26 July 2009

Whirlpool of Thoughts

It's been a whirlpool of thoughts. Not that I did warrant all these but I feel myself nerdy and lost. Just that when all the thoughts in my mind pointing to the ever increasing gap in my desire and reality. I'm at war with myself! I did piss some people because of this, but I should have kept my mouth shut. Today I realized that the best speech I ever regretted is the one I gave while I was angry. I should be more mature, think this is how you learn.

Everything that I did come across today, my brain wired that into the annoying part. Good that the day ended, and it's back to normal. :)

Sometimes you really need such days so that even ordinary days seemed to be great in contrast. So how were things with you lately? And when did you get mad with yourself?

Cheers.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

13 July 2009

The Week That Was

Did this ever happen to you?

You imagine things to go some way and then suddenly you find yourself standing at the cross road of something totally different. Then, there is a conscious alignment of your thoughts, just that the roads can't be re aligned but the direction can.

I for quite sometime in past couple of years lived like quarter miles a day vision. It's entirely fun though! Not only you don't know what to expect it helps it from doing away with the cribs too. At the end you are not sure what you want to be! And again start the next quarter mile journey with freshness. Oh! The tires need to be changed and the gas needs to be filled! That's ok for a journey.

The week had been a mixture of event. Had a great time with mom, but she kept of pushing her agenda that I should settle down and how it will help me in my future. Think every mom has a thing for their kids, and can't accept that kids too grow and may be at times out grow their thinking. But, I guess that's the norm. No complains. Well, back in work my manager gave me an hour lecture about how ones performance is not related to ones promotion in the company. Let's see what all I need to hear! Friends are doing good, did meet with lot of them this week and had a talk with some of them. I really miss my messy hostel life!

Well, hope the next week turns out to be interesting apart from the mundane stuffs. Planning to join Salsa classes but not sure if they accept without partners! Let's see.

Happy week folks, btw, I did see that this blog is also visited by folks from western India apart from Mumbai. Shall I presume their silence to be the comments of things gone by? Just a flickering thought.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

01 July 2009

Finally I'm Hooked

Been there Done that would suitable fit me if I were to re orient the clock back at least 7 years.

Did try my hand into getting past some servers and the obnoxious firewalls of networks, moved a motor by hard coding the PCB using Linux shell. And the biggest of them finally executed the elevator program during the practical examination of my C Lab, by just asking the examiner what she expects as inputs and output. Well, the last one may be some 8 years back. Was quite a net savvy person, got a gmail account thanks to a friend at mountainview where google alpha tested it to only 1000 people. Screwed my machine so many times as the worm code got so wrong, even short circuited my mother board. But in every thing I did I enjoyed and the adrenaline rush of screwing things up was immense.

Enough of bragging huh!

And it took me so long to open a facebook account. Well, people must be thinking that I just landed from the bronze age. Ok! I admit I was considerable lazy (I wish I had a better excuse), but today I opened facebook account. Not that I was not aware of the facebook buzz. Just couldn't get into it. This again added twist, I registered to facebook some couple of weeks backs through my mobile thanks to the buzz about personal user name. Just that complete forgot the ID. Add to the wound people in my contact list are already added in it. So after long hours of unsuccessful (legal) way of finding I gave up hope and created a new profile. I wish my friends will eventually migrate into this page.

Not sure if this is something a person blogs about but the only significance I find if facebook were to be a country the population would be more than 200 million strong. Well, as rest of my day went, in the office was busy helping folks in migrating to a different floor. Back home had an hour long call with a lady trying to put across her view when things went so wrong. Will, share this sometime later when I get somewhat clear picture.

Mom and dad coming tomorrow have to attend one relatives wedding after that a friend's reception. The good news it's raining and the temperature is down.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

28 June 2009

Jun 28 2009

Did this ever hit you?

You want to write but just couldn't focus on any specifics. Will it be on the daily clutters, long lost girl, life lessons, new girls or pure cribs? Well, my thoughts are running empty for the moment.

Ummm..., it's more than a decade back when I was in my high schools I met this girl. Cute dimple face with buttoned nose. Man, she was one big chatter! Ask about something, she would promise you a trip to moon and back. I met here some days back quite unexpectedly after all these years and to my worst fear she has become a doctor! OMG!

:-) wish her all the very best and think her medicines are of more use then her generous suggestions. I'm having an head ache, need to call her up and try out which works better!

Lot of things to do even it's Sunday.

I am currently reading:

1. The Winners Stand Alone - Paulo Coelho
2. When Everything Changes Change Everything - Neale D Walsch
-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

27 June 2009

MJ

World's first Global Superstar. MJ we will ever be missed.

I like millions of my age, literally grew up listening to his music. What is so much astounding about MJ is he let do his style of music talking and became the first Black person to have his music video aired at MTV. 13 Grammy's and rest is history.

Today I woke up with the news and man I felt very sad. Trying to get what so ever information of this tragic event. There may be debates about the nature of debt he left behind thanks to the pink papers. But, somewhere at least a part of me is still singing Billey Jane.

MJ you will be so much missed, but you united the world with your style of music.

Watching "Gone too Soon" video from his album "Dangerous". You are truly a unifying factor.

Need to check in his album sales post these events. MJ RIP, from one of your unknown fan!

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

26 June 2009

Just another Day

Subtle thoughts through out the day. Had a pretty ordinary day, something that often we pass as a regular day. No more of any space cracking stuffs.

Tried catching up with old connections, but trust me I miss the hyderabad birayani. Wish I had one! Anyways, somethings got moving at office and not much of a clarity elsewhere. Need to catch up with loads of friends, becoming a troglodyte! That's scary.

Let's see what comes tomorrow. Have a good time.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

24 June 2009

WTF

The most disappointing aspect that I find is when you get a small salary which even full fills most of your needs. It weeds out your aspiration, suffocates your spirit and ultimately throws up an aversion to change. It's pity for your 20 years of education, at least there you would have studied new subjects every year.

Some people are grossly parasitic. What I see people who shamelessly bargain tends to be lucky. And what a fool I'm to intellectually rationalize. It defeats my cognition for people who should have been more mature blindly following Pigeon Hole theory. They have made a socialism out of corporates. Just to be averse to change. Is there any respect! But who cares, huh!

On the other side, people are striving to make room for everyone. Think it's time for me to decide. Else I would end up eating my aspiration. That would be too much of a shame.

Need to go for a vacation to get out of the negative energy. Singapore and Java would suit my bill. Even I had a plan for Mount Everest Base Camp, but I have then to wait out the rains. Let's see.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

23 June 2009

Process Process Process

Another day passed by. Did some work and mostly wiped others mess, cause they would not bloody work. Now I understood, while I was a kid why so many of my class mate were so good at playing musical chair. Is it genetic, people hate leaving the chair and on a curious note you can even see the butt marks embossed in it. Such a waste!

Enough of all this! I pity those who are struggling to make things better for these sloths to have a status quo. I should introduce you with another novelty, that's "Process". My foot! It's necessary only for people with IQ 150 and above. I sometimes feel so retard.

Doing a Dale Carnegie course or listening to Porter's lecture doesn't change unless you have the fire inside. They have been living a life out of it like this. Gosh! Everything has red tape involved and most of them doesn't have the balls to raise a point. Who cares when you get a 7 figure salary and we are through with recession too. I must have a wind tunnel between my ears to comprehend this.

It's one of the biggest asset to grow old with experience, it takes lot to stand your ground rather than finding a lame excuse to move your A$$. When you grow old with experience please value and respect people and never behave with anyone just because you were once subjected to it.

Like Mahatma says " An eye for an eye makes everyone blind".
-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

22 June 2009

JeevanSathi on Sunday

It's the start of the week. I did make a point that every Monday beginning, I would try to be happy because I still have work to do. Not that it may change the world but it's always a great learning to change the things. :)

I had a very lazy weekend barring a movie, all I did was sleep. The good part is that it gave my system all the required rest. I'm feeling fresh and happy. Will go for swimming in the evening after work. Sometimes I wonder, I have been gradually moving in the direction where I like what I do even if it means working hard. Cause all of a sudden this feeling is creeping in me, that everything we do is for a purpose. Hopefully the purpose will be reflected in times to come.

O yes, I did change my caller tune and I'm loving it! Still have a laundry list of things to do. And one little secret, my mom has started unravelling the internet, and pounced on the matrimony sites (she compiled a list of them by now). I'm amazed to see her growth in technological understanding. Had guided her how to take print screen of a picture and send it to me via gtalk to my blackberry. Man! She was happy the moment she heard that the snap has reached me. The kind of thrill you may have felt when the pea seed in the jar turned to a plant.

I was more interested in her learning curve than the picture she shared, at least for the moment.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

21 June 2009

Movie at last

It took nearly 3 months to watched a decent movie. Last time it was during my visit to Mumbai with my good friends catching up. I like the spontaneity they have. Man! There were already enough fluid in the system, and at 3 in the afternoon people planned for a movie. Did work out though!

Today watched X Men in Kolkata. There had been a fight between film producers and multiplex owners over revenue sharing for quite sometime in India. So not so good deal was available until last week, when the strikes were called off. One thing that stuck me straight in the face is the amazingly poor service in multiplex. I went at South City to watch the movie, ordered a regular cheese popcorn and requested them to serve me at the seat. It took nearly 30 mins along with my screaming to get their a$$ moving. During intermission there were at least 15 people selling different stuffs, couple of them approached us with ice cream and coffee. Even if you tend to be courteous they keep on nagging. Think the multiplex owner is trying to rob us for their loss of revenue during summers.

Man! The prices have jacked up also. I always prefer cheese popcorn while watching a movie and trust me it is on a non sharing basis. So there had been times when I went to watch movies with friends because to full fill the urge of having both. Think if this is the scene, I better buy a pop corn machine in my house. My home theatre would be a decent replacement for the nagging and the good part is we can have fluids too! To much of sin! :)

Just a fact, last month only 5 of us watched a movie in a multiplex. The hall was empty. Had a private screening feeling, yet the nag was there!

Hope things improve, and please somebody tell them to complete the total movie watching experience they are killing the basic need to have a good time out!

Too much of bling! Gold is again a good bet for many but I agree with Warren it's most over hyped option.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

20 June 2009

Saturday

It's been a decent day, considering the week that just passed. To start off with I was down with fever, then had to some hectic work to do at office, thanks to a functional assessment for a prospect. This incidentally put lot of stress into my body and most of the week my body was aching. Missed swimming entire week, so felt like a zombie.

On the downside one of my friend met with an accident of his car! But he is lucky to escape unhurt. Poor guy, the car rammed into a cow.

Well, had laid back most of the day, enjoying music and reading books. Outside the temperature is very hot and humid. Thanks to my bro for making me comfortable at 24`c.

Now may be going out, I had my eyes at a croc flip flop, need to check the budget.

See ya!

-


Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

15 June 2009

Through the Prism of our thoughts

Decisions becomes difficult when I try to see through them.

There has been a gradual comfort in my life thanks largely to my parents. Most of the people I see around would be content with this. And this is what is troubling me.

I do have more than couple of houses to stay in, have a car and have a decent job to take care of my finances and my "Incredible India" travels every quarter. I have great friends to catch up with and a near decent life.

This is exactly what is troubling me. I am gradually getting into a comfort zone. Which brings me to the unattainable question, am I missing the purpose? Am I being cocoon-ed in a Matrix?

When you leave one thing for something you are in a cusp. In there lies the zone of contemplation. Typical what-if-scenarious. Today when I see myself and my life in general I gradually feel I am moving away from the very fire that keeps burning. I have lost touch with so many things but surely I wrap my pretensions and the power of gab glides me through. Whom am I fooling? It's always the hand that gets burned which holds on to a burning rod. The trick is not to pass but to cast the rod into something.

Still I am searching a ready made dose of comfort. When I start something I expect to inherit my current happiness. Surely that would be like the cinderella story everyone grows up with, just that there is no more prince charming!

Well, I have stayed alone for some part of my life and that gave me a very good insight. I love myself a lot. It may not be a sign of selfishness, but surely this create a distraction. I hail from a part of the country that strongly believes (at least till yesterday) on socialism and communist principle. I have seen people all around me living in a minimalistic approach (may be perils of over three decades of minimalistic thinking). The other day I was driving and under the scotching heat of 42`c I see an bicycle riding in the middle of the road. I get my pane down and request the guy to ride on one side rather than slowing the traffic. You know what answer I got - "I am poor that's why you are telling me". Man, what does this say. I just have a word with a person twice my age riding in the middle of the roads and this is what the response!

I find a stark haves and haves not mentality. I dwell on these facets, then I realize this can happen when anyone has lost hope and belief in oneself. Every single human being wants to be important, that's hard coded in our primitive cerebral. It didn't change since the first homo sapeins to the 21st century humans. The size of brian remained same even after 10,000 years of evolution, what changed is the depth of the thoughts.

And in these very thoughts I try to see change. A decision to bring change, something to live for and may be to die with. I am blessed with the goodness of my near and dear ones. Still I want to break free, still I want to live a purpose. Just that I don't know what it is!

May be in some point of your life you will face these questions. May be your thoughts will give you a better measured response and may be if your decision works out good the by the theory of natural selection you will help us as a species evolve in a greater way.

Till that time, through the Prism of our thoughts I try to see a change!

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

08 June 2009

Started Tweeting once again

This got to be eventful, I have started tweeting once again. And this is kind off very attaching this time. Got tweetberry in my phone and viola...

Very happy. Though I must admit I need to get my self organized to keep away the noise.

Folks at RIM you guys deserve a nobel prize. You got me addicted.

Have a happy week. Oh! Checkout on the right side of the page to follow my tweets.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

06 June 2009

Samiran Ghosh wants to keep up with you on Twitter

Samiran Ghosh wants to keep up with you on Twitter

To find out more about Twitter visit http://twitter.com/i/c68ff71d746c390b18f2fb42ce568b2ad9d57292

Thanks,
— The Twitter Team

About Twitter

Twitter is a unique approach to communication and networking based on the simple concept of status. What are you doing? What are your friends doing—right now? With Twitter, you may answer this question over SMS or the Web and the responses are shared between contacts.

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Morning Rantings

Yesterday night I did an overhauling of my site. The only problem I did face is the Blogs I frequent list, I have to add some other blog links too. As I use rss aggregator to read them never realized it would look so big.

Anyways, just wake up and the weather is hot and humid. Man! It took an effort to get my butt up from bed.

Well one help I may require, I couldn't locate the subscribe email link for the blog updates. Any help coming?

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

05 June 2009

In Equal Relationship

"It is tempting to fall in the trap of being critical of people who are better than you but the best way to resolve inequalities is to look at what the other person is clearly superior in and learn from it. If you then add it to your existing skills, then at some point, you will supersede the person in question. 

The same inequality exists in friends and man-woman relationships. Here it gets a bit more complicated because the normal misunderstanding is that friendships and relationships are based on equality, but they are not. 

How many times does one observe the stark inequality between two friends or between man-woman relationships? How do these work then?  

Unequal relationships can only work when there is a compensatory benefit from one side. E.g Assume Rakesh and Prakash are friends. Rakesh is rich, Prakash is middle class. Rakesh always wines and dines Prakash in fancy places, the kind he is used to. Prakash though is more intelligent and a source of knowledge for Rakesh. He is also loyal to him even though he can be objectively critical of Rakesh. Also, Prakash makes sure that periodically he takes Rakesh out to cheaper but eclectic places with clean food which is a really different experience for Rakesh. 

Krish and Nishi are married. Krish is good looking and intelligent, Nishi is a bit above average in looks and intelligence but not equal to Krish. In the beginning years of the marriage, everything is hunky dory because Nishi adulates Krish and is an avid learner. Krish enjoys being a mentor and watches her bloom. As she becomes better, she gets more respect all around and suddenly starts thinking that she is equal to Krish. She starts arguing and fighting with him which not only hurts the relationship but also her own growth.  

Over a period of time, one gets used to the inequality and even the person on the wrong side of the equation starts expecting more. This lack of awareness causes trouble. 

Unequal relationships work as long the equation is clear on both sides. Suppose one is a 7 and the other a 5 and they know it, its OK. The moment the 5 starts thinking that they are a 7 or the 7 starts thinking like they are a 9, there are issues. If the 7 is a benevolent 7 and the 5 treats the 7 with respect and tries to become a 7, it's a great equation. 

On a controversial closing note, women always are happier if the man is more intelligent, stronger and capable than them. This does not mean that a woman is less than a man, it only means that she may like a man who is lesser than her but instinctively she looks for a man who is superior to her."

-- You may not agree or partly agree. But we still strive for Equalities!


I Still Fail to Learn

Some times I come across people who fail to learn. Oh come on!

We always learn right! The learning sinks in when we are pushed to the edge.

Till that time we try to rationalize our point of view with ethics, morality, religion, hard work and sometimes the teachings of kindergarten Moral science classes. When we fail to make a headway we look outward for an answer. Some get answers from outward even some create a rational expression of self containment. Rest try to look inward for a just explanation.

I'm baffled by this philosophy. Though I must admit I did took long time to learn lot of things. It took me even more time to accept certain things which I never thought of. These made me realize three important aspects:

1. Everyone should taste loosing cause may be the fear from oneself goes away and the cliche learning out of it is there.
2. Never to react but to respond. Try it once even forcefully it will surely change your world.
3. Silence is golden. In the initial phase it is very difficult to be silent but after sometime it works.

These are easier said that done. For once I'm trying to implement.

Peace
-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

04 May 2009

Why Do we Blog?

For sometime now I simply couldn't write, not that I don't want to but too many things are flying past me to keep a note. These are not stuffs that would make or break life, but pretty ordained stuffs.

I did find some instances of my last post getting unintended audience in a blog of my friend. I thought how remote we have become to vent our thoughts/feelings through such public forum. We seemed to have lost those days where in we could ask friend's patience to our emotional garbage. Never mind, couple of pegs of Cognac made me all happy.

This made me think, why do we blog in the first place! Is it:

1. To keep a note on things that happen around us?
2. To let through our success, failures, aspirations and achievements?
3. To save the dieing habit of maintaining diary that too at full public glare?
4. To put across views for the sake of it?
5. To make us evaluate/feel good about how we did connect the dots in time?
6. To connect?
7. Or is it to make a humble mark of our own existence?

There sure would be many more reasons but if you ponder why we actively nourish even the thought of putting across Blogs in full public glare you may end up finding a striking similarity with the Freud's notion of "Id". Hang on, I don't intend to give a lecture on constructs of personality traits. Just an thought though.

I have been a very shy person during my school days, I did have my fare share of friends. But I was never the type who will stand first in class (unless you are gifted with seeing the merit list inverted) nor will raise the hand when a question was thrown.

But as I did go to a boarding school (incidentally a reputed one considered by many) since I was 9 or 10 years old. I love people watching. You could actually learn a lot just by watching everyone around, just that you have to stop type casting them while you watch. Prejudice is such a killer while you want to learn your life lessons.

During all these years, all I have learned simply by people watching is insurmountable. That did made me tension averse most of the times, cause I didn't find anything worth the pain. It hardly matters in the long run. But what surely matters to me is how much I have measured myself! It's a crime to fall in your own eyes! Never let that happen.

Till that day, my ego don't hurts and I live to blog to find why I blog.

Once Socrates told, that the person who can give an answer to five why's at a go is God. Let's not try to find an answer to why these happened! Cause most likely you will get colored answers else you may not them at all.

Let's not ask why! Let's ask why not?

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

24 April 2009

Confession of a wild mind - II

Too many folks are reading too much into the last post! It's just an experimental writing... People have started taking special interest on the girl whom I mentioned at the post.

It's all a figment of my imagination. Try to put yourself across in a similar explained situation. Nothing more! :)

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

Confession of a Wild Mind

I'm damn agitated. Or is it the signs of frustration that is finally creeping in me. Each and every moment I'm trying to keep away the agony of pessimism. But may be because of all these I have become some what self centered. I have moved away from feelings of happiness, pain and agony, I couldn't relate myself with anyone, though I still connect with everyone. It's so superficial. I couldn't open up in front of anyone and keep bottling up things with me. Everyone expect me to be there with them in times of need but no one ever asks me how I'm doing and what makes me happy.

May be all these are true and somewhat related to you too. I do believe "Things that doesn't kill me makes me stronger". I have made a full mockery of myself in front a girl, she mailed me that it's not possible to keep in touch sometime back, just that I didn't check the mail. Kept on calling and got a blank response just came to know about the mail. It's not that I was deep in love of something but I liked her and still couldn't understand why we can't be friends. But I didn't ask why, cause I don't want to know.

Please don't jump into any conclusion that my state of mind is dictating the flow of writing. Today I really got agitated seeing the KKR match at IPL, it must be more tough for the boys who are playing.

I should give myself some time, as I always do, when I get agitated I get into a shell and think. Think! What?

Somethings are always left unsaid. Can you count how many times I have used the word "I" in this post. Isn't the blog about "walking with You".

Contradiction is what makes life so funny! It should be "we" rather than "I". Think we have an agreement on this.

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

16 April 2009

Signs of Recession

 

Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

 

 

 

Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

 

 

Election 2009 - Free Symbols

The first Phase of Election started today! On a curious note, I went through the Election Commission of India Portal to find out the total number of Registered and Recognized/Unrecognized  Parties. The total tally of political parties stood around 1000, considering that as a nation India is 1.3 Billion. So if there is any scope of new political entities spawning in some recent future, these are the free Symbols available for them. I did have my creative thoughts/tag lines on some of them. J

 

(LIST OF FREE SYMBOLS)

 

1. Almirah – Good place to Stack the goods even if promises are not delivered

2. Balloon – It’s all the about the Gas

3. Banana – No Comments, don’t want the feminists up in arms against me

4. Basket – Too much for a market Economy

5. Bat – Good things happen by Night

6. Batsman – Reserved for the crickets only

7. Battery Torch – Small in size but sure to light

8. Black Board – As they say, Finally Back in Black

9. Bread – Size and dimensions anyone

10. Brief Case – It’s Heavy

11. Brush - Imagine

12. Cake – Without The Cherry

13. Camera – Light Action

14. Candles – I’m still young

15. Carrot – Wait for the stick

16. Ceiling Fan –

17. Coat – Reid & Taylor

18. Coconut - ??

19. Comb (In all States and Union Territories except in the State of Kerala)

20. Cot (In all States and Union Territories except in the State of Kerala) – Lie down

21. Cup & Saucer

22. Diesel Pump –

23. Dolli

24. Electric Pole – Shocked!

25. Fork

26. Frock

27. Frying Pan

28. Gas Cylinder

29. Gas Stove

30. Glass Tumbler

31. Harmonium

32. Hat

33. Ice Cream

34. Iron

35. Jug

36. Kettle

37. Kite

38. Lady Purse – All shine but no Value

39. Letter Box – Remembering History

40. Maize

41. Nagara (In all States and Union Territories except in the North Eastern States of

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura)

42. Pressure Cooker

43. Railway Engine – Since 1887

44. Ring – Is it the suffeRING

45. Road Roller

46. Saw (In all States and Union Territories except in the State of Kerala)

47. Scissors

48. Sewing Machine

49. Shuttle – One way ticket to the moon

50. Slate

51. Spoon – Feeding hope

52. Stool

53. Table

54. Table Lamp

55. Television

56. Tent

57. Violin

58. Walking Stick

59. Whistle

 

14 April 2009

How it changed

Here I am sitting in my office @ night… Thinking hard about life How it changed…..
from a maverick collage life to strict professional life…...
 
How tiny pocket money changed to huge monthly paychecks but then why it gives less happiness….
How a few local denim jeans changed to new branded wardrobe but then why there are less people to use them
How a single plate of samosa changed to a full Pizza or burger But then why there is less hunger…..
 
 
Here I am sitting in my office @ night… Thinking hard about life How it changed…..
How a bike always in reserve changed to bike always on but then why there are less places to go on……
How a small coffee shop changed to cafe coffee day but then why its feels like shop is far away…..
How a limited prepaid card changed to postpaid package but then why there are less messages & more calls……
 
Here I am sitting in my office @ night… Thinking hard about life How it changed…..
How a general class journey changed to Flight journey But then why there are less vacations for enjoyment….
How a old assembled desktop changed to new branded laptop but then why there is less time to put it on……….
How a small bunch of friends changed to office mate But then why we always feel lonely n miss those college frnz.….
 
Here I am sitting in my office @ night… Thinking hard about life How it changed….. How it changed……..
 

 

05 April 2009

Games We Play

We all play games, some games we play is for fun while most of the games we play is to win! Is it our primitive instinct? Leftover of a near million years of evolution!

All around the animal kingdom you will notice younger beings playfully doing things... without much of fuss . These games ultimately manifest the nature of the animal while they grow up, helping them either to fight of flight. Same with humans, we are taught to socialize during our infancy years and form bond with the environment. Yet, as we add in ages we tend to do just the opposite-well most of us. We don't give a hoot about the environment and people who are less fortunate, we try to create a wall of amnesia. Fortune, may not be a good thing to be divided but surely there is no fortune greater enough to help people.
Did you ever wonder why? Is it because we as a race are progressive change believers! We know only how to take but seldom measure act of repaying with colored lenses. Or is it, we as a race can only speak a language, which makes us so prone to lieing. Did you ever hear a dog, cat or a lion lie? If wisdom of our religions are to be believed then they have a open ticket to heaven.

Just a thought I wanted to share!

Another year added

My Mom called me and became nostalgic about my birth - some quarter of a century ago, as she remembers I came to the planet. She vividly remembers everything, it was told that I was relatively healthy baby at birth. My family that point of time was best described as a middle class hindu undivided family, with a little stretching of imagination of the word "middle class".
I happen to be the eldest of my generation in my family of nearly 200 relatives. My father was not present at my birth, he went to a business visit some 500 kms away. The news of my birth was celebrated by my relatives and starting from the staffs at the hospital to the cleaners of janitor were given their share of sweets.
Something else was going on at that moment in my mother's mind. The room my mom shared with another lady was also expected to give birth. As fate would decide my mom and the lady started having the labor pain on the very same day. When I was born, that lady gave birth to a beautiful girl. My mom was concerned that if I would be swapped. The moment I cried for the first grasp of air in my lung, my mom saw me and noticed that I got my eyes big like her! Isn't it amazing that in a minute of birth out of comfort from my mother's womb the realities of the world started hitting me!
It's being long now, lot of things have changed. Something remains always with me, my mom's support and the golden chain that my grandpa gave me at birth. Though I occasionally disagree with lot of people. Today I want to make a resolution at least for this year I would be polite and nice to everyone and more with people who are rude! :) let's see if somethings can be changed.

My friends called me and wished me, though I don't expect anymore! It's always easier that way. My brother called me from dubai and he called me at midnight his time! Wondering what will happen if we differ the time zone by 12 hours. :)
The only issue is that I'm running temperature, hope things improve. Well, no much update of my swimming. The entire body is aching. Hope that means something.
To everyone who read me, thank you for being with me. It's always Walking With You! :)
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

03 April 2009

In the waters!

There is a big news! I have finally pulled up all my energy to learn swimming. Isn't it little strange considering so many people already adept in it. What ever be the case I did find myself to be very happy.
Before contemplating to learn swimming our group of friends imagined that one day we will be ace life savers - the Baywatch types. Searching more of strings than the wreckages. :)
When I dived in to the pool, I could reach the ground so no fear of drowning-not that I'm hydrophobic. But I couldn't float. Such a disappointment, I must admit that I was little out of mind because of the euphoria and expected to learn swimming in an hour. I tried for first 10 mins all the techniques that I did manage to google and see in television, but most of them helped me to perform some amazing water sumersaults - some of them if captured should have given Mr. Bean a run for his money. Well as always the initial euphoria died down and I came to grips with reality.

My first task was to learn breathing out inside water. It was damn tough! Never ever did I thought how difficult it would be, wish I had gills. Anyways, tried doing that for an hour with my occasional water hopping! That's enough for day 1. I presume I am on target to learn swimming very fast! What say... First consolidating the basics. :) Baywatch calling... Watching the DVDs now.

Plug in your suggestions. I'll keep you posted about my progress.

On the other side: Mark to Market rule has been modified, need to check if the model is available tomorrow. G20 meeting held but still doubtful if everyone is in the same page. And all over the world share market rose, most of them broke their 100 days DMA. My portfolio jumped 5%, cutting the losses.

One of my old friend mailed me long time back, felt good. And my company's CEO made a visit to our location and shared his input, can't say more else it will mount to violation of insider trading rule. Just kidding! Have a good time and wish the confidence is back, at least to oneself.
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

28 March 2009

What a Blackout!

My blackberry was in a mess, so couldn't blog for some days. Lot of things happened during these days, though not very significant but surely placing dots in life. :)

First my BB won't connect EDGE network. Did call up operators and call centre guys. Every time I got a text book solution. One day after calling 7 times in a day I got same old reply: "please switch off your cell and switch on!". Things were getting on my nerve, called up my relationship manager at Airtel, she did help me out with fixing up with a local airtel blackberry guy and he helped me with the concern. The good news I'm back on air. Funny thing is that, I then calls from the blackberry support asking about my concern. Typical case of right hand not knowing what left hand is doing.

In work front, started working on a research report about Banking industry in China. Felt good that I still get to do what I used to do during my MBA studies. Oh! With a slight difference it costs the client $30k.

Did start chat with a lady over the Intranet messenger, she seems sensible and nice. But everyone is like that I guess- no type casting intended though. Just the may be lost the endurance! Hope things improve.

H1B is supposed to be filed on 1st, finger crossed about the draw.

Rest is all peace, was little bit missing a girl... But life moves on!

-
Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

20 March 2009

Marketing Basics

Marketing Concepts made easy! J


1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich.
"Marry me!" - That's Direct Marketing"

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a
gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and
pointing at you says: "He's very rich.
"Marry him." -That's Advertising"

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and get her telephone number. The next day, you
call and say: "Hi, I'm very rich.
"Marry me - That's Telemarketing"

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up
and straighten your tie, you
walk up to her and pour
her a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her,
pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and
then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you
"Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"

 5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks
up to you and says:"You are very rich!
"Can you marry ! me?" - That's Brand Recognition"

 6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you
a nice hard slap on your face. -
"That's Customer Feedback"

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she
introduces you to her husband. - J
"That's demand and supply gap"

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a
party. You go up to
her and before you say anything, another person come
and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she
goes with him -
"That's competition eating into your market share"

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to
her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your
wife arrives. -
"That's restriction for entering new markets"

17 March 2009

LIFE without a Girl Friend is cool

Came across a Forward mail while busy fixing things at work! Surely had a good laugh! J

 

LIFE without a Girl Friend is cool

 


1. You can stare at any Girl....

2. You don't have to spend money on her

3. You won't get boring result in ur board papers

4. No girlfriend, no emotional blackmailing.

5. If u don't have a girlfriend, she can't dump u.

6. Having a girlfriend is hot, not having a girlfriend is automatically
cool, and every one loves to be a cool guy.

7. There can be more to life than just waiting for the bloody phone to ring.

8. You won't have to tolerate someone else defining, "right" and "wrong" for
u.

9. Girlfriend can get so possessive that you can't do anything according ur
wishes anymore.

10. You can buy gifts for mom, dad, sis or grandpa instead of a girlfriend
and have a happier family life.

11. You won't have to waste paper writing love letters. No more endless
waiting for ur date to arrive at some weird shop place.

12. You can have more friends, as u will have more time for them.

13. You wont have to see boring love stories instead of sports.

14. You wont have to tell lie to anybody and, therefore, u'll sin less.

15. You can have good night's sleep-no need to dream about her.

16. You wont have to fight over having a 'special' friend with ur folks.

17. No nonstop nonsense.

18. You wont have drown in the pool of her tears.

19. No tension.

20. You can be "urself"

21. You wont have to hide your telephone bills.....

 

Excerpts: Ben Bernanke's Greatest Challenge (CBC)

Ben Bernanke's Greatest Challenge

Fed Chairman Discusses Recession, Financial Rescues And Recovery In Wide-Ranging 60 Minutes Interview

 

(CBS)  Aside from the president he's the most powerful man working to save the economy, but you have never seen an interview with Ben Bernanke.

Bernanke is the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, better known as the Fed. The words of any Fed chairman cause fortunes to rise and fall and so, by tradition, chairmen of the Fed do not do interviews - that is until now.

The Federal Reserve controls the economy by setting interest rates. But after the crash of 2008, Bernanke invoked emergency powers, and with unprecedented aggressiveness has thrown a trillion dollars at the crisis.

Ben Bernanke may be the most important Fed chairman in history. The question is, can he help lead America out of this deep recession and when?


"Mr. Chairman, I'm gonna start with a question that everyone wants me to ask: when does this end?" 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley asked Bernanke.

"It depends a lot on the financial system," he replied. "The lesson of history is that you do not get a sustained economic recovery as long as the financial system is in crisis. We've seen some progress in the financial markets, absolutely. But until we get that stabilized and working normally, we're not gonna see recovery. But we do have a plan. We're working on it. And I do think that we will get it stabilized, and we'll see the recession coming to an end probably this year. We'll see recovery beginning next year. And it will pick up steam over time."

Asked if he thinks the recession is going to end this year, Bernanke said, "In the sense that this decline will begin to moderate and we'll begin to see leveling off. We won't be back to full employment. But we will see, I hope, the end of these declines that have been so strong in a last couple of quarters."

"But you wouldn't say at this point that we're out of the woods?" Pelley asked.

"No," Bernanke replied. "I think the key issue is the banking system and the financial system."

"Unemployment, as we sit here, is about 8.1 percent. I wonder, do you expect double digit unemployment?" Pelley asked.

"Well, it's hard to forecast exactly where we're going. Unemployment is rising. Job losses are still very severe. And no doubt, the unemployment rate's gonna go higher than it is. But I think, again, that if we do succeed in stabilizing the financial system, that we'll begin to see a slower pace of decline, and eventually, a stabilization that will set the basis for a recovery," Bernanke said.

"You seem to be saying that we're not heading into a new American Depression?" Pelley asked.

"I think we've averted that risk. I think we've gotten past that and now the problem is to get the thing working properly again," the chairman said.

Bernanke, age 55, has been chairman of the Federal Reserve Board since 2006. He had previously served as a Fed governor, then chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, before being appointed as Fed chairman by President George W. Bush.

For this interview, he opened up the Fed headquarters, rarely seen by the public. It's a monumental building along the National Mall. Construction started in 1935 in the depths of the Great Depression.

"You know Mr. Chairman I think the Federal Reserve, for most people, is a mystery," Pelley remarked.

"Well, it's an institution that people don't hear so much about but it's a very important one. It manages monetary policy for the country. It's one of the main tools we have for stabilizing our economy and keeping prices stable," Bernanke said.

Asked when it was founded, Bernanke told Pelley, "The Fed was created by Congress in 1913. And its original purpose was to deal with financial panics, which is what we're doing right now."

Bernanke's crisis started in 2007 with the mortgage meltdown; lenders began to fail. Bernanke cut interest rates repeatedly. In 2008, the Fed stopped the collapse of Bear Stearns by arranging a sale to another firm.

But then came the end of Wall Street as we knew it. Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were seized by the government. On Sept. 14, Merrill Lynch was sold in distress. The next day, the 158-year-old investment bank Lehman Brothers failed

"You didn't rescue Lehman Brothers. It set off a worldwide panic when it went bankrupt. And I wonder, looking back, whether you think that was a mistake," Pelley asked.

"There were many people who said, 'Let 'em fail.' You know, 'It's not a problem. The markets will take care of it.' And I think I knew better than that. And Lehman proved that you cannot let a large internationally active firm fail in the middle of a financial crisis. Now was it a mistake? It wasn't a mistake for the following reason: we didn't have the option, we didn't have the tools. All the Federal Reserve can do is make loans against collateral," Bernanke replied.

(CBS)  The day after Lehman, Bernanke's Fed did something astounding: it loaned $85 billion to a company that wasn't a bank at all - American International Group (AIG), the global insurance giant that was also involved in backing risky mortgage investments. Bernanke says, unlike Lehman, the Fed could make the loans based on good collateral in AIG's portfolio.

"There have now been four rescues of AIG, $160 billion. Why is that necessary?" Pelley asked.

"Let me just first say that of all the events and all of the things we've done in the last 18 months, the single one that makes me the angriest, that gives me the most angst, is the intervention with AIG. Here was a company that made all kinds of unconscionable bets. Then, when those bets went wrong, we had a situation where the failure of that company would have brought down the financial system," Bernanke said.

"You say it makes you angry?" Pelley asked.

"It makes me angry. I slammed the phone more than a few times on discussing AIG. I understand why the American people are angry. It's absolutely unfair that taxpayer dollars are going to prop up a company that made these terrible bets, that was operating out of the sight of regulators, but which we have no choice but the stabilize, or else risk enormous impact, not just in the financial system, but on the whole U.S. economy," Bernanke explained.

By September, Bernanke and then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson went to Capitol Hill to urge a massive bailout of the banking system, which lawmakers soon passed.

Asked how close of a call it was, Bernanke said, "It was very close. It was very close. The Congress passed the bill that gave Treasury the right to put capital into the banks in the first week of October. And it was in the second week of October that the crisis reached its peak. If we had not had those powers, we could have had a much, much worse outcome. So it was a very dangerous situation."

"Was anyone on Capitol Hill skeptical? Did they push back at all, you know, 'Mr. Chairman, it's probably not quite that bad'?" Pelley asked.

"Well, I do remember one conversation I had where I was addressing a caucus of congressmen. And a congressman said to me, 'Mr. Chairman, you know, I'm talking to bankers in my town. I'm talking to shopkeepers in my town. And they say things are normal. Nothing's going on. We don't see any problem.' And I turned to him and I said, 'You will,'" Bernanke recalled.

That second week of October, the Dow fell 18 percent - its worst week in history. At that point, $8 trillion had been lost.

In the crisis, Bernanke had freedom to act immediately - he doesn't need permission from Congress or the president. While they debated on Capitol Hill, Bernanke cut interest rates nearly to zero; then he used Depression-era emergency powers to launch a dozen rescue programs of his own. There was support for money market funds, mortgages, short term lending to small business, and support for auto loans, student loans and small business loans - commitments of a trillion dollars, doubling the size of the Fed's balance sheet.

Asked if it's tax money the Fed is spending, Bernanke said, "It's not tax money. The banks have accounts with the Fed, much the same way that you have an account in a commercial bank. So, to lend to a bank, we simply use the computer to mark up the size of the account that they have with the Fed. It's much more akin to printing money than it is to borrowing."

"You've been printing money?" Pelley asked.

"Well, effectively," Bernanke said. "And we need to do that, because our economy is very weak and inflation is very low. When the economy begins to recover, that will be the time that we need to unwind those programs, raise interest rates, reduce the money supply, and make sure that we have a recovery that does not involve inflation."


(CBS)  He's not kidding about printing money: the Fed issues U.S. currency, which is why it says "Federal Reserve Note" on all the bills in your wallet. The Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing is just a few blocks from Bernanke's office. It prints the money at the Fed's request.

The Fed's mandate from Congress is to put enough money i the system for maximum employment, but not so much that it sets off inflation.

The Fed actually pays for itself and returns billions in profits to the Treasury.

In a sense, Bernanke has been preparing for this emergency his whole professional life. He got a PhD in economics from MIT. He chaired the economics department at Princeton, where his specialty was the Great Depression.

He's among many economists who now believe it was the Federal Reserve itself that helped turn a recession in 1929 into a global calamity.

"They made two mistakes, basically. One was they let the money supply contract very sharply. Prices fell. Deflation.  So monetary policy was, in fact, very contractionary. Very tight during that period. And then the second mistake they made was they let the banks fail. They didn't make any strong effort to prevent the failure of thousands of banks. And that failure had terrible effects on credit and on the ability of the economy to right itself," Bernanke explained.

Bernanke told 60 Minutes we were close to a second Depression and he is determined to not let the major banks fail on his watch.

"One of the things that I think many people watching this interview don't understand, is why there are multiple bailouts, four bailouts of AIG, three bailouts of Citigroup. There is a sense that this is a band-aid approach, that we're not getting to the root of the problem," Pelley remarked.

"Well, part of the issue is that, you know, the economy has gotten a good bit worse. You know, the first part of the crisis was subprime and other assets that were toxic. Now, we're in a second phase, which is that the economy is very weak," he said. "So the economy's weakness has meant that some of the initial attempts to stabilize the banks haven't been enough, and we've had to do more."

"You know, Mr. Chairman, there are so many people outside this building, across this country, who say, 'To hell with them. They made bad bets. The wages of failure on Wall Street should be failure,'" Pelley remarked.

"Let me give you an analogy, if I might," Bernanke said. "If you have a neighbor, who smokes in bed. And he's a risk to everybody. If suppose he sets fire to his house, and you might say to yourself, you know, 'I'm not gonna call the fire department. Let his house burn down. It's fine with me.' But then, of course, but what if your house is made of wood? And it's right next door to his house? What if the whole town is made of wood? Well, I think we'd all agree that the right thing to do is put out that fire first, and then say, 'What punishment is appropriate? How should we change the fire code? What needs to be done to make sure this doesn't happen in the future? How can we fire proof our houses?' That's where we are now. We have a fire going on."

Bernanke told Pelley that "fire" is still burning.

Asked if all the big banks the Fed regulates are solvent, Bernanke said, "I believe they are, yes. But we are doing a stress test right now, where we're looking at what the positions of the banks are under a tougher economic scenario than the one that we currently expect. And what we plan to do is to say how much capital would each bank need to be well capitalized. Not just solvent, but well capitalized, even in these more adverse scenarios."

"Are you committing in this interview, that you are not going to let any of these banks fail? That no matter what their balance sheet actually looks like, they are not gonna fail?" Pelley asked.

"They are not gonna fail," Bernanke said. "But what we can do, should it be necessary, is try to wind it down in a safe way."

In other words, Bernanke thinks government should stabilize failed financial companies and take them apart slowly. "So, for example, in the case of AIG, we've prevented a bankruptcy, because of the chaos that would create. But we're also demanding that AIG divest itself, sell off its subsidiaries, and use the proceeds to pay back the government," he said.

"What are the dangers now? What keeps you up at night?" Pelley asked.

"I think the biggest risk is that, you know, we don't have the political will. We don't have the commitment to solve this problem, and that we let it just continue. In which case, you know, we can't count on recovery," Bernanke said.

The Fed estimates the wealth of American families fell 18 percent in 2008, the worst since the Great Depression.

(CBS)  Ben Bernanke is doing things with the Federal Reserve that have never been done before. It may be because he's not a creature of Washington or Wall Street.

He grew up, middle class, the smartest kid in a town now falling on hard times. He told Pelley, because the Fed is so powerful, it should be more open.

Bernanke meets with his six fellow governors of the Federal Reserve - all of them appointed by the president of the United States - at the Fed's headquarters. Bernanke also chairs the Federal Open Market Committee, which decides interest rates.

Those meetings, which take place inside the Fed’s boardroom in Washington, are secret. Asked why, Bernanke took Pelley inside the boardroom and explained, "If we held those things with a TV camera on us it would create lots of volatility and problems in the market. But I should say that, you know, we've come a long way. In 1994, when the Fed made a policy decision to change interest rates, wouldn't even announce that we made a change. But now, after every meeting, we put out a statement, say what we did, explain what we did, why we're doing it. And three weeks later, we put out minutes to describe everything that happened in the meeting. So we're becoming much more transparent."

"When I called and proposed this interview about a year ago, your representative laughed out loud. And said, 'The Fed chairman never does an interview.' Why are you doing this?" Pelley asked.

"Well, it's an extraordinary time. It's an extraordinary time. This is a chance for me, I think, to talk to America directly," Bernanke said.

It's also a chance for America to understand where he comes from.

Ben Shalom Bernanke grew up in one of the few Jewish families in Dillon, S.C., today a town of 6,000 people.

His grandfather, Jonas, immigrated from Eastern Europe, landed at Ellis Island, and came to Dillon to start a drug store.

"Our family came here in 1941. My grandfather, Jonas Bernanke bought this building, made it to the JB Drugs, after his initials," Bernanke told Pelley.

Later, his father and uncle took over the store which has since become a restaurant.

"We're sitting on this corner where your family's store was. And I see it's Main Street. People feel like guys like you are tuned into what happens on Wall Street and you forget places like this," Pelley remarked.

"I come from Main Street. That's my background," Bernanke said. "I've never been on Wall Street. And I care about Wall Street for one reason and one reason only because what happens on Wall Street matters to Main Street. And if we don't have stabilization in the financial markets, if we don't take the steps necessary to make sure that credit is flowing again, then my father couldn't get a loan to build his new store."

Bernanke and Pelley went to the old neighborhood the Bernankes left years ago. A recent owner couldn't quite make the mortgage, so the economy literally hit home.

"When you first heard that your childhood home had gone into foreclosure, what did you think?" Pelley asked.

"Well, I was sorry to hear it. But, you know, in a way, I wasn't surprised. Dillon has taken, you know, a pretty big hit in the economic downturn. Unemployment rate's about 14 percent. And there have been a good number of foreclosures and plant closings and those things I think about that," Bernanke said.

Numbers were always Bernanke's thing: he taught himself calculus and got an SAT score of 1590 out of 1600. A friend talked him into aiming high for college.

"I came home from school one day and there was a phone call for me. And I picked up the phone. They said, 'This is the Harvard Admissions Department. We'd like to let you know that you're accepted in the freshman class.' And I said, 'Come on, who is this really?' But my parents had their doubts about my leaving and going too far from home," Bernanke recalled.

"No! Wait a minute. Your parents weren't thrilled that you were going to Harvard?" Pelley asked.

"My mother was definitely against it. First of all, she said, you know, 'You don't have the clothes. You won't be able to dress properly for Harvard. And it's a long way from here. How you gonna come home on holidays and so on.' So, my parents ate into their savings to let me go, which I'm always grateful for."

(CBS)  Bernanke helped pay for college working construction and working at "South of the Border" - the future chairman of the Fed wore a poncho and waited tables.

Asked what he learned about work, Bernanke said, "Work is hard, that in order to feed your family and to give your kids opportunities you, it's not an easy thing."

Back in the marble confines of the Federal Reserve, Bernanke told Pelley he understands that many Americans are afraid.

"I've been kicking around the country. I spoke to a woman in Ohio, who took her son out of college, because she got laid off. I spoke to a woman in Nevada, who has an advanced stage of cancer. And she was told by her county hospital that they couldn't treat her because a hole had been blown in the state budget. What do you say to those people?" Pelley asked.

"Well, I got into economics, because I wanted to make things better for the average person. When I see a job loss number, 650,000, like we saw last month, I know that's not just a number. That's 650,000 lives that have been disrupted. Families that have had to move or take children out of school. Houses that may be in danger of foreclosure. I know something about what people are going through," Bernanke said.

And that makes it all the more outrageous when he hears of financial firms handing out perks and bonuses after they've taken bailout money. "The era of this high living, this is over now. And that they need to be responsible and use the money constructively," he said.

"And you would say what to those bankers right now in this interview?" Pelley asked.

"I'd say that their job right now is to find a way to make loans to creditworthy borrowers, to get their banks back on the path of making good loans, safe loans, and to have a reasonable sense of humility based on, you know, what's happened in the last 18 months," he replied.

We asked Bernanke what it's been like at the office the last 18 months, with his staff working 80 hour weeks.

"I noticed when we were in your office. You have a couch in there. You [have] been sleeping on that couch?" Pelley asked.

"Once in a while," Bernanke said. "And sometimes, it goes through the weekend. Sometimes it goes overnight."

The Federal Reserve is the life blood of the banking system. Its 12 regional banks are clearing houses for commercial banks.

One of the vaults associated with the Reserve Bank is in New York. Robots carry cash in the vault that's as big as a football field and four stories high. Each pallet, loaded with $100 bills, is worth $64 million. The Fed has 22,000 employees. It clears your checks and your ATM withdrawals. And it provides economic forecasts.

But one of its most important responsibilities is regulating the nation's biggest banks, to be the watchdog.

"You're supposed to keep them out of trouble. So, how did all this happen?" Pelley asked.

"Well, a lot of mistakes got made. No question about it. But, you know, this was a much bigger thing than any single firm or any single individual," Bernanke replied. "Over the last dozen years or so, enormous amounts of savings have flowed into the United States, and some other industrial countries. That savings has come from China and East Asia. It's come from oil producers. And hundreds of billions of dollars, it has come into our financial system. And, you know, that would be great if we took that money and invested it wisely, and got a high return. But instead, our financial system didn't do a good job. We had a regulatory system that was like a sandcastle on the beach. When you had little small waves just lapping up against the sand castle, everything looked good. But when you had a big breaker come in, suddenly the system wasn't strong enough to deal with it."

(CBS)  "Does the Federal Reserve bear any responsibility for missing what was happening to the banks, as it was happening?" Pelley asked.

"Well, like other regulators, we probably could have done more. We've already done a lot of - put a lot of effort into reviewing our practices. And reviewing the bank's practices. We are trying to strengthen our regulation at every point that we can. So, I don't want to deny that we certainly could have done a better job, and others could have done a better job," Bernanke conceded.

Now President Obama and the Congress have a fiscal stimulus plan of nearly $800 billion. There's that separate bailout for financial firms - at least $700 billion. And plans are developing for a way that would take on the bad debt of crippled institutions.

"There was a panic in 1907. So the Fed was created to prevent that from ever happening again. And then we got the Great Depression. And now we have this. How do we prevent this from occurring another time?" Pelley asked.

"Well, tougher regulation of large firms. It includes having a set of laws that allows us to wind down. A large, internationally active firm, without the adverse impacts on the markets that a disorderly bankruptcy would have. It includes possibly having a systemic regulator. A regulator that has some responsibility to look at the system as a whole," Bernanke said.

"Your response has been to do what the Fed didn't do in 1929, and that is pour money into the system. But there's an argument made today that that's not what the problem is. The problem isn't that there's too little money in the system. The problem is there's too much fear in the system. That with these companies being propped up by the government, no one on Wall Street can tell who's solvent and who's not. And therefore, business does not move," Pelley pointed out.

"Well, I absolutely agree that confidence is key," Bernanke said. "People don't know what's happening. And they're afraid. And they're not sure what, you know, whether or not the system is gonna recover. So, how do you get confidence, that's the question. And I think the way to get confidence is to show progress."

Asked if he's seeing any progress, Bernanke said, "I think all of our efforts, so far, have produced results. We're buying about $500 billion in mortgages, in package and securities by the G.S.E.s, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And that seems to have brought down mortgage rates significantly. It allows people to refinance. To get out of high rate mortgages. We are seeing progress in the money market mutual funds, and in the business lending area. And I think as those green shoots begin to appear in different markets and as some confidence begins to come back that will begin the positive dynamic that brings our economy back."

"Do you see green shoots?" Pelley asked.

"I do. I do see green shoots. And not everywhere, but certainly in some of the markets that we've been functioning in. And we've seen some improvement in the banks, as well," Bernanke said.

Asked what the first signs of recovery will be, Bernanke told Pelley, "Well, I think that one sign would be that a large bank is successful in raising private equity. Right now, all the private money is sitting on the sidelines saying, 'We don't know what these banks are worth. We don't know that they're stable.' And they're not willing to put their money into the banks."

"If you had a message for the American People in this interview, what would it be?" Pelley asked.

"Scott, I'd say three things. I'd say, first of all, that the Federal Reserve is here, and is gonna do everything possible to support this recovery. The second thing I would say is that we have to understand, though, that recovery is not gonna happen until the financial markets and the banks are stabilized. And we do have a plan, we have a program for that. But it's gonna take some patience," Bernanke said.

"But the third and final thing I'd just like to say to the American People is that I have every confidence that this economy will recover, and recover in a strong and sustained way. The American people are among the most productive in the world. We have the best technologies. We have great universities. We have entrepreneurs. I just have every confidence that as we get through this crisis, that our economy will begin to grow again, and it will remain the most powerful and dynamic economy in the world."

 

Some good news has started to trickle in

India back on FDI radar, beats recession blues

 

At a time when the world economy is facing the worst credit freeze in several decades, India attracted USD 2.7-billion FDI in January, up 58.8 per cent from a year ago, and remained a favourite destination for cross-border investments.

 

"January numbers are very good...it is an indication of the confidence that the rest of the world has in India," Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Ajay Shankar said.

 

The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows for the April-January period aggregated to USD 23.8 billion and is expected to cross the last year's target of USD 25 billion this fiscal.

 

Though the government had set a target of USD 35-billion FDI for 2008-09, it looked rather ambitious in the wake of the global downturn.

 

Up to September this fiscal, the monthly inflows were in excess of USD 2 billion. However, the following three months saw a sharp dip in the overseas investments.

 

The January figures bring a renewed hope that India is back on the radar of global investors.

 

     

 

CPI(M) Election Manifesto - 2009

Thought to include an article I read about the manifesto of a communist party based out of India.
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By Surojit Gupta Surojit Gupta Mon Mar 16, 5:59 am ET

Reuters: Communist Party of India (Marxist) supporters hold their party flags during a public rally in Kolkata

NEW DELHI (Reuters) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Indias most influential hard-left party, called on Monday ahead of a general election for state control of the financial sector and restrictions on foreign investment to overcome an economic slowdown.

CPI-M held the balance of power for most of the tenure of the Congress Party-led government before withdrawing its support last year, and has often played a role in shaping coalition government policies.

In its manifesto for the April/May general election, released on Monday, the CPI(M) also proposed a complete halt to privatisation of profitable state firms, a ban on foreign investment in the retail sector, and guidelines to prevent entry of foreign firms into some of Indias domestic markets.

The main battle in the April 16-May 13 election will be between a coalition led by the left-of-centre Congress Party and an alliance led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharat Janata Party, traditionally more pro-business.

"The CPI(M) will work for the creating of a non-Congress, non-BJP government, which will strengthen democracy, ensure equitable economic development and social justice," the party said in the document.

After years of blocking economic reforms, the CPI(M) and smaller leftist parties withdrew their support for the government to protest against a civilian nuclear deal with the United States. The deal gives India access to nuclear fuel and technology on international markets.

The party has since said it wants to be part of a "Third Front" alternative of smaller parties to the main national alliances.

The CPI(M) said it wanted to review the nuclear deal with the United States to remove "harmful" clauses. It says the accord damages Indias ability to have independent security, making the country reliant on Washington.

The communists may struggle to retain the same number of seats in this election amid problems in some of its heartlands, such as West Bengal.

But it could still muster enough seats to hold the balance of power, political analysts say.

The manifesto had little impact on Indian markets, with traders saying that the CPI(M) does not have the same clout as in previous years. Indian 30-share BSE stock index was up 1.7 percent in late afternoon trade.

Its leaders believe an economic slowdown in India sparked by the global financial crisis could see a backlash against foreign firms and lead voters to support more regulation of the financial sector.

In the manifesto, the CPI(M) said it would also stop joint military exercises with the United States, a country of that it has traditionally been suspicious.

(Additional reporting by Krittivas Mukherjee)
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Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

News I Read Today

Today Fed Chair Bernanke says the risk for further troubles in the credit market as "exceptionally low" while at the Press Club Wednesday.

Where as AIG today disclosed names of conterparties who got some of the bail out money thanks to its (in)famous CDS trade, with Societe Generale getting almost $4.1 billion. Though the disclosure was forced by Congress, on the flip side AIG the largest insurer paid $163 million as extra bonus to executives for doing their job well. It doesn't matter even you are on life support you can surely enjoy the wine!

This is what is called self-imposed-market regulation. I'm getting Green.

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Sent from BlackBerry® on Airtel

16 March 2009

Devil is in details

“The moment you leverage the tool for client then we can use it to optimize the client relation. Work in a co-sourcing model i.e. give and take model among different vendors. Identify the key persons who are involved, models view has to come from the current application team and the moment you do that you have a better feel of the architecture. This is what I’m assuming. Identify the start point, end point, how much bandwidth required – it’s basically planning the execution and driving the execution. That’s how I’m thinking right now. How do you think about the practical purposes? How we package the solution is important. How shall we come to know about all the application is important? Identify the “next to the vision” operation. Instead of starting from the scratch you are starting those applications that we are currently working. Going forward this will help identifying how the collaboration will work. This will come from the visionary level not from the team. When you are sharing this information for that engagement, they will have a good insight about what you are going to do. The only difference is level of understanding. We need to have an executive buy mind.”

This is how my day begun. By 15:30 I was confident that we are not taking in relation to the stock market but to grab a pie of business in this down-time. By now I have at least 5 different strategies for approaching this problem the only problem is the amount of confusion it is there in my head. Given the lack of confidence in the main street, imagine doing a BD chase with so much option/confusion. In the hindsight, it remembers me when I was sitting for my Programming Lab some 8 years back; I was to code a program in 8085 architecture. After executing successfully the code I was literally grilled by the interviewer in all “what if scenarios” – incidentally she didn’t like my logic and couldn’t comprehend the end objective can be met with difference in path.

If I have not confused you enough, let me get to the matter. In times of crisis of this nature can’t we do the simple things in a simple manner? Clarity of thought is important we should always keep a tab of the bigger picture before getting into too much of Glocalization. The simple rule of thumb would be let’s own what we do and lets be accountable. This will create confidence which will reflect in us and the main street.

Till that time comes I wish Amen!

 

Who will Rate this

[This one I published some couple of months back in my company’s intranet, thought to upload it here]

We have chronic dissidence.  Not with the world but with ourselves.

The current financial stress world over is again magnified with words like, biggest fall in recorded history, Dow loosing in a single day more than the GDP of India, World in recession, Re-living the ‘30s et al. These are the first things that glares when one open the newspaper in the morning.  This news almost creates nausea as it was a forte of pink papers now migrated to the whites.

On a quite stroll of nearby market in Kolkata I’m surprised to see that the person selling vegetables sitting in street is still selling vegetables, the milkman still comes in the morning. What am I thinking! Am I expecting them to talk in terms of futures & options or will they sell Nasdaq futures tomorrow. Then why is it we market the stress of financial downturn as if it’s Armageddon.

Oh come on! I know it’s quite easy to comprehend that the market players should be part of the market not in speculation. Imagine our poor vegetable seller asking you to deposit money for price of cabbage that s/he will deliver month end and charged a differential rate on it. Will you buy the deal? What is the difference between a person gambling in Las Vegas and the broker doing a reverse swap on inflation-interest of an economy? The answer is the second person is wearing a tie.

We have invented too many products to satisfy our appetite. God must be wondering it’s safe to be in heaven rather than to see what amount of re-packaging is done in this world (that will in effect mean we have to wait some more time to have any other re-incarnation). To regulate it we have created agencies which publish the rating of those products judging by the “fundamentals”. The interesting fact is all the ratings are nothing but a mere advisory and the agencies are not in any ways responsible for their god-sent-gift of ranking product. To complete the circle most of the compliance/regulatory laws require following the rating and having risk-mitigation exposure on that. I wish I could advice on something like this and get away with a fat pay check and zero downside – true Nirvana.

Before we reach the Buddha in ourselves, we will persists to have the chronic dissidence about thinking of everything is counterbalanced force in things we create and marketing sediments & rocks as a potential ingredient of oil. Just that we need patience for 10 million years. May be oil will be AAA+ commodity then.

 

Dirty Drawing Anyone?

Interesting forward mail that I received thought to share with you!

 

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