Journey With Myself Promotion : Promote to win a top level domains + Hosting!

This is a promotional giveaway where you could win the following prizes: Top Level Domains [Like *.com *.org *.in etc] Premium hosting for 1 year Many domains This promotion will run from Sunday, 12th October’ 2011 to 31st October’ 2011 00:00 hours (mid-night). Result of the promotion will be announced on within a week and prizes will be distributed to all the winners in the next 3 weeks’ time.

Every Day is A New Day

New day.. New office location.. New Seat.. So many new things happened to me before this new year comes. Newness always brings enthusiasm and excitement. Hope this New Year also comes with hand full of surprises as Every Day is a New Day indeed..!!!

12 Most Famous Love Stories of All Time

When: 31 BC Where: Rome and Egypt What’s So Special about Their Love: These two had a love so strong, war was waged against them to break them up. When Mark Antony left his wife, Octavia, for the mesmerizing Cleopatra, Octavia’s brother Octavian brought the army of Rome to destroy them. These two lovers were so entranced with each other that they committed suicide rather than be apart- the ultimate Romeo and Juliet true love story.

Mahatma`s Teachings

I like both the movies MunnaBhai MBBS and Lage Raho MunnaBhai. I dont know about the Gandhi`s political decisions but I believe in his teachings to the nation.

Universal Truth about Boys............lolz!!

Now i truly admit, Google is very very very smart......

Showing posts with label Result. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Result. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Sushil Kumar won Panch Koti Maha Mani

Sushil Kumar from Bihar just won the Rs 5 crores jackpot (Rs. 50 Million) on the fifth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. (For those who do not know KBC, this is the Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire)
Sushil Kumar will not receive the entire Rs. 5 crores, the tax department will eat up about one third of his jackpot leaving him with about Rs. 3.5 crores; that's still a sizeable amount.
Let us see how it can help Mr. Sushil Kumar - a post graduate in philosophy and an IAS aspirant - in his life. He is currently a school teacher earning a meager Rs. 6000 per month.
In an interview Sushil Kumar revealed that he has some obligations that need to met first before he invests the rest of his money
  • An elder brother who wants to set up his own business
  • A younger brother  wanting to quit his 'piddly' Rs. 1500 per month job and also wants to start a new business.
  • His parents will want a nice big house - befitting the 'crorepati' son's status
  • Sushil Kumar himself plans to quit his job in order to concentrate on his IAS exam.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Top 20 Countries With Best Quality of Life


Magazine “Quality of Life Index” measures 194 countries ranked and rated to reveal the best places to live. They make this list using nine different categories like Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. After this they collates all results to produce final rankings. Lets see  according to 2010 results what are the top 20 best quality of life countries!


20. Hungary
Cost of Living – 58 Leisure & Culture – 76 Economy – 48 Environment – 77 Freedom – 100 Health – 84 Infrastructure – 77 Risk & Safety – 93 Climate – 76 Final Score – 74
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19. Uruguay
Cost of Living – 60 Leisure & Culture – 72 Economy – 52 Environment – 72 Freedom – 100 Health – 76 Infrastructure – 64 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 93 Final Score – 75
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18. Finland
Cost of Living – 39 Leisure & Culture – 93 Economy – 66 Environment – 68 Freedom – 100 Health – 81 Infrastructure – 76 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 76 Final Score – 75
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17. Spain
Cost of Living – 56 Leisure & Culture – 68 Economy – 63 Environment – 75 Freedom – 100 Health – 90 Infrastructure – 65 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 79 Final Score – 76
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16. Denmark
Cost of Living – 33 Leisure & Culture – 88 Economy – 69 Environment – 84 Freedom – 100 Health – 86 Infrastructure – 72 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 78 Final Score – 76
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15. Malta
Cost of Living – 63 Leisure & Culture – 70 Economy – 53 Environment – 84 Freedom – 100 Health – 89 Infrastructure – 52 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 95 Final Score – 76
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14. Liechtenstein
Cost of Living – 44 Leisure & Culture – 80 Economy – 100 Environment – 65 Freedom – 100 Health – 80 Infrastructure – 44 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 79 Final Score – 76
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13. Austria
Cost of Living – 41 Leisure & Culture – 86 Economy – 68 Environment – 87 Freedom – 100 Health – 85 Infrastructure – 68 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 76 Final Score – 77
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12. Norway
Cost of Living – 39 Leisure & Culture – 60 Economy – 89 Environment – 76 Freedom – 100 Health – 90 Infrastructure  – 89 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 60 Final Score – 77
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11. Netherlands
Cost of Living – 48 Leisure & Culture – 71 Economy – 69 Environment – 67 Freedom – 100 Health – 87 Infrastructure – 92 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 75 Final Score – 77
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10. Italy
Cost of Living – 56 Leisure & Culture – 85 Economy – 63 Environment – 74 Freedom – 92 Health – 90 Infrastructure – 62 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 87 Final Score – 77
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9. Canada
Cost of Living – 62 Leisure & Culture – 76 Economy – 69 Environment – 62 Freedom – 100 Health – 84 Infrastructure     85 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 69 Final Score – 77
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8. Belgium
Cost of Living – 41 Leisure & Culture – 83 Economy – 66 Environment – 64 Freedom – 100 Health – 88 Infrastructure – 96 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 86 Final Score – 78
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7. United States
Cost of Living – 56 Leisure & Culture – 79 Economy – 67 Environment – 62 Freedom – 92 Health – 78 Infrastructure – 100 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 84 Final Score – 78
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6. Luxembourg
Cost of Living – 44 Leisure & Culture – 76 Economy – 85 Environment – 77 Freedom – 100 Health – 87 Infrastructure – 66 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 83 Final Score – 78
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5. New Zealand
Cost of Living – 62 Leisure & Culture – 82 Economy – 65 Environment – 77 Freedom – 100 Health – 88 Infrastructure – 70 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 84 Final Score – 79
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4. Germany
Cost of Living – 54 Leisure & Culture – 82 Economy – 71 Environment – 83 Freedom – 100 Health – 89 Infrastructure – 90 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 79 Final Score     81
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3. Switzerland
Cost of Living – 41 Leisure & Culture  – 86 Economy – 79 Environment – 78 Freedom – 100 Health – 95 Infrastructure – 96 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 77 Final Score – 81
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2. Australia
Cost of Living – 56 Leisure & Culture – 82 Economy – 71 Environment – 76 Freedom – 100 Health – 87 Infrastructure – 92 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 87 Final Score – 81
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1. France
Cost of Living – 55 Leisure & Culture  -  81 Economy – 69 Environment – 72 Freedom – 100 Health – 100 Infrastructure – 92 Risk & Safety – 100 Climate – 87 Final Score – 82
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Friday, October 28, 2011

Try & find some colors in this black and white world




Promise yourself to be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind;
to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet;
to make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them;
to look at the sunny side of everything and to make your optimism come true,
to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best;
to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own;
to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future;
to wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet;
to give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others;
to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble;
to think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds;
to live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

CHEATERS NEVER GET WHAT THEY WANT. All they do is bring pain and suffereing upon themselves.
Then years later they tell you that cheating on you was the stupidest thing they ever did and carry heavy baggae of guilt.

If someone has cheated on you,then it basically makes you feel like you meant nothing to them or weren't good enough.
The only thing you can do is move on. You were loyal to that person and trusted that person and they betrayed that trust.
Sometimes you just have to walk away. That's easier said than done.
NEVER go out with someone who has cheated on his or her partner with you.
Just because they cheated with you doesnt mean they won't do it again. It just means they're getting better at it.
Cheating isn't the problem, it's the result of the problem(s)


Moral : B happy anyways & keep telling your self - All izz Well

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Business Leaders should Learn From Steve Jobs



Every speaker these days refers to Apple. They cite Apple case studies and constantly quote Steve Jobs. If we were to allow every speaker free rein to talk about Apple, we might as well rename our events 'Apple this' or 'Apple that'.
9 out of 10 speakers cite Apple. Of course, the brand didn't achieve such universal reverence without reason. So let the following advice, inspired by Steve Jobs, form the blueprint for any company with serious brand ambitions.
  1. What industry category do you operate within? Break out of it.
    If you had to choose one option, what industry would you say Apple operates within? Computers, music, telephones, or retailing? In terms of revenue, the answer is phones. However, the name Apple first came to be associated with computers. When Apple released the iPod, Walt Mossberg, a product reviewer for the Wall Street Journal, interviewed Steve Jobs. Mossberg spoke to Jobs about his reasons for venturing into the music industry. Jobs explained that Apple is a digital products company, not simply a computer company.
    Had Apple defined itself as a computer company, it would wave goodbye to 2/3 of its current revenue. Is this where your company is heading today?
  2. "When you reach for the stars, you might not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud, either."
    So said the legendary advertising man Leo Burnett, although Steve Jobs could just as well have uttered these words. When attending a board meeting of what shall remain an unnamed Fortune 100 company, the chief of innovation announced 31 new revisions to their existing product portfolio. After his presentation, he felt best represented his iPad moment. "Two perhaps," he replied. Wrong answer. There's only room for one. Neither you, your company, nor the world has patience for 31 tweaks these days.
    Will your next product release represent your iPad moment? If not, go back to the drawing board.
  3. Even if you predict the future just one minute before it happens, you're still in good time.
    In San Francisco during the late 1990s. Steve Jobs made a surprise visit on stage. That was the moment he threw the new Apple Newton message pad into the iconic Apple bin on stage. Apple was too early in the game and once the game began, they were too late. This was a lesson Steve Jobs learned the hard way. The Walkman came before the iPod, Microsoft's tablet arrived before the iPad, and the Blackberry arrived before the iPhone--though Apple's impeccable timing managed to beat them all.
    Being first isn't necessarily best--understanding timing is the essence of a breakthrough.
  4. "What do you want the stores to say to people when they walk in?"
    Steve Jobs questions to Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, when he was asked for advice on the redesign of Disney's retail stores.
    If your storefront, product, service, website, store fit-out could talk to the customer, what would it say?
  5. Identify and attack your enemy in public.
    When Apple's iTunes program was already well ensconced on millions of PCs, Steve Jobs was asked what it was like to be a major Windows developer. He replied without hesitation, "It's like handing a glass of ice water to someone in Hell." Jobs never shied away from pointing out Apple's number #1 enemy in public. CEOs could learn from this.
    Often behaviour that's too self-consciously politically correct can lead to a watered-down focus and profile, both internally and externally. An enemy can define who you are, and who you're not.
  6. Don't read about your competitors to learn more--visit them.
    However, it is probably a good idea to conduct such a visit before they've become your competitor. During Steve Jobs's early days in the business, he did, in fact, pay a visit Sony. He wanted to learn about the Walkman, as well as get a sense of Sony's well-oiled operation. Jobs was heavily inspired by both. Indeed, many companies can boast of Jobs visiting them in the past--providing Apple with inspiration.
    When did you last pay a visit to a potential competitor?
  7. Don't take your success for granted--reset your watch every time.
    I've always been amazed by how some of the world's most successful organizations continue to work as tirelessly as they did when they first began. For example, take the rock group U2. Their most recent promotional tour was as intensive as the first one they embarked on 15 years ago, impressing even the most jaded rock journalists both then and now. Steve Jobs's unwavering enthusiasm for Apple was the same. Walt Mossberg recalls first seeing the iPad at Jobs's home, because, as Mossberg explained, "He was too ill at the time to go to the office."
    Act entrepreneurial. Assume you have no equity--fight as hard for your product as you did the very first time you promoted it.
  8. Every company should learn from their own mistakes and success stories.
    In reality, all companies experience a regular turnover in staff. So, the filing of experiences and the internal education often fail to capture invaluable knowledge for future reference. Apple managed to circumvent this by entrusting their HR department to employ academics and historians to document events (both good and bad), publish internal papers, and systematize the transfer of information to new Apple employees.
    Have you systematically captured and transferred the good and bad experiences within your organisation?
  9. Make your brand sticky.
    Gillette is the master of the "sticky" brand. Once you buy a Gillette razor, you are forced to buy Gillette's blades. Similarly, once you've installed Windows on your PC, it's almost impossible to avoid installing Office. True, you can buy an iPod shuffle for not much more than $100 but, beware, this is just the beginning--the chances are you'll soon be buying anything and everything that starts with a small "i."
    Have you made your product or service sticky?
  10. Treat your brand as a religion.
    If you've read any of my blogs or articles, you'll know all about my obsession with the parallels between religion and brands. 

Journey With Myself Promotion : Promote to win a top level domains + Hosting!

Participate in the Promotion and grab free prizes like Domains and hosting.

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This promotion will run from Sunday, 12th October’ 2011 to  31st October’ 2011 00:00 hours (mid-night). Result of the promotion will be announced on within a week and prizes will be distributed to all the winners in the next 3 weeks’ time.

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Aakash Tablet for just $35

 


Indian government’s ultra low-cost tablet ‘Aakash’ is finally in front of us. The official launch comes after nearly one year telecom minister Kapil Sibal flaunted a prototype of the device. Previously nicknamed as ‘Sakshat’, the Aakash is being touted as the “world’s cheapest tablet”.  The tablet is considered to be a significant accomplishment for the government, which believes the device will bridge the gap between the rural India and the ongoing technology boom in the country.  Of late we have got several queries regarding the new Aakash tablet, so we’ve decided to give you a Facts post, which will help you find answers to most of your queries.

Availability: The government will roll out 100,000 units of the Aakash tablet initially.  The details of the availability of the device are bit sketchy. The government says it will distribute the device to students through the institutions they are studying. So, best way to find out exact availability of Aakash tablet is to contact your concerned department of your college/institution.
Commercially, the device will be launched in November. Pre-booking for the Aakash tablet (retail version is known as UbiSlate) has already started. For more info on pre-booking click here


Price: Well, the Aakash tablet will be available for students at a subsidised price of nearly Rs. 1,730. However, the exact price of the Aakash is nearly Rs. 2,276, which the government paid for its procurement. As per the official website, the Aakash tablet a.k.a UbiSlate will be commercially available at Rs. 2,999.

Plans: As per official website, UbiSlate will come with an unlimited mobile Internet at Rs.98/month.



Specs:  The Aakash tablet comes with a seven-inch 800x400 resistive touchscreen. It runs on Android 2.2 Froyo OS and is powered by 366 MHz + HD video co-processor. For connectivity, it has an inbuilt WiFI support and can connect a datacard for 3G and GPRS connectivity. The device comes with a 2GB of storage memory, which can be extended up to 32GB via microSD. It has a 256 MB RAM. The device supports document formats: DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP and can run PDF viewer, Text editor. It has a 2,100 mAh battery which is promised to give 3 hours of backup depending upon usage.Check out more spec details here.

Versions: Yes, there are two versions of the Aakash tablet. The subsidised Aakash tablet will miss few features such as inbuilt cellular modem and SIM to access Internet. The retail version is likely to sport full-fledged specs as announced by the government.

Developed by:  The Aakash tablet is designed, developed and manufactured by a Canada-based firm called DataWind in co-ordination with IIT Rajasthan. According to reports, DataWind plans to launch a high end version of the device in less price sensitive markets such as the UK and US.
 
Is Aakash really world’s cheapest tablet?
 
Media seems to love tagging India as the “cheapest market”, especially after the launch of Tata Nano. However, it’s not same for the Aakash. After some search on Internet, we found out that there are a number of tablets available in the same price range and that too with better specs.
We already have a seven-inch tablet running Android 2.2 OS with an 800 MHZ Cortex-A8 processor, 256 MB RAM and 2GB hard drive, built-in camera at a price of $ 39.71. Check out the product here. And if you slightly go up, you have Maxtouuch 7inch Tablet PC.
Similarly, there a number of Chinese companies offering tablets running various Android versions with better processors between the price range of $40-50. The Aakash tablet offers nothing extraordinary other than its ultra low price. If it is overhauled on the specs front with a slight price hike, the Aakash could catch up with other high end but affordable tablets in the market.
So, if the retail price for a single unit from an Indian retailer for a more powerful tablet is Rs 5,000 ($100). We are almost sure that the same tablet can be ordered in bulk to get the pricing down to the range of $50. The point is, perhaps the specifications and technology for the Aakash tablet could have been better, especially when you count the exemptions of duty and other benefits that would have been applied to the $35 project. Going by the specifications and the fact that the tablet with run Android 2.2, it's performance might just be below acceptable levels. Unless the Google Android 2.2 OS on the Aakash tablet is heavily modified for performance boost on slower processors, the lag and response of the tablet with a resistive screen can result in a frustrating experience. We hope to get our hands on the $35 gadget soon, we will reserve our final verdict for the detailed review.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

STEVE JOBS 1955-2011



Steve Jobs was the Thomas Edison of our time. Just as the light bulb changed the way we looked at things so did the innovations that Steve imagined and produced. He was of the world's greatest marketers. We will miss him.

In his own words he expresses his philosophy of death elegantly:

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

The world has lost one of the great visionaries in history. Yet he continues on as in inspiration to all of us that seek innovation, perfection and success. Our condolences to his family and the folks at Apple Corporation, and all who admired him.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Marketing Models in Internet Marketing




The concept of Internet marketing began in the nineties. As technology developed, more consumers began using the Internet for entertainment and research. Businesses adapted to this trend and began advertising their products and services online. Internet advertising boomed with the growth of major search engines including Google, Yahoo, and MSN. People of all demographic groups use the Internet, and companies can easily access a variety of vertical markets.
Internet marketing is growing in leaps and bounds, and advertising strategies are developing. Strategies include search engine marketing (SEM), affiliate marketing, email marketing, display advertisement, social media optimization, online public relations, mobile analysis, viral marketing, web analytics, and interactive advertising.

Search Engine Marketing

This tool optimizes your online marketing by helping you promote your products and services. When people use search engines, they type particular keywords. Companies work with these keywords to make sure that their products are prominent in a user's search result. They market themselves by identifying key words. Search engine marketing can use paid search methods, local search methods, and product search methods.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a web-based technique that utilizes a network of companies or websites. Businesses and websites will market other businesses and websites. This marketing practice rewards affiliates. Affiliate programs compensate relationships in three ways: Cost per Sale (CPS), Cost per Click (CPC), and Cost per Action (CPA).

Display Advertising

Banner ads are display advertisements that are targeted towards a page viewer. Banners are strategically placed where people will see them. You can design and display advertisements yourself, or you can hire a professional. Banners can help your company achieve instant results.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is simple and effective. Businesses can use email marketing to maintain contact with existing clients and to seek out new customers. Emails can be generated quickly to a wide variety of demographics. Companies can send targeted emails based on shopping history, geographic location, and personal information. Sometimes, people prefer to receive emails over other forms of communication. In any case, email marketing comes with drawbacks. Excessive and unnecessary emails are referred to as spam and can be problematic to users and businesses. Because of spam, some email inboxes are set to automatically sort and delete emails from online marketing campaigns. People do not always read email advertisements and will delete them instantly.

Social Media Optimization

Social media optimization (SMO) is a term that refers to a combination of different techniques that are used to promote a business or company. This type of marketing focuses on social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. Social network sites provide access to a wide variety of people with different backgrounds and interests. People from all over the world join these sites to maintain contact with their friends. SMO matches advertisements with social media users. For example, you can pay to target college students, parents, men, or women.

Interactive Advertising

Interactive advertising describes both online and offline tools that businesses use to recruit potential clients. Offline methods include direct sales calls, interactive television, interactive kiosks, and mobile devices. Email marketing, keyword optimization, blogging, and social networking are some of the online techniques that are used for interactive advertising. You can also choose to use other online methods like video advertising and animations.

Online Public Relations

Public relations help businesses gain exposure and credibility. Businesses employ strategies to connect with the public and ensure that people know what is going on. Companies can present their activities strategically to promote themselves. Online techniques include press releases, article marketing, email marketing, blogs, and syndication.

Viral Marketing

With viral marketing, companies use word-of-mouth and popular social networks to spread awareness of a product. These can be photos, videos, songs, or text messages that capture a viewer's interest or attention. In general, viral marketing techniques will capitalize upon something catchy. These could be parodies of songs, movies, or celebrities. Viral marketing can help a company increase its product or service sales.

Mobile Advertising

Mobile advertising makes use of text messaging. The advantage of this method is that people are likely to read their text messages. A growing number of people have internet-enabled phones and can click directly to a company's website. Mobile advertising is becoming increasingly cost effective.

Ad Serving

Ad serving allows you to be more strategic in how you display your advertisements. This technology allows you to determine what ads make the most money, and you can monitor how all of your advertisements perform. You can use ad serving technology to come up with an effective advertising plans and to increase your efficiency. You can save money by being precise.

Web Analytics

Web analytics include statistical and demographic reports for websites. You can collect data about the number of people visiting your site as well as their personal information. Through web analytics, you can customize your website to expand your markets and to meet the needs of your client base.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Success is a journey, not a destination

Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. 

Earl Nightingale

Let's look at these definitions carefully.

"Progressive" means that success is a journey, not a destination. We never arrive. After we reach one goal, we go on to the next and the next and the next.

"Realization" means it is an experience. Outside forces cannot make me feel successful. I have to feel it within myself. It is internal not external.

"Worthy" refers to our value system. Which way are we heading? Positive or negative? Worthiness determines the quality of the journey. That is what gives meaning and fulfillment. Success without fulfillment is empty. Why?

"Goals" are important. Because they give us a sense of direction. Success does not mean being accepted by everyone.

There are some groups I would not want to be accepted by, out of choice. I would rather be criticized by fools than appreciated by unsavory characters. I define success as a manifestation of good luck that results from inspiration, aspiration, desperation and perspiration; generally in that sequence. Success and happiness go hand in hand.

Success is getting what you want and happiness is wanting what you get!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Bill Gates – A Success Story

Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle in a family having rich business, political and community service background. His great-grandfather was a state legislator and a mayor, his grandfather was vice president of national bank and his father was a lawyer.
Bill believed in achieving his goals through hard work. He also believes that if you are intelligent and know how to use your intelligence, you can reach your goals and targets. From his early days Bill was ambitious, competitive and intelligent. These qualities helped him to attain great position in the profession he chose also Bill was deemed by his peers and his teachers as the smartest kid on campus; Bill’s parents came to know their son’s intelligence and decided to enroll him in a private school, known for its intense academic environment. That was the most important decision in Bill Gate’s life where he was first introduced to computers. Bill Gates and his friends were very much interested in computer and formed “Programmers Group” in late 1968. Being in this group, they found a new way to apply their computer skill in university of Washington. In the next year, they got their first opportunity in Information Sciences Inc. in which they were selected as programmers. ISI (Information Sciences Inc.) agreed to give them royalties, whenever it made money from any of the group’s program. As a result of the business deal signed with Information Sciences Inc., the group also became a legal business.
Bill Gates and his close friend Allen formed a new company of their own, Traf-O-Data. They developed a small computer to measure traffic flow. From this project they earned around $20,000. The era of Traf-O-Data came to an end when Gates left the college. Upon graduating from Lakeside Bill enrolled in Harvard University in 1973, one of the best universities in the country, He didn’t know what to do, so he enrolled his name for pre-law. He took the standard freshman courses with the exception of signing up for one of Harvard’s toughest mathematics courses. He did well over there, but he couldn’t find it interesting too. He spent many long nights in front of the school’s computer and the next day asleep in class. After leaving school, he almost lost himself from the world of computers. Gates and his friend Paul Allen remained in close contact even though they were away from school. They would often discuss new ideas for future projects and the possibility of starting a business one fine day. At the end of Bill’s first year, Allen came close to him so that they could follow some of their ideas. That summer they got job in Honeywell. Allen kept on pushing Bill for opening a new software company.
Within a year, Bill Gates dropped out from Harvard. Then he formed Microsoft. Microsoft’s vision is “A computer on every desk and Microsoft software on every computer”. Bill is a visionary person and works very hard to achieve his vision. His belief in high intelligence and hard work has put him where he is today. He does not believe in mere luck or God’s grace, but just hard work and competitiveness. Bill’s Microsoft is good competition for other software companies and he will continue to stomp out (challenge) the competition until he dies. He likes to play the game of Risk and the game of world domination. His beliefs are so powerful, which have helped him increase his wealth and his monopoly in the industry.
Bill Gates is not a greedy person. In fact, he is quite giving person when it comes to computers, internet and any kind of funding. Some years back, he visited Chicago’s Einstein Elementary School and announced grants benefiting Chicago’s schools and museums where he donated a total of $110,000, a bunch of computers, and provided internet connectivity to number of schools. Secondly, Bill Gates donated 38 million dollars for the building of a computer institute at Stanford University.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Bribery - Culture of India


First:


Religion is transactional in India.
Indians give God cash and anticipate an out-of-turn reward.
Such a plea acknowledges that favours are needed for the undeserving.

In the world outside the temple walls,
such a transaction is named- “bribe”.

A wealthy Indian gives not cash to temples,
but gold crowns and such baubles.

His gifts can not feed the poor. His pay-off is for God.
He thinks it will be wasted if it goes to a needy man.

In June 2009, The Hindu published a report of Karnataka minister
G. Janardhan Reddy gifting a crown of gold and diamonds worth
Rs 45 crore to Tirupati.

India’s temples collect so much that
they don't know what to do with it.
Billions are gathering dust in temple vaults.

When Europeans came to India they built schools.
When Indians go to Europe & USA, they build temples.

Indians believe that if God accepts money for his favours,
then nothing is wrong in doing the same thing.
This is why Indians are so easily corruptible.

Indian culture accommodates such transactions morally.
There is no real stigma. An utterly corrupt JayaLalita can
make a comeback, just unthinkable in the West.


Second:

Indian moral ambiguity towards corruption is visible in its history.
Indian history tells of the capture of cities and kingdoms after guards
were paid off to open the gates, and commanders paid off to surrender.

This is unique to India.

Indians' corrupt nature has meant limited warfare on the subcontinent.
It is striking how little Indians have actually fought compared to
ancient Greece and modern Europe.

The Turks’ battles with Nadir Shah were vicious and fought to the finish.

In India fighting wasn't needed, bribing was enough to see off armies.

Any invader willing to spend cash could brush aside India’s kings,
no matter how many tens of thousands soldiers were in their infantry.

Little resistance was given by the Indians at the “Battle” of Plassey.
Clive paid off Mir Jaffar and all of Bengal folded to an army of 3,000.

There was always a financial exchange to taking Indian forts.
Golconda was captured in 1687 after the secret back door was left open.

Mughals vanquished Marathas and Rajputs with nothing but bribes.

The Raja of Srinagar gave up Dara Shikoh’s son Sulaiman to
Aurangzeb after receiving a bribe.

There are many cases where Indians participated
on a large scale in treason due to bribery.


Question is: Why Indians have a transactional culture while other 'civilized' nations don't?


Third:

Indians do not believe in the theory that they all can rise
if each of them behaves morally, because that is not
the message of their faith.

Their caste system separates them.
They don't believe that all men are equal.
This resulted in their division and migration to other religions .

Many Hindus started their own faith like Sikh, Jain, Buddha
and many converted to Christianity and Islam.

The result is that Indians don't trust one another .

There are no Indians in India ,there are
Hindus ,Christians, Muslims and what not.

Indians forget that 400 years ago they all belonged to one faith.

This division evolved an unhealthy culture.
The inequality has resulted in a corrupt society,

In India every one is thus against everyone else,
except God ­ and even he must be bribed.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

42. Andhaka Again (Shiv Puran)

Andhaka had been crowned king in Hiranyanetra's kingdom. Prahlada and Andhaka's other cousins went to him and said, You are blind. What are you going to do with a kingdom? Give it to us. Our uncle made a mistake in accepting a blind son from Shiva.

Andhaka was very hurt at these nasty words. He went away to the forest and started to perform tapasya. He prayed to Brahma. For millions of years he stood on one leg, with his arms raised high, and prayed. No one since that day has been able to duplicate Andhaka's wonderful feat of meditation.

He did not eat or drink at all. He chopped off parts of his body and offered it to the sacrificial fire. It came to such a pass that there was no more meat of blood left in his body. It had all been offered to the fire. He was just a skeleton. It was then that Brahma appeared before him and offered a boon.

Prahlada and my other cousins have taken over my kingdom, said Andhaka. Please grant me the boon that I may be able to see. Please also grant me the boon that I may not be killed by gods, demons, or humans, or even by the great Vishnu himself.

Brahma was in a fix. Earlier, many demons had asked for similar boons, but they had generaly not mentioned Vishnu. So that , when the need arose, Vishnu had been able to kill them. But here was an asura who asking for the boon that even Vishnu would not be able to kill him. This would make him virtually immortal.

Everything that you have asked for is possible, replied Brahma. But all beings have to die.

Indicate the circumstances under which you will die and the boons will be granted.

Since I have to die, said Andhaka, Let it be under the following conditions. If I ever wish to marry a beautiful woman who is like a mother unto me, let that be the hour appointed for my death.

This condition was better than nothing at all and Brahma granted Andhaka the boons. Andhaka returned to his kingdom. When Prahala and the other cousins learnt that Andhaka had become so powerful because of the boons, they not only returned to him his kingdom, but theirs as well.

Remember that Andhaka could now see.

The first thing that Andhaka did was to invade heaven. He defeated Indra and the other gods and made they pay taxes to the demons. Next he defeated the snakes (nagas), the gandharvas, the rakshasas, the yakshas (companions of Kubera) and the humans. Thus he began to rule over all the three worlds.

For millions of years Andhaka ruled in this fashion. The religion of the Vedas suffered during this period, since Andhaka paid no attention to it.

Once Andhaka went to a visit tot he Mount Mandara. The place was so beautiful that he made up his mind to live there. Three of Andhaka's generals were named Duryodhana, Vighasa and hasti.

These three were exploring the environment of Mount Mandara when they came upon a cave. An ascetic was meditating inside the cave. He was dressed in the skin of a tiger, wore a garland of skulls, his hair was matted and he wore a crescent moon on his forehead.

There was a beautiful woman near the ascetic. She was more beautiful than any other woman in the three worlds. The three generals concluded that this was the right wife for Andhaka.

When the generals came back to Andhaka and reported on what they had seen, the asura king said, What are you waiting for? Go to the ascestic and ask him for the woman.

Duryodhana, Vighasa and Hasti went back to the ascetic. You are only an ascetic, they said. You don't deserve such a pretty wife. Our master is the lord of everything and he is immensely rich. He is also handsome because of a boon received from Brahma. Give us this woman so that our master Andhaka may marry her.

Ask your master to come and take the woman himself, replied Shiva, for the ascetic, as you have already guessed, was none other than Shiva. And the beautiful woman was Parvati.

As soon as he heard this, Andhaka grasped his sword and came to fight with Shiva. The door to the cave was guarded by Nandi, and Andhaka first had to fight with him.

Nandi easily defeated the asura and also defeated the asura soldiers who had accompanied their king. But Andhaka returned and again a fight raged with Nandi for five hundred years. Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and the other gods also came to help in the fight with the demons.

The general Vighasa was a very strong warrior. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed up all the gods, including Vishnu. So far, Shiva himself had not played any part in the fighting. But hearing what Vighasa had done, he ascended his bull and came out to fight. He killed Vighasa and rescued the gods from the asura's stomach. The asuras had a preceptor named Shukracharya who knew the art of bringing back dead beings to life. So Shukracharya moved around the battlefield, brining back to life any demons that were killed. This was not helping the cause of the gods at all. Shiva's companions (gangas) captured Shukracharya and brought him to Shiva. Shiva promptly swallowed up Shukracharya.

Soon all the demons were taken care of, with the exception of Andhaka. He continued to fight.

Vishnu's mace could do him no harm and he only laughed at Indra's arrows. Some of the arrows did pierce the asura's body. But whenever drops of blood from his body onto the ground, asuras who were exactly like him in appearance were created from this blood.

As a result, the battlefield was soon populated with thousands and thousands of Andhakas.

Shiva created a goddess known as Devi from his own body. Devi was appointed the task of drinking up the blood of the asuras before it could spill onto the ground. Thus aided by Devi, Shiva started to tackle the demons and soon there was only the original Andhaka left. Shiva flung a trident at him.

The trident struck Andhaka on the chest and the asura king fell down dead.

When the war was over, Shukracharya prayed to Shiva and was released from Shiva's stomach.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

29. Story of Sudarshana Chakra (Shiv Puran)

Sudarshana chakra (a bladed discus) was Vishnu's weapon. Vishnu received this wonderful weapon as a result of Shiva's grace.

Many years ago, the demons oppressed the gods and the gods went to Vishnu for deliverance. Vishnu said that the demons were so powerful, that he would first have to worship Shiva if something was to be done about the asuras. Vishnu went to Mount Kailasa and bean to pray to Shiva. He chanted many mantras, but there was no sign of Shiva. Shiva has a thousand names and Vishnu next started to chant these names. Each day he chanted the thousand names and offered a thousand lotus flowers to Shiva.

Shiva decided to test Vishnu. One day, he stole a lotus flower from the thousand that were to be offered. When Vishnu realized that there was one lotus flower less, he gouged out his own eye and offered it in place of the missing lotus flower. Shiva was now pleased and appeared before Vishnu. He offered to grant Vishnu a boon.

You know that the powerful demons have been oppressing the gods, said Vishnu. I need a weapon to fight the demons with. Please give me a weapon.

Shiva then gave Vishnu the sudarshana chakra. And with this weapon, Vishnu killed the demons.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

28. Story of Arjuna and Shiva (Shiv Puran)

Duryodhana robbed the Pandavas of their rightful share of the kingdom in a game of dice. As a result of this, the Pandavas had to spend many years in the forest. While they were in the forest, Vedavyasa came to visit the Pandavas. Vedavyasa told them that they should pray to Shiva. But since Arjuna was the best suited amongst the Pandavas for worshipping Shiva, Vedvyasa taught Arjuna a special mantra (incantation). Then he asked Arjuna to go to Mount Indrakila and pray to Shiva there.

Mount Indrakila was on the banks of the river Bhagirathi.

Arjuna went to Mount Indrakila. He made a linga out of clay and started to pray to Shiva. The news of Arjuna's wonderful tapasya spread everywhere. Arjuna stood on one leg and continualy chanted the mantra that Vedavyasa had taught him.

Suddenly, Arjuna saw a boar. Arjuna thought that this fierce boar might have come to distract him from his tapasya. Alternatively, it might be a relative of the several demons that he had killed and therefore might wish him harm. Thinking this, Arjuna picked up his bow and arrow and let fly an arrow at the boar. Meanwhile, Shiva had decided to subject Arjuna to a test and he had also arrived at the spot disgusted as a hunter. When Arjuna shot an arrow at the boar, so did Shiva. Shiva's arrow struck the boar in its hindquarters and Arjuna's arrow struck the boar in its mouth. The boar fell down dead.

A dispute started between Arjuna and the hunter about who had killed the boar. Each claimed it for his own. They began to fight. But whatever weapons were hurled by Shiva were easily repelled all of Arjuna's weapons. When all the weapons were exhausted, the two started to wrestle.

After the fight had gone on for a while, Shiva gave up his disguise of a hunter and displayed his true form to Arjuna. Arjuna wa ashamed that he had been fighting with the very person to whom he had been praying.

Please forgive me, said Arjuna.

It is all right, replied Shiva. I was just trying to test you. Your weapons have been like offerings to me, you are my devotee. Tell me, what boon do you desire?

Arjuna wanted the boon that he might obtain glory on earth. Shiva gave Arjuna his pashupata weapon. This was such a divine weapon that its possession made Arjuna invincible.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Work Results

The Gita further explains the theory of "detachment" from the extrinsic rewards of work in saying:
If the result of sincere effort is a success, the entire credit should not be appropriated by the doer
alone.
If the result of sincere effort is a failure, then too the entire blame does not accrue to the doer.
The former attitude mollifies arrogance and conceit while the latter prevents excessive
despondency, de‐motivation and self‐pity. Thus both these dispositions safeguard the doer against
psychological vulnerability, the cause of the modem managers' companions of diabetes, high blood
pressure and ulcers.
Assimilation of the ideas of the Gita leads us to the wider spectrum of "lokasamgraha" (general
welfare) but there is also another dimension to the work ethic ‐ if the "karmayoga" (service) is
blended with "bhaktiyoga" (devotion), then the work itself becomes worship, a "sevayoga" (service
for its own sake.)
Along with bhakti yoga as a means of liberation, the Gita espouses the doctrine of nishkamya karma
or pure action untainted by hankering after the fruits resulting from that action. Modern scientists
have now understood the intuitive wisdom of that action in a new light.
Scientists at the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda found that laboratory monkeys
that started out as procrastinators became efficient workers after they received brain injections that
suppressed a gene linked to their ability to anticipate a reward. The scientists reported that the work
ethic of rhesus macaques wasn't all that different from that of many people: "If the reward is not
immediate, you procrastinate", Dr Richmond told LA Times.
(This may sound a peculiarly religious idea but it has a wider application. It could be taken to mean
doing something because it is worthwhile, to serve others, to make the world a better place – Ed.)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Work Commitment

A popular verse of the Gita advises "detachment" from the fruits or results of actions performed in
the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has to mean "working for the sake of work,
generating excellence for its own sake." If we are always calculating the date of promotion or the
rate of commission before putting in our efforts, then such work is not detached. It is not
"generating excellence for its own sake" but working only for the extrinsic reward that may (or may
not) result.
Working only with an eye to the anticipated benefits, means that the quality of performance of the
current job or duty suffers ‐ through mental agitation of anxiety for the future. In fact, the way the
world works means that events do not always respond positively to our calculations and hence
expected fruits may not always be forthcoming. So, the Gita tells us not to mortgage present
commitment to an uncertain future.
Some people might argue that not seeking the business result of work and actions makes one
unaccountable. In fact, the Bhagavad Gita is full of advice on the theory of cause and effect, making
the doer responsible for the consequences of his deeds. While advising detachment from the avarice
of selfish gains in discharging one's accepted duty, the Gita does not absolve anybody of the
consequences arising from discharge of his or her responsibilities.
Thus the best means of effective performance management is the work itself. Attaining this state of
mind (called "nishkama karma") is the right attitude to work because it prevents the ego, the mind,
from dissipation of attention through speculation on future gains or losses.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The source of the problem

The reasons for this sorry state of affairs are not far to seek. The Western idea of management
centers on making the worker (and the manager) more efficient and more productive. Companies
offer workers more to work more, produce more, sell more and to stick to the organization without
looking for alternatives. The sole aim of extracting better and more work from the worker is to
improve the bottom‐line of the enterprise. The worker has become a hirable commodity, which can
be used, replaced and discarded at will.
Thus, workers have been reduced to the state of a mercantile product. In such a state, it should
come as no surprise to us that workers start using strikes (gheraos) sit‐ins, (dharnas) go‐slows, workto‐
rule etc. to get maximum benefit for themselves from the organizations. Society‐at‐large is
damaged. Thus we reach a situation in which management and workers become separate and
contradictory entities with conflicting interests. There is no common goal or understanding. This,
predictably, leads to suspicion, friction, disillusion and mistrust, with managers and workers at cross
purposes. The absence of human values and erosion of human touch in the organizational structure
has resulted in a crisis of confidence.
Western management philosophy may have created prosperity – for some people some of the time
at least ‐ but it has failed in the aim of ensuring betterment of individual life and social welfare. It has
remained by and large a soulless edifice and an oasis of plenty for a few in the midst of poor quality
of life for many.
Hence, there is an urgent need to re‐examine prevailing management disciplines ‐ their objectives,
scope and content. Management should be redefined to underline the development of the worker
as a person, as a human being, and not as a mere wage‐earner. With this changed perspective,
management can become an instrument in the process of social, and indeed national, development.
Now let us re‐examine some of the modern management concepts in the light of the Bhagavad Gita
which is a primer of management‐by‐values.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Old truths in a new context

The Bhagavad Gita, written thousands of years ago, enlightens us on all managerial techniques
leading us towards a harmonious and blissful state of affairs in place of the conflict, tensions, poor
productivity, absence of motivation and so on, common in most of Indian enterprises today – and
probably in enterprises in many other countries.
The modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership, motivation, excellence in work,
achieving goals, giving work meaning, decision making and planning, are all discussed in the
Bhagavad Gita. There is one major difference. While Western management thought too often deals
with problems at material, external and peripheral levels, the Bhagavad Gita tackles the issues from
the grass roots level of human thinking. Once the basic thinking of man is improved, it will
automatically enhance the quality of his actions and their results.
The management philosophy emanating from the West is based on the lure of materialism and on a
perennial thirst for profit, irrespective of the quality of the means adopted to achieve that goal. This
phenomenon has its source in the abundant wealth of the West and so 'management by
materialism' has caught the fancy of all the countries the world over, India being no exception to this
trend. My country, India, has been in the forefront in importing these ideas mainly because of its
centuries old indoctrination by colonial rulers, which has inculcated in us a feeling that anything
Western is good and anything Indian, is inferior.
The result is that, while huge funds have been invested in building temples of modem management
education, no perceptible changes are visible in the improvement of the general quality of life ‐
although the standards of living of a few has gone up. The same old struggles in almost all sectors of
the economy, criminalization of institutions, social violence, exploitation and other vices are seen
deep in the body politic.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

11 in 2011

This year we are going to experience four unusual dates -
1 - 1/1/11
2 - 1/11/11
3 - 11/1/11
4 - 11/11/11
and that`s not all.
Take the last two digits of your year of birth.
Now add the age youwill be this year,
and the result will be 111 for everyone!
This is the year of Money!
This year October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Saturdays.
This happens only every 823 years.
These particular years are known as "MONEYBAGS"
The proverb goes that this year if for Money as per Chinese Feng- Shui.
So make Money.. Honey..

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Bhagavad Gita and Management World Management Lessons from India

The despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita is typically human. Sri Krishna, by sheer
power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna's mind from a state of inertia to one of righteous
action, from the state of what the French philosophers call "anomie" or even alienation, to a state of
self‐confidence in the ultimate victory of "dharma" (ethical action.)
When Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishna reminded him of the
purpose of his new‐found spirit of intense action ‐ not for his own benefit, not for satisfying his own
greed and desire, but for the good of many, with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical
actions and of truth over untruth.
Sri Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures is, "No doer of good ever ends in misery."
Every action should produce results. Good action produces good results and evil begets nothing but
evil. Therefore, always act well and be rewarded.
My purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western model of efficiency, dynamism and striving
for excellence but to tune these ideals to India's holistic attitude of "lokasangraha" ‐ for the welfare
of many, for the good of many. There is indeed a moral dimension to business life. What we do in
business is no different, in this regard, to what we do in our personal lives. The means do not justify
the ends. Pursuit of results for their own sake is ultimately self‐defeating. ("Profit," said Matsushitasan
in another tradition "is the reward of correct behavior." – Ed.)