Saturday, 14 January 2012
There is no doubt in anyone's mind about who is the greatest Batsman in the world, both in One Day Format as well as a Test Match. Sachin has sculpted his name in the Altar of Indian Cricket. Well having said that, it is time to think whether the Legend should push himself so hard for achieving that one milestone, Hundredth Ton, with his failing form time and again. He is human and this milestone is no big deal when compared to the innumerable tons hs has scored against all the cricketing countries in the world. As an ardent fan of his, I really feel bad to see him struggle to achieve this. Perhaps he would have done it very easily if we hadn't kept the count of his hundreds and the 'Magic Number' was not pressurising him! He should gracefully retire with his guns blazing and we remember him as the Master Blaster. Like the Great Gavaskar once said, you should leave when people ask "Why?" rather than when they begin to say, "Why Not?". Again this is not a criticism on Sachin's Capabilities as a Great Batsman but only a sincere appeal from an ardent fan who wants to remember him as the "Master Blaster" who sent the best of the bowlers to the fence with his Magic Willow. Wish him all the luck for achieving this elusive hundred.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Falling in Love!
Adolescence plays such an important role in the life of a person that it could make a difference between a well planned life and a frustrated one. The ability of the person to handle this delicate period decides how successful he / she will be in the adult life. This period relates to the span of time between the time of Puberty and the Maturity. With the changes that take place in the body and the brain due to hormonal effects can really influence a person’s behaviour. Examples of such behaviour can be that of youngsters who get infatuated with their favourite Film Hero / Heroine and keep carrying their pictures with stars in their eyes! They are too immature to know the difference between “Infatuation” and “Love”. The momentary crush due to physical attraction is often misinterpreted as Love.
The Role of ParentThe parents have a very important role to play in this regard. When their children attain puberty and are in their adolescence, it is vital for them to discuss about sex, relationships etc with the children in a free and frank manner. This would provide the much needed opportunity for the children to open up with their doubts and feelings without any inhibition. Unless your child feels free to discus with you about anything that is bothering him / her you are failing in your duty of creating the much needed trust.
A parent has to explain detail about the feeling of Love, what it entails and how it builds mutual bond of friendship, affection and respect. They should be advised about letting it mature into a deep bond of relationship before resorting to any physical form of committing to each other. They have to be counseled on the need for compatibility on many things besides just emotion, like education, financial stability, social and economical issues etc. Hasty decisions based on perceived Love often result in unsatisfactory marriages and lead to separation eventually.
Practical SituationI know of a friend whose daughter fell in love with a boy and wanted to marry him. When she told her parents about the same the parents were taken aback. The girl had just completed her graduation and was looking for a job and she had met this boy at the “Employment Registration” office. The parents acted in a very structured manner. They called her for a detailed discussion. They asked her whether she knows all the details about him and if he is in a position to support her and maintain an independent Family. She said that he was an Engineering Graduate looking for a job and has passed with distinction. His parents are school teachers. They asked her to invite the boy to their house for Tea. When the Boy came home they were happy to see a well mannered, handsome young man . The boy spoke of his ambitions to become a scientist in Rocket Propulsion and help the country in exploring the space. He also said that he loved the girl very much and would like to get engaged to her for eventual marriage to be done after he settles into a permanent Job of his dreams. He had also spoken to his own parents about his decision and they were keen to meet the girl’s family. Hearing this, the girl’s parents knew that the boy is very matured and well balanced man and a suitable match for their child. This is the way an adolescent should approach this issue, in my opinion.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
While it is hard to get a proper employment befitting your qualification and experience, it is equally difficult for an employer to retain an existing employee from quitting his job. Proper understanding of the employees' needs and installing adequate systems and procedure for prompt identification and resolution of issues affecting the employee is a must. Here is my take on this matter.
Productive Employee - An Invaluable asset
It is a nightmare for any employer to see his employees leave. The enormous amount of time and effort spent on their recruitment apart, the task of grooming another to succeed is a daunting task. The experience and skill of an employee builds over time and there is no way for a quick fix to this issue. Hence the employers would do well to remember these tips for the retention of their employees:
1. No square pegs in round holes
Make sure they are deployed in areas which are directly relevant to their area of specialisation and they are happy to do their job. An unhappy employee quits at the first opportunity.
2. Provide the necessary aids and tools
It is the duty of the employer to ensure that his employees are provided the necessary equipment / device for the performance of his duties. An ill equipped employee tires quickly and his work flow deteriorates. This also makes him detest his working condition and he begins to plan for shifting.
3. Create room for Incentives & Awards
Any one would like a pat on the back for a good job done over and above his call of duty. An employer should recognise such special contribution made by the employee above his call of duty by either offering a Reward or a share of profits gained out of his contribution.This is the magic wand which makes an employee feel that he is a part of the organisation and a dedicated employee.I once wrote a Haiku about "Appreciation" which stresses this point
A pat on the back
Makes even John a Hercules
Encourage and see
4. Redress Grievances and provide counseling
In any organisation, there are bound to be instances when an employee feels that he is treated unfairly and seeks to redress. Dealing the issue with an iron fist, ignoring his complaints, will totally demoralise him and the organisation will lose his loyalty. There should be well written rules / regulations clearly published for Grievance resolutions and a specific authority should be constituted for dealing with such important issues.
5. Informal meetings with Staff
I have personally used this tool for interacting with my staff and it worked wonders for me. In an organisation there will always be some small mismatch or disconnect in the allocation of functions or the method of handling a service. Informal meetings, say once a month, with the employees will help them to point out such small irritants and pave the way for speedy resolution of problems before they develop into bigger issues later.
Well the list is endless. An employer employee relationship is no different from that of a husband and wife. They both call for a mutual trust and understanding for a long lasting relationship.
Well the list is endless. An employer employee relationship is no different from that of a husband and wife. They both call for a mutual trust and understanding for a long lasting relationship.
Friday, 17 June 2011
It has become the favourite subject of everyone nowadays to talk about and voice their "Expert" opinion on the subject! It is like a virus and has its presence almost everywhere in this vast universe. The interesting thing about this despicable disease is the fact that both the exploiter and the victim are equally responsible for its existence. Those who speak so much against it are the ones who would not mind resorting to it in their day-to-day activities for getting some of their jobs done either expeditiously or economically. Many of us indulge in it just because we donot have the patience to wait for the normal processing time or fear of delay from a greedy official. If every one of us decide not to resort to this pernicious evil, come what may, the chances are that this poison ivy may begin to wither slowly. There is an old Adage in Tamil, which runs as follows:
திருடராய் பார்த்து திருந்தாவிட்டால் திருட்டை ஒழிக்க முடியாது!
Which means that "Unless the Thieves choose to reform themselves and become noble, no Law can eradicate thieving". We should learn to stick to our principles and stand firm against any form of extortion and fight this demon. Just making speeches or cursing will be of no avail in dealing with this monster. Take a vow today that atleast you will not be a party to propagate this evil and abide by it.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
The meet started without much ado, with the organizers getting into the act straightaway. The attendees were over 250 and Boy! did it look awesome!. Indeed it was well attended and the arrangements made by the sponsors are worthy of appreciation and gratitude as it was a very neat and tidy job. As usual when the self introduction by members began there were several gems which really entertained the gathering and were full of wit and humour. To our surprise gifts were announced for "Good Intros" and I was fortunate to receive a "HP Printer" as gift from the sponsors. The meet had very useful and socially relevant topics for discussion and it was well received by the audience. The technical presentation by HP on their latest mobile printing technology was very interesting and informative. A talk by a differently abled Blogger was very good and inspiring.
There was a discussion on whether there was any need for monitoring what should be shared in the Forum or can it be left free for the bloggers to decide. The sheer variety and types of bloggers present was a sight to behold. There were bloggers from outside Bangalore also which included a person from as far as Lucknow.We also had a blogger aged 14 years, the youngest among us, participating in the meet.The simple snacks served was just the right choice and was welcome. On the whole it was a very enjoyable meet which everyone liked.
Friday, 24 September 2010
Check your Resolve
Please verify whether you have a deep rooted resolve to do something Exemplary in your chosen area of study. These exams are not for the 'also rans' or 'mediocre' students. They are meant to select the best of Talent;
Are you Ambitious enoughDo you have the fire in your belly to achieve the greatest of recognition. Thirst for doing something special or innovate in your chosen field. Well if you are not then this is not for you.
Are you willing for Hard Preparatory workThese exams call for really good standard and the aspirants are expected to put in substantial hours of study in preparing for the tests.As the questions are expected to be difficult, there is no way a student can try to solve it if he /she confronts it for the first time. What I mean is, he should have done enough exercise / preparation to have some familiarity with such type of questions.
Time Management
It is not only important to answer the questions correctly but also to do them within the time span. In case of difficult questions just move over to the next one and continue answering as quickly and as correctly as possible. You can always comeback to re-visit the difficult ones later because there are negative markings for wrong answers.
Social ResponsibilityIf you are the chosen one to get selected in these examinations, pursue your goal with your whole heart and come out with flying colours. Remember for every one of you selected there were thousands who did not make it and you have no right to fritter away your opportunity. A brilliant person like you can make a lot of contribution to the society. Do not neglect your responsibility by running away to a foreign land for greener pastures deserting your country.
What if you did not make itIt is perfectly alright if you could not get selected by these institutions. Celebrated they may be, they are not the only means to achieve your goals. After all there are very few Einstein's or Graham Bells in this world and still we go on!. Choose a line that is close to your heart. It is not as much as what you do that is important as how happy you are doing whatever you do. Remember there are several very successful businessmen among us who are Billionaires and they had never been to business school or even college! GO ON! Make your choice and give your heart out!
I wrote this for Ezine Articles
Saturday, 4 September 2010
I had faced the problem of my tweets not appearing in the #inditweetmeet window and was desperate to find a solution. When Experts like Mohan BN , Renie could not help I was going mad!! Then I thought perhaps it is just a simple case of my Internet connection speed doing the trick. To establish this I tried to check my connection speed using speed.io. When the connection was fast I got the following results:
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Presto! My tweets were appearing very nicely. So please check your speed and if it is slow get the speed increased by complaining to your ISP and chat happily everafter! You can see my tweets appearing in the indistream window with my speed data, if you log on to indistream now.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Much awaited measure to discipline the activities of this huge NetWork! I am sure this would help to restrict the attempts of self promotion and spamming by a few over enthusiastic bretheren. Congrats to Rennie and his dedicated knights!
Monday, 28 June 2010
The other day when I visited my Favourite blog, think aloud, I found this Astounding Story and was moved beyond words. Please clik this link to read this wonderful story: Father's Day - Story
Monday, 22 March 2010
Do you know your near and dear well enough? We often take for granted, the acts, sacrifices and gestures of our close relations as a part of normal day to day activity that we fail to notice the intent Love, Affection and Care that is behind such things. For eg: your wife neatly arranging the things that you have to carry with you to office, like your Blackberry,Laptop,Spectacles,Purse and the inevitable Lunch Box containing fat free food! You always got your important message on time, you never missed your credit card payment,Your eye check up was not needed before a good three years gap,you could buy that gift for your boss on time and thank God your cholestrol and BP were under control thanks to this simple habit of hers which you never bothered even to acknowledge.
When you planned that trip to USA to meet your children, after your retirement, for a long Holiday the arrangements your Son made to send a “Bouquet” through the Cab driver who came to fetch you and your wife from the Airport along with a Flask of homemade coffee, which he knew, you loved was not just an ordinary gesture. It shows the deep love and affection he had for you and his desire to ensure that you never missed your favourite drink. The extra length your son-in-law went to arrange a full fledged office room complete with PC,wireless Keyboard,Broadband and webcam etc for you during your stay with them to ensure that you never felt bored and got your share of intellectual activity that you were used to was no ordinary act. Remember, he knows how you miss that Exquisite Office of yours. The video clip, which your daughter sent from USA showing your 4 years old Grand Daughter singing "Happy Birthday" on your birthday with her inimitable American accent was not just an ordinary mail. It was meant to tempt you to make your trip earlier to see your Grand Daughter and give them the pleasure of your company.
There was this friend, who just happened to stay in the same neighbourhood with you, that volunteered to finance your son's foreign education efforts till you got your Bank Loan sanctioned, was not just an ordinary friend. His timely gesture, without and expectation from you, was pure act of friendship distilled and deserves your gratitude for life.
Fortunate are those who are blessed to have the company of their parents with them during their own old age! They can very well appreciate the feelings and desires of the poor old souls and would do well to take good care of them. You cannot forget how your Dad never wanted to buy a car because he wanted to finance your studies or the special food your Mom prepared for you to fortify your strength for withstanding the rigours of Competitive Academic pursuits! The least you could do is to keep them with you instead of sending them to the most advanced “Old-Age Home “.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
IMPACT OF CHARITY
Have you ever wondered what impact the act of charity produces on the beneficiary. Well if you haven’t, then you are missing something. I have been making my little bit of contributions to deserving charities, like children’s home, destitutes home etc. While I was making one such donation I had an unforgettable experience. I was waiting for the caretaker of the Children’s Home, that housed about 200 kids, and I saw some young kids playing there. One of them got curious and came over to see who was standing at the office. Spotting me, the kid enquired what I had come for. I just said I was paying some money to the Home to defray their expenses. The kid started running towards his friend shouting “Hey Ramu, I told you na, the Home will not be closed. See here is an Uncle who takes care of our needs.” This really shook me because the fear of losing the support of the Home, was so deeply buried in their hearts.
EFFECTIVENESS
Another issue that crops up is the need for organized collection and distribution mechanism which ensures that the donations reach the ultimate beneficiaries as intended by the donors. It is in this aspect that GiveIndia scores exceedingly well. Their fool proof system of screening deserving NGO’s which include checking Governace,Operations, Management, Human resources, Accountability and transparency. Exhaustive indeed! They also get an independent assessment from sister organisations about the NGO’s prior to induction. When I wanted to ensure personally about the background of GiveIndia I checked their website and would like to share just one example of their “conditions” for enrolling an organization. It says, I quote,
“The organisation must disclose in its annual report the total cost of international travel by all its personnel (including volunteers) - segregating those incurred on organisational expense and those that were sponsored, along with the name and designation of the person(s) who traveled, and the purpose(s) of travel.”
Well you cant ask for more!
SELECTION OF BENEFICIARY
The choices of beneficiaries that you would like to help are also neatly categorized into causes, like Children, Disabled, education, elderly, employment etc which makes your decision simpler. There is a saying in Tamil regarding Charity. Translated into English, it says, “Check the beneficiary prior to making your charity”. GiveIndia takes adequate care to do precisely that and one need not have any inhibitions to donate under their Aegis. Conceived by Shri.Venkat Krishnan, an IIM-A Graduate and supported by a team of dedicated professionals ,the organization is said to have involved over 75000 donors to impact over a million lives through 200+ organisations . Amazing indeed.
“The organisation must disclose in its annual report the total cost of international travel by all its personnel (including volunteers) - segregating those incurred on organisational expense and those that were sponsored, along with the name and designation of the person(s) who traveled, and the purpose(s) of travel.”
Well you cant ask for more!
SELECTION OF BENEFICIARY
The choices of beneficiaries that you would like to help are also neatly categorized into causes, like Children, Disabled, education, elderly, employment etc which makes your decision simpler. There is a saying in Tamil regarding Charity. Translated into English, it says, “Check the beneficiary prior to making your charity”. GiveIndia takes adequate care to do precisely that and one need not have any inhibitions to donate under their Aegis. Conceived by Shri.Venkat Krishnan, an IIM-A Graduate and supported by a team of dedicated professionals ,the organization is said to have involved over 75000 donors to impact over a million lives through 200+ organisations . Amazing indeed.
TAX ON DONATION - CAN IT INFLUENCE
Yes, Indeed. In a country like India, despite the fact that a good majority are below the poverty line, there is no denial of the fact that lot of people have enough money at their disposal over and above their needs. You just visit a Jeweler’s shop and you will be amazed to see the crowd that is clamoring to purchase Gold. The crowd comprises of all stratas of society and not necessarily from the affluent alone. While marginal Tax incentives, like current I.Tax provisions, may induce them to make some donations because of the Tax saving, it will not bring the desired effect of making people give substantial sums as donation. In my opinion, the Act should provide for “Weighted Deductions” (like what we used to have for Export Promotions etc..earlier) that would give twice the amount of donations made as the deduction from taxable Income. This I am sure would result in greater quantum of Donations. The Government can think of introducing some recognitions like “Golden Heart Donor” plaques, for people who make donations exceeding certain amount and publish their names on a “Govt. Roll of Homour”along with "Padma" awardees!
To visit the site of GiveIndia, clik this link: http://www.giveindia.org/t-abtus_whatwedo.aspx and open up your hearts and make that donation you always wanted to give.
To visit the site of GiveIndia, clik this link: http://www.giveindia.org/t-abtus_whatwedo.aspx and open up your hearts and make that donation you always wanted to give.
Friday, 26 February 2010
We are all aware that at one time or other we pass through this syndrome, when you just seem to get stuck and cannot think of anything worthwhile to write or share. It can be really frustrating, believe me, that you can never rest till you got over it and could produce something good. To understand the basic problem I googled it. Apart from some explanations I also found a site offering to cure you of it through a seminar for only $ 87 !
The very idea of parting with $87 began to produce the necessary enthusiasm in me that I started thinking on my own to conquer this malady. To start, I felt this was, in a way, a much needed break for me from incessant writing, which anyway had a very small group of readers. Perhaps they would feel relieved too from reading my posts, hurled at them non-stop!!
I used this break to really follow other blogs related to my interests and spent time reading them seriously and sharing my sincere views with them. This blog hopping produced amazing results by adding to my Network of fellow bloggers and in increased audience for my work.
I got into the technical aspects of fine tuning my Blog like improving Loading time, Validating my HTML, CSS code compression, optimizing my pictures etc. I registered my blog with Alexa, Bing, Yahoo, Google etc and opted for the google analytics, which really helps you to study the visitors’ interests and to identify the popular content among your numerous posts.
I spent a lot of time doing research on my topics of interest by reading various articles , books and the Internet which provided me the much needed insight into what people think about them and what they would like to know about them.
Armed with all the inputs from my detailed exercise stated above I found that I had so much to share with my readers and there is no question of any “Block” which can hinder my progress.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
It appears that Sachin Tendulkar doesn’t seem to age with time as predicted by me! The little master is like vintage wine tasting better with every passing day. With a double ton he has made history!! Who can forget his merciless assault on Shane Warne and company or the drubbing he gave to Shoaib Akthar. Many a times he has silenced his critics with his willow true to the old adage, “While it is for the mediocrity to talk, it is for the genius to observe”. Now that he has scored the maximum runs in both the forms of cricket, maximum centuries in ODI as well as Tests the only think left is to break the record of Brian Lara for highest test score. I am certain it is only a question of time before he does it. Believe me he is not the type to relax even after that! He might try to set a record for the maximum number of records by any sportsman, which can go on unending till he decides to rest his willow. He is indeed a jewel on India’s crown and will glitter for a very long time!
Friday, 8 January 2010
Long and winding has been my journey, all along
Couple of spills and thrills but chugging like a train
Interesting people did I meet who were to me like a treat
Fascinating variations both in façade and the heart
Learn a lot, I did, made a few as my friends too
My Children and their children are gifts of God I cherish
Nothing but the Best in Life for them is all I wish
My love for Literature took a bit of life’s pressure
When I dangled in poetry unmindful of the symmetry!
Lots of events happy and sad alike before me unfold
Ride them all I did but none of them were in my hold
Trust in God was always my Mantra in Life
So far it has been a bit bumpy ride but safe
Now that I am aged I have all the time I want
To recap my achievements not that I care to flaunt
Or to look upon that inward eye with a bit of solitude
May be my heart would fill with pleasure and dance like daffodils
Daffodils is my all time favourite poem
Thursday, 31 December 2009
As always, Christmas has brought me the good news this year too! After almost an year of Blogging and striving to impress my favourite Search Engine Mentors I have been given a Pagerank of "2" for which I am extremely grateful. Knowing Google for its strict assessment techniques and technical superiority I value this greatly and will try to improve further. Thanks Google! I wish my beloved readers and followers a Very Happy, Prosperous and Eventful New Year and may all your desires bear fruit giving you abundant joy!
Friday, 4 December 2009
Of all the human emotions, Ambition is the one which differentiates between the likely super achiever and a mediocre individual. Without an Ambition there can be no achievement or accomplishment. It is not just a simple wishful thinking to be someone or to achieve something that can be called an Ambition. As Shakespeare said, “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff”. An ardent, strong desire to seriously accomplish a Goal is required to call it an Ambition. Once you have the ardent desire you automatically begin to do things which enables you to get closer and closer to your Goal as the drive is more from your sub-conscious mind rather than the conscious. Your deeper desires get enshrined in your sub-conscious mind and a careful meditative / auto suggestion technique could do wonders to make you the person you desired to be. Yes, it is true and I have witnessed real life cases.
Monday, 30 November 2009
While I was visiting the Blog of Ms.Shobhaa De, I accidentally saw the request therein posted by Cocodle web admin to her. It was regarding their initiative to help Under privileged and differently abled children with the revenue generated through on-line search. They are not seeking any donation but only ask us to use their website for on-line search. The URL is cocodle.com . I have made it my Homepae and will always use it for my future searches and I sincerely appeal to all my readers to kindly do so. Let us contribute to a very good cause.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Immaculate in his Attire, he is clean like a whistle
Always smiling and his eyes got a twinkle
Ram, Rahim or Robert, we were all the same
He often said, what's there in a name
Be it Rain or shine, He was always there
You just come and learn to your heart's desire
He taught me English, Maths and Poetry
I met Keats, Shelly and Frost amidst Geometry
He would enact many a scenes from Shakespeare
Stunned and awed would be the atmosphere
Under his tutelege many of us grew to great heights
With him always standing there, school in his sight
When I heard about his sad demise this Fall
I thought, it was the "most unkindest cut of all".
I wrote this for writer's Lounge
A girl child, so tiny
Is often a mother's Agony
Giving birth though not a crime
But to a Girl, is a shame
When will it Dawn
A girl's shiny Morn, when
One would feel proud
To have her around
Monday, 9 November 2009
Apart from being a platform for airing one's views and reactions on various issues and topics and share them with others,Blogging has opened the way to Heal the sufferings of not-so-fortunate people who are suffering from Advanced Stages of ailments like Cancer etc. The Blog provides an opportunity to let them voice their feelings, share them with like minded persons who could interact with the author and provide the much needed compassion, succour if only to reduce the extent of pain. I have found one such Blog at this URL http://shoppingkharma.blogspot.com cited in the HomePage of Link Referral.com. Please pay a visit and also have a look at the reviews received by this member.
