Bombay Mirror

Once in a while you come across something that is able to make a point or several points. Assumptions and perceptions is something that most of us allow ourselves to be influenced by. And that's not such a great idea.

The short film "Bombay Mirror" holds a mirror for us to see and reflect. In the words of its director, Shlok Sharma, "In times like ours, when all are groping around in the dark to find their belief systems, I feel this time is appropriate to share my 2nd short film here. A satire on the unpredictability of human nature, Bombay Mirror is actually a dig on fanaticism."

The World's Largest Participative Event

The world's largest democracy is currently undergoing elections. You'd expect that an event of this magnitude would get serious attention on the world's stage. And that it would attract some attention in the US media.

I was surprised to see that the event did not merit even a metion in passing. Not even in programs covering world affairs. There were 2 exceptions. An opinion ed in the New York Times and a unique take on the subject by British comedian John Oliver. Together they give an awesome insight into an amazing event.

The New York Times Op Ed
"
The Biggest Election
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
MARCH 11, 2014

A growing population guarantees that every national election in India is the largest election ever held. This year is no exception. More than 814 million citizens are eligible to vote in national elections scheduled to begin on April 7 and conclude on May 12. Much is riding on the results, which are expected on May 16.

The Election Commission of India has time and again performed the amazing feat of getting mind-boggling numbers of voters to the polls — and then counting all those votes. There is every reason to believe that this next mammoth democratic exercise will be free and fair.

Polls indicate that the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to win the most seats, though probably not enough to form a government without support from one or more of India’s large regional parties. This leaves a very slim chance that the Indian National Congress could cobble together enough seats to remain a part of a governing coalition. There are many wild cards, including the impact of India’s new Aam Aadmi Party, whose anticorruption campaign resonates with many voters.

India’s national elections are an achievement, but are only one of the pillars on which democracy depends. And here India’s democracy has proved far shakier. Its Constitution promises much: It guarantees essential democratic rights, including equality before the law and freedom of religion and expression. It prohibits discrimination based on religion, caste or race, and it guarantees the right to an education. The Constitution also explicitly prohibits exploitation, forced labor and child labor.

Yet in many of these areas, the country has fallen tragically short. While a vibrant economy has created a record number of billionaires and an aspiring middle class, grossly exploitive working conditions are the lot of many Indians, including children. The vast majority of young children are now enrolled in primary school, but many attend schools so poorly staffed and equipped that they cannot learn. The court system remains inefficient, with far too many cases languishing without resolution. Attacks on freedom of expression are increasingly common, with pressure and threats of the crudest kind casting a dangerous chill on the free exchange of ideas and opinions. These conditions pose serious threats to India’s open society.

That’s why the next election will be crucial. Voter turnout is expected to be high. Indians hold dear their power to express their hopes and vent their frustrations at the ballot box. But if the next government cannot deliver the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, India’s democracy will have failed its citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/opinion/the-biggest-election.html?_r=0
"

And the extremely funny John Olivers take on the India Elections and the US media.

Idea to Reality

Many of us have had great ideas for products. And they remained that. An idea. Mainly because we didn't have the ability to translate those ideas into working products. We basically find that we don't have the resources to convert our ideas into reality.

Now there's an option. Quirky is website that allows inventors to share their ideas and if the site's experts and its users find that the idea has commercial merit, they will convert the dream to a reality.
You can check it out at : www.quirky.com

An example is of their latest release, a cool air conditioner. And what's really amazing is that it took just 4 months from the first submission of the idea to the final product available in stores. So not only do they help the inventor with the development of the prototype, they have a great system to get it to market.

And if you thought all of that was great, here's the best part. Money. All the stakeholders get a piece of the pie. The inventor gets a % (in the 10% range), and interestingly enough so do the site users who were part of the interaction that led to the idea becoming a product.

Would like to go on, but have to rush. Need to get out my drawing board and sketch out the ideas I have. And that's one of the negatives of such a portal. We all may suddenly realize that our dream idea is not such a great idea after all.

Advice or Advise

Should you be giving advice or advise ? Actually neither. One is grammatically incorrect. And the other would be wasted.

I have a general rule of not giving advise. That is because in my experience, people hear what you say, but only listen to what they want. And its very rarely what you're saying.

This week was an exception. There were 2 occasions when I felt that it would be a good idea to break my rule and give some, what I believed was well meaning advice. And once again I was wrong. It was a wasted effort.

And so the question that presents itself, "When do we need advise ?" and "When should we give advice ?". And for a change, the answers are reasonably simple.

So when do we really need advice ? The answer is probably, "Always". We could all do with some good advice. Others see what we don't and so getting  their perspective could be extremely useful.

It's my experience we should only consider giving advice, when specifically asked for it. Even then on most occasions, what is being sought is an endorsement of their opinion,, but the probability of them evaluating your opinion when they've asked for it are reasonably high.

And interestingly enough, if some of the above is correct, chances are you would continue to use your judgement on if and when to give advice. And what works, is what's right.