SCIOLISM

Life at 26

2016-01-09T15:24:00.000+05:30

26 is a confused age to be in. I wanna stay a kid, but I wanna grow up as well.

Independence, financially, mentally and emotionally, is a constant target at the back of my head, yet I'm expected to be dependent, by society, on parents, friends, relatives and in some time, on spouse. So the time gap between being a child and being a 'responsible' adult, the phase where I'm just an adult taking his own decisions, is marginal.

Getting older won't necessarily give me more clarity, as I've very clearly observed in my case. I had a lot more conviction at 15 and 18 and 21, than I have now. Probably experience has taught me to be more careful and cautious, but it's not something I've yet adapted to. Probably there is still some life left to kill.

There's a want to excel, but a need to be myself, maybe a little different from others, departing from the usual meaning of excellence. But since I'm in a confused age and haven't yet been able to clearly define my meaning of excellence, I feel like I'm following a well tread path. There is a comfort in knowing how the path goes, deriving benefits from my predecessors' experiences, but there's a desire to run away from this comfort. To create my own path. But while I have a silent confidence in my abilities to carve out such a road, there's this doubt if it is the flip side of ignorance. There's the societally embedded fear of failure since the stakes are higher every minute.

A person like me, who thrives on clarity of thought feels a little confused at 26. And since confusion is many times a precursor to great things, sometimes I start doubting my dependence on clarity.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

Roadtrip 2014: The First Of Many...

2014-03-11T00:25:00.002+05:30

Do we travel to arrive?

If yes, where do we reach?

Or do we travel for the journey?

If yes, what does it teach?

Do we travel for the experience?

If yes, what fills the page?

Or do we travel to grow?

If yes, how much do we age?

I guess we travel to live

Through lives of others around

I guess we travel to meet ourselves

By traversing this universe's ground.

- Yours Truly

The Sciolist

21 January 2014 to 26 January 2014: Some of the best days of my life that I spent with some of my closest friends. I was planning to do a proper blog on it. Especially since I am returning to blogging after a year. But I guess this sums up everything I have to say. This one is for you guys +Jay, +Ameya, +Nikhil :D :D :D

Excitedly awaiting the next Roadtrip!

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

Sony and Steve: The Genius and the Whim

2013-02-16T22:36:00.000+05:30

So I recently finished reading this awe- inspiring autobiography, Made In Japan by Akio Morita who is a pioneer of technology and who co- founded Sony Corporation with Masaru Ibuka. Fortunately, I read this novel on the back of another remarkable biography by Walter Isaacson on Steve Jobs! Being a tech- freak, it was an enriching experience to peek into the lives of two of the greatest contributors to modern technology as also two giant corporations which have transformed electronics, music, media, entertainment and information industries.

Personally, I have been a Sony man and a Steve Jobs' fan since a long time! After reading these novels I understood how acutely different Steve and Akio were! While one was an unwanted progeny of a young couple, the other was the oldest of four siblings in an affluent Japanese family and a successor to a thriving family business. While one dropped out of college, the other was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy and served in World War II! While one stole the thunder from the true creator of the first Apple computer- Steve Wozniak, the other governed Sony under the adroit guidance of Masaru Ibuka. Frankly, no two individuals could have been more different than Morita and Jobs!

Founded in 1946 under the name of 'Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo' (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation), Sony Corp. became one of the fastest rising electronics companies in the post- World War II open market era for Japan. Sony was at the forefront of innovations through the 1950s till 1980s. The magnetic recording tape, the tape recorder, fully transistorized pocket- sized radio, world's first transistor television, floppy disks, Walkman, Discman, PlayStation are only a few amongst a diaspora of products. Apple on the other hand arrived on the horizon much later, in 1976. With its initial slew of Apple I and Apple II computers, Apple carved a market niche, but however, could never become the market leader. Facing tough competition from IBM and Microsoft in its formative years, Apple managed to reserve an exclusive space in their customers' minds due to its single- minded focus on closed- source premium products. In the last decade, Apple's name has been synonymous with innovation. The iPod, iPhone, iPad, iMac and iTunes as revolutionized today's technology. Apple products hold a snob value like no other piece of technology does.

These two biogs made me realize how the two giant organizations have treaded down a similar path over their life cycle. Frankly, I feel Apple has picked up Sony's thread. Sony's decline began in mid-1980s whereas Apple Inc. rose to fame at around the same time. Apple has imbibed Sony's traits of aesthetic design, quality products and a venery of premium market space. Also, both corporations firmly believe in end- to- end integration of all their products! Likewise, the departure of the founders had cataclysmic effect on the fortunes of the respective companies.

However, as they are similar so are these two corporations poles apart! The DNA and ethos of Sony and Apple emanates from the leadership of Morita and Jobs respectively. Apple is more a capitalistic company where the ideas flow from top down, whereas Sony followed a more democratic team culture where the average employee had a firm voice the organization. Sony cultivated a cohesive, value based and harmonious framework whereas Apple thrived on individual excellence and drive from hierarchical echelons. Undoubtedly, the hemispherical divergence played a big role on their leadership styles, however, the basic difference ascends from the singularity of those individuals. Morita's family orientation and Jobs' adopted youth are evidence enough for the disparate directorship.

The paradoxical similarities between Morita and Jobs and Sony and Apple has brought a paradigm change in the world of technology. The detailed accounts of the condescending brilliance of Jobs and the value oriented genius of Morita in these biographies profoundly emphasize the importance of having a vision and believing in your product. The pathway to success may be different, but keeping an assured goal and intelligently labouring toward the same is the only sure route. Made In Japan and Steve Jobs are definitely two of the best novels that I have ever read of two of the greatest visionaries that our world has ever produced! And probably shall ever! Sony and Steve: The Genius and the whim.

In reverence.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

(The above blog was published as an article in E-Magazine Mentor Mantra. To read the magazine version click here and flip to page 28.)

Atrocities against the fairer sex. An abhorrent practice.

2012-08-05T14:42:00.002+05:30

"Men began to rip off my clothes. I was stripped naked. Their insatiable hunger to hurt me heightened. These men, hundreds of them, had turned from humans to animals....I was tossed around once more, being violated every second... Men pulled my blonde hair.....Please God. Please make it stop." These are some extremely disturbing excerpts from Natasha Smith's recollection of a shocking, abominable and life- altering experience at Tahrir Square, Cairo. Unfortunately, these loathsome episodes are not isolated occurrences. Discrimination against women and girl child have been an age- old practice. Such dogmatism manifests itself in a millinery ways. The fairer sex is put through despicable evils, heartlessly banished, mercilessly abused and ruthlessly exploited.

The 21st century generation is considered to be the most liberated and matured generation ever. Statistically speaking, women have never been as independent and as self- assured as today. Still with unnerving regularity we come across incidents that make our spines shiver. The deplorable case of Baby Afreen's impairment at the hands of her own father and her consequent death has shocked the entire nation. Just recently Hindustan Times ran an article of how a young girl who worked as a domestic servant was abused at the hands of her 'master'. The acid attacks on Sonali Mukherjee and Aarti Thakur has almost 10 years in between them but there has been absolutely no change to the apathy. Murders, rapes, sexual harassment, dowry deaths, girl child abuse, molestation, house- hold abuse, the list does not end. And the crime rates do not ebb. And the women stay defenseless.

Being a man, I feel extremely ashamed of and disgusted at the whole situation. How can such malefaction survive the ages and find shelter (and a healthy one) in the current world. Why hasn't history taught us to respect women? To be chivalrous? Why can't we understand the necessity to maintain equanimity? Why are we still in the phase of 'spreading awareness' through TV serials like Satyameva Jayate. Why is a well- known author like Chetan Bhagat giving out 'advantages of working women' in a popular daily broadsheet! I mean do we really need such TV shows, such articles? (Of course, I am all respect for such initiatives, but the point in contention being why such 'machismo' is flourishing in the first place?) Hasn't today's man reached the level of maturity to treat a woman at par and not have any prejudiced notions about her?

The contemptible part is that quite frankly, all this does not bother us. It has become a passé. It is just some news trying to fill up the as is crowded pages of the newspaper. Such male chauvinism and conceited masculine bane is plaguing our gender equilibrium. Further, no staunch steps are being taken by anybody to prevent or punish these miscreants, to give them a lesson in morality. When white- collared people like Mamta Sharma chairperson of National Women Commission, appeal to the ordinary women to, "Dress carefully to avoid crime", it shows the lackadaisical, neanderthal and myopic approach that our bureaucrats have to such serious issues. Further, some blame also needs to be placed on the traditional beliefs that are still widely dissipated in the world. A million mothers all over the world brainwash their daughters into believing that they are inferior and shall always be that way. That the sole purpose of their existence and subsequent survival is that they are supposed to serve their lords. This needs to change. Desperately.

I think, a real expurgation is needed to rid us of this apartheid. The attitudes and the outlook towards woman has to change on a global level. For attaining a balance and preventing a wide spread paroxysm and arresting the damage already done. The grand- fatherly solution of instilling moral values has become an indispensable preventive cure that has to be imbibed and exercised. Laws for crimes against women need to become more austere, more draconian. Only then can such hideous crimes being committed at such alarming regularity shall abate. Only then can woman like Natasha Smith, Aarti Thakur and Sonali Mukherjee feel secure again.

Hoping for a radical improvement and soon.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

Sciolism - Gratified. Branded. Networking.

2012-07-01T18:10:00.001+05:30

Sciolism is back again. And so is The Sciolist! Its been almost three months since my last post and I have sorely missed being here! But now I am back. And I am here to compensate my long absence!

First and foremost, I want to send out a big vote of thanks to all of you! Over the last few months, especially during the period of my hiatus, I have received a lot of appreciation from all of YOU for everything that I have written here. And frankly I have been overwhelmed by your kind response to my posts. I just want to say that each one of your word means a lot to me. And your shares. And your likes! It not only gives credence to my writing skills but also goes a long way into validating my independent and sometimes individualistic opinions. And believe me, there is no better feeling than gaining your cognizance to my viewpoints. For this, I would once again like to thank you!

Secondly, Sciolism is now branded! Yes, finally it is. I have been waiting for what seems like eons trying to come up with a logo that is as much a definition of me as it is of my blog. When I conceived the idea, I had one thing set very clear in my head. The logo has to personify me. And those who know me well shall tell you that if there is one thing that I am completely and utterly crazy about, then it is The Lord of The Rings. It is something that I have carried on over the past decade. I have always been enamored by The One Ring, its aura, the engravings on it...... I can go on and on about it. Actually, I have always dreamed of owning something along the same lines! And now when I got the chance of creating a logo for my very own blog, I simply couldn't miss this opportunity! So I finally came up with something! Something simple. Something resplendent. Something radiant. Something like this!

Thirdly and lastly, Sciolism is now networking! Big time. It has been trending onGoogle+ for sometime now, but now it is on Facebook (Click the link to reach these pages!) too! So this gives me an opportunity to stay connected with you. To interact with you. To know your opinions and take in your suggestions! This shall also make it easier for you to follow my latest posts! And get a sneak preview of what's cooking before I actually post them! Hoping this new addition is as exciting for you as it is for me!

Until the morrow!!!

This is the Sciolist.

Signing out!!!

21 days of enchanting bliss. The GMCS course.

2012-04-05T20:25:00.000+05:30

March 2, 2012. 9.47 am.
I walk into this cramped room at this third- party facility, wondering what the next 20 odd days will hold in store for me. Surrounded by a slowly but surely increasing clamour of "Sorry, I didn't catch your name", "Which college?", "So do you know anyone else in class?" and "Are you working anywhere?" I seat myself between two (what I then felt) extremes. One rather talkative chap on my left who is inexplicably at ease with the alien surroundings; "Dooood, I just walked in for registration at 9.30 aaraam se thinking I'll get in Dadar..." And the other (who went on to be our Class ki Jaan) being a quiet fellow sticking to basic pleasantries of name and thereabouts. With so many unknown faces around me and the rising furore all about, I momentarily feel out of place. But then it passes. I am now half- eagerly, half- anxiously looking forward to this ICAI cracker called GMCS.

March 22, 2012. 5.53 pm.
I am looking back at the near empty and beloved GMCS room, reminiscing some of the best days that I have spent in my entire life. There is a hush in the class, a couple of friends lingering around misty eyed, a few soft melancholy[1] partings, warm hugs and a lamenting exchange of "Keep in touch" and Miss you's". I am not out of the class yet, but already missing the first felt clamour; the room that I leave from has become much bigger than the room I entered in (and is no more cramped), the buzz of excitement that surrounded me in the first 15 minutes seems so much more soothing than these sharp shrieks of cold and sorrowful silence.

It is this journey of being bleary eyed to teary eyed that I wish to share today. And frankly, it was not my journey alone. It was undertaken by 43 erudite^[2] and sprightly individuals, who at first had nothing in common barring the penance of Chartered Accountancy course that they had traversed, but now, by the end it all, have become quite like kith and kin to one another.

Back to the class room.
So as our unfamiliarity ebbs, I realize that I am looking at this great bunch of people who have come to this course not only for the pedagogy^[3], but also to have loads of civilized (what?!?!? really?!?!) fun. Everyone is here with the common motive of constructively enjoying this revisit to their college days! As we start participating in the various activities organized by the GMCS faculty, we start discovering each other and also recognizing our own hidden talents that lay latent till now. We start knowing each other. As much in as out. With the numerous introductions that we give each day, we realize that everyone has some special skill. Like Mr. Class ki Jaan and his "I have two feedback regarding this" methodology. Or Mr. SoBo's utterly, well, umm.... bi- directional (I am doing you a favour I think. Because the rest of the batch thinks you are uni- directional. Only the wrong lane :P) tendencies and preferences (apart from the obvious plethora of genius!). Or Ms. Queen Bee's obvious attempts to equate our batch with the previous one (though admittedly it is her efforts that our batch really became the luminary that it now is!). Or Ms. Dominator's effervescent^[4] (and oft her scary 'eye- balling the counterpart into submission') character. Or Mr. Casanova's continuous 'fillers' in undertones which tickled everyone's funny bone and his contagious interest in all the current affairs (pun intended). Or my own endless love for words which left the audience bamboozled[5] and Mr. Scorpio furiously jotting down additions in his self- made dictionary. (Note that I have not nick named myself over here. An author's liberty that I happily exercise! :P) Or even Mr. Strawberry's....Mr. Strawberry's....ah well, let's just say Mr. Strawberry! :) (So much has been said about him, I don't think a one line description shall do justice to the person that he is. I'll have to write a new post just for him :P). Unfortunately what we did not come to know (and are eagerly awaiting) was Mr. Basic Judgment's judgment for everyone! (which he so discreetly, conveniently and shamelessly avoided).

GMCS for me, has been a sojourn having numerous highlights with each person making a profound contribution to making it the joy- ride that it was. The main reason why we all harmonized so well with each other was because every one of us enterprisingly participated in all the activities that were performed. Even if some amongst us had come with the intent of solely acquiring the certificate, after the first hour of the first day the certificate lay forgotten and that is what took the cake. It is because of this that we have so many unforgettable moments almost everyday! Which of us can forget Mr. Chikni Chameli semi- proposing in front of camera? Or Mr. Boozer getting thoroughly thrashed and spanked by Mr. Class ki jaan? And Mr. Tobacco's hand- rubbing sequences? Or the colossal debate/ argument/ cat- fight between Ms. Dominator and Ms. Queen Bee (Gosh, what was it? All I remember was that it was a really bad session for me!)? And what about Mr. SoBo aka Mr. Jimmy aka Mr Fatboy Slim (for his quasi- ME comment) aka Mr. Scorpio's beau (nice one na? :P) non- stop 'intelligent bullshiting' on stage? And Mr. Dancer's spectacular milk act where he had everybody crooning to the 'Ae aaye aa o aa ae aa' tune? Or my own dump sequence!!

And it was not only these classroom activities that had us hooked. The pre- class - post- class (and everywhere in between!) sessions that Ms. Queen Bee so refreshingly subjected us to (which we voluntarily and most joyously participated in!) were also a great hit. So was Ms. SoBo's (Notice the prefix used. And it is quite obviously because of her residential location :P) super initiative to play Holi in class. That set the ball rolling. Actually, I'd go a step further and say that it was because of these enthusiasts that the above mentioned cake got its icing and a cherry on top (though 43 people now prefer strawberries!!! Sorry Mr. Golu. Can't help myself :P). Be it the birthday cakes which Ms. SHU..sorry..Ms. MMU (gosh, its confusing!!) and Ms. Tiny Genius organized, or the fish pond and the paper plate game (gosh, can you imagine? People are writing stuff about you behind your back and you're thoroughly enjoying that :P) that we so zealously participated in or the numerous evenings- out that Ms. Dominator, Mr. Casanova and Mr. Basic Judgment so sportingly arranged, or the idea of giving Mr. Singapore the 'Class ki Jaan' gallantry, or even the small but extremely well thought act of distributing contact details of all the batch members to everyone. These were instances that brought a smile to a few faces (and utter laughter to the rest of them).

Speaking about classroom activities, how can I not include the famous 'so- called' couples in our class? These people were involved in activities of their own (according to popular belief and crowd sentiment and not according to me :P). The in- class messaging, furious BBMs, dabba- sharing, the furtive aankh- micholi and the constant eye- talk that went on in class deserves mention! And we had all kinds of couples do the above things (and a few more, who were never branded as couples ;) )...from usual to the unusual ones. So while the usual one's include MMU-SHU (who would surely take home the cute couple award), Jiggi and his 'so- called' best friend (where all I can remember is Jiggi being incessantly dominated by her! "Agar tu kal time pe nahi aaya na Jiggi....", "Kitna phone pe bolega? Abhi aadhe ghante ke liye phone bandh rakh...") and Ms. Dominator- Mr. Casanova; the unusual department was taken care by Mr & Mrs Scorpio (You guys fight the gender out :P) and Ms. Beautiful Eyes & Ms. Ghungroo (Though, there have been juicy rumours of Mr. HR trying out his luck with Ms. Beautiful Eyes. I wanted to name him Mr. Rejected. But I did not want to be rude and also did not want to mar his chances with Ms. Beautiful Eyes! :P. Actually there have also been rumours of both the ladies vying for Mr. Golu aka Mr. Strawberry aka Mr. Cutie Pie aka ......! I think I should end this here. Because there are a lot of ladies vying for Mr. Strawberry and yet again, a one line description does not befit him!!!)

Over here I would like to digress from the mood, because I feel along with all the fun and frolic that we so amply enjoyed, we were also privy to two stellar[6] individuals. And I would like to pay homage to these two very special people that our class featured. One whom we all look up to. Who has knowingly or unknowingly played a big hand at catapulting[7] our professional career by playing the role of a quasi- idol to many. Obviously, as you may have guessed, I am talking about Mr. Class ki Jaan. I think after meeting and interacting with him on such an informal level, we all take back home a lot of pointers on not only the criteria he (for the lack of a better word) lectured us on, but also the importance of abstracts like humility and modesty. Similarly, I think, Mrs. Beed (who I personally feel also fits the Mrs. Class ki Jaan title) also made a special place in our hearts. She was the true Captain Courageous of our class. To do what she is doing and to spear- head the baton of progress is something not many can do and for that she has my deep reverence. I think I speak on behalf of 42 of us when I say that I feel lucky to have been given a glimpse of the vision that she has for her locale.

It's these moments and all you people that illuminated our batch up for me. The ever- over- flowing cup of enthusiastic initiation and equally matching zealous participation made our GMCS go from 'just another addition to CA curriculum' to 'the best thing the course has to offer'. It is this madness that I am going to miss for a long time. And probably forever. Because probably I may never get those days when people are writing things about me behind my back, or when I'm doing all kinds of stupid things, things that I never imagined I could pull off, on stage, or when I am laughing so hard at Mr. Strawberry's jokes that I am cracking at my hips. I thought we were only having fun. But I now realize that we were creating memories. Ever- lasting ones. They were great 3 weeks. 21 days of enchanting bliss.

Wanting all those days back.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

P.S. By popular demand, I have included the meanings of a few (what I was made to believe) high- fundoo words. I included these words because no other word (according to me and in my knowledge) essay my thoughts better than the one's used.
1. Melancholy - Gloomy
2. Erudite - Well educated
3. Pedagogy - Teaching/ training
4. Effervescent - Bubbly/ sparkling
5. Bamboozled - Baffle
6. Stellar - Celestial/ great
7. Catapult - Trigger

PRIVACY INFILTRATION. AN UNNERVING APP IN THIS AGE OF APP STORES.

2012-02-22T14:05:00.000+05:30

So the other day I read this bizarre news that a lot of Apple applications access as much as your intimate contact information without the knowledge of the phone owners. Just a few days back The New York Times ran an article on how companies store your email address or credit card number and then track every time you use it so that they understand what are your purchase preferences, your tastes and your favorite stores and so on. Take the Daily Mail's article on this whole Target Corporation pregnancy matter. Based on the purchases a teenage girl was making, Target found out that the girl was pregnant. The astonishing part is that the girl's father had no clue about the issue [Pun intended!! :)]. We are thus witnessing (and maybe unknowingly victimized due to) an unfortunate and inopportune upsurge in privacy invasion by the cold- hearted and ruthlessly commercial merchandisers. And all this is being done in such an incognizant manner that the user/ customer/ owner is completely unaware of their infiltration!

It is an abysmal situation where people are totally ignorant about the possible damage that this type of sabotage can lead to, let alone the sheer magnitude of the deleteriousness! I have no idea whether you know this, but everything you do on the web spider leaves a trail. And remember, someone is always tracking. For example you like something on Facebook or post it on Twitter or it. Well, they know. They know what you like. They know what you read. They know what you post. And they create a sort of 'info- store' where a treasure trove of all your likes and dislikes are archived! Have you ever read all those ads under the head 'Sponsored' on your Facebook home page?? If you remove this advert then you are asked a 'Why do you want to remove this?'  sort of question with 6-7 different option of reasons. They say this will help them provide you with better services over time. But what they do not say is that they will use this data feedback to form a data arcade and then shall come out with customized advertorial content for you. Age- specific. Taste specific. They are just like those sales- personnel knocking your door! Or those spam messages and phone calls you receive from credit card and insurance companies. Just like you don't wish to give them your personal details, your savors etcetera, why should you give it out to a social networking site whose storage depository is more prone to a sabotage; that which is a hacker's paradise?

My problem over here is not limited to the few brutal business barons who suck such sensitive data- keeping their consumers in dark for the sake of gaining an edge over their competitors in the name of 'serving the consumers according to their preferences' sort of nonsense; my problem is with the entire corporate attitude where they want to preempt what their clientele may require and then bombarding them with promotional vagaries in largesse so as to fill up their pockets with an almost monopolistic ease! These people are taking 'customer loyalty' to an hitherto unimaginable and socially detrimental levels where they tend to brainwash consumers by continuous advertorial pitches and blatant plagiarism! My problem is with the blissfully ignorant consumer base for whom privacy policies are still the cliched Greek and Latin! These consumers (which very naturally includes you and me) have to be more aware of their rights. And surely what is at stakes!

If what I am saying is sounding ludicrous, give this a thought. Why do you get spam in your mailbox? Because some unknown person with mala fide intentions has access to your email id. Assuming that you yourself have not given your mail id to such person, it means that they have received this information from the sites that you use!! And now imagine which accounts are attached to your e- mail id? Your bank accounts?? Your corporate data?? Your cell phone number?? Arguably, some important parts of your personal, academic and professional lives are stored on your mail box. And there are many ways in which this data can be manipulated to give you grief. And if this falls in the wrong hands it can be used to cause unbelievable levels of trepidation (which it already is!).

Who knows, in the next few months probably our text messages, our IMs and our on phone conversation may also be read into and stored by these mongrels. It is high time that we do make sure that our smart phones and tab- pads behave according to our choices. And for that we need to be aware. We need to read the privacy policies, keep ourselves updated about the latest deficiencies observed in the tech world. At least those associated with our devices or the sites on which we are registered. And it is not that difficult. Just find the right site and get a RSS Feed from there. They shall keep you constantly updated about these issues. Remember, just like you try and safeguard all your properties, the same way even your virtual property has to be shielded and armored.

Hoping that Privacy Policy and not Privacy Espionage is your new 'App'.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

Tit for tat- Whether an amenable solution?? - My thoughts...

2012-02-13T17:56:00.001+05:30

(Please note that in this blogpost I am elucidating my views on the more customary or generic meaning of tit for tat. Along the lines of an eye for an eye; and not the tit for tat strategy or I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine corporate regimen.)

So a very good friend of mine put forward this seemingly toothless question where a simple 'yes or no' would have sufficed his inquisition. Frankly, if I were to answer that question, which I unfortunately immediately, spontaneously and thoughtlessly did; I would and did say a yes. Obviously, being who I am, I am surely be ready for the 'eye for an eye' treatment. So I thought that's the end of that. Question answered. Chapter closed.

But then, after almost three hours, the fathomage of the question struck me! I mean, is tit for tat really the solution? For our day- to- day petty mishaps it seems like the perfect quick fix. I mean, someone pokes you and you poke back. Someone slaps and you snap back. Someone cuts you while driving, you throw cuss words, have a bit of verbal jousting, cut him and well, that's over. But then, probably, for our mundane circadian matters, tit for tat really isn't that. Its more of a mere retort than a blatant rebuttal. Its more of a repartee than offensive comebacks. However, if this is true and acceptable on an individual level, can the same be said about it on a communal level? So say America wrongs India in a certain way, should we pay them back in kind? Or should we try to chalk out conversations and esoteric discussions so that we find a way out. Obviously, now the choice shall be the latter as the stakes are higher. Thus we see that as the provincial parties as well as the magnitude of the situations change, the contrivance resorted to also undergoes a revision.

For me, tit for tat becomes an issue of the kind of riposte it is. I mean, the problem with it is that principally, it should never be used as an offensive or an avenging response. Vengeance should never translate into any action. However, if it has been used in defense, then we may be able to justify it. I know all this sounds ludicrous, but those who give it a thought shall realize that there is a paper- thin line of demarcation between the two, even if the aftermath of the two shall be pretty much the same. Obviously, many would say that war is abominable in the first place, whether you initiate it or respond. True. But the intent after all is what separates earth from sky! Oft, giving back what you get remains the only possible alternative, which should then definitely be put to practice; but it should also be remembered that it is an avenue of last resort and not a resource of first employment.

People should surely use an iota of discretion before actually giving back what they get. It is inopportune that we are living in an era where patience, tolerance and one- to- one discussions are becoming gold-dust. Obviously, people will want to reimburse the apostates in the same cruel ways that they were paid, but I believe that a resolving dialogue should be indulged into before actually turning the tables. Thus, if now someone asks me to answer the question, "Tit for tat- Whether an amenable solution?" I would say, "No. An intractable solution which should be used on advisedly amenable occasions!"

Hoping that people do use their heads before their hands.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

THE SATANIC VERSUS THE LENONIC. SO DEMONIC!!!

2012-02-02T15:38:00.001+05:30

What is common between Jay Leno, Salman Rushdie and Jeremy Clarkson??? Amongst the other obvious things (like being aged celebrated figures), all of them have been asked to officially apologize to Indian public in the country and all over the globe!! And that too for infinitesimally small reasons which quite frankly should have been ignored. Our government has long been resorting to swords where a blindfold should have been used. One more example of the same would be the 'official' people driving out M. F. Hussain saab.

I think it would do us well at this stage to ask ourselves, the common people, are we really offended by some juvenile comments? Also, do we need to be offended by (with no disrespect to the artists) essentially a stand up comedian who sells his soul for drawing a laugh or writer who is putting down his views? If I were to answer that question, I would respond with a belligerent and unyielding 'No'. Unfortunately, to get that kind of an absolute answer from 1.2 billion Indians is an irrealizable and an insurmontable task. More so because of the subjective nature of the question. Not to mention the various theological sinuousness it involves! But whichever way the answer goes, I believe its absurd for the Indian government to get involved in all these matters. I mean, the issue is not concerning the Indian state in anyway. Its not encroaching upon India as a republic, secular or a democratic state, nor is it judicially or legally deleterious in anyway. Agreed that for some it has a religious mordancy involved, but it should strictly not be handled by the government.

History has long displayed that sadly, whenever there is a question of religion involved, there are always accelerated and juiced up emotions gushing around. See, we have three areas of concern here. For the people who answer the above inquests with a positive, there is a deep need of a catharsis. People need to be more liberal. We need to broaden our mindsets. India is the largest democratic state in the world. We really need to banish such conservative proclivities. And if even liberals feel that their religious sentiments have been offended, and if they wish an apology from the delinquent, then they must come up with a different channel, someone other than the government. Firstly, as I have fore- mentioned, the government has no business in this predicament. Secondly, if the aggrieved are demanding an apology, I expect, that they expect the offenders to be remorseful. Whether pressurizing them into an apology using the heavy hand of the Indian bureaucrats is going to serve the cause, is questionable. Obviously, such an apology is no testament to the contrition of a guilty mind; actually, its much the opposite. The offender is under duress and the now self- reproach is a meaningless attempt to save face. Instead, it would be more eloquent if recourse is taken to premier religious bodies. This would ensure that both a chivalrous as well as staunch demand for indemnification is made.

The second area of concern would be the death threats that these so called wrong- doers have to bear. The extremists actually go to the length of threatening these exemplars and driving them out of the country. Just today Times of India ran an front- page article on the atrocities that Tas lima Nasrin had to face. Its the same that M. F. Hussain saab or Salman Rushdie had to face! I understand and sympathize with the people who are religiously agonized! But then, which religion preaches harm to human life? Aren't the people who give these death threats in the name of protecting or reacting to an attack on their religion themselves making a mockery of their own sacrosancts and praxises? The afflicted should demand apologies from these ill- hearted fascists!

Thirdly and lastly, I would like to reiterate that we need to be liberal about these religious issues. Its reproachful that we cannot tolerate petty comments on our beliefs! What is a belief in absence of tolerance? Accepted, that one of the core fundamentals of a secular existence lies in religious tolerance. But remember, both religion and tolerance have equal weight-age in the same. We need to be more tolerant about all these issues. And more importantly, we need to channel our energies towards more significant and urgent issues on hand! If people really want to fight against something, there are millinery other issues, for which the GOI has to apologize to the Hindustani janta. Kasab has still not been convicted, crime against children, women and old is still on the rise, farmers are still committing suicide, girl child is still banished, the common man has no faith in the safety and the security measures taken by the defense system. The list goes on and on. Why don't we demand an apology from the politicians and the Indian Government? Definitely these issues hurt us more than some firangi comment or some novel! The taxpayer's money is at stake here. So are his safety and sentiments. Why do we show apathy in issues where we need to raise a voice? Mumbai bounces back after bomb- blasts. Bullcrap. We bear this almost every year. Why so? Why aren't these issues taken up by the same fervent politicians and individuals who otherwise demand an apology from these artists? Indifference. Apathy. Stoicism. Not the spirit of Mumbai. Not India shining. That is the hard truth. I feel, thus, that there is a need of an expurgation. We need to direct our staunch beliefs in the right direction. The Satanic Versus The Lenonic do not afflict our lives as much as these demonic debaucheries. After all, it is a question of our faith, solitude and existence.

Demanding an apology for all this lassitude.

This is The Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

THE WRONG THUNDER DOWN UNDER ! ! !

2012-01-17T11:18:00.001+05:30

So the 'HUMILIATION IN AUSTRALIA', 'DISASTER SERIES', 'INDIA MAULED' headlines are doing rounds again today. TV channels are already (and again) fighting to axe the seniors (read Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman). All the paid analysts are giving millenary views - right from too much cricket to too less practice to inexperienced players to too old players. When it comes to the Indian Cricket Team, everyone has a prophecy!! Everyone is jumping to gun to predict doomsday! This obviously is the congenital consequence of 1.2 billion passionate, frantic and cricket crazed Indians going into an overdrive on the occurrence of a simple yet, for our nation, an outlandish event - the loss of our Indian Cricket Team! I agree that the scoreline is anything but encouraging; actually on the verge of preposterous. But we really need to look at it from a more practical angle than listen to those no- brainers on the TV!

Sachin Tendulkar getting dismissed

The answers to our gobbledygook performances lie in four simple yet pivotal factors. One, our opening stand. Two, our first thirty to forty five minutes of every session of play. Thirdly, an abysmal lack of fight amongst the players. Fourthly and lastly, some inexplicable choices made by the national selectors. If one bothers to check the scorecards and the associate enumerations the explanations stare them in the face!! Now we all accept that we have failed in the last few overseas tests as we have had collective batting failures. But the main reason has been that we have not had good enough opening stands! Barring the third test at Melbourne in the 2003-04 Border- Gavaskar Trophy where we lost in spite of having a century opening stand, we have never lost a test in Australia or England where our openers got a decent enough partnership! Therein lies the crux of our problem. Our second worry is the first half an hour of any session. Every time we have faltered, generally that period has been bad. Be it batting or bowling. Third, and probably the most important reason of failure over the past seven test overseas matches is the pure lack of FIREPOWER in the Indian Cricket Team. Playing Australia or England in their backyards has historically proved to be one of the most difficult tasks for Indians. Over the last seven test matches, what was notably truant was aggression from the Indian Cricketers.

Rahul Dravid taking the long walk back

When India toured Australia in 03-04, 07-08 and when we toured England in 2002 and 2007, we frankly had aggressive captains! Be it Anil Kumble or Sourav Ganguly, our captains led us from the front. Who can forget Sourav Ganguly making Steve Waugh wait or the 07-08 sledgefest? Till 07-08 frankly, Indians were emerging as a Test Cricket powerhouse. Our cricketers used to show a lot of fight and always tried to fire the first salvo. However, when Dhoni took over as our Test captain, India was already a successful test nation. Riding on the back of Anil Kumble's efficacious captaincy stint, Dhoni became our 'Captain Cool'. He excelled as a captain in home conditions and his strategic ways of handling all issues with a poker face were applauded. However, this same coolness has been the nemesis for Indian Cricket for quite sometime now. This coolness is now proving detrimental to our interests! You need to give it back, Mr. Dhoni. You need aggression and hostility to tackle the Poms and the Aussies in their own den. Interestingly, one more reason for the lack of aggro, though it sounds obnoxious, is the absence of THE TURBANATOR.

A pensive M.S. Dhoni

Be it 2003 series against Aussies or 2007 of England, Harbhajan has always been able to add that spice to the team. Obviously he is going through a lean phase and calling him back just for the aggro isn't sensible. But very frankly, we need a couple of guys that shall give it back to the Aussies. Maybe Virat and Gautam, if they are able to get over their own batting demons, can do that job for us. But it cannot be denied that it is needed! And replacing the stalwarts isn't the solution. Do you think that a Rohit Sharma can replace a certain Sachin Tendulkar? Can Cheteshwar Pujara replace Rahul Dravid? Can Suresh Raina replace VVS Laxman? The idea itself is appalling! How can one replace experience with exuberance? How can someone who has not proved his mettle even at the vacant number six replace our long standing number three? These people have not performed at the highest level to warrant a place in our national side. We cannot overlook these factors just to quell our baseless and incongruous fears!!

One more thing that has contributed in a large way to our overseas loss over the past year has been the rinkydink and quacker selections! Our selectors have been found wanting at each and every step. Some of the selections are as baffling as they are austere. The latest display of this is the selection of Vinay Kumar in the team! Obviously, the selectors hide behind the cloud of there not being enough quality replacements waiting in ranks to take the mantle from the veterans! Then, frankly, the entire BCCI has to be blamed for this! Regionalism is still rampant in our country's cricketing. We need to develop strong domestic cricket seasons to mitigate such tough times! Ironically, for the next two years, India is not going to play a single test series outside our homeland. So the task is going to be much more difficult for the selectors as our Big Four (hoping that Laxman stays the course) are really kings at home. Also the replacements have to be iterated for the overseas conditions. How efficiently the selectors in coalition with the other BCCI members shall manage the task is now to be seen!

Lastly, it needs mention that we as a cricket crazed nation have to mature up as an audience. I may be romanticizing the issue, but many would agree that our cricket is like our extended family. This is the time when we should show faith in our cricketers. Only last year we were worshiping them after the world cup. After the West Indies series. After all, it has been only 29 bad days!! A bad month cannot deter your faith and support, can it? Why can't we rationalize the predicament. There is no use of panicking right now. And frankly, no need to as well. Just back your cricketers as you always have. They will come good, sooner or later. Sachin will get his 100th 100. Sehwag will again maul the opponents. And Dravid shall not get bowled!!!

In anticipation of a turnaround to a proper THUNDER DOWN UNDER!

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

Don 2 - A Farhan Akhtar flop show.

2012-01-06T13:08:00.000+05:30

A still from Don 2

One of the first things that hit me when I entered the theater to watch DON 2 was the sloppiness and the pure lack of story line! The second thing while I continued watching the film was, "WHY?"; "Why has the scene been shot that way? Why is Boman Irani behaving like his school teacher has just reprimanded him for not doing his homework? Why did Shahrukh Khan agree to act in this film? Why did Farhan Akhtar make such a film?" Amongst other reasons, probably he wanted to retell Oceans, Mission Impossible, A- Team in his own way, like he wanted to retell the original Don!

I would like to highlight a few of the populous faux pas that I believe the film possessed. Firstly, and rather unfortunately, the story falls short of enthusing me. It seems, and I am reiterating here, a paltry off print of A- Team, with a few situations of Oceans and MI series thrown. Proper scenes were ripped off. Like the stealing of plates part as well as the jump from the building stunt was purely lifted from A- Team (though A- Team was way better in both); the breaking of vault thing was from Oceans 11; so on and so forth.

Aadore Mukherjee's casting lacked tenor. Though this was again due to Farhan's script more than Aadore's ineptitude! There were a few of characters doing nothing in the film. For instance, Priyanka Chopra's sidekick, whose reel name I don't remember and real name I don't care to know. A mannequin could have taken his place- and it wouldn't have made a difference!! Om Puri Ji was given a next to nothing role. The Deutsche Polizei were there only to show that they were infact in Germany! Then there were a few pivotal characters missing. Narang for one was surely missed. So were Don's gang. It needs mention, that Don is THE CZAR, el capitan!! So its obvious and to a certain extent obligatory for him to have a troop, his regiment with him. That is how his aura, his enigma should have been personified on screen. But Farhan took this element out entirely! Instead, he presumed that the pre- created demeanor of Don would continue in this film. He was sorely mistaken.

One more thing that was hard to swallow was the complete absence of reasoning and cogitation with respect to the series of events. For instance, why is it that Malik and Roma are heading the Malaysian Interpol? Or why are they leading the German police and not following them? Why was Jabbar so eager to kill DON (a globally feared criminal- this again sucks out a part of Don's suavity)? Again, its amusing to see Boman Irani aka Vardhan to dancing to Don's tunes with minimal explanation as to why Don wants Vardhan on his side and ridiculous to watch Roma being so gullible that a few irrelevant words here and there made her cockle and tousle.

Farhan's direction skills seem to have nosedived. Probably the multiplicity of roles that he is playing these days is taking a toll on his direction. But there seems no other explanation as to why he was not able to do justice and give meaningful roles to 4-5 people when he has handled not less than 8 people so gracefully in Dil Chahta Hai. It was after all, only a heist job or a con job which is much below the cadre of DON! All he ended up doing was rob Don of his charisma (Don actually had a catwalk, can you believe that!). He only seemed interested in making a film which was nothing but an aggregation of obscure dialogues, smart locations and some lame stunts.

There surely are the expected supporters who mandate that Don has taken action in the Hindi Film Industry to another level. Further its a conspicuous step towards bringing the west in our heartland. This may be true to a certain extent. But what needs to be remembered is that the west is not going to step in our world just for our action sequences (which are mimeographs of the west). Unless we have good scripts packed with fortitude and tenacity, the west shall remain in the west!!! Until then, Don 2 ko dekhna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai!!

Hopefully we are treated to a better spectacle and fervent efforts hereon from Farhan.

This is the Sciolist, with no intention of being calumnious!

Signing Out!!!

Does God exist? - My shot at the answer.

2011-12-29T13:24:00.000+05:30

Well, most of the readers would reply, "Obviously He does, stupid" and leave it there. Some would attribute adjectives like unnecessary, irrelevant, nonsensical, heterodox to the question, call it names and leave it there. Some would feel that it is a germane question, one that deserves a thought, but still leave it there!! But frankly, how many people have actually given it a thought?

From nascency, most of the children grow up believing in the existence of 'The Supernatural Being'. Never once questioning His existence. Never having second thoughts about it. The reasons for this behavior are simple enough. People who generally do question, are admonished, told off, heavily advised to mend their anomalous ways by their grandmums and sometimes down right banished. Secondly, when the entire tree gives you oranges, can you expect a branch to give you apples? Thirdly, and most likely of them all is that people just do not want to get into an uncomfortable position where they have to answer a millenary more questions.

Nevertheless, frankly I do believe that asking the question and more importantly, answering it is imperative. To answer that however, one has to ask another fundamental question. WHAT OR WHO IS GOD? An immediate answer would be, 'the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe'. Probably the above image, if it is ever possible to do that, best defines Him. The Supporter, The Shelter, The Genesis to Growth. But do people even begin to fathom what that means and above that, implies! Out of a myriad of other things, it implies that there was ONE Being at the start. So, which one was it? Deva? Allah? Jesus Christ? Obviously, believers of different religions shall have their own deity at the genesis of the genesis. People shall also say that Almighty is One, and these are mere names given by humans following divergent, yet, to a certain extent, over- lapping religions. I do not in anyway intend to inaugurate any religious spat, but the question that now arises is, WHY GIVE DIFFERENT NAMES TO THE SAME ENTITY? Why have different customs, different principles in accordance with the religions? Probably someone shall argue saying that if we can have different languages, why can't we have different names? But then that's being myopic. The greater picture here is the disparity between the multitude of traditions and sacraments that the world follows.

Without getting into any kind of canonical debate, I would like to present my perception of God. For me, God is synonymous to HUMAN FAITH OR HUMAN TRUST. We humans are emotionally weak beings. We fear the unknown like we fear the future, sorrow and death. We are in perennial need of inward backing and support. And God is that support. People have faith in God. In His justice. In His compassion. In His empathy. In His unwavering love. They pray to Him to alleviate all their sufferings and lead them towards the path of happiness, peace and contentment. They trust that God will grant their wishes. They try to live an ideal life. Follow principles. They have faith that God will do no wrong to an honest man. Is this not true, I ask? And if you believe, WHO ARE YOU TO SAY ANY DIFFERENT?

But then, the idea of God; does it not seem to be the congregation of all the good, all the bona fide, all the morals in the world? Is it not the concomittance of all the virtues which have been metamorphosed into folklore and holy conventions? And frankly, very frankly, are they needed? Is it necessary to follow some religion? To have faith in the unseen? Is it not possible for humans to be good, honest, ethical, chaste and virtuous of their own accord? Can't the trappings of the rituals be done away with? I am of the stern opinion that humans are unequivocally capable of adopting all the above attributes without resorting to the cloud of a religion. After all, faith in one's family, one's comrades, one's fellows akin to faith in the Almighty. Truly, the world is just the aggregation of the behavior of all the people that inhabit it. If we do hold to our values, then is the IDEA needed?

I believe, that it is us, humans, who created the concept of God, and not the other way around!!! We took all the love, all the care, all the happiness, all the contentment, all the niceties, all the good that the world has to offer and transformed it into an idea- an idea so vast, so magnanimous, so all- conquering, that few would question its validity. We created a Being that is perfect, all- knowing, over- powering, and quite frankly, supreme to all us mortals. We gave Him characteristics which are ideal, which not just circumvent the blacks and whites on the chess board, but actually rule the play, and which I can candidly say, we felt, we lacked. And is this so hard to believe? If humans exercise the ability to create entire religions, sects, customs, traditions and the commensurate, is it so difficult to believe that WE ourselves have created the idea of God? After all, if everyone does agree that Almighty is one, then surely, the names, the rituals, the praxises are all a figment of human imagination which, due to the widespread dissipation, has grown into an all- encompassing tree! Because, the One God would have suggested only one path of living, probably constituting all the above- mentioned moralities and more. We were the ones, however, who institutionalized these into sacrosanct precincts.

Now, above all, one question remains, belittling all others, demanding an answer from all of US. Can we vanquish our fears; can we put faith in OUR ABILITIES and ascend to higher grounds - without aid from the invisible? And I think the time has now arrived that we give this question a thought. We need to be captains of our souls now. We need to tread our path of living by being apprentices of our own minds. As God maybe NOBODY, but surely, God is US ALL.

Hoping I have given all of you some question to ponder upon. And further that I have not offended any of your sentiments.

This is the Sciolist, offering a thought.

Signing Out!!!

A sparkle in the eye - Rahul Dravid's speech at the National War Memorial

2011-12-16T14:13:00.000+05:30

So The Bradman Oration 2011 was orated by Rahul Sharad Dravid. That he is the first non- Australian to deliver his speech on such a prestigious occasion speaks volumes about the man- THE WALL, himself. It may be noted that it was not Sunil Gavaskar or Kapil Dev or Sachin Tendulkar who delivered the speech. Probably they may do it in the coming few years. But as we as a nation revere and sometimes even worship our firsts, this is one first that surely we all should be proud of.

Jammy, as he is fondly known to his team-mates, was a bit jittery, finding himself on foreign land, just like he is at the genesis of any of his batting innings; in the first ten minutes he shuffled from one foot to another, like he does with his back and across movement when he comes in. But as he settled in, he was at his fluent best, laying stroke after stroke, caressing the audience with the mere expanse of topics that he covered, just like his vast repertoire of shots.

Over a better part of the hour, Rahul enthralled the audience at the National War Memorial and all over with not only the matter included, but also the earnestness and the chivalry with which the speech was delivered. I personally feel that cricket cannot have a better ambassador, for Dravid embodies the fundamentals that the game possesses and thrives on! A gentleman to the core, he took us from the appositeness between India and Australia, from the times of the British rule to the youngest progeny of cricket - the T20, in a way that few other would have been able to achieve. He drove home his views on betting, issues faced by various formats of the game and also the colored vision with which the world watches Indian Cricket Board, and to a certain extent, India as a whole. No one, I believe, could help but agree that India really is a the prime picture of unity in diversity.

What was touching to watch was the honesty in his speech. Even as he cracked a few jokes, mostly self- depreciative, what we saw was that he felt shy at the audience' reaction. He felt out of place maybe, but he stood the ground as he, more often than not, does. It also gave a slight but definitive insight of Rahul Dravid- the common man. An intelligent, down- to- earth and a congenial man, who is a body of dedication to his profession. A calmness surrounded him, which gave our consciousness a deep feeling of steadfastness, meticulousness and the well - rooted care and love that he shares for the game. It showed that he truly is a student and a servant of the game, wanting it to grow, flourish further than its already dissipated roots!! He reminded us though, time and again, that the occasion is cricket, not him, not the next match, not the nations, but the game as a whole, which we Indians follow almost as our religion, as our kin.

Even though he has not been a celebrated figure for a better part of his 15 year career Dravid has come to the fore in the recent past with his exquisite display of batsmenship. He has always been the anchor to the rocking Indian ship and has performed par excellance on unhindered and unconquered turfs. However so, his career can be a tunnel lamp for not only budding cricketers, but also anyone who is willing to take the cue and translate his cricket career to a macro picture; the paths of life. He exemplifies hard work, persistence, sacrifice, decency, modesty, unpretentiousness and above all unwavering dedication to his field. Principles that spell SUCCESS and CONTENTMENT as well. Talent is a virtue of the few and most of us have to gruel in our everyday life to get through. In such times, this oration comes as a twinkle in the sky on a hazy, cloudy night. Probably the answer lies in who he is. Probably being a servant of the game is better than being the master.

Till next time and hoping all do take the cue.

In river deep veneration for Rahul Sharad Dravid.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/182429-watch-rahul-dravids-full-speech-at-bradman-oration

The snags of a Corporate Setup ! ! !

2011-03-02T19:39:00.000+05:30

Being recently introduced to the whole CORPORATE STRUCTURE, some would think it’s a little too early to comment on the snags of the whole constitution. But the mercy little that I have come to know, and if I may take the liberty to say, understand, about the establishment is that it is nothing more than a farce. A bunch of 'well-suited well booted' idiots try to run a show which quite frankly has got no watchers, except themselves.

After getting over the awe of the whole grandeur of the decor and the setup of this particular establishment, what struck me was that the organization in its entirety was hollow. A lot of ideas exchanged and promises made, but no one seemed to be bothered to give even an iota of damn after getting out of their favorite BOARD ROOM!! Frankly, the Board Room is a joke. The projector, an obvious component, is something that the bigwigs need so that they understand what exactly people are talking about. To put it on record, I have nothing against this particular technology. Its a wonderful aid, but people seem to forget just that. Its only a aid - not the subject. Also the favorite tagline, if I may say so, is "WE SHALL GET BACK TO YOU." Mother of God. Really. Out of the 20 points discussed you are gonna get back to me on 17. The rest 3 you feel don't serve the purpose of the job. That's really wonderful!!! Arrogance rides high on their pitiful noses!

On the first impulse, one may even be tempted to believe that wait..people actually work their say-nots out here. A couple of stress- busters and a family photo mounted as if the same are distant relatives makes one feel that the employees don't really go home. But after the repeated get back to you responses and the fun mail-games that one needs to play (gosh, they need a mail for everything - and I mean EVERYTHING), anyone shall beg to differ!! What you may see as a regular and a popular prop is the BlackBerry device which they flaunt when one asks for a meet. Like a television channel, you have to book slots for a meeting. And from what i gather, they need a 'Meeting Invite' to say a simple Good Morning!!

Its really poor that they have to live like this. Like metal backed soldiers. Its a pity really. Because, after everything, they are just running a daily gig of zilch. Probably all of them just need a catharsis!! May be that shall work.

Of course all this is limited to just the one entity with whom I had the misfortune to interact. And frankly, I would be more than happy if someone told me that I came across the 'reserved minority' in the the whole corporate matrix. Because a lot of respect for the big shots has just been sorrily flushed down the drain. Hoping that the cliche of 'There is always the flip side' stands. This time for good.

Till you send me the next meeting invite. I stand.

This is the Sciolist.

Signing Out!!!

What's Sciolism - A sneak preview ! ! !

2011-02-22T22:22:00.000+05:30

SCIOLISM - Dictionary defined means 'the practice of opinionating on subjects of which one has only superficial knowledge.' In other words, Sciolism elucidates what I shall be doing on this blog..... But in a different way...

There are a lot of things where I feel I need to voice my opinion, but I tend to shut up because more often than not people don't welcome opinions. They feel you are playing 'guru'. So this is one of my ways to put forth a new thought in the cycle of myriad thoughts churning around and which I primarily feel towards..As is famously said and I quote,"What is the most resilient parasite? - An IDEA." So this is it...maybe the start of an idea, maybe the end of it...But quite surely worth a thought!!

So till next time...

This is the Sciolist.

Signing out!!!