Recently read Ellison's New Yacht on The Wealth Report - WSJ.com about Larry Ellison building a new smaller yatch. A very amusing quote from this article: it looks one of America’s flashiest billionaires may actually be downsizing.
Another interesting thought: Larry sold a share in his existing yatch to billionare David Geffen, which makes me think that billionares like Larry don't miss out on an opportunity to make money. Even when he didn't like his yacht he made the most of it by selling it partially, till the time he gets himself a new one.
Would love to hear your comments on this.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
It doesn't pay to be smart
Recently read this study from USA TODAY - It doesn't pay to be smart - about how people with IQ in most cases are not as rich as there IQ and have nearly the same rate of bankruptcy as people with IQ of 80. It doesn't take me much to get convinced with the outcome of the study because this is what I have been seeing all along my life in India.
People with highest IQ in any class end up being scientists and with most of the research being controlled by the government they end up working for the government which is the worst paymaster in India. The students who are a shade below end up being doctors and engineers who are decently rich to get along with life. The next lower rung of students is an anomaly in my theory and they end up in arts and commerce and a few of them make it big with the finance or such sectors. But when they make it big it is BIG. The last rung of students become the politicians or rogues and everybody knows who is the richest of all in India.
So for me the lower the IQ in India the better it is, if you want to get rich that is. :)
Postscript: Happy Independence Day to all the Indians.
People with highest IQ in any class end up being scientists and with most of the research being controlled by the government they end up working for the government which is the worst paymaster in India. The students who are a shade below end up being doctors and engineers who are decently rich to get along with life. The next lower rung of students is an anomaly in my theory and they end up in arts and commerce and a few of them make it big with the finance or such sectors. But when they make it big it is BIG. The last rung of students become the politicians or rogues and everybody knows who is the richest of all in India.
So for me the lower the IQ in India the better it is, if you want to get rich that is. :)
Postscript: Happy Independence Day to all the Indians.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Technical: CPU Affinity | Linux Journal
Interesting article on how to bind a process to a particular processor on a linux machine: CPU Affinity Linux Journal
Gives out a small C program which helps one bind a process to a processor.
Gives out a small C program which helps one bind a process to a processor.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Movie Review: Chak De India
After a long time I saw a movie which kept me engaged for the full length of the movie. When the intermission came it seemed that the movie had just started and when it did end it seemed like it had started half hour ago.
Chak de India is a movie about loving your game and playing for your team and not for yourself. It makes you forget the differences and tells you that we are all Indians and after a long time a movie that says "Winning is the only thing". To me it is a generational shift, the movies in yesteryear used to preach "participation is the only thing, winning is not". Not since Lagaan, another movie that said, winning is the only thing, have I seen people clapping in a movie hall. Seeing such movies being made, makes me believe that India is now poised to find its rightful place in the world and that now more and more Indians believe that they CAN.
Though the movie has its a plethora of characters who still believe that India and Indians cannot make it, but there are few like Kabir Khan and his unnamed friend, who helps him get the job, who believe that they can and so can others and therefore India.
Shahrukh Khan delivers one his most restrained performances and shows why he is a star. The girls are well casted and there are no over dramatic scenes. There are dialogues - catchy, motivational and philosophical - which you will probably remember for days to come.
"aaj mein pehli baar kisi gore ko India ka Tiranga lehrate dekh raha hu".
"haar ka bhoj jhelne ke liye tumhare kandhe abhi bane nahi hain"
"yeh sattar minute agar har player apne jeevan ki best hockey khele to koi is team ko nahi hara sakta"
Chak de.. might be just what the doctor ordered for Indian hockey which despite being the national sport of India is now no longer a priority sport.
My rating on the movie (5/5). Watch it if you want to get motivated, feel patriotic, feel enthusiastic and above feel like you can do.
Chak de India is a movie about loving your game and playing for your team and not for yourself. It makes you forget the differences and tells you that we are all Indians and after a long time a movie that says "Winning is the only thing". To me it is a generational shift, the movies in yesteryear used to preach "participation is the only thing, winning is not". Not since Lagaan, another movie that said, winning is the only thing, have I seen people clapping in a movie hall. Seeing such movies being made, makes me believe that India is now poised to find its rightful place in the world and that now more and more Indians believe that they CAN.
Though the movie has its a plethora of characters who still believe that India and Indians cannot make it, but there are few like Kabir Khan and his unnamed friend, who helps him get the job, who believe that they can and so can others and therefore India.
Shahrukh Khan delivers one his most restrained performances and shows why he is a star. The girls are well casted and there are no over dramatic scenes. There are dialogues - catchy, motivational and philosophical - which you will probably remember for days to come.
"aaj mein pehli baar kisi gore ko India ka Tiranga lehrate dekh raha hu".
"haar ka bhoj jhelne ke liye tumhare kandhe abhi bane nahi hain"
"yeh sattar minute agar har player apne jeevan ki best hockey khele to koi is team ko nahi hara sakta"
Chak de.. might be just what the doctor ordered for Indian hockey which despite being the national sport of India is now no longer a priority sport.
My rating on the movie (5/5). Watch it if you want to get motivated, feel patriotic, feel enthusiastic and above feel like you can do.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Customer satisfaction 103
In Delhi NCR, PRJ Auto Services provides a 24x7 service for emergencies on road. For this service they charge an annual fee of Rs. 400/-. Recently my subscription had come up for renewal and as is the practice of most agencies they called up and reminded me that my subscription is about to end and that if I wished to get the subscription they would send an executive to collect the money from me. So I said fine send someone to collect the money. When that person came he collected the cheque from me and gave me a new subscription number and when I asked for a receipt he said that the card itself is a receipt and there is no need for a separate receipt. Since I was more interested in getting the renewal done I ignored this.
Some days later, I found that instead of Rs. 400/- a sum of Rs. 3000/- has been deducted from my bank on account of the subscription renewal. I called up bank to get the mistake rectified, they said they have received a cheque for Rs. 3000/- so have deducted that much and asked me to check with the concerned party. When I called up PRJ's helpline, they confirmed that they had in fact received a cheque for Rs. 3000/-. However they said if this is a mistake they would gladly refund me the money. Then they enquired at their end and found that this was indeed a case of mistaken payment and then to my utter relief sent me a cheque of Rs. 2600/- to refund the excess amount paid by me.
This is what I call customer service, I was not required to follow up with them about the payment. I called them twice to enquire about the status and at both the times they were quite friendly and concerned about the issue. And then after a week or so they called me up to inform that they are sending a cheque to me for refund.
If more companies follow practices like these and show concern for the customer, then customer dissatisfaction will become a word found only in dictionaries.
Some days later, I found that instead of Rs. 400/- a sum of Rs. 3000/- has been deducted from my bank on account of the subscription renewal. I called up bank to get the mistake rectified, they said they have received a cheque for Rs. 3000/- so have deducted that much and asked me to check with the concerned party. When I called up PRJ's helpline, they confirmed that they had in fact received a cheque for Rs. 3000/-. However they said if this is a mistake they would gladly refund me the money. Then they enquired at their end and found that this was indeed a case of mistaken payment and then to my utter relief sent me a cheque of Rs. 2600/- to refund the excess amount paid by me.
This is what I call customer service, I was not required to follow up with them about the payment. I called them twice to enquire about the status and at both the times they were quite friendly and concerned about the issue. And then after a week or so they called me up to inform that they are sending a cheque to me for refund.
If more companies follow practices like these and show concern for the customer, then customer dissatisfaction will become a word found only in dictionaries.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
India's Tour of England - Second Test review
Some jelly beans, Great inspired bowling by Zaheer Khan, the unintentional beamer by Sreesanth which made Kevin Peitersen too loose his concentration, excellent batting by the Indian top order and some really helpful conditions on the first day made it possible for the Indian team to register its sixth win in England, Micheal Vaughan's century not withstanding.
It was a great contest between India and England and a treat to watch. Every time you checked the scores from office on www.cricinfo.com something had happened and you rued being in office.
Read an interesting statistic on www.cricinfo.com post match - in its last 12 tours India has a won at least one match in 10 of the tours and in at least 4 of these series against major cricketing nations, India has drawn first blood and taking a lead in the series only to let it go. Lets hope this does not happen this time around against England.
In my first article on this series I had said almost all of the earlier tours of England, India have lost the first test and that has caused them to loose the series. The only tours they have not lost are the ones where they have not lost the first test. After the rain gods saved them, it seems that history will be repeated, India will now not loose this series and there are high chances that we may even win the series given that the pitch at the Oval has always been a belter.
Lets hope that it is not a repeat of India's famous tour to Australia in 2003-4 where we drew the series after saving the 1st Test, by some inspired batting from Saurav Ganguly and then winning the 2nd Test after a memorable knock by Rahul Dravid.
Postscript: the advertisements on Star Cricket are on the rise again and Sachin Tendulkar's Aviva advertisement is now on air again after a hiatus. Happy days are round the corner for the sponsors of the Indian Cricket team and the players.
Back to normality.
It was a great contest between India and England and a treat to watch. Every time you checked the scores from office on www.cricinfo.com something had happened and you rued being in office.
Read an interesting statistic on www.cricinfo.com post match - in its last 12 tours India has a won at least one match in 10 of the tours and in at least 4 of these series against major cricketing nations, India has drawn first blood and taking a lead in the series only to let it go. Lets hope this does not happen this time around against England.
In my first article on this series I had said almost all of the earlier tours of England, India have lost the first test and that has caused them to loose the series. The only tours they have not lost are the ones where they have not lost the first test. After the rain gods saved them, it seems that history will be repeated, India will now not loose this series and there are high chances that we may even win the series given that the pitch at the Oval has always been a belter.
Lets hope that it is not a repeat of India's famous tour to Australia in 2003-4 where we drew the series after saving the 1st Test, by some inspired batting from Saurav Ganguly and then winning the 2nd Test after a memorable knock by Rahul Dravid.
Postscript: the advertisements on Star Cricket are on the rise again and Sachin Tendulkar's Aviva advertisement is now on air again after a hiatus. Happy days are round the corner for the sponsors of the Indian Cricket team and the players.
Back to normality.
Eldeco is at it again
Imagine a brand new housing complex, less than an year old, where residents are charged around Rs. 3000 per month for maintenance service and then what are they provide with:
- muddy water in the taps
- seepage in the walls,
- a fountain which is not even fitted, let alone not working,
- overflowing drains which are not rectified even after 4 days of complaining, (I have not seen this problem even in 20 year old houses and this building is hardly an year old)
- street dogs freely roaming in the campus,
- power backup which takes an eternity to come in action.
- centralized complaint system, but there is no one to pickup the calls made by residents to make the complaint. And when the poor residents walks down to the office, there is no one there too.
- Prepaid system for electricity system with an IVR that does not work, so that the helpless residents are not able to know if there is any balance left in their account or not. They have to rely on their memory or wait for the electricity to get cut to know when the account recharge is required.
Can't believe it? Come to Eldeco's Ananda Apartments in Sector 48, Noida and you will get to see all of this and much more.
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