My Idiot Box

Life Is Like A Cup of Coffee

2012-01-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups!
"
The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything.
"
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Job People

2012-01-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

class Indian_Bachelor_female_professional
{
double styles;
short skirts;
long time_to_understand_problems;
float mind;
void knowledge();
char non_co_operative;
}

class Married_female_Software _Professional
{
double weight;
short tempered;
long gossips;
float hopes;
void work();
char unstable;
}

class Female_Engaged_software _professional
{
double time_on_phone;
short attention_on_work;
long boast;
float on_cloud_nine;
void understanding();
char edgy;
}

class Indian_Newly_Married_software _professional
{
double dinner_invitations;
short time_at_work;
long lunch_breaks;
float talks;
void bank_balance();
char hen_pecked;
}

class Indian_husband_wife_software _professional
{
double income;
short temper;
long time_no_see;
float new_software_company;
void love();
}

class Guy_who_wrote_this
{
long time_on_bench;
Void work();
}

The King and his Four Queens

2012-01-05T01:36:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.
He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confident and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her or even fed or clothed her properly!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company? "No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the! 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
Finally, our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go.

MORAL: Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

Do u DARE TO READ this?

2011-11-27T23:04:00.001-08:00

1975 Jan 1

It is about five in the morning. Father (I am not bothering with names)woke up with a start. Many years had passed since he had founded the orphanage.

He had named it "X-Orphanage", a rather funny name. But looking back ,everything about his life seemed funny now. Hearing some noise outside, Father decided to have a look.

A child lay there in front of the orphanage. It was a girl. Seeing her abandoned like this in the cold morning ,Father felt a sense of anger for the the merciless being who had thrown her away like this. He took her in his arms. He would raise her like his own child.

17 Years Later...

The girl has grown up now. She is now staying in a hostel. She meets a man and falls in love with him. She gets pregnant. The man disappears.

She is thrown out of the Hostel.

Father comes and takes her back to the orphanage. She gives birth to a girl but the baby is mysteriously stolen. Unable to bear all this, the Father commits suicide.

Due to some problems concerning the delivery, the girl went to see a Doctor. The doctor having examined her ,said with a sad ex-pression on his face, "Adrenalo Sytosis, a serious case of hormone imbalance". An operation was performed in which the doctor had to change the sex of the patient.

The girl was now transformed to a man.

The man was very depressed because he had lost his child, the father had committed suicide, his lover had betrayed him , he had to change sex and so on. He eventually took to drinking.

One day he saw that a new bar had opened in his locality. The name of the bar was 'Sangeetha Bar'. He went inside. There he saw a bearded man.

The bearded man told him that he had a Time Machine and that he could take it. He accepted the gift from the bearded man. He decided to go to the past (to the year 1992)and started the Time Machine.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1992

The man arrives with the Time Machine in the year 1992.There he meets a girl (the same girl who has now become the man) and falls in love with her.

The girl gets pregnant. The man, unwilling to marry her ,leaves the town. He goes to another city, earns some money and come backs to the city where the girl lives. He wants to conceal his identity ,so he has grown a beard.

He starts a bar named 'Sangeetha Bar'. When he was sitting in the bar, a man comes (the same man who was earlier the girl). He gives the Time machine to the man. The man starts the Time Machine and goes to the past.

Suddenly a man wearing a mask comes to the bar. He points a gun at the bearded man ..He says that he has a Time Machine and he will take the bearded man to the past. Taking the bearded man with him, the masked man starts the Time Machine.

When they reach the past, the masked man gives the Time Machine to the bearded man and runs away. The bearded man finds himself in front of X-Orphanage. He goes inside and finds a woman (the same woman who later becomes the man) lying there with her new born baby. It is a girl. He takes the girl and starts the Time Machine to go to the past (to the year 1975).

1975 Jan 1

The bearded man arrives with the girl. He leaves her in front of X-Orphanage. He joins a college, studies hard and becomes a doctor. One day a woman was brought to the hospital. He examines her and finds that it is a serious case of 'Adrenalo Sytosis'. He performs an operation in which he changes her sex. He then starts the Time Machine and goes to the past.

He arrives at a time of great famine and suffering Seeing all this, he decides to become a priest and to serve the people. He starts an orphanage and names it 'X-Orphanage'.

One day(1975 Jan 1), he finds a girl lying in front of the orphanage. He takes her and brings her up like his own child.

One day he hears that the girl is pregnant and is thrown out of the hostel. He brings her back to X-Orphanage. She gives birth to a girl.

The Father wants to go to the future. He wears a mask, takes a gun and starts the Time Machine. He reaches in front of 'Sangeetha Bar'. He goes inside and forces the bearded man to travel along with him to the past.

Reaching the past, he feels guilty about forcing the bearded man to come with him. He gives the Time Machine to the bearded man and runs away.

When he returns, he hears the sad news that the baby is stolen. Unable to bear the sorrow ,he commits suicide.

Most important part of the body? A beautiful message

2011-11-22T21:22:00.001-08:00

My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body is.
Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct Answer.

When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."

She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."

Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer.

So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."

She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No. But you are getting smarter every year, my child."

Then one year, my grandfather died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry.

My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to my Grandfather. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?" I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me.
She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life. For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you were wrong and I have given you an example why.

But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."

She looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."

I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?"

She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."

Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one.
It is made for others and not for yourself. It is sympathetic to the pain of others.

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did . But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.

Art of Appraisal

2011-11-09T06:39:00.001-08:00

Big Boss: This year your performance was good, excellent and outstanding. So, your rating is "average".

Ramesh: What? How come 'average'?

Big Boss: Because...err...uhh...you lack domain knowledge.

Ramesh: But last year you said I am a domain expert and you put me in this project as a domain consultant.

Big Boss: Oh is it? Well, in that case, I think your domain knowledge has eroded this year.

Ramesh: What???

Big Boss: Yes, I didn't see you sharing knowledge on Purchasing domain.

Ramesh: Why would I? Because I am not in Purchasing, I am in Manufacturing.

Big Boss: This is what I don't like about you. You give excuse for everything.

Ramesh: Huh? *Confused*

Big Boss: Next, you need to improve your communication skills.

Ramesh: Like what? I am the one who trained the team on "Business Communication", you sat in the audience and took notes, you remember?

Big Boss: Oh is it? Errr...well..I mean, you need to improve your Social Pragmatic Affirmative Communication.

Ramesh: Huh? What the hell is that? *Confused*

Big Boss: See! That's why you need to learn about it.

Ramesh: *head spinning*

Big Boss: Next, you need to sharpen your recruiting skills. All the guys you recruited left within 2 months.

Ramesh: Well, not my mistake. You told them you will sit beside them and review their code, and most resigned the next day itself. Couple of them even attempted suicide.

Big Boss:*stunned* (recovers from shock) Err...anyway, I tried to give you a better rating, but our Normalization process gave you only 'average'.

Ramesh: Last year that process gave me 'excellent'. This year just 'average'? Why is this process pushing me up and down every year?

Big Boss: That's a complicated process. You don't want to hear.

Ramesh: I'll try to understand. Go ahead.

Big Boss: Well, we gather in a large room, write down the names of sub-ordinates in bits of paper, and throw them up in the air. Whichever lands on the floor gets 'average', whichever lands on table gets 'good', whichever we manage to catch gets 'excellent' and whichever gets stuck to ceiling gets 'outstanding'.

Ramesh: (eyes popping out) What? Ridiculous! So who gets 'poor' rating?

Big Boss: Those are the ones we forget to write down.

Ramesh: What the hell! And how can paper bits stick to ceiling for 'outstanding'?

Big Boss: Oh no, now you have started questioning our 20 year old organizational process!

Ramesh: *faints*

Rajini Mania :)

2011-10-24T21:34:00.001-07:00

Rajnikanth was bragging to Amitabh Bachan one day, “You know, I know everyone. Just name someone, anyone, and I know them. Tired of his boasting, Amitabh Bachan called his bluff, “OK, Rajini how about Tom Cruise?” “Sure, yes, Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it” Rajini said.
So Rajini and Amitabh Bachan fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise’s door,
And sure enough, Tom Cruise shouts : “Thalaiva! Great to see you! You And your friends come right in and join me for lunch!”
…Although impressed, Amitabh Bachan is still skeptical. After they leave Cruise’s house, he tells Rajini that he thinks Rajini knowing Cruise was
Just lucky.
“No, no, just name anyone else” Rajini says
…”President Obama”, Amitabh Bachan quickly retorts
…”Yes”, Rajini says, “I know him.
And off they go. At the White House, Obama spots Rajini on the tour and motions him, saying, : “Rajini, what a surprise, I was just on my way
to a meeting, but you and your friend come on in and let’s have a cup of
coffee first and catch up”.
Well, Amitabh Bachan is much shaken by now, but still not totally convinced. After they leave the White House grounds, he implores him to
name anyone else.
“The Pope,” Amitabh Bachan replies
…”Sure!” says Rajini, “My folks are from Italy and I’ve known the Pope a long time”.
Rajini and Amitabh Bachan are assembled with the masses in Vatican Square when Rajini says, “This will never work. I can’t catch the Pope’s eye among all these people. Tell you what, I know all the guards so let me just go upstairs and I’ll come out on the balcony with the Pope.”
And he disappears into the crowd headed toward the Vatican.. Sure enough, half an hour later Rajini emerges with the Pope on the balcony.
But by the time Rajini returns, he finds that Amitabh Bachan has had a
heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics.
Working his way to Amitabh Bachan’s side,
Rajini asks him, “What happened?”
Amitabh Bachan looks up and says,
“I was doing fine until u and the pope came out on the balcony and the Italian man next to me said,
“Who’s that on the balcony with RAJINI "

Nice Experiment on PERCEPTION

2011-10-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

One Answer for all the questions!

2011-10-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

It is the story of a king who was tired of finding himself in extreme states of happiness or sadness and was looking to find a way to bring balance, serenity and wisdom into his life.
Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, " Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?"

All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all question? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appeal to all of them. They went to king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.

After a few days, the neighbors attack the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses were following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing in the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished…and he could not return because it was a small road…From back the sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great.

The message was - " This too will pass."

The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something strike in his mind- Yes ! it too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forget about those following him. After a few minute he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path.

The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regain his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.

Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: "This too will pass"

He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness.

Neither is Failure final; Nor is success permanent !!

Why Women Cry?

2011-10-10T22:19:00.001-07:00

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she told him.

"I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said, "When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world,

yet gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

Author: Unknown

Stay Hungry... Stay Foolish... - Steve Jobs

2011-09-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Inspiring excerpts from the commencement speech by Steve Jobs, at Standord University on June 12, 2005.
Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life.
Best decisions I ever made
The first story is about connecting the dots. I ped out of Reed College after the first six months. Why? Well, it started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption.
She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, but my biological mother found out later that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would go to college.
This was the start in my life. And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. So I decided to out. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms. I returned coke bottles for the five cent deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the seven miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.
Let me give you one example: I decided to take a calligraphy class at Reed College and learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations. None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. If I had never ped out, I would have never ped in on that calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.
Love and Loss
My second story is about love and loss. Woz (Steve Wozniak) and I started Apple in my parents' garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown into a two billion dollar company with over 4,000 employees. We'd just released our finest creation the Macintosh a year earlier, and then I got fired.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down. I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me: I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit and I decided to start over.
The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, and I retuned to Apple. I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple.
I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
If today were the last day of life
My third story is about death. When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I've looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I will be dead soon is the most important tool I have ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for 'prepare to die.' I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, and was told that it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and, thankfully, I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die. Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalogue created by a fellow named Stewart Brand and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: 'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.' It was their farewell message.

And I've always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Desi Mom :)

2011-08-09T01:20:00.000-07:00

A Mom comes to visit her son Kunal for dinner.....who lives with a girl roommate Sunita.

During the course of the meal, his mother couldn't help but notice how pretty Kunal's roommate was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between the two, and this had only made her more curious. Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Kunal and his roommate than met the eye. Reading his mom's thoughts, Kunal volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, Sunita and I are just roommates."

About a week later, Sunita came to Kunal saying, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the silver chutney jar. You don't suppose she took it, do you?" Kunal said ,"Well, I doubt it, but I'll email her, just to be sure."

So he sat down and wrote:

Dear Mother,

I'm not saying that you 'did' take the chutney jar from my house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the chutney jar. But the fact remains that it has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.

Love,
Kunal

Several days later, Kunal received an email from his Mother which read

Dear Son,
I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Sunita, and I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Sunita. But the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her OWN bed, she would have found the chutney jar by now under the pillow...

Love,
Mom.

Software Testing

2011-07-22T03:50:00.001-07:00

Software Testing - A good read….not intended against any group as such, but still entertaining ... read on ...

A university scholar, Mr. John Smith approaches his friend a software-testing guru telling him that he has a Bachelor in programming, and now would like to learn the software testing to complete his knowledge and to find a job as a software tester. After summing him up for a few minutes, the software-testing guru told him "I seriously doubt that you are ready to study software testing. It's the serious topic. If you wish however I am willing to examine you in logic, and if you pass the test I will help teach you software testing. "

The young man agrees.
Software testing guru holds up two fingers "Two men come down a chimney. One comes with a clean face and the other comes out with a dirty face. Which one washes his face?

The young man stares at the software-testing guru. "Is that a test in Logic?" software testing guru nods.
"The one with the dirty face washes his face," He answers wearily.

"Wrong. The one with the clean face washes his face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the clean face and thinks his face is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one with the dirty face and thinks his face is dirty. So; the one with the clean face washes his face."

"Very clever" Says Smith. "Give me another test"

The software-testing guru again holds up two fingers "Two men come down a chimney.One comes out with a clean face and the other comes out with a dirty face. Which one washes his face?

"We have already established that. The one with the clean face washes his face"

"Wrong. Each one washes his face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the clean face and thinks his face is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one with the dirty face and thinks his face is dirty. So; the one with the clean face washes his face. When the one with the dirty face sees the one with the clean face washing his face, he also washes his face. So each one washes his face"

"I didn't think of that!" Says Smith. " It's shocking to me that I could make an error in logic. Test me again!."

The software-testing guru holds up two fingers "Two men come down a chimney.One comes out with a clean face and the other comes out with a dirty face. Which one washes his face?

"Each one washes his face"

"Wrong. Neither one washes his face. Examine the simple logic. The one with the dirty face looks at the one with the clean face and thinks his face is clean. The one with the clean face looks at the one with the dirty face and thinks his face is dirty. But when the one with clean face sees that the one with the dirty face doesn't wash his face, he also doesn't wash his face So neither one washes his face".

Smith is desperate. "I am qualified to study software testing. Please give me one more test"

He groans when the software-testing guru lifts his two fingers, "Two men come down a chimney. One comes out with a clean face and the other comes out with a dirty face. Which one washes his face?

"Neither one washes his face"

"Wrong. Do you now see, John, why programming knowledge is an insufficient basis for studying the software testing? Tell me, how is it possible for two men to come down the same chimney, and for one to come out with a clean face and the other with a dirty face? Don’t you see?

Moral : Whatever a programmer do, Testers are supposed to find bugs and they will.

The Pig And The Horse

2011-06-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

There was a farmer who collected horses; he only needed one more breed
to complete his collection. One day, he found out that his neighbor
had the particular horse breed he needed. So, he constantly bothered
his neighbor until he sold it to him. A month later, the horse became
ill and he called the veterinarian, who said:
- Well, your horse has a virus. He must take this medicine for three
days. I'll come back on the 3rd day and if he's not better, we're
going to have to put him down.
Nearby, the pig listened closely to their conversation.
The next day, they gave him the medicine and left. The pig approached
the horse and said:
- Be strong, my friend. Get up or else they're going to put you to sleep!
On the second day, they gave him the medicine and left. The pig came
back and said:
- Come on buddy, get up or else you're going to die! Come on, I'll
help you get up. Let's go! One, two, three...
On the third day, they came to give him the medicine and the vet said:
- Unfortunately, we're going to have to put him down tomorrow.
Otherwise, the virus might spread and infect the other horses.
After they left, the pig approached the horse and said:
- Listen pal, it's now or never! Get up, come on! Have courage! Come
on! Get up! Get up! That's it, slowly! Great! Come on, one, two,
three... Good, good. Now faster, come on.... Fantastic! Run, run more!
Yes! Yay! Yes! You did it, you're a champion!!!
All of a sudden, the owner came back, saw the horse running in the
field and began shouting:
- It's a miracle! My horse is cured. This deserves a party. Let's kill the pig!

Points for reflection: this often happens in the workplace. Nobody truly knows which employee actually deserves the merit of success, or who's actually contributing the necessary support to make things happen.
LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT RECOGNITION IS A SKILL!
If anyone ever tells you that your work is unprofessional, remember:
amateurs built the Ark and professionals built the Titanic.

DON'T LOOK TO BECOME A PERSON OF SUCCESS, LOOK INSTEAD TO BECOME A
PERSON OF VALUE!

-- From my Junior's Buzz

Change our vision

2011-06-03T04:15:00.001-07:00

There was a millionaire who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted so many physicians and was getting his treatment done. He did not stop consulting galaxy of medical experts; he consumed heavy loads of drugs and underwent hundreds of injections.
But the ache persisted with great vigour than before. At last a monk who has supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the millionaire. The monk understood his problem and said that for some time he should concentrate only on green colours and not to fall his eyes on any other colours.
The millionaire got together a group of painters and purchased barrels of green color and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall to be painted in green colour just as the monk had directed.
When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire's servants ran with buckets of green paints and poured on him since he was in red dress, lest their master not see any other colour and his eye ache would come back.
Hearing this monk laughed said "If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few rupees, you could have saved these walls and trees and pots and all other articles and also could have saved a large share of his fortune.
You cannot paint the world green." Let us change our vision and the world will appear accordingly. It is foolish to shape the world, let us shape ourselves first.

Let’s change our vision..!

Philosophy of Life

2011-05-31T01:58:00.000-07:00

"Not very long." they answered in unison.
"Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"
The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.
"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives.
In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.
We have a full life."
The tourist interrupted,
"I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!
You should start by fishing longer every day.
You can then sell the extra fish you catch.
With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?"
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.
You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City!
From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?"
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting, " answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen.
"After that you'll be able to retire,
live in a tiny village near the coast,
Sleep late, play with your children,
Catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife
And spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."
"With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty-five years?" asked the Mexicans.

And the moral of this story is:
Know where you're going in life. You may already be there!

-- Raghunath

The Tailor's Needle

2011-05-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

A tailor was at work. He took a piece of cloth and with a pair of shining, costly, scissors, he cut the cloth into various bits.
Then he put the pair of scissors at his feet. Then he took a small needle and thread and started to sew the bits of cloth, into a fine shirt. When the spell of sewing was over, he stuck the needle on to his turban.
The tailor's son who was watching it asked him: "Father, the scissors are costly and look so beautiful. But you throw them down at your feet. This needle is worth almost nothing; you can get a dozen for an Anna. Yet, you place it carefully on your head itself. Is there any reason for this illogical behavior?"
"Yes, my son. The scissors have their function, no doubt; but they only cut the cloth into bits. The needle, on the contrary, unites the bits and enhances the value of the cloth. Therefore, the needle to me is more precious and valuable. The value of a thing depends on its utility, son, not on its cost-price or appearance."
Similarly, there are two classes of people in the world-those who create dissensions and disharmony, who separate man from man; and those who bring about peace and harmony, who unite people.
The former are generally the rich people, powerful politicians and kings; the latter are generally the poor devotees of God, the penniless wandering monks, and mendicants. The Lord makes use of both to carry on his function of providing the field for the evolution of individual souls. He throws down on the dust the mighty kings and millionaires who create wars and disharmony; and He keeps the poor, pious devotee over His own head. In His eyes the scale of values is entirely different!

Women :)

2011-04-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

If you kiss her,
you are not a gentleman
If you don't,
you are not a man

If you praise her,
she thinks you are lying
If you don't,
you are good for nothing

If you agree to all her likes,
you are a wimp
If you don't,
you are not understanding

If you visit her often,
she thinks you are boring
If you don't,
she accuses you of double-crossing

If you are well dressed,
she says you are a playboy
If you don't,
you are a dull boy

If you are jealous,
she says it's bad
If you don't,
she thinks you do not love her

If you attempt a romance,
she says you didn't respect her
If you don't,
she thinks you do not like her

If you are a minute late,
she complains it's hard to wait
If she is late,
she says that's a girl's way

If you visit another man,
you're not putting in "quality time"
If she is visited by another woman,
"oh it's natural, we are girls"

If you kiss her once in a while,
she professes you are cold
If you kiss her often,
she yells that you are taking advantage

If you fail to help her in crossing the street,
you lack ethics
If you do,
she thinks it's just one of men's tactics for seduction

If you stare at another woman,
she accuses you of flirting
If she is stared by other men,
she says that they are just admiring

If you talk,
she wants you to listen
If you listen,
she wants you to talk

In short:

So simple, yet so complex
So weak, yet so powerful
So confusing, yet so desirable
So damning, yet so wonderful... WOMEN!

I knew you would come!

2011-04-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

There were two childhood buddies who went through school and college and even joined the army together. War broke out and they were fighting in the same unit. One night they were ambushed. Bullets were flying all over and out of the darkness came a voice, "Harry, please come and help me." Harry immediately recognized the voice of his childhood buddy, Bill. He asked the captain if he could go. The captain said, "No, I can't let you go, I am already short-handed and I cannot afford to lose one more person. Besides, the way Bill sounds he is not going to make it." Harry kept quiet. Again the voice came, "Harry, please come and help me." Harry sat quietly because the captain had refused earlier. Again and again the voice came. Harry couldn't contain himself any longer and told the captain, "Captain, this is my childhood buddy. I have to go and help." The captain reluctantly let him go. Harry crawled through the darkness and dragged Bill back into the trench. They found that Bill was dead. Now the captain got angry and shouted at Harry, "Didn't I tell you he was not going to make it? He is dead, you could have been killed and I could have lost a hand. That was a mistake." Harry replied, "Captain, I did the right thing. When I reached Bill he was still alive and his last words were 'Harry, I knew you would come.

Good relationships are hard to find and once developed should be nurtured. We are often told: Live your dream. But you cannot live your dream at the expense of others. People who do so are unscrupulous. We need to make personal sacrifices for our family, friends, and those we care about and who depend on us.

The Garbage Truck

2011-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" That is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
So... "Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't."

Life is ten percent of what you make it and ninety percent of how you take it!

How many fish have you caught?

2011-04-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

A fisherman from the city was out fishing on a lake in a small boat. He noticed another man in a small boat open his tackle box and take out a mirror. Being curious, the man rowed over and asked, “What is the mirror for?”

“That’s my secret way to catch fish,” said the other man. “Shine the mirror on the top of the water. The fish notice the spot of sun on the water above and they swim to the surface. Then I just reach down and net them and pull them into the boat.”

“Wow! Does that really work?”

“You bet it does.”

“Would you be interested in selling that mirror? I’ll give you $30 for it.”

“Well, okay.”

After the money was transferred, the city fisherman asked, “By the way, how many fish have you caught this week?”

“You’re the sixth,” he said.

Never Ever Lie To A Woman

2011-03-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

A Man called home to his wife and said,

'Darling , I have been asked to go fishing up in Canada with my boss & several of his friends. We'll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I've been wanting, so could you please pack enough clothes for a week and set out my rod and fishing box, we're leaving from the office & I will swing by the house to pick my things up'

'Oh! Please pack my new blue silk pyjamas. '

The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good wife she is, did exactly what her husband asked. The following weekend he came home a little tired but otherwise looking good. The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught many fish?

He said, 'Yes! Lots of salmons, some bluegills, and a few swordfishes.

But why didn't you pack my new blue silk pyjamas like I asked you to Do?'

The wife replied, 'I did, dear. They're in your fishing box! ...'

Never Ever Lie To A Woman...!!!

The Echo

2011-02-28T23:43:00.000-08:00

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.

Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and
screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating,
somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”

Curious, he yells: “Who are you?”
He receives the answer: “Who are you?”

And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!”
The voice answers: “I admire you!”

Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!”
He receives the answer: “Coward!”

He looks to his father and asks: “What’s going on?”
The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.”

Then his father screams: “You are a champion!”
The voice answers: “You are a champion!”

Again his father screams: “You are a Victorious!”
The voice answers: “You are a Victorious!”

Again the man screams: “You are Blessed!”
The voice answers: “You are Blessed!”

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains:
“People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.

It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT’S A REFLECTION OF YOU.

Love - Touching one :)

2011-02-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

Date: Today

Place: A Marriage hall, Chennai.

Finally, the marriage is taking place today. I was waiting so long for this. And now it’s happening. First big occasion in my life. All the pre-marriage ceremonies were going on. It’s a Brahmin marriage. So needless to say about the ceremonies. Yes, she is a Brahmin. My Angel. I was restlessly waiting to get a glimpse of her in her wedding saree. I was pretending to be chatting with my friends but my eyes were searching for her. Still 30 minutes to go for the auspicious time. Damn. That’s a long way. I thought I could do a little flashback of my life. With her.

7 years ago....

Place: 12th grade chemistry lab, school, some developing town in TN.

Generally I’m quite a reserved person. I don’t speak to girls much.(like most of the TN guys). I used to be the topper in school. So all girls speak to me only to clarify their doubts regarding studies. She studied with me from class 3. Now we were in class 12. That’s 10 years. But we would’ve spoken hardly 10 times. It was yet another regular day in chemistry lab. All of us were fighting with pipettes and burettes and some solutions. Being a topper, obviously I fought harder than others. After class I went near the basin to drain the resultant solution. Good timing. She was already there. She saw me with her cute eyes.

She: hi padips (studious), got the output???

Me: ya… you??

She: me too. I wanna ask you something??

Me(surprised): why. whats that? Ask.

She: why is that you don’t speak to girls much?

Me(stammering): I…i…I don’t know. Not like that.

She: you know what? I really like you very much. I wanted to be friends with you. But don’t know how you’ll take it. I was hesitant for long time. Now I told. Please accept me as your friend. Please please.

Completely taken aback. I never expected this from her. I was expecting something like ‘what is the color change to record the pH of the solution?’.

Me: ya sure..

I fell for the girlish cuteness on her smile.

Me: ok bye.. I’ve to complete the record notebook. See you later.

Yes I was such a dumb head.

I was so happy for the next few weeks. I never spoke to her after that lab incident. I always wanted to speak. But didn’t know how, when and what. I wanted her phone number desperately. We didn’t have any mobile phones that time. Somehow I got her landline number through my friend’s friend who is her friend. I gave her a ring and literally my hands were trembling when I did so. I was praying that her mom or dad shouldn’t pick the phone. Someone said hello. Thank god it was her. I spoke to her the first time on phone. I was happy that I did my part on becoming her friend. So, that’s how our friendship journey begun.

Today:

Finally my wait was over. The priest at the center of the marriage hall asked the bride to come forward. There she came. With a maroon silk saree draped around her beautifully in madisar style. I could see the fear of getting married, on her cute round face. The fear of being the center of attraction. She looked beautiful more than ever. Marvelous, stupendous, cute, classy, elegant…. I scolded myself for my lack of words and my poor vocabulary. She sat at the center of the stage. She was smiling. I looked at my watch. Another 20 minutes left for calling the groom to stage. I thought that’s enough time to rewind how we both ended up here in this situation.

4 years ago...
Place: College, Chennai.

Both of us got into the top university of the state as we scored well in our board exam. That’s the default college where all toppers of the state study. So no one could blame me that I chose the same college as her’s. Our friendship journey, thus continued and we became more and more close. I liked her for the way she was. Innocence at its peak. She loved the way I cared about her. I advice her a lot. I was so happy that I got such a friend. I didn’t know why but I never had any love feelings on her. She was my best friend and I was so happy with it. In fact content with it. Until………. One day

She: I wanted to say you something personally.

Me: what is that?

She: first assure me you won’t mistake me or get angry.

Me: sure tell.

She: I fear I may fall in love with you da.

OH MY GOD. What the hell did she say now?

Me: what?

She: no da. You are so close to me. and you take care of me so much. I fear all these will make me fall in love with you.

Me: so you are going to love me? or leave me?

She: no da how can I love you. You are my best friend.

Before I could respond

She: ok leave it da. I feel so embarrassed to speak about it. Needn’t speak about this anymore. Don’t worry I’ll be alright. I’ll be your old friend. It’s just that I’m new to this kind of affection.

So I was not allowed to speak about it anymore. Could a guy be the same after such a thing told by a girl???? Everything around me changed. You have to be guy to experience how it felt. Guys fall just for a girl’s smile. But now this girl had told me that she may fall in love with me. Oh my god.. I was in heaven. As a Java programmer, I should say I was instantiated. I was expecting her to propose me any day. At least I was expecting her to speak about this topic. But she never did. She also refused to speak when I myself ask anything related to it. I thought I should give her a break. May be she was afraid of taking such a huge decision now. I know about her. She is innocent and afraid about making decisions. So let me wait. Where is she going to go? Waiting is pleasure in love.

I was not the same old friend from that day. My ringtone changed from “Swat kats” theme to “SMS movie theme” (oru paarvaiyil). Suddenly she appeared beautiful to my eyes. She was always beautiful. But why didn’t I notice it till now? “Surya” will be a perfect match for her. I look like “Dhanush”. But even Dhanush got his chance to act with “Shriya” and “Genelia”. So why won’t I get a girl like her? I became possessive on her from that day. I cannot accept her being close to any other guy. I used to admire her in every dress she wore. I waited to see her every day.

Today:

They’ll be calling the groom any time now. I was getting ready. My brother’s daughter came running towards me and told that the priest asked the groom to come to the stage. I lifted her and walked towards the stage. My angel saw me coming. With a lovely smile she greeted me with her eyes… I went near the stage….

6 months ago...

Place: Chennai.

College days were over. I was working in a software company. A more responsible person now. So was she. I never regretted my decision of waiting. We were excellent friends through these years. Caring and supporting each other more than ever. I was still confused about the right time to express my feelings. Obviously afraid of the consequences. But damn sure she would accept me anyway. How the hell would she refuse me? I was her most beloved person for almost 6 years now.

It was my birthday. I had a few surprises from my close friends(including her). We all met after a long time. It was a pleasant evening and we were enjoying it at Marina. She was playfully teasing the sea waves from touching her feet. I had her mobile in my hand. Casually browsing the pictures and videos in her phone gallery, I came across this particular video suddenly. It was her in the video and she recorded it on her own. She started speaking on the video. It was addressed to me.

“She: Hi da…., a very beloved birthday wishes to my beloved friend ever. I want to…………”

Suddenly she snatched the phone from my hand.

She: hello sir,,, what are you doing?? These things are supposed to be surprises….

Me: hey gimme that.. don’t worry I’ll react as if I’m surprised. Shall I say ‘Oh My God?’ after seeing that? Or else temme what you would like to hear. I’ll react accordingly.

She: No just wait till night. Can’t give it now.

Me: please???

She: no!!!!

So once again I was excited in life. I got the wildest imaginations about what could that be. I was restless. I wanna know it soon. Adding fuel, some of my friends even commented that my surprises were not finished and my biggest surprise is yet to come. Damn How can a guy wait? Somehow I got the feeling that its her proposal. The video was for four minutes. Wasn’t four minutes enough for proposing? How should I react? I shouldn’t accept immediately. Let me have some fun. All sort of craziest thoughts circled my head.

So, finally I saw the video. Absolute disappointment. It was the usual stuff of how much she values me and my friendship, blah , blah… complete four minutes of praising our friendship. The surprises which my friends meant came from my parents. I had to appreciate her for the effort she put in for making my birthday memorable. I was lucky. But not lucky enough. Again I was instantiated. May be referenced this time. More than ever. I can’t wait more. I felt the time has come. But I thought I should wait a month more. It’ll be her birthday next month. I thought of giving myself as her gift. I started dreaming on how to propose her. I couldn’t sleep properly anymore. As wise men said, for the first time reality became more beautiful than dreams.

A few days were left for her birthday and so I haven’t proposed yet. My cell phone beeped and it was a message from her.

She: hey you know what?? They started seeing alliance for me.

That was the most shocking news of my life. What the hell… My heart felt very heavy. Damn… I couldn’t bare the pain. I didn’t know how to react. But eventually my reaction was

Me: Wow that’s great. So when’ll be ur marriage then?

She: mostly by next April or May.

Immediately I started counting the number of days left. That’s hardly six months. I was not able to digest it. Just 6 months. I didn’t know whether I should propose now. All these years I had a strong belief that she’ll obviously accept when I propose. All those beliefs shattered. Then she added

She: my dad spoke to me yesterday. He almost broke down. He told how much he values me and said I should earn respect for the family. He asked me not to love anyone.

By the way, which dad asks her daughter to go love someone. I was sitting in my room lonely thinking of my fate. I wanted to cry badly. I couldn’t sleep. I was sure she won’t accept now if I propose. I decided against it. My days became the slowest ever. I wanted to share my sorrow with someone. Unluckily all my friends were her friends too. I couldn’t take risk on that. My cell beeped again.

She: you won’t feel ah? That I’ll be leaving you in another 6 months. I’ll miss you very much.

Me: no I won’t. I know this’ll happen and I was prepared for it. You’ll have to leave your dad, mom and bro. It’s just like that. But Six months is too little time. Anyway I’ll manage. (Blatant lie)

She: so you won’t feel?

Me: I’m saying no na. Then what?

She: Imagine right now I fall in love with someone. That time will you feel?

Me: why? What difference does that make from the previous question? I’ll feel the same only. I told la someday its gonna happen anyway. Then what?

She: no… me selecting someone is different from my parents selecting someone. If I select someone myself, wont you feel why is that someone not you……. I mean I was so close to you more than anyone else.

I wanted to change the topic. I don’t want to speak about it anymore. I’ll surely break down. I seriously got no idea what girls mean or want. The most mysterious creatures…..

Me: so how would you like ur husband to be? How should he look?

She: well obviously like all girls expect he should be fair and handsome.

I never felt myself handsome in my entire life. First time ever I started feeling inferior about my appearance. Maybe that’s why she didn’t want me, I thought to myself.

Me: and what should be his status? Like salary etc.

She: he should earn at least 75k and he should own a house and a car.

Now that’s four times my salary and I don’t even a own a bike. Inferior and more inferior.

She: and preferably I want a groom from foreign countries. Like Singapore. But not U.S.

Well I’ve been out of TN 5 times at the maximum and never crossed Karnataka or Kerala. Inferiority kills me. I wanted to hide my face somewhere. In one way I was happy that at least I could make up a reason for the unanswered question of ‘why not me?’. I couldn’t message her anymore. I gave some excuse and told will continue later. I wished that later never came.

But it did come. She asked the same question which I didn’t want to answer. The same what if she selected someone by herself and that’s not me.

Me: why should I feel for that. Its your choice and as a friend I’ll help you in making that decision. That’s it.

She: so you never thought why you shouldn’t be the one I select?

I don’t wanna answer. I was losing my control. What the hell she wanted….. but she continued

She: ok what if I fall in love with any of my friends other than you? Like sachin, dharan or parthi? They are my friends too. When I decide to love a friend, wont you feel why that friend is not you….

(my situation was like that of simbu’s when he says “yenna try panra jessi????”)

Me: so that means you have some feelings for one among them.

She: no I didn’t mean like that. I just gave an example.

Me: so if you choose among them, who has the highest probability?

I didn’t wanna ask this question. But somehow it came. But I never expected an answer. In fact I don’t want an answer for it. But she answered.

She: obviously sachin. I’m more close to him than parthi and dharan.

That was it. The first thing that came to my mind was that sachin is a Brahmin. So I had another reason to make up. Frustration, fear of losing her, inferiority and now newly added possessiveness made me lose my control.

Me: FYI, I’m more close than sachin.

She: ya, but I can’t love you la….

Me: why is that?

She: you are my best friend da.

Me: so?

She: how can someone love their best friend da?

Me: on which planet or culture, did they frame that rule? I haven’t heard about it.

She: no da… how can a girl be intimate with her best friend?

Me: so a girl can be intimate with her other friends but not best friend?

She: no I said sachin as an example only.

Me: ok leave about him. So you are ready to be intimate with some stranger your dad shows but not with your friend who does everything and anything to make you happy?

She: I’ll feel embarrassed to think my friend in that way.

Me: just now you accepted you’ve chance of falling in love with sachin. Won’t you feel embarrassed with him?

She: what happened to you suddenly? Just now you too said, you won’t feel, when I get married and you are prepared for it nu…

Me: It’s really sad you can’t find that it was a lie..

She: so you’ll feel then?

Me: what the hell you thought of me? some robot without a heart? Even robots love nowadays.

She: then why did you tell a lie?

Me: what difference will that make now? You have your own “only Friend-no Lover” theory.

She: seriously I can’t love you da. I never thought you like that.

Me: silly girls. You expect your husband to be a good friend. But you won’t accept a good friend to be your husband.

She: you won’t understand it. Please leave this topic. I’m sorry for asking you that question.

Me: yes I don’t understand. I really don’t understand. But you??? Either you don’t wanna understand or act as if you don’t understand. I accept I don’t have the money. I’m not good looking. I don’t live in Singapore, but I just bet you one thing… no one will ever care for you like I do. No one can keep you happy more than I do.

She: just leave me alone please.

Yes I left her alone. I didn’t disturb her after that. I was hurt. I had no courage or hope that I’ll convince her. I started maintaining distance from her. I should practice to live a life sans her. I knew it’ll be difficult. Sometimes she used to ask why am I not the old friend anymore. She asked as if she don’t know the reason. Girls….. girls….. girls….. even god will find it difficult to understand them.

Today...
She sat on her dad’s lap as in Brahmin’s tradition. She didn’t lift her face. She was constantly seeing down, like any other girl during marriage. The priest passed the sacred thread (thaali). I had a lump on my throat. Then…………..

HE collected the ‘thaali’ and put three knots. Yes…. “HE”…. A fair and handsome looking guy working in ‘Google’ and earning 1.25L. The couple is likely to go to Europe in a few days. I wished them good luck and left the marriage hall soon. I couldn’t stay there more. I never drank in my life. I had no reason why I didn’t. May be because she doesn’t like it. But that day I did. She is no more mine. I can’t disturb her anymore the way I used to. I can’t share my deepest secrets with her. I can’t be the first one to wish her ‘happy birthday’ every year. I don’t have a shoulder to cry anymore. I can’t tease her for her new hairstyle. She is gonna be close with someone else. She is not gonna ask ‘are you ok now?’, for every hour, whenever I fall ill. She is not gonna share the gossips with me anymore. She is not gonna ask me how her new dress looks, even though she knows my answer will be ‘it sucks’. And above all, to be modest, being an ordinary guy with all human feelings,

Few months later...
My cell phone rang. And yes it’s a sad love theme song now (“Pogadhey” in Yuvan’s husky voice). It was her. I spoke to her after a very long time and it was some ordinary greetings between two distant strangers. She was happy with her new life. And I’m happy to know that. Towards the end of the conversation, unexpectedly she asked

She: when are you gonna marry? You shall love someone la. To get over the feelings. If you miss me so much….

Me: why? You framed your own rule and asked “how can a best friend become a husband?”. I’ll love a girl and what if she frames her own rule and asks “how can a lover become a husband?”.

I hung up the phone immediately. Who knows what girls come up with…………. As I already said even ‘The Creator’ himself cannot understand them.

-- Suttufied from Satheesh's Buzz ;)

Newton's Laws of Software

2011-01-20T01:32:00.000-08:00

Law 1:

Every Software Engineer continues his state of chatting or
forwarding mails unless he is assigned work by manager.

Law 2:

The rate of change in the software is directly proportional to
the payment received from client and takes place at the quick rate as
when deadline force is applied.

Law 3:

For every Use Case Manifestation there is an equal but opposite
Software Implementation.

Law 4:

Bugs can neither be created nor be removed from software by a
developer. It can only be converted from one form to another. The total
number of bugs in the software always remains constant