Advertising brings them to the bank, maybe they’ll stick a finger in too; but they’ll dive in only if they’re sure that the water’s nice n deep.

[post on a concept I had found interesting long back (read at ur own peril :D )]

As someone once said, “….Behaviour is controlled by the consequences of behaviour itself”.

This is the 1^st brick in the foundation of the concept ‘Operant Conditioning’, also known as ‘Instrumental Learning’. A concept that the classic ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is based on, its implementation on intended subjects, is vested on the crucial aspects of role and timing of the reinforcements on them. You must see the film to really get this!

The process, unlike that in Conditional Learning, induces voluntary behaviour in the desired direction, and subjects make necessary changes, and quite willingly so, in their environment to incorporate the same.

Revolutionary work of Edward Thorndike and B.F. Skinner, both American psychologists, unveiled the possibility of inducing voluntary behavior transitions of intended beings (human & animals alike) in a specific direction. The concept was transfused into the core of advertising, by Gerald J. Gorn. Persuade them; make them choose you amongst a host of competing alternatives, unaware of the directing wheel that you turn. However, advertising cannot sustain you: ‘coz, behaviour when followed by positive experience is typically reinforced, whereas behaviour when followed by negative outcomes are quit.

Advertising can just make them try…..keeping them locked in is a task bred deeper still.

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'."

Came across this saying by Groucho Marx, and I so loved it. It got me wondering, do I have any such friend? And then I found 2 names….almost instantly and I knew they fit.
[Well, I left my parents out of this, ‘coz, well they’d do anything to keep the evil away from me, 'coz they are the best parents in the whole world]
The 1^st one’s bhai, my little brother, who’s my best pal. He has stuck to me through all thick n thin. He’s taken care of me, pampered me, loved me so, and he’s always been there for me – to listen to me, help me, advise me. He's the best!
The 2^nd one is Banani, my childhood pal. We went to school together for 11 years (KG to X) and she was just awesome. We weren’t friends from the 1^st day…..somehow it grew into us with time. I realized that I simply loved her, after my board exams got over. I started missing seeing her pretty face every morning, when I knew school was over and now she was so far away. We studied in different schools after that, but I loved her and she loved me too. Now, 13 years after we grew out of school, I still miss her, and I so love it when we talk over the phone and feel it that she still loves me so much.
You know what’s the most amazing thing about both these friends of mine? They love me, they’d do anything for me, and they are so cool about it. They never say 'love us back'! They don’t demand anything from me in return for the undying love that they have for me. And most of the times they don’t even say it…..I just see it in their eyes, their voice, the little notes that they send me in email, orkut, and on my birthdays and special occasions like bhai-phota. I love them so much!

Unusually long-drawn Haikus .... :p

I am barely awake now. It’s 4 in the morning; my eyelids yearn to touch each other. This reminds me of a particular Tom n Jerry cartoon that I had seen ages back.

I so want to write. Life is a big piece of jig-saw puzzle right now; thesis – likewise!

I feel like I am frantically chasing fragments of a dream I had. Like all of my dreams it was big, beautiful, and bold (in the sense it was too hard to be true). An amazing story that I so loved then and so fear to let go now.

So here in dark of the night, I am scribbling something which closely resembles haiku; but believe me…..I am actually trying to gather my thoughts together before they shatter in the morning light. Slowly but for sure, the tide brought in by the sun rays will wash away the remnants of my memory.

It makes me a little sad and frustrated to lose the grip I had on this story. What am I writing? Somehow I want to get transported back through time. This time I’ll make sure I am not lost but placed in a spot where I will eventually come to feel my dreams.

I always did that…before now. How did I misplace it this time? I couldn't tell you how I got here. Well….frankly, I am not exactly sure why. I just know that it has something to do with trying to forget the existence of a few souls who lost their lives that day.

Well…..this is a bunch of crrazzyyy haikus! Kudos!!

Dorm 2 - decked up on Diwali 2009

This year, we decked up D2 with a theme: 'Save the Animals'. It was awesome! The girls did a beautiful job making Rangolis that didn't look like the usual ones....they were sweet animals that looked cute in colors. I just loved it! Will miss this from next year :)

A “Dear Diary” Moment

I try not to spend too much time thinking about the past. But, being a Libran, that’s almost impossible for me; and to top that, I am sentimental and nostalgic. I love to flip by old photos and flash back. But I believe that I will make the best of what I have. And believe me, it works…..’coz I believe it will.

Two days back, I turned 30. My best friends aren’t on campus, and I’m miles away from my family. So, I expected a lousy birthday that would not sparkle if I didn’t add the spark. Moreover, I am a senior doctoral student on campus, have been out of campus throughout later2008 and almost entire 2009, so don’t know many of my current dorm-mates. Most of my fellow doc students are either at home celebrating Diwali, or aren’t around. My PGP batch-mates (who actually form the bulk of IIMA) are no longer on campus, except Vibro, who I haven’t seen since ages. So….. a lousy, dead birthday was inevitable. “Naah!” I could let that happen. Birthday is my happy day :) so, I’d have to grab reins, and make a day of it.

At 23:45 on the 15^th, I picked up the one streamer I had and hung it on one side of my room. I was set with the décor ;). But, I didn’t have a cake, or even a chocolate bar, n CT isn’t keeping chocolates anymore. “Okay”, I said to myself; a cake isn’t always necessary. I would have to make sure that I had an awesome b’day. Decided to catch the Ahmedabad Heritage Walk at 8:00. called up Ma and asked her to wake me up at 6:00. then DK came over wished me at 00:00 J, I got a zillion calls too. Bhai, parents, friends, they wished me :). It wasn’t going bad at all. So what if I didn’t have a cake. That’s how probably it would be post 30 :)

Slept late, woke up late, so missed the walk. Rrgghhhhh!! Well, what now? I decided to make this day meaningful, wanted to find a place where people needed love and happiness. I’d spend my day with them, I thought. Looked up the web for an orphanage or old home, where I could share my happiness, at least for a day. It was Diwali, on the 17^th, would be great if I could get them some happy sweets, chocolates, and goodies. Couldn’t get enough info, so called up one of my seniors, Bhammo. He suggested some places and I loved the concept managed by Sulekha. But children were on their Diwali break and I could only catch them 10 days later. Hmm…..so? It was way past noon, and the day hadn’t picked up still.

Then I got a call, from some of my colleagues, and they had planned something at 17:30. They also wanted a little party in the evening. Ok! I reached the old FPM LAN on time, and there was my 1^st b’day cake. It was my favourite upside-down fruit cake. I was happy. We had so much fun! They had also arranged for a small round of snacks. There were veg puffs, which I usually don’t like, but believe me I loved them at that time. I slurped it up and it was absolutely delicious.

In the evening we went to Cellad eatery….an awesome salad bar. We had absolute fun, and the food was yummy! When I reached back, my dorm floor-mates had organized a little something, and this time I wished over an awesome rich chocolate cake with yummy chocolate shavings on top. It was 24:00. I had enormous fun entering my 4^th decade, as Abhishek joked ;)

Thanks everyone! I had absolute fun. It was a flawless birthday; more so, ‘coz it was so unexpected. I actually did absolutely nothing to make it happen, you guys did, and I’ll always cherish it.