Profundity - II

Cabbie(C) : These guys do religious propaganda because they have no other work.

Oh not again. Talkative cabbie and long drive ahead. I've got to do something to entertain myself other than switching off and doing those periodic 'uh uh's. Well, periodic 'uh uh's is exactly what I ended up doing, but here's how the conversation probably played out in the cabbie's head.

Me (M) : Why do you say that, old wise man? Please to partake of thy wisdom. I'm a young fool.
C: See, you are young, you don't know about these people. They have no work. They instigate other people.
M : You look like you believe there should be communal conflict.
C: I don't believe in fighting about one's God. You have your God. I have my God.
M: Oh lost you there. You are going too fast. Can you elaborate?
C: I have Hanuman. You might have Jesus.
M: Hmm. Nope. Still too fast for me.
C: Or you might have Allah. Another person might have Ganesh.
M: Just one more example to seal it, uncle, please?
C: Or you might say Ganesh. I might say Allah.
M: I thought we were born different, and so we should fight.
C: We were all born alike. So why fight? If I scratch your hand and if I scratch my hand, we'll get blood only.
M: Can you explain taking examples of some other liquids?
C: It's not like if you scratch my hand you'll get blood and if you scratch your hand you will get water.
M: Also someone told me we will take some stuff with us when we die. Is that true?
C: What can we take with us when we die? When we live, we should live well.
M: But I still think the Koran and the Gita are two different books. Not same books at all. I tried on flipkart.
C: If you see the Koran and the Gita, both are same. Both say the same thing. Do good to others. Don't do bad stuff to others.
M: Maybe not the books, but I think the Gods definitely recommend hurting others.
C: Which God recommends killing others? You tell me. Do Allah or Jesus or Ganesh say hurt others?
M: But don't people benefit at a fundamental level from harming each other?
C: Who benefits from fighting each other? You think.
M: Hockey stick manufacturers? Hospitals? I don't know.
C: Politicians! Finally everything is politics. These youth - they just repeat what they see in films or what someone tells them. No original talk.

Right. So you wrote the dialogues for Krantiveer?

M: I think these youngsters are self-aware and know what they are getting into.
C: These fools don't realise this. They do propaganda because they have no other work.

Yay! One religion-to-politics loop takes just 15 mins. Approximately 3 more loops to go - seems tolerable. God - I don't care what you think about world peace but please let there not be a traffic jam today.

Vinay Kumaar sets pace record : Clocks 200 kmph off the bat

Indian quickie Vinay Kumaar's bowling was the source of some solace for the beleaguered Indian team at Perth on Saturday. One of his well disguised faster deliveries, bowled at a pace of 120 kmph, was smashed out of the ground by Aussie opener David Warrner. The speed gun showed a launch speed from Warrner's bat of 200 kmph, which is a new record in world cricket. Interestingly the previous record was also held by Vinay Kumaar from an IPL match.
Warrner said, 'It was a bit tricky in the beginning - I found myself playing 2-3 shots before the ball arrived. But then we decided to play him as a spinner who doesn't get turn, and we were able to score off him easily. Ridiculously easily, in fact. Maybe I could have converted some of the fours into sixes but then no regrets.' When asked about the 200 kmph record, he said 'All credit should go to Vinay, for bowling in the right areas. I think he's proved what he said about pace not being such a big deal at this level'.
Vinay, however wasn't very happy with his bowling. 'I think I need to control my raw pace a little more, maybe stabilise in the 110-115 kmph range. This record itself won't even last for 2 matches if I play, trust me' he said with a smile.

Overlead

Overleader(O) : Guys, let's all work together and do this task in a fast and effective manner
Team-members (T) : As opposed to...er...go on.
O : Let's look at what the task is before jumping into action, alright? We've been asked to come up with a tagline for a brand of soap
T : So let's each come up with one option and vote on the best one.
O : I'm afraid that's not the correct approach at all. Let's all discuss in an open manner first.
T : Ok, you suck.
O : I meant about the task. What is the soap trying to convey? Come on, people. We can do this if we work together. What is the soap's message? One by one, who's with me? Who wants to go first?
T : How about 'kills germs' as a tagline? That worked on me when I bought one last week. 'No more stains'? Yes, that sounds better.
O : Let's split up into teams of 2 so that one person can ideate and the other can be a sounding board. Let's take 10 minutes to come up with some options. I will moderate the one-on-ones so that they are productive. Questions? Questions? All on board?
T : 'Smells like' something? Flowers? Sunshine sounds nice. Smells like sunshine
O : Creativity also follows a process. Let's ensure we aren't missing anything. Calm down, people. Let's do this. Who is our audience? It's important to...
T : Are we all agreed on 'smells like sunshine'? Yes?
O : Let's revisit this while we still have time...
Facilitator : (Trriiiing) Time's up
O : Our team has come up with a tagline
F : What are your learnings?
O : We took time to get aligned to the task at hand. But the articulation of the vision made course correction possible. On the personal front, I realised how hard it is to wear two hats, to be a creative contributor as well as the leader of the group. But I guess that comes with the territory. A leader has to...
T : When's the tea break?

He shunned a 3 figure salary to become a slacker

From barely passing out of IIM-Kolhapur to achieving his dream of not doing anything for long periods of time, Virat Rai shares his memorable journey from which many a lesson can be learnt by overeager youngsters.
Interviewer (I): So Virat, where did you go from IIM? Let's start there.
Virat (V): Well, I had a job offer with a prestigious MNC, which I decided to take up on an experimental basis. I don't remember clearly but...
I : Why? How long ago was it?
V : Yesterday morning. It was my first day at work. We had a boring orientation. Then we were given laptops and I did some blog-surfing on mine. I realised one fine day...
I : You mean on the same day? Yesterday?
V : Yes...that my heart was never in it.
I : 'It' meaning browsing the net on a new laptop?
V : Yes. I think at some level, the corporate culture suffocated my creativity. My childhood passion still raged and gave me sleepless nights.
I : 'Night', you mean. Last night, you didn't sleep.
V : Yes...I had always dreamt of slacking off for a bit. It had always been at the back of my mind.
I : Slacking off? And then doing what?
V : Nothing. That's it. Just you know, chilling and loafing. Whatever you want to call it. Some TV now and then, channel surfing.
I : Ok
V : I think the choice was clear. Continue in a dead-end job which didn't grip me at all or just take the plunge. And I just knew. In a moment of clarity, I found strength from deep within. I called the HR Manager and told her, 'I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore'. That was it. Done.
I : What was her reaction?
V : The HR lady? She said she didn't know who I was and then after a while said I was anyway on probation so return the laptop and be on my way. I walked out, feeling a lot lighter in my head and heart.
I : Is it true that you had a 3 figure salary which you gave up? To chase your dream?
V : Yes (smiles). I can tell you it wasn't easy. I was making close to 3 figures on a monthly basis.
I : But you worked for one day so that would be 30 rupees types max.
V : Yes, to give up that kind of financial security and not turn back. It was tempting to go back but I thought of my parents and my teachers.
I : How did that help?
V : It didn't. I'm on the run now so I can't afford to be spotted by my parents or teachers. But you know, if I think back about it now, to be fair, it wasn't like I didn't learn anything from the company. I observed closely their canteen operations.
I : And?
V : Nothing. I asked specifically if the vada was fresh and they still gave me the morning wala vadas.
I : Anything you'd like to share with our young readers?
V : Just go for it. To fulfill a dream, you should first have a dream, so sleep. Then chase it with passion. One day, the dream will happen in reality and you'll feel a bit weird and say 'Hey! This is like some deja vu' and not quite know what's going on.
I : Thank you.
V : and you may fail in the beginning but remember to keep learning. Courage will be your friend in the journey towards success, like Einstein said.
I : I'm sure.
V : Step out of your comfort zone like I did. It may be difficult but I can tell you, in the long run, things will get even worse.
I : Let me conclude by saying many won't do what you've done and for good reason. Thanks a lot, bye.

KK Nagar scrapped - Jeya calls for enquiry

In yet another sweeping move targeting programmes named after, or initiated by, the DMuK administration, ADMuK supremo and Chief Minister Jeyalelitha scrapped KK Nagar (Kalainyar Karnanidhi Nagar) from Chennai.
This is the fourth such announcement this month from the ruling party. In prior moves, the Gemini flyover (constructed in the 70s by DMuK)  has now been converted into an arc shaped, slightly dangerous, public school; the Anna Centenary library becomes a children's hospital; Karnanidhi's second house is slated to become a parking lot for Jeya's drivers' cars.
Justifying the scrapping, Jeya said 'We already have so many Nagars, Ashoknagar, Annanagar and so on. This KK Nagar is another example of a wasteful investment by DMuK from public funds. I would like an enquiry conducted immediately on the creation of KK Nagar."
"I have no hesitation in scrapping this locality. Buses and vehicles will, starting today, not be allowed to stop in this locality as it does not exist. We are also re-doing all Chennai maps accordingly. Our ambitious plan will need a central grant of 1 lakh crore to operationalise, most of it towards unrelated bribes to my party personnel and some whiteners", she added
When asked about the people who live there, she said vaguely 'We are taking steps to allay the fears of people who live there. They will also cease to be real people but this will be done in a seamless manner'

IIT, IIM, coffee, love, one girl and bad language - An IITian's journey through life covering these aspects in more detail than the other stuff

Preface
This is my first novel. When I joined IIT and IIM, little did I know that my experiences there would someday be read by other people in the form of a novel. It all started when I was caught doodling at my office desk with a blade. I'd scratched out some obscene statements with supporting illustrations. One of my colleagues, known for his sarcastic tongue, said 'You should totally do this for a living'. Well, here I am doing exactly that.
Let me start by addressing the question that must have occurred to you by now. Why should you buy this book? It looks crappy and it's probably a lurid account of a failed college affair which led to pornographic pursuits, flunking exams and so on. But what you are missing out on, is the fact that you may be a moron who thinks reading graphic details of how I was ragged in college will help you better your chances of gaining admission into these prestigious Institutions.
Also, notice how some people just laugh at foul language and obscene imagery, for no reason at all? You claim to not be one of them? Ha! F@#$ You. (Did you laugh?) Ch####ya (laugh yet?). Saala B******d (C'mon laugh already)
Well, let me tell you, this book is a treat for that kind of audience. It's got so much of the 'good' stuff that if it were made into a movie, the dialogue would be one long 'beep'.
At the heart of this book is a tender love story. At some corner deep in our heart, tucked away in a corner, of our deep hearts, there will be a chhota sa cute romance story from college. You may deny it but you can't refute it. That first love, that girl (or boy if you are a girl reader), the tentative approaches, will always remain etched in eternity. I hope while reading this book, you reignite that stuff even if it is only for 5 minutes-10minutes. If you went to an all-boys college then I guess we'll have to revert back to how this book can help you get admission into the prestigious IIT-IIMs. Without further ado, my story begins in a faraway place called Kanpur. The year was 2006. Her name was Priya. Fair, lean, black-eyed Priya. Aaaaaaaah. The feeling. It was bliss. Like morning coffee in a cold place. Like sunrise after a sandstorm...

Poor quality of Chetain Bagat an issue : Narayanmurthy

Ex-chairman of Infoshys Narayanmurthy slammed noted tweeter Chetain Bagat's overall quality as an individual today at the Pan-ITI meet in Chennai. 'There is a definite deteriorating trend that I see. He was tolerable a few years back, both as a writer and as an individual. Not the case now' he said, 'We are faced with a grave situation where I don't like whatshisname Bagat's face but he keeps appearing on TV news channels and writing columns and books and tweeting. We have to take firm and concrete steps in a forwardly direction on this matter.'
Chetain Bagat retorted angrily with a tweet that said 'It's ironic that Murty's taking on an author of my stature given that he himself has written several books'