What is it that drives someone to change the world?
What is it that reason why someones world has changed?
What if the world is waiting for that someone?
What if that someone is someone’s world?
What if that someone never comes?

I just love this video!!!

Is the way the world functions really fair?

Over a year, a thought has been banging inside my head. The last time I wanted to buy a home for myself and my loan was rejected. The reason, my profile was 'too risky'. When i asked for an explanation, the banker said i needed to put collatrel to back up my loan. What type of collatrel was my next question. Pat came the answer 'Like a piece of land'. Then why the fuck would i need the money to buy a loan you moron, was my reply. That sealed my chance of getting the loan from the bank. And i really dont regret the fact that i said that. This is the theory that goes behind banking in India and probably the entire world.

The bank offers loans and earns on the interests. They are so scared that the money wont come back and hence demand a 'collatrel'. Now, this brings us to a point where-in the people who have a collatrel can take a loan and with those who do not have it can't. So, the bank, by choice eliminates the poor from its customers.

Once, i needed money to start my business. There was some money i had saved from the last job that could pay off the rent and bills for 6 months. I needed a business loan to mobilize and expand. I went to the bank. The question was 'Do I own the premises?' I said 'No'. You need to put up a collatrel for the loan. I had frowned in disgust. The message they passed was - Our bank only allows the rich to do business.

I bumped into a long lost school friend one day, and came to know he was a banker. So, over a cup of tea we began discussing about banks. He was talking about recovery of the loans from banks. From him I came to know that the recovery percentage was an issue with the bank. There were defaulters profound. And many of the rich dont repay it and know how to wrestle the legal system to escape payment.

Which means, If i am rich, i can get a loan, i dont payback the loan and i can get away with it. Which again means, the bank needs to recover the money and they hike the interest rates, whch actually means, the people who need the money it becomes a costly affair and further deepns the gap between the rich and the poor. The poor get poorer and the rich gets richer.

By this time, i started believing that everything done in this world is to please the rich. Technology, for instance, the immediate improvement it makes is to ease out the problems of the rich. The technological advances are redundant in third world countries, where the battle is still on for food clothing and shelter. The day technolgy will be meant for everyone is the day when a young boy in the remote village of Assam, can attend a lecture in IIT through the internet. That is when we know that technology has been put to good use. But in a Capitalist driven society, why would anyone do that? Where will the profits be?

I also think the rich love the existence of poverty. If not in their immediate neighbourhood, it might be the neighboring country. It allows philanthropy. But isnt philanthropy another tool to feed the ego?

Based on some of the radical ideas, i did go with a business plan to some investors for an idea to help in improving agriculture and slowly over a period of time to build agri into a very lucrative culture. The questions i got were pretty vague. We are not sure if it will work! was the answer. Well, we have to try and unless we try how will it work? I am pretty sure, if i was rich and if the business proposal i had made was of an IT company, I would have been sitting in a swanky office at Nariman Point and partying on Saturday Night.

Twenty20 - A marketing Bonanza

India is a crazy nation. The craziness makes us tick. Imagine this - India out of the world cup - viewership goes down - cricketers home are pelted - twenty20 announced - india wins world cup - crores showered on the cricketers.

Thus goes the ups and downs of India's cricketing world. I love Twenty20. It gets over in three- four hours, the game is fast paced. It ensures a nail-biting finish. Amazing alderaine rush. Every minute worth it.

Twenty20 is a fantastic marketing concept. It has bought a new leash of life into the world of cricket. Whoever thought of it is a marketing genius. So i thought of a concept that can beat this and make even more revenue and we can ensure India wins and make money in the bargain.

The match will be a five day match. The cricketers shall play on the ground. Whenever a batsman is batting, send an SMS. After the first innings, the scores earned by each batsman is counted + sms votes which are equated to the runs which make the final total. The match continues and the next team batting the same rules follow. Finally it is not just the scores that will matter, but also supporters.

And we, being die-hard fans of Indian cricket and idiots who dont mind sms'ng in the name of patriotism for cricket, will make India the world cup favorites over Australia!

Game anyone!!!

Finally back to work!

After a gruelling week, i am back to work!
So boring, sitting at home, watching the ceiling, meeting the doc's... the smell of the spirits in the hospital are so sickening. Nyways, its over and that is what counts.
And guess what, I finished three books in the last week and saw 6 movies back to back yesterday. Which ones? Here goes:
Cars (Animation), The Condemned (Action Thriller), Incredibles (Animation), Stranger than Fiction (Romantic Comedy), Pulp Fiction (Drama) and Good Will Hunting (Redemptive) Phew!!! I loved good Will Hunting. Matt Damon and Robin Williams are so good in the film. At a point when Matt is about to cry and Robin says 'Its not your fault', i think the scene was so moving i almost cried before i realised my sister was staring at my expressions...

But now its good to be back at work... So let the magic begin... again....

What hppens when you are back from the dead? Let me tell you how it feels. It is like you thank your heavens what a wonderful life it is. At the crossroads of death, you dont think about your telephone bills, fuel costs, global warming, unrecquitted love, uncertain future, all you think is 'I want to live'. Surprising, for when i was living, i always used to think, when will my misery end, and when the end came near, you were ready to face anything. Put out your hands on to anything to come out of the dark hole you are in. Now, I really appreciate life. Thanks... no tension of loans, no fussiness over credit card telemarketing guys, big sharks out to swollow you... nothin... this is life... enjoy to the fullest, for a few days back i saw what could have been and realised, what i can make of today and tomorrow is much better than 'The End'.

A birthday story for S

In a little nest on a tree, lived a little sparrow.
The sparrow hopped from branch to branch,
searching for food, to feed herself and her chicks...
Once the little sparrow stepped on a thorn,
She hurt herself, and from that day she limped...
Poor sparrow, everytime she hopped,
she would whimper in pain.
she hopped and hopped and hopped
when she finally came to face an owl.
The owl was old, he was wise.
She said to him about her pain
that she so fully agonized.
The old wise owl said to her.
Why do you need to hop, while all you need is to fly!