My Sweet Posion

Stunning were your thoughts,
With mind of an angel.
Amazing you were and kind,
My precious jewel.

Vivacious to the hilt,
Impressive I could say the least.
Thrilling and mesmerising,
Adaptable you were, my darling.

You were in love completely,
Me out of it dear.
What united us senselessly,
It was lust, I fear.

For You I Lust

You escaped into me,
I accepted you willfully.
We wonder whether it was meant to be,
As we shared those moments lovely.

With words engaging and beautiful,
We weaved a tapstry of delight.
In each others love we drool,
As I surrender to your beauty might.

Mesmerising Beauty

You will miss me madly,
As I think about you shamelessly.

Don't miss me my dear,
For I will be in your mind and near.

You crave for me,
I am your addiction.

I love you sweetie,
You are my sweet poison.

My Sweet Posion

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

When Organisations Are Irrational

It stuns me the way organisations do business. And I had an interaction with one such organisation today.

Today morning, I called up a popular Call Taxi Service in Hyderabad, a city in India, - to book a cab later in the evening. This has been the Taxi Service I have been using for quite some while.

As soon as I rang up these guys, the caller tune announced - "Thank You for calling Easy Cabs, the most popular Radio Taxi Service in India". I was impressed. And glad that they had achieved this "most popular" landmark. 

After that, it was all down hill!!!

Your Reputation  Jumped Down the Cliff 

Soon, I was for in a pleasant surprise when the automated caller tune announced that a convenience charge of Rs. 30 will be charged for booking on the phone. 

I said to myself - "What non-sense. This is another tactic to fleece your customers. You take pride in the fact that you are a popular Radio Taxi Service. Yet, you charge your customers a fee of Rs. 30 to book for the service through the phone - which made you popular in the first place". Very unfair, I said.

Till the time my phone was answered by the operator, I wondered what are the other mechnasims where I could book the same service - without the convenience charge. 

This company does not have a fleet which you can see everywhere on the road, and you can just wave off the taxi, like you do in cities like Bombay and London, for a ride to the destination. Nothing was striking my mind.

Soon the operator came online. I booked my cab and inquired about the convenience charges with him. He indicated that if the booking is done on the internet, the company won't levy any service charge. Another non-sense. 

What Silly Ideas Evoke?

What if I am at some place having a dinner, and wanting to go back home in the taxi? Do I log into the internet? Does everyone have a mobile phone powered by internet? Or should I rush into the nearest internet cafe, pay another Rs. 25 to use the cafe, and book the taxi. It is simply silly.

I requested the operator to cancel my booking, indicating that I will book through the internet. I logged into the site and tried to book the taxi, for 11 0 clock in the evening today. 

Out popped an error message - "Internet booking is allowed only 24 hours prior to the service." Another piece of non-sense. Does it mean that If I have go somewhere locally, I need to plan 24 hours in advance? Guys, are you booking a chartered super jumbo plane for me?

Stupid Ideas

This entire exercise left me flabbergasted. 

I wonder who had designed this entire idea. I wonder how reputed organisations like these adopt some silly, obnoxious ideas. 

There will be people who will appreciate this business idea. But for me, this idea is a utter non-starter.

Well, I can conclude only point - These days everything can be passed, even if its irrational. Being sensible means being foolish.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

These Days

These day I have to

Stand On a Single Hand and Do A Dance

Be Supremely Flexible 

Stretch Myself To The Hilt

Keep The Ball Rolling - Come What May

Stretch Myself In One Direction - Look In The Other

And What Not

Well, I am not a fan of Baba Ramdev. Neither am I joining the Indian gymnastics team. I am a simple individual doing an ordinary job. Yet, I have to do all of these acrobatics.

Lastly, I have to be very agile and flexible, conciliatory and nimble. Yet, there is one thing that should be least agile and spry. My mind!! 

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Ignorance is bliss. Or so they said. 

Is this inter personal behavior as simple they make out to be? And does it give the same result...a state of bliss...always? Another important point to contemplate is whether it has the same impact on all parties involved in the situation?

The answer would be a overwhelming No. 

Is Ignorance Bliss?

Let's take the case of a man and a lady. After being a good friend of hers, something goes wrong and the lady stops talking to the guy. Ignoring his calls and other communication attempts, she tries to isolate herself from this person. 

That's her attempt to ignore the person who she thinks is caustic to her and makes an attempt to work towards a state of bliss. And what about the guy in question?  He is down and out. And horribly miserable. 

Fast forward to some business case. After being a leader in a particular market, this top notch organisation sniffs some competition from a  new player in the market. Having a monopoly, the firm thinks that the newbie does not stand a chance to impact it in any way. 

Ignoring them, their clever strategy, their superior product, and the taste for new things by the masses, the old company starts loosing steam. And the new kid on the street emerges as a winner. 

So much for ignorance. 

Knowledge Vs Ignorance

The newbie does take a lesson in corporate policy...of not to ignore the smallest of the warnings , even at the expense of sounding alarmist. This very fact had made them a winner, and this should not make them a loser.    

Consider the ICC Cricket World Cup Finals. The toss is a crucial element in the game of cricket. The captain threw the coin and the other captain made the call. 

Dhoni, India's captain, tossed up the coin and Kumar Sangakarra of Sri Lanka made the call. The referee heard him mumble, but he was not sure whether he called "Heads" or "Tails". In the heat of the moment, everyone ignored the call and thought that things would work out correctly. 

And they didn't. The toss had to be redone. Luckily, Dhoni lost the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat, and India went on to win the World Cup finals. 

If, only if, India had lost the match - the Indian society would not have forgiven the referee. 

If you are a person responsible for something or someone, like being a parent or a professional, you would have come across several situations where you would have thought - only if I had not ignored it. 

Ignorance Is Not An Excuse

Yes, ignorance does offer a short term peace of mind. In the long term, the result would be unpredictable. And as a matter of prudence, it will be better he we don't ignore the point.

Think about the silly boy who ignored the hints and overtures from the pretty girl, on whom he had a crush. As he just procrastinated on whether he was seeing things, he ignored her. Over a period of time, she lost interest in the boy. And then he is just another boy.   

Try to get back your thoughts when you were a student. Under huge pressure to study a huge syllabus, you skipped or ignored a lesson. Only to shudder to see some mandatory questions from that chapter in the exam. 

More and More Ignorance

Ignore at your own risk. Never ignore willfully. Even if the probability of the occurrence of the unexpected situation   is less, it may indeed occur. And hopefully, not ignoring will yield you a favorable result. 

Ignorance does not pay. Ignorance is not bliss.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

A Bundle Of Inconsistencies

The night was breaking into the dawn. He had just woken up after having a good and peaceful sleep of seven hours. Yet he wanted to sleep more, a few minutes more. 

He slept for 10 more minutes, before waking up reluctantly. Immediately, his thoughts reached out to the men and women who had to do the graveyard shift. They weren't privileged enough to get the sleep he got. Lucky Me, he said to himself. 

He had a cold water bath. The geyser was not working. And thought about the lucky few who could shower with warm water. And the many people who went without one for lack of water. 

He had a flight to catch in a few hours. As he checked in his luggage, he thought what would be going through the minds of those polite and warm hearted men and women who booked his tickets, arranged his travel. And for so many like him. They did all this for him, without ever travelling abroad - a cherished desire for all.  

A few hours later, he saw that he had some, maybe a lot, of facilities available.  He did thank God. And immediately he recollected those who didn't have them. He was disappointed by the fact that he couldn't do anything. 

There were times when he felt bad about the lack of love, while others were immersed with it. That's when he saw someone who didn't have what he had. That's when he felt blessed. 

Some one who was lucky, other luckless. Someone who led an ordinary life. Someone who led an extra ordinary life. Someone who led a life less ordinary.

A man's mind has endless needs. 

While he can contemplate what he does not have, he will also have to cherish what he has. Not everyone will have the same things. Someone would have more, someone less. 

Life is a bundle of inconsistencies. The least I can do is be thankful to God Himself, and pray that others too get what they want. 

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Assumptions

Assumptions. I make them. You make them. Everyone makes them. 

These are an eternal necessity in our ever changing world. With nothing being constant, to achieve a certain goal, you have to rely on your assumptions.

And with so much riding on the assumptions you make, it will be most important to make an intelligent assumption. Assumption which is backed by correct and critical information. Assumption which would ideally yield you to expected result.

Assumptions during uncertain circumstances are a necessity, but assumptions on needless topics are certainly unwarranted. And in most cases, assumptions on such needless situations are wrong. 

Realistic Assumptions

It will be most worthwhile to recollect some important quotes about assumptions

~~~~

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships."

~~ Henry Winkler

“We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions.”

~~ Stephen R. Covey 

"I don't know. People always think that there has got to be a dark side to everyone, a closet with skeletons, demons under the bed. People think all kinds of things about one another. They feel compelled to make up fears and false assumptions about their closest friends. Truth is, I'll never know all there is to know about you just as you will never know all there is to know about me. Humans are by nature too complicated to be understood fully. So, we can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candor."

~~ Tom Hanks 

“What can be done with fewer assumptions is done in vain with more”

~~ Author Unknown

~~~

It's better to end the post on a lighter note. Let's have a look at some cartoons to understand a few things about assumptions.

Failed Assumptions

Assumed Assumptions

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Matchless Miss

You are a lady lovely,

Stylish and priceless,

With a aura starry,

You held me breathless.

I'm lucky that I met you,

I don't want to wish you adieu,

You are too good to be true,

Only if I could pursue you.

Your company is bliss,

Without you my life is amiss,

You are a Matchless Miss,

I give you a sweet soft kiss.

Matchless Miss - Ashley Greene

You are pure and white,

With you my life shines bright,

Only if we could unite,

For you this poetry I recite.

Parting with you is difficult,

Whether we will meet again is left to chance,

My mind is in a state of tumult,

You still hold me in a trance.

I wouldn't be your,

And you wouldn't be mine,

As I complete this memoir,

I pray, You will always shine.

Matchless Miss - Ashley Greene - She enamored me in Twilight

P.S. Once in a while you meet a Matchless Miss. You admire her, and she admires you. 

We meet, only to part, never to meet again.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

The Phone Booth

Some days are different, unique and very very fast. And today was one such day. My life today at work revolved around the phone.

In fact, the day almost started with a phone call - with a quickie 2 minute call at 1 AM in the morning.

Later, right from the starting the day at work at 9.30 AM to leaving my workplace at 9.15 in the evening, it was one marathon telephone call meeting after another. 

A quick calculation on the way home put the total numbers of hours invested in phone calls at 10. A perfect ten!!

This is apart from the small 2-3 minute calls attended over the second phone. Made me wonder about the last time when such a thing had happened. I fail to recollect such an instance. 

I wonder about this quote - “One good reason why computers can do more work than people is that they never have to stop and answer the phone”. And as I evaluate this intriguing thought, my phone rings - Tring Tring.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Redundant Vs Hope Always Floats

A thought has been plaguing my mind lately. It has been disturbing my sleep to a great extent. Dark thoughts cloud my idle mind. If there is one word to describe my mind, it will be restless.

What is it that is making me uneasy? What is it that is troubling me?? 

Thinking

Maybe a few examples will help.

You would have heard about a disaster recovery center. These are centers designed to be backups when the main systems fail. And for almost all practical cases, they don't play any part.

How about a sixteenth man in a cricket squad? There is no way he is going to get an opportunity to play the beautiful game. 

Forget about playing, the chances of him coming on the field as an replacement is also bleak. The probability of running across of the green grass with drinks in hand is also meager. 

16th Man in the Cricket Squad

How about a backup pilot in air? All that he gets to do is sit behind the main pilot and his deputy, and watch them fly the majestic bird in air. And of course see the appreciation in the eyes of the ordinary travelers when they see the pilot walk across to the boarding bay.

A380

If you are aware of computers, which you should be considering that you are reading this blog post, you must be aware of software. Think about that piece of code written in some software - for handling a case that never occurs.  

This could have been done as part of fail-safe coding. It could also have been due to pure oversight.

Are you wondering what is a common binding factors in all these illustrations. I bet, you don't have to think hard. That's because the answer is really simple. The  answer is Redundant.

Making Myself Useful

That's what I am exactly right now - Redundant. And believe me, it's really depressing to feel unworthy, useless, needless and superfluous. All that I can be is a machine in such cases.  

Redundant

I wonder whether redundancy is bad?

Redundancy is Not Bad

Well, my opinions have changed positively from what they were at the beginning of the post. 

If you see closely, in the previous Peanuts example, it is the redundant balloon which can get you up in the air, into the beautiful skies, to see the wonderful sight of dear earth. 

And in the last cartoon, you can see that the caddie has become redundant. Yes, he is now a redundant caddie, but also a budding and excellent golfer.

Well, I say to myself - don't be disappointed with being redundant. Hope always Floats!!

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Every Post Is A Winning Post

Some twenty eight years back, I did not know that I had entered a race track. A never ending race track. Like one of those never ending staircases you would have seen in "The Inception".

Time and again , I  saw winners around me. They were hugely talented and had loads of skills. Someone was a wonderful painter and someone a gifted musician. Someone was an elegant dancer or other a champion sportsman. The list was endless. Their accomplishments were majestic.

Talented

Appreciation was the order of the  day, supported by great recognition. Some of them were born with it. Others worked towards it. Whatever may be the case, they possessed that skill which made them a winner.

Gifted Child

I admired them. And I wished I was one among them. 

Awards were common for them. And they crossed milestones after milestones. For me, an award was as rare as a rain shower in a sizzling desert. Well, I did not complain. Instead I cherished that rare moment. 

Time passed. The sun set and rose again, and again. The story repeated time and again. The world won not once, but many many times. And for the world, I was just an "Also Ran". 

As an afterthought, being an "Also Ran" is not a bad thing if I look at all the posts I crossed with pride and happiness, and thank God Almighty for all this blessings. And most importantly, believe in that one adage - Every post is a winning post!!

Every Post Is A Winning Post

P.S. I planned to title this post as "Also Ran". My mind convinced me to change the title to the current one at the last moment. It's always better to finish with a positive note. :-)

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

What Makes You Special?

What makes you special?

So special that it would be difficult to give words to the thought.  Yet it is that unknown something which urges me to make an humble attempt to give it a try. And that in itself shows why you are so important.

Words would not do justice to the thoughts. Reams of pages would not be sufficient extol you. There aren't enough kind words to praise you.

I admire you for all that you are, and I hope you remain that way - forever. Appreciation will not know any boundaries for you. 

What Makes You Special

A foolish man that I am, I tried to measure your worth. You cannot be quantified in silver, gold or diamonds. Simply saying, you are priceless.

Maybe two words will say it all - you are exceptional and invaluable.

This post is short. Maybe the shortest. It's directly opposite to who you are - wonderful, marvellous and grand.

~~
P.S. This from my drafts, written for someone special. However, my poor memory does not recollect the person for whom I wrote this piece. 
~~

You Are A Special Person

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Bad Boy

You are a bad boy. You have known it. 

And today you have reaffirmed it. Bad boy. I simply hate you.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

What Works For Harry Potter?

Harry Potter has come a long way. A widely praised book and money spinner movie series, it was liked by all - young and old. Harry Potter is a reflection of how ordinary men and women like you and me love to get lost in the world of magic.

The first book of the Harry Potter series was published on 30 June 1997. Titled "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", it was an instant hit across the world. It catapulted the author J.K. Rowling to mega stardom. Since then she has published all the seven books of the series, finishing with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". 

This fantasy book series has also being converted into a successful movie franchisee. Needless to say, it's prime actors - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have become stars.

Harry, Hermione and Ron - Daniel, Emma and Rupert

The last movie of the Harry Potter franchisee - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is scheduled to release on 15 July 2011. Harry Potter fans are looking forward to this movie with a lot of excitement. It promises to be the darkest of all of them.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

What was it about Harry Potter that worked wonders? Well, here are some points I think which can be credited to it's success.

The Story

The Harry Potter story was a classic. Rowling built it up excellently over the multiple books. And most importantly she retained the suspense till the very end.

The first book - "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" - introduced the world to the most important characters in the series - Harry himself and Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter

The names of the seven books of the series are :-

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Each of the seven books above wove a great fantasy story revolving around Harry,  Hermione, Ron, Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts school, the Death Eaters, and ultimately The Dark Lord. 

The theme of the book - "Victory of good over evil" was a hit.

The Narration
J.K. Rowling narrated the story beautifully. The narration was wonderful and spell binding. It had finely crafted characters you could easily relate to. 

J.K. Rowling

Most importantly, it had the element of magic - something which we all desire in our ordinary life. Harry Potter is often credited with bringing back kids to books, in the age of computers.

The School and The Teachers
It was the story about a school which we all dream about. A huge castle, big lawns, lots of hidden secrets, some wonderful teachers, some really scary teachers et al. 

The Hogwarts Castle

A major part of the story was painted in Hogwarts and most of these moments were special. Chapters like "The Battle of Hogwarts" added to the excitement.

You had interesting teachers - Albus Dumbledore who was the Head, Ms McGonagall. Severus Snape kept the audience thinking right into the seventh book on his allegiance. 

Albus Dumbledore

Dolores Umbridge, Mad-Eye Moody and Horace Slughorn lit up the intermediate books. Hagrid too was an affable character.

The Friends and The Foes
Harry Potter had an interesting mix of characters. Like in schools, it depicted friendships between diverse people. You had Hermione who was a muggle (an ordinary person like you and me), Ron who was a pure blood wizard and Harry who was a half blood (his mom was a muggle and his father was a wizard). 

Then you had other student characters who played the bad guys. All in all, it was an interesting mix and added to the beauty of the story.

Draco Malfoy

Interestingly, all students could do magic, cast interesting spells, do amazing tricks and play some really tough games. All these antics were a hit with the readers and the movie goers.

The Supporting Characters
You had other interesting characters in the book. This included ghosts, talking portraits, a Poltergeist, a Sorting Hat, a Centaur, a wand maker etc etc. All this characters played a major part in the story. 

You cannot forget Dobby, who was a house elf. Then there were Goblins, owls, a rat  (who later turned into a man), a cat and what not. Some of these characters were a reflection of real life animals, while many were imaginary. Rowling's imagination in depicting these characters and weaving them into the story was simply superb.

Dobby

Most importantly, there was a snake. That itself gave rise to many a terms - like parsletounge - which meant the ability to understand both humans and snakes.

Last but not the least, you had muggles. They were ordinary men and women like you and me.

The Magic
The book was all about magic. You had wizards, muggles and half wizards. They could cast spells, make interesting potions, fly on a broom, walk into a non-existent train platform etc etc. All this struck a chord in the hearts of the people.

Spells - Avada Kedavara

We all hope to have an element of magic in our life. This book was full of it. It would be apt to remember Rowling's line - Magic is Might.

The Dark Characters
There was no dearth of dark characters in the book. 

You had Lord Voldemort itself. He had several names like "He Who Must Not Be Named", "The Dark Lord" etc etc. He was cruel, unforgiving, brilliant, intelligent and really dark. He was Harry's chief nemesis.

To support him, there were loads of Death Eaters. And there were Dementors - who could suck the happiness out of you.

Dementors

All these dark characters casted bewitching spell, hurt people and were a threat to the lives of wizards and muggles. The battle between them and Harry and team was a primary idea of the story.

Harry Ron Hermione and Co
Last but not the least, it was a story about Harry. The Potter boy worked his magic into the hearts of the people. 

Harry, Hermione and Ron

From being without parents since he was a little boy, to suffering the cruelty at the hands of his mother's relatives, to making great friends with Ron and Hermione, and finally falling in love with Ginny - it was an incredible journey.

This book has been often criticized as a children's book. In case you have not read the book, let me assure you that it is not the case. It is something which adults too would love to read. After all, who doesn't love magic, romance, hatred and love. 

The books are extremely addictive. After reading the first 5 books well after they were published, I was hugely hooked onto the book. And I read the last two books within two days of the book being released. 

The movies too are good. Children will fancy the excitement depicted on the big screen.

All in all, this fantasy story series is a must read. Hope you read it if you haven't done till now. It is never late. And if you have read it, it will be great if you could share your experience.

Long Live Harry Potter and his cult.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?

Rewind

If God offered me one chance to rewind something, needless to say, it would have been Time.

Rewind

Just a few days back, someone told me - "Life gives us the experience first, then the lesson." Thank you "A" for sharing that vital lesson. We discussed many things, but this thought has been etched in my mind.

I wonder, is there is any way we can reverse that order? The answer is a No.  Hope it was a Yes. Wish it was a Yes.

The only thing that we can attempt is to learn from the lesson so that we can attempt to create a better experience next time. 

Alternatively, we can only pray to God Almighty to rewind Time. How I wish that God Himself would answer this prayer.

Let me delve into the deep, thoughtful world of how and why I would love to Rewind back my time.

I would like to be a little child again, innocent and cut off from the world of realities. I would love to spend all my time sleeping, playing, doing nothing. And maybe learning to walk again. And learning to speak again.

I would like to that little going school boy, learning new things everyday. Maybe I would pay more attention in the classes, now that I know that some of those teachings will be useful. 

I would try to excel at sports, and some other extra curricular activities. That way, I would try to be a more versatile somebody. Well, it may or may not help me directly in the future. But hopefully, it would help shape my personality.

And then I would definitely like to bring back my old college days. Reflecting back, I would love to be more care free. And of course, learn a bit more. 

Contemplating Mind

It would be worthwhile to contemplate on whether I should go in for higher studies. Importantly, not only procrastinate, but actionise it equally well.

Most importantly, I would love to create relationships. And maybe mould relationships. And simply prevent them from getting lost in the sea of acquaintances.

How I wish I could  have asked some of those questions I didn't ask. And How I hope I could have buried some of the pondering questions in my deep, dark mind rather than letting them come out of my silly lips. 

I would have loved to ensure that somehow I don't end up possessing some bad qualities I own now. And I wish that I could possess some other good qualities I lack now.

My My, I have so many wishes. So many dreams. So many things I could have done differently. 

I have been silly at best, and how I wish I could simply rewind.

~~

My heart sang a chime,

Can I rewind the time?

Chances of it were grim,

Wish God could realise my whim.

Can I change my past,

Recast my history vast?

Remould my life some,

It's simply impossible, I should fathom!!

~~

Can I Rewind My Life? Oh No, I have just started.

---

Share On Your Social Network

Tweet

Read My News Letter

Interested In Reading More?