Sunday, September 17, 2017
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Dream we shall never see again
Streets we have never walked on
Windows we have never opened
Hands we have never held
Dreams we shall never ..never see again
Lives we have never lived
Hopes ..we have never realized
Fires we have never lit
Loves we shall never .. never make again
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Favorite Songs
It is extremely difficult to answer when someone asks "What ia your favorite song?". After all, how can you zero down upon a single song from a list of zillions of songs. I feel what you listen depends upon your mood. While driving you may like to hear a peppy song. You may like to listen a ghazal with a scotch in hand. And so, you may have a favorite for each mood or situation.
Last evening, we played a game in which everyone had to list the 'Top 10 Favorite Songs'. Of course it was based on the top of the mind recall. Following was my list (in no particular order);
- Hamaari adhuri kahaani (Hamaari adhuri kahaani)
- Mera kucch samaan (Ijaazat)
- Ae zindagi gale laga le (Sadma)
- Guncha koi (Main, Meri Patni aur Woh)
- Maeri (Euphoria)
- Aaj din chadheya (Love Aaj Kal)
- Tumko dekha to (Saath Saath)
- Yaara seeli seeli (Lekin)
- Iktaara (Wake Up Sid)
- Ae dil-e-nadaan (Razia Sultan)
Relationship Goals
"Babu Moshai....Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi". This is a dialogue from the movie Anand. It has such a deep and special message, which is true even for relationships.
It does not matter what is the duration of the relationship. There are people who remain in a relationship for years yet they feel disconnected. And then there are some relationships that do not last long but remain special.
So make the relationships special. Do not celebrate anniversaries....celebrate each day, each moment.
Why do I read only e-papers?
Out of all the things that I hate, number 2 spot would go to the bizarre page that Times of India newspaper adds 'on top of the front page'. Sounds strange, isn't it? Exactly my point. It is like a small side page which is equal in length of the other pages but is only ~30% of the width of the other pages. To read it, one either needs to staple the pages or spread it on a table. Now, that is not how newspapers are supposed to be read. I read the newspaper on the thinking pot - I think a lot of people do that. It is impossible to hold the newspaper properly and read it. I simply hate it.
And number one spot goes to the fliers in the newspapers. As soon as you make yourself comfortable on the thinking pot and open the newspaper, the flyers drop down and land at different places in the loo. And for some strange reason, they never land at a dry place!!! Every time this happens, I read the name of the advertiser on the flyer and make a mental note to never use their product/service. These flyers kill the fun of having a relaxed and enjoyable poop-time.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Saturday, July 22, 2017
KV Dipatoli Commerce Batch 1995-97: Mini Reunion
It was a pleasure meeting school friends after so many years. In some cases - after 20 years!!!
We had been planning a catch-up for a long time. It never worked out. I was in Malaysia, 2 friends were in Australia. The others were also in different cities in India. However, after Juggy's sad demise, I thought that I should try and meet my friends. Made a trip to Delhi and asked everyone to come. One came down from Dehradun and another from Jaipur. Somehow the timing clicked this time and w could meet. Wish Jinish, Jittu and Ajit could have also been there. Wish Juggy was still around.
Life is short - try to be in touch with and meet people who are close to you. I did that. I will continue to do that. Cheers!!!
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
RIP My Friend
Probably the first time I am regretting an argument on social media.
A classmate of mine from school days had unfriended and blocked me following a silly political argument on FB. We remained connected for a while through a whatsapp group but there also we used to have frequent arguments. Then he left that group too.
After several months. he sent me a friend request on FB but I ignored the request. Not because of the arguments or ego. But because I did not like that he forgot about the school friendship and chose to unfriend me over a silly argument. Now I realize I was being silly.
Later, we did speak few times over the phone. He stayed in Australia and I was in Malaysia. He was having trouble in his household. His wife had moved out and had taken their daughter with her. When we spoke, we talked about how much he misses his daughter and how much he cares for her. It affected me deeply and I prayed for him. Later, he again went into a shell and unfortunately, we again lost touch. I did try to reach him few times but could not.
Just got the news that he passed away on 2nd July 2017 after meeting an accident. What is most unfortunate is that his daughter - when she grows up - would probably never know how much he loved her. That is really sad.
And that silly argument and not accepting his friend request will haunt me forever. I miss you my friend and I will always pray for the happiness and well-being of your daughter.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Removal of CEO a perfect change towards stronger Uber
News of Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick resignation from his post as chief executive officer (CEO) on June 21 is a sign of changing times for the game-changing app, with analysts at Frost & Sullivan pegging this to be a chance for the group to regain strength.
On one end, shareholders are enthusiastic that Kalanick has finally stepped down from his leadership role at Uber as it signals a possible end to the current version of Uber that has been embroiled in drama over the past few years.
The drama reel includes several allegations of sexual harassment, sexist human resource practices, the covert use of law-enforcement-evading software, illegal obtainment of medical records of a user that was raped by an Uber driver, lawsuits by drivers, intellectual-property theft suits, and allegations of bullying tactics used to penetrate foreign markets and its local taxi industry.
The numerous issues found in Uber were said to have come from the company’s toxic culture.
In a statement released by market research company Frost and Sullivan, it highlighted that a particular incident cemented public perception of where that culture was coming from.
“The release of a leaked video, showing Kalanick berating an Uber driver who complained to him about pay, directly pointed fingers at the attitude and maturity of the former CEO,” said Frost & Sullivan associate director Animesh Kumar in a statement.
“The video spurred global commentary on the personal character and ethics of Kalanick and as a result forced the hand of Uber investors to request his resignation last week in order to quell the negative publicity.
“There is no denying the fact that Travis Kalanick is an asset and has been a driving force behind the success of Uber.
However at the same time, his personality, the work culture that developed under his leadership as well as the recent controversies has negatively impacted the image of the company.”
Thus, Animesh said Uber needs to change the image among the employees and drivers and has the perfect opportunity to do so.
“By bringing in leaders who are able to create a healthy work culture and are also growth-oriented, Uber would be able to put the controversies in the past and march ahead,” he opined.
Agreeing on his point, Kalanick himself expressed the move of his step down as a correct step for the company as he was quoted saying in statement obtained by The New York Times, “I love Uber more than anything in the world and at this difficult moment in my personal life I have accepted the investors request to step aside so that Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted with another fight.”
However, not everyone was convinced that the move was a right one as media outlets around the word reported on an alleged 1,000 strong signature petition to reinstate Kalanick being circulated amongst Uber employees.
Addressing this alleged call by Uber employees for Kalanick’s return, Animesh pointed out that Kalanick has not disappeared from Uber itself but has just taken a lesser direct role in its future growth.
“He will still own a major portion of the company and will remain as a board of director.
“Moreover, due to the structure, Kalanick and other co-founders have a high number of ‘super-voting shares’.
“So he has clearly not stepped away from Uber but has just stepped aside.” While some might find comfort in this, some stakeholders are also questioning the point of his resignation if Kalanick will continue to hold power in making decisions for the group.
To this, Animesh argues that Kalanick’s involvement in Uber’s future decisions and directions may not be detrimental at all as he has experienced immense success in penetrating and creating a foothold in hostile markets with high barrier of entries due to opposition from local taxi unions and industry regulators.
In addition, the potential presence of a changed and mature Travis Kalanick in the future could also significantly contribute to the emergence of a stronger Uber2.0 said Animesh.
Looking forward for Uber’s future, Animesh reports that the its first goal will most likely be to assembly a new leadership team to transform Uber into a new and improved Uber 2.0.
“Following an assessment by former US attorney general Eric Holder, Uber’s management and investors felt that there is a need of significant changes and with Kalanick’s resignation, Uber now needs to fill three significant positions in the top management – CEO, chief operating office and chief financial officer.”
Source: Borneo Post Online
Friday, June 23, 2017
Future of Uber Sans Kalanick
The news about the resignation of Travis Kalanick, the co-founder of Uber, from the position of CEO of the company has raised several questions regarding the future of the company.
Uber, a privately-held company, has a valuation of around USD 70 billion and is the world’s most valuable venture-funded tech start-up. However in recent times, it has attracted a lot of negative publicity. There have been several allegations including sexual harassment, sexist HR practices, covert use of law enforcement-evading software, illegal obtainment of medical records of a customer who was raped by an Uber driver in India, lawsuits by drivers and allegations of intellectual-property theft. The release of a leaked video, showing Kalanick berating an Uber driver, who complained to him about pay, directly pointed fingers at the attitude and maturity of the former CEO.
There is no denying the fact that Travis Kalanick is an asset and has been a driving force behind the success of Uber. However at the same time, his personality, the work culture that developed under his leadership as well as the recent controversies has negatively impacted the image of the company.
Following an assessment by former US attorney general Eric Holder, Uber’s management and investors felt that there is a need of significant changes. With Kalanick’s resignation, Uber now needs to fill three significant positions in the top management –CEO, COO and CFO. Uber needs to change the image among the employees and drivers and has the perfect opportunity to do so. By bringing in leaders who are able to create a healthy work culture and are also growth-oriented, Uber would be able to put the controversies in the past and march ahead.
But is Travis Kalanick completely out? The answer is NO. He will still own a major portion of the company and will remain a board of director. Moreover, due to the structure, Kalanick and other co-founders have a high number of ‘super-voting shares’. So he has clearly not stepped away from Uber but has just stepped aside.
His involvement in the decisions and directions may not be detrimental. He was immensely successful in penetrating and creating a foothold in markets, where Uber encountered relentless protests from local taxi unions and had to overcome hurdles presented by regulators. The presence of changed and mature Travis Kalanick could significantly contribute to the emergence of a stronger Uber 2.0
Animesh Kumar is Associate Director with Frost & Sullivan. He can be reached at animesh.kumar@frost.com
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Saturday, April 29, 2017
जाने दो
विदा की बेला में,
रुकने की बात करके,
फिर से मुझे जांच रहे हो?
बहुत दिन रहे हम साथ,
अब घर जाने दो!
देखो ये आंखें तुम्हारी,
छलकने को हैं,
मेरी राह में कोहरा छा जाएगा,
मैं तो स्वयं ही अवश, शिथिल हो रहीं हूँ....
फिर से मुझे कातर मत बनाओ,
पोंछ लो अपनी आँखें,
मुझे घर जाने दो!
बहुत कुछ कहना था अभी भी,
तुम्हें भी और मुझे भी,
पर अब सबकुछ यहीं पर खत्म करें,
की शेष रह जाए कुछ हिसाब,
तभी तो, हम फिर मिलेंगे!
प्यार से मिल लो एक बार,
और जाने दो,
बहुत दिन रहे हम साथ,
अब घर जाने दो!
मुझे जाने दो!
- अम्मा
हां सच है, कहना तो बहुत कुछ था। तुमसे सुनना भी था। मिलेंगे तो ज़रूर हम कहीं। लेकिन वो एक बार प्यार से ना मिलना, एक बार तुम्हारा हाथ ना पकड़ना, एक बार....आखरी बार...तुम्हारा माथा ना चूमना....हमेशा खलेगा। हमेशा रुलाएगा। क्या सही था और क्या गलत, वो दोराहा तो बहुत पीछे छूट गया। अब सिर्फ तुम्हारी बातें, तुम्हारा प्यार याद है।
जब भी मुझे जाना हो, तो तुम आना और मेरी उंगली थाम के ले जाना। बहुत बातें करेंगे।
Friday, April 21, 2017
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