Why do people shout in anger ? - Story about Relationships - Source:Quora

This is an interesting story that I can across on Quora by Pritesh Kalantri. Thought of sharing it with a wider set of people. 

A Hindu saint who was visiting river  Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks,  shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled ‘n  asked. ‘Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?’

Disciples thought for a while, one of  them said, ‘Because we lose our calm, we shout.’ ‘But, why should you  shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell  him what you have to say in a soft manner.’ asked the saint.

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.
Finally the saint explained, . ‘When two  people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover  that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other.

The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.
What happens when two people fall in  love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, Because their  hearts are very close. The distance between them is either non-existent  or very small…’ The saint continued, ‘When they love each other even  more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper ‘n they get even  closer to each other in their love.

Finally they even need not whisper, they  only look at each other ‘n that’s all. That is how close two people are  when they love each other.’
He looked at his disciples ‘n said. ‘So  when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that  distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the  distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.’

The truth about True Caller App

Update: The database of Truecaller App were recently hacked, user phone numbers may have been accessed. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/truecaller-database-allegedly-hacked-millions-of-phone-records-stolen/407621-11.html

Like many of my friends, you too may have installed this immensely popular Android and iOS app. Everyone knows that it is an app that tells you the name of the person calling you even if that number is not saved in your phone book.However, what most people don’t know is HOW DOES TRUE CALLER get this information. 

Here's the truth about True Caller

When a user installs the True Caller app on his mobile phone, he knowingly or unknowingly allows True Caller app to scan and upload his entire phone book (directory) to the databases of True Caller.

Now, with so many users installing this app, True Caller has a huge directory where it matches the names with numbers and lets people know who owns what number. So when someone calls you, the calling number is searched on True Caller’s database and the name is returned to you.

Now, the main problem – To ensure that this app works, True caller will continuously need to add entries in its database. So it not only uploads your phonebook (directory), it also scans your contacts and friends from your social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN.

For unsuspecting users, this could be major privacy concern, especially when they themselves haven’t uploaded their numbers on the app, some of their contact or friend has uploaded it. Their personal mobile number is out in the public without their knowledge or consent. They can easily be victimized because anyone can get access to their numbers from True Caller’s website. And mobile phone numbers are surely not the first thing you want to be publicly accessible.

So if you want to get your number removed from the database of True Caller, click here > http://www.truecaller.com/unlist/

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ssj414

Reveiw - The Sky Cafe, Fort, Mumbai

My meanderings through the alleys of Mumbai in search of a good meal with great experience take me to places far and near (well, mostly near). This time, the halt was at Sky Cafe - opposite Sterling Cinemas. This is one of the few open-air cafes in the city and had been on my 'to-try' list for a long time.

To start with, don't let the name fool you. This place is right on the ground floor, and the sky is far-far away and barely visible through those huge umbrellas and tarpualine sheets. A name like SKY CAFE would suit a roof top restaurant with a clear view of the sky.

But this does not take away from the 'ground realities' (pun intended) of the ambience at this place. The lighting is perfect and sets the mood, only to be spoilt a bit by the ‘canteen-like’ moulded wooden chairs. They should have stuck to more comfortable seating like couches or lounge chairs made with natural materials like cane, bamboo or pure wood. It would greatly add to the ambience.

Now comes the food, this place has it all – Chinese, Italian, Lebanese, Pizzas, pastries etc. But sadly, it doesn’t score much in this area. The cold coffee that we ordered was not churned and had to be sent back to the blender. The one with ice-cream had no trace of the ice cream in it. The cream of mushroom and almond soup was ok-ish in taste. The starters: Potato wedges (I have been trying this at most places now !!) and Crispy Veg. in thai sweet chilly sauce were good. The later was better of the two and we ordered another one, just spend more time in the café. We were not courageos enough to order the main course, but may be next time, I like adventure in life ;-)

The service leaves much to be desired, right from the English speaking skills of the waiters to the simple things like serving water before being asked to. This place is new and probably run by a similarly new (inexperienced) management. Maybe they will learn with time, till then we’d go here solely for the ambience and to kill some time before or after the movie at Sterling.

Review - The Banyan Tree Restaurant, Fort ,Mumbai

This one's close to office so I often hop in to catch up with friends and chat up. The place is not so crowded most of the times and that is what makes it my favourite - you can actually sit here and talk without being disturbed by noisy families. You know the types with kids and aunties (who love to talk with their counterparts on the other end of the table).

So the ambience gets a full 10 on 10. The food somehow makes you pay for it though ;-)

I usually have the 'soup of the day' and follow it up with a starter. An average starter costs 130 with a 'not-so-big' portion. My personal favourite is the Potato Wedges which is served with a spicy dip (Rs 90). I have tried the pasta a couple of times and liked it, but not the portion does not justify the cost. I haven't tried the deserts yet (its very unlikely me though) But i will soon end up trying them.

Go to this place if you have some time to kill or you wanna have a cosy conversation with someone special ;-).

But hey dont promote it too much, else you wont find a table for yourself the next time you go there !!!

Open, Edit and convert PPTx, XLSx, DOCx files (MS Office 2007 /2010) - Easily

So, you have been receiving PPTx, XLSx, DOCx files but don't know how to open and edit them. Well, fret not, here's the solution.

Just download this application and install it. Once done, it takes care of everything. Yes, everything. You can open these files just like any other file. What's more, you can even save these files as: .PPT, .XLS and .DOC formats which are backward compatible (for those who came in late, it means that these work with older versions of MS Office like 97 & 2003).

So here's the link.... click away !!!

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

In praise of the invincible - Rajnikanth

Some of the best lines that describe Rajnikanth.

• Rajinikanth killed the Dead Sea
• Rajnikanth goes top court and sentences the judge
• Rajnikanth leaves messages before the beep
• Rajnikanth can make onions cry
• Rajnikanth can delete the Recycle bin
• King Kong climbed the Empire State Building because Rajnikanth was waiting at the bottom !!
• Rajnikanth doesn't wear a watch he decides what time it is
• Q. What can Rajnikanth do and others cant??
  A. Well, He can speak in braille, answer a missed call and has counted to infinity twice!!
• Big Boss asked Rajnikanth to be a participant...the next we hear is..."Rajnikanth chahte hain ki Big Boss confession room mein aaye!
• Keep Rajnikanth as your status .. your desktop will turn to Sony Vaio or Macbook.....
• Rajinikanth doesn't need a visa to travel abroad, he just jumps from the tallest building in Chennai and holds himself in the air while the earth rotates.
• Rajinikanth knows Victoria's secret.
• The Robot released.....Rajnikant has given Times Of India 4 Stars

In fact there lot of other jokes about Rajnikanth doing the rounds after the release of Robot! But for the best ones, check out www.com.rajni

A poem from my school - Very encouraging

I dont know if any of you would remember this from our school. It's penned by Late Shri Harivanshrai Bachchan - Big B's father.

The gist of the poem is about rising up after every fall. I used to say the opening lines whenever i was faced with tough times. Today i happened to google it and found it here

So the credit goes to him and not me. Well, here's the poem:

Need Ka Nirman Phir Phir

Need Ka Nirman Phir Phir,
Neh Ka Ahvan Phir Phir
Yah Uthee Aandhi Ki Nabh Mein
Chha Gaya Sahasa Andhera
Dhooli Dhoosar Badalon Ne
Bhoomi Ko Is Bhaanti Ghera
Raat Sa Din Ho Gaya
Phir Raat Aayee Aur Kali
Lag Raha Tha Ab Na Hoga
Is Nisha Ka Phir Savera
Raat Ke Utpaat Bhay Se
Bheet Jan Jan Bheet Kan Kan
Kintu Prachi Se Usha Ki
Mohini Muskaan Phir Phir,
Need ka nirman phir phir
Neh ka avhaan phir phir!
Kruddha nabh ke vajradanton mein
Usha hai muskaraati,
Ghor garjanmay gagan ke kanth mein
Khag pankti gaati
Ek chidiya chonch mein
Tinka liye jo jaa rahi hai
Vah sahaj mein hi pavan unchaas ko
Neecha dikha rahi hai.
Nash ke dukh se kabhi
Dabta nahin nirmaan ka sukh
Pralay ki nistabdhata mein
Srushti ka navgaan phir phir.
Need ka nirmaan phir phir
Neh ka aavhaan phir phir.


Its more fun to write it in Hindi (devnagari)... so here goes:
नीड का निर्माण फिर फिर
नेह का आव्हान फिर फिर
यह उठी आँधी कि नभ में
छा गया सहसा अँधेरा
धूलि धूसर बादलों ने
भूमि को इस भाँती घेरा
रात सा दिन हो गया
फिर रात आई और काली
लग रहा था अब न होगा
इस निशा का फिर सवेरा
रात के उत्पात भय से
भीत जन जन भीत कण कण
किंतु प्राची से उषा की
मोहिनी मुस्कान फिर फिर
नीड का निर्माण फिर फिर
नेह का आव्हान फिर फिर
क्रुद्ध नभ के वज्र दंतों में
उषा है मुसकराती
घोर गर्जनमय गगन के
कंठ में खग पंक्ति गाती
एक चिडिया चोंच में तिनका लिए
जो जा रही है
वह सहज में ही पवन
उनचास को नीचा दिखा रही है
नाश के दुःख से कभी
दबता नहीं निर्माण का सुख
प्रलय की निस्तब्धता में
सृष्टि का नवगान फिर फिर
नीड का निर्माण फिर फिर
नेह का आव्हान फिर फिर

Musings - Moments

Life is not made of years but of moments; and it is these moments that we count when we calculate how much life you have in those years. (And not how many years u have in your life) I have realised this for the umpteenth time. And i have always maintained this, but these moments are hard to come by. Maybe that's why they are special. But when they do come, be sure that you dont miss them.

Ignorance is Bliss !!!

I have always maintained that the secret of success in any field is knowledge and so I tend to equip myself with information of any and every kind. I try to be as informed as possible on myriad topics ranging from technology to the paranormal.

Some of my friends appreciate my ‘bank’ of information and come to be for advice on various topics. I too enjoy helping those whom I can. However, of late I have realised that a lot of information actually leads to a lot of misery and more confusion than you can handle.

We have a tendency of being 'the devils advocate' with the information that we have. We inevitably use it to limit our progress. Some of the most successful innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs were not ‘educated’ so they were to naive to know the hurdles that they would face in their path to sucess and so they never worried about these hurdles - they just plunged right in!

Even when I started my business a decade ago, I was just 18 and did not know anything that a modern management graduate does (I had only completed junior college then). All I knew is that I had a great idea which could translate into a great business. So I just got off with it. A friend tried to dissuade me saying the model won’t work, it only made my resolve stronger to succeed.No wonder the business succeeded and I learnt things about the business while staying in the business and not outside of it.

If I have to restart my business now, I won’t be able to do it the same way as I did in 2000. The overload of information will not allow me to 'plunge right in'.

I would do a thousand feasibility analyses and use the various models that my MBA taught me.All this while knowing fully that none of these models and analyses would guarantee 100 % success. We use them only to put things in perspective so as to get more information about the chances of failure, Such analysis are rarely about actual solutions to our problems.

Years of formal education and knowledge has limited our thinking and imagination into an inflexible mould. There is no scope of intuition and spontaneity, risk-taking is not on the basis of gut-feeling; and out of the box thinking is left out completely.

An ode to Shantaram

Sharing a few quotes from the greatest book I have ever read - Shantaram.

For those who came in late, Shantaram is the story of Gregory David Roberts, who shares his life experiences of living in Bombay after he escaped from an Australian jail. His life in Bombay took him from the streets of colaba to the mountains of Afghanistan where he fought against the Russians. In between he fell in love, worked for the mafia and went to a jail and even started a medical clinic in a slum.

• Truth is a bully that we all pretend to like (Karla)
• I dont know what frightens me more, the power that crushes us, or our endless ability to endure it (Karla)
• Some of the worst wrongs, were caused by people who tried to change things (Karla)
• It’s forgiveness that makes us what we are. Without forgiveness, our species would’ve annihilated itself in endless retributions.
  
• One of the ironies of courage and why we prize it so highly, is that we find it easier to be brave for somone else than we do for ourselves alone
• Happiness is a myth. it was invented to make us buy things (Karla)
• Nothing in any life, no matter how well or poorly lived, is wiser than failure or clearer than sorrow.
  
• Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting.
• Sometimes you love only with hope, sometimes, you cry without tears. Someetimes, thats all that is left, to cling together till the dawn.
• The past reflects eternally between two mirrors -the bright mirror of words and deeds, and the dark one, full of things we didn’t do or say.
• We know who we are and define what we are by references to the people we love and our reasons for loving them
• You can never tell what people have inside them, until you start taking it away
• A dream is a place where a wish and a fear meet. When the wish and fear are exactly the same, we call the dream a nightmare.
• Silence is the tortured mans revenge
• If fate doesn’t make you laugh, you just don’t get the joke
• Men reveal what they think when they look away, and what they feel when they hesitate. With women, it’s the other way around.
• News is about what people do. Gossip is about how they enjoyed doing it.
• Nothing grieves more deeply or pathetically than one half of a great love that isn’t meant to be.
• Guilt is the hilt of the knife that we use on ourselves, and love is often the blade; but it’s worry that keeps the knife sharp; and worry that gets most of us, in the end.
• Every virtuous act has some dark secret in its heart; every risk we take contains a mystery that can’t be solved.
• There’s no meanness too spiteful or too cruel, when we hate someone for all the wrong reasons.
• At first, when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. What we should fear and dread instead is that we won’t stop loving them, even after they are dead and gone.
• The biggest problem with corruption as a form of government, is that it works so well.
• People haven’t stopped beleiving in love. They have stopped wanting to be in love. They just dont beleive in happy endings anymore. They still beleive in love, and falling in love but now they know that romances almost never end as well as they begin
• Only the anarchists trust human beings enough to ;et them work it out themselves

Got any more of your own to share...do that in the comments below this post.