It's Tina Fey time again!

Before going to Tina Fey, here is a proud moment for us!



Keep it rocking, ARR!!!

Cheers!!!

And here goes our own Indian Contingent!



Finally, back to Tina. Yep, She did it! She won the Golden Globe Award 2009 for best actress (Comedy/Musical) in TV, apart from winning the best comedy series award. And here is her acceptance speech! Incredible! :-)

Raising the Bar!!!

Hmm, here I am going to use this post to do some soul searching and will be trying to generalize some of my personal traits as something which comes with being a human being! So, please do get offended as I am including you also into my group and in case you don't feel like getting offended, then join the club!

I guess, that is a good enough preface to what is going to be written now. Wait a minute, am I again trying to go around the bush! OK, just for a moment I forgot that we all are done with Mr.Bush, am so am done with this precursor too... (That was a joke, and you are supposed to laugh when someone says a joke!)

What I want to write about is the feeling of satisfaction. Yes, that is the big topic today! How often have we (See, I told ya'l I will be generalising) felt a complete sense of satisfaction without any craving for more and be blissfully happy?

I must say this now itself that, I am not including people who earn a livelihood by doing what they love the most. For example, people like artists, sportspersons etc will be getting a lot of satisfaction because they love doing that the most. So I am not counting in those people!

Tricky, eh?

I know, when we think about it hard, we can realize that there are very few such occasions.

I want to associate this phenomenon with something else, other than not doing what you love. I would say that it is because we keep raising the bar for us to feel satisfied!

Here, let me explain! And now, I am going to give my example and will not be accusing all human beings for a while. So, sit back, relax and enjoy! (As if you people were afraid and tensed. Whom are you kidding, Arun?)

Before getting a job, even during the college days, all I wanted was to get a 9-5 job which pay decent salary so that I can help dad run the family. So I was in a state of ecstasy when I got the appointment letter from Infosys, which was ready to pay me far more that what I had wished for. And that was one of those moments when I was feeling so happy and satisfied.

Then, days, weeks, months and years passed by! Started knowing about the salary levels, living standards etc of IT comrades(just a gentle reminder that I am from a communist governed state), I started feeling restless inside.

After a while, I was not satisfied with the kind of work that I was doing. Support project, no way! I need high end development in the most high flying technologies of the time. I say,"There is discrimination, while few of us slog day and night to do some job that anyone can do, while some others are enjoying development/design projects etc".

It did not stop there. Then the thought process went like this, "Why am I being paid these peanuts compared to some of my peers/friends in other companies?".

Then, working on weekends! "Hello, am a software engineer, am not supposed to work on a saturday!". Just think about it! For someone who grew up seeing your dad, uncles, cousins all going to work 6 days a week, can't get adjusted to the fact that he has to work on a couple of saturdays so that the project can be delivered on time. Funny, ain't it?

There I was slowly raising the bar and started yearning for more, in terms of life style, kind of work, the money that is paid to me etc. Even the slightest increase in the height of the bar, created waves of dissatisfaction in the ranks!

And one day, I hear that a friend is going onsite. Ah, the evergreen dream destination of a greenhorn software engineer. During the irritating onsite calls, I used to think, "Hmm, stop showing of bro! Agree you are onsite now, but I will also be there at some point and then I will show you how to behave with your offshore counter parts!".

But the main attraction was $$$$$$$ and the pleasure of traveling and seeing places! Remember that these things were not even in the wildest dreams of a daydreaming engineering student who always dreamt of representing his country in a multitude of sports(Even in Tennis wherein he hasn't even seen a real tennis racquet till then). So now you know how wild my day dreams where. But the onsite $$$ and travelling was not really a part of those dreams!

So, there again, I started yearning for more. Before this happened, I used to smirk at the colleagues who used to have fights with Managers asking them to be send onsite. But at some point of time, I also joined their league and started raising voice.

Again I was not satisfied by what I was having. Never even took time to look back and listen to that simple guy who found joy in simple things.

So, I think it is time for me to realize that the key to having a truly satisfied life is to keep your aspirations to a limit. This will mean that you can remain satisfied through out your life, rather than being dissatisfied and restless chasing the bar that you yourself was taking out of you reach with each positive step that you take towards it!

Too much thinking for now, let me have some cold water to cool it off!

CIAO!!!

My Music!!!!

Hey, check out a short and sweet collection of ma favourite songs on the right hand side playlist. Listen to the Solo in Sultans of swing, priceless! Mark Knopfler, take a bow!!!

Hot tip: Pop out the player and play the songs, so that you are not disturbed in case you want to move around the blogosphere!!!

Enjoy!!!

Happy New Year, Folks!!!

Being new year and all, I just thought I will do a complete make over for my blog! Some envious neighbours might say that I am doing this to compensate the lack of creative writing skills! Well, you guys know the truth, don't ya?

What? No... I am not trying to evade an answer to that question. That is a ridiculous question as the answer for that question is so obvious!!! :-)

Hope the new look is not too severe on your eyes! If yes, do let me know... Do let me know in case you like the new look too!!! :-)

A New Year Wish!!!

You know what, I wanted to write another blog and post it just before the end of 2008. And it was mostly because of couple of news items that I saw today which triggered the following thoughts! And I felt it would be apt that this post comes before the end of 2008:

1) "What more proof does Pakistan need before handing over the non-state actors to Indian Judiciary even after Kasab's father acknowledged that Kasab was his son" - Honourable Defense Minister P.Chidambaram

2) "Dhoni's family gets extortion letter from D' Company. He asks for additional security" - The Times of India.

Two completely different stories, we might initially think. But, there is a far more deeper connection to this than the obvious 'D' word, if we can spare ourselves to reflect a bit more deeply.

My immediate questions are as given below:

1) Is Dawood and LeT the only threats to the peaceful being of our people?

2) Just by taking Dawood to trial, are we going to put a complete stop to these extortions, drug mafia, bomb blasts from happening in the future?

3) When we are talking about dismantling the terrorist hideouts/training centers in PoK, when are we going to dismantle the Underworld that has been eating into the lives of millions across our country? I am sure it is not going to crumble after Dawood. But, we should cripple him by tearing his network in our country apart.

Well, I think we, including our politicians, ought to take a deeper look at these issues and come up with a solution which can answer the above questions!

I am sure this can be achieved. But for that we need a new Iron Man for India. I just wish from the bottom of my heart and pray to lord to give me one great leader who thinks of national interest above himself and his party's interest and is strong willed to carry out whatever it takes!

But, if it is not going to happen anytime soon, then let's suffer, fight and survive if we have to, until our piedpiper comes and leads us into a peaceful tomorrow!

I wish all of us Indians a very happy and peaceful new year!!!