With my fav-let!

Meri savari

\m/

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

you won't admit you love me

and so how am i ever to know?

you only tell me

perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

a million times i ask you,

and then i ask you over again

you only answer

perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

if you can't make your mind up,

we'll never get started

and i don't wanna wind up

being parted, broken-hearted

so if you really love me,say yes

but if you don't, dear, confess

and please don't tell me

perhaps, perhaps, perhaps

Relationships, unilaterally maintain a common thread. Not a bolt of outa-da-blue, but certainly a 'putting it down' moment.

Whilst the nitty gritties of each calls for a different approach... the common spine keeps all possible scenarios bound to the same plane.

Conversations are as intrinsic as the noisy silence. Change is the driver. Changing together is the key. Once the key is in place... the ride is on its way. Blissfully so.

The learning drawn from this simple track from 'Coupling' comes, in an almost serendipitous manner, to my mind.

Has love confessed to me... A resounding Yes! Am I perhapsed? :)

Am still finding out...

This omnipresent phase never ceases to stupefy, petrify and glorify thy self, all at once.But what it also never ceases to do... is have an impact.

Am growing to understand the rules and the utter rule-less-ness of this 'mother of all deals'.

****

I owe you a helluva lot,' I said sincerely.

'Not true, you ***, not true,' she answered.

'Not true?' I inquired, somewhat surprised.

'You owe me everything,' she said.

Everything indeed, love.

**** - Nicholas Sparks speak

Else, Moi.

Evolution - a revelation

There are those things that you deem as possible, there are those that you deem as probable and then there are those that you deem as inevitable.

Thanks to Punit n Ravi, I got to experience the inevitable as they roped me in to be involved with Evolution.

I adored the experience of listening to and conversing with an enthusiastic bunch of participants. Many of them were good, some were rough and some others were beyond me. A mixed bag really... with one commonality... a wall that I needed to permeate.

Started off warm... but as the flow increased, the trickle turn into a torrent. There is a lot of talent out there. It needs to be harnessed and guided in the right manner. Do not deem myself ready to do that... but then, am just hoping to do my bit. With time everyone and I will learn the ropes.

Motivation seems to be the key, self belief is the catalyst. I've tried and wishfully speaking, succeeded in imbibing that ounce of 'me am goood' feeling amongst the participants.

A few stray comments received at the end of the session were instrumental in making the effort feel worth it all. Feedback is essential, constructive is appreciated... genuine is wished for. Hoping I got to hear the right side of the tale. :)

It has been a pleasure 'dear all'. All the best, for the adventures that lie ahead. Enjoy every moment of the testing times, that might lie ahead. You've earned it... now live it... Full size.

Tap Confusion - Get rid of the Stupor

I desperately need to shake myself out of this stupor. Its been more than a month since I blogged.

However, please do not confuse me for one of 'those' who deem their self worth directly proportional to the extent of discipline they are able to incorporate into their lives.

I on the other hand 'desperately need to shake myself out of this stupor' because, I really need to channelize my thoughts right. I have been intending on writing.... but have over/cross and scrape-the-dead-skin analyzed what I thought fitting to write about. And, it really is no surprise that I came up with....... (drum rolls) Nada!

I want to somehow shake myself out of "structure". Chaos, brings out the best in many of us. Since Axiom's I been captivated by 'Integrative thinking'. Its time to translate my thought into action.

Fitzgerald said that "the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function, is the sign of a truly intelligent individual"

Integrative Thinking defines this very trait. It harps on the importance of maintaining two opposing ideas in the mind and creatively resolving the tension between them. Thus, the practitioner is able to generate a new idea that contains elements of the others, but is superior to both.

The genesis of this school of thought, as oft stated, goes back to nature. This is an extract from Roger Martin's work on Integrative thinking. Very simplisticaly it is the purpose of the Opposable Thumb.

Human beings are distinguished from nearly every other creature by a physical feature: the opposable thumb.

Thanks to the tension that we can create by opposing the thumb and fingers, we can do marvelous things—write, thread a needle, guide a catheter through an artery. Although evolution provided human beings with this potential advantage, it would have gone to waste if our species had not exercised it in ever more sophisticated ways. When we engage in something like writing, we train the muscles involved and the brain that controls them. Without exploring the possibilities of opposition, we wouldn’t have developed either its physical properties or the cognition that accompanies and animates it.

But I digress... I draw strength from Integrative thinking and hence intend on utilising it constructively. Since my absence from the blogpsphere has been due to lack of clarity and not lack of visibility, it can be worked upon relatively comfortably.

I intend on whipping the prodigal rabbit outa the hat, with the cacophony that reveberates in my puny little mind. :)

Good Luck to me? Indeed!

PS: Anyone, who cares to point out the white elephant in this post?

Three commonalities to every 'Perfect Job'

Man's quest for the 'perfect job' has been a subject of abject discussions between many-a-group of people. While the search for ‘what I would love to do’ has been on everybody’s mind, its not too often that one puts life on hold, to hunt for the aforesaid.

In fact, between the various instances when we gather our courage and tread further along the path to find our true calling, Life happens.

This sentiment has held fort for a long while… anomalies have always been present although. These essential Outliers!

A cursory observation of the times we live in will inform us that the number of Outliers is going up. Are more opportunities available now than were available earlier? Are people gutsier now than earlier? Have responsibilities taken a backseat? Or are there fewer responsibilities? Have skill sets changed? Has the operating environment never been better?

A culmination of all of the above, I trust. But one thing is for certain… going off he beaten path, is in vogue. I think there is an essential advantage of shifting gears during a downturn. Every lull is followed by a storm. It might be a sporadic burst or a gradual build up… but dynamic times are sure to follow. What better environment might one need to unplug themselves?

However, as I think of the perfect job… I think back… what makes one deem a job perfect for him/her? This is when realization dawns that while the hunt for the perfect job, occupies many a sane mind… seldom do people realize that they are actually looking for the derivative.

This situation is akin to hunting for a perfect house, without realizing that the ideal home is what we want. This example makes one realize how futile the hunt might be, if the underlying is not understood.

Every ‘Holy Grail’ is bound by a common spine. For the grail hunters, looking for that dream job, the situation is no different. There remain certain shared ingredients between every perfect job. The underlying to every ‘perfect job’ are -

1) Autonomy

2) Complexity

3) Connection between effort and reward

Ta-dah!

Picture yourself in that perfect job… and look for the above traits and…. (Yeah, I noticed that surprised guffaw)… you’ll find each of them. Do not use these to clarify the attractiveness of the dream job, on the other hand, use them to define the perfect job.

Next time around, whilst on that elusive hunt, let the presence / absence of these three traits act as a barometer of the attractiveness quotient of the job.

In fact… a deeper understanding and a lot more contemplation will reveal how the said ingredients define the attractiveness and sustainability of many more relationships as well. Food for thought?

PS: A vast majority of what I say is drawn from my understanding of Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell. READ IT!

Tiny, you made it!

Am so happy for you!




Congratulations!

Vote or Play - Set 2

Modi, Jaitley and the other poster boys of the BJP lead NDA have cashed in on the furore surrounding the Congress led UPAs stand on the IPL being played overseas.

The problem being... the decision was taken by the BCCI on the basis of the stands taken by the state governments. The centre had minimal say in the matter.

The respective state governments (viz. Mah and AP) felt that they would not be in a position to provide security cover. The BCCI could not possibly go on then, wishfully thinking that all would be well at such high density venues, if the decision was made to go on with the games.

The point to note hear is the sheer reluctance on the part of the respective state governments as well as the BCCI to see things as is - what is. The terrorist attack on the SL team in Pakistan has been elevated to the status of the prevalent conditions in the subcontinent.

That is NOT the case. Bombay (I refuse to call it Mumbai) bore the brunt of a terrorist siege. It took corrective action to the best of its abilities and so did the rest of India. Irrespective of the state or the centre support... the decision taken by India results in the world readily realizing that we are not a safe nation.

The world in general has us flagged. There is no evidence to suggest that these 'opinions' will not be extrapolated to other events. Ranging from FII investment, sovereign guarantee to hosting International game festivals, we are going to be viewed through tainted glass and judged with opinionated minds.

Moving the Indian Premier League overseas is dastardly enough... but reluctance in sprucing the security net and admitting to the extent of control possible are decisions that we might live to regret in the near future. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man - this was a crucial opportunity to proclaim to the world at large, that WE ARE IN CONTROL. We will do what it takes, but we will not succumb to threats. Sadly we've chosen to lay down our arms.

Th political undercurrents have disabled rationale thinking. I hope that its not too steep a price to pay.

Vote or Play

Heightened importance given to anybody/anything results in, inadvertently or otherwise, prudish behavior. The political saga in India is all set to unveil Act II. The politburo is geared up, the campaign boys are gung-ho, the ad-men are letting their thoughts go haywire, online presence is being broadened, caller lists are being sourced etc. They are working hard. Okay... so they are finally working hard. And very naturally, they expect attention.

A child on birth is spanked if its not wailing. As the child proceeds to grow, it uses this very trait for grabbing what it needs the most: attention. When we learn something new, we like to pass it on... not with the purpose of spreading knowledge (strictly speaking) but with the intention of letting the populace know about our recent tryst with something we ourselves deem "noteworthy".

We are all voyeurs at a certain level... however, we are exhibitionists and attention mongers at every level. Even the reticent shadow hugging kinds, want their audience to know about the very trait that makes them lie low. They want people to realize that they are reticent. Thus they end up being exhibitionists in their own little way.

The political circus, is demanding our attention. However, it needs to be commanding our attention. The Indian Premier League which was supposed to be conducted in the same period as the elections, has been vetoed to foreign shores.

The political parties have exhibited protectionism in their own little way. It is their domain that they intend on protecting... and they will do it at any cost. The troubling aspect being, political parties in the worlds largest democracy consider a sport (as mighty as it might be) to be a formidable competitor.

That cricket is overrated, is an oft repeated claim. However what lurks beneath is not the extent to which cricket is overrated but the depths to which other sports have plunged. It is a vicious cycle and more news breeds even more discussion and results in greater public involvement.

India has 42m first time voters this time around. Political parties across the nation are leaving no stone unturned in cashing in on these fledgelings. However what it does in the process is convey the notion that the average Indian would rather watch Dhoni blaze away than trudge towards the nearest polling booth.

I say this, 'cause I strongly believe that the security concerns are NOT the reason for the IPL being pushed elsewhere. Security is a ruse and grabbing eyeball share and mind space is the true intent.

The politicians want their hour of fame and they want it only for themselves. I do not know how this works elsewhere... but tend to believe that this is not an event restricted to our shores. The US presidential elections more or less put average life for all and sundry on the back burner.

While it is true that selecting the governing power to administer the manner in which the nation is run, is important, it seems like this importance, with every passing day is being created more and felt less.

The marketing extravaganza has not resulted in the average Joe/Ramesh having heightened awareness. It has resulted in him believing that the politicians and their associated parties are nothing more than petty merchants peddling their wares. The feeling is akin to the frown that clouds our face when contacted by a Customer Care Executive. By being bombarded with marketing gimmickry, the banks rendered themselves to be petty customer-mongers. The political melee has resulted in something similar.

Moving the IPL is not a bad move, provided it is is done with the right intent. A society that needs to be made aware that selecting the government is more important than watching a few games of cricket, is not one that is mature enough to select the government in the first place.

As was the case with moral policing... similar is the case with the elections. We are a mature nation. We do not need a nanny anymore. We might tinker around with toys now and then, but we will not swallow them anymore. Hence, get rid of the kid-gloves.

This prose is not directed towards undermining the political parties or the game of cricket. Huge mollah is involved in both... and they both need uninterrupted attention. My only point of contention is that both of them are mentioned in the same breath.

Until the show's done, I guess the nation is going to be on "Pause".

PS: If my claim on IPL being shunted across the seas owing to political pressures and not security concerns, is proven wrong... and it is genuinely a security concern, I have a case to present for that phenomena as well. More on that in the event of me being wrong.

Verbosity - does everybody need to have an opinion about this?

A lot is being said about the financial meltdown. I think we have plenty of scribes scribbling to their hearts content on reams and reams of paper.

Makes me wonder about the role of information in this meltdown. I think this started with the heightened degree of permeability of finance as an industry in itself.

No longer does it take an informed or educated guestimate to state an opinion on the status of markets, scrips, businesses (not necessarily in that order). Everybody has an opinion and everybody expresses it freely. After all freedom of speech is a long touted 'right' to have.

But when these opinions, lead to corresponding actions and altered perceptions is when things start going awry. The Rpower listing signaled a collapse which the Indian markets have yet to recover from. Not that Rpower was the cause... it just was the messenger, and we surely know that we should not blame the messenger for the news he delivers.

Meanwhile, I was told about this rickshaw-wala, who had subscribed to the Rpower issue... PAN card non-withstanding, income proof blissfully ignored... he subscribed. I, for his sake hope that he did not get allotted any shares.

Nevertheless, a wise one once told me.... the day the 'aam' populace starts subscribing to businesses hitherto unknown to them.... at previously unseen market highs... you know that a reversal is just around the bend.

I recently happened to watch this advertisement of bharti axa life, I imagine, regrading insurance in minutes. Wonder about the prudence behind such schemes. Where is the due diligence, the risk assessment, the medical record keeping, the disclaimer issuance etc. Sub prime loans, were loans granted to potential NPAs (known knowledge) with the sole purpose of being all inclusive. Come one, come all... everybody become a home owner.

The problem here is... it ain't that easy to build a home and it shouldn't be. Reform and progress is about overall inclusiveness.... cohesive growth... but not at the price of devaluing the very goal.

By making a house available to all and sundry, the very process of acquisition of a home was reduced to be 'no big deal'. Tim Harford in "The Undercover Economist" writes about the Power of Scarcity. Scarcity in its owns sweet way builds value... not only in tangible (monetary) terms but also in intangible (aspirational) terms.

The system is going through this much needed shake-up, to ensure that the 'outsiders' get weeded out. NINJAS have no place in a housing market, that intends on securitizing their receivables and masking their credit worthiness while passing it on. Rickshaw owners have no place in equity markets at 21,000 levels. Prudence lies not only in inclusion of all but also in exclusion of some.

Re-emphasize that equity is THE RISKIEST investment opportunity. It is not for all and sundry. Maintain its exclusivity. Create a position and an alley for everyone... but don't let the imbeciles ride on the highway.

Finance in itself, seems to have a direct impact on our everyday life a lot more than other industries eg. biochemistry, media, space science, defense, pharmaceuticals, plastics etc. Not everybody feels that he/she is an integral part of those industries, in spite of using their products on an almost daily basis. Seldom heard anyone talk about decentralizing mining mechanics, or structuring feed dispensers in a different fashion within a fermentation plant. That might well be the reason for these industries not wilting under the 'information overload syndrome'.

It's not that they do not feel the heat of a financial meltdown... but they seldom are the reason for a financial meltdown. Almost all the crashes that we have seen in recent memory find root within their own ever expanding circles. {IT however is an exception, to some extent}

Too many cooks, do most certainly spoil the broth.

PS: The econocalypse sketch is thanks to CLSA bits and pieces edition: 5th march 09

Going nowhere

Where is it that we head... but then the journey is what it is all about right...

'cause when we do get somewhere... it indicates ends... end of the journey... end of the hunt... end of the road....

I don't like ends...

Love the journey. MFLB, take me back. I wanna be back on the road, with you.

Kids are the root cause

Evolutionary mechanics never cease to amaze me. Darwinian theories of survival of the fittest have for long being embedded as long time explanations of why species gradually change and how some go extinct. Natural selection also explains how what is 'heritable' is carried along and the unnecessary appendages pruned along the way.

Everyone know about how some African apes got off trees and attempted to look over the grass. They were not strong, fast or gifted with any other behavioral trait, apart from perhaps the oldest of them.... survival of the fittest. To ensure that they could spot likely predators, these apes started standing tall to look over the tall grass. As they spent more and more time doing this, they began to notice that this act left their fore limbs to do tasks. So they began using tools and truly utilizing the opposable thumb.

These puny apes, thus began a evolutionary mechanism that gathered pace at an exponential pace. Malcolm Gladwel, talks about the 10,000 hour rule. Our ancestors were no different. As they began spending more and more time standing, their spines began getting shaped to facilitate this process. Their usage of tools and other techniques instigated their brains to think faster... think more and think in different factions along varied lines. As a result, their brains literally began to grow. Their brains grew in size as the evolution came along. However large brains created a hindrance as it would be fatal for both the mother and the child during childbirth.

Evolution's response to this was ensuring that 'human'(though I don't know what lead us to be called that) infants were born early on in their development. Most of the brain growth happens outside the mothers body. However this lead to the additional complication of the infants being completely helpless in their years. Apart from a few reflexes they could barely manage any other limb coordination.

This demanded that humans organize themselves into a society to ensure that their young ones are nurtured. Thus the primary purpose of a societal set up is to ensure that the young ones are cared for.

The market is not listening, "wise" ones

A recent newspaper article post the foreclosure combating package doled out by Pres Obama on 19th Feb stated that, 'Stocks ended the day flat after moves to both extremes intraday. Early economic data weighed on the market but as Pres. Obama outlines his plans to help home owners, markets recover somewhat. The afternoon proved too long for any sustained rally as the FOMC spoke of a protracted slumber in the economy.

Afternoon too long? WTF?

Let's take a look a the kind of measures spewed:

1. Stimulus Packages
2. Nationalisation options
3. Doctored press release
4. Diabetic optimism
5. Bailout for crucial sectors (non which sector not crucial... that i would like to know)
6. Interest rate dips
7. Marketing ('Our economic advisory team is working on computing the blah blah type statement')

To my understanding this crisis has really deep roots. Some reports actually take it back to the lackadaisical action taken by the US during the Asian crisis. Many more allocate it to Greenspan's policies. However as far as the average investor goes, he first smelt fear with the news of Bear Stearns and a few of its hedge funds going belly up.

Ever notice how the impact of news changes with altering business environment?

Pres. Obama recently announced his plan to protect 9 million American households in addition to the banks from foreclosures. The package being rendered this time: $75 billion.

The news however had almost NO impact on the markets. 'Factored in' seems to be convenient veil to hide behind.

The markets were supposed to be an indicator of the future course of the economy. This is sacrosanct with the popular belief that share prices are an indicator of prospective earning capacity of the particular enterprise. As mentioned earlier a variety of measures have been announced... how is it that every measure seems to push the market lower?


This is how the chronology pans out... trouble rumbles, we get the shivers, fells the jitters and the government steps in. The government that for long has been the torchbearer of the capitalist school of thought, summons its smartest (apart from the usual parliamentary jocks) economists to device plans. The plan suggested - Plug the hole in the dam, and things will be fine.

The smart guys did just that. Every progressive crevice that developed was filled with the putty of federal dough. Neanderthal origins lead the world to ape this very approach. Quite a patchwork we have out there.

Now the trouble is... where these reforms had the intention of averting further crisis, they seemed to have had an opposite impact. The market interpreted each rescue message of the government as a sign of how bad the scenario was and sold heavily, dragging markets and hopes down. As the stimuli flew think and fast, the market painted the ticker red. In perfect symphony with the bailouts handed, the markets dove deeper.

So, in effect while the government was plugging the hole, the market was increasing the water pressure thus expanding the crevice. Thus a finite volume dam was turned into a bottomless abyss.

So what came before and what's causing what? Additional bailouts harboring more fear, uncertainty and the ensuing cacophony or widespread pessimism and panic demanding the corrective influence of bailouts?

Something similar is happening to gold recently... but more on that in a different post.

The trouble is the downward spiral of debt that countries worldwide are getting caught in. What got us into this mess in the first place might well prove to be our bane again. The trouble with debt is its staggering impact with the advent of securatisation.

The only parallel with the current scenario seems to be the depression of the 30's. It was then that Irving Fisher had very prophetically stated, "Over investment and over speculation are often important; but they would have far less serious results were they not conducted with borrowed money. The very effort of individuals to lessen their burden of debts increases it, because of the mass effect of the stampede to liquidate…the more debtors pay, the more they owe. The more the economic boat tips, the more it tends to tip. "

Swimming in the clouds

In its earliest and most primate form, cloud computing involved harnessing mass intelligence and taking economies of scale to an entirely new level.

Cloud computing is primarily usage of Software as a Service (SaaS). Data and services can then be accessed from any computer, irrespective of location or even operating system. All you need is a web connection.

Cloud computing involved scaling capacity and adding capabilities on the fly. It is about unleashing and further enhancing the productivity of the web, through networking between large groups of servers that often use low-cost consumer PC technology, with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them.

Major's like Sun Microsystems, Google, Yahoo, IBM etc. have concentrated teams working in this arena and are offering a range of product suites and platforms. Microsoft is set to launch its Cloud computing Operating system Azzure very soon, Google is set to come up with Native Client and IBM with Bluehouse.

Google recently launched its offline email program. Available through free download of Google Gears or inbuilt in case you use Chrome, the facility drives a final nail in the coffin of popular desktop programs like Outlook.

This development was overdue. The desktop vs Internet debate has been fought long and hard. Cloud Computing has fast caught up with the tried and tested desktop models.

Internet based applications (cloud trotters)offer convenience, mobility and customisation. Desktop provided control. However over time, users of email programs faced the fear of being at the mercy of the Internet to scour through their messages. This is what prompted desktop email programs like Outlook, to develop and prosper. Google, through its latest addition has cemented its position as the email program of choice. It has steadily moved from offering a product to being a solution provider. Google docs, google calender, sms patch, inbuilt communicator (Gtalk) customised search places and web-homes of sorts (iGoogle), blogging platform (Blogger), photo share-edit-post product (Picasa) etc. are positive steps taken by google as its looks to stamp its presence in all avenues of the average users Internet experience.

A cyclical relationship lies between the advent of cloud computing and the availability of mobile communication. Internet bandwidth improvements, powerful handheld devices, revolution of 3G and beyond, have propelled communication standards ahead. Advancements in microchip design, cooling mechanisms, miniaturisation etc. have made 'communicating on the go' a reality.

A virtual person has been born owing to the proliferating communication channels. In such times, what service providers worldwide are looking at doing is, making the average user OS agnostic. What began with LINUX and other open source-ware, has snowballed into an independent platform altogether.

Technicalities are better explained here. Zeta too has excellent matter regrading the same. Tremendous interest is what initiated this post. Comments and add ons are sought.

Now, that’s a catch 22

The financial crisis that is creating a pandemonium across the globe has its origins in something very personal… the craving for excesses, the misalignment of interests, and inability to gaze over the hillock.

It resonates in the psyche of almost every primate’s mind (at least the ones on Wall Street and the likes). The trouble becomes systemic, when this psyche percolates through the system until it is endemic in the processes, the supporting ideas and the resulting actions.

Too much cash was doled out to anybody who could not refuse it (in some cases, they converted a few of the refuters too). Excesses… spiraling demand, irrational and frothy growth, ballooning inflation, subsequent fall backs, leveraged positions that faced a free fall etc. The routine…

As a consequence companies went belly up, unemployment soared, confidence shattered, families fragmented, hopes crushed. This resulted in federal banks world over realizing that sentiments and subsequently liquidity is turning out to be a severe problem. Companies were bailed out (with a few exceptions), regulatory agencies and credit assessors were pulled up, bonuses questioned etc… primarily a few feathers were ruffled.

Having said that, they went on the time tested cure, an interest rate reducing spree, handing out benefits to banks (pitted with illiquid, penny priced bad assets). The banks on the flip side, decided to park the excess funds so released with the federal banks themselves… fearing to lend it out to suspected “sub primers”.

The same banks that got rapped on their knuckles for being too liberal in lending… and then securitizing the receivables, of suspect lenders, are being prodded to loosen their purse strings and lend more freely. The banks that sported a sheepish look earlier have a constipated look at the moment. They might want to lend, but are wary of the repercussions.

Hence, we find them caught in a quandary -
· Lend - risking bleeding and triggering a repeat of their previous error
· Hold back - risking sustenance of federal magnanimity, & squeezing the markets dry

Which way will they tilt?

Change... capitalise on an opportunity

'Pick a-our selves aaup, Dust a-our selves aoff and beghin again the work of reemaking Amherica' - Barack Obama could not have put it better. The emphasis was perfect. Much has been said and a lot more written about this messiah of change. What he can very optimistically draw strength out of is the fact that we arrre staring down the barrel of a gun. We having being doing it since early 2007. What he does may or may not work. The repercussions of his acts, are ours to bear... and we accept that. Because, what we do know for certain is, the current state of affairs is certainly not benefiting us in any which way.

There is a lot of resistance that one faces whilst change beckons. The change of the kind we require, involves wiping the slate clean. There is this sense of liberation in starting afresh... virginal pride, hope, energy and fear.

Having said that, change needs commitment. Commitment, as Terry Starbucker mentions, is very liberating. It sets you free from the tyranny of your internal critic. Allows you to be at peace with yourself (a trait many desire).

When pushed to the edge of a cliff... look out... not to judge whether to jump, but to judge how to jump. Change, the way it unfurls, is at some levels, not an option.

Update: here is something that I stumbled upon Chris Brogans blog:

Its a grab from Ani Difranco's work:

Buildings and bridges

are made to bend in the wind

to withstand the world,

that’s what it takes

All that steel and stone

is no match for the air, my friend

what doesn’t bend breaks

what doesn’t bend breaks

Malleability and Ductility are a 'must have'

Rear-view

All and sundry at my workplace, seemed to be nonchalant about the current financial mess that we find ourselves in the midst of. I allocated this bravado to an intense need to appear alienated from trouble and almost be elevated above the problem, attitude. An immense need to portray that "we knew this was overdue".

Guess what proved my sentiment wrong... not their stoic stance about having acquired worldly wisdom, but the fact that they were nervous. Underneath that nonchalance I smelt fear. They are not nervous about the unknown... but wary about the known... ‘cause, they see dim times ahead, owing to their 'millennium' experience.

The tech bust that unraveled in 2000-2002, gobbled up and spit out a lot more 'respectable' enterprises than the current crisis has. For instance, at its peak the tech quotient on S&P was 32%... a lot more than the 22% the financial companies have on S&P currently. In addition, the comparable in terms of market erosion is 72% for the 'Finance' domain companies versus the 82% erosion faced by the tech companies in 2002.

That these guys have seen and managed to stay afloat, in spite of being present in one of the most tumultuous phases of revolution... the IT revolution, is considerable learning. Their story is still strong and the morals are also enviable... the perspective however has gotten altered. So to the Mr. Shahs/Mehtas/shahs again/Desais etc... we understand that you've seen worse... however, this time the repercussions are not only being felt far and wide but are also causing the fear to run deep.

Comparing two collapsing empires is not an exercise to purely reconstruct but a measure to preserve for posterity and hopefully learn. On that point... in spite of having some common spine, viz. greed, lack of foresight and unequal distribution of wealth... each crisis unraveled has brought along a flavor of its own.

We have felt the monetary impact of the excesses of the recent past... what follows in '09, is the economic impact. Demand shrinkage, introduction to deflation etc. A new world order is on the cards. Let’s welcome it with a rational mind.

The unsaid 'verses'

These conspire to inspire
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To be born again…. First you have to die

To land upon the bosomy earth…..First one needs to fly

How to ever smile again….if first you don’t cry

How to win the darling’s love, mister….without a sigh

------------------- the star! (A protege of the forbidden text, might recognise this)

The voice cannot carry the tongue and the lips that give it wings.... Alone must it seek the ether.

------------------- almustafa (the wanderer, the wise, the ship wrecked, the sooth-sayer, the &$#&^@*
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Cannot and certainly shall not pledge even an ounce of "proprietorship' over the prose above.

Must and certainly will highlight the enormous influence of these very renditions on thy-self.