Banking on Brand

It is a general trend in the so called big brands of IT industry, bargaining on salary for brand name. They offer you less salary, but instead try to lure you into the glamour of their brand. There have been instances where they try to offer even less than current CTC (Cost to The Company), especially if your current company doesn’t belong to one of those most sought-after brands. So finally the hapless software engineer is pushed to make a trade-off, brand vs. salary.

But there is something which most of the big brands forget, the attrition rate of employees. Recent trends have shown that the attrition rates are very high, especially in the big ones. Reason, once again IT engineers are in demand, and they are hopping from company to company in search of better perks and job satisfaction. So how to reduce attrition? Simple, pay according to market/industry standards.

A note to the IT community: So if the big brands are squeezing you out by paying groundnuts, you have your chance to payback. Work till you have enough of the tag and then move (ideal if you can make them feel you are wanted) to a startup or a decent company which pays you well. After all, there should be a balance right ;-)

Making of a Woman

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his Sixth day of working overtime. An Angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered and said, "Have you seen the specification sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that can hold two children at one time and that disappears when she stands up, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart, and have six pairs of hands."

The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one. "Six pairs of hands! No Way!" said the Angel.

The Lord replied, "Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem. It's the three pairs of eyes that she must have!"

"And that's just on the standard model?" The Angel asked.

The Lord nodded in agreement. "Yep, one pair of eyes is to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows. Another pair in the back of her head is to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can. And the third pair is here in the front of her head. They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."

The Angel tried to stop the Lord. "This is too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

"But, I can't!" The Lord protested, "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick & can feed a family on a pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand in the shower."

The Angel moved closer and touched the woman, "But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think? ", asked the Angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."

The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak." The Lord objected. "That's a tear!"

"What's the tear for?" the Angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."

The Angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything. Women are truly amazing."

Women have strengths that amaze men. They carry children, they carry hardships, but above all they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up for injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer, when they believe there is a better solution. They go without new shoes so their children can have them. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. Their hearts break when a friend dies, yet they are strong when you think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all sizes, colors and shapes. They'll do anything to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin! Women do more than just give birth. They bring joy and hope.

Hats off to you ladies!! Without a mom, sister, girl friend and a wife, life is unimaginable!

Eighth Wonder - Monument of Akshardham

After 5 years of non-stop, round-the-clock construction, the massive and awesome Akshardham Temple Monument to World Peace was inaugurated recently. The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India, constructed by the BAPS foundation -- the builders of the various Swaminaryan Temples across the world, is truly a modern day Wonder of the World.

It is one of the biggest and most intricate religious places of worship ever constructed. Combining several completely different and contrasting architectural styles of Hindu temple architecture of northern India -- Rajasthani, Orrisan, Gujarati, Mughal and Jain -- the Akshardham Monument is entirely constructed of marble and the red-sandstone that Delhi is famous for, and that so many of her monuments are constructed of. It was completed in only 5 years a world record of sorts

The Akshardham monument, built without steel, is entirely composed of sandstone and marble. It consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.

The monument is a fusion of several architectural styles of pink stone and pure white marble. Pink stone symbolizes bhakti (devotion) in eternal bloom and white marble of absolute purity and eternal peace. The monument was built after over 300 million man hours of services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans.

It is the one of the wonders of the modern world, and the wonders of modern India.

RAJU NARAYANASWAMY IAS

Update: 10Jan2012:

"Narayana Swamy was born into a middle class Kerala Iyer family from Changanassery, Kerala, India. He has a bachelors degree in Computer Science from Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He reportedly turned down a MIT Scholarship in order to pursue a career with the Indian Administrative Service. He also ranked 1st in the 1991 Civil Services Examination and entered the Indian Administrative Service. Narayana Swamy is a prolific writer with 23 books to his credit. His work Santhimantram Muzhangunna Thazvarayil (Travelogue) won the 2004 Kerala Sahitya Akademi award. Among his recent works include Niram Mangiya Vazhithara, which is a translation of The Road of Lost Innocence, the English version of the French memoirs by Somaly Mam. He also has a passion for Mathematics and Physics which he opted as subjects for the Civil Services Examination" - write up from TED MICA Speaker List.

Biodata on NIC (National Informatics Centre):
http://persmin.nic.in/ersheet/MultipleERS.asp?HiddenStr=01KL019100

Nice Article on Hindu:
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/06/28/stories/2010062850710100.htm


Update: 03May2010:

"Raju Narayana Swamy is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. He is now Secretary to Government (Parliamentary Affairs and General Education Departments), Director General of the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs and Chairman,State Resource Centre, Kerala, India. He finished first in SSLC, first in Pre-Degree (now Plus Two), tenth in the IIT JEE,first in GATE (Graduate Aptitude Examination in Engineering) in terms of percentile, first in IAS entrance examination and first in the IAS training institute" - from Wikipedia

He made it to Wikipedia too.. kudos!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raju_Narayana_Swamy

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

He was my senior in school and college. He is from a middle class Iyer family and his father was a Math’s professor in S.B. College, Changanacherry. I remember what our class teacher once said about him. It was the mid-term exam of Physics. He usually scores full. This time, even though he did well, the teacher didn't give him full marks for one answer, and hence he missed 100% marks for the subject. Both Raju and the teacher knew that the answer is perfectly correct. So Raju went to the teacher with his answer papers. The teacher was expecting the same too. But to his astonishment, Raju humbly asked him suggestions to answer it better. The teacher was really shocked since he was expecting him to demand his deserved marks.

So read on more about this fascinating personality, who used to be the best in whatever he attempt!

First Rank in State in Secondary School Examination
First Rank in University in Plus Two
Tenth Rank in IIT Joint Entrance Examination
First Rank in All India IIT Computer Science
First Rank in IAS Entrance Examination
First Rank in IAS Training Institute

On passing out from IIT Chennai Mr. Narayanaswamy was offered scholarship by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. He who came from a middle class family believed that he had a moral obligation to give something in return for the lakhs of rupees the government spent on him as an IIT student. He had the intelligence and conviction to realize that this money came also from the poorest of the poor - who pay up the excise duty on textiles when they buy cloth, who pay up customs, excise and sales tax on diesel when they travel in a bus, and in numerous other ways indirectly pay the government. So he decided to join IAS hoping he could do something for the people of this country. How many young men have the will power to resist such an offer from USA? Narayanaswamy did never look at IAS as a black money spinner as his later life bears testimony to this fact.

After a decade of meritorious service in IAS, today, Narayanaswamy is being forced out of the IAS profession. Do you know why?

A real estate agent wanted to fill up a paddy field which is banned under law. An application came up before Narayanaswamy who was sub collector then, for an exemption from this rule for this plot of land. Upon visiting the site he found that the complaint from 60 poor families that they will face water logging due to the waste water from a nearby Government Medical College if this paddy field was filled up was correct. Narayanswamy came under intense political pressure but he did what was right - refused permission for filling up the paddy field. That was his first confrontation with politicians.

Soon after his marriage his father-in-law closed down a public road to build compound wall for his plot of land. People approached Narayanaswamy with complaint. When talking with his own father-in-law did not help, he removed the obstructing wall with police help. The result, his marriage broke up.

As district Collector he raided the house of a liquor baron who had defaulted Rupees 11 crores payment to government and carried out revenue recovery. A Minister directly telephoned him and ordered to return the forfeited articles to the house of the liquor baron. Narayanswamy politely replied that it is difficult. The minister replied that Narayanaswamy will suffer.

In his district it was a practice to collect crores of rupees for earthen bunds meant for poor farmers,but which were never constructed. A bill for rupees 8 crores came up before Narayanaswamy. He inspected the bund. He found it very weak and said that he will pass the bill after the rainy season to ensure that the bund served the purpose. As expected the earthen bund was too weak to stand the rain and it disappeared in the rain. But he created a lot of enemies for saving 8 crores public money.

The net result of all such unholy activities was that he was asked to go on leave by the government. Later such an illustrious officer was posted as "State Co-Ordinator, Quality Improvement Programme for Schools". This is what the politician will do to an honest officer with backbone - post him in the most powerless position to teach him a lesson. Since he found that nothing can be achieved for the people if he continued with the State Service he opted for central service. But that too was denied on some technical ground. What will you do when you have a brilliant computer career anywhere in the world you choose with the backing of several advanced technical papers too published in international journals to your credit? When you are powerless to do anything for the people, why should you waste your life as the Co-Ordinator for a Schools Programme?

Mr. Narayanaswamy is on the verge of leaving IAS to go to Paris to take up a well paid United Nations assignment (or left?). The politicians can laugh thinking another obstacle has been removed. But it is the helpless people of this country who will lose, not Narayanaswamy. But you have the power to support capable and honest bureaucrats like Narayaswamy, G.R. Khairnar and Alphons Kannamthanam who have suffered a lot under self seeking politicians who rule us. You have even the power to replace such politicians with these kinds of people dedicated to the country. The question is will you do the little you can do NOW? At least a vote or word in support of such personalities? Spread the word, at least let people be aware that there still exists some true Indians!

Killing Softly!


Happen to get lot of mails on the health hazards of the aerated bottled drinks. Thought will scribble something on it.

Have a look at the wrapper on a Cola 1.5 liter bottle and in the ingredients label you will find phosphoric acid in it. Minute quantities of ethylene glycol are also used (which is acknowledged in the soft drink world for making it really chill). This is popularly known as anti-freeze which prevents water from freezing at 0 deg C and instead drops it 4-5 degrees with minute quantities. This chemical is aknown slow poison in the caliber of arsenic.

So, if you manage to drink about 4 liters of Coke within an hour or so, you can die. Guess what's the pH for soft drinks, e.g. Coke? PH 3.4! This acidity is strong enough to dissolve teeth and bones! Our human body stops building bones at the age of about 30. Soft drinks do not have any nutrition value (in terms of vitamins & minerals). It is high in sugar content, carbonic acid, chemicals i.e. colors etc.

Some like to take cold soft drinks after each meal. Guess what's theimpact? Our body needs an optimum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius fordigestive enzyme functioning. The temperature of cold soft drinks is very much below 37 degrees or even close to 0 degrees Celsius. This will dilute the enzymes & stress the digestive system. The foodtaken will not be digested. In fact it will be fermented! The fermentedfood produces gases, decays and becomes toxin, gets absorbed by theintestine, circulates in the blood stream and is carried to the whole body. Hence toxin is cumulated in other parts of the body, developing into various diseases. Think before you drink coke (or any soft drink) again.

Have you ever thought what you drink when you drink an aerated drink? You gulp down carbon dioxide, when nobody in the world would advise you to drink CO2. Two months back, there was a competition "Who could drink the most Coke?" The winner drank 8 bottles and fainted on the spot; too much CO2 in the blood.

Did you know that soft drinks use chemicals in them that cause immense harm to you? Someone put a broken tooth in a bottle of Pepsi and in 10 days it DISSOLVED! Teeth and bones are the only human parts that stay intact for years after death. Imagine what the drink must be doing to your soft intestines and stomach lining!

Well it is not just the Coke and Pepsi, but almost everything nowadays is slow poison. So have something healthy too, to nullify it. Perhaps it is time to consider taking food supplements as multivitamins and protein powders.


Ref: Marion Nestle, Food Politics

For more info, visit:
http://www.indiatogether.org/2003/sep/hlt-cola.htm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/cocacola021605.cfm
http://www.whoseflorida.com/misc_pages/hazardous_evenwithout_pesticides.htm

Waterworld: Bangalore, the Silicon River


Saturday night's rainfall of 121 mm was a strange leveller — the pavement dweller and the Ford commuter battled it out.

To start with, 7,500 phone lines with numbers starting 2573, have snapped. Telecom officials reckon it would take at least four days to restore order.

The most important roads in the city have been blocked — Mysore Road, Hosur Road, Magadi Road. Hosur Road, a national highway connecting important cities, the lifeline from East coast to west coast, buzzing with techies,is in limbo.

The highest-ever annual rainfall recorded in Bangalore stands at 1432 mm in 1998. Cut to now, as of Oct. 23, 2005, the rainfall has clocked 1401 mm already, as against the normal of 970 mm. There’s more — the highest ever recorded for October was 522 mm in 1956.

And the sad part is, it is still raining and will continue to rain heavily till Sunday (according to the forecast). It seems people should consider getting a hovercraft.. or atleast a boat. Temperature has droped down to ~20* C. God save Bangalore!

Today's Headline: Titanic Sinks

93-year-old newspaper with the headline "TITANIC SINKS"

Gandhi's Principle of Peace Was Bogus

Gopal Godse, co-conspirator in Gandhi's assassination and brother of the assassin, looks back in anger--and without regret. This is from an interview by the TimeAsia magazine, FEBRUARY 14, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 6 : http://www.time.com/time/asia/index.html

Fifty-two years ago, on Jan. 30, 1948, Mohandas Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. Godse believed that the Mahatma, or great soul, was responsible for the 1947 partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. Godse and his friend Narayan Apte were hanged. His brother Gopal and two others were sentenced to life imprisonment for their part in the conspiracy. Gopal Godse remained in jail for 18 years and now, at 80, lives with his wife in a small apartment in Pune. He is still proud of his role in the murder. Although Godse is largely ignored in India and rarely talks to journalists, he agreed to speak with TIME Delhi correspondent Meenakshi Ganguly.

TIME: What happened in January 1948?
Godse: On Jan. 20, Madanlal Pahwa exploded a bomb at Gandhi's prayer meeting in Delhi. It was 50 m away from Gandhi. [The other conspirators] all ran away from the place. Madanlal was caught there. Then there was a tension in our minds that we had to finish the task before the police caught us. Then Nathuram [Gopal's brother] took it on himself to do the thing. We only wanted destiny to help us -- meaning we should not be caught on the spot before he acted.

TIME: Why did you want to kill Gandhi? Godse: Gandhi was a hypocrite. Even after the massacre of the Hindus by the Muslims, he was happy. The more the massacres of the Hindus, the taller his flag of secularism.

TIME: Did you ever see Gandhi?
Godse: Yes.

TIME: Did you attend his meetings?
Godse: Yes.

TIME: Can you explain how he created his mass following?
Godse: The credit goes to him for maneuvering the media. He captured the press. That was essential. How Gandhi walked, when he smiled, how he waved -- all these minor details that the people did not require were imposed upon them to create an atmosphere around Gandhi. And the more ignorant the masses, the more popular was Gandhi. So they always tried to keep the masses ignorant.

TIME: But surely it takes more than good publicity to create a Gandhi?
Godse: There is another thing. Generally in the Indian masses, people are attracted toward saintism. Gandhi was shrewd to use his saintdom for politics. After his death the government used him. The government knew that he was an enemy of Hindus, but they wanted to show that he was a staunch Hindu. So the first act they did was to put "Hey Ram" into Gandhi's dead mouth.

TIME: You mean that he did not say "Hey Ram" as he died?
Godse: No, he did not say it. You see, it was an automatic pistol. It had a magazine for nine bullets but there were actually seven at that time. And once you pull the trigger, within a second, all the seven bullets had passed. When these bullets pass through crucial points like the heart, consciousness is finished. You have no strength.

When Nathuram saw Gandhi was coming, he took out the pistol and folded his hands with the pistol inside it. There was one girl very close to Gandhi. He feared that he would hurt the girl. So he went forward and with his left hand pushed her aside and shot. It happened within one second. You see, there was a film and some Kingsley fellow had acted as Gandhi. Someone asked me whether Gandhi said, "Hey Ram." I said Kingsley did say it. But Gandhi did not. Because that was not a drama.

TIME: Many people think Gandhi deserved to be nominated TIME's Person of the Century. [He was one of two runners-up, after Albert Einstein.]
Godse: I name him the most cruel person for Hindus in India. The most cruel person! That is how I term him.

TIME: Is that why Gandhi had to die?
Godse: Yes. For months he was advising Hindus that they must never be angry with the Muslims. What sort of ahimsa (non-violence) is this? His principle of peace was bogus. In any free country, a person like him would be shot dead officially because he was encouraging the Muslims to kill Hindus.

TIME: But his philosophy was of turning the other cheek. He felt one person had to stop the cycle of violence...
Godse: The world does not work that way.

TIME: Is there anything that you admire about Gandhi?
Godse: Firstly, the mass awakening that Gandhi did. In our school days Gandhi was our idol. Secondly, he removed the fear of prison. He said it is different to go into prison for a theft and different to go in for satyagraha (civil disobedience). As youngsters, we had our enthusiasm, but we needed some channel. We took Gandhi to be our channel. We don't repent for that.

TIME: Did you not admire his principles of non-violence?
Godse: Non-violence is not a principle at all. He did not follow it. In politics you cannot follow non-violence. You cannot follow honesty. Every moment, you have to give a lie. Every moment you have to take a bullet in hand and kill someone. Why was he proved to be a hypocrite? Because he was in politics with his so-called principles. Is his non-violence followed anywhere? Not in the least. Nowhere.

TIME: What was the most difficult thing about killing Gandhi?
Godse: The greatest hurdle before us was not that of giving up our lives or going to the gallows. It was that we would be condemned both by the government and by the public. Because the public had been kept in the dark about what harm Gandhi had done to the nation. How he had fooled them!

TIME: Did the people condemn you?
Godse: Yes. People in general did. Because they had been kept ignorant.

The bottom line: Very few people can stay honest in politics. If someone can stay 100% honest, he needs to be adored. The power of fame and the lure of power are quite powerful! But everyone knows that there were differences in opinion in politics then too, say for example Subhash Chandra Bose, Mohammed Ali Jinnah etc. Check out some unbiased source on Indian History, you might find many interesting information.

WWW or AWW?

World Wide Web or America Wide Web? Everyone is curious, anxious and furious!

Right from early 1970s (the birth of internet, or then called ARPANET) internet was controlled by the Americans, to be precise ICANN, a California-based group called the Internet Cooperation for Assigned Names and Numbers. This private company was set up by the US Department of Commerce to oversee the domain name and addressing systems, such as country domain suffixes. It manages how net browsers and e-mail programs direct traffic. ICANN was to gain its independence from the Department of Commerce by September 2006. But in July 05 the US said it would "maintain its historic role in authorising changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file."

The world is not the same as it was in 1970. Things have changed, people have changed and technology has changed. Now some countries have more internet bandwidth than US. Many countries are way ahead of US in internet penetration. So everyone wants the ruling body, if any, represented by the whole world, with a global presence. And 'Uncle Sam' is a bit reluctant in giving away his monopoly. Will the world agree to it? Let us see..

For more info, visit:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4327928.stm
http://www.internetvalley.com/archives/mirrors/davemarsh-timeline-1.htm
http://www.w3.org/People/howcome/p/telektronikk-4-93/Dybvik_P_E.html

See some comments on internet and blogging:
"The Internet has expanded my horizon and deepened my communication with others. In the realm of the Internet, I dream to fly higher. "

"By writing web-blogs, netizens have shifted from passive receptors to active producers."

Bangalore: We started, they ending..

Last day I happen to hear two of my kannadiga colleagues talking. It went like this:

"I am very culture conscious. I can't stand other people coming here and thrashing the local culture. If they want to stay here, they should learn to respect the local culture. They think as if they are doing a favor to us by coming here. Actually they don’t realize that we are doing them a favor by letting them stay here..... "

I thought only the poor and uneducated used to think like this. I was startled to know that even the highly educated professionals also had such a mentality. So what is the truth?

Everyone knows that Bangalore is becoming the ‘Silicon Valley of India (rather already is!). There are more than 1000 software companies here, including leading MNCs and India's own giants. But why these companies are attracted by the lure of Bangalore? Well one thing I can say for sure, it is not the richness of local culture (no offense meant).

So what made Bangalore so popular? Let us see..

A brief history of Bangalore: Bangalore lies down south in Karnataka, a few kilometers and you are in Tamilnadu, the next state. Bangalore (Bengalooru) was once deep jungle, the favorite hunting grounds for the kings of Karnataka. In 1759, Bangalore came into the possession of Hyder Ali, father of Tippu Sultan. It was during these two heroes, Bangalore flourished with parks, gardens and palaces. When Tippu died, British restored Bangalore back to the Mysore rulers, the Wodeyars, but were not too sure of their entrepreneur abilities. So they ruled Bangalore directly. Under the British influence, Bangalore bloomed with modern facilities like the railways, telegraphs, postal and police departments. In 1881, the British returned the city to the Wodeyars. Diwans like Mirza Ismail, and sir Vishweshwarayya were the pioneers to help Bangalore attain its modern outlook.

For more info visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore
http://www.indiaexpress.com/bangalore/eureka/then.html

So how did Bangalore became India's supreme IT hub? IT firms in Bangalore employ about 30% of India's pool of 1 million IT professionals. But why Bangalore? In simple words, the attraction of Bangalore is
1) Climate
2) Government
3) The technical talent pool of 'India'

Out of the three prime reasons, only first two is local to Bangalore. If only Kannadigas were allowed to work and live in Bangalore, I wonder what would have been Bangalore now. So as far as the IT firms are concerned, they just found a good place to assemble and tap the immense potential of the tech brains of India.

Now: Quoting wikipedia: In August of 2005, however, the Bangalore Forum for IT (BFIT), which consists of 18 major multinational IT firms, threatened to boycott the Bangalore IT in convention. The proposed boycott was designed to send a loud signal to the city government that the infrastructure is in shambles and that it is becoming increasingly difficult for international standards to be maintained with the poor roads and traffic management problems. Increasingly new IT centers are being built away from this city based upon long commute times, poor infrastructure, high land and labor costs, increasing environmental problems, and due to labor retention issues.

Everyone who stays in Bangalore for a week would admit that the infrastructure of the city is not adequate enough to cater the increasing demands. Traffic congestions are very common. Development projects are crawling (Domlur flyover construction is more than 2 years old now!). Even the climate is getting affected by the increasing pollution and population. Bangalore days are now much hotter and nights are less cold. It is hard to walk or ride a two wheeler on a busy day. You might find yourself bathed in dust and exhaust smoke.

Well we can somehow win over the climate, nature or pollution. May be you can pull up the car windows or switch on AC at home. But what about the attitude problem of locals? Recently, increasing reports have sprung up that the locals are behaving without mutual respect and with a sense of hatred and a pitiable racist approach. I can understand the looters who don’t respect even own mother behaving so, but the educated are expected to show more professionalism and maturity. Hostility is seen where harmony is expected. Bangalore would have never been the silicon valley of India if not for the hard work, talent and efforts of the people from all over India. How could the locals get quick rich with astronomical rents and real estate prices if every one was originally from Bangalore itself? How would the hotels and restaurants flourish if every body could stay with their parents and eat homely food? Will there be so many jobs in IT for Kannadigas if the IT companies were not here? Will the other businesses and service industries grow thick if IT was not a hit? So it is India that made Bangalore a hit, not just the locals. Of course the local government and natives did a great job too, by making the right environment for the industry to flourish (then, not now!)

But even though the Banglorians are overreacting, they cannot be blamed completely too. Bangalore is not anymore a local town in Karnataka, but an ultra-metropolitan city in India, where people come and live from all places. Bangalore culture has become a mixture of all cultures in India. The increasing amount of call centers and these company's promoting foreign cultures to help their customers feel better when interacting with the call centre employees, has made Bangalore culture much forward or daring than traditional culture of India. Also recently read somewhere that Bangalore is the no: 1 city in Asia for density of youth population. There are so many youngsters here, either working or pursuing studies. This has made Bangalore a colorful city, with lot of active and energetic youngsters around, especially with great buying power. What is the impact of this on Bangaloreans?

They are afraid, alarmed and envious. Native Bangloreans have now become a minority. They are also afraid about the daring and modern youth. Now live-ins and pubs have become part of Bangalore culture. The young are wild and sassy. Common language has become English. The Kannadiga film industry has collapsed in the city. Even Kannadiga youth watch English or Hindi movies only. Nobody will give an ear for Kannadiga music. The local film songs have now become a mixture of Hindi and English. And the big salaries drawn by the software professionals (well after putting lot of effort with health and mental peace at stake… even potency) from other states have made the native envious. The tough competitions they have to face at workplace with the best brains in India are making them nervous.

So they want reservation in IT jobs now. They are afraid Kannadiga youth can’t survive the competition. Even in many companies Kannadiga lobby and favoritism is a wide spread secret. The uncivilized natives are attacking the outsiders (only!). The government officials and else where, treat non-Kannadigas with contempt. In some cases not even humanitarian consideration is shown. If you happen to have an accident, you are unlucky if the other party is a local. Even if everyone accepts it is not your fault, the police will never listen to you.

It is true that we have to be harmonious and accept as well as respect the local culture. The outsiders should not contempt or disrespect the local culture or people. We all know that some people are born foolish. Such people are there everywhere, and they will never improve. If the acts of one or two such people are misinterpreted as the behavior of a society, things will go haywire. So dear Kannadigas, accept the fact that Bangalore is what it is today because of a nation's effort and talents. Try to be hospitable and not hostile. Be tolerant to other cultures. After all, in these times, the whole world is becoming a global village! You will have to soon face lot of non-Indians in Bangalore too. Aren’t other countries protecting and nurturing Indians everywhere.

And a word to the non-Kannadigas, beware!

Sonia Gandhi nominated for Nobel Peace prize

Some were surprised, some were happy, some were frustrated
Let us see some views on it:

SMN:
Sonia Gandhi's nomination to Nobel Peace Prize - a sign of ultimate desperation in Indian Politics

BJ:
well.. who deserves it better as of now? (from india) ;-) She is in fact a great leader n politician... She became powerful than PM of India by denying power, and how many would do that? I am not sure whether she deserves Nobel for peace... but she is a true Indian, even though not born one...

JG:
You want to start a flame war again? C'mon man.... You know very well that 50% of what you said IS NOT TRUE

BJ:
Well no comments from anyone else..? Why do you think that what I said is wrong? Which other Indian woman would enter politics after seeing her husband in pieces... She lived up to the expectation.. If she was a coward she wud have fled to Italy with her children... She even encouraged her children to enter politics.... think with a clean mind.. than one loaded with prejudice and attitudes.... Or you think she is too greedy enough to sell her and her children's peace of mind and life for money? I think she was more or less inspired by the principles of her husband and his family.... Everyday we hear abt only ppl who do anything to get power, not deny it!

JG:
She denied power only to become more powerful. You are feeling like this only because she is only too clever for you!

BJ:
Well, i agreed that in my first mail itself...
but not everyone denies power..
and not everyone who denies power becomes more powerful ;-)
it is not the Indian constitution that empowered her,
she got it thru her leadership and influence :-)

SMN:
Sonia Gandhi has the "Gandhi" tag attached to her (so does rahul and Priyanka) and congress/her is selling that!. I feel the denying power was a congress strategy (may be even the hype followed it!.). If you don't consider the above two facts then what quality does she have to be the prime minister of India or a good politician?. What track record she has or what capability has she proved?

BJ:
Well... why cant BJP sell Menaka GANDHI?
By track record what are you referring to? Whether she was in youth congress?? Or she took part in freedom fights?? Or how many scams she has in her name? I think the best quality is, she is less corrupt :-) And after loosing her husband too, she and her children are active in politics.

'Her lone figure, tragic story (the violent deaths of her husband and mother-in-law left her the sole guardian of her young children, all this while being a foreigner in a foreign land) and her eventual triumph have left her a "God-mother" figure to many people in the country.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Gandhi
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3546851.stm

SMN:
If you were from the Gandhi family, I can write you a better hyped article about you and state that you are the only saving grace in the nation! Yes, she is less corrupt, but tell me one thing she did to get into corruption? I am also only as corrupt as her for I also did nothing in politics !. She has been a show case dummy going around giving speeches !. Like money, power and respect are also addictive...that could also draw her to be here... Well on menaka gandhi, Menaka Gandhi is sanjeev gandhi's wife, sanjeev Gandhi has a pretty tarnished image + he fought with his mom and has no good son image like Rajeev.

BJ:
India need less corrupt ppl like you to be in politics. Everyone one blames politicians, but why the good ppl don't want to make a difference?? Of course it calls for some sacrifice.. doesn't it? What ever it may be, I admire and appreciate her courage, presence of mind and leadership :-)

SMN:
Keep the good spirit going! I didn't bash politicians and I am also of the opinion that we don't have much right to do that as we are just minding our own business and doing nothing! Let's leave it here as I always respect my friend's point of views :-)

News link about Sonia nominated for Peace Nobel:
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=55832

Each flower tells, that life is a battle field
Each dawn declares, that there will be a day if there's a night...
We should've confidence in life.
We'll achieve our goal one day
Oh heart! Reform...
Whether it is mountain or dew drops... face them!

Our hearts should never lose hope.
You shouldn't get depressed in life.
Tell me, who doesn't have sorrows? Time will erase all your sorrows.
Stones which bear the chisel, become statues in our lives.
The heart which bears sorrows, will savour endless happiness.
All are struggling in life, Why're you shedding tears?
If you work hard to achieve your goal, one day you'll achieve it.


Let us recite the poem of life
Let us measure the sky's height
Let us always keep trying!
Our eyes are full of dreams, and our hearts are full of goals.
There's no one to defeat you. You fight against your life confidently!!


Of human! You sow seeds in your heart, it'll become big trees
Your insults and everything else will become manure!
Can there be any history wihout defeats?
Oh friend! Why're you getting worried?
If you take a clear & good decision, you can achieve the sky!


Each flower tells, that life is a battle field
Each dawn declares, that there will be a day if there's a night...
We should've confidence in life.
We'll achieve our goal one day
Oh heart! Reform...
Whether it is mountain or dew drops... face them!

Translated from the song 'Ovvoru pookkalume...' , in a Tamil movie called 'Autograph'

http://think-mails.blogspot.com launched!

The second child of think-free, the think-mails is live....
Itz called think-free ~ Mail of the Day

Everyday we come across many forwards; some entertaining, some thought-provoking and some time wasting. So I thought I will collect and share some of the nice ones I come across.

Keep thinking.. think free.. grow wise.. enjoy life...
Visit: http://think-mails.blogspot.com

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD
I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time” I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered...“That they get bored with childhood,they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.”
“That they lose their health to make money...and then lose their money to restore their health.”
“That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future.”
"That they live as if they will never die, and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mineand we were silent for a while.

And then I asked...“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved.”
“To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.”
“To learn to forgiveby practicing forgiveness.”
“To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them.”
“To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most,but is one who needs the least.”
“To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply have not yet learned how to express or show their feelings.”
“To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.”
“To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"

God smiled and said, “Just know that I am here... always.”

-author unknown

For more info: http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/presentation.html

http://think-quotes.blogspot.com launched

Hip.. hip.. hurray..

The first child of think-free, the think-quotes has been launched. I am always a fan of these bits of wisdom, passed over generations, as the precious quotable quotes. So I thought I will collect and share the good ones I come across in daily life. I know that it could be an overkill since there are a lot in the net already. But still, doesn't it feel nice to have a personal collection, perhaps a collection of the best of the best... ;-)

Keep thinking.. think free.. grow wise..
Visit: http://think-quotes.blogspot.com

One of the sadder things, I think,
Is how our birthdays slowly sink:
Presents and parties disappear,
The cards grow fewer year by year,
Till, when one reaches sixty-five,
How many care we're still alive?

- Philip Larkin, 1922 - 1986

Itz now or never....

Too lazy to write something on my own.... so enjoy this...!

The beginning
As I sat there in English class, I stared at the girl next to me. She was my so-called 'best friend'. I stared at her long, silky hair, and wished she was mine. But she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it. After class, she walked up to me and asked me for the notes she had missed the day before. I handed them to her. She said 'thanks' and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why!

11th Grade
The phone rang. On the other end, it was her. She was in tears, mumbling on and on about how her love had broke her heart. She asked me to come over because she didn't want to be alone, so I did. As I sat next to her on the sofa, I stared at her soft eyes, wishing she was mine. After 2 hours, one Drew Barrymore movie, and three bags of chips, she decided to go home. She looked at me, said 'thanks' and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don t know why!

Senior year
One fine day she walked to my locker. "My date is sick" she said, "he's not gonna go" well, I didn't have a date, and in 7th grade, we made a promise that if neither of us had dates, we would go together just as 'best friends'. So we did. That night, after everything was over, I was standing at her front door step. I stared at her as she smiled at me and stared at me with her crystal eyes. Then she said- "I had the best time, thanks!" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don t want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why!

Graduation
A day passed, then a week, then a month. Before I could blink, it was graduation day. I watched as her perfect body floated like an angel up on stage to get her diploma. I wanted her to be mine - but she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it. Before everyone went home, she came to me in her smock and hat, and cried as I hugged her. Then she lifted her head from my shoulder and said- 'you're my best friend, thanks' and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I
don t want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why!

Marriage
Now I sit in the pews of the church. That girl is getting married now, and drive off to her new life, married to another man. I wanted her to be mine, but she didn't see me like that, and I knew it. But before she drove away, she came to me and said 'you came!' She said 'thanks' and kissed me on the cheek. I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why!

Death
Years passed, I looked down at the coffin of a girl who used to be my 'best friend'. At the service, they read a diary entry she had wrote in her high school years. This is what it read:” I stare at him wishing he was mine; but he doesn't notice me like that,
and I know it. I want to tell him, I want him to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love him but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why. I wish he would tell me he loved me!.........'I wish I did too...' I thought to my self, and I cried.

The wise bit (means, my comments):

Even though it sounds a bit superficial, do yourself a favor, tell her/him you love (only if you sincerely do). They won't be there................... forever......... and if a person wants to be with u in spite of all odds then you are truly lucky.... so go ahead n confess your love before its too late!! It’s worth telling, than not and repenting later.

But, never think you can get love by force. Love is like sand in hand, the more you tighten, the more you loose. And.. true love can persist only when it is mutual.

It has been always there, deep inside, peeping up once in a while, pestering at times, and finally..., after the long wait, found a place to dump all those things that I think freely, things I don't get a patient ear for, things I cant scream to the ppl, and things that suffocate me to speak up and speak loud... well i am gonna tell anything and everything.. and hope you all can take it.. or leave it...

So, let us start?