Well, Dont really have much of an opinion on this, when I read a different school of thought.
Read this article by Gaurav Sabnis on his blog
Today I read that Burger King has apologies for the Ad. Well thats comforting though.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Facebook time
Every few years we can see a change in the way we keep up links with others. An era of orkut seems to be fading and facebook and twitter are growing. The same friends with whom I have been keeping in touch through orkut, I am now in touch with them through FB. With time I could see myself having less and less activity on orkut and slowly increased in FB.
Well I am not here to discuss the pros and cons of FB or orkut. The underlying message is that we soon get tired with one setup, and then look for a change , like the way we get tired of one job and then look for another.
Well I am not here to discuss the pros and cons of FB or orkut. The underlying message is that we soon get tired with one setup, and then look for a change , like the way we get tired of one job and then look for another.
It didnt happen to our parents in their time. Why does it happen only to our generation so much. Is our attention span so limited , that a change is imminent every few episodes of time ?
Though the examples on which I am applying these metamorphosis are trivial, but in depth its definitely not a conforting thought.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Federer Wins : Creates History
What a match it was!! Last set seemed to be a never ending one.
But a match to create history. Though felt a little bad that Roddick lost, but then we can only have one winner.
I thought it would be easy for Roger to win, without Nadal, but then nothing is easy in Wimbledon Finals, with the game having the last set 16-14.
But a match to create history. Though felt a little bad that Roddick lost, but then we can only have one winner.
I thought it would be easy for Roger to win, without Nadal, but then nothing is easy in Wimbledon Finals, with the game having the last set 16-14.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Days are numbered in Montevideo
Finally my return tickets are booked! Now I have a return date of travel back to India. Just looking forward towards it.
I will need to put in extra effort to take some more pictures and put them up on this blog, before I finally say bye to this lovely beach city.
I will need to put in extra effort to take some more pictures and put them up on this blog, before I finally say bye to this lovely beach city.
MJ- End of an Era
Micheal Jackson. The name says it all. Frankly speaking , I dont think I have got his audio cassette or a CD in my entire life, and I am very much sure I do have company. But the fact remains, I know what he does and what he is, and again I am sure this is known by many.
I would personally say that, he was one person, probably most number of people on this planet knew. Its a different issue, whether they heard him, or even knew who he was. But they knew a person names Micheal Jackson. This analogy was in my thought.
This was proved when he passed away last week.
The number of posts and editorials because of this event reached a maximum and it actually got the Google slower and it was the same for twitter. Its not everyday that Google comes across this scenaraio. Not even when Obama was elected , or any country won the FIFA world cup or for that matter may major events.
It just a death of a single person that led to this. Worth a thought!!
I would personally say that, he was one person, probably most number of people on this planet knew. Its a different issue, whether they heard him, or even knew who he was. But they knew a person names Micheal Jackson. This analogy was in my thought.
This was proved when he passed away last week.
The number of posts and editorials because of this event reached a maximum and it actually got the Google slower and it was the same for twitter. Its not everyday that Google comes across this scenaraio. Not even when Obama was elected , or any country won the FIFA world cup or for that matter may major events.
It just a death of a single person that led to this. Worth a thought!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
My first Visit to Tatoo Studio
Yesterday was the first visit to the Tatoo parlour ever in my life. It was quite impressive to see it,thank fully not experiencing. Jitesh finally decided to do the Cry and Laugh tatoo, which he chose at the last moment.
The cost did appear to be a steal. The studio was impressive and spic and span. No room for any kind of complaints.
At 22 Hrs, the design was started and by 23 hrs, the final design was done and approved. The actual, rather the painful part started only at 23:15 hrs and it was not a smooth sailing for Jitesh at the beginning.
Once started, though I was kind of dozing off, the pain absorbing threshold increased with time for Jitesh. He looked more comfortable. I was actually scared that there could be some bleeding etc, which might not be something I would be confortable. But it was not. The efficient and professional work was very impressive.
This was how the final one actually looked.
The cost did appear to be a steal. The studio was impressive and spic and span. No room for any kind of complaints.
At 22 Hrs, the design was started and by 23 hrs, the final design was done and approved. The actual, rather the painful part started only at 23:15 hrs and it was not a smooth sailing for Jitesh at the beginning.
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| From Tatoo Studio |
Once started, though I was kind of dozing off, the pain absorbing threshold increased with time for Jitesh. He looked more comfortable. I was actually scared that there could be some bleeding etc, which might not be something I would be confortable. But it was not. The efficient and professional work was very impressive.
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| From Tatoo Studio |
This was how the final one actually looked.
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| From Tatoo Studio |
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Shopping in MVD
Today morning went for shopping in the so called Burma Bazaar in Montevideo.
Its a nice place where one can buy good stuff at reasonable rates. Almost all kind of clothes and stuff which I think I can take back to India are available.
Uruguay has been not upto the mark when it comes to shopping, but today it has changed the perspective.
I picked up a jacket, and a paper photo album, and also a Mathe cup, more as a souvenir.
Spent a flat 2000 in one day in shopping, very unlike of me though. Nevertheless it was worth it.
In the afternoon we went for movie at MVD Shopping Mall. Not the best of the movies, but a good time pass. I still dont know the name of the movie. It was written in spanish[But an english movie though :)]
Today during lunch we also saw the Spanish version of Bend it like Beckham. It was quite a sight to see Anupam Kher talking in spanish wear a sardarji turban. On top of that, the hindi wedding songs going on in the background. It was an interesting day today indeed.
Its a nice place where one can buy good stuff at reasonable rates. Almost all kind of clothes and stuff which I think I can take back to India are available.
Uruguay has been not upto the mark when it comes to shopping, but today it has changed the perspective.
I picked up a jacket, and a paper photo album, and also a Mathe cup, more as a souvenir.
Spent a flat 2000 in one day in shopping, very unlike of me though. Nevertheless it was worth it.
In the afternoon we went for movie at MVD Shopping Mall. Not the best of the movies, but a good time pass. I still dont know the name of the movie. It was written in spanish[But an english movie though :)]
Today during lunch we also saw the Spanish version of Bend it like Beckham. It was quite a sight to see Anupam Kher talking in spanish wear a sardarji turban. On top of that, the hindi wedding songs going on in the background. It was an interesting day today indeed.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Shifted to A New Apartment
We shifted to a new apartment last weekend. It was a welcome change from the life in a hotel room.
Nice and big apartment and very very spacious. Am really loving the place, but the older place was in the heart of the city in pocitos, near Montevideo Shopping.
Here everything is a little bit far off. But its a good residential area and lots of shopping around.
Need to explore more of this over the weekend.
Looking forward for it and also for some photography.
But yes, we do miss the lovely view from the older apartment of the River Bed and the calm waves as one would wake up. That was the best, which not even in Goa, I could ever experience. Will put up some snaps soon.
Nice and big apartment and very very spacious. Am really loving the place, but the older place was in the heart of the city in pocitos, near Montevideo Shopping.
Here everything is a little bit far off. But its a good residential area and lots of shopping around.
Need to explore more of this over the weekend.
Looking forward for it and also for some photography.
But yes, we do miss the lovely view from the older apartment of the River Bed and the calm waves as one would wake up. That was the best, which not even in Goa, I could ever experience. Will put up some snaps soon.
Basket Ball Match
Went to see a basket ball match today here in Uruguay. It was my colleagues son playing and it was a treat to see them play. Nothing short of pure entertainment, and making feel the game look so easy and seamless. Such good passing and wonderful baskets.
It was a welcome change.
Its getting colder here day by day. Need to pick up somemore warm clothings, and any plans to go out are simply out of the way.
It was a welcome change.
Its getting colder here day by day. Need to pick up somemore warm clothings, and any plans to go out are simply out of the way.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thought for the Day
Thinking too much
The biggest disease of the mind is over-thinking, especially too much thinking about others. Thinking too much is like eating too much. The heaviness makes it impossible to remain light and flexible.
The biggest disease of the mind is over-thinking, especially too much thinking about others. Thinking too much is like eating too much. The heaviness makes it impossible to remain light and flexible.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
World Trade Center, Montevideo
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| From Montevideo |
World Trade Center , Twin Towers in Montevideo, Uruguay
The best part of this is that, its a view that I can see from my living room, as I write this blog.
Down the bylanes of Montevideo
Today during lunch time, I got a chance to to walk down the bylanes of Montevideo,Uruguay. And probably for the first time I found that there is some similarity between a normal middle class life in India to that in here. The same small roads and houses by the side of them. Little children playing inside , doors open. Mom's cleaning the sidewalks.
I felt nice seeing it. A picture of India reflecting in my mind. No matter how far we are, the basic sense remains the same. This would be something that I would love to treasure for quite sometime.
Will try and take some pics, but I am pretty sure that the image will not really make justice to what I say, but will still try to.
I felt nice seeing it. A picture of India reflecting in my mind. No matter how far we are, the basic sense remains the same. This would be something that I would love to treasure for quite sometime.
Will try and take some pics, but I am pretty sure that the image will not really make justice to what I say, but will still try to.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
India Votes !!
I am going to miss it this time. Being here in Uruguay, I am going to miss this chance of voting. I had done all the hardwork and also got my Voters card this time, but I don't think I am going to get a chance to exercise my vote.
Its also being declared a holiday in Bangalore.
I just hope that there is a huge turnout of voters this time.
Its also being declared a holiday in Bangalore.
I just hope that there is a huge turnout of voters this time.
Montevideo, Uruguay
11th April, 2009
Reached Montevideo , Uruguay , only to find Jitesh and Abhijit waiting for me at the Airport. It was a pleasant feeling to see someone whom you can talk to after a long 46 hour travel.
I checked in at the Radisson Hotel and freshed my self and went straight to their apartment. Dal and Rice never tasted so good. Jitesh is indeed a great cook.
The weather was pleasant and beach was just 3 min walk from the Apartment. Since my benchmarking happens with Goa, when it comes to beach, it wasnt the case here. The weather was not at all humid as we find it in Goa, and that's something I enjoyed the most.
I currently have two homes :) . One is my hotel room on the 17th Floor and Abhijit's and Jitesh's Apt on the 10th Floor. I am enjoying the view from these sky risers after a long time, and trust me the view is simply awesome.
Will publish the photos soon on this blog.
Reached Montevideo , Uruguay , only to find Jitesh and Abhijit waiting for me at the Airport. It was a pleasant feeling to see someone whom you can talk to after a long 46 hour travel.
I checked in at the Radisson Hotel and freshed my self and went straight to their apartment. Dal and Rice never tasted so good. Jitesh is indeed a great cook.
The weather was pleasant and beach was just 3 min walk from the Apartment. Since my benchmarking happens with Goa, when it comes to beach, it wasnt the case here. The weather was not at all humid as we find it in Goa, and that's something I enjoyed the most.
I currently have two homes :) . One is my hotel room on the 17th Floor and Abhijit's and Jitesh's Apt on the 10th Floor. I am enjoying the view from these sky risers after a long time, and trust me the view is simply awesome.
Will publish the photos soon on this blog.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
One day Trip to Frankfurt
Its was all done. I had to now travel to Montevideo , Uruguay on Thursday night. All packing done, documents collected, and all set to go. But yes, I had also spent a day last week in Chennai only to get a transit Visa to Germany. Now it all makes sense. I will be reaching Frankfurt on Friday early morning and my connecting flight is only at 10:20 Hrs at night. Reaching the new airport in Bangalore always gives me mixed reactions, the positive being the new look and the negative being the long distance that I need to cover now.
The Lufthansa flight reached Germany early morning 7:30 am. In the last one hour before landing I was lucky enough to speak to a gentleman sitting next to me, Sebastian who was from Frankfurt itself. He gave me a quick briefing on frankfurt and what i could do in this one day and what to see.
Once I got off the flight , I did the formalities and converted 100 USD to Euros. I thought that it should be sufficient for the day. Just down the aiport is the Rail station through which I took the RegionalTrains [ Mind you I was told not to take the fast trains , as it wouldnt stop at all the junctions] . Every point of time, I took help from different persons out there either to get the tickets or to ask for stop that I need to get down. I must say that most of them understood english and all were ready to help.
Once I reached the Hauptwache station, I was surprised by the loneliness at the station. I could hardly see anyone out there. Given the fact that it was Good Friday, it was a holiday and all shops were closed. But the lack of people on the otherwise roads made me a little uncomfortable, at the same time was a blessing in disguise. The clear roads made it convenient for me to travel as per my whims and go all over the road to take pictures.
This was the first picture that I took.
The deserted streets in the morning
As the day progressed the human traffic started to grow. I also took a small tour on the Cruise Ship. It was worth it and it kind of gave a complete view of Skyline of Frankfurt. I had only hoped that I could do that trip at night and take better pictures, but then there is always a next time.
The Skyline in Frankfurt, from the Cruise Ship
I particularly love this picture as it was wonderful to see one Ship overtaking another
Once the tour was over, Romerberg area, which was completely deserted in the morning seem to come off life. I suddenly felt better seeing the people, though there was none whom I knew, nor anyone knew me.
This is only picture that I managed to take of myself.
I kind of liked this table .
These are the cycle auto-rick shaws that one finds out there. The driver actually drive the cycles and take people on that. I guess this idea has been copied from India :)
Out this Ice Cream Parlor, I savoured the Ice-cream for a very very long time.
This is my favorite ice-cream brand.
After a few rounds of Romerberg, I decided to chose this place for settling down. Had an ice cream here again a Soda. It was indeed refreshing
I also started to write my blog here itself,pretending as if I am a traveler.
When I reached this placed, I really missed some company. It was a lovely place to sit and have a bite.
This is one of my favorite pics in Frankfurt
I guess this is the main office of DB
A lovely place to visit and knowing German is not at all a must to visit this place.
Though I was alone, I did have a nice time clicking all the the way to glory.
The Lufthansa flight reached Germany early morning 7:30 am. In the last one hour before landing I was lucky enough to speak to a gentleman sitting next to me, Sebastian who was from Frankfurt itself. He gave me a quick briefing on frankfurt and what i could do in this one day and what to see.
Once I got off the flight , I did the formalities and converted 100 USD to Euros. I thought that it should be sufficient for the day. Just down the aiport is the Rail station through which I took the RegionalTrains [ Mind you I was told not to take the fast trains , as it wouldnt stop at all the junctions] . Every point of time, I took help from different persons out there either to get the tickets or to ask for stop that I need to get down. I must say that most of them understood english and all were ready to help.
Once I reached the Hauptwache station, I was surprised by the loneliness at the station. I could hardly see anyone out there. Given the fact that it was Good Friday, it was a holiday and all shops were closed. But the lack of people on the otherwise roads made me a little uncomfortable, at the same time was a blessing in disguise. The clear roads made it convenient for me to travel as per my whims and go all over the road to take pictures.
This was the first picture that I took.
The deserted streets in the morning
 |
| From Frankfurt |
 |
| From Frankfurt |
As the day progressed the human traffic started to grow. I also took a small tour on the Cruise Ship. It was worth it and it kind of gave a complete view of Skyline of Frankfurt. I had only hoped that I could do that trip at night and take better pictures, but then there is always a next time.
 |
| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
The Skyline in Frankfurt, from the Cruise Ship
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| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
I particularly love this picture as it was wonderful to see one Ship overtaking another
 |
| From Frankfurt |
Once the tour was over, Romerberg area, which was completely deserted in the morning seem to come off life. I suddenly felt better seeing the people, though there was none whom I knew, nor anyone knew me.
 |
| From Frankfurt |
This is only picture that I managed to take of myself.
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| From Frankfurt |
I kind of liked this table .
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| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
These are the cycle auto-rick shaws that one finds out there. The driver actually drive the cycles and take people on that. I guess this idea has been copied from India :)
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| From Frankfurt |
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| From Frankfurt |
Out this Ice Cream Parlor, I savoured the Ice-cream for a very very long time.
This is my favorite ice-cream brand.
 |
| From Frankfurt |
After a few rounds of Romerberg, I decided to chose this place for settling down. Had an ice cream here again a Soda. It was indeed refreshing
 |
| From Frankfurt |
I also started to write my blog here itself,pretending as if I am a traveler.
When I reached this placed, I really missed some company. It was a lovely place to sit and have a bite.
 |
| From Frankfurt |
This is one of my favorite pics in Frankfurt
 |
| From Frankfurt |
I guess this is the main office of DB
 |
| From Frankfurt |
A lovely place to visit and knowing German is not at all a must to visit this place.
Though I was alone, I did have a nice time clicking all the the way to glory.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thought For The Day
An Oasis of Peace
Deep inside our consciousness is an oasis of peace. This is the molten core of the soul, but it is not hot, it is cool. Not passive, but a source of inner power to fuel our mind and intellect, so that we can create powerful thoughts and make accurate decisions. If you can learn to go to this centre, peace will be your companion, positivity your partner, and you will be able to chill out in one second, anywhere, anytime.
Deep inside our consciousness is an oasis of peace. This is the molten core of the soul, but it is not hot, it is cool. Not passive, but a source of inner power to fuel our mind and intellect, so that we can create powerful thoughts and make accurate decisions. If you can learn to go to this centre, peace will be your companion, positivity your partner, and you will be able to chill out in one second, anywhere, anytime.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Slumdog Wins 8 Oscars
A terrific day in the history of Indian Cinema. 8 Oscars by a movie which is dominated by Indians and in a movie based on Mumbai and India. Mixed emotions from me. I am elated by the thought that AR Rehman has won 2 Oscars and the same about Rusel , who won for the Sound and Mixing.
Its worth the praise, and both of them deserved it.
But as of the Movie winning this prize and the movie becoming so famous is not something which I am too happy about. This movie is about India, no doubts. But it mainly highlights the extremes of India. Why is this movie , which is show casing , the slum areas in India, the negatives around it etc making such waves.
Another thought that came in my mind is the Booker Prize winning book The White Tiger , Again, this book also talks about India and mostly the negatives about India. Again, I dont deny that this are false stories. They are all but truth. But my simple question is that, In two different leagues, each Independent of each other, both have reached the top level, and both are showcasing the same stuff about India as a whole.
Is this what the world loves to see and read ????
Am not too happy about this fact ..
Its worth the praise, and both of them deserved it.
But as of the Movie winning this prize and the movie becoming so famous is not something which I am too happy about. This movie is about India, no doubts. But it mainly highlights the extremes of India. Why is this movie , which is show casing , the slum areas in India, the negatives around it etc making such waves.
Another thought that came in my mind is the Booker Prize winning book The White Tiger , Again, this book also talks about India and mostly the negatives about India. Again, I dont deny that this are false stories. They are all but truth. But my simple question is that, In two different leagues, each Independent of each other, both have reached the top level, and both are showcasing the same stuff about India as a whole.
Is this what the world loves to see and read ????
Am not too happy about this fact ..
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Nadal Wins Australian Open 2009
What a match ! And what a man this Nadal is. His 6th Grand Slam win and first on Hard Court.
Somehow Roger Federer seems to be giving up at the end. And this Nadal is one hell of a power house and doesnt seem to get tired at all.
An awesome match and nice to see that the best player won.
Earlier in the Day , the Indian Duo, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi won the Mixed Doubles, the first for Sania.
A very eventful tennis tounament for Indians especially since Yuki won the jr singles title yesterday.
Hope soon we see Yuki in Nadal place.. or is it something too much that I am asking ..
Somehow Roger Federer seems to be giving up at the end. And this Nadal is one hell of a power house and doesnt seem to get tired at all.
An awesome match and nice to see that the best player won.
Earlier in the Day , the Indian Duo, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi won the Mixed Doubles, the first for Sania.
A very eventful tennis tounament for Indians especially since Yuki won the jr singles title yesterday.
Hope soon we see Yuki in Nadal place.. or is it something too much that I am asking ..
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Satyam Employee Shot Dead in US
The news channels seem to be streaming news of the Satyam Mega Scam. When I called in to my friend who is currently in US to ask about his wherabouts, he was in a bigger shock. One of his colleagues was shot dead by a most likely serial killer.
The serial killer apparently killed another person in a short period and still is at large.
Apparently he was mugged for cash, but since he didnt have enough money, he was shot in the foot and then bled to death. He was hospitalised for a day or so before he succumbed to injuries. His parents didnt have a passport , and hence couldnt travel. I understand that the body will be sent to India on Friday [ 16th Jan 2009]
Definitely not a great year for Saytamites
The serial killer apparently killed another person in a short period and still is at large.
Apparently he was mugged for cash, but since he didnt have enough money, he was shot in the foot and then bled to death. He was hospitalised for a day or so before he succumbed to injuries. His parents didnt have a passport , and hence couldnt travel. I understand that the body will be sent to India on Friday [ 16th Jan 2009]
Definitely not a great year for Saytamites
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Article in CNN-IBN Live
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/satyam-stunner-highs-and-lows-of-rajus-career/82183-7.html
In a stunning five-page letter detailing years of financial deception at the firm he founded, Satyam Computer Services Chairman B Ramalinga Raju brought an illustrious corporate career to an undignified end.
A poster boy of Indian business after setting Satyam on a path of high growth, hiring thousands of staff and bagging lucrative outsourcing contracts from overseas clients, Raju admitted on Wednesday that profits at the company had been falsely inflated for years. India's biggest corporate scandal in memory hammered Satyam's shares, which had already been under pressure since last month.
The stock fell more than 80 per cent on Wednesday, leaving the company worth around $500 million, against nearer $7 billion just six months ago.
Life for the 54-year-old Satyam chief became tough last month after a botched attempt to buy two firms partly owned by the company's founders, which he said on Wednesday was a final attempt to resolve the problem of the fictitious assets.
"It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten," he said in his resignation letter. His problems were compounded last month when the World Bank barred Satyam from business, citing "improper benefits" given to Bank officials. Satyam has demanded the World Bank retract those comments.
But nothing prepared investors for Raju's stunning revelation of years of inflated profits based on non-existent assets. He acknowledged no other board member had been aware of the financial irregularities, and insisted he had not profited from the company's inflated results.
Soft-spoken Raju, born into a family of farmers, said he was prepared to face up to the legal consequences of a scandal that analysts swiftly dubbed as "India's Enron". "This development was the last straw to break the camel's back," said Sudin Apte, country head of Forrester.
"It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten," said Satyam Computer ServicesChairman B Ramalinga Raju in his resignation letter. |
"I believe possibly a third of Satyam's clients will exit in the next two-three months." Indian market regulators and government officials were quick to condemn, and banker Merrill Lynch terminated its engagement with Satyam, which counts General Electric and Nestle among its clients.
A management graduate from Ohio University, Raju moved away from agriculture to start a textile unit in 1977 before later moving into real estate.
In 1987, he founded Satyam Computer along with his brother B Rama Raju and brother-in-law DVS. Raju, taking the company public four years later. That year, he won his first offshore contract from US tractor maker John Deere & Co.
Raju steered the company in the next decade, snapping up joint ventures with GE and US defence and auto parts firm TRW Inc, which was acquired in 2002 by Northrop Grumman. Raju was among the first to spot the outsourcing opportunities of the turn-of-the-millennium Y2K computer problem, which saw the coming-of-age of Indian outsourcers, including Infosys Technologies and Wipro.
He then followed up with six acquisitions over the next few years, taking the firm's headcount to more than 53,000 working in software facilities in India and overseas.
With growth slowing sharply for Indian outsourcers due to the global economic turmoil, Satyam's new management will have an additional challenge – how to boost sagging morale among staff, customers and shareholders.
And Raju, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007, will be left having to watch from the sidelines rather than calling the shots at Satyam, which in Sanskrit means 'truth'.
The Big Scam
Satyam : Sanskrit Meaning "Truth"
What came out today , was anything but the truth. Raju M, the founder of Satyam Computers releaved the huge cooking up of the books for years together and along with that came his resignation from the Board Members.
This has been the top story across all the main stream TV channels and all that one finds are the questions to the auditors PWC who are the biggest in the world.
Questions will be raised, more inquiries will be setup and so on. But sadly for Raju, its not just the Indian Investors who are cheated, but those in the US also; Satyam being listed on NYSE and days are just tough for the man who started it off.
The stock dropped to an alltime low of 30 and finally settled at 40 at the end of the day from the day's high of 188/-. Quite a feat !!
The only good news that I found in this issue is that Reliance Capital is going to replace Satyam in Nifty.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Bike Riding
Remembering old days. This is the same aangan where I learnt to ride the bicycle years ago.
Its those small steps that make us what we are today
Climbing Coconut tree
Its a treat to see this sight of someone climbing coconut tree with no support.
Just a rope tied to the legs to take the support of the tree..
Market in Karwar
Mom shopping for flowers at the Karwar Market. The good old markets are quite nostalgic
Iron Ore
Iron Ore being dumped to be put on the ships to be exported.
Even during these days of recession there is still some amount of activity
India England Match
I was on my way to the station on the day of the India England Match , and this is what I took from the running auto rickshaw. The Spirit of India quite clearly seen.Friday, November 28, 2008
Blasts In Mumbai
Factually speaking, am on a holiday in Goa. But the past two days and still continuing attacks on Mumbai has made me lose my peace. I don't think I would have any disagreements on this fact.
The manner in which these terror attacks have been master minded gives me goosebumps. As I pen down this, the NSG , Army IAF and the police are working to get the things in control.
I am not saddened by the fact that these attacks have happened, but more on the point that still after so many terror attacks, we don't have the Intelligence in place. In a country like our's we just can't afford to check everyone's bags.
The News Channels seems to be having a gala time having a all time high TRP's , adding to the fact that there are no new soap's or TV programs that are being telecast , all thanks to the strikes. I do admire them for the time and pateince they have been telecasting everything to us, and most of the time LIVE, which I thought was a threat to the operations. I don't think any TV channel worth its salt should ever telecast where the commandos are placed and how they are entering, whether its through helicopters or whatever. I just can't understand that they still don't have that basic common sense or probably the only thing thats on their minds is are we better than the other channel and is my TRP better off' Thats the sad but true state of our Media , which doesn't differ much from the politicians of the country
Even in the heat of this issue, every politician has made his/her best effort to put the blame on others and the motto is clearly seen. The oncoming elections. Is this all that the politicians can think of. Why the hell are they landing in mumbai when they know very well that their presence only means the need of additonal security for them , when the need of the hour is the security of the civilians and the people trapped inside. I guess the only time they will get something in their head is when their near and dear one is trapped.
To end this blog, I found something interesting on Amitabh Bachchan's blog. Here's a snippet of the same
"I am ashamed to say this and not afraid to share this now with the rest of the cyber world, that last night, as the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never ever to be in a situation to do.
The manner in which these terror attacks have been master minded gives me goosebumps. As I pen down this, the NSG , Army IAF and the police are working to get the things in control.
I am not saddened by the fact that these attacks have happened, but more on the point that still after so many terror attacks, we don't have the Intelligence in place. In a country like our's we just can't afford to check everyone's bags.
The News Channels seems to be having a gala time having a all time high TRP's , adding to the fact that there are no new soap's or TV programs that are being telecast , all thanks to the strikes. I do admire them for the time and pateince they have been telecasting everything to us, and most of the time LIVE, which I thought was a threat to the operations. I don't think any TV channel worth its salt should ever telecast where the commandos are placed and how they are entering, whether its through helicopters or whatever. I just can't understand that they still don't have that basic common sense or probably the only thing thats on their minds is are we better than the other channel and is my TRP better off' Thats the sad but true state of our Media , which doesn't differ much from the politicians of the country
Even in the heat of this issue, every politician has made his/her best effort to put the blame on others and the motto is clearly seen. The oncoming elections. Is this all that the politicians can think of. Why the hell are they landing in mumbai when they know very well that their presence only means the need of additonal security for them , when the need of the hour is the security of the civilians and the people trapped inside. I guess the only time they will get something in their head is when their near and dear one is trapped.
To end this blog, I found something interesting on Amitabh Bachchan's blog. Here's a snippet of the same
"I am ashamed to say this and not afraid to share this now with the rest of the cyber world, that last night, as the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never ever to be in a situation to do.
Before retiring for the night, I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow. For a very disturbed sleep."
Saturday, November 22, 2008
New Updates from Google
In the past one week, I saw two new updates from Google.
[1] Gmail now comes with themes. I have chosen the Beach to give a touch of Goa to it and also makes it lively. Its a very welcome move and after orkut, it wasn't a big surprise that they would come with themes for gmail also.
To select a new theme , you need to go to the settings -> themes and you can chose the one you like.
[2] The new stuff from google is something what they have been known for, ie search engine. But the welcome move is that you can do the same from your mobile.
All that you need to do is to send an SMS to the number 9-77-33-00000 with the query and you will get the search result in your mobile.
Now isnt that convenient. Now for the better news , it doesn't cost you a bomb like 3/- or 6/- per sms . All that it costs your local sms cost as per your package. Now isn't that cheap too.
I think its a very welcome move from google search.
For more details on the same you can check the following link
Rainy Day in Bangalore
Nope, I still haven't reached Goa as yet. This picture is just another one from my balcony in Rustam Bagh in Bangalore and its a very nice and lazy rainy saturday morning...Yes, Its been raining here the whole morning today.
Off to Goa tomorrow and then on the way back a pit stop in Mangalore at KPK's place and then back to the grind.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Battle
He said: 'My dear grandson, the battle is between 'two wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.'
The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'
He simply replied: 'The one you feed'
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.'
The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'
He simply replied: 'The one you feed'
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Book Review : The Alchemist
This book would probably wouldn't need much of introduction. This is easily one of the best books ever read by me, and this wouldn't be a subject of debate by many.
This book revolves around following your dreams. There are many book which are on this fact of following your dreams, this one is much more philosophical and much easier to understand.
Now, going by the fact that its a philosophical, doesn't mean that its a boring book. It has a good story line and its about a shepherd, and his journey towards his dreams.
On his journey, he meets many people, good and bad, but at no point doesn't let any of their actions or opinions change his outlook towards his dream. Finally he meets an alchemist, and he teaches him the best knowledge anyone can get. This would be the take away from this book.
In his journey , he also meets up with a merchant, who sells crystals and not quite enterprising and lost the zeal in his life. When this boy asks him as to why is he not very keen on fulfilling his dreams, his reply is simply that, once one achieves one's dream, then what would be the purpose of living and what would one look forward ahead in life. These words do make sense to quite an extent, but at the same time, not necessarily to be followed. The boy did agree with him , but didn't chose to follow that advise.
I would say, its a must read.
This book has already been translated in 67 languages across the world and soon to be a movie.
This book revolves around following your dreams. There are many book which are on this fact of following your dreams, this one is much more philosophical and much easier to understand.
Now, going by the fact that its a philosophical, doesn't mean that its a boring book. It has a good story line and its about a shepherd, and his journey towards his dreams.
On his journey, he meets many people, good and bad, but at no point doesn't let any of their actions or opinions change his outlook towards his dream. Finally he meets an alchemist, and he teaches him the best knowledge anyone can get. This would be the take away from this book.
In his journey , he also meets up with a merchant, who sells crystals and not quite enterprising and lost the zeal in his life. When this boy asks him as to why is he not very keen on fulfilling his dreams, his reply is simply that, once one achieves one's dream, then what would be the purpose of living and what would one look forward ahead in life. These words do make sense to quite an extent, but at the same time, not necessarily to be followed. The boy did agree with him , but didn't chose to follow that advise.
I would say, its a must read.
This book has already been translated in 67 languages across the world and soon to be a movie.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ads: Bharti
The new Ad by Bharti is impressive. After Cadbury's which has been winning the best Ads for several years, I guess its been replaced by Airtel. But the new ad, which is not really an Airtel Ad, but a branding for Bharti group as a whole.
Its beautifully used Indian which mean Bharti.
The Ad goes as follows. Hope to get a you tube video soon. Will put up on this. Till then this is what the Ad says
"1500 years ago, An Indian taught the world how to count"
Aryabhat
"An Indian was the father of Surgery"
"90% of computers in the world use a chip manufactured by an India"
Vinod Dham
"An Indian was the first to develop Wireless technology"
Jagadish Bose
"An Indian was the first who thought and proved that a war can be fought with Peace"
Mahatma Gandhi
If one Indian can have such big Ideas, what can a Billion Indian's do"
Well the words might have been a little different, since its picked up from my memory, but the message remains the same.
I just hope that Reliance doesn't think of an Innovative way to flick this Ad. After all that's where their expertise lie.
Its beautifully used Indian which mean Bharti.
The Ad goes as follows. Hope to get a you tube video soon. Will put up on this. Till then this is what the Ad says
"1500 years ago, An Indian taught the world how to count"
Aryabhat
"An Indian was the father of Surgery"
"90% of computers in the world use a chip manufactured by an India"
Vinod Dham
"An Indian was the first to develop Wireless technology"
Jagadish Bose
"An Indian was the first who thought and proved that a war can be fought with Peace"
Mahatma Gandhi
If one Indian can have such big Ideas, what can a Billion Indian's do"
Well the words might have been a little different, since its picked up from my memory, but the message remains the same.
I just hope that Reliance doesn't think of an Innovative way to flick this Ad. After all that's where their expertise lie.
Top 40 Richest Indians
http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/12/richest-Indian-billionaires-biz-indiarichest08-cx_nk_1112indiaintro.html
The global financial crisis has hit the subcontinent hard--the wealthiest Indians are worth 60% less than a year ago.
These are painful times for India's richest as the ongoing global turmoil drastically reshapes their fortunes. The country's once soaring stock market fell 48% in the 12 months, the rupee depreciated 24% against the dollar and gross domestic product growth is expected to slow down to 7.5%, partly owing to double-digit inflation.
All of this conspired to knock 60% off the combined fortunes of the nation's 40 wealthiest. Their total net worth fell $212 billion, to $139 billion, down from $351 billion a year ago.
Last year's No. 1, U.K. resident Lakshmi Mittal, dropped $30.5 billion amid plunging steel prices, but he slips only a bit, to No. 2. Mukesh Ambani, who oversees petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries, grabs the top spot for the first time, despite losing $28.2 billion in the past year. His estranged brother, Anil, ranked third, is the biggest dollar loser, down $32.5 billion.
Others were nearly wiped out entirely. India's wind power man Tulsi Tanti and his brothers lost 91% of their fortune, amid reports about the poor quality of Suzlon's wind blades. Real estate fortunes were among those hit the hardest. K.P.Singh lost $27.2 billion since we last published our listing but is down an astonishing $39 billion since his DLF stock peaked in January. Property tycoon Ramesh Chandra's net worth dropped 91% to $1 billion. His Unitech lost half its market capitalization in one day last month.
Thirty-three of the 34 tycoons who returned to our ranking of India's richest are at least 20% poorer than they were a year ago. Only one fortune from last year's ranks increased, that of brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, who sold their 34% stake in generic drug firm Ranbaxy Laboratories to Japan's Daiichi Sankyo at a hefty premium to its current stock price. They added $550 million to their combined wealth.
Others with pharmaceuticals fortunes outperformed the market, but thanks to a sliding rupee, their net worth fell too. Dilip Shanghvi of SunPharma, India's most valuable drug maker, was poorer by $800 million, despite an increase in his net worth in rupees.
Six people dropped off our list altogether after losing a collective $7.9 billion. They included flamboyant liquor and airlines tycoon Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines (other-otc: KNGFY.PK - news - people ) is racking up losses, and Gautam Thapar, whose Ballarpur Industries is India's largest paper maker. Taking their places are four newcomers, including Micky Jagtiani, who oversees a retailing empire in the Middle East, and Hemant Shah, son of a Bollywood film producer, who made his fortune in construction.
Comment On This Story
Returning to the list after a one-year absence are Yusuf Hamied, head of generics producer Cipla, and Brijmohan Lall Munjal, patriarch of Hero Group, which makes motorcycles and bicycles.
Some more sobering statistics: While all 40 tycoons were billionaires last year, only 27 now have 10-figure fortunes, nine fewer than in 2006.
These net worths are snapshots of wealth taken on Nov. 3, when we locked in market prices and exchange rates. Had we locked in just a week earlier, the losses would have been still greater, as the nation's main index gained 21% in the days leading up to our list publication.
Privately held companies were valued by comparing them to similar public companies. Indian nonresidents like Lakshmi Mittal were included as long as they still hold Indian citizenship. This ranking, unlike the Forbes billionaires list, includes family fortunes.
The global financial crisis has hit the subcontinent hard--the wealthiest Indians are worth 60% less than a year ago.
These are painful times for India's richest as the ongoing global turmoil drastically reshapes their fortunes. The country's once soaring stock market fell 48% in the 12 months, the rupee depreciated 24% against the dollar and gross domestic product growth is expected to slow down to 7.5%, partly owing to double-digit inflation.
All of this conspired to knock 60% off the combined fortunes of the nation's 40 wealthiest. Their total net worth fell $212 billion, to $139 billion, down from $351 billion a year ago.
Last year's No. 1, U.K. resident Lakshmi Mittal, dropped $30.5 billion amid plunging steel prices, but he slips only a bit, to No. 2. Mukesh Ambani, who oversees petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries, grabs the top spot for the first time, despite losing $28.2 billion in the past year. His estranged brother, Anil, ranked third, is the biggest dollar loser, down $32.5 billion.
Others were nearly wiped out entirely. India's wind power man Tulsi Tanti and his brothers lost 91% of their fortune, amid reports about the poor quality of Suzlon's wind blades. Real estate fortunes were among those hit the hardest. K.P.Singh lost $27.2 billion since we last published our listing but is down an astonishing $39 billion since his DLF stock peaked in January. Property tycoon Ramesh Chandra's net worth dropped 91% to $1 billion. His Unitech lost half its market capitalization in one day last month.
Thirty-three of the 34 tycoons who returned to our ranking of India's richest are at least 20% poorer than they were a year ago. Only one fortune from last year's ranks increased, that of brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, who sold their 34% stake in generic drug firm Ranbaxy Laboratories to Japan's Daiichi Sankyo at a hefty premium to its current stock price. They added $550 million to their combined wealth.
Others with pharmaceuticals fortunes outperformed the market, but thanks to a sliding rupee, their net worth fell too. Dilip Shanghvi of SunPharma, India's most valuable drug maker, was poorer by $800 million, despite an increase in his net worth in rupees.
Six people dropped off our list altogether after losing a collective $7.9 billion. They included flamboyant liquor and airlines tycoon Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines (other-otc: KNGFY.PK - news - people ) is racking up losses, and Gautam Thapar, whose Ballarpur Industries is India's largest paper maker. Taking their places are four newcomers, including Micky Jagtiani, who oversees a retailing empire in the Middle East, and Hemant Shah, son of a Bollywood film producer, who made his fortune in construction.
Comment On This Story
Returning to the list after a one-year absence are Yusuf Hamied, head of generics producer Cipla, and Brijmohan Lall Munjal, patriarch of Hero Group, which makes motorcycles and bicycles.
Some more sobering statistics: While all 40 tycoons were billionaires last year, only 27 now have 10-figure fortunes, nine fewer than in 2006.
These net worths are snapshots of wealth taken on Nov. 3, when we locked in market prices and exchange rates. Had we locked in just a week earlier, the losses would have been still greater, as the nation's main index gained 21% in the days leading up to our list publication.
Privately held companies were valued by comparing them to similar public companies. Indian nonresidents like Lakshmi Mittal were included as long as they still hold Indian citizenship. This ranking, unlike the Forbes billionaires list, includes family fortunes.
Dont get Limited By Negative Thoughts.
Here's a story about George Dantzig - the famed mathematician, whose contributions to Operations Research and systems engineering have made him immortal.
As a college student, George studied very hard often late into the night. So late, that he overslept one morning, arriving 20 minutes late for Prof. Neyman's class.
On arrival in class, he saw two maths problems written on board. He quickly copied the two maths problems on the board, assuming that they were the homework assignment. After reaching home, it took him several hours to work through the two problems, but finally he had a breakthrough and dropped the homework on Neyman's desk the next day.
Six weeks later, on a Sunday morning, his excited professor awakened George at 6 a.m.
Since George was late for class, he hadn't heard the professor announce that the two unsolvable equations on the board were mathematical mind-teasers that even Einstein hadn't been able to answer.
But George Dantzig, working without any thoughts of limitation, had solved not one, but two problems that had stumped mathematicians for thousands of years.
Simply put, George solved the problems because he didn't know he couldn't.
You are not limited to the life you now live.
You have accepted it as the best you can do at this moment. Any time you're ready to go beyond the imitations currently in your life, you're capable of doing that by choosing different thoughts. All you must do is figure out how you can do it, not whether or not you can. And once you have made your mind up to do it, it's amazing how your mind begins to figure out how.
A person is limited only by the thoughts that he/she chooses.
This story began to spread, and was used as a motivational lesson demonstrating the power of positive thinking. Over time Dantzig's name was removed and facts were altered, but the basic story has persisted in the form of an urban legend
As a college student, George studied very hard often late into the night. So late, that he overslept one morning, arriving 20 minutes late for Prof. Neyman's class.
On arrival in class, he saw two maths problems written on board. He quickly copied the two maths problems on the board, assuming that they were the homework assignment. After reaching home, it took him several hours to work through the two problems, but finally he had a breakthrough and dropped the homework on Neyman's desk the next day.
Six weeks later, on a Sunday morning, his excited professor awakened George at 6 a.m.
Since George was late for class, he hadn't heard the professor announce that the two unsolvable equations on the board were mathematical mind-teasers that even Einstein hadn't been able to answer.
But George Dantzig, working without any thoughts of limitation, had solved not one, but two problems that had stumped mathematicians for thousands of years.
Simply put, George solved the problems because he didn't know he couldn't.
You are not limited to the life you now live.
You have accepted it as the best you can do at this moment. Any time you're ready to go beyond the imitations currently in your life, you're capable of doing that by choosing different thoughts. All you must do is figure out how you can do it, not whether or not you can. And once you have made your mind up to do it, it's amazing how your mind begins to figure out how.
A person is limited only by the thoughts that he/she chooses.
This story began to spread, and was used as a motivational lesson demonstrating the power of positive thinking. Over time Dantzig's name was removed and facts were altered, but the basic story has persisted in the form of an urban legend
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Joel's Wedding!!
9/11
The day Joel got married in this lovely church. St Patrick church off Brigade Road. First time I got a chance to see a Catholic Wedding in Bangalore. Though I had seen this church from outside many times , I never had the opportunity to go inside. Probably the day was destined as 9/11 .. There is something with this number and me ..
That's Joel and Tina after the wedding ceremony. He seems to be a happy man. It was indeed a treat to attend a ceremony like this.
The couple taking blessings from elders.
The Married Couple
Movie Review : Fashion
Movie: Fashion
Another movie of Madhur Bhandarkar. Just like one can make out the books of 'Chetan Bhagat' similarly you can easily make out that the movie is of Madhur Bhandarkar.
For someone who has seen the movie Page 3 its not much of a different scene. Typically the same issue but this movie is concentrated on one aspect ie Fashion. The rest remains the same.
Something about the movie. The story is about a girl from Chandigarh who wants to become a super model, and its her dream. Though her parents don't approve of her dreams she is persistent about it.
The movie further dwells into the dark realities of the fashion industry, the page 3 people and finally the Priyanka Chopra makes it big. She is helped by many on her way up, but when she reached the top, then things begin to fall apart and goes so bad that she goes back to her family. The family then boosts her up and ask her to take a second stint.
Thats when she realises her faults then the movie revolves over how she copes up with everything and makes it big.
The movie shows the ugly truths of the fashion industry. How people are used and also how the law of karma works. Its also about fulfilling your dreams if you are serious about it.
Worth a watch!!
Mahabharatha names and their meanings from Nama Sutra by anantha
I found a nice blog on the names of characters in Mahabharatha
http://namasutra.blogspot.com/2008/11/mahabharatha-character-names-and-their.html
Here is the excerpt from the same.
"That great epic had some very colorful characters. I've always wanted to know what their names meant without dipping into Maneka Gandhi's book of names. Now that I've found out, I thought I'll share it with you...
Yudhishtra = one who's committed to the ideal.
Bhima = one who knows no fear.
Arjuna = clarity of pure devotion.
Nakula = one who's free from pain.
Sahadeva = equal to the gods.
Duryodhana = defender of evil.
Ashwattama = one with the obstinacy of a horse.
Bhishma = one who rules fear.
Dhritarashtra = blind ambition.
Draupadi = enemy of offenders.
Drona = one who injures his foes with weapons.
Drupada = one who stands like a wooden pillar.
Karna = one who thinks of himself as the doer.
Kripa = one who does and gets.
Kunti = one who removes the deficiency of others.
Pandu = he who is without prejudice.
Sanjaya = he who is victorious over all.
Abhimanyu = one who is imperishable.
If you had pored over the meanings, you'll discover that Dhritarashtra, Draupadi and Drona's names serve as cryptic codes for their characters. So obviously it's the work of a seasoned author. "
http://namasutra.blogspot.com/2008/11/mahabharatha-character-names-and-their.html
Here is the excerpt from the same.
"That great epic had some very colorful characters. I've always wanted to know what their names meant without dipping into Maneka Gandhi's book of names. Now that I've found out, I thought I'll share it with you...
Yudhishtra = one who's committed to the ideal.
Bhima = one who knows no fear.
Arjuna = clarity of pure devotion.
Nakula = one who's free from pain.
Sahadeva = equal to the gods.
Duryodhana = defender of evil.
Ashwattama = one with the obstinacy of a horse.
Bhishma = one who rules fear.
Dhritarashtra = blind ambition.
Draupadi = enemy of offenders.
Drona = one who injures his foes with weapons.
Drupada = one who stands like a wooden pillar.
Karna = one who thinks of himself as the doer.
Kripa = one who does and gets.
Kunti = one who removes the deficiency of others.
Pandu = he who is without prejudice.
Sanjaya = he who is victorious over all.
Abhimanyu = one who is imperishable.
If you had pored over the meanings, you'll discover that Dhritarashtra, Draupadi and Drona's names serve as cryptic codes for their characters. So obviously it's the work of a seasoned author. "
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Book Review :Cashflow Quadrant
Another of Robert Kiyosaki's book. Everytime I read a book from him, it inspires me no end to start investing more. This book added more value than the previous ones which I had read, ie Rich Dad Poor Dad and Guide To Investing. The simple tips of getting rid of your debts and the different levels of Investors was a take away for me, having read the other books. Of course the repeition does occur in the books, but its a welcome refresher , especially for me, who doesnt have the habit of going through the same book again.
I would say its a must read for each and everyone. Its just going to change your perspective of finances and investing.
Priceless!
I would say its a must read for each and everyone. Its just going to change your perspective of finances and investing.
Priceless!
My Favourite TV Ads
Some of my favourite Ads on TV. Agree that the creative minds are definitely working harder. I am pretty much sure that with slowdown, the Ads budget would have been all time low and would want the maximum mileage out of it. Nevertheless here are some of my current favourites
Tata Sky Plus Ad
The one featuring the perfectionist again, doing all the house hold work just to watch the cricket match. Its simply awesome. Even the teaser campaign that they had was good. Its a new trend now to publish the teasers.
The ICICI Prudential Insurance Ad
The same family doing the wonders again. While the same kid showing some priceless expressions and dialogues. The mom not having any dialogue does her bit with the smile. This series of Ads also have been awesome and always stops you from doing something else apart from watching the AD.
The Nerolac Ad
A small story of how a house painted with Nerolac changes everything. It brings out the subtle issues in the life of an Indian, and thats what touches the audience the most. The background voice over which is similar to that of Gulzar adds more to it.
Will add more to this list.
Post your favourite ones in the comments.
Tata Sky Plus Ad
The one featuring the perfectionist again, doing all the house hold work just to watch the cricket match. Its simply awesome. Even the teaser campaign that they had was good. Its a new trend now to publish the teasers.
The ICICI Prudential Insurance Ad
The same family doing the wonders again. While the same kid showing some priceless expressions and dialogues. The mom not having any dialogue does her bit with the smile. This series of Ads also have been awesome and always stops you from doing something else apart from watching the AD.
The Nerolac Ad
A small story of how a house painted with Nerolac changes everything. It brings out the subtle issues in the life of an Indian, and thats what touches the audience the most. The background voice over which is similar to that of Gulzar adds more to it.
Will add more to this list.
Post your favourite ones in the comments.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Thought for the Day
Inspiration
How can we serve others around us? By making our lives inspirational and interacting with tact and wisdom. We should be so cheerful, and our lives such examples, that they say 'Here is an angel.'
Kinda liked it
How can we serve others around us? By making our lives inspirational and interacting with tact and wisdom. We should be so cheerful, and our lives such examples, that they say 'Here is an angel.'
Kinda liked it
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Obama is the new President of US
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/race-over-obama-new-us-president/77476-2-p1.html
Democrat Barack Obama wrote his name indelibly into the pages of American history on Wednesday, engineering a social and political upheaval to become the country's first black president-elect in a runaway victory over Republican John McCain.The 72-year-old Arizona senator quickly called his opponent to concede defeat and congratulate his rival in the longest and most costly presidential campaign in American history.McCain spoke graciously at an outdoor rally in Arizona, commending Obama on his victory and emphasizing that he understood its special importance to African-Americans."The American people have spoken, and spoken clearly," McCain told disappointed supporters in Arizona, many who booed and growled as he called for the nation to unify behind the victor and his running mate, Joe Biden.The 47-year-old Illinois senator, son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya, mined a deep vein of national discontent, promising Americans hope and change throughout a nearly flawless 21-month campaign for the White House.
Obama stepped through a door opened 145 years ago when Abraham Lincoln, a fellow Illinois politician, issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed African-Americans from enslavement in the rebellious South in the midst of a wrenching civil war. The powerful orator lays claim to the White House on Jan. 20, only 43 years after the country enacted a law that banned the disenfranchisement of blacks in many Southern states where poll taxes and literacy tests were common at the time. With victories in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other battleground states, Obama built a commanding lead over McCain after surging in the polls in the midst of a national financial crisis. He and his fellow Democrats sought to link McCain to the unpopular George W. Bush. Obama soared into the national spotlight with his electrifying speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when he was making his first run for the Senate and polishing his message of unity in a country that was mired in partisan anger.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Kumble Calls It a day
2 November 2008
It was tea time of the final day of the 3rd Test Match between India and Australia. It was a boring draw and the match was just waiting for the formalities to be completed.
After tea the news that was flashing on the scroll bar was shocking. Anil Kumble has called it a day, and today was the last day he would ever be playing in Test.
Not quite sure ,what prompted him to take such a quick decision. Saurav Ganguly's retirement too was quite quick, and knowing the issues he was going through, it was quite evident that he didnt really do it willingly.
I somehow feel that Kumble retirement was some similar issue which has occured in the dressing room. Feels sad that the players who have got glorious victories to India have to leave the Game in such a haste.
Started his career in 1990 and after 18 long years has finally declared his innings.
He also the career best of 10 wickets in an innings and 8 times 10 wickets in a match. I still remember the ODI final match against WI in the challengers cup in which he had clinched 6 wickets. He was a different cricketer. Not that the opposition would get scared of him but he would do the damage.
Its a day to remember for Indian cricket fans and specially those in Bangalore.
He has 619 Test wickets to his name and 337 in ODI, quite a feat.
It was tea time of the final day of the 3rd Test Match between India and Australia. It was a boring draw and the match was just waiting for the formalities to be completed.
After tea the news that was flashing on the scroll bar was shocking. Anil Kumble has called it a day, and today was the last day he would ever be playing in Test.
Not quite sure ,what prompted him to take such a quick decision. Saurav Ganguly's retirement too was quite quick, and knowing the issues he was going through, it was quite evident that he didnt really do it willingly.
I somehow feel that Kumble retirement was some similar issue which has occured in the dressing room. Feels sad that the players who have got glorious victories to India have to leave the Game in such a haste.
Started his career in 1990 and after 18 long years has finally declared his innings.
He also the career best of 10 wickets in an innings and 8 times 10 wickets in a match. I still remember the ODI final match against WI in the challengers cup in which he had clinched 6 wickets. He was a different cricketer. Not that the opposition would get scared of him but he would do the damage.
Its a day to remember for Indian cricket fans and specially those in Bangalore.
He has 619 Test wickets to his name and 337 in ODI, quite a feat.
Book Review:The White Tiger
Book : The White Tiger
Author : Aravind Adiga
I picked up the book only for the simple reason that it had won the "Man Booker Award" this year. Its the first book I have read which is an award winning. Normally I tend to be away from such books, but for some weird reason I felt like picking it up.
Must say that its a great book to read to learn and know about India. Yes its not the rosy picture which is painted, but one that is of reality. At times it got carried away a bit more and I didnt quite like some descriptions. The last chapter was really good. It was surely a good ending with some good punches. Every book has one chapter which is a meant to be re-read time and again. In this book it is definitely the last chapter.
The protagonist , Balram , who is a person from small village always has big dreams and always in pursue of it. He makes sure that the good in him never dies and does take some calculative risks in life. He makes sure that he learns every trick in the book to become a entrepreneur.
This book in some way reflects the protagonist "Guru" in the movie "Guru".
A book worth read if you want to read about the Indian village cultures, the typical indian entrepreneur , the politics and the Urban culture as it is today.
Author : Aravind Adiga
I picked up the book only for the simple reason that it had won the "Man Booker Award" this year. Its the first book I have read which is an award winning. Normally I tend to be away from such books, but for some weird reason I felt like picking it up.
Must say that its a great book to read to learn and know about India. Yes its not the rosy picture which is painted, but one that is of reality. At times it got carried away a bit more and I didnt quite like some descriptions. The last chapter was really good. It was surely a good ending with some good punches. Every book has one chapter which is a meant to be re-read time and again. In this book it is definitely the last chapter.
The protagonist , Balram , who is a person from small village always has big dreams and always in pursue of it. He makes sure that the good in him never dies and does take some calculative risks in life. He makes sure that he learns every trick in the book to become a entrepreneur.
This book in some way reflects the protagonist "Guru" in the movie "Guru".
A book worth read if you want to read about the Indian village cultures, the typical indian entrepreneur , the politics and the Urban culture as it is today.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Diwali Time
Diwali Day and its a holiday for me. But not really an relaxing one. The day started off with having fau [aulakki] which we make for diwali. Shweta made 3-4 varieties of the same. Once I was done, I was very curious to see what the stock market had for us after the 1017 point rally downwards last weekend.
Actually speaking nothing really surprising. It went down again as if there its an abyss , and didnt show any signs of going into green. It got so boring to see that, that I went to my bedroom to continue reading the book The White Tiger. Its definitely a good book, but not really gripping. I am yet to finish off that book, once once done, you will see the review on the blog.
Later on when I came out for the festival lunch, I was tempted to pick up some stocks. I know that this need not be the end of the bottom but then it didnt make much sense to lose out on these buying oppurtunities. I guess I was really lucky. As soon as I finished exercising all my options I could see a good recovery by the market. Sensex recovred around 500 points, and all the stocks which I bought, I did get into some profits.
My current strategy would be to pick up value stocks , every month and in probably 2-3 years time they should be having good value.
Am planning to go out for some photography. I hope the inertia lets me do it :)
Happy Diwali to all
Actually speaking nothing really surprising. It went down again as if there its an abyss , and didnt show any signs of going into green. It got so boring to see that, that I went to my bedroom to continue reading the book The White Tiger. Its definitely a good book, but not really gripping. I am yet to finish off that book, once once done, you will see the review on the blog.
Later on when I came out for the festival lunch, I was tempted to pick up some stocks. I know that this need not be the end of the bottom but then it didnt make much sense to lose out on these buying oppurtunities. I guess I was really lucky. As soon as I finished exercising all my options I could see a good recovery by the market. Sensex recovred around 500 points, and all the stocks which I bought, I did get into some profits.
My current strategy would be to pick up value stocks , every month and in probably 2-3 years time they should be having good value.
Am planning to go out for some photography. I hope the inertia lets me do it :)
Happy Diwali to all
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Indigo Ad
I came across this lovely ad on TOI today. I know I am doing more service to Indigo free of cost but I dont mind it.
Lets see when the the King Of Good Times, Vijay Mallya will reply to this ad tomorrow.
I guess a new ad war might just start.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
What all you can do with Google Search
I came across a nice link in google. All that I had used google search was for searching. There are many other stuff that you can use it for. I found this in one of my favourite blog of Prashant .
Check this link and you will find many many interesting stuff.
Right from using it as a calculator to finding time at various location rather than using the tedious convertors, this in indeed handy.
Check this link. Its worth your time
Check this link and you will find many many interesting stuff.
Right from using it as a calculator to finding time at various location rather than using the tedious convertors, this in indeed handy.
Check this link. Its worth your time
Saturday, October 18, 2008
How To Increase Your Windows Xp PC Speed By Disabling Indexing
Came across a nice link to improve the speed of your WinXP.
A silent saturday
After quite some time, Tendulkar's advertisements are pick of the lot today, as I scan through the channels. Its not everyday in your life that you see a batsman scoring 12000 runs in test. It was a treat to see Ganguly playing with such finesse in his last series of his life, while Dhoni giving him good company. The cricket match between India and Australia couldnt keep me glued to the NEO sports channel for long. I see that the love for cricket seem to be dwindling over the passage of time. All that matters is who won and who played good.
Malgudi Days has been the only program which has made me stick to the channel till the end. The good old DD 1 programs have a charm of their own which none of the current channel seem to have. I still love that channel. Almost all the programs which would once upon a time would come on DD have been aired on other channels now. But I am still waiting for "Wagle Ki Duniya" and "Nukkad".
Unlike a typical october, its been raining, rather drizzling out here. Its a nice weather to lie on the bed, sip a cup of tea and write this blog. Planning to host some photos on this blog, might attract some more adsense revenue. While the irritating calls from country club , TATA AIG have managed to keep me in the not so good mood. I guess taking the policy from TATA AIG was an bad idea after all. The customer service is pathetic beyond words. I guess something comparable to Reliance and Citibank, who never lose out the bottom most places in the ranking.
The markets have plunged to new lows now, breaching the 10000 mark. Good time to gradually start investing. I am still thinking which stocks to start pick up. I have already started with couple of SIP's in Mutual Funds. I am really not sure why people have started to invest in Gold now, especially when they are at their all time high. I guess people like to buy only whats going up, not realising that what goes comes down also. Doesnt the simple common sense to buy at the lows make sense to anyone? Well thats the so called risk factor I guess and people like to move with the tide and not against it.
I love to move against the tide.
Moving on the books, I just completed one more book of Calvin and Hobbes. I still have one more to complete, before I start buying new ones. Apart from that I am also reading Business @ The speed of Thought by Bill Gates. Will put the reviews of the same soon. I still have a pile of PG Wodehouse books to finish .. am pressed for time..
Please let me know if any good book you have read recently .
Malgudi Days has been the only program which has made me stick to the channel till the end. The good old DD 1 programs have a charm of their own which none of the current channel seem to have. I still love that channel. Almost all the programs which would once upon a time would come on DD have been aired on other channels now. But I am still waiting for "Wagle Ki Duniya" and "Nukkad".
Unlike a typical october, its been raining, rather drizzling out here. Its a nice weather to lie on the bed, sip a cup of tea and write this blog. Planning to host some photos on this blog, might attract some more adsense revenue. While the irritating calls from country club , TATA AIG have managed to keep me in the not so good mood. I guess taking the policy from TATA AIG was an bad idea after all. The customer service is pathetic beyond words. I guess something comparable to Reliance and Citibank, who never lose out the bottom most places in the ranking.
The markets have plunged to new lows now, breaching the 10000 mark. Good time to gradually start investing. I am still thinking which stocks to start pick up. I have already started with couple of SIP's in Mutual Funds. I am really not sure why people have started to invest in Gold now, especially when they are at their all time high. I guess people like to buy only whats going up, not realising that what goes comes down also. Doesnt the simple common sense to buy at the lows make sense to anyone? Well thats the so called risk factor I guess and people like to move with the tide and not against it.
I love to move against the tide.
Moving on the books, I just completed one more book of Calvin and Hobbes. I still have one more to complete, before I start buying new ones. Apart from that I am also reading Business @ The speed of Thought by Bill Gates. Will put the reviews of the same soon. I still have a pile of PG Wodehouse books to finish .. am pressed for time..
Please let me know if any good book you have read recently .
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sensex Plunges 801 points today
Hmmm, so whats the next thing that come in your mind after seeing this news. Withdraw all the money , whatever is currently in your demat account and invest ,rather save it in a FD account.
Well, if you are the one who is thinking in this line, then your are not alone. You are like one of the many people who have gone into the panic mode. Lets look at all the cases here now.
If you endup withdrawing your investment in the stocks, and assuming a lot of people are thinking in the same manner, the market is bound to further come down, and it gets into a chain reaction. Not something which is advisable for the overall economy. But then why should I be bother of the whole economy. All that I want is my loses to be minimum.
Again , nothing new in your thinking. Investors would be thinking about redeeming the Mutual Funds and put it in the Fixed Deposits as the interest rates are high. Not a bad thought at all. But the effect that it will have is selling pressures on the MF's, which will again pull the market down.
My view of the current market is as follows. The value stocks that I can get today, are one of the best. Not that we have touched the lows, but then not bad at all. For a minimum time frame of 18-24 months these stocks are really worth it. Look at the following points. India is in a very good economic situation in the world today. We are not at all in the mess like the west is in or Europe is in. Yes, the FII has stopped investing or rather pulled the money from Indian Stock market, but the reason is not because of India. When one own economy is bad and money is the need of the hour, why would others invest. Everyone in the US is in a liquidity crunch. So its high time that we don't depend upon FII to boost the Indian economy. India still has the highest deposits in the Savings till date in the whole world. Our banks are stable, our Insurance are in the best of shape. No one can really shake our LIC. They are in huge surplus and these insurance companies are the ones who time and again pull up the markets when FII pull out the money.
Even if a fraction of these deposits come into equity, our markets will boom.
I am a person, who believes that this is the best time to invest in stocks. Not all at the same time, but systematically. Say monthly 5000 INR is good enough. It will average out in the long run and will fetch good returns. its definitely no point cribbing at the end of 2 years and saying, "Wish I had invested then". Then and if never have any value in the stock market.
Invest slowly and surely and systematically. You will never lose. Don't invest to not to lose, but invest to win.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Book Review: Go Kiss the World
Author : Subroto Bagchi
Pages : 235
Price :399 INR
The high I get after reading a book like Autobiography of Lee Iacocca, and the High Performance Entrepreneur , it was the same feeling today when I finished through the last pages of "Go Kiss the world".
Pages : 235
Price :399 INR
The high I get after reading a book like Autobiography of Lee Iacocca, and the High Performance Entrepreneur , it was the same feeling today when I finished through the last pages of "Go Kiss the world".
If the first book of Sobroto Bagchi, was how to build an ethical profitable company like Mindtree, this book is about how to build you as a person. Initially while reading the book, I thought that this book didnt quite match up to the first book. But then I was proved wrong. As the book reached its end, it just became more and more touching and knowledgeable. I must add that I just love his writing style now, and whats even more important is the simplicity.
The last few chapters are worth reading again and again in your life, and I am sure that each time you would learn something new or an answer you would be looking for.
I personally liked the section on Mid Life Crisis. Its something which I havent read anywhere and I could relate to the same very much. Probably most of my questions were answered through that small chapter.
I dont think that anyone should miss reading this book. If you are not a regular reader, atleast the last few chapters in the book are a must for those who want to become a better person.
Thanks a lot for this lovely book.
Though the cost of the book is 399/- its worth a lot lot more.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Matsushita renames itself as Panasonic
I came across a nice post on one of my favourite blogs
Please read this
http://namasutra.blogspot.com/2008/10/matsushita-renames-itself-as-panasonic.html
Interesting one
Please read this
http://namasutra.blogspot.com/2008/10/matsushita-renames-itself-as-panasonic.html
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