The Advertising World

Probably this is the first time that I am here to brag on something which I don't normally like to, on the net. A subject which I fell in love with after joining my MBA. I don't still say that MBA has to be for 2 years by the way. I feel useless subjects are taught almost 84.4 percent of the times. "Brand management" is one subject which I liked from the core of my heart, which I enjoyed most by solving all those out of the box cases etc. There was no surprise when I scored 98 out of 100 in my brand management exam. Brand management I feel is married in a way to Advertising and Integrated marketing communications. IMC always fascinated me for the simple fact that It proved me wrong as I always thought I knew every thing about advertising when I realized I knew nothing. I always loved the romance of advertising. The unexplored intricacies and the depth always caught me spell bound. Advertising, in its profound and deep sense of the term, reminds me of all the embroidered drama, inflated emotions, mellifluous jingles and colorful myriad pictures that form a beautiful collage of incidents and brands and consumer and the beautiful relationship of romance that they share is manifested through this patchwork.

Take a brand like Cadbury’s; won’t you say you love Cadbury’s ? Won’t you feel close to this brand – something that you are possessive about, something that you can identify with and feel comfortable with? And how! Imagine a situation where Cadbury would not have been advertised! Would you feel the same connection that you feel right now? No! Somewhere – lines like ‘kuch khass hai zindagi mein’, ‘Asli swaad zindagi ka’, ‘khaanewalon ko khaane ka bahana chahiye’, ‘rishton ki mithaas’ etc have etched in our minds. We feel nostalgic when we recollect the girl dancing on the cricket field in the Cadbury ad, our mouth waters when we recollect the swirling melting chocolate shown just before the Cadbury pack shot… Thus advertising is that magical elixir of romance that creates the sparks between the brand and the consumer. Since ages, advertising is used as a medium of communication. However, today this medium is not just that. It is a means to feel emotions, indulge with the brands, create rippling effects on the consumer and above all make them feel warm, special and important.

Advertising takes the consumer through that romantic journey where the consumer first gets acquainted with the brand, then tries to find more information about the product, makes the first purchase, expresses his likes and dislikes, and after he likes, he becomes a loyal customer. Later discounts and other offers make him feel special and wanted and thus the romantic journey of the brand and the consumer carries on for the rest of the life.

When one considers high involvement products like a car or a diamond set, people collect more information as they are in the process of making a purchase decision. One can just imagine the quixotic, dreamy and indulging process of a woman buying a diamond set (say for instance Nakshatra diamond). Since it is popularly and truly said that diamonds are women’s best friend – the romantic buying journey is even more exciting. The lavish and extravagant Aishwarya Rai Nakshatra diamond TVC creates the first bounce of mawkish feelings towards the brand as we repeatedly see the ad with glaring eyes. It is not just wishful and dreamy but establishes a space in your heart that lightens up every time you see the ad. Just imagine the sentiments in the consumer’s heart when he or she has just bought Nakshatra diamond earrings. It is this particular feeling that advertising slogs to create in the heart of the consumers. It is that moment when you come home and adore yourself in the mirror with those earrings and the happiness you feel is the same when you are being loved by your special someone…

Many criticize that advertising lures customers into a pit of false dreams and hopes. But doesn’t advertising offer a stage for you to romance with your favorite brands, watching them evolve, feeling connected with the characters in the ad, dancing with imaginations about the product, flaunting your purchases, loving your brands, creating long lasting relationships with things you use, feeling nostalgic, experiencing emotions and above all making you feel so special against the rest of the world! Advertising is truly a romantic indulgence! I will surely want to land up there.

Bitter Business - Why Ambanis are never revered Biz guys

Infotel, a relatively, unknown player in the telecom  business, was the sole winner of a pan-India licence for BWA spectrum. Many well known telecom players like Vodafone, Tata , Idea and Reliance Communications backed out, saying unreasonable prices. They bid an astounding sum of Rs 12, 848 crore. On the day, the results were announced Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Industries announced that they are acquiring 95 % of Infotel for Rs 4,800 crore.

Infotel is a small Internet Service provider (ISP)  run by Anant Nahata, son of Mahendra Nahata, promoter of the infamous Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited ( HFCL). Readers may remember that HFCL had bid irrationally in 1995 acquiring 9 licences for mobile telephony ( 2G). They did not have the financial muscle to roll out the same and eventually telecom minister Sukh Ram bailed them out. Even then it was rumoured that HFCL was actually a front for the Ambanis. Readers may recall that HFCL had bid the highest as licence fees and Reliance Telecom had bid the lowest. Reliance got some category C circles like North East, West Bengal, Orissa etc for peanuts.  When HFCL did not pay up the licence fees , Indian govt not only lost over Rs 20, 000 crore in revenues, in several circles the roll-out of GSM got delayed by 2 years.

Now by acquiring Infotel and announcing it openly on the day the BWA auction results were announced, it is clear that HFCL was just a proxy for Reliance. As the Ambani brothers ironed out their differences and worked out their non-compete clauses, Infotel  the front for Mukesh Ambani was bidding for BWA. For doing the task, the Nahatas have got their Rs 4800 crore ( ?) and 5 % equity in Infotel.

By paying Rs 12, 848 crore for spectrum and additional Rs 4800 crore for Infotel, ( roll-out costs are extra)  apparently Reliance is entering what is essentially an Internet Service provider ( ISP) business using wireless technology. ISP is a business, not unfamiliar to Reliance and Mukesh Ambani-Manoj Modi duo ( Most of the Reliance Infocom top-team continues to be with Mukesh) . Reliance had an ISP service which was marketed under the name “Only Smart.”  This ISP business did not make any waves and can be dubbed a failure. This service was discontinued when Reliance Telecom changed hands from Mukesh to Anil’s. Reliance Infocom when it was launched, Mukesh Ambani during his visionary speeches, used to mention how ‘data’ business would be much bigger than ‘voice’. Reliance Infocomm was only entering ‘voice’, read ‘mobile phone services’ business , just as an additional service, the focus being data. Readers would remember how using the ‘wireless in local loop’ licence Reliance entered mobile telephony through back-door , creating a controversy. This controversy led to several changes in regulations and Reliance is now well entrenched as the No 2 player in 2G. All the so-called superiority of CDMA over GSM has been dumped, with R-Com clearly going for GSM in 2G and 3G.   

Once again Mukesh Ambani is back in his visionary role and is talking eloquently about the prospects of broadband.

“We see this as the next wave of value creation opportunity in the wireless broadband space,” says Mukesh Ambani, who is the world’s fourth richest man, said in a prepared statement. “We believe this will pole-vault India’s economy into the digital world at an accelerated pace while creating next generation tools that will enhance productivity and create world-class consumer experiences.”

“RIL sees the broadband opportunity as an opportunity to be in the forefront in providing world-class 4G network and services,” the company said, suggesting the scale of its ambitions. “[The] initiative will usher in a wireless broadband revolution in both the urban and the rural areas by providing end-to-end data solutions for business enterprises, social organizations, educational and healthcare institutions, and Indian consumers.”

 Most analysts are apprehending that Reliance and Mukesh will once again get a back door entry into the mobile telephony space using the BWA spectrum. As of now Internet telephony within India is not allowed. Once Reliance has rolled out their infrastructure for broadband, it is apprehended they will cleverly manipulate the regulators and policy makers in Delhi, in the name of low cost of telephony for ‘aam aadmi’ to open up Internet telephony. Remember, papa had said that domestic call should be cheaper than the price of a post card, the promise of Reliance. In public, politicians want to make policies that benefit the ‘aam aadmi’ , as long as they or their party is adequately compensated in private.

On earlier occasions, HFCL ( proxy for Reliance ?)   got away without honouring their licensing contracts and sabotaging India’s cellphone industry. Through back-door Reliance  entered cellphone services industry, which was an unfair competition to the existing players. Now the apprehension is using BWA, Reliance would make a backdoor entry into cellphone services  yet again by getting cheaper spectrum. 

The history of telecom industry in India is marked by a series of scams. So, what is one more scam. Politicians and businessmen create scams, media and bloggers cry hoarse about them. All in a day’s work

IPL - Bet its More than just cricket

As I was watching news regarding the IPL controversy, something stuck my mind. The IPL has turned murkier, now with a new avatar, as a combo of the top 3 entertainment industries of the nation, Cricket + Bollywood + Politics!

The hysteria has never died right from the day one the IPL has started; it has seen the either extremes of madness. The Pakistan players’ inclusion, Franchise selection process, the bomb blasts, the racist comments, the betting drama, match fixing allegations, the taxation episode, the underworld connection, everything made it even more "Indian viewer oriented".

Mr. Modi is a man of steel and he donned the play of resurrection every time he is punched down hard with some allegations. In light of all the controversies surrounding IPL, I think one brave step to avoid a little feud, from this war would be legalizing Betting in India. Gambling is socially acceptable in India, but not legally, it is this dichotomy which is at the root of the periodic bouts of headlines about betting and match fixing that comes out to haunt us every now and then. The IPL format seems to be tailor made for betting, and it would have benefited for good, if betting was made legal. Declaring something illegal does not mean we can wish it away, the bets continue to be laid, under the table, instead of, on the table. So proper legalization would also circumscribe criminalization of Indian sports, illegal rackets and money laundering.

The IPL controversy should serve as a wakeup call to the Government on the need to make betting legitimate. I feel that the bans are never a solution to a problem; they drive the activity in the dark, outside the formal system which makes it un regulatory. (Though the government draws a thin line, on where one can bet- i.e. games involving skill and games of chance, the demarcation is often ignored). Betting is allowed in horse racing as it is a game of skill and not a game of chance. But there is a lot, who argue why lottery is legal in certain parts, and they are right, for, the discriminating line is crossed by the government itself.

Detractors argue that unfettered gambling could lead the public to social and financial ruin. This is noble argument but erroneous because gambling is ubiquitous. Everyone benefits from transparency and disclosure of information, poor included. There is a patronizing assumption that poor does not know what is good for them, even though they gamble all the time when they elect political reps. we never think of counter factual. But is the present system of “Ban on betting" good for the poor, assuming they ought to be controlled against their own vices? Not really, as they resort to unregulated bootlegging type gambling. We may not get transparency if it is legalized but we will get translucency and it is done in many countries like UK, Australia already. The "regulated Betting environment" which even brings huge taxes to the government. By the way I owe a treat to few of my mates, for DC lost in the Semi finals!

That same old feeling of...

Time : 3.02 AM, Pune.Discovering the dormant side of me
The night after compleating my first Exam PPM in MBA

When in night I see the stars,
their light seems to vanish the dark,
but i feel a scare in my heart
I don't know what triggers this fear...

When i see the sun in morn
its scorching heat falls on my palms
and it seems my throbbing heart would never calm.
I dont know what triggers this fear...

When in cold winter days
the wind blows over my face
i feel the chill
as if the wind is going to kill.
i dont know what triggers this fear...

When in hot summer days,
the loo hovers like a ghost
i feel that its hot trap would engulf my soul
i don't know what triggers this fear...

My dolorous heart, my sickening fear
for the day is near
when i would be killed by fear!

Sleeping in seminars?, Here is a way to change all !

What did we do in all those boring workshops for 10-12 hours a day, and those guest lectures, which no one had any idea about what they were talking, they included!

Being an aspiring entrepreneur, I came out with this unique start-up strategy. Venture capitalists are welcome :)

The proposal is simple, before your next meeting, seminar, or conference call, prepare your "Bullshit coupon" by drawing a square 5X5 or 6x6.

A prototype is below

Strike off each block when you hear these words during a meeting, seminar, or phone call. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, stand up and shout BULLSHIT!! (Raise your hand if you can't utter in front of your faculty, guest or Manager) Believe me those boring meetings would never be the same.

Here is a database to help you:

Strategy, Synergy, B2B, Out of the box, Customer delivered value, Revisit, Take that off-line, 24/7, Out of the loop, Value added services, Win-win, Think out of the box, Proactive, Fast track, Return on Investment, Knowledge base, At the end of the day, prototype, Touch base, Client focused, potential, Ballpark, Game plan, Leverage, Economic viability, Legacy, Real time, Push, Sequentially, Core competencies, USP, Scalable, Due Diligence,  Market Leader, Wow Factor, Bottom Up, Target Audience, High Level, Expectations, Sustainability, Knowledge Base, Sub Optimal, Demographics, Empowerment, Technical Requirements, Multitasking, Outsource, Corporate, Networking, Prospects, Bottom line, Benchmark, Result-driven, Mindset, Cascade, feasibility, Core Business, Bottle Neck, Scope, Resource

My desk project on Merchant Banking

I am flattered by our professors comments with my desk project on Merchant banking.
I have scored 8/10 BTW

Merchant Banking

Guys Rule ! I mean., Guy's Rules...

1) Yes, pissing standing up is more difficult than peeing from point blank range. We're bound to miss sometimes.
2) If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
3) ALL men see in only 16 colors, like windows default settings. Peach and pumpkin are just fruits, not colors. We have no idea what mauve is.
4) If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
5) If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
6) Sometimes, we are not thinking about you. Live with it. Don’t ask him what he's thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss topics like navel lint, Indian Monitory Policy, Future ICC tournaments.
7) Get rid of your pet. And no, it's not different, it's just like every other.
8) Shopping is not sport.
9) Anything you wear is fine.Really.You have enough clothes and too many shoes.
10) Your ex-boyfriend is an idiot, your brother and Dad probably are too.
11) Ask for what you want. Subtle hints never work. Please.
12) Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers.
13) A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. You need a doctor.
14) Your Mom doesn't have to be our best friend.
15) Foreign films are best left to foreigners.
16) Don't fake it. We'd rather be ineffective than deceived.
17) It is neither in your best interest nor ours to take the quiz together
18) You definitely lack in logic, accept it.
19) Anything, said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. All comments become null and void after 7 days.
20) If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad and angry, we obviously mean the other one.
21) You can either ask us to do something OR tell us how you want it done- not both.
22) Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
23) We don’t normally take a leave unless ill or its urgent, and I was not the one whom you saw at the mall.
24) Columbus didn't need directions, and neither do we.
25) Don't cry, we really have no sympathy, we hate it !
26) The relationship is never going to be like it was the first two months we were going out.
27) No, we do not know what day it is. We never will. Mark anniversaries on a calendar. Remind us frequently beforehand. Its Ok.

Comming up >>>

Rules which girls have to know about guys ..

Gauging Harsha

Yes, writing a book review is harder than writing it, I compleatly agree. Latest assignment of writing a book review to a book which I have not already read was challenging and pretty tough, after going through many sites and reviews of books, I thought I have learnt the straight drives and cover drives of it, What better book to choose to write a review on than a Book which had written introduction by Sachin,The Mastro himself . The Book brought two people whom I admired a lot, together. One Sachin Himself and the other Harsh Bhogle.

I couldn't resit my temptation to buy this Book at landmark, though it was costly. "Out of the Box: Watching the Game We Love" - By Harsh Bhogle, The subtle way he drives home the serious points is simply amazing.When Harsha first came into the commentary box, he brought with him a rare sense of excitement, a deep regard for the game's traditions and a profound empathy for its players. There was,the boy-next-door image attached to him too, which, once he had found his feet in television, made him the first superstar of the game in India who was not actually a player. Amazingly, after two decades Bhogle retains the enthusiasm and a child-like wonder that communicates itself to the listener. There are no fans like 12-year-old fans, some one once said, and Bhogle is a 12-year-old fan bringing the game into our drawing rooms without the cynicism or world-weariness common to journalists. This is remarkable. Nor is there word-weariness, if this book, the short pieces in which were written first for the Indian Express is any indication. The first of the pieces was written some five years ago. For a traditionalist, it is surprising that he begins with the Twenty20 - he was associated with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL - before moving on to Test cricket and assessment of the great players.

Harsha really writes well, and conveys to the reader a sense of immediacy, even urgency, as he comments on India's matches, looks forward or throws a backward glance, and occasionally gets personal (some of the best pieces, incidentally, like his column on the 1983 World Cup triumph). This is both the strength and the weakness of the book. The immediacy captures a moment, but occasionally suggests that the tyranny of the looming deadline has triumphed over the need for what he himself calls "weightiness". In a crisp summing up in the preface, he says, "While television rewards spontaneity, the written word demands weightiness. It is a completely different genre but one that is crippled by insensitivity to words."

Yet, there are enough gentle strokes of the brush, especially in the player portraits, that make up for this. Rahul Dravid, he says, "is like the musician plucking each note carefully, a scientist doing a titration where each drop matters. Sehwag might wonder at the need for it." The metaphors come thick and fast, and the comparisons are bang on target. I have two grouses, however. One is the felt need to occasionally cater to the lowest common denominator by dragging in Bollywood to make a point, and the other is the lack of insider stories from a man who has seen Indian cricket, indeed world cricket, from inside out. It would also have been good to have some of his early writings, from the days when he was less rushed and wrote with an innocence that was charming. But that isn't his fault. This is a collection of columns from a specific newspaper over a certain period, and such columns have their limitations. It would have been lovely, too, to have had anecdotes about his colleagues in the commentary box, and stories of the people he has interviewed with such a wonderful combination of "weightiness" and fun. Bhogle's best work is yet to be anthologised, and for fans everywhere like me, that is something to look forward to.

Dreams unlimited....

1. I dream of waking up with a six pack abs and hair that John Stamos would envy.
2. I want to wake up to a day with no chores and many friends to catch up and party with.
3. I dream of singing 'Tu Jahan' to my girlfriend.
4. I dream of having a girlfriend in the first place.
5. 'Papa kehthey hain' is my song. I want to be live up to it.
6. Though I secretly wish to be the world's most popular person (I don’t know for what), I would be satisfied if meeting or talking to me would bring a smile to peoples’ faces.
7. Frankly, I cannot help everybody in the world, but I would do everything I can to see all my friends always smile.
8. Reaching the top position and staying there is probably the toughest thing to do in any field, I want to be the second best in everything I do.
9. Sometime in my life, I want to be something different from everybody else and want everybody to be proud of me for being good at that.
10. The best compliment I want, would be "I trust you", especially if that came from a girl.
11. I am waiting for some special girl to walk into my life and change it forever, for the better.
12. I really like to learn. I wish I got teachers that really like to teach.
13. I want to be at a high position (second high) of a company and overhear my employees talk about me as if they worship me.
14. I really like to sing., I wish I had a better voice.
15. I am still waiting for my dream friends group with 2-3 guys and 2-3 girls who trust each other with their lives.., trust is the keyword.
16. I am still waiting for a lot of things to happen.

I like to dream, dreams give you things that you haven't got or don't get in your real life. Dreams give you motivation and inspiration. Dreams dig out things hidden deep inside your mind that you were not aware of. Dream as much as you can., enjoy your dreams. Treasure them. Dream on, dream on, Dream until your dream come true ...

Is it bad to be a lil selfish... ? I guess not ! I'm happy !

Just trying to figure out when I had written this post, which laid buried in the drafts till I discovered it today ! hmmm probably about 3 years back when people whom I "thought" as best friends flew away abroad, got married etc with out even calling me to say something... It seems I was really heart then, but now, In retrospection, I am not, this is probably called maturity I suppose!  Read on... 

This is a long post and something you probably never thought you would hear from me. This could change people's opinion about me, but I am true to my blog and to my friends. You deserve to know the real me but at the same time you have to understand that I am not a cold hearted robot. I am still the same Chichi u know me as. I am still learning the meaning of life and I have learnt that not everything is or can be perfect. Life is not a fairy tale, it is more like a horror movie with a lot of humor and a good ending.

Times change, many things change with time, people around you change with time. What do you do? Nature has provided you with the answer and it has worked for thousands of years. You evolve, you adopt. I have been in that process for sometime now, knowingly or unknowingly I have been evolving. Might sound a little unscrupulous, but in today's world the evolution principle of "survival of the fittest' has became really important and that is to live a little selfishly.

Be generous and give something to others and they will keep asking for more. Not just materialistic things but emotional stuff like your love and attention. Some people are never satisfied. Try to be a goodie-goodie and before you know they are the center of your universe and your life revolves around them. I am not advising you against this, just do it for those who really really deserve it.

As far as charity goes, I am not an extremely generous guy but I am not stingy or a penny pinching guy. I am a practically generous guy. I say give away when you have just enough for yourself. Yes you can argue against it saying all nice stuff but hey... that is how I think.

I was very nice to everybody and NEVER lost my temper, and what did I get in return? People took advantage of the fact that there is nothing that would make me angry and I would just shut up at everything they do. They made me wait long hours, never listened to me, played some real cruel jokes with me, took me for granted in everything. Friends can have that liberty with me all right but everything, EVERYTHING has a limit. I have had enough and I have evolved to the situation. I speak my mind out now. I express my anger, sadness, disappointment and annoyance when and where I need to. Sure some sparks fly but there is no fire. They would probably feel a little bad, but so do I and the best part is that these kind of things don't happen again.

Did I help everybody who asked for help? Yes, I did. Do I still do? Well, to most of them! Those few who were excluded during the evolution process are 'takers' and not givers. I don’t help others for something else in return. Least I can expect in return is appreciation. Don't even have to say thanks, there are other ways of showing it. I know some people who after doing a lot for them shamelessly ask me what I did for them. They deserve a slap rite across the face but my moral ethics hold me back. Gratitude is what separates humans from chimps and those who don't have it should be picking fleas from others backs and eating bananas.

Friends, good friends, best friends. I never had these 'classifications' all my life, until recently. All my life I treated all my friends the same, the only difference being, spending more time with a few than others, which I couldn't really do much about. I treated everybody like my close friends. God gave me this gift, that people easily confide in me. I have always mistaken that trust to be a sign of them being my close friends and it hit me hard when I knew it wasn't true. Call somebody your best friend and the other person sometimes doesn’t even want to talk or meet you coz their priority is somebody else, that could be one of the worst feeling you can have.

You get what you give as far as your "love, attention and care for somebody" goes, I say give what you can get back. I have given too much attention and care to a few people. I don't regret it but it is sad that I didn't get back as much.

Live life ( jussssssst a little selfishly) .... Love life ( a lot selfishly ) !!

Got problems...? Welcome to the club !!

Yes! My friends, there is a club and the not-so-secretive undeniable fact is that every one of us is a member. Let us call it the 'I got problems club'. Membership is free and entry, for everybody, you are more than welcome, irrespective of caste, creed, sex, age, height, weight, deaf, dumb, hot-or-not, nothing matters, Entrance is from the front door. Now, what differentiates one from the other are our membership levels.

The first one is the “Frustu” association, and I know 99.999 % of people would have no doubt in obtaining the membership in to this. This is a bunch of folks, who love their loved ones from behind the walls, standing countless hours in front of the college tree, dying for just one full glance at her girl, and never dare to tell it straight to her! “aaj mere valee aayee nahee hain yaar” types. These people go through dire situations, fighting against their patience most of the time.

'Whiner' status group, these are also the regular faces at the club, who cry about everything that has ever happened to them since their birth. Such people complain about things from their chocolate milk not being chocolaty enough, about a hot summer day being hot, about the sun not coming out of hiding on a cloudy day, about a movie being bad because the seats were not cozy enough and the list goes on. If you are one of those who think that you are the most unfortunate person in the world coz your dad gave u a bike with unlimited petrol, a cell phone whose bill can feed an entire middle class family for a month but gives u a 100 bucks less than your friend, then you're going to feel like ‘at home’ in this club.

Then there are the 'Dejected', the bummed-out people of the society who believe life has never been fair to them and punish themselves for everything that happens to them. Sad, gloomy, mopish, shabby and with dark circles around their eyes and an unshaven face, they are not that hard to find. They look like devdas from the movies minus the dhoti and in rare cases minus the liquor. Lost pair and lost everything in life is what they believe and they can be a little vulnerable to suicide at times. If you have lost somebody or something and buy the idea that life has no other goal, then welcome rite in!

The “emotionally demure” are those who have problems but do not complain. These people accept responsibility for their actions. They do not look for excuses for their behavior. They talk about it to their closed ones. Some looking for some kind of a solution, some for help or support and some just to comfort and relieve their heart and the burden of living with the problem. People of this kind are relatively matured. They know when to talk and when to cry and they usually have good friends who listen to them. Still the signs of their troubled mind are not unnoticeable.

Finally, the “nonchalant variety”, carefree, happy and always cheerful to themselves and to others, no small problem will wipe 'the glow' off their faces and even during the worst of times their cheerful disposition always sees the light of the next day without a scratch. They know how to deal with their problems and how to do it without complaining. They live life, love life and learn from it.

BTW I feel I am the group owner of at least 3 of the above mentioned groups depending on situations doing full justification of Eric Bern’s theory of Transactional analysis. I welcome you too, feel free, I know you relate to more than one, o common ! This is a pretty long post. I know ! The main point of this post is that Life's all about choices, how you live your life now and how your life flows, in the future depending on where you chose to be. You got only one life, make it worth living., it's yours., no one will do it for you. Cheers !!!

Zzzzz...

Hibernating !

Will be back soon, keep waiting

Cognitive content - profound conversation

Shishir : (in Bed with one early morning resolution.) I want to write again, don't know what about!
Inner self :(Enthusiastically) Type something!! May be you'll come up with something to say and astonish the world and make it sit up and look at you in new found admiration!
Shishir : Scratches head, yawns and looks around the room.
Inner self : Well said ! Your work is done! You have changed the world beyond repair.
Shishir: Grunts in satisfaction, turns over in bed and drifts back to sleep.

Tomb Writer

It was an Emotional Intelligence lecture and we were asked to write two lines on what one would like to write on his/her burial tomb. I managed to come up with more than two. These are the ones.
1. I am more than willing to meet you now.
2. Please do not cry here, I might come back alive.
3. Every visit here brings you closer to me.
4. Never ever fight with your wife.
5. Do not try this at home.
6. I will scare children who try to play here.
7. If you come here daily, we shall exchange our positions.
8. I presume we still are not on talking terms.
9. Marriage has its own benefits.
10. Above every man here, there is a woman.
11. Do not confuse me with my neighbor.
12. For assistance, feel free to contact my wife.
13. Don’t try acting smart, my neighbor is watching you.
14. Sixth sense is a funny movie.
15. Ghosts do exist. Just look behind.
16. Don’t reflect in HR classes, you will get bored here.
17. If you are still reading, I assume you are alive.

Thought of the day

The power of the man is in the power of his mind. The power of his mind is in the power of his subconscious mind. The power of his subconscious mind is in the power of his subconscious beliefs. And, it is these subconscious beliefs that lift man to his greatness.

ZooZoos: Inspiration or Imitation

Note: Issued in Public Interest :p
The Zoozoo series of ads is one of the most successful running campaigns for telecom giant Vodafone which had an equal (if not less) amount of success with their 'pug' ads. These eggshell like cute white funny creatures have become all the rage in India so much so that Vodafone plans to air 30 different commercials. Just like in television, you can find them everywhere online too, especially on social networking websites like Facebook and YouTube in the form of
applications, quizzes, micro sites, etc.

But yesterday, I came across an interesting link which changed my lookout on these Zoozoos completely. I stumbled upon a series of graphics on popular stock imagery website stockxpert by user Huebi (real name: Alexander Hübert from Wuppertal, Germany) which were made
available in 2007. The interesting part about these graphics is that they resemble the Zoozoos to quite an extent. In fact, I first thought that these Zoozoos even made it to stock imagery sites… LOL!

Follow the links below to check out each of these graphics:
http://www.stockxpert.com/browse_image/view/6573451
http://www.stockxpert.com/browse_image/view/6573401
http://www.stockxpert.com/browse_image/view/6573461
http://www.stockxpert.com/browse_image/view/8422672
http://www.stockxpert.com/browse_image/view/6574501
http://www.stockxpert.com/browse_image/view/6573711

So the question still remains… are the Zoozoos an inspiration or are they just a cut-copy-paste idea? I leave that for you to decide

Helloooo Check Check ...

Testing posting through email to blogger! Way to procrastination and
utter dependence on google mail.. :D

JayaHo Rehman

A R Rehman(Allah Rakkha Rahman) proved again the best musician in the world; holding two Oscars in his hands in the 81 Acadamy Oscar Awards function for categories Best Original score and Best Original song.

No Doubt!!!
He is the “Legend”
He is the Music Magician.
He is Music Maestro.

What not; as a whole he is the glory to My India. He is humble in his thanks speech even,How great? And sensible he is!

“Though I have nothing; but I have a mother and her blessings”
“God is great” he said this in his regional language Tamil.

It reveals and reminds us the perfection of our life and dedication in work.

"All my life I had a choice between hate and love. I chose love and I am here," said Rahman after receiving his second golden statuette.

There may be 1000 critics to talk about “Slumdog Millionaire”, but I strongly feel it unveiled many true facts about India, What’s wrong in that? We are like that hence we are...I am strong enough to accept the true fact. Why should we hide ourselves? Keeping all these discussions aside A British director - Danny Boyle’s Vision about India in the form of “Slumdog Millionaire” won the 8 Oscars out of 10 nominations in best categories including Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

When A R Rehman got Golden globe award for his “Jayho” song from this movie and when I came to know that he was nominated for 3 Oscars for this film I strongly decided that; he will definitely get at least one. But I am pretty sure; all this happened only due to a British Director for this film. If it would have been directed by other than British man; keeping the technical crew for the film as same as now I don’t think it would have happened. But what ever the reason our talent got reputation globally. Rehman is the first man who received 2 Oscars in a same Acadamy awards function. This is enough! He proved it.

He conveyed this message in an interview. I felt those are really pleasing and inspiring.
“Be open and Do some thing Original” – this is the best message to young talents.
According to me Rehman has given so many better scores in many Indian films prior to Jayho; But this time laurels pored in because of British director, the arena he choose and the prodecers Warner Bros. Rehman has spelled his music combining Kawaali and sufi tunes.Every body are pleased with his rocking scores.

Here is a list of scores which we can’t forget for our life...I bet! No music lover leaves his Tune “Chayyaa Chayya from Dile se movie” Not only Chayya Chayya... There are many more Gajini – Behka Behka;Tu meri Aduri;Roja,Sakhi,Guru,Mumbai ,Jeans,Taal,Rangeli – Tanhai ,Premikudu,Premadesam – Mustafa, Hello doctor,Iddaru – Sasivadane, (Narumugane -Tamil) This list goes on and on.

Slumdog Millionaire – Oscar Award details

1. Best Picture: ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. “It has been collaboration between hundreds of people. All of us are here to share this moment. This was an extraordinary journey,” says the Slumdog... team.
2. Best Direction: Danny Boyle for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
3. Best Original Song: A R Rahman for ‘Jai Ho...’ (Slumdog Millionarie)
The Indian music maestro, AR Rahman wooed the audience while performing ‘Jai Ho’ on stage as a nominee for Best Original Song.
4. Best Original Score: A R Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire . “I have nothing but my mother and she is there with me. I thank her for making me coming all this way with her blessings,” said a proud Rahman.
5. Best Film Editing: Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire
6. Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke for Slumdog Millionaire. “This is just not a sound award, but a history being handed over,” said Indian receiver Pookutty.
7. Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire
8. Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire. “The cast and crew of the film told me so much about India and writing,” said a proud Beaufoy.
From bottom of my heart this is my hearty congratulations to Rehman and this post is dedicated to you.

Is it Moral Policing ??

Well, woke up on the wrong side of my bed again! My mobile silently spoke, its 13, the count of the no of missed calls for today, before I woke up to another hectic day. Routine calls except one, from Bharat, my senior at college who was quiet a sensation after he proposed a girl on the final farewell day in front of our college gate, It was so romantic.. But the girl felt embarrassed, we were told, by Bharat anna. The good news was they were blessed with a baby boy now. Thank God!, it was four years back, the moral policing team was not that active then. Had it been the case today, he would not have dared to propose her in front of the hostel gate.

After the forgettable episodes of Kushbu snippets in Tamilnadu, the activists have shown their rouge face once again in Mangalore. This time just before the Valentine ’s Day. They even threatened to play spoil brats if they see couples outside cuddling, smooching or even walking together on V-Day.

If you see who's behind most if not all of these incidents it always ends up at these extremist organisations -- such as DPI, PMK, RSS & VHP which play a major role in Indian political system. PMK is even part of the central government.

A posse of hard-line Hindu activists barged into a pub in Mangalore last month and roughed up young women clients who were enjoying a quiet drink. This assault — by members of a little-known organization called the Sri Ram Sena, or Lord Ram's Army — caused outrage among many Indians. This barbarian act triggered a national debate on the rights of women in a fast-changing society where traditions still run deep. There were serious voices heard everywhere. The Indian media carried indignant headlines condemning the "Talibanization" of India. But the hard-liners justified their pub attack. They deliberately publicized it as an effort to stop the "un-Indian" and "loose" behaviour and to prevent India from falling prey to "Western deviations" (such as allowing women into watering holes clearly meant for men) to protect and safeguard the Indian culture

I am not here to delve in to the, what is right, or, is it right? debate. We need answers to solve these problems. My take on this with the small amount of brain I have.
----> If you analyze the system and scenario closely then we see a lot of factors and actors involved in it. It can be observed that neither pub culture nor moral policing are the root causes of these incidents. These are just the side effects of the disturbed family life of modern India. When the young force does not get the culture and family value at the family level, then these kinds of incidents are bound to happen. When both the parents are busy in money making and parties, how do they expect their children to learn social life and their cultures? The joint family system has gone and so is the family bonding. Parents do not have time for their kids and mostly think of giving pocket money instead of quality time, and the kids have enough pocket money to get into such kind of activities. In most of the cases the differences in the family life and the disturbances in everyday life results in further disturbances in social relations. Now the question of what should be done!
Counter-publicity like counter-terrorism is one way. Whenever moral policing happens a forum should be formed that is able to protest as much to generate equal publicity. This will enable people to see both sides of the coin.

----> Citizens should be imparted the motive and ill effects of so called Moral Policing else we won't be different from Muslim countries where religion is more important than growth of country, freedom and residents.

---->We should make the general public aware of what's really happening here and tell them they shouldn't let this happen. Grass root level education & exposure-to-the-real-forces-behind would be a good start.

---->Having mixed elements in the government results in a distorted outlook towards the society. what stars off as a clash of ideologies or sometimes ego, culminates as moral policing... take the ban of the movie "FIRE" while shooting for "WATER" it was merely a clash of egos between the director and the so called "moral police"... or sometimes the government pitches the idea of ancient Indian culture or the "HINDU" culture to twist arms... this all is done because a majority of the society still has the narrow outlook. so, a confused government leads to anarchy at the grass root level.
Any takers!! Suggestions welcome :)