Big shot of some sort

Struts around flaunting money
His status by fake generosity
Has nothing to call of his own
A big shot of some sort

His cars are what attract the girls
And they in turn the paparazzi
His life and style invite envy
Despite the world has the hungry many

Big shot of some sort
Do some good off Daddy's cash
Or the day is not far when you die
Of drug overdose in a costly hotel

None but I

There is none but I
In the rivers and waters leading to the sea
There is none but I
In the car loan vast realms of the sky

All variety is me, all diversity mine
There is none but I
In the creative thoughts of the mind

I was never away, though the mind was at times quiet
I never was awake, though proud of the my intellect's domain

The Great Gurus of the Sikhs

The Gurus who are, bravery exemplified
Both within and in the, world lived out
Pray help and bless me, with true form of bravery

The Gurus who taught, even householder life is spiritual
The Gurus who synthesized, both the physical and spiritual
Pray guide and bless me, to achieve true balance

The Gurus who were, the very face of benevolence
Who gave in charity, their possessions and lives
Pray fill my life-sense too, to give selflessly all

Moving fast towards dullness

The world seems all but praise for speed
Ignoring the never ending need to recede

It's all about giving it, right now and quick,
Whatever happened, to the old times slick

The stress and disease, and the dissatisfaction of doing
Of things when done fast, only brings ruin

Look around to this life, we have come for a reason
And all we are doing, is miss the passing season

A lifetime is gone, with your running around with none
Forgot to sit back,  and speak a little to some

In the race of life, the rabbits we've become
Forgetting it was the steady, tortoises that won

The last good bye

I lay not in wait, for the sun rays to rise
Nor for the call, from the messenger of God

These last breaths my dear, are only in thy name
For a time so we relive, the life we had together

They say you should leave, with no attachments behind
Lo behold do they know, the heart touch of a good-bye

Simplify

Not for him, rimless or half rimmed
Or the colourful, fashionable shades
He just wore the big black glasses
And adjust it when he needed

You wouldn't catch him ever, in cap/hat varieties of those
An umbrella was just fine, for wind, rain and sunshine

And though a shirt whenever, needed to step out of home
This dhoti clad man, had never the need for a pant

Wiping his sweatened brow, with the same towel for bath
Why carry a kerchief in pocket, when a towel perched at shoulder

The long gone simplicity, this man carried for our land
He reminds us why a car, when the walk/cycle suffices

Rest assured are such men,  speak less and touch feet in respect
Will stay few in number, until the dawn of wisdom rises

The foregone point

What use is it, looking back at life
When you don't share, O wise old one

Admitted some don't listen, don't even want to hear
But some seek your words, only shy to ask

History must teach, though the lessons are hard
Each life is a context, those around must learn

Drive home your point, O wise old one
The rather be forgotten, as the forgone point

Scriptures help to a point, as a pole vault does

All this reading can help, but only for you to think
To learn and then apply, else it's all for naught

The scriptures are to imbibe, the teachings of forefathers bygone
They want us to learn and follow, and reach the highest goals

But of what use is all these scriptures, if you read it and sleep
Give not a thought to contemplate, to practice them in life

Irrespective of source, reflects on the same medium..

If one looks above, there are a lot of things to see. The sky, the lights, the birds, the trees.
But if one looks down at a reflecting medium, say a lake or a mirror placed on the ground, all of these get reflected on this single medium.
This is how eyesight functions too. Vice versa, this is why space looks dark despite the sun being there.

Does the source have any meaning without a medium to reflect it?

Optimal management: Track 80%, audit the rest

I was recently watching the documentary "Inside Job" on the 2008 financial crisis. What struck me is that despite all the structures and warning systems in place, crisis cannot be avoided if the intent isn't there. Any number of theories or even proofs can be rubbished under the pretext that "it's too complicated to fire foresee" if there is conflict of interest (read, personal gain).

It made me think that even while the film seemed to suggest due regulation as the medicine, there are merits to the other side of the argument. The very reason socialist countries failed was over-regulation and the resultant systemic corruption. India/Bharat is a classic case study. And there is a movie based on a true story for that too (Ek Doctor Ki Maut). Bharat is learning its lessons and is on the journey of reducing the levels of regulation in order to foster innovation.

The solution, as it usually does in any sphere of life, is in the middle path. It  lies in achieving optimal balance. You can write books and books of regulation but lie stuck unable to achieve pragmatic justice as is shown in Bharat's judicial system. Or you can ignore your duty and leave it to the greedy markets at the peril of humanity as was done by the American financial system.

It's no doubt a tight rope if you get boggled by it. What I think we need instead is an in-principle practice of 80% regulation and 20% audit. Nobody likes to say it this way. People build careers writing regulation or battling and systematically undermining it. What is needed is the acceptance that we need regulation in every sphere, but to come up with the optimal levels for it.

Derivatives should not have been  unregulated (the cause of the financial mess). Nor is there a need for a state owned airline (Bharat's Air India).

In management practice too, have rules along with the purpose/intent and guiding principle be scoped out for each activity. Post that, instead of defining procedural rules to the last dot, keep some room for flexibility and make the audit more accountable and stringent.

Quite often, quality or risk management aspects of management is simply shadowing project teams with pointless meetings, tracking and escalation than focusing or adding any contextual value. Either they should get closer to context and individually contribute, or rather let the project ensure quality/risk management under guiding principles and be audited for those (than say, a specific set of documents existing).

The nature of audit also simultaneously has to change. It can't be the way Arthur Anderson and the credit rating agencies did it (getting away with calling ratings as opinion). Quite often it is seen auditors come with a checklist, have little hands on of the system in question, and rate based on docs submitted. Questionable if the docs amounted to the practices on the ground. Instead they'll have to be on their toes now and cross-check execution outcomes in detail or randomly pick areas to look at in depth, knowing that regulation has left room for flexibility. Again, for the same reason, they should ensure that purpose, not procedure is paramount.

In summary, an 80-20 ratio of regulation-audit balance will reduce cost (of scripting and sticking to regulation beyond the purpose) and increase efficiency (optimal use of talent and time, under the parameters of principles than procedures).

In pursuit of religion we forgot the culture

Let's keep aside the religion, why forget we all are Indians. The most ancient "civilized" nation.

Why in the pursuit of certain religions have we chosen to give up our way of life.

Our food habits, dress code, the way we greet, the languages we speak.
All these did not come from a certain religious aspect. This is us!

The sooner we realise this, the more we will Feel and Be, United!!