Mind Matters

Life sans TV

2010-11-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Visitors to our home never fail to note one thing: the television; or to be more precise, the lack of it. They try to determine its existence in a number of places; and having failed to do so; venture to ask THE question: Don’t you have a TV?

No, we answer, knowing the effect that it would have. The visitors are at first amused, thinking we are just kidding; and then appalled, when they realize that we are in fact revealing the truth, and nothing but the truth.

We do not have a TV; and have no plans to acquire one; at least in the short term.

I have been living away from my home for more than 7 years now; first for the studies, and then for job. There has never been a TV in any of my accommodations and frankly, nor there has been any shortage of things to be done… there are books to read; blogs to write, movies to watch. There are some good friends to spend time talking to.

One person who could have changed this would have been my wife. In fact, after getting married, I was almost prepared to buy a TV. But it came as a surprise – a pleasant one at that – when she herself vehemently opposed having the device in the house.

Not that either of us dislikes watching TV. If the mood reigns, we could easily spend days and nights watching any damn thing being broadcast. But as of now, we don’t wish to. We visit multiplexes once a month, and occasionally catch a movie on the laptop. These days, almost everything from TV is available as DVDs… and if not, it can be downloaded from the Internet!

This is not to condemn the TV. It is a powerful medium; one that can educate, entertain and inspire. But, it is also too tempting to resist for long.

However, things might change a bit. We are planning to get a wide-screen and a DVD player so as to enjoy the English titles at their best.

Till then, the visitors would have to contend with either talking with us or reading some magazines. There are quite a few of them.

Stars shine down...

2010-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Last month, on 25th May, Infospectrum, the company I work for as a technical writer, felicitated me as Star Performer in Quality and Process Services category, at the hands of Jay Chopde, CEO of Infospectrum. Other categories, in which awards were handed out, were: Engineering, Management, Business Development and Support Services.

I would be a hypocrite to say I wasn't happy to be felicitated. However, the thought of being selected had never occurred to me, and in fact, barely minutes before the awards were declared, I was at my machine, working on an urgent deliverable that was to be submitted an hour later. So, the awards came as a pleasant surprise.

My tenure so far in this company has seen me working on almost all the major projects across diverse domains (marine logistics to satellite imaging to security software to business intelligence), on various platforms (Windows, Linux, and a bit of work on Mac), working with teams of various sizes (comprising from 5 to more than 30 people). Work has sometimes been challenging, sometimes relaxed; nevertheless, it has always been fun working with some smart people!

But, of course, there is a tinge of dissatisfaction: it could have been better. My deliverables could have been better, my work-process could have been more efficient, my interaction with the team could have been more productive. There is a huge scope for improvement and to make things better.

Perhaps, I should better sit down and start reading "Better", written by my current favourite author: Atul Gawande.

Check it out!

2010-06-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

[This is a companion blog-post to my review of The Checklist Manifesto, which can be read at GReviewz. For a technical writer's perspective on checklist, visit ByteSpace.]

Reading The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande has been a satisfying experience. Not because the book gave me a new insight or approach. It doesn't. But it validated something that I have been following over the years: using checklists.

I must have got this trait from my father. He is a very methodical man, very painstakingly so. We have never seen him miss out on any aspect of a process or a transaction. He is always very clear about which step he is at, what needs to be done next, which documents will be needed, whom he needs to meet, and so on. He has never come back from an office because he didn't carry the necessary papers with him.

Whenever the family goes out for an outing, he is the one to close the house. This seemed easy, until we had to do it ourselves in his absence; and invariably we would miss out on something: forgetting to keep the milk in the refrigerator or forgetting to close the knob of the gas regulator.

As I watched him, it became clear that he followed some kind of checklist, albeit from the memory.

I created my first checklist as a student: an exam checklist. It listed the things needed to appear for a paper: the writing pad, the Camlin compass box with all the necessary instruments, extra pens and pencils, and so on. It proved immensely useful: never did I have to borrow anything in the exam hall.

After finishing the studies, I joined my first company. Living alone, it soon became a chore to get all the necessary accessories in place before leaving for the office. This was when I created a checklist based on a Marathi acronym: मोरूचा पापा which meant: मो (Mobile), रूमाल (Handkerchief), चावी (Keys), पाकीट (Wallet), and पास (Gatepass). I still follow a more enhanced version of this.

A friend of mine often chided me for using these kind of checklists, saying such "simple things should be obvious". Well..... HP, if you are reading this and still feel so, do check out The Checklist Manifesto.

There ain't no shame in usin' checklists.

Climate Change is for real

2010-05-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

The scorching summer is here.
After a brief respite of a few days, which saw a pleasant cloudy weather, the mercury is rising again. SuryaNarayan (the Sun God) is playing with great consistency, with the last few temperatures reading 44-deg Celsius, 46-deg C, and 45-deg C. At this rate, He is bound to score a half century by the end of this month.

The heat is affecting the daily life in some remarkable ways.
Clothes get dry in a matter of 30 minutes. Chapattis turn brittle like papad if left out for more than a few hours. A significant number of people are suffering from sunstrokes and sunburns. Earlier, my understanding of these two maladies was that they could be cured in a matter of hours with sufficient rehydration. However, it seems their effects can last for more than a week, with the patient suffering from repeated vomiting and headache. In fact, some major hospitals have created chambers in which the victims are kept in a specially created environment for days to get them back to normal.

And this is true not only of Nagpur, where people are habitual to 40-deg+ temperatures (and discuss it with some pride!). The coastal regions such as Konkan and Goa too are experiencing a never-seen-before heat-wave. In Goa, the temperature usually hovers in the range of 28-deg C to 34-deg C; but these days it has regularly been touching 38-deg C mark.

The first and foremost thing that we can do..
...in our little capacity as individuals, is water conservation and water recycling. No faulty and leaking taps, no mindless overturning of buckets. It is infuriating to see people washing their cars (and even porches) on a daily basis with pure drinking water. One must pause and think before spilling each and every drop of this precious liquid.

(Photo Courtsey: Manjusha)

We need to take utmost care of our little ones and senior citizens, as they are most susceptible to heat strokes. It is better to avoid exposing them to any outdoor activity during the day time; but if it cannot be avoided (due to marriage season and such), they need to be well-covered all the time.

Animals too suffer a lot during this harsh weather. We can place a bowl of water on our terraces (for birds), or a container out in the compound (for cats and dogs).

Around five years ago,
I had read a novel named "State of Fear". In it, the author Michael Crichton had argued that the hue and cry over environment change was mostly a propaganda promoted by some vested interests to create a 'state of fear' in the public mind, with little hard evidence to support it.

Well, looking around at the scenario today, Mother Earth seems to have proved Mr. Crichton completely wrong. To believe that environment has not been remarkably -- and perhaps even irreversibly -- affected would be to live in a state of denial.

Climate change is indeed for real, and it is here to stay.

Pride and Prestige

2010-03-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

He had a good voice. He sang for the college band as the lead singer, and won many competitions.

Then one fine day, he was unceremoniously dropped in favour of a new kid, who necessarily didn’t have a better voice than him, but had better connections. After all, that was what really mattered.

However, it didn’t work out. The new entrant was booed by the audience, and was lucky enough to be only showered with catcalls. (Rotten tomatoes weren’t allowed into the auditorium.)

He (the original singer) didn’t have any idea of this; he had chosen to stay away from the whole thing.

Two days later, the professor heading the cultural committee and the band leader came to see him.

“Son,” said the professor, “You need to come back to the band.”

He shook his head, “I am sorry, I won’t.”

“But you must!” burst out the band leader. “We have inter-collegiate band competition coming up next month, and as the defending champions, if we don’t put up a good show, we would lose face!”

“You heard me.” He said flatly.

“Surely for the pride of college-“

“Don’t give me that nonsense” he snapped. “College as an institution is emotionless. It has neither a sense of pride nor prestige. It is your collective pride that’s at stake; you are worried that you would lose face.

When you chose that chap over me, you obviously didn’t give a damn about my pride. Now, I have decided to put my pride and self-esteem above that of yours, or that of the college, any way you choose to see it.”

Sach is Life!

2010-02-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Sachin Tendulkar played an amazing innings of 200 not out in the 2nd ODI against South Africa at Gwalior. In the process he broke the long-standing record of highest runs in an ODI innings (194) earlier held by Saeed Anwar against India. More significantly, Sachin also became the only player in ODI history to score a double century in a single innings.

Poor MS Dhoni.. He too played an blistering innings of 68 not out in just 35 balls, but with the every six and four he hit, 30,000 spectators in the stadium (lucky them!) and millions watching around the world groaned and cursed, and urged him to give the strike to the Little Master.

Kudos to Sachin for making India proud, not just once but time and again. As much as the records, what is equally appealing - and more inspiring - is the silent determination and the calm resolve with which he faces every challenge. In a world full of pompous airbags, here is a giant who remains humble inspite of scaling the pinnacle of success in every possible way.

विक्रमांचा महामेरू

भारतीय क्रिकेटचा आधारू

मास्टर ब्लास्टर

या धरतीवरी
फलंदाज ऐसा नाही
क्रिकेटमध्ये आनंद राही
तुम्हाकारणे

कित्येक गोलंदाज संहारीला
कित्येकांसी घाम फोडीला
नवीन लोकांसी प्रेरणा जाहला
सचिन रमेश तेंडुलकर

It has been famously said that "when Sachin plays, even God watches from the heaven."
That's wrong.

When Sachin plays, God isn't watching from the heaven. He is out there on the crease, wielding the bat.

Salaam.. Dr Kalam!

2010-01-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

In 2000, I read “Wings of Fire”. The next year, I read “Ignited Minds”, and a year later, “India: Vision 2020”.

The common thing among these immensely inspiring titles was its author: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam… one of the most famous scientists of India, and the most popular President of the country.

Until yesterday, it seemed a rather impossible dream to see and listen to Dr Kalam. But it was realized rather suddenly, when he came to inaugurate “Technovision” festival of SRKNEC. Ms Kirti Deo, my sister-in-law who studies there, managed to get a VIP pass, and we had an 11th-row view of the whole function.

The motorcade arrived at 10:15 AM. Even among the sea of people, it was easy to spot Dr Kalam, with his trademark silver locks and the grey Safari suit. On his arrival, the audience gave him a standing ovation, and all eyes were fixed on his every move.

In his speech, Dr Kalam spoke of empowering the nation through technology. He talked of his vision of making India a developed nation by the year 2020, and gave a 10-point strategy to achieve it. He detailed the PURA (Provision of Urban amenities to Rural Areas) mission, a recent initiative launched by Govt of India. He advised the students to have a systems approach (systems design, systems integration and systems management), suggested the faculty members to focus on the technologies of the future (such as nanotechnology and intelligent biotechnology).

Getting briefly into his favourite role of a teacher, he asked the audience questions about inventors and their inventions, and when the crowd gave right answers every time, chuckled, “Amazing students”.

He talked about success and failure, and administered an oath to “work with integrity and succeed with integrity.”

For a person of 80 years of age, Dr Kalam exhibited a physical fitness and mental sharpness that was quite amazing. He walked briskly; spoke firmly and even admonished a lensman who was insolent enough to be talking in a high voice. His speech was interspersed with light humour. When the students promised him they will live up to the oath, he said, "Your parents will be watching you!"

The function ended with national anthem, and it felt great to be singing it alone with this great son of this soil.

“Wings of Fire” only details his life-span up to 1991. Dr Kalam went on to become Chief Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minster and oversaw the Buddha Smiling Again at Pokhran in May 1998. In 2002, he became the eleventh President of India. I hope he comes out with another volume of his auto-biography in which he shares his experiences in these high-profile positions.

Dr Kalam, Dr R A Mashelkar, Dr Anil Kakodkar… These people are epitome of excellence in their fields, be it missile technology, polymer chemistry, or nuclear science. Listening to them is always an intellectually enriching experience, one that pulls us out from our dreary routine and makes us have some faith in human resilience to beat all odds.

Turning 30...

2010-01-18T06:05:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was chatting with a friend, and she vexed eloquent about Ishaan, her cousin. He is all of ~~five~~ three years old (thankfully) and yet seems to be really sharp for his age. I said something to the effect about the next generation already beating us in smartness. And she said, "Next generation? Oh yes, you are now an old man!"

I was rather confused for a moment... And then it hit me.

Last month, I turned 30.

“So what?” the younger lot among you might say.

“We understand... Join the club” the elderly among you will say.

One doesn’t take much notice when one completes the teenage years and turns 20. We are all too fascinated with ourselves, and eager to set the world in proper shape. We pride ourselves on our ideas, blissfully unaware that most of them have already been tried, tested and either implemented or failed. We just can’t wait to enter the twenties and take charge of our lives.

Stepping across to the thirties is a sobering experience. The mist lifts from the eyes, and reality kicks in. One by one, you begin to discover what you are capable of, and equally importantly, what you aren’t as capable of as you once thought.

Moreover, a significant large among us are married by 29-30 years. And quite frankly, the spouses have a special way of getting us on the ground level, turning us more humane from our demi-god image (mostly in our own mind).

And the funny thing is... You sense the change yourselves. You no longer enjoy doing things you once used to.

Some doors close for you, be it IITs or civil service. And it is said that, as a mathematician, if you don’t come up your best work by early twenties, you are finished. For someone whose dream (okay, okay... one of the dreams) was to be a mathematician/physicist, it is quite heart-wrenching.

If the teenage years are about enjoyment, and the twenties are about education, the thirties are about endurance; we supposed to be more mature, more responsible, and more serious towards life.

It’s not that we are not supposed to make mistakes, but we are expected to learn from them.

The past decade has been quite a roller-coaster ride, a sine wave. There are a few things that I did right, and some things I could have done better. And there are a lot many things I should have done, but didn’t manage to.

And...ah, yes... There are things I shouldn’t have done, but did them anyway... Mostly out of ignorance or immaturity. I have my share of regrets.

A couple of weeks ago, we visited the Ramkrishna Math in the city. Standing before the huge statue of Swami Vivekananda, I could only think of a line from this great Warrior Monk:

“God, give me the courage to change the things I can,

Strength to bear the things I cannot;

... and wisdom to be able to distinguish between the two.”

Laus Deo.

10 Things I once used to enjoy…

2009-12-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

Has it ever happened with you that you are doing something day in and day out for a while, and then after a period of time you suddenly let it go?

Well, here is a list of 10 things, in no particular order, that I once enjoyed, but seem to have lost interest… at least for now.

Crackers and fireworks: As a kid, I thought I would never tire of lighting crackers. It seemed the best means of enjoyment. The sound, the light, the smell thrilled me. Not any more. I don’t even remember the last time I must have put a matchstick to a cracker or to a bomb. Not that I would stop any kids from enjoying them.
India Today: India Today has always been a staple magazine, just as Times of India has been the staple newspaper. However, over last year or two, the quality seems to have gone down, whereas the price has shot up; it used to cost Rs. 10/- now it’s up to Rs. 25/-. To my surprise, The Week -- a magazine I hardly ever took a glance -- seems to have improved significantly. Its last few issues have been worth a read.

Writing, with a pen: I loved writing, especially with a fountain pen. (Remember those “Hero Pens”?) Until my graduation, I must have filled at least a dozen notebooks with my diary scribbles, reviews of books, articles and stuff.

Today, I don’t even have a good pen, for most of my writing (which seems to have transformed into “blogging”) happens on the machine. Admittedly, this is one activity I am sad about losing. One of my New Year resolutions is to buy a diary and a good pen and to write as much as possible.

Reading a newspaper: No day ever began without a cup of tea accompanied by the morning newspaper. I remember sitting by the kitchen table, reading out headlines to my mother as she prepared the morning breakfast. Now the news is mostly read online, with major headlines just skimmed through.
Forwarding SMSes: We had a group that forwarded SMSes to each other with a devotion. Not that this activity has entirely ceased; but the frequency has considerably gone down.
Using Sticky Notes: How I fought with HP over using Sticky Notes? And, now I have myself stopped using this as reminder tool (though I do use them to scribble short notes or details of temporary importance, such as URLs or IP addresses).
Yahoo!: No, not the Shammi Kapoor song... it still remains a favourite. I am referring to Yahoo! Portal. When we first hit the internet, Yahoo! Served as our anchor. Everything we did, revolved around it. We had Yahoo mail accounts, were members of Yahoo clubs (which later became Groups) and so on. Nowadays, the epicenter of our online presence has shifted to Google.
Watching TV: As a kid, TV was our primary pastime, after playing. We watched Doordarshan, we watched DD2 (Metro), then came the channel explosion of cable TV. Ever since I shifted out of Goa for job, TV has vanished from my life. And for good. The only time I made an effort to watch it at my landlord’s place was to catch up on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Marathi series. And after the fiasco of finale, I repented over watching that too.
Fiction: Well, I haven't stopped reading fiction genre entirely… Just last week, I finished with The Lost Symbol, and loved it. But on the whole, the fiction section is something these days I don’t venture towards on visiting a bookstore.
Ghazals: For about 4 years, from 2001 to 2004, I listened to nothing but ghazals. Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, et al. I had a stack-load of CDs, the ghazals folder on the computer measured a few GBs. Then suddenly, I put them aside. No reason as to why, or when… Perhaps it was too much of a good thing? I haven’t listened to them in the last five years, except perhaps a chosen few, that too a couple of times at the most.

This is not to say that the activities mentioned above are in any case bad or that I have vowed never to take them up again. Maybe, a few years down the lines you might see me doing these very same things all over again (though, I have doubts).

It’s just that the excitement associated with them at the time doesn’t exist now, at least for me.

As they say: there’s a time for everything.

You’re having too much of computing when….

2009-12-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

Well, dunno if this is a good thing or a sad thing, but all this is from personal experience.
You know involved a bit too much involved with the computer when….

Your dreams end with a log off screen.
You refer to every non-animate object as “machine”.
You refer to the head of the family as the admin user.
You own a 32 GB pen drive, but don’t have a good pen.
When tagging anything with a date, you write: 20091219. Yeah, that stands for 19-12-2009.

You try to find Alt – Ctrl – Delete keys to unlock the keypad… of your mobile.
Talking of top-end models (be it cars or watches), you refer to them as “enterprise versions”.
You refer to cuisines as "domains". ("My wife is an expert in Maharashtrian and South Indian domain.")
While talking to kids, you talk of access rights. (“No, beta…. You don’t yet have the access rights to handle the knife.”)
Release of Windows 7 excites you more than that of an Amir Khan movie.
You can remember half a dozen alpha-numeric passwords, but have trouble remembering your credit card signature.
You have trouble signing your credit card signature.
The suggestion to your spouse of preparing a dish at the last moment so that you can server it hot and fresh is communicated as, “Let’s keep all the components ready and compile a fresh build of masala dosa at the runtime!”.
When reading a piece of printed matter, you reflexively try to ‘click’ any underlined text, assuming it to be a hyperlink.
When you remark, “he has his ideas in the cloud”, you’re actually referring to the cloud computing.

Bahot Shukriya…

2008-09-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

A colleague took his girlfriend to lunch, and forgot his wallet in the office. When realisation dawned upon him in the restaurant, he went to the washroom and tried calling his team-mates, but they were in a meeting. So he called me up to get his wallet.
The whole thing was so funny, it inspired me to do a satire of an old Hindi song sung by Asha Bhonsle – Mohd Rafi : Bahot shurkriya badi meherbaani, meri zindagi mein huzoor aap aaye…

Here it is…

लडका:
बहोत प्रोब्लेम हुवा, बडी परेशानी
इस होटेल में क्यों हम आये
घडी बेच दूं, या कपडे निकालू
करु क्या ये मेरी समझ में ना आये

करु पेश किसको नजराना बिल का
ना बन जाये कोई फलूदा इज्जत का
खुदा जाने मेरी सोनेरी घडी फिर
मेरी जिंदगी मे कब मिल जाये

बिल तो बहोत है, और पैसे कम है
सब दोस्तों के फोन भी बंद है
आज ये मुसाफिर दुवा मांगता है
खुदा इन सबको जल्द ही उठाये

लडकी:
मुझे डर है मुझपे, नजर आ ना जाये
लगुं भागने मैं, वो पिछे आ ना जाये
कही ये मेरी पर्स ना खोलकर
बिल पे करे और फिर भूल जाये

Passion & Emotion

2008-07-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Are you passionate? Or are you emotional? Does it mean the same?
No… on the surface of it, you are passionate about something; you get emotional about someone.

But there’s a more fundamental difference between the two.
Passion involves mind; emotion, by definition, excludes mental judgments.

Passion drives you to action. A passionate gardener; for example, would study his plants, read up about how best he can take care of them, he wouldn’t mind getting his hands dirty with soil – on the contrary, he would just love it. On the other hand, someone who just gets emotional about plants and trees would keep on complaining about loss of forest cover without ever setting out his foot to do something about it.

It is alright, in fact essential, to be emotional about someone. But emotions block critical analysis; you can hardly bring yourself about to criticize the object of your affection. But, being passionate about the relationship will make you strive for giving your best, and bringing out the best from the other person.
Emotions are self-centric… one may pine away for someone without ever thinking of ways to improve the other person. Passion is all about making its subject better.

Passion is often backed by a vast knowledge about the subject. If you are passionate about computers, you are likely to read more about them, study them in detail. If you are just emotional about movies of the past, all you are likely to do is whine about how such classics are no longer made.

More often than not, emotions are abstract feelings about generic subjects. It is rather difficult to describe why you feel the way you feel. A passionate person is more likely to give you the specific reasons for why he or she rooting for a particular cause.

Emotions are important…. they distinguish us from animals, and bring in some beautiful moments in one’s life. One can’t help being emotional; but it would help to bring in more of passion to everything, be it your work or your relationships.

Two years at Infospectrum… Retrospection

2008-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today is a Saturday, and yet I am at my desk in the office; for today happens to be the 10th of May, the date I joined Infospectrum India Pvt Ltd two years ago.

When compared to the 35 years each spent by my parents in their respective government offices before retiring last year, my two years would seem too short a time-span to indulge in nostalgic thoughts, and yet it is difficult not to get into a retrospective reverie.

I vividly remember my first day in the Nagpur office. Coming from a small start-up firm in Pune, Infospectrum was the first big company I had joined. Looking at the lines & lines of desktops and smart-looking people talking about latest technologies and platforms, I was getting more & more nervous about how I would survive.

One of the prime reasons for my worry was that I had just switched my profile, from a .NET programmer to a technical writer. The decision had come after a lot of brooding over my strengths and weaknesses, and though I was feeling confident about myself, there was feeling of worry gnawing at the back of my mind.

I needn’t have worried so much, especially since I had joined such a friendly lot.

In last two years at Infospectrum, I have worked on a wide variety of projects. My project has been one of the biggest in the company, and the opportunity to work in a big team has honed my skills as a team-player. With lots of pressure-cooker situations and challenging deadlines to beat, there has never been a dull day at work!

(My project team, after achieving the Best Project award)

Though my prime responsibility has been towards marine logistics and maritime surveillance projects, from time to time I have also done documentation for projects related to finance, HR and space domain. Each one has been a learning experience in its own.

It’s been a pleasure working under different project managers, Pankaj Khorgade, Vijay Phulwadhwa & Vinaykant Shukla, Vishal Kulkarni, Harshawardhan Pandit, Shishir Dani (Account Manager)… each one of these has a unique style, and I have learnt quite a few things from them.

(Shishir sir, Vijay sir, Vinaykant sir)

At Infospectrum, we experience a truly flat organizational hierarchy. I have been able to write to and talk to the top management without being conscious of any divide of position or grade.

Sangeeta Ma’am and her HR team, as well as Admin & Finance departments have been a source of continuous support all these years. Whenever I have had any problem, I didn’t feel a moment’s hesitation in approaching them and they have always been very co-operative.

Some of my best moments have been the as a member of editorial board of Pulse, monthly newsletter of Infospectrum. The debates and discussions (and occasional fights) that go into making each edition of newsletter would need a separate blog post of their own!

(Team Pulse)

Many of my colleagues have become life-time buddies... Sandeep Sinha, Manjusha Singh, Amit Joshi, Ashay Kulkarni, Snehal Kawale, Chandrakant Raju…

There are two people of whom I must make a special mention…

Jay Chopde, CEO - Infospectrum… He has been a real, live example of the dynamic CEO that I had only read in business magazines so far. I always wonder how he takes time to manage such a heavy workload and yet pay attention to every minute detail that crosses his eyes. His regular column in Pulse, Random Thoughts has been a source of inspiration and ideas.

Tushar Joshi… my friend, philosopher & guide, who was instrumental in bringing me to Infospectrum. Thanks Tushar, it’s been a wonderful journey so far!

As I look back upon the path traveled by me till now, I can’t but help feeling a tinge of dissatisfaction…I did a few things right, but I could have done better... Last year saw me traveling to Norway, to work on a documentation project that concerned radars. It was an immensely learning experience, yet I seem to have failed to capitalize upon it. I am now working hard to get the things back on track.

Today, Infospectrum is a CMMI Level 3 Company, aiming for more peaks of success in future. To know more about it, visit the company website. If you want a personal perspective, I would strongly recommend Tushar Joshi’s Infospectrum blog.

[Disclaimer: This is a personal blog-post. The opinions expressed here are my own and not those of my employer. ]

The Art of Listening

2008-05-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

The other day,

I was talking on phone to RVP, a friend of mine. Things were heating up a bit, as they usually do when we talk longer than a certain threshold time-period. In the course of quarrel, she snapped, “You never pay attention to what I am saying!” This was the 455th time she’s said this - 455 being the number of days since we started talking to each other. So it wouldn’t have come as a surprise, if it wasn’t for the angst.

That made me sit up and take notice.

Listening is a prime requirement for my profession. As a technical writer, I have to interview the Subject Matter Experts for information. Going by the peer reviews and feedback received over the last two years, I seem to be doing a fairly good job of it.

Furthermore, as a senior editor of Pulse, our company’s monthly newsletter, I often interview the top management, and senior project managers/team leaders. Since we have not yet begun with the practice of using a tape-recorder during these interviews, I note down the salient points and then expand upon it, mostly from the memory. The drafts are sent to the interviewees and they invariably come back with minor changes, if any.

The point I am trying to make here is:

When it comes to office work, not many are complaining about my listening skills. Is talking to our family-members, friends, and relatives any different, in terms of communication?

Apparently,

... there does seem to be a difference. Ever since this realization has dawned, I have started to pay attention to the way I listen or interrupt during talks. Hope the improvement is perceptible to those whom it concerns!

Tushar – A friend par excellence

2008-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of the man whom I consider as my friend, philosopher, guide and guru – Tushar Joshi. I wish him a very long and fulfilling life, full of accomplishments and happy moments.

We “met” in rather unusual circumstances – through the Yahoo! Group, Marathi.Net. He had exposed me before the world at large, of doing something which I could only justify as a gross failure of judgment on my part. But unlike rest of my detractors, who chose to leave for good, Tushar stood by me. “You have realized your mistake, just promise me not to repeat it,” said he. And together we started Marathi.Net all over again. Over the last 4 years, it has grown to be one of the biggest Marathi groups.

That was when I got drawn towards the phenomenon called Tushar Joshi.

Over the years, he has helped me in more ways than anyone else could have ever done. Be it professionally (He encouraged me to make the shift to technical writing and was instrumental in getting me to Infospectrum, the company I work for); or in a personal way (he knows each of my little troubles and his advice counts a lot).

Our talks are never about weather and sports and politics. Talking to him is always an intellectually enriching experience. He might tell you about a software tool that he has tried, or recommend a highly influential book (such as Winning), or might just share an interesting line of thought he came across. You always go away with a feeling of having learned something new.

A hardcore techie, and yet a sensitive poet; a prolific blogger and a prolific photographer; there’s always something more to him than meets the surface. He has a vast collection of books and equally vast collection of songs. He has multiple international certifications to his credit and he is proficient in more technologies and software platforms than I even know about. A teacher at heart ( his students would attest to that), he consider himself a perenial student.

Last month, I had an opportunity to interview him for Pulse, our company’s newsletter. And even after four years of being in touch, I was amazed with the range and depth of his versatile personality. Perhaps, therein lies the secret of his charisma!

One of the many things I admire about Tushar is, he never pushes his thoughts on you, instead he just recommends what he likes and lets it go at that. But very soon you realize to pay heed to his ideas and suggestions. In this regard, I think he justifies his name, Tushar… the droplets from a fountain… Just like those, he spreads his knowledge all around; it is up to you to pick up those pearls.

Today, on his birthday, I wish him the best and simply the best the world has to offer.

Bus driver & school kids

2008-04-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

It was morning time, around 9-9:30 AM.
Volvo was rushing towards Nagpur. I sat just behind the driver, and out through the windshield, saw a group of kids on their way to school. They were perspiring from the heat.

Suddenly the bus stopped.
Driver motioned for the kids to get in. About half a dozen chirpy birds crowded the cabin. On the way, driver asked them a few questions. The kids were a talkative lot and informed that they were on their way to give the final exams, they had English paper that day and that it was “layi bhaari paper”.
It was clear they had found themselves in an air-conditioned bus like Volvo for the first time and were greatly enamoured. I had an unopened pack of biscuits, which I gave them. They distributed it among themselves and ate it heartily.

A couple of kilometers later,
... we reached their destination, the school. As they got down, the driver told them, “Study well. If you don’t, you will become a driver like me… but if you study hard now, one day you will become (he pointed at me) a sahib like him and get to travel in big buses like this.”

They waved at us, said “Thank you” in a chorus, and waved at us.
We waved back and resumed our journey.

I casually asked the driver if he knew these kids. He said no, he had just seen them walking on the road and decided to give them a free ride.

“I too used to walk to school along this same road. By the time I got back home, the legs pained horribly. I studied till seventh standard before giving up. But had I persisted then, I wouldn’t have still been on the road.”

Three Cheers to Team India!!!

2008-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

As one of the millions of people who had to be in front of their laptops, desktops and other tools of work, instead of their TV screens, I kicked myself the whole day yesterday. Nevertheless, we did follow the second final of Commonwealth Cup thru CricInfo, with an occasional glance at all the bickering on the Rediff message boards.

What an interesting series this has been and what a final it was! After all the controversies, incompetent umpiring, racial abuses and everything else that could went wrong, India deserved to win, and win it did in style. Sachin gave a befitting reply to his detractors, by practically slapping his bat (a heavy one, that too!) across their collective faces. His scores of 63/117/91 took India through the semi-finals and were the pillars around which Indian innings in both the finals were built. It is a lesson how to answers one's critics with deeds rather than words.

It was thrilling to watch Harbhajan scalp off Hayden and particularly, Symonds twice in a row! Praveen Kumar got crucial wickets in both his opening spells. Although it would be too early to comment on whether he would turn out to be a great bowler, he was instrumental in two matches, and that should add to his confidence.

After Twenty20 World Cup win and beating Aussies twice in their own backyard, India has now emerged as a strong contender to the top spot in Cricket. To achieve that, we need to make wins like this a habit, not a sporadic event now and then. The young members seem on a roll, and with proper training and mentoring, we can have a World Cup-winning combination in our hands.

Three Cheers to Team India!!

The Greatest & The Most Popular

2007-10-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, what a river, a lake or a watering hole is to forest, a coffee machine is to any software company. Strange encounters often happen here.

The other day,
I was helping myself to a booster dose of caffeine, when I heard two people conversing.
"Kuchch bhi kaho yaar, Kishore-da ka jawaab nahi... Truly the greatest singer of all times!"

Now, there happens to be some topics in which I forget the mandate about minding one's own business.
"Excuse me," I interjected, “you can perhaps call Kishore the most popular singer, but not the greatest."
"Huh? Then who?"
"Rafi," I shrugged matter-of-factly.

They tried to argue.
I asked them to come up with a Kishore devotional to match "Mann Tarpat" or a Kishore classical to outclass "Madhuban mein" or a Kishore qawwaalli of real quality. They couldn't. I walked away in triumph.

This is not to put down Kishore.
He is definitely my favourite singer, after Rafi. There are indeed some songs that I wouldn’t wish to hear in anyone's voice other than Kishore. Rafi v/s Kishore fight is as futile & fruitless as Lata v/s Asha.

The objective is..
... to draw a distinction between Greatest & Most Popular. The two need not be the same.

Yuvraj Singh may hit six sixes in an over, people may hail dashing Dhoni.... but if you want to see batting at its classical best, you would look at Sachin.

10 Commandments for a PG

2007-09-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Well, as someone who has been living as a PG (Paying Guest) for a better part of last 3 years, I daresay to be able to lay a claim about knowing what it takes to be a decent PG. Here are a few of my observations... Feel free to comment or contradict.

Thou shalt be a Paying guest.
Money matters! And seriously… Pay the rent on time, no matter what.
Thou shalt be a paying Guest.
No matter how amiable your hosts are... never forget that fact that you are still a guest. Avoid publicly passing judgmental comments about people around you or offering unsolicited views & opinions about events that you may witness in the house.
Thou shalt respect their privacy.
It goes without saying that you shouldn't trespass on obviously off-limit premises... bedrooms, study-rooms, and kitchen (unless you are dining with them).
Once in a while, go off for a weekend, and inform them in advance. They would really welcome this respite from you ;-)
Live up to the trust.
Sometimes, your hosts would be away, leaving you in charge of the house. Avoid bringing over your buddies for overnight stay during your hosts absence. They are sure to find out from your neighbours.
… And expect the same in return!
If your hosts trespass your privacy, do not hesitate to object, in a mild manner.
Be a good companion.
The major driving force behind having someone as paying guest is financial gain, people also crave for something more. Try to be someone who is a pleasure to be around. If there are kids in the house, get them chocolates (…once in a while), if there are youngsters, discuss latest movies, matches (and career options) , discuss current affairs with landlord/land-lady, volunteer to get medications for the elderly (ensuring that they pay the bills!). If the family invites you out for a dinner/movie, accept graciously, and get something in the interval. If relatives of your host visit, and involve you in the talks, invite them to YOUR room and play host.
In short, do not be a moron holed up in your room all the while.
… But be aware of emotional complications.
Bear in mind that you would be staying with these people only for a while, so avoid getting emotionally involved with them... esp. if the family has someone your age and of opposite sex.
Use a minimum of shared resources.
TV, Computer, Bike... try to minimise sharing any of these. If you cannot live without one, invest and get one for yourself.
Indulge in your vices out of your PG room.
Smoking is bad. Smoking in your PG room is worse.
Same applies to alcohol consumption, tobacco-chewing.... and any other vices you may have.
Leave your PG room better than it was
When the day comes to bid adieu to your PG room, give a bit more than just the rent... an inexpensive wall-clock, a wall-piece... leave your memory behind.

An Open Letter to Forward-Enthusiasts

2007-07-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

On February 3, 1976, a computer club newsletter published a letter sent by Bill Gates. Gates was furious that the programs written by him and Paul Allen were used by software enthusiasts for free. More details about this letter can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Letter_to_Hobbyists

Well, am no Gates. But am as passionate about my writing as he is about his software. I feel equally enraged when there are more than a few mails of mine being forwarded without any mention of their origin. So, based on that famous letter of Gates, here is my own letter to forward-enthusiasts.
------------------------------------

Dear Forwarder,
I do not know you, and wouldn't have bothered to bother you, if it weren't for an act of yours that has caused me a couple of sleepless nights.

You forward mails. No problem with that. Indeed, if it wasn't for your forwarded mails, most of us wouldn't have known so many wonderful things happening all around.
No sarcasm here.

The problem arises when you start forwarding mails as your own... Mails that someone else has taken efforts to think about and spent a few minutes of his/her life to write down.

When you are watching a movie, enjoying a night out with your friends, or simply sleeping, someone is at the computer, tirelessly giving finishing touches to a small write-up that they have been thinking whole day over. Thinking isn't easy. It wrecks the mind. Writing isn't easy. It takes time... time that could have possibly been spent in having a meal at leisure.

They mail to you. And what you do with it? You simply remove the author's name, and shoot it off to a hundred people.
I think that's cruel.

Every time you forward a mail without giving due credit to its author, you are denying someone of their right. You are creating one more reason for them to feel like never writing again. You deprive them of a few words of appreciation that may have gone their way.

I do not know what motivates you to do this. I do not want to know, either.
But I do hope you realize what you are doing.

So should you be forwarding chain mails? No.
But before you hit the send button, see that you have kept the author's name or e-mail ID. If you receive a forwarded mail, before forwarding it, keep the sender's mail ID. If you wish, feel free to make changes to your heart's content, but add a line towards the end (based on a mail by...). This not only gives credit to the author, but also makes him/her accountable for the same.

May be am expecting too much. But that's the least you can do.

-Gautam.

Peasant in a cyber-caffe

2007-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,

It was a Sunday evening. I was in a cyber-caffe near my PG rooms, checking my mails, and reading posts on the various Yahoo groups that I am a member of.

Just then, a middle-aged person walked in. He was bald-headed, wearing khaadi clothes and a dhoti.. In short, not the kind of guy you usually find in a cyber-caffe.

The peasant guy walked straight to the caffe-owner. The owner nodded to him, and logged in to a G-Mail account. He read some mails from the inbox and conveyed those to the peasant guy, who listened attentively. This activity over, the peasant told the owner some matters, such as, the heat here has been unbearable, but we have had some showers during last few days; the mother is well, the sister is enjoying summer holidays, etc... which the cyber-caffe guy typed and sent off as an e-mail.

The peasant thanked the owner and left.

I was damn curious to know what was going on. Being somewhat friendly with the cyber-caffe owner, I asked him what it was all about.

It seems that the peasant person's son has got admission to IISc-Banglore on basis of some scholarship. The family doesn't have a telephone, and with postal department striving hard to live up to its reputation of 'snail-mail', letters would have taken years to reach.

So the young boy came up with a bright idea: he created a G-Mail account in name of his father and provided the cyber-caffe owner with the ID and password. Every weekend, the father comes to the caffe, the owner logs into the G-mail account and reads the mails sent by the son, translating them into Marathi, of course. Next, he types the matter as dictated by the father and sends the reply to son.

If you ask me, this must be the best application of IT in a country like India..

I do not know whom to applaud.. the son, for this fantastic scheme; or the father, for taking up this adventure at such an old age; or the cybe-caffe owner, who doesn't charge a penny for his services...

Norway Narrative...

2007-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

I believe in destiny. How else would one explain the fact that one fine morning I found myself being transported from the scorching heat of Nagpur to chilly snows of Norway?

Infospectrum India Pvt Ltd gave me an opportunity to work for a month with Applied Radar Physics, as a technical writer. ARP is basically a group of scientists coming together to develop high-end radars. The company is located at Kjeller Teknologisk, near Oslo. The complex also houses a dozen other R & D organizations, specializing in a wide array of fields, right from biotech to nanotech… and then, there is a nuclear reactor as well!

Rather than writing about what food I ate ( which actually wasn’t much more than bread, butter & cheese) and the places I saw (to put it in brief, the entire Oslo), this article will focus on what I learnt as a person.

The most important thing I learnt was some good ethics. Mr. José Navarro had informed he would pick me up at my hotel at 9 am on first day. I was thinking, ‘he would probably be late by half an hour at least, after all he is the Managing Director!’. Imagine my surprise when, upon descending the stairs at 9 am, I found him waiting for me in the hotel lobby!

At work, I hardly found anyone moving about during work hours. In fact for first few days, I was the one who was most often seen moving in and out of the room for trips to coffee machine, etc. The others would rarely budge from their seats, except for work-related matters.

One thing I realized was the immense amount of work you can get done in a single day if you really focus hard and get cracking. I mean, it’s really, really amazing how much time and mental processing power we waste by just letting our minds wander during work.

Lunch time discussions were something I always looked forward too, for they were never about mundane matters. Everyone present (except me, perhaps...) being highly qualified, the talks were always informative and interesting. Mr. Navarro would say something like, “Yesterday on Discovery Channel they showed about radio-pulsars.” And then others would chip in with what they knew. Each one of them has traveled far and wide and it was a treat to hear their experiences. Being in such an elite company naturally widens your thinking horizons and you begin to read more, learn more, so that you aren’t left out!!

Another point I noted was minimal reporting procedures. If José had to tell something to any of his team-members, he would just walk in and say it. In fact most of the communication was verbal. Of course, important information was indeed passed through mails. Perhaps, ARP being a small group and everyone being senior person, verbal communication must have worked fine. But still, I do feel that sometimes we spend more time in writing mails than doing actual work.

Norwegians in general are very, very courteseous and well- mannered. They go to amazing extent to help others, even a stranger like me. And they smile a lot... it comes naturally to them. I would be walking on the streets and many passer-by’s would break into a smile, and say "Good Morning" or something. It really feels very nice. I tried this a few times after coming back to India, and was greeted with weird looks...

This visit has taught me a lot professionally and also made me a better individual. Living away from “your” people, you begin to appreciate even the simple pleasures like a chai or a warm sunshine early in morning.

For Norway visit photos, you are invited to browse through my photo album on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gautamsoman

[Review] Dhoom -2

2006-11-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Well, before you begin to read, a note. All opinions in this post are completely personal, and you are most welcome to disagree with them. In fact I would like to know why you think am wrong. So here we begin...

I watched Dhoom-2, and was positively bored with it. It doesn't matter that the film has received thunderous opening all over, and might even turn out to be one of the major hits of the year. In a country where a film like KANK becomes a hit, anything is possible.

Dhoom-2 is full of action, the adrenalin-pumping type. All characters are hyper-active. When they are not racing on bikes, scaling sky-scrappers or dangling from heights, they just aren't doing anything.

Songs are foot-thumping. "Crazy Kiya Re" has a catchy beat and the Dhoom Theme sounds racy.

Hrithik looks good, but then, when does he not? He has puts in an earnest performance, as usual. The problem is: how far can even he go when the character itself doesn't have much bandwidth?

Aishwarya sizzles in skimpy clothes, and also manages to do what she has avoided doing so far. Alas, the scene lacks the intensity that should have been associated with it.

It is clear that the director has first decided upon the action-sequences and then woven the story (or whatever there is of it) around those. For example: the scene where Hrithik asks Aishwarya to jump from a cliff if she really trusts him, etc etc. Needless to say, she jumps, (followed by him, of course), and then they are both dangling over a few thousand feet. Was there really any need for this?

Uday Chopra is excruciatingly irritating. Someone should tell him that it takes an Arshad Warsi to do the role of a "Circuit."
And pray tell me what was Bipasha Basu doing in this film? After a film like "Corporate," why does she need to do a role like this?

Abhishek Bachchan has put in a decent performance. There is a silent menace about him, and he is increasingly becoming effective with his eyes. Nevertheless, he doesn't get the sympathy of viewers.

Dialogue is like written in the Jurassic ages. The line "Do you trust me?" is repeated like 327 times, thus rendering it like worthless, and in fact a bit like funny, heh heh!

If you are really going to watch this movie (as I suspect you will), leave your thinking apparatus at home. It's not of much use while watching this one.
Too much style, too little substance.

My friends as well as my brother (he doesn't count among my friends, you see) seem to have thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Moreover, they also insist that Dhoom-2 is way better than Dhoom-1. I haven't watch Dhoom-1 yet, and now, there is just no question of watching it.

-G.

User-friendly Error Messages

2006-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, in order to make our application more user-friendly, we have implemented following error –messages:

When application starts:
"All the functionalities in this application are imaginary and bear no resemblance to those specified in the FDS. Run this application at your own risk. We are not liable for any mental, emotional, physical, financial, or spiritual injury caused by it. May God Bless You... Amen."

When user tries to edit an object created by another user:
"दुसरों के object को हाथ क्यों लगा रहा है बे?"

When user successfully completes some task:
"बधाई हो बधाई !! लगता है कि आप जितने बेवकूफ़ दिखते हो उतने हो नही..."

When user tries to delete a object:
"टपका डालू क्या साले को? एक बार अच्छी तरह सोच ले!"

Limited functionality:
"Dekh bhidu, jyaada time nahi tha isliye apun ne itnaaich implement kiya hai. Ab isse ki kaam chalaa lena, kya?"

Un-handled exception:
"आयला… घापा हो गया रे!!"

Application crash:
"Aapka aaplikesan bhasak gayela hai. Try one of the fallowing:
1.Restart applikesan

2. Restart machine, restart applikesan

3.Restart electric supply to your building, restart machine, restart applikesan.
Fir bhi nahi chal rahaa toh write a letter to us and send it through a pigeon."

If user tries to seek assistance by clicking on Help menu:
Online Help provides details in a very user-friendly way… For Ex:

"Kill the currently running thread by terminating its process in Processes tab of Windows Task Manager. Next, edit the InterfaceService.Config file and restart IS & SS services from Services under admin tools of Windows Control Panel."

When user closes Help:
"अब दोबारा मत पुछना !"

-G.

Walking down the road, I saw her...

2006-11-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I am walking down the road, hands in pockets, mind lost in thought.
And then, I see her.

She is sitting in the veranda of a tiny little bungalow… looking absent-mindedly at the traffic flowing by, lost in her own world, oblivious to my presence.

She is beautiful… most beautiful... I want to go near her… but dare not, lest she might go away...

So all I do is rest my chin on the compound wall and continue to stare at her…

It is the moment like this when I regret not having a camera-with-mobile (or mobile-with-camera, or whatever). If I had one now, I could have captured this beauty and then made my friends jealous. In fact, I would have got it framed and placed it on my bedside table.

With me inclined against the compound-wall of a roadside bungalow, the passer-bys are giving me strange looks … but who gives them a damn?… I am busy savouring one of beauties in the world…

Should I take her home? My brother would undoubtedly be in love with her; as much as I am now… even my father wouldn't mind her having in the house... but … I have no doubts my mother would kick her right out of the door… even the thought pains me…

Perhaps mindful of my stare, she turns her head in my direction… and I experience love at second sight… from such a distance , it is difficult to tell the shade of her eyes… is it blue, is it green? Or is it something in between? Whatever the shade it might be, it's just beautiful.

I keep staring at her, and she keeps staring at me. I smile. Even try to blow out a small whistle… no reaction on her part…

And then, a dog barks out somewhere in the vicinity.
And the cat, at which I have been staring for so long, bounds inside the house.

I cast a reproachful glance at the dog.
And then, hands in pocket, mind lost in thought, I resume walking.

-G.

Of Angelina-kaku & Brad-baapu….

2006-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

The city of Pune is honoured to host a couple of universal fame, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and their equally eminent kid, Shiloh Nouvel ( by the way, is it a boy's name or a girl's name?) However, some people have been objecting to the media coverage accorded to this couple. Being one of those close to Brangelina, it is my duty to allay some doubts.

Objection 1: Why so much hype about just some film-stars?
Answer: Doesn't our honourable PM get covered in US media? Our media is just trying to pay back. So what if our PMs get mentioned on third or fourth page; and our national dailies have been devoting headlines with photos to Brangelina. It's a minor point.

Objection 2: They have come for their own work. Why should we bother about them?
Answer: it's time to reveal a secret: The real mission of Brangelina in India is to eradicate poverty. Why else would they pay Rs 500/- for an auto-rickshaw ride that would have normally cost Rs 60/- ? They just wanted to give to away their hard –earned money to the needy. It's another thing that they have earned more publicity by giving 500/- to an auto driver than they would have got by giving 500/- to any ad agency.

Objection 3: Why so many reporters to cover them?
Answer: Isn't it great that at least 327 people have some part-time employment? On top of it, they have also been trained for free in adventurous activities, such as climbing walls, scaling roof-tops and running after auto-rickshaws trying to get a glimpse of this couple.

Last heard:
- Diapers used by baby Shiloh Nouvel ( some one please enlighten me about whether it is a boy's name or a girl's...) are going to be put on auction.
- The auto-rickshaw in which the trio took a ride will be placed in Raja Kelkar museum, under a special section called "Brangelina Chariot."

-G.

On Thought Management….

2006-09-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

It was the time ...

when Williams Gates III, better known as Bill Gates, was just a kid. One day, his mother saw him brooding over something and asked him casually, “What are you doing, Bill?” The little Bill shot back, “I am thinking, Mom... Have you ever tried thinking?” Some may see arrogance in this reply, but I do feel that the boy had asked a valid question. Do we really ever think about the way we think?

A salaried person takes stock of his/her earnings and expenses by end of each month. He/she also sets up the budget for next month. A business-person keeps a daily account of sales achieved and targets for future.
Those more serious about their career and profession do the same with their time… they note down the hours worked on a project/task, and set aside time for entertainment, family and social matters.

All this is indeed very important and it certainly helps.

The point is:

Why not apply the same technique to our thoughts as well?

If we note down the issues we think of every day, the number turns out to be a huge one, but most of the topics are highly mundane. We literally waste the enormous power that we are endowed with.

First of all,

how much of our thinking is ‘actionable’ thinking? For example: we look at the photos of hunks like Hritik or Salman and think:” Wow, what a body…” But unless and until we convert such kind of though into an action-oriented thought like: “Hmm, I will join the gym from tomorrow”, it doesn’t help us at all.

Next point is...

“Looped Thinking”. I have been planning to do some saving for last six months. But whenever I begin to think of that topic, I go through same motions each time and end up at the same point. Thoughts should be like building-blocks. We should build upon our previous thoughts, rather than going through the same cycles, time & again.

How about...

treating our thoughts as tangible entities, just like money & time? Our attitude needs to be like: This week I will think of these matters and reach some conclusion, by week-end I will clear up these pending thoughts and not waste my time on them again, I will start thinking about these new ideas…..

Sure, this will not be easy at first.

We might feel like wandering off into our own free-wheeling ways. But as Buddha has said, “Our thoughts are our destiny.” A close look at most of the highly successful persons reveals that not only do they manage their time and money wisely; they pay an equal attention to their thought-processes as well.

Gautam's Instructions For Life...

2006-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Well, After attaining the ripe old age of 25 years, I feel that the world must benefit from my sagely advice. Without a helping hand, there is a fear that the young generation may get lost in the dark by-lanes of this treachorous world.

Here come Gautam's Instructions For Life...

1. Never, ever give all your outdoor clothes for ironing all at once.
[Once I had to miss a movie since couldn't possibly go out in a banyan and half-pant.]

2. Before you enter a hotel, check whether your pocket contains a wallet.
If it does, check further if the wallet contains cash/ credit card. Better safe than sorry.

3. When a girl smiles and waves at you, before you wave back, turn around to check whether she isn't waving at someone approaching from behind you.
Follow same procedure even if the above-mentioned girl happens to be your own g/f.
Better safe than sorry.

4. Most people drive recklessly but think cautiously. Try doing the opposite.

5. While working in kitchen, remember that common salt is the most important ingredient of any dish. It is also the most commonly forgotten one.

6. If you get an urge to share your innermost secrets with someone, share them with your dog.
A cat will also do, except that it wont pay much attention to what you are saying.

7. Defrag your computer once in a while. Do the same with your brain.

8. Money matters.

9. Never say you are fond of kids, unless your dream job is that of a babysitter.

10. Tears cleanse the eye-glands. They work the same way on your soul.

Yours,
-G.

My Letter to Filmfare

2006-06-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

Hi,
well, here is a copy of the mail I dashed off to Filmfare minutes ago. I dont mind whether they publish it or not, but felt that I had to vent off my anger. Would request you to do the same, if you feel equally strongly about it.
urs,
-G.
----------------------------------------------------------------

To:
The Editor,
Filmfare

Sir,
I am a regular reader of Filmfare since a decade. While going through the latest issue ( June 2006), I was shocked to find the obituary of Naushad Ali being wrapped up in just 2 pages. The piece written on him did little justice to this legendary composer.

Films come and go, film-stars rise and fall, it is the music which outlives all of them. Naushad-saab has mesmerized millions of Indians with his music in a career spanning six long decades. He deserves a much better tribute from Filmfare, which I perceive as a film-magazine for the classes, rather than the masses.
Better late than never... Could you please share with us whatever material you have on Naushad-saab? I would suggest something like vital stats about the films he composed for, what he had to say about the singers who sang for him and what they had to say about him, some intersting anecdotes about Naushad, the person... and above all, as many rare photographs you can find !!

...and If you can come up with a dedicated issue, I am sure it will turn out to be a collector's item.

With high hopes & regards,
-Gautam Soman,
Goa-India.

The Good Earth ? ... Or The Tyrant Nature ?

2006-05-21T04:43:00.000-07:00

Hi,

In our culture, we treat Earth as mother goddess . Indeed all the forces of nature: the sun, the soil, the air, the water have been granted a divine status in almost all civilizations. They have been looked upon as benefactors , caring guardians.

There is a theory which even accords earth a life of its own. According to the Gaia hypothesis, earth itself is a living being, and all tectonic movements are its 'life-processes'.

This is one extreme.

On the other hand, there is a school of thought which posits that nature as such has never been kind towards human beings, or towards any living being, for that matter. We and other species have survived solely due to our tenacity and adaptive qualities.

If we stop all the works which 'disrupt the ecological balance' , will there be no more earthquakes & volcanoes, floods & draughts, tsunamis & hurricanes ? In fact some of the world's most devastating natural disasters have occurred in the era when the industrial pollution was in its infancy.

Yours,

- G.

"Word"-Power !!

2006-05-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Well,
As a budding technical writer,
I have been paying some serious attention to various authoring tools which aid in writing. The first thing to focuss attention was obviously the software which we have all been using for atleast last decade.. MS-Word.

At the end of exploring it,
I have come out thoroughly impressed with this power-packed software... One can safely say that a normal user uses hardly 10% of its functions.. an expert may use 20 % and a real power user may claim a 30- or 40% proficiency in all its features.. not more than that !!
Almost everything you can think of using has been incorporated into the software... right from automated Table of Contents to automated Indexing...

I urge you that whenever you have free time, visit Help section of MS_Word and go thru its index Help Contents.. there's enough stuff there to keep you busy fror at least a month.

Apart from the joy of exploration and learning on your own, this exercise will practically help you in drafting more elegant writing material.

Actually,
I am thinking of sending off a appreciative mail to MS-Office team for the excellent job they have done.

Hail Microsoft !!

Yours,
-G.

The Argumentive Human

2006-04-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hi,

"The Argumentive Indian" is a book written by Nobel-laureate Amartya Sen, which has topped the best-seller list for quite some time now. I haven't read it as yet; however the title itself was enough to set off a chain of thought.

Here am jotting down a few points as regards arguments & debates.

1. There are many issues on which our opinions are formed almost at a subconscious level, without ever thinking intentionally about it.

A good example in this case would be of Bajirao Peshwa, the second. General perception about him is that he was a useless ruler, spent most of his time in luxuries and was primarily responsible for the decline & fall of Maratha Empire.

Not being a historian, I do not know how much of this is true or false. The point here is not whether doosra Bajirao was a good ruler or not, but that a majority of people tend to blame him without having the vaguest idea why they are saying so.

2. As thinking animals, human beings are supposed to arrive at the conclusion after following a logical line of reasoning. However, many a times people first stake out one view-point or other and then seek only those arguments which would support their stand.

A good example in this case would be Narmada Bachao Andolan in particular or environmentalists in general. These people have already decided in their minds that modern technology is bad. So an open dialogue is impossible [in most cases]. It's just like gravitational lensing ... things look distorted when looked thru any kind of lens.

3. Some people have an incorrigible habit of going against conventional views. They get hailed as 'creative minority'. Nothing wrong with it, as long as it has some sound basis. But in most cases, people resort to it just to 'stand out from the rest of them.' Only because someone is saying something different from majority opinion doesn't mean he is right or what he is opting for is good, unless proved so. Till that is done, he ought to be treated only as being 'different'.

4. And then, there are people who just have to say something to everything that you say. Never mind that it may have nothing what-so-ever to do with the point under consideration; they just gotta have the last word in discussion.

For example, you say that " Chitale bakarwadi tastes really good." A representative of above-mentioned breed will say, "But Kaka Halwai shreekhand is even better." You may wonder how two dis-similar products can be compared... but that's beside the point. He has said something and that's all that matters. Another example .. You may say " Sachin Tendulkar is a great batsman." and the reply would be, "Don Bradman was even better."

Note that what they have said isn't essentially wrong, but they have side-tracked the original issue.

Yours,

-G.

Yaaahooo !!

2006-04-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Nope .... this mail is not about Jerry Yang, the founder of Yahoo !

It is about Shammi Kapoor ... yeah, you got that right :-D

Shammi Kapoor songs have always been a delight to watch. In fact I suspect that producers brought out movies only to film Shammi Kapoor's hysterics and paid scant attention to story, script and other non-essential matters.[Of course, some of his films like "Teesri Manzil" are said to be among the very good ones.]

There is hardly any film of his whose songs are not popular even today. and if I may say so, Mohd Rafi's voice was a major factor which helped him in getting established in film industry.

Shammi Kapoor perhaps choreographed his own songs, and he danced with total abandon throwing caution to air. Indeed, it would be a crime to call his body-movements a 'dance'... but nevertheless public loved it and for good reason. He brought a youthful energy to the screen and liberated movies from the sighs and moans of Rajendra Kumar and Company.

Doordarshan had the good sense to air a special 2-hour program on ocassion of Shammi Kapoor's 60th birthday. We were having dinner then, and none of us budged from our place even to wash the hands, until the programme was over. It was a rare treat indeed !!

I have about 60 audios and a dozen videos of Shammi Kapoor songs, as of now. The idea is to create a DVD of all his songs ( all videos). Nothing would be more entertaining, ha ha !!Some of the best songs are those which have O P Nayyar/Shankar-Jaikishan at music and Rafi-Asha at the playback, with Shammi bouncing up n down on their tunes.

Yours,

-G.

Aamir & NBA

2006-04-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Well, About a week ago, there was news that Bollywood actor Amir Khan has come out in support of Narmada Bachao Andolan. As someone who has always admired Amir's movies ( except some classics like "Mela"), I was most curious as to what made him take this stance.

Reading his interview, however, left me in a state of dismay.

Amir Khan said that his support was purely on basis of ''emotional bonding with those displaced by the project'', and he candidly admitted that he was ''not aware of technicalites involved in the issue''.

This wont do !

When celebreties like Amir Khan or for that matter Amitabh Bacchan, come out in support ( or in protest) of an issue, they have the power to influence the public opinion on that particular topic. As such they are expected to make their decisions based on logic & reasoning, rather than get swayed away by emotion.

In this regard, I would strongly recommend the following book, which provides a solid factual support as to why projects like Sardar Sarovar are highly essential.

Samagra Maate Narmade

-- Dr Dattaprasad Dabholkar

This book gives an exhaustive account of the 'struggle' for Narmada Bachao Andolan... the socio-political as well as historical and geological background, the cause and effect and how it was lead by Medha Patkar, Sundarlal Bahuguna and other social activists, including Arundhati Roy.

As mentioned in the book, Supreme Court of India, while rejecting the appeal of Narmada Bachao Samiti, remarked, "It was not a public interest litigation, but a publicity interest litigation."

One can't help but be dismayed by how a well-meant campaign has been lead astray by few people who are not ready to push up their ideological 'burkhaas' and look at the practical aspects without getting emotionally charged.

As a person I have much respect for the social activists mentioned here.. Medha-ji, Sundarlal-ji, also our own Anna Hazaare-ji. These people are gold in themselves... but when they allow willy politicians to make use of them... well, that's when things begin to go wrong.

This is NOT to say that I am insensitive to the plight of displaced people. I am also not saying that projects should be set up at the cost of lives and property of innocent people. Indeed they ought to get more than sufficient re-imbursement for their troubles... but when the activists say that NO TO BIG DAMS, NO TO ATOMIC POWER STATIONS,.... well, someone like me begins to have serious doubts.

A couple of decades ago, a huge hue n cry arose over Salaawli dam in my home-state, Goa. Activists were crying hoarse in the name of some ancient temples. But Govt of Goa remained firm, and the dam was built. Today it serves as the chief source of water to almost half the state... and am damn sure that people who protested against it then are enjoying the benefits now.

Rather than make an issue out of short-term problems, we need to look at long-term benefits.

Yours,

-G.

Memorization: Out of Fashion?

2006-04-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Well, a couple of weeks ago, Rahul, Aparna & me had a free-wheeling talkathon. For some reason, the issue of memorization cropped up and Rahul remarked,

" Why is it essential to memorize?”

I wasn't surprised. My office-colleague Prasad had passed a similar comment earlier. He had quoted Albert Einstein as saying, "Why bother to remember facts which can be looked up in a reference book?"And I had shot back, “Percy, buddy... Einstein could say something like that because he was THE Einstein. What are mere mortals like you and me saving our precious memory for?? To store juicy gossip about film-stars and trivia about our sports-persons?"

I, for one, am all for memorization. It is a part of learning process and highly essential for better thinking and decision-making.

Rahul's contention was that most of our decisions are logic-based. True! But to arrive at a conclusion you have to make use of some information, which isn't possible unless you have a knowledge- base ready at hand... i.e. in your brain.

And reference-books may not be accessible every place, every time.

As a kid, I was made to recite tables from 1 to 30 every evening. I hated it then, but today they have indeed made life much simpler. If an answer to something like 19 x 7 is needed, while my colleagues scramble for their calculators or go Start->Programs->Accessories-> Calculator, I have already noted down 133 and moved on.

I am NOT saying that you must memorize each and every piece of information you may come across. But surely it's not too much to expect to learn by-heart a few basic things which you might need in your personal or professional life. A physicist would be expected to know values of fundamental constants, A chemist would be expected to know valencies of major elements.

To say that you can look up these things in a reference book means either you are highly prodigious or.... in most of the cases, plain lazy.

Also memorization is not hard work. If you love the subject, it's quite easy to recall what you have learnt.

A few days back, I had gone to one of our relative’s in Pune. As we sat there talking, the girl in the house was solving some integration problems and was stuck up on a particular derivative. Having learnt derivatives almost by rote in my HSSC, I couldn’t help pointing out the answer to her and was rewarded with an appreciative smile.

…. So you see, there are some un-expected benefits too!

Yours,

- G.

"Meri Aawaz Suno....."

2006-04-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

27th December 2000.

It was a chilly night and I was huddled up with a book. Just then the phone rang."Quick! Switch on the TV! " said she, "Doordarshan channel."

Dumbfounded, I did as instructed.On TV, There was a bald man in a suit, standing before the mike and waiting for the narrator to finish.Thinking it to be some kind of joke, I was about to turn away, when the words came out ...

"Suhaani raat dhal chuki .... na jaane tum kab aaoge

Jahaan ki rut badal chuki... na jaane tum kab aaoge"
And I stood there, mesmerized.... listening to one song after the other.

The programme was a recording from the Doordarshan Archives... and the man whom I had just listened to was one of the legends in Hindi Film Music .... Mohammad Rafi.

Next day, I went to our local music shop and bought a couple of his audio-cassettes. After listening to them, I wanted to have more, so asked my friends to lend me what they had of him. Very soon, I was listening to him day-in and day-out.

The reason Rafi appeals to me is his awesome vocal range. He has sung some of the best songs in almost every genre of contemporary music. Be it :

Qawwali ( Parda Hai Parda),
Saddy ( Din Dhal Jaaye Haay),
Playful ( Achcha Ji Mein Haari),
Romantic ( Abhi Na Jaao Chhodkar),
Ghazal ( Koi Sagar Dil Ko Behelata Nahi),
Classical (Madhuban me Radhika Nache Re),
Soulful ( Mann Re Tu Kaahe Na Dheer Dhare ),
Devotional (Mann Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj),
Patriotic ( Ab tumhare hawaale watan saathiyon),
Mischevous ( Aaye Ga Aaye Aaye Ga Ye Kya Ho Gaya )...

..... You name it and you have it.
As my net-pal Varsha rightly says, devotional songs in Hindi films are often too melodramatic, but listen to the ones rendered by Rafi, and you can't help feeling drawn into it.
I am also quite fond of Kishore Kumar, Mukesh and other male singers. However IMHO, there are very few songs of these which Rafi couldn't have done an equal justice to ... but there is quite a huge number of songs of Rafi which no one other singer could have sung with such a panache.
Apart from being a music virtuoso, Rafi the person was also equally as good. He was humble, a tee-totaller, and deeply religious. There are n-number of anecdotes about how he helped upcoming music directors by singing for them almost for free.
Some people accuse him of over-exposure. To some extent I do agree that he could have done without some trashy songs. But there might have been some compulsions.
Today, I have a collection of about 500 of his songs. Indeed, there was a time when I thought I had heard him all .... but discovered very soon that my collection is a drop from an ocean.
It's futile to list top favourite songs since they keep on changing as per my mood and atmosphere, but there are a few which would make the list anytime...

1. Suhaani raat dhal chuki

2. Ek haseen shaam ko

3. Abhi na jaao chhodkar

4. Paaon chhu lene do

5. Aapke haseen rukh pe aaj naya noor hai

Mohd Rafi passed away five months before I was born. They say his funeral procession was the biggest one the city of Mumbai has ever witnessed. Though he may have ceased to exist in physical sense, his songs continue to accompany us in our moments of joy and sorrow, triumph & tragedy.

To quote lyrics of one of his own songs ....

" Tum muze yun bhula na paaoge

Jab kabhi bhi sunoge geet mere

Tum mere sung yunhi gun-gunaoge ''

Yours,

- G.

Welcome !

2006-04-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Well, This is my first step into the Blogosphere.... Help me make it a giant stride.
Yours,
- Gautam.

Tryst with Dr R A Mashelkar

2006-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi,
Well,
The First Time I heard of Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar was when I was in XIth.
Ms Geeta Shastry, our professor who was the convener of science-forum, called myself and two other boys and said, “you are to attend the session of Goa Science Congress to be held at Margao and prepare to report of it and present it before science forum." We protested since it meant 'spoiling’ our entire Sunday and missing out on our weekly cricket match. " No way”, she said,'' people like Dr Mashelkar, Dr Gowarikar and Dr Swaminathan would be coming, and you don’t get such chance often."

We made plans to attend the seminar for half an hour and then to skip out to Colva beach, barely 10 kms, away and have some fun.However, once into the seminar, we got so captivated that not only we sit till end but also came back full of inspiration. That was the first time I saw Dr Mashelkar.

Over the years, I have followed his career closely and never missed an opportunity to listen to his speeches. They are full of optimism for our country, our people. And they are not empty bubbles, mind you. They are backed by his impeccable credentials. He speaks from heart, with hard data strewn in between.

This man has come up literally from dust... Born on the 1st January 1943, in Marcel (Goa), he went barefoot till SSC, worried about Rs 20/- to pay exam dues, studied under street-lights...and yet excelled in education, ranking 11th in Merit list in HSSC. After completing one of the fastest Ph D’s in chemical engineering, he gave up a promising career in UK to return to India at the behest of the then PM Indira Gandhi.

He joined the prestigious National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, subsequently becoming its Director. Currently, he is the Director-General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), which runs about 40-odd laboratories of national significance and is one of the largest chain of public sector laboratories anywhere in the world.

Dr. Mashelkar has made outstanding original contributions to polymer engineering, notably in the modeling of polymerization reactors, diffusion in polymeric media, transport studies in swelling polymers as well as non-Newtonian flows. In particular his engineering analysis of secondary flows and particle motion/deformation are considered both innovative and pragmatically important.
Dr. Mashelkar has been the recipient of many prestigious awards from the Government and corporate sectors from India and abroad as well. He is the 36th Indian scientist and 3rd Indian engineer to have been conferred upon the honour of Fellow of Royal Society (FRS).

In a moment of immature impulsiveness, I once to wrote to Dr Mashelkar, putting forward some of my ideas and suggestions. The moment I posted it, I was horrified and wanted to take it back.About a month later, I got reply...a handwritten letter from Dr Mashelkar himself ! He said he agreed with many of my views and had accepted some of the suggestions.It was a very handsome gesture on part of a technocrat who must be very busy.

A few days ago, while searching on the internet for some info about Indian scientists, I came across the complete CV of Dr Mashelkar. It runs into about 40 pages…He has 235 research publications, 20 books and 30 patents to his credit ( as on 25-12-2005).

Reading the biodata of Dr Mashelkar makes one wonder how a single man could do so many things in one life time… and it inspires us to give our best.

Yours,
-Gautam.

THE Boss

2005-12-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I get up every morning, go to work....return by late evening; most of the times, late night....work for a minimum of 10 hours a day, sometimes 6 days a week. About 70-80% of my time as well as intellect is taken up by the work.

Who am I : an employee or a boss ? For my team members, I may the boss; but for me, the Project Manager is the boss; for him the Project Co-ordinator is the boss, for him the COO is the boss, for COO, the CEO/GM/MD is the boss, and he in turn is bossed by the Chairman of the company. Even the chairman is not free to do as he wishes. He has to keep in mind the best interests of the Board of Directors, the share-holders, the investors... So, who is the boss and who is the employee ?

If you ask me, we are all employees. The real boss is sitting high up there. In fact He is everywhere. Omnipresent.

As we begin our career or life, we go thru a training period. We call it as childhood. Mentors guide us... we call them first the parents, and later on the teachers. They teach us the basic tips and tricks.... be it how to tie a shoe-lace or how to write an ActiveX control or a code snippet in JavaScript.

The training ends and one day you find yourself in the field.. and realize that inspite of all the guidance, when it comes to making the real decisions, you are all alone.

You manage to get along somehow. You already have relatives by default... that's your basic salary. Later on you add friends, colleagues.... that's your incentive. It's up to you how to invest these things for your better future.

If you are lucky, you also find someone whom you begin to like instinctively.. you are in love... that's a raise , a salary hike for you.

If you are really really lucky , you also get to marry him/her for life.. so you start a family, and settle down. Congratulations, you have earned a promotion !!

Of course, it's not a smooth sailing always. Sometimes you lose a near & dear one. You cry your heart out. Why? No need ...he/she has only been transferred from your section to another one. Perhaps his/her services are more needed there. The Boss knows what is best for you and for the overall team. Learn to trust Him. If He is indeed pleased with you, you will find that the one whom you considered as lost , will meet you in some other form. A team-member from your section will come across as a team-leader in different section..... someone you lost as a brother may come again in your life as a great pal.

There are also moments of frustration and failure. It's a memo from The Boss.. His way of indicating you that "Mister ( or Lady), you have not been upto your mark. Introspect." If you are wise enough, you introspect, and get back on the right track.

Sometimes, you find yourself in real trouble.. meet with an accident or develop some illness. It is a suspension order. Depending upon ur past service-record, you may survive or perish. If you perish, your service has been terminated. If you survive, pat yourself on the back... you have been given an extension. Make the best of it.

...and mind you, there no distinctions here as a blue-chip worker or a white-collar worker. We are all equal. If someone begins to walk a few inches above the ground, he is promptly shown his proper place.

The Boss is not unreasonable. At the onset of career itself He has given you the necessary tools with which you can carry out the work. Open the toolbox your mind and take an inventory. You will something you can use... it may be an ability to speak, to write, to sing, to dance, to run, to manage, to think, to lead.... even one of this is enough to build a life-time.... and most of the times you will find that you have more than one of these.

He has given you something ... what you give Him back depends on you. Read, Write, Sing, Dance, Administrate, Lead, Think, Communicate.... Do something...Be something. Imagination is the limit... and there are no limits to imagination.

Do your duty.... and do it with passion and dedication.. with honesty and integrity.The Boss expects nothing more from you .... and He will accept nothing less.

Do not be worried . He keeps a perfect record of your deeds ... and also your misdeeds.

... Give your best in everything you do... ...and leave the appraisal to The Boss.

There once happened to be a fellow called as Albert Einstein .. who knew one or two things more about the universe than most of us here... and he has summed up our Boss very beautifully. ... "He may be subtle.... but He is not malicious."

Yours,

-G.

The Singularity of Thoughts

2005-11-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Well, As a person dies, a lot of knowledge goes with him.... some terabytes of information... all gone, ir-retrievable for ever. Unless one meets with a fatal accident or manages to get himself murdered, it seems one is fairly aware of his/her approaching demise. What must have been the dying thoughts of some of the greatest minds of world?

Shivaji Maharaj... Albert Einstein ... Alexander ..

Just for a moment, consider yourself in place of Shivaji Maharaj, and you will be weighed down by the enormity of his thoughts... you have built up a mighty empire from zero, next generations may do justice to it or may not, that's another thing. Whatever it is, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it anymore. What must have he felt ? a feeling of helplessness ? or the satisfaction that he had done his duty on this planet and was ready to depart ? there are some passages in "Raja Shiv Chhatrapati" or "Shrimaan Yogi" about this ... but no one can tell what his real thoughts might have been.

Albert Einstein, when he died , said something in German but there was just a nurse around, who did not understand the language. What could have he been thinking ? In a decade from 1905 to 1915, he turned the Newtonian Physics on its head almost single-handedly... Was he satisfied ? Did he ever think he might be able to crack the ultimate riddle of all.. The Grand Unified Theory, which would bring together General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics?

How I wish we could know this .. that there was some way by which their thoughts could be downloaded, Just like we hastily have some imp data downloaded on a floppy/CD when the current is abt to go.

In Physics there is concept of a singularity.. the core of a black-hole contains a singularity.. the point in space-time where all the laws of physics including the General Relativity , break down. Death is also a kind of singularity.. a place in space-time where all thoughts break down.

There is something known as Event Horizon surrounding the black hole.. also known as the Schwarzschild Radius ( NOT the Chandrashekhar Limit... mind you ) . It is that radius inside which you are doomed to a journey into the singularity.. escape is impossible ( unless it happens to be a rotating black-hole , of course ).

Death also creates a kind of event horizon around oneself... whatever other people say, you are unable to comprehend, whatever you want to say doesn’t reach the outside world.

Then, there is another kind of singularity.. the Big Bang where again physics can't predict anything. It can tell what happened even a few pico-seconds later, but not at the exact origin of space-time. Look at a child who has not learned to talk yet. Surely there must be some thoughts passing thru his mind. what kind of thoughts ? what he/she must be thinking, looking at all those unfamiliar objects ? Isn't this something similar to singularity at the Big Bang ?

So many other parallels can be drawn, but let me stop here... else some of you may be forced to put me to some singular treatment, ha ha !!

Yours,

Songs & Melodies : Ghazals

2005-10-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Well, Jagjit Singh is considered by some as the best ghazal singer India has produced. I am no authority to judge upon the veracity of this claim, but I would like to say that some of the best ghazals have been sung by other singers.

Mohd Rafi
Have you heard….
Koi Sagar Dil ko Behelata Nahi
Bekhudi mein dilko karaar aata nahi
....Excellent lyrics, Excellent composition and so beautifully sung by Mohd Rafi. Sigh !

Muddat Huyi Hai Yaar Ko Mehemaan Kiye Huye…Ji dhoonDta hai fir wohi fursat ke raat din..
Or
Dard Minnat Kasme…….Kucch to paDhiye ke log kehte hain...
Or
Ghazab Kiya Tere Wade pe Aitbaar Kiya
Unfortunately I am unable to make out the meaning of some high-funda Urdu words in these, but none-the-less, the overall mood can be easily picked up.

Kitni raahat hai dil toot jaane ke baad
zindagi se mile maut aane ke baad....
This looks so senti, but it does give a positive perspective abt lost past.

Then there is one from the film Ghazal itself…
Rang Aur Noor Ki Baraat Kisse Pesh Karu
Ye muraadon hasin raat kisse pesh karu
It becomes a bit high-pitched for my taste. I prefer the one in Lata's ethereal voice...
Nagma-o-sher ki saugat kisse pesh karun
Ye chhalakte huye jazbaat kisse Pesh karun

Talat Mehmood
I discovered this singer very recently and have only a dozen or so of his songs.
Sham-e-gam ki kasam
or mera karaar le ja
or tasveer banaata hu
or ae dil muze aisi jagah le chal
or main teri nazar ka suroor hu...
they are so supperb, I could listen to them forever. Talat had a wobble to his voice, which made his voice as unique as the nasal baritone of Mukesh, and especially suitable for ghazal.

Asha
In aakhon ki masti ke... from Umraao Jaan is an universal favourite.But have you heard...
Ye kya jagah hai doston
Ye kaun sa dayaar hai...from the same movie?

I especially love the lines...
tamaam umra ka hisaab maangti hai zindagi
ye mera dil kahe to kya ye khudpe sharmsaar hai...
bula raha kaun muze chilmano ke us taraf
kya mere liye bhi koi udaas beqraar hai ...

Here are some more of my favourites....
Lata
Ae Dil-E-Nadan : Razia Sultana
Hai Isi Mein Pyaar Ki Aabaru : Adalat
Ranjish Hi Sahi Dil Hi Dukhane ke liye aa

Asha
Jaane kya haal ho is kadar tu aaye
Muddatein Beet Gayi Tum Nahi Aaye Ab Tak

Jagjit
Kal Chaudavin Ki Raat Thi
Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho : Arth
Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya : Sarfarosh
Tumko Dekha To Yeh Khyal Aaya: Saath Saath

Misc
Karoge Yaad To : Bhupinder
Too Is Tarah Se : Hemlata
Aaina Muzse Meri Pehli Se Soorat Maange : Daddy
Huzur Is Kadar Bhi Na : Masoom - Suresh Wadkar

Can anyone explain to me what exactly are the benchmarks for a song to be classified as a ghazal? How does it differ from an ordinary film song?
Yours,
Gautam.

Book Reviews : Fiction

2005-08-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Grid

- Philip Kerr

Actually, this was the first novel I read, way back in 1998. Till date, it remains one of my top-favourites.

This is a terrific novel. It is based on a supercomputer by name Abraham which controls a hi-tech building. A virus makes Abraham think that it is playing a game with the inmates of the building and the aim is to kill all the opponents. A team of 8 people is trapped inside the building , and one by one the supercomputer begins to kill them.

Have you read "2001: A Space Odyssey " by Arthur C Clarke? It deals with a similar scenario: a powerful supercomputer HAL 9000 trying to terminate the lives of astronauts in the spaceship Discovery. In fact there is a triology… “2001 : A Space Odyssey,” “ The Second Odyssey” and “3000 : The Final Odyssey”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Songs of Distant Earth

-- Arthur C Clarke

Del-Rey/Random Books

This is a science-fiction novel, one of the best I have read so far. It envisages a scenario in which our sun goes supernova explosion and mankind is forced to flee the solar system and inhabitate distant planets.The book encompasses huge scales of both space & time. it also covers a numbersubjects, ranging from astrophysics, exobiology, philosophy, and sociology.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Golden Ball & Other Stories

- Agatha Christie

Well, this lady is known as the Queen of Mystery, and rightly so!! But she has also written splendidly in other genres as well.
This book is a collection of a number of such stories, 15 in number and all short ones. They range from bizarre, to funny, to romantic, to humorous... and a couple are outright horrifying!
Each story is captivating till the end...still, as my peronal favourite, I would choose “Magnolia Blossom". Ah! Here is a story which I have really appreciated for its wonderful portrayal of how differently a woman and a man think. If you do not have time to read the entire book, read at least this one story... and let me know how you felt.

Yours,

Gautam.

Leaders & Administrators

2005-07-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Well, I feel that there are two types of managers:

Leaders and Administrators.

Leaders are essentially dreamers. A leader sets seemingly impossible targets and then inspires his followers to achieve them. A leader uses unconventional means to solve problems. He goes more by the instinct/intuition/gut-feeling than logic.

He/she is not much worried about the details. He just provides the outline, the framework on which others act on. People do not just respect the leader, they love him as a person...Indeed they follow him in first place because of his character rather than his intelligence. A leader is more accessible to the people but he is not dependent on them. He is always in the lime-light and knows how to make use of it to achieve his end. Most of the times a leader has no authority in a legal sense, and yet they exert power.

I consider Mahatma Gandhi is one person who fits this description quite perfectly.

Administrators are the ones who convert dreams into the reality. An administrator is more close to the task at hand rather than the person who is doing it... and yet he is dependent on that person. He is logical, methodical and goes more by the rules. He/she is the one who fills in the crucial details in a rough draft to make it a concrete plan. His authority comes from the position he/she occupies.

Of course, sometimes we find a combination of a visionary Leader and a realistic Administrator rolled into one. The first example that springs to mind is Chhatrapati Shivaji. He saw a dream to build up an empire and also had the administrative capability to put it in order once it was achieved.

Today if you look around, almost everywhere you find 'leaders' - most of them self-proclaimed. I think what India needs today are some efficient administrators, people who will work at the background to get things moving.

Yours,

-Gautam.

Book Reviews : Biographies

2005-07-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Chandrashekhar

-Madhuri Shanbhag

Raajhans Publication

The book gives a detail insight into the life and work of Dr Subramanian Chandrasekhar, Nobel laureate in Physics (1983). Reading it makes oneself feel inspired and motivated.

Frankly, I had a feeling of anger against this man, since he opted for American citizenship. But as he himself said, ''For one thing, I couldn't have done this kind of work in India; the environment, the facilities just didn't exist then...and secondly, I feel that Science goes beyond the limits of nations."

I am glad I read this book; it cleared up my grudge and also made me aware of different facets of his personality. We know him only for the work he did on black holes. Apart from it, he has written well-researched books on variety of subjects ranging from Beethoven (Music), Shakespeare (Literature) to Isaac Newton (Science).

One of his remarks made me wince a bit ..." It is very difficult for someone to work in India... other people are busy putting you down."I wonder, have the conditions changed for the better during last 50 years? I hope they have.
Other books which I would like to recommend in this context are :

1. Chandrasekhar and His Limit: G Venkatraman

A bit technical ...but nevertheless can be easily understood by any science graduate.

2. Frozen Star: George Greenstein

There is an entire chapter dedicated to the work of Dr Chandrasekhar and his clash with Arthur Eddington. It makes a thrilling read !!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfred Hitchcock : The Man Who Knew Too Much

- Yashwant Ranjankar

Raajhans Prakaashan

Don't get fooled by the name; the book is in Marathi.

I have seen about half a dozen movies by Hitchcock, most favourite being "Psycho". Undoubtedly he was a genius in his field. During his career spanning almost five decades, he directed 65 movies and was rightfully entitled as the "Master of Suspense".

The book gives an insight into the making of the Hitchcock as the man as well as the director. We get to read the labour that went into making his movies, anecdotes and moments of fame and despair.Good printing quality and more than 75 photos make the book a pleasure to read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Am Alive

- Kittie Felix Hart

Many ppl who seem to hero-worship Adolf Hitler. For these , I would recommend this book.
It is autobiography of a Jew girl who, along with her family, was captured by Gestapo, the German secret police, and sent to concentration camp named as Auschwitz.
By the time allied forces freed them three years later, her father and brother had perished, but Kittie and her mother had survived due to sheer determination.
In the book, she recounts the horrifying details of the life at the concentration camp…. the torture, the inhuman medical experiments, the gas-chambers, everything. It sends chills down the spine when you read it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shubhra Kaahi JeevGheNe [Marathi ]

-Ambarish Mishr

Raajhans Prakaashan

The book outlines the lives of maestros like Shobha Gurtu, Begum Akhtar, Saadat Hasan Munto,O.P. Nayyar, Sajjad Hussein & Pankaj Mallik. Of these, I especially liked the matter on O.P. and Sajjad.

Here are some other books in this category, which I have read over past few months.
1. Phule Vechitaa : Lata Mangeshkar

It was admittedly a surprise to see a book written by the Nightingale herself. It is a collection of various articles she has written from time to time. The nature is more of personal reflections and memories rather than any analysis.

2. Saptak :Dr Mohini Varde

This book is about the Mangeshkar family which gave seven 'sur' to Indian music : Dinanath Mageshkar, Maai Mangeshkar and their five children Lata, Asha, Usha, Meena and Hridaynath. It details musical background of each one of these and discuses many beautiful songs.

3. Noorjehan te Lata : Isaak Mujaawar

This one attempts to compare two female playback singers par-excellence, Noorjehan and Lata, with emphasis on their styles, strengths and finer details.

4. Gaaye Chalaa Ja , Yaadon Ki Baarat : Shirish KaNekar

Written in the famous "KaNekari" style of his, The books make a great reading.

5. Lata Mangeshkar - A Biography: Raju Bharatan

The only ''proper'' biography, I would say. Here you will find a chronological sketch of Lata-ji's rise as India's prominent singer, as well as a thorough analysis of her important songs, her strengths and , yes, her short-comings, too. A book really worth reading.

Yours,

-Gautam.

A Thought on Thoughts

2005-07-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Hi,

What exactly are thoughts ? Do they have a mass ? If two brains are taken , both of equal physical dimensions (such as mass, size, structure, etc ) , but one among them that of a genius (like Einstein) , and other one that of a ignorant fool ( like me , ha !), then based on knowledge in them , will there be a difference in their weights ?

Or are thoughts just a stream of energy ? But what happens to this energy when we "forget" something ?

If thoughts have mass, then they can be 'captured' and 'stored' and 'transferred' like any physical object , isn't it ?

Astrophysicists capture spectrum of distant stars, from which they determine a whole range of things: the distance, size, age, temperature, the constituent elements, etc.Spectrum of a Red Giant is markedly different from that of a White Dwarf. A mere glance would tell an observer what type of star it could be.

From what I have read, the neuro-transmitters in our brain pass signals in short bursts of electrical impulses. The PET, CAT scans make use of these impulses to detect abnormalities in brain.

It is safe to assume that when we think, our 'thoughts' also create a train of electrical impulses.

Surely these electrical impulses must be forming a pattern (a very complex one, of course), which must vary from person to person, just like the spectrum of the stars of different categories.So, Einstein's ''brain-spectrum'' must be highly different from that of a dumb fellow (...like me!! ). By carrying out experiments on a large sample, we can convert this data into a set of standards.

As you know, the concepts of IQ, EQ are highly subjective ones. Is it possible that we will be able to measure intelligence in quantitative terms, the way we measure our weight or height?

While reading Asimov's "Nemesis", I had another idea...If we have a tiny electric field inside our brain, surely there must be a magnetic field associated with it too. So we have a 'sphere' of electro-magnetic radiation, however weak and complex it might be.

We have Geiger Counters that detect presence of nuclear radiation; we have photo-diodes which detect the presence (or absence) of light waves, antennae that detect the presence of radio waves...Physicists have built devices to detect the presence of gravity-waves or gravitons.

Can we build some device which will detect the 'presence' of intelligence?..The "Neuro-Detector"?

Yours,

-Gautam.

What Are We Looking At ?

2005-06-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

Hi,
well,
Last Night,
I was walking back to my rooms. There was a family walking a few paces ahead of me: husband, wife and their five-yr old son walking in between them.

Road ahead was a straight one. It was a clear night. A full moon had risen just above the horizon. It was a beautiful sight... and I was looking at it mesmerized.

The kid too must have seen it, because he exclaimed," Baba to bagha chaandoba !!"

The father murmured something, but the mother shouted,'' arre neeT khaali baghun chaal.... dhaDpaDshil naahitarr !!"

The Result
.. was that the kid never once looked up at the sky till they reached their apartment.

I felt a bit sorry for the kid, and a bit angry towards the lady. No doubt her reprimand had come out of concern for her child. but in doing so, she had prevented him from savouring one of the beautiful sights in the world.

What would have happened at most, the boy might have stumbled on to something and might have had a fall. But parents were there to take are of that.

Speaking Metaphorically
... when we are looking at only at the obstacles in our path, we often lose sight of our true goal.
But if we are focused on our goals, there is God with us to care our care.

Yours,
Gautam.

Kitchen ki Duniya mein pehla kadam !!

2005-06-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Well, my shift from living as a PG to an independent residence has introduced me to an area with which I had not bothered to familiarize myself so far.

Swayampaak-ghar ... rasoi ... kitchen.

Being an Industrial Chemist, I set out with the air of a lab-student about to do an experiment.... setting up the apparatus , preparing the basic ingredients, following procedure step by step, and finally testing the product to confirm whether it turned out to be the one which was originally intended.

For first couple of days, I brushed up the basics... making tea and coffee, and fixing up an occasional limbu-sarbat. Next I moved on to the advanced topic... the meal. After a lot of trial n errors, I succeeded in preparing what I consider a minimal diet for me... varaN- bhaat, baTaTa bhaaji, paapaD, loNche and koshimbir. I can survive on this for years together. (paapaD & loNche are imported straight from Goa. I have not yet reconciled with their Puneri versions).

Earlier I had great doubts whether I would survive these experiments, or indeed whether I ought to bother myself in cooking rather than ordering a tiffin. But now, my attitude has changed !! In fact, I have begun to enjoy cooking.

Even simple things like the boiling of water, or the gradual forming of cream (saay) over hot milk, or the variation in the sounds of cooker as the steam cools down, is real interesting to note, if one only cares to do so.

Our Organic Chemistry professor, Dr Mallik once remarked to girls during an experiment, " Do not be scared of lab work... after all, your kitchen is nothing but a laboratory where you carry out complex organic reactions on a daily basis."

In my case, it's been the other way round... chemistry background has paved the way for an enjoyable time in kitchen... the only difference being that, I find giving foDNee a tougher task than carrying out nitration of sulphuric acid.

Here is a Chemist's approach to preparing a simple dish.

*****************************************

Aim: To prepare KhichDee - E- Rice

Apparatus: kaDhaee (reactor vessel), a big spatula, a pair of tongues, Burner

Materials: Rice, Daal, Mirchee, Potato, Tomato, Onion, Oil,

Chemicals: Sodium Chloride (crystalline or amorphous), Liquefied H2O, Source of LPG.

Procedure:

1. Mix Rice & Daal in the ratio 3:1

2. Wash the above mixture with liquefied H2O. Remove any suspended impurities .Drain off the excess liquid.

3. Cut Mirchee, Potato, kothimbir, Tomato & Onion into small pieces.
4. FoDNee:

a> Keep reactor vessel on the burner. Switch on the source of Liquefied Natural Gas.

b> Add a small quantity of oil.

c> Until it boils, make a mixture of Jirre + Mohri + HaLad + Hing.

d> Add the above mixture to the reactor vessel as soon as oil begins to boil.

5. Immediately add the mixture of Rice and Daal and also the cut pieces of mirchee, etc. to the reactor.

6. Hold reactor steady with a pair of tongues( pakkaD) and stir vigorously the contents with help of spatula for 60 seconds.

7. Add a cup of liquefied H20 and a pinch of Sodium Chloride to the reactor vessel.

8. Stir again for about 120 seconds.

9. Allow the mixture to heat on medium to strong flame for about 10 minutes.

10. After the product is formed (indicated by spicy odour and fluffy nature of rice grains), the reaction is said to have reached the end-point.

Caution : USE ONLY A COMPLETELY DRY REACTOR VESSEL. PRESENCE OF DIHYROGEN MONOXIDE (H20) LEADS TO VIGOROUS INTERACTION WITH HOT OIL.

Precautions:

1. FoDNee is an exothermic process, accompanied by audio-visual effects. Keep children away from premises.

2. Do not forget to switch off the source of burner flame after reaction terminates. Failure to do so may prove hazardous to life and property.

3. Quality- assurance tests must be carried out before the product is sent for consumption by humans.

************************

Yours,

Gautam.

Book Reviews : Non Fiction

2005-06-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

Krushna-Vivar

Mohan Apte

Rajhans Prakaashan
It explains the concept of black-holes in a great detail. Anyone who has done his/her 12th science and has read a bit about these stellar objects will not have any difficulty in grasping the concepts. Marathi needs more such books which give in-depth information without being too hard to language.
Some other books ( in English ) which I would very strongly recommend on blackholes are:
1. "Frozen Star" : George Greenstein

This is an excellently beautiful book, which explains all ideas right from novas, supernovas, neutron-stars, pulsars, black-holes, worm-holes.. A very, very, very good book...in fact I have a personal copy of it.
2."Mathematical Theory of Black Holes ": S. Chandrasekhar

I have glanced thru this ... It is very hi-funda, with loads of math equations.

3."Collapsing Universe": Isaac Asimov

Written in his impeccable style, the book makes an enchanting read.

4. A Brief History of Time: Stephen Hawking

Although not exclusively about black-holes, it is easy to understand. the entire book contains just one equation: E= mc^2.

5. Seven Wonders of Cosmos: Jayant Narlikar

A bit mathematically-loaded, it discusses some of the most exotic phenomena in outer space such as black-holes and quasars.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 9/11 Report

Thomas H. Kean & Lee H Hamilton

St Martins Press
It gives a complete report of the circumstances surrounding the terrorist attacks on WTC. It is supplemented with analysis and reporting by the New York Times . The language is matter-of-fact, clinical and without any added drama.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I came across this book and felt vindicated, since it provides a solid factual support for something I have been thinking all along.
Samagra Maate Narmade [Marathi]

- Dr Dattaprasad Dabholkar
This book gives an exhaustive account of the 'struggle' for Narmada Bachao Andolan... the socio-political as well as historical and geological background, the cause and effect and how it was lead by Medha Patkar, Sundarlal Bahuguna and other social activists, including Arundhati Roy. After reading the book one can't help but be dismayed by how a well-meant campaign has been lead astray by few people who are not ready to push up their ideological 'burkhaas' and look at the practical aspects without getting emotionally charged.

While in college, a debate broke out on this issue. Myself and another boy Sanath Barve were the only two who had taken a stand against Narmada Bachao Andolan. Rest of the entire class had rallied against us, crying hoarse in name of people dis-located from their homes and environmental hazards resulting due to such big projects.

I am not saying that projects should be set up at the cost of lives and property of innocent people. Indeed they ought to get more than sufficient re-imbursement for their troubles... but when the activists say that NO TO BIG DAMS, NO TO ATOMIC POWER STATIONS,.... well, someone like me begins to have serious doubts.

As mentioned in the book, Supreme Court of India, while rejecting the appeal of Narmada Bachao Samiti, remarked, "It was not a public interest litigation, but a publicity interest litigation."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baaraala Dahaa Kami [ Marathi ]

( Ten Minutes to Twelve O'clock)

- Padmaja Phatak, Madhav Nerurkar

Rajhans Publications

The book gives a detailed sketch of efforts leading to developement of the atombomb ( the Manhattan Project) as well as the developement of the hydrogen bomb (code-named the "Super").It discusses in detail the life-histories of the leading scientists like Robert Oppenheimer, Edward Taylor, John von Neumann, Leo Szilard, Enrico Fermi, Hans Beta,Otto Hann, Enrico Fermi and scores of others, whose contribution in these two projects has been rather unknown to the general public.It's a wonderful book, one of the most well-researched in Marathi (at least in my humble opinion ) and a must-have for every well-equipped library.Do read it...Apart from imparting scientific & historical knowledge, it also makes us aware of our conscience and our collective responsibilty towards the humanity.

There is another book, "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns" By Robert Yung, on the same subject. I have not read it, but just gone thru and found it equally interesting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ManWatching

Auhtor : Desmond Morris

Publication: Triad Grafton

Category : Anthropology

The book is about human actions, how actions become gestures, and how gestures transmit non-verbal messages.

It describes a whole range of our day-to day actions, gestures, movements, signs & signals-- most of which we perform sub-consciously. He explains how people from different communities behave in public and in private, and also analyzes the fundamental patterns which govern typical actions-reactions. Packed with almost a hundred diagrams, sketches and photographs, the book makes us aware of the fact that as a species we may have advanced technologically, but we have not yet entirely shed our 'animal' traits of being bodily active.

After reading this book, a big change has come over me. Now whenever I meet a person, my attention gets focused on firmness and duration of the shake-hand, the way he is folding his hands, distance between his legs, body tension, inclination of his head, the number of times he scratches his head or touches his nose, whether he gives a hearty laughter or a political smile, and such bizarre details.

So if anyone among you happens to meet me (I very much doubt this), don't feel uneasy. I am just putting the theory into practice, ha!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is a book on the probability theory.

A Matter of Chance

- K. D. Pawte

Publication of Information Directorate, C.S.I.R.

Probability theory has wide-spread applications in almost all spheres of human endeavor. Pure Science, Technology, Industries, Military, Management and HR.... all fields make extensive use of a number of mathematical techniques and models to achieve optimum efficiency.It is also has ample significance in our day-to-day life, esp in sports.

The book gives an introductory approach to various concepts in this expanding field. It begins with basic definitions such as sample point/space, chance, reliability, relative frequency, randomness, events, permutations & combinations, operational curve, tree diagrams,....etc.; moving on to advanced concepts such as conditional probability, Bernoulli Trials, Pascal Distribution, Binomial distribution, Poisson distribution, Gaussian distribution, Markov Process, and so on. Next come thevarious applications of the probability theory, such as applications in Newtonian Physics, Sensitivity studies,MTBF, MTTF, PERT, Queuing theory, and Operations Research. The last part is devoted to applications in cutting-edge fields such as Genetics and Quantum Theory.

Although the book does require some background in mathematics and statistics, with a little effort any one can make the subject matter easy.

A Marathi translation of this book is also available and is as good as the original one.

Sambhav- Asambhav

Translated byDr Pramod Joglekar

Mehta Publishing House

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aswastha dashakaachi Diary

- Avinash Dharmadhikaari

Mehta Publishing House

It details musings and wonderings.. his hopes and aspirations about India. The book makes a thoughtful reading, it make you pause and think.

It is abt gritty common man and dirty politicians

......... abt failed policies and wrong decisions.

......... abt burning Punjab and explosive NEFA..

The book is abt the REAL INDIA and it sends shivers down the spine.

If you haven't read this, grab it at the earliest.I had known Dharmadhikari-ji as able IAS officer, PA to CM, and of late as founder of Chanakya Mandal. after reading his books, you come know a different facet of the man.You may also read "1,Vijaypath" by the same author. It is a must-read for every civil service aspirant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aisi Prameye Rasike ( Marathi)

- Ravindra Bapat

Rajhans Publications

This is an informative as well as intersting book about Math. it discusses almost all significant branches of modern mathematics and is full of puzzles, games and problems. Those who find math interesting are sure to like this one.

Yours,

- Gautam.

Book Reviews :Business Biographies

2005-05-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well, It is natural to be curious about those extra-ordinary people who manage not just tens or hundreds but literally thousands of people all over the world. Over last four months, I have specifically devoted some time to reading biographies of these people. Here are some which I would recommend strongly.

1. My Years With General Motors :Alfred P Sloan

I read this one, because Bill Gates recommended it… and rightly so! This book is all about turning a medium-sized company into a global conglomerate... and crushing competition on the way. Even though it dates back to pre-computing days, the ideas and experiences are equally useful even today.

2. Iacocca- An Autobiography : Lee Iacocca

This guy was fired from post of Vice-President by Henry Ford. He took up the reins of the bankrupt Chrysler Corp and brought it back on the track.

3. Odyssey- From Pepsi to Apple : John Sculley

He handled to extremely diverse companies with equal success, PepsiCo and Apple Computers. You get the feel of what intense competition in US industry means.

4. Made In Japan : Akio Morita

It gives a deep insight into the business logic of the Japanese people .

5. Jack - Straight from the Guts : Jack Welch

Though an auto-biography, it is entirely focussed on the author's experience as Chairman & CEO of General Electric for 20 years. Written in an unconventionally down-to-earth language, the book imparts some useful management lessons. As Welch says, there's only way... manage 10 people as best as you can, and inspire them to manage 100.

6. Business Maharajas / Business Legends :Gita Piramal

Both these books are particularly recommended because they discuss the lives of almost all the major Indian industrialists, such as Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis, Godrej, Walchand, Mafatlals and others. Marathi translations of both books are also available and are equally good.

7. Board Room : Achyut Godbole

This is the only business-biography in Marathi that I have come across. It gives brief life-histories of almost all international biz leaders, right from Rockefellers and Fords To Gates.

8. Creation of Wealth- The Tata Story: Russi Lala

This excellent book details the rise of the Tatas, right from Jamshedji Nasarwanji Tata to Ratan Tata. It focuses on the chronological buil-up of the Tata biz empire, various companies & institutions founded and the working styles of various chairmen. The book compels one to appreciate the legacy of Tatas.

9. JRD - Mee Paahilele [ Marathi ] : By D R Pendse

Mr Pendse was chief economist to JRD and his book gives an insight into the life of a legend. Marathi language needs more books of such kind. We are so fascinated by success- stories of West, that we tend to be-little or completely ignore the giants among Indians.

I am looking forward to autobiography or a biography of N R Narayan Murthy.

Then there are two more books, which are not biographies, but are written by two of most successful entrepreneurs of our time.
1. Business @ Speed of Thought : Bill Gates

It describes what Gates calls a digital nervous system, by giving examples of how a number of organizations, such as Marriott, Boeing, Dell, etc. have made successful use of it.

2. Only The Paranoid Survive : Andy Grove

It sums up my own philosophy very succinctly.... only those who are always worried about competition overtaking yourself are in a better position to tackle it successfully.

Yours,

- Gautam.

Hospital Manners

2005-05-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Well, Pals, we all talk abt table manners, party manners, dressing manners, this manners , that manners. But what we need to cultivate the most is some hospital manners. Here, I have put together some points from the experience that I have had.

1. If you are not directly related to the patient, either thru family or thru office, do not visit him/her at hospital. You can always pay a visit when he/she is discharged.

2. If are a close family member, do not hesitate to ask abt financial matters. Your help might not be needed, but allow them to make the decision. Don't make their minds urself. With the costs of hospitalization today, I think it doesn’t hurt to have some extra money close-by.

3. I see no reason why one should take kids to the hospital… and infants ? oh God !

4. It is customary to take along fruits, or biscuits etc. It's a good practice. but I would suggest this : If you are visiting in morning, how abt taking a newspaper along ? and if you are visiting in evening, a magazine like "India Today" would be the right choice. I observed that a patient just doesn’t know what to do with the empty time on hand.

5. If you have any objections regarding treatment, never voice them in patient's presence. You can talk with relatives outside.

6. A hospital is not a place to flaunt ur medical expertise, unless you happen to be a doctor… and even if you are one, I think it would be better practice to talk with the patient's doc rather than with the patient.

7. We say we must keep the patient happy, make him/her smile as much as we can, etc.Yes, agreed. But some people just overdo it. The very fact that someone is hospitalized means something is wrong. I don't think that cracking jokes, roaring laughter, slapping each other on the back, showing camaraderie is a proper thing to do in a hospital. There might be other people around with serious problems.

Well, this what I can think of off-hand. I would be glad if you could add to it.

Yours,

Gautam.

Chaand Fir Niklaa ...

2005-05-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Well, a couple of days back; I just couldn't get myself to sleep. So I took a chair and went out on the terrace. It was pournima and the moon was shining with its full splendour.

Looking at it, a thought came into my mind...We see only the same side of the moon, right? Then this moon must be the same sight which Shivaji Maharaj must have seen, so would have Einstein, Napoleon, Vivekanand,...

The same moon will be visible to Bill Gates and Lata Mangeshkar

…..and this is the same moon which Jayant must have seen during his life

... and this must be the same moon which will be visible from 'her' house.

All these people might be away from me in space and time, but there is one thing which makes some kind of connection between us.

The moon.

Yours,

Gautam.

Load-shedding: A Positive Side

2005-04-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hi,

well, as people from Pune and Maharashtra are well aware, the load-shedding is being implemented with full force in the state. Initially for me it was a frustrating experience, not being able to do a damn thing. But of late, I am discovering the positive side of it. Here are a few examples:
* I am back to old-fashioned writing --writing with help of a pen & paper!

* I have visited most of famous landmarks in and around Pune : the Kaatraj snake-park, the Shinde Chchatri, Sinhgad fort, Saaras Baug, Kelkar Museum, Parvati , the famous trio of Vaishali-Rupaali-Waadeshwar, Baal-Gandharwa Rang Mandir and many other places.

* I have developed laziness into a fine art. After all, it requires much skill and patience not to do anything at all for hours together.

* I have taken to solving puzzles, and cross-words, and found that I am quite good at it.

* I usually work/read/compute/write late into night, often upto to 2:00 am. So a nap in daytime during load-shedding doesn’t do much harm.

* I have discovered that it is not a bad thing to talk to neighbours, esp when they are young and cute-looking. Hey,dont look at me like that .... didn't Christ appeal to us ," Love Thy Neighbour" ?!!

* I am a voracious reader, so I can always turn to books when there is nothing else to do .

Of course, this doesn’t mean that I wish load-shedding to continue forever. On contrary, I hold that un-interrupted power is a hallmark of a developed nation and a right of every citizen.
Yours,

Gautam.

Can Human Behaviour be Predicted ?

2004-12-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Well, The general perception is that it isn't possible to predict human thoughts and actions in mathematical terms. I beg to disagree. I think that we will indeed have a mathematical theory which will describe human behaviour. I got this idea from chemical kinetics.

At the turn of 20th century, the motion of gas molecules was considered to be too random to be formularized. But work done by some great guys like van't Hoff, Arrehnius, van der Waal, Boltzmann , and of course, the omni-present Einstein, helped to formulate what is today known as the Gas Laws. The Gas Laws do not tell what a particular molecule will do at a particular instant. they only tell us about the average pattern.

Similarly, a mathematical theory of human behaviour doesn’t mean that we will be able to predict whether the girl to whom you proposed will say 'yes', or 'no'.(......though I hope it does , ha !). You might object that we can talk about equations only of in-animate entities such as molecules, but not in case of humans, coz we have a mind of our own. But you will observe that experiences that we feel unique to ourselves are somewhat common. Moreover, our reactions to a particular situation are also quiet predictable.

In fact, a part of such a theory is already into existence. It is called as " Game Theory", pioneered by John von Neumann, and further developed by John Forbes Nash. I happened to read an elementary book on this subject, and found it quite exciting.

It might take a decade for a complete theory of human behaviour, or it may even take a century, but am sure it will come eventually. I only hope that some Indian does it.

- Gautam.