Pseudo Intellectual

There was a time not so long ago when everything was about being fashionable. Everybody wanted to endorse style, everyone wanted to be on Page 3, everybody wanted to buy their clothes from the same boutique, where Karan Johar bought it from. But now times have changed, people have evolved. Now its not about being fashionable, but its about being intellectual. Everybody wants to be an intellectual. Being Intellectual is in and it's not easy today. In 2012 it's fairly complicated to be an intellectual.

In 80's it was really easy; you just had to carry a jute bag and you can adorn the title. In the 90's you just had to spend a little more; you had to buy a Fab India Kurta. In 2000's it became  really easy; you just had to hate George W Bush and you would be called an intellectual. But unfortunately in 2012 due to the nature of society adopting a 'attention seeking whore' model, it's  fairly complicated. Nevertheless here are the 5 steps to make yourself believe you are an intellectual.

Step 1 - Crib about anything and everything on this planet. Crib about your government, crib about cops, crib about roads, crib about relatives, crib about social network. Just go by the simple basic rule - ' sab chutiye hain '. The reason is fairly simple. Because you crib, people think you have an opinion; and having an opinion is the first crucial step towards being an intellectual.

Step 2 - Have a clear cut but extreme opinion on Arundhati Roy. It could be extreme in either ways. It could be this extreme that you say - 'She writes with blood. She writes for the minions and down trodden. You are a fucking American dog'  Or it could be the other extreme that you say 'joote dekhe hain iske, 8000 ke joote hain. Delhi ke New friends colony mein rehti hai., Posh area hai. Fraud hai ek no ki.' And the best thing about this step is  that it offers a toggle facility. You can keep switching between the two opinions with a switch frequency. Because when you switch people think you have read more on the subject. Contradiction is the fundamental right of an intellectual.

Step 3 - This is step is a little sexist as it is only applicable for the ladies. Wear a red large bindi. Because nothing screams the intellectual like the bindi; the size of which is like an ozone layer hole.

Step 4 -  In this decade this is really a inevitable step. Have a twitter account. Remember you are no intellectual if you are still getting tagged to 'Please adopt my cat photos' on facebook or someone else is still posting about beating your score in crazy taxi. Importantly combine step 4 and step 2 and you are almost there. You are 80% Intellectual already.

Step 5 - This is the golden one, the icing on the cake. Last step towards being an intellectual is that you sign at least 5 online petitions every month. They could be about any god damn thing on this planet. They could be about  saving some Iranian filmmaker from getting jailed, they could be about saving 1411 left tigers, they could be about god sake, they could be about saving Abhishek's Bacchan career. Doesn't matter. Just sign 5 online petition every month and you are an intellectual.

P.S - If you have slightest of inclination to show your gratification thanks Varun Grover for the tip for life.

I do not feel like a proud Indian

 

 

I do not feel like a proud Indian after reading all that about the hideous crime in the capital. Someone so brutally assaulted, and the streets still did not care to put a piece of cloth or alert an emergency until police arrives. 8 rapes in 25 day and we try to say we are a emerging economy. We might light candles , we might make optimistic facebook post , we might write blogs; what's more important is to respect and care for a fellow human. Despite cast creed and race we still belong to one common community called as 'human' and this commonality is enough for us to care, respect and look out for each other.

I am going to be cautious about my society. Are you, I leave it to you. I might be sounding judgmental or hypocrite and despite how callous I pretend to be , deep down I still care for people around me;  despite I know them or not.

And yes - "I do not feel like a proud Indian"

P.S - These are my own personal opinion.

 

 

End

If this is the end of my journey and I see no other way for it to be otherwise, then as it reaches its conclusion I want to thank you Lord for the journey itself. The destination I constantly sought is now only understood as my journey was taken. The future is yours and I commend my whole self, wretched that I am, to you Lord. For I fear my steps are coming to a halt. I acknowledge the joys of life, the love, the laughter, the sorrow too, the hardship, the loss of friends and loved ones. You have given me everything I have and I lay my whole journey before you now. I give you all that I am, all I was and ever will be. The wind is howling around my ears, its noise brings confusion and fear to my weakening soul. I have never felt so small in the vast enormity of your brilliant creation. Yet even in this dire moment, I know you are here, close by me Lord. I feel the assurance of your abiding presence. The shadow I felt with me throughout is emerging, becoming a bright light. As the breath in my body begins to become still, the vision of eternity breaks the clouds of doubt that have been forming above my head during this most stressful, wearying time. I trust you Lord and that increases now as I let go of this waking world and give into the sleep that is so needed, most welcome. I close my eyes now, the pain is leaving me, I see the hand you stretch out to me now and I am filled with an incredible peace, one I have never felt before. The dark is fading now it is becoming a glorious new morning!

अम्मा - by Crazy Devil

It happens; At times you feel your life in resonance with some lines. There is a friend of mine, a young writer and an a young poet. I have generally been very fond of his lines , just for the matter of fact that his lines are simple, raw and takes me to old by lanes of my past. A few days ago he wrote this and while I was reading it fluctuating visions of past pounded heavy in my heart. I am sure this would resonate to some of you. For more of his writings visit - Bhak Sala

अम्मा,
जब देर रात तक बिजली जाने पर,
तुम पंखा हौंका करती थी

जब बिना exhaust और बिन AC के
तुम तपती गर्मी...
चूल्हा चौका करती थी
मैं तुम्हे शहर दिखाना चाहता था

अम्मा,
जब बस 14 इंच के black and white पर,
सारा घर,
रंगोली देख देख कर रंगता था
जब सुरभि के एक एक ख़त पर
चाँद शरिखे,
सबका चेहरा टंगता था
मैं तुम्हे शहर दिखाना चाहता था

आज बड़ी बड़ी दीवारें हैं
ऊँची Buildings, AC वाली कारें हैं
मैं बालकोनी में चढ़कर
शहर का ज़हर, अकेले पी लेता हूँ.
झूट तुम्हे कहता हूँ कि, पेट भरा है
सच तो है कि
हर रात Maggie पर भूखा ही जी लेता हूँ

आज वो बारिश वाली सड़क नहीं है,
जहाँ कपडे गंदे करके, मैं घर हँसते हँसते आता था
अम्मा आज वो खाट नहीं है,
जिसपर मैं तौलिया लिपटे
superman बनकर रोटी तरकारी खाता था
इस LCD TV में black and white रंग नहीं हैं
अम्मा,
तुम शहर कभी मत आना

Courtesy - Crazy Devil

Tryst with destiny ..

 

Long year ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge ... At the stroke of midnight hour, while the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation long suppressed, finds utterance.

Despite the sufferings and uncertainty about the future of India then, the eyes were filled with emotion, when the masses heard this speech 6 decades ago. They heard the national anthem for the first time. Few recognized it. They realized a good fortune in having witnessed the birth of a new nation. In what became the most important speech delivered in modern India Nehru went on to say, "The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunities to great triumph and achievements.that await us". He reminded the people that the task ahead included "the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity".

6 decades since then, as I stand in the nation which still does not have educated masses and adequate healthcare and has double digit food inflation, rising prices of commodities, scams one after another, my heart is saddened and mind is troubled. The 3G, CWG, changing education structure of centrally funded autonomous education institutes, India Against Corruption movement, black money laundering and the recently mishandled coal blocks allocation.

We have made progress in certain aspect but the I think may be it's not enough. After the economic liberalization India, China and Japan emerged as the potential growth economies. While Japan is 3 generations ahead , China capitalized on it's resources and strengths,  India somewhere lagged behind.

I am not sure what the future is in store us but we have reasons enough to get alarmed, we have reasons enough to wake up. I think somewhere we fell short in fulfilling the tryst that we made with destiny long ago.

गुलज़ार साहब

 

 

 

 

मैं सिगरेट तो नहीं पीता

मगर हर आने वाले से पूछ लेता हूँ की 'माचिस है ?'

बहुत कुछ है जिसे मैं फूँक देना चाहता हूँ

 

 

Why I watched 'The Dark Knight Rises' twice

Gotham's Reckoning

Nolan ended the Dark Man Trilogy with the last brick in  the wall - 'The Dark Knight Rises'. No wonder I have watched this movie twice in one week and no wonder it still deserves one blog post and one more watch at least. So this flick had so much speculation around it; so much hype; not to forget how Nolan left the spectators craving for more with his larger than life - The Dark Knight; the entire audience were waiting desperately for the return of BATMAN on the big screen. Nolan is known for his story telling and his characterization. I am not great at writing movie reviews but here I have 5 reasons why 'I watched 'The Dark Knight Rises' twice, and by the end of this week may be the count would rises to thrice.

 

The Story - A Climactic Final Chapter

There was one 'Joker' and there was one movie 'The Dark Knight'. You cannot repeat it again and importantly the audience has to understand it. But when you look for the conclusion of an epic, the story has to be convincing, articulative and should tie back all the loose end. The Dark Knight Rises does that with so much of perfection and efficacy. The Dark Knight ended with a thought-provoking climax as Batman made a decision that few others would be willing to make: Instead of revealing the true motivations of the late Harvey Dent, the Caped Crusader opted to paint himself as the villain so that the citizens of Gotham would still idolize their hero (Dent) and not have the unfortunate reality undermine their idealism. In the final chapter, it was interesting to see how Batman thrived as a hero even though the people of Gotham viewed him as a monster. This dichotomy - between Batman's public persona and his private heroism-- set the stage for a great story about nobility and honor in the face of criticism and hatred. Moreover the way the conclusion ties the 'League of Shadows' and other open ends just leaves me with the thought 'This is not The Dark Knight but there wouldn't be a befitting conclusion to the saga than this'

The Cast - Some of the Finest Actors

If you have watched 'Inception' and 'Batman Begins' with uber detail you will find lot of similar faces. Nolan's cinematic version of one of the most popular series of DC comics offers up one of the strongest casts ever in comic book movie. If you put the cast of The Dark Knight Rises together for a photo shoot, it would include some of the finest actors working today. Four of the prominent faces -- Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Marion Cotillard -- have all won Oscars for their acting skills. Additionally the cast includes the massively-talented combination of Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Oscar nominees Gary Oldman and Anne Hathaway. This is an incredible cast - not only for a superhero movie, but for a film in general.

The Theme - Profundity

The Dark Knight Rises, was more than a typical superhero film. Not only were the special effects great, but the story itself offered a thematic depth that other superhero movies haven't yet matched. It wasn't just about a hero fighting evil. It also spoke to the dichotomy between good and evil, the strength and weakness that exists in all of us. The movie forced audiences to think about their own visions of good versus evil. The dark Knight Rises is as thought-provoking and deep as its predecessor.

The Director - Christoper Nolan

Watch it for Nolan. Nolan has created a series of unforgettable films over the past dozen years. From 2000's Memento to 2008's The Dark Knight to 2010's Inception, this director has created several masterful works. He knows how to pen strong stories, develops strong and well balanced series of characters and use technology special effects smartly, and show viewers a great time at the theater. That ability can't be under-estimated.

The Character - Strong and well balanced

Batman's nemesis in The Dark Knight Rises is Bane, known to be one of the most strong antagonist that Batman ever faced. From blowing up a football field full of players, to bringing Batman to his knees, this monster was the greatest threat that the city of Gotham had ever faced. And the way Nolan, developed this character is worth applauding. Tom Hardy, who is quickly establishing himself as an A-lister seems to be great for the role. The way Nolan used his masked voice added to the chromaticity of the character. Batman's ally, the cat woman, played by Anne Hathaway, first makes her first appearance in the Nolan's Trilogy. Not only did Cat woman, Selina Kyle gets a chance to have a hand at the Batpod but also she serves as the icing on the epic conclusion. The last scene just perfectly depicts the end to a saga.

 

Anticipation can be a bitch. Expectations can lead to disappointment. Hype can be a killer. Christopher Nolan’s epic conclusion to his Dark Knight trilogy has to deal with all three nuisances, and he flicks them aside like villain Bane does Batman, the entire Gotham police force and everyone else who makes the mistake of crossing his path. All in all if there could be an elusive end to the epic , it was supposed to be this - The Dark Knight Rises

 

Five Things You Should Stop Doing

A few months back I read a similar article on Harvard Business Review Blog and then I thought, may be I can add something to it from my own experience too.

Responding Like a Trained Monkey. Every productivity expert in the world will tell you to check email at periodic intervals — say, every 90 minutes — rather than clicking "refresh" like a Pavlovian mutt. Of course, almost no one listens, because studies have shown email's "variable interval reinforcement schedule" is basically a slot machine for your brain. But spending a month away — and only checking email weekly — showed me how little really requires immediate response. In fact, nothing. A 90 minute wait won't kill anyone, and will allow you to accomplish something substantive during your workday.

Mindless Traditions. I recently invited a friend to a prime networking event. "Can I play it by ear?" she asked. "This is my last weekend to get holiday cards out and I haven't mailed a single one. It is causing stress!" In the moment, not fulfilling an "obligation" (like sending holiday cards) can make you feel guilty. But if you're in search of professional advancement, is a holiday card (buried among the deluge) going to make a difference? If you want to connect, do something unusual — get in touch at a different time of year, or give your contacts a personal call, or even better, meet up face-to-face. You have to ask if your business traditions are generating the results you want.

Reading Annoying Things. We tend to subscribe several news letters.I have nearly a dozen newsletters and online magazine subscriptions, the result of alluring specials (free subscriptions and the compulsion not to miss out on crucial information. But after detoxing for a month, I was able to reflect on which publications actually refreshed me — and which felt like a duty and differentiate subscription which made sense and which ended up spamming my inbox. The pretentious tech publication with crazy layouts and too-small print? Not so much. I'm weeding out and paring down to literary essentials. What subscriptions can you get rid of?

Set expectations that can be fulfilled. We are vibrant people and a major of us are energetic too. But does that mean we will be able to carry this energy for a long period of time. You may feel high on winning a multi-million contract but then the feeling is perpetual, until the reality set in that it was a government contract, filled with ridiculous reporting mechanisms, low reimbursement rates and administrative complexities that sucked the joy and profit out of the work. You work 12 hours daily, sure you are a passionate being who loves his job. But how long would you be able to do that. How long would you be able to fulfill such an expectations. And look around, ain't you distracting the social balance.

Making Things More Complicated Than They Should Be. We have the habit to schedule conference calls so frequent and working in a consulting environment we tend to schedule more calls than analyzing the need of call. Biweekly check-in calls are good indeed but we should be tactful enough for justifying it. A well conceived pre-analysis can save time for a large number of people involved in an engagement. As Eric Ries points out in his new book The Lean Startup , developing the best code or building the best product in the world is meaningless if your customers don't end up wanting it. Instead, test early and often to ensure you're not wasting your time. What ideas should you test before you've gone too far? Simple things are always preferred. You may end up developing a complicated fancy excel based tool for doing some analysis. But even before you start such an activity you need to question your idea; if the idea is meant to simplify things or complicate either.

Unconventional

Source - Harvard Business Review Blog
By        - Claudio Fernández-Aráoz

I am quite a follower of HBR Blogs, just for the matter of fact, that every time I visit the page, I land up with the a thought. Sunday morning and this is the article I read. Brilliantly written and exceptionally titled.

 

Professional success used to depend on experience, knowledge, and skill. But things have changed in recent decades. First, knowledge has become as rapidly obsolete as universally available. Second, we live in an increasingly uncertain and volatile world where, I often say, even the past has become unpredictable. And, finally, business has become more global and diverse.In this new normal, experience and knowledge are less relevant, while the abilities to learn and adapt, to be resilient and to connect with others are ever more crucial. That's why, as an executive search consultant.

Click here to read more

How hard are you willing to push yourself

Courtesy: HBR Blogs
By: Tony Schwartz

What do all people who achieve true excellence and consistently high performance have in common?

The answer isn't great genes, although they're nice to have. It's the willingness to push themselves beyond their current limits day in and day out, despite the discomfort that creates, the sacrifice of more immediate gratification, and the uncertainty they'll be rewarded for their efforts.

The first way I've seen this is physically, through my body. I work out regularly with weights. I do push myself to discomfort, and I've grown considerably stronger over the years. At 60, I'm stronger than I was at 30.

But in truth, I rarely push myself to exhaustion. If I did, the evidence suggests I would get significantly stronger than I already am. The key here is intensity, not duration. If I was willing to push hard, I could do fewer repetitions, and derive more benefit in way less time than I invest now.

So why don't I do it? The answer, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit, is that I'm not prepared to endure more discomfort than I already do. The mind tricks us into thinking we've hit our limits long before we actually have.

Human beings have two powerful primal instincts. One is to avoid pain, an instinct that helped us to survive when we were vulnerable to predators in the savanna. The other is to move towards pleasure, an instinct that once kept us foraging for food, which was scarce, and still helps to ensure that we pass on our genes.

Unfortunately, neither of these instincts prompt us to delay gratification in the service of longer-term gain. For that, we need to enlist the more advanced, reflective part of our brain — the prefrontal cortex — to consciously resist the primitive cravings that originate in the lower part of our brain.

The other place I've seen this play out is in my writing. I'd love to stop working right now and check my email, or visit my refrigerator, not just because either one would provide a hit of pleasure, but also to get away from the discomfiting challenge of trying to wrestle the jumble of ideas in my head into clear, evocative sentences.

Over the course of my life, I've taught myself to stay focused in front of my computer. But even after four decades as a writer, it's never easy. The Pavlovian pull of email has only made it harder to focus in recent years — and nearly impossible for many people I know.

The unavoidable truth is that the willingness to endure discomfort and sacrifice instant gratification is the only way to get better at anything, and to achieve true excellence.
There are three keys to strengthening this counterintuitive capacity:

1. Minimize temptation, which operates the same way the house does in a casino. It will always defeat you if you expose yourself to it for too long. Think about cake or cookies at an office party. If they sit there in front of you, you're eventually going to succumb. The same is true of incoming email. If you don't turn it off entirely at times, the ongoing pings will inevitably prove irresistible.

2. Push yourself to discomfort only for relatively short and specific periods of time. Interval training is built on short bursts of high intensity exercise offset by rest and recovery. It's harder than aerobic training, but it's also a more efficient, less time-consuming way to increase fitness.

3. Build energy rituals - specific behaviors done at precise times - for your most difficult challenges. Try beginning the day by focusing without interruption on the most important challenge in front of you, for no more than 90 minutes, and then take a real renewal break. It's much easier to tolerate discomfort in short doses.

Choose one area of your life and push yourself just a little harder than you think is possible every day. You'll feel better about yourself, and over time, you'll get better at whatever it is you're doing.