Showing posts with label arbit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arbit. Show all posts
Friday, November 12, 2010
Personality Check - Which one are you?
No No, I am not going to play Freud, but after I switched to a BB as a backup (while my trusty phone goes through a open heart surgery --- yes, I am not ready to let go just yet!) I have become increasingly aware of the below!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Joel's in a soup... no make that a Spicy Indian curry!
Joel Stein caused nothing short of an internet tidal wave, when T.I.M.E. ran his article, My own Private India. Rarely have I seen an article cause so much acrimony on the web. Facebookdom, Twitterverse and blogosphere erupted with reactions and counter-reactions. I am pretty sure there is a reaction out there echoing your thoughts on the subject, no matter what they are. Kal penn reacted, & so did Sandip roy as well as the Geat Bong. Personally, I re-read the article a week later yesterday and I did not think much of it.
In my several discussions about it, I liked the reaction that came from madame pixiedust.
The sheer amount of attention that Joel Stein’s article is getting is what really disturbs me, and not really the “humor” that he seemed to be projecting in his piece. It was an ostensibly funny article that makes superficial and unimaginative digs at the brown folks taking over Edison, an apparent nostalgic piece of how his hometown was metamorphosing before his own eyes. However, the irreverence of the article is what exactly it deserves to get.
Unfortunately, a lot of humor involves attacking stereotypes – digs at Americans are a case in point. But I am not sure what constitutes crossing a line? Do you not make any such digs at all? Or you do and then issue a footnote explaining the why, how, when of it? Do you only make racist jokes in an explicitly comedic environment (as our beloved stand-up comedians do) to ensure that they are not taken seriously? Or do you also make a joke about yourself to ensure a safety net – after all he who can laugh at himself can laugh at anything right? It is difficult to ascertain such complexities given jokes are often funny when they are being directed at issues that come with some tension, ideas that some people take just too seriously. To a certain extent I concur, that the person making the joke should be mindful of his audience and the climate before cracking something irreverent about something that could be sensitive. But in general, when you are broadcasting a joke, it is difficult to control this. Really, opening your mouth to spew out humor is always risky. Because you are more often than not targeting a topic that could be very serious to someone, anyone else.
In light of this, we probably need to react contextually. Especially for an article like the one that Stein wrote only because it accomplishes nothing. It is neither nostalgic, nor funny, nor imaginative. Nothing that he says has not been said before. Am I the only one who thinks that this article does not deserve the attention it is getting?
+1.
All I want to say is T.I.M.E. should have probably seen this coming.
In my several discussions about it, I liked the reaction that came from madame pixiedust.
The sheer amount of attention that Joel Stein’s article is getting is what really disturbs me, and not really the “humor” that he seemed to be projecting in his piece. It was an ostensibly funny article that makes superficial and unimaginative digs at the brown folks taking over Edison, an apparent nostalgic piece of how his hometown was metamorphosing before his own eyes. However, the irreverence of the article is what exactly it deserves to get.
Unfortunately, a lot of humor involves attacking stereotypes – digs at Americans are a case in point. But I am not sure what constitutes crossing a line? Do you not make any such digs at all? Or you do and then issue a footnote explaining the why, how, when of it? Do you only make racist jokes in an explicitly comedic environment (as our beloved stand-up comedians do) to ensure that they are not taken seriously? Or do you also make a joke about yourself to ensure a safety net – after all he who can laugh at himself can laugh at anything right? It is difficult to ascertain such complexities given jokes are often funny when they are being directed at issues that come with some tension, ideas that some people take just too seriously. To a certain extent I concur, that the person making the joke should be mindful of his audience and the climate before cracking something irreverent about something that could be sensitive. But in general, when you are broadcasting a joke, it is difficult to control this. Really, opening your mouth to spew out humor is always risky. Because you are more often than not targeting a topic that could be very serious to someone, anyone else.
In light of this, we probably need to react contextually. Especially for an article like the one that Stein wrote only because it accomplishes nothing. It is neither nostalgic, nor funny, nor imaginative. Nothing that he says has not been said before. Am I the only one who thinks that this article does not deserve the attention it is getting?
+1.
All I want to say is T.I.M.E. should have probably seen this coming.
Monday, November 24, 2008
KA-05 DL:12440/87
It was a morning like all others. I was running late for work. So I walked briskly down the street from where my house. It is a small street. There is a Shiva temple at one end of it, surrounded by a small marketplace, which is continuously teeming with people getting along with their day.
I needed to find an Auto rickshaw (and autowallah) ready to take me on as a fare. I have to say, I am building some serious reputation with these guys. They know I take a ride to the same place every day. They also know that I am quite a stickler for these guys overcharging me. Yet, everyday they try to rip me off. Rigged meters. One and half fare. Change problems. It would be fair to say my love-hate relationship with them goes a little way back. Love you ask? Well, I need them to get around.
“Boss, JP Nagar?”
“No Boss”
He (autowallah) is a regular, he will not accept me as a fare.
Unfazed (like I am usually), I move on. I see one more auto standing.
“JP Nagar, 4 th Phase?”
Slight nod of the head.
I get in, and slip the new HBR issue out of my backpack.
[Since the traffic moves so slow in Bangalore, I have decided to make use of the gift of the time, everyday]
I have barely read few lines,
“I don’t normally take in North Indians for a fare. They are quite miserly and fight a lot”
1. The above sentence is a verbatim quote.
2. Consequentially, you can see it was spoken in English.
3. I was just accused of being a miserly North Indian (Woody Allen Jew jokes anyone?)
Well, apparently I was taken in because I was recognized from an earlier trip, 9 months ago! (Memory on steroids?)
The driver was a MR. Ranganath (as per the DL information)
What followed was a most interesting conversation. I was surprised primarily by his fluent English. And then by his awareness of things around him. Sample this:
“Kumaraswamy is a farmer, at least SM Krishna, is an Oxford graduate, India needs educated representatives for the democracy to fulfill its purpose”
[At this point I kept the HBR back in the bag]
“Bangalore has almost 30 lakh vehicles, Delhi has 50. But Bangalore will implode.”
“Why are Indian politicos creating communal rifts?”
He also offered me insight into how auto meters are rigged.
[Did you know: you can make the meter go fast, just by using a smaller tire (~smaller circumference), or by deflating it a bit (reducing air pressure)]
Imagine my surprise when he told me that he has a son working in IBM as a Software engineer, his wife works in a bank, and he himself used to work in ITIL ltd. He took VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme)
We talked some-more, and soon it was time for me to go.
“50.00”
His meter was absolutely correct!
As I handed him the money, he asked me which “company I work for and if my job was at stake due to currently prevailing economic turmoil”.
[punch me in the face someone]
I walked up to my office. Happy. Amused.
It was a morning like all others. And yet it was not.
I needed to find an Auto rickshaw (and autowallah) ready to take me on as a fare. I have to say, I am building some serious reputation with these guys. They know I take a ride to the same place every day. They also know that I am quite a stickler for these guys overcharging me. Yet, everyday they try to rip me off. Rigged meters. One and half fare. Change problems. It would be fair to say my love-hate relationship with them goes a little way back. Love you ask? Well, I need them to get around.
“Boss, JP Nagar?”
“No Boss”
He (autowallah) is a regular, he will not accept me as a fare.
Unfazed (like I am usually), I move on. I see one more auto standing.
“JP Nagar, 4 th Phase?”
Slight nod of the head.
I get in, and slip the new HBR issue out of my backpack.
[Since the traffic moves so slow in Bangalore, I have decided to make use of the gift of the time, everyday]
I have barely read few lines,
“I don’t normally take in North Indians for a fare. They are quite miserly and fight a lot”
1. The above sentence is a verbatim quote.
2. Consequentially, you can see it was spoken in English.
3. I was just accused of being a miserly North Indian (Woody Allen Jew jokes anyone?)
Well, apparently I was taken in because I was recognized from an earlier trip, 9 months ago! (Memory on steroids?)
The driver was a MR. Ranganath (as per the DL information)
What followed was a most interesting conversation. I was surprised primarily by his fluent English. And then by his awareness of things around him. Sample this:
“Kumaraswamy is a farmer, at least SM Krishna, is an Oxford graduate, India needs educated representatives for the democracy to fulfill its purpose”
[At this point I kept the HBR back in the bag]
“Bangalore has almost 30 lakh vehicles, Delhi has 50. But Bangalore will implode.”
“Why are Indian politicos creating communal rifts?”
He also offered me insight into how auto meters are rigged.
[Did you know: you can make the meter go fast, just by using a smaller tire (~smaller circumference), or by deflating it a bit (reducing air pressure)]
Imagine my surprise when he told me that he has a son working in IBM as a Software engineer, his wife works in a bank, and he himself used to work in ITIL ltd. He took VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme)
We talked some-more, and soon it was time for me to go.
“50.00”
His meter was absolutely correct!
As I handed him the money, he asked me which “company I work for and if my job was at stake due to currently prevailing economic turmoil”.
[punch me in the face someone]
I walked up to my office. Happy. Amused.
It was a morning like all others. And yet it was not.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Bang Bang Bangalore and some randomness!
It’s been a tiring week. My flat mate is headed to London, courtesy his company for a long duration! We are all happy, wait! That means we have to do the whole house hunting bit all over again! And we did some house hunting.
• Bangalore property rates are completely insulated from subprime crises which is affecting everything world over! Or so it seems with the astronomical amounts some of these guys are quoting.
• You are better off being a vegetarian, cause that increases your chances by 25%
• Being a “hindu” (yes you read that right), adds up for another 5%.
I woke up this Saturday to find some Kannada movie being shot on the roof of my house (not kidding!) Apparently, the producer is childhood chum of my landlord! Let me know if you guys want premiere tickets!
I could not catch the Dramanon play this week (Yeah, work again..!), but I have been hearing good things. And it was yet another whirlwind, humbling week at the stock markets! So for all those who burnt their fingers, hold on for a bit. And for those who think that it’s the right time to enter, do not bottom fish (yet)! If you are a seasoned guy in it for long-term, go for sound fundamentals and business value proposition!
* Yes, by now you must have noticed a new layout. Do not ask! Let me know what you think though(Does it load up right, readable??). I would like to work on the fonts and the Background colors..! Hmm… gah ! I try hard to bring simplicity to my life, but it deserts me! :(
** Update 1: This layout may not work in all display resolutions, Working on a fix. :)
BEST VIEWED IN: 1440 * 990
• Bangalore property rates are completely insulated from subprime crises which is affecting everything world over! Or so it seems with the astronomical amounts some of these guys are quoting.
• You are better off being a vegetarian, cause that increases your chances by 25%
• Being a “hindu” (yes you read that right), adds up for another 5%.
I woke up this Saturday to find some Kannada movie being shot on the roof of my house (not kidding!) Apparently, the producer is childhood chum of my landlord! Let me know if you guys want premiere tickets!
I could not catch the Dramanon play this week (Yeah, work again..!), but I have been hearing good things. And it was yet another whirlwind, humbling week at the stock markets! So for all those who burnt their fingers, hold on for a bit. And for those who think that it’s the right time to enter, do not bottom fish (yet)! If you are a seasoned guy in it for long-term, go for sound fundamentals and business value proposition!
* Yes, by now you must have noticed a new layout. Do not ask! Let me know what you think though(Does it load up right, readable??). I would like to work on the fonts and the Background colors..! Hmm… gah ! I try hard to bring simplicity to my life, but it deserts me! :(
** Update 1: This layout may not work in all display resolutions, Working on a fix. :)
BEST VIEWED IN: 1440 * 990
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Beer, pizzas and my favorite Mass Murderer..
Well, it was a nice weekend that went past…I had an amazing time, And Monday blues hit me hard, harder than before. You may also read about it here, however some of the content is very questionable. Now now, I am not saying anything about the veracity of the statements made in that post but here’s my side of the story…
Friday morning… I enjoy Fridays, they give me a sense that the weekend is almost here. The feeling is something that helps me get through the day. But mornings, they are meant for sleeping.
So I was blissfully asleep in my bed, when I got a kick on my posterior. Huh..?
I opened my eyes, the hazy picture took form, and there stood I-shit-aaaah..!! Was I happy to see her? Well Fucking Yes!! She is only like my fav person on the planet. But kicking me, that to when I am asleep… I requested her that in future if she can’t wake me up by ki-ssing me, ki-cking is totally out of the picture. I mean a man needs to catch up on the sleep whenever he can, you never know whether you will be sleeping in the night..!!
She was dropping by a day earlier than her usual weekend trips because she had to visit the Mindtree office, the company with which she is doing a remote project. After spending the morning catching up it was time to leave. Now, ‘The rhapsodizing queen of the soul peering conglomerate’ is not very good with traveling around the city all by herself. But she did surprise me. I mean I did offer to drop her and the office was far, but she did all by herself. She had my credit card, my phone, my CD’s (the one day I remember to get something to office, she take it with her) and my money. I suddenly felt empty, alone and very ‘naked’. She survived. She amused herself by reading my messages and lying to an unsuspecting overfriendly bloke.
We had planned a movie marathon in the night, {I swear by her taste in books and movies}We proceeded to watch the movies she had got, when it suddenly struck us that the format won’t play in anything else other than VLC player, which we did not have on my laptop. Sigh!! The movie show turned out to be a no-show, but not before the house was filled with resounding wails of “You don’t have VLC, who does not have VLC…!!”
The entire episode was fairly reminiscent of the “Abbe tu PSPO nahin janta” ad that used air on TV some years back.
She does have a mean streak to herself as well. She murdered an entire civilization of insects and mosquitoes while we passed some time on the terrace of the house. I mean she was swift, smooth and ‘death at the clap of the queens hands’ could not have been more appropriate. She might also be indirectly responsible for the water scarcity in state of Karnataka or the Cauvery issue itself, considering she guzzles water at rate of 1000 litres a month.
Several pizzas, beers, an xxxciting Saturday night, the occasional but must disagreements that lead to full blown fights and some time spent at purple haze later, it was time for her to go.
I am sad!!
Friday morning… I enjoy Fridays, they give me a sense that the weekend is almost here. The feeling is something that helps me get through the day. But mornings, they are meant for sleeping.
So I was blissfully asleep in my bed, when I got a kick on my posterior. Huh..?
I opened my eyes, the hazy picture took form, and there stood I-shit-aaaah..!! Was I happy to see her? Well Fucking Yes!! She is only like my fav person on the planet. But kicking me, that to when I am asleep… I requested her that in future if she can’t wake me up by ki-ssing me, ki-cking is totally out of the picture. I mean a man needs to catch up on the sleep whenever he can, you never know whether you will be sleeping in the night..!!
She was dropping by a day earlier than her usual weekend trips because she had to visit the Mindtree office, the company with which she is doing a remote project. After spending the morning catching up it was time to leave. Now, ‘The rhapsodizing queen of the soul peering conglomerate’ is not very good with traveling around the city all by herself. But she did surprise me. I mean I did offer to drop her and the office was far, but she did all by herself. She had my credit card, my phone, my CD’s (the one day I remember to get something to office, she take it with her) and my money. I suddenly felt empty, alone and very ‘naked’. She survived. She amused herself by reading my messages and lying to an unsuspecting overfriendly bloke.
We had planned a movie marathon in the night, {I swear by her taste in books and movies}We proceeded to watch the movies she had got, when it suddenly struck us that the format won’t play in anything else other than VLC player, which we did not have on my laptop. Sigh!! The movie show turned out to be a no-show, but not before the house was filled with resounding wails of “You don’t have VLC, who does not have VLC…!!”
The entire episode was fairly reminiscent of the “Abbe tu PSPO nahin janta” ad that used air on TV some years back.
She does have a mean streak to herself as well. She murdered an entire civilization of insects and mosquitoes while we passed some time on the terrace of the house. I mean she was swift, smooth and ‘death at the clap of the queens hands’ could not have been more appropriate. She might also be indirectly responsible for the water scarcity in state of Karnataka or the Cauvery issue itself, considering she guzzles water at rate of 1000 litres a month.
Several pizzas, beers, an xxxciting Saturday night, the occasional but must disagreements that lead to full blown fights and some time spent at purple haze later, it was time for her to go.
I am sad!!
A Consuming Exxxperience…
Heads up: Once upon a time there were 4 blokes, who moved into a big apartment. They had got themselves a fairly decent place. They had ambitious plans of setting the place the up like a bachelor pad. The 3 B’s of a bachelor pad: Beer, books, bean bags, everything was there. Now came the tough part, managing the household, keeping the fridge stocked!!
Along came the big S (Satya- the most responsible amongst us all) and delivered us from the ignorance and the confusion:
Everybody will take turns and manage the house straight up from the house rent to shopping for the essentials needed in a month.
Short and sweet. It was nothing like a peaceful sermon, but more like martial law that been imposed upon us, and failure to comply and meet the basic service standards would be dealt with harshly.
It’s my month. Again. You can’t escape it. It reminds me of menstrual pain that women experience monthly. It’s the same just that in my case it comes quarterly. It could not be more similar, I am edgy, irritated, sad, depressed, and lose a lot of my blood when it boils in bouts of sheer exasperation.
Enough! This time I was determined to get it right. I had plans in place based upon past experiences.
My determination and my plans seemed a distant thought, when I actually assumed charge. Its funny how things like this throw even the most meticulously drafted plans out of the window.
Well, after having taken care of the basics (the rent, the electricity bill, paying the maid and the cook, newspaper bill) really swiftly, I am left with mammoth task of getting the food supplies. This is also very difficult task, considering the fact that nothing is enough for our fridge. Everything disappears. And off you go to the market again.
I was determined to beat this trend. I decided to shop in BULK with a capital B-U-L-K.
I lured Bhuvan to come along and bail me out. I promised to return the favor. It was his turn next month. He agreed.
Sunday morning. We armed ourselves with all that is needed and we were off for our encounter with the Big B. Now now, before you shoot me down, this is not Amitabh that I am talking about.
Big Bazaar. For all those who have not been to one, they clearly are missing out on what life has to offer. Also for those missed out on the Maha-Kumbh Mela, don’t be disappointed. This is the perfect opportunity to witness something to same effect. Hell, in all probability you might even get lost in the crowd. With the gutsy display of courage, we went in determined to achieve our mission. You can hardly miss the varied assortment of things that are up for sale. You will be surprised with number of different things that are selling under the same roof. Also through the cacophony, that will give any bus station or fish market a run for its money, it’s hard to miss:
“Laadiessss and Gentlemaann, Welcome to Big bazaar, your neighborhood family store for all your needs…get a Free Nike shirt, for every two garments you buy…”
“50 % off the Persian carpets, offer ends today”
“30% off on Videocon Fridge”
I guess when you have competition with the easily accessible and cheap neighborhood kirana shops, the only way to beat them is beating them at their own game. Hawker like marketing of products, products as cheap as you will find anywhere, Mind boggling number of offers to lure you back is clearly working. Everybody is buying. Indians, and I am talking about the masses here, will buy and continue buying if you can convince them that it is the cheapest deal on the block. Add the word “FREE” in there somewhere and its magic for the retailers. People buy more, just to get that extra container that they may or may not need. It’s Free-conomics at play.
When Mister Kishor Biyani, decided he will enter retail business in India ala WallMart, he really went for it. And its arguably one of the best and most profitable business ideas of the latter half of the last decade. Most of the industry big-wigs are lining up the big bucks for investment in the retail sector, touted to be the next big thing after the IT boom. It pays to be the first off the block.
Anyway, pray forgive for getting carried away, like always. We did get our stuff: 10 kg Annapurna atta, 5 kg Sundrop oil, 2 kg Tide, 6 cheese spreads, 4 breads, 12 cartons of juice, 5 types of pulses, 7cartons of Milk, Choclates, Ice Cream, Handwash, plenty of Lays, Popcorn, Pasta, Strawberries and fruits and a whole lot of other stuff I won’t bore you with. But the question is whether this will be enough. Wait and watch this space.
Billing is another story. While we waited, we finished the strawberries; Bhuvan threw a fit, recovered, I caught up with all my friends that I had not spoken to in a while, made new friends with some chicks standing ahead of me, finished reading the Sunday paper. Finally we checked out. I tried not looking at the bill, having exhausted nearly all of the month’s funds.
It was not over, on the way back, tugging around all the stuff we made the last but critical stop. Liquor. This was refreshing. Bhuvan stopped complaining. Fosters, Kingfishers, Wine, Vodka later, we headed home. Now I am completely broke.
It was almost mid afternoon. We came back and crashed. We could not even stay up to even open and shuffle around the contents of the shopping bags.
Sigh!!
Along came the big S (Satya- the most responsible amongst us all) and delivered us from the ignorance and the confusion:
Everybody will take turns and manage the house straight up from the house rent to shopping for the essentials needed in a month.
Short and sweet. It was nothing like a peaceful sermon, but more like martial law that been imposed upon us, and failure to comply and meet the basic service standards would be dealt with harshly.
It’s my month. Again. You can’t escape it. It reminds me of menstrual pain that women experience monthly. It’s the same just that in my case it comes quarterly. It could not be more similar, I am edgy, irritated, sad, depressed, and lose a lot of my blood when it boils in bouts of sheer exasperation.
Enough! This time I was determined to get it right. I had plans in place based upon past experiences.
My determination and my plans seemed a distant thought, when I actually assumed charge. Its funny how things like this throw even the most meticulously drafted plans out of the window.
Well, after having taken care of the basics (the rent, the electricity bill, paying the maid and the cook, newspaper bill) really swiftly, I am left with mammoth task of getting the food supplies. This is also very difficult task, considering the fact that nothing is enough for our fridge. Everything disappears. And off you go to the market again.
I was determined to beat this trend. I decided to shop in BULK with a capital B-U-L-K.
I lured Bhuvan to come along and bail me out. I promised to return the favor. It was his turn next month. He agreed.
Sunday morning. We armed ourselves with all that is needed and we were off for our encounter with the Big B. Now now, before you shoot me down, this is not Amitabh that I am talking about.
Big Bazaar. For all those who have not been to one, they clearly are missing out on what life has to offer. Also for those missed out on the Maha-Kumbh Mela, don’t be disappointed. This is the perfect opportunity to witness something to same effect. Hell, in all probability you might even get lost in the crowd. With the gutsy display of courage, we went in determined to achieve our mission. You can hardly miss the varied assortment of things that are up for sale. You will be surprised with number of different things that are selling under the same roof. Also through the cacophony, that will give any bus station or fish market a run for its money, it’s hard to miss:
“Laadiessss and Gentlemaann, Welcome to Big bazaar, your neighborhood family store for all your needs…get a Free Nike shirt, for every two garments you buy…”
“50 % off the Persian carpets, offer ends today”
“30% off on Videocon Fridge”
I guess when you have competition with the easily accessible and cheap neighborhood kirana shops, the only way to beat them is beating them at their own game. Hawker like marketing of products, products as cheap as you will find anywhere, Mind boggling number of offers to lure you back is clearly working. Everybody is buying. Indians, and I am talking about the masses here, will buy and continue buying if you can convince them that it is the cheapest deal on the block. Add the word “FREE” in there somewhere and its magic for the retailers. People buy more, just to get that extra container that they may or may not need. It’s Free-conomics at play.
When Mister Kishor Biyani, decided he will enter retail business in India ala WallMart, he really went for it. And its arguably one of the best and most profitable business ideas of the latter half of the last decade. Most of the industry big-wigs are lining up the big bucks for investment in the retail sector, touted to be the next big thing after the IT boom. It pays to be the first off the block.
Anyway, pray forgive for getting carried away, like always. We did get our stuff: 10 kg Annapurna atta, 5 kg Sundrop oil, 2 kg Tide, 6 cheese spreads, 4 breads, 12 cartons of juice, 5 types of pulses, 7cartons of Milk, Choclates, Ice Cream, Handwash, plenty of Lays, Popcorn, Pasta, Strawberries and fruits and a whole lot of other stuff I won’t bore you with. But the question is whether this will be enough. Wait and watch this space.
Billing is another story. While we waited, we finished the strawberries; Bhuvan threw a fit, recovered, I caught up with all my friends that I had not spoken to in a while, made new friends with some chicks standing ahead of me, finished reading the Sunday paper. Finally we checked out. I tried not looking at the bill, having exhausted nearly all of the month’s funds.
It was not over, on the way back, tugging around all the stuff we made the last but critical stop. Liquor. This was refreshing. Bhuvan stopped complaining. Fosters, Kingfishers, Wine, Vodka later, we headed home. Now I am completely broke.
It was almost mid afternoon. We came back and crashed. We could not even stay up to even open and shuffle around the contents of the shopping bags.
Sigh!!
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