The driver was absent (as has been since last 4 days). His wife called up, mentioning his illness and need for an advance payment.

SQL Star, where I completed the Advanced Java courses last year, is still trying to figure out why I haven’t received the certificates.

My Daewoo fridge compressor died. The repairing agency quoted Rs. 5,200/-.

Both of my ACs sound like a truck engine on a ghat, but do nothing to the room temperature.

The sun is as hot as ever and the electric company is bent on observing countless Earth Hours, everyday.

Yet there is no effect on my electricity bill, which is now in excess of Rs. 6,500/- per month.

So, obviously, I need to run up-and-down to-and-from the ATM. But the ATM machine software went kaput and it decided to deduct Rs. 50,000/- from my salary account, when it gave me only Rs. 25,000/-.

Now, I need to add to my already high phone bills by talking to numerous agencies for fixing this-and-that. But, Thank God! My Airtel landline is dead again! So, I quickly complete the conversations over a hesitating mobile connection. After all, the other person can hardly hear anything on the poor Airtel network in my home.

Sometime ago, the HSBC Bank had already predicted my future. They told me, “Take this card and use it! — — later!”. I used it so well that I became an expert, but I recently realised that those 5 dashes mean “Pay us”.

Have a beautiful day!

Heard those before? Ever spoke any of those (even to yourself)?

No? Appreciate you visiting my website, feel free to browse my other posts.

Yes? Wake-up! Did you hear about JaagoRe? No, I am not campaigning for them (Though I wish I had done so).

Do you really work those 2-digit hours a day and be productive?

My definition of Productive: Produce Good; Deliver in Time.

Now, let me ask that question again, “Do you really work those 2-digit hours a day and be productive?”

It’s not impossible, but I don’t think more than 0.000001% people can do this all 365 days a year.

Are you that one in a million?

Yes? You rock! Why don’t you leave some tips as a comment to this post?

No? Here are some of my thoughts:

1. I don’t like to work. I wish, God gives me enough money every month. (Reading out my mind)

You work because you get paid for it not because you like it. Love your work! But don’t work because you love to work.

Interested in research? Become a scientist. Interested in public service? Become a politician. Interested in social service? Join an NGO. Interested in Charity? Donate! Don’t work for anything other than money.

Repeat, in other words, Business is done for profit.

If your primary objective is not to make money out of business and you just want to satisfy some of your whims, be warned, business done in this fashion has a greater chance of making losses and losses have a real-life effect on you. You don’t want to be disillusioned.

2. Know your work

Know exactly what you need to do. Spending time on Internet, browsing websites, engaging in social networks, chatting, etc. is not work. That is not to say, those should be avoided. That is to say, identify what your work is, what are your responsibilities, what are the tasks that you need to do today and most importantly, what is the last thing that you will produce and deliver today. This allows you to know that the work that you need to do today is not infinite. Remember, work always piles-up but don’t worry about it as long as you can deliver all that you need to deliver today. You can never finish everything. You only need to finish that work today that you need to finish today.

3. Always remember Theodor Adorno

Work while you work, play while you play – this is a basic rule of repressive self-discipline.

Not everyone will agree to this only because they (including me) are so hooked into doing this all wrong all the time that they feel this rule is obsolete and the world has changed now. But let me explain. I am not against those occasional Table Tennis matches or playing Xbox during office hours. That definitely refreshes some people and charges them up for creativity and productivity. I am only against calculating that time as time spent doing work – because you really haven’t. But, of course, I am against writing those 5 lines of code, sending a tweet, writing another 5 lines of code, checking Facebook updates and so on. I think, that does hamper productivity.

4. Spend time with yourself

… and when you do so here’s the minimum, I suggest, you do:

• Plan when you will do what
• Study and upgrade your skills
• Think about how you spent the entire day and what can be done better, next time
• Write a blog
  
• Meditate
• Plan how you will do 5, below.
  

5. Promise yourself a great evening, everyday!

Some ideas: go to a restaurant, play with your children, have a candle-light dinner with your wife or girlfriend, cook, read a novel lying down on a sofa, go to the gym, go for a walk, watch a movie, go for a long drive, go for shopping, meet-up with friends, play some sport, join some club. I suggest, that you spend at least 3 hours doing one or more of these.

Some links if you haven’t already visited them earlier:

Read:

Productive Magazine

Watch:

David Allen on FastCompany.TV

10 secrets of highly productive people

Timoty Ferriss on FastCompany.TV (Article)

Oops! 3:30 AM now. Stop 4!

7/11 2006: Mumbai Train Blasts. 209 Killed.
25/8 2007: Hyderbad Blasts: 42 Killed
Oct 11 2007: Ajmer Blasts : 2 Killed
May 13 2008: Jaipur Blasts : 68 Killed
July 16th 2008: Ahmedabad Blasts : 57 Killed
July 25th 2008: Banglaore Blasts: 1 killed
Sept 13th 2008: Delhi Blasts: 26 Killed
Sept 27th 2008: Delhi Blasts: 2 Killed
Sept 29th 2008 : Gujrat Blasts : 1 killed
Oct 21st 2008: Imphal Blasts : 17 Killed
Oct 30th 2008: Assam Blasts : 40 Killed
Nov 26th 2008: Mumbai Attack: 180 killed

Every major city in India has been attacked consistently over the last two years.
Since 2004, 3850 Indians have died in Terror attacks in over 3000 incidents.
Is the common Indian on the streets really safe ?

Did you know that on the day of the Mumbai train blasts, the Government gave Rs 150 crores for earthquake relief in Pakistan ? Last year our Govt. has given Rs 3000 crores (600 Million Dollars) to Afghanistan? This, when victims of terror in India have not yet got aid? What’s going on?

B) Is this Government really secular ?

1) When Madrasas are being shut down in Pakistan, the Indian Government is giving them CBSE status !! It is depriving Muslim children in getting secular education. A Madrasa educated person can get a job in any government office without going through the secular education system. Can India afford to have fundamentalists in government departments? Why cannot the government shut down Madrassas and let Muslim children study with the rest?

2) Our Government has given 25 lakh scholarships ONLY to minority students.
What sin have the majority done not to deserve these?
Why cannot poor students of all communities be given scholarships instead of only Muslim children?

3) Thanks to the Congress led Government, out of 36000 temples in Andhra Pradesh, 28000 have closed down in the last five years. Do you want the same trend to continue in other parts of the country? Do you want a Nagaland type of situation in the whole of India? While government controls most of the Hindu temples, the minority community has had full freedom to organize their religious bodies. The minority communities now have the first right over resources. Is this not a blatant violation of fundamental rights of the majority community?

4) Why have the minorities in Nagaland, Mizoram & Kashmir not got the similar privileges like the minorities in other states? Why is the Govt following different rules for different religions?

C) Is this government really making friends or enemies for India ?

Thanks to a weak and visionless foreign policy, India has created enemies all around. By the Home Minister’s own admission : “India is surrounded by a circle of fire”. Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of a powerful “SAARC” is now defunct.

1) Today, India commands little respect from all its neighbours, despite being the largest democracy in the world.
2) Terrorism has engulfed the country from inside and outside. Of course Pakistan,the motherland of international terrorism continues to be a big threat.
3) China has territorial ambitions on India.
4) Nepal, is now being headed by a Maoist government and is ideologically more aligned to China. While India helped to dismantle the dynastic rule in Nepal our own Government surreptitiously supports dynastic rule within its own party.
5) Myanmar is increasingly aligning with Chinese forces with huge Chinese investments in that region.
6) Indian Policies in Srilanka have made Tamil Nadu burn. Will Tamils ever forgive India for encouraging military assault rather than facilitating peaceful dialogue on their north and north east regions.
7) Bangladesh continues to repeatedly aid and abet terrorism.

D) Is this Government really pro-poor?

The number of people living below the poverty line has increased by a horrifying 20 per cent. India had some 270 million people below the poverty line in 2004-2005, when the present Government took office. That number has gone up by 55 million, or 20 per cent!

E) Does this Government really care about the nation?

The Pakistani flag is now being hoisted in five districts of states like Assam where the Muslim population has gone up significantly. 92000 Hindu and 6000 Christians are now languishing in refugee camps. The government has turned a blind eye to this.

In the name of security, innocent people have been put in jails, whereas people like Yaasin Malik who has 23 murder charges on him, are moving Scot free and gathering their own strength. Is it acceptable to any patriotic Indian?.Afsal Guru,the Supreme court sentenced is not hanged,but the judgement is under hanging.

Can the Congress led UPA promise a non-muslim CM in J&K ? Reservation for a Hindu student in Nagaland ? If so, we wholeheartedly support them. Otherwise they should sit at home the next few years and rethink their policies.

Can our politicians stop stooping down to any lengths just for money and power ? Like Mr.Sharad Pawar, who first ditched the Congress and then ditched the people and aligned back with the Congress, just to be in power.

Don’t be deceived. What appears to be communal is not communal, and what appears to be secular is not secular. It is time we change our thinking.

Stand up for this most tolerant and ancient civilization and prevent this great nation from becoming a communal battleground. As citizens of India we must vote for change.
“And as per the CAG website (Controller Audit General of India) more than 50,000crores rupees has gone missing from the Govt. Treasury”

WAKE UP INDIANS. LET US VOTE FOR CHANGE.

Interlude

… because when I uttered an ephemeral expression…
…into the twilight of maelstrom…
I wondered whether it was here or there;
And it took me further than those anticipations
That I nurtured over a tiny duration – that which,
Blessed by chorus of silence
Wandered off the brook… whither here
Whither there?
Whither the realm of Paternal Benevolence?
Jeeny…!!!

Solid Waters

Now that which causes me
In my serenest solitude
The stir that brushes past
But nothing – and excavates
Only that, what may deem
An infiltration of a gentler
And unexpectedly ecstatic nature!
But now, I char down with life -
“No! Destruction is annihilated!”
So I bend low down, not in un-egotism
But in a claim of, what sees not
My eyes – Of what knows less
My mind – But of what takes over
My heart – But what a claim?
But what – claim?

Wolf!

To behold the sight …
When even despise froze down
As shadows of frozen peaks …
To speak of ethics
And torturous disdains …
Wherein multitude claims
To evaporate and rise
Into Vaults of Skies;
And the Edge of Grace
Stood still – where it was …
Only the lower base
Of sanctity rotated –
And perhaps, even collapsed!
Euthanasia, is, but extinct
And what Reigns
Is the raucous devil, and more …
When the indication
Is,
The morph of a pugnacious pugilist
INSIDE,
Even the serpent is not required!
Is specification needed
For the so-called deed resulting
Into so-called result?

• http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/31/top-social-media-sites-of-2008-facebook-still-rising/
• http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_10_web_platforms_of_2008.php
• http://www.toxel.com/design/2008/12/19/top-75-best-design-resources-of-2008/
• http://flowingdata.com/2008/12/19/5-best-data-visualization-projects-of-the-year/
• http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/19/simply-the-best-my-gadget-picks-for-2008/
• http://www.bwana.org/2008/12/14/my-top-10-websites-of-2008/
• http://techwag.com/index.php/2008/12/13/who-made-a-difference-in-2008-blogs-social-networks-new-media/
• http://lifehacker.com/5052582/best-of-the-best-the-hive-five-winners
• http://www.useit.com/alertbox/application-design.html
• http://www.noupe.com/best-of/websites-you-shouldnt-have-missed-in-july-2008.html
• http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28225566/from/RSS/
• http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2008/12/YE8_techbreaks
• http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/12/top-10-mediashifting-stories-of-2008358.html
• http://www.fanboy.com/2008/12/2009-tech-predictions.html
• http://mashable.com/2008/12/29/2009-tech-predictions/
• http://www.economist.com/theworldin/
• http://www.louisgray.com/live/2008/12/my-2008-tech-predictions-look-bad-as.html
• http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/11/12/recession-global-economy-oped-cx_nr_1113roubini.html?feed=rss_popstories
• http://www.fimoculous.com/archive/post-5554.cfm
• Last but not the least – list of lists: http://www.fimoculous.com/year-review-2008.cfm

If you know some more, please add a comment!