hello world
Friday, April 12, 2019
Thursday, August 21, 2014
One world one fight and yeah one global sport - FOOTBALL
So the unthinkable for me has happened as far as sport is concerned. I never thought would come a day when I would extol the virtues of a FIFA football game more than that of a Cricketing contest. But it is not entirely my doing friends. With Dravid, Ponting, Lara, Sachin and Warnie gone and all the other greats of the 90s, what choice do I have to watch. And the performance that the team displayed in England this summer only reminds me as to why I have virtually stooped following cricket after Dravid retired back in 2012. But the point here is football.
I have never really followed club football but did view the world cups and the Euro matches regularly. But this WC it was different. I suddenly realized that it was a truly global sport. For starters, the name of the players rang a different bell every now and again. Ii mean if it is cricket, it is either a watSON or a jonSON, a PieterSeN or an anderSON. It is really the commonwealth so there is not enough variety in the names to begin with. OK there is every once in a while a DeVilliers or a Kallis who may be of continental european ancestory. But those are really few and far in between. Now compare it to this galaxy - Suarez, Van Persie, Diouf, Rodriguez, Neymar (that sounds way too cool man), Di Maria, Honda and a lot of more Asian and African names. It suddenly makes you realize the diversity of our globe. The fans are sometimes called a little bit on the Hhooligan side but they know the merits of a team game. No? You ever saw a placard that read "Mmessi"? It is always "go Azzuri" or "Tiki Taka". My cousin pointed that right. I am no expert on Football by a long shot. I liked the excitement of the Dutch-Columbia encounter much more than any Cricketing fixture I had witnessed. Ok I did overstate it there. But yea, you get the point. So I want to know more about football now. More than I ever did and I am happy about that. So Never say never.
I have never really followed club football but did view the world cups and the Euro matches regularly. But this WC it was different. I suddenly realized that it was a truly global sport. For starters, the name of the players rang a different bell every now and again. Ii mean if it is cricket, it is either a watSON or a jonSON, a PieterSeN or an anderSON. It is really the commonwealth so there is not enough variety in the names to begin with. OK there is every once in a while a DeVilliers or a Kallis who may be of continental european ancestory. But those are really few and far in between. Now compare it to this galaxy - Suarez, Van Persie, Diouf, Rodriguez, Neymar (that sounds way too cool man), Di Maria, Honda and a lot of more Asian and African names. It suddenly makes you realize the diversity of our globe. The fans are sometimes called a little bit on the Hhooligan side but they know the merits of a team game. No? You ever saw a placard that read "Mmessi"? It is always "go Azzuri" or "Tiki Taka". My cousin pointed that right. I am no expert on Football by a long shot. I liked the excitement of the Dutch-Columbia encounter much more than any Cricketing fixture I had witnessed. Ok I did overstate it there. But yea, you get the point. So I want to know more about football now. More than I ever did and I am happy about that. So Never say never.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
The detective
Prologue: Hello my dear readers!! This novel was being written way back and I am not sure about some of the writing elements here anymore. Sometimes its a little immature. But still, reminds one of their thinking pattern back in the day. So while being embarrased about it sometimes, I shall publish it. New one coming in soon!!
The wallpaper at the back of the study had always amazed John with its mysterious symbols and a coiled serpent residing at the base of it. It was one of the many indulgences that his friend possessed to stimulate his ever alert and charged mind. It was some mystical philosophy from the east. Beside it lay the portrait of the deity of the Hare Krishna temple that had grown many chapters in the United States over the decades. To the untrained eye, the setting may have indicated the presence of a scholar of theology even if they were not able to see the Torah and the Old testament peeping out from the far-left shelf among many other scriptural texts that occupied that shelf amid a plethora of books in the room. But, comparative religion and spirituality and then synthesis from the same was just one of the many interests of his friend. He tend to gobble up any piece of "natural" knowledge that he liked to call it that he could lay his hands on. Thus anything related to geography, history, physics, medieval art, victorian sports, astronomy, astrology and a host of other topics could easily find way into his study provided it was sufficiently thought provoking and promised to stimulate the neurons of the occupant of the study. John had wondered many a times how so much volume of information did not run a riot of its own inside his brains.
But at that moment he just waited with a mix of anticipation and boredom for his friend and flatmate to acknowledge his presence in the room. For someone who did not understand the setting, it would have come across as rude on his part to not engage with someone sitting on the other side of the table while xxxxxxxxx browsed through the pages on his screen seemingly oblivious of the trivial details of the mundane existence. But John knew better. "I pity the poor economist," opined the somewhat stoical voice of xxxxxxxx while his gaze was still fixed on the screen. "The macroeconomist in this case.," he completed his sentence. "What has fallen upon him as you say it," John tried to generate some interest in the conversation in hope of further engagement. "Ah, it is the honest spirit of contribution purely in work in this case. But his doubts that I decipher between the lines are unfounded," declared the grinning countenance as he turned his torso now to face John finally. "Am I supposed to understand any of it," John inquired more matter of factly than ever. "That depends on whether you are interested in anything of real import outside your banal practicalities," replied xxxxxxxx with an equal fervor. "And what if I did," John now appealed to know more without getting any further into the verbal charade. "Well, the lot of the Economists is a particularly interesting case. Please make no mistake as I identify a lot with their line of thinking and respect the work they do. However, almost all of them are beset with a deep sense of doubt and even mistrust regarding their own profession of years. They secretly question as to whether the work they do with so much fervor and ado is actually as meritorious in the real world. Of-course, it is a question beyond the grasp of a mojority of them even if they are discerning enough to raise the question in the first place. But let me clarify once and for all to you that their doubts are dumbfounded and people like John Maynard Keynes did not se on a wild goose's chase through their lives. But, yes this discipline is wrought with enough impostors as well to cast a spell of doubt on the profession in certain situations. But a practitioner who really devotes his time and thought towards the understandings of the complex market driven world which by the way is much easier today with the advent of the internet, is sure to stumble upon an axiom or two to find the beautiful patterns that lay covertly beneath the more mundane functionings of the markets. It was afterall a simple idea of unemployment versus production capabilities that drove the foundations of the most quoted macroeconomic theory of the last decade. That was the time of the great depression anyway. But let me not trouble you with a topic you clearly are not much energized by. What it is infact that you wish to tell me with so much eagerness anyhow," inquired xxxxxxx. That he had deciphered that John had wanted to discuss something peculiar with him had no more amazed John as such deductions formed a more trivial part around xxxxxxx. He would have arrived at it somehow he thought.
Then John explained to him about his meeting with the Sheikh with some enthusiasm. "The real question here is whether or not vengeance leads to a gratification in the mind of the avenger. My experience and insight point to a place which states that the plan needs to be a little more elaborate than a crude extraction of revenge by the one going for it. It is really a matter of sealing an argument in essence between the parties," concluded the masterful xxxxxxx. John grasped a little bit of what had been said and was fairly satisfied with the response. Discussions with xxxxxxx were never bereft of substance after-all.
But at that moment he just waited with a mix of anticipation and boredom for his friend and flatmate to acknowledge his presence in the room. For someone who did not understand the setting, it would have come across as rude on his part to not engage with someone sitting on the other side of the table while xxxxxxxxx browsed through the pages on his screen seemingly oblivious of the trivial details of the mundane existence. But John knew better. "I pity the poor economist," opined the somewhat stoical voice of xxxxxxxx while his gaze was still fixed on the screen. "The macroeconomist in this case.," he completed his sentence. "What has fallen upon him as you say it," John tried to generate some interest in the conversation in hope of further engagement. "Ah, it is the honest spirit of contribution purely in work in this case. But his doubts that I decipher between the lines are unfounded," declared the grinning countenance as he turned his torso now to face John finally. "Am I supposed to understand any of it," John inquired more matter of factly than ever. "That depends on whether you are interested in anything of real import outside your banal practicalities," replied xxxxxxxx with an equal fervor. "And what if I did," John now appealed to know more without getting any further into the verbal charade. "Well, the lot of the Economists is a particularly interesting case. Please make no mistake as I identify a lot with their line of thinking and respect the work they do. However, almost all of them are beset with a deep sense of doubt and even mistrust regarding their own profession of years. They secretly question as to whether the work they do with so much fervor and ado is actually as meritorious in the real world. Of-course, it is a question beyond the grasp of a mojority of them even if they are discerning enough to raise the question in the first place. But let me clarify once and for all to you that their doubts are dumbfounded and people like John Maynard Keynes did not se on a wild goose's chase through their lives. But, yes this discipline is wrought with enough impostors as well to cast a spell of doubt on the profession in certain situations. But a practitioner who really devotes his time and thought towards the understandings of the complex market driven world which by the way is much easier today with the advent of the internet, is sure to stumble upon an axiom or two to find the beautiful patterns that lay covertly beneath the more mundane functionings of the markets. It was afterall a simple idea of unemployment versus production capabilities that drove the foundations of the most quoted macroeconomic theory of the last decade. That was the time of the great depression anyway. But let me not trouble you with a topic you clearly are not much energized by. What it is infact that you wish to tell me with so much eagerness anyhow," inquired xxxxxxx. That he had deciphered that John had wanted to discuss something peculiar with him had no more amazed John as such deductions formed a more trivial part around xxxxxxx. He would have arrived at it somehow he thought.
Then John explained to him about his meeting with the Sheikh with some enthusiasm. "The real question here is whether or not vengeance leads to a gratification in the mind of the avenger. My experience and insight point to a place which states that the plan needs to be a little more elaborate than a crude extraction of revenge by the one going for it. It is really a matter of sealing an argument in essence between the parties," concluded the masterful xxxxxxx. John grasped a little bit of what had been said and was fairly satisfied with the response. Discussions with xxxxxxx were never bereft of substance after-all.
the trans-atlantic adventure
Prologue: Hello my dear readers!! This novel was being written way back and I am not sure about some of the writing elements here anymore. Sometimes its a little immature. But still, reminds one of their thinking pattern back in the day. So while being embarrassed about it sometimes, I shall publish it. New one coming in soon!! With new observations!!
chapter 1
"Humse na ulajh ae zaalim, hamne har haal mein jeene ki kasam khayi hai, tera nadaan guroor na tujhe wahan le jayee ke jahan uski maut aaye hai", spelled the placard hanging above the desk of Musa Sheikh. The script on display was that of Urdu which was a derivation from Persian and Arabic. After trying in vain to resist the urge, John gave in and asked Musa: "So what does it mean the truism hanging over your head?". The Sheikh moved his neck with a visible strain on it and also the girth of his abdomen, although he did not particularly need to as he remembered every word of it. Just to absorb the essence, John thought. Well Mr John Baker, it is the essence of patience and renunciation. "How so?", John got more interested and inquisitive. "You have a keen interest and an innate curiosity", the Sheikh professed. "Ah you should meet my friend someday", shuddered John. "But the truism now", he completed his sentence. "Ok let me put it this way, have you watched Jack Reacher the movie. There is an instance in it where Reacher talks about a blind spot.", John's nod grew in amplitude as the dialogue progresses clearly hitting the spot in the feature film where the conversation had occurred. How could he not. This was the stuff that he lived by. And he really grasped the essence of the writing as well. Reacher had spoken about the run to the finish line. His station in life was that of a man with nothing to loose and ample skill. And ample intent to add to it. And his MO was the striking of the lightning when it was least expected. His disposition was to avoid confrontation but his dint was to outwit and out-race the adversary. He was ready to go to any length of time and rationale in a fight. And it was always going to be a losing battle for his opponent. He was in a way the destiny's instrument to bring the uncouth and arrogant aggressor to justice. And he believed in saving the mean-ness for the end. "A arrow once shot should hit the target and should need to fire just one for one." There was little more that the Sheikh explained to John on that one. "The real satisfaction in revenge is when you see fear, helplessness, worthlessness, weakness sans repentance in the eye of the perpetrator of the injustice when you brutally bring him to closure. And when your own eye is devoid of mercy. That brings the kind of terror that finds its place deeply etched in the wiring of the mind in an instant that would cripple him forever. My faith does not allow me to believe in rebirth but any practitioner of the law of reincarnation worth their salt would tell you that such impressions or samskaars would carry into their next lives", concluded the Sheikh. The passion and intensity that had lit the countenance of the otherwise dull Sheikh was an added confirmation to John that there was more to his story than was known to the gentry in the inner circles of San Francisco. "You make no attempt to conceal your deeply sinister vengeful thoughts," John could not help remark. "It is the wisdom and the burden at the same time Mr Baker, presses you with the melancholy but lifts you with its own freedom. Only if you have taken the hard yards that is. But remember, there needs to be the disguise of the fixed smile before the moment arrives.", the Sheikh retorted seemingly regaining his poise. After an extended second of awkwardness, John smiled and bid adieu eventually.
"A conversation after his own heart. He would definitely find the Sheikh intriguing. Only that he would have a more balanced outlook and not be swayed by passion. He would rather synthesize something out of it for a more constructive result. But he would understand the sinister side of things nevertheless. I wonder how their conversation would flow if they ever met. Anyhow, I would make it a point to mention this rendezvous with him tonight.", thought Baker to himself. If it was bizarre that he had been reminded of his friend as he moved out of the house of the Sheik, it was only to the uninitiated. That was because the only man there could be to grasp the essence of the Sheikh's utterances through experience and then add some to it, it had to be John Baker's flatmate and somewhat kindred spirit of xxxxxxxx. The pragmatic side of John had successfully prevented him from wasting any time on deliberating whether what characterized his and xxxxxxx relationship was friendship in the conventional sense. But he knew that their thinking patterns were similar. They saw sense in the same stuff and the world made sense to them through each other's understanding. Of-course that was when xxxxxxx stooped to John's level of consciousness or that of the mundane world. John was closest to someone who understood the functioning of his brilliantly gifted mind. And also his eccentricities. He just grasped how the wiring worked and was able to actually marvel at it. And he thought the mundane world was the poorer for not deciphering that. Or he pitied the mundane world for it.
menagerie
chapter 2
The muzzled sounds of the fast pressing of the keys was interrupted only by the sharp loaded? sound of the "enter" key. He had always been one for a little bit of histrionics albeit much subtle. And he felt really charged at that point and hence every line of code that his being churned out was meted with a victorious thump of a key stroke. He knew the importance of each line's code. This was "functional" programming at its best and at the cutting edge. It was different from the mundane world of the PHPs and the Javas that ruled the regular programming world. It is so 90s he thought once in a while. He liked Scala and NodeJS. He liked the philosophy of it. Every line of code keyd-in punched in a lot more of essence and made him feel erudite and even creative sometimes. How many programmers could claim that he thought. But again, it was not about coding anymore he thought. He had conquered the crazy world of geeks and nerds way back in high-school with all the hackathons, p2p products that attracted users like a charm and ruling the IRC discussions of the geekiest kind. Part of his migrating to Europe from the flash of the life at the valley was his appreciation of the open source community towards the development of the programming IP. While the world relied on awesome products that were churned out in huge numbers from the garages or makeshift offices of the silicon valley entrepreneur or heck even NYC now, the real power that propelled them was with the technology stack he thought. And Europe fared much better in that regard. At least that was the impression he had from his time at the IRC. And he would give up on the dusty swathes of California any-day for the verdant scape of the trans-Atlantic continent. So he migrated to France to begin with and morphed into a pan-Europe being of some sort. His current "hideout" was amid the sharp backdrop of Eastern Europe.
But he was not thinking programming at all now. He had done that long back and now it served as a means to an end. He had had enough of the "wow" moments in his life as a geek to have felt it grow banal. It was then that he had decided that he needed to influence and touch the lives of people more than anything else if he had to garner any sense of lasting achievement and professional happiness. The money that he would make in the process if he did would be an added incentive. He would bother about that only when he got it. He did not get inspired by the thoughts of accumulating bundles of cash. That for him was mundane and boring. The only thing that you would achieve with that was "Show-off" and manipulation at the hands of the "consumer economy" which was an idea he loathed with passion. He knew the import of financial independence but he had a lifetime left to achieve that. This was the period of his youthfulness. Well relatively speaking. This was the time for madness and energy. This was the time to form original ideas, be a rebel of sorts, have a spirit and form lasting memories of life. This was the time to feel the "LIFE" in his being. If the times spent at the IRC channel more than a decade back could satisfy him and lift up his spirits still, the more meaningful endeavor he had set on now should get him through the life on the satisfaction quotient he argued. The only thing that would be left would be health-care and a roof for his old-age he thought. A family would fit in somewhere as well if the fate intervened.
And if at all he got overwhelmed with the world of computing someday, he could very well teach medieval history to pupils back in the United States. He had acquired a first hand knowledge of the facts from history by visiting those sites and had developed a passion for the same. He could feel the story of humankind unfold in his vision post the "Dark Ages" in continental Europe. He always thanked his gut for that whenever he had a chance. His well-wishers had posed all kinds of questions on his move. Even the ones who did not have a clue of their own lives. But many had appreciated his plan. Water under the bridge he thought now. A lot of his friends had made trips across the Atlantic and stayed with him through the years. It had started to feel intrusive sometimes of-late but he knew that was not the correct way to think about them. A bit of the "yank" flavor every now and then was just so good he mused. It was also a good reminder to him that he was to being with, always an American at heart. For all the accusation of materialism? and consumerism, leading a self gratifying life and caring less for the environment, he knew there was a deeper spirit at work in the regular American. It was the spirit of honest inquiry in life. If the philosophers of yonder in Greece had spent lifetimes understanding the mind and the greater questions that beset life, the thought leaders in America were doing a similar job through action. They seem earnest enough.
And who in the world did not like the American Cheese Burger. The fact of the matter was that xxxxxxx had it all in him to make or do something that could shape the lives of people around him or even beyond. And he tried very hard to achieve that. And while he was pondering all of that, opened the door and in came yyyyyy. yyyyyyy had been a very calming influence on xxxxxxx. He could be the United Nations symbol for chaos.
"Hey mate (yes he was an Aussie), looks like you could do with some food and I brought you the Pizza", murmured yyyyy in his strong voice quickly. The swiftness in his being from his walking speed to speech gave a hint to the onlooker of his being an Aussie. And the love for beer confirmed that. And his fluent English in that part of the world was what had made xxxxx's choice for a roommate easy.? "Ah, ya I was kinda starving really. Been up all night. And Ii survived on Coffee through it", explained the very American xxxxxx. "But looks like you ordered a truckload for your party and could not gobble it up. Giants like yourself."? yyyyyy was a member of the local Rugby team and looked the part. And they had had a party the previous night celebrating their victory over the local rival team. "yea, but its very eatable still. Ill put it in the oven. This is a fresh box and untouched," claimed yyyyyy. "Oh no no no worries, I'd do it myself," exclaimed xxxxxxx umping out of his chair. He had anyway done enough work in the past 12 hours to take an entire day off from work. "Thanks a ton mate. I cant go on without fuel and some distraction now as I used to back then,", reminisced xxxxxxx while he headed for the adjoining kitchen. How correct he was in saying that. There was a time back in the day when he could go on coding for days together with little else than short naps and some chips to go along with. He was more like a machine then. Now his brain had allowed compartments to develop inside of it with interfered with his thinking and yearned for acknowledgement from his being. Hence it was not possible for him now to sit inside of the same room doing the same stuff for more than say a stretch of twelve or fifteen hour. Obviously that was beyond the cognizance of yyyyy still but he was relieved that he did not encounter the earlier avatar lest he may die of amazement and embarrassment of his own more mortal concentration powers. Concentration of-course not relating to anything that is done indoors or more particularly while sitting on a desk. They were worlds apart in most of the sense but that worked out perfectly for them. And they were less self centered than average and it suited their goals in life to have a flatmate of that kind. It was not incorrect to say that they actually enjoyed each other's company more than the average guy they met.And they both were there for some purpose.
Chapter 3
His balance never ceases to amaze me", quipped Vaishnavi. Although he seems to hide one part of it well within himself. Jahanvi instantly knew who it was that he brilliant roommate was talking about. As a matter of fact, it was the noe popular character of Benedict Cumerbachs' Sherlock Holmes from the popular BBC TV series. That someone could be as inspired by a fictional character was beyond her cognition. But again such fiction was mostly inspired by real life, she thought to herself and retorted mischievously "like it were real". Oh you dont know replied V instantly. The original from sir Doyle was inspired by a man he knew from his days in medicine. Infact Doyle himself had a pretty distinguished career from being a army man who served in SF in the Boer Wars to a great writer and a first class cricketer and everything in between. Adding to all that she said "and you know he even had one of the funniest dismissals as a batsman you would imagine in first class cricket". google it. so this was the somewhat nerdy but cloyingly charming roommate Jahanvi had who she adored like a sister really. Part of how she felt a surge of gratitude towards Vaishnavi as she had helped her so much in their previous three years together as roommates. "By the way, what is the other side he has so adeptly hidden according to you" she tried to part fake her enthusiasm while also being a little interested " you know how he always tries to sell the idea that he was heartless and emotionless. Like when he told this Moriarty fellow that on the pool side" and the two friends chuckled.
Thousands of miles away from the duo lay John fixing his gaze into the azure sky on the beautiful California shore. Life could not be any better thought the tech geek from Sydney. He had just sold an internet startup for a cool 5 million - not a killing by the valley standards - but hey, he could have gone bankrupt by a quirk of fate. So he the one who liked to play it safe in real life. Poker was different he thought. Every now and then, the thought that one of the most known and now admired tech entrepreneurs who was now a multi billionaire had actually discarded offers of buyout from Microsoft tried to throw him into confusion but he managed to be distracted from them most of the time. "he lived life "in the moment" and did not plan it. That he was one of the best "scala"/node-JS programmers in the world did not harm him much either. He could lead life on his own terms. To add to it, no one could ever blame him of being lazy. Unlike now, when the cool pacific breeze had seemed to cast a spell on him. "You know the ocean has a way of relaxing your mind", he philosophized with his mentor and friend David who lay in the adjoining mattress seemingly relaxed with his ray-ban limited edition on. "That is not exactly news to me mate", he sounded bored as he answered back. Yes, both of them were from Sydney, Australia. "Yea, that is not the point", John retorted. "The thing is why that is so". "Hmm I guess it makes the numerous thoughts inside of the mind get lost into the sound", David bemused. "Should be", chuckled J sipping his tropicana. Ever since the duo had sold a company they started with a sheer chance happening, their lives had turned around. They were career geeks, nerds if you may, in some scenarios. They were very good in what they did. However, they had not been astonishingly successful in the first 30 years of their lives. They were the quintessential underachievers. They were good programmers who had CS degrees from the prestigious university in the Bay area of California state. In-fact, that is where they had met when John was guided by David in his pursuit of becoming the most loved to hated hacker in the campus. They hit it off from the word go. Not because they were geeks. Everyone around was. But because both embodied the Aussie spirit to the tee. They loved the rules football and swore by Ricky Ponting, the best ever cricketer according to them. Well, they knew that was not quite true. But hey who cared for facts. Only the fact that they had Tropicana cans with them rather than Foster's could throw an onlooker into any kind of suspicion of their being Aussies. They had their own reasons to avoid alcohol. David had a liver condition that precluded him from consuming any amount of liquor. Infact, it could go malignant if he neglected his body his body had warned him. And he definitely wanted to live a long span. So he parted ways with alcohol one fine day. John on the other hand, did not want to be dependent on "substance" for a high in his life. He only had a tipple in say a business meeting or when it was absolutely critical. Quirky as it sounded to many, it instilled a certain discipline into his psyche which had part helped him in his success. He had slogged hard and with a single minded devotion in the previous three years to reach the point he was at and he valued it much. And he knew how much he had David to thank for it. David was the businessman to John's creative pursuits. David met the investors while John motivated the team and marketed his next generation wearable device to the junta. They were the perfect co-founders. And it was this very useful thought that had anchored in his mind when his cell rang. It was an unknown number from what looked like NYC to him.
"Hello", John answered the phone in a somewhat professional manner unrepresentative of the sanguine mood he actually found himself into be. "Hey, can I peak to John Bracken; and this is Aaron Smith from Barnes securities and investment management from NYC". "You got me on this side, please tell me what I could do for you", said John. "Hi John, nice to be talking to you. Infact, my senior here in lower Manhattan would like to talk to you later in the day if that would be fine with you. It is a call regarding a business proposal we have for you that can be pretty lucrative for you," declared Bracken. It was a little unexpected for John to get a call from an investor of some kind and that too from the hallowed and tricky turf of New York city, Wall Street even he thought. What could they be talking about, he thought while asking for more elaboration on the subject to Aaron. "Well, we are a boutique investment bank operating from Manh and we have launched a program to fund fledgling companies like yourselves in the times to come", clarified Aaron. "But you are not exactly a VC fund or a PE house, so why bother with the internet and like", John queried even as he knew the answer in part. It was the next big innovation that the Wall Street smarties had thought of that Aaron presumed was being spoke about at that moment in time. With the success of tech-IPOs over the previous decade, it had become the latest strategy of these funds to catch them young. The idea was simple. Once a company became big enough to be caught in the PE/VC net, it was the seasoned investors that ran the show. That meant that if the company or the associated management ever ventured for an IPO, it ws always going to be one of the largest wall street banks that would run the show vis-a-vis an IPO like it had always been. The best these boutique shops would get was a chance to be a co-book-runner of some kind. But the guys who thought themselves to be smart enough thought they ought to get a better share in the world of innovation that the high-tech industry was. So they strategized to catch the good ones young in hopes that some would go for an IPO or even one could go for an IPO and that meant huge brokerage fee in the least and potentially the chance to stage a huge IPO that would help them propel into the scene across the board. And that was what was explained to John by Aaron eventually. "Aaron, I understand what you are talking about, but I would need to discuss it with my people here.", he spoke in a more relaxed manner now with the amusement of a somewhat seasoned entrepreneur . He had had such calls before and this was special as it was from the distant land of NYC. "No problem there my friend," Aaron tried to play it cool along the supposedly easy going tech circle gallery lines. It had the desired effect. "OK then, I'd get back to you mate," answered John and somewhat hurriedly disconnected the call. What had just happened got him thinking.
How in the good world did a banker from far-off NYC get to contact him when he had all but started his new venture. And this one was not even in one of the big boom areas of the future as the market predicted like the medical wearable devices. Or the automated agent arena which was the talk of the town. But it felt good to be recognized for his achievement nevertheless he thought. But the doer in him got all excited at that point and he discussed the whole thing with his minority stake-partner David. And in a flash, he was also on to his laptop researching about this boutique i-bank from the Wall street. And he figured out that it was actually a London based firm which also had a major WS presence. "So it is the POMs who are looking for me," he grinned at David showing him the screen. David glanced at the screen and retorted in a friendly tone, "Looking for us Oz folks rather mate". And they both knew what they were talking about.
"How did the call go Smith,", inquired Alan Jacques. "Well not much of a call this yet,", answered Aaron. "I hope they would call back sometime in the evening although," Aaron tried to sound more optimistic than average. " They better do that quickly," retorted Jacques angrily. He was not in the best of humor that day. To be fair, he was not most of the time anyway. It was an irony that he was the head of a division that warranted as much interaction with the outside world as the investment management division did. He sometimes gave an impression to be disinterested even. But probably that was exactly why he was as effective as he was as well. He was very good at the table of negotiations. He was a salesman who seemed more like a buyer. Did that always trick his clients into believing that they could loose out on a very lucrative deal. Was that art that he had mastered the secret sauce behind his lucrative career in Wall Street salesmanship. Those were the kind of thoughts that grappled Smith's mind while he was around Jacques. He had even admitted to being in awe of his boss among his friends sometimes even as he had joined the firm recently. " That guy reminds me of Lipperman, only angrier," he said in reference to a brilliant salesman they had read about in one of the bestsellers around the life at Wall Street. Aaron always had showed great commitment to work himself and that had led to a pretty successful career for him. " meanwhile, Ii would try to finalize the ppt for the investors from Berlin," he tried to divert the attention of Jacques. "Yeah, whatever with that", said Jacques making his irreverence for that part clear instantly. Assuming the conversation as over, Smith trudged out of the cabin. He did not mind the sudden lapse in attention from his boss as he knew the pressure that he faced that week and knew that it was not a personal assault by any means. As he walked out of the cabin, he reflected on his station in life then. There was every reason to believe that he had arrived. Having spent his childhood in a remote Texas town. He had a well paid job, a cabin and a Chauffeur driven ride. He spoke to the whos-who of the western business world and was many a times privy to much sensitive information that moved the market. With all that and a plush flat in a post district of the city, he could justify all the rigors of life of a professional in high finance in the Wall Street. The long hours he sped inside Italian made suits and the dreaded power point presentations that had stopped making sense a while back all seemed justified when he saw the smile on the faces of his two kids. There was more a addiction to power that drove the average guy in the street alright than a genuine feel for finesse but he had adjusted to such practicalities a long while back. And his family provided the much needed balance to him afterall. So he had every reason to be perfectly satisfied and even cheerful he thought.
"Hello John and Dave in SF. This is Aaron facilitating the call from the NY office of --------. I have with me Mr Alan Jacques who is the head of the investment management arm, Mr Tim Ranker, our sales manager for the Asia Pacific markets and Sachin Ganguly from the research division. We know that this meeting is regarding an investmetnt proposal into your new company in the sports arena and we welcome you aboard for it," briefed Aaron pretty straightforwardly.
" Thanks Aaron and it is a pleasure for me and John here to be talking to you guys from NYC. I also have with me Mrs Nancy Lisbon who is a co-investor and helps us in pretty much everything we do as far as advisory goes. Now over to you to let us start the proceedings,", Dave concluded abruptly. "Sure thanks Dave and if I may give you a heads up on the things here. We have looked into the performance of your internet portal and the app and we like what we have seen there. It looks primed for success if handled nicely and this is where we think we can be more than a shot in the arm for you as sophisticated investors who can help you pull through the cycle of it," suggested Aaron in a more businesslike tenor.
" I am glad you liked our work Aaron and I agree with you there that we have a good thing at our hands here. You know it has really been fantastic even. So we would like to do the good work continued. And we would be interested to know as to how exactly we would need your guidance and help if I may ask," asked Dave suggesting that they meant business as well. So here was the game set for the two parties. The proverbial Dollar sharks at one end and the creative clients to be at the other tried to keep their respective leverage intact and at the same time tried to assess the position of the other side.
"Very well gentlemen and the fine lady out there. This may be a little bit involved for a conference call but I will try here as best as I can on this introductory call," stated Aaron while getting into the sales groove. "Look, you could get an investment for this thing from a lot of quarters and we are not even getting into the valuation and stuff here. We like to take the convertible note route anyway. Infact, I would be surprised if you may not have already heard from a couple of VCs already. But hey, we are not just a VC firm with money to offer. We infact are a full-fledged Wall Street bank knocking at your doorstep," Aaron pressed the histrionics a little bit. You imagine how often that happens. We are looking at the big picture that ends into the mother of all investment deals - a big Wall Street IPO. And that is where you guys want us in. You may have sold a neat company in the past But you need more than just good entrepreneurship for an IPO. And believe me, you may be sitting on a goldmine here. This thing has an IPO potential. You need contacts, mentorship, market timing and you need a marketing blitz at another level. And that is what we specialize in. Like here and now you know. So what do you think," asked Aaron after pressing the gas for a sharp sales pitch. But Dave was more than prepared with a quick response himself.
"Thanks Aaron for the update there. But in my opinion, you missed a thing about VCs there. They got contacts as well mate and they got the kind of contacts, skill and advise that make the difference for a tech startup. Enough to make them good to go for an IPO in the first place. So you know, one just does not need the money and IPO muscle. The skills that the investors bring if I may say are equally important. They need to bring the right kind of people on the board and the guy who could head our marketing division once the company starts to scale up. So I wonder as to what could justify your thinking that a good VC is doable without at such a crucial juncture in our journey if I may say so.", concluded Dave half knowing the answer.
" So I think we are getting somewhere now. We do not want you guys to loose out on anything. How would you reach an IPO stage otherwise really I must wonder. So hey, we have got with us here industry veterans who have seen it all in the tech circles. People who saw the dot com boom from a mile away and then bust firsthand back in the day. I am sure you guys would appreciate that kind of a pedigree. People who sat on the table with the founders of the p2p phenomenon and then the web2 pioneers. and everything in between and beyond really. So when I say you need to be assured you would not loose out on anything in bargain, you could take my good word for it.", Aaron seemed in full flow.
That was how the call continued for the next few minutes and then a tone was set for further discussions that seemed much certain to happen given the business opportunities for both the parties that lay ahead. Afterall, both the companies relied on innovation to survive in their respective fields. Product market was tough game. It was decided that they needed to meet face to face at a later point for a more involved discussion or assessment so to say. The meeting had served the purpose of getting the main stakeholders to acquaint with each other and assess their counter-parties' position as best as they could. At least both the parties felt that they had played their respective cards pretty well and had kept their cards close to their chest.
" I think they want us to be thankful already," remarked John with unusual sarcasm. Wall Street folks had a different appeal definitely. " They have a point I think afterall. It is a good opportunity to work with NY bankers.,"declared Nancy with a usual quietude. Well I see that you guys are pretty balanced at the opposite ends of the spectrum. And that is a good thing to have. We need to be smart and even circumspect. This is early stage investment we are talking about and it is tricky business as so much of the things are in future.," Dave summed. " I think we all made all the right noises. So far so good.," muttered John. "You dont like unsolicited advice, do you?", patted Dave on John's back as they moved out of the conference hall laughing.
The wallpaper at the back of the study had always amazed John with its mysterious symbols and a coiled serpent residing at the base of it. It was one of the many indulgences that his friend possessed to stimulate his ever alert and charged mind. It was some mystical philosophy from the east. Beside it lay the portrait of the deity of the Hare Krishna temple that had grown many chapters in the United States over the decades. To the untrained eye, the setting may have indicated the presence of a scholar of theology even if they were not able to see the Torah and the Old testament peeping out from the far-left shelf among many other scriptural texts that occupied that shelf amid a plethora of books in the room. But, comparative religion and spirituality and then synthesis from the same was just one of the many interests of his friend. He tend to gobble up any piece of "natural" knowledge that he liked to call it that he could lay his hands on. Thus anything related to geography, history, physics, medieval art, victorian sports, astronomy, astrology and a host of other topics could easily find way into his study provided it was sufficiently thought provoking and promised to stimulate the neurons of the occupant of the study. John had wondered many a times how so much volume of information did not run a riot of its own inside his brains.
But at that moment he just waited with a mix of anticipation and boredom for his friend and flatmate to acknowledge his presence in the room. For someone who did not understand the setting, it would have come across as rude on his part to not engage with someone sitting on the other side of the table while xxxxxxxxx browsed through the pages on his screen seemingly oblivious of the trivial details of the mundane existence. But John knew better. "I pity the poor economist," opined the somewhat stoical voice of xxxxxxxx while his gaze was still fixed on the screen. "The macroeconomist in this case.," he completed his sentence. "What has fallen upon him as you say it," John tried to generate some interest in the conversation in hope of further engagement. "Ah, it is the honest spirit of contribution purely in work in this case. But his doubts that I decipher between the lines are unfounded," declared the grinning countenance as he turned his torso now to face John finally. "Am I supposed to understand any of it," John inquired more matter of factly than ever. "That depends on whether you are interested in anything of real import outside your banal practicalities," replied xxxxxxxx with an equal fervor. "And what if I did," John now appealed to know more without getting any further into the verbal charade. "Well, the lot of the Economists is a particularly interesting case. Please make no mistake as I identify a lot with their line of thinking and respect the work they do. However, almost all of them are beset with a deep sense of doubt and even mistrust regarding their own profession of years. They secretly question as to whether the work they do with so much fervor and ado is actually as meritorious in the real world. Of-course, it is a question beyond the grasp of a mojority of them even if they are discerning enough to raise the question in the first place. But let me clarify once and for all to you that their doubts are dumbfounded and people like John Maynard Keynes did not se on a wild goose's chase through their lives. But, yes this discipline is wrought with enough impostors as well to cast a spell of doubt on the profession in certain situations. But a practitioner who really devotes his time and thought towards the understandings of the complex market driven world which by the way is much easier today with the advent of the internet, is sure to stumble upon an axiom or two to find the beautiful patterns that lay covertly beneath the more mundane functionings of the markets. It was afterall a simple idea of unemployment versus production capabilities that drove the foundations of the most quoted macroeconomic theory of the last decade. That was the time of the great depression anyway. But let me not trouble you with a topic you clearly are not much energized by. What it is infact that you wish to tell me with so much eagerness anyhow," inquired xxxxxxx. That he had deciphered that John had wanted to discuss something peculiar with him had no more amazed John as such deductions formed a more trivial part around xxxxxxx. He would have arrived at it somehow he thought.
Then John explained to him about his meeting with the Sheikh with some enthusiasm. "The real question here is whether or not vengeance leads to a gratification in the mind of the avenger. My experience and insight point to a place which states that the plan needs to be a little more elaborate than a crude extraction of revenge by the one going for it. It is really a matter of sealing an argument in essence between the parties," concluded the masterful xxxxxxx. John grasped a little bit of what had been said and was fairly satisfied with the response. Discussions with xxxxxxx were never bereft of substance after-all.
"Humse na ulajh ae zaalim, hamne har haal mein jeene ki kasam khayi hai, tera nadaan guroor na tujhe wahan le jayee ke jahan uski maut aaye hai", spelled the placard hanging above the desk of Musa Sheikh. The script on display was that of Urdu which was a derivation from Persian and Arabic. After trying in vain to resist the urge, John gave in and asked Musa: "So what does it mean the truism hanging over your head?". The Sheikh moved his neck with a visible strain on it and also the girth of his abdomen, although he did not particularly need to as he remembered every word of it. Just to absorb the essence, John thought. Well Mr John Baker, it is the essence of patience and renunciation. "How so?", John got more interested and inquisitive. "You have a keen interest and an innate curiosity", the Sheikh professed. "Ah you should meet my friend someday", shuddered John. "But the truism now", he completed his sentence. "Ok let me put it this way, have you watched Jack Reacher the movie. There is an instance in it where Reacher talks about a blind spot.", John's nod grew in amplitude as the dialogue progresses clearly hitting the spot in the feature film where the conversation had occurred. How could he not. This was the stuff that he lived by. And he really grasped the essence of the writing as well. Reacher had spoken about the run to the finish line. His station in life was that of a man with nothing to loose and ample skill. And ample intent to add to it. And his MO was the striking of the lightning when it was least expected. His disposition was to avoid confrontation but his dint was to outwit and out-race the adversary. He was ready to go to any length of time and rationale in a fight. And it was always going to be a losing battle for his opponent. He was in a way the destiny's instrument to bring the uncouth and arrogant aggressor to justice. And he believed in saving the mean-ness for the end. "A arrow once shot should hit the target and should need to fire just one for one." There was little more that the Sheikh explained to John on that one. "The real satisfaction in revenge is when you see fear, helplessness, worthlessness, weakness sans repentance in the eye of the perpetrator of the injustice when you brutally bring him to closure. And when your own eye is devoid of mercy. That brings the kind of terror that finds its place deeply etched in the wiring of the mind in an instant that would cripple him forever. My faith does not allow me to believe in rebirth but any practitioner of the law of reincarnation worth their salt would tell you that such impressions or samskaars would carry into their next lives", concluded the Sheikh. The passion and intensity that had lit the countenance of the otherwise dull Sheikh was an added confirmation to John that there was more to his story than was known to the gentry in the inner circles of San Francisco. "You make no attempt to conceal your deeply sinister vengeful thoughts," John could not help remark. "It is the wisdom and the burden at the same time Mr Baker, presses you with the melancholy but lifts you with its own freedom. Only if you have taken the hard yards that is. But remember, there needs to be the disguise of the fixed smile before the moment arrives.", the Sheikh retorted seemingly regaining his poise. After an extended second of awkwardness, John smiled and bid adieu eventually.
"A conversation after his own heart. He would definitely find the Sheikh intriguing. Only that he would have a more balanced outlook and not be swayed by passion. He would rather synthesize something out of it for a more constructive result. But he would understand the sinister side of things nevertheless. I wonder how their conversation would flow if they ever met. Anyhow, I would make it a point to mention this rendezvous with him tonight.", thought Baker to himself. If it was bizarre that he had been reminded of his friend as he moved out of the house of the Sheik, it was only to the uninitiated. That was because the only man there could be to grasp the essence of the Sheikh's utterances through experience and then add some to it, it had to be John Baker's flatmate and somewhat kindred spirit of xxxxxxxx. The pragmatic side of John had successfully prevented him from wasting any time on deliberating whether what characterized his and xxxxxxx relationship was friendship in the conventional sense. But he knew that their thinking patterns were similar. They saw sense in the same stuff and the world made sense to them through each other's understanding. Of-course that was when xxxxxxx stooped to John's level of consciousness or that of the mundane world. John was closest to someone who understood the functioning of his brilliantly gifted mind. And also his eccentricities. He just grasped how the wiring worked and was able to actually marvel at it. And he thought the mundane world was the poorer for not deciphering that. Or he pitied the mundane world for it.
menagerie
chapter 2
The muzzled sounds of the fast pressing of the keys was interrupted only by the sharp loaded? sound of the "enter" key. He had always been one for a little bit of histrionics albeit much subtle. And he felt really charged at that point and hence every line of code that his being churned out was meted with a victorious thump of a key stroke. He knew the importance of each line's code. This was "functional" programming at its best and at the cutting edge. It was different from the mundane world of the PHPs and the Javas that ruled the regular programming world. It is so 90s he thought once in a while. He liked Scala and NodeJS. He liked the philosophy of it. Every line of code keyd-in punched in a lot more of essence and made him feel erudite and even creative sometimes. How many programmers could claim that he thought. But again, it was not about coding anymore he thought. He had conquered the crazy world of geeks and nerds way back in high-school with all the hackathons, p2p products that attracted users like a charm and ruling the IRC discussions of the geekiest kind. Part of his migrating to Europe from the flash of the life at the valley was his appreciation of the open source community towards the development of the programming IP. While the world relied on awesome products that were churned out in huge numbers from the garages or makeshift offices of the silicon valley entrepreneur or heck even NYC now, the real power that propelled them was with the technology stack he thought. And Europe fared much better in that regard. At least that was the impression he had from his time at the IRC. And he would give up on the dusty swathes of California any-day for the verdant scape of the trans-Atlantic continent. So he migrated to France to begin with and morphed into a pan-Europe being of some sort. His current "hideout" was amid the sharp backdrop of Eastern Europe.
But he was not thinking programming at all now. He had done that long back and now it served as a means to an end. He had had enough of the "wow" moments in his life as a geek to have felt it grow banal. It was then that he had decided that he needed to influence and touch the lives of people more than anything else if he had to garner any sense of lasting achievement and professional happiness. The money that he would make in the process if he did would be an added incentive. He would bother about that only when he got it. He did not get inspired by the thoughts of accumulating bundles of cash. That for him was mundane and boring. The only thing that you would achieve with that was "Show-off" and manipulation at the hands of the "consumer economy" which was an idea he loathed with passion. He knew the import of financial independence but he had a lifetime left to achieve that. This was the period of his youthfulness. Well relatively speaking. This was the time for madness and energy. This was the time to form original ideas, be a rebel of sorts, have a spirit and form lasting memories of life. This was the time to feel the "LIFE" in his being. If the times spent at the IRC channel more than a decade back could satisfy him and lift up his spirits still, the more meaningful endeavor he had set on now should get him through the life on the satisfaction quotient he argued. The only thing that would be left would be health-care and a roof for his old-age he thought. A family would fit in somewhere as well if the fate intervened.
And if at all he got overwhelmed with the world of computing someday, he could very well teach medieval history to pupils back in the United States. He had acquired a first hand knowledge of the facts from history by visiting those sites and had developed a passion for the same. He could feel the story of humankind unfold in his vision post the "Dark Ages" in continental Europe. He always thanked his gut for that whenever he had a chance. His well-wishers had posed all kinds of questions on his move. Even the ones who did not have a clue of their own lives. But many had appreciated his plan. Water under the bridge he thought now. A lot of his friends had made trips across the Atlantic and stayed with him through the years. It had started to feel intrusive sometimes of-late but he knew that was not the correct way to think about them. A bit of the "yank" flavor every now and then was just so good he mused. It was also a good reminder to him that he was to being with, always an American at heart. For all the accusation of materialism? and consumerism, leading a self gratifying life and caring less for the environment, he knew there was a deeper spirit at work in the regular American. It was the spirit of honest inquiry in life. If the philosophers of yonder in Greece had spent lifetimes understanding the mind and the greater questions that beset life, the thought leaders in America were doing a similar job through action. They seem earnest enough.
And who in the world did not like the American Cheese Burger. The fact of the matter was that xxxxxxx had it all in him to make or do something that could shape the lives of people around him or even beyond. And he tried very hard to achieve that. And while he was pondering all of that, opened the door and in came yyyyyy. yyyyyyy had been a very calming influence on xxxxxxx. He could be the United Nations symbol for chaos.
"Hey mate (yes he was an Aussie), looks like you could do with some food and I brought you the Pizza", murmured yyyyy in his strong voice quickly. The swiftness in his being from his walking speed to speech gave a hint to the onlooker of his being an Aussie. And the love for beer confirmed that. And his fluent English in that part of the world was what had made xxxxx's choice for a roommate easy.? "Ah, ya I was kinda starving really. Been up all night. And Ii survived on Coffee through it", explained the very American xxxxxx. "But looks like you ordered a truckload for your party and could not gobble it up. Giants like yourself."? yyyyyy was a member of the local Rugby team and looked the part. And they had had a party the previous night celebrating their victory over the local rival team. "yea, but its very eatable still. Ill put it in the oven. This is a fresh box and untouched," claimed yyyyyy. "Oh no no no worries, I'd do it myself," exclaimed xxxxxxx umping out of his chair. He had anyway done enough work in the past 12 hours to take an entire day off from work. "Thanks a ton mate. I cant go on without fuel and some distraction now as I used to back then,", reminisced xxxxxxx while he headed for the adjoining kitchen. How correct he was in saying that. There was a time back in the day when he could go on coding for days together with little else than short naps and some chips to go along with. He was more like a machine then. Now his brain had allowed compartments to develop inside of it with interfered with his thinking and yearned for acknowledgement from his being. Hence it was not possible for him now to sit inside of the same room doing the same stuff for more than say a stretch of twelve or fifteen hour. Obviously that was beyond the cognizance of yyyyy still but he was relieved that he did not encounter the earlier avatar lest he may die of amazement and embarrassment of his own more mortal concentration powers. Concentration of-course not relating to anything that is done indoors or more particularly while sitting on a desk. They were worlds apart in most of the sense but that worked out perfectly for them. And they were less self centered than average and it suited their goals in life to have a flatmate of that kind. It was not incorrect to say that they actually enjoyed each other's company more than the average guy they met.And they both were there for some purpose.
Chapter 3
His balance never ceases to amaze me", quipped Vaishnavi. Although he seems to hide one part of it well within himself. Jahanvi instantly knew who it was that he brilliant roommate was talking about. As a matter of fact, it was the noe popular character of Benedict Cumerbachs' Sherlock Holmes from the popular BBC TV series. That someone could be as inspired by a fictional character was beyond her cognition. But again such fiction was mostly inspired by real life, she thought to herself and retorted mischievously "like it were real". Oh you dont know replied V instantly. The original from sir Doyle was inspired by a man he knew from his days in medicine. Infact Doyle himself had a pretty distinguished career from being a army man who served in SF in the Boer Wars to a great writer and a first class cricketer and everything in between. Adding to all that she said "and you know he even had one of the funniest dismissals as a batsman you would imagine in first class cricket". google it. so this was the somewhat nerdy but cloyingly charming roommate Jahanvi had who she adored like a sister really. Part of how she felt a surge of gratitude towards Vaishnavi as she had helped her so much in their previous three years together as roommates. "By the way, what is the other side he has so adeptly hidden according to you" she tried to part fake her enthusiasm while also being a little interested " you know how he always tries to sell the idea that he was heartless and emotionless. Like when he told this Moriarty fellow that on the pool side" and the two friends chuckled.
Thousands of miles away from the duo lay John fixing his gaze into the azure sky on the beautiful California shore. Life could not be any better thought the tech geek from Sydney. He had just sold an internet startup for a cool 5 million - not a killing by the valley standards - but hey, he could have gone bankrupt by a quirk of fate. So he the one who liked to play it safe in real life. Poker was different he thought. Every now and then, the thought that one of the most known and now admired tech entrepreneurs who was now a multi billionaire had actually discarded offers of buyout from Microsoft tried to throw him into confusion but he managed to be distracted from them most of the time. "he lived life "in the moment" and did not plan it. That he was one of the best "scala"/node-JS programmers in the world did not harm him much either. He could lead life on his own terms. To add to it, no one could ever blame him of being lazy. Unlike now, when the cool pacific breeze had seemed to cast a spell on him. "You know the ocean has a way of relaxing your mind", he philosophized with his mentor and friend David who lay in the adjoining mattress seemingly relaxed with his ray-ban limited edition on. "That is not exactly news to me mate", he sounded bored as he answered back. Yes, both of them were from Sydney, Australia. "Yea, that is not the point", John retorted. "The thing is why that is so". "Hmm I guess it makes the numerous thoughts inside of the mind get lost into the sound", David bemused. "Should be", chuckled J sipping his tropicana. Ever since the duo had sold a company they started with a sheer chance happening, their lives had turned around. They were career geeks, nerds if you may, in some scenarios. They were very good in what they did. However, they had not been astonishingly successful in the first 30 years of their lives. They were the quintessential underachievers. They were good programmers who had CS degrees from the prestigious university in the Bay area of California state. In-fact, that is where they had met when John was guided by David in his pursuit of becoming the most loved to hated hacker in the campus. They hit it off from the word go. Not because they were geeks. Everyone around was. But because both embodied the Aussie spirit to the tee. They loved the rules football and swore by Ricky Ponting, the best ever cricketer according to them. Well, they knew that was not quite true. But hey who cared for facts. Only the fact that they had Tropicana cans with them rather than Foster's could throw an onlooker into any kind of suspicion of their being Aussies. They had their own reasons to avoid alcohol. David had a liver condition that precluded him from consuming any amount of liquor. Infact, it could go malignant if he neglected his body his body had warned him. And he definitely wanted to live a long span. So he parted ways with alcohol one fine day. John on the other hand, did not want to be dependent on "substance" for a high in his life. He only had a tipple in say a business meeting or when it was absolutely critical. Quirky as it sounded to many, it instilled a certain discipline into his psyche which had part helped him in his success. He had slogged hard and with a single minded devotion in the previous three years to reach the point he was at and he valued it much. And he knew how much he had David to thank for it. David was the businessman to John's creative pursuits. David met the investors while John motivated the team and marketed his next generation wearable device to the junta. They were the perfect co-founders. And it was this very useful thought that had anchored in his mind when his cell rang. It was an unknown number from what looked like NYC to him.
"Hello", John answered the phone in a somewhat professional manner unrepresentative of the sanguine mood he actually found himself into be. "Hey, can I peak to John Bracken; and this is Aaron Smith from Barnes securities and investment management from NYC". "You got me on this side, please tell me what I could do for you", said John. "Hi John, nice to be talking to you. Infact, my senior here in lower Manhattan would like to talk to you later in the day if that would be fine with you. It is a call regarding a business proposal we have for you that can be pretty lucrative for you," declared Bracken. It was a little unexpected for John to get a call from an investor of some kind and that too from the hallowed and tricky turf of New York city, Wall Street even he thought. What could they be talking about, he thought while asking for more elaboration on the subject to Aaron. "Well, we are a boutique investment bank operating from Manh and we have launched a program to fund fledgling companies like yourselves in the times to come", clarified Aaron. "But you are not exactly a VC fund or a PE house, so why bother with the internet and like", John queried even as he knew the answer in part. It was the next big innovation that the Wall Street smarties had thought of that Aaron presumed was being spoke about at that moment in time. With the success of tech-IPOs over the previous decade, it had become the latest strategy of these funds to catch them young. The idea was simple. Once a company became big enough to be caught in the PE/VC net, it was the seasoned investors that ran the show. That meant that if the company or the associated management ever ventured for an IPO, it ws always going to be one of the largest wall street banks that would run the show vis-a-vis an IPO like it had always been. The best these boutique shops would get was a chance to be a co-book-runner of some kind. But the guys who thought themselves to be smart enough thought they ought to get a better share in the world of innovation that the high-tech industry was. So they strategized to catch the good ones young in hopes that some would go for an IPO or even one could go for an IPO and that meant huge brokerage fee in the least and potentially the chance to stage a huge IPO that would help them propel into the scene across the board. And that was what was explained to John by Aaron eventually. "Aaron, I understand what you are talking about, but I would need to discuss it with my people here.", he spoke in a more relaxed manner now with the amusement of a somewhat seasoned entrepreneur . He had had such calls before and this was special as it was from the distant land of NYC. "No problem there my friend," Aaron tried to play it cool along the supposedly easy going tech circle gallery lines. It had the desired effect. "OK then, I'd get back to you mate," answered John and somewhat hurriedly disconnected the call. What had just happened got him thinking.
How in the good world did a banker from far-off NYC get to contact him when he had all but started his new venture. And this one was not even in one of the big boom areas of the future as the market predicted like the medical wearable devices. Or the automated agent arena which was the talk of the town. But it felt good to be recognized for his achievement nevertheless he thought. But the doer in him got all excited at that point and he discussed the whole thing with his minority stake-partner David. And in a flash, he was also on to his laptop researching about this boutique i-bank from the Wall street. And he figured out that it was actually a London based firm which also had a major WS presence. "So it is the POMs who are looking for me," he grinned at David showing him the screen. David glanced at the screen and retorted in a friendly tone, "Looking for us Oz folks rather mate". And they both knew what they were talking about.
"How did the call go Smith,", inquired Alan Jacques. "Well not much of a call this yet,", answered Aaron. "I hope they would call back sometime in the evening although," Aaron tried to sound more optimistic than average. " They better do that quickly," retorted Jacques angrily. He was not in the best of humor that day. To be fair, he was not most of the time anyway. It was an irony that he was the head of a division that warranted as much interaction with the outside world as the investment management division did. He sometimes gave an impression to be disinterested even. But probably that was exactly why he was as effective as he was as well. He was very good at the table of negotiations. He was a salesman who seemed more like a buyer. Did that always trick his clients into believing that they could loose out on a very lucrative deal. Was that art that he had mastered the secret sauce behind his lucrative career in Wall Street salesmanship. Those were the kind of thoughts that grappled Smith's mind while he was around Jacques. He had even admitted to being in awe of his boss among his friends sometimes even as he had joined the firm recently. " That guy reminds me of Lipperman, only angrier," he said in reference to a brilliant salesman they had read about in one of the bestsellers around the life at Wall Street. Aaron always had showed great commitment to work himself and that had led to a pretty successful career for him. " meanwhile, Ii would try to finalize the ppt for the investors from Berlin," he tried to divert the attention of Jacques. "Yeah, whatever with that", said Jacques making his irreverence for that part clear instantly. Assuming the conversation as over, Smith trudged out of the cabin. He did not mind the sudden lapse in attention from his boss as he knew the pressure that he faced that week and knew that it was not a personal assault by any means. As he walked out of the cabin, he reflected on his station in life then. There was every reason to believe that he had arrived. Having spent his childhood in a remote Texas town. He had a well paid job, a cabin and a Chauffeur driven ride. He spoke to the whos-who of the western business world and was many a times privy to much sensitive information that moved the market. With all that and a plush flat in a post district of the city, he could justify all the rigors of life of a professional in high finance in the Wall Street. The long hours he sped inside Italian made suits and the dreaded power point presentations that had stopped making sense a while back all seemed justified when he saw the smile on the faces of his two kids. There was more a addiction to power that drove the average guy in the street alright than a genuine feel for finesse but he had adjusted to such practicalities a long while back. And his family provided the much needed balance to him afterall. So he had every reason to be perfectly satisfied and even cheerful he thought.
"Hello John and Dave in SF. This is Aaron facilitating the call from the NY office of --------. I have with me Mr Alan Jacques who is the head of the investment management arm, Mr Tim Ranker, our sales manager for the Asia Pacific markets and Sachin Ganguly from the research division. We know that this meeting is regarding an investmetnt proposal into your new company in the sports arena and we welcome you aboard for it," briefed Aaron pretty straightforwardly.
" Thanks Aaron and it is a pleasure for me and John here to be talking to you guys from NYC. I also have with me Mrs Nancy Lisbon who is a co-investor and helps us in pretty much everything we do as far as advisory goes. Now over to you to let us start the proceedings,", Dave concluded abruptly. "Sure thanks Dave and if I may give you a heads up on the things here. We have looked into the performance of your internet portal and the app and we like what we have seen there. It looks primed for success if handled nicely and this is where we think we can be more than a shot in the arm for you as sophisticated investors who can help you pull through the cycle of it," suggested Aaron in a more businesslike tenor.
" I am glad you liked our work Aaron and I agree with you there that we have a good thing at our hands here. You know it has really been fantastic even. So we would like to do the good work continued. And we would be interested to know as to how exactly we would need your guidance and help if I may ask," asked Dave suggesting that they meant business as well. So here was the game set for the two parties. The proverbial Dollar sharks at one end and the creative clients to be at the other tried to keep their respective leverage intact and at the same time tried to assess the position of the other side.
"Very well gentlemen and the fine lady out there. This may be a little bit involved for a conference call but I will try here as best as I can on this introductory call," stated Aaron while getting into the sales groove. "Look, you could get an investment for this thing from a lot of quarters and we are not even getting into the valuation and stuff here. We like to take the convertible note route anyway. Infact, I would be surprised if you may not have already heard from a couple of VCs already. But hey, we are not just a VC firm with money to offer. We infact are a full-fledged Wall Street bank knocking at your doorstep," Aaron pressed the histrionics a little bit. You imagine how often that happens. We are looking at the big picture that ends into the mother of all investment deals - a big Wall Street IPO. And that is where you guys want us in. You may have sold a neat company in the past But you need more than just good entrepreneurship for an IPO. And believe me, you may be sitting on a goldmine here. This thing has an IPO potential. You need contacts, mentorship, market timing and you need a marketing blitz at another level. And that is what we specialize in. Like here and now you know. So what do you think," asked Aaron after pressing the gas for a sharp sales pitch. But Dave was more than prepared with a quick response himself.
"Thanks Aaron for the update there. But in my opinion, you missed a thing about VCs there. They got contacts as well mate and they got the kind of contacts, skill and advise that make the difference for a tech startup. Enough to make them good to go for an IPO in the first place. So you know, one just does not need the money and IPO muscle. The skills that the investors bring if I may say are equally important. They need to bring the right kind of people on the board and the guy who could head our marketing division once the company starts to scale up. So I wonder as to what could justify your thinking that a good VC is doable without at such a crucial juncture in our journey if I may say so.", concluded Dave half knowing the answer.
" So I think we are getting somewhere now. We do not want you guys to loose out on anything. How would you reach an IPO stage otherwise really I must wonder. So hey, we have got with us here industry veterans who have seen it all in the tech circles. People who saw the dot com boom from a mile away and then bust firsthand back in the day. I am sure you guys would appreciate that kind of a pedigree. People who sat on the table with the founders of the p2p phenomenon and then the web2 pioneers. and everything in between and beyond really. So when I say you need to be assured you would not loose out on anything in bargain, you could take my good word for it.", Aaron seemed in full flow.
That was how the call continued for the next few minutes and then a tone was set for further discussions that seemed much certain to happen given the business opportunities for both the parties that lay ahead. Afterall, both the companies relied on innovation to survive in their respective fields. Product market was tough game. It was decided that they needed to meet face to face at a later point for a more involved discussion or assessment so to say. The meeting had served the purpose of getting the main stakeholders to acquaint with each other and assess their counter-parties' position as best as they could. At least both the parties felt that they had played their respective cards pretty well and had kept their cards close to their chest.
" I think they want us to be thankful already," remarked John with unusual sarcasm. Wall Street folks had a different appeal definitely. " They have a point I think afterall. It is a good opportunity to work with NY bankers.,"declared Nancy with a usual quietude. Well I see that you guys are pretty balanced at the opposite ends of the spectrum. And that is a good thing to have. We need to be smart and even circumspect. This is early stage investment we are talking about and it is tricky business as so much of the things are in future.," Dave summed. " I think we all made all the right noises. So far so good.," muttered John. "You dont like unsolicited advice, do you?", patted Dave on John's back as they moved out of the conference hall laughing.
The wallpaper at the back of the study had always amazed John with its mysterious symbols and a coiled serpent residing at the base of it. It was one of the many indulgences that his friend possessed to stimulate his ever alert and charged mind. It was some mystical philosophy from the east. Beside it lay the portrait of the deity of the Hare Krishna temple that had grown many chapters in the United States over the decades. To the untrained eye, the setting may have indicated the presence of a scholar of theology even if they were not able to see the Torah and the Old testament peeping out from the far-left shelf among many other scriptural texts that occupied that shelf amid a plethora of books in the room. But, comparative religion and spirituality and then synthesis from the same was just one of the many interests of his friend. He tend to gobble up any piece of "natural" knowledge that he liked to call it that he could lay his hands on. Thus anything related to geography, history, physics, medieval art, victorian sports, astronomy, astrology and a host of other topics could easily find way into his study provided it was sufficiently thought provoking and promised to stimulate the neurons of the occupant of the study. John had wondered many a times how so much volume of information did not run a riot of its own inside his brains.
But at that moment he just waited with a mix of anticipation and boredom for his friend and flatmate to acknowledge his presence in the room. For someone who did not understand the setting, it would have come across as rude on his part to not engage with someone sitting on the other side of the table while xxxxxxxxx browsed through the pages on his screen seemingly oblivious of the trivial details of the mundane existence. But John knew better. "I pity the poor economist," opined the somewhat stoical voice of xxxxxxxx while his gaze was still fixed on the screen. "The macroeconomist in this case.," he completed his sentence. "What has fallen upon him as you say it," John tried to generate some interest in the conversation in hope of further engagement. "Ah, it is the honest spirit of contribution purely in work in this case. But his doubts that I decipher between the lines are unfounded," declared the grinning countenance as he turned his torso now to face John finally. "Am I supposed to understand any of it," John inquired more matter of factly than ever. "That depends on whether you are interested in anything of real import outside your banal practicalities," replied xxxxxxxx with an equal fervor. "And what if I did," John now appealed to know more without getting any further into the verbal charade. "Well, the lot of the Economists is a particularly interesting case. Please make no mistake as I identify a lot with their line of thinking and respect the work they do. However, almost all of them are beset with a deep sense of doubt and even mistrust regarding their own profession of years. They secretly question as to whether the work they do with so much fervor and ado is actually as meritorious in the real world. Of-course, it is a question beyond the grasp of a mojority of them even if they are discerning enough to raise the question in the first place. But let me clarify once and for all to you that their doubts are dumbfounded and people like John Maynard Keynes did not se on a wild goose's chase through their lives. But, yes this discipline is wrought with enough impostors as well to cast a spell of doubt on the profession in certain situations. But a practitioner who really devotes his time and thought towards the understandings of the complex market driven world which by the way is much easier today with the advent of the internet, is sure to stumble upon an axiom or two to find the beautiful patterns that lay covertly beneath the more mundane functionings of the markets. It was afterall a simple idea of unemployment versus production capabilities that drove the foundations of the most quoted macroeconomic theory of the last decade. That was the time of the great depression anyway. But let me not trouble you with a topic you clearly are not much energized by. What it is infact that you wish to tell me with so much eagerness anyhow," inquired xxxxxxx. That he had deciphered that John had wanted to discuss something peculiar with him had no more amazed John as such deductions formed a more trivial part around xxxxxxx. He would have arrived at it somehow he thought.
Then John explained to him about his meeting with the Sheikh with some enthusiasm. "The real question here is whether or not vengeance leads to a gratification in the mind of the avenger. My experience and insight point to a place which states that the plan needs to be a little more elaborate than a crude extraction of revenge by the one going for it. It is really a matter of sealing an argument in essence between the parties," concluded the masterful xxxxxxx. John grasped a little bit of what had been said and was fairly satisfied with the response. Discussions with xxxxxxx were never bereft of substance after-all.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Man of Steel - the movie
So I watched it today, just back in-fact. And about the review, well, it was.......pretty good! ..:)
There was the general Nolan mark over the film although he was not even the director of the movie - well he was the writer! now I did not read the DC comics episode so I can't tell how much justice he did to the storyline in the comic-book, but yes, that is for only academic purpose.
First of all, Ill begin with saying that our mother earth is beautiful, much much beautiful. If I were born in the dark, macabre and gloomy desert of Krypton, gosh sod save me! Guess that is why kal-el/clarke kent/superman chose to save earth's environment and people over Kryton afterall......:) So the storyline began in Krypton with all the artificial life creating technologies and what not and could be lauded for Russel Crowe's performance. I guess he could be lauded for bringing life to such characters who are not from our times or in this case, world! I maybe prejudiced here coz the only two period movies I have truly liked are Gladiator and Robin Hood..ok digression it was..so launch to our Earth..it was mostly the dense high-rise of Manhattan-like business district or something and the verdant greens of the village which ought to be smallville (however it was never mentioned like that I guess, on purpose maybe, but why?), anyway.
It was 3D and the goggles and all that. I am gonna make a revelation here. I am not a big fan of those as they dim the brightness way too much so it bothers me and I watch a lot of the screenplay without them generally eventually!. So it was more bright, the movie for me generally.
But Henry Cavil was awesome. For a old-timer honed in the clarke kent kool-aide from the Smallville show and Tom Welling's fan at that, this should mean a lot for Cavill's performance. He managed to feel like Clarke Kent, Tom Welling's aura in my mind notwithstanding! And of-course he looks good they say for whoever might care..And he brought the decent intensity to the character as well..Mike Shannon as Gen Zod was fine and so was Louis Lane..
The music and screenplay were pretty good, a touch below the Btman trilogy but yes, you cant take anything away from Zack Snyder and Zimmer on that one..I always believe that Superman is a difficult task for a director than Batman like Nagraj was than Dhruva as the element of human genius is hard to project. There I think Nolan being Nolan, he has managed to fir in that touch easily and masterfully. You dont feel like - oh god, not again that super-duper powergame..There is more to offer here..
I dont think I have missed any major pointers here. But if anyone manages to read thjis this point, I would be glad to take it further if thy may please in the comments section..till that time, its good-bye!!
There was the general Nolan mark over the film although he was not even the director of the movie - well he was the writer! now I did not read the DC comics episode so I can't tell how much justice he did to the storyline in the comic-book, but yes, that is for only academic purpose.
First of all, Ill begin with saying that our mother earth is beautiful, much much beautiful. If I were born in the dark, macabre and gloomy desert of Krypton, gosh sod save me! Guess that is why kal-el/clarke kent/superman chose to save earth's environment and people over Kryton afterall......:) So the storyline began in Krypton with all the artificial life creating technologies and what not and could be lauded for Russel Crowe's performance. I guess he could be lauded for bringing life to such characters who are not from our times or in this case, world! I maybe prejudiced here coz the only two period movies I have truly liked are Gladiator and Robin Hood..ok digression it was..so launch to our Earth..it was mostly the dense high-rise of Manhattan-like business district or something and the verdant greens of the village which ought to be smallville (however it was never mentioned like that I guess, on purpose maybe, but why?), anyway.
It was 3D and the goggles and all that. I am gonna make a revelation here. I am not a big fan of those as they dim the brightness way too much so it bothers me and I watch a lot of the screenplay without them generally eventually!. So it was more bright, the movie for me generally.
But Henry Cavil was awesome. For a old-timer honed in the clarke kent kool-aide from the Smallville show and Tom Welling's fan at that, this should mean a lot for Cavill's performance. He managed to feel like Clarke Kent, Tom Welling's aura in my mind notwithstanding! And of-course he looks good they say for whoever might care..And he brought the decent intensity to the character as well..Mike Shannon as Gen Zod was fine and so was Louis Lane..
The music and screenplay were pretty good, a touch below the Btman trilogy but yes, you cant take anything away from Zack Snyder and Zimmer on that one..I always believe that Superman is a difficult task for a director than Batman like Nagraj was than Dhruva as the element of human genius is hard to project. There I think Nolan being Nolan, he has managed to fir in that touch easily and masterfully. You dont feel like - oh god, not again that super-duper powergame..There is more to offer here..
I dont think I have missed any major pointers here. But if anyone manages to read thjis this point, I would be glad to take it further if thy may please in the comments section..till that time, its good-bye!!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Of Ghazals and Sufism
Chamakte Chaand ko toota hua taara banaa daala...meri awaragi ne mujhko aawaara banaa dalaa....Sounds like a rhyming prose or poetry at the best. But you need to hear the rendition from the Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali to be mesmerised by the lyrics. I mean the import of the words is there definitely, but they pound you with an intensity altogether different when sung in the Ghazal. Outside Cricket and Bollywood, he may be one of the handful personalities who enjoy such high patronage and liking on either side of the border. And why should he not. For that matter, the Ghazal tradition in Pakistan has flourished always. Mehdi Hassan and Abida Parveen are two more names that ring a bell of familiarity across India, both Pakistani scions. Meaningful poetry often laced with deep rooted philosophy and melody are two almost essential elements of a good Ghazal. Ofcourse sublime rendition like that by Ghulam Ali (Bade Ghulam Ali Sahab or even Chote G A) makes a Ghazal what it is. It may be of concern to the vetean patrons of the art that there seems to be little interest among the youngsters towards this sublime craft. The Ghazal evenings are far and few between in the day and age while the rockstars hog all the lime light and then more. The sensibility towards poetry seems to be declining and the romanticism ensconsed in it has few takers among the young. It is just not pacey enough. But they might well be keeping themselves bereft of a flavour of living.
Another art form or rather more so a way of life indeed is Sufism or the rendition of Quawwalis. Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan can be credited to internationalize this music form. Sufi music has been cultured and practised in praise of the almighty for no less than six or seven centuries. The saints of yonder and old expressed their love and devotion to god through the mystical Sufi music. And the tradition flourished. This music form enlivens and charged the ambience like no other. Often incorporating high pitch truisms, the best proponents of the art form have been widely classed as among the most capable singers. Nusrat is a very good example to boot. Quawwalis have specially taken centerstage in Bollywood over the decades. And Pakistan continues to be the land of genesis for the best talent there is in both these music forms. Here is hoping that the practitioners would always find enough patronage for these music styles to sustain and flourish in times to come.
Another art form or rather more so a way of life indeed is Sufism or the rendition of Quawwalis. Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan can be credited to internationalize this music form. Sufi music has been cultured and practised in praise of the almighty for no less than six or seven centuries. The saints of yonder and old expressed their love and devotion to god through the mystical Sufi music. And the tradition flourished. This music form enlivens and charged the ambience like no other. Often incorporating high pitch truisms, the best proponents of the art form have been widely classed as among the most capable singers. Nusrat is a very good example to boot. Quawwalis have specially taken centerstage in Bollywood over the decades. And Pakistan continues to be the land of genesis for the best talent there is in both these music forms. Here is hoping that the practitioners would always find enough patronage for these music styles to sustain and flourish in times to come.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
What an Idea Sar Jee, or no-brain jee?
The famous TV commercial of our beloved Jr. Bachchan explaining the reason for more than a billion human souls in our homeland first felt like a banal comic act to just continue the "Bhat an Idea" campaign. Not until a supposedly very intelligent/or just intelligent friend of mine seriously quoted the reason in one conversation. And also his flatmate there. And then they quoted it a second time. I had to shed my lethargy and blurted "U really believe in what they are saying"? And their expression was like huh, have u even got a brain there? Dont you know India has always been a backward (always?) nation. Ok wouldnt even argue on that one. So? What about the Europeans? Did they have the trendy phones with a xG connectivity ever since the land was carved out? After a few minutes of senseless arguments, atleast the question came "Ok so what do you think would be the reason of our mammoth population? Wars, I reckon. The Europeans lost entire generations of men in the wars they have fought among each other as tribes for ages. Their tribal footing in any case started pretty late - the Frank (modern day French) and Germanic (Germany etc) tribes et al were forest dwellers as late as the 4th century into the first millenia after the christ trudged. India on the contrary has been there since much before (even if we discount the mythology, the Buddha and Mauryas wrote indelible history 500 years before the christ. What is however more important is that Indians have never really fought wars or witnesses large scale demolotion of the populace. The foreign rulers established their holds among the people since at least the last thousand years without any significant bloodshed in retaliation really. Even the movement for Independence was wrought with nonviolence. So all things equal India would anyway grow much fast. But even the other things have not been equal historically. The black death - the dreaded plague - of the 14th century wiped half of the European continent. The world wars have been the most recent among the annihilation sagas. I might have made - terribly tired that I am - an error here and then there at this time of the night, but I do not find it not to be a better explanation of India's high population. What about China you might ask. I would put forth my reasons later. Size and strength are two pointers I would just throw for now.
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