Random Thoughts to Share!!

Marriage Invite-Limited Edition!!

2007-10-09T17:18:00.000+05:30

Dear friends!!

It’s a privilege to have friends like you and I feel extremely glad to invite you for my wedding with Sonia on 17th of Oct 2007 at my New Delhi residence.

Put aside all that is routine and grace the occasion with your benign presence. Please treat this as personal invitation

Regards,

Pal.
Mob: 9819 638 200

Update [09-oct-2007]
My New Delhi address for marriage related ceremonies is:
C/o S P Jassal
k-445, Street No.12, Mahipalpur Extn
New Delhi – 110 037

The scheduled programme is broadly as follows:
Ladies Sangeet-16oct-5pm
Sehra Bandi-17oct-4pm
Baaraat departure-17oct-6pm

My alternate contact no. in New Delhi is 9818 259673.

C ya

Pal.
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself…

"What is life":The book

2007-08-28T17:45:00.000+05:30

In chapter I of his non-fiction book "what is life", Schrödinger explains that most physical laws on a large scale are due to chaos on a small scale. He calls this principle "order-from-disorder." As an example he mentions diffusion, which can be modeled as a highly ordered process, but which is caused by random movement of atoms or molecules. If the number of atoms is reduced, the behaviour of a system becomes more and more random. He states that life greatly depends on order and that a naive physicist may assume that the master code of a living organism has to consist of a large number of atoms.

One of the discoverers of the DNA molecule, Francis Crick, credited What is Life? as a theoretical description, before the actual discovery of DNA, of how genetic storage would work and a source for inspiration for the initial research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_is_Life%3F_%28Schr%C3%B6dinger%29

three fav shers...

2007-08-23T14:51:00.000+05:30

mere khushnuma iraado.n meri dekhbhaal karna
kisi aur se nahi hai mera khud se saamna hai!!

unko dekhe se aa jaati hai jo muh pe raunak
wo samajhte hai.n ki bimaar ka haal achha hai

Hijr se aur kya zyaada hoga
hum sa bhi kahee.n koi saada hoga
ye soch ke chhod di milne ki ummeed
us kaa bhi to aisa hi iadaa hoga!!

one common thing among the above i could see is that they are all more on the pessimistic side...Can u figure out sthg else?? :)

The Train-2007

2007-08-09T12:51:00.000+05:30

I liked the movie...it was gripping enough and now there's one more fan for Imran Hashmi!! The "Mausam" song is also "my type of song"...

Zindagi Ne Zindagi Bhar Gam Diye
Jitne Bhi Mausam Diye Sab Nam Diye

Jab Tadapta Hai Kabhi Apna Koi
Khoon Ke Aansoo Rula De Bebasi
Jee Ke Phir Karna Kya Mujhko Aisi Zindagi
Jisne Zakhmon Ko Nahi Marham Diye...

Ek Mukambal Kashmakash Hai Zindagi
so Usne Humse Ki Kabhi Naa Dosti
Jab Mili Mujhko Aasoo Ke Woh Tohphe De Gayi
Has Sake Hum Aise Mauke Kam Diye...

which is your fav song...these days??:)

Tere baare mei.n jab sochaa nahi tha...

2007-07-24T19:34:00.000+05:30

tere baare mei.n jab sochaa nahi tha
mai.n tanhaa tha magar itnaa nahi tha

Vo jab bhi bewafaai karta hai
Kyo.n khud se rooth jaata hoo.n mai!!

and...

This piece of kavita is perhaps from Bachhan!!

Jo kshma nahi kar sakte the meri kuchh durbaltaao.n ko
Jo sadaa dekhte rahte the unmei.n apne hi daavo.n ko
Mera durbaltaa se oopar uthne ka vrat unka prasaad
Unke prati mera dhanyavaad !!

Any comments...??

Lyrics of Ye Rabba

2007-07-24T19:30:00.000+05:30

One of my fav songs...from the movie Salaam-e-ishq sung by Kailaash Kher!!

Pyaar hai ya saja, aai mere dil bata
tootata kyon nahi dard ka silsila
is pyaar mein hon kaise kaise imntihaan
ye pyaar likhe kaisi kaisi dastaan
ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar
dilbar pe ho na, dilbar pe ho na koi asar
ho ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar
dilbar pe ho na, dilbar pe ho na koi asar
pyaar hai ya saja, aai mere dil bata
tootata kyon nahi dard ka silsila

kaisa hai safar wafa ki manjil ka
na hai koi hal dilon ki mushkil ka
dhadkan dhadkan bikhri ranjishein
saansein saansein tooti bandishein
kahi to har lamha honton pe fariyaad hai
kisi ki duniya chaahat mein barbaad hai
ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar
dilbar pe ho na, dilbar pe ho na koi asar
ho ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar
dilbar pe ho na, dilbar pe ho na koi asar

koi na sune sisakati aanhon ko
koi na dhare tadapati baahon ko
aadhi aadhi puri khwaishein
tooti footi sab farmaaishein
kahin shak hain kahin nafrat ki deewaar hai
kahin jeet mein bhi shamil palpal haar hain
ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar
dilbar pe ho na, dilbar pe ho na koi asar
ho ya rabba de de koi jaan bhi agar
dilbar pe ho na, dilbar pe ho na koi asar
ho o o pyaar hai ya saja, aai mere dil bata
tootata kyon nahi dard ka silsila
ho o o o ho o o o
na poocho dard bandon se
hansi kaisi khushi kaisi
musibat sar pe rehati hain
kabhi kaisi kabhi kaisi
ho o o o... rabba, rabba ho o o ho
rabba ho o o, ho o ho rabba

To succeed, double your failure rate

2007-05-17T19:55:00.000+05:30

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot...and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. " -- Michael Jordan (Arguably the greatest basketball player ever)

When it comes to excuses, the world is full of amazing inventors. Don't spend half your life telling what you are going to do and the other half explaining why you didn't do it. An alibi is the supposed proof that you did do what you didn't do, so that others will think you didn't do what you did.

Mistakes have hidden powers to help us, but they fail in their mission of helping us when we blame them on other people. When you use excuses you give up your power to change and improve. You can fall down many times, but you won't be a failure until you say that someone has pushed you.

There may be many reasons for failure, but not a single excuse. Never let a challenge become an alibi. You have a choice: you can let the obstacle be an alibi or an opportunity. No alibi will ever support your purpose in life. The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other finds an excuse. Success is a matter of luck; just ask any failure. Don't buy that alibi.

(AS RECEIVED IN MAIL FROM TEAMSBLC@GOOGLEGROPS.COM)

Was Bachhan an Eternal Pessimist??

2007-03-23T16:40:00.000+05:30

Kab se baitha madiraalaya mei.n, pi na sakaa ab tak haala
Yatn sahit bharta hoo.n, kintu ulat deta pyaala
Maanav bal ke aage nirbal Bhaagya suna vidyalaya mei.n
“Bhagya prabal, Maanav nirbal” kaa path padhaati madhushaala!!

Here goes another one in the same flow...

Pyaala hai par pi paayenge, hai gyaat nahi itna humko
Is paar niyati ne bhejaa hai asmarth banaa kitnaa humko
Kahne waale par kahte hai.n hum karmo.n mei.n swaadheen sadaa
Karne waalo.n ki parvashta hai gyaat kise jitni humko
Kah to sakte hai.n, kah kar hi kuchh dil halkaa kar lete hai.n
Us paar abhaage maanav ka adhikaar na jaane kya hoga
Is paar priye madhu hai, tum ho, us paar na jaane kya hogaa!!

Mai.n tanhaa tha magar...

2007-03-23T16:10:00.000+05:30

Recently heard these lyrics in some ghazal by Jagjit Singh:

Tere baare mei.n jab sochaa nahi tha
mai.n tanhaa tha magar itnaa nahi tha!!

Here’s another “traditional” sher (not from Jagjit singh though), which perhaps goes with the same mood!!

Jisko dekho mere maathe ki taraf dekhe hai
dard hota hai kahaa.n aur kahaa.n roshan hai!!

My Favorite Quotes!!

2007-03-03T18:31:00.000+05:30

One of my hobbies (passions?) is collecting quotations...fortunately they are short enough so that I have been able to even read and use them which is the real thing actually!!But let their conciseness and simplicity not mislead about their power and impact creating ability...they can give a lot of commonsense and sometimes even a sense of direction to the utterly confused abt life:)

People often don't lack in ability; they lack in intent…
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~Aristotle
In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.
A big shot is a little shot that kept shooting.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.
True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable.
Many can make impressions;few can leave a mark.
What happens to a man is less significant than what happens within him.
A friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. ("Dependability")
What really matters is what you do with what you have.
Every little bit helps; every little quit hurts.
When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

and finally....

Don't be perfect….Evolve!!

Read more such quotations HERE...

If you want even more, just write to me, and I can mail you the pdf document (Vol 1 of quotes) that I created long back containing 1000 of my all-time favorite quotes...and some tidbits from some good forwards that UI received then!!

I Recommend...

2007-03-03T17:42:00.000+05:30

Personal suggestions and recommendations from friends and other “credible” people either in terms of making a decision or choice or in terms of getting some real good ideas to explore are immensely helpful... Inspired from this concept, here I would suggest, based on my personal experience, some of those things that I think work with an impact, sthg like bringing to ur awareness a potential idea or starting point for u to explore further...

Let me begin with the hottest idea of the past year...Desktop Search!!

Desktop Search is a groundbreaking innovation (Why we couldn't think of this obvious idea makes me wonder yet again that there's a time for everything..just b'coz our earlier generations couldn't think of something apparently obvious doesn't make them any less intelligent than ourselevs:), which immensly benefits end-users by making it easier and realtime (yes, speed is an issue in addiiton to quality!) to search for all kinds of information (mainly Documents) stored on their PCs. All it does is take afew hours to prepare an Index of files and data, including the filenames and the content within them, and now provides realtime speedy access by searching this index (database) rather than the actual files and content stored on the harddisk...As for its utility, it suffices to stay that intelligent control over information you have stored there can make a real difference to what you can do with it...as an additional benefit, it tends to make your mindset and thought process more organized after a while as you discover by use how to use this tool more effectively...

Anyways, I 've tried almost all of them for a while and increasingly see a problem of too-much-of-a-of choice being available there...I guess it started with google,then Microsoft had to do something...Yahoo and other online search engines too were left with no choice but to follow:)

I personally have come to believe that Google, X1(or yahoo, which uses the same technology) and Copernicus are all good choices with all their pros and cons...i think can install two on a an average to good PC and still go fine in terms of resource usage because ultimately they do take good amount of resources by constantly indexing and tracking all your activities in an attempt to give real time updated results...

As for launching files in realtime speed in an "intelli-sense" manner, its hard to beat Google Desktop...their integration with your overall google account may also make a difference somewhere..its timeline feature is just an indication of its power and in-depth coverage. ..it can be used as highly non-intrusive floating desktop bar (let its simplicity not fool you; my favorite!), and can also be used with Google Desktop Extreme plug-in for those who want to have a file-like windows-like view instead of typical internet-search-like view...importantly, network drives (or some selective folders if u like) can be "crawled" as well!!

Copernicus has a good interface and search quality and i liked its ability to search outlook express contacts (which unfortunately X1/Yahoo doesn't have)...Its can also index network drives, though too many files may slow it down...

Finally, if you have to use just one of them, particularly if you want to use it mainly for desktop search function and not as an application launcher, X1 is a clear choice...it wins over everyone else by a safe edge in terms of results, flexibility and power, as well as interface...Yahoo Desktop Search uses the same technologybought from X1..so they must 've done market research and found out a clear potential winner there and gone for it...I don't know if speed is a part of the the downside, but inability to index network drives (possible by some advanced tweaking in X1 perhaps) and outlook express contacts definitely are:(

Finally, how much one can extract from the software depends a lot on how wisely one uses it personally, which partly depends on one's knowledge of advanced operators and search tips and tricks:) btw,all these are freeware!!

I have not talked about Windows Desktop Search, which is equally promising and may have been improved significantly in Vista where it is an inbuilt feature and hence, many people will necessarily use it ...but right now, i didn't find it "great" and the X1 definitely score over it anytime...:)

Song Lyrics

2007-03-03T17:22:00.000+05:30

Some of the best poetry a common man in India comes across is found in the music, which includes bollywood movie songs (Gulzar, Javed Akhtar,...) as well as offbeat albums (Tanha Dil, Tere bina kaise jiyoo.n,...)or ghazals (Jagjeet Singh,...)..but the big PLUS for music is that it goes beyond esoteric poetry and brings to an average common
a much more powerful combination of lyrics+music+singer specific touch+often a great video as well!!

I like the following song, wherein in spite of using so few words,they 've been able to bring that depth of meaning and Sufi quality of peace and phiolosophy of life!!

SAYONEE (JUNOON)

O sayonee 2 Times
Chain ek pal nahin 3 Times
Aur koi hal nahin
O sayonee 2 Times

Kon mode muhar 3 Times
Koi sawan nahin
Chain ek pal nahin 3 Times
Aur koi hal nahin
O sayonee 2 Times

Kya bashar ki bisat 3 Times
Aaj hai kal nahin
Chain ek pal nahin 3 Times
Aur koi hal nahin
O sayonee 2 Times

Chhod meri khata 3 Times
Too to pagal nahin
Heyyyyyyy
Chain aik pal nahin 3 Times
Aur koi hal nahin
O sayonee
O sayonee
O sayonee

Kavita

2007-03-02T21:49:00.000+05:30

In Hindi Poetry, there is absolutely nothing magical like what Harivansh Rai Bachhan has written…The song like character and the depth of feelings and experience expressed in such a simple way is something that very few poets have been able to do so consistently… I will try to include some of those bits and pieces here!!

Let's begin with what's his forte...hope and inspiration embedded deep into hardcore pessimism!!

“Jo kshmaa nahi kar sakte the meri kuchh durbaltaao.N ko
Jo sadaa dekhte rehte the un mei.N apne hi daavo.N ko
Meraa durbaltaa se oopar, uthne ka vrat unkaa prasaad
Unke prati mera dhanyavaad!!”

Another excellent example of such apparent pessimism and embedded optimism is seen below...

One of bachhan’s many poems, which at the face of it, highlights his “hardcore pessimistic” approach to life is Jo Beet gayi, so baat gai!!see if u agree with him…:)

Jeevan Main Ek Sitara Tha
Maana Vah Behad Pyara Tha
Vah Doob Gaya To Doob Gaya
Ambar Kay Aanan Ko Dekho
Kitne Iskay Taare Toote
Kitne Iskay Pyare Choote
Jo Choot Gaye Fir Kahan Mile
Par Bolo Toote Taaron Par
Kab Ambar Shok Manata Hai
Jo Beet Gayi So Baat Gayi!!

Jeevan mei.n vah Tha Ek Kusum
They Us Par Nitya Nichavar Tum
Vah Sookh Gaya to Sookh Gaya
Madhuvan Ki Chaati Ko Dekho
Sookhi Kitni Iski Kaliyan
Murjhaayi Kitni ballriyan
Jo Murjhayi Woh Fir Kahan Khili
Par Bolo Sookhe Phoolon Par
Kab Madhuban Shor Machata hai
Jo Beet Gayi So Bat Gayi

jeevan Main Madhu Ka Pyala Tha
Tumnay Tan Man De Daala Tha
Wah Toot Gaya To Toot Gaya
Madiralya Kay Aangan Ko Dekho
Kitne Pyale Hil Jaate Hain
Gir Mitti Main Mil Jaate Hain
Jo Girte Hain Kab Uthte Hain
Par Bolo Toote Pyalo.n Par
Kab Madiralaya Pachtata Hai
Jo Beet Gayi So Baat Gayi!!

If u liked the above lines from Bachhan, keep looking here for much more on similar lines will be definitely coming...:) Meanwhile, Jaya Jha's blog offers a good starting point (well, that's an understatement!!) for those interested in Hindi kavita:)

Excel Insights

2007-03-01T19:12:00.000+05:30

The secret to a great spreadsheet is planning. Most people just jump in and start creating the spreadsheet without thinking about future enhancement. In my personal opinion a good spreadsheet is not static. It is fluid and can be enhanced further, making it more efficient and more powerful. Excel is a powerful tool in the hands of someone who plans & utilises Excel’s full potential power.

Excel is literally an excellent program…and for “Excel Addicts”, its a almost mindset, a way of life, and that’s irrespective of how much of it one knows or understands…I am looking forward to put my hands on Excel12, the much touted "genuine improvement" new version of Excel launched by Microsoft with Vista recently. Anyways, for those of you who feel interested in exploring Excel may be interested in the insights or facts that I would attempt to share here…So here we go:)

One good way to learn excel is to adopt a problem-solving oriented approach and read tutorials,short but powerful contextual tips and tricks provided for free on the internet by people who are passionate about Excel...the following links may make for a good start resource:

http://www.bettersolutions.com/excel.aspx
http://www.meadinkent.co.uk/excel.htm
http://www.j-walk.com/ss/excel/usertips/index.htm
http://skp.mvps.org/toc.htm
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html

Few Lines from Eng Poetry

2007-02-23T21:32:00.000+05:30

My exposure to English poetry has been rather limited...I read most such poetry either as part of syllabus in school books or as few selective lines in quotes somewhere. In any case, the following will give you an idea of my preference for Simple-English Language:)

I don't know who quoted the following lines, but I like them nevertheless:)

There is so much good in the worst of us
And so much bad in the best of us
That it hardly becomes any of us
To talk about the rest of us!!

The following lines are from SUCCESS IS COUNTED SWEETEST (Emily Dickinson)

Success is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed;
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

The following lines are from LEISURE (William Henry Davies)
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

The following lines are from THE ROAD NOT TAKEN (Robert Frost)

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference

The following lines are from SOUND AND SENSE (Alexander Pope)

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,
As those move easiest who have learned to dance.

Read MORE HERE

The “Vista” Excitement

2007-02-23T20:55:00.001+05:30

I was quite expected to see that Microsoft is yet again coming up with a new version of their Windows operating system because it brings natural feeling of refreshment plus we get to see a lot innovative features based on so much implemented in one single go…but as I explored further, I ‘ve been more and more influenced by the Performance vs Features (incl. appearance) trade-off of resources…so now I am not sure whether I would really like to stick with having that much touted Aero Glass interface of Vista!!

Anyways, I came across this helpful article on 10 things to keep in mind before upgrading to Vista. Some excerpts are as under:

Vista, the first major upgrade to Windows since XP, is famous–or, perhaps more accurately, infamous–for its hefty hardware requirements. In reality, there are two separate sets of hardware requirements: one for machines that are merely “Vista Capable” and another for those that are “Vista Premium Ready.” Whereas “Premium Ready” requires a 1GHz processor, one gigabyte of RAM and a high-end video card, requirements for “Capable” are a bit more easily (and inexpensively) attainable.

Now there are five editions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. Business Edition is roughly comparable to XP Pro. With Vista, Microsoft is adding an Enterprise Edition that will be available only to customers with a Software Assurance or Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.

When it comes down to it, the applications, not the operating system, matter most in terms of getting the job done. One important consideration in rolling out a new operating system is ensuring that your essential programs will run on it without problems. You may not want or need to upgrade all desktop systems in your organization to Vista at once. In fact, there’s a lot to be said for implementing an operating system upgrade in a large company one step at a time. Upgrades shouldn’t be done randomly, though.

Such considerations as cost, hardware and infrastructure are important when you’re making the decision to put a new operating system into play, but don’t forget the people factor. A minority of computer users embraces new technology eagerly and can’t wait to be the first on the block to try and master the latest and greatest. But most users, like human beings in general, are resistant to change, even if the change is for the better. Upgrading to a new operating system always requires a learning period, regardless of how intuitive the software is, and Vista introduces some major interface changes and new ways of doing things that may frustrate your less tech-savvy users.

Some other relevant questions raised include: Are support personnel ready? Is your data safe? What will it really cost (not just license fees!!)? So what’s your take on it?? XP Pro or Vista?

Vagues Ideas

2007-02-09T19:51:00.000+05:30

Welcome to the world of Vagues Ideas!! Here we go:

On learning a new insight, we should perhaps not try to correct our mistakes restrospectively, only start incorporating our new learnt insights to practice right frm moment zero. We need not go into our past works and attempt to incorporate the corrections there, as this approach does not seem to have “much” value in hindsight; plus the confirmation that the new insight is indeed worthwhile only comes in later and may not always prove to be as good as expected.

Let me give u example of such an insight at least:)

The only way to beat the competition is to stay a step ahead; u can’t prevent them from learning/performing well, nor should u waste ur time and energy in such inferior activites-rather beat them by working that much and a little EXTRA...

2007-01-01T16:20:00.000+05:30

Wish u and ur family a very very happy and prosperious new year!! May you achieve peace, happiness and all that u desire in the new year…

Here’s my theme for the year 2007…..btw, i finally finished in 2006 reading the book “Putting First Things First” by Stephen Covey:)

“REMOVE THE CLUTTER!!

Organize
Priortize
Focus on the Core Issues”

Welcome Post

2006-05-16T19:26:00.000+05:30

Dear Visitor!!

This is supposed to be my FIRST Blog on this site...Earlier I was writing HERE on Wordpress....but somehow I realized midway that blogger is just better in some aspects which are matter to me...I guess Pages option is not available here, but this nevertheles appears to be more powerful bloggin toolkit...So I just decided to shift to blogger and here I am making a fresh beginning!!Anyways, Google is there and its already feeling better here..:)

Anyways, for those who are interested, some of my earlier posts (particularly see the Pages section!!) can still be accessed here: http://rajeshpal.wordpress.com. Enjoy!!

"Its never too late to make a beginning.."