This is hell good

I loved this interview by Javed Akhtar Saab. I share exactly same views. A must watch - Brilliant and amazing presence of mind.

SatyaMevJayate

I knew i'm going to miss first episode of SMJ as I had planned my vacation to Mysore exactly on the Saturday and Sunday on which it was telecasted. I'm one of such fans of Aamir who buy first-day-first-show ticket to watch his movies. Yes I have done that too. So, naturally I was sad to have missed SMJ's first episode. But couldn't even read tweets afterwards as I was not carrying my laptop. But SMJ did prop up into my mind though I was spending my time with my wife and kid on Chamundi Hills, Mysore that day. Never mind. I finally did catch up with SMJ on Tuesday morning when Star World Channel was airing this. My feelings about the show.

I'm Aamir's fan but that doesn't mean I like each and every work he does. I didn't like Raja Hindustani & Fanaa though they ended up as blockbusters. After watching Fanaa I decided that I would never watch any movie whose script has been written by Shibani Bhatija. And it's true that she always comes out with hopeless scripts but is lucky everytime that the film runs and will be declared hit.

Now coming back to SMJ. As the show started I didn't understand one thing. Why the hell the content was kept that secret when I'm damn sure every one of his fan got exactly what was expected. I definitely expected similar thing in it and saw it. My feelings as the show rolled-on was that it will be one of his biggest flop shows which Aamir would later regret. I gradually started liking the show. Show ended. But it sticks with you for at-least few hours. That itself is the proof that it's going to click, definitely click but will take time. I'm sure as SMJ airs its shows for next few sundays, the popularity is definitely going to rise. Hope he doesn't make it too sentimental as Pritish Nandy rightly pointed out and doesn't make the shows too controversial where his popularity will take a beating along with that of the show's. Somewhat I feel it's going to gather momentum and steam exactly like 3-Idiots had gathered. It was a slow hit and hope SMJ also clicks, slowly but definitely. 

IIMB Library - More hype than substance?

I had a very ugly encounter with IIMB library which made me to think why this Institute is not so special. These are strictly my personal views. I am writing this as I am struggling with Ph.D topic related to 'Open Shop Scheduling'. As part of my literature review I have started reading texts on Scheduling. This is quite a tough subject and am struck, unable to move forward due to lack of proper material in my library and also on internet. This forced me to visit IIMB as they have a provision for external members. Now the information for external members on their website looks somewhat like this:

My experiences when I visited IIMB for gathering information to move ahead with my Ph.D work:

i) As I was visiting for only one day, I had intention of collecting information only in soft-copy mode. So, I thought of using E-Resources                 service as mentioned above that it is available only on wed & thu. I planned my visit on  26th April, 2012. I visited IIMB on that day and was quite impressed by security where they provide a immediate Identity card for visitors like us. Approached the 'Information Desk' in IIMB library. The guy sitting here really sucks. He has all the attitude that one can expect from a person who would like to boast that 'you are talking to a person who works in IIMB' as if it is the best. In fact, I feel proud that my current institution where I work has better systems in the library than IIMB. He asked me that I have to pay Rs.50 in accounts section and come back with the receipt. This was really funny, strange and damn bureaucratic by style. Why there isn't a simple system wherein the same guy collects the money and passes it to accounts section at the end of the day. Let the guy be provided with same software which accounts section is using by keeping all other options inactive while his part active. I moved to accounts section, to pay Rs.50 and to produce that receipt provided to information desk in library. I did so and came back to library with receipt, produced the receipt to information desk who asked me to make use of the books and I had to inform him then that my purpose of visiting IIMB library is not to refer to hard-bound books but to refere E-Resources. How can IIMB expect one person to stay there for one complete day, refer to text and understand the concepts which the person is struggling with. Even this had lot many prohibitions because of auditing taking place that time.

ii) When I informed him about the 'E-Resources' facility, his simple statement was 'No, all ten systems are occupied today, you have to come tomorrow'. How easy for some person to make such statement? What do these people think about others' time. Even if someone is from Bangalore, person need to ask for a day's leave to visit IIMB and I have travelled all the way from Harihar to Bangalore only to visit IIMB library.

iii) He almost yells and gives 'you-ordinary-people-look' at me for not informing him about the purpose of my visit before paying Rs.50. Then I had to bring to his notice that I have just followed what is mentioned in the website. If that was the case (Demand exceeding Supply), then the website should mention that one needs to book a PC to access E-Resources. If there was some sort of mistake from my side their first question would have been "Can't you people read what is on website and act accordingly?". Now when I have followed exactly according to what is written in their website, this person is blaming me for not calling them up before visiting IIMB on that day to access E-Resources.

iv) Now the worst part - after pleading he asks me to come at 2.00 pm but after payment of Rs.100 as Rs.50 will not be counted anymore. Thats okay. Rs.100 is not a big amount. Now comes the shocker -  to pay Rs.5/- for every page downloaded. When someone is referring articles for his Ph.D work, he/she needs to collect huge amount of articles. Suppose if I download 50 articles of 15 pages each, then IIMB expects us to pay 750 pages * 5 = Rs. 3750. What a huge joke it is?. When I gave a sarcastic laugh, he tells me that external members need to understand that it is IIMB's extended service. I ask, do you call this service? A Government institute here is sucking blood for research work while we Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies - an institute owned by a private business house keeps all its resources open to all Ph.D scholars around Harihar to access, free of cost as part of social service. What a huge difference between Paid Extended Service by a Government institute and Free Service by a business house. I'm confused now, whether Government institutes are providing real service or private business houses?

v) Rs.3750, I think I can buy at least 20 original work if not 50 original research papers. What kind of institute is this? Since I have worked in IIM Kozhikode, I fairly remember that it is not so in IIMK. It is far far better institute than IIMB and thank god, I saw it first-hand.

vi) With this blog entry, I'm not blaming students or faculty of IIMB but the systems and policies being followed. I think IIMB has worst policies, may be I had first hand experience with their library but I don't mind to extrapolate it to all other policies of IIMB as well.

vii) Or you can put this blog entry in your 'GRAPES ARE SOUR' category since I returned to Harihar (back to square one) without getting even slightest glance at their resources to carry forward my research work.

Vodafone and TataDoCoMo Ads

I feel the ads of these two service providers are like DMK and AIADMK. When Vodafone was airing their interesting ZooZoo ads during last year IPL, I think DoCoMo was airing their boring Ranbir Kapoor ads. But this year IPL - season 5, it is just the reverse, Vodafone is airing their worst ads showing some stupid games to compare them with the services they provide while Tata DoCoMo is airing interesting ads to show the services they provide taking some hotel for comparison. Same Ranbir Kapoor but in different and better avatar this time.

And as of today I couldn't trace Vodafone's most recent ad in Youtube. I don't think anybody is interested in uploading such boring ads. 

What is it with these Thackerays'?

I respect RSS to some extent as they take sensible decisions sometimes. But what is it with these Thackerays'? Because of such people, I am loosing respect even for Shivaji. I have started doubting Shivaji's deeds. How can these Thackerays take people of Maharasthra for ride. Of course, I know that if I develop such stereotype towards Shivaji or Maharastrians, I will be biggest fool. Because as far as I know, Maharastrians are superb and very hard-working people and state.

How stupid these Thackerays' are? How dare Raj Thackeray dares Nitish Kumar to visit Mumbai? I support Nitish Kumar fully when he says 'He doesn't need visa to visit Mumbai' and hope he visits Mumbai ignoring Raj Thackeray. After all, these Thackerays' are same people who didn't come out for at least a month after Mumbai Taj attack. Those were real testing times and these buggers were hiding like rats in their rat-holes. 

Live@edu

Live@edu is the best example why Microsoft is at least 5 years behind Apple. Had this Apple's service, it would never have created this way. After registering, even after 15 minutes I'm struggling to understand how to proceed. The confirmation mail which it sends is real bull-shit. I don't understand how Microsoft works and the patience of its users. I wonder how I lived with MS 5 years back before I bought my Macbook. I just want to wish Microsoft customers 'A very happy user experience' and 'God Save Them'.

Bidding Adieu to Prof. R N Venkateswaran - My Tribute

I get jitters whenever I have to speak holding the mike on stage except when I'm teaching to students on stage. Only difference is the 'STAGE'. Same thing happened when we bid adieu to our Deputy Director Air Cmdr Krishna Shankar about one and half years back. Please check my blog entry on D.D. Krishna Shankar. I would prefer, again, to start my tribute to RNV (Prof R N Venkateswaran) with my favorite farewell choir "He is a jolly good fellow, He is a jolly good fellow, He is a jolly good fellow, He is a jolly good fellow, He is a jolly good fellow" (There is a tune to this choir).

Yesterday, during farewell party, each faculty spoke about RNV and, like our Director said, if from the oldest faculty to the most new entrant have said the same thing about RNV, there is a genuineness to the character. I wanted to say so many things, but ended up saying many things wrongly, i suppose. This is mostly due to lack of preparedness. I need to prepare for everything. I just cant get things right without preparation. For his farewell, I prepared only two songs 'Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti' and 'So Long, Farewell' from Sound of Music and was lucky (and others were lucky too) that I was not called to sing. I have never sung holding a mike. 

I knew I will get very good colleagues before joining KIAMS itself and am lucky to have such colleagues. RNV sir is special colleague to me. I want to be like him and I cannot be him, I know. What makes RNV sir special? For me he is much more than that because,

i) I have learnt a lot from him regarding several things may it be Operations Management, professional ethics, spirituality, humor etc. I stand no-where in comparison. It was beautifully summarized by Dr.Pai "At the age of 65, he tries things which even people with half his age in this profession don't try'. This perfectly echoes my thoughts too. I'm nearly half his age and I really am no-where when it comes to doing things which RNV sir does. He writes research paper and I have written none after joining KIAMS. He tries new subjects (like TV sir also said) and I dread them. 

ii) I have been lucky to share the same subject as that of his and got to interact with him the maximum, more than any other faculty in the last two years, I presume. He is a pleasure to interact with. I just loved all my interactions with him. I gained the maximum out of him. (I would like to confess that I have milked him the most as regards knowledge).

iii) Aditya, his son, rightly said that he is glad that his father keeps in touch with the PRESENT. Sooo pretty right. Yes, he loves to upgrade and update himself with the present. Like he (Aditya) rightly said, he can even sing pop songs. While RNV sir can sing any song, I cannot sing even a single song properly. 

iv) Dr.Pai mentioned that RNV sir will have a seat reserved in Swarga (Heaven) by God himself. Sooo true. He prays, he fasts on all religious occasions, he sings devotional songs, he visits temples, he performs pooja etc etc. Wherever he is, irrespective of location / place, he performs all these things. I am pretty sure, he must have done all these things when he went to Japan too. While, I hardly pray, hardly fast, hardly chant, hardly sing, hardly visit temple, hardly perform pooja. I do nothing when it comes to God. Of course, its not my mistake because I feel God himself has put me in 'AGNOSTICs' category. Thanks to my daughter, at least now I'm no more in 'ATHEISTs' category. Hope some day I will move to 'THEISTs' category. Using Dr.Pai's logic, God must have also, at the same time, reserved a seat for me too, but in Naraka (Hell) this time.

v) Like all faculty echoed perfectly, I second the motion that 'He can get along with anyone'. He mingles with junior-most faculty with the same ease as with senior-most faculty members. Why junior-most faculty? He mingles with students with the same ease too. I admire the way he mingles with everyone. I fall exactly opposite if placed on a continuum. It is so difficult for me to mingle with others leading others to mistake it as my arrogance. I feel its not arrogance, its just that I'm not RNV.

vi) I always loved whenever we had guest speaker in auditorium. For sure, there used to be a question raised by RNV sir at the end of such presentations. And mind you, I usually waited for his question because they used to be so contextual and to the point. And also waited for Director, every time, to say 'I liked what RNV said......'. I loved it too, sir. I will definitely miss the questions.

vii) He is healthy, more healthy than me. May be, this is Dr.Pai's swarga. I already have BP and will soon have diabetes too. My father is 63 years old and he is so weak already. This can be attributed to all his daily practices/rituals that he carries out, I feel. He is sooo coool. I will again fall exactly opposite on the continuum. I'm highly short-tempered. He doesn't loose his patience, never seen him angry, never seen him looking tense. While, I tend to loose patience fast, always angry and always tense too. I get tensed in situations where I need not be. One such case was in Delhi airport, en-route Dehradun. Once we landed in Delhi from Bangalore, since it was a combo-ticket of Kingfisher flight, we need not take our luggage which Kingfisher crew will directly shift from Banglore-Delhi flight to Delhi-Dehradun flight. We just have to go to Domestic transfer queue and move to concerned gate. Not knowing this, I was simply getting tense that we will loose our luggage and simply will be delayed in reaching Dehradun and next day is admission interview. My only thought was, 'What-if we don't get our luggage, tomorrow too?'. But he was damn cool at that time and took me directly to domestic transfer queue inspite of me being tensed and pestering him with my stupid questions (now it looks like that to me whenever I think of it). 

I would like to thank you for all that you did to me. Hope you will be coming back to the campus on various occasions and in various roles - visiting faculty, panel member, auditor etc. etc. I'm sure this blog entry will remain forever than the words that would have remained if I had spoken about you in the party. May be, I have missed few points which I will add as I remember as days pass by. Thank you for everything, Sir.

Twitter Addict or Twitterddict!

I, definitely, have become one of those twitterddict. It is such a wonderful networking site. It is better than any other networking site. I'm not even present in Facebook as I unsubscribed two years ago. Though I was one of those first lot of guys who joined Facebook, I withdrew because of few reasons and one of them was that I had started feeling that every one of the known people in Facebook tries to act he/she is the best person in the world. And in reality they are all something else. But in twitter, you don't even know the person many of the times but you still feel he/she is not fake. It is difficult to fake in Twitter. Knowledge simply multiplies in twitter and mostly you are the first to know about the happenings anywhere in the world than many others, sometimes including news channels. News channels are slower than us in providing news to us and it is because of twitter. Because any celeb would like to reveal it in twitter first so that the statements are not distorted later by news people. Twitter is the best channel for celebs because original thoughts can be put before the world before the news channels try to malign them. It is good place now because many people are still not on twitter. I just cannot guess what it will be when everyone again starts rushing towards it just like it happened to Facebook two years back. Hope the rate at which people join twitter slows down.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners

Those reading this might be searching an answer for the question 'Which toilet bowl cleaner to use?'. Take it from me, buy Domex from HUL. Actually the reason why i'm writing this blog entry is the results were indeed great. We were using Harpic since last 4-5 years without even bothering to try any other cleaner. And once, by chance, had bought Mr.Muscle. It turned out to be one of the worst. So, we never bothered to check and try any other cleaning agent. Last month, accidently, my wife bought Domex and were shocked to see the results. Toilet cleaning used to be one of the most boring jobs in our daily chores. But Domex has really made our lives better. It gives damn good results. And I'm so impressed by the results that I wanted to share it with others who clean their toilets themselves like us. Thought this might help the couples who take hell trouble do this chore. And I'm not an official endorser of HUL products. I'm just giving my experience out here. It's definitely not a paid review.

Akhilesh Yadav

Wow! More power to such leaders. Looks highly promising leader. I strongly feel, under the leadership of Shri.Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party should go national. At present we have either Congress or BJP to vote for. If SP goes national, it will be more real competitor to Congress than BJP. Since it has more acceptance amongst muslims than BJP. Akhilesh Yadav is highly matured which was very much visible from the way he handled media today (06/03/2012). And I again would like to connect him some way with Karnataka, I'm overjoyed to know that he did his engineering from JC College, Mysore.