As I write this, the ordeal's almost over. Atleast, the more pressing one that being of the terrorists being killed/caught. More than 60 hours after the start of the attack, apparently things are under control. But beyond the material losses that the attacks have inflicted, it has forced (yet again) to raise a lot of basic questions about the way we are and the we things work. Unfortunately, the price of learning all these lessons is very very costly. Losing top grade officials and innocent civilian lives are just not acceptable. A score of people, with thorough planning and ammunition, has been able to leave a scar behind - not just in the Taj Heritage but also in our souls. Personally, I am still shocked. Not just for what has happened, but more so about what could still happen. What can change? And how? Who is accountable? The politicians? The police? The intelligence? Or we the people?
Five pointers that come to my mind... I would like this to be considered at some level:
1. Let us not please wait for people to die before we realize how important and valuabe they are. The media is all out lauding praises on Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar, Sandip Unnikrishnan and others but it is too late after we have lost them. What was done to ensure we never lose them? Nothing. And if this continues, we might lose another set of such brave officers. Equipments, pay system, non-politicization of police system, ramping up the force both qualititatively and quantitatively - all these must be done. On top priority.
2. Let us keep politicians out of the security system please. I was apalled to see Narendra Modi briefing the press. What was the need? He and other politicians should be sitting in their respective houses unless thay can really add value to the process. Rhetorics and gibberish are not needed. There must be a totally insulated national and state level teams to combat terror and pre-empt such actions. A younger, able team consisting of the best among the army and security forces should be given the task, for they are more capable to handling it.
3. Let us, for GOD sake, take some hard actions to prevent anything from happening again. If we are sure that the anti-terror elements have linkages with our neighbouring country, as has been the case in the past.. then let us talk straight and direct and WARN them to do what is needed to ensure these elements do not arise from that side of the world. And, if they cannot do this job, we should be allowed to clean their insides too. It can well be done, if we keep ideologies and international border rules aside for some time. I am not suggesting an attack or a war, but a mutual operation to clean our and their systems. If they have genuine interest in helping us, they won't refuse. They dare not.
4. Let us not sensationalize the terror acts and the operations being conducted by our security forces. I have been watching various news channels trying to find news bytes and boosting their TRPs by reporting not so relevant and sensational pieces of information. Media must be more responsible. They are a very powerful and important tool to set things right, but they are stuck with more petty issues like TRP. To be fair, the coverage could have been worse than what I have seen.. still, it could have been much more responsible. I strongly believe that a half-hourly update at such times is more effective than round-the-clock coverage that creates unnecessary 'noise' all around.
5. Finally, let us NOT take all this in our stride and 'move on'. Damn the Mumbai spirit, which is nothing but lack of a better choice. Let us press for answers and actions. Let us be more active, more responsible, more demanding from the system and people who are supposed to do a better job of governing us. Let us ensure the lives of the martyrs are not wasted amidst political rubbish and vote agendas.
Signing off.. saluting the brave officers who showed the courage to face the terrorists and made sure we are safe. Many die, few live forever in history.
November 29, 2008
November 27, 2008
Need peace desperately
Yet another terror attack! This time, more direct.. more severe. I still cannot believe insane terrorists roaming around on the streets firing randomly at people around. Shocking. Some of the footage I am seeing on television are really scary.
This particular terror incident is particularly shocking for me. During the past ones, I have always been at home hearing and seeing things on TV. This time, I was at the domestic airport about 20 minutes after the taxi blast at Vile Parle. I was on my way back from Bangalore. It was chaos all across. People confused amidst rumors of 8 blasts. Police trying to shoo away crowd. I was frantically searching for a call-cab to try and make it to home. I did find a Meru cab for the journey. I cannot forget the scenes on the road for the rest of my life. My cab and luggage was checked by police at three points - Sion, Mulund and Ulhasnagar, during the entire journey. Each time, police asked the cabbie to clear off the road as early as possible. Auto drivers and cabbies would randomly stop us and advice us not to take the road ahead. Rumors of curfew being in place all across Mumbai was arift. My cabbie was particularly afraid for a simple reason. He was a Muslim. His apprehensions were very evident. Lots and lots of police, lot of citizens volunteering to clear traffic and assisting the cops, fairly deserted streets, traffic blocks all remain clear in my mind.
I left the airport at 11.50pm. Reached home at 1.20am. My cabbie got atleast 10 calls all asking about his well-being and asking him to reach home safely. Like hime, a lot of cops and people looking after the panic-struck city at the wee hours of the night. Few policemen killed in the encounters including 3 top officials. As I sit safely at home, I salute the people who guard the city against such horrible acts of terror.
The talk about the spirit of Mumbai will be back. Media will highlight the fact that people are back to work even today. Point is, we do not have a choice. With a city as crowded and populated as Mumbai, imagining that few random people can threaten the security is not very improbable. It is not a very difficult task. Terrorists hijacking police van to shoot at people on streets, checking in to star hotels with ammunition, a handful of irrational people paralysing an entire city... where are we headed? They can strike at will, and the thought is scary enough.
I do not have any solutions to offer, just humble prayers for the families of the killed.
Hoping for a peaceful world...
This particular terror incident is particularly shocking for me. During the past ones, I have always been at home hearing and seeing things on TV. This time, I was at the domestic airport about 20 minutes after the taxi blast at Vile Parle. I was on my way back from Bangalore. It was chaos all across. People confused amidst rumors of 8 blasts. Police trying to shoo away crowd. I was frantically searching for a call-cab to try and make it to home. I did find a Meru cab for the journey. I cannot forget the scenes on the road for the rest of my life. My cab and luggage was checked by police at three points - Sion, Mulund and Ulhasnagar, during the entire journey. Each time, police asked the cabbie to clear off the road as early as possible. Auto drivers and cabbies would randomly stop us and advice us not to take the road ahead. Rumors of curfew being in place all across Mumbai was arift. My cabbie was particularly afraid for a simple reason. He was a Muslim. His apprehensions were very evident. Lots and lots of police, lot of citizens volunteering to clear traffic and assisting the cops, fairly deserted streets, traffic blocks all remain clear in my mind.
I left the airport at 11.50pm. Reached home at 1.20am. My cabbie got atleast 10 calls all asking about his well-being and asking him to reach home safely. Like hime, a lot of cops and people looking after the panic-struck city at the wee hours of the night. Few policemen killed in the encounters including 3 top officials. As I sit safely at home, I salute the people who guard the city against such horrible acts of terror.
The talk about the spirit of Mumbai will be back. Media will highlight the fact that people are back to work even today. Point is, we do not have a choice. With a city as crowded and populated as Mumbai, imagining that few random people can threaten the security is not very improbable. It is not a very difficult task. Terrorists hijacking police van to shoot at people on streets, checking in to star hotels with ammunition, a handful of irrational people paralysing an entire city... where are we headed? They can strike at will, and the thought is scary enough.
I do not have any solutions to offer, just humble prayers for the families of the killed.
Hoping for a peaceful world...
November 16, 2008
Traveling... and a new start...
Traveling a lot these days.. something that I love. Had gone to Hyderabad. Off to Delhi tomorrow followed by Bengaluru.
I am loving my new professional avatar a lot. Getting a lot of space for myself. What I am doing of it is a totally different matter to blog on though.. I am not stressed, over-worked or busy. I like that part especially.
After many months of working on ideas and thoughts, I am 'doing' something finally this week. The first Mumbai meeting of the Adoption community is happening on Novemeber 22. We will be meeting to discuss the way ahead and I am hoping that a lot of great things will start to roll from there. I sincerely hope so.
On a random note.. top 5 activities I am involved in these days: Teaching/training, sleeping, eating, whiling way time (ya, has become an activity in itself) and thinking. Happily unemployed, I guess! :)
I am loving my new professional avatar a lot. Getting a lot of space for myself. What I am doing of it is a totally different matter to blog on though.. I am not stressed, over-worked or busy. I like that part especially.
After many months of working on ideas and thoughts, I am 'doing' something finally this week. The first Mumbai meeting of the Adoption community is happening on Novemeber 22. We will be meeting to discuss the way ahead and I am hoping that a lot of great things will start to roll from there. I sincerely hope so.
On a random note.. top 5 activities I am involved in these days: Teaching/training, sleeping, eating, whiling way time (ya, has become an activity in itself) and thinking. Happily unemployed, I guess! :)
November 13, 2008
November 3, 2008
Nasty October
Glad that a disastrous October is already behind us. Disastrous on many counts indeed.. one of the more talked about being the equity markets. People all around have lost tons of money ranging from anywhere between 30% to 90% over the last 10 months, with the most crucial blow coming in the last month. Unfortunately, most people I knew were fully invested during the beginning of the year and hence did not have liquidity to buy more at prices that looks like a steal in many cases.
Looking forward to a better November and overall a good year ahead. Good, in relative sense, that is. Add more money on dips and stay invested for atleast 3 years. You will be a very happy investor post that period. Remember, trusting my words are also risky - a disclaimer.
Life, like markets, is very strange. Just when you think it cannot get better, you get a hit to pull you back to 'reality'. Greed and fear that people exhibit in markets are reflected in real life too. We get overly excited when things are good and severely depressed when things are not so good. Both reactions, from a spiritual sense, are unwarranted. One needs to be patient, like in market and stick to what is the original plan. Move towards the target irrespective of the near-term volatility. Planning for 3-5 years makes a lot more sense than few months. That said, trading in futures can be fun if you have deep pockets and the risk appetite. Same way, short phases of joy in life too can be exciting, provided we take short-term jolts in the same spirit.
Life, as with markets, in the long run is an exciting profitable ride. Even if it does not turn out to be, makes a lot of sense thinking it would be. We would not come to know of the difference then.
Happy investing.. Happy living!
Looking forward to a better November and overall a good year ahead. Good, in relative sense, that is. Add more money on dips and stay invested for atleast 3 years. You will be a very happy investor post that period. Remember, trusting my words are also risky - a disclaimer.
Life, like markets, is very strange. Just when you think it cannot get better, you get a hit to pull you back to 'reality'. Greed and fear that people exhibit in markets are reflected in real life too. We get overly excited when things are good and severely depressed when things are not so good. Both reactions, from a spiritual sense, are unwarranted. One needs to be patient, like in market and stick to what is the original plan. Move towards the target irrespective of the near-term volatility. Planning for 3-5 years makes a lot more sense than few months. That said, trading in futures can be fun if you have deep pockets and the risk appetite. Same way, short phases of joy in life too can be exciting, provided we take short-term jolts in the same spirit.
Life, as with markets, in the long run is an exciting profitable ride. Even if it does not turn out to be, makes a lot of sense thinking it would be. We would not come to know of the difference then.
Happy investing.. Happy living!
October 22, 2008
Drained...
Past few days have been draining. Surely the next few is going to be as well. Both physically and emotionally. I have learnt some very harsh lessons in a very difficult way. It has taken some toll on me. I hope to put the learnings into actions for the rest of my life. More importantly during the next few years.
Experience, as I have read a lot of times, is a very effective teacher. I have started to feel it myself.
Experience, as I have read a lot of times, is a very effective teacher. I have started to feel it myself.
October 15, 2008
Some more wicked ones! ;)
David Bissonette: When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
Sacha Guitry: After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still they stay together.
Socrates: By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Dumas: The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, "What does a woman want?
Sigmund Freud: I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me.
Anonymous: "Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays."
James Holt McGavran: "I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't."
Patrick Murray: Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming
1. Whenever you're wrong, admit it,
2. Whenever you're right, shut up.
Nash: The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once...
Anonymous: You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to.
Henny Youngman: My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.
Rodney Dangerfield: A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.
Anonymous: A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Wife wanted". Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."
Anonymous: First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!"
Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."
Sacha Guitry: After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still they stay together.
Socrates: By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Dumas: The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, "What does a woman want?
Sigmund Freud: I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me.
Anonymous: "Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays."
James Holt McGavran: "I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't."
Patrick Murray: Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming
1. Whenever you're wrong, admit it,
2. Whenever you're right, shut up.
Nash: The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once...
Anonymous: You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to.
Henny Youngman: My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.
Rodney Dangerfield: A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.
Anonymous: A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Wife wanted". Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."
Anonymous: First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!"
Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."
October 12, 2008
The 10 Most Annoying Alarm Clocks
I surely need one of these...
#10 - Climbing clock: It hangs above your head and starts climbing while it rings. Don't wake up fast enough, and you won't be able to shut it up without a ladder.
#9 Wake Up Puzzle: You have to build the puzzle to make it stop.
#8 Wake or Curse: You can ask it what the time is and it will answer. But if you don't wake up quickly enough it will curse you.
#7 High Tech: This one has a vibrator, 95 db alarm and police style rotating light that you cannot ignore.
#6 Find The Pin: You need to find the right pin to stop it's ringing. Not going to stay sleepy after this mission.
#5 Chicken and Egg Problem: The egg laying alarm clock. It will only quiet down after you put all the eggs back.
#4 GI Joe: You will wake to the sound of your commander's wake up call. Don't mess with it.
#3 Floating Around: Will float around the room until you'll catch it.
#2 Kaboom: This acoustic grenade will wake the neighborhood with it's ultra loud sound level.
#1 Hide and Seek: The winner is the hide and seek alarm clock. Once it begins to ring it falls down to the floor and finds a random place to hide. Chase it down or else you're doomed.
I got this as a forward mail. Do not know the authenticity, but thought this was very interesting! I really fancy the models #10, 3 and 1!! :)
#10 - Climbing clock: It hangs above your head and starts climbing while it rings. Don't wake up fast enough, and you won't be able to shut it up without a ladder.
#9 Wake Up Puzzle: You have to build the puzzle to make it stop.
#8 Wake or Curse: You can ask it what the time is and it will answer. But if you don't wake up quickly enough it will curse you.
#7 High Tech: This one has a vibrator, 95 db alarm and police style rotating light that you cannot ignore.
#6 Find The Pin: You need to find the right pin to stop it's ringing. Not going to stay sleepy after this mission.
#5 Chicken and Egg Problem: The egg laying alarm clock. It will only quiet down after you put all the eggs back.
#4 GI Joe: You will wake to the sound of your commander's wake up call. Don't mess with it.
#3 Floating Around: Will float around the room until you'll catch it.
#2 Kaboom: This acoustic grenade will wake the neighborhood with it's ultra loud sound level.
#1 Hide and Seek: The winner is the hide and seek alarm clock. Once it begins to ring it falls down to the floor and finds a random place to hide. Chase it down or else you're doomed.
I got this as a forward mail. Do not know the authenticity, but thought this was very interesting! I really fancy the models #10, 3 and 1!! :)
October 8, 2008
A Wednesday
Warning: If you haven't seen the movie, this post could spoil some fun if & when you see it.
Finally, I managed to see the movie. Again, saw this movie after hearing a lot of rave reviews. To write my review in a single line, if the movie was supposed to be a suspense thriller, then it is a good one. But if it was to be a solution to terrorism, then the movie is very weak. I saw the movie presuming the latter and I guess that is also what the movie is supposed to be. Needless to say, I am disappointed.
This movie is akin to Rang De Basanti (RDB). Both movies evoked good response from the audience. We like to see things that are unrealistic and impractical...the dreamy kinds. Suraj Barjatiya and Karan Johar realized this a lot earlier.
I have been failing consistently in the examinations. I am fed up and impatient now. I cannot study and work hard to clear. So I cheat in the exams to clear. This is the essence of the suggested solution in the movie for terrorism. I wish it was as easy. The movie is pale when it comes to providing any effective solution to what is indeed a pressing issue. Great performances by all involved, good dialogues, well writen script and few suspense twists make a good thriller as I said earlier, but that is the only thing this movie is about.
Why is this movie as unreal as RDB? It tries to show that 'the common man' can, if need be, also plant bombs and demand things to be done. The bombs are placed at a police station and an airspace runway! How realistic!! Terrorists do not and cannot plant bombs at such places. They place it among crowds and mobs. It is far more easier than what 'the common man' has managed to do in the movie. I hate hyperboles and impractical plots in a movie, I am sorry.
Coming to another absurd point. Even if I were to assume 'the common man' can plant bombs the way it has been shown, does he have the conviction and the 'selflessness' to do it? Terrorists are passionate about what they do. They can lay their lives for an issue that is stupid and absurd. They do not worry about families and friends when they go to plant bombs. They definitely fear death much lesser than 'the common man'. 'The common man' has to take care of a lot of things. He is far more 'selfish'. He has to get married, have kids, live a good life. 'The common man' cannot stake everything to do what the film shows. If he does, he is not a common man. The way I have defined 'selflessness' and 'selfish' here is not the common dictionary meaning. It is slightly twisted.
Why was 'the common man' shown to be getting a lot of support and appreciation in the movie? The cop suddenly is not sure of the sketch, the hacker thinks 'the common man' is the best, there is no case against him and the police commissioner walks off after seeing him pretending nothing has happened. Why? Did he not kill 3 people? Did he not play a lot of pranks with the cops? Did he not threaten and force the cops to do a lot of things including killing the 4th terrorist? Why was he not punished for all this? No, I am not talking for the terrorists. The movie talks for the terrorists, not me. And if the film was intended to get us into how terrorists think and act, then the end should also be logical. He cannot be left free.
If we believe that the 'cause' of 'the common man' in the movie to do all what he did was 'genuine' and hence he must be spared, the same 'logic' applies to terrorists. They too believe what they are doing is 'right'. The movie, unfortuntely, gives away the message that the ends justify the means. If that is so, this movie is pro-terrorism and not anti-terrorism. Because they also kill innocent people to be heard, to send a message, to achieve some ends. They do not bother about the means, and that is the reason why terrorism is different from Satyagraha that Mahatma Gandhi practised.
Terorrists were compared to cockroaches in the movie. Cockroaches aren't human and by definition cannot be as complex as the terrorists. Terrorists are a disease. Cockroaches are just a nuisance. You cannot kill a disease very easily unless if you take care of the causes of the disease. Killing makes things worse. If an eye were to be taken for an eye, the world would soon turn blind. I believe in this quote.
Because we cannot think of a solution to tackle this problem effectively does not mean we start to reciprocate the same way they do. Then it would be similar to cheating in the examination.
After having written all this, I must admit that there is a huge criticism that can be levied against me. That I have not lost a loved one in the blasts and hence I am talking like this. True. I cannot say anything for this criticism. Perhaps just that, 'the common man' in the movie is also not shown as a victim per se.
A Wednesday is a weak response to the entire issue of terrorism. It is at best a movie that makes us feel good that something is being done in it. I strongly believe the methods used in the movie are totally pro-terrorism. It gives them enough reasons to justify what they do.
Finally, I managed to see the movie. Again, saw this movie after hearing a lot of rave reviews. To write my review in a single line, if the movie was supposed to be a suspense thriller, then it is a good one. But if it was to be a solution to terrorism, then the movie is very weak. I saw the movie presuming the latter and I guess that is also what the movie is supposed to be. Needless to say, I am disappointed.
This movie is akin to Rang De Basanti (RDB). Both movies evoked good response from the audience. We like to see things that are unrealistic and impractical...the dreamy kinds. Suraj Barjatiya and Karan Johar realized this a lot earlier.
I have been failing consistently in the examinations. I am fed up and impatient now. I cannot study and work hard to clear. So I cheat in the exams to clear. This is the essence of the suggested solution in the movie for terrorism. I wish it was as easy. The movie is pale when it comes to providing any effective solution to what is indeed a pressing issue. Great performances by all involved, good dialogues, well writen script and few suspense twists make a good thriller as I said earlier, but that is the only thing this movie is about.
Why is this movie as unreal as RDB? It tries to show that 'the common man' can, if need be, also plant bombs and demand things to be done. The bombs are placed at a police station and an airspace runway! How realistic!! Terrorists do not and cannot plant bombs at such places. They place it among crowds and mobs. It is far more easier than what 'the common man' has managed to do in the movie. I hate hyperboles and impractical plots in a movie, I am sorry.
Coming to another absurd point. Even if I were to assume 'the common man' can plant bombs the way it has been shown, does he have the conviction and the 'selflessness' to do it? Terrorists are passionate about what they do. They can lay their lives for an issue that is stupid and absurd. They do not worry about families and friends when they go to plant bombs. They definitely fear death much lesser than 'the common man'. 'The common man' has to take care of a lot of things. He is far more 'selfish'. He has to get married, have kids, live a good life. 'The common man' cannot stake everything to do what the film shows. If he does, he is not a common man. The way I have defined 'selflessness' and 'selfish' here is not the common dictionary meaning. It is slightly twisted.
Why was 'the common man' shown to be getting a lot of support and appreciation in the movie? The cop suddenly is not sure of the sketch, the hacker thinks 'the common man' is the best, there is no case against him and the police commissioner walks off after seeing him pretending nothing has happened. Why? Did he not kill 3 people? Did he not play a lot of pranks with the cops? Did he not threaten and force the cops to do a lot of things including killing the 4th terrorist? Why was he not punished for all this? No, I am not talking for the terrorists. The movie talks for the terrorists, not me. And if the film was intended to get us into how terrorists think and act, then the end should also be logical. He cannot be left free.
If we believe that the 'cause' of 'the common man' in the movie to do all what he did was 'genuine' and hence he must be spared, the same 'logic' applies to terrorists. They too believe what they are doing is 'right'. The movie, unfortuntely, gives away the message that the ends justify the means. If that is so, this movie is pro-terrorism and not anti-terrorism. Because they also kill innocent people to be heard, to send a message, to achieve some ends. They do not bother about the means, and that is the reason why terrorism is different from Satyagraha that Mahatma Gandhi practised.
Terorrists were compared to cockroaches in the movie. Cockroaches aren't human and by definition cannot be as complex as the terrorists. Terrorists are a disease. Cockroaches are just a nuisance. You cannot kill a disease very easily unless if you take care of the causes of the disease. Killing makes things worse. If an eye were to be taken for an eye, the world would soon turn blind. I believe in this quote.
Because we cannot think of a solution to tackle this problem effectively does not mean we start to reciprocate the same way they do. Then it would be similar to cheating in the examination.
After having written all this, I must admit that there is a huge criticism that can be levied against me. That I have not lost a loved one in the blasts and hence I am talking like this. True. I cannot say anything for this criticism. Perhaps just that, 'the common man' in the movie is also not shown as a victim per se.
A Wednesday is a weak response to the entire issue of terrorism. It is at best a movie that makes us feel good that something is being done in it. I strongly believe the methods used in the movie are totally pro-terrorism. It gives them enough reasons to justify what they do.
The impact of the bankruptcy saga!
Received this witty yet insightful one liner from my ex-boss.
What worries me these days is when my bank tells me that my outbound cheque could not be cleared due to insufficient funds, I am not too sure whether he is talking about my account or his!
What worries me these days is when my bank tells me that my outbound cheque could not be cleared due to insufficient funds, I am not too sure whether he is talking about my account or his!
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