The more I get to know, the more I realize that there is (much) more to know!
Nimmy (In my quest for knowledge)
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Knowledge Sharing - Divine Objective
I was watching a programme of religious tours on TV last week and the place of interest in the episode that I watched was Kaladi. Kaladi is a beautiful place in Kerala, India. It is so beautiful that I was totally mesmerized by its beauty and felt an extreme urge to visit the place some day. Kaladi is special because it is the birthplace of Adi Shankara, the famous Religious Guru and Hindu Philosopher. He was born in the 7th Century AD and attained Samadhi at the young age of 32, though accomplishing a lot in the short span of time. Visit this page for a short life history of Adi Shankara.
As I listened to the commentary by the programme anchor, it dawned upon me that all the ‘Gurus’ – be it in the field of religion, science, philosophy or business – are those that have shared the knowledge that they obtained. They are people who’ve brought the ‘unknown’ into the realm of the known for the benefit of laymen. Adi Shankara, for example, shared his insights with laymen and disciples by translating and adding commentaries to the principal Upanishads (Hindu scriptures), and the Bhagavad-Gita so that the common man could gain more wisdom and lead a better life. That was the very essence of his life! Knowledge sharing is indeed a divine objective. It appears that many religious (and science/music/literary) Gurus have shown up just to contribute to this divine objective.
As I listened to the commentary by the programme anchor, it dawned upon me that all the ‘Gurus’ – be it in the field of religion, science, philosophy or business – are those that have shared the knowledge that they obtained. They are people who’ve brought the ‘unknown’ into the realm of the known for the benefit of laymen. Adi Shankara, for example, shared his insights with laymen and disciples by translating and adding commentaries to the principal Upanishads (Hindu scriptures), and the Bhagavad-Gita so that the common man could gain more wisdom and lead a better life. That was the very essence of his life! Knowledge sharing is indeed a divine objective. It appears that many religious (and science/music/literary) Gurus have shown up just to contribute to this divine objective.
No Such Thing as a Knowledge Worker
Knowledge Management No Such Thing as a Knowledge Worker
A different kind of perspective on KM. Courtesy - Gautam G
I think the article needs more elaboration...the author needs to expand on the idea and also talk about scenarios, implications etc.
A different kind of perspective on KM. Courtesy - Gautam G
I think the article needs more elaboration...the author needs to expand on the idea and also talk about scenarios, implications etc.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Too much of enthusiasm/excitement is also bad...
Sound piece of advice...
*********************************************
A Thought for the Day From Sri Eknath Easwaran
----------------------------------------------
Hasten slowly and ye shall soon arrive. -- Milarepa
Some people are fortunate enough to have a great wealth of vitality. But when we are feeling especially full of energy, we may be likely to take up too many activities at the same time.
We make big plans, but then a great deal of our enthusiasm simply drains away in excitement. When we start to put our plans into action, we find we have run out of steam.
The culprit here is the excitement itself. It is the nature of excitement that it cannot last. It has to die down, and when it does, the same project we began with such enthusiasm looks utterly boring. It is full of dull, drab details that we had not foreseen. And we give up. The project has not changed; our energy that fueled it is depleted.
To achieve our highest potential in life, we must cultivate the capacity to carry through. Activity is not achievement. It is not enough to rush about beginning a lot of things and keeping busy. A well-spent life is one that rounds out what it has begun. The life of a great artist or scientist is usually shaped by a single desire, carried through to the very end.
Direct your life to the overriding spiritual goal and lesser activities will take their proper place.
*********************************************
A Thought for the Day From Sri Eknath Easwaran
----------------------------------------------
Hasten slowly and ye shall soon arrive. -- Milarepa
Some people are fortunate enough to have a great wealth of vitality. But when we are feeling especially full of energy, we may be likely to take up too many activities at the same time.
We make big plans, but then a great deal of our enthusiasm simply drains away in excitement. When we start to put our plans into action, we find we have run out of steam.
The culprit here is the excitement itself. It is the nature of excitement that it cannot last. It has to die down, and when it does, the same project we began with such enthusiasm looks utterly boring. It is full of dull, drab details that we had not foreseen. And we give up. The project has not changed; our energy that fueled it is depleted.
To achieve our highest potential in life, we must cultivate the capacity to carry through. Activity is not achievement. It is not enough to rush about beginning a lot of things and keeping busy. A well-spent life is one that rounds out what it has begun. The life of a great artist or scientist is usually shaped by a single desire, carried through to the very end.
Direct your life to the overriding spiritual goal and lesser activities will take their proper place.
Defining KM...once again....
Here’s another of my ever-evolving definitions of KM….
Knowledge Management is the art and science of leveraging on the knowledge available across the organization and evolving it to create new knowledge – to improve productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and innovativeness – by motivating people to learn, create, collaborate and share, improving processes to capture and disseminate knowledge and developing tools that enable collaborative creation and utilization of knowledge.
Previous attempts/trials:
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/06/defining-km.html
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/07/km-crisp-definition.html
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/07/knowledge-manager.html
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/11/another-of-my-definitions-of-km.html
Meanwhile, here’s a definition by Standards Australia:
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/09/definition-of-km-standards-australia.html - Standards Australia
Knowledge Management is the art and science of leveraging on the knowledge available across the organization and evolving it to create new knowledge – to improve productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and innovativeness – by motivating people to learn, create, collaborate and share, improving processes to capture and disseminate knowledge and developing tools that enable collaborative creation and utilization of knowledge.
Previous attempts/trials:
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/06/defining-km.html
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/07/km-crisp-definition.html
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/07/knowledge-manager.html
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/11/another-of-my-definitions-of-km.html
Meanwhile, here’s a definition by Standards Australia:
http://nirmala-km.blogspot.com/2004/09/definition-of-km-standards-australia.html - Standards Australia
Moving IRM from an Art to a Science: The Ten Common Myths of I.T.
Moving IRM from an Art to a Science: The Ten Common Myths of I.T.
Lovely piece of write-up on how most organizations approach IT
Lovely piece of write-up on how most organizations approach IT
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The Power of Imagination
Did you know?
I caught a part of JK Rowling’s interview with the BBC last Sunday. And, what a coincidence; just when I’ve been catching up with the importance of imagination and the ability of man to do whatever he conceives in his mind, believes and accepts et al...
Apparently, the Harry Potter idea occurred to Rowling, in a flash, while traveling but she worked on it for no less than 5 years to bring it to ‘life’. She said something to this effect in her interview – “I imagined that a boy was moving from obscurity into success/stardom for 5 years”!
I’d say that it was this very imagination that got her to where she is today. That’s the power of the human mind!
I caught a part of JK Rowling’s interview with the BBC last Sunday. And, what a coincidence; just when I’ve been catching up with the importance of imagination and the ability of man to do whatever he conceives in his mind, believes and accepts et al...
Apparently, the Harry Potter idea occurred to Rowling, in a flash, while traveling but she worked on it for no less than 5 years to bring it to ‘life’. She said something to this effect in her interview – “I imagined that a boy was moving from obscurity into success/stardom for 5 years”!
I’d say that it was this very imagination that got her to where she is today. That’s the power of the human mind!
Monday, June 27, 2005
Opportunity "in the middle of" traffic jams
The traffic jams in Bangalore are terrible no doubt. I find myself spending a lot of time in the bus to EC both in the mornings as well as in the evenings. There were a lot of people pointing it (the darker side of things) out to me when I moved from Madiwala to EC, not pausing to think that I may perhaps know that I have to travel to EC and not to Madiwala! ;)
But I am beginning to see the positive side – the opportunity – in the middle of the difficulty. In the mornings, it has given me more time to say my prayers, reflect on what I want to do (short-term and long-term), read books and maybe simply gaze at the skies. In the evenings, it has given me time to talk to friends who I am not able to chat with during office hours and also just relax and grab a snack before dinner. Einstein certainly knew what he was talking about when he said, “in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity”.
But I am beginning to see the positive side – the opportunity – in the middle of the difficulty. In the mornings, it has given me more time to say my prayers, reflect on what I want to do (short-term and long-term), read books and maybe simply gaze at the skies. In the evenings, it has given me time to talk to friends who I am not able to chat with during office hours and also just relax and grab a snack before dinner. Einstein certainly knew what he was talking about when he said, “in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity”.
Friday, June 24, 2005
The sewing together of two concepts – Intuition and Paradox Thinking
The other day, I was reflecting on the books that have made a difference in my life (for a blog post) and ended up going down memory lane to recall one of the first ever self-help/intuition/thinking books that I’d read – 100% mind power. The realization and acceptance of the fact that this book had made a difference and the act of writing about it itself kindled in me, a strong desire to go back to it. And so I did.
Here’s something that I found to be profound. (Actually, the book is full of such profound thoughts) Though the author relates this real-life incident only for the purpose of highlighting the role of intuition in life, yours truly also saw it from another angle – that of paradox thinking.
100+ years ago, Elias Howe was working day and night for weeks together to create a sewing machine. He had one problem - How to thread the needle and still hold the upper (thick) end in the machine? (Think of a regular needle that we use for stitching. It has a hole in the thick end). After another such thoughtful day, he went to sleep and dreamt of cannibals. They were (amusingly enough) dancing around Elias. One of them declared that Elias would be eaten if he did not create a perfect sewing machine in 24 hours. Then, Elias noticed that one of the cannibals had a spear in his hand and the spear had a hole in the pointed (thin) end! Elias thus woke up in a cold sweat…with the answer to his problem!!!! The modern sewing machine was created...!
I don’t have to explain the role of intuition and can’t resist the temptation of reiterating the role of paradox thinking. The solution was ‘simple’. It was just about trying the opposite of what was. It was a result of paradox thinking – though, in this case, not by the conscious but by the subconscious mind; shall I say, it (the subconscious mind) stood with him through thick and thin? ;-)
Here’s something that I found to be profound. (Actually, the book is full of such profound thoughts) Though the author relates this real-life incident only for the purpose of highlighting the role of intuition in life, yours truly also saw it from another angle – that of paradox thinking.
100+ years ago, Elias Howe was working day and night for weeks together to create a sewing machine. He had one problem - How to thread the needle and still hold the upper (thick) end in the machine? (Think of a regular needle that we use for stitching. It has a hole in the thick end). After another such thoughtful day, he went to sleep and dreamt of cannibals. They were (amusingly enough) dancing around Elias. One of them declared that Elias would be eaten if he did not create a perfect sewing machine in 24 hours. Then, Elias noticed that one of the cannibals had a spear in his hand and the spear had a hole in the pointed (thin) end! Elias thus woke up in a cold sweat…with the answer to his problem!!!! The modern sewing machine was created...!
I don’t have to explain the role of intuition and can’t resist the temptation of reiterating the role of paradox thinking. The solution was ‘simple’. It was just about trying the opposite of what was. It was a result of paradox thinking – though, in this case, not by the conscious but by the subconscious mind; shall I say, it (the subconscious mind) stood with him through thick and thin? ;-)
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Once bitten, twice shy….
Once bitten, twice shy….
Approx. 2 years ago, there was a ruckus about some Cadburys’ Diary Milk chocolate bars that were found to be infested with worms. Being a cocoa lover (and Diary Milk chocolate bars occupying the pride of place on my list), I was naturally drawn into the discussion/news. I’d stopped buying Diary Milk frequently as people at home were anyways letting out steam on my being addicted to chocolates. After this incident, there was a coincidental lull in my chocolate shopping. Now, I buy them but once in, say, 3-4 months.
I bought one recently and was amused to see the number of wrappers around the chocolate! There was one usual, shiny, blue-colored wrapper, followed by a paper slip-through with Cadburys’ printed all over it, followed by, not one, but two golden yellow aluminum foils that were hard to tear! Wow! Talk about covering oneself from nasty surprises like worms. :)
And…talking about consumers biting into worms that made a living out of and also died in the Diary Milk bars in question; it does seem very apt to say that it’s a case of once bitten (by the customer), twice shy….for Cadburys, that is… ;)
Approx. 2 years ago, there was a ruckus about some Cadburys’ Diary Milk chocolate bars that were found to be infested with worms. Being a cocoa lover (and Diary Milk chocolate bars occupying the pride of place on my list), I was naturally drawn into the discussion/news. I’d stopped buying Diary Milk frequently as people at home were anyways letting out steam on my being addicted to chocolates. After this incident, there was a coincidental lull in my chocolate shopping. Now, I buy them but once in, say, 3-4 months.
I bought one recently and was amused to see the number of wrappers around the chocolate! There was one usual, shiny, blue-colored wrapper, followed by a paper slip-through with Cadburys’ printed all over it, followed by, not one, but two golden yellow aluminum foils that were hard to tear! Wow! Talk about covering oneself from nasty surprises like worms. :)
And…talking about consumers biting into worms that made a living out of and also died in the Diary Milk bars in question; it does seem very apt to say that it’s a case of once bitten (by the customer), twice shy….for Cadburys, that is… ;)
Back to Square 64! :)
I love HBR, the topics it deals with, its language and its overall ‘attitude’. It is one magazine that I think has a clear ‘bias’ in favour of people-related aspects of business. I identify with most of what they opine and find myself agreeing with most of what they have to say. I’d love reading it every month but just don’t get the time. Sometimes - I am glad - that I do manage to catch up. For example, I am glad I managed to read the April 05 edition and this post is about an Interview that it features with Garry Kasparov (GK). The article is titled “Strategic Intensity” and has some profound thoughts expressed by GK. I’ve captured some excerpts of whatever matched my frequency at the time of reading the article – what I thought was hard-hitting and intriguing.
On being asked what was the similarity between business and chess, GK says
“Success in both chess and business is very much a question of psychological advantage”
“There is nothing cute or charming about chess; it is a violent sport, and when you confront your opponent you set out to crush his ego…….it is a battleground on which the enemy has to be vanquished”
“Never, ever, underestimate your opponent….Body language matters. It can give your opponent the feeling that you’re losing thus giving him a psychological advantage.”
Part II: Now is when we come to the most interesting part of the interview, in my perception - It brings out the fact that GK believes that chess is a game that requires the player to ‘strike a balance between intuition and analysis’. It later comes out that GK more often than not swings towards intuition rather than analysis to win the game.
“Intuition is the defining quality of a great chess player”.
“(In chess) you reach a point when you’ve got to navigate using your imagination and feelings rather than your intellect and logic”
“Often, your gut will serve you better than your brains”
“What made those players great was not their analytical prowess but their intuition under pressure”
“I do not look at a mathematical solution when I play chess. I’m always trying to find something unconventional, even poetic – something more than analytics”
GK moves on to explain what he calls the Champion’s Dilemma. The CD is what stares a champion in her face once she has conquered all that there is to conquer. GK quips “The greatest challenge for all successful people is to get past their own successes”
GK goes on to say something that jolts you though it is not impossible or so very unexpected – especially in the field of sports. His bitterest competitor is, he says, his reason d atre’. It took Karpov to make him a Kasparov. (He does talk about his mother’s role in his life and successes, prior to mentioning Karpov’s role). He says it was Karpov that made him feel challenged and it was he who made him scale greater heights. In short, it was competition that made Kasparov the man that he is today…after the initial scaling that was inspired by his mother. It is sort of disquieting to think that it took Karpov to give the world a Kasparov, for this in a way opposes the concept of pure intuition and vision. It indicates that even intellectuals like Kasparov bank on competition to spur them on. And…intuition and vision are a result of original and creative thinking that comes from connecting with the universal intelligence. You’d think that an intuitive person like Kasparov, as per his own admission, would not wait for external factors like competition to spur him on. But I’m forgetting that it is a different environment altogether in the area of sports and business! I have to give it to GK that he certainly needs an opponent to play a game of chess! The better and more challenging the opponent, the better the game! I can’t tar all of life with the KM (collaboration) brush! ;)
GK, by the way, admires Steve Jobs in the world of business as he thinks the latter is a visionary unlike other CEOs who he perhaps thinks are more numerically inclined and process oriented – ‘into the details’ types and risk averse more often than not. But he adds that Steve wouldn’t be what he is if not for Bill Gates. :-) :
On being asked what was the similarity between business and chess, GK says
“Success in both chess and business is very much a question of psychological advantage”
“There is nothing cute or charming about chess; it is a violent sport, and when you confront your opponent you set out to crush his ego…….it is a battleground on which the enemy has to be vanquished”
“Never, ever, underestimate your opponent….Body language matters. It can give your opponent the feeling that you’re losing thus giving him a psychological advantage.”
Part II: Now is when we come to the most interesting part of the interview, in my perception - It brings out the fact that GK believes that chess is a game that requires the player to ‘strike a balance between intuition and analysis’. It later comes out that GK more often than not swings towards intuition rather than analysis to win the game.
“Intuition is the defining quality of a great chess player”.
“(In chess) you reach a point when you’ve got to navigate using your imagination and feelings rather than your intellect and logic”
“Often, your gut will serve you better than your brains”
“What made those players great was not their analytical prowess but their intuition under pressure”
“I do not look at a mathematical solution when I play chess. I’m always trying to find something unconventional, even poetic – something more than analytics”
GK moves on to explain what he calls the Champion’s Dilemma. The CD is what stares a champion in her face once she has conquered all that there is to conquer. GK quips “The greatest challenge for all successful people is to get past their own successes”
GK goes on to say something that jolts you though it is not impossible or so very unexpected – especially in the field of sports. His bitterest competitor is, he says, his reason d atre’. It took Karpov to make him a Kasparov. (He does talk about his mother’s role in his life and successes, prior to mentioning Karpov’s role). He says it was Karpov that made him feel challenged and it was he who made him scale greater heights. In short, it was competition that made Kasparov the man that he is today…after the initial scaling that was inspired by his mother. It is sort of disquieting to think that it took Karpov to give the world a Kasparov, for this in a way opposes the concept of pure intuition and vision. It indicates that even intellectuals like Kasparov bank on competition to spur them on. And…intuition and vision are a result of original and creative thinking that comes from connecting with the universal intelligence. You’d think that an intuitive person like Kasparov, as per his own admission, would not wait for external factors like competition to spur him on. But I’m forgetting that it is a different environment altogether in the area of sports and business! I have to give it to GK that he certainly needs an opponent to play a game of chess! The better and more challenging the opponent, the better the game! I can’t tar all of life with the KM (collaboration) brush! ;)
GK, by the way, admires Steve Jobs in the world of business as he thinks the latter is a visionary unlike other CEOs who he perhaps thinks are more numerically inclined and process oriented – ‘into the details’ types and risk averse more often than not. But he adds that Steve wouldn’t be what he is if not for Bill Gates. :-) :
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Life, Pleasure, Pain
From Eknath Easwaran, "Words to Live By" (Nilgiri Press, 1997)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Gita does not say that we should not go after pleasure.
When I first heard this from my grandmother, I really took to the Gita immediately; but I wasn't expecting what she said next:
"The Gita doesn't say not to go after pleasure; it says that when you go after pleasure you are also going after pain." It is not possible for most of us to accept this. We are always cherishing the distant hope that while no other human being has ever succeeded in isolating pleasure, we are going to perform this miraculous operation and then live in a state of pleasure always. To enter a state of abiding joy we must sometimes say no to pleasure while accepting pain with a smile.
Just as we should not pursue pleasure, we should not pursue pain, either. Pleasure and pain form a single duality of experience. We must learn to remain calm in both, not clinging to either.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My thoughts: We talk about it being important to remember that people will do anything to derive pleasure and even more to avoid pain whenever we go through programmes on Change Management etc. Consider this - If it is true that almost every 'normal' human has been sucked into this earthly life of pleasure and pain, how difficult is it going to be to come out of this rut and be a detached and stand-alone 'system'? And well, I can't help thinking that life may be boring if one were to stay unaffected. I’ll also be my own alter-ego and say that it's a trade off between whether one is willing to be swayed by a wild & exciting swing called life - scream at every high, bleed at every fall, and sit silently when the swing is still - or just experience the process minus the screams, falls, and silence. This thread of thought reminds me of Howard Roark (The central character in The FountainHead) who simply enjoyed life (read architecture) while managing to stay unaffected by what happened around him – even if it was about lost opportunities and a cruel and bitter society that was always plotting against him. Howard is what one could perhaps call a ‘truly’ happy man who was at peace with himself and the world despite its vagaries. I’ve been grinding the same flour for quite some time now. But like one of my colleagues once said “repeated deliberation is what will clear the fog and help one understand the truth!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Gita does not say that we should not go after pleasure.
When I first heard this from my grandmother, I really took to the Gita immediately; but I wasn't expecting what she said next:
"The Gita doesn't say not to go after pleasure; it says that when you go after pleasure you are also going after pain." It is not possible for most of us to accept this. We are always cherishing the distant hope that while no other human being has ever succeeded in isolating pleasure, we are going to perform this miraculous operation and then live in a state of pleasure always. To enter a state of abiding joy we must sometimes say no to pleasure while accepting pain with a smile.
Just as we should not pursue pleasure, we should not pursue pain, either. Pleasure and pain form a single duality of experience. We must learn to remain calm in both, not clinging to either.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My thoughts: We talk about it being important to remember that people will do anything to derive pleasure and even more to avoid pain whenever we go through programmes on Change Management etc. Consider this - If it is true that almost every 'normal' human has been sucked into this earthly life of pleasure and pain, how difficult is it going to be to come out of this rut and be a detached and stand-alone 'system'? And well, I can't help thinking that life may be boring if one were to stay unaffected. I’ll also be my own alter-ego and say that it's a trade off between whether one is willing to be swayed by a wild & exciting swing called life - scream at every high, bleed at every fall, and sit silently when the swing is still - or just experience the process minus the screams, falls, and silence. This thread of thought reminds me of Howard Roark (The central character in The FountainHead) who simply enjoyed life (read architecture) while managing to stay unaffected by what happened around him – even if it was about lost opportunities and a cruel and bitter society that was always plotting against him. Howard is what one could perhaps call a ‘truly’ happy man who was at peace with himself and the world despite its vagaries. I’ve been grinding the same flour for quite some time now. But like one of my colleagues once said “repeated deliberation is what will clear the fog and help one understand the truth!”
You're above the brand you work for- ET
You're above the brand you work for- The Economic Times
Interesting article on Brand Value/Market Cap percentages. Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike, GE etc are doing great! Nike has the highest ratio! Starbucks has a surprisingly low ratio.
Interesting article on Brand Value/Market Cap percentages. Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike, GE etc are doing great! Nike has the highest ratio! Starbucks has a surprisingly low ratio.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Top 10! To be considered a good human being...
We talk about 10 good things, top 10 things, 10 things to do, etc. Why not approach a favorite question of mine from the opposite angle? Here’s my ‘reverse’ question - What are the top 10 things that prevent a person from being called a good human being? In other words, what are the top 10 things one should not do if one wants to be *considered* to be a good human being? The list below is not necessarily in any particular order and is just a spontaneous list…
1. Create loads of problems for others intentionally and make their life wretched.
2. Be jealous of others
3. Protect oneself at the cost of others. Think ‘win-lose’ all the time.
4. Not stand by what is right (be indifferent to the truth)
5. Develop hatred towards others
6. Withhold information from fellow-men that may be essential to the latter
7. Take/Accept credit for others’ work.
8. Spread rumors about others
9. Manipulate and make ‘use’ of people to further one’s own needs!
10. Pour cold water over others’ plans and ambitions by discouraging/scaring them despite not being eligible to lend advice.
This may be a sort of 'kiddish' list I guess.... :-) Have you got a better one?
1. Create loads of problems for others intentionally and make their life wretched.
2. Be jealous of others
3. Protect oneself at the cost of others. Think ‘win-lose’ all the time.
4. Not stand by what is right (be indifferent to the truth)
5. Develop hatred towards others
6. Withhold information from fellow-men that may be essential to the latter
7. Take/Accept credit for others’ work.
8. Spread rumors about others
9. Manipulate and make ‘use’ of people to further one’s own needs!
10. Pour cold water over others’ plans and ambitions by discouraging/scaring them despite not being eligible to lend advice.
This may be a sort of 'kiddish' list I guess.... :-) Have you got a better one?
People Skills & The Corporate Ladder
Found this excerpt in one of the newsletters that I subscribe to:
Studies by Harvard, the Stanford Research Institute and the Carnegie Foundation suggest that success in a job depends 85% on people skills and only 15% on technical knowledge and skill. In the market place today people who have the right attitude and work with others effectively, are in the most demand and occupy the higher positions. Message: Use commons sense and mind your manners.
Why is it that I get the feeling that 'people skills' needs to be interpretted as 'manipulative abilities' as well...
Studies by Harvard, the Stanford Research Institute and the Carnegie Foundation suggest that success in a job depends 85% on people skills and only 15% on technical knowledge and skill. In the market place today people who have the right attitude and work with others effectively, are in the most demand and occupy the higher positions. Message: Use commons sense and mind your manners.
Why is it that I get the feeling that 'people skills' needs to be interpretted as 'manipulative abilities' as well...
Monday, June 13, 2005
Book Bug
Gautam gives me no choice but to be bitten by the big book bug. I don’t mind being ‘bugged’, for once. Here are my answers:
Number of books I own: Need to count to give you a 100% accurate number. When last counted, it was approximately 300+ including the Tintins and the Asterix & Obelixes. I sometimes go around thinking that I earn only to buy books. The maximum percentage of my spending goes to the Gangarams, Strands, Crosswords and Sankars of Bangalore, and for that matter, any other city I visit.
Last book(s) I bought: I have never bought a book. Asking me to get my head examined? Read it again...I have never bought a book. Every book-purchase transaction (or should I say strategy?) that I am into is about buying books…many books. I have an obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to books. Okay, cutting all the crap out, the books that I last bought were: Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki, In Your Dreams by Tom Holt, The Best of Rumpole by John Mortimer, and Pour Your Heart Out by Howard Schultz. Wisdom of Crowds was more or less an impulsive purchase based on some things I’d read about the book earlier. In Your Dreams and The Best of Rumpole were risks, so to say! Bought them based on the facts that they were books belonging to the ‘Humor’ category and based on what I found on the covers and some contents inside the books. The Pour Your Heart Out book was a purchase that was influenced by a friend.
Just can’t wait to read all of these books. But they may have to wait longer than I, along with my 100+ other books to be read.
Last book I read: Freedom’s Way by Bloch Jorgensen. This one was a gift both in the literal as well as figurative sense. It's a lovely and brave book that is quite unconventional and extremely strong in its communication. The language is fascinating and the potential it promises that the reader has, cannot but leave her/him a changed person.
Five books that mean a lot to me: This is a very tough one for me. But let me see if I can do some sort of justice to the question. I take the liberty of mentioning more than five. These books are in the order in which I came across them.
1. 100% Mind Power by Jack Addington – Category: Self Development/Achievement – This was an extremely accidental purchase and in the most unlikely of places. I was out in Goa on a college tour and there was a book exhibition on, on one of the beaches! I just barged into one of the stalls and picked up this book. It was perhaps one of the first ever books that I read in this category. And, it changed me completely. It instilled a whole lot of faith in me and opened the doors of new possibilities to me – it taught me that the human mind has amazing and unbelievable capabilities that one ought to make use of.
2. BPR by Michael Hammer and James Champy – Category: Business/Processes – This was a book that one of my classmates recommended to me in my MBA and I went over to the college library and gobbled it up in just 2 sittings. It somehow grabbed my attention and got be fascinated with the concept of process improvements. I developed a love for processes and process improvements after reading this book. (Well, I do know that BPR isn’t what you’d call a successful concept)
3. The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt – Category: Processes/Industrial Production – This was another book I read while doing my MBA and it left me spellbound. It was the first time I’d come across a management book written and communicated in such a interesting/captivating way. It read like a novel and this is what I know to be storytelling now. Great way to communicate and help the reader understand and develop a passion for the topic being spoken about!
4. The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand – Category: Fiction/Philosophy – I just love this book! For its attitude, philosophy and approach to work :-). I’d overheard quite a few people talk about this book and had been trying to make a mental note of the title and author but never got around to buying the book till I started working. I love Howard Roark’s (the hero of the book) philosophy - work for work’s sake and nothing else. He is so detached that he almost seems inhuman. But a closer look at his attitude will show that he is so passionate about his work that nothing else matters to him once he gets down to work. The beauty is that he does not actually look out to grab projects from anyone else and simply takes what comes to him if he is okay with the values of the person giving him the job. What matters to him are his values and his work. Period. In fact, the book reminds me of the Gita at times. The philosophy is revolutionary. Anyone who reads the book will either love it or hate it but just can’t ignore it.
5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – Category: Fiction/Spirituality – I like the book for its climax, for its author’s philosophy, for the dreams, courage and faith that it nurtures in its readers. It lays out life as it; manages to bring out reality and dreams in the same breath (book/story). It is hope, personified.
6. The Paradox Process by Derm Barrett – Category: Thinking (out of the box) – This was a book I read only last year. I found it to be fascinating and exciting. It led me into a completely new way of thinking. It seeded new thoughts in my mind and led me to the conception of a model for collaboration. It was the single most important reason why I wrote a paper on collaboration and went to my first truly international conference to present the same - It was the single most important reason why I got to go to Australia.
PS: Would love to add all of the P.G Wodehouse Books to the list. Humour - is what gives me the fuel for life. And, it’s a pity I can’t talk about Calvin and Hobbes Comics and the Asterix and Obelix Comics as well.
The people tagged below have to answer the same questions I did, on his/her own blog and tag five more players. My to-be-bugged list is as follows:
Sarita
Raj
Veera
Dina
Deepak
Number of books I own: Need to count to give you a 100% accurate number. When last counted, it was approximately 300+ including the Tintins and the Asterix & Obelixes. I sometimes go around thinking that I earn only to buy books. The maximum percentage of my spending goes to the Gangarams, Strands, Crosswords and Sankars of Bangalore, and for that matter, any other city I visit.
Last book(s) I bought: I have never bought a book. Asking me to get my head examined? Read it again...I have never bought a book. Every book-purchase transaction (or should I say strategy?) that I am into is about buying books…many books. I have an obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to books. Okay, cutting all the crap out, the books that I last bought were: Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki, In Your Dreams by Tom Holt, The Best of Rumpole by John Mortimer, and Pour Your Heart Out by Howard Schultz. Wisdom of Crowds was more or less an impulsive purchase based on some things I’d read about the book earlier. In Your Dreams and The Best of Rumpole were risks, so to say! Bought them based on the facts that they were books belonging to the ‘Humor’ category and based on what I found on the covers and some contents inside the books. The Pour Your Heart Out book was a purchase that was influenced by a friend.
Just can’t wait to read all of these books. But they may have to wait longer than I, along with my 100+ other books to be read.
Last book I read: Freedom’s Way by Bloch Jorgensen. This one was a gift both in the literal as well as figurative sense. It's a lovely and brave book that is quite unconventional and extremely strong in its communication. The language is fascinating and the potential it promises that the reader has, cannot but leave her/him a changed person.
Five books that mean a lot to me: This is a very tough one for me. But let me see if I can do some sort of justice to the question. I take the liberty of mentioning more than five. These books are in the order in which I came across them.
1. 100% Mind Power by Jack Addington – Category: Self Development/Achievement – This was an extremely accidental purchase and in the most unlikely of places. I was out in Goa on a college tour and there was a book exhibition on, on one of the beaches! I just barged into one of the stalls and picked up this book. It was perhaps one of the first ever books that I read in this category. And, it changed me completely. It instilled a whole lot of faith in me and opened the doors of new possibilities to me – it taught me that the human mind has amazing and unbelievable capabilities that one ought to make use of.
2. BPR by Michael Hammer and James Champy – Category: Business/Processes – This was a book that one of my classmates recommended to me in my MBA and I went over to the college library and gobbled it up in just 2 sittings. It somehow grabbed my attention and got be fascinated with the concept of process improvements. I developed a love for processes and process improvements after reading this book. (Well, I do know that BPR isn’t what you’d call a successful concept)
3. The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt – Category: Processes/Industrial Production – This was another book I read while doing my MBA and it left me spellbound. It was the first time I’d come across a management book written and communicated in such a interesting/captivating way. It read like a novel and this is what I know to be storytelling now. Great way to communicate and help the reader understand and develop a passion for the topic being spoken about!
4. The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand – Category: Fiction/Philosophy – I just love this book! For its attitude, philosophy and approach to work :-). I’d overheard quite a few people talk about this book and had been trying to make a mental note of the title and author but never got around to buying the book till I started working. I love Howard Roark’s (the hero of the book) philosophy - work for work’s sake and nothing else. He is so detached that he almost seems inhuman. But a closer look at his attitude will show that he is so passionate about his work that nothing else matters to him once he gets down to work. The beauty is that he does not actually look out to grab projects from anyone else and simply takes what comes to him if he is okay with the values of the person giving him the job. What matters to him are his values and his work. Period. In fact, the book reminds me of the Gita at times. The philosophy is revolutionary. Anyone who reads the book will either love it or hate it but just can’t ignore it.
5. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – Category: Fiction/Spirituality – I like the book for its climax, for its author’s philosophy, for the dreams, courage and faith that it nurtures in its readers. It lays out life as it; manages to bring out reality and dreams in the same breath (book/story). It is hope, personified.
6. The Paradox Process by Derm Barrett – Category: Thinking (out of the box) – This was a book I read only last year. I found it to be fascinating and exciting. It led me into a completely new way of thinking. It seeded new thoughts in my mind and led me to the conception of a model for collaboration. It was the single most important reason why I wrote a paper on collaboration and went to my first truly international conference to present the same - It was the single most important reason why I got to go to Australia.
PS: Would love to add all of the P.G Wodehouse Books to the list. Humour - is what gives me the fuel for life. And, it’s a pity I can’t talk about Calvin and Hobbes Comics and the Asterix and Obelix Comics as well.
The people tagged below have to answer the same questions I did, on his/her own blog and tag five more players. My to-be-bugged list is as follows:
Sarita
Raj
Veera
Dina
Deepak
This one's perhaps all you need!
Life is beauty; appreciate it.
Life is a dream; realize it.
Life is a challenge; meet it.
Life is a duty; complete it.
Life is a game; play it.
Life is a sorrow; feel it.
Life is a song; sing it.
Life is a struggle; accept it.
Life is an adventure; risk it.
Life is luck; make it.
Life is a puzzle; solve it.
Life is opportunity; take it.
Life is a mission; fulfill it.
Life is life; live it!
Can anyone help me with the source please? Is it the Gita/Upanishads/Swami Vivekananda/Buddha? I have seen this one before somewhere but don't remember where exactly. It came to me again by mail yesterday...without a mention of the source....
PS: I think the first time I came across this, it was actually a lengthier version...with more such gyan! I'll try and fish it out...though I don't know how I'll do it!
Life is a dream; realize it.
Life is a challenge; meet it.
Life is a duty; complete it.
Life is a game; play it.
Life is a sorrow; feel it.
Life is a song; sing it.
Life is a struggle; accept it.
Life is an adventure; risk it.
Life is luck; make it.
Life is a puzzle; solve it.
Life is opportunity; take it.
Life is a mission; fulfill it.
Life is life; live it!
Can anyone help me with the source please? Is it the Gita/Upanishads/Swami Vivekananda/Buddha? I have seen this one before somewhere but don't remember where exactly. It came to me again by mail yesterday...without a mention of the source....
PS: I think the first time I came across this, it was actually a lengthier version...with more such gyan! I'll try and fish it out...though I don't know how I'll do it!
Dilbert tells us where the bloggers are coming from...!
Observed something interesting about blog feeds... The maximum number of blog readers feed on Dilbert by Scot Adams. It did not actually surprise me, as the popularity enjoyed by Dilbert isn’t a secret. But I still wondered why google and newspaper feeds did not enjoy as many readers. And the margins! The next feed is a disssssssssstant second! Dilbert seems to have captured a million+ blog readers’ hearts. Obviously, almost all of these readers would be associated with the IT industry. So, does it mean that most of the bloggers and blog readers are from the IT industry?
Catching up with Blogs
How do you manage to read all the blogs that you subscribe to?
I am getting a strong feeling that I’m trying to bite more than I can chew.
Work doesn’t really let me catch up with blogs Monday to Friday. And the weekend list has 100 other things. Looks like speed-reading is a great skill to have...it is a necessity for anyone who wants to learn continuously...!
I am getting a strong feeling that I’m trying to bite more than I can chew.
Work doesn’t really let me catch up with blogs Monday to Friday. And the weekend list has 100 other things. Looks like speed-reading is a great skill to have...it is a necessity for anyone who wants to learn continuously...!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
calvin-life's meaning
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Hocus Focus!
Note: I have varied interests and so this piece of advice seems to be quite important to me...thought I'd share it with all you blog surfers as well... :)
-----------------------------------------
From LifeSupport: IN FOCUS
In reading a mortality chart, I discovered something truly amazing. A great number of people die each year from a disease I had never heard of! Of course, there was the predictable number who died of heart attacks, cancer, stroke, accidents and the like, but at the bottom of the chart was one that surprised me. It was called "miscellaneous."
Apparently, a large number of people die of "miscellaneous" every year!
I think I understand why. I suffer from "miscellaneous" when I go in too many directions at once. When I am scattered, the disease begins to take over. Soon my self-esteem is affected and I feel as if I'm doing nothing important. Flitting here and there, I have no overriding purpose and I feel as if my life is spinning out of control. It must be a terrible way to die!
However, I believe there is a cure for the disease. It's called "focus." A focused person is one who knows what is important and follows the path. She may have many interests, but one calling. A focused person hears one voice more clearly than the others...and follows. Some call it pursuing a mission. Some call it knowing your purpose. Others call it being centered. Whatever it is called, a focused life can be meaningful and happy.
Not every path should be followed, and not every goal should become a life's calling. But a truly worthy focus can raise a life from mediocrity and save it from a slow death by miscellaneous.
Are you in focus?
-----------------------------------------
Sunday, June 05, 2005
The Power of Intuition
Q. How do I know I am making the right decision in any given moment ?
A. There is only one choice, out of the infinity of choices available in every second, that will create happiness for you as well as for those around you. It's the action that nourishes you and everyone else who is influenced by that action. There is a very interesting mechanism that the universe has to help you make spontaneously correct choices. The mechanism has to do with sensations in your body. Your body experiences two kinds of sensations: one is a sensation of comfort, the other is a sensation of discomfort. At the moment you consciously make a choice, pay attention to your body and ask your body, "If I make this choice, what happens?".If your body sends a message of comfort, that's the right choice. If your body sends a message of discomfort, then it's not the appropriate choice. For most people, the message of comfort and discomfort is in the area of the heart. Consciously put your attention in the heart and ask your heart what to do. Then wait for the response - a physical response in the form of a sensation. It may be the faintest level of feeling - but it's there, in your body. Only the heart knows the correct answer contrary to what people think that it is mushy and sentimental. The heart is intuitive; it's holistic, it's contextual, it's relational. It doesn't have a win-lose orientation. It taps into the cosmic computer - the field of pure potentiality,pure knowledge, and infinite organizing power - and takes everything into account.
- Deepak Chopra
A. There is only one choice, out of the infinity of choices available in every second, that will create happiness for you as well as for those around you. It's the action that nourishes you and everyone else who is influenced by that action. There is a very interesting mechanism that the universe has to help you make spontaneously correct choices. The mechanism has to do with sensations in your body. Your body experiences two kinds of sensations: one is a sensation of comfort, the other is a sensation of discomfort. At the moment you consciously make a choice, pay attention to your body and ask your body, "If I make this choice, what happens?".If your body sends a message of comfort, that's the right choice. If your body sends a message of discomfort, then it's not the appropriate choice. For most people, the message of comfort and discomfort is in the area of the heart. Consciously put your attention in the heart and ask your heart what to do. Then wait for the response - a physical response in the form of a sensation. It may be the faintest level of feeling - but it's there, in your body. Only the heart knows the correct answer contrary to what people think that it is mushy and sentimental. The heart is intuitive; it's holistic, it's contextual, it's relational. It doesn't have a win-lose orientation. It taps into the cosmic computer - the field of pure potentiality,pure knowledge, and infinite organizing power - and takes everything into account.
- Deepak Chopra
Wonderful and Reassuring!
Q Sometimes I feel problems are too much to handle ?
A Whenever things seems to be looming larger than yourself, tell yourself God is greater and move on. Practice silent withdrawal for sometime everyday, visualise all areas of your life where you want God's help and guidance and wait (to see) how things unfold beautifully under his Grace.
- Zenyasi
A Whenever things seems to be looming larger than yourself, tell yourself God is greater and move on. Practice silent withdrawal for sometime everyday, visualise all areas of your life where you want God's help and guidance and wait (to see) how things unfold beautifully under his Grace.
- Zenyasi
Friday, June 03, 2005
C&H
My friend sent me a collection of C&H quotes. Enjoy! :) (My favourites in bold)
_________________________________________________________
* I used to hate writing assignments, but now I enjoy them. I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!
* History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
* I think life should be more like tv. I think all of life's problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don't you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns. I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothing, and men should carry powerful handguns. Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don't you think? Then again, if real life was like that, what would we watch on television?
* People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.
* Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.
* Everybody seeks happiness! Not me, though! That's the difference between me and the rest of the world. Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
* Hobbes: "How come we play war and not peace?"
Calvin: "Too few role models."
* But Calvin is no kind and loving god! He's one of the old gods! He demands sacrifice!
* Every time I've built character, I've regretted it.
* I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.
* My brain always rejects attitude transplants.
* The secret to happiness is short-term, stupid self-interest!
* You know how Einstein got bad grades as a kid? Well, mine are even worse!
* You know how people are. They only recognize greatness when some authority confirms it.
* Susie: The way Calvin's brain is wired, you can almost hear the fuses blowing.
* Susie: Our class voted Calvin the "Most likely to be seen on the news some day".
* Calvin: "They say that all the world's a stage. But obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is adlibbing his lines."
Hobbes: "Maybe that's why it's so hard to tell if we're living in a tragedy or a farce."
Calvin: We need more special effects and dance numbers.
_________________________________________________________
* I used to hate writing assignments, but now I enjoy them. I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!
* History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction. That's why events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.
* I think life should be more like tv. I think all of life's problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don't you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns. I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothing, and men should carry powerful handguns. Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don't you think? Then again, if real life was like that, what would we watch on television?
* People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.
* Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.
* Everybody seeks happiness! Not me, though! That's the difference between me and the rest of the world. Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
* Hobbes: "How come we play war and not peace?"
Calvin: "Too few role models."
* But Calvin is no kind and loving god! He's one of the old gods! He demands sacrifice!
* Every time I've built character, I've regretted it.
* I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.
* My brain always rejects attitude transplants.
* The secret to happiness is short-term, stupid self-interest!
* You know how Einstein got bad grades as a kid? Well, mine are even worse!
* You know how people are. They only recognize greatness when some authority confirms it.
* Susie: The way Calvin's brain is wired, you can almost hear the fuses blowing.
* Susie: Our class voted Calvin the "Most likely to be seen on the news some day".
* Calvin: "They say that all the world's a stage. But obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is adlibbing his lines."
Hobbes: "Maybe that's why it's so hard to tell if we're living in a tragedy or a farce."
Calvin: We need more special effects and dance numbers.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Rajnikanth!
Okay! Mmmmm! Awwwww…..I tried avoiding this, but just couldn’t do so any longer. So, here comes a post on none other than the…Super Star, Rajnikanth! :) (I've not been through the website that I've linked up for info on Rajni. Got it from Google and thought I'd include it in case you - friends from other countries - don't know who Rajni is).
Now, if you are wondering why I wanted to avoid this topic, well, here are the reasons - One, if talking about Rajni isn’t a potential controversy (at least in TN), then I don’t know a controversy when I go through one. Two, I did not really plan to discuss movies/actors on my blog despite realizing that my blog anyway isn’t really ‘professional’ (Not open to interpretations. You better understand what I mean ;)). Three, I was consciously trying to avoid talking about emotional issues and…hero-worship is a highly emotional affair. Anyways, here I come, throwing all that to the winds….
When I’d been to Coimbatore recently, I did something exciting (may not be so for some). I watched Chandramukhi (Rajni’s latest movie) in a theatre (it’d been long since I had been to the theatre before this) and wait….I watched the second show (9PM to 1AM). :) BTW, if you’ve already concluded that this is a movie review, think again...or even better…read on to see what it is about, then! When the movie started and Rajni appeared on the big screen, I almost went deaf for a few minutes. You guessed it. I went deaf because of the ‘god knows how many decibels’ noise. In other words, the noise (whistles, shouts, screams) was deafening. (thee hee…). I was trying my best to protect my eardrums but despite myself, the noise and the ‘electricity’ of the environment had knocked me out of my senses and made me feel elated (gasp!) for a few brief moments, for some reason. The cult(ure) got to me. (Having said that, let me also tell you that I do like Rajni for the man that he is….his proclaimed spiritual bent of mind, his simplicity, his charitable nature, his on-screen style and most of all, the transformation that he has brought upon himself from being a coolie/bus conductor to the universal ‘hero’ status that he enjoys today – both on and off screen). So, well, I too was mesmerized by the environment for a few moments and took some time to recover from it. Movie done, it was a cool ride back home at 1 AM in the night! OOOoooooooooo
Okay, now, where else did I want to ‘go’? Yes…, the actual reason why I wrote this up follows - Maruti Suzuki has come out with a new (radio) ad for its Maruti Omni model and guess what (in case you haven’t heard the ad on Radio City)? They compare Omni with Rajni (just realized they rhyme!) and are positioning the van as something that fits all – fits into many/any situations. They substantiate the comparison by talking about Rajni’s many faces (spirituality, politics, acting) and fans across the world. I was wondering why they chose Rajni (given that he is more of a regional star) as compared to, say, the Big B (Amitabh) when my question was answered this morning. They aired the second version of the ad this morning and this time the Omni was compared was with Amitabh and how he too fits into any role…! Telepathic consulting? So I’d like to believe! ;) Who’s next?
Psssttt - In reality, I think Omni is perhaps the most boring car (van) barring only the Amby...and that doesn't help in it being compared with such popular stars...! Maruthi seems to be desperate to position Omni as a better vehicle than it is perceived to be...
Now, if you are wondering why I wanted to avoid this topic, well, here are the reasons - One, if talking about Rajni isn’t a potential controversy (at least in TN), then I don’t know a controversy when I go through one. Two, I did not really plan to discuss movies/actors on my blog despite realizing that my blog anyway isn’t really ‘professional’ (Not open to interpretations. You better understand what I mean ;)). Three, I was consciously trying to avoid talking about emotional issues and…hero-worship is a highly emotional affair. Anyways, here I come, throwing all that to the winds….
When I’d been to Coimbatore recently, I did something exciting (may not be so for some). I watched Chandramukhi (Rajni’s latest movie) in a theatre (it’d been long since I had been to the theatre before this) and wait….I watched the second show (9PM to 1AM). :) BTW, if you’ve already concluded that this is a movie review, think again...or even better…read on to see what it is about, then! When the movie started and Rajni appeared on the big screen, I almost went deaf for a few minutes. You guessed it. I went deaf because of the ‘god knows how many decibels’ noise. In other words, the noise (whistles, shouts, screams) was deafening. (thee hee…). I was trying my best to protect my eardrums but despite myself, the noise and the ‘electricity’ of the environment had knocked me out of my senses and made me feel elated (gasp!) for a few brief moments, for some reason. The cult(ure) got to me. (Having said that, let me also tell you that I do like Rajni for the man that he is….his proclaimed spiritual bent of mind, his simplicity, his charitable nature, his on-screen style and most of all, the transformation that he has brought upon himself from being a coolie/bus conductor to the universal ‘hero’ status that he enjoys today – both on and off screen). So, well, I too was mesmerized by the environment for a few moments and took some time to recover from it. Movie done, it was a cool ride back home at 1 AM in the night! OOOoooooooooo
Okay, now, where else did I want to ‘go’? Yes…, the actual reason why I wrote this up follows - Maruti Suzuki has come out with a new (radio) ad for its Maruti Omni model and guess what (in case you haven’t heard the ad on Radio City)? They compare Omni with Rajni (just realized they rhyme!) and are positioning the van as something that fits all – fits into many/any situations. They substantiate the comparison by talking about Rajni’s many faces (spirituality, politics, acting) and fans across the world. I was wondering why they chose Rajni (given that he is more of a regional star) as compared to, say, the Big B (Amitabh) when my question was answered this morning. They aired the second version of the ad this morning and this time the Omni was compared was with Amitabh and how he too fits into any role…! Telepathic consulting? So I’d like to believe! ;) Who’s next?
Psssttt - In reality, I think Omni is perhaps the most boring car (van) barring only the Amby...and that doesn't help in it being compared with such popular stars...! Maruthi seems to be desperate to position Omni as a better vehicle than it is perceived to be...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)