I am stunned. I hope this is a real number and isn't some "attack" on the site. If you are all readers, let me know what brought you here. Would like some feedback..
If you are some attacker, pls get off my blog. No you are not welcome here..
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Cricket Rankings
And one more update: Now India is # 1 in ODI rankings. I don't know how long this will last but what the heck..enjoy till it lasts..
Update: this gets better and better...England just defeated Aussies winning the Ashes Urn and this pushes Australia down to # 4 in ICC World Test Rankings!! This I never ever ever ever thought would happen....can't be true..unbelieveable...
I never thought I would ever get to see this. India and South Africa so far ahead of Australia in ODI rankings!!!! This can't be real...no..I can't accept it..I am in denial..
Update: this gets better and better...England just defeated Aussies winning the Ashes Urn and this pushes Australia down to # 4 in ICC World Test Rankings!! This I never ever ever ever thought would happen....can't be true..unbelieveable...
I never thought I would ever get to see this. India and South Africa so far ahead of Australia in ODI rankings!!!! This can't be real...no..I can't accept it..I am in denial..
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, November 13, 2008
India on the moon!
Interesting way to get a country's presence on the moon-story from Times of India.
Tricolour has a date with moon tonight
14 Nov 2008, 0049 hrs IST, Srinivas Laxman, TNN
Text:
MUMBAI: If things go as planned, the Indian tricolour will mark its presence on the moon tonight (around 8.30pm IST) after having flown 3,86,000km
from the earth. The timing of this proud moment has been specially designed to coincide with Children's Day. The United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Space Agency comprising 17 countries already have their flags on the moon. The Indian tricolour is painted on all sides of the 29-kg Moon Impact Probe which is attached to the main orbiting spacecraft, Chandrayaan-1, which was launched on October 22. The inclusion of the MIP as part of the Chandrayaan mission came at the suggestion of former President A P J Abdul Kalam, a former rocket scientist, during the International Lunar Exploration Working Group conference held at Udaipur in November 2004. The Indian tricolour has been hoisted on Mount Everest and Antarctica. And now it will be on the moon though it will not be hoisted. The flight of the MIP on Friday is expected to be a forerunner to the second Indian moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, which will carry a Russian rover and alander slated for lift-off between 2010 and 2012. The crash landing of MIP will help in assessing future soft-landing technologies. Chandrayaan project director Mylaswamy Annadurai explained to TOI on Friday that at about 8 pm on Friday, a command will be flashed to the MIP from Isro's telemetry, tracking and command network (Istrac) at Bangalore for it to detach from the orbiter. "The MIP will separate and with its three instruments, zoom towards the lunar south pole at a velocity of 1.5km per second," he said. "At Istrac's mission control room, we will immediately come to know that the MIP has separated from the orbiter. The MIP's flight path will first take it over the Malapert crater for about nine seconds and then crashland near the Shackleton Crater about 25 minutes after its detachment from the orbiter. Malapert Crater is not far from the Shackleton crater," he added. Annadurai said that after this, the orbiter will fly in the opposite side and thus data will not be immediately available. "The downloading of data from the MIP to the orbiting Chandrayaan and then to the ground station will start once the spacecraft comes over the north pole of the moon. It will take a couple of hours for the data from the MIP to be downloaded and processed," Annadurai said. He said that once the MIP crashlands on the moon, its own survivability and that of the three instruments will be in question. The probe uses solid propellants. "India's physical presence on the moon with the tricolour will be assured," he said.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
3 envelopes
Interesting but true corporate story:
One manager takes up a new job and receives 3 envelopes from his predecessor who asks him to open the first envelope when the new manager would have his first major problem. Then open the second one when he would have his second major problem and then the third one. And off he goes..
The new manager is all excited about the job and is putting in long hours and is trying to impress his bosses. One day he runs into a big problem with a customer situation. He remembers the envelopes and open up the first one. It says " Blame the previous guy..". And he follows suit. He blames his predecessor for the customer situation. And life comes back to normal..
Few more months into the job, he runs into another major problem. He opens up the second envelope and it reads "reorganize the team". And so he shakes up the whole thing and gets a brand new team on board. Life couldn't be better. People are suddenly looking at him as the big boss who could shake things up....a visionary who knows exactly what needs to happen and ....
At the 15-18month mark, the new org structure is just about settling down. Few new initiatives have been launched. A lot of limelight has been hogged by the new boss. But life isn't so exciting anymore. The aura is gone. The staff isn't so obedient anymore. The boss is sounding a bit more demanding....grass is starting to look a lot greener on the other side. And he thinks it's time to open the third envelope. It reads....."Time to start writing three envelopes for the next guy!"
Moral of the story: Movers and shakers win the corporate game! Rest don't matter...
One manager takes up a new job and receives 3 envelopes from his predecessor who asks him to open the first envelope when the new manager would have his first major problem. Then open the second one when he would have his second major problem and then the third one. And off he goes..
The new manager is all excited about the job and is putting in long hours and is trying to impress his bosses. One day he runs into a big problem with a customer situation. He remembers the envelopes and open up the first one. It says " Blame the previous guy..". And he follows suit. He blames his predecessor for the customer situation. And life comes back to normal..
Few more months into the job, he runs into another major problem. He opens up the second envelope and it reads "reorganize the team". And so he shakes up the whole thing and gets a brand new team on board. Life couldn't be better. People are suddenly looking at him as the big boss who could shake things up....a visionary who knows exactly what needs to happen and ....
At the 15-18month mark, the new org structure is just about settling down. Few new initiatives have been launched. A lot of limelight has been hogged by the new boss. But life isn't so exciting anymore. The aura is gone. The staff isn't so obedient anymore. The boss is sounding a bit more demanding....grass is starting to look a lot greener on the other side. And he thinks it's time to open the third envelope. It reads....."Time to start writing three envelopes for the next guy!"
Moral of the story: Movers and shakers win the corporate game! Rest don't matter...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Another forward
I am so far behind on posting here but while I get back to my flow...I received this interesting forward...
What is Love and What is Marriage...? ??!!!A student asks a teacher, "What is love?" The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back. But the rule is: - you can go through them only once & cannot turn back to pick."The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later. Then he saw another bigger one... but may be there is an even bigger one waiting for himlater, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he starts to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he knew he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted. So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand. The teacher told him, "....this is love... you keep looking for better ones, but when later you realize, you have already missed the person...."**"What is marriage then?" the student asked. The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick." The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium sized corn that he felt satisfied, and came back to the teacher. The teacher told him, "this time you bring back a corn.... you look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... this is marriage."
What is Love and What is Marriage...? ??!!!A student asks a teacher, "What is love?" The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back. But the rule is: - you can go through them only once & cannot turn back to pick."The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later. Then he saw another bigger one... but may be there is an even bigger one waiting for himlater, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he starts to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he knew he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted. So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand. The teacher told him, "....this is love... you keep looking for better ones, but when later you realize, you have already missed the person...."**"What is marriage then?" the student asked. The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick." The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium sized corn that he felt satisfied, and came back to the teacher. The teacher told him, "this time you bring back a corn.... you look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... this is marriage."
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Exercise for the brain
Good Article on exercises of the brain. I like the last line...afterall, mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Keeping Your Brain in Shape Get off the treadmill and grab your thinking cap!
Sure, six-pack abs and cellulite-free legs would be nice, but have you ever wondered about fitness for your brain? Just as physical exercise strengthens your body, mental activity helps your mind stay sharp and resist effects of the cognitive aging process. While challenging your IQ certainly keeps your brain healthy, there are also other lifestyle choices you can make that benefit your noggin. Here are some ways to improve your mental fitness.
Be a brainiac. Think that learning a musical instrument is for middle school kids and scrabble is a senior citizen pastime? Think again. Learning new skills and challenging yourself will literally cause your brain to grow. When new connections between nerve cells are made, your mind stores and retrieves information more efficiently. While taking foreign language classes or attempting the New York Times crosswords will certainly give your brain a boost, simply reading or picking up a new hobby like knitting offers excellent benefits.
Chill out. When you’re stressed, your brain releases hormones that are potentially damaging over long periods of time. If your stress level borders on anxiety, think of that cloudy, overwhelming feeling in your head as your brain calling out for help. Throughout the day, take deep breaths and refocus your attention. If you find yourself under constant stress that seems to stem from every day sources, you might want to rethink your routine. While many people find that meditation is a great way to wind down, experts have proven that regular practice increases brain size and slows down some effects of cognitive aging.
Eat well and drink little…alcohol, that is. We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for your body in general, but they really do wonders for your brain. Antioxidants in these foods help prevent cholesterol from damaging the inner lining of your arteries and slowing down blood flow to your brain. Berries, oranges, carrots, spinach and more all revive and protect brain cells. Fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and have also been shown to boost brainpower. If you want to keep healthy brain cells around, drink alcohol in moderation. Studies have shown that lifelong drinkers are at higher risk of developing memory problems, especially diseases like dementia, while those who drink small amounts of alcohol daily are at lower risk.
Be a social butterfly. Engaging in social networks has been shown to assist in developing and maintaining mental alertness. As expert Lawrence Katz writes, "There's a lot of evidence that other people are the most unpredictable things you can encounter, so activities that have you engaging with other human beings are a fantastic form of brain exercise." Try some dance lessons – the physical challenge and social interaction will provide a great cognitive workout! Don’t forget your four-legged friends, too. Animal interaction is also an effective way to keep your brain young.
Taking care of your mind will have positive effects on all aspects of your life, from physical to emotional benefits. Even small changes throughout your day can give you lifelong results. Taking care of your brain now is a sure way to ensure its health in years to come. So pick up a crossword puzzle or some carrots because after all, a mind is a terrible thing to waste!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Jai Shivaji
Here's something very interesting: Statue of Shivaji Maharaj in California!!! Feels nice, doesn't it?
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Bienvenida a Mexico
Hola! Este blog es acerca de Mexico!Hi..this blog is about Mexico. I recently visited a city named Guadalajara in Mexico. It is in the state of Jalisco and is almost a coastal city. It's near the pacific ocean coast. It's known as the silicon valley of Mexico. Wikipedia has a good article on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalajara,_Jalisco
I found Mexican people quite a friendly bunch. They try very hard to attract americanos (term used for Americans). Of course, as you go on the southern side of American continent, it gets very hot :) (weather/food/women :)). Mexico is no different. The Hilton hotel we were put up in had a bar downstairs that had Mexican muchachas (girls) serving drinks to people. She and her colleagues were dressed in skimpy clothes at best. Every time she came out, there was a guy who carried the drinks. She would then serve those to people. She wouldn't carry those drinks herself though. She was like a queen with a handyman on her.
For a vegetarian comica like me, the food was still very tasty. Although these people are hardcore carnivores, their tropical tastes have some similarity to Indian tastes. Their food minus the meat was still spicy and salty enough for me. I loved the Posole soup. I have always liked Chiles Rellenos and had fun with their spicy salsa and chips. They use a lot of melted cheese that's very very tasty and sure very (un)healthy!
I had a perception of Mexico; about their food, culture, muchachas etc. But it was all based on what I saw/heard in USA. The Mexican country, the people, the ladies, the food are all so different from what I had thought. I guess US media has had too much experience with creation of false perceptions of other countries. (e.g. they always show half naked villagers taking a dip in Holy Ganges water when they talk about India. Or they show the beggars as a second choice. Think about the perception these images create!). Anyways..to hell with US media.
Having said all this, there is a lot of corruption,poverty and crime in this country. I wonder if the tropical location has something to do with not just food but with behaviors? The reason is that Mexico has a lot of similarity with other tropical countries I have known/seen when it comes to these things. May be the warmth of the weather makes people warm (equal to hospitality) and fuzzy (equal to manipulative). You certainly would not see these characteristics in our developed northern countries. But it was fun to know about the "roadside deals" that the Mexican police strike with traffic violators...fun because of the similarity to Indian traffic police!
Back to the town of Guadalajara...This place has many creative artists. I visited a local market in a suburb called tlaquepaque. What a fun experience it was. The entire market was created from a colony of houses. So each shop is basically a house. And art was the primary merchandise they sold. I have never seen such decorative and antique furniture items ever. Huge colorful chandeliers..big fancy palatial beds...very creative and authentic dining/sofa sets... The only bad part was it was all beyond my financial capability and beyond the capability of what my 20" trolley could carry :) Here's a small clip from this lively market on a very sunny and pleasant day. Anyways, adios Mexico. agradable reunión que.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Independence Day
Probably everything that could be written has been written. So I will just add a couple of interesting bits.
The first one is a story from Nasdaq. Indian Consul General in NY rung the closing bell at Nasdaq on the backdrop of Indian flag to celebrate the occasion of India's 62nd Independence day.
Second image, albeit a less celebratory, is from the Indian Grocery Store near my place. The owner hoisted a big Indian flag in the store and had a blower blowing air at it on occasion of the Independence day. It was quite a site. The great Indian flag unfurled half the globe across from India in the least likely of places by a common man. I almost said to him "Teri is ada ko Salam!"
The first one is a story from Nasdaq. Indian Consul General in NY rung the closing bell at Nasdaq on the backdrop of Indian flag to celebrate the occasion of India's 62nd Independence day.
Second image, albeit a less celebratory, is from the Indian Grocery Store near my place. The owner hoisted a big Indian flag in the store and had a blower blowing air at it on occasion of the Independence day. It was quite a site. The great Indian flag unfurled half the globe across from India in the least likely of places by a common man. I almost said to him "Teri is ada ko Salam!"
Thursday, August 14, 2008
How to talk so kids(and adults!) listen
This was the title of a show on PBS. It was very educational. I used to ignore it thinking I don't have any immediate utility for this stuff. But I watched it once accidentally and I liked it. Because it didn't apply only for kids but for adults too I thought. Since adults to behave as kids more than once in a while.
There is apparently a book also written on the subject. It is available on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/0380811960
One of the episodes I remember was about praising kids. The tip was to use sincere praise. Whoa! Watch out..are you saying that parents' praise for their kids is not sincere? How could that be? Well it could be and it is a fact. Parents often times (at least in USA) will pass on insincere praise thinking that would boost their kid's morale and keep them high on the self confidence drug. But may be not. Kids are not dumb. They have a sincereity detector in them.
e.g. Observe these 2 situations:
Situation 1:
Parent: You play tennis really well. I am so impressed.
Kid:(thinking) Oh come on..stop bullshitting. We all know I am a lousy player! And great! Now I have to meet your expectations of becoming a good tennis player!!
Oh oh..that went south for sure! Try the same conversation a different way..
Situation 2:
Parent: You know what, I watched you play tennis today. And I couldn't help but notice the power you put in your forehand strokes. And you maintained great eye contact with the ball. I must say I was happy to see you play tennis.
Kid: Hmmm..I have been putting a lot of effort in that forehand. Looks like I am playing it really well. Thanks for saying that. I should try harder to become a great tennis player.
Now that went fine. The difference, if not noticed already, between the two praises is the specific details provided in the second example. The specifics make it sound much more genuine...much more sincere.
So being specific when you praise a kid is what the takeaway was.
Here comes the killer part though. The TV program was specific to kids. But I have seen so many professional and personal situations where this is such a valuable lesson. If you are a manager..your employees would appreciate you being specific rather than being a "vague king". If you are a technical leader, your audience would admire you for providing specifics on a abstract concept rather than just blabbering the technical concept. If you are in a coflict situation, providing specifics would always yield a higher probablity of you scathing out just fine through the situation.
In fact, more I think of this, I feel that this lesson is more applicable to adults. I am sending a note to the author to change the title of his book..JK :)
There is apparently a book also written on the subject. It is available on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/0380811960
One of the episodes I remember was about praising kids. The tip was to use sincere praise. Whoa! Watch out..are you saying that parents' praise for their kids is not sincere? How could that be? Well it could be and it is a fact. Parents often times (at least in USA) will pass on insincere praise thinking that would boost their kid's morale and keep them high on the self confidence drug. But may be not. Kids are not dumb. They have a sincereity detector in them.
e.g. Observe these 2 situations:
Situation 1:
Parent: You play tennis really well. I am so impressed.
Kid:(thinking) Oh come on..stop bullshitting. We all know I am a lousy player! And great! Now I have to meet your expectations of becoming a good tennis player!!
Oh oh..that went south for sure! Try the same conversation a different way..
Situation 2:
Parent: You know what, I watched you play tennis today. And I couldn't help but notice the power you put in your forehand strokes. And you maintained great eye contact with the ball. I must say I was happy to see you play tennis.
Kid: Hmmm..I have been putting a lot of effort in that forehand. Looks like I am playing it really well. Thanks for saying that. I should try harder to become a great tennis player.
Now that went fine. The difference, if not noticed already, between the two praises is the specific details provided in the second example. The specifics make it sound much more genuine...much more sincere.
So being specific when you praise a kid is what the takeaway was.
Here comes the killer part though. The TV program was specific to kids. But I have seen so many professional and personal situations where this is such a valuable lesson. If you are a manager..your employees would appreciate you being specific rather than being a "vague king". If you are a technical leader, your audience would admire you for providing specifics on a abstract concept rather than just blabbering the technical concept. If you are in a coflict situation, providing specifics would always yield a higher probablity of you scathing out just fine through the situation.
In fact, more I think of this, I feel that this lesson is more applicable to adults. I am sending a note to the author to change the title of his book..JK :)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Olympics 2008: Gold for India
Finally!! All these decades of wait is over. Abhinav Bindra has done it! He has won a gold medal in Men's 10m Air Rifle in Beijing. Here is the medals tally so far and I must say on a day Sri Lanka raised a bunch of questions about the famed Indian Cricket team, Bindra answered a lot of questions about non cricket sports in India.
Here's the official story: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/shooting/n214528114.shtml
Here's the official story: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/shooting/n214528114.shtml
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Sai Baba
We visited this amazing temple today. I was so pleasantly surprised to see more than 500 people for the Thursday evening aarti at the newly established Sai Baba Temple in Sunnyvale, California.
The surprising fact was the number of people that showed up on a weekday and were standing in a long line for the darshan and prasad. It was quite a site. It was almost similar to the lines you see in India.
They also have an ambitious plan to build a temple at the site. Here is their web site. It is possible to pitch in $ for donation. http://www.shradhasaburi.org/
Afterall, there is still bhakti in this world. And once it is in your heart, it remains there no matter where you go; USA, Europe or Mars (with the water discovery there, it might be a reality some day or may be in some light year).
The surprising fact was the number of people that showed up on a weekday and were standing in a long line for the darshan and prasad. It was quite a site. It was almost similar to the lines you see in India.
They also have an ambitious plan to build a temple at the site. Here is their web site. It is possible to pitch in $ for donation. http://www.shradhasaburi.org/
Afterall, there is still bhakti in this world. And once it is in your heart, it remains there no matter where you go; USA, Europe or Mars (with the water discovery there, it might be a reality some day or may be in some light year).
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Israel and Switzerland
Learnt something new at a business dinner today. Israel apparently has an interesting education system. As soon as kids finish their high school, they get 4 weeks of mandatory world travel so they learn more about different countries. Then they leave on a 2 year military assignment which is mandatory for everyone! Then they come back go to school and once they finish school, they leave on another 4 weeks of mandatory world travel. Apparently, most of them make the second trip to USA. They land on the east coast, buy a car(that's right..buy and not rent), drive across the US to west coast visiting all great american places in between like Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore etc. Ann then they return back to east coast by driving through the southern states back to New York. Then they sell that car and go back to Israel. This is an almost unheard of curriculum. Schools taking so much effort to give that global perspective to its students is just great. No wonder the few Israeli people I have met so far have been oustanding engineers with very high work ethics. They were also very disciplined people and spoke good english. Your education system plays such an ipmortant role in what you become!!
I heard another story about Switzerland. Apparently, the KG school there introduces kids to Mandarin!! This is even more shocking given the fact that Swiss people are sort of the patriotic, let's preserve the swiss heritage kinds. I smell globalization everywhere.
Like one of my business colleagues said at the dinner today..he told his kid,about to graduate from college, that "be ready to load up your passport". Feel free to travel the world before you finally decide what you want to do!!
This world is so changing!!
I heard another story about Switzerland. Apparently, the KG school there introduces kids to Mandarin!! This is even more shocking given the fact that Swiss people are sort of the patriotic, let's preserve the swiss heritage kinds. I smell globalization everywhere.
Like one of my business colleagues said at the dinner today..he told his kid,about to graduate from college, that "be ready to load up your passport". Feel free to travel the world before you finally decide what you want to do!!
This world is so changing!!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Water on Mars
Looks like Nasa's found water on Mars. The Phoenix Mars Lander has a few proofs of this. Visit www.nasa.gov for more information.
Nasa actually is holding a press conference that would disclose more details tomorrow on 5th August.
If this discovery is confirmed, it probably does not mean a whole lot just yet to normal human beings but could mean a lot to the scientists.
We earthly people equate water with life. Who knows how those martians look at water as? It definitely might open up a whole new chapter in the history of humankind. I guess we don't have to worry anymore about depleting oil reserves, crumbling economy, plunging stock markets, rising food prices, worsening global warming, melting north pole cap etc etc etc on our earth. The great human mind is on its way to find another habitat for us!! :)
Let's just spend away...!!
Nasa actually is holding a press conference that would disclose more details tomorrow on 5th August.
If this discovery is confirmed, it probably does not mean a whole lot just yet to normal human beings but could mean a lot to the scientists.
We earthly people equate water with life. Who knows how those martians look at water as? It definitely might open up a whole new chapter in the history of humankind. I guess we don't have to worry anymore about depleting oil reserves, crumbling economy, plunging stock markets, rising food prices, worsening global warming, melting north pole cap etc etc etc on our earth. The great human mind is on its way to find another habitat for us!! :)
Let's just spend away...!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Cell phones and Cancer
Science keeps going back and forth on this very important issue. As Cell Phones become part of our daily lives, it is important to realize the hazards of using these devices. Expecially important for people who spend hours talking on cell phones.
CNN just published a big article on a study published by a Cancer expert. He advises children not to use cell phones except in emergencies because their brain cells are still developing. And for adults, use handsfree. Holding cell phones close to your brain is not good. Full article is available at this link.
State of California recently made use of handsfree mandatory while driving cars. If you are found talking on a cell phone (without a hands free device) while driving, cops could pull you over. May be this law should apply to everyone in the world and not just Californians and also not for just car drivers but everyone using cell phone anywhere.
The beauty of Science....we can't live without it but too much of it starts going against the nature and anything that goes against nature does not sustain.
CNN just published a big article on a study published by a Cancer expert. He advises children not to use cell phones except in emergencies because their brain cells are still developing. And for adults, use handsfree. Holding cell phones close to your brain is not good. Full article is available at this link.
State of California recently made use of handsfree mandatory while driving cars. If you are found talking on a cell phone (without a hands free device) while driving, cops could pull you over. May be this law should apply to everyone in the world and not just Californians and also not for just car drivers but everyone using cell phone anywhere.
The beauty of Science....we can't live without it but too much of it starts going against the nature and anything that goes against nature does not sustain.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Dhirubhai Ambani
Just watched this movie called "Guru" allegedly based on life of Dhirubhai Ambani of Reliance Industries. I like this movie and have watched it for a third time now.
It raises a lot of questions. Dhirubhai is shown to be a corrupt industrialist who found his way through the license raj that existed in India prior to post 1991liberalization era. This tends to annoy you thinking that the famed Reliance Industries was built by a corrupt person. But when you hear his last speech in front of an enquiry commission(in the movie), one tends to take his side. Granted this was a movie, but I read some stuff over internet about Dhirubhai and started admiring the guy. Here is that last part of the movie:
A democratic government, although for/by/of people, is not always right. Indian government sure wasn't correct in that it had a protectionist regime prior to 1991. It has been joked that a common man needed a license even to breathe in those days. A capitalist mind like Dhirubhai had to beat this system. He had to find loopholes in the system to build India's first ever globally recognized private enterprise. He very skillfully used both carrot (in the form of bribes/gifts) and stick (using media effectively).
Ok. This gets confusing though. I am taking side of a guy who bribed his way to the top. May be democratic governments are not afterall "for people" although they are built "by people" and are made up "of people". May be Abraham Lincoln wasn't right in what he said about democracies. Or may be India is still not a pure democracy that is built "for people". We are probably only 66% democratic. Because we do qualify in the other 2 out of the 3 criteria of Lincoln (for,by,of people).
Whatever it is, somehow Indian governments (be it British or non British rule) brought out 2 great leaders: Mahatma Gandhi and Dhirubhai Amabani, both had a life long affection for fabric and both coincidentally came from the same bania sub-caste and same region in India. Pure coincidence? I wouldn't know. Some historian should study this further..
PS: By the way, I am a bania(although a marathi kind) myself...but GOD..when would be my turn?? :)
It raises a lot of questions. Dhirubhai is shown to be a corrupt industrialist who found his way through the license raj that existed in India prior to post 1991liberalization era. This tends to annoy you thinking that the famed Reliance Industries was built by a corrupt person. But when you hear his last speech in front of an enquiry commission(in the movie), one tends to take his side. Granted this was a movie, but I read some stuff over internet about Dhirubhai and started admiring the guy. Here is that last part of the movie:
A democratic government, although for/by/of people, is not always right. Indian government sure wasn't correct in that it had a protectionist regime prior to 1991. It has been joked that a common man needed a license even to breathe in those days. A capitalist mind like Dhirubhai had to beat this system. He had to find loopholes in the system to build India's first ever globally recognized private enterprise. He very skillfully used both carrot (in the form of bribes/gifts) and stick (using media effectively).
Ok. This gets confusing though. I am taking side of a guy who bribed his way to the top. May be democratic governments are not afterall "for people" although they are built "by people" and are made up "of people". May be Abraham Lincoln wasn't right in what he said about democracies. Or may be India is still not a pure democracy that is built "for people". We are probably only 66% democratic. Because we do qualify in the other 2 out of the 3 criteria of Lincoln (for,by,of people).
Whatever it is, somehow Indian governments (be it British or non British rule) brought out 2 great leaders: Mahatma Gandhi and Dhirubhai Amabani, both had a life long affection for fabric and both coincidentally came from the same bania sub-caste and same region in India. Pure coincidence? I wouldn't know. Some historian should study this further..
PS: By the way, I am a bania(although a marathi kind) myself...but GOD..when would be my turn?? :)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Timeless stuff
Here is an image from the oldddd times. Apparently this was a pretty famous pose in the small town where we lived.
"As much we say things change over time, for the most part they remain the same". This whole thing of comparing 2 different times, separated decades apart, side by side is just fascinating!
Taking a photo during those days was a planned event. You had to invite a photographer to a place to take pictures and then anxiously wait till he develops the prints. Times have changed. Today, one can take thousands of pictures using digital camera. But now we have another problem, the problem of abundance. Last year, I started hating digital camera/camcorder because I thought I had too many photos that I never bothered to look at. But today, I would modify that opinion. Pictures/videos have tremendous archival value. Even if there are one too many these days, when I look at a 10 year old photo, it triggers some unique nerves in mind and body. You get a very different feeling. You suddenly go down memory lane and forget all worries of today. That old rusty image becomes a vibrant source of positive energy and makes you feel very special.
That's why this image above is so precious. Reminds me of timeless good old days!!
Update on 3rd August 2008: And now here's the Latest image of the 2 dudes...Priceless..
Friday, July 4, 2008
Tribute to MIT
Writing this from my layover in Shanghai Airport on my way to India.
Just watched this movie on the SFO to Shanghai flight. It's called 21. The topic is the same old " MIT smart pants" thinking and doing the unthinkable. ok..no offence meant to my MIT friends. I have a few of them who are really smart and still reasonable people. But this expression loses all the punch without the "pants" part.
Back to the movie...Kevin Spacey is a smart MIT professor (count how many times I have to use 'smart' in the blog. It's about MIT, afterall!). One day, he poses a very tricky problem to his class. Guess what?? He poses the "Monty Hall" problem that I have written about in my blog. Check it out here.... I titled the post "Make a fool out of yourself". Staying consistent with my "smart" theme, I should change the title and use 'smart' instead of 'fool'. Looks like I got some good stuff in the blog :). Wayyyyy too much digression..
So one guy named Ben answers the question. And gets picked to be part of a secret crew lead by the professor. The crew is working to "beat the dealers" of las Vegas casinos in the game of black jack and make tons of money $$. The trick they are using is counting the cards.
This is a very fascinating topic. There is a special degree in schools dedicated to it. The area is called "Game Theory". Some mathematically oriented kinds get a Ph.D in game theory. I wouldn't qualify to be one of those "smart" ones but one of the mathematical finance classes I took last quarter had a problem that was related to this movie 21. It was very very tough and only the "smart" ones in the class could crack it. That's probably as close as I ever can come to this "smart" clan.
The whole thing sounds very fascinating. Tough math problems tied to real world implications being solved with ease by smart people. Of course in 21, the cause is not so good as these people essentially try to make a lottt of money by beating the casino house. Some would argue, casinos deserve it and some would say this is not right.
If any of this interests you, there are several books written on this topic. They might be boring to read though. So how about movies? There are some interesting ones. My favorite one is "Good Will Hunting". Similar theme..Mr Matt Damon (yes, the Jason Bourne fame), is the smart pant MIT guy. He is actually not even a student at MIT. He is a janitor there! (that's a bit too movie like but anyways). There is a very melodramatic dialogue in the movie that is somehow stuck with me. The lead actress (Damon's GF) is amazed by his genius. He solves not only his math but her very hard chemistry problems with utmost ease. She asks him "How do you do this? Do you have a photographic memory?". He goes... "You know Mozart..he didn't have to learn all the music in the world..when it came to music, he could just play. It's very similar. When it comes to this stuff (solving head spinning problems), I could just play".
As always, what's the point? Nothing really. Just something fascinating...and a little tribute to MIT. There are a few MIT interns I have managed and have also worked very closely with a few colleagues from MIT. And each of them have made a good impression on me. Somehow the water they drink or the air they breathe ... seems to work.
Just watched this movie on the SFO to Shanghai flight. It's called 21. The topic is the same old " MIT smart pants" thinking and doing the unthinkable. ok..no offence meant to my MIT friends. I have a few of them who are really smart and still reasonable people. But this expression loses all the punch without the "pants" part.
Back to the movie...Kevin Spacey is a smart MIT professor (count how many times I have to use 'smart' in the blog. It's about MIT, afterall!). One day, he poses a very tricky problem to his class. Guess what?? He poses the "Monty Hall" problem that I have written about in my blog. Check it out here.... I titled the post "Make a fool out of yourself". Staying consistent with my "smart" theme, I should change the title and use 'smart' instead of 'fool'. Looks like I got some good stuff in the blog :). Wayyyyy too much digression..
So one guy named Ben answers the question. And gets picked to be part of a secret crew lead by the professor. The crew is working to "beat the dealers" of las Vegas casinos in the game of black jack and make tons of money $$. The trick they are using is counting the cards.
This is a very fascinating topic. There is a special degree in schools dedicated to it. The area is called "Game Theory". Some mathematically oriented kinds get a Ph.D in game theory. I wouldn't qualify to be one of those "smart" ones but one of the mathematical finance classes I took last quarter had a problem that was related to this movie 21. It was very very tough and only the "smart" ones in the class could crack it. That's probably as close as I ever can come to this "smart" clan.
The whole thing sounds very fascinating. Tough math problems tied to real world implications being solved with ease by smart people. Of course in 21, the cause is not so good as these people essentially try to make a lottt of money by beating the casino house. Some would argue, casinos deserve it and some would say this is not right.
If any of this interests you, there are several books written on this topic. They might be boring to read though. So how about movies? There are some interesting ones. My favorite one is "Good Will Hunting". Similar theme..Mr Matt Damon (yes, the Jason Bourne fame), is the smart pant MIT guy. He is actually not even a student at MIT. He is a janitor there! (that's a bit too movie like but anyways). There is a very melodramatic dialogue in the movie that is somehow stuck with me. The lead actress (Damon's GF) is amazed by his genius. He solves not only his math but her very hard chemistry problems with utmost ease. She asks him "How do you do this? Do you have a photographic memory?". He goes... "You know Mozart..he didn't have to learn all the music in the world..when it came to music, he could just play. It's very similar. When it comes to this stuff (solving head spinning problems), I could just play".
As always, what's the point? Nothing really. Just something fascinating...and a little tribute to MIT. There are a few MIT interns I have managed and have also worked very closely with a few colleagues from MIT. And each of them have made a good impression on me. Somehow the water they drink or the air they breathe ... seems to work.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Satsang Aarti
This was a unique experience. We have never had 30+ people in our house at the same time. Can't believe we served these many ..and I must say successfully..if I could read the feedback indicators right..
False Sense of Fraternity
One of the common human traits is to find the "birds of same feather" or find "likeminded" people. Heck, it seems like a common animal instinct. People tend to hire people of similar background/personality/working style. People tend to marry people similar to them. There seems to be a false sense of fraternity that we derive from such acts.
This can be particularly prominent in organizations. They have hidden networks...intricate weavings of relationships born out of need, likings, opportunism and so many such things. Since this is all hidden, the false sense of fraternity kicks in big time. If a person is doing well in his/her job, they will gain some fame probably. Might get some award...might get to present to people who matter...or gets invited to meetings that everyone does not. Once this starts happening, the fraternity geners are in full swing. They are hyperactive. The feeling of "association" with something big gets into you. And then unknowingly you become part of the "group think". As has been studied extensively, group think leads to creation of blind spots and then the "group" becomes vulnerable to missing out on some obvious business shifts/political changes and eventually all get the stick in one fashion or another. I have seen this happen over and over in organizations.
It's even worst if you are not doing so well. You tend to fraternize with people who are in the same boat. You start gossipping about a bad boss or a bad neighbour or a non working marriage or a bad place to work for. By doing this, together, you help to sink a boat that had a small hole in it faster and kill any chances of survival. It's funny how that works. Again, it is that false sense of fraternity. Just by finding someone who shares similar sorrows, we derive a sense of security which clearly is not real. It's those fraternity genes at work again.
There are also the in between cases. People who are doing well could find this false sense of belonging/fraternity/association with people that are not doing so well and are out on the street looking to "bond". Our fraternity genes are vulnerable to accpeting those invitations very easily.
So what's the point? There are several books written on organizational theory and behavior. But to me this is at the heart of it. Those who conquer these fraternity genes are visionaries. They adapt to change effectively. They, in fact bring change. They are seen as politically savvy. They know who to associate with and when. More importantly, they know who not to associate with and when.
So the bottom line is...watch out for those fraternity genes. Every time you feel a sense of fraternity, ask yourself the question...is this association for a noble objective? is this going to enable me to do the right thing? If the answer is no, disengage at a rapid pace from that engagement/association. I am not suggesting to run away from people in trouble or to keep distance from high acheivers. But to actually run away from that false sense of fraternity. If a friend is having issues with his/her boss, rather than just sympathizing or sharing your own sorrows with them, take the contrarian approach. Be optimistic in a pessimistic fraternity and be paranoid (not pessimistic) in a overly zealous group. Over a period of time, they will appreciate that and you will grow a lot and save some of those disasters.
Confession: I do not claim to follow this advice a 100% of times. That's why blogging is fun :)
This can be particularly prominent in organizations. They have hidden networks...intricate weavings of relationships born out of need, likings, opportunism and so many such things. Since this is all hidden, the false sense of fraternity kicks in big time. If a person is doing well in his/her job, they will gain some fame probably. Might get some award...might get to present to people who matter...or gets invited to meetings that everyone does not. Once this starts happening, the fraternity geners are in full swing. They are hyperactive. The feeling of "association" with something big gets into you. And then unknowingly you become part of the "group think". As has been studied extensively, group think leads to creation of blind spots and then the "group" becomes vulnerable to missing out on some obvious business shifts/political changes and eventually all get the stick in one fashion or another. I have seen this happen over and over in organizations.
It's even worst if you are not doing so well. You tend to fraternize with people who are in the same boat. You start gossipping about a bad boss or a bad neighbour or a non working marriage or a bad place to work for. By doing this, together, you help to sink a boat that had a small hole in it faster and kill any chances of survival. It's funny how that works. Again, it is that false sense of fraternity. Just by finding someone who shares similar sorrows, we derive a sense of security which clearly is not real. It's those fraternity genes at work again.
There are also the in between cases. People who are doing well could find this false sense of belonging/fraternity/association with people that are not doing so well and are out on the street looking to "bond". Our fraternity genes are vulnerable to accpeting those invitations very easily.
So what's the point? There are several books written on organizational theory and behavior. But to me this is at the heart of it. Those who conquer these fraternity genes are visionaries. They adapt to change effectively. They, in fact bring change. They are seen as politically savvy. They know who to associate with and when. More importantly, they know who not to associate with and when.
So the bottom line is...watch out for those fraternity genes. Every time you feel a sense of fraternity, ask yourself the question...is this association for a noble objective? is this going to enable me to do the right thing? If the answer is no, disengage at a rapid pace from that engagement/association. I am not suggesting to run away from people in trouble or to keep distance from high acheivers. But to actually run away from that false sense of fraternity. If a friend is having issues with his/her boss, rather than just sympathizing or sharing your own sorrows with them, take the contrarian approach. Be optimistic in a pessimistic fraternity and be paranoid (not pessimistic) in a overly zealous group. Over a period of time, they will appreciate that and you will grow a lot and save some of those disasters.
Confession: I do not claim to follow this advice a 100% of times. That's why blogging is fun :)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Green Power
First of all, this isn't about environmentally friendly use of electricity, coal etc.
It's about using the green energy concept for a different kind of Power, the one that we associate with human beings.
"What is Power?". One definition is that it is a hidden force in organizations, in countries, in societies, communities - pretty much every place on this earth. It is something that you can't see but you can feel it when it is in action.
In today's world, this is becoming more and more important. It has always been important. But it is more apparent now. It is not so hidden anymore. It can also be described in better terms now. At least in big corporations, people casually throw terms such as "informal power", "position power", "referent power".
OK. So what's the point? The point is, aiming to be "Power"ful is fair and important. But people forget few basic don't do's. Power also has bad types. For example, there is coercive power where you force someone to do something that is not good for them.
But all that apart, the most important thing I have to say is "Power is an unstable state". It is very trasncient in nature. In English, it simply means it will disappear one day. In an organizational setting, you might know the Vice President or an equivalent really well. Now you have got informal power. And you might be someone who uses that effectively. But this power won't stay with you forever. That VP will leave one day. And all along, if you have made enemies by inappropriately using that power, they are now ready to "get you".
Another example could be that of referent power. Let's say you have a great reputation for some technical expertise. That brings you referent power. People come to you for stuff. You get to technically influence the proceedings. But even that won't stay with you forever. If you do not keep up with latest advances in your field, your subject matter expertise will become invalid one day and the referent power would be a goner. The best example is how camera 'film' is being driven out of our memory(pun intended) by the digital cameras. How written letters are now a thing of past. How PC revolution completely killed Wang labs. How audio/video cassette players are now a thing of past.
OK. What's the take away? Here it is. Power is like beach sand. The more you hold on to it, more rapidly it will disappear. It is absolutely fair to seek some form of power. But beware of how you use it. And make sure you know that the basic human relations is what matters in the end. So one has to always judge the use of power against the gauge of # of dead bodies one leaves in his/her wake. People sometimes get very much wrapped up into the short term "feel good" from use of power. But you have to come out of that short term mentality and think long term. 'It's a small world" (cliche) afterall. The bridges you burn or the people you hurt/abuse/disappoint will eventually get their turn to return the favor. Every dog afterall has his day.
It therefore makes absolutely practical sense to earn and use power in the most humane or socially responsible way. And these days "Social Responsibility" is synonymous with "Green". So let's stretch it further and say, use your power in a "green" way. :-).
Hope this empowers everyone with the right way to become "power"ful.
It's about using the green energy concept for a different kind of Power, the one that we associate with human beings.
"What is Power?". One definition is that it is a hidden force in organizations, in countries, in societies, communities - pretty much every place on this earth. It is something that you can't see but you can feel it when it is in action.
In today's world, this is becoming more and more important. It has always been important. But it is more apparent now. It is not so hidden anymore. It can also be described in better terms now. At least in big corporations, people casually throw terms such as "informal power", "position power", "referent power".
OK. So what's the point? The point is, aiming to be "Power"ful is fair and important. But people forget few basic don't do's. Power also has bad types. For example, there is coercive power where you force someone to do something that is not good for them.
But all that apart, the most important thing I have to say is "Power is an unstable state". It is very trasncient in nature. In English, it simply means it will disappear one day. In an organizational setting, you might know the Vice President or an equivalent really well. Now you have got informal power. And you might be someone who uses that effectively. But this power won't stay with you forever. That VP will leave one day. And all along, if you have made enemies by inappropriately using that power, they are now ready to "get you".
Another example could be that of referent power. Let's say you have a great reputation for some technical expertise. That brings you referent power. People come to you for stuff. You get to technically influence the proceedings. But even that won't stay with you forever. If you do not keep up with latest advances in your field, your subject matter expertise will become invalid one day and the referent power would be a goner. The best example is how camera 'film' is being driven out of our memory(pun intended) by the digital cameras. How written letters are now a thing of past. How PC revolution completely killed Wang labs. How audio/video cassette players are now a thing of past.
OK. What's the take away? Here it is. Power is like beach sand. The more you hold on to it, more rapidly it will disappear. It is absolutely fair to seek some form of power. But beware of how you use it. And make sure you know that the basic human relations is what matters in the end. So one has to always judge the use of power against the gauge of # of dead bodies one leaves in his/her wake. People sometimes get very much wrapped up into the short term "feel good" from use of power. But you have to come out of that short term mentality and think long term. 'It's a small world" (cliche) afterall. The bridges you burn or the people you hurt/abuse/disappoint will eventually get their turn to return the favor. Every dog afterall has his day.
It therefore makes absolutely practical sense to earn and use power in the most humane or socially responsible way. And these days "Social Responsibility" is synonymous with "Green". So let's stretch it further and say, use your power in a "green" way. :-).
Hope this empowers everyone with the right way to become "power"ful.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Right time to make a Job or Career Change?
Hmm...Sticky topic! Most people would admit this is a very confusing decision. Some would argue that there's no such thing as right time when it comes to switching jobs or finding a new career. Anytime's equally good if you have what it takes and if you have Mr luck in your favor and anytime's equally bad if you are not ready for it.
I have a philosophy. I think it's the first time someone has thought like this as far as I know. And I don't know much so go figure...ok ok I digress.
So the philosophy is...there is actually a right time to change jobs. And that right time is when you are at the peak of your career or you are doing the best you can in your current role! Yep! That's right. When you feel you are on top of the world or to put it more modestly you are doing great and you are getting all the accolades as a proof, that's the time to start getting paranoid. That is the time to start thinking of a change. Remember..Andy Grove once said 'Only the paranoid survive'. I couldn't agree more. Let's say you just got promoted and everyone's singing kumbaya with you, your clock has started clicking. But that doesn't make sense...right? Everyone loves you. They are giving you raises and promotions. Why would you leave? Well, that's the point. That's the time when they will "miss you" if you leave. That's the time they will not stop singing your praises to your new boss. That's the time you can really bargain because your stock's on fire. That's the time when you can take your time and don't have to rush.
If you really want to climb the organizational ladder, the road to top isn't a straight vertical climb. But it is a zigzag. It is a sequence of side stepping, back stepping, jumping several steps at a time - everything but moving vertically up up and above.
Someone said " You will rise to your top most level of incompetence" in every job. Think about it. This is exactly why you should not wait till you reach that point. Because if you do reach that point where career/job change becomes a need/a deadline driven thing. If that happens,oh boy, you have got a steep climb ahead. They won't really "miss you". There would probably be even misunderstandings, grievances about you. And time would become your enemy and put you in a vulnerable situation.
That's why if you are recently promoted in a job role, rather than dreaming about riding the vertical ladder within that role, you might want to start thinking about taking one side step or a side jump or even a back step (so you could jump higher). Now like anything else in this world, there are is a downside risk to this. If you got promoted today, you should not leave tomorrow or next month or even within 3 months. I would say you want to start thinking about a change at that time. And let it brew. Let the thought become ripe and look for that "right time". Believe me, it will come. If you have the thought on back burner, a sequence of events such as meeting some new leaders in other organizations, taking some MBA class or reading about something would trigger that conviction for change. And you will know you are ready. But without the thought process, you are just riding the current tide which by nature will vanish one day!
There are of course some disclaimers to this argument which I won't get into right now.
For now, hope this triggers somebody's thought process and helps them. There's the famous song:
There's a Time for Everything
"...a time to give birth, a time to die... time to kill and a time to heal...a time to tear down and a time to build up...a time to weep, and a time to laugh...a time to mourn and a time to dance...a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing...a time to search and a time to give up as lost...a time to tear apart and a time to sew together....a time to be silent and a time to speak...a time to love and a time to hate...a time for war and a time for peace."
May I add.."...a time for career change..." :)
I have a philosophy. I think it's the first time someone has thought like this as far as I know. And I don't know much so go figure...ok ok I digress.
So the philosophy is...there is actually a right time to change jobs. And that right time is when you are at the peak of your career or you are doing the best you can in your current role! Yep! That's right. When you feel you are on top of the world or to put it more modestly you are doing great and you are getting all the accolades as a proof, that's the time to start getting paranoid. That is the time to start thinking of a change. Remember..Andy Grove once said 'Only the paranoid survive'. I couldn't agree more. Let's say you just got promoted and everyone's singing kumbaya with you, your clock has started clicking. But that doesn't make sense...right? Everyone loves you. They are giving you raises and promotions. Why would you leave? Well, that's the point. That's the time when they will "miss you" if you leave. That's the time they will not stop singing your praises to your new boss. That's the time you can really bargain because your stock's on fire. That's the time when you can take your time and don't have to rush.
If you really want to climb the organizational ladder, the road to top isn't a straight vertical climb. But it is a zigzag. It is a sequence of side stepping, back stepping, jumping several steps at a time - everything but moving vertically up up and above.
Someone said " You will rise to your top most level of incompetence" in every job. Think about it. This is exactly why you should not wait till you reach that point. Because if you do reach that point where career/job change becomes a need/a deadline driven thing. If that happens,oh boy, you have got a steep climb ahead. They won't really "miss you". There would probably be even misunderstandings, grievances about you. And time would become your enemy and put you in a vulnerable situation.
That's why if you are recently promoted in a job role, rather than dreaming about riding the vertical ladder within that role, you might want to start thinking about taking one side step or a side jump or even a back step (so you could jump higher). Now like anything else in this world, there are is a downside risk to this. If you got promoted today, you should not leave tomorrow or next month or even within 3 months. I would say you want to start thinking about a change at that time. And let it brew. Let the thought become ripe and look for that "right time". Believe me, it will come. If you have the thought on back burner, a sequence of events such as meeting some new leaders in other organizations, taking some MBA class or reading about something would trigger that conviction for change. And you will know you are ready. But without the thought process, you are just riding the current tide which by nature will vanish one day!
There are of course some disclaimers to this argument which I won't get into right now.
For now, hope this triggers somebody's thought process and helps them. There's the famous song:
There's a Time for Everything
"...a time to give birth, a time to die... time to kill and a time to heal...a time to tear down and a time to build up...a time to weep, and a time to laugh...a time to mourn and a time to dance...a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing...a time to search and a time to give up as lost...a time to tear apart and a time to sew together....a time to be silent and a time to speak...a time to love and a time to hate...a time for war and a time for peace."
May I add.."...a time for career change..." :)
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Leadership or something like it
The leadershp lecture series at SCU came to an end. The final discussions were pretty interesting, I thought. The Dean asked us to choose the hall of the fame of the three leaders we met and to also choose the worst of the three. I can't name who we chose as the best/worst. What if they read my blog :)
About one leader(let's say X), the class was so polarized. Half in support and half against. Several people who hated X said they understand why X probably developed such a cut throat style but wouldn't want to work for X. Some said they would want to work for X just as a learning experience. Interesting how people define best/worst. Some defined best as someone who they would want to work for. Others defined it as the leader who gets stuff done. And I defined it as the leader who I can become someday! That's why I voted for Pat Kerrin. The guy gave me mantras of life - "get close to the commerce" and "have a sense of urgency about everything in life".
For as different a style these three had, few things were common. Each one hated loosing. Wroking hard was second nature. And constantly challenging oneself/getting
out of comfort zone was utmost important for all three.
So it's official. Leaders are not born. But they can be made. Because everyone can be hardworking, can learn to challenge the status quo and can build a winning attitude.
Steven Covey would be so proud of me for finally realizing what he wrote so many years ago :).
About one leader(let's say X), the class was so polarized. Half in support and half against. Several people who hated X said they understand why X probably developed such a cut throat style but wouldn't want to work for X. Some said they would want to work for X just as a learning experience. Interesting how people define best/worst. Some defined best as someone who they would want to work for. Others defined it as the leader who gets stuff done. And I defined it as the leader who I can become someday! That's why I voted for Pat Kerrin. The guy gave me mantras of life - "get close to the commerce" and "have a sense of urgency about everything in life".
For as different a style these three had, few things were common. Each one hated loosing. Wroking hard was second nature. And constantly challenging oneself/getting
out of comfort zone was utmost important for all three.
So it's official. Leaders are not born. But they can be made. Because everyone can be hardworking, can learn to challenge the status quo and can build a winning attitude.
Steven Covey would be so proud of me for finally realizing what he wrote so many years ago :).
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Meeting GM of IBM Global Services: Pat Kerrin
On May 22nd, 2008, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Pat Kerin, GM of IBM Global Services.
Get closer to the commerce, where a buyer and a seller meet, was the key message from Pat. This message really made sense to me. Until recently, I have been working in a central organization that had internal customers but had no interface with suppliers or end customers. In other words, last 4 years of my very bright experience had nothing to do with the commerce. Given I have moved in a new job recently, I now will make conscious attempts to get closer to the commerce.
“Clarity is Supreme”, Pat mentioned a couple of times. He went further and said that the higher you go in an organization, the more “yes” sayer middle management staff you will find. I can relate this to my company, where we have several organizational layers and >50,000 employees. With that size, upper management has to be very clear in the goals they are setting for their staff and also provide clear performance feedback. And the first sign of trouble or exception they observe, they need to respond swiftly. Because they are at such a high level, they can’t wait till there is a trend.
Paradoxically, saying “yes” becomes very crucial in deal management negotiation situations. Pat and Barry both vehemently agreed on this during the dinner conversation. This was a very different perspective. I have read books that teach how to say “No”. This is the first time I heard someone talking about importance of saying “Yes”. I loved what Barry said, “Every improvisation starts with a Yes”. I go further and say nothing in this world can happen without someone saying “Yes”.
“Sense of urgency” is one of Pat’s top 10 leadership lessons. I used to think that responding to urgent situations do not necessarily lead to long term sustainable solutions. But Pat’s comment made me think further. When you have sense of urgency for getting something done, it gets done. Also, when you don’t have a lot of time on hand, you are much more decisive. And if you are decisive, you would get more done in less time and will have time for work-life balance. This is a huge lesson for me and for everyone and is applicable in every situation in life.
Get closer to the commerce, where a buyer and a seller meet, was the key message from Pat. This message really made sense to me. Until recently, I have been working in a central organization that had internal customers but had no interface with suppliers or end customers. In other words, last 4 years of my very bright experience had nothing to do with the commerce. Given I have moved in a new job recently, I now will make conscious attempts to get closer to the commerce.
“Clarity is Supreme”, Pat mentioned a couple of times. He went further and said that the higher you go in an organization, the more “yes” sayer middle management staff you will find. I can relate this to my company, where we have several organizational layers and >50,000 employees. With that size, upper management has to be very clear in the goals they are setting for their staff and also provide clear performance feedback. And the first sign of trouble or exception they observe, they need to respond swiftly. Because they are at such a high level, they can’t wait till there is a trend.
Paradoxically, saying “yes” becomes very crucial in deal management negotiation situations. Pat and Barry both vehemently agreed on this during the dinner conversation. This was a very different perspective. I have read books that teach how to say “No”. This is the first time I heard someone talking about importance of saying “Yes”. I loved what Barry said, “Every improvisation starts with a Yes”. I go further and say nothing in this world can happen without someone saying “Yes”.
“Sense of urgency” is one of Pat’s top 10 leadership lessons. I used to think that responding to urgent situations do not necessarily lead to long term sustainable solutions. But Pat’s comment made me think further. When you have sense of urgency for getting something done, it gets done. Also, when you don’t have a lot of time on hand, you are much more decisive. And if you are decisive, you would get more done in less time and will have time for work-life balance. This is a huge lesson for me and for everyone and is applicable in every situation in life.
Belotti Award
I just won this "Turning the Corner" Belotti award from Santa Clara University. I used to get academic awards quite frequently upto 12th grade..then it slowed down and then it just went away. After at least 10 years, there's finally another award...refreshing!
Now this qualifies for self promotion ...it's my blog afterall :)
Now this qualifies for self promotion ...it's my blog afterall :)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
What women want
No, this isn't about the Mel Gibson movie. I read(more like heard) an audio book recenlty called "how to become a people magnet". Not a great read but here's something I learnt from it and thought was very much applicable to most people..
Men apparently talk more than women. Studies have shown that. But they mostly talk from a competitive/impressing angle at office, with buddies, with girl friends. But all this changes when they come home to a wife and a family. Suddenly the switch goes off. Apparently this has been also studied. Conclusion: At home, they are just simply on vacation!. They have done all the talking outside and feel the need to relax at home and not have to prove a point! Obviously, wives don't like that. (I have a lot of 'experience' in this area :)) So what do you do? Again some psychology dudes have studied this and they have a mathematical recommendation. No kidding..here it goes: If you have been away from your wife for 8 hours, give her 100% attention for 8 minutes and then you can go on the above mentioned vacation. If you have been away 6 hours, then it's 6 minutes and so on!
Cool..I just gave you the secret to a happy married life! My wife better not be reading this :)
Men: happy vacationing and Women: please do not disturb :)
And thus I continue having the regret of not studying psychology in the 2.5 degrees that I have earned (MBA is still only half done!).
Men apparently talk more than women. Studies have shown that. But they mostly talk from a competitive/impressing angle at office, with buddies, with girl friends. But all this changes when they come home to a wife and a family. Suddenly the switch goes off. Apparently this has been also studied. Conclusion: At home, they are just simply on vacation!. They have done all the talking outside and feel the need to relax at home and not have to prove a point! Obviously, wives don't like that. (I have a lot of 'experience' in this area :)) So what do you do? Again some psychology dudes have studied this and they have a mathematical recommendation. No kidding..here it goes: If you have been away from your wife for 8 hours, give her 100% attention for 8 minutes and then you can go on the above mentioned vacation. If you have been away 6 hours, then it's 6 minutes and so on!
Cool..I just gave you the secret to a happy married life! My wife better not be reading this :)
Men: happy vacationing and Women: please do not disturb :)
And thus I continue having the regret of not studying psychology in the 2.5 degrees that I have earned (MBA is still only half done!).
The Commodity Syndrome
US is a great commoditized country. Everything here can be taught, treated, analyzed, and expressed. The health industry has "invented" so many deseases like restless legs syndrome, attention disorder deficit, social anxiety etc. People write books that provide techniques on how to make romantic moves when alone in a bar. Yes, learning a few techniques is fine but some things have to be natural. The nature that made this world happen should be given a chance. One of my colleague's doctor was treating him for high blood pressure. He was on medication twice a day and couldn't miss it. I used to find this vert shocking. Afterall, a young although bit high tempered guy having such a serious problem just didn't make sense. After several doses of medications, I guess he flet he has had enough. He figured out the root cause of the problem himself and completely gave up drinking. Guess what, the BP problem went away. It's been 4-5 years now and there's no sign of any blood pressure problems. The doctor knew about his drinking habbit but never advised to give that up. What's wrong with this picture? Something to think about...
The Spiritual Connection: Meeting Dr Wayne Dyer
On April Fool's day, we had the rare opportunity to see Wayne Dyer in person. We attended his show called "Tao Te Ching" in San Francisco. The book/show is based on 81 verses of Lao tzu, an ancient Chinese prophet. I have read a few books Wayne has written and have always wanted to meet him! This show was a great opportunity. I have learnt never to leave without shaking hands with such "masters". I tried meeting him during the break as well as in the end. But somehow strength of my conviction wasn't enough...on both occasions, he had 'just left'. I was probably feeling a bit numb in the vicinity of greatness. But nevertheless, I managed to have him sign a book at least!
When I walked into the Masonic auditorium, my first reaction was that somehow all saints look alike: bald head..little belly..piercing looks and so on. You would expect a spiritual speaker like Wayne to be simply that..Spiritual! But he was funny. He was very casual and sent the otherwise boringly sounding spiritual messages with ease, humor and with a touch of pragmatism.
Some excerpts:
1. Donald trump says "think big and kick ass". Tao says " Think small and forget about ass" (funny and meaningful!)
2. Smoking section in a restaurant is like peeing section in a swimming pool! (think about this one, it's deep!)
3. Stiffness is a companion of your body at death and flexibility is a companion at birth!
4. Universe keeps on sending experiences that match up with your thinking. Master your thoughts! ( Paulo Coelho in his masterpiece "The Alchemist" says the same thing. If you really really want something, the entire Universe will conspire to bring it to you"!)
5. Michelangelo said " Fear should not be that I have high hopes and I might fail to meet them but it should be that I have low hopes and I fail anyways".
6. Ego = Edge GOD Out. Ego pushes GOD away from you.
TS Eliot nails it: " We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." We are in a journey of 1000 miles and it is nothing but a return trip to where it all started from!
OK. Now what? It's simple and everyon'e heard it before: Follow the calling from your heart and don't die with your music still left inside you. And like everything else, easier said than done!
When I walked into the Masonic auditorium, my first reaction was that somehow all saints look alike: bald head..little belly..piercing looks and so on. You would expect a spiritual speaker like Wayne to be simply that..Spiritual! But he was funny. He was very casual and sent the otherwise boringly sounding spiritual messages with ease, humor and with a touch of pragmatism.
Some excerpts:
1. Donald trump says "think big and kick ass". Tao says " Think small and forget about ass" (funny and meaningful!)
2. Smoking section in a restaurant is like peeing section in a swimming pool! (think about this one, it's deep!)
3. Stiffness is a companion of your body at death and flexibility is a companion at birth!
4. Universe keeps on sending experiences that match up with your thinking. Master your thoughts! ( Paulo Coelho in his masterpiece "The Alchemist" says the same thing. If you really really want something, the entire Universe will conspire to bring it to you"!)
5. Michelangelo said " Fear should not be that I have high hopes and I might fail to meet them but it should be that I have low hopes and I fail anyways".
6. Ego = Edge GOD Out. Ego pushes GOD away from you.
TS Eliot nails it: " We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." We are in a journey of 1000 miles and it is nothing but a return trip to where it all started from!
OK. Now what? It's simple and everyon'e heard it before: Follow the calling from your heart and don't die with your music still left inside you. And like everything else, easier said than done!
Meeting CFO of Oracle: Safra Catz
I had the opportunity to listen to her talk and meet her and exchange a few words on 17th April.
Heard another perspective on Globalization: To her, it means that you can meet your customer anywhere in the world and can still expect the same high quality product at the most reasonable price!
The best way to describe Safra would be ...bullet(proof) train!.....aggression personified! She is an investment banker at heart and manages Oracle with the same ruthlessness and laser focus. I asked her only one question:
"Did your assertive style ever get you in trouble with your superiors?".
Response: "Absolutely. But with your boss, you need to align and let him/her know that you are not trying to take his job but trying to move both of us upwards. With other superiors, you say so what?..and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You find other places where it works!".
By the way, she was quick to point out that she lives next door to my boss. I asked her "which one?" She laughed and said "John Chambers". Nice! One more time, Birds of same feather....
This shows how, she in her heart, is still a common (wo)man! Still need fame by association....
Interesting trivia: She (CEO Larry Ellison included) launched hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft on her Son's birthday! Damn! Oracle competitors better watch out...
But our dear Indian government has managed to scare her through some security law issue! Aha...Bureaucracy indeed trumps capitalism!!
Other quotes:
"Being # 2 means being # 1 in the loser's queue"
" Just because it hasn't been ever done, doesn't mean it can't be done"
"Don't react to the street. We (C class execs) are called insiders for a reason. We know more"
new term: "Coalition of the Willing". Makes sense when you want to drive a change of any kind any place.
Heard another perspective on Globalization: To her, it means that you can meet your customer anywhere in the world and can still expect the same high quality product at the most reasonable price!
The best way to describe Safra would be ...bullet(proof) train!.....aggression personified! She is an investment banker at heart and manages Oracle with the same ruthlessness and laser focus. I asked her only one question:
"Did your assertive style ever get you in trouble with your superiors?".
Response: "Absolutely. But with your boss, you need to align and let him/her know that you are not trying to take his job but trying to move both of us upwards. With other superiors, you say so what?..and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You find other places where it works!".
By the way, she was quick to point out that she lives next door to my boss. I asked her "which one?" She laughed and said "John Chambers". Nice! One more time, Birds of same feather....
This shows how, she in her heart, is still a common (wo)man! Still need fame by association....
Interesting trivia: She (CEO Larry Ellison included) launched hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft on her Son's birthday! Damn! Oracle competitors better watch out...
But our dear Indian government has managed to scare her through some security law issue! Aha...Bureaucracy indeed trumps capitalism!!
Other quotes:
"Being # 2 means being # 1 in the loser's queue"
" Just because it hasn't been ever done, doesn't mean it can't be done"
"Don't react to the street. We (C class execs) are called insiders for a reason. We know more"
new term: "Coalition of the Willing". Makes sense when you want to drive a change of any kind any place.
Amitabh Bachchan's got a blog now
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/
I wonder what prompted him to do this? Is it this? http://www.aamirkhan.com/blog.htm
may be not....may be Shahrukh Khan's blog is next...unless it already exists...man, birds of same feather fly together...
I wonder what prompted him to do this? Is it this? http://www.aamirkhan.com/blog.htm
may be not....may be Shahrukh Khan's blog is next...unless it already exists...man, birds of same feather fly together...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Strategic Planning??
Levi's Strauss:
I often wonder what do marketing people really do? What exactly is strategic planning? Why is branding so important? I found out a few answers from a great case study recently:
Levi's struass in 1960s were trying to get in different market as the Levi's Jean era was coming to an end. They wanted to get into high price point products like suits and also build a new image (till then it was synonymous with jeans). They segmented market into types of buyers. The buyer group they decided to focus on was men who shop without bringing their wives. They like to make their own decisions and want to feel like they bought a custom suite which you don't get in a departmental store chain like Macy's. They conducted a sophisticated market research with focus groups of such male. They decided:
Product: Levi's tailored classics 3 piece suit separates (the user group had expressed that Levi's does not sound like a brand for suits..it is a jeans brand)
Place: They decided to sell through departmental stores like Macy's (channel). The user group they were tagetting buy custom suits from small shops not Macy's.
Price: priced higher for the departmental store customers.
Promotion: their advertisements included a dressed man with a horse! (again does not fit with the target user group profile).
Result: The new product failed. A smart company like Levi's also made horrible mistakes with the 4 P's (product, price, place, promotions) of marketing as shown above. They conducted market research but were not prepared to use the data and were not willing to either.
PBS has a great video for this.
This is why strategy/branding and hence Marketing matters!
I often wonder what do marketing people really do? What exactly is strategic planning? Why is branding so important? I found out a few answers from a great case study recently:
Levi's struass in 1960s were trying to get in different market as the Levi's Jean era was coming to an end. They wanted to get into high price point products like suits and also build a new image (till then it was synonymous with jeans). They segmented market into types of buyers. The buyer group they decided to focus on was men who shop without bringing their wives. They like to make their own decisions and want to feel like they bought a custom suite which you don't get in a departmental store chain like Macy's. They conducted a sophisticated market research with focus groups of such male. They decided:
Product: Levi's tailored classics 3 piece suit separates (the user group had expressed that Levi's does not sound like a brand for suits..it is a jeans brand)
Place: They decided to sell through departmental stores like Macy's (channel). The user group they were tagetting buy custom suits from small shops not Macy's.
Price: priced higher for the departmental store customers.
Promotion: their advertisements included a dressed man with a horse! (again does not fit with the target user group profile).
Result: The new product failed. A smart company like Levi's also made horrible mistakes with the 4 P's (product, price, place, promotions) of marketing as shown above. They conducted market research but were not prepared to use the data and were not willing to either.
PBS has a great video for this.
This is why strategy/branding and hence Marketing matters!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Celebrate your mistakes
Recently attended a panel discussion with Nvidia CEO. What a down to earth and cool guy!. Here are some take aways:
1. Celebrate your mistakes: This is easier said than done. Nvidia has done it. Look at the video below where they publically made fun of their own product which was the worst ever graphics card. This takes some courage. He was quick to say that he does not advocate making mistakes but advocates celebrating them. I guess when you celebrate a mistake, it leaves a distinct spot on your brain cells and your likelihood of repeating goes way down..my guess!
2. Globalization: does not mean you go to India to find the best software developer or go to China to find the best chip manufacturing engineer but it means you source for the best talent globally. Different perspective...I thought!
3. Quote: "We take our craft very seriously but we don't take ourselves that seriously"
4. Leadership: is mostly about telling the right story in the right place and getting lucky (serendipity). I truly believe in this. You have my word. All the literature on leadership boils down to these 2 things!
5. Psychology and Literature: another important thing one should learn in school. A lot what leaders do has to do with human psyche and expressing ideas. Too bad these are not in engineering or even business curriculum most of the times.
Enjoy the video..
1. Celebrate your mistakes: This is easier said than done. Nvidia has done it. Look at the video below where they publically made fun of their own product which was the worst ever graphics card. This takes some courage. He was quick to say that he does not advocate making mistakes but advocates celebrating them. I guess when you celebrate a mistake, it leaves a distinct spot on your brain cells and your likelihood of repeating goes way down..my guess!
2. Globalization: does not mean you go to India to find the best software developer or go to China to find the best chip manufacturing engineer but it means you source for the best talent globally. Different perspective...I thought!
3. Quote: "We take our craft very seriously but we don't take ourselves that seriously"
4. Leadership: is mostly about telling the right story in the right place and getting lucky (serendipity). I truly believe in this. You have my word. All the literature on leadership boils down to these 2 things!
5. Psychology and Literature: another important thing one should learn in school. A lot what leaders do has to do with human psyche and expressing ideas. Too bad these are not in engineering or even business curriculum most of the times.
Enjoy the video..
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Dean's list
I made it to the Dean's list on Santa Clara University MBA web site. Not bad ha?
(Click on the second image)
(Click on the second image)
Friday, March 21, 2008
Power of Music - Imagine by John Lennon
Here's an inspiring John Lennon Song : Imagine
Simple Lyrics...powerful impact...This was a theme in our leadership offsite of this year: "Imagine". One of the ledaers used the lyrics below as the titles of his powerpoint presentation....that's some imagination ha?
Very old song but I just heard it and loved it..
Imagine there's no heaven...It's easy if you try...No hell below us...Above us only sky...Imagine all the people...Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries...It isn't hard to do...Nothing to kill or die for...And no religion too...Imagine all the people...Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer...But I'm not the only one...I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one...
Imagine no possessions...I wonder if you can...No need for greed or hunger...A brotherhood of man...Imagine all the people...Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer...But I'm not the only one...I hope someday you'll join us...And the world will live as one...
Simple Lyrics...powerful impact...This was a theme in our leadership offsite of this year: "Imagine". One of the ledaers used the lyrics below as the titles of his powerpoint presentation....that's some imagination ha?
Very old song but I just heard it and loved it..
Imagine there's no heaven...It's easy if you try...No hell below us...Above us only sky...Imagine all the people...Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries...It isn't hard to do...Nothing to kill or die for...And no religion too...Imagine all the people...Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer...But I'm not the only one...I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one...
Imagine no possessions...I wonder if you can...No need for greed or hunger...A brotherhood of man...Imagine all the people...Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer...But I'm not the only one...I hope someday you'll join us...And the world will live as one...
A Vision turned into Reality...The Cisco Magic
Cisco's Vision since 1997: Changing the way we Work, Live, Play, and Learn.
Today 2008: They have done it! Just look around what internet has done to our lives and watch this video...
John Chambers (CEO) is in India and the guy standing next to him Marthin is actually in California. The screen in between is the Cisco product "Telepresence" - high definition almost real video conferencing!
Now...who would have thought Vision statements of companies indeed become reality...hats off to Cisco!
Today 2008: They have done it! Just look around what internet has done to our lives and watch this video...
John Chambers (CEO) is in India and the guy standing next to him Marthin is actually in California. The screen in between is the Cisco product "Telepresence" - high definition almost real video conferencing!
Now...who would have thought Vision statements of companies indeed become reality...hats off to Cisco!
Competition can come from anywhere
Indeed...you never know...Again, taken from one of our VP's presentation:
very funny but powerful in message....
very funny but powerful in message....
Right Place...Right Time
Fortune favors the brave.....shikar khud yaha shikar ho gaya...yeh kya zulum hua yeh kya .....na jane mai ..na jane woh :) One of our Vice Presidents used this in his presentation to make the point about luck.....which he said is nothing but mixutre of preparation and opportunity....enjoy the clip..
Friday, December 28, 2007
Good Books
Isn't it strange that I who have written only unpopular books should be such a popular fellow? Albert Einstein
Here is a good collection of books on various topics. The list is compiled by Dr David Palmer who was one of my business school professors. Take your pick...hope you pick many cause one book typically has only one strong message. (click on individual images to zoom /see larger image)
Here is a good collection of books on various topics. The list is compiled by Dr David Palmer who was one of my business school professors. Take your pick...hope you pick many cause one book typically has only one strong message. (click on individual images to zoom /see larger image)
Walking with Dinosaurs
Here is an interesting show. Originally created in Australia, these dinosaurs are so real. Their movements do not appear robotic at all. A little secret...there are human operators inside each of them that make them move. And by the way, the way the opeartors move these big dudes is via moving a small model that is created inside that translates the motion to the bigger actual thing. What's interesting is the organizers have to disassemble the dinosaurs to travel across the world and reassemble them (thank God they are not real). Hence they had to be made out of a very light material that has skin like texture. There is a ton of hadraulics inside them. An electromechanical marvel...
Enjoy....now showing in San Jose. Check out their web site (www.dinosaurlive.com)
Brain Teasers
Here are some interesting brain teasers. These are good word puzzles you can use for party, team building or just for fun. You need to create a common phrsae from each cryptic work. e.g. the First one stands for Side by Side. The one below that is Split Banana. Scroll for solutions to a few (for all of them, call me...keep your visa/mastercard ready :))
Summer School (the last one)
He is by himself
Lean over backwards (over written as revo)
Double Meaning (Meaning Meaning)
Half Hour (HO)
Backward Glance (ECNALG)
Just bewteen You and Me (You/Just / Me)
Lazy After noon (Noon Lazy)
Fun isn't it..?
Heart Healthy
Some more tips for a healthy heart or good eating habits, in general: (more focused on Indian people)
1) Indians overcook their vegetables. Now asking someone to change that takes an act of God. We don't need that. So a simple trick is to add some uncooked raw vegetables to your meals. Here are some examples:
- Cauliflower with tomato sauce
- Broccoli with ranch(fat free)
- Baby carrots / Tomatoes with hot sauce
- Mung Sprouts with chat masala
- Frozen mixed vegetables warmed in microwave and sprinkled with chat masala/mirch
2) Eating a few walnuts (4 max) everyday helps lower your bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol. Dry fruits tend to have fats so eating them like peanuts is not a great idea
3) Eating a fruit with every meal is very important. Our body needs fiber for several functions..the most important being cleaning the arteries where bad cholesterol could accumulate. Also, soluble fiber is what we need and not the insoluble one. Oranges, banana (which is equivalent of 2 fruits actually), apples are great
4) Prefer a fruit over fruit juice/drink. Remember fiber is what you are seeking. It is said that our body does not really differentiate between a fruit juice and a coke. You get the picture!!
5) Eating brown rice is much more helpful than white rice. Vegetarians need to watch out for protein intake in each meal. Brown rice, yogurt (not fruit yogurts that has too much sugar) with active cultures (helps for digestion), tofu, soya, lentils/dals are good sources of protein.
6) Be careful about eating achar/pickle. You don't know how much oil it has and how harmful could it be
7) Olive oil is great but not for Indian style high temperature cooking. It could in fact be carcinogenic at high temperatures. Prefer canola oil for cooking and use olive oil when used at room temperature.
8) Unsaturated fats are actually helpful for lowering cholesterol. Canola oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds have them. Avocados are also great but you need to get used to the taste.
9) Another excellent source of cholesterol lowering food is Omega 3 Fatty acids. If you don't eat fish, get some fish oil tablets. They come in odorless versions also these days. So you won't even fill it was fish oil.
10) Trader Joe's is made for health conscious people. Here are some healthy choices from Trader Joe's:
- Frozen steel cut Oat Meal (much better than a normal oat meal)
- Morningstar tomato basil burger..good source of protein and fiber
- Lentil Soup (for a quick microwavable lunch at office..rather than eating pizza from the break
room)
11) Cereals with milk in the morning is a good way to get some healthy breakfast. Watch out for sugar content.
12) Gulab jamun, jilebi, samose, mithai ...hmm...everyone likes these delicacies. So don't avoid 'em but control the intake quantity.
1) Indians overcook their vegetables. Now asking someone to change that takes an act of God. We don't need that. So a simple trick is to add some uncooked raw vegetables to your meals. Here are some examples:
- Cauliflower with tomato sauce
- Broccoli with ranch(fat free)
- Baby carrots / Tomatoes with hot sauce
- Mung Sprouts with chat masala
- Frozen mixed vegetables warmed in microwave and sprinkled with chat masala/mirch
2) Eating a few walnuts (4 max) everyday helps lower your bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol. Dry fruits tend to have fats so eating them like peanuts is not a great idea
3) Eating a fruit with every meal is very important. Our body needs fiber for several functions..the most important being cleaning the arteries where bad cholesterol could accumulate. Also, soluble fiber is what we need and not the insoluble one. Oranges, banana (which is equivalent of 2 fruits actually), apples are great
4) Prefer a fruit over fruit juice/drink. Remember fiber is what you are seeking. It is said that our body does not really differentiate between a fruit juice and a coke. You get the picture!!
5) Eating brown rice is much more helpful than white rice. Vegetarians need to watch out for protein intake in each meal. Brown rice, yogurt (not fruit yogurts that has too much sugar) with active cultures (helps for digestion), tofu, soya, lentils/dals are good sources of protein.
6) Be careful about eating achar/pickle. You don't know how much oil it has and how harmful could it be
7) Olive oil is great but not for Indian style high temperature cooking. It could in fact be carcinogenic at high temperatures. Prefer canola oil for cooking and use olive oil when used at room temperature.
8) Unsaturated fats are actually helpful for lowering cholesterol. Canola oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds have them. Avocados are also great but you need to get used to the taste.
9) Another excellent source of cholesterol lowering food is Omega 3 Fatty acids. If you don't eat fish, get some fish oil tablets. They come in odorless versions also these days. So you won't even fill it was fish oil.
10) Trader Joe's is made for health conscious people. Here are some healthy choices from Trader Joe's:
- Frozen steel cut Oat Meal (much better than a normal oat meal)
- Morningstar tomato basil burger..good source of protein and fiber
- Lentil Soup (for a quick microwavable lunch at office..rather than eating pizza from the break
room)
11) Cereals with milk in the morning is a good way to get some healthy breakfast. Watch out for sugar content.
12) Gulab jamun, jilebi, samose, mithai ...hmm...everyone likes these delicacies. So don't avoid 'em but control the intake quantity.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Make a fool out of yourself
Monty Hall Problem Here is a proof for how people do not behave rationally. This is it. This proves that you behave irrationally...
A thoroughly honest game-show host (Monty Hall) has placed a car behind one of three doors. There is a goat behind each of the other doors. You have no prior knowledge that allows you to distinguish among the doors. You pick a door and if it has car behind it, you take that baby home. If not, you have the option to take the goat home :). "First you point toward a door," he says. "Then I'll open one of the other doors to reveal a goat. After I've shown you the goat, you make your final choice whether to stick with your initial choice of doors, or to switch to the remaining door. You win whatever is behind the door." You begin by pointing to door number 1. The host shows you that door number 3 has a goat. What should you do now? Switch to Door 2 or Stick with your Choice of door 1?
Most of us stick to our original choice thinking "why would I get tricked?" or "why would I want to prove myself wrong" or even better " I feel door 1 is my lucky door".
Wrong!!
You should always switch the doors. Here is a rational explanation: when you pick a door, you have 1/3 probability of finding the car. When Monty opens a door with the goat, the remaining closed door now has 2/3 probability of finding the car (see image below) and hence you should switch.
No one enjoys being called a "fool"- not nice! But there is a lot of research going on in the field of "Behavioral Finance" to prove that human beings are insane, pretty much. As it happens the ones researching are also human beings themselves..circular logic..head hurts. Enjoy the puzzle!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
4 dimensional charts!!
Google always has cool offerings in the hopper. Here's another one (this time they simply acquired somebody else's cool stuff). .. This tool lets you plot four dimensional charts and has a very intuitive animation associated with it. Originally developed by Prof Hans Rosling at Gapminder... Here's a link to Prof Rosling's very witty and intriguing video: Some of the trends in life expectancy are interesting. Enjoy
Investing 101
After the "health" talk, let's talk finances....wealth should follow health anyways (not the other way round though). By the way, I am learning investment fundamentals right from basics from some really good people these days. So I will post whatever I learn and sounds interesting..
In my mind, there are 3 key discipline necessary to make money....
1) Emotional maturity
2) Luck
3) Investing Skill
Emotional maturity is what makes or breaks you...know yourself! Don't only dream about market upside but also imagine market downside and most importantly what would be your reaction to it. So look before you leap but also don't just keep looking. Take the leap!
Luck...You can hardly do anything about this. But is a very significant factor...don't count on it though! Getting lucky is much more pleasant when you didn't expect to be..if you are expecting to get lucky, then you are gambling! (By the way, investing in market is NOT gambling....should NOT be dealt with like gambling)
Skill...If you don't have it, get a trusted Advisor. But do read the news yourself..have your own views and opinions. Don't let somebody completely decide your fate. If you have skills, make sure they are based on solid fundamentals not just hearsay. Make reading a hobby! There is a ton of literature out there.
In my mind, there are 3 key discipline necessary to make money....
1) Emotional maturity
2) Luck
3) Investing Skill
Emotional maturity is what makes or breaks you...know yourself! Don't only dream about market upside but also imagine market downside and most importantly what would be your reaction to it. So look before you leap but also don't just keep looking. Take the leap!
Luck...You can hardly do anything about this. But is a very significant factor...don't count on it though! Getting lucky is much more pleasant when you didn't expect to be..if you are expecting to get lucky, then you are gambling! (By the way, investing in market is NOT gambling....should NOT be dealt with like gambling)
Skill...If you don't have it, get a trusted Advisor. But do read the news yourself..have your own views and opinions. Don't let somebody completely decide your fate. If you have skills, make sure they are based on solid fundamentals not just hearsay. Make reading a hobby! There is a ton of literature out there.
Nutrition "do"s and "don't"s
What a boring topic ha? Well, hold on....if you keep it simple, it's not so boring afterall. I ain't no nutritionist so can't make it boring even if I wanted...so here are some simple and interesting tips (not a doctor's advice!):
- Weighing scale won't tell you what your body tells you after you eat too much or eat the wrong stuff!
- Being vegetarian does not mean you will be starved for protein for your life. NO WAY. Dairy based products, lentils (dal), Rice are way to go.
- Eat yogurt every day - especially the one with Live Active Cultures. Remember, yogurt is full of bacteria..but the good ones. You need many of those in your body to fight the bad ones. Active cultures will also help with digestion.
- Tofu made in USA is no good. One from Asia is very healthy.
- Never ever skip meals. Also, stop eating when you are full...makes no sense to keep pouring into the cup when it's full. Never load up at night. Load up in the day instead if you want.
- Left-over food isn't such a bad choice compared to fresh donuts/cake.
- Do not eat if you are not hungry. If you are HALT-B (hungry, angry, lonely, tired or bored...do not go fill the boredom with junk food!). Get a life....not junk food!
- Breakfast /snacks are very important. Keep bread slices in your office and apply some pudina chutney or some methi chutney or some fruit spread/jam and eat a couple slices when hungry.
- Taking Vitamin/ Calcium supplements isn't a bad thing. If you don't have discipline in your food intake then go for these supplements. But they won't completely benefit until accompanies by a healthy diet anyways.
- Watch out for how much dry fruits you eat in one setting.
- If you are starving, eating Donuts/chocolates or Drinking Coffee (any sugar heavy thing) is a NO-NO. Eat a banana instead..
- And MOST IMPORTANT: exercise..I know how hard it is and all. Watching TV is so simple instead. Why not combine the two..get a stationary bike and make a pledge not to watch TV unless you are sitting on the bike. This will take care of your exercise needs.
That's it..easier said than done. But has great ROI (return on investment for the uninitiated ones).
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