Television today is flooded with news channels...and since they are all trying to sell the same thing, there is immense pressure to differentiate themselves from each other, get news as it happens...get it first, get it exclusive and get what the others cant Well, these circumstances would have been ideal for us to get in depth information, faster and with a lot more research and maybe help in exposing some skeletons in the closet...well that's happening, but largely, the competition amongst the news channels has taken the whole reporting culture to another level...where each one tries to get eyeballs by manufacturing news, useless sensationalism and crappy stunts...gimme a break...we are being force fed this crap instead of news that the channels think is good for their rating..and the whole concept of breaking news has been twisted...
Here's what has been passed as news the last few weeks
Breaking News: 3 kilos of cow dung from special cows fed banana's grown in Chinchpokli brought from Timbuktoo for the mehendi ceremony of Abhishek- Ash Wedding
This stupid wedding was the only thing on the TV for more than a week...with the entire country being shown the front gate of the Bacchan residences ...and an occasional car leaving or entering..with these momentous developments being analysed by an expert panel with some more comments regarding kundalis and muhurats by a team of specialist jyotish's...LIVE COVERAGE...24 hrs ..of the front gate...gimme a break...People just don't care if they are getting married...i don't wanna know where they got their sandalwood or how much they paid Veerappan's successor for it...let them marry in peace...
Breaking News: Model claims she is married to Abhishek
Then came the Jhanvi Kapoor with her hysterical rants about being married to Abhishek and her suicide attempt in front of the Live "Bacchan gates"...well this BacchanGate scandal was too juicy for the news channels to miss out on and they made a disgusting spectacle of this lady...i don't know what was going on in her mind..if she was genuinely mentally disturbed or wanted publicity, but she definitely did not deserve the kind of treatment meted out to her..it was a complete drama..with live interview that went on for hours..her mom's call on air, and intercepting her alleged son on the way to school and some "friend" who said that she was a slut and druggie...some friend....and a panel of expert psychologists analysing her frame of mind.... anyway...that's just sensationalism with each reporter trying to tear her claims to shreds on air...is this what news is?..
Then came the mother of all controversies with Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere getting lip locked in a scandal...with neither of them having a problem with anything, but the media blowing it out of proportion. If the kiss was so against our moral sensibilities..why air it 3000 times a day..and our self appointed champions of morality filing cases here and there...
i know i am raving and ranting like some outraged hippo...i am just slightly pissed at it all...and frustrated that TV doesn't have anything worthwhile to watch...and i did watch all that nonsense :P
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
IIM Grads and the Money Issue
I was reading the Indian Express today and found this article by some guy…” Show us your worth”…. The essence of the article is that Indian cricket and IIM MBA’s are over hyped in India….with a snide reference to MBA’s as Masters in Barely Anything..
He claims that the IIM grads are being paid way too much without having done anything for the country or for its business and industry. I don’t understand why people have a problem when their fellow country men are successful and earning well…it’s the same with the cricketer’s issue…It’s a simple matter of demand and supply ..if the organization is willing to pay an IIM MBA grad something, that’s because it feels that the person would add value to that organization to a far greater extent than the compensation being provided to them. Its strictly a logical decision to pay that person an amount that’s competitive..i don’t see why anyone should grudge IIM grads for what they are earning. And as far as contribution to the industry and country is concerned, he himself says that no SWOT (sic) analysis has been done to gauge the effectiveness of these MBA grads..then how can he claim that the IIM grads have not contributed to the country. Obviously the private sector, which employs most of the IIM grads, feels that they are a profitable asset, otherwise why would anyone pay a dime to them??
He goes on to say…”Its all about five star culture, large expense accounts, club life and golf” ..” Well its not a bed of roses all the time…The competition to get into an IIM is phenomenal…if you read the description about IIM’s given in www.wikipedia.com you will realize that CAT is the toughest exam to clear in the world…the amount of pressure and preparation u need to put in is tremendous, and then the stress to perform and the competition and rigor once in college is a different matter altogether…its not all party during college..but 5 hrs average sleep time. And once you start working, I don’t think any company can afford to pay you a fat salary to just play golf or go clubbing…you have to meet your targets…and I am absolutely sure that the expectations, responsibilities and targets on a person earning 20 L is going be more than on one earning 4 L……so how does it matter what that person does in his free time….I am not saying that others don’t work hard….but that doesn’t mean that IIM grads don’t work any less and are served anything on a platter either as it seems from these statements of his.
Hari ooooooooom !! Why do we behave like crabs?? When one sees the other climbing up to some sort of success, he tries to pull him down….that’s why crabs can be put in an open basket without any fear of them escaping..
He claims that the IIM grads are being paid way too much without having done anything for the country or for its business and industry. I don’t understand why people have a problem when their fellow country men are successful and earning well…it’s the same with the cricketer’s issue…It’s a simple matter of demand and supply ..if the organization is willing to pay an IIM MBA grad something, that’s because it feels that the person would add value to that organization to a far greater extent than the compensation being provided to them. Its strictly a logical decision to pay that person an amount that’s competitive..i don’t see why anyone should grudge IIM grads for what they are earning. And as far as contribution to the industry and country is concerned, he himself says that no SWOT (sic) analysis has been done to gauge the effectiveness of these MBA grads..then how can he claim that the IIM grads have not contributed to the country. Obviously the private sector, which employs most of the IIM grads, feels that they are a profitable asset, otherwise why would anyone pay a dime to them??
He goes on to say…”Its all about five star culture, large expense accounts, club life and golf” ..” Well its not a bed of roses all the time…The competition to get into an IIM is phenomenal…if you read the description about IIM’s given in www.wikipedia.com you will realize that CAT is the toughest exam to clear in the world…the amount of pressure and preparation u need to put in is tremendous, and then the stress to perform and the competition and rigor once in college is a different matter altogether…its not all party during college..but 5 hrs average sleep time. And once you start working, I don’t think any company can afford to pay you a fat salary to just play golf or go clubbing…you have to meet your targets…and I am absolutely sure that the expectations, responsibilities and targets on a person earning 20 L is going be more than on one earning 4 L……so how does it matter what that person does in his free time….I am not saying that others don’t work hard….but that doesn’t mean that IIM grads don’t work any less and are served anything on a platter either as it seems from these statements of his.
Hari ooooooooom !! Why do we behave like crabs?? When one sees the other climbing up to some sort of success, he tries to pull him down….that’s why crabs can be put in an open basket without any fear of them escaping..
Friday, April 27, 2007
My Mates !! (ahem..room mates and flat mates)
I left home for engineering studies 7 yrs back,….and I still remember how I felt..excited at the prospect of living by myself, sad at the fact that one part of my life…my life at home with my family had come to an end…and dread..of the unknown
Thus started my 2nd phase in life..and the fortune of having met some awesome guys as roommates and flatmates..some as good as family to me now…
Yanku….my 1st roomie in college..was eccentric to say the least..his style of sleeping was a bit different .u see…the first time I saw him sleep ..on his belly, with legs in the air and arms outstretched in front..i assumed it must be some yoga position…or he must be a “bhakt” of Hanumanji …later on..i started charging people entry into the room to watch him sleep ..kidding..but I am sure it would have been a successful business venture..now …Yanku wasn’t his real name…he loved his dog …named Yanku..even had a pic in his cupboard of the German Shep..where you would normally expect to find Pam or Jenna J..anyway..somehow …Yanku …once, his budday fell while he was at home and we all called him at home…much to his( my roomie’s) father’s surprise..everyone was asking for Yanku on the phone…. Can just imagine the expression on his face..wondering why on earth his dog was getting calls from all parts of the country..
Then came KK..roomies made in heaven..that’s what we could be called…same b’day…almost the same height..and the same tastes, project mates, worked in the same company…there have been many 1st’s for us..shared a lot of them together…now now..don't get any naughty thoughts….the tales of KK and his CBZ ..man..we sure do owe a lot to that bike..did'nt we??
Then came my days at IIM..well..we had single rooms..but my Nehbur was sort of like a roomie..He preferred my bed as my room was cleaner than his most of the times…and I preferred his bed b’cos of the big pillow he had..we had our fun times..both insomniacs, gave too hoots to acads….and shared a common passion for AOE..i kicked his ass royally 90 % of the time ..heheh
In between, I had summer training in Bombay and here I shared an apartment with a Tamil Nadu based CA who had a special liking for Tom and Jerry…well..all my notions about him were totally proved wrong after spending 2 months with him…especially..after he discovered the opposite sex at his workplace..his failed movie date and photo shoot left him crushed and dejected…sometimes..i could almost hear him sobbing away silently in the night…but he bounced back..(went on to tame a few wild fillies from Kozhikode during Ashwamedha..) thanks probably to our support and the 2 bananas that he got to eat from the dozen he bought he everyday..the remaining were gobbled down by us…his remaining flat mates.
I consider myself to be lucky in getting awesome flat mates and room mates throughout…making awesome friends…couldn’t have survived these 7 long years without you guys…miss ya all..
Thus started my 2nd phase in life..and the fortune of having met some awesome guys as roommates and flatmates..some as good as family to me now…
Yanku….my 1st roomie in college..was eccentric to say the least..his style of sleeping was a bit different .u see…the first time I saw him sleep ..on his belly, with legs in the air and arms outstretched in front..i assumed it must be some yoga position…or he must be a “bhakt” of Hanumanji …later on..i started charging people entry into the room to watch him sleep ..kidding..but I am sure it would have been a successful business venture..now …Yanku wasn’t his real name…he loved his dog …named Yanku..even had a pic in his cupboard of the German Shep..where you would normally expect to find Pam or Jenna J..anyway..somehow …Yanku …once, his budday fell while he was at home and we all called him at home…much to his( my roomie’s) father’s surprise..everyone was asking for Yanku on the phone…. Can just imagine the expression on his face..wondering why on earth his dog was getting calls from all parts of the country..
Then came KK..roomies made in heaven..that’s what we could be called…same b’day…almost the same height..and the same tastes, project mates, worked in the same company…there have been many 1st’s for us..shared a lot of them together…now now..don't get any naughty thoughts….the tales of KK and his CBZ ..man..we sure do owe a lot to that bike..did'nt we??
Then came my days at IIM..well..we had single rooms..but my Nehbur was sort of like a roomie..He preferred my bed as my room was cleaner than his most of the times…and I preferred his bed b’cos of the big pillow he had..we had our fun times..both insomniacs, gave too hoots to acads….and shared a common passion for AOE..i kicked his ass royally 90 % of the time ..heheh
In between, I had summer training in Bombay and here I shared an apartment with a Tamil Nadu based CA who had a special liking for Tom and Jerry…well..all my notions about him were totally proved wrong after spending 2 months with him…especially..after he discovered the opposite sex at his workplace..his failed movie date and photo shoot left him crushed and dejected…sometimes..i could almost hear him sobbing away silently in the night…but he bounced back..(went on to tame a few wild fillies from Kozhikode during Ashwamedha..) thanks probably to our support and the 2 bananas that he got to eat from the dozen he bought he everyday..the remaining were gobbled down by us…his remaining flat mates.
I consider myself to be lucky in getting awesome flat mates and room mates throughout…making awesome friends…couldn’t have survived these 7 long years without you guys…miss ya all..
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Encounter with the Kerala Government
We all go through life with some preconceived notions…notions based on assumptions and stories we hear from others. One of the most common one people have is about government organizations and their speed and efficiency. It’s true that more often than not, these notions seem to be justified. But today, I had an experience which changed my views to a certain extent.
I had gone to the government office responsible for conducting elections a few days back to apply for my Election Voter ID card. They asked me submit my form and come today.
I had gone to the government office responsible for conducting elections a few days back to apply for my Election Voter ID card. They asked me submit my form and come today.
I received excellent treatment from the people at the office, as good as at any other private sector enterprise….really professional work….Verification of identity, taking of a digital photograph and uploading, printing of the ID card, lamination and final stamp…everything took just 30-40 mins. Though i am not very happy about the quality of the photograph...the lighting and other aspects weren't good enough to bring out the natural rugged good looks of mine :P ...still ...a very pleasant surprise for me…b’cos I had no hopes of getting the ID card anytime soon.
What we always assume government officials to do is take bribes, slow down work and be generally dumbasses. What I saw today was totally to the contrary. The officials were professional, smart, efficient and very helpful. It’s a thankless job for them…. paid a pittance, having to bear the ire of irate citizens and poor working conditions. In spite of all this, they were still doing an admirable job.
I think its time for the government to affect an image makeover and try and dispel all these notions about its working and make a government job a matter of pride for the people once more. They owe it to their employees.
What we always assume government officials to do is take bribes, slow down work and be generally dumbasses. What I saw today was totally to the contrary. The officials were professional, smart, efficient and very helpful. It’s a thankless job for them…. paid a pittance, having to bear the ire of irate citizens and poor working conditions. In spite of all this, they were still doing an admirable job.
I think its time for the government to affect an image makeover and try and dispel all these notions about its working and make a government job a matter of pride for the people once more. They owe it to their employees.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Blogging: What i never considered !!
People tend to do arbit things when they have way too much time on their hands…some “gyan” addition. After deciding to start blogging I started wondering what to blog about. The first post was just a copy of an email I sent, but what NOW? Why am I blogging??? What do I want to write about? I decided to do a bit of research into the history of blogging. Found some interesting things like the origin of the word “blog”; it actually comes from “web log”. Anyway…while I was going through all these things, I came upon things that I hadn’t even considered before I started blogging…the ramifications …
When I started blogging, I thought that this is a place where I could write what I wanted, my unadulterated opinions, and my views and have an honest discussion with people who might have differing opinions.
But apparently, that’s not so. Writing a blog is serious business, at least in this phase of our lives when we r moving from a student life to that of a professional one. It turns out that a lot of companies monitor blogs of their employees or prospective employees. There have been countless instances of people losing their jobs or losing out on them b’cos of something they wrote in their blogs, never assuming that its ramifications could spill on to their real life from their online one. Forget about work, people are doing a background check on their prospective brides and grooms using the net, checking out the blogs and social networking sites like Orkut etc.
So if you thought a blog was a place where you could be the REAL YOU…you are mistaken. You will again be forced to live behind a mask, not letting others know what you really think b’cos what you write here will be used against you, probably WITHOUT your knowledge. That’s what makes this so sad. I don’t mind taking responsibility for my words, deeds or thoughts. In fact, I am strongly against people who hide behind the anonymity that a blog affords them and refuse to take responsibility for their opinions. But at least let those who dare to stand up, be given a chance to defend themselves. Do not judge them without hearing them out… What happened to Gaurav Sabnis and to Rashmi Bansal some time back over the IIPM issue was not the same as what I am talking about right now…they did get a chance to defend themselves.
Anyway, I have decided to write what I feel like, but with some prudence…what say?? hehehe…anyway..i dont expect that this blog will be picked up that that soon and to that extent..so what the hell !!!
When I started blogging, I thought that this is a place where I could write what I wanted, my unadulterated opinions, and my views and have an honest discussion with people who might have differing opinions.
But apparently, that’s not so. Writing a blog is serious business, at least in this phase of our lives when we r moving from a student life to that of a professional one. It turns out that a lot of companies monitor blogs of their employees or prospective employees. There have been countless instances of people losing their jobs or losing out on them b’cos of something they wrote in their blogs, never assuming that its ramifications could spill on to their real life from their online one. Forget about work, people are doing a background check on their prospective brides and grooms using the net, checking out the blogs and social networking sites like Orkut etc.
So if you thought a blog was a place where you could be the REAL YOU…you are mistaken. You will again be forced to live behind a mask, not letting others know what you really think b’cos what you write here will be used against you, probably WITHOUT your knowledge. That’s what makes this so sad. I don’t mind taking responsibility for my words, deeds or thoughts. In fact, I am strongly against people who hide behind the anonymity that a blog affords them and refuse to take responsibility for their opinions. But at least let those who dare to stand up, be given a chance to defend themselves. Do not judge them without hearing them out… What happened to Gaurav Sabnis and to Rashmi Bansal some time back over the IIPM issue was not the same as what I am talking about right now…they did get a chance to defend themselves.
Anyway, I have decided to write what I feel like, but with some prudence…what say?? hehehe…anyway..i dont expect that this blog will be picked up that that soon and to that extent..so what the hell !!!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The Last One
My life at IIM Indore has been punctuated by many a trip..hiking..driving..climbing...swimming...be it by bike..self powered or by train...thanks mostly to the indomitable spirit of Shreyan...these trips...the one to Table top, the one to choral dam and THE LUNCH, the one to Sitala Falls, the one to Tincha have been among the high points of our days at Planet I...but the one that beats them all is...THE LAST ONE
Here is a mail i wrote to my buddies on this trip..just some recollections of all the joy, laughter and perverted times we spent together
Its been a month since we are done with our MBA's and i am so bored that i looked back at our two years at planet I..and wht i am most glad about when i look back at it..is our last trip...lots of memories...
It all started with Shreyan..as usual...planing this trip since God knows when..initially it had just me and Dangy as fixed cotrippers or whatever. Mayur, Deepti and Shubh came in to add glamour quotient to our trip and finally it was on...other than a lil tantrum from our own Fattu after she somehow managed to misplace her camera :).You guys have no idea how hard i and Dangy had to work in order to curb Shreyan's enthusiasm and make him drop some of the wilder ideas...hehe making this trip possible for mere mortals like us :D
First Stop: Jalandhar/Amritsar
We reached Jalandhar after an uneventful train journey and jumped onto cycle rickshaws...the first time for many of us..Shubh so excited that she couldn't hold on to anything at all...bags..wallet cap..everything flying off ..thankfully she remained on board ..
Dangy's house was our first pit stop and we ate and relaxed there...hogging ourselves on Aunty's delightful cooking. The girls went gaga over Dangy's brother. Had fun in the night when Dang took us to a theme restaurant..along the lines of Nakhrali Dhani...Shubh and Fattu had fun making pots and Shreyan went nuts with his camera and over some lil
girl who danced there.
girl who danced there.The next morning, Shreyan, irrepressible as ever, woke us up from our slumber , dragged us up to the roof and put colors on us..HAPPPY HOLI..he got budday kicks and chu chu fries for his trouble and i was left without nightclothes and had to make do with Deepti's gift ..well thats another story altogether.
The Golden Temple was an amazing place...so serene, beautiful and calming...the fish were too cool...though we weren't able to have the langar..Shreyan managed to get a religious Sikh knife..one made in China :P
Jalianhwala Bagh was nearby and we went there too..scary 
and sad to think that so many people gave up their lives there. Wagah border was awesome...exhilarating in fact....music blasted from that side and then from this side...shouting slogans..and then the amazing march past kinda ceremony...Shubh's high point of the day was cuddling around with the BSF labradors.
and sad to think that so many people gave up their lives there. Wagah border was awesome...exhilarating in fact....music blasted from that side and then from this side...shouting slogans..and then the amazing march past kinda ceremony...Shubh's high point of the day was cuddling around with the BSF labradors.Makke ki roti and sarsoon ka saag was awesome on the way back.
Stop Two: Jammu and Hospitality
After a sleepy bus journey, we reached Jammu and the house of Dangy's friend Akshay and our first experience at how culture differences could lead to overeating." gin raha hai ???".."khali kyon baithahai"..."kitna patla ho gaya hai??" resounded in our ears as we stuffed ourselves to the gills with Aunty's amazing food and dessert.
Stop Three: Vaishnodevi Base Camp
With the climb started the true trip. All the chana that we ate till now came in handy as we chugged and wooshed our way up the 14 km climb. Fattu was ready to give up at the start...but then she pulled up her socks...snapped at us constantly and finally got going..imagine..CCD midway up Vaishnodevi ...Shubh was attracting all the ponies..must have had something to do with her long nose and snorting..or was it snorting..she had certainly eaten a lot of that chana :) Man...was it cold up there..we crashed into our rooms and warmed ourselves by the heaters...and then went for darshan at 2 in the night..The climb down the hill the next day was a piece of cake and we found ourselves a maruti van to take us to our next stop...
Stop Four: Patni Top
The place we were staying was nice...breakfast in bed...butter toast and coffee and milk with bournvita..Shreyan and Shubh missed out on what was the best breakfast ever when they went out for a photo shoot.hehehee...Dang and i certainly polished it off most effectively
The levels of "pervertedness" were reaching new heights by this time..with even the great GURU being scandalised from time to time..Shreyan giving us the most fodder with his early morning wakeups and cruelty against monkeys...PETA needs to arrest him ;) We all got nicknames..Eboy...Another word for a cat ...Bongo Badmash, Bhaiya and Mumma and Bouncy Baby....Dangy remained Dangy.....went to see snow and played around there for quite sometime...for most of us..our first time in snow..Shreyan fulfilled his lifelong dream of making a snowman.... Secrets around the bonfire..now thats where Mayur showed off by analysing and getting down the list of girls Shreyan could possibly like to 3 names..had fun ..with lots of things coming out...including Subh's acadblock stories and Mayur's sweet love story..Shreyan refusing to divulge his secret crush...Fattu proving again to all why she deserves that name and Dangy for the first time coming clean :P
Stop Five: Dharamshala
This is where Dangy ditched us and we were left alone..at Shreyan'smercy.... we reached Dharamshal after a long journey...by van to Udhampur after a painfully slow journey and then by Shreyan's bullet train and then after hitching a ride in a sumo..found a sidey hotel to crash in for the night ..and crashed.
Morning and we found the most amazing place ever to stay..Kashmir House..truly awesome hotel..all of us fell in love with it at first sight..went to see McLeodganj..the house of the lamas..and the goat joke comes from there.... Shubh was telling 
me how the Chinese killed thousands of Lamas and i kept wondering what possible reason the Chinese would have in killing South American goats over Tibet...saw the Dalai lama..and Shubh and Deepti latched onto a Nepali baby and nearly kidnapped the cute lil bugger. Trapped in the hotel for the next two days due to rains...the game of jhingalala took true shape and is part of IIM folklore now :P..the videos are priceless..Shreyan got rid of his moustache...now..THAT took some convincing ..Shubh and Nag did a telephonic compatibility test...and then Shreyan got cranky and pushed off to see some place...found 3 hrs later wandering arnd Dharmshala with a sheepish grin and some story abt not managing to get a bus.Thanks to Mayur Bhiya's Veto...we spent another day in Dharamshala and saw some places nearby
me how the Chinese killed thousands of Lamas and i kept wondering what possible reason the Chinese would have in killing South American goats over Tibet...saw the Dalai lama..and Shubh and Deepti latched onto a Nepali baby and nearly kidnapped the cute lil bugger. Trapped in the hotel for the next two days due to rains...the game of jhingalala took true shape and is part of IIM folklore now :P..the videos are priceless..Shreyan got rid of his moustache...now..THAT took some convincing ..Shubh and Nag did a telephonic compatibility test...and then Shreyan got cranky and pushed off to see some place...found 3 hrs later wandering arnd Dharmshala with a sheepish grin and some story abt not managing to get a bus.Thanks to Mayur Bhiya's Veto...we spent another day in Dharamshala and saw some places nearby Stop Six: Jalandhar Via Hoshiyarpur
The trip was uneventful other than for Shubh, who had some problems with a lil kid doing her thing while we were having our lunch..tch tch..such a snob..anyway..back at Dangy's place...and after some nice rest ..we are on our way to Delhi and Richa's house
Stop 7: Delhi and Richa's house
Richa came to pick us up..Shubh went to Paro's house ..the worst introduction and reaction ever for me..
Richa: this is siby.
Richa'sSis: siby??...the cheapo..??(a sniffing sound from the nose.like when usmell a fart) and then an about turn and there goes Richa's babysister..
Richa takes us to Red Fort..inadvertently giving us a Delhi Darshan after losing her way..YET again..and then after dinner at her place..we are on our way back to Indore
Truly an amazing trip guys ..lots of memories to carry back from this one..:)
Muah to you all
muah muah muah
Love Siby
Alpha
What do you do when you have limitless time, nothing worthwhile to do and a broadband Internet connection?? BLOG !
That's what i am setting out to do, in spite of all the misgivings i have about this new foray of mine....there are countless signs that tell me that this might end up like my Dear Diary days, when i wrote for a week or so and then forgot all about it. But then, i do read those entries i made, long years back...and memories long forgotten come flooding back. I am glad i wrote those few pages..
And so...here goes...Alpha..the beginning
That's what i am setting out to do, in spite of all the misgivings i have about this new foray of mine....there are countless signs that tell me that this might end up like my Dear Diary days, when i wrote for a week or so and then forgot all about it. But then, i do read those entries i made, long years back...and memories long forgotten come flooding back. I am glad i wrote those few pages..
And so...here goes...Alpha..the beginning
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