Clueless scribbles

Clueless has moved!

2010-09-24T14:59:00.001+05:30

This blog has now moved to http://cluelessredux.wordpress.com/

Where evolution stalled

2009-08-30T19:21:00.003+05:30

Human beings. We have such a proud record to look back on. At some point way back we were able to figure out that sloshing around in the water had only so much utility and land was the way to go. Having done that, it didn't take us too much to realise that the real action as probably a little higher than a few inches off the ground. So we grew appendages to crawl around. Over time we were able to

Beat it!

2009-06-26T11:14:00.004+05:30

It's inexplicable. Maybe it's the three hours I just spent winding through clogged streets of Mumbai trying (unsuccessfully) to find a way to office. Apparently, 30 minutes of rain is all it takes to stuff up the daily operations in this metro. But it's not that. If anything, it served to delay the realization. Michael Jackson died today. I'm surprised at myself to be thinking about it. Even more

Virender Sehwag - Force of Nature

2009-03-13T10:39:00.004+05:30

While most of my cricket posts are now segregated on my 'other' blog : Outside Edge, some merit the crossover... Smite me oh mighty smiter! For long, I was a non-believer. I thought the back foot, anchored, as if driven into the ground would be your undoing. I thought the incoming delivery from a good length would breach your defenses like an almost molten knife through butter. I thought those

Chinese curses and perspective

2009-03-05T17:32:00.000+05:30

I wonder what those in the ISB class of 2009 have been feeling, ever since the world went to hell in a hand-basket, or so it seemed starting September 2008. If they’re like me and my peers from the batch of 2006, most of them took a break from their in-progress careers to “upgrade” their qualifications, to potentially change career tracks and definitely to improve earning potential in the medium

Normal service has been resumed

2009-02-23T15:27:00.002+05:30

Australia getting thrashed, in tests, one-dayers, thumb wars, air-guitar competitions, by any team disembarking down under. Not just any, even the ones who jumped puddles and came over from New Zealand.The Sri Lankans celebrating a solitary win at the Premadasa in Colombo, against India in the 5th ODI of the seriesAn IPL bidding frenzy over a player based on talent and not just “star” quality. (

Strappy Days

2009-02-11T17:43:00.007+05:30

I, finally have an achievement to speak of, for my existence of over the better part of three decades. Having dithered, dilly’ed, procrastinated and for good measure, dally’ed for over three weeks since the seed of the idea germinated, the wife and I finally left the bustling and apparently irresistible force that is Mumbai for a purely voluntary weekend away, in Mahabaleshwar. Before I’m faced

And to all...Great unrest!

2009-01-30T15:07:00.003+05:30

Our minds love symmetry. That is evinced by how excited researchers and scientists get when they find something that no one knew was there in a place that few knew existed, that is remarkably similar to something everyone knew existed, in a place, everyone could find on google maps. Take for instance headlines like “Scientists discover a tree fungus remarkably similar to diesel…” or “NASA

This message will self-destruct in...

2009-01-20T09:55:00.008+05:30

If most books and articles written in this century on time-management are to be believed, email is to productive and meaningful lives, what GM and Ford are to shareholder wealth. Ok, so that was a schmuck-like analogy, but it gets the point across. The panacea to the digital evil, these experts say, is to check email only twice a day, at set times and to banish your email client to the nether

Sometimes the truth is not enough

2008-12-25T22:04:00.002+05:30

I’ve always been used to fairly simplistic super-hero movies. The ‘typical’ superhero has a standard set of abilities, which usually mean above average physical strength, one unique power and a monk-like righteousness. The story revolves around these as a given with a cute love-interest, a quickly-passing moral dilemma and yes, the villain, with powers that just about match those of the hero.Its

Its a free country, isn't it

2008-12-02T11:11:00.001+05:30

It’s a cacophony of strident voices calling for action. The course is not very important, that there be one, is, very. Depending on what proportion of the words being expressed get the benefit of some cerebral horsepower, the courses vary from lighting a bunch of candles to giving the law enforcers tank armour for vests to installing battletanks outside hotel entrances to exercising our nuclear

Prejudice and Stupidity

2008-10-01T12:08:00.000+05:30

You arrive exactly two minutes to the time your reservation is for and announce yourself at the desk. “4 for Mr. Kapoor”. It is after all the most sought after restaurant in town. As you wait to be seated, you flip through the menu and start to imagine the succulent meal you’re about to have. Just as the hostess is about to lead you in, a person comes up and announces imperiously “Gill for 4”.

On never losing teammates

2008-08-25T13:48:00.002+05:30

Passion. It’s a lot rarer than we might think. Most often its mistaken for Drive, of that there is plenty. The professional who puts in 90 hour weeks, the sportsman who trains for the better part of each day, they’re all driven. Passion is so much purer. The pursuit of an activity or an endeavour, not because of what it leads to, but for the sake of the pursuit itself. The means is the end, in

Reflected Glory

2008-08-14T11:07:00.003+05:30

India won its first gold medal in twenty years and its first individual gold..ever. Frontpage stuff, if ever there was. "Congratulate Abhinav" links spring up on every website to be dutifully filled in with comments that go"...you have made the country proud...". Courtesy the full spotlight coverage, we know that he's now back in India and has meetings scheduled with some well-known sports

The Fellowship of the aargh

2008-08-06T13:11:00.005+05:30

It is a myth perpetrated by american sitcoms that the end of singledom coincides with the suspension of all acts upholding democracy and the imposition of military rule. If anything the opposite is true in the latitude that it presents towards personal grooming (imagine being single and taking someone out to a weekend lunch in a crumpled t-shirt and and a 4'oclock shadow?), delegation of shopping

Of throbbing members

2008-05-22T21:51:00.005+05:30

There is this feeling I remember. A large part of it involved grimacing at the ceiling, which sometimes suspiciously looked like it was floating and wobbling as if not quite sure about wanting to be around. This is of course after the huge dark spots of various sizes that were gliding what looked like 2 cms away from my eyes would have gradually faded away. But the errant ceiling would be driven

For sale: Heroes

2008-05-07T17:31:00.003+05:30

Pre-IPL school kid: Wakes up, dons whites, shrugs on his kit bag, warms up, visualizes his hero (one of top 10 list of run-scorers/wicket-takers on test matches over the last 5 - 10 years) , practises hard, dreams of donning the test cap...Just over three decades ago, life in India was simplicity itself. Dyanora and Crown were the only widely available brands of television sets, the portly

The Ring-Ring

2008-04-12T02:19:00.000+05:30

It starts innocently enough. A deferential query from a remote acquaintance, in continuation with an interaction you initiated. One that you have known long enough to converse with at ease. The polite tone, suitably apologetic, when its queries are answered in the negative. Your eyebrows, only slightly raised, when, in a few days, an acquaintance of the acquaintance apparently, poses similar but

The 10,000 club

2008-03-11T11:39:00.002+05:30

It has been a remarkable study in concentration and hardwork in hostile conditions. Continuing from the overnight score, the landmark was reached early in the day with a quick dash past a green light and it was done. Quick raising of the beam, two short blasts of the horn and my ride joined the 10,000 kms club. Excerpts from an interview later in the day:About the achievement itself..."Its a good

Breaking News...

2008-02-16T17:15:00.000+05:30

If you're a red-blooded inhabitant of a capitalist-with-the-odd-but-inconvenient-attempt- at-being-a-socialist state, the television or the idiot box as it is popularly mis-referred to holds pride of place in your life (i mean, a match-box is not called that because all the matches are on the outside staring at it, is it?). Whether it is an oversized cube of glass and plastic with one of those

Maximizing productivity

2008-02-07T22:19:00.001+05:30

What is it about cafeterias that invokes the worst in every human discipline? Assuming of course that the only human disciplines are planning and designing. Flimsy albeit that assumption may be, its worthwhile to consider the aspects of that area meant to satisfy one of the basic needs of humanity. The purpose of this post is not to petition for work areas to allow for satisfaction of other, more

The WACA - Conquered!

2008-01-19T16:15:00.000+05:30

"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" - William Shakespeare My limited exposure to classical literature as opposed to mainstream fiction means the phrase "Dogs of War" conjures up images of a grizzled bunch of mercenaries sponsored by an American industrialist laying siege to the rudimentary military of an obscure African nation. The intent of the siege, to replace the despot leader with

In search of excellence

2008-01-07T00:21:00.000+05:30

It could be considered a waste of nine days of letting my systems power down for about four hours a day. It could even be considered that it was a bad deal if I had to resort to injecting myself with copious amounts of caffeine to fight the temptation to catch some shuteye in meeting rooms and to up the volume on the car stereo to avoid testing a driverless car without the self-drive capabilities

Veisalgia

2008-01-03T20:46:00.000+05:30

I don't know what it is about a hangover that makes me want to blog. Must be the sadomasochistic side of me that makes me screw my eyes to eliminate the double-vision, peer into the thin screen of liquid crystal and drum up crap to post. Of course, sense prevails and I give up the endeavour in about 45 seconds and go back to groaning and clutching my head in periodic intervals. So, the festive

Not guilty!

2007-12-13T00:02:00.001+05:30

He's arrogant, opinionated and seldom bothers with social niceties. He seems to take sadistic pleasure in aggravating his biggest threats and often the most important people in the room. When faced with a lose-lose proposition, he sabotages his side of the equation bad enough to cast suspicion on the integrity of his opposition. He's been referred to as Muhammad Ali who survives more on

Anatomy of a kickoff

2007-12-05T22:05:00.001+05:30

Engagement kickoff meeting. We'll call the key participants Entity A (hint: starts with a P...ends with an artner) and Entity B (hint: John Grisham). There are others involved, and by relative importance, they will be called non-entities.Why not just refer to them with their names? Three reasons; Client confidentiality, lest the managers of the 'Unethical use of information for material gain'

sweet spot

2007-11-21T21:17:00.001+05:30

"There is a point in time when you and you only know - the rest know it a second later - and it's the best feeling as a batsman." - Adam Gilchrist (on hitting a six) I can't recall any other comment, spoken or written, that captures, so beautifully, the essence of batting. Commentators talk about the sweet sound that a well-timed shot makes, but that is only a fraction of the story. Get it

Terima Kasih

2007-11-17T20:59:00.001+05:30

In the days of yore (never knew when or what yore was), hunters and trackers could tell their exact location based on the lay of the land, colour of the soil and vegetation. I figured I'd perfected my own method (besides of course knowing where the hell I was going in the first place). The theory (Before): Its based on my first interaction with a local official. A combination of the accent and

Necessity: the motherhood of apple pie!

2007-11-07T12:12:00.000+05:30

Its that time again. to put together all that you will need for a defined period of time into a rigid plastic receptacle. For someone who relies on striding out of the shower rifling through my wardrobe to follow a regimented process:step 1: pick up itemstep 2: sniff for pervasive body odours. if none proceed to next step, else glumly put item in laundry basket and go to step 1step 3: examine for

Betrayal

2007-11-03T18:25:00.001+05:30

It was a snowbound friday evening in january when we decided that picking a dvd from the vending machine in the lobby and retiring to our temperature-controlled apartment was more desirable than losing an assortment of toes and fingers to frostbite in the 3 block walk that would bring us to our pub. Turned out people other than us had also been thinking along the same sensible lines and the

Rodin's learnings

2007-10-26T14:13:00.000+05:30

One would think that a month's not a long enough time to form insights into the world and its machinations and one would be right. Unless of course one spends a large percentage of his time in that position made famous by Rodin's thinker. I'm sure if one held a magnifying glass to the throne (pun intended) on which the dude sits, they'd see a faint outline that says 'Parryware' or its equivalent

the Klu-Klux Klan and real-estate agents

2007-09-25T18:30:00.001+05:30

Event 1a: Jan 22, 1973. The court rules in favour of Ms Roe (real name Norma McCorvey) in Wade v/s Roe Event 1b: Twenty years later the crime rates in all of the United States plummeted to all time lows.Steven Levitt (author of Freakonomics) said not only are the two events not unrelated, but that the first caused the second. The reason, the first event legalized abortion in the US. Event 2a:

Universal Trust and Equity Inc.

2007-09-22T15:06:00.001+05:30

Universal Trust and Equity Inc. reply-to: universaltrustequityinc@yahoo.co.uk Dear recipient,I am Mr. Malabo Phillips, the Accountant General of Universal Trust and Equity Inc. We are into Maritime and General Construction Insurance. I got your email address from the Internet and I am counting on your sincerity and integrity.THE DEAL:-Engr. Gerald Hudson was my client

20-20 'four'sight

2007-09-18T12:42:00.001+05:30

Cricket's turned a corner with its latest format involving 20 overs a side and skimpy cheerleaders. While opinions are divided about whether its the saving grace or the death knell for the game, its generally accepted that its likely to have a permanent impact. The timeline of development of the game over time could be divided into 3 phases: Phase I - Need for results The accidental format played

bear wisdom

2007-09-07T14:09:00.000+05:30

"The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking." - A.A. Milne (author - Winnie the Pooh)

Outfielded

2007-08-31T14:19:00.000+05:30

When we win:Batting: Powerful line up, vast experience, inimitable skill, explosive lower orderBowling: Skillful swing bowlers, exploited conditions beautifullyFielding: Competent and reliable while not spectacularWhen they lose:Batting: Top order well past their prime, bad runners between the wicketsBowling: Lackluster and pedestrianFielding: Weak arms, too many slow movers, butterfingersThis is

deltoids: deploy

2007-08-19T11:24:00.001+05:30

Set piece: A somber room, in twilight glow, save for the center, which is brightly lit with a battery of powerful lights focusing directly beneath them. And there, you lie, anesthetized by the sleep-inducing chemicals entering your blood stream. Blissfully unaware of the millions of nerve endings screaming to those parts of your brain that can decipher the well-being of the body it resides in,

gamesmanship and happy returns

2007-08-03T18:41:00.001+05:30

"I drive a porsche...what car do you drive?" How could he?! The horror of it all!!! ummm....what? Apparently this l'il line picked up by the stump microphone during he 2nd test at trent bridge is the subject of much teeth gnashing. The reason? It was said in a clipped brit accent to one of India's batsmen. As per Simon Barnes from The

of frameworks and matrices

2007-07-26T14:22:00.001+05:30

Unlimited expense accounts, first-class travel, 7-star accommodation, fortune 500 CEOs eating out of the palm of your hand...those are the images associated with the most sought after profession on any B-school campus. No wonder that most other career choices pale in comparison. Combine that with the exalted Day-Zero status...and you have a heady mix. Nay...this is not a rant against management

whoosh...

2007-07-21T18:13:00.001+05:30

It was a little over 3 years ago I think, that I got my first and only taste of live formula 1 racing. As the 4 cars in the contest pointlessly screamed around the track, I remember trying to capture a few shots on my camera. Graduating from black rubber-streaked tarmac as the fruit of my labour (in the initial laps) to a blur of red/white toward the end, not a single picture could do justice to

Free Wireless Broadband Internet!

2007-04-01T21:16:00.001+05:30

The next disruptive redefinition of the internet age has happened. And who might it be but good ol' Google. Having recognised that with the revenue-generation capability of their flagship Youtube and the increasing proliferation of dynamic bandwidth-heavy content, its time that accessing the world-wide web had to become as common as turning on the water-taps. Also with different ISPs getting cute

Live TV!

2007-03-30T18:56:00.001+05:30

Kingfisher just pushed the envelope of competition for full-service passengers by introducing a feature I've never heard of as being available anywhere around the world! Live TV beamed to your console on the aircraft! I hadn't been too impressed by their move to introduce video screens because the idea of watching a tired collection of recorded snippets did not excite me, particularly since any

Chappelli rules

2007-03-28T00:27:00.001+05:30

The first Super-8 match is halfway through and the defending champions have scored a very defendable 322. No, this is not another world-cup match review post. That the channel remained on Setmax was purely function of the fact that i had left the remote more than arms-length away. Left me open to the inane chatter of Mandira Bedi and Charu Sharma, but an unexpected bonus was that instead of the

to whomsoever it may concern

2007-03-26T15:58:00.001+05:30

This post is in response to a comment on my previous post. The comment in question explains why Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar should retire as of March 26th 2007. I figured Blogger comment sections would have their word limits, so I decided to make a post out of this one... Now, not a lot needs to be said abt the character of someone who can reel of arguments but cannot be brought to put his name to

burn baby burn...

2007-03-25T18:05:00.001+05:30

It's only fair. I think its fitting that the cover page of the Hindustan Times and the Times of India showed angry fans burning/blackening posters of Sachin Tendulkar. It's perfectly understandable that similar such fans grouped together and went to the Tendulkar residence and turned off the electricity mains to his apartment after he got out for nought in the crunch game against Sri Lanka.

India V Sri Lanka - preview

2007-03-22T19:41:00.001+05:30

If you believe the Sports pages of most dailies, certain key match-ups determine the fate of a cricket match. Hence, we are likely to see 'Sehwag v/s Malinga', 'Murali v/s Sachin', 'Agarkar v/s Jayasurya' and so on and so forth as being the deciders for India. Good reading aside, how can these 'head-to-head's be the deciding factors when their occurrence in themselves is a function of probability

Advertising World Cup

2007-03-22T00:58:00.001+05:30

Friday is India's "Do-or-Die" encounter against Sri Lanka and the match has just the right amount of tantalizing lead-ups to it to make it an advertiser's delight. If we could get access to security camera footage from some of the biggest corporates in the world, it would be funny to see company chiefs fervently praying for a victory to the team representing one of their largest markets. And it

f***wits

2007-03-19T11:11:00.001+05:30

Appalling...spineless...petulant! The first two words would've been seen with increasing regularity since the time Bangladesh scored their winning runs against India, but not the last one. That's because I'm referring, not to the 12 who represented India in the game, but the millions of 'supporters' who have been 'wronged'.Portly housewives wearing pads over their sarees as they beat up pictures

World Cup flashbacks

2007-03-13T14:57:00.000+05:30

World cup 2007 starts off today and its hard to miss with every instrument of the media targetting the event in its spotlight. Got me thinking of the world cups that I've experienced.1992 - Australia/New ZealandMy first world cup and what a start! The bold coloured clothing, the catchy theme song that played before every game that ended with "...who'll rule the world...just see...who'll rule the

Coffee Day & Night

2007-03-11T22:14:00.000+05:30

My first weekend in several that wasn't sandwiched between flights into and out of two of the worst cities on the road-traffic map and I still ended up sitting for over 10 hours in seats with limited legroom and that recline just enough to crack the knee-caps of the person sitting behind. I even straightened my seat when I saw our destination approach!Travelled to a town called chickmagalore, in

The art of profitability - Adrian Slywotzky

2007-03-07T21:41:00.000+05:30

Written in teacher – disciple style, the book is a series of meetings between Steve Gardner, in his first job in the strategic planning function at a company that’s going downhill, and a veteran of the business world, David Zhao, consultant to the top-brass of several companies. The oriental last name of the teacher is a none-too-subtle parallel to Sun Tzu’s ‘The art of war’, which is a quoted a

hostage

2007-02-26T21:43:00.000+05:30

We get hijacked every weekend. Its the same story...every time...it usually happens as we're washing down the remains of a wholesome breakfast...well ok...brunch. Begins sedately enough...with a phone call. Then just as we get into the car, it happens...he comes out of nowhere, mumbling in a strange dialect...into the earpiece dangling from his ear. Not a pause in his ongoing conversation, as he

placements 2007

2007-02-23T16:26:00.000+05:30

The 3rd week of february has got to be without doubt that time of the year when the ISB is at its worst. Stress, insecurity and self-doubt hit record highs and there is a nervous tension in the air that would need nothing less than a chainsaw to cut through. Slight deficiencies in EQ all but completely overwhelm way-above-average IQs into having otherwise level-headed individuals fervently

question

2007-02-08T21:41:00.000+05:30

Saw a search result leading to my post that said "worry-list" posted on Jan 01 2006. funny topic for the first post of the year i thought but then my posts have seldom made sense, even to me. flashforward a year, give a month and.... pre-placement jitters and feeble placement prep long done, offers evaluated, agonized over, almost rejected then accepted, a blur that was the final term, lots of

game, set, match

2007-01-31T21:25:00.000+05:30

Disclaimer: All characters and events in the following are factual. Any resemblance to any person living or dead, is thoroughly intentional.They say you never forget your first time...that it only leaves you craving for more. I mean its fair to say that you've arrived in the socio-economic scheme of things when you have...say...the proverbial flashbulbs popping everytime you step out of...well...

emotionally having good times with joy

2007-01-28T10:39:00.000+05:30

scenario 1: The attendant approaches your car with a friendly smile as you come to a stop outside the terminal. As you step out, he politely asks "Sir, x airline?" and when you shake your head, he loses interest, the smile disappears and he moves towards the vehicle behind you.scenario 2: The chap manning the boarding gate is glancing at each boarding pass and punching them into the system. As he

slipstream

2007-01-23T14:01:00.000+05:30

Engine taken apart...overhauled..put back together..finely tuned (ok..tuned)...brake lights and other electronics tested...the muffled thud on the side of the tank indicates its brimming...seat set just right...squeal of tires as you keep the clutch depressed longer than it has to be...and you're off on that long drive that you just know is gonna be the most exciting of your life. The almost

Life's a roller coaster!

2007-01-14T19:44:00.000+05:30

There's a reason for the title to the post...but for now...my top nine (am lazy..so sue me) roller coaster rides ever...9. X-Flight (Six Flags - Ohio)This one's on the list mainly because it was my first experience of a roller coaster outside of the dizzying terrors at Esselworld. That and the fact that you lay on your back to get strapped into this monster which then corkscrewed its way through

script revisions

2006-12-27T20:59:00.000+05:30

Script ver 1: school (grades supposedly important...but really, play more so) --> junior college (grades all important!...play? sorry...best science college in the city, we dont do that sorta thing here..grrr) --> engineering (grades yes, play YES! - slinging leather spheres that veer in the air!) --> what next?...master of science (telecom/microprocessors?)...??? Script ver 2: no...infosys -

Team is spelt with an I

2006-12-12T15:10:00.001+05:30

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One for All, All for One! Sport can be classified along several parameters, one that's often used is to separate individual from team sports. So, you have your tennis, golf, athletics (relays being the exception) versus football, basketball, volleyball, several others and yes, cricket. The difference between the two kinds is fairly obvious in how

India's talisman

2006-12-12T15:09:00.001+05:30

Brilliance...with heartPity I coudn't find a clip from the Perth innings...but its on this first appearance in Australia that had Richie Benaud, in his signature measured tone, "we're watching the start of something special here...years from now, this man will come to Australia...and people will flock to the grounds to see him bat..." How did he know then?!Lone RangerTour of 97, the South African

Never as good as they say...

2006-12-12T15:03:00.000+05:30

Sep 2000, the first ICC Knockout tournament, the only tournament besides the world-cup to feature all the test-playing nations. India v/s Aus, and after a mini-collapse the new kid on the block, Yuvraj Singh played a gem to score 84 and take India to a then respectable 265. We won that game by 20 runs. Next morning's TOI headlines screamed "Tendulkar is King, Yuvraj is Prince". For the curious,

Ban ODIs

2006-12-12T14:59:00.000+05:30

No, this is not a crusade against the shorter (not shortest with twenty-twenty around) version of the game. I think that there is enough for the purists to enjoy even in a fifty over contest where the joys of watching a fast-bowler operating with four slips is replaced by the meticulously planned run-chases and innovative stroke-play. I would complete the title with “…in the sub-continent and

Pavlovian theories and India's top 7

2006-12-10T00:13:00.000+05:30

Pavlov's conditioning theory propounded that repeating the same kind of stimulus time and again can lead to a conditioned response. That didn't quite take into account the Indian cricket journalist. After repeatedly elevating every performance that was marginally above average to stratospheric extents only to see their messiahs crash the day they left indian shores you'd expect they'd be

heart says that what the heart says

2006-12-07T17:09:00.000+05:30

"You will inherit a large sum of money"...says orkut, raised my arms in joy only to become aware of how its not a good idea to burden the skinnies with unreasonable amounts of load to lift after long periods of time. Am currently celebrating the first-ever client meeting i've had on this engagement that wrapped up in less than 2 hours. Suddenly I don't know what to do with myself. Some suitable

clang!

2006-12-06T21:51:00.000+05:30

Since I started blogging about 19 months ago, I've rarely been very discerning about the kind of stuff that's gone onto the htmls. Landmark events however have definitely been on and today's been one such. My first moves were tentative...like the initial steps onto a rickety rope bridge that spans a ravine and you know you ain't no Indiana Jones. Not quite sure if those that have been so

unshackle

2006-12-01T23:21:00.000+05:30

The backfoot goes deep into the crease, not so much across as back. The left leg makes a pretense of coming forward and then stops abruptly, as if stopped by an unseen wall in mid-stride. The bat face comes down from second to third slip rather than fine thirdman. It makes a feeble attempt at a complete arc, the bat face turning towards midwicket. The ball trickles towards square leg. This is not

time-please!

2006-12-01T15:40:00.000+05:30

Things have to be seriously wrong with the world if my blog shows only three installments of its customary drivel for all of the month of November. It'd be cool if I could break my silence with a "Eureka" about deep insight into the metaphysical or such other esoteric concepts. Sadly, I have nothing but being a ping-pong ball with the opposite ends of the table in two cities as my reason.

egotism : the only virtue

2006-11-23T21:09:00.000+05:30

Took a lot longer than it should have, but finally turned the last page of 'The Fountainhead' today. Blame it on large chunks of time between workdays being taken up with shuttling to and from offices and airports. By consensus, not many can claim to not have been made to create the slightest furrow of thought across their foreheads. The complete and unapologetic glorification of the letter 'I'

small wonders

2006-11-18T02:28:00.000+05:30

The gurgle of a crystal-clear brook...the aroma of earth moistened by the first rains...finding a restaurant at 4am when you're ravenous followed by the sizzle of your favourite steak (well-done of course) as its being brought to your table...finding a car pulling out of the best parking spot just as you arrive...waking up to your alarm to realise that its your day off...sniffing gasoline..errr..

the more things change...they differ

2006-11-01T23:13:00.000+05:30

B-schoolIn the nethers of an SV somewhere in gachibowli, india3.30 am…4 hours before class...enough with the procrastination…sidle back from the sv1 café…flip open bulkpack...20-25 pages..groan…title is the name of a 120 yr old companySections: Industry Background, Company history, Competitors, Present-Day ScenarioExhibits: Consumer preferences, margins etc etcStrategic Options: available to

The disappearing passenger mystery

2006-10-28T19:51:00.000+05:30

Ever had one of those Eureka moments? The scene is the arrival terminal of Bbay's own Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The word 'International' in the name would tip one of the cross-border nature of flights emanating and landing at the airport, stating the obvious aren't we? Of course, the fact the domestic airport is also called the very same thing makes things interesting for the

Confession

2006-10-23T20:38:00.000+05:30

"How tedious is a guilty conscience" - John WebsterI'd decided that it would go with me to the grave. Then I realized I'd be going to a pyre anyway so what the heck. It's something that I did that I'm not very proud of. I mean its only human to err right? Do i deserve to be looked down upon for the rest of my days? My attorney says even temporary insanity sounds too tame to explain what I did.I

should the best man always win?

2006-10-22T00:05:00.000+05:30

Page 732...am worried...thinking, especially the contemplative kind gives me a headache. Without making any pretensions that the Ayn Rand masterclass made me do that painful activity, its got me worried...The moral code: A code that told them to act on the premise of one another's weakness, deceit and stupidity, and this was the pattern of their lives this struggle through a fog of the pretended

Operation: Diamondrocket

2006-10-20T23:59:00.000+05:30

Its amazing how little it takes for the market-leader's offering to become an also-ran. About six odd months ago if someone asked me about the best domestic airline, would be an equivocal answer - Jet airways. Their flights (usually) left the tarmac on time, service was courteous - both on the ground and in the air, food was palatable. It helped that its closest competitors struggled to get their

stoned

2006-10-18T04:18:00.000+05:30

finishing up with final report for client...4.25am...i want my mummmmmy.... :(

man overboard!

2006-10-14T18:33:00.000+05:30

Its just one of those days. Nothing untoward about it. The usual grind, except that some days the word gets a l'il too literal. Fragmented thoughts. Thinking about the work deliverable while trying to concentrate on the training assignment on hand. Tying up the loose ends on the current assignment. Also the new assignment starting up and the related trip. Not forming a complete thought at any

spurt

2006-10-11T10:36:00.000+05:30

Almost been a week since I last posted. Not that I've ever been religious about posting my own brand of balderdash online. Read an article a fortnight or so ago in TOI about how there were approximately 3 million posts added every second to blogosphere. This article was about how the web let the unitiated and the clueless post their half-baked and mostly ludicrous opinions online, overwhelming,

meter down...stay down

2006-10-04T23:19:00.000+05:30

you see them all the time...mostly in bunches at strategic locations...sometimes the odd solitary ones in the far reaches. fairly docile...non-threatening.. until you do the unspeakable. and you dont necessarily realise the folly of your ways at first. coz they maintain that laid-back demeanour...positively sopophoric. then you approach a crossroads...not the figurative, but the literal kind.

Naggon motherships and spaceman Spiff

2006-10-01T00:08:00.000+05:30

1. A voice cackles in his radio. "Enemy Fighters at two o'clock". The taciturn response "Roger, What should i do until then?"2. The valiant spaceman Spiff is led by his captors to a secret dungeon to be debriefed. Little do they realize that our hero doesn't wear briefs *evil smirk*3. Looking at his dinner..."Can i have a different plate mom?, somebody puked on mine"4. "Life should be like TV.

bulwark: support, buttress, mainstay

2006-09-22T10:29:00.000+05:30

Earlier this week India were in a position that the 'experts' announced to be 'back-to-the-wall' with two must-win games in order to qualify for the finals of the DLF cup. Lot of hoopla about the tremendous pressure of the knock-out games. But doesnt it automatically follow from losing league games that you aren't good enough to actually win the tournament?I was blissfully unaware of all of this

Religion: None

2006-09-18T19:06:00.000+05:30

One man somewhere quoted something, and in another part of the world, a woman was shot dead. No telling how many more will be by the time the whole 'the pope dissed islam' fiasco blows over. Now, this is the kind of thing, my brain cells would steer waaaay clear of...by that I mean anything to do with the R word. Now, I'm way underqualified in terms of ability to comment but wasn't the whole

bear eats packer!

2006-09-13T20:41:00.000+05:30

Over the weekend and the early part of the week, Roger Federer won the US Open...ya thats a surprise, Australia beat WI in cricket...yaaaawn and the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers...yeah ok WHAT?!Since images of the game from North America called football that's played by clutching the footlong seed-shaped 'ball' in your hands aren't beamed to tubes this side of the equator, online

My Music

2006-09-11T00:59:00.000+05:30

One man come in the name of loveOne man come and goOne man come, he to justifyOne man to overthrowIn the name of loveWhat more in the name of loveIn the name of loveWhat more in the name of loveOne man caught on a barbed wire fenceOne man he resistOne man washed on an empty beachOne man betrayed with a kissIn the name of loveWhat more in the name of loveIn the name of loveWhat more in the name of

inhale

2006-09-09T03:25:00.000+05:30

Bright sunshine. Fresh-cut grass. Not the noon kinda bright where you sense that trickle of sweat run down your armpit into the waistband of your trousers. This is more the early evening sunlight that's not quite as hot. Then there's the expanse of green, not lush or gently billowing in the breeze...but more the index length tufty kind thats spread evenly across a clear tract of land, preferably

perspire and grow thin

2006-09-03T23:20:00.000+05:30

Just when it felt like life was mostly about scratched bumper to scratched bumper traffic and the endless 'religiously approved' traffic snarls with bunches of people going into epileptic fits of ecstacy accompanied by 15000 watts and jet-engine decibel music. The only distinction between those scenes and any seedy dance bar being the idol in tow that supposedly makes the whole exercise a worthy

the three kinds

2006-08-20T10:10:00.000+05:30

Having been an inhabitant of the blogosphere for over a year now, I reckon I’ve been around. The idea of maintaining a 'private' diary that the whole world had access to had me non-plussed at first. But then I realised that what I had to say about stuff, however inane, was not very different from what I didn't mind being read by the 3-4 people that would eventually visit my blog. Ramblings aside,

hole sale

2006-08-15T22:58:00.000+05:30

My longest break by far since making the move to the new job. Three whole days...courtesy the firm moving our customary third saturday off to this monday. I certainly am not complaining, atleast not till saturday. The weekend's been mostly relaxing with the expenditure of some quality time. S, counting the cd and the Gary Larson and C&H, I won't complain if you make it a weekly thing to give me

kinky in the boardroom

2006-08-12T00:30:00.000+05:30

Ok, so tying a thin strip of fabric (mostly silk) around my neck, with a neat knot (well, mostly and no...we're not talkin' S&M here..well not yet) with the end dangling under my chin, every day of the work week isn't exactly my idea of fun. The hour long commute each way isn't that flash either. Nor is wearing three layers with this city's humidity levels..(when one is one too many).. every once

hurtle

2006-08-06T12:03:00.000+05:30

First week of the month whistled by before I could even puff out my cheeks to throw a tantrum about not getting my coveted b'day gift...Ok, so maybe...just maybe, it isn't the most practical of demands to want a german-engineered high performance luxury coupe..K, S, S and V...u guys have been marked...u know why...Got back from my stint of primary research in the two southern metros...meeting

what's that smell?

2006-08-03T01:54:00.000+05:30

the fair question would be "who's that smell?!" yeah...that's what probably caused the president of the United States (Harrison Ford, yeah the real one..not Dubya) to toss the evil dude(he spoke english with a middle-eastern accent...duh!) off Airforce One after he said "Get off my plane..." So here you are, about 170 odd of you...packed like sardines in a can...the flight's delayed by the

keep your hands where i can see them

2006-07-22T22:00:00.000+05:30

An airport lounge: You're waiting for your boarding call. In the meantime, you find a seat and read your copy of The Financial Times...ok ok...comics section HT. And you sense more than see it. They're looking over your shoulder, reading what you are. You turn the page thinking they'll get the hint. After all they are available on the rack just ten feet away...and free too. But they keep looking.

Let it rip...Let it Thunder!

2006-07-15T16:23:00.000+05:30

Term 3 and one of the courses was about "...the practice of starting new organizations, particularly new businesses. It is often a difficult undertaking, as a majority of new businesses fail.". While the course entailed studies on how enterprising individuals brought enterprising business ideas to fruition with a lot guts, dedication and the odd sliver of luck, was a yawn-fest for me. The amount

The Showdown

2006-07-09T01:14:00.001+05:30

Most people who throw threats or insults my way find it to be a frustrating experience because they never stimulate responses. Mainly because I'm too lazy to...However, when people start questioning...nay..mocking fundamental tenets of life on this planet..then someone's gotta take a stand! So, in continuation with my previous post...and not in continuation with the rantings and ravings of the

Part them and feel my finger tips...

2006-07-06T00:43:00.000+05:30

So it was Shrek 2 and Spiderman 2 on Star Movies and HBO respectively and however cute the former might've been, with me, the latter wins...hands down. Inspite of the logical argument that one might make that I have watched the second movie atleast half a dozen times and also own the dvd of the same, it still turns out that I watch it...again..commercial breaks and everything! And unless 'one'

numb nuts

2006-07-03T23:03:00.000+05:30

Going by the theory of relativity, its like shifting from counting the ripples from a pebble chucked into a still crystal-clear pool to trying to count the number of people in that train on the adjacent track. Only, its moving in the opposite direction to yours...Yup, moved back to Bbay and started on a line of work I had absolutely no intention to get into during placement season..Remains to be

Big boys do cry

2006-06-25T10:49:00.000+05:30

The first game was as if a welter-weight contender had blundered into the ring against a heavy-weight. If you supported the scandinavians, it was painful to watch and you were in fact thankful when the end came. The other one though, was markedly different. Mexico and Argentina went at each other hard, for all of regulation time. Mexico scored the first goal to show why they're the #4 ranked team

My Game

2006-06-22T00:16:00.000+05:30

Its fitting that I talk about one of my passions at a time when the world's living "Life in an 8" diameter", the Football World Cup. Anyone who knows me also knows that if there is one thing on this planet that I'm not lazy about, its the game of the flannelled fools.Being exposed to the cricket marketing blitz from the very early years and starting to watch the game with interest at the same

Indiana Jones and the Island of Intellectual Asphyxiation

2006-06-20T23:31:00.000+05:30

So here's the deal. You're on this strange island (you probably got there thinking there'd be island booty and lots of it) and have been informed that you're to be inducted into the slave-labor force. Now you're thinking, thats not necessarily a bad thing because there are different slave-duties, ranging from cleaning the green stuff that grows under the fridge to being used to propogate the

road rage

2006-06-18T19:11:00.000+05:30

Its like being stuck behind a semi-trailer thats moving at 45mph on a one-lane highway. The speed-limit says 60 but the trucker apparently charges by the hour and not by distance. You crane your neck to see around the roadhog to see whats ahead so you have an idea of whats coming but no dice. frustrating...very bloody frustrating...not long before i go off-road to get around the SOB!