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| Wednesday, July 18, 2007
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| The City and its Trains
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I have been Gyaning a few friends about this, but never found the occasion to write it here. I just got reminded of this after I read a friend's blog.
Mumbai's local trains. They are such a reflection of Mumbai and its lifestyle. The City & the trains have much in common.
Mumbai is too small for all its people. So is the local.
There are too many people rushing into the train not caring for their life or limb - like warriors. Same with Mumbai. We had bomb blasts in the city and in the trains. Everyday, people on the platforms put in great efforts to get into a starting train so they can be comfortably seated. Then, they save up seats for their near and the not so dear. You get the point.
Mumbai and its locals share everything from claustrophobia to the mad rush. And from bomb blasts to helpful neighbours. But most importantly, they share something else.
Choices.
In the local, as in Mumbai, you need to make choices. The fast lane or the slow lane? Most of us will reach the destination if we take the right direction. We decide whether we want a fast paced life that will bypass other smaller destinations or a slowpaced, chilled out lifestyle with all the little joys of life.
The fast lane, well, is fast. You, quite literally, push yourself but it is a relief once you reach the destination. You might be too tired to savour it though.
The fast lane is obviously much crowded. And one needs infinite amounts of elbow power to get in. The most difficult part is to get in. But the most important part, sometimes, is to keep the others out. That way, you'll have an easy ride.
The slow lane, if you are moderately lucky, is much lighter on the elbows. If you are tactful or lucky enough, you can find a place at the door. Then all that's left to be is done is to relish the wind in your face.
In life, as in the local, you are not in complete control. You can always stop when it is enough. But sometimes, it stops even if you don't want it to.
P.S. Gyaning is delivering an interesting and mostly useless discourse of knowledge |
posted by VinChi @
6:29 AM
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| Tuesday, July 10, 2007
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| Of Global Warming & Its Merits
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Let's ask some questions today. I would blame Dr. Sharon Moalem (author of the book "Survival of the Sickest") for this post.
1. Is Global Warming real?
2. Is Global Warming really bad?  
Global Warming in the everyday sense is the drastic increase in temperatures caused mainly by human activity (release of harmful gases by burning various carbon compounds).
Haven't drastic temperature changes happened before? Didn't we evolve even in those changes? Dr. Moalem says yes.
He argues that diabetes (Type I) was an evolutionary reaction to sudden changes in temperature that happened 11000 years ago. It is called the Young Dryas period. During this period, evidence shows that temperatures fell by about 7 degrees in just a couple of decades (that's like a geo-wink). And high levels of blood sugar help preventing freezing of body tissue!!
To summarise, during the Young Dryas period, many died. Some moved south. Some got diabetes. The sad part is that the diabetics suffered in their 40s. The happy part is that the diabetics lived to be 40 and reproduced. By the way, diabetes' full name is diabetes mellitus which literally means "passing sweet urine". I don't want to know how they figured it out!
Now, we all agree that:
1. Drastic changes in temperature happen even without human activity.
2. Humans have gone through sudden changes of climate and survived.
3. Ahem.. (I still don't want to know.)
Now, even if we consider that this time around the change in climate is happening because humans are screwing it, is that necessarily bad? I say, we better be in control rather than depend on randomness or an angry god. It is like inflation or exchange rates now. If you know it is going to be ex-why-zee by 2010, you'll be prepared. Ready and hedged. If they change like Nehra's fitness levels you have a problem. Same here.
This debate on global warming may be futile or we may all be making huge irreversible blunders that will kill all of us someday. We may never know.
Go figure that out!Labels: global warming |
| posted by VinChi @
6:51 AM
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| Monday, June 25, 2007
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| What are the odds!
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There aren't many posts here that have a grey, cloudy mood attached to them. This is is one of them. I got to hear some unusual accidents from people very close to the victims. I want to share them with you today.
This is not a happy post.
I'll start off with probably the craziest and the most unfortunate of these. This happened circa 1998.
Location: In front of Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai.
Victims: Two Young Men, On a MoBike.
What Happened: The Compressor of an Air Conditioner on the 11th Floor burst (!!!!) . It shot out from the window onto the road and fell directly on the bikers.
One Spot dead. The other was dead on his way to the hospital.
What are the odds?
Now for something that is utterly painful to hear. And to read.
This happened yesterday.
A little girl passed her 8th standard exams and was thrilled. She, with her family, came down to Mumbai to have fun with some cousins. She wanted to share her happiness.
She went to buy sweets from this store in front of a dilapidated building. The building was evacuated a few days earliler because it was uninhabitable. The building Collapsed.
No one heard her voice ever again.
This happened yesterday.
What are the odds?
What are the odds that your uncle loses an eye trying to switch on a motor inside an open well? What are the odds that this will happen because of the stick that will break and a small piece flies off straight into his left eye?
What are the odds that this will happen on Ugadi - the telugu new year - when you have all your relatives at your place?
What are the odds? |
| posted by VinChi @
9:05 AM
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| Thursday, May 31, 2007
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| Of Valuation, Nuts, Bolts & Currency
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Was Mr. Page right in paying 1.6 billion dollars(albeit in stock) for a site that lets people upload their homemade videos? This is what half the world was discussing when the announcement came. Not anymore.
Then, there was this new question that had taken its place. Can Mr. Page justify YouTube's valuation? Can Google monetize the loyal (& registered) membership that YouTube offers?
Now they have started calling YouTube "the 1.6 billion dollar Web2.0 giant". Why?
Consider this. If we all agreed to accept cigarettes/Keys/Nuts/Bolts as valid currency... Just Imagine. Each Bolt would buy you two CoffyBites (oh I love that too!). Two keys would buy you a Mc Aloo tikki Burger.
Two keys may not exactly be worth twenty rupees. But you would still take twenty Bolts. This means the bolts, the nuts and the keys have gained currency. Currency is the crux of any transaction. If you have not agreed on the currency, you have agreed on nothing.
The DCFs, the multiples and all the other valuation theories of the world are used because they have gained currency. No matter what the valuation metric, if there is someone else ready to pay the same ( or more) today (or later) then your price is worth it.
This argument is more true for acquisitions in stock. You are paying nuts for bolts! It is completely worth it!!
If there are enough duds (or studs) who believe that YouTube is worth its popularity in silver dollars, then so be it. If they are ready to pay five hundred dollars (20,000 bux!!!) for Google shares, then so be it. Google shares, the YouTube valuation and our cigarettes our nuts our bolts & our keys have all gained currency!Labels: valuation Google currency |
| posted by VinChi @
11:55 AM
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| Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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| Quotable Quotes
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Adagani valLaku ivvakudadu... ivvaleni valLani adagakudadu!!!
The 3Cs of Zindaggi:
Birth was but by Chance.
Death is but Certain.
Life is but the Choices you make!! |
| posted by VinChi @
6:05 AM
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| Wednesday, May 02, 2007
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| The Condolences Poured in...
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People didnot take my phone's departure well... They were devastated... And the condolences poured in... This is the best of the Lot... The Author's Blog is linked in this blog.
Courtesy: Great Genes.
Dear vinchi,
Before these words echo what I feel, as I type this electronic mail, I would like to offer you my sincere condolences, in the unfortunate and sudden demise of your cellular phone.
Inappropriate, though it may seem, that I pass a statement like this, while you are still coming to terms with your bereavment, the death of your phone, though sudden, was anything but untimely. At this point in time, I salute your phone for its glorious existence and the support it has provided you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.
Coming back to the normal way of communicating condolences and offering support, life, and in this case technology, moves on. I can assure you, that you will find many more friends. Though I understand that the one you have lost, has played a significant part in your current existence, given the opportunity, all of them would willingly play an active role, in shaping you as the individual you would want to be. I, as a sincere friend, though of a relatively lesser importance, can offer you my support in helping you find a suitable friend, who can, to the best possible extent, fit snugly in those big, sweet smelling shoes!
And perhaps your new friend, would also bring a smile to your face, as he captures the image of your love, Deeps, who is so very close to your heart.
:)
Great Genes.
P.S. Thanks you for telling me about your phone, before I discovered its fate, while I would, unsucessfully, have tried calling you, atleast a million times!Labels: Condolences |
| posted by VinChi @
2:22 AM
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| Tuesday, May 01, 2007
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| My Phone's Obituary
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I am reproducing a mail here... Just to keept the flavour intact... Apologies for the Raw Stench.
Guys,
My Phone is finally dead... I don't know If I should be happy or Sorry... Sorry for losing someone/something so close to me... That thing that I slept with by my bedside... Woke Up everyday with its awesome Alarm ... To Snooze it and Sleep Again... only to be Woken Up all over again...That thing that woke up Murari every single day on Campus (Whenever I was at Madhushala that is..) ... That thing that let my love blossom, That thing that gave me the news of my Grandpa's Death... That thing that was always conveniently switched off whenever Prashantho or Tinku da(the Mess Contractor) called me.. and was always loyally switched on when Deeps called me... That thing that told my dad abt my promotion... A true friend, With me Through those bad days.. the good ones and the great ones too.
I dont know if I should be Sorry or Happy... Happy that I dont have to hide my phone anymore at those 5-star lunch meetings... Happy that I dont have to see those looks on people's faces that read "Kanjooos... Saala..." ... Happy that I can finally buy a new phone...
I dont know if I should be Sorry or Happy 'Coz I cant decide on my next phone... Big Shoes to Fill You See....
:(
VinChi
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"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength." |
| posted by VinChi @
11:48 PM
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