Lessons from Adaah

Adaah!

That's my name. And I am pretty.
I have a pink watch, pink glasses, blue hairband, steel ear rings, white tee, blue jeans and a broken tooth. 

That's the intro given by this little girl in Bahrain where we met in the hall of an exhibition center. She was to the point and clear on what she had to say or rather who she was. 

Sometimes I think we as adults loose our identity when we choose to follow someone else. Time to stop and see what you really are and what you want to be. Is there a gap between what you dreamed of and thought about yourself and what you have become?

Then you should wake up and start moving in the direction of what you want to be.

All pics displayed here can be downloaded and used for free. Just give a link here. You can find more pics here: t3i photography.


 

Get Tiger a good PR

Will blog on this soon, consider this as a thought. Tiger was worth a fortune. Worth more media moolah once the scandal broke. Worth much much more now. Just needs a good PR. What do you think? Got any crazy ideas to do that?

Leave Tiger Alone!

To satisfy the public’s insatiable curiosity for dirt? To pull one of our greats down into the gutter? On what grounds exactly? Because The National Enquirer and Us Weekly have sniffed out possible affairs? Because CNBC's Larry Kudlow is telling Tiger to “fess up” because of the lesson learned from Governor Sanford’s stonewalling?

Well, Tiger Woods isn’t a politician who might have used the people’s money in the course of having an affair, getting into an argument with his wife and crashing into a fire hydrant.

And, you know what, maybe he’s showing that the almighty dollar isn’t the only thing that counts for the most highly compensated athlete in the world? Once you give away your privacy, you can’t buy it back for any price. Maybe he’s willing to lose a few sponsors over this.

Ronald Reagan once said that freedom means the freedom to be stupid sometimes.

What if being stupid is all Tiger Woods did?

What if instead of the worst guesses and rumors of marital infidelity and a spousal golf-club beating, Tiger was simply stupid in a very innocent -- and dare I say it -- normal married way. He got into a spat with his wife, tore out of the driveway at a crazy time of night, hit a hydrant, hurt himself and felt like an idiot when his wife -- now both of them very sorry for their spat -- had to pull him out of the car?

Read what John Tantillo, The Marketing Doc has to say.

Its about me

Most of the times I visit any website its mostly about what they do, how they are going to make money out of me. What I want to read is what I would get out of the website/blog that would change the way I think or help me in making better decisions in life. Its NOT about you. Its about ME, the consumer.

So here is the secret to have a great blog. Blog about what the reader would be able to learn, change after visiting your blog. Unless you give me any takeaway I don't care. If you think I would be interested in what you do... you better be a superstar or a film actor and blog for your fans.

Everyone's hawking something, and if you can stand out as someone who is more interested in helping others address their needs and goals, you will inevitably make more views and bring in more interest.

Too comfortable

When making a choice people tend to pick the one that is easier than what can be more challenging. Obviously the rewards are proportionate to the kind of effort you put in. Or is it the other way round? Sometimes you need to listen to your heart and not what your mind or body says. Sometimes its better to listen to what your parents, mentors, friends and well wishers say. I need to agree here that they may give you a different insight than what you might be thinking.

Mentoring is a tough job to do. You got to make it dawn on the person that his(er) decision is not the right one. All this while you need make sure that (s)he isn't offended. You may be hated for what you do and (s)he might even hate you for what you are doing but if its best for the other person... go ahead and do it.

Easier choices vs tougher ones is a debate that goes on. The fact that people exist to guide you though you may not like it says you have people thinking about you.

Enslaved to Social Networking

Greenfield warns social networking sites are changing children's brains, resulting in selfish and attention deficient young people. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are putting attention span in jeopardy, says Baroness Greenfield.

Social network sites risk infantilising the mid-21st century mind, leaving it characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity, according to a leading neuroscientist.

The startling warning from Lady Greenfield, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Lincoln college, Oxford, and director of the Royal Institution, has led members of the government to admit their work on internet regulation has not extended to broader issues, such as the psychological impact on children. Greenfield believes ministers have not yet looked at the broad cultural and psychological effect of on-screen friendships via Facebook, Bebo and Twitter.

Arguing that social network sites are putting attention span in jeopardy, she said: "If the young brain is exposed from the outset to a world of fast action and reaction, of instant new screen images flashing up with the press of a key, such rapid interchange might accustom the brain to operate over such timescales. Perhaps when in the real world such responses are not immediately forthcoming, we will see such behaviours and call them attention-deficit disorder.

Who am I?

The usage of the westernized names when assisting a broken microwave or replacing a RAM drive has a defining toll on the person. But over time it kind of grows on you. The same happens when you try to replace change Venkata Srinivasa Subramanya Sastry to Venky or Sastry for your friends. But at heart there is a soft corner for some one calling you Chotu, Chintu, Bujji or just the full name.

I think the whole thing is a circle. Indians spoke of George Washington, Abe Lincoln. Later we heard Americans speaking about Gandhi, Ramanujan, etc. Same way I wouldn't be surprised when I call my Kingfisher customer care and find a funny Hindi accent from some Srinivasa Subramanyam sitting in Canada checking my reservation and telling me how he liked Aamir's fighting scenes in Gajini or the way Gambhir's batting has improved over time but having no clue what it means.

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!

404 Imagination Error

What makes you creative is your talent to think out of the box. Is that right? Gimme a break. I see many people who can't think within the box being called creative! But still they are in high places, hold responsible positions, get tasks to handle that are supposed to change the firm.

What happens then? Simple. Pandemonium. A sheer wastage of talent, resources and time.

ON@CC is a boring novel by Chethan Bhagat which interested many film makers like Salman to take this up. Here is the review of the movie by Udita Jhunjhunwal.

Be warned the film makes you wish you had not answered this wrong number. The film is so slow that you feel like you have endured the entire night shift, in real time, with this technically challenged and emotionally stunted group of call centre employees. he director’s lack of grasp on the tone and intention of the film shows in the irregular graph of the performances.

No favoritism when it comes to work please. Spare me the nonsense and learn thinking within the box first. Thank you Udita for saving my 3 hours.

Y R U Doin, What U R Doin?

Seth's blog for today echoes my 2 earlier posts:

• Blogging on Compulsion
• Blog me too

Kinds of people

Some people want to do things because they are interesting.
Some people want to do things because they work.
Some people want to do things because everyone else is doing them.

And some people are satisfied/scared/shy/lazy and don't do anything. Think about blogging.

Have a purpose when you do what you do. But doing something is always better than doing nothing.

What Chiru needs to know

You are the biggest star in the present film industry. Your voice is an order for many people. You are a brand, sorry a God for many. Your followers are crazy about you and would kill or die for you without a thought. But does that mean you can afford to be complacent? Act as if you don't care? My answer is NO.

This is where Chiru seems to be lacking. He is a good actor, kicking all the goons and saving the world, helping the poor on the screen, a few activities off it like the blood bank, eye bank and CSR. But all said and done Chiru's 'Praja Rajyam' is quite new and needs a lot of care, effort, marketing to succeed. And you need to stay clear of any unnecessary controversy and tiff off any wrong people. Agreed Chiru has an aura and clean slate but if you mess up with your image you cannot build it back so easily. If you want people to respect you, you need to earn it not command it. If you want people to look up to you, show them that you care. Don't expect that everyone around you works just like the most fanatic fan you have ever seen.

A wrong action, word, look can spoil the whole relationship be it in business, politics or any thing else. All your hard work would be reduced to a castle of cards in a strong storm. Ensure you pick the right people to work for you so that they don't mess up with your image, hurt sentiments, emotions and feelings. After all are we not emotional.

Chiru needs to win people's hearts, love and affection more than respect and adoration. This isn't the reel world anymore. Here people react and make or break you.

The anti style

Who occupies most of the screen time in movies? Who has a better life in stories? Who has the best gadgets, latest technology, genius mind, extra-ordinary capacity to bear pain, heights of creativity, great looking women, lots of wealth? Yes I am speaking about the anti hero. He has everything that you would kill for. He is young, has a great body and what not!

From a marketing aspect it pays to count on the villain to endorse your product too. For a simple reason that the villain is looked at carefully and his I-don't-give-a-damn attitude makes you love him. Most of the merchandise is targeted at this. Swatch uses this strategy well.

Pradipta K Mohapatra explains...

The new range is dedicated to the 21 James Bond films already released and the one yet to be released. The first one is dedicated to ‘Dr. No’, the 21st dedicated to ‘Casino Royale’ and the 22nd dedicated to the yet-to-be-released Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace’. Every Swatch carries the distinctive style representing a particular villain.

The ‘007 Villain Collection’ was launched worldwide on 9th September and are also available in the seven exclusive Swatch outlets in India. Swatch lovers, it is your turn to get a strap piece of James Bond on your wrists!

The advantages of using the anti style?

• Its considerably cheap
• Its easy to get a villain than a hero
• Breaks the clutter
• Attitude
• Its cool

Lets see if this works in India. I think it would.

Identity Crisis

See the spark in those eyes? Well she is the latest of Aamir's new gals. Or atleast that is what she is being called now. The question of identity is raised. Here is an actor who starred in many top grossers at the box office is being introduced as Aamir's new gal!

This shows that the social acceptability of the lady comes from the man she is related to. Women still change their names after the marriage. Either her father's name or husban's name along with her name is a must. As if she has no identity of her own. It may not be wrong but the fact is in modern society the indicidual has to be known for his/her achievement. It seems a distant future where a woman would be known for what she is herself and stand alone without the support of man. On that day India would have achieved another high.

Hope the Gajini does well at the box office and may be Asin brakes the mould and steps out as more than Aamir's new gal!