Cardinal Sin and The Twisted Ankle
After a tiring day in Kolkata, me and a friend of mine decided to catch the late night show of Once upon a Time in Mumbai Dobara. We enquired about a theatre near our hotel and caught a ride.
I was standing in the ticket queue when something caught my eye. I don’t really know what it was, Was it the Smile, Was it the Innocence, Was it the Eyes, Was it the Dress. I just kept looking unaware of the world. There was this girl in green, with the Smile that puts Mona Lisa to shame, with the Innocence that defies this world, with the Eyes that penetrates the heart. It took me a while to realize she was with a guy and took a while more to realize that she was recently married, given the prominent Mehandi on her hands.
She was ahead of me in the queue, I bought the tickets and went inside. I lined up to buy some popcorn and there she was again, in the same queue. I was struggling hard not to gaze at her, given the consequences that could result in. The movie ended sometime later. I caught a glimpse of her during the interval. She was not just with her husband, but with full family.
Show got over at around 2 in the night. I strolled to the exit. There she was with her family. Perhaps my last chance to look at her. My friend had stopped a taxi and called out to me. I walked towards the taxi but kept looking sideways gazing her.
Just then I felt a jolt and fell down with an excruciating pain. I hadn’t noticed that I was crossing over from high footpath on to a low road. I had mis-stepped and badly twisted my ankle. I saw her getting into a car and fading away. For moment the pain stopped along with the time. As she went away the pain came back and I could see my friend bent over laughing.
If she was Eve, I just paid my dues for the Cardinal sin of Lust.
Freebies are Fishy: The lure of the missing handle
I have always been taught, if you are getting a good bargain, be cautious. There is nothing like free lunches. An advertisement by a leading telecom operator goes like, “It feels good when you get something extra”. I couldn’t agree more. But it is this good feeling that shrouds our judgment and tricks us.
More often than not you will find the devil disguised as an angel to lure you. If something seems too good, take extra precautions. There is a good chance that it will bite you.
This weekend I was in Kolkata for some urgent matter. I was to take an early morning flight back. As it happened, I twisted my ankle and was in no shape to reach the airport without help. A friend of mine, who was leaving the night before, dropped me at the airport in night itself. So I was there at airport at 12 am for a 6 am flight.
Slowly the exhaustion started to get better of me and I felt like lying down. There are no recliners like T3 at Kolkata airport, just a stack of chairs with separating handles. There is no way you can combine chairs to make a bed (have been my habit since college days, whenever I worked late in lab/office).
Something magical happened next or so I thought! Even with my twisted ankle and drowsy mind, I was able to notice an abnormality amidst one stack of chairs. One of the separating handle was not there. It combined two chairs. I galloped over there and was thrilled. I lied down. Peace. I remember before falling asleep, few people coming over to figure out how I managed to lie down and also remember their begrudged faces when they realized it’s by sheer luck. And so I slept.
Sleep I tell you is the sweetest thing, at the same time it can be the damnest. I slept and slept and slept. By some quirk of fate, I woke up and checked the time. Was it 5:35 already? Or was it a dream? No it was real. I was about to miss my flight. With my broken leg, I ran to collect my boarding pass. I was the last one. They took pity on me coz of my leg. I breezed through the security check and ran towards the boarding gate. Last and final call was going on for last 10 mins. Excited, I failed to locate the boarding gate. Trouble! I was on the wrong floor. I took the escalator down and skidded to the gate. It seemed so far away! Someone from the airlines staff realized my sorry state and came over to assist me. I was the last one to board.
Had it been 15-20 mins more of sleep, I would have missed my flight. Given my budget constraints of late, it wouldn’t have been a good thing.
Anyways the devil disguised as the lone missing handle lured me in and had almost had me. Next time when you feel special, beware! Someone might just have dialed 666.
Detroit Bankruptcy: What it means?
Detroit pitching for high profile bankruptcy evoked nostalgia, given that I was part of the investment bank, which was one of the high profile bankruptcies of the 21st Century. I have only read of the Russian default of the old, but seeing an entire city go bankrupt in our times, is entirely different.
Detroit is more significant as it was the boom baby, the once-mighty motor city and the pillar of American economy. The situation is also symbolic of declining manufacturing might of US (barring the Weaponry).
How does bankruptcy work for a city?
When a firm goes bankrupt, the assets are sold off and creditors paid off on basis of debt seniority. If Detroit goes bankrupt eventually, it may have to fire public employees. May have to sell off its properties, which includes government offices, public schools, parks and whatever city owns (not the private property). Legally speaking all of it might happen. But since it’s a city, with humanity and politics involved, it might not come down to this.
Newly appointed Emergency Manager of Detroit Kevyn Orr, has put together a plan to save the city. It can be read here. I have tried to summarize the plan and what holds for Detroit in the future.
How bad is the situation?
Population has declined from 1.8mil in 1950 to under 0.7mil in 2012, showing clear signs of decay. Unemployment rate has shot up from 7.3% in 2000 to 18.6% in 2012. Total number of employed people has gone down from around 350k in 2000 to 275k in 2012.
City tried by increasing taxes which resulted in businesses leaving and people migrating. Though tax %age got higher, the quantum of tax kept shrinking. To quote from the plan, “The City is currently levying all taxes at or near statutory maximum rates.”
Reduced security spending over last 10 years resulted in 40% job cuts in Detroit Police Dept. This has led to DPD’s response times getting extremely high. Crime rate has become highest in its population category. Add to this, ageing police cars and fire equipment.
Lack of maintenance has left 40% street lights non-working. Almost all public parks have been shut down (317 open parks around 5 years ago). Public transport has taken a beating due to unmaintained buses. Around 40,000 buildings have turned into dangerous structures sans repairs.
Estimated debt has ballooned to 18billion dollars. Citi has already deferred interest payments to creditors and contribution to pensioners. Bonds have no value anymore. Credit rating has plummeted from A in 2003 to CCC in 2012 (Courtesy Fitch Ratings)
Why is the need for bankruptcy?
It’s not exactly bankruptcy but protection from creditors till city restructures itself. In other words since Detroit does not have money to pay creditors and pensioners, it has to take some legal recourse to save itself from lawsuits demanding the same.
To quote from the plan, “The City cannot stabilize or pay creditors meaningful recoveries if it continues to shrink. Since the City will not generate sufficient cash to pay all liabilities, alternatives have to be considered. Need to reform the City government operations to improve efficiency and reduce costs.”
What’s in store post bankruptcy protection?
Well if City wants it can just deny paying its liabilities and no one can sue. It won’t be able to raise money by bonds and other resources as no one will be ready to lend. City will most surely increase Tax Rate forcing the remaining businesses to consider moving out of the city. It will further fire city employees to reduce operating costs, thereby shooting up unemployment rates.
How the future seems bleak is summarized by the following quote from the plan, “Where cost savings or service improvements can be achieved, the City will explore potential outsourcing of functions.”
For all I can say, its Gotham time for Detroit. Hope it finds its own Bruce Wayne.
What is Love, I wonder
Sweet kiss of an Angel,
Deadly curse of a Demon,
Is it sunshine, Is it Thunder,
What is Love, I wonder.
Scolding of a Father, fear,
Affection of a Mother, care,
Is it adrenaline, Is it slumber,
What is Love, I wonder.
Sharing of a Sister,
Snatching of a Brother,
Is it hunted, Is it hunter,
What is Love, I wonder.
Blind trust of a wife,
Support through all strife,
Is it up high, Is it down under,
What is Love, I wonder.
Labor for two square meals,
Finding a way, making deals,
Is it earn, Is it plunder,
What is Love, I wonder.
The more I try think,
The more I deep sink,
Is it abstract, Is it number,
What is Love, I wonder.
The Others
As we grow up, we imbibe what we see around. Our beliefs, our personality are a sum total of what we gather over the formative years from people we meet. A part of it also comes from our own cognitive makeup, where we accept, reject, and modify what is thrown to us. This is what makes an individual.
In various chunks of our life, we meet certain people; stay at a particular place before moving on to new place and new people. School/College/Changing Jobs. All these make up the said chunks in our life. We try and adjust to our surroundings as we see them; we try and adjust to people as we meet them. This is what we call acclimatization.
Sometime what happens is we try and adjust too much, as our fears get better of us. Fear of not being accepted, fear of being out casted, fear of being ridiculed. These fears start shaping our personality from then on. Sometimes it’s not even fear, it’s just that we are short on confidence, so we try and blend in and follow without asking.
What we don’t realize is it’s affecting our individuality. It might make our stay in the current chunk feel better, but it jeopardizes the upcoming chunks in our life. Due to our fears we make certain compromises and pay for these compromises all our life.
For example when we are in college, we do a lot of things due to peer pressure. Drink, Smoke, Career choices are few of such things. What we don’t realize is the peer group that we are succumbing too, is just for the current chunk of our life, it won’t stay with us forever, but the choices we make due to it, will haunt us for life.
It’s important to use our cognitive machinery a lot more while imbibing from our surroundings. Always think of long term impact of our choices. Never ever do things to please others. Let them take a hike.
IRCTC: Myth vs Reality
http://www.irctc.co.in needs no introduction. Each one of us have spent good amount of time just gazing at computer screen for something to happen. But to no avail. All we saw were “Connection Time Outs” and excruciating delays. I have seen people venting their anger on irctc website for failing to get tickets booked using choicest of expletives.
It seems all that is wrong with Indian Railways is just irctc website. It is just the website that hampers us from getting the tickets. And if it is fixed, we would all get tickets. But is it really the case?
Friends, website is just a mirage. All it helps is giving us common people a face to lambast, to vent our anger. The real problem is, we don’t have enough trains, we don’t have enough seats. Irctc is just a portal to book tickets, the tickets that are non-existent.
If a good chunk of a population of 120cr logs in on a website, no earthly power can prevent the crashes. Still with all those login failures and time outs, we see tickets are wiped off within 5-10 mins (more so with tatkal tickets). Why/How?
Try and understand that someone is getting the tickets ultimately. Someone who wants to travel just like us. Its not that the tickets are going waste. The problem is the pie. When pie is very small, the pieces of it would be small too. Here is where touts come in. People blame the ticket agents. You know they stand in ticket line since wee hours or sometime all through the night, to get the tickets booked for their clients. Why to blame them? They just earn a living out of a traversity.
Blame lies on the successive Governments. What have they done to increase the number of trains, increase the number of seats. Not only has our population increased over the decades, the travelling junta have increased manifold. In effect per capita seats (seats/travelling person), have gone down to abysmal stats.
Not much is being done in this regard. When railway gives impression that they are fixing irctc website, they are eliminating touts/agents, it is just a cosmetic exercise to keep people calm, to assure them that something is being done. It’s just a lollypop. The real problem is demand/supply. Unless we spread out the train lines, increase number of trains, this will continue.
India has already borne the brunt of people fighting for their own share of minuscule pies over the years. If something is not done soon enough, add train journey to the list of next social wars in the country.
Take Moral Responsibility and Resign
Wikipedia explains Moral Responsibility as, the status of morally deserving praise, blame, reward, or punishment for an act or omission, in accordance with one’s moral obligations.
He/she should take moral responsibility and resign. Of late I have been reading this statement a lot. This is very common in politics where probity is something which politicians have to abide by due to the public nature of their job. It is much less in private organizations.
This responsibility lies in one’s own moral obligations which differ from person to person. What might be moral obligation for Gandhi, might not be for Godse. I have been reading media reports on how/why head of a particular sports body is asked to resign taking so called moral responsibility. And the concerned person is not ready to.
There is a basic flaw which I find in the moral responsibility argument. When we know a person has done something wrong, it clearly makes him immoral. So in effect we are asking an immoral person to take moral responsibility. Which he clearly will not, as it means relinquishing the power.
On the other hand if a person has done nothing wrong, is honest and moral, the allegations will hurt him/her and in turn he/she will resign. Thus what “moral responsibility and resigning” conundrum does is, it makes moral people relinquish power while immoral people continue enjoying it.
What I feel is society and its pole bearers should get together and throw away the immoral people rather than asking for their resignation. In the particular case of this sports body, the moral people of the organization should get rid of the immoral. But the sad truth is, we are part of a society that celebrates immorality since it beds with power and money. And who would not want it?
Look around, which side would you rather be on? Honestly I would side with power, be it tainted. This is the chilling reality.
Shahrukh Frooti Ad: Meaning of Lyrics
I saw this latest Frooti advertisement featuring Sharukh and simply fell in love with the music, lyrics and concept. Lyrics, though hummable are not entirely clear in meaning.
Aamaletiya stavin crata pile pila,
Aamaletiya merlucchiya pile pila,
Inlorpotamanta tora tut tut tiya,
Less so less in nina amichiya strala,
Aamaletiya stavin crata pile pila – 4
Aameletiya merlucchiya…
I assumed these lyrics are not garbage and tried to de-cypher. What I saw is they are a mix of Japanese, Spanish, Swedish, Hindi, Italian words.
Beautiful and lovely mango, to us highly starving people, you will act as pile of batteries to recharge,
Beautiful and lovely mango, you are partly wicked, you will act as pile of batteries to recharge,
We are salivating greatly agreed, from unpleasant fighting people, we become happiest person in the world,
As it is getting over, like a little girl, it is emitting eternal love,
Beautiful and lovely mango, to us highly starving people, you will act as pile of batteries to recharge – 4
Beautiful and lovely mango, you are partly wicked…
Glossary:
Aam: Hindi, Mango
Letiya: Urban Lingo, Beautiful person, lovely heart
Stavin: Short for starving
Crata: French, might/strength
Pile: Spanish, batteries
Pila: Italian, Pile
Mer: An affix meaning “part”, used in chemistry
Lucchi: Hindi, wicked
Lor: Singapore Lingo, Agree
Pota: Uraban Lingo, Salivating
Manta: Spanish, Great Size
Tora: Japanese, Quarrel
Tut-tut: Urban Lingo, Disapproval
Tiya: Urban Lingo, Happiest person in the world.
Nina: Spanish, Little girl
Ami: Italian, Love
Chiya: Japanese, Eternal
Strala: Swedish, To radiate light
Disclaimer: This is just my view. Chances are, this might be entirey wrong.
बे-बस
थका हारा चढ़ा मैं बस में,
बगल में आकर बैठ गयी वो,
नींद उसकी आँखों में झलकी,
मेरा कन्धा कब बना सिरहाना,
न वो समझी, न मैंने जाना,
उसको उठाने को मन न माना,
मेरा स्टॉप जाने कब निकला,
एक मक्खी परेशां करने लगी,
अखबार से पंखा करता रहा,
टिकट आखिर की ले दी उसकी,
टीटी कहीं उठा न दे उसको,
बस की यात्रा में जिंदगी सजा ली,
सोते में उसके चेहरे पर हँसी,
दिल ले गयी हमारा, कन्धा भी,
जैसे जैसे आखिर स्टॉप आने लगा,
हमारे दिल में टीस सी उठने लगी,
सोचा उठाऊँ उसको, पूछूं नाम,
पर कुछ कर न पाया,
आखिर बस रुक गयी,
आवाज लगी, सब उतरो,
वो उठ गयी, कुछ अनजान,
कंधे से उठी, शर्मिंदा सी,
हम कुछ कहने को हुए,
जो ख्वाब बुने थे बयां करूँ,
वो बाल सही करने लगी,
दुपट्टा भी ठीक किया उसने,
गला ठक रहा था अबतक,
तभी कुछ दिखा हमें,
फलक में शब्द रुक गए,
सारे अरमां खाख हुए,
छुपा हुआ था पल्लू में जो,
हमें दिखा उसका मंगलसूत्र।
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