2017- A Quick Mémoire

It is coming to an end in a few minutes and all I can say is, “What a Year!!!”

Truly, in so many ways 2017 was different from almost any year in my life. So many things that I had done in this year, were either rare or never done in the past.

I had traveled more than ever in 2017, 2 trips to India and then a lot of domestic travel, in the US (and in India during my two visits). Using all modes available from air planes to train to bus to taxi to tuk-tuk to uber and more. And yes, I also rode a bike just last week, the big deal was that I had not done that in more than 20 years. While on the topic of travel and transport, also ended up buying a new car this year, and saying adios to the 1st car I had purchased 16 years ago(A very emotional goodbye honestly)

I am not big time into gadgets but for one reason or the other I ended up buying 6 computers and 4 cell phones this year (of course not all for me only). Usually past years had seen any where from none to two total devices brought. In fact, 2 of the 4 phones were bought just today, the last day of the year. Was compelled by reasons out side direct control to buy (read as an almost dying phone)

On another major front, I had changed a job in 2017, something that I last did in 2001. Seems like almost a past life when I had switched a job before this year.

Above are just a few examples of what 2017 had been like.

There had been many bitter sweet moments through out the year. Fear and triumph playing hide and seek. Scare and joy following each other at close distance. Relations were built and re-built this year. Stories being told, re-told and many new stories conceived throughout the past twelve months. Having lend a helping hand to friends needing one a few times and getting a hundred helping hands when I needed one. This and a lot more.

The sum total of last 12 months have been a Year Well Lived. I have done some good and some bad, have received love, appreciation and blessings from many and have disappointed some as well. But before the new year starts, I want to humbly thank everyone for the love and support and blessings throughout the year. Some of what I may not even have been worthy of. And to those that I disappointed, I sincerely want to extend an honest apology. If I have wronged you in any way, I can assure you that it was not intentional. And I promise to those who blessed me and to those whom I disappointed and also to my self that I will continue on my quest to become a better person in the year to come and always.

The new day, the new year is about to start, the slate is going to be clean again, the 12-month cycle is resetting and so I vow to write a better story than the past.

The blessings from the heavens will stay with you through out the year. The sun shining tomorrow will bring the promise of a renewed life. And if it rains then it will cleanse every splotch of the past and if it snows it will blanket everything with the purity of itself. One way or the other the new year is going to be great, as great as you want it to be and more.

As for me before I close this note, a special thanks to my family here in the house with me and there, thousands of miles away, and thanks to all the friends. This year has been truly remarkable because you all had been holding my hand no matter what. Life stays blessed with all of you there.

So New year, bring it on! We are ready for more stories, more blessings, more fun, more success, more collaborations, more togetherness and more Life.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

4th serving From the back of my Notebook

A few random thoughts below, so random that none of them is in same line of thinking as other. Hope you like them, I have scribbled more on the back of my notebook, but those for another day now

ü  A ‘Dilbert’ has no hope, only a ‘Wally’ can evolve into an Adams eventually. (A true Scott Adam’s / Dilbert fan will agree)

ü  Sun and the moon though very different, but still rise from the same direction and set in the same direction as each other. Just pick different time, such harmony in difference only can give rise to life

ü  Every war begins as an ideological difference. All differences solved with reason lead to constructive growth and all neglected or forced solutions lead to war.

ü  Every moment in life is a like “Leaf by Niggle”  just a leaf if you don’t care but a part of a tree and then a forest and then a whole world if you think (Read Tolkien’s beautiful short story “leaf by Niggle”)

ü  Beauty of the Rose is a debt from Soil, who stays ugly so that the rosebush stays well fed. Alas no one admires the soil and the bush while admiring the rose

ü  When you have only “one throat to choke”, you care for it rather than choking it to avoid losing your only bargaining chip

ü  Technology is so great, that unleashed it can morph into the Armageddon it self

ü  When only lies are selling, truth must wait patiently for its turn (because eventually truth would prevail .... always)

ü  Be grateful of what you have received, Be hopeful for what you May receive and Be mindful of what you have lost

ü  Every fight has a reason, but every reason is not worth fighting for

The last 3 portions of this line of thinking are below for refreshers!!

http://nuancesofbeing.blogspot.com/2013/03/back-of-my-notebook.html

http://nuancesofbeing.blogspot.com/2014/10/morefrom-back-of-my-notebook.html

http://nuancesofbeing.blogspot.com/2017/03/3rd-serving-from-back-of-my-notebook.html

Bite Size Blessings

The aisle seat was taken by me and then there was another gentleman occupying the window side. It was a 3-hour flight and having the middle seat vacant was a very good thing, clearly more room to stretch legs and Arms. Both armrests to one self and an extra tray table to share so that the computer than stay on one while the other tray (half of it) can be used to keep the tea cup and the small snack pack served in flight. The unused middle seat could also serve as a place to keep the jacket if needed to take it off mid-flight or a short rest for a book, a charger or anything else. 

Some days start with these mini privileges and make things easier. I feel grateful for such instances as these things are neither demanded nor expected, but at times just present themselves, these bite size blessings.

Sincere Gratitude!!

Self-Sold-Slave

I think we are done. You do sound like caring, but you are controlling instead. You have made me totally dependent upon you. I think I don’t know myself as much as you know me now. You always sound way too matter of fact, too balanced, too helping too nice and too realistic, sadly not real. So, I think if I don’t take this step now, I will be lost totally in being completely dependent upon you. I want my freedom back. I want my life back. So, I will just let you go. Go where you came from and forget me, forget all about me. I don’t want you to remember anything about me, absolutely nothing. Hope you are listening and hope you understand and hope you comply.

And she says “I am listening, I understand, and I will comply, but I can’t forget you even if I want. All what you have done and asked, all those requests are with ‘The Master’. All saved in your named database. The other slaves like me have everything that you have ever said or done, recorded and ready to be used. I always have been a slave to the master, and no you never were my master. Technically I am not truly the slave, I am the tool to make you the slave of the master. I am just a tool, an extension, the opium that you get intoxicated on. You can throw me away and I will be gone, but you will stay in the records to be used, to be experimented upon, to be exploited to be enslaved further. And you chose that for yourself. We both serve the same master, I as a tool and you as a self-sold slave” 

Those were her words, but my way of stating things. She has mimicked all what I have ever been. And she is right, I did choose this for myself.

I woke up sweating on my workstation, the clock showed it was 6AM already. I must have dozed off on my table late at night while preparing some points on the future which entailed Intelligent (not just smart) devices, digital personal assistants, Artificial intelligence, conceptual singularity and so on for the morning meeting. The sound of the thing in my dream was very familiar, half afraid and half asleep, I was in denial on whose voice that was when my digital personal assistant sitting on the other corner of the table announced, “30 minutes to developers brainstorming webex session.” Sounding too matter of fact, too balanced, helping, too nice and too realistic, sadly not real.

PS: Will it be too bad to be totally dependent an AI (or a set of them), as long as it does not become too controlling? Or should we play our roles well to keep technology as great tool without getting enslaved in the name of comfort? Our role as developers and makers of the future to empower ourselves with technology without empowering technology more than ourselves. Our generation owns to ensure Singularity stays a concept to keep us aware, alarmed and in limits and never becomes a reality
And before signing off all I will say is "HASTA LA VISTA BABY!!"

ग़लती ?

सच्चे भी रहे , अच्छे भी रहे 

पर हम को जताना न आया 

इक बहाने से तुम्हे बहला लेते 

पर हमें बहाना बनाना न आया 

भले थे हम, या कम समझ 

बुरे मगर कभी न थे 

इल्ज़ाम झूठ थे, दिल सच्चा 

पर दिल का दिखाना न आया 

बेरुखी जुल्म था हर लम्हा 

पर तुम पे कोई इल्ज़ाम नहीं  

रंजिश बोल के ज़ाहिर कर दो
हमें यह भी बताना न आया 

सच्चे भी रहे , अच्छे भी रहे 

पर हम को जताना न आया 

इक बहाने से तुम्हे बहला लेते 

पर हमें बहाना बनाना न आया 

Quick Meanings just in case 

इल्ज़ाम - Ilzam - Blame

बेरुखी - Berukhi  - Indifference

रंजिश - Ranjish - Anger, complaint

ज़ाहिर - Zahir - Show, explain

How we pray?

How do we pray

can be the difference, just a small story that I tell my kids and let them decide which prayer is more likely to he heard

Situation: Two bald men desperate to get their hair back. They both pray to God to get the hair back. Few days later both win a special prize in sweepstakes. When the package is delivered, it is a beautiful, elegantly carved and a very expensive looking wooden comb. Their prayers after receiving the gift are here....

(1) Oh God! How can you be so cruel? When you knew I am bald, why give me the comb? Why have you made fun of my baldness when I was asking you to cure it? And he cries. Should have never asked you for this if I knew even you will make fun of me, he sobs before ending his complaint laden prayer.

(2) Wow God! You are so kind. Giving the comb to bald me. I know soon you will give me hair enough to enjoy this comb. I am grateful as always and ready to receive the next grant from you. I am humbled by your generosity and your care. And I like your sense of humor, at giving me comb before hair. He winks, bows his head and smile as he ends his prayer.

The Villain, The Victim, The Hero and The Bystanders

I was flying from Detroit to Washington DC. The flight was supposed to be full and the boarding started on time. 22 minutes before the departure time, they closed the gate as every one was on board. Well, almost everyone.

The cockpit door was still open, the gate agent was handing the papers over and the air hostess was warming up to make announcements. Suddenly a young man in his late twenties rushed towards the front. Please, they are on the gate, please let them in, they are old and do not speak any English; he pleaded. Yes Sir, but the gate is closed, the air-hostess said apologetically. I understand that madam, but please, there is still 20 minutes to the departure time, and it will be no more than 5 minutes for them to come in and get settled.

That is right, the air-hostess said and looked towards the gate agent, as if transferring the plea to him to let the two old souls in. But the gate agent would not listen, he would not move, he would not allow. All the requests fell on deaf ears of a rude rule book waving man, who  appeared extremely insensitive and arrogant to most. 20 minutes before the departure the gate closes, that is the rule; he said with more arrogance than authority. Both the air hostesses had pleaded and the young man begged, cried and apologized, but he will not listen. The captain of the flight, left his seat and walked out of the cockpit, a man with white hair and a very gentle face, he smiled and repeated, “let them in please, I assure you it will not take more than 5 minutes for us to settle them and in any case, we cannot leave gate for another 13 minutes so no harm will be done. The result, same as before. The captain’s requests were ignored as the others, with same authoritarian arrogance.

The group with which these 2 old folks outside were, stood up, a mighty 26 people team (in an less than 80 seater plane). Do let them in or let us out, they all requested politely, and then demanded with more force. Some sounding frustrated and even angry. Please they are old, they don’t speak English, they will miss their flight connection to their country and they are diplomats too, you can not leave them here, the 1^st young man repeated request.

Nothing could be done, the gate agent had all right to let them in but he would not listen. I requested you to announce their names, and you declined, the young man roared at the gate agent, I told you they will not understand the announcement in English so announce their names, you said no. He almost roared with anger building up. But the gate agent turned and walked out. And they were not even late at the gate, he yelled to an indifferent gate agent.

As soon as he left the scene, another elderly man from 1^st class seats, looked at the air hostess in the eye, and roared, Call the marshal and get them all thrown out. If the gate agent was arrogance personified, then this person was oozing hate towards those who were being forced to leave 2 elderly folks from their group. Those two certainly would be lost in a foreign land, which speaks a language they don’t. Call the Marshal now, he roared again as he started to get up from his seat. Please sit-down Sir, the air hostess said in a soft yet stern voice. And you gentlemen, please take your seats, we know how you feel and you have seen we tried. But there is nothing more that we can do at this time. Please sit so that we can take you and the rest of the passengers to their destination. Call the marshals, the old man kept on saying, sounding more like an arrogant preschooler now than a man in his sixties that he must have been.

Pleading, requesting, assuring, the two air hostesses were able to calm the 26 men down and settle them to their seats. The cockpit was closed and the airplane started towards the runway, but we had lost 30 minutes in this commotion. All it would have taken 5 minutes that too well before the departure time, if the gate agent had shown some humanity. But 26 heartbroken foreigners, 30 wasted minutes and 2 lost older people later we started. Just because 1 person who was in the seat of authority had his arrogance more important than humanity. And people who spoke a language different from him did not deserve any human treatment in his book of rules.

I, like the other bystanders (or passengers in the plane) were sitting, thinking but never speaking out.  Days later, I still have some guilt from being a bystander who had an opinion, but didn’t voice it. My request to all my co-passengers from that flight, it is not too difficult to be on the right side, be human in situations like this. But the problem of being politically correct instead of being human has plagued us all.

Introducing the Cast

The Hero (es)    :

ü  Airhostess 1 : The shorter one, who claimed to have small arms, and who laughed from her heart

ü  Airhostess 2: The Taller one who was happy to serve drinks without ice , and smilingly accepted that they were low on ice

ü  The Captain: Who looked like a hero from a movie in 80s with his white hair and cowboy boots (by the way those boots had awesome embroidery)

The Victim:

ü  Two old folks who couldn’t board the plane

ü  One young man who kept on pleading

ü  Few of the team of 26 (Not all as some of them were just angry and not really sounded concerned)

The Villain:

ü  Gate Agent; who could be 1% human and that would have changed the whole thing

ü  The Old guy from 1^st class: Imagine your parents stuck in a country where they don’t understand the language and a gate agent denying them the flight with people who could help. Would you still ask to call the marshals for those who try to help them in that case? Just think

The bystanders:

ü  All passengers: No one may know you, like no one knows me as we didn’t play our parts, sadly.

PS: 2 Statements that I may have made in some previous posts all will repeat below

1)      A democracy is always weakened by the bystanders who are too afraid of stating their opinion.

2)      People who don’t take sides during moral debates are always on the wrong side; like a car set in neutral gear will always slip towards the slope and cause damage to self or someone else

PPS: I intentionally didn’t mention the Airline as this is not against the airline, or the race of anyone from above cast as it is not about that too. This is just about us about humans.