Mullah, Google, and a Mule...

Mullah Luis has been insisting that I buy Google stocks for some time now. Today, he came back with the most convincing argument. He said Google has adopted a policy of making a new employee sign a bond saying " He / She will not act like jerk while working for Google". Now as you can imagine that got my attention.

Dictionaries define jerk as "a dull stupid fatuous person", but in day-to-day life, we tend to associate this it with arrogant, Holier then thou, stupid person. Now, I have found a real reason to invest my hardly earned money in some technology stocks. I see a great potential in Google for changing the way we live, play and do business.

Google is a pioneer in new management practices with strong fundamentals and where every one has a floating office space. There is no ego building activity associated with " my office, my desk and my room with that blonde's view". They all share their office space with one another. Google also provides first-class dining facilities, gyms, laundry rooms, massage rooms, haircuts, carwashes, dry cleaning, commuting buses—just about anything a hardworking engineer might want.

My point here is not to talk about the fringe benefits that come with working for Google but that one principle of making sure " no one acts like a jerk". Imagine if this practice is adopted all over the world; in every major state capitol, every legislature, university, Madarssa, convent, Vidyalya and any other place we assemble in groups.

Imagine powerful world leaders not acting like jerks to weaker nations, big corporations not acting like jerks to mom and pop stores, and restaurant chains not acting like jerks to that Rs 200/day earning Vada-Paav vendor in Mumbai.

A few months back, I was giving a sermon to a bunch of 20 year olds in Mumbai, (that is because folks of my age do not pay attention to me anymore!!!) and this jebroni started working furiously on his cell phone. By the time I finished he came back saying " Shahid bhai, you are right I just Googled it and your information is correct". Fortunately it was one of those rare occasions when I was speaking the truth - (Warna Apna to ye hisab hai ke jhoot bolna seekha nahi, aur sach bolna ataa nahi!)

Google ushered the World in web 2.0 and right now working on web 3.0. I do not know what shape and form web 3.0 would be, but imagine a political meeting somewhere in India where a hate mongering, venom spitting politician is using false information and twisting facts to arouse hatred among communities. Imagine emotions running high and the crowd getting ready to attack the other community with the intent to kill them, rape their women, and destroy their livelihoods. Just then, Imagine, just then a jebroni getting up to say "Sir, I just Googled the facts that you have quoted, and it seems like you are a F**** liar"....

Imagine....

Mullah also said that" A decent man must have a few acres of land, shares of Google and a mule!"

Let me start with the mule first...