sarfira

dead cockroach and women's reservation bill

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:32:00 +0000

A dead cockroach was found on office floor.

Here is the postmortem report :

The cockroach was male and was planning to contest in election. He didn't have a female by side to proxy for him.
He should have waited to know the result of reserved constituency lottery.
Hope he's not turned down from heaven's gate since 66% is filled there.
Pity !

Obituary :

I think India has legitimized narrow interests. It has accepted that only artificially "uplifted" "my community" neta would take care of "me".
Others won't. Only my types would.

How is it assumed that having ~180 women MPs would help in uplifting ~50 cr. women ? We have accepted that male MPs won't do that ?
And in the process we have legitimized that X type citizens could not be served well unless M/N # of X MPs are elected ?

I am not sure how "empowering" women at pinnacle is going to empower them at the root. The root where girl child is still unwelcome.

I instead hope that schemes like Ladli Lakshmi Yojana are implemented country wide; where govt. deposits money on birth of girl child, keeps on adding it as she takes education and make it redeemable it after age of 18.

There is no sense lamenting on caste based reservation now. It is now irreversible. You can only see more dilli-roko agitations like one that happened in Rajasthan.

In developer conferences, when candies are thrown from the stage, the audience can be classified into 3 types.
Disinterested, unhappy ones who made an effort but could not catch it, happy ones who didn't mind bulldozing others to get their candy.

The problem is not the audience, the problem is the speaker/organizer who didn't want to do the difficult job of identifying deserving or merit-worthy from the audience.
The disinterested would know on careful observation that the candies are not thrown randomly. The throws are targeted.
And moreover you cannot and will not complain as long as you got your candy. Eventually more than 50% would get the candy. It would take sometime to realize that you were
made busy to fight for the candy which was anyway yours.

Enjoy the reservation candy and don't ask about the real meals.

http://news.google.co.in/news/search?q=women+reservation+bill

How not to sew facts to drive home a point

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:48:00 +0000

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126465641868236415.html?mod=rss_Business

Now you might be aghast reading the comparison of cellphone camera with the real one.

And many music lovers might find the sales comparison of 30 sec. caller tunes with real albums blasphemous.

There IS a huge BoP market that has cellphone as it's first camera. It IS a sought after feature.
There IS a huge market that has cellphone as the first PMP. That mass downloads songs from telcos.

But to say that cell phone cameras have hit big guys like Sony does not seem right.
The real impact has been on smaller brands (or unbranded) manufacturers who had business in the lower end.

That Nokia sells more camera than anyone else is statistically correct.
But to drive home the point about unanticipated competition, it's a poor example.

meri car mujhse boli bus bahut hua

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Almost 2 months now since I stopped using my car for commuting to office.
It's routine that when I step out of my apartment some of my apartment fellas coming behind in their cars offer me lift. I need to walk for just 5 mins for bus stand, so I am not really inclined to take the lift offer. But then, 2 mins in morning of meet-thy-neighbor is not bad. Unfailingly they wonder my walking down and probably guess and pity that I have to take the public bus. Another recession tale for lunch table gossip for car happies. I try my spread-the-word on tension free ride provided by the government appointed driver. Anyway, no one gets shaken.
Looking down from the bus window, I confess that I pity on the harried single-passenger-cars with their tense drivers.

On weekends, coaxed by my wife to take out the car, I gape at the shiny Volvo's zooming past, as I(we all) used to in my college days at any damn girl wearing a pair of jeans.
Kya maal hai ;-)

lessons from China

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:02:00 +0000

Nopes; not the Mumbai-will-be-Shangahi rhetoric.

So much so for the youth zindabad spins of the ~40 years old young leader who's "formative" years were when we had Emergency.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Government-gearing-up-to-gag-news-websites/articleshow/4562292.cms

You must be lucky reading this content !

Update : http://www.labnol.org/internet/china-bans-blogger-blogs/8761/ 2 days after this post :-)

and we used to fix even the badly tattered kites...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:01:00 +0000

The first words of all service and repair biz fellows on visiting them, irrespective of the nature of problem : "change the part."
vehicle : oil leak - change the shockup, (just) one puncture - saar change the tube
electromechanical equipment : change the motor
cellphone : change the phone
laptop : there is no option but to change the laptop
...

The doctors too are catching up ! Fractured arm ? Why don't you replace it ...

Recent attempts to get a wall clock, a clothe iron and a vacuum cleaner repaired failed.
My wife is suggesting to purchase a sewing m/c since no tailor agrees to do minor repair works. phew...

The Left is dead. Long live the Left.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:32:00 +0000

All those media pundit and stock markets hailing the oust of Left from the national political scene are requested to hold their horses.

Did you forget the Didi ?

Did you forget that people of West Bengal have ratified Trinamool Congress's claim that the CPI is anti-poor Capitalist and that TMC is the real "Left" ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandigram

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singur

Ok, lets reveal the plot.

The story starts from where the Left left.

http://cpim.org/nuclear/FAQs.pdf

What they Give and Take

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 May 2009 05:40:00 +0000

Well, not so openly. Lets make it appear a zero sum game. You give us a "stimulus package" and we'll give you back, say a "stimulus package" ! And of course we won't print this news.

http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/feb/07bcrisis-stimulus-package-for-media-industry-soon.htm

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124158152250690795.html

:-)

poll predictions : heads I win tales you lose

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:42:00 +0000

No way I can offer any numbers except that I do not believe in any and all opinion polls showing UPA ahead of NDA.

I my view the following would be the new & noteworthy events of the 2009 LokSabha Elections, which have so far escaped the imagination of our Nostradamuses.

- The silent rise of Assam United Democratic Front(AUDF)

- The fall of RJD

- Setback to BJP in Gujarat

- The flip flops of AIADMK post result declaration

- The rise in staure of Shivraj Singh Chauhan

- The fall of Arjun Singh

- Internal revolt in Congress against Rahul Gandhi

Missed Call Teleconomy !

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:06:00 +0000

As heard in a passenger train in M.P.

"
Kya baat hai, muh kyon latka hua hai, biwi se ladai hui hai kya ?
(reluctantly) Haan......vahi..blah blah
Aise kaam nahi chalta. Communication gap ho jayega. Un se baat karo...
Nahi, koi fayda nahi.

(After some convincing)

Main kyon karoon phone. Usse karna chahiye.
Achha bhaiya, ek missed call hi de do.
"

The exact share of missed calls, according to industry estimates, it is somewhere around 20-25%.

But beware, if the other party has a Virgin phone, your missed call might not be missed easily.
http://www.virginmobile.in/get_paid_for_incoming.html

Primer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missed_call
Best described here :
http://satyalive.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/missed-call-business/

Worsts companies to work for...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:06:00 +0000

No. There isn't any list like that, AFAIK.
But there are numerous ones on Best Companies.
Like this junk from ToI stable:
http://infotech.indiatimes.com//quickiearticleshow/3056643.cms

I think there will be more agreement and less debate for a list like "worsts companies to work for".
It will help people not to commit big mistakes.
It will help those companies to improve / close down.
It will help to get unadulterated rankings, as no company would pay money for not-to-be-on-the-list.

What happens only in B'lore ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:58:00 +0000

What happens only in B'lore.. ?
Bad roads ? Greedy Auto-walla's ? Corrupt traffic cops ? High Rents ? All your problems ?

It's so common to attribute all these as uniquely Bangalorean.
Not true, if you have seen other big cities.

The uniqueness of B'lore is in :
- B'lore has this huge crowd of very *young* guys with handsome salary
- Half of this junta is migrant from other states
- All this in a relatively very short span of time
- People make money toiling in ACd cubicles and not out in the sun
- There is only one industry thats sustaining the eco-system
- Lax law enforcement
- A huge class of pensioners from PSUs
- Is a young metro
- Relatively lesser immigration of labor class from BIMARU belt (wrt. to Mumbai/Delhi)
- There is demand-supply gap in everything

This has lead to :
- Lesser liabilities being young, away from family & original social-setup.
- Not knowing the local lingo hampers your street smartness, encourages others to exploit
- The growth is very much noticed, hyped and (now publicly) envied
- We are perceived to get easy money by have-nots
- In B'lore a young guy hanging out has to be a "techie". Not so in Mumbai/Delhi. Once you are "identified", you are seen as a Bakra.
- Bombay auto-walla isn't a particularly kind soul. They get beaten by the cops. It's not about honesty. It's lack of opportunity.
- If you have moved with time, or the change isn't as rapid, you would not forever do what-it-was what-it-has-become
- It takes time to evolve into a something-for-everyone place like other 4 metros are
- But for the language barrier, this class would have really stabilized labor & therefore services rates
- cooks, domestic help, transport, eatries...ever seen two vying for the one customer ?

I don't think income difference has much to do with auto's charging 2x or traffic cop's rate starting at 100 bucks.

Money attracts money.
People attract people.
Industry attracts industry.

Agreed, even someone who has "settled" in Bangalore in last couple of years would very naturally say enough is enough. That's desperation, not a likely solution.
"People should stop coming to Bangalore" is just wishful thinking. Real estate appreciation isn't driving people in here, industry is & would continue to.
Yes, lesser people would settle if the present mess persists longer. But who wants the mess to continue ? When things improve, the cycle starts again.

The solution is in urban planning, which is sorely missing. World over planners have struck the horizontal and vertical expansion equation. Bangalore is not unique on size but on rate of growth probably yes. Influx was anticipated long back but even half-good plans are not acted upon (BATF /Metro/BMIC ?)

If "locals" rue for the city-it-was, so do people in Mumbai or Pune and so do elders for the India-it-was. Bangalore is not much different.

Most of us can do very little, individually, to make the city better, sitting at our desk, drafting/reading blog posts as this.
But the least we can do, is debate whats the real cause and whats just a symptom, and spread the right message. The "stop influx" sentiment is only going to strengthen politicians.

Some stats & satire : http://ss.emergic.org/archives/2006/08/15/the-city-of-bannerghatta-road/

Raddinomics

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:25:00 +0000

Slowdown eh ? Going by the reduced wt. of the monthly ToI raddi, it is indeed. Well, the Wednesday Accent & Friday Property Times aren't as bulkier. No recruitments, no more property mania...maybe a result of the deadly concoction of US recession, Rupee strengthening, B'lore growth pangs, emergence of Tier 2 cities, stupidly high salaries etc. etc.
Ah, Banaglore Times is a bit bulkier though, again thanks to the slowdown..all those over stocked retail outlets are running discount Sales.

Remember the Friday night party's of 99-2k ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:34:00 +0000

BPOs to stop staff transport facility
http://in.rediff.com/money/2007/dec/24bpo.htm

Mark my words.
Most of the BPOs would shunt out of cities like B'lore, Delhi, Mumbai to Tier 2 ones. Jaipur, Ahemdabad, Indore, Surat....
This is going to happen in next 2 years.
What I wonder is whether these cities would have enough avenues where the BPO guys could flush their money ?

Cricket, Stocks & Real Estate

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:40:00 +0000

What is common between these.
Well there could be many things, but unlike a college professor who drives you to the (only) answer he knows, I'll cut the long story short.
I think any Tom,D&H can offer passionate insights & insider stories on issues related to these.

Take the case of Real Estate in B'lore.
Tom ToI just said : good time to buy house in B'lore
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Good_time_to_buy_a_house_in_Bangalore/articleshow/2612813.cms

Dick Rediff said the same : Rush to B'lore
http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2007/dec/12bang.htm

Harry Sarfira has to say this :

Good time to buy house in B'lore - Dec 07
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Good_time_to_buy_a_house_in_Bangalore/articleshow/2612813.cms

B'lore sees dip in property prices - Nov 06
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/563188.cms

Property price rise slows down (also ToI Nov 05)
http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/2005/11/property-price-rise-slows-down.html

So, obviously... this is an annual off-season promotional scheme.

This time around it actually is...brokers seem to know the term "ghost apartment" much better than before. And then elections are due, so cash flow is needed. And stock mkt. etc etc.

Anyway, the pt. is, the news report seems motivated. The after discount prices quoted seem jacked up. The survey quotes Asipac (who ?), which is a real estate *Mktg* & Consulting company.

I guess new buyers can expect more freebies (car, woodwork done, marble floor), but builders are not the kinds who reduce MRP.

Big Bazaar or Big Sardar

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:31:00 +0000

Where would you buy from ?
If they can have lassi-maker washing machine an air-conditioned Veggies-on-Wheel isn't a big deal.
Seems the idea came from some NRI Singh who saw this.

Anyway who said that one goes to Big Bazaar to save money and time ?

who hates Sodexho the most ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:29:00 +0000

a) the guy at billing counter
b) the guy in the queue behind you
c) the vegetable vendor on the street
d) the restaurant's waiter

Bohni !

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:03:00 +0000

When buying fruits/vegetables or when shopping at tourist places, I tried to be the first customer in the morning for shop/vendor, to take advantage of the "Bohni" !
Do not use search engines to figure out what "Bohni" is. This first-sale-of-the-day funda isn't yet on www.

Seems they have this custom in Mexico too :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vx_P1WG2lo

Btw, this post is my Bohni.