Salute

To Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte, Unnikrishnan, commandos, soldiers, police, civilians who laid their life or injured, the brave hotel staff, press reporters, people who donated blood, helped the procedures, medicos... I salute you. Your sacrifice will always be remembered.

‘aye mere watan ke logon, zara aankh may bhar lo paani,

jo shaeed huwei hain unki zara yaad karo kurbani….

Tell me its done

Being a student is never easy.

Especially when you play cricket every single night, watch movies, blog, Orkut, check mails, eat, do assignments, exams, fights, pranks, birthday parties, watch TV, have serious enlightening debates about life, terrorists, rain, try to read on the bed (sorry all other stuff like mags, novels are at the table) and then sleep when all the civilized world is waking up around 4 AM. So its not a big deal when you don't sleep, I mean in the night.

Its OK until you go to class and try to concentrate your sleep deprived brain, stressing on what the faculty is trying to say, read the alphabets on your book, scribble something on the paper. And after what seems to be at least 4 hours of non-stop logic, you want to see if the prof has exceeded the class time and try to give a quick look at the watch.. Its then that its hits you. Its hardly 15 mts since the class started. So what you do is pull up your chair stop leaning back on the featherlite chair and look at the prof as if you have some magical laser in your eye that would drill a hole in the prof or may be make him catch fire or disappear in to thin air with a whiff of smoke and you are left alone to doze off happily. By this your eyes are strained so much from the last nights movie that you cant hold your eyelids up any more and they act like they are made of wax and exposed to fire. They come slowly down, like a rain a blessing.

Ah! the feeling can't be expressed or explained. You need to FEEL it. Its so relieving, so soothing and beautiful that you seem to have reached such heights that you forget everything. All the world around you comes to a standstill and it becomes so silent and don't want to disturb you. Some rude push/punch/thud/elbow jerk wakes you up. Some people even pinch and you can't even yell. You are back to square one.

This time you try something different. You try to look at the prof who looks at you directly. No he looks through you and you don't know what is being discussed. You could be pulled up and questioned as to what was being discussed. The prof gives you the Do-you-want-me-to-pull-you-up-and-mess-your-life look and you give the look of a puppy that just spilt the coffee on your new blazer on the day of your interview. But the problem is that there is no where to run or hide. May be you could just disappear. Wow, isn't it a great idea. Disappearing. Puff and you are gone. Gone without a trace or may be you could leave a small smoke behind just to show you are gone or may be a dazzling flash of light. Light would be brilliant. It would be surprising and no one would know what happened. It would be sudden and fast like what Batman does in the movie. Hmm.. I remember the scene. Katie Holmes was looking too good in the movie. The dark background, her dove like eyes and what was the color of the dress? Need to re-watch the part when I get back to my room. Did you see Phonebooth? Oh! How I wish I was in my room, on the soft bed, hidden under the warm blanket where no one could disturb me, with my lappie, my iPod headphones plugged into my ears, going through the ppts, google and sleeping without realizing it. After all you need to be updated and stay ahead of the competition. Some one reduce the speed of the fan please. PINCH. Oh! did I sleep? No I didn't. I was just thinking as to what color would the smoke be when I disappear!

NO nonsense this time. Its hardly 30 mts since the class started and look at me! I need to concentrate and listen. I have a feeling that all the profs in common have something magical in them, some technologically advanced version of time-stopping-device or technique that makes 10 minutes like eternity and forget the full class of 105 mts! Its scientifically prove that the human concentration span is just 20-40 mts but still no one cares. So now how many more minutes before I leave this room That's 105-30, sorry 105-32 mts. Some 73 mts. Or is it 71? Who cares my mind has stopped working and demands rest right now and can wait no longer and the slides on the screen are Purple, Dark Purple. Hmm.. sounds like Bond, James Bond. How come they didn't use this phrase in the new bond movie Quantum of Solace? Is it a strategic decision or just a gimmic to attract attention? What a movie that was? The print I saw was bad but it was not exciting. What stupid story? Did I blog about this? I think I did. Ouch! Somebody pushed me! I swear I wasn't sleeping. "Not sleeping? You were snoring", comes the reply.

Oh! So I am think-sleeping (reached the advanced stages of insomnia like Al Pacino!) now. I should blog about this and should do some nice blogging and concentrate on management topics like Prof. Ray and Prof. Mark J Perry. Hey did we do the assignment that we were supposed to submit today? Who was doing it? Let me ask my team mates. Where are they? I give a quick glance at the prof who is explaining some concept to the class (Oops! Even I am a part of this...) What is he talking about? His hands are drawing something in thin air! Its a four-dimensional figure and I have missed the starting so I cannot understand the rest. Ok lets find the team.

Sitting in the first bench has its own advantages. You can sleep off, dream and with one turn look at the whole class. The disadvantage is that the whole class stares back at you as if you are some exhibition item which fell and broke off. There they are, the team, sitting in 7 separate locations like shattered glass and we are all united in not doing the assignment. I signal about the ppt and the report and they don't get a word. By this time half the class is looking at you and the prof, who gave you up, invariably looks at you and you nod your head in assertion as if you are agreeing with whatever he has just said and try to scribble in the paper. Oh! Where is the paper? And the pen? the paper is missing, the pen fell off long ago when you were dreaming about Katie's eyes and you try to pick it up. Look back at the prof and then the watch. Hmm.. 45 mts! Yes only 60 more to go. I know only doesn't make it any more easier. The thought alone sickens you. By the way it took just 1/100th of a second for you to calculate the remaining time.

I think I should SMS them and find out. There is no network. No one follows you here. Where is the pug? and Rahman? Lets see about the assignment later. There is a pause the lecture. Some one raised a point or may be its an objection and it is being discussed. May be I would understand if I start listening from here so that I can get the conclusion of the concept. 38 seconds later I get the feeling that the lecture is boring. Will I stick to the concepts and framework in the book or will I write creatively? You are expected to tread the text book, reference books, and gather all the information you could to have an in depth knowledge.

This is the time you are should learn and fill yourself with concepts, knowledge, information that would be useful to face the harsh world. Make good use of it.

Damn it feels good to be a...

Damn it feels good to be a B school student?
What next?

Perfect song for a B school student with placement on his/her mind.

Unzeitgeist

Five days traveled
Wakened in the land of the black desert
Rotten corpses everywhere
Endless fields, rising fear
Endless fear
Moves me on
Time has gone
Past is here
Moonlight twists my mind
Perfect silence surrounds me
Dreams turn to nightmares
The black walls of death
Ritual of horrid monsters
The cult of the evil or your sick imagination
Fear - Pain - Darkness
Destroys my mind

The Obsession

Many times some people act as if they own you, your business, your time! Is there a problem with this? Sometimes yes. Just because your CRM is good its unfair for the people to act as if they own you. Its not possible to provide that extra attention, extra time, extra tissue, adjusting the change, free phone calls, etc. every time you come to my place. Sorry. CRM sounds great but not possible to get it every time.

I mean it. How would you feel about some one coming to your place and breaking a glass every time they come? At the least you would stop giving them the glass in the first place. Next time do not take everything for granted, even if it is a familiar place.

Please act as a mature customer and not as if you own it.

We win, always

Nariman point, one of the three points of hostage situation has been regained. Commandos cheer up and come out after 44 hours of fighting, victorious. They are exhausted, tired, tested, strained both physically and mentally but there is nothing like victory. God bless India.

Agreed that we were able to win back all that was seized from us but why let the dogs come in in the first place? Why not create a system that keeps stray dogs away.

Think twice before you neglect

Never think some one as a loser, some one who need not be cared. Never turn away your customers, colleagues, clients.

Jamshedji Tata was turned away from the Grand Watsons and built his own hotel, the Taj Mahal, the one that has been targeted by the terrorists now.

Prof. Sudhir Angur decided to open his own business school when he couldn't find a good business school for a relative in Bangalore and the result is Alliance Business School.

There exists a popular story that a lady in "faded gingham" and a man in a "homespun threadbare suit" went to visit the president of Harvard about making a donation, were rebuffed, and then founded Stanford University.

A hurt customer is worth more than 100 new customers. Same applies to a hurt friend, client, neighbor. Its all about trust and how you treat your not-so-financially-viable customers. Its not about money or present utility always.

Think twice before you turn away some one next time. Who knows you may be working for them later.

Yagna Evolved

Who is the most effected by the global financial crisis? I think the fortune tellers who can't predict anything good, change anything. Or do they? Being a very flexible tribe they have evolved into a modern service selling comfort, hope and change. Business Line reports that some 150 crore is being spent on a 'Yagna' in Ramosana vilage of Mehsana dt, Gujarat for thwarting away the ill effects of the global crisis and usher in good times. As many as 3000 priests from all over the country are going to participate in this act.

I don't know if this will have any effect on the financial crisis but as far as the priests are concerned it sure does.

On the other hand see how the opportunity is grabbed. How things are planned and implemented. This follows the Darwin principle. Evolve or get extinct.

Mumbai under attack

Terrorists attack Mumbai. Its a sorry scene. Government requests people to main calm and stay at home. Please stay calm and united. Don't let these cowards change our communal fabric. Watch live coverage here.

Honesty pays? or...

See what I found online...

"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are victimized first."

Chanakya

I don't mind...

Consistency

I have heard of many examples for consistency and never-give-up attitude. But these bees have meat all my expectations. Time and again they have been burnt, killed and scared away but no matter what the next day there are back. Many die, are smashed but their determination never ends.

As a team they rebuild what has been destroyed, fallen, burnt to ashes. In these dire times, if you have been effected, you need not lose hope. All you need to do is to start again, with renewed vigor, passion and hope.

Objection?

Some times people object, interrupt, raise questions, disturb for the heck of asking. Just for the heck of asking. Usually this is because they want to prove that they are there, they exist! To prove their importance when they feel bad, neglected or just out of place. If you are one of those people, you are only gaining temporary attention and disgust and hatred. Its all about controlling your emotions and shutting up when you are not interested.

Bad day

Emotional competencies that make up EQ:

1. The ability to identify and name one’s emotional states and to understand the link between emotions, thought and action.
2. The capacity to manage one’s emotional states — to control emotions or to shift undesirable emotional states to more adequate ones.

In other words, EQ relies on your ability to recognize and deal with your own emotions.

When you’re in a bad mood, it’s extremely tempting to look around you for sources of that mood.

We tend to think that a bad mood is always caused by something or someone else. And when we’re in a bad mood, everything suddenly becomes annoying, making it even easier to find justifications for the bad mood.

QOS 007

This is a crash-bang Bond, high on action, low on quips, long on location glamour, short on product placement.

Under the direction of Marc Forster, the movie ladles out the adrenalin in a string of deafening episodes: car chases, plane wrecks, motor boat collisions. If it's got an engine, and runs on fuel, and can crash into another similarly powered vehicle, with Bond at the wheel, and preferably with a delicious female companion in the passenger seat - well, it goes in the movie.

There are plenty of references to other Bond moments. A horribly dangerous skydive recalls The Spy Who Loved Me. A pile-up in Haiti which spills a macabre lorryload of coffins recalls the voodoo creepiness of Live And Let Die. And, most outrageously of all, the grotesque daubing of a female corpse brings back Goldfinger - though Sean Connery got an awful lot more mileage out of that sort of thing.

As in Casino Royale, the famous John Barry theme tune is saved up until the end; a baffling, decision, I always think, not to use this thrilling music at the beginning of the film.

Bond has hardly got his 007 spurs, when he's infuriating M, Judi Dench, with his insolence and insubordination. Out in the field, he's whacking enemy agents in short, sharp, bone-cracking bursts of violence when he should be bringing them in for questioning.

In theory, he is out to nail a sinister international business type: Dominic Greene, played by French star Mathieu Amalric, who under a spurious ecological cover plans to buy up swaths of South American desert and a portfolio of Latin American governments to control the water supply of an entire continent. As Greene, Amalric has the maddest eyes, creepiest leer, and dodgiest teeth imaginable.

But set against this is the cool, cruel presence of Craig - his lips perpetually semi-pursed, as if savouring some new nastiness his opponents intend to dish out to him, and the nastiness he intends to dish out in return. This film, unlike the last, doesn't show him in his powder-blue swimming trunks (the least heterosexual image in 007 history), but it's a very physical performance. Quantum of Solace isn't as good as Casino Royale: the smart elegance of Craig's Bond debut has been toned down in favour of conventional action.

But the man himself powers this movie; he carries the film: it's an indefinably difficult task for an actor. Craig measures up. For marketing aspects on the movie visit MJ's analysis on the change.

What's he best part of the movie? Bond holding a dying friend. This man has a heart!

Secondhand Serenade

It's four AM, I'm waking up to your perfume
Don't get up, I'll get through on my own
I don't know if I'm home
Or if I lost the way into your room
I'm spiraling into my doom
I'm feeling half alive but I know one day
You and I will be free,

To live and die by our own rules,
Free...
Despite the fact that men are fools.

I'm almost alive, and I need you to try
And save me.
It's okay that we're dying,
But I need to survive tonight, tonight.

Well excuse me while I get killed softly,
Heart slows down and I can hardly tell you I'm okay
At least 'til yesterday,
You know you got me off my highest guard,
Believe me when I say it's hard.
We'll get through this tonight
And I know one day you and I will be free

To live and die by our own rules,
Free...
Despite the fact that men are fools.
I'm almost alive, and I need you to try
And save me.
It's okay that we're dying,
But I need to survive tonight, tonight.

And I was trying to disappear,
But you got me wrapped around you
I can hardly breathe without you
I was trying to disappear
But I got lost in your eyes now,
You brought me down to size now.

I'm almost alive
And I need you to try and save me.
It's okay that we're dying
But I need to survive tonight, tonight
Tonight...

I'm almost alive, and I need you to try
And save me.
It's okay that we're dying,
But I need to survive tonight, tonight.
I need to survive tonight, tonight.

Need answer?

I love books. I buy, read, borrow but never ever lend. I like how they look, feel and the aroma of a new book is out of this world. So its rare that I mince money when buying one.

Carols Bolt's book The book of answers caught my attention when I went to Landmark in good old Forum last time.

Ask any question and open the book and you will find a word or a sentence that would be an answer. You are supposed to follow it. Should you ask your boss for a raise? Call that cute guy you met at a party? Sell your stock? Tell your best friend her boyfriend’s cheating on her? There are hundreds of pages, almost 900 of them in it.

Do people rely on books to decide what should they do? Who in the world would sell his stock because the book said so? Divorce his wife, stop brushing, etc.? But the book is one of the best sellers.

Though I am smart enough to leave my decision to a random answer in a book I decided to try it once. I asked the question if I should buy it. The answer was, "DON'T. Stay back!". So I didn't!

I think this book actually works.

My parents don't approve

Like it or not, parents are an inevitable part of the process of recruiting members of Generation Y. Most members of this generation seek their parents' input on key decisions; virtually no Y will accept an offer of employment without first calling home to discuss the pros and cons with his or her parents. You should anticipate this, accept parental involvement as a given, and make the most of it.

Your goal should be to make sure that when that Y calls home, he or she hears three magic words: "Good choice, honey." Your company needs to have a "parent-approved" employer brand.

Do you have a parent-approved brand?

Herod’s Lost Tomb

Well its the name of the new game on iPhone. Its a simple hidden-objects game built on a story in the magazine’s December issue and a TV show about King Herod. It was produced in-house at National Geographic. The pictures and graphics in the game are too clear and realistic picked from the best of the collection. Does this set a trend in gaming? 

I think it would because till date the attention was to detail, power, clarity and real pictures and sequences were not too important. But research has shown that this was the un-vocalized need of the new gamers who liked to see better pictures and this suits their requirements. 'Herod's Lost Tomb' aims at this.

Will this increase the craze for iPhone? 

Will iPhone replace other gaming devices?

What do you think? 

Boring sessions

• Discounting the entire message when one flaw is found

• Judging the messenger rather than evaluating the message

• Scanning your arguments

• Giving premature responses

• Listening for agreement rather than for understanding

• Wandering mind

• Drive to be right

• The “principle of it”

If the reason is not any one of the above, then you know who to blame ;)

Crisis - reaction

When it rains all birds run for shelter but only Eagle avoids the rain by flying above the clouds. Problems exist for all but attitude makes all the difference.

Top brands

Respond or initiate?

It's possible to spend an entire day blogging and orkutting and never initiate a thing, just respond to what's coming in. As Seth puts it - it's possible to spend an entire day at work (actually it's possible to spend an entire career) doing nothing but responding. I remember listening to the FM radio for 2 full days when I bought my first radio phone in 2003. I was too immersed that I skipped my lunch! I had to go and sell it off as it was wasting too much of my time.

Just check your day and see how many thinks you have done which change something?
Or did you just respond to what came in?
What can you do to change something or just start something?

Plan your day in such a way that you start something useful in your organization and work on it. When any talk of downsizing rises you will be the last one to be shown the door.

What do you say?

The hands... matter

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Roger Clemens' hands is worth $475 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.

A tennis racket in Andre Agassi's hands is worth millions.

It depends whose hands it's in.

What do your employees feel about you? 

Your firm? 

Your Team? 

Friendship?

On the other hand why are you there if you don't realize your potential?

Memoirs of Laura

The First Lady of the US, Laura Bush, is in talks for a multimillion-dollar deal to write her memoirs, while her husband George W. Bush may have to wait years before he can write his.

As things have not been going very well during his two terms as President, Bush has been advised to wait for some years before he can publish his memoirs.

Bush would still have some buyers. But as many feel that Bush has had the guts to take some very controversial yet influencing decisions in American history which would have a long-lasting effect. I would really like to know how felt and why he took them.

Second Nature by Tokujin Yoshioka

Wall Hanging

Ice table, Chair, Wall painting

Ice Rainfall

Abstract art using ice to depict the cold complex feeling called Second Nature.

Source: FFO

Home-maker

A man came home from work and found his three Children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty Food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, Breakfast food was spilled on the Counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a Small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over Toys and more piles of Clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door.

As he peered inside he found wet towels, Scummy soap and more toys Strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a Heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What Happened here today?'

She again smiled and answered, 'You know every Day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all Day?'

'Yes,' was his incredulous reply?

She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'

'Poor' Kid

Forget it. Thimmappa can speak in 5 languages and works for about 15 hours, 7 * 365 days selling chana and palli on the vast streets of your city. He can come up with more than 15 variants of them using salt, pepper, mirchi, lemon, onion and so on.

How many does he sell per day? On a bad day 25-100. On a good day, like a weekend, 200! That makes him earn Rs. 1200/- on an investment of Rs. 200/-. Lets convert this to CTC. A minimum of Rs. 1,00,000/-.

So does he go to school? Would he if someone paid for him. "No!" comes the reply, "who gets a job going to small schools and all this recession! Everyone is searching for a job these days but no one gets one." He plans to start a 'Chaat mandi' in 2 years which would guarantee him some 30,000 per year! "How much do you earn anna?"

I would like to skip this question Tims...

Cute

Missing some one?
Oops! I forgot the ring!

Innocence

Happy Children's day

Each one of us have a kid in them. This kid not only comes out when you are alone or feeling childish but also when you make choices, purchases, decisions. What you undergo in your childhood has its implications on how you behave, why you behave, what you feel, why and so on. So if you are a person who can change the way children feel in your house, friend's place, do it. Make them feel the right way, learn the right lessons, understand the right things at the right time, pick up the best qualities and see life in a better way. After all raising a child is like painting a masterpiece, sculpting a huge sculpture. You don't do this in a day. Its done over a long time, one stroke of the brush or chisel at a time. Do it in such way that it is a good picture and not a messy one.

Unlike a picture or a sculpture in this case the picture also knows where it is going and how it is being made. Each coating of paint, stroke of the chisel is remembered and shapes its character, behaviour and the psyche. Good luck.

Happy Children's Day!

Pic: Eden

You are fired.

Not a good word to hear right? We are downsizing and you are going home. How does this sound?

Isn't this natural in this recession. Some friend of yours or a relative's friend has been downsized. Does this bring a bad feeling in you? Do you feel insecure? I would too.

But is there something you could do to be safe from these bad times. No matter how powerful people you know it would be difficult to stay put. The simple solution I feel for this is to keep delivering. Contributing more than your peers, more than what I expected from you. Is there a limit for performance?

So will you be the one who is safe when bad times hit the company and some are laid off? I cannot assure you. But it keeps you safe and fit to get another one.

Its your insurance. So are you insured?

Education

Nine tenths of education is encouragement.

Anatole France

The Nagarjuna Experience

We went to Nagarjuna Restaurant at Jayanagar 4th block the other day for lunch. My right thumb was bandaged and hence eating from a banana leaf is not comfortable to eat with a spoon. The food was good as expected but they didn't have a plate.

Why can't you keep a few plates? I have this question for others as well. Malls don't have facilities for handicapped people, not enough washrooms (even if they exist, they stink), escalators don't have attendants, trail rooms don't have fans, CCD doesn't have parking, many malls don't have emergency exits, working fire extinguishers and what not. Why can't you be ready and be ready for emergencies.

Chiru's campaign

Will all this adulation turn into votes?

RBDJ

When I was waiting to see him romancing his lead in the snow filled mountains of Swiss country-side, Shahrukh is seen wearing a faded shirt, with a bad pair of trousers and completely awful shoes... probably his worst on-screen look till date. But we do know that he's got another dashing look in the movie which I can't wait to see. 12th December is the date of release.

What is cooking in Indian kitchens?

Home-makers will find it difficult to resort to the easy-to-make tomato rice for a meal, at least for some time to come. With the price of the commonly-used vegetable shooting up to Rs. 60 a kg in many retail markets in the city, most customers had to be content with a small quantity despite paying higher price.

People now buy only half the quantity of the weekly requirement of vegetables. The increase in the price of most vegetables, including cabbage that is usually cheap, had also hit the business of small hotels and roadside eateries.

Sandeep mentions in his blog that the prices in the organized retail outlets like Reliance Fresh are too high, almost 70% higher than the Mandi outside the mart. Who cares for the ambiance when your prices drill a hole in my purse? I am going to reduce my intake to meet the price increase and consume less. Will I come to your outlet when I know that buying from the farmer directly is cheaper or for that matter any other player whose competency is cost leadership? he answer is yes.

So Mr. Ambani, either reduce prices by cutting down your margins or else I am not going to come to your store.

The next hit in tollywood

Sekhar Kammula has now become a household name in Andhra Pradesh with just four films, Dollar Dreams, Anand, Godavari and Happy Days. He is now producing a film titled Avakaya Biryani, which is written and directed by Anish Kuruvilla, who earlier acted in Dollar Dreams and Anand, He worked in the direction department for all the films of Sekhar Kammula.

Can u survive the recession?

" It is not whether you're willing to take the next step in life to achieve your goals, but rather, are you willing to crawl?"

Its my right

Simply superb!

Check for more details Kabir.org.in.

Prof. Mendes introduced this to us.

Pep-up-si

Pepsi does a lot of research on how to be more presentable to the customer. The can is being redesigned in this way with a 'cooler' look and a new logo. Seth feels it wouldn't make much of a difference. I think the new logo and the design looks cheeky and pepped.

Will it work?

What do you think?

Will this change make you pick Pepsi over Coke?

How r u sleeping?

Sleep less. This is one of the best investments you can make to make your life more productive and rewarding. Most people do not need more than 6 hours to maintain an excellent state of health. Try getting up one hour earlier for 21 days and it will develop into a powerful habit. Remember, it is the quality not the quantity of sleep that is important. And just imagine having an extra 30 hours a month to spend on the things that are important to you.

Tamil invite

You are right. What was it?

This is an excellent ad, shows a lot of imagery and catches the eye. But what is the product about? So is this successful? I need to wait and see what %age of people will remember the ad, what %age will associate it with the product, how many will switch from other tablets to Saridon because of this ad. Saridon purchase is triggered by a need and most of the people follow the suggestion of the doctor or the medical shop executive. (Do you know that 75% of the purchases in India are guided by the kid who sits at the medical shop, whose credit worthiness is better than the doctor. We will see this later).

As far as the marketing angle is concerned this ad bombs. Unless your ad brings in more customers and encourages the existing ones, it doesn't make any sense. Instead Saridon should have been pushed through the doctors and medicos and more of in-store ads and promos which would translate into better sales.

Its all about time

For years the salary of teachers has been pathetic in India. They are posted in godforsaken places, hostile conditions where they battle not just weather and lack of basic amenities but also local goondaism, cultures, beliefs and still wage a battle for educating the children. Yet, they are paid peanuts. The Joint Action Committee of Teachers’ Organisations (JACTO) called upon teachers in Andhra Pradesh to boycott classes, exams and evaluation of answer sheets. They have few demands which the government is denying from the last 3 years and they didnt protest in this way. But now they are sure of getting their demands.

The reason for this is that the elections are up in the next year and no party wants to mess with teachers now. Any displeasure to the teachers would mean the booth incharges will be hostile and you know what happens then. I think the move by Jacto came at an excellent time and hence they would succeed.

What an idea, Sirji!

Fake universities? Fake Professors?

Is your university a real one?
What about your Professor?
Is he a real professor?

University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had identified 205 fake universities and institutions during the last three years and in the current year, so far, according to official sources.

Check the list of them here to see if it is authorized and join before.

One more step: Check if your Professor is a real one. Check here for the list, university wise and department wise, specialization wise. If the name does not exist, do not panic. Ask them to register.

Have a rocking time doing this ;)

Flowers vs Eggs

Not long ago he was being regarded as the unparalleled king of Tollywood and called Megastar! He got a royal welcome, garlands and fans ready to donate blood for him. But when you come into real world off the reel all you get is mud-slinging and eggs like this one here. Chiru was hit with eggs in a public rally. Was this a publicity stunt by the party? or by the people who did it?

What should Chiru do? Like the last movie in which he followed Gandhigiri(remake of Munnabhai II), this time he distributed eggs to the people in the rally. Good going, Chiru.

Pic: www.Eenadu.net

Kalpana was killed

And you would see this on 25th next month. Aamir has been hitting the gym to get this figure of a avenger. Let see how many would hit the gym after this. Here is a rare first look of the film.

Obama or McCain: Jus another face of Uncle Sam

I don't agree with Prof. Ray when he says Obama's election would usher in a welfare state in the US. Let me tell you why.

America, or for that matter any nation, is built on certain fundamental principles, beliefs and customs which are designed and created by the people (at least in a democratic society) over a period of time. It does not evolve in a night or does change so fast. Its the foundation on which the nation stands, works and acts.

Obama is just another president. I call him a comma in the history of time (as of now). You don't know if he will be able to make good all the promises he has made and fulfill all his wonderful dreams before his tenure. No wonder he has captured world's imagination and created hope and justified that dreams would come true. Who expected an African American to become the president of the United States? On this front he has succeeded. I also think that certain policies are going to make news for being so social in their tone and mode of implementation but on the whole Uncle Sam's policy will not change.

America has been a capitalist nation and fanatical follower on this front. No individual, not even Obama, can change such a nation to socialist. The system does not support that. The mentality/psyche, of the people, conglomerates, bureaucracy will not change. Its gonna be the same hard pill but coated with pink sweet smelling candy. Capitalism is here to stay. So welfare state can take a break as US was a capitalist state, is one and will be.

Another opinion is that the entire system needs a 'Change' and hence Obama is the right person at the right time. I don't know. I wish he could and hope he stands for what he has been telling people he would do. Bring in Change, give people hope and lift the nation out of the financial crisis and save the image.

America needs a saviour, a leader whom they can look up to, a person who seems real, a president they can relate to. Is Obama the answer?

Obama or no Obama, in God we trust. Good luck, Obama!

The symbol of liberty

Obama or McCain? It must have been decided by now. American president represents more than a president of a nation. Hope this will be good one this time.

A lot of responsibility awaits this time. A fallen image due to Iraq, Afghanistan, economy in tatters and many more. Too much of media observation, critics, advisors, many expectations.

A leader needs to be a good communicator, of his ideals, goals, passions and dreams and make his team, his nation, his tribe follow and feel the same. Does your team think on your lines? Do they believe in you?

If yes good, if not what should you do?

Yuvagarjana?

Telugu Desam party is organizing Yuvagarjana to kick start its election campaign at Guntur today. For the first time in the last 9 years Chandrababu Naidu has moved from the center of the poster to the corner. Lets see if this would bring back the voter base which moved away from them during the last elections. NTR is brought in to rescue the party from being in the opposition. Lets see if this works.

The crowd is expected to be more than 15 lakhs as it should beat the (14 lakh) crowds that Chiru drew at Titupathi when launching his party. Hundreds of workers are working overtime to build welcome boards, banners, cut-outs and barricades on the way to (ground in front of) Acharya Nagarjuna University where the meeting is being held. This might be a make or break meeting for the TDP.

Motivation

The speech before the final plunge. Yes we have a lot of work to do.

Lessons from Mosquito

Learnt so much from mosquito this week. The reason why it gets killed is because it is too obsessed with the taste of the blood that it forgets that it will be killed. Blinded by temporary success it forgets its long term goal and hence fails. People who run marathon never get bogged by people crossing them initially. A long term player is one who succeeds. He has a long term plan, step-by-step, time based. Not only that it is implemented with utmost care. Though it looks like the long-term player is slow and losing it is not so. Like a tiger, he waits for the big kill without compromising on quality, blinded by temporary success. He doesn't rest but goes on.

Are you a long term player or a mosquito? When was the last time you thought of the long term goal?

How abt this?

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. How will your ending be?

Know-ember!

This is the only month you pronounce this way. So what are you going to learn? Be a bee this month and learn something new, interesting and get ready for telling others. Me? Am doing it too. Will post some of it here for you all. Good luck.

Happy Know-ember!

Eating thru recession

You know that an economic slowdown has gotten really serious when it starts to make its presence felt on even the Dining pages. Over the last few weeks, publications in the U.S. -- and especially in New York, home to the enfeebled Wall Street -- have started examining how restaurants are responding to weaker wallets. Even in states like Florida and California, Wednesday's New York Times reported, independent dining establishments are sputtering, and some analysts are predicting that bigger chains will weather the slowdown better.

The economics of food and of eating varies from country to country, naturally. There aren't, for instance, as many restaurants in New Delhi serving foie gras as there are in New York. Then too, the sausages served at a middle-bracket Manhattan restaurant are of a higher grade than those sold by a hot-dog vendor; but in New Delhi, there are many middle-bracket restaurants making parathas out of basically the same flour as the Rs.10 paratha chap near my house. The cost of rent is somewhat different; the cost of labour is vastly different.

Source: Livemint

Smart investing

A city boy, Kenny, moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.
The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died last night."
Kenny replied: "Well then, just give me my money back."
The farmer said: "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."
Kenny said: "OK then, just unload the donkey."
The farmer asked: "What you gonna to do with him?"
Kenny: "I'm going to raffle him off." (Note: To raffle is to sell a thing by lottery - draw lot -! To a group of people each paying the same amount for a ticket)
Farmer: "You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"
Kenny: "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."
A month later the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?"
Kenny: "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998.00."
Farmer: "Didn't anyone complain?"
Kenny: "Just the guy who won. So I gave him back his two dollars."

LG

Do you know that a product of LG is sold every 30 seconds? Hard to believe but true. LG's new ad states this. Another ad shows 10 different products in 1 ad stating everything can be done at home for a party. Excellent way of telling people the range and reach of LG in India with in 30 seconds! If so many products of LG are selling then there must be something good about the brand.