Invading IT

New articles like this claim that ex-service men have the capabilities required for the IT profession and are being invited into the field. Though the news sounds good at the outset, I'm not quite sure what these 'suitable' capabilities are. The websites say that army men can speak well, are disciplined, and are adapted to traveling. I believe every 10th grade student from a decent school can speak well; very strict discipline is not necessary in IT; and IT people don't need to travel to deserts or flood affected areas. On the contrary, if we accept that the skills needed to be in the IT profession are these, then can we assume that the people already in IT have these skills? Some guys I know of in the industry would be mighty pleased to take this assumption forward and let their parents know how well disciplined they are.

Thinking about it, I'm not even sure on the kind of skills that are required in the IT profession. In my opinion the only capability required to be a coder is to be able to think logically. Softwares and languages can be learnt by anyone. That's why all software companies these days keep aptitude tests before recruiting engineers. To be on the management side I guess it is enough to be able to articulate well, i.e. in addition to being logical.

Nowadays everyone is into IT - mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, science graduates and the like. Then why not ex-service men? The only reason that I see is that IT offers so much opportunity that the services might start facing high retention

Doc and (P)J

Doc: What is your problem?
J : That's what I'm here to find out doc
Doc: You have to give me a starting point
J : How about the first line of your prescription sheet?
Doc: ok. Let me start myself. Do you experience pain somewhere?
J : Yes doc. I have pain in my leg.
Doc: Where is the pain exactly?
J : In the leg doc.
Doc: Where in the leg J?
J : around the thigh area
Doc: Can you describe the pain?
J : Yes ofcourse. The pain is an unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder.
Doc: J, I asked you about your pain
J : All pains are defined the same way doc
Doc: ok. Let me be more clear. Is the pain continuous?
J : No doc. It comes once in a while
Doc: What is the frequency at which you get it?
J : I listen only to Radio Mirchi and I get it at 98.4 frequency
Doc: ok. I'll refer you to a friend of mine.
J : Why doc? I'm out of your capabilities, aint I? (smirks)
Doc: Yes, you sure are. I don't treat mental illnesses (chuckles)
J :

P.S. Sorry OIB guys, couldn't make it yesterday

Then and Now

Same person, same place, but nothing's the same... all in a span of few years that I spent away from this place. Is it just me, or has life really changed so much?

Then: Reaching home at 7:30pm meant hard work in office
Now : Reaching home at 7:30pm means an early exit from office

Then: Most people I knew were decently satisfied with pay
Now : Salary satisfaction seems to be an oxymoron

Then: Talking to people was called gossip
Now : Talking to people is called networking

Then: Not many had an ear for my brilliant ideas
Now : My stupid ideas call for attention

Then: Tried to stay awake and read
Now : Read books to induce sleep

Then: Writing was stressful
Now : Writing is a way to relieve stress

Then: Walking meant a repair in bike
Now : Walking means exercise

Then: I knew the way to temples and people said I'm knowledgeable
Now : I struggle finding way to restaurants and people say I'm ignorant

Then: Rains meant relief from draught
Now : Rains pronounce the flood relief announcements

Planning the Unplanned

It is quite an irony. You do loads of planning in your office, but can't plan your personal agenda. You always anticipate that surprise work would come on Friday and keep you busy on the weekend, and so never plan for your weekends. But the surprise work never comes and you happily (!) spend your weekend washing clothes and watching TV. Still there are always plans to go home, and when the time comes, so does the surprise work for which you had planned all other weekends. No wonder it is called surprise work. Till today my trips to home have never been spoilt by work, but have been endangered quite a few times.

The plan to go to Hyderabad on a quasi-official visit was put off last week due to upcoming commitments. Well, the news as of yesterday evening is that I have got a green signal to go to Hyderabad, much to the despair of Seaman whose weekend has been completely booked for official work. I commented that positive thinkers get positive outcomes, but am not too sure of that now. May be I spoke too soon. The Hyderabad plan has moved into a on-hold stage as something new has come up at work. May be, with so much cribbing I'm no more a positive thinker and that's why my plans aren't looking that positive! The bright side still is that I either get to visit the Ramoji film city, or get to wash my clothes and complete some bank work.

Nomenclature Change

It's been many months since I actually saw the name of my blog. "Poetic Soul" sounds good, but what does it have to do with my blog? I don't seem to be writing anything poetic, or even good-to-feel kind of things. Though I started this blog with mere poems, I don't write poems anymore - atleast not for this blog. Like any other thing in this world, my blog too has evolved over the past year, and over 120 odd posts. So I guess it is only natural for the name of the blog also to evolve and change to suit its contents.

As I see it, this blog discusses varied topics. It is humourous at times, serious at times, deals with current affairs, b-school stuff, book reviews, and ofcourse my personal life. Like a kaleidoscope that shows different patterns every time you look into it, this blog has also been showing varied posts. So I hereby proclaim the reincarnation of "Poetic Soul" to "Kaleidoscope".

Sounds like a typical marketing strategy, isn't it? Just change the wrapper without touching the contents inside and call it "The New ..." The intention here though is merely to make the contents fit the wrapper.

Naming Cyclones

Whenever I heard of cyclones Rita and Katerina I somehow formed an opinion that cyclones are named only in the US. I now understand that that's not the case. But still, reading "Cyclone 'Baaz' expected to hit TN" tickles the funny bone. Naming cyclones in India? Why not? But what will the political parties say on this? An imaginary happening.

Day1:
Tamil Fanatic: "This is atrocious. How can we give 'our' cyclone a foreign name? Giving respect to our esteemed culture we should name the cyclone in Tamil"

News in DD: "Tamil development organizations requesting for naming cyclones hitting TamilNadu in Tamil"

Day 2:
Ruling party member: "Yes yes. We should not use foreign names like Rita and Katerina in our land. We should christen the cyclone as 'Manbumigu Amma' "

J-TV News: "Victory for the Tamil people. Cyclone 'Baaz' to be called 'Manbumigu Amma' from now on". J-TV shows happiness in the face of few village persons. One person says "It is very apt that the cyclone has been given our leader's name"
When asked separately for his opinion on the cyclone, the villager says "It is nice that people get loan to purchase cycles. Cycle-Loan is definitely a great initiative by our Thalaivi"

S-TV News: "J taking law into her own hand. K demands a judicial inquiry". S-TV interviews few NRIs who support them.

Day 3:
Opposition party member: "How can they give her name to the cyclone. It should be called 'Kalaignar' cyclone"

S-TV News: "Opposition demands justice"

J-TV News: "Opposition unruly in the house"

Day 4:
The cyclone destroys part of Kadalur. Newspapers publish the news.

Neutral Newspaper: "Baaz kills 100 in Kadalur"
Ruling party's Newspaper: "Manbumigu Amma kills 100 in Kadalur"
Opposition’s Newspaper: "Kalaignar kills 100 in Kadalur"

Day 5:
Neutral Newspaper: Editors of both the ruling and opposition newspapers have been sacked due to undisclosed reasons. It has been mutually agreed that the cyclone would be called "Veerappan" from now on.