Well, its time I prove that I actually am doing an MBA rather than as a general purveyor of random information. So today, lets have a short little piece on Ambush Marketing....now that the world cup of cricket is around the corner.
Ambush marketing is a term that has been bandied around before, usually just before any big sporting event. So what exactly is Ambush marketing, and how does it work? And is it really quite as bad as everyone makes it out? I will try to answer these questions, and pose a few more as well in the coming paragraphs.
First, what is Ambush Marketing?
"A deliberate attempt by a business or brand to associate itself with an event (often a sporting event) in order to gain some of the benefits associated with being an official sponsor without incurring the costs of sponsorship. For example by advertising during television coverage of the event."
This wonderful definition was given by www.tutor2u.net/. But I can't resist adding my 2 cents worth, so here goes.
Ambush Marketing is an attempt to give the customer the impression that an event is to be associated with a competitor firm, rather than a firm that has paid for the sponsorship.
Now, there are several examples that can be quoted. But there are precious few examples that can be found in India. But the one that I do have, sure was a perfect example. Those of you who remember the 1996 world cup (the one held in India), had the mother of all cola wars. Coke was the Official Sponsor of the world cup. But Pepsi completely took over the world cup with its "Nothing Official About it it" Advertising campaign.
The advertising campaign had everyone from Sachin Tendulkar, to Dominik Cork plugging for Pepsi. Heck, even Dickie Bird (for the uninitiated, the most capped umpire at one time) was doing a Pepsi ad. And that wasn't enough. There was a huge amount of airtime on the TV. A massive hoarding campaign. Even Balloons, with Giant Pepsi signs over the grounds! Everywhere you looked, Pepsi was screaming its message at you.
Now, I can feel sorry for Coke...but back then...it was awesome. Nobody remembered the Coke Campaign at all. And the Pepsi adverts were funny, and were great fun! (Now I would gag if I was forced to watch them all!)
So that is how ambush marketing is done. Now, I love to relate marketing to military strategy, so here is another attempt. An ambush marketing strategy is to be attempted when you have lost the advantage of control of territory. Your only advantage is the knowledge of the local terrain, and mobility. Only if you have these two strengths can you attempt an Ambush. I am stealing this from somewhere (I think Wheel of Time, but am not sure), but here goes.
"In war, you must be where your enemy thinks you are not. Fight where he thinks you will flee. Retreat where he expects you to fight, and be where he cannot imagine you to be. Speed is life. An army that moves quickly can surprise the enemy. A surprised enemy makes mistakes that you use to gain victory. Speed is the key to a successful strategy"
Pepsi did a great job of it because, all said and done, it seemed to be more aware of the Indian mind at that time. In time, it lost this advantage, as Coke became more aware of the Indian Customer. I think things came full circle, when in the last world cup, Pepsi was the official sponsor, and Coke was using Aamir Khan to counter Pepsi!
Well, next question. Is Ambush Marketing Ethical?
Companies that sponsor events spend a huge amount of money in acquiring these rights. Surely they expect some return on this huge investment. And some competitor stealing their valuable brand equity is surely not going to have corporate heads amused. There have been complaints galore about how ambush marketers are ruining the image of the marketing industry as a whole, and are acting unethically.
Here, I would beg to disagree. Companies have bought the rights to the words that an event is using. They certainly have not bought the right to the mind of the customer (ie: ME!). If their ad campaign cannot use their own sponsorship, and some chap is able to associate himself with the event without even using words like ICC Cricket World cup...surely I should applaud his creativity, and reward him with my valuable attention. (After all, my attention span is severely limited). It is sheer incompetence on the part of the official sponsor to allow itself to be ambushed. After all, there are significant protections already built into the contract which restrict any ambush marketer.
So in conclusion, the ethical argument does not hold water (in my opinion). You have every advantage as an official sponsor. Its up to you to exercise that, and take advantage of it.
I promised a question or two in conclusion. And I do like economics. Its known that the sponsorship is mostly handled in an auction manner. And one of the things that we learn in economics is that in a bidding process, its almost inevitable that only the optimistic bid succeeds. So the losing company actually would be using its ad spend more efficiently by building a good alternative (or ambush marketing) campaign. And considering the exorbitant current rates of sponsorship, surely it makes business sense to run a good alternate campaign! So, why do we have official sponsors, and companies queuing up for them?
Interesting one, neh?
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sound bytes!
I was thinking...how do these famous quotes get made. So I decided I would have a shot at it. Sound bytes for the internet age.
"There is no reality. Just an illusion that pretends really well"
"Economics is about people assuming rationality in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary."
"Love is blind, deaf, and quite frequently...dumb" (I am not sure if this is mine...surely this has been used before?).
"Fear makes you do things you would have done better without!"
"Every day starts off with the hope that things are getting better."
"You are fat enough to actually disturb the gravitational balance of the earth" (That was from when I used to be compared to satellites rather than elephants!)
"Watch that step!"
Well, that's all folks...till my next post!
"There is no reality. Just an illusion that pretends really well"
"Economics is about people assuming rationality in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary."
"Love is blind, deaf, and quite frequently...dumb" (I am not sure if this is mine...surely this has been used before?).
"Fear makes you do things you would have done better without!"
"Every day starts off with the hope that things are getting better."
"You are fat enough to actually disturb the gravitational balance of the earth" (That was from when I used to be compared to satellites rather than elephants!)
"Watch that step!"
Well, that's all folks...till my next post!
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Sunday, February 25, 2007
Politically Incorrect Economics
I have been studying some Economics, and while everyone has been praising India and China to the skies, and hailing them as economic superpowers, it is interesting to note that the total production of a company depends (finally) on basically 2 factors. One is Labour, the other is raw materials. (Lets take out Capital for the sake of this argument).
India and China have a huge amount of free labour sitting around, what with our populations. But in terms of raw materials, our land area is not exactly proportional to our population. Especially India.
Now lets consider the United States. Its two and a half times the size of India in area, and has just hit 300 million people. So its area/population is almost 9 times that of India. Just that difference would account for a huge proportion of the per capita income difference. Of course, Indian productivity of land is probably higher, but how much higher can you get? 2 times, 3 times higher? Not Ruddy likely!
Now for the really funky part. If you wanted the economy of the United States to grow like how the Indian and Chinese economies are, what do you do? You can try to raise productivity, but that is not really going to increase your growth rate from 3% to 10%. You could try exporting your goods, but that is definitely not a practical option, considering the American propensity to import Chinese made iPods!
No...how about allowing unrestricted immigration? You increase the number of people, and then have them do the jobs that are currently being outsourced. At first sight, that seems pretty odd...after all, the jobs that were previously being performed by Americans are now going to be performed by (probably) illegal migrants from Mexico. But free markets would mean that these workers would do the job for wages that no American would accept. And considering that you are now getting the same job done for less money, your productivity would probably go up!
But outsourced jobs being taken over by Mexicans won't really grow the American economy. But what if you could get labour at Indian prices for an iron ore mine in the United states. And if cheap ore is obtained, how about that for viability of the American Steel Industry. Especially if they can also employ labour at far less than minimum wage.
Of course, America is an expensive country to live in. So this labour would probably starve to death without social security. But what if an alternative economy could be set up only to target these low paid workers. We could have differential citizenship. One would be the "True citizens", and the other would be the "Labour Citizens", who would be allowed "Special privileges" such as the right to shop at exclusive stores for food. And of course, this food would be super cheap, because...you guessed it, the food has been grown by cheap labour. (or is of lower quality...but we won't walk that road, will we?).
The amazing thing is...this is probably very possible to do. With the first RFID's capable of being implanted in the skin available in the market, there is no technical problem in this sort of segregation. A "Labour Citizen" would be tagged, and only tagged citizens could enter the "Second Class Stores". And technology could be used to target every single product, to ensure that no "True Citizen" is able to use it.
Of course, "Labour Citizens" would not be allowed to buy certain items that are the prerogative of the "True Citizens". Eg: Cars, or Designer Watches. This would be one way of also ensuring that car theft is lowered!
And this would be a market economy. The instant you lose your high paying (above minimum wage) job, you would, along with your last social security check, also get a free RFID implant that would send you to the "Labour Citizen" Category.
And someone who graduates out of "Labour Citizen" gets his RFID software changed so that he can become a "True Citizen". Of course, encryption software to prevent this from being hacked must be developed. But even this is only going to add to the economy....and this can be outsourced to India to achieve cost savings!
Any thoughts?
Technorati Tags: Macroeconomics, America, Economy, Reform, RFID
India and China have a huge amount of free labour sitting around, what with our populations. But in terms of raw materials, our land area is not exactly proportional to our population. Especially India.
Now lets consider the United States. Its two and a half times the size of India in area, and has just hit 300 million people. So its area/population is almost 9 times that of India. Just that difference would account for a huge proportion of the per capita income difference. Of course, Indian productivity of land is probably higher, but how much higher can you get? 2 times, 3 times higher? Not Ruddy likely!
Now for the really funky part. If you wanted the economy of the United States to grow like how the Indian and Chinese economies are, what do you do? You can try to raise productivity, but that is not really going to increase your growth rate from 3% to 10%. You could try exporting your goods, but that is definitely not a practical option, considering the American propensity to import Chinese made iPods!
No...how about allowing unrestricted immigration? You increase the number of people, and then have them do the jobs that are currently being outsourced. At first sight, that seems pretty odd...after all, the jobs that were previously being performed by Americans are now going to be performed by (probably) illegal migrants from Mexico. But free markets would mean that these workers would do the job for wages that no American would accept. And considering that you are now getting the same job done for less money, your productivity would probably go up!
But outsourced jobs being taken over by Mexicans won't really grow the American economy. But what if you could get labour at Indian prices for an iron ore mine in the United states. And if cheap ore is obtained, how about that for viability of the American Steel Industry. Especially if they can also employ labour at far less than minimum wage.
Of course, America is an expensive country to live in. So this labour would probably starve to death without social security. But what if an alternative economy could be set up only to target these low paid workers. We could have differential citizenship. One would be the "True citizens", and the other would be the "Labour Citizens", who would be allowed "Special privileges" such as the right to shop at exclusive stores for food. And of course, this food would be super cheap, because...you guessed it, the food has been grown by cheap labour. (or is of lower quality...but we won't walk that road, will we?).
The amazing thing is...this is probably very possible to do. With the first RFID's capable of being implanted in the skin available in the market, there is no technical problem in this sort of segregation. A "Labour Citizen" would be tagged, and only tagged citizens could enter the "Second Class Stores". And technology could be used to target every single product, to ensure that no "True Citizen" is able to use it.
Of course, "Labour Citizens" would not be allowed to buy certain items that are the prerogative of the "True Citizens". Eg: Cars, or Designer Watches. This would be one way of also ensuring that car theft is lowered!
And this would be a market economy. The instant you lose your high paying (above minimum wage) job, you would, along with your last social security check, also get a free RFID implant that would send you to the "Labour Citizen" Category.
And someone who graduates out of "Labour Citizen" gets his RFID software changed so that he can become a "True Citizen". Of course, encryption software to prevent this from being hacked must be developed. But even this is only going to add to the economy....and this can be outsourced to India to achieve cost savings!
Any thoughts?
Technorati Tags: Macroeconomics, America, Economy, Reform, RFID
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Friday, December 29, 2006
Incredible India!
Well, been a while since I last posted...ok...a bit more than just a while. No excuses even...just laziness, and a couple of other things that cropped up.
So lets start a new topic, shall we?
The Indian Government is trying to woo tourism with its Incredible INDIA campaign. I have to admit, the first time I saw it, I was just another scoffer...but over the last few days, I have been forced to reassess my rather silly opinion that the only incredible about India was that we have crammed 1/6th of the worlds population in 2% of its area.
I had been to Sikkim in October, and have just returned from Coorg after a three day trip there to the Jungle Lodges Resort at Dubare (an elephant camp). The two places are seperated by 2000 kms...but are both absolutely stunning in their own way.
At Sikkim, the Himalayas loom over everything you do. But its a place that defies description...I just has to be visited. Until I went there, I did not believe that places like this could be found in India. Well I was wrong!
At Coorg, I was treated to an experiment that is being tried out by the Karnataka tourism department. Its called Jungle Lodge resorts, and its been the first time I visited one. Nesteled in the heart of nature, next to the banks of the Kaveri river, and its a place where I (for one) was left to do my own thing, but was guided by an able naturalist in figuring out the various birds, plants and animals that made up the place. In addition, there are a few tame elephants in the camp, and you can "interact" with them. Again, a stunning place, and one that
has to be visited to really know how it feels.
Well, its a bit late, and I should sign off now...I will try to upload pics of both these places when I can...but the Coorg trip was shot with a Rs499 Kodak Camera with film...and will have to be scanned first...considering my spectacular ability to do hard work...I have a feeling this will take some time!
till my next post
So lets start a new topic, shall we?
The Indian Government is trying to woo tourism with its Incredible INDIA campaign. I have to admit, the first time I saw it, I was just another scoffer...but over the last few days, I have been forced to reassess my rather silly opinion that the only incredible about India was that we have crammed 1/6th of the worlds population in 2% of its area.
I had been to Sikkim in October, and have just returned from Coorg after a three day trip there to the Jungle Lodges Resort at Dubare (an elephant camp). The two places are seperated by 2000 kms...but are both absolutely stunning in their own way.
At Sikkim, the Himalayas loom over everything you do. But its a place that defies description...I just has to be visited. Until I went there, I did not believe that places like this could be found in India. Well I was wrong!
At Coorg, I was treated to an experiment that is being tried out by the Karnataka tourism department. Its called Jungle Lodge resorts, and its been the first time I visited one. Nesteled in the heart of nature, next to the banks of the Kaveri river, and its a place where I (for one) was left to do my own thing, but was guided by an able naturalist in figuring out the various birds, plants and animals that made up the place. In addition, there are a few tame elephants in the camp, and you can "interact" with them. Again, a stunning place, and one that
has to be visited to really know how it feels.
Well, its a bit late, and I should sign off now...I will try to upload pics of both these places when I can...but the Coorg trip was shot with a Rs499 Kodak Camera with film...and will have to be scanned first...considering my spectacular ability to do hard work...I have a feeling this will take some time!
till my next post
Saturday, November 11, 2006
A Tragic Accident?
I have not updated this for quite a while, for a variety of reasons, but all my recent posting ideas have been displaced by the tragedy at Palestine.
I wonder what Isreal would have done if Hamas had blown up a bus filled with civilians...and then claimed it was an "accident". The callous disregard for human life and dignity in this conflict is just so depressing that I find nothing that provides for hope.
Is Isreal even aware how much animosity exists against it? The Isreali army report actually tried to justify their ridiculous actions. To put it in perspective, lets have a look at the recent Isreali deaths.....3 soldiers...1 of whom was killed by "Friendly fire".
Fear makes people stupid. I am sorry to say this, but the average Isreali seems to trust his military...and that is stupid.
I wonder what Isreal would have done if Hamas had blown up a bus filled with civilians...and then claimed it was an "accident". The callous disregard for human life and dignity in this conflict is just so depressing that I find nothing that provides for hope.
Is Isreal even aware how much animosity exists against it? The Isreali army report actually tried to justify their ridiculous actions. To put it in perspective, lets have a look at the recent Isreali deaths.....3 soldiers...1 of whom was killed by "Friendly fire".
Fear makes people stupid. I am sorry to say this, but the average Isreali seems to trust his military...and that is stupid.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Mostly over
Well, the midsems are finally over (almost). And I will have to admit that they went by pretty disastrously. No need to elaborate further, as I have decided to not think about them until the results arrive.
So lets do a movie review, what? This time its Lage Raho Munnabhai.
This is the sequal to the immensely popular Munnabhai MBBS, which was given rave reviews by one and all. So how does Lage Raho do?
Again you follow the doings of Munnabhai and Circuit, in their efforts to bag a girl for Munna. In between Munna becomes convinced that Gandhi speaks to him, and becomes a proponent of Gandhism...Mumbaikar Ishtyle. Madness, Mystery and Mayhem ensue, until "le happy end" continues.
Good points of this movie:
It did not take itself too seriously.
The jokes were mostly situational, and not contrived.
There was an attempt at a plot, which is not common at all in Hindi Movies
Had some nifty songs (which I liked).
Not so good points:
It was not as laugh out loud funny as Munna 1.
While the plot was there, it was somewhat episodic in its handling. Its not something that I can explain easily...but it just felt like there were small discontinuities in scenes.
So all in all, the movie rates a watchable...maybe even a bit better. I liked the movie overall. And like the whole non-violence idea. Though the Bhai character of the movie suffered a lot as a result.
Well, the Zener Diode is still Work In Progress. Once I finish off with Management Accounting, hope to see it debut on my blog. But till then...Ta Ta!
So lets do a movie review, what? This time its Lage Raho Munnabhai.
This is the sequal to the immensely popular Munnabhai MBBS, which was given rave reviews by one and all. So how does Lage Raho do?
Again you follow the doings of Munnabhai and Circuit, in their efforts to bag a girl for Munna. In between Munna becomes convinced that Gandhi speaks to him, and becomes a proponent of Gandhism...Mumbaikar Ishtyle. Madness, Mystery and Mayhem ensue, until "le happy end" continues.
Good points of this movie:
It did not take itself too seriously.
The jokes were mostly situational, and not contrived.
There was an attempt at a plot, which is not common at all in Hindi Movies
Had some nifty songs (which I liked).
Not so good points:
It was not as laugh out loud funny as Munna 1.
While the plot was there, it was somewhat episodic in its handling. Its not something that I can explain easily...but it just felt like there were small discontinuities in scenes.
So all in all, the movie rates a watchable...maybe even a bit better. I liked the movie overall. And like the whole non-violence idea. Though the Bhai character of the movie suffered a lot as a result.
Well, the Zener Diode is still Work In Progress. Once I finish off with Management Accounting, hope to see it debut on my blog. But till then...Ta Ta!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
In the midst of exams
My midsems began three days ago...After two exams...I can't say that they have been great so far.
The papers have been easy, but my preparation levels have not quite been perfect. And that is a serious understatement!
However, life is bigger than exams (I keep telling myself that), and its time for yet another movie review.
This time we go for Kill Bill--> Volume 2.
I remember watching Kill Bill volume 1 in the theatre in Bangalore...mainly because of the rather off colour jokes we made during the movie. I have to admit it...I really liked the movie. The awesome cartoon part in between, as well as the overblown dramatics was great for my mood at the time.
Now KBV2 was watched after my rather pitiful OR exam...and I have to admit, this movie is nowhere as good as volume 1. It has some interesting moments, but its a bit like H2G2....200 pages of inanity intermixed with 20 pages of genius! No plot giveaways, but I will say this...It is not for the squemish. If you do not have a very high tolerance to blood and gore...you SHOULD NOT watch this movie.
Well, I did promise a Zener diode explanation, but midsems have conspired to ensure that I could not read up on them. However, once the midterms end...I hope to be restarting my physics section.
Until then...ta ta.
The papers have been easy, but my preparation levels have not quite been perfect. And that is a serious understatement!
However, life is bigger than exams (I keep telling myself that), and its time for yet another movie review.
This time we go for Kill Bill--> Volume 2.
I remember watching Kill Bill volume 1 in the theatre in Bangalore...mainly because of the rather off colour jokes we made during the movie. I have to admit it...I really liked the movie. The awesome cartoon part in between, as well as the overblown dramatics was great for my mood at the time.
Now KBV2 was watched after my rather pitiful OR exam...and I have to admit, this movie is nowhere as good as volume 1. It has some interesting moments, but its a bit like H2G2....200 pages of inanity intermixed with 20 pages of genius! No plot giveaways, but I will say this...It is not for the squemish. If you do not have a very high tolerance to blood and gore...you SHOULD NOT watch this movie.
Well, I did promise a Zener diode explanation, but midsems have conspired to ensure that I could not read up on them. However, once the midterms end...I hope to be restarting my physics section.
Until then...ta ta.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
My long due Basic Physics Tutorial!
Well, my profile details claim an interest in physics and mechanics...and I don't think I have made even 1 post on that topic. So...here goes.
Be warned...I am not very good at maths...nor drawing. Just try to make pictures in your head. Of course, if you can't, the fault lies with the poor author! :(
Topic 1--> Why is it easier to balance a Bicycle when it moves?
This is something that has forever intrigued me...since I learned how to ride a bike...and had my first fall....which was while stopping the dashed thing!
So here goes. Get your imagination hat...put it on...and read further
Imagine a stationary cycle, with "Yours Truly" seated on it. (I weigh more than 80 kilos). Now, if I tilt sideways even the tiniest bit, the centre of mass of the cycle no longer lies between the wheels...and whoops, the result is an unfortunate bala, smeared with dust/mud. After all, the tiny force that is now not aligned with the centre line of the cycle acts to increase the instability of the cycle, leading to a greater force which is not aligned...which increases it even more...and so on and so forth.
So how is a moving cycle different? After all, when you shift even slightly, surely your weight is not on the centre line of the bike, and the results should be similar. But it does not happen. Why?
Here is why. The rotating wheels have a rotary moment of inertia, which when you tilt them means that there are two more forces sitting around other than just your body weight.
Warning: Tech Data coming up. Skip if you do not want
Any motion in a curved path represents accelerated motion, and requires a force directed toward the center of curvature of the path. This force is called the centripetal force which means "center seeking" force. The force has the magnitude as given below.
Now for the meat...how does this centripetal force come into picture for a bicycle? While the bicycle is perfectly straight...well, it does not. But when you tilt the dashed thing, what happens. Your rotating tyre is also tilting, which now means that the centripetal force, which was doing nothing very special, now suddenly is acting at an angle to the vertical.
This angle means that the centripetal force now has two components....one directed in the vertical direction. ie: towards the sky/ground. And the other, horizontal direction.
Now, vertical makes no difference to us. However the interesting thing about the horizontal component of this force is that it tends to push the weight back to the centre line, thereby keeping the cycle stable.
Now, I dont have a scanner, which lets me write out the equations as well as the figures, so I will save that for another day, but suffice to say, the words above are an (somewhat unclear) explanation of this rather nifty real world problem. I especially like it because this is one thing that I figured out for myself rather than learning from a book. The book gives the information faster, but learning it intuitively is sooo much more fun and enjoyable!
k...any other nifty physical problems...well if you have them, I would be more than glad to think of their solution...but remember, it took me three fruitless years before I actually came up with the above explanation for the cycle thing. So questions are welcome...Just do not expect good answers.
p.s: I have to acknowledge the input of http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/cf.html, for the middle portion of my post, as well as that equation. Their page is not half bad either! :)
Well, till the Zener diode, and how physics is a lot like magic!
Ta Ta.
Be warned...I am not very good at maths...nor drawing. Just try to make pictures in your head. Of course, if you can't, the fault lies with the poor author! :(
Topic 1--> Why is it easier to balance a Bicycle when it moves?
This is something that has forever intrigued me...since I learned how to ride a bike...and had my first fall....which was while stopping the dashed thing!
So here goes. Get your imagination hat...put it on...and read further
Imagine a stationary cycle, with "Yours Truly" seated on it. (I weigh more than 80 kilos). Now, if I tilt sideways even the tiniest bit, the centre of mass of the cycle no longer lies between the wheels...and whoops, the result is an unfortunate bala, smeared with dust/mud. After all, the tiny force that is now not aligned with the centre line of the cycle acts to increase the instability of the cycle, leading to a greater force which is not aligned...which increases it even more...and so on and so forth.
So how is a moving cycle different? After all, when you shift even slightly, surely your weight is not on the centre line of the bike, and the results should be similar. But it does not happen. Why?
Here is why. The rotating wheels have a rotary moment of inertia, which when you tilt them means that there are two more forces sitting around other than just your body weight.
Warning: Tech Data coming up. Skip if you do not want
Any motion in a curved path represents accelerated motion, and requires a force directed toward the center of curvature of the path. This force is called the centripetal force which means "center seeking" force. The force has the magnitude as given below.
Now for the meat...how does this centripetal force come into picture for a bicycle? While the bicycle is perfectly straight...well, it does not. But when you tilt the dashed thing, what happens. Your rotating tyre is also tilting, which now means that the centripetal force, which was doing nothing very special, now suddenly is acting at an angle to the vertical.This angle means that the centripetal force now has two components....one directed in the vertical direction. ie: towards the sky/ground. And the other, horizontal direction.
Now, vertical makes no difference to us. However the interesting thing about the horizontal component of this force is that it tends to push the weight back to the centre line, thereby keeping the cycle stable.
Now, I dont have a scanner, which lets me write out the equations as well as the figures, so I will save that for another day, but suffice to say, the words above are an (somewhat unclear) explanation of this rather nifty real world problem. I especially like it because this is one thing that I figured out for myself rather than learning from a book. The book gives the information faster, but learning it intuitively is sooo much more fun and enjoyable!
k...any other nifty physical problems...well if you have them, I would be more than glad to think of their solution...but remember, it took me three fruitless years before I actually came up with the above explanation for the cycle thing. So questions are welcome...Just do not expect good answers.
p.s: I have to acknowledge the input of http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/cf.html, for the middle portion of my post, as well as that equation. Their page is not half bad either! :)
Well, till the Zener diode, and how physics is a lot like magic!
Ta Ta.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Movie Review: And life in general
Well, Continuing on life in Kharagpur. First I start with a movie review. I just watched Karan Johar's latest movie, Kabhi Alwida Na Kehna (I hope I got the spelling right!). And what was the movie like...other than long!
Well...I wish I could appreciate these bollywood movies more...but K Johar is in a league of his own. I have read these byte sized reviews, so I thought I will have a go.
Boy A marries Girl B
Boy C marries Girl D
Girl B loves Boy C
Boy C loves Girl B
Unhappiness and an extramarital affair later, Girl B divorces Boy A...Boy C divorces Girl D.
Three Years later....Girl D meets Boy C in railway station...and they go on to live happily ever after.
This of course took about 3.5 hours! So verdict...leave this at the theatres...watching it will just make you want to throttle the director! Of course, this is my personal opinion...I know one or two people who liked the movie. Good for them!
As for the rest of life. With exams coming up, I should now be seriously studying...but it does not take a genius to realise I have been watching movies and not studying! However, slow and steady wins the race...and the last day or two has actually seen me open my books and blow the dust off them.
Now to philosophy...today I had a moment of epiphany. This is a bit long, so wait around! I usually hate having cold water baths....why? Maybe I dislike being cold, or its the feeling when the first sharp hit of cold water hits my back. At any rate...I dont like cold showers. But today, I applied some philosopy I read in Robin Hobb (Assasasin's Quest...dont remember the page). Basically, it said something about not using your prior expectations affect your reactions to current stimuli (The stimuli in the book was cold rain).
So I tried eliminating all thought of the desire for hot water. The fact of cold water was inescapable, so I decided to eliminate the idea of dislike for the sudden deluge of cold water...And what do you know; It worked! I could actually take the plunge (figuritively), and enjoy the experience. The cold water was not unpleasant or irritating...it just was as it ought to be...and my experience was unaffected by my past beliefs or baths!
I wonder if I could use the idea for the rest of my life...But a word of caution for those who want to use the above philosophy. When I turned off the shower, I was as cold as if all that philosophising was just a bunch of hot air (which I longed for dearly at the time!).
Well, more for my next post.
Till then,
Ta Ta.
Well...I wish I could appreciate these bollywood movies more...but K Johar is in a league of his own. I have read these byte sized reviews, so I thought I will have a go.
Boy A marries Girl B
Boy C marries Girl D
Girl B loves Boy C
Boy C loves Girl B
Unhappiness and an extramarital affair later, Girl B divorces Boy A...Boy C divorces Girl D.
Three Years later....Girl D meets Boy C in railway station...and they go on to live happily ever after.
This of course took about 3.5 hours! So verdict...leave this at the theatres...watching it will just make you want to throttle the director! Of course, this is my personal opinion...I know one or two people who liked the movie. Good for them!
As for the rest of life. With exams coming up, I should now be seriously studying...but it does not take a genius to realise I have been watching movies and not studying! However, slow and steady wins the race...and the last day or two has actually seen me open my books and blow the dust off them.
Now to philosophy...today I had a moment of epiphany. This is a bit long, so wait around! I usually hate having cold water baths....why? Maybe I dislike being cold, or its the feeling when the first sharp hit of cold water hits my back. At any rate...I dont like cold showers. But today, I applied some philosopy I read in Robin Hobb (Assasasin's Quest...dont remember the page). Basically, it said something about not using your prior expectations affect your reactions to current stimuli (The stimuli in the book was cold rain).
So I tried eliminating all thought of the desire for hot water. The fact of cold water was inescapable, so I decided to eliminate the idea of dislike for the sudden deluge of cold water...And what do you know; It worked! I could actually take the plunge (figuritively), and enjoy the experience. The cold water was not unpleasant or irritating...it just was as it ought to be...and my experience was unaffected by my past beliefs or baths!
I wonder if I could use the idea for the rest of my life...But a word of caution for those who want to use the above philosophy. When I turned off the shower, I was as cold as if all that philosophising was just a bunch of hot air (which I longed for dearly at the time!).
Well, more for my next post.
Till then,
Ta Ta.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Back Again
I guess, like the bad penny, I continue to turn up when least expected!
The last few weeks have seen my (usual) insufferable superiority complex dented pretty badly. I have always held the (completely without proof) belief of my own genius. Out here, however, I see chaps who are actually capable of beating me when I am having a good day. Thankfully, I always claim I am not competitive, and then sidestep these issues, but I fear that may not be a long term solution.
So far, my progress with academics has been minimal. Maybe I have been away from the academic groove, but I find it extremely hard to get back to studying with an exam focus. However, that is changing slowly, or rather being changed slowly by circs.
I did find some time to read another book though. This was "Surely you are Joking, Mr. Feynman", which is a collection of anecdotes of Feynman, told in the first person. Very readable, and explains his own view of life, which is very different from most people. Worth Reading.
Well, that should do it for now. Now that my clock is claiming 4:00 am, I think it is time to go to bed, even if it is only for a couple of hours. That is still better than no sleep at all!
The last few weeks have seen my (usual) insufferable superiority complex dented pretty badly. I have always held the (completely without proof) belief of my own genius. Out here, however, I see chaps who are actually capable of beating me when I am having a good day. Thankfully, I always claim I am not competitive, and then sidestep these issues, but I fear that may not be a long term solution.
So far, my progress with academics has been minimal. Maybe I have been away from the academic groove, but I find it extremely hard to get back to studying with an exam focus. However, that is changing slowly, or rather being changed slowly by circs.
I did find some time to read another book though. This was "Surely you are Joking, Mr. Feynman", which is a collection of anecdotes of Feynman, told in the first person. Very readable, and explains his own view of life, which is very different from most people. Worth Reading.
Well, that should do it for now. Now that my clock is claiming 4:00 am, I think it is time to go to bed, even if it is only for a couple of hours. That is still better than no sleep at all!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Hmm...Irregular Aren't I!
The title says it all. I fear I have been a bit busy the last week or two. What with the last minute packing, and moving...I did not find time in between. And now that my course has begun, I have just begun to realise that maybe an MBA is not completely easy after all! :-)
Anyway, I promised to review a tamil movie..and so I shall.
Mr. Madras is a tamil movie starring Prabhu. What can I say about this movie? Bad. That does not describe the absolute disastor this movie was. With a plotline that got more ridiculous every minute, to insipid acting, and poor directing, this movie has nothing going for it. The movie was so bad that it seemed like one of Einstein's laws. It was so bad, that it was good coming backwards! :)
Well, that is done. Now what about my MBA? Well, I have finally joined IIT Kharagpur, VGSOM. After spending a week, what are my first imressions? Firstly, the rooms. They were a pleasant surprise. Big...fairly airy, and very neat. Of course, after 1 week of me...not so neat now!
Next comes my batch. So far, I have been OK with everyone. But for forgetting their names, and being forced to ask people for their names for the third and fourth time! Nobody has hit me on the head for it so far...and I hope that I have passed that dangerous phase now.
How about work? There is tonnes of it here. Sufficient that I find it tough to find time in a 24 hour day to do all I want to do. Actually, I have not yet managed to do that...even if I lose sleep and try to do everything at once. I guess all managers have to learn time management!
So, here is hoping this is going to be the first of many posts from here.
Anyway, I promised to review a tamil movie..and so I shall.
Mr. Madras is a tamil movie starring Prabhu. What can I say about this movie? Bad. That does not describe the absolute disastor this movie was. With a plotline that got more ridiculous every minute, to insipid acting, and poor directing, this movie has nothing going for it. The movie was so bad that it seemed like one of Einstein's laws. It was so bad, that it was good coming backwards! :)
Well, that is done. Now what about my MBA? Well, I have finally joined IIT Kharagpur, VGSOM. After spending a week, what are my first imressions? Firstly, the rooms. They were a pleasant surprise. Big...fairly airy, and very neat. Of course, after 1 week of me...not so neat now!
Next comes my batch. So far, I have been OK with everyone. But for forgetting their names, and being forced to ask people for their names for the third and fourth time! Nobody has hit me on the head for it so far...and I hope that I have passed that dangerous phase now.
How about work? There is tonnes of it here. Sufficient that I find it tough to find time in a 24 hour day to do all I want to do. Actually, I have not yet managed to do that...even if I lose sleep and try to do everything at once. I guess all managers have to learn time management!
So, here is hoping this is going to be the first of many posts from here.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Long time due update
Pure laziness prevented me from updating this...although I must admit that I did not even notice the amount of time that had passed.
Recent events have sort of blurred out the impact of earlier ones. The bombings in Mumbai for one! I find myself unable to even comprehend the need to destroy that those fellows had (Other words comes to mind, but this blog is still PG!). I wish that I could now believe in the fiery hells just to put those characters in it.
Anyway, to move on to brighter things and days. I have given my account of the train journey, and following that...nothing! Well, that was not because nothing happened! I went to Manali for a few days...the highlight of which undoubtadly was the paragliding. Did I mention before that I am terrified of heights? If I did not, consider it said now! But I have to admit, if I got the chance to do it again, I would. The only thing was that I was strapped to this other chap, who did all the guiding of the chute...I would like to know how to do that someday!
But that is moving ahead of my story. Some great philosopher (probably a chinese dude) said something about a journey being the destination. By the time my journey from Delhi to Manali had finished, I would have given that guy a real piece of my mind. Our journey started from Gurgaon, where my sister had thoughtfully prebooked from the net, tickets from this swanky looking website of South Delhi Travels (R)(tm). Looked real professional, those guys did. Had this big building type thing in the front, and funky looking buses too. Well, we finally reached their office (for the 4 p.m bus) at about 3:30, and saw this hole in the building, which was a one room thing, which was their entire operation!
However, that was not why we came. After all we were going to be travelling, not sitting in a silly room. And when the bus arrived (at 4:00 sharp), we were appropriately impressed. It was this sky blue, and looked BIG. Then we (family) got in, and saw that there were only about 6 passengers, which included us. And then found that the seats were temperemental. Some of them had movable backrests. Others, well they did not. And for a 17 hour (from guidebook) journey, these things are important. Anyway, since there were only 6 of us, we sort of switched until we found working seats, with the bus conductor telling us that we could not switch after this. "Why not?", I thought to myself. After all, this bus seats 35, and there are only 9 of us, including the driver.
Well, I found out soon enough. We started off at about 4:05, and as we hit Rajpath, we picked up another 5-6 victims...err passengers. At about 4:30, the air conditioning decided that it would give up for the present. In Delhi, this is not good thing. Consider that the temp (in the shade) at 5:00pm was 41.5 Celcius. And we were parked in the sun, with no airflow allowed. Within 10 minutes, it felt like that torture thing the Foreign legion were supposed to be fond of. Soon, the bus started again, and we thought that he is either going to get it fixed, or put us on new bus. But no! The man has quite some gall. He continues to next pick up point and picks up more bakras...sorry passengers. After a couple of stops, a critical mass was reached, and we told him to either fix the AC or let us off, returning our money in the bargain. So he finally stopped, and by some miracle, got the damned thing fixed.
"Finally!", I thought to myself, "We can head out to Manali." But our conductor was still unsatisfied. He had only about 15 guys now, and the bus seats 35. So we wandered around Delhi, until we got 35. It felt somewhat odd, when I passed Kashmir Gate for the third time. The highway was right there, but our man had a quest to complete.
We finally filled the bus at 8:00 p.m, before which I was treated to Delhi Darshan! I dont think we missed any part of South Delhi, and most of the historical monuments as well! So our journey, which was to last 17 hours, took almost 23. We reached Manali at about 2:30 the next day.
I shall not describe the 12:30 stop for supper at this Dhabha, or the lights failing soon after, which also necessitated brief stops. Those were par for this course.
However, I did end up feeling sorry for the conductor towards the end of the trip. He had quite a sleepless night (so did I)...the AC which was now working too well, had a vent which was broken, and therefore I could not shut off the cold air. And I mean COLD! But we were discussing the conductor...not my lack of sleep. So anyway, the conductor decides to get some much needed sleep, by spreading charpoy and getting some much needed shut eye. By this time were on the mountain roads in Himachal. There was this little girl who I guess did not like it...and to cut a long story short, our poor conductor now had puke all over his pant legs. He did not even receive much sympathy from the other passengers as he stalked off muttering (probably) Punjabi curses at the unfairness of life.
So that was a not so brief description of the journey from Delhi to Manali. The only good thing I found about it was the absence of the almost inevitable movie on coach...the TV was not working on the bus! :)
Coming up in future posts: Daryaganj Book Market. Review of NO ENTRY. And of a couple of Tamil movies as well, including that all time hit, Mr. Madras.
So see you again, same bat time, same...oh sorry, wrong channel!
Recent events have sort of blurred out the impact of earlier ones. The bombings in Mumbai for one! I find myself unable to even comprehend the need to destroy that those fellows had (Other words comes to mind, but this blog is still PG!). I wish that I could now believe in the fiery hells just to put those characters in it.
Anyway, to move on to brighter things and days. I have given my account of the train journey, and following that...nothing! Well, that was not because nothing happened! I went to Manali for a few days...the highlight of which undoubtadly was the paragliding. Did I mention before that I am terrified of heights? If I did not, consider it said now! But I have to admit, if I got the chance to do it again, I would. The only thing was that I was strapped to this other chap, who did all the guiding of the chute...I would like to know how to do that someday!
But that is moving ahead of my story. Some great philosopher (probably a chinese dude) said something about a journey being the destination. By the time my journey from Delhi to Manali had finished, I would have given that guy a real piece of my mind. Our journey started from Gurgaon, where my sister had thoughtfully prebooked from the net, tickets from this swanky looking website of South Delhi Travels (R)(tm). Looked real professional, those guys did. Had this big building type thing in the front, and funky looking buses too. Well, we finally reached their office (for the 4 p.m bus) at about 3:30, and saw this hole in the building, which was a one room thing, which was their entire operation!
However, that was not why we came. After all we were going to be travelling, not sitting in a silly room. And when the bus arrived (at 4:00 sharp), we were appropriately impressed. It was this sky blue, and looked BIG. Then we (family) got in, and saw that there were only about 6 passengers, which included us. And then found that the seats were temperemental. Some of them had movable backrests. Others, well they did not. And for a 17 hour (from guidebook) journey, these things are important. Anyway, since there were only 6 of us, we sort of switched until we found working seats, with the bus conductor telling us that we could not switch after this. "Why not?", I thought to myself. After all, this bus seats 35, and there are only 9 of us, including the driver.
Well, I found out soon enough. We started off at about 4:05, and as we hit Rajpath, we picked up another 5-6 victims...err passengers. At about 4:30, the air conditioning decided that it would give up for the present. In Delhi, this is not good thing. Consider that the temp (in the shade) at 5:00pm was 41.5 Celcius. And we were parked in the sun, with no airflow allowed. Within 10 minutes, it felt like that torture thing the Foreign legion were supposed to be fond of. Soon, the bus started again, and we thought that he is either going to get it fixed, or put us on new bus. But no! The man has quite some gall. He continues to next pick up point and picks up more bakras...sorry passengers. After a couple of stops, a critical mass was reached, and we told him to either fix the AC or let us off, returning our money in the bargain. So he finally stopped, and by some miracle, got the damned thing fixed.
"Finally!", I thought to myself, "We can head out to Manali." But our conductor was still unsatisfied. He had only about 15 guys now, and the bus seats 35. So we wandered around Delhi, until we got 35. It felt somewhat odd, when I passed Kashmir Gate for the third time. The highway was right there, but our man had a quest to complete.
We finally filled the bus at 8:00 p.m, before which I was treated to Delhi Darshan! I dont think we missed any part of South Delhi, and most of the historical monuments as well! So our journey, which was to last 17 hours, took almost 23. We reached Manali at about 2:30 the next day.
I shall not describe the 12:30 stop for supper at this Dhabha, or the lights failing soon after, which also necessitated brief stops. Those were par for this course.
However, I did end up feeling sorry for the conductor towards the end of the trip. He had quite a sleepless night (so did I)...the AC which was now working too well, had a vent which was broken, and therefore I could not shut off the cold air. And I mean COLD! But we were discussing the conductor...not my lack of sleep. So anyway, the conductor decides to get some much needed sleep, by spreading charpoy and getting some much needed shut eye. By this time were on the mountain roads in Himachal. There was this little girl who I guess did not like it...and to cut a long story short, our poor conductor now had puke all over his pant legs. He did not even receive much sympathy from the other passengers as he stalked off muttering (probably) Punjabi curses at the unfairness of life.
So that was a not so brief description of the journey from Delhi to Manali. The only good thing I found about it was the absence of the almost inevitable movie on coach...the TV was not working on the bus! :)
Coming up in future posts: Daryaganj Book Market. Review of NO ENTRY. And of a couple of Tamil movies as well, including that all time hit, Mr. Madras.
So see you again, same bat time, same...oh sorry, wrong channel!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Train Journeys...and another review!
This was written a few days ago, but for some reason, it did not get uploaded...so here goes!
I spent the last two days in the Samparkranthi Express headed for
This one was depressingly normal. My only entertainment was found with this doctor who was travelling with me. Poor chap was studying for some entrance exam. Call it sadistic, but I really enjoyed watching him struggle through 3 thick books filled with multiple choice questions! I guess the word "Schadenfreude" was made for this sort of situation. :-)
In other details, the AC compartment was AC only in name. There seemed to be little cold air circulating, but at least it was not oppressively hot! And the railways have thoughtfully provided a laptop charging point in each coupe. I only wish that someone had told them that every laptop charger I have ever used uses a three pin plug for earthing. Something that the railways thoughtfully did not provide!
So I was forced to going through my stack of books that I had saved up for the road trip to Manali. I had found a hardbound copy of the second book of the "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" Trilogy by Tad Williams, so i guess I should review the series.
Book 1 of the Series -- "The Dragonbone Chair"
The book is set in the mythical land of Osten Ard, where humans are now in the ascendency, and have destroyed most (if not all) of the previous powers, the Sitha (fairy type creatures). We follow young Seoman, who is a scullery boy in the Hayholt, which is where the king rules from.
The king of the realm, Prester John is a mighty warrior, as well as a splendid diplomat. But his days are numbered, and the actual action of the book begins after he dies of old age.
His son Elias takes over the crown, and initially all seems well. But with the entry of the evil Pyrates, his priest, there is soon trouble brewing, and Simon is caught up in it. He soon finds out that more than just the fate of the kingdom is at stake. For there is an evil from the north, which seeks to destroy the world as we know it.
So far, it seems like a fairly normal fantasy novel. But his descriptions are stunning, and the quality of writing is very Tolkein like. Now of course, I am not the biggest fan of Tolkein, but Tad Williams moves a bit faster than JRR, and has a bit more brooding menace as well!
The series moves fairly quickly, and there is the standard romantic sideplot as well. But there is an intriguing side plot, where you have a Christianity type religion, with the equivalent of the Pope.
All in all, its worth a read. If you are a fantasy fan, its even worth a buy. Its quite good, and his imagery is extremely good.
Well, that is all folks. I shall update more as and when I get access to the net!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Finishing Up!
The last week has been really eventful. Finally, after much delay I finally went and installed my first pump in a customer's machine on Monday.
Well, actually it was given free, because I wanted to see how it works, and the data from actual running, while the customer got a free pump...if it worked! Thankfully, it did, and so far, after 6 days, no problems so far.
I spent Tuesday feeling good about myself, and finalising drawings. Wednesday...ditto. Thursday...again the same. Friday saw another customer agreeing to be guinea pig, Saturday was spent furiously tying up loose ends, and Sunday saw me installing the pump at the customers place. This looks quite good as well, but I still have my fingers crossed!
I am quitting on Monday...and I dread the paperwork that is waiting for me.
So, what did I get out of my job of 1 year?
A lot of experience of the practical parts of engineering. As a fresh graduate, I am honest enough to admit that I was a dreadful engineer. Now, I can honestly say that I am an adequate engineer, and I owe most of it to my company.
My job involved meeting a lot of people...from very different backgrounds. From initially reporting to the no.2 guy in the company, to telling a subcontractors' machine operator exactly how I want my part machined. I learnt something about communication there. And that the best way to be with people is to be completely natural with anyone. It works...strangely enough! :-)
Now what did my company get from me?
They got a guy who was willing to slave for them for 6k!
A pump...which may or may not work perfectly!
Pending bills! (I hope to clear them tomorrow though!)
Anyway, that is it for today. I am off to watch the Indians bat, and then read a book...or maybe play a computer game!
Well, actually it was given free, because I wanted to see how it works, and the data from actual running, while the customer got a free pump...if it worked! Thankfully, it did, and so far, after 6 days, no problems so far.
I spent Tuesday feeling good about myself, and finalising drawings. Wednesday...ditto. Thursday...again the same. Friday saw another customer agreeing to be guinea pig, Saturday was spent furiously tying up loose ends, and Sunday saw me installing the pump at the customers place. This looks quite good as well, but I still have my fingers crossed!
I am quitting on Monday...and I dread the paperwork that is waiting for me.
So, what did I get out of my job of 1 year?
A lot of experience of the practical parts of engineering. As a fresh graduate, I am honest enough to admit that I was a dreadful engineer. Now, I can honestly say that I am an adequate engineer, and I owe most of it to my company.
My job involved meeting a lot of people...from very different backgrounds. From initially reporting to the no.2 guy in the company, to telling a subcontractors' machine operator exactly how I want my part machined. I learnt something about communication there. And that the best way to be with people is to be completely natural with anyone. It works...strangely enough! :-)
Now what did my company get from me?
They got a guy who was willing to slave for them for 6k!
A pump...which may or may not work perfectly!
Pending bills! (I hope to clear them tomorrow though!)
Anyway, that is it for today. I am off to watch the Indians bat, and then read a book...or maybe play a computer game!
Friday, May 19, 2006
Picture!
This is me showing off my skills (nonexistent) at editing photos. This is supposed to be a cortoony variant of me! :-)
Monday, May 15, 2006
Reviews...Book and Movie
Crusader—Edward Bloor
Well, here is another book review for the week. I was actually heading towards financial distress after spending Rs 220 on a Robin Hobb that I had previously read online, but like someone said, “Mans reach should extend his grasp”, so I had to pick up another book. I used my old picking philosophy that if its fantasy, it ought to be cheap and big. So I ended up picking this big book called Crusader for 80 bucks. At 600 odd pages, it sure was value for money all right. And it featured a girl holding a big sword on the cover. Surely that had to be good!
Only after starting the book did I realise that it was not a fantasy novel at all. Instead it is this rather strange coming of age novel, set in
This was a completely unexpected read. I kept waiting for the fantasy bit to begin…and only after about 300 pages did I finally figure out that this is not a fantasy novel after all! But having reconciled myself to that sad fact, I found the story itself fairly good. I have not read very many books written by guys who have written with a girl protagonist (in the first person, no less). And initially the heroine was fairly androgynous. However, she does emerge as a distinct individual at the end of it. There is a murder mystery as well, which is a background to this story, holding the plot down after the first 150 pages of atmosphere! It’s also about ethnic minorities, and attempts to preach about the values of tolerance…and other such things that the average American is supposed to imbibe. To me, who am not American, or Christian, it was fairly wasted. However, you have got to admire the author’s political correctness with ethnic minorities!
So what is my final opinion? I rather liked the book. It’s a good read, and has some decent characterisation. The major characters are fairly well fleshed out, with some fairly neat shades of grey for a few of them. However, you do have the stereotypical bad politician, and the red-faced school principal (which seems to be standard for every novel with a school setting). Having said that, I have to admit that if I had not read it continuously, I would probably not have liked it as much. The big print size actually makes the book seem bigger than it is. I finished all 550 pages odd in about 3 ½ hours, 1 of which was spent on a bus…which is quite a bit faster than my usual. Good thing too, else I would never have finished it. And of course, I did not have high expectations when I bought it!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
General Gripes
Its fairly strange. Just when I told my boss that I am quitting, and finalised the dates and everything, work is actually getting really interesting and hectic. Not that it wasn't before, but now it looks as if my project might finally see its much delayed launch into production. And the levels of work are now getting fairly serious. Its a wierd combination, where one minute, just the sheer pressure (and pleasure) of the work just forces me to stay there, and the next (when I have a boring bit to handle), I have lost all motivation!
However, I still am optimistic about completing it before I leave. I have already postponed my quidditch date by about 20 days and am trying desperately to launch it before I run. If only the pay wasn't so not great! I would genuinely have considered staying in this job a few more years, just for the awesome learning experience. But feeding my reading habit alone off a 6k or 7k sal in B'lore with my expensive tastes is not exactly feasible. Actually, make that impossible. Ah well, life is full of compromises.
Well, back to a book review This time, I thought I should go to someone who is not that well known as an auther.
Glimpses of World History--Jawaharlal Nehru.
This is a series of letters written by Nehru while he was in prison, to his daughter Indira Gandhi. What a writer we lost when he became a politician! Yes, his political views are made fairly clear throughout the book. But his understanding of political situations, as well as the quality of his writing, makes this a unique view of history.
I was given this book when I was about 13...I think. I did not read it in sequence, instead picking and choosing the stuff that looked interesting. And while I dont recommend it for most books, this one, it works, because of its own slightly episodic nature. (It is a bunch of letters after all!). I don't remember the details of the book now, but I do remember raving about it till I was 15-16. By which time I started reading fantasy!
But this is one book that should be bought, kept at home, and read. Unfortunately, I have lost my own personal copy of this book, and am now too broke to buy it (refer gripe above!). But I plan to get it as soon as I save up enough cash. Worth reading and keeping.
However, I still am optimistic about completing it before I leave. I have already postponed my quidditch date by about 20 days and am trying desperately to launch it before I run. If only the pay wasn't so not great! I would genuinely have considered staying in this job a few more years, just for the awesome learning experience. But feeding my reading habit alone off a 6k or 7k sal in B'lore with my expensive tastes is not exactly feasible. Actually, make that impossible. Ah well, life is full of compromises.
Well, back to a book review This time, I thought I should go to someone who is not that well known as an auther.
Glimpses of World History--Jawaharlal Nehru.
This is a series of letters written by Nehru while he was in prison, to his daughter Indira Gandhi. What a writer we lost when he became a politician! Yes, his political views are made fairly clear throughout the book. But his understanding of political situations, as well as the quality of his writing, makes this a unique view of history.
I was given this book when I was about 13...I think. I did not read it in sequence, instead picking and choosing the stuff that looked interesting. And while I dont recommend it for most books, this one, it works, because of its own slightly episodic nature. (It is a bunch of letters after all!). I don't remember the details of the book now, but I do remember raving about it till I was 15-16. By which time I started reading fantasy!
But this is one book that should be bought, kept at home, and read. Unfortunately, I have lost my own personal copy of this book, and am now too broke to buy it (refer gripe above!). But I plan to get it as soon as I save up enough cash. Worth reading and keeping.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Shantaram
I finally managed to read this book. I had heard some very good reviews about it, and thought that it would be worth a read.
Now, after finishing it, I have some pretty mixed feelings. I liked the story itself, and the plot was gripping. But I did not like the authors style of writing. It felt too much like a schoolmasters style, and was stilted and artificial (to me).
But like most books, its worth reading at least once. Though if you have to start, be warned. This is one thick book.
Now, after finishing it, I have some pretty mixed feelings. I liked the story itself, and the plot was gripping. But I did not like the authors style of writing. It felt too much like a schoolmasters style, and was stilted and artificial (to me).
But like most books, its worth reading at least once. Though if you have to start, be warned. This is one thick book.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Some Poetry...maybe
I usually hate poetry...especially if it does not even rhyme. But at 1:50 am local time, my resistance collapsed, and I decided to try my hand at that Worse stuff. So here goes.
Visions of tomorrow
Each day I have I see something fresh
A flower blooms tonight, and fills my mind
Fragrances vie for attention
And today is a free day.
Don’t shed a tear when it wilts
Its time is done
And the dawn brings a new surprise.
The world of forever
Leaps out to surprise me.
And tomorrow is already today.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
A Long Day!
Sunday was one of my longest days so far. I had gone to sleep only by around 12:00 on Saturday, and was up at 4:00 in the morning in order to pick up some distant cousins from the Railway station.
It was all quite surreal. It was ridiculously early in the morning, and the station wore a really deserted look. There was this solitary pigeon cooing in the rafters which supported the roof of the old Cantonment station at B'lore. I was sitting with my cousin on the bench , admiring the beauty of the station, and glorying in its pristine condition. Then this train comes chugging in, and this sudden crowd of people get off, and then the train itself disappears a few instants later, leaving no signs of the mob that recently crowded the stations. Well, when I say no signs, I meant no VISIBLE signs! There were certainly enough olfactory signs floating around. It ensured that my cousin and I spent the next 20 minutes vainly trying to evade the stench that certain inconsiderate passengers left behind as their calling cards.
Anyway, we finally picked up cousins (who arrived to play the violin and mrudangam for a concert) at about 5:00 in the morning. Got back home, to play a couple of games of Warcraft III, and then to finish "Eldest" (To be reviewed).
Went out in the afternoon, and purchased a laptop for self and sister. Mine is comparitively cheaper, at about 47k...but that is still freaking expensive...especially for the loser config that all laptops seem to have! Got back home at 5:45 to attend said concert, which was actually very good indeed.
Then went to my aunts place to pig out, and dropped the cousins back to the railway station. It was almost 12:00 by the time I got back. Writing this, my computer clock says that the time is 1:01a.m...and considering the way my eyes feel, I think that the clock is showing the right time.
So my book and music reviews will have to wait until my next post...which might not be too soon.
It was all quite surreal. It was ridiculously early in the morning, and the station wore a really deserted look. There was this solitary pigeon cooing in the rafters which supported the roof of the old Cantonment station at B'lore. I was sitting with my cousin on the bench , admiring the beauty of the station, and glorying in its pristine condition. Then this train comes chugging in, and this sudden crowd of people get off, and then the train itself disappears a few instants later, leaving no signs of the mob that recently crowded the stations. Well, when I say no signs, I meant no VISIBLE signs! There were certainly enough olfactory signs floating around. It ensured that my cousin and I spent the next 20 minutes vainly trying to evade the stench that certain inconsiderate passengers left behind as their calling cards.
Anyway, we finally picked up cousins (who arrived to play the violin and mrudangam for a concert) at about 5:00 in the morning. Got back home, to play a couple of games of Warcraft III, and then to finish "Eldest" (To be reviewed).
Went out in the afternoon, and purchased a laptop for self and sister. Mine is comparitively cheaper, at about 47k...but that is still freaking expensive...especially for the loser config that all laptops seem to have! Got back home at 5:45 to attend said concert, which was actually very good indeed.
Then went to my aunts place to pig out, and dropped the cousins back to the railway station. It was almost 12:00 by the time I got back. Writing this, my computer clock says that the time is 1:01a.m...and considering the way my eyes feel, I think that the clock is showing the right time.
So my book and music reviews will have to wait until my next post...which might not be too soon.
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