Free Wireless Broadband Internet!

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 by denying access to users who used up a lot of bandwidth, its about time that they be 'disintermediated' (love that word).

And when Google does things, they go all the way, offering fiber-optic cables to setup your own routers at home to then have wi-fi access all over the house. This means speeds over 10x the regular DSL connection. With a simple-to-use start-up kit for every average-joe to be their own ISP. Gonna send tremors through the cyber-world. Manna from heaven for internet users, especially with the two package options to pick in addition to the free package.

THE BASICS : http://www.google.com/tisp/

THE INSTALL PROCESS : http://www.google.com/tisp/install.html

THE FAQ : http://www.google.com/tisp/faq.html

Red letter day this, April 1st 2007

Technorati tags: news, strategy

Live TV!

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 domestic flight is only going to last about an hour or so and with the meal-service, it didn't seem like you needed any additional distractions. I'd resorted to tuning into 'Kingfisher Radio' with a respectable collection of 70s and 80s rock, but that too had started getting repetitive. But this time around, the screens sported an orange sticker that said "Live tv by Dish TV". I wasn't sure what this meant, but flipping through the channels, lo and behold, the first over of the West Indies V New Zealand, LIVE! Was one of the shortest flightest I've been on.

This sure gives Jet Airways something to chew on, given that they have added video screens to the business class section? (not sure though). Given that replicating the move would be costly and also be seen as a copy-cat move, what would be a fitting response (without dropping fares)? more elaborate meal options? more attendants at the airport? more flexible pricing? or maybe internet connectivity on flights (but that might be just as costly)?

I don't see too many options available to them given that they can't do much about ensuring timeliness of the flights. It will also depend on whether kingfisher chooses to hike its prices (this could be tricky since not many would be willing to pay extra for some channel-surfing) or maintains status quo (the more likely option). One thing is for sure, on lean days, given a choice, most people will choose the airline that offers more frills unless the competition offers a substantial price discount. What Kingfisher is doing can't be bad for the industry though, it would only serve to more clearly segment the full-service versus the low-cost. Would make for interesting observation to watch for Jet's response.

p.s: Of the 10 odd screens that were in my eye-line, each of those chose to tune into some form of bollywood gibberish than watch Brian Lara bat. A nation of cricket-lovers indeed...pfft!

Technorati tags: opinion, airlines, strategy

Chappelli rules

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 nonsensical Ayaz Memon, it was Ian Chappell on air. I've always been floored by the insightful comments the man makes. Not surprising why he was one of the best captains to've played for Australia. And sure enough, some points to ponder from the 2nd best commentator I've heard (1st being Benaud):

"When a spinner beats a batsman as completely as Samuels did to Hayden on that occasion, the ball simply has to land in the park, else there's something wrong"

A reference to the quality of bats today that have much more wood but are not as packed/compressed (resulting in more distribution and therefore being easier to lift). A Hayden miscue off Samuels after he beat the batsman in flight ended up looping over the long-on fence. With the disruptive improvements in bats today, even badly timed shots go a long way. If administrators do not take this into consideration, spinners will become extinct.

"Shaun Tait is a handy weapon to have but as captain you have to realise that he will either bowl really well or will be very expensive (never in between). Also, his action will invariably result in injuries over his career."

While the rest of the world Oohs and Aahs over the pace that Tait generates, Chappelli gives the captain's assessment. Looking at his action that depends so much on his final stride with the extreme stress he puts on his back and front leg, one sees what he means

"Administrators need to consider bringing back the use of the 2-piece cricket ball to counter the heavier bats today"

The conventional cricket ball today consists of 4 pieces sewn together as opposed to 2 halves in 'days of yore'. This results in a softer ball that loses shape and therefore does less in the air. The decision was made decades ago to let bats survive longer. However, to counter the growing domination of bats, maybe its time to bring the harder balls back. Another interesting point was how the size of golf balls was increased so they wouldn't travel as far with the improvement in club technology.

Was a welcome change to have the two dimwit hosts completely incapable of contributing and therefore silent. If only there was a way to air-brush them out of the picture too.

Technorati tags: blah, world cup

to whomsoever it may concern

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 them. while i do not have the luxury of having fantasy and imagination on my side, i shall attempt to respond to your points ANONYMOUS.

Anon #1 : DIGNITY = no business acumen (anon apparently does not like the food that these establishments serve)

me : so you dont like the bhindi, quite a problem that, i hate it myself...am sure the man himself would apologise to you for having hog-tied you to take you to his restaurant and having force-fed you. dude..its ok to exercise that thing called freedom of choice.

On an unrelated note, heard of the 'Air-Jordan' series? or 'Shaqnosis' by the same company? or the George Foreman grill? or Canon S3 powershot by Sharapova? or ...well you get the idea. Have brand, will endorse...while am sure a restaurant chain titled with your name would draw crowds, it might've made more business sense the way its been done? just maybe?

Anon #2 : perfection...chipped f****** nail...london...responsibility means playing when injured. manjrekar is god! he's short (lol..this is priceless)

me : firstly, i shall persuade him to apologise to you for being short.

I'm no doc, but i think chipped nail and tennis elbow are not necessarily the same thing. i wonder if you'd been told that he chose to play in spite of not being 100% fit how nice you'd have been to him.

Manjrekar...hmmm...ex-wonderboy of indian cricket...the best technique they said...was india's best batsman (until the man in question came along)...achieved 10% of his 'potential'..now makes his living giving sound bytes...wonder why he would say anything controversial...beats me?

Bubka and Armstrong - Phenomenal athletes in individual sports..individual glory. Shaq? takes him gazillion dollars to don a uniform, let alone step on court. do you really want to go there?

A lesson on cricket rules; you can continue playing a game even if injured, and you can bat with a bandaged jaw. Its slightly harder with an injured arm. The innings against Pak (in Chennai) with an injured back might not prove anything, or it might say everything that needs to be, of course, the fact that 6 players could not rustle up 14 runs is totally his fault.

Anon #3 : forget past performances and focus on last innings especially if its a failure

me : i can see how a hundred here would be better than the 35000 international runs. doesn't really matter that he scored 40% of the teams runs. you were actually watching this one, so how dare he fail! your most valid point after the one about him being short

Anon #4 : Anon scored well in high-school, inference, sachin should have scored a hundred against SL

me : i tried but i keep convulsing with laughter at this point. ok, try a simple test, gather all the people you can find and have them stand around you while you type your response to my response. the number of times you'll hit backspace will prove my point about how performing under the gaze of millions is sliiiightly different than you acing your finals. and yeah, some of those games that he performed in, for example the 98 against Pak in 2003 might have been more than 'intermediates'

Anon #5 : respect for those praying for his elbow

me : praying for his elbow indeed. that might've been out of the goodness of our countrymen's hearts, or maybe..just maybe, the tendency to play the perennial victim, waiting for the saviour to come score the runs and get us a victory, because they know, on their own, they will manage exactly zilch as they go through life.

As for your assessment of his capability, i agree it might carry more weight than what the likes of Richie Benaud, Ian Chappell etc say about him, but pardon me for going with the other group.

Final (or maybe semi-final) word : Your references to the likes of 'The King' and Chappell aren't inaccurate, but how many of their failures did you ever see? How would you rate Viv Richards shot in the '83 final that cost them the cup? Do you realise that had it not been that shot, WI would've made it 3-in-a-row?

Grace? The guy was the first certified cheater in the history of the game (read an account of his placing the bails back after being bowled and asking the bowler to continue).

As far as passion and promise go, even your vivid imagination would have trouble seeing a listless Tendulkar on the field of play.

Oh, by the way, I don't give a rat's ass about how your EPL fans react to losses.

Technorati tags: sachin, sports

burn baby burn...

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. Thanks to every news channel for showing scrolling sms's and emails from angry fans about how a bunch of "overpaid individuals interested only in making money" have let the nation down.

Serves the whole bunch of 'em right, especially Sachin Tendulkar. He should've known. He should've known when he first appeared on the test team as a 17 year old. He certainly should've have had an inkling when he stroked a hundred at Perth or when he set about redefining the term 'opening batsman' in one-day international cricket by going after the new ball in New Zealand. Over the years, he stubbornly refused to learn from the zillions of opportunities. Each time he set about dominating attacks or playing rear-guard on foreign pitches. Each time he raised his bat for having completed triple figures. Each time that opposition captains and their bowlers huddled together to work out ways to dismiss him and celebrated like the match was won when his was the first and only wicket to have fallen. He cannot feign ignorance when that 'hard-as-steel' veteran Steve Waugh said in his post-match interview that "We were beaten by a better player" (and not team). Not only that, he even had the audacity to exhibit his love for the game, I mean, how dumb do you have to be to celebrate a direct-hit runout as wildly as you celebrate a ton? oh, and especially when the throw wasn't even yours?! Ridiculous!

Just because he was born with a rare combination of talent and temperament that will most likely never be seen again for several generations, he can't just ignore the fact that his performances are the closest that, millions of people come, to a sense of achievement. He might claim in his defence that he is only a sportsman and only went out to give his best and that the rest  was never under his control, but that would be indeed weak. That it was unfair for spectators (and of that category, we have hordes) to shirk the responsibility of their own ambitions and need for fulfillment, and to tack it to the blade with MRF printed on it. He might plead that rarely have sportsmen maintained superlatives levels of performance for the duration of time that he has. What of his debt to the millions of this nation who, bereft of ability or temperament, will never amount to anything in the duration of their existence? He owes those teeming masses who will live their lives in utter mediocrity never having the opportunity to taste success for themselves. He owes them big.

As for the other 14, several of whom might've first picked up a bat because of the person discussed above, who are currently wondering about the physical safety of themselves and their families. For Rahul, Zaheer, Ajit, Sehwag and co. The teeming blue billion have extracted the ultimate pound of flesh. Never again will they enjoy a game of cricket like they must've when they first picked up a bat or a ball. For they will now, more than ever, realise that this country does not understand the concept of competition or sportsmanship.

Sachin Tendulkar and the rest should be ashamed to be Indian. I know I am.

 

Technorati tags: sports, world cup, sachin, rant

India V Sri Lanka - preview

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?

BOWLING

If bowling first, anything in excess of 230 at the Queen's Park Oval is trouble. This is because of 3 reasons:

1. Chasing under pressure is the worst situation to be in cricket
2. India are not a good chasing side (inspite of the long list of successful run-chases, those were in bilateral series)
3. Sri Lanka's strength is its middle-overs slow bowlers adept at choking oppositions

That SL will score big if their openers; Tharanga and Sanath bat undefeated for 20 overs is not open to debate. However, India's vulnerabilities have usually been against the '2nd wave' - about the time that the opening bowlers complete their spells and the 3rd and 4th bowlers come on. These don't even have to be part-timers, even with genuine bowlers, we tend to let the intensity subside and the opposition to play their way. This period, unhappily for India, coincides with the time that their best batsman, Sangakarra, is likely to be at the crease. In conjunction with Silva and Arnold, he could take the game away.

STRATEGY

• Be flexible and sharp while ringing in bowling changes. Change the opening bowlers after 3-4 overs each (unless wickets are tumbling) and keep to short spells to not let the batsmen settle
• Consider delaying power plays if under attack and take them immediately after wickets fall
• Bounce 'em! (every couple of overs) Barring Sangakarra, they do not like it short. This warrants getting Sreesanth in at the expense of a spinner.

BATTING

If chasing, it will need two of the top three to play a big one. If batting first however, the typical Indian innings shows a spirited charge in the first 15 followed by a lethargic stroll from 16 - 40. The Lankan bowlers get better with dot balls and soon the trickle of runs goes dry. Our weakness lays in giving too much respect to the likes of Vaas and the disinterest in quick running when a combination of Sehwag, Ganguly, Yuvraj are at the crease.

STRATEGY

• Do not go in with pre-conceived defensive intent against any bowler, particularly Vaas and Murali. Play the bowling rather than the bowler and show intent with aggressive running
• Reassess target totals every 5 overs and change gear accordingly. Something we fail miserably at.
• Run scoring against the Lankans gets more difficult as the innings progresses, so go in thinking about scoring 60% of the runs in the first 25 overs 

BOTTOMLINE : Arm-chair analysis rules!

Technorati tags: world cup, sports, cricket

Advertising World Cup

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 doesn't matter who're official sponsors, pretty much all the usual suspects will be rooting for team India come friday.

Akin to an assignment we had in Advertising class, I noted some of the ads on display in an hour of cricket and then rated them on memorability on a scale of low-medium-high. I excluded brands on players' clothing and equipment since they vary by teams.

TV Commercials: Pepsi, Nike, Hutch, Reliance Comm, Airtel, BSNL, Videocon, LG, Sansui, ITC, Nokia, Gopal supari, Mcdowells, Dainik Jagran, Daikin, Gillette, The Mobile Store, Maruti, Thomas Cook, Hero Honda, TVS, Sprite

On-field placements : Hutch, Hero Honda, LG, Pepsi, Visa, Gatorade

On-screen placements : Hutch, 99acres.com, ITC, Western Union, monster.com, Union Bank, Nokia

LOW

The ads with lowest impact are unsurprisingly the on-screen and on-field placements due to their static nature. However, out of those the on-screen placements vary in impact depending on when they appear. 99acres.com and Western Union would lose out to monster.com and Union Bank, the difference being the former are shown during live action and the latter during action replays. I figure a viewer would be more likely to notice a logo on screen during a slow-motion sequence and not be as irritated with it as during live play

MEDIUM

The TV commercials without too many repeat airings would be in the middle, although some ads like Airtel stay in mind inspite of being infrequent. I would rate the Gatorade on-field ad to be in this category simply because it would be compelling for spectators at the ground while sitting under the sweltering hot sun. It would be a crime for expensive commercials to fall in this category since at the end of the day, the viewer might just confuse your ad with a competitor's

HIGH

Finally, the ones that stay determined by a function of number of times they're aired. But a boring ad falling in this category would just irritate viewers (like Videocon, Sansui, Gillette). On the other hand, Nike, Airtel, Sprite have made ads that have repeat viewability.

THE WINNER

The most ubiquitous brand hands down, in my opinion, is Hutch. The catchy SML plan ads (of which there are several versions) combined with the distinctive on-field logos and billboards. Add to that the free publicity from the acquisition bid, and we have a clear winner.

Technorati tags: world cup, advertising, blah

f***wits

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'.

1. Portly housewives wearing pads over their sarees as they beat up pictures of Dravid and co.
2. Mobs in various parts of the country burning effigies representing the 'villains'
   
3. Other mobs pelting stones at players' houses
4. Politicians, beurocrats, BCCI administrators condemning the performance and demanding redress

Just who in F***'s name do we think we are?! Somewhere in the process of the game gaining its astronomic popularity and its players becoming household names, every tom, dick and harry in our populous country thinks he has part ownership of the Indian cricket team. Its like each person believes that its our magnanimity that allows each of those 11 individuals to be out on the field. That they perform for our entertainment.

What the f***wits don't understand is that its a sport, not a bullshit reality tv show where every line is scripted to pander to their tastes. In sport, you go out, give it your best and look to play better than your opposition on the day. While the best sporting encounters are when there are two teams playing at their best, that, often is not the case.

Did the Indian team play at their best? Not by a huge margin. Did they try like mad? HELL YEAH! The same f***wits might point out that this was against a team that has been the traditional punching bag for every heavyweight. Fact is, if you blank out the names on the backs of their shirts, and monochrome the video, you'd have a hard time figuring out what team this was. They might be brought back down to earth by the Lankans, but on that day, they were near flawless in their efforts.

They're sportsmen and must be hurting from that defeat and in a perfect world, their response would be to launch themselves at their next opponent to give them a memorable cricketing lesson. But when the l'il shits back home are stoning your homes, you can't help but wonder if they'll just show everyone the middle finger on live television and walk off the field. With all the afficionados of the game that we have, it shouldn't be a big deal to replace all of them with better players, should it? Or maybe the f***wit response will be to show their rabid competitiveness by going online and voting to eject some pseudo-celebrity off a f***wit show.

World Cup flashbacks

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 Zealand
My 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 world" followed by a graphic of a ball smashing into a set of stumps followed by the match of the day. The round-robin format meant each team every other team and I thought India was the unluckiest team of the tournament. We lost to Australia by 1 run (after the rain rule had deducted 3 overs and 1 run from our run-chase), to England by a slim margin, our game against Sri Lanka (minnows then) was washed out. Couldn't have been worse than what South Africa faced though, needing 21 from 13 balls in their semi-final against England, the rain intervened, the equation was revised to 21 off 1 ball...just like that! I remember thinking only cricket, working out result combinations on the back of my notebooks in school while the teacher droned on. My booster dose of cricket.

Unforgettable moment : Jadeja's diving one-handed catch in the outfield to dismiss Allan Border. Was later judged as the catch of the tournament.

1996 - India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka
The lamest world-cup of the lot that was timed just right so that it was at the same time as my 'career-determining exams', the HSC (the ones that determine whether you go become a doctor, an engineer or a nothing)...don't look so surprised, thats how 'conventional wisdom' worked in those days. I do know I would have spent a lot more time studying had it not been for the cricket circus. Missed a few of the other games for obvious reasons, but saw all of India's games. It all ended with the farce at Eden Gardens against Sri Lanka. The disappointment wasn't helped by my results a couple of months later and the dismay of not getting into the city's best engineering college. Forgettable times indeed.

Unforgettable moment : Aamir Sohail spanks two consecutive fours off Venkatesh Prasad and for good measure gestures to the bowler where he'll hit the next one through. Next ball, Prasad knocks back Sohail's off-stump. Crowd goes mad...literally. First (and only) time I used the f-word in the presence of my parents. India wins!

1999 - England/Ireland/Holland
They preponed the world cup so it wouldn't clash with the Olympics! Somehow cricket in the land of its origin has always been a mouth-watering prospect for me, but the event was a bit of a let down in the quality of games. Mostly ordinary performances by India, an exception being the assault on Sri Lanka at Taunton. Felt like sweet ol' revenge for having knocked us out of the previous edition. There were 2 games that stay in memory. The 2 Australia-South Africa clashes with the famed drop by Herschelle gibbs resulting in Australia qualifying for the semi-final. There they played the best game ever in a world cup.. The final was academic with the champions steamrolling Pakistan

Unforgettable moment : Defending a huge total, Australia seemed home and dry when they had taken key South African tickets when 'the' Lance Klusener launched one of the most savage counter-attacks in world-cup history. With 9 needed off the last over (a tie would see Austalia through), it was still in Australia's favour. But Damien Fleming had his first 2 deliveries smashed to the cover fence. With 1 needed off 4 balls, Klusener played out 2 dots followed by the worst communication mishap on a cricket field resulting in Donald getting runout with no bat in hand. Match tied. Austalia qualify for the final.

2003 - South Africa/Zimbabwe/Kenya
India's best world cup with near perfect performances against the likes of New Zealand and England. Its not often mentioned that this was thanks in part to Dr Ali Bacher for preparing flat concrete tracks for our batsmen to flourish. A Tendulkar master-class against Pakistan set up the perfect final. But then they ran into that automaton of brilliance and professionalism. You had to feel bad for our boys as each of their over-eager efforts were dissected with surgical precision by Ponting and co.The game was over by lunch and the deserving team won it without breaking into a sweat thus showing there was daylight between them and the rest.

Unforgettable moment : 'That' over, when Sachin reminded the world what he was all about. I've written about it too many times to repeat here...so refer here

Coffee Day & Night

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 karnataka where two good friends decided to inflict their wedding on us. Ok, am kidding (lest they ever chance to come upon this post), its the most charming little place with its coffee plantations and restaurants that serve unedible food. Cafe Coffee Day, the next victim in line for Starbucks grows its stuff here as was evidenced by the outlet serving its wares in a town where not one individual would pay as much for an entire meal as CCD charges for its coffees.They'll love me for my gift though, called "Its (mainly) his fault" a guide to marital bliss that ensures less nagging and more sex. Am quite proud of that one.

Anyone who's taken a long trip on this country's highways, knows how its really a game of russian roulette to go whizzing along lanes that have been strategically built to be wide enough to accomodate 1.85 buses side-by-side. Actually its more like a stand-off in the old west where the quicker hand to the dipper gets to thunder on while the vanquished must sidle to the side and...gasp...brake! Of course, not having qualified referees or for that matter even unqualified ones means that often there is genuine confusion on who 'high-beamed' first. I cannot for a moment imagine that the drivers of these mammoth vehicles have anything but fairness in their hearts, so it must be the actual belief that it was he who won the duel. Needless to say, this means several last fraction maneuvers that would leave Bond in his Aston-Martins to shame. Its a pity paint manufacturers have refined their processes enough to not make their products any thicker, else they'd be getting a repeat purchase every time a trip was completed.

All said, a fun weekend, and to know I do not wake up at 4am tomorrow...almost makes me look forward to the beginning of the week...i said almost.

The art of profitability - Adrian Slywotzky

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 few times in the book. Over the course of 23 meetings (all held on Saturday mornings in Zhao’s office), they discuss different profit models successfully employed by companies.

There are 23 profit models discussed in the book. While that seems overwhelming, the book does not delve into the intricacies. I found some of the models; like Customer Solution Profit, to be simplistic. However, a few of the models are handy to have an idea about and while the examples help drive home the point, a few more would have helped. The models are also not mutually exclusive and I found it hard to distinguish between a few of them.

All said, the book is a light read and fitting for when one's waiting for the boarding announcement.

hostage

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 makes his demands with a quickly barked order directing us along one of the several roundabouts in the area. We travel in silence for a few minutes, barring his hushed tones, as we approach one of his several hideouts. He signals us to stop the car. His accomplice joins him and we're quickly bundled into steel cages not unlike metal coffins but a lot like elevators. A quick rundown of the layout follows, summary of the view thats a combination of the hills and roads swathed in an industrial haze. This routine repeats itself for about 4 - 5 hours during which time the octogenarian population of the locality would start to wonder if they were seeing the same black swift over and over again and they would be right. Looking for apartments in the city...what a pain!

To top that, this weekend saw a city-wide power outage just as we had escaped with our lives, dusty and tired...hoping to find refuge in the climate-controlled confines if one of the myriad halls showing 'em moving pictures. With all operations at a stand-still, our search led us deeper into the suburbs...only to find darkened hulks of concrete structures watching over ribbons of light streaming from hundreds of headlights. Our perseverance paid off as our last hope blazed in the distance. Sure, all available self-generated power was being redirected from the air-conditioning to the lights but it was better than nothing. A leisurely supper spent considering our options apart from one of the few buildings with power in the city when the escalators resume their humming and we settle into watching that piece of cinematic brilliance 'The Ghost-Rider'. Sean Penn had mentioned it when Con-Air was released, but Nicolas Cage's descent into truly main-stream pulp is well and truly certified by this one. The surest sign though that the evening was looking up came just then...and how! Coz, after all..."The greatest battle lies within"...Spiderman 3...4th May '07

placements 2007

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 hunting for shortlists, even for jobs that they couldn't care less about. Sanity takes a sabbatical as the evil twins (not the ones in the Coors commercials)...brand and CTC wreak havoc on peoples equilibriums as the desperation to find that role that can be appropriately flaunted (to ex-colleagues and friends) for fear of being asked the question...about why the expected quantum leap on both fronts ended up seemingly as a stuttering step?

Was there for placements and needless to say, being on the other side of the panel was a revelation...to see one after the other individual...sporting impressive CVs...but for those few minutes, concerned about making an impression and trying just that bit too hard. Been there, done all of that, got the t-shirt and yesterday, got the helicopter view as well. Finally made 5 offers, which is substantial for a firm this size. More importantly, hoped to have atleast conveyed that none of those designation/company combinations were the 'be and end-all' and that things were only getting started for each individual of the batch of 2007

And even with the high level of stress and the higher pulse-rates of all the impeccably dressed individuals out there, the ISB environment, even at its theoretical worst... what an environment to be in!

question

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 bleary-eyed nostalgia over what was going to be missed. the decision to switch tracks, lots of second-guessing. finding what you've not been looking for but have seeked in the most unexpected manner. suddenly two-month planning horizons don't cut it...or don't they? lot of questions about the kind of job that i can sink my teeth into still remain unanswered...but maybe simplified to an extent...am thinking its going to be an ongoing process...like the reduction of something radioactive...no, not in that unnecessarily explosive way like in WWI

catching up with batchmates and even total strangers is a revelation..into my my own thought process...the moment where you swap visiting cards and they look at yours and look up with a puzzled expression. theirs bears a logo that needs no introduction, has as many in their HR dept (annexe) for their western region operations as there are people in your organisation. you know the name on your visiting card is not going to be jockeying for a slot on Day 0 come placement week. neither is that reverence going to make itself apparent in the junior's voices when you tell them what you've done with yourself since graduating.

so, does it matter? and if it doesn't, why would it occupy an entire train of thought? funny. on closer inspection, you're now in a firm that traditionally never hired from the top-tier schools in the country. part of their 'low-cost management consulting model'. 7 months and another ISB-ian later, they've signed up to hire from ISB, for the first time. the opportunity to have a telling impact on an organisation and its workings awaits. not cut-and-dried by any means...but the opportunity is there.

the sixty-four million dollar question is, how strong will that urge to send out email from a domain thats known in all inhabited continents be? answers awaited...

game, set, match

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...anywhere really. or lets say when you have adoring masses clamour for any sign of having been withing touching distance of you. yes...its a heady feeling alright...they say (you might've noticed they say quite a few things...but then...they can be quite garrulous)...back to what they say, that you never forget the time you sign your first autograph.

So it shall be with me, 30th Jan 2007, the 'Kabab-e-bahaar' restaurant at the Taj Banjara in hyderabad. Just as I let the the juicy kabab flood my mouth with the most unbelievable flavours (who would've guessed a joint by that name served mind-blowing kababs) that a l'il kid, maybe 12 years old walks up to our table, notepad and pen in hand, earnest expression on his face, says "Sir, can you please sign your autograph for me...Mr. Mahesh Bhupati?"

Those moments where the nerves connecting your grey matter to your speech functions absolutely refuse to cooperate...not that they're flooded with traffic at the best of times in my case, but here's a case where the heart was willing but the rest...no go! Finally...explained how I was in my 'non-celebrity' avatar...and sent the fan on his way...

emotionally having good times with joy

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 hands each pass back, he sends you on your way with a cheery "Have a good flight sir". An uncertain looking passenger approaches and asks him "Can you tell me where the y flight (other airline) to Mumbai is boarding?" The response, a terse "No, I have no idea" as he goes back to loading his flight.

2 instances where the ground staff of respective airlines, while adequately aware of the concept of customer service, have not been briefed about the logic of being equally courteous to those who are not current but could easily become future customers. In my mind, a customer would be at his most vulnerable to switching when he has been at the receiving end of some poor treatment by his current service provider. In either case, a golden opportunity to convince them to switch by making them aware of the treatment they could expect was lost.

The alternate versions of the 2 scenarios:
1. The attendant says "Am sorry you're not travelling with us sir, Have a nice flight"..*smile*. The passenger lugs his luggage in thinking how it'd be nice to have assistance at this stage.

2. The boarding staff gets the other person standing at the gate (doing nothing) to find out which gate was boarding the other airline's flight (shouldn't be too difficult to find out). The passenger leaves very aware of the difference in customer service and the people boarding the coach are reinforced with how they made the right choice in spite of paying 500 bucks more than the other airline.

Also made clear how its all well and good to draw up a marketing strategy that defines customer-service as the axis of focus, but the difficulty of getting it implemented by every last person in the organisation.

Needless to say, this line of thought got me comparing the different airlines I've frequented over the last 6 months. The 'methodology':

• While the split is far from even, my cutoff is 5 flights
• Forced ranking out of 4 on each parameter with differing weightages
• 'Check-in' is the time-spent in line, courtesy extended by staff, speed of transaction (indian still uses manual systems as opposed to sabre or such by the others)
  
• 'Timeliness' only gets 30% because a large part of whether a flight leaves on time is not in the realm of control of the airline's operations
• 'In-flight comfort' is a function of newness of the aircraft, legspace, seats

slipstream

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 mirror-like finish of the tarmac contrasting the stark white lane markings as they hurry past you on either side.

You shift up into 3rd as you round that first shallow bend...and woah..glowing brake lights all over the place...you downshift..waiting for the temporary impediment to be moved...as you stutter along with the traffic...this is taking longer than you thought...The early winter months and those of fall are kinda like that. You peer into the distance trying to identify landmarks well in advance so that you don't depend on seeing the bright green and white signs. Just because sharp turns of the wheel are only taken as advise and not commands by the hulk of metal glass and rubber you're in, considering the wind-swept fall of almost liquid-but-not-quite slurries are forming a rather non-adhesive coating of slush on the ground. You try and maintain course and treat the gas pedal like this chick you're initiating epidermal contact with and hence do not know how she'll react rather than the bedspring shattering acts you'd do on a near-empty stretch of asphalt on a bone-dry summer morning.

Just not good enough. A break in the brush on your side of the tarmac..a path leading off in a direction and disappearing into the brush...dusty..rocky...no idea where its going. You look around at the adjoining lanes and fellow commuters...as they try hard to stay awake as the cavalcade lumbers on..that does it...you wrench the wheel...gun it...go bouncing down onto the dust-track..good thing you finished with that coffee a while ago else it'd be all over the upholstery by now...you wonder if the tyres are up for it...you wonder if you're up for it...other dusty roads leading off this one...no maps here...you grip the wheel tighter and turn up the volume a couple of notches...you grin...

Quite the ridiculous way of summarizing my 7 professional months post-B School but then thats exactly why free-speech is such a wonderful thing. One would think getting into a different line of work with 6-day work weeks and bucket-loads of travel would be a handful and one wouldn't be wrong. However, those haven't precluded initiating merger-discussions (or is it a takeover) with a company (more accurately its marketing arm) known more for its refineries than Code-Division Multiple Access coverage. Add to that, getting approval from the top managements of both firms, going on promotional tours to gain buy-in from senior managers , engineering bilateral talks and drawing up the implementation plan for the merger have been on the 'to-do' list and are now on the 'phew-done' list. Lots more remain.

You brace as you gun it to launch yourself over a fallen tree-trunk...its all happening...you grin broader...

p.s: all references to M&A activity (however inaccurate in its terminology) are in no way related to anything in the corporate world...just a clarification

Life's a roller coaster!

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 space with your perception of the three coordinates severely impaired. They 'decomissioned' it last year when the park was sold by Six-Flags


8. Batman - Knight Flight (Six Flags - Ohio)

Who would think of changing a name like that to 'Dominator'?! Sure, there were franchise issues, but certainly no clause that excluded the use of a smidgeon of creativity? Unlike most other rides where you board at ground level and are taken up by the ride, here you board almost at the top of the ride. The procedure itself is awesome with the floor falling away once you're strapped in. Really long ride this one with swooshes and really tall vertical loops make you think its all happening in slow-motion except when the drops skims lake Michigan.

7. Dr. Doom's Fearfall (Universal Islands of Adventure - Florida)

They say its all in the mind. And does this ride do a good job of screwing with precisely that! Once strapped in, the slow...painfully slow climb to the top...the vista of the park unfolding in front of your eyes...all other noises dying down and all you hear are the voices in your head. Or rather, those condemned alongside you. Imagine hearing the following from your 'formerly fearless' brethren as it almost reaches the top "Mummy!"...wasn't me...honest. The ensuing power descent from 150 feet...to 'land', bounce up half that distance and to finally settle at the bottom. Makes you fall in love with terra firma, this one.


6. Big Shot (Stratosphere Hotel - Las Vegas)

"Those with vertigo, not a good idea!" The rides brilliance is its simplicity, a vertical shaft on the roof of the Stratosphere hotel in sin city. Strap you in, countdown music, and boom! Rocketed up (quite literally), you forget the unadulterated terror that makes you ask yourself if you have a death-wish as you see all of the city that's brighter at night than it is in the day. You bounce a couple of times and when the ride ends, you're still almost a kilometer above ground-level.










5. Magnum XL-200 (Cedar Point - Ohio)

Supposedly the grand-daddy of all the other gleaming steel skeletons at the park, its biography reading over 10 years of sterling service and the benign looking structure made us line up for it as a break from its diabolically homicidal spawn all around. I mean what self-respecting roller coaster has a thin steel bar across the seats as the only restraint?! But those thoughts subsided gradually as the chain-lift took kept climbing to its full height of what was once a record 205 feet. And 'benign' is not the word on your minds when its hurtling towards Lake Erie and veering aways inches (or so it seems) from the surface. The significance of the flimsy-looking restraint became clear when that was all that kept you from being launched from your seat on the coaster that provides maximum "airtime"

4. Superman Ultimate Escape (Six-Flags Ohio)

Since the park was sold by Six-Flags, its been renamed to a rather vague 'Steel Venom' but this one brought tears to my eyes...mostly cause of the chilly spring air stinging them, partly cause of pure terror. P and I decided the only way to fly was up front and after being strapped in to the suspended seats dangling from the U-shaped frame, we barely had time to brace when the "catapult-launch" system sent us spiralling up one arm of the 'U'. Up front, with nothing to see but clear blue sky and your own feet, just as you feel weightless, gravity beckons...back down the arm, and up the other...remember..backwards. The other arm is a vertical climb and as it reaches its full height...it stops! Picture being strapped in...abt 10 storeys up... facing vertically downward, your body weight supported by the harness across your chest...motionless. And then the inexorable plummet towards earth and no amount of logic can convince your brain that you aren't going to be smashed into the ground. Ultimate escape indeed.


3. Dueling Dragons (Universal Islands of Adventure - Florida)

Several inversions, one zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, two corkscrews and two vertical loops. If those terms mean nothing but jargon, how about the l'il bit of trivia that this roller coaster is essentially two roller coaster intertwined in a manner that three times during the course of the ride, you come within colliding distance (18 inches) of the flailing arms and legs of the other coaster. They're called 'Fire' and 'Ice' and when the line to embark splits off at one point with a sign that says "Make your choice", brrr...That first time that you round a curve and see the terrified faces on the 'dueling' coaster hurtling towards you to veer off at the metaphoric 'last' moment...damn!

2. Millenium Force (Cedar Point - Ohio)

The marketing folk decided that a new term befit the first coaster to break the 300 foot height barrier and called it the first 'giga-coaster' in the world. Its the stereotypical old-fashioned roller coaster with huge hills, steep drops...no 360s or loops on this one. Had it not been for that other monster, this one's quite easily the scariest ride in the world.












1. Top thrill Dragster (Cedar Point - Ohio)

It was the newest addition to the park and the banners screamed it deserved every superlative there was - tallest, fastest and yeah...frikkin' scariest...420 feet tall, 120 mph top-speed (from 0 in 4 seconds)...90 degree drop. The damn thing stalled twice (not with people in it) as we stood in line waiting. More than twice, the bunch of us immigrants looked at each other wondering if final calls home were called for. The sheer audacity of this ride is..well...you figure it out...

script revisions

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 - software engineer (work - good! first meeting with boss...asks to play cricket over the weekend :-) --> 1 year..time for that master of science degree?..give GRE...2270...damn..dare i think of a top 10 school?...boss says onsite assignment..cud be fun...analyst (work - umm..mostly good, play - only 9 months of winter in a year...but otherwise...coloured clothing...gray nicholls...kookaburra...genuine outswing? me?! bloody brilliant!) --> three years --> next? -->project manager (3-4 years)? --> program manager(4-5 years)? --> account manager?..???

Script ver 3: ...that MS in telecom making lesser and lesser sense...B-school?...two years is way too long...the Indian School of Business...GMAT...4 weekends prep can't be good...780 on practice...700 on the real thing..pfft!...apply anyway...get in! --> holy crap! quit?! move back?!..spring around the corner...road-trips being planned...damn did i screw up?!... --> Gachibowli...awesome environment...ditto for the people...work (not grades) excruciating!, play..11pm games...woohoo!...11 months like shutter speed at high-velocity sports event --> placements...take that IT role that sounded promising --> sucks!...quit...QUIT?! --> next? --> analyst/manager/BD/sales or assorted designation in other IT firm?...really?...f*** it! life's too short...management consulting...l'il firm...tiny office...wtf?!...

Script ver 4: ...?

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." - Alan Cohen

Team is spelt with an I

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 the first kind is essentially about indiidual brilliance while the other kind is about how well different individuals combine to perform at exemplary levels. Some die-hard team sports fans go as far as saying that sports in themselves are a microcosm of life. However, the point of this post is more than to state the obvious, but to indicate that all team sports are not equal and that the sport that this blog is dedicated to is markedly different from the others. Here's how:

1. Lets settle this, you...and...me. Unlike other sports, cricket is never about the ten or eleven of one side against the same number of the other. Its always about batsman versus bowler. The bowler has the assistance of the fielders to get the batsman out, but its he who has to make it happen. The batsman could look at it as him against the world. His teammates in the dressing room, however supportive or well-meaning, can't face that chap hurling 90 mph thunderbolts, for him.



2. The part is greater than the whole of the sum. Cricket is one of the few sports where individuals can literally win games irrespective of team performance. Hence you have Kapil's 175 v/s Zim that won the game when the rest of the batting had collapsed in a heap. A striker in a football team would have a hard time finding the net if his midfielders couldn't feed him the ball.



3. Do that thing you suck at. Imagine a field hockey team's most prolific striker being asked to guard goal or the running back in an american football game being asked to be a lineman (for the unitiated, there's the small matter of a difference in body weight of about 100lbs in the two)But the sight of the side's fast bowler being asked to bat out half hour to save a test match is not uncommon. Essentially, this is one of the very few sports that has professionals performing roles they haven't done much of and therefore aren't proficient at.



4. You can run but you can't hide. The scorecard is your report card. Provides a fairly complete picture of what each individual's contribution was, be it wickets, runs, runouts or catches. The scoreline at the end of a football match might tell you who scored the goals, nothing about that defender who foiled 14 attempts by the opposition or that goalkeeper who let in a powder-puff shot on goal. The point, cricket provides much fewer places to hide than other sports.



5. There is no such thing as a level playing field. Its the tagline for an accenture ad i think, but is quite applicable to this game. Pitch conditions deteriorate, the light fades, dew gets on the ball. Well, deal with it. While other sports ensure equal opportunity for both sides in every way possible, cricket often seems downright unfair in its dependence on the vagaries of the weather and the playing surface.

Maybe there is a striking resemblance to that other game we all play...called life?