Overheard in Hyderabad

Geek meets old college crush visiting Hyderabad.

Girl: So what have you been upto?
Geek: Lots actually! Been working at _______ Technologies for a year now. Lots of fun, chilling out!! What about you?
Girl: Came here on a work assignment. Will be leaving Sunday evening!
Geek: Cool! Why dont we meet up on Saturday?
Girl: Nothing much, dont have many friends here. What do you do on weekends usually?
Geek: I go to office..
Girl: Oh ok! Dont you work on weekdays ?
Geek: I do!! Thats when we work hard. Weekends i go to the office to chill out!!
Girl: Office on weekends?
Geek: Maybe you can join me this Saturday
Girl: at your office??
Geek: Yeah. Its fun. I'll show you where i work and what i do..
Girl: Actually (geek's name), we have an office outing planned so i am not sure but will let you know!!

Overheard.

Bring on Sharapova

I know her rankings are dropping (70 currently from a career best 31 a year ago). But Sania Mirza looks stunning in this ad for Sprite. And i have no idea why they need Bollywood starlets for advertisements.

Wanna get laid??

Some weeks ago, the Hindustan Times in its Sunday Brunch magazine carried an article that portrayed the online dating psyche of the Indian male.

One of the 'finds' of the article was the amazingly (and depressingly!) low responses single Indian guys managed to draw by posting ads on common dating and social networking sites like Fropper and Orkut seeking female company. This was attributed partially to their Brobdingnagian obsession with sex, which puts off women so enormously that prefer chimpanzees instead.

The Indian male has company. According to this, his counterparts elsewhere are no different.

Boys will be boys. Men will be men. Chimpanzees will be lucky!

How to catch a lion - Different methods

Newton's Method:
Let, the lion catch you.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Implies you caught lion.

Einstein Method:
Run in the direction opposite to that of the lion.
Due to higher relative velocity, the lion will also run faster and will get tired soon.
Now you can trap it easily.

Software Engineer Method:
Catch a cat and claim that your testing has proven that its a Lion.
If anyone comes back with issues tell that you will upgrade it to Lion.

Indian Police Method:
Catch any animal and interrogate it & torture it to accept that its a lion.

Rajnikanth Method:
Keep warning the lion that u may come and attack anytime.
The lion will live in fear and die soon in fear itself.

Jayalalitha Method:
Send Police commissioner Muthukaruppan around 2AM and kill it, while it's sleeping!

Mani Ratnam Method:
Make sure the lion does not get sun light and put the lion in a dark room with a single candle lighted.
Keep murmuring something in its ears.
The lion will be highly irritated and commit suicide.

Karan Johar Method:
Send a lioness into the forest.
Our lion and lioness fall in love with each other.
Send another lioness in to the forest, followed by another lion.
First lion loves the first lioness and the second lion loves the 2nd lioness.
But 2nd lioness loves both lions.
Now send another lioness (third) into the forest.
You don't understand right... ok....read it after 15 yrs, then also u wont!

Yash Chopra method:
Take the lion to Australia or US.. and kill it in a good scenic location.

Govinda method:
Continuously dance before the lion for 5 or 6 days.

Menaka Gandhi method:
Save the lion from a danger and feed him with some vegetables continuously.

George Bush method:
Link the lion with Osama bin laden and shoot him!!!

Ravi Shastri method:
Ask the lion to bowl at u.
U bat for 200 balls and score 1 run
Lion tires and surrender's

PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN

1. India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.

2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.

3. India is the world's largest democracy.

4. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.

5. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

6. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

7. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.

8. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.

9. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.

10. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.

11. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.

12. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.

13. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).

14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.

15. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.

16. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.

17. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.

18. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.

19. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).

20. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.

21. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.

22. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.

23. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.

24. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.

25. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

Famous Quotes on India (by non-Indians)

* Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.
* Mark Twain said: India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.
* French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.
* Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said: India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.

Facts to make every Indian proud

Q. Who is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems?
A. Vinod Khosla

Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the
today's computers run on it)?
A. Vinod Dahm

Q. Who is the third richest man on the world?
A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Aziz Premji,
who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6th
position now.

Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web
based email program)?
A. Sabeer Bhatia

Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator
of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?
A. Arun Netravalli

Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard?
A. Rajiv Gupta

Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000,
responsible to iron out all initial problems?
A. Sanjay Tejwrika

Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?
A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.


We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even
faring better than the whites and the natives.

Ideas ....

I have just witnessed an engaging debate on ownership of intellectual property on one of the forums i subscribe to.

Some months ago, a few friends of mine had come up with some ideas to revolutionise the sagging morale of businesses in Goa by using the internet to obtain a wider target audience. Knowing how easy it is to put up a web service that helps people pool in their resources and make things work for the good of the community, the ideas kept getting reworked till a new draft emerged that did not resemble the original idea at all.

Some guy who was mailed a copy of the initial plan forwarded it to mailing groups left, right and centre and worse was.. it had my name as the author below. The guy who did this tremendously magnificient job is a well meaning guy whose enthusiasm to come up with something new far exceeded his intelligence.

Ideas amount to nothing if not implemented into suitable products or services. Get that clear and straight. Frankly, you may have the best ideas in the world on paper but that paper is worth a roll of toilet paper if those ideas never come out of that paper and become products/services.

Why is this tirade about ideas?? I chanced about this post by Rajesh Shetty and just felt like letting loose!!

exposure trips for leaders and death for the farmers

Farmers in Vidharbha are desperate. Poverty and crop failure translates to one suicide every 8 hours.

In such circumstances, junkets like these are not going to solve any problems for farmers nor turn Mumbai into Shanghai..

Maharashtra State debt: Rs 1 lakh cr, junket cost: Rs 3 cr

Carry on ministers!!!

Error!!

Rabindranath Tagore on Vande Mataram

Hindutva gives India its identity. It is what differentiates us from the rest. But the hallmark of a great nation is its soul, its character and its identity is just a part of the soul. India's soul lies in its diversity. The manner in which India has thrived with so many different people having different cultures, languages, religions is a testimony to its great character.

Which is why the recent Vande Mataram controversy is a pain.

Seperatist politics and votebank politics go hand in hand. Earlier the debate was about partition. Today its about alienation to consolidate votebanks.

The problem existed long ago. So long ago that in a letter to Subhash Chandra Bose in 1937, Rabindranath Tagore discusses the problem. Most of what he said then applies today.

The core of 'Vande Mataram' is a hymn to goddess Durga: this is so plain that there can be no debate about it. Of course Bankim does show Durga to be inseparably united with Bengal in the end, but no Mussulman [Muslim] can be expected patriotically to worship the ten-handed deity as 'Swadesh' [the nation]. This year many of the special [Durga] Puja numbers of our magazines have quoted verses from 'Vanda Mataram' - proof that the editors take the song to be a hymn to Durga. The novel Anandamath is a work of literature, and so the song is appropriate in it. But Parliament is a place of union for all religious groups, and there the song can not be appropriate. When Bengali Mussulmans show signs of stubborn fanaticism, we regard these as intolerable. When we too copy them and make unreasonable demands, it will be self-defeating."

"Bengali Hindus have become agitated over this matter, but it does not concern only Hindus. Since there are strong feelings on both sides, a balanced judgement is essential. In pursuit of our political aims we want peace, unity and good will - we do not want the endless tug of war that comes from supporting the demands of one faction over the other."

Thats why i succeed - Michael Jordan

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Michael Jordan

Tourists in Goa

I have categorised the Indian tourists who visit Goa into three broad types. Here is a brief description of each..

1) Single and available guys =>

These type wear Goa Beach T-shirts and stare at every girl they can get their eyes on. They come to Goa believing that Goa is some kind of an Axeland with bikini babes and hot parties and lots of booze thrown together. The ones from neighbouring states and down south travel in a jeep or SUV all cramped together with hardly any space to move a finger. Some hire bikes and make their presence felt by doing all that mummy said dont do. One of the best places to spot such a breed is on the beaches ogling at sun bathing white - skinned travellers while the more adventurous ones venture into the water and try to make conversation and get closer to western babes in the Arabian Sea. I have a feeling they go home disappointed at not really getting what they came here for, and for believing Pappu the braggart's cooked up stories of his exploits with hot babes in Goa. Anyways, they do go home lighter(on the wallet) and more sensible(hopefully!) and with some extra masala-packaged fiction for Pappu.

2) Couples =>
These are a very distinct and easily recognisable breed. Most of these types are newly married which explains the combination of micro-minis and tons of red bangles. Fashion etiquette is thrown out of the window, and everything Mummy and Daddy had prohibited before marriage(I am talking about the clothes) is on full display. The men hate it when their wife stops in front of the beach shops to buy not-needed and not-wearable in hometown clothes that have price tags especially crafted for the European pockets. The BTMs (Behenji-turned-Mods) make sure they do and wear everything they cannot wear back home. And if the couple is not newly married, they must be some corporate couple out for a break from their hectic schedules or a couple who believe that variety is the spice of life and seek confidential interference.

3) Families and big groups=>
They come in groups in special tour buses. They are so many in number, i think they bring the entire village along. Every conceivable colour the human eye can detect is hidden somewhere in this very colourful, and vibrant procession of tourists. Their decibel level is unmatched, and they want to be the cynosure of all eyes. And you can hear them cribbing about how their hometown is better and cleaner than Goa. The grumbling never stops. Or you have these groups of college goers who are come on some kind of a tour and they look like they have just emerged from the sea(Samundar mein nahake aur bhi namkeen and all ...). Sometimes though, its just the smaller " hum do hamare do " group. There is Pappu ke pita, Pappu ki maa, Pappu and Chintu. Such groups are more argument friendly and more grumpy.

Microsoft v/s General Motors

Another forwarded mail here

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the
computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up
with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving
$25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release
stating:

If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving
cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part, esp
7th point):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to
buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You
would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows,
shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could
continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause
your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would
have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was
reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only
five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all
be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed an Illegal Operation"
warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out
and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door
handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn
how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate
in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

Reservations and Quotas

I have been getting some hilarious forwards..

Cant help but post them ..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~
MODERN VERSION...
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.


BBC, CNN, EURO-NEWS, NDTV, FOX NEWS show up to provide pictures of the
shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper.

Opposition MP's stage a walkout.

Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry. Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.


The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by BBC,CNN, AAJTAK and NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it "a triumph of justice".

Sonia invites the grasshopper to address the Parliament .......

Got The Answer...???



YES... You Got It Right...

Some call it RESERVATION n Some call it QUOTA!

We love you Microsoft

Stars are blind..

Paris Hilton has a reputation, we all know.

The video of her song 'stars are blind' has been played on Indian TV and it is not half as bad as some of the sleazy crap that gets on Indian TV.

The CBFC has issued it a 'A' certificate which means it will not be aired on Indian TV henceforth.

Guys, get a life.. Its just a music video (not starring Rick Salomon). If at all you do decide to ban the thing, apply the same yardstick to other videos (includes Rakhi Sawant videos as well) coz they are just as much a corrupting influence on the unspoilt and chaste viewers of Indian TV.

By the way, the Indian censor board has a reputation too...

Unlucky Indian hockey - on and off the field

Something about Indian hockey just does not seem right. We have lost out on our attacking flair, in trying to cope up with the astro-turf surface and are seemingly relying on grooming one dimensional players in the Sohail Abbas mould - the so called penalty corner specialists. Post the Dhanraj Pillay era and an Arjun Halappa will not match a Pillay unless you are talking about the hairstyle, the penalty corner conversions hold a great deal of significance.

And when you have a player like Sandeep Singh with an above 50% success rate in penalty corners indisposed in a freak accident and unable to take the field, it just gets harder.

First Jugraj's car accident and now Sandeep.

This should be an opportunity for the team to prove the critics and there is no better time than now.

Pak tearing their 'hair' out!!

The latest controversy in world cricket has brought to the forefront the issue of ball tampering. Fingers of suspicion being pointed at Darrell Hair's dubious record and traditional 'tamperers' Pakistan by opposing lobbies. It is but natural that Australia will stand by their umpire, backed by the ECB. Which means that the Asia powerhouses will unite to stand by Pakistan. Asia is where the moolah is which means a compromise will ultimately be worked out in due course of time.

The racism card is being played out again. As if the Dean Jones fluff wasn't enough, this is an issue which can be done without and which world cricket does not need. The media will add to the histrionics.

On a positive note (faintly positive though), it has brought the opinions of umpires to the forefront. The unsung heroes are finally getting faint shades of spotlight. Indian umpires Piloo Reporter, K. Hariharan, Ram Gupta for once are finding their opinions sought by the media.

The issue is not about Inzamam's honour or Hair's pride or Woolmer tugging the middle line, but whether an individual is greater than a country. My guess is its a non issue till something major crops up like Australians or Englishmen subjected to racial taunts or unfair umpiring or doctored pitches while on tour in the subcontinent. Now that will definitely snow ball into an issue.

"We need a transformation"

Justice VR Krishna Iyer in an interview to Rediff

Do you have hope in the new generation of India?

That is my only hope. Let us hope the generation will do something about bringing radical changes in Independent India. Ambedkar once said: 'Every generation is a new nation.' So this new generation of India may be a new nation with new ideas.
India cannot be changed by old men like me. But certainly India can be changed by the new generation. I have hope in them. We need a transformation, which has to be through the young. The young are going to be in a majority shortly in India. Let us take the young into our fold and make them feel India is ours.

Here is the full interview

PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN

There are 3.22 Million Indians in America.
38% of Doctors in America are Indians.
12% of Scientists in America are Indians.
36% of NASA employees are Indians.
34% of MICROSOFT employees are Indians.
28% of IBM employees are Indians.
17% of INTEL employees are Indians.
13% of XEROX employees are Indians.
You may know some of these facts. These
facts were recently published in a German
Magazine, which deals with
WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.

India never invaded any country in her last
100000 years of history.
India invented the Number System.
Aryabhatta invented zero.
The World's first university was established in
Takshila in 700BC.More than 10,500 students from
all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The
University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC
was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India
in the field of education.
Sanskrit is the mother of all the European
languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language
for computer software reported in Forbes magazine,
July 1987.

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine
known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine
consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today
Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place
in our civilization.
Although modern images of India often show
poverty and lack of development, India was the
richest country on earth until the time of
British invasion in the early 17th Century.
The art of Navigation was born in the river
Sindh 6000 years ago.
The very word Navigation is derived from
the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.
The Word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.

Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the
earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the
astronomer Smart.; Time taken by earth to orbit
the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
Budhayana first calculated the value of pi, and
he explained the concept of what is known as the
Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the
6th century long before the European mathematicians
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from
India; Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the
11th century ; The largest numbers the
Greeks and the Romans
used were 10 6(10 to the power of 6) whereas
Hindus Used numbers as big as 1053 (10 to the
power of 53) with specific names as Early as 5000 BCE
during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest
used number is Tera 1012(10 to the power of 12).

According to the Gemological Institute of
America, up until 1896,India was the only source for
diamonds to the world.
USA based IEEE has proved what has been a
century-old suspicion in the world scientifi
community that the pioneer of Wireless
communication was Prof. Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.

The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was
built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King
rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake
called 'Sudarshana'
was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during
Chandragupta Maurya's time.

Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.

Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600
years ago he and health scientists of his time
conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans,
cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary
stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage
of anesthesia was well known in ancient India.
Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep
knowledge of anatomy, etiology, embryology, digestion,
metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found
in many texts.

When many cultures were only nomadic forest
dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians
established Harappan culture in Sindhu
Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
The place value system, the decimal system
was developed in India in 100 BC.

QUOTES ABOUT INDIA:

Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the
Indians, who taught us how to count, without
which no worthwhile scientific discovery could
have been made.
Mark Twain said: India is the cradle of the
human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother
of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great
grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most
structive materials in the history of man are treasured
up in India only.
French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is
one place on the face of earth where all
the dreams of living men have found a home from
the very earliest days when man began the dream
of existence, it is India.
Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said:
India conquered And dominated China culturally
for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single
soldier across her border.
=================================================================
All the above is just the TIP of the iceberg, the
list could be endless. BUT, if we don't see even a
glimpse of that great India in the India That we see
today, it
clearly means that we are not working up to our
Potential and that if we do, we could once
again; be an ever shining and Inspiring country
setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow.
I Hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare
of INDIA. PROUD to be an INDIAN.
=================================================================

Stock market - how it works!!!

Pen is mightier than the sword

A good way for those in the public domain within the purview of Indian cinema, politics or cricket, to make some moolah so that their great grandchildren's children have their pockets full for their lifetimes - write a tell-all book.

Now, to publish a book, you either do a Jaswant or a Wright (sorry you cant do any Kaavya, coz this is a tell-tale book, and it is widely accepted in modern civilisation that tell-tales are not fictitious stuff that can be picked from J. K. Rowling).

The Jaswant method is applied when you have no content but no one is stopping you from pretending that you do have jumbo scoops. You can do a Johar, which means just like how the making of the movie is shown before its release on a news channel like NDTV, you can choose to send an extract from your book with some juicy tidbits to a national publication. Ideally the
extract should have many doggones and incriminate some specimen in any act that is drastically unexpected and wispy. The disadvantage is you might end up putting your foot in the mouth, but if you are used to it, then its negligible.

The Wright method may take longer. After you retire, you move to the mountains, maybe the Himalayas since the Andes are too far away. From there, you act as though you have been struck by some strange bolt of lightning that has opened your eyes and senses to things that you had never come across before. You publish them all in a book. Stay put in the mountains but do make sure your book gets widely circulated in the valleys below and the plains and plateaus and everywhere else. The hitch here is that old friends will become new enemies. But then, you can always write another book to make them happy.

The History of Wikipedia

Can thousands of Wikipedians be wrong?

How an attempt to build an online encyclopedia touched off history’s biggest experiment in collaborative knowledge...

Innovations and predictions

Ramit Sethi endeavours to capture the importance of doing things now and not later. For people synonymous with procrastination and dillydallying, it might be an eye-opener. Good on you, dude!! I would rather hold back and keep my cards close to my chest for a wee bit longer. Enthusiasm is good, but coupled with incautiousness can create an atmosphere that smacks of indecision and confusion. What works for some, may work for others too, but in the opposite direction.

Rajesh Shetty points out 10 different approaches to innovation. The focus will be on merging different approaches into a single, flexible approach. Companies that evolve and figure out better ways of keeping the keys to the ulterior in their innovation pipelines will survive in a world where being second best will just not be good enough.

The real challenge is to be in a position to predict whats coming in the next 10 years in terms of technology and business. We can analyse the past, study the present but can we forecast future trends?? The toughest part of R&D would be keep track of the changing world and predict accurately what would be the rage 10 years from now on.

Some predictions that have gone horribly wrong -

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t last out the year.”
The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

“I think there’s a world market for about 5 computers.”
Thomas J. Watson, Chairman of the Board, IBM (around 1948)

“The ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered a means of communication.”
Western Union Internal Memo, 1876

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk ?”
Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros, 1927

“There is no reason for any individuals to have a computer in their home.”
Ken Olsen, President, Chairman and Founder of DEC, 1977

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.”
Lord Kelvin, President, Royal Society 1895

“That is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.”
Admiral William Leahy. (Advice to President Truman, when asked his opinion of the atomic bomb project.)

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”
Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles in 1962

Choices - tough and pleasant..

I travel to work in the Kadamba Transport Corporation shuttle from Panjim to Vasco. It takes about 45 mins each way. Its smoother and faster than the creaky KTC big buses with clattering window panes and forever vibrating seats. So I spend more than an hour and a half travelling. Michelle suggested I carry a good book. Which is what I am doing. I am currently reading "The World Is Flat". Sometimes I wonder if the book is a good idea. Because there are times when I dont miss the sights. The route is the same, I know. But there is some thing about the way I feel when I can sense the breeze blowing in my face and nature in all its splendour, and in the background the green hills and the sea. The Goan countryside has this very charming knack of luring you.

Last Sunday when we were at Chapora, the view was breathtaking. The monsoons made sure all was green and a sight to behold. So much of Goa is still unexplored, and my excitement to see the remote places is similiar to that of the child eagerly waiting to open his or her Christmas presents on Christmas morning. This is why I love Goa. Reason number one, its so easy in Goa to get lost in the green fields or the green hills or head to the beach to soak in the sights, and feel refreshed. Reason number two, I can never get lost here. You speak Konkani and you will be dropped home. Whichever corner of Goa I am in, I am bound to bump into someone I know. If I dont bump into familiar faces, friends will be just a phone call away. Nothing beats this place, now and never will. I am a nature junkie. More than that, I will always be a Goa junkie.

Its a tough choice this one - a good book or the sights! Which explains why i just finished only 200 pages.. 350 more to go!

Mole kaun hai.. malum hai kya??

Luka Chuppi bahut huyi saamne aa ja naa..

According to Wikipedia,

1) Moles are often said to be blind but this is incorrect.
The mole has eyes and ears but they are incredibly small so
they do not become filled with earth when digging.

2) Mole fur is very fine and velvety and usually black,
it can point in any direction with ease, so is specially
adapted for life in tunnels.

Uncanny resemblance to ...??

5 Lessons from Philip Kotler

The problems for marketing? "It has become a one-P discipline. Selling," Philip Kotler declares. Maybe he means "peddling", because the guru is clearly unhappy with the stop-gap approach many managers adopt these days: "Marketing professionals lack accountability and hence take short term decisions."

Kotler recommends that CEOs should get a pay-out several years after they leave an organisation, which may engender more long-term decision-making.

Some lessons from the day-long seminar:

Lesson 1: R&D must be market-ready

Kotler had a poser for his audience. His question: "If you were the chief marketing officer of your organisation, who would you prefer to be close to? The CEO, CFO, CIO (chief information officer) or the CRO (chief research officer)?" There was no single opinion, so Kotler decided to have the final say. He would have had it, anyways.

According to Kotler, the CMO needs to be close to everybody from the CEO to the CRO. Typically, the CFO does not see logic in investing behind brands because he is not close to marketing. And, there is an 80 per cent failure rate in new products.

"The R&D is farthest away from customers, hence they often get it wrong," he explained. Now, even in research-focused organisations like IT giant Microsoft, "marketing has become the front door and their new product success rate has become higher".

Lesson 2: Number-crunching is more than just calculating market shares

"In B-schools most students choose marketing because they did not like accounts," quips Kotler. He recommends that instead, most marketing professionals must be "clued into finance" so that the other functions in the company take marketing seriously.

"The CMO must demonstrate the return on marketing investment," he says. Kotler recommends the creation of a marketing scorecard that captures the number of new customers added every year, measures the satisfaction level of current customers and indicates the brand health.

Lesson 3: The co-creation mantra

"Make your business a workshop where your customer can draw what he wants," recommends Kotler, adding "marketing is the delivery of experience". His example is the Four Seasons hotel chain that customises hotel rooms for its guests. Whenever possible, the next time the guest visits the hotel, he gets the same room.

"While the aim of business is to create satisfied customers, the truth is companies continue to lose unsatisfied customers."

The message: plug the leaks by exceeding customer satisfaction and customer delight, moving to a higher level - customer astonishment. Kotler feels that iconic brands like Harley Davidson and iPod reach these higher levels.

What else? Devise a net promoter score to track customer satisfaction levels. Round up your most loyal customers. Ask them if they would recommend your products to others and become promoters for your brand. If the number of those promoters is increasing, it's a good score. Otherwise get the point.

Lesson 4: Expand market size

Kotler begins this lesson with the story of Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric who made it a thumb rule that GE would only operate in businesses where it was a dominant player.

When Welch asked his managers about GE's market share in their business, the executives would give impressive numbers in the range of 50 per cent.

Welch would reply, "I think it's only 10 per cent. We have not tapped the rest of the market." Kotler's point: in your rush to hit the bull's eye, don't miss out on the markets that surround the sweet spot. The dart board is bigger. There are more places to hit.

Lesson 5: Strategic trajectory for Indian brands

Indian companies face two challenges - defending their markets against the invasion of foreign labels. The second is to develop strong global brands themselves.

According to Kotler, the trajectory for Indian brands is to move from being seen as low-cost average quality products, to low-cost superior quality and finally to higher-end products.

He gives the example of Haier, the Chinese consumer durables company, which has successfully acquired a global brand status. In its first stage, Haier fixed quality. In the second stage, the company diversified its product basket from just making refrigerators to mcrowaves, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and other products.

The third stage was to globalise. Most importantly, Kotler recommends that Indian companies must lean on research. "Instead of reducing marketing to advertising and selling, it makes sense to stick to research," says the 75-year-old, with child-like enthusiasm for his pet subject.

i have a problem..

Why am I not like everyone else ?? Why am i different?? I think differently. My goals are completely different from those of my friends. Can i blend in ?? Should i try to blend in, at the risk of losing my individuality ?? Well, no way.

But then, i always wonder, why am i different. I'm happy the way i am. Money does not motivate me as much as it should, but fighting for a cause does. Why am i so hard to get along with, why do i disagree so often, why am i so unpredictable?? I have no clue. Frankly. I have never intended to be a non-conformist.

When i look back though, i feel i 'd rather be different. Just the way i am right now. Can't get along with me, can you?? I am not asking you too..

Bhagat Singh on leaders

........ There are two kinds of leaders who incline to drag the party back at the moment when it should go fastest. One kind also tends to see over whelming difficulties and obstacles in the way of revolution and looks at them ----- consciously or unconsciously -- with the desire of avoiding them. They alter Marxism into a system for explaining why revolutionary action is impossible.

The other kind are mere superficial agitators. They see never any obstacle untill they can break their heads against them. They think they can avoid real difficulties by floods of oratory. They look at every thing with supreme optimism , and , naturally change right over when something has actually to be done.

-BHAGAT SINGH

Written on page 74 of Bhagat Singh's notebook.
This note book was received on 12 Sep 1929 when the agreement was made between the hunger strikers and Special Jail committee.
Written in 1929.
Relevant in 2006.

Stop the car!!

They were just a bunch of drunk kids. 'Kids' is Amitabh Revi of NDTV called them. Why question them? Saara nasha uthar aaya hoga. I dont drink or smoke or dope but i do know what people who are inebriated can be up to. It isn't their fault that they got to the second gate. Why freak them out by telling them to get lawyers and that they may have to go to jail. They were so dumb, they gave their names and their employers names on national television. Their contracts will be terminated for straying into 7, Race course road when they were into drunk and blamed on prior indiscipline and absenteeism.

Take the SPG to task because they were clearly found wanting. Woefully wanting!

The PMO says it was not a security breach. With as much nonchalance as the kid in school who blames his failure in school on inept teaching. If you cant blame it on someone, find some excuse.

NDTV got so excited. From 10.00 p.m. i watched the channel and all i could see were images of the black Hyundai Sonata moving back and forth and the interviews and kisses. I switched it off at 11.30 in disgust. I heard both the interviews so many times and knew each word by heart. Come on guys, accept it, it was a security breach after all, wasn't it? Accept it atleast for NDTV's sake.

IBN gives the full names of the girls with their pics and their jobs and employer and the guy?? They know only his first name. Maybe he did what most celebrities do, he might have said no comments.

Bizarre and laughable it may have been, but i'm 100% sure that if the 'kids' had managed to sneak in through the second gate, they would have shot at. And the whole incident would be passed off as an intrusion by terrorists and accolades showered on the alert security men at the gates!

One lesson for all! If you are drunk, dont drive on Race Course Road.

Programmers are the rudders!!

For those who wonder why all the girls on Orkut with sexy photos are bisexual or bi-curious, i have another interesting thing you can spend time on.

Joel Spolsky explains the setup of a software company and why rudders are important to keep the sinking at bay.

And if you have no idea what i am talking about, maybe you should start pondering about whether Jaswant Singh is talking about a mole or a birthmark!! Or you can try to figure out the Indian Cricket Team is training in Nauru!!

Judge Not!!

Michelle send in this poem ..


I was shocked, confused, bewildered
as I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
who made me sputter and gasp--
the thieves, the liars, the sinners,
the alcoholics, the trash

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

"And why's everyone so quiet,
so somber? Give me a clue."
"Hush, child," said He, "they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you."

Judge NOT.

8 steps to excellence - Azim Premji

How does one create excellence in an organisation?

First, we create an obsession with excellence. We must dream of it not only because it delivers better results but because we truly believe in it and find it intrinsically satisfying to us.

We must think of excellence not only with our mind but also with our heart and soul. Let us look outside, at the global standards of excellence in quality, cost and delivery and let us not rest till we surpass them.

Second, we need to build a collective self-confidence. Organisations and people who pursue excellence are self-confident. This is because excellence requires tremendous faith in one's ability to do more and in a better way. Unless, we believe we can do better, we cannot.

Third, we must understand the difference between perfection for its own sake and excellence. Time is of essence. Globalisation has made the customer only more impatient. This may seem like a paradox: should we aim for excellence or should we aim for speed?

Excellence is about doing the best we can and speed lies in doing it quickly. These two concepts are not opposed to each other; in fact, speed and timeliness are important elements of quality and excellence.

Fourth, we must realise that we cannot be the best in everything we do. We must define what we are or would like to be best at and what someone else can do better.

Excellence is no longer about being the best in India. It is about being the best in the world. We have to define what our own core competencies are and what we can outsource to other leaders. Headaches shared are headaches divided.

Fifth, we must create processes that enable excellence. Today, there are a number of global methods and processes available whether it is Six Sigma, CMM or ISO. Use them because they are based on distilled wisdom collected from the best companies in the world.

Also, we must build a strong foundation of information technology, because in this complex, dynamic world, it is imperative that we use the most modern tools to keep processes updated.

Sixth, we must create a culture of teaming. I have found that while great individuals are important, one cannot have pockets of excellence. Quality gives ample opportunities to build a culture of teaming. Cross-functional teams that are customer facing can cut through an amazing amount of bureaucracy, personal empire building and silos and deliver savings that one would not have imagined possible.

The other advantage of building teams focussed on quality is that the teaming culture eventually spreads to the rest of the organisation and teaming becomes a way of life.

Seventh, invest in excellence for the future. Future always seems to be at a distance. But it comes upon you so suddenly that it catches you by surprise, if not shock. What constitutes excellence in the future will be significantly different from what it is today.

In these days of severe market pressures, there is big temptation to sacrifice the future to look good in the present. We must certainly trim our discretionary expenses, but we must ensure that our investments in strategic areas that lead to excellence in the future are protected.

Finally, excellence requires humility. This is especially needed when we feel we have reached the peak of excellence and there is nothing further we can do. We need an open mind to look at things in a different way and allow new inputs to come in.

No one knows

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for
he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before—such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.

People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. "This horse is not a horse to me," he would tell them. "It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him.
"You old fool," they scoffed, "we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune."

The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable.
That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I've been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?"

The people contested, "Don't make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great
philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse."

The old man spoke again. "All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don't know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?"

The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always
thought he was fool; if he wasn't, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away into the forest.
Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us."

The man responded, "Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don't judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?

"Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment!
Don't say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don't."

Jamie Slocum, from his album MY HEART KNOWS

A sunburned face and weathered hands,
He stretches out the nets again.
He steps among the twisted lines,
And works them out in his good time,

Sometimes I picture God that way
Untangling all the mess I've made
Unraveling my lines so I can fish again one day....
Sometimes I picture God that way

Her tender hands pull tangles loose,
From gum in hair to knots in shoes.
With her quilter's skill and a mother's joy,
She frees the little girls and boys.

Sometimes I picture God that way
Untangling the mess I've made
Unraveling my kite so I can fly again one day
Sometimes I picture God that way

Sometimes I picture God that way
Untangling all the mess I've made
Unraveling my darkest nights
To weave a brand new day
Sometimes I picture God that way

Sometimes I picture God that way
Untangling the mess I've made
Unraveling my lines so I can fish again...

Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan!!

Dilip D'Souza in the HT on 17th July.

Bandra, where I live, is considered Bombay’s ‘first’ suburb. When I get to the Bandra train station, it’s unnaturally, almost eerily quiet. Lots of people, but so quiet. Yet today, the eeriness itself seems entirely natural. That kind of day, kind of bomb-blighted day. Platforms are swept clear of the usual throngs of rush-hour, public address speakers blare monotonous announcements about blasts — no trains, please stay calm and cooperate with the authorities.

I walk down to the southern end of the platform, where it’s dark, and immediately find hands reaching up to me from the tracks two feet below. Long lines of men and women off the trains that have stopped south of here, walking home along the tracks through the rain, asking me to help them onto the platform. One man hauls himself up, then tells me in inimitable Bombay Hindi: “Bahut log marela!” (Many people dead!) The walk south along the tracks is wet and slippery. Plenty of obstacles that I can only sense in this dark. Snatches of never-before conversation — blast at Khar, no at Santa Cruz. None at Churchgate. Many dead, many dead. One train at Borivli, right?

Just short of Mahim, the station that’s a mile-and-a-half away, a train has stopped on the track I’m treading, long, dark and undamaged. A hundred yards on, another train, and the buzz I’m now beginning to hear — amid huge crowds on the footbridge above and on the side of the tracks in front — tells me that this is the one. The train with the blast.

Sure enough, the first-class compartment in the middle of the train looks like someone buckled down to work on it with a blunt can-opener. It’s just twisted metal now, but I flinch at merely looking at it. Suketu Mehta wrote once, and famously, of hands unfurling like petals from a packed Bombay train compartment, reaching out to whisk just that one more commuter on board. From this train — still and dark in Mahim — the metal of the train itself unfurls like grotesque petals.

I see no hands.

I’ve travelled in these very compartments, at this very rush hour, hundreds of times. I know how people hang from every inch. What happens to people pressed in like that when a bomb like that goes off in their midst?

Gawkers everywhere. Some squatting on the concrete wall beside the road, some attached — permanently? — to the fence beside the track; others like me just standing on the stones with filth every where. At the jagged hole in the train, no more than 10 or 15 yards away now, a huddle of men. Their demeanour suggests that they are bringing out a body. They don’t, but one suddenly breaks from the huddle and rushes at us gawkers with a long stick. Get going, go on, get out of here, what’re you looking at! What are we looking at, really?

Another huddler steps over and suggests that instead of standing around watching, we might go donate blood at nearby hospitals.

The rain is now a lashing torrent, the traffic on the road outside a confused mess trying to negotiate through the crowds. Sirens again in the distance.

Every time a bus comes through, a part of the crowd coalesces into a coordinated shouting whole, thumping on the side of the bus for it to stop, urging stranded women commuters — only the women, for now — in. Down the road, another band of men stop taxis and cars similarly; in one case, they actually roll a small white car backwards, pushing that hard. Some serious and heated negotiation with the driver later, a few women fold themselves into the back and it moves on. Shopkeeper watching this from the sidewalk tells me, the police should be here doing this, organising buses to take people home. Instead the public — one more of those Bombay words, ‘public’ — is doing it themselves.

Young man in front of me suddenly opens his umbrella, and a sharp point from its canopy catches me painfully on my lip. For a moment, I could swear that’s blood flowing off my chin; then I understand it’s just rain.

Blood on my mind tonight. Sirens in my ear.

Further still, there are lights and announcements from a brightly-lit tent on the other side of the road. When I cross, two young men press glasses of water into my hands. I drink one down gratefully, conscious that I’m hardly a man in need here. They tell me, how far do you have to go, friend? If home is a long distance away, stop and have a bite to eat first. Pointing at the tent. This is a youth group — the Sai Seva Mitra Mandal — from a slum pocket along this stretch of road, whose sign I have passed for years without a second thought. Here they are in this driving rain, not two hours after this ghastly tragedy unfolded, organised with water, food, tables and a tent, all for fellow citizens left with no choice but to walk the long miles home.

People talk a lot about the spirit of Bombay. At this spot, I see it, I feel it, I drink it down, here with this young man scanning my unscarred face anxiously. I’m OK, I tell him, minor lump in my throat. Thank you so much.

Much slogging through the rain later, I am at the hospital. Three ambulances scream ahead of me, then the gates close and several cops are on guard out side, with a larger circle of people outside them. I push through and ask one uniform, can I go in and donate blood? Polite yet firm, he tells me, not now, please stand over there, we’ll come get you if we need blood, for now please don’t make things more difficult.

I hear him. Two reporters tell me, 22 bodies here, number can go up! Woman steps up and addresses the crowd, they’re taking blood at Holy Family Hospital nearby, why don’t you all go over there? Five or six men peel away from the crowd — unaccountably, I’m reminded again of petals — and walk on with her and me. She says, “I’m from a family of doctors, I went and told those cops I could be of help to any women victims who need to be changed or something. But they wouldn’t let me in. At least I can give blood.” Rickshaw driver offers to take us to the hospital. Two of the men pile in, then beckon to the woman. “Won’t you come along,” she says to me in a frantic whisper. “I can’t go in there alone!” She doesn’t know me from Adam, this woman. But before I can reply, the driver senses her unease and says, “Come along sister, nothing to worry about; look, you sit in front with me!” We pile in and we’re off. “I know you,” says the woman, turning to me. “Aren’t our sons in the same class at school?” (She does know me from Adam). The driver tells us all, “I brought four bodies in this rickshaw.” At Holy Family, he refuses any money. After ferrying bodies, and in this time, I suppose money means little.

The lot of us, dripping water on the hospital’s spotless floors, stride up to the blood bank. There’s time to get the names: Binaifer the woman, Shoukat the driver, Tabrez, Maaz, Anil, Nawaz and Ravi. We have, ladies and gentlemen, sound the trumpets, a Hindu, a Christian, four Muslims, a Parsi and an agnostic (me). All here to give blood for faceless fellow humans. (Not my blood, eventually, because I donated just two months ago). It really shouldn’t, but it touches me somewhere deep. There’s a sudden small commotion in the corridor. Man in bloodied shorts on a stretcher, wheeled swiftly into the ICU by plastic-aproned nurses.

Outside as I walk home, the rain eases. The memories don’t.

Blogspot.com blocked??? Oh Ya!!

Yesterday, Gaurav Sabnis said some of the blogspot sites were banned. I found it amusing. Why would someone wanna block someone's blog? Today morning, i find them blocked.

According to the more reputed and famous bloggers in the Indian blogosphere, some ISPs have blocked it because of a directive from the Ministry of IB or Ministry of Communication or some Ministry.

Thank you. This really helps what they call Freedom Of Speech.

Unfortunately, they forgot to block the dashboard on blogger. Which is why i can post.

And for those guys who think they can block people from expressing the disgust they feel deep down in their gut when they realise that this country is going to the dogs because of some horrendous and stupid decision makers who are more influenced by the lure of personal gain than by anything else, i would say carry on.

Block Google. And block blogger. And block the newspapers.

The good thing that is coming out of all this is that my resolve to rebel is only being strengthened. And i'm sure i'm not the only one feeling this way.

Vir Sanghvi on Mumbai

Exactly one year ago, when this paper(HT) was launched, I wrote, on this page, in almost exactly the same place: “A great city deserves a great newspaper.” If one year has taught me anything, it is not about how great a newspaper we produce — that is for you to judge, and not for me to say.

What these last 12 months have taught me is how great a city Bombay is.

More nonsense is written about the spirit of Bombay than about any other subject. Bombay is portrayed as the glittering Manhattan of the East; as the place where movers and shakers party; as the city where everybody just gets on with the job.

None of that is true.

The spirit of Bombay is about its people.

This is India’s greatest city; it is one of the world’s greatest cities. It is the one city in our country where people of all castes, creeds and languages can freely mingle. It is the one city where anybody can come out of nowhere and still make it. And it is truly the city of dreams: each year Bollywood just gets bigger and better, selling fantasies and entertainment to the whole world.

But it is a city that never quite gets the politicians or the infrastructure — or the credit — that it deserves.

A year ago, when the streets were flooded, our homes submerged and our city paralysed, they told us it would never happen again.

But it did.

A decade ago, when bombs ripped through the heart of our city, killing hundreds and pushing the limits of our patience and tolerance, they told us that this too would never happen again. They had beefed up the intelligence structure, they had traced the routes through which RDX entered; and they had put away the bad guys.

But, of course, it did. It happened all over again a few days ago.

But a great city does not let terrorists win. It does not depend on inept bureaucrats. It cannot be stopped by venal politicians. A great city counts on its people.

And it is the people of Bombay who keep us going; who rise above tragedy and attack; who survive despite the best and worst efforts of the politicians, bureaucrats and policemen whose salaries we pay.

So, one year after this paper was launched, let’s stop a while and think of ourselves: the people of Bombay.

Let’s think of the lonely commuters, piling uncomplainingly into train compartments, riding the arteries of their city on their way home.

Let’s think of the innocent people whose blood was spilled by terrorist murderers on Tuesday. Let’s think of the families where one chair will now always be vacant.

Let’s think of the rest of us; let’s reflect on how well we coped; on how we let neither fear nor hatred overcome us; let’s ask ourselves if we deserve better from our officials and our government. And let’s raise our cups this morning in a silent toast to the people of our great city. Because without the people there would be no spirit. And we would be without the phenomenon that is Bombay.

Two sides of a story

We know politicians are big time jerks. Never missing an opportunity to indulge in some name-calling. But sometimes you expect them to have some sense. Like when the country's financial capital is hit by 7 blasts in 11 minutes leaving around 200 people dead. All this in rush hout traffic. You can expect them to shut up and show a united, brave face. But then, dreams will be dreams. Remo had sung 'Politicians dont know how to rock n roll'. Politicians dont know how to shut up either. Check this.

The guys at Mumbai Help have done a great job. Every comment on their "How can we help" page is a testimony to the true Mumbaikar spirit and grit. The first people to help the victims in most places were the locals. Some distributed samosas, biscuits and water to stranded travellers. The authorities came much later aka police in bollywood movies. Clearly. Mumbaikars are made of stronger stuff.

As Pratyush Khaitan puts it

Today, as the morning sun rises, you are still angry. The Mumbai blasts were no hang over which would go away the next day. The innocent lives lost barbarically murdered cannot be brought back.

The simple joys we enjoy each day - sports, movies, music seem insignificant as lives are lost. That was the aim of the terrorists as well. So don’t stop dear Indians and continue with your normal lives while doing as much as you can to help the victims even though it will seem difficult.

As the Mumbai train started again today morning, the people cheered. Like that train, we have to carry on, if only to stand tall against cowardly people who attack innocents.

I'm joining Google

After generous helpings of this, i got a hang of some of Google's search technology

I might join Google's Copernicus Research Center

Expanding your innovation horizons

Found an interesting article on Fast Company by Richard Watson of Global Innovation Network. Here it is

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Companies must think more radically while still pursuing incremental innovations.

Too many companies emphasize low-risk innovations that aim to incrementally extend their existing businesses.

Most innovations fail and it’s easy to see why. They are expected. They are unimaginative, boring, and fail to excite or fill any real need. Indeed, most so-called innovations aren’t innovative. They are mundane line extensions to existing products and services that have no currency with cynical, time-starved customers. So why do companies keep churning out me-too innovations that have no magic or address problems that have been adequately met elsewhere?

I think part of the problem is that most companies put most of their innovation effort into what I’d call horizon-one type innovations. These are low-risk innovations that aim to incrementally extend the existing business. They usually make sense internally but most customers can do without marginal innovations, especially if switching from one product to another costs valuable time or money.

A few companies look beyond this activity to horizon-two type innovations. These are new products or services that aim to create entirely new categories within an existing market. This type of blockbuster innovation is difficult, but there are big rewards for any company that’s smart enough and persistent enough to try.

The third area of activity is horizon-three type innovation. But outside of technology this is as rare as a red carpet no show by Paris Hilton. Horizon-three type innovations seek to disrupt existing markets through the use of new business models, processes, or technology. This is an area where old industries are remodelled and where emerging science and technology is harnessed to address demand that does not seem to exist. It is an area at the very edge of what’s possible where comments like ‘ridiculous’ are often a favorable response because few companies have the imagination or the courage to follow such bold moves.

This is where the really big money is.

According to an INSEAD study, 86% of innovation is low risk and generates around 30% of current company profits. The remaining 14% of innovation is radical but generates over 60% of current company profits. I’d add to this that unless you are actively looking at horizon-three type innovations, chances are your company won’t be around in another 20 years to invest in lower risk incremental innovations. For example, only 26% of the companies in the Fortune 100 in 1980 were also on the same list in 2001. In other words, playing it safe 100% of the time is a dangerous business. So ‘innovate or evaporate,’ as author and innovation expert James M. Higgins says.

Another reason innovations fail is that successful innovations that remain in market are quickly copied by competitors. Not only that, competitors playing a ‘follower strategy’ are not disabled by many of the costs associated with bringing a new idea to market. Fast followers can quickly learn from the mistakes of the original innovator who is invariably bogged down by the double whammy of internal resistance and external inertia.

For example, can you imagine the money Unilever must have spent to put black laundry detergent (for washing black clothes) on shelf only to find archrival Procter & Gamble putting an almost identical product on shelf a few moments later? (I actually forget who was first and who was the follower--but that’s my point).

Furthermore, companies often seriously underestimate the hidden costs associated with innovations, so what looks like a success on paper is often a commercial flop over the longer term when hidden costs like logistics are taken into account. Incremental innovation (horizon-one type innovation) is something companies need to do to stay in the game, but it rarely delivers any long-term competitive advantage unless you can create continuous company-wide innovation as a core competency.

This is not to say that companies (or individuals) can’t get rich by inventing and capitalising upon a single new product (look at Red Bull, Dyson, or Swatch), but it’s getting increasingly difficult as mass markets fragment and consumer attention spans evaporate.

For instance, Apple (pre iPod and iTunes) held approximately 1,300 patents and had fanatical brand loyalty. The company was also held up as a poster child of the innovation economy. But Apple had only around 2.5% to 3.0% of the global personal computer market behind grey box brands like Acer and Legend. In contrast, Dell had a share of around 18% of the worldwide market thanks to process innovations like its ‘built-to-order’ production system. In personal terms, Michael Dell is also worth considerably more than Steve Jobs. Dell is the 12th richest person on the planet with around $17 billion, while Jobs languishes in relative poverty in 140th place will around $4 billion. This is ridiculously simplistic, but surely these numbers say something about the value of process versus product innovation?

Another good example is the no-frills airline business. Ryanair (a low-cost European airline) has a higher market cap that most European national carriers. Why? Because no-frills airlines like Ryanair have re-invented flying for millions of people -- not through glitzy product or service innovations but via operational innovation.

Similarly, Wal-Mart isn’t the sexiest retailer from a traditional innovation point of view but they are creative thinkers where it counts. Wal-Mart’s ‘cross-docking’ system (where goods are transferred directly from supplier trucks to store delivery trucks) has been fundamental to logistical efficiency -- which in turn allows the company to deliver low prices to customers. It’s not glamorous but it works.

So what’s the take-away here? First, companies must think more radically while simultaneously maintaining an incremental innovation course. Easier said than done of course but there is no easy route to any place worth going.

Second, companies need to focus more on process innovation. This is not innovation process (which they also need) but re-thinking how a market or business currently works and how value could be delivered differently in the future. In other words, companies need to think less about new products and more about how they are delivered via new businesses and new business models.

A final example: Day Jet is a new U.S.-based business that allows business travellers to fly direct to regional airports in six-seater micro-jets. This means that travellers can bypass time-consuming connections at big airports and avoid unwanted overnight stays in small towns and cities. This is a really nice idea, although in theory any airline could buy some micro-jets and do exactly the same. What makes Day Jet innovative is its business model: The company has no fixed routes and no fixed prices. Instead the business aggregates demand ‘on the fly,’ linking small groups of people that want to go to the same place at roughly the same time. Routes and pricing will fluctuate in real time as demands ebbs and flows and customers will be offered a series of different prices depending on how flexible they are willing to be (give a little, save a lot). What’s really clever about this idea is how the business model blends some trends -- like mass customisation, dynamic pricing, and social networks to create a product that is extremely difficult to copy.

Entrepreneurial endeavour, huh??

Top 10 Signs You're Made to be an Entrepreneur according to this

Live for Web United

Discrimination everywhere

After Love United, it's time to sing Web United.

The goal I loved the most

I have not seen Maradona's goal of the century live but i was lucky to watch Esteban Cambiasso's effort in the WC.

Here is what FIFA's website has to say about Cambiasso's goal against Serbia & Montenegro

In a move comprising fully 26 passes and involving nine different players, Argentina moved the ball from one end to another in the space of 57 seconds. The Serbo-Montenegrins could only look on in wonder as the sublime movement and technique of the South Americans ripped their feted defence to shreds.

The goal was football poetry in motion. First Maxi Rodriguez, well inside Argentine territory, laid the ball back to Gabriel Heinze. From Heinze to Mascherano, from back to front, and from right to left; a perfect example of Argentinian artistry. Rodriguez was involved on five occasions, Mascherano and Juan Roman Riquelme four times each, while the hapless Serbo-Montenegrins were forced to play the role of hypnotised onlookers.
Their agony was finally complete when, with his third and most telling contribution to the move, Cambiasso stroked the ball home to spark wild celebration in Argentina and open-mouthed acclaim from the rest of the world.

Think u know it all??

What About these things?...(Got them in an email forward)

1) "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with your left hand and
"lollipop" with your right.

2) It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

3) Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

4) No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver,
or
purple.

5) "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

6) Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears
never stop growing.

7) The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses
every
letter of the alphabet.

8) The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they
are
read left to right or right to left (palindro! mes).

9) There are only four words in the English language which end in
"dous":
tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous

10) There are two words in the English language that have all five
vowels
in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

11) TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters
only
on one row of the keyboard.

12) 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the
back
of the $5 bill

13) A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

14) A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

15) A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.

16) A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

17) A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

18) A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

19) A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

20) A snail can sleep for three years.

21) Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

22) Almonds are a member of the peach family.

23) An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

24) Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child
reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

25) Butterflies taste with their feet.

26) Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.

27) February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a
full
moon.

28) In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

29) If the population of China walked past you, 8 abreast, the line
would
never end because of the rate of reproduction.

30) If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend
an
average of 6 months waiting at red lights.

31) Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

32) On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament
building is an American flag.

33) Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite!

34) Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

35) The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

36) The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of
diesel
that it burns.

37) The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar
tube
and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

38) The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely
solid.

39) There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

40) There are more chickens than people in the world.

41) There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamin's.

42) Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

43) Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

44) Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

45) Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks;
otherwise it will digest itself.