An idiot who sold a ship

Author: Vijay Walia
Interesting book on self help, inspirational, and a text for sales person. The most I liked in the book is the simplicity. Lots of anecdotes are given from different walks of life. Pictorial presentations are nice. Each chapter is short and crisp, with continuity between the chapters.

Not sure how much depth and stuff this book contains; but definitely worth a quick read or as a light reading.

The author address himself as 'I', 'He' or 'the idiot'. Quite confusing to know which person he is addressing. 'The idiot' mentioned in so many places seems artificial and irritating.

Mangalore design

This picture is the railing we used in our home staircase. If you go around Mangalore or Udupi homes, you will find the same design. It is as thou this area people love this and imbibed in their homes. Here is the story behind the uniform installment.

When I was looking around for such design material, the vendor gave out a brochure. I carefully went through different designs, compared them each other, choose few, rejected some. After 30 mins or so, I came up with a preference list and showed them to the vendor. He was quick enough to tell those designs were not available and pointed only two designs possible. Also, out of two, he cautioned not to go for one because it was cloth unfriendly (saree or dhothi gets stuck in such design).

I came to know about another shop with wide range of selection. I approached them and enquired about few designs. They called their suppliers in Mumbai and confirmed those designs were available. However the cost quoted was double the times compared to the previous shop.

That is how I (and most of Mangaloreans) ended up with the Mangalore design railing pattern. We are waiting for one soul to purchase a new design from shop B, so that the new design will subsequently be added to the local menu. Hope that new design is cloth friendly.

official mail

I had to send an email to 10+ folks at office and gather their response. I sent one email addressing them in general and cc-ing bunch of managers. I didnt get any response.

Then I sent 10+ emails. Directly addressing them, placing their name in the subject and cc-ing none. An email was sent to one member only. I got response from all.

Just wondering what is the key behind this situation. Did they respond because they are directly responsible and hold accountable? But managers were not informed, so they could have deferred.

Anyway I got what I wanted and a new technique to apply at such scenario.

night lights

Have you taken time to notice lights? What is about lights? While strolling in the night time, watching the lights surrounding you. The hazy yellow light from a distance street lamp, dull white light from a near by shop, the head light and tail light of a passing by cars. Some funky bikes have fancy colored led lights, bright blue, green, red blinking together. Then the faithful traffic lights, mercury lamps, stadium lights, lights, lights and more lights.

One interesting facts about these lights is the way they kindle one's past life. Some of the lights brings me strange feelings inside me. They transport to a distance past, to a distance place. A place where we had been on a night, where there was a similar light glowing as a witness. A dim light from a distance carries a dimness, sadness of its own - just as a dieing star emitting out its last portion of energy.

ok, let me save this blog before the lights goes off due to frequent power cuts.

Astronomy sun vs astrology sun

Here is a thought about astrology and the symbols used in this field.

History of fore-telling ought to have been practised from pre-historic times, may be before even civilisation formed. As hunters, they would have tried to figure the future with local gods, priest; and used tools like dices, flowers, bones, bird movement, black cream on leaves etc etc. N number of devices might have been used, but their queries would have fallen into a countable categories. will I come back safe from the hunt, can we expect a good game, will my wives and kids be safe till I return, what will the enemies' strategies ... not much of today's queries.

Anyway, the tools used got sophisticated as technology improved. Crystal ball, card reader, palm leaf prediction, Nostradamus poems, computer prediction etc. One such field would have been astrology, developed when astronomy and astronomical terminology became popular. Astrology might have borrowed the terminologies and designed a confusing tables to obscure from common man. The zodiac sign in astrology may be more of symbols and notation than the actual star and planets. Something like algebraic notation like x,y used to mean something in an equation but they don't refer the actual alphabets.

So, this again boils down to constructing a sophisticated system with hify buzz words to cheat people. Weak minded folks who cant accept uncertainty fall prey to these foretelling traps.

Power of negative thinking Part 3

Here is an authenticate proof for the "power of -ve thinking".
Happen to go thru this article on
Why Positive Thinking is Bad For You.
The summary of above article is When Positive Thinking Creates Unnecessary Stress

The summary of above summary is:
Dont worry about fixing every 'problem' you come across. Most of them may not be problems. Or the fix is costlier than going thru the pain.

a farmer's suicide

I am a farmer owning a fertile land portion near a river. I remember good times when the crop yield was high and generating surplus money. Gone are those days. We, farmers, started using fertilizers and ended up with corrupt land. We spoiled the fertility with chemicals and now suffering from surprising results.

The city used to be a distance place and we had our own undisturbed life. These days the city is sprawling out of proportion and had grown very near to us. Soon it will gulp our little village. The cost of village has already started growing up. Our life style seem to modernize and improve with city air, but that is leaving a gloomy heart at the end. Even the crops, land and water are turning impure, pollination has reduced.

I had to spray chemical bottles thrice a season. Each bottle costed me Rs 300. The seed cost, preparation, labour etc ran into few thousands. The money used to be on rotation. Borrow the money from the merchant and sell the cultivated crop back to him. Good yield goes through smooth. However, difficult times like now is what mounting stress at many points.

I contemplated on selling off the land and settling the few thousand outstanding. However with improper title records, complexities of selling agricultural land, bureaucracy etc stopped me from attempting that.

I cannot hold any more. This is too much for a tiny man - to face the gigantic problems, stir through the trouble, reach a safe harbour - no, I dont think I can do. I had decided to put a stop this flow; it is just like cultivation .. you grow the crop and cut it when rip. I see my life like that. Only that I feel like going towards rotten state. Let me reap myself.

Oh river! you had breathed life into the crops year after years, generation after generation. You had given life to all of us. In return I could give only by swollen body. Be kind to shovel it off to the shores.

The water flow is calm but strong at this time of the year. I am standing at the brink of a small bridge. Last thing I want to do is pray good for my family. Let them flourish with whatever support they could get.

A car from the city stopped by on the side of the road. Had someone seen me at stopping to help me out? No, nobody is shouting or rushing. A man in thick suite got out of the car and moved towards the edge of the bridge. He dragged his heavy frame of body over the bridge railings. That is the time he saw me. I could sense his feelings through his eyes. The same destructive forces. There was a stillness in the air. He slowly started the conversation and enquired about me. I told my situation in short and asked about him.

He: I am a businessman. Thought of givings up my life due to recent transactions.

Me: Lot of loss?

He: No, it should be a profit.

Me: How much?

He: Petty. Should be near 15 million.

Me: WTF?!!! Then why?

He: Well, it is not the kind of money I used to make. These days I am doing bad enough to get into deep depression.

I started walking back to my home.

Power of negative thinking Part 2

This is an extension theory of part 1. A broader application.

Many people complain about life in this manner, "I have been good to everyone, I dont know why things like this happen". They imply that by being good (as per their own measurements), they are bound to be showered with goodness. The expectation is that by default the system they are in ought to be nurturing their current needs and demands. Any deviation from their mind plan is considered as unfair.

Let us wear our negative hat. See the world as a horrible place with vicious people around. We will never have problem dealing with one or two bad events. It is not that we will have to be pessimistic that the system will be always bad. There would be patches of goodness, but dont expect to have it at all place, all times.

Here is the above point illustrated with an analogy. By nature a land would grow out useless weeds and harmful thorns. Manual efforts like ploughing, sowing, watering, etc would give useful yield. Same way the default behaviour of the surrounding system is not conducive for our life plans; hard work is required to turn negativity into positive results.

Thank god, got the long awaited government job

That is the title of the story.

Story:
14th Aug 1947 11am IST

Power of negative thinking

I was waiting for a craftsman to show up. This type of craftsmen are notorious to break their words and discard the appointments. They dont meet; puzzling thing is .. why dont they deny service instead of making false promises. Even if they start, they seem to drag the work and borrow more time. Had this experience four or five times with this particular workmen, also heard from others. They are branded for this attitude.

Anyway, here I am waiting for one of them. The time starts to slip. I could either tune up some positive thinking or negative thoughts. I choose to think negative. I thought the chap wont turn up. Odd things happened inside me. A lighter sense of being, with less tension and pressure developed. Turning off the expectations reduced the stress level. It was good at that time.

To keep up his clan's tradition, he didnt turn up. That didnt affect me as the negative aurora insulated me from the harsh externals.

Modern life

Delhi was chilling by the Sunday early morning fog. Grandma was shiveringly waiting at the bus stop. A skoda car skid through the wet road and stopped in front of her. Grandma was glad her grandson, Aditya, came on time to pick her. She had quite a good amount of luggage from the far off village, mainly eatables for Aditya's family. Also as this is her first trip to the metro, she had equipped herself with enough clothing to sustain winter climate.

Aditya and the car gave a warm welcome to the guest and they were on their way to home. Aditya's home is a mini villa tucked in a quite corner of the city. Few minutes of distance from the buzzing main road gives them enough silence amidst the crowd. An architect designed compact house with all essential features and tipping towards luxury.

Aditya's wife Sinu received them well. Thou married for 5 months, she had interacted with Aditya's relatives over phone and jelled nicely with them. Sinu took grandma to guest room and showed her the house. Breakfast was ready in short while and they were enjoying the day.

Grandma was quite comfortable in two day stay and got to know much about the new member of her family. One thing started bothering grandma in her visit. The bedroom. She happen to notice that Aditya and Sinu happen to come out of different rooms in the morning. Aren't they sleeping together?!! This was a shock and worried if there is a drift between the newly married couple.

Thou an experienced women, grandma was hesitant to raise the matter to the city girl. She was afraid of the repercussion of a straight talk. However she couldn't take the matter lightly. Things were bothering and clouding in her mind.

As she was helping Sinu in the kitchen (when Adi was not around), slowly grandma brought up her doubt. She politely asked without being nosey, to find why they sleep in separate bedroom. Sinu burst out a spontaneous laugh upon hearing grandma's disturbing question. She controlled her laughter and answered to puzzled grandma, "No ma, there is no friction between us; except that I need a bed lamp while sleeping and Adi want pitch dark room, he cant sleep with light. So, when we feel really sleepy, he goes to the other room!". Grandma responded with a relief, embarrassingly smile.

Stocks for the long run

When we think about stock market, immediate images that comes to our mind are ups and down of daily graph, quick money, double in short etc ... also the sad face after the bear attack. Herd mindset rules while chasing the brands and over priced items. The events are perceived more as a random act and hence reducing the trading to that of gambling.

Rare are those try to deduct some sense out of the rush. Observing the money flow and the trend. Those are the ones looking into the fundamentals and the technicals, choosing a method for their own style. They do invest wisely and be peaceful.

The book "Stocks for the long run" is for a person looking for ways to have a smooth sail through the market. The language is very simple for anyone to understand the concepts. Lots of sample data, historical facts, well researched ideas are presented throughout. Author Jeremy J Siegel puts forward many case studies of rise and fall of companies, market crashes, predictions etc.

Ever wondered how the stock exchanges list the companies and categorizes them? This is explained in a nice manner. Also there are methods for filtering out good companies. Those methods are explained along with comparison. The book touches upon other investing tools and checks the historical returns derived from them. Thou major discussion of the book happens at the American financial backdrop, there is a chapter devoted for Indian and Chinese markets and how we will be influencing the world economy.

Would recommend this book to anyone interested in making money through trading.
Btw, by 'long run', the author hints 15 to 20 years :-)

film network

Here is a recipe for social networking website for film fans. The core site is a canvas board where users can drop an item. Item could be a movie, actor, director, musician etc. These items may be interconnected to each other. For eg, an actor connected to movies he acted. From the same movie, there may be connections to director and so forth. The items may have properties, like when the movie was released, dob of the actor etc. Also, item could point to a wiki page for users to update and post their comments.

The end result would be a one big mess of complex connected graph. The beauty of this structure is that the data is generated by the users from scratch. Moderators could help in trimming the data and avoid duplication.

Tags on language or imdb style of genre could help in quick search.

Subjective queries like movies by particular actor+ actress, or Chinese romantic movies of 80s could be attempted.