Why do some people do their jobs badly ?
For the simple reason that they don't like what they are doing. That doesn't mean that we can turn this around and say that all people who are great at their work have immense interest in it. I want to make it clear now that I am not talking just about day jobs by which people earn their living. By work, I mean anything that they do, even if it is brushing their teeth in the morning, a purely selfish and non-commercial activity. Again, I would like to clarify that not liking something doesn't necesarily mean hating it. Infact most of the things that we do daily are done with a neutral mindset.
Although it is not a very hard puzzle to crack, I would still mention why people are in the jobs they are if they don't like it. Several reasons. Because they don't have an alternative. If you have a family where your monthly earning takes care of children's school tuition and gas for your kitchen and car, you wouldn't even risk thinking about leaving your job. Also, what would you do if you quit your job ? Having spent more than a decade doing conventional work, most would have no other skill left with them. Even if you had a great talent, setting to bring it to a level where it could support your living would need a period of dedication and hardship.
Therefore before you critize someone again for doing a bad job, stop and save your energy. You might be cursing a sick dog.
I think the best way to get somebody to do their work properly is to keep demanding it from them. Not in a virulent manner. But in a manner of propreity. Half of them will start doing it out of shame. The other half out of fear. With people who have neither of both, well, walk on.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Restaurant trips in Rourkela
The lovely darkness and small lightness of the restaurants. The air-conditioned cool air. The nice tables. The wait for food. The comfortable sofas.
The childhood trips to hotels were so nice in Rourkela.(My home town) :)
The childhood trips to hotels were so nice in Rourkela.(My home town) :)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Super star
Superstar is an amazing movie.
What performance by Kunal Khemu ! Most of the bollywood actors have got something to learn about acting from him.
What direction ! Congrats Rohit Jugraj
You are a Superstar as is Kunal.
What performance by Kunal Khemu ! Most of the bollywood actors have got something to learn about acting from him.
What direction ! Congrats Rohit Jugraj
You are a Superstar as is Kunal.
My String Theory
As I have been coding for some time now, I have come to realize that everything in software is a string.
Code is a string, an ascii file is a string, input is a string, output is a string, ide is a string, compiler is a string.
It's string which takes other string, processes it and produces some string in return.
The input string might itself work on another string .... and it goes on recursively.
It helps me if I think about it this way.
Code is a string, an ascii file is a string, input is a string, output is a string, ide is a string, compiler is a string.
It's string which takes other string, processes it and produces some string in return.
The input string might itself work on another string .... and it goes on recursively.
It helps me if I think about it this way.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
MS and Y!
I think it's a great thing to happen to MS.
Google, what are you afraid of ?
Google has reveled in an area of no competition till now and is now afraid that there is a good potential competitor in formation. It knows, it's strategy of not doing anything but system maintenance won't work now. It will have to innovate itself, not just buy it, unlike MS and Yahoo.
Google, what are you afraid of ?
Google has reveled in an area of no competition till now and is now afraid that there is a good potential competitor in formation. It knows, it's strategy of not doing anything but system maintenance won't work now. It will have to innovate itself, not just buy it, unlike MS and Yahoo.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Age
I met an old American man today as I was waiting for the shuttle to get back to USC from ISI. He had been to India when the British were still there. He talked about a young kid and his sister who were his guide in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He liked the journey up the Ganges on a ship. I asked him how he could communicate with his young Indian (most probably tribal) guides. He said, "Well, they could say some pigeon English, but then, you got to do what you gotta do !". :)
So true.
It was my first time talking to such an old American man. He was using a walking stick that seemed more like a golf club to me. Jovial and happy. I am often scared of old age, but meeting these men makes me feel happy. After all, you got to do what you gotta do, which might be living happily whatever you are. :)
So true.
It was my first time talking to such an old American man. He was using a walking stick that seemed more like a golf club to me. Jovial and happy. I am often scared of old age, but meeting these men makes me feel happy. After all, you got to do what you gotta do, which might be living happily whatever you are. :)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Saturday, December 15, 2007
knol
Google's latest announcement about it's knowledge pages, Knol, is yet another example of an effort towards being a huge catalogue.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Google is going to be the biggest catalogue in the world. That's all.
Every company starts with a focus and remains in the spotlight of this focus for its whole life.
Microsoft started with the focus of making basic popular software like OS and Office tools, Apple with making cool consumer electronics, Ford with making cars, Coca Cola with making common beverages and consumables.
Google started with the focus of making all the information in the world available freely. It's working well for itself. But that is all.
The point I am making is that the area of popular and complex AI is still open to a company. Any takers ?
My bet is : This will be the biggest thing in business and technology after the light bulb.
Every company starts with a focus and remains in the spotlight of this focus for its whole life.
Microsoft started with the focus of making basic popular software like OS and Office tools, Apple with making cool consumer electronics, Ford with making cars, Coca Cola with making common beverages and consumables.
Google started with the focus of making all the information in the world available freely. It's working well for itself. But that is all.
The point I am making is that the area of popular and complex AI is still open to a company. Any takers ?
My bet is : This will be the biggest thing in business and technology after the light bulb.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
November Rain
It's the last day of November.
Lot of work ahead as final exams approach and research work demands it's proper conclusion.
And there it is :
November Rain
brings strange emotions to the heart and I play November Rain - GNR
Lot of work ahead as final exams approach and research work demands it's proper conclusion.
And there it is :
November Rain
brings strange emotions to the heart and I play November Rain - GNR
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Shaaheen
I am standing at the edge,
Waves beat against the cliff,
I spread my wings and jump off,
Without a doubt, without an if!
For years have I sat and watched,
Plagued with self doubt,
While others flew around me,
Inside me there raged a bout.
I didn't fly far and wide,
Yet, a lot have I watched and learnt,
Weathered sun, torrents and hurricanes,
Seen others both high and burnt.
I am falling towards the waves,
They leap to swallow me up,
Drown me, storm me, or ravage me,
I will keep trying flying up.
I flap my wings with passion,
There is no more shame or sin,
The air breathes into my lungs,
And feeds the fire within.
"If you don't, gimme a call,
I'll fly with you"
Waves beat against the cliff,
I spread my wings and jump off,
Without a doubt, without an if!
For years have I sat and watched,
Plagued with self doubt,
While others flew around me,
Inside me there raged a bout.
I didn't fly far and wide,
Yet, a lot have I watched and learnt,
Weathered sun, torrents and hurricanes,
Seen others both high and burnt.
I am falling towards the waves,
They leap to swallow me up,
Drown me, storm me, or ravage me,
I will keep trying flying up.
I flap my wings with passion,
There is no more shame or sin,
The air breathes into my lungs,
And feeds the fire within.
"If you don't, gimme a call,
I'll fly with you"
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Incident of the French Camp
This is one of the poems I love :-
YOU know, we French storm’d Ratisbon:
A mile or so away
On a little mound, Napoleon
Stood on our storming-day;
With neck out-thrust, you fancy how,
Legs wide, arms lock’d behind,
As if to balance the prone brow
Oppressive with its mind.
Just as perhaps he mus’d “My plans
That soar, to earth may fall,
Let once my army leader Lannes
Waver at yonder wall,”—
Out ’twixt the battery smokes there flew
A rider, bound on bound
Full-galloping; nor bridle drew
Until he reach’d the mound.
Then off there flung in smiling joy,
And held himself erect
By just his horse’s mane, a boy:
You hardly could suspect—
(So tight he kept his lips compress’d,
Scarce any blood came through)
You look’d twice ere you saw his breast
Was all but shot in two.
“Well,” cried he, “Emporor, by God’s grace
We ’ve got you Ratisbon!
The Marshal’s in the market-place,
And you ’ll be there anon
To see your flag-bird flap his vans
Where I, to heart’s desire,
Perch’d him!” The chief’s eye flash’d; his plans
Soar’d up again like fire,
The chief’s eye flash’d; but presently
Soften’d itself, as sheathes
A film the mothe-eagle’s eye
When her bruis’d eaglet breathes.
“You ’re wounded!” “Nay,” the soldier’s pride
Touch’d to the quick, he said:
“I ’m kill’d, Sire!” And his chief beside,
Smiling the boy fell dead.
Robert Browning (1812–89)
YOU know, we French storm’d Ratisbon:
A mile or so away
On a little mound, Napoleon
Stood on our storming-day;
With neck out-thrust, you fancy how,
Legs wide, arms lock’d behind,
As if to balance the prone brow
Oppressive with its mind.
Just as perhaps he mus’d “My plans
That soar, to earth may fall,
Let once my army leader Lannes
Waver at yonder wall,”—
Out ’twixt the battery smokes there flew
A rider, bound on bound
Full-galloping; nor bridle drew
Until he reach’d the mound.
Then off there flung in smiling joy,
And held himself erect
By just his horse’s mane, a boy:
You hardly could suspect—
(So tight he kept his lips compress’d,
Scarce any blood came through)
You look’d twice ere you saw his breast
Was all but shot in two.
“Well,” cried he, “Emporor, by God’s grace
We ’ve got you Ratisbon!
The Marshal’s in the market-place,
And you ’ll be there anon
To see your flag-bird flap his vans
Where I, to heart’s desire,
Perch’d him!” The chief’s eye flash’d; his plans
Soar’d up again like fire,
The chief’s eye flash’d; but presently
Soften’d itself, as sheathes
A film the mothe-eagle’s eye
When her bruis’d eaglet breathes.
“You ’re wounded!” “Nay,” the soldier’s pride
Touch’d to the quick, he said:
“I ’m kill’d, Sire!” And his chief beside,
Smiling the boy fell dead.
Robert Browning (1812–89)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Happyness
This is about a movie called "The pursuit of happyness". It's not a spelling mistake. It was the name of the movie. Well, you can name a thing anyway you like. The movie starred Will Smith. I like him from the first movie I watched of him - Independence Day. I specially loved the scene in the movie, where he sits in the alien craft and before taking off, he hands a cigar to his partner and says - "This, is important !". Aye, aye Sire. When the fate of the planet and of all people on it is in your hands, the cigar is important. So, damn cool !
Technically, the movie isn't great, neither the direction. Probably, the tendency of the director to stick with reality din't give him much space. But there were a few scenes which were exceptional in the essence they carried. Listing as they appear in the movie, they are :-
1) When Chris Gardner sees his wife after she has left his house with their son. He says - "You are weak." This short statement said spontaneously carries a lot of meaning. I am not judging him or her. But this was true. Yet, weakness is not a sin.
2) When Chris tries to run away from the cabbie without paying. Somehow it says to me- "A man is a man. Let him be."
3) When Chris sits behind the locked door of the toilet on the railway station and cries, with his son sleeping in his lap. It is the helplessness of a father, who is unable to provide his son with a safe bedroom. The helplessness of not being able to do, what you want to, for the person you love the most, is the greatest form of helplessness on this earth.
4) When Chris gets the job. His eyes watery, his lips tightly pursed together, unable to control his tears, looking down to avoid making eye contact with people in front, running away from the room ... That's when you are truly happy.
My favourite line from the movie - "You want something. You go get it. Period."
Technically, the movie isn't great, neither the direction. Probably, the tendency of the director to stick with reality din't give him much space. But there were a few scenes which were exceptional in the essence they carried. Listing as they appear in the movie, they are :-
1) When Chris Gardner sees his wife after she has left his house with their son. He says - "You are weak." This short statement said spontaneously carries a lot of meaning. I am not judging him or her. But this was true. Yet, weakness is not a sin.
2) When Chris tries to run away from the cabbie without paying. Somehow it says to me- "A man is a man. Let him be."
3) When Chris sits behind the locked door of the toilet on the railway station and cries, with his son sleeping in his lap. It is the helplessness of a father, who is unable to provide his son with a safe bedroom. The helplessness of not being able to do, what you want to, for the person you love the most, is the greatest form of helplessness on this earth.
4) When Chris gets the job. His eyes watery, his lips tightly pursed together, unable to control his tears, looking down to avoid making eye contact with people in front, running away from the room ... That's when you are truly happy.
My favourite line from the movie - "You want something. You go get it. Period."
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