The Frogs

Zen Stories thought worth sharing with you all.

A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, "There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs - millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!" So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks. The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said,” Well... where are all the frogs?" The farmer said, "I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!"

[Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.]

Fox,Wolf and Lion

Read this story on Management...! Sourced while surfing net.

It`s a fine sunny day in the forest and a lion is sitting outside his cave, lying lazily in the sun. Along comes a fox, out on a walk.

Fox: "Do you know the time, because my watch is broken" Lion: "Oh, I can easily fix the watch for you" Fox: "Hmm... But it`s a very complicated mechanism, and your big claws will only destroy it even more" Lion: "Oh no, give it to me, and it will be fixed" Fox: "That`s ridiculous! Any fool knows that lazy lions with great claws cannot fix complicated watches" Lion: "Sure they do, give it to me and it will be fixed" The lion disappears into his cave, and after a while he comes back with the watch which is running perfectly. The fox is impressed, and the lion continues to lie lazily in the sun, looking very pleased with himself. Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the lazy lion in the sun. Wolf: "Can I come and watch TV tonight with you, because mine is broken" Lion: "Oh, I can easily fix your TV for you" Wolf: "You don`t expect me to believe such rubbish, do you? There is no way that a lazy lion with big claws can fix a complicated TV" Lion: "No problem. Do you want to try it?" The lion goes into his cave, and after a while comes back with a perfectly fixed TV. The wolf goes away happily and amazed. Scene : Inside the lion`s cave. In one corner are half a dozen small and intelligent looking rabbits who are busily doing very complicated work with very detailed instruments. In the other corner lies a huge lion looking very pleased with himself.

Moral : IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY A MANAGER IS FAMOUS; LOOK AT THE WORK OF HIS SUBORDINATES.

Management Lesson In the context of the working world : IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BAD YOUR PERFORMANCE IS; WHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER YOUR BOSS LIKES YOU OR NOT

Life on the Fast Track

Speed is the alternative of life. With the high-rising technology innovation, communication has become fast-paced and easier. And with the strong presence of 3G technology, growth in wireless communication has become a commonality across the globe. 3G mobile phones are the latest in the line to enable you to access faster global mobility.
3G system has made our lifestyle a lot more comfortable and exciting. 3G technology is mainly supported by Wideband CDMA, which is even faster than GSM and GPRS. 3G system works wonders for ardent users of mobile phones as its wide bandwidth provides high-speed connectivity for data transmission. Due to high level broadband frequency, the 3G-enabled mobile phones are bound to deliver high-end performance. The benefits of 3G are many. You can avail video streaming, email, Web browsing, and other mobile data services. With 3G mobile phones, you can get access to unlimited entertainment by downloading wallpapers, MP3 ring tones, current smash-hits, themes, exciting games, and lots more. Be it camera, music, games, or your business solutions, 3G technology accomplishes your multimedia comforts by catering to all your needs with fast pace and low cost.
The good news for mobile users is that now 3G has been uploaded in all the latest handsets from the leading manufacturers including Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Nokia and Motorola. In addition, a new technology called HSDPA has been upgraded with the 3G system which works faster than 3G. The latest gadgets are well-equipped with power-packed features, enabling you to communicate and enjoy loads of fun. The 3G-compatible handsets allow you to balance your personal and professional fronts. Enjoy outstanding multimedia messaging services through email client, MMS, Instant messaging, etc. You can edit, send and receive your business files. Or share your photos, videos and music with friends. So get hold of the latest 3G mobile phone and experience hi-tech mobility.
Gotta get one !!!!!

"I have three visions for India" - Kalam's famous speech"

I have three visions for India. In 3000 years of our history, people from all over the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From Alexander onwards, The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and Tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why? Because we respect the freedom of others.

That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of Independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us.

My second vision for India's DEVELOPMENT, For fifty years we have been A developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self-reliant and self-assured. Isn't this incorrect?

I have a THIRD vision. India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that, unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military power but also as an economic power. Both must go hand-in-hand. My good fortune was to have worked with three great minds. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept. of space, Professor Satish Dhawan, who succeeded him and Dr.Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider this the great opportunity of my life.I see four milestones in my career:

Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be the project director for India's first satellite launch vehicle, SLV3. The one that launched Rohini. These years played a very important role in my life of Scientist. After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the part of India's guided missile program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission requirements in 1994.

The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss. The joy of participating with my team in these nuclear tests and proving to the world that India can make it, that we are no longer a developing nation but one of them. It made me feel very proud as an Indian. The fact that we have now developed for Agni a re-entry structure, for which we have developed this new material. A Very light material called carbon-carbon.

One day an orthopedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences visited my laboratory. He lifted the material and found it so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients. There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic calipers weighing over three Kg. each, dragging their feet around.

He said to me: Please remove the pain of my patients. In three weeks, we made these Floor reaction Orthosis 300-gram calipers and took them to the orthopedic center. The children didn't believe their eyes. From dragging around a three kg. load on their legs, they could now move around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. That was my fourth bliss!

Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?

We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self driving unit.

There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert land into an orchid and a granary.

It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE?

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.

YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.YOU say, say and say.

What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS.

Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best.

In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are. You pay $5(approx. Rs.60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.

"YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost." YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. "Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said." And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?" He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.'

So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government.

Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians,The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too....

I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

"ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY"

Lets do what India needs from us.

Thank you
Abdul Kalaam

Before leaving his office :"I will go with two small suitcases," said an emotional President APJ Abdul Kalam on Wednesday as he prepared to leave Rashtrapati Bhawan with a desire to see India as a developed nation by 2020.

Story for everyone to Remember

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer- contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Ten Little things you could do for the environment

1. Use a glass when brushing your teeth. Every year, billions of liters of fresh water is wasted by simply not using a glass when brushing your teeth.
.2. Don’t use straws. They say the straw is the most stupid invention. They are unnecessary and only add to our waste problem.
.3. Say NO to plastics when shopping. Bring your own reusable bags when doing your grocery, or when buying single items like books or cd’s, a plastic bag, or even a paper bag is unnecessary.
.4. Turn off the lights. When there is ample daylight or when no one is in the room. You not only save on electricity, you also lower temperature as light gives off heat.
.5. Walk. Take the stairs. Or car pool or take public transportation. You not only lower your carbon gas emissions, you are also doing your heart good when you walk regularly.
.6. Unplug cell phone chargers after use. As well as all unused electronic appliances. Some appliances use more electricity even when not in use. Microwave oven with timers uses more electricity on stand by mode the entire day than when you cook dinner with it.
.7. Use both sides of the paper. And make sure to recycle it after. You not only lessen your wastes but you also help stop the unnecessary cutting of more trees.
.8. Turn off shower when soaping. And make sure to avoid long and frequent showers. Showering three times a day not only uses precious fresh water, but also creates more waste water that goes into our rivers and lakes. It dries your skin too.
.9. Never burn anything. Burned resources are lost forever. Burning also releases harmful substances into the atmosphere. Reduce and reuse always. Compost and recycle what you can.
.10. Tell your friends about this. Spread the word, and together we can make a difference.

Liked it when i read this, thought of sharing with it all.If atleast one thing that you could follow would do a lot for the environment.Happy reading.

21 Rules of Life

1. Marry the right person . This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
*2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
*3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
*4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
*5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
*6. Be generous.
*7. Have a grateful heart.
*8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
*9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
*10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
*11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
*12. Commit yourself to quality.
*13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationship with people you love and respect.
*14. Be loyal.
*15. Be honest.
*16. Be a self-starter.
*17. Be decisive even it it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
*18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
*19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
*20. Take good care of those you love.
*21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

Social Networking - Future

I was conversing to one of my best friends about the difficulty over a profile i was sourcing for my company and he came up with a suggestion of why not post it on orkut though it sounded strange, i was for it and was helped by that strange piece of advice . How much Internet and social networking sites have occuiped us made me scribble this blog. Popular social networking sites, including MySpace, Orkut and Facebook, are changing the human fabric of the Internet, given their youthful user base -- they are unusually vulnerable to the next 'new new' thing. As quickly as users flock to one trendy Internet site, they can just as quickly move on to another, with no advance warning.A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software. Most social network services are primarily web based and provide a collection of various ways for users to interact, such as chat,messaging,email,video,voice chat,file sharing, blogging, discussion groups and so on. Social networks connect people at low cost; this can be beneficial for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their contact base.Companies can also use social networks for advertising in the form of banners and text ads. Social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with contacts around the world.
In general, social networking allow users to create a profile for themselves. Users can upload a picture of themselves and can often be "friends" with other users. In most social networking services, both users must confirm that they are friends before they are linked. On large social networking services, there have been growing concerns about users giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators. In addition, there is a perceived privacy threat in relation to placing too much personal information , allowing a profile to be produced on an individual's behavior on which decisions, detrimental to an individual, may be taken. Furthermore, there is an issue over the control of data - information having been altered or removed by the user may in fact be retained and/or passed to 3rd parties.
No matter how their future takes shape, these types of networks are ingrained in Internet society. "They're here to stay. The idea of joining online communities and being able to participate in them is not going to disappear."
If you are yet join a community get going now.

Lessons that I Learnt on Love

The lesson I've learned is love never fails! We don't have to love perfectly or even consistently, or just the way we or everyone thinks we must - sometimes it's just loving desperately and with a violent determination that will break through all obstacles.
Real Love happens when presumptions are out of the way, when open communication is happening, and when both are growing in faith. If you are meant for one another, then love will come. Love cannot be forced, manipulated, conjured up, or pretended to be real. You can try to force love for a while, but it would be like teaching a dog to walk on its two hind legs. It will be able to do it for a little while, but not very long, and not very well!
One of the first signs of love is seen when you desire what is best for the other person. You begin to have their best interests in mind, with passion and/or conviction along side, when their feelings and needs are of greater importance to you than your own. What love is not is when you place your needs and plans over theirs, and you project what you think their needs are or should be. When you become the one who chooses what the other wants, then you are on the path of self-gratification and manipulation, and not love.
They may need correction, you may need correction, they may need to change, and you may need to change. Therefore, a balance has to occur between fulfilling their needs, and fulfilling the right needs. Nevertheless, the bottom line, the litmus test is, that you desire to put them before yourself. You are not being selfish or manipulative or have hidden agendas, and neither do they. Of course, there will be times we want to control or change them, but we have to be willing to repeal those selfish desires in our heart in favor of their desires.

I learnt it the hard way. But i did.

India - The Road Ahead

I was reading an article,which inspired to put my impressions on the same lines. When everyone is looking as to what the future hold. The past tell you how your present and future would be. The year 2006 had a lot in hold for us. 2006 in a lot of ways was very India centric be it growth, culture or geopolitically. Foremost being US recognizing India as a major N-power. Efforts in other areas of development!ISRO announcing its intent for Mars mission is testimony of the distance it has rocketed since its inception. Global Indian acquisition can be termed as the highlight in corporate world! L N Mittal stands so does others in IT, Steel, Electronic firms standout for their hunt! Young & dynamic Kiran Desai wrote her way to booker prize. Moment to relish for Indian’s! India to flourish like this in the years to come, my humble suggestion is to have an economy that is educated, educated in the true sense of the word. All these achievements and achievers owe their success to their education. Lets all take a resolution to mentor one uneducated child, we would go a long way. This to many would be a dream but I am reminded of Sunita William's famous statement "If you believe in your dream it will come true" caught the imagination of millions of Indian youth. She will remain a living testimony of courage and perseverance. Let take a resolution to work for a greater India and educated India!

It Happens to Everyone . . .

Virtually everyone has been dumped at some time in their life. I certainly have - so I know it hurts like hell.

This kind of very personal rejection is in fact so painful that it can make you feel as though you’ve been injured. It looks as though they are recovering from a major operation or a car accident. Their pain is so palpable that they could well be suffering from a physical illness. Losing someone you love leaves you with a dull, heavy weight in your chest that often, without warning, explodes into lacerating pain.

You might also feel that if they do not come back, no one else will ever fill that gap in your life and you will never find love elsewhere. This is nonsense of course, but grief skews our thinking. So, how can you get over the pain? How can you learn to live again?

Well, the first step towards a new positive future is to finally accept that your ex-partner has gone and will not be coming back. Do rely on good friends and do find time for yourself but ultimately it is time that will sort things out for you. Distance from the event and plenty of thinking and pondering will help put things in perspective but I will say that it is generally the case that that particular relationship didn't work out because there are far better things in store for you. Never blame yourself. If someone left you it was purely their decision. If they couldn't communicate with you prior to the event it was their own failing. Though it is a powerful mood, do not harbor grudges and desire revenge too much. Hurting someone brings you down to their level. The best revenge is in bouncing back and demonstrating how much they actually lost. Finally Your revenge won't be sweet unless she knows about it. Make sure your ex-girlfriend finds out about your triumphant changes as a new person through the grapevine, there are ways of spreading the news discreetly, like remaining friends with her family members and her best friends. You can be sure that they'll never let her forget her big mistake.

The sweetest revenge one could have is to live well. Getting dumped will give you the time and motivation to help you succeed in life. Believe me, there is no better feeling than bumping into your ex 4 years down the road after you've gained a little more wisdom, become a better lover, and achieved greater success in your career. Not to mention having your beautiful, model wife standing by your side.

Get it on!

A Lot Left to Explore About Life. . .

There a many moments in life when we feel that life or probably some friend betrayed us. Friends never, and no one who betray are not friends. I seriously have no clue to handle those people who pop up as friends and betray. I can be only be more careful, and in case still be betrayed move on. Of life i have only seen 29 years and 10 months of life till date,but I am very certain that life never does injustice to people who live it. I have many people or their lives to quote but that again would be injustice as we would not be certain about the agony of them. We always get our dues from life. The commitment the trust we have in a relationship, everything get to be paid back somewhere may be not from where we expect it. The reason is very simple, you were not bestowed your due, but you learnt something from that relationship. Now that you know how people betrayed you. I am sure there are n number of ways to betray. But you know one. So your chances of betrayed are less. Move on, Make Friends, Live Life. I Know i appear too optimistic here but the only other way is to be pessimistic.

“Let us give chance to life, before we let it down.”

(The inspiration to write this article is owed to person who related with me for three months and left.)

Unanimously Welcomed and Unceremoniously Dropped

Greg Chappell Unanimously chosen from a list which also included Tom Moody, Desmond Haynes and Mohinder Amarnath to be the coach of the Indian team for a contracted period of two years until june 2007.Immediately after his appointment and in his first interview to media he said and I quote: "I have my own coaching philosophy. We're not talking about rocket science - it's a simple game and I want to keep things simple." I think for the man who replied the media when asked how much time he would be giving to the job replied 24 x 7 x 365 days till the 2007 World Cup." Probably he would have understood by now coaching India team and managing the board is not the simplest of things to do. His commitment and professionalism of speaking thing as it is has only ended on a sad and premature exit even before the contractual period gets over. My sympathies for you Greg. Are we to blame him or the administrators of the game (BCCI)? Greg was supposed to be one of the finest batsmen Australia ever produced. But it seemed that coaching was not his forte. After all, he never had the experience of coaching an international team once he had hung his boots as a cricketer. The biggest drawback of his coaching tenure can be attributed to his insatiable hunger for experimentation. It would be better for the Indian board not get into the blame game rather introspect themselves first before the players and take this team ahead by bringing in a new coach who understand the players and the culture in which these cricketers have been brought up. It is a clarion call to the BCCI for retaining cricket as a religion and its supremacy over other sport.

Thirty and Beyond

It would be wonderful to be the bubbly affable twenty year old with lot of dreams to pursue and less of worries to ponder over and lot of help and support from all quarters. The days were filled with joy, life at twenty was terrific, the only thing that you had as a responsibility was to be good to your parents and to keep up to the reputation of your parents. Those days are a no more at thirty life gets gloomy with every responsibility to be shouldered and shrieking is considered to be a sin. Every thing is viewed pessimistically it. You start living for others, if you marry early that’s a problem if you marry late that too is a problem. If you do not have a job that is a problem and if you have one and crib about it that too is a problem, if you share the financial burden that is a problem and that if not sharing it would be a further problem. From kids to career to living life everything seems to be a problem and if you say these woes that too becomes a problem. Is that what life holds after thirty. I do agree that it is how we look at life is the way that we would lead ourselves but the fact remains that major part of our work involves addressing issues pertaining to work, health, family and finance. To disagree is your right and to agree to publish it in my blog is right. This is how problem creeps an example, keep the thread rolling ………..

The Marina Beach .....

It has been some time now that I have posted on my blog. I was wondering as to what to be writing down when I felt that when I think of going out in Chennai I do not have a great idea of the places to go, so I felt that I could explore the common hangout places in Chennai which help many to venture it out and then put their comments on my blog. I am more of a guy who prefers calm and serene places. Checking it out in Chennai the one that immediately strikes my mind would be the Marina Beach the second longest beach in the world. My tryst with the marina is not a very fond one because of my experience. It filled with lantern lit shops selling shells to fast foods in fact the later occupies most of the space. But still it is a sight worth watching the catamarans on the sea, a blend of youth and the aged jogging and relaxing, families dipping the feet in the waves and the children shouting in delight as the play and run around all the place makes the marina more than a reprieve from the city’s heat. The Elliots beach in Besant Nagar is my most preferred beach because it cleaner and it’s a popular hangout of the younger generation today. The crowd is comparatively less considering the over crowded Marina Beach. The two things that strike you when you hit the Marina Beach is the swirling beam of the lighthouse at the night and the memorials of the former chief ministers of the state. There is lot that could be done to both the beaches so that it attracts more people and leaves them with a better image of the city. The civic authorities could do their bit to improve the present status of the beaches and if the vendors and stalls that are available if organised properly would help keep the place litter free. Pl join me in my exploration of Chennai and leave your comment to make it cleaner.

My New Samsung E 250

I am a gadget freak though I don’t buy gadgets I do admire them a lot. Any product that’s tastefully done and serves purpose with style entices me. Infact this product that I got wasn’t bought by me but gifted by my sister. Since the time mobile phone hit Chennai market I have been using a mobile phone and over a period of 8 to 10 years I have been using only a NOKIA phone I had the red color 5110 to start with then moved to 3110 and the 3650 color NOKIA and a few other which I don’t remember exactly the models. I have all through used the NOKIA phone the current phone that I possess is a NOKIA 7610 which my brother got me from Malaysia even before it hit the Indian market. The phone has style, class and feature and a real crowd puller. Now that it is three years old and I don’t want to part but have a second phone I was prospecting into the stores to find a better model of NOKIA. Sadly either are they priced too high nor are they attractive to buy leaving me with the option that I never wanted to make; look for other brands of phone. The one that I currently hold the NOKIA 7610 was close to 18,000Rupees when my brother got it, if I were to upgrade I would have had to look at an N series in NOKIA, the communicator or Black berry. Though I can own them I seriously did not like the design. So I was into a dilemma over the purchase of my second phone. My sister this time got me a new Samsung E250. Lucky am I not. With much reluctance I took the phone and today I own it with pride because it has all the features that I had in my earlier phone at a much cheaper price. As the saying goes all good things come in small packages so does this phone. This phone has all the feature that one would need it has a FM, Camera, voice Recorder, Video Recorder, Upgradeable Memory Slot, Blue tooth, WAP capabilities and all and above is sleek slide model that any one would love possessing it. The Phone is not as user friendly as a NOKIA but definitely much better than the other brand. So finally I have broken the jinx of moving out NOKIA. So next time if you’re going to think of purchasing a phone spare a thought for the models other than NOKIA as well. But if you are a first time buyer let you phone always be a NOKIA.

Do Brands Brand You?

I am intrigued by the word ‘Brand’. Significant importance is given to the brand that one owns. The fact is that your day starts and ends with one brand or the other. The paste that we use to the mosquito repellant that we switch on before we hit bed are all brands in their own way. I developed a fascination to this topic because my brother Dr. Ramachandran is a brand expert himself and often researches and comes up with excellent output on varied topics pertaining to Branding. The fact that I wanted to blog on Branding is something more than Brand. Branding plays an important role in sale of a product can the same be said of one who owns the brand. Can one sell him better by wearing brands? Sound’s confusing isn’t! The Question is simple by wearing different brands does it lift ones personality. Brand gives a status, a confidence a feel of being superior. A guy dressed in Armenian Suit, Sports a Tag Heuer Watch a Red Tape shoes and carries a Sony Vaio Laptop might be great by the looks of it all but then does the inner persona have a change. I strongly believe that it is big no. Infact the other day when I was watching CNN IBN which featured a interview with vijay mallya of the UB Group where he was saying that I cannot hire any better brand ambassodor to endorse the brand than the Dr Mallaya himself. There is a list of illustrious people who are a brand of their own Narayana Murthy, Parameshwar Godrej, Singhania, the list is endless. These people are know for the values, their achievements and the success that they have brought to the respective fields. The Qualities make them a brand infact a brand of international repute. If we can emulate them or try following their footsteps one day we could make a brand of ourselves than to buy brands and have an identity for ourselves. If everyone tries to be a brand it augurs well for brand India. Rather than to be sporting a brand make a brand of you. I wish this blog of mine generates lot of response. But I would like to stop here by saying A Rose by any other name smells the same, but will it sell the same? May be. But I do believe, changing their qualities to make a brand of their own will change their fortunes.

(This blog of mine is humble submission of my views on branding though it might lack the logic the intentions are clear that it is my personal expression as the blog title suggest.)

World Cup – The Count Down Begins

The countdown for the world cup has begun. In a few days from now the event would unfurl itself. Everyone would be speaking cricket for the next two months. From Board rooms to bus stands, from the kitchen to cafeteria, from the educated to the layman everyone would be commenting about cricket. Afterall it can’t get any bigger than the World Cup .The team since the time Greg Chappell had taken over as coach of the Indian team has been subjected to lot of criticism. I believe that whatever experimentation that we had carried out in the last year or two would reap us a positive result. The entire nation awaits to see the men in blue in action. Team India this time around is poised to win the cup. Of the few years of cricket that I have been following the current team that has landed in the Caribbean island is the best in terms of batting and bowling. The earlier teams too were good but the top players failed to perform in the big matches. This time around the selection has been on merit and players had been made to bend their backs to secure a birth for the flight to West Indies. Players like Saurav , Shewag, Yuvaraj, Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan have all got to sweat hard to earn their place in the team. Hope this would make them and others in the team realize the result of complacency and make them perform. This would set as a precedent for the millions of youth in this country who are playing at various levels to understand the pressure and not be complacement of their game. The players have been selected and the stage it set for them to perform as a die hard Indian fan my wishes to all the players of the Indian team. Our men have the talent and potential to lift the cup. To strengthen it they need a little bit of luck too. Join me in wishing the Indian team to World Cup the very best of Luck……..

The Oscars

I was surfing the net for the Oscars and there is lot of information on the 79th Academy Awards. It is an a event that every one looks for, atleast for now having followed it for almost a decade I do not have the same curiosity that I had earlier, in that context I was updating my knowledge by looking at the winners of the 79th Academy Awards, and there I was lured into a link that gives the following detail, May be you guys are aware of such awards but this is the first time I am hearing of it and for the benefit of lot of those who have not heard of this I am displaying the information for you to munch on. Really strange that such awards exist. Lucky such awards do not exist in India.

Razzie Awards (2006) instituted by The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation - The awards given for the worst filmmaking and the worst acting. Basic Instinct 2 took home four trophies among them worst picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Prequel or Sequel. The fourth award was the 2006 Worst Actress trophy that went to Sharon Stone.

Worst Picture: Basic Instinct 2 (Sony/Columbia)
Worst Actress: Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct 2 (Sony/Columbia)
Worst Actor: Marlon Wayans & Shawn Wayans, , Little Man
Worst Supporting Actress: Carmen Electra, Date Movie and Scary Movie 4
Worst Supporting Actor: M. Night Shyamalan, , Lady in the Water
Worst Director: M. Night Shyamalan, Lady in the Water
Worst Screen Couple: Shawn Wayans & either Kerry Washington or Marlon Wayans, Little Man
Worst Remake Or Rip-off: Little Man (Rip-off of the1954 Bugs Bunny cartoon "Baby Buggy Bunny")
Worst Prequel or Sequel: Basic Instinct 2(Sony/Columbia)
Worst Screenplay: Basic Instinct 2 (Sony/Columbia) Screenplay by Leora Barish & Henry Bean, Based on Characters Created by Joe Ezsterhas

The Psychology of Color

Guys who are venturing into my site would be a little amused by the change in the color of my template. There were a few who said that the earlier one (pink) symbolized royalty, luxury, wealth and sophistication. On the flip side of this many of the visitors to my blog remarked that the color looks feminine and romantic. Going by the psychology of color, pink appears to be artificial too. With all this running in my mind I did have to pay heeds to all my well-wishers who wanted a change in color, after all they are the one who are going to read it. I finally made up my mind to change it and this time around after through research to support the change in color I changed it to green. Green signifies positive change, good health, growth, healing, hope, vigor, vitality, peace, and serenity. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. Green also signifies for being Masculine. So it serves purpose to the fact that a color changes brings a mutual change in everything. Hope green works the best for me. Please comment on the changes and any further changes to be made. Looking forward for your comments.

Dabbawalas' Connecting people Differently…

The Dabbawalas are in the news again though this time not for shaking hands with Prince Charles but for embracing Airtel the telecom Major. I am sure they would have bagged this for their sheer efficiency in delivery. This time around when the reach the doorsteps of different household it would be for handing out Airtel pre-paid cards and post paid connections. With their ability to move to remote places, Airtel is set for a deeper penetration of the market, which is a major dream for other telecom majors.

Reading the newspaper today I was amused by the facts that these guys would be able to do for Airtel. I believe they have reach of about two lakh household and its believed that if each ‘dabbawala’ carries one and sell one they may end up adding four lakh new connections to Airtel. For each connection the ‘dabbawala’ makes he would be richer by Rs. 250. Sounds interesting isn’t it,

As a business students myself, what impressed me about the news item that I read today that forced me to write this blog is simple, When major telecom’s are breaking their head in the board room as how to expand the markets here we see Airtel roping the dabbawalas who would do much better than any other marketing strategy one can adopt. The ‘dabbawalas’ are identified for their honest, down- to-earth and gentlemanly nature. A true quality, which any business to be successful should possess. It might sound very fundamental but looking at their success it only goes to prove that if you are strong in your basics you are bound to succeed. A lesson to learn.

Would look forward for your forthright view on this.

Valentines Day - The V (ictroy) Day or the D (ooms) - Day for Generation Next?

With the V-day approaching fast, it is a feast time for the media. The 24 hrs news channels would have lot of questions to be raised on the celebration of the V- day. Questions such as, should we celebrate it? Does it demean our cultural values? Politicians say on V-day. Are we emulating the west? Is the future generation in the right path? This is not just the media alone that spoils the mood; to join them is our very own state governments who have police teams to ensure any untoward incident taking place. In the pretext of this the men in uniform go overboard and end up in losing their image as lawbreakers and not as lawmakers. Sad that this occurs time again and again. More to this is the fact certain fringe political parties cut loose as cultural police and try to play spoil sport in the celebration. The fact remains that it is a day to express one’s love to another cutting across age, but perceived to be just for the youth of this country by many….

Nostalgia takes me back to the time when I grew, as a kid there was not much hype over Valentines Day though it did exist to people who were celebrating it. Much of the undue hype is through television beaming programmes enticing youth content and a few manufactures of greeting cards and gifts to increase their sales use this to their advantage. It remains as a fact that today we live amidst cross cultural influences, where it is difficult to keep away from the western and eastern influences. I must admit that a kid growing in India today tries to emulate the westerners because the boundaries are nullified due to the advancement in technology and telecommunications. Today the world is a global village. We read the same books (Harry Potter), we see the same television programmes (Big Brother, Oprah Winfrey show, Bay Watch), and almost study the same that they do in school so why should we be different when it comes to the matter of the heart.

Hence the so-called moral cops shall refrain from harassing youngsters. If they feel to cleanse the system let them start eliminating moral corruption, and change the society, which shows scant respect for women than to harass the generation next. Sit back and think have we understood Valentines Day in the right way? Friends comment or contradict on my views to have a healthy and forward-looking discussion.

Love Has A Great Healing Power, Love Is Divine. Happy Valentines Day!!!…

The Sachin Saga Continues........

“Matthew Hayden once said that,"If cricket is a religion in India, then the god of the religion is none other than Sachin Tendulkar".

He has never claimed to be a ‘GOD”. Extremely talented,Hard working a genius-He had single – handedly taken care of scoring the runs for the past two decades,every time he steps in the field we expect him to hit a century – not that he asked for the responsibility. What prompted me to scribble this blog is that we have never treated our heroes as they should be. Sachin is no exception to that. He is our all – time hero and known for his exemplary sportsmanship.Yet the so called experts of the game and the media was calling for his head, along with the general public at large.

With his 41st ODI century the Bombay Bomber has shown glimpses of his glorious best as he balzed the ball all over the park. The way that he ran the quick singles for himself and for his partners only showed how committed he is a cricketer still.Atleast this century would silence his critics, this innings of his showed the world what a great champ he is. Personally speaking it was not the scratchy sedate innings that we are used to see sachin play in the recent past.It was full of energy, some of the shots that he played was outstanding reminiscent of the sachin of early days.

It only goes to prove that form is temporary but class is permanent.

Join me to share your feeling or to contradict me on sporting icon of the game that India would any day be proud of……………..

Is Media Increasingly Becoming a Menance

The presence of news channels that broadcast news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These news channels, desperate for news stories that can bring in advertisements and sponsorships, convert news events into some kind of soap opera broadcast round the clock. And in their search for exclusive stories and bytes to fill up yawning time, everything is news, whether it is Saddam's execution illegal, vengeful, Rang De Basanti to be featured at Cannes, release of a movie Guru, to Ash Abhi engagement, Nagma performing pooja for Ganguly’s comeback to Shewag being dropped from the team, Chappell being discussed in the parliament to sreeshanth love for dance; is the media creating a hype in everything it captures through the lens. As a television viewer, I feel the credibility is lost in the process, dramatizing every issue is fast becoming a fad. Events like rescue of a child to kidnapping of children all get hyped. The medium can make and break personalities, for instance the Jessica Lal case was taken up due to the intervention of the media on the lop side it also has portrayed the forest brigand Verappan to modern day Robin hood. News is captured in such way to appeal to an audience instead of substance there is more of sleaze. Is the media doing its role, as it should be or is it that it is failing in its role. Friends please come forward with your forthright views on this issue.

Job at a call center- Is it demanding

Guys!!!! if you were to be working in a call center, please come forward with your forthright comments on the different ailments that one gets by working in a call center. To work in such demanding situation should we have a sound mind or should it be a sound body. Guys put your thinking caps to bring out the difficulities of being into a night shift job.