I am trying to continue the trend started by me when 2006 was ending. To summarize the things in the way that you can recall them later, more easily than ever.

Here is the first series of that kind (you can also find same list for last year) -

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
   1. Continued my job for 2 years (of course that is an achievement when it is for first in 3 years of career)
   2. Completed NetAmp application - an app to play music over network
   3. Found my love
   4. Traveled abroad / US (Writing from there only)
   5. Visited Disneyland and Universal Studios
   6. Watched lot and lot of movies (I still can’t believe that I managed to watch 50 movies in 2 months!)
   7. Visited Historical Monuments in Capital nearby
   8. Met with old time mate (Happy)
2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

   Oh yes I kept it. I don’t have habit of leaving impossible things like that. If it couldn’t be done in 2006, it was kept in 2007. Hey Krishna, are you listening? Of course, making another one for year 2008 and this time, again it is next to impossible for a person like me!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

   Luckily NO.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

   No.

5. What countries did you visit?

   US

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

   Remembrance (I think it isn’t about resolution)

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory?

   27/07/2007, 04/12/2007 and 13/12/2007 (all sum up to mah lucky number as I have realized just now)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

   Discovered Love

9. What was your biggest failure?

   Umm…None.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

    Yes. Cough and Cold for quite long time during Cricket World Cup

11. What was the best thing you bought?

    I never buy things rather I present them to myself - 2 GFs / Laptops (dv9502 and dv6500t CTO NB) and 2 External HDDs (160 GB LACIE and 1 TB Western Digital)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
    1. Jo
    2. Ritu
    3. Puneet’s laughs
    4. Pankaj’s company during celebrations
    5. Nitesh Gupta for wonderful rides
    6. My Brother
    7. Archana for wonderful compliment
    8. Happy
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

    Three of mah colleagues

14. Where did most of your money go?
    1. Laptops
    2. External HDDs
    3. Clothes
    4. Movies
    5. Coffee
    6. Food
    7. Discotheques
    8. Shelter
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
    1. Love

It was just day before when I got chance to involve with friends at work in a discussion about the upcoming Indian politicians. They were all talking about young energetic politicians who were highly qualified, big businessmen and then chose politics to improve this country. They were impressed with few of their recent interviews over TV which I never preferred to listen. My point was that it should reflect in your work and you should get to hear about their achievements through news sources instead of you yourself urging to waaste your precious hours watching their interviews and listening all the crap which is just theoretical.

And I felt justified of my statements made that day when today I got to read this news that shining young congress MP Sachin Pilot who at Page 2 was talking about great Indian Leaders of future and what qualities they should possess. On Page 17 of same newspaper, there was a news about same politician asking minorities to continue their struggle for reservation. Ah, these politicians. I wonder why Times Of India selects such bas***** as its flag-holders.

The old ones are like the way they were - selfish and cunning!

Honestly, none of today’s leaders (politicians / bureaucrats) have impressed me except Atal Bihari Vajpai and Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

It was good to see Times Of India going open source in its own way - no more login is required to read the newspaper. You just have to select the city-edition and newspaper will be in front of you!

Twitter has become next communication legend for 21st century. It is grown so much and has become that much popular that is being used as medium for political campaign by politicians - of course in western world. British MP Alan Johnston is doing campaign for becoming deputy leader from Labor party through Twitter.

It is one of 50-odd updates, shared with a rapidly growing number of “friends” (personally invited to keep in touch) and “followers” (who have chosen to see his Twitter feed) since March 10. The number will be growing fast, with the deputy leadership race in full swing following John Prescott’s resignation last week.

It is called as 21st century PR overpowering other media with the statement from Alan -

“Only 60 % of UK households use the internet regularly. Mobile phone penetration is nearly 100 %,” he says. “Twitter is a way of making the campaign much more accessible to most people. We’ve taken a decision that Alan is not going to start a blog just for the deputy leader contest.”

Here in India, still politicians pacify tech expectations of voters by distributing controversial and racial CDs.

It really soothes you, specially when you are in IT that lots and lots of politicians and journalists are switching to technology for communicating with their followers.

Opposite to a Screwed Weekend, an outstanding weekend is one when you spend a lustrous time. And this was the one.

On Saturday - first day of weekend, everyone wants to do as much rest as much one can. And when I got up at 1400, what can be better than a thrilling strike by Indians in first test match against South Africa. It didn’t seem to be a test match at all when Indians were taking out the RSA wickets like anything. Sreesanth was on full swing and hit RSA to the deepest level by picking 5 wickets. It was first 5-wicket haul of his test career. We forgot the Nel when we watched Sreesanth roaring over RSA batsmen! Then Zaheer was in complete josh, partnering with Sreesanth to make RSA send back to pavilion on that day only. And then started the Indian Inn started with Sehwag thrilling the bowlers after Jaffer went for nothing special. Wall (Dravid) was also broken for nothing. Laxman and Saurav kept Indian hopes alive to give a big target to RSA. And for whole day, we were sitting in front of TV watching this test turned into ODI. By the time, match was called off for day, it was time to go to bed. But before that, if you get to watch Kicking and Screaming on HBO…man it was so hilarious with me and Anuj going to sleep laughing all the way. Still there was some room to watch Elektra on Star Movies for some time in late night.

On Sunday morning, when you know that you are going to have a great dancing day, you already in mood to stick to your decision of watching TV for whole day. It was telecast of all previous episodes of Nach Balliye…err Nach Baliye 2 on Star One. So if you don’t like to watch those Ekta Kapoor dramas mixed with the dance on every Monday night, this is the one day when you can see the real juice of all the episodes - one day before the grand final between Jodi No. 02 (Yash and Gauri) and Jodi Number 08 (Hussain and Tina). It was great time watching the TV couples dancing on the screen, laughing, screaming and the big dramas of judges, showing  the steps, dance and much more. In parallel, you start watching the cricket match and then the thrilling six of Sreesanth to make Andre Nel go shut up. Who can forget that awesome break dance of Sreesanth in front of Andre Nel? And umpires were all the way going ga ga on that dance and admiring his steps. Also it was told that he is the one from South, a great break-dancer who also teaches dance to his team-mates and can be a threat to Rajnikanth! If you missed the steps, here is the video of the pitch dance by Sreesanth from YouTube -

Few news which got my attention in recent days and I also liked giving them a thought. After reading them, you may ask, why Times Of India and why not The Hindu and I will answer because Times Of India provides free ePaper as compared to The Hindu which charges even for its online content…and a geek like me prefers to read it online than going paper-wise.

DATING, AN OFFICE PERK?

 

Kanpur’s Tripti Nigam is suing Wipro’s Azim Premji for “leading her husband astray” by supposedly giving him a dating allowance.

 

Kanpur-based Tripti Nigam filed a lawsuit saying her married life has been shattered because her husband Gaurav was given dating allowance by his employer.

 

Ground reality

While Tripti is sure that it is all Wipro’s fault, the company is saying that no such perk is being provided. Says HR vice-president, Joseph John, “It is a figment of imagination. We have nothing like a dating allowance. We, as a company, don’t like to interfere with the personal lives of our workforce.” But Tripti’s lawyer Nandlal Jaiswal maintains the company is just trying to save itself, “The company is providing an allowance, which is not legal in India. It is a western concept, and has no locus standi here. I have enough evidence to prove my case.”

Legitimising it

But there are other companies that accept that they are giving dating allowance to their employees. Says an employee of NIIT, where this allowance has been a norm since early 90’s, “The reasons for legitimising the allowance are both professional and emotional. Professional, as it helps retain talent within the organisation for people generally get married finally.

A contrasting perspective

The HR pros are visibly upset to learn about this concept. Says HR manager, Carlfon, Anjul, “A dating allowance should be discouraged. Office is the last place to romance or date, with it work culture will go for a six.” But can dating allowance be given in the form of a recreational or honeymoon allowance? Says another HR pro Neha Mishra, “Imagine drawing up datasheets to keep a tab on who is dating whom? Then striking off a name because somebody has decided to walk out. I don’t see this working in India where people are still conservative.”

It’s official: Women talk three times as much as men, says study

 

It is something one half of the population has long suspected - and the other half always vocally denied. Women really do talk more than men.

In fact, women talk almost three times as much as men, with the average woman chalking up 20,000 words in a day - 13,000 more than the average man.

 

Women also speak more quickly, devote more brainpower to chit-chat - and actually get a buzz out of hearing their own voices, a new book suggests.