Monday, December 26, 2005

Short Retrospective for this year

I am really thinking hard, real hard.

The New Year is just around the corner and the least I can do for this year (before it turns to that) is to commemorate it in the form of writing. But what do I write?

Personally this year has been a mixed bag for me. The first half of this year was good, real good. Job offers galore, seminars, presentations etc… My creative best was in overdrive. I experienced personal satisfaction during the first six months. Good times reached its zenith in May. Then started the downward slide….

Come June and I had to leave college and all my friends and memories behind (some loans have yet to be paid, but I am entitled to being wicked, right?). Since then no Job has materialized and the icing on the cake was my OUTstanding, performance in CAT. I am definitely OUT of contention in good colleges. An episode to be best forgotten

Enough of cribbing!

Whether I will be celebrating or not, I can’t say. My group at present might have other plans. So in all probability I am going to be home on New Years Eve.

Don’t even know where the party’s at. Besides it is expensive. Besides I don’t have a date!

I hope that this New Year will bring more good things than bad. And I also HOPE that I will WORK towards making this year more fruitful for me.

Bhagwan, Allah, Christ….give priority to me this new year.

How good was your year?

Monday, December 19, 2005

A note on predictions

The more I experience the more I am convinced.

I am sure a lot of you will relate personally to what I am writing below.

Predictions in the daily newspapers look nice, or at least worth a second look when something similar is happening in your life.

Any educated person looks at these daily news horoscopes at most at face value. Barring the Balaji Production House. But we have a prejudiced notion as to how we react, and when. If the horoscope readings remotely resemble to what we are experiencing, we think about it, react positively to it, and even hoping that the horoscope prediction comes out to be true. On the contrary, if something negative is written, then we rubbish it instantly. Some people go a bit further and loathe and abuse the whole horoscope and astrology practice.

Todays prediction for me.

Sagittarius : 'You maybe in a restless and irritable mood and this could affect your interactions with people. Work will bring satisfaction. Romance could go through some tense moments. Unexpected expenses are indicated.'

The first line is definitely not for me. But somehow I feel that it might be true. But definitely not to the extent of affecting my interactions with people. Work will bring satisfaction ? Definitely not for me. I am not working at present. And no other mental or Physical exercise either. Romance, er....Well no comments on that.

Now the last line is what prompted me to write this piece. Should I assume unexpected expenses as to the high fees I might have to pay for getting admission to an MBA ? If yes, then that's a good thing. Or should I assume that you will keep on filling forms but you will not convert a single call ! And that's bad. Isn't it ?

Maybe I should contact this person and get the specifics.

Your interpretations are highly welcomed. Maybe I will take out an average prediction out of all what you have to say.

Life's such nowadays.....

On fallen buildings and broken homes....

Q) What is a vicious circle ? Give an example for it. (100 marks)

Ans. Vicious circle is a phrase. It is generally used when we observe a lot of bad things happenings or a lot of inconvenience is suddenly caused to us. When we try to find a cause, we realize one thing leads to other and ultimately it returns to the original problem. Thus creating a vicious cycle or circle.

Example you ask? In our country there is no dearth for example on vicious circles.

Case in point. The recent demolition drive on illegal structures in Mumbai and Delhi. Being a civil engineer I completely understand the inconvenience caused by illegal structures to society in general. And they need to be removed. But just how corruption is rampant in our society can be shown with this example of the vicious circle.

Public:

They want to make houses. No plan. Some have money,some take loan. Then what ? Go to the real estate agent, look for a property and buy it. I like it, I got the cash and finally I got the building. Some realize that piece of land is not for residential or commercial purposes, So what ? Simple. Take out more cash, and the formalities get completed in a jiffy. And 'HAMARA SUNDAR GHARONDA' is ready.

Government officers:

Always ready for additional resources (for the uninitiated, to be understood as bribe). So what if this is illegal? This is cash (yummy !!). Back then no hidden cams or sting operations, so no fear. They give me cash, I make them happy. It is a pure cause and effect relationship. Bribe goes to highest levels of the concerned department. But who gives a damn ?

Government at the state:

Know what all is going on. But as a pure HINDUSTANI, no reaction. 'chalta hai' policy at its best. But no action. Why to lose our vote bank ? So what if it is illegal. If they have no problem why should we ? (typical government attitude, to be expected even after hundred years !!)

Supreme court:

Last resort of the common man. Issues ruling in favor of the public. Illegal structures to be demolished. No two ways about that.

Losers:

1) Public, for their lackadaisal attitude. They should have researched properly. No excuses for that. You paid the bribe. You should be ready for the consequences.

2) Government officers, Should have known 'All good things must come to an end'. You put the finger in the pie now you burnt it. Expect a lot of court cases now (yummy !!)

3) Government at the centre, I am not coming to power next time.

See now ? All put blames on one another. Government is corrupt. But are we not too for assisting them ? And if you are not corrupt then you are a fool. You should know how to build a house better. Perfect example of hand in glove act and vicious circle.

End result :

General Public are big losers !! They suck !!

Wow !! I got full hundred on hundred

(Pssst......Ma'am don't tell anyone I paid you a hundred to give me these marks.)

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Ganguly and More Ganguly

It is not often that I comment, let alone write about Cricket. In a country obsessed by cricket we do have our fair share of cricket columnists, analysts, doomsayers and well-wishers. So adding to the plethora of cricket analysts doesn't really help.

But I had to write something.

The fact of the matter is Sourav Ganguly shouldn't have been dropped.

Even the most die hard Gangluy basher is agreeing to the fact that he is unfortunate. For a Senior player with the stature as Ganguly, he was treated rather shabbily.

Ok, I admit, he did not score as much as he could have. But did Gambhir score more? Maybe he is young. Alright. Parthiv Patel was young too. We lost the series to Australia in Australia because of his poor showing in the third test match. He went. Shouldn't Gambhir go too ? Not that I have any personal contempt for Gambhir. But the logic defies me. If he was to be treated shabbily, he shouldn't have been recalled in the first place.

Whatever anyone says, we have to give credit to Ganguly for his knock of 40 and 39. In face of adversity of the pitches and personal anguish alike, his knock were gritty ones. I won't go to mention his exploits as a player and captain, everybody knows that. And as our team won, he should have been given another chance. Wassim Jaffer, on the other hand may not get a chance to play in this series. It would have been wise to let Ganguly to at least play the full series.

Trust me that being insulted like this humiliates and hurts a lot.

Selectors, if you can act maturely please do. A third standard student is more wise than you nowadays or so it seems

Peace.