Independence Day Blasphemy-2

I guess you would have got this forward 5 times at the least, but it looks relevant to my next post.
Mind u, this was not an eye-opener or something, for I have never considered what I do as hard-work, even if spend 20hrs in office. My job is fun, exhilarating and challenging/interesting, but in terms of 'hardness' of the job, I would surely rank it among the lowest. My manager says, thats the problem with me, that I am not taking my work seriously :P

"Vivek Pradhan wasn't a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the First Class air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi Express couldn't cool his frayed nerves. He was a Project Manager and entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin guy, it was the savings in time.

A PM had so many things to do! He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use. "Are you from the software industry sir?" the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car. "You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized."

"Thanks" smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a detailed look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a Railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

"You people always amaze me" the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid." came the reply. This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came into his so far affable, persuasive tone.

"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in." "Hard work!" "Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office doesn't mean our brows don't sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."

He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point. "Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a rain ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database at a given time; concurrency, data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"
The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design and code such things." "I used to" Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the project manager," "Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy now."

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had to be given a feel of the heat. "Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I don't do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. And to tell you about the pressures! There is the customer at one end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realisation. What he had said was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth. "My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolor at the top only 4 of us were alive."
"You are a..."
"I am Subedar Sushant Singh from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded. His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valor and duty was a daily part of life; a valor and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes. The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant Singh picked up his bags to alight. "It was nice meeting you sir." Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This was the hand that had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger and hoisted the tricolor. Suddenly as if by impulse he stood at attention, and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute.

(This incident during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true life incident during the Kargil war. Major Vikram Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra - the nation's highest military award)"

Poverty

I've been such a fool, Vassili. Man will always be man. There is no new man. We worked so hard to create a society that was equal, where there'd be nothing to envy your neighbour. But there's always something to envy. A smile, a friendship, something you don't have and want to appropriate. In this world, even a Soviet one, there will always be rich and poor. Rich in gifts, poor in gifts. Rich in love, poor in love.
- Danilov, Enemy at the Gates

Rumble in the Bronxகார்த்திக்கின் 2005 u.S பயணம்

2005 வரை கார்த்தியின்  posts .அதன் பின் நான் [கார்த்திக் அம்மா தொடர்கிறேன்.]இது ஒரு மீள் பதிவே
A travelogue in pics.[this is posted by KARTHIK ]கார்த்திக்கின் 2005 u.S பயணம்

6/17
.
Coffee with Boeing! Cafe by the airside at London Heathrow

6/18

Outside Indianapolis Speedway


Formation lap


Narain Karthikeyan


Fox reports on US GP debacle

6/25

San Antonio Sea World

6/26

SCSE2002 Texans Get-together. Herbert Jose (he is now Hose ;), Arun aka Koopi, Sibi and the honorary Texan


Jet Skiing in Lake Travis, Austin

7/2

With Vijay aka <%youknowwhat%> at College Station, TX in front of his department.


Live music at the live music capital of the world(read US). 6th Street, Austin

7/4

Independence Day, downtown Austin

7/6

Tubing in Lake Georgetown

7/8

Stranded in Cincinnati airport after the flight missed me. Was one of the only 4 people in the whole airport that night. Ironically, I was watching 'The Terminal' on my GMini.

7/9

Perumal, me and Vasanth @ Peru's apartment in Jersey City. The view out of his window in Manhattan.


Ellis Island Museum. Remember the place Will Smith takes Eva Mendes to, in Hitch?


Been There Seen That


BTST


BTST


Scene at a NewYork Times Square Subway Station


Caricature of a caricature. Times Square

7/10

At Sai's house in Washington DC.


Hope diamond at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. This was supposedly stolen from the idol of Sita from some temple in India and hence carries a curse!


National Archives. Remember the place Nicholas Cage steals the US Constitution in National Treasure?


Nilaava thottathu yaaru? Intha Karthikeyan thaan! Piece of rock from the moon


No. This was not part of my trip. But this ruined my planned trip to London. I even got the British visa the day before the blasts. But my mom denied me visa to go to London. :( (That makes me a victim of a terrorist attack, doesn't it?)

Move over, iPod! GMini is here!!

The time of plain vanilla mp3 players is over. Even before it really started, I guess.
Life is not just random, guys. Life is color. And life is both audio and video.
Check out my new 20GB Audio/Video player Archos GMini400.

Tagged

Got tagged by TheManager@Manojar

3 Names you go by:
Kuchi
Demi
Karthik

3 Screen names:
PonniyinSelvan
Neo
Aragon

3 Physical things you like about yourself:
Me
Me
Me

3 Physical things you don't like about yourself:
NA
NA
NA

3 Parts of your heritage:
Rich colorful history
Endurance
Honour

3 Things That Scare You:
Idiots
Theory Exams
MBA Assignments

3 Of Your Everyday Essentials
Music
Computer w/ net conn
Bike/Car

3 Things You Are Wearing Right Now
Shirt
T-Shirt (yeah, one on another)
Jean

3 Things You Want In A Relationship
Dependence
Independence
Sensibility

Two Truths and A Lie (in no particular order)
I am always logical
I am hyper-egoistic
I am in love

3 Physical Things About the Opposite Sex That Appeal To You
Liveliness
Dressing Sense
Eyes

3 Things You Want To Do Really Badly Right Now
Dance like crazy
Drive like crazy
Rock-climbing

3 Careers You Are Considering
Archaeologist
Director
Techical Architect

Three Places You Want To Go On Vacation
Hampi
Ladakh
Switzerland

Three Kids Name You Like
Ilaya Pallavan (I named my uncle's kid so. He will grow up to curse me, I guess)
Arun
Kayazhvizhi

Three Things You Want To Do Before You Die
Make a movie on Vijayanagar
Build Indian history database
Write a path-breaking AI application

People Who Have To Take The Quiz Now:
Mani@Balasubramani
Sudhakar
Kicha

The Jedi Code & The Sith Code

The Jedi Code:
There is no emotion; There is peace.
There is no ignorance; There is knowledge.
There is no passion; There is serenity.
There is no death; There is the Force.

The Sith Code:
Peace is a lie, there is only passion
Through passion, I gain strength
Through strength, I gain power
Through power, I gain victory
Through victory, my chains are broken
The Force shall free me

So what am I? Jedi or the Sith Lord? The Jedi code seems to be the way to go, even if it sounds like Buddhism, but total elimination of passion is next to impossible. Or may be I am not willing to let go (As Master Yoda tells Anakin : Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose). The darker side of the force is calling and who can resist its call. (If I go on further I will end up in 'What is the purpose of life', so stop here I must)

Mustang, here I come! Montoya, here I come!

I am travelling to Austin tomorrow, for a month's stay. No body knows why I have to go to Austin to do the same work, I have been doing(or not doing) all the while here. Anyway, at least I will get to take that Ford Mustang for a spin again. That was the part I loved most in my last trip too.

But thats not all. We have to grow up. We gotta keep doing greater things. So I am gonna watch one Mr.Juan Pablo Montoya drive one car called Mclaren in one Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a event called Formula 1 U.S Grand Prix. Let me pinch myself again. 3 weeks ago I wasn't sure I will watch an F1 race in my life time. In two days time, its gonna be a reality. (if all goes well, that is)

What next? I am planning a vacation in London on my return journey, subject to the British Consulate in LA giving me a visa. What with my gang-mate NaveenRaj in London assuring complete sponsorship for the vacation and my company sponsoring my travel this is one helluva deal of a lifetime to tour London for free...

Have kept the rest of my schedule pretty open to accomodate any wacky ideas me and my friends there can generate(A visit to NYC is on the cards..) So stay tuned to hear my exploits.. (No. not like the one from my last visit where I banged my Mustang against a Dodge Ram! or that tumble down that ski slope without my skiing sticks!!)

Probability for God's existence - 0.666 !?!

No. I did not derive this probability value. In fact I think of probability, statistics etc. as unscientific approaches or 'psuedo-sciences' as I like to call them (More on that later, if you are interested :)

I happened to glance across this article in some very old Outlook magazine in a restaurant a long time ago, while waiting to get seated. Half the page was torn so I couldn't get the writer's detailed arguments, but there was a summary box which outlined his article. He tried to list out the arguments supporting and denying the existence of God. I don't remember them exactly but they were something like these.
For:
* There is no totally satisfactory explanation as to 'Why and how the universe exists? or why life exists on this universe? how life came into existense' (or something like that)
* --Dont remember the second point :)
Against:
* Apparent lack of God's interference with the universe. If he is out there, he is not maintaining justice in this world as he is supposed to be. The universe seems to be working as per a standard set of rules(framed by God?). 'God is not playing dice'
So the writer arrives at this 2:1 ratio and says that the probability of God's existence is 2/(2+1) : 0.66

As I said, the probability value is meaningless to me(unless it is 0.0 or 1.0). The truth is something that fits all the available evidence. Not a probability of the percentage of evidence that supports the assumption. As Sherlock Holmes would say, 'When you have eliminated all the other possibilities, whatever possibility remains, however improbable it might look, is the truth.'

Anand Swaminathan, to answer your comment in my previous post 'World's most widely spread disorder'. Yes. I do think about God a lot. Atleast about the questions for which the scientific studies haven't been able to give satisfactory answers. Questions for which the 'believers' believe the answer is God. Something on the lines of
* Why universe?
* Why life?
* What is the start/end of time and space? (I couldn't understand Stephen Hawking's explanation that time-space is spherical and doesn't have start/end. Somehow doesnt seem to make sense)
* Why these rules that govern the universe? (To what extent can scientific study provide answer to the question 'Why'. How atom exists? Because of protons and electrons having opposite charges and they attract. Why should opposites attract? Why not repel? I mean, who framed these rules? Is this where science ends and religion starts?)

BUT, I am not ready to take 'God' as the default answer for the lack of even some flimsy piece of evidence to support it, except for people's belief(and how many billions of them for how many ages)

Hasta La Vista, Chennai!

இது நாள் வரையில் நான் என்னை முழு பெங்களூர்வாசியாக நினைத்ததில்லை. வாரத்தில் 5 பகல்கள் 4 இரவுகள் பெங்களூரில், 2 பகல்கள் 1 இரவு சென்னையில், 2 இரவுகள் பெங்களூர் மெயிலில் 'Side Lower berth' இல். இது தான் என் கடந்த மூன்று ஆண்டு கால வாழ்கை. ஆனால் இந்த வாரம் முதல் நான் ஒரு முழு பெங்களூர்வாசி. கடைசியாக hosteler வாழ்க்கை முடிந்து உண்மையிலேயே day-scholar ஆக போகிறேன்! Lets see how a full-fledged life in the IT capital turns out to be.

Signing off in Style

Its official now. I am a signature freak. I have had atleast 22 quotes or taglines in my mail signatures in the last 3 years. Out of those 9 are from Matrix, not surprisingly. Quite an interesting collection I have got hear, I guess(At least for me :) My pick of the lot are 11 and 13. Expand for the complete list. Its in chronological order. Im also curious to know each of your current signatures. Leave them in the comments if you dont mind :)

1. Your body is a bundle of chemical compounds, bundled in a specific way, whose next state depends on its current state and external variables neither of which is under its control. So, Destiny is destined.

2. Mahatma Gandhi : "Not only your aims should be good and noble, but the means to achieve those aims also should be good and noble".
Sardar Patel : "So long your aims are good, it doesn't matter what means you apply to achieve those aims".
Take your pick!

3. Our greatest virtue lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

4. I do what I do, because I BELIEVE in something.
          - Morpheus.

5. I used to be schizophrenic, but now we are fine.

6. Of course, I don't look busy. I do it right the first time.

7. I want to see the mountains Gandalf, MOUNTAINS!
          - Bilbo Baggins

8. Do you think it is air that you are breathing?
          - Morpheus

9. "They didn't know what they were doing"
I'm afraid that is going to be the epithet of mankind.
          - Michael Crichton, Prey

10. "Because you have been down there Neo, you know that road, you know exactly where it ends. And I know that's not where you want to be."
          - Trinity

11. I know you're real proud of this world you've built, the way it works, all the nice little rules and such, but I've got some bad news. I've decided to make a few changes.
          - Neo

12. Your life is the sum of a reminder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the Matrix.

13. My life is the sum of a reminder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the Matrix.
I am the anomaly.

14. Don't worry about the vase.
          - The Oracle.

15. As God, I find your faith in Me amusing.

16. The purpose of philosophy is not to help men find the meaning of life, but to prove to them that there isn't any.
          -Ayn Rand.

17. We are such insignificant creatures on a minor planet of a very average star in the outer suburbs of one of a hundred thousand million galaxies. So it is difficult to believe in a God that would care about us or even notice our existence.
          - Stephen Hawking

18. The same attribute cannot at the same time belong and not belong to the same subject in the same respect.
           - Aristotle

19. A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.
          - Mithrandir

20. Trinity : No one has ever done anything like this!
Neo : That's why its gonna to work.

21. Too few of us question our assumptions; I unquestionably assume that every assumption should be questioned.

22. Temet Nosce

World's Most widely spread disorder

Schizophrenia. Actually, Mass Schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia as I understand, is a mental disorder where people, 'see' people who don't really exist(at least, others don't see it). They talk to them and even derive some comfort from that.
I kind of feel, this symptom exactly fits people who believe in someone called 'God' who always listens to them, on very rare occasions talks back to them, most of the times does things for them(though He doesn't show himself in person) and comforts them with 'Main Hoon Na' dialogue(atleast people comfort themselves with 'Woh Hai Na. Woh dekh lega').
Guess this is the world's most widely spread mental disorder, what with almost/atleast 50% of the world suffering from it.

Wait a minute, wait a minute, now that I think about it, why can't it be me, who is schizoprenic or something, denying the existence of some real 'God'? :P

Chandramukhi - A decent Movie, but disappointing as a Rajini Movie

Chandramukhi has a good story, though a little cliched, with good scope for acting for all the characters. The hero role would perfectly fit someone like Mamootty or Mohanlal or even Prakash Raj, but not a larger than life hero like Vijay or Ajith, let alone Rajinikanth. Its a character that has to be played with subtlety, not with heroism. The less visible the character is, the more effective it would be. An excellent opportunity for a budding middle-aged hero/actor. But for Rajini! The last thing you want Rajini to be doing at this stage is trying to pacify a ghost, by making the ghost believe that he is the evil king and then burning down himself(or his effigy) and make the ghost leave Jyothika's body. At least had he taken the ghost head-on, the Rajini-fan in me wouldn't have been complaining. Agreed that Rajini's recent roles had a certain pattern(Basha, Muthu, Arunachalam and to certain extent in Padayappa & Baba too), where he is a humble commoner in the first half and then rises to/turns out to be a larger than life hero/demi-god in the second half. But no one was complaining, but lapping it up greedily, movie after movie. I will still prefer hundred more such 'Rajinikanth-genre' movies from Rajini rather than a 'Spooky-Detective-Thriller' genre movie with Rajini in it.

But go-ahead and watch it anyway, for its a crime not to watch a new movie from the next chief minister of the state !?#$@?! ;) and at the end of the day, its still a movie worth watching.

More random notes:
* The comedy track is humorous in parts, but predominantly gross (not uncharacteristic of Vadivelu)
* Can't help remembering Sivakami's painting(from Kalki's Sivakamiyin Sabatham), when one looks at the painting of Chandramukhi in the palace.
* There couldn't have been a worse choice but Jyothika for a role that requires a proper Bharathanatyam dancer, even if the next choice I can think of is Banupriya. The combo of Shobana as dancer-ghost-seized Ganga and Mohanlal as the subtle investigating psychiatrist would surely be a movie worth watching even if u don't understand Malayalam.
* Nayanthara has been totally wasted. She disappears in the second half of the movie. But has played her part and whatever opportunity it offers, with conviction.
* 'Ra Ra Sarasukku Ra Ra' was kind of gripping and soul-rendering in the movie. Something like the legendary 'Naane varuven...' naga kanni song.
* Thankfully Rajini has resorted back to his old style/make-up instead of experimenting with new looks like he tried in Baba. Doesn't look as old as he did in Baba either :)
* Agreed Prabhu is the producer. But that doesn't mean he can claim as much screen space as he has. I definitely don't wanna see Rajini and Prabhu dancing like equal heroes like they did in Guru Sishyan days. Even in Vasool Raja he was treated like dirt and here he tries to play as an equal to Rajinikanth. Oof!
* BTW can someone throw some light on the reason behind the special thanks to 'Padmashri Kamal Hassan' at the start of the movie? I half-expected him to crop up in some scene.

As God, I...

...find your faith in me, amusing!

என்ன யாரும் ஏமாத்த முடியாது! நானா ஏமாந்தாத்தான் உண்டு!!

Yesterday Channel [V] was running a footer ad that says 'The Wildest VJ to hit TV screens! Only Flesh! No Talk!! 3 days to go!' The first thing that came to my mind was an elephant(or some wild animal). Voila! it fitted well! And add to the fact that 3 days from yesterday is April 1st. Perfect fit! அடடடடடா! SK! நீ பெரிய ஆளுடா. உன்ன யாரும் ஏமாத்த முடியாது. But having said that, this was too simple a riddle to crack, I guess.

What they study at B-School?

Well, quite a lot. For instance, how people who can not even spell Six-Sigma, were one of the earliest to attain Six-Sigma rating without a single manager, while organizations run by thousands of managers struggle in vain, to claim such fancy tags Mumbai's Dabbawalas - An Entrepreneurial Success Story
or how people like Michael Dell, who did not even complete their undergrads, let alone business management, succeed by breaking every rule in any B-School book and eventually enter B-School books as case studies. ("He began his business tinkering with machines in his University of Texas dorm room, and a mere eight years later cracked the FORTUNE 500, making him, at 27, the youngest FORTUNE 500 CEO ever. Doubters said his company would never challenge the big boys, that his model wouldn't work overseas, that he couldn't sell servers and he has proved them wrong every time.")

I read a long time back that one Mumbai Dabbawala was invited to one IIM to lecture the aspiring managers. I don't know what he lectured on though... Was it on Six-Sigma? or was it on Common-Sense? or was it on KISS?

America's Most Admired Company

Dell was voted the most admired company in the United States according to a poll released Monday by Time, Inc.'s Fortune magazine, supplanting Wal-Mart in the first spot and pushing IBM off the top 10 list.

Dell tops Fortune's 'Most Admired Companies' list

Now Dell is the first PC maker to hold the rank of America's Most Admired—since the original "PC" maker, IBM, logged off in 1986.

America's Most Admired Companies - Most Admired Companies: Dude! Dell's No. 1!

"If the idea of maturity is unsettling to Dell, it could be because he himself just hit the big four-oh. But there has to be consolation in what he has accomplished in his time. His company has run through the competition like some kind of sports team from Boston. Let's quickly review the recent meta events of the PC industry: IBM, the company that practically invented the desktop computer, has exited the business by selling out to the Chinese firm Lenovo. Gateway has seen its business crash—its stock, which traded above $80 five years ago, now fetches $4 and change.

Compaq wisely sold out to Hewlett-Packard, which unwisely doubled down in this market, giving Dell—as one wag puts it—"a bigger butt to kick." And of course it was HP's bet on Compaq that ultimately cost Carly Fiorina her job (see "How the HP Board KO'd Carly"). Truly, this is an industry under assault, and in every instance the guy at the other end of the gun is Michael Dell. "You have to just say he has done a hell of a job," says former GE CEO Jack Welch."

The Art of Programming

'A computer is like a violin. You can imagine a novice trying first a phonograph and then a violin. The latter, he says, sounds terrible. That is the argument we have heard from our humanists and most of our computer scientists. Computer programs are good, they say, for particular purposes, but they aren't flexible. Neither is a violin, or a typewriter, until you learn how to use it.'

- Marvin Minsky, 'Why Programming Is a Good Medium for Expressing Poorly-Understood and Sloppily-Formulated Ideas'

Masterspeak

I have more respect for people who change their views after acquiring new information than for those who cling to views they held thirty years ago. The world changes. Idealogues and zealots don't.
- Michael Crichton, State of Fear

He said it!

Most lovable characters

My nominees are: Aragorn(Lord of the Rings), Dr.Ian Malcolm(Jurassic Park), இளைய பல்லவன்(கடல் புறா), Sherlock Holmes(???), விசுவனாத நாயக்கன்(வெற்றித்திருநகர்)

And my oscars go to: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastian d'Anconia(Atlas Shrugged) and வந்தியத்தேவன்(பொன்னியின் செல்வன்).

So, who is your hero?

Objectivism == Pessimism?

A debate with one of my friends, that sparked of from this controversial new year wish sent by another friend

X:"check the one below… it’s a piece from George Carlin’s newest book 'When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops?'
'Since this book comes out in the fall, I'd like to take advantage of this early opportunity to wish all of you an enjoyable Christmas season and a happy New Year filled with good fortune. Of course, I realize this can't happen for everyone. Some of you are going to die next year, and others will be crippled and maimed in accidents, perhaps even completely paralyzed. Still others will be stricken with diseases that can't be cured, or will be horribly scarred in fires. And let's not forget the robberies and rapes -- there'll be lots of them. Therefore, many of you will not get to enjoy the happy and fortunate New Year I'm wishing for you. So just try to do the best you can.'

Y:"i keep hearing from this neo-matrix etc.inspired junta....somehow it seems that pessimism and negativity (hidden under the blanket of objectivity) have become the chic things today....everyone wants to be a non-believer....and thats "in".
To the already "enlightened" junta:-
If u don't like nice things in life and are bored of them....i wud say u really need love quickly and desperately....it is u who are disgruntled, disillusioned and are hiding under this mask of pseudo-objectivity coz u are afraid to risk urself, u r afraid to invest urself in someone and are too cynical to accept that love and bonding and looking fwd to nice things in life exist today at any level."

Me:"How can I not say something when 'Matrix' and 'Objectivity' are under attack :)

First, Matrix is a masala movie with philosophies pulled from religions around the world(Buddhism and Hinduism being major contributors) mixed with computer science and some pseudo-objectivity too thrown around.. Its a bundle of contradictions... much of Morpheus' dialogues emphasize 'fate', 'hope' etc.... concepts that don't go down well with 'objectivity'... But those dialogues come in handy for me in other contexts where they make more sense or at least where I can derive some fun out of it (You know this only too well ;)....

Objectivity has been the "in-thing" for the past 4 centuries at least, at various levels. If you had really understood objectivity, you would have realized that its more about optimism than any other philosophy, one that doesn't have any room for disappointments... Its about eternal happiness, one that cannot be affected by external forces... Its about love, where you cannot get hurt...
Practicing objectivity is like driving a sports bike (lets say, Fiero - F1, not F2 ;) The danger of you getting hurt is much more if you cannot handle it... That's the problem with most perfect solutions.. they won't work for everyone... the same way M.K.Gandhi's non-violence won't work for everyone.. the same way Buddha's nirvana won't work for everyone... So, if you don't understand it, it might appear as pessimistic and negative.. "But unfortunately no one can be told what the matrix is.. you have to realize it for yourself" (Oops! I meant objectivity :)

If you wanna take the blue pill and stay in wonderland, click on the link below.
http://www.student.ait.ac.th/aitchina/flash/happy.swf

If you wanna take the red pill,
(Actually, You have already made a choice. You now have to understand it. Remember all I am offering is the truth.)
X, don't be pessimistic and negative.. Be optimistic and have hope in life... But there are different kinds of hope and optimism... The other day I saw a photo in the newspaper of women offering prayers to the sea-lord requesting Him to return the tsunami victims with hope and optimism... Let your hope and optimism not be of this... Let it be that of the army personnel scouring the seas for anyone they can rescue. Don't hope that good things will happen to you. There are other forces in the world not under your control and not working for your benefit exactly(forces of other human beings and forces of nature[which seems to follow a standard set of rules though we don't have enough computing power to predict its behavior yet]) So know your strengths and weaknesses(Temet Nosce) and realize the immense power of the other forces too and base your expectations on it(which cannot be much, to tell you the truth). And when you set the expectations right, anything you get above it will be a bonus, you can only feel happy for what you get, you can never be disappointed in life. You can never be bored in life. So, as you rightly put it, "Har pal yahan, jee bar jiyo| Jo hai saman, kal ho na ho||"