If you have not watched Inception, don’t read this post. There are movie spoilers. For those who have watched it, read on.

The importance of the spinning top at the end of the film is a matter of debate. Some people say the spinning top symbolises that Cobb meeting up with his kids is also a dream (he should have waited for the top to fall before assuming that he is in the real world). Others say, it was real as in the end just before the credits, the top starts wobbling (and is thus about to fall). That debate is not the subject of this post.

What I want to point out is the link between Inception and the Matrix.

Was Inception the prequel to the Matrix movies? Why do I think so? Read on.

The major character that links both the movies, is of course Cobb. My theory? Cobb (of Inception) is the Architect (of the Matrix).

Sounds implausible? Not to me.

- Assume that Cobb at the end of the movie is in the real world. United with his family.
- Fast-forward 30 years into the future.
- Cobb has again started designing new worlds. He has now become the Architect.
- Inception is now common knowledge.
- Rogue specialists have mastered the art of inserting ideas into people’s dreams and are now called Agents.
- Enter Neo.
- At some point in the movie, Neo meets the Architect.
- And there lies the link between the two movies.

Sure they may be flaws in the above logic. Would be glad if someone points them out.

Previously I had posted about this movie – based on a real story of a teenager who sets out to “live off the land”.

Right now I’m reading the book of the same name while traveling back to Mumbai.

There are a lot of differences between the movie and the book. The movie simply romanticizes McCandless’ journey and the adventures he had along the way. Nowhere in the movie there is a constant reminder to the viewer of the innumerous perils which a traveler may face if unprepared. Watching the movie for the first time had made me want to throw away my laptop bag, burn all my visiting cards, deactivate all my email accounts, permanently switch off my cellphone and head out on the road.

But the book is more sober and realistic. There are constant reminders to what may go wrong in such a journey. Other such adventurers are referenced who lost their way while following the call of the wild.

The movie (directed by Sean Penn) was beautiful but the book (authored by Jon Krakauer) is responsible.

Between the movie and the book, I still like the movie more. The sights of Alaska have a totally different pull than reading about the dangers.

I surely can’t leave the life I’m living and set out on such a journey. But I hope this book can. I was thinking of an experiment. I was planning to leave this book abandoned somewhere where someone with a more adventurous spirit would come across it and take it forward from there.

Maybe I can leave it in this train itself, maybe in a taxi someday. Someone may decide to follow the trail of McCandles and return successfully.

This is my first trip to the city. As a part of a training program arranged by my company. I arrived with a colleague on Sunday night in an airplane with the auxiliary power unit “supposedly” giving problems. At least that is what the pilot helpfully revealed before take off.

“We have started one engine and the air-conditioner will come on in some time.”

But after an uneventful 1:30hrs we landed in Bengaluru. New airport, some 45km from the city. After another hourse and a half drive into the city and we reached our destination.

Attended the training on first day. Then met up with college friends – it was a good reunion. Good memories of college times. Regret not taking a snap of everyone together.

First impressions of Bangalore? A good city with wonderful weather. Coming from the oppressive heat of Mumbai, Bangalore felt like a hill station. Reminds me of a trip to Ooty in the not too distant past. I can understand how one cannot enjoy Bangalore alone.

Other good points? Property is cheaper than Mumbai. I guess that is true for all the cities in the world. And no offence, but people speak Hindi freely! Auto drivers fleece but are open to negotiation.

Travel is expensive. Haven’t yet had a problem with food. Tomorrow I’m leaving back for Mumbai – a nice 3-day experience, part work part holiday. Hope to come back for a longer trip.

Still to visit:
MG Road
Foodie joints
Discs
AOL Ashram

Posted from my mobile. Please excuse spelling misteks, miscorrect grammar and brevity.

Hypothesis: An unequivocal statement by a manager is an oxymoron.

Proof: I am a manager. I just made an unequivocal statement. So there is an apparent paradox. So putting aside the possibility of why the world didn’t disappear in a big flash of light due to this contradiction (which I would not have liked), there are two possibilities. Either the above hypothesis is not true, or I am not a manager.

Revised Hypothesis: An unequivocal statement by a manager may or may not be an oxymoron.

Why am I unwilling to put my hand out in the rains?
Why am I afraid of getting my shirt dirty?
Where is the joy now in the monsoons?

All I can see are dull drab gray clouds,
All I can see is slow-moving, unending traffic,
All I can see is three months of miserable commuting.

Where is the little boy who used to run out at the first sight of monsoons?
And stayed there till someone dragged him in by the ears!
Where is the excitement in building paper boats in a clear stream?
And where is the innocence of running after them,
To help them along their way or to watch them sink.

Where is the hope of looking at the rain out the windows,
Secretly wishing for a holiday tomorrow?
And that loud scream of joy when you get that wish fulfilled!

Where is the fun in stomping in potholes in over-sized gum-boots?
And the pain in getting your skin nicked in the muddy water?

And when everything used to be alright after,
applying a Mickey Mouse band-aid and some hot chocolate.

Say no more often to others. Say yes more often to yourself.

Optimism levels in a project

This graph shows how different teams in a company feel that a particular project will be delivered successfully i.e. within schedule, scope and cost.

Disclaimer: This project is entirely fictional and any resemblance to any project – live or abandoned is entirely coincidental

1) Mother-in-law – How’s the food I made, son?

2) Boss – Do you think I am a good boss?

3) Wife – Do I look fat in this?

A huge disclaimer: The above post doesn’t absolutely in any way apply to me. All three people mentioned above for me are wonderful.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep
There’s no reason why I shouldn’t sleep
Dear Mr Frost, now don’t you weep
That your poem has been screwed by this creep

P.S. Really sorry about screwing up this classic poems. It is one of my favourites (along with The Tyger by William Blake) and one which I can recite completely. But I was just overwhelmed by the number of people quoting it left and right.

Water cuts are a way of life in Mumbai. Each year that the met department predicts a normal monsoon, we have water shortages. And BMC cuts or limits supply of water. A water cut has been implemented in our area as well.

The society has given the residents an option of limited timings of water supply or private water tankers. The latter options costs money. And the residents of the society have voted for that option.

So an important question to be asked is how should the payment be distributed? Should it be a flat amount for all flats or should it vary according to the number of residents in each flat? The justification of the latter option is a no-brainer. Larger families are likely to use more water than a family of two individuals.

Now comes the interesting game theory aspect into this problem. People with larger families would oppose the proportionate fee structure while smaller families would oppose a flat fee structure. In each case one of the parties would feel that they have been given a raw deal.

Now assume that the flat fee structure is adopted. This means that the smaller families will be disgruntled since they are paying a per capita higher rate than the larger families. Thus they will indulge in wasteful water usage to compensate for the higher fee. The larger families will use at least an amount minimum to their needs. However its more likely that they would be a little careless in using water as they are being subsidised by the smaller families. Overall this leads to wasteful water usage for the entire society.

Now let’s assume that the variable fee structure is imposed based on the number of residents in each flat. Here the reverse would happen. The larger families would be disgruntled and would spend water in a wasteful manner while the smaller families would use at least the minimum share of the water. Overall this option too leads to a wasteful usage of water.

Both these options seem to result in wastage of water. So what then is the optimal distribution of payment? Is there a better way of distributing water? The best option which comes to my mind is to implement a water meter system which tracks the actual usage of water (which may be of course more cumbersome and expensive to implement)

Let’s see what the society management comes up with. Till then out with the buckets and drums to store all the water.

Posted from my mobile: Please excuse grammar and typos.
UPDATE: Well, my society decided not to get into the nitty-gritties of Game Theory and adopted the first option instead! Limited water supply from now on. So much for trying to explain Game Theory to them.