The Mighty Media...........

Media is the most powerful organization that shapes the opinion of the people. But, in India, most of the media companies are quite commercial. The extent up to which they can go just to sell the news is unintelligible to me. It seems that most of the media reporters today are into the job for the glam, gone are the days when it used to be for the very serious, stereotype guys who were here to make a difference.

A few days ago, I was watching a news report on a channel. An old woman who was bleeding was reported to be lying at the front gate of a private nursing home for over 2 hours but, no one took notice of her or attended to her. This is definitely shocking! How can people be so inhuman as to not even take her in the nursing home? This was the question asked by the reporter of that channel. But, wait a minute, I was surprised to see that they were showing a video film of this. The reporter claimed that they were video shooting the woman for over 2 hours and were surprised no one came to her aid. Her remark was great but an obvious question pops up here, "What were the reporter & camera-person doing for the 2 hours?" "Why were they so inhuman?" Isn't this a big hypocrisy?

If you've seen the movie Chak De India, you'll also be amazed at the way in which Kabir Khan was defamed by the media. I could co-relate this to the defamation of Salman Khan when he used to refuse all interviews. Films are a great source of ideas to take a peek on the other side. Remember Guru? An excellent example of the power of misusing the (irresponsible) media is shown in the film.

Now-a-days people seem to have blind faith in media, some cannot stand any criticism to media. Consider this argument. All politicians claim they are into politics for the betterment of people, and that's exactly what they are supposed to do right? But, we all know that its rarely the case. People enter politics to rake in moolah and to put up a power show. Do we appreciate such politicians? Not at all. We condemn them, we hate them, right? Then why not with the media?

The media has to be accountable to the people and it's the responsibility of the people to keep it in check. We must not idol worship media. I feel like quoting from the Spidy movie, 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' And we, the people, are the most powerful force of any country……

Ring a bell???? Agree with me? Disagree with me? Leave a comment……..

Author: Vj

Photos at the right angle........

Some amazing quotes.......(Note: I am not the author of this article)

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it
seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an
hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S
relativity.

- Albert Einstein



The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working
the moment you get up in the morning and does not
stop until you get into the office.

- Robert Frost



The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's
there to appreciate it.

- Franklin P. Jones



We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain
the success of those we don't like?

- Jean Cocturan



It matters not whether you win or lose; what
matters is whether I win or lose.

- Darrin Weinberg



Life is pleasant.
Death is peaceful.
It's the transition that's troublesome.



Help a man when he is in trouble and he will
remember you when he is
in trouble again.



Complex problems have simple, easy to understand
wrong answers.



It is not exactly cheating, I prefer to consider it
creative problem solving.



Whoever said money can't buy happiness, didn't know
where to shop.



Alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but then again,
neither does milk.



Most people are only alive because it is illegal to
shoot them.



Forgive your enemies but remember their names.



The number of people watching you is directly
proportional to the stupidity of your action.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules..

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

- Steve Jobs

Compiled by: Rahulji Rasal

The Quarter life Crisis - A great essay....... (Note: I am not the author of this article)

"Being Twenty-Something".

They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward. You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. (few words cut) Random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading it, relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out !!?

How to think.......(Note: I am not the author of this article)

Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected. I read the examination question: “SHOW HOW IT IS POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF A TALL BUILDING WITH THE AID OF A BAROMETER.” The student had answered, “Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building.”

The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and to certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on. In the next minute, he dashed off his answer which read: “Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula x = 0.5×a×t², calculate the height of the building.”

At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit. While leaving my colleague’s office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were. “Well,” said the student, “there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building.”

“Fine,” I said, “And others?”
“Yes,” said the student, “there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units. A very direct method. “Of course, if you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated. On this same tact, you could take the barometer to the top of the
building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of precession.
“Finally,” he concluded, “there are many other ways of solving the problem. Probably the best,” he said, “is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent’s door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: “Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer.”

At this point, I asked the student if he really didn’t know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

The student was Neils Bohr and the arbiter Rutherford.

Brace yourself, here come the robots........

Robotics.......the word is known to conjure a variety of images......humanoid cops, fighter robots, weird insects, cars of various shapes and sizes, flying objects, and a host of others. But, have you ever read the definition of a robot? Now wait a minute, robots are so common-place, everyone has heard about them, its like cars or tables, we don't need to know the definition for that........or do we? What about an oven, is it a robot? A washing machine? Surprise, surprise.....there is no consensus on any definition of a robot. The ones that are available are widely differing and none can be called be 'the right one' as of yet.

To give you a feel of this, check this out.
"A mechanical device that sometimes resembles a human and is capable of performing a variety of often complex human tasks on command or by being programmed in advance." - The American Heritage Dictionaries
"A stand-alone hybrid computer system that performs physical and computational activities. Capable of performing many different tasks, it is a multiple-motion device with one or more arms and joints. Robots can be similar in form to a human, but industrial robots do not resemble people at all." - Tech Encyclopedia
"Any automatically operated machine that replaces human effort, though it may not look much like a human being or function in a humanlike manner." - Brittanica Encyclopedia

It does not end here. A quick Google on Robots will present a plethora of options for you to choose from. Pick anyone that you like. But, I think most of us have a common perception of what Robots are and there is scarcely any need of the perfect definition for the understanding of robots. Robots are said to be the next big thing. Some say, they will be as ubiquitous in the future are computers are today. Imagine all your work being done by a Robot. Your house-maid is a robot, your chauffer is a robot, your receptionist is a robot, all the manufacturing is done by the robots, etc. Wouldn't it be wonderful? All the complex surgeries, the intricate manufacturing, the delicate handling of nuclear stuff, everything being done by the robots. If it dosen't sound so exciting now maybe it is because none of this is a concept anymore but a reality.

Now, where do humans figure in this equation. A lot has been presented in sci-fi movies (iRobot) and a lot of novels about how the machines will take over humans and how we shall land ourselves in precarious situations. But, most scholars believe, this is unlikely to happen as humans are and will remain smarter (or rather more cunning) than the machines. Leaving that behind, one immediate effect that seems obvious is the replacement of man by machine. Millions (or billions) or jobs will be obliterated and that many people will be jobless. What can happen to such people is not a rosy picture to paint. But, wouldn't the manufacturing of robots create jobs? The answer is yes but, they will be a very small fraction of the jobs lost. So, does this mean that development of robotics is dangerous to human beings?

Well, if we peep into our past, the industrial revoution seems to offer a comfortable analogy for analysis. Machines that replaced humans in large multiples were installed at various factories which led to many people losing their jobs. Most of the people who lacked the skill sets to survive in this new world dominated by machines, lived from hand to mouth. But, the few who knew how to be the masters of the machines, employed the machines as their slaves and made a fortune. But, what about the majority who were not so lucky (or intelligent as they say)? Most continued to live from hand to mouth but, their next generation reaped the benefits of their sacrifice ( or rather a forced sacrifice). The generations that came later were much better at utilising the slaves called machines and this raised their standard of living. Imagine what would this world have been if the people then would have completely blocked the advent of the machines for short term gains (i.e. for the benefit of that generation)? Of-course some did try doing that but, most of the organisations that did so, failed miserably.

So, taking a lesson from history we can conclude that if robotics is the next big thing, we'd better start gearing up for it. Though it is hard to imagine that this transition into a completely robotized world will happed suddenly, it can happen well within half a lifetime of a person. Taking a cue from what happened to the early-birds in the computer (both hardware and software) industry, early-birds in this industry may very well strike gold in the near future (if they already haven't). But, what is important is that we must understand that being robotics-illiterate could be as bad as being computer-illiterate today (I can openly say so as those guys won't be reading this article, he he).

So, keep your eyes and ears open for the robots from now on. They are on their way and can arrive at anytime in the near future. Who knows when you might find out that your job has been offered to a robot with a lifetime bond with a onetime payment (for its cost price) and a meagre salary (for maintainece and repair). So, watch out, the robots are coming with all their wheel, limbs and God knows what all..............

Ring a bell? Agree with me? Disagree with me? Leave a comment.......

Author : Vj

Love thy neighbour.........

India and Pakistan are known to be sworn enemies with the border being classified as the most dangerous nuclear flashpoint in the world. The tension between these 2 countries is not likely to be mitigated by any events in the near future. The governments on both the sides have been on the brink of declaring the other as enemy and waging a war quite a few times.

This is what the official records everywhere will say. But, there is a catch. The sentiments of the countries known worldwide are actually the sentiments of the governments. Do the masses of the respective countries also feel the same? One would say that Governments are representatives of the masses and hence, their opinion is the opinion of the masses but, it is not so. Especially in the case of international politics.

In his excellent book 'Inspite Of Gods', Edward Luce has described what he found out from a lot of Indians who had gone to Pakistan to watch a cricket match in April 2004. The peace talks were in great shape then and as an initiative of people-to-people contact, a lot of Indians were granted visas to go to Pakistan to watch the match. To the amazement of the Indians, they were not despised but, welcomed with smiling faces. All of them were delighted by the brotherly love shown by the Pakistanis. The auto-rickshaws declined to charge fares, shopkeepers did not accept money and hotels were waivering bills and on the streets they were greeted by people with sweets and gifts. All this as a gesture of friendship. When Shoaib Akthar delivered a good ball, the Pakistani crowd chanted 'Akthar Zindabad, Zindabad, Zindabad'. But, when an Indian batsmen hit a great shot surprisingly, the same crowd chanted 'India Zindabad, Zindabad, Zindabad'. To the amazement of the Indians, when the Indian team won the cricket match, the Pakistani crowd gave them a long lasting ovation and chanted 'India Zindabad, Zindabad, Zindabad'.

The Indians did not know what to expect from the people when they go to Pakistan, they feared hostility but, were delighted by the warmth of the people they met. What all this goes on to prove is that, not all people in the country subscribe to the opinion that the 2 countries are enemies. Most of the eduacted (& mature) people I talk to (in India) show similar friendly attitude towards Pakistan. But, I have met a lot of people who hate Pakistan, many a times for reasons that are more emotional (or out of partial knowledge) than factual or insightful. I think actually, they hate the people in the Government which is a representative of the nation. The situation of democracy of Pakistan is well known and so, I think the sentiments for the Government in Pakistan and those for the people in pakistan should not be mixed.

I hope that if a similar situation arises in future and a lot of our Pakistani brothers come down to India for a similar event, they are greeted with even more warmth and affection so that they go back home and tell their children that India and Pakistan are friends, maybe not politically but socially. And the next generation of both the countries takes substansial steps in uniting the 2 countries as if there never was a partition, as if there never was any war and as if they never were seperate..........

Ring a bell? Agree with me? Disagree with me? Leave a comment.........

Author : Vj

An Empty Mind Is Devil's Advocate

Recently, while I was talking to a friend, he told me about a friend of his who is quite an intellectual person and participated in social work by heart and soul. His view was that 'A person's social responsibility is directly proportional to his intellectual capacity.' My God, what a beautiful statement! That statement, according to me, hits the bull's eye. It has implications that seem simple on the surface but, are in fact quite deep. He also added that 'God has given the gift of intellect to you, so its your responsibility to use it to help others, your failure to do so can and should be construed as betrayal of God himself.' Now, I am not the best person to discuss God and His actions but, even to atheists like me, the statement serves the intended purpose.

Superficially, one may feel that the statement just intends to encourage people to serve the society. But, the second statement gives a clear picture. 'Intellectual' is the word to concentrate upon. What I appreciate about this view is that it does not ask for monetary service to society but, something much more valuable. It asks one to strive for honing the intellectual capacity of under-privileged members of our society. This is a manifestation of the well known proverb 'Don't feed fish to the poor, instead teach them to fish'.

In the much acclaimed book 'The World Is Flat', the author, Thomas Friedmann, beautifully explains the root cause of the spread of terrorism and crime in todays world. People lacking the skill sets required for modern day life find it difficult to lead a satisfying life. If such people are not given the opportunity to grow, not given the opportunity to improve, they tend to subscribe to anti-social philosophies. Consider the case of India and Pakistan for example. Both the countries started off at the same time (got freedom at the same time) yet, Pakistan has fallen far behind India. Indians are said to lead a more satisfying life than Pakistanis. The reason is that Indians have opportunities to grow, they have the great tool of good education which makes the global field flat for them. Pakistan suffers from lack of strong basic education and hence Indians usually are more employable and likely to avail to opportunities to grow. This, according to Friedmann (author of the book) is the principal reason why more terrorists originate from Pakistan (or Afghanistan for that matter) then from India.

Under privileged people who find out upon maturing that this world has not been fare with them, they have not been empowered as much as others in the society, they can never succeed as much as their privileged counterparts with even double the effort, such people are more likely to commit crime or turn hostile (and probably terrorists to take revenge against society). This is inline with the title of this article. Such people need help to lead better lives. Help, which their parents could not give them. It is our duty and responsibility to do that for them as we live in the same society (or have been created by God as equals). Hence, if you really wish to help under-privileged people, people who were not as lucky as you (i.e. did not have ancestors as great as you), try to contribute in some way to increase their intellectual capacity.

Merely donating money is not the answer to solving their problems (though it is one of the most important requirement to solve them). My friend's friend about whom I mentioned earlier does one of the best things in this regard, he runs a tribal school where he tries to provide the kids with the best education he can manage, the best facilities he can arrange. This is a herculean task (kudos to him for that) which may not be possible for all of us but, we could do our bit by being associated with such a mechanism that does the best thing (atleast according to me) to empower the under-privileged people in our society. It may be a drop in an ocean but lets not forget

Little drops of water
Little grains of sand
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land

Kudos to people like him.

Ring a bell? Agree with me? Disagree with me? Leave a comment......

Author : Vj