Cato the Elder

When I die, I would rather have people say why there is no monument to me that why there is.

Wiki - Leaky

Inspite of all the uproar against investigative journalism and the fear of compromising any nations security, all wiki leaks does is open your eyes to this very simple fact - Diplomacy, Secrecy and Politics should be used to serve the cause of humanity and not otherwise

To My Countrymen

who gave unto themselves the Constitution, but not the ability to keep it,

who inherited a resplendent heritage, but not the wisdom to cherish it,

who suffer and endure in patience, without the perception of their potential.

This is foreword to the book We, The People, by Nani Palkhivala

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction.

Very well said by Oscar Wilde.

Adidas Tribute to Sachin

'Impossible' is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact, it is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration, it is a dare. Impossible is potential, Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing!

Dedicated to the man who makes a burgeoning country stop in it's tracks everytime he walks out to take the crease.

Sachin Tendulkar.

Ayodhya Verdict

It was very very unique and absolutely unprecedented situation that in side the boundary wall and compound of the mosque Hindu religious places were there which were actually being worshipped along with offerings of Namaz by Muslims in the mosque[1].

And suddenly someone felt the need to create discontentment out of nothing and the temple movement was started. Hot headed extremists and cold blooded Machiavellians, one seeking redemption and the other political mileage rallied under the saffron flag and destroyed the very emblem of symbiotic unity in which fathers of modern India had placed their belief.

Today once again, we had to resort to partition to buy peace[2].

We seem to have mastered the art of creating a divide out of nothing. Partition is seen as a sure road to peace. Today India confused the deliverance of Justice with the appeasement of the masses.

A very saddening day in my life.

On a lighter note, it can be seen that it was us who first used 'Zero' and fractions, that too irrational fractions. [3]

References

[1] http://rjbm.nic.in/suk.pdf

[2] http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/ayodhyabench.html

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational_number#History

And I forgot

And I forgot about this famous one "Poker Face"

People playing poker have to rely on the other person's facial micro-expressions so that they can call his bluff.

So the other person tries his best to keep his face expressionless, a term which led to the origin of the word "Poker Face" a term using which I would like to describe myself !!!

Phrases related to cards

"If you do not have a good partner, you should have a good hand"

This is related to Bridge and we all know in which context do we use it.

"Up the ante"

This one is from blind man's bluff (poker) or our very own teen-patti. The person who sees his cards is required to play the double of a blind man. So the stakes depend upon the blind mans money. So to to increase the stakes, the blind man is expected to raise his money in the game, which is known as upping the ante.

btw 'stakes' is also a betting related term :D

Mine

The first step to finding the solution to a problem is to make everyone at the table accept that the problem exists. Any attempt to force a solution without taking this all important first step would result in the conference room turn into a boxing ring.

And in a bout, someone’s bound to get a bloody nose.

Gandhi, Bihar and Mumbai

Rahul Gandhi suddenly realized the injustice in Mumbai. Isn't it such a wonderful coincidence that this epiphany came just before the Bihar elections?

This proves just one thing, that sending poor people to Mumbai has always been and will be the agenda of winning governments in that sorry state. Instead of giving impetus to industrialization which will create jobs for poor illiterate labourers, Congress feels it right to make people think that immigration to Mumbai is the solution to the hapless land's problem.

Lets face it, Mumbai is a city which reeling under the weight of its huge population. Add to this the inefficient infrastructure (world record passenger/hr/km density of the Churchgate Virar local, largest slum in Asia, 2 hours traffic jam between to signals placed a kilometre apart etc etc are not the things which we should be proud of, even if we rattle them off to others proudly). It is a city which cannot tolerate more. It is better if we do not discuss the security against terrorist threats. Under such circumstances putting a man in the city with no money, no place to sleep, no fixed job (the man is not a tax payer) is not a good idea after all.

The city which gives India more than 70% of the tax money certainly deserves more. The central government owes good shelter, good security and better overall standard of living to the people of this city which is probably the face of India in the outside world. If it cannot provide that to people coming to Mumbai, it should ask them to wait until these facilities are provided.

Beating up poor, helpless men is not and will never be the solution. The problem in Mumbai is grave and unique one faced by our country which is relatively young. The solution cannot be found by rattling lines from the constitution. Such unique problems demand a unique, 'never thought of before' solution. I have realized this problem after I started studying in Surat. Life in other cities is much more easy and it reflects in the fact that average age of Mumbaikar's is one of the lowest in the country. The stress caused by poor facilities ultimately kills people living in Mumbai. What we need is the urgent improvement in facilities or otherwise a moratorium or a strict protocol on migrating to Mumbai. If you cannot give them a good life here, do not bring them here to create chaos (and also a vote bank in the hapless state).

I am deeply saddened by this attitude of the ruling party towards my city. When it comes to eating the political pie, everyone recognizes the injustice the Thackeray's (little brother, cousin brother and uncle) do to migrants. But no one ever realizes the injustice done to Mumbai by the centre.

Interesting blog

All of you guys who like technology should take a look at my eccentric friend Khushraj's new blog Mathematics behind Technology (pardon the huge name). It is an interesting blog which gives you opportunity to brainstorm over seemingly simple things we have studied.

I always wanted to start a technology blog of my own. But I never had the will nor the concrete idea of what I would be discussing in that blog. This blog comes pretty much close to the kind of forum I would have liked to create.

So guys, check it out regularly.