"Good afternoon sir, calling on behalf of XYZ Credit Card"

I guess many of you have received such phone calls. Credit card executives find your phone number from some database where they don't even know your name but knows that their company is offering a Classic Global Gold Credit Card with enhanced credit limits exclusively for you. I won't put any judgements, because I'm not qualified enough, rather would just put a typical conversation as follows.

"Good afternoon sir, I'm Srikanth (name changed), calling on behalf of XYZ bank credit card."
"Ok, go ahead."
"Are you already holding a credit card with our bank?"
"You should better know that."
"I'm sorry to say sir, we don't have access to the entire database."
"Well, the answer is no, I don't have a card with your bank."
"Our bank is introducing the Global Gold credit card with many benefits, and this is tailored to the customers like you. Would you spare a few minutes while I explain the benefits?"

At this point you might think a guy who doesn't even know if I hold a credit card with their bank, and I'm damn sure he doesn't even know my name, knows that this is 'tailored' for customers like 'me'!! Anyways, the conversation continues.

"Ok, go ahead."

For the next 3 minutes, it is a boring monologue from which I can only figure out the credit limit and the easy payment benefits. It appeared that he was reading from something written at a superfast speed. Once he is done, asks.

"May I know which company you're working with?"
"Indian Institute of Science" I said boldly.
"Is that a software company?"
"No. It's a hardware company where some new ideas and thoughts are hard-wired into the heads of people, who are later called Masters of Engineering or PhDs."
"I didn't get you, sir. Can you explain a little bit more about the operations of your company?"
"This is an educational institute where I'm currently a student. I left my job 3 years back!"

Someone gave him a 1000 Volt shock.

"So you're not working now sir?!"
"Definitely I'm working, but as a student."

Now, the response is more or less similar. A little dumb 'executive' will drop the call immediately. A little smarter one would say,

"Can I call you back in 2 minutes?"
"Sure, why not."

It is unfortunate that a student, well supported by MHRD scholarships or other such fellowships, cannot have a credit card on his/her name. For several reasons we need cards, don't we? For conference registration or hotel booking. One can ask for a minimum courtesy from the credit card 'executives' who waste much of one's time blabbering their 'good-for-nothing' benefits of their 'universal' credit cards which can work even on Mars!

When Confusion Strikes

It is a part of our everyday life. As is said in a more technical language, that life is a much complicated decision problem. Why decisions matter? Since we are in pursuit of maximizing our own pay-offs, and a decision at each step or on each day can potentially change the course of our lives. But finally, life is a sample from a random distribution. One never knows what would life bring while choosing path A on a fine day compared to path B on the same day. All that we observe is a sample path which led to the present, and the path is chosen by recommendations from the people who are experienced. What is experience? It is the dumb habit of following what has been followed. Majority of the people hate to explore in their own life, to make new observations, rather be safe within the boundary of comfort. So, the result is the obvious, we don't advance even from one generation to another. Life is a mix of altruism and strategism. We are very much aware about who we are, and expect others to accept our limitations, but we are quite uncompromising about others' limitations. I guess, at this point it would have been nice if all relationships on earth had been professional, and no personal relations. I would hope that we would have done a lot of work without really being attached to it.