Revelations

2008-06-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Attention for those planning to use packers & movers services

For those who are planning to use the service of any packers & movers, kindly avoid SkyWing Packers in Bangalore. A friend of mine has narrated his experience with them here.

2008-06-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

Summer of 2005

I don’t recollect exactly when this whole infatuation started. It intensified in the summer of 2005. Yes, it was then I had my first acquaintance with her. As Keats wrote “La Belle Dame sans Merci Hath thee in thrall”. I know that she had a similar history. But still…I was aware that she has deprived the sleep of many. And at the end of almost 3 years, I have done it. Yes I belled her, CAT 2007 and IIM Calcutta here I come.

2008-01-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

GDP hits 1 trillion, but is India Shining?

I am back to the blogging world after a short hiatus. And there is one particular reason for that too. The day started off as usual, a battle towards finding a balance between my office work and my executive MBA at IIMB. But then I got a call from my friend Renga asking me to check LokSabha TV. I was surprised. I have seen that channel once or twice while browsing for some interesting programs. Ever since the MBA program started, I have started using the favorite program feature of Tata Sky. So nowadays I am not aware whether these channels exist or not. He said there is an interesting talk about farmer suicides and the speaker is very impressive. It will be worth watch to at least have a feel of how to present effective presentations.

The speaker was Mr. P. Sainath, Rural Affairs editor of “The Hindu “ and the topic was “Why there are over one lakh farmer suicides in India in the last decade?” As he mentioned a minute into the program I started getting the gravity of situation. Even though I have read the news and watched reports on this issue in the media, I never felt the seriousness of this issue. The moment he started putting figures and stating the inefficacies of the current administration, I thought of blogging this at least to create some awareness into the issue. Here are some of the key facts put forward by him.

· The worst hit states are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala as they account for 65% of total farmer suicides in the country.

· There were cases of farmers, poorest of the poor jailed for debt; where as non farmers enjoy the agricultural loans at low interests buying luxury automobiles and land.

· Some of the Grameen banks have invested crores of Rupees in Mumbai Stock exchange. Even though there is a cap on lending to poorest of the poor farmers and overall agriculture sector none of these targets are met.

· Most of the agricultural subsidies are provided to corporations and the benefits reach them and not farmers.

· The main reason for suicides among farmers is to get compensation.

Recently there were news of Indian GDP hitting 1 trillion dollar mark and India joining the elite group. But is India really shining, when the country which is the second worldwide in far output and whose sector which employs 60% of the total workforce is in a sad state. A thought provoking question…

You can check the speakers view in this regard and his other opinions in India Together. He is also the recipient of 2007 Ramon Magsaysay award for Journalism. Many thanks to Renga for helping me create awareness into such a crux problem, India is facing.

I know many will think what we can do to lessen the woeful plight of farmers, located miles away from our homes. But we can at least create awareness and I think we need to publicize such things so as to show at least some gratitude to those who are responsible for the food served in front of us.

2007-10-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Monkey Business (1952)

Its after watching the movies of Howard Hawk and Marx brothers I got to know where the source of inspiration for our early Hindi and other regional language films come from.The movie has got some hilarious moments, but the two things that stands out in the movie will be Cary Grant's performance and dialogues.Ginger Rogers played her part well and Monroe also did well in her cameo.The movie still holds up after 50 plus years and is better than the animal comedies like Jumanji or Dunston Checks in.The movie is really fast paced with a running time of just above an hour and half.This is a must watch for those like the silly wacky comedies.

IMDB rating 7.1

My rating 7.5

2007-10-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

My Take on Cat 2007

An interesting thought came to my mind last day when I heard some of my friends betting on Formula One Championship. So I thought of forecasting some thing new. Being a veteran (after 3 attempts) let my give my views on a possible pattern of CAT.

3 sections with 20 questions in each session.
5 marks for correct answer.
2 marks will be deducted for a wrong answer and 1 mark for an unattempted question.

What do you people say...

2007-10-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

1+4+0+8=13

After a long gap I am now back to the bloggers world. Now in an area which I am unfamiliar with, writing a movie review. Although I am a movie buff and love to discuss movies, I have never written a review. And all the readers can expect the movies from 30's (I am very much interested in Classics, and have seen many in an attempt to finish of Top 250 films rated by IMDB) to the latest releases.

My view might vary significantly to those of critics so I will be adding my rating as well as that of IMDB. Sometimes even I feel the critics are biased. As Harsha Bhogle referred during Bizarre an open quiz last week in IIM Bangalore about the movie, “A Clockwork Orange” as the famous King’s robe. As no one questioned what is so great about the movie, it got labelled as a master piece. Frankly speaking like Harsha, I wasn’t able to make out why the critics rated it as one of the best movies ever.

Starting of with a movie which I watched yesterday. Its 1408 starring John Cussack and Samuel Jackson in lead roles. When I picked the movie from a dvd library I thought it has got something to do with triskaidekaphobia (fear of no 13) as all the digits in the title added to 13. Got fascinated with the numbers due to another movie Number 23 starring Jim Carrey, who in the movie plays a guy obsessed with 23 and thinks that all the things happening in his life has got to do something with 23. After watching the movie I noticed that all the things associated with my friend adds to Number 19. This included his company ID, his birth year, his access card no, last 4 digits of credit card, and list goes on. Last but not the least his name started with 19th letter of alphabet. :)

Now back to the review part. The movie as expected is different from all those typical haunted hotel/house ones (Cusack himself starred in such a film, Identity ). It however drew inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's Shining . Though it started off well for all those who love such genres of horror, there were hardly any instances that cause an adrenalin rush and it disappoints those who have seen movies like Shining. But it stands apart from all those with all those graphical scenes to label it in a horror tag. John Cusack did a great job as the lead man. After watching the movie when I checked the wiki for all those trivia regarding the film, I found that it has got an alternate ending too. :( For all those seeking for a terror fest out here, there isn't much you can expect. But overall it is an ok movie to watch and those who love psychological thriller are gonna love this one.

My rating : 6.5

IMDB rating: 7.2

IMDB ratings followed by mine of other movies discussed in the post

A Clockwork Orange 8.5 6.0
Identity 7.3 6.0
The Shining 8.4 7.0
The Number 23 6.3 7.5

Next movie in the line is Howard Hawk's Monkey Business starring Cary Grant & Marilyn Monroe.

2007-01-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

Better late than never

I was all set to write my next blog on Fedex with a title "Is he the greatest player ever?".But then I got a chance to visit the IIM, Kozhikode campus. Thanks to Jean, my friend who is studying there. That was not just a mere campus tour. It put a lot of questions into my mind.Being anMBA aspirant, I took CAt thrice and ended up in 89.4, 93.6 and 97.3 %les. So the first question that came to my mind was "Shall i wait for one more year to get into any of the IIMs?Or be satisfied with any other top non IIM institutes?

Now lemme explain why I chose this title.Some sort of ambition syndrome has gripped our youth and everyone wanna do an MBA.(I am also a victim of this).Some people may say "Don't hurry,Be happy". Just get into the right B school and you need not worry about your future.I dont wanna get into the philosophical aspect saying that there is no "Amrit" (elixir of life) invented so far and everyone is gonna end up in the same place.1.91 lakh aspirants took CAT this year and the number is exponentially increasing. Why there is so much moolah about "To B-school or not to be"?Why recruiters are paying such a high packages to MBA-grads from elite institutes?The reason is simple.Imagine you are a recruiter.You can either spend a lot of money and energy in searching from a wide lot of people or take the easy way out.The easy way is to pick it up from filtered pool of MBA grads from the elite institutions.Its all about filtration.There is no reason why hirers on zero slot at IIMs pick mechanical engineers with IT backgroundfor financial functions in international banks.Nowadays trend is that, if you want a high paying job,no need to bother about your specialisation in graduation.Just get into a high ranked B-school.

I have come across many people who wanna do MBA to run a business of their own.Even i belong to that category.So does MBA teaches you how to run a profitable business?Or are there any Waltons,Ambanis or Buffet out there to reach you the basics?the answer is no.But the positions of relative power everyone 10 years or so after passing out will be advantageous to each other. The one who sat next to you will be CEO or VP of some big firm.Or he might have ventured of his own.Each and everyone in that network is going to gain that way.

Many people have asked me you can get into B+ grade institutes and do your MBA.What i feel is that these institutes are not in the frequency range of good companies and they are not gonna make a difference to your career.I will say,save that money and invest in stocks or mutual funds...you ll get good returns.

Disclosures: I am still awaiting some calls. Lets see how its gonna turn out...

2006-07-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

Show must go on...
As Einstein said Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. So is the case of all heros in sports.Let it be Michael Schumacher or Sachin Tendulkar. People will raise them to the status of demigods and when they fail to deliver, they will be mere mortals.So dont be surprised by the fact that Sachin was booed by Wankhede crowd or Schumacher was not applauded by the crowd after winning US Grandprix of 2005 (Only six drivers competed). These are all the part of game. These heroes have proved that "form is temporary, only class is permanent" when they delivers again. Schumacher has proved this clinching victories in San Marino, European circuit and the US circuits. Sachin has proved it many times. Andre Agassi is no exception.

Yes I am a bit biased in case of Andre. Because he is the first champion to me or to be precise the winner of first grandslam that I watched in TV, the Wimbledon 92. Sad to see that he was battling against age in his last match in wimbledon against Nadal (Nadal was 8 years old when Agassi lifted the Wimbledon in 92). The end of an era of flamboyance. Hope some one will be continuing from where Agassi left. All set to watch the 21 st season of Andre in the Flushing Meadows.

Those 20 seasons...

2006-06-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Lights, Camera, Action!

27th May 2006...I featured in a TV show...that too in tamil...thanks to my manager who recommended me for the show...It all started on Friday eve itself.We (myself and my colleague, Kiran) were told about this game show...went directly to avm studio... magnificient set.we saw shooting of 2 rounds...frankly speaking camera fright also started gripping us...then finally i decided to give a shot...a reverse quiz where in you have to think of a personality ( a renowned personality) and the so called grand master will try to figure it out in 21 yes/no questions.Thanks to Col. Sanders(KFC) and Captain Smith (Titanic). The grandmaster (GS Pradeep) almost guessed both personalities.For the first one he guessed Col Salters...Second one he was mislead...After 21 questions he got to know that the person I am thinking was a Britishman who died in an accident which occured outside Britain in between 1900-1950 and the accident was a bad one. With only one guess left from his side, he guessed Paul Tibbets, who dropped the first atom bomb...what an intelligent guess...

But what ever prize i win, the one prize which I cherish (it is not a prize, actually i won a bet) is a chicken fried rice from canteen by a good friend of mine, BG. It happened during our inter branch festival, Chrysalis in NIT Calicut. He never expected that we will win.I had my trust in Manjith, my partner. But what happened was even more dramatic. Most of the questions were taken from K-Circle, which was one of the sites which I regulary browse.We won the quiz and then headed to Mini Canteen after that.

Also the best quizzing moment so far in my life also features BG and Manjith. Manjith was the quiz master this time. Myself and BG were in 2 different teams this time. As usual we challenged each other before the quiz. Now only one question was left...BGs team was leading with 10 points...
Last question came...."After winning so many golds in 86 Asian games why did Indonesians (country i am not sure) call PT Usha gold industry?"...Every one tried their luck...We were the last to answer...some miracle was required...Then I came up with a guess...PT(peetee) in their language means industry...may be that is why...Rest was history...

2006-05-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

Many many happy returns of the day:

No I am not celebrating my birthday today. Two people in our project are celebrating their birthdays today. So I was sending them birthday wishes. While composing my mail, I noticed one thing...Why we all wish a person "Many many happy returns of the day”? Or how did it all start? Thanks to Google and Wikipedia which always serve as a warehouse of solutions to all my queries. This time Google helped me out. The happy returns on your birthday refer to solar returns - the moment when the sun returns to the zodiac sign and degree it occupied at your birth. It began as an occult wish, recalling our birth and anticipating the next life. Then people started using it frequently…And we are all following that tradition.

2006-05-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Trivia #2

The only Brand endorsed by Salman Rushdie???
One of my favourite questions. I have asked some of my friends also...This is for others to answer...

2006-05-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

No plagiarism...

Yes plagiarism seems to be the catchphrase these days. So let me make it clear. These questions can be found some where in the internet. Even I don’t remember the source. Let me start my Trivia section…

Trivia # 1

"Jesus Wept" refers to something in Tennis lingo…Good guess will do…

Hint: Wiki

2006-05-01T03:35:00.000-07:00

McJob:

I have often heard software engineers( I am no exception) refering their job to be McJob. But when you count the benefits that job has provided then certainly you have to re frame your statement.Five day week, enough money for the rest 2 days,parties,social acquaintances, free chating,browsing and orkutting(certainly orkutting has become a part of Software enginner's quotidian office activities these days),list goes on and on.

But to be selfish is humane. Who wont be when u hear that ISB grads are offered a whooping 8 digit salary.All the MBA institutes are coming with equally good figures.So then comes the moment of self realisation?What am I doing here?Offcourse saying and doing are two things...

Before joining even i had different plans...Switching jobs,better job profiles during each switch.It is true that many people quit looking for work when they find a job.That is my case too...

Now even i ve a feeling...mine is a mcjob comparing those figures...

PS:McJob refers to a low-paying, non-challenging job with few benefits or opportunities. The term was coined by Douglas Coupland, in his novel Generation X, after McDonald's fast-food chain.

2006-04-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ajax rules...

I am not talking about the AJAX FC that brought one of my favourite players Zlatan into media attention.But the ajax that is governing the new age web.
Had a lot of thought process on what to write in my new blog. Then i thought of google and yahoo.Yahoo mail beta is almost like our outlook.It has the previewing feature.You can easily browse the messages in the reading pane.Google Desktop search is another popular and useful tool.All possible due to Ajax.So how Ajax work wonders?Javascript and XML are doing wondersWhenever a user makes a request entire web page is not loaded.The data in XML format is preloaded and Javascript will perform operations on it.
This certainly is going to change the web...

2006-02-22T16:26:00.001-08:00

One flu over the chicken's nest :

Found these interesting cartoons…. Each and every day new diseases are born….cant even dream of a chicken free week…talking about chicken… some trivia ..this is about the origin of the name chicken 65…some people says that 65 dried red chili peppers were used in the preparation and some people says that 65 day old chicken is ideal for the dish…whatever be the reason…Days have passed.Still no signs of complete recovery.Too tough for a person addicted to (rather living on) chicken food items.

2006-02-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

We are the champions…

My EPL favourites Chelsea is playing Barca in their home ground…what am I doing here…no point had I been in my flat too. Murphy’s Laws seem to play always…whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first. I should have thought abt uefa during the start of the month when we ve to pay our cable waala the monthly quota…I procrastinated it and…even I felt google is of no use when I was not able to find a site with live score updates…have to wait now for news updates…what if Chelsea loose…oh no…will be speechless tomorrow…fans of other clubs...oh no…any way I can proudly say we are the champions in epl…

2006-02-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Where do you go???

A big question mark for all the foodaholics out here in Chennai…Staying nine months in Hyderabad and then shifting to Chennai…really a nightmare for the foodaholics…
In my ten months tenure so far in Chennai I ve been to many restaurants…still not able to find an equivalent to Harahs/Paradise/Hyderabad House over here…So same question every weekend….finally we’ll end up eating pizzas or Chinese…

2006-02-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

Boulevard of broken dreams…

what if I weren’t able to bell the cat this time.. there is always a second time…as some one said if everything is coming ur way, probably u are in the wrong lane...so many thoughts… I’m not normally a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me, Superman/Shaktiman/Krissh…I wanna kill the cat next time…but i need a big break before cat preparation 2.0.

2006-02-21T11:52:00.001-08:00

Mallu guy in the Anna city…

(Title inspired from another favorite track of mine….Sting’s Englishman in the New York city)

Thanks a lot to my mother tongue…Malayalam…a lot of similarities with Tamil…knowing Tamil is one of the prerequisites of comfortable life in Chennai…me being the only communicator to Tamilian world among my roomies…I do translate things to them also…

2006-02-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

City of Blinding lights:

Nope its not where I stay…its some place where I wanna stay…Sadly I m in Chennai…where the city sleeps at around 9…yeah all the big malls will start closing at that time here…So even if I leave early there aren’t enough options….Thanks to the coffee shops…

2006-02-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Another brick in the wall:

Its 1 a.m... sounds crazy...what to do if someone has to stay in office for name sake at this inauspicious time…I thought thought and thought…outcome…why not blogs…all b’coz of the so called outsourcing mania happening these days…but what am I gaining if I work for an American client… my take home salary doesn’t even take me home…yeah this is the case everywhere in the industry…i m just another brick in the wall…

That brings me to my favorite pastime…music…be it Pink Floyd or Daddy Yankee…I just love it…And these days my late nights are filled with music…

PS:Some of my post titles will also be inspired by Music track titles...