BONSAI
January 31st, 2008
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Archive for January, 2008
Nirvana - a different View
January 31st, 2008
Some where I had read these beautiful lines:
As we fall,
As we fly
Not in the sky
I start to wonder
Which is your body
Which is mine
Which is your scream
Which is mine
Who are You
Who am I
Is This Nirvana
How can I stay here for ever?
Headlines Today
January 11th, 2008
11th January 2008.
Two prominent headlines adored the National News Papers today. Both have one word in common ' Rs. 1 LAKH?
TATA 's have unveiled their 1-lakh car. As a child I often visited the safety week pavilion at the mines my father used to work. It was a regular feature year by year. We grew up in between these celebrations. The safety week and Viswakarma pujas are the main attraction in a remote mines settlement. There are very few celebrations and in these two occasions the mines gates ate kept open for non-staff and family members of the staffs. We often go on a joyride of mines, courtesy HOLPACK (bigger sized dumper) operators (who are the fathers of friends working in the mine). As the rules are relaxed we demanded a view of the mines pits and operations, which is not possible during other days.
One model was common during the years went on. A normal family riding a scooter of a mines man was riding a scooter. (The person was a miner as he was wearing a mining helmet). The scooter was a lambretta, which was common those days as HAMARA BAJAJ was often sold in black market with a premium of 50% over its official cost. The model was just like we see a middle class family riding scooter on road every day but a little aggravated considering present nucleus families. Our families mostly consist of father, mother, a son and a daughter, or two sons or two daughters and in some cases only one sibling. In those days HAM DO HAMARE DO was only a slogan and only few people were adhering the same. Then families with three to five children were common.
So our model was consisting so. Father driving the scooter. Younger son in the front, younger daughter on the lap of mother behind father, and two others behind mother. An ideal family riding the scooter
The caption of the model " IS IT A MINI BUS"
Till we cannot understand the concept it was just a funny model till it converted to our own dream. We were desperate to come out of the situation like that. We all have a desire to own a car, which is a middle class dream till the dream became RATAN TATA's. Come September the same will be reality.
Rs. 1 LAKH will be the salary of President, which was increased from Rs. 50 thousands, was the other headlines.
Has there been any similarity between the two headlines. Had the salary been increased to say 2 or 4 lakhs would there be any impact on us? Quite not. Lots of money is spent from the state treasury on these politicians and a few bucks more or less don't have any impact on us. Does any one of us know what is the salary of a MP or a MLA or a cabinet minister or say Prime minister. I hope not. I don't know either, though I read the newspapers regularly. For me the candidates attending an interview are concerned about it for his general knowledge.
Should TATAs lunched their car at a price which is normal in prevailing market (say more than 2 lakhs) would it created such a great news. Definitely not. In the past when TATAs lunched their INDICA it has also created hype. Then it was the first Real Indian Car.
The question thus should the 2nd headline been appropriate for the front page?
BAttle of Singur continued..
January 10th, 2008
At last the TATA 1 LAC car is coming out of womb. But till when the likes of Singur will continue. These battles are going to continue till the end of civilasition.
Indira Gandhi had once told what her grand father told her :-
“ There are two types of people in this universe. One those go on doing constructive jobs and others who go on taking credit of the job done by others and you should stick to the first group as the compition is quite low in this group of people.”
Stock Exchange
January 6th, 2008
Mr Rajesh Sinha contributed this for my page.
Once upon a time in a village, a man announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for Rs 10.
The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.
The man bought thousands at Rs 10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.
He further announced that he would now buy at Rs20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer rate increased to Rs 25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at Rs 50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.
In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at Rs 35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell it to him for Rs 50.”
The villagers squeezed up with all their savings and bought all the monkeys.
Then they never saw neither the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!
Welcome to the ‘Indian Stock Market’!
How To Look Busy
January 5th, 2008
My Friend RAjesh Sinha sent me a these few suggestions
1. Never walk without a document in your hands
People with documents in their hands look like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they’re heading for the canteen. People with a newspaper in their hand look like they’re heading for the toilet. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you do.
2. Use computers to look busy
Any time you use a computer, it looks like “work” to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mail, chat and generally have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren’t exactly the societal benefits that the proponents of the computer revolution would like to talk about but they’re not bad either. When you get caught by your boss - and you "will" get caught .Your best defense is to claim you’re teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training expenses.
3. Messy desk
Top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we’re not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year’s work looks the same as today’s work; it’s volume that counts. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your desk, bury the document you’ll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.
4. Voice Mail
Never answer your phone if you have voice mail. People don’t call you just because they want to give you something for nothing - they call because they want you to do work for them. Screen all your calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a voice mail message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they’re not there - it looks like you’re hardworking and conscientious even though you’re being a devious weasel.
5. Looking Impatient and Annoyed
Always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your senior the impression that you are always busy.
People with documents in their hands look like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they’re heading for the canteen. People with a newspaper in their hand look like they’re heading for the toilet. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you do.
2. Use computers to look busy
Any time you use a computer, it looks like “work” to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mail, chat and generally have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren’t exactly the societal benefits that the proponents of the computer revolution would like to talk about but they’re not bad either. When you get caught by your boss - and you "will" get caught .Your best defense is to claim you’re teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training expenses.
3. Messy desk
Top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we’re not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year’s work looks the same as today’s work; it’s volume that counts. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your desk, bury the document you’ll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.
4. Voice Mail
Never answer your phone if you have voice mail. People don’t call you just because they want to give you something for nothing - they call because they want you to do work for them. Screen all your calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a voice mail message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they’re not there - it looks like you’re hardworking and conscientious even though you’re being a devious weasel.
5. Looking Impatient and Annoyed
Always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your senior the impression that you are always busy.
6. Leave the office late
Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and storybooks that you always wanted to read but have no time until late before leaving. Make sure you walk past the boss’s room on your way out. Send important emails at unearthly hours(e.g. 9:35pm, 7:05am, etc.) and during public holidays.
7. Creative Sighing for Effect
Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.
8. Stacking Strategy
It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor etc. (thick computer manuals are the best).
9. Build Vocabulary
Read up on some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with collegues. Remember: They don’t have to understand what you say, but you will sound impressive.
10. Have two jackets
If you work in a big open plan office, always leave a spare jacket draped over the back of your seat. This gives the impression that you are still on the premises. The second jacket should be worn while swanning around elsewhere.
Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and storybooks that you always wanted to read but have no time until late before leaving. Make sure you walk past the boss’s room on your way out. Send important emails at unearthly hours(e.g. 9:35pm, 7:05am, etc.) and during public holidays.
7. Creative Sighing for Effect
Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.
8. Stacking Strategy
It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor etc. (thick computer manuals are the best).
9. Build Vocabulary
Read up on some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with collegues. Remember: They don’t have to understand what you say, but you will sound impressive.
10. Have two jackets
If you work in a big open plan office, always leave a spare jacket draped over the back of your seat. This gives the impression that you are still on the premises. The second jacket should be worn while swanning around elsewhere.
Friends' Update
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