Saturday, February 28, 2009

Best Friend


I have had my fair share of friends, but somehow there has seldom been someone who I can refer to as my "best friend". I am not sure why is that the case - may be I have unreasonably high expectations from this person.

I am in touch with few of my friends from school, few from junior college, few from the colony in which I spent my childhood, somewhat more friends from my undergrad, few from my place of work etc. Months pass by without us getting in touch. My idea of a best friend is not this. A best friend would be one with whom one would want to talk every week or so, if not daily. One would want to share everything that is happening in life, everything that one is thinking of and so on. One could be oneself and when I said sharing, I meant even if it is silence that one shares, the other person understands and does not mind.

This person stands by you in times when you most need someone. You can ask for inputs, voice your concerns / issues that bother you, allay your apprehensions etc. Any behaviour from your side would be understood.

It is not to say that there is no onus on you. Whatever you expect, you should yourself do that for your 'best friend'.

There have been times (only a small number, may be 1-2) when I thought that I had found my 'best friend'. But somehow I have always managed to lose this person due to fault of my own. The other side goes along for a long time but there should be some response. I don't tell them what I think they should do and then expect them to guess. I don't tell them what I don't like and then expect them to find out. I try to control their lives, probably to a very large extent.

Sometimes, I feel making a 'best friend' is not a good thing for me. For the pain from the loss is huge. And when you have no one else but yourself to blame, it becomes even bigger. Somehow, I also feel that you should be the 'best friend' of your best friend for a lasting 'best friendship'.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Reproducing some awesome content

I had mentioned about a few links that I really liked. I recently realized that these have been removed by the author. However, thankfully I was able to find them on Google Search through their cached function. So that I don't lose this, am reproducing the same here. These were written by one of my seniors.

Discover the joy of free-riding (originally at http://aishrejoy.blogspot.com/2005/04/top-5-things-to-look-forward-to.html)

Free-riders are the most selfless souls on this planet (NOT to be confused with WIMWI bikers' club). They kill their own ambitions and refrain from doing any work, only so that their fellow group members can enhance their learning. They give others the opportunity to work under pressure and handle difficult situations on their own. Once in a while, a novice free-rider might offer to make the cover page. However, a seasoned free-rider understands the perils of such seemingly altruistic actions and ensures that the group is not dependant on him for anything. In fact, it can very well be said that behind every successful man, there's a free-rider. Would Vindi Banga have been the head honcho of HLL if not for the services of the nameless, faceless free-rider in his study group?? No chance!!
Free-riders have perfected the art of disappearing. Their cellphones mysteriously switch off and their room phone goes off the hook just minutes before a group meeting. Legend has it that there was once a meeting called of the world's greatest free-riders. Nobody turned up. They free-rode on that too!!



Buzzwords!! (originally at http://aishrejoy.blogspot.com/2005/02/buzzwords.html)

Do you want to impress or confuse clients or vice versa? Use the all-new Techno vocabulary. It can be called the "Buzzword" writing method. It is simple and highly effective.

There are three columns of words involved, as follows:

0. balanced _______ 0. management ________ 0. contingency
1. total___________ 1. organization ________ 1. hardware
2. integrated_______2. reciprocal___________ 2. projection
3. compatible ______ 3. monitored __________ 3. time-frame
4. synchronized_____ 4. digital_____________ 4. concept
5. optimal_________ 5. modular___________ 5. programming
6. responsive_______6. transitional_________ 6. mobility
7. functional_______ 7. incremental_________ 7. capability
8. parallel_________ 8. third-generation______ 8. flexibility
9. systemized______ 9. policy _____________ 9. options

Just select any three-digit number; then use the corresponding Buzzwords from the above grid, e.g., 257: "integrated modular capability".

Don't worry if it doesn't make sense to you; it won't mean anything to anyone else either, but they'll think you're just smarter than they are so they won't say anything!!

You can propose "systemized reciprocal options" (929) to achieve "optimal transitional flexibility" (568), so that we can think of an "integrated monitored projection" and your boss will probably promote you or your customer will be blown away with your technological superiority!