Elections in the new era

I was thinking the other day why we have been passing through the "developing nation" tag for many decades despite many of us being great minds. Its the rotten bureaucracy? Corrupt politicians? Careless public? or probably a mix of all the three. When we look at politicians, we always blame them for no mistake of theirs! Yes! you heard me right... No mistake of theirs.

Its you, I, and many others like us who are very well educated but are careless about the nation and we never think of voting. "Aah! one my vote! How does it matter?" kind of attitude. When we have never voted, what is the rational behind blaming the ones that are elected? We have lot of escapes for not voting. Most of us do not work in your home towns! We enjoy the holiday on elections than stretch ourselves to the polling booth.

Then who elects the one in power? Mostly the illiterate, the destitute. They vote to any one who will give them a bottle or a yellow note! I don't rule out honest voters. But they are minimal. They regret their vote after the election results are declared. This has been the case for many decades and the corrupt rule us. "Yadha Raja, Tatha Praja". However I have analyzed a solution which would fit the purpose and benefit the educated lazy voters equally well as the illiterate ones.

Elections should happen in two phases. One for the physical voters, the Second one being for online voters. Any person who is graduate and above should be permitted for online voting. This happens not just like a email id , but in a secure finger print registry mode. A person registered online may vote physically if he wishes to.

This is not the end of the story. A Progress bar is maintained for the elected members by all the Graduate Voters Registered Online (GraVoReOn) from the respective constituencies. The progress bar, for which the MLA/MP is accountable for, will be reviewed every month by the Assembly.

This not only empowers Gravoreons but improves accountability of the politicians and also motivates genuinely service oriented people to get into politics. This cleanses up the system as a whole, to see a Safer and Prosper India.

The Hysteric Indian

Cricket India lost the World Cup in 2007,

The cricketers statuettes are burnt, Mobs attacked cricketers houses, Shouted slogans, Conducted rallies and media was raising its voice to its maximum to blame the cricketers, the board and the politicians! Did people realize that one team has to lose, when the other wins?

Cricket India won the World Cup in 2007 T20,

The cricket team was announced 100M rupees of prize money. Cricketers are in ad campaining in every news paper. Government declared lakhs of rupees worth gifts. The Mumbai roads were crammed for 40 Kilometers with people to see the Indian team, that arrived after the win. For them Cricketers are Gods! The Hockey team, the players of Indian National game were not even greeted by Government when they brought India the "Asia Cup"! huh!

Amitabh failed as an Entrepreneur :

The most revered film personality started a company called ABCL, which flopped losing millions. People are not even bothered to give him his meagre expenses!

Amitabh returns to Film Industry:

The then Prime minister IK Gujral, had a french beard. Nobody was bothered to even look at him. Amitabh, to make his both ends meet made a come back to film industry with a french beard... The next day I could see lot of Amitabh impostors in my office too! India today Cover page has Amitabh, and it closed with a photograph of Amitabh, for nothing except drama that he has done in his entire life but before a camera!

Nagarjuna grows hair:

I once visited Hyderabad 2 years back and saw lot of ruffians around. I enquired my friend. He said that to grow hair to shoulders is the new fashion, set by Nagarjuna, for his film "Super"! Damn!

Chiranjeevis Son makes Debut in films:

The other day I was watching "Maa" TV. The TV had a full coverage of Chiruta movie premier, interviewing all film personalities. It makes sense for 10 mins... 20 mins... Is it worth hours of airtime?

Why are we so crazy about the film personalities, cricketers and not about scientists, philosophers? This is the reason why our country faces brain drain. We don't give one damn value to brainy people. We are only after drama! Our day starts with a film song and ends with one. Our nights burn the oil to see Cricket matches. Did we ever think of improving India by putting our this so called "entertainment time" to a "constructive work".

If the crowd that Mumbai has gathered on the Cricketers return, has gone to any Government hospital for 10 minutes, it would have cleansed the corruption there. If it went to any government office there, the projects would have seen a light. If they went took one brick each, they would have built a 10 KM China wall. If they had given 10 rupees of their money to a red cross society, that would have made 100 families get a square meal for their life.

When will we learn all this? Are we a developed Country or still a developing country. Ignorance and the lack of right education in India are the causes for not setting the right goal to youth!

Professional Chat Etiquette

Instant messaging has become a vital part and a role player in the IT sector. The days are long gone when we used to open Yahoo messenger or a MSN Messenger to talk to our friends in a net cafe. We have found the ease of "pinging" our friend who is next to us than to turn to him and say "Hi dude!". It is not pathetic, but its the nature of the work that has made us adopt "typing of data an easy method than to dictate it!". With this kind of workplaces becoming Professional Chat rooms, there is every need to define the standards of chatting in a professional environment. Because people in corporate world are no college going and have earned respect over the years and expect a decent and complete words than chat jargon and short cuts. Lets see some sample Cases
Case 1 : New employee right from college joins a company, sees his boss online and wishes him!
Employee : Hey Boss! Howdy!
Boss : $#@#$%^&*&^(

Moral : Be polite and use correct language with the superiors

Case 2 : Employee suddenly chats with manager in his usual tone to his colleagues
Employee : Hi Andy! Did ya get my sent N pic, You must have lkd it?
Manager: What the hell you are talking!
(Obviously Customer didn't receive what Employee sent, but interpreted it "Hi Andy! Did you get my sent Nude Picture, You must have licked it!" where the employee actually meant "Hi Andy, did you get my sent Niagara picture, you must have liked it!") The variance is too huge

Moral : Don't use abbreviations in a professional chat, it could lead to even firing from job

Case 3: Employee gets a new opportunity to talk to the customer regarding some more details required for a work request the customer sent
Employee :
Hi Mike,
I realize that the request you sent is not complete. Send me other details immediately. Otherwise, I can't complete the work in time!
Thanks
John

Customer : in his copy to Manager
Hi Rob,
I see one of your resources John is not very impressed with the work we got, Can we get a replacement for him in the next one week?
Sincerely
Mike

Moral : Employee is fired! Use courteous language with your superiors or customers.


After looking at the above three cases, we remember many others when we were embarrassed with such chats, if you really are sensitive to people's way of talking. Let me list for you a few things which one must adhere to while doing a Professional Chat.

1. Use proper language with all the employees, unless the other person is too intimate to you, or you have known him for long time.
2. Don't use abbreviations or Chat jargon (ASAP, BRB, LOL, C U will be alright to some extent but not entirely). Use complete words or till they convey the right meaning. For example, to say "appointment", you can say "apptmt" and not "aptmt" which is "apartment". Never use abbreviations with superiors. They least expect it from you.
3. Show courtesy in every request you make and every "No" you say. If some body requests you something, and you are unable to do it, never say "No, I can't do it", rather say "I am sorry, I feel I may not be able to". The former shows your incapability and your headstrong attitude, while the latter shows your amicability and respectful attitude.
4. When trying to message others for more than a minute, ask them , if they have time for you. Other person has not added already your calendar entry for you for 30 minutes when you start talking to him/her
5. When you need help from others, be polite and humble. Do not demand help.
6. Be enthusiastic when the other person chats with you. That creates an impression of your liveliness.
7. Treat your new subordinates as your new friends and be polite to them. They might not be aware of your rules and regulations. Make them aware of first, before commenting their ways of talking.
8. Don't be rude any time. You can put your thoughts humorously than in a rude fashion.
9. While pasting web links. Brief the other person what it is before hand. He is not free to just click on whatever you send. He might be in a happy mood about his new born baby; You send him the link of "100 people dead in a plane crash".. Does it make sense to him?
10. Use Thanks/Sorry when you are at fault. Don't let your ego rule the situation. When ego rules, You may have to search another place to work.

Well the list goes on! But these principles would definitely work out best for you in your corporate ladder. All the best!

Shit on roads, Pee on walls, Spit on others!

I bought a new pair of sport shoes, a good make, shelled out 2K for it. I wore it in the evening the other day, proud of my new possession and was walking on the road, legally on the correct side. I was thinking of how good I would look with new shoes and was searching for answers my co athletes would ask me about shoes!
Aaargh! I landed my foot into a clutter of Spits on the road! Disgusting! I cleaned my foot on the nearby grass and started again, cursing all those sanctimonious sons of bitches! May be I was a little rude, but I too had a disgusting time.
A few months back I was climbing the steps of a Old Government building, every corner of the stair case is decorated with a red patch of red color, looked as if the color was sprinkled! Yes! you got it right its the Pan-Spit! These pan eaters are majorly from North part of India, though I don't rule out some cultured brutes among ourselves. Who will teach them decency, hygiene and cleanliness. I wonder if they spit in every corner of their houses also, or they spit only in other's houses! huh... How could their wives stay with those rotten mouths! Don't say women also are the same!
One day while trying to avoid a traffic jam, I took a small road which is generally deserted. I reached home early and parked my bike in front of my house, just before my living hall. Soon after I refreshed and was looking through the window of the living room, I realized my bike is stinking! Damn! I cut some cakes on road!, some are by cattle and some are by Human Cattle! When they have public latrines constructed every where, why do these people make the roads a fire place to walk! Don't they feel like relieved if they don't sit in open air, observing people go by!
Jago India Jago, Sikhao kuch, Seekho kuch! Doosron ko takleef mat do!

Software Engineers, are they really?

A few years back I was talking to a so called "Software Engineer" in Bangalore... He wanted to install "Linux in Windows"! I helped him say "Linux and Windows together". Of course, we got tools which dub Linux on Windows now. But that was not the case then. I was surprised to know that he has a work experience of 5 years in the industry and cannot install a operating system. I fear how many of us can!

I was looking for the meaning of "Engineer" in the word-web on my desktop, it says "A person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems" . And we are software Engineers!

A few months later a manager of mine came to me, when I was re engineering some program I put the code on the left and was writing into document on right. Both windows were together and visible on left and right of the monitor, so that I don't have to keep either one of them in background and while working on the other. He exclaimed, "How could you do that? you must be very smart!"

Another incident that happened with my friend, when his manager asked him, "I copied the content from the desktop using mouse-click, can I disconnect the mouse and attach to another computer and paste it there!"...A bit innovative :) but not possible with current state of technology. However mouse needs a power supply to retain the information and a memory in itself, which will complicate things and makes mouse a USB memory stick and not a mouse!

One manager in a IT company, suddenly realizes that she sent a wrong email to the other person, and in a hurry to stop the email, she switches off the monitor and relaxes.... Had this been CPU power or a network card, it might have helped! Brains!

Are we lacking the spirit of being an Engineer when we got into secured jobs with decent money in hands? Engineer is no less to a scientist and should always swim against the stream to find the best ways to do the job. Only dead fish go with the stream!

One should know in the IT industry at least to install, remove the software and Operating systems. One should know how to partition a disk, what is a boot sector and what is a bootable disk. One should know that there exist shortcut keys on the Operating systems, the differences between a Operating system and a Software. The difference between a DLL and a EXE, a Shell Script and a executable, the development environment and the run-time environment. One should know what tools would ease his day to day work. I don't feel a Engineer is a labour who does, what he is told. He should know what is the problem, known solutions, and should be enthusiastic to find a new solution to any existing problem.

The educational institutions have mushroomed with lack of solid infrastructure to groom the youth and the parents just aspire their sons be called as "Engineers", whether or not they are actually! Pitiable situation.

Rents shooting high in Hyderabad

It was on August 15 2005, I arrived in Hyderabad, escaping the traffic of Bangalore after three years of stay there.Felt I have become independent! A check visit by me a couple of months earlier made me take this decision and felt comfortable! I tried to hire a house in Madhapur area which is near to my work, but did not, as the house rent was more than the comfort levels there. It was then a 7K for a 2BHK. I ridiculed that area and searched in Motinagar, Krishna nagar, and finally settled down in KPHB 1st phase for a monthly rent of 4.5K for a decent 2BHK. After an year, due to parking unavailability I vacated that house and moved to Bhagyanagar colony for 4.5K 2BHK. The owner and I agreed on papers and to have a 10% hike in rent the following year. I was pretty comfortable with the less traffic and reasonably priced vegetables and fruits.

The real estate got into wrong hands and the prices sky rocketed in no time. The KPHB-HitechCity road lay made the prices even sour. The once 9th Phase KPHB where there were literally no decent houses suddenly saw high class people moving around. Earlier people used to crowd in shared autos to go to 9th phase KPHB and the road was full of potholes. Suddenly after the road was laid, the sight of a lady in a high class costume, shoes, and a dog in her hand made me shake my head. It transformed! Not only the looks but prices too, beyond imagination! An abandoned 1BHK house there was brought by my friend for 24Lk! I felt, "was it worth?"
A couple of months back my house owner visited my home and increased the rent by 20% as against the agreement. However I accepted his words. I noticed that i am the only person who pays less rent, 5.5K + Maintenance. Others are already paying more than 6K. Irony is that the walls of the apartment are made of single brick and a downpour will make the walls wet and drip :).

This month the owner visited my house and asked me to vacate, showing the reason of his cousins visit from Bangalore! I know it's not the case, he has become greedy too as with other owners. He wants more money, for this sick house. My job doesn't increase my HRA so much every year and I am an average performer as with everyone of us. What should I do, I am searching for a new house. Today I see the rents around here are reaching 7-8K. Huh!

What has happened in Bangalore in 17 years has happened in 2 years in Hyderabad, the hype of IT, for absolutely no facilities around. Look at Madhapur, You cant even go for a good market place! Look at KPHB, there is not a decently maintained Hospital with all facilities! When you go to Miyapur, Chandanagar, you feel even sick. People are after money, free money. They have lost ethics of life. Money is going into the wrong hands.

I remember the saying of "Veerabrahmam" a well known saint of Andhra pradesh. He said in his Predictions..."When money flows into the wrong hands, when man forgets ethics , the end is near" . I don't really know how near is the end, but I know for pretty sure that this greediness and lust for money has created great inconvenience to the public. They stopped to "Earn".. they learnt the new way to "Grab". Ethics are long dead. I am not sure what these so called Citizens of the society teach their children to live like.
Today I am feeling like running away from Hyderabad to a new place, Independent from these money clenching. Is this society making me a misanthrope! or they deserve to be hated? Will the days for India change? Will the government ever regulate these things?

Terrorism! How can we reduce it?

I was totally distressed the way things are going in India, especially Hyderabad past few months. They saw a blast in the Mecca Maszid and still they are not alert. They become alert for a few days and as dogs go to the fireplace at night, we just forget everything and just go to our warm beds.
For only 9 people killed in the US embassy blasts they bombarded Afghanistan like a meteor shower. Why don't we have those guts to pluck these weeds.. Are we still having those qualities of bonded labor which we had when the British were there, and we boast it is our "humanity" and not our cowardice!
Every one says one time or the other we do not harm others because we are humane in nature, we have pity on others. I fell they lack the courage to face the brute. Swami Vivekananda once said. "Don't pretend your lack of courage to face the brute to be your humane. First learn to fight the brute and when you are capable, and you still leave him, that is called humane." When do we Indians learn this?

The leaders shout a bit for a few days and we all in that lull. Let a week go, every one of us will be leading a normal life, except for those who are victims! Huh! we have after all our own priorities, our relations, their problems, money, kids school fee, tuition fee.

As a good literate of the society can you contribute a minute of your personal time to think about these problems and voice your thought? Can you write to news papers for amendments ? If you are a high profile person, can you talk about the issues to your friends and influence them? I don't know about you, but here is what I propose as one of the solution I can think of after brainstorming.

• Each one of individuals be provided with a SSN card as in the US
• Any public gathering would require people to swipe the SSN
• Identify the sect of people who can be affected by the thoughts, talks and views of the terrorist groups
• Take the action plans to uplift those sects of the society and help them to achieve success in their lives
• Forget the word "humane" and just punish the proven guilty.

Leaders, stop money making and create reforms to uplift the society, curb corruption and regulate prices. When society is blossoming, the afflicted terrorists would amend themselves to join the mainstream society.