sometimes, i still wonder- the actual reason to explisitly state the obvious!
"Contents of the cup may be hot" this has already been printed onto a plastic cup that i bought from abroad.
well, as they say - only there can this happen!
I was browsing a rather large online retailer - which led me to a product:
Something (changed name) 10-Foot Premium Shuffleboard Table with Solid Maple Playfield.. so now we know that this is 10ft long made of wood.
but what really took the cake was:
"Ships Separately in Original Packaging: If sending as a gift, note that contents cannot be concealed."
wow! i was wondering how i would conceal a table of 10 ft length!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Competition
The Automated Teller Machine market is highly competitive. With the large players being Tritron, NCR, Diebold, Wincor etc. so when a website wants to ensure high advertisement charges, what do they do?
advertise all at the same time! :)
I couldnt capture the screen shot, but the article was sponsored by Tritron, one ad from NCR talking about their 120 year heritage and the other from Diebold talking about their 150 year heritage.
So, the question is - would i choose the 120 years or 150 years?? hhmm? i dont know, given the fact that 120 years ago also there were no ATMs.
the Diebold Ad
Monday, January 19, 2009
finally- some nice shots
i have begun to realize that i take some nice pictures with my phone camera- maybe i should get a better phone camera! :)
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Fiat Linea
The much awaited Fiat Linea based on the grand Punto platform has finally arrived. Much to the relief of eager customers, who have booked the cars even before the prices have been announced- such is the anticipation with which the car has been received. Touted as competition to the Fiesta, SX4, Verna and Honda City G3 the Linea beats them with its commanding presence and feature packed offering.
The Linea comes to India after a hiatus of almost 6 years with no new vehicle launches by Fiat India, so the excitement of a new product is palpable. With the Palio launch in 2002, with the upgrades in 2003, and the Stile launch in 2005 and the MJD launch in 2008, the Palio has seen a mild transformation between engines and facelifts.
The Linea on the other hand is going to be a rocker. With showrooms clambering to display the product, and with fiat delaying the official word on the cost till its “official” launch on Jan 14th 2009, the Linea will be the most important product for 2009- because Fiat needs a success. Fiat has also gone all out to ensure this- with the Fiat – Tata tie up for sales and service, and the ramping up of the distribution network for spares, the company is ensuring that they do not fall along where they have failed before.
The Car:
Exteriors – the Fiat comes with rather bold body lines. Made it Europe is written all over, with its huge grill, stylized headlights and large tail lamps, the linea has some of the most exciting lines. The finish of the body panels is quite nice and the car appears to be firmly planted with the standard 15” wheels. The ground clearance in the showroom looks ok, but how this fares in the real world will need to be tested.
The Engine: The Linea comes with the tried and tested 1.3Multi Jet Diesel, however, what sets it apart from the rest of the herds of Swifts, dZirs, Palios and Vistas is the fact that Fiat has re-engineered the engine to include a VGT turbo, thus, allowing for a more liner delivery of power, as opposed to a turbo kick at about 1450 RPM. The VGT thus allows for a better squeeze, and this mill is able to push out about 20.4 Kgm at a decent 1750 rpm. Now, that is pretty impressive, considering its only a 1.3L engine. Power wise, critics admit that an additional 10bhp to push it over the three digit figure of 100+bhp would have been nice, but the car must be test driven to check the handling and the power. The linea 1.3mjd comes with 90bhp being pushed out at about 4000rpm.
Interiors- the car now takes the interiors to a completely different level. It would appear as though this is the first car in its price bracket (expected to be about 8L) to come with rear vents and a sun screen for the rear windshield. The quality of plastics in the interior are a class apart, and the technology packed into the onboard computer makes it a car supercomputer. The Blue & Me technology co developed with Microsoft and Fiat allows for all windows based mobile phones to sync up to the car and be voice activated, thus allowing for a safer driving experience. The car also syncs with most phones featuring PDAs and allows for the phone book to be transferred to the car computer, thereby allowing the driver to control the phone book from the steering remote. The display screen niftily shows the fuel efficiency, CD track being played and name of the person calling, once all the features have been setup. Now- that’s pretty powerful.
The seating positions are pretty nice, except the initial feeling of lack of space is soon wiped away. The large windscreen gives one a commanding view and the height adjustable seat allows for drivers of most sizes to drive comfortably. The boot is HUGE to say the least and the nicest feature is that the hinges are attached to the body and not inside controlled pneumatically, thus allowing for greater loading space and better control.
The Linea comes with two engines ; the 1.3 mjd and the 1.4liter 8V Petrol. The petrol pushes out about 77ps at 6000rpm, thus on paper appearing to be a little underpowered, however, how it fares in the real world needs to be seen. The versions are the Active, Dynamic and Emotion. The Dynamic and Emotion come with Packs as well that has the Blue&Me and Airbags. However, all cars (Except Active) come with ABS, but lack EBD and Airbags can be added, thus increasing the safety ratings of these cars. Fiat is also putting in a lot in terms of product assurances, the standard warranty is 2 years and 80K kms and the extended is 4 years and 1.5L Kms. The Diesel mill is expected to have an oil change every 15K kms and parts for the car have already started coming in, thus spares shouldn’t be the bottleneck for this car.
Overall – the package appears to be good! However, if the performance lives up to the hype created and fiat is able to deliver on the service front, we might have a winner on our hands.
The Linea comes to India after a hiatus of almost 6 years with no new vehicle launches by Fiat India, so the excitement of a new product is palpable. With the Palio launch in 2002, with the upgrades in 2003, and the Stile launch in 2005 and the MJD launch in 2008, the Palio has seen a mild transformation between engines and facelifts.
The Linea on the other hand is going to be a rocker. With showrooms clambering to display the product, and with fiat delaying the official word on the cost till its “official” launch on Jan 14th 2009, the Linea will be the most important product for 2009- because Fiat needs a success. Fiat has also gone all out to ensure this- with the Fiat – Tata tie up for sales and service, and the ramping up of the distribution network for spares, the company is ensuring that they do not fall along where they have failed before.
The Car:
Exteriors – the Fiat comes with rather bold body lines. Made it Europe is written all over, with its huge grill, stylized headlights and large tail lamps, the linea has some of the most exciting lines. The finish of the body panels is quite nice and the car appears to be firmly planted with the standard 15” wheels. The ground clearance in the showroom looks ok, but how this fares in the real world will need to be tested.
The Engine: The Linea comes with the tried and tested 1.3Multi Jet Diesel, however, what sets it apart from the rest of the herds of Swifts, dZirs, Palios and Vistas is the fact that Fiat has re-engineered the engine to include a VGT turbo, thus, allowing for a more liner delivery of power, as opposed to a turbo kick at about 1450 RPM. The VGT thus allows for a better squeeze, and this mill is able to push out about 20.4 Kgm at a decent 1750 rpm. Now, that is pretty impressive, considering its only a 1.3L engine. Power wise, critics admit that an additional 10bhp to push it over the three digit figure of 100+bhp would have been nice, but the car must be test driven to check the handling and the power. The linea 1.3mjd comes with 90bhp being pushed out at about 4000rpm.
Interiors- the car now takes the interiors to a completely different level. It would appear as though this is the first car in its price bracket (expected to be about 8L) to come with rear vents and a sun screen for the rear windshield. The quality of plastics in the interior are a class apart, and the technology packed into the onboard computer makes it a car supercomputer. The Blue & Me technology co developed with Microsoft and Fiat allows for all windows based mobile phones to sync up to the car and be voice activated, thus allowing for a safer driving experience. The car also syncs with most phones featuring PDAs and allows for the phone book to be transferred to the car computer, thereby allowing the driver to control the phone book from the steering remote. The display screen niftily shows the fuel efficiency, CD track being played and name of the person calling, once all the features have been setup. Now- that’s pretty powerful.
The seating positions are pretty nice, except the initial feeling of lack of space is soon wiped away. The large windscreen gives one a commanding view and the height adjustable seat allows for drivers of most sizes to drive comfortably. The boot is HUGE to say the least and the nicest feature is that the hinges are attached to the body and not inside controlled pneumatically, thus allowing for greater loading space and better control.
The Linea comes with two engines ; the 1.3 mjd and the 1.4liter 8V Petrol. The petrol pushes out about 77ps at 6000rpm, thus on paper appearing to be a little underpowered, however, how it fares in the real world needs to be seen. The versions are the Active, Dynamic and Emotion. The Dynamic and Emotion come with Packs as well that has the Blue&Me and Airbags. However, all cars (Except Active) come with ABS, but lack EBD and Airbags can be added, thus increasing the safety ratings of these cars. Fiat is also putting in a lot in terms of product assurances, the standard warranty is 2 years and 80K kms and the extended is 4 years and 1.5L Kms. The Diesel mill is expected to have an oil change every 15K kms and parts for the car have already started coming in, thus spares shouldn’t be the bottleneck for this car.
Overall – the package appears to be good! However, if the performance lives up to the hype created and fiat is able to deliver on the service front, we might have a winner on our hands.
Monday, January 05, 2009
strikes and the economy
a strike is usually associated with trade unions- when they disagree with the owners on certain aspects. however, this has filtered its way into mainstream life with a strike being called from everything to anything.
there is a truck strike currently on.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010652150500.htm
"AIMTC, the body which had called the strike, claimed that the first day of the strike was successful. Spokesperson of AIMTC, Mr N.L. Gupta, said, “The first day of the strike call has been successful. In Maharashtra, eight lakh trucks went off the road, causing a loss of Rs 800 crore.”
How can you measure a sucessful strike with a loss of 800 crores in a single day? How different is this from stealing or from any other activity? Is Mr. Gupta happy with the fact that the economy and the truck drivers lost so much money?
I just don't get this logic. During an economic scenario like what exists currently, I really don't believe that calling strikes and causing more irreversible damage like this is going to help. I guess this is why no MNC is looking at india as a Manufacturing base- simply because the logistics is no match to China. and we have bodies such as the AIMTC helping justify the cause.
there is a truck strike currently on.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010652150500.htm
"AIMTC, the body which had called the strike, claimed that the first day of the strike was successful. Spokesperson of AIMTC, Mr N.L. Gupta, said, “The first day of the strike call has been successful. In Maharashtra, eight lakh trucks went off the road, causing a loss of Rs 800 crore.”
How can you measure a sucessful strike with a loss of 800 crores in a single day? How different is this from stealing or from any other activity? Is Mr. Gupta happy with the fact that the economy and the truck drivers lost so much money?
I just don't get this logic. During an economic scenario like what exists currently, I really don't believe that calling strikes and causing more irreversible damage like this is going to help. I guess this is why no MNC is looking at india as a Manufacturing base- simply because the logistics is no match to China. and we have bodies such as the AIMTC helping justify the cause.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Bovine intervention - the year 2008
The year 2008 started on a rather sober note for me and my wife. our first new years as a married couple.. we went to bed at a glorious 11pm... so much for an exciting life!
As a new years resolution, i decided to very consciously cut down my non vegetarian intake - that included a multitude of critters (avian and mammal! :) )
it worked quite well for a long time, then i substituted my meat intake with other fatty foods and reduced it quite a bit.
Jan 2008- my first time as a track official at the JK Tyre national racing championships 2008.
February 2008 - i moved team in my company. It was a sad move - i really enjoyed my old team, the kind of work and the learnings. However, the new team had its own challenges and most importantly it was a different learning.
June - finally bought my cycle! :) yes! the trek 4300D.. i was lusting over it for a long time, and finally dcided to take the plunge and buy it. so that was and is the BIGGEST purchase for the year! however, the bike is worth every bit of the $560 odd i paid for it. Its such a pleasure to ride and miles get chomped off. I guess from the date of purchase till date - i have done over 1000kms (guestimate)
July4th - I cycled to work for the first time on a working day. I usually attempted the ride on a satuarday or a holiday.. it was nice .. and different. ever since then, i decided to start peddling to work every friday (we got to wear jeans on those days)
July 31st - my last day at Cognizant. As much as it was a different life, I did not think i would miss it. Yes, I did and do miss the comfort and safety net of a regular paying job. I finally was taking the plunge that i had always dreamed of doing. Starting up. I guess I must thank (at this point) all my friends, well wishers and managers at Cognizant who taught me a lot.
August 1st - Launch of Virtu Technologies ! Wow!
October 2008 - we finally get our accountant to do our billing - and guess what- we ARE profitable from the start. quite a nice feeling - being a scrooge helps!
november 2008 - still profitable .. sizeable client roster. lot of work keeping us busy.
December 2008 - our 3rd employee comes on board. nice feeling.
December 31st 2035 hrs - my first blog about the past year! :)
Lets see what 2009 holds.
As a new years resolution, i decided to very consciously cut down my non vegetarian intake - that included a multitude of critters (avian and mammal! :) )
it worked quite well for a long time, then i substituted my meat intake with other fatty foods and reduced it quite a bit.
Jan 2008- my first time as a track official at the JK Tyre national racing championships 2008.
February 2008 - i moved team in my company. It was a sad move - i really enjoyed my old team, the kind of work and the learnings. However, the new team had its own challenges and most importantly it was a different learning.
June - finally bought my cycle! :) yes! the trek 4300D.. i was lusting over it for a long time, and finally dcided to take the plunge and buy it. so that was and is the BIGGEST purchase for the year! however, the bike is worth every bit of the $560 odd i paid for it. Its such a pleasure to ride and miles get chomped off. I guess from the date of purchase till date - i have done over 1000kms (guestimate)
July4th - I cycled to work for the first time on a working day. I usually attempted the ride on a satuarday or a holiday.. it was nice .. and different. ever since then, i decided to start peddling to work every friday (we got to wear jeans on those days)
July 31st - my last day at Cognizant. As much as it was a different life, I did not think i would miss it. Yes, I did and do miss the comfort and safety net of a regular paying job. I finally was taking the plunge that i had always dreamed of doing. Starting up. I guess I must thank (at this point) all my friends, well wishers and managers at Cognizant who taught me a lot.
August 1st - Launch of Virtu Technologies ! Wow!
October 2008 - we finally get our accountant to do our billing - and guess what- we ARE profitable from the start. quite a nice feeling - being a scrooge helps!
november 2008 - still profitable .. sizeable client roster. lot of work keeping us busy.
December 2008 - our 3rd employee comes on board. nice feeling.
December 31st 2035 hrs - my first blog about the past year! :)
Lets see what 2009 holds.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
the frustrations of tele marketing
one of the greatest inventions of time is email. simply because it helps spread the word! :)
now, almost everyone in india would have been besieged with calls from various banks offering "special" packages and the bells and whistles.
I got this forward, which had me laughing on the floor- and for Gunjan Agarwal - i do feel bad! :) but it was simply hillarious! :)
Enjoy!
Incase the above does not play - here is the link to the file:
http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/22768/Frustrations for telemarketing
now, almost everyone in india would have been besieged with calls from various banks offering "special" packages and the bells and whistles.
I got this forward, which had me laughing on the floor- and for Gunjan Agarwal - i do feel bad! :) but it was simply hillarious! :)
Enjoy!
Incase the above does not play - here is the link to the file:
http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/22768/Frustrations for telemarketing
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Subaru pulling out of WRC
well, this past few weeks have been heart breaking. First - honda pulling out of F1- which is heartbreaking in itself, but to top it off, the WRC is also taking a beating!
Suzuki announced that it is pulling out of the WRC - considering it started the season in 2008 with the new SX4 WRC. But the announcement of Subaru pulling out, causes a LOT more heartbreak!
Subaru in collaboration with ProDrive might be one of the longest surviving constructors in the WRC, with the others entering and exiting at vrious stages. The imperza WRX STi- a truly rally bred car is now no longer going to blaze the paths of the various stages.
Collin McRae and Peter Solberg -2 WRC champions....
three constructors titles in 1995, 1996 & 1997. Post 1997 Subaru has always seen a podium finish but never a top spot. The era of the hatches (The 206s & Citroens) started their rules.. with the Mitsubishi Evos also falling on the wayside.
I do hope the plan to stay out of the WRC is reversed soon...
Can the handheld replace a PC?
A constant debate that rages on is whether the hand held, be it a palm top, a PDA or even a mobile phone, replace the PC (reference here to the notebook or occasional desktop)?
Yes, it will take over a lot of functions, and to that matter, might really help the user organize their life better, but can a user just live with their mobile device? In my opinion - no. There is a great dependence on the computer, either in the form of the notebook or desktop. There is a greater inclination towards mobility and hence the notebook might score more points over the desktop, however, there will always be a requirement for a pivotal point in ones life, and that will be the computer.
Technologically, the handheld (again, my opinion) will be able to bring a certain amount of processing power to the the user, however, there is a limit in the capabilities of this processing power. a whole new platform needs to be created to achieve the same level of technological competence that has been achieved on the PC Platform over 20 years. To that effect, the same platform has achieved quite a lot in this short span of time.
The iPhone heralded in a new era, some agree, some dont, but I believe that this one platform has enabled a host of creativity unleashed, that was similar to the windows 95/98 application era. The users crave applications that can take care of their particular needs, be it an excercise regime creator or simply sudoku - but the bottom line is there is a market for demand and thus there will be supply.
With the ICE age of the mobile phone approaching and moreso even peaking (the Information, Communication and Entertainment) the dependence on the mobile device to carry out one's primary goal of information gathering will replace a user's dependence on the PC, however, for most other purposes and record keeping, the PC will still rule.
Yes, it will take over a lot of functions, and to that matter, might really help the user organize their life better, but can a user just live with their mobile device? In my opinion - no. There is a great dependence on the computer, either in the form of the notebook or desktop. There is a greater inclination towards mobility and hence the notebook might score more points over the desktop, however, there will always be a requirement for a pivotal point in ones life, and that will be the computer.
Technologically, the handheld (again, my opinion) will be able to bring a certain amount of processing power to the the user, however, there is a limit in the capabilities of this processing power. a whole new platform needs to be created to achieve the same level of technological competence that has been achieved on the PC Platform over 20 years. To that effect, the same platform has achieved quite a lot in this short span of time.
The iPhone heralded in a new era, some agree, some dont, but I believe that this one platform has enabled a host of creativity unleashed, that was similar to the windows 95/98 application era. The users crave applications that can take care of their particular needs, be it an excercise regime creator or simply sudoku - but the bottom line is there is a market for demand and thus there will be supply.
With the ICE age of the mobile phone approaching and moreso even peaking (the Information, Communication and Entertainment) the dependence on the mobile device to carry out one's primary goal of information gathering will replace a user's dependence on the PC, however, for most other purposes and record keeping, the PC will still rule.
Monday, November 24, 2008
my new love
move over wifey... im in love.... :)
this is going to be my next vehicle- only question is - when!????
Introducing the new fiat Linea! sigh!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Mediocracy?
We had to get a new electrical line fixed in our office, because the previous one was a high tension line, and we were asked to pay some ridiculous amounts of money in order to sort out something which even the service provider couldnt figure out. So on request to our landlord, he got the issue sorted.
Sometime i have to thank my landlord, who looks after us like a guardian angel. He's always been there to get things sorted out, and has always extended a helping hand at situations which require some intervention.
However, thats a different story.
The electrician was to setup a new connection, he's got 2 flunkies to help him out. one guy has to close the junction boxes, sees some loose wire, instead of putting it back, pulls it out and puts the cover back. the bolt is not fitting in - hammer it in... and a complete disregard to all other forms of respect in the work place. you wonder if this is how it has filtered in.
A technician comes home to service anything, they will ask you for cloth to dust, or for an extension cord to plug in their appliances- cant it not be drilled in that if they are going to the customer's location, take what ever is required.
Everyone appears to need lessons in service management.
Sometime i have to thank my landlord, who looks after us like a guardian angel. He's always been there to get things sorted out, and has always extended a helping hand at situations which require some intervention.
However, thats a different story.
The electrician was to setup a new connection, he's got 2 flunkies to help him out. one guy has to close the junction boxes, sees some loose wire, instead of putting it back, pulls it out and puts the cover back. the bolt is not fitting in - hammer it in... and a complete disregard to all other forms of respect in the work place. you wonder if this is how it has filtered in.
A technician comes home to service anything, they will ask you for cloth to dust, or for an extension cord to plug in their appliances- cant it not be drilled in that if they are going to the customer's location, take what ever is required.
Everyone appears to need lessons in service management.
Frustration seeping in!
Well, last friday, I took a whole 40 minutes to traverse a combined distance of 1.2 Kms from my house to my office. This was the heights of frustration, and it really got me thinking asto what the hell is going on here?
the road on which I stay, has been a quite residential neighborhood. We used to burst crackers during diwali on the roads, now its reached such an absymal state that it takes anyone a good 3 minutes plus to just cross the road. Now to compound things further, the great authorities are setting up a median / road divider, which has already cut down the road by 1 more foot!
so wher does that leave us? residents of the avenues, roads and most places to walk are impossible... it appears as though its a sin here to want to live in a quite residential neighbourhood.
there are cities that forbid public transport from entering residential areas, however, here, the scnene is quite different. public transport, coupled with schools and improper facilities seems to push the entire infrastructure beyond comprehensible size.
I wonder if I will ever see the day things improve.
the road on which I stay, has been a quite residential neighborhood. We used to burst crackers during diwali on the roads, now its reached such an absymal state that it takes anyone a good 3 minutes plus to just cross the road. Now to compound things further, the great authorities are setting up a median / road divider, which has already cut down the road by 1 more foot!
so wher does that leave us? residents of the avenues, roads and most places to walk are impossible... it appears as though its a sin here to want to live in a quite residential neighbourhood.
there are cities that forbid public transport from entering residential areas, however, here, the scnene is quite different. public transport, coupled with schools and improper facilities seems to push the entire infrastructure beyond comprehensible size.
I wonder if I will ever see the day things improve.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
of meetings!
I called a marketing expert today, and asked him for a meeting. well, he said lets meet over lunch, so I was umm.. ok. lets do that.
anywyas, before I went, I noted down questions i needed answered, so that I can figure things out at my end. So we meet, and I ask him "question 1"
and he goes on... and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on....and just does not stop,.....
atleast if he was giving me information - i can be greateful, but he's not... he's asking me more questions and more questions... casting aspersions on what i am doing and the company i am doing some work for...
finally, i decded that this meeting is going no-where, look at my watch and say ... "Umm, i hope you are not getting late"
well, that i thinki did the trick... he realized that he was talking too much, and called it a day! phew!
why must people be so un-productive... why can they say - ok, you need to run a program like this- it will cost you so much, and so much for increments, if you want to do something like this- it will cost you so much and so much! thats iT its done!
but no... it goes on and on and on and on!
a complete waste of my 2 hours! Blah!
anywyas, before I went, I noted down questions i needed answered, so that I can figure things out at my end. So we meet, and I ask him "question 1"
and he goes on... and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on.... .. and on....and just does not stop,.....
atleast if he was giving me information - i can be greateful, but he's not... he's asking me more questions and more questions... casting aspersions on what i am doing and the company i am doing some work for...
finally, i decded that this meeting is going no-where, look at my watch and say ... "Umm, i hope you are not getting late"
well, that i thinki did the trick... he realized that he was talking too much, and called it a day! phew!
why must people be so un-productive... why can they say - ok, you need to run a program like this- it will cost you so much, and so much for increments, if you want to do something like this- it will cost you so much and so much! thats iT its done!
but no... it goes on and on and on and on!
a complete waste of my 2 hours! Blah!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
e-Shopping Network!
my wife plagued me to go shopping with her- as exciting as a visit to the dentist. grudgingly I agreed. Somehow the thought of not spending time with her outweighed my utter disdain for this women's olympic sport. Nonetheless - I found myself rubbing shoulders with them ever-so-famous mannequins and perfume samples. Now- in order to increase the wallet share- the shops have kept the womens clothes & lingerie together- that means bad news for us guys- who end up "hanging " around untill the dust settles from the rush to and from the changing rooms. the thought struck me- why can't stores have "waiting" rooms near the changing rooms- a small TV and a Playstation, or even some news papers and magazines- because no wifeaccompanyingshoppinghusband will go beyond an earshot of the changing room, since their "opinion" matter (yeah right! ) and if they do - then they face the wrath of the "shopping angry wife!". and if they have no comments, then it is as good as sending the wife alone!
so as a guy - I vote for a waiting room near the changing room, to save our brethren the agony of waiting till the better halfs work their way through a stockpile of trial outfits. :)
so as a guy - I vote for a waiting room near the changing room, to save our brethren the agony of waiting till the better halfs work their way through a stockpile of trial outfits. :)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
travails of happiness
i took train today. it was nice. i really enjoyed it. it has no correlation with the topic, but then there are times when you want to use certain words, and then you use them. Travails :) word for today.
today was one of those days when you realise, that small things in life make you happy. I went to drop off my car for service, which is quite far from home. so then I decided to take a autorikshaw back, but my friend and adviser (and also the worlds greatest car tuner for me) suggested i take the train. well, this was the first time i was taking the metropolis's extravagant Mass Rapid Transit System - which was Mass (it was a garguantian splurge of money), hardly rapid, but it was a system (well, a single drain pipe is also a system)- but this offered a very unique blend of sights, somehting which i have never seen in my life.
the first thing that struck me was the sheer size of these stations, huge- and DAMN lonely- i really wonder how on earth women go thru that place. I was spooked, and I am 6' 3", weigh close to 120Kgs, and have a few color belts in Tae Kwondo, Judo, and karate, so i say hats off to folks to like using it. There were no shady folks hanging around there, but the sheer size of the place- huge, no lights, and just outside there was so much traffic - it was the blatant imbalance of chaos between the outside and inside that throws one off.
the first few kilometers was over a highly developed and hyped peice of real-estate called the "IT Corridor" it was elevated, and it was those feelings that you get from seeing everything from above. beyond that, it was the most eclectic mix of poverty, modernity, nature and dirt all mixed into a heady concoction in order to make the 20 minute ride a very memorable one.
The journey took me through the city. I saw so much greenery. I saw many sights that I have never seen before. I guess this route gives you a different perspective on things. a view from the neighbours window. Thats what I call it. You always wonder- what does your neighbour see from their window - will it be different? what will it be? and thats what I saw today. The buildings were absymal - in a state of such shamble- but right next to these buildings were large pre-indipendece structures ,that blew ones breath away.
I think i iwll take this trip once more. Just to try and capture the sights again. Just for that reason. Once more.
today was one of those days when you realise, that small things in life make you happy. I went to drop off my car for service, which is quite far from home. so then I decided to take a autorikshaw back, but my friend and adviser (and also the worlds greatest car tuner for me) suggested i take the train. well, this was the first time i was taking the metropolis's extravagant Mass Rapid Transit System - which was Mass (it was a garguantian splurge of money), hardly rapid, but it was a system (well, a single drain pipe is also a system)- but this offered a very unique blend of sights, somehting which i have never seen in my life.
the first thing that struck me was the sheer size of these stations, huge- and DAMN lonely- i really wonder how on earth women go thru that place. I was spooked, and I am 6' 3", weigh close to 120Kgs, and have a few color belts in Tae Kwondo, Judo, and karate, so i say hats off to folks to like using it. There were no shady folks hanging around there, but the sheer size of the place- huge, no lights, and just outside there was so much traffic - it was the blatant imbalance of chaos between the outside and inside that throws one off.
the first few kilometers was over a highly developed and hyped peice of real-estate called the "IT Corridor" it was elevated, and it was those feelings that you get from seeing everything from above. beyond that, it was the most eclectic mix of poverty, modernity, nature and dirt all mixed into a heady concoction in order to make the 20 minute ride a very memorable one.
The journey took me through the city. I saw so much greenery. I saw many sights that I have never seen before. I guess this route gives you a different perspective on things. a view from the neighbours window. Thats what I call it. You always wonder- what does your neighbour see from their window - will it be different? what will it be? and thats what I saw today. The buildings were absymal - in a state of such shamble- but right next to these buildings were large pre-indipendece structures ,that blew ones breath away.
I think i iwll take this trip once more. Just to try and capture the sights again. Just for that reason. Once more.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Startup Central?
how friendly is society towards startups? well, its slowly dawning on me- not very.
1. finances: if a startup needs a loan - its not available unless you have been in existance for 3 years with all audited financial information- which kinda defeats the purpose of a startup.
2. market sentiments - well- everyone seems to be out to take you for a ride- esp if you are not doing some form of mild rocket science. thye are like- you are a startup - so what canyou possibly do. so the moral of the story is - market whatever you do as rocket science.
3. realestate- realised that the folks in the building need to see fancy spancy crap to think that you are a worthwile company- which is annoying to say the least. Just today - i had the watchman for the office building saying that the parking is not available for us- which is very strange- because the owners have had parking slots for almost 3 years.
guess its a matter of perspective- as to who can be walked over and who would turn around and bite you back.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
being on your own
Today was a day of reckoning. we took some decisions as a company. and we are proud of them. Being on your own its nice- this feeling. At times its troubled thoughts on how one might put food on the table, but its also a sense of liberation which allows you to do anything you might want at any time and any point. explore limitless possibilities and all along be happy- simply because you are choosing to do so.
we have grown!
we hired our second employee this week. this morning, we stumbled on a great idea- and have decided to take it forward. a bit of a digression from our current line of work - but hey- being the boss -you can dictate.
So, we need some folks - we sent out some email and now we posted an advert online. Our very first advert.
So as things go ... incase anyone who reads this .. knows of any good folks.. do refer them to us.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
decisions
when you work for an established orgnization, you assume that all bills will be covered. however, when you are on your own - you have to make sure you have enough money to make sure the bills are covered. so if you want to buy an AC for the office- hmm- thought needs to go in - to how much the bills are going to be and whether this is a necessity or an extravagance. that rule of thumb literally goes for everything that we need to purchase. getting money is the 2nd most critical thing, the first being - the balls to take off. you need money for eveyrthing- and every tom, dick and third bihari thinks that since you have a startup - you are flushed with cash. which is not the best thought since- they will jack up the prices. here- being a startup- you will be as cost conscious as possible- comparing vendors to even supply you toilet equipment, whereas most of the suppliers think- hmmm... new company... more money! :( sadly - the saga for the entrepreneur is never over.
another golden rule- time is money. when you decide not to work - you loose business. you can't afford to sit back with your feet in the air saying - im my own boss- i think i wont go to work today. nein - that does not work these days! :(
so a tip - think a million times before you jump in! :)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Our first office
Monday August 4th 2008
My first monday morning in office. reached at a fairly decent time (i guess 10am is decent by most standards! ) and worked on a few things, ironing out some issues, and mailed a few folks. Finally we set off to make our first purchase. it was funny, it was the first tim in my life that i bargained. and bargained hard. well, for most folks, the bargaining might have been peanuts, but for someone who doesnt bother - i was rather surprised with myself with the level of bargaining. :)
we came out of the shop with one printer and one wireless hub. our companies first office equipment.
clap! clap!
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