Shaher mein gadhhe nahin, gadhhe mein shaher hai!

Does some one remember this dialogue of "Electric Baba" in the movie "The Wednesday" (This is not a movie review... I loved the movie). This scene was so not required in the movie but I am so glad it was there. Someone falls in a gadha with live wires and survives an electric shock, it was sort of a spoof on the condition of our city.

But what the actor said was so true "Shaher mein gadhhe nahin, gadhhe mein shaher hai!". After all the PILs and Court orders, has BMC really done anything for Mumbai ke gadhes. Right to Information (RTI) the tool given to Indians to seek answers from public organizations and officials comes with a price tag. It is an expensive and a time consuming affair. Firstly confirm the BMC ward that the locality that you are complaining about? Secondly find out by going to that ward (which by the way is very unorganized and would mean a 30-45 min wait) which corporate managed the roads department. Then they’d tell you that the road in question is not under BMC directly it is under some other sub-division… then I didn’t have the patience to pursue it further.

Basically they will do everything it takes to waste your time and test your patience. If you are a job going person like me, then soon the patience would wear off, you’d accept the gadha’s in the roads and move on. You’d stop pursuing the problem. The only way that this problem can be solved is by having 1 person to pin point for every small to big government undertaken project. Have a web-site with the names and contact info of such persons. Make the babu’s accountable for every singe penny. Put CC TVs in their offices. Make sure those TV’s work.

Is all this that difficult that it just can’t be done? Then why can’t our government do small things and make our lives a little simpler. I have the answer because they are “GOVERNMENT,” they have pledged to “Help not the common people, help the rich who’d in turn make you rich.”

Who ate my Cake? Who? Who? Who? Who?

Someone sent me a lovely cake and I wanted to relish it in office “Alone.” So I saved a small piece from the scavengers at home. I carefully packed it to avoid the intricate sweetened flowers on it from squashing. Gleefully I carried the box upright in the train so as not to twist and turn it.

I winked at it in the empty lift telling myself hash I saved you from those scavengers. I placed the box in the office fridge hoping to have it bite by bite post lunch. When I went to fill water, I opened the fridge and checked if it was secure, then when I went to heat food I checked on it again and it was there.

But when I went to eat it, it had gone… My precious cake had just gone. It had disappeared. I can’t imagine someone did this to me. My tummy surely cringed as it was missing the cake. I even thought of “God,” I was still a little hopeful, I went again and again to the fridge hoping that my cake would some how reappear. Either the person who took it realized it isn’t his and returned it, or God by his mercy sent a blessed cake piece honoring me for my past good deeds. But, no.. it was not there. I ruffled through other boxes but no it was gone.

It was resting in peace in some colleagues wretched stomach. I was disheartened and after a few arguments with office boys hoping they’d have a cue where my cake was, I realised it was all in vein. My cake had left me for ever…

Atleast Cake Chor return my box!!!

Uma Bharti - Blaming Media

Is you have heard of the news of the Bhartiya Janshakti Party (BJS) President Uma Bharti having slapped a district party office bearer, Anil Rai then you’d know where I am heading.

Uma Bharti said that had the incident not been captured on camera, no one would have come to know about it and the person who was slapped would also not have left the party.

Is she thinking of what the news channels covered as some scripted T.V. show where she could sort of get away with it and hope that it would be edited for being too sensational? I can understand media being blamed for over-sensitizing issues but Uma Bharti's blame shows off her attitude of getting away with anything.

Has Science Erradicated the GOD Feeling?

The question that rings in many minds when we think of America, UK and people who explain everything by science. I read this Article which in a way explains this phenomenon of losing faith to Science and finding a scientific explanation for miracles. Although the writer seems like an Atheist he brings out the problems of losing faith but really doesn’t have any strong solution to the problems that he enumerates.

In some place the writer says “When I was an undergraduate I knew a rabbi, Will Herberg, who worried about my lack of religious faith. He warned me that we must worship God, because otherwise we would start worshiping each other. He was right about the danger, but I would suggest a different cure: we should get out of the habit of worshiping anything.”

Emphasis ME: In a way disagree; I know that most deadliest wars fought pretend to be in the name of RELIGION, in reality they are a fight of regionalism, a fight for land & its resources. So, I think a world that believes in God is still less dangerous than a world that does not believe in God because somewhere God and the literal teachings of Various Prophets keeps the believers in some sort of positive control.

On the whole the Article is a thoughtful analysis of the weakening of religious belief in countries with advanced science.

Really Creative

With the hype of Raj Thakrey being in judiacial custody, this was really a refresher.

Vodafone Harassment...

I am a bonafide subscriber of post paid services from Vodafone Essar Limited. I have 3 numbers on my name. I have since the inception of subscription of Vodafone at all times regularly paid all bills due. Despite the same, I have been harassed due to the high handedness and irresponsible behavior of Vodafone since the past 4 months regarding the payment of my mobile bills. Vodafone has on several occasions erred in computing and sending the correct bills. Despite me going to the Vodafone stores my billing problems have not yet been resolved and every month I have been visiting the store trying to resolve them. Due to Vodafone’s erroneous billing, I have been often charged late payment fees which again on my insistence are reversed in the next bill and this continues every month since June 2008. On October 3, 2008 I made timely cheque payments for my 3 numbers. As seen in my bank statements, the amount was debited from my account on October 4, 2008, but Vodafone claims that it has not received any such payment. I was time and again called and smsed by Vodafone and their recovery agency “Enterprise” to make payments. I faxed the bank statements on the October 8, 2008 as per Vodafone’s request. On October 9, 2008 all outgoing services from my numbers were blocked. On October 10, 2008 I visited Bandra Vodafone store and spoke to Mr. Gufran Sayed Kadri and Mr. Kamaal Sattani. I was made to wait for 2 hours in the store from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. They verbally assured me that my problem would be resolved. Further, I requested them to give me a written assurance or some receipt that I had made a due complaint. However, they refused and the calls from the recovery agencies continued, hence, I again visited Vodafone Lower Parel store on October 16, 2007 but there again I was verbally assured that the billing details would b updated immediately and that the phone calls from recovery agencies would stop, but they still continue to call and threaten me. I fail to understand why nobody in Vodafone has the authority to give me a written assurance. All I wanted was a receipt of my complaint but they blatantly refused. All the higher officials who are in a decision making position sit behind sound proof glass walls and the security officials at Vodafone head office would not allow me in to speak to the concerned person. Enterprise agents continue to threaten me on phone. Whole day my family is busy at work and only person at home is my 80 year old grand mother and servant. I really fear that if these recovery people come home it would be dangerous for my grand mother. Hence, I went to police complaining about the harassment by Vodafone but they too claim that they can do nothing till Vodafone actually sends a collection officer home. Again, why wait for further injury? are police official’s so helpless that instead of preventing crime they wait for it to happen and then take action. Is the common mans security not the police responsibility?

Bad Roads: Aftermath of a crater attack!!

To my humble mind, I have very few, but unusual thoughts coming when I’m moving and shaking uncontrollably in my car; not because of any such tendency that I have, but because of the pot holes that ‘we’ have.

Why is it so difficult rather impossible to solve the ‘hole’ problem.

Roads in and out of Mumbai are pathetic, awful, unbearable, unsafe and yet expensive.
I fail to understand what are the Road tax and the Toll we pay, all about. Maybe it’s never sufficient for the corrupt lot as they must have had to cut down on their family foreign trips because of a lesser collection.

After the unsuccessful effort of solving the unsolvable question of whether the egg came first or the hen, a second such unsolvable question that comes to my mind is, what causes such bad roads that we have.

Some of the probabilities could be, curse of some Gods or Goddesses? Our past Karmas? Or maybe it rains acid? Oh yet again, maybe there is no better substance available to mankind that can fill these holes or just because, now it’s part of our annual budget which we have to spend anyway.

At times my mind has doubts of some kind of a nexus between our friendly car manufacturers and not so friendly road making bodies. As obvious as it is, what I know is that the life of a car in our cities could be three times what it is, thanks to the bad roads.

My last ride on the Mumbai- Ahmedabad Highway was quite a horror. Not because of some security threat but because of what looked like an aftermath of a crater attack, a desolated battlefield at the end of a war.

In actuality, the end of the war is far away. We still have to fight and get not what we want but what we rightly deserve. After sincerely paying all the tolls and road taxes and other such heavy taxes that come to us as a duty, the least we can expect is the right usage of such funds which are originally meant for the purpose of making our lives easier, safer and better. Maybe we should have a Right to good roads added in our Constitution. It might just give us one more reason to be proud to belong to our cities, States and the Country.

Spectacular Lamborghini Gallardo

If you wonna learn to to keep a Lamborghini clean u have to watch the link...

Excruciating stuff and profound meticulousness is what it takes to keep a car of that caliber clean.. Seeing the efforts I think its better that I don't own one :)

CORPORATE CRAP in PANGEA3

Lawyers talking about platforms and system downs!!!

As the CTRL key controls us... (CTRL C + CTRL V)

TARGETS to be met, TIGERS of the week, (Weak??)

COMMANDOS without the guns....

UNACCEPTABILITY...

E S C A L A T E---even though your still in the same level for sooo many months

ISSUES-- the latest one --- use-less ISSUES

People reviewing contracts that is going to be reviewed again by the QCs and again by the people and again by the QC's and again by the people and again by the QC's and the Client changes his mind

Working Saturday-----Chilled out Mondays

STATUS pronounced as “STAAYTUS”....

LOCKED TIMESHEETS.....futures in jeopardy.... appraisals at stake…

HELPDESK… Emails for the printers and the lights and the AC temperature and the TISSUE BOX and the what not!!

SHHH---GUYS PLZ keep it LOW---Coz somebody wants to share a JOKE in their private 'BAY'

Working INDEPENDENCE DAYS -----for the people who celebrate their INDEPENDENCE DAYS....

HR is called Talent Management… wonder what talent are they managing…

Here BIO-METRICS is much more important than the fact of you possessing a “Lawyers Degree”

Finally, as trifle as it can get…. entering Office at 10:15 a.m. and 10:16 a.m. really matters...

WOW Get a Life "LOSERS"!!!!!

Dad and World Wars...

My dad is a collector of World War collectibles and a Article to that effect got published in Times of India supplement Downtown plus. I rarely appreciated his work and always thought that life would be so much better if he’d stop collecting the junk but today I realize the worth of his efforts.

Keeping History Alive

Posted On Saturday, August 09, 2008

From written work to military attire, Viraf Bilpodiwala continues to gather world war collectibles spanning across the globe, finds out Irene Fernandes

Viraf Bilpodiwala displaying Second World War treasures

The world war may have ended 63 years ago as a chapter in our history textbooks but for Viraf Bilpodiwala it has been a life long passion to gather collectibles associated with the Second World War (WWII) from all over the world. The 54-year-old businessman, a resident of Dadar Parsi Colony, is the proud owner of several original world war artifacts. Since 1969 he has been collecting literature to army fatigues. “As a school kid, I was taken by awe watching war movies like The Bridge Over The River Kwai, and Battle of Britain. From that point my interest in the subject began and over the years I have managed to lay my hands on everything related to WWII,” says Bilpodiwala.

His expansive collection includes literature pertaining to the WWII that spans over 1000-odd books, posters that were printed then, magazines and several old newspaper cuttings. Most of them are illustrated and some were got hold of when they were discarded from school libraries. That is not it! He also owns a used uniform that belonged to Rommel’s army in North Africa plus a few silver badges and his favourite - the Nazi helmet and the Nazi cross, which he purchased from local store in London. “The American and the British helmets are easily available, the Nazi war items are no longer available anywhere, not even in Germany,” explains Bilpodiwala

Bilpodiwala has travelled the world over to touch the heights of his passion. While some were a treasure hunt, the others were easily available in the local markets. “In 1975, when on a tour to Europe, I visited the Imperial War Museum in London, and the Army Museum in Paris. The war had ended 30 years ago then, but in Europe, there were several antique shops that were still selling original world war artifacts,” expresses Bilpodiwala, who exclaims that most of his collection has been gathered from the chor bazaars from all across the country and world over.

As easy as he makes it sound, he promptly adds the fact that across the globe, the world war is an incident looked down upon by many. “The world war has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many and people are not willing to speak about it openly. I had to hunt meticulously and with great difficulty I managed to procure these collectibles,” he adds.

An unusual passion and a dedicated one like this also entails unmatched commitment to maintain it. And this credit he attributes to his family, especially his wife Nergish. “There were times, especially, when we were touring the war museums, I would simply wait till he finished his extensive research. The war can be quite a boring topic for many, but for my husband it was a natural outcome of a genuine interest in reading. It was a widely-covered topic then and television, too, was not so popular,” Nergish says.

The Nazi helmets, dagger and silver badges that were used in WWII

The Bilpodiwalas take a lot of care to maintain their invaluable artifacts. “Most of our collectibles are kept in cupboards that are well-aired. Since the number of items is a lot, once a year I clean all of them. To keep away white ants, tobacco is spread between the pages of books, once or twice a year,” adds Nergish.

So what does one do when history has completed its phase? Bilpodiwala adamantly mentions that he will continue as long as he lives to keep this passion alive. “Whenever I get the chance I collect. Nowadays, it is difficult to get the latest editions of war material since that era of history is done with. When time calls for it, I shall most happily gift this priceless treasure either to my children or donate it to a library or a museum.”

Fight over Scrabble

Fighting over Scrabble... Come on grow up... let people play a smart game in peace. F#*k the copyright laws man... The ideology behind a game is fun and why bring these meaning less Copyright laws.

Discovering True India on a Bullet

This guys perseverance to see the real India at its best and courage to take on the risks of driving on Indian Highways... its just commendable.

"I fell off just the once but I feel I looked eternity in the eye several times," says Martin Buckley.

Pangea3 and Teli Gali

I work in Pangea 3 located in the posh Leela Business Park in Andheri East. But the way to my office completely sucks.... I have to ferry my way to the company pick up spot through a tiny lane called "TELI GALI."

If you have heard of the famous Teli Gali just outside Andheri (E) Station in Mumbai than thats what I am talking about... children pooping near your feet, women washing clothes and utensils, open wires that can electrocute you, mice and roaches might just run around the feet, sewer lids are almost not there, etc.. etc.

The best way to reach office is to "fly" as the road traffic is excruciating, foot board at the stations are so packed that getting from one end to the other would take at least half an hour, irregular buses drive me crazy and above all THE TELI GALI...

Imagine the way to the Big multi-nationals in Andheri E, MIDC, SEEPZ is through Teli Gali... You have to see the video to know the plight of people who travel from this gali...

Floods under my house, Mumbai.

Hoax Calls and Abuse and Abuse and Abuse

How willing is a person to obey an authority figure who instructs him/her to perform acts that conflict with his/her personal conscience? Imagine a phone call from the police asking you to inflict injury (mental of physical) on someone under the cover of police investigation… Question is… Would you buy it? Would you abide?

In America some freak made such hoax calls to people asking them to physically investigate someone who has been a suspect. People actually bought it and in turn happened a series of abusive crimes.

What is most chilling about these stories is that it happened repeatedly, across America, to people just like you and me. The inflicter and the inflicted were victims…. This story just dumbfounds me.

Food Crisis in Ethiopia

When we eat, and waste, do we think of the millions of people in this world who are on the brick of starvation, do we think of a 3 year old child who weighs less than 5kgs, do we think of the deaths caused by food crisis, do we think of their grief and do we and can we do something about it.

Ethiopia is stricken by the worse food crisis of the century. There are ways to help and donate… all of us can make a difference…

Click on the following link to help http://www.praxisethiopia.org/?gclid=CKX-5oys7pMCFQpEegod5m4zVw

Moral Policing in Bangkok....

Call it hypocrisy or pretentiousness on the part of Bangkok government… they have put a love curfew on Bangkok teens. The officials are concerned that those under the age of 18 might do more than just gaze into each other's eyes on Valentines Day. Hence, the Bangkok Police have imposed a curfew. The teens have to be home by 10 pm or risk spending the night behind bars.

Wow!!! Shiv Sena alikes in Bangkok…. But in a city like Bangkok which is renowned for sin, where sex is for sale in hundreds of strip joints and brothels, Valentine's Day curfew is laughable.

India and our Woes

If you are an Indian you'd know what the following post is all about:

Why is the media here so negative?

Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?

We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?

1. We are the first in milk production.

2. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.

3. We are the second largest producer of wheat.

4. We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place in Tel Aviv. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE?

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things?

We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance?

I once asked a 11 year old girl what her goal in life is.

She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.

YOU say that our laws are too old.

YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.

YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,

YOU say the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.

YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS.

YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best.

In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?

YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .

YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah .

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'

YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'

YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand .

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ?

Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ???

We are still talking of the same YOU.

YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own.

You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground.

If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?

Once the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay , Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?

In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan . Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right.

We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage allover the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin.

We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home.

Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my
sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?

What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU.

When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.

Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians,

The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Diary Mania

I always wanted to write a diary.. just to capture some important events, thoughts and plans. But I was too scared as an actual diary would mean the risk of someone reading it. Now with all the virtual diaries, this is a minuscule problem exists but its quite small. For instance I am sure my parents wont get to it ever.

Also another problem with these virtual diaries was that it was difficult to alter the date of publishing/saving the diary. Whereas now this is also solved, free online diary providers give you the leverage to add a diary to the date you wish. This is incredibly helpful as often I write my diary once over the weekend and often I am writing about something that happened 10 days back. So now I can save the event on the date that it happened. Plus I save pictures and videos which support my description of events.

Stocks

I started investing in shares sometime back and always would wonder what site would help me get all the past scores and relevant data on the stocks that I was interested in. I finally found a winner after good amount of researching.
Rediff Monies is what it is called!
It is truly fantastic, helps you add favorite stocks to a watch list where you can track all of them together. Also, you can check the highs and lows of last 1 year. You can place alerts for the stocks. Imagine all this free. Thanks Rediff.