Meetings

It is a national waste to have meetings of more than ten minutes, in my view. If anything, it promotes an avenue where most people have a right to say anything with no basis in fact or fiction (fiction is rational too), and get away with it.

No, this was not a meeting....just a pic.


Logic is usually missing in action, and rational debate has taken a long holiday, just as it has on social media or national TV debates. Most things can be decided on email, because very few people read them, and even fewer reply to them. And you can easily wear down people by sending long ones. After a few days, decisions can be announced, and most people (not having read the mails) wouldn't remember what the decisions were.

Strategic thinking, you say? Try it, and tell me if it works. Don't blame me for things if they go wrong..OK, you won't, because you are not reading this,..

Phone Etiquette for Calling Me

The rules are fairly simple. I won't need to write a book about these.

1. If I don't know you, don't call.

2. If you do, don't expect me to pick up. I won't.

3. Message me what you want to talk about first, if you want me to even care.

4. I am not here to answer calls from people whom I don't want to talk to, but who want to talk to me.

5. There is always email. Which I may reply to.

6. Go to Rule 1.

That's it. Simple, ain't it?

Book Review- The Sceptical Patriot

This book by Sidin Vadukut is about the great country that India is/was (mostly in the past tense). He examines several India 'facts' to the best of his ability, and concludes that there are wildly inaccurate half-truths or less, circulating as truths on the social media and through email chains.

Some of these include "India never attacked a foreign country." True only to the North of India. The Cholas actually ruled over vast parts of East Asia. "India invented the zero." is partially true, as in it invented the use of zero as a full-fledged digit, but there were symbols used earlier to indicate 'place' where nothing was between digits.

"World's first plastic surgery was done by Indians." Could be true, but as usual, there are grey areas about when and who actually did this. There is a description of how to do a nose job in some ancient texts.

Finding documents about anything Indian is a Herculean task, and some temple inscriptions are sometimes the only evidence you can rely on.

His comments about history (or its writing) always being questionable, and should be questioned, are good. So is the book. My view is that it is better than his Dork series, based on college humour. Maybe I'm too old for that now.

Cellphone Etiquette

A cellphone, though useful sometimes, is the most invasive tool ever invented by mankind, heat-seeking missiles included. Here are some tips for its use on me.

I am not a teenager and you are not my girlfriend. Therefore, I am not waiting for your call. Sorry, I got better things to do (eat, sleep, work, blog, golf, stare into space etc.), so if possible, stay away from your cell- and DON'T call me. Note: This does not apply to about 6 people. And, I KNOW who they are. You can guess who.

If you have to call, be prepared for my not wanting to answer. It's my cell, and my prerogative. Some days, I may not charge it, if I don't want to. Obama will not stop bombing Syria if I pick up your call.

I have some email IDs that could be accessible if you try and find out. Please send me a note explaining why I should talk to you. I will think about it.

Don't ever try to sell on the cell to me. I most likely will never buy from you after that. Even if it's a free holiday to Hawaai.

SMS was invented for Dodos to send relatively less invasive messages. Use it. And wait for a reply. It may happen in a minute, or a day, or a week. You did your job by sending it. (Yes, I know the Dodo is supposed to be extinct. I am still not sure.)