Predictions 2009

After making such lame predictions the previous year, I have decided to bore you again with some of my predictions for 2009. The fact that most of my predictions for 2008 failed remains and I believe I have found out the reason for that also.

I have noticed sometimes, particularly when I am watching cricket, that when I predict something and believe whole-heartedly something will happen, it definitely doesn't happen. And when I predict something and then pray a lot and think that this cannot happen, this is so impossible, then comes the jolt, it actually happens. To comment on my predictions when watching cricket, I certainly thought and believed Tendulkar will win it for India in the 1996 semi-finals of the world-cup, but alas, he got out and we were stranded with Kambli to cry and Kumble to walk out. So this time around I am going to be radical in my predictions.

Some of my predictions are very radical and may hurt somebody who is reading it. I specifically think these stuff might happen, but also think they are mostly impossible to happen.

1. War of India & Pakistan - again this is in the brink. If the actual countries are not in war, they will be in war in the cricket arena. Of course not in the field, but off the field for controlling the major share of ICC. Everybody already knows that England/Australia/WestIndies/ etc., are on warpath with the Indian cricket's money power (everybody hates IPL). Hence, this can hasten a little bit further. And one more, the Indian money power will vanish just as Honda is almost vanished from F1.

2. Congress loses General Elections 2009 - Well, if there was no war and general elections are held, the congress will definitely lose the elections and will have to settle for a hung parliament again. All regional politicos still ruling roost and decreasing congress' power in a congress government. I don't predict BJP for a win, because they are too lame to politicize everything and hence, will be left out as the only party who will be opposition, but their statements will definitely be unheard off when compared to Left (who though they don't have many seats, will act like they are ruling the nation - as usual).

3. Sensex (Lock, Stock & Dumicule) - Sensex can play like a joker, it will go up one day and go down another day. Not based on all chaos which is happening in the country and the world, but based on all unnecessary stuff like, a. private reservation, b. lay-offs, c. actually nobody is buying what we produce (just like the 3 big American auto makers), d. realty (up because of this, as in our land - land prices know only one route and that route is up, 'coz we are not America yaar, we still need our basic accomodation).

4. Cricket - finally Dravid will himself retire, not before Laxman ofcourse. I believe they will both retire at the same time. Dhoni will learn how to speak about team when they are losing, he has started that with the draw in the Mohali test, where the batsmen were pathetic in the scoring rate.

5. Tamil Nadu may get divided into two different regions, north & south. As two of the power centres in Tamil Nadu determine its fate in general elections 2009 (if it happens). Not far behind will be the tussle of the power centres to be transferred to the union cabinets - two of DMKs loyal servants will hold key posts in the Union Cabinet. And there's also Anbumani as an added dose for some more headache with the Medical administrators. Now, all the flyovers are open, one is about to open this monday. Hence, that prediction came good. Planning to throw out all the cable connections and buy a DTH connection, but you never know how you get trapped in these money-making schemes, after you are in, you are just paying up.

6. Economy as a timebomb will recover, try to recover, look like recovered, but still waiting when to go sky-high (kabloom). This economic timebomb and its unpredictibility will cause a lot of distress for companies, employees, employers and everybody else. They won't know how to fix this, whether to fix this or is this fixed. They will be trying out new things, existing solutions and will only hope some miracle happens. Some will even pray to their hearts fullest. Just like dreams cannot come true unless you work towards it, all false promises will fly out and all definite promises will also dangle in danger. Wherever you are tough times need tough decisions, and tough decisions mean even tough to survive those decisions. Be resilient and work on your morality and ethics at this moment. As it is not the short-term gain which will protect you. But, a long-term resilience, hard work, loyalty and honesty will carry you through. Even if not in the current crisis or environment, but for your entire life.

Predictions for Jai & Family - As I informed you last year itself, it is life as it goes. This year (2008), I have faced a lot of issues which I thought I would never face. Solved a lot of problems which I thought are unsolvable. Even thought some funny stuff which are not standard issue. Had great fun with the family and friends and not the least to be mentioned the work. Made tough decisions when they had to be made. Ignored bad moves, tried to hide some errors I have done. But overall this year was highly distressing. Not the very best of year as was 2007. But surely a mixed bag. As we try to grow up we would always get some idiotic ideal to follow and try to hold on to it. But the fact remains I haven't got any and that means I am still living an irresponsible life. GOK (God Only Knows) when I will become what I was meant to be, as the destiny for Jai is still not clear. Least of it all, I turned 30, damn that ugly number.

Death - a Feeling

Is death a feeling ?

I fully believe that death is not the end. It actually continues the journey of our soul (just not in this world - we know off). Nobody can try to understand/explain that feeling until it is felt. And nobody has explained it to anybody. I strongly believe that somebody who has felt death has never actually lived again to tell about it. I don't believe in somebody saying that they saw their GOD, loved one or somebody else waived at them at the brink of their eternal sickness(end of the tunnel) and all (BTW, I call these stuff delusions).

At any moment of time we can die. I can die tomorrow, day-after tomorrow. My wife can die tomorrow, or 10 years later. My parents can die in future. My baby girl can die. Everyone has to undergo this unexplained feeling in this life journey. So how does one prepare for death. Can I save for my family such that they can survive my demise. Can I try to accomplish my duties to the best of my abilities as soon as possible. Can I try to be remembered as the best father, husband, son, fellow employee, programmer, human. What can I do to prepare for my demise. There should be something I could do to avoid death as long as I can to accomplish all of the above (greedy !!). Can I ?? What should I do ??

The fact is you don't prepare.

What ?? Why ?? How can you say this ?? This is lame !!.

Or is it ?? Actually it is not. You should not prepare. Do you actually prepare for a feeling ? Did you prepare to feel your mother's womb ? Did you prepare to be born ? Did you prepare to eat your first apple (you have to talk about eating now, don't you ?) ? Did you prepare to be joyous ? Did you prepare to fall in Love ? Did you prepare to be sober ? That's why I believe you shouldn't prepare to die.

When you don't prepare for any other of your feelings, how can you prepare for death. Death is a feeling. You have to feel it as it comes. Just as you drank your first drop of milk. Just as you sat alone in your class. Just as you felt very proud to be a parent. You have to just let it sink in. You shall not prepare for it. You shall not fear it. Its just another feeling.

I believe I am right, am I ?

Whatever I do is not upto the Mark

Is it that I don't do my job well ?? Is it that I tend to be always careless ?? Am I not taking responsibility very well ?? Am I not serious about my job ??

I tend to get a lot of scrutiny either at office or at home or at church or at any place I go. I believe the reason is I don't try to overdo anything. But when I try to limit myself for not overdoing it, I practically limit myself in my performance. I think in limiting myself I am letting down a bunch of people, who have come to expect a lot from me.

Why am I limiting myself ?? Can I not overdo and get everybody's affection and make everybody adore me. I don't think so. In the past years, whenever I over did something, I had to lose doing other stuff, that I would love to do. When I stayed home for an important stuff, I missed work. When I stayed at office for critical stuff, I missed home. Its the same everywhere.

I think from the top of it I am not balancing myself properly or I have to dedicate my efforts to some items and ignore others. Meaning I should focus myself with some critical items and ignore all other stuff which I might love to incorporate inside the schedule. May be for a little more time.

Still I am hopelessly deciding what to focus on and what to leave !! May be I actually don't have a choice, born to an average middle-class family I am aspiring to be many things most of which I might need to forget. The real stuff is if I plan to achieve those which I aspire, I might need to live like a untiring system. And stop having a life out of it. The more I go through this process of prioritizing these items, the more I become frustrated. Not only about myself but also with my limitations and aspirations.

May be I am not worth it, my ambitions. May God help me through this turbulent times. I have postponed this decision for long now, now I want God to show me the exact way I should be walking. If I am clear of what I should be achieving I can at the least try my level best at it.

Life's Mistakes

Can anybody vouch that they have never committed mistakes ??

Really I can't do so. I have committed a lot of them. Some of them under circumstances, some of them pretty consciously some of them without the exact knowledge of implications and most of them unknowingly (ignorance, you can say).

There can be so many reasons that you commit mistakes. There can be circumstances in which you don't know what else you can do. Or simply you are ignorant of the mistake itself.

Anyhow, this post is not about grave mistakes. This is about the mistakes you hesitate to commit. When you are about to decide something related to life, career, etc., and you over analyze the pros and cons of a decision. Mostly over analyze the cons and then back out because there are more risks involved.

There can be some decisions which when worked okay, can change/improve your life drastically. But fear of failure, fear of mistakes makes you sit and avoid the whole thing.

I am worried about those guys/gals, who fear a failure, fear a mistake and are consciously avoiding taking risks. 'Coz as much they avoid risks, they are also avoiding the benefits and they are also avoiding the 'CHANGE'.

You would have heard "'CHANGE' is the only 'constant'", that is so true. But if you fear to fail, you never welcome a change. The person who has committed a lot of mistakes always takes something out of the effort. That luxury is not available for those who always win. Or those who fail to take the risk.

Thomas Alva Edison, tried around a thousand and odd times to get the electric bulb lit. But he failed. He had committed a lot of mistakes in the effort. Finally when the bulb lit, it was like heaven. When this news leaked out, a man asked about it jokingly to Edison, for which Edison replied, 'Now, I know 1000 or more times how not to switch ON an bulb, but the world knows only one way to do it'.

Go ahead, commit more mistakes in life. Do know that, those mistakes will definitely make your life more knowledgeable and enjoyable - with all the support you get from your friends/family - and you will always have a 'CHANGE' ruling your life, and you will be happy about it.

Mind is always at a bother

I have seen it, felt it, and embraced it. Since I was a kid, my mind has felt a bother right through my life. Sometimes I have wondered if the bother was the one keeping me focussed in day-to-day activities. It might be.

When I was a young boy, I aspired to be an Engineer. After becoming an Engineering student, I was at constant bother about the job I am going to get. To say the least I started learning about competitive exams (like GATE/GRE/TOEFL/CAT/GMAT) and their related books (like CSRs/puzzles/Language/Quantitative/Qualitative tests/questions), right in the first week of my college life. To the extent I was craze on getting a job, I just easily said, no to PG courses to my father. I wrote GATE, but that was pretty much namesake.

After I got the job, I wanted to be something more always. I was never satisfied with the way at work, constantly wanted to improve. This bother is very obsessive, it makes you spend hours/days/nights just deciding where I should be in the next two months/half year/year/,... etc.,

Some might feel, that this is very taxing and can take a major toll on everyday life, but I feel it has strengthened be whenever I was down. The resilience in the bother made me surpass expectations from most people. But the bother still remains. May be it is helping me on improving myself dearly. Really, sometimes I enjoy the bother, but sometimes I too tend to become unstable because of it. Always the stability returns, but sometimes I am not myself. And that too bothers me.

I am not sure if it is a gift, but as they say Idle mind is Devil's workshop, all I pray and want is to have a healthy relationship with this bother and let it continue to guide me on the life journey. May be it is God who has pre-determined this to happen inside me, or is it just my faith which beckons this explanation.

IPL is Over ('N Out)

Finally the IPL fever is subsiding. It was pretty exciting to see the buzz created by IPL. To see the stars trying to perform upto their reputations. The upcoming stars performing beyond anybody's guess. And certainly a tight-crunch situational final.

It would have been very disappointing if somebody who was very inconsistent such as the Chennai Super Kings or the Punjab to have gotten the Cup. It was certainly commendable the way Rajastan Royals lifted the cup.

The match was not evenly poised any point of the time, as we knew that the CSK were around 25 runs short in their innings. But if they had held on to the tough chances which came their way, they would have certainly be the winners. But Shane Warne's boys were clinical in their approach and coasted home with adequate fuss.

The fact I had expected good match up whenever somebody played the other meant constant viewership. Eventhough ICL had a similar number of matches everyday, it did not stir up the excitement as there was not much expectation from the players involved.

Hence, we have to definitely give Kudos to the IPL tournament, the way it dramatized and pulled down TRPs of actual SOAPs/Dramas/Movies/Cinemas etc., and has ruled this holiday season.

Anyway, I will definitely be looking for some other kind of time-pass as IPL has created me a little bit of luxury time as it has left. Hope you also find a similar habit.

Praying for Hope & Faith

Lots of times I have been down and dusted, the one thing that has lifted me up is Prayer. I am currently praying to get these disturbances sorted out. Please join me wherever you are and pray for me and my family. We are under terrible stress due to the various circumstances we have faced and the sheer stupidity with which we have reacted to those circumstances. We are facing dire consequences, but our prayer & your well-wishes can help us overcome those consequences and get them corrected.

Everybody has their chance to err, but only few overcome those chances. I am afraid to say that I have erred when I was given the chance. So I am repenting for what I have done now. Please pray for me and my family to overcome this error and be happy again. All I need is peace and tranquility when I head home after a bout of hard work. Pray for me to get that again.

I know I need to more than just prayer. I have to start doing things the way it should be. Please pray to God to give me the strength, courage and humility to do all those things which I have failed to do. Also help my family to get strengthened to face this tight situation which we have gotten ourselves into.

Pray for us.......

Nothing's there to console me right now, I am stuck

Something has transpired, that has killed
my appetite for fun/... for a short while, I don't know when I can
catch up with it............

God only knows, how significant this will be for my life/....................................

How is success determined ?

How is success determined ?

Is it the way you live ? Is it the way you eat ? Is it the way you are respected ?

How is success determined by others on you may be something said above. I have seen few who I term as successful people live the way they always did. Humble and down-to-earth. Similarly, I have seen their food habits, which haven't changed a lot. Definitely they command respect in every aspect of their life, but that's just what they didn't want - the unwanted attention, I mean.

So what makes a successful man or woman. How do you term yourself having succeeded in life. For this I found a more profound answer. A year ago my grand father succumbed to his age. Everyone around him at the moment of his passage, were very much astonished and content at the way he did it. Just a second, on his bed after the doctors had mentioned that he had no hope of survival, his breathing stopped. Everybody appreciated the way he had lived and had passed. He had lived a complete life.

Now that thought helped to find a true success in life. Its not about earning money, fame, respect. Living in luxury, eating and merry-making. Its about living a complete life, for yourself and the ones around you.

Now, that's a thought for all of you to ponder over.

Stability of Government is not the National Interest

As per CPM, the stability of Government is not its Agenda. This was known to most of the Indian People already.

Our agenda is not stability of govt: CPM

Their Agenda is to destabilize the government. In turn, the nation and its economy. Their interest has always been to push their interest into a Government which is not run by them. Make a mockery of those who are running the government. Be a standard obstacle which can discourage progress.

They want an un-functioning government which will play to their tune and never be creative enough to earn some respect. The ruling co-alition however cannot even retaliate to their jibes, as they are not actually the opposition. If BJP cries foul about a policy, Congress will be able to match word by word to defend it. But with Left, if Congress tells anything, then the government will fall.

Now, it has gone too far as to the stretch, they are openly threatening the Government who are ruling a nation. We don't need such relatives, who don't want the government to perform in any palpable way to garner some kudos for themselves. That's why Left is not ruling most of the states anyway, and that's how it will stay in the national level too. If Left wants to be a Party who can lead the nation, they have to show some eligibility to do so. Nowadays, I am getting annoyed by their pyro-techniques, that I swear that I would never vote for anybody with their ideology [i.e., our Agenda it not a stable government].

Indian Political Choreo

Now the Left has done its homework, pretty great. It has warned the government, that it will withdraw support to the UPA govt. if the govt. goes ahead with the Nuke Deal. The first and foremost thing that they have put forward is they will not let the Union Budget pass through during the Budget Session, if the Left's demands are not met.

How funny, for no sake of the people, the people's more populist budget in years, will be affected because of this euphoria. Clearly, the Left has stated that it is not pro-people, but it is Anti-US alone. Is the Left ever concerned about the people at all. Clearly, I don't see any reason for the people to relate the Left's anti-US policies.

First, the Nuke Deal is not only going to bring us Nuclear Power Plants and the related fuels. It is going to destroy all the technology apartheid every Indian industry has suffered in the past. Our entrepreneurs will be able to float companies with latest ground breaking technologies as immediate as they can arrive and start manufacturing products which will both be world-class but also make them very affordable to many Indians. It might trigger another industrial revolution in our manufacturing industry.

Till now the only technology which was beyond the technology apartheid was computers/software/IT. See what we have achieved in that industry. If this embargo will be lifted in our other tech starved industries, we might as well create a new breed of Indian entrepreneurs who will make this happen.

Growth of industry means growth of employment opportunities. This should actually be a blessing in disguise for the Left, as it may build more on its current strength and become of Labour powerhouse. But, I believe that is not their focus. They believe if people were to become more happy, they will forget the oppression of the aam-aadmi by their capitalist counter-parts image and will become one very similar to what IT industry is right-now (very happy with their management). Even if they are unhappy, they just shift their companies to become happier than before. Note: IT industry Employees had rejected Employee Unions within their midst, because they are fed up with the politics constructed by the Leftists or any other political party with it.

But for a fact nowadays, the Left seems to have the last laugh, it won't let any government rule the nation. Nor will it be able to rule the nation to its stance. The only thing to actually do is overthrow Left entirely. They are not doing anything good for the nation, by having the governments dance to their tunes.

And yes, they are better choreographers than some B(T/K)ollywood artistes, and with every election they win, and every Parliamentary Seat they win, they are getting better at it.

For me, Co-alition was a great tool for having a competitive government, everyone will have their say on what is good for the country and will be able to implement it meticulously. But here, co-alition is turning out to be taking the Government to ransom on items which are off national-interest. Really, whoever is involved in it has to be deemed a damager of national-interest (even be called as a T_____r).