A Moment Please

Another You

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:35:00 PST

Is there Another You?

~~~~

On a day summer,

Priceless is a drop of dew.

On a evening winter,

Precious is a warm word with you.

A philosopher's stone,

For life is an elixir.

In my life alone,

Don't you bring a cheer.

For us mere mortals,

There is only one sun.

From the countless damsels,

You are a special one.

A dark day you brighten,

Your smile is a beacon.

You are a queen,

Your aura is pristine.

An ace of spade,

Of what are you made?

Less words, more action,

You don't take the path beaten.

You kindle dreams anew,

You color a rainy day blue.

One thing is certainly true,

There isn't Another You.

~~~~

There Isn't Another You

P.S. This is for You. Believe me, Your best is yet to come. Because, You will beat your best.

A Girl's Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:39:00 PST

Overheard :-

"You know, it's very difficult to decipher and understand a girl's mind!!", said someone.

"Why do you say so?", asked the friend

"Well, decoding a lady's mind is much more complex than solving a Rubik's cube", was the reply.

A Girls Mind is complex than A Rubik Cube

A pregnant pause and raised eyebrows followed.

"Unlike a Rubik's cube, the answer does not lie in arranging the same color on all the faces of the cube. The mysterious solution lies in a jumble of colors on each of the faces. And if you plan to ask about the mix of color on each face, let me tell you that it is a far cry from the fact that the sun always rises on the east."

A stony silence followed for the next 5 seconds. It seemed like hours.

"What do you suggest? Is there a solution?" asked the person who made the initial statement.

"Well, it's quite simple." the friend replied. "When you can't solve her mind, figure out her heart. The rest, as they say, will be history!!"

A Complex Mind

And before the conversation could continue, the elevator had reached the ground floor. And I walked away.

P.S. A Rubik's cube has 43 quintillion (43,252,003,274,489,856,000) combinations.

Tennis WAGs

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:46:00 PST

The first thing that comes to your mind when you say WAGs is Football. Yes, we can credit football for introducing the term WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends in short) to all of us.

However, there are other sports too where WAGs play an equally important role in the success of the sportsmen. And with the Australian Open 2012 just concluding, it would be worthwhile to have a look at some Tennis WAGs.

Is there a better way to start the post than to start discussing about the most fabled man in Tennis in recent years. Yes, I'm talking about Roger Federer.

All of 30 years, he is considered as the icon of tennis after Pete Sampras. He has won a record 16 Grand Slams (more than any other man). Supporting him in his endeavor to become a champion tennis player is his wife Mirika.

Roger Federer with Mirka and Twin Babies

Mirika herself, like Roger, was a Tennis Pro playing for Switzerland. She retired from professional tennis is 2002, and took on the role of his PR Manager. She married him in 2009 and has since then given birth to twin girls.

She is usually present on court for all of Roger's matches and is an epitome of calmness. Needless to say, she is a reflection of uber cool Roger Federer.

Next in line is Jelena Ristic. I wouldn't blame you for asking Jelena Who?

Novak Djokovic's Gal Jelena Ristic

Well, Jelena is the girlfriend of the Serbian World Number 1 Novak Djokovic. Little is known about Jelena in the public domain. She is considered to be a student and has been with Djoker for the last 5 years.

She is a vociferous supporter on all his tour matches. And with Djoker being World Number 1 for the last year or so, her contribution to his success cannot be understated.

How many times do you think she would have asked him before a Final match - "Can you win that match for me?". I bet, a many times. Maybe that's the Djoker played his heart out, winning 3 of the 4 slams last year.

Next is Maria Perello. Her claim to fame? Well, she is Rafael Nadal's lady love.

Nadal's Lady Maria Perello

Nadal has been a top performer for the last many years. He has won 10 Grand Slam titles and is often considered as Federer's nemesis. At the moment, he is the strongest challenger to Djoker and looks to be the only person who can dethrone him from the number 1 spot.

Nadal exhibits tremendous physical fitness on the court. And Maria's contribution in maintaining his mental fitness would be stupendous.

Then you have Kim Sears. Kim is the girlfriend of the British Star Andy Murray. Andy is considered as Britain's best bet to win the Wimbledon.

Kim Sears

And come this summer, Andy and Kim would be drawing out plans to help him take giant steps to win the championship. Andy has often thanked Kim for his on court success.

At one time when his lady was travelling with, while his coach was not, Andy commented - "Hopefully she'll come to a few more tournaments. He (his coach) was a bit worried I was going to sack him and hire my girlfriend. It is the first time she has come to a tournament with me, and maybe I have been a little more relaxed on court."

Next one is Brooklyn Decker. For all practical purposes, she is more famous than her beau - Andy Roddick.

Style Icon Brooklyn Decker

Andy Roddick has had modest success on the ATP tour. Brooklyn has been tremendously famous, as a super model and SI model. She has also featured in TV serials, and has made her movie debut recently.

She reassures you that WAGs are not only about gloss. They can be stars in their own domains.

Bridgette Wilson is another lady who is Tennis WAG and an actress. All of 38 years, she is the wife of ex super star Pete Sampras.

Bridgette Wilson

And with Pete having retired now, Wilson is enjoying her time under the sun as an actress.

Finally, if there is any WAG who is a right mix of style and substance, it is Steffi Graf.

Steffi is all of 42 years, and has won a total of 22 Grand Slam single titles during her Tennis career. She has also won a Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics.

Steffi Graf

Needless to say, she is superbly attractive. When she was not playing tennis, she was upping the style quotient and setting the hearts racing. To add, she has been wife to another tennis star Andre Agassi for the last 10 years, making her a Tennis WAG.

Andre Agassi Steffi Graf

All in all, these Tennis WAGs have contributed to the success of their men during their hey days. They have been successful in varying proportions in their own lives.

Boris Becker, winner of 9 Grand Slams, once said - "Girls had never been important. I'd had a girlfriend or two and had liked them a lot but it wasn't love, because my first love was tennis."

The men featured in this post have been equally successful as Boris and would disagree with him. After all, their wives and girlfriends have been equal contributors (if not more) in their success.

English Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:10:00 PST

Colorful Roses

~~~~

Under the morning sun,

Surrounded by lush greenery.

You glisten, you beckon,

Brighter than a red cherry.

Fragrant is the dark soil,

The earth is in a boil.

Soothing is your aura,

You are the queen of flora.

Decked with petals four,

Your beauty I adore.

Magical is your aroma,

Dazzling in fuchsia.

You are innocent white,

Your purity is your might.

A harbinger of romance,

You set up a trance.

Delightful in bright yellow,

You are tender n' mellow.

Modest in your beauty,

You are a dizzy daisy.

Oozing with warmth n' pride,

Making the girl a lovely bride.

Cosmic is your existence,

Majestic is your opulence.

Who is all of this and more,

Elegantly giving a silent roar.

Timeless is your aura,

The world knows her as Rosa.

A symbol of love timeless,

Passions you evoke nameless.

So beautifully you bloom,

Driving away my vacuum.

A blue rose is an illusion,

So says the old folklore.

The myth today has fallen,

I found you, my English Rose.

~~~~

An English Rose

P.S. This is for You. Yesterday (7th Feb) was Rose Day. I hope, You - The English Rose, blooms stronger and brighter, with every passing day.

The Insatiable Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:43:00 PST

The mind is Insatiable.

If it does not have something, it craves for it shamelessly. If someone else has that something, the need is excessively intense, characterized by envy.

It knows that jaws of jealousy are sharp. However, resisting jealousy, is a phrase that does not exist in it's dictionary.

It this is bad, the next is worse. Every time it gets something, it craves for something more. When will it be happy with what it possess? When will it learn to be satisfied?

An Insatiable Mind

Worse still, it does not know what exactly it wants. Since it does not know what it wants, it wants everything. Everything under the sun.

Isn't wanting everything unreasonable? You cannot get summer and winter, a rainy day and a sunny day at the same time. You cannot be old and young at the same time.

But when was the mind reasonable? Never. At best, it is Insatiable.

The arguments continued unabated. Surprisingly, peaceful sleep took over, thanks to this poem.

~~~~

The mind is insatiable,

The thoughts make it bestial.

The desires make it brittle,

It goes on in a cycle.

Wanting everything,

Is getting caught in a web.

Everything is nothing,

The wishes need to ebb.

The insatiable mind is a devil,

Possessed with thoughts evil.

Wish its needs could be frugal,

Little imbalanced, more level.

Only if it could be thankful,

It would be a marvel.

For everything is trifle,

A fulfilled mind is a winner.

~~~~

Enchantress

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:41:00 PST

An Enchantress

Someone asked her, "What makes you an enchantress?".

She replied, "There are things that don't meet the eye. Like oxygen. They define me."

"And what are those?", was the next question.

And the answer is right below.

~~~~

Who am I?

What makes me fabled & wow?

A mystical girl that I am,

The secret would baffle thou.

For the world,

I am a femme-fatale.

For once, believe me,

I am just an ordinary gal.

Under the sky azure,

I am a blazing siren.

My principles are stronger,

Deeply rooted than a tree banyan.

In the ocean blue,

I am a precious coral.

A dame with neat virtues,

I am modest n' rational.

I am a wire live,

Standing out is my art creative.

With my magic, I hold you captive,

Driving me are thoughts pensive.

Sparkling in bright yellow,

I am a darling Venus.

Around me is a bright halo,

Powered by my energy tireless.

My looks you may applaud,
For them I am thankful to God.
My art arouses awe,
A li'l secret, I ain't without a flaw.

My dreams are countless,

The least I am is selfless.

My merits you may extol,

I am thankful to my virtuous soul.

Beguiling you with my beauty,

I hold you breathless.

It is my mind classy,

It makes me an Enchantress.
~~~~

Enchantress

Her simplicity and her down to earth demeanor made her an Enchantress.

P.S. This is for You. Have I done justice to reflect what you are? I think No. What do you think?

Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:55:00 PST

Human beings (you and me) experience a mixed bag of emotions in our life. There are different circumstances which provoke these emotions. There are varying experiences which elicit these emotions.

And if there is one situation or context which educe a plethora of emotions, it is Waiting.

Yes, Waiting in Anticipation.

I am Waiting

Think about the time when God Almighty would have created Adam and Eve, and waited for a moment, before releasing his creations on this very earth. He would have been supremely Delighted.

Think about the time when you are creating something. As you see your creation take shape, and await its completion, you experience intense Joy.

Think about the time when the baby is growing, and the parents are waiting for him or her to take the first baby steps. This wait would be characterized by Affection and Love for the baby.

Hope

Such emotions are indeed precious, and would be definitely better that the way I have projected. Let me delve into my own mind and look at some emotions I would have experienced.

Let me go back to school time. Back in school, waiting for the examination results would sometimes evoke Fear. What if I scored poorly in a subject? What if I didn't pass? And so on.

In those days, no one had heard about the internet. Snail mail was the in thing. E-Mail was an unknown commodity. People used to learn DOS.

The students had to give a self addressed envelope to the school folks. They would dispatch the results on 30th of April. And from the time the exams ended, till the results actually arrived by post, days and nights would be filled with Anxiety. And even Hope. And fervent prayers to God.

Anxiety

And after the results having actually arrived, and the burden being put off the heart, the care free bird (that I was) would play his heart out in the summer.

To add, such feelings of Anxiety, sometimes on the higher side, were cyclic and were repeated every year.

During the Engineering days, the exams were held every 6 months. The silly thing was that the results for a particular semester didn't turn up until the last month of the next semester. Such a long wait was often characterized by Frustration, and a deep sense of Anger for the evaluation mechanism.

And if I have to flashback to my placement exam, the wait of 8 hours - between the exam and the selection announcement - caused intense Stress and Tension.

Stress

I completely understand that a wait of 8 hours is very short as compared to the days and months which some people go though before landing up with a job. But the fact that it was a short wait itself added to the anxiety. It was like a T20 match, where before you know, the result is out.

There have been moments, where waiting for an acquaintance to turn up, resulted in Annoyance. Friends, however, are exempted from this feeling. There have been times, where the wait for a lonely weekend to pass away quickly, caused extreme Despair.

The wait before MSD cracked the last sixer in the World Cup finals had been filled with Excitement. The wait, before God Himself did the rescue act in the difficult times, were characterized by intense Fear and Helplessness.

Agony

The wait to ask a question, while the mind still being made up, caused relentless Agony. And if the question itself was not to be asked, or the point itself was not to be stated, the wait was followed by deep Regret and Remorse.

The wait for a dear friend to return a call was sometimes heart wrenching, causing Anguish. It was filled with moments of self doubt, and utterly low self confidence.

Envy

Lonely moments of waiting, in a public place, have often invited Envy and Jealousy in the mind. These are usually followed by pangs of guilt for having such disturbing thoughts. And sometimes, with feelings of Hope for a brighter future.

The wait for a friend evokes a mixed bag of emotions. I am yet to give a name to it.

The wait before sleep takes me over is sometimes characterized by Pride on the good work done though the day, or with Happiness resulting from help being extended to someone. Sometimes it is filled with Worry, and many a times with Gratitude and Contentment.

Contentment

A friend recently told me that she gets nervous while she gets ready to do her work. She added that she gets excited too. Isn't it surprising that these two emotions coexist? Yes, they do and they manage to get the best out of her.

Nervous but Excited

I wonder why does a mind experience these myriad emotions while waiting.

Is it because the future is unknown? Is it that we expect a particular picture of the future, and use these emotions as tools to realize the future as we want it?

Well, questions are many, answers are few. I'm waiting for the answers. I don't think they would come out of some copybook. It would have to be a realization, provoked by Time and God Almighty.

Ultimately, waiting is a pause in our busy life, a pause to gather our thoughts, to appreciate life, to be thankful for the past and to shape up our mind and put the best foot forward in the future.

Appreciation

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:09:00 PST

~~~~

My feet stood firm,

On the steady ground.

Wish the earth could crumble,

And swallow me around.

I hadn't done anything bad,

Hadn't indulged in something crazy.

A compliment was making me feel glad,

Coloring my mind, making me hazy.

What is it about the appreciation,

My simple mind, it does strengthen.

Unnecessary comparisons it evokes,

Needless fires it sometimes stokes.

Not wanting to be valued,

Can a coffee do without being brewed?

Such things are a part of life,

It shouldn't result in mental strife.

A pat on the back,

Can get a life back on track.

A few words of motivation,

Can bury many a demon.

Receiving admiration is not a crime,

Creating moments, standing the test of time.

I learn to gracefully acknowledge the laurel,

All I can be is thankful and humble.

~~~~

Hiding After Receiving Appreciation

P.S. There are moments of time when the feeling to hide, after receiving an appreciation, is overwhelming. However, slowly and steadily, God Almighty has taught to face the world with modesty and humility. Many Thanks to Him.

How do you feel in such moments?

Happy Birthday To You

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:33:00 PST

A Birthday Bouquet

~~~~
A day will dawn today,
God promises to make you feel gay.
I send your way this wonderful bouquet,
Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday.

As you enter into a new year,
I pray you have nothing to fear.
For The Almighty, you are a dear,
I pray you conquer every frontier.

Wish you find all the success,
Wish you be crowned a noble princess.
You have been lovely, and sincere,
You will sparkle in the new year.

You are growing just a year older,
It happens in our lovely nature.
Age, however, is just a number,
This year would make you younger.

Special you have been till now,
Going ahead, you will be wow.
Till date, you have been priceless,
Today I pray, you are ageless.

In this year brand new,
Wish all your dreams come true.
Wish you fulfill all your ambitions,
With you are my wishes in tons.

Blow out the candles,
Take a secret wish.
Hope your joy spirals,
And your dreams flourish.

I pray happiness comes your way,
And stays with you, forever and today.
Hope you sparkle more than a million ray,
Wishing you a Very Happy Birthday.

~~~~

P.S. A Very Happy Birthday to you.

The Right To Reject

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:54:00 PST

India is a democratic nation. It practices electoral democracy. Under electoral democracy, the citizens of India choose their elected representatives at the local, state and the national level.

Elections are held every 5 years. Representatives from different political parties are nominated in the elections. At the same time, independent individuals (like you and me) too can stand in such elections.

Great Indian Leaders

The voters can vote for their preferred choice of candidates, among the available options. The candidate who gets the maximum number of valid votes is considered as an elected representative of the people. This is called as the First Past The Post principle.

What is expected from the Elected Representative?

This elected candidate is expected to do due justice to the aspirations of constituency - irrespective of the manner in which the underlying people in that constituency would have cast their vote.

It is his responsibility to ensure an all round development of the constituency. It is his duty to give voice to the people in the corridors of power. It is his obligation to discharge his duties with due fairness.

What actually happens?

However, the world is not fair. Such elected representatives do not meet the peoples expectations once they are elected to power. They do not discharge the duties expected out of them.

Instead of focusing on the development of their folks, they are more focused on their own personal development. Improvement of their constituency takes a back seat. Aspirations of the people are not met. Personal aspirations often take center stage.

Disappointing Political Leadership

The worst part? You are saddled with an incompetent representative for 5 years, or till the next elections - whatever is earlier. The system does not offer any mechanism to the people for changing the elected representative in the midst of his tenure.

The After Effects

All such things make the people disoriented from the electoral process. Next time they cast their vote, they decide not to vote against the previously elected candidate. Instead they vote for some other candidate. However, when the new elected representative performs as poorly as the previous one (if not poorer), the people lose faith in this democratic process called election.

What do they do next time? They simply do not cast their votes. Instead of choosing between the devil and the deep sea, they decide to remain oblivious. They do not turn up for the elections. They do not voice their opinions.

Why Should I Vote?

It would be worthwhile to note that in the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009, the average voter turn out was only 59.7%. Net in Net, out of the total electorate of 714 Million people, 287 Million men and women (including me) didn't vote.

On a side note, the total money spent in executing the elections was approximately 1200 crores Rupees (260 Million USD). Now, that's not a small amount of money for a poor nation like India.

What happens in this case? The winning candidates care less.

As long as he has been voted, it does not matter (to him) how we won. We end up with brash representatives. If the entire electorate would have voted, maybe he would not have been voted to power. If the entire section of the population would have participated in the voting process, he would have been an "also-ran". Only If.

In this growing decadence, there is one voice which is gaining ground. It is - The Right to Reject.

What is the Right to Reject?

Right to Reject is a facility where a voter says that he does not want to vote for any candidate listed in the election. He rejects all the candidates.

It's an excellent way of showing his displeasure on the candidates on offer. It's a mechanism of having his voice heard.

The Right To Reject

Does the Indian electoral process offer any way to reject any candidates? Yes, it does. I was unaware of this facility till now. And maybe, there are many more like me.

Under Rule 49-O of The Conduct of Election Rules of India, a voter can decide on not casting his vote and make a record of this fact.

The Rule goes as below :-

49-O. Elector deciding not to vote. If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

In simple words, the person is telling - He is voting for None Of The Above (NOTA).

How did the people exercise this option in the pre EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) era? Well, they simply cast their ballot by marking their vote against multiple candidates. In this case, the vote was considered as Invalid.

What happened with the advent of the EVM's? The EVM lists only the set of valid candidates. A vote can be cast only once. As a result, it is not possible for the people to mark the vote against multiple candidates.

If he indeed has to reject all the candidates, he would have to make this fact known to the Election Officer. However, by doing so, he is violating the principle of secrecy of his ballot. Sometimes, technological advances do have their demerits too.

Well, this concept gives an opportunity to the people to make their displeasure about lack of suitable candidates known.

None Of The Above

Does it influence the results in any way? No, it doesn't. The candidate who has secured the highest number of valid votes polled is declared elected. Read more here.

Once again, we have a problem (of incompetent candidates participating in the elections) at hand. The solution on offer does not solve the problem. All it does is give an opportunity to someone to be vocal about his opinion. However, it's just an empty voice. It doesn't help anyone.

What are the different options suggested for handling such situations? There are quite a few. If the NOTA gets the maximum number of votes among the candidates, it could be possible to hold the elections again. However, that would be a costly process.

It could be possible to have a nominated representative instead of an elected representative. However, the fairness of this nomination can itself be questioned.

The alternatives are indeed limited. But there is a strong need for such a concept at this hour.

How do we improve the Right to Reject?

What are my suggestions? Well, a couple of them.

QnA 1 - How do we punish the poor candidates?

I propose that if the total number of NOTA votes are exceeding 49% of the valid votes polled by a candidate, he should be disqualified from the election process and should not be allowed to stand in any elections, at any level, for the next 10 years. His security deposit should also be forfeited.

What's the reasoning behind this idea?

Why 50%? Well, if a candidate has 100 people voting in his favor, but 50 people indicating that he is not worthwhile, his credentials and representational skills are being seriously questioned.

Why 10 years? Well, commonly, this is the time interval between 2 elections, and it would offer a chance to the candidate to improve on his credentials, and be a part of the electoral process again.

QnA 2 - How do we choose the winning candidate?

This is a tough question. I propose that the candidate who has polled maximum number of valid votes, with the total NOTA votes being less than 50% of his polled votes, be considered as a winner.

If choosing such a candidate is not possible, it means all candidates have been disqualified (as explained in QnA 1). In such a case, the election must be re held.

However, the elections are predominantly expensive. To avoid unnecessary expenditure of state funds, such elections must be funded by the security deposits of the failed candidates in the previous elections.

Candidates from recognized political parties must be made a pay a heftier security deposit (since they have access to fund raising facilities). Independents should have nominal security deposits.

Summary

In my opinion, Right To Reject is a good option.

It would give a facility to the people to make their voice heard. It is necessary to back up this concept with adequate mechanisms, so that the people do have their elected representatives at different level of the Government. It would also be important to ensure that the State does not end up expending funds due to lack of skilled political representatives.

Democracy is a Challenge

Some harsh and strict actions against rejected politicians may also help in cleansing up the field.

All of this is in hope of a better and a stronger democracy, and a stronger voice for the people. Long Live Democracy!!

Rising Star

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:58:00 PST

~~~~

Broad is the horizon,

Vast is the sky.

Brighter than a beacon,

Rising is a star, promising to fly high.

Simple to the core,

Her luminance I adore.

Astonishingly raw,

She hold me in awe.

Her radiance sets the world alight,

Her simplicity is her might.

Her aura brightens up the day,

Making it colorful and gay.

Intense are her eyes,

Supremely divine, without guise.

Oozing with warmth, a beauty lustrous,

Charming lady, wonderfully gracious.

Silver is the screen,
She will be crowned its queen.
Leave behind a sparkling trail,
Her glory, the world will hail.

A ball of fire is the setting sun,

Her journey has just begun.

Miles to go before she sleeps,

To countless victories she will leap.

Dark is the night,

Sparkling with twinklers many.

Promising to shine forever bright,

Is a girl by the name Amy.

~~~~

P.S. You know this is for you. Something is missing between the end of the poem and the PS, and you know what it is :-)

Classy Advertisements Build Brands

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:53:00 PST

Giant organisations are known to spend a lot of money on building their brands. And is there a better way than a 30 second commercial showcased on prime time TV to build your brand?

If you watch any average TV program spanning 30 minutes, you would see a myriad of ads. But only a very few break ice with your heart. And this blog post is aimed to look at those few ads who caught my attention in the last one year or so.

Classy Advertisement Build Brands

The contribution of these ads to build the brand is phenomenal.

Each of these ads are classy and stylish. Needless to say, each of them is brimming with a message. Let's take a look, possibly in the order they were released.

The first one is from Airtel - Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai.

With a foot tapping number and a raw college environment as a backup, this ad made a connect with the student community. As for those who had passed out of college, this ad reminded them of the carefree college days. And for the youngsters who are still in school, it set their dreams alight about the joyous days to look ahead.

This advertisement was a big hit. Airtel always manages to come up with one great ad after another.

The next one was from Idea promoting it's 3G services. Once again, it had an interesting voice over and some nice realistic video.

This ad seemed to be inspired from this particular section from the book SuperFreakonomics.

Rural Indian families who got cable TV began to have a lower birthrate than families without TV. (In a country like India, a lower birthrate generally means more autonomy for women and fewer health risks.)

Families with TV were also more likely to keep their daughters in school, which suggests that girls were seen as more valuable, or at least deserving of equal treatment. (The enrollment rate for boys, notably, didn’t change.).

It appears that cable TV really did empower the women of rural India, even to the point of no longer tolerating domestic abuse. Or maybe their husbands were just too busy watching cricket.

And yes, if TV can play the role as mentioned above, why not 3G? On a side note, if you are interested in behavioral economics, you should read Freakonomics and top it up later with SuperFreakonomics

Next one is Hum Main Hai Hero from Hero.

Hero Honda had changed its brand name and was rechristened as Hero Motors. And this ad reminded people of the brand. And with AR Rahman giving excellent music, this ad promised a lot of brand recall value.

And today, I saw a song on TV wherein people across India sing a part of this ad. This reemphasized the connect established by the ad. It was this song which prompted me to write this blog post.

Finally, you have Umeedon Vali Dhoop Sunshine Vali Asha from Coca Cola. This wonderful ad was released to mark the beginning of the new year 2012.

Featuring young innocent kids, a lovely song, and some interesting real data, this ad is a mark of hope and success.

All these wonderful ads have made for an interesting experience while watching TV, be it during the boring news or the crunch time during the Cricket World Cup.

The organisations would be spending millions of rupees each time the commercial is aired. However, they can be contended with the fact that their ads have paid off. And paid off in style.

Lastly, it would be most important to recognise the creativity of the people involved in the creation of these ads. Hats off to you guys. Keep up with the good work.

Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:46:00 PST

Focus is transitional.

You can lose focus from the best of the peaches because you find beauty in simplicity.

Losing focus from something would mean giving focus on something else.

Focus

Others may say that you have lost focus. Maybe yes, you have lost focus from something they deem significant.

However, losing focus would not necessarily mean losing attention. It means we are paying attention for something which we consider more beautiful and important.

Never Say Never Again

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:35:00 PST

The mind heaved a sigh of relief. It was, as if, feeling relieved at the completion of "something". What was that "something"? The mind is clueless. And yes, it doesn't want to decipher that "something" and let it be as it is.

The heart looked back and tried to measure the loss. The loss was permanent and immeasurable.

The soul said just one thing - Never Say Never Again.

Never Say Never Again

I wonder why, we humans, are so complex.

Why does a single situation prompt three states of a self to elicit these three different reactions? The situation itself will be buried deep inside the heart, never to see the light of the day again.

Yet, hope does linger around. The hope of new shores and new avenues. And we can pray to God Almighty that the new shores be equally bright and vivacious.

P.S. Christopher Columbus started his exploration from Spain on 3rd August 1942, to sail to India and the Far East. Instead, he reached America. And the rest, as they say, is history!!

Of Symbolism

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:57:00 PST

We humans believe in Symbolism. And our netas (read leaders) are the biggest proponents of symbolism. Come some occasion or an event, our leaders go gaga and indulge in blatant trumpet blowing.

It was Dr. MMS's turn a few days back. During the opening ceremony of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Jaipur, he made an announcement stating that NRIs would be given a right to vote in India.

Manmohan Singh at The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas

Well done MMS.

I have a few questions for Manmohan Singh. Did you get the idea of giving voting rights to NRI's one day before the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas? If not, why did you wait till that occasion to make this statement.?

Do not blame me for thinking that you aim to play to the gallery and derive maximum political mileage from such basic administrative activities.

And if we are discussing about symbolism, then elephants are the topic of discussions across the country.

Mayawati

Behan (Sister) Mayawati, who is also the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (the most populous state in India), built some 300 odd elephants across the entire state in her last five years in power. Not that she has a liking to the pachyderm. Incidentally, the elephant is the symbol of her party.

Now that elections are due across the state starting 8th Feb 2011, the Election Commission (EC) has ordered that all such elephants are to be draped.

Mayawati And Her Elephants

What do we have here? Once again, Symbolism. Mayawati squandered a lot of public money in building these statues, just for the sake of symbolization and for the benefit of her party. And the EC will be spending another "few" crores in draping these jumbos. And some more crores in lifting the drapes.

Isn't this a sheer waste of money?

Mayawati should be billed the entire amount expended and should be made to pay the money out of her own or her party's pocket. However, our gutless politicians are not capable of making such laws, which provide a mechanism to punish politicians who engage in wasteful expenditure.

The worst part is that a very severe winter is sweeping across the northern plains and mountains of the country. Homeless people are dying due to the lack of shelter. These people need clothes to keep them warm. And it's the stone elephants who are getting draped.

Indian Democracy - A Sad State

Believe me, if Mayawati comes to power again, she would very well be inclined to do what Virat Kohli did to the Aussie crowd a couple of weeks ago. However, in my opinion, she would retain her dignity and not indulge in this kind of symbolism. After all, Mayawati is not Sonam Kapoor.

Virat is a young gun and must have been tormented a lot by the verbal insults being hurled by the Sydney crowd. He did what his mind told him to do. At the end of the day, he may have been fined half his match fees. But at least he made peace with his mind.

Virat Kohli

Why did the Aussies get offended by Virat's antics? Aren't they the ones who provoked him? Symonds provoked Harbhajan and Harbhajan reacted. The Sydney Test Crowd provoked Kohli and Kohli reacted.

Why are the odds always stacked up against the person who reacts instead of the person who provokes? Is provocation a lesser offense than reaction?

For the world, it is. And in a situation, a lesser offense is always absolved and the greater offender is hanged.

Sonam Kapoor

As for Sonam Kapoor, her symbolism didn't work. Her movie - Players - didn't fly.

Just yesterday, there was a undeserved hue and cry about Salman Rushdie not being let into the country to attend the Jaipur Literary Fest. To protest against Rushdie being denied entry, two authors read The Satanic Verses at the Fest.

Symbolism once again. Come on guys, Rushdie is a no-hoper in India and The Satanic Verses is more than decades old. Stale stuff doesn't sell.

Well, if there is point which Dr. MMS, Mayawati, Virat or Sonam can learn, it is this quote by John Schlesinger - "Symbolism perhaps is a bit in your face, and I've tried my best to control that as best I can as I've grown older and thought that one could approach something with a little more subtlety."

P.S. I could carry some flyer's with this quote in my bag. And if I meet any of the above, I would hand them a copy of it. And hope that it brings about some improvements.

P.S.2. My strongest hopes of improvements lies on Virat's and Sonam's shoulders. The other two are seem beyond improvement. पर आपने सुना ही होगा, उम्मीद पे ही दुनिया कायम है !!

Two Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:09:00 PST

Two Friends

~~~~

Two friends,

Solemn and calm.

Simple and carefree,

Ordinary me, you glam.

Shared moments many,

Without prejudices any.

Shared dreams million,

Happiness multiplied to a billion.

The distance may have been far,

Ideas weaved a memoir.

Discussions have been bizarre,

Oh Cinderella, You are a priceless star.

What's in a name,

What's with the fame?

Friends don't have anything to fear,

Cherished friends are always near.

~~~~

P.S. Close friends are few and far between. They are special and Godsend. And you are one among them.

Keep It Simple

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:42:00 PST

It was not without reason that Confucius said - "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

Time and again, in my most solemn moments, I have feelings which reflect Confucius's statement. I wonder about the manner in which my life has become unnecessarily knotted.

A Knotted Life

Was my life meant to be knotted? Or was it meant to be just simple and pure? And what is the reason behind this tangle?

Is it the anguish over certain things resulting in annoyance? Or is simple disappointment getting exaggerated into unnecessary despair? Is the lack of affection the cause of envy? Or is boredom causing a sense of emptiness, thereby preventing the soul from feeling contended?

How I wish the feelings were simplified!!

Keep It Simple

If things were simple, the life wouldn't have been knotted. It wouldn't have been unnecessarily complex. Keeping things simple is a beautiful idea. And wouldn't it be great if we strive to achieve this state of mind.

A simple life would definitely evoke a smile of contentment.

You must have heard about Sherlock Holmes. His standout quality is his amazing deduction skills. You would have been impressed by his reasoning skills. Even his trusted friend Dr. Watson used to always ask him on how he managed to solve a complex situation.

And Holmes' answer was - "Elementary, My Dear Watson". It explains that Holmes kept his thought process very simple and reached a logical solution.

Sherlock Holmes Dr Watson Elementary Dear Watson

Let me go back to my Engineering college days. Somewhere in the 6th semester, we had a difficult subject - Signals And Systems. It was extremely difficult to assimilate the concepts presented, and devising solutions for the stated questions was challenging.

One day, in the class, the bright teacher commented - "If it ain't simple, it ain't a solution". She had a broad smile on her face. And I looked at her in awe.

Her guidance has stood by with me till date. Aren't we lucky to have such great teachers?

Simplicity

Yesterday, I was thinking about Archimedes.

Every time I have a complex problem to solve, I have a momentary thought about the question at hand while having a bath. I remind myself of Archimedes, and wish that maybe tomorrow or some day soon, I would be lucky to exult "Eureka" like him.

And by God's grace, the solution for the question at hand did pop up while having a bath. In hindsight, the solution felt so obvious. Maybe that's why Albert Einstein said - "When the solution is simple, God is answering."

Eureka Archimedes

I wondered why does Archimedes, and me, and may other people like me get some good ideas while having a bath. Well, I think, it's because things are simple when we are having from a bath. We are oblivious from the world. We are all alone. Our life is simplified.

And every time you meet babies or little kids, you can see the happiness reflecting on their faces. I think it's because they keep their life simple.

Sweet And Simple Baby

Steve Jobs was right when he said - "That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

And supporting him is the financial guru Warren Buffett who asserted "The business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective."

Keeping things simple is not indeed easy. However, every attempt made towards it would stand in good stead.

Keep it simple.

Do Not Waste Food

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:47:00 PST

It was a sight of utter contempt. Someone had just refused to finish his food, citing that it was not possible for him to eat the rest. It was a surprising action, considering that he had spoken of being hungry an hour or so back.

Do Not Waste Food

The leftover food had been turned into waste in a split second. If this was bad, the worst was yet to come. In the next 5 minutes, the same person was seen devouring an apple.

I said sorry to God Almighty on his behalf. It was the least I could do.

A Clean Plate is The Best Plate

Time and again, circumstances do teach me one lesson - Respect Food. Save Food.

Freedom In Moderation?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:55:00 PST

We all love freedom. We all love liberty. All that I wish to be is a free bird.

However strong may be our wishes, or however right may be our opinions, there are people out there who try to keep us in shackles. People who try to keep us in bound, while trying to be free themselves. People who love freedom, but don't wish to share the freedom.

The concept of freedom was beautifully explained by the following scene from the movie The Duchess. The movie stars Keira Knightley in the lead role, in and as The Duchess.

Keira Knightley in The Duchess

The background is a meeting of a political party - The Whig Party - from England, set in the 18th century. A leader of the party - Mr. Fox - gives a speech explaining the views and opinions of the party. At the conclusion of the speech, the party seeks feedback from The Duchess. And the scene goes as below.

~~~~

The Duchess : I must confess, I am not yet at ease with political speeches. Their very form tends to obstruct my view of their actual meaning, if such there be.

The Duchess : I fail to fully comprehend how far we, the Whig Party, that is, are fully committed to the concept of freedom.

Mr. Fox : We intend to extend the vote.

The Duchess : To all men?

Mr. Fox : Heavens, no. But certainly to more men. Freedom in moderation.

The Duchess : "Freedom in moderation"?

Mr. Fox : Precisely.

The Duchess : I'm sure you are full of the best intentions, Mr. Fox, but I dare say I would not spend my vote, if I had it, of course, on so vague a statement. One is either free or one is not. The concept of freedom is an absolute. After all, one cannot be moderately dead or moderately loved or moderately free. It must always remain a matter of either or.

~~~~

And yes, if you are interested in checking out the video, you can down it right here.

Undoubtedly, the proponent of "Freedom in Moderation" was stunned when the Duchess spoke out her mind. And the next time someone tries to hand out such Freedom in Moderation, I trust this clip would play back in our mind and motivate us to speak out.

Well, we may have moved from the 18th century to the 21st century? But has the mindset changed? No, It has not changed and our politicians and leaders still indulge in such shameful behavior.

Isn't this what the Government of India is doing right now by trying to ban Google+, Facebook, and similar websites? Isn't this what China is trying to do by blocking Google and similar social content from its 1 Billion + population?

Isn't this what Saudi Arabia is doing by preventing it's women from driving? And can you believe the reasons behind such justifications? As per this news article, I quote - "Academics at the Majlis al-Ifta' al-A'ala, which is Saudi Arabia's highest religious council, said the relaxation of the rules would inevitably lead to “no more virgins”."

Can it get more nonsensical than this?

Isn't this what France tried to do by banning the Burka being worn in public by women?

We do not want Totalitarian regimes. We want Total Freedom!!

Freedom Without Moderation

I think the scene in the movie is a tight slap on the political classes who try to hold back people and their development in different spheres of their life. All that we deserve is - Freedom Without Moderation.

Like the beautiful bird in flight, all that you and me wish to do is - Set Alight.

Australian Open 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:30:00 PST

Grand Slam tennis is back after a long hiatus. The Australian Open 2012 will commence on 16th January 2012 in Melbourne. The 14 day tennis extravaganza, played on the hard court at Melbourne Park in the Australian summer promises to be a real treat for tennis fans across the world.

Needless to say, this is the first of the Tennis Grand Slams and will set the tone of the circuit for the next 12 months.

Australian Open

To have a quick flashback of Australian Open 2011, Novak Djokovic of Serbia emerged triumphant in the men's draw. Kim Clijsters of Belgium was the winner in women's draw.

Let's have a look on how the things can possibly shape up this year?

To begin with, let us check the men's draw. Going by the form book, Novak Djokovic - a.k.a. Djoker - is the top seed. After him is the Spanish maestro Rafael Nadal, the Swiss champ Roger Federer, and the British hopeful Andy Murray.

Djoker Novak Djokovic

Djoker would be looking to win the Australian Open back to back. In Djoker's quarter, you have Andy Roddick (seeded 15th), the unseeded Aussie stalwart Lleyton Hewitt and the 5th seed David Ferrer of Spain. If Novak plays true to his form, he should emerge as a victor in this quarter.

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Djoker Vs David Ferrer.

Andy Murray plays in the second quarter. He is quite lucky to be placed in a quarter devoid of any big guns. The only person who can give him a run for his money is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. The big serving maverick French can upset Murray to make it to the semi finals.

Andy Murray

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Andy Murray Vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Roger Federer is another lucky guy. He too has a relatively easy quarter. I hope that he plays his effortless game to move easily into the quarters. His strong opponents in this quarter are Mardy Fish of the USA (seeded 8th) and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina (seeded 11th).

Roger Federer Fedex

However, Federer should be able to get past them to setup a showdown with Rafa in the semi finals.

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Roger Federer Vs Mardy Fish.

Rafael Nadal promises to steam roll in the last quarter. He may have to deal with the unseeded Tommy Haas of Germany as early as the 2nd round. However, once he gets past Tommy, his only major opponent on the ways to the semi-finals will possibly be Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic (seeded 7th)

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Rafael Nadal Vs Tomas Berdych.

Rafa Rafael Nadal

It would be worthwhile to note the champions in Men's singles in the last 3 months. In Nov 2011, at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, Fedex emerged as triumphant beating Tsonga. In Dec 2011, Spain won the Davis Cup with Rafa at the helm.

In the 2012 ATP tour, Andy Murray, Tsonga and Ferrer have one each tournament each. Milos Raonic of Canada won the Chennai Open 2012 and is seeded 23rd in the Australian Open. Jarkko Nieminen of Finland won the Apia International Sydney and is unseeded in the Australian Open.

Let us know check the women's singles draw.

Caroline Wozniacki, ranked number one in the world, is the top seed. She is placed in a very tough quarter. Li Na of China (seeded 5th), Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia (seeded 20th), the defending champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium (seeded 11th) and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia (seeded 13th) will be running her close.

Caroline Wozniacki

Wozniacki has never won a Grand Slam and that is bound to play on her mind. If she gets past Li Na, the defending French Open Champion, she may well be on course to her maiden Grand Slam title.

Li Na

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Caroline Wozniacki Vs Li Na.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (seeded 3rd) plays in the second quarter. She has a slightly easier quarter. She will have to deal with Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland (seeded 8th) and Francesca Schiavone of Italy (seeded 10th).

Victoria Azarenka

The bottom half of this quarter is most likely to see some upsets and it would be difficult to predict Azarenka's opponent in the Quarters.

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Victoria Azarenka Vs Ms. Unknown.

In the third quarter, Maria Sharapova of Russia (seeded 4th) will battle it out against her compatriots Vera Zvonareva (seeded 7th) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (seeded 18th), and the big serving Serena Williams (seeded 12th). Maria will have to prove her mettle to emerge as the winner in this quarter.

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Maria Sharapova Vs Serena Williams.

Maria Sharapova

In the final quarter, Petra Kvitova (seeded 2nd) of the Czech Republic will be pitched against the home crowd favorite Samantha Stosur (seeded 6th) of Australia. Giving them tough competition are Nadia Petrova (seeded 29th) of Russia, the French lady Marion Bartoli (seeded 9th), the Serbian beauty Ana Ivanovic (seeded 21st), and Maria Kirilenko (seeded 27st) of Russia.

My quarter final line up for this quarter is - Petra Kvitova Vs Samantha Stosur.

Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych

Let's have a look at the form book of the players in the last 3 months. Petra Kvitova won the year end Championships in Istanbul in October 2011 defeating Azarenka.

And in the 3 WTA tournaments played in 2012, the only notable name to emerge as a winner is Victoria Azarenka in the Apia International Sydney. Jie Zheng and Kaia Kanepi were the other two winners. This shows that upsets are not at all common in the WTA tour.

Finally, here is a look at the winners of the 2011 Grand Slams.

2011 Grand Slam Winners

Djoker has been tremendously consistent in the men's draw. The women's draw is seeing some intense competition with the 4 slams seeing 4 different winners.

And if I have to choose two among the elite 128 who can possibly emerge as winners, I would choose Djoker and Rafa in the men's draw, and Wozniacki and Azarenka in the women's draw. The seeded outsiders will be Fedex and Maria Sharapova.

Roger Federer Maria Sharapova

To conclude, the next two weeks promise to produce some exciting tennis. The temperature is expected to soar upto 35 degrees C during the day, and fall upto 12 degrees C during the evening. But be it day or night, our classy tennis players are all geared up to set the court on fire.

May the best man and lady win.

Missing You

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:46:00 PST

~~~~

Where have you disappeared,

Oh elegant beauty.

Not a Hello, not a word,

In your memories, I am all dreamy.

An enchantress par excellence,

Striking was you presence.

A lady of substance,

Enamoring is your absence.

Don't leave me all alone,

I just wish, my life you adorn.

Without you, my soul is forlorn,

Missing you, it's almost torn.

The nights are cold,

Your warmth is missing.

It's your hand I wish to hold,

That's my hearts craving.

Sparkling in pearls of white,

Is the bright green grass.

I hold myself in shiver and fright,

Revenez vite, My Lass.

The sky is cloudy,

The air creaming with mist.

Your thoughts make me tizzy,

Someone says she is long unkissed.

The sound of the soft drizzling rain,

Brightens up the day anew.

Your memories keep me sane,

Come back soon, I Miss You.

~~~~

Missing You

P.S. If you read this, you know for whom it is written.

Why Managers Love Excels?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:09:00 PST

At the outset, let me clarify that I do not have any personal grudges, neither against the managers across the world nor against the esteemed product from the Microsoft stable - Microsoft Excel. I have been a fan of MS Excel for the beautiful things it can do.

But don't fans of MS Dhoni gun for his blood if he plays poorly in a couple of matches? Here I am training my guns on the almighty Excel. Of course, in a lighter vein.

So why exactly do managers love Excel?

There are quite a few reasons. Let us take a look at it one by one.

Eat Data, Live Data, Sleep Data

The love for data exceeds the admiration of logic. It's as if they strongly believe in this quote - "In God we trust, everybody else brings data to the table." And what better way to capture data other than Excel.

Eat Data, Live Data, Sleep Data is their anthem. And yes, the anthem does have some hidden lines too. Read all the data - Maybe. Use the data - Rarely.

Use the data cleverly - Once in a Blue Moon.

Eat Drink Sleep Excel

I am a Data Guzzler

Having an appetite for data is one thing. Being a data guzzler is another thing. They love to capture data. Half of the data, or even more if it, may be redundant. Yet, it needs to be captured.

It was this love for data which prompted Microsoft to increase the number of rows in a single Excel sheet from a humble 65536 rows to a mammoth 1 million rows.

Data Guzzler

Do you know the man in the cartoon?

Excel is the Elixir of Life

Lord Voldemort (of Harry Potter fame) wanted to steal the Philosopher's stone because he considered it to be the Elixir of Life. The manager's have this elixir at their disposal - right on their desktop. They think - maintain an excel, and it will solve all your problems.

The last I heard, Gilani Miyan (Yousuf Raza Gilani, the Prime Minister of Pakistan) has asked his secretary of in his office to prepare an excel with the list of Army Generals in his country. He is still clueless on how he plans to use this data.

Excel Is The Elixir of Life

And do you remember the time when Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of the India, calculated that a common man needed Rs. 32 a day to survive in India? Well, he was working in an excel and used an incorrect formula to derive the amount.

Shamefully, he didn't cross check the results. Shamelessly, he defended his calculations. Lastly, he felt ashamed to accept that he didn't know how to use MS Excel.

What would have his fellow managers said? They would have chided him for not knowing how to work in Excel.

Excel Is All Powerful

My Bread is Not Stale

How long does a bread last? Commonly, a fresh bakery bread is expected to last for 2-3 days. And a packaged bread is expected to last for not more than 6 days. Read more here.

How much information do we create everyday? The amount of information created since the dawn of civilization till 2003. Read more here.

And importantly, the pace of creation of data is only increasing. And the circumstances under which the data continues to exist undergoes frequent change.

Stale Data in Excel

If a bread can't stay fresh for more than 3 days, then the data in the excel can't stay fresh for more than one day. And stale data is a useless data.

Did you know that the Wholesale Price Index in India is calculated based on a list of commodities. The list was drawn in 1993-1994. Exciting isn't it? Well, you have some Excel manager to blame. Read a news article on this crucial point here.

I Am A Spin Doctor
Spinners are world famous across the world for bowling classical deliveries. Shane Warne used to bowl a great googly which would leave the best of the batsmen clueless. And Muttaih Muralitharan was an expert in The Doosra (or the Wrong One's).

Excel transform ordinary men like you and me into Spin Doctors. The next two charts says it all.

Excel Charts Leave You Flummoxed

Add a couple of jazzy pivots, and the reader may forget all about reading the excel. Forget about understanding, he would surrender to the almighty Excel and think that it is best to leave it untouched.

Reasons such as these are numerous. I may have to maintain an Excel with the complete list of reasons - something which I am not inclined to do on a Friday night.

If you want a few laughs, have a look at a few cartoons on Excel.

A Few Excel Cartoons

P.S. Love Live MS Excel.

Is There An Alternative?

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:42:00 PST

A human being is known to resist change. In such cases, he or she is reminded - Change is the only thing which is constant in life. There are other times when he craves for change. In this case, he or she urges for a change but often does not find any alternatives for change.

The question that plagues his mind is - Is there an alternative??

Is There An Alternative

This is the question that has been on the top of my mind since "the so called cricket experts" are pushing for a separate captain for the Indian cricket team for Test's and One Dayer's.

MS Dhoni, the incumbent captain in both forms of the game, and the toast of the nation just 8 months back is facing a flak for his lackluster leadership in the recent 2 Test loss against the Aussies. He is considered to be unimaginative in Test Cricket. He is thought to be a safe player in Test Cricket.

And with just a two Test match loss behind his back in the current Australian tour, the "experts" have started gunning for his neck and are insisting for a change.

My question is - Is there an alternative?

Alternative Ideas

Is there one player in the current Indian cricket team to be a Test captain? No.

There isn't a single player in the Indian cricket team who can become a leader. Be it Virender Sehwag, or Gautam Gambhir, they do not have the persona and the demeanor to lead India. The other guys who were vice captains earlier - Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh - are not even a part of the team.

All in all, no alternatives. So what's the point yelling for a change?

Same is the case with the Indian voters. The current spate of scams, the lackluster leadership, the Lokpal fiasco, the decision paralysis make them crave for change.

But once again - Is there an alternative?

Is there a single party on India's political horizon - apart from the Congress - who can provide stable governance for the next five years. The answer is No.

The BJP is leaderless. The people will not be interested in voting for an ageing LK Advani. Neither do Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, or Nitin Gadkari do not have any national following. Go to Tamil Nadu and ask what is Sushma Swaraj's claim to fame, the Janata will ask - Sushma Who??

The same is the case with "the Third Front". Once again, they do not have any national leader. Why would anyone from Jammu Kashmir want Nitish Kumar to be the PM? Why would anyone from Maharashtra want "Ms. West Bengal" Mamta to be the PM?

The summary once again - No Alternatives.

No Alternatives Either

And if the Indian citizens are clueless about the leadership in the political circles, they need not fear - they are not alone. The same question is troubling the American citizens.

After all the promise that Barack Obama had shown prior to his 2009 elections, he has, at best, put in an average performance. He had to deal with a massive depression in the early part of his tenor, and a "depression-like" situation at the current moment.

His only standout point in the last 3 years has been the assassination of dreaded terrorist Osama Bin Laden in May 2011. He has faced criticism on the Afghan war and the Libyan war. The unemployment rate in USA is also on the rise for the past 3 years.

Amazing Alternatives

Even if the American people may feel let down after the promise shown by Obama, they may desire for a change. But is there an alternative?

All in all, he may face Mitt Romney in the presidential elections later next year. And for all probabilities, the people are expected to favor Obama again.

The reason is once again evident - There is No Alternative.

Lets take a look at the global currency market. The Chinese have made the Yuan freely trade-able. The Euro was going strong 8 months back. The Indian Rupee was also hovering around 43 INR for every USD. The USA was [is] staring at a possible recession.

In this entire situation, you could expect the American Dollar to weaken. But then Greece had a big problem with its sovereign debt. The Euro took a huge hit. The Japanese Yen took a beating due to the massive tsunami last year. Uncertainty was the order of the day.

No Alternatives

Where did the financial whizkid's take solace? In the American Dollar. The reason - There Is No Alternative.

In all these circumstances, it is best to be reminded of Henry Kissinger who is known to have said - "Moderation is a virtue only in those who are thought to have an alternative."

But No, I am not an opponent of change. I do believe in this quote by Dr. Carl Sagan - “We are prodding, challenging, seeking contradictions or small, persistent residual errors, proposing alternative explanations, encouraging heresy. We give our highest rewards to those who convincingly disprove established beliefs.”

There Are Many Alternatives

Let's all hope that in all the situations mentioned above, there are adequate alternative options available. This would allow the incumbent to be on his toes, and would open up the options for the general people. And may the best man win.

Banish The Patents

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:25:00 PST

For long, I have been wondering about the concept of patents. And till date, I have been clueless. Although I have tried to read the definition, my mind does not convince me the actual meaning and intent of a patent.

So what exactly is a patent?

Patent is a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention. As per Wikipedia, a patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention.

Banish The Patents

And why exactly am I averse to the concept of patents?

Just a few days back, the Times Of India screamed on it's first page - British pharma company's bid to patent ginger foiled.

I thought - Are they silly? How on earth are they patenting ginger? The next time when I have to drink some tea with ginger in it, do I have to pay royalty to them?

Of course No. And even if they would have patented ginger, I would not have paid them any royalty.

What next? Will you patent tea? And sugar? And milk? And mother's milk?

Silly Patents

I read another news a few months back. The news article had Apple telling the world that HTC was riding on it's RnD expenditure. A snippet of the article is as below.

Apple contends that HTC's Android phones infringe four Apple patents, including one for a system to detect telephone numbers in e-mails so they can be stored in directories or called without dialing the numbers.

So what exactly has Apple done? Found out a series of 10 numerals in a email, and added to your phone book. Great. Does that mean that I can't do something similar?

So much for patenting.

Dear Apple,

Think where you would have been if Alexander Graham Bell would have patented the telephone for 500 years. Or what if Motorola had patented the mobile phone (invented in 1973) for a period of just 100 years? You would not have been able to sell your phone.

But ah, you would have called it an iPhone and would have proclaimed to the world that it is different from a mobile phone, and got your way around.

The Patent Nonsense

Let's get away from Apple.

To add, here are a list of few silly patents.

Light Bulb Changer

Anti-Eating Mouth Cage

Method of swinging on a swing

Plug for and method of patching a hole in a wall

A Bird Diaper

The patent for a Bird Diaper says - A bird diaper for an uncaged pet bird to wear, featuring an enclosed pouch for receiving and containing excrement, and apertures to accommodate both the wings and tails of the birds.

A Bird Diaper Patent

Wow. No doubt this concept didn't fly.

All in all, in my honest opinion, patenting is just a concept of hoarding the use of knowledge.

What if God Himself had patented the concept of reproduction for an infinite period of time? Adam and Eve would have been the last people of earth. And I would not have been writing this blog. And you would not have been reading this post.

And if you are patenting ideas and concepts and thoughts, it is high time you read this quote by Joseph Badaracco - "In today's environment, hoarding knowledge ultimately erodes your power. If you know something very important, the way to get power is by actually sharing it."

Finally, although my thoughts about banishing the patents are noble, there is one reason why it would not work - Because the world is not fair. And I hope this can change one day.

Hairstyles

noreply@blogger.com (Vyankatesh) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:58:00 PST

Audrey Hepburn once said - "The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."

It was this quote which ran through my mind yesterday when I watched a movie featuring Indian actress Priyanka Chopra. Snapped at a fundraiser in the movie, Priyanka Chopra is elegance personified courtesy her eyes and her hairstyle.

Priyanka Chopra Hairstyle Don2

Her fans are debating over the backless dress she wears in the same scene. In my opinion, it is her hairstyle which maker her a winner.

Well, we all hope to learn something new everyday. And I learned a new term today, the Beehive Hairstyle. Supposedly, it is the hairstyle of the year 2011. Featured below is Jessica Alba in a Beehive Hairstyle.

Jessica Alba Beehive Hairstyle

The name of the hairstyle is quite obvious. It is an attractive dressing option for a lady blessed with long hair. Salma Hayek too does justice to this Beehive Hairstyle.

Salma Hayek Beehive Hairstyle

Khalil Gibran, the noted Lebanese poet once commented - "And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

It is as if this quote was written with Kate Middleton in mind. Her long wavy hairstyle, with wind fluttering through her tresses, makes her look absolutely stylish.

Kate Middleton Long Wavy Hair

Same is the case with Katie Holmes. She is one lady who can carry any hairstyle with an aura of elegance. And she always crowns it up with a perfect smile.

Katie Holmes Side Swept Bangs Hairstyle

Featured above is Katie Holmes in a Side Swept Bangs Hairstyle. Don't her eyes look sparkling?

It was Rihanna who said "When I cut my hair, the whole sound changed, my style changed.". Maybe this is what prompted Katie to cut her hair and go in for a Short Bob Hairstyle.

Katie Holmes Bob Hairstyle

The snap would make you wonder whether its the same lady in the last two pictures. This is the power of a hairstyle change. It makes you look different and attractive.

That's why Hillary Clinton said “If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.”

And coming to short hair, I don't think anyone can beat Keira Knightley in her Pixie Cut hairstyle. Boyish hair, crumpled looks and a bewitching smile makes Kiera a show stopper.

Keira Knightley Pixie Cut Hairstyle

And lo and behold, she is the same Kiera below in a classy Tousled Short Cut Hairstyle. Doesn't she have a flair for short hair?

Keira Knightley Tousled Short Cut Hairstyle

Who ever said that short hair is not attractive? If some one said so, Keira is all set to prove them wrong.

And if we are discussing about short hair, one actress which would come right on the top of your mind is Bond Girl Halle Berry.

Halle Berry Short Hairstyle

This short hairstyle is Halle's signature style and is often considered to make her look younger.

How can we forget Emma Watson? All of 21 years, this short hair cut suits the petite lady perfectly.

Emma Watson Short Hairstyle

Someone once said - "The hair is the richest ornament of women." You would not disagree considering this picture of Anushka Shetty, an Indian actress, featuring in a Layered Hairstyle with Bangs.

Anushka Shetty Layered Hairstyle With Bangs

~~~~
Attired to please herself: no gems of any kind
She wore, nor aught of borrowed gloss in Nature's stead;
And, then her long, loose hair flung round her head
Fell carelessly behind.

~~ Publius Terentius Afer
~~~~

Doesn't she look like a careless beauty? Dressing in simple clothes, its her hair which her a million dollar lady.

Then you have another princess, Princess Charlene of Monaco decked in a curled hairstyle. Undoubtedly, she does justice to her title Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco.

Curled Hairstyle Princess Charlene Of Monaco

And if you are wondering which is the next hairstyle, it's titled the Updo Hairstyle. Most suited for formal occasions, the hairstyle gives a swish look.

Ashley Greene Updo Hairstyle

Jessica Alba Updo Hairstyle

Be is Ashley Greene of Twilight fame or Jessica Alba, both of them look extremely alluring in this lovely hairstyle. And yes, if you have an attractive earring to wear, this hairstyle enables you to cast a spotlight on them.

"I like to be edgy, I like to be different. I`m a little bit of rebel". Well, this is what singer Christina Aguilera once commented. If there is one hairstyle which reflects a rebel, its a Mullet hairstyle.

Scarlett Johansson Mullet Hairstyle

Here we have Scarlett Johannson in a brashly raw mullet hairstyle. This hairstyle is very much popular in Russia and Eastern Europe. It reflects a perfect rebel.

The Roman author Publilius Syrus once said - "Even a single hair casts its shadow." Well, Yes. And when these endearing ladies are blessed with a lot of it, they are bound to mesmerise with their Attractive Hairstyles.