiful.
how many times does it help release so much stress. sometimes we ache to say these words to some especially deserving people. and once said, these words can cause as much happiness as a full bladder emptied on the verge of . . . well, lets just say emptied at the right time.
So you see, beautiful doesnt have to be beautiful to be beautiful.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Redemption
8000 miles; 4 years . . . & . . . loads of common sense.
And the bonus card ;)
Was nice knowing you. Good luck and keep in touch.
And the bonus card ;)
Was nice knowing you. Good luck and keep in touch.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
wtf
Every day, in Africa, a deer wakes up knowing that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will end up as breakfast.
Every day, in Africa, a lion wakes up knowing that it must run faster than the slowest deer or it will have no breakfast.
See, thats the way of the world.
Run or die.
How cruelly beautiful.
Every day, in Africa, a lion wakes up knowing that it must run faster than the slowest deer or it will have no breakfast.
See, thats the way of the world.
Run or die.
How cruelly beautiful.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Eggjacktly
Creedy: (starts shooting the approaching V) Die! Die! Why won't you die? (his gun clicks empty) …Why won't you die?
V: Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.
(Courtesy: V for Vendetta- the movie)
V: Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.
(Courtesy: V for Vendetta- the movie)
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The difference
Passion is a very powerful trait. So powerful, it can even change your world. Not the world maybe, but "your world" definetely. There are some things we do and some things that we enjoy doing. Have you ever wondered what the difference is about ?
When you do a job just for the sake of doing it, you do not have any attachment to it. Success or failure do not count. What counts is that the job is done and that's that. Simply put - wham, bam, thank u ma'm. It gives you niether the satisfaction of something well done nor the inspiration to look up to a chance again. And it shows in the job too. There was the manager of this bank that i decided to open an account with. He couldnt clarify most things that i asked. But you know how some people at banks work. They keep you in dark for long enough to trust them as your seeing eye dogs. And that's their only weapon. Scare innocent account holders into submission. People actually address bank staff as sir/madam !! wtf !! who's serving whom ? I, luckily have been through the ordeals of quite a few banks and the experience had taught me some very valuable lessons.
Coming back to my story, since i knew nothing about this particular type of account, i had to listen to what the manager was saying. Within a few minutes, i understood that the manager was bullshitting me and was himself guessing most parts that he didnt know about. Due to some other reasons, i was forced to open an account only with this bank. So inspite of my head warning me, i had no choice but to go ahead with opening the account. There was some mixup with the account and so i used to go to the bank quite regularly to get things clarified. I am a very sage person unless you fuck with me. And this manager was quite getting on my nerves with his incompetency.
I was almost about to close the account without even using it. However as explained earlier how bad of an asshole i can be, i was determined to give this manager some medicine of his own before doing so. But this was a manager that i was dealing with ! And in most organizations in India, the branch manager is God. Or so he feels. I researched one whole day on how i could get my complaint about this bugger heard and acted upon. I finally got hold of a phone number of a person (actually a junior) who directed me on what i should do. His job would have been done with that. He had no connection with me or with my account. He was just a staff of another branch of the same bank. But help, he did and how !
The first time i called him up, i lambasted him for all the wrong work that the particular manager was doing. He understood that i was shouting because there was noonoe else i could complain to. He heard me out patiently and when i was finished, he directed me on how to get myself heard to the appropriate people. He called me the next day to ask if my problem was solved. And the next. And the next. He actually worked towards solving my problem. Of course, i was successful in getting the manager's ass on fire. But other than that, i actually started looking forward to keeping that account. When i asked him to clarify me on something, he told me quite a few facts about the bank that were not so favourable but still he also told me how to use best the resources at hand. I actually started liking the bank more.
If you are completely lost about what i started off and what i am trying to convey, let me come back to the point. Consider the manager as a person 'A'. just another guy. gets in, logs his time, and gets out. Consider this other bank staff 'B'. Driven. Passionate. You see the picture ? One guy in big enough a position to be responsible and yet loses customers just because he doesnt understand "passion". The other guy in a position where he cant change the status quo but strives for customer satisfaction. We meet a lot of such people all along . . customer care, company representatives, etc. Most often we form our opinion of a company going by the attitude of these people. They are rude to us-> we hate the company. They kiss our ass -> we love the company.
Now that's how powerful passion is. It can make or break a company.
Next time you are working , work passionately. You might or not change the face or future of your company, but the satisfaction of a work well done is a happiness like no other. And it is not the money but how happy you are at the end of the day that really counts.
When you do a job just for the sake of doing it, you do not have any attachment to it. Success or failure do not count. What counts is that the job is done and that's that. Simply put - wham, bam, thank u ma'm. It gives you niether the satisfaction of something well done nor the inspiration to look up to a chance again. And it shows in the job too. There was the manager of this bank that i decided to open an account with. He couldnt clarify most things that i asked. But you know how some people at banks work. They keep you in dark for long enough to trust them as your seeing eye dogs. And that's their only weapon. Scare innocent account holders into submission. People actually address bank staff as sir/madam !! wtf !! who's serving whom ? I, luckily have been through the ordeals of quite a few banks and the experience had taught me some very valuable lessons.
Coming back to my story, since i knew nothing about this particular type of account, i had to listen to what the manager was saying. Within a few minutes, i understood that the manager was bullshitting me and was himself guessing most parts that he didnt know about. Due to some other reasons, i was forced to open an account only with this bank. So inspite of my head warning me, i had no choice but to go ahead with opening the account. There was some mixup with the account and so i used to go to the bank quite regularly to get things clarified. I am a very sage person unless you fuck with me. And this manager was quite getting on my nerves with his incompetency.
I was almost about to close the account without even using it. However as explained earlier how bad of an asshole i can be, i was determined to give this manager some medicine of his own before doing so. But this was a manager that i was dealing with ! And in most organizations in India, the branch manager is God. Or so he feels. I researched one whole day on how i could get my complaint about this bugger heard and acted upon. I finally got hold of a phone number of a person (actually a junior) who directed me on what i should do. His job would have been done with that. He had no connection with me or with my account. He was just a staff of another branch of the same bank. But help, he did and how !
The first time i called him up, i lambasted him for all the wrong work that the particular manager was doing. He understood that i was shouting because there was noonoe else i could complain to. He heard me out patiently and when i was finished, he directed me on how to get myself heard to the appropriate people. He called me the next day to ask if my problem was solved. And the next. And the next. He actually worked towards solving my problem. Of course, i was successful in getting the manager's ass on fire. But other than that, i actually started looking forward to keeping that account. When i asked him to clarify me on something, he told me quite a few facts about the bank that were not so favourable but still he also told me how to use best the resources at hand. I actually started liking the bank more.
If you are completely lost about what i started off and what i am trying to convey, let me come back to the point. Consider the manager as a person 'A'. just another guy. gets in, logs his time, and gets out. Consider this other bank staff 'B'. Driven. Passionate. You see the picture ? One guy in big enough a position to be responsible and yet loses customers just because he doesnt understand "passion". The other guy in a position where he cant change the status quo but strives for customer satisfaction. We meet a lot of such people all along . . customer care, company representatives, etc. Most often we form our opinion of a company going by the attitude of these people. They are rude to us-> we hate the company. They kiss our ass -> we love the company.
Now that's how powerful passion is. It can make or break a company.
Next time you are working , work passionately. You might or not change the face or future of your company, but the satisfaction of a work well done is a happiness like no other. And it is not the money but how happy you are at the end of the day that really counts.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sometimes
Sometimes, just sometimes you come to face with a fear that refuses to relent. You know the way out and yet you do not know the way out. You have friends & family to ask advice and seek opinions. But really without even asking you know what each one will tell you. And then you realize that there’s no point in asking. You have all the time in the world and yet that’s not the solution. It keeps on nagging your mind. You eat, sleep, work and make merry and yet you cannot feel complete. Something that could possibly have been overcome becomes despair that starts consuming your mind. No one can recognize your strife and nothing changes on the surface. Inside you do not get one chance of escape from the walls that are closing in. As one last effort you start bidding for time. And then hell takes over.
You start indulging. In things you know will not provide respite. And yet cannot stop. You learn to hate yourself. You lose your passion. From a normal happy person you become a mediocre existing entity. No life. No interests. The change becomes too visible. Friends and family try to intervene. But by then help becomes intrusion. You close your world to everything and everybody. When the shit hits the fan you find your very existence meaningless. You start wondering if the only solution to end this all is to . . .
In the darkest of times, listen to yourself. For answers, search within. Spend time with yourself. If with all your abilities you can conjure up one hope for yourself, you are rescued. One right thought is all it takes to make a comeback. To fight the gangrening despair. To light up your mind and show you the way out. There is always one open door waiting to be discovered. Do all it takes to reach it. Fight for all that’s worth. One chance is all you have. But that one chance is what makes heroes out of men.
You can be your worst enemy.
You can also be your best friend.
All it really takes is belief; in yourself.
And then the whole universe will conspire for you.
You start indulging. In things you know will not provide respite. And yet cannot stop. You learn to hate yourself. You lose your passion. From a normal happy person you become a mediocre existing entity. No life. No interests. The change becomes too visible. Friends and family try to intervene. But by then help becomes intrusion. You close your world to everything and everybody. When the shit hits the fan you find your very existence meaningless. You start wondering if the only solution to end this all is to . . .
In the darkest of times, listen to yourself. For answers, search within. Spend time with yourself. If with all your abilities you can conjure up one hope for yourself, you are rescued. One right thought is all it takes to make a comeback. To fight the gangrening despair. To light up your mind and show you the way out. There is always one open door waiting to be discovered. Do all it takes to reach it. Fight for all that’s worth. One chance is all you have. But that one chance is what makes heroes out of men.
You can be your worst enemy.
You can also be your best friend.
All it really takes is belief; in yourself.
And then the whole universe will conspire for you.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
2007
Post format copied from here.
What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Danced and caught the fancy
Married and divorced Orkut
Jogged regularly for 3 months . . mm, quite regularly . . well, regularly enough,maybe
Fell in love with stocks
Got through the dreaded Visa Interview
did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Never did and never will
did anyone close to you give birth?
Yup. Ragini. Baby Girl.
did anyone close to you die?
Not this year. But it always feels like now . . whenver i think of it.
what would you like to have in 2008 that you didn't have in 2007?
A partner
best things that you ate:
A few dont-know-the-name desserts
Home food
(If drunk qualifies . .)
Bacardi Cranberry
Amul Kool
what date(s) from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory?
Jan 1st - for the partying like never before
May 7th - for the redemption
Nov 1st - Visa
Nov 30th - when Seera cried
what was your biggest achievement of the year?
Leaping without looking [:-(]
what was your biggest failure?
Leaping without looking [:-)]
did you suffer any illness or injury?
Yup. But nothing like amoebiasis. And that very thought is comforting.
what was the best thing you bought?
A shirt that i never used. I do it every year !!
whose behavior merited celebration?
My teammates at office - for all the times, good & bad
whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
(Lost) gang ?
where did most of your money go?
Getting ready for the next year
what did you get really, really, really excited about?
Stocks
what song will always remind you of 2007?
"Yo Baby" from Bhayya
compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Sadder
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. richer or poorer? If only there was a drawn line
what do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying
what was your favorite TV program?
so you think you can dance - AXN
did you fall in love in 2007?
definetely not
do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
nope. gave up on hatred
what was your greatest musical discovery?
No lasting stuff this time around
what were your favorite films of this year?
Transformers
what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 24. Cut the cake, got bumps, gave a party, sucked,the usual
who was the best new person you met?
Raj set the bar so high, i guess it would be impossible for anyone else to even qualify. I wish i could pass on the baton to somebody
who did you miss?
Raj
Gang
tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Keep walking
quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border lineOf the edge
and where I walk alone
best debaucherous moments of the year:
Jan 1st at SOS
what kept you sane?
Hope
what do you wish you'd done more of?
Risk-taking
what one thing would has made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Courage
********
Amazing what introspection can do. I started this post as fun, but the questions got me thinking seriously. Wish some of you guys benefit picking them up from here.
What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Danced and caught the fancy
Married and divorced Orkut
Jogged regularly for 3 months . . mm, quite regularly . . well, regularly enough,maybe
Fell in love with stocks
Got through the dreaded Visa Interview
did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Never did and never will
did anyone close to you give birth?
Yup. Ragini. Baby Girl.
did anyone close to you die?
Not this year. But it always feels like now . . whenver i think of it.
what would you like to have in 2008 that you didn't have in 2007?
A partner
best things that you ate:
A few dont-know-the-name desserts
Home food
(If drunk qualifies . .)
Bacardi Cranberry
Amul Kool
what date(s) from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory?
Jan 1st - for the partying like never before
May 7th - for the redemption
Nov 1st - Visa
Nov 30th - when Seera cried
what was your biggest achievement of the year?
Leaping without looking [:-(]
what was your biggest failure?
Leaping without looking [:-)]
did you suffer any illness or injury?
Yup. But nothing like amoebiasis. And that very thought is comforting.
what was the best thing you bought?
A shirt that i never used. I do it every year !!
whose behavior merited celebration?
My teammates at office - for all the times, good & bad
whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
(Lost) gang ?
where did most of your money go?
Getting ready for the next year
what did you get really, really, really excited about?
Stocks
what song will always remind you of 2007?
"Yo Baby" from Bhayya
compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Sadder
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. richer or poorer? If only there was a drawn line
what do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying
what was your favorite TV program?
so you think you can dance - AXN
did you fall in love in 2007?
definetely not
do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
nope. gave up on hatred
what was your greatest musical discovery?
No lasting stuff this time around
what were your favorite films of this year?
Transformers
what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 24. Cut the cake, got bumps, gave a party, sucked,the usual
who was the best new person you met?
Raj set the bar so high, i guess it would be impossible for anyone else to even qualify. I wish i could pass on the baton to somebody
who did you miss?
Raj
Gang
tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Keep walking
quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border lineOf the edge
and where I walk alone
best debaucherous moments of the year:
Jan 1st at SOS
what kept you sane?
Hope
what do you wish you'd done more of?
Risk-taking
what one thing would has made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Courage
********
Amazing what introspection can do. I started this post as fun, but the questions got me thinking seriously. Wish some of you guys benefit picking them up from here.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
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