Saturday, February 27, 2010

HAI EVERY ONE....

ROCK ON GUYS........

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Should all convicts be awarded punishment?


The right to live is the most fundamental of human rights. The right to take away a life does not rest in the hands of man. Every person deserves a chance to recoup for his misdeeds. All these arguements may be applicable for normal people.There are lots of anamolies for whom these rules are just not applicable.

There are people for whom killing gives joy.Some people channel this urge to just kill animals .Thats why we have assasins who are hired as professionals by governments and terrorist outfits.The urge to kill can be either psychological or biological.

Biological urge can be due to tumour in the adrenalin gland that may inject random doses of adrenalin in the body resulting in uncontrollable agression. These people may be sane and friendly most of the time.Only on accounts of fights they turn violent. In some cases the area of the brain responsible for emotions is bypassed by the part of the brain responsible for language. These people show no regret when they lie,steal or even murder. They are just born pshyopaths.They mimic human emotions perfectly. We cant change them without knowing what causes them to act that way. This are just a couple of biological causes. There may be innumerable causes.

Talking about psychological,an estimated one percent of all people are psychopaths.They are cunning,manupulative and are emotionally shallow.They may give in to their emotions themselves or by the slighest of provacation, cause harm to others.Treatment for these conditions have hardly any effect.

These reasons(biological and psychological) are hard to find. The jury just doesnt go about finding these things. Most cases the person is convicted of voluntarily commiting a felony.

Judicial system has too many loopholes that many people who dont fall in the above categories
make use of to evade conviction.But many of these people, whom we can rationalise as being innocent are punished by law.

Can the judiacial system modify itself to help these (special) people? What will it do with those (special) who cant be treated for their urge to commit felony? Should they be solitarily confined for the rest of their lives?.......

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Muhammad Yunus,Micro Lender


A big idea sometimes starts out small. In 1974, after earning his Ph.D. in the U.S., Muhammad Yunus was teaching economics at Bangladesh's Chittagong University. When a deadly famine struck the country, Yunus, eager to lend a helping hand, paid off the money owed to loan sharks by a group of impoverished villagers struggling to survive; they should repay him, he said, "when they could." Eventually they did, but that was not the most significant aspect of the episode. While the total sum was only about $27, that a stranger would trust them with his cash gave the villagers an appreciation of their own self-worth. Today, that tiny pool of money has grown into an enormous reservoir of hope and dignity for millions of people the world over.

Yunus' philanthropic act pioneered the concept of microcredit—making small loans available without collateral to needy entrepreneurs at affordable interest rates. What Yunus discovered is that such borrowers are typically hardworking, motivated, reliable and themselves altruistic, often creating collective, grassroots enterprises that benefit the whole community. Yunus' Grameen Bank now lends $800 million a year to nearly 7 million Bangladeshis, and boasts a 99% repayment rate. His work over three decades earned him this year's Nobel Peace Prize. "Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty," the Nobel Committee wrote in its citation. "Muhammad Yunus has shown himself to be a leader who has managed to translate visions into practical action for the benefit of millions of people, not only in Bangladesh, but also in many other countries."

Speaking to a TIME reporter just seconds before a phone call from Oslo to tell him he had won the Nobel Prize, Yunus, 66, explained that the revolution behind microcredit is the way it upends normal notions of banking. "Conventional banks look for the rich; we look for the absolutely poor," he said. "All people are entrepreneurs, but many don't have the opportunity to find that out." In his Nobel speech, Yunus made clear his belief that access to credit ought to be a basic human right, and advocated the acceptance of "social businesses"—organizations that are self-sustaining but not profit maximizing. "I support globalization ... but it must be the right kind of globalization," he said. "The rule of 'strongest takes all' must be replaced by rules that ensure the poorest have a place and a piece of the action."

In Bangladesh, a young nation better known for its poverty, political violence and natural disasters, Yunus' Nobel award is a matter of national pride. Within minutes of the announcement, thousands gathered outside Yunus' house and Grameen's headquarters in the capital Dhaka. "No one came to us, no one asked us how we do things, no one was interested for years," says Mohamed Ansaruzzaman, head of Grameen's International Program Department. "Now they all want to see what we do—journalists, NGO workers, diplomats." Weeks on, posters of Yunus still dot Dhaka. Reads one big banner, outside a suburban pizzeria: PROFESSOR MUHAMMAD YUNUS: WE ARE PROUD OF YOU.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

An Ode to the King of Pop

You made your dazzling entry as a cherubic kid
with a song about your pet rat "Ben"

You spent your "Childhood" on stage ,
in our hearts you became a rage- oh "Thriller"

You made us "Rock with you" to your dance steps
As you "moon-walked" your way to fame at motown

You broke all "Unbreakable" records
and became "Invincible" , etched in our minds forever

you wooed girls like "Billie Jean"..crooning "Give in to me"
making them go weak on their knees - you "Heart breaker"

you showed the world how "Dangerous" hate is..
and to love all and "Heal the world"...

you changed your mask at will
replying its "Just another part of me"

So people called you a man of eccentricities- a wacko
but you slapped them all saying "Beat it"-- oh Jacko..

your loved all children ,"Black or white",  singing - "You are my life"...
but the "Bad" world called you a "Smooth criminal"..

but you rose like the phoenix "Keepin the faith"..never to "Fall again"
and burying "In the closet" the fickle "Human nature"..

you made us "Cry" for the planet with "The Earth song"
asking the "Man in the mirror" to mend his ways..

you left us all "Speechless" with your sudden demise saying "This is it"
but "Heaven can wait", "Dear Michael" for "You are not alone"....

Coz you said where there's love "I'll be there"...
You are the light of the world , You live in our hearts forever..
                                
                               Love you MJ
 PS : All the words in quotes are songs of Michael Jackson .

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Odyssey :"Pepsi to Apple"

This is a review of the book 'Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple (John Sculley with John O Bryan)'.From the very title of the book, one gets an impression from the word 'odyssey' that the book is going to talk about some journey, travel, etc; Ofcourse yes, it involves some jaunts but this book is all about John Sculley and his transition from 'Pepsi-Co', a tradittional company to 'Apple', a start-up IT products company(in 1980's).


Born and brought up by a father who insists on military discipline and pedantic learning , Sculley becomes a success story in his academics. Rather than becoming a barrister, which was his dad's vision, Sculley went on to pursue MBA in Wharton Business School, one of the top b-schools in the world, which goes without saying. After graduating from Wharton , Sculley happened to be the first MBA to get recruited at Pepsi-Co. To his surprise, he was made to do mean jobs like arranging bottles, gluing Stickers on to the drink bottles ,etc; at the factory in his first six months of recruitment.( guyzzz...think...an MBA from Wharton pasting stickers on bottles of cool drinks)

In his next term , he was made to do better works but none of which required the so-called MBA degree he attained from Wharton. He felt really annoyed and even thought of quitting except for his boss Mr.Kendall who reminded him time and again that its all part of the process and he can't get to the top in a single day.

After sweating it out in the factories and outlets for almost an year, Sculley finally got what he deserved: an air-conditioned cabin and the managerial work for which he was recruited. He also understood one more important fact that at Pepsi-Co, even the top level directors know what it is to work in factories and industrial outlets.


As time passed by pressure creeped up on him since Pepsi-Co would fire people who don't perform. It was almost more than a School for him with weekly targets, assignments, reviews, etc; and only the figures of sales can save him from not getting fired. And for Sculley, his record and his work spoke for himself and he rode up the corporate ladder very fast. It was a time when Pepsi had entered the market and the lone contendor was Coca-Cola. Pepsi had to do something to get to the top and this was the vision and mission inside Pepsi-co. Sculley's marketing gimmicks outperfromed Coke in the US markets. He launched 'Generation Next' campaign in which the local TV would telecast live Pepsi challenge ad( something like you can appear in your local TV for Pepsi's ad. All you need to do is go to the local shop nearby, where you can take a free pepsi challenge. you will provided wit two cups of colas. one pepsi and other coke, names hidden and you should answer which one tastes better. Most of the times people chose pepsi except once when Sculley himself tried this challenge live on TV and chose coke to his embarassment). This turned out to be a great success for Sculley and Pepsi-co and slowly and steadily Pepsi's market share increased and it surpassed coke to become number one.

Sixtenn years went on and Sculley was about to become the next President of Pepsi-co. At this point comes the dynamic young Steve Jobs, roving through the streets of Silicon Valley playing with hardware components making some real computers. Jobs starts Apple with a bunch of guys in their 20's (all college drop-outs).

The story from here goes on to describe how Steve convinces Sculley to join Apple , who leaves behind his 20 year odd tenure at Pepsi-co to join a quite unfamiliar Apple(1980's). Sculley was inspired by Steve and particularly an opportunity to be a part of ''changing the world''. Sculley finds Apple a strange place as all men would work informally in shorts and joggers, unlike Pepsi where business formals is the dress code. Sculley goes on to describe about the difficulties he faced in getting adjusted to an entirely new domain and the experiences he(aged 40 yrs) had with working with a bunch of youngsters(in their 20's).

Sculley, then talks about how he successfully marketed Lisa and Macintosh at Apple. As time fleets, Sculley comes to understand how Apple was internally divided into various divisions, with each charting its own course. Steve was specifically interested only in Macintosh and openly criticised people of other divisions. However the hype and hoopla over Macintosh did not live through the expectation and the downfall of Apple begins. A stage comes when Sculley and the Apple board members sack Steve jobs from Operational role and he eventually goes on to quit Apple.( a man brought into Apple by Steve Jobs sacks him from Apple...oops!!!).

The plot from here on is all about how Sculley takes control of Apple and strategies he adopts to bring back Apple to limelight.In the epilogue of the book, he explains the evolution of the business world and stresses how IT and information management will play a vital role times to come.( i am finishing it short, read the book for lots of other marketing ideas and stuff Sculley had talked about......a must read for a management/marketing freak)

THE DAWN:-)

I am running .This is what all I know now. Running away from “whom”? “where”? “why”? I don’t know .All I know is ‘I have to run if I want to live’………….. The crowd applauded . I am nervous very much, but not one percent less happy. I am going to make my first speech .People really excited to hear me speak. I have become what I always wanted to be ………… I cried . I lost my friend. The thought that I could never see him again dreaded me .I couldn’t see his parents bawl out……… I am standing before ‘ my angel’. She dazzled me .She is speaking to me.This was the day I always wanted to live……….. Lizards all over my room ,where could I run .A big one , really big leaped at me….

I got startled.. Breathing heavily.. sweating .. heart pounding… I could hear my hearts rhythm very clearly… Darkness surrounded me.. Finally understood I was dreaming all the time .. Checked my table clock . It was shining with light , displaying 4:58 .. Ya ,its four fifty eight in the morning … I knew I couldn’t sleep anymore, after all those ‘dramas in the stage of my mind’ .. I got up to leave my room..

Finally out of the place which ‘haunted me’.What is all these dreams about..Are they dreams ? Or should I call them nightmares? Or mixture of both? . Some say dreams come true, some say dreams display what we desire and what we fear of…. I don’t know.. I am not an astrologer to predict the future nor Sigmund Freud to interpret my dreams. I am just an ordinary person who had an extraordinary dream… I still couldn’t get out those from my mind…… ‘Lizards feared me’.. ‘Peoples’ applause elated me ‘… ‘friends death dislodged me’…. ‘my girl’s words - a quantum of solace’…. All these together too much I could take …

Turned on my television just to distract my thoughts … “Gods chanting is all that you get at this time. Praising Mr and Mrs God, their children and grandchildren. “Godly anecdotes”.. Should I believe in all these?… Is it true? … Or is it an awful creation of some raconteur… Ya, I reminded myself ‘my existence on this earth is one hundredth of a percent of its own existence’.. Who am I to belittle the ideas that marched down through generations… The screen went blank.. What happened??? Ya, they call this as the ‘power cut’… First those dreams ,now this ‘power cut’… Are they some kind of omen … Am I being being haunted… This thought horrored me.. So started to a safe place… Went up to my terrace … Cool breeze stroke me…I felt really safe here.. or should I replace the word ‘here’ with on the hands of mother nature’ I felt more protected in this open space than inside the ‘walls of protection of my house’… Nature is really beautiful… Morning is when you could see the moon slowly disappear and the sun making its way up.. Together they give the most beautiful scenery which no destop theme can give you…I felt more connected here..With what ? I don’t have a ‘word’ answer for it… only if you empathise my feelings you may know… ‘Feelings’!!! Is this word losing its meaning in this fast paced world…

I looked over the banisters,.. All I could see is a lonely street with a dim lamp.. I looked around .. I saw some houses lighted … some still dark… Is the light some sort of metaphor for humans…. Ya could be..for some the day started , for some the day is still many hours away to begin… I saw a silhouette of a person riding a bicycle at a distance… In front of every house he stopped , dropped some thing and started his short journey again.. It took only three and half seconds for me to realize ,‘ he is the milk boy’… He looked more enthusiastic .. He looked happy … He looked to be a person with lot of pride… “What is he so much proud about???” I thought to myself. His less than mediocre job?. .. He didn’t even have a good clothing… I couldn’t really think of anything that makes his life , to be so happy. When many who have more than what he could even dream of, suffer so much pain and disheartenment…. The truth struck me… I understood he has things which sophistication cant get in our lives, namely happiness ,joy, satisfaction .. an appropriate mixture of all these.. He is really proud of his job I think.. ‘He serves people’. The first thing what people consume in a day is the milk that he delivers.. People depend on him for his service, his product… or more appropriately ‘his role in this world’… Everyone of us have a role to play.. Together we make the “play of life” complete… No role is less significant than the other… It only matters how we perform our roles…‘With joy and happiness’ or ‘with hatred and regret’… I understood my role right here.. I am sort of boosted up now.. It is our house now for the milk guy… Dismounted from his cycle dropped the milk packets at the doorstep… He noticed me now…. Smiled at me and started his voyage.. ‘ Bon voyage pal’ I said in my mind to him…..

The sun is bright and up now… Feeling inspired and elated… I started walking back downstairs…. I said to my self “I HAD NIGHTMARES , I HAD DREAMS… I WILL CONQUER MY NIGHTMARES WITH MY DREAMS”

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Identify the logo

Quiz

This is going to be a regular feature in this blog. You can answer and post questions on any trivia you like.........
Keep quizzing.

The Inception

Hello everyone,

This is Charan Kumar here to make the inception.

Finally..........a blog of our own.
A place to express all our ideas and desires.....
This blog is the result of the idea conceived by me and Karthik.
We realised we needed a platform to share all the wonderful moments in our college life...the revelry we had with all our friends.....the light-hearted moments.......and all those events that would give a feeling of deja vu.....
I have to make it clear that this is not a blog owned by only us.....all our friends are welcome to be a part of this venture.....You can share anything that interests you here....like any ideas , random thoughts , pictures or videos , about careers , about the future...............simply anything guys.....the list is inexhaustible......

So i hope you guys will make this attempt a success.