Advantage Romney in the 2nd presidential debate?

Everybody were unanimous in saying Romney won hands down in the first presidential debate. No wonder Obama was silent on quite a few GIVEN opportunities.

Now Romney camp is making right moves like in chess. Partly because their confidence is high.

I see this headline every where in the news media today.

Romney: "47 percent" remarks "completely wrong"

I feel this is a master stroke partly because Obama cannot raise this 47% in the 2nd debate as effectively as he wanted to, having missed out talking about this in the first debate. Even if Obama raises Romney now will say I already said what I said is wrong. There ends the story!!!

CWGs - My take!!!

I'm a firm believer that 'Common Wealth Games' (CWGs) is NOT fit for India. One of reasons being we are spending more money than what we are getting. The last I read we are spending 35,000 crores. Yes it is 3 5 thousand crores. Can you imagine that? Another concern is what will happen to all the 'substandard' [which are unfortunately leaking right now for rain] world class stadiums, apartments, once the games are over? Used as marriages/concerts/political rallies? I bet they will.

Mani Shankar Iyer is highly vocal about it and he wants the games to be a ‘FLOP’. Though I'm not in favor of the games but we don't have a choice except to execute this to some sort of perfection as the whole world is watching us. At this point of time, it is infact a prestige for us to show the world that we are not only an upcoming economic power but a worthy one. Also Mani Shankar Iyer being a Member of Parliament and a senior member of the ruling party, it is unwise on his part to give such ridiculous statements. If a common man is talking like this it is understandable but NOT from our leaders. This is unacceptable!

Now with latest controversies of corruption in awarding the contracts dented the already beaten image of India. See the irony, these things are making headlines even before the games started. With terrorist threats looming large, I only hope we pull it off with some grace atleast!

US Immigration law. Who is benefited?

Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants is a tough call. But the bottom line is you CANNOT stop illegal immigration no matter what you do to your borders as they run into thousands of miles. This is commonsense.

Also announcing we give amnesty to the illegal immigrants is dangerous as I feel people across the border feel obligated to cross the border to take this benefit.

On the other hand, whether US can arrest and send back all the 13 million estimated illegal immigrants to solve this issue? I don't think it is practically possible either.

So the only way out is to find a middle path in fixing this issue. I don't know what the middle path is. Maybe to begin with harsher punishments for people who cross the border illegally? I don't know. No I'm NOT talking about Arizona Law here. Persoanally for me this law leads to dangerous consequences.

But one thing, I can tell you this for sure, few compromises need to be made to fix this issue. I feel it is NOT a law enforcement issue any more. It is more of a political issue. Though Politicians tend to disagree on this issue. Right now, we don't have any other option except that Politicians should have a political will to address this issue.

Hoping to see some sensible commonsense ideas coming thru in fixing this issue once for all.

The Value of human life

Oflate I see so many human lives being lost for gross negligence by man made human errors. Am more concerned to see the 'value' given to human lives especially in my home country India.

I read this story where couple of people getting killed in a RLY station, when two trains that were supposed to come in their respective announced platforms were interchanged at the last minute i.e., the trains which are supposed to come on one platform turned out to be on another and vice versa. As a result a stampede happened as all people tried to run over each other to catch their respective trains. Deaths because of this mindless act? What a shame? Who is accountable? Whether the culprits bought to justice? I doubt as the politicians are busy accusing each others of their track records.

Similarly I see one more story on TV. This time the 'Sub inspector' of Police, who is escorting the Ministers was killed by a 'Gang', who on a mistaken identity killed this inspector when he is on official duty escorting the Ministers. Nobody including the Ministers came out to see or called on for medical help when the TV crew who are escorting the convoy to cover the Ministers visit shot the whole death seen of the Inspector. Again What a shame? Who is accountable? Whether the Ministers were sacked for their shameless act? Whether the culprits bought to justice? No!!!!

Why are we as a society becoming so insensitive to these things? I wonder I don't have an answer for any of these things. I just don’t!!!

The shopping bug?

People living in USA is inflicted with a bug. It is a age old bug and which is popular but mostly not noticed from inside.

You might be wondering as what it might be. A new bug? Is it Lethal? Any cure? But hang on... before you start thinking too much about it.. here is the clue.. "this is a bug that makes you feel happy for nothing!"

Ok... have you listened to these statements often? "What are your plans for the week end"? I need to shop. "Hey where are you"? Am shopping. "Hey there is a sale, why can't we go for a shopping"?

These things are common if you are living here in US. Shop for nothing. Shop for keeping yourself busy. Shop for getting good deals, which by the ways always exist everyday in one store or the other. Ofcourse shopping online is more popular with techies."

I don't see a reason for shopping but even then we just shop. Maybe here you don't have many to socialise. But whatever maybe the reason, you feel like shopping atleast very often. Shop for something that you find is useful in the future though you might not use it in the near future. So I better call it as a 'shopping bug', which takes away most of your time for nothing. Really!

By the way... Happy shopping people as I gotto run to shop something now!!!

The Political Tamasha

The recent political developments about Telanga in my home state Andhra Pradesh left me amused and ashamed. It is not just for me but for many. Am tempted to include the so called 'educated class' too but I just can't as for some 'unknown weird' reason most of the student unions of colleges/universities were involved in this tamasha.

The basic fundamental issue for the demand of a separate Telanga state is because this region (except Hyderabad) was neglected in other words it is under developed by all the successive govt's that ruled AP till date. This is not a rocket science to understand as even a school going kid knows this universally acknowledge fact. So to avoid this problem what the govt, for that matter any govt is supposed to do. Simple - Develop the region. Give the region importance. Problem solved!!!

This reminds me of a classic case (when I was living in India - B'lore). In the year 2005, 'Belgaum' city in Karnataka sort of started to become a political tamasha. Maharashtra govt want to take away this city from Karnataka and for that matter majority people living in the city wants to go with Maharashtra as it was long neglected by the home state Karnataka. The then Chief Minister Kumaraswamy nipped this long standing issue in the bud. How? Simple. He gave long due - 'importance & development' to this city. What he did that solved the problem? He and his ministers started to concentrate on Belgaum by building a second state assemble there among other things. So that the winter assembly sessions happen there every year. End Result - City is immensely developed by all means and problem is solved. Now nobody talks about it any more. It was amazing to such a long standing issue getting resolved with an amazing strategy.

But whether this kind of thing ever happen in AP is a big question mark? KSR played his cards right by getting this issue out of the bag by cashing on a 'weak' CM after YSR demise. He also did his job to perfection of raking up the issue at the right time. In the process he intelligently involving all the student union along the way which further paralyzed the life in the state.

What other leaders did to stop this issue? Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. Unfortunately at this crucial juncture, I believe Chandra Babu Naidu instead of trying to solve the issue is looking for an opportunity to lead AP again (as he never had a chance when YSR was leading the state). So he is keeping quite not mincing a word about the issue, which is a huge disappointment and unfortunate for this opposition leader. The newly formed Praja Rajyam leader Chiranjeevi is another disappointment. Simply because he doesn't have a clue as what is happening around him. First he supported Telangana cause while contesting the elections. Now (after the elections) he changed his earlier stand and started gunning for 'united' Andhra. He looked stupid (@least to me) as in the meeting with the Home Minister recently in Delhi he highlighted the cause of cinema shootings and interruptions to movies in theaters by all the recent galata in the state rather than talking about the hardships faced by a common man. When all these things are happening and when the state is badly effected by the so called Dharnas/Bandhs, the 86 year old AP governor ND Tiwari is involved in a 'Sex' scandal. At this time, I could hear Chandra Babu Naidu load and clear gunning for his resignation. Wah! What can I say?

Ok now what the center can do to diffuse this situation. Again the answer is simple. It is not too late. Give the 'Telengana region' a 'special status'. Allocate funds to develop the region with immediate effect. Have a timeline of 1 year to see the developments and check on them regularly. This should surely send some positive signals and if this happens there is every possibility that the issue will never ever appear again. But it needs only one thing a POLITICAL WILL nothing else.

My 2 cents!!!

- Aaryan

My Choice

"Love your job, but never fall in love with your company because you never know when company stops loving you... "

- N R Narayana Murthy, Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies

What a wonderful saying it is. Very true as sometime I wonder what is happening with my professional life. Though I gave my best and as a result my company immensely benefited by getting more business (from our client). I still stand where I was some 2 years ago. No change whatsoever.

It used to hurt me as there is no logic in my stagnating career. Infact I had put forth my point of view to the people concerned (why should I in the first place? as they very well know what impact I made) but with no success in sight. Wonder why? Maybe everybody had their own hidden personal agenda. I don't know. I don't care either.

After much introspection I came to this conclusion. There are two ways to tackle this issue. Either leave the company and move on or live with it as it is MY CHOICE to stay here for whatever maybe the reason. No point in cribbing and feeling sad/bad about it.

This reminds me of this fantastic statement...

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen....” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I always strongly believed in this and I keep telling myself again and again that 'my day will come soon'. This keeps my hope & dreams alive to give my best and atleast make my client happy as they gave me the much needed importance & respect than what I deserved from my company.

May GOD bless my company and the people in it. Amen!

Cheers

Aaryan