Have Moved Out

Hi Guys, I have moved this blog to Wordpress some time back.

Please do visit me at http://sandwaves.wordpress.com/

See you there!

Yellow on Black

New roads were laid overnight in many BBMP governed areas of Bangalore - thanks to the impending BBMP elections.

Some pictures from outside our house. The half finished road lends its beauty to the shots.

la tierra es incredible

Lately I have started signing off my official emails with the green message "Good planets are hard to find"..

Today I stumbled upon the exact reason why!
The net probability of another Earth (or a 'good' planet) forming again is: 1:10⁹⁹ !!
(See the first link at the end of this post for substantiation)

The 'impossibly large' moon, the circular orbit of earth, the safe location of our solar system in the turbulent galaxy, a miraculous head-on collision by a small planet that formed the moon and our thin atmosphere... the coincidences are endless!

Here's a quote from Dr. Nick Hoffman of La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia:

"Around countless stars in our galaxy, and innumerable galaxies through space there will surely be Terrestrial planets, yet they will not be Earth-like. They will not have glistening Silver Moons orbiting silently through space around them, but only small dull rocks whizzing in orbit. The worlds will be, almost without exception, waterworlds."



Here are the links that'll guarantee a spaced-out look at the end!

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/designss.html#MQrkCfHwr65u

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-01x1.html

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-01x2.html

My tribute as well.

In the Outlook Inbox at my work, I keep a folder named "Bouqets and Brickbats". It is a folder where I store all the memorable words - from customers, from colleagues. I reach out to that folder in hours of desperation - when a renewed faith in self and the work ecosystem is need of the hour..

This year in June a very special email made its way to this folder. It merely said "Let me chime and thank you from my side as well. Keep up the great work!" But it was signed - Ranjan.
Ranjan Das - the fabled CEO of SAP India. The face of SAP India, he was leading it boldly from one success peak to another. And Ranjan Das had personally appreciated my work for one of the largest customers of SAP India. Was I proud!

Yesterday Ranjan Das passed away. He had a massive cardiac arrest on the way back from his daily workout. The man was young and he defined the word 'discipline' - ate right, jogged, worked out, ran marathon, did not have any addictions - not even cigarettes! Worked hard, lived his life, motivated his people.

This is just not fair.

View from my balcony

Went to dry my laundry in the balcony (3rd floor).. noticed a beautiful butterfly on the balcony sill of the flat below.. rushed in and got the camera.. here are the snaps.

Random pods

Listened to a podcast on entrepreneurial thoughts over the commute to 9TO5.. Some quotes:

"When you get a job, you don't get a job you get a key to the building."
(elaborated with, you don't have to wait for someone to give you responsibilities or problems to solve..)

"Entrepreneurs build the ladder below them"
(said in conjunction with how entrepreneurs don't have to wait to be anointed. They can choose to print 'president' or 'ceo' on their business cards)

"To solve a problem: You first have to know the world with the problem. Then you have to visualize the world without the problem. Then build steps to reach from this world to that."

The good citizen

For 2 days the garbage collection truck did not come to Umesh' house. His house is in HSR layout - one of the popular residential layouts of Bangalore. He took the trash out in search of a garbage bin nearby.
There was none.

The good citizen he is, he did not throw it in the nearest vacant land, and hopped into his car along with the trash bag. He drove around his sector of HSR Layout, then the next, and the next - in search of a garbage bin.
There was none.

Then he drove out to the Outer Ring Road, and still did not find any.
Not willing to give up, he walked into his office on outer ring road, the garbage bag replacing his laptop bag that usually walks in with him..
He looked around and finally found one on the 7th floor of the building.
He dumped his garbage bag in that garbage bin - a proud moment for the city that has citizens such as him.

But, what happens when the garbage truck does not come to his house the next time? What did other people in his layout do - who don't have a vehicle or an office or were getting late for their kids' school?

I got a forward this morning about this initiative to clean Bangalore in a day: http://www.cbengaluru.com/. It is a drive organized by an NGO - Anonymous Indian (?!), calling all citizens of Bangalore to join in this noble drive on August-15.
(Of course, this is a well implemented prank! Thanks, Anon!)

But, what are the city administrators doing??? I am sure they will not get the point that the joke is on them!