Growing up...

As kids, we all had a lot of questions. My mom tells me, I would not go to sleep without asking "What are we going to do tomorrow?" I remember three of my uncles had taken me for a hike to Sinhagad (an old fort in the viscinity of Pune-India). They were all bachelors then. On our ride back, in an ovecrowded PMT bus, I asked in a pretty loud voice after reading an advertisement inside the bus, "What is the meaning of abortion?" I just remember the embarrased look on their faces.
And as we grew up, we started finding answers. Until pretty recently, I thought growing up was finding answers to every question there is. And then, a slew of questions began accumulating for which I had no answers. I tried real hard to find logic based on whatever I knew. I asked around, to people who I thought knew better. You know, the kinds that have had dope and all.. and seen a different light and all that stuff. They had no clue either. Neither the elders nor the wise.
It has finally occured to me, after endless struggles with myslef, that growing up is not finding all the answers. It is knowing that there are questions that have no answer. And it is being comfortable with this fact. I am still strugglinig to come to terms with this. But that is what it is. Until I find something else of course.

Google spreadsheets

Got my hands on this baby last week. I must say, I saw fireworks. I saw the future of computing. 5 reasons why I think it is the beginning of the new tomorrow:
1. People dont want to pay for software. Google has revolutionized the way people think and operate. My company just ran out of money and had to be sold because we were selling software.
2. It is time that computing and communication came together to create collaborative work platforms. What is better if all this is already paid for when you pay for your internet connection.
3. People have been chasing the big fish. But there are only so many big fish in the ocean. It is time people realized that the small fish, collectively, are much more valuable. And it does not take a gigantic net and hundreds of harpoons and a huge ass boat to catch one. Any fisherman with a make shift hook is in business.
4. If you use the Lewandowski method for forecasting sale, you are likely to achieve 90% forecast accuracy (I know.. it depends). If you use simple moving averages using the google spreadsheets, you may get to 80%. Low hanging fruit do not require much effort.
5. With the kind of volume which will begin using these softwares, money is definitely going to flow. This will help the creators to bridge the functionality gap, thus totally eliminating competition.

Google... hmm. Wonder what Microsoft is thinking??

To go or not to go.. part 2

More questions... just when u people thought I would leave you alone to enjoy every day as it comes!!
How much money is enough???
I am going to be frank... I have not figured this one out. I want a bunglow in Pune... well technically.. I have one. But I want one with a swimming pool and in the Aundh area so my son (I told you I plan at every given opportunity) can study in Loyola High School! So how much money is needed??? I dont know.. a few crores today. By the time I have a few crores (contingent upon me continuing to bear corporate insanity and marrying the only daughter of a rich and ailing business tycoon) it will be more than that. It is evident I cant count money over a few crores when I am thinking rupees. Somehow a billion dollars dont have as much glamour as a few crore rupees. To me atleast. Because I have yearned for a 2 rupee paav-vadaa like I have never yearned for anything in my life.
Any way. So that is how I began analyzing how much money I need. Turns out.. not a good way to begin.
So I began discussing this with my mom. She has always been an excellent sounding board with interjected "Khanya purte kamavsheel naa???" "You will earn enough to buy a square meal right???" and "kaahi khara naahi baba" "This is FUBAR". Somehow, the right emotion does not come across in English. People who dont know Marathi, my apologies. So, as mothers usually do, she added another question to the list... which kinda sums it all...
What will make you happy???
This is in line with what do u want... but you dont always want things that make you happy. I know this does not make sense.. but i have real life examples... where what i have wanted has not made me happy.
The obvious follow up question...
What is happiness???
This is where I usually lose my audience.. when it starts getting philosphical. So i am going to stop here. I think I need to work on that last question. I also have to work on my left leg kicks in soccer. I missed a sitter today because I had to move the ball to my right foot. I was good with my left as well... but in testing times, the reliable one comes out. No stupid ass puns intented. Over and out :)

Well its nothing really...

I fringe when I see road kill
A butcher says, its nothing really...

My mother picks weeds with yellow flowers like they were diamonds
I say, it is nothing really...

My collegue hogs at the local Udipi like it was his last meal
My mother says, it is nothing really...

A junior in my college gets into Harvard and is thrilled to bits
My collegue says its nothing really...

I think I have made a very valid point here
A general onlooker is likely to say....