20

Dec

News to Amuse

Posted on December 20th, 2008 by Harsh

The Modern Folk Hero

In these times of global meltdown, there is no dearth of news that keeps you amused. The infamous shoe-thrower is already being idolized in anti-American countries and worshipped by anti-western sects. That comes as no surprise, but in a true Middle East style of paying tribute to a hero, a large Palestinian family’s patriarch has offered the shoe-thrower a bride (one of his daughters who would have no right to refuse)! If that is not enough, his 500-member clan has also collected USD 30,000 that will aid him in legal defense. I can’t help wondering if this is the first of many tributes and adulation to come for the shoe-thrower.

I had a look at the photograph of the shoe-thrower (I know he has a boring name in Muntadhar al-Zeidi, but shoe-thrower sounds far more cool!) and he looked like an educated, reasonably handsome fellow. Also, since he is unmarried he may just accept the offer with a handsome dowry. Well, Geroge Bush has certainly made poor countries poorer and their citizens miserable, but here is an exception how he may just end up making a millionaire out of a modest reporter.

the shoe-thrower in action

There’s Something About the Tissue

I know that Scarlett Johansson is one of the hottest babe on the face of earth, and may have a hypnotizing effect on the male population, but that’s not the end of it. If fan-following had limits of absurdity then they have just been crossed. Scarlett Johansson’s used tissue paper is up for auction. It is the same tissue paper she used to blow her nose when she was suffering from severe cold. Some phlegm has real value in this world! The good thing is that it is being done for charity! That’s really noble of Scarlett to put up her valuable tissue paper up for a noble cause and help the poor.

Last year, an empty can of Red Bull that was drunk by Britney Spears was auctioned at eBay (it went for over GBP 500,000) and I thought trash can be sold, but Johansson has made a unique record that will be hard to broken. Next is what? Clooney’s toilet paper that he used in the morning while…You got that!

Image Source: Foxnews.com

1244 days ago Short URL Comments

People/Views & Opinions/World

16

Dec

The Shoe-Thrower and The Showstopper

Posted on December 16th, 2008 by Harsh

The Shoe-Thrower

For two days, the Bush video has been doing the rounds in which an Iraqi journalist hurls his shoes at him. If you have missed the video, I heavily and emphatically encourage you to view it. It is just funny to see how Bush manages to duck at the last moment and evades the shoe attack. Mr President, on a visit to Iraq, could not have expected such an open and vehement attack from a journalist. Yes, anti-Bush protests are now common wherever he lands, including India where one Ms Arundhati Roy ensures she does not miss an opportunity to abuse the most important man in the world. There was an amusing picture in Asian Age which showed children in Iraq playing some kind of shoe game!

Also, most Iraqis and Middle East citizens have forthrightly and openly supported the shoe-thrower, who I hope will not be hanged for this act of misbehavior. Most Iraqis also sighed when the shoe missed the head of Bush, as if their football team had missed a penalty in a World Cup Final!

The Showstopper

I always end up writing about cricket. After all, it our unofficial national game! I was quite ecstatic when India won the match yesterday. It was only when we required 50 runs with six wickets in hand, I actually believed that we can win the match. All the credit goes to Virender Sehwag for his swashbuckling and belligerent fireworks with due respect to calm and composed march of Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh.

What a man Sehwag is? Fifth day pitch, chasing a record total in the subcontinent, batting on a turner – who cares? Bowl a ball and I will hit it – seems to be the mantra of the Nawab of Najafgarh. He doesn’t care a bit about the reputation, aesthetics or sheer recklessness. His confidence to do the “almost impossible” and ability make a Test match more exciting than a T20 match makes him the most exciting talent of the new millennium. I also feel bad for England who did almost everything right but Tendulkar and Sehwag had other plans. May be this is how winners are made of – You can write them off only at your own peril!

1248 days ago Short URL Comments

People/World

13

Dec

Life in the times of Recession!

Posted on December 13th, 2008 by Harsh

Merriam Webster declared a few days back that “Bailout” is their word of the year. That doesn’t come as a surprise for many because at least I heard about this term for the first time when the global meltdown hit the US and then infected the whole of world. A few days back I also read that the only “recession proof” business of prostitution has experienced slum too. The story was carried out by one of the leading online news portals which said that the blossoming business of prostitution in the downtown Czech Republic has affected the country’s foreign exchange, as many of the sex customers come from Germany and other neighboring countries. With recession hitting Europe many were not in a condition to spend money on sex and were now going back to their wives and partners. Good for the families I guess, but not so good for the affluent prostitutes of Prague who ostentatiously carry Louis Vuitton bags and drive luxury cars.

Anyhow, recession has its funny consequences and serious too. The American banks and financial institutions were bailed-out by the government, and now the Auto Industry is in shambles. It seems unlikely that they will get a bailout. Times are tense for automakers in the US, and reverberations are being felt in the whole of Detroit. Australia is amongst the worst-hit. One of my Australian clients, who was till some time back running a thriving internet marketing business, openly confessed that times are hard (The Australian Dollar has fallen by 40%). I also know someone in Australia who was laid off, and of my friends, working in a leading global Bank in India, just managed to escape being laid-off.

Everyone I have been talking to lately is crying loudly about recession. Most businessmen have lost vigor and most aspiring entrepreneurs are contemplating starting their ventures. Perhaps, the best thing to do is to let the storm pass by. I remember that most American giants were conceived during the Great Depression of 1931. There is always opportunity in the times of adversity.

India may not be as hard hit by recession as the US is but we have our financial concerns. Most Fortune 1000s are not hiring and the BPOs have put a lid on hiring. There is insecurity of jobs amongst people. Even the richest India LN Mittal has lost a whopping USD 56 billion.

God Bless the world!

1251 days ago Short URL Comments

World

30

Nov

Time for Extreme Measures

Posted on November 30th, 2008 by Harsh

I had to close down everything, I had to close down my mind
Too many things to cover me, Too much can make me blind
I’ve seen so much in so many places, So many heartaches, so many faces
So many dirty things, You couldn’t believe

-         Moby, Extreme Ways

When Aristotle said “We make war that we may live in peace” I am not too sure that he would have actually thought that his ideologies would be applicable even thousands of years after his existence!

I have already said enough about the proxy war on Mumbai. I live in Delhi and I have not seen grieving faces around me of those who have lost their kith and kin in the attack. I can still hear around me wedding songs in the adjoining apartment. I can still see ladies conveniently bargaining outside with the vegetable vendor on the roads. I can still see people thronging to malls on a Sunday and queuing outside movie stalls. I can still see couples trying to steal a kiss in a crowd of hundreds. I can still sense the sense of normality! This is resilience. Probably they have not lost one of their own. When we were in school we were made to say in the assembly “Every Indian is my bother and sister”. Words are words after all!

The Pakistani Foreign Minister has already declared that they are moving 100,000 troops to the Indian border. Shivraj Patil has resigned. Too little, too late! Anyhow, Air links and rail links with Pakistan have been suspended. What’s the big deal! Is the government flattering to deceive once again?

Mythological, India has been a land of warriors. I say that in reality also we need to display our warrior-like instincts. We need a Winston Churchill in this hour of crisis. We need a leader to echo his famous words: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” And we Indians are ready to take all of that and more!

Churchill in that famous speech on May 13, 1940, went on to say, “We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs — Victory in spite of all terror — Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.”

The speech inspired the country and united they fought the war against France. What I am trying to come at is that if we have a warrior-like leader then we will always be a strong country, even if we have struggle or be wounded for a while, but then a warrior is not afraid of being hurt or wounded; he wants to fight with victory in sight.

Today, I feel helpless sitting inside the comfort of my room, when I know that miles away from here there are organizations and outfits masterminding another attack against my brothers and sisters. I stand shaken and with a will to “do” to “avenge”!

1264 days ago Short URL 6 Comments

History/India/Views & Opinions/World

28

Nov

Imagining India

Posted on November 28th, 2008 by Harsh

Today, on my desk, I have a small booklet titled “Imagining India” by Nandan Nilekani, CEO of Infosys Technologies Ltd and on the other end of the desk I can see The Times of India with front page headline “Terror Uninterrupted.” What two contrasting ends – one a dream book by one of the foremost pioneers of entrepreneurial India and other a harsh reality that we have been helplessly witnessing for last 36 hours.

Let me try recollecting the worst terror attacks that I have heard of in my life. I have quite a few white hairs to remember a few actually. The first and top-ranked of course is the serial blasts that happened in Mumbai in 1993. I was far too young at that time to realize but the blasts and the dreaded name Dawood Ibrahim still resonates in the mind of Indians. I guess for me the real terror unfolded in 2001 when 9/11 happened. In my final year and preparing for MBA, I was taken aback by the TV clippings of terrorizing kamikaze act. On a global level the London and Madrid blasts are still alive in my memory. Also, I vividly remember the Russian hostages in the movie hall some years back. I don’t need to recall the bomb blasts that have happened in India/Pakistan in the past year or so, or narrate the state of Israel or Afghanistan where terrorism is a part of life.

The worst of course from India perspective was when IC-814 was hijacked in 1998 and India released Masood Azhar who went on to form Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Omar Shaikh who slit Daniel Pearl’s throat. The good thing that Indian government has perhaps done here is not to enter negotiations with the terrorists and taken them on.

I was reading the newspaper in the morning and Shane Warne had said: “India is in chaos. Who wants to go there?” A lot of international players have also refused from coming to India. What angers me here is that we are giving in to terrorist’s demands and making them feel victorious. Terrorism is a global phenomenon. You don’t stop visiting the US because 9/11 happened there, or Madrid, or Moscow or London. It has been happening everywhere. We need to have a joint will to fight and NOT retract.

I reiterate. We all know where this attack emanated from. It is time to pull the roots out than pruning the stems. Why wait for more large scale and horrifying massacres?

1266 days ago Short URL 4 Comments

India/World

14

Nov

Meltdown of the Richest

Posted on November 14th, 2008 by Harsh

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…

- Charles Dickens, The Tale of Two Cities

I read an interesting piece of news yesterday, which was also there on the front page of today’s HT. The piece said that India’s richest are getting poor. That’s a surprise because I always read the richest getting richer in our country. It should actually not be so surprising in this zeitgeist because of the influence the global meltdown has had on some of the thickest wallets in the world.

Laxmi Naryan Mittal, or LNM, was by far the richest Indian a few weeks back, but now one Mr Mukesh Ambani has just managed to pip him by a small margin of $0.3bn. LNM I must say seems to the worst-affected by the meltdown. His networth is down to $20.8bn from some $60bn. And that’s some loss. Mukesh Ambani can afford to be over the moon for some time, but I see this battle being neck-to-neck for some time to come. The global recession is certainly going to affect the wide-networked and more global ArcelorMittal than India-based Reliance Industries. In fact, I have a feeling that Reliance Industries may just keep growing because of the nature of their business. It is no secret that Mukesh Ambani is investing a lot of money in drilling oceanbeds to find oil. Moreover, the global meltdown has not hit Indian companies so hard till now. I believe that the action taken by Tata to pause recruitments and cut costs for now is just precautionary.

On the other hand, global players will have to bear the brunt, and the fall and rise of NASDAQ is going to be deciding their fortunes. The Indian players may just rise victorious thru these hard times, and it may just help India rise. Another interesting observation is the yawning gap between the networth of two Ambani Brothers. Anil sits embarrassingly at a low networth of $12.5bn but is better than telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal ($7.9bn) and Real Estate magnate KP Singh ($7.8bn). According to Forbes, there are “painful times” for India’s richest because of the depreciating rupee, slow GDP growth, and double digit inflation.

Quite frankly, I don’t understand global meltdown and for that matter even the sensex. I have never spent a minute trying to understand sensex and don’t even aspire to get into it. In my opinion, it is a fruitless activity for the money-minded. Anyhow, coming back to the main topic let’s see how global meltdown affects us more as move towards the year end. Apart from the falling networths, I believe the working class is also having some anxious moments. I have a friend at AmEx who just managed to escaped the axe a fortnight back, and I know someone in VLCC who lost 150 of his colleagues in the layoff exercise.

Will Obama bring the next change? Let us see.

1280 days ago Short URL Comments

Business/India/People/Views & Opinions/World

13

Jul

Why We Must Stop Global Warming?

Posted on July 13th, 2008 by Harsh

I was reading this week’s India Today and they had a very interesting and important cover story – Ways to stop Global Warming. The magazine summarizes the recently concluded Global Warming Summit headed by Manmohan Singh. Dr Singh and his committee have pledged that they will not exceed the carbon emission limit, and will certainly not go beyond the developed countries’ level of carbon emission.

There are a few ways where we as environmental-conscious citizens can also help stop global warming. Here are a few of them:

Switch to Electric Cars – This is not for the Ferrari fans. Switching to an electric car is not easy but very pocket and eco-friendly. You can charge the car and it will run 100-150 kms at a speed of 40-60 kms/hour. Not a bad option considering Delhi’s traffic barely allows you to speed!

Walk More – How many times do we pick up our car even when we have to go to a grocery store? Well, we can walk a km or two – it can help us lose that shabby flab around our waist too!

Switch off your PCs – All of us, including me, have this habit of leaving our laptops/desktops switched on even when we are not working. This just adds to carbon emission. We can do a favor to Mother Earth by switching off laptops when not in use.

Plant a Tree – We have been hearing this ever since our childhood. Plant a small tree near your home and make this world a greener place to live in. Easy to do and does not take much time!

Use CFLs – Tube lights are passé in any case. Use compact fluroscent lamps. They consume one-third the energy of a normal bulb. Save electricity and environment.

Tele-commute - This modern-day word is the buzz word in the corporate world. Instead of spending on fuel, talk on phone with your business partners/vendors/customers. Save time and fuel both. For senior executives – use video conferencing instead of flying abroad!

Say NO to Plastic Bags – Please (this comes from my heart) don’t be ashamed to say no to the man across the cash counter at Shopper’s Stop if he gives you a plastic bag. These bags are non-biodegradable and one of nicest ways to ruin our planet. If we can’t help the environment, then at least not spoil it. You may feel awkward not using a plastic bag initially, but it is only a matter of habit. It is do-able!

Use Public Transport – I know given the state of our public transport, my well-bred friends may not be able to use it. But, all of us can use the Metro, which runs on electricity, during the non-peak hours. It is comfortable, air-conditioned, cheaper and does not emit carbon like your car.

It is time we take responsibility. The sad part is that government initiatives cannot help reducing carbon emissions unless we put our hand up and save the only planet where we can live.

1404 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

World

/

02

Jul

Time to open the GATES within us!

Posted on July 2nd, 2008 by Harsh

June 27 was an important day for Microsoft, and potentially for the whole world. One of the 20th century’s most important persons retired from the capacity of CEO of the world’s largest company. Bill Gates was no ordinary man, no ordinary boy for that matter! No boy writes a program at the age of 13, and very few young men are reckless enough to drop out of Harvard to chase their dreams! Not many matured men dream of and end up manufacturing a product that is a part of every human’s life worldwide! Not every middle-aged man is the richest man in the world for 11 continuous years, and no old man leaves the chairmanship of the world’s largest company to do full-time philanthropy!

No man is like Bill Gates! No man can ever be! Like our very old Narayanmurthy, Bill Gates has retired and let the younger generation take over the mantle of Microsoft. Bill Gates has been an object of admiration and envy of many for many years. While many may term him as “shark” who never really let competition flourish, many also admire him for his sharp business acumen and technical brilliance (he’s a nerd by his own admission)!

For me, what remains of utmost importance is that Bill Gates has finally left Microsoft to work for a foundation that if he grows to even half the size of MS will make this world a better to place to live in for many homeless and illiterate Asians and Africans! One of my American Clients who had visited India a year back had remarked “Every American should visit Indian to realize how lucky he is that he gets bread to eat and wine to drink every day!” Bill Gates, I guess has done enough traveling to understand that.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the premier charity organizations in the world. They are funded by heavyweights such as Warren Buffet and Gates himself. Now that Gates will indulge full-time into the organization’s work, we can expect the foundation to work more systematically and money being used judiciously. With Gates being a very influential person, we can also expect more funding to the organization. Officially, the foundation aims at fighting disease, reducing poverty and improving education around the world.

Good Luck, Gates!

And Mr Mallaya, Mr Premji, Mr Ambani, Mr Tata, Mr Birla et al– are you listening?

1416 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

World

11

May

Who is a HERO?

Posted on May 11th, 2008 by Harsh

I have been inspired to write this post because I have suddenly realized something, and I believe I need to speak it out to 200-odd people who visit Mantrablogs everyday. I was going thru the list of Times Influential Personalities under the section “Heroes and Pioneers” and realized that most of the personalities listed there were Americans, and those Americans who have risen from absolutely forgettable positions and made a positive change to this world.

Notably, three personalities still linger in my mind, and I am also compelled to question myself why don’t we have such persons in India or around us. I concluded that India is a land of fruitless talkers and the quintessential American hero is a doer. We need to really understand the meaning of word “hero” to know who a hero is. One who can acquire high-end car brands, build houses worth billions of dollars, hit six sixes in an over, or those who can make the disable walk, provide shelter to the homeless, empower an illiterate with education? The sad part is that for an Indian it is the former. Even if an average Indian does not subscribe to this notion, the media does and also influences the Indian mind. Rubbish! I say, vehemently!

You want to know the American Heroes? Before I say, I must strongly express that I am not one of those who think whatever happens in America is good, or those who blindly believe in American ideologies – I have many things to say against them too but that will come later (in another post perhaps).

I would first delve into the life of seven-times world cycling champion Lance Armstrong. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1997 and many grim-faced doctors proclaimed the end of him. It was just that Lance Armstrong had other ideas. He fought against cancer and won Tour De France from 1999-2005, a world record that shall most probably never be eclipsed. You think this makes him a hero? You are wrong. What makes him a hero is that Lance Armstrong dedicated his life to the welfare of cancer patients.

The hard working cyclist has founded organizations, pumped in his earnings, raised funds, funded researches. Moreover, he has made every cancer patient and his family believe that there is life beyond numerous chemotherapies! And he continues doing it…The spirit to fight is infectious and it must be spread to every home!

Oprah Winfrey has been on the list of Times Influential Personalities every year since it was established. Why? Because she is the host of the most popular show in the world. Not really. The whole cast of Friends could have been there for the same reason. Oprah Winfrey is one of the most philanthropic celebrities in the world. Her works in Africa are legendary, and she continues to being mother of many homeless.

Bob Wright is the former CEO of NBC. A few years back his son was diagnosed with autism. What would have been his first thought? Use all my contacts and get hold of the best doctors in the US and dedicate my life to the re-habilitation of my kid? That would have been so normal. It was at that moment that Bob and his wife decided to dedicate their lives to address the problem of autism worldwide and use their power and influence in a positive manner. Bob is now a sought-after speaker on autism, engaged in raising awareness about it and pressing the government to allocate more funds on its research. They have raised millions of dollars from their friends and events. They won’t give up until they find the answer!

Heroes are quite much there if you want to find them. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie do as much for Hollywood as for the world. Angelina is a UN Ambassador and Pitt a philanthropic by heart. Do you know Andrei Aggasi’s biggest regret? Not that he did not win more grand slams, but that he founded his welfare organization too late in his life. Warren Buffet, now the world’s richest man, donates more than he earns. Bill Gates, along with his wife, Melinda has donated billions of dollars for AIDS awareness. Michael Schumacher, the legendary F1 Driver, donated more than USD 50 Million in the last four years of his career, and still continues to do more.

These people and many unknown ones are making a change to the world we live every day in their own special way. They define what it means to be HERO in every movement of theirs, in every thought of theirs. Most importantly, they don’t just empathise or talk, they DO.

1467 days ago Short URL 14 Comments

Blog/World

07

Mar

Legends of the Fall

Posted on March 7th, 2008 by Harsh

I have been waiting for this moment. For that matter, I think the whole world has been. The richest man on the planet for last 11 years has finally been dethroned, even if it’s for a few days. Yes, Bill Gates has made way for Warren Buffet, the legendary American Investor, fellow philanthropist and a great friend of former numero uno. With a networth of USD 62 bn, Buffet has taken the no.1 spot, closely followed by Mexican tycoon and telecom king Carlos Slim, with a networth of USD 60 bn. Gates is third with USD 58 bn. However, Gates would have still retained his status had he not bid for Yahoo! The hostile bid affected MS stocks which fell 15% last month.

In my opinion, septuagenarian Buffet deserved to be no.1 at least once in his lifetime. The man who started selling newspapers at the age of 13 and is the stock king in the US, has for long been a weak competitor to the Gates. Only Oracle man Larry Elison came close to displacing Gates from No.1. With Slim also seeing a rise of USD 10 bn in his networth, Gates has some serious competition. It may also be added that Gates is donating a large part of his sum to Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation every year.


The Indian Connection

It has been a good year for India’s richest as well. At no.4 is our very own LNM the steel tycoon with a networth of USD 48 billion. He is the world’s largest steelmaker, with 44% stake in Arcelor Mittal and is Europe’s richest resident.

The No. 5 slot goes to Mukesh Ambani (networth: USD 43 billion), son of legendary Dhirubhai Ambani and CEO of Reliance Industries, India’s largest company. Mukesh is also Asia’s richest resident, just ahead of his younger sibling Anil who sits smugly at No. 6 with a networth of USD 42 billion. Anil also happens to be the year’s biggest gainer with a jump of USD 23 billion. Anil and Mukesh make a good no. 6 and 5, even if they are fighting in the court over gas supply.

The Facebook Wonder

Today has been also a landmark day for the 23-year-old founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg who has become the world’s youngest billionaire. With a networth of USD 1.5 billion, he is said to be the youngest billionaire in the human history. The dynamic CEO, who recently hired the top Google executive Sheryl Sandberg, refused to sell Facebook to Yahoo! last year and gave 1.6% stake to Microsoft for USD 24 million dollars.

Source: Forbes.com

1533 days ago Short URL 2 Comments

World

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