Breaking The Spine Of The Country - How Far Have We Succeeded?

This government has systematically broken the spine of the country…

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that congress food security bill will work and that no one would sleep without food.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on congress plan.”  All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A. (that means tax collected from us will be used for food security bill expense. i.e. equal distribution.)

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all are applicable to this experiment:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of a nation.

Is it loyalty or just blind faith?

Don’t betray yourself just in order to be ‘one’ with the group.

How many times have you felt the person who your friend is arguing with, has a valid point? It may happen that the boss' viewpoint is baseless, but very few raise objections and risk being considered disloyal.

No matter how harmful your agreement with his idea is, you still do it, and you are soon recognized as an epitome of loyalty.

When truth and loyalty are in conflict, have the wisdom and courage to decide what to do. Loyalty must be based on your own set of values. 

Being loyal to someone should not mean closing your eyes to their faults. Loyalty should not mean blind faith. It should be an ongoing reality check not only for your own benefit but also for those we profess loyalty towards. 

Similarly, loyalty to religion and politics is good as long as it helps you relate to people. The ideas must be re examined in the new light, as what adheres to us at the age of 13 may not be really be valid till you reach 50. But don't confuse loyalty with obedience.

Beti Mubarak! Beti Hai Anmol!

A girl is like a bird,

God's prettiest creation in the world.

Their childhood - a golden age,

After that, the world keeps them in a beautiful cage.

The innocent creatures that look like fairies,

Loses her wings when she marries.

She leads all her life in serving others,

She also has a heart, but no one bothers.

A dress of happiness & pleasure she wears,

But in every corner, you find girls shedding tears.

A daughter is a gift of love. A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.

Always give a girl the due respect that she deserves.

Happy Daughter’s Day!

Out of Focus!

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer.

The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain.

Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log.

Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a faraway tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit.

"Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground.

Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target. "You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

You can’t depend on your eyes, when your imagination is out of focus – Mark Twain.

Dearest Nirbhaya...

/A tribute to Nirbhaya.. 
A small change may bring a big difference! Soch badlo duniya badlegi!/

One fine day when the news mentioned you,
I was surrounded with a feeling so blue,
And then girl, as your story unfold,
My heart went numb & I was all cold.
Hearing all what you had to bear,
I couldn't do anything but shed some tear,
Only listening the incident I was so lost,
Wondering...

What mistake was it that made you pay this cost?
They did not treat you like a human, this made me annoy,
Even a toy is not beaten with an alloy,
Not to forget the hero - your friend,
Who tried to save you till the very end,
And you were really strong to say "BURN THEM ALIVE"

Trust me it was YOU till last who strive,
They were so cruel to you still they could blame,
To hide their flaws utter words all lame,
Forgetting they considered that ride a fair.
Shameless even pointed your personal affair,
Like hot dish blames were plated,
Brutality would have been less had you cooperated.

But dear we all know you weren't wrong,
Time and luck pushed you on that prong,
I don't know why God chose you,
Maybe no one on earth was as strong as you,
A severe punishment is asked by all who condemn,
They should be dressed as girls & left among them,
We will fight your battle half fought,
The vigilance while going, to us you brought,
Surely they will be hanged, smile girl you so brave,
But we wish you were here to spit on their grave.

To God Goes The Glory

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

"Leave me alone," he growled. To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling - her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader.

Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. I said, leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.

"Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner.

It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked."What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like him here is bad for my business."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place"

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a good amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

“I am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

"Oh."

The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."

She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.

"Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He is the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office."

She smiled and added. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he asked.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. He led me to you. Don't worry, there is hope even in the worst of circumstances. The darkest hour of the night is just before the dawn."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee."

MORAL: Rather be honest than impressive. Past remains an important part of your being. Don't forget that “when you cast your bread upon the waters, you never know how it will be returned to you.” We often think 'Why do good to others?' But one never knows when it will be useful to us? God is so big, He can cover the whole world with His love and so small He can curl up inside your heart. When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly! God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close. 

No act of kindness is ever small. When you look, you’ll find opportunities to perform acts of kindness. When you take those opportunities, you’ll feel happy. Give freely, without expecting in return. Kindness has its own rewards and will improve your sense of well-being. Practicing compassion brings you happiness. When we carry out an act of kindness it is a message from one heart to another, an act of love, an unspoken "I care" statement.

P.S: This is in response to IndiSpire, Edition 51. See here!

A Walk through Happiness

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~Dalai Lama

Daniel had an old trench coat that was balled up on the floor of his garage gathering dust. It was raining and it was unusually cold. He was driving home when he saw a man in a short sleeved shirt wandering through the neighborhood, pushing a shopping cart. He was walking painfully slow. He was dripping wet.

Daniel paused at the intersection to his street and watched him for several minutes, thinking. His heart was heavy seeing him move so slowly, so wet, so cold. He suddenly remembered the crumpled-up coat. ‘But what if I needed it sometime in the future?’ he thought. Just then, a story he had once heard at a church conference came to his mind.

*Story*

Two boys walked down a road that led through a field. The younger of the two noticed a man toiling in the fields of his farm, his good clothes stacked neatly off to the side. The boy looked at his older friend and said, “Let’s hide his shoes so when he comes from the field, he won’t be able to find them. His expression will be priceless!” The boy laughed.

The older of the two boys thought for a moment and said, “The man looks poor. See his clothes? Let’s do this instead: Let’s hide a silver dollar in each shoe and then we’ll hide in these bushes and see how he reacts to that, instead.”

The younger companion agreed to the plan and they placed a silver dollar in each shoe and hid behind the bushes. It wasn’t long before the farmer came in from the field, tired and worn. He reached down and pulled on a shoe, immediately feeling the money under his foot.

With the coin now between his fingers, he looked around to see who could have put it in his shoe. But no one was there. He held the dollar in his hand and stared at it in disbelief. Confused, he slid his other foot into his other shoe and felt the second coin. This time, the man was overwhelmed when he removed the second silver dollar from his shoe.

Thinking he was alone, he dropped to his knees and offered a verbal prayer that the boys could easily hear from their hiding place. They heard the poor farmer cry tears of relief and gratitude. He spoke of his sick wife and his boys in need of food. He expressed gratitude for this unexpected bounty from unknown hands.

After a time, the boys came out from their hiding place and slowly started their long walk home. They felt good inside, warm, changed somehow knowing the good they had done to a poor farmer in dire straits. A smile crept across their souls.

*****

Inspired by the story, Daniel drove home, took his coat from the garage and went looking for the old man in the rain. He soon spotted him as he hadn’t gone too far. He pulled up alongside him and asked him to come over.

He hesitated, then walked closer. Daniel asked if he had a place to stay. He said he did and was close. He then offered him the jacket. He looked stunned, like Daniel was violating some accepted code of conduct. He urged the man to take it. He slowly reached out and took the old coat. He smiled. So did Daniel.

We all have poor farmers toiling in the fields of their trials and difficulties along the roads of our lives. Their challenges might not be known to us. But their countenances often tell a story of pain. Like Daniel, we have opportunities to hide shoes or rather hide silver dollars in them.

When we hear of stories of kindness being done to others, we are inspired to do the same. So share your experiences of kindness. We need them. They help make us better people. A small act of kindness can make a big difference. It can make someone’s day! When you look, you’ll find opportunities to perform acts of kindness. When you take those opportunities, you’ll feel great. Give freely because you care about the other person and don't expect anything in return.

The thing about kindness is that it has its own rewards and it improves your sense of well-being. Such deeds come from a state of benevolence, generated by a core response deep within us. When we carry out an act of kindness it is a message from one heart to another, an act of love, an unspoken "I care" statement. Whether or not we acknowledge it, humanity has a strong bond with nature, and if we choose to ignore this, we do so at our peril.

Being Engineer. Pun Intended

I have met many people who underestimate an Engineer. Forget people, some engineers underestimate themselves! They should know that an Engineer cannot be judged by his grades or the views his HOD has for him/her. There are many qualities that an engineer possesses, but are not found in his CV :P Below are few of those qualities that gives the engineer an extra edge :-

Career Scope-
An engineer can become software developer, bank manager, IAS officer, Business manager or even a BPO assistant.

Values-
There won't be anything called "Hot chick" in engineering college hence they understand their values and start respecting every girl. The most common dialogue on the opening day of an engineering college is, 

“Bhai, iss saal bhi koi khaas ladkiyan nahi hai!” 

Working under pressure-

Even though he (might have) never experienced "one night stand" ever but he knows how to survive examinations via "one night studies"!! An engineer can finish his syllabus in one night, believe me! An engineer can build a car, spaceship and they even can make a time machine.  However, he just can’t build a relationship with a girl. 

Determination-
Engineers love to sleep, but they never go to bed early. Nights are not made to be spent sleeping, lectures are.

Meticulous-
Engineers are not lazy, they are just highly motivated to procrastinate. For engineers, every course apart from engineering is easy. They can translate English into binary!

Kindness-
Engineers love everybody, apart from their faculty, project head, Deans, scientists, new boyfriend of their ex-girl friends, authors of their curriculum books, power cutoffs and slow internet.

Team Work-
Team Projects and group seminars might have failed to teach them this quality but mass-bunks and proxy attendance surely teach the value of team work.

Worst Nightmare-

An Engineers’s worst nightmare is a teacher taking the class but not taking the attendance.

Never Argue-

Never argue with an engineer because arguing with Engineers is like killing the mosquito on your cheek, you might or might not kill it, but you’ll end up slapping yourself. Same applies for the viva sessions with external examiners, Engineers teach them new concepts eventually :P

Maturity-
Engineers get to know that world is full of dishonest people, when they join the college, because they have read the words like lavishing infrastructure, supporting faculty, 100% placements in their college brochures. Also when they get to know that girl's photo they saw on brochure doesn't exist. :P

Network and relations-
None of the relatives or any friend's mom ask them before but once they graduate everyone calls them at their home (so that they can fix their table fans, mixers or radio transistors). They recognize people with the mobile phone they carry and their laptop configurations rather than their names or faces.

Fast learning-
Even highly qualified faculty might have failed in teaching them a topic, but they will remember every word of it when their friend dictates it before entering the examination hall. Engineers have no life and they can prove it mathematically! :P

Learn by Fun-
Playing tic tac toe during class, late night counter strike tournaments, watching T20 with friends and completing Angry birds stages during lab sessions gives the engineers more competence than any other sport.

Secret-

An Engineer knows nothing, but only an Engineer knows this. ;)

Sacrifice-
Two engineers see a hot chick in the mall, first reaction: ABE dekh be, Gazab!! Eventually, the second reaction: jaane de yaar aukat ke bahar hai. :P Engineers also sacrifice their clean shaved look, to look more hard-working during exams for self motivation.

Resource managements-
Engineers know that a 3G connection and 4Gb pen drive is the first requirement before preparing for any practical exams. They also know the value of every single bar in Wifi connectivity symbol and phone batteries. Their xerox bills are higher than their mobile bills!

Results-
Getting a 40 out of 100 is heaven for an Engineer. 40 marks ki keemat tum kya janoo Ramesh babu ;)

Staying Healthy-
Engineers never compromise with their health, they stay fit and immune due to regular dosage of maggi and samosas. Having food at Punjabi dhabas and tea at extra-(un)hygienic tapri is the part of their diet.

“Engineering is not just a degree... it teaches you the way of living life like a warrior. Engineering gives a perception and attitude. It teaches you the art of survival.
Next time you meet an Engineer, show some respect… don't ask his grades instead offer a friendly hi-five or a Buddy-Punch!”

 15th September - Happy Engineer's Day! Cheers!

The Future of Shopping - A Radical Viewpoint

“Each wave of change does not eliminate what came before it, but it reshapes the landscape and redefines consumer expectations, often beyond recognition.”

I can almost look at the future in the eye with startling clarity and clairvoyance. Shopping in the future is going to be quite different.

What we are seeing today is only the beginning. Soon it will be hard even to define e-commerce, let alone measure it. In future, online shopping will become very chic. It is already predicted that e-commerce is developing at an unprecedented rate such that statistics show that two in every four people would do online shopping by the year 2030. Forget future, even today internet is far more accessible than ever before, and thus more and more time is being spent in the cyber world and people are becoming susceptible to extensive advertising.

I foresee the use of replicators and tele-porters. There is no drive to a store. People will no longer queue up to get items and green pieces of paper will not be used to convey value as a digital wallet or smart gadgets will replace it.

Spending money on junk will make no sense in the future. In the days that follow we will see this civilization fall apart. People will learn that spending money on plastic fill dirt is not the way to go. In the future, we will be remembered as a chunk of wasteful people who did ruin the environment with detritus and have left a mess for those that followed.

As we predict the coming future, I wish people can create with their minds anything they want. The age of machines is like living in a wheelchair where you depend on others, but in the far flung futurity you can make anything and do so without any inputs other than your raw will. (strictly for noble purposes only)

Shopping will be done sitting on your couch by launching a video conference with your personal concierge who recommends several items, superimposing photos of them onto your avatar. You reject the ones you don’t like and toggle to another browser tab to research customer reviews and prices, find better deals on several items at another retailer using your mobile app, and order them. We are all living in the ‘smartphone’ world already, it will get to the ultimate level in 2030, so we can share the images and videos with our stylish friends, asking for their opinion.

Gifts will be ordered from a web store but can be exchanged at a local store. There will be virtual dressing rooms that give the user a gauge of cloth fitting. In this scenario, men will not be exhausted with women to shop around. In my view, retailing is distribution + experience. Now the “experience” is getting digitized, becoming “virtual” for the convenience it offers.

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and other such focused sites will allow like-minded consumers to follow a favorite retailer and get discounts or tips on deals. There will be more choices for consumers, more things to buy, compare products and prices, and more methods to evaluate goods.

It will be like a dream come true for the shopper — an abundance of information, near-perfect price transparency, a parade of special deals! Retailers relying on earlier formats will die out as the new ones pull volume from their stores and make the remaining volume less profitable.

Online shoppers will benefit from reading customer reviews on products, videos on how products work, compare pricing, free shipping, know who has it in stock, who offers remarkable customer service and a greater selection than a store. What they are missing out on is traffic, driving, wandering through a store trying to find what they are looking for, wondering if they are getting the best deal, wondering if there are any like products that are better, wondering if it even works good or not, asking an employee that does not have any answers, waiting in long lines.

Visually-oriented shoppers will be happy with the system generated "Here is a deal for YOU!" as they enter the digital system. It will present people with options in general that they are likely to enjoy and more likely to buy - similar to browsing a department or style within a store. This will lead to "precision shopping". Perhaps we'll spend less (think of all the things you *won't* randomly buy on impulse if you're not doing as much casual shopping at a mall) and hence you’ll save more.

A device that looks like a smart phone will make supermarket shoppers and stores—happier. Perched on the handle of the shopping cart, it will scan grocery items as the customer adds them to the cart and navigates through the aisles while a screen keeps a running total of their purchases. If shoppers scan an unwanted item by accident, they simply select "Remove" from the menu option, scan the item again, and it is removed from the cart. The total is updated. Retail experts predict that the new retail gizmos will eventually bring about the end of traditional cash registers. Shoppers will like it because it helps avoid an interminable wait at the cashier and retailers will love it because the device encourages shoppers to buy more.

With all of the technology, one forgets the thrill of the hunt and the social aspects of shopping for the best product at the best prices. I think there's room for both. I like scoring the best deal as much as the next girl, but there's also something special about wandering through urban open-air markets and buying from local artisans, etc. Technology does come at a cost.

This post is my entry for the ebay contest under Indibloggers trending topic.

To know more about ebay click here bit.ly/eBayCheck_Extention

Whom Do You Follow - Donkey or Dog?

For lazy people.. sometimes, it is good to be lazy! And do only that work which is assigned to you.

There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog. One night when the whole world was asleep, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep too but the donkey and the dog were awake. The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.

The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn’t bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.

Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.

Moral of the story “One must not engage in duties other than his own”

****

Now take a new look at the same story…

  

The washer man was a well-educated man from a premier management institute. He believed in the logic of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night. He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it. Looking at the donkey’s extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.

The dog’s life didn’t change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dog’s duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed “ME” (Met Expectations).

Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.

The donkey was rated as “star performer”. The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards. Soon he was overburdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a NEW JOB!

Disclaimer: All characters in the story are not at all imaginary. Any resemblance to person living or dying of work is purely intentional.