Learning from porn ...

.. this independence day !

In the advent of Internet media, advanced countries struggled regulating p2p sharing for porn. There were enough laws to control the infestation - both production of pornographic material and consumption of it were illegal. But tracking it down to the offenders was not possible !

It was and is well, very well trenched in the society. There was and is plenty of demand. So the supply used to keep up - including the wrong and illegal types.

That was until, the "whistleblower" regulation .. where one key thing changed, "Consuming porn is NOT illegal, just producing is".

Just "WOW" impact on the number of illegal porn production. Now, anyone can be a bait consumer. Take it, and can tip off about the source. He is protected by law ;)

Corruption is the neo-child-porn of independent India. Nothing happens without bribing. And giving bribe and taking bribe, both attract the same level of punishment. We, the citizens, happily pay  out, and stay mum !

Lets learn from Porn this Independence day. If ANY law can change this social disease,  that would be to tweak the existing one a bit, where paying is no longer a punishable crime.

Happy Independence Day !  Jai Hind !

Role Reversal !

Mixed feelings ! My younger brothers, who until few years ago, were my responsibilities to large extend- education, marriage, housing all the typical things human being does to "settle down". I was the one helping them through all the phases, at every stage feeling proud of their progress and their success. At every stage feeling satisfied about being able to take care of brotherly duties.

But, all of a sudden, there is a role reversal. My younger ones buy me the single malt, that I thought would be awesome but way too expensive. My younger ones book the resort for that beach vacation and don't let me pick up the bill !

Its different feeling for sure. I am still proud. But at the same time, I am a bit depressed too. Did they grow up so fast ? May be I enjoyed taking care of them too much.. ? Not sure what it is. But its a weird feeling.. where happiness, sadness, confusion - all mixed up !

End of the day, its very very good !!!

Experience & Equilibrium .....

A recent bout of lay offs in US of A clearly shows the age discrimination in its full ugliness.

Companies are going for more and more young people in the work force. They put in more hours. They take less sick leaves. Not much of families to take care of. There is ambition to grow, so they all work hard.

While the people in the other side of middle age, have families, have found out better things to do in life. They have figured out that the rat race is meaningful only up to certain extent. And this is the band targeted to leave the business.

Nature is a great equalizer. It creates balance. It creates equilibrium and seeks equilibrium in everything. Every employee goes through, seeks for the growth until he or she gets it and adopts to the pressures of it and creates the appetite for more.
But then, one fine day, it reaches a point where it is perfectly poised - what he/she is doing, where he is vs. his capabilities. perfect equilibrium ! Any one who has appetite beyond capability not only fail, they also get humiliated and do permanent damage so some thing that was going on very well.

Its like the satellite that burns stages of fuel of the rocket propelling it until it reached the geo-stationary orbit, where it DOES its work. Does it well. No more burning fuel. It reaches a point where its most effective in delivering what it means to deliver.

This is what I think that goes missing in the recent corporate decision to lay off older folks. And more importantly, the folks who are no longer in the rat race of corporate growth ladder.

Most of them are at a stage where they are not working hard, but they are delivering their best ! Because they are in perfect balance. They have figured out their capabilities. And mastered the art of playing that role. And have no further ambition to grow. They work the 7-8hrs, and go home for better things.

And that's the bracket that is targeted the most !! Something is wrong. Some of the decision makers should just chill and watch a masterful innings of Lil Master batting with a very capable younger non-striker. They would know, what experience means. They would both do same number of runs may be - but one of them would do it with much less effort and much more grace. Making it look easy.

No marks for guessing which one.